Back to business

Apart from the 5-mile race I ran pretty much on the spur of the moment earlier this month, tonight was my first dedicated speed session since before Paris. I ran 1 mile steady (7m 14s), 4 miles tempo (6m 44s on average) and another mile steady (7m 12s), clocking 6 miles in 41m 07s. Not a bad workout at all, but I could feel it for sure, especially during mile 5. Feeling pretty buoyant now :-)

I think that will be my last run in the Saucony Fastwitch - sad times! :-( I could feel every piece of grit under foot. The cushioning -- well, what cushioning there was to begin with -- is completely gone in the forefoot, which played havoc with my calves. I think I land mid-foot naturally, but I'm not quite ready to go barefoot yet ;-) (not that I'd want to -- I'm not really part of that camp. Maybe I'll change my mind when I finally get around to reading Born to Run...).

My Brooks Green Silence were dispatched today. With a bit of luck I might get to wear them to my first Parkrun!

Distance: 5.97 miles
Avg pace: 6m 53s / mile
Avg HR: 171 bpm
Conditions: Overcast, 13°C

I'm excited...

With my Brooks Glycerin around the 400-mile mark and my two pairs of racers at death's door, I've just splashed out on two new pairs of shoes! Both are by Brooks, despite my fondness for my worn out old Saucony Fastwitch.

The first, a pair of Brooks Launch, will serve as my new roadrunners. They seem to be marketed as a kind of hybrid between everyday cushioned shoes and racing flats, which appeals to me. I'll phase out my Glycerins slowly in a bid to prevent any niggles.

The second are a pair of Brooks Green Silence. They are more lightweight still and marketed as an out-and-out racer. In addition to looking pretty cool, they're apparently made from 100% recycled material, and I'm a real sucker for that kind of thing.

Both have had rave reviews by seemingly impartial third parties on other blogs. I'll report back soon with my own experiences...

Lights, (no) camera, action

This morning I got all kitted out to film one of my scenic runs through woodland trails, but no sooner than 2 minutes in the batteries died. I think they were about a thousand years old or something. So I got some pretty funny looks with a camera strapped to my head, and all for nothing! :-)

Of course, I carried on regardless. I followed a relatively hilly route with a 450ft ascent over the first 5 miles. And since this was supposed to be a long slow run, I had to virtually crawl at times to keep my work rate down. Very enjoyable, though. Intermittently challenging.

Distance: 7.95 miles
Avg pace: 8m 54s / mile
Avg HR: 156 bpm
Conditions: Overcast, 13°C

Bloody weather!

This morning I went to work in a t-shirt in glorious sunshine, only to get rained on all the way home. By then it was cold, too, so I decided to wear more layers than usual for my evening run. Of course, the sun immediately came out again and I was sweltering! Still, I daren't complain about the weather being too good ;-)

I managed a steady 5 miles this evening. Still some tightness in the deep calf muscles of my left leg, so I stretched thoroughly afterwards. I envisage running 21 miles this week -- I'll need to be comfortable with 30 miles per week again by the time my schedule starts in a fortnight. In truth, I've been taking things relatively slowly since the marathon, but I think it was important to give my body a bit of a rest and build up again gradually. Anyway, no running now until Sunday. I feel slightly guilty whenever I have two days off!

Distance: 5 miles
Avg pace: 7m 20s / mile
Avg HR: 163 bpm
Conditions: Sunny spells, 14°C

Cardiff Bay 5 - Photos

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust has posted photos of the Cardiff Bay 5 event on its Facebook profile. Not everyone made it into their album: there seem to be more pictures of the front of the field than the back. Anyway, here's my ugly mug:

Easy 3-miler

Just went for an easy 3-miler. Some stiffness in my shins and left ankle, but otherwise OK. Rest tomorrow and 5 miles or so on Thursday evening.

