New PB

New PB Saturday's Glasgow Park Run -- 21.33.  Part of a nine mile run - felt good and went for it.  My performance  in this race has been getting better week to week -- so I had it in my head to go for a time.  Now to translate that better pace into a better 10k performance.

A Fine Picture

A fine pic of me at Saturday's Park Run
shot by my old chum Ian Goudie who's
enjoying a well earned rest after his Herculean
 efforts in the London Marathon
 -- taking the pictures instead of being in them !!!

Park Run no 19

Park Run number 19 this morning -- part of a 15 mile long run. 5.25 mile warm up -- 3 mile park run and then miles added on the end to make up 15.  Ran hard and was pleasantly surprised by the  result -- 22.27.

Balloch to Clydebank Half

My local half and for me the first of the season -- and I had another good race. I had it in my mind to run 7.30 a mile, building on the solid performance last Sunday at the Tom Scott and it pretty much went to plan I finished in 1.38.25 on my watch-- averaging 7.29 a mile. I didn't get drawn into too fast a start this time -- first mile 7.33. At five miles I was just under target at 37.17. An unaccountably slow sub 8 mile at mile seven left me struggling to get back on the pace, but I managed to pick up between mile 9 and 10 - a much needed 7.10, saw me at the 10 mile mark at 1.15.06. Faster than my 10 mile race time last Sunday with another 3 to go !!! I caught up with Jane Wild at this point who ran a storming race, a new PB for her. Managed to pick up the pace a little over the last section, these 15 mile long runs have been paying dividends, although by the last mile I was slowing a little -- 7.44. Good support along the route - special mention to my mate Mary Senior from Bella and Watson Jones from Clydesdale. Got a chance to catch up with my Clydesdale Harrier pals and David from Calderglen and Steven from Garscube. Next outing the Helensburgh 10k ? Meanwhile back to those 15 mile training runs !!! PS nice medal.

Great Pic

Great pic of me and Jane at the Tom Scott.
Courtesy of Reynard Nursery on Flickr.

50th Tom Scott 10 miler

Finished the above in a very satisfactory 1.15.17. By no means my fastest but it was a consistent well run race. I started with the intention of attempting 7.30 a mile for as long as I could hold the pace. The first mile was a little fast, but once I found my pace I settled in and the pace varied from just over to just under the target for most of the race. A bit of a blip at mile 7-8 when the pace dropped to below 8 -- I think that coincided with a particularly hilly part of the course when we were running into a headwind. Best of all my last mile was my fastest at 7.05 and I reeled in quite a few runners over the last two miles - indeed I was not overtaken by anybody over the last 3-4 miles. Ran most of the way with my pal and club mate Jane Wild -- she was a great encouragement and helped greatly with the steadiness of the pace. Also managed to catch up with a few of my chums from Clydesdale Harriers including a resurgent Anne Murray and my old mucker Marina McCallum All in all a satisfactory day. Could I have run a little faster ? In all honesty perhaps I could, but the aim was a consistent well-run race and that's what I got. Now let's see If I can hold a similar pace at the Balloch to Clydebank half marathon next Sunday. PS Really enjoying running in my lightweight Gel Virage shoes -- v. cheap !!!

Reset the Clock

Parkrun number 19 this weekend at Pollok Park in Glasgow -- but my result wasn't registered the last time I did this race, becauseI lost my barcode so I've reset the clock and I'm counting this one as no 18. Part of a 15 mile long run -- six mile warm-up, parkrun then a further 6 miles. Got into a tussle with a young man half my age wh0 kept trying to overtake me. I kept him at bay for fully 2/3 of the race, but good sense prevailed and I let him go -- it would have required too much effort to hold him off and I did have another 6 miles to run after the race -- but I could have taken him :-) Official result 23.15 -- happy with that. Average pace per mile for the 15 -- 8.25.