get to the chopper!

Huayra

Wednesday: 10 miles on grass. Very nasty run to start the year. Shanganagh park was flooded in alot of places. Squishy, wet, raining and windy. Ran slowly but it still felt like I was doing a session. Tempted to stop after a while, but would have been negative starting the year, not doing what I set out to do. Towards the end of the run I didn’t bother trying to avoid the mini lakes that had formed. Toes sore after the run. You could get trench foot if you were stuck out there for too long lol.

Thursday: 9.15 miles on grass @7:37m/m. Was a nice day and the ground was much better. Still messy but anything would be better than the previous day. Was glad to finish the run as I was exhausted from the new years day run. Those kind of runs are good for toughening you up.

Friday: 5 miles jog on grass. Enjoyed it alot more today. Wish I could say the same for Eddie. He’s suffering alot with the heel spur so I won’t be running with him for a few weeks. Hope he gets well soon. He would be difficult for me to keep up with if he didn’t have any injuries.

Saturday: 10 miles; w/u, 4 strides, 7k tempo and w/d.
Wore my spikes for the tempo run and did 7 1000m laps in the back fields of Shanganagh. It was a lovely morning. When the weather is good for running, it can be easy to forget how energy sapping the ground can be. I did the first lap in 3:38 and knew that it was too fast. Maybe on the road that would be my tempo pace but the fields just drain the life out of your legs when the weather has been bad beforehand. In the 5th lap I had to pause the watch while I tied my laces. I better be careful this doesn’t happen in a race or I think I would go mental. Took 26:45 so that is 6:09m/m. I was tired after this but I suppose I could have held this average pace for an hour if I was racing and giving 100%. When I started to be coached last August, I reckon this would have been a true tempo pace for me on the road.

Huayra

Sunday: 14.05 miles @7:30 m/m on grass. I stayed on the side of Shanganagh, east of the dartline, and just kept doing laps. The ground was softer and wetter here, but at least it wasn’t very windy like the other side of the park nearer to the sea.

Monday: 7.15 miles easy. I went to Kilboggot park and did 10 laps around one of the fields. Decided to give the soft grass a break and go for a relaxed, innocent run on the footpath. At least thats what I had planned. Don’t know why I went here. The winds were tortuous for half of each lap. I am useless at running when its windy. There are no hills too big for me, but winds are my biggest downfall for some reason. Must be my weak lungs. Was stiff and sore after the run too.

Tuesday: Felt stiff and sore so wore the lycra leggings for the session. Was a w/u, strides, 1X200m, 5X800m, 1X200m, w/d. Didn’t bother bringing garmin, but the 800’s were timed by the coach. There were 5 of us in the fastest sub group for the session. It was a very tough session. Was done on the paths around the polo grounds in PP. Was dark, had tight corners, some narrow gaps, and other groups were also doing sessions in opposite directioin. Wind wasn’t bad, but it slowed us down for the last few 100m of the 800’s. I wish I was wearing my shorts as maybe I would have been faster. At least they were all consistent between 2:38-2:41. The coach told us to do them in 2:30 but nobody did them quite that fast, just about though . The other guys are on average ~2:05 for 800m on the track so I guess I shouldn’t be disappointed with the pace. Will be recovery run tomorrow so hope I feel better after that.

Huayra

Don’t think there is anything wrong with me as of now, but the last week has been terrible overall. I don’t know what it was. I felt weak, niggling and lethargic, and very sore at times. I think the runners I use for the grass need to be put to sleep soon, don’t think they are helping me anymore. I also put it down to my lack of leg and core exercises over the last month. I got lazy with them coming into Christmas. I also haven’t been for my regular checkup to the physio since the week after the National Novice. I’m going to get an appointment for after the Leinster Senior XC next week.

Wednesday: 9.15 miles easy on grass. Wasn’t in any pain but felt sluggish.

Thursday: About an hour steady around Phoenix Park, with 8X200m strides within. Felt great for this run. I was enthusiastic with the strides. Could have done them longer if I wanted to. They were short enough, and far apart enough, so that you wouldn’t be starting to suffer at the end of them. I was relieved as I think it was best I didn’t do an all out session again.

Friday: 6.35 miles on grass at easy pace. Legs in bits.

Saturday: Went ahead and did the workout that was recommended to me to do on my own. 8 miles, 5 easy with last 3 at tempo. Done on paths in Kilboggot Park. Felt fine, maybe a bit more tired than I should have been, but when I did the short tempo it was a disaster. I only averaged around 6:20. Don’t know what was wrong with me. I kept my extra top on, and leggings, and it was a bit warmer than expected, but even that shouldn’t account for such an underperformance.

Sunday: Normally I would have done 14 miles on grass but wasn’t sure if I should do anything at all. Eddie told me to just go out and do a shorter easy run, when I asked for his advice. Gave the grass a break as it is tough spending so much time running on the grass when it is soft underfoot. Did roughly 10 miles in 76 minutes. I could easily have managed the extra 4 but the shorter run will do me good. I felt fresh today so was happy.

At the moment I feel way better than I did this time last week after my 14 mile run on the grass. I remember feeling dodgy afterwards when I was walking and standing around watching the Wicklow Masters after my run.
I need to focus and not do anything mad during the week, as I have been looking forward to the Leinster Senior for a while now. Lucky for me I have a good support network, and I am being told what to do from now on. I would still love to hear what you readers think though. No doubt most of you know more than me about running. Still feel like a rookie.

pconn062

I'd say it's just a culmination of the recent work you've been putting in. You have been doing fairly heavy mileage recently and it could just be catching up with you. Also running on grass, particularly if it's anyway soft, can really take its toll on the legs. If you have a big race next week maybe take it as an opportunity to take a step-back week this week. Cut the mileage back a bit and give the body a chance to recover. Won't do your training any harm in the long run.

BeepBeep67

Haven't seen your plan and I'm sure Eddie knows what he's doing, but he did also have a tendency to train very hard. Just remember improvement is based on stressing the system and then most importantly letting it recover, rebuild and become stronger.
Quite a few plans work off a 4 week (3-1) cycle, 3 weeks of building the stress, followed by a recovery week and then rinse and repeat!

Huayra

Thanks for the input guys. The mileage has been very high. I certainly won't be doing that much when I'm racing on the track in the summer. I am going to try and avoid doing too much on the grass. Will also do less this week. I have a tuesday speed session but that won't be long and I won't be going that hard. Apart from that I will just be jogging. I normally take the Friday off before a race so will be doing that. Saturday will just be 5/6 miles jogging very very easy.

I always know what I am doing for the upcoming week. I don't have an exact training plan laid out(like Hal H, Jack D which lots of people here seem to have) but I have an idea of what to do. I am getting great advice. I have a clear enough idea of all the target races I need to do this year.
Eddie has helped me alot, and he admits himself that he has made mistakes too. He wants me to learn from him. One of the coaches he knows is also nice enough to help me with my training too.

Huayra

Monday: 8 miles @7:42 pace.

Tuesday: Roughly 8 miles; w/u, 5 strides, session, w/d.
I didn't go out too hard because its an ease back week for me, with a tough race to finish it off. Had plenty left in me. We did 300m followed by 100m jog recovery, and then 400m followed by another 100m recovery. All this repeated 7 times. Pace was just under 3:20/km on average. I think it is a good quality session with just 100m jog recovery. It would probably be a harsh session if I was going a few seconds faster per rep.
I'm just going to run very easy until the race now. Will keep the pace close to 8:00/mile and hopefully I will be fresh for the Leinster Senior 10k

BOSWOLLOX

Good to come back after a long break from boards. In terms of running, it has been a very eventful few months. Have done the Leinster Senior, National Intermediate & Senior. The XC went on forever. Was an epic journey and I enjoyed these races so much more than I thought I would.

Afterwards did some road races and one track race so far;
MSB 4.9k-16:09, I was really happy. Aimed for 16:30 which I would have been spot on if distance measured right.
Club 4 miles handicap-21:52.
Club 2 miles handicap-10:11, had a great day, first time I’ve felt a lung burning sensation after a race.
Dublin Road Novice 5k-16:57, bitter-sweet race. Thought maybe I could go sub 16 or close to it but most people were also way off where they should be so that was comforting. Good side is that I got 2 bronze medals- team and individual.
Graded Meet 1 800m-2:11.87, was great time for me since most of my sessions up to this point had been 600’s,800’s or 1000’s and some 400’s with just a handful of 200’s/100’s thrown into some of them. I seemed to recover very quickly and my lungs weren’t burning any more than the 2 miles so must have been too conservative.
Graded Meet 2 1500m-4:27.13, I went mental in this race. Tore off from the gun and flew past the leaders from 100m, by 200m I must have had a few metres on them and then I realised my mistake. I panicked. I must have done 30 for first 200m and was ahead of my last 800m pace up until 300m. Managed to recover the last few hundred metres though for a hard sprint finish passing 3 or 4 in the finishing straight.
Graded Meet 3 Mile- 4:57.98, I thought this would be 3rd time lucky. I was feeling good before the race too. I stupidly thought my race would be delayed from all the 400m races beforehand, and didn’t have time to get any strides in. I was called suddenly and had to quickly get my shorts and spikes on. I also realised that my new racing socks were so thin that my spikes felt a bit lose. The race was doomed before it even started. For the actual race I decided I wouldn’t make the same mistake as the 1500m, and just sit in with the leaders. The pace was extremely slow for the first 600m. Must have been 5:20 pace. Then they suddenly accelerated and because of my own mistakes I couldn’t respond at all. Was hoping for 4:40ish so I’d rate this run as my worst performance ever. The biggest lesson to be learned is that strides are very very very important. Most of the time I have felt crap on the strides and have still ended up running well. If I ddn't do strides other races could have ended much worse too.

At the moment I am aiming to get 3 sessions a week in. I have averaged 2 for the first few months of year(or 1 when racing). They are getting more and more intense, and most of the time I feel like I’m 100 when I go out on my easy runs although I’ve noticed I’m gradually adjusting and recovering better. Have to put the work in to get the results.

I need to get myself back on track and run a race that doesn’t leave me completely dejected and soul destroyed. Only good races since the XC ended have been the MSB 4.9k and my 2 mile. Wasn’t happy at all with any of the others. Mostly, I need to work on speed. Typical sessions now include 200, 300 and 400m reps and sometimes the session is divided into sets. We did a 5X1000m session on grass 2 weeks ago and it actually felt quite comfortable. Would have felt like a sprint to me not so long ago. I’m hoping that the brutal paces will make longer races feel much easier, and I will be able to go off with the faster people nearer to the front of XC races when the season starts again. I will always hate running on the track. One of the things I find most difficult is that there is no privacy at all and it makes me very anxious. I also get bored and lose motivation/concentration easily when I am almost flat out looping around.

Here is my sessions from this week;
Wednesday; 1 mile @ not quite 1 mile pace.
Thursday; 4 sets of 3X200m on grass near Papal Cross. Average 32 seconds with 30 seconds between reps and 3 minutes recovery between sets.
Saturday; 12X300m on Donore 300m track with 100m(60 second shuffle) recovery. All 50/51 I think. This is the most proud I have been after a track session as it was quite hot and sunny but I still hung in there. If I can motivate myself to push this hard for the next track race I will see huge gains.
I’m not measuring total distances of all my runs for each week but I’d estimate 55 average. Outside of the sessions I normally go @7:30ish pace per mile.

BOSWOLLOX

Tuesday session was on the light side because of the 800m in ALSAA today. Did 10X1 minute with 75 seconds recovery jogs. Felt strong for the session. Did it on grass with the spikes. I much prefer my XC spikes to the track ones.

The 800m was yet another track disaster. Became very sore gradually after Wednesday and felt bad today. I got a terrible start to the race, becoming trapped behind some slower people. I had to go on the outside but the leaders were so far ahead. The first lap ended up 65. I just didn't have any motivation and got a slower time than last 800m. Was ~2:13.0. I just don't have any motivation to run these kind of races and am only doing them because I have to. I'm dying for the XC season to just come around again. There is another 800m back in Santry for next GM on Wednesday but to be honest I really wish I could get out of it. I envy people doing Dunshaughlin, would be nice to do that again. I'd say the torture of the track will make me improve most over long distances.

BOSWOLLOX

Today was a very light track session compared to any other track session I've done. Went to the Donore track and did 5X600m. Was meant to do 5X150m afterwards but another group arrived and we had to rush so didn't get that done. It was such a relief as I wasn't in any state for sprinting. I'm surprised I got the 5X600m done without collapsing. My back and legs were destroyed and the warmup was torture. I wasn't even able to do any strides, but when the session started I tried to ignore all the negative thoughts. I didn't think I'd be able to do them under 2 minutes but they were all 1:50, apart from the last one where we let one of the lads lead it out to 1:55. The recovery was 300m jog and each 600m felt easier and easier as the session went on so that the 1:55 felt like a jog . In a way its good to have a coach who pushes you hard as otherwise I'd just be just doing long easy runs all the time.

I forgot to add that after the 800m on thursday, we did 8X100m. This is probably what really hurt me. I'm just not built for speed at all. I'm willing to give the 800m a go in grade C on wednesday and sub 2:10 would be a good time for me. If I can get a few seconds off my pb I might be able to get a sub 16 5,000m before the end of the summer. I'm not going to stress myself too much over my times over the shorter stuff.

BOSWOLLOX

3rd 800m race tonight in Santry, ideal conditions for racing. Managed a pb, not much but still heading in the right direction. 1.02 seconds bringing me down to 2:10.85.
After the 800m last week I was so tempted to give up completely. Today I was in pain but decided after lunch time that I should go ahead and take the plunge again. The funny thing is my lungs werent really hurting at all after the race, and they were burning like hell last thursday. Wonder why that is. Could be my lack of motivation for the distance. I've pretty much mentally given up on times and just see the 800m as speed training for longer races. Am not happy, but not disappointed either which is a change. I must be borderline burnout and am just below the injury threshold.
Coach reckons I go out way to slow and let everyone get away. Says I should be 4 seconds faster. I think I will need some sort of a taper before I go for fast times in the 3000 and 5000m. If only I could recovery faster.

Krusty_Clown

That's a very solid 800m time. It'll pay off dividends when you get back to the longer stuff.

BOSWOLLOX

Thanks Krusty, 800m training will make 10k+ races feel like a jog(at least for first few miles anyway). Can't wait to see what your 5k training will do for your next marathon. Should be memorable.

Today I did a session in ALSAA. Felt alot better today than I did before the race yesterday. Seem to have loosened out. I think I would run a good time for an 800 if I raced just one a day, for a few consecutive days lol. The coach is very motivating and tells us the times we should be hitting the splits. I get so nervous that this pushes me unlike in any track races I've done so far.
Session was 300m, 3X600m, 300m. All of them were nearly flat out with long recoveries of 5 minutes between each rep.
I couldn't believe the pace I was able to go at today and would rate it as better than my 800 pb from yesterday.
Splits were 45,1:41,1:37,1:39,44. Felt great for being able to do it and just need to get into this frame when I'm actually racing in the graded meets.

BOSWOLLOX

Session on the grass in the polo grounds today in Phoenix Park. The grass was nice and short and I had the racing flats on so was able to hold a fast pace. Was basically like a giant version of a track(not far off to 1000m and oval shaped). Did 4 laps with 4 minutes recovery jog between them. They were all between 2:55-2:59 so was really happy with that. If I did exactly 1000m on the track or path I'd definately be under 3 minutes for all of them. I reckon the effort for each of them would be around mile race effort on the track(if I had a great race). The sun was really beaming down for the last one so was working very hard but managed to hold on and finish strong.
Afterwards we had 5 minutes recovery and did 5X100m(full recovery). They were tough and I didn't run the first 3 as enthusiastically as the 1000's, but the last 2 I did them properly. Felt like my legs were going to give way. Probably would you should feel like at the end of a sprint lol.

BOSWOLLOX

Another session on the grass loop in the polo grounds. Good place to run and look forward to doing plenty of summer sessions here. Was ideal hot weather training. Session started at 7:30 but it was still hot and sunny at this time.
4X800m off 3 minutes recovery jog. First one was something like 2:22 and next 3 were 2:25. I was working so hard and was drenched in sweat after them.
Then after jogging a whole lap(950m), we did 5X100m with jog back recoveries. I gave them everything I had. Actually starting to get used to these. My racing flats on the grass are better than my spikes on the track. Not sure if it is the runners or that I just don't run as well when I'm on the track for some strange reason.

BOSWOLLOX

Track session in ALSAA today. Probably my least favourite session; 4 sets of 3X200m. 30 seconds between each rep and about 500m jog between each set. I was extremely stiff and quite sore yesterday and today so was not in the mood for the pace. To make matters worse I went off to the toilets after the strides and when I got back the group were already approaching the opposite side of the track and I didn't even know what the session was going to be at that stage. I just ran hard from where we usually start and could see them stopping a few seconds afterwards. I guessed what the session was from this. I didn't want to blow up so after 150m I just eased down and took it easy until the next 200m started shortly afterwards.
Average times were 31/32(more 32 as I was suffering badly). For the last set I got my first taste of lactic acid and blowing up in a sprint. The last 100m of the last 200m I absolutely died a death and thought my legs were going to buckle. The coach was saying I should be feeling like this at end of track races so at least I know what it feels like now. Gotta get used to pushing through it I guess, it was a new experience like nothing I've ever felt before in a race or training session.
I know I'm not fast but I also think my spikes could be better for long distances too. They felt so unnatural, and yet doing 100m sprints in my racing flats I feel way smoother. I might stop wearing the spikes for sessions like this. Maybe I will run a good 3000m and 5000m in the spikes, we will have to see

BOSWOLLOX

Donore 300m track for a session of 10X300m with full recoveries. Average about 48/49 seconds and good to keep them consistent in warmer weather. Just had a pair of saucony kinvara 4 flats on me. To be honest I think my top speed is very limited in the spikes but with the flats I can go that bit faster which I noticed doing my strides before the session.

BOSWOLLOX

Not really a session but did 8X ~100m sprints on the grass with full recovery after an easy 5 and a bit miles on grass. This is what the coach had told me to do today on my own. First time I've actually done it. He always asks us to do the strides on the monday before the graded meets but I always thought I wouldn't be able to do them because of stiffness and soreness. Normally I would just try compensating by doing an extra few miles which is pointless now that I think of it. I enjoyed doing these and feel sharper from doing them. After the last 800m in santry I felt great and ran a really good session the next day so I'm hoping the strides today will make me run a better 1500m on wednesday now. I'm going to get into the habit of doing more strides on my easy days. Enough sprinting and it will make 1500m pace feel that little bit more comfortable.

pconn062

Good training here, what grade are you running in on Wednesday? Heading up myself and I think I'll jump in the C grade. Normally won in 4.15 or so which suits me fine!

BOSWOLLOX

Hey pconn. Yea I decided I'll go for grade C now. The grade B might still be too scary for now. If I could crack sub 4:20 it will be a dream come true. Hard to tell how I will feel though as my legs are so unpredictable. I think Tallaght is a better track than any other I've been on so its probably the best place to get a pb. Will look out for you before the race starts

BOSWOLLOX

Hope things are ok pconn. There was a Dunleer guy there alright but when his name was called I knew it wasn't you. I can't remember if he was in my race or not cause I was too nervous.

The 1500m race was a slight improvement over any other track race I've done. I gave it everything. Went up just behind leaders for first 6/700 metres and then when they seemed to be struggling, I took the lead. My lead lasted until 1100m when a club mate overtook me. I hung on as hard as possible and thought I might be able to catch him in the last 100m but I didn't quite manage to have the finishing kick I wanted. It was all good though because he has been between 4-5 seconds faster over 800m/1500m and the mile so far. The thing that annoys me most though is that I came third. I was overtaken in the last 50m by someone who has always finished behind me in races;road/track/XC.
Went up to check exact finish time before I left and it was 4:23.48 so a 3.65 seconds pb. It isn't too bad but suggests that getting sub 16 for 5000m will be a major feat. After the race I was told that I was running too far from the inside and that this probably cost me a bit. I seem to have a habit of running wide especially when I am in a group and running parallel to them. Hopefully this is the case and I haven't just reached my plateau for middle distance running

The next graded meet is a 5000m, only 2 weeks away. I guess I could attempt 76/77 second laps and see how long I can hold on. I think the 7th graded meet also has a 5000m so I can try again if it comes to it.

pconn062

Great race man, would love that time myself. Didn't make it up, had a disaster on the M50. The guy in the Dunleer singlet was my brother.

BOSWOLLOX

Thats really annoying pconn. m50 can be a disaster nearly every time the weather goes bad. You will have a great race in the C if you do the next 1500m meet in tallaght. Doing a 1500m on your own sounds alot harder. Do you think it could be motivation that made you struggle the last 300m(having nobody to race against with people giving you support)?

Went to ALSAA today for the track session. Wasn't too bad today compared to most track sessions I've done. Did 3X1000m with 60 seconds recovery. All hit in 3:02 so happy with that. There is a 3000m club race next thursday, so the coach wanted to get an idea of how we would do. Hope I can make it down for it.
10 minutes recovery jog and then some short bursts. 2X80m,2X90m,2X100m. Jog was about 20 metres between each of the 6 bursts.
Weather was cooler and there was a drizzle, so that made it easier than doing sessions in the heat. I'd like to think I could do around 9:15(74s/lap) in the 3000m if I'm feeling fresh and the weather is favorable.

