2012 4 Races for 4 PBs

menoscemo

belcarra wrote: »

I think we need to give Outforarun back his training log and take this matter of pints to the masses! For the record I'm hoping to do a few miles before and after the race and then I'll be on for a few pints for sure. Throw something up on the main page Meno.

I already did but I got no response
yeah I'll do 4 or 5 miles after ending at Ryans, blocky doing the same.

outforarun

Wow.

Been out of my usual routine this week, commuting to and from Stillorgan and haven't been logging on. I had to double-check that I'd clicked on the right log when I read all the discussion above. statss, meno, belcarra thanks for your thoughts as to my best starting strategy. i can see the logic behind all comments. I'll probably go out with the 1:30s and hope that I negotiate the Khyber without incident. One reason for doing so is because I'd like to post as good a guntime as possible as I always like to chart my percentile finish across the field of finishers.

As planned I took it easy this week.

Thursday evening I managed to get over to the Park for 5 general aerobic paced miles. Felt very heavy and creaky on this one. Made me worry a little ahead of Saturday. This may have been my final evening run in the Park this year, so it was nice to run this in dry and sunny conditions. Achilles pinging a little. Paced this one fairly well unlike last week's efforts.

M01 9:07
M02 9:10
M03 8:30
M04 9:19
M05 9:22

Total 5.00 @ 9:06

Friday morning I headed out at around 6:15 for an easy 4 miles at recovery pace. Some mornings it takes a while to get any sort of speed going, this morning was one of those. Legs felt better than yesterday so I feel a bit nore confident about tomorrow.

M01 10:03
M02 09:08
M03 08:54
M04 09:06

Total 4.03 @ 9:19

Thoughts ahead of tomorrow's race. While I felt pretty confident about hitting my goals for the 10 miler and the 10K two weeks ago, I don't feel so confident about tomorrow's race. I'll try focus on the fact that I should reach 10 miles on target and then dig in for the last hilly stretch. I just hope that the pace still feels manageable after 5 or 6 miles. If I'm feeling it's difficult after just 5 or 6 miles I don't trust myself to be able to stay positive.

Gold = sub 90
Silver = 1:31:29 (i.e. sub 7 minute miling: 6:59 pace)
Bronze = sub 95
Consolation = PB

Week Beginning 16 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.00 | 9.18
General Aerobic 5M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 5.00 | 9:06
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.03 | 9:19
Dublin Half Marathon sub 90 attempt | |
LSR 10M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
13.04 | 91.56 | 1270.27|

slowsteady

outforarun wrote: »

Gold = sub 90
Silver = 1:31:29 (i.e. sub 7 minute miling: 6:59 pace)
Bronze = sub 95
Consolation = PB

Good luck with this today, the weather looks like it is co-operating so that is a good start.

Any of the above is a worthwhile prize but go with the pacers and hang on for the hills. You can run your own race in Waterford in a couple of months but the pacers will help get the time on this occasion.

outforarun

Saturday was the worst day of my short running history.

Things didn’t go well on two counts: physically the legs and the body had an off day, but more disappointingly mentally I wasn’t prepared to see things through and for the first time ever I recorded a DNF.

The only consolation I take from Saturday is that now I have experienced a DNF I know I never ever want to experience one again. I’ve felt really rotton about it ever since. If you’re a runner you run. And you don’t stop running until you get to the finishing line, fine if that run drops to a walk so be it, if the walk becomes a crawl so be it, but you keep moving forward until you get to the finish line. After 8 miles on Saturday I’d convinced myself that it was pointless to persevere, that I didn’t want to find out how poor my finish time would be, and that a DNF was the way to go. Wrong decision, I’ve learned the hard way.

I arrived later than normal for this one and went straight into the already busy first pen and worked my way up near the 1:30s. I wasn’t feeling any pre-race nerves or excitement. I felt heavy but hoped that once I started running that would pass. I reminded myself that often I feel heavy and sluggish before putting in good performances. After a few minutes we’re underway.

I run just behind the 1:30 pacers down Chesterfield and onto the Khyber. Chesterfield was fine but as predicted the Khyber was very congested. I wasn’t looking at my watch at all and I was just sitting in behind one of the back pacers. I heard somebody call 6:35 for the first mile. On the second mile I was already having some worries. The climb up to the Wellington Monument demanded more effort that it should have. As we go back up Chesterfield I move to overtake a slower runner and someone in turn clips me from behind, I nearly topple but manage to keep my balance. We head behind the zoo passing the 2 mile marker. Either it’s taking me forever to warm-up or I’m struggling way ahead of schedule. My foot-fall feels flat, there’s no bounce in my step (I checked and I’ve around 450 miles on these Nimbus, time for some new ones). I’m not enjoying this. The 1:30s are about 50 metres up the road ahead of me. I tell myself to keep them there or thereabouts until we get to the Castleknock Gate and hopefully I’ll recover after that. I check the Garmin for the first time and it’s showing 4:14 min/km [6:49 min/mile]. I was clipping along nearly 15 seconds a kilometer faster than this 2 weeks ago feeling fairly fresh and loving it. Each change of direction as we go through that triangle seems to put me of my stride. I keep telling myself to stick with it until the Castleknock Gate, it’s so so early to have to try motivate myself like this.

The 1:30s are about 80 metres ahead as we turn onto Chesterfield. Then my lack of preparation for this race comes back to bite me (just all around disaster). I’d forgotten that we were running through Farmleigh! I had been looking forward to a long descent down Chesterfield. This deflated me further.

