Berlin 2016: Back to Basics

TheRoadRunner

Wednseday 8.5 miles @ 6.51 pace run along canal and trails

Thursday 9.6 miles @ 7.40 pace handy run with friends in Corkagh park. Had a wedding in the afternoon so was delighted to log a few miles

Friday 7.6 miles @ 6.41 pace. Drank like a demon on Thursday. Worringly I had no major hangover which implies my tolerance for alochol is high, which in turn means I'm drinking too much lately. Must and will do better.

Saturday 4 miles easy. Was heading to the races on another session. So wanted to do a few miles in the morning

Sunday am 6 miles @ 6.35 pm 6 miles @ 7 pace. Had planned on doing 90 minutes in the morning but after a couple of miles I knew there was slight dehdration in my legs. By mile 4 I could feel it in the calf and along tendon which has previously caused shin splints decided to cut run short, avoid injury and get out in the evening. During the course of the afternoon I did manage to injure my back messing around with jnr however. I'm convinced this back twinge is related to drinking last 2-3 days. Im in bits, can't stand still, sit still, lie down or bend down to pick things up. I can run though:D In fact running seems to release the pain. Now that's my kind of injury.

Lately I've come to realise that you're pissing into the wind if you want to run seriously and drink to excess, no **** Sherlock I hear you say but there is no use running daily if you are increasing the risk on injury by drinking like a rock star. Heading away foreign for another wedding next week and there will be alot of beer consumed again. After that I'm going to cut it out totally for a while and then drink very very moderately until the 25th of September when I plan on drinking Berlin dry in celebration

shels4ever

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

After that I'm going to cut it out totally for a while and then drink very very moderately until the 25th of September when I plan on drinking Berlin dry in celebration

So how many beers will you get through before I get to the finish line

TheRoadRunner

shels4ever wrote: »

So how many beers will you get through before I get to the finish line

Depends on how well you stick to your training plan

Monday: 12 miles @ 6.55 pace. Got absolutely lashed on today. Head was wrecked initially (as hail stones pelted my bare legs out of it) but found it slightly amusing after a while. Must have looked like a happy camper running along breaking my $hit laughing at the crappy conditions.

TheRoadRunner

Tuesday: 10 miles @ 6.44 pace. Was supposed to run the 14 miles home but got my hydration all wrong today. Didn't eat well this morning either and by mile 3 I knew I was in a little trouble. No water dropped off on route either and itwas quite warm and humid. Quickly devised a new route that left me at my parents and got a lift home. Crazy feeling, couldn't run slower as felt incredibly uncomfortable but I was dead on my feet. Feeling grand now since I ate and got some fluids into me.

thirstywork2

Just reading your log there,well done on the pb over 10k.What have you planned next,seems like you are finding it tough the week after running a couple pb's to get going again.
Wanted to run kildare 10k Sunday but my coach said to stick to the plan with the Donore 5k the 28th.
Give me a shout if you are around for any runs int he phoenix park.;)

TheRoadRunner

thirstywork2 wrote: »

Just reading your log there,well done on the pb over 10k.What have you planned next,seems like you are finding it tough the week after running a couple pb's to get going again.

Thanks. To be honest I kind of planned a couple of weeks with no serious training just want to keep legs ticking over. 10ks were a big goal at start of year and like to switch off between my main training blocks. I usually go totally bananas and loose a lot of fitness and put drink related weight on. I haven't been too bad this time out and still managed to hit 64 miles last week which is great going for me. Have a few days holidays this weekend so there may be no running. May miss 7-10 days in June as well but I have tried to work these into my plan for the rest of the summer.

I'm running Berlin in September so that is the main goal from herein. May run a 5k and 5 milers in May for Fun. Head down then running adidas 5 miler, Frank Duffy 10, BHAA 10k in September then Berlin. Fingers crossed of course.

thirstywork2 wrote: »

Give me a shout if you are around for any runs int he phoenix park.;)

Will do. Hope to make it in a bit more frequently in the coming weeks. The terrain in the park is great for building strength and I love the trails.

thirstywork2

Sounds like a good plan,you cant run well and train hard all year round.
Im usually of work mon and wed so anytime u wanna go for a run give me a shout and also the long run Sunday.

TheRoadRunner

11 miles at average 8 minute pace. Rain has softened up my local park a bit thankfully. Was getting a bit tough on the feet and joints recently!

Off to Italy for a wedding tomorrow so expect limited/no running for 4 days. Inconsiderate gits could have moved their wedding to next weekend as I could have taken in a 5km race in Rome.

