"It's what you do next that counts"

Peckham

Woddle wrote: »

on the way back I had my wife drop me off at Ramsgrange where I ran the 6.54 miles home

...or was it that she kicked you out of the car as she was fed with you commenting on runners along the side of the road (and then linking it into thoughts about your own training)?! I think some day my wife is going to throw me out of the car for this....I just hope it's not too far from home.

Woddle

Peckham wrote: »

...or was it that she kicked you out of the car as she was fed with you commenting on runners along the side of the road (and then linking it into thoughts about your own training)?! I think some day my wife is going to throw me out of the car for this....I just hope it's not too far from home.

There was a bit of that alright, it started to lash rain as I was at the back of the car getting ready, so I jumped in to the boot, she took this as her chance to annoy me for a change so she drove half a mile further down the road with me in the boot and the kids laughing their heads off.

During the months of July and August I'll be down in Wexford for 5 of those 8/9 weeks. My wife and I agreed that for one of these weeks I would not run, so after getting lashed on in my last run and feeling a bit lazy I decided to take that week off. It was a good decision as the weather was quite bad for a few of the days. So for a week I ate like a pig, thought my little one how to ride her bike and on an impulse buy, I bought a surfboard, so for my week off I tried to teach myself how to surf, it's alot harder than it looks.
Heres a couple of pics from Carnavan bay. I went down one of the evenings to watch how the pros do it







So I'm back running after the week off, which saw me run on Friday
5.08 mile in 38:44
Average HR 80%
This session involved 1/2 mile warm up, followed by 1/4 mile fast, 1/4 mile slow, so this added up to 9x1/4 mile fast.
I enjoyed this and met Gerard65 twice on route.

Today
Just over 12.5 miles with ecoli and figs. I found this very tough and by the time we came round to Marlay park my groin was acting up, so I stopped to stretch and then ran in the opposite direction to catch up with the 2 lads, from this point on I could feel my groin so I cut the run short.
Today has got me thinking and with 10 weeks to Berlin, I don't feel I'm in the shape I was last year at this stage of training, so I'm now leaning towards Dublin as my goal race. I've also decided that Cfitz was right and the no rest days is sth that has to be a gradual build towards, so from next week 6 days on and one rest day. I'll also be doing exactly what I'm told by RF. MY reason for doing what I'm told is, one day I would like to be a good coach, at this moment in time I don't know enough to be doing my own thing and only taking little pieces of peoples advice, who am I to argue with cfitz, RF and Tergat.
I'm happy now that I have my mind leaning towards Dublin, sorry about the long winded post, just thought I would let yee know where my head is at.

Krusty_Clown

Hi Woddle, just something that I found useful - I'm sticking religiously to my P&D schedule, but on non-running days I switch to the bike, and when the opportunity allows, a bit of swimming. Not only am I getting further non-weight bearing exercise, I find the cycling actually aids my running recovery.

So what's the story with Berlin? Are you still going to do it?
Great pics by the way.

Woddle

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

So what's the story with Berlin? Are you still going to do it?
.

This is where I've been thinking of you and your Connemara experience. I was half thinking of just running Berlin but then I think of your experience and the fact that it ruined Edin for you, so evrything is paid for so I'm half thinking of just using it as a weekend away with herself no running attached. The other side of the coin is the closer we get to Berlin and the excitement of others on the forum might make me want to do it, so still a little bit of thinking to do, I'll see how the next couple of weeks go as another plan was put to me, knock Dublin on the head and get yourself ready for the xcountry, aware 10k and Raheny 5. Decisions, decisions but right now this second I ain't in good shape. Glad to see everything is going well for you and I saw your target of 3:07, I think it's def within your grasp.

BeepBeep67

Woddle wrote: »

Today
Just over 12.5 miles with ecoli and figs. I found this very tough and by the time we came round to Marlay park my groin was acting up, so I stopped to stretch and then ran in the opposite direction to catch up with the 2 lads, from this point on I could feel my groin so I cut the run short.

Be careful after a week off, you should come back to about 75% total mileage before you stopped and similar for your long run.

Krusty_Clown

Hi Woddle, I looked back at the time I picked up the injury, and I can see that it was down to my own foolishness and I credit you with a lot more common sense than me! It's a long'ish post so I stuck it in my training log instead of cluttering yours.

Woddle

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Hi Woddle, I looked back at the time I picked up the injury, and I can see that it was down to my own foolishness and I credit you with a lot more common sense than me! It's a long'ish post so I stuck it in my training log instead of cluttering yours.

Wow that was overkill alright . Thanks for that, some more food for thought. I suppose I forget that I did the 3 close together last year with no major problems, so maybe doable, I'll have a good think.

shels4ever

If you decided not to run berlin i'm putting together a 10-12 week plan to bring me up to the Novice XC and a few other races in november from 5k to 10k . If you decided not to run berlin we could do some of the session together.

