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Making every mile count
Comments
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Monday 19/05
60 Minutes Easy
-8.27 Miles @7.15p/m in 1.00:01
Tuesday 20/05
6.70+ Miles Various
Club Track Session
Plan:
2x(5x600m @3k effort)
-200m recovery between reps
-Slow lap between reps
For some reason I thought this session was 10x300m, so I was surprised to discover that it was in fact 10x600m. My enthusiasm for the session quickly turned into dread. I knew from the outset that 10 reps was ambitious so I concentrated on getting to 5 and see how I felt (if still standing
). I kept the first four reps all between 1.53-1.55 but I knew was in trouble. Big trouble! I sat out the 5th rep before continuing the session but reduced each rep to 400m. This was tough still but manageable, stubbornly keeping each rep between 72-73 seconds.
I am definitely lacking a good bit of speed in the legs at the moment. The legs just won't turn over as I would like but I am not overly concerned at the moment. As this is my first year of track speed work I am on a learning curve so am adopting a safety first approach at the moment.
That's my excuse anyway.........
Actual:
2 Mile W/U (with strides)
-4x600 (1.53-1.55)
-5x400 (73-74)
2 Mile W/D
Wednesday 21/05
60 Minutes Easy
-8.45 Miles @7.09p/m in 1.00:25
Thursday 22/05
60 Minutes Easy
-8.20+ Miles
Friday 23/05
5.5+ Miles
Session with coach
2 Mile W/U (with strides)
-2x(5 hill repeats @1 mile pace effort)
-Jog down recovery between reps
-5 minutes very easy between sets
2 Mile W/D
A brisk two mile warm-up led us to two hills in Ashtown. The two hills, one 'intermediate hill' and one 'advanced hill' both lead to the same point. Each has the same climb but the advanced hill has a steeper incline as it's almost half the distance. Apparently it's used a lot by the elites and I can see why. It's very quiet with virtually no people traffic.
This was going to be one tough session. Today the intermediate hill was chosen and while not as tough, it is still a bit of a beast with a strong headwind to make it that much harder. The first set was hard work with every rep consistently within 43-44 seconds. After a slow recovery between sets it was back to it. The pain on every rep came sooner and sooner. By God this was hard but at the same time strangely enjoyable as it forced you to concentrate on form all the time. Lift the knees, lean into the climb and pump those arms! The 9th rep was certainly the hardest with wobbly legs nearing the end.
Delighted to keep every rep quite consistent and even managing to keep down my breakfast.
Later in the year this will be a double day with an easy run added.
Saturday 24/05
45 Minutes Easy
-6.20+ Miles
Jäger Bombs. Pints. Late night. Enjoyable run (for once after a night out!)
Now wondering whether this could be classified as training for the beer mile :pac:......
Sunday 25/05
90 Minutes Easy
-11.84 Miles @7.44p/m in 1.31:40
What should have been a nice straightforward run quickly turnrd into one hell of a mental battle. After spending 7+ hours in the car and finally reaching my bed at 6.10am the previous morning returning from work, the tiredness the next day was very noticable. A lazy few hours watching the football and hurling was my warm-up to the most challenging run of the week. I stupidly ran out of coffee. I sorely missed my caffine fix. I really do live for coffee.
The first 30 minutes of the run were very enjoyable with a light drizzle barely noticable. So a long way from home and tired the run quickly went from good to bad. Thoughts of stopping entered the mind but with no money I would have to walk home so I kept going. I played every mental trick in the book and broke down the run into 15 minute segments. Get to 45 minutes I thought. Get to 1hr I thought.....etc. The long drag up the Rathgar Road from Rathmines is sole destroying at the best of times but today it was that bit harder. A real character building run. The legs felt great but two nights of going to bed in the small wee hours left their mark.
WEEK TOTAL: 55.16+ MILES
This felt like the first proper weeks training in a long time. Will be looking to seriously up the mileage and intensity for the next four weeks. I would love to have a serious attempt at a 5/10k PB before the end of June.0 -
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AuldManKing wrote: »wheres those hills in Ashtown??
