Ever Decreasing Circles:

BeepBeep67

So one of things I've promised myself in this training cycle is to have at least one 10+ run in each training week. Far too often it will pop off the agenda, usually if I'm racing and with 22 races this year it's easy to see why I've only ran 23 10+ runs.
Anyway I headed to Shanganagh in the wind and drizzle with my head torch and episode 20 of Marathon talk for company (you see I normally only listen during a long run - so I should be on episode 45).
Sure it's not a great evening and my stomach is a little sore and I haven't really hydrated enough today, hill session yesterday and a tempo session tomorrow I really shouldn't do a long run tonight, sure I might only do 10k - these are the thoughts I had to wrestle with, but I toughed it out, and ran 3.2k around this side of tracks, before heading over the bridge for 11.2k on trail and then back for just over 2k for 16.5k in total, kept the pace easy.

donothoponpop

Training is going very well for you now Dom. What races are on the horizon? Are you doing the Devil's Glen at the weekend? (I'd love to do this but committed to an XC)

shels4ever

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

So one of things I've promised myself in this training cycle is to have at least one 10+ run in each training week. Far too often it will pop off the agenda, usually if I'm racing and with 22 races this year it's easy to see why I've only ran 23 10+ runs.

Thats exactly my plan for next year, hope to do a 12-14 miles 3 out of evrey 4 weeks but building upto it slowly.

BeepBeep67

@Donot, still not firing on all cylinders, but I'm not too concerned, just doing Devil's Glen as a fast training run as I don't think I can push on the slippy stuff yet, will do the Senior XC and another F4L (just to get enough races to count for the league) and that's about it for this year.

@Shels, it's an area I need to focus on too.

BeepBeep67

Met with the club again tonight for a tempoish session.
W/U followed by 2 x 15mins, managed 3.67k for the 1st and 3.56k for the 2nd where we had a hatastrophe (Joe got his hat snagged on a tree - so had to slow a little to let him retrive and rejoin).
All comfortable enough and 12.3k in total, couple of easy days coming up after 6 solid days.

BeepBeep67

Friday - easy 8k
Saturday - easy 4k

Was running Round 11 of the F4L league 1. Because I need to complete the remainder to count for the league and 2. A little tester for the stomach on rough/slippy surfaces.
So this was just treated like a faster training run (aiming for about 4min/k pace), couple of beers and a Mexican (food) last night coupled with getting out of bed 90mins before the race wouldn't have been a normal pre race prep. But rolled up to Devil's Glen anyway, met with SJ's friend Ian, who didn't take much convincing to consider a race instead of his planned training session and trotted off for a bit of a warm up.
Good crowd for this one considering the condidtions and we lined up for the advertised 3M route. Bit of a melee as we bailed down through the car park and onto the route proper, with some tight turns and slippy rocks to contend with before the trail levels out for a while.
Got into a nice rythym from the start even though a little slow for the 1st k, a steady k followed gaining a few places before you turn onto a nice section along by the river, very mucky but always feels slighty downhill so easy to knock out a couple of fast k's (my Garmin shows 6:08 for these 2k's - probably a misreading), before you turn into a killer last 800 or so uphill I finished strong taking a few places on the hill but was glad to see the finish line..
So hit 4min per k spot on for the 5.11km I clocked, a 3rd M40 spot which earned me a €10 voucher for AK (thanks Damien) and Ian was 5th overall and 1st M35. Stomach was fine during the race, with just a little tenderness when coughing afterwards.
10k done and dusted.

50+ mile week coming up with a hill and tempo session.

WTD: 44 (7 days)
MTD: 133.1 (21 days)
YTD: 1728.3 (273 days - 84%)
Races YTD: 23

BeepBeep67

Easy run, no ill effects from yesterday, heated up pretty quickly and had to ditch the hat and gloves - rain held off thankfully.
10.35k @ 4.58 k/pace.

