Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

Krusty_Clown

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Re: your alpine marathon you could do worse than riddle your schedule with whatever imra races there are, to get the hill climbing into the legs. The event today, Circuit of Avonbeg, would have been ideal for that. Connaught Championship in 2 weeks with 2 races in 2 days would be good too.

Ordinarily I'd agree with you totally SJ, but given that my goals are not to race the Alpine marathon, but rather to treat it more as a challenging form of sight-seeing, I reckon I need to focus on long easy up-hill climbs, rather than cardiac-arrest inducing battles in the mountains. Will check out the IMRA schedule though, to see if there are any suitable long/high races.

Krusty_Clown

Friday: Beer Mile

I left Shankill to go to work on a beautiful sunny Friday morning, but by mid-afternoon, the weather had changed to a squall. You'd be forgiven for thinking that Christmas was fast approaching, such was the cold, wind and rain that that greeted us at 7pm in Cherrywood. Met up with YellowFeather, RunningKing and Wideball in my poorly chosen shorts and running jacket and by the time we had made our way down to the 'track' I was soaked. Great to see so many willing to risk the horrific conditions to do something that stuck two fingers in the face of serious running, and instead celebrated chaos and fun in equal measure. Heading into a few more months of hard-training and commitment, I find it important to remind myself that I run because I enjoy running, not because I enjoy the results of running. If I get back to enjoying the running part, the results will eventually follow.

I had running gear in my bag, but I was so soaked, that I figured I'd keep my work clothes on, as at least I'd have something dry to change into after the race. Did an easy warm-up lap, and was delighted that everyone else got to share in the joy that is running on the cinder track in the wind and rain, where I had completed 80% of my tough sessions for London. Lined up my bottles on the side of the track, grabbed a bottle and my trusty opener and got ready for the start.

Lap 1: Took me around 3-4 seconds to get the bottle to open as my opener wouldn't bite on the cap of the bottle, but eventually it dug-in and I was chugging the beer in big gulps. After 17 seconds I threw my bottle onto the grass and was off, in hot pursuit of the pirate who seemed to be forging a lead. But wait, when I got within 20m of the pirate I could see a runner ahead. I laughed out loud as I realized that YellowFeather, in her first ever race, was leading out the Boards beer mile. We caught her with 200m to go and I eased back on the back straight to catch some air. Typically, my right shoe-lace came undone, and was flapping around as I headed back along the straight. I decided time was too precious to stop and tie it, and who knows what might happen if I bent over to tie it. Run-time: 1:25

Lap 2: I found it hard to take the occasion seriously, and was laughing too much and enjoying the spectacle of chugging beers, with a pirate, zombie, ballet-dancer/stripper(still don't know), and a nun to focus too much on the beer swallowing, so this one went don't in a pretty miserable 35 seconds. Still, everyone but the nun and the pirate seemed to be going even slower than me, so after I finished the beer I was in 3rd place, and soon caught the nun, half way around the track. After the recent sprint training, the laps around the track felt like jogging, but it was way too early to push hard. Run-time: 1:28

Lap 3: Despite slowing along the straight, I was a little out of breath, and struggled to swallow the beer down between gulps of air, so this one was a poor 32 seconds. This time however, I managed to get a slight lead on the nun, but the pirate had widened the gap, to around 15 seconds. As I made my way around the 400m water course, as had happened so many times in the past on this track, I lost count of the number of laps I had completed and struggled to figure out if I was on beer 3 or beer 4. I remember seeing just one beer left in my tray, but it all seemed to have happened too fast. Could it really almost be over? I arrived back at 'base-camp' with around a 5 second lead on the nun, but truth be told, I had little idea (or interest) at that stage in positions or times. Run-time: 1:28.

Lap 4: Really struggled with this beer, as I was laughing too hard at ecoli, who seemed to be having a nightmare trying to drink his third beer. I finished my beer, but had a last second pop at trying to drink the foam in the bottom of the bottle, but as soon as my back was turned, that durty-feckin nun was off again. Just as I tipped the bottle over my head (after a shocking 47 seconds!), I got a helpful reminder that I had dropped into third-place, otherwise, I'd have been standing around enjoying the buzz.

3rd place.... Those words were like an adrenaline shot to the heart. No frickin way was I going to be beaten by a nun. She had a good 40m lead on me, but this was my home turf, I knew where all the hills were on the track, and I used this knowledge to my advantage, reeling in the nun over the next 200m. As we hit the bend I was on her back. Push on now or hold off for the straight? I pulled slightly ahead as we exited the bend and started using my recent sprinting training, lifting the knees high and exaggerating the arm-swing. I thought that it was enough to put the nun off, that she'd relinquish the second podium position, but clearly she had the faith and resolve to keep fighting, so I had no choice but to keep accelerating and push hard for home. I crossed the line at a rather shocking 3:34 minute/mile (27km/hour) to squeeze out the nun by a second, finishing in a up-lifting 7:42.

The drinking was way slower than I had predicted, but thankfully, the running was way quicker. Felt a little nauseous afterwards, but that was largely down to the final sprint-off and I was right as rain (and wind) after a few minutes, buzzing with a belly-full of beer and laughs. Great night in the pub afterwards and a big tip o' the hat to Dr Q and the other volunteers who made it such a great occasion. My time ranks me in the top 100 of all M40 beer milers and they can never take that away from me (unless they take that away from me). I reckon there's another 20 seconds for the taking. Still not fast enough to take on the indefatigable swash-buckling pirate, but to be fair, the pirate always ends up with the gold.

