Allez Ola Ole - Paris 2011

Caprica

Monday 5th December
Ran 6.25mls in 43:29 for a per mile average of 6:57. First run of my London 2012 training programme. Plan till xmas is to train 4 times a week and the push out to 6 times a week from January. This was a good start to the programme, didn't feel as fast as it was, splits were;

M1 - 7:06
M2 - 7:04
M3 - 7:26 (Furry Glen)
M4 - 7:03
M5 - 6:44
M6 - 6:37
0.25 - 1:30, mile split 5:56

Target for London is to hit sub 2:55 and hopefully to be closer to 2:50, am considering joining a club to give me a bit of a push. I think sub 2:55 is well within my reach if fully fit, I feel I could easily have hit it in Paris as I was in great shape beforehand but the calf injury put paid to that. Will put together a more detailed plan for this attempt, but will be looking to hit all my long runs this time and to get back to spinning (I missed a lot of them in Dublin training).

Caprica

Wednesday 7th December
Pilates followed by 30min spinning. Pretty tough spinning class, sprints, recovery, sprints all the way. Heart and lungs got a good workout, enjoyable class. Followed by ten minutes on the stationery bike and stretching. Coming down with a cold.

Thursday 8th December
Have a cold, it' been lingering for the last week. Decided to miss the gym and rest for the Aware race on saturday. Great start to the programme, day 4 and I have already missed a day.

Caprica

Saturday December 10th
Have been stuggling with a cold the last few days, so was in two minds what to do about this race but decided to wait till the morning and see how I felt. Got up and didn't feel 100% but decided to just do the race anyway. Looked nice out but it was nippy with a biting wind as I stolled down to the park. Race start was delayed by 15mins on H&S grounds, as I stolled down the paths were icing in places fine for walking but possibly dangerous for running.

Got home in 31:20, much better than I expected. Felt strong all the way round. Splits were;

M1 - 6:11
M2 - 6:21
M3 - 6:28
M4 - 6:23
M5 - 6:00

Start was very congested but it didn't seem to slow me down to much, bit windy round the S bends, not as difficult going up the upper glen road as I had expected with a nice flat final 1.5miles to the finish. Based on current levels of fitness and training this was a pretty good effort, next 5 miler is the Raheny 5 at the end of January, will be looking to go sub 30 there.

Aim to get out for 8 - 10 mls tomorrow.

Caprica

Didn't feel the best on Saturday/Sunday with the cold so felt it was better to miss the long run, it would only have made things worse

Monday 12th December
Still not 100% so skipped spinning and only done Pilates. Was quite a tough class, haven't been to the Monday class in a while so I was a bit out of practice

Tuesday 13th December
Ran 5mls on the treadmill in 34:15. Ran the first 3mls at 7min pace and the final 2mls at 6:35. Followed by plenty of stretching. Cold is still hanging in there but the worst is over.

Just registered for the Raheny 5, will be a good target to keep me focused. Aim is to be sub 30.

Caprica

Wednesday 14th December
Pilates followed by spinning. Second pilates class of the week, not the intensity of the Monday night class but still a good workout. Spinning similar to last week, half hour class of sprinting followed by recovery, might stick with this class in the new year.

Sunday 18th December
Ran 10.14mls in 71:23 for a per mile average of 7:02. Was a bit late starting this one, half hour in and it was already dark. Fairly nippy running down the quays but once I got motoring in the park it wasn't to bad. Splits were;

M1 - 7:17
M2 - 7:10
M3 - 7:38
M4 - 7:07
M5 - 6:58
M6 - 6:52
M7 - 7:03
M8 - 7:10
M9 - 6:54
M10 - 6:25
0.14 - 0:50, mile split of 5:48

Very happy with this effort, longest run in a good few weeks. Felt good and strong all the way round, miles around the 7min mark feel quite comfortable. Going to keep the long runs at this level for the next few weeks and hopefully kick of the new year with some good runs over the country. As things stand feel quite positive with my form, looking forward to some races to test myself.

Caprica

Monday 19th December
Spinning followed by stationery bike (15mins) and stretching. First 45min spinning class in a good few weeks. Was working hard, different from the normal class which is no harm.

Cold resurfaced on Tuesday so did nothing for a few days, didn't feel great Wednesday and Thursday.

