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2012 4 Races for 4 PBs
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VO2Max 13K with 5x800 @ 5K pace
Success
Very wary all day ahead of this. Could feel a hint of something from the knee and wasn't hugely optimistic ahead of this first proper speed session in weeks, months. Booked the track.
Got out of work on time and headed to a nearby pharmacy. Measured my knee and bought an open-patella knee support. Cost me €17.80.
Back to hotel and get ready for run. The knee support is a perfect fit. Feels very snug and compresses the knee for sure. Head out with only t-shirt on top. With the support on I feel so so so much more confident with the knee. Everything really does feel supported. I feel a muffled hint of something over the first 100ms but from then on the knee behaves fine.
I warm-up with an abbreviated lap of Cartrontroy and then onto the track for the session proper. My companions tonight are a mixed group of students (I think they're students) running some sprinting drills and later setting up hurdles). Lane 1 is empty.
So these are meant to be run at 5K pace which I'm setting at 3:40 [5:54] to 3:45 [6:02]. To be honest I'd be thrilled if I could run 5K at 3:45 right now - it's been almost 3 months since my 3:45 pace Parkrun, surely I've lost some top speed. A quick calculation says I should be running between 1:28 and 1:30 a lap. I'll take 2 mins recovering between intervals. I hit lap on the Garmin and start proceedings.
2:55.90
Glance at Garmin after 400m and see 1:26. Too fast, ease up. Could feel the effort becoming tougher over second lap. It's been a while since I've run intervals, I'm not used to them anymore. Lungs already know they'll be busy tonight.
2:57.35
Jog up and down the 100m straight and then start the second 800. There's a significant headwind blowing down the straight and it's hard work leaning into it. Try to run this a fraction more gentle than the first one. Don't want to burn myself out to soon.
2:56.82
Pattern developing - run first 400m just a tiny bit too fast each time, then struggle a little to hold pace and form over the second lap. Lungs are working. That is the objective of VO2 I guess.
2:57.35
Carbon copy time-wise of the second interval. This feels a little easier now that I have a rhythm established. My knee feels fine. I'm really glad I picked up this support. It's not bothering me in the slighest.
2:55.05
My last 800 is my fastest 800. I didn't deliberately aim for this, I just found myself buoyed by the knowledge that it was the last one.
And I'm done. That was fun. I've missed intervals. Average 800 time was 2:56.49, which is 3:40 [5:55] pace. Right on the fast limit of target range.
Cool-down back to hotel. Knee not protesting at all. A little buzzed after this one.
Take no chances and pick up another pack of frozen peas and ice the knee again (no waste, these packs of peas will travel back to Dublin with me and will go in the freezer there, I'll continue to ice after next few runs and the support will stay on as well).
Warm-up 4.18K @ 5:10 [2.60M @ 8:18]
5x800 @ 3:40 [5:55] (average time 2:56.49)
Cool-down 3.18K @ 5:30 [1.97M @ 8:51]
Total 13.02K @ 4:44 [8.09M @ 7:38]
P&D55 Week 10 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 8 Miles @ 8:15 to 8:30 | 8.09M @ 8:20 | N/A
V02Max 13K with 5x800 @ 3:40 to 3:45 off 2:00 recovery | 13.02K @ 4:44, average interval in 3:40 [8.09M @ 7:38, average interval in 5:55]| N/A
Recovery 5 Miles @ 9:20 to 10:00 | |
General Aerobic 13K @ 5:07 to 5:16 with 8x100m strides | |
MLR 14M @ 7:54 to 8:08 | |
Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
45 / 44 / 00 / 00 / 41 | 16.18 / 44.90 / 469.08
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LSR 20 Miles
Too Fast
Very Comfortable
Frost on the roof this morning so I wrapped up well, base layer, long sleeved top, running jacket and gloves. Headed out some time after 8:00 for this. Plan was simple, into the Park at Islandbridge, 3 anticlockwise laps and then out at Park Gate and home.
