I managed three runs this week – one longer slower run and two short fast ones.
The first run was on Monday morning when I set out to do 10-11 miles at a steady pace as my last long run before tackling the Plymouth Half Marathon. I tried a new route from home, down through Hartley Vale, under the A38 via Linketty Lane then up to Plymouth Garden Centre, along Transit Way, across to Kings Tamerton, through Ham, over Central Park, around the park and home. It turned out to be a pretty tough run with some decent hills (much hillier than the Half Marathon route) and I completed the 10.7 miles in just under 1 hour 35 minutes or 8:51 minute/mile pace. Given the route I was happy enough.
Then, on Thursday, I did the 5k ‘Timed Run’ with the Plymouth Musketeers. This is a regular run in which everyone runs the same 5k loop down into Ernesettle and then back up Biggin Hill to the start. It was my second time on this run and I achieved a time of 24:47 which was about 2 minutes quicker than my last attempt several months ago. Coincidentally, on both occasions I finished 13th overall!
On Saturday morning I did the Plym Valley Parkrun for the 18th time and set out to achieve a Personal Best on the back of my new 5k PB achieved at the Worcester Woods Parkrun the previous week. I did achieve a PB for the route (23:12) but missed out on a 5k PB by just 4 seconds. I have a couple of 5k targets within close reach now – an overall 5k PB and a sub-23 minute time, both of which I hope to achieve in the near future.
Tim O'Hare 