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Making every mile count
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Don't worry about the calf. These niggles always crop up around this time but are usually a mental manifestation (sniffles becoming the bubonic plague etc).
The main thing now is getting yourself in the right state of mind. As was mentioned before looking back through your own personal logs is a good one. Often we remember the missed run or the session we bonked during, to the point where we usually forget or overlook the good work that has been done so it is no harm to remind yourself of the training that has been done and sessions you have nailed.
You are in great shape man. Remind yourself that a your marathon began before Christmas, Sunday is just crossing the finish line. The work is done man now time to reap the rewards.
You are as strong as an ox without a doubt man and are probably in better shape than you give yourself credit for. Tralee probably took more out of me than it did out of you which showed me what kinda shape you are in.
Best of luck at the weekend
Cheers, great advice lads. Don't mind me, I am just just attention seeking! Joking aside, brilliant advice.
Well you had me annoying you for three hours so no wonder it took something from you
I'd test the patience of a saint at times.....!
Glad your training is right back on track. You are in great shape. I'm already looking forward to getting beaten by you aaaalllllll year!0 -
Best of luck on Sunday DR. Your training has been phenomenal, its even more amazing how you have come through it relatively unscathed!
You are going to have an epic race and take your running to the next level. Just don't give me too big a target to aim for!
Mentally prepare yourself for a bit of a mundane stretch from 30-40k around the forest area. That was the worst for me last year!
Enjoy!0 -
Best of luck on Sunday DR. Your training has been phenomenal, its even more amazing how you have come through it relatively unscathed!
You are going to have an epic race and take your running to the next level. Just don't give me too big a target to aim for!
Mentally prepare yourself for a bit of a mundane stretch from 30-40k around the forest area. That was the worst for me last year!
Enjoy!
Cheers! Yeah, heard it's a bit well, boring at that stage but that shouldn't bother me too much. Thanks for the heads up!0 -
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Serious run today. Delighted that you're upset with the time. It'll drive you on to greater things.
When you look back on it and start telling people in work etc that you're pissed off with 2:50 in a marathon, I think you'll appreciate it better.
At least I know who your coach is now!!
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ROTTERDAM MARATHON 2014
TIME: 2.50:50
Training
I saw my 2.58 in Dublin last year as my breakthrough race. A mental and physical barrier broken (sub 3hr) on my first attempt. The fact it was my hometown marathon made the day extra special. A month later saw my half marathon time drop to 1.22 in Waterford in December. This was done on the back of the training for Dublin. Good times in both 5k and 10k followed. The eyes were now fixed on a Spring Marathon with Rotterdam being finally decided on in 2014.
Serious marathon training began in January. The plan was quite simple and was built on the following principles:
-Total dedication
-Relentless consistency
Above all else, the plan was to listen to my body. A good half marathon in early March of 1.18 proved to me that training was going in the right direction. Training peaked with a 100 mile week (well 99.61 or something :pac:) three weeks out. The taper saw the miles drop but a very comfortable 10k PB of 35:27 11 days out indicated that all was well and that I was possibly set for a good race on April 13th.
Preparation
Final preparation for Rotterdam began the day after that 10k PB in Dundalk. My body felt good and I was confident. To be honest, everyday after that confidence slowly drained away. I take great confidence from training. The mixture of fatigue and running the miles leaves little time for the mind to wander. The body felt creaky and tired right up to departure.
We flew to Holland two days before the race, staying at the Citizen M Hotel (highly recommended) and settled in, enjoying great Italian food both nights at the local Italian, 'Messina'.
The Race
The plan for the race was to meet up with Jebuz but unfortunately the trains were delayed so I had to abandon. Our plan was to go through halfway in 1.24 and see where that took us. I was annoyed that now i'd be running solo for the entire race but the plan remained the same. I arrived at the start area late. The paths were reminiscent of O'Connell Street on St. Patrick's Day. I had to fight every step to make it to Corral C. The time was now 10.22, just enough time to get settled and find a decent position.
DISASTER!
The steward had mistakenly directed me to Corral C.....of the 10k race! I tried to keep calm and I just about made it to the right pen, having been forced to climb over the 8ft high fence. All I could do was laugh. Over 1,100 miles run since January, all the careful planning and here was the stupid Paddy throwing himself over the fence! Just about caught the end of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' before the gun went off.