Saturday 24th December
Home for xmas but want to get a few runs in over the break. Plan included a run on xmas eve, got out in between the showers, not to cold out but quite windy. Ran a total of 6.25mls in 43mins, per mile average of 6:53. Splits were;

M1 - 6:59
M2 - 6:53
M3 - 7:04
M4 - 6:51
M5 - 6:49
M6 - 6:50
0.25 - 1:36, mile split of 6:21

This did not feel like sub 7min pace, it felt nice and relaxed, will try and hold back in the next few runs. Even though this pace feels comfortable it's a little bit to quick for what I want to be doing at the moment.

Caprica

Monday 26th December
Ran 8.25mls in 60:03, mile average of 7:17. Aim was to run for the hour so decided to change from my usual route when home but kinda forget that the new route was hilly at times. Splits were;

M1 - 7:09
M2 - 7:07
M3 - 7:33
M4 - 7:29
M5 - 7:29
M6 - 7:46
M7 - 7:06
M8 - 6:48
0.25 - 1:38, mile split of 6:33

Decent effort. Was a bit tough at times, miles 5 & 6 were hilly, but was able to pick things up for the last two miles. Quite windy out but never felt that it was on my back at anytime. Felt I was breathing hard towards the end.

Thursday 29th December
Ran 6.92mls in 50:03, mile average of 7:15. For Tuesday and Wednesday the lower calves were very sore and combined with the gael force wind and torrential rain decided against doing anything. Come Thursday was keen to hit the road again got out between showers, it was probably the longest dry spell of the day. Splits were;

M1 - 7:15
M2 - 7:15
M3 - 7:35
M4 - 7:05
M5 - 7:08
M6 - 7:15
0.92 - 6:32, mile split of 7:08

Wasn't overly keen on this run before I headed of but once I got motoring the calves felt fine, aim was to keep all the miles around the same time. Mile 3 was into the worst of the wind so I fell of target a bit for that one. Done stretching afterwards followed by a few minutes on the stationery bike. The calves feel a bit tight again today, I think my normal routine of warm up and cool down is out of sync which may be causing the problem.

Caprica

Saturday 31st December
Ran 6.06mls in 43:25, average per mile of 7:10. Decent effort, splits were;

M1 - 7:03
M2 - 7:06
M3 - 7:22
M4 - 7:08
M5 - 7:09
M6 - 7:13
.06 - 25secs

Last run of 2011. Got out between the showers, quite windy at times.

Monday 2nd January
Ran 8.76mls in 64:15, average per mile of 7:20. Similar route to Stephens Day. Again windy out with rain and hailstones to add to the enjoyment. Splits were;

M1 - 7:08
M2 - 7:10
M3 - 7:36
M4 - 7:16
M5 - 7:21
M6 - 8:03
M7 - 7:13
M8 - 7:12
0.76 - 5:15, mile split 6:55

Found this a bit tough at times, the hills at mile 6 were a struggle, but felt good come the end.

Tuesday 3rd January
Ran 6.25mls in 45:28, mile average of 7:16. Back in the phoenix park, a few runners about, wind, rain and briefly some hailstones. Splits were;

M1 - 7:38
M2 - 7:27
M3 - 7:44
M4 - 7:18
M5 - 6:55
M6 - 6:48
0.25 - 1:38, mile split 6:26

Very windy starting of, out round the s-bends and the glen road was hard work. For the second half wind was on my back so was able to pick the pace even though not working that hard.

Caprica

Wednesday 4th January
Done a 30min spinning class. First class of 2012, worked hard and was sweating buckets come the end, will go back to the longer classes from next week. Spent 10mins on stationery bike followed by stretching afterwards.

Thursday 5th January
Ran 4 miles on the treadmill with a 3% gradient. First mile at 7:30 pace with the next 3 at 7min pace. Very warm in the gym, it wasn't the easiest of run for some reason. Stretching afterwards, top right hamstrings feels a bit tight.

BHAA in Tymon park tomorrow, will dust down the spikes later on. Will go with the 12mm I think, it's always a wet and mucky course, the last few days rain will have done us no favours.

Caprica

Saturday 7th January
First cross country race of the year, SDCC 4 mile in Tymon park. Conditions were pretty good, bit of a wind blowing and ground a bit soft in places but was much better than previous years where it was pretty much a mud bath. Got home in 26:30 just missed out on the Top 50 but it was few places of on improvement on last year. Splits were;

M1 - 6:09
M2 - 6:32
M3 - 6:31
M4 - 6:35
0.11 - 36secs, mile split 5:18

Happy with the effort, was working hard on the last mile to hold my position. Was a bit of a manic start, very wide at the start and narrows not long after so went off hard to get a decent place, after the first 400 or so I was running at well under 6min pace but things eased of after that and got into a nice rhythm. Pace was more or less even for the next 3miles, around the half way mark was told I was 60th and ended just outside the top 50. Raised a sprint at the end to catch the guy in front but he was having none of it.