My legs felt like two wet sandbags for the opening miles and I decided not to bother looking at the Garmin. I didn't need it to tell me I was running too slow. Meet a mate behind the zoo on lap one and he accompanied me for a little over a lap. Conversation is welcome as it distracts me from how my legs feel. They start to wake up a little going downhill along Upper Glen Road. I check average pace as I complete lap 1, it's 8:26. I need to pick it up a little.
Behind the zoo my mate hops back on his bike and cycles with me as far as Mountjoy roundabout. This helps inject a little extra pace. Then when he leaves I stop talking and this introduces even more pace. Legs are awake now.
The sun has come out as well and suddenly I'm overdressed. Treat it as warm weather training. I'm envious of all the runners just arriving in the park, with their short sleeve tops or singlets. I know the pace has increased, as I complete lap 2 I check and see it has risen to 8:02. That's a big jump in just one lap, I'm clearly running too quick now. Tell myself to ease up a little for the final lap.
I feel I'm slowing down but the Garmin is saying otherwise as average pace continues to climb. On Ordnance Road it drops to 7:59. I feel fine. Legs are good, knee is grand, and I feel no indication that I'm running out of energy.
I had 2 glasses of water for breakfast and I'm not carrying any gels (I will do on my next 20 miler).
The pace keeps rising but the effort seems the same. Average pace at the end of lap 3 is 7:56. Half-hearted attempt to drop it down as I head out Park Gate and then I just accept that this will be second off target session, just like the 18 miler I ran some weeks back.
Finish 20 miles feeling grand. Legs have ached a bit during the day but a good ache. Left achilles feels a bit stiff. I'm not running tomorrow and maybe not Tuesday either so that should allow them time to loosen out.
That's week 11 done. I spent some time during today's run thinking ahead to next Saturday. A sense of dread has already taken hold ahead of the first 10K TT of the training plan.
So Mesocycle 2 is over. Time will tell if I've survived it or not.
Miles 01 to 05 in 42:46 [8:32]
M01 9:28
M02 8:30
M03 8:18
M04 8:14
M05 8:14
Miles 06 to 10 in 39:26 [7:53]
M06 8:06
M07 8:05
M08 7:59
M09 7:41
M10 7:35
Miles to 11 to 15 in 37:38 [7:32]
M11 7:19
M12 7:23
M13 7:31
M14 7:44
M15 7:41
Miles 16 to 20 in 39:13 [7:50]
M16 7:34
M17 7:31
M18 7:59
M19 7:56
M20 8:13
Total 20.12M @ 7:57
P&D55 Week 11 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
Recovery 11K at 5:48 to 6:13 with 6x100m strides | 11.01K @ 5:36 with average stride 3:38 [6.84M @ 9:00] | 70.85 KG
Lactate Threshold 18K with 11K @ 3:58 to 4:02 | 18.03K @ 4:19 with 11K @ 4:01 [11.53M @ 6:57 with 6.84M @ 6:29] | N/A
MLR 12M @ 7:54 to 8:08 | 12.22M @ 8:01 | N/A
Recovery 5 Miles @ 9:20 to 10:00 | 5.02M @ 9:22 | 71.20 KG
LSR 20M @ 7:59 to 8:13 | 20.12M @ 7:57 | 70.25 KG
Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
53 / 51 / 00 / 00 / 33 | 55.73 / 127.81 / 561.99
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10K TT
This is the run which for me signals the start of the toughest section of this P&D plan. The next few weeks will see 2 more 10K TTs (or maybe a 10K race), a 14 mile sub 3 hour marathon paced run, another 20 miler and a series of longer and longer VO2Max interval sessions. Throw in a dodgy left knee and the next few weeks look daunting.
