However! I think the strapping up of my ankle on my long run last Sunday has helped as since Monday my ankle has cleared up really well… well enough for me to tweak my schedule to a quick 6m on Tuesday, 10m on Thursday and 3m this evening  with the long 16m on Sunday.

Run 1 – Tuesday: 6m

Somehow I’d managed to accidentally turn  my Garmin on  earlier in the day without noticing so the battery was low when I went out for the run – I hoped it would last but it didn’t make it past 3.3M

Distance: 6.1M
Time: Approx 48 mins

Run 2 – Thursday: 10M

Felt good enough to extend my usual 8 miler to 10 miles with this being the last real week of training before I start to wind down over the next couple of weeks. Planned to run it quite easy in 8:30 – 08:50 pace range and, as 4ish miles of it is part of the most  challenging section of the Cov Half Marathon, I thought it would be a nice addition to the training.

Failed with the pacing as it ended up being an average of 08:15. Still, was good fun and I felt strong.

Distance: 10.18M
Time: 01:23:57
Mile Splits: 8:40, 8:30, 8:36, 8:12, 8:18, 8:16, 8:25, 7:52, 8:02, 7:52, 1:14 (last 0.18)

Run 3 – Tonight (Friday) : 3M

As my ankle felt okay I thought I’d go out again tonight and do an easy 3m. As usual I went too quickly and I found it quite tough going which was clearly down to the run yesterday. Was glad to finish.

Distance: 3.09M
Time: 24:54
Mile Splits: 7:53, 8:19, 8:03, 39 (last 0.09)

Today is my “long run day” and my schedule called for a 13-15 miler depending on how well I’d recovered from the race last weekend. As I’ve been having some troubles with my ankle I decided I’d drive to work to run there, as it’s completely flat, to give me legs less stress. The only problem was I realised halfway there that I’d forgotten my inhaler meaning I’d only be able to last 15 minutes before being unable to breathe so I had to turn back :/

Once I got home I sacked the idea of running at work off and thought today I could try to run what appears to be toughest (hilly) part of the Coventry Half Marathon instead. As I’d switched plans I had the random idea of bandaging my ankle – having no idea what I’m doing  - but It seemed to perform well on the most scientific of tests… pacing up and down the living room.

The run itself was fine… 11.7M in total. The “tough” section of the Coventry Half Marathon I didn’t find as tough as I would have thought so that was a bit of a confidence boost. My ankle seemed to hold out and felt better during and after the run than it did on Wednesday and Thursday so I might try the strapping again on my 6m run on Tuesday.

Distance: 11.7M
Mile Splits: 8:36, 8:29, 8:51, 8:45, 8:35, 8:37, 8:31, 8:52, 8:53, 8:44, 8:37, 5:54 (last 0.7)

Garmin map and details are below:

During the 10m race last Sunday I developed some tightness in my right calf (soleus?). Walking back to the car wasn’t much fun even though it was only 0.25m. I’m presuming these things must be linked.

My legs were drained and tired up until Wednesday but I decided to take I an extra day off and went for a run on Thursday evening after work – just a little tester to see how my legs were feeling in general and to see how my ankle felt afterwards. I could feel it during the run… quite uncomfortable but managed the 5k easily enough.

In the morning the ankle was a bit sore but it eased within a couple of hours. By the time I’d got home from work I felt it was good enough run on. So last night I ran 6m  at an easy pace with the ankle ache coming on between miles 2 and 4… with the last 2 ache free. hmm.

I iced the area when I got home and today it’s feeling pretty much the same as yesterday… a bit stiff and sore coming downstairs early-on but it’s mid-day now and while it feels okay I can  still “feel it” while walking.

Tomorrow is supposed to be long run day and I’m due a 13-15 miler so I might have to cut that short. I shall see how it feels in the morning.

The goal was to extend my long run of 10-12 miles up to 16 miles and hitting that distance twice before the half marathon on the 2nd October.

Mileage

My monthly totals since I started have been 129 miles for July and 120 for August which is an increase from my previous high mileage month (May) of 90 miles. September should follow the same amount of mileage as July and August even with an easier couple of weeks leading up to the race.

Another Race!

In preparation for the half marathon I’ve decided to add a 10 mile race on the 4th September and the John Fraser 10 is conveniently close / on the right date. This will give me a chance to test out my new found speed/stamina – I’m hoping for a time of 01:15 but I’m not sure I’ll be able to manage that after reading previous race reports: “definitely hilly”, “it’s hill after hill after hill”, “knackered”

Here’s the elevation profile taken from last years race:

Aches and Pains

I’ve got a problem with my right anke/achilles/soleus – hard to pinpoint – and I’ve had it for over a month – it seems to get better with a day of rest after a run and during the run it’s fine. I just hope it doesn’t get any worse as it gets closer to the half marathon.

