Confessions of a never has been.....

beertons

Good luck.

cianc

Best of luck, expecting great thins after your recent form!

yaboya1

Good luck in the race D.
Expecting a good result.

Ososlo

Have a nice day out and enjoy the scenery. Best of luck.

AuldManKing

Enjoy the run, best of luck.

Duanington

1.32.21 ( edited to reflect chip time - which I have just copped onto) official time and big , satisfying PB for me, Achill put manners on me big time with it's wind and hills but is easily the most spectacular place I've ever raced and I'll be back a little wiser next year.

The hills were no obstacle to TbL who shot past me like the green hornet at around mile 10, I clung on to his fading silhouette for dear life and finished nice and strong.

I'll do a race report when I get back from a weeks hols but in short, get yourselves to Achill folks , it's wild , daunting and dishes out the pain but is such a beautiful place to run it feels good in a sick, sadistic sort of way

Westport is good craic too ;-)

FBOT01

Well done D. Enjoy the hols.

yaboya1

Great stuff.
Well done on the PB.

career move

Great time well done

W.B. Yeats

Well done D- great to PB
Sounds like with the tough Achill course there is more time there

beertons

Great stuff. Jesus that's a great time.

RedRunner

Congrats on a great run. Great time on a tough course.

ThebitterLemon

Well done DD,

Great running, I must do a training block on your Howth route as every time we hit a hill you pulled away.

Enjoyed the company and congrats on the PB.

TbL

Tom Joad

Well done - smashing time particularly on that course. Enjoy the hols

tang1

Well done on the PB, by all accounts a tough route which will stand to you in your next half.

SamforMayo

Great result, well done, enjoy the hols. You may as well climb Croagh Patrick while you are in the area!

Duanington

12.07.2014

Saturday - 05.07.2014 - Achill Half Marathon

Having spent the best part of a week lapping up the sun, sea and beautiful seafood in Portugal, I debated whether or not to put up a race report at all for Achill as I had already re-run the race over and over in my head a dozen times or more since last week ...BUT...there were a couple of big lessons learned on the day and I do read back over previous race reports every few months to remind myself of these such lessons. ( I tend to let these slide very easily)

My aim for Achill was twofold really:
a) to PB - my PB coming into Achill was 1:41 ( Phoenix Park 2013), I was reasonably confident of doing this, I was pretty sure I could finish in and around the 1:35 mark - I targeted a sub 1:35 half as a goal at the start of this year.
b) to take another step up in mental performance and show the trust in my training that I keep saying I have ( words are cheap etc etc)

I was running Achill with my bro and sister so we travelled to a safe house in Galway the night before to make the journey to Achill a little less taxing on the body and mind.
This may or may not have worked because we ended up sitting up until the small hours talking wallop to each other - I had barely put my head down on the pillow to sleep and my alarm was shrieking in my ear to signify the start of the day. A bowl of porridge and a cup of tea later and we were motoring our way North Westerly towards Achill, I had it in my head that we needed to be there before 8:30 to allow for delays, getting lost and any confusion around the registration area which meant leaving just after 6 AM.

I needn't have worried, we crossed the bridge into Achill at around 8:00 and I was immediately taken by the sheer rugged beauty of the surrounding landscape - I had of course heard lots and lots about Achill but I'd never set foot there before and I was overcome with a mixture of excitement and apprehension with the thoughts of running on a course that was surely a step up in the difficulty stakes for each one of the 3 of us in our group.

The rain was coming down pretty heavily as we crossed onto the island and the skies were looking pretty grey and ominous but as we zig zagged our way up, over and through the hills the road in front of us brightened up steadily, the rain eased and the clouds gave way to clear blue skies. By the time we reached the start area which was just in front of an amazing beach, the sun was beaming down from above, the sea glistening and the surrounding mountains illuminated - this place was a step up in every sense of the phrase for me, I had been sleepy on the way down in the car but I was wide awake now and chomping at the bit to get going.

