Cool runnings

RayCun

davedanon

Friday 21st

Day off


Saturday 22nd

Frank Duffy 10 mile. Got to PP nice and early, parked at Knockmaroon gate as usual, and took a meandering route towards the start area via the trail along the perimeter wall. Two of the club lads were arranging their 20 miler to finish in the park, and I met them trotting up Chesterfield, along with a third clubmate who was racing. We said goodbye to them after a couple of miles, and then I got dragged into another group (containing TRR) for some more slow miles. So when it was time to line up at the start, I had nearly 7 miles done, which turned out to be a blessing, because I wasn't in any mood for running afterwards. It seemed to be perfect weather for running, calm, cloudy, almost no wind. A little on the warm side perhaps. Away we go, and my first mile was an on-the-money 6:40. Mile 2 brought me past the turn off Chesterfield in 6:49, and then we had a energy-sapping bit of a drag up the North road, which no doubt accounted for the 7:03 on mile 3. It was around here that my race started to get away from me. I had lined up with meno, but he had steadily pulled away from the start, and by the time we re-joined Chesterfield another clubmate had also gone by. The last stretch up to the hairpin bend at the top of Chesterfield really tested me, and I noticed more and more runners passing me. It was getting very warm, and though I hate getting water in plastic cups, I took them at each station just to douse myself, and the firefighters' shower on Chesterfield 2nd time around was very welcome as well. I was maintaining an even pace, and from miles 4-7 I recorded three 6:56's and a 6:57, but I was struggling to hold it. Mile 8 contains some downhill sections and then a fairly flat section along Conyngham Rd, but it was my slowest mile, at 7:07, and I was wilting. A long, long straight section was the last thing I needed at this point. I had to focus on something that would get me through the next mile, and looking ahead I saw two Bros Pearse singlets. There isn't really a massive rivalry between the clubs, despite the banter on here, but somehow the notion that I could chase them down seemed to do the trick, and I lifted my pace a little and the first guy started to come back to me. Then I passed him, but his buddy seemed to have pushed on as I couldn't see him. Eventually we approached the Chapelizod gate, and the first serious climb of the day beckoned. As I ran through the gate I was hailed by some spectating clubmates, and then immediately after I heard another name being called, and realised that I had clubmate company. Despite our coach (who was one of the aforementioned spectators) urging us to work together, I knew G was a savage climber, and that he would drop me unless I pulled out all the stops, so I gave it everything. Sometimes hills are paradoxically easier when you're struggling a bit on the flat anyway. It's all strength, rather than lung-bursting effort. So in effect I towed G up the hill, rather than the other way around. I told him afterwards it had to be a first. Along the way we got the 2nd Bros Pearse guy, but when we got to the top after mile 9 (7.12) I couldn't sustain my effort, and G pulled away slightly. As we ran the last few bends through the trees, I gathered my strength for the last section along Furze Rd, hoping to race G to the finish, but I couldn't raise enough of a gallop to challenge him, and finished about 4 secs behind him in 1:09:08. Slower than last year, and much slower than 2013's pb (1:06:21), but I felt I had struggled against my limitations on the day quite well, so all in all I wasn't too downcast. Sometime after there was a very slow shuffle back to the car. 18 miles in total, despite what the Garmin said. Happy with that too.

6.7 @9.17

10 @6.55 (Garmin say 9.96)

1.3 @10.42


Sunday 23rd

50th on Saturday night/Sunday morning. No runnings, cool or otherwise.



Weekly total 52

davedanon

Monday 24th

Easy run. The usual Monday job. Basically the regular club route on the grass in Tymon, with a few extra bits thrown in to bring it up to 8 miles.

8.01 @9.02


Tuesday 25th

The Fitzy plan boys were doing a fartlek in the park tonight. We were all going to stay together, no-one left behind, and it all sounded like great fun. TRR himself joined us, and the format was, after a couple of miles warm-up, that Dave nominated someone who would pick up the pace as much as they liked, for an interval of anywhere between 1 and 3 minutes, with a minute rest in between, to be spent jogging if possible, in whatever direction needed for everyone to regroup. And then repeat. It all worked very well, with only one person dropping off. Basically it was 20 minutes of a warm-up, 38 minutes fartlek, and 12 minutes cool-down. I still haven't got the watch properly set up to get the lap button working correctly, so my best guesstimates
for the 11 reps that we did are that they ranged between 1.30min and 2.30min, and from 6.15 to 6.30 pace

Total session time 1hr

Miles 7.65

Av pace 7.53p/m

davedanon

Wednesday 26th

It's only a small thing, but the legs have adjusted uncomplainingly to an 8 mile minimum easy/recovery run in between hard sessions. Where previously I might settle for a 4-6 miler when tired, now I just adjust the pace if necessary - but the length is non-negotiable. The result is that my weeks are nearly always topping out at 50m+, whereas in the run up to London I noticed that things were a bit patchy and up-and-down on the mileage front. Anyway, an uneventful easy run.

8.06 @9.02


Thursday 27th

8x1k with warm-up and cool-down. 2 minute recovery (slow 200m walk/jog back to start line). Despite the group of about 7 assembled, it boiled down to me and only one other guy doing these at the same pace. 10k pace was stipulated, so that meant somewhere between 4/4.10 k/min was fine and dandy. Despite being shorter by a lap and a half, these didn't really feel much easier than our mile reps. Every distance imposes its particular demands. Got through them ok, though.

