Allez Ola Ole - Paris 2011

Caprica

Saturday 9th April
Landed in Paris yesterday afternoon and went to the expo yesterday evening. Very warm afternoon in Paris. Expo was good, ran well, they had a rice party, plenty of exhibitors. It's sponsored by Asics and got one of their official tops. The Dublin Marathon had a stand but didn't find it.

Went for a run this morning, first one since last Sunday, it went ok. Leg is still a bit of a niggle but it wasn't causing me huge discomfort, hopefully it will hold up tomorrow. Big worry now is the heat, it was quite warm around the 11am this morning when we went for our run, it was nice in the shade but I imagine we will be running on wide streets so there mightn't be much chance to hop in the shade tomorrow. There is an expected high of 73 tomorrow, hopefully that will be long after I finish.

Your goodie bag comes with a sponge so that will be coming a long with me. They have refreshment stops every 5ks and you can wet your sponge there. They have pacers from 3hrs to 4:30hrs every 15mins at the moment the plan is to aim for half way in sub 88 and see can I get home in sub 2:55. Will give it a shot anyway.

Early to bed tonight, up at 5:45 breakfast at 6am and heading of to start around 7am, start time is 8:45. With the calf niggle I do feel a bit nervous but maybe thats a good thing?

Caprica

Sunday 10th April
Got round in 3:07:38. I think it was the toughest marathon I have done. Even at 9am it was hot, tempratures were in the mid 70's. Was on for sub-3 till mile 20 but really stuggled for there on in. There was a couple of miles outside 8 minutes. First half was around 88:40 and about 97mins for second half. Will get official results later on.

There was a lot of shading in the first marathon but I found it a bit exposed in the second half, was probably starting to tire. Really felt in good shape for this, training had gone very well but in this weather I was not going to go under 3hrs.

I do belive I can go under 2:55 but I need the conditions to be more favourable, roll on an autumn marathon. Leg is quite sore now, going for a nice soak in a bath.

liamo123

Caprica wrote: »

Sunday 10th April
Got round in 3:07:38. I think it was the toughest marathon I have done. Even at 9am it was hot, tempratures were in the mid 70's. Was on for sub-3 till mile 20 but really stuggled for there on in. There was a couple of miles outside 8 minutes. First half was around 88:40 and about 97mins for second half. Will get official results later on.

There was a lot of shading in the first marathon but I found it a bit exposed in the second half, was probably starting to tire. Really felt in good shape for this, training had gone very well but in this weather I was not going to go under 3hrs.

I do belive I can go under 2:55 but I need the conditions to be more favourable, roll on an autumn marathon. Leg is quite sore now, going for a nice soak in a bath.

Caprica u cant govern for the weather...Well done and enjoy ur night... 2.55 of a fair bit lower is well within ur grasp IMO... Onwards and upwards

Marthastew

Congratulations and Well done. I also found it very, very tough, I'd hoped to beat my DCM PB of 3hrs 41 but I would have to agree that the heat was excruciating. I'm very happy with my time (3 hrs 47.11) all the same and apart from usual soreness I'm injury free. As you so rightly said.... Roll on autumn marathon. Well done again, fantastic time in those conditions, you should be very proud

seanynova

hard luck today, good race all the same....

paris be a good spot id say for recover from it

pgmcpq

Congrats - you may not have made sub3 today ... But it is within reach and you will build on this.

Caprica

Marthastew wrote: »

Congratulations and Well done. I also found it very, very tough, I'd hoped to beat my DCM PB of 3hrs 41 but I would have to agree that the heat was excruciating. I'm very happy with my time (3 hrs 47.11) all the same and apart from usual soreness I'm injury free. As you so rightly said.... Roll on autumn marathon. Well done again, fantastic time in those conditions, you should be very proud

Thanks Marthastew. Well done on your time, if conditions were better you would easily have set a new PB. Fingers crossed that we get better weather next time out. I found the support in places a bit sparse particularly in the final stretch going through the woods. Are you going to get your medal engraved?

I really felt that a new PB was on prior to this race but the calf injury and the heat put pay to that. Hopefully next time.

Marthastew

Caprica wrote: »

Thanks Marthastew. Well done on your time, if conditions were better you would easily have set a new PB. Fingers crossed that we get better weather next time out. I found the support in places a bit sparse particularly in the final stretch going through the woods. Are you going to get your medal engraved?

I really felt that a new PB was on prior to this race but the calf injury and the heat put pay to that. Hopefully next time.

I've yet to get any of my medals engraved (that was number five for me, I started running three years ago), maybe when I get my next PB I'll engrave it. At least now we have done a marathon in that heat we know we can do it. I've been reading up on Sunday and we were lucky not to be one of the many who collapsed from the heat. One of the newspaper headlines in Paris the next day said many runners had to opt for metro or ambulance in order to get home! I also found the support in the woods very sparse, I was seriously tempted to head over to the table with wine and biscuits and have a picnic since I knew at that stage a PB would have required a miracle. Enjoy the rest now before training starts for Autumn. Congrats again, phenomenal time, especially with the heat.

Caprica

Below are mile splits from Sunday. Things were going well till mile 20 when the wheels started coming of. Mile 18 was slow as I had to take a toilet break, after that came out of a tunnell which had a sharp incline, which I found very tough and then I started falling back.

First half was reached in 88:38 with the second half completed in 99:00. From Mile 20 on I lost the best part of 7 mins, could have been close to sub 3 if I could have stuck to 7min miling but I physically exhausted at that stage.

M1 - 6:52
M2 - 6:53
M3 - 6:43
M4 - 6:44
M5 - 6:45
M6 - 6:34
M7 - 6:40
M8 - 6:40
M9 - 6:46
M10 - 6:52
M11 - 6:27
M12 - 6:42
M13 - 6:49
M14 - 6:51
M15 - 6:45
M16 - 6:43
M17 - 6:58
M18 - 7:29
M19 - 7:12
M20 - 7:29
M21 - 7:35
M22 - 8:05
M23 - 7:52
M24 - 8:10
M25 - 8:11
M26 - 8:23
0.35 - 2:29 7:04 mile split

Felt good to half way, was on for a 2:57 and within striking distance of a PB. First ten miles in 67:29 with the last ten been done in 77:24 (:eek:). Can't remember running ten miles that slow in training in a long time.

Leg is still sore and is a bit uncomfortable to walk on was hoping for the BHAA 10K and a new PB but will be giving it a miss. It needs the rest, I have nothing to gain by forcing things. Will do a detailed race report over the weekend.

Caprica

I had commenced this training programme at the end of 2010 which gave me a total training period of 15 weeks. After doing both Berlin and Dublin in 2010 I was coming of a fairly good base so even though I felt 15 weeks may be a bit on the short side I felt my previous training would stand to me and give me a bit of a headstart. The weather and a hamstring niggle in December put paid to any training pre xmas but it was no harm having a rest. As it was a shorter programme I decided to throw in a race every week in January to help me sharpen up. Training on the whole went very well, could really see the progression from my training and my racing was going well. At the beginning of the year I was unsure what my target time was going to be but in the weeks before Paris I had set a goal of 2:55

Flew into Paris on Friday the 8th and went to the expo that evening, had a very light run on the saturday morning. I hurt my calf two weeks before the marathon and in the final week I had only run once. Even on the short run the calf was a bit of a niggle but what I felt was going to be worse was the heat. Got up at 5:45am on Sunday Morning and went straight down for breakfast, luckily I had brought over some Porridge and had that the hotel cereals were not good. Headed of for the race just after 7am and it was kinda cool with no sun shining. Arrived at L'Arc de Triomphe just before 8 and it had warmed up a lot. We were all hoping that it wasn't going to be as hot as expected but we knew then it was going to be a hot one.

