Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose

Mrs Mc

Great report D sounds like a very tough course and tough conditions fair play to you getting a pb with all those obstacles. You are really doing great training is working obviously.

diego_b

Mrs Mc wrote: »

Great report D sounds like a very tough course and tough conditions fair play to you getting a pb with all those obstacles. You are really doing great training is working obviously.

Thanks A, delighted with how it went and would recommend it as a run sometime especially if you can stay local to it!

diego_b

Need to update log, 11:30pm so will try to get it done before 12am
Been an easy week following last week's racing in Connemara, also had a daddy/mommy/daughter day for my daughter's birthday on Tuesday. Had a plan to run that evening but was jacked tired.


Wednesday 13/04/2016
3.1m easy, legs felt good since the weekend so took a handy loop around home.
Avg pace was 8:55min/mi.


Thursday 14/04/2016
S&C work in the morning, been two weeks since I dd some some need to get back to do the exercises at least once a week.
Squats 3x15reps with 5kg bell
Single leg squats 2x15reps with 5kg bell (normally do 3x15 but dropped a set as these are the exercise that cause me the most grief with knee stuff so need to be careful
Heels raises/drops 3x15reps
Heel raises 3x15reps with 5kg bells

4.3m easy @ 8:42min/mi, felt pretty tired doing this...pace was nothing hectic but guess weekend's exploits still in the system.


Friday 15/04/2016
Nothing, again like Tuesday I had plans for an easy 3.1 but let it go as felt too tired.


Saturday 16/04/2016
Birthday party day for the now 4 year old, crikey why do birthdays at this age take so much!! It was a nice day and she enjoyed it.


Sunday 17/04/2016
Took part in a 10 mile road race locally, a race I did last year at full belt in 1:26:20. Following racing last week I was not going to be silly and race this proper but I wanted to use it as my weekend long run. I decided to do it as a progression run based on effort, MP up to about 3-4 miles (the nature of the hills in the route to this point made it easy to plan that way), then HMP on the next 3 miles or so, 3 miles or so at 10K effort and then try do the last mile as fast as I could. Very pleased with how this went, the splits on Strava don't look quite the way they should but effort wise it felt right.

Avg pace was 8:09
8:34
8:31
9:01
8:29
7:39
7:46
8:14
8:06
7:50
7:22

Came home in 1:21:43 (my 10 mile PB is 1:18:52) so was very happy with that as a training run particularly comparing to what my full race time was year. Felt nice and controlled all the way up till about 3 miles to go and I guess I started off a little bit too fast as felt the effort a small bit then. Last mile was great though, as we went through the mile 9 marker I had a group of 4 runners about 20 seconds ahead and then another 2 10 seconds further up the field. Managed to pass all and finished flat out running the down home straight on the track in which the race finishes.

The week ahead will be an interesting one as have to work my training around some travel but I might get a chance to try a parkrun outside the country too which would be nice.

Bumped into my physio at the race today (he wasn't running himself) and he's racing a little oul run in London next weekend, wished him well and very interested to see how he gets on.

Neady83

There's no stopping you Diego, that's a really nice confidence booster especially with last weekend still in the legs. Some improvement on last year, fair play.

diego_b

Neady83 wrote: »

There's no stopping you Diego, that's a really nice confidence booster especially with last weekend still in the legs. Some improvement on last year, fair play.

Thanks Neady, for sure it did feel good thinking of what I was thinking of as a training run so it's been really nice progression for me!

Mrs Mc

Nice time for a training run D. What's next for you now ?

diego_b

Mrs Mc wrote: »

Nice time for a training run D. What's next for you now ?