Krusty_Clown

Saturday: 6 mile recovery
Just an easy few miles to take the edge off the hangover (my equivalent of a Bloody Mary). Surprisingly enjoyable run, despite having completely under-re-hydrated. More easy runs like this..

Sunday: Abbeyleix 10k
Though not fully recovered from Friday's antics, I still wanted to head down and do this race to see what kind of shape I'm in, particularly with Dunshaughlin 10k just around the corner. Having not run a 10k in 9 months (unless my memory escapes me) or trained properly since London, I wanted to answer the question as to whether I was in high 34 minute shape or low 35 minute shape. The answer as it turned out, was neither... Parked at a friend's house, just 200m before the finish line, and we walked to the start. I felt a little lifeless so was sipping so opted for a can of Red Bull that I'd been handed after the Terenure 5 mile. Wasn't feeling in great shape so wasn't too optimistic and I could see that a handful of speedsters had turned up for the race, including Ronnie085 and a training buddy of his from nearby Naas. I knoew hanging onto Ronnie would be a struggle in current shape, but felt that having a target would keep me motivated, so as the race started, I ducked in behind the two lads.

Mile 1: Three groups formed at the front of the race, with the Kenyan Freddy Keron Sittuk and Gary O'Hanlon taking an early lead. A pursuing pack of 5-6 runners were destined for 32-33 minute times, and we were a sprawling group of a further 5-6 runners. I was breathing rather heavy in the first mile and glancing at the watch, knew it was way too fast, clocking in at my 5k pace. We slowed a little to pass the mile mark in 5:25.

Mile 2: had slightly more climbs than drops on a rolling hill course, so that slowed our progress a little. Still, we hit the 3k mark in an impressive 10:20, and I kind of knew at that point I was in for a tough time. Mile 2: 5:41.

Mile 3: Very sharp left turn, that though we were warned about it, still had us running very wide, and we were headed down some country bothrins. At this stage, our group of three became a little strung out, as Ronnie opened a small gap (more out of consistency) with Naas dropping off a little, and I trailing a little further behind. Mile 3: 5:36

Mile 4: We hit the 5k mark in 17:20, which was a good half-way split for Ronnie (who is in flying shape) but not so good for me as I reckon I would have been far better off with a more cautious negative-split approach to the race. Ronnie was gradually stretching onwards and looked very strong. He caught and passed a Waterford AC runner, who like me, seemed to have gone out a little too fast in the early miles. I had passed Naas, who was just behind me and was catching Waterford AC, when he pulled up. Soon afterwards I also heard Naas' footsteps receding as he too pulled up. Mile 4: 5:40

Mile 5: Dying the death... I had made two places by virtue of the lads stopping, but didn't reasonably expect I'd make up any more spots. At the same time, I didn't want to get caught. Ronnie had opened an impressive gap and was widening the distance between us, while I was doing my best, just to hang on. I was feeling every beer and late night, as I struggled to maintain 6 minute miles on the lumpy humid course. Mile 5: 6:00

Mile 6: Delighted to see the 8km marker, and take another sharp turn back onto the main road towards the finish line. Still, I was really struggling and felt completely spent. Mile 6: 6:01

Finish: I was still worried about being caught, and had risked a few glances over my shoulder, seeing the Waterford runner not too far behind. I had no choice but to wind it up, crossing the finish line at a good clip, with the Waterford lad following 4 seconds later and the Naas lad another 8 seconds behind him. Fair play to the two lads, who had slowed to a walk, but still managed to pick it up for a decent finish.

I met Ronnie and congratulated him, and only at that stage took the opportunity to check my watch. I was a little shocked to see 35:40, which ranks as one of my slowest 10k times in the last 18 months. I wasn't disappointed, just a little surprised with how much I had dis-improved over the last two months of non-specific running. But that was exactly the point of this race. I needed to know where I stood; needed to see the impact of messing about for the last couple of months. Later that evening (after a couple of hours of rock climbing) as I headed to bed, I rooted out the Daniels book from it's dusty spot in the bookshelf, flicked to the back of the book, and for the third time, located the pages that marked the start of Plan A.

I'm not sure that I'll be able to commit quite as much as I did before London (as it's still a little fresh in my mind), but lets just say that the bookmark has been re-inserted in the appropriate place. It's clear that all of my improvements come on the back of structured training (my structure and my adapted plans) with a backdrop of good mileage, so it's time to start thinking of preparation and building bases.

Summary: 10k in 35:42 (official) for 12th place

outforarun

Finished.

It’s taken more than a few weeks but I’ve read from page 1 through to page 419. Best read I’ve had in a long long time. I’m a bit disappointed now because I’ve reached the end. It’s like gorging on a box-set of series 1. 2 and 3 of a cracking tv show only to now suddenly have to wait for weekly updates to get you through series 4 (course I could just start over from page 1 again!).

Thanks for the entertaining, generous, laugh out loud funny, informative and super-motivating log. The highlight for me has to be the Championship runners cheering you on at the end of London. Crazy stuff. I’m curious to see what soundtrack they’ll use for that scene when they make the film of the log.

Krusty_Clown

outforarun wrote: »

Finished.

Thanks outforarun! Having lived through the last 4.5 years of this log and seen it first-hand, I can't fathom why someone would want to flick through the pages, but to be fair, it's probably one of the greatest collections of errors and mistakes ever published in one location in electronic format. A 420 page blooper reel. But thanks for the kind words. Keeps me going, when the running gets tough....

