A HARD WEEKS RUNNING

I guess as I was the only Harrier at Carluke and Corstorphine it falls to me to give you a race report of sorts.
As most of you know I do like a race or two but ive had one of my toughest weeks yet.
It all started last Saturday at Strathclyde parkrun where I wanted a testing 5k but it was warm and ive never really enjoyed the heat doing most of my best times during the winter months. It didn't go well as after a good 2k I lost all my pace and dropped 2 mins over the last 3k. Never mind it was warm so I just accept this wasn't one of my better days. Onto the Sunday and I headed for Carluke for a 10k which was on a different course from which I done over 10 years ago. It was threatening to rain and I was praying but it never came and was still warm and really muggy. The course starts on the track for three quarters of a lap then downhill to 1k. A good start and felt good but the course then bites with the next 3k all uphill with no wee flat parts. Throw in the mugginess and I think I lost a gallon of water in this part. You then have a kilometre or so of downhill before climbing again for about a k, some flat to just before 8k then big downhill to 9k and picking up some good speed and recovery but the last k has a sting back up the first k to the stadium and round the track to the finish. I ran 58 mins which is slower than ive been running lately but it was so warm and hilly I was reasonably happy with that. Just a note for everyone, don't go here looking for a PB, its not going to happen but it is a good test of your strength. On Monday it was our own Chatelherault race, Having run the course 2 weeks before with my fastest time since 2013 I was a bit apprehensive after the previous 2 days but managed to run faster and ran my best time since 2011 so happy with that and the fact that the legs where still ok even if a bit tired. Bit of a rest day on the Tuesday with a very gentle 5k easy run with the Tuesday Harriers. Onto the Wednesday and a trip to Edinburgh for the Corstorphine 5 miles. Ive done this race a few times over the years and knew it can be a good course for times as the start and finish are fast. Your first 1.5 miles are slightly downhill giving that fast start but at 2 miles your hitting some undulations which can be testing but with a little shortening of the stride I was able to keep a good pace going. Through 3 miles and you have about half a mile that's flat before the biggest climb on the course and with the heat it was a real struggle but I only lost about 30 secs to mile 4. Last mile which is a big downhill except the last 400 yards which inclines slightly back to the start. Finished in 41.50 which was my fastest since 2011. Very happy with that considering the Saturday and Sunday hadn't gone as well as I had hoped for. Onto the Thursday and our own Auldhouse time trial. For the last few years ive not done the run out and back but just taken the car to Langlands. This time I decided just to do the run out and back too. Alan soon had us gathered and off we were at 30 secs intervals. Legs felt tired but working well and ran a good steady 26.30 which on that course and after the previous runs I was happy with and looking back at previous years my fastest since 2015.
This hard running has all been leading up to this Sunday Im on my 2nd rest day at the moment but tomorrow im heading to Bishopton for a 10k that ive been led to believe is pan flat and im going to try and get back under the 52 min mark. Would really appreciate a thunder shower just now to clear the air but will take it as I find it. For someone that has never ran well in the heat its probably some of the best summer running ive had for years.

Russell