Ciao

Krusty_Clown

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

11 miles at average 8 minute pace.

Sounds like an odd run for you. Too long to be a recovery run, too slow to be of any real benefit. Trying to keep up your weekly mileage numbers?!
Have a great one!

TheRoadRunner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Sounds like an odd run for you. Too long to be a recovery run, too slow to be of any real benefit. Trying to keep up your weekly mileage numbers?!

No couldn't be arsed with weekly mileage at this moment in time. Had planned 6-8 miles but was enjoying my day off and running easy so just kept going for the pure enjoyment

TheRoadRunner

Friday: 45 minute run in Rome

Saturday: 60 minute run in Rome

Monday: 8.5 miles along trails and canal

Managed to get a couple of runs in while away. Hotel had a treadmill but thankfully I didn't have to use it. No distances in Rome as Garmin is dead again. I fixed it last September but I reckon it's gone for good this time. I'm going to get out my MacGyver tool kit though and try and get it going again. Put on a few pounds while away:rolleyes:

TheRoadRunner

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

No distances in Rome as Garmin is dead again. I fixed it last September but I reckon it's gone for good this time. I'm going to get out my MacGyver tool kit though and try and get it going again.

Yes MacRoadRunner does it again. Just as well, haven't the spare spons for a new Garmin at the moment

village runner

Whats your pb for the marathon and what do you hope to run in berlin ???

TheRoadRunner

10 miles in 69 minutes. Run included 6, 4 minute intervals with 3 minute jog recovery. Got sick on the 5th and thought I was going to pass out on the sixth (wind really picked up). Stepped on the scales this morning and I was disgusted with myself. Caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror last night and could see extra weight on my torso. Planning to run a 5k next Tuesday for my sins and then a 5 miler the following week. Will help me keep motivated diet wise.

village runner wrote: »

Whats your pb for the marathon and what do you hope to run in berlin ???

It's soft relative to some of my other times, it's 2.47. Plan at the moment is to run between 2.30-2.39. Will have a better indication in a couple of months. May even have to lower my expectations. 19 weeks to go

ecoli

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Stepped on the scales this morning and I was disgusted with myself. Caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror last night and could see extra weight on my torso. Planning to run a 5k next Tuesday for my sins and then a 5 miler the following week. Will help me keep motivated diet wise.

Wouldnt worry too much this will fall off you once you get the miles up during the marathon training. Whats the 5k you have lined up?

TheRoadRunner

ecoli wrote: »

Wouldnt worry too much this will fall off you once you get the miles up during the marathon training. Whats the 5k you have lined up?

will fall off all right. I have a greedy appetite though and probably eat too much even when it's the "good" stuff.

5k is next Tuesday in Johnstownbridge (Enfield). Organised by Na Fianna. It's very fast. Set my 2 fastest times there. Won't go close next Tuesday but still worth the trip.

ecoli

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

will fall off all right. I have a greedy appetite though and probably eat too much even when it's the "good" stuff.

5k is next Tuesday in Johnstownbridge (Enfield). Organised by Na Fianna. It's very fast. Set my 2 fastest times there. Won't go close next Tuesday but still worth the trip.

Sounds like a good race would love to get out and try bang out a nice fast 5k but coach has me trying to get a few week uninterrupted (never thought i would be in fear of over racing in a season:D). You gonna hit any of the Gradeds over the summer or are you giving them a miss?

TheRoadRunner

ecoli wrote: »

Sounds like a good race would love to get out and try bang out a nice fast 5k but coach has me trying to get a few week uninterrupted (never thought i would be in fear of over racing in a season:D). You gonna hit any of the Gradeds over the summer or are you giving them a miss?

Not doing any graded races. If I were running on the track my training would be way different to what I'm currently/going to do.

I might run a couple of the BHAA track races for a bit of craic but I'm not in the mood of getting blown away by young bucks like yourself in the graded races.

ecoli

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Not doing any graded races. If I were running on the track my training would be way different to what I'm currently/going to do.

I might run a couple of the BHAA track races for a bit of craic but I'm not in the mood of getting blown away by young bucks like yourself in the graded races.

Haha says the man who anytime I get near his times he goes and smashes his PBs by a min or two:p

TheRoadRunner

Thursday: 8 miles @ 7.11 pace. Not feeling great today as have a bit of a sinus infection coming on. Was going to skip run but chanced it and don't feel any worse. Was hoping to go further but decided not too push my luck. Will get to bed early this evening and hopefully avoid getting sick.

