Diary Of A Road Runner

5k Time Trial - Cold and Grey - 24m 00s PB!

I haven’t slept much all week and have had some kind of stomach bug. Was feeling really tired this morning and had restless legs again as well as still feeling a bit queasy from the bug/food poisoning or whatever it was.

Although I didn’t feel up to it much, I wanted to get out to keep the legs turning over, so planned a 5k jog. It was freezing, so I didn’t hang around too much but set off a bit quickly to get warm. Did the first k in 4:50 then just decided to keep it going. Fourth k really hurt as the split shows, slowed to 5 mins per k after doing my fastest k split to date of 4:34. Desperation to get under 24 minutes kept the legs going near the end but staggered over 5k as Garmin clocked the last metre and 1 tenth of a second over 24 minutes

Still, a PB despite feeling totally rubbish when I walked out the door, and didn’t do much of a warmup either, so there has been improvement even though I took a week off, which must have done me some good too!

Splits were:

4:50
4:45
4:34
5:00
4:48

5K Time Trial - Warm Day - 24m 14s PB!

Today it was back to my regular (weekly if possible) 5k time trial as haven’t done one for a bit with races and stuff.

I did a bit of jogging to get warmed up, then set off, aiming to go hard and keep going somehow! I managed to run a fairly even pace, towards the end I thought I might break 24 minute barrier if I went hell for leather but Garmin seemed to tick distance over slower the faster I went and I ended up at 24:14 - still a PB by some 25 seconds but still needs work as I feel I should be improving faster!

Splits for this run were:

4:51
5:02
4:41
4:58
4:42

I hope to include my splits now I’ve figured out how to set it up on my Garmin Forerunner 101 (can’t afford the Garmin 405 and besides the kit I’ve got does me just fine for what I want it to do!

5k Time Trial Tempo Run Mash Up - 24m 57s

This was one of those easy runs that suddenly turned into a time trial tempo run kind of mash up

I decided to do my 5k time trial route but in reverse, and just run it hard but comfortable and run to how I felt rather than keep checking the Garmin. But at 2k I felt comfortable and couldn’t resist checking the Garmin - and as I felt comfortable and was doing sub 25 min pace, I thought I would push on, and at that point it turned into a time trial. Mid way was a hill I usually coast down, but was climbing it this time and it took it out of my legs, but I ran the last 2k damned hard, so hard it took me a couple of minutes to stop breathing hard when I stopped - and only just broke 25 mins, so the hill bit must have slowed me a bit more than I thought.

I’ve had a week with little to no improvement, which is likely because I have been running quite intensively and now need a bit of a break - will have an easy week leading up to next Sunday’s Trafford 10k, throw in a 5k time trial, but mostly easy runs to keep fitness where it is and not burn too much energy - but on today’s evidence I wouldn’t be able to run the 2 sub 25 min 5k’s that would result in a sub 50 10k, but on the day who knows

5k Weekly Time Trial - Raining - 25m 28s

BIT OF A BAD RUN!!

Well, in a way - was quite experimental, as I was determined to run the first 3 k of my weekly 5k time trial at or just over 25 minute pace, and then put in a burst for the last 2k when feeling good.

At 1k I was 5:10, at 2k 10:20, but didn’t quicken up, thinking I would soon start to feel comfortable and would be able to up the pace, but it never came - after 3k I was just playing catch up and couldn’t find any extra pace or energy, and I must have been losing pace in fact as by the end I was a whole minute or so off my normal 5k time…

This either means the best policy is to go off sub 25 pace from the outset and just maintain it, or I’ve just had a bad day. I did run my heaviest week ever last week so maybe the legs are feeling it - then again I did just have a 2 day rest

Still, I find I sometimes shoot off a PB after a particularly bad run, so who knows

5k Personal Time Trial - 24m 38s - PB - Just!

5k against the clock on my usual route - managed a PB by 2 seconds, but more importantly I am running around abouts 24:30 now regularly whereas before I was stuck around 25:00 so there is definite improvement there.

For this run I did a little warm up jog, then set off, but I was overconfident again and set off too quickly, which I paid for in the latter stages. Did the first k in something ridiculous like 4 minutes 20! Was going about 24:00 pace with a k and half to go, but seemed to be going backwards a bit towards the end as my legs and lungs ran out of pace. Still was good to hit full throttle for a few k and if I can pace one of these 5k’s right I will be sub 24 before too long I hope!

Might do an easy run or rest day tomorrow and a long slow run on Sunday, which will make this my most intensive period of running to date, which I need if I am going to get faster and stronger!

5k Time Trial - Cold and Cloudy - 24m 40s - PB!

Colder days seem to suit me for 5k time trial type runs - just wanted to run 5k as fast as I could today and ended up knocking a little off my PB again, about 5 seconds - felt a bit laboured the first half and got a bit caught up in traffic at the junction near Haughton Green Road, but managed to get across road without stopping. After 3k was 20 seconds under 25 minute pace, but seemed to slow a bit in the penultimate k before putting on another burst for the finish and getting caught up with cars again! Finished 5 seconds quicket than last 5k, was knackered but it felt good.

Am not sure how well I am going to be prepared for Birchwood this Sunday, as with one thing and another may not get too much running in this week. Have been feeling tired after a busy work week last week, and not been sleeping too well - next couple of days am tied up, so may try another 5 k on Friday and a nice easy 5 on Saturday, just to keep the legs loose - I doubt I am going to gain or lose much in the way of fitness with 3-4 days to go, so will just have to see how it goes. I am aiming for sub 53 (no delusions of grandeur about sub 50 - will take it off one minute at a time if I have to!!)