Run run run run run run run....

dintbo

Best of luck Jebuz, hope you get the race you deserve.

jebuz

Frankfurt Marathon Done! 2:36:57

Wow! On such a high right now, incredible feeling crossing that line in the Festhall. Running a 2:3x marathon has long been a dream of mine and it still feels a little unreal right now. Though slightly off my original target I am over the moon and have no complaints. I pretty much ran the whole thing with my clubmate and once we got over the slow start (started behind 3 hr group) we didn't panic and kept the splits nice and steady. Energy levels were good and grew stronger in the 2nd half coming home slightly quicker. Race report to come over the next few days but for now I'm going to lie down (maybe watch some BBC world news) and then drink a few beers with my clubmate and a clown.

Narco0o0o0o

Fantastic Conor, impressively steady splits, I'm chuffed for you. You're refreshingly pragmatic and relaxed approach to training and racing is something I want to emulate in my own training. Looking forward to tracking you're future progress. Enjoy those beers, you bloody well deserve them!

dintbo

Brilliant stuff well deserved!

jebuz

Alright log, I've had time to step back and absorb an unforgettable weekend in Frankfurt so it's time to empty out my experience of the day. I start writing this from the comfort of the Brehon hotel in Killarney where I sit with a pint of grog having just spent the last 2 hours lounging in the jacuzzi with a slightly creepy smile on my face. No wonder those ladies reported me.

Background / Preparation
This was to be my 5th marathon with a previous best of 2:46:59 in Dublin last year. We all know what happened back in April of this year, the marathon that never happened so I was out to make amends for that disappointment. The goal back in April was a 2:40-45 and while that race actually never happened thanks to a certain pilonidal abscess, I still benefited from a good training block and the whole experience in general stood to me. I wasn't long signing up for another marathon so the goal when I entered Frankfurt was always a sub 2:40.

Ever since I ran my first marathon in Dublin 2012, the thoughts of a 2:3x had been firmly planted in my mind as I looked on in awe at some of the Donore lads who had on that day ran 2:36. At the time it was a distant if not unattainable dream to someday similarly be a 2:3x marathoner, I couldn't fathom the idea of running sub 6 minute miles for a marathon but I knew it would take time, patience and a lot of hard work. My training over this summer and autumn went really well, infact better than expected. I stayed on top of any minor injuries backing off when necessary, always listening to the body and both the milage and sessions were consistent.

I believe I trained smart and it's mainly down to my coach and moreso trusting what he says. I also fed off the incredible energy of the group in Leevale over the last few months, the buzz is almost tangible after hard sessions and long runs and it's such a pleasure training with these guys who have played a major role in my progress and just inspired me to think big. Given all those factors, I went into this race with a 'best possible outcome' being a 2:33/34 - something I genuinely wouldn't have considered realistic back in April but now possible if everything went absolutely perfect on the day. A secondary outcome was a 2:35-40 which was what my training was pointing at and one I would be more than pleased with. Failing all that, running under 2:46:59 would still be a PB is that's never a bad result so that left me with a lot of good potential outcomes. I really didn't even consider not running a new PB (barring events outside of my control) and I hope that's not being arrogant but I was just so confident in the training I had done. I really went into this one with a very positive attitude and it made a big difference.

10 weeks out I ran the Clonmel half in 78 minutes at planned marathon pace which felt really good so at that time 2:36 was in my head as a real possibility. I ran a 73:29 PB in the Charleville half 5 weeks out and got some great sessions with my marathon clubmates in the following weeks. The goal started dangerously creeping towards 2:32-34 after watching my training partners run around that time in Berlin and the coach suggested myself and John (club mate also running) should be in that ballpark. I think that was a massive boost for myself and John. It was a huge lift to hear he felt we were capable of hitting those heights. 3 weeks out I was forced to miss a week due to achilles flaring up but managed that well, never panicked and recovered to get a good 2 week taper keeping the intensity up but lowering the overall volume. Overall I felt better prepared than I ever have for a marathon. Since July I had been typically getting in a midweek long run (15 miles), a 30-35 min tempo, a Saturday grass session and a 20+ mile run averaging 80-90 miles a week and maxing out at 100 miles.

The week leading up to the race I was pretty relaxed, I slept really well and the legs were itching to get going. I got two rubs, one on the Monday and again on Thursday and I pretty much kept my diet business as usual. In my opinion there's really no need to change much during last few days before the race. I travelled from Kerry airport to Frankfurt on the Friday with John and his wife and we checked into our hotel right beside the start/finish line, ideal location. Saturday was very relaxed, got our number at the expo and chilled out with a few coffees, watched some TV and the day seemed to just fly by. We also had a kitchenette in our rooms so we were able to do a grocery shop and cook our own food which made a big difference especially on race morning making porridge.

Race Day
It's race morning and to my surprise I ended up having a great nights sleep. The race was scheduled for 10am so I got up at 7am, whipped up a bowl porridge and horsed it down with a glass of water mixed with dioralyte before heading back to bed and trying to sleep more (the hour going back made sure we even got an extra hour in bed). Somehow that worked and I fell asleep waking again at 8:30am, back of the net. Myself and John headed off for a light 10 minute warmup at 9am and then got back to the hotel, time was flying. I put on all my gear, threw a gel and some jellies into my pocket, downed an espresso and off we walked to the line. We headed into the first coral (sub 3:15) at about 9:45am thinking we were in plenty of time but we were a little concerned when we saw a 2:59 pacer balloon ahead of us, we were too far back. There was no room to move, jam packed so we agreed we wouldn't stress ourselves trying to squeeze our way up further and just accepted it and a slow start is not the end of the world. I ate a banana and pondered.

It felt like a long 15 minutes but suddenly there were just 2 minutes to go. I took off my finishers top from my first marathon in 2012 (some sort of metaphor?) and flung it over the fence. Side by side with my buddy John we were ready to do battle with 26.2 miles. The klaxon went but we had a long way to walk/run/shuffle until we hit the start line and then with a beep on the garmin, the race has officially started.

Miles 1-5
Well to say there was congestion is an understatement. We expected it but not to the degree we experienced and it just seemed to be endless over the first 10-15 minutes. I don't want to complain too much about it because this was a positive day but I still don't know what some runners were doing up there. Ok fair enough the sub 3 runners but a lot of them were running nothing close to sub 3 pace and it really put a dent in our start though we have absolutely to take responsibility for not being in the coral earlier.

We managed it fairly well I think, sometimes John would take the lead and start pouncing through gaps and I'd follow, or I'd just point a finger if I saw a gap and we'd leg it. It was important not to sit too much but to keep moving up through the field and we did well to pull off a 6:09 first mile, it really didn't feel like it. That sort of start can be slightly draining as you expel a lot of energy finding gaps and throwing in surges here and there but it was by no means a disaster. We started gradually getting into a rhythm eventually and the field settled out and we were both running comfortably. We hit the first 5k in 18:56 but would have been shooting for typically 18:20-18:30 5k splits. We were both wearing pace bands marked in km's, John's was for 2:33 and me 2:34 (our more optimistic targets) and while they were useful enough for a while we just stopped paying attention to them eventually. Next time I'd use a less than optimistic pace band because once we ended up being a few minutes outside of the targets we stopped checking it.

Overall the first 5 miles were satisfactory. Effort wise I felt good and while I was sweating a bit too much I think it was just due to the constant weaving and by mile 4 or 5 I was really settling down. We spotted Krusty and his club mate early on, maybe mile 3 or so and that was also the last time I saw him as he kicked on after the slow start, his result was never in doubt in my mind. We got a great shout also from Johns wife around 7km and she was holding up a sign "The Enniscorthy Engine" made me chuckle. Small things like that really help. I took my first sip of water at the 5k station and kept that trend going until the end, not much each time mind you just a mouthful if anything.

1 6:09
2 5:54
3 5:51
4 5:57
5 6:10

Miles 5-10
These miles were fairly uneventful as we settled into the pace. I expected a group to start forming around now but we were moving through the field passing people, it was a little strange passing people so early on and some were already bizarrely struggling. We hit the 10km in 37:37 and while that was a quicker 5km (18:41) we were still off target but I wasn't too worried, we were moving comfortably and that was the most important thing. I also took a couple of jelly beans here and almost choked myself by not chewing them properly, a piece came out of my nose eventually.

We had instructions from our coach to work together and not to go quicker than 5:50 pace and we ended up adhering to that quite well. Because both of us were aware of that we tended to call each other out if we noticed things were picking up too much as sometimes you tend to lose focus and find yourself getting carried away. Steady was the word of the day and steady we kept it. We caught up with a Kerry chap from An Riocht and he started working in with us which was great, the more the merrier.

We were well settled into the race now and the next 5k split was 18:32. I tried to take my usual dioralyte sachet at 15k but having torn it open in anticipation, by the time I got to the water station and went to swallow it, it was empty. I had spilled the contents - doh! That's not the first time that's happened, I've essentially ingested my dioralyte successfully in 2 of 4 marathons, must look into salt tabs. This wasn't going to be a huge problem as heat and humidity weren't a major factory so I didn't worry about it. At around 8 miles I finally thought we had a group as a few runners seemed to latch on but just after 10 miles it was just myself and John again.