Went to the baggage drop and made my way to the start line and the sub 3 pen. It was very well organised, there was marshalls at each entry point and if you didn't have the right colour bib you were turned away. Plenty of room in the pen so did some last minute stretching. I had my gels in my shorts pocket and had an energy drink in one hand and a sponge from our expo bag in the other, all set to go. It was quite an impressive view, you look back and you thousands of runners and the Arc. I was already starting to sweat, it felt warm. The gun went at 8:45 and I was off, got over the start line in 30secs or so.

I had set the pacing target on my garmin to 6:40 per mile which would get me home in 2:55. I would hold back a little in the early miles just to get into a rhythmn and not get to carried away. The first two miles were 6:52 & 6:53 and from then on got the miles down to the low 6:40. There was a few guys doing sub 3 pacing but rather than running as a group they each ran on their own with different pacing strategies (I think) and athletes following them but I just done my own thing. There was plenty of shade in the first few miles and ran in that at all times. There was food and drink every 5k and I took on water at all stops, they also had buckets for sponges as I used those at every opportunity, they were a good idea.

Had got into a nice rhythmn early in the race and had hit 10k in 42:20 and felt fine but I could feel the calf starting to hurt, still all things were going well and race was going to plan. The plan for M7-10 was to get on 6:40 speed at the end of mile 10 and caught up with the first 3 hr pacer and there was a lot of congestion, so I dropped a bit of pace then, I took my first gel at this stage. Got ahead of them at Mile 11 and ran a fast mile of 6:27 (fastest of the race). Mile 12 & 13 got me back on track and went through half way in 88:38, not quite on 2:55 pace but still feeling good even if it was getting warm.

Miles 14 - 16 were not quite on 6:40 pace were still good and strong but I did start to feel the heat a bit. I think at mile 15 there was people with water hoses so I ran under them to cool down, the water was ice cold, it gave me a bit of a fright but it was what I needed. Around the 2hr mark I had planned on taking my 3rd energy gel but my stomach did not feel the best so I decided to hold of for a mile or two. At this point I had taken on water every 5k along with my energy drink so Mile 18 included a toilet break in a tunnell, coming out of it there was a little drag which hurt a bit more that it should have and I think it was from there that I started to stuggle, the calf was now quite sore. At this point the the first sub 3 pacer passed me again and I tried to stay with them but I lost touch very quickly which was worrying.

From Mile 18 onwards there was no more sub 7 miles and unfortunately a few plus 8's. The splits at Mile 19 was 7:12 and that drifted out to 8:05 come mile 22, which I pulled back to sub 8 for mile 23. At mile 20 I was still on for sub 3 if I could pull myself together and get my head down but it was getting really tough at this stage, the heat was really getting to me and the calf was doing me know favours. At mile 23 a guy dressed as mini mouse passed me, I recognised him from Berlin where I pipped him and that was probably a factor in me speeding up a bit. But it was only a brief respite as I dropped back again. The last 10/12k seemed to go on forever. We were running through a park, with not a lot of support, the heat was getting up, there was a few long straight which are not the best when you are struggling.

For the last few miles a lot of people passed me out and I found that a bit of a challenge, normally I would finish strong but it wasn't happening today. It was simply a case of trying to keep the legs turning over and trying to pick of a few people here and there. Went through mile 24 & 25 in 8:10 & 8:11, the end was near. Tried to work in mile 26 but it took 8:23, maybe 2/300 metres before the mile 26 marker a couple passed me out who were full of running and looked very fresh, not long after that they were pulled out by an official as they were running with no numbers.

Hit mile 26 and could see the finish, tried to raise a sprint, smiled for the cameras and crossed the line, 3hrs 7mins and 38secs after I started. It was a tough one, have never ran in heat like it. Leg was quite sore at this stage, got my medal, gave back my chip, got my finishers t-shirt, had a few bottles of water, a powerade, some bananas, few pieces of orange, chatted to a few people and then headed to back to the hotel. Had a good night on Sunday.

I felt in good shape for this but the calf niggle was going to be a problem but the heat was the worst, people were really struggling out there. At the expo they said there was going to be 40,000 taking part but my cert says 32,092 started with 31,169 finishing. That seems like a very high number of people not even making the starting line.

Caprica

Calf still not the best but greatly improved on where it was last week. Went for a massage this evening just to help loosen it up. My plan is now to rest for one more week and hopefully have my first run next Tuesday or Wednesday. One more weeks rest should be good for me.

I have entered the Mens mini marathon for the May bank holiday and will give the BHAA 5 miler a shot on the Saturday. In the week prior to Paris I was aiming on doing the K Club 10k and RTE 5 miler in PB times, will just be happy to get back to racing on Saturday week.

asimonov

hey caprica, great race report even though it sounds like a tough few last miles. The race was on eurosport and it looked very warm. So that's 1-1 to you and mr. mini-mouse....i wonder where your paths will cross again?

Caprica

Thursday 28th April
First run since the Paris Marthon (18 days of rest). The calf is still not 100% but is greatly improved on what it was but I wanted to test it out. Ran a total of 6.47mls in 46:43, avg per mile of 7:14. It was great to be running in the bright again, headed of just after nine but it was a bit nippy.

Splits were:

M1 - 7:10
M2 - 7:23
M3 - 7:17
M4 - 7:18
M5 - 7:27
M6 - 7:03
0.47 - 3:04, p.m. 6:23

Happy with the run. Just ran without looking at my watch, since haven't ran in a while I wanted to just get a run in without wondering I am going to fast or to slow. Calf was slightly niggling me but feels fine now. As things stand I will give the RTE 5 Miler and Mens mini marathon this weekend.

Caprica

Saturday 30th April - BHAA/RTE 5 Mile
First race since Paris, got up in the morning and the calf felt a bit tight so was in two minds what to do but decided to give it a shot. Arrived around half ten, registered and then off for some stretching and done one easy lap of the course to warm up. Calf was niggling.

Race went very well, finished in 29:10 which is a new PB, all though my Garmin had course a bit short (as it was last year). There was more than 400 taking part, it was a bit congested for the first mile. Splits were

M1 - 5:45
M2 - 5:57
M3 - 6:03
M4 - 6:00
0.92M - 5:25, Mile split was 5:51.

Plan was to go out on 5:45 pace and keep going but that only lasted for 1 mile. Kinded surprised I dropped back for M2 & 3, pulled it back at the end. Not sure if I can take this as a PB as the course was short, bit surprised that two years running the course was short. Last year I had it at 4.91mls and this year was 4.92mls.

Calf was niggling throughtout the race but it never caused me a huge discomfort, it felt fine afterwards but is it a bit stiff this morning. Will see how I feel for the mens mini marathon tomorrow morning.

Woddle

Caprica wrote: »

Not sure if I can take this as a PB as the course was short, bit surprised that two years running the course was short. Last year I had it at 4.91mls and this year was 4.92mls.
.

It's actually the last 3 years, no idea why it hasn't been sorted. The Bhaa have another cracking 5 miler up in Dunboyne at the end of the month. Very fast course.

