Confessions of a never has been.....

annapr

Good luck tomorrow DD! No bother to you.

Gavlor

Save a bit for mile ten....

Ososlo

All the best, D! Have a fantastic race!

tang1

Well done D, great running.

Annie get your Run

tang1 wrote: »

Well done D, great running.

Big +1 to that, hope you're working on your race report phenomenal time!

Kennyg71

Savage run today well done.

Mrs Mc

Congrats D great result

Duanington

Thanks folks, much appreciated.

KennyG - apologies I couldn't stick around after, good to meet you at last though

Duanington

05.12.2016

Monday

Having had a couple of easy days running previous, it made sense to bring this session forward to today ( originally planned for Tuesday).

Plan was for 2 easy, 1 @6.10, 1 easy, 2@ 6.30, 1 easy, 1@6.10, 2 easy

Got this one done down in St Anne's ( where else?!) on the pitches and it took me a little while to get into it fully if I'm honest. Got there in the end though.

6.03
6.29
6.16
6.01

for the faster stuff. 10 miles in total

Weights and core later in the day


Tuesday

No long run this week with Waterford at the weekend so this was just 6 easy miles straight after work - 8ish pace ( no watch)

Core, stretching and pressups after

Wednesday

AM - Runmute to work - 4.1 easy miles
PM - RUnmute home from work - 4.1 miles easy

Weights afterwards ( I think)

Thursday

Some easy miles with strides today, nice and easy but ran the strides pretty hard to wake the legs up a little. Ran this out on the coast, very enjoyable.

5.4 miles in total

Friday

A bit of a shakeout on Friday evening , had the option of a rest day but I much prefer getting out and running very easy miles before races.

2.4 miles for the lot

Duanington

Waterford Half Marathon


I like this race, I’ve done it for the last 2 years and it was a toss up between this, jingle bells and the inters XC as which race would be the first back after Berlin.
Given that coach and I have chatted a bit about the goals for next year already and one of those goals has to be to get the half marathon time down again by at least a couple of minutes , it made sense to see where I was at over the distance.

I recovered well from Berlin and the last 5\6 weeks have seen some good, consistent training with plenty of sessions in the bag, while I had enjoyed the training, I was also looking forward to racing to sizing up the gap between current half marathon time and target half marathon time – I’d also worked hard over the course of those few weeks and was quietly confident that I had a good race in the legs at this stage.

Up bright and early, breakfast sorted, a quick coffee and I was out the door to head for Waterford – meeting a few DNS Boardsies along the way and down at race HQ itself. Yaboya01 was on co-pilot duties with me while FBOT and KennyG ( and others whose Boards names escape me!) met us down there.

Got a brief enough warmup done with FBOT and Yaboya01 before we took our place in the starting pen, wished everyone well and waited...and waited..it was probably only a couple of minutes but we were delayed long enough to start getting cold again ( I can never time that warmup bit right!) and then we were off.

I knew the start was hectic and crowded, the first 100m are straight down a sharp hill and into an even sharper left hand turn...down another few hundred metres before moving out of the WIT campus and onto the main road. I was happy to hold my place in the crowd until we got out of the campus, everyone was probably running too fast anyway. Out onto the road and it was a case of moving up alongside the 1.25 pacers before a 180 degree turn at a roundabout and heading off into what felt like the course proper, while the first mile was naturally quick, the 2nd is anything but...its basically a long drag that puts the brakes on and dampens the initial early race enthusiasm that the first mile brings.

While I was keenly aware of overdoing things early on in the race on one of the tougher miles of the course, I was also determined to keep things moving along well. In my mind, I had 6.20 pace as a baseline split – any of the tougher miles in and around that would be fine because I knew the quicker sections would allow me to bank some time. The issue was that holding that pace going up pretty long drags takes a good bit of effort. I’d moved past the 1.25 pacers as we progressed through the 2nd mile, had a quick look at the watch on the way and was happy with how things were going.

