Hi! With Social Distancing being paramount I’d thought I’d share my self-inflicted-isolation run I did a few years ago when recovering from injury!
It utilises the bypass [Melrose way].
Start.
Jog to bottom of Fulshaw Park, or you can drive and park there and warm up.
Jog up Melrose Way, under the bridge [Brook Lane] and stop at the Bollards just after.
1 minute rest whilst setting watch to race for 5 minutes.
Off you go up the incline as fast as you can maintain. It’s good if your watch warns you at 90%, then you can push through those last 30 seconds. Record your physical position and or distance. Can use some chalk or place something in the grass verge for future comparisons. I had a coloured wooden garden label! Use this to compare with previous reps.
90 seconds recovery. Then continue to Jog south to the end of bypass.
Now it depends on the 5k or 10k rep.
5k rep: can either cross the road to the opposite site or just turnaround.
90 seconds recovery. Set watch to race for 20 minutes.
Now set of running whilst maintaining a good strong fast-ish pace. Again the 90% warnings are helpful. You get to know the visual ‘milestones’ over time which indicate how you are doing. Use chalk or something to record the 20 minute position.
I had my target as the bollards, the bridge, the house after the bridge. Groups 1,2 and 3 might be targeting end of bypass or Merlin!
10K Rep. At end of Melrose Way continue on paths to Broken Cross lights. 90 second rest (if needed). Return running back to top of Melrose Way. Now it is the same as the 5K rep. 90 second rest. Then 20 minute measured run back.
I did this for 3 months whilst recovering from injury a few years ago. Started getting really good 5k times. Almost made my 10k target at the Alderley Edge 10k – missed it by 3 seconds! But still 3-4 minutes faster than previous ones. Especially good was running past various club runners on the return – after the half way turn!!
Enjoy.