Running Log: Sunday, February 28 2010

Canal -> Clydebank -> Clyde cycleway -> Glasgow Green -> City Center -> Spier's Wharf -> Canal -> Maryhill -> Queen Margaret Dr (with John the Jogger, part with Mike D and part with Gavin)

18 miles in 1:59:20, average pace 6:38/mile
Splits: 7.46, 7.28, 6.49, 6.35, 6.29, 6.21, 6.22, 6.26, 6.24, 6.14, 6.21, 6.26, 6.36, 6.41, 6.46, 6.54, 6.19, 6.27

Notes: pleasant morning run 3 degrees (37 F), calm and overcast; comfortable pace with the occasional niggle in my hip, making it through my biggest mileage week since last April!

Week Total: 60.8 miles
February Total: 159.6 miles
Year Total: 255.3 miles

Running Log: Friday, February 26 2010

Canal Towpath -> Dawsholm Rd -> Dawsholm Park loops -> Bearsden Rd -> Crow Rd -> Great Western -> Queen Margaret -> Maryhill -> Great Western -> Queen Margaret

9.8 miles in 1:09:00, average pace 7:02/mile
Splits: 7.20,6.55, 7.30, 7.15, 7.04, 7.01, 6.54, 6.45, 6.43, 7.00/pace

Notes: evening run, 2 degrees (36 F), "driech" pretty much sums it up; very sluggish, though started to feel better in the last 2-3 miles

Urban Ski Tour: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Running Log: Thursday, February 25 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Maryhill Rd -> Canniesburn Rd -> Drumchapel -> Garscadden -> Duntreath -> Alderman -> Anniesland -> Great Western -> Cleveden -> Shore -> Maryhill (with Stephen, John the Jogger, and Euan G)

12 miles in 1:19:30, average pace 6:37/mile
Splits: 6.47, 6.46, 6.55, 6.57, 6.32, 6.34, 6.18, 6.32, 6.31, 6.37, 6.27, 6.28

Notes: late evening run, 3 degrees with a blustery north-east wind and drizzle (finally some of the famed west Scotland weather); didn't feel great, didn't feel poor, just another one of those runs in the rain, in the dark.

Running Log: Tuesday, February 23 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Canniesburn Rd -> Drumchapel -> Blairdardie -> Great Western -> Lincoln -> Danes Dr -> Balshagray -> Crow Rd -> Clarence Dr -> Highburgh -> University -> Bank St -> Great Western -> Napiershall -> Maryhill Rd

11 miles in 1:10:40, average pace 6:25/mile
Splits: 6.42, 6.30, 6.23, 6.18, 6.21, 6.13, 6.11, 6.32, 6.34, 6.25, 6.25

Notes: evening run, 2 degrees (36 F) with a cold north-east wind; felt relaxed throughout and mostly pain-free, only the occasional niggle in the ITB/hip area; I should be okay to continue running so long as I reign in the pace and try to get on soft surfaces more often.

Running Log: Monday, February 22 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Park (short loop) -> Kelvin Walkway -> Garscube Estate (4k xc loop) -> Kelvin Walkway -> Garrioch Mill -> Maryhill Rd

10 miles in 1:03:50, average pace 6:22/mile
Splits: 6.35, 6.22, 6.07, 6.24, 6.24, 6.25, 6.26, 6.15, 6.25, 6.19

Notes: afternoon run, 1 degree (34 F); my right hip/lower back is 'iffy' (especially post-run), so I probably shouldn't be running at all, but I just need to start building a big mileage base; I also need to start doing a majority of my running on soft surfaces because I always get injured when I run mostly on pavements...always.

Running Log: Sunday, February 21 2010

Week Total: 11.2 miles
Month Total: 88.8 miles
Year Total: 184.5 miles

Notes: the weekend (principally, the XC Nationals) was a wash due to hip pain.

