Posted on Feb 09, 2012 under 5 miles, Milestones, Regular Runs, Season's Best |
Phew, at last one of those runs where things click into place and the work seems to be paying off!
Had some things on in the afternoon and some notes to write up when I got in, so had to make sure I ate something and then the clock was ticking to get a run in before it got too late in the evening. Was very cold out and had been utterly pouring with rain most of the day. Fortunately this turned to light drizzle so I got out, trying out the green supernovas I raced in last year, for a change. It was cold out, so cold in fact that the Garmin froze before it found a signal and I had to take the batteries out to restart the damn thing! Then it took ages to get going as yet another paranoid looking youth smoking weed walked past me…
Set off a bit quick, hoping to do at least 5k to get some kind of proper run under my belt, and settled into a comfortable rhythm, then took the risk of heading down a route that would take me in a big circle and be about 5 miles. Attacked the hill over the motorway bridge and passed another mad runner, and noticed the hill didn’t hurt TOO bad, then it was a case of coasting to the half way mark, which I got through in about 24 minutes, and figured that all I had to do was keep my pace and I could run sub 50 for the 5 miles. So far so good.
Was barely breaking into a sweat due to the cold and the light, refreshing drizzle, which was nice on my head but I had to keep wiping the Garmin with my sleeve. Mind you this Garmin, battered as it is, has been with me for some 4 years now so can’t complain! As I turned the corner to start the long straight back home I felt my energy dip a little and had to slow down, as I knew another torturous hill was coming before I was done. Had put in a few sub 6 minute kms but the Garmin told me I was slowing. Even so, when I had 2KM to go I calculated I could probably run them in 7 minutes each and still get under 50 minutes, so just tried to keep my pace as best I could.
The big motorway bridge at Denton Rock slowed me as much as I attacked it, and I briefly stopped at the top, before ploughing on and trying to inject some pace. I now knew I would get under 50 minutes it was just a question of by how much, and I wanted to finish relatively near home. Saw another mad runner and then it was just a matter of reaching the last oasis of streetlight so I could see the Garmin, and the 8.05KM ticked over in a time of 49:10. According to my records, I have not run a 5 miler anywhere near as quick as that since 2010, so it may be a sign that I still have some speed left in me as long as I can stay uninjured.
I recovered pretty quickly and felt good, so was really happy to break 50 minutes, and if I could have kept going it would have been 10k well under the hour. So my next targets are really a sub 49 5 miles and a sub hour 10k, and then I will start thinking about intervals as I look forward to the Great Manchester Run.
Posted on Feb 05, 2012 under 5-10k, 5k, All Weather Running, Easy Runs |
Wanted to get a run in despite the snowy weather, so kept an eye on the melting snows outside as running in snow can be rather tricky! The powdery stuff is OK, but once it freezes it can be very treacherous and I wouldn’t want to risk my dodgy knee springing out of its socket, never mind a broken neck or a flat face!
I was a bit wary when I finally got out as the pavement felt very slippery. I saw a poor lass wobbling all over the place just trying to walk and had thoughts of abandoning the run. But I found a long stretch of quiet back street with very little traffic which was clear of ice and just nice black tarmac, so although it wasn’t ideal decided to run up and down that, abandoning any thoughts of a tempo or time trial pace to get under 29 mins.
Felt good so settled into a comfortable pace, got to the extreme end of the road then turned back, whereupon there emerged a mass exodus of church goers from the church that’s got a roof like the Sydney Opera House. Suddenly there were 4 wheel drives everywhere and running down the middle of the road was suddenly not an option!
Rather than get killed by these crazy people, I took a detour and found another stretch of road, which saw me passing a house several times, the smell of which suggested that the occupants, if not baking, were just very, very baked… Also passed a young chap who smelled of a similar substance, and noticed some youths playing snowballs in the (locked) playground.
Had to dodge a few cars and ended up running on the pavement slush anyway, it wasn’t really that bad, although the having to run gingerly made me feel rather heavy legged and I couldn’t get any pace up, so my finishing time was a dismal 33:20, but understandable since I was running in snow.
All in all it was quite fun, though will be glad to see the back of the snow so I can try to work on my pace, as running at speed in the conditions would not have been a great idea!
Posted on Feb 03, 2012 under 5 miles, 5-10k, Milestones, Regular Runs |
4 days since my last odd little run, and seeing as it was a bright day decided to do my first day time run in ages. With race season approaching I need to start getting used to running earlier, and while evening runs in the dark have had their own appeal during the winter, it was good to get out and have the sun in my eyes today!
This run saw me setting off in appropriate running kit, ie jogging pants and hoody top, thermal hat, and shades. It was at least half way and a big hill before I even started sweating it was that cold! Decided it would be nice to run through the woods so set off in that direction, enjoying the contrast between the glorious sunshine and the freezing air. The pavements were thankfully clear of ice but there were lots of water filled ruts and pockmarks in the woods that were filled with frozen solid water showing how cold it was.
