Chronicle of a race foretold

The intention was to enter the Clew Bay 10k as an excuse for a long weekend out West but as I was registering I thought 'well, if we're going to go all that way it may as well be for something longer than a 10k', so ended up signing up to the half. Not having run (let alone raced) anything longer than 10k, and not having much of a base this year, it will certainly be a challenge. Note to self: in future do not sign up to races in the afterglow of a sunny morning run.

After a brief online search for a suitable training plan I settled on the Hal Higdon Novice 2 program. I felt that with the amount of running I've been doing over the last few weeks I can just about slot into week 4 of the HH plan and go from there. It's mostly easy runs to build up the distance with the odd pace session and a couple of races thrown in for good measure.

I have re-jigged things slightly to fit my weekly schedule a bit better, breaking up the 3 consecutive days of running (Tue-Thu) in the original plan, and also removed the prescribed weekly cross-training session. I may do the odd cross session but it will be on an ad-hoc basis so no point including it in the plan and keep feeling I'm missing sessions. Leaves me with this:

Week|Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
4 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 7 mi run | 17
5 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 8 mi run | 18
6 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi pace | Rest | 5k race | 3 mi run | 13
7 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 9 mi run | 20
8 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi pace | Rest | 3 mi run | 10 mi run | 21
9 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 11 mi run | 22
10 | Rest | 3 mi run | 5 mi pace | Rest | Rest | Lakes 10k | 3 mi run | 17
11 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 12 mi run | 23
12 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 2 mi pace | Rest | Clew Bay HM | Recovery! | 20


The HH plan suggests a 10k race 3 weeks before the HM, however I am signed up to to the Lakes 10k two weeks before the Half. This disrupts the neat progression pattern of the original plan but not too worried about it. The intention is to give the 10k a good crack so I'll probably step things back a bit the days before. I think that 5 mi pace session may turn into something like another easy 3 miler and I'm wondering if I should also shorten the long run the previous week. We'll see closer to the time.

Let's go!

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 7 mi run | 17


Mon 23/7 -- Rest

Tue 24/7 -- Easy 3.5 miles @ 9:22/mi (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

Ran home after volleyball session with a slight detour via Dun Laoghaire to take in the views on a balmy evening.

Wed 25/7 -- Rest

Thu 26/7 -- Easy 4 miles @ 10:06/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

Ran this early afternoon when it was still fairly warm (22-23 ºC). Noticeably slower than Tuesday's run for the same effort level.

Sat 28/7 -- Easy 5.1 miles including Cabinteely parkrun: 3.1 miles @ 9:23/mi (Avg HR: 150 bpm)

Sun 29/7 -- Long run: 5.5 miles @ 11:17/mi (Avg HR: 118 bpm)

Very easy trot with D around the newly-opened Upper Vartry reservoir trail. A bit shorter than the 7 mile run in the plan but a bit wary of increasing the weekly mileage too much and the legs were getting a bit niggly.

Weekly total: 18.1 miles

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi pace | Rest | 5k race | 3 mi run | 13


Mon 6/8 -- Long run: 8 miles @ 9:30/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

Decided on an out and back via Clonkeen Park and to the far end of Kilbogget Park, which works out at pretty much 4 miles each way. The way out felt very easy, into a slight breeze which I expected would be a help for the way back. Instead, after the turn at the far end of Kilbogget, the cooling effect of the breeze disappeared and the heat (low 20s) became much more noticeable. Effort level clearly went up a notch at the half-way point but focused on keeping things steady and good form to the end. Glad to end what is my longest run to date.

Splits: 9:28 9:18 9:35 9:24 9:23 9:38 9:35 9:39

Tue 7/8 -- Recovery run: 3.4 mi @ 10:55 (Avg HR: 133 bpm)

Legs felt OK after yesterday's long run so headed out with D for a *very* gentle recovery jog.

