Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose

Younganne

diego_b wrote: »

Thanks A, she's all good now for sure. She was only asking me last night can start running around again so told her she can from Thursday when she's back at gymnastics and then basketball on Friday. Hopefully won't happen again but I guess these things can. Whiplash, crikey! Must require a fair hit for that to happen to someone, never heard of that in a game to be honest. Yeah it got a lot of coverage locally in the papers over that poor chap, fingers crossed for all families that is not something that befalls anyone as just tragic.

glad to hear shes back to her old self.

Niamhs' injuries was from being knocked backwards and she was airbound so had no control when she fell and ended up banging here head. Its happened twice since (thankfully with less impact) but my heart stops every time!!:(

diego_b

Younganne wrote: »

glad to hear shes back to her old self.

Niamhs' injuries was from being knocked backwards and she was airbound so had no control when she fell and ended up banging here head. Its happened twice since (thankfully with less impact) but my heart stops every time!!:(

Can well believe that feeling!!

diego_b

Monday 05-03-2018

8 miles easy in 1:12:38 @ 9:05min/mi, after work nothing really of note!


Tuesday 06-03-2018

With a half marathon race in Tralee coming over Patrick's weekend I fancied trying a session to see where I was at for the pace I was hoping to run that in, bit cold out when starting but not too bad.
So I did 1mi warm up then 6x 1 mile at half marathon pace + 120 second recoveries with 0.5mi cool down to finish. Total of 8.6 miles in 1:11:49. For the intervals I was targeting around 7:40-7:45 for them, what I actually got was 7:40, 7:39, 7:42, 7:45, 7:52, 8:09 (0.3mi of this was uphill)
I'd be lying if I said I felt 100 percent doing these and I was going to can them after 4x intervals but given I was around 3 miles from home at the time I said I'd plough on with them as was keeping me warm and I'd get home quicker.
Got home then and felt fairly crap now to be honest, figured maybe I'm not fit enough for this sort of stuff yet....certainly not going for a pb in that half marathon!!


No running since as had a Primary Schools Indoor Sports event straight after work on Wednesday and once I got home from that I packed for travelling to Dublin for a few days for work and went to bed early. Normally find it hard to sleep if travelling early in the morning but I was out for the count sharpish.
I brought my running gear with me and everything but I won't be running for a few days as feel fairly crap now. Got a fierce case of the shivers yesterday evening waiting for the bus out of town. Look forward to getting back to Kerry later and going to bed. Hopefully all going will be back on the road on Sunday. It a chesty sort of affair though so just have to let that sort itself out. Annoying!!

diego_b

Catchup on the log needed again. So indeed I was proper sick over the last week and a half or so. That Friday evening going back to Kerry I felt awful on the plane and threw up as soon as we landed. First time that ever happened me! Went home and just went to bed, woke up the next day with both a chest cold and a stomach bug...a joyful combination. Saturday and Sunday were a complete right off, either spent in bed or on the couch...literally fit for nothing. Wrapped the week with 16.6 miles.
Back to work on Monday as I'd arranged a piece of project work for that day that I didn't want to miss out doing, still wasn't feeling so good but ploughed on. The day went okay but I went for a lie down for 20 mins during my lunch break as I was exhausted. Project work went okay and had the job done by 6:30pm.
Had been going to bed about an hour earlier than normal for the preceding few days and that carry on continued most of the week due to the general tiredness. Tried a run on the treadmill on Tuesday evening, wasn't feeling 100% but said I'd start it and see how I went. Abandoned after a mile as was coughing a good bit and said I'd give myself a fairly epic fall coughing on the treadmill. Still lacking energy in the general but life went on otherwise. On Thursday then I went to the GP as I was getting a bit browned off with the thing, she took bloods and diagnosed a viral infection that would pass in a week or two. She told me to give myself a break and would be back running in a week or so. I'm smiling politely here.
Went for another attempted run that evening, this time on the road and again abandoned after almost coughing up half a lung. 0.3mi!! Anyways another few days needed.

So we come to the weekend, I had the local half marathon coming up in Tralee so was hoping to toe the line at least. Few friends had traveled down the country to do the race so was hoping to see them there and run it as planned. I needed to see if I could actually run first! Saturday morning before the Patrick's Day parade I managed and easy pace 30 min run, covering 3.3mi @ 9:09min/mi. Little to no coughing so I passed myself fit to run the half marathon!

Sunday 18-03-2018 - Tralee Half Marathon 2018

So I made startline!
Bumped into my college friends before the race and wished them all well on their various goals. All three secured great pbs, I think 6 mile pb for my former housemate, 14 min pb for his girlfriend and an 11 minute pb for another friend of mine that was running too. For my part I didn't really have a clue as to how it would go for me but this was not going to be any pb or even a remote attempt at one. Chatting with the coach in my club who was running the full I told him that I probably would be in the 1:50-2 hour range and I came home in 1:49:59 @ 8:22min/mi (only gun time on the results so 1:50:05 there). I felt I managed the race pretty well and ran it an even effort, the odd light cough here and there but nothing bad. It was very cold throughout through and I used my Donadea 50K arm sleeves (a favourite at the moment!) and gloves (took them off and put them back on a few times throughout) but maybe it was the pace I was running at but I hardly sweated throughout and didn't feel warm much at all which is rare the case for me when racing. I had little power/drive really on the road and when the 3:45 pacers for the full marathon passed me around 7 miles I had a little smile (the same pace group I used last year for my 3:43:41 marathon pb, I only ran with them up to 15 miles then and ran ahead of them the rest of the race in 2017), but today I didn't even bother trying to stay with them as I couldn't really. I guessed with around 5 miles to go that I might come home under 1:50 but I felt a bit of a mark today as anyone who wanted to pass me got to do so and I just let them go. I was just happy to get around and finished strong over the last mile getting down into the low 8 minute mile. So after a crappy few weeks I hope that's all behind me now, I guess easy miles over the next few weeks to hopefully build back up and pick a target event to train for.

Strava Link

Total mileage for the week: 18.6 miles

Neady83

A sub-1:50 half isn't too shabby considering the run up to it.

Glad you took the docs advice and eased off. Hopefully that's all the bugs, coughs, viral and chest infections behind us all for the rest of the year

diego_b

Neady83 wrote: »

A sub-1:50 half isn't too shabby considering the run up to it.

Glad you took the docs advice and eased off. Hopefully that's all the bugs, coughs, viral and chest infections behind us all for the rest of the year

Haha thanks, yeah I can't complain with the time too much. I meant to mention in my report that your lead up to Donadea came to mind at one stage and I was thinking thank feck I'm only running the half marathon here...wouldn't have fancied doing the full at all on the day...let alone a 50K! But I said to my mate before hand it wasn't exactly a target race that I'd be training for so grand to be able to get around.

Fingers crossed as I think it's my longest break from running outside of injuries/niggles since I started and was not a happy bunny about it at all!!

diego_b

Monday 18-03-2018

Could have ran but said I'd maybe benefit more from the day off to help get back into things.


Tuesday 19-03-2018

7.2 miles easy in 1:06:41 @ 9:16min/mi. Uneventful run but all good, was a bit later starting this around half 6 but still managed most of it in brightness which was nice. Roll on the spring forward.


Wednesday 20-03-2018

4 miles easy in 36:47 @ 9:08min/mi. Ran this at lunchtime as wasn't going to have time after work due to coaching and being on call for work after that. Run was fine, a bit chilly as seems to be the case at the moment so might have to bring a jacket back out of the press for a few runs...especially looks to be the case for today (Thursday).

Signed up for a few races this week, the half marathon in Ballybunnion on Easter Sat (be another training run type effort), Kingdom Come 10 Miler on April 22nd (first 10 miler race in two years so planning to give this a good go, have a soft race pb of 1:18:52 to break...have got 1:16:11 in a half marathon last summer so hope to target something like that time. Also what probably is a the main goal for the next few months is the Cork City Half Marathon. Not done that event a go and looking forward to actually training properly for a half marathon and seeing how it goes. Generally they've normally come as part of a marathon cycle or I've just ran them like any other 5/10K. 1:40:23 from Charleville 2017 would be the time to hopefully beat there.

diego_b

Thursday 22-03-2018

8 miles easy in 1hr 12mins @ 9:02min/mi.
Got lucky with this run, literally back in the down and the heavens opened up for the rest of the evening. Overdue a soaking when running!