Next up is the Great Limerick Run Half marathon on the Sunday of May Bank Holiday weekend. Looking forward to it!

diego_b

Monday 18/04/2016

Rest


Tuesday 19/04/2016

First day off work for holidays so did this run at 11:30, felt really really warm and sweated a lot. Run was 3.1m easy in 27:32 @ 8:51min/mi, unsurprisingly tired doing this run following my 10 mile progression run/race on Sunday. Need to get better at the going to bed early


Wednesday 20/04/2016

4m on the Treadmill in the hotel in England, again still tired but in the meantime we'd stayed overnight in Shannon, up at 6am and travelled to the UK with my daughter (first time flying and she loved it) and had some pool time earlier. This took about 43mins or so (think it was around 10kph@1% incline). Didn't feel as warm on the treadmill in the gym as it does at home so guess I need to knock a few walls out and install air conditioning....some chance of that!!


Thursday 21/04/2016

Legoland, on the feet all day....it was great


Friday 22/04/2016

Legoland day 2, on the feet and on rides all day.....again great fun was had.
4 miles on the Treadmill again that evening, this time in just over 40mins....had upped the pace to 11kph for most of the run after starting slower. Run felt pretty good albeit tired still.


Saturday 23/04/2016

Rest day, well travelling all day in ways day but back home in Kerry at 11pm that night.


Sunday 24/04/2016

8m steady in 1:10 @ 8:46min/mi.
Planned this run to stay easy and run on a loop that would allow me opt out at 6 miles or else keep going for the full 8. Run felt good so was happy to be back on track after a disrupted week.

Splits of
8:51
8:48
8:51
8:37
8:39
8:36
8:49
8:55

Weekly total: 19.1 miles, not quite the 20 I was hoping for but it was enough for now with all the going on on holidays.

Plan for the week ahead is a run on Tuesday and Thursday ahead of the Great Limerick Run Half marathon on Sunday.

Chartsengrafs

Good strong finish on the race. Again, Coach Taylor would be proud!

diego_b

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

Good strong finish on the race. Again, Coach Taylor would be proud!

Haha thanks very much, I do my best for him!

Firedance

Best of luck on Sunday D! Have you done that one before? Is it a flat enough course?

diego_b

Firedance wrote: »

Best of luck on Sunday D! Have you done that one before? Is it a flat enough course?

Thank you kindly FD. It is one I have done before, last year and enjoyed it. It's pretty flat throughout with one short enough pull up and then a decent drag late in the race. It has changed slightly to take out the main climb (flyover at the Crescent SC) and going on the information I have from here it should be faster but possibly will have congestion at one point midway...fingers crossed it's managed well. I have set my goals as follows.

A. 1:45 (8 minute miles)
B. 1:46:46 (10 minutes quicker than last year)
C. Breaking my PB from Connemara early this month (currently 1:48:39)

Goal A is quite aggressive but based on my 10 mile race times from Tralee Valentine's run and Ballycotton 10....1:18:52 in both I should be there or thereabouts on a relatively flat course

Kennyg71

Best Luck Sunday D, will be there myself on Sunday so will keep eyes peeled
for you.

diego_b

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Best Luck Sunday D, will be there myself on Sunday so will keep eyes peeled
for you.

Ta very much and good stuff, will give you a wave if I spot you!

Mrs Mc

Best of luck in Limerick D.

denis b

Enjoy the event and the spoils Diego. Give it your best.

Singer

Have a great race! Your targets look great, best of luck and hope you enjoy the day.

diego_b

Mrs Mc wrote: »

Best of luck in Limerick D.

Thanks A, all prep done now so looking forward to it!

denis b wrote: »

Enjoy the event and the spoils Diego. Give it your best.

Thanks Denis, will give it a good go!

Singer wrote: »

Have a great race! Your targets look great, best of luck and hope you enjoy the day.

Thanks B, fingers crossed on them. I figure even if plan A goes wrong it would want to go awfully wrong for me to not get B and even C goals so going to push it a bit!

diego_b

Monday 25/04/2016

Rest


Tuesday 26/04/2016

4m steady run, ran this with a club mate on a route that had a good pull up for a mile and a half, a flat mile and then down for a mile and flat to the finish. Felt the effort a small bit on towards the end of the climb and it flicked up for a steep bit. Grand thereafter and felt good.
Avg pace was 8:30min/mi with splits of 8:52, 8:47, 8:11, 8:12.

