Diary Of A Road Runner

A Knackering 9k – 51m 50s

A pretty knackering 9k. Was going to do 12k if I felt OK, but after last K up very steep hill knew that 9 today (along with warmer, sunny day) was my limit. Could have pushed on but no real need – am easing back into it slowly after a turbulent time that will no doubt have tired me in many ways.  Had a lot of admin to do and only got any real sleep last night with the help of some Nytol – apart from that have not slept much this week and been feeling quite tired.  Do seem to be running slower and slower, but am no longer trying to replicate race pace (except in time trials or fartlek) in training, and as the Bolton 10k is only a week away, don’t want to push too much, just keep the legs turning over and save the speed for the race (if I still have any speed!)

12k Longer Run – To Debdale Park & Back – Windy – 1:07:57

Longest run for a while, took the pace very easy as had a hard week last week, and was feeling tired for it, so took a few days off running before getting back into it with this longer, slightly slower run.  Felt good apart from a buffeting from the wind now and then, was feeling tired in the later stages but managed to put a burst on and do quite a speedy last kilometre, and recovered very quickly. Ran it 7-8 minutes quicker overall than my last 12k outing (which I found hard) so am improving, and was nice to stay under 6 mins per kilometre all the way and run at just over 55 minute 10k pace.

Average pace 5:40/k

12k Long Run – 1:14.58

Longest run since I hit the comeback trail – ended up in a graveyard, ran out through Gorton/Reddish and back via Hyde Road – totally done in by the end!

First 10k training run of 2009 – 58:14

Was disappointed with time at first after I finished this run, even though I didn’t set off meaning to do a 10k time trial, I thought I would just jog around 10k and see how I did, but I felt so good in places I speeded up for some faster splits!  Still, it is only the first time I have run this distance in quite a while, so sub hour is good, and now have something to build on – at least I know I can run 6.2 miles again, and can now build up with some more long runs and feel ready for some hill work soon.  Seems to be starting to come together, and those times will start going down

Splits:

5:41
5:49
5:48
5:47
5:56
6:01
5:50
5:50
5:42
5:46

Last K included a steep hill or would probably have been quickest of the lot!  Guess first step now is to run at 5:30 pace over a 10k, which would equate to a 55 minute 10k.  Doing 10k in 51:40 and hoping for a sub 50 still seems a way off, but I was nearly there last September – hard to believe now!

8k Long(ish) Run – 46:58

Longest run since my comeback from injury, and felt pretty comfortable, just about 5 miles.  Was just intending to have a time on feet run to get used to running for longer, and generally ran 6 minute k’s, but blasted the last in 5:11 and found that pretty hard – scary that I was running 5 sub 5 k’s in a row last October – but will be back to that soon I hope!

Think a 5k time trial is in order on Friday before a 2 day rest   Maybe I can do one sub 5 k at least, but will see!

10 Mile Long Run – Adventure, Mishap and Disaster!

My enthusiasm got the better of me today, as I wasn’t feeling in the mood for a 10 miler but watched the Great North Run on tv and was suddenly raring to go! I got my trail shoes on after banging the mud off them from my last canal side run, and set off walking to warm up. It was cold, but the sun was out, so I had shades on! I set off at a nice slow pace and by the time I had got to the hill down into Haughton Dale I was feeling quite comfortable and good. The hill up to the canal was a bit slippery and tough, but settled back to a sedate rhythm, planning to get past the long tunnel at Woodley, and turn back at 9 or 10 k so the ten miles would tick over near home. The real fun began on the canal path, which was deep puddles every few footfalls after the heavy rain yesterday. Some of them were pretty deep, and where I could I ran to the side of them, which sometimes involved running at an angle or runnning through slushy mud and trying to keep my balance near the edge of the canal.

After the long tunnel, my feet and legs were soaked and numb with the freezing water! I was still feeling good though, and turned back as planned. On the way back I started to feel quite heavy legged and felt I was tiring – but with only 4k to go to reach the 10 mile mark, I knew I could do it. Shortly after that my right hip started to twinge a bit, so I slowed, and just decided to make it back to Hulme’s Wood so I could then walk home. I passed what I thought was the right marker before my entry back into Haughton Dale via the waterfall, but soon I was approaching the cobbled footbridge on the way to Hyde, so had to turn back. This was when the real problems began – I headed into what I thought was the right path, and this ended up being a dead end into bushes. Out again, and I tried the next one – this looked more promising, but was very unfamiliar, I thought if I followed the path it must lead back through to Haughton Dale – I had no idea where the correct path had gone! There was a treacherous path, wet and unstable, over a deep drop, and then the path went down a very steep hill covered with tree roots, and I ended up at the side of some kind of river or stream, with no further way forward – now I was at the bottom of a huge hill, and looking up it I couldn’t make out where the “path” was I had just come down, so I had to make my way up and it was almost vertical; I had to grab tree roots with my hands to drag myself up at some points! Finally I got back to the canal and the next path I tried, although unfamiliar, did lead through to the waterfall. I had expended a lot of energy for a 10 minute kilometer and was feeling really dead now, but managed to tick over the last k and by 16.1 at the foot of the hill back up into Haughton Green I could hardly pick one leg up after another.