BeepBeep67

A bit sluggish starting off this evening felt tired and hungry and doing my warm @ 5:15 pace felt a bit of a struggle, but once I was warmed up and had a bit of stretch I was ready to rock.
Felt pretty strong and comfortable as I flew through my planned 10 x 1min hills, concentrating on holding form as I tired towards the end of each.
Interestingly enough my 6 x 1:03 min hills from 2 weks ago have quickly become 10 x 55sec hills (net 13.5k pace pace is now 15.7k pace), a sign that the fitness is starting to reappear.
10.5k all in all - happy camper.

BeepBeep67

Just me and my breath shimmering in the torch light, bouncing around Shanganagh for a mid-week 10.
Ran 2k @ 5min pace, followed by 12k @ 4:40 pace and another couple of k+ @ 5min pace for a total of 16.3k @ 4:45 pace.
Felt good getting this done, feeling a little pace coming back without the effort increasing - 24secs per k faster than last Weds.

donothoponpop

Nice to see such steady training without any niggle-interuptions Dom.

We're recce'ing Annagh Hill this Sat at noon. Love to see you, if you're not busy/family commitments. In any case we'll recce again over Xmas (and more importantly recce The Gap;))

BeepBeep67

donothoponpop wrote: »

Nice to see such steady training without any niggle-interuptions Dom.

We're recce'ing Annagh Hill this Sat at noon. Love to see you, if you're not busy/family commitments. In any case we'll recce again over Xmas (and more importantly recce The Gap;))

I'd love to agree with you on the no niggles front, my stomach is like an old war wound now - I can tell you when it's going to be cold before Met Eireann - rest of the body has aches and pains, but I think as a vet, that's just life, so best to get on with it.

Thanks for the invite, Lorraine is away on a girly weekend so I'll have to pass - defo up for the recce over Christmas though.

BeepBeep67

Down with the club again tonight for 2 x 15mins, legs were feeling a little tired from a good run of training, so this felt harder than it should. Managed 4:03 pace for the first effort and 4:07 for the second, this shows the work I still need to do as these should be comfortably under 4 and I was glad to finish really.
Still another 12.3k in the bag and I'm on track for only my 2nd 200 mile month this year.

BeepBeep67

After 5 solid days it was time for something gentle today, so 6k @ 5:17pace, nice just to jog.
Was speaking with someone at the weekend who told me that using a Slendertone aided their recovery from a stomach injury, so after 2 unsuccessful trips to the attic, today I found the OH's one from donkeys ago - lets see, at this stage I'll try anything.

BeepBeep67

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the treadie was uninviteful,
So it's out for my run I go,
In the snow, in the snow, in the snow.









Nice 21k on Carrick Mountain, stopping a few times to take some snaps.
The pace was low, the enjoyment was high and the views were spectacular:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/58047950
Pix: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominic67/sets/72157625352269317/

Woddle

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the treadie was univiteful,
So it's out for my run I go,
In the snow, in the snow, in the snow.

Reminds me of a certain thread from last xmas
Fair play to getting out, I'll be hitting the treddy myself

donothoponpop

Brilliant photos Dom. I'm just in from something similar a little south of Carrick, and feel on top of the world. Long may this snowy snap continue

BeepBeep67

Hit the coast this morning for a nice trot from Wicklow to South beach Newcastle. Varying underfoot conditions with the frozen trail this side of Killoughter like trying to run on ice, followed by sand and then ankle deep snow as I neared Newcastle. Turned at 6k stopping for a few minutes to admire the surrounding beauty including, the Sugarloafs and Djouce in the distance.
12k in just over an hour.
Can feel the aerobic fitness start to return with 4 40+ weeks back to back.

Easier week coming up with Senior XC next Sunday, coming a little soon for me.

WTD: 55 (7 days)
MTD: 188.1 (28 days)
YTD: 1783.3 (280 days - 84.3%)
Races YTD: 23

BeepBeep67

Warm Weather Training

Nothing romantic to write about this evening, no torch lit runs through the woods with vino in a backpack or nice sandy trails along the North Dublin coastline. On calls all day with no opportunity to get out meant 12kms on the treadie, that's 9912 steps over the course of 3,539 seconds, had Sky Player for company, but when the program ended I just zoned out into a Lance like dead Elvis expression, only the thought of Village Runner's 29k on the treadie kept me sain - now let's see what calls I can move around tomorrow (hope rather than expectation). Bloody warm with the heating on since about 3.

