Berlin or bust...

Emer911

runrabbit wrote: »

Any plans for your Saturday run yet? 8.5 fits into my plan nicely if you fancy some company (as long as you're not planning too fast a pace for me!)

I'd love the company - and no, I'll be taking it VERY easy too
I'll PM you.

Emer911

Wednesday 1st June
Intervals session. Its been a while! Plan was to do 6x400mt at 07.50 /mi pace.
Did 1 mile warmup and a cool down to take me to a total of 5 miles.

No. | Duration | Pace / mile
1|116 |07:44
2| 117 | 07:52
3| 116 | 07:47
4| 118 | 07:56
5| 114 | 07:39
6| 112 | 07:30

Took about 2 mins recovery been each interval. Needed it too, 'cause I found these pretty tough! Still, kept them (mostly) on target, so pretty happy.

Summary 5 miles in 00:49:24
Avg Pace: 09:53 min/mi

Emer911

Thursday
Lunchtime Pilates. Sweaty in the room but that didn't mean she took it easy on us!
On a plane thursday evening so no running... except through the airport, does that count?

Emer911

Friday
Travelling all day, but I headed straight to the pub when I got back to the big smoke, for pre-arranged drinks with some friends we hadn't seen in a while. Of course I hadn't really eaten properly all day and the beer hit me harder than expected, so...

Saturday
No running :-(
Hangover from hell. Had arranged to meet someone for a morning run, and had to beg off (so sorry M ). First time I've let anyone down like that, and it'll be the last!

Sunday
Party for my sister for a fairly maJor birthday on Sat, but I was well behaved so did my missed 8.5 miles. Ran the 1st half with krusty at sub 9 min miles, so way too fast for a LSR for me (painfully slow for him). Slowed to a more comfortable 9.20 average when we parted, but I was happy with it overall.

Summary 8.51 miles in 01:18:56
Avg Pace 9:17 /mi

Emer911

Plan for the week
Week 1 of 18 to take me to Chicago.

I'm going to (loosely) follow the Hal Higdon Intermediate II plan. I did struggle to find time for 5 runs a week last year. I ended up running 4 days with yoga and swimming as 2 days of cross training and 1 rest day.
I'm doing pilates 2 days a week (lunchtimes) so I'll give this plan a go for a few weeks and reassess it if I'm struggling to hit all the days.

Monday |Bank Holiday so no Pilates
Tuesday| 3 m run 5 m run*
Wednesday |5 m run 3 m run
Thursday | Pilates (lunchtime) & 3 m run
Friday| rest
Saturday| 5 m pace
Sunday |10 m LSR

* I have an hour on Tuesdays while I wait for the kids sports to finish, so doing 3 miles is just a waste. I'll usually do 4 or 5 so I'm messing around with the plan (already)

Let the games begin!

Emer911

Tuesday 7th June
5 mile steady run.
Nothing too warm but kinda humid out there, perfect day for running. Didn't look at the watch for the pace at all and just ran at a comfortable but steady pace. I was pleasantly surprised that the average pace for the run was 9.13/mi, which is actually just outside of my PMP of 09.06/mi. That's a nice place to be starting my training.
I know there'll be bad days and good days, so I won't change my planned pace just yet, but who knows... if this turns out to be my comfortable pace then maybe I should be upping the ante? <advice anyone?>

Summary 5 miles in 00:46:06
Avg Pace: 09:13 min/mi

runrabbit

They are some pretty pacey miles you're getting in - sorry I can't offer any advice but you are flying it these days! Best of luck with the new plan!

Emer911

Wednesday 8th June
3 miles in the park on a sunny warm evening.
What the... it was bucketing down 15 minutes before I headed out - Irish weather... go figure!

I started this one way too fast finishing the first mile in 08:32. Told myself to "Slow Down - this isn't a speed session", but I still finished the 3 miles in just over 26 minutes at a pace of 08.42/mi :eek:
Now I'm not saying that was easy peasy, I WAS breathing hard, but I didn't kill myself by any means. What's going on here?

