If Only My Parents Were Kenyan......

martyeds

Well after reading numerous logs on here i have decided to start one of my own. Hopefully it will keep me focused.
I will start off by giving a little bit of background info.
Male
Mid 30
I started running in the gym and progressed to outdoors running a few months ago.
I only get to run 3 times per week due to working long shifts and having 2 children under 4 (which takes more out of me than any run).
I am hoping to take part in my first 5km race on Tuesday June 26th.
Feel free to give any advice or thoughts on my runs or training. If reading my log, inspires anyone to run, or even provides a laugh along the way.....well and good.
Finally, i would like to thank anyone who was offered me advice on running here in the past........now where did i leave my running shoes.

martyeds

Sunday June 10
LSR
After the disappointment of Ireland defeat v Croatia i decided to go on a LSR (thanks to Spurscormac and Clearlier on the advice) I found it difficult to maintain a very slow pace (which i found quite surprising) I did my first km in just over 5 and 28 seconds. My legs were fine and i found it surprisingly easier than i expected and completed 7km in 42 mins according to the app on my phone.

My joy was short lived when i realised that i was supposed to run 7 miles....not 7 km.

PS. Note to the 3 girls i encountered on my run....chanting ""You'll never beat the Irish"" within hours after a 3-1 defeat......what were you thinking!!

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--5 mins 28 seconds
2 KM--6 mins 02 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 59 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 46 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 57 seconds
6 KM--6 mins 23 seconds
7 KM--6 mins 40 seconds

Tuesday June 12
TEMPO RUN
I decided to go on the same route as i did on my LSR only this time i was hoping to complete it in as close a pace to my normal run as normal. Things went well but as usual i found myself starting off quicker than i had hoped. Obviously my pace dropped back as the run progressed. For some reason i my 2nd last km is always my slowest. Is this all in my head, that i am getting tired but manage to push myself that little bit more in my final km, in the knowledge that i am nearly finished my run?

Completed my 7km run in 35 mins 31 seconds. Was fairly happy with that as it was the longest i have run at a decent pace, but i am well aware that tougher runs lie ahead.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 40 seconds
2 KM--4 mins 54 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 05 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 10 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 00 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 29 seconds
7 KM--5 mins 13 seconds

martyeds

Friday June 15
INTERVAL RUN
Out of all the runs in my training plan this was the one i was least looking forward to......and was proved to be correct.
When i arrived at my starting spot, i could hear revs, engines and exhausts in the distance......then it dawned on me.....it was rally weekend. My least favourite weekend of the year.

I decided to slighty change my run, as i realised i would be running in the direction of the service area. Great if you want to look at cars with with spoilers and ""Go Faster Stripes"" but it wasn't really my cup of tea. I decided i would run at full pelt for my first and final km and jog my 2nd and 3rd. (See what the rally is doing to me....i have already cut my run short my a km.)

After running waaaaaaay too fast in the first km, i died a slow death for the other 3. And the fact that i was running against a strong breeze, didnt help matters. Really struggled and never managed to pick up the pace for the remainder of my run. I was even temped to flag down the Lightening McQueen lookalike car for a lift.

Completed my 4km run in 20 mins 37 seconds . Its all part of the learning curve i suppose.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 06 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 19 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 52 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 32 seconds

Lesson learned.....i dont like interval runs.....and i like the Donegal Rally even less.

martyeds

Thursday June 21
5KM TEMPO RUN
Well....due to a family issue, running has slipped down my list of priorities in the last week. On Thurdsay night, i went for a 5km tempo run, just to clear my head if nothing else. Wasnt really sure what to expect on this run but away i went anyway.

I ran the the first km faster that i thought i did, so i decided to slow down slightly and ensure i didnt blow up near the end. On the whole, i would have been happy with the pace and time had it been another night. Beat my PB for a road run also. Completed my run in a time of 24 mins 13 seconds.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 28 seconds
2 KM--4 mins 47 seconds
3 KM--4 mins 52 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 05 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 01 seconds


It looks unlikely that i will be doing the 5km road race on Tuesday June 26th that i had hoped but things happen that are out of our hands.

martyeds

Saturday June 30
LSR
Running was put on the back burner for the last week following the death of my grandmother who passed away after a short illness. My heart wasn't in it for most of the week but i dragged myself out the door to do a 10km LSR.

It was probably the worst weather conditions i have ran in (i am not running that long so i have been lucky weather wise in the past) I had to contend with a stedy drizzle and wind in my face for most of the run. I also made an error with the music on my phone. Unknown to myself i pressed the repeat button instead of shuffle.......so i had to listen to the same song for the duration of my run.

