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BQ or Bust!
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Back to something approaching normal mileage this week.
Mon 4 Feb
12k @ 5:54
Easy run along the Clontarf seafront as far as St. Annes and back. Bracing!
Tue 5 Feb
5.5k @ 5:50
Gym introduction, followed by commute home with G, slightly extended.
Wed 6 Feb
AM: 3.5k easy commute
PM: 7.8k inc. Winter League Round 5: 3 miles (20:36)
Getting used to these races now, possibly to the point of not treating them with enough respect, preparation wise. Got to Raheny pretty late and didn’t have much time to warm up, which isn’t good as you don’t have time to get in the zone and get the body sufficiently prepared for some punishment. Lined up at the back with skyblue and progressed fairly quickly through the field of 51 runners to my usual spot behind K after about 600m. Never got closer than about 20m though, as I didn’t seem to have the stomach to push up onto his shoulder. He gradually pulled away and I was on my own for the rest of the lap, which nevertheless was clocked on target at 6:40. It felt harder than it should though, and I began to struggle on the second circuit. When skyblue came up behind (recognised him by the shadow!) I didn’t have much response as he passed and pulled away fairly rapidly. With fewer runners than the last couple of outings it was a lonelier place to be, with no one to pick off. The timekeeper called 13:37 at the bell and it was obvious that the game was up. Lap three was a bit of a gag fest. I just kind of gave up really and struggled home, although I did make sure to do enough to not give the guy behind any notions. Didn’t stop the watch and was unsure if I’d even broken 21 mins until I saw the result. 14th place and a poor race, followed by a good soaking during the cooldown with C, another recent addition to the club. All was forgotten of course over a hot cuppa, Zoe’s tasty cake, and chats in the clubhouse.
Thu 7 Feb
Rest.
Fri 8 Feb
6.6k in town, incorporating a few laps each of Merrion Square (hillier than expected) and Stephen’s Green, before bleeperbiking to Drumcondra for dinner and pints.
Sat 9 Feb
20k @ 4:55 steady at Donadea 50k
I’d entered this race in late 2017 and then took advantage of the generous deferral policy. Briefly entertained thoughts of training for it, but decided against in the end, so at best I was only ever going to go down to collect the tee shirt and do a few laps. After that dinner and pints last night I wasn’t really feeling the grá, remarking to A just as I was heading out the door that I might just head to a parkrun instead. But the prospect of seeing the end of the race itself kicked in, and I drove down, checked in, lined up and got into what was in the end a very enjoyable (and challenging enough) steady 12+ miles over four laps of the route. I felt like a bit of a cheat passing people however, remarking to a few that I was only out for a few miles in case they decided to chase me. One runner pushed me a bit in lap two or three before passing - or did we push each other? I let him go but noticed later in the results that he blew up badly and had a very painful last couple of laps. Oops! Always a risk in this race I’d imagine - I wasn’t the only one just out for the atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed my morning, saying hello to a few familiar faces, and seeing Gary O’Hanlon’s finish from very close up. With two laps to go he looked like he was really hurting but knocked four minutes off the national record in the end, lapping the entire field and finishing in 2:50, some 27 mins clear of 2nd place.
Sun 10 Feb
10k @ 6:22
Recovery in the Phoenix Park with the mrs. Cold and blustery but very enjoyable.
WTD: 66k (41m)
MTD: 80 (50)
YTD: 302 (187)0 -
This week? Saying hello again to the track. A semi-racy parkrun. And some decent weather.
Mon 11 Feb
Rest.
Tue 12 Feb
ALSAA track series: Mile (6:22)
Bungy Girl (remember her?) had asked for some pacing assistance and I was happy to oblige. We probably crould have lined up a little closer to the front of the field of about 18 runners, but got off well enough. I had been instructed to just lay down four laps of 1:35 and not worry about any handholding. I was a little erratic with the pace but got the second part right. :P A good run from BG, who continues the long return from injury with admirable patience and application.
Splits (approx)
1:34 1:38 1:35 1:35
Track pacing is a different kettle of fish - so little room for error. First half was a bit messy: lap one could have been a bit slower, especially with the extra 9m, and lap two was a bit overcompensated. I never like to hear a halfway split that’s more than a second off the target pace, as you need all the motivation you can get for the crucial lap three. But not too far off in the end, and the pacee was happy enough! Couple of miles cooldown in the outer lanes, and a total of 7.3k for the night.
Wed 13 Feb
No run. Work is busy, but I need to be better at making some time.
Thu 14 Feb
3.9 miles recovery @ 9:45
Recovery from what? Just went by feel, and that’s where the feeling took me.