The time was much quicker than last year but also improved a few places on last year, based on that I think am a bit ahead of where I was last year, I guess the real test of that will be my time in the Raheny 5. The guys at the front end were flying, seemed like a fairly high standard. Next up is Cherryfield park in 2 weeks time.

Caprica

Sunday 8th January
First proper long run of the programme. Ran 12.44mls in 91:46 for a per mile average of 7:22. Had planned on doing this first thing in the morning but legs felt a bit heavy after yesterdays x-country so decided to hold till the afternoon. Plenty of walkers in the park but the runners were thin on the ground.

M1 - 7:18
M2 - 7:15
M3 - 7:28
M4 - 7:16
M5 - 7:06
M6 - 7:13
M7 - 7:31
M8 - 7:30
M9 - 7:54
M10 - 7:41
M11 - 7:21
M12 - 7:14
0.44 - 2:59, mile split of 6:43

Pretty much a relaxed run, went through five miles in 36:23, ten miles in 74:30 and then picked it up for the last two miles. Mile 9 & 10 was round the upper glen road and the furry glen, so pace fell back a bit. Nice evening for a run bit windy round the sbends. Run was pretty much foothpath/roads all the way.

Caprica

Monday 9th January
Spinning class, followed by stationery bike and stretching

Tuesday 10th January
Ran 5mls on the treadmil in 36mins with 3% incline. This run was kinda tough. Heat in the gym was something else, straight away I was sweating, should nearly count as warm weather training.

Thursday 12th January
Back to the treadmill. 6mls in 38:20. Not sure this is correct. Set the treadmill speed to 8.5mph which is 7 minute miling but went through the first mile in 6:40 and it seemed to get quicker from there even though I didn't change the speed. Per mile average was 6:23.

Whatever it was the run felt good, skipped Wednesday spinning as I felt wrecked and legs were heavy but had no problems today. Have been a bit lax with my work on the foam roller, plan for this programme was to use it when I do a run but that hasn't happened yet.

Caprica

Sunday 15th January
Ran 14.29mls in 104:19, for a mile average of 7:18. The plan was for a 14 mile run and for it to be done with negative splits. First 7 mls in 52:30 (7:30 per mile) and come back faster than that. Splits were;

M1 - 7:23
M2 - 7:25
M3 - 7:33
M4 - 7:31
M5 - 7:43
M6 - 7:18
M7 - 7:19
M8 - 7:18
M9 - 7:19
M10 - 7:21
M11 - 7:09
M12 - 7:06
M13 - 7:05
M14 - 6:58
0.29 - 1:50, mile split of 6:23

Good run with negative splits. First 7mls in 52:12 with the second half in 50:16. The first half felt comfortable so I decided to push on for the second half. Miles 8 & 9 were round the s bends, glen road and furry glen was a bit of work keeping the miles under 7:30 but got through and felt good afterwards so pushed on for the last few miles and got under 7mins for my last mile. Legs feel a bit heavy now so will do some work on the foam roller. 3 runs for the week giving a total of 25mls plus a spinning class.

Caprica

Monday 16th January
30min Spinning class followed by stretching and pilates. First pilates class since before xmas, bit of a shock to the system, was a bit tough at times.

Wednesday 18th January
Was on the reserve list for the 45min spinning class but didn't get the call up so ran for the same time on the treadmill. 45mins at 8.6mph with 2% gradient. Went through 10k in 43mins, and 6.5mls in in just under the 45mins.

Thursday 19th January
Ran 5mls in 33mins on the treadmill. Set the pace at 9.1mph with 2% gradient. Felt nice and relaxed.

Saturday 21st January
BHAA Eircom 5ml XCountry. The target for this was to improve both on last years time and place. Got out good and early, had nearly an hour to spare. Went for a slow warm up lap and while the course was firm all the way round it was quite windy and nippy. Had a good run, got home in 31:02. My garmin had the course slightly short but spoke to a few others and they had it bang on. Splits were;

M1 - 6:09
M2 - 6:17
M3 - 6:15
M4 - 6:38
M5 - 5:46 for 0.92ml, 6:16 mile split.

