BQ or Bust!

shotgunmcos

Well done to bag a pb. Sounds like conditions and approach favoured it and knowing the course helped too. That last km split must be as satisfying as te PB itself!

mister paul

Congrats on the PB. I can't believe that your race report missed the stop off in SuperValu on the way home to collect a couple of PB beers!

Wubble Wubble

Murph_D wrote: »

Week 9 of 9 cont.


Tue 21 May

Race day: Bob Heffernan 5k

Back yourself, as DD often advises.

There was a MSB group with one lad obviously pacing the others, and I shamelessly settled in close behind for the ride. C was still nearby, and while I wasn’t looking over the shoulder, I had no doubt P was in the vicinity too. I didn’t see the signs, but the km markers were clearly visible on the road and matched well with the lap beeps on the watch. Glanced at the split on 3k (4:02) - OK, nearly two thirds in and on the pace, feeling it but also feeling confident.

The MSB group is starting to splinter and their leader is doing his best to keep them going. Six minutes more, he shouts. S is up ahead, starting to pull away. C is still in touch, and I can clearly sense the effort he’s making. The endless straight continues, and I’m scanning ahead, eager to see the second turn which will mean just over a km to go. There it is, with its welcome downward grade, and I remember that I mustered up a decent finish last year despite running a bad race. Back yourself! We hit the 4k mark. I don’t bother with the watch as I’m confident Mr. MSB has been doing the job. I look up and notice that P has slipped past unnoticed (no idea when), moving well up the inside. I finally detach from the MSB group - thanks a million, gents - and get on P’s shoulder instead, happy to draft for a while until we cross the humpback bridge with about 500m to do and I push hard for home.
Splits (approx): 3:59 3:56 4:02 4:04 3:39

7 second PB later confirmed. No gyp from the sore back, thankfully. Great to see so many happy customers afterwards. A veritable #PBfest, as Swashbuckler noted on Strava. Perfect night, weather-wise, course-wise, competition-wise, tea and sambo-wise. Hats off to Lazare for a debut sub-20. Especially pleased for FBOT and a terrific PB that’s been a number of years in the making. Well done, M.

M’s performance confirms the benefits of the 9-week 80/20 plan, which we’d both been following, M a bit better than me as I was adjusting around some other events. I’ll be looking more closely at the marathon version of the plan in future, methinks. But will reflect more on this block in a day or two.

Next: Project 800 redux!

Previous PB: 19:47 (St. Anne’s, Dec 2017)
Target: 19:46
Result: 19:40
215th place (of 628)
11th M55 (of 29)
VDOT 50.8
AG: 79.9
Verdict: 80 out of 20

WTD: 15k (9m)
MTD: 163 (101)
YTD: 1,124 (699)

Well done on the PB. Glad to see my clubmate's pacing efforts haven't gone unnoticed elsewhere PBs galore last night, it seemed that nearly everyone I follow on Strava that raced got one!

Speaking of my clubmates, no mention of M beating AMK? Or maybe the man himself will resurrect his log for that one :pac:

Baby75

well done delighted to see your very happy with your preformance and result

AuldManKing

Great racing Murph - Congrats on the PB and good to see you last night - its trim & lean you're looking!

The best part of your report is the mention of an MSB group, once near extinction - not often seen, but now getting more popular. Great stuff.

Murph_D wrote: »

There was a MSB group with one lad obviously pacing the others, and I shamelessly settled in close behind for the ride.

The MSB group is starting to splinter and their leader is doing his best to keep them going. Six minutes more, he shouts.

I don’t bother with the watch as I’m confident Mr. MSB has been doing the job. I look up and notice that P has slipped past unnoticed (no idea when), moving well up the inside.

I finally detach from the MSB group - thanks a million, gents -

AuldManKing

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

Speaking of my clubmates, no mention of M beating AMK? Or maybe the man himself will resurrect his log for that one :pac:

It isn't the 1st time he's beaten me, but I think he'll retire now

diego_b

Great result that, savage last km to nail the pb!

Swashbuckler

That last km was phenomenal. Great run D.

healy1835

Great reading. Your training is really reaping dividends

mister paul

Swashbuckler wrote: »

That last km was phenomenal. Great run D.

Most of that time was made up in the last 500 when he breezed past me. Seriously impressive finish.

skyblue46

Well done D. That was a really well run race. As you say it was one of those perfect evenings in almost every respect. I hope the vino and Maltesers capped it in a suitably perfect way.

Unthought Known

Great running D. Very impressive last km!

aquinn

Drafting, the cheek!

How come P didn't arrive home with Malteesers?

That is some finish D and delighted with the PB for you both. Well done.

Younganne

great racing D and congrats on the PB, all coming together for you now.

Looking forward to seeing the PBs continue on the track.

Huzzah!

Congrats on the PB!

Mulberry

Really impressive racing. That last 500M must have felt amazing! Well done.

eyrie

Beautifully done. Sounds like you held steady throughout and then what a last km to finish! Congratulations

chickey2

Fantastic, really well done!

