Edinburgh 2010: a backwards marathon training log

RacoonQueen

Best of luck. Hope it goes well.

aero2k

Thanks for all the good wishes, they'll give me an extra little pep in my step tomorrow.

Race number is 173.

chinguetti

Good luck in the morning and hope that the wind is behind you all the way.

Krusty_Clown

*cough*. Any... ahem... news?

RacoonQueen

Good times on a tough day for aero and git I'll let them come on and spread their news.

aero2k

3:03:15 for me, 3:22:xx for Git101. I was in trouble fairly early but talked myself into a 1:23 first half. The 1:40 second half was only slightly due to the wind - on a good day 7 min miles or under would have been possible.

Despite the time, it's the first of my five marathons where I can really say I gave it 100%.

Full report later - the body is back at the apartment, I'm just waiting for the mind to catch up.:)

Thanks again for all the good wishes, and the post race text enquiries. Apologies to those who were left waiting for a reply - I had a bad case of the shakes after the race and could barely turn on the phone.

Seres

Total respect for the 100% effort and a great result , its a pity you didnt reap all the benefits you deserved from the effort , takes alot of mental strenght to keep goin when things arent goin to plan, most people would just give in , you prob learnt more from this marathon than all the previous ones ?! it'll stand to you well goin forward , well done

aero2k

Edinburgh Marathon 11 May 2011 report.

I hope this is easier than the race....

Thursday:

We had a really easy journey over. Despite traffic restrictions, Git101 arrived at my place bang on time, and we got to the airport really easily. The flight arrived early, complete with fanfare, and we discovered that the number 35 bus would drop us at the end of the road where our apartment was located. We got settled in then went for a bowl of pasta..

Friday:

Discovered that the 35 bus would also bring us very close to the expo where we picked up our numbers and Git did some carb loading - at least I think the burger bun had some carbs in it.:D Lazed around for the rest of the day - Git did a bit of exploring.

Saturday:

Some serious lazing around.

Sunday:

So the day of reckoning had come at last. After over 1000 miles of training, several battles with niggles, and studying 100's of weather forecasts, it was time to put the preparation to the test. As previously mentioned, probably on Krusty's log, I had several goals for this race:

Get to the start line in the best possible shape
Survive
Set a PB
Run 2:45
Finish with no regrets

The predicted 20+ mph winds made tactics tricky, but with the last two goals in mind I resolved to go out (note: the course is 17 and a bit out, 9 ish back) at the max pace that felt comfortable and try to make the most of the tailwind, then hang on as best as I could for the final 9. This would mean running 6:10 miles or quicker if I was on top form, so there was a fair amount of risk involved. I decided it was worth the risk.

We got there nice and early, queued for the portaloos then hid in a church entrance for a bit of shelter from the wind and showers. We headed to the start with about 15 mins to go - I had a brief moment of panic when it seemed much more crowded than last year but I managed to squeeze forward to a starting position that I was happy with. No opportunity to repeat last year's warm-up strides, but not to worry, I'd use the early fast miles for that.

The gun went and we were off. With only a few episodes of weaving, I was soon running unhindered. I fell into a nice pace that felt comfortable for the aerobic system, but disturbingly hard on the legs. I decided not to worry as I often feel sluggish for the first 5 miles of a long run. We turned into the wind during the first mile but it was downhill and reasonably sheltered, so no problems. A 180 degree bend at the Parliament building left us with the wind at our backs, and I was in a rhythm now, albeit not a very smooth one. I almost got tripped by a female runner at the first water station - despite there being drinks on both sides of the road she insisted on crossing behind me and clipping my heel - but no harm done.

The 5 mile mark brought us down to the seafront and I had now hit 6:22, 6:05, 6:08, 6:06 and 6:21 on the Garmin. Nice splits but it felt like hard work, I really didn't feel as if there was a tailwind and the legs felt like I had done 21 miles rather than having 21 left to go. I resolved to stick to the plan anyway, though I did let a few people get away from me when I felt the pace was just a tad too fast.

39:13 for 10k was just off 2:45 pace, and we reached 10 miles just under 63, but at that stage I really had a battle on my hands. 1:23:13 for halfway would have been great on a calm day, but with 9 miles awaiting into the wind, on tired legs, with not a lot of shelter, it wasn't nearly fast enough.Garmin splits to 13 were 6:22, 6:16, 6:10, 6:17, 6:23, 6:17, 6:22, 6:26.