Have to run early tomorrow 'cause I'm going to the Taste of Dublin in the evening - yummy . Not relishing the thoughts of a pre-breaky run though

Summary 3.01 miles in 00:26:09
Avg Pace: 08:42 min/mi

Emer911

Thursday 09th June
OK so I was very bold and didn't do my 3 miles on Thursday. But I did get my pilates class in.
Instead of a run I spent a few hours in the lovely environs of Ivy Gardens at the Taste of Dublin. It was raining hailstones when I got off the LUAS :eek:, but it'd more or less stopped when we got to the gates.
They gave everyone those lovely plastic poncho's so we didn't really get wet. It was a cold, damp evening though, and even though we had a great time (stuffed by the time we left!) I think I picked up a bit of a chill.

Friday
Was feeling a bit off all day. Spent the evening on the couch all wrapped up in jumpers...

Saturday 11th June
11 mile run with runrabbit up along the Killiney coast road. A beautiful sunny morning in Dublin (:rolleyes: where did that come from?). I had 10 in the plan, but decided to keep going with RR for the 11th mile - sure what else would I be doing?
It was great. The weather was fab, and it was lovely to have some company. The view out over the sea was spectacular this morning, with the sun glinting off the water. There was even a guy out water-skiing in the bay! The things you see of a morning...:p
Of course we got a bit distracted chatting and our pace was a bit slower than either of us were planning, but sure we won't complain (too much). Next time we'll concentrate a bit more .

Summary 11.14 miles in 01:51:58
Avg Pace: 10:03 min/mi

runrabbit

Emer911 wrote: »

Next time we'll concentrate a bit more .

Definitely! I felt a bit guilty for letting the pace slide so badly; on the plus side the legs should be fresh enough for the coming week of training! Very enjoyable run though (the slow and sunny ones always are!)

Emer911

runrabbit wrote: »

Definitely! I felt a bit guilty for letting the pace slide so badly; on the plus side the legs should be fresh enough for the coming week of training! Very enjoyable run though (the slow and sunny ones always are!)

I don't think you were the one slowing us down

Emer911

Sunday 12th June
Soggy Sunday... :eek:
After our beautiful sunny summers day yesterday, the 'Irish Weather' fairies decided to kick us in the teeth today with some 'gentle' irish rain. Talk about wet! Actually, that word is SO inadequate for what was going on out there today (drenched, dripping, saturated, soaking, sodden, soggy, sopping, teeming, water-logged, watery, wringing-wet, cloudburst, deluge, downpour, flood, flooding, gushing, pouring, waterfall)

After procrastinating for most of the morning, I eventually just opened the front door and left. I had to collect the car (that we abandoned at a pub last night ) so my route had a specific destination. I started the watch, covered it with my jacket (so the bezel didn't go nuts in the rain) and headed off.

Every tree seemed to be hanging lower than normal with the weight of the rain on it, which it dislodged on my head as I passed underneath.
Every car that passed me happened to be driving though a massive puddle causing an lovely (!) fountain effect.
Every drain & gutter was overflowing, making it feel like I was running through river beds rather than the streets of Shankill and Bray.

By the time I'd run 500 meters I was completely sodden. The socks were soaking and shoes were doing that adorable squelchy, squelchy thing. I was NOT a happy bunny.
But I was committed now. I resigned myself to completing 3 miles (yeah, it was supposed to be 5, but that just wasn't happening!).

Got to the car... eventually. Gosh, that felt like it took forever! I was happy and a bit surprised that my pace was on target, even though I wasn't looking at the watch at all.

Drove home sitting on a shopping bag so I didn't totally soak the car seat. Glad to have finished that one!

Summary 3 miles in 00:26:55
Avg Pace: 08:58 min/mi

Krusty_Clown

Quitter.

RacoonQueen

Sounds like heaven to me. :pac:

Emer911

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Sounds like heaven to me. :pac:

...ah, sometimes you just don't feel the love :rolleyes:

Emer911

Plan for the week

Monday |Pilates
Tuesday| 3 m run
Wednesday | 5 m run
Thursday | Pilates (lunchtime) & 3 m run
Friday| rest
Saturday| 5 m run
Sunday |11 m LSR hilly 10k race

Emer911

Monday 13th June
Had to forego the pilates - housey stuff to attend to.

Tuesday 14th June
Lunchtime Pilates (instead of yesterday). Different level and different teacher, so a bit disappointed with it. Too easy, didn't feel challenged at all.

Evening 4 mile run, steady. Only supposed to be 3 today, but I had the time and it was a lovely sunny evening. The loop was 4, so I did the 4. No point in turning back early really.
Nothing major to report. Generally OK run.