Things unraveled pretty quickly from here. I resigned myself to not getting the sub 1:30, the pacers moving further and further away. Ok let’s just try hold 4:2X km/pace. Surely I can manage that? I’m watching the watch now: average pace 4:20 falls to 4:23, falls to 4:25. There are no signs of the pace steadying off. I want to stop. I tell myself keep at it until we get back to Chesterfield. It’s a joyless slog up Ordnance road. I’ve lost interest. I’m being overtaken by runners left and right. Despite the downhill my last two full kilometer splits were 4:55 min/km [7:54 min/mile] and 5:02 [8:06 min/mile]. I left the road at the American Ambassador’s Residence.

I walked down to where the course passes below the hospital. I waited for the 1:30 pacers to come through. Then felt so disappointed with myself (for DNFing) I couldn’t watch anymore and I trotted home (even the trot was hard work).

As stated above, I’ve felt rotten since. I had a bad day, not sure why, but I’m so much more disappointed in my reaction to that bad day. Another piece of poor preparation for this race lies in the fact that I didn’t know my metric pace for a PB, approx 4:39 min/km [7:29 min/mile]. If I had known this then surely I would have tried at least to hold it to the end?

I learned a lot about what to do in race in the 10 miler and the Blessington 10K. I learned a lot about what not to do from Saturday’s race.

Apologies to those who took the time to post advice and support ahead of this one.

Warm-up 1.75M @ 9:21

KM01 4:08 [6:40 min/mile]
KM02 4:09 [6:42 min/mile]
KM03 4:20 [7:00 min/mile]
KM04 4:14 [6:50 min/mile]
KM05 4:09 [6:42 min/mile]
KM06 4:16 [6:54 min/mile]
KM07 4:20 [6:59 min/mile]
KM08 4:29 [7:13 min/mile]
KM09 4:36 [7:25 min/mile]
KM10 4:44 [7:38 min/mile]
KM11 4:33 [7:20 min/mile]
KM12 4:55 [7:55 min/mile]
KM13 5:02 [8:06 min/mile]

Total 13.46KM @ 4:29 [8.37M @ 7:13 min/mile]

Trot-home 2.09M @ 9:58

RunningKing

Well done on the honest report - no excuses in there - just one of those days.
You weren't the only one to DNF and given other events on the day, a DNF was probably a wise choice.

Don't beat yourself up about it, chalk it down to experience and look at it as a "13.46km run to remember" - that'll be the best motivator for you when things turn difficult again.

Now get back out there and run!

statss

Have a quick scan of other people's logs and you will see a lot us had a bad day, so try not to be too down, as you say when the dust settles on this you'll be able to look back and take a few pointers from the experience. I think the humidity caught a lot people by surprise. It sounds to me like you made the sensible decision.

outforarun

after reading Running King's comments I went to check the Half marathon thread (I couldn't bring myself to read anything about the race over the weekend).
My DNF has quickly been put in perspective. Shocking news. RIP to that runner.

outforarun

slowsteady wrote: »

. . . You can run your own race in Waterford in a couple of months.

Waterford? Nobody said anything about Waterford!

outforarun

Back on the horse Sunday morning. Out early-ish for 10 miles, incorporating a lap of the Park and a run through St.Jame's Hospital grounds. Ran most of this with a mate from work. Effort levels felt a little higher than usual, although that said, if it wasn't for yesterday's race I probably wouldn't have even noticed. Happy to have hit 35 miles for the week, some consolation from a disappointing week's running.

Clean slate now for the next 4 weeks as I focus on a sub 40 shot for the Cork Rebel Run 10K.

M01 9:17
M02 8:40
M03 8:48
M04 8:49
M05 8:42
M06 8:24
M07 8:42
M08 8:45
M09 9:01
M10 8:58

Total 10.01M @ 8:49

Week Beginning 16 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.00 | 9.18
General Aerobic 5M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 5.00 | 9:06
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.03 | 9:19
Dublin Half Marathon sub 90 attempt | DNF 8.37M | 7:13
LSR 10M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 10.01 | 8:49


WTD| MTD | YTD
35.25 | 113.77 | 1292.48|

outforarun

Yesterday

Four weeks of training aimed at a sub 40 attempt in Cork began yesterday morning with a struggle to get up. Decided to switch my usual 5 mile morning run , with Thursday’s 4 miler, just to postpone getting up for extra 8 or 9 minutes.

Very very close now to the point where my early runs begin and end in the dark. Still warm out though. Usual short run pacing, i.e. very slow wake-up mile followed by miles posted just a little too fast.

M01 9:59
M02 9:09
M03 8:47
M04 8:58

Total 4.01M @ 9:14

Today

Got a bit more sleep last night (fell asleep after about 70 minutes of Udinese v Genoa) and so it wasn’t too difficult to get out this morning. Two Inchicore-SCR loops plus one HSQ loop to bring me over 8 miles. I tried to pace this without constantly checking the Garmin. General Aerobic pace is 9:00 to 9:15, I felt I was travelling maybe a little too slow, I checked the Garmin at the end of lap 1, 9:18 pace. Pick it up a little, check the Garmin again at the end of lap 2, 8:59 pace. Slow it down for the final smaller lap and come home on target with a 9:01 average pace.

In other news: today's run was significant as it marks my greatest ever yearly mileage. I'm very pleased with this especially as there are still 3 full months remaining. In the back of my head I'm always reminding myself that all these miles are being banked as base-building ahead of next year's CCM.

I definitely need to get new Nimbus, current pair feel flat and heavy and walking to work later my right knee was complaining a bit.

M01 9:54
M02 9:05
M03 8:58
M04 9:01 (1300 miles for the year)
M05 8:36
M06 8:40 (new record yearly mileage old record 1301.58) :):)
M07 8:43
M08 9:09

Total 8.16M @ 9:01


Week Beginning 23 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9.14
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.16 | 9:01
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
5 x 800m @ 5K pace | |
LSR 14M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
12.17 | 125.94 | 1304.65|

slowsteady

outforarun wrote: »

Waterford? Nobody said anything about Waterford!