2.23 @9.09

8x1k (4.09, 4.00, 4.05, 4.04, 4.04, 4.02, 4.03, 3.58)

1.71 @8.46

9.71 in total

davedanon

Friday 28th

Day off


Saturday 29th

6 mile steady run. The requirement was 30/40 secs above MP, which would be 7.45-7.55 per mile, but for some reason I found this very hard to hit. I started off slowly enough at about 8.30 pace, and felt quite tired from the off, those 1ks on Thursday still in the legs no doubt. Gradually the pace picked up, though, and after 2 miles I was comfortably under 16 minutes. I had autolap turned off, so no mile markers. I was still feeling tired, yet I was nevertheless moving too quickly. When I realised the autolap thing, I stopped at 3 miles to reset it, then decided to go on and run the whole thing by feel. My pace for the 3 miles was 7:33. The next mile felt a little easier, but somehow I hadn't slowed down at all, still averaging 7:33pm. I stopped after mile 4, still feeling tired, and I had been running too hard, with two hard sessions already done this week. Mile 5 was deliberately slower, and it was on the money at 7:55pm, after which I called it a day and slow-jogged the rest of the way home.

4 @7.34

1.73 @8.24

davedanon

Sunday 30th

20 mile long run. The diktat from El Supremo regarding this was to do 18-20 (which meant we all did 20) any old way, just get through it kind of thing. It had been a hard week, admittedly. After the usual slow initial mile, the usual suspects made their way to the front of the pack, and by the time we hit Tymon there were two distinct groups separated by at least 200m; with me in the middle, not knowing whether to stick or twist. I decided to push on to the first group, for now, but by mile 3 we were at 8.00min pace - as usual - and I decided not to play that game, and dropped back. I was feeling a bit peculiar, in fact. My legs felt like jelly, basically. Luckily I had some company in Shay, although he had a calf problem I think and dropped back at Tallaght village, only 8/9 miles in. The rest was done on my own, and felt fine until the last three miles when I started to tie up and felt very weary indeed. Long week.

20 @8.31


Weekly mileage 59

davedanon

Monday 31st

Recovery run. Took this very easy indeed. The very minimum of effort.

6 @9.32


Tuesday 1st

The plan called for a 6-8 mile MP run, with the usual warm up/cool down. My practice has been to incorporate these into my long run, but this actually suited me, as I will be working at Electric Picnic all weekend and wouldn't at all fancy having to do a really hard run on Sunday morning. A big group set off from the club, but halfway around the warm-up I started getting pains in my stomach and knew I needed a toilet, so I dove into the Dragon in Tallaght village and was on my own as a result. My target was 8 @7.15 which shouldn't have been too hard, considering I had been doing 8 mile tempos at 7.00min pace earlier in the year. Or so I thought. The first couple of miles, mostly downhill, came in at 7.09 and 7.22, so more or less on target. After that a hilly section brought me out to 7.30min, and subsequently it was a bit of a slog, although I did bring it in on target with a couple of faster closing miles. I wrapped it up at 7 miles, though, figuring I was working a bit too hard and there was no point in toughing out one final mile. The concerns I had here were the variations in pace, and the perceived effort. I kept telling myself that this was marathon pace, and that on the day it would need to feel an awful lot easier. With a couple of months extra training, and a decent taper, hopefully this will be the case. I focussed mainly on breathing during the run, with marathon day in mind. I wanted it to feel relatively easy, as my good marathons happen when I have really good running economy built up through proper training and a good taper. The taper is especially important, in my view. More and more I find that if I train properly for a marathon it's very specific. I can't set pb's at shorter distances along the way. At no stage during training for London, or Derry, was I operating at 100%. I had to wait for the day itself, and hope I had timed everything well.

1.5 @9.28

7 @7.14 (7.09/7.22/7.31/7.12/7.18/7.04/7.03)

1.73 @8.57


10.24 in total


Wednesday 2nd

Day off.

Parked outside the Dail all day today from 8am until 6pm, stiff as a board when I finished, and in no mood for running, although it would have helped greatly I'm sure.

TRR_the_turd

davedanon wrote: »

The taper is especially important, in my view. More and more I find that if I train properly for a marathon it's very specific. I can't set pb's at shorter distances along the way. At no stage during training for London, or Derry, was I operating at 100%. I had to wait for the day itself, and hope I had timed everything well.

100% agree with you. In fact some of my best marathons have come off the back up of a training cycle with little or no "tune up" races. Marathon is so specific that a race can actually mess up the training. All your eggs in one basket, I suppose but isn't it great when it goes to plan and you hit a marathon PB?

davedanon

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

100% agree with you. In fact some of my best marathons have come off the back up of a training cycle with little or no "tune up" races. Marathon is so specific that a race can actually mess up the training. All your eggs in one basket, I suppose but isn't it great when it goes to plan and you hit a marathon PB?

