Plodder's progress

plodder

Week starting Mon June 13

Tues 8 miles (8:34 8:30 8:25 9:00 7:55 7:50 7:50 9:05)
Wed 5 miles @ 9:00
Thu 10 miles (8:20 7:38 7:37 7:40 7:50 7:50 7:47 7:45 8:00 10) incl 10 x 100m strides
Sat 5 miles @ 9
Sun 15 @ 8:22 (8:30 8:30 8:40 9:00 8:15 8:24 8:30 8:15 8:30 8:45 8:10 8:00 7:45 8:00 8:05)

Total for week 43 miles

Good week. Felt quite strong during long run yesterday and was happy to finish at an ok pace. This week is a bit harder, so hopefully I didn't overdo it.

Had a mishap with the Garmin watch yesterday. The strap broke and the watch took off. Luckily it narrowly avoided being run over by a car. But it landed on the reset button, which pushed it into the watch a bit. The button wasn't working then, but just there now I managed to unlock the bezel and get the run info off it.

plodder

Week starting Mon June 20

Tue 9 miles @ 8:10 (8:40 8:23 8:10 7:20 7:25 7:46 8:00 7:35 10:00)

This was supposed to be 3 miles easy followed by 5 @ LT. The first two fast miles were fine though down-wind. Then on the way back, I just couldn't hold the pace at all. I was so out of it, I had to stop a couple of times. Absolute agony. I'm not as fit as I thought I was.

Wed 5 miles recovery. Nice pleasant jaunt by the sea at Malahide.

The Garmin is just about working. The strap is held together with one of the girls' hair bands. Will have to order a new one asap.

plodder

Thu 10 miles (8:04 7:43 7:44 7:47 7:57 8:05 7:54 7:59 8:07 9:21)
Sat 5 miles easy
Sun 16.5 miles: 5 miles easy 10 PMP and 1 warm down (8:40 8:30 9:00 9:23 8:29 8:00 7:54 7:41 7:41 7:53 7:43 7:56 8:20 8:05 8:27 10:00) The first two PMP miles were into a stiff enough breeze. Next five were down wind and felt good. The last 3 PMP were a pain in the arse - stopping at traffic, hilly and finding it very hard to get going again. Happy enough overall though.

Total for week: 45.5 miles

plodder

Haven't updated in a long while. Basically, the wheels fell off the wagon in July due to holidays first and then the worst bout of flu I've had in years, which lasted over a week. So, just going to give the weekly totals for the last few months:

Week Starting

July 4: 38 miles
July 11: 20 miles
July 18: 7 miles
July 25: 23 miles
Aug 1: 19 miles
Aug 8: 7 miles
Aug 15: 34 miles
Aug 22: 25 miles

Longest run I've done in the last two months was 13 miles last Sunday. Might do a half mar. down in Mayo next weekend. First race in a while. After that, it will be trying to get fit for the BHAA XC season. Also, am thinking about doing a Tri next Summer. So, will be doing a bit of swimming and hopefully cycling too.

plodder

Week starting Monday 29 August

Tue: 5.3 miles @ 8:30
Wed: 7.5 @ 8:00 (7:50, 8:30, 7:30, 7:40, 7:25, 7:15, 8:30, 8:50)
Thu: 8 @ 8:20
Sun: half mar 1:38:10 (7:10, 7:26, 7:20, 7:18, 7:24, 7:40, 7:38, 7:31, 7:39, 7:34, 7:49, 7:20, 7:25, 7:00). Great race on coast from Louisburgh to Westport. Co Mayo. Atrocious weather. There was a river of water running across the road, that was at least 2" deep for about 3 miles. I really thought I was going to lose my footing through it. This race gets about 100 runners each year. So, it means running on your own for a lot of it. But, I was overtaken around mile 8, but managed to stick with the guy, and passed him again at 11, and finished pretty strong. Not a great time, but considering the weather and training level, I'm happy enough.

plodder

Week starting Mon Sept 5

Tue 5 miles @ 8:50
Wed 6.5 @ 9:00 (8:40, 8:15, 8:30, 8:30, 8:30, ..)
Thu 7 @ 8:00
Sat 12.5 @ 8:30

Total 31 miles

plodder

Week starting Mon 12 Sept

Monday 5.4 miles (8:20, 7:40, 8:00, 9, 8:30, 8:15)
Tuesday 7.25 ml (9, 7:20, 7:15, 7:40, 8:15, 10, 9, 9:30)
Wednesday 4.3 ml (7:20, 7:20, 7:30, 7:20, 6:50)
Friday 7.20 ml (8:30, 8:12, 8:17, 8:43, 8:18, 8:00, 8:32, 10)
Saturday 4.5 @ 9
Sunday 13.3 @ 8:40

