Archives for Regular Runs category

A Five Mile Mini Adventure with Nettles, Strangles, and Sunshine

Posted on Jun 09, 2013 under 5 miles, Regular Runs, Trail Running | No Comment

After a few days recovering from Dennis the Menace was ready for a nice Sunday run in the evening sun, knew it was going to be warmish so took water!

Headed down Town Lane and set off at a sedate pace, then decided to do a loop through the fields back to Denton. Traversing the narrow path next to the stables got stung by millions of nettles, having noticed a DANGER: Strangles sign on the stile….

Got past all that then got lost in the overgrown fields, ended up on Yew Tree Lane and lost in the council estate, then finally back to Denton woods,kept going though feeling very warm by now and had forgotten a hanky to wipe away sweat from my eyes 🙁

Decided to run up Meadow Lane (have always chickened out before!) and managed this, then I was on the home straight, sped up on the downhill and had to reel myself in. Close to home a girl on a scooter tried to race me and I put on a burst of speed which according to Garmin I was going at 4:40 per k, which is the sort of pace I used to be able to run.

All in all a good work out with a decent hill and some nice weather, will just have to hope I don’t turn into the Denton Strangler now, ha!!!!!

Two very contrasting runs!

Posted on Jun 01, 2013 under 5-10k, Club Runs, Regular Runs | No Comment

Had a week or so off running due to a trip to Wales (the trip I managed to double book over the Great Manchester Run so ended up not doing it for the first time in 5 years!). Indulged in about 40 miles of mountain and other walking, took my running shoes but by the day I had planned a run over the Orme, my legs were shot and my feet were burning up with blisters…

So waited till I got back and head out to Sweatshop Hyde community run on Wednesday, was a bit quietish with Tony absent and not a few people doing the Dovestone diamond, or recovering from the Bupa 10k. Set off at the front and had to reign myself in to stop myself getting too far ahead, pace felt very easy, so kept backmarking then catching the front then going back to backmark. In the end the front pack went way ahead and there were two ladies way behind so I looked after them while we were on the canals and then when we got to the big long hill at the back of Market Street they said I could charge off if i liked, so I did, and managed to make up the ground on the leading pack in the distance somehow, really flew up that hill, legs and body felt fantastic, grabbed by bottle and coat from the shop and decided to run home as well making up about 5 miles altogether.

Then a couple of days off, and a nice sunny Saturday late afternoon, so thought I would do a 10k and see if I could get under an hour. Had a route planned in my mind and off I went after the Garmin kept telling me the GPS signals were weak and taking ages to find a signal. First km was a bit slowish, then I picked up the pace and was just looking at the Garmin to see what km 2 clicked over in, when the blink of an eye it went from 1.98KM to 1.48km and so I ended up doing km2 in about 8 minutes but knew the Garmin had gone haywire as it occasionally does. Any thoughts of a real time trial sort of run with the Garmin playing tricks like that went out of the window, even still, I carried on and thought maybe just a tempo pace, but at 3 or 4k I really started to wilt, and when I got into Debdale Park I had to stop with my lungs really burning and revised my route to take me back home the quickest way. Had to stop a few times but once I got back to Hyde Road I pushed on and got to Victoria Park where I stopped the Garmin at 8k, with the .5 I had lost added on making up 8.5km so a tad over 5 miles which wasn’t bad and pleased I kept going though I did not enjoy the last few miles one bit, felt hot and weak and had to go pretty slowly just to make it home, but at least I didn’t walk it all or get the bus as much as I felt like it!

A cold 5k in just over 31 minutes

Posted on Mar 21, 2013 under 5-10k, 5k, Regular Runs | No Comment

Needed to get a run in, so opted for a short 5k, given time constraints, and the terrible weather predictions. Not particularly quick, but ran at pace in places towards the end. Not sure when the next run will be, need to protect my limbs and bits from the vicissitudes of the weather!

5 Miles of Trail in a Mix of Weathers – 56 mins

Posted on Mar 13, 2013 under 5 miles, All Weather Running, Regular Runs, Trail Running | No Comment

Wanted to get 5 miles in, and it looked sunny enough to make for pleasant trail running.

Set off and the Garmin was completely lost and had the wrong date so took a while to recalibrate itself, then I set off towards Mill Lane over the trails, and headed through the Haughton Dale nature reserve, over the steps and then back through the woods to Denton.

Decided to cut through the houses in the woods and extend the run by heading through the wilderness to the farm at the bottom of Town Lane, so it got quite hilly and muddy there, but I managed to avoid breaking my spine on the ground as I crossed the stile where I fell last summer! At this point flakes of snow were coming down and the sky had gone black! Staggered up the hill bit by bit and paused to stroke a horse, then mud stomped through a pile of utter crappy mud which coated my trainers, then the gradual ascent up Town Lane. Put on a burst of pace but not too much and cantered to a stop near home after struggling with the “Pedestrians this way” sign which actually led right in front of oncoming cars!!!!

Nice run all in all and felt good.

5k in 30:58 – Getting some pace back in the old legs!

Posted on Mar 06, 2013 under 5-10k, 5k, Regular Runs, Tempo Runs | No Comment

Had to go to Ashton to bank a bit of cash, so decided to get the bus in running kit and then run back.