Course was 3 and a bit laps, plan was to hold back at the start and then try and pass a few people as the race progressed. Didn't think my first mile was that fast but it felt comfortable, kept things steady for Mls 2 & 3, was picking people of hear and there. Found mile 4 tough , this was the 3rd time running into the wind and it was tough going, I really struggled but was working hard. For the last mile tried to push it on but at this stage the group in front were out of reach but I kept going. Was passed by a guy in the last few metres, he was full of running, tried to react but he was gone.

Time was improvement on last year, it would have been faster but for the wind, not sure of the placement yet. This sets me up well for the Raheny 5 next week, will definitely be aiming for a sub 30

Caprica

Sunday 22 January
Ran 16.23mls in the Phoenix park in 119mins and 14secs, just dipped under the 2hr mark, per mile avg of 7:21. Was hoping to run negative splits but after yesterdays race and a late night wasn't to sure how it would go. Route was the usual, wellington road, military road, upper glen road, furry glen, then sticking to trails to come in the north road. One lap was 7mls, for the final 2 went out and back on Chesterfield avenue. Splits were;

M1 - 7:27
M2 - 7:27
M3 - 7:29
M4 - 7:16
M5 - 7:33
M6 - 7:05
M7 - 7:12
M8 - 7:34
M9 - 7:36
M10 - 7:48
M11 - 7:35
M12 - 7:41
M13 - 7:06
M14 - 7:07
M15 - 7:21
M16 - 6:34
0.23 - 1:23, mile split of 6:10

A decent effort, managed negative splits but only just. First 8mls were 59:03, with the second 8 being done in 58:48. Picked up the pace for the last few miles. Found the first half easy enough but second time on the upper glenn road and round the furry glen was a bit harder, times slipped a bit and hard to work in the last few miles. M15 out chesterfield avenue was tough but put the foot down for the last mile and finished feeling pretty good.

35mls plus spinning and pilates for the weeks. No long run next weekend as I will be doing be the Raheny 5. Booked a massage for next Thursday, legs feel a bit heavy, this should freshen them up.

Caprica

Monday 23rd January
Spinning followed by Pilates. Worked hard in spinning. Pilates was tough. Legs were very sore on Tuesday so skipped that days run.

Wednesday 25th January
Spinning class followed by the bike and stretching. Legs felt very heavy in spinning, was a bit of a struggle at times.

Thursday 26th January
Massage, jesus it was tough. Very painfull at times. Done a lot of work on the quads. Legs still sore on Friday so skipped run. Not a great week for running.

Legs feel ok this morning. Raheny 5 this afternoon. Miserable morning here at the moment. Don't mind running in the rain but standing round in the rain waiting for the race to start gets to me. Hopefully it eases of by the afternoon.

Caprica

Got home in 29:58, mile average of 5:58, had the course just over the 5 mile. Aim was to be sub 30, just managed to do it, was working hard towards on the final stretch round to park. Splits were;

M1 - 5:48
M2 - 5:58
M3 - 6:01
M4 - 5:59
M5 - 6:07

Got to Raheny in good time and strolled down to the school to see the queue for registration out the hall door and working its way back to the road but to be fair it moved really quickly. Got changed and went for a 5 min warm up and did some stretches, it was wet but not cold. Made my way to the start and positioned myself close enough to the start. Gun went and got over the line in under 10 secs, spent the first couple of hundered metres dodging slower runners.

Plan was to go out with a sub 5:50 mile, then keep things steady from there and pick it up in the last mile. Hit mile 1 in 5:48 and felt good, pushed on through Miles 2 & 3 picking of people here and there, there was a group in front of me but couldn't get on to them, so instead I just picked people of as they dropped from it. Was finding things tough going after the 3 mile marker approaching the coast road but I realised that if I was going to go sub 30, I had to push on. Worked hard on the coast road and picked of a few more people, put the head down on the hill on Watermill Road for the 4th mile.

At this point I knew it was going to be close for sub 30 so was working very hard. There was a few other runners round and we were pushing each other on, coming round the park I put in a final kick and worked on catching two lads in front, closed down on them but didn't get past them. As I came round the final corner I could see the clock getting closer to 30mins, put in one final kicked to cross the line and barely squeeze under my target time.

Initially I was very happy to get under 30 but on reflection I probably should have done better. I was only 4 seconds quicker than last year, I would have expected more based on training and the good xcountry races. Out of curiosty I put the time into the McMillan calculator and it predicts a 2:56 marathon! Nice to know that, not sure how accurate it is though.

liamo123

Good running man....Injuries seem to b behind u now...Reckon u could take a couple more mins off that McMillan predicted time when u decide to tackle the marathon distance again...

