Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

Krusty_Clown

Tonight: Very easy 4 mile recovery run
I passed the stair-case test this evening (negotiated the stairs in the house without any pain) so figured a run would help me get over a crappy work day. Four very gentle miles, in the park with the head-torch. Left quad is sore (definite imbalance in core, as left leg is a lot more sore than right leg). Nice slow easy run.

Summary: 4 miles in 37 mins, @9:25/mile, HR=121

dermCu

Well done on a hard earned new PB.
I'll follow your progress to 2:42 with great interest.

aero2k

Hi Krusty,

Congratulations on another great performance. I logged in on Sunday to wish you well but then realised even with the time difference you'd already be well on your way.

Terrific report too - I would take issue with your use of the word "fail" though. It's only failure if you don't learn the lessons from it, and you seem to be well on your way there.

Also, just in case you have any nagging doubts over your strategy of going for it in the early miles, I still wonder if I let a few minutes escape for my 2:54 in Edinburgh 2010 by being too cautious in the first half, whereas I have no regrets over my 3:03 there this year.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Tonight: I passed the stair-case test this evening (negotiated the stairs in the house without any pain) ...

Forwards or backwards?:D

Krusty_Clown

dermCu wrote: »

Well done on a hard earned new PB.
I'll follow your progress to 2:42 with great interest.

Cheers DermCu. I'll keep fighting the good fight.
How are you getting on? Have you pushed on with your marathon PB? Any marathons in the works?

Krusty_Clown

aero2k wrote: »

Terrific report too - I would take issue with your use of the word "fail" though. It's only failure if you don't learn the lessons from it, and you seem to be well on your way there.

Cheers Aero2k. 'fail' as in 'didn't manage to meet my proposed goal'. I learned lots from the experience, but time will tell whether or not I actually put anything that I learned into practice! I'm chomping at the bit to start running fast again. But slowly, slowly, catchee monkey..

opus

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

If the marathon target is 6:11 - 6:15/mile, then 6:50-7:15 should feel pretty comfortable. The heart rate should be low, and the effort level shouldn't be great, so that later in the program a mid-week 15 mile run at 7:00/mile shouldn't take too much out of me.

The problem was, with the extra mileage I was constantly tired. It was only towards the end of the program, when I cut back on the booze and made a conscious effort to get more sleep that the additional mileage got a lot easier. So the other area that I should have focused on was general well-being. That comes at a sacrifice (I do like my beer!), but marathon targets just don't come cheap for me any more (diminishing returns), and require a greater level of commitment that extends beyond just running.

Interesting, looks like you're thinking about running the GA runs at somewhere between MP+10% & MP+15% so. Certainly food for though there.

Actually I should say thanks as well as for some advice a few months back as originally I was doing the the midweek MLR runs from P&D as progressive & was knackered at the end of each week. Your suggestion not to helped a lot especially when they got up to 15m on a Wed evening. Running them at MP+20% meant I was a lot less tired at the weekends.

Krusty_Clown

Yesterday: 5 mile recovery run in Corkagh Park
Nice and handy, run around Corkagh. Still some pain in the left IT band and quad, but otherwise, recovering well.
Summary: 5 miles in 43 mins, @8:32/mile, HR=~125

Today: 4 Miles on the grass with the spikes
Awful hangover, so an easy run was the ideal cure. 4 easy miles on the grass in Shangannagh Park, wearing spikes for the first time. They fit like slippers, and my marathon-tired limbs actually felt better after a few easy miles, so perhaps there is something to the minimalist running craze. Nice to have some grip on the slippy wet grass too. Will try and take 'em for an easy run every week, to get some practice for the xc race in early December. Recovery run speed is up a little bit, legs feel a little bit better. All going to plan.
Summary: 4 miles in 30 mins, @7:25/mile, HR=130

Krusty_Clown

Today: 8 Mile easy run
Probably a little quick, given last week's exertions, but steady running just felt good. Quads a little sore at the end, (the payback for running quicker than I should have), but in the glorious sunshine, it was all good.
Summary: 8 miles in 59:50, @7:24/mile, HR=~133

Krusty_Clown

Today: Howlin Gale 4 mile lunch-time recovery run
Wow, what a blast! Crazy wind-speeds meant that the first couple of miles were like floating on top of the grass, and the last two miles felt like I had a bunjee cord tied to my back. Still, a but of fun when you're just doing a recovery run, with no pressure. Screwy HR figures.

