Running Log: Sunday, May 30 2010

River Kelvin -> Garscube Estate XC loop -> River Kelvin

8 miles in 58:00, average pace 7:15/mile

Week Total: 42.5 miles
Month Total: 189.4 miles
Year Total: 806.9 miles

Running Log: Saturday, May 29 2010

River Kelvin -> Garscube Estate -> Grass Loop Fartlek (barefoot) -> River Kelvin

3.5 miles easy
5 miles fartlek (2:00 effort/1:00 jog @ 5:10/pace on efforts, 7:15/pace on jogs)
3.5 miles easy

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

Running Log: Friday, May 28 2010

River Kelvin -> Garscube Estate -> Dawsholm Park -> Canal -> Queen Margaret Dr

7 miles in 44:00, average pace 6:17/mile
Splits: 6.44, 6.39, 6.32, 6.22, 5.57, 5.52, 5.50

Notes: legs did not feel like they raced yesterday, which I guess they didn't really.

Running Log: Thursday, May 27 2010

Clydebank 10k

2 miles warm-up
10k race in 33:47, average pace 5:26/mile

Notes: cool evening, stayed dry and not too windy - i.e. perfect night for a race; too bad I experimented with a strong dose of coffee pre-race, which wreaked havoc with my digestive system and left me white as a ghost from the caffeine buzz; that pace is slower than my current 1/2 marathon pace, but oh well, looking ahead to next week.

Running Log: Tuesday, May 25 2010

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

5.3 miles in 35:00, average pace 6:35/mile

Running Log: Monday, May 24 2010

Springburn -> Keppochhill -> Possil -> Maryhill

2 miles, slow

Notes: morning run after dropping off the car

Running Log: Sunday, May 23 2010

River Kelvin -> Garscube Estate -> Barefoot grass loops -> River Kelvin

10 miles in 1:04, average pace 6:27/mile

Barefoot Splits: 5.35, 5.34, 5.28, 6.10

Notes: warm, windy afternoon; pace felt alright, but muscle aches indicate that I am not recovered fully from racing, hill-walking, etc.

Running Log: Saturday, May 22 2010

Callander Training Weekend

12 miles in 1:42, average pace 8:30/mile

Running Log: Friday, May 21 2010

Maryhill -> Possil Rd -> Keppochhill -> Springburn

2 miles, slow

Notes: morning run to pick up the car, some muscle aches, but no tendon pain

Running Log: Thursday, May 20 2010

Polaroid Series: Helensburgh 10k

20 minutes warm-up, 5 minutes cool-down
10k race in 32:36, average pace 5:14/mile (3:15/kilometer)
Splits: 1k in 3:16, 5k in 16:25, negative split last 5k in 16:10 (albeit with more downhill segments)

Notes: humid, overcast evening, about 16 degrees (62 F) with little wind; felt rusty on first 1/2 of the race, even contemplated dropping out due to lack of confidence stemming from battle with inexplicable fatigue this week; pushed on, however, trying to hold onto Mike D. who had put about 10-15 seconds on me by the 5k mark; shortly after 5k, coming around a downhill bend, Mike D. and an African runner in a Bellahouston harriers vest, disappeared; I didn't see it happen due to a blind turn, but they veered off course and proceeded to "win the race" via an alternate route; I started to feel much better by the final 2k and finished strongly; the subsequent disqualifications left me in a distant 2nd place to Eritrean athlete Amanuel H. - I'll take the 2nd place prize, but it's not how I wanted to earn it!

Running Log: Tuesday, May 18 2010

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

4 miles in 26:50, average pace 6:43/mile

Notes: still very sluggish, even after multiple recovery/rest days; heart and breathing are definitely out of sorts, entertained the notion of anemia or, more likely, a possible side effect of my allergy meds states: "fatigue, nervousness, fast or irregular heart beat" - in hind sight, I think it was the allergy meds in combination with general anxiety.

Running Log: Sunday, May 16 2010

Canal -> Great Western (in Drumchapel) -> Queen Margaret Dr -> Maryhill Rd

9 miles in 58:30, average pace 6:30/mile
Splits (avg HR): 6.48 (152), 6.27 (168), 6.43 (168), 6.32 (159), 6.44 (149), 6.13 (157), 6.40 (145), 6.22 (154), 5.57 (163)

Notes: mostly sunny, very windy; felt really sluggish, kept trying to pick up the pace, but it just wasn't happening; my HR was much too high from the start, but this time it didn't settle into a rhythm and neither did I (could have been the few beers last night? could be that my body just needs more of a rest?); anyway, today was supposed to be a longer tempo run, so it is disparaging whenever you can't hit those target workouts.