Yep. Even better when you do pick up a pb along the way, like in your Frank Duffy...I think it's a lot to do with age. I was fretting at my 10 mile/half times this and last year, compared to before: but then I realised that I'd had crap marathons subsequently after running well at those distances.

davedanon

Thursday 3rd

Big session tonight. 3x2mile @HMP with 3min recovery. In the dressing-room beforehand 'we' decided to do this on the track. I was slightly dismayed at the prospect of 24 laps, but the logic of doing it on a flat, bouncy surface, with access to drinks, was undeniable. In the event I was pleasantly surprised. The other lads proposed a 7.10 pace, but I knew I should really be going a bit quicker. So I ended up leading out the first one, and it all worked out nicely, as I pulled away gradually and finished about 10 secs ahead. Of course I ended up doing the whole lot on my own, but that didn't really bother me. In fact I was very happy with the session. I felt more comfortable at 6.55/7.00 on the tartan than I had at 7.15 in the park on Tuesday. Going to the Picnic in the morning, so I won't get a run in tomorrow, but if I can manage the steady run on Saturday and a 20 miler along the Barrow Way on Sunday I'll be more than happy. Rock on!

2.23 @8.36
3x2 @6.56 (7.00, 6.54, 7.01, 6.58, 6.53, 6.49)
2.24 @9.13

10.96 in total

davedanon

Friday 4th

Day off


Saturday 5th

Steady run. My neck felt like a board after a day running around with cameras hanging out of me, but I got out of the hotel early and ran the half mile or so down to the Barrow. Having had a run here once before, I decided to go in the opposite direction, towards Carlow for 3 miles before turning back. The path along the river varied in quality, but the pace was good overall.


6.01 @7.50


Sunday 6th

20 mile long run. Again, took a while to extricate myself from the scratcher after a long, long Saturday, but I consoled myself with the thought that I could go as slow as I liked. I took the same route as yesterday, and found that the underfoot conditions were even more varied the further I ran. Ten miles brought me just the other side of the picturesque village of Leighlinbridge (although the big banner saying SKY SPORTS LIVE HERE on the front of the pub spoiled things a little), where I turned around and headed back. The run was basically dead flat, but the underfoot conditions were quite challenging at times. At one point I was thrashing through calf-deep scrub grass, just waiting for something to trip me and send me headlong. There were lots of nettles on one side, too, which had me leaning away from them. Despite all this my pace increased pleasingly through the middle section, although I felt quite tired with a few miles still to cover, and was very relieved to finally get back to the hotel, where a shower and a full Irish beckoned.

20.12 @8.31

Weekly total 53 miles


Monday 7th

Recovery run. Headed out with no intention of running more than 5 or 6 easy miles, and had dallied while my iPod charged up a bit (peeled some spuds while I waited for some post been-away-all-weekend brownie points), but realised that I could still hook up with the club gang, so I waited at the bridge over the M50 in Tymon for them, and was pleased to see a much bigger group than usual, including my marathon training buddies. My Kinvara Londons were soaked from the day before, so gave my new Kinvara 5's their debut. Ended up doing 7 miles, which was nice.

7 @8.48

davedanon

Tuesday 8th

2 mile w/u, 5x1m @10k pace, w/3 min recovery, 1 mile c/d. The other lads on Dave's plan were doing the 12 mile aerobic run option, so I reckoned I'd be on my own with this one, albeit with three other much quicker lads making me feel and look slow, and so it proved. The first one was awful, I felt as though I was doing the second of two back-to-back hard sessions. Struggled around, and it was a bit quicker than it needed to be, at around 6.30 min/mile. Recovery was a slow lap. Gradually settled into it though, but I was struck by how much more comfortable I was doing 2 milers at only 15/20 secs/mile slower the previous week. It's obviously a tipping-point for me, that 6.40/6.50 range. No surprise that I've been struggling to break 1.30 for the half for so long.

2.22 @8.38
5x1m (6.29, 6.30, 6.46, 6.44, 6.26 - Av. 6.35)
1.01 @9.25

TRR_the_turd

davedanon wrote: »

Tuesday 8th

Gradually settled into it though, but I was struck by how much more comfortable I was doing 2 milers at only 15/20 secs/mile slower the previous week. It's obviously a tipping-point for me, that 6.40/6.50 range. No surprise that I've been struggling to break 1.30 for the half for so long.

lactic threshold my friend, if you want to change this, skip a marathon next spring and work on 5/10k before stepping back up to the marathon.

davedanon

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

lactic threshold my friend, if you want to change this, skip a marathon next spring and work on 5/10k before stepping back up to the marathon.

Funny you should say that. That's the plan in a nutshell. It probably won't be Dublin either.

davedanon

Wednesday 9th

Easy recovery run. I set out feeling tired and didn't really have a distance in mind, but figured it would be on the shorter side. However I waited for the club crew at the M50 bridge, and then just stayed with them until we reached the parting of the ways at the end of the basketball arena driveway. When I got home I had clocked 9 miles. Quelle surprise.

