Archives for Regular Runs category
Posted on Sep 30, 2008 under 5-10k, Regular Runs |
I’ve still not slept well, had some work stress late last night and ended up in bed late and tired but couldn’t drop off, very sluggish on waking, didn’t want to get up. Did eat better yesterday though. Had a slight issue with guts before I set off - must be carrying something!
Didn’t want to go out to run at all especially in weather, having got used to the milder weather of earlier - now facing freezing cold, gusty wind and pouring rain - but forced myself again (as I will have to get used to it!) and started to feel my old self once I’d got past 4k and warmed up a bit, and even got a bit annoyed with myself and sprinted up a hill to get the endorphins flowing. Was planning 7k but threw in an extra k to make it 8 and threw in a speedy last 300 metres.
Managed average pace of 5:20 per k, which is faster than my comeback run over 5k at the weekend, so I am coming backfor real now - felt knackered by the end of this one though. But glad to get back into the over 5k territory and will slowly build back up 
Posted on Sep 29, 2008 under 5k, Easy Runs, Regular Runs |
Had not slept much over the weekend (I had a horrible case of RLS for some reason), so I was feeling tired and unmotivated and had to force myself out of the door into a cold grey day and had to force myself to start running!
I was pretty ok once I started, albeit breathing hard, and the legs were turning over a lot quicker than in the last 5k I did on Sat, so without really trying I ran under 26 mins on what was planned as just a nice easy paced run. It started pouring down second half of run and I couldn’t keep rain out of my eyes! I think I need a few more 5k’s under the belt before I really get going again, felt a bit knackered at the end of this, but then again could be down to the lack of sleep and had no appetite at all yesterday and didn’t eat much over the weekend. Cold going round so maybe I am symptomlessly fighting it off.
Posted on Aug 10, 2008 under 10-15k, Long Runs, Regular Runs |
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!
Posted on Jul 20, 2008 under 10-15k, Regular Runs |
This was a bit of a strange run really - in the sense that I was intending to run 12k, which I did in the end, but I was indecisive at times whether to turn it into a 10k time trial. Set off and was feeling a bit heavy legged, even though not going for a crazy pace. Found some rhythm by time I got to woods and tried to keep up a fastish pace I was comfortable with. Because this was my usual 10k time trial route up to a point, I couldn’t help keep checking the Garmin, and think I went over 5k in just about 26 mins, not bad considering I was pacing myself for a 12k (or was at least supposed to be!). I carried on, and psychologically I was looking at my Garmin and thinking, if I carry on the regular time trial route, I could get a training PB easily, and was tempted to do it. I felt good, and that I could add more pace if necessary. But I thought I would carry on up to the canal, and just see what time roughly I got past 10k in, and then carry on for a few more k at that pace if I could.
Then disaster struck, I kind of got lost on my way up to the canal (this is where a bit of formal planning might have helped instead of just ad hoc’ing it!), and had thought there was a small hilly bit with not too much of an incline, but ended up going substantially uphill and this slowed me down. Then I reached a huge almost vertical wooden staircase going up and up, and had to walk up this, there was no way in hell I could have run up it by that point - getting to the top more or less destroyed my rhythm and set my heart fit to bursting - I started running again on the canal path, but my legs felt gone, and I could never get better than 7mins per k after that, my legs were heavy and I was tiring. I thought i might finish at 11k, but carried on, back onto the last bit of road leading to my house, and ran up a susbtantially steep bit of road, which nearly finished me off again, but I carried on until I staggered to a stop at 12k.
If I could have continued on the flat I could have kept up 52m 10k pace for the 12k, but the inclines and huge staircase killed me. Will not do a time trial now before the Moonraker 10k race next week, as it might be a nice surprise if I do better, instead of expecting it because I’ve just done a good training time.
It was interesting that I ran the first 8k at what would have been a PB 10k pace by about 2 minutes, and then was at least able to carry on beyond 10k, even surviving hills and staircase - so hopefully it will add to my fitness and take me up a few more rungs on the ladder. Am tentatively hoping for 52 mins now at the race next week!
This week, I think a little speedwork, tempo run and easy run, and a couple days rest before the race, and we’ll see! (Although I believe the first 2k of my race is uphill, so I may have nightmares both before and after!) 