Friday 23-03-2018

Rest day


Saturday 24-03-2018

Took in the Templemore parkrun, this is a small event which doesn't have much more than 40-45 people each week. I ran this a fairly steady effort to finish in 23:23 @ 7:22min/mi. Still not loving running at the moment with things a bit sluggish, even in the last 200-300 meters a guy went past me and felt on a better day I would have been pushing on more with the finish to stop that but I let him go. On my cool down run I took in a lap of the athletics track in the down, never ran on the track but nice to see the facility.
Between warm up, the parkrun and the cooldown it was 5.2 miles in total for the morning.


Sunday 25-03-2018

9 miles easy in 1hr 20mins @ 8:54min/mi. Staying with my parents for a few days so did a long run taking in some roads I haven't been up for maybe 20 years. I stopped for a minute at a GAA pitch where I played U12 hurling for a few years and recalled a funny incident of a protest. One time the kids from my side of the parish had a small bit of a rebellion against the assistant coach who was taking training at the time that had decided to pit the two sides of the parish against each other in a training match. It did not go down well at the time (I can't really recall the reasons why but generally that side of the parish had a greater success in games between the two primary schools and in time we would be expected to play with each other up till U21 before splitting into two separate sides within the parish. As you imagine it was literal bloodshed in those games at senior level so there was always a bit of something even at underage level even when we were playing together. On that protest day we marched off from training down the road back to the village (about 3 miles away), funny times and I don't ever recall the scenario happening again. In the last 5 years or so the smart people in the parish saw sense and finally now both teams are combined at junior, intermediate and senior team and have managed success at county level. Funny thinking of times of the past.

Total mileage for the week: 33.4 miles

Neady83

diego_b wrote: »

I stopped for a minute at a GAA pitch where I played U12 hurling for a few years and recalled a funny incident of a protest. One time the kids from my side of the parish had a small bit of a rebellion against the assistant coach who was taking training at the time that had decided to pit the two sides of the parish against each other in a training match. It did not go down well at the time (I can't really recall the reasons why but generally that side of the parish had a greater success in games between the two primary schools and in time we would be expected to play with each other up till U21 before splitting into two separate sides within the parish. As you imagine it was literal bloodshed in those games at senior level so there was always a bit of something even at underage level even when we were playing together. On that protest day we marched off from training down the road back to the village (about 3 miles away), funny times and I don't ever recall the scenario happening again. In the last 5 years or so the smart people in the parish saw sense and finally now both teams are combined at junior, intermediate and senior team and have managed success at county level. Funny thinking of times of the past.

Total mileage for the week: 33.4 miles

County folk and their ways can be very strange can't they?

I'd a similar experience though it was a serious rivalry between parishes in my case. Even though a lot of the kids from my parish, including myself, went to a school in the neighbouring parish) because the school was just back the road from us) the coaches on the schools teams would never put us on the school team as we were from the rival parish and our parishes coaches would never put us on the parish team as we went to school in the rival parish. They haven't enough kids now to field a team so they've had no choice but to amalgamate most of the teams. Luckily I'm not scarred for life

diego_b

Neady83 wrote: »

County folk and their ways can be very strange can't they?

I'd a similar experience though it was a serious rivalry between parishes in my case. Even though a lot of the kids from my parish, including myself, went to a school in the neighbouring parish) because the school was just back the road from us) the coaches on the schools teams would never put us on the school team as we were from the rival parish and our parishes coaches would never put us on the parish team as we went to school in the rival parish. They haven't enough kids now to field a team so they've had no choice but to amalgamate most of the teams. Luckily I'm not scarred for life

That is mad, especially the second part where you couldn’t get on your own parish team due to where you went to school! Tbh in my own case I turned my back on hurling around the age 14/15 (I really should have taken up some other sport of course but such were the options in my area). I do wonder for sure if such political scenarios existed in the games in the towns and cities.

diego_b

Well behind on the log again so will catchup a bit, will take a few posts!

Monday 26-03-2018

Off work for 2 weeks so a bit of traveling here and there.
3.1 miles in 25.19 @ 8:08min/mi. Even though it was 3 weeks ago I remember this run as it was lashing rain all day so got out between the showers and ran a simply silly run in regards pacing....hammered out the first mile, easy on the second mile and then picked it up a bit on the last mile. No real reason but just did it that way for a change. 7:29, 8:40, 8:15 were the splits.


Tuesday 27-03-2018

Up in Sallins for some of the day sorting out some stuff with our apartment ahead of new tenants moving in so I took a run around when I learned how to run back in 2013. It was my first run there in 3 years so was nice to have a look back over some old routes including along the canal where I did a lot of the couch to 5K runs. 6.2 miles in 55:28 @ 8:56min/mi.


Wednesday 28-03-2018

Bit of a makey up session today, 1mi w/u, 5miles @ half marathon pace tempo, 1.1mi c/d. I was having to use my phone for this as my GPS had died so pacing it by feel so ended up being a progression run in splits due to the nature of the run (8:51, 8:39, 8:00, 7:43, 7:27, 7:28, 8:50). Felt pretty good that I can recall at least though I had to start and stop a few times due to a guy moving cattle on the road up ahead me. 7.1 miles in 57:46


Thursday 29-03-2018

Back in Kerry after a few days up in Laois so just took in a 9 mile easy run in 1:19:58 @ 8:53min/mi. The area seems to dried up proper now following winter and all that so meant I was able to run across a local bog to take in a new loop to a local village. Nice run and will use this in the summer for sure, there's a foot bridge that has to be traversed across a small river but it's grand. Last time I went down there it was inaccessible but all good now. Summer has arrived!


Friday 30-03-2018

Rest day, didn't run but can't really recall what I was up to that day either.


Saturday 31-03-2018

Run Ballybunion

First race of the day was a fun run with my daughter, I clocked the distance at 0.72 of a mile....I think it was meant to be a kilometer long but didn't matter. Nice event and they get a t-shirt and Easter egg for their troubles.

Next up was the half marathon and 10K, I was doing the half marathon route for the first time having run the 10K I think 3 times in the last 4 years. I said to my wife I was actually being nice to myself running the half as due to the nature of the course (one of the tougher one with hills down here) I couldn't get a pb on it whilst with the 10K I could have given that a blast but not in the nick for that at the moment. I had plans for the half to run it quicker than I had raced in Tralee two weeks earlier with a plan to go with the 1:45 pacer and see how that went for me. I used him like an elastic band where sometimes I dropped around 15-20 secs behind but didn't pass him, I just kept the effort pretty constant as best I could. Worked pretty well and once we got to 10.5 miles I pushed on and came home in 1:42:48 (7:51min/mi avg), the pacer came in 1:30-1:40min later so I definitely finished strong which was nice. Very testing route with one climb from mile marker 7 to marker 9 that was particularly challenging. Happy with the day as the pace is slowly coming back into the legs and on a flatter route I certainly could have been a bit quicker.

Between the run with my daughter, warm up, race and cool down it was 15.1 miles.


Sunday 01-04-2018

Rest day aka flying to Paris with my wife and daughter to spend time in Disneyland during the next week.

Total mileage for the week: 40.5 miles

diego_b

Monday 02-04-2018

3.1 miles in 29:19 @ 9:24min/mi. Did this early enough, 7:30am to get some miles in before going to Disneyland for the rest of the day with the family. Great spot, feet fecked tired after the day walking around.


Tuesday 03-04-2018

3.3 miles in 31:18 @ 9:28min/mi. Same plan as the day before, same result. Day 2 in the parks down.


Wednesday 04-04-2018

Rest day from running today but we took in some shopping and also headed into Paris on the train in the afternoon. We walked with our daughter from the Arc De Triomphe down to the Eiffel Tower and back again. First day our soon to be 6 year old complained of her tired legs!


Thursday 05-04-2018

4 miles in 38min @ 9:28min/mi, more morning plodding/exploring before our final day in Disneyland Paris. Definitely will be back there in a few years, they are extending it so worth a revisit in maybe 3-4 years. Managed to sneak an hour each day we were there to get in some rollercoasters that my wife and daughter wouldn't be going on. The final one I did, the Rock and Rollercoaster left my head spinning a bit. Being flipped upside down is never the best and right at the start of the ride as well. Still all good fun.


Friday 06-04-2018

3.1 miles in 28:41 @ 9:13min/mi. Final run in the Disneyland area before heading for the airport and the long road back home to Kerry. Not back home till around 9pm that night.


Saturday 07-04-2018

Tralee parkrun, 23:40 @ 7:29min/mi. Only real pace work of the week but that's what I'm trying to do with parkrun for the moment now until I start a plan proper.
0.5mi warmup before the run and 0.6mi afterwards for a cool down.