The start was beyond congested. To be frank, it was a mess. I thought the Corral would have been full of serious athletes, all with goals of sub 3 but this was far from the case. I was a full minute down going through 2km.
5 kilometer 19:53 (19:53)
Despite this, I was one second ahead of target going through 5km.
The following splits speak for themselves. Approaching the 13km mark I knew that today wasn't going to be my day. The right calf was particularly tight. My gait suffered. I arrived at the halfway mark bang on time (1.24) but I knew I had to slow. This was a decision carefully thought out. I know my body well and sensed trouble if I continued on at this pace. I had to work too hard to reach halfway on target, the disappointment killed me. At this stage I readjusted my target and 'settled' for a sub 2.50. I tried to remain confident but I was emotionally drained. The following 21km was workmanlike. I just wanted to be done despite the amazing on course support. Unfortunately, two toilet breaks cost me an additional minute.
10 kilometer 39:37 (19:44)
15 kilometer 59:40 (20:03)
20 kilometer 1:19:34 (19:54)
Halve marathon 1:24:10
25 kilometer 1:40:10 (20:36)
30 kilometer 2:00:43 (20:33)
35 kilometer 2:21:18 (20:35)
40 kilometer 2:42:06 (20:48)
I crossed the line a beaten man. The disappointed almost brought me to tears. I wanted to go 2.48 but I secretly harboured loftier ambitions.
I wanted a negative split. I demanded it.
The Aftermath
So, an 8 minute PB. A good result but not the result I wanted. I probably demanded too much and put myself under too much pressure to deliver. I am very proud to have dug out the result though. I gave it my all, I left nothing behind.
Great to meet so many after the race (including jebuz). A cracking night in Paddy Murphy's helped to ease the pain.
Motivation is sky high at the moment. Can't wait to get stuck back into training and knock out some good times so watch out!
Onward and upwards
I will post some further observations during the week. There are quite a few :eek:0 -
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Monday 14th-Thursday 17th
The marathon signalled the end of well over 120 days consecutive running (I think). Whether or not all those days without rest were a good thing is one thing but at least my OCD tendencies got their way.....
......today I must run, is the oven off? Must check at least three time etc....:)
Friday 18/4
40 Minutes Easy
-5.56 Miles @7.11p/m in 40:00
Seriously tight right calf during this run. Great to be back out. After a few days off the body felt odd, almost like it's forgotten how to run
Saturday 19/4
30 Minutes Easy
-4.02 Miles @7.29p/m in 30:05
Decidedly took this one easier as I paid the price of a quick pace yesterday. A welcome reminder to take it easy.
Sunday 20/4
20 Minutes Easy
-2.5+ Miles
WEEK TOTAL: 12.08
One more week of easy running before setting my sights on a 5/10km training block. Just realised that the half and 10km I planned for next week are on the same weekend. I'll have another look at the racing calendar during the week. I'd like to see what type of shape I am in over the shorter distances before I start proper training again. Getting some times down in races will give me a starting point to measure any improvements.0 -
Monday 21/04
5+ Miles*
*I completely forgot to log this run. After a week all I can remember is that is was over 5 miles
Tuesday 22/04
30 Minutes Easy
-4.30 Miles @6:59p/m in 30:00
Wednesday 23/04
40 Minutes Easy
-5.70 Miles @7:02p/m in 40:05
Thursday 24/04
30 Minutes Easy
-4.60 Miles @7:11p/m in 33:00
Friday 25/04
40 Minutes Easy
-5.74 Miles @6.59p/m in 40:05
Saturday 26/04
8 Miles Various
-Warm-Up
-2.4km Vo2 Test
-40 Minutes Easy
DETAILS:
Anthropometrics:
Weight (kilograms) 87
Height (feet and inches) 6’4
Wingspan (feet and inches) 6'3
Aerobic Test Result:
V02 Max (Mg/Kg/Min) 61
Test Time 8.24 (4.08)
Foundational Nutritional Info
Basal Metabolic Rate 2032
DIT 203
Daily Calories Expended:
Average Training Day 3352
Heavy Training Day 3861
I was luckily enough to be invited to the Phoenix Park to be tested. The route was quite challenging with two turnarounds and strong winds to complicate matters. This was the first time running at a decent enough clip since the marathon. My plan was to give it 90%. I know this slightly defeated the point of the test but I pre-warned the tester. The body is still pretty stiff so there was no chance of me pushing myself too hard and possibly risk injury.
