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Running in the Real World
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Tough out there in that heat today I'd say Anna ...... and then they went and made it longer :eek: :eek:
Happy for you that it wasn't a target race. Hope you got to enjoy it
Thanks Neady, I'm happy it wasn't a target race too. Would have been a real bummer.
Delighted with today... Kept it easy, longest run since DCM, last few miles the lack of training really showed, but at least I finished it!0 -
Monday, June 6
*half marathon + half mile
This was an interesting experience, I've never done a race before where I was trying hard not to race and keep it easy. I almost completely ignored the watch and started with a post from Demfad (on the running naked thread) in mind... Start easy, check your breathing, etc. And keep it easy. So it was the most relaxed start to a race ever, no worries about passing people or positioning, just taking it easy (there might be a lesson here for future races).
It was a warm day, and chaotic start. In my blissfully relaxed mode, I had no idea that the whole field had taken a wrong turn, just thought it was a bizarre start and that the marshals were a bit frenetic shouting at 'yellow bibs' to keep right... Realised later we were mixed up with the marathon field way too soon...
I did look at my watch as we passed the 2 mile marker... And about 22 minutes had passed, whoa, this is really slow, how come the 2:15 pacers are behind me at this pace...? Then I went back to not worrying about it....
Kept telling myself... Easy, easy, don't speed up... Chatted to some very friendly women around me, mostly doing their first half, hoping for around 2:10... Again I looked at time elapsed on my watch and thought, they're not going to hit that... Encouraged a few people up the hill off the south link, ran with a local woman for a while approaching the killer housing estate hill (seemed much bigger last year).
I took everything that was offered to me on the road... Oranges, wine gums, jellies, high fives from kids, water, water, water... At each water station, I took a bottle poured some of it over me, sipped the rest, poured the last bit over me as I approached the next water station. The sponges were heavenly. Stuck to the shade wherever possible, thanked fook for the slight breeze at times...
About 6-7 miles in came up behind two women, one asked the other if she was ok, the second one answered emphatically -- I'm enjoying every second of this, aren't we lucky to be able to be here. Great attitude, gave me a boost to overhear that. And I thought, fook the begrudgers and the running purists, this is what it's all about, people of all levels and abilities making an honest effort on the day and doing something positive.
I started to feel my lack of training at around 9 miles, no endurance built up and I think 9 miles was about my longest run since DCM... There wasn't much in the legs after that, especially with the heat. Struggled on down the straight road, walked a bit, overtaken by the 2:15 pacers here, started running again, chatted to a relay woman who entertained me by telling me about her twins starting the leaving cert this week, she tried to keep me with her to the finish, but I told her to go on ahead. Attempted to muster a sprint once I got onto Patrick st, but it seemed like the whole of cork was on the street at that stage... Couldn't get past a runner carrying a baby, relaxed again and smiled crossing the line.
So many runners showed concern for others out there, lots of people encouraging others and asking if everyone was alright. I passed an ambulance at around 9 miles, hoped the person inside was ok (it might even have been KennyG, I realised later).
Crossed the line with 2:20 showing on the clock, 2:18:49 on my watch and garmin/Strava showing a total distance of 21.86km/13.5mi... So who the hell knows what the actual half marathon time was as we all went astray.
Some strange sights... A runner ahead of me texting while running... :eek: A spectator shouting into a phone... 'Oh, you're running are you?' A guy cycling on the South Link accompanying a runner, much to the annoyance of the rest of us...
I was wobbly at the end, claustrophobic in the crowds on Patrick st, grabbed a banana, more water and made my way back to the hotel... Heard that D and Ferris were happy but had missed KennyG and we all worried until we heard he was ok.
Felt great the next morning but legs a bit sore for a few days.
Verdict: good solid training run and enjoyed observing the race. I admit very interesting to run without regard for the watch. I think this will stand to me come the Dublin Half in September... Assuming I do the bloody training between now and then of course.0 -
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Enjoyed that report Anna think you notice a hell of a lot more when running at that pace a quote from FBOT comes to mind, he said to me before ballycotton when we discussed race pace and I felt suggested pace was too fast for me he said well either enjoy the race or enjoy the pb after !!! I must say I do enjoy enjoying races sometimes and throwing the arms in the air, high fiving kids it's all part of the fun it's not all about the PBS every run. Note I am writing this as I am lying beside the pool in Croatia in a totally chilled out zone after my 4 miles at sight seeing pace this morning so I am currently all for the enjoyment of running at the mo ! Well done 0
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There is a career in pacing waiting for you, Anna;)
Glad you chose a strategy to match your training and enjoyed the event rather than beating yourself up on the day. Too many people expect too much from too little and then wonder why they end up with nothing but pain 0 -
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Think we are going to have to start a little book of M sayings .... There's another one right there !
You start the book on the quite
build up the collection of sayings and then get it published and then you will have a fortune ready for your retirement. Shhuush don't tell him or he'll keep all the sayings to himself!! 0 -
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Saturday, June 11: 20 Minutes easy with a few strides
Just testing the legs ahead of 5 mile on Sunday, kept it short and easy on D's advice.
