If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.

Swashbuckler

Kellygirl wrote:

The plan finishes the week ending 23rd February so will be looking for something round then. Hopefully something will pop up.

Theres a couple of 5 milers in Clare around then. And of course the famous Adare 10k which is sold out though

ReeReeG

Kellygirl wrote:

It’s a 14 week plan in total and I’ve 7 weeks left to do. Only half way through. I can’t do any races in that time as all on Sundays and I’m working for the next 5 Sundays. There’s always parkrun though.

I forgot how long the plan is... excited to start it now!

MY BAD

What's the plan after the plan? Will you go back to longer races or stick to 5 to 10k for a while?

Kellygirl

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Theres a couple of 5 milers in Clare around then. And of course the famous Adare 10k which is sold out though

I’ll watch out for them - I don’t want to travel too far as it means too much time away from home and unfair to do that too often. I want to try and swing Limerick again maybe too so need to save my brownie points for that ;-)

ReeReeG wrote: »

I forgot how long the plan is... excited to start it now!

It really is brilliant. I’m loving it.

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

What's the plan after the plan? Will you go back to longer races or stick to 5 to 10k for a while?

I’ve signed up to Cork Half Marathon and also DCM so I’ll go straight into the Grads HM plan for Cork but will try to get to as many evening races as I can when they start up in April and May. After Cork I’d like to spend the Summer doing whatever races I can get to too which would be mainly short ones and then the John Buckley 10 mile and Charleville HM before Dublin.

Would possibly be no harm to have spent a year on shorter stuff but don’t want to miss out on Cork HM or DCM - though DCM isn’t currently a target race and more of one to enjoy.

Huzzah!

Kellygirl wrote: »

I was very self conscious doing it as I was running back and forward a 2.6km stretch and kept passing the same people out sometimes really fast or sometimes during recovery and I’d be puffing and panting while at a ridiculously slow pace and I’m sure people were thinking ‘God help us, look at your one trying to learn to run for a new year’s resolution’.

I was thinking of you today as I huffed and puffed my way up Howth - a woman stood off the path saying, "Don't worry, I can hear you." I was mortified!

Kellygirl wrote: »

I

After Cork I’d like to spend the Summer doing whatever races I can get to too which would be mainly short ones and then the John Buckley 10 mile and Charleville HM before Dublin.

I kind of want to do Charleville before Dublin as well but it might be a bit of a wasted journey for me if I do Hanson again. Plenty of time to think about it anyway.

Applegirl26

Kellygirl I love reading your log. You're so focused and always seem to be working on something. I love your discipline.

Kellygirl

Huzzah! wrote: »

I was thinking of you today as I huffed and puffed my way up Howth - a woman stood off the path saying, "Don't worry, I can hear you." I was mortified!



I kind of want to do Charleville before Dublin as well but it might be a bit of a wasted journey for me if I do Hanson again. Plenty of time to think about it anyway.

Ha ha - at work today one of my clients asked if that was me running on the greenway and I asked which day and of course it was New Year’s Day! I told her what I was doing and she said she thought I looked really fit and was very impressed with the sprinting back and forward. Made me feel a bit better. We forget about the number of people who do nothing ever.

Applegirl26 wrote: »

Kellygirl I love reading your log. You're so focused and always seem to be working on something. I love your discipline.

Thanks a mill Applegirl. I wouldn’t trust myself to stay motivated if I wasn’t following plan and I suppose I really want to improve. Having said that, it’s such a habit now maybe I would keep going.

Baby75

Your doing great K, I hear you on the huffing and puffing I feel like that esp if someone turns to look back at you when they hear you coming :P

Hopefully a 10k pops up but if not I agree with Skyblue

tbukela

There are a few 10 milers coming up around Cork in the next few months which might tie in with the HM training - Kinsale, Duhallow, Mallow & Cobh. 5 mile race in Carrigaline is a nice test around the middle of February.
Best of luck with the training.

Kellygirl

tbukela wrote: »

There are a few 10 milers coming up around Cork in the next few months which might tie in with the HM training - Kinsale, Duhallow, Mallow & Cobh. 5 mile race in Carrigaline is a nice test around the middle of February.
Best of luck with the training.

Thanks. I signed up for Mallow but it’s my sister’s 40th that weekend so not sure if I’ll actually make it. Have you done the Carrigaline 5 mile before? What’s the route like?

tbukela

Kellygirl wrote: »

Have you done the Carrigaline 5 mile before? What’s the route like?

Yeah, I've done it the last two years, the course was slightly different last year due to roadworks. I think it's a really good race, course is a bit lumpy in the middle but a couple of quick stretches. Well organised and good spread afterwards.