Caprica

Monday 2nd May - ARC Mens Mini Marathon
3rd year of this race, done it in year 1 when they sent us the wrong way and the course ended up being short and was a spectator last year. Last year and this they used the Great Ireland Run route, I think the first year it was the old Aware 10k route. Ran this course back in January for the Aware 10k, which was probably my only disappointing run of the year so far where I didn't even break 40mins. Was very happy with my run on Saturday where I got a new 5mile pb of 29:07 so was expecting/hoping for a new pb this morning.

Calf still felt a bit sore in the morning but I felt with the walk down it would warm up and loosen up a bit. Got there in good time, picked up my number done some stretching and a nice easy run. The leg didn't feel the best (just like Saturday) but I felt it would be fine during the race (just like Saturday)

Got home in 38:13, which is over a minute outside my PB. Once I started running the my legs felt heavy, it was tough turning them over. I was thinking at this stage if it's tough now the hills are really going to hurt and I was right. Was surprised to see the first mile was outside 6mins, they were only a handful of people ahead of me, steadied the ship on mile 2 and dipped under 6 on mile 3 (downhill on the Khyber road), ran well on the first hill and then kept things going on the flat for a 6:10mile. Then came the hills and I was starting to struggle was in a group of 5 from mile 2 and at this point 3 were dropped and then I started to struggle two different guys passed me so latched on to them, Mile 5 was 6:29. really struggled up out of the Furry glen, lost the two guys in front of me, rallied on the flat but mile 6 was only a 6:40. Tried to raise a sprint for the last stretch and closed in on the two guys in front of me but couldn't catch them. Splits were:

M1 - 6:04
M2 - 6:00
M3 - 5:57
M4 - 6:10
M5 - 6:29
M6 - 6:40
0.16 - 53secs

This was the first time I have ran two races so close and I felt that was in my legs from the get go. Probably not a true indication of my form but good to be well below 40mins. 10k target for the remainder of the year is to dip under 37mins, current PB is 37:10. Leg is still not fully recovered, it's a bit sore now, will rest a bit more this week and get back into a proper stretching routine.

Caprica

In the last 10 days or so the calf has greatly improved but it is still not 100% so on that basis I booked an appointment with the physio for Thursday 12th May to see what they could do for me and hopefully get it fully recovered. Prior to that on Wednesday I went to the gym, plan was to do spinning but decided against it and done an easy 30mins on the bike, could still feel the calf come the end.

Thursday 12th May
Physio appointment. When I was heading to the appointment, I was thinking that the calf has been causing me problems since the end of March, which is the best part of 6 weeks. I was hoping that rest would be the cure but that had only brought it so far.

Went for dry needling, had used it before and found it of benefit. The physio was shocked how tight the calf was, I could really feel it working. She done a lot of work but didn't want to overdo things so we decided on a second appointment. I was prepared for some stiffness afterwards but I spent most of Thursday in agony on the sofa, it was cramping really bad but I was thinking no pain no gain. The Eurovision was was a distraction, very impressed with Jedward, I was expecting a disaster but it was far from it, they were very popular with the crowd on both nights. Felt better come Friday evening and was fine Saturday so Sunday was set for my return to running.

Sunday 14th May
Ran 6.73mls in 48:25, avg per mile of 7:12. Comfortable run, very windy in places but it was good to get out and run again. Seen more cops in the park today that in all my previous training runs. Splits were

M1 - 7:13
M2 - 7:31
M3 - 7:18
M4 - 7:16
M5 - 7:25
M6 - 7:00
0.73 - 4:38, mile split of 6:24

Plan for the rest of the week is pilates on Monday, followed by ESB beach race on Tuesday, with a return to spinning on Wednesday and second date with the physio on Thurday.

Leg feels ok as I write this but I'm not overly confident in the recovery, it still doesn't feel 100%, I keep feeling as though it seems to be moving down to my achilles. I think I am getting slightly paranoid, I don't like being injured. I have eaten and drank a lot of junk in the last few weeks better get the diet back on track sooner rather than later.

Caprica

Monday 15th May
Pilates. First class since the beginning of April. Wasn't as bad as expected.

Tuesday 16th May
ESB BHAA 5K beach race. Probably my favourite of the BHAA races ever since it was ran one year in torrential rain, wind and on an evening when the tide hadn't gone out. Again slightly nervous of the calf but got there in good time done a nice relaxed warm up and some stretching.

Got home in just over 19mins. Not overly happy with the effort but in the light of how little running I have done in the last month it wasn't to bad. Plan was to have a first mile under 6 mins, hold it from there and then push on for the second lap.

As usual it was a mad dash at the start, a lot of jostling for positions, but got into my own rhythm fairly quickly. Half way down the first lap a woman was stranded in the middle of all the runners holding her dog, one of the guys in front of me ran straight in to her, she wasn't impressed but what she was doing there I don't know. The course has changed in a bit in recent years and I was surprised toee the lead runners on the return leg running for the soft sand which was putting distance on themselves, 2/3 of the guys in front of me took the more direct route over the rougher sand and I followed them.

At the start of the second lap I felt I was breathing a bit heavy but put the head down and pushed on, come the turn 4/5 of had passed me out, I tried to dig in a bit and see could I hang on to the guy in front. It was tough going but I passed two guys in the dash to the line. Felt wrecked at the end, it was tough. Mile splits were:

M1 - 5:55
M2 - 6:18
M3 - 6:22
.01 - 29secs - p.m 5:24

A bit disappointed that the mile splits were slowing as the race went on but I found the second lap tougher than I was expecting and it was more a case of hanging on to those who were passing me on rather than pushing on. After the race calf felt very sore, it was hurting when my foot was hitting the ground as a result done a very short cool down and focused on the stretching.

Thursday 18th May
Round two with the physio. Calf not great, once or twice I had to run to cross the road and it was hurting. The recommendation, no more running till after the June bank holiday when I have my next appointment. It needs rest. Can do spinning and bike work so will focus on that for the next few weeks.

I was looking forward to the Dunboyne 5mile as I had never done it before but will have to miss it now. Fingers crossed the rest does the trick, the injury has been hanging round to long, I just want rid of it.

Caprica

Still recovering from injury but have got back to the gym. No running so it has been spinning and cycling for cardio work.

Monday 23rd May
Pilates (tough) followed by a half hour spinning class which was fine

Wednesday 25th May
45 min spinning class, found the last 10/15 mins tough going. The fitness level is starting to drop. Done pilates and ab work afterwards

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th May
Had planned to hit the gym one of the days but went out both nights, followed by lie ins both mornings and a weekend of sport on the telly meant I never made the gym. Tennis, Rugby, Soccer, F1, GAA, god knows how many hours I watched, was wrecked come Monday morning.

Monday 30th May
Pilates, 30min spinning class (good workout), 10 mins on the bike and then some ab work.

Back to Physio Thursday week, so will keep things going as they are, calf has improved but not sure how it will hold up to running once again. Was looking forward to BHAA race in Dunboyne, hopefully next year.

Caprica

Thursday 9th June
Back to the physio to have the calf looked again, no running for the last 3 weeks per their instructions. Recovery is going slow, it is definitely recovering but in its own time, have restricted myself to spinning and cycling to keep my cardio levels up.

Got more dry needling down and some massage. It still felt tight and at times it was fairly painful. I have a few injuries in the past and they have all been on the right leg, so the physio feels that the support that my orthotics are givening me is not enough. The current pair I have from probably 05 or 06, I got them at the martathon expo, so they may be past their best. We left it that I would go for a run on Sunday, and then talk Monday to see how I felt and if I want to go ahead with the new orthotics.

