4 races - 4 months - 4 targets

jaymack75

Thurs
cycled to / from work 30mins each
10k run in 41:26 including 6k progression run in 22:43

6k splits
2k in 7:41 av hr 151
2k in 7:33 av hr 159
2k in 7:27 av hr 161

Friday
cycled to / from work 30mins each
8k run in 35:41 av hr 139

Sat
8k easy paced run in 36:53 av hr 129

Sun
rest day

42k run total for the week. Not brilliant distance, but had a couple of good sessions and felt nice and fresh by saturday's run - ready for another good week in the lead up to the dublin half

jaymack75

Mon
Cycled to work 30mins
Ran home into the wind - 12k in 58mins av hr 139

Tues
Ran into work - 12k in 58mins av hr 136

Weds
Cycled to / from work 30 mins each
8k run in 34:17 incl 4k in 15:23 (approx HM pace)
splits: 1st 2k in 7:48 (av 151) / 2nd 2k in 7:35 (av 160)

No running planned today and a nice and easy 8k tomorrow should leave me fresh for the dublin half.

No. 1 objective for the race on sat is :
Prove to myself that I've learned from the pacing mistakes of the frank duffy by starting off much slower this time and gradually pick up the pace. Whether I do or don't break 1:20, I really want to finish strongly in this race

jaymack75

Thurs
cycled to / from work 30 mins each

Fri
cycled to / from work 30 mins each
6k handy run in 27:02 av137

Sat
Dublin half marathon

The plan was to go out at a sustainable pace and hopefully avoid the slowdown I've had in the 5 and 10milers. The first mile felt really slow and was quite congested, so I was happy to see a 6:16 split. Kept it steady and ticked off the next few miles comfortably. Passed 5 in 30:47 and hit 10 in 1:02. Started to struggle in the 11th mile, but hung in and didn't slow much by the end. Finished in 1:21:12

Such a different experience to the 10 miler where I went out too fast and suffered for it - I really enjoyed the race today and felt great throughout. Ok, I didn't break 1:20, but I'm delighted with the result and feel good looking forward to the marathon in 6wks

1) 6:16 av 148
2) 6:15 av 145
3) 6:04 av 153
4) 5:59 av 156
5) 6:12 av 145
6) 6:23 xx hr
7) 6:15 xx hr
8) 6:06 xx hr
9) 6:15 av 156
10) 6:16 av 157
11) 6:17 av 154
12) 6:06 av 153
13.1) 6:46 av 158

seanynova

nice run, the finish time is more like but the way you ran the race is more important....your in with a shout of 2:50 anyway, another couple of hard weeks before taper and you can give it a good shot.

jaymack75

seanynova wrote: »

but the way you ran the race is more important....your in with a shout of 2:50 anyway.

Thanks seany, yeah i'm really happy with the pacing. Probably even could have done a few more miles without slowing too much, so it's given me a confidence boost for a decent run in the DCM

jaymack75

Sun
Steady 8k recovery run in 36:53 av 140hr

Just needed to shake the legs out a bit - suprisingly not in too bad condition after the half mar

Run total for the week - 67k

jaymack75

Mon
cycled to work 30mins
ran home 12k in 54:35

Tues
ran to work 12k in 58:50
cycled home 30mins

Weds
cycled to and from work
8k run in 34:36
including 4k threshold on the track in 15:25 (3:51 pace)
found this hard in the windy conditions

Abhainn

Ok you didn't hit your 3 targets so far but the 2:50 is the one. Sat was the best of the 3 so you are coming on nicely
You just need a few more long runs in and then I think you should be looking good for the big day

jaymack75

Thurs
cycled to work 30mins
ran home 12k in 54:20

Fri
ran to work 12k in 58:40
cycled home 30mins

Sat
Rest Day

Sun
Rathfarnham 5k
Been a long time since I've ran such a short race. Nice 2k jog down to the start with a few strides for the warmup. Within a couple of mins we were off. Got into a nice pace and hit the first k in 3:14 - blimey! much quicker than I'm used to running, but it was a bit downhill and there was a slight tailwind I think. I hit 1 mile in 5:15 (my quickest ever), but then it was the uphill followed by the left turn back into the wind. Missed the 2nd km marker and was getting a bit uncomfortable keeping the pace going. Clocked 7:10 at the 3km and slowed further with a 3:43 on the 4th km, but at least I was holding my position and not getting passed much. Tried to pick up the effort in the last km, but no response from the legs. Finished in a new pb of 17:41

Really enjoyed this race. Well organised, no fuss, fast course. I would love to get the 5km time down a good bit further, but I'd have to get more speed into the legs (or maybe some strength from the hills) and be able to push harder in the race

splits
3:14
3:35
3:35
3:43
3:33


Weekly run total - 64k

jaymack75

Mon
cycled to / from work 30mins each

Tues
cycled to / from work 30mins each
8k run incl 2x 1miles hard in 5:32 / 5:42
prob went too hard in the first one. next time I do this session, I want to do the 2nd one quicker