Hey, hope this works! Technology doesn't like me
Intermediate Hill:
https://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=53.376817,-6.296916&daddr=53.378004,-6.294711&hl=en&ll=53.377226,-6.295509&spn=0.001981,0.003449&sll=53.377306,-6.29544&sspn=0.001981,0.003449&t=h&gl=ie&mra=mift&mrsp=1&sz=18&z=18
Advanced Hill:
Only saw this from a distance so not too sure how difficult it is but looks very challenging.
https://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=53.377754,-6.291589&daddr=53.37818,-6.293144&hl=en&sll=53.37794,-6.292269&sspn=0.001981,0.003449&t=h&gl=ie&mra=mift&mrsp=1&sz=18&z=18
Will be doing it myself again soon so give me a shout. It's a good place for it. The only looks you'll get will be from the golfers but who cares about them!0 -
Monday 26/05
60 Minutes Easy
-8.40 Miles @7.14p/m in 1.00:40
Bog standard run with nothing to note!
Tuesday 27/05
6.10+ Miles Various
Club Track Session
Plan:
2x(6x300m @1 mile effort)
-100m recovery between reps
-Slow lap between reps (5 min)
Actual:
2 Mile W/U (with strides)
-12x300m (53 seconds each)
2 Mile W/D
The aim of this session was quite simple. I was very focused on fully completing the session after the previous few weeks failings. While the rep time of 53 seconds is nothing too special, the effort exerted was bang on the money. I was very happy with how this one went. I felt in complete control with every rep being extremely consistent throughout the 12 (53 sec). Yes, I could have gone faster but that wasn't in the plan tonight. It will be very interesting to see how this session compares when we repeat it in the future.
Nice to feel 'comfortable' on the track once again. A confidence booster and a steady step in the right direction. A good foundation to build from.
Wednesday 28/05
75 Minutes Easy
-10.47 @7.14p/m in 1.15:50
A healthy amount of fatigue in the legs after the previous nights session. I really do notice the rise in temperatures heading towards Summer and the effort level is always that bit greater. Thankfully, I live in Ireland as I could not imagine living/running anywhere that actually gets sun.
The dreaded hayfever is nearing. I can smell it in the air 0 -
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Monday 2/6
13.10 Miles @7.12p/m in 1.34:13
Met up with TRR for this run in the Phoenix Park. I am a demon when it comes to running on trails/grass (anything but road really), so I was happy to let him drag me around as I would never run on grass otherwise. As he mentioned, running on trails really strengthens the legs and the surface is a lot kinder than concrete and boy did I notice the difference! Grass running really zaps my energy. I guess this shows up a weakness in leg strength and something I need to work on. I'll try, no promises!
Really enjoyable run and a further reminder why it's good to run with people better than yourself. It can take you out of your comfort zone.....in a good way!!
Tuesday 3/6
6.9+ Miles
Club Session:
-2 Miles W/U
-10x400m @Mile Effort (75 second recovery)
-2.5+ Miles W/D
Another consistent track session ticked off. Happy to report that makes it two in a row! I am slightly holding back in these sessions, with the aim to complete each session with something left in the old tank. As these track sessions repeat themselves very few weeks, I am focused on laying down a 'marker' so I can hopefully build on the session when it repeats itself.
Reps 1-9 averaged 74 seconds. The track was incredibly wet so that cost a bit of time. I broke the trend in the 10th rep when I running 71 seconds (just to prove to myself I can still run!) Already looking forward already to the next 400m session, hopefully steadily improving from here on in.
Wednesday 4/6
75 80 Minutes Very Easy
-10.73 Miles @7.28 in 1.20:10
A slight misjudgement meant an extra 5 minutes. Luckily, I was feeling quite fresh so the added minutes were barely noticed. On thing that was noticeable was the right shin. It was incredibly tight until the second mile. Not worried at all about it but just something to keep an eye on.
Really itching to get out racing after seeing so many run over the weekend but I will refrain......for now! Happy how things are progressing so will keep plugging away.0 -
Thursday 5/6
60 Minutes General Aerobic
-8.77 Miles @6.54p/m in 1.00:29
I classify general aerobic as a run faster than an easy run but below steady pace. It was nice to get the legs ticking over comfortably below seven minute miles, it's been a while.
Friday 6/6
60 Minutes Easy
-8.25 Miles @7.21p/m in 1.00:35
Saturday 7/6
60 Minutes Easy
-8.68 Miles @7.24p/m in 1.04:11
Hot day with a hangover. Most of us have been there.
I know when I am tired when the following happens :
1. I start to curse pedestrians
2. I start to curse motorists
3. I start to curse cyclists cycling on the footpath
To be honest, these are almost daily occurrences.
