The breaks even out in the long run

JohnDozer

It's still a very decent time considering the mid race stoppages and the interrupted training lately. Nothing like a bit of an arse kicking by a race to keep us in check!

Murph_D

Ice pack during a race? Ouch. Probably should have backed off at that point.

But you know that now. Lesson learned, right? You've had some over dramatic race incidents in recent months - something not right there with the approach!

menoscemo

NetwerkErrer wrote: »

Some days, it feels like a huge effort to run 8min/miles on my easy runs. My legs are screaming at me to stop only 2 miles in. The thing is, what do I do? Do I stop running all together or do I slow down the runs to match the effort or just slog it out for now while I wait for my energy levels to return?

I always wonder why you do all your easy runs so fast.
Most of my easy runs are 8:20 pace or so. But if our legs are screaming at you to stop surely that's a sign that it's not your easy pace?

NetwerkErrer

menoscemo wrote: »

I always wonder why you do all your easy runs so fast.
Most of my easy runs are 8:20 pace or so. But if our legs are screaming at you to stop surely that's a sign that it's not your easy pace?

Yeah, you're right Meno. It's something I'm trying to work on and I have slowed them down a bit but they need to get slower still. I usually don't have a problem running around that pace but I was so fatigued for a while that slowing my runs to 10min/miles wouldn't have made running any easier. The act of running in itself was difficult enough so I was left with the choice of not running at all while my energy levels increased, running 10 min/miles which would've hurt nearly as much or doing them close to my normal pace.

I chose the latter which wasn't the best decision looking back now. I feel like my body is finally starting to come around again and I have ditched the Garmin with all the focus being on effort. Just carry a stopwatch now and do the math when I get home for reference so hopefully that will help with slowing them down.

NetwerkErrer

Murph_D wrote: »

Ice pack during a race? Ouch. Probably should have backed off at that point.

But you know that now. Lesson learned, right? You've had some over dramatic race incidents in recent months - something not right there with the approach!

On second thought Murph, there could well be merit to this. I think the best port of call right now might be to have a word with my coach and get a plan off him. I did get one off him last year and he did pull me out of the wilderness and got me to Dublin in great shape so maybe that would be a better option for me right now.

NetwerkErrer

Thanks for all the support and words of wisdom over the last few months folks! I just think I need a break from logging and boards for a while as it's all become a bit depressing to post so publicly on my struggles over the last few months. Is it bad to have to reflect on the struggles? of course not but my heart isn't in it right now.

All the best folks!:)

Dubgal72

Hey, don't close your account just yet. Give yourself a few days 'boards holiday' *signs authorised leave of absence*....you've been very honest about your struggles and I think there is some real solid advice to be had here but you may need to step back and get some perspective.

NetwerkErrer

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Hey, don't close your account just yet. Give yourself a few days 'boards holiday' *signs authorised leave of absence*....you've been very honest about your struggles and I think there is some real solid advice to be had here but you may need to step back and get some perspective.

Not closing my account DG, just taking a sabbatical and I appreciate all the advice that has been given to me which all had it's merits imo and is right. I just need to get the head back in gear right now and I think a break would help.

Dubgal72

Ah good good luck, see you when you're good and ready.

JohnDozer

Do stick around. While it is tough to post about a bad day out, don't underestimate how helpful you've been to others around here, especially myself!

Ososlo

JohnDozer wrote: »

Do stick around. While it is tough to post about a bad day out, don't underestimate how helpful you've been to others around here, especially myself!

+1. You encompass everything that is good about the forum. You're one of the best and most informative of posters so please don't stay away too long!!!!
Enjoy the break though and hope you find it beneficial.

tang1

To be honest it was a muck race and performance and you should not have run it as BON pointed out. Go get yourself sorted & come back when your good and ready. Get back to enjoying your running.

barryoneill50

Do what you need to do man, but I have to say you have been a breath of fresh air around here and I for one hope to be reading your posts for many years to come.

NetwerkErrer

Right.....I've had a week to reflect on things now and I'm going to get all sloppy now. I didn't bother running again after the GLR until the Darkness into Light Friday night as to be honest, I was seriously considering packing it in for good. I haven't been in a good place in general over the last month or two and hit a pretty low ebb which I've been trying to ignore. I wasn't completely honest to myself and this log about what went down the weekend of the GLR mostly out of shame. I'd been feeling like crap for a while and it, not sleeping or eating and struggling in general and just brushing it off as nothing.

