Archives for All Weather Running category
Posted on May 12, 2013 under 10 Miles, All Weather Running, Long Runs, Milestones, Season's Best |
Have neglected this running blog of late, my running has been on and off with injuries but thankfully more on lately!
Got up to 8 miles last week, then a long walk on Monday, followed by some pretty hard running at SRC Hyde which I only occasionally get to with work at the moment.
Had planned to do 8 miles today, it was pouring and cold, at about 6k my right hamstring started tightening (it was the left I pulled months ago!), I gave it a rub and was ready to turn back, but a jog round a park and it was Ok so I headed back on my planned route through Reddish to Belle Vue. It did keep tightening when I sped up but fitness wise I felt great, very happy to be running and looking like a madman in the rain! As I neared home I was at 14.5k and thought why not go the long way round and make it a nice 10 miles, so I did, and it’s been a long time since I ran so far and really didn’t want to stop at the end as I could have gone on all night, but I don’t think my legs would have thanked me for it in the long run 🙂
Posted on Mar 24, 2013 under All Weather Running, Health, Injuries |
It seemed a cold day for a run – too cold. Wind blowing, not nice at all. Something told me it wasn’t a good day for running, but the fatal Facebook effect took hold – lots of people posting results and pictures from the Wilmslow Half. Surely if people could go out and race 13 miles on such a freezng awful day, I could go out and run 3 or 4 miles slow just to keep the miles in my legs, right? Wrong!
Set off and was aware of feeling incredibly cold, my hands going red and numb almost immediately. Just settled into a very slow pace, and clicked through 1k with no trouble. Coming up to the mile mark and planning a route in my head, was envisioning a nice gentle loop and doing about 5 miles, when twang, my hamstring blows. Walked for a little then tried to jog at a barely above walking pace, but twang, sayonara, sucker… You aren’t running for a while again.
So 9 miles on Monday, a faster 5k on Thursday (though still over 31 minutes), and a gentle trot today (was just turning 11 minutes at the one mile point) and twang, off it goes – looks like there is no rhyme or reason and I am not going to be able to trust my legs for an awfully long time as one day I can run, and get a nice pace or distance done, a few days later, it’s like I have a different pair of legs.
I think my days of running sub 50 10ks and sub 24 5ks, and in fact going for any kind of running intensity at all, are effectively over, incredibly frustrating when I read of people my age or a lot older running hard and doing well, as my body just keeps letting me down and stopping me doing one of the things that I really enjoy 🙁
Maybe I shall take up knitting until his effing cold weather effs off back to effing Siberia!
Posted on Mar 13, 2013 under 5 miles, All Weather Running, Regular Runs, Trail Running |
Wanted to get 5 miles in, and it looked sunny enough to make for pleasant trail running.
Set off and the Garmin was completely lost and had the wrong date so took a while to recalibrate itself, then I set off towards Mill Lane over the trails, and headed through the Haughton Dale nature reserve, over the steps and then back through the woods to Denton.
Decided to cut through the houses in the woods and extend the run by heading through the wilderness to the farm at the bottom of Town Lane, so it got quite hilly and muddy there, but I managed to avoid breaking my spine on the ground as I crossed the stile where I fell last summer! At this point flakes of snow were coming down and the sky had gone black! Staggered up the hill bit by bit and paused to stroke a horse, then mud stomped through a pile of utter crappy mud which coated my trainers, then the gradual ascent up Town Lane. Put on a burst of pace but not too much and cantered to a stop near home after struggling with the “Pedestrians this way” sign which actually led right in front of oncoming cars!!!!
Nice run all in all and felt good.
Posted on Mar 10, 2013 under 10-15k, All Weather Running, Long Runs, Milestones, Trail Running |
Time for the Sunday long run, and for a spring day in March the weather was a bit grim – blowing a strong icy wind, freezing cold. Still, the sun was out and shades went on, but only managed to sweat and feel warm when shielded from the wind at brief times in the woods.