We were probably the 5th or 6th car to park in the car park so we decided to go get the race numbers sorted early days and take a stroll around to take in the views.
Race numbers sorted, beach explored, selfies taken, GOH spotted, it was time to hook up with TbL and get going.
We ran a small warm up with about 15 minutes to go before the start then lined up in the starting pen, I had chatted with TbL earlier about running a few miles together at the start and seeing how things panned out ( I suspected he would be running this a lot harder than he was saying )

A bit of banter back and forth with the bro and sister and we were off, congestion was most definitely an issue over the first mile and I regretted immediately that we hadn't started further up the field ( even a few rows would have made a difference). Had a good chat with TbL as we took off up the first gradual incline, heading back towards the mainland for a couple of miles, I felt quite strong at this stage, maybe falsely so - I always find running in company that but easier over the initial stages ( maybe because I do 99% of my running solo?). Anyway, miles 1-3 ticked away nicely and as we reached the top of the incline, I upped the effort a little, I was feeling good and felt like I was moving \breathing well.
The next couple of miles ( from memory 4-6) caught me by surprise a little because they were mainly downhill, I found myself riding the wave a little and upping the pace enough to keep moving past people, I took water at each station, taking a drink and pouring the rest over my head ( the sun was beginning to heat things up ).
I was enjoying this and was beginning to think that the worst of the climbs was already done and dusted, could it be that the hills everyone talks about were just the steady climb over the first couple of miles? Maybe this wasn't so tough after all...
Just as I began to think that things could work out better than expected, I felt a distinct feeling of impending fatique set in, you know that feeling were your body sends out a warning shot ? A finger wag of sorts, a voice of reason somewhere deep inside was warning me to ease up or face the consequences, I had run sub 7 min miles for the last couple and that was DEFINTIELY ahead of target, I knew that and decided to peg myself to a couple of club runners who were moving well but holding steady at 7 min\miles...I thought I'd stay with them for a few miles and kick on after mile 10 if I felt good...sure the hills were done and dusted anyway...

Wrong - Mile 7 brought a sharp left turn around a small bay and we were greeted almost immediately by the first of the big hills , I expected it to hit me like a wheelbarrow in the face - it didn't, I dug in and held the effort quite well...staying with the club runners all the way up and resisting the urge to open up on the way down.

The effort to hold 7 min miles was beginning to hurt now and just as we passed another water stations, the heavens opened for a couple of minutes, the most glorious of showers came down and washed away the building heat for a little while. I was focusing hard on staying in our little group now, the hills were getting hillier and more frequent, I was clearly wrong about the worst being over and I was also beginning to regret opening up a bit on miles 4 and 5, it was starting to come back to haunt me.

To make matters worse, it was starting to seem that each time we worked our way over the top of a hill, another, steeper, longer hill came into view.
I was feeling the pressure mentally at this stage, beginning to doubt myself and my ability to stay at 7 min\miles for another 5 miles. I made the decision to start upping the pace again after mile 8, I could see a long drag up ahead in the distance and knew it would hurt ( and probably slow me right down ) but I have always found that upping the pace in training has woken me up a but and refocused my energies - after mile 8 I rode the wave again on a decent downhill stretch and used the momentum gained to carry me into the next climb, arms and legs pumping to keep the pace ata good level, I wasn't checking the watch now, I knew the pace I wanted to travel at and I knew how that felt.