.....and if I am very tired:
4. I start to curse the path so being so bloody hard to run on, particularly in most urban areas were the paths constantly rise and fall to allow fancy cars into their fancy driveways
RANT OVER!
Needless to say that I had all four on this run. Enjoyable all the same! I am not that bad really but there is definitely an inner vigilante in me
Sunday 8/6
10.2+ Miles Various
-5.2 Miles Easy @7.18p/m in 38:00
-5+ Miles Recovery Pace
Not the best executed day in hindsight. I am helping someone with their training so I got a decent run in before going out with them.
WEEK TOTAL: 66.63+ MILES
Not sure what to make of this weeks training. With the exception of Tuesday the pace has been quite pedestrian. Next week sees the reintroduction of the tempo run so that'll be fun! The one thing I do notice at the moment is my stride length. As has been commented (Coach, Ecoli etc) my hamstrings are both incredibly tight. I think this may impact on my stride and I may not be as efficient as I possibly should/could be. On Tuesday (track session), it was once again noted that my stride is quite short, with very little difference in length when running easy vs. running fast (400m reps for example). Something to think about this week.
I really have had enough of these easy runs. I can really see the benefit but it's time to move on! Feeling very strong with the mileage pretty much where it should be at this stage.0 -
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AuldManKing wrote: »That's an impressive goal - your coach has a great record of helping people reach their potential, and you've tons of it.
Thanks. That's the goal, whether achievable is another story!! Races in August and September will tell me everything. I could pick a 'softer' target but there's no fun in that Your training looks to be going very well, great stuff. 0 -
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Saturday 14/06
10 Miles Easy
When you have to dig deep to even complete 10 miles at an easy pace you know you are in trouble.
After getting to bed early, for me, I spent the next eight hours trying to get to sleep. At a push I managed to get two hours sleep. I wasn't too optimistic setting out. I needed to get out early as the plan was to head down to Wexford to see Dublin hand out a good beating to our Leinster cousins The original plan of 13 miles had me a bit worried. The usual route would have possibly left me a fair distance from home if anything went wrong i.e falling asleep etc. Very happy to comfortbly get 10 miles in. I had near miss on the Merrion Road when the eyes left heavy. Without doubt this was the closest I have been to falling asleep whilst running......I now know how ultra runners feel :pac:
Two sleeps in the car and a win rounded off the off the day nicely. You can keep your World Cup!
Saturday 14/06
60 Minutes Easy
-8.57 Miles @7:05p/m in 1.00:36
Took my new Puma Faas 300 v3 runners out for a spin on this run. They are nice and light and feel fast. I would highly recommend them. The 500's have served me very well over the past few weeks. The 300's are lighter with less cushioning and could easily be used for racing.
WEEK TOTAL: 68.23
The only disappointment this week was not getting the 13 mile run in on Saturday but given the circumstances, I will happily take the reduced 10. This week is a set-back week. I will take at least Saturday and Sunday off. I will definitely leave the runners at home when departing for the weekend on a stag party. My thoughts and efforts will be elsewhere.....:)0 -
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Really thought we were in good shape to take you this year but no complaints the Dubs did the business, just waiting for the All-Ireland anyway :pac:
Nice weeks training and getting solid mileage in with some quality work too, any races planned or you waiting for a while?
Yeah, expected Wexford to put up more of a fight. Dublin look good but can't score goals. Crackin' day for it. I was going to count the walk from the town up that hill to Wexford Park as hill training! ha....
I may give a 10km a bash tomorrow night, i'll see. No idea how I am running. Other than that nothing confirmed expect for the Beer Mile and the Fingal 10km (!!) next month. Not really too focused on racing at the moment. September will be the acid test with at least 3 races.....ah! 0 -
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Monday 16/6
40 Minutes Easy
-5.55 Miles @7.14p/m in 40:10
~inc. 3x30 second strides @5km effort
Slightly reduced run due to the race the following day. Although the strides felt good, after all the base building easy miles recently, the body just isn't used to any fast running anymore.
Tuesday 17/6
9+ Miles
AM
10 Minutes Easy
-1.25 Miles
Conscious of the late race start time (8pm), I was keen to loosen out the legs. Felt it did the trick nicely as the body was very tight starting out but fortunately it felt a lot better on finishing. The heat was noticeable with confidence not high heading into the race.
PM
KILBRIDE 10KM ROAD RACE
5TH PLACE
37:5X
Unsure of finish time as they seemed to have given me the finish gantry time rather than the mat time before the finish line (the course was long but this was very well explained).
