From Couch 25k To Where Ever

The Muppet

Today was hill sprint session day , and easy one, 9 short 6-8 seconds with recovery with 1 mile warm up and cool down.

No niggles today but it was only a short session . I jogged back for recovery on the hills, i usually have to walk back. I felt really good and contemplated heading off a few easy miles after the session but decided to stick to the plan and head home.

2.64 miles in 26:23 @ 10:00 average pace , AVG HR 148

Now it's back to the Dublin City Marathon page to track the novices, They are playing a blinder in what Id imagine must be tough conditions considering how windy it is out there today.

The Muppet

The plan today was for a 50 minute easy run.. I'm busy this evening so decided to squeeze this in at lunchtime.

I set off on one of my usual 50 minute routes in the rain. I love running in the rain I think it's because it keeps me cool.

I felt really good from the off . I knew I was going faster than easy pace but I decided to just run the route and forget the watch for today.

So my 50 minute run turned into a 44:46 one and I really enjoyed every second of it

4.84 miles in 46:44@ 9.39 pace

Average hr 142

Splits
1 @10:20
2@ 9.24
3@ 9:23
4@ 9:18
.84@8:19

The Muppet

The plan today was for a 50 minute easy run.. I'm busy this evening so decided to squeeze this in at lunchtime.

I set off on one of my usual 50 minute routes in the rain. I love running in the rain I think it's because it keeps me cool.

I felt really good from the off . I knew I was going faster than easy pace but I decided to just run the route and forget the watch for today.

So my 50 minute run turned into a 44:46 one and I really enjoyed every second of it

4.84 miles in 46:44@ 9.39 pace

Average hr 142

Splits
1 @10:20
2@ 9.24
3@ 9:23
4@ 9:18
.84@8:19

The Muppet

9.29 miles in 100 minutes @ 10:47 pace

Average Heart rate 130

Nice easy run from swords to malahide up around the castle and back along the estuary. No niggles which is good news .

The Muppet

I forgot to post the plan for this week , week 8 so here it is

Week 8


Week 7
Day|Run|Notes
Sunday|50 minutes easy|
Monday|9 x 6 to 8 seconds Hills with recovery|
Tuesday|50 minutes easy|
Wednesday|100 minutes easy|
Thursday| Rest|
Friday|5 x 4 Minutes @5k pace with 3 minutes recovery|8.39 pace
Saturday|50 minutes easy



Tempo session today, I was a little stuck for time and I was not really in the right frame of mind to do this today but it had to be done. I ended up doing the run up and down the n32 which is from just past the airport exit of the m50 to the malahide road. It's a flat 2 mile concrete footpath which is never busy the air pollution from the busy road is part of the package.

The run went quite well, I got into a nice rhythm on each tempo part and I felt comfortable enough at the pace.

Again I had a watch malfunction, I forgot to start the lap on the first repeat doh , and the forgot to stop the lap after the second repeat, I got my head in gear then ad manage to properly record split 3 4 and 5 , the pace for 1 and 2 would be the same as the last 3.

I was feeling really good after the first four splits so for the last one I foolishly decided to push harder than I should have and in the last minute I felt a twinge in my right hamstring. I eased of immediately but kept going to do the full 4 minute run. I could feel the hamstring during the cool down too , I'll see how it goes in the next day or so. I ttok the cool downs and recovery parts nice and easy

I mile warm up

1 doh
2 doh again
3 .49 Miles @ 8.11 Avg Heart rate 147
4 .49 Miles @ 8:07 Avg Heart rate 151
5 .51 miles @ 7.54 Avg Heart Rate 154

I mile cool down.



Total 5.47 Miles in 58:46

avg pace 10:51
avg hr 137
max hr 160

Ososlo

Hey!
check out neady's post on "should I do dcm 2016" thread on main page.
Opportunity for marathon virgins. You might be interested

The Muppet

Cheers

Will do

The Muppet

I just read that ososlo its a fantastic opportunity . I will stew on it for a day or so to see if I'd want to put a spotlight like that on myself.