Wednesday 27/04/2016

Rest / juvenile coaching


Thursday 28/04/2016

AM
S&C work
3x15reps of single leg calf raises with 5kg kettle bell
3x15reps squats with 5kg kettle bell
3x15reps of single leg squats with 5kg kettle bell on each leg
3x15reps heel raises/drops

PM
3.3m easy pace run, avg pace 9:05min/mi. Was meant to be a club run but only I turned up. Didn't mind as meant I could run it at an easy pace.

That's it till race day on Sunday. Did my packing tonight as working up the country next week for a few days as well. Race band prepped and gear all packed. Felt pretty cold running tonight so have cold weather gear like gloves and arm sleeves packed but surely won't be needed.

Firedance

the good thing about arm sleeves is that they can be rolled right down to your wrists if it gets warm, I much prefer them to gloves, which your kind of stuck with for duration.. Hope you get weather like today (here) its sunny but cool

diego_b

Firedance wrote: »

the good thing about arm sleeves is that they can be rolled right down to your wrists if it gets warm, I much prefer them to gloves, which your kind of stuck with for duration.. Hope you get weather like today (here) its sunny but cool

That is true, have used them twice this year in races...a 10K on New Years Day (found them a bit warm about half way through) and in the half in Connemara....felt proper SMRT with them and they stayed in place throughout. Useful to stash a gel in them as well...it would want to be proper cold on Sunday though for me to use them. Gloves I use a bit, even last night here I ran with sunglasses, long sleeves and gloves....actually considered fishing out the running tights there was that much of a chill in the air but yet it was sunny. Odd weather!

Fingers crossed I like when it's chilly!

jake1970

Best of luck Sunday Diego, A goal all the way.

This Fat Girl Runs

Good luck tomorrow!

diego_b

jake1970 wrote: »

Best of luck Sunday Diego, A goal all the way.

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Good luck tomorrow!

Ta very much!

diego_b

Tough day at the office for me, got a pb for the half in Limerick of 1:47:44. Nearly a minute faster than Connemara but it was not a well paced race for me. I went out for 1:45, on target at 5 miles, minute slower than target at 10 mile and it just got slower from there. Got my goal C target but if I had ran it better I probably could have gotten in the 1:46s and not had my slowest mile my last mile. Lots to learn and inspiration for a proper training plan and not picking target times that I have not been specifically training for.

That race hurt the most since the last 10K of DCM, I slowed an awful lot and could feel pain in my gluts around 10miles. First time to feel that but in a way I was glad as been doing work to try get my gluts doing their fair share and save my quads a bit. Will do up a proper report later but I guess a pb should be celebrated but has left me a few thoughts of room for improvement and to get onto a plan.

Firedance

absolutely a PB should be celebrated so well done D!!! plenty of time for post race analysis and as long as we learn from our mistakes they're worth making congrats!

diego_b

Firedance wrote: »

absolutely a PB should be celebrated so well done D!!! plenty of time for post race analysis and as long as we learn from our mistakes they're worth making congrats!

Thank you kindly, i really enjoy the thoughts that come across your mind during particularly hard parts in races and you cannot hide from your own internal honesty. Whether you choose to acknowledge it afterwards is another matter but you learn a lot when it's proper tough! I did think back to the last two miles of Connemara during the same two miles today and the difference huge in feeling plus about a 45-60 seconds a mile in pace.

diego_b

Great Limerick Run 2016
Half Marathon Race report

Arrived in Limerick at 10:30 (1 hour before start time) and headed to the baggage area. All felt well, nice and relaxed. Saw the lead marathon relay runner (he was bloody flying it), the lead male and the back of the leading female. I enjoy getting to see the proper fast people doing their thing and in awe of simply the ability to go that fast!

