2012 4 Races for 4 PBs

outforarun

13K with 6K @ Tempo

The next few tempo runs I complete I'll be paying close attention to how the effort feels. This particular session is the session that normally opens the P&D program and traditionally I've found it tricky. However each time I've followed P&D I've found these become easier as the weeks pass and I've always successfully completed the final 11K tempo thinking that a 6K tempo had now become an easy session.

I opt for the Furze Road, OS Road loop Saturday afternoon. Conditions are ok. Cloudy and warm without being too warm. Slight headwind to tackle going up OS Road. I start at the Chesterfield end of Furze I reckon I'll need to complete 2 laps and a bit. I start fast, up around 3K pace and so the first K is all about gently easing up. I'm targeting 3:50 to 3:56 [6:10 to 6:20]. The run down Furze is always a nice gentle way to start a tempo or TT. Before I know it I'm swinging wide onto OS with one K already completed.

Onto the slight incline and into the slight headwind. I'm still not on target pace and I'm still receiving too fast alerts from the Garmin. This helps take a lot of pressure off, no need to push. I discover the descent down Chesterfield actually presents a stronger headwind than OS Road. Turn off Chesterfield and back onto Furze to complete lap 1. Still too fast with average pace flicking between 3:49 [6:08] and 3:50 [6:10].

Effort is high but it feels easier than last weekend's tempo and I'm holding a higher pace. I get a few more too fast alerts before I reach the end of Furze again. I'm thinking bank this faster pace and I won't need any heroics up OS and into the wind. That's exactly what happens. Average pace drops naturally on the ascent and is showing 3:51 [6:11] when I turn back onto Chesterfield.

Try extend my stride on the downhill. Effort has crept up for sure, legs are feeling it and lungs are working. I'm still not 100% after a headcold during the week. Happy to turn into the calm on Furze. Complete 2 laps and now I've around 600m remaining. No pushing, no easing up, just hold pace through the white bollards and 100ms or so later I'm done. Average pace of 3:51 [6:12].

That was tough but not extremely tough like 7 days earlier. Don't think I could have stayed at the fast end of target pace for too much longer but I'm happy with how the run went. For now tempo pace will remain as is.

03.74K @ 5:25 [2.33M @ 8:43]
06.00K @ 3:51 [3.73M @ 6:12]
05.49K @ 4:55 [3.41M @ 7:55]
15.24K @ 4:37 [9.47M @ 7:26]

WTD 22.51M MTD 22.51M YTD 711.95M

outforarun

MLR 12 Miles

Falling behind here again. Real life's been busy with travel, work, weddings, and bathroom upgrades. I finished week one of DCM training two Sundays ago. Easily the nicest day of the year so far. Spectacular sunshine, warm air, blue skies. No reluctance at all to lace up and get out.

Stayed in the Park for the guts of this and stuck mostly to the trails. So from after the zoo I hugged the perimeter wall. Down along the Farmleigh boundary wall. Into and out of the Furry Glen, exiting on a new trail. I then explored the trail that runs back up around the OS Grounds hugging the black fencing. I cut right across the playing fields, always love doing this, irrespective of the weather. The model airplane enthusiasts are out in force and I get a good view of the aircraft in action. I do a lap around the Fort and follow some more trails around the base of Khyber and near the cricket grounds. Making it up as I go along.

Hugely enjoyable running conditions. More Sunday mornings like this please.

M01 8:08
M02 7:56
M03 7:52
M04 7:57
M05 7:46
M06 7:49
M07 7:45
M08 7:49
M09 7:54
M10 8:07
M11 8:03
M12 7:51

Total 12.21 @ 7:54

WTD 34.72M MTD 34.72M YTD 724.16M

outforarun

General Aerobic 8 Miles with 10x100m Strides

After 3 days without running I started last week's running on Thursday. This was my final buffer week ahead of the HM in Cork. It was also my second consecutive week of DCM training. I was off Thursday and Friday. Got into running gear and dropped junior outforarun to school and started running.

Another gorgeous sunny morning. I head out to Chapelizod along the towpath. Into the park at Chapelizod Gate and head up to Furze. Then down to the playing fields where I run the 10x100m strides. All good. Legs responding well.

