Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

Krusty_Clown

theboyblunder wrote: »

sorry to hear youre under the weather krusty. hope whatever it is clears up soon. good luck tomorrow.

Thanks Stephen. Tomorrow should be grand. Running isn't the problem. I actually feel great while I'm running. It's when I stop that all hell breaks loose. But I'll worry about that tomorrow. Live in the now.

Krusty_Clown

Today: 11 mile very easy run
Had planned 25+ miles, but had to pull up early because of muscle pain. Will try and do a long run during the week instead.

Summary: 11 miles in 1:29, @8:07/mile, HR=139

dermCu

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Today: 11 mile very easy run
Had planned 25+ miles, but had to pull up early because of muscle pain. Will try and do a long run during the week instead.

Summary: 11 miles in 1:29, @8:07/mile, HR=139

Bad luck Krusty. Is it a particular muscle giving you problems or is it general muscle fatigue? Keep plugging away, it'll come good.

Krusty_Clown

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Today: 11 mile very easy run
Had planned 25+ miles, but had to pull up early because of muscle pain. Will try and do a long run during the week instead.

Summary: 11 miles in 1:29, @8:07/mile, HR=139

Hi Dermcu, felt a pulled muscle in my foot yesterday after my run. Thought it was pretty minor, but started to hurt on today's run. Nothing serious, just a painful hindrance.

Abhainn

KC 100% understand your pressures and not wellness of late. Here's to better luck soon;)

pgmcpq

Sorry to hear this Krusty. Just maybe after a brilliant 2011 you might need to back off a bit ... the various ailments (and new job) suggest you might be a bit run down. You've got time and a stepback might be just the ticket. Logs here are full of people who've come back flying from a bit of enforced rest.... listen to MarathonTalk #37 !!!
Best loud cop voice : "Sir, Step away from the hills".
Take care.

Krusty_Clown

pgmcpq wrote: »

Sorry to hear this Krusty. Just maybe after a brilliant 2011 you might need to back off a bit ... the various ailments (and new job) suggest you might be a bit run down. You've got time and a stepback might be just the ticket. Logs here are full of people who've come back flying from a bit of enforced rest.... listen to MarathonTalk #37 !!!
Best loud cop voice : "Sir, Step away from the hills".
Take care.

Sage advice indeed pgmcpq, but the hills is the only part of the running I'm actually enjoying at the moment. I'm hoping that work will settle down a bit over the next few weeks. Glad I didn't throw myself into another aggressive marathon goal, as that would've been a difficult return to reality. Next few months is about getting healthy, running long (but easy), and enjoying some short ultras (if possible!).

TheRoadRunner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Next few months is about getting healthy, running long (but easy), and enjoying some short ultras (if possible!).

That made me smile. You could be the king of mini-ultras

pgmcpq

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

..... short ultras.....

Ehhh ... isn't that a marathon ?

Krusty_Clown

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

That made me smile. You could be the king of mini-ultras

King of the 'little bit more than a marathon, but not quite an ultra'! There's a title to aspire to!

Tonight: Not quite a 16 mile cycle
Too easy to get down in the dumps, so I bought some lights for the bike and after dinner headed out for a nice cycle in the dark. Awesome thing about the bike is you can head out on a full stomach and not have to worry about stopping for a pikey poo. So an enjoyable spin and great to give the legs a bit more of the going-over they were supposed to be getting yesterday. Foot even feels a little better for the cycle. King of the mini-ultras, here I come!

Summary: 15.8 mile cycle, in 60 mins, @25km/hour

Krusty_Clown

Tonight: 6 mile easy run
Yawn, another easy run, but enjoyable anyway. First day of spring, new shoots and all that crap, and it really brought the runners out. Despite being after 9pm, runners everywhere, and lots of Chinese lanterns floating up into the sky around Brayjing. Must be getting close to Chinese new year.

On another positive note, I just secured my place in my marathon goal for this year. I've lots of time to get ready too. So happy days. Marathon major number #3 on the way.

Summary: 6.3 miles in 51 mins, @8:03/mile, HR=139

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Tonight: 6 mile easy run
Yawn, another easy run, but enjoyable anyway. First day of spring, new shoots and all that crap, and it really brought the runners out. Despite being after 9pm, runners everywhere, and lots of Chinese lanterns floating up into the sky around Brayjing. Must be getting close to Chinese new year.

On another positive note, I just secured my place in my marathon goal for this year. I've lots of time to get ready too. So happy days. Marathon major number #3 on the way.

