Things will come to those who wait...

Chivito550

pconn062 wrote: »

Took a few days off to try and get the chest a bit better, also went to doctor on Friday and got a course of steroids to try and speed up the process. Felt a lot better on Saturday so did 4 miles easy with no issues when I got home from work. Got out for an hour easy this morning with my bro and friend, they were doing more but didn't want to push my luck.

I'm telling WADA on you!! :pac:

pconn062

Chivito550 wrote: »

I'm telling WADA on you!! :pac:

Ha I wish it was anabolic steroids but alas, no, just plain old corticosteroids for me!

pconn062

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 1 hour easy

Lovely run down by my parents house taking in the coast road twice, love running down there. Weather was actually pretty pleasant for this.

Wednesday: 7+ mile w/session

Session: 6000m alternating 1 lap @ 85 pace (5.40 a mile), 1 lap at 95 (6.20 a mile)

Really good session this tonight, good for building strength. We were told to alternate 85/95 second laps for as long as possible, we weren't given a number of laps or time frame but instead to stop when the pace started to slip. Conditions were not great, with a pretty big wind for half of each lap. Started with a big group of 7, 2 gradually pulled away with me and my bro sticking together. Felt pretty good for nearly all of this, was hitting the 85's ok with the slower laps coming in at 93 mostly. My brother dropped out after 3 mile (12 laps) but I was feeling good so kept going for another three. Last hard lap the pace dropped to 88/89 so called it a day there. Still very happy with the session, hit 6k in about 22:15/20.

Going to keep ticking over for the rest of the week, plan to hit up the Oldbridge parkrun on Saturday and run is as a tempo, it's on grass so good training for x-country and will try and hit a little under 6 minute miles. Will follow that up with some hills to make a full day of it.

Cleanman

That's a nice little session - must remember that one when I get back into it...

pconn062

Cleanman wrote: »

That's a nice little session - must remember that one when I get back into it...

It's a good one alright although not the best session to do in a group, it can become a game of who's the thickest and can stay in the longest! :pac:

pconn062

Thursday:

AM: 30 mins
PM: 35 mins

Two very easy recovery runs, meant to do more in the evening but was wrecked after a long day at work

Friday: 45 mins easy/steady

Saturday: Parkrun + hills

Headed out to the Oldbridge parkrun this morning to use it as a tempo run. Met with my friend and we did a good warm-up. The plan was to run 6 minute miles and pretty much managed that bang on, finishing in 18:55. Given the nature of the course (it's a cross country course, and a tough one at that) and the wind I'd say it was worth about 18.20/25 on the road. Very happy with that as the effort was very steady, and never had to go into the red. Did 6 hill reps afterwards to wrap up a good day. Long run tomorrow and the weeks a good one!

pconn062

Sunday: 85 mins easy

Long run today out in Oldbridge, very windy and tough running on the rolling ground but good for strength. A good week overall with two solid sessions and just shy of 50 miles. If I can string a few of these together in the next few weeks I might be able to pull off a good 5k in December. But before that there is the small matter of the Louth senior cross country next Sunday, 10k cross country. I am really dreading it, the course is a tough one and this longer end of things don't suit me but it's a big race for the club so will line up and do what I can. Not much cross country left after that then, maybe a few BHAA races and will do a few parkruns in Oldbridge and use them as tempo runs. Off tomorrow!

pconn062

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 57 mins easy w/fast finish.

Wednesday: Session

12x400m (86-88's) off 90 secs recovery, 2 mile (5.56, 5.48)

Thursday: AM: 30 mins, PM: 35 mins

Friday: Off

Saturday: 15 mins

Week started well but fizzled a little out a little towards the end. Very easy session on Wednesday, 400's at seconds quicker than 10k pace. Two mile at the end felt nice and comfortable. By the time I got home from work on Friday it was lashing rain and dark and dinner was ready so in a rare moment of madness I binned the run. Then today I just did 2 laps of our country cross country course which we set up, in atrocious conditions. Not too worried about the last few days, have 10k cross country race tomorrow so hopefully will leave me fresh. Course tomorrow is tough, old school cross country in a cattle field so full of bumps and cow-shit! Nearly 7 laps as well so going to be a real tester, 10k cross country is not really my specialty but will line up anyway and do my bit for the club. Can't say I'm looking forward to it though!

KielyUnusual

Best of luck tomorrow. I reckon there's a fair few reluctant runners in races like these just doing it for the club. We'll not be alone. Just think of it as a particularly long and arduous tempo run. That doesn't really help actually, does it?

pconn062

KielyUnusual wrote: »

Best of luck tomorrow. I reckon there's a fair few reluctant runners in races like these just doing it for the club. We'll not be alone. Just think of it as a particularly long and arduous tempo run. That doesn't really help actually, does it?