Total: 42 miles

plodder

Week starting Mon 19 Sep

Tue 7.3 miles @ 8:00
Wed 5 miles @ 8:10
Thu 8.25 miles @ 8:30
Fri 5.5 miles @ 9:30
Sun 12.5 miles @ 8:40

Total 38.5 miles

A lot of sameness this week. Will this wind ever die down? It feels like that hurricane a few weeks ago hasn't gone away. It's very hard to do 4-5 miles tempo when half it is down-wind at high speed, and the other half is a crawl back against the wind. Still, I'm enjoying the running at the moment. I'm not training for anything in particular, just have an eye to the XC season coming up. Looking forward to that.

plodder

Week starting Mon 26 Sep

Tue 5.25 miles (8:20, 7:35, 7:25, 7:10, 7:10, 12:00)
Wed 5.5 miles 8:40 (incl 4 x 100m strides)
Thu 7.25 miles (8:20, 7:55, 8:00, 8:00, 7:50, 7:45, 7:40, 9:20
Sat 10 miles @ 9:00

Total for week: 28 miles

Week starting Mon Oct 3

Thu 3 miles @ 7:30
Sat 12 miles @ 9:00
Sun 4 miles @ 10:00

Total for week 19 miles

Week starting Mon Oct 10

Mon 5.25 miles (8:33, 7:57, 8:00, 7:40, 8:20, 14)

Travelling at the moment and didn't have much time for running last week. Hope to do a bit more this week. Found a nice river trail to run on.

plodder

Wed 12 Oct: 7 miles @ 8:55
Thu 13 Oct: 7.75 miles @ 9:00
Fri 14 Oct: 7 miles @ 9:00

Total for week: 27 miles

Week starting Monday 17 Oct

Tue: 5 miles @ 8:40
Wed: 4.5 miles @ 8:20
Thu: 7 miles @ 8:00
Sat: 4.5 miles @ 8:40
Sun: 12.5 miles @ 8:20

Total for week: 29 miles

plodder

Week starting Mon 24 Oct

Wed 26 4.5 miles (8:30)
Thu 27 5.5 miles (7:20, 7:30, 7:30, 8:40, 11:00)
Fri 28 5.5 miles
Sun 30 13 miles (8:24)

Total for week: 28.5 miles

plodder

Week Mon 31 Oct

Tue 1 Nov 5.5 miles (8:25, 7:20, 7:30, 7:15, 8:30)
Thu 3 Nov 7 miles @ 9:30
Fri 4 Nov 5.6 miles @ 10:00

Total for week 18 miles

Week Mon 7 Nov

Mon 5.5 miles (7:50, 7:40, 7:40, 7:25, 6:50, 16:00)
Tue 5.5 miles @ 9:00
Wed 7.5 miles @ 8:15
Thu 4.5 miles @ 9:20
Sat 4.5 miles @ 9:00
Sun 11.5 miles @ 8:10

Total for week: 39 miles

plodder

Week starting Monday 14 Nov

Tue 7 mile @ 8:00
Wed 4.5 mile @ 7:20
Thu 5.5 mile @ 8:45
Sat 3.65 mile @ 7:00
Sun 12.5 mile @ 9:00

Total: 33.5 mile

Sat was BHAA beach race in Dollymount. It's been ages since I did any race. So, it was great to race again. I work in the area and have run there before. I always found the sand hard to run on and the wind a pain. But, actually, when the tide is out, the sand is easy to run on and the wind wasn't too bad. The course was a straight up and down, two laps. On final straight I passed this guy, who decided to stick with me, free-loading in the shade of the wind :rolleyes: It was a good 1200m from the finish, but the baxtard stuck with me all the way, and went ahead just before the finish. Great race though

plodder

Week starting Mon 21 Nov

Tues went out for a 4.5 mile easy run in dark at home. It's normally quiet on the roads here at night and have fairly good hi-vis gear plus lights. Anyway, about a mile and a half out I was running on a newly resurfaced section of the road. The surface is raised about 2 inches above what it was and I just stepped off the edge of it. Twisted the ankle quite badly and had to hobble home slowly in the cold. Couldn't run for next four days as a result.

