God loves a trier

RubyK

mrslow wrote: »

I hope you'll consider it for the 20 mile lsr, we could all go for a bite afterwards make an event of it!

Unfortunately, I won't get up to the big smoke, until M-Day (which is creeping up very very fast!)

RubyK

Fri 03/09 - LSR. My legs felt very tired this evening, niggly, and my stomach dodgy. Hid my energiser bottles and a couple of gels. The first 6 miles were uneventful, then I met a fellow runner, who stayed with me for 2 miles, and gave me some great advice on my training and what to do before the big day (he's completed over 10 marathons, so safe to say he knows his stuff :eek:). It was nice to have the company. Took a gel at mile 11 and felt a blister appearing. Plodded on for another 6.6 miles. 17.6 miles agv pace 9.23 mins.
Felt I could have gone on further, which I suppose is a good sign.

shazkea

Well done on LSR today Ruby - how did you find your recovery after your "exertions" last weekend?

Mr Slow

After Ruby's recent LSR's that 17.6 at 9.23 must have felt like a recovery run:D , Ruby don't bother with DCM go straight for the 'Comrades Marathon'

RubyK

shazkea wrote: »

Well done on LSR today Ruby - how did you find your recovery after your "exertions" last weekend?

Hey shazkea - tbh Monday & Tuesday, I felt good. But Wednesday & Thursday my legs were pretty stiff and I was tired. Fridays LSR I found tough at times, but ok towards the end I fear my feet may never be the same again, and my appetite has taken on a life of it's own :eek: I also seem to dream about LSR's every single night This day 7 weeks, I'm hoping it will all be worth it!

Hey mrslow - hope you get sorted with the physio!

Sat 04/09 - 5.15 miles. Wore my lidl waterproof jacket as the weather wasn't great, and it was torture - hot manky sweaty hell. Yuk.

RubyK

Mon 06/09 - 6.05 miles in 51 mins. Felt I was sweating a bit too much, for this length of run, as it wasn't exactly warm out there Pushed on for the last mile.

RubyK

Tues 07/09 - 5 miles. Fast (for me) on a flatish trail - avg 8.10 mins. Made a nice change from my usual route.

RubyK

Thurs 09/09 - unexpected day off from work, so I decided to get my LSR done. Found it hard to eat much this morning - 2 slices of wholemeal toast & some mixed nuts.

Off I went at 09.30 hrs. Slow pace, but sweating after 1.5 miles. I have to say, I really didn't get into the run at all. I found it a struggle, mentally and physically. Mile 15 was the toughest, and I had to stop a few times, which really p*ssed me off. I didn't hit the wall, but I just wasn't enjoying the run. Eventually got home after 21.05 miles - I could have gone on a bit more, but my head just didn't want to. Very disappointing. It took me 3 hrs 17 min 19 secs (moving that is, I did spend some time stopped, looking up at the sky, questioning my sanity - surely there are more enjoyable ways of spending a day off work!).

When I got home, I struggled to get up/down the stairs, my left knee was very sore. I iced it, put copious amounts of voltrol gel on it for the afternoon/evening. It feels fine today - so I'm hoping it was just one of those things, and it won't cause me any real problems

tunguska

RubyK wrote: »

Thurs 09/09 - unexpected day off from work, so I decided to get my LSR done. Found it hard to eat much this morning - 2 slices of wholemeal toast & some mixed nuts.

Off I went at 09.30 hrs. Slow pace, but sweating after 1.5 miles. I have to say, I really didn't get into the run at all. I found it a struggle, mentally and physically. Mile 15 was the toughest, and I had to stop a few times, which really p*ssed me off. I didn't hit the wall, but I just wasn't enjoying the run. Eventually got home after 21.05 miles - I could have gone on a bit more, but my head just didn't want to. Very disappointing. It took me 3 hrs 17 min 19 secs (moving that is, I did spend some time stopped, looking up at the sky, questioning my sanity - surely there are more enjoyable ways of spending a day off work!).

Thats great work Ruby K. Training isnt always gonna be enjoyable so sometimes you just have to drag yourself through it. Although training should always be satisfying, you should always get something from your sessions. I think what you should take from that session is you didnt quit, you got the job done.

