2012 4 Races for 4 PBs

outforarun

MLR 10 Miles

Gorgeous sunny morning in Milan. Headed across the road to the park for a 10 miler. Started off at what felt like regular MLR pace, but these last few days I haven't been checking pace at all. As I start into lap 2 I catch up with meet mrs outforarun's sister who's out for an easy run. She tells me to keep going not to wait for her. I check my pace and it's showing at 7:53. Faster than I'd thought. All the same I up the pace and head off on another three laps of the park. I guess this is a fast steady pace - slower than LT, comfortably uncomfortable. I check some splits and realise I'm running at sub 7:00 pace. Enjoying this though so I stick with it - I am running off plan afterall. The southward section of the lap is very slightly downhill with a breeze at my back, the northward section very slightly uphill and into the wind.

Work up a good sweat and get a lot of sun on this one. The first 3 mile were run at average pace of 7:54, the final 7 miles were run at average pace of 6:47 (HM pace from September). I could have added on more miles at 6:47 pace if needed.

M01 8:06
M02 7:52
M03 7:46
M04 6:30
M05 6:51
M06 6:37
M07 6:50
M08 6:39
M09 7:07
M10 6:56

Total 10.07M @ 7:07

WTD 20.22M MTD 111.61M YTD 1921.83

outforarun

Recovery 4M+

Headed out just as snow started falling this morning with mrs outforarun's sister. She wanted to try some 400s so I set 6x400 up on the Garmin. As we enter the whitening park, me in shorts, this old guy cycles past us muttering "due scemi", sense being , look at these two clowns.

All the same there were lots of well-wrapped up runners out this morning. We do just over 2K of warm-up. Then into the 400s. I suggest we try my HM pace for the first one and see how we get on. We managed around 100ms at HM pace before I realised ok, we got drop off considerably. She was wrecked after the first one, felt like she was going to get sick. She stood for most of the first 2mins recovery. I thought we might be knocking this on the head, but she recovered well and stuck with it - second 400 was run more or less at the same speed. Ticked off all 6 intervals with a decent near sprint over the last 100m of the final 400.

A cool-down under the snow back home. It's cold out now, I hope it doesn't freeze over tonight.

2.05K @ 5:32 [1.27M @ 8:55]
6x400 @ average pace 4:38 [7:28]
1.71K @ 6:12 [1.06M @ 9:59]

Total 7.56K @ 5:58 [4.70M @ 9:35]

WTD 24.92M MTD 116.31M YTD 1926.53

outforarun

LSR 13.1 Miles

Headed out mid Sunday morning for this one. Put on gloves for the first time since arriving. Plan was to run laps of the park and complete half-marathon distance. The park was covered in a light layer of snow some parts of the path were icy but it was melting with each lap as warm sunshine was breaking through the clouds. I ditched a bottle of water I was carrying as my right hand was just too cold while carrying it.

I was tipping away at around 8:10 average and settling into the run with slightly heavy legs. Then I'm joined again by sister-in-law-outforaun who accompanies me for a lap. Pace drops off significantly and when the lap is completed it's fallen to 8:46 average. I continue on my own and aim to get average pace back into LSR range. The increase in pace feels effortless, the legs have loosened up and I just glide through the remaining laps, finishing with average pace of 8:13.

M01 8:30
M02 8:06
M03 7:58
M04 8:01
M05 8:23
M06 9:59
M07 9:50
M08 7:55
M09 7:40
M10 7:31
M11 7:47
M12 7:36
M13 7:31

Total 13.11M @ 8:13

WTD 38.03M MTD 129.42M YTD 1939.64

outforarun

Easy 5 Miles

Sunny afternoon but very cold in the shade. Wore the gloves again. This might be my last run of the year as I'm probably travelling to Ravenna tomorrow and won't be bringing my runners. The sun has melted off most of the light snowfall of the previous days. I just casually tip around the park completing 2 laps and try to soak in as much sunlight as I can. Legs feel ok. I don't check the Garmin at all and I just keep the effort easy. I'm a little surprised to see that the last two easy miles were sub 8:00 minute.

M01 8:36
M02 8:22
M03 8:11
M04 7:57
M05 7:56

Total 5.28M @ 8:12

WTD 5.28M MTD 134.70M YTD 1944.92

outforarun

Mileage

As suspected Monday's run turned out to be my last run of the year. 2014 I reached a record yearly mileage of 1944.92 miles. Broken down by month:

136.26 January
127.18 February
169.00 March
222.13 April
179.82 May
155.14 June
164.09 July
167.81 August
140.95 September
160.17 October
187.68 November
134.70 December

Year | Total Miles | % increase on previous year | average weekly mileage
2011 | 1281.67 | N/A | 24.58
2012 | 1301.58 | 01.53 | 24.89
2013 | 1763.26 | 26.18 | 33.82
2014 | 1944.92 | 09.34 | 37.30

outforarun

Easy 5 Miles

Back in Milan having spent a runners-less New Year's in Ravenna.

Laced up this morning to open my account for 2015.