So on we trucked. We hit 10 miles just on the hour mark and that was just fine. Slight doubts crept in here, I'm not sure if it was the fact I had 16 miles left ahead of me including another 10 miler in 60 mins and then 6 miles on top of that or maybe it was that I didn't really know how I was feeling, was I tired or was I feeling great?…I really couldn't tell, it was strange…but only for a while. I snapped out of it eventually and regained focus.

6 5:57
7 5:59
8 5:54
9 6:04
10 6:00

Miles 10-15
From 10-13 it was just a case of ticking off the miles until halfway. Breaking the race down into minor goals is a helpful strategy to keep my mind focussed. I was comfortable enough here, John was leading the way and another guy had worked in with us and probably the longest we'd spent with somebody as he stuck around for about 5 or 6 miles I reckon until falling off. So halfway came and I really didn't know what we were heading for, the loose plan was a 77:xx at halfway but we hit in 78:51. Sure it was a little slower than planned but we knew we had negotiated a congested start and had ran that first half quite sensibly.

We didn't even say anything just kept moving and I think we were both quietly confident that we had a strong second half in us. We were continuously picking off runners ahead and had yet to be passed. We got working with another group around now including an African elite lady with some pacers and I also distinctly remember a green Perth runners singlet. These guys stuck with us for a good few miles and it was good to have the company and we were moving fluidly. We hit the 15 mile mark just before crossing over a bridge and I was really feeling good now and no better timing than the nowhere zone of the marathon. That 7 miles between 13-20 is always a strange patch where you must keep focussed, questions get asked here and you can suddenly find yourself struggling. 18:35 and 18:30 for the next two 5k splits, this was very steady going looking back.

11 5:56
12 5:54
13 5:57
14 5:53
15 6:01

Miles 16-20
I was in a relatively good place over these miles thankfully and was just focussed on getting to 20, then I'd assess the plan for the last 10k. We worked well here, kept the place steady and I was breathing well. I know from experience how unforgiving this distance can be so I was by no means going to get complacent. The course route was in general unmemorable which is good in a way as it shows I was keeping focussed and the mile splits agin here reflect that. The odd exchange of words with John every now and just assured ourselves that we were comfortable and relaxed. We were still picking off a lot of runners and some were really struggling with heavy breathing, the couple of runners we worked in with earlier were still with us. I was keeping an eye on my HR throughout the day and while my primary feedback was my own internal one, this acted as a secondary and never really deviated from 160 bpm over the first 20 miles, this was spot on in my eyes as I knew I could maintain that HR from previous marathons.

It occurred to me at around 16 miles that I hadn't taken on much sustenance today bar a few jellies (but took water at every stop). While I'm used to and have specifically trained on empty, I still thought it better I pre-empt and get something into me for the last 6 miles as I was moving into unchartered territory. I was noticing signs of a slight stitch coming so I took just half a caffeine gel with some water and it sat well with me as expected (had tried it out on one long run).

I think it was the 17th miles as we moved through a small town, I was feeling really good and I saw a young boy of about 12 on the side of the road with his hand stretched out and eyes beaming. I moved over to the side and gave him the biggest hi-5 I could muster and most likely broke his hand. That brought a huge smile to my face, not breaking his hand but just getting involved with the crowd and taking a moment to enjoy the atmosphere, I look back on that moment really fondly. I hope he's ok though.

The 30k (around 18 miles) split was 18:29, our fastest yet and we were gradually pulling away from the group and on our own again. John indicated he was struggling slightly around 19 miles so I took up the pacing and just kept it nice and steady hovering around 6 min/mile, I knew it was just a minor bad patch for John and I was right thankfully. Suddenly we're almost at 20 and we got a great shout again from Johns wife (with some new signage) at and that was another boost, they all add up on the day. So that was it, we turned to each other as if to say ok that's 20 miles but let's just not make a big deal of it. Things were looking really good though, I looked at the watch as we hit 20 and it had just ticked onto 1:59. I said to myself if I just keep steady 6 minute pace over the next 6 miles, I could be walking away with a 2:36 marathon to my name, it felt so close now so there was no way I was letting this slip away.

16 5:52
17 5:57
18 5:53
19 5:59
20 6:00

Miles 21-23
There was no denying I was feeling tired by now and I was fully expecting it but I was feeling as good as I could be in that situation. I broke the next section into 3 x 2 milers and suddenly 22 had past and each mile I ticked off I felt I could almost touch the finishing line. John was looking really strong as he moved in front and I stuck to his back as best I could. We were back into the city now and the crowds were lining the streets, this support was a huge help in bringing us home. 4 miles left and I was perfectly happy to bring it home at this pace, I really didn't feel I could have picked up the pace and sustained it.

Onto the 23rd mile and I looked across the road to see the faster runners on their last mile heading for the finish. I was starting to tire more and more now (and my HR was drifting but no surprise there) and all I was thinking was those lucky bastards are almost finished but you know what, that's gonna be me in a couple of miles so just drive on and keep going. So I did. Splits were good here and I was keeping an eye on them. It felt like I was really slowing as fatigue was gradually engulfing my legs but seeing the mile splits really kept me positive and assured me I was capable of maintaining this pace until the finish.

21 5:59
22 5:53
23 5:50

Miles 24-Finish
I was still behind John now but he was opening up a gap on me that I wasn't willing or able to chase. My primary focus over the last 3 miles was not about making up places, but rather getting home at this pace and getting me a 2:36, also I just knew there wasn't a big kick in me at the time. The HR was still drifting and close to 170 now but I didn't need that to tell me I was hurting. I was still moving at the same pace and this is when all the training is tested to the max. Breathing was starting to get laboured but I was still keeping steady, form was sloppy and I finding it hard to remained focus but the miles just seemed to tick themselves off. It was just a case of sheer stubbornness and persistence over these last few miles.

I really don't remember much of these miles in terms of geography but what I do remember is keeping the black and yellow Leevale top in my eye line and putting one leg in front of the other. I was still passing people and I really don't recall anyone passing me for the entire race (ok except for John) and some of you might know that feeling of constantly picking people off in a race, it's a huge motivator and an assurance that you've paced this particular race sensibly (well either that or you've sandbagged the arse out of it but I vehemently deny that charge).

It was around the 25th mile I felt a slight but definite dart in my left hamstring…whoah…cramps? really? no…please...not now. I sort of shortened my stride briefly almost anticipating a full seizure if I opened up the legs. Thankfully it didn't materialise into full blown cramp and I gradually relaxed again but a stark warning that I've still over a mile left and anything can happen. All I wanted was to get this crocked body home in one piece but not just that, I wanted to be able to call myself a 2:3x marathoner, it was so close now. I distinctly remember looking at some of the crowd cheering and I was able to muster a thumbs up and smile but I also remember breathing like I was on the finish straight of a 5k race, wide eyed like a rabbit in the headlights.

We were on the home stretch now, the crowd are in full voice and I've just clocked a 5:51 for the 26th mile though it feels nowhere near that pace. This is actually happening, I'm almost home. I saw John ahead of me turn to the left and I knew he was almost home and dry, now it's my turn. My inbuilt regulator eased off the reigns and let me pick it up for the big finish as rounded the corner into the Festhalle. The place can only have been described as electric with its 40 meter high dome, music pumping, strobe lights flashing and the crowd so pumped up. As I crossed the 200m to go mark, I think my watch read around 2:36:15 so I said to myself 2:36 might just be happening today. I gave it my best shot anyway as I stretched out the legs. I moved down that finish straight as if I had been gifted new set of legs, I almost felt possessed. I cannot describe that feeling. Even now I had to pause and smile as I type it as I really can't find the words. I looked up and I saw the clock read 2:37:xx (remember we didn't hit the actual start line for a good minute or so) but even so all I saw was a guaranteed sub 2:3x marathon, the minute didn't matter.

Some might say ok big deal it's just an arbitrary time but to me it was the realisation of a vision 3 years ago to become something that felt so much bigger than me at the time. A small celebration and I crossed the line to embrace my friend and trainer partner John who played a big part in this journey and it was such a pleasure to run with him that day, we shared an amazing and unforgettable experience. What a marathon debut for him clocking a 2:36:35. A brief manly embrace ensued before bending to our knees to try allow that oxygen debt repay some of its hefty loan. It took me a few seconds to check my time, my watch read 2:36:59 but I wasn't sure if I was under or not, I didn't really care too much, I was elated. Later I'd find out the official time was 2:36:57 and a PB by 10 minutes and 2 seconds. Second half in 1:18:07 and a negative split by 44 seconds. Result.

24 5:57
25 6:07
26 5:51
0.3 (2:06 / 5:44 m/m)

Summary: 26.2 miles in 2:36:57 (5:57 m/m)

The Aftermath
We moved on out of the Festhalle and bumped into Krusty and his club mate Neal (2:33 and 2:30 respectively) and it didn't surprise me in the least hearing Krusty's time and PB by 2 minutes. He's long been one of the guys around here I look up to and it was so nice to share this moment with him. We congratulated each other and moved outside to absorb the race and get some energy back into us. After a while I headed back to the hotel and was still in a bit of a dreamland for a while, I didn't quite yet believe I had done it. It was only when I logged onto the results site and saw my 2:36:57 there in black and white and I smiled. No matter what happens now, that was a time nobody could can take away from me. I rested for a while, ate a bowl of cereal and cleaned up before heading off for a few well earned brews in the Irish pub with John and his wife. We met Krusty, ger664, Emer, Neal and not his brother James (a great bunch for the record) so we all headed off for a really enjoyable slap-up meal and some more beers and apple strudel. That evening really topped off what is no doubt one of the best days of my life and a memory I'll cherish forever.

