Training for Bristol

This time last year, I ran a personal best of 33:22 for 10km to finish 3rd in the Penicuik Harriers 10k Road Race. One year later, I set another personal best for the distance. I invested a bit of time, effort and money to head south for the Bristol 10k. To my relief, the gamble paid off as I clocked 30:41 for 25th place. I was slightly over 2 minutes behind the Kenyan winner. A race report (and hopefully a photo or two) will follow but, for anyone who is interested, here is my training leading up to the race. I pick up the day after the Scottish Mens League match at Grangemouth.

Week Commencing Monday 18th April

Monday: Track, 4 x 400m (all 62-63 secs), 4 x 300m (all 45-46 secs), 4 x 200m (all 29-30 secs), 5.25 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Tuesday: Club, 7.7 miles easy (47:35)

Wednesday: Tempo run, 2 miles easy (13:06), 5 miles hard (28:14), 2 miles easy (13:02), total of 9 miles (54:22), all continuous running.

Thursday: Rest

Friday: AM: 3.2 miles easy (20:54), PM: 9 x 1 minute hill reps, jog back recoveries, 7 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Saturday: Track, 2 sets of 3 x 500m (one rep in 1:18, rest in 1:21-1:22), one set of 3 x 200m (29-30 secs), 2.75-3 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Sunday: Longer run, Whitelee Windfarm, 45 minutes out, high tempo back, 13.3 miles (1:24:26).

Mileage: 48

Back to back Bank Holiday weekends were perfect for additional training and I grabbed the chance fully. There were two intense track sessions as I continued my quest to sharpen up. I decided to make my tempo runs harder by running a little before and after the harder section. My hill session was in the country roads close to home. There is a junction with 3 hills and I do a one minute rep on each one alternately until I've done 9 reps, 3 on each. Former Calderglen Harriers clubmate Alan Cullie introduced me to it several years ago.

Week Commencing Monday 25th April

Monday: AM: 3.3 miles easy (20:51), PM: 3.3 miles easy (21:41)

Tuesday: Club, 7.7 miles brisk (44:41),same route as last week.

Wednesday: Race- DunRen Open Graded Meeting, Linwood, 800m heat 1, 8th (last) in 2:00.24, 3 miles total including warm down.

Thursday: Longer run, 20 mins easy then intervals, 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 5 mins jog recoveries, 11.2 miles (1:07:40)

Friday: AM: 3.3 miles easy (21:07), PM: 6.8 miles brisk (41:35)

Saturday: 5km time trial, Glasgow Parkrun, Pollok Park, Glasgow- 16:08 (went off course), 6.5 miles total including warm down.

Sunday: Race- Central and South of Scotland League Division 2 Match 1, Scotstoun, Glasgow, 800m, 2nd in 1:59.7, 3.5-4 miles total including warm down.

Mileage: 48

I went out for a curry (and a pint) with my brother on Monday afternoon. I was still determined to run twice so did the second run at 8.45pm to let the grub digest. I was still a little bloated. It was simply the morning route in reverse. I would have been happier with Wednesday's race if I hadn't been in lane one and last the entire way. I've found Thursdays are a good long run compromise when racing on Sundays. It was one of my Spedding interval sessions and encouragingly fast. The Royal Wedding gave me another double outing on Friday. I did my first Parkrun in 2 years to try my new racing shoes. Sadly I hadn't bargained on leading and lost about half a minute going off course. I made up for it with my second sub-2 minute 800m in windy conditions the next day.

Week Commencing Monday 2nd May

Monday: AM: 3.3 miles easy (20:50), PM: Track, 2 sets of 5 x 300m (all 47-48 secs), 5.5-6 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Tuesday: Club, 8.5 miles easy (53:18)

Wednesday: Tempo run, 2 miles easy (12:58), 5 miles hard (27:50), 2 miles easy (12:41), total of 9 miles (53:29), all continuous running.

Thursday: 9 x 1 minute hill reps, jog back recoveries, 6.75-7 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5km time trial, Glasgow Parkrun, Pollok Park, Glasgow- 16:09, 4.8 miles total including warm down.

Sunday: Longer run, Cathcart to Pollok Park and back including a few detours, 9.4 miles easy (1:03:47).

Mileage: 48

This was a fantastic week until Saturday. I felt totally flat at the Parkrun. I stayed on the correct route but ran no quicker than before. What a time to have a confidence crisis. Some tough love from Jack Brown and Gordon Rimmer, present and past Cambuslang athletes respectively, snapped me out of it. In hindsight, my body was simply telling me I had trained hard enough. It was time to ease off. I took in a bit of the Womens 10k on Sunday and struggled to get out of Pollok Park through dozens of women, stewards and random drummers.

Week Commencing Monday 9th May

Essentially, after Tuesday, I pulled everything back with a shorter tempo run and hill session. I got the idea for Friday's run from Charlie Spedding's book. It's a variation of one of his sessions. It rounded off my preparations nicely.

Monday: Track, 8 x 600m (all 1:42-1:43), 5.75-6 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Tuesday: Club, 7 miles easy (43:18)

Wednesday: Tempo run, 1 mile easy (6:18), 3 miles hard (16:34), 1 mile easy (6:36), total of 5 miles (29:28), all continuous running.

Thursday: 6 x 30 second hill reps, jog back recoveries, 5 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Friday: 6.1 miles brisk (36:24)- 10 mins easy, 2 sets of 5 x 30 secs stride and 30 secs jog, 5 mins jog between sets, jogged remainder.

Saturday: Rest- flew to Bristol in afternoon.

Sunday: Race- Bristol 10k Road Race, 25th in 30:41.

Mileage: 37