Berlin Q or Bust: Road to sub 2:45

healy1835

Thoughts turning towards (what am I saying, they've been there for a while!) DCM.....race plan, paces etc. Would be interested to hear what the regular readers of this think my best plan of action is?

OOnegative

healy1835 wrote: »

Thoughts turning towards (what am I saying, they've been there for a while!) DCM.....race plan, paces etc. Would be interested to hear what the regular readers of this think my best plan of action is?

Go run a PB, simple as. Joking aside i’d say your ‘coach’ would have plenty of good advice like the one you imparted with me last week & which was used by me last Sunday believe me. Take it easy next few weeks, eat well, hydrate well and one thing I found helped me regarding Koln, get to bed early a few nights.

healy1835

OOnegative wrote: »

Go run a PB, simple as. Joking aside i’d say your ‘coach’ would have plenty of good advice like the one you imparted with me last week & which was used by me last Sunday believe me. Take it easy next few weeks, eat well, hydrate well and one thing I found helped me regarding Koln, get to bed early a few nights.

Ha ha yeah no doubt about that. Glad that little nugget/anecdote came in useful. Sleep is something I'm going to try and break par with....and that would be a huge improvement on my regular sleep pattern. After Rotterdam I'm pretty confident I won't f#%* up the hydration aspect again. I'm not gonna lie, I'd be pretty disappointed if I didn't PB......I am of course entering into the race safe in the knowledge that the marathon always has unique ways of kicking you in the ass as I've found out a couple times now, but this is without doubt the calmest and most confident I've gone into a marathon yet.

Duanington

You're in great shape J and have a massive training block behind you...I'd consult with your mate who is helping you out with your training before settling on anything but you've put yourself in strong PB shape, no doubt about it.

I'd love to see you go after it to be honest, keep it somewhat sensible (but still well under sub 3 pace) for the first half and gradually try to wind it up over the 2nd half, I think you have the strength to run that kind of race.

jake1970

healy1835 wrote: »

Thoughts turning towards (what am I saying, they've been there for a while!) DCM.....race plan, paces etc. Would be interested to hear what the regular readers of this think my best plan of action is?

Surely after your great result in the half the only thoughts should be towards PB'ing. Its has being said already but you are in great shape just keep things ticking over now till race day.

shotgunmcos

Best plan of action?

You are in the zone, the work is done, ghost through the first half well within yourself. Sure may as well keep this going another 10k, it feels so easy. Passing loads now. Quick glance at the watch, its been a while since you saw the easiest 85 ever at half way. Yep, still clocking roughly 6:30s. Hold fire now, a few more kms at this, its not easy anymore but I'll wait for it. 10k to go, still feeling good but too early to charge, check, 6:30s.. maintain... 35k mark, ok its starting to bite, I knew it would. Its gonna be grim in this pain cave but I'm in the shape of my life, I might never be here again.. bring it on..

healy1835

Dublin Wk14 of 16

Mon: Bug had knocked the **** out of me. Took the day off.

Tue: 11k Buggy: 56:31 @5:08/km
Had to take a day off to look after Erin. Buggy runs during school run time are a lot trickier affairs than their summer/weekend counterparts.

Wed: 10.5k Easy: 52:47 @4:59/km
Ambled around the hot and windswept plains. Taking it softly softly after the bug.

Thu: 23k Easy: 1:50:11 @4:47/km
After last week's trot around the 2nd half of DCM, I took in the first half this week. It is the tougher half by far. I had forgotten one or two stretches; Chapleizod to Kilmainham being the main one.

Some great advice and visualisation material in the posts above The plan is, subject to weather conditions of course , to go out at 2:55 pace until we get through Castleknock and then start to move towards 2:50 pace. Sub 2:55 is the plan, but 2:53/2:52 is hopefully on the cards. Again, the emphasis will be to go conservatively until through Castleknock no matter how im feeling. 1:27/1:28 first half, and then a decent negative split. Sounds pretty straightforward doesn't it

OOnegative

It is straight forward, because you are that good. Don’t doubt, trust yourself and execute.

healy1835

Fri: 8k with Pooch: 45ish

Sat: 10 Miles Relaxed: 1:16:04 @4:43/km

Set off around the bog roads on a wet and miserable Saturday afternoon......enjoyable run in the end.