By that stage I was starting to have some abdominal trouble. Fortunately not the kind to make me dash for a portaloo, but the whole abdominal area felt like it had started to go rigid, and I thought I might need to puke. I had taken a gel before the start, and one around 5, but the thought of taking any more was very unappealing, in fact even taking on water was a chore. I didn't worry too much as I was well hydrated for the previous two days and it wasn't too hot, but it was starting to cause me to lose form, and the legs were starting to get a bit tight too.

From approx 9 miles to the turn after 17 we had a direct tailwind. I was surprised at how much of the course I remembered from last year, and I had forgotten the gentle undulations out along the coast. These little drags were a boon in my deteriorating state - I felt the uphills weren't hurting and I used the little downhills to try to get a rhythm going again. Splits for 14-17 were 6:32, 6:32, 6:31, 6:41. Respectable enough on a calm day, I reckon they needed to be in the 6:05-6:10 range given the tailwind. Despite the physical side of things not being great I was pleased with my mental fortitude - that split for mile 17 was well over 7 min before I pushed to get it back to 6:41.

I reached the turn and managed a 7:00 for mile 18. I thought if I could maintain that pace to the finish I'd record a respectable time, however at this stage I was experiencing something that had never happened me before; both my inner thighs had got extremely tight and I was having great difficulty maintaining any kind of smoothness. There was no great pain but nothing I did seemed to relive it, and it was taking more and more effort to make any progress. There was a brief respite from the wind as we entered the grounds of Gosford house but I wasn't able to take advantage of it and even the downhill exit was a struggle. Another little respite just before 20 where we made a little loop off to the left - again downhill to the 20 mile mark but the legs just wouldn't cooperate. 7:11 and 7:26 to 20 miles.:(

Now it was straight into the wind to the finish. A steady stream of people were passing me but despite my best attempts I couldn't hang on to any of them. I wasn't feeling particularly tired or lacking in fuel but I just couldn't get the legs moving freely. There was a huge temptation to stop, but my '08 experience told me that getting going again would be doubly difficult. My mental arithmethic was telling me that sub-3 was gone, and even 3:05 might be a big ask, but strangely after I passed 25 It seemed like the next mile passed very quickly and I could see the 26 mile marker and the finish banner round the corner. The crowd were giving a lot of support at this stage which I felt giving me a lift, so I raised my arms in encouragement and was rewarded with very generous cheers. I was relieved to cross the line in 3:03:15 - no need to elaborate on splits of 7:49, 7:44, 8:13, 8:49, 8:55, 9:00 and 7:49 for the last bit.

I collected my drinks, t-shirt, medal, goodie bag and gear, and since the arrangements were a bit different to last year I wasn't sure about the availability of showers so I found a sheltered spot under some trees and improvised with some wet wipes. I had some broken skin between two toes so I was anxious to change my socks - easier said than done. Then I had a repeat of the post-DCM '08 experience when my hands started shaking uncontrollably - it wasn't cold and I was well wrapped up so I don't know the cause. I had great difficulty entering the code to turn on my phone and I gave up on trying to send a text.

All I wanted then was for Git101 to come along, put me on a bus, take me home and put me to bed. When I finally got to talk to him by phone he was already at the reunion area, and I had a most unreasonable battle through the crowds to try to join him - serious minus points for the organisers there. Having felt decidedly pukey on finishing I had risked the best part of a bottle of lucozade sport - successfully - and I now decided it was essential to wash it down with a cup of sugary coffee. A long queue for that and a successful reunion with Git, then we headed off for the buses. That turned out to be a complete fiasco - after a long wait we realised that they were all filling up about two stops down the road. Even a taxi wasn't a good alternative as the traffic was chaotic. We decided to head to the train station but as luck would have it we encountered an almost empty double decker and managed to get a seat on that. Progress was slow for a couple of miles but at least we had seats!

We had a very pleasant pint in the Rutland with MaroonTam and his gang, then got a taxi back to the apartment before heading out for a lovely meal. Bruised, battered, but not broken, I'm not done with this marathon thing yet.

