Diary of a middle-age runner

gerard65

Dublin Half Marathon Training Plan
Week 6

Wed 11th Aug
Race

Fri 13th Aug
6.8mls hilly run

Poor week of training. Legs tired after Wednesday and should have taken Friday off. I find my Achilles very stiff first thing in the mornings after hard training sessions and they are a indicator to ease up but I wanted to get the hill run done, alas it left me very tired over the weekend. Recovery from tough sessions is taking longer and longer.

gerard65

Dublin Half Marathon Training Plan
Week 7

Mon 16th Aug
4.4 miles in 35mins. Tired

Thurs 19th Aug
6 miles in 50mins. Tired

Another crap week. Nothing in the tank. I've been following Daniel's program that has 2 quality sessions a week, maybe its too much. I also have Pfitzinger and Douglas roadrunning book which follows the same type of training sessions as Daniel's but with only 1 quality session which may suit better. Not looking forward to tomorrows 10mile, at the moment I feel I could'nt even jog 10mile. Everytime I seem to be getting somewhere for a few weeks I get knocked back, getting a bit fed up of it all, seriously thinking of quiting altogether.

shels4ever

gerard65 wrote: »

Dublin Half Marathon Training Plan
Week 7

Mon 16th Aug
4.4 miles in 35mins. Tired

Thurs 19th Aug
6 miles in 50mins. Tired

Another crap week. Nothing in the tank. I've been following Daniel's program that has 2 quality sessions a week, maybe its too much. I also have Pfitzinger and Douglas roadrunning book which follows the same type of training sessions as Daniel's but with only 1 quality session which may suit better. Not looking forward to tomorrows 10mile, at the moment I feel I could'nt even jog 10mile. Everytime I seem to be getting somewhere for a few weeks I get knocked back, getting a bit fed up of it all, seriously thinking of quiting altogether.

Ever think about moving it to a 10 day plan, 2 session in 10 day maybe better then 2 a week?

Don't you dare think about quiting, I've been in the same boat most of this year set back after set back, just get back to enjoying the running and don't put too much pressure on yourself,

menoscemo

Jesus Ger, sounds like the two of us will be hobbling round tomorrow.
On a brighter note, are you coming for a few pints afterwards?

gerard65

menoscemo wrote: »

Jesus Ger, sounds like the two of us will be hobbling round tomorrow.
On a brighter note, are you coming for a few pints afterwards?

I'll be taking it easy in the race and see how it goes. I've already signed up/paid for 3 races in Sept so I'll jog around them a get the t-shirt but after that I'll take a break and see how it goes but I can't see myself flogging it in training for a few seconds in a race anymore.
Pints- I'll be driving so I'll stay out of the pub and I've a couple of things to do tomorrow afternoon.

menoscemo

gerard65 wrote: »

I'll be taking it easy in the race and see how it goes. I've already signed up/paid for 3 races in Sept so I'll jog around them a get the t-shirt but after that I'll take a break and see how it goes but I can't see myself flogging it in training for a few seconds in a race anymore.
Pints- I'll be driving so I'll stay out of the pub and I've a couple of things to do tomorrow afternoon.

I'm basically crocked myslef (groin) so I will literally be jogging round at LSR pace to get the t-shirt. Hoping to see a physio on monday. I will not be wearing Boards vest as that is reserved for when I race.

gerard65

Race- Frank Duffy 10 mile. 76:44, Avg 7:36

If anything this morning has removed any remaining doubt that I'm crocked. A few months ago I'd planned to run this race at 7:12 pace, my half marathon target, the closest I got was mile 3 at 7:19. The first half the pace was steady in and around the 7:20s but I died on the second half which really hurt physically and mentally.
So where do I go from here? Firstly I think I'll need time to recover from today, not only physically but mentally. Secondly I know I'm suffering from overtraining so that will need to be managed. Then I'll need to start rebuilding very slowly again, basically I'm broken and need to take it all apart and start again.
I've three races paid for - the half on the 18th Sept, the lakes 10k and Rathfarnham 5k on the weekend 25/26th Sept so I'll run them as training runs - just run and get the t-shirt to prove it. After that no more races for the rest of the year. For the next few weeks I'll just tick over and hopefully I'll rediscover the joy that running use to be for me.

