One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Ferris B

Week 5 of P&D 18/70

Monday 20th
Rest day

Tues 21st June
9.5m w/ 5@hmp

Was a little unsure about this one after my race efforts at the weekend but it turned out to be quite successful. Had the company of FBOT which was good to keep the pace up. Although I’m not sure he was taking it seriously as he stopped to look up some girl’s skirt mid run. No doubt he’ll try and pass it off that she was a damsel in distress.:D

Anyway back to the program…splits for the hmp miles were 6:34, 6:25, 6:25, 6:30, 6:25. The target hmp was 6:30-6:35 so a little fast but not stupidly so.

AuldManKing

nice work FBOT

FBOT01

AuldManKing wrote: »

nice work FBOT

Cheers AMK. What can I say I am a gentleman and could never pass a Lady in distress without offering assistance:D

Ferris B

Wednesday 25th June
14.1m; Pace 8:24

I’m pacing the 1:50 group in the clontarf half in 2 weeks so took the opportunity to get used to the pace which is about 8:24. I decided I may as well run the race route as well including the beach. The sand was particularly soft at the entrance/exit to the beach which was a real pain and really messes with your pace and gait. There was even a car abandoned in the soft sand at the entrance which was a bit worrying. I decided not to run the beach on the return leg for fear of injury.

At least I managed to dial in the correct pace over the 14m (just in case my fellow pacer is reading!) although the legs did feel tired after yesterday’s session.

Ferris B

Thursday 26th June
5.4m, Pace 9:28

Recovery plod around St Annes

Friday 27th June
12m, Pace 8:07

Headed out via the Point, Sean Moore Park and on out towards Poolbeg lighthouse. My tired legs didn’t appreciate the uneven paving on the sea wall so I was relieved when the watch signalled the time to turn for home. It was an real effort to maintain the pace which was a bit worrying as I knew I’d a mp session on Sunday. Great spot for a run though. Must do it again ( and go all the way to the lighthouse next time) when the legs feel a bit more sprightly.

Saturday 28th June
5.4m, Pace 8:34

Another recovery run, mainly on the grass along the seafront and in St Annes. Bit of a slog. Beginning to dread tomorrow’s mp run.

Sunday 29th June
18m w/10@mp

My preparation for this run wasn’t ideal as I’d a few too many cherries over dinner at a friends house on sat night and I was well hungover. So much so, that I considered postponing it till Monday as it’s an important session. Anyway I convinced myself to give at a lash but while the mind was willing, I was unsure about the body. After faffing about all morning, feeling sorry for myself and to be honest a bit pissed off for over indulging the night before, I eventually headed for the phoenix park about lunch time. The plan was no water or gels but considering my hungover state, I left water in the car just in case and I could pick it up on the way by. I also wore new runners so as to hopefully give an extra spring to my step.

The 8 wu miles passed quite quickly and the body still held together. Time now for the ‘fun stuff’ . I used a loop comprising Chesterfield ave, Ordnance Survey rd, Upper Glen rd and Military rd which I did twice. The plan was for 7min miles but the first one was 7:11 and even at that it was a struggle which was worrying for what was to come. However I started to get into a bit of a rhythm and the pace started increasing, so much so, that the remaining 9 miles were all sub 7. I was using all sorts of mind games to help me get through the run and it was working. At one point I bumped into my parents who happened to be out for a stroll to look at the fawns so I put in an extra effort to show off. Just time for a quick ‘hello’ but didn’t stop though as at this point (mile 6 of 10) I really was in the zone and I didn’t want to ruin it ( I did ring to apologise later). I was afraid to stop at the car in case I couldn’t start again so took on no water. Mile 17 was tough coming up chesterfield but just about kept the pace under 7min. And then I was done. All 18 finished, and in a good time too.

I got to say I am pretty pleased with myself after that session and it brings to an end a very good weeks running.:)

Splits for mp miles:
07:11
06:52
06:53
06:58
06:48
06:40
06:40
06:42
06:59
06:47

Average mp miles: 6:51 m/m
Average wu miles: 8:03

Total this week: 64
Total this program: 249

ThebitterLemon

Great session Ferris, impressive, especially given you've a couple of months to go to your target race.

TbL

ultraman1

Nice goin ...Ur niggles seem to be well behind u...

Ferris B

Monday 30th June

Went to another 'functional fitness' class in gym. There wasn't many there so the trainer had us hanging out of ropes doing a few TRX routines. All supposed to be good for the core but some were quite tough.