Thoughts
That was the most uneventful marathon I've ever ran, and that was exactly what I wanted. Though the conditions were perfect for us, I also really think I got a lot of things right on the day. Nutrition was fine no real problems there, the porridge & banana pre race followed by few jellies during the race and half a gel at 17 worked fine for me. Also water every station that's a formality for me now. Pace-wise I couldn't be happier, I worked really hard for the last 2 miles yet kept the splits steady, I don't think there was much more left in the tank at the end so I think it was judged quite well and I was able to work off feel for the majority of the race. My mindset going into the race likely played a huge role. I was confident and had a lot of trust in the training, had gotten good rest all week and nerves really weren't a huge factor - a positive mind can be a powerful ally on the day (as can a solid and trusted training partner)

Where do we go from here? Most likely Berlin next year but that will all come in good time. I really feel I needed a marathon like this where I was able to keep it steady the whole way through, I had previously only done this once before in my 2nd marathon in Barcelona running a 2:54. This says to me that it wasn't a once off and I'm capable of executing a well paced marathon so I have a strong belief I'm capable of going quicker yet again. But there's no need to think about that right now, I need to take time to recover and enjoy this achievement and soon I'll be back thinking about the next challenge.

And finally, one more photo. I love this one captured by Johns wife, striding down the finish straight, what a feeling.

viperlogic

unreal C, and well deserved. Now that you have reached that goal, can we tempt you over to the dark side?!

yaboya1

That's an epic report to match an equally epic performance.
Well done again.

Dubgal72

Wow, what a report! Loved reading that and so many lines in there are going into my internal "quote data base". You totally deserve this, congratulations and I know we should allow you to sit in this moment but I am really looking forward to reading about your sub 2:30 marathon now

Ososlo

Congratulations! Fantastic report. You have a great way with words.
Looking forward to following the next chapter in your running!

tailgunner

Running a 2:3x marathon and still having enough time for high-fiving the spectators? Fantastic stuff!

dintbo

Brilliant stuff

Notwork Error

Great stuff man and a cracking report to boot, good to see all the effort you've put in pay off. You've a great attitude and work ethic and definetly more to come no doubt, enjoy.

Krusty_Clown

Great to be a partial spectator in such a massive feat and delighted to read that you got such a great buzz from the race. My own race experience very much mirrors what you've written here, albeit with a slightly less triumphant conclusion. I'm predicting a confident 2:2x for your next spin of the wheel. Two small points though: James isn't Neal's brother, and you've only got until Sunday to sign up for Berlin. Thankfully, there's a cosy starting corral at the front of the Berlin field for sub 2:45 runners, so we'll have no excuses next time. Congrats again, to both you and John (and Lorraine for being the #1 fan on the day). Enjoy the warm glow for a while. 2:3x is great.... but 2:2x is better.

Duanington

Congrats Jebuz - really enjoyed reading that report, well done on a fantastic performance

KielyUnusual

Congrats Jebuz, sounds like you executed the race perfectly and to hit the 2.36 must be particularly sweet. I'll overlook the fact that you allowed your clubmate to slip away from you but you'll have to overturn that next time

jebuz

viperlogic wrote: »

unreal C, and well deserved. Now that you have reached that goal, can we tempt you over to the dark side?!

Nice try but not a chance Keith that was merely a stepping stone. Bikes and water can feck right off

yaboya1 wrote: »

That's an epic report to match an equally epic performance.
Well done again.

Thanks P, now you've gotten NY out of your system I'm sure we'll see you back PBing like a madman

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Wow, what a report! Loved reading that and so many lines in there are going into my internal "quote data base". You totally deserve this, congratulations and I know we should allow you to sit in this moment but I am really looking forward to reading about your sub 2:30 marathon now

Thanks a lot DG. I charge by the quote but I can do you a deal, PM

Ososlo wrote: »

Congratulations! Fantastic report. You have a great way with words.
Looking forward to following the next chapter in your running!

Thanks Ososlo, I'm looking forward to the next chapter too, the current chapter titled "no running and getting fat" is getting a bit boring.

tailgunner wrote: »

Running a 2:3x marathon and still having enough time for high-fiving the spectators? Fantastic stuff!

Thanks tg, that hi-five probably cost me 0.8 seconds but it was worth it

dintbo wrote: »

Brilliant stuff

Notwork Error wrote: »

Great stuff man and a cracking report to boot, good to see all the effort you've put in pay off. You've a great attitude and work ethic and definetly more to come no doubt, enjoy.

Cheers NE, hopefully a lot more to come

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Great to be a partial spectator in such a massive feat and delighted to read that you got such a great buzz from the race. My own race experience very much mirrors what you've written here, albeit with a slightly less triumphant conclusion. I'm predicting a confident 2:2x for your next spin of the wheel. Two small points though: James isn't Neal's brother, and you've only got until Sunday to sign up for Berlin. Thankfully, there's a cosy starting corral at the front of the Berlin field for sub 2:45 runners, so we'll have no excuses next time. Congrats again, to both you and John (and Lorraine for being the #1 fan on the day). Enjoy the warm glow for a while. 2:3x is great.... but 2:2x is better.

Thanks Gary, and congrats on a great run yourself too though I know you're only 67% pleased with it. Like many others around here I genuinely believe you're capable of a sub 2:30. If you continue to train consistently like you do it's just a matter of which cycle it happen in, I don't believe age will be a deterrent.

On your 2 points, I don't know how I thought James was Neals brother (fixed) and also Berlin is signed up for

Duanington wrote: »

Congrats Jebuz - really enjoyed reading that report, well done on a fantastic performance

Thanks Duanington

KielyUnusual wrote: »

Congrats Jebuz, sounds like you executed the race perfectly and to hit the 2.36 must be particularly sweet. I'll overlook the fact that you allowed your clubmate to slip away from you but you'll have to overturn that next time

Thanks KU and thanks for overlooking that fact, we're both in for Berlin next year so I am already envisioning leaving him for dead 200m from the line

jebuz

I think it's time to resuscitate this ailing log. It was good to take a break I suppose but It's calling me back to satisfy my diminishing sense of accountability.

2015 was a good year, despite the fact I didn't hit any of my goals. I set them high but I'd rather narrowly miss an exceedingly ambitious goal than hit a mediocre one. Goals aren't meant to be easy. In summary, 3,292 miles, 12 races and 1 pilonidal abscess. In hindsight that's not enough races (compared to 17 in 2014) so that's something to improve on this year.

Personally I think my best 3 results were the Frankfurt Marathon (2:36:57), The Charleville half (1:13:29) and a 5k race I won a couple of days before Charleville (16:12). All were achieved in the space of 2 months so I think I peaked right and it was particularly sweet crossing the line in Frankfurt having missed out on Rotterdam earlier in the year. I didn't see the same rate of drastic improvement as 2014 but that wasn't surprising. The gains are quickly becoming marginal and I'm ok with that, it just means I have to work even harder

My big goals for this year:
3k: 8:xx
5k: 15:30
10k: 32:30
5 mile: 26:00
10 mile: 53:30
1/2: 1:11:30
Marathon: 2:30:00

You might say why set potentially unattainable goals but I find they keeps me honest and working hard and I genuinely don't rule out hitting or coming very close to any of the above. Who know's what's in store.

One of the big monkeys I want to get off my back is the sub 16 5k and I think right now I'm in that sort of shape. While I've no 5k's coming up in the near future, I've my eye on one in late February which gives me plenty of time to make sure of it.

What's happened since Frankfurt?
Well I took a 2 week break of little or no running and plenty of eating and drinking. Throughout November I gradually built back up the milage and jumped into a few sessions but taking them easier than usual. I really enjoyed not having a sense of (running) purpose for those few weeks. For me it's important to take that time and just relax and enjoy the running with no pressure and soak in the achievement of the marathon. Maintaining that intensity throughout the year just can't be sustained so when I did hit the sessions agin I felt fully refreshed and the motivation came back naturally. I also started back with my strength work in early November as I did last winter and am getting in 2-3 gym sessions a week now, typically 20 mins core, 20 mins resistance work.

I ran the National novice XC in Dungarvan in early December and it was a bit of a shock to the system (came 80th) but I had no great expectations going into it and saw it as a good hard blowout and a reintroduction to the hard work to come. What followed was a very good block of training into December, 70-80 miles a week (typically track Tuesday (1km's, 800's), hills & tempo Thursday, road intervals Saturday, 15 miles long Sunday) so a particular focus on the shorter and speedier stuff. Somehow with all the Christmas drinking and eating I managed to get all the training done and I finished the year feeling I was in pretty good shape. Keeping good to my commitment to run more races, I set out to a violently wet and windy Bandon on new years day for a 5 mile road race. Despite the tough conditions I ran pretty well and finished strong to come home 6th with a PB of 26:58 so that was a good start to the year.

I think this concentration on the short races will remain the focus for the first half of 2016 as I target 3k up to 10k races before transitioning into the longer work for the Berlin marathon where the goal will be a sub 2:30. I'm really enjoying the shorter training so far and seeing some good improvements though it's still very early days.

I've a busy race schedule over the next few weeks including Munster indoors 3k, National intermediate XC, Dungarvan 10 mile, AAI games 3k (maybe) and the Enniscorthy 10k.

