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Confessions of a never has been.....
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16.09.2018
Friday
Run home from work, took the long way and enjoyed this one. Missed the rain too :pac:
7.4 miles
Saturday
Session day again, plan was for:
10 minutes@6.30, 3 minutes rec, 4x5 minutes@6.00, off 90 sec, 10 minutes@6.30
Used the St Anne's loop for this, tree cover can be an issue but the loop is usually a little quieter than the coast and probably more realistic in terms of drags etc.
The plan was to dial in to the pace and hold it for each section, after a nice warmup with a couple of strides, I got going.
Started too quick but found the pace nicely after a couple of minutes, the watch was acting up with teh tree cover so I really ran most of the session by feel, just checking in every now and then on an exposed section where I could get a somewhat accurate reading.
The breeze was strong enough at times but I didn't fight into it at all, stayed relaxed and focused on form and rhythm.
Worked hard throughout but hit the right zone early on and held it well.
Splits are a little off on a couple of sections but that's fine given the route\conditions, its always hard to get the pace spot on around the loop.
10 minutes(pace) - 6.27
5 minutes(pace) - 6.02, 6.08, 5.58, 6.04
10 minutes(pace) - 6.23
Just over 11 miles for the lot, good session
Sunday
Out this evening, getting darker earlier
but that has its benefits too, I love running at night and forgot I do !
Tipped around St Anne's then headed out to the coase, a little tired in general which I'd expect really - 7.3 miles
Lots of core work and stretching etc this week too, 66.5 miles for the week0 -
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02.10.2018
Friday
With a stag party looming this weekend, I brought forward this weekend's session a day, short turnaround with a tough long run on Monday and a tough track session on Wednesday would mean that little bit less recovery but needs must.
Had originally planned to get this done in St Anne's but a change of plan at work meant that I had to squeeze it in between meetings down in Ringsend park...which I hate doing sessions in
Plan was for
5mins,10mins,5mins,10mins,5mins - 6.30, 6.00 pace
I knew that I'd have to more or less ignore the watch for this given the tree cover and sharp turns in the park but it really was just about nipping down and getting it done on the day.
I did glance at the watch a few times ( stupidly) looking at the current pace reading and it was flipping from 5.30 to 7.10 during the 6 minute stuff.
Gave up on it completely after a few minutes and ran by effort. Worked hard, I always find the pace changes a little tough on these and probably struggled a little to find the right level of (dis?)comfort for the 6.30 section
While the paces were definitely not right, I don't think they were quite as far off as Strava gives me:
5 mins: 6.47
10 mins: 6.05
5 mins: 6.45
10 mins: 6.05
5 mins: 6.32
Not as bad a session as it looks, far from perfect... but done
Saturday
A sweatfest of a run from Westport, out along the greenway and back. Dehydrated, tired and possibly still drunk.
7.5 all in
Sunday
A tired, painful slog along the coast back in Dublin
Very little memory of this, 5 verrry easy miles
64 miles for the week
Monday
Dreading the long run this evening, it wasn't to be as long as last week, thankfully - because I was still hanging
16 miles around Clontarf\St Anne's
Proudest 16 miles I've ever run
Got home to book Valencia.....d'oh!
Seville it is so, my bad. While I was initially disappointed of course, it actually probably suits me a little better, I've got a big wedding and some work travel to fit in over the next while. I'll drop back the long runs but largely continue along the same track to be honest. I did think about just running xc for the winter and putting a marathon off until late 2019 but I've got a lot of training in the bank at this stage and want to test it out.
Booked and paid for this evening, 3rd time lucky
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AuldManKing wrote: »So are you training for a Marathon, a 10k, XC or wha'
Training for an xc10kathon :pac:
One eye firmly on February so I'll certainly keep the routine up but drop back the long runs for a few weeks.
I've an XC and 10k race lined up but will just train straight through for those, other than that...dunno really !0 -
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23.10.2018
A big few days over the weekend for the D clan saw the lil bro getting hitched ( best man duties here) and almost 3 days of celebrations, now that its all done and dusted, its back to training.
Friday
With the wedding on Saturday, I brought forward the planned session by a day, making allowances for the shorter turnarount.
4x5 minutes @ 5.50-6.00 off 2 minutes, 5 minutes easy, 10 minutes @ 6.30
Usual route in St Anne's, didn't worry about the watch and just ran the 5 minute stuff in a zone that I knew was just off 10k effort., legs were tiring a little by the last one so I was glad of the 5 minutes easy before the 6.30 stuff.....which was actually a bit of a struggle for a couple of minutes but settled down well eventually and ran with plenty of control.
