Making every mile count

tang1 · 10-04-2017 12:49pm

The home of the diamond, you could make herself very happy!!!

Singer · 10-04-2017 12:50pm

Great running DR - looks like a well executed race (from the splits at least!). I love your attitude and approach to running, it's great that it comes out with phenomenal results like this (which I'm sure will be soon bettered).

dublin runner · 10-04-2017 1:01pm

tang1 wrote:

The home of the diamond, you could make herself very happy!!!

That has been mentioned more than once!

I am hoping to pick something up. There's an Argos in Antwerp, right?! Thinking I can stump up 30 euro. Pretty confident that will get me something big and shiny.

Singer wrote:

Great running DR - looks like a well executed race (from the splits at least!). I love your attitude and approach to running, it's great that it comes out with phenomenal results like this (which I'm sure will be soon bettered).

Thanks. Really appreciate the message!

davedanon · 10-04-2017 11:45pm

Congrats on Not Fcuking It Up.

kit3 · 11-04-2017 7:17am

Great running A - enjoy the rest of your trip

Duanington · 11-04-2017 11:28am

Well done A - another great result. Love the enthusiasm to get stuck back in too. Congrats and enjoy the recovery\break

dublin runner · 16-04-2017 5:19pm

April 2017: Another year, another marathon.

*Note to the reader: Please don't read if expecting a race report . You have been warned!

Earlier in the year I attended the Pendulum Summit in the Convention Centre, Dublin. As is my usual want, I attended the seminar with quite the degree of specticism. I usually choose to ignore the corporate 'motivational’ or 'inspirational’ jargon fuelled seminar environment. The first talk was by Dr. John Demartini, a world famous researcher, author and public speaker. To my shame, he was an individual unknown to me. Well, the incredible message he delivered amazed me. Mind blown. There goes your specticism, Anthony! Next up was Keith Cunningham, a straight talking American businessman. He was a complete contrast to the previous speaker. He was almost as impressive in his point; detailing in a refreshing tone the importance of leadership. One message stuck with me, resulting in me hastily jotting it on my notepad:

"Ordinary things consistently done produce extraordinary results."

I have taken this into my profession and yes, even into my running. After all, this is supposed to be a running blog! I believe many, including myself, focus too much on the ‘next race’ or the ‘next big session’. This to me is missing the big picture. I now try to focus on the overall picture; the wider goal, not just the next immediate race or target. Rotterdam 2017 was to be another stepping stone to hopefully achieving a far greater result in the future. If it doesn't materalise it won't be for a want of trying and so be it! I will never wear an Irish singlet but that doesn't mean I don't want to improve. 'Success' can be relative, even at my non-elite, club runner level.

The message is quite a simple one with no need to over elaborate: Do the right thing on a consistent basis. It doesn't need to be earth-shattering or unnecessarily complex, just try to do the basics well, day in and day out.

So, where will I start?

I guess I will open up with my location: it's 3pm on Thursday and I am on my second aircoach of the day. After a short seminar and workshop in Cork, I find myself on the road back to Dublin. The discussion point this morning was surprisingly apt. The first point of interest was the concept of an 'eco-system’. With my performance on Sunday still on the mind, the very idea became somewhat relevant to my training and running; the very idea of the strands or elements required in educational development soon led me to compare that very concept to running. What else?! Who and what does it take to perform? If we drew up a Venn diagram how may it appear? Athlete - training - club - coach etc. What is needed to create an environment or culture to succeed or as I prefer to say, be less rubbish?! As my consciousness meanders, this morning has cemented my initial reaction to Rotterdam 2017. I now fully believe I got a lot right but I didn't create the right environment on the day or in the training to maximise my potential. Simply explained: I put too much emphasise and responsibility on myself to perform. I was essentially a one man show when it came to training and on race day itself. I do things the hard way! I will never wear an Irish singlet but that doesn't mean I don't want to improve.

I digress! Apologies. The trip is taking it's time. I will follow up on that point when I have time to properly sit down and write up something approaching a coherent argument!

Maybe it's the three hour bus journey, maybe it's tiredness but most likely it's the copious amounts of Belgian beer consumed that has me *cough* waffling! We visited Antwerp after leaving Monday morning, sore and very tired. Antwerp was a city I knew little about. After spending two brilliant nights there, I can now fully recommend it. If you enjoy your food and beer it really is paradise. I shall return.

I took the decision in 2016 to forgo the appeal of an autumn marathon and train specifically for the 10km. The result, a 33.49 in the Seeley Cup, was very rewarding given the layoff with injury the month previous. Come December my appetite for the marathon distance was once again fuelled. The plan was a rinse and repeat cycle of the Magness plan, used to some success in the previous spring. Fast-forward a few months, a few hundred miles and the plan appeared to be once again working with PB runs across the 5km, 10km, 10 mile and half marathon distances. Training peaked with the traditional 3x(5m @MP, .5 @Steady). I reached taper in the good form; no excuses, no injury or any real niggle to talk about. I decided to change up proceeding by introducing a carbohydrate depletion diet from Sunday evening to Thursday evening. I found this tough at first, particularly whilst working and on work training sessions. I love my food so to eat endless salads was a tough chore (and I love salads). This surprisingly had an immediate affect. It managed to take the mind away from actually running, with a near obsessive/tunnel-visioned/compulsive thought process that revolved around bread, pasta, scones (I could go on) every 3 to 5 seconds! Who has time to be worrying about running 26.2 miles with that on their mind!

