Diary Of A Road Runner

5K Time Trial Without Garmin – Running Blind & Slow!

Did a couple of K usual warm up then set off for an experimental 5k time trial, without time showing on Garmin. Felt good at first, going fast, then the invisible force field appeared, I struggled to keep it going and was dead by the end.

When I flipped the read over to show time elapsed, it showed 25:40. First K was 4:39 then I just seemed to slow and was over 5 mins/k thereafter, which I haven’t been that slow over 5k in ages.

Maybe running without the Garmin doesn’t suit me… Maybe my legs have yet to get back to normal speed after my break?

5k Easy Run – getting back into the swing!

Looking back, I ran my recovery run the other day far too fast, so no wonder it hurt especially after a mini break. Did not have the best few days leading up to my second run back. Have had a 24 hour stomach bug thing and not much sleep for a couple of days, and felt like I pulled my hamstring in bed as well, so decided on a 3 mile easy run, easy being 10 minute miles, and managed to stick to the plan and enjoyed running in the rain. Felt I could have gone on, but don’t need to rush back, thankfully legs were fine for running with no twinges. Just need to build it up slowly and peak at optimal fitness for the Moonraker 10k

5k Recovery Run – Bit of a Struggle!

My first run back since the City of Manchester 10k, as I have been busy and had a few days break in Wales. Decided to run to the clock rather than a distance, and not have my pace or distance displayed on Garmin. Seemed to work ok, but I forgot to turn off lap alerts so as soon as I knew I’d done the second k in 4:59 without really trying, I felt I was going fast and it suddenly became VERY hard work, then again it could have been that I had just gone off too fast and haven’t run for 8 days, but at least I made it through the door, was tempted to just have a lazy night in! I had also had a beer or two while away so maybe it rusted my legs as I don’t normally touch alcohol!

5k Tempo Run – 25:50

Have just not been sleeping this week, and felt really tired all day after a night with 2 hours sleep and then a rather hectic day.

However, I had to run for a bus and it felt good, so I decided to get out for a short sharp three mile tempo run. For some reason set off at some weirdly fast pace and fartlekked the first k instead of warming up gently – just felt good so stretched the legs out and threw in a 3:45/k burst but I paid for it later and just ticked round then at just over 5 mins/k to make it an even tempo pace after that, averaging 5:10/k which was just about right, but felt a bit done in and right meniscus was niggling a bit but settled after a bit of a rub. Will rest tomorrow and hope to go for easy run with Laura on Sunday, then may run easy mon or tues before Weds race but if knee is playing up will take the uphills easy as don’t want to ruin chance of a sub 50 in sunday’s flatter course.

5k Easy Run – 29:54

Upping the pace last week and Sunday’s long 10 miler seem to have hit me!

Felt tired all day yesterday so planned an easy 3 miler – was very hard work and shin/lower legs on left leg was complaining a bit, so a few days rest are in order – no major problems but I was glad to come to a stop and just need to take it easy before next week’s races so plan not to do anything too hard in the meantime as it will not do any good now, just need to keep things ticking over!

5k Recovery Run – 27:23

Just a nice easy recovery run, first time out since the Dennis the Menace Race on Wednesday. I have been feeling a bit tired last few days – in fact totally knackered not to put too fine a point on it (lot of stresses and strains like PC blowing up, legal bills and being messed around by people!) and lower legs had been aching a lot, but trotted round 5k at a reasonable pace unfortunately a fly shot right down my throat at one point which wasn’t pleasant! Felt very hot and puffed out by end, my easy recovery runs either seem flying or I struggle a bit but I think I just a bit tired from a busy week with other stuff as well.

Easy 5k – 28:00

Easy Run just to keep legs turning over before tomorrow’s race.

5k Recovery Run – 26m 15s

My comeback run after the Great Manchester Run. Have been feeling very tired all week and didn’t feel like running at all. Someone said I might have a bit of an iron deficiency so I looked it up and have been taking iron supplements all week.

A few more red blood cells to carry around oxygen seemed to help, as I ran an easy first k and felt better than my last 2 runs, and even put in a speedy couple of k’s relatively speaking (5.00 and 4:54 – faster than I ran at any point in sunday’s race and I felt good), then slowed down as it was after all a recovery run.

Felt much better afterwards and looking forward to finding that kind of form in a race sometime soon

5k Easy Run – Hard work! 29 mins

Last easy run before Sunday’s Great manchester run. I seem to follow a pattern of my last run before a race being awful – meant to do 4 miles today but was feeling it getting harder and harder so stopped at 5k and was pretty hot and sweaty despite the cool day – and had not gone very quick at 29 minutes for the 5k, but had a bit of tummy trouble and felt a bit tired. Didn’t feel I could possibly have gone any faster and no idea how I ran 23:38 for a 5k last week!

Last time my pre-race run was so bad, I PB’d and nearly went sub 50 for the 10k, so it may be a good omen!

5K Time Trial – Smashed the 24 minute barrier! PB!

First 5k time trial for a while, and have finally shattered the 24 minute barrier – 23:38! It’s been a long time coming, a PB by 22 seconds and 40 seconds than my previous best this year but definite improvement now after being stuck just over 24 for some time. Was definitely helped by more mileage last week then a 3 day rest, I think, so I felt fresh and raring to go.

By the end I was almost ready to collapse – felt very tempted to stop at 3k, thinking I had gone way too fast and couldn’t go any further, then I thought I might even break 23 minutes if I could just keep going and that gave me some motivation to keep going, but I was tiring in the last 2k and lost quite a bit of time just hanging on during kilometre 4, but still kept it below 5 mins/k and just sprinted as best I could in the last seconds, focusing on a lampost up ahead which I duly hugged/fell around as I finished!

Splits were:

4:34
4:44
4:38
4:54
4:46

This time I had the endurance to blast off and then just keep it thereabouts, so the training is working! The Macmillan race calculator now predicts 49:06 for 10k from this 5k time, and in recent times it has been pretty accurately predicting my 10k times from my 5k trials

I am now looking for sub 23 within the next few months – and who knows – sub 20 within a year?!