Wed 8/8 -- Rest

Thu 9/8 -- Workout: 4 miles @ ~HMP (Avg HR: 160)

Warmed up with an easy mile before picking the pace up to a rough target of 8:00/mi. Once up to speed tried to keep the pace and intensity steady without relying on the watch and was pleased to see the splits were reasonably steady. The effort felt medium to hard, under control and with good form almost to the very end of the 4th pace mile. One easy mile to cool down.

Splits: 9:22 8:06 7:54 7:49 7:56 9:37

Fri 10/8 -- Rest

Sat 11/8 -- Cabinteely parkrun. Easy 3.1 miles @ 9:09/mi (Avg HR: 157 bpm)

The plan suggested a 5k race today but I felt that would be overkill after Monday's long run and Wednesday's workout so instead headed off to Cabinteely for the weekly parkrun. No 30' pacer to stick with today but tried to take it easy nevertheless, although it ended up as more of a progression run with a slight burst up the last hill. Splits: 9:41 - 9:10 - 8:44.

Sun 12/8 -- Rest

Weekly total: 21 miles

Clew Bay HM - Week 7/12 continued

Wed 15/8 -- Rest

Thu 16/8 -- Very easy 3.2 miles @ 11:12/mi (Avg HR: 123 bpm)

Just a few laps of the local playing fields with D at dusk.

Fri 17/8 -- Rest

Sat 18/8 -- Poolbeg parkrun: 3.1 miles easy @ 9:11/mi (Avg HR: 160 bpm)

After hitting the Cabinteely hills twice already earlier in the week, headed out to Poolbeg for a change of scene on what was a rather muggy morning. Tried to keep effort easy throughout although I did pick it up a tad in the last mile. Followed up with a few S&C exercises once I got home.

Sun 19/8 -- Long run: 6.6 miles @ 10:40/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Another warm and humid morning. Had to cut this a bit short of the planned 9 miles as other commitments got in the way. Not ideal but at least the weekly mileage total was on target.

Weekly total: 20.6 miles

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 11 mi run | 22


Mon 27/8 -- Long run: 10.5 miles @ 9:50/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Another run that slipped from the previous day. Headed out early in the morning but this time had some breakfast on board. A beautiful morning for a run: fresh but not cold, partly sunny, a slight breeze. Took things nice and handy but bearing in mind Clew Bay is a hilly course I threw in a few hills in Cabinteely Park between miles 5 and 8. Finished the run in good shape feeling I could have carried on a bit longer; actually much better than the 8 miler from three weeks ago.

Splits: 9:43 9:32 9:38 10:03 10:26 9:44 10:43 10:08 9:25 9:14 (4:37)

Tue 28/8 -- Recovery run: 3 miles @ 9:53/mi (Avg HR: 130 bpm)

Legs still feeling yesterday's long run a bit so let them dictate an easy pace without worrying about the watch at all.

Wed 29/8 -- Rest

Thu 30/8 -- Very easy 3.2 miles @ 11:43/mi

A busy day at work left no room for a planned workout so just got out late in the evening for a slow leg-stretch with D around the local parks.

Fri 31/8 -- Rest

Sat 1/9 -- Workout: 5.2 miles including Cabinteely parkrun @ steady pace 7:49/mi (Avg HR: 163 bpm)

Having missed out Thursday's planned workout and after a few easy/rest days in a row the intention was to do a parkrun 'at pace' however, with the next long run looming, didn't want to go too hard either so settled on a steady HMP (~8:00/mi). Shanganagh was the intended destination but I left the house too late and ended up in Cabinteely again, where one of the speedy runners had decided to pace 25' today and that would provide the perfect target. Felt like the pacer set off a bit fast (easily done in Cabinteely with the downhill start) so let him go but kept him in sight. The steady pace felt comfortable and found myself slowly creeping up to the pacer and pushing past him around the 2 mile mark. Kept honest all the way to the end for a decent workout followed by another mile to cool down.

