Park Loop with John

King Street Old Roman Road (800m to go...)
Registered Public Right of Way

Today, John met me for a run around the Park Loop.

We both initially ran together at a comfortable 12.5km-ish chatting pace and continued at that general pace until there was only 800 metres to go. At this point I checked my watch and realised that at the current pace, I would be well outside 21 minutes, so picked up the pace in order to try and gain a sub 21 time.

With 400 metres to go I began to seriously sprint and my HRmax began to increase from 173 upwards, reaching its new HRmax of 181 for this year. I completed the Park Loop in a time of 20:46.

John had run 13km just yesterday in windy conditions, so you cannot blame him for feeling tired; for him this was a recovery run.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 12:53 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 20:46

Speed: 12.86 km/h
Pace: 4:40 per km

334 kcals, 166 HRavg, 181 HRmax

MP3: None - Chat with John instead.

Canada Edinburgh Park FC P - P Coundon Conservative Club FC

F.A. Sunday Cup Fourth Round Proper, Sunday 20th January 2008 at 1:00pm
Canada Edinburgh Park FC P - P Coundon Conservative Club FC
Venue: Dockers Club, Liverpool


Yes, yet another fixture postponed due to severe waterlogging!

No run today either

We had a 9:00am appointment at Jessica's nursery today, so did not get into work until 10:00am.

I was also far too busy to break for lunch trying my best to hit the deadline for the next delivery of our software for QA purposes. I left work sometime after 8:00pm only stopping for a quick bite to eat at my desk.

No run today

It was Jessica's MMR injection today, so I had an early lunchbreak to attend this appointment.

This meant a day off from running - perhaps I needed it any way considering how I felt just yesterday.

A tired Park Loop

The Dingle Path

off Cann Lane

Negatives

I felt mentally tired and certainly not in the mood for running today and when I got running I also felt physcially tired too. It was basically hard work today for whatever reason.

Also at the 200m mark, I also went over on some wet mushy leaves and at 1.3km a dog on a long lead ran at me and I had to give it a wide birth off the path into the very heavy boggy muddy grass bank. Then with just 300m to go two people walking side-by-side made very little effort to move out of the way and gave me very little room to get by, followed by another owner and another dog just 30m ahead that caused me some problems too. Then with just 50m to go a car drove out of the Stretton Road car park and stopped directly in front of me to give way to traffic on Stretton Road. I was forced to run around it again almost slipping over for the second time on some mud.

My slow time today for all of the above reasons was 21:22.


Positives

Despite the way I felt, I still ran so had some more "time on feet" rather than doing nothing at all. This means that I have still exercised on every single weekday in 2008. So, not all bad news.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 2:33 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 21:22

Speed: 12.50 km/h
Pace: 4:48 per km

296 kcals, 153 HRavg, 164 HRmax


MP3: Katie Melua - Pictures

Park Loop 5.31km Variation

The Oak Walkway

Private Path owned by The Pewterspear Trust

Due to the Fleetwood Town v Gateshead game being off, I extended my usual Park Loop run slightly from its typical 4.45km to a 5.31km Park Loop Variation instead.

I ran at a reasonable pace, before picking my pace up for the last 500 metres or so, where I began to put in a fast sprint attaining 17.0km/h for about 100 metres, before settling down to about 15km/h for the remainder.

I often find that it's usually much easier to put in the effort at the end of the run as you know "that effort" will soon be over.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 2:15 pm
Distance: 5.31 km (Gmap)
Duration: 24.21

Speed: 13.08 km/h
Pace: 4:35 per km

359 kcals, 159 HRavg, 170 HRmax


MP3: None! I accidently left it at work again!

Fleetwood Town P - P Gateshead FC

I arrived into work this morning at 7:55am with a view of leaving at 4:00pm in order to travel, arrive in good time, and officiate as an Assistant Referee at Fleetwood Town FC who were scheduled to play Gatehead FC.

However, following a pitch inspection the game was called off at 9:45am due to a severely waterlogged pitch.

Park Loop at a comfortable pace

Green Lane (2km mark)

I did not fancy blasting it today - so I didn't. Instead I ran at a comfortable pace up until the final 800 metres where I did pick up the pace in order to sneak inside 21 minutes.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 1:22 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 20:58

Speed: 12.73 km/h
Pace: 4:43 per km

310 kcals, 160 HRavg, 173 HRmax


MP3: Mika (Continued...)

