Running Log: Thursday, April 29 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Maryhill Rd -> Maryhill Locks -> 3 miles tempo run along the canal to Blairdardie bridge -> Great Western -> Bearsden Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Maryhill Rd

3 mile tempo in 15:42, average pace 5:14/mile

Splits: 5.13, 5.19, 5.10

12 miles in 1:18, average pace 6:30/mile

Running Log: Wednesday, April 28 2010

Kelvinside Dr -> Garrioch Mill -> Kelvin -> Canal -> Firhill -> Maryhill Rd

5.2 miles in 34:30, average pace 6:38/mile

Running Log: Tuesday, April 27 2010

River Kelvin -> Garscube estate xc loops -> Dawsholm loop -> Canal -> Firhill -> Maryhill

9.2 miles in 1:02, average pace 6:43/mile
Splits: 7.00, 6.55, 6.55, 6.52, 6.38, 7.12, 6.44, 6.15, 6.07, 5.47/pace

Running Log: Sunday, April 25 2010

Balfron 10k Road Race

10k race in 33:04, average pace 5:19/mile

2 miles warm-up, 1 mile cool-down

Week Total: 37.9 miles

Month Total: 165.7 miles

Year Total: 590.1 miles

Notes: mild, overcast, light breeze; very hilly course, so dead chuffed with the time, which was good enough for 1st place overall, breaking Alastair Mo's course record and setting a personal best time (one second faster than my time from Dumbarton '08!); victory was only secured in the final 75 meters of the race; I had actually resigned myself to 2nd place coming up the final hill, but as I suddenly found myself closing down on the leader, I thought, "Oh!" and then kicked; a great race with scenic background and fantastic organization (complete with race t-shirt, bagpiper, good music, enthusiastic crowds, nice dessert and tea table!); my mate Gavin ended up with the top vets prize and clubmate Kirsty Husband was top female overall - Garscube Harriers, represent.

Running Log: Friday, April 23 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Garrioch Mill -> River Kelvin -> Canal -> Firhill -> Maryhill Rd

5 miles in 31:15, average pace 6:15/mile

Notes: I feel ready for a decent 10k race this Sunday at Balfron - feeling great aerobically despite lack of big mileage blocks and starting to get some real pop in my legs; the current plan is to stick with more 10k type training through the Polaroid 10k series, before building to 1/2 marathon- and finally marathon-specific training; so the ultimate question is: which fall marathon?

Running Log: Wednesday, April 21 2010

Garscube Estate XC -> Barefoot Grass Reps (with Joe)

2 miles warm-up at 7:15/mile pace
5 x 700 meter reps at 4.52, 4.52, 4.51, 4.45, 4.37/pace (with 200 meter jog recovery)
3 x 150 meter sprints (with 150 meter jog recovery)
1/2 mile cool down jog

Running Log: Tuesday, April 20 2010

River Kelvin -> Garscube Estate XC -> Dawsholm park loop -> Canal -> Maryhill fire station -> Queen Margaret Dr (with John the Jogger)

9.4 miles in 1:04, average pace 6:50/mile

Running Log: Monday, April 19 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm -> Garscube Estate -> Kelvin walkway -> Great Western Rd -> Queen Margaret Dr (with John the Jogger and Scott)

7.8 miles in 53:30, average pace 6:50/mile

Running Log: Sunday, April 18 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm -> Garscube Grass Fartlek -> River Walkway

10.6 miles in 1:07, average pace 6:20/mile
4 mile fartlek, average pace 5:45/mile

Week Total: 46.4 miles
Month Total: 127.8 miles
Year Total: 552.2 miles

Running Log: Saturday, April 17 2010

Kelvin walkway -> Clydeside -> Finniestoun -> Argyle St. -> Kelvingrove Park -> Kelvin walkway -> Queen Margaret Dr

6.5 miles in 45:00, average pace 6:55/mile

Running Log: Friday, April 16 2010

Canal -> Kelvin walkway -> Garrioch Mill -> Maryhill

4.5 miles in 32:00, average pace 7:05/mile

Running Log: Thursday, April 15 2010

Home -> Garscube Estate -> Westerton Rail -> Dawsholm Rd -> 4 mile tempo run (Kelvin walkway -> Queen Margaret Dr -> Great Western Rd -> Annies X) -> Crow Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Home

13.5 miles in 1:28, average pace 6:30

4 mile tempo in 22:00, average pace 5:30

Splits: 5.27, 5.37, 5.45, 5.12

Running Log: Tuesday, April 13 2010

Fergus Hill Circuits x 8

5 miles in 34:20, average pace 6:53/mile

Notes: sluggish today, didn't want to run; the first 20 minutes was grueling, while the last 15 minutes was slightly less grueling

