Ever Decreasing Circles:

BeepBeep67

Chucked the running gear in a back pack and biked to Charlesland out the N11 - 21.86k @ 26.7km/h.
2.2k warm up
Stretches / Strides / Drills
8 x 300m strides concentrating on technique not speed - av 57secs
2.1k warm down
Biked home via Newcastle - 18.4k @ 27.6km/h

Total Bike: 40.26k
Total Run: 8k

BeepBeep67

Went to the zoo this morning to see the inlaws.
This afternoon an easy half kilomarathon around Wicklow in glorious sunshine - 4:54 pace.

|RUN|BIKE
WTD|56.0k|81.3k
MTD (Aug)|65.3k|113.8k
YTD|1,944.4k|315.6k

BeepBeep67

Going to do the BHAA 3k on Weds - so with that in mind a gentle 8k around Shanganagh with some stretching
On a small sample size of 8 other runners this evening, all who I said hello to, only 2 acknowledged me - cheer up ya miseable gits!

BeepBeep67

Yesterday, just an easy 4k yesterday in preparation for tonight.

Arrived to Irishtown in plenty of time with the family in tow.
Registered and bumped into Ger65, was planning to start a short warm up 30mins in advance of the start time, but as I blew my nose it started bleeding and did not stop for about 5mins, so started about 10mins late and felt a little under pressure as my planned 2k warm up became 1M and by the time I had changed and done a few streches it was 3mins to the start so only a few strides and drills.
My recent 2M race predicts a 10:50 and the 800 last week a 10:25, so went in looking for a sub 10:30 - a long way off my early season 10:14.
So for anyone familiar with the BHAA track races they are a handicap format and with myself being a grade 10 I was in the first race of grades 1 - 10 with 15 secs between grades.
So I lined up with 3 other grade 10'rs, knowing we were the rabbits for 11 chasing greyhounds ranging from grade 9 to 4.
My 2 fellow grade 10's were a little hot for me and went off at a pace I wasn't able to stick with, at least not for 7.5 laps, so this really ended up like a time trial for me, beepbeep versus the clock. First k went by 3:27, I was pleased with that but was blowing hard and the HR was already above 170. 2nd k was just about trying to keep it together and I seen 6:58 on the watch at 5 laps, would need to work to hit the 10:30 target - was still 3rd place at this stage staying ahead of the chasing pack.
Tried to focus on my running form and quicken my stride and ignore the mental maths I was trying to calculate in my head, the next time I took any notice of the time was 9:06 with one lap to go so need to giddy up, as I hit 200 to go I could hear footsteps behind me, which was a blessing in disguise and I went on a wind up to the finish, with a pretty fast last 75 if I say so myself and maintain my 3rd place with an 80 sec last lap for 10:26, HR maxing @ 181 and cheeky €30 Sub4.ie voucher.
One track race left in 2 weeks time, a 2 miler, Macker has me at 11:12 which would be a surprising PB by 6 secs and a Brucey bonus after an injury hit Summer - with 2 more steady weeks behind me I'll be aiming for 11:09.

BeepBeep67

Handy 12k around Wicklow, Miltown, Ashford this evening after last night's race @ 4:49 per k pace.

tisnotover

good going yesterday BeepBeep, very nice last lap !

BeepBeep67

Hit Shanganagh after work.
Warm Up
6 x 600 @ 2M pace with 75 secs recovery on grass
Warm Down
9k

BeepBeep67

Easy 10 miler @ 7:50 pace before breakie, nice to be out and about before the hustle and bustle and what a FAB morning!

BeepBeep67

The OH was down the sticks galavanting on an over-nighter so it was creep out of the bed for 8k on treadie watching BBCNews24 before the gremlins arose.
Later when the OH returned it was out for a quickie on the bike before the match - 39.33k @ 28.6k with 314mts of climbing and some stiff breezes to contend with.

|RUN|BIKE
WTD|65.1k|39.3k
MTD |130.5k|153.1k
YTD|2,009.6k|354.9k


Just realised that's 2k kms so far this year.

