BQ or Bust!

Younganne

Well done Murph, well raced and great PB.

This Fat Girl Runs

Brilliant running, Murph! Well done!

laura_ac3

Very well done D

Murph_D

Thanks for the above comments. The six weeks of training and the mile itself were very enjoyable - a good way to press the reset button after more than a year of back-to-back marathon cycles. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do it again. It's tough going though - two speed sessions a week are hard on the creaking joints! Plenty of rest required. Have also been admonished for doing a full session the Tuesday before the event, which I have to admit I did have doubts about and should have asked. Anyway, it will be interesting to find out if there are any benefits during the upcoming Terenure 5, or will I suffer from a relative lack of long running in recent months? We shall see!

Mon 8 May

6k/35 mins recovery on the seafront.

Tue 9 May

Progressive long intervals session: Marathon to 10k pace, 1k jog recovery.

As I would be missing tonight's club session, I wanted to get in some kind of workout ahead of Sunday's 5 mile race (for which I have no specific target, but which I might just go out and run by feel and see what happens). Considered a couple of miles at race pace but decided against, deciding that something progressive might be less taxing and therefore more beneficial. Not that I ever know what I'm talking about really. :pac:

So during the warmup I decided on a few progressively faster 1k intervals (MP, 10m-HM pace, 5m-5k pace) interspersed with 1k easy-recovery. Made easier with the homeward tailwind, although the MP km into the wind was tougher than normal.

Splits: 4:35 4:22 4:04

This was enjoyable, if possibly stupid. Total 9.4k (5.9m) inc. warmup and cooldown.

WTD: 15k (9m)
MTD: 65k (40)
YTD: 978 (607)

diego_b

Congrats on the big chunk off your mile pb, nice pay off to take so much off. That much for a single mile is fair going, people would kill for that much off 5 and 10Ks!

nop98

Late to the party, but: "Good job sir!"

RedRunner

Congrats on the mile D ! Maybe you could pace me to sub 6 then at the next one!:)

Murph_D

Wed 10 May

9k (5.6m) recovery

Back to the gym for first time in a few weeks, having dropped it during the mile focus. The usual circuit, a bit harder than last time. Followed with a slow jog up to and around ososlo park. No sightings today!

Thu 4 May

Rest.

Fri 5 May

Rest.

Sat 6 May

Easy 40 mins

Gentle 7k or so along the seafront, with a few strides.

Sun 7 May

Terenure 5 Mile (34:32)

My best time in the three attempts at this particular race, but I found this tough going, not helped by a slight lack of motivation. The race, unlike almost every other 5-mile event I’ve done, fell between the two stools of the recently completed mile focus and the soon-to-begin half marathon programme. So I had a decidedly relaxed approach, although as I mentioned last week I was wary of a potential lack of endurance having not done much in the way of tempo and long running over the past two months.

Stress-free drive over to DSS with Ferris B doing the chauffeur honours, picking up me, the missus and trusty supporter Bungy Girl in plenty of time to get one of the gold-plated parking spots right in the school yard. Plenty of time to warm up and find a good spot in the start area, which seemed less congested than previous years. With a minimum of fuss, and right on time, we were off.

I ran the first four miles with a clubmate, GP, who was targeting 34 mins. We worked well enough together, progressing steadily through the field after a tight enough start. Once the congestion eased on the Templeogue Road we were moving well enough, hitting the mile one split right on time (6:45). Leaked a few seconds on the drag in mile two (6:54), and a few more in mile three (7:00), where the wind was a factor around the roundabout at the top of Wainsfort Road, but with a bit of respite back on Templeogue Road for lap 2. Got back on the pace then in mile four (6:48), but started to suffer heading up Terenure Rd West for the second time. GP and I had held our own and passed a lot of runners up to this point, but now I started to go backwards as he pulled ahead and I found myself unable (or unwilling?) to stick with him.

Not the best way to start the final mile, and it didn’t get any better. I was starting to get passed quite a bit now. Tried to dig in but my perennial late-race issue reared itself again, a bout of dry heaves starting at the KCR, continuing into the final stretch down Fortfield. “You’re looking strong”, roared clubmate Joe/MrStew, kindly, as I almost puked on his shoes. The game was up, although I was still surprised, given the way the first four miles had gone, to see the clock so far over 34 mins by the time it came into view around the final bend, and I crossed in a gun time of around 34:45.

