Confessions of a never has been.....

gosh123

Weldone great running sets u up nicely for next week

annapr

Congrats D! Great time.

FBOT01

AuldManKing wrote: »

Super result and 3 secs better than my PB - must get to work.

Well done and well deserved. Great to see good training being rewarded.

And 7 secs better than mine....great running D. As AMK said great to see you getting the rewards your training deserves.

dintbo

Nicely done!!

Duanington

22.03.2016

Monday

Usual run home from work without the watch, beautiful evening and I was tempted to tag on a few more miles. Legs felt good after the race the day before which I'm never sure is a good or bad sign.

Settled at 5 miles easy @ 8ish

Tuesday

Longer run on the cards tonight and another lovely evening for it, dropped the backpack off at home and carried on into St Anne's for a loop before heading into Raheny then home. Really enjoyed this run and had to reign in the pace a little if I'm honest, I often get carried away during easy runs when I'm thinking about how I should have run during a recent race or how I'm going to run during an upcoming race !

Finished up at 12.4 miles @ 7.51 min\miles

Pressups\core\stretching at home after

Reflecting on Sunday's performance has me thinking that I possibly missed an opportunity to run a more aggressive race on the day, reviewing the Garmin data tells a very clear story ( and how a poor start on my behalf came back to haunt me) but I know that I need to practice what I preach at the same time - hard work, consistency and PATIENCE

Duanington

24.03.2016

Wednesday


AM - 4.1 easy miles into work, nothing to report coz I can't remember it !

PM - 6 easy miles home from work, tagged on the couple of extra miles in St Anne's, felt tired after a busy day at work but felt a lot better after the run.

No time for the additional stuff I had planned

Thursday

Session day today, plan was for 2 miles easy, 3,2,1 miles @ 6.45, 6.20, 5.10 ( 3 min rec) , 2 miles easy

Nipped out to St Anne's on my lunch for this one, getting the warmup done and dusted on the way.
Started off straight away into the 6.45 stuff, using the trails around the park as much as possible - there is something about running across grass and through trees that soothes the soul
Felt good all the way through this section

3 min easy recovery then into the 6.20 stuff.

A little tougher obviously and I could certainly feel the previous section still in the legs after maybe .5 mile or so. The route happened to take in the few drags that St Anne's has to offer too but it once I settled into my stride it was just a case of staying focused on maintaining the effort.

3 min easy recovery then into the 5.50 mile

I chickened out of running this on the grass ( a very rational fear of snapping ankles got the better of me) so turned back onto the main avenue in St Anne's.

Worked hard but felt strong all the way on this one, running down this avenue is a different prospect to running up the avenue because the landscape drops slightly but also the wind tends to be behind you so while the pace was a little quick, the effort was just about right.

Finished off with 1.5 miles easy

Core work in the PM

Splits
7.54
7.47
6.43
6.37
6.38
6.18
6.14
5.41
8.00
4.01 ( .5 mile)

10.1 for the day

FBOT01

Best of luck tomorrow, D. Presume sub 60 is the target. You have home advantage so there'll be no surprises for you just remember no slacking in the middle

annapr

+1 good luck tomorrow, DD... When it gets tough, Just remember what you said above about soothing the soul!

AuldManKing

Hope the weather plays ball for you, be confident in your training.

Firedance

Best of luck D

FBOT01

....oh and of course ENJOY!!!

Back in Black

Best of luck D. The training has been phenomenally consistent and the hard miles are in the bank.

El Caballo

+1 to all the well wishes, give it socks man!:)

Btw, what race is this? presuming it's a 10 miler

Duanington

El Caballo wrote: »

+1 to all the well wishes, give it socks man!:)

Btw, what race is this? presuming it's a 10 miler

Thanks El C - Raheny Shamrock's 10 miler indeed

Duanington

61.40 for today - not quite the time I was after but it's still a very good PB and another forward step .
Sub 60 was never realistic for me at this stage in my training, sub 61 was but maybe not on this course.