Posted on Jul 02, 2008 under 10k, Regular Runs |
Thought I’d do a 10k against the clock to see how my pacing is, ready for the City of Manchester 10k race on Sunday. Felt a bit puffy at 3k, and went into a bit of a recovery at 5k, but kept pushing every time I felt I was running too much within myself. Knew I was running faster and for longer than ever before, kept checking the Garmin, thought I might do 53 minutes at one point, did manage to up the pace over the last k and hit the stop button on 53 mins 50 - well inside my last PB in training (by 2.5 minutes) and well inside my target time of 55 minutes.
Now will just have to see how my mind and body handle the race on Sunday - time of day may be a factor, weather, nerves, etc.
May do some weights in meantime but plan to rest on three days before race and let energy build up and muscles recover from the hard training of last few weeks!
Posted on Jun 22, 2008 under 10k, Regular Runs |
Didn’t think I’d make this 10k - in more ways than one! Thought doing 2 5k’s followed by a 10k on 3 consecutive days might be pushing it, as have not run so intensively before - and then less than 1k into the run was nearly poleaxed by a falling tree, thankfully just got scratched by the twigs instead of clobbered by the heavy bit Struggled a bit running into a very fierce gale force headwind!
At 1k thought, God, another 9 to go, but gritted my teeth, was managing to pace myself, and passed 5k in about 27 mins, then pressed on. Masochist that I am, I had mentally altered my route so that the last kilometre would be uphill all the way - this bit was really tough, although I had managed to conserve energy with a recovery pace on the k before that. It was slow going up this hill, but when I kept going and when it levelled out with 200 metres to go, it was a good feeling - my thinking is, if I can do the last k in training uphill, finishing on the flat should be a doddle and I may even be able to inject a final burst of pace
Finished in 56m 28s - not far off my PB (edit - just noticed it’s in fact only 3 seconds off!), and considering the headwind, near death experience and extended uphill stretch, was probably worth a PB in itself.
Posted on Jun 05, 2008 under 10k, Regular Runs |
Was feeling quite tired, and a bit dispirited with toughness of last few runs, but set out for 10k regular run. Tried to set off slowly, and this seemed to make breathing easier, although still always tempted to go faster once I start feeling it’s too easy.
Had spells of feeling really flying with periods of feeling really knackered as if I wasn’t even going to be able to cross the 10k line. Was pretty hot and sunny, so took on some water.
Varied route slightly, so by the time I reached the end of the woods I still had some distance to go, so ran up and down Stockport Road, meaning last 500 metres was up a pretty steep hill, which probably added a few seconds on to my time.
Still, managed 56:25 - about 2 minutes off previous best in training, so am getting closer to sub 55 10k, and hopefully sub 25 5k.
Tough 5k runs really seemed to pay off towards the end of the 10k as it gave me the confidence to maintain my pace, and the distance run gave me the confidence I could reach 10k with something left - so mixing up the runs seems to be starting to pay off.
Now I plan to have a long weekend off work - and running - as I always seem to come back fresher after a mini break!
Posted on May 24, 2008 under 10k, Regular Runs |
First time I have run 10k since the Great Manchester run last Sunday. Had run 5k in the week, trying for extra pace, and it took it out of me without actually managing to run any faster over 5k than I did over 10k a few days before.
So today went back to my strategy of starting off quite slowly and building up, intended to run 10k but not kill myself. It was sunny but a little chilly and very blustery. Started to feel a little puffy after 2k but settled into a rhythm, and when I checked my time for 5k I had knocked off 2 minutes of my previous split of 29 mins, just over 27 mins, but still another 5k to go! Started to feel a little tired but kept going, although my pace slowed considerably for a few k’s, and I took a bit of a wrong turning on my usual route so ended up covering some more uphill terrain than usual, and had the usual stiles and grass to jump over and wade through, before I got to my flat finishing stretch in the woods, where I pushed hard over the last 2k, and was happy to press the stop button and slow down to a walk as my Garmin ticked over to 10k completed! Felt like I had been in a race all over again, but enjoyed a warm down walk back to my house, despite it being very windy.
Managed to knock 7 seconds off my race time of the week before, and a couple of minutes off my best training time.
Next part of it for me is to now get into that 5k 27 mins pace and maintain it for 10k, so I can break the 55 minutes for the first time (in training at least!). I will run a 5k in a couple of days (am at cricket for 2-3 days so usual routine is trashed) and work on pacing and speed a little more, but keep to my rule of starting off slow - as I find the quicker I start off, the slower my time ends up being!