Pace per mile was 5.38 so nothing too special. The legs responded well but God, the weight. I have gained 4kg (at least) in the past three weeks (inc. the last taper week).
Sunday 27/04
DAY OFF
WEEK TOTAL: 33.34+ MILES
So, time to get back to it and give the junk food a wide berth for a while. Pretty scary how quickly you can pile back on the weight by running less and eating more. Not a good combination.
Back to the club tonight for a session and the Arc 10k on Monday.0 -
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Not even sure how I stumbled on this but believe it or not that was me. (no worries re: drafting) that's part and parcel. Well done on your recent races. Gary did mention you later that night.
Thanks for the message! Sorry about that, it wasn't intentional You were clipping away at the pace I wanted to go. I did try once or twice to take the wind but you soon overtook me!
I'll take the blame though. In hindsight I should have let you tuck in behind me for parts. You're a very strong runner (and competitor).0 -
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That's still a decent effort when not quite physically there DR. Chalk it down and see it as a marker for the summer, you can only get better. You've got serious ability as we've seen from your log, I wouldn't consider your marathon a "bad" result so I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. With some hard work and patience over the summer I can see you easily knocking a chunk off that PB but hopefully not too much, I'm on your tail 0
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That's still a decent effort when not quite physically there DR. Chalk it down and see it as a marker for the summer, you can only get better. You've got serious ability as we've seen from your log, I wouldn't consider your marathon a "bad" result so I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. With some hard work and patience over the summer I can see you easily knocking a chunk off that PB but hopefully not too much, I'm on your tail
Haha....you'd have no problem at all beating me at the moment. Give me a few weeks and I will make a race out of it. Showdown time
Thanks for the message. I did under-perform in Rotterdam but today was almost embarrassing! I think it will be a good thing though. I need to seriously look at my training and preparation. Something ain't going right.
Great log by the way. You will make serious progress this year, no doubt. You have a great base to work from.
Now to organise the showdown (and more importantly, the wager :pac:).0 -
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You still ran a savage race in Rotterdam, especially if you weren't feeling great. That said overtraining is no joke and can really knock ya back. Just my 2 cents but there is no way I'd even be considering racing that HM next week if I were you... Good luck though however you decide to play it...jdunne_ire wrote: »I'm sorry to say DR that you have fallen victim to the big mistake allot of budding runners make and that's coming back too soon after a marathon. If I were you now I would do as you suggested in a previous post and take a week off maybe even two with no running. After Dublin I took three weeks off, one week of no running and two weeks of cycling to loosen the legs but no running. You have to be as disciplined with your down time as you are when you are training so if you try to train through it you could regress even further.
Don't beat yourself up over it you will still knock chunks off your pb's once you have rested, recovered and get back into it. The important thing now is to be smart about your next move. Good luck and stay positive.
+1 to both of the above. Maybe don't take time off completely if you don't want but just run easy. In the past I've ran well 3-4 weeks after a marathon. I raced last Sunday and it was torture, not a disaster but the body basically told me to kop on! My marathon took a little more out of the tank than usual. Sounds like yours did too. I doubt you will be able to turn things around so dramatically in a week that you will run a good half. You've listed PBs you want to run this year. Sub 2.40 marathon and sub 75 (I think) half marathon. It's only May, you have 7 months to hit these targets. You are running the risk of running yourself into the ground physically and mentally. Just my opinion but if you were asking for my advice, I'd say chill the fcuk out get back into easy running and plan for a couple of PBs in a few months time. If it feels too hard then it is too hard. You're not being lazy. Be sensible! 0 -
jdunne_ire wrote: »I'm sorry to say DR that you have fallen victim to the big mistake allot of budding runners make and that's coming back too soon after a marathon. If I were you now I would do as you suggested in a previous post and take a week off maybe even two with no running. After Dublin I took three weeks off, one week of no running and two weeks of cycling to loosen the legs but no running. You have to be as disciplined with your down time as you are when you are training so if you try to train through it you could regress even further.