Over the last few months I've been getting out pretty much every morning before work for 5 miles and that's been working well for me. I worked it up to 5 days a week gradually and kept an eye to make sure it wasn't impacting the days where I run sessions in the evenings. While I would have previously ran early only on Mon/Wed/Fri, getting up every day and just doing it is quickly becoming routine and I feel much more alert when I get into work. I particularly like how I leave the house when it's completely pitch black and then I come back only 40 mins later and it's a different world. The morning light is swallowing up the night, the traffic is building up, the birds are singing and the world is basically just waking up. There's definitely a hint of smugness in there too. The pace is irrelevant its just a very easy run (usually 7:30-8 min/mile) and while these runs are not essential, I think they will absolutely benefit my performance over time so I intend to keep it up.

I have done a bit of research on sleep over the last few weeks and I've finally realised just how crucial it is not just to athletic performance but everything - bodyweight, mood, your gut health, cognitive function etc. There's not one component of our own ecosystems that isn't impacted by bad sleep. If anyone's interested, there's a great podcast on the topic by Danny Lennon here and it was a real eye opener for me. Instead of drastic changes, I've changed a few small things over time. I realised that even though I probably was getting enough sleep, it's the quality of my sleep that is much more important. To give an idea, I've stopped drinking coffee so close to bed time, developed a wind down routine, started walking to work so I not only get a 30 min walk in, I also get more exposure to natural night which encourages a healthy circadian rhythm. I'll aim to be in bed at a certain time now and instead of using the laptop I read a book. These are subtle changes and it's hard to quantify the benefits but overall I feel it's having a positive impact on my overall wellbeing and subsequently my performance. I'm running well, more alert, mood is positive, productive in work, maintaining a healthy weight and more importantly sustaining these new habits.

On diet, I've taken a slightly new approach to what I had done previous to Frankfurt. With the focus on shorter distances these days I felt I needed to rely a little more on carbohydrate to fuel me for these intense sessions. While I think there's merit in the high fat approach and it definitely has been applied successfully to cycling and ultra running, I just couldn't shake the fact that very few if none of the top distance runners subscribe to this approach. And I just love porridge. While I was never fully low carb/high fat, I would have previously eaten quite a high fat breakfast/lunch and then eaten carbs after a session. While I performed quite well on that, I believe I'm now working better now having substituted my morning omelette for a hearty bowl of porridge and a shake (usually spinach,beetroot,ginger,lemon,apple). Lunch is still typically a chicken salad and soup. I've basically a very balanced approach now, it's neither side of the spectrum and not near as rigid as it was once. I also now eat porridge before my Saturday session rather than going on empty and I seem to have that extra kick for the sessions that I didn't have before. The only time I do run empty is the long run on Sunday. All this is working well for me and as I said above I'm maintaining a pretty constant weight. In a way I'm glad to have experimented with different approaches as this is the only way you'll find out what works for you. N=1.

Whoa that comeback post got out of hand. I apologise

I'll put up some training now...or later...

Myles Splitz

Missed that 5 mile result man congrats on the PB. Looks like you are picking up where you left off in terms.

It's funny you mention the Carb approach with the shorter distances I actually was reading a paper a couple of weeks back with some strong evidence to support it as a more effective fuel for up to Half marathon (despite fat yielding higher energy return per gram the carb was more easily accessible in terms of lower energy expenditure to utilize as a fuel source) can't remember exactly which paper it was but interesting none the less and supports your instinct.

The sleep aspect is also a really fascinating one. Something I need to look at myself as I have looked into trying to have a 10 min unwind slot in evenings before bed in order to establish better rest and switch off as I know myself this is my biggest downfall.

Interested to see how you go this year.

jebuz

Catchup on last couple of weeks training...

January 4-10th

Monday: 5 miles am & 6.5 miles pm
Tuesday: 5 miles am & 9.5 miles track session pm. 2 x 1km, 3 x 800m (400m recovery). 3:05, 3:05, 2:27, 2:29, 2:27
Wednesday: 5 miles am & 6 miles pm
Thursday: 5 miles am & 8 miles pm (incl.20 mins hills)
Friday: 5 miles am
Saturday: Banna weekend: 5 miles am & 12 miles grass/dunes session pm (10,8 mins on grass, 10 mins dunes (brutal), 10 mins grass -2 min recovery)
Sunday: 15 miles long
Total miles: 87

This Week
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 5 miles am & 9 miles track session pm. 6 x 600m (2 min recovery). 1:44, 1:44, 1:44, 1:45, 1:45, 1:43
Wednesday: 5 miles am & 5 miles pm
Thursday: 4 miles am & 6 miles track session pm. 6 x 300m (100m recovery). 51, 50, 50, 50, 50, 51
Friday: 5 miles am

RacoonQueen

Welcome back C.

Sleep thing is interesting as I struggle with sleep and have been particularly bad the last couple of months. On the push from someone in work, I've dug out my sleep app on my phone again the last couple of nights - pretty shocking seeing a graph of how many times I wake up overnight! Reading a book doesn't work for me though as I a) can't put it down and b) once I do, I'm just thinking of where the story might go

Have you picked target races?

jebuz

Thanks RC. I find reading incredibly boring books works well. Maybe try putting down your fairytales at night and read something like 'the history of wheelbarrows'. I've just finished reading 'why trees are green', slept like a log

On a serious note though, having a wind down routine seems to make a big difference for me. Around 10PM I'll turn off the tv/laptop and start getting ready for the next day, packing gym gear, getting breakfast ready etc. Then into bed for 10:30 and read for a while then by 11pm I'll be tired enough and I'm out for the count in a few minutes. It's not perfect but getting there. There are countless factors that could affect your sleep, it's about making minor changes here and there and seeing if it helps.

Racewise, the ones I'm planning on hitting are:
- This weekend: munster 3k indoor
- 24th Jan: National intermediate XC
- 31st Jan: John Treacy 10 mile
- 14th Feb: Enniscorthy 10k
- 27th Feb: BHAA 5k

Duanington

jebuz wrote: »

Around 10am I'll turn off the tv/laptop and start getting ready for the next day, packing gym gear, getting breakfast ready etc. Then into bed for 10:30 and read for a while then by 11pm I'll be tired enough and I'm out for the count in a few minutes.

Thats some serious reading you're doing there Jebuz :P, a man of many talents !

jebuz

Duanington wrote: »

Thats some serious reading you're doing there Jebuz :P, a man of many talents !

I have no idea what you're talking about and I definitely didn't edit anything :pac:

jebuz

Finally the day of reckoning had come, no hiding from the track anymore. It's been a long time coming and I've been threatening for a while to run a track race so it was time to just dive into the deep end and see what happens.

I arrived in Nenagh with a couple of clubmates around 10:15am. The race was scheduled for 11am so I picked up the number, got my gear on and headed out on the road for a quick warmup. What hit me straight away when I saw the track (apart from the fact it was colder inside the arena than outside) was the sloped bends and all I could think was jesus I hope I don't fall off the track.

When I came back from my warmup I went onto the track and ran a few of the 200m laps to get used to it, really strange feeling running on the slope. It wasn't long before we were called to the line, I would say maybe 12-15 lads there including the U23's and they could probably smell my fear.

I wasn't feeling huge pressure though, was feeling in decent shape from the sessions this week and had taken yesterday off so feeling pretty fresh. Whatever happened it would be the first 3k under the belt and a starting point to work from.

I lined up in the second row knowing I was more or less midpack judging by the lads around me. The gun went and off we went, nowhere to run (except the track) and definitely nowhere to hide. I was feeling pretty comfortable about 7th or 8th and just as we came to the end of the 1st lap I moved out and overtook a group of lads and moved to the front of the group. There's no time to hang around in a 3k so I figured no point sitting, getting into a good position early would give me a better chance. I was now in 5th mid way through the 2nd lap and with an already decent gap ahead of me were 4 lads I knew I wouldn't be beating today.

What followed was more or less a blur, I really can't recall in detail the rest of the race as I basically just focussed on hanging onto that position and shaking the group behind. I knew there were 2 lads in close pursuit as I was getting regular shouts from the sidelines which really helped. About halfway through I was working hard but it was an effort felt I could sustain it until the end, breathing was nice and controlled but I didn't expect it to stay that way. A few laps later and I hear shouts that the 2 lads were fading and I was opening a gap. I was purely concentrated on maintaining this effort until the end and suddenly it was just 1km left as someone shouted 5 laps to go.

I had absolutely no desire to look at the watch during the race, I had no real time to aim at so it didn't really make sense to try pace myself or hitting certain splits. The final few laps just ticked themselves off and I was working really hard but felt strong and I reckon I kept a pretty consistent pace throughout. It was onto the 2nd last lap and I had no idea what I was heading for, just wanted to make sure I kept my position and gave it socks over the last 400. To my horror, some guy breezed past me just as I past the line for my last lap. I then saw him pull over and relief shrouded me as I then realised he was the winner and not the guy behind me after getting a second wind. Phew! One more lap...GO!

Final lap, just 200m and I was comfortably clear out on my own but didn't take my foot off the gas and ran hard all the way to the line. No official results yet but I clocked it at 9:19, 5th place and I was pretty pleased with that as a debut race. Totally different sensation of pain than what I have been used to, was almost coughing up a lung after but I have to say I really enjoyed the experience and the buzz of running on the track. I'm somehow looking forward to more of these.

