Running mad or mad to run?

Slogger Jogger

Folks,
Many thanks to all who supported my recent fundraising effort for the Alzheimers Society of Ireland. Details below. I handed over the spons during the week. My trip to Rotterdam was cheap and cheerful and self-funded, so all contributions go to the good cause. Thanks again.
Mick

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/mick_hanney_alzheimers_society_sponsorship
Fundraising target: * €1,700.00
Money raised off-line: €611.30
Money raised on-line: €1,115.50
Total Raised: €1,726.80

Slogger Jogger

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8215324

Messy wet conditions, but savage race. Took it easy-ish at the start and didn't go off too hard. Hung in there in the middle part with my usual protagonists. Tough hills, but managed to keep a running pace, even a slow one at all times. Some technical rocky bits, but the downhills were quite fast. Garmin registered a 3:08k on the descent :eek: Took a wrong turn but Mike Long shouted me a correction immediately (fair play!). Managed to go past a few runners on the final descent. The end couldn't have come fast enough. Happy out. 42:03 or thereabouts. Don't know place yet, but I'd be there or thereabouts in terms of my usual place I expect.

Woddle

Well done SJ, I was looking around for you beforehand, but holy crap what a turnout, no chance of me finding you. How did you find the garmin signal, we seemed to have got a similar reading, so maybe there was no problem, I thought visibility might have been an issue as it felt longer than the 5.33 and I know it should because we're running up a mountain

Slogger Jogger

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8231300
Nearly didn't get to run this. Arrived 2 mins before registration closed. Still got in and managed a bit of a warm up jog from the Glenmalure lodge up to the starting area. These weekend (and tougher) events attract the hard-core imra runners and the smaller field size makes for a nice social event.
Off we went up along the unremarkable fire-road. Peter X went off into the distance. I was in a small gathering with donothoponpop a bit back but going at a steady rate. No point pushing it too hard here as the race is long and you'll feel it on the next bit. The next bit was a steep walk up the grassy wet flank of Mullacor. Tough going. Turned at the cairn a bit ahead of d'pop and headed off in the direction of Adrian Tucker and Dermot Murphy who I could see in the distance. Going wasn't as fast as last year as the ground was very boggy in parts. Went up to the knee in bog in places, so foot placement was important :rolleyes: Towards Derrybawn ridge and I was glad to see the guys ahead take the required left turn, to indicate to me which turn to take. Didn't have to consult the map I carried thankfully as visibility was quite good throughout, even if there was spots of rain at times. Derrybawn ridge was savagely boggy. Slipped and banged the knee at one point but no harm done. Kept going and got past Dermot Murphy on an uphill. This ridge has a series of mini peaks. Up and down you went until you reached the last one. Long before that Peter, Bernard & co who were the leading quartet (stretched out along the ridge) came back on the homeward leg. That section was tough as the wind was strongly against you. Blowing you to a standstill at times. Kept meeting and greeting the other runners in the race as they made there way out on the ridge. Cormac O'Ceallaigh and d'pop weren't too far from me at the turn. Saw Adrian Tucker up ahead in bright orange (thank god for bright coloured jerseys) taking the left turn off the ridge and was able to follow. The single track path was more a stream than a path. It made for interesting running. Kept running solidly, then over the stile and onto the wider track. A quick look around showed no one closing in so I was probably able to relax a bit. On and on this track went. Avoided any right turn in the forest until the car park then it was right and a fast finish down through the forest. 73 mins or thereabouts. Think I was 5th? If so thats an improvement of a place on last year. I daresay the times were a bit behind last year such were the wet and muddy conditions. Peter won with Bernard 2nd. Adrian 4th. Cormac and D'pop not far behind me in that order. 3 words to sum it up? Tough, mucky, fun Couldn't stay around afterwards. Had to get home to attend to chores. A pity as some food and drink in the Glenmalure Lodge would have been most welcome.

Slogger Jogger

Sunday: c 22k of a Wicklow Way recce.
Monday: c. 13k of a Ballybraid recce.
Tuesday: 5k treadmill recovery pace run.
Wednesday: c12k inc. warm up and imra Ticknock race. Ran pretty well.
Thursday: c10k trail run in Annacurra.
Friday: Treadmill 5k
Saturday: 16k of running including warm-up, Ballybraid race and warm-down.

Total for week: 84k
Total time ran: 7 hrs 40
Total mileage this year: 982

Krusty_Clown

Only 18 miles to go! Sure you can get that done tomorrow in the morning!