Not at all, but thanks for trying! Good luck to you as well, just think happy thoughts.....1500m indoors....no wind.....no muck.....civilised running....!

Tom Joad

Best of luck tomorrow - hope it's not too messy if ye are getting the rain we had here today!

ThebitterLemon

pconn062 wrote: »

Not at all, but thanks for trying! Good luck to you as well, just think happy thoughts.....1500m indoors....no wind.....no muck.....civilised running....!

Hope your tea cosy is waterproof

TbL

RacoonQueen

10K cross country...ugh

pconn062

Tom Joad wrote: »

Best of luck tomorrow - hope it's not too messy if ye are getting the rain we had here today!

It's currently pissing rain up here TJ, never liked those spikes I bought last year anyway!

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Hope your tea cosy is waterproof

TbL

Ha, you're a gas man. My Mam knitted me a new waterproof one!

RacoonQueen wrote: »

10K cross country...ugh

Tell me about it, cruelty to track fairies is what it is.

ThebitterLemon

pconn062 wrote: »

It's currently pissing rain up here TJ, never liked those spikes I bought last year anyway!



Ha, you're a gas man. My Mam knitted me a new waterproof one!



Tell me about it, cruelty to track fairies is what it is.

Touché!

Best of luck with it.

TbL

pconn062

Sunday: Louth senior cross country

25th overall, team bronze medal

Tough days racing today, course was made up of two halves basically, one side uphill and the other downhill. Ground was in fair condition with a few boggy spots and bumpy parts. Started very slowly, looking back now, too slowly. Got a roar from a clubmate after 400m telling me to get a move on and "I was no use where I was". But I was worried about blowing up and was determined to keep it steady for the first few k. Got going after about 3k and started to work my way though passing a few guys who overcooked it at the start. I kept to a plan of running hard on the uphill sections and then using the downhill to recover which worked well for me throughout the whole race.

Caught a clubmate of mine and we worked together for a few k. Had a bit of a rough patch at about 6k but got the mind focused and pushed through it. With about 2k to go I was feeling very strong and when we caught another clubmate we worked together and caught another guy from a rival club. On the last downhill with 500m to go one of my clubmates made a big break down the hill, I knew one of us would be the last scorer on the team so didn't want to let him go. We hit the boggy ground and his big charge came back to bite him. I took the inside line and started to push on, my friend came with me but I knew if I could stick with him until 200m I could outkick him. Over a small rise and I kicked, focused on ThePiedPiper ahead of me and drove for the line.

Really happy with that effort, it's the first time I've ran well in senior champs, 10k cross country is not my strength. Beat a few guys today I haven't beaten all year and picked up a bronze county team medal for my efforts. I was most happy with the fact that I got over the blip at 6k, in other years this would have thrown me off for the rest of the race. But I still know myself that I started too slow and left a few positions out there today. Felt too good with 3k to go, too much left in the tank. Going out easy is a good tactic if you want to finish strong but it's hard to make up places and I let the guys in front of me get away too much.

The next month now is all about 5k training before starting some serious base training in December for track next year.

pconn062

Monday: Off

Meant to get out for a few miles but the day got away from me.

Tuesday: 62 mins easy

Legs still a little tired from the weekend and have a little niggle in my left shin, hopefully nothing serious. Probably just caused by the constant up and downhills on Sunday.

Wednesday

AM: 3 mile shuffle
PM: Session 2x(5x400m) in 78 seconds off 100m in 25 seconds

Out in the frosty air this morning at 7 for a three mile leg loosner, shin felt good. Then into the track tonight for a session, did a good warm up and some stretching, drills and strides. Coach told us the plan, 2x(5x400m) in 78 off 100m recovery. The 100m was not to be jogged but rather run at about 7 minutes a mile and covered in about 25 seconds. This left the recovery very short and it felt like a continuous session. This was a very tough session both mentally and physically, we managed to hit 78 for all of the 400's bar one (79) and hit most of the recovery in about 27 seconds each time. After the first 5 I was fried but after 6 minutes recovery we were just about ready for the next set. Kept the splits the same for the second set and it actually felt a little easier. Great session, the short and intense recovery makes it feel like a continuous session (@ 5.12 pace!) an should be good for building strength. We will be repeating this session for the next 4 weeks to bring us up to the Jingle Bells 5k while adding more volume with the final session being 10x400m @ 78 of 25 secs recovery. :eek: Sounds painful.

Shin felt OK during the session but a little sore on the cooldown, have a massage booked for tomorrow so hopefully that will loosen it out a bit. Hope to get another session in on Saturday but not sure what yet!