Thanks again for all the encouragement, and especially to Git for stoically tolerating the worst of the taper madness. RQ, if you're reading, spurning the offer of free accomodation doesn't relieve you of post-race massage obligations.:pac:

For the techies, here's the Garmin . HR at 172-173 was about right for the early miles - the drop over the last few miles reflects the drop in pace and points to legs that were unable to tax the aerobic system.

I'll do a bit of a post-mortem over the next few days to try to figure out what went wrong, and as always feedback is welcomed.

RacoonQueen

Sounds like it was a tough day out there. Would still love to do this marathon, though your description of the post-race fiasco puts me off some day.

If I wasn't momentarily finished with long distances I'd say I can only dream of running 3:03 for a marathon. Alas, I'd hate to be running a marathon at any point in the near future.

I did tell Git yesterday that he was meant to give you a post-race massage. Did he not oblige? :pac:

aero2k

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I did tell Git yesterday that he was meant to give you a post-race massage. Did he not oblige? :pac:

What happens in Edinburgh, stays in Edinburgh....

theboyblunder

Hi aero

hard luck - fair play for sticking it out. I had a marathon ruined by strong wind too - I feel your pain. 3:03 still a cracking time in tough conditions

TheRoadRunner

hard luck Sean. The wind is poxy. The one element that can really destroy your chances of running a good time. Easy to say things from a distance but if I were in your shoes I would definitely have run more conservatively even with the wind at my back, hoped to get to 17 miles and then dig in. I suppose you live and learn

Krusty_Clown

Hi aero, well done on hanging in there. At that HR, my race would have been over by mile 6 (you must have the heart of an ox) and it would have been a long walk to the finish. That scenario (with a 9 mile head-wind to the finish) is my absolute worst nightmare scenario. The weather seems to be a significant factor in Edinburgh every year for one reason or another. Well done to Git and yourself. The mental strength will set you up for many years to come.

Seres

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Hi aero, well done on hanging in there. At that HR, my race would have been over by mile 6 (you must have the heart of an ox) and it would have been a long walk to the finish. That scenario (with a 9 mile head-wind to the finish) is my absolute worst nightmare scenario. The weather seems to be a significant factor in Edinburgh every year for one reason or another. Well done to Git and yourself. The mental strength will set you up for many years to come.

x2 on the HR , animal , 220+ :eek: , youd be peelin a corpse off the course in my case !

opus

Great report, I almost felt the wind blowing in my face reading through it! Well done on your time in those conditions.

Brianderunner

Well done on getting though Sunday, sounds tough. Maybe the time has come for you to do a different one in the spring time? Hope you got out of Scotland ok.

Abhainn

aero2k wrote: »

Bruised, battered, but not broken, I'm not done with this marathon thing yet.

Sorry about your day Sean. Fair play for not stopping.De hydration may have been a factor even though you didn't think it

ecoli

aero2k wrote: »

I'm not done with this marathon thing yet.

The perfect attitude to have. Sometimes this can be a blessing in disguise. Its one thing to not hit a target for internal factors but when its something we cannot control like the weather the fitness is still there. You can push on from this and who knows fact that you are in close shape to hit your target right now as is, maybe you will smash the target next time with couple of months extra training by alot more than you expect.

Well done anyway still a cracking race

aero2k

Thanks to all for the pre and post race good wishes, they really were a big help. I should mention a text from my sister (she's a psychologist) saying "remember you're only responsible for the effort, not the outcome." I was kind of thinking along those lines anyway, and I think I did give it 100%. As a result I ended up being happy with the outcome, even if it wasn't the one I would have chosen.

Seres wrote: »

Total respect for the 100% effort and a great result , its a pity you didnt reap all the benefits you deserved from the effort , takes alot of mental strenght to keep goin when things arent goin to plan, most people would just give in , you prob learnt more from this marathon than all the previous ones ?! it'll stand to you well goin forward , well done

Thanks Seres, I think I still did get a fair bit of benefit, I'll post separately on that later. Strangely, It's probably the only race of any distance that I've run where the thought of giving up never occurred to me. I briefly considered a quick stop, walk, and stretch but thankfully I remembered DCM '08 and the trouble I had getting going after walk breaks. I had got myself into the frame of mind before the race that I'd just deal with whatever happened on the day, be it weather, pain or injury. I'm not totally mad, I'd have stopped if I though there was any danger of serious damage.

