Continuing my journey back to regular running after dropping something heavy on a big toe in June…
Thursday 5 September 2pm. Dry, mild breeze, hazy sun. 19°C
Time to do some intervals, something I hadn't really done for a year or more. So, the plan was to do five minutes of brisk walking to warm up, then four repeats of jogging 1.1km followed by faster running for 250m. This was all programmed into the watch.
It's still tee shirt and shorts weather, so that's what I'm wearing.
The circular route I'm going to do is about 6km, and if you do the sums you'll notice that the runs total up to 5.4km.
Out the door, start the watch, start the podcast, walk up the road. Past the "new house" which was on maps dating back to the 1850s, past the converted chapel, past the caravan park. Just before I'm about to start running a group of cyclists pass going the other way.
Then I start running at a steady slow pace. One of the cyclists has turned around and is going back. I keep my slow pace as the road is gently climbing up to the crossroads with another converted chapel on it. I turn right. This bit feels flat in a car but definitely isn't when you're on foot.
The watch beeps. The first sprint. The little road climbs to a corner, dips a bit then climbs out of the dip. And then it beeps again. Sprint over. I drop back to a slow jog. I step into the verge to let a large delivery van past.
Another kilometre and a bit climbing. There are various houses and a farm, then a mothballed village primary school. The road reaches its highest point and I take another right turn. It is mostly downhill from this point, with a few little climbs.
The next sprint is on one of those little climbs. Bother! It finishes just as I turn the corner onto a long straight downhill stretch. At the bottom of that I see a tractor disappearing into a field. The road dips and climbs to the next crossroads. Another right turn brings me past a row of cottages and down into a deeper dip.
The watch beeps for the next sprint. And again it's another climb, a steep one this time in a cutting. I didn't plan for that! When the watch next beeps I drop to a brisk walk until I've got my breath back, then I jog again. The sun comes out.
Past a camp site, then a very slight downhill slope down to a right angle bend, then a gradual climb towards the end. Of course the final sprint is another climb.
I walk back. The final road junction comes up and I decide to sprint the remaining 200m back.
Stats:
Duration: 45'15" total (32'45"+53" running)
Distance: 6.65km total (5.40km + 200m running)
Splits (1km/100m + 200m): 6'26"/6'15" + 4'47"/km, 6'22"+5'34" + 4'37"/km, 5'45"/5'53" + 4'59"/km, 6'54"/6'02" + 5'16"/km, final sprint 4'19"/km
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Saturday 9 September 2.10pm. Hazy sun, clearing to full sun. Hot! 24°C
I'd dragged Dad round Eryri De (Southern Snowdonia) in the car on Friday as the weather was brilliantly sunny and warm. We'd had a nice relaxing day, stopping regularly for food and drinks.
I overslept on Saturday morning. I'd already decided that I wasn't ready for the Pwllheli parkrun yet, but I still wanted to do a 5km run.
Another tee shirt and shorts day. I chose an even thinner tee shirt than Thursday.
Out the door, dodge the traffic. Start the watch and podcast. Five minute warm up walk. It's another clockwise circular route. The circuit is almost 5km but the warm up takes up a bit of that.
More traffic as I approach the double bend which causes me to stop for a few seconds.
I break into a slower run. The first bit is gently downhill followed by a steep climb up to the triangle junction at the top. Right turn and still climbing. A couple of cars parked outside the barn. A couple of tractors turn out of a field behind me and close the distance. I step into the verge to let them past, pausing the watch. The first one is towing a trailer full of clods of earth.
There's been a bustle of activity throughout Friday (even after dark) and Saturday to get hay in whilst it's dry.
Up to the group of houses at the top. The second tractor has paused at the very top, but it pulls off down a side road as I approach. I stay on the top road.
Beep beep! A text message from my sister. Could be something important. I stop and pause the watch. Oh, she's received a hospital appointment through the post. I reply and continue the run.
Beep beep! She replies. I pause again to read it.
I continue on. Another duck into the verge to let a couple of cars past. Another right turn. This lane twists a bit, goes downhill then climbs again.
On the climb another text message. I pause. This time I take a photo (above) as there's something interesting to snap. That sheep statue gains a lamb in spring.
It's getting quite hot, especially from the heat radiating up from the tarmac of the road.
The road climbs a bit more then flattens out and drops again, climbing a little to the crossroads. A pause there for a couple of photos.
Then it's back onto the main road and mostly downhill all the way to the end. I have to overshoot the starting point to make the distance. And then it's over and I walk back, absolutely drenched in sweat.
Stats:
Duration: 39'22" total (29'19" running, not counting stoppages of about 5 mins)
Distance: 5.69km total (5.00km running)
Splits: 6'31", 5'53", 5'46", 5'37", 5'32"
A couple of differing runs, both productive. I'd have liked to do the 5km one as a continuous run but it wasn't to happen.
Importantly no problems with the toe. A rest day on Sunday. I'm going to avoid running two days in a row for a little while longer.
I'm planning an easier, shorter run for Monday, weather permitting. I'd like to work up to a longer run over the next week or so.
I can't believe it's not butter!
OH WHAT A LOVELY RUN!
Tale of Two Runs
Two runs to go!😁😁 And park run course checked out! ⛰🏃😯😯
Consolidation runs