Don't beat yourself up over it you will still knock chunks off your pb's once you have rested, recovered and get back into it. The important thing now is to be smart about your next move. Good luck and stay positive.
Thanks for that, much appreciated. I think I always knew I needed a good bit of time off but I needed to find that out the hard way for myself by testing the water on Monday (I was advised not to run on Monday). I'm on a big learning curve so I am allowing myself to make mistakes.
The funny thing is that I ran HM PB 5 weeks after Dublin but obviously running three marathons in 6 months has taken it's toll.
I am still very positive and that's the problem! I don't know when to stop. I'm not injured so I feel like I should be out there training 0 -
+1 to both of the above. Maybe don't take time off completely if you don't want but just run easy. In the past I've ran well 3-4 weeks after a marathon. I raced last Sunday and it was torture, not a disaster but the body basically told me to kop on! My marathon took a little more out of the tank than usual. Sounds like yours did too. I doubt you will be able to turn things around so dramatically in a week that you will run a good half. You've listed PBs you want to run this year. Sub 2.40 marathon and sub 75 (I think) half marathon. It's only May, you have 7 months to hit these targets. You are running the risk of running yourself into the ground physically and mentally. Just my opinion but if you were asking for my advice, I'd say chill the fcuk out get back into easy running and plan for a couple of PBs in a few months time. If it feels too hard then it is too hard. You're not being lazy. Be sensible!
Sound advice.
Had a sports massage yesterday (thanks Ecoli) and feel way better on today's easy run. Going to run everything nice and handy. I will probably just use the half as a solid tempo run.
To be honest, I think the body just about held on for Rotterdam. If it was a week later, with a weeks more hard training, I wouldn't like to think what might have happened. I didn't feel right for the week leading up to the race and that has simply continued on.
Don't think there will be a PB attempt until next month for sure. Don't worry, i'll chill the fcuk out :pac:
Thanks for the advice and congrats on your savage marathon. I'm taking credit for that run by the way....that 20 miler we did made your marathon!!0 -
dublin runner wrote: »Thanks for the advice and congrats on your savage marathon. I'm taking credit for that run by the way....that 20 miler we did made your marathon!!
Thanks very much. You may not be too far off the mark. I've actually remarked to quirky and ecoli that I was in ribbons on that run and just about hung onto you. Was definitely character building
Knowing when to race and not to is specific for different people. Training partner of mine recovers very quickly and can race frequently. I'd be the opposite and need to make sure I recover. I'm a bit like you at the moment, dying to race but I'm looking at my long term goals for this year and racing while tired in may is going to help me hit them!0 -
After taking some time off logging, I am back
Most runs have been at easy pace and really do not warrant detailing but I will give a small recap. I really must write down every run immediately after I finish as after a day or two, the runs blend into one and I cannot for the life of me separate, never mind remember the details.
After the disaster that was the Arc 10km, the body has finally coming around. I will certainly take 10-14 days off after Dublin later in the year. The 4 days I took off after Rotterdam was simply not enough. I must remember in the future that sometimes in order to take a step forward, one must first take a step back.
April 28th-May 4th
Week Total: 40+
Nothing to note except how bad I felt on every run. Even the one day of rest didn't help.
May 5th-11th
Week Total: 45+
Monday saw my worst race in the history of mankind. At least things can only get better from here! The 'long run' went out to 12+ miles and a track session of 5x400's (av.71 seconds) rounded off the week.
Monday 12/5
2 Miles+
Originally penciled in as a rest day but gave a helping hand to someone training for their first 10km.
Tuesday 13/5
6.25 Miles+ Various
Back to the club for what read as a straightforward enough session. As always, these sessions are quite deceptive and I found this one tough enough. After missing a number of weeks, there was a noticeable improvement in intensity and pace of these speed sessions. The group have certainly moved up a gear.
-2 Mile W/U
-3 sets of 2x200+1x800 (@mile pace with 200m jog between intervals and slow lap recovery between sets)
1ST 800M: 2:29
2ND 800M: 2:31
3RD 800M: 2:35
-2 Mile W/D
The 3rd rep showed up my lack of strength. A hard session. I forgot to record the 200m times but they were at the same mile effort as the 800m.