BeepBeep67

Up at 4 bells to catch the red eye to Vienna and on to Bratislava, so just a gentle trot out over the Danube and then on some cycle tracks before a short spell off road along by the river bank - 11.6k @ 4:51 pace.

shels4ever

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Up at 4 bells to catch the red eye to Vienna and on to Bratislava, so just a gentle trot out over the Danube and then on some cycle tracks before a short spell off road along by the river bank - 11.6k @ 4:51 pace.

I've done a few runs along the Danube from Vienna, not a bad place at all.

BeepBeep67

Terrible night's sleep in the hotel last night, working too late and then the emergency alarm went off at 03:20 asking everyone to leave the building - false alarm thank god.
Under time pressure this evening - so 5 junk miles from the hotel @ 7:26 pace.

BeepBeep67

Easy run around Bratislava while listening to Episode 5 of Marathon talk.
10.34k @ 4:51 pace.
Pleased to have stayed disciplined and squeezed in 30k over here.

BeepBeep67

Awake early, so a gentle run along the Danube to kick start the day.
6.8k @ 5min pace.

metamorphosis

Awake early isn't the word !

BeepBeep67

Well the Winter Shoe line up is complete:

From left to right:
Adizero tempo for the faster stuff €79.99 in sub4 minus the €30 voucher won last week.
Nike Lunar Swift for the middle of the road stuff discounted to €60 in Lifestyle minus a €20 voucher from the BHAA XC.
Adidas Response for the longer runs bought during the Lifestyle trade in deal - paid €50 I think.
So €140 and I'm good until late spring .

BeepBeep67

Just a quick spin on the bike this evening to shake of the cobwebs from the flight: 31.5k @ 29.1 km/h.
Nice and wet out there, new jacket worked out fine.

BeepBeep67

With a couple of races next week in mind it was just an easy track session this evening - short reverse pyramid [600, 400, 200, 200, 400, 600] - 9k in total.

BeepBeep67

An easy just over 10 mile run this morning in solidarity with the Phoenix Parkers - warm one out there.
16.42k @ 4:46 pace.
Legs felt a bit tired, looking back I've run 35 out of the last 36 days, probably a bit much since the injury, so an easy week coming up with a couple of short races thrown in.
Also just realised that I've run 476 miles in my Response Cushions - time to say goodbye to an old friend

BeepBeep67

Easy spin on the bike this morning [Glenealy/Rathdrum/Avoca/Arklow/N11], nice to get outside and enjoy the country side.
62.3k @ 27.5 km/h with 462m ascent, banana @ 30k, GU Gel @ 42K, 500ml of SIS energy and 300ml of water enroute.

BeepBeep67

PM: Easy 8k run to hit the weekly volume goal while listening the Cottagers get justice.

|RUN|BIKE
WTD|70.2k|93.8k
MTD |200.7k|246.9k
YTD|2,079.7k|448.8k

BeepBeep67

Quick update - 11:12 watch time so looking like a 6 second M40 PB and 27 seconds faster than Raheny about 4 weeks ago so the fitness is coming back. Got re graded to 9 (that's a good thing right?) Ran pretty steady 5:35 / 5:37 with a fast last lap taking 3 places for 7th/8th. Think road runner passed me on lap 6.

tisnotover

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Quick update - 11:12 watch time so looking like a 6 second M40 PB and 27 seconds faster than Raheny about 4 weeks ago so the fitness is coming back. Got re graded to 9 (that's a good thing right?) Ran pretty steady 5:35 / 5:37 with a fast last lap taking 3 places for 7th/8th. Think road runner passed me on lap 6.

Thats a very fast time lad, well done !

shels4ever

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Quick update - 11:12 watch time so looking like a 6 second M40 PB and 27 seconds faster than Raheny about 4 weeks ago so the fitness is coming back. Got re graded to 9 (that's a good thing right?) Ran pretty steady 5:35 / 5:37 with a fast last lap taking 3 places for 7th/8th. Think road runner passed me on lap 6.

Well done you looked very storng the other night good to see.