Slogger Jogger

Young lad is making his communion tomorrow. If I tried to run at all I'd be divorced. Recce of leg 7 on Monday will close that gap to a smidgeon, so by Tuesday I might be there...

Krusty_Clown

Enjoy the day. Both of mine have been through it, and it's far more stress and effort than lining up before the start of a marathon!
Great result in the race too.

Slogger Jogger

Yesterday, did a nice 22+k wicklow way leg 7 run with the ultrateam of donothoponpop, ultraman and Daithi BC.
This evening, did over 9k around the wonderful trails of Avondale house to get over the 1,000 mile line.

ultraman1

well done sj....enjoy a nice custardcream sambo:D

Abhainn

Congrats SJ on meeting the 1000 mark. Your some man for one man.

Slogger Jogger

Monday: 22k of a Wicklow Way (leg 7) recce.
Tuesday: 9.5k Avondale trail run. Reached the 1000 mile mark
Wednesday: c. 13k of imra race (up and down)
Thursday: REST
Friday: Treadmill 10K
Saturday: c. 13k of Wicklow way (leg 5) recce.
Sunday: c. 13k of European trail recce (Glenmalure)

Total for week: 81k
Total time ran: 7 hrs 42
Total mileage this year: 1032

Slogger Jogger

After the disappoinment of Rotterdam I wanted to get back to enjoying my running soon enough. I also knew that I was registered for Edinburgh 8 weeks after. I dug out a Hal Higdon schedule for doing 2 marathons 8 weeks apart. I followed it, but only roughly.

To date since Rotterdam I have done circa 500k and 41 runs. Averaged 70k per week (the 1st week after Rotterdam was a lot lower!!). I've avoided very high mileage runs. I've done quite a few hill races inc. some tough ones like the Wicklow way trail. Interestingly I did that 6 days after Rotterdam and I set a PB for the trail race. I've done a few long runs very slowly concentrating more on the time on my feet bit.

This week I intend just ticking over. I may do the hill race on Wednesday and very little else. Objectives for Edinburgh? Enjoy it. Get around and see what happens. Don't think about time.. The time will look after itself. A disappointment for Edinburgh is that I'm doing it solo as my would-be running buddy was ruled out by injury. I'm thankful that I'm pretty consistently uninjured. Heading over Saturday morning with the family. Whatever happens we're looking forward to a nice weekend.

rigal

Best of luck in Edinburgh SJ. I've been following you're log and your level of training has been impressive to say the least! Congrats on hitting the 1000mile mark so early in the year.

I'll be there as well. It'll be my first marathon and can't wait now. Hope the weather is good to us..

P.s. I'll be in a blue connemara t-shirt (race #1801) so say hello if you spot me..

Slogger Jogger

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8322438

The Champions League final probably affected the numbers of this evenings race but it was still a healthy crowd that lined up on the lane just after 7:30 this evening to listen to Alan give the route outline.. with each section of the route described getting worse and worse. It was going to be an interesting race.

The 1st part is on a gravel road before veering right and upwards. Over a yellow forest gate where gate hurdling technique (and I have none ) helps - d'pop you'd have been in your element here. Stayed close to those I normally run alongside as we veered up the through the steep forest ride, ducking under the low lying branches (which wouldn't have suited you d'pop). A brief interlude on a fireroad before we were back up another hill, in single file fashion, the lactate starting to build and the mental messages starting (go on, you'd love to walk...). Ignored that and kept plugging away. Onto the Wicklow way where you had to learn to run on kinda flat ground again. Not for long though as a sharp left brought you onto a muddy single track up through a misty landscape towards Prince Willie's Seat summit. There was a growing temptation to walk, but I knew other runners were breathing down my neck so I kept it going, just about.

A sharp turn at the summit before a muddy technical downhill with mud almost sucking off the shoes at times. Stayed close to Mike Long who is a regular sparring partner in these races. Got past 2 runners on this downhill. Onto the Wicklow way again then over towards Raven's road, through more muddy and stony ground. Heavy going at times.

Onto the forest road again and got past Mike, just about. Then past another, just about. Then onto the shoulder of Jason Kehoe. We must have ran shoulder to shoulder for the last 1.5k. Did a 3:15 km split around this time ;-). Jason was stronger on the uphill, me on the downhill. He also vaulted the forest barrier where I stopped to step over it :-( I pushed with 300m to go but he met my challenge easily and sprinted into a 10m lead that I couldn't close. Fair play to him. Sharp turn into the field and over the line. Results just posted and delighted to be 13th, a big jump on my place from last year.