Sun: Session: 6x1Mile off 2mins

Forgot to look at the plan prior to this so was unsure of the targets for the repeats, but I knew that a hard effort 'without going crazy' was the general idea Had sub 6min miles in my head, but then I sort of reminded myself that that's close to my HMP so I really need to think again. Decided on 5:45 miles and then after a 2 mile warm up, got to the track and decided just to go on effort; keeping things honest but not absolutely busting myself.......what ensued probably did surprise me a good bit, but I just went with it after the first and banged out a great session. I know GPS can be a bit unreliable on the track but tbh, if anything one or two of the reps seemed a little long.

Splits: 5:22, 5:17, 5:15, 5:18, 5:18, 5:15

Those splits would put you in good spirits. Most satisfying thing was that it all felt pretty controlled and i was never on the edge at any stage. Steady MLR on Wednesday and then one last session next weekend. Bring.It.On

83km for the Week, happy enough with that total after picking up the bug earlier in the week.

OOnegative

Those mile reps are scary fast, some session J!!

Murph_D

Impressive!

If on the track, why not just use the markings or known lane lengths to measure out the mile?

healy1835

Murph_D wrote: »

Impressive!

If on the track, why not just use the markings or known lane lengths to measure out the mile?

It was a gravel track and I was going by what i gauged would have been a mile, 4 laps in about the equivalent of a Lane 2 on a proper track, the inside of the track wasn't in great nick. A couple of reps were a little longer than that....

Swashbuckler

Can I ask, and it's not meant to be in any way negative,. Those mile reps look even quicker than what your 5k effort would be. What's the purpose towards the marathon? Genuine question. I've just seen that session in the McMillian plan for 10k.

healy1835

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Can I ask, and it's not meant to be in any way negative,. Those mile reps look even quicker than what your 5k effort would be. What's the purpose towards the marathon? Genuine question. I've just seen that session in the McMillian plan for 10k.

You're right to question it Paul! I suppose the plan was to do something to keep the legs turning over and looking back at my instructions, there wasn't a planned pace. This session was planned with a 10k race being originally in the mix for last Wednesday. After talking to my mate he reckoned I didn't need to go looking for a 10k race at the weekend to compensate for not running the 10k on the Wednesday. He reckoned physically and mentally I didn't need it. The session ended up being ran on perceived effort. I was surprised at the times and after the first couple I considered backing off, but I really didn't feel like I was busting a gut out there so I tried to keep the same rhythym going for each of the reps. I felt way fresher afterwards (and today) than I felt after the 20x400 session the previous week for example. Maybe I was trying to make up for not having a 10k blowout like I usually do 2 weeks out from a marathon.........I don't know

Swashbuckler

To be honest I think this is one of those rare occasions where it's probably not worth overthinking it. If the effort felt right then what harm.... But that's a hell of a session. I can't wait to see what damage you do over the shorter stuff if you choose to go that route next year. I don't think I'd manage that pace over a session like that and maintain controlled.

OOnegative

I still have over 5k & 10k, ya can keep your Strava Superhero sessions......

healy1835

Swashbuckler wrote: »

To be honest I think this is one of those rare occasions where it's probably not worth overthinking it. If the effort felt right then what harm.... But that's a hell of a session. I can't wait to see what damage you do over the shorter stuff if you choose to go that route next year. I don't think I'd manage that pace over a session like that and maintain controlled.

Not sure how short the shorter stuff will be 5miles and up maybe.....I DID purchase my first pair of spikes this week so all things going well will get a few BHAA XC races in the New Year.

OOnegative

Jokes apart and there is still a big elephant in the room to be taken care of namely DCM!!! But I would genuinely love to hear what your plans are for after?

Swashbuckler

healy1835 wrote:

Not sure how short the shorter stuff will be 5miles and up maybe.....I DID purchase my first pair of spikes this week so all things going well will get a few BHAA XC races in the New Year.

Yeah I get you. I consider 10k "shorter" seeing as y'all like to run 42k in these parts. Your 10k pb could take a serious hit with the right work.

healy1835

Well yeah, not really thinking about exact plans until after DCM. The only thing I know for sure is that I won't be running a Spring marathon if i was to guess, Raheny, Trim, Bohermeen could all be options.....but I've some business to take care of first. Actually i do have a target race pencilled in; my training partner, who broke 3hrs in Rotterdam, and I are having a showdown at the 12ks of Christmas in Kildare Town in December. Loser buys dinner and a feed of pints that afternoon

OOnegative

healy1835 wrote: »

Well yeah, not really thinking about exact plans until after DCM. The only thing I know for sure is that I won't be running a Spring marathon if i was to guess, Raheny, Trim, Bohermeen could all be options.....but I've some business to take care of first. Actually i do have a target race pencilled in; my training partner, who broke 3hrs in Rotterdam, and I are having a showdown at the 12ks of Christmas in Kildare Town in December. Loser buys dinner and a feed of pints that afternoon

Raheny, Trim then Bohermeen sounds good. Feed of food and beer even better!!

healy1835

OOnegative wrote: »

Raheny, Trim then Bohermeen sounds good. Feed of food and beer even better!!