Hillside Run

Hillside Farm Track (First Stile)

Registered Public Right of Way

For a bit of a change, I ran the shorter 4.19km Hillside Run on a cold and quite windy afternoon.

The Hillside Run was very muddy and slippy in places and I had to give way to speed in order to stay on my feet.

The two stiles that you have to climb over both on the outward and inward parts of the run were wet and slippy and it was more important to slow down and carefully clamber over them rather than risking potential injury.

My outward time was 9:42 and my inward time was 9:47, giving a total time of 19:29 for the 4.19km distance.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 2:46 pm
Distance: 4.19 km
Duration: 19:29

Speed: 12.90 km/h
Pace: 4:39 per km

288 kcals, 160 HRavg, 170 HRmax

MP3: Mika

Treadmill Coopers Test

Park Royal's TechnoGym Treadmill

Unfortunately due to a lunchtime dental checkup, I did not have time to run my usual outdoor distance of 4.45km, but I just had time to at least perform an indoor 12 minutes Cooper Test on one of the Park Royal's treadmills.

I managed 2,860 metres within the 12 minutes.

When I run on a treadmill, I always remember the reasons why I run outside. It's pretty boring and you easily begin to overheat. The last time I ran indoors was almost a year ago on the 9th February 2007.

Fitness Stats

Start Time: 1:29 pm

Distance: 2.86 km

Duration: 12:00

Speed: 14.30 km/h

Pace: 4:12 per km

192 kcals, 164 HRavg, 173 HRmax

MP3: Mika

Clockwise

The Pewterspear Garden Path
Registered Public Right of Way

Considering that I was not in the mood today, I did not want to place myself under any undue pressure to further improve on yesterday's 19:59 time, so I decided to run the Park Loop in the opposite direction (which is clockwise).

For some strange unknown reason, the clockwise version of this obviously same distance run has always consistently provided on average slower times for both John and I.

So, with the pressure off, I simply ran at a reasonably quick, but all the same comfortable and consistent pace for the entire distance. I was, therefore, quite pleased with my time of 20:13, considering my state of mind before I set out, that I was not really ‘going for it’, and also due to the fact that I had run the usually slower clockwise circuit.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 2:19 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 20:13

Speed: 13.21 km/h
Pace: 4:33 per km

320 kcals, 165 HRavg, 173 HRmax

MP3: Gwen Stafani, "Love Angel Music Baby" (Continued...)

Bubble Pop Electric

The Second Kissing Gate (1.2km mark)

Today, I ran the Park Loop with Gwen Stefani who helped me complete my first sub 7-minute mile of 2008 with a time of 6:40 (which includes the negotiation of three individual kissing gates enroute to the first mile). This was an improvement of 23 seconds at this point as compared to yesterday.

I did however later pay for that fast start whilst running down the Pewterspear Garden Path, which is about one mile from the end.

Again, I believe that it was only Gwen's "Bubble Pop Electric" track that kept me going, otherwise I think that I would have probably wasted all or most of that 23 second advantage earned in the very first mile. However I instead kept going...

As it turns out, I managed to beat yesterday's time by 18 seconds, although that last mile did hurt a bit. The pain was kind-a worth it as I finished the Park Loop in my first sub-20 time of the year with a time of 19:59 - Just!


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 2:34 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 19:59

Speed: 13.36 km/h
Pace: 4:29 per km

330 kcals, 168 HRavg, 178 HRmax


MP3: Gwen Stafani, "Love Angel Music Baby"

Improving Times...

King Street Old Roman Road

Registered Public Right of Way

I ran the Park Loop again in order to accurately monitor my back to fitness progress and I managed to trim yet another 37 seconds off Friday's time.


Improvement Log:

Wednesday 2nd Jan: 21:47
Thursday 3rd Jan: 21:07 (-40 secs, -40 secs)
Friday 4th Jan: 21:00 (-7 secs, -47 secs)
Today: 20:17 (-37 secs, -1:24 mins)

It is getting more difficult now though...