Kept a steady pace not pushing too hard as all I really wanted to do was run 5 miles and enjoy it, not really too bothered about a time. At about 5k the massive Stockport Road incline loomed and I took the opportunity to pause for a second to remove my Nike running beanie hat! Then it was up the hill with just a little pause for breath as I crossed – it’s a tough hill that one!
Once the hill was negotiated I kept going, noticing my pace was a little quicker without more effort, which usually happens with hills! I was starting to feel the pinch a little, and so slowed and just concentrated on getting to 7k, so I could decide how to run the last KM. I put in some pace towards the end, nearly collided with a pair of pensioners coming round a corner to a chorus of “Good god he nearly frightened me to death” for which I dutifully apologised, and then it was a stagger to make the last half km.
Stopped my trust Garmin in a time of 51:56, one of my fastest 5 milers since November last year, and since it included the hill I am very pleased with it. Can’t recall a sub 50 five mile run for some time, and of course the heady days of almost running sub 40 are way back in 2010 – maybe 2012 will be the year I get some pace and speed endurance back 
Posted on Jan 29, 2012 under Long Runs, Milestones |
Had been visiting my sister earlier in the day, being entertained by my great nephew, and have had a bit of a lazy chilled weekend all told, but with 2 frantic days coming up wanted to get a run in. Was running a little late but made sure I had a pre-run snack of weetabix with golden syrup to make sure I would have some fuel, and set off planning to cover 5 miles. Thought I would try a new route which would take me in a big loop and cover about 5 miles, and I factored in a bus route in case it proved longer than I thought or if I came unstuck in any other way.
About 3k in I was reaching the point of no return (long stretch without a way back or bus route etc) when my left hamstring twinged a bit, but nothing major. As I went up the hill over the canal bridge, I started feeling a bit puffy and considered turning back. The fact this would mean an uphill slog put me off somewhat and I thought it would be best to carry on and reach the main road section where I could jump on a bus, I checked the time and seemed to be OK.
However the slope over the bridge seemed to take it out of me a bit and I stopped for few paces to recover, realising I wasn’t feeling in the best of shape for a 5 mile plus run. So I decided to make it to the bus stop on the main road going back, and catch a bus there. I actually made it that far, to find I had missed a bus by 5 minutes, and the next one was in another hour (unbenknownst to me, the half hourly timetable in my head had been changed to hourly on Sunday Evenings!). So the only thing for it was to carry on running for the next 4 or 5k… So I trotted on, past caring about my pace and just thinking about food and drink and the stuff I need to sort for tomorrow. Managed to keep going and took one or two breaks, my feet were getting a little sore but I persevered. Eventually came to a stop just before my house and had covered 9.15k in 1hr 05 minutes. Was good to run long, but might have been better with more of a plan, then again it was enjoyable in retrospect!
Is an odd route that I first ran as a 10 year old primary school boy, and took in the funeral parlour where most of my relatives have gone through, the old people’s home where my mum died, and the house where I grew up. Was interesting to run a different route, and some of the dark stretches were quite spooky. The amount of roadworks and temporary pedestrian areas is quite amazing really. Hey ho!
Until the next run, cool runnings! (I went past a place called that the other day and thought it might be a running shop, but was a Jamaican fast food place, lol!!!!!!)
Posted on Jan 26, 2012 under 5-10k, 5k, Tempo Runs |
Set off at a briskish pace and had to slow a little since I knew I needed to warm up my legs and lungs. Felt fine at about 2k though was still heading for over 30 mins, increased the pace and after a frustrating stop at a main road crossing sped up quite a bit.
Felt I might be in with a shout of sub 29:30 but not even a last frantic 5:35 minute km could get me there, although the last 3 kms were all under 6 minutes and I had an average pace of 5:57. Looks like the 29 minute barrier is going to be significant and the heady days of running sub 25 are still some distance away, so that remains a goal to reach by the spring!
Posted on Jan 22, 2012 under 5 miles, 5-10k, Long Runs |
Been a long weekend of study, so felt like a run to blow the cobwebs away. This time I managed to eat properly earlier in the day, so set off with a target of 7k, but rather miscalculated the route so ended up doing 5 miles, felt I had a little more in the tank but it was a bit tough in the latter stages – kept to a steady and quite sedate pace, the time of the run compared well with the 53:17 I did for my last 5 miler in early December, so have probably got about the same fitness base as I did then, and need to build on that now.
Posted on Jan 18, 2012 under 5-10k, nutrition, Regular Runs, Slow Runs |
As the deadline looms for my latest Uni assignment I have been putting the finishing touches to it and have developed a sort of tunnel vision, in order to fully concentrate on getting it done. Unfortunately this means I have not been eating quite as well as I might normally – been snacking quite a bit today and having forgotten to eat something in between frantic research, ended up eating a chocolate bar…
All of which was not good for my run, I knew I wanted to get a run in to clear my head after a day handcuffed to the laptop, and felt OK as I got out into the cold and set off. Felt fine for a couple of kilometres and then started to just sense that something wasn’t quite right. I had a plan of doing 7k in my head, but by the time I got to 4k I was starting to get really puffy and feel very hungry. I had to stop and walk a few times, and did consider trying to get through to 7k by hook or by crook. I revised this down to 4 miles but as I was going to pass my house on reaching 6k, with cupboards full of food, I decided to call it a day and settle for the 6k.