Hopefully I can just chip away at this time now and hit my goal of an 8:xx for the distance this year but I can't complain about that result today at all, glad to have the first one out of the way.

Got back to Cork in the afternoon and headed out for an easy 5 mile jog while I thought a little bit about the race but mostly what I'd eat for dinner. Pizza won.

Edit: official result 9:20 (drat!)

Weekly milage: 50

frebel

Great stuff jebuz; been really enjoying your training log and even your alter ego's blog as well...
I'm a bit behind you in terms of training (ran 2:47 in spring last year but had bad luck with injuries training for next marathon; ran sub 3 for DCM and just working on the miles now)

getting tendonitus in right achilles now though which usually happens when I increase mileage - resting, cross-training and eccentic heel drops are my goto right now
How did you deal with your achilles issues?

jebuz

frebel wrote: »

Great stuff jebuz; been really enjoying your training log and even your alter ego's blog as well...
I'm a bit behind you in terms of training (ran 2:47 in spring last year but had bad luck with injuries training for next marathon; ran sub 3 for DCM and just working on the miles now)

getting tendonitus in right achilles now though which usually happens when I increase mileage - resting, cross-training and eccentic heel drops are my goto right now
How did you deal with your achilles issues?

Thanks Frebel. Good to hear you're back at it and I hope you can get a good run at it this year, you're obviously not far off the 2:40 mark so best of luck with it.

You've pretty much answered your own question there regarding the achilles. It hit me about 3 times last year and as frustrating as it is the only thing you can do is rest it. It's tempting in the early stages to just run away as normal through it hoping it will sort itself out, especially if you're training well mid marathon cycle. I have never taken that risk and particularly now having seen a guy in my club who was out for 6 months last year because he tried to train through it.

The tendon doesn't heal as fast as other parts of the body so it really just needs time and training hard through it will just damage it further. If it's a very mild or slightly dull pain I find I can manage very light jogging but I absolutely wouldn't consider a session until I'm running 100% pain free. That's a call you need to make yourself but you've got to be very honest with yourself. I don't think cross training actually offers much in terms of injury rehab but if anything it settles the restless exercise hungry mind.

The eccentric heel drops are proven to help recovery but what I would say is if achilles is a regular problem you should be doing these year round as a preventative measure. Since Frankfurt I've been doing them at least 3 times a week (3 sets of 10 drops on each leg) and so far haven't had any trouble despite cranking the milage back up.

The other thing I changed recently was a decision to wear a more cushioned shoe for the majority of my runs. Previously I had been wearing a lighter minimalist shoe for all my training and this was just adding extra unnecessary stress especially for my easy runs. There's not much of a trade-off here as wearing heavier shoes for easy/recovery runs doesn't have a particular impact I find. If anything when I do wear my spikes or light shoes for a session I feel so much lighter on my feet so I think it's working better for me.

A particular common cause of achilles tendonitis is tight calf muscles again potentially caused by light footwear. Regular rubdowns on the calf or foam rolling after a tough workout can help here. I know from personal experience that a lot of achilles injuries I picked were usually closely preceded by a particularly hard tempo or week of high milage resulting in tight calves and subsequently the achilles injury.

Take a look at the attached PDF and there is some good info on the achilles and prevention techniques there.

pconn062

frebel wrote: »

Great stuff jebuz; been really enjoying your training log and even your alter ego's blog as well...
I'm a bit behind you in terms of training (ran 2:47 in spring last year but had bad luck with injuries training for next marathon; ran sub 3 for DCM and just working on the miles now)

getting tendonitus in right achilles now though which usually happens when I increase mileage - resting, cross-training and eccentic heel drops are my goto right now
How did you deal with your achilles issues?

Hope you (and jebuz) don't mind me inputting here a little. I am very recently getting over (hopefully!) a case of achilles tendinopathy.

Here is a really good article I would recommend reading: http://www.running-physio.com/tendinopathy1/

I would agree with everything jebuz says, you have to rest and let it settle down and then if you are going to cross train, you need to make sure it is not aggravating the tendon. Personally I couldn't use a cross train machine as it hurt too much, so the bike was the only option for me.

While eccentric heel drops seem to be the go to treatment for this, the latest research (as shown in the paper above) suggests that Heavy Slow Resistance Training as a successful way of treating it as well. The main advantage of this over eccentric heel drops is that you only need to do 2-4 sets, 3 times a week as opposed to 3x15 reps/twice a day with the Alfredson Protocol.

The exercise I do are calf raises using a Smith machine in the gym. I do 3 sets of ten double leg calf raises with pretty heavy weight (55-70kg), then 1x10 single leg raises with less weight (40kg). I also stand on a low box and drop my heels a little below the edge of the box and you do in eccentric heel drops.

They look something like this: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/exerciseImages/sequences/1841/Male/l/1841_2.jpg

It's also really important to try and "stiffen" the tendon to make it more durable, and less likely to break down. Plyometrics exercises will help make the tendon stiffer and improve ground response time.

Shoes/nutrition are also other important factors. Remember as well the importance of stride rate/force during the running gait. The key is to try and minimize ground contact time to shorten the amount of time the achilles is elongated. Specific running drills and plyo's will help with this.

Apologies for this wall of text, but I've read a lot about achilles over the last three months! Good luck, it's a bastard of a an injury.

jebuz

Absolutely no problem P, it's one of the most common running injuries (particularly males) so its great to get more input from someone who's been there. What do you suspect caused your injury to be particularly lengthy this time?

There is some great info there and I think the calf raises could be a useful addition to my gym workout.

jebuz

*double post*

pconn062

jebuz wrote: »

Absolutely no problem P, it's one of the most common running injuries (particularly males) so its great to get more input from someone who's been there. What do you suspect caused your injury to be particularly lengthy this time?

There is some great info there and I think the calf raises could be a useful addition to my gym workout.

This is actually the first time I ever had issues with achilles. I think it was caused by running a few XC races in close proximity in spikes and a few too many hard track sessions. I think it lingered so long as in the first few weeks while I did rest, I kept going out for short tester jogs every 3-4 days which was a bad idea. If it came back I would rest completely for a week or two and let it settle. Also I was possibly a little over aggressive in the beginning with the rehab, jumping straight into 100+ heel drops a day while the tendon was still in the reactive stage, looking back this was also a bad idea. Also, towards the end I got rather complacent and lazy and could have actually started back jogging a little sooner but with Xmas and all that I gave it a week-10 days longer than it probably needed, but that's no harm as well.

jebuz

Monday: 5 miles am & 5.5 miles pm
Tuesday: 5 miles am, lunch gym session & track session pm. 2 x 1km, 3 x 800m (400m rec). 3:07, 3:08, 2:27, 2:26, 2:23
Wednesday: 5 miles am & 5.5 miles pm
Thursday: 5 miles am, lunch gym session & light session pm. 10 mins hills & 4 x 300m (100m rec). 49, 49, 48, 50
Friday: 5 miles am
Saturday: 30 mins am & light gym session.

Tomorrow it's back to the mud for national intermediates in Dundalk. I'm feeling in better shape than the novice so just going to give it a good lash.

frebel

Thanks a lot jebuz and pconn...

I've a lot in common with yer own injuries - minimalist shoes (only had nike frees while travelling for 2 months over the Summer and ran a lot on hard roads), building miles in base phase this winter and then a little bit over zealous with the rehab as well à la pconn...

Looking forward to running a bit on The farm (grass) again just to give joints a bit of a break...

think you're right jebuz about tight calves as well; I foam roll a lot but I know my ankle dorsiflexion isn't great in squat positions and when I do downward dog type stretch my heels are a bit off ground. Always looking to improve d'ol mobility

Good luck in Dundalk jebuz

jebuz

Time for more mud and pain, Dundalk style. This was to be my first appearance in a Cork singlet (don't tell my family). While it was really nice to be selected and I see it as a privilege, it was disappointing to find out that we didn't have enough to field to a county team. Even more disappointing was that only 2 seniors from my club were representing (and 3 on the masters) so I was essentially running for individual placing today. I think the major put-off for a lot of runners was the long journey to Dundalk but what can you do, it's frustrating but you can't force people to go.

The course was not in great nick by the time the senior race came around at 3pm. A warmup around the outskirts confirmed it was going to be a tricky, sticky slog with very little section of decent running. But we were all in the same boat so I lined up in the field of 85 and off we went on the first of 5 laps.

I didn't really have a plan but stuck close to my clubmate for the first lap as I settled into it. I felt relatively ok and started passing a few people and moving up the field but by the end of that lap I was starting to struggle already, too early to be feeling like this.

Onto the second lap and I was battling with a few guys around me who were slowing getting away and I was starting to find myself in no-mans land as I heard a shout that there wasn't anyone close behind me.

Onto the 3rd lap, I was sitting in 22nd and just plodding along, really starting to feel the energy being sapped out out of my legs. Maybe it was me but the conditions seemed to be getting worse as the muddy underfoot seemed to absorbing my feet deeper each step. I was getting a little careless too and picking the wrong routes as I started to ache for the finish line. It didn't help the fact I had little to fight for as I had no club or county team mates around me.

