Moving Forward Faster

Marthastew

Very best of luck with the training over the next 12 weeks J.
Chicago is an amazing marathon, the perfect place for you to not only put those sub 3 demons to rest but to bury them deep forever:)

Peckham

Will be following closely, and see you at two of those races, and maybe for a few beers after the big one to celebrate PBs all round!

Dilbert75

Question for you J - any decent running shops in Kilkenny? Gait analysis and all?

FrClintPower

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Question for you J - any decent running shops in Kilkenny? Gait analysis and all?

A couple of weeks ago I noticed there's an Elvery's on High Street with a treadmill and camera set up for gait analysis, but I don't know how much expertise the staff would have - the shop is mainly full of hurling gear.

DukeOfDromada

Best of luck with the training! Looking forward to the beer or two after the race to celebrate.

KielyUnusual

Out of curiosity, why are you dropping the faster stuff for this plan Blocky? I'm a big fan of the longer marathon paced runs and they are probably the most important session of the week but I like the variety too. Do you think it will get a little boring if a lot of your runs during the week are quite similar? I also find the interval sessions great for keeping form. You can't beat the practice you get on the last few reps of keeping your form when your legs have turned to jelly. Do you have something made up that you could post up?

blockic

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Question for you J - any decent running shops in Kilkenny? Gait analysis and all?

I think the short answer to that is no! I wouldn't get any running stuff in Kilkenny really, If I don't get it online I normally head to either the Edge in Cork or Amphibian King in the Pale.

KielyUnusual wrote: »

Out of curiosity, why are you dropping the faster stuff for this plan Blocky? I'm a big fan of the longer marathon paced runs and they are probably the most important session of the week but I like the variety too. Do you think it will get a little boring if a lot of your runs during the week are quite similar? I also find the interval sessions great for keeping form. You can't beat the practice you get on the last few reps of keeping your form when your legs have turned to jelly. Do you have something made up that you could post up?

You make a good case Mike. I guess it's personal preference really and I think at this point I see the PMP and HMP runs more important to me in building the sustained endurance required with 12 weeks to go. I'll have a couple of interval sessions thrown in but will be more of a monthly rather than a weekly occurance.

In reality, if I take a step back, this has been an 18 week plan, 6 weeks of focus on speed work as a base and now 12 weeks of more marathon specific training. That's how i see it but I could be talking and thinking complete sh!te too! :pac:

I think I also read on one of Tergat's posts some time back that in the last few weeks leading up to the goal marathon that speed intervals can be more of a hindrence than a help if overdone. I'll try find it there later and post the link, maybe even career_move could oblige?

I don't have the plan with me at the moment as it's on my work laptop but I'll post up some of the sessions on Monday to be scrutinised!

career_move

blockic wrote: »

I think the short answer to that is no! I wouldn't get any running stuff in Kilkenny really, If I don't get it online I normally head to either the Edge in Cork or Amphibian King in the Pale.



You make a good case Mike. I guess it's personal preference really and I think at this point I see the PMP and HMP runs more important to me in building the sustained endurance required with 12 weeks to go. I'll have a couple of interval sessions thrown in but will be more of a monthly rather than a weekly occurance.

In reality, if I take a step back, this has been an 18 week plan, 6 weeks of focus on speed work as a base and now 12 weeks of more marathon specific training. That's how i see it but I could be talking and thinking complete sh!te too! :pac:

I think I also read on one of Tergat's posts some time back that in the last few weeks leading up to the goal marathon that speed intervals can be more of a hindrence than a help if overdone. I'll try find it there later and post the link, maybe even career_move could oblige?

I don't have the plan with me at the moment as it's on my work laptop but I'll post up some of the sessions on Monday to be scrutinised!

Of course I think this is the post you are referring to

blockic

career_move wrote: »

Of course I think this is the post you are referring to

Super! Saves me looking!

Dilbert75

You do realise that CM sits by her computer like a coiled spring ready to bounce into action with an appropriate hyperlink...

career_move

Dilbert75 wrote: »

You do realise that CM sits by her computer like a coiled spring ready to bounce into action with an appropriate hyperlink...

Hahaha .... sad but true

blockic

Friday
Run 2: 4 miles “need to get this done fast” easy / 6:59 average pace

Drove home on Friday and was heading out that night and only had 30 minutes to get in my 4 miles. As a result the planned easy pace was more a ‘get it done quick’ steady pace. Felt a bit more strained than it should have been obviously but done and dusted in 28 minutes. :cool:

Saturday
6 miles recovery / 8:30 average pace

A slow recovery run around the hills at home in the afternoon to get the alcohol out of the system and wake the legs up before another drive back to Kilkenny. I quite enjoy running the undulating countryside when I’m at home rather than the urban areas where I do most my runs during the week. Just maybe not when they are speed sessions! :pac:

Sunday
17 miles LSR / 7:18 average pace (incl. 7m @PMP)

Done this eventful LSR earlyish on Sunday before the Cork match and then the Bruce concert. What a day to be a Cork man in Kilkenny. This does not come around too often so I had to make the most of it and get plenty slagging in around the town!