Past the 2 mile marker and the end of the first long drag was in sight, I was sitting tight in a group of 3 or 4 lads and the 2nd place lady, the leading lady was in a group of maybe 7 or 8 about 60 metres ahead. I seem to remember a bit of a headwind around this section too which always messes up my breathing, while it felt I was working a little harder than I wanted to, I knew it would settle down after a few miles. The top of the climb came and went, running down the other side of the drag was the stuff of dreams, nice relief for the legs and a chance to focus the mind on the job at hand. I was careful not to move too quick on the drop just yet, stick to the plan...

Miles 1, 2, 3 – 6.07, 6.27, 6.16

The route took us into an industrial estate just outside Waterford city and the field was pretty thin at this stage, I was still with the same 3 or 4 lads but we seemed to have lost the 2nd place lady, although I could hear a group close behind, which included somebody who sounded like he was running in clogs. Another drag or two along this section but I had settled into the effort now and was feeling good, the first 3 miles had flown by and I could feel myself moving well.
The wind was a slight concern on more exposed sections but being in the group coupled helped with that, as we left the industrial estate though, I could feel myself moving away from the group...and the road ahead was pretty exposed..stick or go , stick or go...f*ck it, I’ll go, it won’t last forever and it wasn’t anything major anyway. I gradually worked my way up to a lone runner ahead over the next .5 mile or so, surprising myself with how little effect the wind was having on me...I was breathing heavier than normal but this was a race after all.

Leaving the industrial estate, we had ran through a housing estate, down a gradual decline and turned right, away from any main roads and straight into a good climb up a rural road. The surface here wasn’t great but we made do and ploughed on.

Miles 4,5,6 - 6.13, 6.09, 6.11

I made the mistake of looking ahead each time the road levelled out to see if that was the end of the climbing, only to be disappointed a fair few times until we ran across a flyover and started to move back down the far side. When the watch beeped for the mile split, I was pleasantly surprised by the split time. We were over halfway now and I was happy enough to start taking advantage of any downhill sections so I kicked on a little harder and chased down a runner ahead. I remembered this section from last time around , there were a couple of ups and downs in close proximity so it would be a case of holding a good pace going up and not waiting around to recover on the way down.

Through the 8 mile marker and the quads were beginning to pinch now, we had temporary respite from the country roads with a few hundred metres on the main Tramore road ( I think) but were soon turning right and into a stretch with a sign that read “ very uneven surface ahead”...and so it proved!
I was sure I was in PB territory now though and while the legs were starting to give some feedback, I was still bouncing off the road and moving well, if I could keep the squeeze on for another 5 miles or so, this could be a good day’s work. The leading lady was still visible ahead, she had moved out a bit from me and I could hear a good few footsteps beginning to get closer behind me, it was a little unnerving at first but I focused the mind and tried to adjust my stride to allow for the crappy surface for the next mile or so.

Miles 7,8,9 – 6.13, 6.07, 6.14

Leaving the uneven surface behind us, we moved back onto a main road and towards the 10 mile marker. I remembered this section from last year and the drag ahead looked every bit as daunting as it had last time out – I had a lot of company with me now too, I was leading a pack of 5 or 6 runners...including the runner seemingly wearing clogs.
The 2nd lady pulled alongside me at the start of the climb and we suffered in unison as the legs groaned with the increased effort. Looking back at the garmin trace, this is a long, steep drag that can really punish you if you go at it too hard.
I knew the last .5 mile or so of the race would be very fast but there was a lot of work to do between now and then. I got the head down, literally focused on the ground ahead and kicked from back to front again, gradually I moved away from the group. 10 miles came and went....the drag went on though, getting steeper as we approached the top.

I was working hard but still in control, I reminded myself that I was going to enjoy flying down the far side of this one - it would be all the sweeter if I could squeeze a half decent split out of it. A quick glance at the watch ( even though I told myself not to bother when the climbs were tough) told me that I had slowed to 6.40 pace just before the top. Once I got there though, I put the boot down and worked just as hard to take advantage of the faster section, this was the business end of the race and I had obviously played it well earlier on because the legs responded well and kicked down towards the 11 mile marker.