As usual i started off faster than i had hoped but it wasnt long until i was running at a slower pace (first run in over a week and weather conditions played a major factor)

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 52 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 18 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 30 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 33 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 36 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 55 seconds
7 KM--6 mins 13 seconds
8 KM--5 mins 57 seconds
9 KM--6 mins 12 seconds
10 KM--6 mins 32 seconds

That is the longest distance i have covered so i was happy enough that i was able to manage it, pace was slow and i would have been able to hold a conversation if i had a running partner. Legs did feel very heavy in the final 2 kms but i suppose that is to be expected.

martyeds

Tuesday July 3
TEMPO RUN
I set out to do a 7km tempo run, i was hoping to do an average of 5 mins per km.....but for some reason this turned out to be more of a 7km slow run. Admittedly i was running against a strong head wind for the first 3 km and i was soon struggling. For the first time in months i was about to slow down to a walking pace but i managed to fight the urge and trudge on.
My legs felt like lead and it seemed as if i was running with the hand brake on. I am not 100% sure what the problem was. Was it a case of a) I was pushed for time before i started and did not do my normal warm up or b) My legs had still not fully recovered from the 10km run on Sat night. If anyone follows this log, i would be interested to know if the latter was part of the problem. I am well aware that not doing my normal warm up was a factor.

Completed my 7km run in 37 mins 39 seconds, which was over 2 mins slower than my previous 7km run. Was slighty disappointed with my performance......don't think i am going to get selected for London 2012 now. :mad:
Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 43 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 10 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 12 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 20 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 33 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 48 seconds
7 KM--5 mins 53 seconds

average_runner

Love the title of the log and best of luck with your training

martyeds

Satureday July 7
5KM TEMPO RUN
Decided to do a 5km tempo run on my usual route (i know i probably should do an interval run....but i hate them)
I was hoping to do my run in or around 24 mins, looking to do each km in 4 min 48 or as close as possible.
As usual i started off faster than i wanted (may have something to do with the first song on my run being a little too upbeat) Tried to adjust my pace for each of the other kms but couldnt manage it right. My breathing was an issue for most of the run...........so i suppose i should really spend some time on interval runs :mad:

So as you can image i was rather disappointed with my performance. 5km in 24 mins 47 seconds. Not to dwell on it but i really must do interval runs too.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 28 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 05 seconds
3 KM--4 mins 53 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 18 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 03 seconds

martyeds

Tuesday June 10
TEMPO RUN
I wasn't really looking forward to tonights run, after a few poor runs last week, but away i went. As usual i did my first km far faster than i had hoped (i may download Celine Dion...""My heart will go on"" or something by Radiohead, in attempt to slow my down to my preferred pace)

I managed to run as close to a 5 min per km for my 2nd 3rd 4th and 5th km. Ran a fairly slower 6th km......waiting for a break in traffic at the roundabout didn't help either but legs were getting heavy at this stage. Managed to get a bit of momentum back in the final km and completed my run in 35 mins 12 seconds.

Felt happy enough with the run, as it was a PB in my 7km distance, (only knocked 2 seconds of my PB but at least its something) and more importantly over 2 mins better than my last 7km run.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 32 seconds
2 KM--4 mins 52 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 05 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 00 seconds
5 KM--4 mins 58 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 35 seconds
7 KM--5 mins 10 seconds

Now where did i leave that Titanic Soundtrack CD?

martyeds

Tues July 17
LSR
Due to work commitments i was only able to get out for 1 run last week..must try harder this week. After a long days work, i was toying with the idea of doing a 10km LSR, finally made up my mind to forget about the drizzle and off i set
Unknown to myself i must have turned off the audio on my app, as the nice lady on endomondo was not advising me what time i was covering each km in. In hindsight, this was probably a good thing, as i tend to get to caught up in my times......this was a long slow run, after all.
The run went ok, although in the final 2km i had to contend with the worst rain i had seen all summer, it was torrential, but in some weird kind of way, i enjoyed it, it made me feel that i was doing something worth while...........why would i want to be lazing on my sofa watching television when i could be running in a downpour!!!
Completed my 10km in 56 mins 48 seconds.....felt good after it, even though i felt i could have pushed myself a bit more, but it was a lsr so i took it slow (maybe not having the audio on my phone was a good thing)

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--5 mins 02 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 15 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 33 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 39 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 33 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 45 seconds
7 KM--5 mins 48 seconds
8 KM--5 mins 58 seconds
9 KM--6 mins 10 seconds
10 KM--6 mins 05 seconds

martyeds

Thursday June 19
7KM TEMPO RUN
Made a last minute decision to go for a run, which probably wasn't the best idea i ever had, considering i had a heavy dinner just over an hour earlier.

Around 2 km into the run, i regretted it....both the extra large helping of lasange and my decision to run. My legs felt like lead and my stomach felt rather full. Not for the first time my tempo run was turning into a long slow run.

Completed my run in a very disappointing time of 37 min 34 seconds. The heavy dinner played a part in this, and i am also wondering should i take an extra day to recover from my LSR, as my disappointing times in the 7km is always 2 days after my 10 KM.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 45 seconds
2 KM--4 mins 53 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 16 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 30 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 31 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 44 seconds
7 KM--5 mins 55 seconds

martyeds

Monday July 23
7KM TEMPO RUN
After suffering a few bad 7 km runs, when i do a 10 km run a few nights previous, i decided to do my 7 km first this week. I was expecting to struggle as i over indulged on Sunday......(its not every day you retain the Ulster Senior Football Title). See, I even had my excuses ready before i began my run. :eek: Ideally i would be hoping to do each km in or around 5 mins but i deep down i knew that was going to be a long shot.