Tuesday 1st June
8m gen aerobic w/10 strides. Pace: 8:07

After I dropped the kids off a sailing camp in Malahide I took the opportunity to get my run in around the Demesne. Lovely spot. Haven't been there in years. They've even built a castle now.;)

yaboya1

Ferris B wrote: »

Tuesday 1st June
8m gen aerobic w/10 strides. Pace: 8:07

After I dropped the kids off a sailing camp in Malahide I took the opportunity to get my run in around the Demesne. Lovely spot. Haven't been there in years. They've even built a castle now.;)

Havent been there in a month you mean....:pac:

Killerz

Those cherries sound interesting.... where would one acquire them?

Ferris B

Killerz wrote: »

Those cherries sound interesting.... where would one acquire them?

It even looked wrong when I wrote it but was too lazy for spellcheck etc...

Now write it out 10 times Ferris:

(sherry, sherry, sherry, sherry, sherry) x 2

Must have been magic potion in it though however it was spelt.

Ferris B

Wednesday 2nd July
12m Med - Long run. Pace 8:03

Early morning run to Sutton and back. Very warm, even at 6.0am! Picked up the pace from 8:10ish for the last 5m to 7:50ish.

Met a golfing friend I haven't seen in a while, also out running this morning. He had previously been asking me about marathons etc. He told me this morning he ran the marathon distance a little while ago on his own (after 18wks training) and ran 3:15! On his own! :eek: He said it was just to be sure he could do it! He’s running DCM 2014 as his first ever race. He doesn’t realise how good he is or could be… the fecker.

Murph_D

Haven't played golf in over a year now but my respect for the game is rising by the minute.

ThebitterLemon

Murph_D wrote: »

Haven't played golf in over a year now but my respect for the game is rising by the minute.

And my respect for you is dropping by the minute, golf FFS Murph

TbL

Murph_D

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

And my respect for you is dropping by the minute, golf FFS Murph

TbL

Well, it HAS been over a year.

FBOT01

Murph_D wrote: »

Haven't played golf in over a year now but my respect for the game is rising by the minute.

Anyone know a decent golf course near Berlin? Although the youngfella is a single figure Golfer so he will kick our auld a*ses at that too but sure isn't all about the taking part.

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

And my respect for you is dropping by the minute, golf FFS Murph

TbL

TbL, didn't you know, golf is the new Crossfit! Get with the program:p

Ferris B

Thursday 3rdJuly
10m; Pace 8:07

Moved Friday’s run to today due to long run on sat ( as opposed to Sunday). General aerobic lunchtime run. Had intended to run slightly slower but the legs felt good so the pace was upped without ever pushing it.

Friday 4th July
5.3m; Pace 8:34

Early evening recovery run to end of the Bull Wall and back.

Saturday 5th July
14.8m; 0.84m + Half Marathon + 0.84m
Clontarf Half Marathon

My first official pacing duty. The 1:50 slot was on offer so I took it as the race is local and my programmed long run was 15m so with a 1m run to the start and a 1m run home it suited me just fine. I had the pleasure of the company of Menoscemo as my fellow pacer. From the start we had a bunch of 20 or so runners. The outward run was pleasant with the wind behind us and we had a good gang of pacees. On the return leg a few of them fell back particularly along the beach due to the head wind and the soft sand although we also picked up a few stragglers here and encouraged them to join our 1:50 bus. However by the time we left the beach and were back along the seafront we only had 1 pacee. At this point Meno started to demonstate his pacing prowess. With threatening screams shouts of encouragement Meno hauled together those who were slacking. Frightened out of their lives stimulated by the voice of encouragement, they managed somehow to pick up the pace , join us for a moment and move on towards the finish line.

I myself crossed the line at 1:49:27 which I would think was acceptable considering the target was 1:49:30. From my own point of view the pace was very comfortable for the entire race ( which it should be at this stage I guess). After a bit of chat at the end, a bottle of alchohol free beer , I headed for home.

Sunday 6th July
5,4m; Pace 8:47

Recovery run on the grass along the seafront & went for a meander through St Annes.

Total this week: 55.5m
Total this program: 304.8

Ferris B

Tuesday 8th July

LT run: 10m w/ 5@hmp

Back out along the seafront to Sutton for this run as it’s flat and there are few interuptions from traffic lights etc. My 3 warm up miles were probably a bit fast (averaging 7:45) which would make the last hmp miles even harder . The first hm mile didn’t quite hit the target pace of 6:30 as the aul legs can take a while to get going. The next 4 miles though, hit the spot and were just under the target . The effort over the last two hmp miles was considerable with much grimacing and drooling involved. Was relieved when the watch sounded for 5 miles. 2 mile cool down to get me home (8:13 ave).

Hmp splits:
06:36 06:25 06:25 06:25 06:26

A few creaky niggles in the legs which I suspect is a sign the runners I was wearing have hit their max mileage. Hope that’s the reason anyway.