The terrain was good now and while the road was a little tight ( we were running on the hard shoulder, closed off to traffic), the field was pretty thin. I moved passed a couple of runners along this stretch and settled in beside a lad from Eagle AC who had been in and around me for the last few miles. A 180 degree turn around a set of cones and we were running back along the opposite side of the same road before turning off into a country lane and yet another steep climb. I knew this was short though, the 12 mile marker lay ahead. Myself and Eagle AC worked our way up the hill, he pulled ahead slightly while I struggled to keep the breathing under control, the legs were getting heavier with each kick but were still doing everything asked of them.

Miles 10,11,12 – 6.23, 6.21, 6.11

A sharp turn at the top of the country lane took us onto a slightly bigger road, the 12 mile marker had been and gone but we were still climbing – I was trying to figure out how we would get back out onto the main road and the last stretch before the finish when the terrain started to drop slightly.
Eagle AC moved ahead again and I knew this was us heading into the last .5 mile, I freewheeled my way out onto the main road, turned left and went to the well for one last surge. To my surprise, I moved by Eagle AC pretty quickly and spotted a Kilmore AC athlete up ahead....I was aware that we were closing in on the finishing straight now and I was kicking very hard, forcing the pace and not allowing myself to sit back. Kilmore AC glanced back over his shoulder and seemed to dig in, where the gap had been closing, it now stayed the same.
I couldn’t hear anyone near me so knew I wasn’t going to be overtaken, the sharp left into WIT and the last 100m appeared just ahead and I gave it one last effort, breathing was all over the place at this stage!

The finishing line appeared ahead, Kilmore AC crossed the line and I kicked hard up the short sharp hill, wondering if the red zone effort I was feeling now would lose all of its pace to gravity, saw 1.21 something on the clock and crossed the line.

Mile 13 - 5.52 ( and 5.26 pace for the .1)

1.21.22 – official and a good chunk off my PB

I congratulated the few lads that had been in and around me for the last bit, as well as the winning lady then watched FBOT and Yaboya01 finish their races. Impressive stuff by the two lads, both finished looking very strong and both have set themselves nice starting points for their next ventures respectively.

Missed KennyG71 and the others finishing but I’m reliably informed that it was a good day all round for the St Anne’s crew.

A few very easy miles with the two lads brought the day’s total to 16.6, while I’m very happy with the PB obviously, on a course that I have always seen as tough but fair, it very much feels like just another step in the right direction. I have a lot of work to do in the coming months to push on to the next level, Berlin 2017 is on the list now and I fully intend to arrive at that stage in the best possible condition I can get myself to. Waterford very much felt like a starting point along that road.

tang1

Super stuff D, great racing & report. Great benchmark for you heading into 2017.

Annie get your Run

I love your race reports DD, you almost bring us along the race with you Fair play for pushing the pace on the downhills, it's not an easy thing to do and shows how much all your hard work is paying dividends still. Great end to the year, more hard work and achievements on your horizon for 2017 .

Back in Black

Wow that's a cracking run and fantastic time. Great to see all your hard work and dedication paying off.

Murph_D

Nice racing, DD. Brought back a few of my own memories of the undulating course - may have changed since 2014 but looks like it hasn't gotten any easier. Super time.

laura_ac3

That's some time D. Sorry if you've mentioned in the last few posts and I missed it but what was your pb beforehand?

FBOT01

Great read, D and as I said on the day great performance. Hard work and dedication duly rewarded!

You forgot to mention that you debuted the club singlet. You looked well at home in it

yaboya1

Nice one.
Almost feel as if I was there watching....... :P

annapr

yaboya1 wrote: »

Nice one.
Almost feel as if I was there watching....... :P

... from behind
(Sorry P!)

