Running mad or mad to run?

Slogger Jogger

Imra run is on same hill and uses some of the trail (for the fast downhill for instance) but the imra run goes higher and is a tad steeper in parts on the uphill.

This evening's run was for speed intervals.. 800 x 6. Wasn't looking forward to it. Out into Shangannagh park for loops in the dark with my mate Ian and off we went. Didn't push the boat out too much as was conscious of saving something for the later intervals. Happy with session overall though. Splits were: 3.00 (didn't hear the start beep), 2.55, 2.59, 2.59, 3.05, 3.05 Did a slow 2 mins between each. The 800s seem to get longer each repeat :eek:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7525008

Total miles today 6.6; 4:32 min/k pace.
No. of runs this year: 28
Total mileage this year: 224.1

Slogger Jogger

Treadmill run for 35 mins before work at marathon pace.
Feeling fresh later on I then managed a recovery 6.6k. Legs feeling surprisingly good.

Total miles today: 5.1 am + 4.1 pm = 9.2
No. of runs this year: 30
Total mileage this year: 233.4

Slogger Jogger

Couldn't squeeze in the required 40 mins today but nearly did. Managed 7.9k in 34 mins. 4:17 pace which was terrific given the squally conditions. Ran with training partner which always makes the session tick over all the quicker.

Total miles today: 4.9
No. of runs this year: 31
Total mileage this year: 238.3

Slogger Jogger

65 days to Rotterdam.

Schedule called for rest day today but had to do a small run before work when I left the car off for a service. Crap conditions for running but managed to go marathon pace

Total miles today: 3.1
No. of runs this year: 32
Total mileage this year: 241.4

Slogger Jogger

64 days to Rotterdam.

Schedule called for 9 mile marathon paced run. The weather was determined to dictate otherwise. Blustery wind... heavy rain... the kind of stuff which under normal circumstances would make me wuss out and consider a treadmill run. But, I prevailed out into the elements and slowly but surely got into my running. So much so that I found myself pushing the pace, determined to get the marathon pace despite the elements. In the end I outdid myself (and I may pay for it in the imra race tomorrow) as I did 10 miles at at average 4:11 min/km pace which is some 7 secs a km faster than MP :eek: This included 5 k splits below 4 mins on the way back, so negative splits too. And... 204meters of hills ascended into the bargain. A tough tough run, but very happy to have ticked it off.

The run was an out and back run out the backroads which paralleled a river that was in torrent. Magical sounds of the crashing of water.. On the return leg I was almost racing the water Route data here:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7540007 The spike of HR at the start threw off the stats, but an avg of 159 isn't too far wrong and isn't bad in the circumstances...

Total miles today: 10
No. of runs this year: 33
Total mileage this year: 251.4

donothoponpop

As I can't keep up with you during the IMRA races, I've tried to blacken your name by variously pointing out inconsistent timekeeping, "wuss" treadmill miles that you do a lot of, but all to no avail, if you can produce this sort of run, and in todays foul weather to boot...seriously impressed with 10 miles at sub marathon pace, especially with that ascent included.:eek:

Slogger Jogger

63 days to Rotterdam.

imra winter race in Ticknock. Despite a tough run yesterday which resulted in sore legs and a nice blister on one of my toes and despite the (unplanned) 3k uphill warm up 'jog' from Marley Park to the start, I ran a good race today. I surprised myself by hanging in there throughout and running solidly and finishing 11th and helping boards to a good position (hopefully) on the team standings. A tough tough run which was longer and had more climb than anyone expected. I measured it as 10.18k with 417m of climb. The distance probably suited me in the end. The conditions underfoot were challenging. Muck, water, ice, rock. You name it we ran through it. All in all a good day at the 'office'

Garmin stuff here: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7548345

Total miles today: 10.1
No. of runs this year: 34
Total mileage this year: 261.5

Slogger Jogger

62 days to Rotterdam.

Morning started with the dread of having to do a recovery run. Such was the weather the only option was to wuss out and do the treadmill run.. so I did the necessary (with the necessary incline). 1st k wasn't easy as the body didn't want to cooperate.. but this eased out and eventually did 30 mins, followed by some strength exercises.