Monday: Back to bid'ness...
For the first time in many months, I downed my cup of coffee (a bad habit I've picked up since training for last Friday's national event), and set off to work un-breakfasted. I figured the run-mute would be a crippling affair after the previous day's 10k race, but actually, it was comfortable enough and the times were typical of the runs I used to do. The run home was equally surprisingly comfortable. Funny how quickly the body re-adapts to old habits. 5.5 miles @7:39/mile + 5.5 miles @7:06/mile

Tuesday: More bid'ness
Stretched out the lunch run to 7 miles, though in the heat, running with the back-pack wasn't very comfortable. Took a longer hilly route home, for another 7 miles, and I was really settling back into the old routine.
7 miles @7:15/mile + 7 miles @7:02/mile

Wednesday: Ugh... 12 miles including 6 x 1 Mile @Tempo
After the disappointing result in the 10k, I knew I had to get back into the routine of sessions and with Dunshaughlin coming up this weekend, I figured I'd do something specific, that would also be a nod towards week 1 of Jack Daniels Plan A. Sunday's 10k knocks me back to a VDOT of 59 (T pace=5:59), while the marathon in April gives me a VDOT of 62 (T pace=5:45). I really should have stuck with something between those figures, but instead opted for a 10k target pace, which would see me running under 35 minutes (around 5:35/mile). Or that was the plan anyway....

Another of those work days, with meetings sprinkled throughout the afternoon, meant I kept missing the window to get out for a 90 minute session, so ended up heading out after 5:30pm, without lunch (though I did munch on some dried mango and ALDI crackers). It was still a very toasty 19'C, so after a three mile warm-up to the cinder track (7:19/mile), I did a few strides and set-off. Unfortunately, I hadn't set-up the watch correctly, so had no idea what splits I was running, so ran the first mile blind. I went way too fast, finishing in 5:28, and was wrecked. I had to drop the recovery to 2 minutes (from the planned 1 minute) and decided to keep it at 2 minutes, given the heat and how I felt. After the second, I was ready to call it a day. Third - I'd already mentally gone home. 4th - was joined by a couple of other runners on the track, and that somehow kept me going for an extra mile. 5th - fooked. Stopped looking at the splits on the watch. 6th - No idea how I found the motivation to do a last one, but it was slow and painful.

Strangely, for each rep, the first 100m felt easy, but as soon as I got back onto the straight, the legs just felt like lead. I'm guessing that this is down to recent sprinting practice. The pace graphs show me starting at sub 5 minute mile pace and dropping rapidly over the subsequent distance. That sprint training really fncks with your pacing!

Splits (1600m): 5:28 / 5:33 / 5:40 / 5:36 / 5:35 / 5:44
Average HR: 158 / 157 / 158 / 161 / 164 / 164

The three mile uphill return to work was incredibly slow and tough (8:22/mile) and I was ready for collapse, just as I arrived at the end point. So waaaay off what I had planned for the session (slower reps and double the recovery) but I allowed myself a little smugness that I managed to keep going without packing it in. It was one of those junctures, where I reckon quitting could have had long term consequences, so wrestling some benefit from the session was the right thing to do.

Summary: 12.6 miles at various paces.

ultrapercy

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Thanks outforarun! Having lived through the last 4.5 years of this log and seen it first-hand, I can't fathom why someone would want to flick through the pages, but to be fair, it's probably one of the greatest collections of errors and mistakes ever published in one location in electronic format. A 420 page blooper reel. But thanks for the kind words. Keeps me going, when the running gets tough....

Monday: Back to bid'ness...
For the first time in many months, I downed my cup of coffee (a bad habit I've picked up since training for last Friday's national event), and set off to work un-breakfasted. I figured the run-mute would be a crippling affair after the previous day's 10k race, but actually, it was comfortable enough and the times were typical of the runs I used to do. The run home was equally surprisingly comfortable. Funny how quickly the body re-adapts to old habits. 5.5 miles @7:39/mile + 5.5 miles @7:06/mile

Tuesday: More bid'ness
Stretched out the lunch run to 7 miles, though in the heat, running with the back-pack wasn't very comfortable. Took a longer hilly route home, for another 7 miles, and I was really settling back into the old routine.
7 miles @7:15/mile + 7 miles @7:02/mile

Wednesday: Ugh... 12 miles including 6 x 1 Mile @Tempo
After the disappointing result in the 10k, I knew I had to get back into the routine of sessions and with Dunshaughlin coming up this weekend, I figured I'd do something specific, that would also be a nod towards week 1 of Jack Daniels Plan A. Sunday's 10k knocks me back to a VDOT of 59 (T pace=5:59), while the marathon in April gives me a VDOT of 62 (T pace=5:45). I really should have stuck with something between those figures, but instead opted for a 10k target pace, which would see me running under 35 minutes (around 5:35/mile). Or that was the plan anyway....

Another of those work days, with meetings sprinkled throughout the afternoon, meant I kept missing the window to get out for a 90 minute session, so ended up heading out after 5:30pm, without lunch (though I did munch on some dried mango and ALDI crackers). It was still a very toasty 19'C, so after a three mile warm-up to the cinder track (7:19/mile), I did a few strides and set-off. Unfortunately, I hadn't set-up the watch correctly, so had no idea what splits I was running, so ran the first mile blind. I went way too fast, finishing in 5:28, and was wrecked. I had to drop the recovery to 2 minutes (from the planned 1 minute) and decided to keep it at 2 minutes, given the heat and how I felt. After the second, I was ready to call it a day. Third - I'd already mentally gone home. 4th - was joined by a couple of other runners on the track, and that somehow kept me going for an extra mile. 5th - fooked. Stopped looking at the splits on the watch. 6th - No idea how I found the motivation to do a last one, but it was slow and painful.

