Sunday, Week 7

Run: "Race, 5M to Half Marathon" - Huddersfield 10K

Total Mileage This week: 34 miles

Total Mileage So Far: 249 miles

Lovely sunny morning and I found myself on the outskirts of Huddersfield, in a park at the bottom of a valley. The only way was up.

The start snaked up past a viaduct, and I threaded my way through some people strugglingon the first hill. By the first mile marker I'd made up some time (6:38), and then the first hill started. It went on and on and on, and the second mile took me a minute longer than the first. For the first, but not last time, there was then a knee battering decline back down into the valley. all very pretty, probably.

There was another steep hill at 3 miles, a drop, then a nice long steep hill with a false crest in it at 4 miles. I'd reached here in a few seconds over 28 minutes, and just sprinted through the last mile and a half, including the long straight at the finish to end with an official 42:59

Great race. Felt a bit like the 10 miler I would have liked to have done, and gave me a bit of confidence that I can still run on strongly at the need of a race, although the extra 20 miles may take a bit out of me.

All that was left was to embarrass myself by shouting a word of encouragement at Nell McAndrew as she went through the finish. She just cut me down with her weird cat-like eyes. Never again.

Next race is in 4 weeks, by which time I hope I'll have done three 20 milers.

Monday, Week 7
Run: "4 miles, Slow"

Tuesday, Week 7
Run: "1M jog, then 12 x 200m hill with slow jog/walk down, then 1M jog"

Sprinting up a steep hill call Crows Nest Lane near work at lunchtime. Legs felt heavy but good constant pacing. Spent each one wondering what my hilly 10k on Sunday would feel like.

Wednesday, Week 7
Run: "8 miles, Slow"

Thursday, Week 7
Run: "7m, Steady"

Nice evening run, just over 7 minute miles. Starting to feel really good on these runs.

Friday, Week 7
Run: "5m, Steady"

Friday, Week 6
Run: "18 miles, Slow"

Had to fit this in at the end of half term week before a weekend trip away.

Slept downstairs to avoid waking the house and was out on the road in the drizzle before 7am.

Made the most of that first 30 minutes when I haven't really woken up, and came to somewhere above the Aire making the long drop down to Shipley.

Had to make a couple of detours round workers on the towpath, and, as the rain continued to fall, reached a state of complete saturation somewhere near Esholt.

Finally left the Canal at Newlay and made a painfully slow climb up the valley side and back home for breakfast.

Good to get a proper long run out of the way after the aborted icy run last week, but another fortnight to the next one as it's raceday again next week.

Sunday, Week 5
Run: "4 miles, Slow"

Tuesday, Week 6
Run: "1M jog, then 10 x 400m fast with 200m jog recoveries, then 1M jog"

Sprinting round Horsforth Park on a dull school holiday afternoon, dodging dog walkers.

Wednesday, Week 6
Run: "7 miles, Slow"

Thursday, Week 6
Run: "1M jog, then 4M brisk, then 1M jog"

Hit my 7 minute miles all the way through, and nearly hit by a mobile-phone using motorist.

Sunday, Week 5
Run: "15 mile, slow"

Total Mileage This week: 40 miles

Total Mileage So Far: 174 miles

Woke up to drizzle on an overnight snowfall. Great - slush. Ran on tip-toe down our road, hitting every thawing pile of snow and wondering how I'd keep it up for 2 hours.

The snow puddles slowly got more and more sparse and found myself running up to and through the city centre with the snow a distant memory, and it feeling pretty easy, as I joined the canal towpath for the run back.

After a mile or so, I ran past a pink helium filled balloon with 'Happy 18th Birthday' printed on it, lying on its side in a freezing puddle. I'm not sure what it meant, but for some reason it reminded me of the little vignette I saw on one of my earlier long runs where I ran past a girl still dressed in clubbing gear who was just about to get into a taxi on a road in the middle of nowhere at 8:00am. I found it hard to make up a positive story to fit around it.

By the time I reached Armley, I was starting to notice little patches where the clay had frozen on the path and I had to step onto the grass verge. This got worse and worse over the next 3 miles - I tried getting up onto an access road by the electricity substation where the power station used to be but this was no better. The buzzes and crackles from the 20ft high machinery inside it was quite spectacular however.

I struggled along to Newlay Bridge where I had to skate around some cyclists trying unsuccessfully to be helpful ("Careful!" they said, as they stood parked on the grass, despite the fact it was obvious I'd just run along the frozen path from Bramley, at least).

I therefore left the towpath and took a short cut home (including a sprint up some steps to make myself feel better).

The final irony was in the last mile where I stepped out onto the road to avoid the slush, and nearly stood on a banana skin sitting in the gutter.

Monday, Week 5
Run: "4 miles, Slow"

Tuesday, Week 5
Run: "1M jog, then 5m fartlek, then 1M jog"

Freezing cold, but great fun sprinting and recovering down the A65. Felt really strong after Sunday

Wednesday, Week 5
Run: "6 miles, Slow"

Did this at lunchtime from work - made my day.

Thursday, Week 5
Run: "5 Mile Steady"

Friday, Week 5
Run: "4 miles, Steady"

Sunday, Week 4
Run: "1M jog, then race 10K, then 1M jog. Aim for a sub-43:00 10K"

Total Mileage This week: 33 miles

Total Mileage So Far: 134 miles

My first race of the year and this schedule- the Dewsbury 10K.

I knew I was running slower than last year and so told myself not to expect too much.

Arrived at Dewsbury in brilliant sunshine and clear blue skies, and was fooled into leaving my gloves off. After 10 minutes warming up I could no longer feel my extremities and had to go back to the car.

My start was a complete nightmare as I found myself much too far back. I still don't have the hang of that. Fought my way through slower runners for the first kilometre, by which time I'd lost 15 or so seconds.

Soon settled down and made it up hill to the turn around in 20:46. I obviously knew my old sub-40 nemesis had beaten me again, but instead of letting it get to me like last year, I just tried to enjoy the return stretch. Hit solid splits all the way back down to the finish, and managed a comfortable sprint at the end to finish in 40:47 - a 20:01 5k back.

Felt a bit disappointed, but as a marathon prep race, it was great. The race has recharged me after a couple of weeks where I have felt myself losing motivation, and I feel ready to hit the next four week section of training.

Monday, Week 4
Run: "4 miles, Slow"

Tuesday, Week 4
Run: "1M jog, then 6 X 800m fast, with 200m jog recoveries, then 1M jog"

First trip of the year to South Leeds Stadium for interval training. Always makes me feel like a real runner as I struggle past the empty main stand.

Found these really difficult and much slower than in previous years. I put this mainly down to the gusting strong wind which illogically seemed to be in my face for at least three quarters of the circuit. Kept well below 3:30 for all the repeats, but I've skipped round in close to 3 minutes for all of these before.

Wednesday, Week 4
Run: "8 miles, Slow"

Brilliant long run on a crisp cold night. Loud music and no time targets made it a good recovery from yesterday.

Thursday, Week 4
Run: "1M jog, then 3M brisk, then 1M jog"

Ran this round a 5 mile circuit rather than 5 single mile ones to make it more interesting. The middle 3 felt really good as I sprinted down the main A65 road, but I will never know how quick I was as my stop watch memory showed as full when I got home. I tried to tell myself my legs will never know whether the stop watch was on or not, but still felt a bit cheated.

Friday, Week 4
Run: "4 miles, Steady"