Got away from work early to escape the worsening road conditions and it was just aswell as I heard later on the traffic news.. I found that the hills were pulling me out to run again, as they were snow covered and I can't quite recall ever running in the snow before so there was a first time for everything. So.. did the 2nd recovery run of the day.. a magical run through pristine white snow on the trails above the house. The only company was deer dashing across the trail up ahead. I've discovered that running downhill through snow is brilliant. A feeling that should be bottled. And strangely enough the legs now feel fine

Total miles today: 2 runs... (4.5 + 4.5 = 8.1) 4 + 4.1 = 8.1
No. of runs this year: 36
Total mileage this year: 269.6

ultraman1

you should check d maths there SJ:D

Slogger Jogger

My maths inability is found out again

Slogger Jogger

61 days to Rotterdam.

Today's schedule called for hill repeats. An impossibility given the weather. Had to compromise (and in any event the hill race at the weekend was a better hill repetition than you could get!)

Did 5 wussy kms on the treadmill at a 2% gradient at 4:16km/min pace. Then out into the snow for a snowy trail run. Fantastic. 7.24k in 41 mins (5:45 pace), with some 250m of ascents.

Snowy pictures in my Annacurra flickr set here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickhanney/3250504259/in/set-72157611381852989/

Total miles today: 7.6
No. of runs this year: 37
Total mileage this year: 277.2

donothoponpop

Some great photos there SJ. Save some of that snow in your freezer: you can throw it on your treadmill in a weeks time and recapture the experience

ultraman1

Sj,you could put your threadi on dat hill,and charge the city slickers for some semi wuss miles:D

Slogger Jogger

60 days to Rotterdam.

Today's schedule called for 4 easy miles. Due to time constraints I took the treadie with gradient option and did an average marathon pace (so ignored the easy miles bit). Felt the pace, so obviously the days of continuous effort do catch up on you.

Total miles today: 4.4
No. of runs this year: 38
Total mileage this year: 281.5

Slogger Jogger

59 days to Rotterdam.

Managed to get out again today to find that the trails up above the house were still deep in snow. Yippee. Another magical run, more than half of it was tough high-stepping through the snow which was on average 3 inches deep, but with drifts could be nearly a foot deep at times :eek: And not a single footprint to be seen higher up, except for my own from the other day.. and some hoove prints from the deer. Saw a bambi like deer at one stage on the trail ahead, looking back at me with a look of disinterest. 297m of hills ascended. Just over 5 min k pace. Nice hill: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7572476

Total miles today: 6.9
No. of runs this year: 39
Total mileage this year: 288.4 Heading towards the 300 mark at the weekend

Slogger Jogger

58 days to Rotterdam.

HH schedule said rest today. Eh, ignored that and decided to shuffle around the weekend schedule and do my marathon paced run today instead of tomorrow. Ended up running marginally faster overall, but no harm there: 4:15km pace over 17k.

Total miles today: 10.6
No. of runs this year: 40
Total mileage this year: 299. If I had of been conscious of the total (which I wasn't as I work in kms in any event, I might have done the extra bit today )

Slogger Jogger

View out back window, the roads under which I did some of my run today. (I'll paste this into the snowy run thread too...)

ultraman1

I take too many days off,hence im droppin down the 1000mile challenge.if i had a view like yours id be out every day and would defo be divorced by mrs ultraman.:D:D:D

Slogger Jogger

57 days to Rotterdam.

Decided to do a slow hill run in the snow while it was still there. Ran the route of next weeks race and its still 80% under snow. Tough going as the top of the snow has iced up so the knee stepping movement to go forward took more and more out of you. Still a fab run. Details here:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7578909 Route is slightly longer than 'race' as this is from my front door...

Total miles today: 6
No. of runs this year: 41
Total mileage this year: 305

McConkey

Hey SJ, almost did you out of some milage by posting at the same time as you in the 1000 mile challange, I love your photos...beautiful snow-we don't have any in the west the icy footpaths this morning are enough for me to contend with I'm afraid. Good luck with the training

Slogger Jogger

56 days to Rotterdam.