Eoin won and other boardsies weren't too far from me so we probably had a decent team score again.

A nice leg stretcher before the weekend in Edinburgh.

Abhainn

Good luck SJ in Edinburgh. Enjoy yourself

Krusty_Clown

Best of luck in Edinburgh SJ. I'll keep an eye out for you from the sideline. Hope you beat whatever target you have set for yourself. Current forecast looks hot and windy though, so it might be a marathon for a sombrero, suntan lotion, and plenty of liquids. Have a good 'un.

donothoponpop

Best of luck with it SJ. You can afford to relax and concentrate on the race this time, no training partners trying to sneak by you in the last few miles;)

Seres

good luck in edinburgh SJ .

Slogger Jogger

Thanks guys. Looks like it'll be a warm one over there. Probably a bit like the last time I did it 3 years ago. Now where is my sun hat....

Woddle

Best of luck SJ, will it be the forever lucky imra singlet or the new flashy boards one?

Slogger Jogger

Don't know yet. Decisions, decisions.

--amadeus--

I'll tell you what your consistency and application in training is an example to us all. Fingers crossed that you get what you deserve in Edinburgh. Good luck!

Slogger Jogger

Watch time: 3:01:23. Unverified as this point.

To say I'm happy is an understatement. After the dissapointment of Rotterdam I got back to my running straight away, back to running in the hills which is what I enjoy most and doing imra races. I knew that quietly within my heart of hearts I had to redeem myself for the stinker that was the Rotterdam race. Today was it. 99% perfect. Perfect would have been breaking the 3 hrs, but all in good time.

Conditions today were very hot. Far from ideal for a marathon. I got to halfway in 1:29ish. Lost time in the closing stages, but runners around me at that stage were collapsing on the ground! Unusually for me I didn't cramp, I didn't have to walk any, I just kept a steady pace - albeit one that was getting slower as the last few ks approached. Very emotional crossing the line. After 18 marathons I'm still capable of a PB. Now where is the bar in this hotel... (fuller race report to follow when I'm back in Wicklow with proper (not hotel slow) internet facilities.

--amadeus--

A fantastic time and richly deserved. Well done!

spaceylou

Well done SJ, have been following your log so delighted to read you've come back from rotterdam, great time hope you found the bar after your post and enjoyed!

Hard Worker

Well done SJ. It's great that you enjoyed it and that you are still achieveing pb's.

kingQuez

Well done SJ. Savage time in horrible (for marathoning) weather!

asimonov

Great work sj, it must have been real tough in the heat.

Slogger Jogger

Thanks guys. Maybe the secret to a good marathon is to do a hill race 3 or 4 days beforehand like Prince Williams Seat

Had a nice meal and beer / wine with the family afterwards to celebrate
Happy out. Read in the papers today that some 10 runners were admitted to hospital and that more than 100 runners had to have treatment on the route. For those runners that were slow on the outward half of the route they cut the route short (by cutting off a 3 mile loop section through private grounds) on health and safety grounds. Probably a sensible decision but if your intention was to do a slow but steady marathon you may be surprised to find you did 23 miles not 26 (or you might not know).

Saw in the results that I was placed 140
My half way split was around 1:29:15, so didn't lose too much in the 2nd half. God bless you if you could run negative splits in those conditions.

The heat was tough, but tougher I think 3 years ago here, but I probably was ill-prepared on that occasion. I hydrated well before the race yesterday, wore sunscreen and a sunhat and drank enought but not too much at each water stop / luzocade stop. There was a sea breeze which was more a help than a hindrance too in the last 5 miles.

earlyevening

Well done SJ. A fantastic result in tough conditions. That must feel even better given the Rotterdam disappointment. Hopefully it will spur you onto greater success in a damper, cooler Dublin in October.

Abhainn

Excellent result SJ. Super achievement after your Rotterdam dissapointment.

Maybe sub 3 in Dublin in Oct?

ike

Well done SJ - just goes to show Rotterdam was nothing more than an off day

stmochtas

Congrats SJ

Krusty_Clown

Great result SJ. On a cooler day, you will kill that time. So when's the next marathon, or is it all hilly stuff for a while? I picked up a pair of mud-claws while I was in Edinburgh, so I'm looking forward to getting a chance to try them out, when the legs are back to full strength. I'd love to make the scalp, as it's almost a local race. Fingers crossed.