Apologies, that was Scriba in an earlier post about Cork-Cobh.

Tough day at the office Saturday but, as you said, if you take something from the experience it has to be worth it.

outforarun

Some catching up to do here.

Thursday 26 September

My weekly run home from work. I don’t look forward to these. Strangely though this one was a lot less of a chore than I thought it would be. The stretch along the canal wasn’t the usual slog; probably the fact that there was no wind and that I was running into sunshine helped. Even the Nimbus seemed to have found new bounce.

Added a run over to and back from Inchicore to bring up the 5 mile. I think I might continue to swap Tuesday morning’s 5 mile with Thursday evening’s 4 mile.

M01 9:11
M02 9:06
M03 9:18
M04 9:21
M05 9:08

5.15M @ 9:15

Week Beginning 23 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9.14
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.16 | 9:01
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 5.15 | 9:15
5 x 800m @ 5K pace | |
LSR 14M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
17.32 | 131.09 | 1309.08|

outforarun

Saturday 28 September

Is it the Brooks?

So the first of three fast sessions ahead of the Rebel Run 10K: I wanted to do an interval session, 5 x 800ms. I reckon I am able to go sub 20 for 5K now (and I’ll find out next Saturday) so I want to run these 800ms just a little bit faster than usual, I decided to try keep each interval between 3:50 and 3:55 min/km [6:10 to 6:18 min/mile]. 2 minutes recovery between intervals.

On with the Brooks for their first proper session – this is what they were bought for.

Gentle warm-up over to the start of the North Road by the Phoenix. It’s warm. Never can tell how these will go until you hit lap on the Garmin and get the first one underway. Usual loop, anti-clockwise from the Phoenix up North Road to the Castleknock roundabout then back down to the Phoenix.

Interval 1
Pace feels comfortable from the start, have to drop it down from the 3:4Xs to 3:5Xs. Surprised when the watch beeps to signal end of 800. That was quick, feel ok – first 800 in 3:53 min/km [6:15 min/mile].

Interval 2
There’s a cyclist ahead. She has to be overtaken. Speed past her and notice that my breathing is nearly silent. Dash past a few more walkers. Glance at Garmin 3:3X pace showing!! :eek: Last 300ms of this one are down Chesterfield so even though I ease back a little on the effort the pace stays strong. Second 800 is done at 3:34 min/km [5:44 min mile]. Easily my fastest 800 ever. I’m worried about the remaining 3 intervals now, I may have to pay for this.

Interval 3
During my recovery the cyclist freewheels past me. Oh no. Third interval is nearly all down Chesterfield. Slowly slowly the cyclist is getting closer. I shoot past her as I swing back onto the North Road. Another fast interval at 3:47 min/km [6:05 min/mile]. Starting to feel these now and the recovery feels about 30 seconds too short.

Interval 4
Nearly all uphill for this one. And I feel it. This is the first one where I check the Garmin near the end to see how much is left to go. Lungs working now. I complete this one in target pace, 3:52 min/km [6:14 min/mile].

Interval 5
Last effort. Mix of flat and downhill for this one. Really surprised to see 3:3X pace showing on the Garmin again. Is there something wrong with the watch? I don’t slow down. Pick a point in the distance and just focus on racing to it. Waiting for the beep, not looking at watch. Imagine it’s the end of a race. Garmin sounds, final interval is 3:37 pace [5:50 min/mile].

I’m really really happy with how this went. I wasn’t sure if I could hold all 5 intervals between 3:50 and 3:55, instead I manage an average of 3:44 [6:01 min/mile]. Ok the faster 800s were partially due to a downhill profile, but this is the same course I’ve used for this session over the past months and today’s effort didn’t feel more difficult that previous sessions, it actually felt easier.

Could this be down to the shoes? They are definitely lighter than the Nimbus, and they definitely feel more ‘responsive’.

Next Saturday I’m going to try a 5K Garmin time-trial and aim to complete it inside 20 minutes. Might try it by the Playing Fields though as it would be very close to two laps of the cycle path and so give a fairer elevation profile.

Warm-up 1.98M @ 9:17

Interval 1 3:06 (3:53 min/km, 6:15 min/mile)
Interval 2 2:50 (3:34 min/km, 5:44 min/mile)
Interval 3 3:01 (3:47 min/km, 6:05 min/mile)
Interval 4 3:05 (3:52 min/km, 6:14 min/mile)
Interval 5 2:53 (3:37 min/km, 5:50 min/mile)

Average interval = 2:59 (3:44 min/km, 6:01 min/mile)
Average recovery pace = (5:03 min/km, 8:08 min/mile)

Cool-down 2.26M @ 8:56

Week Beginning 23 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9.14
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.16 | 9:01
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 5.15 | 9:15
5 x 800m @ 5K pace | 7.96M | average interval 3:44min/km [6:01 min/mile]
LSR 14M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
25.28 | 139.05 | 1317.04|

outforarun

Went on a bit of a make-it-up as you go along 14 miler Sunday morning.

Started with one of my Inchicore/SCR loops then headed back toward Inchicore but this time cut down onto the Ballyfermot Road before cutting down to Chapelizod. Over the bridge (I love running on that boardwalk surface) and into the Park at the Chapelizod Gate.