Fri 15 Feb
16.1k from city centre out and back to the Poolbeg lighhouse. Got into an impromptu ‘race’ with another runner over the hills at Irishtown Nature Reserve. Not like me to get sucked in like this, but it felt good for a couple of kms. Don’t know how the other runner felt (I ‘won’). :pac:
Hadn’t intended to be out this long - running off a bit of work stress really. Caught some flak for being late home as I’d completely forgotten the mrs was going out. Oops.
Sat 16 Feb
6.2k inc St. Anne’s parkrun (20:57)
Didn’t think I’d be able to make the celebrations for KennyG’s (remember him?) 100th parkrun but a late change of plan saw me heading over to St. Anne’s for the first time since New Year’s. After the customary backslapping and photo ops, G headed off in his balloons and feather boa and Ferris tried to persuade me to join him for a 20:30ish effort. If it wasn’t for last night’s impromptu MLR I’d have been more enthusiastic, but in the end I agreed to help get him launched and join for the first mile. Not that I was needed, but it was a bit of craic and I think I did the right thing saying good luck and dropping off after that mile was up. Passed then by David Gillick, taking phone video while jogging around for the VHI ‘parkrun takeover’ event that was taking place. Ran behind him for a bit, admiring his form, before he disappeared into the distance. Picked it up for the last km or so, really enjoying a strong, exhilarating finish. Cooldown with Ferris before reuniting with KennyG who was having a celebratory Bailey’s. :eek:
Sun 17 Feb
Started the day running junior parkrun with one of the boys, then headed out later for 12k easy on the gloriously sunny seafront to round off an interesting week. Light on mileage, but plenty of variety!
WTD: 50k (30m)
MTD: 130 (80)
YTD: 352 (217)0 -
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OOnegative wrote: »Good job on the pacing D!! Any races in mind?
Cheers B. I’ll probably head over to the Indoor Arena on Tues for an 800m effort to see what this year’s baseline is. Then Lusk 4m in a couple of weeks. The usual Winter League races too, which end with a few road miles. Any chance of me making any of the old man B or C teams for the National Road Relays probably blown out of the water now that skyblue has joined the club. :rolleyes:
Graded meets then. Similar schedule to last year really. How about you?0 -
Cheers B. I’ll probably head over to the Indoor Arena on Tues for an 800m effort to see what this year’s baseline is. Then Lusk 4m in a couple of weeks. The usual Winter League races too, which end with a few road miles. Any chance of me making any of the old man B or C teams for the National Road Relays probably blown out of the water now that skyblue has joined the club. :rolleyes:
Graded meets then. Similar schedule to last year really. How about you?
No Bundoran....
The dose I contracted has taken a damn site longer to get over than I thought. Nigh on 3 weeks without proper training so my early season 5k goal is just going to have to be shelved.
Half marathon in Amsterdam come October is the big yearly goal.0 -
Cheers B. I’ll probably head over to the Indoor Arena on Tues for an 800m effort to see what this year’s baseline is. Then Lusk 4m in a couple of weeks. The usual Winter League races too, which end with a few road miles. Any chance of me making any of the old man B or C teams for the National Road Relays probably blown out of the water now that skyblue has joined the club. :rolleyes:
Graded meets then. Similar schedule to last year really. How about you?
As if Skyblue even knows what the National Road Relays are!
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This week is about reacquainting myself with the 800, mainly. I’ll be training again through the summer for the National Masters, which will be the main focus again. Don’t need to worry about the marathon this year because I already have the Chicago 2020 qualifier from last year’s NYC effort. So the year starts here, in many ways...
Mon 18 Feb
6.84k @ 6:04
A slow commute home with a stop to visit my mother. I’m not enjoying run commuting, and may try to go back to a lunchtime run schedule instead - it’s just not pleasant picking a way through the rush hour crowds. And dodging street furniture — in Dublin we seem to be in love with sticking things in the footpath. On the stretch between Joey’s school and the Malahide Road (about 200m?) I counted more than 40 separate pieces: speed signs, parking signs, lampposts, litter bins, bus shelters, parking ticket machines, bike racks, electric boxes… sure, we need some or most or even all of these things, but do we have to stick them in the path in a way that someone threw them all up in the air and left them where they landed? /rant
Tue 19 Feb
AM: 3k @ 5:55
PM: NIA Live 800 (2:34.63)
Singer reminded me of this meet the other day and I signed up for the 800 to get some idea of where I’m at. There’s been no spadework at all now (apart from racing) for quite a while, so I didn’t think I’d be threatening the 2:27 PB, but at the same time I’m not in bad shape so felt I should be able to at least match last year’s early season effort (2:32). Warmed up with a few laps around the arena with B, and then some dynamics and strides. These track meets always make me a bit edgy for some reason. My mouth was dry, feeling a bit nervy, and generally not preparing too well. I’ll have to put more work into learning how to spend the last hour before a track race, and use that time more productively. Delighted to bump into Ashling (Dubgal) on the way in and have a little chat.
