Diary Of A Road Runner

5K Easy Run – 32mins – little niggle in right calf

This wouldn’t be a running blog without a catalogue of injuries – or it sometimes feels that way. Late last evening, I started to get a bit of intermittent pain in my right calf – sometimes when I was walking, sometimes at rest, and that persisted this morning. It was kind of weird as it just kept cropping up without warning.

So I opted for a 5k easy run, and ran at slower than 6mins/k all the way, finding that the running didn’t really make the calf twinge, except maybe when I tried to speed up and forefoot strike… Could well be something to do with running faster with the interval training session yesterday, so I will take it easy for now, with a few rest days and some jogs, rather than do any out and out speedwork – think I will leave that until next week, but hope to fit in a long slow run on Saturday – possibly keep it to 6 or 7 miles if the calf is still playing up.

Tough, tough run, and slow – 5k in over 31 mins

This was a bit of a tough run. This time my lower leg held up with no twinges, but it was very cold. Felt a bit of a groin niggle. Plodded round 5k in over 31 minutes and didn’t feel all that comfortable. Just not such a good run, but felt pleased to have run without the leg playing up! But it was a bit of a struggle!

Aborted Run – 2k – Oh no!

Started off at decent pace, was going to do 5 or 6k. At 1.5k I felt my left lower leg started twingeing, so I slowed down and aborted the run at 2k – better to be safe than sorry, will see how it goes maybe need a couple of rest days or some swimming. I think my heroics lately may have caught up with me slightly

6k Slow Run – 38 mins on feet.

My longest run for quite some time, and my slowest paced! Decided I needed a slow run, with just a little bit of extra difference, to get my legs used to ticking over for a bit longer.

Ran a steady pace of around 6:22 a k and always felt comfortable, not breathing hard, and could have kept going – but still need to be careful with the legs. But signs are good, that I could jog round a 10k at least, and could start thinking about doing the Woodbank Parkrun and getting some decent 5k times under my belt, and would be good to do some runs with other people to get back into the swing and spirit of things as spring, thank god, approaches.

Further Along the comeback trail -4k in 23:55

Well, am slowly getting back to actually being a road runner of sorts! After much time spent swimming or snowed in, and all that palaver, the sun was out today and I managed a 4k trot around the block.

I have been building up with a few very short runs – starting out with a couple of one milers, and slowly increasing the distance until I am running positively long distances at 4k. But it is still an important milestone, as my shins seem to be appreciating the gradual buildup, even though my lungs and heart are hungry for more.

Soon I will be able to think about running more than 5k, and will start to think about upping the pace and meeting challenges, but first things first – get myself back into the running habit, and make sure I don’t do too much too soon and end up laid up again because of it.

Cold but sunny today, felt good to be out running, and just enough to not have to supplement it with a swim. Maintained a fairly steady pace at 5:44/k and that is faster than the 6:17 I was running about 10 days ago, so the pace is naturally coming back.

Thought it was about time I dusted off my running blog again

Back to running – a little bit!

What with sore shins, swine flu, Christmas and then the snow, my running plans have been somewhat scuppered. I did try a 3 mile comeback run when it was freezing, but the cold, coupled with the lack of running, annihilated my poor shins which went very sore.

So on the advice of a running pal, I am now trying to get going again with a few gentle one mile trots. So far so good today – did a 10 minute mile, was barely breathing hard, legs seem ok so far – despite following the run with a 1750 metre swim. I am a duathlete

Will see how legs are tomorrow, and slowly up things if ok – the trouble is, I have been keeping my CV fitness going with the swimming, while my legs have got used to not running – so I have probably ran a bit too far for my legs, together with the cold, in previous attempts.

Onwards and upwards, although my beloved Trafford 10k has been moved to February, and I fear I will not be ready, but need to look at the race calendar soon.

Am entered for the Great Manchester Run, at least

Easy Recovery Run – 5k approx – 28 mins

Easy recovery run after 2 harder longer runs. Ran at a fairly decent medium pace.

Garmin went totally screwball on me at 4k though – started reading 3.22k, then 4.49 and kept jumping all over the place, don’t know if it’s knackered or the satellites were just jumping around?  Got to 4.99k then it jumped back to 4.8 but given the time and pace I think I did about 5.5!

5k Recovery run, very easy pace – 31:36

Just a very easy paced recovery run after Sunday’s torment in the Birchwood 10k!!!

Nice slow easy 5k Run

Nice very easy paced run. Lower legs were aching and twingeing a little bit from recent high mileage, so decided to make this last run before Birchwood 10k on Sunday. Race Report will follow

8.5k Jog/Easy Run

Ran reverse woods route on way to drop off form to finance adviser about increasing pension contributions… Was a flying visit, pleasant enough evening but a threat of rain in the air.

Nice easy paced run mainly on trails in the woods, averaged 6:17/k so nice and slow but that included a stop and a walk up lots of steps near the waterfall. Feet (toes) are a bit sore but otherwise legs and lungs responding fine.

Rounded off a high mileage week (20m) – upped a little from last week, so piling them up now – will have a quieter week with the Birchwood 10k next Sunday.