Thanks for the heads up . I appreciate it.

The Muppet

Today was one of those days I would have skipped a run if I wasn't following a plan. 5 hours driving and 5 hours at a meeting today home then to go to the fireworks display in Swords with the Grandkids, brilliant display by the way,

It was near eight by the time I could go for a run, the plan called for 50 minutes easy, I wasn't sick just tired , so on went the gear and off I went.

For the night that's in it I decided to go on a magical mystery tour of a few locations around swords where there used to be good bonfires when I was a nipper, I saw three bonfires and lots of fireworks. I had a lovely easy run.

Anyway I'm rambling now

4.84 miles in 52:17 @10.50 pace avg HR 134

That's week 8 of the plan completed

Week 9 starts tomorrow with another 5 mile easy

The Muppet

Awake early this morning so I decided to get todays run in early. The plan today says 50 Min Easy.

My legs were a little heavy staring out so I took it really easy until they loosened out a little . I took my usual 5 mile Sunday morning route through a local park. Its a foggy , dewey but sunny morning, ideal running weather.

Felt good on the run, No niggles.

5.11 miles in 56:00 @10:57 pace

Avg Hr 131 Max hr 159

This is week 9 of the plan , 8 x 60 second hill sprints tomorrow, they are the toughest part of the plan for me though I do enjoy them in a sadistic type of way. I did six of these two weeks ago so its only another 2 , I should be able to manage that, Right?


Week 9

Day|Run|Notes
Sunday|50 minutes easy|
Monday|8 x 60 seconds Hills with recovery|
Tuesday|50 minutes easy|
Wednesday|100 minutes easy|
Thursday| Rest|
Friday|66 minutes with 33 minutes at marathon Effort|9:49 pace
Saturday|50 minutes easy

The Muppet

53 days to xmas:eek: , into November now so it's time to update the yearly milage with Octobers miles.

Month|2013|2014|2015
jan|0|8.31|46.24
feb|0|30.35|13.9
March|7|47.37|4.64
April|25.01|42.23|21.81
May|33.78|36.37|65.69
June|33|52.69|97.03
July|49.74|25.33|108.73
August|29.42|57.9|110.42
September|13.87|58.37|94.12
October|3.01|95.32|125.17
November|0|88.95| -
December|0|23.83 -
Totals|194.83|567.02|687.75

The Muppet

On the menu today was 8 x 60 second hill repeats with recovery with the usual 1 mile warm up and cool down. These really take it out of me and on the last one today I hadn't much left to give, that said I could jog back during the recoveries today, I had to walk back the last time.

I didn't go flat out on them and I was trying to keep an even effort on them all. I actually managed to work the watch properly and record all the splits toady.

Stats
4.16 miles in 48:01 avg hr 129 Max 155

Hill repeats
1 .15 miles @6:04 pace
2 .16 miles @5:51 pace
3 .15 miles @6:38 pace
4 .15 miles @7:08 pace
5 .15 miles @6:05 pace
6 .15 miles @6:31 pace
7 .15 miles @ 6:12 pace
8 .15 miles @6:53 pace

Maximus Alexander

The Muppet wrote: »

Stats
4.16 miles in 48:01 avg hr 129 Max 155

Hill repeats
1 .15 miles @6:04 pace
2 .16 miles @5:51 pace
3 .15 miles @6:38 pace
4 .15 miles @7:08 pace
5 .15 miles @6:05 pace
6 .15 miles @6:31 pace
7 .15 miles @ 6:12 pace
8 .15 miles @6:53 pace

Tough little session, good work. I hate these even when not (deliberately) on hills.

The Muppet

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Tough little session, good work. I hate these even when not (deliberately) on hills.

Thanks , I'm delighted it's not only me that finds them tough. On paper it looks easy, its only 8 minutes running, my hill is quite steep.

I don't think I hate them, there is a sense of achievement once they're finished which tends to override the desire hate them.

Its the toughest session of this week done and dusted the rest of the week is handy enough.