Then home to try out new shower in revamped ensuite. For the next few runs I'll really be looking forward to the post-run shower, I reckon the novelty will last for at least 8 runs.

Total 9.02M @ 7:47

WTD 9.02M MTD 43.74M YTD 733.18M

outforarun

General Aerobic 10 Miles

Out Friday morning in Cork for this one. I'd decided in advance to run the loop out along the Carrigrohane Road and then back along the Lee Road.

On a weekend morning this is a nice route, especially along the windy, hilly and tree lined Lee Road. On a weekday morning you risk being taken out by commuter traffic. Too many blind bends, too many fast cars travelling in both directions and for a long stretch of the Lee Road there is no footpath. So I spent time pausing and crossing the road according to which side of the road was least dangerous. Not a lot of fun. Happy to finally reach a footpath again. I continue through Sunday's Well and back into town before looping back round by College Road and finishing the loop back on Western Road.

Legs felt good on this one. Nice to get this morning 10 miler under my belt, long day ahead with my sister's wedding to attend. Full marks for table seating plan, I was seated alongside a 2:53 marathoner. Not sure everyone else at the table was happy with this arrangement!

M01 8:28
M02 7:45
M03 7:39
M04 7:44
M05 7:48
M06 7:25
M07 7:46
M08 8:13
M09 7:57
M10 7:33

Total 10.18M @ 7:50

WTD 19.20M MTD 53.92M YTD 743.36M

outforarun

Recovery 5 Miles

Head was fine post-wedding and I headed out in the morning for a relaxing wake-me up 5 miler. Traveled out along the Mardyke and then turned at Dennehy's Cross onto College Road. Down past Finbarr's Cathedral and follow the river to the port. Pause awhile to watch from close-up as a cargo ship is loaded with grain. Then head back toward town to complete this morning run.

(been following the ship online since it's on its way to Lithuania. I never knew there was a canal that cuts right across the base of Denmark)

M01 9:02
M02 8:41
M03 8:26
M04 8:33
M05 8:21

Total 5.21 @ 8:35

WTD 24.41M MTD 58.13M YTD 748.57M

outforarun

21K with 13K @ MP

Last week's running culminated on Sunday with the first marathon paced miles of the P&D plan. I've mentioned it already but the goal for DCM17 is to run a comfortable sub 3:10. I reckon training with sub 3:00 paces gives me the buffer I need to hit sub 3:10, but training with sub 2:55 paces should hopefully look after the comfortable bit.

So a 2:55 marathon requires 4:08 [6:39] pace. I set up the work-out on the Garmin with the MP section targeting 4:05 [6:34] to 4:08 [6:39] pace. I didn't run early Sunday morning in Cork (had been out again at a busy day-after wedding reception at the new in-laws). I managed a small lie-in Sunday and waited until the evening back in Dublin to tackle this one.

Into the Park at Islandbridge Gate and I start lapping anti-clockwise. A bit anxious as the MP section draws closer, not sure how the legs are going to react. I pass through Mountjoy roundabout and down OS Road. The MP section starts after 8K right at the start of the descent down the Glen Road.

Downhill, so I start fast. Ease up a little but not enough and I continue running just ahead of target range for the guts of the next lap. The hardest part is maybe early on, with the ascent up Wellington and then the drag up around the Garda HQ. After that I settle into a steady confortable pace, the Garmin switching between 4:03 [6:31] and 4:04 [6:33] pace. Only when I'm nearly down to the end of OS Road does the Garmin signal that I am within target pace range. With most of the climbing now done I know I'll probably need to focus on slowing down rather than speeding up, for the remainder of the run.

Back down the Glen Road to Chapelizod Gate. I exit here and turn left onto the Chapelizod Road and continue at 'MP' pace back toward Kilmainham. Only along here does the pace starts to feel comfortably uncomfortable The MP section ends with the climb from Islandbridge up to the Hilton. I push on the accelerator for the remaining distance home, finishing the last portion of a mile at 3:37 [5:49] pace.

Ok so I ran this faster than planned, completing the MP section at 4:04 [6:32] pace. This is 2:51:XX marathon pace rather than 2:54:XX marathon pace. All the same this acts as a nice confidence boost ahead of DCM.