9 @9.23


Thursday 10th

8 mile @MP, 1 mile warm up and cool down. The boys had had their easy 12 miler on Tuesday, so there was no getting out of this one for them. A bunch of them were aiming for 7:35min pace, but mine was 7:15, which had me a little concerned. I have to explain a little here. There's a group of guys who are my peers, equals, and quite frequently betters. We battle each other in club races, and vie to out-sprint each other on the last interval of the session. Yet none of them has broken 3:20 yet for the marathon, despite all of them being well capable. Injury has been a major factor, and the kind of slump in form that hits after you've made a breakthrough and just assume that you can keep improving indefinitely. As for me, I've been lucky with injuries. For quite a while now I've been bulletproof on that front. Oh, niggles here and there, but nothing has prevented me running for any significant length of time in at least 18 months, if not longer. So, my concern was due to the fact that I'm used to running with these lads as a cohort (oh, and one of them's run 2:58, but then blew up completely), and now I'm going to have to get out in front of them by about 20 secs per mile. Plus I felt absolutely knackered on the warm up. Poor me. Anyway, it turned out ok in the end. I was able to open up a gap with a 7.03 first mile, and although (as with last week) the mile times fluctuated a fair bit, I just about hit my target by the end, with a 6.55 closing mile which had me doubled over, hands on knees at the end.

1 @9.00
8 @7.16 (7.03, 7.19, 7.23, 7.33, 7.14, 7.20, 7.19, 6.55)
1.65 @9.02

davedanon

Friday 11th

Very easy short run. The very minimum of effort.

4.29 @9.24


Saturday 12th

Club members were doing a 65 mile relay-race (of sorts) from Tallaght AC to Tullamore Harriers to mark the 65th birthday of an esteemed teammate. My designated leg (along with two others) was the final section from a place called Rhode to Tullamore. It was only about 14 or so miles, which left me with a problem in how I was going to find some extra distance. As it turned out, the nearest safe place to park the car (where it was going to stay for several hours) was more than a mile away. So, we ditched the car, jogged down to the bridge and got down onto the canal towpath. At first the underfoot conditions weren't too bad. A grassy track with worn sections on each side, but gradually it deteriorated and thereafter became the dominant factor in the run. The wind was also in our faces the entire way, which is always the risk with point-to-point runs. There's a certain boredom that sets in as well with the knowledge that you're not ever 'on the way back', as with and out-and-back or loop. After 6 or 7 miles the three admitted that we felt completely cream-crackered. We'd just ploughed through a long section with calf-deep grass, after a stretch where the tracks had puddles every few feet, which meant you either ploughed through them or skipped around. The other two lads had sore calves which was a direct consequence of the terrain. On we went, and then, just before the picturesque village of Daingean, there was a long section where we were running on deep, springy grass. Again, very tiring to travel on: but the worst was yet to come. At 10/11 miles the ground changed. We'd had a peaty, boggy bit which was occasionally rutted and demanded attention. Now we came to what could only be described as a path under construction. It was basically hard core; loose gravel and rocks, some fist-sized. It was dreadful to run on. Where before it was merely tiring, now there was a real chance of turning an ankle if you failed to pay attention. We ploughed on through it, and when it ended there was a figure up in the distance. It was one of the women from the club, and she chatted to us and told us we were only 5 miles from Tullamore. Finally we were running on a proper surface, too, which was very welcome. We ran onto the main street in Tullamore and up through the town, which was quite an interesting experience. A bit like a marathon finish. I was calculating that I would probably end with 16-odd miles, and figured that I could knock out a few laps on the track to bring it up to 18. In those conditions it was worth 20 easy.

18.31 @8.46

Sunday 13th

Rest


Weekly total 58

davedanon

Monday 14th

Easy recovery run. Nothing specific to report.

7.24 @8.42


Tuesday 15th

12 mile run. This didn't happen. Enforced day off because of work (I'm not great at forcing myself out the door of an evening after a day working)


Wednesday

With an eye on Sunday's race, decided that the following morning would be fine for the 12 miler. Decided to take one of my favourite, but seldom run, routes: along the canal to Clonskeagh and back again. Lovely morning, felt good after no run let alone session on Tuesday.

12.67 @8.14

kit3

Best of luck at the weekend D. You sound like you are well ready & up for it. If, however, you find yourself a bit doubtful ask your room-mate to show you some motivational videos - he has quite a store of them

davedanon

kit3 wrote: »

Best of luck at the weekend D. You sound like you are well ready & up for it. If, however, you find yourself a bit doubtful ask your room-mate to show you some motivational videos - he has quite a store of them

Will they inspire a thrusting desire to push on through when things get hard?

kit3

davedanon wrote: »

Will they inspire a thrusting desire to push on through when things get hard?

Well, you can let us know ! They cover everything from starting out, what you should wear, nutrition & even the benefits of joining a club for this type of thing Not sure about his staying power though, they're all very short !

davedanon

kit3 wrote: »

Well, you can let us know ! They cover everything from starting out, what you should wear, nutrition & even the benefits of joining a club for this type of thing Not sure about his staying power though, they're all very short !

The penny has dropped. Who knew TRR was such a media star!

kit3

davedanon wrote: »

The penny has dropped. Who knew TRR was such a media star!

Yeah, and you're his choice for a romantic night :cool:

Murph_D

davedanon wrote: »

Decided to take one of my favourite, but seldom run, routes: along the canal to Clonskeagh and back again.

As a northsider I sometimes get confused when running over there but I assume you mean the Dodder? I've run it from the Liffey out as far as Templeogue a few times but there are so many types of surface en route that I find it a bit trying. Love the stretch near Bushy Park though.

davedanon

Murph_D wrote: »

As a northsider I sometimes get confused when running over there but I assume you mean the Dodder? I've run it from the Liffey out as far as Templeogue a few times but there are so many types of surface en route that I find it a bit trying. Love the stretch near Bushy Park though.