Sun 2/9 -- Long run: 6.2 miles @ 11:18/mi (Avg HR: 125 bpm)

After clocking up enough miles earlier in the week I didn't intend to get out today and was planning to shift the 11 mile long run to Monday morning, however an outing to Wicklow was unavoidable on such a nice sunny day. Took it nice and easy around the Lower Vartry reservoir trail, which is almost exactly a 10k loop. Considered extending the run a bit to get to at least 9 miles but was wary of overdoing things given the mileage increase this week and the workout the day before so decided this would do for the week. Spent a few minutes soaking in the sunshine and giving the legs a rest in the cool water, when the sight of two chaps in full scuba diving gear walking past us and disappearing into the water provided a somewhat bizarre end to the afternoon.

Weekly total: 28.1 miles

Sat 8/9 - The Lakes 10k (Blessington, Co. Wicklow)

Pre Race

I had a score to settle with this course. After reading good things about this race I entered last year's event on the back of a few weeks of solid training, feeling in good shape and confident that a sub-45 finish was achievable. (This was not entirely unrealistic as I went on to set my 5k PB of 21' and change a couple of weeks later.) On the day, however, I fell off the pace after 5k, struggled over the hill and painfully finished outside 46'. The post mortem suggested perhaps not enough endurance training but clearly pointed to the mental breakdown at the halfway mark.

Registered for this year's event determined to avenge last year's experience but left the training a bit late and, come race day, I was feeling a bit apprehensive about my chances. Although I have been doing higher mileage than usual over the last few weeks in preparation for the HM, it's on top of a weak base and the one workout I attempted at the target 10k pace found me a bit wanting.

Same strategy as last year: aim to stay with the 45' pacers all the way to the top of the hill then try to push on a bit from there over the last 3 km. Goal A: sub-45. Goal B: 10k PB (45:36). Goal C: improve on last year's time.

Got to Blessington with D in plenty of time to collect our race numbers, get ready and do a bit of a warm up and stretching while the Half Marathon (starting 15' ahead of the 10k) was getting underway. Conditions were reasonably good: the earlier rain had cleared and although the sun was trying to peek through the clouds it would stay fairly cool but humid throughout. A couple of last-minute strides trying not to feel out of place alongside some of the club runners who would be at the sharp end and we were called to the starting line. Slotted in behind the two 45' pacers and was chatting to one of them about their intended strategy when suddenly a single blow of an air horn sent us on our way. I completely missed the starting line (no gantry and didn't notice a timing mat) so ended up starting my watch late. Quite late as it turned out, as my lap alerts were buzzing a good 70-80 meters after the km markers and my final watch time was about 20 seconds short of the chip time.

KM 1-5

No congestion to worry about given the fairly small field and straightaway tagged onto the back of the small group that formed around the 45' pacers. Initially the pace felt surprisingly easy and comfortable (even managed to take in some of the scenery) but the effort increased steadily as we were making our way over the rolling country roads. One or two people falling off the group and a headphone-clad runner, in his own bubble and completely oblivious of those around him, cutting right across my running line and forcing me to check my stride the only things to note.

After about 3 km the pacers started pulling away as we were heading towards a more significant drag ahead and very quickly a wave of negative thoughts started swirling around my head: 'you're falling off the pace even earlier than last year', 'clearly the sub-45 was never realistic', 'no shame in stopping' ... Somehow I managed to keep the negativity at bay and keep going but the next 2 km were a tough grind. The pace group had pulled ahead but was still in sight and, crucially, the knowledge that the course would soon turn more favourable really helped to hang on. Later, looking at the Strava splits from one of the pacers, it's clear that on this section they had lifted the pace to a metronomical 4:25/km in order to bank a bit of time before the hill and I had just struggled to do likewise.

4:33 4:23 4:30 4:34 4:31

KM 6-9

Water station just after the halfway mark. Declined the offer of a water bottle as I wasn't really thirsty and, although it was humid and could have done with a bit of water over my head, I didn't want the distraction and instead decided to focus on keeping the effort going. Sharp right turn immediately after the water station and the cheering from a small group of noisy supporters was a real boost - amazing what even the smallest bit of encouragement can do. Almost instantly the pace lifted, helped no doubt by the next km being mostly downhill towards the Liffey. This is the section where the wheels came off last year but this time it felt like the bad patch was behind me.