I'm shelving DCM training for the moment. Will now return to the P&L HM plan for the final three weeks before Cork. Next big date is a second 10K TT next weekend.

08.00K @ 4:45 [4.97M @ 7:39]
13.00K @ 4:04 [8.08M @ 6:32]
00.49K @ 3:37 [0.30M @ 5:49]

Total 21.49K @ 4:19 [13.35M @ 6:56]

WTD 37.76M MTD 71.48M YTD 761.88M

squiredanaher

outforarun wrote: »

Full marks for table seating plan, I was seated alongside a 2:53 marathoner.


WTD 19.20M MTD 53.92M YTD 743.36M

Haha, shur what could ye be talking about?!

outforarun

squiredanaher wrote: »

Haha, shur what could ye be talking about?!

In fairness we could have been a lot worse. Besides our respective running widows also got to exchange tales.

outforarun

Recovery 4 Miles with 4x100m Strides

Back to HM specific training earlier this week. Headed out for a lunch time recovery pace run with a few strides thrown in. As is mostly the case, I'm shuffling the sequence of my runs, this recovery should be run the day before the 10K TT. Logistically it works better for me this way and allows me take advantage of working from home so I can get this run done without anyone noticing at home.

The weather played ball with the sun arriving shortly before I headed out. So I had warm conditions with blue skies and sunshine. Usual destination, over to the Park via Islandbridge Gate, up to the playing fields for a clockwise lap and then home. The strides go fine, and otherwise it's nice to be dropping the pace and just drifting along. I'm wearing the Asterias again, I'm wearing them 80% of the time at late so I should probably get a second pair. I still have around 300 miles left in the Nimbus though, they're not retiring just yet.

Plan called for just 3 miles. I ran 4.

Total 4.00M @ 8:31

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 10 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 8 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:45 with 2x(4x150m) Strides | |
General Aerobic 7 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:45 |
Recovery 3 Miles with 4x100m Strides | 4.00M @ 8:31 | 70.85 KG
10K TT targeting 38:XX | |
Endurance 10 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:26 | |


WTD 4.00M MTD 76.49M YTD 765.92M

outforarun

General Aerobic 7 Miles

Sunny Wednesday evening in Athlone for this.

When I left home earlier in the morning my left knee was aching a bit. It continued to ache every so often during the day. This was completely unheralded, I had no twinges or feedback during any runs of late, nor did I feel anything for the afternoon and evening after yesterday's recovery run. For a while I thought about postponing, but decided to run in the end and was ready to bail if I felt any persistent negative feedback. But it was fine, no complaints at all, and it's been fine ever since. Strange.

Divided this 7 miler into 3 blocks of 2 miles and a final block of a mile, and I focused on keeping the average pace for each block inside target general aerobic pace. I was overtaken along the Retreat Road, something that I don't think has every happened in close on 2 years of running this loop. A fabulously blue Shannon under bright blue skies this evening. Run closer to 8 miles than the prescribed 7.

2.00M @ 7:54
2.00M @ 7:57
2.00M @ 7:46
1.00M @ 7:45

Total 7.77M @ 7:52

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 10 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 8 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:45 with 2x(4x150m) Strides | |
General Aerobic 7 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:45 | 7.77M @ 7:52 | NA
Recovery 3 Miles with 4x100m Strides | 4.00M @ 8:31 | 70.85 KG
10K TT targeting 38:XX | |
Endurance 10 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:26 | |


WTD 11.52M MTD 84.27M YTD 773.69M

outforarun

General Aerobic 13K with 2x(4x150m) Strides

I should have done this Thursday night along the old rail line in Athlone. Instead I got caught up on some time-consuming tile research :rolleyes:
By the time I was finished I'd opted to postpone until Friday morning pre-work. Of course come Friday morning I couldn't find the will-power, I was sleeping so well. I'm really out of practice for early morning runs, need to toughen up. Might now have to do a 5:30 run on Monday morning.

So ran this today and it's the first of a block of 6 runs that really represents the peak point of this plan. There is tomorrow's 10K TT (it's been weighing over me all week) and there is a tough VO2 session (2x1200m, 2x1000m, 1x800) later next week. For this latter I need to decide if it's better to run it Thursday evening, i.e. 4 and a half days after the TT, or on Saturday, i.e. 8 days before the HM. I'll decide come Thursday but I'm leaning towards the second option.