Sunday 12th June
Ran 6.59mls in 47:10, avg per mile of 7:09. Was looking forward to this run so was disapointed when I got up in the morning that it was raining fairly heavy but was hoping that it would clear up for my late afternoon run. By the time I headed of the rain had eased of somewhat to a light drizzle. Jogged down to the phoenix park done a few minutes of stretching and off I went. Plan was to take it easy and run for 45-50mins.

Run went well was a bit faster than I planned but I was comfortable enough at the pace so just kept going. The calf did feel a bit tight and I also thought there was a slight niggle in the left as well. Route was out chesterfield avenue, and then a big loop of the fifteen acres and pitches, back up the Khyber road (tough going), round the papal cross and back to the wellington monument. Splits were

M1 - 7:08
M2 - 7:14
M3 - 7:11
M4 - 7:10
M5 - 7:28 (Khyber road)
M6 - 7:09
0.59 - 3:50, mile avg of 6:27

On the whole happy with the run, it was good to get back out there. Feel fine now, will do some work on the foam roller, hopefully everything will be ok in the morning. I found after the last few runs the morning after the calf has been quite bad. This has been a long drawn out recovery, it first appeared at the end of March and nearly ten weeks later it's still there.

Caprica

To try and push things on in my recovery, I had set the target of running two days running last week had a few things on during the week so held of on running till Saturday and Sunday. Leg had felt ok during the week, things have greatly improved.

Saturday 18th June
Aim for the day was an easy 10k run. Mission accomplished. Hit 10k in 44:32, which was 30 seconds quicker than last week.

M1 - 7:02
M2 - 7:20
M3 - 7:13
M4 - 7:04
M5 - 7:23
M6 - 6:50
0.25 - 1:40 - 6:34 mile split.

Stuck to the usual route of grass and trails with a small bit of road thrown in. On the whole happy, leg felt ok and did pick things up at the end

Sunday 19th June
Aim was to run for an hour, was feeling good at the end and put the foot down and finished in 59:48. Ran a total of 8.4 miles with an average mile split of 7:07. Splits were

M1 - 7:11
M2 - 7:20
M3 - 7:17
M4 - 7:14
M5 - 7:24
M6 - 7:20
M7 - 7:02
M8 - 6:37
0.40 - 2:24 - 5:58 mile split

Happy with both runs and seem to be getting over the injury slowly but surely. Ankle felt a bit sore on Monday morning.

Monday 20th June
Pilates (tough) and Spinning. Went for the shorter spinning class, was working hard. Did think the climbing sections were annoying the ankle so held back a bit towards the end.

Was planning on doing the Clontarf half at the beggining of July but am not so sure now if it is a good idea. Will decide for definite closer to the date.

Caprica

Saturday 25th June
Went to the gym. 20 mins on the bike, ab work and weights. Am going to put more structure into my gym work from now on. I think I have used the injury to slacken of on the gym.

Sunday 26th June
Ran 10.07 miles in 74:19. It was hot out, just seen on the news it hit 24c in the park. First 5 miles were ok but the second half was tough. Second time up the Khyber road was a killer. Splits were

M1 - 7:07
M2 - 7:20
M3 - 7:12
M4 - 7:15
M5 - 7:33
M6 - 7:40
M7 - 7:25
M8 - 7:17
M9 - 7:54 - second time up Khyber road, it was hard work
M10 - 7:14 - pushed on for last mile
0.07 - 24 Secs - 5:59 mile split

Happy to get a relatively long run in again. Had planned a run for Friday night but cancelled with the rain. Leg has greatly improved, I still think there is a slight niggle but the physio said I need to run on it to test it out. It feels ok now but I will do some work on the foam roller.

Plan for next week is Pilates tomorrow, followed by the BHAA 5k in Phoenix Park and gym work on Thursday. Hopefully the race will go well, will start of an easy and hopefully pick it up as the race goes on.

Will skip the Clontarf half, it's a bit to far to race at the moment. Have the marathon series 5 mile to work towards and would like to do the Dublin Mountains half.

Caprica

Monday 27th June
Pilates (really tough) followed by 20mins easy on the bike

Tuesday 28th June
Prison Services BHAA 5k Phoenix Park. First race since the ESB Beach race. Have been training lightly since then to give the calf a chance to recover. Was looking forward to this but was slightly nervous just in case the leg didn't hold up. Plan was to start of easy and finish strong. Very happy with the effort got home in just under 19mins with my mile splits getting faster as the race went on, splits were

M1 - 6:16
M2 - 6:14
M3 - 5:58
.08ml - 24secs - mile split 4:46

Start was changed this year and it lead to things been very congested at the start. Felt comfortable for the first lap and then pushed on for the last mile and raised a sprint for the last 200 metres or so.

Leg feels fine now, will do some foam roller work, hopefully this is the end of my injury problems. Will run again on thursday with a longer run on Sunday.

Caprica

Thursday 30th June
Ran 6.57 miles in 45:37 mins giving an average per mile of 6:57. Wasn't expecting to have mile splits under 7 mins, but felt good after Tuesdays race so decided go with the flow. Splits were

M1 - 7:06
M2 - 7:17
M3 - 7:07
M4 - 7:09
M5 - 7:18
M6 - 6:29
0.57 - 3:12 per mile split of 5:39

Felt good after the first five miles so decided to put the foot down for the last mile and a bit which is back in on Chesterfield avenue, mile 6 was just below 6:30 and kept the pressure on for the last 800 metres.

Sunday July 3rd
Longish run of 10.14 miles in 71:53, average per mile of 7:05. Was on the road just after ten but it was still quite warm, so found it a bit tough at times. It was the same route as last Sunday but this time I was nearly 2.5mins faster.

M1 - 7:07
M2 - 7:04
M3 - 7:15
M4 - 7:10
M5 - 7:25
M6 - 7:11
M7 - 7:01
M8 - 7:00
M9 - 7:14
M10 - 6:41
0.14 - 46secs, mile split of 5:25

Very happy with the effort. I am taking this as a sign that the injury problems are behind me, calf and achilles feel fine. Don't want to get carried away so am going to follow this routine for the next two weeks leading up the National Lottery 5 miler and all going well will put more structure on the training then for DCM 2011. Hopefully all this running up the Khyber road should stand to me in two weeks time.

liamo123

Good to c u back on the road caprica... Hopefully thats the end of ur injury nightmare... Best of Luck in ur training

Caprica

Tuesday 5th July
Ran 6.27 miles in 44:33 giving an average per mile of 7:06

M1 - 7:09
M2 - 7:07
M3 - 6:52
M4 - 7:20
M5 - 7:34
M6 - 6:53
0.27 - 1:37, , mile split of 6:00

Ran just over 10k, good solid effort, leg felt good.

Thursday 7th July
Ran 6.44 miles in 44:40 giving an average per mile of 6:56

M1 - 7:03
M2 - 7:10
M3 - 6:56
M4 - 7:07
M5 - 7:09
M6 - 6:31
0.44 - 2:43, mile split of 6:12

Ran 250mtrs further than Tuesday but in the same time. Felt good all the way round, decided to push things a bit going up the Khyber road, it will be a tough finish to the 5 miler.

Caprica

Sunday 10th July
Ran 10.81 miles in 74:30 giving an average per mile of 6:54. Decided to run the 5 mile route. Was a bit quicker than I planned, went through 10k in 43:13, which is the quickest I have done a 10k since I got back into training, held back a bit second time round. The first 3 miles are nice and easy, mile 4 round the s bends is not as easy and mile 5 up the Kyhber road is pretty tough. I think a lot of people will suffer in the last 2k or so.