Running Log: Thursday, February 18 2010

Queen Margaret -> Great Western -> Crow Rd -> Canal -> Maryhill Rd

5 miles in 31:00, average pace 6:15/mile
Splits: 6.25, 6.10, 6.15, 6.17, 6.10

Notes: crisp evening run, -1 degree (30 F); right leg, especially hip feeling very tight with some pain.

Running Log: Tuesday, February 16 2010

Maryhill -> Queen Margaret -> Great Western -> Crow Rd (to Lock 27) -> Bearsden Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Maryhill Rd

6.2 miles in 38:45, average pace 6:15/mile
Splits: 6.20, 6.17, 6.15, 6.19, 6.16, 6.06, 5.53/pace

Notes: evening run, 1 degree (34 F); relaxed run, focusing on good knee lift and a full follow through on each push-off; usually I don't think about running form on easier runs and tend to fall into more of a shuffle, so here I am making a conscious effort; this "effort" is more mental than physical, however, as there is greater efficiency with the improved form.

Running Log: Sunday, February 14 2010

Queen Margaret Dr -> Kelvin Walkway -> Kelvin Hall -> River Clyde -> Science Center -> Bellahouston Park loop -> Paisley Rd -> Squiggly Bridge -> River Clyde -> Finniestoun -> Argyle -> Kelvingrove Park -> Kelvin Walkway -> Queen Margaret Dr

12.2 miles in 1:26, average pace 7:05/mile

Week Total: 34.6 miles
Month Total: 77.6 miles
Year Total: 173.3 miles

Notes: mild, foggy morning run 3-4 degrees (38 F); legs felt sore today - especially in the achilles tendons and the always problematic right hip - likely due to a sudden return to running in spikes on mixed terrain, which was great training for next week, so long as I recover properly between now and then.

Running Log: Saturday, February 13 2010

Garscube XC Champs (Mugdock Country Park)

6 miles in 35:20, average pace 5:53/mile
1.5 warm-up and cool-down

Notes: cooler morning than I anticipated, yet a sunny, pleasant 3 degrees (37 F); the course was probably as firm as it could be given the partially frozen turf and low precipitation of late; that said, we were still hopping mud holes, and I even took a hard fall (first ever in a race!) on a short, side-angling downhill bit; this was on the first of three laps (each lap being aprox. two miles), and although I got up quickly, it broke my rhythm and left me feeling a bit stiff for the next 1/2 mile; since I jumped way out front right away, the race became a solo effort, and I tried to push myself a bit harder than I would on a regular tempo run; the few moderately boggy climbs, combined with the mixed uneven terrain provided a nice test in preparation for next week's National XC Champs in Falkirk (12km) - I will certainly need to dig deeper next week if I am to have a decent showing; in the end, I took first place overall in a field of about 40 athletes, mostly from Garscube, but with a few others from Victoria Park, Maryhill, and Springburn.

Running Log: Friday, February 12 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Garrioch Mill -> Kelvin Walkway -> Canal

4.4 miles in 27:00, average pace 6:12/mile
Splits: 6.02, 6.15, 6.26, 6.02, 6.10/pace

Running Log: Tuesday, February 9 2010

3 miles in 20:30, average pace 6:50/mile

1 mile jog (6.54); 350 meter pick-ups x 5 (@ 4.55, 4.53, 4.47, 4.38, 4.27 pace); brief cool-down

Notes: evening run, 0 degrees (32 F); legs still feeling flat (especially to start), recovering from 2 long runs and 1 medium-long run in the span of 8 days I suppose; I will keep the runs short and low key this week in order to make sure I'm sharp enough for the Garscube cross country champs on Saturday.

Running Log: Monday, February 8 2010

Maryhill -> Queen Margaret -> Great Western -> Crow -> Clarence -> Highburgh -> Byres -> Queen Margaret -> Maryhill

6 miles in 36:00, average pace 6:00/mile

Splits: 6.07, 6.12, 6.03, 6.01, 5.49, 5.45

Notes: evening run, 4 degrees (39 F); this one was a slog; nothing was sore or tired per se, but nothing felt right either, especially my gut (brussel sprouts are not a good pre-run snack).