I will run up Knockmaroon Hill at least once before year-end, not yet though. Travel clockwise up the Upper Glen Road and exit at the Knockmaroon Gate. Run up Tower Road and then right onto White’s Road. Never run on White’s Road before, nice surface to run on and some really nice houses along here. Back into the Park and run out along the North Road before cutting down to the Phoenix. Pause the watch here for a moment so I can climb up onto the Phoenix to read the plaques on it. My Latin isn’t the best so I’m none the wiser. Continue on my meander down Acres Road and turn left along the S-bends. Think RIP as I pass the collection of wreaths at the top of Military Hill. Out Park-Gate and home via HSQ.

Spirits were high for this run. Fresh autumn air and some sunshine. Early enough so mostly only other runners about for this one. I like this route, a nice mix of urban, rural (if Tower Road can be considered rural) and parkland. Must try tag on an extra 2 miles around Castleknock next weekend for a 16 miler.

Legs felt fine the whole way round, felt stronger the longer the run went on. Another 150+ mile month outside of marathon training.

M01 9:18
M02 8:48
M03 8:31
M04 8:49
M05 8:32
M06 8:54
M07 8:59
M08 9:07
M09 8:51
M10 8:51
M11 8:46
M12 8:50
M13 9:00
M14 8:48

Total 14.10 @ 8:52

Week Beginning 23 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9.14
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.16 | 9:01
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 5.15 | 9:15
5 x 800m @ 5K pace | 7.96M | average interval 3:44min/km [6:01 min/mile]
LSR 14M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 14.10 | 8:52


WTD| MTD | YTD
39.37 | 153.14 | 1331.86|

outforarun

Right then summer is definitely over. My first morning run since March when I'm finishing my run and it's still dark. No more running through sunrise for a while. Got rained on as well for the last bit of this one.

Just 4 miles to get the week underway. As always a slow first mile. Legs felt a bit stiff at the outset but had loosened up by the end.

M01 9:47
M02 9:06
M03 9:17
M04 9:25

Total 4.00M @ 9:24

Week Beginning 30 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.00 | 9.24
General Aerobic 10M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | |
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
5K Time Trial targeting <20:00 | |
LSR 16M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
4.00 | 4.00 | 1335.86|

outforarun

Despite lots of good intentions I didn’t get to bed (sofa) last night until shortly before midnight. All the same it wasn’t too difficult to get up and out this morning. On the road at 5:26. Felt I got into a nice rhythm nearly immediately. Was daydreaming at one point and started running off route, had to backtrack and recalculate how best to shorten my final lap.

Legs felt ok. They do feel a little tired now. Then again all of me feels a little tired now. I wouldn’t put money on me staying awake for the full 90 minutes of whatever Champions’ League game I watch tonight.

Ordered a pair of Nimbus 15 this morning.


M01 9:20
M02 9:04
M03 8:44
M04 9:08
M05 9:00
M06 9:14
M07 9:04
M08 9:18
M09 8:55
M10 9:15

Total 10.04M @ 9:06

Week Beginning 30 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.00 | 9:24
General Aerobic 10M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 10.04 | 9:06
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
5K Time Trial targeting <20:00 | |
LSR 16M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
14.04 | 14.04 | 1345.90|

outforarun

Grim, heavy, wet, grey clouds for yesterday’s run home from work. It’s already so dark by 7:00. I normally run against the traffic in the bicycle lane, couldn’t do that yesterday because I couldn’t guarantee I’d see any approaching cyclists, especially with car headlights blinding me. So more pavement than I would have liked.

Footfall felt a bit heavy and I’m anxious for the new Nimbus to arrive. Achilles was pinging yesterday evening and again earlier today. Back to the stretches and strength exercises that I continue to ignore.

M01 9:14
M02 9:21
M03 9:18
M04 9:29
M05 9:05

Total 5.09M @ 9:18

Week Beginning 30 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.00 | 9:24
General Aerobic 10M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 10.04 | 9:06
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 5.09 | 9:18
5K Time Trial targeting <20:00 | |
LSR 16M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
19.13 | 19.13 | 1350.99|

outforarun

Saturday 5 October

I’d been looking forward to this one. I was pretty sure I was in sub 20 shape for 5K, I wouldn’t be contemplating a sub 40 10K otherwise.

The objective of this session was twofold, to confirm that I really am in sub 20 shape and to test the Brooks at speed for more than 800ms.

I had in my head that I should try keep the pace around 3:55 min/km [6:18 min/mile]. The only concern I had was my left Achilles, which had been pinging a bit over the last few days. If I felt it was protesting then I was prepared to abandon this session for something less demanding.

Note to self: double lace the Brooks before racing. I single-laced this morning and the left shoe opened twice, right shoe once, during my warm-up.

Gorgeous day for this. Unexpected warm sunshine. I forgot that I had planned to do this around the playing fields and just went by force of habit to my usual North Road route. Overall the 5K was net 2m downhill so flat enough without being a full loop.

Started well. Went out too fast with 3:3X then 3:4X showing on the Garmin. Dropped the pace gradually and allowed the mostly uphill first kilometer help me do this. The first split is bang on target at 3:55 [6:18 min/mile]. The second kilometer brings me back onto Chesterfield and the pace has picked up slightly. Breathing is controlled, legs are ok. The second kilometer logs at 3:50 [6:10 min/mile].

The third kilometer is a lovely run down Chesterfield. I resist the urge to ease up too much and aim to keep the effort/discomfort more or less even. My breathing is the most difficult thing to manage, but I think I’m doing ok. Kilometer 3 logs at 3:47 [6:05 min/mile].

Now for the tricky piece. Back onto the North Road and back uphill. With the change of elevation the effort feels instantly tougher. I’m still confident that I’ll come home sub 20 but I’ll have to do a little bit of work over these last 2K. Some wind in my face now making breathing that little bit harder. Garmin logs another 3:50 [6:10 min/mile].

