Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
BQ or Bust!
Options
Comments
-
-
-
Wed 17 Jun
No runs, no stretches.
Thu 18 Jun
Easy 48 mins. No stretches.
Spent the afternoon helping out with number collection for the Docklands 5k. An interesting experience. We had a bit of a problem with tee shirt sizing and the end result was there were only small shirts left by 5pm. We were taking contact details and offering to get a shirt to everyone who was affected. The vast majority of people were cool with that, or simply said they didn't mind, have plenty of shirts already, etc. But one customer insisted that he should have been personally contacted earlier in the day and he'd come all the way up from the country with nothing to run in. Superjoe literally gave him the shirt off his back and the day was saved. Hope Joe got it back afterwards - a very nice Berlin commemorative shirt. Apart from that, a smooth operation and the race appears to have gone off without a hitch. Had to leave early myself so didn't catch any of the action.
Fri 19 Jun
Rest.
Sat 20 Jun
Easy 46 mins
In Donegal for the weekend. Nice trot around the local 5 mile loop in the sun. Resumed the 30 Day Challenge (Day 9). I know you're supposed to do this consistently every day but I wanted to make sure I didn't aggravate the niggle I felt earlier in the week. Split squats are hard.
Sun 21 Jun
Easy 10.2 mi @ 8:36 (16.4 km @ 5:20)
Really enjoyed this hilly run, which was tougher than the numbers suggest. Good to be doing something a little more strenuous after three weeks of short easy runs. Came across a C25k-type runner out doing a walk/run/walk/run - fair play to her, she was running some of the steeper parts. Later, I almost got run off the road again by some dufus in a jeep.
30 Day Challenge (Day 10).
WTD: 21 mi (34 km)
MTD: 85 (136)
YTD: 884 (1,430)0 -
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
Wed 24 Jun
4x1k@LT (3 mins jog recovery)
Well after three and a half weeks of marathon recovery I reckoned I could take a chance and do a little session in advance of the Irish Runner at the weekend. Didn’t think about this too much beyond trying to get in half the race distance at pace, so decided on 4 x 1k at 7 min pace (4:21/k).
After a 2 km warmup I launched into this along the seafront before breakfast, favouring the grass as always (can’t fathom why people run along the concrete path out there). First two reps were too fast, and 3 mins recovery maybe wasn’t long enough, because the second two reps were very difficult, and very slow. Still, the average was OK. This was hard though, with the customary dry-heave finish.
4:13 4:10 4:24 4:28 (Avg 4:19)
Now to figure out how to do the next phase of the 30-day challenge...
WTD: 10 mi (17 km)
MTD: 95 (153)
YTD: 894 (1,447)
Maybe they like running on concrete or don't like running on grass
Nice session, D. Make sure go back to that easy running now and that you keep something for Saturday. Was that planned race pace? What's your 5m PB?0 -
-
I'm sensing you're not a grass runner, Mark. Much easier on the aul knees and joints!
Yes, that's race pace. 5 mile PB is 35:08 from Terenure last month. Would like to do sub-35 this week, despite the tougher course. Don't really buy the theory that Terenure is much tougher than it looks!
And yep, recovery/easy for rest of week. Sound advice, appreciated.
To be fair I have started to do more recover runs on grass and have even done a couple of interval sessions during this cycle on the pitches in St Anne's. I do see the merits on it but am I creature of habit that doesn't always embrace change
It is certainly looks to me like a tougher course than Terenure but I'd be pretty confident that you will come through with flying colour. Hopefully, I will see you in there.0 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Combination of things I think, dintbo. I've been feeling a little bit fatigued since Cork. Not too drastic, just a bit lethargic. Thought it would have blown off by now but the session the other morning was tougher than I thought it should be, although technically I should still have been in recovery mode and not doing sessions at all, according to some theories.