I'm on a roll. A bad roll. That makes four poor races in a row now.
This was an excellently run race on a fast course. The course consisted of two laps of the 5k route. The one thing the organisers couldn't do anything about was the weather. It was hot. Even with an 8pm start time the sun was still out and it must have been over 22 degrees. As a typical Irish man, I melt in the heat. To make matters worse, the hayfever has been quite bad recently. The fatigue is causes makes everything that little bit harder.
Enough of the excuses.
Truth be told, I had a bad race. I won't go into too many details but when you are 8 seconds down going through the 1km marker you know you are in a spot of bother. Usually, you are telling yourself to slow down after a fast start but tonight that would not be the case. I set out to run under 36:15 or thereabouts. I thought it was a realistic target as my PB is currently 35:27. I leaked a further few seconds going through the 2km mark. From here on in I didn't slow down, maintaining the effort and pace.
The one cruel thing about a two lapped race is that you have to pass the finish line at half way. I really wanted to stop at the 5km mark (and pretend I was actually running the 5km race) but my time would have been frankly embarrassing. Oddly enough, the second lap felt a lot more comfortable. The effort was still at 10km race effort but the splits were more like an honest tempo effort. I could see 4th place just ahead. This helped focus the mind and the aim was now about reeling him in. The gap was reducing slowly but surely. The chances of beating him were slim but the chances of catching him were quite high going through 7km. As we approached a junction I stupidly took a wrong turn. This was completely my fault and luckily the race was very well marshaled so I was soon back on course, only losing a few seconds. This really upset the rhythm and I pretty much gave up the chase.
On crossing the finish line the postmortem began. At this stage in training, I know I am not in good 10km shape, nor should I be. I do feel though that I should be knocking out decent times. The heat was a big factor but that excuse only gets you so far. Once again I got completely isolated in a race, running over 9km on my own. This is just not good enough anymore.
Notions of hitting a 33:5x 10km this year looks out of reach.
10 Minute W/D
-1.2+ Miles
Wednesday 18/6
17.11 Miles Various
AM
60 Minutes Easy
-8.44 Miles @7.26p/m in 1.02:40
No tiredness in the legs from the previous nights race. Probably just shows how little it took out of me.
Another hot one!
PM
60 Minutes Easy
-8.67 Miles @7.30p/m in 1.05:04
Even though this was an evening run, the high temperature was a lot more noticeable than the morning run. I started to really struggle around mile 4, with a light-headed feeling and general dizziness making things very uncomfortable. A long way from home SuperValue appeared like an oasis in the desert. A quick pitstop was called for. I downed the nicest can of coke I have ever tasted and on I went. The sugar rush was like a magic wand. Happy as Larry I continued on home and celebrated with a beer.
Thursday 19/6
60 Minutes Easy
-8.40 Miles @7.11p/m in 1.02:22
A progression type run. Happy to finish strong (10km effort) after a slow start.
Friday 20/6
DAY OFF.
(Beer!! Yes, no running!!!!)
Saturday 21/6
DAY OFF.
(Ok, starting to miss it now.....)
Sunday 22/6
DAY OFF.
(Oh the guilt, oh the shame......:pac:)
WEEK TOTAL: 40.06+ MILES
Definitely banging my head against a brick wall at the moment. No matter how hard I train the effort seems wasted. Hopefully a few days break will help recharge the batteries. I was tempted to plan a run tomorrow but a three day break seems appropriate at this juncture.
I am in a good place heading into July when the serious marathon training begins. I am not exactly where I want to be but I will take it.......for now 0 -
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Forget the negatives, what are the positives you can take from the 10k, there are a few.
- It was a warm night, you weren't feeling your best but you stuck with it and persevered, it's a great attitude and one that can take you far
- you ran that 35:xx not so long ago so you have it in you, no-one can take that PB from you. There's no reason why you can't run that again and beyond, in fact I've no doubt you will this year
- see it as a good hard session, it'll benefit you immensely
- you came 5th and it's not good enough. That's a sign of high standards you've set yourself, you want it bad and that's a good thing, it'll fuel you to continue putting in the hard work and the rewards will be reaped.
Now 4 positive things, how about that!!
I think Gary Barlow's right, have a little patience. Keep plugging away at training, you seem to have a great work ethic and you'll be rewarded for all the hard work eventually. Enjoy this weekend, take your mind off it and you'll come back ready to rock n roll again!!
