The Middle Distance Thread

Timmaay

Sacksian wrote: »

IMC 2019 calendar is out. Interesting to see that the IMC element of the Morton Games is gone and that there's a new fixture in Drogheda, which will probably be quite a big meet. I was actually hoping the IMC would take over the mid-distance programme for the AAI Games, but that seems to have moved to June (again same weekend as Belfast IMC).

Sat 4th May Greystones (tbc)
Sat 18th May GV Ryan with Crusaders Ac and IMC
Sat 8th June Le Chéile International, Leixlip
Sat 22nd June The Belfast Irish Milers International with Beechmount Harriers
Sat 13th July IMC w/ Drogheda
​

They lost the Morton games slot last yr. I use to have an 800m standard by the sink of my teeth for it every year, shame it's gone now ha. The Drogheda meet is replacing the Tullamore one? And the Belfast meet same weekend as aai games, I can see alot of athletes, including myself heading up north that weekend ha.

Sacksian

Timmaay wrote: »

They lost the Morton games slot last yr. I use to have an 800m standard by the sink of my teeth for it every year, shame it's gone now ha. The Drogheda meet is replacing the Tullamore one? And the Belfast meet same weekend as aai games, I can see alot of athletes, including myself heading up north that weekend ha.

Last year, the AAI Games was on the same weekend as the Belfast IMC and there was 1 entry for the senior men's 1500m & 2 for the 3000m, and 2 for the senior women's 1500m & 1 for the 3000m - a total of 6 entries across 4 middle distance races. So, they scrapped them all.

No women's 800m, either, and 11 in the men's 800m (spread between 1:50 and 2:10). Loads of field events with one or two athletes competing.

The change to Tullamore might actually help the middle-distance events, but I was hoping IMC would take over their programme.

Chivito550

Sacksian wrote: »

Last year, the AAI Games was on the same weekend as the Belfast IMC and there was 1 entry for the senior men's 1500m & 2 for the 3000m, and 2 for the senior women's 1500m & 1 for the 3000m - a total of 6 entries across 4 middle distance races. So, they scrapped them all.

No women's 800m, either, and 11 in the men's 800m (spread between 1:50 and 2:10). Loads of field events with one or two athletes competing.

The change to Tullamore might actually help the middle-distance events, but I was hoping IMC would take over their programme.

You would think after last year's shambolics, they would avoid such clashes this year.....

Sacksian

As ever, participation on this thread will largely be determined by how many of those interested have functioning limbs.

My summer training started yesterday so I thought I'd share a list of the races I considered when planning my summer training. Do feel free to add in any stuff happening outside of Dublin. I think all the Dublin & IMC stuff is there.

If you're interested at all in trying some middle-distance races, in a club and don't know where to start, start with the Dublin Graded Series, it's very accessible to runners of all standards. Similarly, masters competition is generally more accessible than senior competition.

List of Middle-Distance Fixtures for the Upcoming Season

28/04 - National Road Relays, Raheny
01/05 - Dublin Graded No.1 @ Morton - 800m / 3000m
04/05 - IMC Greystones
15/05 - Dublin Graded No.2 @ Tallaght - 1500m (& 5,000m)
18/05 - IMC GV Ryan, Irishtown
19/05 - National League, Round 1
29/05 - Dublin Graded No.3 @ Irishtown - 800m (& 10,000m)
02/06 - Leinster T&F, Tullamore
08/06 - IMC Le Chéile, Leixlip
12/06 - Dublin Graded No.4 @ Morton - 1500m
22/06 - AAI Games, Morton Stadium
26/06 - Dublin Graded No.5 @ Tallaght - 800m/3000m
30/06 - National League Round 2.
10/07 - Dublin Graded No.6 @ Morton - 800m (& 5,000m)
13/07 - IMC Drogheda
24/07 - Dublin Graded No.7 @ Morton - 1500m / 'Devil Take the Hindmost' Mile
27/07 - National T&F Championships, Morton
07/08 - Dublin Graded No.8 - Mile / 3000m
18/08 - National Masters T&F Championships, Tullamore


Also, if you're in a club, encourage them to stick in a team or two for the road relays. It's a great race with a great atmosphere and a wide range of standards.

IvoryTower

Not around for the masters so if anyone hears of any 800s between Drogheda IMC and then let me know. I'll likely just enter national seniors as it stands but that won't be pretty...

BeepBeep67

Open to all and no charge, but let me know if you want an entry to the track one on June 25th as numbers will be limited

Murph_D

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Open to all and no charge, but let me know if you want an entry to the track one on June 25th as numbers will be limited

What’s the story with these, D? Are they paced? Big numbers? What’s the course like (apart from the track)?