Lazare

Great racing D, jeez we had a pretty much identical first half, you stormed that last k, hats off.

Kellygirl

Wow - you ran that seriously well and what a finish. Congrats on a brilliant PB.

Murph_D

Thanks so much y’all. The truth is the inspiration comes from others, and yes, that means you. Don’t let me down. The good nights make up for the crappy nights. That’s racing, and that’s the way it is.

laura_ac3

Nicely done D

FBOT01

Excellent performance, D. Delighted to see you get your just rewards. Great groundwork laid for Project 800......80/20 all the way!!!

Murph_D

OOnegative wrote: »

Well done D, delighted for you as I knew you weren’t happy with your Bob performance from last year. That’s well and truly put to bed after last night, super last km.

Thanks Barry. Yes, it’s good to put last year to bed, and the year before too, which was even worse!

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Well done to bag a pb. Sounds like conditions and approach favoured it and knowing the course helped too. That last km split must be as satisfying as te PB itself!

Definitely an advantage knowing the layout and that it will be OK going into the final turn a few secs behind as the finish is fast. And yes, it’s a satisfying split for sure - good to know that if you’ve put in the work the body won’t let you down!

mister paul wrote: »

Congrats on the PB. I can't believe that your race report missed the stop off in SuperValu on the way home to collect a couple of PB beers!

I knew someone else would mention that. I wasn’t as confident as you with your brew brew already chilling at home.

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

Well done on the PB. Glad to see my clubmate's pacing efforts haven't gone unnoticed elsewhere PBs galore last night, it seemed that nearly everyone I follow on Strava that raced got one!!

Speaking of my clubmates, no mention of M beating AMK? Or maybe the man himself will resurrect his log for that one :pac:

I spotted him on strava and left an appreciative comment. Top pacing skillz! And what’s that you say, did M beat A?

Baby75 wrote: »

well done delighted to see your very happy with your preformance and result

Thanks Niamh! Sometimes the performance feels better than the result so it’s nice when the stars align and everything works out.

AuldManKing wrote: »

Great racing Murph - Congrats on the PB and good to see you last night - its trim & lean you're looking!

The best part of your report is the mention of an MSB group, once near extinction - not often seen, but now getting more popular. Great stuff.

Looking good yourself and a super result. Well done. And yes, Ian (?) was S great help during that difficult middle third.

AuldManKing wrote: »

It isn't the 1st time he's beaten me, but I think he'll retire now

I’m delighted for M - We both struggled with some of the 80/20 sessions but he was much more dogged than me. Doubt if he’s done yet!

diego_b wrote: »

Great result that, savage last km to nail the pb!

Thanks D.

Swashbuckler wrote: »

That last km was phenomenal. Great run D.

Cheers P. Truth is it felt like a normal enough finish. The track racing probably helps in this regard.

healy1835 wrote: »

Great reading. Your training is really reaping dividends

Thanks J. It was a good block but going in it really felt it could have gone either way.

mister paul wrote: »

Most of that time was made up in the last 500 when he breezed past me. Seriously impressive finish.

I was thinking you’d come after me harder. You will next time - or should I retire now? Great PB yourself!

skyblue46 wrote: »

Well done D. That was a really well run race. As you say it was one of those perfect evenings in almost every respect. I hope the vino and Maltesers capped it in a suitably perfect way.

Thanks S. Impressive research. Your sources are excellent.

Unthought Known wrote: »

Great running D. Very impressive last km!

Thanks A. It’s all about giving yourself a chance, I suppose.

aquinn wrote: »

Drafting, the cheek!

How come P didn't arrive home with Malteesers?

One bag for a carload of PBs? Hope his beer was suitably chilled!

Younganne wrote: »

great racing D and congrats on the PB, all coming together for you now.

Looking forward to seeing the PBs continue on the track.

Let’s hope so! Thanks A.

Huzzah! wrote: »

Congrats on the PB!

Thanks E. They are always welcome - especially at 5k.

Mulberry wrote: »

Really impressive racing. That last 500M must have felt amazing! Well done.

Sure did. See you on the track soon, hopefully.

eyrie wrote: »

Beautifully done. Sounds like you held steady throughout and then what a last km to finish! Congratulations

The steady bit is the most important I think. Cheers!

chickey2 wrote: »

Fantastic, really well done!

Thanks C. Well done on Tallaght - inspirational.

Lazare wrote: »

Great racing D, jeez we had a pretty much identical first half, you stormed that last k, hats off.

It was good to be in the thick of it and sense how hard everyone was working, including yourself. Super performance!

Kellygirl wrote: »

Wow - you ran that seriously well and what a finish. Congrats on a brilliant PB.

laura_ac3 wrote: »

Nicely done D

Thanking you.

FBOT01 wrote: »

Excellent performance, D. Delighted to see you get your just rewards. Great groundwork laid for Project 800......80/20 all the way!!!

Good point - must review the JD schedule and see how it stacks up! I won’t congratulate you again. Actually, I will - congrats! Toughing out those ‘impossible’ sessions stood to you in the end.

