The main thing is keeping the main thing, the main thing

Baby75

The question is, did changing runners so many times help

I hope the foot feeling better mind it now

Duanington

Cheers A
Going well here, putting in some great work. Mind that foot, you've a good bit to go yet and can easily afford a few days here and there to rest it up\get treatment. Keep up the good work

skyblue46

AuldManKing wrote: »

Might buy a pair of Odyssey Reacts in the Nike Outlet - they've similar cushioning to the Epics but heel padding.

They have some odd sizes and colours in the 30% off section in Blanch. I picked up a pair today for 59 euro.

AuldManKing

skyblue46 wrote: »

They have some odd sizes and colours in the 30% off section in Blanch. I picked up a pair today for 59 euro.

Didn't like the feel of the Odyssey's - they're a slight stability shoe and I could feel it - so didn't go with them.

Tried on a few pairs and just bought what was comfortable for now.
Nike Winflo.

I'll need to invest in a pair for faster stuff as the Epics will probably not see the light of day again.
I might also steer clear of the flynit suff (except on racers) as my feet need a bit of structure around them.

I guess a visit to the RunHub is on the cards.

AuldManKing

Monday: legs still a bit tired, mainly from Sundays S&C stuff, but got better as the run went on.
I done 7 loops of a little 0.5m park right across from my house and then a 3m loop before completing 6x30s strides.

Legs always feel great after the strides.

7.6miles

Tuesday:
I had 4x2m at Tempo on the plan today but in all honesty, I had no appetite for this one - the thoughts of doing 2m reps at close to 6min/miles was not appealing - the rain & wind made it less so.
I felt like a longer more steady run might be better for me rather than battering out more reps.

I was hankering for just a general longer run at a steady pace when I came across DD's training plan- not too sure if he actually did this one - but it looked good on paper.
Session: 15minMP+5minT+15minMP+5minT+15minMP+5minT

So, set off on a 2m warm up to Whites gate and set off - I had Ciara Mageeans OTB interview on podcast for distraction.
Conditions were a bit nasty with rain and blustery wind in the exposed parts.

A lap of the Furze/OS loop for starters before going down the North Road was no fun - I turned at the Triangle and back up Chesterfield.
It was difficult to get a handle on MP and I kept fluctuating - I was well layered so looking at the watch was difficult.

Turned again at Chesterfield and back down the full length of the North Road, turning at the Zoo before the long road back to the top of Chesterfield.
By the time I reached the top of Chesterfield, I still had a 5min T to complete, but the effort was high for the final couple of mins at MP so, I left it at that, knowing that I had 8.5miles of MP or faster complete in $h!tty conditions.

Paces:
1st 15 mins MP: 6.26/6.29 (+ 6.34 for 0.3mile)
1st 5min T: 6:11

2nd 15 mins MP: 6.22/ 6.29 (+6.23 for 0.3mile) - (far too fast - found it difficult to get MP after the short tempo piece)
2nd 5minT:6:16

3rd 15min MP: 6.31/6.29 (+6.37 for 0.3mile) - Paying for the exuberant previous 15min stint

2.5m home

13miles for the day (6.54 average) (& no shoe changes)

Very happy with that workout - it was a decent session, probably made harder by going too fast - but should have been very manageable - all but 10 mins of it was at MP (well......should've been).

I think I need more of this sort of stuff - so going to look for some opportunities in the plan in the coming 6 weeks or so for unbroken harder runs.

Wednesday: I had thoughts of doing a 10mile run today - but quickly discounted these when I started running - legs felt tired and I also had an S&C session planned.

Kept it to just over 6 miles - 8.15 pace.

Done a good 45mins S&C session - one I purchased from McMillan recently as I find it difficult to know how to progress S&C.
There's 2 sessions per week & I'm still doing 2 of the key Hammy specific sessions that Luke prescribed.

The foot is doing much better - the change in day shoes & not wearing the Nike Reacts seem to be working well - still a small bit of 'niggleness' but getting much better.