Sunday 08-04-2018

8 miles easy in 1:10:39 @ 8:49min/mi.


Total mileage for the week: 25.8 miles

diego_b

Monday 09-04-2018

4.5 miles in 39:57 @ 8:51min/mi. Off work again today as unfortunately my wife's aunt passed away a few days earlier after a short illness so we had the funeral and a family get together to attend to after that.


Tuesday 10-04-2018

Up to Dublin for work, so early start flying up that morning but got my run done that evening around town. 4.7 miles in 43:09 @ 8:51min/mi.


Wednesday 11-04-2018

Short run before work around Dublin again, 3.1 miles in 29min @ 9:16min/mi. Back home to Kerry that evening.


Thursday 12-04-2018

Half day today as my daughter's birthday so I finished up work at 12 and got a run done before she came home from school. Meal in Tralee and Peter Rabbit in the cinema took up the rest of the afternoon. 8 miles easy in 1:11:58 @ 8:54min/mi.


Friday 13-04-2018

3.1 miles in 27:50 @ 8:56min/mi, short run in Tralee before collecting my sister and her son from the train who were down for the birthday party on Saturday (Kid's birthday parties are multi day events!!).


Saturday 14-04-2018

Tralee parkrun in 22:44 @ 7:21min/mi, incl. warm up and cool down it was 5.1 miles for morning. Gave this run a decent push but my splits were very even and looking at the heart rate monitor similarly so. Again my only real pace work of the week but I wanted to run it hard so I'd be running a 10K race the next day on tired legs. Hopefully draw some benefit for the planned 10 mile race next Sunday.


Sunday 15-04-2018

Local 10K race in Ballyheigue, last raced this one three years not long after we moved down and came home in 52:19 (my 10K pb at the time from a few weeks earlier was 47:19, probably 48 something if that course was accurate it came from) but I died on the hills that day. Today I wanted to run a consistent effort and figured I should be good for maybe 48 mins or so. I went through half way in 23:45 and crossed the line in 47:24, managing to nick one place in the last 20 mins after catching a guy napping who I'd had a small tit for tat in the last K. Happy with the run and think if I'd hadn't done the parkrun the day before I'd probably have gotten into the 46s. Doubt I would have broken my 46:02 pb but hopefully later in year, have pencilled in August bank holiday for my club's annual race to do it.

Total mileage for the week: 35.4 miles

diego_b

Monday 16-04-2018

5 miles easy in 44:38 @ 8:55min/mi. Later start for work this morning so went for my run at the time I'd normally start work at. Late evening this so didn't get done with upgrades/support till around 9:30/10pm. The joys at time when your head is fried trying to figure out why something is not working and then it starts working...err.


Tuesday 17-04-2018

Busy this evening with a meeting after work so wanted to get a run in during the day somewhere. Crazy wind down here in Kerry today so was nice to myself and went on the treadmill at lunchtime doing an easy 5K in 29mins.

Log up to date now so will try keep it that way as it gets annoying to catch if I let it slip more than a week out of date.

diego_b

Wednesday 18-04-2018

Juvenile coaching this evening and a United game I want to watch despite the season being over so got my run done at lunchtime. I did 5 miles easy running with some strides (5x maybe 15 seconds, I was using telephones as points of reference where they were on the road, increased the speed with each stride to get to faster than 5K pace on the watch at least).
5 miles in 44:02 @ 8:48min/mi (top speed of 5:32min for a good 2-3 seconds there...imagine being able to sustain that pace!!)

diego_b

Thursday 19-04-2018

First aid course this evening and also a lawn that badly needs being cut, decided to be nice to the neighbours (retired but probably up anyways) and went for my run before work instead of cutting the grass. Have to say I was feeling tired and was more inclined to be cutting the lawn but grand once I got going. 6.5 mile easy in 58:03 @ 8:56min/mi.

diego_b

Friday 20-04-2018

Took a rest day after probably one of my longest streaks (unplanned) but had ran every day since the start of April bar the first of April. No matter, it meant I wouldn't hit 40 miles for the week (hoping to crack 2000 miles for the year but it'll be mid to late Jan 2019 at current avg but DCM training should sort it I think).


Saturday 21-04-2018

Up the country to get see my new nice in Clondalkin, a little dote. Took in the parkrun in Templemore at an easyish (actually marathon pace or what I hope it to be) and finished in 26:22 (8:26min/mi). Lovely morning for the run and enjoying making parkrun a more regular thing. Overdue a volunteering as haven't had any this year (9 runs which is the most I've done in a year) so will try sort that in the next week or two.
Including warm up and cool down was 4.6 miles for the day. Back to Kerry that night so a lot of driving.


Sunday 22-04-2018

Kingdom Come 10 Miler race report
First 10 mile race in two years today so I had plans to take a good chunk out of my pb. I had recorded 1:18:52 two times in early 2016, Tralee and Ballycotton but had got 1:16:11 on during the first 10 miles of Run Killarney Half last year so my target for the day was to at least beat the 1:16 but go for the 1:15 in the process and try hang on. Arrived in plenty of time in Castleisland in the morning, number collection and warm up done no bother. Up to the start line and met the 75 min pacer who was a late sub, the husband of my wife's friend who's a friend of my own now really as I've got to know him more through running over the last year. He told me what he'd be pacing 7:26 or so in the first few miles and would probably come home in the low/mid 1:14s. I told him what my plan was but I'd be going for 7:30-7:36 avg pace. With the we lined up and were off.
First mile was a bit quick I seemed to be alongside the 70 min pace group but I just ignored them and settled in. 7:12.
Second mile now and into an exposed part of the course with a cross wind and some rain coming in, the 75min group went past me but I kinda expected this so just kept trucking. 7:38.
Third mile, running out the road to Tralee now. Kinda on my own as about 10-15 secs off the group. Wind whipping up a bit and rain as a well. Debated should I try pull up behind the group but thought I might balls it up a bit pushing too hard so soon so just took things as they were. 7:32 the split here.
Fourth mile, this was quick as the first half was still on the road to Tralee but we turned off then and a quick downhill section on country roads here. Coach from my club was just at the turn off here and he offered some words of encouragement telling me to pull up to the pace group. Had told him during the week what I was going for but I kept myself as I was going. Water station in this mile, cups so just took a sip. Split was 7:18 here.
Fifth mile, country flat here but what I am used to doing with some ups and downs and a some fast bends. I felt I was going okay here and got 7:32 for the split. The pace group were about 20-25 seconds ahead of me. Split for the first half of the race was 37:11 so I was on the money if I could keep it going.
Sixth mile, small hill in this mile...guess the downhill from the fourth mile...thought it was be worse but short and sweetish despite the sign saying this hill will be tough. The road was a bit cut up here for a few hundred meters going past a farm yard so potholes plus cow shi... Anyways feeling the effort a bit but figured I wasn't far of my 10K pb so what did I expect. Split was 7:34.
Seventh mile, back out onto the main road to run back some of what we run before. Coach from the club here again with some more words, took a pic of me and I was in pain here from the effort but holding the gap with the pace group. Going past 6.2 miles on my watch I was about 10 seconds slower than my 10K pb (if racing the distance I think I'd have broken it). When we were on straight road I counted a 25 second gap so I started to turn the pace up a bit to try catch up. A fella levelled up beside me but then slowed, I almost made the mistake of easing back but I managed to push on. 7:17.
Eighth mile, decided that I think I can catch the pacer here but it meant I would have to run a faster pace than him (obv) but the rain was picking up and the legs were feeling heavy. Now and again was up beside other runners so tried to us them to try help get a push on to gain ground on the pacer. Took a cup of water here at the stop, sipped some and dumped the rest on my race, it was lovely! 7:26 split here.
Ninth mile, getting into very high levels of effort here not but I was gaining group. Some of the 75 minuters had moved on a bit but a few were around the pacer who I was down to about 10 seconds behind. Hitting the marker for 9 miles I was right up behind but really have to push very hard. 7:19. Breathing was very hard but I was counting the minutes. I noted 1:07 on my watch as well hitting the marker so I knew I'd get the sub 1:15 barring cramp but had I more left.
Tenth mile, coming into the Main St of Castleisland now and a bit of a long drag (all very helpful in the first mile as we ran down) but now we're at the end of race. Giving it my best now I passed the 75min pacer and a guy with him. I was into 5K finishing pace and effort now (over 200bpm on the hrm). Thought I'd gone too soon once I went past them as I eased a bit but a few words from the pacer kept me going. We got to the top of the street and turned down to the athletic grounds. Running down the lane there was a group of 3 runners ahead of me, small gap between them and I went through it neatly. One runner ahead of me now as went entered the track, someone shouted my name to go for it so I did, ended up being an almost sprint (my watch says mid 5min mile pace) down the home straight across the line. Saw the clock and realised that I'd not just got sub 1:15 and I'd gone sub 1:14 and given an official time of 1:13:53 (1:13:57 on the gun). Delighted with it now, final mile was 6:57 which is about as fast as I generally can go. Overall avg pace of 7:22.
Strava gives me a 10K pb of 45:34 somewhere enroute but will hopefully be able to give that a rattle in August. Had to dig very deep at times today but it was there when I wanted it which was nice. Hopefully build on this now to set me up for a go at 1:40 in Cork.