Summary: 6.3 miles in 51 mins, @8:03/mile, HR=139

What major marathon are you planning to tackle Krusty? Hope you get back to full health soon.

Krusty_Clown

Hi Jackyback, I signed up for Chicago marathon on the 9th October. Hopefully I can do London next year (2012), with a good for age, which will leave Boston in 2013, with a Boston Qualifier (if all goes to plan).

liamo123

Hope ur on the mend Krusty...Great 2 c u signed up for Chicago.. It was the 1st marathon I did and have fond memories of it..

Nice flat course ( except for the last 400 m ) for u to attack that soft PB of urs

Krusty_Clown

liamo123 wrote: »

Nice flat course ( except for the last 400 m ) for u to attack that soft PB of urs

Lol. At least I have 8+ months to prepare for my 2:42.

Krusty_Clown

liamo123 wrote: »

Hope ur on the mend Krusty...Great 2 c u signed up for Chicago.. It was the 1st marathon I did and have fond memories of it..

Nice flat course ( except for the last 400 m ) for u to attack that soft PB of urs

Cool. I know who to hassle when I need hotel and restaurant recommendations!

Krusty_Clown

Tonight: 10 miles over hills and trails
Awesome run. Once again my brain said turn right, and body decided to turn left, and I headed up the hills and trails despite the darkness. First time hitting the trails in the dark, and it was superb. Radio died on me, so it was radio silence, amazing star-scape and the lights of the city below to remind me that I'm not far removed from the suburbs. I'll definitely do more of this, as it's the kind of run that offers a little bit of everything; cardio on the hill-climb, trails to strengthen the calf muscles and ankles and fast leg turn-over on the down hills back to civilization, and last but not least, enjoyable running. I stopped very briefly on the top of Carrigologan, but couldn't admire the view for too long, as it was feckin freezing, with 30+mph winds.

Summary: 10 miles in 1:20, @7:54 min/mile, HR=146

Krusty_Clown

Tonight: 5 miles easy run
Headed towards the coast to see if the strong winds were brewing up a storm out at sea, but once again, mother nature let me down. No fury. No wrath. Just tiddly little lapping waves. Such a let down. Nearly not worth the 5 mile trek. Damn you mother nature.

Summary: 5 miles in 39 mins, @7:51/mile, HR=139

aero2k

Hi Krusty,

I'm enjoying your log lately - I can relate to the 8 min miles a lot better than the 5:45 stuff (that kind of thing counts as a race for me!):D

Sounds like you're in good shape despite the illness / niggles. I reckon nice and easy does it for a while, your biggest challenge is getting to that start line in Chicago in top shape, and after that the PB will take care of itself.

Krusty_Clown

Thanks Aero (I think!). I fear that once you continue to run 8 min/miles, your body adapts (slows down), and it becomes your default pace, so I'm glad that at least I'm continuing to get a bit of hill-running to get me out of the 8 min/mile zone (strength on the uphill, fast on the down-hill). At some point (probably May) I'm going to start running short and fast and build to a fast 10k, 10 mile, and Chicago. Then Pizza and beer.

If you fancy a run out in the suburbs (a break from the awesome Phoenix Park) be happy to take you on a tour of the local hills and views of the Dublin Riviera some time.

aero2k

I know what you mean about the pace - I've often found that 10 or 15 sec faster isn't really much harder but it's all to easy to plod along if you're not careful.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

If you fancy a run out in the suburbs (a break from the awesome Phoenix Park) be happy to take you on a tour of the local hills and views of the Dublin Riviera some time.

Might take you up on that - wouldn't want to slow you down though!

Krusty_Clown

aero2k wrote: »

I know what you mean about the pace - I've often found that 10 or 15 sec faster isn't really much harder but it's all to easy to plod along if you're not careful.

Might take you up on that - wouldn't want to slow you down though!

I think I'm a long way from a 61:21 10 mile race at the moment, so I'm not sure who'd be slowing who down. In fact, let me re-phrase that: 'I'll need to speed-up first so that I don't slow you down'.

Krusty_Clown

Today: 26.2 mile loop around Dublin
Nice run that never felt uncomfortable and was a good confidence booster that I haven't fallen too far from grace pace. Started off with a plan to loosely follow the LUAS into town, however, the LUAS takes lots of shortcuts that we mere mortals are not allowed to follow, so for most of the route I couldn't even see the trams. Took a few detours around local parks, particularly in town, where I had a run around Iveagh gardens, Stephen's Green, Merrion Square, Trinity college, before running out of LUAS tracks. So I headed on down to the start of the red LUAS route at the O2, before changing my mind and following the Dart line instead (secret train-spotter!).