Weds
cycled to / from work 30mins each
8k run in 36:24 with a lad from work. 2k jog to the park, then the plan was some fast 200's. I knew he had some speed but I was flat out doing the first 200 in 35s, finishing way behind him. We ran the next together in 37, then I think he was cooked and I did a couple of 400's on my own while he stretched. Anyway, it was an interesting session, but the times were all over the show!
splits:
6 x 200's in 35.8 / 37.5 / 39.4 / 40.2 / 42.3 / 42.7
3 x 400's in 91.2 / 81.1 / 78.7

jaymack75

Thurs
cycled to / from work 30mins each

Fri
cycled to / from work 30mins each
8k run in 34:03 including 4k on the track in 14:47 (2k splits 7:30 / 7:17)

Sat
Felt tired all day, but got out in the evening for an easy 8k run in 37:12

jaymack75

Sun
Should have been a long run, but didn't have much time, so just went out for the usual 8k. Legs felt much better and did it in 33:20

Weekly total : 40k (not great mileage, but some good seesions in there)

jaymack75

Been a hectic couple of weeks, so updating the log has suffered......and so have the long runs. Just about managed to keep ticking over.

Mon 3rd Oct
cycled to / from work

Tues
cycled to / from work
8k run in 35mins incl 2 x 2k bondarenko session
each 2k was -
400 @5:44 min-mile pace
300 @5:12
200 @4:56
100 all-out
with same distance recovery at 6:40pace
Really enjoyed this session - nice variety, but the 2nd set was tough

Weds
cycled to / from work
8k run in 34:14

Thurs
cycled to / from work

Fri
1hr yoga

Sat
rest day

Sun
8k easy run in 37:15

Run total for the week : 24k

jaymack75

Still a bit behind on the updates.........this week was an improvement on last weeks mileage at least.....but unfortunately no long runs

Mon 10th / Tues 11th Oct
cycled to / from work

Weds
cycled to / from work
8k run in 33:55 incl 4k @3:49pace

Thurs
cycled to work
ran 12k home in 53:35 av hr 144

Fri
ran to work - 12k in 57:30 av hr 139
cycled home 30mins

Sat
8k run in 35:12 av hr 138

Sun
8k run in 33:19 av hr 144

Run total for the week : 48k

jaymack75

Mon 17th
cycled to / from work

Tues
cycled to work
ran 12k home in 53:43 av hr 142

Weds
ran to work - 12k in 58:11 av hr 133
cycled home 35mins

Thurs
cycled to / from work

Fri
8k run in 35:16 av hr 139

Sat
8k easy run in 39:20 av hr 126

Sun
Rest Day

Run total for the week : 40k

jaymack75

This week so far........

Mon 24th Oct
Cycle to work
Run home 12k in 57:25 av hr 139

Tues
Run to work 12k in 55:00 av hr 143
cycle home

Weds
Cycle to work
Run home 12k in 54:12 av hr 143

Thurs
Run to work 12k in 57:18 av hr 137
cycle home

jaymack75

Fri
cycled to / from work
8k run in 34:05 incl 4k MP

Sat
Rest Day

Sun
jog to and from the expo - 10k in 43:45

Run total for the week : 66k

Not sure how today will go - Ironically I've just done my biggest week in a while - I didn't really see any point in tapering since I missed out on the long runs and the weekly mileage has been low enough throughout.

My plan is to go out and pace it well - hopefully run the best race I can - even if the original target of sub 2:50 is out the window. Just time for a large coffee before heading in

jaymack75

I suppose I knew going in to the race that sub 2:50 was a long shot.....but I was hoping to get away with it! My times in the race series were ok and I was really happy with 1:21 in the HM.......but I had not been doing any long runs in training.

I didn't have anything to taper down from so the week leading up to DCM was 66k (one of my biggest weeks). Looking back at the trainingin logs, I only managed one decent long run of 28k in early sept

Race day - the plan was to go out nice n steady and then pick up the pace later if poss. I tucked in just behind the sub3 pacers at the start and when the hooter went off, it was a bit congested and it was soooo slooow - still I thought that would be a good thing later on. Kept with the pacers til the phoenix pk, then just eased ahead, feeling good. Great support coming out of the park and huge crowds in chapelizod. By this stage I was about 30s / mile down on 2:50 pace, but I was happy with that and still felt a sub 3 was on the cards. Passed the halfway in about 1:28, it was from here that it became a bit of a struggle......and I was still a long way from home.

Turned right at the KCR and the left at bushy park. I was on home territory now and it was great to be running along closed roads through fabulous crowds in terenure and rathgar. After turning onto Orwell and into the wind, my motivation early evaporated. Now it was a case of grinding it out. I knew the 3hr balloons would be on me soon and I kept missing the mile markers until passing 20m in 2:17. The 3hr lads had already sauntered past me and I could do nothing but hang in there. Nothing in the legs for the last few miles and the splits got slower. Still, made onto the green carpet......grimaced over the line in 3:06ish

OK - I learned a valuable lesson here - long runs really are important for doing a good marathon!!