I'll do a report up at some stage

Duanington

28.03.2016

Friday

AM - 6.6 easy miles around St Anne's. Very nice run, took in lots of the planned 10 mile course. Legs felt good after yesterday's session

6.6 miles easy @ 7.55 pace

Core work after

PM - Later than planned getting out but glad to get it in, took in a loop around Clontarf\Raheny at an easy pace to keep things ticking over.

Energy levels felt good

5 miles @ 8.09 pace

Saturday

Another easy one mainly around St Anne's again - using the trails as much as possible. Possibly overcooked the pace a little on a couple of miles but reigned it in accordingly!

6.2 miles @ 7.59 pace

Sunday

3 miles around St Anne's at very easy pace - can't actually remember this one!

3 miles @ 8.39 pace

Monday

Battle of Clontarf 10 mile

After a pretty restless night’s sleep last night, I was up and about well before dawn – having given up on the idea of trying to get back to sleep. Got the usual light pre race breakfast in lay around the house for another couple of hours before getting the gear on and heading off for St Anne’s.

This would be by 2nd time running the Battle of Clontarf race, I enjoyed it last year but ran it really for the craic, with zero pressure and possibly exceeded my own private expectations on the day (63.22). This year, I planned to use this as the last race of this current streak and make sure I left nothing out there. I find 10 mile races pretty tricky to pace, its somewhere between 10k and Half Marathon pace so the plan for the day was to set out at around 6.10 pace for a few miles and call it.

I knew the course was tight, the wind was up so rather than worry about target times, I decided to focus on really giving a solid effort and making sure I PB’d
After a couple of miles warmup – including some strides, I took my place in the starting area..bumping into FerrisB who got straight into a spot of sandbagging but despite what he’s telling people, he’s in good shape . After a bit of re-arranging at the starting line, we were off, heading out to lap a field a couple of times before we spilled out onto the main avenue. I avoided traffic pretty much straight away and got into a decent group as we came out onto the avenue, there were maybe 6\7 runners who seemed to be heading out at my pace. The wind was in our faces heading up the avenue but I tucked myself into the group and settled into a nice rhythm.


Mile 1 – 6.04


We carried on up towards the top of the avenue which proved to be difficult enough at times, it can be a tricky stretch if your head’s not right though so I resisted the urge to move to the front of the group to up the pace, deciding to hold off for now, a slower mile wouldn’t be the end of the world this early on. Reaching the top, we had the first of the 180 degree turns, heading back down the avenue with the wind behind us this time. I stayed in the group initially after turning, feeling that the effort was about right for now but I noticed after maybe another 200 metres that the pace seemed to be slowing a little so I took my turn to lead the group ( on the easy stretch ), there was a good mixture of clubs around me as we came through the 2nd mile marker –first of many shout outs from FBOT here too.


Mile 2 - 6.15


Sharp left at the parkrun starting area and we were moving down into the bowels of the park, a sharp right and we were running down a steep hill where a Brother’s Pearse lad came steaming past the smaller group that I was now running in, after crossing the bridge over the small stream here, we climbed the very nasty little climb back up towards the starting area, before darting back down again from the playground to the coast road side of the park. We had to cross a small section of grass here before joining the footpath that runs along the border of the park. My old friend the stitch had been hanging around under my ribs for the past few minutes at this stage so I spent the next .5 mile or so trying to add some more control to my breathing ( and trying to remember what Murph had said to me about 3\2...or was it 2\3?!)

Mile 3 – 6.13

The stitch didn’t really clear up for me over the next stretch, I didn’t expect it to either but it wasn’t getting any worse which was almost enough for me! The drag after the tree sculpture at the corner of the park was a rough one and it resulted in several runners dropping out of the group, it also resulted in my controlled breathing going out the window for a little bit! I know this stretch well and hate it because its exposed and its tough when the wind is blowing.