Overall 11 miles for the day, didn't do a cool down jog as my hamstrings had enough running for the day but no niggles or anything.

Total mileage for the week: 35.3 miles

Neady83

You're progress is just phenomenal D, smashing 10mile PBs and your 10km PB while you're at it. Unbelievable but really great to see and it gives me hope that I can knock out some PBs even with the long distance training.

ReeReeG

Congrats on the PB! Brilliant race report, really enjoyed reading it!

Singer

Great stuff DB, you're in good shape!

Younganne

great report and great racing, Well done D, you are really reaping the benefit from great training.

diego_b

Neady83 wrote: »

You're progress is just phenomenal D, smashing 10mile PBs and your 10km PB while you're at it. Unbelievable but really great to see and it gives me hope that I can knock out some PBs even with the long distance training.

Thanks S, your mileage is something else...you cover in a day what I do in a week!! At the moment I am only doing road running as there's where my interests are so nice to be still improving. Feeling bad about my bike so have to get it's wheels spinning again. Someone told me once that having taken up running later in life that I should continue to improve into my 40s so hopefully a bit more to come yet.

ReeReeG wrote: »

Congrats on the PB! Brilliant race report, really enjoyed reading it!

Thank you kindly, I said I'd write it fresh last night whilst the adrenalin was still in the system. Couldn't sleep till about 1am last night which isn't bad going for after a race for me.

Singer wrote: »

Great stuff DB, you're in good shape!

Thanks B, I didn't want to leave anything out there as the 10 milers are so rare. Funny enough like buses there is a new one next weekend as well down here but also a 5/10K event on the same venue so will see how I recover to maybe race one of those or use the 10 miler as a training run.

Younganne wrote: »

great report and great racing, Well done D, you are really reaping the benefit from great training.

Thanks A, I never mentioned in my report but going through the 9 mile marker it was lashing rain and had been for the last few miles I remembered the 50K and the muck etc of all that and just said come on you’ve had it tougher than this so go for it you can catch them so was nice to be able to do that. Race wise I seem to be do much better over longer stuff relatively speaking but that's where my training has been focused for a few years now.

Bungy Girl

Brilliant result, D. Congratulations. I enjoyed reading that report. That's some pace for the last mile :cool:

jake1970

Well done D, congrats on the PB!

diego_b

Bungy Girl wrote: »

Brilliant result, D. Congratulations. I enjoyed reading that report. That's some pace for the last mile :cool:

Thanks BG, I was surprised to see a sub 7 when checking the splits at the end. That's what I aim for when running 5Ks and I can usually only manage the first two miles at that pace...certainly surprised to do in the last mile of a 10 miler.

jake1970 wrote: »

Well done D, congrats on the PB!

Thanks L!

diego_b

Monday 23-04-2018

Took my bike out of the shed for the first time this year and had to actually take the dust off it, for shame! Anyways did just over almost 13.5 miles in under an hour (also found a nice half marathon loop for running!). Haven't cycled for months so usually different muscles and could feel it a bit.


Tuesday 17-04-2018

Hip abductors a bit stiff after cycling and legs just generally tired I guess from the race on Sunday so just did 5 miles easy in just under 44:36mins @ 8:56min/mi.

Wubble Wubble

Excellent work D, congrats on the PB, well written!

diego_b

Wednesday 25-04-2018

6 mile easy in 53:42 @ 8:56min/mi. Post run work, bog standard easy miles!


Thursday 26-04-2018

5 miles easy in 45:29 @ 9:03min/mi, about a mile or so of this was off road as I made my way across a field/bog lane. Would be nice if it was longer for something different.


Friday 27-04-2018

Late enough evening run starting at 8:40, just did 3.2 miles in 28:25 @ 8:52min/mi.


Saturday 28-04-2018

Debut at parkrun pacing, my task for the day was to pace for 26mins and I came home in 25:51 (8:22min/mi). The first lap was probably 15-20 secs ahead of target but settled down then and seemed to help a few to get their time with some encouragement over the last lap. One young thanked me afterwards, I only had to give him a few words as he struggling on the last K but he ran well. Will definitely do this again, would prefer to pace a bit faster for a more comfortable run at a pace I'd have better feel for. I think 24 mins might the sweet spot for me but will take what's free. Did half a mile warmup and half a mile cool down. Had some time to kill then as my daughter was her music theatre class so I did another 5K in 28:03 (9:03min/mi) just to pass the time/bulk the weekly mileage.
7.2 miles for the morning.


Sunday 29-04-2018

14 miles in 2:04:05, first 12 easy pace, last 2 were at marathon pace tempo. Forgot to press the lap button so I don't have the avg pace for each section proper but the last two miles were 8:20 and 8:14 which were the fastest of the overall run. The avg pace for the full run was 8:51min/mi, given the first mile was 9:30 (uphill), the rest were in the 8:45-8:55 sort of range that seems right barring another 9:29 for another hill. Good hilly route I picked that took in some of the same route the 10K race from a few weeks did. Funny one was a local cycle was on and because of the route I ran I meet some cyclists at one part and then after working my way across to the other side of headland I met them again around 40mins later. I'd only really one bad hill to come but they had a steady climb for at least another 5 miles. They were saying fairplay to me but I know the route they cycled and they'd had a tougher time than me! Very warm out but I was happy with that as with prep for any potential warm weather for Cork bank holiday weekend I want to get a bit better used to that.

Total mileage for the week: 40.5 miles

diego_b

Monday 30-04-2018

Signed up for the annual London rejection. 5.3 miles easy in 49min @ 9:15min/mi. Late enough starting this at 8:47pm but with such a nice evening we went to the local beach for a wander first and a bit of hopping stones off the water. Remembered that scene from Fr. Ted where he hits the old guy out in the small boat by accident. 20 years plus later and still laughing at it.
Legs felt tired on the run which was no surprise and the pace was a bit slower but all good


Tuesday 01-05-2018

7.3 miles with some strides in 1hr 5 mins @ 8:55min/mi. No such nice evening today so just headed out after work and ran a rarely used loop. Couldn’t make my mind up starting at what route I’d do so just decided on the run whether to go left or right in two spots. Wasn’t sure of the distance when starting out but guessed it was going to be around 7 miles. In the second last mile I did 4 or 5 strides (can’t recall) using lamp posts for reference. New pair of runners arrived in the post today, Adidas Supernova SS18. Never ran in Adidas before so was curious to try them out, Lifestyle had a good offer on them for 70 quid which was even cheaper than sportsshoes. Recently semi retired (they find new uses outside of running) one of my pairs of Nike Pegasus 32s (and can’t find newer model ones for cheap enough yet) so wanted something else for the rotation with my regular Saucony Breakthru 3s (I have 3 pairs of the same runner, one half a size bigger that I used in the 50K...still finding small stones in them). The Supernovas seem grand anyways so might try a few miles in them tomorrow.

Started day 1 of 30 day challenge from the Kinetic Revolution site.

nop98

Catching up - belated congrats on the 10M PB! I was digging deep myself as I was reading that well done and a nice report. Hopefully you can smash that 10k time too.

diego_b

nop98 wrote: »

Catching up - belated congrats on the 10M PB! I was digging deep myself as I was reading that well done and a nice report. Hopefully you can smash that 10k time too.

Thank you kindly N!

diego_b

Wednesday 02-05-2018

4.1 miles easy in 36:37 @ 8:56min/mi. Had juvenile coaching this evening so needed to get a run done at lunchtime. Tried out the Supernovas and they are the grandest.
Day 2 of 30 day challenge completed.

diego_b

Thursday 03-05-2018

6.5 miles easy in 1:00:52 @ 9:22min/mi. A load of cows were being moved on the road on my route so ended up having to walk behind them for a few mins during mile 5.
Day 3 of the 30 day challenge completed.


Friday 04-05-2018

Rest day, Day 4 of the 30 day challenge completed.