The other strange thing was how quick the time passed, I've done 10ks that felt longer.

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Sounds like it was a tough day out there. Would still love to do this marathon, though your description of the post-race fiasco puts me off some day.

If I wasn't momentarily finished with long distances I'd say I can only dream of running 3:03 for a marathon. Alas, I'd hate to be running a marathon at any point in the near future.

I've no doubt you'r capable of sub 3, if you want it enough. Don't be put off by my tale, I have to say the organisation was great right up until we crossed the finish line.

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I did tell Git yesterday that he was meant to give you a post-race massage. Did he not oblige? :pac:

aero2k wrote: »

.. both my inner thighs had got extremely tight ....

Have you spotted the problem yet, or maybe you were misled by this::pac:

aero2k wrote: »

..All I wanted then was for Git101 to come along, ... take me home and put me to bed.

theboyblunder wrote: »

Hi aero

hard luck - fair play for sticking it out. I had a marathon ruined by strong wind too - I feel your pain. 3:03 still a cracking time in tough conditions

Tbh, I can't blame it all on the wind - I figured I'd lose anything from 5-10 mins over the last 9 miles but the rest was down to the tight legs.

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

hard luck Sean. The wind is poxy. The one element that can really destroy your chances of running a good time. Easy to say things from a distance but if I were in your shoes I would definitely have run more conservatively even with the wind at my back, hoped to get to 17 miles and then dig in. I suppose you live and learn

It mightn't have sounded that way, but I actually was running conservatively in that aerobically I was very comfortable. While the legs didn't feel great that's not unusual for me early in a long run, and more often than not they feel better after 5-10 miles, even if the fatigue is slowly starting to build. I did let a lot of people slowly run away from me, including two guys who I reckoned were the ideal race companions. If I'd eased off any more I'd have been worried about mentally switching off - again on training runs I've noticed that it's possible to go 10-15 secs faster without much perception of increased effort, and by the same token it's very easy to slack off if you're not on the ball.

Of course the other problem was that I had never run 17 straight miles with the wind at my back almost all the way.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Hi aero, well done on hanging in there. At that HR, my race would have been over by mile 6 (you must have the heart of an ox) and it would have been a long walk to the finish. That scenario (with a 9 mile head-wind to the finish) is my absolute worst nightmare scenario. The weather seems to be a significant factor in Edinburgh every year for one reason or another. Well done to Git and yourself. The mental strength will set you up for many years to come.

Well, my legs were saying the race was over from early on, but the head managed to overrule them!:)

Seres wrote: »

x2 on the HR , animal , 220+ :eek: , youd be peelin a corpse off the course in my case !

I thing the max HR is a bit iffy with the Garmin. I expected to average around 172-174 and was close to that for long periods. My max is around 195 I think. My resting HR isn't particularly low, maybe 55 or 60, so it's not really that impressive.

opus wrote: »

Great report, I almost felt the wind blowing in my face reading through it! Well done on your time in those conditions.

Cheers.

Brianderunner wrote: »

Well done on getting though Sunday, sounds tough. Maybe the time has come for you to do a different one in the spring time? Hope you got out of Scotland ok.

Thanks Brian, I'm thinking Dublin 2012 will be the next one.

We finally got back in the early hours of this morning after getting a coach to Manchester and flying from there - all thanks to Git101 having his internet and credit card with him.

Abhainn wrote: »

Sorry about your day Sean. Fair play for not stopping.De hydration may have been a factor even though you didn't think it

Thanks Joe, no worries, I'm actually surprised at how pleased I was afterwards, I reckon it was my best marathon if not my quickest.

I did actually get a reasonable amount of water on board and judging by the relative lack of post race thirst coupled with a very scientific fluid colour analysis I wasn't too bad - I've felt thirstier after long runs. I was more concerned during the race about not using all my gels - I took one 30 min before the start and 2 during the race, leaving 2 unused - but again I felt relatively fresh afterwards and had no sensation of lacking energy or low blood sugar while I was out on the course. It's hard to describe, maybe like having the lower half of my body in a straightjacket.

ecoli wrote: »

The perfect attitude to have. Sometimes this can be a blessing in disguise. Its one thing to not hit a target for internal factors but when its something we cannot control like the weather the fitness is still there. You can push on from this and who knows fact that you are in close shape to hit your target right now as is, maybe you will smash the target next time with couple of months extra training by alot more than you expect.

