"If I'm not out there training, someone else is."

ecoli

Friday AM 4 miles easy (7.19 min pace)

Had great intentions of getting alot done this morning before work but was tired and motivation was just not there so just got out for a leg loosener

Friday PM 1 mile easy, 8 mile tempo, 6x100m strides, 1 mile easy

Splits

8 miles in 47.28 (5.56 min pace)

6.02, 5.49, 6.06, 5.52, 5.54, 5.53, 5.53, 5.54

Finished work on time for once so was actually getting out a few min earlier than I normally do on the evening runs. The last half hour in work I started to develop a niggle in the piriformis. Half of me was thinking play it safe, the other half thinking I didn't really have anyone other opportunity to get a session done over the weekend (gym and long run planned) so just suck it up.
Got home and grabbed the mp3 which I had shoved on charge before I went to work. Sadly when I put it on charge I actually forgot to switch it off from my AM run so despite being plugged in didn't charge and was as dead as a dodo bird. This session was conspiring against me.

On the warm up all sorts of things were flying through my head and was just bartering with myself "just give it a lash and see how it goes" "doing some sort of quality is better than nothing" Once I got going the body was still screaming, calves were tight and legs were heavy but they pace dropped down to tempo pace alot quicker than normal. Saw paces crop up that were quicker than I normally would be running for this sort of effort on the long tempo's. The miles ticked by and I got myself into a nice rhthym. It was about mile four when I realised why the calves were screaming - laces too tight as the feet soon numbed up completely but I was going well and didn't wanna stop.

No piriformis issues what so ever (I think it was my lazy man defense mechanism trying to kick in) and body actually felt more invigorated after the session than before so I'll take that

ecoli

Saturday AM
90 min Gym work
3.5 miles recovery (8.40 min pace)

Up early and straight to the gym. Body was tired but gave a solid effort. Followed this up with a very handy run with Meno. Will keep this evening very handy also to give the body a chance to recover

ecoli

Sunday 17 miles easy (7.20 min pace)

It's morning's like this that I love this sport. Up early morning to watch Bekele's phenomenal run in Paris finishing just in time to meet quirky for a long run in the park. Despite the legs feeling the effects of this week this wasn't too bad even. I think it helped that I forgot the watch so was running blind so to speak leaving quirky on time management duties.

Boards watch was in full flow as there were sightings of the wolf, Marthastew and Tunguska and we even managed to throw in a shuffle mile (which didn't actually slow as much as I though as I was told it was only 8 min pace) to watch the mens elite mile.

Finished the run and then a cross city dash to work to shower and get to my desk just in time for the start of the mens race (the irony of killing myself to get there in time to watch an event I am at on tv) as well as catch up on the marathon exploits of certain boardsies.

Caps off a solid week where managed to hit all runs, sessions and gym work so everything going according to plan.

It's days like today that remind me no matter how much motivation wanes at times, the sport is well and truly an integral part of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

pa4

Some good consistency lately in your training, what are you hitting for your total weekly mileage?

ecoli

pa4 wrote: »

Some good consistency lately in your training, what are you hitting for your total weekly mileage?

Hit 80 the last two weeks, before that was a little lower averaging 55ish for the previous month looking back on my training logs (bar the food poisoning hiccup which cost me three days)

Happy enough with it hoping to keep in or around 80 for the next 5 weeks as the next aim is 10k on the track and from there start the true track season which will be more middle distance to get me ready (hopefully) for Steeplechase at national Seniors if I have managed to get myself in the shape I will need just to keep in touch with the field (20 sec PB over 3k steeple will be a big ask but reckon its do able)

pa4

ecoli wrote: »

Hit 80 the last two weeks, before that was a little lower averaging 55ish for the previous month looking back on my training logs (bar the food poisoning hiccup which cost me three days)

Happy enough with it hoping to keep in or around 80 for the next 5 weeks as the next aim is 10k on the track and from there start the true track season which will be more middle distance to get me ready (hopefully) for Steeplechase at national Seniors if I have managed to get myself in the shape I will need just to keep in touch with the field (20 sec PB over 3k steeple will be a big ask but reckon its do able)

Good stuff your flying! Still a good few weeks before the true track season starts so if you can keep the consistency until then you can expect some good times

ecoli

pa4 wrote: »

Good stuff your flying! Still a good few weeks before the true track season starts so if you can keep the consistency until then you can expect some good times

Thanks man. Hopefully so. Starting specific track work later than usual this year so I am hoping that will stand to me as the marathon training provided me with good consistency and a strong base to work from.