Kellygirl

tbukela wrote: »

Yeah, I've done it the last two years, the course was slightly different last year due to roadworks. I think it's a really good race, course is a bit lumpy in the middle but a couple of quick stretches. Well organised and good spread afterwards.

Brilliant - great to know. Hopefully I’ll get to that one so. Thanks.

Huzzah!

I've a Flipbelt query if you don't mind? I bought one in my own size and it's very snug. I'm just wondering if that's how they're supposed to fit or if I should size up...

Kellygirl

Huzzah! wrote: »

I've a Flipbelt query if you don't mind? I bought one in my own size and it's very snug. I'm just wondering if that's how they're supposed to fit or if I should size up...

Snug but not tight i’d Say. I started off with a small but found it very tight when I was filling it with a water bottle, gels and phone. I got a medium then and that works perfectly though i’ve Put on a few lbs too.

Huzzah!

Kellygirl wrote: »

Snug but not tight i’d Say. I started off with a small but found it very tight when I was filling it with a water bottle, gels and phone. I got a medium then and that works perfectly though i’ve Put on a few lbs too.

I think I'll return mine. It's tight. The perils of online shopping. Thanks!

Kellygirl

Week 8: 5-10km Grads Plan

Monday: 5x3mins AP (7:40-50) with 3 mins off
1 mile WU; 7:49; 45; 52; 49; 49; no cool down; 4 miles in total

Went to the local Greenway just as it was getting bright and it was just beautiful running along with fields on one side and the water lapping on the other. 13 degrees out so felt lovely. Pleased with the consistency on the intervals. Had to skip the cool down to get home.

Tuesday: Very easy hour
Actual 7 miles @ 10:58 in 1hr16

I had a sports massage booked and did my run after that. My legs felt great and all niggles ironed out. Fab weather again and did an extra mile mainly because I’d had to cut the previous day’s run short by a mile. I enjoyed running around a different area and into a random park.

Wednesday: Even easier hour
5 miles @ 11:51 in 1 hour

Couldn’t do this until Wednesday night. It was a strange one. Deliberately went really slow barely breaking a sweat but felt oddly light headed during it and legs a bit strange. I considered walking more than once.

Thursday: 2x12min Threshold (8:22-34)
WU; (8:23; 8:26) (8:31; 8:24); CD; 6 miles total

Ooh this was tough. Feeling very tired and legs were like lead. Each 12 mins was soooo long and I was sweating like no tomorrow. I don’t think it was because I had just run the night before. I’ve been trying to eat healthily this week and cut out the crap and maybe related to that. Anyway, I did it and paces were within range in the end.

Saturday: Plan was easy 70 mins
Actual: 8 miles @ 10:26 in 1hr23

I’d 22.2 miles done this week so decided I was doing 7.8 miles today to get to 30 miles for the week. I started the run off with Ballincollig parkrun and found it hard to say at easy pace there and was at about 10:02 for that. I had to queue to get into the funnel at the end there were so many there. I came 346th in 32:47 the identical time to last week but dropped 12 places . Did the next 5 miles at the correct easy pace then with a friend. Felt better than Wednesday and Thursday so a good end to the week.

Total 30.2 miles

Healthy Eating going well. Need to balance eating enough to keep my running strong but also have a good chunk to lose.

Kellygirl

Week 9; Grads 5-10km plan

Monday:WU; 8x2mins CV (8:00-8:11) with 2 min recovery; CD
Paces: 8:04; 15; 08; 7:57; 8:02; 7:56; 8:04; 7:59
6.2 miles

Was conscious going into this session that the pace was to be a bit slower than the previous two Monday’s which were at Vo2 and AP and also just 2 mins for each interval. I kept shooting off too fast. I’d think I was too slow and next thing the watch would have me too fast so I felt all over the place and never really settled. I was constantly slowing down or speeding up. Having said that it was grand and didn’t kill me.

Tuesday: 1 hour easy
5.5 miles @ 10:48

Ok so this should have been very easy but I ran by feel really and listened to some running podcasts. Gorgeous morning on the Greenway.

Wednesday: 1 hour easy
5.4 miles @ 11:11

Ran with a friend and a nice enjoyable run. Can’t remember too much about it really.

WU; 30 min tempo (8:47-9:00); CD
Paces for tempo part were 8:48; 39; 31; 51
6.3 miles in total

Ooh a right temperature drop for this one. Did about 16 mins of a warmup and started into the tempo. Deliberately took it handy and was pleasantly surprised to see I was running at the correct pace and even more surprised how slow it felt. This was great! I picked up the pace each mile and wish I had been more careful and stayed within the correct range, more out of interest than anything else to see how I would have felt afterwards. The last full mile was 8:31 and I was a bit out of breath after that alright. Anyway, I really felt an improvement and felt very strong on this run.