shels4ever

gerard65 wrote: »

Race- Frank Duffy 10 mile. 76:44, Avg 7:36

If anything this morning has removed any remaining doubt that I'm crocked. A few months ago I'd planned to run this race at 7:12 pace, my half marathon target, the closest I got was mile 3 at 7:19. The first half the pace was steady in and around the 7:20s but I died on the second half which really hurt physically and mentally.
So where do I go from here? Firstly I think I'll need time to recover from today, not only physically but mentally. Secondly I know I'm suffering from overtraining so that will need to be managed. Then I'll need to start rebuilding very slowly again, basically I'm broken and need to take it all apart and start again.
I've three races paid for - the half on the 18th Sept, the lakes 10k and Rathfarnham 5k on the weekend 25/26th Sept so I'll run them as training runs - just run and get the t-shirt to prove it. After that no more races for the rest of the year. For the next few weeks I'll just tick over and hopefully I'll rediscover the joy that running use to be for me.

Best of luck a couple of week or easy running and see how you feel. Might see you at the half marathon

gerard65

Wed 25th Aug.
Race: BHAA Zurich 2 mile, Tallaght AC Stadium - 12:22
Decided at the last minute to run this and claim my goody bag for running all track races this year. Hopeless time but I wasn't expecting much, even after a few days of no running the legs are still wrecked, alot more time needed. Very nice evening in a great setting. Goody bag was an illuminate bib for the dark winter nights, pair of 1000 mile socks and a rollon anti chaff, also picked up a tech t-shirt as a spot prize, so worth dragging myself around the track.
No more running till next Monday (at least).

gerard65

Well after taking a few days off I got back to it this week and my mojo has returned. Did a bit of thinking about my training and have decided to put aside the books and training programs, and just run. The conventional training methods don't work for me, to much pressure to hit the targets, weekly milage and all that sh1t is no fun and left me feeling knackered too often. Running should be fun and I enjoy it when I'm just 'free running'. This week I had no plan, just 'maybe I'll run today, maybe I won't, I'll see later'. No routes, distance or pace planned out, just get out and see how it goes and it turned out the best week in a long time. So thats it for me from now on, no more 'training' just running 'free'. Maybe I won't be able to race as fast but at least I'll be enjoying the freedom. From 'Iron Maiden' - I'm running free, ye....

Tues 7th Sept
8.18mls in 67:09. Avg pace 8:13.

Wed 8th Sept
6.35mls in 53:21. Avg 8:24.

Sat 11th Sept
6.18mls in 46:26. Avg 7:31

Sun 12th Sept
7.42mls hilly in 56:26. Avg 7:36

gerard65

Tues 14th Sept
10mls in 75:32. Avg 7:33.

Wed 15th Sept
5.62mls in 43:35. Avg 7:46.

Great run last night, 10 miles faster than my Frank Duffy last month, a real boost for Saturday. Tonight was an easy start and a fast finish, just over 7min/ml for the last two miles. Thats it till Saturday, alot more confident for sub 1:40.

TheRoadRunner

Just reading through your last 10 posts or so it just goes to show what a difference a month makes! You are going really well good luck on Saturday.

Krusty_Clown

Good man Ger, liking the new philosophy (very Christopher McCandless). Dump the Vdots, and Vmax, and V-whatevers. Best of luck in the 1/2 on Saturday.

kennyb3

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Dump the Vdots, and Vmax, and V-whatevers.

But not the Vodka red bulls after the race on sat!

