Accidental Marathoner - 2012 DCM 3.30 goal

PaulieC

three runs this week, each of 5 miles and each in around the 40 minute mark, meaning an 8.00 pace. Feeling very tired in the legs this week for some reason. It feels like the more I run the less fit I am getting.

PaulieC

up early to do my 5 mile pmp run. Feeling good, ended up doing 3 miles @8.30 and 6 miles @7.30.

PaulieC

Another 9 this morning, this time at a proper slow pace, 78 mins.
Was my anniversary yesterday and was out last night drinking mojitos til 2.

PaulieC

Not been in here for a while.

The last two weeks have been 38 & 39 mile weeks respectively. Broken into 5/7/5/7 and LSRs of 14 & 15.

All went well, the 15 LSR was a bit of a drain, was glad to get that finished.

Up at 5 this morning for a 36 minute 5-miler around the Docklands. They are really going all out for this Tall Ships festival, lots of work being done

PaulieC

I'm so lazy, couldn't even keep this updated...

Condensed version from 21/8 to 29/10: did loads more training, had a few niggles, turned out to be nothing. Did the marathon, got a PB of 3.28, which was also inside my target time of 3.30

I should really keep this up, good opportunity to re-purpose it for the Donadea 50k. Will start later today

Micilin Muc

cambo_gueno wrote: »

I'm so lazy

cambo_gueno wrote: »

Did the marathon, got a PB

PaulieC

I'm repurposing this log, recording a training effort for the Donadea 50k in February. Since it's my first distance over the 26.2, my immediate goal is to finish it. Under 4 hours would be nice, but I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't achieve that. I have a few goals to achieve in the 14 or so weeks that are left

• Using and understanding training by heartrate. I've studiously avoided this previously as it seemed complicated. Having read up a bit on it, it seems more complicated . I'll just gather some statistics for a few weeks while I try to understand it more.
• Running hungry. I am going to, as far as possible, do all runs on an empty stomach to train my body to use fat for fuel instead of carbs.
• Longer strides. I was doing 1 KM intervals last night and at one stage I realized that although my legs were turning over at a decent rate (180-190 steps per min), I wasn't really moving that fast. I came to the great realization that taking longer strides would mean more speed. I tried lifting my knees slightly higher and was instantly rewarded with what seemed like a disproportionate increase in speed. So one session a week is going to include drills for stride lengthening

Sat 10th - ran for 90 minutes at approx. 5.30 pace. Started at 12.30 having eaten breakfast at 8.30 and did kids training in Crusaders for 90 minutes in between. Felt ok, couple of hunger pangs, which disappeared pretty much as soon as they came. Also, first time running with HRM strap. I don't know if it was the strap being too tight or the empty stomach, but I felt a bit of stitch-like pain for a while. Ran up the Royal canal walk as far as Ashtown. What a nice way to run, will definitely be using that route again. My house to Clonsilla train station is exactly 10 miles via the canal, so that makes a great 20 mile route, especially on a nice sunny day

Mon 12th - 7km easy.
Tue 13th - 2km warmup, 8x150m "hill" reps. Need steeper hill, going to try Mount Anville next week
Thu 15th - 10km with 4x 1km intervals.

PaulieC

Two hours running, out the Royal canal again. Had intended on not eating after breakfast but came back from Crusaders kid's training to a big bowl of sausages and bread rolls, so had half a roll with a sausage (and brown sauce of course) about 2 hours before running.
Visit to Mount Anville this evening to do hill reps...can't hardly wait

PaulieC

mon 19th - 8k. 2k warmup followed by 8 x 250m fast reps up the steep part of foster's avenue, followed by 1.5 k warm down

PaulieC

Wed 21st - 10k @ 5.00 pace. What a beautiful day out there. I had a 10k route planned out when I left work, but it was so nice, I took a different route. I was supposed to go from Lamb's cross to Stepaside, but I took Slate Cabin road up to Barnacullia, up past the Blue Light pub. Great views, great weather, great hills, sure what more could you ask for of a Wednesday lunchtime.

PaulieC

Sat 24th - 21.3 K @ 5.25 pace. Trying to incorporate as many hills as I can into my running, so this was the hilliest route I could think of from my house and back. First day I felt cold, but ran completely empty. Many pangs of hunger, but I didn't die, which was nice.

Mon 26th - 10 k with 2k warm up, 8 x 250m sprints up Mount Anville road and 2k warm down. The trails in UCD are really nice in the dark.