Week Total: 40.9 miles
Month Total: 110.9 miles
Year Total: 727.4 miles

Running Log: Saturday, May 15 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Queen Margaret Dr -> River Kelvin -> Garscube estate xc loop -> Dawsholm park -> Canal

9 miles in 59:30, average pace 6.35/mile
Splits (avg HR): 6.44 (152), 6.49 (147), 6.40 (146), 6.46 (144), 6.37 (150), 6.45 (152), 6.50 (152), 6.14 (155), 6.07 (158)

Running Log: Thursday, May 13 2010

River Kelvin -> Canal -> Canal Junction (turn around) -> Lock 27 -> Great Western Rd -> Queen Margaret Dr -> Fergus Dr

6.2 miles in 44:00, average pace 7:05/mile
Splits (avg HR): 7.19 (157), 7.53 (139), 6.54 (131), 6.44 (138), 6.52 (140), 6.43 (140), 7.26/pace (159)

Notes: felt terrible at first, but that initial HR reading can't be correct; adjusted the strap about 1 mile into run; met Mike D and another Uni chap, Gavin, at about 2.5 miles; felt much better after about 20 minutes of running, which seems to be my modus operandi on recovery runs

Running Log: Wednesday, May 12 2010

River Kelvin -> Maryhill Track (15 x 400 w/ :60 rest interval) -> River Kelvin

3 miles warm-up
400's between :66 and :69, mostly :67's
3 miles cool-down

Notes: crisp evening with sun turning to showers at the end of the workout; pleased with tonight's effort; ah...lactic acid, it's been a while

Running Log: Monday, May 10 2010

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

6.7 miles in 46:30, average pace 6:58/mile
Splits (Avg HR): 7.20 (155), 7.20 (145), 7.28 (142), 6.56 (146), 6.51 (142), 6.29 (154), 6.06/pace (155)

Notes: another perfect evening for a run; heart rate was way up initially and body was not cooperating (due to yesterday's run certainly); all systems starting clicking again 2o minutes into the run

Running Log: Sunday, May 9 2010

Canal -> Torrance -> Tower Rd -> Milngavie -> Garscube Estate -> River Kelvin -> Queen Margaret Dr

17.25 miles in 1:49, average pace 6:19/mile
Splits (Avg HR): 6.50 (125), 6.41 (135), 6.30 (138), 6.27 (142), 6.19 (144), 6.09 (150), 6.25 (157), 6.24 (163), 6.08 (158), 6.13 (161), 6.25 (154), 6.04 (156), 6.08 (163), 5.59 (163), 6.16 (163), 6.11 (158), 6.10 (163), 6.48/pace (165)

Notes: cool and calm morning with some drizzle; finally have my HR monitor back in operation; HR relative to pace is noticeably lower than ever before, especially along the canal for the first 5-6 miles; the hills between Torrance and Milngavie did not feel great today but very happy with the run given I haven't done a proper long run in a while.

Week Total: 46 miles
Month Total: 70 miles
Year Total: 686.5 miles

Running Log: Saturday, May 8 2010

Maryhill Rd -> Garrioch Mill -> River Kelvin -> Garscube Estate -> Dawsholm Park -> Canal -> Firhill

8 miles in 53:00, average pace 6:36/mile

Notes: warm, sun, windy; felt awful today - gut pains, runner's trots (twice!), and return of the niggle in my right hip; fortunately, the strained left calf from Thursday was fine, but that's the only good thing that could be said about today's running experience

Running Log: Thursday, May 6 2010

Maryhill -> Garscube Estate -> Milngavie Rd -> Mosshead -> Stockiemuir -> Drymen Rd -> Switchback -> Garscube Estate

9 miles in 55:00, average pace 6:10/mile
Splits: 6.45, 6.26, 6.26, 6.45, 6.33, 6.23, 5.11, 5.27, 5.35

Notes: perfect evening weather for a run, clear and cool; planned relaxed run, picking it up for final 2-3 miles down Drymen Rd and up into Garscube Estate, but the young French chap really took off, which (because I couldn't just let him go!) screwed up my final splits: it should have been 5.45, 5.35, 5.25; didn't feel quite recovered enough from Tuesday's hill circuits, so left calf is feeling a bit strained after tonight.

Running Log: Wednesday, May 5 2010

River Kelvin (out and back)

5 miles in 35:00, average pace 7:00/mile

Notes: ouch, knackered, blood ph needs a reset!

Running Log: Tuesday, May 4 2010

Fergus Hill Circuits x 11

6.8 miles in 44:30, average pace 6:35/mile

Notes: statistically, this run doesn't seem like much, but it's a real baw-buster

Running Log: Sunday, May 2 2010

Canal -> Dawsholm Rd -> Garscube Estate -> Barefoot Grass Loops (8 mile threshold run) -> Dawsholm Rd -> Canal
3.5 miles warm-up
8 mile threshold (splits: 5.32, 5.33, 5.33, 5.31, 5.29, 5.26, 5.28, 5.16)
3.5 miles cool-down

15 miles in 1:30:15, average pace 6:01/mile
8 miles threshold in 43:50, average pace 5:29/mile

Week Total: 50.4 miles
April Total: 182.1 miles
Year Total: 640.5 miles

Notes: a man, grisly and unkempt under the cold, blank sky, steps barefoot onto the grass and speaks: "Hello Mr. Threshold Workout, pleased to meet you," as he proceeds to, stride by stride, beat that workout into submission.*

*inspired by Solinsky's 10k debut in an American record time of 26:59

Running Log: Saturday, May 1 2010

River Kelvin -> Garscube Estate XC -> Dawsholm Park -> Canal -> Maryhill

9 miles in 59:30, average pace 6:40/mile