Summary 4 miles in 00:36:54
Avg Pace: 09:13 min/mi

Emer911

Wednesday 15th June
5 mile mid-week run. The start of the 'sorts long' mid-week runs in the HH plan.

I know it was just 5, but I found this a hard run! Psychological maybe? Or maybe because I did a hillier route than usual, or that I was tired, or that it was unexpectedly sunny and warm... who knows?
Actually had to stop and walk at one point cause I got a stitch! Very strange day. And it was pi$$ slow for me too. I'm supposed to be doing these steady runs in under 8:50 min/mi.
One very unhappy camper plodder

I'll have to chalk this one down to experience.

Summary 5 miles in 00:47:54
Avg Pace: 09:34 min/mi

yungwan

Emer911 wrote: »

I know it was just 5, but I found this a hard run! Psychological maybe? Or maybe because I did a hillier route than usual, or that I was tired, or that it was unexpectedly sunny and warm... who knows?
Actually had to stop and walk at one point cause I got a stitch! Very strange day.

If its any consolation I had a 3 miler exactly like this today.
I think it was a combination of all of the above.

Lets as you say put it down as experience, at least we done the miles eh?

Wheres the 10k this weekend?

Emer911

yungwan wrote: »

Wheres the 10k this weekend?

The 10k is in Boyle in Co. Roscommon. It's called "Battle of the Curlews 10k" , but I hear it's closer to 11.5k and not something that'll be a 'target' race! There's a post about it over on the events forum here


I'll be heading west for the weekend, so I'll hopefully get to pop over to Boyle on Sunday morning.
That's the plan anyway

yungwan

Emer911 wrote: »

The 10k is in Boyle in Co. Roscommon. It's called "Battle of the Curlews 10k" , but I hear it's closer to 11.5k and not something that'll be a 'target' race!

When I seen "Very hilly 10K" I thought this might be it alright! Im doing it too so I might see you there! Ill be the one at the back of the pack struggling up the hills! :rolleyes:

I spoke to a race organiser and he said it was "quite challenging" and hilly.

Its definitely not a PB race but its just down the road from me so I said Id try it for hill practice anyway!

runrabbit

Best of luck on Sunday Emer! Will be looking forward to the report - going to take in a hill or two myself tomorrow morning so fingers crossed I make it home

Emer911

I've been offline for a few days so...

Thursday
Did my Pilates at lunchtime and boy did she give us a good ol' going over. No slacking here! Felt really good though and I was glad to get it in. Didn't get running in the evening though. Took the kids to the cinema instead, cause the house is in a bit of a mess with the walls getting plastered, so we just had to get out!

Friday rest day, but I didn't feel all that great. Tummy was doing leaps and jumps. I assumed it was something I ate...

Saturday 5 mile run in the plan. Woke up with the tummy still jumping and gurgling and an almighty headache. Struggled with it for a while before eventually giving in and taking some drugs. It was my little one's birthday too, and I'm sure I wasn't much fun all day. Needless to say the 5 miles did NOT get run.

Emer911

Sunday 19th June
Had agreed to do the Curlew Warrior 10K race in Boyle. After having a dreadful day on Saturday I woke up a bit tentative. But the head seemed fine and the tummy was behaving itself, so I said I'd give it a lash.
Breakfast done, we suited up and started out for Boyle, which is just 25 miles down the road from my mammy's house.
A short drive later we landed at the Royal hotel to register and got our first look at the starting hill. :eek:

Mad place to start a race. I guess these guys weren't sugar coating it for us though! We lined up on the start line at the bottom of a hill, with the houses looming up the street ahead of us. The bell <think "tinkle tinkle" and not BOING> rang to signal the start and all 200 or so of us brave souls set off. Some charged up the road but I (more sensibly?) set of easy. Keep it slow and steady, make it home in one piece. I was actually a bit nervous that the remenants of yesterday mystery illness would leave me in a heap on the side of the road after a mile, so conservative was the watch word.

The first hill, though tough, was manageable, especially as it was just the start. But I must've passed 30 people within the first half mile - all those mad lunatics that had sprinted off at the start, I guess. Had a chat to a few locals as I went, which was nice. Everyone was really friendly and inevitably they waved me on as the challenge of the hill overtook them and they slowed to a walk.