Yeah, Jesus, what sort of brainfart is that. I meant the Dodder river, of course. I don't mind the surfaces. After my experiences on the Barrow and Grand Canal Ways I reckon they're quite good.

davedanon

Thursday 17th

Easy run.

6.65 @8.28


Friday 18th

Another easy run.

6.06 @8.47

Notwork Error

All the best Dave! Hope all goes well for you!

annapr

Best of luck in Charleville, Dave, hope it goes well for you.

kit3

Well done today

davedanon

Saturday 19th

Post-long drive shake-out jog around the mean streets of Kilmallock.

2.2 @9.01


Sunday 20th

Charleville International Half-Marathon. Race morning dawned dry, calm and cloudy. All three states were to change. Down to breakfast at 7.30am, and other runners were already in evidence. A vaguely familiar-looking chap said hello and asked if he could join us. TRR had noticed him checking in the day before, and related a tale to me, in which a race of his went awry. So he sat down, and the reason for his familiarity became clear. He had been training on the Tallaght track over the summer a year or two ago, and his punishing 2 mile intervals had been much-discussed. Some of you will know him: Liam Brady. He finished in third place overall.

Breakfast, while sadly not involving a full Irish, was nevertheless a little more substantial than if I had been at home. OJ, porridge (just the sugary top layer, mind), black coffee and toast. Then we went upstairs and packed, as we weren't coming back after the race. Check-out, and we drove the 5/6 miles from Kilmallock to Charleville: along the race route, we now realised, and note was duly taken of the undulations such as they were along the way. We parked in Dunne's stores' car park (yet another feather in race organiser Michael's cap) and strolled up to the start area. We had plenty of time, so we had a look around, checked out the route again, then went and sat in the car until about 9.30am. I was ready to race, TRR wore a to-be-discarded top. We went outside, and it had started to rain. Also, the wind had picked up noticeably. I thought of Michael's words the night before in the Park hotel where we had collected our race numbers. He had told us, only half-jokingly, that he had thought of everything: the route had been worked out very carefully, making full use of his local knowledge, built up over 20-odd years of running in the area. He said that the prevailing winds tended to be behind all the way out to Kilmallock (about 6m), and then there were lots of high hedges providing shelter on the way back. The route was basically an out-and-back involving a loop, with the initial straight section being run back over the last few miles. Think of a lower-case letter 'b', laid on its 'back', and the race route goes out the long end, around the loop, then back to the start. In all seriousness, the guy has done a great job with this event. But back to the race.

Warm-up done, and the rain came down with increasing force as we lined up for the start. My mantra for mile 1 was: "don't go too fast. don't go too fast". It's downhill, and with a field of this quality, even if many top runners were absent due to a looming Berlin, it would be very easy to get carried away. Thankfully I heeded myself, and clocked a perfectly fine 6:43. I didn't have a specific target in mind, beyond keeping the pace strictly limited to between 6.52 and 7.00 min/mile. I have tried and failed so many times to get near, and beyond, my 1:30:30 of 2011, but it's only recently that I have come to realise that the reason I ran that time, and other pb's at different distances, is that I was inadvertently training for shorter distances than the marathon, without realising. Now that I am doing my marathon training correctly, my shorter distance times naturally suffer. I know others can bang out pb's along the way to a 26.2 effort (TRR being one), but not me. That's just the way it is, I think. If I want new pb's, and I do, I will need to train specifically for them. So my thinking was, that an average pace of about, say, 6.55, would have me on 1:30:30 pace after 8 miles. If I felt good at that stage I could then have a right good go at it. After the first mile, and we had turned right onto the Kilmallock road, the course's salient feature became apparent - lovely, long stretches of flat, flat tarmac, with only very occasional little rises before a resumption of yet more flatness.