I arrived in Rotterdam on Friday evening. Thankfully, I was now back to regular eating so the energy levels had quickly returned to 100% after the carb-loaded Thursday dinner. Bliss. After a quick systems check on the 2.50 mile run on the Saturday I knew I was ready to go. Again, I had no excuses. I had nothing to complain about. With Emma arriving on Saturday evening I was looking forward to the company and to some non-running conversation topics. The arrival of the evening brought about a sudden change of mindset. I was doing my very best not to fall into my old ways and talk myself into very negative thoughts. It was a battle I was quickly losing to be frank. I was one happy man to put my head down and fall asleep. In comparison to previous years, I handled the anxiousness well. Part of me thinks I need it to focus the mind and body. The other part thinks it impedes my performance; wasting too much energy the day before fretting. It is just running after all.

I was up at 7am to do my usual 5 minute pre-race jog. I felt good. The temperature was dry and cool. It looked perfect. I was soon back to bed after a feed of dioralyte, porridge bread and weetabix. I was almost ready to go; just some electrolytes, dioralyte and a hit of beautiful coffee to see me out the apartment door. Like 2016, I made a mess of the coffee making, forced to use *cough* coffee pods. Distaster! After a bit of a panic I got some caffeine into the body and alighted our well located apartment at 9.40am. This was obviously a lot later then planned. I also forgot my watch but thankfully just about realised my error in time. A light jog brought me to the startline with plenty of time to spare. I wanted to start slowly so I expected to be nearing the back of the pen given my arrival time. I do think think this was a mistake in hindsight (I will go back to that point).

I did notice the slight increase in temperature but otherwise, conditions looked favourable and conducive to fast times. I also found myself in Coral C, not B. My mistake.

Bang! We are off!

dublin runner · 18-04-2017 1:51pm

Rotterdam Marathon 2017

Overall place: 68/13,063

Gross time: 2:36.32
Net time: 2:36.12

After the traditional rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' the gun sounded and it was business time. It took me an age to cross the line. In reality it only took 20 seconds but it really felt like a lifetime. Only minutes earlier I entered Coral C and not B, the section my 2016 qualified me for. It was too late to make it over to B so I went with it and entered the the packed pen. My biggest worry was that I hadn't protected the old nipples! I have never had problems in that area before but by wearing a white Donore singlet I very much risked the ignominy of a bloody singlet. Not a good look!

The start was somewhat frustrating; the constant slaloming of position looking for any free road. Now, this was part of the pre-race plan but in hindsight it was a foolish area on my part. After crossing the bridge the roads opened but the first blast of heat hit me. It wasn't that warm or that hot but coming from Ireland, any degree of heat is quite noticeable. I continued to pass people at a far old rate, never settling in a group or with anyone. I hoped I would naturally catch up with some similar paced runners later on in the race. I struggled to lock on to a satellite on the start line so my watch wasn't matching with the the markers. I had it at overall average pace so the plan was to work down to approximately 5.55 average for the first half. I exchanged a few words with Brian O'K before pushing on. I didn't feel fantastic but that usually isn't a bad thing starting out in a marathon. 5km: 18:57

I once more began to feel the morning sunshine after the first water station. Again, it wasn't exactly tropical but noticeable to this fair skinned Irish runner. I really struggled to get into a group or indeed, anyone running a similar pace. I was still passing a lot of people approaching the 10km marker. I took my first gel at the 8km marker and focused on running controlled and steady. I made a conscious decision to increase the effort after consuming the gel but eased back slightly when I began to sweat considerably more. In truth, I was already struggling to get into any sort of rhythm. 10km: 37:16 (18:19)

Now we approached the canal section, running directly into the sun. I managed briefly to align myself with fellow paced runners by the group imploded almost as soon as it formed! One runner pushed on while the others settled back on the gas. Sh1te. Back to running solo. The support up this point was fantastic but as always, the canal section is a quiet section. It is really a case of doing nothing stupid and let the distance tick over. The average pace had now settled on 5.57. The pace was slow but the effort levels were higher than they should have been. Running at that pace should have been very comfortable. The U-turn brought us to the 15km mark and the next water station. 15km: 56:02 (18:46)

The first real doubts surfaced after the water station. While I wasn't exactly struggling, the effort/pace ratio was very much off. I really began to notice the morning sun now and made every effort to take on liquids, electrolytes and use every sponge I could get my hands on! Gel 2 was consumed at the 16km mark. Now it was all about getting to halfway in once sweaty piece. 20km: 1.14:31 (18.29)

The road between the 21km sign and halfway took forever. The halfway clock was the first concrete confirmation of time and it made for bad reading. It confirmed that I just was not going well. The effort levels weren't rising, which was a big positive but I was simply off the mark. The head dropped when I saw the 1.18:5x time shown. I knew I had time in hand (chip vs. gun) but not that much time. This was not where I wanted to be. Not one bit. I was essentially a minute behind and not really savouring the prospect of running another 13 or so miles. Snap out of it, man! Just run! Halfway: 1.18:33 (chip)

Welcome to the Death Zone!

Miles 13-20 can be the toughest mentally. With a long way to still go, this section is all about playing it smart and hopefully putting yourself in a position to nail the last 10km. Thiis section is a blur in the memory. All I can recall is attempting to put the inner demons to bed and just run.I was looking forward to reentering the city and seeing Emma at the 29km mark. I really wasn't in a good place. In saying that, I also wasn't in a bad place! I was though struggling to run to my ability, again never reaching a sense of rhythm and being at one with the road. I was in auto-pilot, hoping the training would take me to the finish line. It was a strange and odd experience. 25km: 1:32.59 (18:28)

On reflection, the splits look remarkably consistent. The only problem? How slow they were! By the 25km marker, I had stopped sweating. This is usually a big red flag but I never felt under-hydrated of lacking in anything. My body had obviously stopped trying to cool itself! I was still very much running solo and once again on further reflection, this probably led to my flat performance. I did though join a small pack for all of 25 metres around the 23km point so I enjoyed the briefest company! The bridge ahead meant the last real climb of the day and brought with it an incredible level of support! It was just class. With each passing year, the support just grows and grows. I was excited about reaching Emma and the highly caffeinated drink and gel she had with her! As good as her word she was in the usual spot. A class act.
30km: 1:51.35 (18:36)

