5K PB's

Since my epic run (indeed epic week of running!!) I have run my 5K 3 bridge route twice and achieved a PB both times.

The first time I achieved 29mins52seconds, thus a pace average of 9min38secs and achieving sub 30 minutes for the first time! My pace graph pleasingly shows how my splits are almost exclusively sub-10 - I'm definately improving!!

My second was actually an intervals run - 1/4mile ON, 1/4 mile OFF.



My split v average plot nicely demonstrates my ON-OFF paces. My overall average was 9min16.

My overall time was 28min55.
Clearly I am running within myself on steady runs.

Geographical Dyslexia...

Foolishly, after two fairly intensive runs that week already, I decided to run again. Again around Cowbridge as I was staying with Mummy and Daddy Penguin for a few days. I planned a 10K run (approximately) and checked it out on googlemaps to note down the villages and hamlets I would be running through.

The weather was for rain, and I decided if it was really raining I would call it off, but drizzling was fine. In the end it was not raining at all.

I set off, and noted after a mile that my pace was slower than usual because I had not let myself recover properly from previous runs, but thought: fine, this can be treated as an "easy" run, which I rarely do as I am too ambitious and push for new targets constantly.

However, after about mile 3 I took a wrong turn (I think I mixed up my Penllyn's and ny Pen-y-lan's !!)

I had a fair idea of direction from the sun that was unfortunately beating down, and I kept asking people tending to their gardens if I was still heading the right way to come out on the A48 (yes I was, though the affirmatives were often accompanied by curious looks!)

Many twists and turns later, many hills later, and a whole bottle of water later I came out on the A48 about half a mile further away from where I had expected. I rejoined my planned route, and stopped off in the Crossways inn for a top-up of water (Thank you barman!!).

The conversation went:

Me: Do you think I could trouble you for a top up of tap water. I got lost and ran further than I planned.
Barman: Sure no problem.
Me: I should have been home 2 miles ago.
Barman: Have you got a mobile to ring for a lift?
Me: Oh its okay, its only 2 more miles, and it is a matter of pride now!

(I'm a stubborn so-n-so!!)

I ran my furthest distance yet - 10miles - and averaged 11minute miling, which, for the conditions, I am very pleased about.

Here is my route - red is actual, blue is intended!!

Intended route: Cowbridge--Aberthin--Newton--Penllyn--A48--Llanbleddian(via St-Brynach/Llanfrynach church)--Cowbridge
Actual route: Cowbridge--Aberthin--Newton--Pen-y-lan--Llansannor--City--CraigPenllyn--Penllyn--PentreMeyrick--A48--Llanbleddian(via St-Brynach/Llanfrynach church)--Cowbridge......oops!

But it did turn out to be a "distance-endurance" run, not "easy"...!!

An ambition fulfilled...

The week of the Tata Steel Cardiff Bay 5 was a big mileage week for me. I'm a bit behind on my blogging but will get up to date over the next few posts...

Three days after the race I decided to fulfil an ambition of mine - to run from Culverhouse cross to Cowbridge. Mummy and Daddy Penguin live in Cowbridge, and Culverhouse is a big intersection/out-of-town shopping centre on the outskirts of Cardiff. It is one long road between the two, the A48, and it had long seemed like a HUGE target to actually run all the way.

I had scoped it out previously on one of many trips to see the Penguins, and had determined that there was a path on one side or other for about 2/3 of the way, and then a deep verge the rest of the way. I had also noted that the verge grass had just been cut, so now was the time.

I dropped off Monkey1 and Monkey2 at the Penguins' house, and caught a lift to the top of the Tumble with Mummy Penguin. The Tumble is a big hill out of Culverhouse, and I thought it would not be cheating to run from there, and would save a huge hill right at the start of the run that might have led to injury, or exhaustion too early in the run.

The first few miles were great. I made really good time, and enjoyed the different perspective on the road yielded from running not driving.

Then I inadvertantly crossed from the path to the verge too early (an extra 1/2 mile of path was available) and running on the verge was terrible - really hard-going on the feet, and my pace plummeted. I also found that the deep verge disappears just before the sliproad down into Cowbridge, and I had to run down the old Roman road track - nice scenery, but tough on the feet again.

But I achieved it. Another mental goal ticked off.

Tata Steel Cardiff Bay 5

Another race crossed off my plan...

I had been avidly checking the weather forecast for the last week, and the forecast had been for a little rain - sounds nice, I thought, not too warm. On the day, however, it was sunny and very very windy! Hardly ideal, especially as Cardiff Bay is very exposed!

I left Mr Taffi looking after Monkey1 and Monkey2, and caught the train down to the bay, registered, grabbed a quick Milkybar treat to top up breakfast, and waited to start.

I was calm and collected, kept everything I could identical to my training runs - water bottle, audio book, Garmin watch...

I set up my watch to beep if I was slower than 10min miling and beep if faster than 9min miling, and determined to keep within these boundaries as much as possible, not to set off too fast, not to care as everyone raced off at the beginning (Mr Taffi says you overtake loads who burnout by starting off too fast if you are wise at the start) and to keep to my plan.

First 2 miles - great, had about 1 1/2 minutes in the bag by averaging about 9 1/2 minute miles. The 3rd and 4th miles were slower because of the wind, and mile 5 a lot slower as the barrage was so exposed...

...but I crossed the finish in 49mins11secs (chiptime says 49:24, not sure why). I'm so pleased with the time, to have broken the 50min barrier, and in the knowledge that in perfect conditions I could run faster again!

Analysing my race, I can clearly see the influence of the wind! (this is an overlay of several screengrabs in Sporttracks...)

Every time I turn into the wind my pace slows!! You can also see a gradual slowing in my pace throughout the race, in part tiredness, in part indicating the exposure of the second half of the race.

But all in all, a stunning place for a race, and one that I will enter again...(though crossing fingers firmly for a less windy day!)

And my reward...



Running not Jogging...

With a race coming up I didn't want to tire myself out (I'm reluctant to say that I was "tapering" since the race is only 5miles!) so I just ran my 2 bridges run.

Knocked another 25secs or so off my time, and the Garmin Training Center told me that I had been running all the way (not jogging - it has categorised pace zones) **[apart from steps etc which it is difficult to run - the 7.6% below]

That feels like quite the achievement. I'm a real runner at last!!

I also installed a plug-in to Sporttracks called overlay - which allows you to compare similar runs.

Results of comparing 3 2-bridge runs taken over the last couple of months:

The bold traces are rolling averages. The green trace is the most recent and shows a marked improvement in pace. Also encouraging is the reduction in height of the peaks (indicating an improved pace) where I have to negotiate steps/ramps - showing I have the power and energy and fitness to power through these transitions.