The Muppet

50 minutes easy today @10.41 pace avg hr 133,

Nothing really to report except it took my watch 4 minutes to lock onto the satellites so the run wasn't recorded properly, the first 4 minutes are missing.

Apart from that I broke the 700 mile barrier for the year so far, which while I'm delighted to have reached that I'm a little irked that I only covered 80 miles in the first 4 months of the year. Still whats missed is missed and I've still ran more this year than last which is a positive.

The Muppet

9.49 miles in 1:41 @10:45 pace

I wasn't really in the mood for a long run tonight but I was grand once I got going . The first two miles reflected how I was feeling going out . It was a nice night for it.

Splits
1 11:31
2 11:23
3 10:54
4 10:44
5 10:28
6 10:28
7 10:37
8 10:42
9 10:25
.46 4:41

Ososlo

Lovely run. Betcha felt better when you got back than you did going out:)

The Muppet

Ososlo wrote: »

Lovely run. Betcha felt better when you got back than you did going out:)

I cetainly did . I havn't a clue why I wasn't up for it today . I'm usually raring to get out . Perhaps its just tiredness and i have a rest day tomorrow that will sort that .

It was a nice run along the coast. mile 7 an 8 were uphill on kilbarrick road from the howth road to coolock which is why the times dropped a little

The Muppet

Tempo session this evening. 66 minutes with 33 @ marathon pace which for me is 9:49 per mile.

I didn't get out until after dark , I couldn't really see the pace on the watch (eyesight not the best in the dark) so i just ran comfortable hard at a pace i felt I could maintain for 33 minutes.

Nearly came a cropper with a dog on a lead in the local park, the perils of running in the dark i guess. I'm going to try do my tempo session in daylight from now on if I can

6.84 miles in 1:07:49@ 9:56 average pace HR avg 142 MAx 159


Splits
Warm up 1.04 miles in 11:58 @11:37 pace
Tempo 3.75 miles in 32:14 @8:35 pace Hr avg 148 max 159
Cool Down 2.05 miles in 23:37 @11:31 pace

Just noticed two new PB's on my garmin express from this run

5:02 for 1 k and 26:12 for 5k , happy with that.

Ososlo

You're gonna blitz that 5k time next time you race!!!
Great tempo run sir!

The Muppet

Ososlo wrote: »

You're gonna blitz that 5k time next time you race!!!
Great tempo run sir!

Thank you I really enjoyed it. I hope you're right about the time., Still 6 weeks left on the plan but next week is a step back week and theres a taper week at the end.

I am going to try get to jingle bells and possible one other park run before the end of the plan.

The Muppet

woke at 4 this morning just couldn't get back to sleep :mad: so at 5.30 I decided to get todays run in early as I have one of my grandsons 6th Birthday party later today.

When I started running I did all my runs around this time so gear on and off I went, I didn't realise we had had a monsoon over night and it was still pouring down. I love running in the rain but there was so much surface water this morning my feet were drenched just running up Swords Main Street and running in soggy shoes and socks I don't like.

5.2 miles in 56:55 : 10:59 pace avg hr 134 max 145

The Muppet

week 10 of the plan stated today with a 35 minute easy run, it's a step back week.

3.4 miles in 37:03 @10:56 pace. Avg HR 127.

I barely broke sweat with the easy pace and cool running conditions. theres a good solid 1.5 miles totally uphill on this route (from the Balhery road through Applewood and on up to the Brackenstown road for anyone that knows swords).

I used this run to do little forward planning for phase 3 of the plan where I have to do 90 second hill repeats. I need another new hill fro these as the ones used to date would be too short.

I think I have found a nice hilly section on todays route , I ran it in just over 90 seconds today so it should be grand.

Week 10
Day|Run|Notes
Sunday|35 minutes easy|
Monday|8 x 6 to 8 seconds Hills with recovery|
Tuesday|35 minutes easy|
Wednesday|80 minutes easy|
Thursday| Rest|
Friday|fartlek
Saturday|35 minutes easy


I had planned to switch Friday and Saturdays routine and do Malahide Park run instead of the fartlek but thats looking unlikely now due to life getting in the way. I will see how things pan out nearer the weekend.