Thanks again, all.

career move

I'm a bit late to the party it seems but super running well done

Murph_D

career move wrote: »

I'm a bit late to the party it seems but super running well done

Ah don’t mind me. Wallowing in it at this stage!

Murph_D

A few post-race days thoughts - while I felt I was on the edge most of the way around the Bob H, it was notable that there were no dry heaves. This was very welcome, obviously, as it’s been a bit of an issue over 5-10k races the past couple of years (before that it used to be stitches, at distances of about 10k - HM). I’ve always thought the dry retching was HR-related, but I actually ramped all the way up to max the other night with no issues, on a muggy night too. I think I was better hydrated that usual and this might have something to do with it. Either way, hopefully a sign of more progress.

Week 9 stats (excludes race)
Running 190 mins + cross 0 mins = 190
Easy: 149m = 78%
Moderate/hard: 41m = 22%

The 80/20 plan was an interesting experience - some very tough sessions, and I struggled with a good few of them. The tempo stuff was more successful. In the past, the reverse has been true, so not sure what that means, except that the sessions are quite hard. The plan is certainly focused on how that 'non easy' 20% divides up between moderate effort (tempo or zone 3) and the 'hard' zones 4 and 5. Those 5-min zone 5 repeats were truly gut wrenching. All's well that ends well, but next time I'd probably drop down to the Level 2 versions of some of those workouts. The focus on HR and time was refreshing, and it was encouraging to feel the progress with HR coming down, presumably as race-specific fitness increased. It's been an interesting experience.

Wed 22 - Fri 24 May

No running.

Sat 25 May

6.8k inc. St. Anne’s parkrun (pacing 24 mins)

Always a pleasure to pull on the pacing bib at St. Anne’s, especially after a gap of a couple of months. I like 24 mins as it’s close to marathon pace. Felt very comfortable after the rest, and good to bring a few home under the target.

Sun 26 May

6.1 km recovery.

Headed to St. Anne’s to help out at Jr parkrun. Unfortunately had to cancel with the concert preparations ramping up. KennyG was around so headed or an easy lap of the park with him before some coffee and club gossip.

WTD: 28k (17m)
MTD: 176 (110)
YTD: 1,137 (707)

Murph_D

J Daniels 800 Week 1 of 12

With the 5k training and race complete, 12 weeks of ‘mostly 800m’ stuff begins now. The idea will be to peak for the National Masters in mid August. Along the way there will hopefully be some racing at the Graded Meets, maybe a Raheny Summer Series 2-miler or two, and the South Dublin 10k as well. But the focus will be firmly on the 800 stuff. The JD plan has some eye-watering sessions, but I’ve got last year’s experience to draw on, and I know that they are tough but (mostly) manageable. Well OK, maybe not the 3x600 at race pace… We’ll see.

Mon 27 May

60 mins L with 8 strides

I’ve been looking out the office windows at the Trinity Track for some time now without managing to get down there. Finally got to check it out, during a one-hour easy run around College Park. A good few other lunchtime runners, with a couple of groups doing some sort of tempo session. Did a couple of laps of the track itself - seems accurate enough in its measure, certainly good enough to do sessions on, so that will probably come in useful over the coming weeks. Finished up with 8 sets of strides, trying to focus on using the arms more, as I feel this is something I could usefully improve on.

Tue 28 May

10.7k easy/recovery

Out to Irishtown nature reserve and back.Tired legs, a bit of a slog.

Wed 29 May

Club session: 10x400 (70-90s standing recovery)

There was an 800 race available at tonight’s Irishtown Graded Meet but I wasn’t feeling too pushed to race and felt it would be better to do the club session. So up to Morton in the traffic. A decent enough warmup then joined the usual group. Happy to hear we’d be doing 400s. About a dozen of us in the group, taking turns to lead out . Legs felt a bit dead but this was decent enough. JD tells me I should be doing these in about 93 secs, so these intervals (I pace) were a bit on the hot side.

Splits (approx):

90 84 84 87 90 86 82 93 90 91

A tough session, but these felt pretty good. The different leads outs sometimes affected the pace but not always and everyone did a good job. 9.4k total for the evening.

WTD: 31k (19m)
MTD: 207 (129)
YTD: 1,168 (726)

AuldManKing

This is an amazing running log. Seriously.

The 'arms' thing is important - I've found kicks in the last couple of hundred meters just by pumping the arms.

Given the learned man that you are: https://phys.org/news/2014-07-arm-metabolic.html

or you could just read Cosmo! : https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/news/a29387/science-says-you-should-run-with-your-arms/

Murph_D

AuldManKing wrote: »

This is an amazing running log. Seriously.

The 'arms' thing is important - I've found kicks in the last couple of hundred meters just by pumping the arms.

Given the learned man that you are: https://phys.org/news/2014-07-arm-metabolic.html

or you could just read Cosmo! : https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/news/a29387/science-says-you-should-run-with-your-arms/

I did enjoy the cosmosplaining. They are both good articles in their own way.

One of the benefits of changing clubs is being exposed to different warmup rituals, for better or worse. A couple of the Raheny drills involve not using arms in any way. Simple as that!