I had set 3 goals for today, 1:45, 1:46:56 (10 mins quicker than last year) and breaking my pb from earlier last month in Connemarathon which was 1:48:39.
My plans was quite simple and to run 8 minute miles for as long as I could and through hope and expectation (based on similar routine in two 10 mile races this year where I finished just under 1:19). I figured that with a relatively flat run as Limerick was in my memory from last year and also through looking at the course profile it seemed to me that it would be one I should be able to hold that pace over....that was first mistake. Also in setting my target it was a little bit of asking myself the question of when setting targets have I been too nice to myself, have I been sandbagging a little bit in the comfort zone for longer distance races and was going to risk a very uncomfortable second half to the race...had to remind myself that later on that even with how it went this race went exactly to one set of expectations that I had for how it might go.

Atmosphere was building nicely and parted ways with my wife at 11:20 (she went to Mass to kill the time ahead of her 6 mile run at 1:30). Up to the start area and did an easy warm up, nothing to hectic and in hindsight I should have done more as I remember after two miles into the race I wasn't feeling particularly warmed up. Need to revise my warm up routine or else simply get back to doing one proper as before. Met a mate from home and a friend from college doing his first half marathon and also had a chat with KennyG as we exchanged targets and course notes. He seemed in good form and confident, as was I at this stage. Race got underway at 11:47 (for me anyways) and a quick right hander after going through the start line and into Mile 1.

Mile 1
Fast start for the first few hundred meters, I was being careful with weaving and just to get into my stride. Before the start of the race I positioned myself in between the 1:50-1:40 pacers and thankfully many in my position seemed to do similar. Watch beeped after the bit of a kick up in the first mile, 8:02. Pretty happy with that.

Mile 2
Fast part of the course this as you have a downhill section and saw lots of people making big pushes....some around me were breathing hard. I was feeling grand but noticed that my hamstrings felt a bit cold. We started to meet some marathon runners on the other side of the road now. Caught a lot of the 4 mile group but missed Neil. Saw a clubmate running with some MCI friends just after the 4 hour pacer and gave her a cheer....she responded similar.
Underneath the motorway here and out towards Raheen. Mile 2 split 7:53.

Mile 3
90 degree turn in this mile, at the water stop....on top of a flyover bridge. It was a bit odd and not my favourite part of the course as running on poxy bypass road as well. After that it was tipping around Raheen, still feeling pretty good here and crowd support through the estates was nice.

Mile 4
More of the same this mile, could see some poor car drivers been disrupted trying to get through their estates. Fairplay to them for allowing this event to go ahead as many parts are not just on open roads. Split for this mile was 7:59. Was feeling good and confident that I would still be on target after mile 5.

Mile 5
Drag in this mile up to a roundabout on the same road as mile 3, then a bit of downhill so speed picked up a bit. Mile 5 splits was 8:03 and went through the marker on the pole bang on 40mins. I was starting to feel the effort a bit and said I'd do well to hit the next real checkpoint at 10miles which was 1:20. Just said keep the head going and see how it goes.

Mile 6
7:55 for this mile and feeling grand still, this mile I had as a possible trouble spot as it was the reverse of mile 2 from the start. So a bit of a drag upwards and also thought we'd be meeting more marathon runners there but not too many really.

Mile 7-8
Coming back into the city now, I was more familiar with this section of the route and knew I might be seeing my wife as I had told her I would coming through around 55mins after the start and I was on course for that checkpoint. Starting to feel really quite warm at this point and doubts were beginning to creep in. I had a gel that I planned to take later this mile also. Back in towards the city centre and a few loops around the streets there, great support around. Meet my wife around the end of mile 7 and she gave me a good cheer. Took my gel just after meeting her and cut my hand off the safety pin that I had the gel pinned inside my waistline with this. Thankfully it stopped bleeding soon.
Splits for Mile 7 and 8 was 8:10 and 8:11. As we starting to run away from the city centre then towards mile 8 I accepted that I was not going to get goal A and even though I was on course for goal B I said not to chase it or else I would risk not getting a pb. Also I had the thoughts that these 5 miles are going to hurt, could feel my feet started to burn up so blisters afoot....have 3 whoppers under my toes on my right foot and just the one on my left foot.

Mile 9
Short climb out to Thomond park, thought I was getting a second wind at this point as I passed a few runners. Saw an elderly gentleman getting assistance on the footpath from medics. I would guess he was a spectator going on his clothing. Hope he is okay. 8:24 was the split here so that confirmed to me I really was slowing.