Need to keep the consistent hard work going to stand a chance of keeping up with ye talented feckers

ecoli

Monday AM 5 miles recovery (9.17 min pace)

Initially had planned to double but my normal pattern reared its head. I am a creature of routine to an extent to the point sometimes I burn the candle at both ends for a few weeks managing fine until the body decides it has had enough and needs to catch up on sleep and down time so afternoon nap and after getting an upper body treatment took the night off and slept like a baby (9 hours which is a few more than normal)

Tuesday AM 3 miles easy, 8x1 min hills w/ jog back down rec (ave. 2.30), 3 miles easy

Woke up feeling like I had a great sleep yet hit by a train at the same time, a sign that the sleep was badly needed. It's amazing how much you can underestimate a hill you run every day as part of your easy runs. Not quite as monumental as Ticknock, Knockmaroon, Hell fire or Bournabreena but a hell which has caused me all the same in Tymon. The hill itself is great for faster style hill work. Starts off with a very gentle incline before picking up in the second half (roughly about 285-290m). Hadn't done reps here in a long while but I know I am running well when I can average 60-62s on this.

This definitely had me working. The splits were solid but not earth shattering and it was only after about three reps that I put 2 and 2 together. I was hitting as faster or faster than I usually did despite there being a nasty head wind. This put my mind at ease as I know I am in great shape compared to previous years. I was hurting the last few to the point where I was fighting the urge to reject my breakfast (Thankfully I managed to keep it down). This was first time I had been truly working at this sort of intensities this year so it was a good sign to be feeling the way I was.

All in all happy with the start to the day

ecoli

Tuesday Afternoon 90 min gym work
Tuesday PM 5 miles easy (7.15 min pace)

Due to having the day off and my treatments spaced out through the day I managed to get all my sessions today well spaced out to allow for adequate rest which is something I haven't had a chance to do as of late. It definitely made a difference as I was didn't fade coming to the end of the gym work despite hitting target weight on all my lifts. DOMS had also not set in by the evening run so even though the legs were heavy as hell they were not sore so kept the effort steady enough rather than recovery (hard days hard and all that)

ecoli

Wednesday 9 miles easy(ish) (7.02 min pace)

Was great to have a post hard day where they body isn't screaming of DOMS (a bit there but nothing compared to the last few weeks). Morning running was out due to marathon week and a full client list prior to work. Got out after work and just went with it and before I knew the pace was dropping so was reeling myself in somewhat.

ecoli

Thursday AM 4 miles very easy (8.04 min pace)
Thursday PM 7 miles easy (7.21 min pace)

Thought I had treatments all morning but mixed up times of one client to see that I had a free hour at one stage. A superman speed change of clothes and I was out the door to bask in the beautiful weather and back in time to show and ready for the next treatment. Ran with the house mate for this one who is on taper for Rotterdam and you would swear it was me who was the one on taper given that he was straining at the leash the whole way around and it was me reeling in the pace.

Back to normal then this evening and a very handy one this evening. Legs freshened up a bit but I think overall I was just tired as been a long day with treatments followed up by work

ecoli

Fri OFF

Had intended on a recovery day but had a mare in work. Normally I would run when I got home but as I was racing the next day I knew it would be counter productive to try and force a midnight run so opted for the extra bit of sleep and my first day off this month

ecoli

This was a freebie race. Basically last min decided to swap out a session for this race when a client rearranged an appointment that was initially planned for this morning. I knew I was in PB shape as my PB was soft so it was almost a forgone conclusion so I just focused on having a good blast for this one.

Initially I was thinking 34.30ish would be a good workout but after chatting with quirky beforehand the plan slightly got revised to hit the 5k mark and 17 and see where we was from there.

Gun went and despite taking things handy start was fast (downhill with wind on our back) I went with it and got into my stride. leaving K club grounds I had a quick look around and didn't spot quirky, perhaps I had gone off a little hard as I saw a guy who used to be in our club just ahead who is usually well up the field in these races. Hit the 1k mark and saw 3.18 on the watch, wayy to fast but I said to hell with it as I knew that k was going to be lightning fast so rather than being slow I tucked in behind a group going into the wind. First mile spilt was 5.28.

At this point settled into the group and found quirky had worked himself into the race nicely and was now in tow. The group itself was 5 strong around here with an old boardsie, Stupid Private, being amongst the group. The pace settled in this mile and just tucked in with the group and tried to stay relaxed. Second mile clicked off in 5.37.

Feeling nice and controlled now and one or two of the lads making a few moves in the group but nothing significant and many trying to tuck in (despite the wind on our back), came through the next mile in 5.28 and followed this up perfectly with a 17.01 split at 5k. I was exactly where I wanted to be and though I was working I was not feeling too bad.