D, great report, love that image of you just bouncing along! And the clogs coming up behind

yaboya1

annapr wrote: »

... from behind
(Sorry P!)

D, great report, love that image of you just bouncing along! And the clogs coming up behind

Blunt (but accurate) as ever anna
They weren't my clogs. I wasn't close enough that he could hear me!

FBOT01

yaboya1 wrote: »

Blunt (but accurate) as ever anna
They weren't my clogs. I wasn't close enough that he could hear me!

I'd say you looked like sh!t as well, P

Duanington

Murph_D wrote: »

Nice racing, DD. Brought back a few of my own memories of the undulating course - may have changed since 2014 but looks like it hasn't gotten any easier. Super time.

I think tough but fair sums it up D, plenty of drags alright but plenty of faster sections to make up for it

Duanington

laura_ac3 wrote: »

That's some time D. Sorry if you've mentioned in the last few posts and I missed it but what was your pb beforehand?

I probably didn't mention it Laura - 1.22.52 was the previous PB, thanks a mill

Duanington

FBOT01 wrote: »

Great read, D and as I said on the day great performance. Hard work and dedication duly rewarded!

You forgot to mention that you debuted the club singlet. You looked well at home in it

Thanks M - a good day all round for DNS I think

LOL - yes, the club singlet....got a few shouts around the course too which was nice

Duanington

12.12.2016

*Must update log more frequently

Sunday (4th)

7 very easy miles along the coast\fairview route - felt the race in the legs on this but enjoyed the nice and easy pace

Monday

8 easy miles to kick what was essentially a recovery week following a good block leading into Waterford and of course the race itself. Ticket along nicely on this one and ran it mainly on the grass

Weights and some core work later

Tuesday


14 easy miles after work and I felt decidedly jaded on this one, picked a flatter than normal route to give the legs a bit of a break.

14 miles @ 7.48

Wednesday

AM - 5.1 easy miles before work

PM - 6.1 miles after work

pressups somewhere in between

Thursday

Over to our very own Myles Splitz for a much needed sports massage then out later in the day for a few easy miles with some strides thrown in. Brought the younger sister along with me on this to bully her into talk her into doing a half in spring ( she's been threatening to do it for ages)

5 miles with strides

Friday

The only session of the week was planned as 10x2 minutes @ 1k effort on grass - 1 minute easy between reps

Got some easy miles in first then headed down to the grass area in front of the playground in St Anne's - I see the club doing their speed sessions here so it seemed perfect for what I needed.

Have to admit - the first couple of reps were a shock to the system ( although L did warn me that I would feel a little sluggish after the massage) and I was blowing harder than I would have liked towards the end of all the reps.

Eventually got the hang of them and finished strong.

Paces were all between 5.52 and 6.0 which is probably just right given the softer surface.

8.4 miles for the day

Saturday


Had the option of a rest day or 5 easy miles but I got an unexpected window to run late in the day so I took it with both ...feet.

5.2 miles around St Anne's

Sunday

Another easy day and another easy route...coast, fairview, coast.....bringing an end to a mental week family\work wise but an enjoyable week all around.

Weights and core somewhere in the day too

7.5 easy miles


Monday

Back to real life....

Plan was for 1 easy, 6@6.30 pace, 1 easy, 2 @6.10 pace, 1 easy

As always on a Monday, I made my way down to St Anne's to run as much of this as I could on the grass.....after a night of rain this time though. The ground was soft and squishy in places on this run...especially in the "corners" of any field\pitch I ran on..
Worked hard to get the pace down initially and possibly worked too hard for the first few miles, its almost instinctive...the ground or the wind slows you down 5% so you push an extra 10%...had to stop myself from doing this a few times.
I was very glad to see the end of the 6.30 section, enjoyed the easy mile then got stuck into the 2 faster miles. I couldn't get all of this section in on the grass because of the route but I managed to get around 60\70% in on the grass and enjoyed it despite working hard to keep the pace on track.