Sat 4.5 miles easy

Sun 12.5 miles @ 8:30

Total 19.5 miles

The ankle is about 95% better now - not quite completely, but it was able for the long run yesterday.

plodder

Week starting Mon Nov 28

Tue 5.5 miles @ 8:00
Wed 7.5 @ 8:20
Thu 5.5 miles @ 8:00, 7:04, 7:09, 7:12, 7:12, 12:00
Fri 5.5 miles @ 9:00
Sun 13 miles @ 8:26

Total for week: 37 miles

Pleased with this week. My ankle is still not 100% but once I'm careful about where I step and avoid too much cambered sections of road, it's fine. Managed to avoid the worst of the sh!tty weather as well. But going to have to dig out the hat and gloves soon.

plodder

Week starting Mon Dec 5

Tue 5.5 miles @ 8:20
Wed 7.5 miles @ 8:30
Thu 5.5 miles @ 9:00
Sun 11 miles @ 9:00

Total for week: 30 miles

Was busy assembling Ikea furniture all weekend, so missed run on Saturday. Was lucky to get out today at all considering the amount of work still to be done.

plodder

Week starting Mon Dec 12

Tue 5.5 mile @ 8:25
Thu 7.5mile @ 8:40
Fri 7.5 mile @ 8:20
Sun 12.5 miles @ 8:45

Total for week: 33 miles

Week starting Mon Dec 19

Tue 5.5 mile @ 8:15
Wed 7.5 mile @ 8:15

plodder

Thu 5.5 miles (10:00, 7:10, 7:10, 7:10, 7:00)
Fri 4.5 miles easy

Total for week: 23 miles


Week starting Mon 26 Dec

New shoes from today Well overdue...

Mon 5.5 @ 8:30
Tue 4.5 @ 8:30
Thu 8 @ 9:00
Fri 8 @ 9:00
Sat 8 @ 9:00

Total for week: 29 miles

plodder

Week starting Mon 2 Jan

Mon 8.25 miles @ 8:50
Thu 5.5 @ 8:00
Fri 5.5 @ 8:20
Sat 4.5 @ 8:20
Sun 9.8 @ 8:00

Total for week: 33

Missed a few runs due to weather/work. But hopefully, getting back to regular runs now.

plodder

Week starting Mon 9 Jan

Tue 7.5 miles (7:50, 7:30, 7:10, 7:25, 7:30, 7:30 8:00, 9:50)
Wed 5.5 mile (7:20, 7:30, 8, 8, 8, 10)
Thu 7.5 mile @ 7:50
Sun 12 mile @ 8:35

total for week: 32.5

Missed run on Fri/Sat due to trip to Belfast, but did a lot of walking round the city on Sat. BHAA XC next Sat and Raheny 5 the next w/e - really looking forward to racing again. Might even do a bit of semi-speed work this week instead of the usual plodding.

plodder

Week starting Mon 16 Jan

Tue 6.5 @ 9:00
getting back into running in the dark again, which means pitch black around here. I'm quite wary about it and this route was over some fairly rotten pot-holed boreens. But, survived it anyway.

Wed 5.5 @ 7:40
7:40, 7:05, 7:20, 7:05, 8:30

Thu 4.5 @ 9:00

Sat 5 BHAA XC at Cherrywood (34:51)
7:08, 7:00, 7:01, 6:56, 6:39
Great race - really enjoyed it, and felt strong all the way. Well at least until the final lap. I was passing people all the way round until the last lap. Tried to pass one dude on the final straight, but he had plenty to spare and was well able to stay ahead. I find that park a really tough XC course, even though it is actually quite fast. The ground is quite uneven in places and hard, and my ankles were in bits at the end of it. Probably not the ideal course for my first XC of the season. Looking forward to the Raheny 5 next week, and see what I can do on the road. Hope to beat 34 anyway.

Sun 12.5 @ 9:10
Had to take this very gingerly after yesterday. Shins and ankles are very shaky tonight.

Total for week: 34 miles

plodder

Week starting Mon 23 Jan

Tues 4.5 @ 9:20
Wed 5.5 (8:10, 7:05, 7:10, 7:10, 8:20)
Thu 7.5 @ 8:30
Fri 4 @ 9:00
Sun 29 Raheny 5 33:52 (6:37, 6:47, 6:51, 6:50, 6:46) Managed to keep the pace quite consistent given that the last mile had a bit of a drag uphill. That was hard, but felt fairly comfortable for the rest of it. Actually, the only problem was arranging to meet someone before the race, which left me with a very short warm-up - not that it made any difference though.

Total for week: 26.5

plodder

Week starting Mon 30 Jan

Tue 7.5 miles @ 7:15, 7:50, 8:00, 8:15, 8:00, 8:00, 8:00,
Wed 5.5 miles @ 8:15, 7:05, 7:15, 7:00, 8:30
Thu 7.5 easy
Sat 4.85 BHAA Swords (33:40) 7:00, 7:00, 7:00, 6:55, 6:50. Nice course, if slightly short of the expected 5 miles.

