Rob's Running Blog

Flying 5k Tempo Run! 29:01

Experimented slightly with breakfast today, had a banana and pure porridge with some pure fructose thrown in (am going to try glucose as is healthier apparently).

In any case, I wanted to do a sub 30 5k, so set off feeling good, and was feeling OK by the 1k mark which I managed in under 6 minutes. Then came the long incline to the top of the Haughton hill, which slowed me down, then it was coasting for a while, with intermittent bursts of exuberant running speed. I had to reign myself in a little to make sure I got the end at some points!

Felt another burst of speed near the end and wound down and stopped the Garmin on 29:01 – sub 29 should be easy next time I try it!

First k was quick, then there were a coupld of sedate ones, and the last 2 were both well under 6 minutes, which bodes well.

Seems the strategy of the slightly slower longer runs followed by a quick session, has worked on this occasion – and of course maybe the breakfast experiment had something to do with the running too.

5K Milestone achieved for the nth time!

It seems to be the benchmark for when I am starting to achieve some kind of fitness again – or at least one of them. The 5k milestone always seems significant – I have gone from running a couple of miles, to running over 3 miles, and to me means my basic fitness level has been achieved, and that 5k can now be a platform to start increasing speed a little and gradually adding more distance. I’m not running that quick at the moment – time today was 31:31, but I wasn’t trying to run too quickly, just settling into a comfortable (relatively speaking – I was breathing very hard by the end!) pace and going with it.

To run 5k in under 30 minutes will be the next milestone, but may take a few more runs to get there, I also hope to get above 5k in terms of distance soon too, and keep fingers crossed I stay injury free and can run 10k by May 15th!

A frrreeezzing, but faster 5k in 30:20!

Got some sleep last night, and had a bit of a lazy morning, but actually decided to do some meditation for the first time in ages, which really made me feel quite relaxed and expansive. Then it was time for the run. It looked pretty cold outside, so I put my Nike running beanie on, and went out, and by heck it was freezing, I ended up shivering as I walked along while the Garmin found a signal.

As I set off a bloke and his dog on the other side of the street appeared to try to start racing me, so I set off quite quick – but to my suprise I was able to maintain this pace (6mins per k) without going into shock so it ended up as a bit of a tempo run. I did slow later on, but managed to stay well under 6:30, and by the end, even though I was starting to tire, I was able to inject some pace and did the last k in 5:45. I had hoped at one stage to get sub 30 for this 5k, but was to miss that by 20 seconds coming in at 30:20. Still, it was over a minute off my 5k in the week, so the fitness seems to be coming back in leaps and bounds – just need to keep gently upping the distance and the speed and hopefully can think about maybe doing the Salford 10k, which is a bit of an emotionally charged race for me in more ways than one.

It certainly was cold today – normally I take off the beanie at about 2k, this time it felt cold enough to keep on all the way round, and only whipped it off when I’d stopped!

5k on a sunny but cold day – 31:26

Finally got a few hours of sleep last night after a rotten few days where I didn’t sleep for 3 nights Had meant to go for this run yesterday, but was a bit worried about running when feeling exhausted and I had an important event to get to so didn’t want to feel even tireder (even though running usually wakes me up a bit, I was feeling VERY tired).

Anyway, wanted to reach the 5k milestone after a couple of 4k runs recently, so this was my goal. Set off at a gentle pace, without any weights or situps as a warmup today. Slowly started to breathe harder, but was determined to keep the pace slowish and not go for speed, but just to get my body used to running a little further again.

Did start to struggle at 4k, had to force myself to keep going – have not run 5k for some time, so knew it wasn’t going to be a fantastic time. By the end was petering out, 5k was my limit today, but good that I reached it, in 31:26. So my next target is to run 5k under 30 minutes and then take it from there

Sub 30 5k – a Near Death Experience!!

Kind of a Tempo run, in that the intention was to run hard, ie sub 6 mins per k pace (which is hard for me at the moment!). Haven’t done the Haughton Estate circuit for a while so decided to run that. Set off and felt fine, looked at Garmin and seemed to be going a tad too fast, slowed a bit, but the initial incline into Haughton Village took it out of me a bit and I was breathing hard all the way after that. At 2k and 3k I just wanted to stop, and was ready to scream, and when I got to 4k I just had to keep it together, keep it together, just keep going!