Seres

great results , especially in that heat. sub three is definitely on the horizon.

shels4ever

Well done super time and reward for your hard work

ManFromAtlantis

fair play sj. nice to see some good reports. the fact that u didnt break 3 is probably a plus for now. i mean what a motivating factor / if u ever needed one for the next marathon. well done.

Slogger Jogger

Thanks a million guys. Sub 3 is definitely within touching distance. If it happens it happens, if not this year, maybe next, or the next It nearly happened here. I don't have my watch splits (computer problems) but the 30k official split had me at 4:14 min/k pace which was almost 2 mins ahead of schedule.

If anyone out there was ever wondering about the value of hill running as part of a marathon schedule I think you can see from my result here that it helps bigtime.

Sosa

Well Done Slogger....delighted for you...great run

Slogger Jogger

Eventually got garmin loaded up. Now if I could just shave back on the km splits in the last 7 or 8k... Up til then it was rock n roll.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8370285

Krusty_Clown

Wow, you couldn't ask for a better elevation profile! Great work until 33kms, then the heat probably had a lot to do with it. A HRM would have made for interesting reading.

Slogger Jogger

Yep, the elevation helps... As for a HRM, I tend not to wear one in races, it annoys me! But I can tell you that my heart rate was shooting up towards the end despite the pace falling away...

The following pic is from the set of photos I got from marathon-photos. Loaded them to my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickhanney/

ultraman1

is dat an official imra hat.....

Slogger Jogger

Official Paris Marathon 25th anniversay hat...

ManFromAtlantis

ultraman1 wrote: »

is dat an official imra hat.....

looks just like the sugar loaf

Slogger Jogger

Sunday: Edinburgh marathon, 3:01:22 PB
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Swimming pool session to rest the legs.
Wednesday: Easy run on leg 3 of Wicklow way relay course. 8k.
Thursday: Swimming pool session to rest the legs.
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Wicklow way relay leg 5. Just over 13k. See next post for race report.
Today: Jogged the route that will be used for the European Trail in Glenmalure next week. 12.5k, 787m of ascents!

I'll probably continue to factor in alternate days rest/recovery for the next few weeks until I assess my next race target... potentially the Longford marathon.

Slogger Jogger

Very early morning text from Magnet woke me up (thanks Magnet!)... Where is leg 2 start she says? Curtlestown I replied almost in my sleep, before trying to get more shuteye, but that was difficult. Pre-race nerves I think.
General donothoponpop's text messages come thick and fast. The schedule is 'out' due to EE's leg 1 excursion, but we still get to Laragh before 11 I think. Rain is pouring down and its quite cold. Dawdled quite a bit on clothing decision. The downpour before HM appeared persuaded me to wear jacket.
Whilst I was waiting the leg 5 runners for other teams were heading off every few mins. I think from our progress later on we would get to pass a lot of those teams (go team boards!).
The moment came... HM was on the finishing straight... Touch hands and go. Will the legs hold up 6 days after Edinburgh... we'll see. The start of leg 5 is deceptive as its flat so you go out too fast. 1st k split 3:43
The steps up towards the Poulanglass waterfall put an end to that pace, but still kept it going solidly. Whats that above me on the zigzag trail? Its the previous runner? Ahhaa, a target... Kept a steady pace (next few ks: 5:27, 4:53:, 5:04, 5:00) Passed the target, as he walked a bit of incline just past the 4k mark. He put on a spurt but couldn't keep up... happy days. 6 mins and 5:34 were the last of the uphill ks, then it was slipperier downhill through the steep muddy steps and onto the fireroad, where the pace picks up. In my minds eye I could see the runners ahead of me - even if physically I couldn't. I could also envisage donothoponpop waiting for me impatiently if I was late (he was expecting me to do c. 60 mins) . Dig deep and try to turn those legs faster. 4:39, 3:31 , 3:36 , 3:23. My total time of 61 mins may not be strictly correct as I hit the stop button clearing condensation from the timer. Still it was round 60 which on marathon legs + 6 days is a good result. On the final run-in I could see a girl finishing her leg.. Nearly caught her, but donothoponpop wasn't too long catching her running mate on leg 6.
Changed into dry gear in the p**sing rain, and drive on from leg to leg til Shillelagh where we had a nice getogether. Everyone had a great day. Everyone chuffed with 12th place. Next year we WILL do better.
Congrats all.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8386061

asimonov

Good stuff SJ. What do you have on next weekend? :-)

Slogger Jogger

I'll have a go at the European trail run in Glenmalure. Nearly 800m of ascent (uphill only), 7k ish distance race. There I will really find out my running level against the best hill runners in the country. All part of the experience...