M1 - 6:55
M2 - 7:03
M3 - 6:52
M4 - 6:45
M5 - 6:47
M6 - 7:07
M7 - 7:06
M8 - 7:01
M9 - 6:39
M10 - 6:55
0.81 - 5:22 , mile avg 6:39

Very happy with the run. Running miles around the 7min mark felt very comfortable, I assumed I was going slower, the fitness is coming back quicker than I expected. Hopefully the 5 miler goes well next Saturday, looking forward to it, it's great to be running injury free (Hopefully it lasts).

Plan for the rest of the week is

Monday - Pilates & Spinning
Tuesday - Easy run 45 min - 1 hour
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - massage
Saturday - 5 miler
Sunday - Dublin Mountains Plod

Caprica

Monday 11th July
Pilates (very tough) and Spinning. Done the half hour class and went as hard as I could, good class

Tuesday 12th July
Ran 6.38mls in 45:01, average per mile of 7:04

M1 - 7:42
M2 - 6:51
M3 - 7:13
M4 - 7:15
M5 - 6:46
M6 - 6:45
0.38 - 2:30, mile avg of 6:37.

Not sure what happened for the first mile. Decided to push things going up the Khyber road (M5), was working a bit on it. Could be tough on Saturday after 4 miles at full speed beforehand.

Thursday 14th July
Went for massage to loosen up the legs. Right calf still felt a bit tight so extra work was done on that. As soon as she started on it I could feel a bit of pain, funny thing is it feels fine now when I run.

Heading of shortly for the 5 miler, hopefully it will go well. Will aim to be very close to 30mins, would love to go sub-30 but have lost some fitness since 29:10 in RTE back in May. Plan is still to the Dublin mountains half tomorrow slowly as a training run.

Caprica

Saturday 16th July
5 miles in 30:07, average mile split of 6:01. Very happy with the time, was aiming for low 30 mins but didn't think I would be so close to sub 30. I had the course bang on 5 miles, per the garmin it was 5 miles and 21mtrs. Splits were:

M1 - 6:04
M2 - 5:54
M3 - 5:42
M4 - 6:08
M5 - 6:16
.01 - 4 secs, 4:58 per mile.

Very well organised race. I was positioned towards the front of wave 1 and got over the start line in 5/6 seconds there was still a bit of weaving in and out between people but it probably stopped me from going out to hard. Bit of a breeze round the north road. Pushed on for Miles 2 & 3 to go sub 6 and give me a few seconds in the bank for the tougher miles ahead. Held back slightly on Mile 4 as I wanted a bit in reserve for the Khyber, worked hard up the Khyber and put the foot down when it levelled of.

I probably should not have held back round the s bends, it probably stopped me from going sub 30 but I will gladly take a 30:07 after the injuries over the last few weeks and months. I think it might have been better if wave 1 was for sub 35 and the second wave was 35-45mins. It mightn't be as a big an issue for the ten miler. Looking forward to tomorrows half in the Dublin mountains.

Caprica

Sunday 17th July
Really enjoyed this race. Got home in 1:42:45, average per mile of 7:51. Was surprised when I reached Marlay park to see it was windy, it was fine in the city centre, but one of the guys in the queue at registration said the wind would be on our back. Was a bit unsure of what to expect so my plan was to start of conservatively and see could I pick of people along the way, try and run all the hills and hopefully put in a stong final 3 miles. Splits were:

M1 - 7:40
M2 - 7:44
M3 - 8:11
M4 - 10:28
M5 - 9:49
M6 - 7:33
M7 - 7:25
M8 - 10:22
M9 - 8:17
M10 - 7:07
M11 - 5:52
M12 - 5:45
M13 - 6:05
0.1 - 31secs

Mission accomplished. Hills were testing but I ran them all. I found the downhills tough especially the final one, was very happy to reach the road after M10 and then put the foot down. Picked of four lads in the final few miles. Nearly a five minute split between my slowest and fastest miles.

Turns out the conditions were ideal, the wind was on our back going up the hills and there was a few light showers which were more than welcome. Found this to be a very well organised race, well marshalled, good atmosphere, great views back down to the city. On the basis of my first race with them, I am very impressed with IMRA.

Slogger Jogger

Considering you raced yesterday thats a great time today. Well done. I'd recommend all of the IMRA races. How dare you say 'it was great to hit the road'! The trail is where its at

Caprica

Monday 18th July
Pilates, very tough as is the usual now followed by 25mins on the bike to loosen the legs.

Thursday 21st July
Ran 6.62mls in 47:14, giving an average per mile of 7:08

M1 - 6:56
M2 - 7:19
M3 - 7:07
M4 - 7:17
M5 - 7:24
M6 - 6:53
0.62 - 4:17, mile average of 6:52

Legs felt a bit heavy all week so decided to take the previous two days of, nice comfortable relaxed run. Cool and damp out, a nice evening for a run

Saturday 21st July
Ran 11.23mls in 81:06, average per mile of 7:13

M1 - 7:12
M2 - 7:23
M3 - 7:01
M4 - 7:06
M5 - 7:19
M6 - 7:21
M7 - 7:15
M8 - 7:11
M9 - 7:31
M10 - 7:18
M11 - 7:02
0.23 - 1:29, mile average of 6:29

Found this a bit tough, legs still felt heavy and it was warm out so some of the later miles were tough. Happy to get to the end. Will do some work on the foam roller to loosen the legs up. Going to give the BHAA mile race a shot on wednesday, can't remember if I have done a mile race on the track before. Have a PB of 5:19 from Trinity, would be nice to improve on that but we will see what happens.

Caprica

Tuesday 26th July
Ran 6.60mls in 47:23, average per mile of 7:11

M1 - 7:09
M2 - 7:16
M3 - 7:17
M4 - 7:13
M5 - 7:20
M6 - 6:59
0.60 - 4:09, mile avg of 6:55

Comfortable run. Ran up the Khyber road and back down with the final stretch the hill up wellington road. Not as bad as the hill up the Khyber, will run a few more times in advance of the ten miler. Legs felt a bit heavy.

Wednesday 27th July
BHAA/Aviva 1 mile race. Finished in 5:20, which is just outside my PB. A bit disappointed with the time, when I finished I felt I had more in the tank, could easily have got a new PB.

I found it a bit congested. Didn't want to go of to hard so sat at the back of the group before I knew it the group behind my standard was passing me out. There was runners all round me and it was hard to get daylight, come the end of lap 2, I was out in lane 3 trying to pass out people. For the last lap I had a clear path in front of me so was able to push on a bit. If I was to do it again I would probably go out harder and get to the front of the group and see what happens from there.

Caprica

Thursday 28th July
Ran 6.55mls in 47:12, average per mile of 7:12. Splits were

M1 - 7:11
M2 - 7:15
M3 - 7:16
M4 - 7:15
M5 - 7:28
M6 - 7:05
0.55 - 3:42, mile split 6:43

Comfortable run, Mile 5 was up the Khyber road, ran back down it for Mile 6 and then finished up the hill on wellington road.

Saturday 30 July
Ran 13.13mls in 93:53, average per mile of 7:09. Splits were

M1 - 7:01
M2 - 7:08
M3 - 7:06
M4 - 7:06
M5 - 7:18
M6 - 7:13
M7 - 7:07
M8 - 7:04
M9 - 6:55
M10 - 7:17
M11 - 7:18
M12 - 7:17
M13 - 7:12
0.13 - 0:50, mile split 6:15.