Now began the real race. With a mere 12km to go I could now finally start feeling the finish line. There was no doubt I would PB but I didn't feel I could attack the road as I had planned. There wasn't anything in the legs. Both legs were stuck in 3rd gear and didn't want to entertain anything faster! There was to be no champagne running today. Not even Buck's Fizz running! I was careful to take a gel every 8km and take onboard dioraltye and electrolytes. I knew I wasn't going to hit the wall or be picked off by a sniper (cramp) but I just couldn't grab the race by the scruff of the neck. I was the one one passing out people but not because I was speeding up. I was that grumpy stubborn runner, just grinding out the distance in a respectful but mundane way. 35km: 2:10.09 (18:34)

I have found memories of these roads. If you are in a good place here (Kralingse Plas) you can really make up some time. I couldn't. Sure, the legs were tired but after 22 miles I should hope so! The right turn meant the final last bit of road to push. With only 6km remaining, it was really now or never. The watch remained stuck on 5.56 by the point. Not good. I wasn't slowing or speeding up, just eeking out the last bit of distance in an unflattering manner. Part of me wished to be struggling; hanging on to the pace and on for a great time. That takes courage and guts. Running your heart out takes balls. Me? I ran 20 odd miles frightened. 40km: 2:28.35 (18:26)

I made somewhat of a token effort to up the pace and effort over the last 2km. Don't get me wrong! I was working but boy I was flat.

I got to the startline in the shape of my life. I simply did not run the race of my life. Disappointed? Yes. I was 3 minutes off the mark today. I just do not think the slow start, heat and solo running running helped my cause this morning. They of course are excuses. I know the real reason. I just didn't run with an conviction or confidence.

On balance it was an acceptable time and performance and one I have learned so much from. Of course I wanted to run faster (2.33/2.34) but it really does come down to one day. I'll be back stronger than ever, having taken a lot of experience and knowledgeable from the training and particularly in this case, from race day itself.

Rotterdam 2017: 2.36:12 (Splits: 1.18:33/1.17:39)

Krusty_Clown · 21-04-2017 9:39pm

Well done Anthony. Every 3 minutes you whip off your PB is taking you one notch closer to the World Record! I've celebrated one second marathons PBs, so don't be too hard on yourself. Next time - go for broke. Sub 2:30 and have faith in it.

AuldManKing · 22-04-2017 11:00pm

Pulled this from page 1 - "all those years ago" in 2013. I think things were in black and white then - I dont think colour TV's were invented

2013 saw big improvements, particularly from August onward (here I began coaching sessions). My PB for the half marathon dropped to 1.24:28 (Athlone Flatline) and the possibility of a sub-three hour marathon became a real possibility. Training went well and I peaked with a 90 mile week three weeks out from the goal race of 2013.

The plan for Dublin this year was simple, run with the 3hr pacers until Mile 20, let the pack do the work and hopefully push on. I knew I was in good shape and secretly thought a 2.56.xx was a really possibility, although never sharing this with the coach! The plan was executed perfectly to Mile 20 and I felt strong. Here is where I wanted to gradually wind things up and finish strong, bringing the miles down to the 6.20’s. Unfortunately, cramp struck from nowhere at mile 22. What a time for your first ever leg cramp! I dug in and motored on. To be honest I was in pain. The pace never slowed though and I finished in 2.58:53. I was delighted but annoyed at the same time. I was full of energy but cramp stopped me cruising to the time I secretly wanted.

To run the race you did and not be happy should be a criminal offence

- I get you wanted 3 mins (at least) more, but it was still a PB - you ran the fastest Marathon of your life.
What I notice about your report from the DCM in '13 (only 3.5 yrs ago btw!!!) was the lack of satisfaction - you were still annoyed.
Maybe this is what drives you on in training, but maybe its also holding you back in races - you 'nearly' always seem to be unsatisfied with race performances - why is that?

you are a superb runner, with plenty of time on your side to improve.
I hope you can keep the satisfaction burning to keep it going for many years to come - without doubt in a couple of years, you'll look back on this and laugh as your performances will continue to improve.

24-04-2017 10:08am

dublin runner wrote: »

After a bit of a panic I got some caffeine into the body and alighted our well located apartment at 9.40am. This was obviously a lot later then planned. I also forgot my watch but thankfully just about realised my error in time. A light jog brought me to the startline with plenty of time to spare. I wanted to start slowly so I expected to be nearing the back of the pen given my arrival time. I do think think this was a mistake in hindsight (I will go back to that point).

I did notice the slight increase in temperature but otherwise, conditions looked favourable and conducive to fast times. I also found myself in Coral C, not B. My mistake.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

On the morning of the race, I got up to the sound of my alarm at 6am, after a pretty sleepless night, and ate the cold porridge I had soaked overnight (I leave nothing to chance!), before falling back to sleep for a rare stolen hour. I headed out for a two mile run, knowing that a warm-up before the race would be next to impossible. The pace was easy, but my HR was surprisingly high, and I feared that the chest-infection had already bedded in and breathing (and as a consequence HR) would be an issue during the race. Too late for compromise now though. Mentally committed, I headed off in the bright sunshine in the direction of the start line, just after 9am.

I hit a near-empty pen B, at around 9:20am and was glad of the opportunity to be able to grab a portaloo with some convenience.

DR feel free to tell me where to go or whatever you feel appropriate but I can't help be drawn to the two sections above your report and krusty's report. You train and race like an elite for races like this but time and again we see stuff like the above in your report prior to the beginning of the race.