A chilly and sunny 5 miler at easy pace around the park here. I don't run well if I haven't run in a few days. The three days without running left my legs feeling heavy and uncooperative. Last week I was running sub 8 minute miles at easy pace. Today easy pace was 8:40. Thoughts turning toward CCM15 - week 1 due to start on Monday 12 January.

Had my first niggle of the year today. It's one that I get every so often when I crouch down with my knees. Right knee protested when I knelt down to reach a low shelf in a supermarket.

Final Milan run tomorrow where the plan is 6K @ an LT pace of 4:00 [6:26] to 4:05 [6:34].

M01 8:44
M02 8:46
M03 8:45
M04 8:40
M05 8:28

Total 5.30M @ 8:40

WTD 10.58 MTD 5.30 YTD 5.30

outforarun

2014 Review

(all the facts and figures of the year that was are posted back in post number 1487)

2014 saw a continuation of the good progress made in 2013. In total I ran 8 races and set 7 PBs while doing so.

The first half of 2014 was as always, all about training for CCM. I pretty much ran a perfect training block - running all 86 sessions of the P&D 55 mile plan on target. I built in two weeks of buffer for this training block and these 2 weeks proved very important, one was used when I was knocked out with the flu and one week was used as a precautionary measure to rest a hamstring that was starting to give a little too much feedback.

I didn't run any races in the build up to Cork, something I hope to remedy in 2015. The marathon itself was in my opinion a success. Yes I didn't hit my sub 3:20 target (after 6 marathons I have yet to hit my pre-race target time) but I did knock nearly quarter of an hour off my PB and with a 3:24 I finally, finally, finally broke the 3:30 barrier. I had been falling out of love with 26.2 but the 2014 edition has fixed that and I already cannot wait for June to arrive.

The second half of the year was about keeping the mileage up but concentrating on speed, particularly on 10K. I do think 10K is my favourite distance. I had to ditch the McMillan 10K plan for logistic reasons, I'd like to try follow it again in 2015 even if it means sacrificing the Irish Runner 5 miler. I'd gone sub 40 twice on the Garmin in TTs during CCM14 training and I made the sub 40 official in Fingal in July with a 39:41. This was sweeter because I remember thinking midway through the race that it was going to slip away from me.

Between Fingal and Blessington I fitted in some hill running in Italy. This was hugely enjoyable. Completely different to the bread and butter. And the two longer hill climbs that I completed were amongst my favourite runs of the year, particularly the second one where I ran down into a cloud and out into the rain underneath it, magical.

Blessington is maybe the performance I am happiest with from 2014. I logged a new PB of 39:01 missing my sub 39 target by 2 seconds but really happy nonetheless.

I ran the Race Series half in September. This is the only distance that I haven't specifically trained for, I hoped I'd break 1:30. In the event I managed a 1:28:52. I finished strong, maybe too strong, I was worried for the first 11 miles about the hilly 2 miles at the end and was maybe holding back a little too much. Instead I pulled away from the pacers on the hill and gradually accelerated all the way to the end.

The performance I was least happy with has my next 10K down in Cork. I went sub 40 again with a 39:43 but I approached the race off some haphazard training and convinced that I wasn't going to do well. I don't think I ever believed during the race that I was going to go sub 39, and on a tough course this attitude was never going to result in a good race.

I rallied somewhat with a better training block ahead of the Jingle Bells 5K. Tried out some new 5K specific training sessions. 5 times 5 minutes at 5K pace was particulary tough (but not as tough as the 5 times 1K at 3K pace that I did twice during the summer, those were easily the toughest sessions I completed this year). I ran a 5K PB of 18:40 in the Jingle Bells, but still felt disappointed, I didn't feel I gave the race 100%, especially over the final 1500ms.

I ran more miles this year than any previous year, something I hope will stand to me as I start into a new year and a new P&D cycle.

Last and not least I finally started to meet, run and race with other boardsies this year. I don't run with a club, but I think chatting with and racing with other boardsies does go someway in replicating a club environment. I'm looking forward to continuing this interaction into 2015.

Happy New Running Year to all.

outforarun

13+K with 6K @ LT

Last Milan run for a while. It's been an enjoyable Christmas of off-plan running with no need to drag myself out of bed at silly times to get on the road. I could get used to this. Realise today from checking runs of some other Garmin Connect segment runners that there is an athletics track not too far from here. Must do a little research before I'm over again, wouldn't mind trying a session on it.

Nice morning today, fresh and sunny, left the gloves at home. On my warm-up I was pleased to note that the legs had lost the heaviness from yesterday. Did a lap of the park and then got stuck into the LT section.

Finding target pace was fairly easy. By the the end of the southbound half of the first lap I was travelling at 4:01 [6:28] pace. Feeling ok. By the end of the northbound stretch I was feeling less ok and the pace had fallen to 4:03 [6:31]. I was looking forward to turning southbound again and availing of that slightest of downhills. I kept the pace steady at 4:03 [6:31] through that southbound stretch but I was already in countdown mode, lungs doing a little more work than I'd have liked. I turn northbound and see I've completed 5.05K. I task myself with holding the pace at 4:03 [6:31] and not slowing down over the last kilometre despite the slight uphill. I manage this and finish the 6K at 4:03 [6:32] pace. Fairly wrecked though.