8.5 miles easy
4 miles PMP (6:45, 6:43, 6:48, 6:45)
0.5 mile easy
3 miles PMP (6:43, 6:47, 6:43)
1 mile easy

My first time running an LSR on empty without breakfast and at the start I could tell. The first three miles of this were horrible, legs were off the mark and I was thinking about packing it in after six. I had to inject a bit of PMA and tell myself that I needed to get in the 17 today with the national half next week. Otherwise I would be on the back foot in my plan already with no long run and it hadn’t even started.

Mentality is such a big influence in running and once I had changed my mindset the improvement in the body and the legs soon followed. I eventually seemed to wake up a bit and get into my pace.

I had sacrificed not doing a bottle drop in return for an extra 30 mins in bed (what’s new ) so as a result I arranged the route to be 2 loops were I could drop back for some water at 8 miles. This turned out to be a master stoke when the heavens opened big shtyle at 5 miles and I got absolutely soaked!!

I was passing concert goers hiding in door wells and under trees who must have thought I was a mad man, but the soaking reinvigorated me and I was now loving it! Amazing how things can flip mentally at a moment’s notice.

Attempted to do my good deed for the day when I passed a house where the car parked outside had the windows half opened and getting destroyed inside from the rain, knocked on the door but no one answered, BMW and all! Ah well, off I went again with my good deed failure.

Popped home for some water intake and a full change of clothes as they weighed a ton! Then back out to start my PMP miles the first 4 were fairly comfortable but I didn’t feel like knocking off seven straight so took a half mile easy and then completed the final 3 with a last mile of a jog home. Got caught in another heavy shower to ensure that I was soaked going in home for a second time in 2 hours :rolleyes:

Really glad it’s done and particularly that it wasn’t too strenuous. However, mental note not to run 17 miles before a Springsteen gig ever again. Legs wrecked tired last night and this morning! :eek: Worth it though, what a night!

Pleased with the mileage for the week too and it looks like this will be my biggest mileage month ever! Wasn’t even planned. Happy days.

Week Mileage Summary:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday
5m|6m|10.3m|Rest|11m|6m|17m

Week Total|Month to Date|Year to Date
55.3m|194.9m|1203.8m

Dilbert75

blockic wrote: »

Mentality is such a big influence in running and once I had changed my mindset the improvement in the body and the legs soon followed. I eventually seemed to wake up a bit and get into my pace.

Well said. There are, in particular, two ladies around here, both fine runners plagued with self-doubt, who could do with remembering that!

Gavlor

Great session but cut out those trips back to house so that your run is continuous

blockic

Gavlor wrote: »

Great session but cut out those trips back to house so that your run is continuous

Yep, that's a fact...make sure you keep me in check. Rarely do it but got caught for time yesterday and would be worse to go without hydration for 17 miles.

Will PM you about LSRs there. Tough on your own now I find.

digger2d2

belcarra wrote: »

He was too in the zone Meno, that's your downfall, too easily distracted (even if it is merited!)...

I don't think it was distraction that made him puke at the beer mile

FrClintPower

I missed the fact you joined Gowran A.C. until you mentioned it on RunForestRun's log, I grew up in Gowran before moving up towards the Pale when I was 16. Whereabouts is it based there? Is it mainly locals or are they from miles around like yourself?

blockic

FrClintPower wrote: »

I missed the fact you joined Gowran A.C. until you mentioned it on RunForestRun's log, I grew up in Gowran before moving up towards the Pale when I was 16. Whereabouts is it based there? Is it mainly locals or are they from miles around like yourself?

Ah very good. We are looking for new members? ...It's mostly locals and the surrounding areas really but also many from Kilkenny town are in the club too. Some even are still members but might have moved away with work or whatever.

Training is in Gowran Park twice a week but then in Scanlon Park for the track on Wednesdays (the only day I'm going at the moment)

Finding it great so far, and I like being the underdog and hopefully at some stage I'll be able to take a few scalps from the big bully neighbours*

* they may not actually be big or bullies

FrClintPower

blockic wrote: »

Ah very good. We are looking for new members? ...It's mostly locals and the surrounding areas really but also many from Kilkenny town city are in the club too. Some even are still members but might have moved away with work or whatever.

Training is in Gowran Park twice a week but then in Scanlon Park for the track on Wednesdays (the only day I'm going at the moment)

Finding it great so far, and I like being the underdog and hopefully at some stage I'll be able to take a few scalps from the big bully neighbours*

* they may not actually be big or bullies

FYP

blockic

FrClintPower wrote: »

FYP

Never!!

blockic

The weeks really do fly by!

Monday
5 miles recovery / 8:52 average pace

Took this recovery run real handy after the LSR yesterday, half of which was roughly done on grass but that is about as much as I can remember.

Tuesday
11 miles LTR / 7:17 average pace (incl. 4m @ LT)

Due to the Half Marathon next Monday I got my session over and done with early in the week. Jogged over to a 2.5 mile loop on the other side of town that I have taken a liking to whenever I run my threshold runs, It is mostly flat but has one minor incline before a gentle decent of the same distance and gradient which I find ideal for this type of run.

2 miles easy
4 miles @ LT (6:16, 6:09, 6:17, 6:05)
5 miles easy

The 4 pace miles were not too bad with the two slower miles occurring during the slight incline. Happy enough with them but I don’t see myself in the shape to go 13.1 at that pace on Monday. I’ll go with the flow and race on feel.

Wednesday
9.5 miles easy / 7:53 average pace

Legs were wrecked last night so I slogged over to the track to meet up with the club, done some easy laps and then jogged back home, nothing to eventful and delighted to have a much welcomed rest day today.

That brings up the end of the month and really happy with how the month has gone mileage wise. I was disappointed with my mileage last month and was hoping for over 175 for July, unknown to me until only a couple of days ago I have easily surpassed that target to achieve my highest mileage and number of runs in a month ever.

It’s never really about how many miles can I stack up with me really, it’s just a by-product of the plan that I was and will be doing for the next few weeks.

One race last month already detailed, bit of a non-event but it’s something to use as a target to improve on the next time I hit up a 10k! Bring on August!

Month|Runs|Mileage
January|22/31|174.2
February|22/28|196.9
March|24/31|216.1
April|17/30|120.2
May|20/31|151.8
June|18/30|149.7
July|26/31|220.4

blockic

Friday
11 miles MLR / 7:24 average pace

Nice and refreshed after the day off yesterday so I headed out this evening for a pretty comfortable 11 miles. Nice mixture of sunshine and drizzle throughout and was not too warm. Ideal running conditions. I went on an out and back loop from the Hospital over Green’s Bridge and out the Bleach road to henebry’s cross and back.

Positive signs were that I was only getting into the run with about 2 miles to go and I had to discipline myself to slow down as I was starting to hit marathon pace.

No LSR this week due to the race on Monday, will do a quick recovery run tomorrow after I come back from scooting up and down to Dublin for my race number. :mad: :rolleyes:

RedRunner

Best of luck on Monday. Kick Ass!

tang1

RedRunner wrote: »

Best of luck on Monday. Kick Ass!

That by 2.

RunningKing

Best of luck on Monday, hope you do better than those Cork boys today

blockic

Saturday
5 miles recovery / 8:40 average pace

Quick trip to Dublin and back yesterday morning to grab my number and in the end there would have been no bother somebody collecting it for you despite the NO EXCEPTIONS message sent out during the week. :mad: :rolleyes: Bit frustrating but it’s over and done with now.

Went for a slow 5 miler later yesterday evening to loosen the legs, I normally don’t like running the day before a race so will stick to what I know. It’s worked for me so far.

Looking forward to the morning now despite the ridiculously early start to drive up! At least I’ll be well awake by 8:30! It’s going to be a conservative race for me for the first half of it anyway and I won’t be setting off at PB pace, the route is more difficult than the HM I done in March and I have not eased off the mileage this week as it’s not the main thing. Would be happy in around the 1:23 mark. I’ll see how I’m feeling after 7 and decide if to push on or not then.

Looking forward to running for a club team for the first time! There is only 3 of us so no room for error!

Hopefully I’ll bump into some of you in the morning, if not best of luck to all those running and I might see ye after!

Week Mileage Summary:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday
5m|11m|9.5m|Rest|11m|5m|Rest

Week Total|Month to Date|Year to Date
41.5m|16m|1245.3m

blockic

RedRunner wrote: »

Best of luck on Monday. Kick Ass!

tang1 wrote: »

That by 2.

Thanks lads.

RunningKing wrote: »

Best of luck on Monday, hope you do better than those Cork boys today

Nice one, we are saving ourselves for the hurling next week! Can't see past Dublin for AI anyway.

Gavlor

Good luck tomorrow, fwiw I think you should target 79.30.

It's a good course, you'll have plenty of company and you're in good shape for it.

What's the point targeting 83???

blockic

Gavlor wrote: »

Good luck tomorrow, fwiw I think you should target 79.30.

It's a good course, you'll have plenty of company and you're in good shape for it.

What's the point targeting 83???

Said I'd be happy with 83, not saying that's the target!

I don't have a target really, gonna run it by feel and if feel turns out to be 79, so be it! Don't think a 79 is there at the moment though.

Finishing stong is what I'm after.

statss

how'd it go buddy?