Maybe just maybe if you put some extra emphasis on the pre race preperations it will make a difference. It is all about the 1%ers at the level you are now at. A novice could be expected to find their way into the wrong coral, or left it late to leave or forgotten their watch but you are putting too much into every other aspect of it to allow mistakes like this compromise your performance.

Well done again. You are running times most can never aspire to.

dublin runner · 26-04-2017 4:03pm

Exactly wrote: »

DR feel free to tell me where to go or whatever you feel appropriate but I can't help be drawn to the two sections above your report and krusty's report. You train and race like an elite for races like this but time and again we see stuff like the above in your report prior to the beginning of the race.

Maybe just maybe if you put some extra emphasis on the pre race preperations it will make a difference. It is all about the 1%ers at the level you are now at. A novice could be expected to find their way into the wrong coral, or left it late to leave or forgotten their watch but you are putting too much into every other aspect of it to allow mistakes like this compromise your performance.

Well done again. You are running times most can never aspire to.

I read that message and it annoys me. It annoys me because it's exactly my feeling, almost three weeks after the event. It annoys me because I know it to be true and well, that's annoying!

I think you hit the nail on the head with the message. Thanks for taking the time to write it up. I totally agree with it all and it's something I should refer back to before the next marathon outing.

Listen, I am a last minute guy. Part of me must enjoy the adrenaline buzz or something. I have always been the same but that's an excuse of sorts. I should know better by this stage and to get in the wrong coral was obviously a bad mistake on my part. This in hindsight meant missing my 'natural' placing within the race. Would it have meant a better result (right coral)? I don't know but I have a sneaky suspicion it may have had.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

AuldManKing wrote: »

Pulled this from page 1 - "all those years ago" in 2013. I think things were in black and white then - I dont think colour TV's were invented

2013 saw big improvements, particularly from August onward (here I began coaching sessions). My PB for the half marathon dropped to 1.24:28 (Athlone Flatline) and the possibility of a sub-three hour marathon became a real possibility. Training went well and I peaked with a 90 mile week three weeks out from the goal race of 2013.

The plan for Dublin this year was simple, run with the 3hr pacers until Mile 20, let the pack do the work and hopefully push on. I knew I was in good shape and secretly thought a 2.56.xx was a really possibility, although never sharing this with the coach! The plan was executed perfectly to Mile 20 and I felt strong. Here is where I wanted to gradually wind things up and finish strong, bringing the miles down to the 6.20’s. Unfortunately, cramp struck from nowhere at mile 22. What a time for your first ever leg cramp! I dug in and motored on. To be honest I was in pain. The pace never slowed though and I finished in 2.58:53. I was delighted but annoyed at the same time. I was full of energy but cramp stopped me cruising to the time I secretly wanted.

To run the race you did and not be happy should be a criminal offence - I get you wanted 3 mins (at least) more, but it was still a PB - you ran the fastest Marathon of your life.
What I notice about your report from the DCM in '13 (only 3.5 yrs ago btw!!!) was the lack of satisfaction - you were still annoyed.
Maybe this is what drives you on in training, but maybe its also holding you back in races - you 'nearly' always seem to be unsatisfied with race performances - why is that?

you are a superb runner, with plenty of time on your side to improve.
I hope you can keep the satisfaction burning to keep it going for many years to come - without doubt in a couple of years, you'll look back on this and laugh as your performances will continue to improve.

Thanks Alan, a very nice reply to read. I see you have noticed a trend! I know at this stage it must annoy anyone reading this log; the trend of disappoint or under-performance. By heck, it annoys me! I am a bit of a moan at the best of times but underneath it all, I am a realist. Er! I honestly call it how I see it. While I may be very enthusiastic and optimistic discussing someone else's times and achievements, I am constantly in a state of constant analysis on my own training and races. I think this is borne from my background in music and music performance. There everything is analysed to death!

I love training and I love racing. It something I happily give up so much of my time for and make a lot of sacrifices for. Running gives me so much and I never would want anyone to think otherwise!

When I ran 3.46 in my first marathon did I ever think I could or ever would run under 3 hours? Not a hope! In fact, I thought that marathon was it so to be still at it, 4 years on and 70 minutes faster, gives me so much satisfaction I cannot even attempt to explain.

While I chase times and placing, I put most of my emphasis on simply pushing myself to my very limit. Wherever that gets me, so be it! So, while 2.36 was a good time I just didn't push myself hard enough and that grates at me. Had I emptied the tank and ran 2.39 or whatever I could hobble away from the result, knowing that my very best on the day, Can I say that about Rotterdam 2017? I just can't.

Performance first, result second.

Onwards and bloody upwards.......please God!

(Now, stop running 6.98 miles :pac:...)

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Well done Anthony. Every 3 minutes you whip off your PB is taking you one notch closer to the World Record! I've celebrated one second marathons PBs, so don't be too hard on yourself. Next time - go for broke. Sub 2:30 and have faith in it.

Still chasing you, old man..........:D:D:D

Murph_D · 26-04-2017 11:05pm

Murph_D wrote: »

G'luck. Get there early for a change.

I refer you also to the above.

dublin runner · 28-04-2017 3:57pm

Murph_D wrote: »

I refer you also to the above.

Haha......definitely a 'told you so' moment! :pac:

dublin runner · 28-04-2017 4:17pm

There is very little to gain from logging my recent training. With that said, I now feel ready to ease myself back into structured training after not feeling the love for running in the week or so after the race. So, what's the plan going forward? Well the real big goal is Berlin 2018 but that's way too far away to even start thinking about! Next month I race the 10,000m on the track (Dublin Championships). I can only imagine the pain it will bring on! The goal is to very much PB and target 32.30/32.45. Now, a lot will depend on how I adapt to track running. I probably only track train 4 times a year on average so with that in mind, I will also do the 5,000m @10km pace in two weeks. I just now need to a) train b) train c) train! Also, I need spikes but mainly I need to, you guessed it, TRAIN!