For the second half of the LT section I keep reminding myself that I've run 10K at low 3:5X pace, so I shouldn't be complaining about 6K at 4:0X pace. But I haven't really done much speedwork of late and my last race was around a month ago now. I haven't been shy with food over Christmas and I'm not looking forward to stepping on the scales when I get home. I wouldn't be surprised to see 74 kilos showing (I'm aiming to hold weight between 69 and 71 during P&D). I'm also toying with the idea of upping my vegan days from 2 to 3 per week. I've been anything but vegan in December.

I still think I'll stick with 4:00 [6:26] to 4:05 [6:34] as LT pace. If I put my 5K, 10K and HM PBs into MacMillan and average out the resultant tempo training paces I get a target tempo range of 3:56 [6:20] to 4:05 [6:35]. So I'm falling within that. LT shouldn't be easy.

4.42K @ 5:09 [2.75M @ 8:17]
6.01K @ 4:03 [3.74M @ 6:34]
3.22K @ 5.22 [2.00M @ 8:39]

Total 13.66K @ 4:43 [8.49M @ 7:36]

WTD 19.07 MTD 13.79 YTD 13.79

outforarun

75.35!!!

Stepped on the scales this morning post-run. After Christmas excesses I was bracing myself to see a 74.XX kilos. Instead I was genuinely surprised to see 75.35 showing!! This is the heaviest I’ve been since buying this scales a year ago. Normally when I see 73.XX showing I start to pay more attention to diet and work to bring it back closer to 71.XX. Now I’ve definitely got some work to do to get weight back on track. I’m hoping to maintain it between 69:00 and 71:00 during CCM training. Accordingly today and tomorrow I’m on a vegan diet. If I was 75K+ last Saturday that explains in part why 6K at LT was trickier than expected.

Anyway, got out early this morning for 5 easy don’t check the Garmin miles. Ran over to Inchicore into a light, but chilly wind. Then back Emmet Road, SCR, down by James and down the Luas tracks to Heuston, finishing with a lap around HSQ, Kilmainham Lane, Hilton and Saint John’s Road. Final average pace was 8:58, so the difference between easy pace in a sunny Milan park and around dark early morning D8 streets, is around 30 seconds a mile. Legs felt mostly ok, slight twinge from right of groin at outset.

M01 9:51
M02 9:05
M03 8:39
M04 8:32
M05 8:44

Total 5.04M @ 8:58

WTD 5.04 MTD 18.83 YTD 18.83

outforarun

MLR 10 Miles

Did this one after work. Ran my Donnybrook, Milltown, Rathgar, Harolds Cross, Rialto, Inchicore, Kilmainham route. This is the second time I've ran this after work and the second time I've gotten soaked while doing so. Nasty conditions out there this evening.

I ran at what felt like a steady pace and didn't check the Garmin until the end. Legs felt ok, although right of groin continues to tweak a bit, especially when I start running, or resume running at traffic lights etc.

Post run weigh-in read 73.55 kgs. That's better, after switching from festive diet to vegan diet that's nearly 2 kg lighter than yesterday morning.

M01 9:21
M02 8:03
M03 8:01
M04 8:02
M05 8:13
M06 7:45
M07 8:17
M08 7:53
M09 7:54
M10 7:22

Total 10.07M @ 8:05

WTD 15.11 MTD 28.90 YTD 28.90

outforarun

poor maths - column 3 corrected.

outforarun wrote: »

Mileage

Year | Total Miles | % increase on previous year | average weekly mileage
2011 | 1281.67 | N/A | 24.58
2012 | 1301.58 | 01.55 | 24.89
2013 | 1763.26 | 35.47 | 33.82
2014 | 1944.92 | 10.30 | 37.30

outforarun

Easy 5 Miles

Out earlyish Saturday morning for this one. Bit of a breeze blowing and a bit chilly. I'm not watching the Garmin, it's the last weekend for a while where I won't be slave to the watch. Tip over along the Ballyfermot Road and down into Chapelizod, then follow the main road all the way to Heuston before turning back toward Kilmainham to complete the loop. Legs behaved apart from the slightest of protest from right of groin as I set off.

M01 9:16
M02 8:58
M03 8:21
M04 8:23
M05 8:23

Total 5.01M @ 8:40

WTD 20.12 MTD 33.91 YTD 33.91

outforarun

MLR 12 Miles

This one was great for the confidence, though I hope it hasn't compromised the legs in anyway ahead of CCM15 training which starts tomorrow (with a rest day).

Plan was 12 miles at comfortable steady pace along my usual 12 mile route. So out along the Ballyfermot Road and down to Chapelizod entering the park at Chapelizod Gate. Very happy that right of groin hasn't protested at all. Up the Glen Road and out of the Park at Knockmaroon Gate. Quiet a few runners around this morning. There's a breeze blowing. I head up Tower Road and onto Whites Road. I keep the effort steady and enjoy the increase in speed as I tip down to White's Gate and into the park. Stride feels smooth.