RubyK wrote: »

When I got home, I struggled to get up/down the stairs, my left knee was very sore. I iced it, put copious amounts of voltrol gel on it for the afternoon/evening. It feels fine today - so I'm hoping it was just one of those things, and it won't cause me any real problems

Sounds harmless enough. When youre running long distances you'll get niggles here there and everywhere. 99% of them arent worth worrying about though. Whats the target for the half marathon next week?

RubyK

Thanks for that tunguska - I guess it wasn't all bad I suppose you have to have a few dodgy ones, to appreciate the good times!

Not really sure about a target for the half. My one and only, back in June was 1.56.10. I'd like to go for 1.55, but I'm not that confident .

Krusty_Clown

RubyK wrote: »

Thanks for that tunguska - I guess it wasn't all bad I suppose you have to have a few dodgy ones, to appreciate the good times!

Not really sure about a target for the half. My one and only, back in June was 1.56.10. I'd like to go for 1.55, but I'm not that confident .

You should definitely aim for something more aggressive than a minute off your previous pb. You've run a significant amount since your previous PB (including some very long runs!), it'll be a good confidence booster for the marathon, if you don't aim high, it'll be harder to achieve a decent gain. If you're worried about injuries/niggles though, take it handy.

RubyK

Thanks Krusty, I know you are right, 1 min doesn't sound like much of a challenge I'll see how the next few runs go. Today, I wouldn't be confident of anything under 1.55 tbh.

tunguska

RubyK wrote: »

Thanks Krusty, I know you are right, 1 min doesn't sound like much of a challenge I'll see how the next few runs go. Today, I wouldn't be confident of anything under 1.55 tbh.

Take it easy between now and next saturday, blast out the best possible time you can. This race will let you know a lot about where you stand for the marathon so its fairly important to rest up and do yourself justice. I cant believe Im saying this, but I wouldnt do any 20milers between now and the half if I were you.

RubyK

Thanks tunguska, I'll have a handy enough week, before the half on Sunday

Sat 11/09 - lovely bright morning for a run, I just didn't bank on it being so warm! Was feeling good at mile 6, so added in an extra one. 7 miles 59 ish mins.

Sun 12/09 - despite the previous nights beers, I was up and on the beach at 8.15am A handy pleasant 4 miles, that cleared the head nicely!

RubyK

Mon 13/09 - Woo hoo! My new garmin arrived so I had to take it out for a test run

6.07 mins in 53.29 mins (obviously, garmin can't make me run faster ) It was very windy for the first 3 miles and the hill at mile 4.5 nearly killed me. But it was an enjoyable run all the same.

Krusty_Clown

RubyK wrote: »

Mon 13/09 - Woo hoo! My new garmin arrived so I had to take it out for a test run

6.07 mins in 53.29 mins (obviously, garmin can't make me run faster ) It was very windy for the first 3 miles and the hill at mile 4.5 nearly killed me. But it was an enjoyable run all the same.

Nice one. What did you get? Try to have a backup plan for the half marathon, just in case you get the button presses wrong, or something unexpected happens!

RubyK

Hey Krusty, I got the Forerunner 110 - it's ideal for me, and seems easy enough to use. I got greatly excited when I uploaded last nights run onto my computer

RubyK

Tues 14/09 - 5 miles, first 2.5 were quicker than the last 2.5 due to the gale force winds!

Wed 15/09 - rest day. Went for a 3 mile walk. I have to say, I really have begun to hate walking

I'll get an easy 5 miles in later, and that will be it until the half on Sunday.

jcsmum

RubyK wrote: »

Wed 15/09 - rest day. Went for a 3 mile walk. I have to say, I really have begun to hate walking

You're not the only one!

Mr Slow

jcsmum wrote: »

You're not the only one!

Consider this - most people wouldn't walk as far as we run!

DustyBin

Fair play on hitting the 1,000 mile mark a couple of weeks ago
Thats a fair amount of running you've done htis year - neither Kilkenny nor Dublin will be any bother to you

RubyK

DustyBin wrote: »

Fair play on hitting the 1,000 mile mark a couple of weeks ago
Thats a fair amount of running you've done htis year - neither Kilkenny nor Dublin will be any bother to you

Thanks Dusty! The ole nerves are kicking in though. Time is flying by waayyy too fast :eek:

RubyK

Thurs 16/09 - headed to the beach for a handy 5 miles. 1st mile wasn't great, my legs felt tired and tight. Loosened up after that though, and enjoyed the last 4.