Excellent post, thanks. Funnily enough I don't really compare myself to others. even if I came first with that time i'd still feel the same. Looking back on that PB I got a bit lucky. It was horrible day but that suits me, the colder the better! I had someone to run with a fellow the whole way around (huge huge help). Very disappointed I didn't run with the 5km group/10km leaders ahead, no matter how bad I was feeling. Latching on to other runners makes the effort a lot easier. I have ran with behind my coach during fast tempo runs (5.40p/m), it just helps you pull through when struggling. I think I lack a bit of confidence and importantly, race sharpness.
Anyway, looking forward to the mini break/all day stag drinking weekend!
Thanks again for the input, it's great to have. Seriously impressive how you pulled out an impressive 2.59 on an off day and the manner in which you have run and raced since. You're gonna be one tough nut to crack 0 -
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paddybarry wrote: »You have made truly phenomenal progress these past few months. From reading your log, it appears your early gains came with little or no sense of expectation upon your shoulders.
However, once you started to knock chunks off PBs, it seems that you began running with more expectation which put more pressure upon you mentally. This can be draining physically and to me it began with your run at Rotterdam and has continued with each subsequent race.
With each race, you are now adding more pressure upon yourself as you cant understand why your progress has stalled and why your training/ability is not being reflected in the times you are running.
I think you need a break from posting on boards and just get back to running without expectation.
All the best DR, you have a serious talent.
A very kind post, thank you.
I think you hit the nail on the head there. Without knowing it, I have put more and more pressure on myself. I just need to relax. The odd thing is this strongest I have maybe ever felt but as you said, my progressed has stalled, no question.
I will follow your advice about posting. I will leave it for the next few days
Thanks again.0 -
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jdunne_ire wrote: »A club mate of mine is currently studying/running in the UK and he said the English lads reckon we do "The hard stuff too easy and the easy stuff too hard". From what I can make of your posts the latter of that statement seems to be true in your case. A major red flag for me is the day after a race you did 2 x 1 hour runs averaging 7:30 per mile pace. The day after a race is all about recovery I'd never run for more than 45 minutes and that would be averaging 8:30 per mile. All the long runs you are doing is negating from the fast stuff you are doing in your sessions. Marathon runners have a tendency to overdo it on the miles front and it’s hard to break that habit, trust me I almost fell into that trap myself.
You need to arm yourself with the right tools before you can go attacking a marathon schedule to hit the times you are aspiring for. The one thing you are currently lacking in your armoury is speed and once you have that in the legs you can then work on the endurance side of things. Reduce your mileage and pace on the easy stuff, I recall from earlier posts you referred to the easy runs you were doing averaging in the mid 8’s per mile pace and you said it yourself that ideally you should be going slower!!
Look where you are now with regards your pace for the easy runs...What’s changed since then, why the faster tempo?
I did my first marathon in 2012 and I think I only got over 50 miles once while training for it. Mainly due to the fact I was new to running and making sure I got to the start line after hearing a few horror stories of injuries etc. Last year I averaged in the 70’s low 80’s I never hit nowhere near to what you were doing and with you being a relative newcomer to running maybe the high mileage was too much too soon for the body!!
Take it back a notch or two, work on your speed and reduce the mileage and I guarantee you’ll be smashing PB’s again.
Keep the faith.
You have read my mind. Sorry, deliberately didn't look at my log for the past week so excuse the lateness of the reply.
I get what you mean about the 2*1hr runs the day after the race. The truth was that the race took nothing out of the legs. I hate saying it but I raced the race but the splits were tempoeffort. I simply cannot run in the heat. I estimate (and mentioned to Ecoli) that the I estimate a hot day makes things 15 seconds a mile harder for me.
People are probably sick of me saying it but everything I do is effort based. I don't wear nor own a Garmin or wear a heart rate monitor. I simply wear a 12 euro Casio watch My easy run time fluctuate between 7.00-7.35 a mile usually. I never concentrate on hitting a certain time. The legs decide the pace, not me (if that makes sense!) The one caveat to this is I don't do recovery runs. This is a big flaw of mine.
Now, let me discuss mileage! The point you made about reducing the mileage is a fair one and an issue I brought up with my coach. I questioned whether it would beneficial to reduce the mileage (50 miles a week for now) and increase the quality. His view on the matter was that I should be currently hitting 70+ mpw (''to get strong'') before adding the quality. The peak mileage later in the year will be 110 miles a week so I am comfortably under. I will trust him on the matter simply because he is almost always right!