On the 4th lap I could hear runners closing in on me from behind. I was slowing and I couldn't do anything about it. I got passed by 2 guys around the start of the last lap and I recognised one of them being our own KielyUnusual who was looking really strong. I had no response, I was just trying my best to minimise the damage and stay close to them. It was a bit of a blur the last lap, I was seriously questioning what I was doing out there and the head was just in a bad place. Finally the last climb before the finish and another guy passed me just after the hill while another was just on my shoulder. We turned for the finish straight and I found a bit of energy to fend off the guy behind me to finish in 25th. I was just so relieved to have it over. I gathered myself for a few minutes (i.e wiped the dribble off my face) and had a chat with KU before heading off for a nice cooldown with my clubmate. After snorting a chicken wrap and grabbing a shower we then headed off on the long journey back to Cork. Job done.

Not a fantastic race but I'm definitely glad of the experience and glad to have travelled. As runners we generally have a lot more failures than successes so this as I see it is just another leg of a long journey ahead of me. I could go on and complain about my performance and that my head was not in the game and I should have placed better etc but sometimes you have to step back and just be grateful for the fact you are even out there, healthy, injury free and competing at a decent standard. I'm lucky to be in a position where I'm still improving as a runner and running regular PBs (and I hope to be for a few more years) so the way I see it, I'll look back someday as a washed up old crank and yearn for the days when I was running like I am now. The last thing I want to be doing is complaining about this privilege when I have it so when I have days like that I think the best thing to do is take it on the chin and move on, plenty more to come.

Summary: 25th/85

Weekly milage: 66

annapr

Really enjoying your musings here, Jebuz. And hey, 25th in a national championship race on a middling day for you... Not bad at all.

jebuz

why is everything double posting :mad:

jebuz

Been having a bit of calf trouble this week which ironically flared up after a day off - and there I was trying to be sensible. This put a bit of a dent in the week but nothing major though it was still bothering me on my long run yesterday. I've been having a pretty good run of training up until now so I'm not too worried about it. It wasn't a huge surprise anyway with all the track work and wearing spikes, apparently the left calf is more susceptible to injury as it takes the bulk of the force when turning around track. If anything it's a gentle reminder to focus more on stretching, foam rolling and regular rubs.

I decided against doing the Dungarvan 10 this week, not because of the calf (which would have ruled me out anyway) but it just doesn't fit with the racing schedule and regardless, that distance is not the focus right now. After a quick chat with the coach earlier in the week he agreed and said to just get a good 2 weeks build up to the AAI games 3k in Athlone this coming weekend.

Monday: am 5 miles @ 7:50m/m. pm 4 miles @ 8:50m/m.
Tuesday am 5 miles @ 7:02 m/m. pm 2 x 1km, 3 x 800m - 3:07, 3:07, 2:27, 2:26, 2:24 (400m rec)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: am 5 miles @ 7:15 m/m. pm 4 miles @ 8:03 (warm up for abandoned session - calf sore)
Friday: am 5 miles @ 7:34 m/m.
Saturday: 4 x 3 mins (2 min recovery). Paces for reps (2 min rec): 5:13 m/m, 5:05m/m, 4:59 m/m, 5:01 m/m.
Sunday: 70 mins @ 7:24 m/m.

Weekly milage: 54.5

_Tombstone_

jebuz wrote: »

why is everything double posting :mad:

It's a site bug since the DDoS and Boards signing up with Cloudflare, they working on it, till then stop using Quick Reply which is where the bug is.

RuMan

Great log.
Just been reading your old postings the last few days. I ran 2:55 last year in Rotterdam so very interesting seeing the progress you've made during each marathon cycle to date and the work you put in.

jebuz

Double post. oh ya Tombstone said DON'T use quick reply :o

jebuz

Little or no training to report on right now. The calf injury is a bit more serious than anticipated, it's not healing as quickly as I expected it would so slightly worried on that front. Even today I feel slight pain every now and then throughout the day so it's still not right.

3 runs in total for the week, all just testers and all involved me arriving back with a humbling thumbs down. My last run was 30 mins on Friday morning and that wasn't great so I took the whole weekend off. I've been getting some good gym work done though and got a swim in this evening so keeping busy. I also find buying presents for myself when injured really helps.

Injuries are all part of what we signed up for, inevitable for most of us but I think the hardest part is knowing when to back off and just let the body heal. Enniscorthy 10k is next weekend and I'd love to do it but the priority is getting this 100% again.

jebuz

A week which began with a lot of uncertainly has finished on a much more optimistic note. I'm just back from a very enjoyable run and the calf is feeling fine, no pain at all. For some reason early on in the week I still held ambitions of running the Enniscorthy 10k today but deep down I knew it was never happening, this week was all about getting the calf right again. I built it back up slowly through the week always monitoring, being very careful not to push it and though tempted try a session, I'm glad I didn't.

I have to admit last week and earlier this week I was not feeling the love for running at all, with the frustration of the calf injury and then after hearing I'd be working on a fairly intense project over the next few months with most likely a good bit of travel. Today though I picked up the effort close to marathon pace for the last few miles and I just felt fantastic and could have kept going all day, but I saw sense and stopped eventually. It's amazing how in 15 minutes the hunger came flooding back and I reminded myself that injuries and work circumstances just happen and you always have a choice how you deal with it, it's a lot of mind over matter. I've aways managed to find the time to get the training done around work before and there's no reason why I can't manage it again. Uh where was I...ok the week looked like something like this...

Monday: 25 mins treadmill, just a tester. still slightly uncomfortable.
Tuesday: 35 min run, no watch. No pain but still niggly.
Wednesday: 35 mins @ 7:39 m/m. Much better, no pain during.
Thursday: 8 miles @ 8:13 m/m. Nice handy pace, hilly route. No pain.
Friday: 30 mins @ 7:03. Pushed pace a little and felt good. Feeling back to normal.
Saturday: 8 miles @ 7:05 m/m. No problems.
Sunday: 80 mins @ 7:07 m/m. Felt good, picked up to 6:20 m/m last few miles. No issues.

Weekly milage: 44

jebuz

Good weeks running, even with a trip to Germany thrown into the mix. Still not back doing sessions as I'm only about 93% happy with the calf but I did get some quicker running thrown in without any major problems. While I'm running pain free now there is just an underlying sense of 'weakness' for want of a better word. It's hard to describe but I have a slight paranoid feeling that if I tried to run very fast, it may end up setting me back even further. The plan is to try a session this Tuesday and if I get through that unscathed I'll think about a 5k next weekend.

Monday 15/02 - 10 miles
Lunchtime: 5 miles @ 7:32 m/m
With the land covered in ice this morning I decided to bypass the morning run and waited until lunchtime to get out for a few fresh miles. Felt good in terms of effort, nice run.

PM: 5 miles @ 7:27 m/m
Split into 2 runs sandwiched around an hour of pilates (I think it's now socially acceptable for lads to admit this). This was my 2nd week going and hard to say if it's helping yet but I'll keep going, it's sore so that means it must be good. Runs felt good.

Tuesday 16/02 - 9 miles (with 2 x 1km @ 3:40)
Headed down to the track this evening to attempt some form of quicker running and to stretch out the legs a bit. Having not done a session in over 2 weeks I stepped onto the track in trepidation. The boss told me to jump back a few groups which was always my plan. I fell in with a group doing 1km reps in 3:40 and while the effort felt very comfortable I was fully focussed on how the calf felt and glad to report there was no pain or discomfort. Not wanting to push my luck I finished up after 2 reps and headed back up the hill pretty satisfied with that.

Wednesday 17/02 - Rest
Travelling to Munich via London which involved leaving my house at 10am and arriving in my hotel at 8pm. I saw no added value in pushing myself out for a run when tired and particularly after the effort last night I figured no harm giving the calf an extra day to recover.

Thursday 18/02 - 10.5 miles @ 6:59m/m
Got out nice and early for this one around 4:30pm and having scoured a map I decided to venture for the English Garden, a vast stretch of 900+ acres with plenty of great running. It was extremely nippy but I warmed up after about 9 miles. This was a good run, mixed it up in terms of surfaces, clay trails, path and grass. After 6 miles I decided to push the pace for the next 15 minutes or so, working down to 6 min pace which is basically marathon pace. Effort was fine, felt comfortable as I would expect so I really don't think the fitness has taken much of a hit, the calf was ok too, no pain but just still a feeling that if I pushed any harder there might be pain. Enjoyable overall. Afterwards I tucked into half a roast duck and a dark weiss beer...when in Deutschland....

Friday 19/02 - 10 miles
AM: 5 miles @ 7:28 m/m (122 bpm)
Still in Munich. Headed out for a quickie before breakfast, had no idea where I was going but enjoyable and effort felt nice and easy. For some reason a lot of my easy runs have gotten a lot quicker recently, possibly a symptom of doing no sessions which is the only theory I have. Out of curiosity I brought the HR monitor today to get a gauge for the fitness and happy to see it nice and low for this effort.

PM: 5 miles @ 7:23 m/m (119 bpm)
Back nice and early again today so headed out at 5:30pm. Took the same route as this morning and most likely passed the same folk who trudged to work only 8 hours earlier. Interestingly the HR was even lower for this one despite being faster, I don't have a theory for this but I think it may be something to do with the recent detection of gravitational waves. Went out to explore Munich in the evening and devoured a delicious Tikka Masala curry - a local favourite.