Well done anyway still a cracking race

Thanks, ecoli. Yes, the good thing was that I did everything I could before and during the race to ensure a good performance, and so I've no regrets. I'll do a comparison on another post but I ran 2:54 in Edinburgh last year and I still feel I let 2-4 mins slip away. I wasn't as fit then as I am now - my recent race times don't confirm that view but subjectively I feel running is taking a bit less out of me. I think I was surprised last year to find myself running about 10 sec/mile faster than my PMP from training, and I subconsciously eased back. That's why I was conscious of not making the same mistake this year.

I need to do a bit more figuring out and then I'll post some more observations and questions.

aero2k

Ok, as threatened promised here's a first attempt at trying to learn some of the lessons from Edinburgh 2011. Here is a comparison of 2010 and 2011 - sorry no HR info for 2010.

I'll just jot down some notes under various headings, thinking out loud I suppose, and see what responses this elicits. It may even help me see something.

Training

Mileage was similar to last year, I reached the 1000 on 5th May having missed about 7 days running this year. I had planned to peak at about 80 mpw, in the event I got to 75 for one week and did a few weeks of 70+.

Program: For DCM '09 and Edinburgh '10 I made a program based on Tergat's posts = basically lots of easy running with two "big" sessions per week; one faster session including repeats at 10k, 10 mile or HMP and one long run or long run including PMP miles. The faster session moved from shorter, faster repeats to longer slower ones as the weeks passed.

For 2011 I used my version of JD's elite marathon program with the pace and duration adjusted for my abilities. I actually started this back in October with just easy running and I had intended to then have about 22 weeks to do the 18 weeks of quality stuff in the program. My intention was to slot in some easier weeks every 4 weeks or so to give the aul' legs a chance to recover. As it happened I ended up having some niggles and having to skip or juggle weeks to try to get everything done. The legs were a bit tired - the quads felt a bit tender - for the last few weeks but I hoped the taper would help with that.

I did more tempo, interval and PMP running than for previous races, though I did wimp out on a few sessions due to niggles or tiredness.

Taper - I cut back the mileage about the same as the last two marathons, but kept a bit more intensity this time. I'm not sure if this was a factor in the slowdown, but I would have expected a lot more general leg muscle fatigue if that was the case, rather than the (unique in my experience) tight inner thighs.

Nutrition / fueling

My diet is fairly similar to previous attempts, though I've had some success in reducing my intake of shop bought biscuits and snacks in favour of slightly more healthy home-made banana bread and muffins. I also did try to be a bit more scientific in terms of my carb intake over the 3 days prior to the race, but let me tell you that despite being a pasta, rice, honey and suger-loving fiend, 530-660g of carbs per day isn't easy to consume, even if taking sports drinks. I did think I might have overdone this due to the abdominal stiffness, but on reflection my digestive system was as good as ever during a long run, and a lot better than I'd hoped for or expected.

For the race itself, the last two tries involved a pre-race gel and a hydration belt with dissolved gels - I think I managed 4 in DCM '09 and 3 in Edinburgh 2010. These were supplemented with plenty of water from the stations.

This time out I had a gel belt and took one gel before the race and two during it. As mentioned above I had no sensation of running out of energy, so I'm calling this at best a minor factor.

Mental prep:

I was well keyed up for this, but I took it handy for the two preceding days and felt mentally fresh on race day. I think my decision making during the race was fine, and again there was no sensation of mental collapse.

Gear: Asics shoes again, DS Racer this time. My favourite shoes to date - no problems.

Injuries / niggles.

Now here's where it gets interesting. I've lived a charmed life up to now, and I've never had an illness or injury that prevented me running - in fact the worst that happened was delaying a session by a day or two and replacing it with an easy run if I was feeling delicate. Things started to go a bit funny late last summer with a beat-up-legs feeling that I posted about before. I thought the easy running over the winter had helped a lot, but then in the lead-up to the Dungarvan 10 mile I was hobbling, and that happened a few more times.