Thanks for the post. Food for thought.0 -
Monday 23/6
70 Minutes Easy
-10 Miles @7.01p/m in 1.10:09
Back to normality after a three day break. What happens on a stag, stays on a stag :pac:
I am not really a believer in rest days. The body responds better to recovery runs rather than a day or two off but I felt I needed a mental break from running. It was great to not worry about getting sleep, eating well and trying to fit in a run for once.
I did have a moment though. I had to jump off the beer bike, leaving my friends to peddle away like lunatics to have, well, a 'pit-stop'. As the bus slowly moved away I had to run to catch up with my beer friends . For those 20 seconds of drunken running I realised how much I enjoyed the sport. Sad, I know
The legs felt refreshed but the 3 days of solely eating and drinking kebabs, beer and tequila left the body in a heap.
Tuesday 24/6
60 Minutes Easy
-8.2+ Miles
Managed to squeeze this run in on a busy day. Wasn't too sure where I was or where I was running to but enjoyed the hilly route between Stamullen and Julianstown, Co. Meath.
Wednesday 25/6
11.70+ Miles Various
AM
40 Minutes Easy
-5.65 Miles @7.09p/m in 40:09
PM
40 Minutes Easy
-5.45 Miles @7.21p/m in 40:02
~inc. 10x30 seconds @1 mile effort (30 sec rec)
Tagged on these strides at the end of the run. Usually, I include them in the run but I wanted to mix things up and wanted to try them on semi-fatigued legs. Underestimated the toughness and was working very hard by the end.
Thursday 26/6
8+ Miles Easy
Met up with Ecoli for what should have been a nice easy run. The humidity and heat had me working a bit too hard for an easy effort run.
Friday 27/6
100 Minutes MLR Easy
-14 Miles @7.14p/m in 1.41:29
Boy it was hot out there today. As per usual, my run coincided with the hottest part of the day. I was kind of worried how I would get on, particularly as I found the 'easy' run the previous day a bit of a struggle. All in all a decent run and much enjoyed.
Saturday 28/6
60 Minutes Very Easy
-8.32Miles @7.19p/m in 1.00:53
A late night working coupled with a punctured tyre meant sleep was at a premium on Friday night. If I got even two hours in total I would have being doing well. With that in mind, I decided to keep the effort very easy for this run. Happy to see the quickish pace, seen as the effort was always controlled and the effort always remained very easy throughout. Hopefully this is a good sign. When I see my easy run pace coming down naturally, despite expending the same effort, it usually signals a return to some sort of form. Here is hoping.
Sleep, sleep, sleep.......it's important kids!
PM
The Irish Beer Mile......the big one. Details to follow :cool:0 -
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Monday 30/5
75 Minutes Easy
-10.25 Miles @7.19p/m in 1.15:00
Tuesday 1/6
9+ Miles
CLUB SESSION
-2 Mile W/U
-8x400m (72-74 secs)
-5+ Mile W/D
The written plan was 600m reps but I knew this wasn't the best call for me so I decided to do 400m reps instead, taking advantage of the extra recovery. Even though this was an evening session the heat and humidity made things hard, very hard. The 600m lads called it a day after 8 so I took the easy option and bailed. In hindsight I should have persisted but the thoughts of running solo didn't really float my boat. I could have completed the 10, no doubt but they had me working hard. Hopefully later in the year, when it's cold and rainy, these sessions will be that much easier
Good to be back on the track after a two week break. I am very tempted to take up the javelin for some reason (don't ask me!) I might give it a bash but to be fair, I probably shouldn't bother. My upper body strength is that of a weak 6 year old girl. That's being very unfair on the 6 year old girl though, before you ask :rolleyes:
Wednesday 2/6
10.79 Miles Various
AM
40 Minutes Very Easy
-5.26 Miles @7.36p/m in 40:00
Nice and easy to stretch out the legs.
PM
YOGA
I took the plunge and went to my first yoga class after bangin' on for so long about taking it up. Delighted I did. I won't sugarcoat it, it was quite hard. It's amazing how tense the body can become from constantly pounding the roads. I only realised how tense I really was when we started off with the relaxation techniques. The class was a bit of an eye opener. I am a typical Irish man, awkward when put into new situations, particularly when being out stretched by men and women much much older
Some of the poses (if that's the right word) had me in a spot of bother as the body really felt them. After attempting the hamstring stretch/pose the instructor asked whether I ran or cycled. This illustrates how bad I was at it.