Woddle

shels4ever wrote: »

If you decided not to run berlin i'm putting together a 10-12 week plan to bring me up to the Novice XC and a few other races in november from 5k to 10k . If you decided not to run berlin we could do some of the session together.

This idea is starting to appeal to me. I got asked today how is everything going and this was my response

Not alot, I'm having a hard time of it, all my own doing. Did nothing again for the last week, pulled out of the 5 miler, I blamed it on a sore foot but that was just an excuse, foot wasn't that sore. I kicked it off a rock while swimming in the sea.
I have had yet another good think and I think I'm caught in two minds.
Do I want to do a marathon this year? No
Do I feel I have to as I've paid for everything?Yes

I told my wife yesterday that I'm not going back to Wexford till the middle of August, sth just comes over me and I refuse to run down there, making every excuse you can think of. It has put me in rotten form and I've found myself snapping alot at all the small things, trying to buy a house at the moment aswell and that is causing a bit of stress.
I was thinking of just saying fcek the marathons and just enjoy jogging for a bit and race the last graded meet and then have a look at the situation again. Sorry for the long winded waffle. Came home yesterday evening from Wexford and I got out for 6 hilly miles this morning and found it so tough.
How are things with yourself. Will you race the next graded meet?
I was thinking of asking Adam Jones if I could join them for a few sessions.
Full of ideas and thoughts but not alot of action.

This might seem very negative and it is but it's good for me to be realistic and not kid myself. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome on the to run or not to run the marathon.

Today
6.04 hilly miles,pace 8'28, silly route now that I think of it having done nothing for a week.
Average HR 79%, felt very tough and I can't remember the last time I was so red faced.

BeepBeep67

Hi Woddle, preparation for a big race, especially a marathon is as much mental preparation as physical. If you're not there mentally at this stage I think you are reducing your odds of having a good experience. On the flip side you seem like an upbeat guy and I'm sure you can get your head in gear - question is do you want to? A nice short city break and a couple of hundred snaps for RacePix could be a nice plan B.

tisnotover

Woddle wrote: »

This idea is starting to appeal to me. I got asked today how is everything going and this was my response

Not alot, I'm having a hard time of it, all my own doing. Did nothing again for the last week, pulled out of the 5 miler, I blamed it on a sore foot but that was just an excuse, foot wasn't that sore. I kicked it off a rock while swimming in the sea.
I have had yet another good think and I think I'm caught in two minds.
Do I want to do a marathon this year? No
Do I feel I have to as I've paid for everything?Yes

I told my wife yesterday that I'm not going back to Wexford till the middle of August, sth just comes over me and I refuse to run down there, making every excuse you can think of. It has put me in rotten form and I've found myself snapping alot at all the small things, trying to buy a house at the moment aswell and that is causing a bit of stress.
I was thinking of just saying fcek the marathons and just enjoy jogging for a bit and race the last graded meet and then have a look at the situation again. Sorry for the long winded waffle. Came home yesterday evening from Wexford and I got out for 6 hilly miles this morning and found it so tough.
How are things with yourself. Will you race the next graded meet?
I was thinking of asking Adam Jones if I could join them for a few sessions.
Full of ideas and thoughts but not alot of action.

This might seem very negative and it is but it's good for me to be realistic and not kid myself. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome on the to run or not to run the marathon.

Today
6.04 hilly miles,pace 8'28, silly route now that I think of it having done nothing for a week.
Average HR 79%, felt very tough and I can't remember the last time I was so red faced.

Hey Woddle,

I think shels idea of 10-12 wk plan is a great one. hearing ya there say that you don't want to do a marathon is enough for me.
Aim to get back into things few days at a time at first+mileage/tempo can come back into plans after a while, it won't take that long, you were doing great running only a couple of weeks ago!

Woddle

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Hi Woddle, preparation for a big race, especially a marathon is as much mental preparation as physical. If you're not there mentally at this stage I think you are reducing your odds of having a good experience. On the flip side you seem like an upbeat guy and I'm sure you can get your head in gear - question is do you want to? A nice short city break and a couple of hundred snaps for RacePix could be a nice plan B.

This is the wifes preferred option , my mental state does change very rapidly with how I'm training , you never know with a couple of weeks good training behind me but at the same time I won't be capable of a pb so I'm thinking why bother

christeb

Woddle wrote: »

but at the same time I won't be capable of a pb so I'm thinking why bother

Sorry if I missed sth but why won't you be capable of a PB?
It's 100% based on how you feel, I think the overriding sentiment here is that you need to be enjoying your running, and if you're not then don't keep the Berlin sched up. In saying that, we all have bad days here and there, don't let a couple in succession totally put you off

Sosa

Woddle wrote: »

Do I want to do a marathon this year? No

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome on the to run or not to run the marathon.