Wasn’t the nicest of runs, route mostly clogged with traffic and therefore fumes, and plenty of obstructions and speeding lunatics steering chariots of deadly metal as fast as possible for no reason, though one or two were polite enough to let me cross.

Had to slow down at one point when my pace was edging under 9 minute miles as didn’t want to risk any injuries again, but was happy to dip under 10 minute mile pace for most of the run and feel comfortable running a bit quicker with no niggles, hopefully building back up slowly will see me ready for a good outing in the Great Manchester Run in May!

7.3km in 47:55, cold icy winds prevailing!

Posted on Jan 28, 2013 under 5-10k, All Weather Running, Regular Runs | No Comment

Wanted to get a run in, so if possible I can be ready for a SRC run on Weds, work permitting.

Set off a bit quick, and felt bombarded by strong icy winds, saw a colourful chap running at quite apace, and we passed and exchanged greetings twice. Planned a vague route in my head then kept adding bits on, sailed through 5k in just over 32 minutes and felt good, no leg or other issues.

Started to tire a little by the end so veered in the general direction of home, and stopped the watch at 7.3km in 47 mins 55. Felt I ran a little faster while running well within myself, mindful of the hamstring and other problems of late. Need to realise I can’t go from running 6.30 per KM to 5 or less per KM all at once,without my legs telling me they don’t like it sooner or later, no matter how good my lungs and heart might be doing!!

5k in 32:20 – Slowish, but at least a Finish!

Posted on Jan 10, 2013 under 5-10k, 5k, Regular Runs | No Comment

Set off at a brisk pace, felt ok, kept going and managed to finish 5k without feeling half dead on this occasion!

5k in 34:13 – Bit slower but also a bit hillier!

Posted on Oct 06, 2012 under 5-10k, 5k, Injuries, Musings, Regular Runs, Slow Runs | No Comment

Another 5k with mixed feelings, right leg never felt 100% but seemed to survive if I kept the pace really slow. Had been swimming earlier in the week, which is great, but at £2.80 a time can work out more expenseive than hitting the road!

I have a current theory about my injury, which goes back to the fall I had over the summer, cracking my back hard on a rock. I’m wondering if I compressed a nerve, as when I had 2 weeks off running, some other symptoms I had, such as a mild numbness in certain places, subsided, but seem to have returned along with starting running again, so am wondering if running is putting pressure on it and this is in fact what is causing the leg pain…

I will see what happens after this run. It may be that I need an extended break for the nerve to uncompress itself (funnily enough, after swimming, and stretching my body out, the symptoms greatly ease). Maybe I will even have to quit running altogether.

Good or bad news? Who knows! I’m thinking of the Zen story where a farmer’s son breaks his leg, but thus avoids being conscripted into the army and killed. Maybe my injury will help me avoid a rendezvous with a truck or maniac gunman…

Posted on Oct 03, 2012 under 5-10k, 5k, Injuries, Regular Runs | No Comment

A very gentle 5k run to test out my legs. Was ready to abort at any minute if I felt pain, must admit legs didn’t feel as solid and dependable as I would have liked… Wore my tracksuit bottoms for the first time with long sleeved top, felt quite chilly out there.

Set a very sedate pace of about 7 mins per k and soon warmed up. Lungs and heart seemed to respond well, and managed 5k without feeling any sort of discomfort or breathing hard, will now see how the leg reacts to this, before deciding what to do next.

A 5 mile birthday run – 47:16

Posted on Sep 15, 2012 under 5 miles, Injuries, Regular Runs, Tempo Runs | No Comment

Had the week off running after a disappointing race and some soreness in my ankle when bearing weight, so wanted to get a run in, even though it was my birthday, not sure I have run on my birthday before!

Set off at a very gentle pace after a chap on the road had joked I should be running dressed in shorts! Legs felt a bit painful, not sure why, knees were protesting a bit but it settled down and first km ticked over in about 6:30. Decided I was in the mood more for 5 miles than 5k, and planned a route accordingly, as I hit the road towards Hyde a boy on his back high fived me, which was nice, and then I took the uphills without too much pain, and once 3k was completed I felt strong and moved up to a tempo pace. I felt the odd protest in my right leg, but kept going, trying to keep cadence up and stride length a bit shorter, and was hitting 5:30/km pace. At one point a little bou started racing me and kept up a good pace for a bit so I told him he was really fast, who knows, I may have inspired a future Olympian!

Had to stop for traffic in the latter stages, and started to hurt around the 6km mark, but kept up a decent pace and at one point the garmin was showing 4:25/km pace though I couldn’t keep that up consisently. I thought I had run really well and might be in with a shout of a season’s best, and clocked 47:16. I checked it against previous runs and it wasn’t quite a season’s best – in fact the 3rd fastest 5 miler of the season, a little bit of my 46:45 in May, and still way off my 40:01PB set in 2010 I think. Still, it’s hard to tell from this run, as I had just had a week off and normally feel very rusty, so for all I know a few more runs and I could see some improvements.

Unfortunately my right leg seemed to flare up a little bit afterwards, did some stretching but will have to keep an eye on it, as I would like to keep running, even if I have to slow down – it’s hard to judge what I should do sometimes!