KielyUnusual

I'm getting track envy here

Sounds like a great session. Nice prep for the Jingle Bells. Any time in mind? Another showdown with RFR/TPP?

pconn062

KielyUnusual wrote: »

I'm getting track envy here

Sounds like a great session. Nice prep for the Jingle Bells. Any time in mind? Another showdown with RFR/TPP?

Nothing to envy KU, was torture!

Good session alright, I'm very optimistically hoping for 16:59 in the Jingle Bells 5k. No idea if I can run anywhere near that but would like a good PB anyway, it's currently 17:36 and I think I can run a good bit better than that. Will run the St. Annes parkrun two weeks out to give me an indication of where I am.

As for the showdown with TPP, I will be there anyway, up to him now! Will you run yourself?

KielyUnusual

pconn062 wrote: »

Nothing to envy KU, was torture!

Good session alright, I'm very optimistically hoping for 16:59 in the Jingle Bells 5k. No idea if I can run anywhere near that but would like a good PB anyway, it's currently 17:36 and I think I can run a good bit better than that. Will run the St. Annes parkrun two weeks out to give me an indication of where I am.

As for the showdown with TPP, I will be there anyway, up to him now! Will you run yourself?

Would love to but National Novice takes precedence. Bit away from my form of last year so I'll bide my time to save my fragile ego.

Dubgal72

I read that session over my morning coffee and I am sure I actually winced. What time would you recommend for the reps and recovery training for 20 min 5k and please say more than 25 secs off :-)

pconn062

Dubgal72 wrote: »

I read that session over my morning coffee and I am sure I actually winced. What time would you recommend for the reps and recovery training for 20 min 5k and please say more than 25 secs off :-)

Believe me I winced when I heard it too! This session is a faster that race pace session so if we were doing 5k work, it would be slower. Have you ever done interval/res sessions before?

Dubgal72

pconn062 wrote: »

Believe me I winced when I heard it too! This session is a faster that race pace session so if we were doing 5k work, it would be slower. Have you ever done interval/res sessions before?

What's interval/res? I did interval sessions a long time ago and a few since I picked up my running shoes again this year. This year (since August) they have been probably geared towards endurance
12*400m, 2 min rec;
10*1k, 1 min rec
6*1mile, 90 sec rec

I'm compiling a schedule aiming for 20 mins 5k and a sub 43 10k and thought I might tweak your session and incorporate it.

pconn062

Dubgal72 wrote: »

What's interval/res? I did interval sessions a long time ago and a few since I picked up my running shoes again this year. This year (since August) they have been probably geared towards endurance
12*400m, 2 min rec;
10*1k, 1 min rec
6*1mile, 90 sec rec

I'm compiling a schedule aiming for 20 mins 5k and a sub 43 10k and thought I might tweak your session and incorporate it.

Interval/reps are exactly what you are doing there, doing short bursts of faster work with recovery in between. The session I did is a faster than 5k pace session, about 3k pace for me. So your 5k pace for sub 20 mins is 6.20 a mile (95 seconds for each 400m). So you could do

2x(5x400m) @ 90 per 400m, with 100m jog recovery.

You could jog the recovery instead of running it like we did, that should give you a bit more time. Take up to a minute to do the 100m to start off with and when you do it a few times you could shorten that recovery. Also take 5-6 minutes in between the two sets.

Dubgal72

pconn062 wrote: »

Interval/reps are exactly what you are doing there, doing short bursts of faster work with recovery in between. The session I did is a faster than 5k pace session, about 3k pace for me. So your 5k pace for sub 20 mins is 6.20 a mile (95 seconds for each 400m). So you could do

2x(5x400m) @ 90 per 400m, with 100m jog recovery.

You could jog the recovery instead of running it like we did, that should give you a bit more time. Take up to a minute to do the 100m to start off with and when you do it a few times you could shorten that recovery. Also take 5-6 minutes in between the two sets.

Ok, still wincing but definitely more doable! Thanks. I'm probably not quite at 20min/5k fitness yet so will work it into a December week. Thanks again

pconn062

Thursday: 42 mins recovery

Meant to get more done but was out in the lashing rain and it was pitch dark, bad combination on country roads so called it a day early before it got too dangerous. Got physio done to loosen out my shin, also did a lot of work on my calf.

Friday: 1hr easy

I had no issues with my calf before I went for treatment but it was very sore since it was done. Felt quite tender during this run and my coach gave me a bit of rub on it in the evening. Said he could feel a bit of a build-up but nothing too serious. Very tender for the rest of the evening after getting work done on it two days in a row.