Summary: 4.1 miles in 34 mins, @8:30/mile, HR=messed up

Krusty_Clown

Today: 10k afternoon run
Busy, busy morning, so the lunch-time run became a mid-afternoon run and I was bleeding starvin' by the time I got changed. Maybe that's the reason why, as I hooked up my radio to my shorts, I realized my shorts were on backwards. No big deal, I figured, sure the front's the same as the back. One 10k wedgie later, it dawned on me that you're never too old to learn something new.

It was freezing running into the wind, pummeled by a sleety shower, which might explain why I dialed the effort level up to around a '6' on the Krustometer. I must admit, I'm having impure thoughts about running a race this weekend (which I know would be a bit thick), so I'd better load myself up with some beers, and keep the dirty thoughts at bay. Soon, my pretties, soon...

Summary: 10k in 45 mins, @7:19/mile, HR=139

Krusty_Clown

Today: 6 mile grass run in the spikes
A second outing for the spikes, this time in Corkagh, with work buddy. He's working on increasing his pace, so it worked out well for me. Easy mile, then mile @7:30, then recovery for him and strides for me, and repeat. I finished up with a fast comfortable mile @6:46, and my post Chicago recovery seems almost complete. Just in time for DCM. Almost wish I was racing it.

Summary: 6 miles in 45 mins, @7:28/mile, HR=~137

Krusty_Clown

Yesterday: 3.5 brisk miles
Between cooking the dinner and picking up eldest son from football, I only had 25 minutes to spare, so got out for a brisk 3.5 miles (shortest run in about 12 months!). I'd picked up a pair of Musha's from the ever-helpful Amphibian King for €45 (ok, I have become RacoonQueen, Beepbeep and slogger jogger all rolled up into a giant shoe-ball), so was giving them a try out. I could immediately feel the difference in support (complete lack of), but they felt nice and light (must weigh and compare them to my Precisions). I took a look at the watch while passing a street-light, and was surprised to see 6:13 pace (marathon pace), which felt nice and easy in the cool Autumn evening (one of these years I'm going to have to race the crap out of Dublin marathon). After DCM is done next week, I'll start incorporating tempos and intervals to keep this pace feeling nice and comfortable. After last year's marathon I let the speed drift out too far, and had too much of a climb to reel it back in. Not this year. This year I'm all about improving the speed.

Summary: 3.5 miles in 23:21, @6:39/milr, HR=~150

RayCun

Why not Dublin next year? Or have you already picked out your autumn marathon?

Krusty_Clown

RayCun wrote: »

Why not Dublin next year? Or have you already picked out your autumn marathon?

No, no Autumn marathon for next year and no marathons hot on the 'desire' list. As long as I have two good legs, I'll be running DCM, but perhaps 2012 will be the year I race it.

Today: 5 Mile recovery run
Nice easy run on the grass in Corkagh with my work-mate, but for the annoying swooping helicopter that must have been following Shels4ever on his loops (criminal kingpin?).
Summary: 5 miles in 42 mins

shels4ever

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Nice easy run on the grass in Corkagh with my work-mate, but for the annoying swooping helicopter that must have been following Shels4ever on his loops (criminal kingpin?).
Summary: 5 miles in 42 mins

Think its actually that pesky Roadrunner keeping an eye on me...

Krusty_Clown

Today: 5 mile steady run in spikes
A few beers last night (just enough to keep me from doing something stupid, like signing up for a race this weekend), and I was looking forward to a run this afternoon, to clear the head. Grabbed the spikes, threw on a €3 pair of canvas shoes and headed for the park. 5 comfortable easy miles later in the spikes, I returned to the tree where I'd hung my cheapy shoes... Nicked. Classy place Shankill! Despite the 1/4 mile stumble back home in my socks, I really enjoyed the run. Really feeling that the running on the grass in the spikes is doing me some good. I now understand why people describe cross-country as strength-building; it's really just an opportunity to run on grass in minimalist shoes.

Did the weigh-in today (per shoe - size 10):
Brooks Mach 13 XC shoes: 230g
Mizuno Wave Musha 3: 260g
Mizuno Precision 12: 300g
Mizuno Waverider 14: 325g
So none of them are particularly heavy, but the xc shoes are essentially just a flexible foot cover, with some spikes.

Summary: 5 miles in 35 mins, @7:05/mile, HR=135

Krusty_Clown

Today: 8 Miles at DCM pacing pace
Weather and timing conspired against me today, so all I could manage was 8 miles between dropping the young fella at footie, and heading for a hike in the Wicklow mountains with a couple of buddies. The planned pace was around 7:22, but I struggled a little, running too quickly, every time the attention wandered. Will do another run at planned pace during the week, just to get it spot-on.