Over the river and onto the dreaded hill shortly after the 6 km marker. Told myself 'this is where you cash in all the training runs in Cabinteely park', made a conscious decision not to look too far ahead and just focused on driving up the hill hard. Breading very heavily at this stage, passed quite a few runners on the incline and I don't think I was passed so the approach seemed to work. After cresting the hill I was fairly spent and took a bit longer than planned to recover, allowing two of the runners I had overtaken to pass me again. In hindsight, at this point I should have made more of an effort to try and go with them as they both finished well inside 45' and would have probably towed me back to the pace group.

After recovering from the hill I managed to lift the pace again into the low 4:20s for the next couple of km, which are a combination of flat and steadily downhill sections as the course makes its way back down towards the starting area. I was working hard and passing plenty of runners here; mostly half marathoners I suppose but the psychological boost from overtaking was still effective. With the watch out of sync it was difficult to tell if I was on target or not but I could see I was gaining on the two yellow balloons and at this point I really felt confident that I would slowly reel them in.

Despite the effort and hurt involved this was the most enjoyable section of the race. In my mind's eye I was flying along, eating up the ground with every stride and the sub-45 was definitely on. Haven't done many 10k races but it was the first time I've experienced such a feeling at a stage in the race when I would normally be dying inside - a feeling of joy is the only way I can describe it. How is that even possible after almost quitting a few km earlier?

4:21 5:04 4:22 4:23

Last KM

The last km is a bit of a blur but I distinctly remember it felt really hard in contrast. At some point the road took a turn and suddenly there was a noticeable headwind combined with what felt like an interminable uphill drag. I hadn't quite managed to close the gap and was now a bit isolated, still working hard but losing ground again and not really able to kick for home.

Passed the 500m to go sign and the finish line still nowhere in sight. Keep pushing. Slight downhill to the small bridge ahead but how far still to the finish line? I had warmed up on that section of the road but could just not recall. Finally it came into view as I was rounding the last bend. Slight moment of disbelief as I initially misread the clock under the gantry and thought I was outside 46' again but thankfully the 6 became a 5 as I got closer. Crossed the line just behind the pacers with 45:17 or so on the race clock. I knew I'd have a few seconds in hand on my chip time but surely not that many.

Had to take a few moments to catch my breath before I could exchange a few words with one of pacers to thank them for providing a target to aim for throughout the race. They both really nailed the job, coming in just a handful of seconds inside the 45' target time.

4:09 (0.93 km) - probably more like 4:30 for the last full km.

Post Race

Hung around the finish line cheering on other finishers while waiting for D to come in (comfortably inside 60') then a light jog to cool down as my legs were starting to cramp. Changed into dry gear and enjoyed one of the famous blueberry muffins with a nice cup of tea, feeling on a bit of a high after the race. The results were available online before we even left the car park and confirmed my suspicion that I'd be just outside the target but was good for a PB at 45:10.

Yes, ever so slightly disappointed to miss out on Goal A by a small margin and to have faded a bit in the last km but really pleased to walk away with what I felt was a hard-earned PB on a challenging course and, perhaps more importantly, very satisfied with the manner in which I got through the rough patch in the middle of the race. Score settled and a real confidence boost that things are heading in the right direction. The sub-45 is there for the taking on a kinder course.

A couple of things to think about: firstly, maybe next time try I should try running alongside the pacers as opposed to just behind as it may be easier to stay with the group if/when the pace changes; secondly, the ability to lift the pace and put in a slight surge at key moments is probably something to work on.

A final note on the event. This is a well organised race by the local running club on a very nice and challenging course (closed rolling country roads, testing hill) that attracts a relatively small field with a good range of abilities from elite to casual runners. Will surely be back at some stage.