At one point I thought I might go sub 29 but I was slowing and didn’t have anything left to do a faster last k, so just keep going as best I could and eventually staggered to a stop with the clock showing 29:38. No idea how I ran faster than that the other week! It took ages to recover and I didn’t feel great for a bit – crazy!

At this rate, I can’t believe I will get close to 25 mins for 5k, let alone quicker than that, so will just have to settle for sub 29 as my next target and chip away at it. A few lifestyle changes coming up might help – really need to cut out more fats and other stuff from the diet, and maybe when my spare tyre deflates a bit I will find the running easier

A tired and sluggish 5k in 30:56

Got up late after a late night working and felt really sluggish. There was thunder and lightning outside, and a deluge, but it cleared later, so decided to do my first run of the week, but had to really force myself out.

Really struggled despite slow pace, was breathing hard, but just kept plodding on. Hurting quite a lot as I got to 5k mark and stopped the Garmin in a super fast 30:56. Have had a couple of really hectic days so may be over tired but still feels a bit odd that I’m not quickening up and still struggling to complete 5k’s

5K Run – 30:25 and struggled!

Felt really tired but forced myself out for a 5k run – was hard work and gasping by the end.

Either results of cold last week, or some new bug incubating? Couldn’t stop sweating when I got in

A smoother, faster, more satisfyng 5k – 29:02

I had recieved a new running top as a birthday gift the other day, a long sleeved Nike dri-fit running top with a zip up collar. So I wanted to try it out, at the same time I was feeling pretty lethargic. Still, I forced myself out into a somewhat bluster and overcast and chilly day, and the Garmin took a while to find signal as I began to shiver and considered going back inside!

Soon the signal was found though and I set off, determining as always that I have the option of stopping if it really does get too much. The first ticked over in sub 6 minutes without my feeling I was really going any faster than the other day, so I just determined to try to keep up the same pace. There were moments in the run where I speeded up, particularly towards the end when I felt the runners’ high kick in a little and got a second wind, and went a bit quicker! In all shaved off 43 seconds off last week’s 5k run, which means the improvements are still coming.

That’s 2 PB’s within a few days of being 40 – admittedly, I have some way to go before I can start getting anywhere near real PB times again

My first run as a 40 year old – 5k in 31:15 – slow, but a veteran PB!

I apparently became a veteran of some kind yesterday – in more ways than one. I turned 40. They say life begins at 40, but I wonder how that applies to runners? Certainly, my category positions may go up a little now, but there are plenty of people 10, 20, probably even 30 years older running a heck of a lot faster than me! Still, I had to get out there and prove I can still run, now that I am middle aged officially!

I don’t know if it was the general busyness of the last few days, and a birthday of mixed feelings yesterday (no alcohol, btw) and just generally being in a transition period, together with the fact I hadn’t run since last week, but this run was tough, and that is reflected in my time – very slow, really, but I felt if I’d upped the pace, I wouldn’t have managed the distance. I was teaching my new writing course later in the afternoon so there was no space for heroics.

Still, I got my first PB (in training) as a 40 year old – is a running milestone I will easily surpass! The run also helped me focus on my group work later and helped settle my jitters over starting something new – which helped me get back in touch with the reasons why I started running in the first place

5k Mark Achieved in Style – Sub 30 done and dusted!

Finally a run worthy of the name Of course, they’re all worthy of the name, but it was nice to ease past another milestone today by completing 5k and doing it in under 30 minutes too, which is a sign my fitness really is starting to ratchet back up. It wasn’t easy – I am learning that I never find running easy! I was breathing hard, very hard towards the end, but I just settled in and kept going, and felt like I got my teeth into the run. So the other day I did 3 miles, and now it’s 5k, the milestones keep coming, I hope I can keep it up.

So no silly beggars for me going for sub 6 minute miles just yet – and if I do any intervals, it will be at a set pace and not as bloody hard as I can. And of course avoid the hilly park run at Woodbank, which is a pity, but my knees wouldn’t like me if I did those hills again, I think…

Anyway, running, and life, is good