Onwards and upwards...and....fasterwards.

I'm not one for short introductions but I'll try!

A small bit about my fitness can be found here in my fitness forum log.

In relation directly to my running, I started in March 2014, I couldn't run 1km and had convinced myself I hated running. I joined a local group which was essentially a couch to 5k programme but with a tutor and other women who wanted to be able to run. I fell in love immediately. That first week I never thought I would be able to run for 30 minutes non stop, but on my 5th week I went to my nearest parkrun with a goal of running it without stopping or walking - no matter how long that took. It took me 37 minutes. 2 weeks later I ran the darkness into light run in Bray in 32:xx minutes.

I resigned myself to the fact I was a slow runner, and kept increasing my distances instead of working on my shorter times. I signed up for the Dublin Race Series, and had a terrible day out at the half marathon, but continued to love running. I supported friends at DCM2014 and knew then that I needed to run a marathon and so it began. I signed up for Edinburgh 2015 but too much too soon got me injured and I had to take a step back. Got over that, and started working toward DCM2015, worked from a personalised plan, which accounted for the fact I was prone to injury. I signed up to the amazing novices thread and took as much advice from Dubgal and the other mentors as I could. I had an atrocious run in the end. Race report here, but learned a lot along the way as answered here.

My plan now is to get faster over the shorter distances, and forget about the longer distances until I've achieved those goals. My plan is never to stand on a marathon startline again unless my target is an achievable 3:59:59. It's been quite a while since I ran a 5 or 10k so I really don't know where I'm at but I feel my fitness is abysmal right now so in my head I'm starting from scratch.

Current running goals for 2016:

5k <25minutes (PB 28:xx)
10k <50 minutes (PB 56:xx)

I'll be running probably 4 days a week, but there will be a lot of cross training on other days.

I'm still on "easy" running mode and have not chosen a 10k plan yet, but will do so over the coming days.

Told you it wouldn't be short

Here goes nothing

aquinn

Yay, there you are. xx

Firedance

great, will follow this with interest whoopsa, you're exactly where I was this time last year, I expect you to pass me out real soon

mbarr

Class, good luck Whoopsa

Maximus Alexander

Good luck, you'll be setting new targets before you know it

hillsiderunner

Ah, come on ... that *is* quite short compared to some of the epics you read round here! Looking forward to reading the log.

6k "easy". Legs still feel very strong but I do feel like my aerobic fitness has suffered along the way.

It's nice running without a garmin though, and I'll do it for more easy runs I think.

libelula

Don't worry too much about the aerobic fitness, that'll come back super quickly.
Consistency will be your best friend over the next couple of months

aquinn

Miles whoops, you need to convert to miles! It's in the T&C of setting up a training log*

*This information is not factually correct but I can't work in KM

libelula

aquinn wrote: »

Miles whoops, you need to convert to miles! It's in the T&C of setting up a training log*

*This information is not factually correct but I can't work in KM

She can't. She needs km's for her cross-training things.

>.>.
<.<.

aquinn

I see she's torn and logs in both so just helping her here that miles are the way forward.

Maximus Alexander

Don't listen to their dirty rotten lies! Most runners use metric.

Oh god I know. I know. I'm so torn >.<

I ran a route I know is 6km. OK? I might flip between them when I run routes I know are 8 miles.

DON'T JUDGE ME

Firedance

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh god I know. I know. I'm so torn >.<

I ran a route I know is 6km. OK? I might flip between them when I run routes I know are 8 miles.

DON'T JUDGE ME

that same route is 3.72 miles though, another little teeny tiny bit and you'd have a lovely round 4 miles

I'm just kidding though, run in whatever measurement suits you, as long as your running it doesn't really matter - Anna is bilingual too

The Muppet

The best of luck with the log Woopsadaisydoodles

FBOT01

Best of luck with your running and with hitting your targets for 2016.

BTW if you can hit the 2nd one then the 1st one is too soft*

*although <25 gives you plenty of scope to go as low as you like

Firedance

Firedance wrote: »

that same route is 3.72 miles though, another little teeny tiny bit and you'd have a lovely round 4 miles

I'm just kidding though, run in whatever measurement suits you, as long as your running it doesn't really matter - Anna is bilingual too

I'm also about to ask a question about time v miles just to really mess it all up again :P

FBOT01 wrote: »

Best of luck with your running and with hitting your targets for 2016.

BTW if you can hit the 2nd one then the 1st one is too soft

Thank you!

Yes, I would imagine that the 5k minute target will be hit a lot sooner than the 10k, but I don't know how achievable the latter is within 12 months

libelula

aquinn wrote: »

I see she's torn and logs in both so just helping her here that miles are the way forward.

In fairness, who am I to talk. I've been known to count my intervals and hills in pebbles

Ososlo

Delighted to see you start a log and look forward to watching you achieve your goals.
Best of luck!

ncmc

Best of luck with the log, I read through the novice thread from time to time and you seem really clued in to your strengths and weaknesses so I’m sure you’ll have no problem hitting those PB’s. Plus if you hit the 10k one, a sub 4 marathon would be very achievable for you so best of luck with it!

aero2k

Deleted User wrote: »

DON'T JUDGE ME

The internet was invented for the sole purpose of enabling strangers to judge other strangers, and more importantly, to find them wanting in some regard.

Firedance wrote: »

Anna is bilingual too

That's all grand since the recent referendum.

Best of luck with the new log. From reading the link in your opening post about lessons learned, you're well on the way to serious improvement. No amount of advice can surpass real world experience, however traumatic at the time.

Oh god, everyone's watching. So much pressure >.>

Maximus Alexander

Only one thing for it, better get out for a run!

I runned today already :cool:

I'm not allowed run too much for four weeks after the Marathon which is MONDAY - I can't believe it :eek:

nop98

Good luck Whoops!

jake1970

Best of luck with the log and your running whoopsa.

A few easy miles here and there since my last post, today is the start of the DCM graduates plan as put together by Myles Splitz so we'll go from here

Tuesday - Day1 Week1

45 minutes easy.
Translates to around 4.5miles - or just over 7km :P

I tried to run by feel and only use my watch to keep an eye on my time and my splits weren't all that bad really, but definitely room to improve.

The only lunatic out running at 5.30am in winter but that just makes me feel extra smug

laura_ac3

Very behind around here at the minute, only just seeing this log now. Good luck with it, following the graduate thread with advice from myles will be of huge benefit - enjoy it.

Wednesday
Wk 1 Day 2

My calf was ouchies from the day before, so decided to run in the evening instead of early o'clock to give it extra time to feel less ouchies. Well I was only raging when I left the house before 7 to see it was lashing rain.

I could have gained many extra smug points from running at 5:30 in the pissings of rain.

Dammit.

So yesterday evening:

15 mins easy
10 mins of strides
15 mins easy

LOVE this. Jog to place, run fast a few times, jog home. Perfect!

Was absolutely knackered so didn't go for swimming lesson and had an early night instead.

That was the first time I had ran two days in a row since the marathon and my legs are actually tired today

Thursday
Wk1 Day2

45 (49!) mins easy.

Nothing exciting to report. I'm so slow. So very slow >.<

RacoonQueen

Deleted User wrote: »

Was absolutely knackered so didn't go for swimming lesson and had an early night instead.

:eek::eek: