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BQ or Bust!
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Well done yesterday. Really glad you enjoyed it. I know you’ve been too gallant to say above that you passed me again after the downhill mile - my legs were just gone!
Well done on your great finishing kick! And I’m so glad you & Ferris came down - it was great to have you running around the same pace as me - a real help!
ps here are my splits: we were v similar -
7.12, 7.31, 7.16, 7.25, 7.20, 7.34, 9.26 (!!!!), 8.11, 6.02, 7.02)
Are you doing Jingle Bells?
Did I forget to put that bit in? Oops.
Yes, had a bit left for a final spurt - not much though, that’s why I left it so late to pass, didn’t want you coming back at me.
Also wanted to get under 75 mins and could see the clock counting down once round the final little bend. Had nothing left at the end either, as you noted from my pale demeanour!
Those splits are very similar alright - you started a bit more conservatively but I always knew you’d be in the vicinity at the business end. I could hear you coming up behind me when you thanked one of the stewards! You did well to recover on the big hill during your own rough patch - it’s so bloody steep and never ending, far worse than Howth, for instance, which is what I had pictured. Well done on your race - you seemed a bit disappointed with the time but you ran well.
Jingle Bells - don't think so, due to be away that week. Pity - I've still to nail that race so I'll keep coming back!0 -
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Stook is my all time favourite race, absolutely loved the flying mile! Must aim to get back there sometime again. It's tough though that's true but it's a great route and they certainly put on a fantastic show. Funnily enough I also met HelenAnne the year I did it. 0
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Annie get your Run wrote: »Stook is my all time favourite race, absolutely loved the flying mile! Must aim to get back there sometime again. It's tough though that's true but it's a great route and they certainly put on a fantastic show. Funnily enough I also met HelenAnne the year I did it.
I think she owns it!0 -
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This week: settling in to the 80/20 method? (Well, sort of).
Mon 18 Nov
Plan had 45 mins easy but rested after previous day’s race.
Tue 19 Nov
Plan had a ‘fast finish’ run (easy progressing to tempo) but I opted to join clubmates and others for the Mick Clohisey session on the seafront. Promised myself I’d take it really easy but after the opening km, ended up doing it at fairly normal pace, which was a bit irresponsible. 1k, 3x600, 5x300.
Wed 20 Nov
50 mins easy, as per plan. Inland route for a change, on a Collins Ave loop.
Thu 21 Nov
Cross-training - an hour in the gym. Followed up with 27 mins at recovery pace around the Bath Ave vicinity from TCD.
Fri 22 Nov
Hills - 8x30s
Plan had a much harder hill session but I reckoned the Stook has to stand for something and a gentler version would suffice. Over to Mount East Wall at lunchtime for this one.
Sat 23 Nov
No parkrun today due to childminding. Got out later for 35 mins @ recovery - a little shorter than plan, but legs were pretty bunched.
Sun 24 Nov
Long run 26.6k @ 5:42
Beautiful still morning on the seafront. Drove to the causeway and headed to Baldoyle and on to Malahide. Wouldn’t have made it that far on the footpath-free road beyond the racecourse, except I noticed the new Greenway, while not quite finished, was reasonably accessible over the low racecourse wall, and very runnable. Very nice - it certainly opens up new possibilities for long runs, today and into the future. Really enjoyed the Portmarnock-Malahide section via the coastal path (no sign of Singer or PaulieYifter). Hadn’t been on that path in decades! Turned at the Marina and back the same way. Tired at the end, and definitely starting to run out of pep, but a super run to end the week. Only slight concern is the hamstring niggle starting to say hello again, ever since that Donadea session last week.
Weekly total: 414 mins (inc. cross train)
Easy: 369 mins (89%)
Moderate/hard: 45 mins (11%)
(Plan - 89%/11%)
WTD 59 km (36 mi)
MTD: 129 (80)
YTD: 2,633 (1,636)0 -
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Beautiful still morning on the seafront. Drove to the causeway and headed to Baldoyle and on to Malahide. Wouldn’t have made it that far on the footpath-free road beyond the racecourse, except I noticed the new Greenway, while not quite finished, was reasonably accessible over the low racecourse wall, and very runnable. Very nice - it certainly opens up new possibilities for long runs, today and into the future. Really enjoyed the Portmarnock-Malahide section via the coastal path (no sign of Singer or PaulieYifter). Hadn’t been on that path in decades! Turned at the Marina and back the same way. Tired at the end, and definitely starting to run out of pep, but a super run to end the week. Only slight concern is the hamstring niggle starting to say hello again, ever since that Donadea session last week.
Nice route
I've been looking forward to making use of that greenway, it should open up Swords to Howth if I was in the mood for a particularly long and pretty run.0 -
Nice route
I've been looking forward to making use of that greenway, it should open up Swords to Howth if I was in the mood for a particularly long and pretty run.
Well if you're considering a road test before it opens, the fence at the Portmarnock end is pretty impenetrable, but if you jog up the road as far as the first house on the right (mind the cars), you can climb over the ditch just to to the right of the house (you'll have to negotiate some mud to get onto the path, but nothing too serious). No problem getting out the other end, although you might have to jig round the half-built bridge in the middle.
