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Never say never
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Monday 6th rest day my favourite day
Tuesday 7th Feb
60 mins easy on the plan so out for 6 miles with Mrs KennyG looped around Raheny onto the seafront and had a natter on the way about the great success of Jnr parkrun. Before we knew we were done. 6 miles avg pace 10.17. Splits 10.26, 10.09, 10.07, 9.53, 10.13, 10.50. Job done.
Wed 8th Feb
5 miles runmute. Bit rushed but glad to get it done determined to get my runs in this week after last weeks disaster. Avg pace 10.22 splits 10.34, 10.11, 10.22, 10.22, 10.22 wow only spotted the splits on the last three miles couldn't be that exact if I tried !!! Home got showered and changed and straight back out to Pilates. Great class trx type class but a lot slower paced and feeling it today in the upper body.
Thursday 9th Feb
Operation get all my runs done this week still going well. The plan had a speed session tonight so decided to try the club session again. While it's only on the coast which is down the road ended up driving as I was running late. Got there on time and did a warm up some exercises and a few strides to get the body warmed up. Then it was 12 * 200 Mtrs with everyone getting a chance to lead out and two groups 7 seconds apart. Was buzzing after this session as I did all 12, while I found the sessions tough I felt much better doing them than the first time I did them. Was hitting the wrong lap button on my watch so didn't get all my times but the laps I did get 53, 52, 47, 55, 56, 55,53 the earlier ones were 52/53 secs.
Really enjoyed the session and feel great after it. This week I'm starting to feel my fitness coming back and my mojo back long may it last 0 -
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Mon 20th Feb
Rest day today, had scheduled a sports massage, legs are feeling very tight the last week or so and I have a dullness in my hip flexor (where by DCM injury was) since upping the mileage which isn't affecting me running, but I am aware of it. I was given strength and conditioning exercises as part of my recovery which I had stopped when the injury went. Big mistake, I am supposed to keep doing these exercises regardless, so slap on the hand for me and have started to build them into my routine again.
Tuesday 21st Feb
Night out with the fam - no running
Wednesday 22nd Feb
Runmute 5 miles, what a horrible evening lashing rain when I came out of work, got soaked but got the run done, 5 miles avg pace avg pace 10.34, splits 10.45, 10.23, 10.16, 10.36, 10.46. Quick shower and change and back out for pilates class for some upper body work.
Thursday 23rd Feb
I am having a bit of a love hate relationship with running at the moment. A lot of it in my head I have to say and work is big contributor to this, the last few weeks have been really busy in work and quiet stressful, some late nights but even when I get out of work on time I find my mind racing about things I have to do the next day. Running definately helping deal with all this stuff by I am feeling tired and I think that is affecting my runs and my desire to run. This evening was another example, had planned to go to the club speed session this evening, but after a bad day at work it was the last thing I wanted to do. Knowing that if I went in home and didn't make some kind of a plan I would not run I text Mrs KennyG to see would she keep me company. Delighted when she said yes so when I got in the door from work, got changed and headed straight out. While no speed session, we got 6 miles done Avg pace 10.29 splits, 11.05, 9.57, 10.17, 10.26, 10.25, 10.44.
Friday 24th Feb
Contemplated making up for the missed day on Tuesday but wrecked when I got home, so chilled out and took a rest day.
Saturday 25th Feb
With the roster for parkrun a bit low on volunteers I had said I would help out. But a few volunteers stepped up on the morning so the RD said why didn't I run and leave someone else volunteer for a change. Jumped at the chance to run as it was pacer Saturday with 12 pacers on. My PB for 5km is 25.37 which I got in Father Collins park run in Feb 2016 and with marathon training and the new course in St Annes I have been no where near this time since, the fastest time since then hitting 26.28 in May last year. This year my fastest time has been 27.47. So decided I would try and go with the 26 min pacer and see how the fitness levels were. First lap went fine until he started to up the pace as we approached the dreaded hill. I kept going but started to feel very frustrated when I couldn't keep the pace and he faded off into the distance as we hit the ave. As we started into the 2nd lap I had a friendly shout out from Ferris who was pacing the 27 min group politely telling me to move my ass. I was finding the going tough and was feeling very frustrated that I couldn't keep the pace up. The head started to get the better of me at this stage. Gave myself a bit of a talking to to try and get some positive thoughts back into the head. Could still see Ferris ahead so I reckoned I was about 30 seconds behind him. It would be the fastest time this year so decided to take the positives and make it a good fast time. Saw a girl cut the corner again as she had done on the 1st lap which really p*ssed me off as she went ahead of me. No way was she getting in before me and I dug deep into the finish. My watch hadn't clocked in properly, so I had no idea what the time was but guess it would be near 27.30. The positives I was going to take was it was a course PB, the fastest time this year...... was definately going with the glass half full approach. Was a bit surprised at my 27.06 official result when it came in but then discovered that Ferris had come in at 26.39 so it was an added bonus. Still way off PB but going with the positives and the pb will come eventually.