Strangely, for each rep, the first 100m felt easy, but as soon as I got back onto the straight, the legs just felt like lead. I'm guessing that this is down to recent sprinting practice. The pace graphs show me starting at sub 5 minute mile pace and dropping rapidly over the subsequent distance. That sprint training really fncks with your pacing!

Splits (1600m): 5:28 / 5:33 / 5:40 / 5:36 / 5:35 / 5:44
Average HR: 158 / 157 / 158 / 161 / 164 / 164

The three mile uphill return to work was incredibly slow and tough (8:22/mile) and I was ready for collapse, just as I arrived at the end point. So waaaay off what I had planned for the session (slower reps and double the recovery) but I allowed myself a little smugness that I managed to keep going without packing it in. It was one of those junctures, where I reckon quitting could have had long term consequences, so wrestling some benefit from the session was the right thing to do.

Summary: 12.6 miles at various paces.

Well done on seeing it through, that's the important thing. Times and paces come back naturally when the framework is there.

aero2k

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Splits (1600m): 5:28 / 5:33 / 5:40 / 5:36 / 5:35 / 5:44

Great to see we do intervals at the same pace - in my case they were Billat intervals of 30 secs.:(

You all set for Dunshaughlin - I think 2010 was the last time I finished (just)ahead of you, though you were wearing motorcycle boots or something like that.:D

Krusty_Clown

aero2k wrote: »

Great to see we do intervals at the same pace - in my case they were Billat intervals of 30 secs.:(

You all set for Dunshaughlin - I think 2010 was the last time I finished (just)ahead of you, though you were wearing motorcycle boots or something like that.:D

That's interesting. I had never heard of Billat intervals, but was occasionally doing something very similar, doing strides on two sides of a park, while recovering on the other two sides. Can't say I'm very optimistic about Dunshaughlin, but will give it my best shot. 35:42 last Sunday, and it's hard to force a dramatic improvement in a week (particularly as I'm doubling last week's mileage (40-> 80 miles). But I'll go out a little more conservatively, and hopefully finish stronger. It'll pain me to let KileyUnsusual and Rinno085 (misspellings intentional!) disappear into the distance, but this race will be about giving myself a confidence boost (hopefully) heading back into the next stretch of marathon training, rather than furious personal vendettas. :P

aero2k

Best of luck in your battles with Rilo Kiley:D

DogSlySmile

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

True, but they're largely pretty quiet roads. I'll probably do that loop on Sunday, if you want some company, but I'll be racing Saturday night, so it'll be at a very easy pace.

I'll have to take a rain check on this KC, I've only got a few more chances for a long slow (slow) run in the next while so I'll have to do that instead. Hope you have a good run.

Pisco Sour

Just read your 400m dilemma. Would be a shame for those sessions you have done to go to waste. Hopefully you can get at least one more crack at it this season before you go back into specific longer stuff training.

menoscemo

I assume you were planning your 400m assault on the 10th July?
Would the 6th July be any good to you?
http://www.crusadersac.org/2013/06/crusaders-gv-ryan-meet-in-association-with-irish-milers-club/

Krusty_Clown

Thanks, but sadly, that doesn't work out either. I'll be flying out early on the 6th, so will miss both opportunities. Hoping to give the masters a shot in Tullamore in August, but I'll be back in the swing of marathon training (and in fact, it'll be sandwiched between two marathons), so it'll be a hell of a challenge to better my time from the last graded meet. On a positive note, I hit 81 miles for this week, including a session, a race (minor PB) and a tough uphill long run and the legs are feeling a lot better than when I was doing the occasional sprint session.

I'm not sure whether I'm built for longer distances, or more generally people in their 40s are built for longer distances, but I definitely cope better with high mileage than I do with sprint sessions. It'll definitely irk me not to give the sub-60 a better shot, but sure you can only play the cards you're dealt.

Krusty_Clown

Thursday: 5.6 recovery run to work + 5.3 recovery lunch-time + bouldering
Really settling into the higher mileage running, and the body is feeling much better for it. After work did an hour of bouldering with the kids (one of whom has now officially finished school, so I can't justifiably call him a kid any longer), and we got some impromptu coaching, which was great as it challenged us a little more than usual.

Friday: Easy 5 mile recovery run
I settle into the higher weekly mileage so comfortably that I find it very easy to do too many miles and end up cutting back towards the end of the week. With Dunshaughlin on Saturday, I was quite happy to bumble my way around some roads I have never visited before. I think I have 'em all ticked off now. If google had considered strapping a 360 camera to my shoulders, they could have saved themselves a fortune in petrol, as I don't think tere are any in South Dublin that I haven't visited at some point in the last 18 months.

Dunshaughlin 10k:
Love this race, if only because I rank so poorly in it. There aren't many races around, where you can run a PB and still barely break the top 40. Goal was simple for this one... Get my sh1t together after the result in Abbeyleix last week. Race strategy was simply to go out a little easier, keep it steady for the first four miles and battle the wind for the final two miles. I'd be happy with a low 35:xx time and breaking 35 minutes would be icing on the cake. Two mile warm-up with a clubbie, who hoped to have a crack at 33:xx, and then we headed for the start. Lots of Boards runners about, so it was good to catch up and chat before the hard work began. As we lined-up at the start the freezing rain started, and I huddled in the crowd for shelter, alongside Ronnie and Wideball, with the caped-Crusader slightly ahead toeing the line. I knew I'd have to watch Ronnie and KielyUnusual disappear into the distance if I wanted to run well today, but hoped that I'd still be within 'shred of dignity distance' by the finish line.