I carry the momentum from Whites Road onto OS Road and into the now strong headwind. Turn onto Furze. I'm 99% sure I pass wowzer here going in the opposite direction with two other runners. He says hi, I say hi, and then I say hi again as I realize it's wowzer. Up Chesterfield and along the North Road mercifully with the wind at my back now. I turn down toward the Phoenix and then down Acres leaning into a ridiculously strong head wind.

Finally I head back along the S-Bends and out of the Park at Park Gate then home to Kilmainham.

I check the average pace as planned only at the end of the run. I was certain it would show high 8:0X or low 8:1X pace. Instead I'm genuinely surprised to see 7:4X pace showing. Checking the mile splits some were 7:0X pace, surely wind assisted. I certainly didn't feel like I was travelling as fast as that.

Going to post up CCM15 training paces later today.

M01 8:32
M02 8:15
M03 7:50
M04 7:47
M05 8:09
M06 7:04
M07 7:31
M08 7:23
M09 7:43
M10 7:49
M11 7:06
M12 7:36

Total 12.14 @ 7:44

WTD 32.26 MTD 46.05 YTD 46.05

Bulmers74

Alright OFAR - what plan will you follow? Am I right on saying it's 20 weeks?

outforarun

Bulmers74 wrote: »

Alright OFAR - what plan will you follow? Am I right on saying it's 20 weeks?

Hiya Bulmers, yip 20 weeks to CCM15. I'll be following the first P&D, up to 55 miles. It was good for me last year, so this year I'm just inputting some new paces and based on improvements made in 2014. The plan is 18 weeks but I'm adding 2 buffer weeks in case of injury, illness, fatigue, ice or ideally a sneaky race. I'd be happy with your DCM time. Will be following your Limerick block with interest.

Bulmers74

Based on your times over the shorter distances you have the potential to go a lot faster than 3:18 Best of luck for the cycle - I'll be keeping an eye out here over the next few months.

outforarun

Tomorrow is D-Day. Feels like the new running year is only now about to begin. January so far has been little more than an extension of the post Jingle Bells wind-down. That said I've managed three tempos, a 16 miler and several solid steady runs in the last weeks.

So P&D was in my opinion largely successful in 2014. I'm going to follow the same 55 mile plan as last year. I had a sneaky look at the 55 to 70 plan but I don't think I have the mileage base required "...you should be running at least 45 miles a week before starting these schedules...". Besides I don't have the stomach to work out the logistics of fitting the extra runs/miles in. Maybe next year.

I have run 6 marathons to date. My marathon times are out of sync with my times over shorter distances. In the marathon I have yet to hit the time I've trained for. 2014 has a success insofar as I knocked almost 15 minutes off my PB and broke the 3:30 barrier. However 2014 I trained for and raced for a sub 3:20 and I came up almost 5 minutes short. With this in mind I've decided to train for a sub 3:10 marathon, but on the day either retry sub 3:20 or maybe sub 3:15.

If I take my HM of 1:28:52 from last September McMillan gives me a marathon of 3:07. Or if I use the rule of thumb of multiplying HM by 2 and adding 10% I get a 3:15 marathon. So I think training for 3:10 while targeting a time between 3:14 and 3:19 is about right. I really want to hit my goal time this year.

So to the paces:

PMP
Training for sub 3:10 gives a nice neat PMP to target, 4:30 min/km [7:15 min/mile]. I'll try hit this spot-on but will allow a little margin of error, so 4:29 [7:13] to 4:31 [7:16].

Recovery
I'm not adjusting my recovery pace. It served me well last year and this year I'll have more to recover from. It stays at no faster than 9:20 min/mile.

General Aerobic
So according to P&D this should be about 15 to 25 percent slower than PMP. So that would be between 8:20 to 9:03. I like 15 second slots so I'll target 8:45 to 9:00. The main purpose of GA runs is increasing mileage, so I'm staying at the slower side of the GA range.

LSR
According to P&D these should be between 10 and 20 percentage slower than PMP. That's a wide range, stretching from 7:58 to 8:42. I'm targeting the middle of this and will set LSR between 8:15 and 8:30. I've been running a lot of LSRs at the fast end of this range of late, some faster. I'm confident that this pace will be manageable but also sustainable over 20 consecutive weeks with increasing mileage.

MLR
The pace for these should be similar to LSR pace. I'll allow scope for a little faster running and set this at 8:10 to 8:25.

Lactate Threshold
I'm not 100% sure about this one.

P&D say this should equate with your 15K to HM pace. I managed 4:11 [6:44] on the Garmin for the HM, I don't have a recent 10 miler to use as a 15K guide. If I put my 5K, 10K and HM times into McMillan he gives me an average pace of 4:03 [6:31] over 15K.