Saturday 20/02 - 10 miles @ 7:09 m/m
I took the direct flight home to Cork this morning, worth waiting for rather than going through London again. I arrived around lunchtime and I rang the boss almost pleading to do a session but he was having none of it and said to just run 10 miles, another 10 tomorrow and we'd try a session Tuesday. I was eager to get a session in but I rarely question what he says mainly because of where he's gotten to me to today and I trust him. He knows better and has the track record to prove it so I was ok with that. So off I headed into the windy abyss for 10 lonely miles but they felt fine overall. Coming back in the straight road at mile 7 I had a very strong gust behind me and found myself hitting 6:30 pace and HR at 135 bpm, a bit misleading when you factor the wind but I felt really good so kept going. Headed into the gym for a bit of stretching and then got a haircut.

Sunday 21/02 - 10 miles @ 7:07 m/m
Met up with another broken clubmate at 9am and this was a very enjoyable run out to Ballincollig and back. Effort felt good despite being very windy again and regarding the calf, well I'm sick of talking about it at this stage but it was fine, not sore but not perfectly fine. Still think I'll see a physio this week and get it checked out.

Weekly milage: 59.5

dna_leri

jebuz wrote: »

Thursday 18/02 - 10.5 miles @ 6:59m/m
Got out nice and early for this one around 4:30pm and having scoured a map I decided to venture for the English Garden, a vast stretch of 900+ acres with plenty of great running. It was extremely nippy but I warmed up after about 9 miles. This was a good run, mixed it up in terms of surfaces, clay trails, path and grass. After 6 miles I decided to push the pace for the next 15 minutes or so, working down to 6 min pace which is basically marathon pace. Effort was fine, felt comfortable as I would expect so I really don't think the fitness has taken much of a hit, the calf was ok too, no pain but just still a feeling that if I pushed any harder there might be pain. Enjoyable overall. Afterwards I tucked into half a roast duck and a dark weiss beer...when in Deutschland....

[/U]

Am occasionally over in Munchen too. Must try and visit the English Gardens next time. Sounds like a good spot for a run. Usually stay out near the airport.

jebuz

Still in rehab mode but having visited a physio during the week he confirmed it was a calf tear but not out of the woods yet. He reckoned one more week of taking it (relatively) easy should have me back to normal. That did rule out any racing or quick sessions this weekend meaning I missed todays planned 5k but I'm ok with that, priority has always been getting back to full fitness - plenty more races in the sea.

Monday 22/02 - 6 miles
Very easy ~8 min miles with a few clubmates on some grass pitches. 35 mins before pilates and then another 10 mins run home.

Tuesday 23/02 - 8 miles with 20 min track tempo @ 5:25 m/m
Time to really test out the calf today having felt pretty much back to normal. Most of the club were doing short (600m-1km) reps but I opted to jump in with a couple of lads doing a tempo and I said I'd try 20 mins. Pace was pretty hot but manageable and the calf seemed to be fine during. Only when I was on my cooldown did I feel a slight pain and I was pretty worried about it. I cried myself to sleep that night.

Wednesday 24/02 - 35 mins easy
Didn't want to push the calf today after the tempo so I just headed up to GAA pitches with a clubmate after work for 35 mins very easy. Was just hoping to feel no pain and was happy enough to get through it without any issues. I think my clubmate knew I had been crying all night.

Thursday 25/02 - 1 hr easy
A well overdue visit to the physio and in hindsight I was a moron for not doing this sooner - I was living in denial. He basically confirmed to me it was a tear but it's about a week away from being right. I was glad to hear it wasn't too serious and my tempo on Tuesday hadn't set me back further. He did a little dry needling and told me to leave off any hard sessions until next week so I didn't even mention I was thinking about racing. Very easy 60 mins in the evening, didn't care about pace.

Friday 26/02 - 5 miles @ 7:10 m/m
Coldest run of my whole life, ever. Headed out mid afternoon and started immediately getting battered with rain and a sort of icy cold rain - hail. I couldn't feel my fingers and seriously considered turning around after 1 mile but that would have haunted me for life. Naturally the pace picked up to just get this one done. When I got in the shower my hands were so cold that they burned when I put them under hot water. I really think I could have died.

Saturday 27/02 - 11 miles @ 6:46m/m
With no Saturday session planned, met up with a clubmate nice and early and we said we'd pick it up for the last few miles. Felt really good for this, legs fresh and no calf trouble. Miles 7-10 were 5:59, 5:51, 5:53.

Sunday 28/02 - 12.5 miles @ 7:28m/m (120bpm)
Beautiful morning in Cork - blue skies, calm and dry - what? Headed off solo around 9:30am. I took it nice and easy after yesterdays effort and wanted to just get at least 90 mins on my feet. Really enjoyed this one and nice finish to the week.

Weekly milage: 55

jebuz

Very happy with this week, feels like I've finally gotten back into the swing of things and in terms of fitness, I don't think I'm a million miles away from where I was before the tear 5 weeks ago. Particularly happy with the weekend combo of the Saturday session followed by a decent long run.

Monday 29/02 - 9 miles @ 7:38 m/m
I'm still on the pilates bandwagon so as usual I sandwich a couple of runs around it. Think it was around 6 miles before and 3 miles after back home. Pretty boring runs if I recall correctly.

Tuesday 01/03 - 10 miles @ 7:27 m/m
Hello March how are you. Tempted to do a club track session tonight but I heeded the warning of my physio to hold off on any 'quicker than tempo' running for this week. I was running pain free now but taking no chances as it was most likely the quicker track sessions that got me into this situation. Headed off after work on a nice 10 miler with a clubmate into the city and back up the hill. Felt good.

Wednesday 02/03 - 5 miles @ 7:46 m/m
Decided to give the legs a breather and took it very easy in terms of running today knowing that I had a tempo the next day. Got a nice handy 5 miles in before work then headed for a relaxing swim after work. I also sat in a room called a 'sauna'. It was very hot so I told the supervisor that someone must have left the radiator on in there.

Thursday 03/03 - 10.5 miles with 5 miles @ 5:30 m/m
Really positive session tonight. Last week I tried a similar session and felt pain on the cooldown. Today I just wanted to be completely pain free from warmup to the cooldown and my wish was granted. Numbers were low tonight with Ballycotton coming up but I was glad to have another clubmate with me for this. The plan was 25 mins @ 5:30 and we just jumped in and started ticking off the laps. The effort felt tough at times but my breathing was nice and controlled and we kept the pace nice and steady hitting 82 second laps. My clubmate pulled up with knee trouble after 20 mins and I thought I was on my own but then another clubmate doing mile repeats jumped in for the last mile and a bit. I got to 25 minutes and was feeling good so I said I'd keep going a bit more hitting lap 20 and 5 miles (well, 8k) in 27:28 and very happy with that effort. Cool-down back up the hill to home and no trouble at all with the calf so was feeling pretty satisfied with myself after this. I had a massive bowl of porridge for dinner just because I wanted to and nobody could stop me.

Friday 04/04 - 7 miles @ 7:30 m/m
Was planning to get out at lunchtime but a clubmate convinced me to wait until around 4pm and we got in a nice handy 7 miles to the city and back. Felt a little tired at times but was happy to see the calf behaving especially after the tempo last night.

Saturday 05/03 - 13 miles with 4 x 10 mins @ ~5:35
This was the real test for me today. Having gotten through the tempo unscathed I was hoping to get another quality session under the belt without any trouble. The coach had told me after Thursday night to do a 4 x 10 min session on Saturday which was a little surprising but probably made more sense than doing faster shorter reps. These are key sessions for marathon training and the strength you gain from them is invaluable but my god they're bloody hard. To add fuel to the fire, we're still not back on the grass at the farm yet so our 10 minute circuit is on the road with one serious climb.

No hanging around after the warmup and we were straight into the session. There was a good bunch at the start which gradually stretched out until we had 4 or 5 grouped. I felt pretty good and pushed my way to the front of the group pushing the pace a bit. This was my first time running this route so when I hit the hill for the first time I just attacked it and then I thought feck how am I gonna do this another 3 times. The first 10 seemed to go pretty quick and soon we were into the 2nd. I was pulling away from the group again but happy to see another clubmate come with me and it was pretty much the 2 of us running the rest of the session together. I was glad to have someone to work with particularly for the climbs which were getting more painful each rep. The reps just seemed to fly by though it's a long session - 8 miles we clocked it in the end. We ended up keeping the 10 min efforts pretty steady and was really happy to see out the last one knowing I'd worked really hard. Looking forward to more of these...kinda.

Splits (2 min recovery)
1. 1.7 miles @ 5:37 m/m
2. 1.8 miles @ 5:32 m/m
3. 1.7 miles @ 5:35 m/m
4. 1.7 miles @ 5:36 m/m

Sunday 06/03 - 14 miles @ 6:50 m/m
Down home in Wexford for the old mans 60th Birthday. Got out around 9am and as if the hills weren't enough yesterday I had to go and pick one of the bumpiest routes around town but what a beautiful morning for a run, really enjoyed this one. Effort felt good for most of this though I did feel the legs tire on some climbs. Really happy to get a decent length long run in without any pain and this wrapped up the week very nicely. Headed off for a nice family meal then where I duly gorged my way through the afternoon.

Weekly milage: 69 (hehe)

jebuz

Monday 07/03 - 10 miles
AM: 5 miles @ 7:32 m/m feeling pretty much back to normal now so decided to reintroduce some early morning runs
PM: 5 miles @ 7:33 m/m Freezing cold run after work, 5 handy miles with clubmate before pilates.