Mile 4 – 6.15


A few glances at the watch over the past few miles had told me that I had to at least hold pace right till the end in order to PB, I knew the last mile would be quick but I also knew that the 2nd and 3rd last miles could be tough going so I tried to edge the lads in the group I was running with into a slightly more aggressive pace, nothing too silly, just enough to stop things slipping over the next few miles. A few more sharp turns ( left and right) and we turned out by the tennis courts, firmly in park run territory now, running up the slight drag by the pitches then turning right up onto the avenue again

Mile 5 – 6.17

After another 180 degree turn at the top of the avenue, we were headed back down again and I took the chance to claim back a few seconds that I felt I may have lost over the last mile, this broke the group up pretty well and I was beginning to feel good about the race, the stitch subsided for this entire stretch which was an added bonus, unfortunately, the course layout meant that we had to turn off into the rose gardens around halfway down the avenue – breaking the momentum again. Around the outside of the rose gardens we went, back out onto the avenue again before heading back into the series of tight turns , ups and downs that brought us back to the coast road end of the park.


Mile 6 -6.04

The “ group” now consisted of myself and 2 other runners, with someone who I couldn’t quite make out bringing up the rear, My breathing was pretty heavy moving into the latter stages of the race and I was well aware that the toughest parts lay ahead, we had to repeat Miles 3, 4 and I knew I’d have a job on my hands to keep this pace, I wasn’t going to worry too much about paces though , a strong finish would see the job done so I switched my focus to just getting through the next couple of miles.

Mile 7 6.16

The sight of the tree sculpture again brought a stupid sense of dread for me ( and I could sense the dread around me too), I knew the stretch after would be a real killer and true enough, it felt like we ground to a crawl as we climbed up over the initial hump, I pumped the arms a little , kicked the legs a little and the stitch pinched a little. The next .5 mile or so was really grind it out territory for myself and the other lads around me, I suspect I switched off a little here too because rather than dictate the pace at the front of the small group, I focused on staying steady and strong and working with the others around me. Sharp left, sharp right and we were back into Parkrun territory and the 8 mile marker appeared ahead.

Mile 8 – 6.31 ! :eek:

The legs were really feeling the effort now and while the stitch was biting away, it never really got a real hold on me like I feared it may so after a nice stretch down by the tennis courts, we turned right again for the last little drag of the afternoon, I was working hard to keep things from slipping back, mentally I was in no man’s land a little – I knew a PB was almost certain but I also knew that this hadn’t quite been my day so I was caught a little in the middle. As we turned right onto the avenue for the last time, I kicked on a little, moving away from the group with my eyes set on a runner in a red singlet ahead, I took the about turn for the last time at the top of the avenue and immediately felt stronger than I had for the previous 2 miles

Mile 9 – 6.23

The lad in the red singlet really kicked hard from the 9 mile marker and I set off in pursuit, enjoying the pace but also feeling the burn in my quads now. I could hear footsteps behind me as I chased him down the avenue but they sounded like they were fading now. Another shout out from FBOT just as we turned off into the rose gardens, again, breaking the momentum a little, I was catching the guy ahead a little but after the sharp left before the gate out onto Mt Prospect, he really put the boot down and I was struggling to stay with him. The stretch around the rose garden is tough because it loops back into the wind for a bit and then a hard right brings you back to the avenue - once we got there though, the finishing line is well within sight. I forced myself to kick harder again, spurred on by a few shoutouts, Myles Splitz being one of them, looking pretty happy with himself !
It hurt like hell, I wasn’t going to catch the lad ahead but I got close to him and crashed over the line in 61.42 ( official) for a 90 second + PB.

Mile 10 - 5.50

Caught my breath and hung around the finishing area trying to decide whether or not I was happy with the time....eventually I came to the conclusion that I was ! (after a bit of coaxing from Myles – well done again L, great performance ). Ferris B also had a good day at the office and it was good to see him continuing to make progress, well done again C . Chatted with Ferris and another lad from these parts (nice to finally meet you Dennis!) before heading off on a short warmdown towards home.

I enjoyed today, there were big numbers out from some of the athletics clubs with lots of support around the course, while I don’t think anyone could convince me that its a good course, Raheny work with what they have – the twists and turns make it tough to build any real momentum but they’re a necessary evil to keep the race within the park. Performance wise, its a big PB and progress, I think I lost time in 2\3 miles un-necessarily but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Running 6.13 min\miles on average for 10 miles is something that would have been laughable to me not too long ago and I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves of where we have come from to keep moving forward.