Found this a bit tough. Didn't hit the road till around 2, so found it a bit humid out. Tried to incorporate the Frank Duffy route into the run. Found the hill on wellington road fine but the final strectch up round St. Marys Hospital and up towards the papal cross tough, that was mile 10 and stuggled a bit from their on. Was surprised to see that mile split was faster than Thursdays run. On the whole the Frank Duffy course is pretty fair, will aim for a time in the low 60's. Base of calf felt a bit sore.

Tuesday 2nd August
Ran 9:30mls in 66:19, average per mile of 7:08. Hit the road just before nine, nice evening for a run, although you can see the evenings starting to close in a bit. Splits were

M1 - 6:56
M2 - 7:13
M3 - 7:12
M4 - 7:01
M5 - 7:06
M6 - 7:12
M7 - 7:18
M8 - 7:20
M9 - 7:03
0.3 - 1:57, mile split 6:26

Nice controlled run. Lower calf bit sore now and legs feel a bit heavy. I think I need to put a bit more structure on my training, I just seems to be heading for runs at the moment, with all of them being around the same mile speed the only variation being the lenght.

Caprica

Thursday 4th August
Ran 7mls in 49:21, average per mile of 7:03. Splits were

M1 - 6:56
M2 - 7:34
M3 - 7:15
M4 - 6:48
M5 - 6:50
M6 - 7:02
M7 - 6:54

Out round the north road, keeping to the perimeter of the park, down in to the furry glen, back on to the upper glen road, up the acres road, down Khyber road and finally up Wellington road to finish. I like this route, nice and flat to start of with, downhill stretch followed by hills at the end, a bit of everthing really.

The hill up the acres road is tough. It's short sharp drag at the beginning of acres road which then eases of into a gradual drag for the remainder. Plan to incorporate into all my training runs from now on. Aiming for 16mls tomorrow, plan to be on the road early, so as to avoid the heat and humidity of the last few weekends.

Caprica

Sunday 7th August
Ran 16.14mls in 1hr 56mins 26secs, average per mile of 7:13. Kicked of just after 9, plan was to do two laps like Thursday and add on an extra two miles to make up the target of 16 miles. Park was busy plenty of runners out on a nice sunny morning, the humidity of the last few weekends was absent. Stomach felt a bit dodgy at times througout the run, not so sure what was up, felt really bad round 10/11 miles but times don't show it.

M1 - 7:05
M2 - 7:26
M3 - 7:15
M4 - 6:59
M5 - 7:10
M6 - 7:29
M7 - 7:16
M8 - 7:15
M9 - 7:25
M10 -7:20
M11 - 7:11
M12 - 7:10
M13 - 7:23
M14 - 6:57
M15 - 7:25
M16 - 6:53
0.14 - 47 secs, mile avg of 5:45

Tried to keep consistent 5 mile splits,which I achieved, M1-5 was 35:55, M6-10 was 36:10 and M11-15 was 36:06. Switched of a bit for M15 but picked it up for the final mile and a bit. Overall good effort. Cardio wise very comfortable all the way round. Acres road felt a bit better today. Will throw in a few different routes over the next few weeks, seem to find a route that I like and then run it till I am bored of it. Aiming for a long run of 18mls next Sunday and hopefully a 10ml PB the week after in the Frank Duffy.

Caprica

Monday 8th August
Ran 6.37mls in 45:30, average per mile of 7:09. Pilates was cancelled so had to decide between Spinning or an easy run. Went with the running option, lower calf down to the achilles is a bit sore so thought it would be best to avoid spinning. Splits were

M1 - 7:11
M2 - 7:21
M3 - 7:20
M4 - 7:18
M5 - 7:06
M6 - 6:52
0.37 - 2:23, mile split 6:27

Am a bit nervous with the leg at the moment, there is a slight niggle there and I don't want to aggrivate it, strecthing and using the foam roller, I don't want to return to the problems I had after Paris. I decided to have a relaxed run, stuck to the plan for the first 4 miles and then started to pick things up. The last two miles felt good, nice relaxed, easy running. Will try and slow things down a bit this week but it is something I find difficult. On a positive note there was no heaviness in the legs after yesterdays long run.

Caprica

Wednesday 10th August
Ran 6.29mls in 43:42, avg mile split 6:57

M1 - 6:34
M2 - 6:59
M3 - 7:05
M4 - 7:08
M5 - 7:04
M6 - 6:59
0.29 - 1:54, mile split 6:35

Ran this quicker than planned but it felt comfortable. Had planned on running 3 days in a row but after the run the calf felt quite sore along with the hip, so I took the next few days of.

Monday 15th August
Ran a total of 15.29mls in 1:52:57, average per mile of 7:23. This was tough, had been aiming for 18mls but towards the end the hip felt sore so decided to call it quits at just beyond the 15ml mark. Calf felt ok, it was quite warm out. Splits were:

M1 - 7:20
M2 - 7:24
M3 - 7:11
M4 - 7:11
M5 - 7:15
M6 - 7:30
M7 - 7:10
M8 - 7:27
M9 - 7:38
M10 - 7:23
M11 - 7:21
M12 - 7:31
M13 - 7:37
M14 - 7:35
M15 - 7:23
0.29 - 1:56, mile split 6:42

Had a massage in the afternoon. Both calves very tight, they felt the hip was ok that the problem seemed to be the top of the quad, so I was told to do plenty of strectching on it. Had pilates in the evening, not as difficult as previous weeks, done 15mins on the bike afterwards to loosen up the legs

Caprica

Tuesday 16th August
Gym in the morning followed by a run in the evening. Per the Garmin ran 5.61mls in 42:54, avg per mile of 7:39. Around mile 3 stopped to tie my runner, stopped my watch and forget to restart it, realised about a mile later. Ran for a total of 52mins. Garmin splits were

M1 - 7:48
M2 - 7:46
M3 - 7:33
M4 - 7:34
M5 - 7:28
0.61 - 4:47

My slowest run for a while but was more interested in getting out and seeing how the legs felt. Nice relaxed run, cardio wise no problems bit of stiffness in the calves but overall felt fine.

Wednesday 17th August
Ran 6.89mls in 50:58, average per mile of 7:24. Again aim was to run nice and easy, just to see how the legs felt. Nice run, towards the end right calf was niggling again. Splits were

M1 - 7:16
M2 - 7:32
M3 - 7:51
M4 - 7:10
M5 - 7:18
M6 - 7:30
0.89 - 6:22, mile split 7:10

Same route as Tuesday, bit of a wind blowing across the acres road which made it a bit tougher. Not sure whether I will go for a run tonight, going to do some work on the foam roller to loosen up the legs. Roll on the ten miler.

Caprica

Got home in 65:25, a disappointing run, not what I was expecting or hoping for. Just didn't have it in the legs, even warming up the legs felt heavy and tired but I felt that once I got racing I would be fine. I had set a target of 61:29, which would have been a PB by 2 mins but I felt that PB was slower than what I am able capable of, it was set back in 2007 and I have improved a lot since then. Come the end of mile 2, I knew my target time was not going to be reached but a PB was still on. Splits were:

M1 - 6:12
M2 - 6:15
M3 - 6:09
M4 - 6:23
M5 - 6:30
M6 - 6:54
M7 - 6:46
M8 - 6:48
M9 - 6:38
M10 - 6:50

Disappointing to see that not one mile was under 6mins. I though I was going to give it a good shot as I had a good run in the 5 miler (30:07) and had moved things on a bit in training. Done a long run on Monday, which didn't go great, but had a massage after and then ran around 13mls between Tuesday and Wednesday so I certainly didn't over do the miles in the last week.