Caprica

Monday 30th January
Spinning class and pilates. Pilates was tough, finding it a bit hard to get back into it after the xmas break.

Tuesday 31st January
Ran 10km on the treadmill in 46mins. First two miles at 8.1mph, mls 3&4 at 8.2mph and final section at 8.3mph.

Wednesday 1st February
Spinning class. Tough going, a good hard workout, good mix between sprints and climbs. Stationery bike and stretching to finish of the workout

Thursday 2nd February
Ran 7mls in 50:31 on the treadmilll. Split the run in to 10mins segments, starting at 8.1mph and adding 0.1mph every 10mins, ending up at 8.5mph. Avg pace worked at 7:12 per mile. Nice relaxed run, felt quite comfortable. Kinda starting to enjoy the treadmill running again, a few years back I done a two hour training run on it but had got bored with it in the last 18/24 mths and have pretty much avoided it since.

Doing the BHAA NCF race in Swords tomorrow, last year it was like a track race with very good conditions underfoot. Should be the same tomorrow hopefully, apart from the rain last weekend its been cold and dry all week.

Caprica

Arrived in good time to be met by a huge queue waiting to register, the number are really up for the BHAA this year, it was a bit slow moving but they pushed the start back by a few minutes to compensate. Done a quick warm up and was surprised how soft the course was, I was expecting it to be firm underfoot. Last year this was nearly like a track race but this year the section of the course in the field with the river was tough going. For H&S reasons they had no bales of hay this year to jump over.

Had the course slightly short at 4.81mls, got home in 29:46. Happy with the run. Ran a good last mile or so to pick of a few people and finished strong, no one was going to pass me on the line today. Splits were;

M1 - 6:05
M2 - 6:14
M3 - 6:26
M4 - 6:12
0.81 - 4:51, mile pace 5:59

Plan was to hold back a bit at the beginning and then work my way through the field. Didn't expect my first mile to be so quick, but you probably get dragged along without realising it. By the time I was starting the second lap was already a bit isolated so switched to focusing on people ahead of me and catching them. Come the start of the last lap felt good and so pushed on from there. In the last 800 was closing on two lads, caught them with about 400 go and then kicked from there. Felt strong finishing, nice to see I was on for a sub 6 for the last mile. Another well run BHAA race.

Will do some work on the foam roller now, hope to hit 18 tomorrow afternoon. Happy with my form, it seems to be going in the right direction. Roll on London 2012.

Caprica

Ran 17.01mls in 2:08:53, giving a mile average of 7:35. Was aiming for 18 but fell slightly short. After yesterdays run held of till the late afternoon to give myself a few extra hours of recovery. Legs felt heavy starting of, didn't do any work on the foam roller as had planned, so I guess my own fault really. Splits were;

M1 - 7:26
M2 - 7:36
M3 - 7:25
M4 - 7:16
M5 - 7:20
M6 - 7:40
M7 - 7:39
M8 - 7:38
M9 - 8:02
M10 - 7:20
M11 - 7:27
M12 - 8:11
M13 - 7:52
M14 - 7:57
M15 - 7:48
M16 - 7:27
M17 - 6:46
and 4 extra seconds to make sure I got over 17mls.

Changed my usual route, headed down Wellington road and then up the Khyber road, round the 15 acres and playing pitches back on teh s bends, the glen road, furry glen and then to the trails. The lap was just over ten miles. Run started of quite well, found the grass on the 15 acres a bit slippy but got through it.

Found the run on the trails tough going, was finding it hard to get a good footing and a lot of time was spent slipping and sliding. M9 was a struggle got back on to firm ground for M10 & M11, hit my slowest mile at no. 12 which was up the Khyber road the second time but due to the all traffic coming down ran it on the grass, fifteen acres second time was tough. At this stage took a short cut back on to the upper glen, aim then was to get to the finish and try and speed up a bit. Each mile from then on I was picking the pace up, ran the last mile in 6:46.

Cardio wise this felt very comfortable but the legs were struggling from a combination of yesterdays race and the soft ground. Might need to look at my racing schedule, I had planned on attending all the BHAA xcountry races, but if they are going to interfere with the long runs that will impact on the marathon plan. My aim is to hit 5 20ml+ runs and run them well, for me that is the key part of the programme if I want to go sub 2:55 in London.

Caprica

Monday 6th February
Spinning and Pilates. Legs felt very heavy, spinning was a bit of a struggle. Pilates as tough as ever.