Very late with this one… had written it but not published it.

In the couple of weeks leading up to this race I’d been coming in to a bit of form in training so was confident of improving on my PB of 46:24, which was set 4 weeks before running the Northbrook 10k. When the day finally arrived it was my ideal running conditions: cool but not cold with very light rain – excellent.

The race starts within the grounds of Warwick Castle with the finishing line at Kenilworth Castle and this year had 4000 entries; 3071 would finish the race. I can only it was the light rain and weather forecast putting people off? The weather wasn’t as bad as forecast.

Anyway, enough about the weather!

After watching the mass warm up I went off to find the start with 20 minutes to spare before the start of the race – it wasn’t very clear to me where I should be standing with regard the time markers… they were small and I only saw 40:00 so I stood with it in my sights. Five minutes later and there was a mass movement to the actual startline rendering the markers useless anyway.

The race starts and we’re away… took me just over a minute to cross the line as the start is in a quite a narrow passageway.

As I left the castle I noticed ahead of me a Northbrook runner who I’d overtaken at the last minute in the Northbrook 10k so I figured I must keep up with her so notched the pace up to catch up and keep her within my sights.

The first mile especially was well supported with people lining the streets and, according the the garmin, I managed to get through it in 07:18.

My ‘private’ goal for the race was 45:30 but I’d told everyone sub 46:00 minutes which would mean knocking 30 secs off my PB and I felt I could do that. The inital pace kept me well within that goal.

Mile two flew by in 07:11 and it’s just after the point in the race you climb the hill at Leek Wooton, which after reading previous race reports had me slightly worried but I handled it okay with a reduction in pace with mile 3 went by in 07:30 – still keeping me on track for a my goal of 45:30. (I’d need the overall average pace of run to be 07:19ish)

Miles 4′s bit hazy in my mind with some ups and downs, I completed it in 07:23 so still on track. Mile 5 was also completed in 07:23 but I found that quite tough after entering Kenilworth we turn into a housing area and I didn’t enjoy that mile at all. It felt like the route weaved around roads and I can only imagine I was thinking too much about how tired I was.

Mile 6 was completed in 07:09 and was my fastest mile split. I’d managed to pull myself through the tiredness and up my pace to try and claw back some time.

As we approached the castle the support was loud – I’ve not run a race with so many people supporting – and in the rain too. The Northbrook runner I’d been just behind/in front of pretty much the whole race was just ahead of me and just like the Northbrook 10k a month earlier I overtook her in the last 200m.

While collecting my medal and t-shirt I noticed I’d not stopped my Garmin on so I’d not known what my finishing time was – I’d thought I’d gotten under 46 but was left doubting it.

Later that day the results were posted and I discovered my chip time of 45:28

Overall I was delighted with my time and that’s now the final planned 10k of the year over. After my next race, Asics Arden 9 ( * now run… race report to follow!) next weekend (19th June) my training will focus toward my first half marathon: Coventry Half Marathon, which takes place the day before my 30th birthday… 2nd October 2011.

Finishing Time: 45:28 (NEW PB by 0:58)

Garmin info below:

Left it a little late getting out of the house for the run tonight, 9pm, as I had to eat when I got home as I was so hungry! Took it easy and my plan was to try and run it at an easy pace – 9 minute miles was the target – and I thought I managed it pretty well!

Included below are the Garmin stats.

Distance: 4.07m
Time: 37:07
Avg Pace: 9:07 min/mi
Mile Splits: 8:57, 9:05, 9:15, 9:10, 39

So tonight the girlfriend and I decided a walk ‘was on’. We walked the same route  I walked solo last Friday – a 3.1 mile loop ‘around the block’ – although we extended it by an extra 0.25 miles. Within the first  10 minutes  we passed the local running club setting off in their various groups and 25 minutes later we were passed by 10-15 of them running hill reps, “rather me than them” I thought

Tomorrow is my final run before the race on Sunday… four easy miles.

Distance: 3.30m ish
Time: An hour and a bit

Nice weather for a run: sunny and warm with a nice breeze keeping me cool. Took it easy and felt great all the way round – just one more run on Thursday now before the race on Sunday.

Distance: 6.52 miles
Time: 55:23
Mile Splits: 8:32, 8:38, 8:50, 8:32, 8:25, 8:17, 4:09

From the shop I bought some of the basics… milk, bread and ham… but also some cherry drops(!)

Tomorrow I’ve got a nice and easy 4 miler. Although I’m thinking about upping that to 6 miles… I’ll see.