5 minutes: 5.48, 5.55, 5.51, 5.58
10 minutes: 6.22
Very good session
Just shy of 10 miles all in
Saturday
A good few scoops with the fellow groomsmen the night before so this was very much a case of getting the groom out to sort his head out. Tipped around the beautiful country roads of Shinrone for just over 4 miles, he ducked out after 3 due to ....stomach issues.
Sunday - off, first day off in I don't know how long, spent the day chatting to people and doing family stuff instead....as well as suffering the consequences of the night before.
Monday
Back to Dublin, met up with FBOT for some easy miles around St Anne's...feeling and looking like I'd been dragged through a bush. Enjoyed the run though, bumped into a clubmate just after leaving FBOT, ran with him for a bit and left it at just over 10 miles.
Tuesday
AM - out just before lunch to run around with the usual crew, good chats, nice run. 7.3 miles
PM - run home from work, just over 4 miles all easy
Feeling almost human again 0 -
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04.11.2018
Thursday
9 miles all easy around St Anne's
Enjoyed this, stuck to the grass and was lost in a world of my own for most of it
Friday
WFH again today, had company for the first run of the day with the youngest jumping on her bike for it.
5.6 miles nice and easy
PM - out again with Abbs on the bike, just over 5 miles nice and easy again
Saturday
Easy stuff on the grass again, legs feeling a bit meh from solid week so I ran a few strides to wake them up a tad. nice and controlled and pertty short.
6 easy miles
Sunday
Dublin Senior XC – Santry
Got a call from the club during the week asking if I’d tog out for this, initially I laughed to be honest because the standard has been so high in previous years but with so many from the club running well in DCM last week, we had most of our senior lads out recovering – not much point in being in a club if you can’t help out every now and then so I agreed to give it a lash.
Headed over to Santry with plenty of time to spare, caight the under 19s race ( wow, some serious talent there) , did a couple of laps of the course with some clubmates then watched the women’s race ( wow, some serious talent there).
Ran a few strides and did a few drills before the start of the men’s race, settled on not going out like a spacer and get swallowed up. Looking around the starting area, there were a lot of lads that I see for 20 seconds or so at the start of road races and a lot of clubs had obviously targeted this one, knowing that clubs line Raheny had so many running the marathon last week.
The ground was in good nick but this was still a cross country race, a couple of nasty drags at the back of the course with a nice stretch through the start\finish area, there were a couple of softer spots that would pull away at the legs int the latter stages.
In my mind, I knew there were a couple of people I could target over the 2nd half of the race but I wouldn’t worry if they got away from me over the first half, 10k is a long way to go over the grass and there would be a big drop off in pace as the race went on.
Slightly ahead of schedule, we lined up and we were off...I resisted the urge to charge to the front of the group and settled in towards the back of the pack, the pace felt good as we charged through the start\finish area, plenty of trees around here, the ground was hard but just about warranted the spikes.
Down the slope towards the Airport end of the field and there was a big enough drop down a hill and a sharp left, struggling to remember much about this on the first lap but I do remember that I wasn’t far from the very back of the group.
Through the ditches and a left swerve back up the drag, I remember thinking how this was going to hurt people later on and would get harder each time we passed it ( 7 times) – steady as she goes, D – let them go and hold this pace. I knew we were flying along pace-wise but there was a temptation to go after a few lads ahead that I had to resist for a bit. Up the drag, plenty of club support here, bit of a winding stretch to the top of the course, turn left and more twisting and turning back towards the start\finish area.
“ 6 laps to go lads” – Jaysus
Back through the start\finish area and down the drop towards the airport end and the left turn into the ditches, the watch beeped, I didn’t look
Mile 1 – 5.39
Through the ditches, swung the left and started working up the drag, a couple of heads came back to me here without me having to dig in too much but it was still very early days. I’d made a little bit of progress through the field but was probably sitting just outside the scoring positions (6) for the club. The coaches and club members along this tough stretch were giving great support and telling us where we were in the field, I think one or two knew exactly what I was doing too because there was plenty of reassurance that I was moving well and starting to pick people off. Through the trees and the winding stretch back towards the start\finish area again
“5 laps to go lads” .....
Through the crowd and down towards the airport end, another couple of runners were coming back to me now and the field was really starting to spread out, down the drop, through the ditches and left back up to start the drags towards the top of the route.
Mile 2 – 5.50
The drag hurt a little more this time and sure enough, it slowed a few people up ahead that I had my eye on. Rather than pushing up through the drag just yet, I held my pace, focused on form and turning the legs over, it did the trick and got me a couple of places further up the field.
Coaches and clubmates were giving great shouts of encouragement as we ran towards the top of the route, a sharp left, over a footpath and I could hear the gap back to the next runner behind me had opened, sometimes its the little things in XC that give you confidence. Another couple of sharp lefts, back towards the trees and the start\finish area...