Sunday, June 12: Irish Runner 5 Mile
5 miles* @ 10:06/mi; 8.16 k @ 5:40/Km (approx 2k warmup)
*shocking that... Exactly the distance advertised
Thought we were going to be in Donegal this weekend, then decided not to go, so hadn't put a lot of planning into this and wasn't really sure how to approach it. Decided to go with the flow on the day. And the flow was slow! Started off with LauraAC3 but let her go on and aimed to keep my pace under 6:00/km (a bit faster than easy). Only looked at the watch when the Kms beeped. Even at that, I was very tired by the end and couldn't muster up my usual last 400m surge.
Chip time: 46:13 for my slowest 5 mile race ever :eek:
Another race series tshirt in the bag... Good to catch up with Nop, Marthastew & Joe after... And cheers from Mrs KennyG and super supporter Aquinn along the way. Big crowd at the race and the park was fresh and lovely after the rain. Great atmosphere as always.
Miles for the week: 20.5 whoop woop... Got over the 20 miles thanks to the Cork +.5 mile
Next up, Fingal 10k... Time to train, methinks. I printed out a HM plan so that's the hard part done 0 -
Ok, enough of this messing, time to get serious. After extensive research (cough, cough) I decided to go with the Myles Splitz 10k-HM plan from the 2015 graduates thread. It takes me right to the Dublin Half in September with a week to spare (no harm in repeating a week that's for sure). I like that it's based on time rather than miles, has some interesting sessions and is flexible enough to be either 4 or 5 days a week.
Monday 13: And we're off... Rest.
No problem with the first day. Even threw in some cross training.... 60 min walking
Tuesday 14: 60 min very easy
9.1k @ 6:34; 5.6mi @ 10:35
I've never had a plan that called for 'very easy' before. The pace calculator suggested about 7min/km :eek:
In Galway for a couple of days, got out around 6:30am for this, no time pressure because not working today.
Hugged the shore of Galway bay, from the docks out to Salthill. Stopped and read the various memorials along the way, lots of tragedy around here. Shed a tear or two for Celia Griffin, a 6 year old who starved during the famine and died on the road. Nice little memorial park called after her now. Shed another tear at the Mutton Light memorial for the people leaving on the famine ships.
You can do all that when you're running very easy... Decided to pay no attention to pace, just try to go slower than easy and keep checking myself on that. Ran for an hour and didn't feel the time going at all. Happy with that.
One day at a time...
Wednesday: 8 x 1 min hills (2-3 min recovery)
7k @ 7:29; 4.3 mi @ 12:02
Back in Dublin and wondering where to find a 1 minute hill. Decided to try Glandore Rd. Warmed up around Marino and arrived at the bottom of the hill. The only hill sessions I ever did were with BG in Fairview Park and they were 10 second reps, so 1 minute seemed a bit daunting. BG thought the hill was too short for a minute, and for her it probably would be, for me it worked well. Given my current level of fitness, I decided to take the full 3 minutes recovery.
Hit the lap button for the first one and felt very unprepared and ungainly going up the hill, maybe trying to go too fast. Glandore Rd has a bend in it and flattens out slightly on the bend before becoming a proper hill again at the end (the last 10-15 seconds of each rep).
Next rep I decided to focus on lifting my knees, shoulders straight, arms pumping and all that good stuff that I used to watch BG doing. Recoveries involved walking slowly back down to Griffith Avenue and feeling like some sort of weirdo lurking at the corner waiting for the 3 minutes to be up to start again.
Somewhere in the middle I remembered the phrase someone used about feeling uncomfortable but controlled (TFGR? Denis B?) and aimed for that. Some little girls on bikes appeared at some point and watched me as if I was mad, running and walking past them, about 10 times
. One of the reps nearly went haywire between bikes and cars pulling out of driveways. Rush hour on a busy road might not be the best timing.
I'm no Duanington... Manually hitting the lap button on the watch, after about the 3rd rep I spent most of the recoveries trying to calculate how many reps I had done... Did I start after a 12 min or 13 min warm up...? Running up hills seems to eliminate my ability to do simple calculations. As I headed into my cooldown I was pretty sure I had done 8, but not certain until I checked the garmin upload later. Phew, got it right.
Delighted with how this went, first proper session in ages and the paces were a pleasant surprise too. And yes I know it was only a minute and not that accurate but still, ridiculously pleased with it.
Reps (Paces per Km): 4:56, 4:44, 4:38, 4:55, 4:40, 4:38, 4:32, 4:31
I'm almost afraid to post this in case I jinx myself again... But day 3 done! 0 -
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Well done, Anna! You've found your mojo.
Nice splits on the hills. Glandore Road is a bit messy with the bend and the driveways. I used to do the longer reps on the Malahide Road (opposite side to Mt.Temple) because apart from the Fire Station there are no real entrances to cross so no real worries about traffic. Everyone will think you're a loon but just embrace it :pac::pac::pac:0 -
Bungy Girl wrote: »Well done, Anna! You've found your mojo.
Nice splits on the hills. Glandore Road is a bit messy with the bend and the driveways. I used to do the longer reps on the Malahide Road (opposite side to Mt.Temple) because apart from the Fire Station there are no real entrances to cross so no real worries about traffic. Everyone will think you're a loon but just embrace it :pac::pac::pac:
Malahide Road, who'd have thought? good woman, great to see enthused with a new plan. 0 -
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