On the advice of my massage therapist I had a few sessions with an osteopath - I have a pelvic tilt which had finally started to cause other problems, and after 4 sessions with him I made a bit of progress. The last time I went to him I was having a problem with my right knee. He recommended single and double leg squats and they made an almost instant difference. (I stopped doing them about two weeks before the race as they're quite exhausting on the legs)

About a week before the race I experienced some lower back tightness. This is a regular occurrence and usually no cause for concern, but I also had a nasty tightness in my chest - most evident on breathing deeply - so I had a sports massage 4 days before the race to see if that would help.

Finally, I had some rough skin on the ball of my left foot and broken skin between the little and adjacent toe. I made sure to bathe it regularly and applied some Zum rub.

I didn't notice any feedback from any of the above niggles during the race, however the one thing that strikes me is that the place I experienced the tightness during the race is a place that also burns when doing the squats. I found the osteopath's manipulations and recommended exercises were helping me run a bit smoother and straighter in training, however I have a feeling that I might have needed another few weeks or months to adapt to the slight changes of form before going all-out over 26 miles. I'm still happy with the decision though as lack of treatment would probably have meant no race at all.

So, that's all I can think of for now, as always your thoughts are welcome.

Git101

Should this be on the main ART forum as Q&A with aero2k

A few things that interest me:

Do you think that you have benefited from the change to a JD based programme? Your short times are dropping but the marathon time could leave your decision open to debate.

Will you have more treatment on your hip and if so will you reduce your training volume or intensity to aid adjustment?

Will you keep the squats in your training programme?

Regarding nutrition, a dirty big burger the day before a marathon is always good :D

I shall now depart and leave the floor open for some intelligent questions and comments!

aero2k

OK, I'll play.

Git101 wrote: »

Do you think that you have benefited from the change to a JD based programme?

Subjectively, yes, but I can't point to a whole lot of data to support this statement.

Compared to last year and on a similar mileage, I feel much fitter. I mentioned a few times on this log being able to undertake some DIY tasks on post-race evenings, where previously I'd just have been fit for bed. The long runs in particular have felt easier, which I attribute to the amount of quality sessions I've done.

I like things to be well defined so I like the pace tables and VDOT tables in the book. On the other hand I like a flexible program and JD leaves it up to yourself how far you want to run, and what days you want to do the quality sessions

Git101 wrote: »

Your short times are dropping but the marathon time could leave your decision open to debate.

That's not the case. My 5k and 10k times are quite a bit slower than last year. The only one that has improved is the 10 mile time (ok, some would refer to that as a short distance - I don't) but I feel even that is a couple of minutes slower than I should be able to achieve based on how I feel. Again, it's all subjective, but last years 62:03 in the Frank Duffy on a bad day, over a tough course, would have led me to believe I should have done much better than 60:43 in March in Craughwell. The latter did feel really easy though and I was pretty fresh afterwards, unlike other attempts. Another thing to consider is that this year's races were treated as training sessions - I did 22-23 mile runs in the days leading up to both the GIR and the men's 10k, which I'm sure partly accounts for the times.

Regarding the marathon time even if I'd had no physical problems on the day I wouldn't be reading too much into the time. I think it might just have been possible to beat last year's time even with the wind, but I might have needed to run 6:10 all the way to the turn at 17 miles. The miles I ran faster than that pace felt fine aerobically, so I was well fit enough for it from that point of view. I was a little concerned at various stages during the last few months but particularly in the last few weeks due to tired legs, and I thought I might be over-cooking it, however that feeling always went away after a few days of easy running and I don't think it was a factor in the race. The leg muscle problem was a very particular one which I've never experienced before in a session or race.

Git101 wrote: »

Will you have more treatment on your hip and if so will you reduce your training volume or intensity to aid adjustment?

Will you keep the squats in your training programme?

I won't do anything until I'm back running again, and I won't go back running again until I can walk easily.:D

The training volume will stay low for a few weeks, but I'd like to add a little intensity in a couple of weeks as there's some evidence this can help maintain condition while keeping volume low.