BOSWOLLOX

10X200m session in flats on the Donore track this morning. Recoveries were 110m jog(walking for a short while immediately after each rep). For the first one we stopped too early by accident so it was more like 170m. The rest were all roughly 31 seconds. This is the kind of session I struggle with the most. I can't seem to push myself hard at the start of any speed work and usually go flying at the end. I'm always told that this is pointless in these kind of sessions where you need to be going very hard straight away. Good news is that the legs feel strong at the moment. I might not be good at speed work but I find that I am getting used to it now. I'm less nervous about it and seem to be recovering faster these days

BOSWOLLOX

Light session because of the 3000m on thursday. 4X800m on grass in polo grounds in PP. 3 minutes recovery, average 2:24. Legs very stiff and sore today. Aching everywhere and nauseous. Think I might have gone too fast on the sunday long run considering there was a tough session the day before. That's the danger in feeling good after a session. Ended up going harder than I should have for 14 miles on road. Am paying for it now. I'm undecided about the 3000m now and am tempted to taper off a bit for the 5000m next week instead. I'll see how I am tomorrow and thursday before the race starts.

BOSWOLLOX

Club 3,000m today in ALSAA. Legs felt really good warming up so signs looking good. The standards were high as nearly all the top runners in the club were around. The top runner (and winner of the race) has run 2:03/4:32/15:28 for 800m/mile/5k(Enfield) this summer, although he is a bit off form with a recent calf pain. My plan was to get as close to him as possible. I let him do his own thing, fearing that I’d die a death trying to keep up with him. Beating all the other guys would be satisfying as some of them are capable of low 16s 5k on a good day, and they are much better than me over 800m. The plan worked and I managed to come 2nd in the men’s race. There was 20 something lined up at the start of the race, and luckily I was lined up in the front lane on the very inside. I went out hard enough to put me in 2nd place and it was like this for pretty much the whole race. The first lap was 69 or 70 seconds. In a race like this with many people, you don’t have a choice but to go out hard if you want to do well. Finished with 9:24 7 seconds ahead of 3rd and 8 seconds behind 1st. Enjoyable to get a club medal out of it. It was a bit humid and there was some wind. They were the toughest conditions I’ve had for any track race so far but managed to hang in there. The finish time may not be fast but everyone was a good bit slower than what they are capable of in fairness. I’m judging my position and time by the quality of people around me and still think there is a chance for me to run a sub 16 5,000m(track or road) before the summer finishes. The graded meet next Wednesday will be fun. I will go for the B category and target consistent 76/77 laps to the best of my ability. If racing conditions are perfect I should be able to get close at least. It will mean going through 3k in 9:36 and holding the pace for another 5 laps. Let’s just see what happens.

BOSWOLLOX

Back to the track in Donore for a hard session. 3X200m with 20 seconds recovery, 3X300m with 20 seconds recovery and another 3X200m with 20 seconds recovery. 5 minutes jogging between each set. I was on my own for this session but thankfully the coach was around to look after my session(he is normally working somewhere else on Saturday mornings). Managed to get the whole session done during the warm sunny part of the morning, windy however.
Splits were slow for the 1st rep of the 1st and 2nd set(32s and 50/51s). But the others were good. 30/31s for 200's and 48s for the other 300's. Coach reckons I should do more strides before sessions. I tend to make it as easy as possible when I do the strides. Thinking about it afterwards, my best sessions were from doing plenty of quality strides, especially the session 3 weeks ago after the 800m graded meet. That must be the best I've run out of any track race or session.

BOSWOLLOX

GRADED MEET 6 – IRISHTOWN TRACK 5,000M
Today was the best race I’ve ever done. Felt good today, strides before the race were stiff so thats nothing new. It was a windy day but don’t think it slowed me down much today. The race didn’t start till nearly 9pm so the weather was as good as it could be for racing today. The first lap was a very comfortable 79 seconds and I was just a few strides from the leader for the first 1.5 laps. They started to pull away and I was in no mans land for most of the remainder of the race. Up to half way it looked like I was not going to run near the time I wanted. Reckoned I would have to settle for 16:3x up until the last mile. I wasn’t willing to give up though. I’m better at longer races and can always push myself for longer. The lead bunch got to between 50 to 100m ahead of me by about 10 laps or so. Then a few of them faded and I managed to catch them. I gave it the beans and ran the last 1km in about 3:06. Sprinted hard the last 150m and flew past 2 guys. The finish time on the clock was something like 15:45 and I must have been 150 behind as he finished(my clubmate who is our strongest runner at the moment). The adrenaline was rushing through me when I crossed the line, so much so that I ran the half lap back to the start line(slower pace of course lol). I must be more conditioned to racing now. I was so excited that I impatiently went up to see the results. The guy in the results room must have thought I was mental lol. Don’t know if it was a hallucination but it looks like I ran 16:13.29 a major pb. The best part is that I know it was accurate. I was bitterly disappointed and in denial for a while after my MSB race where I ran 16:09. That was at most 4.9km. I can put that to rest now. It was great to only finish 28 seconds behind our clubs star runner. I’m going to be very ambitious and target 15:45 by the end of the year if I do the Jingle Bells race. The next graded meet is in Santry. It is either a 3 or a 5,000m. I think Santry is a better track for running fast times because it is more sheltered. I could give the 5 a go again and go for sub 16. At least if it fails I will still have my pb from today. Will be giving it alot of thought anyway. My coach will probably tell me which race to do.

BOSWOLLOX

Felt good after the 5,000m last Wednesday, and was a relief not having to do the Thursday track session too. I was still feeling the adrenaline on Saturday morning as I warmed up for the session. Did 3 sets of 3X300m with 5 minutes jog between sets and 30 seconds between reps. It was torture. I found it way harder than the race I'd just done a few days ago. Felt like I was a bit slow, evidence that the 5,000 took more out of me than I thought, but also that I raced properly. Averaged ~50 seconds for them.

BOSWOLLOX

Nice session on the grass today. Including longer reps than usual is what I enjoy most in a session.
Did 1k, 3 mins recovery jog, 2k, 5 mins recovery jog, 1k.
Splits were 3:07, 6:14, 3:01.
I held back a bit for the first rep so should have been faster. The 2k and final 1k rep were better so overall a fun sessioin.

BOSWOLLOX

8X400m session on the ALSAA track with 200m jog recoveries. Been a while since I've done the 400's. I actually enjoyed them. They don't feel as intimidating as they did a few months ago. Average ~66/67 seconds, started out at 68 and as the session went on I gradually brought them down to 65 seconds. Pleased with that. First track session I did at the beginning of April was averaging 71/72 for 8X400m so I've gained plenty of speed even if it feels like I haven't sometimes.

BOSWOLLOX

Hard week of sessions done this week. Yesterday did 3 sets of 4X200m on Donore track with 30s recovery between reps and 4mins between sets. Well it was meant to be 30s recovery but we decided to just jog 100m back to start line so nearly 40 seconds. Was just me and one other club mate. He was averaging close to a full second faster than me and was timing them all. He was doing them in 31s average so I'd guess I was 32 seconds at most. I'm sure his reaction time in starting and stopping the watch meant they were actually a bit faster. It certaining felt like I was going faster if I compare them with the 400's on Thursday. Thing is they don't want you to wear spikes on the Donore track so that could explain it. I've adjusted to the ALSAA track and to wearing the spikes now and am fully comfortable. The 300m track in Donore in the racing flats will take more time to tame.