BeepBeep67

Murph_D wrote: »

What’s the story with these, D? Are they paced? Big numbers? What’s the course like (apart from the track)?

No pacers, low key, could be 15 to 30+, mixed ability.
We use the lap 1 of Shanganagh parkrun.

IvoryTower

shameless plug for the club, would love to see some of you down there, say hello if you haven't before



Drogheda Irish Milers Meet & Novice Paced Miles
Drogheda Irish Milers Meet Sat 13th July, Lourdes Stadium

And so to our final meet of 2019....and a brand new meet for you...we present the Drogheda Irish Milers Meet.

Timed 2 weeks before the Irish Senior T and F Championships this represents an ideal opportunity to get a fast time and a very competitive race going into the Championships.

We have a full array of events for you 100,200,400,800,1500. We also have non gender specific races for you a 3k A race for athletes with a SB of SUB 9.15 and a 3k B race for athletes with SB of between 9.30 and 10.15. Field -LJ and Shot

Suggested standards:- 800m Men 2.15 women 2.35, 1500m Men 4.15 and women 5.00.
For those not making these standards do not worry we have what we call Novice miles for you and there are 4 categories to choose from:- between 5-6 mins, 6-7 mins, 7- 8 mins and 8- 10 mins so something for everyone

Enter on our on line race entry page on www.irishmilersclub.org with entries closing midnight Tuesday 9th July but with the warning that some events will close earlier when full.
We will update this page with news of the event over the next few weeks on this page

Timmaay

Entered! Whats the track like? Its about the only track in Leinster that I haven't been on ha.

Sacksian

Will be there - having a nightmare of a season so this could be the meet to draw a line under everything (although tentative plans to pull together a 4x4 team for the masters were discussed this morning).

Otherwise, I'll be posting in the cross-country training thread from July!

Sacksian

What are the best and worst tracks in the country for middle distance - say 800m/1500m?

Is Morton the fastest? Tullamore, Tallaght, Greystones? I've never thought Irishtown is that fast.

Timmaay

Can't say I've noticed any difference in any of them 2bh, it much more boils down to weather and the race standard/atmosphere. Le cheile I'd call a very exposed track so would be the only one that would stand out as been often slower.

IvoryTower

Morton fastest anyway due to how hard it is. haven't noticed any difference in the rest , including Drogheda unfortunately.

pconn062

Also, be aware that the parking situation at the Lourdes stadium is dire so plan to suss out some on street parking or use public transport. Track is similar to bray, tallaght, soft training track.

Chivito550

I’ll be going to Drogheda too for 100/200. I like that the finish line runs with the prevailing winds. All the Dublin area tracks run against them.

When last was the track resurfaced? Tell me it’s a faster track than Irishtown and Tallaght?

Oiriallach

Chivito550 wrote: »

When last was the track resurfaced? Tell me it’s a faster track than Irishtown and Tallaght?

It was resurfaced in 2012. Not sure how fast it is - it has mainly been used for local meets and, in a lot of those, races were timed manually and there was no wind gauge.

pconn062

Chivito550 wrote: »

I’ll be going to Drogheda too for 100/200. I like that the finish line runs with the prevailing winds. All the Dublin area tracks run against them.

When last was the track resurfaced? Tell me it’s a faster track than Irishtown and Tallaght?

Very similar to Tallaght.

Chivito550

pconn062 wrote: »

Very similar to Tallaght.

Not great so. Not that I’ve much choice. There’s very few meets for seniors in July. Frustrating as there were a couple of weekends in June with a clash of 2-3 meets on the same weekend. Standard lack of communication between the various bodies.

IvoryTower

Tobin to run the 800, kieron kelly the 1500 I believe

IvoryTower

800m Brian Abakereh (Italy) 1.49, Kieran Kelly, 1.50SB, Cillian Kirwan 1.50 and Sean Tobin

hopefully im not in that race

Sacksian

Resurrecting this thread, now that we have a quorum of active milers ("a podium") again. Here's a list of indoor races in Dublin and Leinster, lots of opportunities to race:

11.12.19 AIT Baseline, Athlone.
17.12.19 NIA Live, Abbotstown.
28.12.19 North West Indoor Games, Athlone.
11.01.20 Indoor League Round 1, Abbotstown.
14.01.20 NIA Live, Abbotstown.
26.01.20 Indoor Leauge Round 2, Athlone.
28.01.20 NIA Live, Abbotstown.
08.02.20 AAI Indoor Games, Abbotstown.
11.02.20 NIA Live, Abbotstown.
18.02.20 NIA Live, Abbotstown.
22.02.20 Leinster Senior/Masters Indoor, Abbotstown.
29.02.20 National Senior Indoor, Abbotstown.
08.03.20 National Masters Indoor, Athlone.