Was greeted by more snowfall this morning. There was a decent covering on the ground and it was still falling, so I'd a short debate with myself as to whether I'd run at all. In the end the schedule got the better of me and I headed out. Did the run in 2 stages. An out and back run on the backroads which were completely white. The snow running was great and you got a nice soft step even if ground underneath was tarmac. I was passed by a few 4x4s and I reckon I was getting some odd looks, but I was nearly going as quick as some of the wheel spinning cars at times.

Did just over 23k in a nice loop - the shape of which looks like a running shoe with its lace open http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7586225
Then, cranked up the wussy treadmill to eke out another 8k in 35 mins. This was not easy. Sweated profusely so it must have been having some effect!

Wore my skins running tights again. There could be a placebo effect but I've convinced myself that they do help the legs particularly after days of continuous running.

Delighted to have another long run ticked off on the journey towards Rotterdam. This week had me running 101k in total for the week. I think thats the most I've ever accumulated in a week.

Total miles today: 19.4
No. of runs this year: 42
Total mileage this year: 324.4

donothoponpop

Nice run SJ, was just out for a walk and it was very slushy, I'd say you got the best of the day to run in. Very decent pace too.

Krusty_Clown

Great running SJ. I can only imagine what the pace would be like if you flattened out those hills. Finally managed to get babysitter sorted, and got out just after mid-day in very icy conditions, but it sounds like Wicklow had the worst of it.

Woddle

I don't know where you get the mental strenght from. If I came home after 20 sth K, there is no way I'm getting on the treadmill. Even when I'm running I try my best not to run too close to the house as I know a run will get cut short. Great running.

Slogger Jogger

It was a case of having too cut short the outdoors run. The road quality was such that it would have been dodgey to go on a further loop. I'd myself mentally prepped to do around 8k on the TM so just changed into dry runners and did the necessary. I'm lucky to have the wussy device to fall back on for occasions like this.

P.S. Did anyone see the full moon? I think a night run early this week is called for.

Slogger Jogger

donothoponpop wrote: »

Nice run SJ, was just out for a walk and it was very slushy, I'd say you got the best of the day to run in. Very decent pace too.

I went out and back on the backroads to Aughavannagh as it offers the least amount of hills. Still had to prevail over 320m of ascents I think. Very happy with pace considering.. I don't monitor my pace too much as I'm running. I have this thing about looking at the watch and try to keep the watch watches to a minimum. I find that if I'm running without watch watching its usually that you're enjoying the run and the time goes faster :rolleyes: Very happy with avg HR too... 150 overall.

Slogger Jogger

55 days to Rotterdam. 8 weeks....

Recovery run day after the long run yesterday. Did just over 9k up and down Annacurra hill, which is still snow clad. Another one of those memorable runs. Picture the scene... you're running without any effort (as its recovery so speed doesn't matter), you're running in snow (so its soft and easy on the legs) and the moonlight is lighting up the sky giving you a resplendant scene - no need for headtorch for most of run. Spendid.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7597944

Total miles today: 5.8
No. of runs this year: 43
Total mileage this year: 330.2

christeb

Hi SJ - good work on the recent progress. Just a quick question - are you going to concentrate more on flat training runs as you near Rotterdam? Reason I ask is that I would have thought you would benefit relatively more from running faster on terrain similar to the race itself?

Either way keep up the good work!

Abhainn

Good running SJ.
Great pics also. There is great serenity in running in those surroundings.

Slogger Jogger

christeb wrote: »

Hi SJ - good work on the recent progress. Just a quick question - are you going to concentrate more on flat training runs as you near Rotterdam? Reason I ask is that I would have thought you would benefit relatively more from running faster on terrain similar to the race itself?

Either way keep up the good work!

Hi christeb, Good point. Its something that I'm conscious of and I've put more thought into my long run routes so that I will reduce to a practical minimum the hills. Aprox half of my runs are on the treadmill so thats fairly flat My interval sessions recently have tended to be in Shangannagh park, again flat.. I'll continue with the hill runs and races as they are all 'tools' which the schedule benefits from in any event. Thanks for the encouragement, Cheers.