AuldManKing

Overdue a catchup - life getting in the way.

Thursday 21st: Main aim of this run was to get the legs ready for the Monster session on Friday. Nice and easy run 5x40sec strides (5k pace) - 3 min jog followed by 5x20s strides (1mile pace).

6mile total.

Friday: Monster session: 5/4/3/2/1 miles at MP

Due to my wifes 'Big' birthday - I needed to get this run done on Friday. I didn't do anything different in terms of 'loading' for the run.
Made it to the PP and done a 2m warm up. I basically used the Chesterfield / North Road loop for this session.

The 1st 5m loop was ok - a bit tough going back up Chesterfield. The 4mile loop - I turned off Chesterfield and turned left half way up.
The 3 mile loop was grand actually - a good mix of up & down drags. But the 2mile set nearly killed me. Not too sure why, but it was very tough. At this stage I was feeling a blister on my left foot.
The last mile was fine - up the Northroad to the Castleknock Gate - finish with a big smile on my face.

I could feel the hamstrings during this workout, which I think is good - it means they are getting stressed and will hopefully strengthen as a result.
Doing this so close to the other big workout (Tuesday), I knew it was going to be tough - so delighted to finish.
A short 1m cool down as the blister was giving me a lot of grief.

Paces for each set
5 mile: 6:33
4 mile: 6.27 (inc a 6.22 mile)
3 mile: 6.34
2 mile: 6.34
1 mile: 6.32

19miles total.

Saturday: Easy recovery run - mainly on grass - 7 miles 8:25 pace. -

Big successful party on Saturday night.

Sunday was a day off so completed the week with 59 miles - 2 good sessions in the belt.

- Bad news from home that Mam was rushed to hospital with multiple fractures in her back.

Monday A real distressing day for the family - those who've followed my log for a few years know all about my little doggy - she used to run with me in the Phoenix park - up to 7-8 miles. Well on Monday, we said goodbye to her. Quite a sad day.

7.3miles with strides.

Tuesday: Thankfully work are flexible as I'm WFH all week - so much going on with the hospital, the vets and our own emotions.
Needed to get out, so ran 15 miles at lunchtime around the PP - no earphones, was great for the mind and the legs felt good - tired but good.

Wednesday: Despite all that going on around us - Wednesday was my wifes B'day and I had previously booked a night away in the city center. Got a run in between hospital visits and heading out to town.

6.3miles@ 7.55

Thursday: I had put off doing a session this week - as I was off work on Thursday, I decided to try one and see how it went. I had plans to change it if it was proving tough.
The workout was 4x2miles at Tempo.

After the 1st 2 set, I felt great - the 2nd set was tough and I knew I wouldn't hold the pace for the 3rd set - so ran it at MP instead.
After the 3rd set - I was on the Furze road, so decided on the spot to do a couple of 800's at 5k pace and then do 1 more mile at Tempo pace.

It felt great doing the 800's - 1st into the wind - 2nd with the wind. Legs nicely tired before starting off on the last piece of this running jigsaw - I meant to do 1mile, but I got my distances wrong and ended up at Whites Gate after 5 mins - I took that as a signal to stop.

Happy with the 8miles at MP or faster - as it turns out, the hardest part of this run was the 2m @ MP section. Maybe it was going up Chesterfield and just the general fatigue that I had?

Paces:
2m Tempo: 6.05
2m Tempo: 6.02
2m MP: 6.28
2x800: 5:52 / 5:39
5 mins T: 6.06

13 miles total for the day.

268 miles for the Month.

Wubble Wubble

Lots going on there is right, both on and off the roads/trails!

Sorry to hear about your dog.

Fingers crossed for the ma.