I'll rest up until Sunday, and then hope for the best

RubyK

Sun 19/09 Kilkenny Half Marathon

My second half marathon - first one was Enniscorthy on 27/06 - 1.56.10. So was hoping to do KK in 1.55.00.

It was a cool, dark windy morning, but a nice atmosphere around the startline. I couldn't see the pacers, so started off midpack. Garmin issues, meant I was about 100 metres behind, which was annoying (but purely my own fault). Kept the pace conservative and got chatting to a lovely girl from Cork for the first 5 miles. At the first water stop (which it literally was, as there was no water poured out) I pushed on a bit. At mile 6 my stomach was talking to me, so I took a glucose sweet. At mile 7, and the second water station, I took a gel. Stomach settled down, and I pushed on a bit more. I felt pretty good (which suprised me), even the headwind didn't bother me like it usually would. Mile 10, upped the pace again, and pushed on home. Found the last mile very tough, and even though I could see the castle, it seemed to take forever to get to the finish line, but I gave it everything I had to get over the line. Couldn't believe it when I heard my name being called out for 1hr 49mins 20sec finish. A new PB

I'm really happy with this, as I was starting to doubt myself, and wondered if Enniscorthy had been a fluke for me. I won't be able to keep that pace for 26.2 miles, but it is a confidence boost all the same.

Splits (God, my pacing isn't the best!)

Mile 1 8.36
Mile 2 8.57
Mile 3 8.40
Mile 4 8.52
Mile 5 8.47
Mile 6 8.32
Mile 7 8.27
Mile 8 8.14
Mile 9 8.12
Mile 10 7.55 :eek:
Mile 11 8.01
Mile 12 8.01
Mile 13 8.00

RacoonQueen

That is fantastic Ruby. Well done, brilliant finish.

RubyK

Cheers RacoonQueen

Mr Slow

RubyK wrote: »

Splits (God, my pacing isn't the best!)

Thats a negative split overall which is exactly what you want.

Well Done.

RayCun

Great time, you're well set for sub-4

RubyK

I thought you were supposed to try and keep your splits even Ah, I learn something new every day

Thanks mrslow

jcsmum

Well done, fantastic time!

rainbow kirby

Well done, that's a great time!

meathcountysec

Nice confidence boost there. Well done. Keep up the good work.

RubyK

Thanks mcs

Mon 20/09 - Headed off to the beach. Legs were very tired for the first mile. The tide was in, so it meant a lot of plodding through very soft sand around the dunes. Found it tough enough. 6 miles in 56 mins (3-4 mins slower than other days).

Mr Slow

RubyK wrote: »

Thanks mcs

Mon 20/09 - Headed off to the beach. Legs were very tired for the first mile. The tide was in, so it meant a lot of plodding through very soft sand around the dunes. Found it tough enough. 6 miles in 56 mins (3-4 mins slower than other days).

If you're training on the beach you're going to fly on tarmac;)

RubyK

mrslow wrote: »

If you're training on the beach you're going to fly on tarmac;)

I only have two routes mrslow - 1 tarmac and 1 beach. I alternate between the two during the week, and combine the two on my LSR. It's getting a bit mundane though.

How are you feeling after the half? Did you make a trip to the torture chamber yesterday?

Mr Slow

RubyK wrote: »

I only have two routes mrslow - 1 tarmac and 1 beach. I alternate between the two during the week, and combine the two on my LSR. It's getting a bit mundane though.

How are you feeling after the half? Did you make a trip to the torture chamber yesterday?

I did, not so bad this time though

shazkea

Hey Ruby, well done on the PB - great running.

Just out of curiousity was there many running it - just wondering with the Dub one on the previous day

RubyK

Thanks shazkea

There was 238 runners in the half marathon, and 187 runners in the 10K (half started an hour before the 10K, but we all finished at the same point).

It was limited to that amount, as once we got out into the countryside, the roads were extremely narrow and not closed off to traffic, so for safety I suppose they had to limit numbers.

RubyK

Tues 21/09 - 6 miles in 51 mins. 1st mile sluggish, but ok after that. Right knee is a little bit niggly, but hopefully nothing to worry about.

RubyK

Thurs 23/09 - 5.78 miles in 52.03 mins. Strong headwind on the beach today. All in all a bit of a m'eh run.

LSR tomorrow morning. Kinda dreading it.