I've trialled a pace of 4:00 [6:26] to 4:05 [6:34] over the last few weeks. And I haven't been totally convinced that it's correct, much that I like to think it should be 4:00 to 4:05 I have a suspicion that it's just a tiny bit fast. So based on HM and McMillan's predicted 15K I'm going with 4:03 [6:31] to 4:08 [6:39]. It allows me to run the times I've been trialling with over the last few weeks, just cuts out the faster end of my trial pace.

VO2 Max
P&D say that to gain the best benefit from VO2 sessions, marathoners should stick to 5K pace. I ran 3:42 [5:57] pace on the Garmin in the Jingle Bells a month a go. I'm setting VO2Max pace at 3:40 [5:54] to 3:45 [6:02]


Pace | 2015 Max km[mile] | 2015 Min km[mile] | P&D 2014 Range
VO2 Max | 3:40 [5:54] | 3:45 [6:02] | 3:45 [6:02] to 3:50 [6:10]
Lactate Threshold | 4:03 [6:31] | 4:08 [6:39] | 4:10 [6:42] to 4:15 [6:50]
PMP | 4:29 [7:13] | 4:31 [7:16] | 4:43 [7:35] to 4:43 [7:35]
MLR | 5:04 [8:10] | 5:14 [8:25] | 5:14 [8:25] to 5:23 [8:40]
LSR | 5:08 [8:15] | 5:17 [8:30] | 5:17 [8:30] to 5:26 [8:45]
General Aerobic | 5:26 [8:45] | 5:36 [9:00] | 5:36 [9:00] to 5:45 [9:15]
Recovery | 5:48 [9:20] | 6:13 [10:00] | 5:48 [9:20] to 6:13 [10:00]

Duanington

Best of luck with it Outforarun

outforarun

Lactate Threshold 13K with 6K @ LT

Working from home and didn't have much time to dwell on the fact that I was kicking off CCM15 training today. I would have liked to have taken a day off and started at my leisure but I had too much to do at work.

I'd been outside in the late afternoon and I knew it was cold out there. The prospect of working the legs and lungs up and down the Chapelizod Road was not too inviting. I left my regular t-shirt on and threw a running top and jacket over it. Gloves on for this first run. At least the roads weren't icy.

I take a long warm-up from Kilmainham out the Chapelizod Road. Various other groups of runners out braving the chill. There's a light cold headwind blowing toward town and I know this outbound stretch will be tough for the LT section. I'm not looking forward to this, I just want to get it done and get home. I turn around after 4K and start heading back to town. Not long after the Chapelizod Gate I reach 5K and hit the lap button. Here we go.

I'm flying over the first 500ms, Garmin showing 3:55 [6:18] pace. I ease up slowly but not too slowly as I want to bank some time on this stretch before I turn back into the wind at Islandbridge Gate. Legs feel good. I feel light, at least I convince myself I do and in fairness I'm around 2.5 kg lighter than when I tested this session 10 days ago. I reach the Gate with average pace at 4:04[6:33]. The LT session begins properly when I turn into the wind and head back toward Chapelizod. Effort levels rising. Wind is fairly strong and the air is cold I can feel it in my throat. Each time I check the Garmin I'm holding pace at 4:03[6:31] or 4:04[6:33]. Telling myself that once I get this stretch completed I'll have broken the back of the session.

I'm happy I've changed LT pace from 4:00/4:05 to 4:03/4:08: running at 4:04 pace in the latter feels far less pressured than running 4:04 in the former. Happy to turn around at the Gate and head back toward town with the wind at my back. Legs are working more than lungs, effort is hard but manageable. I realise the pace has gone up to 4:02[6:29]. Turn at the gate again for another 600ms or so into the wind. Happy in the knowledge that I'm nearly done. At 5.5K I turn one last time to finish with the wind at my back. Job done.

A leisurely 2K cool-down. I'm not feeling the cold anymore. Home around an hour after I set out.

It feels really good to have got the ball rolling

5.00K @ 5:14 [3.11M @ 8:25]
6.01K @ 4:03 [3.73M @ 6:31]
2.00K @ 5:21 [1.25M @ 8:36]

Total 13.02K @ 4:42 [8.09M @ 7:34]

P&D55 Week 01 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
Lactate Threshold 13K with 6K @ 4:03[6:31] to 4:05[6:39] | 13.02K with 6K at 4:03[6:31] | 73.05 KG
General Aerobic 9M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |
Recovery 4M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | |
MLR 12M @ 8:10 to 8:25 | |


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
01 / 01 / 00 / 00 / 85 | 8.09 / 54.14 / 54.14

overpronator

Nice session, well done. So it begins............:)

ClashCityRocker

Look forward to following your progress on this OFAR, i'm in a very similar situation to you. Having read your log a bit, it looks like our 10k, HM etc times are around the same level yet my marathon time is also well off what it "should" be (3:18:30 pb). I'm aiming to put this right in Berlin so my marathon schedule won't be kicking off for a while, looking forward to seeing how you get on in the meantime.

Best of luck!:cool:

outforarun

ClashCityRocker wrote: »

Look forward to following your progress on this OFAR, i'm in a very similar situation to you. Having read your log a bit, it looks like our 10k, HM etc times are around the same level yet my marathon time is also well off what it "should" be (3:18:30 pb). I'm aiming to put this right in Berlin so my marathon schedule won't be kicking off for a while, looking forward to seeing how you get on in the meantime.