We were divided into two heats and I lined up in Lane 3, faffing around with my watch before abandoning the attempt to record the proceedings (DG noticed and scolded me later, predictably enough, and rightly). The gun went off and it seemed the guy in Lane 2 was past me before I’d even gotten up to speed. Through the break point and I concentrated on just eyeing the bend and taking a good line rather than jumping immediately across the already empty lanes to my left. Less than 100m in and I was already losing touch with the five lads in front. So it would depend to some extent on what happened behind, where B was surely lurking not too far away. I was a bit shocked to see the clock at the end of lap one still only at 34 seconds, way ahead of my planned 37/38. What now? Not enough time to worry, just try to keep it going. Out of touch with the lads in front, no one on the shoulder yet. Lap 2 is thus not that exciting and with the isolation, a good bit slower than the first. But the halfway split is still a couple of seconds ahead of the game and for an instant I am thinking, this could be a good result, rather than just concentrating on maintaining the pace. Lap three is again isolated, although rounding the back bend I think I can see a long shadow of the runner behind, but it’s hard to judge how far. I can feel the speed draining and the breathing tightening. At the bell the clock is where is should have been if I’d run an even pace: in other words, I’m going backwards. Lap 4 is a lactic quagmire and I’m sure the two runners behind (well, maybe one of them) is going to swallow me up with a can’t-believe-you-ran-like-that cackle, but it’s not to be, and I stumble over the line having maintained 6th position since 20m in.
Handshakes and a recovery pose. I find that the 800 doesn’t really hit you fully til it’s over, and I was breathing hard for a good bit afterwards, feeling slightly pukey, a bit addled. But right as rain after 10 mins or so. Cooled down with S, one of the Tallaght lads I bump into at these events. He can talk for Ireland, I didn’t have the breath. Sidled over to the noticeboard after a bit to see the posted times. I’d thought it was quite fast, maybe 2:31 or 2:32, so the 2:34 was a bit of a blow. Lap 4 was lactic-riddled but hadn’t felt that slow. But I’m over it already!
Splits (maybe?)
:34 :38 :40 :42
Plenty of work to do in the months ahead.
PB: 2:27.96 (National Masters 2018)
Target: 2:32
Actual: 2:34.63
6th place (of 8)
VDOT: 53.1
AG: 79.7
Verdict: ’tis what it is.
Wed 20 Feb
10.2k inc. Raheny Winter League Rd 6 (2 mi)
There was confusion about whether tonight’s race would be two or three miles. Didn’t matter to me - I would use it as a tempo+ workout. Warmed up with a couple of laps of the circuit. Chatted with S and wished him well. Started at the back and eased into marathon pace, enjoying the feeling of feeling really strong while passing runners who were giving it plenty of effort, breathing much harder than me. Lap two I dialled it up a bit to something around 10k pace. It’s a bit of a cheat to do a workout in a race, I hate it when people breeze by me near the end of race looking like they are out jogging, but I don’t do it often, so I’ll forgive myself.
WTD: 25k (15m)
MTD: 155 (96)
YTD: 376 (234)0 -
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OOnegative wrote: »No disrespect to DG, stick to WHAT you are comfortable with. Unless there is evidence of dry wretching you didn’t try hard enough to me D!!! Great to see you concentrate on the 800m again, throughly enjoyed it last year.
Chicago 2020???
As I said to B afterwards, one of the good things I find about the distance is that it’s too short to get to the heaving. I did get a tiny bit ‘sick in my mouth’ afterwards though (seeing as you brought it up, no pun intended).
Yes, Chicago 2020. There might be a few of us. Plenty of room on the (air)bus.
Edit: oh and about the watch - she was right. Trying to reset it after being called to the mark in a short race is just stupid! Especially when the data it produces (indoors) is pretty useless anyway.0 -
Thu 21 Feb
7.5k @ 6:14
Recovery-paced plod home, the long way around via East Wall. Had hoped to meet up with G for this but ended up solo after a work delay.
Fri 22 Feb
No run. Pretty fried after a long week and didn’t bother. Thai food and a few beers instead.
Sat 23 Feb
9.6k inc parkrun (pacing 24 mins)
Pacer Saturday at St. Annes’s. A and I were both on duty, and enjoyed our respective runs. Very congested start and a slow first km as a result, but gradually made up the time and finished in 23:58, having pushed most of my little group ahead during the final 900m on the Avenue. One of the group was an old college friend, so it was good to help him find a decent performance that he was delighted with. It’s a privilege to pace at St. Annes (or anywhere) - always enjoy it, and it’s always nice when people let you know that it helped.
