Archives for Long Runs category
Posted on Jun 21, 2009 under 10 Miles, above 15k, Long Runs, Milestones |
Lungs felt a bit tight and I was feeling a bit tired when I got up this morning, Guinea Pigs Rachel claims she has swine flu and I only saw her the other day, so I did wonder if I was starting with something horrible!
Also felt a bit sick and light headed drinking my morning coffee, so wondered about even running today never mind doing a 10 mile long run. So I thought I would set off and take my bus pass and some cash so I could always make an emergency stop and get back if I needed to!
It turned out to be a great run and any feelings of tiredness, nausea or tight-lungedness soon dissipated. I was targeting a sub 1 hr 30 time and felt good after a few k’s, and felt I could keep going around 5:30/k pace but I was running a new, more or less random route, and it turned out to have some monster hills! Very long and quite steep, as well as a shorter one in Vernon Park (which has some killer hills as part of my next 10k!) which I sprinted up and astonished this lad on his bike as I blasted bast! Good thing about the run was that the hills slowed me down, but I was able to resume pace once things flattened out again.
I was feeling good at 12k and thought I might be able to push a bit as I was behind schedule for the target time due to the hills, but I was on course for a certain 10 mile PB, until the long snaking hill back up into Bredbury, which I dealt with OK, but after nearly a mile of it getting steeper I had to walk for a couple of minutes and after that I was flagging for the rest of the run, and had to just keep the legs turning over, with the thought of stopping and raiding the Spa shop in the garage keeping me going. Ticked over only 20 seconds off my 10 mile PB in the end, but I regard this as my best 10 miler, as it was pretty hilly and the PB one was totally flat albeit along the canal – a route I am still avoiding after picking up my injury on it last year.
Appropriately raided the Spa for Gatorade, Monster Munch and chocolate then walked the last few miles home. I must take more cash next time as I could have done with an extra chocolate bar to sustain me 
Posted on May 31, 2009 under 10 Miles, above 15k, Long Runs |
10 mile run in the blazing sun. Had to walk at some points, especially a few hills, also sojourned in an air conditioned Co-op as I had foolishly gone out without water but wisely taken some emergency money – which came in handy, although I was a penny short for the gatorade so had to make do with Oasis and the tight shopkeeper git wouldn’t let me off for the penny 
Really needed the drink, but 10 mile mission accomplished, though it hurt a lot by the end and was going very very slowly but enjoyed it.
Posted on May 24, 2009 under 10-15k, Hill Work, Long Runs |
Very nice longish run in the sun, and hilly too – uphill most of the way in fact, and maintained same pace as on my last 8 mile run, so not bad at all – but felt a deserved the last 2 miles cruising downhill on the route I planned (followed at the end by a very steep incline which killed my legs in the end!)
Posted on May 02, 2009 under 10-15k, Long Runs |
My weekly mileage has been atrocious for a while, not the kind of mileage needed to start attacking my sub 50 10k target at all – but I have been progressing well, so am confident putting in some more miles will work wonders. So decided to go for a long Saturday run and just take it easy, if I got to 12k and felt ok, would make it up to 14, or an 8.5 miler approx.
Set off at a nice gentle pace and felt good, ran sub 6 minute k’s all the way with some fluctuations in speed, there were times when I felt really good and picked up the pace a little, and at 8k I felt I could go on and on. At 11k I was starting to tire though, as I have not been doing many long runs, but I slowed the pace and got to 14, and it felt really good to stop, but at no point had I really struggled which is reassuring seeing as it’s my longest run since I came back from injury. It’s this type of run that will give me the endurance to put in those faster second halfs in 10k races, and who knows maybe I will find a half marathon and do that one day
Posted on Apr 18, 2009 under 5-10k, Long Runs |
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!)
Posted on Mar 25, 2009 under 10-15k, Jogs, Long Runs, Regular Runs |
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
Posted on Feb 23, 2009 under 10-15k, Long Runs, Regular Runs, Uncategorized |
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! 
Posted on Feb 13, 2009 under 10k, 5-10k, Long Runs, Regular Runs, Time Trials |
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!
Posted on Feb 04, 2009 under 5-10k, Long Runs, Milestones |
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!
Posted on Oct 05, 2008 under 10 Miles, above 15k, Injuries, Long Runs, Misc, Trail Running |
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. 