OOnegative

Speedy recovery to your Mam Alan. Hear you on the dog, one and only time I ever seen my Dad cry was losing one of his.

ariana`

Sorry to hear your news AMK. Wishing a speedy recovery to your Mam.

skyblue46

Tough week there in every respect Alan. All the best wishes to your Mam. Hopefully her recovery is like your recent races...fast and completed with as little pain as possible!

healy1835

Fair play for keeping many shows on the road this week Alan. At least the running side of things isn't causing you any worries. You're flying......

Swashbuckler

Sh*te man. Tough week. Sorry to hear A.

Back in Black

Sorry to hear about your dog. Hope your mam gets better soon. Take care

Murph_D

I think the value of the running ‘habit’ really becomes clear in difficult times like your past week. No better way to get some headspace to process what’s going on. All the best for your Mam.

Baby75

First all Happy Birthday to your wife:)
I hope your mam recovers and I am so sorry to hear about the dog
you have had a hard week and I agree with Murph getting out in spite of it all will help the mind as well

Kellygirl

Full on week there AMK. Hope you Mam recovers soon and sorry to hear about your dog.

AuldManKing

Thanks all for the comments - much appreciated.

Friday: 7 miles, mainly on Grass - legs felt great!

Sat: Slow jog down to the PP and back - 5.6m @8.25

Sunday: Long easy run.

Us runners are a mad lot. I was up at 6.20 for a run at 7am - on a Sunday morning. Sunday.

Met a guy from the club and set off around the PP/Castleknock / War Memorial gardens / back to the PP - running at a decent conversational clip.
Joined up with the club at 8.45 and promptly finished about 9.40'ish.

2 hours 40 mins / a tad over 21 miles. Legs felt ok afterwards, no real stiffness - I was knackered though later on in the day.

21.1m @ 7.33 pace

75.4m for the week.

Younganne

That was a tough week last week Al. Speedy recovery to your Mam, hope she's on the mend. So sorry to hear about Maisy, dogs are not just animals they are part of the family.
Happy Big Birthday to you other half.

Running definitely is the only medicine required to clear the head and get our thoughts together. Mind yourself.

AuldManKing

Monday: Nice and easy down to the PP and back via Tower Road. Legs felt a bit stiffer due to the hills I had run on Sunday - I haven't ran on the hills in the PP much in this cycle.
6.6m 8.30 pace

About 30 mins core work afterwards - mainly on the core & hammys.

Tuesday: Had to bring my car for repair/service - ran home with some additional miles. (small bit of core work)
8.4m / 8.00 pace

Wednesday: Car serviced but not fully repaired - ran to pick it up - included some strides.

This run was a bit faster due to the considerable lightness of my bank account.

8.5m /7.50 pace

Thursday: Session: 7miles Easy / 6x1m at Tempo / CoolDown

It was a bit of a blustery day, but could not put this off as had moved it from Wednesday (family stuff going on) - so set off to the PP for the initial 7 mile 'warm up'.
Kept most of the 7m to the grass and finished up at CK gate - under 8 min/mile for the 7m- the North Road/Chesterfield is my goto loop these days.
If I do DCM, this will undoubtedly change to the other side of the park.

The 6x1m's were actually ok - depending on the direction I was going. Target pace was 6.05/mile based on JD's vdot.
Last rep was the toughest - into the breeze & up the Everest like Chesterfield Road- finished by the works taking place at the American Ambassadors Res. I sat for a few mins - thinking about the difficulty I had running 6x1m T with a 2m warm up in the past.

3m cooldown home.

6x1m tempo paces;
6.03 - Down North Road
6.08 - Down & Up NR (using Triangle)
6.04 - Down & Up NR Road (Using Triangle)
5.58 - Down NR
6.01 - Down NR
6.11 - Up Chesterfield

16.4 miles Total

aquinn

Was desperately sorry to hear of the loss of Maisy, it is awful hard Alan.

Your Mam though, is she ok? Scary.

AuldManKing

aquinn wrote: »

Was desperately sorry to hear of the loss of Maisy, it is awful hard Alan.

Your Mam though, is she ok? Scary.