Saturday: 90 min easy
Actually 1hr45 easy: 10 miles

A friend is training for a HM so I kept her company. We did Parkrun in the middle and pace picked up slightly there. It was soooo cold. I felt a bit tired towards the end alright. I’ve signed up with a nutritionist for a weight loss program and she has considered my running etc but obviously I’ve dropped the calorie intake this week and I wonder if that was why I was tired - could also have been the fact I didn’t drink that much water yesterday or the fact I have two sick kids and up a few times a night all week. I’ll watch next week and see how it goes.

Total Miles = 33.6miles

ReeReeG

Kellygirl wrote:

I felt a bit tired towards the end alright. I’ve signed up with a nutritionist for a weight loss program and she has considered my running etc but obviously I’ve dropped the calorie intake this week and I wonder if that was why I was tired - could also have been the fact I didn’t drink that much water yesterday or the fact I have two sick kids and up a few times a night all week. I’ll watch next week and see how it goes.

A combo of all the above I'd reckon?
Well done on the week nonetheless!

Huzzah!

ReeReeG wrote: »

A combo of all the above I'd reckon?
Well done on the week nonetheless!

And you're deep into the plan, too. Some fatigue to be expected.

Kellygirl

Week 10 Grads 5-10km plan

Monday: 5 miles @ 10:35min/mile
I had a session planned but had a sick child off school so couldn’t get out in daylight so decided I’d do one of my very easy hours instead that evening. Two friends joined me so the pace became easy / moderate instead of very easy. Not ideal but lovely to catch up and sometimes it’s more important to me to be enjoying the social side than being too pedantic about paces.

Tuesday: WU; 7x3 mins @ CV (8:00-8:11) with 2 mins off; CD
Paces: 8:02; 03; 06; 05; 06; 09; 7:59; 6 miles in total

I think I spent about half an hour in the car procrastinating before eventually starting this run. I was tempted to just go to the pool instead. It was bitterly cold and raining too so the thought of it was just ugh - but as usual the thought was worse than it actually turned out to be. Once I warmed up it was fine and the paces were grand.

Wednesday: Very easy hour: 5.3 miles @ 11:20min/mile
Another cold morning but rapped up well. Only thing is my gloves were still damp from the day before and I thought my fingers were going to fall off. Once I discarded them and used my sleeves to cover my hands I was fine. Didn’t even break a sweat.

Thursday: 4,3,2,1 min @ (Threshold/CV/AP/Vo2) equal recoveries
Threshold: 8:22-34; Actual 8:24
CV:8:00-8:11; Actual 8:02
AP: 7:40-7:50; Actual 7:30
Vo2: 7:22-31; Actual 7:12

6.2 miles in total

This was a great session. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the session itself was only 20 mins long and I didn’t think it looked too bad but I’ve underestimated others and wondered was I doing the same. A friend joined me to see what all these sessions appearing on Strava were all about. We programmed her watch too and off we went for a 20 min warm up and then started the session. All very doable and a bit of fun. Over cooked the last 2 as I over estimated the effort. The Vo2 minute was like a sprint with the 2 of us belting along. I loved it and my friend is sold on the sessions and joining me for 6x2mins Vo2 on Monday - that is one I’m definitely very nervous of though!!

Saturday: 90 mins easy; 8.6 miles @ 10:32 min/mile
Another windy and rainy morning and the negative thoughts were creeping in again. Not cold though so a little easier. Set off for a friend and ran into the back of parkrun so we ran that and continued after. I ran on after she finished and felt really strong today compared to last Saturday. My last full mile was a little quick but was just enjoying the pace in the wind and rain.

Weeks total: 31.2miles
January total: 122 miles

4 weeks left of the plan though possibly a 5 mile race in 3 weeks so wondering whether to skip the second last week and just do the last week of the plan before the race. Straight into the HM plan then for Cork and looking forward to it.

eyrie

Very solid week there K, nicely done!

Kellygirl

eyrie wrote: »

Very solid week there K, nicely done!

Thanks C. It was an enjoyable one. Feels great to be so far into the plan now.

The Black Oil

Nice one. Finished week 1 of that plan today, after doing the base. I've never programmed a watch for a session, etc. Good to get friends on board too.

ariana`

Kellygirl wrote: »

4 weeks left of the plan though possibly a 5 mile race in 3 weeks so wondering whether to skip the second last week and just do the last week of the plan before the race. Straight into the HM plan then for Cork and looking forward to it.