For Saturday's 10K I decided I'd target a sub 39:30 on the Garmin. I could hit this target on 3:56 [6:20] pace. Not too much quicker than my recent tempos so surely not too much to worry about. However I couldn't shake a sense of dread ahead of this one. I wasn't in the mood to hurt but I knew this would hurt and I'd not been looking forward to it all week.
On my warm-up I meet overpronator doing hill repeats with Donore up and down the Khyber. I've been thinking about joining Donore after Cork, mainly to join in on their Sunday morning 16 milers. These I reckon would really help build up some leg strength.
I reach Chesterfield and turn right. Arrive at Furze Road and I stop and reset the Garmin. Sun is out, it's a nice morning with no strong winds blowing. They've chopped down my usual starting-line tree (but planted new trees in its place) so I use a yellow line on the road as my starting line. I stroll up and down a bit beforehand, a mix of stalling and of just getting prepared mentally. Then it's time. It'll be three full laps of the Furze, Ordnance and Chesterfield loop, plus one more time down Furze and up 95% of Ordnance. Target sub 39:30.
Lap 1
A forgiving slight downhill to start. This sees me immediately running too fast. It feels comfortable but no heroics today so I make sure to ease up and try to drop down to target pace 3:56 [6:20]. I swing onto Ordnance and start my first trip up this steady drag. First K logs at 3:53 [6:15].
After a 100ms or so I realise there's a car matching my pace travelling on the other side of the road. I think please don't ask directions. I look across and the driver has the window rolled down and is looking at me. "That's a good pace you're going at. You'd want to watch the camber on the road though." I mention something about preferring the tarmac to the harder path surface but he says he thinks there is some give on the path. "Are you with a club?". I say no. "I'm with Liffey Valley, look us up. We're looking for runners like yourself". "I've been running 35 years, you're travelling very well." Mention that I'm training for Cork, he says I look like I'll go under 3:10 no problem. Mentions Liffey Valley again says best of luck and drives off. I believe he was genuine and I'd be lying if I said this didn't act as a timely confidence boost.
I turn off Ordnance and start down Chesterfield. Not watching splits, just keeping an eye on average pace and I see it's dropped to 3:55 [6:19]. I get just a little anxious in case it drops any further and start to push ever so slightly. I turn right back onto Furze and speed over my yellow line.
Lap 2
I spot 3:54 [6:17] showing half way down. But the pinch has started now and the endurance test will begin soon enough. I'm overtaking some other runners which always acts as a distraction. The slight headwind that I barely noticed first time round now feels like it's working against me. I swing wide round the corner and back onto Ordnance. I take Liffey Valley's advice and opt for the path this time. Nobody to talk to and the drag feels tougher. I make a decision not to look at the Garmin again until I've completed another length of Furze. I don't want to look at it now as a slow average pace on this uphill would probably demotivate me.
Glad to turn onto Chesterfield again. Half way down I realise I might be easing off a little too much as I try recover from the Ordnance drag. I push a little. Back onto Furze, back into the headwind and back over my yellow line.
Lap 3
My footfall feels flatter, my form feels sloppy, I'm not happy. The wind is getting to me, my lungs are working. I feel like I'm slowing. I remember this session last year when I was trying for sub 40, struggling badly and where I abandoned the third lap at the bottom of Furze in favour of a more downhill route. I wouldn't allow myself do that this year. Lots of negative thoughts though as I'm convincing myself that the session is drifting away from me. Eventually I reach the bottom of Furze and prepare myself for whatever bad news the Garmin has in store. I am shocked instead to see an average pace of 3:52 [6:13] :eek:
This changes everything (so much is in the head). I was convinced that as effort levels were rising I was slowing. The opposite may have been truer, the more I was speeding up, the more the effort levels were growing. I am well on track for my sub 39:30 target. I'm suddenly confident of hitting my goal. However I'm still hurting and I still have a way to travel. I introduce some caution and ease up just a little, just get some breathing space on the uphill and then hold her steady until the last K, that's the plan. I pass the duck-pond at the top of Ordnance and tell myself that it's just one full lap now.
I'm in countdown mode and dreaming of finishing. Down Chesterfield enjoying the slight break this gives the legs. I'm not going to look at the Garmin until the bottom of Furze again. I turn right off Chesterfield and over my yellow line.
Lap 4 (partial lap).
I heard 8K sound around the start of Furze. P&D have this session defined as an 8K to 15K race. Why didn't I opt for 8K? Legs and lungs working hard. Form still not great. Not too much longer now, hold it steady and you'll hit target. Bottom of Furze and I check pace as I turn for the final drag up Ordnance, average pace 3:54 [6:17]. I'm on the last K. I'm sticking to the path again. I push, I don't want the drag to drop that average pace any further. Up ahead I spot some runners and I use them as a distraction, I imagine I'm in a race and I need to pull them in. I glance at distance, just 500ms to go. I overtake the runners. Lungs are working hard. I pick out a point up ahead where I estimate the finish line.
Another glance at the Garmin and with about 140ms to go I realise that I've hit my goal but I could maybe go sub 39. I push hard, don't relent. The Garmin beeps, I hit stop. Little fist pump as I see 38:55 showing. Brilliant.
I walk for the next few minutes enjoying the satisfaction of the session success. Really thrilled with this. I was going to target sub 39:00 on the final TT, instead it's come early. This is just one second outside my 10K PB (ok there was no racing line to worry about today), it's the first time I've gone sub 39 in training. It's a big improvement on last year where I had to 'cheat' a little just to go sub 40:00. And my knee didn't protest at all.
This was a surprise confidence-boost session. So much so that I'm already viewing the next two TTs with just a little less dread. I think watching the Garmin only once per lap was good. On this course I think it's ok to monitor it as much as I want over the first lap as I try to establish pace. But then once a lap (at the fastest point of the lap) is sufficient. Looking at it any more just increases the mental pressure.
I forgot to weigh in after this, but after today's run (Sunday) I weighed in at a record low of 69.60 kilos; so I think weight also had a role to play Saturday. Buzzed for the rest of the day.
Garmin Link
Warm-up 3.81K @ 5:21 [2.37M @ 8:37]
K01 3:53 [6:15]
K02 3:59 [6:25]
K03 3:49 [6:08]
K04 3:47 [6:05]
K05 3:56 [6:19]
K06 3:50 [6:11]
K07 3:56 [6:19]
K08 3:56 [6:20]
K09 3:55 [6:18]
K10 3:55 [6:18]
Total 10.00K in 38:55.16
@ 3:54 [6:16]
Cool-down 4.51K @ 5:07 [2.80M @ 8:14]
P&D55 Week 12 Session Targets|Session Results | Post Run Weight
VO2Max 13K with 6x600m @ 3:40 to 3:45 | 13.00K [8.08M], with average 600 @ 3:39 [5:52] |
MLR 12M @ 7:54 to 8:08 | 12.22M @ 8:01 | N/A
Recovery 8K @ 5:48 to 6:13 with 6x100m Strides | DNS | N/A
10K TT - Sub 39:30 attempt | 38:55 pace 3:54 [6:16] | N/A
LSR 17M @ 7:59 to 8:13 | |
Sessions Completed / On Target / DNS / DNF / Remaining | Miles WTD / MTD / YTD
56 / 53 / 01 / 00 / 29 | 31.68 / 159.49 / 593.67
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tomwaits48 wrote: »you are some man Donal, you've come a long way and ail by training mostly solo. fair play. been a while since I dropped by the log, what's the target for Cork?
Good to see you back. Those first few long runs you've posted look very encouraging. Targets for Cork are:
:10:00 = Gold:15:00 = Silver:18:43 = Bronze:20:00 = Consolation
I'm training with sub 3:00 paces but target is sub 3:10, did the same last year, trained for sub 3:10 to try run 3:20 and it worked sweetly, produced a negative split as well.0 -
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