I've been pretty busy with Uni stuff for the past few weeks so I haven't updated this in a while. But here's a new update - woo, shiny!
My training has been going very well. After the technical hitches which accompanied my last couple of updates, those have finally been sorted out - a bit of sellotape in the insole has kept the Nike+ sensor from jiggling around and giving me false readings, and I've been using my fiancee's iPod instead of mine, so I haven't had any more problems with recording false data or anything like that.
For the past few weeks now in training for this race I haven't been running as much as I normally would have - I've been paranoid about staying injury free (took a worrying kick on the toe at five-a-sides on Tuesday, but that has healed up) and I even cut down drastically on the games of fives I have been playing to give me more days to run but also extra rest days.
So, how has it been going? Well, my plan was to start at 4K and add on 0.5K increments until I ran a 10K and then that should tide me nicely for the race. And it's worked very well. Here are a list of my runs, what date they were on, and my average pace:
9th February - 4.00K, 19:05, 4:46
11th February - 4.50K, 21:30, 4:46
11th February - 5.00K, 23:29, 4:41
14th February - 5.50K, 26:22, 4:47
16th February - 6.00K, 28:56, 4:49
20th February - 6.50K, 31:14, 4:47
23rd February - 7.00K, 33:03, 4:43
24th February - 7.50K, 36:00, 4:47
2nd March - 8.00K, 37:34, 4:41
6th March - 8.50K, 40:22, 4:44
14th March - 9.00K, 42:37, 4:44
17th March - 9.50K, 45:13, 4:45
21st March - 10.00K, 46:53, 4:41
Overall I'm pretty damn delighted with that progress - a 46:53 10K is a pretty good time at present, and hopefully I can knock a couple of minutes off of that when I have the added motivation of running with other people.
I went out tonight and did a 4.00K just to give me a wee bit exercise, and did it in 18:29 with a pace of 4:37. Might have a short run again tomorrow morning and then a relaxing day before Sunday.
Wish me luck...
Friday 25 March 2011
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Still Playing Up
Things haven't been going so great for the past two weeks technology-wise!
It all began on the 4th February when I went out a run in heavy rain. Just over halfway through my iPod stopped working, as I wrote in a previous blog.
I managed to borrow my fiancee's, and I had a spare Nike+ kit lying around, but as her iPod was linked to her Nike+ account, it took a helluva lot of farting around before I could get it to work. I ended up having to delete my entire Nike+ account and start again. Lost over 4,500km of runs... bah.
Anyway, back to my routine. As I started using a new iPod and Nike+ account, I decided to start the 4km - 10km routine again and so far I've done five of them. My times are as follows:
4km - 19:05 (4:46); 4.5km - 21:31 (4:47); 5km - 23:29 (4:42), 5.5km - 26:22 (4:48); 6km -28:56 (4:49).
My pace slowed considerably on tonight's run - I think my iPod sensor is jiggling around in the pocket of my trainers, as it mapped at 6.25km - which means I ran 0.25km further than I thought I have. Will try slotting in some Blu-Tak tomorrow and see if that helps.
It all began on the 4th February when I went out a run in heavy rain. Just over halfway through my iPod stopped working, as I wrote in a previous blog.
I managed to borrow my fiancee's, and I had a spare Nike+ kit lying around, but as her iPod was linked to her Nike+ account, it took a helluva lot of farting around before I could get it to work. I ended up having to delete my entire Nike+ account and start again. Lost over 4,500km of runs... bah.
Anyway, back to my routine. As I started using a new iPod and Nike+ account, I decided to start the 4km - 10km routine again and so far I've done five of them. My times are as follows:
4km - 19:05 (4:46); 4.5km - 21:31 (4:47); 5km - 23:29 (4:42), 5.5km - 26:22 (4:48); 6km -28:56 (4:49).
My pace slowed considerably on tonight's run - I think my iPod sensor is jiggling around in the pocket of my trainers, as it mapped at 6.25km - which means I ran 0.25km further than I thought I have. Will try slotting in some Blu-Tak tomorrow and see if that helps.
Saturday 5 February 2011
iPod Working Again?
Just a quick post here to say that I've found my runs from the start of February! I've now got the data on my 4km run on Tuesday 1st Feb, my 4.5km run on Wednesday 2nd Feb and part of my 5km run on Friday 4th Feb. The data for Tuesday and Wednesday's is fine.
For Friday's I only have 3.49km worth (before my iPod started playing up, might have been for the rain) so I'm going out to repeat the 5km run this evening so that I have a "complete" time. I'll update the times later on!
For Friday's I only have 3.49km worth (before my iPod started playing up, might have been for the rain) so I'm going out to repeat the 5km run this evening so that I have a "complete" time. I'll update the times later on!