Careful now!0 -
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Nice route
I've been looking forward to making use of that greenway, it should open up Swords to Howth if I was in the mood for a particularly long and pretty run.
You might have to wait another while
https://www.thejournal.ie/greenway-delayed-flooding-4911281-Dec2019/0 -
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This week: some travel, and the end of the base phase.
Mon 2 Dec
Rest.
Tue 3 Dec
Fast finish MLR (60 mins with last 15 zone 3)
An easy trot out beyond the wooden bridge. Zone 3 from the bandstand to home. Used the chest strap and got a good read - noticed the early spike (+20 beats or so a couple of mins after starting the run, then settling as usual). Up to zone 3 (167-174) for the last 15 mins, achieving about 4:49 pace, which is a little slower than I’d like to be seeing at this HR. But all good, and comfortable enough.
Wed 4 Dec
42 mins easy/rec.
I am in Los Angeles for a few days. First time, and as a movie fan I looked forward to seeing some iconic sights. Up early with the jet lag so took myself out along nearby Sunset Boulevard and into Beverly Hills. It was pissing rain, unusually, and the hotel doorman was highly impressed that I was heading out. Enjoyed the dawn trot through the rain, which eased off towards the end. Always a good way to see somewhere new.
Thu 5 Dec
15k easy
Quite tired with little sleep, the lag, and a long day of events yesterday, but I wanted to see more of the sights. West on Sunset Blvd, then along Hollywood Blvd’s ‘Walk of Fame’, thronged with tourists, dodgy looking spidermen and lots of homeless people, some of them very broken indeed. Reminded me of Times Square in the late 80s - iconic but seedy. The Chinese Theatre was a sight, all the same. On then to Griffith Park and up the very steep trails to the Observatory, very familiar from lots of movie appearances. Super views over the city and hills. On another day I would have extended the run a couple of miles to the Hollywood sign, but I wasn’t prepared nutritionally for that, as it would have involved going over another couple of hills and I was hungry and thirsty. Next time! Came down via the road, longer but much easier going. Once back on the streets I grabbed a Lime scooter and took life in hands on the main streets back to the hotel, before parking and running the last mile. Tiring but very pleasant run, in glorious sunshine and 16-degree weather. Unforgettable - a 'why we run' run.
Fri 6 Dec.
9.5k easy
Between a morning of activities and the flight home, I managed to get in an easy trot through nearby Beverly Hills (which is mostly fairly flat, handily enough). Stopped for a selfie at the famous sign, taking my turn among the Asian visitors. Enjoyed the quiet streets, among the very upmarket, very well kept, and very security-signed and CCTV-festooned houses.
Sat 7 Dec
No run. No opportunity really.
Sun 8 Dec
17.3k easy
Slept like a baby (finally) so feeling much better today, although there appears to be a cold coming on. A visit to my mother’s ended up with a few chores and the job of putting up her Christmas Tree, so the day was nearly over before I got out before dinner for a circuit of the seafront and Howth Road with a few detours to bring me closer to 11 miles, although I didn’t quite bother with the 11.5 on the plan. Windy, but avoided the worst by taking the inland route home. Not a bad week considering, although no gym work.
WTD 62 km (38 mi)
MTD: 92 (57)
YTD: 2,770 (1,721)
Weekly total: 356 mins
Easy: 316 mins (89%)
Moderate/hard: 40 mins (11%)
(Plan - 92%/8%)0 -
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Thu 19 Dec
6.7k easy. A few easy miles around Phibsoboro and Drumcondra. Took in a lap of Clonliffe College, which I don't think I’ve run in before - very familiar with the place as I grew up down the road and we treated it like a local park.
Fri 20 Dec.
Session: 12x90s Zone 5
First of the Friday speed sessions on the plan: 12 reps of 90 seconds at zone 5 pace. Fitzgerald says to do these workouts by pace rather than HR (takes too long for the HR to catch up). The range suggested in the plan is pretty wide - equating to 800m to 5k pace for me. For this one - one of the longer ones on the plan, I was happy to be around 3-5k pace. A slight breeze made the second half harder.
Splits (achieved pace):
3:57 3:47 3:38 3:43 3:39 3:39
3:54 3:50 3:55 4:04 4:02 3:58
Not too bad - it’s good while since I did a session like this, which I would be more used to doing on the track. Felt good to have it done.
Sat 21 Dec
Hungover 7.7k around the Collins Ave viciinity. No fun at all.
Sun 22 Dec
LR with fast finish 8: 26.9k @ 5:43 avg (16.7k mi @ 9:11)
After another night of Christmas cheer to run off, I was happy to get this one out of the way relatively early in the day. Headed out the South Bay to the West Pier and back, passing a long-time strava buddy (twice) and finally getting to wave hello. Wonder if he’s training for Donadea again.
Good week at 46 miles - would have been a good bit more if I’d observed the three double days. And missing those doubles messes with the easy/moderate/hard ratio too. Must do better!