Saturday 05-05-2018

Tralee parkrun in 24:10 (7:42min/mi), ran this as a steady/tempo effort sort of run. I arrived late enough so no warm up really but a jog from the car.
On the run I encountered a runner who's just getting back from surgery a few months back (had chatted with her last week a small bit on the first lap when I was pacing 26 mins). I was running beside her for a few mins and she told me to push on whenever it suited and I was telling her that was I racing on the track the next day so I'd stick with her if that was okay.
In the end it seemed like it worked out that I paced her for some of the second and all of the third lap. I ran this comfortable enough and just offered a few words of encouragement, she came home around a minute quicker than last week so was nice to have helped her out in someway.
Day 5 of the 30 day challenge completed.

After that I ran up to meet my wife who was dropping our daughter at her class so we went for a run then.
Just over 3.1 miles in 33:57 @ 10:48min/mi. Grand very eacy pace run now out and back to Blennerville bridge along the canal.
6.4 miles in total for the morning.


Sunday 06-05-2018

Kerry Athletics Track and Field County Championships, had signed up to take part in a few events with the 3000m being my main event.

First I took part in the shot put (not thrown one since the championships last year), got my longest throw with my first effort and got worse after that. Need practice!

Then came the 3000m, was very nervy before this as I knew it was going to hurt a lot running about as hard as I can for 7 and a half laps.
I gave it my best, with the field very spread out I managed to reel in and pass a guy (think a junior runner who'd gone out way too hard) on the back straight of the second last lap and then just kept the legs going as best I could in case he came back (he didn't).
Lapped two other master runners from my club (one being my Da) going off the last bend on the home straight for me and pushed it as hard as I could to the line. However the pace simply isn't there at the moment and I found the going tough enough, maybe didn't help that it was quiet warm on the day (I have the sunburn to show for it) but I came home in 12:35 (9 seconds slower than last year).

After that it was up to the javelin, really enjoy this event actually. It's very nice standing around and just getting some nice throws in. Very friendly setup and tips were shared around. Again I hadn't thrown since the same day last year but again after this year I am tempted to buy a javelin to practice a bit as I think I can make gain some distance with more practice. We'll see!
My first two throws were exactly the same length (with the first through being close to a foul in that I didn't get my hand above my shoulder properly for the release. It was more of a bowling action if that makes sense but the second one went well.
My best throw was my third one and I got a distance 5 meters longer than my best throw last year.
In between the second and third throw I did do the 800m race so I think the adrenalin off that helped!
Kinda funny taking two throws and running off to do a race before getting the third one in and then I went and did the 400m before the fourth throw.
The stewards were fine with that as they could see people going over and back and seemed to not cause delays. It's kinda a day when you can try something new like the throwing events. You have to have some proficiency though so I wouldn't go to the discus or hammer as haven't done either in any form of training where I had some sessions last year for the shot and javelin.

The 800m went well enough, I think my best time ever for that distance would be something akin to 3:25-3:28 from intervals but in the race I got a shade over 3min flat. Legs felt okay on the first half of the first lap but then I was a bit ugh but figured two laps just leather it. Running up the back straight though even with the gentle breeze felt like going uphill at times.

For 400m I said I'd give it a go if my legs felt okay and we didn't have to use the blocks (hadn't used them before and I needed a bit more time to practice with them really). Just ran this as hard as I could for the single lap and came home a shade over 1:19.
To be honest I really hadn't much left in my legs at all now and about half way around the first bend I was almost laughing thinking you tool but sure it's the only 400m I will get to do this year.

Fourth throw of the javelin after this but it was almost two meters shy of my third/best throw and with that I was done. You can take six throws but only the first four are recorded.

Finally for the day we cobbled together a masters 4x100 relay team with myself on the anchor leg. We were the only male team in the event so we just had to get the baton around and we did that fine.
All in all a fun day and as I was the only person in the m35 category I got myself 6 shiny county gold medals. What I found interesting for the day was that some people don't want to go in the masters category so you had guys in their 40s and 50s as seniors but in fairness they were getting up there in the placings doing so. For me I'll be sticking to the m35s till I get m40 in 4 years!


Summary of results from the day:
3000m = 12:35 (not a pb, recorded 12:26.65 for this last year which is my pb)
800m = 3.00.61 (first time racing the distance but a pb for 800m...previous best in training probably a mid to high 3:2x:00)
400m = 1.19.11 (first time racing the distance, I guess a pb for 400m as I don't have exact times from training)
Shot = 5.84 5.54 5.21 4.70 (best throw last year was 5.89)
Javelin = 14.79 14.79 17.79 15.7 (best throw last year was 12.33 so nice improvement)

3.2 miles in total for the day, big difference in the type of mileage was fairly tired after it!

Total mileage for the week: 32.8

diego_b

Monday 07-05-2018

4 mile easy in 36:36 @ 9:08min/mi. Legs fair tired after the attempted sprinting the previous day. Would hang about for much of the week, I recover quicker from half marathons but my training is more suited to that stuff!


Tuesday 08-05-2018

Rest day


Wednesday 09-05-2018

3.5 mile easy run 31:25 @ 8:57min/mi.
Had traveled up to my parents place in Laois after work as was going to be staying there for a few nights for working in Dublin. Late run at half 9 but was grand to get it in before darkness fell.


Thursday 10-05-2018

Missed run day as I'd stuff to sort out that evening and wanted to watch the United game. Shouldn't have bothered on the latter as was yet another stinker.


Friday 11-05-2018

6.3 miles easy in 54:46 @ 8:41mi/mi, got this run done in the morning before work. Ran from work down past the four courts and turned right at blackhall place to slot into the DCM route all the way up to the roundabout at the Aras and then straight back down to work. Back to Kerry that evening after work.


Saturday 12-05-2018

Annual Darkness Into Light 5K walk/run, this time we had our 6 year old with us. She was very enthusiastic about the whole thing apart from trying to get her to go to bed early on Friday...anyways she caught back up on Saturday morning after we got home. There was no running this year, just walking which with stopping a few times at different exhibts in Tralee town park took 1hr 18mins. No parkrun afterwards, took the lie in!


Sunday 13-05-2018

13.1 miles easy in 1:58:49 @ 9:04min/mi. Another sluggish run, started at 11am again to get used for the potential heat for Cork and it was very warm even at that stage. Run but lacking energy and zip, should have thrown in some faster miles to finish but just kept it all easy.

After a week off I got back into the Kinetic Rev 30 day challenge complete day 6.

Total mileage for the week: 26.9 miles, if I'd been running for 6 days as normal instead of 4 it would have been much better. Bit of a frustrating week on the running front. Seem to be in a bit of a lull at the moment but will keep trucking away for now until the half is done in Cork in a few weeks and then try keep things back on track. I haven't done a proper midweek session in months and don't know where to start really. Anyways have had this before when not working on a plan so expect to reap what I haven't sown in Cork and miss out on a pb run there. Already thinking about marathon training for Dublin. Will sign up for Charleville for a proper go at half marathon pb in September when the form should be better.

diego_b

Monday 14-05-2018

Another missed run day, out of my hands as my wife was away with her parents in Dublin from Sunday night and for Monday night and I simply didn't have the time. I did the next day of the 30 day challenge at least.

I did get to watch my daughter run in the local community games. She took part in two races, the U8 60m and U8 80m. She came fifth in her heat in the first race so didn't make it through there but in the second race she ran brilliantly to take fourth. At the pace she was gaining on the bigger girls (she just turned 6 in April so some of the girls were possibly at least a year older than her) she would have possibly got a place or two higher if the race was another 10-20 meters longer. She was thrilled when they handed her a number at the end which meant she made it through to the County Finals on the track in Castleisland at the end of June. She is so excited to get to run on the track and of course she loved the medal she got and brought it to school with her the next day. Very proud of her.


Tuesday 15-05-2018

Wife came home so I got out the door after work to do 5 miles easy in 44:51 @ 8:58min/mi. Day 8 of the 30 day challenge completed after that. Remembering how much I hate split squats, sweet J they are tough.