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 2:23 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 20:17

Speed: 13.16 km/h
Pace: 4:33 per km

329 kcals, 167 HRavg, 176 HRmax


MP3

None... I accidently forgot to take it with me to the gym, which is exactly where I was when I suddenly remembered I'd left it at work.

Witton Albion 2 - 1 Curzon Ashton

Witton Albion 2 - 1 Curzon Ashton
Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, Round 4


No goals were scored in the first half, however, this changed in the second half with two goals from Witton Albion in the 68th and 82nd minute. Curzon Ashton got a goal back in the 90+2 of 90+4.


Referee: Dave Croft
Assistants: Richard Spedding and myself
Assessor: Jeff Walton


Fitness Stats

1st Half: 47:00 mins, 533kcals, HRavg 135 and HRmax 165;
2nd Half: 49:00 mins, 523kcals, HRavg 129, HRmax 157.

Total: 1:36, 1056kcals, HRmax 165.

Park Loop yet again

The Green Lane Pillars

I again ran the Park Loop, trimming another 7 seconds off yesterday's time.

My HRavg today was 170 (93%), so I was working hard for my current fitness level. I hope that my usual quicker times with less effort will soon be back once again. It's all in the training I suppose.

Stealing an idea from John, I plan to maintain my accumulated statistics for 2008 (In the right-hand frame underneath "About Me").


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 1:46 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 21:00

Speed: 12.71 km/h
Pace: 4:43 per km

358 kcals, 170 HRavg, 178 HRmax


MP3: Katie Melua - Pictures

I was going to listen to Gwen Stefani - "Love Angel Music Baby" (due to the fast beat rate of most tracks), but I had accidently copy protected the CD whilst ripping into Windows Media Player. So Syncing it to my MP3 player meant I would soon find out that it would not work - just prior to setting off for my run!

Post run, I have re-ripped the CD without copy protection and it now works correctly - oh well, next time! Still another listen to Katie...

A little faster Park Loop

The Oak Walkway Wooden Bridge Crossing

Another Park Loop, albeit 40 seconds faster today on an even colder day than yesterday.

I'm certainly getting used to my MP3 player now - how did I do without it before? Listened to the remainder of Katie Melua's Pictures.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 2:52 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 21:07

Speed: 12.64 km/h
Pace: 4:45 per km

346 kcals, 167 HRavg, 178 HRmax

A cold Park Loop

The Oak Walkway

I ran the Park Loop listening to Katie Melua's Pictures Album on my new Technika 2Gb MP3 Player. The MP3 player was a Christmas present.

I now need to train hard as my fitness level has dropped and I definitely need to get it back. So, today was simply putting in some time running at a comfortable pace in the very fresh conditions. Once I get my fitness level back, I'll then pick up the pace once again.

My training schedule has been very mixed lately due to a knee and back injury. I've also managed to pick up more than my usual number of colds which have also lasted much longer too. My workload has increased, making lunchtime training that little more difficult.

For these and other reasons, I have not been blogging the runs that I actually did... however in 2008 I plan to change all that once again and begin to record my training once again.


Fitness Stats

Start Time: 1:21 pm
Distance: 4.45 km
Duration: 21:47

Speed: 12.26 km/h
Pace: 4:54 per km

343 kcals, 165 HRavg, 174 HRmax

Burscough 1 - 1 Southport

Burscough 1 - 1 Southport

This new year's day fixture saw a crowd of over 1,400 turn up to watch an entertaining one all draw.

There are a full set of action photos on the Southport website for this fixture, including pictures of the officials... however, on one photo at the toss-up just before the kick-off, only part of my head, ear, and one leg is visible as I am hidden by the referee. In the other photo, the other assistant referee and referee are seen during the minute silence, however, I'm just out of the shot to the left-hand side. The referee makes a few other appearances and the other assistant referee make one other appearance where he is seen indicating on offside offence. I do not make any other photos... perhaps I wasn't there...! ;-)


Referee: D Stewart
Assistants: M Hopton and myself
Assessor: None


Fitness Stats

1st Half: 47:00 mins, 608kcals, HRavg 144 and HRmax 171;
2nd Half: 48:00 mins, 608kcals, HRavg 142, HRmax 167.

Total: 1:35, 1216kcals, HRmax 171.