Diary of a middle-age runner

menoscemo

gerard65 wrote: »

Something completely different eh? I'll be doing the 5 mile the day before:(
Ye, next time your heading up that way give me a shout, although I live only a couple of miles away I don't know my way around the mountains at all.

As long as you know Doherty's Car park (now the merry Plough boy) we should be able to guide the rest of the way.

gerard65

Sun 16th May
Sportsworld 5 Mile.
5 miles (and a bit) in 33:36.
If I had'nt already signed up for this race and if it wasn't just up the road from me I would'nt have run. Only one run since last Sunday because of my knee problem and poor sleep last night with a toothache. I decided to use it as a pace training session for a half marathon and go out at 7min/ml. I told this to RacoonQueen, Memoscemo, Aimamn and Foleyalan when I met them before the race (i meant it at the time). However this plan change after the first mile, I would have swore I was on about 7min/ml pace but the watch said 6:31 and was feeling easy (slightly downhill). Passed a guy who must have tripped on one of the cones as he was sitting at the side of the road with a bad cut and holding his ribs. I notice memoscemo wasn't too far on front so I slowly closed the gap until I was on his shoulder. Mile 2 was 6:41. Felt guilty so I moved up beside him with the view to taking some of the pacing. Mile 3 was 6:49 and still feeling good, memoscemo had fallen back. Notice woddle out with the camera so gave him thumbs up. Mile 4 went by in 6:34 still picking off people. Mile 5 was hard - 6:41 up whitehall road. At one point I noticed a marker in the distance which I took as the 800m to go - it wasn't, it was the 2mile marker from the first lap. Was struggling at this point and took a quick look behind dreading memoscemo was on my shoulder. Was outsprinted over the last 200m by 2 others but also took 2 others.
Very happy with the run, not a PB (10 secs out) but an M45 PB for me.

menoscemo

gerard65 wrote: »

Sun 16th May
S Passed a guy who must have tripped on one of the cones as he was sitting at the side of the road with a bad cut and holding his ribs.

Yeah I saw that fall, it was just in front of me and I had to dodge the cone. It looked like the guy got a slight push into the cone because he was ragin.

RacoonQueen

Yeah he didn't look good, that can easily happen in races like this. Nearly happened to me in Limerick. Cones are a big problem as you can't see them coming if there is someone in front of you - they have time to dodge and all of a sudden you're on top of the cone.

gerard65

Mon 17th May
6.51mls in 56:28. Avg 8:41.
Nice and easy after yesterdays race. Have to change my lap of Bushy as the trees coming into full leaf are blocking the signal on my forerunner. I think summer has arrived.

shels4ever

You looked very strong in the race on Sunday, Very good running hope to maybe give you a bit of a race in a couple of months, But I think i've said that before....

How are you finding the foam roller, i've been using it for about a week now and wish I had bought one months ago.

gerard65

shels4ever wrote: »

How are you finding the foam roller, i've been using it for about a week now and wish I had bought one months ago.

Still rolling away. I reckon it'll take a few weeks to notice a difference but my legs don't seem to have that 'hangover' feeling after Sundays race.

Tues 18th May.
5.77mls Tempo in 41:47. Avg 7:14.
Summer's deffo here - its raining:rolleyes:. Mile times for this session - 7:53, 7:00, 6:49, 6:58, 7:00 and 7:58 for the last bit. Odd the way these times feel harder in training than a race.

gerard65

Wed 19th May
4.34mls in 38:10. Avg 8:47
Took it very easy tonight. Very humid and the legs were tired after last night. A bit of mountain running tomorrow and I've decided to give the Intel 10k a lash on Saturday. This will be my last race for a few weeks as I want to get in some decent training.

gerard65

Thurs 20th May
10.41mls hilly in 93:42. Avg 9min/ml.
Arranged to meet up with menoscemo today to do a recce of the masseys wood portion of the mountain plod race in July. Decided to run up to our meeting point in Rockbrook which was a bit ambitious. Between the heat - 19C - and a tiredness still in my legs from the week I was fooked by the time we started. The first part was OK, nothing too extreme but the path gets steeper and narrower. I had to walk a few times at the steepest sections. We came out at the hairpin-bend just below kilkee carpark and back down the corkscrew road. Its going to be a very tough run, I'll have to get a few more runs around the hills before mid July. Not too sure about the 10k on Saturday. If I run I'll use it as a training run and leave a PB attempt for another time.

Woddle

gerard65 wrote: »

Between the heat - 19C - and a tiredness still in my legs from the week .

Not to mention you were in long sleeves , I caught a glimpse of you on the way back from collecting my daughter

Krusty_Clown

gerard65 wrote: »

Thurs 20th May
10.41mls hilly in 93:42. Avg 9min/ml.
Arranged to meet up with menoscemo today to do a recce of the masseys wood portion of the mountain plod race in July. Decided to run up to our meeting point in Rockbrook which was a bit ambitious. Between the heat - 19C - and a tiredness still in my legs from the week I was fooked by the time we started. The first part was OK, nothing too extreme but the path gets steeper and narrower. I had to walk a few times at the steepest sections. We came out at the hairpin-bend just below kilkee carpark and back down the corkscrew road. Its going to be a very tough run, I'll have to get a few more runs around the hills before mid July. Not too sure about the 10k on Saturday. If I run I'll use it as a training run and leave a PB attempt for another time.

