Here we go again...!

belcarra

I hour of 5 a side in Sportsco.
It was 5 v 4 and I was on the side with 4.
We won handy enough. Tried not to push myself too much as first 11 a side match is on tomorrow (Sat).
Weight = 13st 7lbs. (After football)

belcarra

11 a side match today in monsoon conditions and to make matters worse, seeing as it was my first game I was the third sub.
This meant I had to endure 85mins of hellish weaher on the sidelines and then play 5 mins at left back:eek:

Not a chance of going back out in that weather for the rest of the day..except for a few beers, that is;)!

belcarra

Nada today!:(

belcarra

Game of squash which lasted an hour.

belcarra

Went for a long run this evening. I hadn't gone for one since a 13 miler on Fri week. Ended up going for 17.1 miles in 2hrs 53.5mins which equated to 10:15min/mile. This is probably the correct pace I should be doing the long runs at if I want to break 4hrs. Happy enough with it seeing as it was a bitterly cold mid-week evening:).
Weight = 13t 4lbs (after the run).

belcarra

Kind of hectic end to the week so didn't manage to get back out for a run at all unfortunately. I suppose there was a bit of smugness as well after the 17 mile run on tuesday mixed in!

belcarra

Our 11 a side team were playing today in raheny but unfortunately I only got about 5 mins on the pitch at the end.

When I got home I went for a 7.1 mile run which took 56:55. This worked out as an 8min/mile pace which I was well happy with seeing as it was windy and all.

I hope to do a longish run tomorrow, but we'll see!

Weight is down to 13st 1.5lbs:) (After the run!)

belcarra

Did 10.5 miles today at a more relaxed pace than yesterday. I could feel the effort from yesterday still in my legs though so it was a bit of a struggle.
Averaged just under a 9min/mile pace so reasonably happy.
Weight was 13st 1.5lbs again.

belcarra

Meant to be playing squash tonight but it was fully booked up:(
Instead I declared it a Rest day - Nada!

belcarra

Football training tonight which resulted in an hour of 5 a side, or rather a game of 4 v 5!
Weight = 13st 5 lbs.

belcarra

I had been planning on taking it easy for Wed but I noticed the weayther was pretty good so I rejigged things and decided to do my long run this evening instead. I finished work a bit early so it worked out perfectly for me. My route was: Santry - Coolock - Malahide Road - Griffith Ave / Collins Ave loop - Clontarf - Coast Road - Kilbarrack Road - Coolock - Santry. It was 18.5 miles in total so I was pleased with that. It took about 3:07 to complete but the final 3 miles or so were really tough. I could really feel the effort from football training the previous night.
All in all, I feel I'm a little ahead of where I need to be which is just as well as I'm heaing off skiing for a week on Sat. From last year I know the skiing won't really be much of a help and the Apres ski definitely won't...but I can't be unsociable now!
Weight = 13st 0lbs...almost broke into the 12st range!

belcarra

Rest Day today to recover from LSR yesterday.

Woddle

Thats some weight loss in 2 days, I bet you got in from the long run and was straight on the scales Thats a great lsr

belcarra

I've got all the tricks down...delay the weighing until I've almost got one foot in the shower! I've actually noticed that upto a half pound can be lost during the shower! I think it must be the salts and sweat being washed away.

Hope that didn't get too graphic!

belcarra

Two weeks ago I was skiing in Tignes in France and so there was no running done. The skiing doesn't really compensate alot as different muscles are being used. Then last week I was busy with a few things and idle for a couple of evenings so I didn't manage to get out then either:mad:

So tonight I got my ass in gear and went for 10 miles. The run wouldn't have been too bad only for I ran in an old pair of runners simply because my current pair were in the boot of my car and I couldn't be arsed getting them! Wrong decision! Blisters on both feet but not too bad. Also, muscles - mainly quads - sore from the lack of cusioning!! Anyways at least I'm back!!

belcarra

The run last night took 1hr 35min which was a very slow time. Wasn't too bothered though as main thing was to get a decent run in. Tnight I was due to have football training but it was called off without me knowing. I'd decided to run to training which is 2 miles away in DCU so it was only when I arrived to find noone there that I discovered it was cancelled! Ran home again.
4 miles...19m9secs out and 9m11secs return...pretty consistent without aiming to be!!

Next up will be (hopefully) a longish run Thursday...

belcarra

Met up with my Brother and we went for a 10 miler in the Phoenix park. Conditions were good for it with a breeze in our faces when heading North West.
In total the run took 1hr 34mins which was pretty slow but not too bothered about the time today as I had done nothing since Tuesday last apart from 30mins of 11-a-side soccer on Sat.
Need to get a couple of lsr's in over the next 12 days or so...
Wt = 12st 13.5lbs.

belcarra

A quick 5 miler after work. Well the pace wsn't awful quick but it was a shorter run than normal. Took approx 42mins which works out at approx 8:25 per mile. Off to portugal tomorrow with work for a few days and will try and get a long run in but not sure how likely that is to happen!!
Wt: 13st 1lb

belcarra

In Portugal but managed to get a 5 mile run in on a treadmill. The city is not great for running in between traffic and hills so have to make do with this!