Distance: 3 miles
Avg pace: 7m 41s / mile
Avg HR: 154 bpm
Conditions: Sunny, 15°C

Tata Steel Cardiff Bay 5 2011 - Race Report

The Cardiff Bay 5 was very much a last-minute affair. I had only decided to run the week before and had still yet to register half an hour before the gun! Even so, I was left with plenty of time to amble over to the starting area and chat with a few friends who would also be running. The atmosphere was warm and amicable right from the off. Indeed, I would have been utterly relaxed if only my Garmin hadn't flat refused to find a satellite signal.

At first glance, Monday, 2 May 2011 was a perfect day: Cardiff was graced with blue skies and lavished with spring sunshine. But looks can be deceiving. A stern wind was whipping in off the coast. Before the start, the announcers said the conditions would be 'tough'. What's in a word? Well, quite a lot, it turns out...

I had purposefully left a little room between me and the starting line -- I knew that the front runners had posted times well below 30 minutes the previous year, and I was aiming ambitiously for 33 minutes. My friends were with me right up until the gun (well, the horn). This was a welcome change. I'd grown accustomed to lining up alongside strangers at events like this.

Honk! We were away (and thankfully, so too was my Garmin!). Immediately I fell into a quick but comfortable rhythm. My usual strategy would be to sit back and save something until the final third, but that wouldn't cut it today. The latter half of the course was along a barrage completely exposed to the wind, so I was anticipating a tough final mile or two.  Best to get a decent start, I thought.

In fact, the wind was a factor much sooner than I had anticipated: Lloyd George Avenue served as quite an effective corridor! I tucked in behind another runner who seemed to be pacing himself quite well. Mile 1 was on the horizon: 6m 26s. Hmm. A touch quick, perhaps. But how did I feel? Well, pretty good, actually! 

After the first mile marker, we looped back on ourselves and were aided briefly by a tailwind. I could still see the front runners ahead, but they were stretching steadily into the distance. It would have been silly to up my pace. As I made my way back down Lloyd George Avenue, I could see the rest of the field on the other side of the central reservation. I heard a "go on, Ed!" from my friend Helen but sadly couldn't see her! Then I gave a wave to my friend Martin, who still looked pretty comfortable at that point. Mile 2: 6m 27s. Steady as she goes.

We had a bit of a break from the wind next. Mile 3 ran alongside the docks and various warehouses afforded us some shelter. It suddenly struck me how warm it was in the sunshine so I veered off into the shade. Some runners started to fade; others -- mostly club runners -- held it together. Mile 3: 6m 34s. OK, so I had slowed a little, but not by a great margin. So far so good.

Just after mile 3, a club runner from Port Talbot struck up conversation. This was his first event in several years. He had been quite an accomplished runner in his younger days and wanted to get back into it. He asked me what I was aiming for. 33 minutes, I replied. He 35, apparently. I assured him he was well on track. He asked if he could stick with me until the finish line, and I was glad of the company. We egged each other on as the barrage came into view.

Tailwind. Grab it with both hands, I thought! In fact, I said as much. My newfound friend agreed. We made good progress along the seafront, but when we looped back on ourselves, we were immediately battered by 20mph winds (well, that's what the forecasts said, but I would love to have had an anemometer!). I put my head down and leaned forward. The wind was hitting us diagonally and was a definite obstacle. Mile 4: 6m 34s. I was tired by now, but the end was within reach.

A few hundred more yards of the barrage. I saw Helen and Webb coming in the opposite direction and told them both to brace themselves! Soon I was winding my way towards the finish. Somehow I had become a wind breaker for a pack of runners. With less than half a mile to go I was exhausted -- the conditions had really taken their toll. Then I saw the finish line. "Come on, last push", I said to my fellow runner. I sprinted for the remaining few yards and came over the line in 32 minutes dead. Great stuff.

Distance: 5 miles (Garmin: 4.88 miles)

Time: 32m 00s (Garmin: 31m 50s)

Avg pace: 6m 24s (Garmin: 6m 32s)

Position: 40 of 655 (putting me in the top 6.1%)

Official results can be found here, and my GPS data here.

P.S. I noticed there was no mat at the start line, so I think chip times were from the gun. That would explain the discrepancy with my Garmin time.