Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

Krusty_Clown

ManFromAtlantis wrote: »

ya hate the midges/bugs. its coming to that time of teh year again . a pair of sunglasses that don't fog up at least keeps them out of eyes. anything else is just protein. keep up the training.

Don't suppose you know this route ManFromAtlantis? Wondering if the Grand Canal has a clear run into town, from Adamstown?

Unfortunately I lost my sunglasses at some point on my Wicklow Way run at the weekend, so it's a case of trying to keep the eyes and the mouth closed!

shels4ever

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Don't suppose you know this route ManFromAtlantis? Wondering if the Grand Canal has a clear run into town, from Adamstown?

Unfortunately I lost my sunglasses at some point on my Wicklow Way run at the weekend, so it's a case of trying to keep the eyes and the mouth closed!

Yep you can get nearly all they way into town, from where you work you would have about 8/9k to inchicore, then can go furhter along the canal there. Was running that in the winter and isnt a bad run at all.

There are a couple of roads to cross along the way.

As far as I know you can also go off road along the trail and go west, but havent been gone that direction yet myself.

TheRoadRunner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Don't suppose you know this route ManFromAtlantis? Wondering if the Grand Canal has a clear run into town, from Adamstown?

Unfortunately I lost my sunglasses at some point on my Wicklow Way run at the weekend, so it's a case of trying to keep the eyes and the mouth closed!

I've never ran the entire way into town but I do think it is possible. There was a thread a couple of weeks back regarding running on the grand and royal canals.

I ran most of the stretch you did yesterday last Saturday (12th lock to 8th lock). My second time on that stretch since they cleared it up. How do you find it underfoot. I think it is quite hard and a little sore on the legs.

Krusty_Clown

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

II ran most of the stretch you did yesterday last Saturday (12th lock to 8th lock). My second time on that stretch since they cleared it up. How do you find it underfoot. I think it is quite hard and a little sore on the legs.

It's a little hard, but definitely more forgiving than concrete. I did notice there was a grass trail on the other side of the canal, so might explore that one tomorrow (no lunch time run today. ).

Aimman

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Don't suppose you know this route ManFromAtlantis? Wondering if the Grand Canal has a clear run into town, from Adamstown?

I do that route quite a lot. In some cases, you can run under the bridges to avoid getting caught at the traffic lights (Dolphin's Barn, Harold's Cross etc.) Before you know it, you're at the Aviva Stadium and can carry on along the seafront through Sandymount.

I enjoy the Canal running at lunchtime too, I start at Inchicore but have to turn back before the 9th lock because I cant squeeze in more then 5M in the lunchhour along with getting ready first and showering afterwards. The Barriers are a bit annoying alright.

Krusty_Clown

Aimman wrote: »

I cant squeeze in more then 5M in the lunchhour along with getting ready first and showering afterwards.

Showering? There's another half mile for you, right there!

Aimman

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Showering? There's another half mile for you, right there!

True, I could skip the shower and have the bonus of no one coming near me with extra work in the Afternoon :-)

Krusty_Clown

Tonight: 10 mile moon-lit hilly trail run
N'other long work day, but nonetheless I headed for the hills, equipped with my new Salomon Crossmax shoes, super-bright bicycle torch and mp3 player. The torch died within 3 or 4 minutes, and the mp3 player died almost immediately afterwards. So it was just me, the other nocturnal creatures, the stars and the bright lights of civilization below. The Salomon shoes did a fine job on the mud, fire-roads and trails, which is just as well, as they've been well and truly christened, and the shoe shop won't be taking them back in a hurry. Much of the route was in the moonshade, so it was near impossible to see where I was going, but soon afterwards I'd break out of the forest to beams of moonlight. A nice run, if a little tough given the darkness and the lateness of the hour, but always good to get a run like this done for a change.

Summary: 10 miles in 1:21 @8:03/mile, HR=139

Krusty_Clown

Yesterday: 5 mile recovery run
Lunch-time recovery run up to and around Corkagh Park (so another Shamrock-shaped run). Don't know how I've managed for so long without doing lunch-time runs. It's great to be back running in the sun again, and the variety of locations is great. Still running them a little too fast for recovery, but what the hell.