Felt fairly puffed out and tired from the run, but knew it was down to not having eaten properly, so will try not to make that mistake again!
Posted on Jan 15, 2012 under 5-10k, 5k, Tempo Runs |
Had spent Saturday dog sitting for a friend, and was up early this morning, and hadn’t really planned a run, but I had some time to spare so decided to get out and do a quick 5k. The weather was very cold so for the first time I put on gloves, and also my Nike running beanie, to keep out the cold a bit.
As I walked out of the house a lady runner jogged passed, and as the Garmin found a signal very quickly I elected to see if I could catch up to her, as she seemed to be heading in my planned direction anyway, and it took my mind off how cold it was. So I set off at a bit of a pace, nothing too crazy, and could see myself steadily eating away at the distance, which started off at about 300m. I clocked the first KM in 6:07 so was going a bit faster than recently, but nothing too mad.
In any case, I was soon catching up my unofficial pacemaker, my lungs and legs were starting to work, and I was ready to switch up another gear and go flying past her. At this point, she looked around to cross the road, saw me, and must have read my mind or thought I was a mugger, as she just went kind of whooooosh! and legged it up the incline far faster than I was willing to go. At that point she went left and I turned right, so I hope she enjoyed the rest of her run 
There was a big downhill for me to coast down then, and I was warmed up by this point so the gloves and hat came off and I settled into a pace that was comfortably hard, although the uphills made it seem very hard at times. At one point I felt I might have to stop after a steep incline but carried on, and felt that sub 30 was really on the cards, but I would have to maintain the pace, so I pushed as hard as I could and breathed deeply to feed my legs and heart with oxygen!
A glance at the Garmin and I knew I was going to do it with plenty of time to spare, I trotted to a stop and stopped the Garmin, and saw that I’d not only done it under 30 mins, but under 29:30 too in 29:29, which is among my fastest times for 5k since my injury last year. Still haven’t gone sub 29 since last summer so that will be the next target, and I will continue to mix up longer slower runs and shorter faster runs for the time being, before starting to think about race season and speed work and intervals!
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 under 5-10k, Regular Runs |
A day cooped up with an assignment had made me feel quite irritable, and although I slept a bit better last night, by early evening I thought I was going a little bit crazy! Rather then throw the laptop and notes out of the window, I thought a run would help blow away the cobwebs so I put the laptop to sleep for a bit, and got my running kit on.
Planned to do 6k and if feeling good make it up to 4 miles. Felt pretty cold outside and my breath was pluming, willed the Garmin to find a signal so I could get going. Had been feeling a non specific tenderness in right hamstring area so wondered if it would affect the running, as it didn’t seem related to it.
Set off at relaxed pace and felt no problems with leg, was feeling quite pleased about getting more use out of my old Glide 2s, as I think I’ve been erring on the side of caution a bit too much when swapping to new pairs and think there is life in these yet – as was to be proved a little later in the run!
Planned a route in my head once I got going and settled into what would be my longest run for a while. Ran past my old school and some familiar places, and decided to head down Egerton street past another school. In the distance I could see a couple of runners, who seemed to be going quite sedately, and wondered if I could catch them, and since I felt good I turned on the speed (such as it is for me!) a bit, and was soon level with them, at which point I noticed they were walking rather than jogging! Even so, I flew past them and it was then, for about 100 metres or so, that the Adidas Supernova Glides lived up to their name, as it felt like I was gliding along, and motoring too… Probably a bit of an endorphin rush at that point! I knew I couldn’t maintain that pace so slowed again, wanting to make the 4 miles, but I didn’t feel any ill effects from it and it’s good to know I can still switch gears like that, will be good preparation for the race season.
I managed the last few kms more sedately and the loop was perfect as I finished the 4 miles right at my front door.
Now I feel ready to take another look at the mental rubik’s cube this assignment is turning into
Posted on Jan 11, 2012 under 5-10k, 5k, Regular Runs |
Still not sleeping well lately, but I heard magnesium and calcium can be good for insomnia so I got my Boots double points and threshold tokens and stocked up on my vitamins and minerals, including some iron, and will see if this helps!
Meanwhile, back to the running, it had been raining earlier and not having slept was in two minds about a run, but knowing that this weekend I have some things on where I can’t run, I thought I’d better get at least a short sharp run in, so got my jogging pants and top on and ventured out.
It felt quite mild, and had stopped raining, so as soon as the Garmin found a signal I set off at what felt like a fairly brisk pace – however the first km ticked over in 6:40 so it seemed to be my usual pattern of thinking I am running slower or faster than I really am continues! I felt good and seemed to speed up in reality after that, posting two sub 6 min kms as part of the run, including the last one which was 5:47. I had hoped to get under 31 minutes once I got going and felt ok, but had to motor hard in that last km to make it with just 10 seconds to spare.
Next target is to break 30 minutes again, and will factor in a few longer runs now I seem to be back from the colds and distractions of Christmas.
Meanwhile, I have assignments to do for my Uni Course too!