The race kicked off, and I had my usual bad start, narrowly missing an elderly gentleman who stood in the middle of the road as a charging pack of 650+ runners headed straight by him at speeds ranging between 20 and 30km/hour. I'm not sure if he was the mayor, race starter, photographer or innocent bystander, but standing in the middle of the road as a race kicks off, is just not the right place to be. As we rounded the first corner, I had already lost touch with the lads and was in no man's land. I started working my way through the runners back to where I should be. Mile 1: 5:29. Not a massive difference to Abbeyleix last week (5:25), but I was running at my own pace and felt nice and comfortable.

Mile 2 - I was still making swift headway through the groups, however, the gaps between them was widening. Mile 2: 5:30. Now the groups were smaller and it was a lot tougher to work from group to group. Luckily I found a co-conspirator, in a lad with a red singlet, and neither of us seemed satisfied to settle into any of the groups we caught up with. He seemed to be breathing quite heavily, but obviously has a high tolerance for pain, as it didn't seem to slow him down at all. Mile 3: 5:34. I tried to share the load with red singlet by working my way in front of him so he could take a break from the wind, but I reckon to took is as a challenge or an affront and was soon past me and I was chasing him again.

Mile 4 (5:28) a nice stretch of downhill and I felt like I was really cruising. A stark contrast from last week's 10k. Eventually, we hit the expected headwind, and it was rough, but we were still making good headway through the various groups. A brief hill and red singlet seemed to drop off a little. We were still passing groups but I was in the front, on my own. I tried hugging the ditches to reduce the head-wind but there wasn't much shelter to be had. Mile 5: 5:42. I was suffering a little at this stage as there were no obvious targets ahead (Ronnie and KU had finally moved a stretch beyond reeling in distance), but now had an entourage of runners behind me, who seemed to be using me as a target (probably helped by the luminescent singlet!).

With 800m to go, I decided I wasn't going to let anyone get past me. I had spent most of the last 1.5 miles running on my own into the head-wind, so it would be brutal for someone to catch me on the line. Thankfully, the course is really well marked, with miles, kilometers, and a distance count-down to the finish line. 800m to go meant less than three minutes, so I had to start picking up the pace, even though it hurt. Last year I had started my final kick at this point, died shortly afterwards and watched as four runners streamed passed me as we approached the finish line! This time, my acceleration was a little more tempered. 400m to go and I pushed a little harder. Finally I hit the final corner that signalled the final sprint and was well happy when I saw the clock on the gantry, showing 34:4x. I picked up the pace just to be absolutely certain, and crossed the line with 34:48 showing on the clock (official time: 34:49).

So around three seconds chipped off my PB, but that's largely irrelevant. I wanted a good result to show that I was in better shape than last week's result would have suggested and that's exactly what I got (€16 well spent!). I'm currently around 4 pounds heavier than marathon race weight and had fallen out of the habit of tough sessions, so to be in 10k PB shape when I'm just starting into an 18 week program is a solid boost. Hopefully I'll get another shot or two at the 10k PB over the next four months. My times for 10k are still pretty poor compared to other distances (5k, 10 mile and marathon) and I have a fondness for the distance (as it's where my running originally started), so I still want to improve my times at this distance. For now though, back to the miles.

Summary: 10k in 34:49, @5:36/mile, for 38th place.

Abhainn

Catching up KC. Well done in Dunshaughlin , nice result.

BeepBeep67

Nice racing -5k time trial in Shanganagh Thursday evening?

TRR

well done, that's a pretty cool pic as well

Krusty_Clown

Abhainn wrote:

Catching up KC. Well done in Dunshaughlin , nice result.

Cheers Joe. A step in the right direction anyway. Dunshaughlin missed you, and wants you back.

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Nice racing -5k time trial in Shanganagh Thursday evening?

Was thinking of heading along, but will have done a tempo session on Wednesday, so not sure what a time trial might prove (other than the legs are tired!). 6:30pm is damn early too. You know what it's like when you work for a US-based company. 6:30pm is lunch-time!

TRR wrote:

well done, that's a pretty cool pic as well

Cheers. Taken by Lizy Lee's dad no less. Some good ones of Pronator employing the perfect race strategy, tasking shelter from the *cough* wind.

Krusty_Clown

Sunday: 17.5 mile run in the wilderness

Legs felt surprisingly ok on Sunday morning, but I had only managed around 2 hours sleep (what happens when you substitute PB coffee for PB beer after a race), so while I stuck with the plan to run the original hilly route, I opted to skip some of the final down-hill miles back to home. First few miles were handy enough, but Knocksink Wood was a bit of a disaster. I crossed the river too early and took the wrong trail (didn't pay attention to the direction of flow of the water, duh!) that ended up in a tough scramble up the side of the valley. Eventually I found the right trail, but tripped on some tree roots and landed hard on the trail. Thankfully I rolled into some soft nettle free foliage, so just some scratches, scrapes and bruises (looks like I did three rounds with a badger). The rest of Knocksink Wood was tough. I'd forgotten that large sections aren't really unrunnable (more of a scramble) so by the time I hit the road, I was bruised, mucky and tired. Another three miles took me to the Wicklow way (past Johnny Foxes) and it started spitting icy rain.