I can really see the benefit in yoga for runners and will be back regularly. The body and legs felt great afterwards. I highly recommend.
40 Minutes Easy
-5.53 Miles @7.21p/m in 40:40
Started this one pretty about half an hour after the yoga class. While the legs felt brilliant, I hit a big metaphorical wall about 20 minutes in. The next ten minutes were a bit of a wobble fest. I don't drink soft drinks but an empty bottle of 7up on the ground looked like the most appealing thing ever, probably signalling low sugar levels.
Yoga chewed me up and spat me out! I won't underestimate it again, I promise.
Thursday 3/6
60 Minutes Easy
-8.22 Miles @7.18p/m in 1.00:00
~inc. 5x30 second strides @1 mile effort (30 sec rec)
A strange run. The legs felt good but tired, a good tired (yoga tired? :pac:) The 5 strides at the end of the run were tough. I won't even mention the humiditywar.0 -
Friday 4/7
5 Miles Very Easy
Took this one down to the gym and did a pretty boring 5 miles on the treadmill. This type of run is better than a day off in my opinion. The swim after nicely loosened the creaky body.
Saturday 5/7
19.20+ Miles
Clontarf Half Marathon
1.29:21
My first pacing gig.
A really enjoyable day and a job well done if you don't mind me saying :pac: I planned to run 1.29:30 but I won't get hung up about smashing that (i'll call it a pacing PB!) Having run and relied on pacers to previously hit 1.25, 1.30 (HM) and 3.00 twice (M), I was all too aware of their importance. With this in mind I was a tad bit nervous heading into my first pacing engagement. Runners really rely on pacers and I didn't want to let anyone down. The previous nights Kings Of Leon concert with four hours of standing in the rain wasn't the best pre-nights preperarion but it was well worth it. Crackin' concert
The Clontarf Half is a race like no others. The combination of the beach and wind can kill off the most prepared runners. The soft sand to get onto the hard hard sand has to be negotiated four times and is a real lap sapper. The wind on the return beach leg will always be bad, you can hang your hat on that. How hard it will be is anyone's guess because it really can be as bad as running against a wall at times.
A quick chat with Ecoli confirmed how I would pace this race .We both agreed that to give people the greatest chance of hitting their targets you have to bank a bit of time on the out leg. If you ran even splits I think you would burn off even the best runners on the return leg.
The weather setting out was picturesque but fortunately temperature dropped a bit a few miles in. After the usual congested first mile the pace settled and a large group formed. The miles flew by, particularly on the turnabout section were you meet the leaders running for home. The wind on the return beach leg was challenging and our group lost a good few runners. I tried to tell them to draft in behind me and let me do the work! The last mile and bit were preety grim as the heavens briefly opened. One or two pushed on to hit 1.29 while myself and the other pacer tried to motivate people to push on. I am happy that we got as many people under the 1.30 as possible.
I am sorry to the runner I shouted at.....''CATCH ME, COME ON!!'' He did indeed catch me and ran a fine race, finishing strong.
Delighted to get my first pacing gig under my belt. I hope to do a few more, particularly as running 1.30 gives me a decent workout so it can have it's training benefits. A big thanks to my fellow pacer. He did a great job and it was nice to have a bit of experience to call on.
Two years ago this was my very first race, running 1.48. How things can change over such a short period of time.
A pint of Erdinger and I was off home......
-6.05 Miles @7.33 in 45.40
One thing to note is my timekeeping. I arrived quite late and was lucky everything went smoothly. Time to sort myself out on that front!
And yes, I wore a Garmin for the first time in over a year
Sunday 6/7
60 Minutes Easy
-8.57 @7.26 in 1.03:47
A weekend in Carlingford gave me the excuse to eat too much and drink way too much. Finishing my run the previous day before 1pm gave the body a good 30hr break before I set out. I think some runners forget that if you are sensible in the scheduling of your run times you can essentially give the body a days rest even though running on consecutive days.