Easy 10 minutes or so to finish and 11.3 miles for the lot

Tempo splits
6.33
6.18
6.19
6.22
6.24
6.33
easy mile then..
6.01
6.03


Core\stretching later

overpronator

Just catchng up, great stuff in Waterford D, very well done!.

Duanington

overpronator wrote: »

Just catchng up, great stuff in Waterford D, very well done!.

Cheers S - hopefully see you at a race soon

overpronator

Duanington wrote: »

Cheers S - hopefully see you at a race soon

Hoping to dust the cobwebs off in Raheny.

Duanington

overpronator wrote: »

Hoping to dust the cobwebs off in Raheny.

Nice one - should be there myself too

Duanington

19.12.2016

Jaysus the days are flying through!

Tuesday


Long run night again and I reverted back to a bumpier route - taking in the long drag on the Kilbarrack road that I haven't used in a while. Kept the effort nice and easy for most of this but as it usually does, the pace crept up a bit as the run went on.

Enjoyable run - 14 miles @ 7.46 pace

Core and stretching after

Wednesday

AM - Morning runmute - 6.1 miles nice and easy

PM - Evening runmute - 6.1 miles nice and easy



Pressups and core in here somewhere too

Thursday

Session day again, the plan was for 8x75 second hill sprints. My usual hill starts to flatten out at the 60 second mark so I knew I'd have to head to Howth to run this one.
Ran the few easy miles up to howth and got myself ready for the session...noticing straight away how much steeper the hill looked :eek:

Got going and was close to blowing a gasket before I got to 45 seconds ! Put the head down and trudged on, feeling like this "sprint" was grinding to a halt.

Pretty much the same story for the rest of the reps, although I had the added fun of dodging an increasing number of parked cars on my route ( collection time at the school nearby) to contend with as the session went on.

Got to the end of the last one in a heap, pretty content to have gotten through it, jelly legs etc....looked at the watch and convinced myself I had left one out .

Ran another to be sure, the legs and glutes were burning by the end of this one.

A few very easy miles to finish off the session, 9.1 miles for the lot.

Rep paces were in and around 5.55.

Weights and core later in the day

Friday


AM - 4.1 easy miles - runmute, lashing rain ( I think)

PM - 7 easy miles - runmute, lovely evening for it

Pressups and core



Saturday

Another day, another session

10x2 minutes @ 10k effort on the grass was on the menu, I got out a little later than planned for this, made my way down to St Anne's, bumping into a whole host of folks from this parish along the way. Had planned to run this on the pitches but they were swamp like so I settled for the grass verge opposite the playground. Plenty of people around watching the parkrun take place so the noise would make a welcome distraction.

Ran most of these as controlled as I could, pushing on the straights but having to ease back a little on the corners to avoid going on my snot. The ground was pretty bad in places but it was firm enough in most parts. Was blowing hard at the end of each rep but felt ok after the 60 second recovery.

Paces were around the 5.55 mark, possibly a little slow but I'll take it given the conditions.

A few easy miles to finish off and 9.7 miles for the day.

Pressups and core later in the day


Sunday

Out on a beautiful afternoon for some easy miles around ST Anne's. Bit of a sinus thing going on at the moment in our house so I resisted the temptation to do any extra miles.

Weights and core later

6.5 miles easy pace.

Monday

Sinus thing seems to have found its way into my head so I swapped sessions around today to give me the lighter of the 3 planned this week


Plan was for 5x2minutes @ 5k effort - 2 minutes recovery

Headed down to St Anne's to the same grass spot as Saturday's session, I was actually looking forward to a bit of a blow out on the grass and this one gave me just that.
Flew the first, settled a bit on the 2nd and got into it properly by the 3rd...felt like I needed the 2 minutes recovery though.

Paces were;

5.21
5.37
5.40
5.34
5.26

Good session, was nicely wrecked after without being tired ( make sense?!)

A couple of easy miles after to bring the total to 7.4


Light core \stretching after

Annie get your Run

I need a little lie down after reading that are you taking a break for Christmas?