The Wicklow Way section alongside Prince William's seat was enjoyable (and at least it was runnable). Always nice to see deer out in wilds, but the weather was really turning sh!te, so was glad to hit the road again and head for Enniskerry, where my chariot awaited. 2 hours and 38 minutes for the 17.5 miles, with just 730m of 'up' (I've run marathons nearly as quick!), but a good exercise in mental toughness, as it was a real grind. Topped off at 81 miles for the week, so spot on for Daniels week 1. A quick bite to eat and then headed off for three hours of top-rope rock climbing with the family. No rest for the very wicked.

Monday: 6.5 + 5.5 miles easy
Achilles a little tight (not sure if it's from the race, the fall, or all of the uphill), but loosened up after a mile or two and progressed from a recovery run to chuck in a couple of brisk miles. Altogether 12 miles @ around 7:25/mile

TRR

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Some good ones of Pronator employing the perfect race strategy, tasking shelter from the *cough* wind.

went back to find those. He really is a disgrace. At least he managed not to get chicked in the end though

outforarun

10K PBs and getting lost in the wilderness - It's only just started but Series 4 is looking good already.

Krusty_Clown

Tuesday: 5.5 + 6 + 5.5
Probably a bit early for these kinds of days, as I've had to drop my mileage for the rest of the week, to stay approximately within target. First run was the typical early morning stiff affair, but by lunch-time, full of running endorphins, I felt like nothing could stop me. By evening time, the energy levels were dropping, but was glad to get a higher mileage day completed.
Summary: Three runs, totaling 17 miles, @ average of around 7:23/mile

Wednesday: 7 miles easy
Took a half day to meet my mum on her birthday for a cuppa joe, but had also planned to do a sneaky session before I had to head to work. I was absolutely bottomed-out though, so skipped the session and went for an easy run after work at around 9pm. What's the point in taking a half day when you end up working nearly a full day anyway, to catch-up with the work that built-up while you were away? Lesson learned.
Summary: Tired 7 miles @7:34/mile

Thursday: 8.8 miles at various paces
Club were having a 5k time trial, so I figured that it'd be a good opportunity to get this week's 20 minute tempo session done. I figured if anyone at the time-trial needed a sub 18 minute pacer (beepbeep was covering the 20 minute goal), it'd be job done, bob's your uncle. Unfortunately none of the guys who'd be shooting for sub 18 minutes turned-up, so I joined BB with the sub-20 goal and harangued one of the runners around the 5k loop, averaging around 6:40/mile. The pace wasn't sharp enough to meet JD's criteria for this week's sessions, so I followed it up with 3 x 4 minutes hard, with 3 minutes recovery. Hard sections averaged around 5:33/mile pace, so not fast enough for JDs required pace (should be closer to 5:20) but I'll follow up with a longer tempo or 10k race at the weekend to make up for it. Followed up with an hour of bouldering, and started working the orange circuits again.
Summary: 8.8 miles @~6:35/mile

Krusty_Clown

Friday: 7 miles easy
Really wasn't feeling the love, but think it may have been down to the humidity, which Garmin's weather information reports was at 94%. So struggled around a 7 mile loop @7:29/mile

Saturday: 8 miles including O'Flynn 10k race
After fluffing the session earlier in the week, I needed a good session at the weekend to make up for it. 40 minutes @6:00/mile didn't sound very appetizing, but a couple of weeks ago I'd received an e-mail about a 10k race in Roscommon, just a 20 minute drive from the in-laws house. €20 entry, and a really good prize pool (€400, 200, 100, 80, 60, 40 for 1st - 6th). I have a good record running in Roscommon (1st and 3rd place in my previous two races) so this sounded perfect. I'd get my tempo session done (and more) and be in with a shot of making a few quid. I could be accused of a bit of race sniping (entering a race with a likely weak field, in the hope of earning a few dolla') but as it turned out the field was better than expected. I checked out the entry list the night beforehand, and recognized the name Julio Cesar Fidel Castro (not the kind of name you'd forget in a hurry), who is a solid 32/33 minute 10k runner, so I expected he'd take the win. Quite a few registrations from Dublin and Mayo, so clearly I wasn't the only one with greedy thoughts of easy money!

Dropped most of the family off at the inlaws and continued on to Ballinlough. Had a chat with eon, who had travelled with a friend of his from Abbeyleix, and then headed to the start line. I was pretty surprised by the number of club singlets that were on display in this small field race (152 runners), with Clonliffe, Mayo, DSD and a number of other clubs represented. Quite a few fast looking runners too. And there was Jerry Kiernan, and who had he brought along, only Joe Sweeney (national XC title holder and 28:45 10k guy). Rumour had it that Jerry had brought a full car of athletes from Dundrum with him. So that's where greed gets ya! Despite this, I was really looking forward to the race. No pressure at all, no PB aspirations, just run well and hopefully sneak 6th place. The car reported an impressive 22'C, and it certainly felt like it, as we toed the start line. An amusing start the race, as it seemed Emer911 had been roped in as a race official, to prevent anyone from taking a sneaky false start. The start came as a shock as we were set free after a two second wait that caught all of us by surprise.

The course: I'd checked it out on google maps the night before. A lumpy undulating course that followed roads which circled O'Flynn lake. The race started on one side of the lake and finished back in the town, which was running the race in conjunction with a 'gathering' celebration.