The next mile we turned to face the wind head on and again every was trying to tuck in and avoid the wind. Pace was slowing and fast as no one wanted to take it on, I made a decision which I knew would probably backfire in terms of racing the group but I had to keep the pace honest so I took it on and put in a surge, gained about 5m before immediately the lads tried tuck in as best they could behind. Thankfully though I had a guardian angel in the form of drquirky who decided he wasn't offering me up for sacrifice and decided to work with me and spilt the lead so we rotated every 100/200 hundred metres to try and help each other. Despit this the mile was still very slow 5.48.

We turned the corner and the anonymous pack suddenly grew a voice again and passed me and quirky. Quirky stayed with them but I fell off about 5m but I didn't feel too bad all things considered and realised there wasn't that far in the race left so pushed on Mile 5 (5.26) at this stage me and another lad had gained ground on quirky and the group and I was slotted in behind him.

I was going to slot in behind this guy for a bit before making a break for it with 800 to go but as we came to the Y junction to turn back into the wind I saw the guards direct us right instead of left into the wind. My sense of direction had decieved me and it meant we didn't have to go into the head wind again. Delighted with this I put the boot down and started winding it up. I put a decent sized gap between me and the other guy as I came back into K club grounds. (Mile 6 5.23)

Last stretch and I was hurting with your man hot on my heels. I was digging in expecting to be passed but he wasn't catching. Turned corner at the top of the incline (which felt like Ticknock at this stage to see the clock tick into the 34s and huge PB on the cards

Finishing time:34.10 (52 sec PB)

Thrilled with the race. Time is good but to be honest I am happier with how I raced and there are alot of scalps in that group who on there day usually would beat me comfortably so it was good to beat them doing it the hard way. Definitely a great confidence booster

ThebitterLemon

Well done Ecoli, great race and nice PB.

Couldn't you have told us where Q finished, I'll now have to go over to his side to get the full story

Well done again, thats the confidence booster you need to break 3 hours in Limerick

TbL

ecoli

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Well done Ecoli, great race and nice PB.

Couldn't you have told us where Q finished, I'll now have to go over to his side to get the full story

Well done again, thats the confidence booster you need to break 3 hours in Limerick

TbL

He kept it short and sweet compared to my long winded posts

Ha yeah exactly need to get over this marathon duck (although two races in the mean time to contend with:D )

thewolf_ie

Good stuff!

ecoli

Sunday OFF

Combination of tiredness and working very late meant that the complacency of the PB got the best of me and couldn't face a late night long run. No harm though as I slept in big time, a sign I badly needed the rest

Monday AM 5 miles easy (no watch)
Monday PM 8 miles easy (7.08 min pace)

Contrasting runs, first was sluggish, felt crap and hard to motivate myself for despite the good weather (day off trying to have a snowball effect)

Evening run however was easy, felt good and could have ran forever, what a different 12 hours makes:)

ecoli

Tuesday AM

2.5 mile warm up, drills, strides

600, 400, 300, 200 (2 min jog rec)

2.5 mile cooldown

Splits: 1.50, 69, 50, 30

Failed session this morning so bagged it early and coming back to it tonight. My excitement from last night for this session turned to nerves this morning with calves a little heavy. Garmin died last night and the house mate seems to have taken the communal charger with him to Rotterdam on the sly so I had to chance the back up 305 which doesn't pick up satellites and occasionally the face separates from the body of the watch so not exactly reliable.

Legs loosened out on the warm up and got going. Went off like a scalded cat on 600 and saw 31 on the watch coming through 200, balls, slowed it right down (37 for the next 200 and 41 for the following) but knew was uphill from here. Watch was acting up big time switching off sporadically (thankfully it was in the recoveries or before reps started mostly)

Felt sluggish the next few reps and generally not great and then Garmin gave up completely. I decided given the initial irratic pacing I didn't trust myself to run these by fee so I pulled the plug before the legs fatigued too much and aim to do the session this evening instead. Picked up a standard stopwatch after training so won't have any issues.

Looks like speed won this round but the war isn't over yet

ecoli

Tuesday PM

3 mile warm up, drills, strides

3x(600, 400, 300, 200 (2 min jog rec) ) 4 min between sets

3 mile cooldown

Set 1: 1.52, 68, 48, 30.4
Set 2: 1.49, 68, 48, 30.2
Set 3: 1.43, 69, 49, 31.5

If at first you don't succeed, try try and try again . Well rested during the day just to ensure this mornings endeavour hadn't taken anything out of me, was quite dehydrated throughout the day despite a good bit of water but I am hoping this was just the temperature change rather than anything else.