Run to the Park this morning, in at Islandbridge Gate with heavy legs. I run clockwise around to Furze Road, run down Furze and turn right onto Chesterfield and head for the playing fields. Once there I start into the longer than usual strides. These go fine, I have 4 minutes recovery between the two sets. Splits for the 150s are fairly consistent:

30.66
29.75
29.69
30.29

28.48
28.41
28.52
29.63

Continue at General Aerobic pace back home.

Focus now switches 100% to tomorrow morning's 10K TT. I'm going to run this round the Furze, OS Road loop. My main goal is to improve on last time out down in Limerick. I want to record a 38:XX on the Garmin. This is a good opportunity to try and be disciplined with my pace. I'll try hold 3:54 [6:16] pace for the first 7K. This pace on the Garmin gets me a 39:00 even. For the last three K I'll try to push the average pace down to 3:53 [6:14]. That's a 38:50 on the Garmin. I'm curious to see how the calmer start and planned negative split play out. Ideally I'll find I have extra energy to attack with over the final K and I'll be in a position to push down under 38:50. My race PB is 38:38.

Of course throw in a strong headwind blowing up Furze and all bets are off.

Total 13.69K @ 4:42 [8.51M @ 7:34]

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 10 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 8 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:45 with 2x(4x150m) Strides | 13.69K @ 4:42 [8.51M @ 7:34] | NA
General Aerobic 7 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:45 | 7.77M @ 7:52 | NA
Recovery 3 Miles with 4x100m Strides | 4.00M @ 8:31 | 70.85 KG
10K TT targeting 38:XX | |
Endurance 10 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:26 | |


WTD 20.03M MTD 92.78M YTD 782.20M

outforarun

10K TT

Disappointing time in yesterday’s TT, 39:23, slower than Limerick last month. I’ve run TTs on this same Furze Road – OS Road loop 4 times now and yesterday’s was the slowest. The fastest was one year ago when I managed a 38:55; almost half a minute faster than yesterday. Obviously I’m asking myself why.

Yesterday there was a moderate, not strong, headwind to tackle going down Furze and again going down Chesterfield. The ascent along OS Road was wind assisted. For sure calmer conditions would have been welcome and I probably did lose some time due to the wind. It was also a bit humid yesterday, which may have been a factor, even though it didn’t actively feel like an issue during the run. But the more I think about it the more I wonder about my tempo pace.

Two things happened at the end of January, start of February.

First, I ran a surprisingly good Raheny 5 miler (30:26), that’s 3:46 [6:05] pace. So I figured 10K could be doable @ 3:49 [6:08] pace and now mentally I’d set my 10K pace in the 3:45 to 3:49 bracket, but this was untried and my actual 10K PB of 38:38 still equated to 3:51 [6:13] pace.

Second, I started the P&L plan, where tempo pace based on a 5K time of 18:30 (my PB is 18:35] is set at 3:51 [6:10] to 3:56 [6:20]. So really this tempo pace is encroaching on my 10K pace. If I’m running tempos at 10K pace every 3 weeks or so then I guess it makes sense that the legs are tired when I then try to run an actual 10K at 10K pace.

So I think a combination of wind, humidity, but mostly an overly optimistic tempo training pace have contributed to two disappointing 10K TTs. I do think that a tempo pace of 3:55 to 4:00 is probably more accurate for me. And in fact I ran that good Raheny time after a few months of long tempo runs completed at around 3:58 [6:23] pace.

And one other possible factor is the Asterias. I really like this shoe, but it doesn’t have the same longevity as the Nimbus, and at 566 miles I think I’ve gone well past its retirement date. Might try pick up another pair ahead of raceday.

Without dwelling too much on it, a brief summary of how yesterday’s run panned out.