Another solid week well done K.

I don't have the plan to hand but I think i'd consider skipping the 3rd last week instead (week 12?), in case there is anything in the 2nd last week that is key to sharpening you up? Might be worth examining the planned sessions and see if anything is jumping out at you as important - a VO2 Max session or another one of those sessions that goes through all the faster paces...

coogy

Kellygirl wrote: »

Week 10 Grads 5-10km plan

Monday: 5 miles @ 10:35min/mile
I had a session planned but had a sick child off school so couldn’t get out in daylight so decided I’d do one of my very easy hours instead that evening. Two friends joined me so the pace became easy / moderate instead of very easy. Not ideal but lovely to catch up and sometimes it’s more important to me to be enjoying the social side than being too pedantic about paces.

Tuesday: WU; 7x3 mins @ CV (8:00-8:11) with 2 mins off; CD
Paces: 8:02; 03; 06; 05; 06; 09; 7:59; 6 miles in total

I think I spent about half an hour in the car procrastinating before eventually starting this run. I was tempted to just go to the pool instead. It was bitterly cold and raining too so the thought of it was just ugh - but as usual the thought was worse than it actually turned out to be. Once I warmed up it was fine and the paces were grand.

Wednesday: Very easy hour: 5.3 miles @ 11:20min/mile
Another cold morning but rapped up well. Only thing is my gloves were still damp from the day before and I thought my fingers were going to fall off. Once I discarded them and used my sleeves to cover my hands I was fine. Didn’t even break a sweat.

Thursday: 4,3,2,1 min @ (Threshold/CV/AP/Vo2) equal recoveries
Threshold: 8:22-34; Actual 8:24
CV:8:00-8:11; Actual 8:02
AP: 7:40-7:50; Actual 7:30
Vo2: 7:22-31; Actual 7:12

6.2 miles in total

This was a great session. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the session itself was only 20 mins long and I didn’t think it looked too bad but I’ve underestimated others and wondered was I doing the same. A friend joined me to see what all these sessions appearing on Strava were all about. We programmed her watch too and off we went for a 20 min warm up and then started the session. All very doable and a bit of fun. Over cooked the last 2 as I over estimated the effort. The Vo2 minute was like a sprint with the 2 of us belting along. I loved it and my friend is sold on the sessions and joining me for 6x2mins Vo2 on Monday - that is one I’m definitely very nervous of though!!

Saturday: 90 mins easy; 8.6 miles @ 10:32 min/mile
Another windy and rainy morning and the negative thoughts were creeping in again. Not cold though so a little easier. Set off for a friend and ran into the back of parkrun so we ran that and continued after. I ran on after she finished and felt really strong today compared to last Saturday. My last full mile was a little quick but was just enjoying the pace in the wind and rain.

Weeks total: 31.2miles
January total: 122 miles

4 weeks left of the plan though possibly a 5 mile race in 3 weeks so wondering whether to skip the second last week and just do the last week of the plan before the race. Straight into the HM plan then for Cork and looking forward to it.

Nice work K!

Kellygirl

ariana` wrote: »

Another solid week well done K.

I don't have the plan to hand but I think i'd consider skipping the 3rd last week instead (week 12?), in case there is anything in the 2nd last week that is key to sharpening you up? Might be worth examining the planned sessions and see if anything is jumping out at you as important - a VO2 Max session or another one of those sessions that goes through all the faster paces...

Just had a look there. 3rd last week has 2 sessions and an 80 min easy run. The sessions are 6x4 mins CV and a 5,4,3,2,1.

The second last week has just one session: 5x5 min CV, no long run and a 2k time trial and then into the last week.

I wouldn’t know what to do with myself having 2 Saturday’s without a long run (including race weekend). I’m also weirdly looking forward to the 5,4,3,2,1 session and also haven’t missed a session yet on this plan so will have to think ... and look up other races too and maybe decide which one I will make the target race if there’s any other on.

Swashbuckler

Kellygirl wrote: »

Just had a look there. 3rd last week has 2 sessions and an 80 min easy run. The sessions are 6x4 mins CV and a 5,4,3,2,1.

The second last week has just one session: 5x5 min CV, no long run and a 2k time trial and then into the last week.

I wouldn’t know what to do with myself having 2 Saturday’s without a long run (including race weekend). I’m also weirdly looking forward to the 5,4,3,2,1 session and also haven’t missed a session yet on this plan so will have to think ... and look up other races too and maybe decide which one I will make the target race if there’s any other on.

While ariana is definitely right in her advice - don't overthink it. It wont have as much of an impact as you think. If you like the look of that week, keep it.