Running Log: Sunday, February 7 2010

Week Total: 43 miles
Month Total: 43 miles
Year Total: 138.7 miles

Running Log: Saturday, February 6 2010

-> Lock 27 -> Bearsden Rd -> Milngavie Rd -> Baldernock Rd -> Tower Rd -> Barraston Rd (into Torrance) -> Torrance Rd -> Kirkintilloch Rd (to the Stables) -> Canal -> Maryhill Fire Station (with John the Jogger, Athole, and Euan G)

18.8 miles in 2:13:30, average pace 7:06/mile
Splits: 7.22, 7.27, 7.43, 7.31, 7.22, 7.17, 7.07, 7.15, 6.54, 7.00, 6.45, 7.12, 7.01, 6.46, 6.50, 6.55, 6.52, 6.59, 6.38/pace

Notes: gorgeous morning, 7 degrees (45 F) with a light breeze and mostly sunny; struggled a bit more in the latter stages, nothing too bad but definitely depleted my glucose stores; I was worried this would be the case given my poor pre-run sleeping and fueling routine - that combined with a pace slightly faster than last week's and many more hills out on the scenic country roads above Glasgow; all in all, it was another enjoyable long run.

Running Log: Thursday, February 4 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Garscube Estate (with Stephen) -> Maryhill Rd -> St. George X -> Great Western -> Byres -> Highburgh -> Clarence -> Crow -> Garscube Estate - Maryhill Rd (with Stephen and Joe)

13.4 miles in 1:30, average pace 6:45/mile
Splits: 7.27, 7.17, 7.03, 7.08, 6.48, 6.35, 6.27, 6.24, 5.52, 5.55, 6.00, 7.17, 7.02, 7.37/pace

Notes: evening run at club training night, 5 degrees (41 F), having warmed up a bit after sunset, and with the wind dying down, I would have been comfortable with fewer layers; it was good to get more miles in, both easing in and cooling down by running to and from club; the club run itself was a progression run per usual Thursday night, very casual start with some quicker miles thrown in at the end, just to get the heart rate up; I felt very comfortable again with the longish run - almost makes me want to squeeze in a spring marathon! alas, maybe a half will do.

Running Log: Tuesday, February 2 2010

Fergus Hill Circuits x 6

4.3 miles in 28:00, average pace 6:30/mile
Splits: 6.42, 6.35, 6.30, 6.19, 6.30/pace

Notes: evening run, temperature dropped to 0 degrees (32 F); more casual with the circuits again tonight since last night's session was a harder effort.

Running Log: Monday, February 1 2010

Kelvinside Gardens -> Queen Margaret -> Great Western -> Crow Rd -> Clarence Dr -> Highburgh -> Byres Rd -> Queen Margaret

5 miles in 29:00, average pace 5:48/mile
Splits: 5.50, 5.50, 5.41, 5.54, 5.44
+ 3 pick-ups of 350 meters, average pace of 4:40/mile
+ 0.75 mile cool-down

Notes: drizzly evening run, 4 degrees (39 F); felt good out there, lots of pop in the legs; switching to minimalist low-mileage training, as well as to minimalist trainers, has definitely helped cultivate a high-cadence, mid-foot striking gait (all the rage these days in the popular press!); I think I will incorporate the short "pick-ups" more at the end of runs as a "sharpener," perhaps even making an entire workout out of them to alternate with the hill circuit sessions; Lydiard, after all, recommends such a strategy, i.e. alternating days of hill circuits with days of pick-ups along a gradual down-hill grade (which I confess, my 350 meter reps are along such a grade); one must be reminded that Lydiard is unequivocally of a high-mileage training philosophy - something that I am falling well short of this year; last year's January total was 269 miles; this year's only 95; oh the joys and responsibilities of fatherhood!