01-05K in 19:31

Started into the wind so this stopped me starting as I usual do in the low 3:4Xs, but I was still travelling at 3:51 or 3:52 pace. This was a little faster than the target of 3:54 I’d set for the first 7K. I’m feeling optimistic though and the legs seem to be comfortable, and I have mental comfort from knowing I can ease of a little. The OS Road ascent offers me respite from the moderate headwinds eleswhere on the loop. First lap is ok. On the second lap (I need to do 3 full laps and 2 thirds of a 4th lap) the average pace finally settles on target pace of 3:54. Mentally I now need to stay alert and not ease off any more. The second run down Chesterfield sees the legs starting to tire significantly and first doubts start to creep in. Go through half-way, bang on target but suddenly more tired than I would have liked.

06-10K in 19:53

On lap 3 and K6 into the wind is the one where I lose the mental battle. My plan to push for the last 3K now seems like a lot of wishful thinking. I’m already pushing just to try hold pace and even with pushing it’s starting to show at 3:55 [6:18]. For a while I contemplate veering left onto the Glen Road instead of right onto OS Road, like I did 2 years ago to find a friendlier road profile. I don’t turn left though, I swing onto OS Road, happy to be out of the wind but the legs cannot recover any pace because of the slight ascent. I pass the pond at the top of the road and tell myself I’ve just one full lap to complete. Into the wind down Chesterfield. Try to increase my stride and take advantage of the descent. I continue to fade though and I see 3:56 [6:19] showing. The last K I’ve been distracted, wondering what’s wrong and already revisiting HM target pace in my head. As 8K sounds on the Garmin, I tell myself to forget about the HM and refocus on the current run, make sure I put in an honest final 2K. Hard work down Furze. Happy to hear K9 sound on the watch, but I don’t check the split. Turn onto OS Road for the last time and I do manage to rally a bit along here, posting my fastest split since K3, despite the incline. Press lap button a few times at the end instead of pause so mess up the time against the activity. But over 10K neat I’ve posted a 39:23.

Move on. It’s too late now for CCHM, but for DCM I’ll drop tempo pace back to 3:55-4:00. Which is still marginally faster than what I trained with for CCM16, so recognizes that overall I am moving in the right direction. I will be thinking about target HM pace over the next 2 weeks though.

K01 3:50.68
K02 3:54.78
K03 3:51.14
K04 3:56.84
K05 3:57.15
K06 3:57.14
K07 4:00.11
K08 3:58.58
K09 4:01.37
K10 3:55.60

Total 39:23, average pace 3:56 [6:20]

AuldManKing

I know this has been said time and time again to you, but its different in a race. A TT is different each time you try one, so many factors can influence it.

You are a much better runner than you were last year and a much better runner since Raheny 5.
The P&L plan is superb - I used it last year to good effect.

Do a race rather than a TT - theres a 5m next Tuesday in Dunboyne (30th) - thats be a good marker for you.

outforarun

AuldManKing wrote: »

I know this has been said time and time again to you, but its different in a race. A TT is different each time you try one, so many factors can influence it.

You are a much better runner than you were last year and a much better runner since Raheny 5.
The P&L plan is superb - I used it last year to good effect.

Do a race rather than a TT - theres a 5m next Tuesday in Dunboyne (30th) - thats be a good marker for you.

I agree that a TT is different than a race, I often come close to but can never fully replicate the race day environment and effort while on a solo TT. All the same I cannot help comparing this TT effort with other TT efforts on the same loop. I came up short on this one. I'm not overly concerned, I do think a slight tweak to tempo pace should give me the breathing space to perform better on my next 10K, which I think is Fingal in the summer.

I was unlucky this year with 10K races, I wanted to run Maynooth as it fitted perfectly with the plan but then I remembered I was in Cork for a wedding that weekend. I think the K-Club 10K was also shifted this year from a week that suited to one that didn't.

The Cork HM is on the 4th June so Dunboyne's a non-starter.

Thanks for the better runner comment. I do think I'm a better runner this year than last year, but I don't know about being a better runner now than I was in Raheny in January. That gave me a VDOT of 54.7. I'd need a 1:24:44 to match that in Cork. Right this moment the smart money is on 1:25:XX.

outforarun

Recovery 4 Miles

Tuesday's was another sunny and warm evening run. Left home after work and just ran my usual 4 miler loop around the playing fields. Park looking gorgeous under high blue skies. A dozen or more white marquee tents are being erected on the fields adding to the summer vibe.