Ger i ll probably see you on sat again this year. Im in a worse position - trying the half off 2 weeks training so starting with the 1.40 pacers

gerard65

Sat 18th Sept
Race. Dublin Half Marathon - 1:37:54. *PB*
Pos: 914/5722. Cat. Pos - 66th

A few weeks ago 1:50 seemed daunting, but over the last couple of weeks the cloud lifted and I decided to have a crack at 1:40. Started with the 1:40 pacers and stuck with them for the first five miles - avg pace 7:34min/mls. Without realising it I found myself about 30mtrs ahead of the pacers going down Chesterfield Ave. and had to make a decision - back off or continue, feeling good I pushed on. The kyper hill came and went, passing people and feeling good. Three deer ran beside us going down towards St Mary's and cut across the road right in front of me - weird. The next 5 miles I averaged 7:16 pace setting a 10mile (age) PB on the way. The 11th mile was tough, a long drag out of the glen and my slowest mile at 7:43. A group passed me at this stage and I hung on to them which got me over the hill. Second wind over the last couple of miles with the last mile at 7:06 pace.
Really happy with today, not only the time but being able to hang on when really tired, recover, and finish strongly.
Next week the Rathfarnham 5k and two weeks after that the first XC race of the season.

misty floyd

gerard65 wrote: »

Sat 18th Sept
Race. Dublin Half Marathon - 1:37:54. *PB*
Pos: 914/5722. Cat. Pos - 66th


Really happy with today, not only the time but being able to hang on when really tired, recover, and finish strongly.

Well done, thats great stuff all round.

AJCOT

Well done, good to see you back & more importantly, enjoying it.

another world

AJCOT wrote: »

Well done, good to see you back & more importantly, enjoying it.

+1

Very nice run today. It should give you a lot of confidence going forward

kennyb3

You deffo may take all them running books now and have a bonfire. delighted for ya.

shels4ever

Well done on the pb .Just spotted this now, well done super running think you may have been just run down a few week ago, its funny how quick things can change.

Aimman

Well done on the race, particularly pulling ahead of the pacers.

tunguska

Thats the stuff Ger, Im delighted to read that race report. After talking with you up at the track a few weeks ago you seemed like you were about to pack it all in. Use this good result to push on.

gerard65

Sun 26th Sept.
Race- Rathfarnham 5k - 19:14(watch time) Avg 6:09min/mls *PB*
My preparation for this was unconventional, however this approach has been working for me lately, so why change it. Was chatting to memopause when the gun went catching both of us unaware. Lashed off with the first k in 3:32, that was the plan, I've lived in the area all my life so I know this route like the back of my hand, and I know its hard to pace, so the plan was to blast off and hang on. First mile 5:52, bloody hell I'm flying. I knew the group around me from the BHAA races so I decided to stick with them. Second mile on the long drag up the Templeogue Road was 6:23 and I was hurting, kennyb went by me along here, he beat me by about 5 minutes at the half last week so I thought thats the last I've seen of him - wrong. Still sticking with my group we turned for the last downhill mile (I was doing some long interval training on this road last Tuesday) I was surprised to see kennyb just ahead of me, stuck behind him for a few yards, but he seemed to be slowing so with about 600m to go I began my windup. I knew some of the group were behind me and I did'nt want to be passed, but god, I was out on my feet. Managed to hold on till the end - last mile at 6:13. A PB by maybe 2 secs but more importantly I'm back to where I was two years ago which I'm delighted with.
KM splits - 3:32, 3:53, 3:58, 3:57, 3:47. Avg 3:49.
Two weeks to the first XC which is another benchmark from two years ago.
Official time: 19:15. Place 129/700. Age Place - 11th.

Woddle

Great stuff Gerard65.

menoscemo

Great stuff Gerard. Just out of interest- what did your Garmin measure the total distance as?

kennyb3

Fair play Ger, you certainly started fast when i seen you 50m+ ahead of me going after 500m i was thinking your nuts but like you say you know your way around there. Yeah i totally slowed up with about a km to go, just wasnt feeling it. Think comparing the half and the 5k shows what your good at and what im good at. Great performance today and always good to see a friendly face.

gerard65

menoscemo wrote: »

Great stuff Gerard. Just out of interest- what did your Garmin measure the total distance as?

3.13 miles or 5.02k (sportstrack rounding). Which is about right. I kept the inside line on the 3 corners and the bends.

shels4ever

gerard65 wrote: »

3.13 miles or 5.02k (sportstrack rounding). Which is about right. I kept the inside line on the 3 corners and the bends.

well done super running

RAL3

Smashing run

pgmcpq

Fantastic week - two PBs. That's pretty much the definition of breakthrough territory.