Thanks Aoife - she was a social media queen (Maisy, not my mam ).

Mam is doing much better, out of hospital and walking, slowly, but walking - thanks!

AuldManKing

Friday: Short recovery run and done a good S&C session - probably about 35-40 mins.

4,7m@ 8.44

Saturday: I can recall having no appetite for a run on Saturday, but talked myself into going out for 3-4 miles. The legs were a bit tired from the S&C but rather than turn for home - I kept going to the park and took a lap of the Furze - ran back home and done 6x20s strides.

7.4m @8.25 pace

Sunday: I remember last weeks run (21m@7.33 pace) and being very tired following it for the day - for last weeks run, I prepared for it like I would a race - good eating, no alcohol, breakfast, short pre run routine - out the door.

This week was the opposite - not eating bad food - just not enough and winding down Sat night with Wine & Whisky - but managed a couple of pints of 'Guinness Clear' before bed.
1 piece of toast with coffee and was out the door - I brought the car to the PP with water, gels etc just in case.

The session was as follows: WU / 4x1mT / 10m Easy / 4x1mT / CD - the T miles were aiming 6.05 and the recovery was a whole 60 seconds.

Done the warm up - getting back to CK gate after 2.5 miles - the breeze going up Chesterfield was fierce, so I knew it was pointless doing the tempos in that direction.
The tempo miles were mostly down North Road with a tail wind - the last one was mostly into a headwind at the turn for the Zoo.
As it was downhill & a tailwind - I upped the pace a bit to compensate. - 1 min recovery is criminal!

I started the 10m easy section going up Military hill, S Bends and then into the war memorial gardens before doing a loop back to Whites Gate via the North Road. The bits into the wind were tough - but the pace was still good.

The 2nd set of tempo miles were a bit more difficult - especially the 1st one - the body got used to running at a pace - then you work to change it.
Kept the tempos with a tailwind as much as possible - again, the last mile was kinda into the wind after turning at the zoo.

Done a good 3 mile warm down. Didn't take any gels or water during the run and didn't have any slog miles during CD.

Tempo miles:
1st set: 5.55 / 5.58 / 5.57 / 5.58
2nd Set: 6.07 / 6.08 / 6.06 / 6.10

10 miles in between: 7:40-7.45?

Finished off with 24 miles in 2.57.59 (7.25 pace)

Another thought entered my head driving home - this was only the 2nd time running for that amount of time that I haven't cramped.

Happy with the session - I hadn't planned on running 24 miles, that bit just happened by accident - the tempo miles broke it up nicely.
A bit surprised by the reaction on Strava - it wasn't that difficult a session - I done 2 harder ones previously (2x2mT / 10m E/ 3mT) + (5/4/3/2/1 at MP).

I have an entry for the Balbriggan HM next week - Its too close to Rotterdam to race it, so I might use it as a session - unfamiliar roads, doing MP, drinking, gels etc.
I also have a nice juicy session midweek 5E/3T/5E/3T/2E.

76miles for the week - this will be my peak mileage.

overpronator

Did Balbriggan a couple of years back as a MP session, course is up and down quite a bit, definitely not one to race but would be an honest workout.

AuldManKing

Monday: a few 'local' miles followed by some S&C work - another good 30-40 mins.
4.8miles

Tuesday: A few miles down to the Run Hub to pick up some gels & zeros - filled the pockets and had a good chat with Mark & Sarah.
Got some good info from Mark around the impact that the Hip Flexors have on cramping hamstrings.

Got home and done some hip flexor stretching & release.

8.3miles @8.20 pace

Wednesday: Big midweek session - 5m E / 3mT / 5mE / 3mT / CD

I was going to do this on Thursday but my daughters GAA match was cancelled - freeing up some time before my older daughters GAA match - GAA season is back in full swing!

I drove down to the PP and set off on the Warm up loop - I tested a few surges into the wind - too tough - , so I knew that yet again, I'd be doing the tempos with a tailwind - 5 miles later - the body was ready for the 1st loop.