Last kilometer is mostly uphill into the light wind. I know I’d have to have a disaster not to go sub 20 so I don’t push all out. I just try keep the effort even knowing that the profile of this last K will drop the pace a bit. The last kilometer beeps at 4:00 [6:26 min/mile]. I’m a little sorry I didn’t push just a tiny tiny bit more to bring all 5K under 4:00 mins. Either way I’m happy mission accomplished.

Garmin 5K in 19:24
3:52 min/km [6:14 min/mile]
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/386092321

Stop to walk for 5 minutes. I love those few minutes of walking, resting, catching your breath after you’ve just completed a difficult session inside target.

This makes me more confident about going sub 40 in two weeks. It won’t be easy, but I think it’s within my grasp alright. I reckon in a race environment, especially with a sprint finish I could have knocked more seconds off this 5K time. I’m hoping 3:56/3:57 min/km pace running with others in 2 weeks will feel easier than running at 3:52 pace on my own in the park. I would love to look at my Garmin in two weeks time with 9K completed and see an average pace of 3:56/57 showing. Then push over the last K.

Warm-up 1.99M @ 9:11 min/mile

KM01 3:55 [6:18 min/mile]
KM02 3:50 [6:10 min/mile]
KM03 3:47 [6:05 min/mile]
KM04 3:50 [6:10 min/mile]
KM05 4:00 [6:26 min/mile]

Total 5.01 @ 3:52 min/km [3.11M @ 6:14 min/mile]

Cool-down 2.63M @ 8:59 min/mile


Week Beginning 30 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.00 | 9:24
General Aerobic 10M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 10.04 | 9:06
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 5.09 | 9:18
5K Time Trial targeting <20:00 | 5.01K | (19:24) 3:52 min/km [6:14 min/mile]
LSR 16M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
26.87 | 26.87 | 1358.72|

outforarun

Finished the week's running with a 16 mile LSR. I was up early Sunday so headed out before 8am happy to try get this one done and out of the way. I repeated last Sunday's mixed bag route and tagged on 2 miles (actually a little more than 2 miles) by doing a loop out the Castleknock Gate, up to College Road and back into Park via Whites Road. Didn't feel super fresh on this one. Legs a bit tired. Happy to chalk up another 40+ mile week. More base built for next year.

Today I've a worrisome ache in the lower back. I don't normally get aches here so I hope this passes. Could it be the Brooks? Could it be the high mileage Nimbus? Could it be from lifting a heavy buggy up and down 6 steps outside our house? I've 4 miles in the morning (off work tomorrow hence the late hour entry) but I'll pay attention to the back and skip this one if necessary.

M01 9:40
M02 8:59
M03 8:42
M04 9:00
M05 8:51
M06 8:48
M07 9:06
M08 9:12
M09 8:37
M10 8:49
M11 8:14
M12 8:39
M13 8:48
M14 8:50
M15 8:50
M16 8:47

Total 16.34M @ 8:53

Week Beginning 30 September Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.00 | 9:24
General Aerobic 10M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 10.04 | 9:06
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 5.09 | 9:18
5K Time Trial targeting <20:00 | 5.01K | (19:24) 3:52 min/km [6:14 min/mile]
LSR 16M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 16.34 | 8:53


WTD| MTD | YTD
43.20 | 43.20 | 1375.06|

outforarun

Not a great start to the running week.

Lower back was a little stiff yesterday morning, went out for 4 miles in the morning anyway. No real pain or discomfort during the run. In fact immediately after the run I felt much better. Back felt ‘ok’ for the rest of the day.

This morning instead my back felt stiff again. I used this as a (valid) excuse not to get out for an early 8 miles, though it’s easy to convince me to not get up before 6.
Anyway new red Nimbus 15s have arrived in the office. I’ll try these out tomorrow morning. My hope is that I was wearing the old Nimbus for a few miles too many (527 miles).

I was planning on doing 3K at 10K pace on Saturday, but I might just do some easy miles instead.

The timing of this back stiffness is annoying less than 2 weeks ahead of a sub 40 attempt. On the other hand the timing is good insofar as I think I’ve done most of the work that should have me in sub 40 shape so I should be able to get away with easy running and reduced mileage over the next week and a half.

M01 9:31
M02 8:58
M03 9:00
M04 9:05

Total 4.01M @ 9:08

Week Beginning 07 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9:08
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | |
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
TBC | |
LSR 10M or 12M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
4.01 | 47.21 | 1379.07|

outforarun

Stars out this morning. Slight layer of frost on the rooftops. Won’t be long now before gloves go back on.

Got up at 5:30. After pottering about for 5 minutes or so I realized I hadn’t felt any ache or sniffness from my back. Good. Stripped the insoles out of the new Nimbus 15s and inserted my Boots insoles. Laced up and ready to go.

I’m now always using my midweek general aerobic run to practice pacing. I only check pace at the end of each 3.4M lap. Legs felt a bit heavy and left Achille’s was pinging a bit. I knew the first lap was going to come in slower than target pace and wasn’t surprised to see 9:20 pace showing. I didn’t consciously change pace for the second lap knowing that the pace normally increases without me thinking about it. End of lap 2 average pace has increased to 9:16. The third lap is a smaller lap 1.2M so I up the pace for this plus I’m also running late. Final average pace is 9:10.

First impressions of the Nimbus 15? Didn’t feel as cushioned as the Nimbus 13 did on their maiden run. Feel a little narrower than the 13 as well. That said they felt sufficiently cushioned and they aren’t too narrow. It’s only first run with these so can’t tell much yet.