Chip time: 45:10 (PB)
Position: 58/289 (18th M40)
Splits: (skewed by delayed watch start)
4:33 4:23 4:30 4:34 4:31 4:21 5:04 4:22 4:23 4:09 (0.93 km)

Went on a bit but, hey, it's the excitement of a first race report.

Sun 9/9 -- No running.

Strained lower back replacing a flat tyre with the inadequately small wrench that came with the car. Wasn't planning on running for a couple of days but with the lingering hip niggle to worry about I could really do without the sore back.

Weekly total: 13.4 miles

This is it - race week:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 2 mi pace | Rest | Clew Bay HM | Recovery! | 20


Mon 17/9 -- No running. Volleyball training.

Tue 18/9 -- No running

Too fatigued after yesterday's session so the easy 3 miles parked for the next day.

Wed 19/9 -- No running

Storm Ali, a long day at work and some other stuff conspired to stop me from running again.

Thu 20/9 -- Easy-ish 4 miles @ 9:05/mi (AvgHR: 139 bpm)

Finally managed to get out for a few easy/med miles including a mile or so at MP in the middle. Plenty of debris to negotiate after the storm.

Fri 21/9 -- No running

A walk to stretch the legs after the long drive to Westport turned into a two-hour hike around Murrisk and the foothills of Croagh Patrick. No ill effects. Large bowl of pasta and a sneaky beer to round the day off. Forecast looking good for tomorrow.

Sat 29/9 -- Easy 5.1 miles including Cabinteely parkrun @ 9:17/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

Itching to get out again after an entire week without any running and having been kept busy with a house move - an active recovery of sorts. Saturday morning and with the park now practically on my doorstep there was only ever going to be one destination. Approached today very much as a systems check to see where the body stood; a few creaks and groans but eventually things fell into place and had a very enjoyable run on what was a gorgeous morning. Good vibe in Cabinteely with Crusaders having taken over the parkrun today.

Weekly total: 5.1 miles

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

Nicely done. SIL ran that one a couple of years back. You certainly didn't pick an easy one for your first half

Thanks. Certainly a challenging course but perhaps not as bad as I had imagined, and luckily the conditions turned out to be perfect; if storm Ali had hit a couple of days later it would have been an entirely different story!

ReeReeG wrote: »

Well done on the HM! What's next, or have you thought that far ahead?

Thanks. A timely question, as I have actually been giving my next move a fair bit of thought over the last few days. I find that without the focal point of a target race and a plan around it my commitment tends to wane and it's very easy to get out less and less. It's nearly a fortnight since the Half and I've been out twice, which is fine because some downtime is necessary and I needed to nurse a couple of stubborn niggles, but I can see the trend easily continuing.

For the time being I'm seeing my foray into the HM distance as a bit of a one-off and I'd like to concentrate on improving my 5k/10k times or, if anything, go even shorter and give middle distance a crack. In the short term I am thinking of targeting the Jingle Bells 5k with the aim of taking a good chunk off my PB and get as close to 20' as possible. There are exactly 8 weeks to go, which is perfect to fit a distance-specific plan into it.

After that, if the body is still game, I would really like to find the commitment to build a good base over the winter months for a change, incorporating as many of the BHAA XC events as possible, to set me up for whatever comes in the spring. Then, who knows, I have a couple of ideas but nothing definite yet - need to see how the next 3 or 4 months go before getting too carried away.

Better post this without further delay ... Next target race will be Donore's Jingle Bells 5K on 1 December, aiming to lower my 21:11 PB and to get as close to 20' as possible. With eight weeks to go there's a good bit of time for a build up. I wasn't taken by any of the ready-made plans so have put together something a bit more bespoke based on the advice in some of the 5k-specific posts here. Will try to follow the following weekly structure (adjusted on the fly to work around real life):

Monday | No running (VB training).
Tuesday | Interval session. Starting with 400m intervals and building up to a session consisting of 3 x 1 mile @ race pace a couple of weeks out from race day.
Wednesday | Easy run
Thursday | Workout. Typically a tempo run or perhaps hill repeats. Replaced by an easy run on XC race weeks.
Friday | Rest
Saturday | Easy run. Replaced by the BHAA XC races on a couple of specific dates.
Sunday | LSR. Build up to 10 miles 2 or 3 weeks into the plan and stay there.