Approx splits: 6:45 6:54 7:00 6:49 7:04

Can’t complain - hadn’t done anything special to prepare, the conditions were hot and breezy, and the time was a fair enough return for the work put in and attitude taken. A later look at the HR data (avg. 177, 88% HRR) shows I was working hard, with the dreaded heaves happening where the HR was peaking at around 98% - again not helped by the warm conditions. So a reasonable enough performance. The Missus had a good day, like me a bit shy of the PB but getting back in the ballpark at least. General consensus seems to have been that it was a tough day - thus an especially good PB from Mrs Mc, well done to her. The club did well too, with two women in the top five, and a three-in-a-row men's masters team prize. A very well run event as always, with terrific support all over the course from clubmates, parkrun buddies, and dumbfounded passers-by. :pac:

PB: 33:53 (Raheny, Jan 2017)
Target: <33:53
Official Time: 34:32
206th position (of 1,359). 8th M55 (of 33)
VDOT: 47.2
Age grade: 73.3%
Verdict: Underwhelming, but no complaints.

WTD: 45k (28m)
MTD: 95k (59)
YTD: 1,008 (626)

Murph_D

Operation Charleville Week 1 of 18

Hanson HM plan it is. Have been looking it over but not in too much detail. However the spreadsheet has been created and the B&B booked. A good few people around D3 and beyond seem to be doing this, might have to hire a bus. Only downside is the race is on All-Ireland day (Hopefully Cork or Kerry don't make it to the final or we'll never get home). Looking forward to it.

Mon 15 May

Rest.

Tue 16 May

Club session: 4x800 (90s rec), 4x400 (60s)

Hanson plan starts off with three rest days. Also, only two days after 5 mile race. So a couple of rules broken already.

Easy run over to Irishtown. Wasn’t planning to do the session, but it’s hard not to get sucked in - decided I’d do a few reps and of course then it’s hard to drop out, so did the lot. Hadn’t studied the Hanson-prescribed pace, but did these a little slower than normal (still too fast, it turned out). Felt OK, although pretty creaky afterwards on the way home.

Splits:

3:20 3:17 3:15 3:14
1:30 1:31 1:31 1:34

Total with warmups, etc. 14.8k (9.2m)

Wed 17 May

Rest.

WTD: 15k (9m)
MTD: 110k (68)
YTD: 1,023 (636)

hot buttered scones

Once the spreadsheet is created, there's no turning back! Best of luck with it, and see you there.

Kennyg71

Best of luck with plan D, Quick question if you don't mind. speed sessions what are paces for 400,600,1200 etc
and Sunday run Easy/Long are they all GA pace or is there different prescribed paces for each, or should I just Buy the Book

Thanks

Murph_D

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Best of luck with plan D, Quick question if you don't mind. speed sessions what are paces for 400,600,1200 etc
and Sunday run Easy/Long are they all GA pace or is there different prescribed paces for each, or should I just Buy the Book

Thanks

Have a closer look at that spreadsheet, G.

Younganne

Great Spreadsheet there D. You seem to have everything covered. best of luck with the training.

Kennyg71

Murph_D wrote: »

Have a closer look at that spreadsheet, G.

Ah! Should have known. Only looked at schudle.

Tempo Thursday should be interesting as it extends.

Week of 14/8 strength session should be 2x3 miles

Murph_D

Younganne wrote: »

Great Spreadsheet there D. You seem to have everything covered. best of luck with the training.

It's all about the spreadsheet, A. Everything else falls into place!

Murph_D

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Week of 14/8 strength session should be 2x3 miles

Well spotted. Will fix that!

adrian522

Heading to Charleville myself as well. Best of luck with the plan, hope it goes well!

Annie get your Run

eh... are we getting a 'first finishers' race report?!

Murph_D

Week 1 of 18 cont.

Thu 18 May

Gym session followed by 6.4k on treadmill. Mostly easy, although I allowed myself 1k at HM pace for the hell of it.

Fri 19 May

In Donegal for the weekend, which means 8k easy on the local roads with A.

Sat 20 May

Sligo parkrun @ tempo+ (20:53)

The plan today was to take in a parkrun at around tempo/HM pace, i.e. 22:30 or so. There are a few parkruns within an hour’s drive of our Donegal base. Falcarragh, Letterkenny, and Enniskillen were considered before we eventually settled on Sligo - a good choice as it turned out, especially from a vanity result point of view. Warming up, I couldn't spot more than one or possibly two likely rivals. This is a small event - disappointingly so, for a big town like Sligo - and there were less than 40 souls assembled in the very scenic Doorly Park, adjacent to the Garavogue river at the eastern limits of the town near near Lough Gill.