It wasn't nothing and this lead to a moment of weakness the Friday night before the GLR where I met an old mate who was home from Australia and ended up relapsing and going on a coke and booze binge. On the Saturday morning, I wasn't going to bother going to the expo to collect my bib as I felt like complete crap, hugely paranoid and sweating buckets and pretty horrific as comedowns go. I eventually took the plunge at 4:30 and made my way to collection arriving in not long before they closed. I went on to do the same thing again Sunday night after the race and I felt really low all last week and seriously considered packing in the running for good. I had a lot to think about last week and what doing right now.

Ultimately, I can't blame the relapse on my poor performance as what has become apparent upon reflection is that I have been doing more than my fair share of selfsabotage and looking for excuses. I probably needed this relapse to really hit home what I have been doing and ignoring as a phase.

I couldn't help but think back to where I was a few years ago and the fight and determination I had then. I seem to have lost that will over time and got comfortable. I asked myself 100 of times over the last week why I run and the answer I came to, because I just love it. I can say all I want that I love the competitive aspect, the social side or the challenge of it but at the end of the day, they are just excuses to run. Loads of other sports have those qualities but I don't do those sports. I don't know why I enjoy running more than any other sport and why question that. Does that mean I'm not going to be pissed at a bad result or poor training? No, because I like to compete and improve but I've come to realise that just because I'm not enjoying my performance doesn't mean I'm not enjoying running.

So.....what does have to do with my log? I felt guilty about not sharing what happened last week for some reason and I had to get it off my chest, Damn you boards! Making me share these things on the internet:D but I feel accountable to people on here and to keeping things as honest as I can to myself.

Anyway, soppiness over and back to running!

Saturday 9th May- Darkness into Light 5k

Great event and a huge turnout which was great to see. Just done it as a nice easy run and to support a great cause.

Hannibal Smith

Fair play NE. The great thing about the log is the guilt of being honest gets you. I went on a massive drinking binge a couple of weeks ago. Massive. I didnt do coke...but i fell back into old ways massively. And smoked like a chimney. I havent done anything close to it in 2 years. I dunno why i did it lol. It took me 3 days to get over it and out of guilt id planned to do the tallaght 5k....but instead i went to a party and didnt get home till a few hours before the race was due to start.

This was all as i was on the cusp of feeling like there was a fast 5k in me and i totally set myself back a couple of weeks. I thought about chucking it in and then i felt even more guilty coz ecoli did up the plan, id logged the hell out of it, i had to at least finish it lol.

Anyhow im back at it now...head down and truck on. What else can you do. I never said thanks for the hills advice btw its really making a difference. Im glad youre sticking around.

laura_ac3

Look after yourself NE. Maybe you should look back at your week in the spotlight thread - you seemed to speak quite well in that, it might help remind you of how much work you put in to get yourself where you were and how important running is to you and why. Aside from the running though, your health and wellbeing are the important part. Deal with any issues that caused this and don't be too hard on yourself with the running, just enjoy it.

NetwerkErrer

laura_ac3 wrote: »

Look after yourself NE. Maybe you should look back at your week in the spotlight thread - you seemed to speak quite well in that, it might help remind you of how much work you put in to get yourself where you were and how important running is to you and why. Aside from the running though, your health and wellbeing are the important part. Deal with any issues that caused this and don't be too hard on yourself with the running, just enjoy it.

Will do laura! It was just what I needed. It was like that ex-girlfriend where you think, hmmmm, I wonder but when you go back, you remember why they were part of the past and not the future. If I needed anymore reassurance that I needed to move on, I got it last weekend:). Like every low point, I needed to hit it again to warn me that I was going in the wrong direction and need to make some changes and think over.

