Running mad or mad to run?

Slogger Jogger

• Monday: 11.7k split into short run on treadmill early morning and trail run in the evening.
• Tuesday: 10k treadmill run, marathon pace.
• Wednesday: 12k incl. imra Howth race
• Thursday: 7k treadmill run
• Friday: 12k split between short trail run before heading to the West and 8k on the road in Leenane.
• Saturday: 10k inc. Croagh Patrick race.
• Total for week: 64k
• Total time ran: 5 hrs 26.
• Total mileage this year: 889

Slogger Jogger

Didn't feel right at the start line of this. Shouldn't have drank that bottle of wine last night :rolleyes:
Still, almost perfect conditions were in store for us this morning. A head wind was all we could complain about. Any mountain run where you can see the summit is a good start.
The Boards AC vest got its first airing on Croagh Patrick and it didn't go too bad.
Started okay but started the obligatory walking bit on Croagh Patrick (for me at least) a lot earlier than previous years. Head wind didn't help. However, my walking stride meant that I didn't lose too much ground. When I got running again I felt a lot better until the nasty last climb through the shale and rocks. During that section you are privileged to see the lead guys hurling themselves down the mountain. Peter O'Farrell led, followed by Bernard Fortune and others. That was the 1 and 2 positions sorted. Later found out that Jason Reid had made up a no. of places on the descent for the 3rd place.
I made a tentative downhill (as I played it very safe). Still I only lost 1 place on the downhill, and gained a place near the end so honours even there. I really felt that my time today was slow, but if you offered me a time beforehand that was faster than my previous years times I would have taken it and thats exactly what I got. 64 mins. Happy with that. And no cuts or grazes this year either so thats good.
Tish McCann from the Mournes was 1st lady home in and around the 60 min mark. She ascended and descended really well.
No official club places for todays race but if there was then myself, Early Evening and Gohardorgohome were an able BAC three. Unofficially we were 3rd in the team rankings. Nice to talk to the BAC guys afterwards.
A good day. The mucky and fun Ben Gorm beckons in the morning.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8130309

Krusty_Clown

Well done slogger. Congrats on another great run. Your report suggests you had a fall on this course last year?

Slogger Jogger

Thanks. A lot of people had falls last year of one sort or another. If you take you eyes off your footing to take in the breath-taking view or whatever, you can easily trip. And theres a lot of hard surfaces to hit. I had minor cuts and scrapes on the knees and hands last year. Wore gloves yesterday as an insurance measure, but didn't need them as I stayed upright. The first aider yesterday only had a handful of customers.

Slogger Jogger

Just in from the roughest imra race of the year according to its events description, a description which is quite true. 3rd year in a row for me running this. The weather gods smiled on us again and we had clear skies and could see the hills we were to run in. Rain arrived as I drove away from the finish, so that was good timing. A small field was in attendance... survivors from the Croagh Patrick race yesterday. Pretty much straight away you are into a walking pace up the steep and slippery slope up from the Aasleagh falls. 10 to 15 mins of hard graft follow before you lose a lot of that gain by a descent to a crossing of the screen which wasn't in flood thankfully. From there you make tracks through the boggy ground towards the ridge line. I was in the company of Tish McCann who had a great Croagh Patrick run yesterday. Up ahead for most of the time I could see Dermot Murphy. On and on we went until the ridge when it became more runnable. The ridge goes onwards and upwards for quite a while. It flattens out and you wonder where the hell is this summit. Thankfully we had clear skies and we could see some marking flags that were put out. Its a nice relief to see the lead runners coming back towards you as you know that the peak and turning point isn't too far away (or at least that you are on the right mountain!). Peter O'Farrell was first coming off the mountain. Myself, Tish and Dermot hit the peak at the same time and gave our salutations to Jason Reid who was marshalling the summit. On the descent Tish went away like a dervish down the hill. I was ahead of Dermot until a slip on the boggy ground had me crashing into a rock so I was knocked out of my stride for a few moments allowing him to get past me. I descented quite tentatively as the ground was slippier as hell and no running shoe would give you decent grip on it really.. my salamons were pretty pathetic. Still, I finished I think in 9th place at least 1 minute faster than my previous best in Ben Gorm. At the finish it was smiles all around and most people dipped their tired legs into the river above the Aasleagh falls. A lovely relief in a dramatically beautiful lanscape. Peter had his 2nd win of the weekend. He was followed home by Bernard Fortune and I think Tom Blackburn from the munster contingent. Garmin details later. Grazes down my legs afterwards. Thats fair enough as I was unscathed after Croagh Patrick yesterday. No harm done really.

donothoponpop

Thats a great read, but-ouch! Fair play on the two races.

Slogger Jogger

Ben Gorm Garmin thread: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8135131
The splits give an indication of the roughness and toughness. It shows slow splits for me at least even on the shagging downhill :rolleyes:

Slogger Jogger

war wounds from Ben Gorm race

Krusty_Clown

Ouch! Impressive war wounds!

Slogger Jogger

A combination of events curtailed my running (and type of preferred running this week but such is life.
Sunday: Ben Gorm, hill race. Savage
Monday: c. 7k recovery run on return from Connaught weekend
Tuesday: 10k treadmill run, marathon pace.
Wednesday: c10k inc. warm up and imra Hellfire race. Legs tired.
Thursday: Treadmill 10k
Friday: Treadmill 10k inc. some stride equivalent sections - 200m, 300m, 400m as part of each km.
Saturday: 8k Annacurra trail run.
Total for week: 65k
Total time ran: 5 hrs 50
Total mileage this year: 930

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....