Wednesday 16-05-2018

Coaching this evening after work for 90mins, one of the coaches in the club suggested we'd try suicide runs with them. The kids did brilliantly as they hammered up and down the legs. Was nice with them and finished the last 30 mins with some games of their suggestion. Pretty sure they would have slept well last night!
Myself then figured I can't let myself off with an easy run so inspired by the kids above I made up a speed session. Started with 2 miles @ marathon pace, then 0.5 mile easy pace recovery, then 2x 1mile @ half marathon pace with 0.5mi recovery between them, then another 0.5mi recovery before 1x 10K pace and finishing with 0.5mi cool down. Found it tough enough going but felt "good" running the 10K mile to get some speed going. All in all 7 miles in 58:34. Broken down as:


2mi in 17:09 @ 8:34min/mi
0.5mi in 4:35 @ 9:08min/mi
1mi in 7:42 @ 7:42min/mi
0.5mi in 4:34 @ 9:06min/mi
1mi in 7:45 @ 7:45min/mi
0.5mi in 4:36 @ 9:10min/mi
1mi in 7:26 @ 7:26min/mi
0.5mi in 4:50 @ 9:32min/mi

Used my club's 10K race loop for this, first time running there in quite a while so it was quite nice to run somewhere different for a change. Day 9 of the 30 day challenge completed after that when I got home. Slept well last night!

diego_b

Wednesday 17-05-2018

Day 10 of the 30 day challenge, more split squats. Two days left of them so and sos. Ran over to the community games training this evening to have a look at the training there. My wife took our daughter over in the car. The run was 7.5 miles that I ran at a steady effort, worked out 8:55min/mi agh pace in 1:06:52. Some of the route I hadn’t ran before but I know the roads well, even still plenty of traffic (it’s silage season now to so heavy machinery on the roads). Enjoying changing up my regular routes a little bit.

diego_b

Friday 18-05-2018

3.1 miles easy in 28:39 @ 9:07min/mi done just after work. Day 11 of the 30 day challenge completed later that evening.


Saturday 19-05-2018

Templemore parkrun, paced my Da for an unofficial pb of 26:24. His official one is recorded as 26:10 but he said the course was shortened that day for some reason. Guessing before they put down the gravel in some spots the conditions underfoot were not the best. Hopefully can get him around under the 26min mark at some stage. He has record 24:xx times on faster courses so well able for it.
Including warm up and cool down it was 5 miles in total for the morning.
Day 11 of the 30 day challenge completed when I got home.


Sunday 20-05-2018

13.1 miles easy in 1:59:24 @ 9:07min. Nothing too remarkable about this but just getting the mileage in. Tried out a different gel/food type thing that I got a sample off off the web. 33 shake. Worked fine and possibly more appetizing that gels are. Maybe would consider having one for late on in marathon when I find it hard to get gels in. It's basically chia seeds and some salt...could make it myself really. You just add water and can take it in 10 mins. Hard to get the stuff out of the pack though in comparison to gels.
Day 12 of the 30 day challenge completed, onto the next stage away from the blasted split squats that have my legs shot.

Total mileage for the week: 40.8 miles

diego_b

Monday 21-05-2018

Hamstring/glut complaining a bit today so took a day off running. Foam rolling and stretching instead.
Day 14 of the 30 day challenge completed as well.

Tuesday 22-05-2018

8 miles easy (incl strides) after work in 1:13:30 @ 9:11min/mi.
Day 15 of the 30 day challenge completed after that.

diego_b

Wednesday 23-05-2018

Needed to get my run in at lunchtime today as was going to be busy at Primary School Sports in the evening that was being run by my AC.
So a simple session of 1 mile warm up, 3 mile @ half mile tempo, 1 mile cool down. Session broke down as:
1 mile in 9:15 @ 9:13min/mi
3 mile in 22:57 @ 7:39min/mi
1 mile in 9:23 @ 9:19min/mi

Total was 5 miles in 41:34. Found the tempo run during the middle of the day tough enough going as was pretty warm but job done.
Have parked the 30 day challenge for the moment with good intentions to pick it back up after the Cork City Half marathon.


Thursday 24-05-2018

Late enough run this one but very enjoyable, starting at just after half 8. 8.5 miles easy in 1:16:23 @ 8:58min/mi. The long evenings certainly make it a lot easier to get out there much later. Once it's an easy run it doesn't affect sleep to much but I was wide awake still around 12 when would normally be heading for sleep.


Friday 25-05-2018

Community games training for my daughter this evening so whilst she was doing that and my wife was keeping an eye on her I got a run in. 4.1 miles easy in 36:17 @ 8:50min/mi. Legs were feeling pretty tired, still feeling that bit of tightness or something around the hamstring area so have an appointment booked for Monday. Not causing me any issues running but can feel it the next day after running.


Saturday 26-05-2018

parkrun day, original plan for this was to run it pretty hard (probably go for the parkrun pb) with figuring plenty of time to recover for next weekend. Only got to the park in Tralee around 9:10/9:15 (hard to get out of the house on Saturday mornings as we were all heading into town with my wife running as well) so managed to get a warmup lap in and a bit in and caught some of the briefing..had fancied a long warm up but not to be. Today was pacer day so pacers every minute from 20 to 32 I think it was. When lining up I was beside the 22min pacer (my pb is 21:52 from Feb this year, not tried to break it since) so said feeling good I'll stick with him for a bit. First lap felt way too good for a 5K(first mile was somewhere around 7 min even from the glance I took at my watch, I think I only looked at it maybe two times on the run and just trusted the pacer). Towards the end of the first lap the pacer beckoned a group of us to push ahead of him so I did that. Second lap started to feel fairly rough about half way through but I just kept the pace whilst the effort started to creep. The pacer and some others passed me in the last 200-300 meters of that lap and again more encouragement from the pacer to keep going. When we were going through the start finish area he asked me my pb so told him but I said to him I might have to let them going as was really starting to feel it. He said just stick with him so that's what I did. The chap was amazing tbh, I know his name but I don't know him at all but he encouraged me a good few times on that final lap. I can remember him telling me to push up, lengthen my stride etc etc. Into the second part of that lap the pain levels were right up there...the legs were okay but I was just feeling fairly crap inside trying this and thinking what I am at as not been training or tapering for a go at this but thinking again 3-4mins and it is over. Pacer tells me towards top of the drag at the back of Siamsa Tire to push on for it if I can, I manage the smallest increase in pace but not feeling like it's much of a fast kick here. He's telling me to catch the guy in front of me that I can...I just keep eyes on the red 50 parkrun t-shirt maybe 3 seconds ahead but not making ground (never caught him). Pacer beckons me again to keep it going, I'm ahead of him now and we're meeting back makers so just round the outside of them as best we can. Get a shout from the pacer to say a minute to go so go for it, tried my best to open it up a bit more trusting the pacer is saying a minute for me to break 21:52 rather than 22 (hadn't checked watch, was running as fast as I could). Around the last two bends...push, push, push as hard as I could and right through the finish line. Hit the stop button, 21:51....ooh so close but hard to know with parkrun whether that would do it. I did start the watch as soon as the whistle went so hopefully the timer had a time faster a second faster than mine. RD came over to me for in the funnel to see was I okay and as a buggy running clubmate was running in fast behind me to keep me from moving forward for a sec I guess...I was grand almost straight away, funny that with 5Ks really. Cool down lap afterwards, things felt all good and fairly confident that I'd got it. Awaiting the email and text...mail came first. 21:50...get in.

Looking forward to meeting the pacer again when I meet him proper to thank him for that. In the funnel I grabbed him for a second saying thanks, that I needed that. My wife had a good day at parkrun as well breaking her parkrun pb as well so both happy with our morning's work.

Total mileage for the morning: 5.1miles, broken down below

1mi in 9:36min/mi @ 9:27min/mi
3.1mi in 21:50 @ 7:03min/mi (6:59, 7:11, 7:03)
1mi in 9:05min/mi @ 9:03min/mi

diego_b

Sunday 27-05-2018

9.5 miles easy in 1:26:48 @ 9:08min/mi. Caught for time after been working from 6am to 3:30pm...fun fun fun day I had to squeeze in a run before going to see my daughter singing at a show. Original thought was to get 10 miles in but didn't have to time so just got 9.5 miles in to go over the 40 mile target for the week. After not sleeping well and working 9.5 hours before doing it this did not feel good at all but job done in horrible sticky warm conditions.

Total mileage for the week: 40.2 miles

diego_b

Catchup again

Monday 28-05-2018

Had a physio apt this evening to look at the hamstring niggle I've been carrying. Appears to be an issue relating to my lower back and general fatigue from the increase in mileage I've had this year, was on course to get close to 2000 miles up from 1450 last year. With that I'm off speed work for the moment and to work on some stretching and strengthening.


Tuesday 29-05-2018

5.7 miles easy in 51:50 @ 9:05min/mi.


Wednesday 30-05-2018

5 mile easy (incl. 5 x 15sec strides) in 44:45 @ 8:57min/mi. I threw some strides into this but didn't push them at all as trying to be good regarded what I was told and planning to race Cork Half at the weekend.