BOSWOLLOX

GRADED MEET 5000M PART 2

Was a hot day on Wednesday and I was unsure if I could get near my pb from 2 weeks ago. I arrived in Santry at half 6 and it was still hot and sunny. The B race was due to start at 8. I was hoping that things would be delayed for as long as possible and thankfully I got my wish. The race didn’t start till close to 9pm when it cooled down a bit.
The A and the B races were put together so I knew the standards would be high. I went out fast enough(72s first lap) and it was still considerably slower than most of the field. I eased back a bit as I was concerned about blowing up. I passed 1k in 3:12, exactly 16 minute pace. I should have kept the pace up but I went into the race thinking 16:13 would be too hard to beat. I had banked some time and was ahead of my expectations so that is my excuse. Throughout the race I picked people off and sped up as usual over the last mile. 100m into my second last lap I heard the bell signalling the final lap of the leader’s race. I was increasing the pace and yet I was passed by 2 runners 80m before the end of the lap. How the hell did they manage to run a lap that fast! I saw the clock stop at 14:54 so it must have been 14:57 when I had completed 11.5 laps. Seeing the leaders rocket past me gave me an extra burst of energy and I finished the last lap in about 71 seconds. I felt like I was flying myself as I tore past a runner in the final straight who was quite far ahead of me at the start of the last lap.
I was on the ground for 5 minutes in agony. I put so much into this race and I was so happy to get a pb in tougher conditions than the race 2 weeks ago. I don’t mind that I got lapped because I was kind of expecting that to happen. If I remember correctly last August in the National League finals, I got lapped for the 2nd time by the leader(finished 14:50ish) at the same part of the final straight as he was finishing(me with another 2 laps to go), so I have improved alot since that race. The official results are mixed up on the website. I should be 13th with 16:08.70. Am getting close enough to sub 16 that I think I will have a very good chance at the end of August. I would like to try and aim for sub 15 for the distance next year. I want to how far I can go by pushing the limits. The coach should be giving us more tempo type work when the track finishes. This will be helpful for the middle of distance races where I tend to slow down. I miss tempo running so much at this stage.

Saturday session today in Donore. The legs recovered nicely after the race for the session today. Did 8X300m with full 300m recoveries. Averaged 46/47 seconds which was a sweet surprise. Wasn’t sure how I would hold out as this 5,000m took more out of me than the previous one.

BOSWOLLOX

I did the Tuesday session by myself on the grass in Shanganagh because I couldn’t make it to the club in the evening. It has been a long time since I did a session there now. Session was 2 mins fast, 2 mins jog, 3 fast, 3 jog, 4 fast, 4 jog, 3 fast, 3 jog, and finally 2 fast. It is alot harder not having anyone else to run with or at least having the coach around to watch me. I’m a highly dependent person lol. Session took exactly 26 mins from start of first rep to end of last rep and I covered exactly 4 miles by my garmin. I would have been going 5ish mile pace so was good going.

Yesterday was my final day in ALSAA for the year. What a relief lol. We had a predictor mile race and I put down 4:39. It was a miserable run. I have been feeling run down since Tuesday and during the day yesterday, I was thinking about giving it a miss. It didn’t help that there was a strong wind to drain me even more. I ended up running 4:51 and was 2nd fastest. Our elite runner wasn’t around and I would have expected to be an even match for the winner over this particular distance. Instead he finished 7 seconds ahead. I wanted to just run a mile that could live up to my 5,000m from last week. I ran the first 400m of the race in 71 seconds and I already felt like dropping out. For the club 3,000m race I ran the first lap 2 seconds faster, and for the 5,000m last week I was only 1 second slower for my first lap. My lungs were burning after the race too. I will just put it as an off day. I hate anything under 3,000m with a passion.

I decided to give today’s run a miss and am debating doing the session tomorrow in Donore. It will be the last track session so won’t make a difference anyway. The final race is the 1500m in Tallaght next week. Maybe I will feel better and run a good race then. I will be so glad to finish it because we get 2 weeks to recover and then it’s all about the XC again. At this stage I badly need that taper. The training this year has been so intense and I feel like I could disintegrate if I keep it up much longer.

BOSWOLLOX

I decided to do the session on Saturday in the end. My legs felt better after a days rest. I couldn't drive to club because my car isn't working and might be gone soon. I would love to drive it around a XC course and then make a nice bonfire out of it. I just ran to Shanganagh park and did 10X200m on the grass pitch with 200m recovery jogs. I never recorded the times but I ran them all hard enough.
I skipped my pre race day run yesterday as I was feeling very run down again. Instead I tested my strength by doing a long plank and got a new pb of 16 minutes. I will do lots more strength and core work now that I won't be doing sessions for a few weeks.

Finally I did my last track race of the season. 1500m in Tallaght. I went for the C race because I wanted to get the chance to experience winning a race. The C and D went off together. I got boxed in at the start and there were 4 or 5 ahead going into the home straight on the first lap. My right lace untied itself at this point but I wasn't willing to let it ruin my race. It was a risky strategy. Last time on the track until next year so I wouldn't let it slow me down. I ended up taking the lead after about 650m by surging past the leaders. This is when I really felt the force of the wind. Despite the conditions and my lace, I held the lead to the end and had a reasonable race. Some guy followed me for the last 2 laps and gave a great effort but luckily I was able to stay ahead. I was a second slower than I was in the same race 6 weeks ago. The wind probably cost a few seconds so I'd like to think it was equivalent to sub 4:20 in ideal conditions.

I am so relieved to be finished the track now. I don't have the natural talent of track racing but I think it will make me way faster for the next XC season. I have big plans. I want to get sub 16 and sub 33 for 10k this year(club 10k race-sub 33 realistic if conditions ideal but I am told it is normally very windy every time it is on). I also want to win medals in all the XC races and get into the inter counties race. Now for some badly needed recovery!!!!!!!

BOSWOLLOX

Back to full consistent training this week. September will consist of endurance building sessions. Steady runs, tempo, and pick ups. I will build up to over 60 miles/week.
I have alot of work to do. August ended up becoming a total disaster. I felt like I was getting sick with the last 2 track races, and when I finished them, I became sick. I got a cold, stomach flu/runs, a relapse cold, possible chest infection(didn't go to doctor). I did a challenging multi-terrrain 5k on friday and got 17:14. I lead out the first 150m and slowly blew up after that. My breathing was out of control within minutes and I was falling apart. I only got a new inhaler today. It's 3 or 4 years since I last got one. I will need to take it before every run until I'm fit again. Running well is the one thing that stops me getting heavy bouts of depression. There is a 10k club race in 2 weeks and I want to to run as well in it as I did in my last 5000m on the track. If there was ever an optimal time to be ill, it is the gap between track and XC seasons. Bring on the autumn. I expect to come back stronger this month

pconn062

Good to see you back, getting into your time of the year now with the x-country.

BOSWOLLOX

Its good to be back to proper consistent training. You seemed to have a hard time in August too pconn, but your also getting back into a good programme now that the XC training has started again. This XC will be better than ever. I hope to see you in Stamullen. That is where it all began one year ago.