Followed by a two hour hike in horrendous conditions, up around Djouce. Really awful stuff, but good company, so it was an enjoyable couple of hours.

Summary: 8 miles in 59 mins, @7:17/mile, HR=~133

Krusty_Clown

You know things are getting bad when it takes more willpower not to go for a run, than it does to head out in that pi55y weather. But a quick look at my Garmin calendar shows I've run 10 days on the trot, so it's past time for a rest day. Will do some core work this evening, for the first time in a couple of months instead and try and resist the temptation to head out.

Plan: Will do this strength training (ignore the chick-pics!), and this triathlon core workout. I feel sore already.

*Edit*: ...and done..

Krusty_Clown

Today: Easy 6 mile run around the floodlands of Clondalkin
No floods, just big puddles, sun-shine and a little wind. Feeling a bit old and creaky though, but might have something to do with last night's core session.
Summary: 6 miles in 45 mins, @7:35/mile, HR=~133

Krusty_Clown

Today: 8 mile easy run at pacing pace
Nice easy run but for some stomach cramps that plagued me, particularly during the end of the run. Still, rather today than Monday! Lovely evening for a run. If it was like this for the marathon, sure you'd be well happy. Just easy runs now until pace day.
Summary: 8 miles in 58:11, @7:23/mile, HR=138

Krusty_Clown

Today: 5 mile easy recovery run
Handy recovery run, through the squishy water-logged parts of Corkagh Park. Would've been a perfect outing for the spikes, but had to run from the office to the park, so no dice. Will try and do a core workout this evening, just to keep the impetus up.
Summary: 5 miles in 40 mins, @8:07/mile, HR=125

Krusty_Clown

Evening:
12 x 5 Sets of weights
12 x 15 sets core strength exercises

Slogger Jogger

Good luck with the pacing train on Monday kc. Might catch you before and after as I'll probably be hanging with the dpop dude.

Krusty_Clown

Today: 5 steady miles
A frustrating day left me eager to give the body a bit of a thrashing, so after getting home from work, I set up a workout with 5 x 1/2 mile repeats at 5:55-6:00/mile, and threw on the racing flats. Half a mile into the warm-up, I started to feel a little better, and came to my senses. What the fnck was I thinking. Stopped for a minute, turned off the workout, and restarted the watch in normal mode. Continued at a quick pace, and got some nice uphill running in too which gave the engine the revving it needed to scrape off a day's frustration, without the senseless stupid running. I think I need a plan to stop myself from doing something stupid.

Summary: 6.17 miles in 40:36 @6:29, HR=159

menoscemo

Are you enjoying the Mushas Krusty?

Krusty_Clown

menoscemo wrote: »

Are you enjoying the Mushas Krusty?

Hi Meno, yes, like all my other Mizuno shoes, I find them to be a great fit. They're so light, they make me want to be a better faster man. But I can also really feel the impact of running on concrete roads/paths wearing them, so will restrict them to intervals/tempos/races. Thanks for the suggestion.

Pronator

Do I know that guy on page 37 of the race programme? Too cool for school that guy. The balloon just adds to the picture:D

Krusty_Clown

Pronator wrote: »

Do I know that guy on page 37 of the race programme? Too cool for school that guy. The balloon just adds to the picture:D

The guy running beside me in the photo? He's a friend of TheRoadRunner's and runs for MSB.
I see Seres' left leg also made it into the DCM race programme. We're all famous!
I do like to practice my pacing.

You don't need luck on Monday, so have a cracking race and blow that PB of yours out of the water.

Pronator

You don't need luck on Monday, so have a cracking race and blow that PB of yours out of the water.[/QUOTE]

Getting a head cold this week was not part of my plan:mad: I'll find out Monday what it has or has not done to me.

Might see you before/after the race. Enjoy it KC;)

Krusty_Clown

Today: 5 Mile recovery run
Not making the same mistake as last week, I jogged to the park in my road shoes, and then swapped them for the spikes once I hit the grass in Shanganagh, keeping my road shoes in a back-pack. Those thieving feckers won't get my shoes this time. Nice easy run on the grass at a comfy pace, a little faster than pacing pace (it's amazing how a quick run the day before changes your perception of a recovery run the following day). Then off to the expo I headed. Looking forward to Monday now.

Summary: 5 miles in 36:55, @7:23/mile, HR=???