BeepBeep67

Treadmill hill session:

So the surrounding paths are still unrunnable so had a planned 8 x 1min hill session to do, so the treadmill it was.
3k W/U @ 12km/h @ 1%
8 x 1min @ 15km/h @ 8% - 2:15 interval time
3.5k W/D @ 12.2km/h @ 1%
Holy smokes this was hard, didn't have my HRM on, but if I did I'm sure I would have discovered a new HRMAX.
I'm rubber ducked now, big bowl of spag bol is calling.

MTD: 201.8miles

BeepBeep67

Another few aerobic km's on the treadie, 12k in 58:25 while watching Soccer AM the best bits - need to start researching some decent programs on the various players until I can hit the hills at the weekend - unlikey the XC champs will be on.

BeepBeep67

Was tempted to do a tempo session on the treadie for some variation, but still waiting to hear if the XC is off this Sunday - so stuck to the plan and got 10k easy in while Steau V Liverpool on 3e Online.

BeepBeep67

Managed to squeeze a run in along the Murrough before it got dark.
Snow has pretty much cleared from here, with just some frozen patches to keep an eye on.
Turning point - looking back towards Wicklow Head.


12k in just under 5min pace.

BeepBeep67

Nice 12.5k run around Carrick with some of the club.
Conditions were challenging with over a foot of snow in places and trudging uphill was a great workout even though the pace was slow.
Nipped out to run the last 4 or so k on backroads which brough a different challenge - all good fun though.

BeepBeep67

Met up early with a clubbie to get our Sunday run out of the way.
10 miles at a steady pace out back along the Murrough, including 6k @ 4:30 per k pace.
Fantastic morning to be out and about.

WTD: 52.5 (7 days)
MTD: 38.9 (5 days)
YTD: 1835.8 (287 days - 84.7%)
Races YTD: 23

Should drop to 40 this week with hopefully a 5k race at the end of the week.

BeepBeep67

Paths around here are still lethal, so my planned easy 10k was done on the treadie watching the the first bit of Invictus.
Have found one practical benefit of using the treadie my 'seen better days', 'why did I buy that' and 'I wouldn't been seen dead outside in that' gear has been getting an 'outing' for the last week.
Looks like a hill session on the treadie in my lime green Ron Hill top tomorrow evening.

BeepBeep67

Hill reps on the treadie again.
W/U
6 x 90 secs @ 6% @ 15km/h with 90 secs rec.
W/D
Total - 10.2k

Nowhere to hide when doing these on the treadie, good session I'd have to say and had me working - but hopefully that's the last!

BeepBeep67

Got all layered up in work to go and hit Shanganagh for a run, but it was lethal over there, didn't know what was worse the grass or the path, I could hardly stand let alone run and with the recent abdominal injury wasn't worth the risk.
So back home to hit the treadie for 10k while watching the ref and his assistants make a mess of the first half of the Chelsea game - had to laugh at the half ad for the respect the ref campaign - 'we see more' LOL

Krusty_Clown

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Got all layered up in work to go and hit Shanganagh for a run, but it was lethal over there, didn't know what was worse the grass or the path, I could hardly stand let alone run and with the recent abdominal injury wasn't worth the risk.

You mean the grass in Shangannagh is lethal too? There goes my plans for the rest of the week. Any chance you could stick the treadmill in the middle of one of the wooded areas in Shangannagh Park? Best of both worlds and all that...

BeepBeep67

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You mean the grass in Shangannagh is lethal too? There goes my plans for the rest of the week. Any chance you could stick the treadmill in the middle of one of the wooded areas in Shangannagh Park? Best of both worlds and all that...

Might be worth looking into the back fields, but I couldn't afford to waste anymore time.
How long is your longest extension lead?

BeepBeep67

Treadmill Games:
So with no race until Stephen's Day (hopefully), I done an impromptu workout on the treadie tonight (unplanned), was running comfortably @ 12km/h until 6k and decided to up by 0.1km/h every 100mts to make the time go faster. it worked and I pulled back 3:35 from my 5min pace to finish 10k in 46:25. Last 4k in 16:25 is tempoish pace at the mo.