I have already pencilled in a autumn marathon as I really cannot see myself doing Rotterdam or London in the first half of next year. If I can seriously dent my half marathon time off 10km training in the summer I will make a full assault on the 26.2 miles in October.

Looking back on my training there still is very little I would change. The two things would be 1) Lose more weight and really focus on the diet. This is probably the greatest area in which to get faster. 2) Pick better runners. I wore the Asics Racer 10 for the marathon. Although a light shoe, they were just too rigid and heavy, adding to the general sense if flatness on the day. I just could not get one of the best shoes ever made (Hyperspeed) online or anywhere in Ireland. We are taking about very marginal/minimal gains but they all add up and if my runner choice accounts for even a performance gain of even 1-3% I would be mad not to put more emphasis on making the right choice.

I am back on the horse and with no Wings for Life like in 2016, it will hopefully be a very fruitful start to the summer!

dublin runner · 15-05-2017 4:13pm

A very quick update.

I am gradually upping the workload; increasing the miles, adding more bite to every session and eating less rubbish. The latter being the hardest thing! I am experienced to know at this stage that if you rush back too quickly it comes back to bite you in a serious way come the summer so with that firmly in the mind, the last month has been pretty relaxed, still getting in 50 to 60 mile weeks but definitely going easier on myself.

Two races of note:

Arc Cancer Support 5km - May 1st

A great cause and a race I like to support. This race has become somewhat on annual 'get your a$$ back into racing' type of run/race'. Oh my. What a shock to the system it turned out to be! With literally no speed sessions of fast running over the previous month I knew it was going to be painful. It did not disappoint! I lined up and felt pretty good. I stupidly wore a t-shirt and hat. Why the hat I will never know. We very quickly caught up to the tail end of the 10km and negotiated a careful path through all the runners. I soon caught up with the 10km leaders at the 1km marker and didn't fancy hanging around so I chased down the Garda escort. I could sense the 5km runners just behind me but decided just to run hard and see where that got me. I had no idea about paces, especially as my inner-pacing metronome was obsolete given the previous 4 weeks of living the fat mans dream! The body felt pretty decent passing the 2km marker and approaching the Furry Glen. I really REALLY wanted to dump the hat but didn't want to go back and collect later. The hat is in ribbons and is the one hat I am happy to lose but can never manage to put it out of it's misery. Sentimental reasons perhaps.The climb up the Lower Glen road was painful enough, especially as I could sense someone chasing me down. Leave me alone! The last 2km was a right grind-fest. I wasn't exactly struggling but I was definitely looking forward to the finish line. Actually, I was struggling! The last 500m up the Furze Road has to be the longest stretch of road in the country. I knew he was closing and I had to look around once or twice to make sure. Leave me alone! Leave the unfit runner alone.

Time: 16.29

A surprisingly respectful time given the course and my current fitness levels. Not the worst place to be.

Dublin Graded Meet - May 10th

-5,000m

With the goal to run the 10,000m on the track at the end of the month, I toed the line with little expectation. Maybe I was too relaxed as usually I need the bit of pre-race edge to get me going. The start time, 9.15pm, was stupendously late, leaving me an age to get ready after arriving home at 6pm. What a drag! Conditions in Tallaght looked ideal; dry and calm. This made a nice change to the last few sessions ticked off on the same track since the Arc 5km. I was keen to test myself on the track and target consistent 78ish seconds splits. hopefully bringing me in 16.20 or thereabouts. I wasn't willing nor able to empty the tank/go to the well tonight so I aimed for a good old fashioned hard effort. After the hectic enough start I soon settled into a small group, trailing Luke and a runner unknown to me. After a few laps I took the lead and kept up the effort and pace. The laps began to quickly tick off but the complete lack of zip in the legs was very evident. I never once struggled, just monotonously ticked off the legs in quite the boring manner, I was neither in a good nor bad place, just in the vacuum of running hard. I crossed the line content in a job well done (again given my current fitness levels). Luke stormed by on the last lap. I will give him his moment in the sun :P. So, 10 seconds off the PB and a heap of work to do to run well on the 24th. I hope to run close enough to the same pace but for twice the distance. Here is hoping!

Time: 16.19

Next Up: 10,000m on May 24th and Staff Relays May 25th (ouch!)

The aim over the summer is to race quite a bit and target a 32.xx 10km, 15.4x 5k and 1.12 Half Marathon. Famous last words me thinks!

AuldManKing · 15-05-2017 11:06pm

thats great going to be within 10 seconds of the PB after being 'fatboy' for a few weeks!!
Great going.

dublin runner · 16-05-2017 11:32am

AuldManKing wrote: »

thats great going to be within 10 seconds of the PB after being 'fatboy' for a few weeks!!
Great going.

That's one way to look at it! I prefer to view it as 30-45 seconds off where I probably should be! Just need to get to hurting again. I am in still in self-protection mode

....

Well done at the weekend.

dublin runner · 07-06-2017 10:54am

So, with two 'mare runs on the track (5,000m and 10,000m) I am back to real training in June. The track was such a brilliant learning curve and one I hope to continue by man, it's a different beast; a physiological test over a truly physical one (if that makes sense!). After being beaten up, down and around the 12.5/25 laps I have to get my house in order and get fit again. Properly fit. No messing around! Also, seeing some really good results by my racing peers has reawaken my hibernating self.

The last few weeks have ticked by, usually ticking off a few sessions in 60-70 miles per week. I did do the Staff Relays (5km) the day after the 10,000m so I wasn't exactly slacking!

