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Warning - Marathon Free Zone
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After having to miss Raheny at the weekend I decided I'd give the Wicklow fit4life 2 mile race in Greystones tonight a lash instead as I was missing racing. First time racing since the Jingle Bells two months ago.
Did a couple of kilometres warm up at a very easy pace and my IT band was starting at me, luckily it decided to stay away for the race. It was absolutely brass monkeys out there tonight, lots of us mad enough to be out in it though as there was a pretty good turnout.
This was the first time I've run any distance other than 5km, McMillan was saying 11:45 after my Jingle Bells time, but after a few weeks with very few miles and being sick I just wanted to go sub 12 minutes.
I started out a lot faster than I would normally, but the first couple of hundred metres were down hill and I got dragged along a bit by some of the faster runners ahead of me. I knew that the start was fast and tried to keep that pace as long as possible, it was tough though, legs weren't feeling it, bit like they felt doing the intervals on Tuesday.
One of the instructors from my gym was about five metres ahead of me for much of the first mile and I tried to keep in touch with him, managed to get past him coming up to the mile marker and ran with him and a junior for a while. Coming to the turn I could count the runners ahead of me coming back and I was running in I think 15th. Came up to the turn and the mile marker and the clock read 5:42, lost a couple of seconds on the turn as it was pretty tight.
Wasn't feeling amazing in the second mile, was just trying to push the legs along, some guy in a Bray Runners bib went past me and I tried to stay with him for a bit, but he accelerated away from me. For the last 500 metres or so there was a runner in a hi-vis top ahead of me, who seemed slowly to be coming back to me. Coming up to the climb back to the start/finish line I started to put in a bit of a sprint and eventually reeled him in. The incline back up to the start was steeper than I had thought, either that or I had gone out way too fast. I think the splits probably say it's a bit of column A and a bit of column B
Finished with a time of 11:50, so second mile was a disappointing 6:08 and I think 15th place. I was happy with sub 12 minutes and it gives me something to work on for the next time. I think I managed to put more into the race than before, don't feel there was as much in the tank after as with previous races. Didn't help that I was coughing and spluttering afterwards though. 4 weeks with this cough now, but hey, who's counting. That would be me, just in case you're wondering :rolleyes:
Couldn't stop coughing after finishing, so didn't bother with a cool down, bold I know, just wanted to get in the car, out of the cold and head home.
Next planned race is the UCD 5km Ras, then the MSB 5km as part of Paddy's fest, hoping to go under 19 minutes for one of them.
10 minute easy warmup, approx. 2km
Race Distance 2 miles/3.22km
Time - 11:50
Avg Pace: 5:55 per mile/3:41 per km0 -
After two short sharp sessions during the week, intervals and the two mile race I had planned to get out to do something longer and slower at the weekend. I'd tweaked something in my back the day before, maybe it would have been better to take a day or two to fix it.
Had planned on doing a 9ish mile loop yesterday and headed out to do just that. I started off feeling good, the first km was about 4 minute pace, slightly downhill, but definitely didn't intend to go at that pace. The second km had three climbs in it and whatever I was feeling in the first km leached out of my legs very quickly. Already I wasn't feeling great, my back was getting sorer and my legs felt like they weighed a tonne, my cough was also back with a vengeance.
I'd had chosen the loop that had a few outs, I can make this run, 8km, 11.7km or 14.34km, depending on how I feel and soon decided that 8km would be enough for today. Managed to get round without clock watching and the time was actually a lot quicker than I had realised.
The last few weeks have been disappointing running wise, maybe I'd be better off taking a week or two off and just get rid of this cough and give all the niggles a chance to bugger off. The problem is I feel guilty if I do that and think I should be running, maybe I need to just HTFU, decide what I'm doing with the session and push on through, no matter how I'm feeling.
I'm not counting at all, I swear, but until this cough fooks off, here's a new feature to my log, the cough counter
- not sure which smiley is more appropriate.
Cough Counter - 32 days
Distance 4.97 miles/8.00km
Time - 11:50
Avg Pace: 7:03 per mile/4:23 per km0 -
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Finally back in the saddle.
I've had three weeks without a run after a couple of weeks of very little running because of being sick before that. Just as I was finally getting rid of the chest infection, I got a sinus infection, which laid me low again. Decided this time to play it safe and do absolutely nothing while recuperating. In fairness, I don't think I was physically capable of doing anything anyway.
So Saturday I finally got out running again. Did a nice short 6.1km loop in beautiful Spring sunshine. I can't wait for the clock to go forward, it's going to be so much more pleasurable running in daylight in the evening.
