West End Loop via Norval - 6.8km - 47mins 10secs

Well well. A big improvement today and an non-stop effort. It just goes to show you that managing to keep going without a walking break makes a huge difference in time - more than 2 minutes faster than the last time we did this.

Next we'll have to increase the distance.

Western to Partick via Norval - 3.5km - 22min 46sec

A slow one and a painful one to boot. I've decided that it sucks running home from work with a backpack. My Chi is all off center when I've got that thing bouncing up and down with every step. Also the mesh lining of my jacket is now totally ruined from the friction.

Worse though is even on this short run I'm looking at a 10k time of 65mins. D'oh.

West End Loop via Norval - 6.8km - 49min 35sec

Well this could have been better. Adam's been in the midst of a house flit over the last few weeks and so hasn't run at all. Also this is the longest distance that he's run so a stop or 2 was to be expected.

In the end we had 3 walks due to stitches but at least we are creeping closer to that elusive 10km mental barrier for Adam. I doubt a sub-hour 10k will be achiveable by the Glasgow Race in September but I guess that's not really the point.

The Pain

Don't really know what's going on with my legs but I've not run since the sore ankle episode. Every day since I've had a variety of leg aches and pains from sore knees to sore shins. Only my toes seem unaffected.

Supposed to be running with Adam tomorrow but I'm not sure how I'll be feeling then. opefully he's done no running for a few weeks and my agonising shuffle will seem less noticeable.

Western to Partick - 6km - 40min 02sec

Ran this yesterday as promised and it felt much harder than it was the day before despite bring almost a minute faster. Unfortunately I awoke with pain in my right ankle this morning which was so sore that I had to take some Ibuprofen.

I don't think I'll run today!

Western to Partick - 6km - 40min 55sec

I've been a bit crap in the last few weeks since the Triathlon. Since then I've only done 5 runs, no cycling and no swimming (no surprises there). This one yesterday is the only one that I've timed and I was taking it really easy.

I've started doing this route on the way home from the Western and it's got the potential to be stretched out a wee bit if I feel the need. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true and if I get bored or tired I have several alternative routes that I can bail out on and drop the distance easily.

I've also temporarily lost my running partner to the vices of maturity and he's busy moving house and mortgaging and shopping in Ikea etc. All the things I've got to look forward to in the next few months. Worse luck. Anyway, we've got a run planned for next Tuesday and I'm planning to always run home from work from now on.

We'll see how that goes!!!

Stirling Triathlon - 1st June 2008 - 1 hour 42 mins

Sorry,

I've been totally remiss in writing this damn thing. So for a quick catch up read on...

I became quite slack with my training but the day of the big race came and I still did it. It took longer than I thought and I was shattered at the end but it was worth it.

The swim was a joke - I'd put myself in quite a fast heat even though I'd not swam since Sydney. I should have put 18 mins as my time but I was in a 14 min heat and I got overtaken so many times that I spent more time hanging onto the side of the pool letting other folk pass me than I did actually swimming. I'll not make that mistake in the future! I was so slow that I ended up doing my last 4 laps by myself. Not only was I the only person left in my lane - I was also the only person left in the pool from my heat. The one consolation is that I got a big round of applause when I eventually got out.

The cycle was really nice and pleasant but as my group were over 3 minutes ahead of me there was no way that I was going to catch them. Infact, I didn't even see any of them so I had noone to chase. It meant that I had a nice leisurely cycle round the Stirling Country side which never felt like a race at any point (until a group of 5 guys from a later heat caught me just before I reached the run section).

The run was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I think it had more to do with the fact that I had spent almost no energy in the previous 2 sections by going so slow than the fact that I'm a highly tuned triathlete!!! What did suck though was that the route was actually 2.5km and i required 2 loops to complete it. Therefore everyone had the agony of reaching the finish line but alas had another lap to do.

I crossed the line finally with a sprint finish which I was pleased with and I hadn't stopped at any point during the event. That was my real goal but I like to think that with a bit of training I'll be able to break 1:40 without a problem and if I really put my mind to it I'll get sub 90 mins at next year's event.

Anyway, that's where I'm up to at the moment. I'm still going to do a few 10km races this year and once I'm finally settled in Edinburgh I'll join a club or two and really try to get into it.

Here's hoping!