NIA Live is designed to be accessible and you get a range of abilities, but really, it's just about who turns up. Some clubs turn up en masse and make a night of it, trying different events. The Indoor Arena is a magnificent public facility to have, so well worth making use of it.

pconn062

Had hoped to make the NIA on the 17th but not going to happen now but hope to make the one at the start on January and get a nice early mile in.

IvoryTower

Be great to see you back on the track pconn.


2 questions for my fellow master track Boardsies.

1. Do you allow extra rest for a race at this time of year. For example. I skipped hill session on Saturday with race on Tues(I moved long run to Saturday instead). Going forward I'm wondering should I just race on tired legs until closer to March.

2. How do you feel about doubling up on races. I would like to run more 400's. But it almost feels like it's not enough on its own. But running the 800 and 400 is pretty tough on the body as well. Is it a young mans game? Great session?

Sacksian

IvoryTower wrote: »

Be great to see you back on the track pconn.


2 questions for my fellow master track Boardsies.

1. Do you allow extra rest for a race at this time of year. For example. I skipped hill session on Saturday with race on Tues(I moved long run to Saturday instead). Going forward I'm wondering should I just race on tired legs until closer to March.

2. How do you feel about doubling up on races. I would like to run more 400's. But it almost feels like it's not enough on its own. But running the 800 and 400 is pretty tough on the body as well. Is it a young mans game? Great session?

1. Depends. Ideally not, as the purpose of the races at this stage of the season is just to bring you on, rather than a main target or peak. Do a couple fewer reps in the session before the race maybe. Either way, always go with what your body tells you. It's a long season.

2. I feel the same. I've only ever run one 400 and that was after an 800. I was 40 seconds in before I knew what was happening so it wasn't that bad. Would like to do it again at NIA Live but I don't think I could sprint on a track that tight without injuring myself, especially if I was in lane 1 or 2. I do think a 400 and an 800 on the same night would be a really good session. But I might wait until the summer.

I did 800 & 1500 on the same day a good few times (always 1500 after 800) and it was much worse.

dna_leri will have some insight on this!

BeepBeep67

I had a timid opening at the NIA on Tuesday, for these races usually swap with a session, although will stick to a day -1 schedule and some minor adjustments.
Example I brought my weekend forward by a day, done my heavier interval work Friday night instead of Sat, long run Sat instead of Sunday.

Sacksian

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

I had a timid opening at the NIA on Tuesday, for these races usually swap with a session, although will stick to a day -1 schedule and some minor adjustments.
Example I brought my weekend forward by a day, done my heavier interval work Friday night instead of Sat, long run Sat instead of Sunday.

Well done - 4 boards milers there on Tuesday then. If you're the Sli Cualann guy I see at a lot of gradeds and masters track stuff, I think I know who you are now - might see you at one in the new year!

dna_leri

Sacksian wrote: »

1. Depends. Ideally not, as the purpose of the races at this stage of the season is just to bring you on, rather than a main target or peak. Do a couple fewer reps in the session before the race maybe. Either way, always go with what your body tells you. It's a long season.

2. I feel the same. I've only ever run one 400 and that was after an 800. I was 40 seconds in before I knew what was happening so it wasn't that bad. Would like to do it again at NIA Live but I don't think I could sprint on a track that tight without injuring myself, especially if I was in lane 1 or 2. I do think a 400 and an 800 on the same night would be a really good session. But I might wait until the summer.

I did 800 & 1500 on the same day a good few times (always 1500 after 800) and it was much worse.

dna_leri will have some insight on this!

The only insight I have on this (other than watching others try and fail) is don't do it (doubling up). For me racing is about 1 big effort. If you have another race inevitably 1 or both of them will be below par. I prefer not to mix up racing with training and have the mindset right for the race. Better to do some 200m reps after the race if additional stimulus is needed, that way you won't hold back in the race.

IvoryTower

Anyone for NIA Live on the 17th?

We have a good crew going I believe, there's also 3k race this time

Chivito550

IvoryTower wrote: »

Anyone for NIA Live on the 17th?

We have a good crew going I believe, there's also 3k race this time

Going to wait to new year to race. Unlikely I'll bother with NIA this year. Good meets but an absolute nightmare to get to from work by public transport at peak hour. Did one last year and it took me 90 minutes to get there from town and I arrived 20 mins before my race was scheduled and I had to rush through my warm up. I then had to scramble for a lift off any randomer who was going back my direction. Not really worth the trek for me.