I think there will be many people walking sections of this race, so don't be disconcerted. Particularly the second climb up to Tibradden. Fortunately it's an early start, at 10am, so we might avoid most of the heat.

gerard65

Woddle wrote: »

Not to mention you were in long sleeves , I caught a glimpse of you on the way back from collecting my daughter

Believe it or not thats my lightest t-shirt despite the long sleeves. It also keeps my arms from been bitten by insects. I must have sweet blood, everytime I go anywhere trees, grass, bushes I end up in bits.

gerard65

Sat 22nd May
BHAA Intel 10k. 47:25:(
A complete wipeout for me today. I had a feeling all was not right warming up. The legs felt heavy and I kept refluxing bile. Tried to keep a relaxed pace but after 3 miles the tank ran dry. Some fairly heavy training runs this week, a race last Sunday and the hottest days of the year so far simply left me shagged after 3 miles. I gave up, turned off the watch and started to walk. I then had a head V heart moment. The head said quit completly and the heart was telling be to start jogging and not to have a DNF. I finished the race jogging. I've run faster 10K's in training than today. I think its time for a few days off with no more races planned till mid July a week of easy/rest will be very benefital. I never want to go through that again, its really an awful feeling when your completly drained, like hitting the wall in a marathon. Thats overtraining:(

RacoonQueen

Hard luck Gerard, sounds like my Great Ireland Run - I went out for a 10 mile run 2 days after it and ran the first 10k faster than I finished the race two days before. It's races like that that help you appreciate the ones that go well.

menoscemo

Exact same thing hapened me today in training, My legs were like lead. I think that trail though the forest on thursday took more out of me than I think and In fairness you went twice as far.

BeepBeep67

The 10 miler plus today's heat probably knocked it out of you - take tomorrow off and throw on the gear for a few on Mon followed by a 2 miler in Raheny Tues night and you'll be back in the game.

gerard65

Sat 29th May
45min easy.
Bad week. Wrecked after last weeks race for a couple of days so I took the week off. Could'nt be bothered doing any running. I'll take it very easy for the next couple of weeks.

gerard65

Sun 30th May
11.13mls in 98mins.
Did'nt know if I wanted to run today. Decided to do a lap or two of Bushy, that turned into about ten. Just jogging along listening to Van Halen. Nice evening for it.

BeepBeep67

gerard65 wrote: »

Sun 30th May
11.13mls in 98mins.
Did'nt know if I wanted to run today. Decided to do a lap or two of Bushy, that turned into about ten. Just jogging along listening to Van Halen. Nice evening for it.

Early 'runnin' with the devil' tunz or ...... must get them back out for a play - seen them in Donnington in mmmmmm '83 / '84

gerard65

Mon 31st May
7.14mls in 61:23.
Just wanted to get the hour in. Find myself running too fast in the middle miles, keep it easy.:rolleyes: Still, got done before the rain. Tomorrow evening I'll try keep the pace at 9min/ml. I wonder if putting walking breaks in would help in keeping to pace slow.

TheRoadRunner

gerard65 wrote: »

Mon 31st May
I wonder if putting walking breaks in would help in keeping to pace slow.

i sometimes take stretching breaks if I think my pace is too quick. It helps reduce the tempo. Worth a try and you get a couple of decent stretches in as well as your legs are usually warmed up properly.

gerard65

Tues 1st June.
90mins very easy.
Managed to keep the pace slow all the way using TheRoadRunner's advice of stopping to stretch now and then. Keeping the 'time-on-feet' training until I start Hal's half marathon plan in a couple of weeks.

gerard65

Thurs 3rd June
8.8mls in 76:30
No runnin last night, went drinkin. Went up to Marley this evening and kept the pace slow. Nice evening for running. Passed the 500 miles for the year.

gerard65

Fri 4th June
8.2mls in 71mins.
Great evening for a run. Legs a bit tired, about 50 miles covered over the last 7 days so time for a couple of days off.

gerard65

Mon 7th June
8.48mls in 70:31.
Waited all afternoon for the rain to clear, it did'nt, so headed out at 8pm. After the first couple of miles I was as wet as I was going to get. Glad to see I was'nt the only nutter running in the rain.

gerard65

Tues 8th June
6mls in 50mins.
Had to drag myself out for this one, would have prefered to sit on front of the tele. Forgot to stuff my shoes with newspaper after the rain last night so they were still soaking. Had to wear an old pair of nimbus, just did'nt feel right.

gerard65

Wed 9th June
6.56mls in 52:30. Avg 8min/ml
Felt like I was just going through the motions this evening. Weather is more like November than June, I hate dull days.

RacoonQueen

haha when I was in the park I was thinking what a lovely evening it was

gerard65

RacoonQueen wrote: »

haha when I was in the park I was thinking what a lovely evening it was

Must have been a nice sunny, warm evening on the 'costa ballyer'.

RacoonQueen

It was dull, damp and windy. Absolute perfection.