JEmily

RubyK wrote: »

Mon 13/09 - Woo hoo! My new garmin arrived so I had to take it out for a test run

6.07 mins in 53.29 mins (obviously, garmin can't make me run faster ) It was very windy for the first 3 miles and the hill at mile 4.5 nearly killed me. But it was an enjoyable run all the same.

1hr 49mins 20sec finish. A new PB

I'm so jealous, you got a Garmin:(

Great time for Half. Your flying, keep up the good work, not long now!!!

JEmily

RubyK wrote: »

Thurs 23/09 - 5.78 miles in 52.03 mins. Strong headwind on the beach today. All in all a bit of a m'eh run.

LSR tomorrow morning. Kinda dreading it.

What LSR you doing tomorrow? Although you'll fly, not a bother to you...;)

RubyK

Thanks JEmily, I'm loving the garmin! Got a good deal online, so I treated myself (gone are the days of getting excited about shoes/clothes, now it's just all about training gear!).

LSR tomorrow will be 20-ish. I'll see how it goes anyway.

JEmily

RubyK wrote: »

Thanks JEmily, I'm loving the garmin! Got a good deal online, so I treated myself (gone are the days of getting excited about shoes/clothes, now it's just all about training gear!).

LSR tomorrow will be 20-ish. I'll see how it goes anyway.

Good luck, you'll be fine, you've done all the hard work at this stage. 19 is my max so far, hopefully increase that to 20/21 next weekend. Enjoy it anyway.

Mr Slow

JEmily wrote: »

Good luck, you'll be fine, you've done all the hard work at this stage. 19 is my max so far, hopefully increase that to 20/21 next weekend. Enjoy it anyway.

20!!!!

RubyK

Sat 25/09 - headed off out the door at 9.00am, after hiding my water/energy drinks. Mile 1-11 went well and I felt good. But then the wheels started to fall off. A pinching feeling in my hip started to annoy me (it then ran down from my hip to my knee). Got to mile 13 and stopped to stretch out a bit, hoping it might do some good. I was at the beach at this stage, so figured the trail/sand might be better for me than the road, so I made up the miles there, before ringing my husband to collect me. 20.66 miles. I got to 19 miles in 3 hrs - the last 1.66 took me 18 mins I'm really worried that if this happens on the day, I won't be able to finish I've been very lucky not to have had any real issues in training, until now, but I'm still very disappointed, and a bit freaked.

Hoping if I rest until Mon/Tues, it might resolve itself. Could it just be one of those things?? Touch wood.

xebec

Fair play on your run this morning! You've knocked out a good 20+ miles so you're all set for the big day! Keep an eye on the niggle but don't worry about it too much, they're normal at this stage and the lower mileage in the run up to DCM will have you well set on the day

RubyK

Thanks xebec

I'm disappointed, as I had to stop every couple of miles, from mile 14 to try and get some relief. The frustrating thing was that I felt fresh and could have happily gone on another few miles, if it wasn't for the hip. But it's not sore now, and I can walk fine, so maybe I'm over-reacting. I kept telling myself it's normal to feel pain at this stage of training

I'll lash on the voltrol, and see how it goes.

JEmily

I don't think you've anything major to worry about. Rest day and a bit of a walk will do you good for next 2 days. I don't think you'll have it again on next run TBH.

Well done on getting the mileage in, i know it's frustrating to feel aches now.

Votrol is brill, i'm using it at mo too.

tunguska

RubyK wrote: »

Sat 25/09 - headed off out the door at 9.00am, after hiding my water/energy drinks. Mile 1-11 went well and I felt good. But then the wheels started to fall off. A pinching feeling in my hip started to annoy me (it then ran down from my hip to my knee). Got to mile 13 and stopped to stretch out a bit, hoping it might do some good. I was at the beach at this stage, so figured the trail/sand might be better for me than the road, so I made up the miles there, before ringing my husband to collect me. 20.66 miles. I got to 19 miles in 3 hrs - the last 1.66 took me 18 mins I'm really worried that if this happens on the day, I won't be able to finish I've been very lucky not to have had any real issues in training, until now, but I'm still very disappointed, and a bit freaked.

Hoping if I rest until Mon/Tues, it might resolve itself. Could it just be one of those things?? Touch wood.

Get yourself a foam roller Ruby K, asap. At the risk of giving out medical advice, it sounds like a bit of an IT band thing.