Friday 4 February 2011
I Hate This Weather
For the past two days it's done nothing but pee down with rain and blow gales - some wind has been reported over Scotland as high as 70mph+. It's not been as drastic here, but it's still been over 20mph+ at some times.
My training is going well, though. For some reason my iPod Nano has been playing up, so my last three runs haven't logged properly. Nonetheless, my new training regime is as follows: starting on the 1st February, I decided to run 4km. The next time I would run 4.5km, then 5km, then 5.5km, and so on up to 10km.
I would attempt to do all these runs at a pace of under 4:50p/m - so for 4km it's be 19:20, for 4.5km it'd be 21:45, for 5km it'd be 24:10 and so on and so forth, so that when I've built up to 10km I'll be doing that at under 48:20. Then I start all over again, although this time I attempt it at 4:40p/m.
I've done this training regime before and had a pretty decent bit of success last year before the heavy snowfalls at the end of November put the kaibosh on it.
So far I did my 4km run on Tuesday, 4.5km run on Wednesday, and 5km run today (Friday). I know my times were under the 4:50p/m pace but thanks to my iPod playing silly buggers I don't know the exact times. I also played two games of fives on Tuesday night and have another game tonight, so the fitness is gradually improving...
My training is going well, though. For some reason my iPod Nano has been playing up, so my last three runs haven't logged properly. Nonetheless, my new training regime is as follows: starting on the 1st February, I decided to run 4km. The next time I would run 4.5km, then 5km, then 5.5km, and so on up to 10km.
I would attempt to do all these runs at a pace of under 4:50p/m - so for 4km it's be 19:20, for 4.5km it'd be 21:45, for 5km it'd be 24:10 and so on and so forth, so that when I've built up to 10km I'll be doing that at under 48:20. Then I start all over again, although this time I attempt it at 4:40p/m.
I've done this training regime before and had a pretty decent bit of success last year before the heavy snowfalls at the end of November put the kaibosh on it.
So far I did my 4km run on Tuesday, 4.5km run on Wednesday, and 5km run today (Friday). I know my times were under the 4:50p/m pace but thanks to my iPod playing silly buggers I don't know the exact times. I also played two games of fives on Tuesday night and have another game tonight, so the fitness is gradually improving...
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Not Out In A While
The 10km I did on Thursday was my last run, and I don't think I'm getting out until the end of this week to be honest.
It was my birthday on Wednesday, so my fiancee and I took advantage of our Tesco Clubcard vouchers to have a weekend break in Aviemore, which was lovely. Nice drive home on Sunday as well - up to Inverness then down the Great Glen to Fort William, then home through Glencoe, Crianlarich, Callander and Stirling. Very nice.
Last night I had a game of fives, tonight I have two games of fives, and I'm supposed to be going hillwalking tomorrow so it'll be Thursday or Friday before I'm out running again. Thought I'd post a wee blog about the relationship between running and football.
I'm not a brilliant footballer by any means. I'm certainly not terrible - I have a decent touch, I'm strong, and I can pass well enough and I have a good left foot. But I've found that since taking up running my football has improved considerably as well. There will always be guys I play alongside who are technically better footballers than me, but don't have the fitness - I have a yard or two of pace on almost everyone I play against, meaning I can track back well enough, beat players down the wing, and generally cause a nuisance. Being pretty strong means I can tackle well enough and defend pretty well as well.
I find it works beneficially both ways as well. The running helps develop my fitness for fives. Fives helps develop my running - I use the games of football as my "sprints" workout, which means I don't have to do many boring HIIT sessions. And the cycle continues (usually until I pick up a stupid injury).
If you enjoy football but aren't particularly good, you'd be amazed at how much you can mask being maybe a bit technically poor by being fitter and faster than the other players you play with. Worth a try, I'd say!
It was my birthday on Wednesday, so my fiancee and I took advantage of our Tesco Clubcard vouchers to have a weekend break in Aviemore, which was lovely. Nice drive home on Sunday as well - up to Inverness then down the Great Glen to Fort William, then home through Glencoe, Crianlarich, Callander and Stirling. Very nice.
Last night I had a game of fives, tonight I have two games of fives, and I'm supposed to be going hillwalking tomorrow so it'll be Thursday or Friday before I'm out running again. Thought I'd post a wee blog about the relationship between running and football.
I'm not a brilliant footballer by any means. I'm certainly not terrible - I have a decent touch, I'm strong, and I can pass well enough and I have a good left foot. But I've found that since taking up running my football has improved considerably as well. There will always be guys I play alongside who are technically better footballers than me, but don't have the fitness - I have a yard or two of pace on almost everyone I play against, meaning I can track back well enough, beat players down the wing, and generally cause a nuisance. Being pretty strong means I can tackle well enough and defend pretty well as well.
