Wednesday 31 March 2010

Running Log: Wednesday, March 31 2010

Canal -> Kelvin river walkway -> Garscube estate -> Grass loops -> Kelvin river walkway -> Botanic Gardens -> Queen Margaret -> Fergus Dr

10.2 miles in 1:06, average pace 6:30/mile
Splits: 6.57, 6.40, 6.54, 6.34, 6.25, 6.16, 6.26, 6.42, 6.12, 6.08, 6.25/pace

Notes: evening run, 3 degrees (37 F) with a strong cold wind; sluggish to start, but felt good to run around on grass; need to start running these loops barefoot, which seemed to improve my speed significantly last fall.

March Total: 169 miles (compare 369 miles last year)

Monday 29 March 2010

Running Log: Monday, March 29 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm -> Kelvin River Walkway -> Garrioch Mill -> Maryhill Rd -> Queen Margaret Dr -> Oban Dr

6.9 miles in 43:00, average pace 6:13/mile
Splits: 6.34, 6.30, 6.26, 6.17, 6.17, 6.03, 5.50/pace

Running Log: Sunday, March 28 2010

Week Total: 49.5 miles
Month Total: 152 miles
Year Total: 407.3 miles

Notes: weekend's running plan basically fell apart due to travel, family activities, and a bone-crushing fatigue; skipping a Sunday morning long run was simply unacceptable.

Saturday 27 March 2010

Running Log: Saturday, March 27 2010

Canal -> Kelvin River Walkway -> Garrioch Mill -> Garscube Rd -> Springburn Rail

6.2 miles in 44:00, average pace 7:10/mile

Friday 26 March 2010

Running Log: Friday, March 26 2010

Garscube Rd -> Possil Rd -> Keppochhill Rd -> Atlas Rd -> Springburn Rd -> back on Keppochhill-Possil -> Canal -> Home

5 miles, no time

Thursday 25 March 2010

Running Log: Thursday, March 25 2010

-> Garscube Estate -> Maryhill Rd -> Maryhill Locks -> Cleveden Rd -> Great Western -> Anniesland Rd -> Alderman Rd -> Duntreath -> Drumchapel -> Canniesburn -> Maryhill Rd. (with Garscube pack: John, Marco, Joe, the Euans, Stephen)

11.7 miles in 1:16:30, average pace 6:32/mile
Splits: 6.48, 6.38, 7.03,6.58, 6.46, 6.28, 6.24, 6.20, 6.35, 6.24, 6.04, 5.45/pace

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Running Log: Wednesday, March 24 2010

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

10 miles in 1:07:00, average pace 6:42/mile
Splits: 7.19, 6.58, 6.56, 6.56, 6.50, 6.47, 6.40, 6.30, 6.05, 5.58

Notes: another damp, cool evening; the hardest part about shifting to higher mileage training blocks is the first 5 miles of a run; it is often really hard to get through those opening miles, which is perhaps why so many runners back down from running 10 or more miles a day, every day; however, once you get through these notorious and painfully grinding warm-up miles, the body 'wakes up,' the aerobic system 'opens up,' and it is surprising how what was once stiff, awkward, and forced, is now smooth, precise, and comparatively effortless; so even when it hurts to walk out the door, even when the first 2, 3, 5, 7...miles feel like your circulatory system has calcified and your legs are to the point of rigor mortis, persist and you will hit your stride - the miles will roll and "miles make the champions;" which brings me to a point of concern regarding training amongst nearly all our local club runners (as far as I can tell): because we typically do 2-3 "sessions" per week, which invariably target the anaerobic system through harder efforts, and because we carry out these sessions (in addition to racing) year round, we are failing to develop the aerobic foundation properly and maximally, which means all that anaerobic training, at some point, amounts to banging one's head against a ceiling.

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Running Log: Tuesday, March 23 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Rd -> Dawsholm park loops -> Garscube estate xc -> Kelvin river walkway

10 miles in 1:06:30, average pace 6:39/mile
Splits: 7.01, 6.34, 6.54, 6.41, 6.45, 6.40, 6.43, 6.31, 6.19, 6.16

Notes: afternoon run, a blustery, grey 8 degrees (46 F); comfortable, non-eventful run, legs doing great, but lack of sleep made heart rate jumpy

Monday 22 March 2010

Running Log: Monday, March 22 2010

Canal -> Lock 27 -> Great Western -> Maryhill (with neighbor Scott)

6.6 miles in 48:00, average pace 7:14/mile
Splits: 7.58, 7.08, 7.12, 7.23, 7.03, 6.52, 6.55/pace

Notes: evening run, 6 degrees (43 F) wind and rain graciously departed just before the run; easy pace, didn't feel yesterday's run in my legs at all (like I usually do post-long run); my neighbor is in much better shape than I imagined as he wasn't even breathing hard! and for someone who's "not a runner" (turns out he's a boxer!) may be I can convince him to join Garscube...then our club motto can be, "If you can't beat 'em, BEAT 'em"

Sunday 21 March 2010

Running Log: Sunday, March 21 2010

Canal -> Clydebank -> Clyde cycleway -> Kelvin walkway -> Garrioch Mill -> Maryhill

15 miles in 1:37:10, average pace 6:28/mile
Splits: 6.55, 6.41, 6.38, 6.40, 6.31, 6.31, 6.35, 6.27, 6.26, 6.17, 6.21, 6.11, 6.25, 6.22, 6.04

Notes: pleasant, sunny morning run, 4 degrees; still problems with my right leg - tightness down the inner thigh and hip - which seems to be better when the camber of the path slopes right, worse when the camber slopes left (possible overpronation with my right leg?)