WTD 75 km (46 mi)
MTD: 236 (147)
YTD: 2,914 (1,811)
Weekly total: 429 mins
Easy: 332 mins (77%)
Moderate/hard: 97 mins (23%)
(Plan - 83%/17%)0 -
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Going to retire this log - I have enjoyed posting, and it has always been about reflecting on the individual run, the week, the race, for me. I'm no running expert, though, and advice has been absent for many a month and year. It's been fun, but posting my own ruminations is just dull.
What is a log for, except discussion and critique of training methods?
Are mine really above reproach? Nah.
This log was all about mid-packers like myself aspiring to qualifying for major events - arbitrary standards, but nevertheless the ones out there. I'm still waiting for London and Tokyo, but I'll get there. Well London anyway.
Love yiz. May ye all BQ and LQ and CQ and BerlinQ and the rest. Live long and prosper. Respect and good wishes to all. See you out on the course.0 -
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I’m back - but just to finish the week and wrap up the year.
Sat 28 Dec
11.3k easy/recovery
The plan had a double - 40 mins recovery in the AM, 30 mins easy in the PM. Cross-trained on the golf course in the morning (bizarrely bumping into PaulieYifter for the first time in ages, as he crossed the right of way through the course), and opted for a one-hour run with 30 easy / 30m recovery later in the day. A fair compromise, I reckon. Bad news later of the death of a clubmate at the end of a local race. RIP, M.
Sun 29 Dec
‘LR with speedplay’: 14 mi w/ 12x400 (@Zone 3)
Not in great shape for this after a late night with plenty of wine and, eh, Baileys (one of my guilty pleasures). The ‘speedplay’ LR incorporates 400m surges to HR Zone 3 (LT) at the beginning of each mile. My HR was a bit elevated so had no trouble getting there. Took in Griffith Park, Albert College Park and Santry Demesne en route, and a couple of laps of the ALSAA track before turning for home. Fairly bonked by the end - a tough run at the end of a long week.
WTD 72 km (44 mi)
MTD: 308 (191)
YTD: 2,985 (1,855)
Weekly total: 415 mins
Easy: 322 mins (78%)
Moderate/hard: 93 mins (22%)
(Plan - 80%/20%)
______________________________
And that’s pretty much it for the year - with a couple of days to go, I’ll end up about 130 miles short of the 2,000 mile target, due to low mileage at the start of the year and some enforced rest days in August with the hamstring niggle.
It wasn’t a bad year, with plenty of racing. 20 races in all (16 between Jan-June), including:- 3 x 800m
- 4 x 1 mile (2 PBs - one road, one track)
- 2 x 2 mile
- 2 x 3 mile
- 1 x 4 mile
- 3 x 5k (1 PB)
- 1 x 5 mile (PB)
- 1 x 10k (short course ‘PB’)
- 1 x 10 mile
- 1 x marathon
- 1 x cross country (course PB)
The year began as usual with the Dublin Masters, where I had my best race yet on the venerable St. Annes course, due mainly to the benign conditions and a better start than usual. A few weeks later there was a PB (33:23) in the Raheny 5 - a controlled race where I might have done better if I’d been a bit braver. The first third of the year was spent doing lots of 1, 2 and 3 mile races in the club’s Winter League. This sharpened me up pretty well and I ran a mile PB and took a couple of scalps a few days before the Road Relays - this should have been enough to make the team but alas, I wasn’t selected - probably my last realistic opportunity to do this race as there are just so many good M50 racers in the club. In May I had probably the best moment of the year at the Bob Heffernan 5k, where the 80/20 training paid off with a good PB (19:40). The summer was supposed to be about track and another tilt at a National Masters medal in the 800m. I did a couple of graded meets and some good sessions but the hamstring niggle sustained during a LT test a few weeks before the meet put an end to my track ‘career’ for the time being - although I did recover in time to put some of the training to good use and snag another mile PB at the Day of Irish PBs event in Leixlip. There was just about enough time to train for a sub-3:30 marathon, and I really enjoyed the Dublin course this year. The marathon was probably still in the legs at the Stook 10-mile but it was a super event and I had a great battle with Helenanne over the last five miles. The final race of the year was the Aware 10k where the 42:03 ‘PB’ has to be taken with a few grains of salt as the course was almost certainly short. I’d hoped to get in a final race over the Christmas period but it didn’t work out, partly due to some seasonal overindulgence.
And that’s that! This log began with the attempt to qualify for Boston 2016. Since that was achieved in Berlin (2014) and improved with a 3:29 at Cork 2015, every marathon (with the ironic exception of Boston itself) has been good enough to re-qualify. The attempt (also commenced at Boston) to qualify for New York was a good bit harder and took a few efforts, finally getting there with GFA times at both Charleville and Dublin in 2017, the latter still my best marathon yet at 3:22. 2020 will be mostly about trying to run a good Chicago, where hopefully I can get a London qualifier before a new age category makes the task easier, on paper at least.
It’s been a journey, and it will continue, but for now this log has run its course. The highlights for me have undoubtedly been the New York Marathon and the National Masters 800m, both from last year. Thanks for all the input and support over the last five and a half years. Hope 2020 is good for all. See ye on the roads, the tracks and the fields!0 -
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