I went through halfway in 31:29 so still on for a PB but miles 6 - 10 took 33:26, so was the best part of 2.5mins slower. Found the stretch out Chesterfield tough going and was going backwards from their on. It was tough going keeping the legs turning over.

At the start of the year I had set this as a target race as in 2010 I had set PB's in all the distances I ran from the mile up. So I guess it will have to wait till next year. Next race is the BHAA 2miles and then the Bristol half tomorrow 3 weeks, where I am hoping for a new PB.

Not sure what went wrong, probably just a bad day. It's been a long time since I can say I've been dissapointed with how I ran. Will aim to do a light run tomorrow, legs feel very heavy and tired now.

Caprica

Sunday 21st August
Headed to the gym. 20 mins on the bike followed by weights. Legs still felt heavy so decided against doing a run.

Monday 22nd August
Ran 8.6mls in 61:58 mins, average mile time of 7:12. Was keen to get a run in this morning, legs still felt heavy heading out so decided to aim for a 60 min run, was kinda thinking of doing ten miles but felt the hour would be enough. Splits were:

M1 - 7:26
M2 - 7:27
M3 - 7:18
M4 - 7:01
M5 - 7:12
M6 - 7:08
M7 - 7:24
M8 - 6:58
0.60 - 4:00, mile split 6:42

A decent run, was a little bit quicker that I was expecting but decided to just go for a run. Nice day in the park, not as busy as Saturday, but sill a few runners about. Heading for a massage in the afternoon, with pilates in the evening.

Caprica

Monday 22nd August
Massage in the afternoon, fairly physical, quite painful at time but probably what I needed. Pilates in the evening, demanding class again followed by 15mins on the bike

Tuesday 23rd August
Ran 6.64mls in 49:14, average per mile of 7:25. Left this run a bit late, was after 9 before I hit the road and not longer after it was dark, summer is definitely at an end. Splits were:

M1 - 7:17
M2 - 7:43
M3 - 7:22
M4 - 7:22
M5 - 7:19
M6 - 7:25
0.64 - 4:46, mile split 7:29

Nice relaxed run, apart from mile 2 the splits were pretty consistent. Legs still felt heavy. Plenty of stretching afterwards.

Wednesdsay 24th August
Returned to spinning for the first time in weeks. It was tough at the beginning but got into the swing of things not long after. Good workout, heart and lungs were working hard. Fifteen minutes on stationery bike afterwards followed by more stretching.

Caprica

Thursday 25th August
Ran 6.68mls in 47:16, per mile average of 7:04. Faster than I planned, legs not the best, felt I was battling myself at times.

M1 - 6:52
M2 - 7:14
M3 - 7:04
M4 - 6:59
M5 - 7:30
M6 - 7:01
0.68 - 4:36, mile split 6:43

Saturday 26th August
In between watching the World Championships headed to the gym for 20mins on the bike, weights and stretching

Sunday 27th August
Ran 13.37mls in 1:41:14, average per mile of 7:34. This was a tough one, had planned for 18mls but just didn't have it. Was up till the very early hours watching the athletics so run did not kick of till after 8pm. Legs again felt heavy, came to the end of lap 2, felt tired, it was dark and just didn't fancy running a 3rd lap. So called it quits, splits were:

M1 - 7:22
M2 - 7:46
M3 - 7:31
M4 - 7:15
M5 - 7:24
M6 - 7:35
M7 - 7:40
M8 - 7:44
M9 - 7:54
M10 - 7:31
M11 - 7:23
M12 - 7:37
M13 - 7:40
0.38 - 2:50, mile split 7:44

Overall the run was quite slow but felt I was working hard, not a very enjoyable run. Per my plan this was meant to be a 20 miler so was well short of target. I really need to hit a 20 miler next week. I have planned 3 half marathon over the next 5 weeks which may not be best idea now seeing how things stand.

Monday 28th August
Pilates class, tough as is the norm now, followed by 15mins on the bike.

Caprica

Tuesday 30th August
Ran 10.14mls in 71:48, average per mile of 7:05. After cutting Sundays long run short wanted to put in a decent run. Was aiming for 72:30 or faster. Happy with the effort, cardio wise it felt fine, legs still not the freshest. Splits were:

M1 - 7:07
M2 - 7:17
M3 - 7:05
M4 - 7:01
M5 - 6:57
M6 - 7:06
M7 - 7:08
M8 - 7:16
M9 - 7:10
M10 - 6:53
0.14 - 48secs

Wednesday 31st August
Spinning, really worked hard in this class, sweated buckets, lungs at bursting point, a good class. Haven't done as much spinning in this marathon programme as I would like but early on with the calf problems the class was it was only making things worse. Done weights and stretching afterwards

Thursday 1st September
Ran 8.45mls in 61:06, average per mile of 7:14. Happy with this effort, felt strong all the way round, so I decided to head up the Khyber road for mile 7. Happy with the last few days training, 20mls await Sunday morning. Splits were:

M1 - 7:22
M2 - 7:31
M3 - 7:24
M4 - 6:59
M5 - 7:15
M6 - 7:06
M7 - 7:25
M8 - 7:10
0.45 - 2:54, mile split 6:29

Caprica

Sunday 4th September
Ran a total of 21mls in 2hrs 32mins and 32secs, average per mile of 7:16. My first 20mile+ run of the training programme, have fell behind a bit on the long runs, happy with the effort. Struggled a bit towards the end. Found a route that was just over 8mls and took roughly the hour to complete, it did involve heading up the Khyber road which was tough second time round. Splits were

M1 - 7:14
M2 - 7:15
M3 - 7:08
M4 - 7:04
M5 - 7:12
M6 - 7:19
M7 - 7:29
M8 - 7:10
M9 - 7:22
M10 - 7:15
M11 - 7:23
M12 - 7:06
M13 - 7:06
M14 - 7:24
M15 - 7:22
M16 - 7:19
M17 - 7:14
M18 - 7:26
M19 - 7:12
M20 - 7:04
M21 - 7:24

M1-10 was done in 72:28 with M11-20 done in 72:36, pretty even running. Normally like to finish the long run faster but second time up the Khyber was tough (M14) and was working a bit towards the end. First run with the energy gels and sports drink, sticking with the isogels again, find them easy on the stomach

Ran 40mls for the week plus spinning, which would be a heavy enough week for me. Have the Bristol Half next week, was looking to improve on my PB of 82:45 but doubt that will be happening after the ten mile performance. Will come up with a race plan closer to the day.

Caprica

Monday 5th September
Spinning followed by weights and pilates. Extra long pilates class, which was really tough.

Tuesday 6th September
Ran a total of 8.7mls in 60:52 for an average per mile of 7min. Run was faster than I planned but it felt quite easy and comfortable. Towards the end of mile 3 a guy was running just behind me and I kept moving aside to let him pass but he didn't so I then decided that he wasn't going to pass me so that led to increasing pace through miles 4, 5 & 6 with a harder effort up the Khyber road (M7) than usual. Splits were:

M1 - 7:15
M2 - 7:34
M3 - 7:25
M4 - 6:53
M5 - 6:43
M6 - 6:33
M7 - 7:02
M8 - 6:56
0.70 - 4:32, mile average 6:26

Felt quite good at the end, it was probably a run I needed. Plan for the rest of the week is Spinning and weights tomorrow followed by a massage on Thursday with hopefully an easy run on Friday and half marathon on Sunday.