I found the squats made a huge difference to the knee niggle in particular, but also to stride smoothness and evenness between left and right leg. I'd like to keep them up but I'll take advice next time I have a consultation with the osteopath, which will be when I'm back running.

aero2k

Git101's race report is here. I'd forgotten to mention our shouts and my gesture as we passed.

Race pics and video here. Please try not to laugh too much! The two lads I was with at 10k seemed to be running strongly and I wanted to stay with them but I let them go a while later. One did 2:49, the other 3:05 (he's M50) which means I passed him later without noticing.

Krusty_Clown

You can really hear that wind on the last two videos. Looking fit Sean. Some PBs due a crack during the summer, I reckon.

aero2k

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You can really hear that wind on the last two videos. Looking fit Sean. Some PBs due a crack during the summer, I reckon.

Not so sure about the bit in bold - maybe you really are going soft!

I was a bit shocked to see how choppy the stride was at 10k - looking at that I'm amazed I made it another 20 miles.

Yeah, I'll have a go at some PBs all right, once I get all the niggles sorted out. I had my first post marathon little run this morning, just an easy jog over to the Donore 5K and back. My lower back was a bit tight, but otherwise all was well. Part of me wished I was in the race, so that's a good sign. Also, my new Adizero Adios (courtesy of a £10 voucher in the Edinburgh goody bag) feel nice and comfy, maybe I'll be inspired by running in Haile's shoes.

What's up next for you?

aero2k

Ok, it's been a while, nearly 5 weeks.

I haven't been posting as I've been trying to adjust to a major life change, having recently re-entered the world of paid employment. I've managed not to miss any running, but it'll take me a few more weeks to fit in everything I want to do. The work is challenging but fun, and it's getting priority.

To make sure I stay interested over the summer, I signed up for the race series. I'll do the Liberties race too - that was my best race of last year.

I'm going to follow a version of a P&D program from "Roadracing for Serious Runners" aimed at 15k to half marathon. I'm planning to cycle to work 2 days per week, 12 miles each way, so that'll replace two easy/recovery runs. I probably won't be doing enough VO2 max work to do a really good 5-mile time, but it will make an interesting comparison with last year's race, even though I feel this year's course is a bit faster.

I'm also going to start doing the squats again - I stopped a couple of weeks before Edinburgh due to the muscle fatigue they induce, and didn't bother during my post-race recovery phase. I think they're worth the trouble, especially for preventing knee injuries.

As before, I'll post race reports and random thoughts here.

Some more shoe weights:
Adidas Adizero Adios: 227g
Brooks ST4: 257g

aero2k

A week of two halves....

OK, after much cajoling from Git101, a couple of reports.

Irish Runner 5 mile

I was optimistic about this one. I've been finding the long runs easier of late, I'm feeling as fit as ever, and with the new course I thought I had a good chance of beating last year's calculated time of 29:22 (adjusted for the short course) - in fact I thought I was in with a shout of breaking 29.

Git101 and his mate arrived around 9am, and as we headed out to warm up there was a sudden shower which delayed us for a few minutes. When we finally did get out I had to head back to the house for a last minute pitstop - that was fortuitous as I bumped into a friend I haven't seen for ages. Back out for some strides and then into the crowd at the start. I couldn't get as near the front as I would have liked, but I decided to just accept it. It was going to be a bit tight on that narrow road anyway.

The race itself was uneventful enough. I focused on not falling for the first half mile - probably a bit too much as I was outside 6 min/mile pace. I managed to speed up a bit and hit the 1 mile mark just under 6, but we were heading into a fairly strong breeze on an exposed part of the course, and I was working harder than I would have liked. Still, a 2nd mile of 5:47 (Garmin time) wasn't too bad, and I knew the downhill to come would help.

The downhill didn't help as much as I'd hoped and mile 3 at 5:44 wasn't what I wanted. I must have let my mind drift a bit for mile 4 - 6:07 - but I didn't realise I had slowed so much at the time. I had been passed by at least 10 people who took to the paths on the s-bends, so heading down Military road I decided to get as many of them as I could. I got into a nice rhythm and although the Khyber was tough it wasn't too bad. 6:15 for mile 5 but I managed 5:39 pace for the last 100 yards where I picked off 3 of the "cheats". 30:10 chip time - not bad, but in retrospect every mile was about 10 sec too slow. At least I felt relatively fresh after the race and had no niggles in the following days.