Kept my first 2 kms fairly close to 5 min per km mark, slipped a bit on the 3km but really pushed myself on the 4th km and managed to pull back a bit of time. Did the last 3km in average of just over 5.30 mins per km. Completed my run in a time of 37 mins 03 seconds.

It was just under 30 seconds faster than my previous 7km attempt but a long way off my 7km personal best.

Slighty disillusioned with it all lately. I still enjoy going for my runs, but i seem to have lost the drive and enthusiam to really dig deep when the going gets tough.

Not sure if it is because i dont have a race to aim for and focus on like i did in the past.......or maybe i am just getting lazy!!

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--5 mins 01 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 06 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 20 seconds
4 KM--4 mins 50 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 33 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 40 seconds
7 KM--5 mins 33 seconds

martyeds

Thursday Aug 16
5KM TEMPO RUN

My last 2 runs did not log on my endomondo app (not the apps fault it was mine, on one occasion i didnt enable the gps, on other occasion i forgot to lock my phone, so it paused within seconds on putting it in my pocket.....did 5km in under 4 seconds!!!:D

Even without the mistakes on my phone, i seem to have gotten lazy lately, always finding excuses not to go for a run, while in the past i would have been out the door like a shot. Working a lot of overtime in the evenings hasnt helped but last nice i decided come hell or high water i would get back into my running.

Ironically, i encountered quite a lot of high water, as my run was done in a constant downpour......strangely enough i actually enjoyed been back out running, despite the weather conditions.

As i had not been running as regularly as before, i was unsure of what time i would do it in, so i decided to just go with the flow and see how i got on. Felt good for the first 3 km, but began to struggle in the 4th km. Rain was really lashing down for the final 1.5 but i managed to complete it anyway,


Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 38 seconds
2 KM--4 mins 55 seconds
3 KM--4 mins 45 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 16 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 06 seconds

Completed my 5km in 24 mins and 40 seconds. Now that i have finally got back into the swing of things, hopefully the hunger will return.

Krusty_Clown

Try setting yourself a weekly mileage target. If you don't run during the week, you just end up picking up all the miles at the weekend. A good motivator (works for me!). I find that running is a great distraction from heavy workloads/long hours. Best of luck!

martyeds

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Try setting yourself a weekly mileage target. If you don't run during the week, you just end up picking up all the miles at the weekend. A good motivator (works for me!). I find that running is a great distraction from heavy workloads/long hours. Best of luck!

Thanks for the advice. I agree with it being a great distraction, just me and the road and my music.

martyeds

Sunday August 19
7KM TEMPO RUN

Managed to drag myself off the sofa after a hard days work to go for a run. Decided to try a 7km tempo run.....although i had a feeling it would turn into a 7km long slow run. As per usual, i has hoping to do as close as to 5 min per km.
First km went ok but after that my legs were getting really heavy and for the first time in ages i got a stich. Was unsure should i walk until the stich went away or should i try to run it off (if that is possilbe). Went with the latter and eventually it eased. From 3km to 5km mark i managed to do each km at just over 5.5 mins per km but i was really struggling to get my legs going.
Last 2 km were done in over 6 mins.
The lack of running over the last few weeks, really showed. Hopefully i will not leave it as long again.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 53 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 17 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 42 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 36 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 38 seconds
6 KM--6 mins 04 seconds
7 KM--6 mins 03 seconds

Completed my run in a time of 39 mins 13 seconds, trying not to get to hung up on my times at present. Just focusing on getting back into the habit of running.

martyeds

Thursday August 23
7KM TEMPO RUN
Going on my hols on Sunday so this could be my last run for 2 weeks or so, was toying with the idea of doing 10km run, but took the easier option and went for 7km instead.

After a pretty poor effort on Sunday night, i was hoping some sort of improvement. First km went ok, but found my suffering from the usual heavy legs in 2nd and 3rd km. For some reason, i dont seem to have the same urge to push my through the pain, that i had when i started. Managed to up the pace slightly for the next 2 km. Really struggled in my final 2 km.

I now find that my arms feel tired when i am running also.....never experienced this before, i always carry a small bottle of water with me (about 330ml) not sure what the cause of the tired arms are.....surely i am not that weak that carrying a small bottle water wears me out!!

Completed my 7km run in 37 mins 50 seconds, which is a vast improvement on my last run, but still no where like what i was running when i began a few months ago. Really need to stick to my schedule if i am to make any sort of improvement.

Breakdown of my run
1 KM--4 mins 52 seconds
2 KM--5 mins 12 seconds
3 KM--5 mins 31 seconds
4 KM--5 mins 26 seconds
5 KM--5 mins 24 seconds
6 KM--5 mins 50 seconds
7 KM--5 mins 35 seconds

Would like to think i will pack my runners, and do a run while in Spain, but probably wont have room in my luggage!:D