This week I was back to 3 sessions. Tuesday was a hilly tempo run in PP on the grass. The route was 5 laps and 6.6 miles according to one of the guys who had a garmin. Lovely route. It covered some of the Gerry Farnham XC route near the Magazine Fort. Crossed the Kyber too. I'm good at going up hills. Going down them is a different story. I always get left behind a few metres after going down a hill and then I have to surge to get back to my group. I will have to practice running downhill. Overall I enjoyed the session. It was a great workout but not too demanding(took 41 minutes).

Thursday's session was very in comparison to any other session I've done. 5-6 miles of the run were done at a steady 6:3x pace/mile.

Today was a tough one. We did strides before it(didn't do any strides on Tuesday or Thursday). Then it was a 4 mile tempo. A lap starting at the Dog Pond, up to Furze and back again, crossing Papal Cross. The grass was long enough in places. The route was flat enough apart from a dip in the final mile. Did the lap in exactly 23 minutes. I don't think I could have kept the pace up much longer. Another few miles and it would have been a flat out race. On a good surface on a path/road, 5:45 wouldn't have been taxing.

BOSWOLLOX

Tuesday Session: 8-8.5 mile run with 4 pickups thrown in. First one was very fast and was the longest one ~1.5k, the others were around 1k and at a nicer pace where I sat in with some of the other lads and went at their pace. The pickups were a few minutes apart too so the session was light overall.

Thursday Session: Didn't go to club so did 8 easy miles myself and did 6 strides(between to goal posts in a field) in the middle of it, full jog back recovery between each. I was feeling tired and sore so it wasn't far off a session in the end.

Club 10k today: A bit under 4 laps on the path around the Acres in PP. If your just jog around this lap you would think it is flat. When your racing it can be deceptive. A few up and down parts to it. It was also a warm day and a little headwind on the longest straight of the lap. For the first few lap I just sat in with a group of 4 or 5 of us close enough together. After that me and another guy broke away from everyone. I ran with him until the last mile where I surged away to eventually win by running hard. The finishing straight just went on forever and ever. You could see a crowd of people near the Magazine Fort, just little specks in the distance. I got 14 seconds on the guy who ran with me for most of the race and came home in 34:53 or something like that(didn't bother with garmin). Credit goes to 2nd place guy as he basically paced the race. My time is way off what my 5k pb would predict but I am getting strong again with the high quality training we are doing now. As I ran beside the 2nd place finisher, I didn't expect that I would eventually be able to pull away and win, he is a very good runner and has run a 32 minute 10k or something along them lines. Eventually I hope to get there myself, with the goal of breaking 30 minutes before I turn 30. By the end of this month I think I will be as fit as I was when I ran my 16:08 5,000m in July, and am going to go mad from October onwards.

BOSWOLLOX

Tuesday session: Nice session, first tough session since the track. Got a buzz out of it. 9 mile run with 5 pickups thrown in. First pickup was around 1500m and the only one that was on the grass. The others were on average 1 and a bit km, on the road/paths in Phoenix Park. Second one was easiest as it was on smooth, fast Furze. The last 3 were hilly, especially the final one which was all uphill along the Kyber.

Thursday session: Was a steady run. The first 2 miles were easy, followed by 7 and a bit miles of good steady running. We went at ~6:30 pace for the steady miles. They were hilly enough, and I enjoyed this run alot.

Saturday session: Did a hard tempo run on the Dublin Novice XC route. We ran 4 laps(most of the route of the XC race- we turned left uphill back onto the Acres sooner, where the actual race goes a bit further before it turns onto the Acres. I felt absolutely miserable today and struggled to run today. Didn’t bother wearing spikes. I just didn’t have anything in me today. Very sore and weak, no vitamins in me. I’ll have to do my non session days easier, very easy. I will need to recover because from next week in Stamullen, it will be race after race from now on. My biggest concern with the Dublin Novice is that the route is so narrow when you leave the Acres. If I get caught behind it will be very hard to get past anyone. There is no choice but to run like it is a track race for the wider parts on the Acres, particularly the first lap. I’m scared as hell now.

BOSWOLLOX

47 miles this week(15 less than last week). 2 sessions and a race.
Tuesday: Did 9.5 miles in Phoenix Park with 5 uphill pickups in the middle. Up the Kyber 3 times(~1.1km) and the S bends twice(~0.9km). The recoveries were good because it was from the end of one till we arrived at the start of the next one as we lapped around. It was still a hard session. Going very fast.

Thursday: Didn’t go to club so did a session in Cabinteely Park on my own. A 2 lap hilly route on the grass. Some parts were on the footpath. About 4.3 miles in 25:17. This was very hard and another lap would have been a flat out race. When I told the coach I did this session he went mental. Would have done easy run with some pickups of just 200m if I went to the club.

Stamullen 6k XC: The weather was not as hot as last year, although I don’t remember the ground being as bumpy last year either. Seems like forever ago that I did my first XC race there last year. I was very violent this year and went out at a hard pace. I was pushing as hard as I could and managed to hold on without blowing up. First 2 laps took 10:16 and I finished in 20:36 so I can run at a consistent pace throughout a race by going out hard. I came 7th, and just one place off the top 6 prizes. We were the 2nd club based on top 3 finishers in each club, and I was first home. Got 10 euro out of it so at least I got the registration fee back. Nice to finish 17 places up and 2:29 faster than a year ago. Next year I’d like to try and win. The winner was exactly one minute ahead this year. I have never been so Catholic Churched crossing the line and gave it everything. I need to recover and do it all over again next weekend in the Dublin Novice. That is a much more important race and the competition will be fierce. If I’m in the top 12 it will be my best ever race and I’ll have to be willing to go into a comma across the line for a few minutes. Am very sore today. There is a session in the club tomorrow so after that I will have to run as slow as possible if I want to have any hope.

BOSWOLLOX

Didn’t make the Tuesday session so took it easy and did 6 steady miles with Eddie the Ethiopian instead. I was Catholic Churched after Stamullen and wasn’t in the mood for a hard session . The rest of the week was just easy running, and I took Friday off.

The Big Day- Dublin Novice 6k;
I was so nervous going into this race and went out very hard. One guy from the club was ahead of me, and he would normally be behind me over this kind of distance(although he has way more speed than me over the short stuff). I just tried to go after him but the gap was at least 5 seconds after a lap. I was working so hard at this stage already and had thoughts of dropping out. My first mile must have been under 5:15 because one of the guys in the club said he did 5:20 and was a sizeable distance behind me. Half way through the second lap I caught up with my clubmate to within 10 metres. People were shouting out that I was 13th. I figured that if I could catch him and the 2 runners beside him I’d be in the top ten. Leaving the forest, you would expect it to be fast as the ground is smooth and flat. This is where the wind hit you. It was a sting in the tail. The gap just started to grow again between the runners ahead and one lap later I kindof just gave up hope of catching these guys. I was working so hard and honestly had nothing left to give. I was passed by 3 or 4 people in the last lap which annoyed me alot. I managed to have a good sprint finish and came 16th in 20:40. Was a great performance compared to anything I did in the last season but I can’t help thinking I should have been in the top 10 now. I could have fuelled a bit more in the morning and my nerves got the better of me on the day. The intermediate and senior races are where I expect to do best I reckon. This race was ridiculously fast and just felt like a 1500m race for the whole thing lol.