Best of luck!:cool:

Thanks CCR. And it's more frustrating because the majority of the training that I do is marathon based or marathon influenced.

outforarun

General Aerobic 9 Miles

Managed to get to sleep by 11pm last night which is early for me. I was up around 5:20 and thankfully the really strong winds had gone. Ate a banana before setting out.

I recently picked up a copy of Matt Fitzgerald’s “The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition” (not that I knew the old rules). I’m not strictly following his nutrition plans, but I am picking up some tit-bits of advice. Normally I’d run on an empty stomach if I was heading out early, however he mentions that when we start a run our muscles initially rely predominantly on blood glucose for fuel. Apparently when we sleep our central nervous system is kept functioning via blood glucose, this is sourced from liver glycogen stores. These stores will have been depleted by 50% by the time we wake. Your muscles first choice energy source is compromised and so we feel sluggish on our run. He recommends eating something that is mostly carbohydrate and easily digestible – this “provides a second reservoir from which your blood glucose concentration can be maintained”. A banana fits the bill.

On the road at 5:40. Not too windy, not too cold. This morning’s route was three laps from Kilmainham over to Inchicore, back to the Luas tracks via Emmet Road and James Street, down to Heuston and up by HSQ. This is a fraction over 3 miles. Fair bit of debris lying about from the winds last night.

I checked the Garmin for the first time at the end of lap 1 and average pace was 8:30, too fast. I apply the brakes over the next lap and I'm back on target after two laps. I’m feeling no heaviness or sluggishness on this run so maybe there is something in this banana business. On lap 3 I try keep my pace in check, legs feeling very comfortable. Finish up with an average pace of 8:50.

M01 9:02
M02 8:18
M03 8:10
M04 8:40
M05 8:55
M06 9:17
M07 9:25
M08 8:43
M09 8:56

Total 9.08M @ 8:50

P&D55 Week 01 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
Lactate Threshold 13K with 6K @ 4:03[6:31] to 4:05[6:39] | 13.02K with 6K at 4:03[6:31] | 73.05 KG
General Aerobic 9M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 9.08M @ 8:50 | 73.10 KG
Recovery 4M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | |
MLR 12M @ 8:10 to 8:25 | |


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
02 / 02 / 00 / 00 / 84 | 17.17 / 63.22 / 63.22

outforarun

Recovery 4 Miles

An early start for a Saturday saw me on the road a little after 7:30am. Still quite dark out and fairly chilly, I could feel the hands starting to sting a little despite having gloves on. Out and back along the Chapelizod Road. Against the wind on the way out, with the wind on the way back. Incredibly there’s a rower down on the Liffey, heading upriver and wearing a head torch: it looks so cold down there on the water.

I keep average pace well inside recovery range, I’m in no hurry and enjoying the lightening sky as I head back to Kilmainham.

M01 10:35
M02 09:23
M03 09:06
M04 09:20

Total 4.05M @ 9:36

P&D55 Week 01 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
Lactate Threshold 13K with 6K @ 4:03[6:31] to 4:05[6:39] | 13.02K with 6K at 4:03[6:31] | 73.05 KG
General Aerobic 9M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 9.08M @ 8:50 | 73.10 KG
Recovery 4M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | 4.05M @ 9:36 | 73.45 KG
MLR 12M @ 8:10 to 8:25 | |


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
03 / 03 / 00 / 00 / 83 | 21.22 / 67.27 / 67.27

outforarun

MLR 12 Miles

Another cold one yesterday morning. I wrap up well with base layer, t-shirt, running jacket and gloves. Follow the same route as last Sunday. The roads are fine outside the Park, but once inside the park I started to hit some slippery patches. At the top of the Upper Glen Road I played it safe and ran on the grass pretty much all the way to Knockmaroon Gate. The top of White’s Road was also a bit risky so I didn’t build up the usual momentum that I do descending it. Down OS Road and up Furze Road. A lot of runners out this morning.

I’m moving comfortably and I’m not feeling the cold now. On North Road a quick check of the Garmin shows that I’ve hit my maximum allowed average pace of 8:10. I ease off slightly. As I head down Acres the sun comes out, lovely view of dark Dublin Mountains with dark clouds on top and then slanting sunshine coming over the clouds and across the 15 Acres and onto the grazing deer. Wished I had a camera with me.

Pace has crept up again and is 8:08 as I turn off Acres and head toward the S-Bends. I make a proper attempt this time to slow up. Finish the run on target with legs feeling very fresh.

One week down.

After over 2 years of everyday use the strap on the Garmin is starting to fall apart. Will probably invest in a new one and I’m tempted by the 220. Mostly because of the possibility of loading workouts.

This cycle I’m also focusing a bit more on what I eat, so much so that I’ve started up a food diary for the duration of the 20 weeks. One thing I notice is that I snack much more at the weekend than during the week. I need to keep an eye on this. I am allowing myself to 100gs of chocolate at the weekend. Other than that snacks involve, cheese. crackers, nuts, yoghurts etc.