M01 9:53
M02 9:06
M03 9:02
M04 9:15
M05 9:18
M06 9:08
M07 9:04
M08 8:39

Total 8.11M @ 9:10

Week Beginning 07 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9:08
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.11 | 9:10
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
TBC | |
LSR 10M or 12M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
12.12 | 55.33 | 1387.18|

outforarun

Saturday 12 October

Friday I had the running guilts, because I missed my morning run-window, I was just too lazy. I think for 2014 I’m going to allow myself 5 ‘joker/get-out-of-run’ cards to play across the full 12 months. At least that way I wouldn’t feel guilty when I call a lie-in.

Lower back still not 100% so I decided against anything too fast on Saturday. Been a while since I ran anything at sub 3:30 marathon pace so I decided on 8 miles with the middle 4 at PMP. Stuck with the Nimbus 15 for this. Simple route: home to Island-bridge Gate then one neat clockwise lap of the Park.
My two mile warm-up was run too fast and actually slipped into PMP pace so in the end I ran 6 PMP rather than 4. I speed up at the bottom of Lower Glen Road and tip briskly up the hill. The 4 middle miles are an exercise in gradually dropping the pace down from 7:2X pace to 7:3X pace to 7:4X pace and then just in time to 7:50 average pace for the 4 miles. This run felt grand and I was sorry to drop to cool-down pace for the final 2 miles.

2.01M @ 7:59
4.06M @ 7:50
1.95M @ 8:22

Total 8.02M @ 8:00

Week Beginning 07 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9:08
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.11 | 9:10
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | DNS | DNS
PMP 8M with 4M @ 7:5X | 8.02 | 8:00
LSR 10M or 12M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
20.14 | 63.35 | 1395.20|

outforarun

Sunday 13 October

I had planned on 10 or 12 miles for this one, but then fancied running my new 14 mile route. I checked what I did the Sunday before Blessington and saw I’d done a 16 miler. Ok then 14 miles it is.

Pace was a bit up and down over the first half of this and only really stabilized over the final 6 miles or so. Passed 1400 miles for the year as I run down toward Chapelizod. Lots of runners out this morning, tapering.

Spent a fair bit of time thinking about next weekend’s 10K. Hope my back will be ok, it doesn’t seem to affect my running but I haven’t tried anything fast since it started aching. Not a good idea to think about sub 6:30 pace as you plod up Tower Road at a particularly slow 9:26 pace on a cold Sunday morning.

Finish the run feeling comfortable. Back felt ‘ok’ for rest of the day. Part of me is thinking about taking a week off after next Sunday’s race. We’ll see. Next and final race of the year would be the Clontarf HM near the end of November.

M01 9:26
M02 8:17
M03 8:21
M04 8:51
M05 8:37 (1400M for the year)
M06 8:56
M07 9:00
M08 9:26
M09 8:50
M10 8:53
M11 8:54
M12 8:53
M13 8:56
M14 8:42

Total 14.06 @ 8:52

Week Beginning 07 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.01 | 9:08
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.11 | 9:10
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | DNS | DNS
PMP 8M with 4M @ 7:5X | 8.02 | 8:00
LSR 14M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 14.06 | 8:52


WTD| MTD | YTD
34.20 | 77.40 | 1409.26|

outforarun

Risked short sleeves this morning. Looked cold out but it was actually grand. On the road at 6:15 and within 5 minutes I’d saluted three other solo runners. Just 4 miles to start the week. My back felt ‘ok’. I can feel a lower-back strain if for example I bend down to tie my laces. It does, touch wood, seem to be improving though. Usual slow mile start. I’m wondering how I’m going to manage my new LT pace on early runs in next year’s P&D cycle. I think I’ll need a 10pm curfew the night before for a start. Anyway I’ll worry about this later.

Was checking out the Rebel Run 10K course on corkrunning yesterday. Seems like the hardest part of the course is from 1.0 to 1.8 miles. Good to get the hillier part over with early. Think about next Saturday's run, I may try stretch the legs just a little on the eve of the race with 2 mile at PMP pace (7:5X).

M01 10:07
M02 09:05
M03 08:47
M04 09:06

Total 4.02M @ 9:16

Week Beginning 14 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.02 | 9:16
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | |
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
PMP 4M with 2M (tbc) @ 7:5X | |
Rebel Run 10K target <40:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
4.02 | 81.42 | 1413.28|

outforarun

I’ve had a lazy week

I often do in the week before a race, or during the 2 or 3 weeks of a marathon taper.

I wasn’t disciplined enough to get up on Wednesday morning for my 8 miler.

I upped the pace on yesterday’s run home from work, targeting GA instead of Recovery. Run went fine. The new nimbus feel like they’re settling in better.

My back is still not 100%. Somedays, like today, it feels perfect. Other days, like yesterday it felt stiff. It doesn’t bother me at all while running, but I’m a little anxious about upping the pace on Sunday.

Very tempted to take a week off next week and recharge a little. Maybe I'll just not run to a plan or look at the watch next week. I'll see how I feel come Monday.

M01 9:37
M02 8:12
M03 8:46
M04 9:07
M05 9:01

Total 5.01M @ 8:57

Week Beginning 14 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.02 | 9:16
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | DNS | DNS
Recovery General Aerobic 5M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 5.01 | 8:57
PMP 4M with 2M @ 7:5X | |
Rebel Run 10K target <40:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
9.03 | 86.43 | 1418.29|

outforarun

Went out Saturday morning just before 8:00 to get 4 miles in and keep the legs ticking over ahead of Sunday's race. Unseasonably warm outside. I'd left just the toes of my nimbus exposed to the rain over the previous 24 hours. Osmosis took care of the rest and I had to slide my feet into two wet sponges. Lovely.