Recovered better after this race than I did in Stamullen, backing up that I ran better in the race which was less important. The Tuesday session yesterday wasn’t a session. We did about 10.5 miles on the road at a comfortable pace. I enjoyed this run alot.

Krusty_Clown

Don't put too much pressure on yourself. It was a very solid result. Some great scalps there.

BOSWOLLOX

Thanks Krusty, I know it was one of my strongest races. I just have to improve my confidence. It is unusual for me to be eaten by a few runners behind me in the late stages of a race. In fairness, I suppose they could have finished behind with a bigger gap if I started the race too conservatively. The track has thought me to go out harder at the start, I’m still trying to convince my legs that they need to do this lol. When they listen to me everything is perfect.
Thursday Session: 12 hill sprints on the Kyber path. We started at the barriers after the carpark. The coach left a bright red light on the ground around 250-270 up the path. Was the hardest session in a while. It was enjoyable, started to miss running fast like that. I was pushing myself hard. When the red light came into sight, it looked like it was just 10 seconds away but its like chasing a rainbow lol, especially near the end of each rep. Recoveries were generous as we just jogged back down to the start again. Not sure how fast we were, probably 50 seconds or under(second group recorded 53 seconds each and were not going as quick). 3 of us in our little group, and we took it in turns leading them, so lead 4 each.
Saturday Session: Didn’t think I’d be able to do this as the quads and it bands turned into shredded wheat on Friday. The warm up was sore as it always is. When we got into the spikes and started doing strides I felt better. We did 5 Munich laps(Magazine Fort to trees, left uphill out onto acres and then back the way we came over those rolling hills~1200m) with 90 seconds recovery. I gave a good effort without exerting myself like Thursday, started a bit fast but went steady for the rest of the session. Was a nice session and felt great after it. There was plenty of energy left over afterwards. No point pushing myself too often, I want to save it for the races. Splits were 4:03, 4:07, 4:09, 4:12, 4:12.
After 15 very hilly miles on grass on Sunday I was shattered. 67 miles for week.
Tuesday Session: Was 3 X 1.6 mile laps on path around Acres. I didn’t run them that hard and there was plenty left in the tank. All under 9 minutes. The hard part was the long 1km stretch towards the Magazine Fort because the wind was strong. Apart from that it was grand and we ran at a strong pace without working too hard.
Thursday Session: Another moderate session. Was a 4.8 mile tempo run. 2 laps. Started at bottom of Kyber, up and than left straight across Acres, down to S bends, up and then down to bottom of Kyber again. It is a nice little lap. Challenging alright. Did it in 28 minutes. I could manage to continue the session for another few laps again at same pace if I had to. I need to get more of these kind of sessions in. When I took up running nearly all my running was tempomental lol. It is much better now that I am doing them with a group instead of on my own. Things are controlled and civilised now.
Saturday Session: 12X1 minute with 1 minute recovery jog. Did this on the grass, starting from the dog pond, up to Furze road, turned back towards papal cross and straight down the trail next to the Kyber, turning left afterwards. Got most of the 4 mile loop in. If we had 13 we would complete a whole lap. There was 4 of us in our subgroup and we took 3 each. I felt great on the ones I lead. I always find the one after my lead the hardest. It is easy to lose concentrate, fall back a few seconds, and you have to surge to catch up. I think that is the reason why leading is easier for me. We were very close to 5 min/mile pace for the pickups I’d estimate.
60 miles for the week, after the 16 mile run today. I feel alot better after this week than I did at the end of last week. Taking Monday off was a good idea. The next 3 weekends in a row will have races. I will take the Fridays off. Another big thing that might help my energy levels and recovery is giving up cycling the 70 miles for my weekly work commute. Its crazy doing it at this stage and I’ve decided to cut it out so I can concentrate all my efforts on the running. Will just do 20 miles a week cycling to and from the dart instead. I’m hoping this will prevent me from wearing out as the training and racing is only going to get more serious and intense over time, especially with the aggressive goals I set myself.

BOSWOLLOX

Tuesday Session: Got down to the club a few minutes late and had to rush out to catch up with the group. It was also bitterly cold so I didn't feel like I had an adequate warmup. We did 6 pickups altogether. 3 of them were the uphill 1100m Kyber path, and the other 3 were the 2 shorter sides of the Acres lap(these were downhill and about 800m). The recoveries were the jogs between the end of one and start of the next. I found this session so hard. Felt like I was coming down with a bit of a cold or cough but luckily it never came.

Thursday: Went out on my own to do the 9.15 route on the grass in Shanganagh. Did 8 pickups within the run, each between 200-300m. Felt great doing this. Nice to bump into BB67 briefly too. Was completely dark as I was nearing the end of the run. Sunset is my favourite time to go running, really nice to do for some reason.

Sunday - Leinster Novice 6k:
The course for this race in Avondale made the last years route seem very fast. Hardest course I've ever done but the best for scenery. At least the big trees gave us a bit of shelter from a strong breeze. I had a terrible first 50m for the race where I ended up just a few places from the back. I was on the far left and suddenly another 100m later I found myself with the leading bunch as we turned the first corner. There was a very steep downhill and the pace felt quite slow considering how steep it was. I was with the leading bunch for over half of the first lap but as we approached the giant hill they just got away. I was scared of blowing myself up by going up too fast. Just before the hill I nearly lost my right spike in the mud patch. Thankfully it was only a narrow patch. My heel popped out of the runner but landing back in again when my foot landed afterwards. If this mud section was any longer and I had to land this foot there one more time I would have been running the rest of the race with one spike. The hill was a killer. It made Stamullen look tame. Each time I got to the top I felt like I was at walking pace. It took 10 seconds to recovery and regain some pace after reaching the top. Everyone was spaced apart at this stage so I was able to avoid the mud patch altogether where I nearly lost the spike on the first lap. For the unavoidable patches I made sure that my left foot landed in them as my right spike was a tiny bit loose after the incident. There was plenty of space around for the steep downhill so that I could fly down without the danger of having an accident with a pile of other runners. I managed to avoid getting passed by anyone from the first half of the first lap to the end of the race. Caught a few runners and got 11th place overall. Am really happy with the result. The finish time was 21:45 so over a minute off the last 2 races. Shows how tough the course is. The team managed to get gold and I was 3rd out of the 4 scorers. Was nice to get a medal out of it. Am also due to get a Dublin gold medal which made the weekend highly successful. I guess I won't be doing the Dublin or Leinster Novice races again. The hard work over the last year is paying off as I managed to go from 34/72 to 11/72 in the Leinster Novice. Can't wait for the intermediate and senior races. The extra laps suit me better as I can hang on and catch more runners over longer distances.

BOSWOLLOX

Tuesday Session: The hills in Avondale turned my legs into shredded wheat. Went down to the club for a session just 2 days later. After the warmup I didn't feel so bad. It was way to cold and made my asthma appear. Breathing was labored. Coach told us to do 5 of the turnabout 1000m laps on the path at polo grounds(2 mins recovery jog). Averaged 3:13. I was just hanging onto the group. On a nice summers day this would be an easy session. I run better in hotter conditions than this kind of weather.

Thursday: Didn't bother doing strides when I went out on my own for easy/steady 9 miles.