Tuesday 7th February
Legs still not the best, so just done an easy run on the treadmill. 4mls in 32mins. Put of starting my new gym programme as my left upper arm is niggling me, don't know what I done to it.

Wednesday 8th February
Done the 30min spinning class as the longer class was fully booked. Good class, went as hard as I could, legs a bit wrecked afterwards so done 15mins on the stationery bike and stretching.

Thursday 9th February
Again legs felt like lead so was in two minds what to do but decided to hit the treadmill. Got to the gym late, not long before half 8, ran 10k in 44mins. This was a decent effort, once I got motoring didn't feel to bad. Ran the first 2mls at 8.3mph, next 2 at 8.6pmh and final 2 at 8.9mph.

Doing nothing today, resting for tomorrows 20 miler.

Caprica

Sunday 12th February
Ran 20.06mls in 2:28:13, per mile average of 7:23. Happy with the effort. As there was no race yesterday got out in the morning, definitely less cold that the last couple of weekends. Plan was to aim for sub 2:30, with negative splits if possible. After the struggles on the trails last week, decided to skip them today. Splits were;

M1 - 7:19
M2 - 7:37
M3 - 7:16
M4 - 7:14
M5 - 7:11
M6 - 7:26
M7 - 7:27
M8 - 7:25
M9 - 7:14
M10 - 7:07
M11 - 7:12
M12 - 7:33
M13 - 7:26
M14 - 7:23
M15 - 7:27
M16 - 7:33
M17 - 7:58
M18 - 7:41
M19 - 7:22
M20 - 6:55

Didn't quite hit the negative splits, went through the first ten miles in 73:16 and the second ten in 74:30. Went through the first half quicker than I expected, with one or two of the miles quicker than I had planned. M12 was up the Khyber road and M13 was round the papal cross, started to struggle from there on, hamstrings felt really tight. It was getting tough to turn the legs over, kept working hard hoping to get sub 2:30.

Mile 17 was the top end of the upper glen road and the furry glen, was a real struggle, put a bit of a spurt on towards the end of the mile as the Garmin was outside 8mins but paid for it a bit in Mile 18. At this point only two miles to go so tried to pick things up, legs felt heavy but pushed on to finish with two quicker miles, with mile 20 being sub 7.

Legs don't feel the best now, so will book in for a massage during the week. This was a good effort, having Saturday of was definitely a help, legs didn't feel 100% but was able to keep going and finish picking things up.

Garda xcountry next week, better clean the spikes.

Caprica

A quite week on the whole.

Monday 13th February
Spinning and Pilates. Done the shorter spinning class, new instructor who done things differently threw me a bit starting off, but it was a good workout. Pilates was tough, top of my left arm is still hurting and skipped some of the exercises. Legs felt very heavy.

Wednesday 15th February
Worked late Tuesday and had a massage booked for Wednesday. It was tough going at times. Was told I need to do more stretching, am I not using the foam roller enough either. Need to work on that. Thursday took the day of as the legs were still recovering.

Saturday 18th February
Garda BHAA Xcountry. Tough conditions for this, it's never the easiest of courses anyway but there was a stong enough wind today that made the hills even harder than usual. Got home in 24:43, another good run, finished strong. Splits were;

M1 - 6:04
M2 - 6:18
M3 - 5:59
M4 - 6:22

Very big turnout. Was a very congested start, had planned to hold back a bit but looked at my watch around 4/500 metres and it was showing 5:24 so slowed down a bit from there on. Ended up running on my own after mile 2, so picked things up to close up on the guys in front of me which left mile 3 at sub 6, being my quickest. Last time up the hill was tough and was slowing along with everyone else, picked things up on the home straight and put in a good 'sprint' finish to pass out one fella.

Time was a little slower that last year but the wind and the ground being soft in places made it tougher than last year so not to concerned. Position was just outside the top 50. 20 miles planned for tomorrow afternoon, will do it slower than last week.

Caprica

Sunday 19th February
Ran 20.14mls in 2:30:43, for a per mile average of 7:29. A decent effort, plan was to run it slower that last week with even splits. Splits were;

M1 - 7:29
M2 - 7:34
M3 - 7:24
M4 - 7:13
M5 - 7:22
M6 - 7:38
M7 - 7:43
M8 - 7:26
M9 - 7:20
M10 - 7:27
M11 - 7:25
M12 - 7:57
M13 - 7:31
M14 - 7:33
M15 - 7:37
M16 - 7:38
M17 - 7:54
M18 - 7:40
M19 - 6:58
M20 - 7:02
0.14 - 51secs, 5:59 mile split

Have found a lap that is just over ten miles. Had a comfortable first loop going through ten miles in 74:36. M12 was up the Khyber road, had to work a bit to keep it under 8 minutes. M7 & M17 were both on the top of the upper glen and round the furry glen, second time was a bit tough. Picked the pace up for the last two miles, dipped under 7mins for M19 and kept it going for the last mile. Second ten mile was covered in 75:15. After yesterdays tough race, I am happy with this run.