It was a struggle to walk home, and the hip started flaring up more and more. After sitting down to check a few emails, etc, I stood up and almost fell over, wincing with the pain of putting the slightest weight on my right hip. I had to take mega painkillers to be able to do a couple of things I needed to do. In all, I think the atrocious underfoot conditions are what caused both my hip problem and unusual tiredness – there was a lot of slipping and sliding, running at odd angles with weird impacts and over such a long distance/time this took its toll. The Indiana Jones excursion into the wilderness didn’t help either, as I was already struggling by then!

Ah well, it is a lesson learned, that 10 milers over rough underfoot conditions are probably not a good idea, at least for me. Maybe 5 miles next time, and when the hip is better I will try a long run on the road.

17km Long Run – Sunny – Canal towards Marple – 1h 43m 07s

First really long run in a couple of weeks, and at 17k or about 10.5 miles, the longest I have done to date!

There was a carnival parade on outside my house, so I took a detour round some back streets instead of heading straight down the road to the woods. This got me nicely warmed up though. I was planning to do 8 miles, but to carry on beyond that if I felt like doing more, so I got to the canal trail heading towards Marple, and whereas last time I had turned back at the long tunnel (Woodley Tunnel), this time I braved this dark and dank 160 metre long affair, with a nice splash into God knows what in the pitch darkness near the middle of the tunnel! Running through a dark tunnel with uncertain footing was certainly a test, but I kept going and made it through to daylight!

I decided to keep going along the interminable canal path until I got to 10k, and then turn back – anything else was madness, as the path goes on for many miles and branches off onto other canal networks further on, so I didn’t want to get carried away and strand myself!

I was feeling good all this time, and even managed little bursts of extra pace now and then, but was generally going very slowly (about 6 mins per k). On the way back I did start to look forward to stopping, and by the time I got to the 17k mark, I considered carrying on up Stockport Road to make it a round 11 miles, but decided my legs had had enough without adding a steep hill into the equation, and I think I was right as my legs felt very wobbly on the 10 minute walk home.

All in all a good run and didn’t feel too bad afterwards, apart from feeling pretty sleepy a few hours later!

10 Mile Long Run – Hot and Sunny – 1h 33m 44

Nice 10 mile long run in the sun. Ran down Windmill Lane and around random streets in Reddish. Found alternative route to Reddish Country Park and had little run through there, even ran up the big hill back into Reddish! Felt really good up to about 12k, started to flag a bit, but had been going quite quickly at times – set Garmin to alert me if I went quicker then 5:30 per k, and ended up with an average pace of about 5:40 per k, could have gone quicker at times but was ready for stopping after the last mile and little respite from the sun.

Just the second time I’ve ran this far, and a few minutes faster than the last time

11k Run – Hot and Sunny – 1h 02m 50s

Ran around the backstreets before heading into the woods, and round usual 10k time trial route.

This was supposed to be my long Sunday run, but I set off too quickly, and got a bit mixed up as it was on my 10k time trial route again (note to self – must do long runs elsewhere!). I felt a bit heavy legged and hot as the run progressed.

It was cold when I started and felt ideal, but sun came out and soon got hot, so I cut the run to 11k with a steep uphill climb up Stockport Road at the end. Ran a decent pace across the 11k but nothing special, and was pretty knackered by the end – will try to run a bit more often this week, and need to get some more longer runs in, as I think this is what’s affecting my pace over slightly longer distances.

With the Birchwood 10k coming up, I want to get some tempo runs in this week, along with some easy runs, but nothing too hard as want to make sure I have plenty of energy saved for the race!

16k Long Run – Hot and Sunny – 1h 35m 57s

My longest run to date – both in terms of distance and duration. It was a hot and sunny day, and starting out at 12pm, I knew I would need some liquid so took a bottle of gatorade which served me well.

Set off at a benign pace and my lungs and legs appreciated this, didn’t find myself struggling too much but settled into an enjoyable pace and kept going until reached canal, last time I had run along there was when I was at school doing the summer “mini marathon” many years ago!

Had to negotiate some very muddy bits, fortunately I had my trail shoes on and not my brand new white Asics! Had mud all over my legs but felt like a proper runner that way! Kept going at a manageable pace, felt really good – when I reached the long canal tunnel at Romiley, I turned back, as the last time I had been through there I was walking, and needed a flashlight and delicate footing – running through was no go unless I was going to happy spraining an ankle!! Will have to see if there’s another way round for next time, as it kind of curtailed the run. I had done about 6 or 7 k by that point, so had doubled that by the time I’d run all the way back with a few detours and an interesting hill which I found quite easy to my surprise. Had to run around the streets a bit to make it up to my intended 16k, which is more or less 10 miles – first time I have ever covered such a distance (will have to run the extra 100 metres to make it an official 10 miles, but the uphills and mud probably added that anyway!!)

A really enjoyable run, nice to run in hot sunny weather, had to really slow down at the end, but felt throughout I could have gone faster if I had wanted or needed to – but that would have defeated the object of having a long, slow run!

My legs were a bit wobbly when I stopped running – but I had run for over an hour and a half continuously and at a reasonable pace (6mins per kilometre) – feel it will stand me in good stead for the future, and I find the long runs are really good for mental endurance as well as building physical stamina