Two memories of the race: 1. the girl who cut straight across in front of me during mile 3 on the twisty part of Upper Glen road - she had to go out of her way to do so and seemed to be in a world of her own when I said "young lady, please exercise due care" although they might not have been my exact words. and

2. on the lower part of the Kyber a little girl was reaching out her hand to "high 5" the runners. I was too knackered to veer off my line, but the runner in front went right over to her and stooped down to touch hands. Made her day I'd say, and mine too.

Liberties 6.5k

Last year I had followed the leading ladies and somehow averaged 5:36 per mile. I was a bit apprehensive after Saturday's exertions, thinking my days of fast running might be over. As race time approached I was feeling less and less like racing, hawever a surprise text from Git101 telling me he was going to run after all lifted the mood a bit, and by the time I'd encountered RQ at registration, and chatted to Kate O'Neill and Martin Kelly during my warm-up, I was feeling really relaxed and in a "a sure what the hell" mood.

The gun went off (in keeping with tradition at 19:45:10 on my Garmin, exactly the same as last year) and after a mad scramble - someone tried to pull me back but that wasn't going to happen - we were off round the grounds of the RHK, and out the back gate. I almost hesitated when I saw the shiny wet cobbles on the steep downhill with a sharp right just as we exited, but I was still a few metres behind Kate O'Neill and as I was trying to replicate last year's strategy I just went for it. A sharp dip followed by a short sharp uphill and we were heading for the right turn that would take us round by the Guinness storehouse.

This was where I made what might have been a major mistake. Last year I hadn't looked at the Garmin, not even a slight glance, but looking ahead at Kate, who seemed to have slowed a little, I decided to check the pace. I nearly fell over when I saw 5:15 for approximately the first half mile! I might have survived that pace had I not known about it, but I could feel my legs buckling almost immediately. However I dug in again, and we passed the first mile in 5:26, 2 sec faster than last year.

I mentioned cheats above in the context of running on footpaths, however in this race it seems to be the custom. As it's not an officially measured course, and my objective was to run like hell for as long as I could, I decided to stay with the group I was with for as long as I could, and that meant running on the path at times. It also meant mixing it with the local kids on roller blades, but thankfully there was no obstruction.

Somewhere around the sharp left turn onto the Coombe I lost contact with the group. Try as i might I couldn't accelerate to close the gap, however I managed not to let it open too much. A second mile of 5:40 wasn't too bad considering the reckless start, and when Annette Kealy came alongside on Thomas St I had high hopes of staying with her. She was too quick though, and my third mile time of 5:59 made me briefly think I was finished. However just then Patrycja Wlodarczyk came alongside, and I was able to accelerate a bit to keep up. She surged ahead a few times, but slowly enough that I was able to react. Again, a brief loss of concentration as we crossed the SCRd, and there was a gap of 5 or 10 metres, but a last effort from me managed to close it a little, and my Garmin recorded the 4th mile, exactly on the finish line, of 5:47.
So, 22:53, 27 sec slower than last year but not a bad effort. Average/max HR of 182 and 195 indicate that at least I was trying!

Great performances from Git101, RQ and of course the aforementioned Kate O'Neill who won for the second time in 3 years.

So now it's off to prepare for the 10 and the half. I have a bit more work to do than I'd like, and in less time than is ideal, but those two races have taught me a fair bit about the importance of maintaining the effort for the whole race. I'm not in bad shape, so it's all to play for.

Seres

glad to see you are still hammering at it , two solid performances , well done

ronnie085

oooops think I might have being one of them "cheats" you picked off at the end , finished 2 sec behind you on the chip, died a bit on the Khyber.

aero2k

ronnie085 wrote: »

oooops think I might have being one of them "cheats" you picked off at the end , finished 2 sec behind you on the chip, died a bit on the Khyber.

Maybe, maybe not, I took 11 sec to cross the start line so you'd have to factor that in.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, why cut the corners? If you wanted to shorten the route, you could have turned left onto Chesterfield Ave just after the start.:pac:

TBH, by the time I get to the s bends in on of those races I wouldn't trust myself to get up onto or down off a kerb without breaking something.