And now, of course, my bete noire needed to be confronted. The bloody pacers. I realise that most people love them, and here again Michael must be commended. I think there were 2 pacers from 1.20 out to 2 hrs, at 5 minute intervals. Excellent organisation. I hate the bastards, though. There is simply nothing more intimidating, in my book, than a seething horde of runners thronging around a couple of really fast individuals who are usually talking loudly the whole time, and who, let's not forget, are aiming to be comfortably under the designated target (some of us need to operate on slimmer margins), and are well capable (obviously) of going much faster. This can lead to them accidentally burning off people who are on that narrower margin, but that isn't my point. Most of them do a good job, and if they do get it wrong it's hardly ever wilful let alone on purpose. No, I just don't like them because they don't suit me personally. But, here they were, and after mile 2 (6.55) when I briefly headed them, they began to outpace me. After a short internal debate, I told myself to let them go, forget them and not to worry about it. I would stick to the plan: and anyway, it was beginning to look, by mile 3 (6.59) that I was going to have to work hard to keep the pace under that 7min/mile target. Another couple of flat miles lay ahead before we neared Kilmallock, and I think it was raining fairly steadily the whole time. That wind I spoke of was there too, but as promised by Michael it was at our backs more or less the whole way out. Runners had spaced out a good bit by this time, the 1.30 pacing group was visible but well ahead, and I spent these miles passing, and being passed, by odd runners here and there. There was one slightly older guy who I saw a fair bit of. At one point we were sort of pacing off each other, and then I slowly pulled ahead. Kilmallock arrived just before the halfway point, and if it meant we were turning into the wind, it also signified a turn back towards 'home': always psychologically important. Somewhere around here a fella pulled up alongside, said something along the lines of: "Go on Tallaght. How are ye getting on?" I said hello and I'm grand and so forth, and then he asked if I was Dave, and of course I was. It was one Bulmers74, of this very parish. Cheers Joe, you towed me in, even if you wouldn't bloody well let me stay ahead of you. Just the other side of Kilmallock and we hit halfway. (oh, did I mention? There were 5, 10, 15 and 20k markers as well as mile ones. Another gold star for Michael) I think I was at 45:40 or so: confirmation if it were needed that the 1:30 was probably going to be out of reach. I don't know for sure if it was this, but a sort of fatigue/resignation began to set in. I had a long way to go, and I was starting to feel distinctly tired. But right then, and almost as soon as I had felt it, something galvanised me. I began to run a little harder, and started to reel in a runner just ahead. Was I thinking this was going to be easy? Did I expect no hard work at all? I had been trying very hard to keep the effort as easy as possible, if that makes any sense. I didn't want to be breathing heavily - can't do that for 13 miles. But maybe I was guilty of trying to cruise around in my armchair. Whatever was going on mentally, I found something, and although we were now running into the wind, and there seemed now to be more little rises which were more and more unwelcome, I started reeling people in, and indeed I was targeting them, which isn't like me. Oh, it was softly, softly, but I was catchee monkey all the same. Mile 8 at 6.51 was my quickest since the start, but despite overhauling a few people along the way, the next mile came in at 7:07, which was a little disappointing. Somewhere along here I became aware of Bulmers74 again. Whether he had caught me or vice versa I wasn't sure, but I latched onto him like a drowning man clutches at a lifebelt. He looked strong, and grizzled, if he doesn't mind me saying so. Like a man who wasn't going to stop until the finish. This section I am quite proud of, in retrospect. I reeled off three 7.07 miles in a row, on very, very tired legs. Some people like to run in a pack, or behind someone, peleton-style. I like to be out in front. Not to go faster, or throw down a gauntlet. I just like being at the head of a group; it suits me. I tried to do this with Bulmers, but he wasn't having it. Every time I put a few yards on him, he came right back at me. I realised he needed to be in front more than I did (or could manage). These miles up to 12 were hard, hard, hard. I had to use every trick, every psychological ploy and mental game I could think of to bully and cajole my body to keep running. Once we got to 12, it became possible to think about the end of the race. I was looking out for signs of civilisation, a sign saying 'Charleville', and then the Kerry plant that was just outside of town. Mile 12 arrived, eventually. A 7:03. Joe was edging ahead, but I could care less. Mile 13 brought us right into town, mile 1 in reverse, so it was a hill. I managed a 7 minute mile, and then I tried to put the hammer down for the last uphill section. I probably looked like a zombie shuffling towards some fresh brains, but evidently I summoned up sub-6 min pace, for the last 700 feet. Hey, you take what you can. Never was I more glad to finish a race, and once I knew I wasn't going to be sick or collapse I went over to shake Joe's hand. Maybe I'm confused but I could swear he said he ran 1:29:xx. He must have started well back in the pack. So. Not a pb, not a sub-90, but my best Half in three years, and an improvement of about 5 minutes on the Rock and Roll. I'll take that.

1.26 @9.13
13.13 @6.59 (1:31:44)

Splits: 6:43, 6:55, 6:59, 6:56, 7:05, 7:03, 6:57, 6:52, 7:07, 7:07, 7:07, 7:03, 7:01, 5:58 (0.13)

Weekly total: 50

Bulmers74

Nice to meet you Dave & well done for toughing it out.
I don't know who you came across at mile 8 and had what sounds like a right ding dong battle with but it wasn't me!
I was wondering why you looked at me a bit funny when I asked you how you got on when I met you and TRR afterwards.

davedanon

Bulmers74 wrote: »

Nice to meet you Dave & well done for toughing it out.
I don't know who you came across at mile 8 and had what sounds like a right ding dong battle with but it wasn't me!
I was wondering why you looked at me a bit funny when I asked you how you got on when I met you and TRR afterwards.

you mean that wasn't you that finished just ahead of me? Bloody hell, what am I like.

davedanon

Haha. Imagine what that guy thought when I came up and shook his hand, calling him Joe. Come to think of it I'm not sure he didn't back away slowly, smiling politely so as not to alarm the psychopath who wanted to be his friend.

Bulmers74

davedanon wrote: »

you mean that wasn't you that finished just ahead of me? Bloody hell, what am I like.

Frayed knot

davedanon

A quick stalk on FB of photos reveals.....completely different colour vests and only a vague resemblance. Jesus, I must have weirded that guy out. He runs for West Limerick. Kevin Kelly, if you're out there, my apologies.

aero2k

davedanon wrote: »

I have tried and failed so many times to get near, and beyond, my 1:30:30 of 2011, but it's only recently that I have come to realise that the reason I ran that time, and other pb's at different distances, is that I was inadvertently training for shorter distances than the marathon, without realising. Now that I am doing my marathon training correctly, my shorter distance times naturally suffer. I know others can bang out pb's along the way to a 26.2 effort (TRR being one), but not me. That's just the way it is, I think.