BeepBeep67

Quick update on the mobile - sometimes a PB comes when you least expect it after spending 3 hours in traffic jams due to an accident on the M6 I arrived at a windy Salt and Ayre for the Lancaster and Morecambe 5k series. 17:53 nailed on a very windy night which is a very surprising 30 second M40 PB details to follow in the morning.

tisnotover

well done on the PB !!

BeepBeep67

Well as said above wasn't the ideal preparation on the day for this one, with an accident on the M6 just before the junction I needed to exit on, luckily I was on the road early as I planned to visit Morecambe bay on the way. Sat Navs are generally great but in this senario they are useless as they keep trying to send you back to the motorway, so it was olde style for a while as I applied some cognitive head mapping before the Tom Tom took over as I neared Fleetwood. Arrived to unusual conditions for a late August evening, wind and driving rain (thankfully the rain stopped before the race).
The set up at Salt and Ayre is ideal, leisure centre at the front, full 8 lane track and the Lancaster and Morecambe club house at the top end of the finishing straight, plus a 1500mt cycle racing track. Registration was easy and casual, so it was get changed and off on a little warm up, with strides and stretches, the start was delayed by 10mins due to the motorway situation so I went on a few extra laps with one of the Horwich lads.
The race was called to start and we got ready for the off.

• 1st k - lap and a bit of the track, before heading out onto the cycle track, I settled in with a group of 6 as we left the track and we hit 3:21 a little fast but it was wind assisted.
• 2nd k - about 600mts of this was on the cycle track and I sat in behind my little group taking shelter from the head wind - 3:40
• 3rd k - first half of the 3rd k was where the wind had the most impact as we had left the cycle track and now headed along the river, I continued to sit in, but pulled ahead a little just before the U turn and tried to push from here, was a little disappointed to see 3:45 pop up on the watch, so needed to start working.
• 4th k - one of the girls from the group had come with me and we worked together as we climbed up to the 4k mark, 3:41 on the clock putting me at 14:27 and needing to pull a 3:32 out of the bag to break 18.
• 5th k - turned back into the wind again with 800 to go and was not shaking my female companion, legs were feeling a bit wobbly, but a glance at the watch showed ave 3:37 k pace so need to get a rattle on, hit the track and was back on familiar territory, got a shout from the OH and the kids as I started to try and find some extra gears, the girl from Keighley was also getting plently of support and I could feel her footsteps getting closer - but I wasn't getting 'chicked' in front of the kids and as I hit 150 to go it was time to go for it - maintained the pace through the line to knock out a final k of 3:26 and 17:53 on the clock for 15th place and 4th master (3rd M40) - great race at the front with 4 runners within 3 secs of each other the winner clocking 15:34 and 4th place being an M50 in 15:37.

A sub 18 was a major target when I started this log - so I need to find some new goals.
Thanks to all at Lancaster and Morecambe for a great evening and a nice beer and glass to go away with.

Official Results: btw lessons here - I had printed results in my hand about 20mins after I finished and was apologised to that it had taken so long!

BeepBeep67

The Start

Not getting 'chicked'

17:50 on the clock

Krusty_Clown

Fab result. Congrats on the unexpected PB (must be like a double bonus, when you don't expect it!).

BeepBeep67

Thurs - rest day
Fri - 4.7k around Sefton Pk in Liverpool with 5 x 100mts strides.
Sat - 5k race
Sun - 15k around Sefton pk - nice facility so close to city centre, but very windy again and the splits were all over the shop.

Nice to have a 2 x PB week and feel like I'm back to my early season form - for McMillian converts off my 5k it reads like this for the Summer.
|800|Mile|3k|2M|5k|5M
McMillian|2:20|5:10|10:15|11:01|17:53|29:38
Actual|2:22|5:10|10:14|11:12|17:53|29:37

Pretty close except the 2M time, but I think I have sub 11 with the right training.

|RUN|BIKE
WTD|48.2k|0.0k
MTD |258.9k|246.9k
YTD|2,127.9k|448.8k


Mon - 10k along the Morrough in fantastic sunshine with some local lads handy enough pace @ 4:24 per k.