Tuesday 08/03 - 14.5 miles
AM: 5 miles @ 7:30 m/m nippy but beautiful morning for a run
PM: 9.5 miles @ 7:20 m/m still a bit apprehensive (scared) to run a track session so decided to run long with a clubmate this evening. Felt slightly niggly in both calves and at one point felt a minor but noticeable sharp pain in the right calf. First thoughts are christ not the other one...eased off a bit and finished the run with no pain but was slightly concerned about it so decided I'd take the next day off.

Wednesday 09/03 - Rest
Rest day which I was probably due but mainly taken in paranoia over the right calf after last nights run. Went for a swim in the evening.

Thursday 10/03 - 11.5 miles with 35 min tempo @ ~5:45 m/m
Was in two minds about this one but I said I'd run down to the track and see how the right calf felt and if all ok I'd run the session but slightly easier than last week. Thankfully I felt fine so went ahead with the tempo planning on 30 mins. I was in with a good group and after a slow start we soon tuned into a steady pace around 5:45 m/m. Effort felt a lot easier than last week but it was the right session. I hit 30 mins feeling good so I said I'd keep going until 35 with the rest of the group. Delighted to have this one done with no issues.

Friday 11/03 - 5 miles @ 7:36 m/m
Nice handy lunch time run. Slightly tired today but legs felt good today and niggles finally sorting themselves out.

Saturday 12/03 - 13 miles with 4 x 10 mins
Another good Saturday session ticked off. At least I knew what was coming this week having being reintroduced to this session last week. Pace slightly picked up this week and was happy to keep the effort pretty steady though was working pretty hard at times, especially that blasted hill half way through the rep. Again the benefits of having a solid group made this session so much more manageable.

Splits (2 min recovery)
1. 1.8 miles @ 5:30 m/m
2. 1.8 miles @ 5:30 m/m
3. 1.8 miles @ 5:33 m/m
4. 1.8 miles @ 5:32 m/m

Sunday 13/03 - 17.5 miles (2 hrs) @ 7:02 (126bpm)
Headed down to the marina for the first time in yonks - not worth the trip for me if I'm not doing at least 15 miles Met up at 8am with a good group from the club and was a really enjoyable run on a cracking morning. Effort felt very comfortable, wasn't too fecked from yesterday and was happy to see the HR so low for this. I signed up for the Cardiff half a few months back and I was unsure if I'd run it with the calf injury but I'm feeling I'm back in good shape now so going to make the trip over and give it a crack. I wanted to get a decent run in today as part of preparation for that and 2 hours did the job nicely. Wrapped up another good week for me so to celebrate this I just had banana pancakes.

Weekly milage: 71

jebuz

Monday 14/03 - 5.5 miles @ 8:11 m/m
A bit tired today from the long run the previous day so just a very handy 45 mins on the pitches with a clubmate before pilates. Still can't touch my toes

Tuesday 15/03 - 13 miles
AM: 5 miles @ 7:36 m/m. Nice run before work - windy!
PM: 8 mile @ 7:48 m/m with 6 x 200m on track). Planning on running my first race in a while on Paddy's day so just did a few 200m efforts on the track (35/36 sec).

Wednesday 16/03 - 6 miles @ 7:28 m/m
Easy run before work and that was it for the day. Felt pretty tired but nothing else planned for the day.

Thursday 17/03 - County Novice 4 mile (2nd in 21:15)
Decided 2 weeks ago I'd run this feeling I was pretty much recovered from the calf injury. I wasn't sure what to expect having not done any track work in almost 2 months but I had a few good tempo sessions under my belt so was feeling in decent shape. I was pretty happy overall with the race, can never complain with individual silver, a team gold and a PB but there were unsatisfactory undertones lingering afterwards, maybe that's a good thing though, I don't want to be over the moon with 2nd place, I want to be winning things. I want I want I want

The race was held in the sleepy village of Castlelyons, novice and masters mixed into one race and probably close to 100 club runners in all. The morning was perfect, slight breeze and a relatively flat course so was feeling up for a good race though. There was a big Leevale contingent in both categories and I knew we' be competing for medals. Looking around at the start too in terms of novice runners I knew I'd be in the running for an individual medal today.

Mile 1 - 5:17
Quick start and was straight into the red zone, felt really tough and I thought it was too early to be feeling like this. The field settled out and 5 lads broke away in a group. 2 Togher lads, 2 Leevale and 1 finbarrs runner. I knew 3 of those were novice but I didn't feel strong enough to go with them and I kept my effort steady. Was this a mistake? I don't know, should I have gone with them? maybe. A 2nd group of 5/6 quickly formed with myself and another clubmate and some Finbarrs runners. There was a bit of back and forth with surges thrown in and we hit the first mile in 5:17 - working hard already.

Mile 2 - 5:32
Effort particularly increased on this mile though looking back there was a fair drag in it and the wind was hitting us head on. I had a glance at the watch here and saw 5:3x and thought feck this is not far off the pace I'm planning for the half next week, I'm quitting running. Not the ideal thought process in a championship race. I stopped being concerned about pace and just focussed on racing and that was a wise decision. We were still grouped tightly and at the halfway point I was getting a bit tired of leading and dropped to the back of the pack for a little breather, more mentally than anything. It was around the end of the 2nd mile we passed the 2 Togher lads and I did expect them to drop back eventually as they're primarily middle distance runners. It was now our group chasing the 3 ahead of us who had a decent gap. All 3 were masters but 1 of them, a clubmate was also in the novice race. I knew at this point that a medal was there for the taking. As I said they had quite a gap on us now and I didn't think I'd be catching them so I was fully focussed on shaking the group and taking the silver. My legs had other ideas however, I was really starting to feel the burn and then were telling me to just stop running.

Mile 3 - 5:15
I felt pace was picking up now and I was feeling stronger. I had confidence in my ability to shake this group but they were going nowhere. I moved back to the front and my clubmate matched me and we created a small gap on the group behind. Pretty uneventful mile other than that, just stayed purely focussed on the road ahead knowing I'd need a quick final mile. Side by side with my clubmate as we approached the 3 mile mark, time to crank it up a little.

Mile 4 - 5:06
Just as we hit the 3 mile mark there was a slight drag and I used this to push the pace on the uphill and I started gradually pulling away from my clubmate. I know he's a quick guy from running session with him so I wasn't banking on a sprint finish and wanted to create a gap. I just pushed and pushed and probably got about 5/6 seconds on him and holy crap I was puffing in the red zone. 800 to go and I am in the bad place, not even tempted to look behind me as I can just feel a presence. I get to the final straight down the main street and I see the 3 lads ahead of me crossing the line. This is where you can get complacent and lose places so absolutely no loss of focus and a hard effort all the way to the line. I cross in 21:15, silver secured and respectively 2 and 3 seconds behind me were 2 lads from the original group charging through in a very strong finish. That's how close I was to losing a medal if I had have lost concentration. The clubmate I managed to pull away from took 5th and boards own skeleton_boy came home in a superb 7th place in his first outing for Leevale, meaning we took team gold. The rate of improvement from skeleton guy since he joined us is really worrying me! Masters also won team gold so great day for the club.

I was walking along after the race and felt a short sharp pain in the left calf...nooooooo! It was a very familiar pain and I really feared the worst that it was bad. Not a nice way to finish to what should have been a very positive return to racing. Anyway I did 15/20 mins of very light cooldown on the grass, still very concerned about the calf and after munching on some sambos and cake, it was back to Cork to get the legs up for the day.

Friday 18/03 - Rest
The calf felt slightly stiff on getting up that morning but my one legged hops didn't yield any pain so I started thinking maybe it's not that bad. I managed to get an appointment with my physio that evening and thankfully he said it wasn't too serious, a primary indicator being the pain presented itself after the race rather than during. Got some dry needling and a rub and he said I should be good to return to easy running Saturday but to be mindful. Cardiff still on the plan thankfully.

Saturday 19/03 - 10 miles @ 6:56 m/m
Met up with clubmate at 8:30am and was delighted to get through this without any pain and actually felt really good. I really love finishing a run and not being injured, it's the little things.

Sunday 20/03 - 13 miles @ 6:39 m/m (133bpm)
Very happy with this effort and felt really good this morning. Took the HR out again today and it's looking good for that effort. Didn't plan on running it that quick but was feeling very comfortable and just went with that pace. I was told by the boss to only do 10 miles but I accidentally on purpose miscalculated the route and added a few more mile. Ran into my clubmate (who I battled with on Thursday) and ran the last few miles with him, luckily it didn't turn into a race.

Well that was a bit of a roller-coaster of a week from the high of winning a medal straight to a low of thinking I'm back at square one with another calf injury back to finishing on a high of not being injured...wonder what my next low is. I really shouldn't say anything else...time to go.

Weekly milage: 57

AuldManKing

Some great training going on here.
To save me reading back , what's the short term goal?

viperlogic

savage time in Cardif. Looking forward to that report

jebuz

AuldManKing wrote: »

Some great training going on here.
To save me reading back , what's the short term goal?

Thanks auld man

Immediate short term? just about to have a cup of coffee. Medium short term? Getting a good block of training in and running a 10k race end of may.

After that it's time to start ramping up the volume for Berlin in September but priority is keeping injury free and staying consistent.