Last week:

29/5: 13 Miles Easy @7.14p/m inc. 5x30sec strides
30/5: 13.50 Miles Easy @7.14p/m
31/5: 11.35+ Miles inc. 15x400m ~1min rec (74sec average)
1/6: AM: 6 Miles Very Easy @7.45p/m AM: 6.50 Miles Easy @7.04p/m
2/6: 10.25 Miles Easy @7.09p/m
3/6: 8.25+ inc. 1,600m @10km, 600m @3km, 1,200m @5km, 400m @1,500m, 800m @5km ~3min rec (very honest splits -very tough!)
4/6: Long Easy Run: 16.25 Miles @7.04p/m

WEEK TOTAL: 85.10+ MILES

Bring the summer on!

dublin runner · 12-06-2017 12:47pm

With a busy weekend on the cards, I needed to front load the miles this week. In truth, I found it pretty tough, with the right leg seriously protesting on Saturday. The week revolved around two key sessions, with everything else easy and/or very easy. My big weakness is speed and speed endurance, particularly over the 3km/5km distances. The plan is to concentrate on that weakness over the next weeks before transitioning over to the longer stuff in the autumn. The two sessions proved quite tough. The session on Wednesday looked like a challenging one on paper so I was very happy to have company on the the grass loop around the Polo Grounds in the Park. I settled into a nice grove over the first number of laps, enjoying the perfect underfoot conditions. We planned on hitting 5.30 miles and I was happy to take the lead and forget about the watch. After 4 laps in the wind and rain, Rossa took over and I let him get a few metres on me. The gap increased over the next 2 laps before I manned up and slightly made ground on him. As a 15.45 5km man, I know he is a good benchmark on my own running, with him in good form and ahead of me by a fair degree. The 6km flew by and the pain of the 1min efforts were definitely felt on the tired body. A crackin' session.

The 17 mile run on Friday had to be done early as a long 190 mile drive down to Clonakilty was on the cards for the weekend. Once arrived, I could barely get of the the car. The right knee completely seized up. I was definitely concerned but vowed to plough on the next day and call it a day if the leg did not loosen out. The session looked very hard and I was ever so slightly dreading it, especially on uncharted Cork rural roads! The 300m reps I substituted for 1min efforts as I knew, without the benefit of the track, the watch would have been next to useless for such short reps. The session was painful! The opening and closing 1km repeats proved very tough, as did the matter of the 10x1min reps in the middle! The wind was laughable in places but the effort was most certainly there. The leg was good, thank fook

.

The next big goal is Kilcock and serious attack on the 5km personal best. I hope to get to a race next week but with a very busy weekend it will be tough.

5/6: AM: 4.25 Miles Very Easy @7.30p/m PM: 10 Miles Easy @7.19p/m
6/6: AM: 7 Miles Easy @7.24p/m PM: 6 Miles Easy @7.04p/m

7/6: w/u 2.90+ miles @7.36p/m, 6km @LT @5.33p/m ~2.45 jog rec +4x(1min@1mile, 1min jog recovery), w/d 2 miles @7.05p/m

8/6: AM: 6.25 Miles Recovery @8.00p/m PM: 5 Miles Easy @7.30p/m
9/6: 17 Miles Easy @7.19p/m (longest ever run on empty!)

10/6: 1km @3km-5km pace (5.09p/m) ~1.50 rec, 10x(300m @1mile, 50sec recovery) ~1.50 recovery, 1km @3km-5km pace (5.05p/m), w/d 5 Miles Very Easy @7.36p/m

11/6: 8 Miles Easy @7.12p/m

WEEK TOTAL: 83.80+ MILES

dublin runner · 19-06-2017 9:47pm

I was due a mixed week and sure enough, I got it!

I am now officially watchless (well, asides from my trusty Casio) so I am finding it hard to gauge paces and distances. I do have 'markers' along some of my much used routes that help me ascertain to a certain extent my progression but asides from that, I find myself being somewhat tough on myself and definitely underestimating the length of the runs. The weekends, as per usual, are somewhat tricky at the moment with work so I have found myself front-loading the miles to an extent to the earlier part of the week.

No racing this. Head down, getting fitter and sharper.

Monday 12/6

AM: 6.30 Miles Easy @7.24p/m
PM: 8 Miles Easy @7.14p/m inc. 6x10sec hill sprints ~full rec

Tuesday 13/6

AM: 5.25 Miles Easy @7.24p/m
PM: 8 Miles Easy @7.1xp/m (the run that finished off the Polar - another one bites the dust!)

Wednesday 14/6

Session: 6x(600m @3km, 1.50 rec), 5min jog rec, 3x(300m @800m, 3.30 jog rec)

11.50+ Miles

A session of pure quality and one quite unfamiliar to my good self! The 600m reps felt very good and very much in control. The beauty of running in a large pack; running at their true ability and training pace was really felt tonight. It was so good to have such a great group out tonight, no showboating, just good old fashioned hard training. Yes, I really enjoyed it! The reps came in very consistently at 1.50 each, give or take a half second. The 300m reps? Well, quite the shock to a man more used to grinding out training runs and races. The effort felt tough and I soon found myself resigned to propping up the rear of the pack (zilch leg turnover). Again, the reps were consistent (50,48,48) and a good race day simulation (kick for home). A few miles around the Park made for the best nights training in quite some time.

With so may good results spring up recently, it really has become a case of do or die with regards to training and racing. There is no option but to put in the work because if you don't, there's no point even trying to compete. Even at the hobby-jogging level, you have to train hard

.

Thursday 15/6

AM: 5 Miles Recovery @8.10p/m (est.)
PM: 8 Miles Easy (out to my 4 mile mark and back for a swim - glorious!)

dublin runner · 27-06-2017 12:29pm

Time and energy levels were very much against me this weekend. Session pushed back to Monday to accommodate.