Summary: 5 miles in 37 mins, @7:31/mile, HR=142

Krusty_Clown

Today: 13 mile bit of everything run
First hangover run in a long time. I headed out for 10 miles, but got a little waylaid, so ended up staying out for 13 miles. Headed up the promenade in Bray with the intention of avoiding the Paddy's day parade, but the promenade was thronged, so I ended up dancing around all the little green fellas. Headed up to Bray Head (for the first time evah!) and was greeted with fantastic views and a tapestry of trails heading in very direction. Got a little lost on the trails, but it was an enjoyable kind of lost. Eventually headed south via Bray Main street, incorrectly assuming that the parade would be well over. Big mistake. I hit the tail end of the parade, and the place was mobbed. Ended up walking through the town, following the carbon-monoxide belching Harley Davidson riders on the parade route, like a last sad lonely float, advertising the perils of over-indulgence.

Still, a very enjoyable run, and I'm delighted to have discovered the trails around Bray Head and look forward to hitting them again soon.
Summary: 13.1 miles in 1:46, @8:05/mile

brownian

Probably the nicest trail from Bray head is the cliff walk to Greystones. If walking, Somerville's coffee shop in Greystones is worth the visit. Dunno about running!

The other good one, IMHO is to spin over from Bray Head to Windgates, on the Greystones Road, and back.

Both these runs have great sea views. Windgates has lovely bluebells coming any month now.

pgmcpq

Quick hijack ....

brownian wrote: »

Probably the nicest trail from Bray head is the cliff walk to Greystones.

Really that is still passable/runnable ???? It was fallling into the sea 20 years ago.

brownian wrote: »

Somerville's coffee shop in Greystones

Great place - was in there last week working my way through their scones stock ( we were still in the running gear after 7 miles - they probably wanted us out in favor of better smelling customers but were too polite !).

donothoponpop

Hangover days are so black or white- it's either slump on the couch with the remote and crisps, or sweat it out running for a couple of hours. I prefer the latter, you can tear into booze again without guilt, so fair play for getting out Gary!

brownian

@Dpop - don't even have a hangover excuse...there's always tomorrow though

@pgmcpq: cliff walk certainly still there. Some money spent on it a couple of years back; path re-routed inland in an ugly but effective manner. If you can avoid the dog souvenirs in the first and last half miles, it's pretty nice.

@KC - hijack ends

Krusty_Clown

donothoponpop wrote: »

Hangover days are so black or white- it's either slump on the couch with the remote and crisps

Would've done it too, but I had no crisps. I was actually heading to Bray to buy a packet, and just kept going for 13 miles. Hope the knee is on the mend. Still up for the ultra?

donothoponpop

The plan is to run the Ultra, I should be fine for it. Knee feels better today, I won't run on it until tomorrow though.

Krusty_Clown

Yesterday: 5 Mile easy run along the banks of the canal (that's a song, innit'?). Nice sunshine run, and not too many flies alongside the water this time. Lots of people out, but mostly fishing and drinking cans. Lucky barstewards.
Summary: 5 miles in 38 mins, @7:33/mile, HR=140

Krusty_Clown

today: 12.8 mile hilly traily/road run
Last longish hilly run before next week's race. Planned 10 miles, but ended up with just shy of 13 (seems to be becoming a habit). Headed up around Carrigologan, before looping around and over the Scalp. Decided I'd head down to Enniskerry and explore some trails but I made some poor route decisions, and headed into something called 'the Meadow Bog'. First I ran around the meadow, crossed a stream, and then found the bog. I squelched my way back to the road. On a positive note, no-one will be accusing me of wearing new shoes at the start of the ultra next week. Back up the hill to the Scalp, and stopped my watch to let some mountain bikers out the gate, of course forgetting to restart it afterwards for most of a mile. Looped around the Scalp, back over Carrigologan, and finished with a few quicker miles. Really settling into these shoes. Bit of impact on my big toes on the downhill, which is going to make for a painful 51kms next week, but certainly the best choice of shoe for the race, no matter what the conditions are like.

Summary: 12.7 miles in around 1:40, @ around 8 min/mile, HR=139

Macanri

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Yesterday: 5 Mile easy run along the banks of the canal (that's a song, innit'?). Nice sunshine run, and not too many flies alongside the water this time. Lots of people out, but mostly fishing and drinking cans. Lucky barstewards.
Summary: 5 miles in 38 mins, @7:33/mile, HR=140

In the female prison, there are 75 women,
And among them I wish I did dwell,

And 'the auld triangle' could go jingle jangle,
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.

You can't beat The Dubliners

...Which canal did you run on the banks of?

Krusty_Clown

Macanri wrote: »

I
...Which canal did you run on the banks of?

T'other one!