The Muppet

That wind made todays hill sprint session interesting. 1 mile warm up and cool down and 10 x 6 to 8 second hill repeats I know now the plan called for 8 but i had a senior moment and though it was 10.

Bungy Girl

The Muppet wrote: »

That wind made todays hill sprint session interesting. 1 mile warm up and cool down and 10 x 6 to 8 second hill repeats I know now the plan called for 8 but i had a senior moment and though it was 10.

Haha, my plan called 8 x 8 sec hill sprints today. I had a senior moment too and did 6

The Muppet

squeezed my 35 minutes easy into lunchtime today, nothing to report. In other news I signed up Jingle Bells I'm really looking forward to that.

The Muppet

It was a beautiful evening for a run, the plan today was 80 minutes easy. I just felt like running so I ran it a little faster than my easy, I felt good throughout.

8.29 miles in 1:21:34 @9:50 pace Avg HR 134

Splits
1 @ 10:29
2 @ 10:15
3 @ 9:55
4 @10:03
5 @9:36
6 @9:30
7 @9:19
8 @9:46
.29 @ 2:41

The Muppet

I did my second ever park run this morning In Malahide. I didn't think i would be free to do this but that changed yesterday evening so I scrubbed yesterdays fartlek from my plans and took a second rest day to be fresher for today.

I woke at 8, had a feed or porridge and headed over to Malahide for 9. It was quite a wet morning and I love running ion the rain. I had a 10 minute warm up run and then lined up at the start and off i went.

From reading more experienced runners logs here I had developed a strategy for this run. I decided that I was not going to weave in and out between runners from the start and I was going to keep it comfortable for the first Lap and take it from there and go all out at the end if I had anything left.

Lap one was very comfortable for me, the field thinned out nicely , I felt I was running well within myself, My breathing was nice nad even and the legs felt good.

I heard my watch beep just at the bottom of the hill , i had a quick look at it and it registered at 8.05 for the first mile. One lap down two to go I though just keep doing what I doing.


I passed a good few people going up the hill and into the start of the second lap and I was feeling really comfortable but decide to ease back a little for this lap and save a little to for the final lap as I Knew i was going well but didn't want to blow up .

Still feeling comfortable i pass more people but still conserving energy., this is new to me and I'm loving it and feeling really good.

Down the long straight A guy and goes by me and he's breathing really heavy, I'm stilll comfortable, Then I see the turn at the bottom of the hill about 200 meters in front of me, Grand I thought, at the top of the the hill is the start of the third lap and I'm running well and still quite comfortable lets kick on and see what happens..

The guy that passed me is about 10 meters in front of me now and I decided its time to up my pace , I go by him and a few other runners , I get to teh corn and turn up the hill.

Then I notice that the runners in front of me are heading for the finish line but i hadn't hear my watch beep for mile 2, Sure enough I was at the finish I passed another few going up the hill , there's a lady runner just in front of me moving slower that I was but I hadn't the heart to go by her in the last 20 meters I eased in behind her for a new 5k pb of 25:15 1 1:37 of my old time.

I'm delighted with the PB but I'm also a little put out that I was holding back a little for a third lap that didn't exist. Still it leaves a little room for improvement, Jingle bells look out.

Sorry for the long report for a park run (just wait till I do a marathon, I'll write a book) but it is only my second ever and it was a pb.


5 k pb 25:15

splits
1 @8:05
2@ 8:34
3 @8:18

avg HR 160

Ososlo

Great work!! Another big chunk to come off that next month without any doubt. Hard work and consistency paying off for you!! Delighted for ya

Maximus Alexander

The Muppet wrote: »

Sorry for the long report for a park run (just wait till I do a marathon, I'll write a book) but it is only my second ever and it was a pb.

Haha, you think that's a long report? I made the parkrun out to be the Olympics today!

Well done one the PB, sounds like you've plenty more to take off that at Jingle Bells.