Very poor night's sleep last night would not have helped, nor the weather and the course. But that alone wouldn't explain such a relatively poor time. It's a tough course but I've usually been able to muster a stronger finish than today's. Didnt have any gumption when it was most needed. Didn't really care enough tbh!
So don't know really. General laziness? Or cos I knew I'd get a flapjack anyway? 0 -
Fri 26 Jun
2 miles on the treadmill to warm up for 30 Day Challenge (Day 15). These stretches are getting a bit more manageable but still difficult.
Sat 27 Jun
Dublin Race Series: Irish Runner 5 Mile. (Strava link here).
Signed up for all the race series events again this year and while this was never anything close to being a goal race I was looking forward to it the past few days. It would be interesting to see if the marathon fitness would contribute to a good performance, even though as I mentioned above I haven’t been exactly feeling full of beans over the past few weeks. So the goal was sub-35, which would be a small improvement on the 35:08 in Terenure last month at the start of the marathon taper.
Got hardly any sleep which was a terrible waste of an early night. But that’s not unusual the night before a race so I wouldn’t normally worry about it too much. Headed up to the Park with the Mrs, aquinn, and BG who was out supporting today. Did a few slow km’s before joining some clubmates for a warmup on Chesterfield. Exchanged good lucks with FBOT before lining up and the race got underway without much fuss beyond a round of applause for ourselves for being so fit and healthy.
Looking at how I got on at this race over the past couple of years I thought I’d need 30-40 secs in the bank at halfway, suggesting a 6:45 pace for the first two miles. The first mile was a bit congested and I wasn’t too worried passing the marker at 7:00 flat, with the Khyber descent to come. Was surprised by a fresh head-on breeze on turning off the North Road, though, but at least it was cooling on a hot morning. Hearty shout from BG at the Chesterfield crossing. Pace quickened down the Khyber but I wasn’t feeling great (heavy legs, heavy breathing) and it didn’t feel fast enough. I missed the next marker (Mile 2: 6:53) so I wasn’t quite sure how I was doing here, although at halfway when I glanced at my watch (and obviously misread it) I got a bit of a boost, thinking I was in pretty good shape. The Military Road hill didn’t feel too bad. I missed the mile marker again, though, and the Garmin virtual pacer suggested I was leaking time, correctly (Mile 3: 7:13). People were starting to pass me pretty regularly in the next stretch from the S-bends, and I didn’t have any response — not good as a lot of that mile is downhill or level. This is where I lost it (Mile 4: 7:15), because when I hit the 4 mile marker and marked the split at 28:20 I was pretty demoralised: making up that time on the uphill final mile was a tall order. I did try to pick things up though, although this amounted to no more than a couple of little spurts. People kept passing, and I would half-heartedly try to go with them, then give up. A clubmate who ran the same time as me in Terenure steamed past with about a half mile to go and I could do no more than wish her well. DG shouted some encouragement from the sidelines here but the wheels were off by now, and all I could muster for BG’s second shout on Furze Road was a rueful head shake. Managed to pick up the pace a tiny bit for the last 100m as the announcer name checked me, wondering was I from a famous hurling family. To be honest I almost hurled then and there but managed to keep the breakfast down and cross the line before taking a recovery moment against the railings (Mile 5: a pretty pitiful 7:50).
Splits 7:00 6:53 7:13 7:15 7:50
There was the consolation of a DG flapjack, and nice to bump into Adrian, withcheeseplease, Firedance and Singer, as well as a host of the St. Anne’s parkrun crew. But this was otherwise a forgettable race. Cooled down with a jog back to the car and a lap of the polo grounds, where I even got in half the 30-Day Challenge (Day 16) routine before the others caught up. So that’s that. Apart from my own mediocrity, it was another brilliantly organised start to the Race Series, and I’m confident next month’s 10k one will be better.
Target: 34:59
Previous PB: 35:08 (Terenure 2015)
Result: 36:12 401st place; 13th in age cat.
Verdict: HTFU ya aul git.0 -
-
Advertisement
-
Advertisement