Thursday 31-05-2018

6.5 mile easy in 59:36 @ 9:11min/mi.


Friday 01-06-2018

5 mile easy in 46:19 @ 9:15min/mi


Saturday 02-06-2018

Headed to Cork with my wife, number collection went fine at the expo. We got there around 5:30-6pm and most of the stuff/stands were cleared away. No matter. Staying in the Kingsley Hotel which was at the Mile 24 marker for the marathon (11 or so for the half). Nice spot.


Sunday 03-06-2018

Cork City Half Marathon, first time running the event and whilst I enjoyed the atmosphere around the event I didn't really enjoy the run at all. Not that races are to be enjoyed as such but between the niggle above and general training I wasn't in shape to go for the sub 1:40 on the day. After having had an excellent race in a 10 miler in late April where I went sub 1:14 for the first time and a strong pb I figured might as well give it a go and see how it went. Was on target (even if the effort was high and rising) for the first 4-5 miles but somehow going out the South Link Road and up over the motorway bridge I seemed to lose around a minute and the pacers were moving away rapidly, I had a decision to make...fight for it (despite it probably not being there on the day) or else let it go and ease back. I decided to go for the latter and eased back to 8min/mi for the rest of the race barring the last mile when the 1:45s were coming up to pass me and I got back down to around 7:38min for the last mile. The planned pace for the day had been 7:36min/mi. Have to say even running slower I felt pretty awful for most of the run, my heart rate had eased back to the 160s from the high 170s but I think the heat just didn't suit me and drank plenty enroute. For some reason I kept thinking back to the GLR half in May 2016 when despite a pb run there my feet were destroyed with blisters (they all joined up over the course of the race) that is wasn't worth it and didn't want same again. Give me a cold winter's day any day for a race please.
My heart went out to the marathon runners out there and I felt bad passing some of them in the last mile but I tried to encourage everyone I could to distract from my own crappy run. Anyways one to forget and a course time I should be able to beat easily enough sometime in the future. 1:44:29.
I had some friends running on the day, two did great in the half and got pbs and one mate was running the full and had a superb for at 22 miles before it got to him a bit but he still bettered his time from DCM 2017 but missed out on the sub 3:15 he was trying for. No doubt he'll do that in Dublin if he keeps up his progression. For me not sure where I am at.

Including warm up it was 14 miles for the day.

Stuck on my wet suit that evening when I got home and did my first sea swim of the year, only around 15 mins of actual swimming but certainly easier with a face mask and snorkel so planning to do more of that.

Total mileage for the week: 36.2 miles

diego_b

Monday 04-06-2018

Rest day


Tuesday 05-06-2018

4 mile easy in 36:31 @ 9:07min/mi.


Wednesday 06-06-2018

Rest day, busy enough evening with 3 of the other coaches in the club away I hadgot to lead juvenile training. Long enough session for 90mins (U8-U12s), happy enough with the first 60 mins but the final 30 mins wasn't so good and the relay we finished with was a bit of a mess. You live and learn with this stuff a bit.


Thursday 07-06-2018

5 mile easy in 43:36 @ 8:46min/mi.
Up in Dublin for work so late enough doing this around half 9, staying near Stephen's Green so ran from there down to Merrion Square and ran the first few miles of the DCM route until crossing the Liffey and then ran back along the river. Grand run on a nice evening.


Friday 08-06-2018

Rest


Saturday 09-06-2018

Took in Tralee parkrun this morning...steady pace run finishing in 24:47 (8:06min/mi pace). With a warm up and cool down afterwards it was 4.4 miles in total.


Sunday 10-06-2018

Munster Athletics Track and Field Championships

No racing for me today, had only signed up for throwing events in Shot and Javelin. Had forgotten to mention in log entries that I borrowed a Javelin from my club for the last 2-3 weeks and was practicing a bit at home every 2-3 nights doing a few throws. My best at the County Championships was 17.79 but at the Munsters I managed to increase that to 18.68. I did foul my 3rd and 4th throws but there was only two of us in the o35 competition and my competitor was throwing a good 5-7 meters more than me so just pushed it a bit to see could I crack 20 meters but no joy. Anyways a silver medal which was very nice to get.

Took part in the Shot Put competition as well, no such joy there on improving my distance..hadn't thrown a shot since the counties anyways so no training done. The 7.26kg is fair heavy to try get some distance on and for someone who drives a computer mouse and keyboard for a job I am not really built for it without the requisite training.

In the counties I managed 5.84 meters but two other of my throws were even longer than day than I managed in the Munsters which was just 5.52 meters. I got lucky again that there was only the same fella up against me in the o35s, he threw 2 meters further than me which I was impressed with but another silver medal for me. Really enjoy the track and field days tbh and nice to try out some different events. Next year I'll try get some training in proper and considering buying a training shot and javelin as well.

Some really impressive running on show as the seniors were running at the same time as well as the masters, serious speed at all age levels. If I'd been running in the 800 metre I would have had to break my pb to finish ahead of a runner who is probably twice my age. Fingers crossed for us all we're still getting around at the sort of pace in the years/decades to come!

Late on that evening I did 5 miles easy in 44:46 @ 8:57min/mi.

Total mileage for the week: 18.4 miles but hey two Munster medals so can live with it!

Neady83

I tried the shot putt a few weeks ago and really enjoyed, it's a fun event isn't it? Mind you I picked up the lads shot and was surprised at just how heavy it is. Mind you, it didn't stop some fella from Connemara almost throwing it into the next field

Must give the Javeline a go next time.

diego_b

Neady83 wrote: »

I tried the shot putt a few weeks ago and really enjoyed, it's a fun event isn't it? Mind you I picked up the lads shot and was surprised at just how heavy it is. Mind you, it didn't stop some fella from Connemara almost throwing it into the next field

Must give the Javeline a go next time.

Tis great now, hang around for a hour or so having a chat with people and take a few throws! Yup I have to say I was envious now of the older masters and ladies as the 7.26kg is pretty heavy. Some lads can really ping it, it seems to come from their legs all the through to the arms and they can let rip. We're going to see if my father in law fancies a go next year, you know the older country farmer type...he'd likely throw even the heavier ball further than I can. At 70 plus we might find a new calling for him!

The Javelin is nice now, very technical event it seems but I find it a bit easier to improve on that the shot. Not sure what the club championships are like in Galway and Connaught but in the m35 category you kinda just need to turn up and not foul. Good chance of some nice medals in a lot of the masters categories. I was delighted going from a senior last year!

diego_b

Catch up to try get back up from page 3 of the logs! Here goes my lunchtime!!

Monday 11-06-2018

Some annoying news today that I was advised, on a medical basis, to cut my running back to 20 miles a week due a suggested possible unfortunate side effect.
This should be a short term enough thing, will know in 3 months or so when retested but I am going to really do some sh*tty marathon training for Dublin on 20-25 miles a week.
Planning to offset some of the lost running with swimming and cycling. So whilst I won't be as road fit/fast I will try maintaining general fitness.
No pb attempt for Dublin this year, last year was 3:55:34 after a really crappy run so could I run a 3:50-4 hour marathon without the requisite training. Time will tell.
My plan is to take the Running Shoe Guru plan I wasn't planning to use again (low mileage but high quality runs) and hack it to suit my purpose above.


Tuesday 12-06-2018

6 mile easy in 54:03 @ 9min/mi.
3.2 mile easy in 35:28 @ 11:28min/mi (with my wife and father).


Wednesday 13-06-2018

Rest day. Juvenile coaching this evening, kinda glad to be done with it for the summer as wasn't really in the form for it and the kids were hyper.


Thursday 14-06-2018

4.3 mile easy in 38:39 @ 8:56min/mi.


Friday 15-06-2018

Rest


Saturday 16-06-2018

Half on the Head half marathon.
I trotted this one around on the challenging local course, I figured I'd be 1:45-1:50 and I came home in 1:48:39 (8:12min/mi).
Warm day and two weeks after Cork Half I was happy enough doing the run. The 1:45 pacer passed me around 3 miles in but I didn't go with him and just kept the same effort on the hills.
I last raced this event 3 years ago and finished that day in 1:55:40 so I was happy enough with a decent course pb if even over 8 mins slower than my best half time and 4 mins slower than Cork Half.


Sunday 17-06-2018

Rest day

Total mileage for week: 26.9 miles


Monday 18-06-2018

4 mile easy in 36:47 @ 9:05min/mi


Tuesday 19-06-2018

Rest day


Wednesday 20-06-2018

5 mile easy in 45:35 @ 9:06min/mi.