13 miles ( or so) all in for the day

gosh123

Great run and report weldone

Firedance

Super great to see so many pbs today on a windy & not that easy (even with home advantage) course

tang1

Well done D, doesn't sound like the quickest of routes going by the description, very twisty/turny so nice to PB when the route isn't conducive to super quick times.

Kennyg71

Well done today looks like Stitch or course lay out didn't stand in your way today
Great PB.

annapr

Well done on the PB D, reading about that course makes me dizzy!

Murph_D

Well done - nice to meet you after - you didn't sound like a man who just ran a 90 second PB! Fair play on a course like that!

Back in Black

Great stuff - well done!

RedRunner

Super running D. I was stewarding down at the coast just before you turn onto the grass section. You are right about the course. It's not the best or the easiest but it is what it is and you dealt with it very well. It's definitely not a boring course though. A 5:50 last mile!:eek: I could only dream of that. Well done again.

Younganne

well done on the PB and great report, i could feel every twist & turn!!

AuldManKing

great work again. thats a pretty decent PB and also the knowledge that on a better course that there is more there.

Duanington

Thanks for the well wishes folks - much appreciated, I wouldn't let my bitching and moaning about the course put anyone off the event, I'm like a giraffe on rollerskates at the best of times so tight courses are always a challenge to me! Its a really well run race and I'll be back next year hopefully.

29.03.2016

Monday

Back to the bread and butter stuff today after a good day at the office yesterday with a few easy miles on the cards. With a day off work and a date with my youngest and her cousin for most of the day, I had to wait until just before sunset to get out - it was a beautiful evening for it when I did get out though.

Down to St Anne's to trot around some of the course from yesterday and some of the trails too, legs were predictably stiff in places but felt better as the run went on. Lovely evening for it and enjoyed this one from start to finish
.
6 miles @ 8.11 min\miles

Looking forward to getting a solid month or so training under the belt before the next lot of races, its been a busy schedule so far this year and its probably time to get some more hard work in the bag

laura_ac3

Congrats D, felt like I was out there for every turn and stretch. Hopefully more to come on a less challenging course, all going in the right direction still!

Duanington

31.01.2016

Wednesday

AM - 4 miles easy, off work again today and back down to St Anne's again for some very easy miles. Nice run, legs were still a little reluctant at first but I got going after a while.

4 miles @ 8.16 min\miles

PM - met up with FBOT01 for another set of easy miles, good chat all the way around this one which made the miles fly by. Another very enjoyable run.

6.6 miles @ 8.10 min\miles

( + another 1.5 easy miles later on in the evening after I got roped into jogging around their 1 mile course with one of the Raheny lads )

Some stretching and pressups between running too

Finally bit the bullet and joined a club ( Raheny) after mulling it over for a good few weeks now - I'll keep working with my own coach and won't make many sessions but will race for the club - everyone seems happy enough with that which is great for me !

12.1 for the day

Thursday

Session day again today with a pretty light session on the cards;

2 miles easy - 4x(4 mins @ MP, 2 mins @ HMP), 2 mins easy recover, 2 miles easy

Got a good core session done before heading out for this - yep, back to St Anne's ! After a warmup, I got moving on the quicker stuff around the football pitches for a bit ofa change.
I didn't bother too much with the watch on this one, just to keep track of the time on each rep really and as a result, I paced it all over the place!

I also had to cut this one short on account of a meeting that I had completely forgotten about so had to make do with 3 of the 4 reps and a reduced warmdown :-(

( might sneak out later for some very easy miles)

Rep1
4 mins@ 6.33
2 mins@ 5.55 (yeah right)

Rep2
4 mins @ 6.28
2 mins@ 6.09

Rep3
4 mins @ 6.23
2 mins @ 6.03

In short, too fast on every single one which is just silly really

6.4 miles for the lot

gosh123

You'll be a great asset to Raheny can only see u improving and getting faster (DCM 2017 ðŸ˜)