The 1st 3m Tempo went very well - maybe slightly too fast with the tailwind and the slight downhill on the North Road.

2nd 5m Easy piece was on the lumpy side of the park - Sure why not get the legs even more tired before another tempo!

I chose a different route for the 2nd tempo - The OS / Furze loop and down by the Odd Lamp Road finishing off right by a seat on the North road......lovely. The last mile on the 2nd tempo was a rewarding 6 min/mile - 1st 2 were slightly slower.
Obviously the 2nd tempo was tougher. Starting a tempo with 13 miles in the legs is no fun.
Daniels was a sadist.

2 nice miles back to the car, shower, eat and off to Thomas Davis for my older girls match - with time to stop off for a coffee and Donuts (plural) before the throw in - Home at 11pm!!

Paces for Tempo (18:05 / 18:24)

18.2 miles total - I reckon this was my longest ever midweek session.

ReeReeG

I've been really curious about your long runs and this longer run where you take on zero gels or water even... is that a conscious or strategic decision, or you just don't need them? Does it make any difference to recovery after these runs then?
For some reason, I feel like it would make recovery slower but I am probably wrong

AuldManKing

ReeReeG wrote: »

I've been really curious about your long runs and this longer run where you take on zero gels or water even... is that a conscious or strategic decision, or you just don't need them? Does it make any difference to recovery after these runs then?
For some reason, I feel like it would make recovery slower but I am probably wrong

Its a conscious decision now as I feel I don't need them - and I want to train low and then get the benefit of gels in a race.
But the transition to it was not deliberate - it just happened.

I was quite surprised how my 24 mile run went on Sunday without anything - I had a bag full of gels/electrolytes etc in the car just in case.
I expected my last couple of miles to be a slog, but they weren't - and I didn't need them.

I do recall a few years ago while out on 'easy' 20m runs (no stuff included) - I'd often feel the need to take 1 or 2 gels and stop for water during these.

I think as I've increased my mileage over the years, I've got used to longer runs and longer tougher sessions without any gels or water.

I'll take some gels in the coming sessions as I want to make sure that I've practised taking them at race pace.

ReeReeG

It's very impressive, and it must be nice to see the strength you've gained over the years judging by that element alone.
Your training on Strava is fascinating to follow anyway, hope it continues to go well up to the marathon (and beyond)!

RayCun

AuldManKing wrote: »

I'll take some gels in the coming sessions as I want to make sure that I've practised taking them at race pace.

Maurtens gels, isogels...?

coogy

AuldManKing wrote: »

Its a conscious decision now as I feel I don't need them - and I want to train low and then get the benefit of gels in a race.
But the transition to it was not deliberate - it just happened.

I was quite surprised how my 24 mile run went on Sunday without anything - I had a bag full of gels/electrolytes etc in the car just in case.
I expected my last couple of miles to be a slog, but they weren't - and I didn't need them.

I do recall a few years ago while out on 'easy' 20m runs (no stuff included) - I'd often feel the need to take 1 or 2 gels and stop for water during these.

I think as I've increased my mileage over the years, I've got used to longer runs and longer tougher sessions without any gels or water.

I'll take some gels in the coming sessions as I want to make sure that I've practised taking them at race pace.

Not comparing my running ability to yours in any way, but I have noticed of late that I don't feel as dependent on water and gels as I was a year ago.

I'm not looking to ditch them completely or anything, just something I noticed.

AuldManKing

RayCun wrote: »

Maurtens gels, isogels...?

Maurtens - for me they are a game changer - not sickly or anything - tasteless and a good consistency.

coogy wrote: »

Not comparing my running ability to yours in any way, but I have noticed of late that I don't feel as dependent on water and gels as I was a year ago.

I'm not looking to ditch them completely or anything, just something I noticed.

Yeah I think the more long runs and hard workouts you do, the body adapts to it.

I'll still take 5 or so gels in the Marathon.