Your mind is made up

Peckham

Looks like we're both in exactly the same state of mind, and I've pretty much finalised my decision not to go to Berlin. Am certainly not in the right place mentally (let alone physically) and when I look at the training I'd need to do over the next few weeks to get into shape for Berlin (probably not even for a PB attempt), it just depresses me rather than excites me. If that's how I feel now, I can't imagine how I'd feel on a Saturday morning in bed thinking about getting up to do a 18 mile fast finish run!

I'm also looking at XC novice, as well as the Pearl Izumi 10k and lots of other BHAA shorter races. Might even chuck the Dublin half into the mix for the craic (with no pressure to PB on that course). Thinking and planning all that makes me excited, which is how you should feel planning the training. Have never raced 10k before, so that's a guaranteed PB (presuming I finish!), and XC novices would be exciting. Also means I can go out on long runs with boardsies for fun rather than training.

....and if I get all that done, I'll be in perfect shape in January to ramp things up for a PB attempt in London Marathon.

meathcountysec

You seem to have made up your mind at an intellectual level about the do I/don't I question regarding running a marathon. However, until you find another goal/target that enthuses you will keep returning to it. In the How fast will you go thread you have put down a target of a sub-39 10K. How badly do you want to do this?

Woddle

Peckham wrote: »

Looks like we're both in exactly the same state of mind, and I've pretty much finalised my decision not to go to Berlin. Am certainly not in the right place mentally (let alone physically) and when I look at the training I'd need to do over the next few weeks to get into shape for Berlin (probably not even for a PB attempt), it just depresses me rather than excites me. If that's how I feel now, I can't imagine how I'd feel on a Saturday morning in bed thinking about getting up to do a 18 mile fast finish run!

I'm also looking at XC novice, as well as the Pearl Izumi 10k and lots of other BHAA shorter races. Might even chuck the Dublin half into the mix for the craic (with no pressure to PB on that course). Thinking and planning all that makes me excited, which is how you should feel planning the training. Have never raced 10k before, so that's a guaranteed PB (presuming I finish!), and XC novices would be exciting. Also means I can go out on long runs with boardsies for fun rather than training.

....and if I get all that done, I'll be in perfect shape in January to ramp things up for a PB attempt in London Marathon.

Thats exactly how I'm feeling and I think Sosa made the decision look very simple Thanks for all your helps in making me decide not to run a marathon

Woddle

meathcountysec wrote: »

You seem to have made up your mind at an intellectual level about the do I/don't I question regarding running a marathon. However, until you find another goal/target that enthuses you will keep returning to it. In the How fast will you go thread you have put down a target of a sub-39 10K. How badly do you want to do this?

Very badly and the plan was to hit the Aware 10k coming of the back of marathon prep

ike

Hey Woddle,

My mind is not in it at the moment but I've commited to it so i'll be pretty much grinding out for the next 6 weeks of so. Getting motivated for the long runs at the weekend is really hard. But then again I only need to clock off 3 more long runs and I'll feel I'm ready, so for that reason I'll stick with it.

I have the exact same thoughts on the shorter distances, I smashed my 5 mile PB in Dungarvan recently with little or no speed training, so I'd love to concentrate on that for next year

If your NOT motivated and call it off you'll probably feel a huge relief, but I'd suggest you make the decision NOW rather than let it hang over you and possibly mess up your head and training.

However If you need a plan B - ease back on the training, do not give a sh1te if you miss a few sessions, just go to Berlin you'll probalby set another PB and have a bit of craic and enjoy it.

meathcountysec

Woddle wrote: »

Very badly and the plan was to hit the Aware 10k coming of the back of marathon prep

OK, so what's the NEW plan?

Seres

hey woddle
i think your thoughts on doing a marathon was putting alot of unnecessary pressure on you , you had wanted to lose a good bit of weight , along with your wife being pregnant and thinking of moving house ,it just seems that maybe your life didnt have time at the moment for such a big commitment . Hope i dont sound like i am preaching :)and best of luck with your new goals , Oh by the way 10k distance is a really nice distance to train for , kind of starting to miss 10k races myself at moment !

Running Bing

I say run the marathon!


Now maybe Im wrong but it seems to me you really enjoy shorter races on the track like the mile and the idea of a marathon just doesnt motivate you anymore. Now the more I have trained for the mile the more I realise that the key to getting faster is big aerobic strength.

I think training for the marathon would be class preparation for next summers track season. I think you should treat the winter and the marathon as nothing more than preparation, dont worry about times in the marathon, take some pressure off and just look at it as an opportunity to really improve your strength.