Would have been a really relaxing run if it wasn't for my left knee starting to tweak again on downhills. Hmmm. It also gave a tweak or two on downhills during my cool down from Sunday's TT.

M01 9:12
M02 8:59
M03 8:33
M04 8:22

Total 4.02M @ 8:50

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 11 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 10K @ 4:48 to 5:07 with 2x(6x100m) Strides | |
Recovery 4 Miles @ slower than 8:44 | 4.02M @ 8:50 | NA
V02Max 14K with 2x1200m + 2x1000m + 1x800m @ 3:37 to 4:43 | |
Recovery 3 Miles @ slower than 8:44 | |
Endurance 10 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:26 | |


WTD 4.02M MTD 107.89M YTD 797.32M

outforarun

Endurance 10 Miles

DNF

It wouldn't feel like I was training for Cork if I didn't have an injury to navigate. This time, like last year, it's my left knee that is protesting.

I missed a run last week, a 10 Mile Endurance run, I planned on running it yesterday evening, instead of the 3 mile recovery run in this week's plan. I managed around 800ms before I had to abandon. Coincidentally I abandoned it at exactly the same place as my last abandoned run last year, just east of AIT on the Old Dublin Road. Left knee started to give some sharp tweaks. I stop. I start again, ouch, still sore. I try one more time, no joy. Great.

I think it should be ok come Sunday week, touchwood. But I'm not going to run again until Saturday and I'll be knocking the VO2 session on the head. Better this happened this week rather than next week.

Definite pattern though, it tweaked a day or two after my last two fast runs. All the more reason to slow up slightly with my tempo runs, and maybe I should run closer to the slower end of my other pace ranges for a while.

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 11 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
General Aerobic 10K @ 4:48 to 5:07 with 2x(6x100m) Strides | |
Recovery 4 Miles @ slower than 8:44 | 4.02M @ 8:50 | NA
V02Max 14K with 2x1200m + 2x1000m + 1x800m @ 3:37 to 4:43 | |
Recovery 3 Miles @ slower than 8:44 Endurance 10 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:26 | DNF | NA
Endurance 10 Miles @ 8:14 to 7:26 | |


WTD 4.02M MTD 107.89M YTD 797.32M

Back in Black

Hope the injury is nothing major and a few days rest is all you need to get back on the road.

outforarun

Back in Black wrote: »

Hope the injury is nothing major and a few days rest is all you need to get back on the road.

Thanks BiB. Seven days on looks like it wasn't anything too serious (touchwood). Should be ok for Sunday.

outforarun

Easy 6+ Miles

After 2 days of rest I laced up Saturday morning and headed out under heavy rain. Wore the Nimbus, a running jacket and a small rucksack.

I headed from Kilmainham to Ashtown via the Khyber and North Road. Enjoying this wet run. Pretty much zero feedback from the left knee.

I complete 800 miles for the year somewhere near the Ashtown Gate. I stop at The RunHub, pop inside and ask if they have a pair of Asterias in my size. They did. Put them in the rucksack and retrace my steps home. The homeward stretch has more downhill so if the knee is going to act up it should be along here, but it doesn't and I arrive home optimistic that this wasn't anything major and that I should be ok in 8 days time in Cork.

M01 8:43
M02 8:37
M03 8:10 (800 miles for the year)
M04 8:31
M05 8:03
M06 7:55

Total 6.66M @ 8:20

WTD 10.68 MTD 114.55 YTD 803.98

outforarun

MLR 12 Miles

I've effectively abandoned week 11 of the P&L plan. Sunday morning I opt to run my default 12 mile route at whatever feels comfortable. I decide not to check the Garmin until I'm finished.

Nimbus again. Today the left knee didn't object at all, no feedback whatsoever. Cross paths with the Donore Sunday morning group as they come down Upper Glen Road, I must complete the full 16 miles with them one morning (even if it would mean a 20 miler for me factoring in the 2 miles from the club to home).

Enjoy running up the middle of the closed off top half of Chesterfield. I can tell that the pace is creeping up as the run progresses but I continue to keep the effort comfortable. I don't ease off though, partially because I'm on cooking duty and need to get home in a hurry (pizza, dough rising while I run).