Friday 16/6

5.50 Miles Easy

Saturday 17/6

10 Miles Easy @7.30p/m

Sunday 18/6

Long Easy Run
-16.50+ Miles (2.05.30)

WEEK TOTAL: 84.15+ MILES

Monday 19/6

Session: 800m, 3x1,500m, 800m (kick at end) @5km

11.50+ Miles +drills/strides

There was simply way in all that was holy was I in any condition to do the session as penned. I decided to ease back the 1,500m reps to 10km effort as a) it was very warm b) I was very tired and lastly c) I was incredibly tired! Needs must so I jogged over to the cinder, apprehensive and yes, tired!

Splits: 2.36, 5.05, 5.04, 5.03, 5.31

As one can see, the paces were slow this morning. The heat and fatigue meant for slow paces, even if the effort was certainly there. Er! The average pace for the 1,500m repetitions came in at 5.26, which is just about my 10 mile race pace from earlier this year. The 800m efforts came in at 5.13 and 5.04 per mile, somewhat better but needless to say, the session as planned today was not on the cards so a smart move to readjust the old paces.

Tuesday 20/6

AM: 6 Miles Recovery @8.00p/m (no watch)
PM: 6 Miles Easy @7.14p/m (new charger - back on the watch train!)

Wednesday 21/6

AM: 5.25 Miles Very Easy @7.42p/m
PM: 8.50 Miles Easy @7.10p/m -inc. 8x30sec progressive strides

Oh my! The heat meant the PM run was one sweaty mess! Not a good look.

Thursday 22/6

10.25 Miles Easy @7.12p/m

Friday 23/6

AM: 4.25 Miles Very Easy @7.34p/m
PM: 5 Miles Easy @7.10p/m

Saturday 24/6

Rest Day (1st since the 3 day break after the marathon)

Friday night was a rare night off which meant a key opportunity to finally give my friend's house a good warming! It was a long night/morning so the motivation was at an all time low to get out and train. I finally gave in an enjoyed an afternoon without the runners before work. The drive home from work was the bleakest in memory, the body just shutdown despite feeling ok during the day. A big reminder on the importance of rest, particularly when training hard(ish) and driving at a late hour. The short 90 mile drive was beyond tough: time to start looking after the body a bit more. A good wake up call (excuse the pun!)

Sunday 25/6

So, on hitting the bed at 2.45am I set the alarm for 6.50 with the idea of meeting up with one of the many groups taking to the roads this morning. How stupid! Optimistic or stupid, you choose! I enjoyed the small sleep in and hit the roads, pointing my cheap K-Swiss (crackin' shoe) runners in the direction of the cinder track. The easy option this morn would have been to slog out a 16-18 mile run but on I pressed, with one of my two sharpening sessions before Kilcock. I arrived at the track only to see some sort of community games take place! Disaster! No hiding place today so after a few drills and strides I was soon a few laps in, with parents and kids creating my own little audience. The session itself was a good one surprisingly.

Session: 1m @10km, 1,200m @5k, 800m @3k, 400@'fast' ~rec 2.40 (reducing by 10 sec a rep)

Splits: 5.17 (32.50 10km pace), 3.50 (5.08 - 15.58 5k pace), 2.30 (5.02 - 9.25 3k pace), 69sec (4.37)

15+ Miles (in total) -inc.drills/strides

WEEK TOTAL: 71.75+ MILES

OOnegative · 30-06-2017 8:48pm

Nice racing this evening, that a first time in the 15's for 5k?

Rockyman7 · 30-06-2017 10:49pm

OOnegative wrote: »

Nice racing this evening, that a first time in the 15's for 3mile?

dublin runner · 01-07-2017 9:23am

3.11 miles....Anto didn't measure it so I know it's accurate! Haha.....

Yeah, a 13 second PB so very happy. There was effectively a 15.5x pacing group which helped dragged my marathon trained legs around. A seriously good race, with excellent depth. Great to PB and to come 17th, with so many just infront and behind.

I may hate the 5km distance a bit less this morn! 5km running is such a learned skill, a skill I hope to impove on in July.

Crackin' race. Very highly recommended.

adrian522 · 01-07-2017 9:43am

dublin runner wrote: »

Crackin' race. Very highly recommended.

Agreed !

dublin runner · 01-07-2017 3:53pm

Friday 30/6

St.Cocas 5km

17th - 15.56

The traditional morning shuffle/pre-race warm-up was a pretty grim affair, taking in many laps of the tiny square located very close to my door. As beautiful as it is, I hate this type of run. Sure, it serves a very useful purpose but the mind never wanders from the task at hand that night. Unscathed and feeling pretty lethargic I soon arrived home, completing 2 or so garmin confused miles (the usual running through houses etc.). Feeling like a sack of gone off spuds usually bodes well for the race itself so no worries on my part. I left the house at half 12, with a few meetings before taking myself off to to Kilcock. Usually I prefer to keep the day of a race as free as humanly possible but I am intent on making racing less stressful and more enjoyable, as it should be!

The plan tonight? Well, there was no plan. Quite simply it was run hard and see where that took me. I knew the standard tonight would be good, with a large Donore contingent targeting the race. I particularly love these types of clubs races; good honest races, well organised and a nice deep field. You really cannot beat it. The few laps of the cinder, while scoping out the field, brought me to registration. I was hopeful of a decent run as I felt in good nick. No complaints. It was also great to see so many club singlets in attendance. I knew I would have a good group to work off.

The race was soon underway. I found myself in a pretty bad spot, despite being in the front row. I think I am rusty because I just ain't used to arms, elbows and traffic cones impeding my progress! The race soon settled after the right turn; a number of people to target just ahead, I thought to myself. Ah, the pace! The pace felt bloody unnerving! What the flip?! I was in 30-40th position after the opening few hundred of metres. I slightly panicked as I genuinely thought I wouldn't catch the group I simply had to catch just ahead. The 15.5x train was just ahead and I was a late arrival on the platform. The watch on my left wrist was to be just a weight impediment as I didn't look at it once during the race. I knew where I had to be, I didn't need no garmin to tell me! F1ck off negative thoughts, not today.