Tue 10k ran home from work, really felt Tuesday's reps in my legs.

Looking forward to tough session in UCD tomorrow evening.

PaulieC

Thu 29th - Old School Toughen up Thursday

Joined a group in UCD for what was a fartlek-type session. After a warm-up session there was a set of 9 repeats, each led by a different person in the group and varying from 30 seconds to 2:30 in length, but you didn't know until about 10 seconds before the start of each repeat how long it was going to be. It was good to feel like I was doing "proper" training and to do it as part of a group was great. About 14k in total, all on grass. Lovely fresh evening too, although my white socks won't thank me for it!

met Jeffontour too there amongst others.

PaulieC

Managed to get out for drinks on Friday and Saturday this weekend, which was most unexpected so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and made the very most of it, which meant no running as I was too bloody lazy to drag m ass out the door yesterday, preferring to stay in and eat pizza and chocolate instead while watching the Late Late Toy show repeat.
Felt so guilty this morning though, which I guess is some kind of sign, not sure if it's good or bad. Anyway, while getting ready for work, I packed my gear on the off chance. Then managed to get out at lunchtime for a 12k up and down from my work up to Barnacullia, over to the Ballyedmunduff Road and back down to the Enniskerry road, before coming back. managed to get a couple of uphill sprints. These, plus a good hard run up the decent hill to Barnacullia and a hard run back down the other side have cleansed my soul and wiped away all the guilt.

Micilin Muc

I firmly believe that if you're going to indulge, you may as well do it properly! I think most sports psychologists will say the same. Nice run too

PaulieC

Technical Tuesday. 12k in all, made up of a couple of km warm-up and then 8X100m all out or 95% alternating sprints with 600m running recovery then another couple of km warm down.

I haven't sprinted all out probably since I was a kid. I felt a bit nervous for some reason when starting off, probably fear and inhibition, but after a while I got into it and let my self go. I don't think Usain has much to fear though

scriba

Hi cambo_gueno, great progress on with your marathon times. Quick question, have you adjusted to running on empty yet?

PaulieC

scriba wrote: »

Hi cambo_gueno, great progress on with your marathon times. Quick question, have you adjusted to running on empty yet?

Thanks! Still doing it. Doing the long runs at the weekend on empty where possible. Life gets in the way sometimes though!

scriba

cambo_gueno wrote: »

Thanks! Still doing it. Doing the long runs at the weekend on empty where possible. Life gets in the way sometimes though!

Me too. I generally get most of my runs in at the morning, so I've been running on 'empty' (or last night's intake!) for the last 3 months or so. I recommend it.

PaulieC

4 miles easy this evening. Slippy enough on the roads kept me mostly slow, but I managed a few strides to stretch out a bit

PaulieC

First run since last Thursday after a(nother) weekend without an LSR. 'Twas just a run at lunchtime, not particularly fast or slow or interesting. Calves were tight afterwards and I have a worrying pain in my right quad now. Best go and eat some Christmas goodies I suppose

PaulieC

Turns out the pain in my quad was caused by a bang or something. I'm not really sure, but I found a large bruise there on Tuesday . Probably something happened on Saturday night...

Anyway, Tuesday evening was 8k with 2k warmup, 8 X 250 reps up Mount Anville and 2k warm down.
Last night was a fartlek session in UCD. Did approx. 15 minutes hard running, 8.2 miles in all.
2.5 hour run tomorrow, hope it's nicer out than today

jeffontour

cambo_gueno wrote: »

I haven't sprinted all out probably since I was a kid. I felt a bit nervous for some reason when starting off, probably fear and inhibition, but after a while I got into it and let my self go.

You were shifting once you got going.

You were moving well last night as well. Be nice to keep a bit of momentum in that group, it helps when there's a few more for those sessions. I did one on my own a few weeks back on tarmac. My legs were banjaxed for days after!