Sunday: Dublin Senior XC - 38th in 31:44.
The quality of the field in this race was frightening. When the gun went I was left way back as everyone sprinted off. I'm not really one for race reports lol. Basically the race was reasonably good. Looking back I had more in me. I could have held my average pace for a 7th lap. The course was very fast compared to last week. It was very short but I think I could have gotten a 10k pb if it was measured accurately. I think my pb is way off what I could potentially do now on the road on a good day.

Tuesday Session: Felt great doing this. I recovered very quickly compared to Wicklow. The hills in Santry were like a threadmill in comparison to Wicklow. Did 6 800's with 90s recovery jog on the path. I took my inhaler before the session so my breathing was grand despite the cold. Averaged 2:32 and they felt comfortably hard. Was a good session without the suffering.

Didn't bother with strides when I went out on Thursday. The is when things took a bad turn. Waking up on Thursday morning, I suddenly had developed a cold. It felt like(and still does now) that there is a hedgehog hibernating at the back of my throat. The exact same thing happened this time last year before the Leinster Intermediate. I was determined not to miss this 2 years in a row for the same reason. On Friday I still felt miserable. It wasn’t a terrible cold. I was tempted to telling the coach I might not make the race.

Leinster Intermediate – 12th in 28:23. The actual race yesterday went well considering. I took my inhaler in the morning and kept warm before the race. I could still feel some weakness. The course was good but I had no idea what we actually had to do. I went off with a huge leading bunch of about 20 for the first small lap. It then started to lash rain and the ground got very muddy all of a sudden. For the warmup it didn’t feel like it would really slow you down. Half way through the second small lap I started to get wheezy and my cold came to bite me. Everyone started to get away from me and I was hanging on as well as I could. At the end of the second small lap I felt like I was still moving quick, 3 more of these laps can’t be that bad. For the next lap we turned into the middle of the field. I got a surprise. I don’t know why I thought it would just be the outer laps. At the end of this lap we were told 3 to go. This was a nasty shock. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to stop and correct them that there must be some kind of mistake. I thought that there would be 2 laps felt, and I already felt like dropping out of the race. My breathing was much heavier than it should have been at this stage. To add to the pressure, I was told that our team were in the gold medal position. I had to keep driving on now no matter what. I couldn’t let the team down. I don’t know how I did it but I managed to hold on. It was horrible but we couldn’t have gotten gold if I didn’t finish the race or show up. I’m glad I did it now although it is a bittersweet run for me. My legs had more left but my lungs just wouldn’t let me race 100%. I probably could have taken 30 seconds and a few places off if it wasn’t for the cold. Getting 2 gold medals out of the race makes up for last year at the same time. I might have to take it easy this week and maybe next weekend I will be feeling fully fit again. It is great to have a 3 week gap now until the Dublin Intermediate. This will be my only chance to do this race as I’m ruled out for next year.

BOSWOLLOX

Tuesday Non-Session: We had a break from sessions today and were told to just take it easy. Did 9.5 very relaxing and enjoyable miles.

Thursday Session: Back into the hard training. Did 12 hill sprints in Memorial Park with jog back down recoveries. Distance was 230m per rep. I struggled like hell with this session. I would put this as my least favourite and weakest session for xc training.

Saturday Session: I had a few days relief from my cold, but on Friday I started to relapse. To make matters worse, my it bands were destroyed. The ground was very messy so we did the session on path around Acres field. Coach told us to stay off grass if it was too messy. Session was 3X10 mins hard tempo with 4 min jog recoveries. Pace for session was around 5:30 min/mile. I would normally enjoy a session like this but wasn’t in mood at all.

Tuesday Session: Felt miserable later on Sunday evening. I did 116k(nearly 73 miles) for the week, making it my highest mileage week ever. I think it is my 3rd or 4th over 70. I took Monday off because I was feeling worst then. Even Monday night/Tuesday morning felt awful with the cold. I had a period of respite for the session and the session went grand. Did 5X1.1k with 200m recovery jogs. The first one was slowest 3:37 but they felt easier as the session went on and I got faster. Averaged 3:34 for them. Finished with 3:31 and I finished with plenty in the tank.

Thursday Session: Didn’t feel great again. We had a time trial. 2 laps, Was on the main road between Chapelizod Gate and Islandbridge Gate and included Military Road in the Phoenix Park. It was foggy and dark and I wasn’t motivated to push myself for this. I eased back when I got to top of S bends on first lap, let 2 of the faster lads pull away, and settled into a tempo until I got to the Islandbridge Gate on last lap. I pushed hard from here for the last half mile. Nothing special really. Route was approx 4.7 miles and coach called 26:13 or 26:23 when I finished. I could have gone alot faster if I was feeling fully motivated and fit and I had the racing flats on.

Saturday Session: 12X1 minute with 1 minute recovery jog. We did this on the Acres with the spikes. I enjoyed this session alot. Nothing like running around the Acres in spikes. It was very messy in places which made it a quality session for xc racing.
I couldn’t make the session today so did nearly 9 miles at a steady pace. I had to force myself out the door and regret not just staying in bed a bit longer instead. I have completely broken down. Left work early and am taking tomorrow off at least. I’m dying with an all out cold. It took long enough to develop like this but I have been engulfed in it now. Been training hard despite it so bound to happen. I did longest run since marathon on Sunday (28.6k). Nearly half on very soft ground and rest on path. Only going 7:2x pace but that probably didn’t help me. To add it it all, I ended up continuing my cycle commute to work after my original plan to give it up a month ago. I ended up getting soaked to the skin nearly every day. I will need a break from running, possibly the Dublin Intermediate too. Just going to drink lemon and ginger tea as much as I can too.

pconn062

Few days off will do you no harm anyway. You have been training very well but very hard recently so a few days off will refresh the batteries and give the mind a bit of a break as well.

BOSWOLLOX

I'm not sure where the best place to post this is, but I guess it makes the most sense to put it here. Have been getting progressively more depressed with life in general and it has had a big impact on my running. Disappointing runs making it worse. I haven't really been motivated to race as well recently. I had an epic start to the season in Stamullen. Most recent results are 13th in Dublin Intermediate and 59th in National Novice today. Everyone in the club is improving so much but I haven't run a race as good as I did at the end of September. I wouldn't feel confident bringing up the above to anyone in the club especially my coach. I'd be interested in getting advise here possibly. Anyone ever in this situation and gotten through it? Were you able to progress with the running and what was the best thing you did for it?

paddybarry

BOSWOLLOX wrote: »

I'm not sure where the best place to post this is, but I guess it makes the most sense to put it here. Have been getting progressively more depressed with life in general and it has had a big impact on my running. Disappointing runs making it worse. I haven't really been motivated to race as well recently. I had an epic start to the season in Stamullen. Most recent results are 13th in Dublin Intermediate and 59th in National Novice today. Everyone in the club is improving so much but I haven't run a race as good as I did at the end of September. I wouldn't feel confident bringing up the above to anyone in the club especially my coach. I'd be interested in getting advise here possibly. Anyone ever in this situation and gotten through it? Were you able to progress with the running and what was the best thing you did for it?

To be honest, I think your Coach and GP should be your first port of call. I'd imagine the former has seen this with other athletes before.
Best of luck.
PB.