Mile 10
The end of this mile was to be my next proper checkpoint and would confirm to me what was on the cards for the rest of the race. We looped around the GAA grounds and into the drag for the next mile or so. Oddly I started to feel both glut muscles/hip area really working hard. I just said hello pain and hoped it wouldn't spasm or anything like that. It was a new one for me and not one I especially felt comfortable with. Figured that my glut muscles were after working pretty hard and were making that known to me. Went past the mile 10 marker 1:21. My target had been 1:20 for here but it was not on the cards for sure. My split was 8:26 so least held pace from previous mile. Did some rough maths and said that maybe goal B was still on but would require doing the last 5K in under 26 mins which should have been fine under normal circumstances.

Mile 11
Properly into lets just get this race over with now, leggy as could be and passed by a few....not sure if I passed anyone in the last few miles.
Split was 8:35 so again the mental maths were out and just said forget the watch and do what you can over the last 2 miles or so. Knew their would be no sprint finish like last year but I was still going to be way faster than last year. Had to remind myself that even still this was likely to be a pb even with the bad positive split.

Mile 12
Another 8:35 here, and was thinking about how this mile felt and how the final mile would feel in comparison to my last half in Connemarathon. That day I felt so strong over the last two miles, today I was just doing the one foot in front of the other and willing myself on. Definitely spoke out loud to myself during this mile telling myself just two more miles, it'll be over then. Felt a little bit sick to the stomach even here so was wondering could I do my first ever getting sick at a race.

Mile 13
There was a few photographers on this section of the course and I would be curious to see their pics to see how f-ed I looked as I did feel it. I was thinking of a few things here, one was that I will take a break from racing for the rest of this month and try get a good block of training under my belt. I have raced a lot over the last few months but it's been at the cost of increasing my mileage and being on a proper plan. I would like to rectify this after taking a few days off now. I have a half marathon coming up in mid June but it's a hilly course and don't expect to run a faster time that today in it.

Finish
Great support on the streets then to finish, crossed the line with 1:48:02 on the clock so knew I had my pb. Text message confirmed a finish time of 1:47:44 so was happy with that.

Reflection
I enjoyed the event but I don't especially like the route to be honest. It was a lot more draggy than I remembered and I felt the drags cost me a bit. Give me proper hills anyday. I should have went out easier, a few 8:20 minute miles or so at the start wouldn't have harmed me and would have easily had a better finish I guess. 1:45 was too much of an ask for me on the day.
Also I don't enjoy running out of the city centre, to come back in again to go back out again and back to finish. The route works well for the organisers but I rather a proper loop ala the Dublin Marathon course if doing a city race.
It's a good event though and despite not liking the course I will do it again....hopefully faster, smarter and better trained!

Splits
8:02
7:53
7:58
7:59
8:03
7:55
8:10
8:11
8:24
8:26
8:35
8:35
8:40

Chip time1:47:44

Avg pace
8:12

Kennyg71

Well done on PB and I rekon when you get specific about your Marathon training
you will knock chunks off your time, when you are doing 45/50 miles a week
endurance starts to pay off, so to PB when not targeting the distance in your
training says plenty more to come, some great racing experience over last few
months will also defiantly stand to you as well, so I think you will keep moving
that A goal. Really nice to meet you again.

diego_b

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Well done on PB and I rekon when you get specific about your Marathon training
you will knock chunks off your time, when you are doing 45/50 miles a week
endurance starts to pay off, so to PB when not targeting the distance in your
training says plenty more to come, some great racing experience over last few
months will also defiantly stand to you as well, so I think you will keep moving
that A goal. Really nice to meet you again.

Thanks G, I have been holding off specific plan training this year but I do want to start building up my mileage so that when proper DCM training starts in a month or two that I have a better base on a weekly count than currently. For the last few months I have been racing a lot off general aerobic runs and I think I have maxed that out. And for sure I think another marathon cycle could help me plus I do like the structure of it!