Dubgal72

Well I'm sending you a big soppy internet hug. Sorry to hear you've been back down there but as you said, sometimes you need to revisit something to find out it's not what you want. I need to ask you a massive favour, one that will keep you out of mischief for a few months anyway Drop me a pm when you get a chance thanks.

annapr

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Well I'm sending you a big soppy internet hug. Sorry to hear you've been back down there but as you said, sometimes you need to revisit something to find out it's not what you want. I need to ask you a massive favour, one that will keep you out of mischief for a few months anyway Drop me a pm when you get a chance thanks.

ooooh, I think I can guess what this is... will it become public soon?

annapr

NE, glad you're back and as always your honesty and integrity are really impressive. It's not a straight path, you will have ups and downs and I guess how you handle/recover from the downs is what's most important. If that sounds like a clunky running metaphor, sorry... look after yourself!

career move

NE I'm glad your back too. I always enjoy your posts even though I don't often respond to them

NetwerkErrer

Monday 11th May- 6m Easy (8:12)

And the fun begins. My groin injury has completely dissapeared now and didn't bother me at all during the half so I'm taking this as a green light to start building the miles and quality again. On Meno's advice, I'm also going to be dialling back the pace as best I can which is going to be tough for now as I'm going to have to get a good feel for it and I'm slightly out of rythm at the minute. Done alright today with it and the legs felt grand. It still feels funny to run at a pace over 8 minutes even though I have been trying for a couple of months now. It's all a bit soggy and forced so I'm going to have to keep an eye on my form to make it easier.

The marathon and a sub-3 attempt is really starting to turn my head again and it's months away yet. I don't know if I'll be able to hold out in the temptation as I feelI have a score to settle with. The only thing stopping me now is my coach saying "stay..........away........from........the marathon" but it's eating me up inside. I know he's right but I'm an impulsive Muppet at the best of times. We'll see!

RayCun

your coach is right, and you are not ready for a sub 3 attempt

annapr

RayCun wrote: »

your coach is right, and you are not ready for a sub 3 attempt

Ray, you clearly didn't get the 'only back slapping allowed' memo

*btw, that's a compliment

NetwerkErrer

RayCun wrote: »

your coach is right, and you are not ready for a sub 3 attempt

:D Damn you and your honesty Ray!:) you're more than likely right. Last year's attempt was a shot in the dark and I had already run a 1.27 half at this stage.I thought the sub-3 was there for the taking after running 2.57 pace handily for 30k in training but that was a mistake looking back now, big difference between 30k and 42.2. My coach reckons my strength lies at 5/10k but races at that distance are few and far between in the autumn that I find it hard not to be drawn to a fall marathon and as much as I like xc, I always be a road hog. I haven't committed to anything yet but its something I'm going to discuss with him over the next few months before making a decision on even running a marathon no matter what pace it's at.

pconn062

Marathon=> joggers

Cross country=> runners

Do the right thing NE!

NetwerkErrer

pconn062 wrote: »

Marathon=> joggers

Cross country=> runners

Do the right thing NE!

Haha! I'd take walking at this stage P. Rob Heffernan has better PB's than me at every distance above 5k and a sub-3 under his belt.

I'm torn! I need a drink or some or some common sense.

dublin runner

NetwerkErrer wrote:

I haven't committed to anything yet but its something I'm going to discuss with him over the next few months before making a decision on even running a marathon no matter what pace it's at.

Not being smart but anyone can run a bad marathon. By that I mean a marathon (or any race really) not finished in a time close to his/hers potential.

Target good hard 5k/10k times. Make the target realistic but very tough. Trust me, running an impressive 10k in 36 minutes (for example) will feel a lot better than falling through a marathon nowhere near your capability. In training terms autumn marathons are just around the corner. 2016 is where it's at.

NetwerkErrer

dublin runner wrote: »

Not being smart but anyone can run a bad marathon. By that I mean a marathon (or any race really) not finished in a time close to his/hers potential.

Target good hard 5k/10k times. Make the target realistic but very tough. Trust me, running an impressive 10k in 36 minutes (for example) will feel a lot better than falling through a marathon nowhere near your capability. In training terms autumn marathons are just around the corner. 2016 is where it's at.

I meant run one to the best of my ability in the fall whether that be 3.10 or 2.50 and not get caught up in chasing a sub-3 DR but you made a solid point about leaving it until next year, It's probably the best decision right now and focus on my speed. There'll always be another time to run a marathon and more time to back it up with the training necessary to blitz it.

RedRunner

Catching up on recent posts here. Kudos on the honesty NE.Have to admit, my chin dropped reading that. Seems to me that running could be your saviour. Stick at it and good luck getting back to your best form.