The first 3 miles were uphill. Seriously, this was like an IMRA race except on roads (or rather boreens). We went from a low of 56mt elevation to 188mt just before the half way mark. But I took it slow and steady and never felt I needed to walk or stop. There was a left turn at the crest of the steepest section at 1.6 miles and I glanced at my watch to see the average pace was in the 11 min/mi area. Oops! But that was climbing about 110mt in a mile, so I'm not going to beat myself up for that. Had a look up at that point too. Wow, what a view! The streets of Boyle had fallen away, and we were now on small little boreens looking back over the fields to the town below and the Shannon sparkling in the distance. What a way to spend a Sunday morning!

The sun was out too, which was surprising, and a bit hotter than expected. Not too hot though, just pleasant. The next mile and half to the 3 mile mark were slightly uphill, and then we turned another corner, the hills had been conquered and the dowhill challenge awaited...

Yeah, that was a challenge! The roads, remember, were boreens, so there was gravel, grass up the middle, a few potholes, a generally uneven surface. I heard myself say "J E A S U S" as I turned the bend and saw the road drop away ahead of me:p. Then it was just let the legs turn and I tried not to lean back. "Quick steps, sink the hips, knees pumping, keep it light, don't fall down." A freaky fast downhill, but actually good fun (once I got to the bottom in one piece:D).

Out onto a nice flat newly tarmac'ed main road for a half a mile and then back to the boreens for a mile or so. Nice and flat(ish) and I was cruising comfortably. Then, at the 8k mark, another sneaky hill! It was a baby hill compared to what we'd already come over, but it seemed to sap the energy from all and sundry. I put the head down and, though the pace suffered, I kept going - chugging along like the little engine that could :rolleyes:. Passed a load of people walking again (and that did feel good too)

Last corner took us back into Boyle for the run home. Another hill (mini one) and a steep descent to the main street - the start hill in reverse. Mad leg turner, but again great fun. The finish line was on a pathway by the river and... done!
Slow - probably my slowest 10K in years, but very happy. Got passed just once, on the flat main road, but must've passed 50+. And I caught up to the guy that passed me on the run in to the finish. He got in just ahead of me, so I'm really happy with the way I ran that.

Great race, lovely route (very challenging) and for a first time event, it was superbly done. Lots of marshals at every turn (and even at some non-turns, just in case!), every turn and bend marked in paint on the road, burgers on the BBQ after, 2 water stations (if you needed them), and all for just €10! FANTASTIC VALUE! Not a PB course, but, as Arnie says, I will be back...

Summary 6.21 miles in 00:59:37
Avg Pace: 09:36 min/mi

Emer911

And a massive congratulation to Krusty and dna_leri who come in 1st and 2nd!

runrabbit

Great race report - it sounds like you did brilliantly on a tough course! It must have felt great to be passing people all the way!

yungwan

Great report Emer.

Pity I didn't make it as it sounds like a very well organised race.

I am having hamstring issues so I thought the hills were just a bad idea.

Well done to you and also Krusty Clown on his victory!

claralara

Well done yesterday Emer! Brilliant running. You've been enjoying some good weekend LSR's I see - the long ones will be creeping back into my training from next week so hopefully I'll get out with you again soon

Emer911

runrabbit wrote: »

Great race report - it sounds like you did brilliantly on a tough course! It must have felt great to be passing people all the way!

Hmm... yeah it felt great to be passing instead of being passed, but maybe I really just started a bit too far back? :rolleyes:

claralara wrote: »

Well done yesterday Emer! Brilliant running. You've been enjoying some good weekend LSR's I see - the long ones will be creeping back into my training from next week so hopefully I'll get out with you again soon

That's be great claralara. The long ones will be creeping up for all us Autumn marathon hopefuls now. Just give me a pm/buzz at any time and we'll hook up.

yungwan wrote: »

Great report Emer.

Pity I didn't make it as it sounds like a very well organised race.

I am having hamstring issues so I thought the hills were just a bad idea.

Well done to you and also Krusty Clown on his victory!

Thanks yungwan, it was a great course and a great race, even though it was 'challenging'. Probably a wise move not to run it if the hammies are at you. Those hills were significant and could have set you back a bit! There's always next year...

Emer911

Plan for the week
Planned step-back week, but as last weeks mileage was low, I'm going to push on this week

Monday |Pilates work commitments
Tuesday| 3 m run
Wednesday | 6 m run
Thursday | Pilates (lunchtime) & 3 m run
Friday| rest
Saturday| 6 m pace
Sunday |12 m LSR

Might have to flip flop the Saturday & Sunday run. To be decided....