An easy first mile over to Inchicore. Then up the pace for the next two miles targeting PMP pace (07:5X). I just want to stretch the legs a little. Once again PMP pace feels very easy. The second mile of PMP was run far too fast despite the effort feeling minimal, logged a 7:17. At the start of the year I had to work fairly hard to log a 7:17 as an LT pace mile - happy with this progress.

Back felt ok during the day. Caught up on some sleep on an unbusy afternoon train to Cork.

M01 8:56
M02 7:54
M03 7:17
M04 8:14

Total 4.02 @ 8:06

Week Beginning 14 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.02 | 9:16
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | DNS | DNS
Recovery General Aerobic 5M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 5.01 | 8:57
PMP 4M with 2M @ 7:5X | 4.02 | 8:06 with 2M @ 7:36
Rebel Run 10K target <40:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
13.05 | 90.45 | 1422.31|

outforarun

PreRace

The rain pelting off the roof Saturday night as I went to bed had me fearing the worst for Sunday’s race. Instead the morning brought wet roads and blue fresh skies. Was picked up by a mate and his friend and drove out to CIT. Did maybe a mile and a half or so of warm-up and suddenly it was nearly time to start. There was a guy by the start line with a megaphone announcing that anyone racing with headphones would be disqualified and have no time posted. I’m anxious to get started. I’m ready to hurt for the next 40 minutes, well maybe not for the first 20. The three of us are about 10 - 15 metres back from the start, but we’re all shooting for different times so we wish each other luck, the hooter sounds and we’re off. My first time actively targeting sub 40 for 10K. I’ll try hold 3:56/3:57 pace on the Garmin [6:20/6:21 min/mile]. Wearing Brooks ST5s.

1K to 5K

A sharp enough descent to get things started. So it was easy to reach race pace, if not race effort. Minimal congestion for maybe 200 ms or so and from then on there was loads of space.
By the time we turned onto the Model Farm Road there was already a nice single file of runners. I’m guessing most of these are having a shot at sub 40, either that or they are banking some seconds over this easy opening stretch. The first K of the day beeps at 3:53 [6:15 min/mile]. Fine. Pace feels ok.

Rapid descent down past the tennis village. The last time I ran this stretch of road it was back in June, the wheels were just about to come off and I certainly wasn’t travelling at 6:15 min/mile pace. Now for the first hill. I’d read on corkrunningblog that the stretch from 1.0 to 1.8 miles was easily the hardest part of the course (I’ll know better next year if I’m back). The legs feel good, breathing is controlled, the sun is out, early days and I’m tipping up the hill without much bother. I’m surprised to hear 2K beep already, 3:51 [6:12 min/mile]. This is going well.

The road continues to rise. K3 is all steady climb. I’m slowly picking off runners. I do start to feel the pace now. The pace drops while I’m not paying attention to the Garmin, when I do check it shows average pace at 4:00 [6:26 min/mile]. I’m not happy about that. I push a bit, probably should have waited to crest the hill first. K3 is a slow 4:13 [6:47 min/mile]. Get to the top of the climb. Ok, I tell myself that that is the worse climbing over with. The average pace returns to 3:59 [6:25 min/mile]. But the hill has tired me. I don’t push, I try hold the effort steady and hope that the average pace will gradually gradually improve. Forget about 3:56/7 pace I wouldn’t see average pace 3:58 again this morning. K4 logs at 3:50 [6:10 min/mile], my fastest so far. Just 6K to go, just two laps (and a little) of my Phoenix Park loop.

The field has settled down now. I’m not being overtaken and slowly slowly I overtake another one or two runners. Up ahead around 50ms are a group of three runners, a Tracton AC top, a Midleton AC top and a T-shirt (I think, not a club top anyway). They look strong and I reckon they’re more likely to pull away than come back to me. Overall I feel ok, I’m tired for sure and I know the second half of the race will be tough. I’ve given up on actively trying to get the average pace back to 3:56/7 and will just concentrate on keeping it under 4:00, then hope for a quick final K. The fifth K rises and falls and logs at a 4:09 [6:41 min/mile]. It’s so hard to hold a steady pace.

5K in 19:56. Going to be tight.

6K to 10K

K6 is another up and down affair. Not a lot of genuinely flat road to run on. I’m staying in touch with Tracton. Midleton and T-Shirt. I focus on them and I focus on following a good racing line. We overtake some more single runners. Garmin beeps 3:59 [6:25 min/mile] for K6. I’m working hard now I know I’ll have to push later if I’m going to go under 40 and I’m not sure if I’ll manage. I don’t want to push now for fear of blowing up.

The road persists with a series of little inclines and little declines and then there’s a horrible short climb up through two roundabouts and over the N25. As we exit the second roundabout I’m telling myself only 3K to go, and I take some comfort from the fact that the gap to Tracton, Midleton and T-Shirt has dropped to maybe 20 metres. K7 logs at 4:09 [6:41 min/mile] and average pace is showing 4:00 again.

And then my heart drops as I look ahead and see the horizon was soared up into the sky. (Check it out on the player tab on the Garmin activity attached). I’m struggling to hold 4:00 on the flat, this is going to drop the average pace further. T-Shirt must have given up, I move slowly past him. Will he try respond? Doesn’t look like it, his breathing sounds worse than mine and I pull away. Head down, one step at a time. This steep hill is about 500ms long, it’s a killer on legs that have held 10K pace for so long. I pull closer to Midleton, Tracton has opened up a little gap. Top of the hill signals 8K. I log a 4:14 [6:49 min/mile]. Time to stop looking at the watch.