PaulieC

26.2 Kms on Saturday afternoon. It is exactly 13.1 km from my front door to Coliemore harbour in Killiney

PaulieC

A few bits and pieces of running over the Christmas. Had two weeks off work, but it felt like two days, felt like it went in no time at all.
Had a nice hilly 10k yesterday around Killiney park/Shankill, more than a few decent hills around there. Followed that up with a 5 mile tonight with a couple of fast miles. Getting serious now coming up to Donadea, planning an 18 mile on Saturday and hopefully another 10 or so on Sunday. Will need to go slow though as I have a lingering chesty cough from too many late nights over the last couple of weeks

PaulieC

Just heading out the door on Saturday morning at about 11.45 and my brother and his kids arrived for a visit. Plan was to do 18 miles, which would take me from my front door to the start of the climb to Howth head and back again. Never a pleasant run as it is just so long and so damn straight, you can see exactly where you are going almost the whole way out and back.
A cup of coffee and couple of choccy biscuits later, I left the house at 1.10 pm, having to be back by 3.20, so there went any hope of getting the 18 in. Managed 14, made a little bit interesting by including an up and back on Dollymount strand. Was pretty miserable on the way back as the wind was picking up and blowing straight into my face the whole way back and I had a fantastic view of the Dublin mountains, which would've been a whole lot more interesting to run. Also felt very tired in the legs when I had finished, which I felt was unusual as it wasn't a long run.
Did another 7 miles yesterday morning and felt fairly sh1tty for that one too, but legs felt a lot better when I got home and showered and had breakfast. I'm hoping it's the manful that's making me feel so sluggish as Donadea is getting ever closer and I need to get some long miles into the legs

PaulieC

Had a free 30 minutes today so snuck out for a quick 3.6 miles. Did about 1.5 miles worth of tempo at 5.45 pace.

PaulieC

I just could not make it in time for a group sprint session, despite my very best efforts so had to make do with a solo session. Approx 5.5. miles in all, with 1.5 warmup, 8 x 250m uphill sprints with a walk/jog downhill recovery. Alternated between 100% and 90% effort on each sprint. Was well f*cked after the last one, which was supposed to be a 90% effort sprint, but turned into a 110% effort one as there were two runners in front of me going up the hill and I decided to try to catch them. Felt lightheaded afterwards and had to lean against a wall for a bit
another 1.5 miles warm down back to the car.

belcarra

cambo_gueno wrote: »

I just could not make it in time for a group sprint session, despite my very best efforts so had to make do with a solo session. Approx 5.5. miles in all, with 1.5 warmup, 8 x 250m uphill sprints with a walk/jog downhill recovery. Alternated between 100% and 90% effort on each sprint. Was well f*cked after the last one, which was supposed to be a 90% effort sprint, but turned into a 110% effort one as there were two runners in front of me going up the hill and I decided to try to catch them. Felt lightheaded afterwards and had to lean against a wall for a bit
another 1.5 miles warm down back to the car.

Hey Cambo_gueno,
If your target race is Donadea would you not be better off doing LT/Tempo based runs for your sessions rather than dabbling in Sprint/VO2Max stuff? It would be less intensive but more rewarding for the longer stuff like marathons and Donadea. If you wanted you could introduce sprint stuff in early Feb for a couple of sessions but personally I won't even bother with that. All about the miles at this stage really.
Just a thought.

PaulieC

belcarra wrote: »

Hey Cambo_gueno,
If your target race is Donadea would you not be better off doing LT/Tempo based runs for your sessions rather than dabbling in Sprint/VO2Max stuff? It would be less intensive but more rewarding for the longer stuff like marathons and Donadea. If you wanted you could introduce sprint stuff in early Feb for a couple of sessions but personally I won't even bother with that. All about the miles at this stage really.
Just a thought.

Tempos are for a Thursday and miles are for every other session. This is from a plan (albeit modified) for a 55k race, so it seemed like a close enough fit considering when I started it. Plans for a few back-to-back LSRs over the next few weekends.
I'm not planning on doing anything special at Donadea, thinking of 4.00-4.15

menoscemo

belcarra wrote: »

Hey Cambo_gueno,
If your target race is Donadea would you not be better off doing LT/Tempo based runs for your sessions rather than dabbling in Sprint/VO2Max stuff? It would be less intensive but more rewarding for the longer stuff like marathons and Donadea. If you wanted you could introduce sprint stuff in early Feb for a couple of sessions but personally I won't even bother with that. All about the miles at this stage really.
Just a thought.

cambo_gueno wrote: »

Tempos are for a Thursday and miles are for every other session. This is from a plan (albeit modified) for a 55k race, so it seemed like a close enough fit considering when I started it. Plans for a few back-to-back LSRs over the next few weekends.
I'm not planning on doing anything special at Donadea, thinking of 4.00-4.15

Lads any interest in LSR's this weekend?? I can probably do either saturday or sunday, I wouldn't mind doing at least 20 one of the two days. Pretty flexible on lacation and pae....