Caprica

Wednesday 7th September
Spinning followed by weights and stretching

Thursday 8th September
Went for massage. Had planned for a light run on Friday but legs felt tired so decided against it.

Sunday 11th September - Bristol Half Marathon
Got home in 86:20, to just scrape in to the Top 200. Happy with the effort, my garmin had the course a bit long at 13.29mls giving me an average per mile of 6:30. Ran this last year in 82:45, 3 weeks before Berlin and my first sub 3hr marathon, but not at those levels currently. Splits were

M1 - 6:26
M2 - 6:30
M3 - 6:29
M4 - 6:33
M5 - 6:30
M6 - 6:24
M7 - 6:24
M8 - 6:26
M9 - 6:36
M10 - 6:22
M11 - 6:43
M12 - 6:28
M13 - 6:46
0.29 - 1:42, , mile split 5:55

Happy with this run, was very disappointed with my run in the Frank Duffy 10 mile, so wanted to put in good effort yesterday. My plan was to run at 6:30 pace all the way round, hit 10K in 40:35, 10mls in sub 65 (ahead of Frank Duffy time) and get to the finish in 85:XX. Slightly came of track at the end.

Started well up to the front and got into my running more or less straight away. Decided to run at 6:30 pace for the first 4/5 miles and then try to pick it up from there, was being passed by a lot of people starting out but was content to do my own thing in the early stages. Hit the 5 mile mark in 32:28 and then decided to push on from there, went through 10k in 40:30 and at this stage was starting to pull back people. Legs felt heavy but I thought if I was going to hit my goal time I had to commit so pushed on. Between Mile 6 and 10 all bar mile 9 (6:36) were below 6:30, found the drag on mile 9 a bit tough, which was a bit of a worry as there was a few more hills to come.

Hit the ten mile mark in 64:40, very happy with this split, was very keen to be sub 65 at this point. From then on it got a bit tougher, Mile 11 had two hills and while I was passing people my time was still outside target, picked it up on mile 12 as it involved a well deserved downhill, Mile 13 was tough as the wind was quite strong which made it tougher. For the final stretch picked things up and passed 3 more in the final line.

I had originally entered this race back in June when I was just getting over my calf injury and full of confidence put down a predicted finish time of 81mins, things have not quite gone to plan in this training programme. Still I have to be happy with this time, my 2nd best half time, not in top shape and I worked hard when it got tougher in the last few miles.

This is a race I would recommened, very well organised. It has wave starts and you start according to the colour of your bib, at the entry to each corral people your bib colour is checked and if it correct then your are let enter. I wonder could they do this for the race series? Arrived at the start over an hour early as I had not received my race pack and number but had received it in 5mins, no queues for the toilets either (maybe because I was so early). It's a really nice scenic route with a good atmosphere and decent support.

Caprica

Monday 12th September
Done weights, 30min spinning class and pilates. The long spinning class was booked out so went with the shorter one, good idea, legs were heavy and found it tough going. Pilates was as tough as ever.

Tuesday 13th September
Legs still not the best but forced myself out the door. Ran 6.79mls in 49:39, average per mile of 7:19

M1 - 7:46
M2 - 7:43
M3 - 6:52
M4 - 7:11
M5 - 7:06
M6 - 7:24
0.79 - 5:37, mile split 7:06

An ok run, tough starting off but it got easier as the run went on.

Wednesday 14th September
Spinning and Weights. Spinning not as bad as Monday but still tough going.

Thursday 15th September
Ran 8.41mls in 62:23, average per mile of 7:25. Left it late so it was dark as I was hitting the road and fairly windy.

M1 - 7:37
M2 - 7:49
M3 - 7:34
M4 - 7:23
M5 - 7:22
M6 - 7:34
M7 - 7:32
M8 - 7:09
0.41 - 2:22, mile split 5:45

Was in two minds about this run but really enjoyed it, which I'm not sure I have felt about a training run in while. Felt good and strong towards the end.

Friday 16th September
As legs felt bad booked in a massage early in the week. The work on the quads was very painful, hamstrings were tight and calves weren't great.

Hoping for a 22miler tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

Caprica

Sunday 18th September
Ran 22.11mls in 2:50:18, giving an average per mile of 7:42. This was a tough one. Again the legs felt heavy, so took it steady heading of but came of the pace for the last 5/6 miles. Splits were

M1 - 7:31
M2 - 7:41
M3 - 7:38
M4 - 7:13
M5 - 7:15
M6 - 7:27
M7 - 7:35
M8 - 7:22
M9 - 7:32
M10 - 7:43
M11 - 7:37
M12 - 7:21
M13 - 7:36
M14 - 7:38
M15 - 8:04
M16 - 7:34
M17 - 8:16
M18 - 8:18
M19 - 8:34
M20 - 7:45
M21 - 8:09
M22 - 7:46
0.11 - 0:42, mile split 6:34

First ten was done in 74:57 and miles 11 - 20 in 78:43. Was running an 8 mile loop so coming to mile 16 I was contemplating calling it quits but decided to push on for the final 6 miles. It was really tough from there on in, it was more of case of just getting the 22mls done that trying to pick things up. The legs had nothing left. The last time I done a 22 miler was back in March as part of my Paris marathon training, and covered the distance in just over 2:40 at an average pace of 7:15, was a long way of that today.

I am taking this week very easy. Pilates on Monday followed by not much else, maybe a light run on Thursday. Have a half marathon next Sunday, going to use it as a training run as it is a tough course.

Caprica

After the struggles of last weeks long run done nothing all week apart from Pilates on monday evening. Had heard about the mooathon a few years back and always had put it down as a race to do,so finally got round to doing it this year. Stayed with friends so went down on the Friday, sat in watching the Late Late with a bottle of vino followed by registration and a bit of sightseeing on Saturday.

I knew this was a hilly course but when I seen the course profile at registration I got a bit of a shock. Really tough first 5.5 miles, there was a lot of climbing, but from then on it was downhill to the finish. Had a pretty good run, got home in 91:23, for average per mile of 6:59. Plan was to take it easy starting of for the hills and then run a strong last 10K. Splits were:

M1 - 7:36
M2 - 7:14
M3 - 8:49
M4 - 8:30
M5 - 7:26
M6 - 6:32
M7 - 6:15
M8 - 6:19
M9 - 6:43
M10 - 6:39
M11 - 6:04
M12 - 6:26
M13 - 6:23
0.10 - 0:28, mile split 5:47

We hit our first hill after about 50mtrs, a tough sharp start to the race but I was prepared for it, settled into a nice rhythm immediately and kept things steady for the next few miles. Miles 3 and 4 were tough, come mile 4 we were at the top of Lough Salt and things levelled of a bit, just after hitting M5 went round a corner to be faced by the final stretch of hills. This was the hightest point of the course, the views at this point were spectacular, then we were into a sharp downhill which was a uncomfortable.

Just beyond the 6 mile mark I decided to push on to put in a strong finish, there wasn't to many ahead of me at this point so decided on focusing on catching the person in front of me, and picking them of one by one. There was a one or two unexpected hills around M9 & 10. The final 2 miles were along the coast so it was a bit exposed with a fairly strong cross wind was working hard for the last stretch. Final 10k was done in just over 40 mins.

Overall very happy with this run, taking the week of was a (reluctant) good idea, felt good at the start of the race, worked well on the hills and put in a good finish to the race. Legs don't feel the best now, so took tonight of, hopefully will get for a run on Thursday. Have the Galway half on Sunday, fast and flat according to their website.

Kinda undecided on whether I will be doing the marathon, still a few weeks to make my mind up.