TheRoadRunner

Friday: 13 miles @ 7 min/mile pace. Lovely run could have gone all day except I had to make it to a meeting. Also have to do a threshold run tomorrow or Sunday so best to keep today shorter. Sinus still not feeling great but not any worse and maybe even slightly better

TheRoadRunner

Saturday: 12.6 @ 6.32 pace :rolleyes: Too long and too fast.

Original plan was for 9 miles with 5 at threshold. Still not feeling great today although the soreness in the back of throat is gone (gargling with TCP seemed to help, any microbe that survived that deserved to set up camp in my gob). Sinus is still dodgy. On top of this TRR jnr didn't sleep too well last night and either did snr as a result. Felt $hite but managed to get out the door. Did warm up and started threshold run but was light headed after a minute so decided against doing it. I know this was the wise thing to do although at the time I was calling myself a wimp.

Decided just to run and see how I felt, didn't pay any attention to watch until 8 miles when I realised I was traveling way too fast and also switched off and taken a longer route then I should have. Slowed down slightly over the final 4 odd miles but the damage was already done.

5k on Tuesday is in real jeopardy now. I will only run it if I'm 100% healthy.

TheRoadRunner

Sunday: 9 miles @ 6.45. Headed out solo this morning. Still not 100% but improving by the day. Went and watched Leinster match last night with the lads. Stayed off the beer, hope to do so for the next few weeks. Disappointed not to get threshold run in this week but wasn't an option really.

TheRoadRunner

Monday: 6 miles @ 7.30 pace, nice recovery run.

By Monday evening I still hadn't shifted my sickness and it had developed into a chest infection and I could feel it heading south. I have had pneumonia twice before because I insisted on running while ill. Sickness wasn't effecting my running in any great way as have not done any session worth talking about in the last 10 days. Usually I get over a chest infection in a couple of days and I find running easy can help, as it clears the gunk from my lungs, however in this case I think while clearing the gunk I was running myself into the ground.

I had big plans mileage wise for this and next week but kopped on and realised a couple of down days were required to get rid of sickness. I also went to my GP and have been prescribed some industrial strength antibiotics. Spent yesterday in bed and am feeling much better today. Chest is definitely clearing up. Should be ok to run again tomorrow but if not I have no problem talking a few more days off. My main goals for the year are in August and September so I need to get myself right and not worry about short term fitness loss which should be negligible anyway. Coincidentally I have some pain in my lower right shin so a couple of rest days will do that no harm. I think it is time I break out my new runners. My old Kayanos have 600+ miles on them now and this may be a factor.

TheRoadRunner

Thursday: 10.5 miles along canal and trails. No watch. Feeling good. Chest much better and run helped shift remaining crap on my lungs.

Friday: 10.5 miles @ 7.20, same run as Thursday. Felt so easy, realised it was because the wind had died down for the first time in ages. Jesus I hate the wind. It starting to make going for a run a bit of a chore!

Saturday: 14 miles @ 6.28. This run included 5 * 5 minutes at threshold with 1 minute jog recoveries. Was supposed to do 15 but got caught out as I ended up going out later than planned and was a little hungry. Also had to change my route and had no water bottle on new route. By mile 12 I was hanging and started to get cramp in calf and hammer so took a short cut home. The poxy wind really messed up this session, made it alot harder than it should have been.

Sunday: 8.5 miles @ 6.37. Nice run took in a monster hill as well. was late getting out after 9pm.

TheRoadRunner

Monday: 7 miles @ 7.15 pace. Run along canal. Legs felt a little tired today. Yesterdays run was too fast. I did try to run slower but it was just one of those days were the breaks don't work!

5 mile race tomorrow. Would rather not do it but we have a team from work so will give it a lash. Not expecting too much just hope it's not an absolute disaster time wise. Still have some pains on lower right leg. Have done my usual stretching but it's not working may just run in training shoes instead of racing flats tomorrow to minimise injury chances and recovery time

TheRoadRunner

Tuesday: BHAA 5 miler 26.39 (results have me down for sub 26.30 but these are incorrect).

New PB, wasn't expecting that. Old PB was 26.50. Training for the last 5 weeks hasn't been great if I'm honest. Looking back at my diary at home it reads like a list of excuses while I didn't do X,Y or Z.