Miles 8 and 9 were a battle, jammed with rolling hills, the climbs always feeling longer that the drops, I knew I was fading, I had left my little group now and had joined a new group - thinking back now, I think this was as much a resignation as much as anything, I didn't have the confidence to plough on alone, I felt safer with in a group and was starting to think that if I could stay with these guys until the last mile then I could kick on for home and secure a PB.
Another hill and once again, I threw myself at it, I was breathing very hard now but the guys around me were starting to drop off. I found myself running side by side with the leading lady for .5 a mile or so, she was working hard too but moving incredibly well. Once we got over the top I employed the usual tactic of using gravity on the way down, noticeably slower this time
Mile 10 brought the toughest of the all climbs and I started to slow quite a bit on the way up, I didn't care about pace at this stage, I could see a Raheny runner up ahead whom I recognised from some recent races, I toyed with the idea of chasing him down but he was movign well and was at least 50\60 metres ahead - which seemed an impossible task at this stage, he had finished just ahead of me at a recent 10k when I couldn't catch him so I just couldn't see how I could expect to catch him now when I was beginning to falter. Over the top of the hill and there was a real sense of being closer to home now, the finishing area was visible in the distance, across the wilderness, I was plodding down the other side of the hill now, arms waving, 4\5 of us had formed a group on the way up nobody having the energy or the guts to up the pace to any significant degree on the way down, I was spend and was hanging on for home, as were those around me I suspect.
A PB was a certainty but I was already starting to regret not researching the course profile a bit better, not running two laps of Howth instead of just one on training runs, stupid, stupid D - ah well, next time. I decided to get the head down, get the form right and put myself into a good position for the last mile.
Just as I came to that decision, I heard someone acknowledge me in the most casual manner possible as the sped past, TbL...I laughed out loud literally and watched him move steadily up through the crowded field ( we had mixed with the 10k runners\walkers at this stage). " Good man TbL" - the effect that had on me was amazing, I left the group I was plodding with and gave chase - I was genuinely stunned by how well the not so bitter Lemon was moving at this stage of what I would consider to be a real slog.
I couldn't match the pace but I was moving a hell of a lot better, I was hurting more too, my thighs were burning but my breathing was good.

Miles 11 and 12 came and went, they are a bit of a blur really, I drew level with the lad from Raheny around the 12 mile mark and watched TbL steaming on up through the field, about 200 metres away from me, maybe a bit more. I pushed on for the last mile, lengthening my stride and moving away from Raheny ( who shouted some encouragement) , the flags along the finishing chute were in sight now, I was f*cked in one sense but elated in another, the pain of upping the pace was dampened somewhat by the realisation that I was going to finish my first half of the year in a time that would surely be a PB. I turned left onto the finishing chute and upped the pace again, I couldn't make out the clock yet but the crowds were thickening on either side, the wind had been strong all the way around the course and it was finally at my back so I dug in for the last 200 and pumped for home, crossing the line with the clock reading 1:32:45 (chip 1:32:21)

I finished with my arms outstretched ( partly because I had mistakenly tried to high 5 someone about 10 metres from the line - they had in fact been reaching out for the runner behind me) and for the first time ever I forgot the watch and decided to drink in that finishing line atmosphere in its entirety - no messing around with watches.

Made my way over to TbL and congratulated him on a fantastic run ( inspirational stuff really), we briefly toyed with the idea of going for a swim but instead found ourselves cowering behind an ice cream van to hide from another downpour.
We waited around for my bro and sis to finish, I was particularly chuffed for my sis because this was her first half and she finished it very well.

Met up with the other Lemons who went off to soak up the post race atmosphere while we headed off to sample some of Westport's many watering holes


There are a few things I am taking from Achill
- It is a beautiful, beautiful place to run
- I have had it said to me that the tough course is worth a good 2\3 minutes in itself, I'm not sure I buy that - yes it is tough but there are very quick stretches on the course that let you freewheel to an extend and with the right training, you can take advantage of these.
- A very good PB and tough bastid of a workout
- A realisation that I need to toughen up a bit to keep progressing, physically I finished very strong but I had a big mental dip around the 9\10 mile mark
- More hard work, consistency and patience required between now and DCM

Duanington

12.07.2014

5 miles easy - first run back after holidays, legs felt great, lungs didn't play ball for the first few miles - glad to be back in the saddle and looking forward to the next few weeks\months.

Duanington

13.07.2014

Another easy run tonight - 6 miles.

Took in my usual route along the grass on the coast road and once again the lungs were resisting a little over the first mile so I reminded myself that easy means easy and eased off the gas a little for a couple of miles.

I noticed that the pace increased gradually as the miles ticked by, lovely evening for a run - maybe a little warm for anything other than easy stuff so I was glad of the easy pace!

Finished off with some feeble efforts on the chin up bar for core work

Total miles: 6 @ 8:10 min\miles

outforarun

Glad you decided to post up that race report, one of the best ones I've read tis year. Good gritty run. Two laps of Howth Head, I like the sound of that.