Hamstrings felt a bit tight for towards the end so have given them a bit of workout on the foam roller this evening. Next week LSR is a 22 miler, doing no race on Saturday so should be a bit fresher for it. Arm is still sore so I am going to go to a physio next week, have not been able to do any weights for the last few weeks, which is not ideal.

Caprica

Monday 20th February
Short spinning class followed by pilates. Shoulder was giving problems in pilates, good workout in spinning.

Tuesday 21st February
Ran 7.5mls on the treadmill in 50:30. First 4mls at 8.6mph, next 3 at 9.1mph and last 0.5 at 10.1mph. Comfortable run, had planned for an hour but got delayed in work and had physio appointment.

Physio has diagnosed a rotator cuff strain. This has got quite annoying in the last few weeks. He gave me two types of exercises to do over the next 10 days. It feels like there is a constant dull pain in the upper left arm, weights are out for the foreseeable future.

Wednesday 22nd February
Long spinning class. Good tough workout. New spinning bikes are on the way, they are long overdue, the current bikes are past their best.

Due to other commitments done nothing for the rest of the week, 22ml run coming up later on today, plan is to go out a bit slower than usual and the finish strong.

Caprica

Sunday 26th February
Ran 20.27mls in 2hrs 32mins, for a per mile average of 7:30. Not quite what I was hoping for, had been aiming for 22, but hamstrings started to get to me in the second half so cut things short at 20mls. It was a nice day for a run, first day where it actually felt warm. Splits were;

M1 - 7:22
M2 - 7:26
M3 - 7:11
M4 - 7:02
M5 - 7:16
M6 - 7:34
M7 - 7:39
M8 - 7:19
M9 - 7:34
M10 - 7:22
M11 - 7:26
M12 - 7:23
M13 - 7:42
M14 - 7:27
M15 - 7:27
M16 - 7:37
M17 - 8:02
M18 - 7:48
M19 - 7:47
M20 - 7:51
0.27 - 1:45, mile split 6:25

Plan was for 22 mls with a good finish but didn't quite work out that way. Have a tendency to go of a bit to fast but held back for the first two miles and though I was into a nice rhtyhm, next time I checked my garmin I was in M4 going sub 7, so was slightly annoyed. Ended up going through the first 5mls in 36:17. Was doing a lot of clock watching for the next few miles making sure I kept close to target pace, the second 5 mls was done in 37:28. Ten mile was passed in 73:45.

Expanded my usual route slightly as the trails were fairly firm, Lap 1 was 10.5mls decided to do lap two in reverse. Started of fine but by M13 the hamstrings felt a bit tight, worked hard on M14 and M15 to get through the 5miles in 37:25. From there on I started to struggle, hamstrings were tight and it was hard to lift the legs. Come M17 hit the S bends and it was real stuggle, was in two minds what to do here but decided to push on for 20 rather that call it quits. From there on kept the legs ticking over with the remaining miles below the 8min mark. Final 5mls were done in 39:05.

Tough going towards the end but kept things motoring. Done plenty of stretching afterwards and work on the foam roller. Legs still feel stiff. Overall not a great week running wise, will be aiming for a full week this week. AIB x country is on next week, first time doing it.

Caprica

Monday 27th February
Legs felt very heavy after yesterdays long run so skipped spinning and just done Pilates. A good workout.

Tuesday 28th February
Legs didn't feel the best but was keen to do something so hit the park. Ran 7mls in 48:36, for a mile average of 6:56.

M1 - 7:08
M2 - 7:08
M3 - 7:16
M4 - 6:55
M5 - 7:06
M6 - 6:39
M7 - 6:22

Wasn't as bad as I expected, got into a nice rhythm starting of and kept this motoring after that. Picked the pace up at the end to finish with two sub 7 miles.

Wednesday 29th February
Short spining class followed by 15mins on the bike and stretching. Foam roller when I got home.

Thursday 1st March
Ran 10.08mls in 72:47, for a mile average of 7:13. Good effort, nice day for a run but a bit nippy. Plan was to hit ten miles but pick it up towards the end.