A disappointing week mileage wise, but if the enforced rest means the knee will be good in a week's time then so be it. Still just on pace to hit 2000 miles for the year.

M01 8:28
M02 7:47
M03 7:54
M04 7:25
M05 7:49
M06 7:26
M07 7:22
M08 7:23
M09 7:25
M10 7:09
M11 7:10
M12 7:04

Total 12.06M @ 7:32

WTD 22.74 MTD 126.61 YTD 816.04

outforarun

Recovery 4 Miles

A Tuesday lunchtime run to start the final week of P&L. Cloudy then sunny then cloudy again, some winds blowing. But most worryingly it's humid. Lots of humid days of late - and I see 71% humidity forecast for Sunday. I'm not very happy about this. Left knee is still holding up ok.

This might have been a little too fast for a recovery run.

M01 8:58
M02 8:26
M03 8:15
M04 8:12

Total 4.00M @ 8:27

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 12 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
11K with 4x100m Strides + 3K @ HM pace | |
Recovery 5 Miles | |
Recovery 4 Miles | 4.00M @ 8:27 | 71.15 KG
Recovery 3 Miles with 4x100m Strides| |
Cork City Half Marathon, 1:24:XX attempt | |


WTD 4.00M MTD 130.61M YTD 826.95M

squiredanaher

Good luck sunday. Hope the weather plays ball. Jeeze anything near sub 85 is serious running. Go for it.

Kennyg71

Best Luck Sunday, have a great race.

overpronator

In bocca al lupo!

outforarun

squiredanaher wrote: »

Good luck sunday. Hope the weather plays ball. Jeeze anything near sub 85 is serious running. Go for it.

Thanks. Latest I see has humidity at 69%, at least it's moving in the right direction. Looks likely to be a wet race.

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Best Luck Sunday, have a great race.

Thanks. Looking forward to it now and getting nervous.

overpronator wrote: »

In bocca al lupo!

Crepi!

outforarun

11K with 4x100m Strides and 3K @ HM Pace

Back in Athlone Wednesday evening. Time for the my first run with the new Asterias. A mixed bag with mostly comfortable pace, some race pace and some strides.

Not so humid this evening. I run 5K of warm-up, which takes in my Cartrontroy Loop and then I join the old railway-line path by Garrycastle. Complete the small set of 100m strides.

For the key section of this run, 3K at predicted HM pace, I move to a short loop, around 1K long, featuring the Garrycastle bridges, old and new and some of the R916.

Some of the loop is uphill and into a moderate head-wind. Along here HM pace doesn't feel super comfy. On the downhill with the wind behind me and slick tarmac underfoot the pace is easier and I start getting fast alerts on the Garmin.

Race pace on the day will be around 3:59 [6:24] min/km. Today's 3K were run at 3:56 [6:19] so faster than planned, but they felt tougher than I'd have liked. The 3K have not increased my confidence. I'm going to have to be very careful with pace on race day, a second or two of average pace could make or break me.

Finish 3 laps and start my cool-down. I felt just the slightest sensation from the left knee during the strides, no twinge, no ache.

A not so great May ends on a weak 137.52 miles.

5.00K @ 5:05 [3.11M @ 8:12]
4x100m strides
3.00K @ 3:56 [1.86M @ 6:20]
1.92K @ 5:03 [1.20M @ 8:08]

Total 11.12K @ 4:43 [6.91M @ 7:36]

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 12 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
11K with 4x100m Strides + 3K @ HM pace | 11.12K @ 4.43 [6.91M @ 7:36] with 3.00K @ 3:56 [1.86M @ 6:20] | N/A
Recovery 5 Miles | |
Recovery 4 Miles | 4.00M @ 8:27 | 71.15 KG
Recovery 3 Miles with 4x100m Strides| |
Cork City Half Marathon, 1:24:XX attempt | |


WTD 10.93M MTD 137.52M YTD 833.86M

outforarun

Recovery 5 Miles

June running starts in the rain under a heavy dark grey sky with chimney smoke in the air and car headlights lit early. Second outing for the new Asterias.