Mile 1: After the surprise start, I settled into around 10th place, and over the course of the first downhill mile picked up a few spots and eventually landed into 6th place. Eon's friend caught me as we hit the first hill and moved slightly ahead, and I joked with him that he had just jumped into the final money spot. Mile 1: 5:32

Mile 2: We ran side by side, into a slight head-wind (more of a cross wind, but definitely impacted a little) and over the course of the second mile we reeled in one of the runners ahead, so we were now in 5th and 6th place. I must have been stronger on the hill, as I gradually opened a gap on my erstwhile running companion, so had moved into 5th place. Mile 2: 5:46

Mile 3: I turned the corner and risked a glance through the hedges to see what kind of gap I had opened and was surprised to see that I was around 50m clear. We were now heading East and the wind was behind us, but without the cooling head-wind, this section felt like a furnace. I reminded myself that we were all in the same boat, as it was becoming a bit of a struggle in the heat. 100m ahead was a runner in an orange singlet, and 100m ahead of him was a Clonliffe runner. Further ahead I could just make out the the two leading runners. Despite the heat, without the head-wind and a slight downhill, we were all moving faster. Mile 3: 5:37

Mile 4: We hit what felt like a significant climb, at around the 5k mark, but in reality, it was just a sharp 10m rise. The heat and 10k pace made it feel significantly tougher. Orange singlet seemed very strong on the climb, and the gap between us widened. I was having evil thoughts about just easing back and settling in, for a 5th place finish, but I reminded myself that in these races there's always a strong possibility that someone might have over-cooked their race and there might be a further place for the taking, so I struggled on. We took another right-turn and we were now on the road back to the finish and surprisingly, we seemed to be running into a head-wind again, only this time it was even stronger. Curse you, foul running gods! Mile 4: 5:37

Mile 5: Lots of families were outside their houses with cups of water and I'd have loved to swallow down some cool water to quench the rising thirst, but I had been warned of a recent outbreak of Cryptosporidium in the water supply, so didn't want to risk it. It was, after all, a training run.. So instead I settled for grabbing some water and pouring it down my neck to wake me up and hopefully cool me down. Brilliant the way every household on the route was either out supplying water and food, or cheering us on. Eventually, I was surprised to notice that the distance between myself and the orange singlet ahead was actually narrowing. I was feeling so bad, that it was almost an unwelcome intrusion. This meant I was going to have to push even harder! Eventually I reeled him in, but resigned as I was to 5th place, I hadn't given any thoughts as to what I was going to do once I caught him. I didn't have a huge burst of speed in me to pass in a blaze of dust, so I just maintained my pace, and once I got past, tried to make it look like I wasn't also going through hell (in other words I tried to lift up my shoulders, paid attention to my running form, tried to spit to give the impression that my mouth was like a damp oasis, rather than a dried-up dusty stretch of desert, and then mopped up the string of saliva from my chin). It seemed to work (or else he was just in pain), as his footsteps receded. I was now in 4th place. Mile 5: 5:40

Mile 6: Jaysus.... It was happening again. The distance between myself and Clonliffe runner was narrowing. Feck! Eventually he too was reeled in (more because I was running consistently, rather than speeding up) and as I approached him, I could hear that he was breathing in a rasping way. He sounded like he was in trouble. Again, I made an effort to look like I was comfortable, and was past him. I went under a bridge, and some bystanders shouted some encouragement, and pointed out that I was in third place. Third place! I now had the fear.... I couldn't look back. Everything would fall apart, if I just looked back. I asked some other spectators what the gap was, and was informed that I had 40 yards. 40 yards??? What the fnck is 40 yards?! I was really hurting now, but I saw Emer up ahead. She shouted some further encouragement and told me that I was safe and the runners weren't in a position to challenge. So all I had to do was deal with the final bloody hill. I mean who puts a hill at the end of a 10k race on a hot summers day? Masochists! Mile 6: 5:39.

Final bit: Struggled my way up the hill, with just the thoughts of being pipped, keeping me going. Pace dropped dramatically, but it was a bloody hill...at the end of a 10k.... Eventually I saw the finish line gantry, and Frank Greally on the microphone, and there were big crowds cheering me on, and I crossed the finish line in a heap... The time wasn't great (35:41), but a significantly harder race than Dunshaughlin last week (which was 50 seconds faster). Joe Sweeney narrowly managed to beat me, with just under 5 minutes separating our finishing times, with Julio Cesar 41 seconds in front of me. I'd made approximately 30 seconds and 60 seconds on 4th and 5th place. I was delighted with the result, and the fact that I managed to keep going despite the heat. It was a very solid training session, and after 3 hours of speeches and waiting, I got a lovely envelope full of cash for my troubles (and it wasn't even an old fella's prize!).

Summary: 10k in 35:41 for 3rd place, in a hot, hilly, windy race

menoscemo

Did you get a medal?
Was it shiny?
How do you plan to keep it shiny?

Killerz

Well done KC, nice work moving up through the places there to get the podium spot and the all important cash cash money money. Enjoyed the report too... I was convinced after reading the Jerry Kiernan car load comment that you were gonna get pipped for 6th or something.