In the run up to my last 10k last month I had consistent 60 mile weeks, a few decent sessions and decent prep races. The last month I had been coasting, I knew this was going to be the case as it was a bridge between 10k training and marathon training. To be honest I'm relatively content that I was still getting 50 mile weeks in. During this period I had a massive weekend on the beer while at a wedding and also picked up a dodgy chest infection (finished Abs yesterday) so goal was to get as close to 27 minutes as I could. Cue another list of excuses My chest is still a little congested but is a lot better, I didn't sleep well Monday night and was actually thinking of not running but decided to go ahead as we had a few from work out.

Race start was a potential disaster, narrow road in a housing estate and there were cars parked on the road, was lucky to get out relatively hassle free. Recognised a few heads that I should be able to hang onto so went with them and after a mile we had a nice group of 7 with leading 4 moving away from us. Was running well but wasn't feeling great. I could tell some serious pain was coming so I sat in behind the group and let them do the work. I generally like to run at the front of a group but that would have finished me last night. Just before mile 3 things went pear shaped, I wasn't just swimming in lactic I was drowning in it. I still have a decent base level of fitness but lactate threshold has obviously decreased in recent weeks. I really really felt like dropping out but checked the watch and knew if I could hang in I would still run a decent time. I had to let the group go and was stuck in no mans land but for the next .5 of a mile I regrouped and got going again. Hit mile 4 and felt like stopping again, thankfully the course was super fast so was able to shut the nagging voices up. Inner monolue last night was very funny, I sometimes think I'm schizophrenic when running.

The group I had been with really started to move in the last mile. I generally finish well but for this race it was a case of just trying to hold on. Didn't catch anybody but wasn't caught either so was happy enough. Don't think there was much left in the tank couldn't sleep again last night due to a massive headache and a dodgy stomach. My training of late didn't deserve a PB but the effort on the night did. This race and K club 10k and two very fast races and will be fixtures in my calendar in future.

Brilliant race organisation by the way and huge numbers for a BHAA race. Only gripe was the start but it really was a fast course, roads were very gently undulating but it seemed you were always running slightly downhill. Really helped keep the legs moving.

Next main goal is Irish runner 5 miler. Realistically 26.15 will be my target. May sound a bit lofty as course will be tougher than last nights but need to aim high. Have a weeks holiday with family coming up so hope to "tick" over that week as well and then ramp up training big time. I seem to be saying that for a while now but I really need to get a routine and a bit of luck going.

Viva La RoadRunner

Mile splits:
Mile 1: 5.14 Feeling OK but not great
Mile 2: 5.20 Felling slightly less ok.
Mile 3: 5.19 oh crap somebody kill me
Mile 4: 5.35 felt like a 10 minute mile but fact I didn't loose too much helped keep me motivated for mile 5
Mile 5: 5.15 Head down and coming onto track knew A PB was possible if I gave it everything

TheRoadRunner

Wednesday: AM 5 miles recovery @ 7.30 pace, PM 5 miles recovery @ 7.30 pace. 10 for the day.

Legs feeling grand. Obviously a little tired but not as bad I thought they would be. I didn't wear my racing flats last night as my shin was a little tender. I actually had them on and was jogging to the start but asked myself what the hell was I doing? The flats could have led to a nasty shin injury. I wonder how many seconds per mile the flats give you in a race. One thing is for sure the recovery time after wearing them is greater than my normal training shoes so good decision me thinks.

smmoore79

Great pb there. Sometimes great runs happen when ya least expect them! I did that course last year and got 28 and a half mins pb. Couldnt do it this year and was gutted coz i reckon another pb could have been on, maybe sub 28 if i was lucky. Nowhere near 26 30's though! congrats

TheRoadRunner

Thursday: 8 miles @ 6.45. Didn't get out until late in the evening and was very tired and not in the mood initially if I'm honest. It was a beautiful evening though and after a mile I was really enjoying the run. Was traveling too fast, this has being occurring frequently lately just can't get pace right on recovery/easy runs. I guess with increased mileage and intensity this will happen naturally over the coming months.

Friday: 14 miles @ 7.05 pace. First 6 miles were way too fast I was well under 6.30 pace. Bumped into a girl I work with and ran three 9 minute miles with her. I reckon I would have died if I had kept the initial pace up.

Man it is hot out there, they are saying 21 degrees. 21 degrees my hole I reckon it's 25 around where I am. I had to whip off my top at 4 miles and put on a bit of a gun show for the public. I must have looked like a tit but t-shirt was going to rub my nipples out! And before krusty asks, yes I did have the y-fronts on