Apart from the first couple of miles (where the legs felt laboured and tired) the rest of the run went great, and I picked up the pace towards the end of the run. Could happily have thrown in a few more miles at the end, but I'll save that for another day out. Hopped on the DART in Blackrock for home, and I must have looked pretty drowned and disheveled, as I had the entire carriage to myself. Well, I've earned tonight's pints (a postponed xmas party and birthday celebrations). Might try and easy recovery run tomorrow, if the legs (and blisters) feel ok.

Summary: 26.2 miles in 3:18, @7:31/mile, HR=144

Krusty_Clown

Today: 4 Mile recovery run
Just a very easy sloppy wet recovery run to help get the legs moving in the right direction and try and reduce some of yesterday's stiffness.
Summary: 4 miles in 34 mins, @8:34/mile, HR=125

aero2k

I bet you're glad you picked yesterday for the 26.2 - it wouldn't have been too nice today!

Your training run was 5 mins quicker than my DCM '08 time - we've both come a long way since then, and long may it continue.

Krusty_Clown

aero2k wrote: »

I bet you're glad you picked yesterday for the 26.2 - it wouldn't have been too nice today!

Your training run was 5 mins quicker than my DCM '08 time - we've both come a long way since then, and long may it continue.

lol. It was four minutes faster than my DCM 2008 time. Yeah, I got really lucky with the weather yesterday. I was soaked for most of the run (wet socks explains the blisters), but thankfully none of the previous days horrendous winds.

opus

That was a tasty run on Sat! Just looked at your activity for today & by coincidence I was in your neck of the woods for an 8km jog with a friend of mine starting in Ballybrack, small world or what

Krusty_Clown

opus wrote: »

That was a tasty run on Sat! Just looked at your activity for today & by coincidence I was in your neck of the woods for an 8km jog with a friend of mine starting in Ballybrack, small world or what

Yes indeed, I know every shrub, branch and dog poop on that route you ran. Not a bad neck of the woods, but definitely a nicer run in better weather than you would have had today.

Krusty_Clown

Tonight: Hilly, wet, cold, goal-ridden, fab 10 mile run
I'm beginning to think that it's when you're least in the mood for a ten mile run, when the wind is howling and the rain is bucketing, when the body is tired, and there's a match on the telly-box, that you surprise yourself and have the most enjoyable runs. Or it could be just the rest day, the day before. With Off The Ball on the radio, this was a fun run around Dublin's Beverly Hills among the houses of the gentry folk, where the well heeled try to keep people like me away with gates and security vans. The miles flew by, and the hills felt good. More wet, windy nights like this.

Summary: 10 miles in 1:15, @7:34/mile, HR=148

FitFeet

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

It's a crisp November morning, with the sun shining and little wind. A perfect morning to start a new challenge, so today I embark on the Boards AC Aware 10K challenge.

This time last week, I was running up O'Connell Street, in hot pursuit of a pink fairy, a viking and a pint of Guinness. Now, all that's left of the marathon is a medal, a t-shirt, some mild shin pain, and the unanswered question of how much quicker I could have run on the day, had I really pushed myself.

I ran my last 10k race three weeks before the marathon, in the lovely Donadea forest, in a time of 43:07, at the peak of my marathon fitness, (having completed Longford marathon 5 weeks previously), so I'm hoping that 10k specific training (speed-work), will allow me to shave off some vital seconds.

Having spent the last 6-7 months in marathon training (for two marathons), I must confess to being a little nervous about embarking on a dedicated 10k program. What I enjoy about running is getting out there and doing big mileage, with friends or on my own, so the idea of training for 30-40 minute sections isn't terribly appealing (yet).

I had been planning to do the Connemara half again this year, in training for the Edinburgh marathon in May (and because it's such a nice course), but a friend has asked me to consider doing the Full Connemara marathon with him, which would mean kicking off that training in early December. So my greatest risk is not falling off the training band-wagon, but instead falling back into long distance training once more. This would also mean completing three marathons next year (potentially four), where I had only planned on completing two.

Anyway, marathons are for tomorrow, and 10k training is for today. So, out into that crisp sunshine, for 3 miles at aerobic pace. Wish me luck!

Love this post! Lets get our running shoes on and hit the tarmac