WEEK TOTAL: 71.03+ MILES
Mileage is exactly what it should be at the moment so I am happy with that. True to form I registered for the Fingal 10km at the last possible moment. I am looking forward to running it. Hopefully I will right the few wrongs of late. Tempted to do a parkrun on Saturday but I will wait and see on that front.0 -
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Monday 7/7
75 Minutes Easy
-10.28 Miles @7.18p/m in 1.15:04
I live quite near Dublin city centre, Ireland's capital city apparently. I say that for two reasons. The first being the lack of phone coverage and the second being the distinct lack of Garmin coverage. If I lived in the West fair enough but seriously, whats going on?! I must just live in a black spot. I still have the Garmin which makes the run interesting to analyse. The one thing I notice is that I get faster going up hills. Why? I really don't know. The last mile up to my house is all up hill and it was by some distance the quickest mile. Hopefully this bodes well for challenging climb up Ticknock on Thursday.
Tuesday 8/7
15+ Miles Various
AM
Session - Floating Miles
8.5+ Miles Various
-W/U
MILE:
1. @10k effort (5.32)
2. @6.50
3. @10k effort (5.44-Definitely a Garmin mistake)
4. @6.4x
5. @10k effort (5.34)
6. @6.4x
7. @10k effort (5.29)
8. @6.5x
-W/D
I met up with my coach and a fellow runner he trains for this session. As we warmed up by heading out to the Phoenix Park he kindly informed us what was in store. Sometimes not knowing the session until the very last minute is a good thing. In this case it definitely was. No time to back out The first rep felt nice and controlled but I knew four would be tough, very tough. The mile recovery isn't really a recovery as it was at a decent clip heading directly into the wind on the North Road. Reps 2&3 followed the same pattern with the effort level quite high. On the third rep I started to really feel the effort and just about hung on to their coattails. Time to dig deep. I lost them completely on the 4th rep. It felt like a 6 minute mile. I wasn't tired but the legs just wouldn't turn over. They finished a good 15+ seconds ahead of me. I was quite p1ssed off until I realised that they put the boot down and hit a 5.09 mile. I felt like I was going backwards but in reality I maintained the effort and pace whilst they hammered it :cool:
In reflection it was a good testing session and something to build on. The splits indicate a 34.3x 10km time or thereabouts. This is a time I can definitely aim to hit if I ease up slightly heading into a race over the summer.
AM
6 Mile Very Easy
-6.5 Miles @7.45p/m in 50:24
This took a lot of concentration to keep the time in check. Any brief slip had me running a bit too fast. I have to remember that in order to run fast, you have to run slow.........sometimes :pac:0 -
Wednesday 9/7
-10.20 Miles @7.26p/m in 1.15:50
Trying to keep the pace down for the easy runs. Getting there.
Thursday 10/7
Hill Run
-10.50 Miles @8.07p/m in 1.25:09
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/538404134
I really looked forward to this run. I knew it was going to a tough one but I do enjoy the odd challenge. I was relishing the prospect of pushing myself today but the run chewed me up and spat me out. I really can't remember the last time, if there even was a last time, I was reduced to walking. In hindsight I completely underestimated the difficulty of the climb. I learnt quite a valuable lesson today. The experience will live long in the memory and while it won't have left a scare it has definitely left a mark.
The legs are in a constant state of fatigue at the moment but you get used to that whilst marathon training. I felt quite fresh setting out with Ecoli and the much missed Dr Quirky
After an easy mile the climb began. It was hard work straight away. I stopped for a quick pit stop and knew I was in for a tough one today. The climb was relentless in nature with only the briefest respite. The climb from mile 1.5-2.5 (500ft+) nearly killed me. I was willing to push it today and go to tempo effort but no further. I wasn't prepared to go into the red and risk injury or risk not being able to walk the next day.
The sight of DrQ running into the distance as myself and Ecoli stopped will last long in the memory :eek: I can report he is in great nick and showed us up today
I will give this a go again hopefully in a few weeks. I will be back.
If anyone has any advice fire away or PM me.0 -
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SamforMayo wrote: »With God s help ye will get a shoe up the ..... before that!!!!!!! Nice running by the way.
Haha! I just call it as I see it. Playing Mayo in the final will be easy pickings.....just like last year 0 -
dublin runner wrote: »Haha! I just call it as I see it. Playing Mayo in the final will be easy pickings.....just like last year
Ah the humble Mayo people are only looking to the quarter final.0 -
SamforMayo wrote: »Ah the humble Mayo people are only looking to the quarter final.
weren't so humble last year
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dublin runner wrote: »Sure you are still waiting for Ciaran McDonald to come out of retirement and save your cursed asses!
Either that or wait until the remaining members of the 1951 team snuff it. I'm surprise there isn't a bounty on their heads actually 0 -
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