M1 - 7:23
M2 - 7:27
M3 - 7:09
M4 - 7:13
M5 - 7:18
M6 - 7:30
M7 - 7:34
M8 - 7:13
M9 - 6:53
M10 - 6:40

Hit the plan, felt strong towards the end. Legs still a bit heavy. Stretching afterwards and foam roller when I got home.

Saturday 3rd March - BHAA AIB/NUI Maynooth 4mls XCountry
First time doing this race. Nice flat, firm course. Arrived in good time and done two easy laps of the course but again the legs didn't feel the best, lower right calf was a bit sore. A very congested start, after 60/70mts you took a very sharp left, a lot of pushing and shoving ensued. Got home in 23:59, happy with the effort, scrapped into the bottom end of the Top 30. Splits were;

M1 - 5:54
M2 - 5:55
M3 - 6:04
M4 - 5:58

Got caught in traffic for the first lap but was still travelling at a decent pace, for Mile 2 just worked on reeling people in. For Mile 3 was bit isolated and focused on catching the guy in front of me, was a bit annoyed to be outside 6 minutes. For the final mile kept working hard, caught and passed one guy and was closing on the group in front, one guy came up from behind me but I held in off and pulled away from him in the last 100. Was closing fast on the group in front but the finish came a bit to soon.

Done two laps for a cool down and then plenty of stretching afterwards. The lower calf was sore and legs felt heavy. Will book a massage for the end of this week. Will do the ALSAA Xcountry next week, had planned on the Dublin Port 10ml but unfortunately that has been cancelled.

Caprica

Sunday 4th March
Ran 16:53mls in 2hrs, mile averge of 7:16. Legs were heavy after yesterdays race, so decided to aim for a 16ml run and see how I felt. Run went very well, held back slightly starting of but felt strong all the way round and was able to pick things up towards the end. Five miles splits were;

M1 - 5 : 36:57
M6 - 10 : 37:00
M11 - 15 : 36:14
M16 : 6:35

Picked the speed up for the last 3mls, felt much better than I expected. Only done the Khyber road on the first lap, in the last few long runs I have struggled a bit after I hit it a second time.

Monday 5th March
Short spinning class followed by pilates.

Wednesday 6th March
Long spinning class followed by 15mins on stationery bike and stretching, foam roller when I got home.

Thursday 7th March
Ran 10mls in 72mins, mile average of 7:12. Good effort. Five miles splits were;

M1 - 5 : 36:31
M6 - 10 : 35:29

Was comfortable through the first 5, so picked things up for the second half. It's good to finish a run picking up the speed, it certainly puts you in a good frame of mind. Calf is a bit sore now, so will do some work on the foam roller, it feels kind a similar to the problem that derailed my Paris marathon last year.

Doing the BHAA ALSAA race tomorrow, had planned on the Port ten mile but thats been cancelled, have yet to clean the spikes. It was a very mucky course last year, but it's been dry and mild all week so hopefully it will be fairly firm underfoot.

Caprica

Had a good race, ran it in 30:51 but had it a bit long at 5.21 miles. Splits were;

M1 - 5:49
M2 - 5:59
M3 - 6:01
M4 - 6:00
M5 - 5:57
0.21 - 1:06, mile split 5:20

Have never seen this course in such good condition. Normally it is fairly mucky race and a tough slog but the ground was rock solid. After my Thursday run my calf felt a bit sore done a lot of work on the foam roller. Done an easy warm-up lap and some strecthing afterwards and while it didn't feel 100% it had improved from what it was.

Plan for the race was to run fairly even mile splits and finish strong to the end. The gun went and I got into my running fairly easy, numbers seemed to be down on previous races so things weren't as congested as usual. Felt comfortable at sub-6 pace and was working on picking of runners here and there. At the start of the last lap I was about 25mts down on two lads so the aim was to close and pass them. Worked hard for this mile caught them with about 800 to go and pushed on from there.

At this point I knew I was on for a good time, passed the 5 mile mark in 29:45 which is quicker than I ran Raheny in, but there was still about another 400 to go. One of the guys I passed just stepped aside and let me pass him and was now sitting on my shoulder, I kicked on with 200 to go and thought I had dropped him but in the last 50 he passed me by, I had nothing left. I am very happy with this race, things are going in the right direction.

Afterward availed of the free physio as the calf was quite sore, he give me a quick fix up, told me my calf was extremely tight. Have being working on the foam roller since. Don't want this problem to get worse.