Duanington

14.07.2014

Last day off work today and despite a great sleep last night ( 9 hours), I woke up feeling more tired than when I went to bed.

I still harboured notions of running a 12 mile run this evening after I got a few things done earlier in the day. Once I got organised , I got ( lazily) started on some core work then plodded out the door, energy levels were at a real low for some reason.

I developed a stitch after a half a mile, felt like crawling under a bush and taking a nap after a mile and felt like I was running into a wind tunnel for the rest.

Eventually I packed it in at 7.5 miles and strolled the mile or so home.

Not sure if this is a case of the post holiday blues, running at a strange time of the day ( I usually run early in the morning or late at night) or just general tiredness - maybe a combination of the lot, either way - not a good day at the running office

Total miles 7.5 @ 8:20 min\miles

Tom Joad

It was very humid and heavy today and running at a different time probably explains you not feeling the love for running today.

Duanington

Tom Joad wrote: »

It was very humid and heavy today and running at a different time probably explains you not feeling the love for running today.

You could be right there TJ - I never thought of the heat\humidity either and I was sweating more than usual now that I think back

outforarun

rain - grand
cold - layer till cozy
wind - don't like wind but it's good when at your back
hot sunshine - ups the feel good factor

but humidity, humidity is the worst - saps all the joy out of a run and has you feeling jaded before you even start.

SamforMayo

outforarun wrote: »

rain - grand
cold - layer till cozy
wind - don't like wind but it's good when at your back
hot sunshine - ups the feel good factor

but humidity, humidity is the worst - saps all the joy out of a run and has you feeling jaded before you even start.

Fair point, well made!

Duanington

16.07.2014

(Tuesday)

Back to late evening\night time running thankfully and the body felt the better for it over the first 2\3 miles - after that though, it was all downhill.

Energy levels dropped to the floor and my legs felt like bricks once again, they actually felt sore too which doesn't make any sense to me as I've ran easy since Saturday.

I just about made it over the East Link, out past Sean Moore Park and then turned back for home but genuinely felt like stopping from about the 5 mile point.

Slept like a log again last night ( 8+ hours) and I'm feeling sleepy all day today so there must be something up other than the heat\humidity ( I'd love to have those as an excuse for last night - it was warm but not so humid)

Rest day today and I'll try again tomorrow to see how I feel

Total miles 12 @ 8:32 min\miles

SamforMayo

Sounds like you are coming down with something, take it easy!

Duanington

17.07.2014

Woke up this morning after another epic sleep but felt a lot better than previous mornings this week. I felt better and better as the day went on , so much so that I started to look forward to to getting a session of some description in tonight.

Got home late enough which meant the heat had eased a little by the time I got started. I put in a half decent session of core work before heading out for some easy miles to start with.

Plan was to run a decent warmup then 8x200 ( w\100 walked recovery) + 8x400 ( with 200 walked recovery). I normally jog recoveries on these sessions but I thought it best to walk them tonight as I'm still not 100%

Made my down to St Anne's and got started;
200 reps worked out at as

36
37
36
37
37
37
37
35

I was blowing hard over the first few and my legs felt hollow at times but I did start to feel stronger as the session went on

Took an 800 metre walk then started the 400s

1:21
1:20
1:21
1:21
1:21
1:20
1:21
1:16 ( ran this one hard...more in celebration that the damn thing was over than anything else!)

Each time I finished a 400 rep, I thought to myself "right that's it, I'll pack it in now"...I discovered a nice trick though, I asked myself to decide how I felt at the end of the recovery, not the end of the rep....if I was fooked, I'd pack it in. Thankfully I'm dumb enough to trick myself into completing these sessions

Great to have this done and dusted, felt like a good session, even with the walked recoveries it was very tough going at times. First of these I've done in a few weeks too.

Ran a couple of easy miles home

Total miles : 9

yaboya1

There's only seven 200s there D.
Did you fool yourself into not doing that one?? :-P

Duanington

yaboya1 wrote: »

There's only seven 200s there D.
Did you fool yourself into not doing that one?? :-P

ha ha - should you not be watching golf highlights or something ?!

No, I did the 8 alright, the mental trickery was only required for the 400s