It's one additional session per week compared to the HM plan so we'll see if that is feasible or not. Expect weekly mileage will be in the 20-25 mile range; a bit on the low side perhaps but I think that is the volume I can manage at present. Mental note to try and incorporate a few strength/flexibility sessions along the way.

Mon 15/10 -- Long run: 1h easy - 6.3 miles @ 9:40/mi (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

Spillover from previous week. Nice morning to be out and about. Incipient sore throat didn't seem to have much of an impact on the run. VB training session in the evening.

Tue 16/10 -- No running

The intention was to run home after VB and get a few easy miles in but plans changed and ended up having to drive, then was too tired when I got home so canned the run.

Wed 17/10 -- Workout: 15' easy + 10' @ 10k pace + 15' easy

For the tempo section of the workout I found a flatish loop on the lower part of Cabinteely Park, the first half of the loop mostly a gradual uphill into a fair breeze and the second half the opposite. As the target pace I had in mind something in the 7:00-7:15/mi range. Hard work and glad to complete the 2nd loop and get back to the easier pace. Total of 4.6 miles in 40'. Avg pace for each section: 9:11/mi 7:15/mi 9:07/mi.

Thu 18/10 -- 3.2 miles easy @ 10:08/mi (Avg HR: 148 bpm)

Cycle commute. The head torch I had misplaced for months finally surfaced so had to go out and test it in a very dark Cabinteely park. Legs feeling a bit tight after yesterday so kept it to just over 30'.

Fri 19/10 -- No running

Sat 20/10 -- No running but plenty of walking.

Sun 21/10 -- Long run: 1h easy - 6.25 miles @ 9:43/mi (Avg HR: 148 bpm)

Family weekend away in Barcelona but managed to get away for a few easy miles with the family still asleep. I was expecting to be the only muppet out and about at 8:30 AM on a Sunday morning and was really surprised by the amount of runners and cyclists already up at that time. Lots of walking again for the rest of the day.

Weekly total: 20.3 miles

Mon 29/10 -- Rest

Tue 30/10 -- 4 miles easy @ 9:43/mi (Avg HR: 134 bpm)

A few easy miles to get home after the volleyball session.

Wed 31/10 -- Workout: 12x400m @ 5k pace with 200m recovery jog

The original (and perhaps slightly ambitious) plan was to try and do two sessions per week (speed intervals + tempo run) but so far I had only managed to squeeze in one workout per week and hadn't done any speed work, so this time decided to start the week with an interval session. Headed down to the Kilbogget track and after a couple of half-hearted form drills got down to business. I think the splits were roughly in line with what the calculators suggest based on my recent race times. Very slow 200m jog recoveries between each lap (and actually a walk recovery after the first 6 reps) but pleased to be able to maintain pace and effort all the way through, even though the last 3 or 4 reps felt quite tough. Noticed form going to pot at times so that's something to work on. Total of 6.5 miles for the day.

Splits:
1:31 1:38 1:35 1:38 1:35 1:36
1:36 1:39 1:36 1:37 1:38 1:35

Thu 1/11 -- Rest

Legs still feeling the session a little bit.

Fri 2/11 -- No running

Noticed the legs feeling nice and strong during the cycle commute today. Great feeling after Wednesday's hard workout.