Wednesday 14/5
60 Minutes Easy
-8.04 Miles @7.28 in 1.00.05
The usual stiffness of the past few weeks has finally gone. Running is becoming enjoyable again!0 -
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You know your body best, but that doesn't look to restful to me. A couple of sessions, one of which sounds quite tough and running most (every?) days.
Fair point. I gave a good bit of consideration to taking a break (no running) but I think I kind of missed the boat, so to speak. I think I had a great window after the marathon to rest but I stupidly pushed on ahead. 6 days a week of 50mpw of mainly easy running is what was advised for the next few weeks. I'm not too sure if I would feel any better after a break away anyway! I am not injured so the plan is to train smart ....(as I try to convince myself that everything is ok)
Good to see the your training going well, keep up the hard work. I am sure we'll meet at a race soon enough!0 -
Thursday 15/05
5 Miles Very Easy @7:41p/m (treadmill)
Friday 16/05
3+ Miles Easy
-inc. 4 pick-ups
Saturday 17/05
13.11 Miles @Tempo Effort (agreed with coach)
There are main four types of races in my opinion. Races to place, races to PB, training races (training stimulus, add value etc) and finally races to enjoy (running is after all meant to be fun right?) The race to today fell most definitely into the 'races to enjoy' category. Last year, I ran this race and had one goal and that was to break 90 minutes. I really enjoyed the race and comfortably ran under my goal. This was definitely a break through race and provided me with a lot of confidence and thoughts of targeting a sub 3hr marathon entered the mind.
River Moy Half Marathon 2014
1.23:33 (6.22p/m)
12th Place
Registration was very quick and I had time to relax before the 10am start time. This race was usual as there was no goal, no pressure. I quite enjoy pressure and the buzz of anticipation and nervousness it creates. Learning from my mistakes (:eek:) I lined up right at the start. Last year I was still tying my shoelaces as the gun went off and the first mile was a battle against the masses to catch up with the 90 minute pacer. I quickly settled into a nice groove and passed the mile marker in 6:0x. I knew this pace was unsustainable as the form has been terribly patchy ever since the marathon. A small decrease in speed meant that a large group caught up with me. Happy days as the wind and rain was bad enough and a bit of shelter would be welcomed. One mile later the group pulled away. They were running approximately 6 minute miles and while this would normally be a pace I would be happy to run, today it was never on and so I let them go reluctantly.
The course is a typical country affair with many rolling hills and strong headwinds. While not a particular fast course, it is a course that can be attacked if negotiated smartly. The remaining miles were run on my lonesome, with only two runners in sight and a trad band (loved it) around mile 7 to occupy the mind.
With little pressure on the performance today I barely looked at my 12 euro Casio watch :pac: but passing the mile 5 I knew myself that I was leaking time. My motivational song at the moment is 'Aloe Blacc-The Man' but even repeatedly singing (in my head btw!) the chorus line of 'I'm the man, i'm the man, i'm the man...' proved futile. There are one or two steep hills that need to be negotiated on the second half of the course. They are nothing like the now infamous Barrow Vertical Climb Hill at this years' Tralee Marathon but one hill in particular needs to be respected. As mentioned, the was mainly run with no company although I was overtaken by two and over took one in the latter stages.
A really well run race and I enjoyed it even though I am struggling at the moment. I would highly recommended this run next year. One thing I did notice was this years 1.30 pacer. I am open to correction but as far as I know the pacer was a cyclist. If this was the case it really isn't on. That aside, a great day out and a spread that would bring me back next year again. The goal race early next year will allow me have a proper crack at this race.
I am already looking forward to it.
While not a disaster today, the race adds further proof that all is not quite well. I feel the form is coming back very slowly. I now have no tightness or fatigue in the legs so I will take that for now. The time today doesn't actually overly concern me. What concerns me is the effort level. I simply had to work too hard to run what should be at this stage a very comfortable half marathon time. That being said, I cannot see myself properly targeting and racing a half again until the Athlone Flatline in September. That gives me plenty of time to concentrate on my 5k/10k times before hopefully peaking for Dublin in October.
Time to train hard, train smart.0 -
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