I find it works beneficially both ways as well. The running helps develop my fitness for fives. Fives helps develop my running - I use the games of football as my "sprints" workout, which means I don't have to do many boring HIIT sessions. And the cycle continues (usually until I pick up a stupid injury).
If you enjoy football but aren't particularly good, you'd be amazed at how much you can mask being maybe a bit technically poor by being fitter and faster than the other players you play with. Worth a try, I'd say!
Thursday 20 January 2011
Struggling For An Imaginative Title
How the hell do people come up with catchy titles for their blogs? I'm struggling and I'm only on my fourth entry!
Training has been going well. Since I last updated I've had four runs. I was playing fives on Monday evening at Stenhousemuir Sports Centre so decided to run the 4.05km there and then 4.05km back. On the way down is mostly downhill, so I managed it in 19:39. On the way back, I took it a bit easier, plus it was mostly uphill, so I did it in 23:44.
Then on Tuesday night I had another game of fives at the Falkirk Stadium so I ran the 2.86km down there. Managed it in 13:48.
Today I ran another 10km. I stuck to mostly the same route as the Grangemouth 10km that takes place each March, although I had to improvise a bit at the end as the 'official' 10km includes half a lap of the athletics track at the Grangemouth Stadium. This is a fast and flat course, and I managed it in 47:49. Delighted with that - only just over three minutes off of my personal best, and that's with limited training and without the added incentive / speed and stamina boost you get from running with other people.
I'm not updating the routes on MapMyRun at present. I find the new MMR website very slow and unresponsive, so over the next couple of days I'll update my posts and this post to include the routes on the old MMR website, which I find much faster and smoother.
Training has been going well. Since I last updated I've had four runs. I was playing fives on Monday evening at Stenhousemuir Sports Centre so decided to run the 4.05km there and then 4.05km back. On the way down is mostly downhill, so I managed it in 19:39. On the way back, I took it a bit easier, plus it was mostly uphill, so I did it in 23:44.
Then on Tuesday night I had another game of fives at the Falkirk Stadium so I ran the 2.86km down there. Managed it in 13:48.
Today I ran another 10km. I stuck to mostly the same route as the Grangemouth 10km that takes place each March, although I had to improvise a bit at the end as the 'official' 10km includes half a lap of the athletics track at the Grangemouth Stadium. This is a fast and flat course, and I managed it in 47:49. Delighted with that - only just over three minutes off of my personal best, and that's with limited training and without the added incentive / speed and stamina boost you get from running with other people.
I'm not updating the routes on MapMyRun at present. I find the new MMR website very slow and unresponsive, so over the next couple of days I'll update my posts and this post to include the routes on the old MMR website, which I find much faster and smoother.
Monday 17 January 2011
Hell
Tonight I encountered the sort of run that would make even Gebrselassie think twice about putting his trainers on.
I was at the cinema earlier, so by the time I'd came home and had something to eat it was almost half past eleven at night before I went out. No matter - I like running at night.
The first few kilometres were easy enough - slight downhill, a brief uphill and then more or less flat for a wee while, with just a short down and up at about the 2km mark. But at 4.5km, there is an utter humdinger of a hill. It measures at over an 8% incline. It's short, sharp, and very steep - and when you get to the top of it, you turn to the right and are faced with an even longer steady climb.
It's called the Salmon Inn Road and it's horrible. I chose this course deliberately for this very reason - the hills build strength, stamina and endurance. Hills I can deal with. But a lot of the route is unsheltered, running from village to village. It seemed tonight that every direction I turned, the wind decided it would turn at the same time to blow right into me. It was demoralising - a slow run, lots of hills (my own fault, admittedly) and wind at over 20mph blowing into me at almost every opportunity.
It took me 53:34 to complete - almost four minutes slower than my run on Friday afternoon. Still, hopefully it'll serve me well...
17th January, 10.00km
I was at the cinema earlier, so by the time I'd came home and had something to eat it was almost half past eleven at night before I went out. No matter - I like running at night.
The first few kilometres were easy enough - slight downhill, a brief uphill and then more or less flat for a wee while, with just a short down and up at about the 2km mark. But at 4.5km, there is an utter humdinger of a hill. It measures at over an 8% incline. It's short, sharp, and very steep - and when you get to the top of it, you turn to the right and are faced with an even longer steady climb.
It's called the Salmon Inn Road and it's horrible. I chose this course deliberately for this very reason - the hills build strength, stamina and endurance. Hills I can deal with. But a lot of the route is unsheltered, running from village to village. It seemed tonight that every direction I turned, the wind decided it would turn at the same time to blow right into me. It was demoralising - a slow run, lots of hills (my own fault, admittedly) and wind at over 20mph blowing into me at almost every opportunity.
It took me 53:34 to complete - almost four minutes slower than my run on Friday afternoon. Still, hopefully it'll serve me well...
17th January, 10.00km
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