Week Total: 40 miles
Month Total: 102.5 miles
Year Total: 357.8 miles

Friday 19 March 2010

Running Log: Friday, March 19 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Rd -> Dawshom Park loops -> Garscube Estate XC -> Kelvin walkway -> Garrioch Mill -> Maryhill Rd

10 miles in 1:07, average pace 6:42/mile
Splits: 6.51, 6.35, 6.58, 7.15, 6.54, 6.40, 6.57, 6.28, 6.13, 6.12

Notes: afternoon run, 11 degrees (52 F) and very windy; felt so lazy (or perhaps just fatigued) that I skipped last night's run and seriously considered staying home to eat jelly beans and cream eggs again today; the run got much better as it went on, fortunately, and by the last few miles I was gliding along, feeling energized - try explaining that to a non-runner - a 10 mile run as a quick pick-me-up!

Wednesday 17 March 2010

Running Log: Wednesday, March 17 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Rd -> Dawsholm park loop -> Kelvin walkway -> Belmont St-> Wilton St

6 miles in 42:45, average pace 7:07/mile

Notes: evening run, 10 degrees (50 F); slow, recovery run, couldn't have run much faster if I had wanted to!

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Running Log: Tuesday, March 16 2010

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

1 mile warm-up
7 mile tempo in 40:00, average pace 5:43/mile
Splits: 5.50, 5.44, 5.38, 5.40, 5.51, 5.52, 5.28
1 mile cool-down

Notes: evening run, 7 degrees (45 F), windy; legs felt ok, but stomach problems slowed me up along Great Western (had planned an 8 mile tempo too, but that's the way the runner trots...)

Sunday 14 March 2010

Running Log: Sunday, March 14 2010

Canal -> The Stables -> Kirky Rd -> Torrance Rd -> Cadder Foot Path -> Canal -> Lock 27 -> Great Western -> Queen Margaret -> Maryhill -> Braeside -> Wilton St.

18 miles in 1:55:00, average pace 6:25/mile
Splits: 6.45, 6.43, 6.39, 6.40, 6.41, 6.35, 6.29, 6.18, 6.32, 6.37, 6.26, 6.20, 6.11, 6.20, 6.12, 6.03, 5.55, 5.39

Notes: lovely morning run, 8 degrees (46 F), nice breeze (especially for the Balloch-Clydebank 1/2 folk who must have had a tail wind most of the way); started out easy, felt like crap the first 5 miles actually!; I was surprised to see the splits for the last 3 miles, at the risk of sounding the braggart - that felt a little too easy.

Week Total: 62. 5 miles
Month Total: 62. 5 miles
Year Total: 317.8 miles

Friday 12 March 2010

Running Log: Friday, March 12 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Park Loops -> Garscube Estate XC -> Kelvin Walkway -> Garrioch Mill -> Maryhill Rd

11.2 miles in 1:15:00, average pace 6:42/mile
Splits: 6.59, 6.52, 6.42, 6.59, 6.40, 7.15, 6.53, 6.33, 6.31, 6.27, 6.05, 5.33/pace

Thursday 11 March 2010

Running Log: Thursday, March 11 2010

-> Garscube Estate -> Anniesland X -> Balshagray -> Queen Victoria Park -> Danes Dr -> Queen Victoria Dr -> Anniesland Rd -> Knightswood -> Great Western -> Bearsden Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Home

11.2 miles in 1:14:45, average pace 6:40/mile
Splits: 6.13, 6.20, 7.06, 7.26, 7.05, 6.38, 6.43, 6.44, 6.51, 6.20, 6.03, 6.22/pace

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Running Log: Wednesday, March 10 2010

Canal -> Lock 27 -> Anniesland X -> Great Western -> Queen Margaret

5.1 miles in 32:45, average pace 6:26/mile
Splits: 6.55, 6.34, 6.33, 6.23, 5.46, 6.00/pace

Notes: another crisp, clear evening, 0 degrees (32 F); felt stiff and tired for most of run, getting into the groove momentarily heading back along Great Western, strong finish up Fergus Drive hill.

Tuesday 9 March 2010

Running Log: Tuesday, March 9 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Park loops -> Garscube Estate XC loop -> Anniesland X -> Great Western -> Maryhill

11 miles in 1:11, average pace 6:27/mile
Splits: 6:37, 6:24, 6:46, 7:08, 6:34, 6:25, 6:31, 6:04, 6:20, 6:03, 6:10

Notes: felt much better this evening, 3 degrees (37 F) calm and clear; pace fluctuated due to mixed terrain, feels great to get on some grass and trails again.

Monday 8 March 2010

Running Log: Monday, March 8 2010

Canal -> Maryhill Locks (turn around) -> Spier's Wharf -> Great Western -> Queen Margaret -> Maryhill

6 miles in 38:40, average pace 6:27/mile

Notes: last week was a total wash, big goose egg on the run'ometer, stomach bug knocked me flat Tuesday, feeling better by Thursday when I caught Britt's head cold, which left me whimpering like a baby all weekend; tonight's mild, clear evening run was great at first, but then my breathing impediments caught up with me and I turned home early, light-headed and wheezing.