Then this older runner dressed in black, eases past me. First time I’ve been overtaken since halfway. He looks very strong. The pace increases as we speed down the other side of the hill. He eases past Midleton. Then when we reaches Tracton we can hear him shout encouragement to Tracton and says ‘…. Stick with me’. He must know we’re trying for sub 40.
I give it a go. I push. I move past Midleton, who is also upping his pace. I didn’t check it a the time but K9 logs at 3:50 [6:10 min/mile]. The effort is too much too soon. I ease off a little. Midleton is stronger and moves ahead of me, opening up a 15 -20 metre gap and gaining on Tracton and Our Pacer.

It’s so easy before a race to say I’ll push over the last K. When you’re in the guts of K10 it’s a different reality. I focus on not dropping the effort. I’m working very hard. I’ll get to the athletics track and see what a sprint finish over the last 200ms will get me. I haven’t ruled out sub 40 yet, though I don’t think it’s likely.

Onto the track. I hear the announcer calling 39s, but I can’t hear the seconds. I push around the bend and onto the last 100ms. Then I see the clock up ahead 40:1X, showing. I know the sub 40 is gone. I still finish the sprint and hit stop on the Garmin. It reads 40:15.

Post Race

I dry retched twice immediately after the line. I’d eaten no breakfast so nothing escaped other than some sticky saliva. Took 10 seconds to get my bearings and went to thank Our Pacer for his selfless encouragement over the last 2K.

Midleton came home 24th with a chip of 40:11
Tracton came home 25th with a chip of 40:17
Our Pacer came home 26th with a chip of 40:18 and
I came home 27th with a chip of 40:16.

Despite not going sub 40 I was happy with my morning’s work. I gave it 100% on a course that I felt was tougher than Blessington. I came home 27th of 486 finishers (4th in category) and I wasn’t chicked . I knocked 21 seconds of my PB, and in so doing broke my 4th PB of the year, the annual overall objective of this log.

I think I lost the sub 40 on K8. Maybe if I had realized how tough that hill was I might have braced myself better for it.

Back was/is fine.

On the organization – like Blessington, top class. Maybe less a ‘local-club’ feel on the day, but stewarding was fine, course measured, marked and timed accurately. Finishing on a track was fun. The goody bag which I usually give only cursory attention to, was very good value for money, including a water bottle and dare2be top.

Now, I was thinking of doing the Clontarf HM as my last race for 2013, but the 10K Run in the Dark around the docks in November has caught my eye. I need to find 17 seconds. Maybe one final shot this year? At least it would be flat.

KM01 3:53 [6:15 min/mile]
KM02 3:51 [6:12 min/mile]
KM03 4:13 [6:47 min/mile]
KM04 3:50 [6:10 min/mile]
KM05 4:09 [6:41 min/mile]
KM06 3:59 [6:25 min/mile]
KM07 4:09 [6:41 min/mile]
KM08 4:14 [6:49 min/mile]
KM09 3:50 [6:10 min/mile]
KM10 3:56 [6:20 min/mile]

Total 10.06 @ 4:00 [6:27 min/mile]

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/393967189


Week Beginning 14 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.02 | 9:16
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | DNS | DNS
Recovery General Aerobic 5M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 5.01 | 8:57
PMP 4M with 2M @ 7:5X | 4.02 | 8:06 with 2M @ 7:36
Rebel Run 10K target <40:00 | 10.06K | 4:00 [6:27 min/mile] 40:16


WTD| MTD | YTD
19.03 | 96.70 | 1428.55|

RunningKing

Great report, a nice read.
Tough luck on the sub 40. The hill got you on 8km, but you recovered well. It's there for you on a different course.

Clontarf is a very weather dependent course, the breeze can be a killer.

outforarun

RunningKing wrote: »

Great report, a nice read.
Tough luck on the sub 40. The hill got you on 8km, but you recovered well. It's there for you on a different course.

Clontarf is a very weather dependent course, the breeze can be a killer.

Thanks. Yeah I think I'll give Clontarf a miss and I'll try decide from one of: the Run in the Dark on November 13 (windy and congested?), the MoRun the Saturday after in the Park (hilly) or the Aware 10K in the Park at the start of December (hilly (and maybe icy).

I think I'm really close to a sub 40 and I'd like to try once more before the year ends, maybe there's one in January, must check.

outforarun

Quick catch-up on the week's running to date.

Monday 21 October

I'd taken the day off work. I know last week I was toying with the idea of taking a week off running, but in the end I felt good to go. I ran a slightly longer than usual recovery run. From home up to Ashtown AK. Bought some shorts, a pair of gloves, and had a chat about all things running for 15 minutes. Then ran home through the Park a slightly longer route as I was enjoying the run. Fresh blustery autumn morning.

Home to AK 3.31M @ 9:23
AK to Home 4.07M @ 9:07

Total 7.38M @ 9:13

Tuesday 22 October

Mrs outforarun had taken the day off, which meant I could head out at 6:30ish am rather than 5:30ish am for an 8 mile GA run. Legs felt good. It's still mostly dark now at 8 am. I want those clocks to move back. Great to have the guts of the midweek running in the bank come Tuesday morning.

We've got family staying for the next fortnight. An extra pair of hands around the house will really take some pressure off. Like now for example: worked from home today and now I'm going to log off and head out for 4.

M01 9:50
M02 8:59
M03 8:39
M04 8:51
M05 8:41
M06 8:56
M07 8:52
M08 8:40

Total 8.07M @ 8:56

Week Beginning 21 October Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 7M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 7.38 | 9:13
General Aerobic 8M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 8.07 | 8:56
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
PMP 8M with 4M @ 7:5X | |
LSR 14M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |


WTD| MTD | YTD
15.45 | 112.14 | 1444.00|