Sun 24 Feb
14 mi @ 8:40
Had contemplated doing the club run at 8am, but in the end it didn’t suit. Tried to drum up some interest in a 9am alternative but no joy from WhatsApp and I headed out solo. When running alone I find the time goes quicker and the effort feels lower if exploring relatively unfamiliar territory, so I headed out to Kilmainham via Smithfield and Houston Station, joining the marathon route at the Gaol and following it through Crumlin and Kimmage before turning back to town at KCR. A few small detours - into and around Iveagh Gardens, an attractive little ‘garden city’ estate near the Children’s Hospital, and then shortly afterwards a left at the hospital for a closer look at Crumlin Castle. Came across a nice little 200m gravel track in a park nearby. Did a complete circuit, naturally, just to make sure it was the full 200. Noticed later the track has a Strava segment, ond there was Ray at the top of the list. :cool:
Really enjoyed this run. The inner GPS was working well, the 14 miles beeping right at the local Eurospar where I often end these runs so I can grab a sports drink and/or some breakfast supplies. Another decent week, 40 miles on the button.
WTD: 64k (40m)
MTD: 194 (121)
YTD: 415 (258)0 -
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I know that track alright, though I think that segment must be wrong, I've never used the track for speed sessions. The bends are too tight to run fast on gravel. I usually do my strides on the path running right beside the track in the park
Sure maybe your warmup lap was good enough to bag the segment crown, Ray.
But yes, was wondering what it would feel like to run fast on. The gravel isn't particularly loose at the moment anyway.0 -
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Thu 28 Feb
5.2k @ 5:55
Another meetup with G en route home, slightly extended to make it worthwhile. February total: 224k (139 mi).
Fri 1 Mar
8.1k @ 5:40
Easy commute to town. Glorious morning.
Sat 2 Mar
7.2k @ 5:45
Just an easy jog around the Drumcondra/Glasnevin burbs.
Sun 3 Mar
Lusk 4 Mile
This was a fairly late addition to the racing calendar. No special prep, but I felt if I was in shape I should be able to threaten 26:30, a similar time to last year’s Dunboyne (when of course I’d targeted 26). Maybe less? I’ve been racing in a less watch-dependent manner of late, especially at this kind of distance. So I tried to gauge it by feel, only glancing at the average pace once, about a kilometre in (4:00). By now I had settled in with E, a female clubmate, behind two Clonliffe runners who looked to be fellow M50s (well, maybe one of them anyway). The conditions were as predicted - cold, windy, wet, with some standing water here and there. Not the fastest of courses - two laps, with a sharp right just after the start and some narrow roads in the first km, as well as a 180 turn around a barrier at the bottom of a small hill. But the same conditions for everyone, and why not make the best of it?
I moved ahead of E about 2.5k in, down a slope at the end of the bypass section before turning back into the village, passing the Clonliffe lads at the same time. All three immediately passed me again on the drag back up to the halfway point. I was disappointed to see the clock as I approached, going through in 13:30 - a good bit off the target, even though it had felt like I’d been moving well for most of the circuit. A shout from Pat Hooper, telling me to move up to E, and I settled in with her again, with the Clonliffe lads still just in front, quietly helping each other on. Back through the 180 and the windswept section to the bypass, where I tucked in for a bit and sheltered behind Clonliffe. At about 5k, my clubmate started to struggle and I went past, muttering some encouragement. The right turn back towards the village again, up the hill. I heard the watch beep which meant there should be about 400m to go, trying to up the pace along the stretch before the final drag. The Clonliffe boys were pulling away. I passed a young lad, who passed me again about 200m later. This bit was seeming to go on forever. Someone shouted 150 to go and I gave it a bit more, staying ahead of the people behind but, in truth, by the end feeling there was a bit more in the tank.
While I was OK during the race, I felt quite cold immediately after, and it seemed to take an age to get changed into dryer gear. Was good to see a few faces. Lots from the club and a few from around here. Congrats to Singer on the sub-25 and PB especially. So I can’t make any excuses about the conditions. The mrs came in glowing after a very decent outing, so there were plenty of good performances out there. Plenty of good results from the club, with the Claw winning, team medals and no doubt a few individual ones too. No excuses for my own mediocrity. There was a medal for everyone along with the goodie bag, of course, but I declined mine. Well done to everyone who braved the elements!
Previous PB: 26:24 (Dunboyne 2018)
Target: <26:30
Actual: 27:04
87th place (of 684)
9th M50+ (of 59)
VDOT: 47.7
AG: 75.5
Verdict: Underperform?
WTD: 55k (34m)
MTD: 24 (15)
YTD: 470 (292)0 -
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