Started off towards Hyde, went past Sweatshop and glanced in the window but didn’t see anyone, then headed up to the old railway tracks and ran to the end out towards the hills, then all the way back to Denton. Bumped into a number of friendly dogs and a chap who asked for directions to the canal paths, to get to a pub outing with some mates, I was a bit lost at the time so just told him to head for Gibraltar Bridge and he could get the canal from there.
Got quite muddy in places and the ascent up Stockport Road was a bit of a killer, but made it, then trundled and plodded the last km and rounded off to 13k, or just over 8 miles, just as the Garmin was about to die!
Posted on Jan 28, 2013 under 5-10k, All Weather Running, Regular Runs |
Wanted to get a run in, so if possible I can be ready for a SRC run on Weds, work permitting.
Set off a bit quick, and felt bombarded by strong icy winds, saw a colourful chap running at quite apace, and we passed and exchanged greetings twice. Planned a vague route in my head then kept adding bits on, sailed through 5k in just over 32 minutes and felt good, no leg or other issues.
Started to tire a little by the end so veered in the general direction of home, and stopped the watch at 7.3km in 47 mins 55. Felt I ran a little faster while running well within myself, mindful of the hamstring and other problems of late. Need to realise I can’t go from running 6.30 per KM to 5 or less per KM all at once,without my legs telling me they don’t like it sooner or later, no matter how good my lungs and heart might be doing!!
Posted on Jan 26, 2013 under 5-10k, 5k, All Weather Running, Easy Runs, Jogs |
Tried to run in the week, but had to come back in as it was far too slippery. Missed both SRC runs due to work or ice, so was nice to get out and just run, even though it was raining, cold, and a few bits of slushy ice still about (it always reminds me of the sugar at the bottom of my weetabix bowl for some reason).
Just a jog really, very slow, but didn’t get puffed out after 10 days off, and no hamstring twangs, though I would be surprised if anything could twang going at the sedate a pace! Onwards and upwards, again!
Posted on Jan 17, 2013 under All Weather Running, Club Runs, Injuries, Long Runs |
Time to venture out to Sweatshop Hyde running group again, and this time decided to do the 5k followed by the new mid week 10k group which was set to run at an easier pace than the usual Wednesday 10k crew.
Felt good on the 5k, a nice warmup, ran out at the front quite a bit and felt stronger than I have in a while. Tried to conserve energy for the following 10k but didn’t do too good a job of this.
Got a bit cold waiting for the 10k to group and set off, tried to stay moving. My plan was to run most of the route and then break off and head back home when the group reached Denton, rather than running all the way back to Hyde and then having to bus it back.
Lot of ice around, which was negotiated safely, and I felt strong, and put in some strides, mostly running out at the front. When we got to Denton my laces came undone so I stopped for a minute, and elected to catch the group up then turn back towards home further down Hyde Road. Managed to catch the group, then turned off, and about 200 yards from home my hamstring twanged and I cam to a stuttering halt 🙁
So if it’s not my lower right leg, it’s my upper left leg – looks like a few days off running at least, and another slow comeback after feeling the fitness was coming right back. Glad I have not entered any races apart from Great Manchester, would just be a waste of money at the moment as I seem to get more and more injuries so will have to go back to slow jogging again…
Posted on Jan 13, 2013 under 10-15k, All Weather Running, Jogs, Long Runs |
Approx 6.5 miles on a very cold dark night with the sleet coming down.
Ran to Ashton via Cemetery Road/Asda, then looped all the way back to Denton, added a little extra on to make it above 10k. Struggled in places but had just warmed up at the end, when it was time to get back indoors!
Posted on Jul 19, 2012 under 10-15k, All Weather Running, Regular Runs |
Had a few things on so had to somehow fit in a run – would have liked to do 8 miles or more but only had about an hour, so I set off just aiming to run for about that time, at an easyish pace, with no real goal in mind other than time on feet.