Sunday 26th Feb
With Ballycotton coming next month I wanted to get 10 miles done today. After helping out at Junior parkrun this morning a few of us headed out for a run afterwards. The wind was unreal on the coast so I was glad we had chosen a route where the wind wasn't against us. Felt strong doing this run and delighted to hit my first double digit run since DCM. 10 miles avg pace 10.11 splits, 10.08, 10.22, 10.05,10.10, 9.56, 10.08, 9.52, 10.22, 10.28, 10.16.
Weekly mileage 23.7 miles
(must do more speed work next week) 0 -
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Bungy Girl wrote: »Enjoy the race, A! And don't forget to leave that teenager in your dust if she dares challenge you this year
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+1. With BG. No hostages, but do enjoy yourself.0 -
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Thanks for all the good wishes folks was in the depths of the country with poor wifi so haven't been on boards for a few days.
Week to date
Monday 6th March
Rest day
Tuesday 7th March
Enforced rest day due to working late and god awful weather when I got home and I just said f*ck it I am not going out in that, 6 miles extra is going to make no diff to my performance on Sunday so was in the PJs at 8 pm and chilled out, which was just what the doctor ordered.
Wednesday 8th March
Usual runmute home, was joined by two from the club en-route they insisted on running with me for a while AHHHH the extra pressure of running fast !! Until DD arrived alongside as well his one stride was the equivalent of 2 of mine !! Anyway it was nice to catch up with all these and encourage them to head off into the sunset and leave me to my easy pace. Enjoyed this run, legs feeling a little tight. Did some stretching and foam rolling when I got home. 5 miles avg pace 10.20, splits 10.39, 10.24, 10.01, 10.13, 10.23.
Thursday 9th of March
Club speed session was on the cards tonight. Had asked the infamous Pat Hooper whether we should do speeds this week with Ballycotton on Sunday, was told it would do the legs good to do them and not do them all maybe 8. So that was the plan. Usual rush to try and get to the seafront for 6.30 but Mrs KennyG helped out and picked me up enroute as I ran out in my socks runners in hand getting dressed on the way down. Delighted to see LauraAC at speeds tonight having also taken the plunge to join the Shamrocks. We did a few lap warm ups and a few stride outs and then started off with 12 * 200 meter sprints of which we were to only do 8. Found them tough but happy that the pace was consistent throughout and I was giving them my all, splits for each lap, 51,50,51,51,51,51,51,49. A good nights work done.
Friday 10th March
rest day
Saturday 11th March
rest day. Actually had a lie in on Saturday morning which I haven't had in ages and headed off late morning to Ballycotton for the Ballycotton 10 which was to take place on Sunday. Had a leisurely drive down stopping off to meet the KennyG's for lunch en route. Headed to the local pub for food and to watch the rugby (the less said about that match the better !) We were joined by Ferris and Co, MurphD, AnnaP and fam and the KennyG's along with some other friends who we were staying with for the weekend. Would have loved to sit in the pub having a few beers for the night, but home to bed early, with some stretching and foam rolling before going to bed in preparation for the race.
Sunday 12th March
Race : Ballycotton 10 Mile. Official time 1.31.45 no PB but I gave it my all !!
My PB for 10 miles, which I got in Ballycotton last year was 1.31.24, this was off the back of my first training cycle for the Marathon and previous pb of 1.34.41. I certainly wasn't expecting a drop like that this year and knew I would have to work hard for a pb this year. The plan A was to try for the sub 1.30 which would require a average 9 min mile. I had a look at my race stats from last year, the first two miles are down hill which you have to run back up as the last 2 miles of the race. The plan was to try and gain some time on the downhills to bag for these last two miles and try and keep the pace at 9 min miles. Plan B was a PB and plan c was just to give it my all and see what happened. The preparation has been good, if not a little late starting due to marathon injury. I would have liked the fitness levels to be better and the weight to be lighter but sure are you ever 100% ready I was going to give it a lash and enjoy the experience and it would be a good test of where the fitness levels were, my longest race since DCM. I have to say there was definately added pressure wearing the Raheny jersey knowing I was probably the slowest of the group that were running so was hoping I wouldn't be too far off the rest of the group that had travelled down.