Running Log: Monday, April 12 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm -> Garscube Estate -> River Kelvin -> Fergus Drive (with Scott)

6. 3 miles in 46:00, average pace 7:15/mile

Running Log: Sunday, April 11 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm loops -> Garscube Estate XC -> Dawsholm -> Canal

11.2 miles in 1:15:30, average pace 6:46/mile

Splits: 7.11, 6.54, 7.02, 7.28, 6.49, 6.54, 6.47, 6.51, 6.31, 6.15, 5.58, 5.40/pace

Week Total: 49.8 miles

Month Total: 81.4 miles

Year Total: 505.8 miles

Running Log: Saturday, April 10 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm -> Garscube Estate -> Barefoot fartlek -> River Kelvin walkway -> Fergus Drive

11.3 miles in 1:14, average pace 6:33/mile
Fartlek splits: 5.52, 6.05, 5.52, 5.53, 5.40

Notes: beautiful, sunny spring morning; nothing like running barefoot on dewy grass; it revitalizes one's running and just feels good; stepping on the occasional thorn does nothing to detract from its joy (I'll let you know if the same can be said for stepping in dog feces, though hopefully that never happens!)

Running Log: Thursday, April 8 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Bearsden Rd -> Crow Rd -> 2 mile tempo loop (Crow->Anniesland->Southbrae) -> 1/4 mile jog recovery -> 2 mile tempo loop -> Garscube Estate -> Maryhill Rd

13.3 miles in 1:29:25, average pace 6:43/mile

Notes: "tempo" loops were 5:30/mile pace, which I would usually call tempo pace, but the effort level was steady - very comfortable, felt great - a sign of good things to come, one might think.

Running Log: Wednesday, April 7 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Rd -> Dawsholm park loop -> Garscube Estate XC -> River Kelvin walkway

8 miles in 55:00, average pace 6:53/mile

Running Log: Tuesday, April 6 2010

Fergus Hill Circuits x 10

6 miles in 41:00, average pace 6:50/mile

Running Log: Sunday, April 4 2010

Canal -> River Kelvin (turn around) -> The Stables -> Kirky Rd -> Torrance -> Cawder footpath -> Canal (with the Shettleston boys: Jethro, Alan, Martin, Mark)

16 miles in 1:44:00, average pace 6:30/mile
Splits: 7.12, 7.12, 7.16, 6.45, 6.56, 6.30, 6.27, 6.20, 6.15, 5.57, 6.25, 6.19, 6.17, 6.16, 6.12, 5.42

Notes: cloudy, on/off rain, 4 degrees; felt very good today, recovered well from yesterday's race (must have been that Korean recovery drink Stephen! who wouldn't want to drink something called "Sweat" after a race?)

Week Total: 48.7 miles
Month Total: 31.6 miles
Year Total: 456 miles

Running Log: Saturday, April 3 2010

6 Stage National Road Relay (at Livingston)

5.8 miles in 30:46, average pace 5:18/mile
2 miles warm-up and cool-down

Notes: calm, partly sunny afternoon, 9 degrees (48 F); the twisty, turvy, undulating "6 mile leg" is more like 5.8 miles; Garscube team placing 9th overall (improvement on 20th place last year); my time was an improvement on 32:12 last year (albeit on tired legs in rainy, windy conditions)

Running Log: Friday, April 2 2010

Canal -> River Kelvin -> Maryhill

4.1 miles in 26:00, average pace 6:20/mile

Running Log: Thursday, April 1 2010

Fergus Hill Circuits x 6

3.5 miles in 23:00, average pace 6:40/mile

Notes: beautiful sunny day, though the wind remains strong and cold; here is Lydiard on the multifarious benefits of proper hill circuit training (a.k.a. the "time saver" session):
"By springing up-hill, with a series of short and sharp resistance, you can use your body's weight as resistance for your leg muscles. The up-hill springing will also stretch the muscles and tendons to the extreme experienced during competitions and other training and assist in added flexibility and speed. It will also help to eliminate the possibility of pulled muscles and strained tendons later. Ankle flexibility is of great concern to the runner: and with strong and flexible ankles, the runner is able to increase stride length. A good running technique is also important: and by learning to run with the hips comfortably forward,the runner is able to bring the knees up higher. This in turn allows the feet to follow through higher, in so shortening the lever and allowing for a faster leg action. So it is important to develop leg power, flexibility, and a good economical running style. With good speed development, the runner can run at relatively the same speed more economically. This is of great importance to the marathon runner as well as the track runner. By using hill training, it is possible to develop all these abilities during the same training sessions so saving valuable time."