Laced up the spikes again and was off. The legs behaved themselves after showing off this morning and hit the first 600 even paced and controlled. Whole first set felt quite controlled despite the wind picking up since the morning which could have just been down to them being well loosened out.

Next set and fatigue was starting to set in as the set went on but was still hitting paces and not struggling for form.

Next set and the middle distance group were starting their session (600s) at the same time as me so I decided to chase. The group is a large one with varying ability so I was able to work my way through as the rep went on and as people fell off. Hit the 400m in 65 and knew I was gonna pay for it. Legs hurt the next two hundred. From here I was really digging in but being the last set I figured I could just about hold on. Wheels were coming off big time on the 200 but I managed to just hold on for dear life and keep driving. All in all delighted with how it went and shocked that the legs even had 1.43 pace in them at this stage.

Inspires a bit of confidence for my track fairy escapades for the summer:P

theboyblunder

Hi ecoli

Youre in great shape these days, very consistent training. Just wondering, when will your marathon buildup start?

What kind of targets have you set yourself beforehand?

ecoli

theboyblunder wrote: »

Hi ecoli

Youre in great shape these days, very consistent training. Just wondering, when will your marathon buildup start?

What kind of targets have you set yourself beforehand?

Marathon specific work starts in August for me.

In the mean time the immediate goals are as follows:

- 10k on track mid may and hopefully sub 34
- after this work on 1500/5k speed
- National Seniors (leaning towards steeple but if the "speed" stuff isn't working may switch to 10k here)

Ideally the summer will be about bringing the shorter times in line with current fitness and hopefully this will help me push on to where I need to be to legitimately have a hope of running the times I expect myself of being able to run over half marathon and marathon

TRR

ecoli wrote: »

Ideally the summer will be about bringing the shorter times in line with current fitness and hopefully this will help me push on to where I need to be to legitimately have a hope of running the times I expect myself of being able to run over half marathon and marathon

I sent you a text $hithead, have a look at your phone!

I'm considering running DCM this year. Just so I know, are you actually going to make the start line of this one? Just need to figure out what I might do for the rest of the year

ecoli

TRR wrote: »

I sent you a text $hithead, have a look at your phone!

I'm considering running DCM this year. Just so I know, are you actually going to make the start line of this one? Just need to figure out what I might do for the rest of the year

Sorry didn't have phone with me at training. Yes Dublin is well and firmly on as long as you don't unleash your minions on me (again)

ecoli

Wednesday PM 5 miles easy + 45 min gym session


Legs were pretty fragile after the session the night before (1st time in spikes in a long time. Ran without the watch and kept this relatively handy though pace was handy

Hit the gym after but decided to break up the gym session and not do any legs as it would have been counter productive given they were too fatigued to get any benefit so I swapped in stomach work where normally I have leg work in the circuit and didn't do the functional work either (save it for another day) despite this could barely lift the arms by the time I got home so effort was there

ecoli

Wednesday 8 miles easy (6.57 min pace)

Calves still a little tender today but I knew I was over the worst of it and once I got going they weren't too bad at all. Ended up having company for some of this run as got talking to an old lad on a bike who went with me for about 3 miles (which probably was why the pace crept up without me realising)

Offered me candy and all but being on a run I wasn't gonna risk the stitch (thats why they have that saying of don't take candy from strangers right )

ecoli

Friday AM 4 miles easy (7.34 min pace)

Tired, Hungry and dehydrated but my god some weather Kept this handy enough with a session this evening (should have done it this morning but to be honest I needed to lie in). The weather just adds to the depression of having to work while everyone else is off

Krusty_Clown

ecoli wrote: »

Offered me candy and all but being on a run I wasn't gonna risk the stitch (thats why they have that saying of don't take candy from strangers right )

Umm... I hope you mentioned this encounter to an adult?

ecoli

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Umm... I hope you mentioned this encounter to an adult?

Recently been legally emancipated so my Macaulay Culkin status means no adult to bring this up with :P

ecoli

Saturday 6 miles easy (7.17 min pace)

Life has been catching up with me this weekend with work commitments keeping me till after 1 Fri night so had to bag the session planned. Normally I would push it back a day but with race on Monday I didn't have that luxury.

This was followed up with being out of the house at 9am Saturday morning for a breakfast meeting and followed up with work which meant that I was gone for the entire day. Just got out for a handy short one.

All in all not the best weeks end but only a minor blip in grand scheme of things and an inadvertent mini taper for Monday's race.

ecoli

Sunday 2 miles and change (8.34 min pace)

Just a handy one after work to freshen out the legs