A and I listened to the first-timer briefing and a few seconds later we were off after a very unfussy 3-2-1 countdown. I fell in behind six or seven runners heading up a small hill and then alongside the road to another section of the park where the course winds around two loops before returning to the start. After a couple of hundred metres I'd passed a few and fell in behind one of the runners I'd noticed earlier, a potential age category rival I'll call Red. On a downhill section before the big loop I noticed him checking his stride, and filed that observation away for later. In front of him were two lads who had led out and opened up a not particularly convincing lead of maybe 20m. They began to struggle on the long hill that marks the beginning of the looped section. I followed Red, who was wily about running a good line, as he closed the gap around the 1k mark. The four of us ran together for about 100m before Red pushed through a gap, and I followed. The long drag gave way to some downhill relief, and while I could have tucked in and stuck to the plan, at least for a while, to stay closer to tempo pace, I sensed a rare opportunity for a parkrun 'first' and had no choice but to put it up to my rival. He was a well built and strong looking fellow, but his breathing already sounded a bit suspect. I gathered from the opening stretch that he wouldn't be comfortable on the downslope, so I passed and then opened up down the hill, putting 20m or so between us. Only 2k in, and I was now committed to staying in front. Saw out the rest of the loop, keeping a careful eye on the (well-placed) signage to avoid any mistakes. Lap two was a lonely affair, but I took solace from the gradually receding sound of Red's footsteps, before exiting the loop and dialling it up a notch - just in case - for the last 800 back to the line, finishing 15-20 secs ahead of my rival. Glad to see, perusing the results later, that 1-2-3 all went to the M55s. Go on the aul lads. :pac:

A good result for my 75th parkrun - this was a bit more than the planned effort, but still a bit short of race pace, and not a bad time, by my standards, for a fairly hilly course. Sligo, my mother's home town, is in the blood, so I was delighted to represent the family well. A friendly event in a beautiful park. A cruised home too, completing a good morning's work, and we enjoyed a splendid breakfast back in town after a cooldown jog along the Garavogue.

Sun 21 May

9k/50 mins easy on the seafront.

WTD: 47k (29m)
MTD: 142k (88)
YTD: 1,055 (656)

Wubble Wubble

Well done young man! Congrats on the win first place! Nice to pick that up, especially when it's not expected

Kennyg71

Nice one D, well raced and not to sure many of us will have number 1 spot on podium, one to cherish for sure.

annapr

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Nice one D, well raced and not to sure many of us will have number 1 spot on podium, one to cherish for sure.

If you select your parkrun carefully you might

denis b

Well done D. That is a damn good time for that course and particularly so when it wasn't a planned objective. I sense that you will be launching yourself at some event well before Charleville. And, so you should,

hot buttered scones

Nicely done. Great racing parkrunning and congrats on the win first finisher spot. Auld lads rock.

Edit: I see Wubble Wubble already did the strike through thing, I feel daft now.

nop98

Well done D - nice one!

diego_b

Nicely parkrunned, well done!

ThebitterLemon

Jazus, there must be a nursing home beside that park

Nicely run and well done

TbL

Younganne

First finisher - well done and you not even racing it! Looks like a love spot from the Photos on FB.

Murph_D

Charleville HM Week 2 of 18

After an opening week that featured an off-plan speed session and a pacy parkrun, the traditional easy start to Hanson has not been achieved. Oh well. More departures from plan this week, to accommodate another race.

Mon 22 May

7k/42 mins recovery on the seafront in the sun.

Tue 23 May

Bob Heffernan 5k (20:35)

The fear going into this was that I may have left any chance of a sub-20 run in Sligo at the weekend. Legs felt OK during warmup and it was a muggy enough evening. Congested start, and it took a while to get into stride, but the first two kms were on target. I was falling off the back of a nice little group though, and soon struggling to keep in touch. Didn't get passed much, and picked off a few blowups. Legs were a bit dead, breathing OK, tried to convince myself to suck it up, you're OK. Made an effort to get back to the group, but it broke up when I did - unsurprisingly, as the pace was dropping considerably. By the final two kms I felt maxed out, and a little deflated by the slowing splits. Once again I was starting to heave, and trying to stay the right side of the red line. There'd be no sub-20 tonight, but maybe a PB? Not quite, but didn't deserve it anyway; it was all a bit flat and spiritless. The HR data suggests the effort was there, but really should have been able to eke out more speed for the HR that was in it. Others struggled too, but that's not much consolation - let's face it, we runners are selfish and only care about ourselves. :pac:

Good event though - pretty deep field, and plenty of people to chase. I finished in the slower half, but no shame in that.

Splits: 4:04 3:56 4:16 4:12 4:07

Previous PB: 20:21 (St. Anne's, Mar 2016)
Target: sub-20
Actual: 20:35
Position: 240 (of 463), 13th M55 (of 30), VDOT 48.2, Age Grade 75.1
Verdict: Flat, no pep.


Wed 24 May

Rest.

WTD: 16k (10m)
MTD: 158k (98)
YTD: 1,071 (665)

davedanon

Well done, good running. Looks like official result stats you're quoting there. Where are they up, I can't find any?