“4 laps to go lads”...f*ck
We were well and truly into the thick of this now and it was hurting, 4 more laps of this? It felt like we’d run the 10k already and the self pity was starting to set in! I regained focus on the way down to the ditches and the left turn, steadied myself for the climb back up but this time, I pushed a little harder, sensing the slowing runners ahead. Jaysus this was really hurting but the momentum was with me and I knew the lads ahead were slowing with the drag.
It didn’t go un-noticed on the sideline that I’d pulled alongside our 6th scorer now and a couple of lads that I know are mid 34 10k men, do I stay or push on? Stay or push on....I dug in just a little more at the top of the route and took a few places wide on a bend, sharp left into the twisting section headed back to the start\finish area.
“ 3 laps to go”....ah here
3 laps? Have I got 3 laps left in me? Surely I cannot hold on to this for another 3 laps?....Focus, D – everyone is hurting here, get on with the job.
Heading out of the start\finish area and the support was great here again, down to the ditches, sharp left, nobody near me here really – a couple of runners up ahead though so I set a target of catching them before the end of this lap.
Mile 3 – 5.52
Up the drag, had to drive the legs a bit here and it stung, focused on form and turnover, shifting the legs as quick as I could do avoid that side to side thing I do when I’m wrecked. That hurt, the lungs weren’t thanking me and neither were the legs
The lads were coming back now though, 1 Crusaders and 1 Donore, two lads I’ve seen before at BHAA stuff and I know they’re strong runners. I drew level and the end of the first drag and took them both on the 2nd drag, great shouts from the club crew here, they were loving it and I could see our next scorer up ahead. I was gassing out though, the Crusaders lad had responded when I went by and was tucking in just behind me. Left turn, over the path, his footsteps a second or two behind, I drove the legs a little coming back towards the start\finish area, trying to get a gap going but he followed me and was sticking to me like glue
“2 laps to go lads” – I wonder to these things ever get called off mid-race?
Our next scorer was coming back a little to me and by the time we had gone through the start\finish area, the crowd were telling me that I was picking people off, I could feel the form slipping a little here and tried to focus on getting that right, breathing right and turning the legs over well. Down to the ditches, left turn, start of the drag and I felt like death heading back up the drag, drove the legs though and made a bit of a gap on Crusader, closing in a little more on my clubmate.
Mile 4 – 5.56
Great support again, people were obviously responding to just how wiped out we all looked, I’ve never run 10k over cross country and this was burning every sinew in my body, I was chasing people, people were chasing me, people on the sideline were roaring at me to push on, to drive it home....all I wanted was a cup of tea.
Top of the course, winding section, sharp left, sharp right, over the path, footsteps close behind, clubmate just about level.
“ 1 lap to go lads” – right, one last push for another place or 2, D
Down to the ditches, great support on the way, I’m hurting like fock now, driving the legs up the drag, moved past my clubmate and immediately focus on another runner ahead. Crusaders is still with me though, staying close and I can hear him hurting too
Mile 5 – 6.03
Huge roars of approval from the club crowd as I emerge over the top of the drag, I know we’re well into the last mile now and I’m pushing again, driving into the corners and not letting up coming out, while the surface was perfect today, there are so many turns over most xc courses that it pulls away at the legs and you just lose so much energy from each stride with no bounce back from the ground.
Over a path, footsteps are 3\4 seconds away now, be relentless now D, don’t let up...I don’t ...it’s taking everything I have but I don’t, through the trees...past lap count man who says “ last 300”
Less than a lap of Irishtown, I start to wind it up and I know I’ve lost him, I can’t catch the lad ahead but I want to make sure I don’t slip up here, big shout from the crowd as I finish, ears back, arms pumpng, legs turning over very well.
Mile 6 – 5.54
Last bit – 5.05 pace
35.49 for the 10k, 5th scorer for the team
I stopped the watch, thought I heard the timekeeper say 39 and thought, jaysus that wasn’t bad for 10k on the grass. Happy enough with myself, I walk through the finishing chute, catch my breath and start chatting to the lads.
The usual talk started up about some having the course long, some having it slightly short. “Its cross country though, I’ll check mine” – couldn’t believe it when I saw the time, its a PB for me over the distance and while my watch did actually show that route was just under the full 10k, I’m reliably informed that it was actually measured to the full 10k.
Anyway, the time is not the important part of xc races, its all about positioning. I ran well today, wasn’t out of my league despite the quality field and came through the field very well over the 2nd half and made 5th scorer for the team, not sure exactly where I finished overall though.
That was about as tough a race as I’ve run this year, maybe the national inters aside - looks like we just missed out on 3rd position but the signs are good going into the winter
Just over 10 miles all in today with warmup\down – bringing the week to just under 70. Really good week.0 -
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