It was drizzling as I set off, and I was careful to keep my pace slow to begin with, I head off on one of my usual routes then changed my mind and headed in a different direction, at which point the rain began to get harder. At 2km I was finding the 6:30 kms eminently manageable, and started to warm up and feel good. I did a bit of a sprint up the hill at Guide Bridge, then reminded myself to slow down and carried on at a more sedate pace. The rain was coming down a little harder by this time, but was quite refreshing. I ran past the Pearl restaurant, where I was due to go for a meal later in the evening!
On the way back I chose a longer way round to make sure I would get over an hour’s running, and it looked like the distance was going to be about 10k. At this point I was feeling very good, and it was now that the rain really started lashing down. I was a few miles from home so there was nothing I could really do except enjoy it, and it was not unpleasant at all. There were lots of deep puddles which I splashed through, and in the last few km I was very giddy, and my pace increased without any extra effort, and I was almost gliding along, splashing through deep puddles, and soaked to the skin as the rain came down harder and harder. I even got splashed by traffic going through those big kerbside puddles, which was great fun, and finished with 10.6km in 1 hr 8 minutes.
When I got in the house I wrung about a pint of water out of my shorts and top, it’s probably the wettest I have ever been without actually swimming. Thankfully my trusty old Garmin was up to the task as well as my body, which seems to be enjoying a new lease of life, and really finding itself “in the zone” on runs lately.
Just plan a very easy run if possible on a busy Saturday, then apparently it’s hill reps with the Sweatshop club on Monday!
Posted on Jul 16, 2012 under 5-10k, All Weather Running, Club Runs, Hill Work |
I had been warned last week that this Monday’s outing would be along Apple Street, which I had vaguely looked up but wasn’t too sure about. I decided to give it a go, despite my love/hate relationship with hills!
Chatted with a few people in the shop and it started raining just as we set off. I settled into conversation with someone as we started climbing gently towards Werneth Low, and at times I seemed to be going quite fast and it was a struggle to keep up the conversation.
Then we got to Apple Street, and I became a little worried when the group leader set us off in waves, so challenging was this crazy hill! I wondered what I had let myself in for! A group was sent up and then I was sent up next, with the leader imploring me to take it slowly. I made the first incline, it was steep and quite long, but I felt fine, and caught up with the first wave of runners, then the hill zigzagged and there was another long incline. I thought that might be it but then we reach a snaking bit that seemed to get progressively vertical, and I started going really slow. I was breathing very hard and my heart was working overtime – it was a tough hill, but I was up for it, and enjoyed it in a weird kind of way, managing not to curse in the slightest but just keep going and then even powered up the last little slope. Taking it slowly early on helped, and the heavens opened at the top. In actual fact, we were in the heavens – the hill had taken us up so far that we were actually in the clouds, and the next bit of running was over Werneth Low, where we ended up running through the hill-kissing clouds.
At that point I got a bit worried as the rest of the group seemed to start going well out in front of me, I couldn’t tell if they had sped up or I was slowing down. On the descent I was careful not to go too fast, wary of damage to my knees, and just tried to stay in touch and conserve energy. Once we got back to familiar territory and I knew there was only about a mile to go, I got a second wind, and caught up with the back markers, and suddenly I was flying along at about 4 mins per km, faster than I have run in a long time. It was downhill, but suddenly I was stretching out and flying along and the rest of the group were left behind. I felt like I could carry on like that for miles, but it also felt great to come to a stop back outside the shop and wait for the others to finish. One of these days I will stop overcompensating for my ill-fated first run with the Wednesday group, ha ha!!!!
So all in all a great outing, I conquered an evil hill, ran through clouds, and flew for a mile – not bad for a rainy Monday night!
Need to take it easy, but if I could run like I did in the last mile in a 10k I’m sure I could smash 50 minutes again!