M01 8:49
M02 8:04
M03 7:58
M04 8:05
M05 8:35
M06 7:55
M07 7:53
M08 8:00
M09 8:05
M10 8:10
M11 8:20
M12 8:04

Total 12.16M @ 8:11

P&D55 Week 01 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
Lactate Threshold 13K with 6K @ 4:03[6:31] to 4:05[6:39] | 13.02K with 6K at 4:03[6:31] | 73.05 KG
General Aerobic 9M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 9.08M @ 8:50 | 73.10 KG
Recovery 4M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | 4.05M @ 9:36 | 73.45 KG
MLR 12M @ 8:10 to 8:25 | 12.16M @ 8:11 | 72.20 KG


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
04 / 04 / 00 / 00 / 82 | 33.38 / 79.43 / 79.43

outforarun

General Aerobic 13K with 10x100m Strides

Didn’t get to sleep until after midnight last night so it was a bit of a challenge to get up and out this morning. Ate a banana, into the gear and on the road for 5:45. Not nearly as cold as it has been over the last few days.

I started with one lap of my Kilmainham-Inchicore- James-Heuston-HSQ loop. The legs felt good. I headed down then to the Chapelizod Road and ran out to the Chapelizod Gate. One other couple of runners on this stretch this morning. I turn around at the Chapelizod Gate and get into the strides.

I don’t look at my watch at all and aim to hit a little faster than 5K pace while focusing on a smooth stride. I’m running 200ms between each set of strides I’ve 6 completed by the time I’m back at Islandbridge. Turn around and run 2 more, turn around again and complete the final 2 before a relaxed trot back home. I have the strides set up as an interval session on the watch and I just run to the audio cues. I think I may have lost concentration on some of the strides and started to ease up as soon as the Garmin started beeping, rather than waiting for the final beep. Either side of the strides I kept the pace inside General Aerobic range.

8.02K @ 5:29 [4.98M @ 8:49]
10x100m strides @ average 3:40 [5:54]
1.99K @ 5:30 [1.24M @ 8:52]

Total 13.01 @ 5:19 [8.09M @ 8:33]

P&D55 Week 02 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 13K @ 5:26 to 5:36 with 10x100m Strides| 13.01K @ 5:19[8:33] with average stride 3:40[5:54] | 73.35 KG
General Aerobic 10M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |
Recovery 5M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | |
LSR 21K at 5:05 to 5:17 with 13K @ PMP 4:29 to 4:31 | |


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
05 / 05 / 00 / 00 / 81 | 8.09 / 87.52 / 87.52

outforarun

General Aerobic 10 Miles

So I ran my rainy route home from work this evening. even when it's not raining this route is determined to get me wet.

Mess of a session.

First I forget to pack my small rucksack so I'm left to run with my bigger rucksack, which I feel obliged to fill with more stuff than I'd put in the small rucksack. So I end up running with a 3.6 kilo handicap.

Second - see above link. I'm running down Leeson Park and I check the Garmin for the first time. I see 4:0X pace showing. Odd I thought I'd switched it back from metric and besides I'm not travelling at LT pace. I check the settings while running. It is in miles! I could have sworn I was running 8 minute something miles though and not low 4 minute miles
I kill the session and start a new session to capture the rest of the run.

Third - I spend the guts of the run watching the pace creep up from 8:2X to 8:1X and then start to slow when I start seeing 8:0X pace. Only when I'm running through Rialto do I remember that this isn't meant to be MLR pace, I should be running GA pace. Ah B0ll0x.

I drop the pace right down for the last couple of miles or so in a pitiful attempt to get the average pace back into GA range. Too late, I'd have to walk to get it down.

I cannot mark this one as 'on target'. I'll mark it as off target for now and try rerun it in one of my buffer weeks (it'll bug me otherwise).

Anyway - the legs felt heavy, the pavement felt extra concretety and the traffic lights were never green.

0.84M @ 8:38
9.23M @ 8:35

Total 10.07M* @ 8:35

*distance of route last time I ran it

P&D55 Week 02 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 13K @ 5:26 to 5:36 with 10x100m Strides| 13.01K @ 5:19[8:33] with average stride 3:40[5:54] | 73.35 KG
General Aerobic 10M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 10.07 @ 8:35 | 72.20 KG
Recovery 5M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | |
LSR 21K at 5:05 to 5:17 with 13K @ PMP 4:29 to 4:31 | |


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
06 / 05 / 00 / 00 / 80 | 18.16 / 97.59 / 97.59

outforarun

Recovery 5 Miles

I was on the 7:00am train to Cork Saturday morning, dressed in running gear with tracksuit bottoms on. As we pull into Kent it's off with the runners, off with the tracksuit bottoms and back on with the runners. Rucksack is heavier than I'd have liked, weighing around 5 kilos.

I run from the train station to Glanmire following the CCM route as far as the Silver Springs hotel, where I take a right to head up the very steep climb up to Mayfield. This on paper is meant to be a recovery run, but with a 5 kilo bag on my back and this tough incline it feels anything but recovery. Memorable mile to bring up 100 for the year though.