Sat 3/11 -- Workout: w/u + 8' @ 10k pace + 2' jog + 6' @ 10k + c/d (inc. Cabinteely parkrun)

Felt good this morning so decided to turn the parkrun into a bit of a session and I figured that a repeat of last week's tempo run would fit in nicely. I took the first lap easy as an extension of the warm up, picked up the pace at the start of the second lap for the 1st 8' tempo section, which worked out to be an entire long lap almost exactly, then a short recovery jog at the start of the third lap and picked up the pace again all the way to the finish. Target pace for the tempo sections was 7:00-7:15/mile, which I managed to hit reasonably comfortably thanks to the downhill start of both sections and was able to maintain during the uphills. Total of 7.6 miles in about 43'. Avg page for each section (minutes/mile): 10:17 7:11 8:43 7:10 10:53

Sun 4/11 -- No running

Volleyball match in the morning. After the match and yesterday's workout decided to park the long run until Monday morning. It leaves the weekly mileage a bit on the low side but it will hopefully be made up next week.

Weekly total: 15.3 miles

Hopefully this will be a more enjoyable week. A bit of foreign travel for work should afford the chance to explore a new area and some parkrun tourism. Looking forward to it.

Mon 12/11 -- Long run: 90' easy - 9.3 miles @ 9:41/mi

A lot more bounce as soon as I set off mid morning for the weekly long run around Kilbogget Park, including the customary track mile. Legs tiring towards the end but managed to keep them ticking over and the effort stayed on the easy end of the scale. A positive start to the week.

Tue 13/11 -- Rest

Wed 14/11 -- 30' easy - 3.1 miles @ 9:56/mi

Just a short easy run around the park before setting off for Boston.

Thu 15/11 -- 45' easy - 4.5 miles @ 10:18/mi

Awake early due to the jet lag so decided to head out at sunrise to loosen up the legs and explore the paths and trails of Olmsted Park and The Riverway, which are part of a series of linked parkways and waterways making up what's known as the Emerald Necklace. Great resource to have in the middle of a big city and just a slight shame to have missed the best of the autumn colours. Plenty of joggers and cyclists out and about despite the early hour and the sub-zero temperatures.

Fri 16/11 -- Workout: 6x800m @ 5k pace

Whilst researching the Brookline area on Google Maps I noticed an athletics track round the corner from where I was staying and wondered if it would be a public facility. Sure enough, Harry Downes Field includes an eight-lane track in great condition, football and baseball fields, a playground and a picnic area completely open for everybody's enjoyment. Great location on the edge of a residential area and across from Olmsted Park. It really would have been remiss of me not to make use of this fantastic facility for a workout. I can imagine the place being very popular in good weather but, with the temperature just above freezing and a little bit of the previous evening's snow still on the ground, I had the place to myself.

The session consited of 6x800m with a 400m jog recovery between reps (roughly about 2'), which I shortened to a 200m recovery before the last two reps. McMillan suggested a target of 3:05-3:15 per 800m but I try not to get too obsessed and let the legs find their pace. The session was hard work but felt easier than the 400m reps I did a couple of weeks earlier. Maybe the pace was a shade slower or the recoveries a tad generous ... or maybe I enjoy cold conditions. Total of 6.75 miles including w/u and c/d.

Splits: 3:15 3:21 3:19 3:16 3:19 3:16

Sat 17/11 -- 5.24 miles easy(ish) @ 9:28/mi inc. Jamaica Pond parkrun

Another factor in my decision to stay in Brookline instead of downtown Boston was the proximity to the only parkrun in this part of the country. Jamaica Pond parkrun is run by a very friendly crew and is a relatively new addition to the family having only started at the end of March. The course consists of two laps of Jamaica Pond (which, as I was reliably informed by the run director, was a favourite training ground of American marathon legend Bill Rodgers); first loop clockwise then a second loop counter-clockwise after a turn-around point, not quite pancake flat but just a few gentle undulations. A lovely setting for a run especially on a cold and sunny morning. Conscious of the previous day's workout, tried hard not to get carried away but invariably the pace crept up as the run went on, and afterwards the cool-down mile back to base felt like a slog, a clear sign that the legs need a bit of a break.

Sun 18/11 -- Rest

Weekly total: 28.9 miles