Preparation was the usual breakfast of porridge tea and toast. I was like a cat on a hot tin roof waiting for the start of the race as it didn't start till 1.30 I probably would have been ready to run by 11 !! Lots of the park run crew used our house to drop bags and use the facilities before the race which was great as we were right beside the start line so we didn't have to worry about baggage areas or queuing for toilets. My friends niece who I beat by 3 seconds last year in our photo finish moment was looking very fit this year, we joked about her taking me this year, I told her she had youth on her side, but was secretly delighted to see stamps on her hand to indicate she had been out enjoying college social life in some nightclub earlier in the week, I had a sober week on my side !!
There seemed to be a huge crowd this year definately more than last year. At last we were off. Great support all the way through the village for the first downhill mile great shout out from Anna Pr and all our support crew along here. Very congested for the first mile and quiet frustrating to try and get into any kind of pace till we got out of the village onto the wider road and approaching mile 2.
Mile 1 clicked in at 8.55, Mile 2 8.54 was settling into a steady pace now as we headed out into mile 3. Along comes 18 year old beside me and says a cheerful hi not looking like it was taking anything out of her at all as she passed me by. By now the sun was beaming down and I was starting to feel the heat, glad that I had decided to wear a hat at the last minute. I was feeling strong and the pace felt okay.
Mile 3 clocked in at 8.59. I knew from the stats last year that there were some inclines coming in mile 4 so the aim here was to try and keep the pace at 9 mins too, the locals were all out on every corner and there was great support. Me and 18 year old were playing cat and mouse at this stage, I would pass her for a while, then she would pass me, this went on for the next few miles, she wasn't even sweating at this stage and looked like she was out on a leisurely job. I had moved into the side of the road by now, favouring the shade rather than running in the sun. Pushed this mile to try and keep on pace with the incline, Mile 4 clocked in at 8.58. I was actually looking forward to the water station at this stage feeling my mouth dry and in need of some water. Was feeling tired and started to struggle to keep pace from mile 5 onwards but I kept fighting and pushed on. Water station at 5 miles clocking 9.11, took some water on, felt the legs spasm I as slowed so thought it best to keep running and keep the momentum going. Was feeling the heat as the next mile had little shade and could feel the legs getting tired but I was enjoying the run I felt I was pushing as hard as I could and giving the race my best effort which I was happy with. I poured water over my face a few times and while I would usually discard the water bottle after taking a few sips I ran the remainder of the race with the bottle in my hand knowing there were no further water stations on the route and the heat was getting to me. 18 year old was still with me, ahead of me and behind me through various stages of the next few miles. I did find there was still gradual drags on the road which would be followed by some relief but unfortunately mile 6,7,8 clocked in at 9.12, 9.05 and 9.10 meant the sub 1.30 was more than likely gone as the race finished with two uphill miles. I had lost 18 year old at this stage I wasn't sure if I was ahead or behind her at this stage. Mile 9 hill started and my legs were burning, but I just took it each step at a time knowing that when I turned the corner I was on the homeward stretch, DG's words of wisdom always comes into my head at some stage of a race, check posture, check breathing, run tall, one step at a time. Each step was one step nearer to the village and the finish line. Was conscious that 18 year old was probably going to come up beside me and I wondered would my legs be able to dig deep to keep ahead of her, but I kept running knowing that our support crew were going to be ahead. Felt the hill even off a bit clocking 9.39 in mile 9
. PB was still not lost as I dug deep for the finish, passing AnnaPr, Mrs Ferris and the rest of the support crew and the big shout out pushed me on to the Bayview Hotel where the rest of the support gang were and those that had already finished the race including FBOT. I was hurting at this stage and I started to take people on really surprised how people were slowing off coming into the finish line ...... and getting in my way by doing so. Mile 10 9.06 Crossed the finish line, lay over the railings totally exhausted and happy that I had given the race my all. I have to say I was disappointed not to PB, but I couldn't have given it any more than I did. Official time 1.31.45 and a good marker of where I am at fitness wise with a lot of more work to do to get some pb's this year.
Queued for the famous finishers mug and was delighted to get a bonus tshirt this year it being the 40th Anniversary year. 18 year old gave me a thumbs up and a well done to discover that her night clubbing had gotten the better of her this year coming in 2 mins behind me. She told me she tried to keep up with me but lost me at mile 7. High 5 me !!
Its a great race and one that I will be back to do again next year hopefully. Enjoyed celebration pints in the local with all the crew afterwards everyone seemed to have enjoyed the race, pb's or no pb's a great day out. Had a great weekend. Onwards and upwards as they say. 0 -
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