Thursday 21-06-2018

Just under 20 minutes of sea swimming at the local beach in the evening, was going finest till I got a calf cramp just as I was finishing up. Annoying uncomfortable...hilariously I got one in the other calf then whilst taking off my wet suit. Ah yes two for two on calf cramps.


Friday 22-06-2018

5.1 mile easy in 46:50 @ 9:10min/mi.
Off a half day from work as off to Edinburgh for a stag party at the weekend so out early enough for me for this @ 7:20am.
Good way to beat the general warmness though!
Flight to Edinburgh that evening from Cork, flight delayed for 2.5 hours was annoying as didn't get over there till 11:25pm and needed to be sociable to catch up with the lads. Late enough evening/night after a long day feeling a bit like doing nothing it seemed.


Saturday 23-06-2018

Took in the Edinburgh parkrun, first time doing one outside of Ireland and I enjoyed it.
Large enough numbers with 500 plus running. After a late night, bed around 2-3 I got about 4 hours sleep but still I felt like running it hard enough and came home in 101st position with a time of 22:36. The route is fast (if the wind conditions permit) with an out and back route on the promenade there. Did a decent warm up before and cool down after wards so 4.5 miles in total for the morning.
Bus back to town afterwards and then caught up with the other lads at the stag party in the early afternoon.


Sunday 24-06-2018

1 mile easy in 8:43 @ 1:32am. Made my leave from the group at half 1 and decided rather than amble the walk back to the hostel on my own in 15-20mins that
I'd run it in about half the time so that I did. Running in jeans and trainers is not so bad for such a short distance. Met a fella doing similar in a shirt and tie crossing one of the bridges so guess I was not the only nut job.

5.5 mile easy in 50:34 @ 9:11min/mi.

Having got some tips from local boardsie hillsiderunner (promise to try meet up next time I am over and have a more favourable schedule!) I took in Holyrood Park and did a lap of that.
Really lovely spot that, very scenic as you skirt around (and up enough!) the hills in the centre of the park. Got some sights of the area that I would not have seen otherwise and look forward to returning soon.
Was last in Edinburgh about 10-11 years ago and had forgotten how nice it is. Not so keen on the night life tbh but that would be me in general with any city as I don't drink.
After that then it was back to hostel and out to the airport to fly home to Ireland. Long day as was not home till around tea time. 2 hour drive in 28 degrees was fun!

Total mileage for the week: 25.3 miles


Monday 25-06-2018

Rest


Tuesday 26-06-2018

5 mile easy in 45:35 @ 9:05min/mi. Didn't do this up 9:30pm as wanted to watch the world cup matches that evening and also to offset the heat.


Wednesday 27-06-2018

Rest


Thursday 28-06-2018

5.1 mile easy in 46:22 @ 9:05min/mi. Ran this one before work, again avoiding the heat!


Friday 29-06-2018

3.3 mile easy in 30:26 @ 9:12min/mi. Another one before work to try get some mileage in before the crazy/lovely warm temps.


Saturday 30-06-2018

Pacing my wife at Tralee parkrun for her to get a new pb.
For the first two K she was on track for going sub 30 for the first time ever but after a 6:15 3rd K she slowed back for the rest of the run.
She had recently ran 30:15 in a local 5K so said I'd try help her at the parkrun but didn't want to have a fight with her pushing her too hard so once that 3rd K clocked I knew the game was possibly up.
I tried to hustle her a bit to see could she go again but not to be then.
Coming into the last 800 meters I gave her a bit of a push as I knew she'd be close to her pb and then again for the last 200 meters and she took 12 seconds off so great running for her in very warm weather.
I finished 6 seconds behind her in 30:54. Including warm up, parkrun and cool down it was 4 miles for the morning.


Sunday 01-07-2018

Pacing my daughter at Tralee junior parkrun for her to get a new pb.
Similar approach to what I'd done a day earlier with my wife was I ran with my daughter in the local junior parkrun. She hasn't done it for a few months so was very start stop, fierce pace on the starts though...but plenty of walking. Into the last 200 meters or so I told her that if she could run to the finish she'd get a pb and that she did. I find it hilarious that a 6 year old knows what a personal best is but she seems to understand and was delighted to finish 4 seconds faster than previous.

1.2 miles in 15:16 @ 12:30min/mi.
Figure that even if I can't do exactly what I want with running at the moment I can help some of those around me and there's a nice buzz to that too.
After that I got my own run in around Tralee onto a 10K loop that I haven't run on some in a year or more. 6.5 miles easy in 58:15 @ 8:58min/mi. Sticky enough heat of the mid morning even though it was overcast.

Total mileage for the week: 25.1 miles


Monday 02-07-2018

5 miles easy in 1:00:36 @ 12:05min/mi (with my wife). Fair warm doing this one at 5:30pm with my wife and she struggled a bit. She's signed up for the Dingle Half marathon so I will be helping her with some of her training for that.
She doesn't run on own on the roads at all so buddies up with me or someone else or else onto the treadmill (torture device in the summer).
Cycled over to watch a local sea to summit (and back down again) 5 mile run as some club mates and friends were running so just offered my support.
11.36 miles in 51:11, leisurely pace!


Tuesday 03-07-2018

6 miles easy in 55:45 @ 9:17min/mi. No lying this was horrible last night doing this around 5:30pm. I had some work to do later and not sure how long it would take and I wanted to watch the England game so had to be done.
Hottest run I've done in a long long time I think. Will be back to avoiding the heat where I can now!


Wednesday 04-07-2018

3.1 mile easy in 28:50 @ 9:16min/mi. On the road at 7:40..so much easier altogether. Cut the grass when I got home so a very productive morning before work.

Neady83

Sorry to hear that you've to cut your running back D but fingers crossed it will only be temporary and you get everything sorted.

You've found the perfect way to still get enjoyment from your running though, by pacing/helping others. It will keep you motivated. Well done on having a great attitude.

diego_b

Neady83 wrote: »

Sorry to hear that you've to cut your running back D but fingers crossed it will only be temporary and you get everything sorted.

You've found the perfect way to still get enjoyment from your running though, by pacing/helping others. It will keep you motivated. Well done on having a great attitude.

Thanks S, yup hoping that to be the case...more of an annoyance as such. I was trying to carry a much higher avg mileage this year with a min target of 40 miles a week (was aiming for 2K miles) but anyways still going to exceed last years total so hoping some progression (or at worst standing still) just from general easy runs. No harm to change things up a bit as well...I would like to be able to swim and I get awful guilt about the bike for not using it too often.

Definitely the case, I've benefitted a lot from the assistance/support/camaraderie of pacers in races so never mind doing it really the odd time I have...and thanks!

diego_b

Thursday 05-07-2018

Rest, up in Dublin for work for two days. Caught Alanis Morissette in the Iveagh Gardens. Thought she was excellent!


Friday 06-07-2018

Rest


Saturday 07-07-2018

Templemore parkrun, ran this at a half marathon effort. Fierce warm so was quite happy to keep it at that. I clocked it at 24:41, the official time was about 30 seconds quicker but there was some issues on that front. Doesn't matter! Including warm up and cool down, it was 4.6 miles for the morning.


My DCM training officially kicked off on Sunday and the plan I am on is a Sunday-Saturday plan so will count weekly totals that way (not going to exceed a running total 25miles p/w, see posts up the page as to why).

Sunday 08-07-2018

45 minutes easy, 4.8 miles @ 9:20min/mi


Monday 09-07-2018

Plan had 30 minutes easy but my wife suggested a run together so went with that. 3.2 miles easy in 37 minutes @ 11:33min/mi

diego_b

Tuesday 10-07-2018

Plan had a fartlek session on for today but my wife was busy with work stuff and I wanted to watch the world cup so carried it till the morning instead. Did some S&C work in front of the tele.


Wednesday 11-07-2018

Session from yesterday was 20min easy warm up, 4x30 secs fast with 90 secs easy recovery and 10 min cool down. After getting my daughter ready for her summer camp this morning I tipped out on the road around 8:15 to do this, went grand...legs felt very heavy for the first 10mins but hadn't slept well at all so put it down to that. All in all 4 miles in just over 37 mins.
Big match tonight, looking forward to it now. Hard not to like this English side, for me at least I don't hold onto the whole 700-800 years of oppression stuff though so take it on it's own merits and Gareth Southgate seems a like a good sort so good luck to them. Thierry Henry I will never forgive/forget though so nice to see him going out even if I did like the Belgian side.

Murph_D

Silver lining for Henry, of course!