What goes up must come down so I enjoyed the descent back down to river level into Glanmire Village. A final short steep climb to complete the 5 miles.

M01 08:37
M02 09:36
M03 10:33 (100 miles for the year)
M04 08:40
M05 09:23

Total 5.01M @ 9:22

P&D55 Week 02 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 13K @ 5:26 to 5:36 with 10x100m Strides| 13.01K @ 5:19[8:33] with average stride 3:40[5:54] | 73.35 KG
General Aerobic 10M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 10.07 @ 8:35 | 72.20 KG
Recovery 5M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | 5.01 @ 9:22 | N/A
LSR 21K at 5:05 to 5:17 with 13K @ PMP 4:29 to 4:31 | |


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
07 / 06 / 00 / 00 / 79 | 23.17 / 102.60 / 102.60

outforarun

PMP 21K with 13K @ PMP

One Murphy's and one Jameson more than planned on Saturday night, meant I wasn't super enthusiastic about heading out for this one Sunday morning.

Once I got going I felt fine though. This would be a simple out and back. The first 5 miles of the run went fine as I targeted LSR pace and ran right at the edge of the faster end of target range. Five miles brought me as far as the South Mall, then I hit lap on the Garmin and stretch the legs into sub 3:10 marathon pace. The first few kilometres are into a light headwind, out the Western Road and down the Mardyke past the Mardyke Arena. I reach my turn around point and prepare to retrace my steps back home.

Initially PMP feels a little bit harder than I'd have liked, but after the first 5K I've settled into it and it feels fairly fluid and natural. I'm travelling a little faster than PMP, at 4:24 [7:05] pace. I ease up ever so slightly and the pace drops to 4:25 [7:06]. All along the river heading back along the marathon route through Tivoli and down the dual carriageway the pace holds at 4:25 [7:06]. I know I should ease off a little more but I'm also thinking of the short but steep hill at the end of the run, thinking this could knock a couple of seconds off average pace. I go through 10K in 44:14, feeling pretty good.

I turn toward Glanmire at the Dunkettle Roundabout and the pace drops to 4:26 [7:08]. Legs are turning over well. Breathing is good. Eventually arrive at the hill at the end. The pace does drop off but I don't have enough road left to allow it drop down to target range. I finish with an average PMP of 4:27 [7:10].

So for the second time in week 2 I complete a session faster than planned. I'm annoyed because it spoils the table below. But on the other hand this session acted as a nice little confidence boost early in the schedule. The prospect of 42 of these for a sub 3:10 is pretty daunting. But hitting this pace ahead of a possible sub 3:20 attempt is already making me feel good about my prospects.

08.05K @ 5:05 [5.00M @ 8:11]
13.16K @ 4:27 [8.18M @ 7:10]

Total 21.21K @ 4:42 [13.18M @ 7:33]

P&D55 Week 02 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 13K @ 5:26 to 5:36 with 10x100m Strides| 13.01K @ 5:19[8:33] with average stride 3:40[5:54] | 73.35 KG
General Aerobic 10M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 10.07 @ 8:35 | 72.20 KG
Recovery 5M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | 5.01 @ 9:22 | N/A
LSR 21K at 5:05 to 5:17 with 13K @ PMP 4:29 to 4:31 | 21.21K @ 4:42[7:34] with 13.18K @ 4:27[7:10] | N/A


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
08 / 06 / 00 / 00 / 78 | 36.35 / 115.78 / 115.78

outforarun

General Aerobic 10 Miles

Wasn’t working yesterday so headed out at a leisurely 10am for this 10 miler. Had a route in mind but I ended up daydreaming and ran automatically to Islandbridge Gate so from there I made this one up as I went along. Up the Khyber and onto the North Road. I took a trip into Farmleigh. Back out and down OS Road and followed the main road round to Chapelizod Gate. Up Acres, down Chesterfield and home. For a while I thought it might snow, at other times it was drizzling and near the end I was getting some sunshine.

Legs felt a bit heavy at the outset not helped by the uphill profile of the first few miles. Probably some of Sunday's PMP effort was still in the legs. As soon as I started out of Farmleigh the pace picked up and pretty soon I was having to slow down. General aerobic pace feeling very comfortable and I just spent the time looking for any very early signs of spring (spotted some daffodil shoots) while the miles ticked away.

M01 8:58
M02 9:01
M03 8:39
M04 8:34
M05 8:22
M06 8:11
M07 8:32
M08 9:10
M09 8:48
M10 9:33

Total 10.01M @ 8:47

P&D55 Week 03 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 10M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 10.01M @ 8:47 | 72.80 KG
Recovery 4M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | |
Lactate Threshold 13K with 6K at 4:03[6:31] to 4:08[6:39] | |
Recovery 5M @ 9:20 to 10:00 | |
MLR 14M @ 8:10 to 8:25 | |


Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
09 / 07 / 00 / 00 / 77 | 10.01 / 125.79 / 125.79