Gavlor

Nice report, mile 5 was the funniest chapter...... sh!te time though :rolleyes:

KielyUnusual

I think Jerry was questioning your dramatic improvement in performance over the past 5 years in his post race interview. In fairness, to him going from a 43min 10k to a 35.41 5 mile on a tough course, in hot conditions through hard work alone is a little unbelievable. Of course, we all know your real secret is the beetroot juice:P.
Great result today. Soon enough Jerry will be loading you in to the back of his car, driving you around the country and pimping you out to whatever races offer the most cash money.

dna_leri

KielyUnusual wrote: »

I think Jerry was questioning your dramatic improvement in performance over the past 5 years in his post race interview. In fairness, to him going from a 43min 10k to a 35.41 5 mile on a tough course, in hot conditions through hard work alone is a little unbelievable. Of course, we all know your real secret is the beetroot juice:P.
Great result today. Soon enough Jerry will be loading you in to the back of his car, driving you around the country and pimping you out to whatever races offer the most cash money.

Jerry said afterwards that you should move up a distance and that you are really an ultra-marathon runner !

Krusty_Clown

menoscemo wrote: »

Did you get a medal?
Was it shiny?
How do you plan to keep it shiny?

Would you believe there were no medals! I'm not even sure that I can officially say I completed a 10k, seeing as I didn't get a medal. I did get a t-shirt, so in the grand scheme of things, it's probably fair to say that I completed a 5k.

killerz wrote:

I was convinced after reading the Jerry Kiernan car load comment that you were gonna get pipped for 6th or something.

I was pretty convinced of it myself before the race. There was definitely a decent standard compared to other races I've participated in, in Roscommon. I was chatting afterwards to the lad to came 5th, and last year he was running sub 33 for 10k and 15:x for 5k, but he's just on the come-back trail from an ankle injury. The lad who came 4th beat me when I finished 3rd in the Malahide parkrun (after I blew up), so he'd be of a similar standard to me. I think he just went out too hard, in order to stay with the leading pack.


Sunday: 21.x mile easy long run
I enjoyed a few pints to celebrate picking up a few quid, which unfortunately co-coincided with plans for a long run the following morning. It's a little early in the grand scheme of Dublin marathon training for a 20+ mile run (17 weeks out), but there's still the small matter of the Alpine marathon in three weeks to worry about. Yesterday's balmy sunny 22'C had all but disappeared and been replaced with swirling winds and sheets of rain, as I set off in the direction of Athlone. The plan was to hit Portrunny; a small lake-side village, just off of Lough Ree, that I had last visited a number of years ago. It's a good 7+ miles away, so you have to be on a long run just to reach it. The initial mile was the usual post-race stiff affair, but the legs loosened up after that and I was comfortable plodding around at an easy 7:10 - 7:15/mile. Arriving out in Portrunny, I couldn't believe just how much of a ghost-town it had become. No shops, no pubs, schools, nothing.. Just a disused jetty down to the lake and an empty playground. I guess the first things to go in a recession will always be the luxuries, like boats. You'd be forgiven for thinking that you were in Chernobyl though, such was the emptiness of the area on a Sunday afternoon.

After going as far as I could go, I realized I'd have to make up an additional 5 miles before heading back the way I had come, so I took the first flat-looking turn, and made it around a mile down the road before a couple of angry looking dogs suggested that I'd be better off not going any further. Still with some mileage to make-up, I took another turn-off and after a big climb, found myself near the village of Knockcroghery (famous for two things: the Clay pipe museum, and the train station, which has been delaying passengers and car-drivers since time immemorial). I decided it was worth going an extra mile and a bit into the village to grab a drink in the petrol station, as the previous night's pints had left me with a healthy thirst.

As I headed back out the Athlone Road towards Roscommon, a Garda on a bike came towards me, and start flashing his lights and waving at me. I figured he was going to give out to me for running in the hard shoulder of a National Road, but no sooner had he pulled off the right behind me, but he did a U-Turn, gave me a big wave, and headed back the way he had come. I was quite confused until I saw him again two miles further down the road. He had pulled into the side of the road, facing the on-coming traffic, and slowed all of the car drivers as they approached me over the following two mile stretch (which had some poor visibility sharp bends in the road). No sooner had I caught up with him, than he hopped back onto his bike, gave me a thumbs-up and headed on his way. It re-affirmed my faith in humanity, that there are still some bloody good people around. Anonymous Garda-biker, I salute you!

The last few miles were into a strong head-wind, and enthusiasm was waning, so was glad to arrive back to a big Sunday roast with around 21.3 miles in the bag. Long runs after races are tough, but I find them to be a great way of building some endurance, as the body is already tired and fuel reserves are pretty low (apart from the pints!).

Summary: 21.29 miles in 2:37, @7:21/mile

belcarra

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You'd be forgiven for thinking that you were in Chernobyl though, such was the emptiness of the area on a Sunday afternoon.

Sound's like Roscommon alright!

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

As I headed back out the Athlone Road towards Roscommon, a Garda on a bike came towards me, and start flashing his lights and waving at me. I figured he was going to give out to me for running in the hard shoulder of a National Road, but no sooner had he pulled off the right behind me, but he did a U-Turn, gave me a big wave, and headed back the way he had come. I was quite confused until I saw him again two miles further down the road. He had pulled into the side of the road, facing the on-coming traffic, and slowed all of the car drivers as they approached me over the following two mile stretch (which had some poor visibility sharp bends in the road). No sooner had I caught up with him, than he hopped back onto his bike, gave me a thumbs-up and headed on his way. It re-affirmed my faith in humanity, that there are still some bloody good people around. Anonymous Garda-biker, I salute you!

Anything to do with the Lecarrow 10km which was on yesterday afternoon too? Perhaps he thought you were the race?