The race soon became a bit old blur. A blur of running hard and trying not to do something stupid. The opening mile beeped, I dare not look. I was on the coattails of the aforementioned pack, clinging on in for dear life. The other option was simply too grim to think about. I am very much a strength based runner, generally relying of my decent endurance and stubbornness. I knew I had to go out hard as I don't have the skill set to up the pace over the shorter stuff. Sure, I can I go from 5.50s to 5.40s in the marathon but there is no way I can go from 5.10s to something faster over the 5,000m distance. I just do not have the turnover. It's really a case of going out hard and clinging on in there.

The right hand turn took past the 1 mile mark and here is where the memory vanishes. I was running well, focusing on not losing the lads ahead. They were all race sharp. Me? I was as sharp as a rusty nail. Conditions were favourable and conducive to fast running. I got confused with the road marking. I soon coped on the distances markers were decreasing, not increasing as usual. A really good group formed here but the climb and fall over the M4 broke the group up somewhat. Again, I was clinging on in there. Nothing more. The watch beeped once more and here is where I lost the plot somewhat. I lost the pack, content that keeping them in my eye meant running a good time. I must have lost 10-12 seconds over the 3rd mile due to settling and not pushing myself more. While disappointing I guess it was somewhat expected given I hadn't raced the distance in sucha long time. I switched off and was slightly going thought the motions (pain motions but not redline motions). The left turn meant we only had 800 or so metres to go. I just could not muster up the energy to push myself more. That 3rd mile in hindsight was my bad mile. I upped the pace somewhat with 400m to go but the damage was done. I saw the clock at 15.35 and raised the effort levels to secure a sub 16.

15.56 was a really positive time given where I am at the moment. It's a very respectful time and a time that brings a lot of satisfaction. If I can just hang on in there a bit more the next time I know I will improve on that time. I guess it's called pain endurance! I lacked that killer competitive streak that really only comes from practice. It will come, no doubt. I didn't end up racing anyone in particular. I was too be racing myself!

I was just so happy to be out racing again. Nothing beats it!

AuldManKing · 01-07-2017 4:28pm

I'm so disappointed DR - It sounds like you might actually be (a little?) satisfied with a race performance

dublin runner · 01-07-2017 10:27pm

AuldManKing wrote: »

I'm so disappointed DR - It sounds like you might actually be (a little?) satisfied with a race performance

I'm softening in my old age!

I've long since realised that as runners we think a certain time for a certain distance is 'fast'. Hopefully we eventually reach that 'fast' time, we carefully nurtured and obsessed about. But! (There's always a but!) Once we realised that time we longer think it's a) fast b) any good and lastly c) something worth settling for. We then move onto the next target, the next 'fast' time, the next arbitrary time persuit.

Repeat the cycle on loop.

I know realise I will never that perfect time or placing. Finally, I am happy with that. Doing something I enjoy and love is far more important I guess.

So, onto the next target!

dublin runner · 03-07-2017 8:31pm

One of my best weeks in a long time. I feel like I am approaching something like good form and more importantly, I am very much enjoying it. It's hard to not concentrate on mileage but as long as I am getting a decent amount in I am happy enough. While 70-80 miles per week is far from high mileage, it feels just about right for this time of year.

Monday 26/6

12 Miles Easy @7.20p/m

Tuesday 27/6

AM

5 Miles Easy @7.24p/m

PM

6 Miles inc. 2x1,200m (400m @Tempo, 400m @5km, 400m @Tempo) ~3min easy rec, 2x100m strides

A sharpening session before Fridays race (club schedule). As I did this along the coast the splits are kind of all over the shop but the effort and pace was there! I always feel like a right idiot doing this type of running in full glare of the Dublin traffic and pedestrians :pac:......

Wednesday 28/6

8 Miles Easy @7.27p/m

Keepin' easy, easy. This really did feel like a jog. I wisely took the decision to leave the car in the city and avoid rush hour traffic. 8 miles of easy running and I still beat the car (and the OH

) home.

Thursday 29/6

5 Miles Very Easy @7.43p/m

Friday 30/6

AM

2 Mile Shakeout @8.10p/m

PM

-2+ Miles w/u +drills/strides
-St. Cocas 5km - 17th 15.56 (13sec PB)
-1.25+ Mile w/d

Saturday 1/7

13.50 Miles
-inc. half marathon in 1.29:45 (pacing duties)

All good. No bother (even after a few PB beers!)

Sunday 2/7

Long Easy Run
-17 Miles @7.17p/m

On empty - very tired after a late work night but legs in very good order. An afternoon of watching Kerry humble Cork is always an afternoon well spent!

WEEK TOTAL: 74.75+ MILES

In with the new, out with the old. For the past number of weeks I had been following the excellent club schedule. While it served a fantastic purpose I have finally decided and settled on a new approach. After many years winging it, to various degrees of <cough> improvement (still a jogger :rolleyes:), I look forward to handing over the reigns and to what I am told!

Monday 3/7

11+ Miles

Session: Pyramid 4x200m, 2x400m, 800m, 2x400m, 4x200m ~1min jog rec

Reps:
200m: 33,34, 34, 34
400m: 75, 74
800m: 2.28
400m: 74,73
200m: 34, 34, 35, 34

A good controlled session on the track in Tallaght with Luke. I could have upped the pace and effort but decided to keep the effort comfortably (very) hard. While I was certainly working, I felt I had a fair bit left in the tank. With one eye on Thursday, I was keen not to overdo the session and simply keep in touch with the pace effort. A crackin' little session!

The short term:
-Docklands 5km (race)
-Fitlive 5km (session)
-Fingal 10km (race - timetrial)
-National Half (would love a PB but a race for placings)

Making every mile count

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