Total for week: 25 miles

Week starting Mon 6 Feb

Mon 7.5 easy
Tue 5.5 miles (8:20, 7:15, 7:15, 7:00, 8:30, 8:40)
Wed 5.5 easy
Fri 5.5 (8:00, 7:05, 7:05, 7:00, 6:40)
Sat 4.5 easy
Sun 12.5 @ 8:12

Total for week: 41 miles

Three races on three successive weekends was hard going (I've developed a bit of pain in the left calf that I can;t shake off) but it's improved my speed a bit, and I definitely feel a good bit fitter. I usually play a game of tennis with my son on Sundays after the long run and it was a lot easier today than usual. Though, I took the Provon revive freeby from the Raheny 5 after the run this morning. If that was the reason for the "fast" recovery then I'd be investing heavily in it. Maybe I'll buy a box and try it out for a few more weeks.

plodder

Week starting Mon 13 Feb 2012

Tue 5.5 easy
Wed 5.5 @ (7:30, 7:05, 7:05, 7:20, 8:10)
Thu 6.5 easy
Sat BHAA garda race (4 miles) 27:56. Toughest race I've done in a while. Was late getting there and the warmup consisted solely of the jog down from the Garda boat club - all very rushed. Nice sunny morning, but the wind was strong and chilly. When I heard it was "only" 4 miles I remarked to someone that made it a bit easier and the pace should be a bit faster than the previous XCs. So, I started out too fast and was gasping by half way. That is one tough course, but as usual it was very well marked and stewarded. Splits were (6:51, 6:57, 6:53, 7:08). Last year at the BHAA XCs I found myself finishing most times in a no-mans land between two groups of slower and faster runners. I think I have caught up with the faster group now and every race has a great competitive sprint to the finish. So, the last mile must have been a very slow haul up the hill and a fairly fast final 500 metres

Sun 12.5 @ 8:20 lovely sunny morning. Met two runners running in the opposite direction. That's very unusual out here. For years, I would literally never encounter a single runner on my Sunday run. The running boom is definitely getting boomier.

Total miles for week: 34

The niggle in my left calf is gone, but there is a slight ache further up directly behnd the left knee, though only when my knee is fully bent. Straightening the leg makes it go away.

plodder

Week starting Mon 20 Feb

Tue 5.5 easy
Wed 7.5 easy
Thu 5.5 (8:20, 7:15, 7:25, 7:35, 9:20)
Sat 4.5 easy
Sun 12 easy

Total for week: 35 miles

Easy week.

plodder

Week starting Mon 27 Feb

Tue 7.5 miles @ 8:00
Wed 5.5 (8:00, 7:05, 7:10, 7:05, 9:00)
Thu 7.5 @ 8:40
Sat BHAA 4 mile XC Maynooth (6:50, 7:02, 6:50, 7:00) 27:26. Good race, flat course, not very muddy. Very enjoyable.

Sat 3 mile easy warm down
Sun 12.5 @ 8:50

Total miles for week: 40

plodder

week starting Monday mar 5

Tue 7.5 @ 8:25
Wed 5.5miles (8:10, 7:10, 7:15, 7:25, 9)
Thu 7.5 @ 8:30
Sat BHAA XC 5 mile. first ever DNF for me. I went over on my (weak) right ankle and could feel the same stretching of muscles and ligaments that happened a couple of months ago. It happened on the first lap of the race. The ground was quite rough and I had a couple of near-misses before the big one, where my ankle rolled over a hole in the ground, and ouch it happened.

plodder

Week starting Mon 12 March

Mon 5 miles @ 7:40
Tue 7.5 @ 8:20
Wed 5.5 (8:30, 7:00, 7:16, 6:54, 9:00)
Thu 7.5 @ 8:20
Sat 12.5 @ 8:20

Total for week: 38 miles

Week starting Mon 19 March

Mon 3 miles easy
Tue 7.5 @ 7:55
Wed 5.5 @ (8:20, 7:10, 7:20, 6:54, 9:10)
Thu 4.5 @ 7:40
Fri 7.5 @ 8:30
Sat 3.2 @ 7:30 (Did the Belfast Waterworks parkrun)
Sun 12.5 easy

Total for week: 43 miles

Ankle still not 100% I think that could be the end of my cross-country "career", for this year anyway. Was up in Belfast on Saturday and did one of the (three) parkruns up there. Really nice bunch of people. It was great to meet them.

plodder

Week starting Mon 26 March

Tue 7.5 mile @ 8:00
Wed 5.5 @ 8:30, 6:55, 7:10, 7:00, 9:40
Thu 7.5 easy
Sat 3.2 mile easy
Sun 12.5 mile @ 8:20

Total miles: 36

plodder

Week starting Mon 2 April

Tue 7.5 @ 8:10
Wed 4.5 @ 8:20, 7:35, 7:20, 7:10
Thu 6.5 easy
Fri 6.5 easy

Total 25 miles

Week starting Mon 9 April

Mon 18 easy
Wed 7 easy
Fri 7 easy
Sun 8.5 easy

Total 40 miles

Week starting Mon 16 April

Tue 5.5 easy
Wed 5.5 easy
Thu 7.5 easy
Sun 12.5 easy

Total 31 miles