Tom Roper's Running Training

Splash Point

It was windy this morning, but the sea was not as rough as yesterday. Nevertheless I returned from a morning run agreeably salty.
Time: 47:28
Distance: 5.06
Pace: 9.23 (best 7.09)
Average heart rate: 143

Bishopstone and Seaford front

In order to retrieve my car, which I left at a party last night, I ran over the fields to Bishopstone and then down to Seaford front, to Splash Point, and back as far as the Beachcomber, where I finished; the weather still grey, though visibility a little better than yesterday.
Time: 50:14
Distance: 5.36
Pace: 9.20 (best 7.05)
Average heart rate: 144

Boxing Day run: Piddinghoe to Telscombe Tye

My son was sailing at Piddinghoe, so I took advantage of the opportunity to start a run at Piddinghoe. I had hoped to head north, to the downs above Kingston, but I followed a runner I saw taking an uphill lane off the road to Lewes. This led to Lodge Hill. then a road through the back of Telscombe (part of the Mince Pie Ten Mile route), to Cross Dyke and over the top of Telscombe Tye.
It was grey, foggy, and felt cold when running into the wind.
Time: 1:30:25
Distance: 9.28
Pace: 9.45 (best 7.05)
Average heart rate: 152

Christmas Eve run

I ran to Frog Firle and High and over on a grey foggy morning, but here and there sloes and rose-hips still coloured the hedges.
Time: 49:02
Distance: 5.08
Pace: 9.40 (best 7.30)
Average heart rate: 150

Technorati Tags: frogfirle, highandover

Golf course Loose Bottom

I've been very dilatory, both in running and in posting about it. I have two runs to add here, one on Monday, a brief trot up behind the golf course and back, and today's, over the truncated version of the University of Sussex Health Week route, a longer, exhilarating affair, as the fog lifted and the sun came out, to Loose Bottom and through the woods with Claire, a last run before the university shut down for Christmas.

Monday:
Time: 30:56
Distance: 3.17
Pace: 9.45 (best 8.05)
Average heart rate: 154

Today:
Time: 54:20
Distance: 5.08
Pace: 10.42 (best 8.02)
Average heart rate: 148

Stanmer Great Wood and Seaford front

On Friday I ran with Claire, Jana and Steffi to Stanmer Park and through the woods, my first run since Sunday's race ; this morning I ran down to the front before dawn, there being no time for a long run today.
Friday's run (did not start the Forerunner till about ten minutes in)
Time: 30:18
Distance: 2.85
Pace: 10.36 (best 8.02)
Average heart rate: 136

Sunday:
Time: 47:12
Distance: 5.02
Pace: 9.24 (best: 7.54)
Average heart rate: 151

Mince Pie Ten Mile

I ran the Mince Pie Ten Mile in bright sunshine, and a slight wind, far better conditions than the weather forecast had offered. It;s a strange route, contrasting stretches with beautiful views with some rather dull sections through the bungalows of Peacehaven and Saltdean.
I was a little disappointed not to be faster; I had hoped to get a time of around 1:15. The gory details, according to my watch:
Time: 1:28:20
Distance: 10.16
Pace: 8.42 (best: 6.10)
This was my last race in 2006. My next target, on the way to an as-yet-unentered spring marathon, is the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon, in just under ten weeks time.

Latest news: the results are up. My official time was 1:28:16, so the Forerunner did not lie, and I was 163rd out of 291 runners.

Technorati Tags: mincepietenmile

Stanmer Great Wood

I ran through Stanmer Park and the Great Wood with Claire of the BSMS runners, for my last run before the Mince Pie Ten Mile. It had rained a great deal in the morning, but was dry for our excursion. The Forerunner did not start for the first half a mile or so, so add a little on to these figures.
Time: 37:19
Distance: 3.68
Pace: 10.08 (best 8.14)
Average heart rate: 139

Two runs in one post

Yesterday I took the car to the Seven Sisters, parked in the car park and ran along the Cuckmere to its mouth, which made exactly a mile for a warm up , and then ran twelve 2 minute hill sessions with three minute jog recoveries up the lower slopes of Haven Brow. I varied the ruote for the climb session and discovered that I am bad at guessing at inclines, for apparently similar bits of the Seven Sisters were by no means uniform.
Time: 1:19:21
Distance: 7.05
Pace: 11.16 (best 7.54)
Average heart rate: 143

For the hill sessions, here's distance covered and pace:
Hill climb 1: 0.16/11.05

Hill climb 2: 0.17/12.07
Hill climb 3: 0.17/11.44
Hill climb 4: 0.16/12.10
Hill climb 5: 0.13/14.52
Hill climb 6: 0.17/11.42
Hill climb 7: 0.16/12.16
Hill climb 8: 0.18/11.24
Hill climb 9: 0.16/12.18
Hill climb 10: 0.15/13.15
Hill climb 11: 0.15/13.46
Hill climb 12: 0.17/11.52

Today, in a fierce wind, i did what was supposed to be an easy five miles to Splash Point and back but in the wind it felt anything but easy.

Time: 49.28
Distance: 5.00
Pace: 9.54 (best 7.06)
Average heart rate: 162

Technorati Tags: easyrun, hills, seaford

A slow Monday

I ran a slow three-mile route up behind the golf club, in fine weather but with cloud gathering.
Time: 28.38
Distance: 3.00
Pace: 9:32 (best 8:20)
Average heart rate: 151

I ought to record the different paces I'm using, which intended to prepare me to run a marathon in under four hours:
Jog recovery:10:59
Easy: 10:32
Slow: 10:15
Steady (about marathon pace): 9:09
Brisk or Threshold (around half-marathon pace). 8:47
Fast-10K: 8:25
Fast-5K: 8:03
Fast->5K: 7:47

Technorati Tags: pace, slowrun