Krusty_Clown

Today: 5 mile grass recovery run
Finally, a recovery run worthy of the title. Headed off before brekkie (it's amazing what you can achieve when you lay off the juice!) for a nice easy trot on the grass, to wrap-up another 50+ mile week. I've been running 50-55mpw consistently this year so far, and feel better for it. Two rest days in the last month, but will try and get a rest day or two in this week, before this very tough race.

Summary: 5 miles in 40 mins, @8 min/mile, HR=130

Krusty_Clown

Yesterday: Took a rest day. Found it very difficult. Even on my way home from work I had convinced myself to go for a cycle and a run. Then just a run. Then just a cycle. In the end, I had a nap on the sofa and an hour on the son's xbox. Rest days are tough.
Summary: 1 hour xbox, @90 key-presses/minute, HR=167

brownian

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Yesterday: Took a rest day. Found it very difficult. Even on my way home from work I had convinced myself to go for a cycle and a run. Then just a run. Then just a cycle. In the end, I had a nap on the sofa and an hour on the son's xbox. Rest days are tough.
Summary: 1 hour xbox, @90 key-presses/minute, HR=167

Mind yourself on that Xbox! I spent ten minutes playing tennis on my daughter's Wii and hurt my shoulder for a week

Krusty_Clown

brownian wrote: »

Mind yourself on that Xbox! I spent ten minutes playing tennis on my daughter's Wii and hurt my shoulder for a week

To be honest, I don't think I'm ready for that level of activity yet. I'll see how I get on with the ultra this weekend and the 56k in April. If I can get a fast marathon in early summer (just to see where I am) and then start faster training, and building (try and record a PB) through the various distances (5 mile, 10k, 10 mile, 1/2 marathon) and then a good run in the Chicago marathon, then and only then will I consider giving tennis on the Wii a go.

cwgatling

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

90 key-presses/minute, HR=167

Nice cadence

Krusty_Clown

Today: 10k steady run + 1 mile warm-down
After focusing on improving my digital dexterity yesterday, I figured I should probably focus on the legs today. Weather was a little warmer when I headed out at lunch-time, but the legs felt fresh after yesterday's heavy console session, so I picked up the pace and trotted 10k around Baldonnel Airport in 40 minutes, with a one mile warm-down. Pretty cool to have the army choppers and planes flying a few meters overhead (cheesy top-gun style), but the roads are narrow and the trucks are wide and fast, so unfortunately I won't be running these nice country roads again any time soon.

Summary: 7.1 miles in 47 mins, @6:42/mile, HR=155

BeepBeep67

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Today: 10k steady run + 1 mile warm-down
After focusing on improving my digital dexterity yesterday, I figured I should probably focus on the legs today. Weather was a little warmer when I headed out at lunch-time, but the legs felt fresh after yesterday's heavy console session, so I picked up the pace and trotted 10k around Baldonnel Airport in 40 minutes, with a one mile warm-down. Pretty cool to have the army choppers and planes flying a few meters overhead (cheesy top-gun style), but the roads are narrow and the trucks are wide and fast, so unfortunately I won't be running these nice country roads again any time soon.

Summary: 7.1 miles in 47 mins, @6:42/mile, HR=155

It's a pity that - there's a lovely stretch of road between Rathnew and Glenealy - but you are taking your life into your hands running it.

Krusty_Clown

Yeah, it's a shame all right. Nothing better than a country road for a long run, particularly one that's previously unexplored. we should have a Sunday truce. No heavy vehicles until mid-day, no running country roads after dusk.

brownian

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

It's a pity that - there's a lovely stretch of road between Rathnew and Glenealy - but you are taking your life into your hands running it.

If you're running down there, the Deputy's Pass road and the Fingerpost road up to Kilmacurra past the dog pound are very pleasant (as is the Deputy's Pass loop walk). The Bahana and Stump roads from Glenealy to Rathdrum are pretty quiet too.

Krusty_Clown

Today: Stoopid waste of time run
Supposed to do around 8-10 easy miles today, but at lunch-time I only had around 40 minutes between conference calls, including my 'instant shower'. So instead of postponing the run until after work I decided to try and fit in what I could in the time available. Queue 4 miles at 6:45/mile, that are a guaranteed waste of time and effort and are probably counter-productive. Lesson learned: Put off until later, what you cannot affectively achieve earlier in the day. You can't fit a 10 mile run into a 30 minute slot. May do a 5 mile recovery run later as punishment (and three hail marys).
Summary: 4 miles in 28 mins, @6:43/mile, HR=148