I took it easy enough going round, but it this didn't feel that easy, it's scary what a few weeks without activity can do to you, especially as I'm not running that long. Legs felt a little heavy afterwards, but that's to be expected.
Brought my gear with me into work today, so I'm going to run home later, home the weather stays as pleasant. Plan is to do lots of short runs for the next week or two then start adding on a bit of distance.
Had planned to do a mile race in Greystones next Tuesday, still might, depending on how I feel. Whatever I run would be a PB so I can cope with not being able to give it my all. After missing the Raheny 5 mile in January because of being sick, another of my target races for early in the year was the Paddy's fest 5km, think I'll skip that now and find something else down the line when I'm actually able to have a go at it.
Distance 3.79 miles/6.10 km
Time - 27:12
Avg Pace: 7:11 per mile/4:28 per km0 -
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Went out yesterday morning and did 8km, so added a little bit of distance to my last couple of runs.
Didn't feel amazing out there, had eaten too close to going out running and got a stitch in the first mile which never went away. It was also a lot windier than I had expected, a few kilometres were into a pretty strong breeze.
On the positive side I was a lot better with my pacing than normal, wanted to try keeping it at just under 4:30 kms and ended up averaging 4:24 kms. By my standards that's pretty close
Overall not one of my favourite runs, but run done, few more miles in the tank and no injuries to report, so job done.
Distance 4.97 miles/8.00km
Time - 35:11
Avg Pace: 7:05 per mile/4:24 per km
Going to give the Fit4Life mile on the track in Greystones a go on Tuesday, never run the distance before and haven't been on a track since school. So any advice on how to run a mile would be appreciated.0 -
Sprocket77 wrote: »Went out yesterday morning and did 8km, so added a little bit of distance to my last couple of runs.
Didn't feel amazing out there, had eaten too close to going out running and got a stitch in the first mile which never went away. It was also a lot windier than I had expected, a few kilometres were into a pretty strong breeze.
On the positive side I was a lot better with my pacing than normal, wanted to try keeping it at just under 4:30 kms and ended up averaging 4:24 kms. By my standards that's pretty close
Overall not one of my favourite runs, but run done, few more miles in the tank and no injuries to report, so job done.
Distance 4.97 miles/8.00km
Time - 35:11
Avg Pace: 7:05 per mile/4:24 per km
Going to give the Fit4Life mile on the track in Greystones a go on Tuesday, never run the distance before and haven't been on a track since school. So any advice on how to run a mile would be appreciated.
Break it up into the 4 laps, have an idea of what lap time you need to meet your target, hopefully there will be someone calling the lap times as you go around, don't use a garmin.
I would advise to get out hard over the first 100-150m to get yourself into a good position, ideally pick someone to follow who is going to be just a bit faster and hang off them. For the second lap, try to relax, maintain good form and keep your breathing under control. The third lap is the make-or-break one - easy to loose concentration here and drop off the pace, time to work hard.
For the last lap, it's going to hurt, try and pick up your pace down the back straight, wind it up around the last bend and come off it at full speed, then hang in for the last 80m, everyone else is slowing too, pass one or two and you'll feel great. After finishing roll around on the ground, get up and puke your guts out. Oh and enjoy it. :P0 -
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Haven't been in the gym in ages and had a bit of time yesterday morning, so decided I'd go there for a change.
Started off with intervals on the threadmill. don't have any intervals measured out outdoors so this was easier to do. Started off with a 2km warmup, then did km intervals with 90/100 second recovery between them, increasing the speed each time. Looked something like this:
2km @ 12kmph 10:00
1km @ 14kmph 4:17
1km @ 15kmph 4:00
1km @ 16kmph 3:45
1km @ 17kmph 3:32
1km @ 17.5kmph 3:26
1km @ 18kmph 3:20
After that I did 20mins on the bike at a high resistance and about 10 minutes core/strength work. If I'd being thinking right I'd have started with core work and have done a lot more of it, as it's what I've been missing out on by skipping the gym in favour of running.
It was such a lovely day out that I decided I'd do a warm down outdoors. There's a 5.1km loop from the gym's gate along the Southern Cross road in Bray on to Boghall road and back up. Took it nice and handy in 23:21.
Starting to feel better in myself running, but still a bit tired overall, need a holiday
Distance 8.14 miles/13.10 km
Time - 55:41
Avg Pace: 6:50 per mile/4:15 per km0 -
Finally made my adult track debut last night in the Fit4life Mile in Greystones, only 18 years since I was last on one, I’m having an I feel old moment
Even arriving at the track I wasn't sure which grade I'd go in, I could have run with those sub 5 minute runners like Timmay and Krusty and come in miles behind them or run in the 5.30 to 6:30 minute grade and stay near the front. Eventually settled on the latter, lets see how I could do in with people of my own abilities and just make sure that next year I'm running in the faster grade.