Ferris B

Wednesday 9th July

Med-Long 14m; Pace 7:52

Early morning run. Headed out 6am ish thru town and out along the grand canal for a change of scenery. Traffic lights at each bridge was a bit of a pain but some nice early morning sunshine to enjoy nonetheless.

Thursday 10th July

5.4m; Pace 8:32

Nice recovery run taking in St Annes park. First recovery run in a while where the legs didn't feel like lead. Encountered 5 scrotes farting about on bikes in the park who either followed me most of the way home or just happened to be going my way. They were 5 abreast across the road acting like d!cks and playing chicken with cars. I had to try very hard not to laugh when one of the said scrotes pulled a wheelie, hit a ramp and landed on his arse.:D:D:D

Murph_D

Know what you mean about the grand Canal and the traffic lights. Thats why the Royal is my preferred canal.

Ferris B

Fri 11th July
Med – Long 11m; Pace 7:49

Haven’t been up howth in a little while so ran an out and back route from the causeway. My turning point was about 0.5m shy of the summit but I wasn’t tempted to go all the way as there’s enough miles being run this week already.

Sat 12th July
General Aerobic 7m w/10 strides; Pace 8:ish (excl strides)

After spending an afternoon watching my two daughters have fun ‘sailing’ Optimists in Malahide (this included me getting plenty of core work hauling lots of boats in and out of the water for parentless kids) I took in my normal 5m loop which takes in much of the perimeter of St Annes. I dipped into the park used the main ave in the park for the strides. FBOT01 had mentioned the benches along the ave were about 100m part so this worked a treat. Legs were tired though for the whole run and was glad when it was done. On previous Saturdays this was a recovery run so the programme appears to stepped up a notch.

Sun 13th July
Long run 21m; Pace 7:58

Per a prompt from Murph_D, I headed out along the Royal Canal before turning off at Ashtown for a loop of the phoenix park before returning the same way. I met Murph’s Swans and signets and gave them a wide berth unlike some other eejits I saw on my return leg.

I ran this pre breakfast with just a swig of coffee on board to see how I’d get on fuel wise. I took no gels and just three sips of sports drink and seemed to manage just fine although was a little tired. I did manage to pick up the pace a tad for the last couple of miles.

Total miles this week: 68m
Total miles this program: 345m

Ferris B

Tues 14th July
Recovery 10m ; 6m in am (8:44 pace), 4m pm (9:10)

My first double. Morning run was at 6:30am down to the beach. Lovely morning, had the place to myself.. other than the JCB and tractor clearing up the seaweed.

In the late afternoon I was accompanied by my youngest on her scooter. Legs were a little tired, so I was tempted to nick the scooter. Inadvertently got some core work done pushing her up a few hills.

Wed 15th July
Med-Long 14m; Pace 7:55

Another pre breakfast run. This was a tough run and I had to grind it out. I guess the humidity contributed a bit to the difficulty. It did get slightly easier after 5/6 miles when the legs started to loosen up. Didn’t really push the pace and just tried to keep things ticking over at around 8min/m.

Followed this up with a good leg battering courtesy of Ecoli. He has good knack of finding all the sore bits. Great job though, definitely needed and some good running chat too.

Ferris B

Thurs 16th July
11m w/6@ hmp. Ave Pace 7:07.


Out along the flat seafront for this with FBOT as pacer. After a 3m wu got stuck into the hmp miles. Can't say it was easy but we hit the numbers. Splits by my watch ( slightly different to his) were:

6:32, 6:26, 6:26, 6:25, 6:18, 6:20

I'm blaming FBOT and his fondness for progression runs for the last two fast ones. Too much testosterone me thinks. 2m cool down after.

I was fairly wrecked for the rest of the evening and instead of packing for camping, I sat on my arse for the evening. I had done this session a day early so didn't have recovery day before run which may be part of the reason for my tiredness

Fri 18th July
5m recovery; pace 8:39

This was yesterday's run moved to today for logistical reasons.

Sat 19th July
5.3m recovery; pace 8:56

A part trail/ part road run around campsite in Rathdrum. Included a bit of stream crossing and was a bit stop /start. Perfect though for this type of run.

Ferris B

Sun 20th July
21m; Pace 8:14

On our way home from camping in wicklow I jumped out of the car in greystones and ran the rest of the way. A couple of testing hills coming out of greystones and at bray had me breathing heavy early in the run. I was fairly tired after interrupted sleep and the obligatory beer or two so didn't push the pace but just tried to hang on to MP+20%. At 1mile from home I had all the required miles completed (+ 1 extra) so rewarded myself with a well deserved ice cream and walked the last mile.

Mon 21st July

Recovery 5.5m; Pace 8:46

Supposed to be a rest day but ran the first of Tuesdays double runs as I'd be travelling tomorrow.

Tues 22nd July
Recovery 5m; 8:44

A hot and sweaty recovery run near the campsite in croatia. Tired and dehydrated.

Wed 23rd July
14.2m; Pace 7:57

There are a few cycle trails set out beside where we're staying so kind of followed one of those which took me through vineyards and along the coast to the local town, Novigrad. What a gorgeous spot. Running is really a great way of exploring new environs. Bought a sports drink along the way to replenish the barrels of sweat pouring out of me. Due to the heat I wasn't too bothered when I finished up 1 mile short of the programmed amount. Seems to be plenty of runners about which is encouraging and nearly all with pleasant 'hello' or wave.

Ferris B

Thurs 24th July
6m; Pace 8:42

Early evening recovery run. Must remember to use insect repellent at this time of day. Back to the mobile in time to get the bbq going to feed the troops.

Fri 25th July
12.7m; Pace 7:55

Tried a new route this morning heading north from the campsite. This included a bit of a trail route heading inland which I abandoned as I was too tired to manage the bumpy underfoot terrain. After about 8m I stopped off for a bottle of water and spent about 5 mins standing under the air conditioning unit in the middle of the shop. I'd say the shop owners had the bucket and mop at the ready to clean up the pool of sweat I left behind. Came across a few wrinkly naturists on a rocky stretch along the coastline- not a pretty site. As I tried not to stare I wondered did they cover 'everywhere' in sunscreen. Finished shy of the prescribed 13 but feck it, I'm on my holidays.

I'm on the look out for a good route for Sundays mp session ( 16 w/12@ mp). Everywhere I've been too date is just a bit too hilly. Will keep looking .

FBOT01

Ferris B wrote: »

Sun 20th July
21m; Pace 8:14

On our way home from camping in wicklow I jumped out of the car in greystones and ran the rest of the way. A couple of testing hills coming out of greystones and at bray had me breathing heavy early in the run. I was fairly tired after interrupted sleep and the obligatory beer or two so didn't push the pace but just tried to hang on to MP+20%. At 1mile from home I had all the required miles completed (+ 1 extra) so rewarded myself with a well deserved ice cream and walked the last mile.

8:14 pace is MP+20% = Sub 3 target for Berlin.....I am glad to see that you are finally happy to share it. Hopefully, you can drag me over the line with you

Ferris B

FBOT01 wrote: »

8:14 pace is MP+20% = Sub 3 target for Berlin.....I am glad to see that you are finally happy to share it. Hopefully, you can drag me over the line with you

Feckin' pedantic accountants. Feels like my log is being audited.

That post was put up under the influence of Croatian beer and should be taken with a large pinch of salt.

Ferris B

Sat 26th July

7m (General aerobic) w/6 strides; Pace 8:19

My general aerobic pace per P&D is 8:15-8:30 and I managed to run this one somewhere in the middle. I did the strides up a shortish hill (~ 80m) off a main road and put in a reasonable effort so much so that the sweat was really pumping at this stage.

Sun 27th July

16m w/12@ mp; Pace 7:15 (overall)/ 6:58 (mp miles)

Having not managed to find a nice 12m downhill stretch of footpath I had to settle for a combination of a few of the routes I'd used this week which included paths, roads and stoney bike trails all with plenty of undulation. I stashed a couple of bottles of sports drink in the rental car which I left at the top of the campsite which would end up being my half way point and took in a route which went 4m north and 4m south of this point. Luckily for me ( OH not so pleased) it had lashed rain all night which had cleared the air somewhat and was still drizzling and overcast so running conditions were good. It was still low 20's though. After 4 warm up miles to wake up the legs I moved up a gear and tried to maintain a pace at just under 7:00. A few hills along a the way were testing and I purposely let the pace slip a bit knowing I pick it up on the down hill. Even got a few waves from a few decent looking runners which gave me a little boost ( every little bit helps) . I did wonder were any if them also training for Berlin considering the amount of German tourists here. At times with no one else around, the mind wandered a bit during the run and I found myself having work hard to focus on holding the pace. Managed to complete the mission as intended with mp mile splits as follows: 7:05, 6:51, 6:59, 7:04, 6:51, 6:57, 7:02, 7:02, 6:53, 6:59, 7:02, 6:54.

I'll take that for a holiday run.

ultraman1

Wen u say decent looking runners...Do u mean hot Croatian burds or dudes ...

Ferris B

ultraman1 wrote: »

Wen u say decent looking runners...Do u mean hot Croatian burds or dudes ...

Well, they were wearing Lycra. Didn't notice the gender, I was going too fast.