Saturday: 10 mins tempo, (2 mins, 90 secs, 1 min, 2 mins uphill)

Had a session planned for today but wasn't sure how the calf would react. Did a warm up and it felt a bit tight but the moron I keep inside of me for times like this came out and decided I would be fine. Did ten minutes at tempo pace (5.55 pace) and then hit the hills. The calf felt ok on the flat for the tempo but it didn't like the hills so cut it short (was meant to do another 90 secs and 1 minute reps). Calf was sore at the end so cut the warm down short. Not sure if this is just some delayed DOMS from the therapy or whether I've actually injured my calf. Can't think how I could have injured it, felt fine all week until the day after my treatment so hopefully it's just a little bit of tenderness (but I'm not sure, seems to be confined to one spot). Very annoying, might have to drop my long run tomorrow and give it a day or two to see how it feels. Was hoping to get a decent long run in tomorrow to finish off a good week, but will have to wait and see.

pconn062

Sunday: 62 mins easy

Decided I would try a run this morning and see how the calf reacted. Went out to the forgiving grass in Oldbridge for maximum squidgy effect. The first twenty little and the calf was a little tight especially on the uphills. However after a good dose of stretching the next two laps went much better and by the end I couldn't notice it at all. Hopefully it is nothing serious and I can get back to a full week next week. Tomorrow is a rest day anyway so hopefully that will help the issue as well. Still not a bad week, good session on Wednesday and half of a decent session yesterday. Still 45 miles for the week, not the 55 I was hoping for but these things happen.

pconn062

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 50 mins easy

Out in by far the worst weather of the year so far, bought a new pain of Kinvara's and was looking forward to breaking them in but this was a bit of a baptism of fire for them! Just as I was heading down to the beach it got really squally, lashing rain and wind coming right off the sea. Couldn't see a thing and I got too close to the wall and was hit by a wave breaking at the shore. Not pleasant, crazy conditions. Good news is my calf is feeling much better, bad news is I think chest infection no. 2 of the last month is beginning to settle in. Looks like I could be looking at a few more days off, I'm beginning to sound like RaqoonQueen in this log.

pconn062

Wednesday: Session

6x400m off 25 secs @ 7 minute pace, 3x400m (same)

Woke up on Wednesday feeling much better. Was despairing looking at the weather all day but by the time we were heading to training it was a nice evening, crisp and very cool. The plan was for the same session as last week with an extra rep in each set. Kept the first 6 between 78-80 seconds a lap, the recovery was very short (if you can call 25 seconds @ 7 minutes a mile recovery :rolleyes:), but after the first rep of the second set I knew I was trouble, the cold air was starting to get my chest and my breathing went very laboured. Struggled on for another two but called it a day then. Still not a bad session although the splits were slightly slower than last week we did run the recovery slightly faster so probably balances out.

Thursday: Off

Chest in a bad way this morning, think this cold wet weather is doing the damage. Was away at a workshop all day in Dublin for a concert I have next week and by the time I got home the cough was bad so binned the run. So, back to the doctor in the morning for more tablets probably and new inhalers. Very frustrated, the last few weeks have been very disrupted with chest problems and small niggles, would love a good few solid weeks before the JB 5k but it's looking like a few days off now to shift this cough. Will have to revise the target for the race but will worry about that in a few weeks.

pconn062

Friday: Session

Up to the doctor in the morning with orders to do this session when I got home:

3x(2 steroids w/4 hours recovery in between)
2x(1 anti-biotics with 8 hours recovery in between)
2x(dose of new inhaler with 8 hours in between)

Tough session, hope WADA don't knock on my door this week! Doctor says the re-occuring chest infections have a few causes, slight re-occurrence of my childhood asthma combined with a weaker immune system caused by the bad weather. This dose is worse that the last one and my measured peak flow output (which measures the strength of your breathing) was the lowest it was in a long time. I got new inhalers that I will have to take daily which should help in the future hopefully.

Saturday: 61 mins easy

Felt remarkably better today (how could I not with all those drugs!) and headed out in the afternoon for a quick jog. Would have been happy to get 20 mins done but felt much better that I expected and kept going for as a shade over an hour. The pace was slow but glad to be out. With all the rain recently this was a gorgeous evening, took in lots of little roads down near the sea and it was so peaceful and quiet as the sun was starting to set with the sea in the background. Really enjoyed this.

Sunday: 11 miles in 81 mins

Decided I would chance a long run this morning with my brother and we chose a route that would allow me to pull out early if necessary. Chest felt much better and this run went fine, first long run on the road in a while and although it was a hilly route this was enjoyable and comfortable.

So managed to salvage something in the last two days from what could have been a disaster of a week. Frustrated with the chest problems but hopefully these new inhalers will help. Feeling much better today so hopefully should be able to get a full week in this week. 3 weeks t the next race, if I'm feeling good next weekend we are going to head up to the parkrun in St. Annes and get an indication of where we are at the moment.