He's training for it already! Just back from injury.....I've laid my tactics bare already. I'm going to break 37mins for 10k and hopefully break him in the process and then try and hang on for dear life for the last 2k

Swashbuckler

healy1835 wrote:

He's training for it already! Just back from injury.....I've laid my tactics bare already. I'm going to break 37mins for 10k and hopefully break him in the process and then try and hang on for dear life for the last 2k

I think looking at those session splits 37min might be a little sandbagged!

healy1835

Swashbuckler wrote: »

I think looking at those session splits 37min might be a little sandbagged!

We'll see how I recover from next weekend's exploits first

MY BAD

I'd say if you were to concentrate on 5 to 10km races for a year you'd do some damage

healy1835

Dublin Marathon 2018: Wk15 of 16

Mon: 10k Recovery: 51:14 @5:07/km

Tue: 9k Easy: 44:04 @4:54/km

Easy runs on the plains. Nippy enough on Tuesdays trot.

Wed: 21.1k Relaxed: 1:35:04 @4:30/km

The steadier MLR 10 days out from a marathon is probably my favourite run of them all. The fact that all the hard yards are behind you and the anticipation of what's to come really tops up the inspiration reserves. Plus the fact that I felt ridiculously good during this one today, barely felt like i was moving at all all my ducks are firmly in a row now.......just need to get through the next week and a half in one piece

healy1835

Thu: Rest
My best friends Dad who would be a great friend as well, passed away unexpectedly. I was actually on the way to visit him in hospital when I found out, quite the shock I'm afraid.

Fri: Went into work, but really wasn't in the head space for it. Left at lunch time and later in the afternoon got an easy run in which helped clear the head.

5Miles Easy: 39:58 @4:52/km

Sat: 12k (Inc 2x2 miles off 4mins): 56:46 @4:43/km

12:13 & 12:17 for the reps.

Just keeping the legs turning over, had to really reign this one in, things felt great.

Sun: 10.5k Buggy: 53:48 @5:07/km

T -7 days....

healy1835

So as the final week begins, a review of what got me here is in order. The preceding 15 weeks have seen me up my average weekly mileage, with most non race weeks hitting 130+k. Long Runs have included 5 x MLR 21-24k, 1x28k, 3x30k, 1x32k, 3x34k & 1x36k. Most of the Long Runs have been far steadier affairs with 4:30ish/km being par for the course most weeks (There was even some sub 3 MP sections thrown in there!) This was a new departure and I definitely feel the better for it.

Didn't have quite the same quantity of sessions as I had for Rotterdam for a variety of reasons, but the quality of my sessions definitely ramped up from previous blocks. This jump in quality has shown in my races; a 60:33 10Mile & 1:19:59 Half (still smirk a little every time I see that time written down ) Both races were not perfect and I definitely had a bit more in the tank after the Half.

I've definitely felt stronger than I have been at any point in my running journey. I know that this is probably going to happen naturally as I'm still only 3 years in, but......I honestly have felt strong during most runs in this block. Breaking 3 hrs in Limerick has certainly helped confidence levels, no doubt.

Which brings me to Sunday......I know my times would indicate a sub 2:50 marathon across most of the various calculators, and I've been the victim of libellous comments from Ray on the DCM thread , but I'm going out with a target of 2:55 and hoping to come under it with a decent negative split. My plan is simple; 4:10's or so until Castleknock, gain back most of that time on the downhills that follow. Settle into 2:55 pace from there and hopefully, start to post some faster splits.

I know the Dublin course isn't easy, I know (from painful experience) that **** can happen during a marathon and I know that it's never a fait accompli that a fast marathon follows a good training block......but....I'm feeling great and pretty confident that I can run a good time on Sunday. I'll certainly leave it all out there regardless and try to enjoy the fantastic day and occasion that a Dublin Marathon brings with it.

Itziger

Very good training, some great intermediate times, especially that Half, and a top attitude and approach to this. You should do well but I won't put a curse or pressure on you by predicting a time. Best of luck on the day.

AuldManKing

Super post J - great training block - lets see how the cards fall on the day.