I'm in Athlone and run my into town, round by station and back via Cartrontroy and Garrycastle Bridge route. Closer to 6 miles than 5 miles. Knee behaved fine. I could feel the pace creeping up as the run progressed. I'll need to be more disciplined about recovery pace during DCM training.

M01 8:27
M02 8:09
M03 8:16
M04 8:23
M05 8:20

Total 5.79M @ 8:19

P&L Half Marathon Schedule 1 Week 12 of 12: Session targets | Actual Results | Post Run Weight
11K with 4x100m Strides + 3K @ HM pace | 11.12K @ 4.43 [6.91M @ 7:36] with 3.00K @ 3:56 [1.86M @ 6:20] | N/A
Recovery 5 Miles | 5.79M @ 8:19 | N/A
Recovery 4 Miles | 4.00M @ 8:27 | 71.15 KG
Recovery 3 Miles with 4x100m Strides| |
Cork City Half Marathon, 1:24:XX attempt | |


WTD 16.72M MTD 5.79M YTD 839.65M

outforarun

May Review

My average weekly mileage has been dropping month by month. I need to stop this trend or I won't hit 2000 for the year. May has been my lowest mileage month so far with a very poor weekly average of just 31 miles. Part of the reason for this is because I picked up my first injury of the year and part because I skipped a 10 miler from the plan. I guess skipping one run from the 12 weeks of P&L isn't so terrible.

My left knee acted up in May, forcing me to abandon a 10 miler after less than half a mile. It had been twinging on downhills and had been aching on and off when walking. My feeling is that I have been running tempo runs too fast. I will be adjusting tempo pace a little ahead of DCM training proper. It will be reset at 3:55 [6:18] to 4:00 [6:26]. As I write that last sentence I'm very conscious that I'm targeting 3:59 pace over HM distance tomorrow!!

I quietly started DCM training during May, fitting the first two weeks of PD55 into my final two buffer weeks. I'm still undecided about final paces for DCM, tomorrow's HM will be a determining factor I think. What I do know is that I will train for sub 2:55 to try ensure I hit my target of a comfortable sub 3:10. DCM17 is a stepping stone to a sub 3:00 attempt in DCM18.

My best run of May was a DCM run, a 13 miler with 8 miles at MP, I ran this too fast at 2:51 marathon pace but was pleased at how relatively comfortable this was.

Other runs that spring to mind include a 10 miler in Cork spent dodging morning rush-hour traffic along the twisty and largely footpath-less Lee Road; and a disappointing 10K TT around the Furze, OS Road loop. This latter run combined with my subsequent knee injury are directly behind my decision to slow my tempos. I logged a 39:23 on this TT, over half a minute slower than last year.

Maybe the faster paces across the P&L plan mean I'm more tired heading into these TTs than I would be if I was on a P&D marathon plan? When I finished Raheny I really felt I was good for a 37:XX 10K. Several weeks of HM training later and 37:XX seems very far away. Ahead of Raheny tempo pace was 3:55 [6:18] to 4:00 [6:26].

Finished May with 3K at HM pace around a neat little 1K loop in Athlone. Unfortunately this 3K has decreased rather than increased confidence ahead of Sunday's race.

May? Meh.

Month | Monthly Miles | Daily mileage for month | Weekly Mileage for month | Daily mileage for year | Weekly mileage for year | Predicted yearly mileage
January | 182.66 | 5.89 | 41.25 | 5.89 | 41.25 | 2151
February | 162.69 | 5.81 | 40.67 | 5.85 | 40.97 | 2136
March | 180.88 | 5.83 | 40.84 | 5.85 | 40.93 | 2134
April | 163.20 | 5.44 | 38.08 | 5.75 | 40.21 | 2097
May | 137.52 | 4.47 | 31.05 | 5.48 | 38.34 | 2000
June | | | | | |
July | | | | | |
August | | | | | |
September | | | | | |
October | | | | | |
November | | | | | |
December | | | | | |

Singer

outforarun wrote: »

What I do know is that I will train for sub 2:55 to try ensure I hit my target of a comfortable sub 3:10. DCM17 is a stepping stone to a sub 3:00 attempt in DCM18.

This seems pretty conservative. Why not go for 2:59:59 on the day if you've trained for 2:55?

hot buttered scones

Good luck today.