It's a pretty good setup which works well for the numbers involved, I queued up and signed in, got my number off, who I later discovered was Timmay, fair play to him, doing all the registrations then running 4:44. Proper preparation is overrated.
This was my fifth race since I started running, so I still am a bit unsure what to do with myself in a warmup. I did a few laps jogging, just to warm up a little bit, then did lots of stretching and then went and watched a couple of the races. Mine was the final race, which wasn't ideal as I was really feeling the hunger pangs.
Watched the first couple of races while waiting. When I saw the pace of the sub 5.30 race I was glad of the decision to go with the next grade down. Two laps in and I twigged who Timmay was, as someone let out a big Tiiimmmmaaaaay roar as he was heading the lead group. That race was won in 4:40 by a junior man, didn't look very junior though, the size of him.
I did a couple more laps jogging to warm back up before my race and added a couple of strides, still not really sure what I should have been doing with myself to warmup properly. Just as I was taking off my gear a couple of minutes before the off I felt lightheaded, like a gob****e, I had had a sandwich for lunch at 1pm and nothing but an apple in the afternoon since then. How could I have been so stupid, you don't need to carb load for a mile, but you do at least need something in the tank.
Went to the line for the start, good mix of juniors, ladies, guys my age and older. One of the juniors false started, it was quite funny and actually relaxed me a little bit, he got a stern warning from the starter
Got off the second time and I pushed myself to the front with a guy in a Sli Cualann vest. Pace felt comfortable and I stayed on his shoulder, maybe should have tucked in behind him and run the shortest course, but there was no breeze to talk about, so didn’t feel like I needed the shelter. I just concentrated on the runner in front of me and I let him dictate my pace, as he was wearing a club vest I was hoping he knew what he was doing. Came round at the end of the first lap in a time of 83 seconds, just outside 5:30 pace so I was hoping we could keep that going and then give it everything in the last lap.
Second lap was pretty similar, sticking to the other guys shoulder. It wasn’t feeling easy anymore though, the legs were feeling a lot heavier already. I’ve gone this pace and faster in intervals at the club, but just haven’t had the training in the last 2 months that I would like. At the start of the year I don’t think this pace would have felt tough. Kept it going though and a very uneventful lap ended with a 87 second lap. That was disappointing as it meant I was going to struggle to get near 5:30.
Third lap started to get a bit more interesting, another runner came haring past us and while the Sli Cualann runner went to close the gap, I was happy to let them get a bit of a gap. I kept it at no more than maybe 7/8 metres, so I wasn’t overly worried by it, I could feel a few others lining up behind me as well. I could see their shadows from the floodlights on the straights to see where they were. Got to the 1km mark and checked the watch for the only time in the race, it was 3:35, I’ve done intervals faster so obviously the time off running as had a big effect. I was really feeling it in the legs, my breathing felt fine, legs just felt heavy. Got to the bell and the third lap was 88 seconds. Pretty sure sub 5:30 was gone, feck it, lets get it as close as possible, have a half decent pb to target in future races.
Picked up the pace from the bell, not into full out sprint, but striding out more. I had someone on my shoulder now and we were both chasing down the two guys in front. I was pulling back on them and went past one with about two hundred to go, I’d pulled the Sli Cualann runner back to within 2/3 metres with about 150m to go. He heard me coming though and started to go away from me again. I was flat out at this stage, trying just to get to the line. A junior went past me about 75m before the line and I knew I wouldn’t get back to him, it was just a case of make sure no one else got near and they didn’t, I had 4 seconds in the end on the next person.
About 15m before the line the Sli Cualann runner just walked off the track, he obviously hadn’t been competing, so I was second in my grade , a second behind the junior runner. (Fecker wasn’t born last time I was on a track, I’m getting old) Finished with a final lap of 75 seconds for a time of 5:34, not what I had hoped for, but given everything I don’t think I can be that unhappy with it. I know I can go faster, so it’s just a case of putting in the work and getting in the shape to go faster. It was the legs that let me down today in terms of speed rather than the breathing, so I know with more miles in the legs, I’ll be able to push myself harder.0 -
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Injured again, woo hoo.
After resting the leg for two weeks, went back out running and came back injured, yay
Problem is in the knee area, which has already had two operations on it, so going to be very careful with it going forward. It might just be ligaments, but it could also be cartilage. Going to do lots of rehab and stretching and see how it goes from there.
Either way don't think I'll be doing much running for the next while.
For the record the run was probably about 5 and a bit miles in just under 41 minutes.0 -
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