Kellygirl

Swashbuckler wrote: »

While ariana is definitely right in her advice - don't overthink it. It wont have as much of an impact as you think. If you like the look of that week, keep it.

Cool. That kind of suits alright. Must check out more races later anyway though. Hopefully some more have appeared on the calendar.

Kellygirl

week 11 Grads 5-10k plan

Monday: WU; 6x2 min Vo2 (7:22-31)with 2 mins off; CD
7:15; 20; 20; 16; 32; 21; 6.52 miles in total

I was quite nervous of this session as I thought it would be very fast for me. A friend joined me and we did a nice warm up and started into the session and went way too fast but felt well able. That continued for all of them though the talking during recovery lessened as time went on. Somehow the 5th one was slower but not quite sure why. We were wrecked after the 6th rep and took time to recover as we cooled down. I loved it though and was buzzing after.

Tuesday: Planned very easy 60 mins. Actual 5.03 miles @ 10:58

Did this before a sports massage so had to cut it 5 mins short. It was fairly cold out and while I was having my massage it started snowing. I arrived in to the physical therapist telling him I was feeling great and no real niggles and that was a sign for him to find every tight spot and inflict major pain!!

Wednesday: Planned very easy 60 mins. Actual 40 lengths of 25m pool

Woke up to snow and ice so was delighted to get the kids to school and decided it would be silly to try run so I went to the pool and swam instead. I just did half an hour really but at least it was something.

Thursday: Planned 3x8 mins @ Threshold; Actual 5 miles @ 9:51

Snow was gone but it was freezing and really heavy rain so skipped my run and then spent the afternoon feeling guilty but had the kids so couldn’t get out. My husband walked in from a work trip that evening and I ran out the door and met a friend and just ran at her pace. I knew the miles were kind of junk miles and too fast to be easy and too slow to be of any benefit but sometimes it’s nice just to chat and would have been very very cold for a very easy run anyway! I was just happy to have gotten out at all.

Saturday: Planned: easy 80 mins
Actual: Parkrun PB!

So after missing Thursdays session I planned to do parkrun at Threshold pace which would have brought me in at approx 26 mins. It was pacer day so decided to just go with the 26 min pacer and not think about it. I won’t lie, I did play with the pace calculator beforehand to see what pace the 24 min pacer would be at or what would I need to beat 25:25, my parkrun pb.

Did a short warm up without even including strides and found the pacer. Numbers were huge in Ballincollig again (466 I think) and I had a job to keep the pacer in sight for the first while. There were walkers and slow joggers all in front of me and narrow paths so there were some spikes in my pacing as I dodged round people. I got beside the pacer about half a km in and glued myself to her. Any time I looked at my watch my pace was 7:5x min/mile so I knew we were fairly fast but felt grand. First mile clocked in at 7:58 and that was ok. During the 2nd mile you have two little pulls that always get me but I powered up them and no issue. We ran through halfway at 12:30 and I wondered could I really keep this up. The pacer said the course was long anyway so the time was good. I was breathing heavily now but the guy beside me was even louder. It was bitterly cold so I felt I was struggling a bit to breath and coughing a bit. The last kilometer was very tough and the pacer was great. I really wanted to stop and she was giving tips. I listened to her and pushed up the little drags again and wouldn’t let her away from me much as I wanted to. I started pulling away from her once the finish line was in sight. I honestly don’t know how I did it and was absolutely wrecked when I got there - 24:39. I was so so thrilled. I can’t believe I finally got under 25 mins at Parkrun. I thought it would be another month at least before I’d give it a bash. My paces were 7:58; 7:49; 7:47 and 7:03. 5.08Km in total.

I hung around for a friend and we headed off for a cool down. I had planned on doing the whole 80 mins as planned but I was shattered. She commented that the course was icy in parts and I hadn’t noticed. As we came onto that part again it was really slippy - maybe it helped me run faster earlier, ha ha! I decided to bail as we got back near the park exit and call it a day. I’d still have done about 60 mins in total and it was getting to me slightly that I hadn’t achieved my 30 miles per week which I’ve been doing since January. That’s probably a bit silly though. I’d brought an oat muffin to eat straight after but otherwise it was a while before I got a chance to eat properly between one thing and another and I hit a right slump yesterday afternoon. We took the boys back to the park and went for a walk and I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep when we got home. Maybe I used up more energy than I realized.

All in all I did 23.1 miles for the week but most importantly got the sub 25 Parkrun monkey off my back.

138.7 miles in January and I;d a great training month.

OOnegative

Well done on the sub 25 parkrun, great stuff.