Your paid up, you know you can run a marathon so just enjoy it. Treat it as preparation and Im sure it will stand to you.

Just my two cents.

Munster_Gal

I had it in my head that you were pacing in Dublin this year :rolleyes:
Clearly I was making it up!
I say run the marathon and I'll get a piggy back from ya

I just realised that you were talking about Berlin... my bad

eliwallach

I'm with Sosa on this.

In fact you advertantly answered the question yourself.

Having said that. :rolleyes:
You are registered and paid-up.
You have accomodation and flights booked and paid for (with your expectant OH, if I'm not mistaken).
You know the distance.
You've done the distance.
So maybe Running Bing makes a good point when he says:
"Your paid up, you know you can run a marathon so just enjoy it. Treat it as preparation and Im sure it will stand to you".

Actually, I'm no help really .

rainbow kirby

Woddle wrote: »

Do I want to do a marathon this year? No

There, you've said it yourself. Dont do it if you really don't want to do it. There's plenty of shorter stuff for you to put your mind to anyway, and you'll probably enjoy it more than you would have enjoyed slogging through a program for a marathon you didn't really want to do.

Woddle

The verdict is in guys and thanks to everyone for their opinions, they helped alot. I've decided I'm not doing Berlin or Dublin. I've ran 4 in 8 months and I know others have done way more but I pretty much came from having no fitness to running those 4 (3 in 9 weeks) and I think it's finally caught up with me, I'm not motivated for my long runs which I used to love doing. I think since Paris my improvement has stalled.
I had been looking at sub 19 for 5k(don't think I would run even sub 20 right now) and sub 32 for 5 mile(would be lucky to do sub 34 right now).So this is really what I need to concentrate on before attempting a marathon pb.
Looking back at recent races
Dunshaughlan 10k-45'12 crap
Dunboyne 5 mile -33'30 not bad
Wicklow way 8k- 33'47, mainly downhill but not bad
Cork leg 1 5.2 miles - 37'18 crapest of the lot

My last decent race was 15th of March, omg when you right it down it really is evident that sth is seriously wrong

Ok short stuff from here on in. Thanks again

RacoonQueen

I agree with Bing, you could probably go out and run 26.2 miles on Saturday in a good sub 4 hour time, you have the fitness and you have the miles done. Keep up a decent level of training and go and take it easy in Berlin and enjoy it, when you sit back and relax and don't spend the majority of your race doing pacing maths in your head you realise just how much you love what you do(I got this feeling on Saturday at the 5 miler even though I felt like I was going painfully slow). There's no rule saying you have to pb or have to race every marathon or every race you do. You've paid for it, you're going out there anyway nowt stopping you going and enjoying yourself.

Edit: Ignore what I've said you posted at the exact same time as me.

Woddle

RacoonQueen wrote: »

There's no rule saying you have to pb or have to race every marathon or every race you do.

Thanks RQ but I feel I would only want to race for pbs and of late I've been kidding myself thinking that I deserve pbs, pbs are why I run moreso than the enjoying the occasion.

Running Bing

Woddle wrote: »

The verdict is in guys and thanks to everyone for their opinions, they helped alot. I've decided I'm not doing Berlin or Dublin. I've ran 4 in 8 months and I know others have done way more but I pretty much came from having no fitness to running those 4 (3 in 9 weeks) and I think it's finally caught up with me, I'm not motivated for my long runs which I used to love doing. I think since Paris my improvement has stalled.
I had been looking at sub 19 for 5k(don't think I would run even sub 20 right now) and sub 32 for 5 mile(would be lucky to do sub 34 right now).So this is really what I need to concentrate on before attempting a marathon pb.
Looking back at recent races
Dunshaughlan 10k-45'12 crap
Dunboyne 5 mile -33'30 not bad
Wicklow way 8k- 33'47, mainly downhill but not bad
Cork leg 1 5.2 miles - 37'18 crapest of the lot

My last decent race was 15th of March, omg when you right it down it really is evident that sth is seriously wrong

Ok short stuff from here on in. Thanks again

Sounds like your pretty sure what you want to do so go for it (although with the rate of pull outs on here the Berlin organisers must be getting worried:D).

So are you gonna follow a formal plan Woddle or just take it as it comes? Do have an idea where you want your mileage to be or the types of workouts you plan doing?

Woddle

Well your log has inspired me a fair bit I must say and with that fact I located my JD book for reading, I know what I want to do next summer and that is run 800/1500. I like the idea of shels novice xc and I would be looking to pb in Raheny 5 mile and I also want to run a quick 5k and 10k. As I mention 10k, I'm now thinking of the pearl izumi race in September which gives me 8 weeks, I like the sound of that actually