Hi Dave,

First time poster on your log, though I have been lurking around a few to feed off the excitement of the Charleville gang - seemed a lot more buzz about it that the Dublin half.

If it's any consolation to you I have experienced the same thing with race times over the last year or so. I feel fitter than ever, and every race finishes with me feeling I could run several miles further with no problems. I'm taking it as a sign that marathon training is working - DCM will reveal all.

Well done on a great race performance and report.

annapr

Great report and well done. So how do you really feel about pacers ?

Notwork Error

davedanon wrote: »

A quick stalk on FB of photos reveals.....completely different colour vests and only a vague resemblance. Jesus, I must have weirded that guy out. He runs for West Limerick. Kevin Kelly, if you're out there, my apologies.

Haha! To be fair to you, Kev's bloody nipples almost made the singlet red.

Well done!

davedanon

Monday 21st

Rest


Tuesday 22nd

Working all day, a bit annoyed at missing a second day, especially since I'm away at the weekend.


Wednesday 23rd

Decided I would do last night's prescribed run. So, a 12 miler it was. Headed down the road and into the park as usual, then turned left instead of right and crossed the two new Dodder bridges. I was running into a reasonably stiff breeze as I headed up towards Aherne's, but I felt quite fresh after two days off. My plan was to run to the back gate of the Bohernabreena waterworks and back, and nice and easy at that, but, truth to tell, even into the wind I was feeling good. The legs felt strong and springy. So good did I feel, that I decided not to stop at the back gate but continue on up around the 'duck loop'. I was running easy the whole time, never putting any stress on the legs or lungs. After I reached the highest point of the run, at the apex of the duck loop, it was all basically downhill back home, and I ran quicker without expending any extra effort. I was quite taken with this development, and the only explanation I could come up with that it was an adaptation to the stress of the Charleville Half 'session'. After two days? I'm happy with that.

12.05 @8.04


Thursday 24th

Although I plan to run while away this weekend, a long run was realistically a non-runner, so that meant it had to happen today. Now I was regretting yesterday's flightiness: that and a snap decision to cut my toenails (I must have been reading the novices' thread). The other Fitzy plan lads were vacillating between a 22-24 run, or a 20 with 8-10 at MP. I decided to plump for for a straight 22. At first I felt fine. Indeed I was grand until, after going around the houses for 6-7 miles before hitting Tymon, I suddenly decided I would attempt some MP miles. I didn't even hit the lap button for exactitude, but I reckon I managed about 4 miles before expiring in a heap. When I got going again I had still done only 13 miles, and now I was seriously tired. Somehow I dragged myself around another circuit of Tymon, and even threw in a few fields, as I knew I was short on miles. 20 was now the revised target, and, when I crossed the M50 bridge with less than a couple to go (and work to be done later) I was looking for me mammy, as Viv O'H would say. Two of the slowest, most pitiful miles ensued, but the 20 got done in the end.

20 @8.35

davedanon

Friday 25th

En route to Kilkenny. Day off


Saturday 25th

Short easy run.

5.03 @8.54


Sunday 27th

Day off.


A bad week, this. Circumstances made it difficult to get the runs done. Big, big week next week though. I don't want to miss anything.

Weekly total: 37

davedanon

Monday 28th

5 mile easy run. Nothing to recover from, really, but this week will be tough, so take the easy miles when they're offered.

5.02 @8.39


Tuesday 29th

12 mile run. Company for this, which was nice. Felt quite similar to last week's 12 miler. Little effort needed, breathing minimal. Except that it turned out to be not quite as fast as it felt. But no matter. 6 secs/mile quicker than yesterday and more than twice as long, yet it felt vastly easier.

12.09 @8.33


Wednesday 30th

6 mile recovery. Nothing of note. A ronseal run.

6.01 @9.06

NB: Monthly mileage: 215

chickey2

davedanon wrote: »

I decided not to stop at the back gate but continue on up around the 'duck loop'. I was running easy the whole time, never putting any stress on the legs or lungs. After I reached the highest point of the run, at the apex of the duck loop, it was all basically downhill back home, and I ran quicker without expending any extra effort.

What's the duck loop? I often run to the yellow gate past the second reservoir but stop there. I'd love to know of another route around there.
Thanks

davedanon

chickey2 wrote: »

What's the duck loop? I often run to the yellow gate past the second reservoir but stop there. I'd love to know of another route around there.
Thanks

Ok, if you go out the back (yellow) gate and turn left, you climb a hill, then there's a fork in the road at the top. You can go either way, but we take the right turn, and it goes past a farmyard (hence the name) goes up another short, steepish hill, then turns around and starts to descend. On the way down you'll come to a bridge on the right. Keep left here, and it brings you back to the fork I mentioned before. If you go right, over the bridge, that's the Castlekelly route. It's very hilly, and if you just follow your nose, it climbs up the valley to the far side of the reservoir, and eventually brings you out onto Bohernabreena hill. Left brings you down (it's very steep. Not great on the quads) all the way past church/graveyard/St. Annes GAA to the R114.

chickey2

Thanks dave will have to give it a try.