belcarra

Played 60 mins of 11 a side today. No running training though:(

belcarra

Planned a big night tonight.
Did 6 miles at 8:40 pace and then trained with the football team for an hour. Good effort and plenty of sprinting about after the ball!
Then did 5 mile run on the way home. Pace was 10:20 per mile and I was knackered! Felt like the last 5 miles of a marathon so it was a good experience from that perspective! Sore back for the next day though so that has hampered me from getting back out again:mad:
Overall I was out and about for 3 hours.

belcarra

Football match today where i played approx 65 mins. We lost 2-1 and had two goals harshly ruled out for offsides...all-in all, referee was some eejit!

belcarra

Went for long run this evening. However, my hamstring was pretty stiff and sore for most of the day and my back had been playing up also. Pretty sure they are interconnected injuries though. So, decided to take it handy and see how far I could get. Ended up doing 14.3 miles in 2hrs 13mins which worked out at a pace of about 9:30 per mile. Considering the injuries I was carrying I was quiet happy with it. Back never really troubled me on the run but the hammer was felt throughout. It made jumping up and down onto kerbs/paths a real joy...not! I'm hoping to do a longer run on Thurs somewhere around the 3 hr mark. If this doesn't happen I reckon I might have to fall back into the half instead as my training over the past month has been really poor! We shall see...!

belcarra

Got 9.5 miles in tonight. Wasn't the easiest run in the World but I began to feel better the further I went. Hopefully I'll do a LSR on Fri afternoon and then take it easier until Sun week. Total time was approx 1hr 23mins.

belcarra

Well, first to get the important thing out of the way and that is the fact that I turned 31 today. I think I've just changed into a new demographic on all those boring cutomer surveys...!

So anyways, managed to get out today for 18.2 miles. Last few were tough but I had to get them in. This was my last LSR before Sun week so I'll have to take it handier for the next 9 days or so. Still half thinking about dropping back to the half instead as I don't feel at all confident about the training for the full.

The run took 2hrs 55mins which worked out at an average of something like 9:49 min/mile. I'll be knackered tomorrow but unfortunately the football team may be short of numbers so I may have to play a while...hopefully not for too long though!

Weight = 12st 12lbs.

SUNGOD

hi belcara im not too familar with your training or if your last LSR of 18.5 is your longest.
but a lot of mararthon programmes will only have one LSR of 20 miles in there schedule and personally i think if you can run 18.5 in training the excitement /adrenelin of race day will see you through.
only you know if your still up for the full but if you want my opinion
GO FOR IT

belcarra

Thanks for the feedback Sungod.
I ran some marathons last year so I appreciate what you are saying and I know I've got some mileage built up in my legs that I just need to tease out of me but I just wish I had at least an extra week or so!
I did Belfast and Cork within a week of each other last year so I'm half thinking about going back out on Mon or Tue for another 20 miler or so...Do you think that would be unwise?
I'll just be running to complete the course this year so not looking to do much better than 4h30m or so. Therefore I think an extra run early next week might be the best option at this stage just to let the legs know what's coming down the road on Sun!
This week has seen:
Mon: 14.5 miles
Wed: 9.5 miles
Fri: 18.2 miles
So I think if I did 20 or so on Mon, the 5/6 days leading into Sun would be a mini-taper effectively!

SUNGOD

i dont think you have much to gain by running a 20 so close to connemara.
its only 1.8 miles extra to the LSR's that you have been doing .
if your last 2 LSR's of 18.2 had of been 20 miles would you still be so concerned?
and even if they were 20 miles you still would have only run an extra 3.6 miles over two long runs which in the big scheme of things is not worth talking about.
i reckon the work is done now its time to taper properly , eat and rest well and enjoy the day .
i think most people contemplate cramming in an extra LSR close to the day "just to be sure" but it should not be needed.
a 20 within 5/6 days of the marathon is just a little too close, but its your call .
best of luck on the day

belcarra

Went for a 18 mile run today. The first 9 miles were with my brother (Who's doing the half) and then the remaining 9 were on my own. Everything went pretty straight forward and the weather was brilliant! Even got a little bit of colour from it! Took 2hrs 45mins 30 secs for the overall run and managede the first 13 miles in exactly 2 hrs dead.
Happy with it so hopefully the extra miles will stand with me for sun. I felt pretty good afterwards so now my aim will be to beat last years time of approx 4hrs 29mins or something like that. Given training has been so poor apart from the past week just to finish it would be a bonus!!

belcarra

Managed to get out for a leg loosening 2.6 mile lap of the estate this morning. I think it was very beneficial as I hadn't done anything since Tues so dusted off a few cobwebs at least.

Heading West in a couple of hours and then watch the rugby before an early night...if it's possible to drag myself away from the celebrations should Ireland win that is!!

Thinking I might do simialr laps over the next two weeks in prep for Bupa run in the Park. I seriously need to work on a bit of speed and I should have the stamina sorted hopefully!!

Dist: 2.6m
Time: 23m 00secs
Wt: 13st 3lbs (Think the pasta overloading the past few days is kicking in on the weight!!)