davedanon

Thursday 1st

2x3m with 3 min recovery. Big session tonight. A gang of us left the club and headed into the park for 2 miles before getting down to business. I was on my own, with a group ahead on 6.30 pace, and a group behind on 7.15. Yours truly was piggy in the middle trying to run 7min miles. I don't mind at all running on my own, but knowing that a group of one's peers are only just behind can be offputting. I was a little up and down on the first set of 3 miles. The second mile taking in the hill from the playground up to the bridge over the M50 came in at 7.26, but by the end I was gasping, probably due to the 6.33 mile I ran trying to correct matters. I walked/jogged back the way I had come (as we had agreed) only to find the group behind had evidently changed their mind and decided to keep going in the same direction. I imagine the reason was the fact that I found myself beginning my second set of three with the same hill. I steamed up it as best I could, and was genuinely surprised after to find that the mile was a 6.57. Continued on to the bitter end and was quite happy with a 6.56 average for the 6 miles.

2 @9.10

6 @6.56 (6.53,7.26,6.33, 6.57, 6.48, 7.00)

2 @9.15

davedanon

Friday 2nd

Day off


Saturday 3rd

20 mile run with 10 @MP. Well, that was the plan anyway. Work prevented me from doing this early doors with the gang - irony of ironies, I had to photograph the Simon Community 5 miler in the park. Well done Eoin Callaghan, 26.12 is pretty tasty - although I did drive past them in Tallaght village shortly after 8am, and was able to snap them en masse from the car window: a fearsome sight. Didn't manage to get out the door after work until about 4pm. Domestic stuff partly to blame, but also I had a route problem. As in, I didn't have one. Then, a brainwave. What about a marathon dress-rehearsal? I worked out that it was about 8 miles to the park, and 10 miles along the course from there would leave me not too far from home. It's amazing how a plan can impart a sense of purpose, and I was positively looking forward to this adventure. I know the training has been on the money, because every time I have a day or more off lately, I can feel the spring in my legs as the body adapts more and more quickly to the stresses. After the usual couple of slowish warmup miles, I was skipping along at 8.10/15 pace, and not even noticing. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed the first 8 miles which brought me from Firhouse down through Tallaght village, along Greenhills to the roundabout, then down Walkinstown ave towards Ballyfermot, before turning sharply right downhill into Chapelizod and along Conyngham Rd to the gate into the park. I hit 8 miles here, and with a hilly section to come I decided to walk up to Chesterfield. All along it was my intention to run 12 miles (rather than 10) at marathon pace, as I had run 14 MP miles at this point in the training cycle before London, so I was feeling the guilts. Although thankfully they have changed last year's hellish course a bit, there is still an awful long, straight, boring drag up Chesterfield to negotiate, it has to be said. And that's before you exit the Castleknock gate, from where it's more of the same until you reach Myo's. After that there's a bit more climbing, before the mostly downhill section to Knockmaroon, when you re-enter the park. From there it's flat or downhill to the Chapelizod gate, and everyone is of course familiar with the lay-out from there. I go into it at all only to stress this point. It's by far the hardest section of the whole race, and it lasts from Chesterfield to the Walkinstown roundabout, which is a good 10 miles. I really think that most people should be happy to sacrifice a little time along here, because it is the rock upon which many a marathoner's hopes have been dashed. I was absolutely delighted to be able to run the 12 miles at a 7.20 average, only 5 secs a mile down on the target. I'd take 10 secs on the day if it kept me fresh for a go at a negative split. I've been up the Crumlin rd section so many times, sometimes half-dead, other times skipping along like Bambi, but tonight the objective verdict remains: this is a long and mostly uphill drag, with prevailing headwinds. It's just crucial to get to the Walkinstown roundy in one piece. So sacrifice some time: you'll get it back later. Really, really glad to have gotten this done. It's a massive confidence booster. It also marks the beginning of three weeks of gradual taper. Oh joy...

22 @7.56

12m @ MP. Av 7.20 (7.21, 7.19, 7.31, 7.13, 7.08, 7.25, 7.21, 7.21, 7.32, 7.31, 7.14, 7.09)

Pacing Mule

Excellent stuff. And solid advice too about the route.

annapr

Interesting assessment of the route. I agree, although I think from Myo's to Dolphin's Barn is not too bad, even with the hill into Kilmainham. Also from the Liffey to the park is also a drag, so really more like 12 miles!

davedanon

Sunday 4th

Day off.

Weekly total 55

davedanon

Monday 5th

Taper Day 1: Rest on the plan, but I took yesterday off, so: Short, easy run.

4 @8.52


Tuesday 6th

Taper Day 2: 12 mile run. Lovely evening out with the club gang. Stretched our legs a little in the latter stages.

12 @8.30


Wednesday 7th

Taper Day 3: Easy run slated, but I'm swapping Friday's rest day with this because I'm working.


Thursday 8th

Taper Day 4: Easy run. Felt very comfortable at a slightly quicker pace than normal. Careful to keep effort easy though. I think the body just expects to be worked hard on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

7 @8.09

davedanon

Friday 9th

Short easy run.

4 @9.05


Saturday 10th

Tymon parkrun. 5k blow-out race, 2 weeks out from DCM. A few of us from Tallaght AC in attendance for this. Quite happy with 19.34 considering I haven't been training for the shorter distances.

2.36 @9.43
3.10 @6.19
1.28 @9.31