Chronicle of a race foretold

MrSkinny

Mon 20/5 -- No running. Long cycle commute (40k round-trip in ~2h)

Tue 21/5 -- No running. Long cycle commute (40k round-trip in ~2h)

Wed 22/5 -- No running.

The plan was to go out for an hour or so after work and before dinner but the window of opportunity ended up getting shorter and shorter and never made it out the door in the end. A bit miffed really.

Thu 23/5 -- 80' easy: 8.4 miles @ 9:43/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

This time I made sure to be up early and get out of the house before breakfast. Just a few easy miles around Cabinteely and Kilbogget. The legs were feeling a little sluggish to start with but got into a comfortable pace after a short while. Feeling good on the way back, I decided to power up the long hill from Cabinteely village all the way to the top of the Park.

Fri 24/5 -- XT: 80k round-trip cycle to Roundwood

Charity event. Longest spin to date and about 4h on the saddle for the day. Really enjoyed this.

Sat 25/5 -- No running. Beach VB tournament.

Sun 26/5 -- 7.5 miles easy @ 9:33/mi inc. strides (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Another early morning run, this time exploring the quiet backroads towards Tully Church and the area around Cherrywood that will soon change beyond recognition. Finished off with a few strides in Cabinteely Park during a heavy shower. Legs felt really good and strong throughout.

An unplanned afternoon outing to Wicklow with the bikes and another 2h spin, bringing the week's total on the bike to about 200 km.

Weekly total: 15.9 miles

MrSkinny

Operation 10k - Week 9/12

Mon 27/5 -- Rest

Tue 28/5 -- Workout: 12/10/10 @ LT with 4' jog

Warmed up with a couple of gentle miles heading over to Foxrock, picked up the pace towards the end before launching into the first interval going up and down Torquay Road, then tried to get away jogged over to the perimeter path around Leopardstown race course, which was not as pancake flat as I expected and was fairly exposed to the breeze. Average paces for the 3 intervals were 7:06 6:57 6:56. A 15' jog back home brought the total for the day up to 8.7 miles.

Wed 29/5 -- Recovery run: 3 miles @ 10:31/mi

Thu 30/5 -- No running

Fri 31/5 -- No running

Sat 1/6 -- 7 miles easy @ 10:12/mi in Cabinteely Park

Sun 2/6 -- No running

Another low mileage week but this time no cycling to compensate. Found out that I will be away for work in the USA at the end of the month and will only get back to Dublin on the 22nd so Dunshaughlin goes out the window and Clonee, on the 27th, will be the target 10k at the end of this training block.

Weekly total: 18.7 miles

MrSkinny

Operation 10k - Week 10/12

Mon 3/6 -- XT + 8 miles easy @ 9:43/mi (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

Long 4h hike in the Wicklow mountains, around Djouce and Maulin, then an 8 miler run late afternoon around Clonkeen and Kilbogget. Hopefully I didn't overdo it.

Tue 4/6 -- Rest

Wed 5/6 -- VO2max session: 5x 1000m @ 3k-5k pace w/ 300m jog recovery

The legs were feeling great leaving the house and seemed to be eager for a bit of speed as I was heading down to the Kilbogget track. Was aiming for 3:45-4:00 per km but that proved a little beyond me and the interval times were 3:54 3:56 4:05 4:08 4:02. The plan suggested recoveries between 50% and 90% of the interval duration (so between 2:00 and 3:30) and in hindsight I was perhaps too optimistic in opting for recovery times at the low end of that bracket: 2:00 2:22 2:19 2:30. Total of 8 miles for the session.

Thu 6/6 -- No running

Fri 7/6 -- No running

Sat 8/6 --Long run: 10 miles easy inc. Cabinteely parkrun @ 9:42/mi (Avg HR: 149 bpm)

Up early so decided to go out for a long run and tack the parkrun at the end. Legs were feeling good all along a long loop via Kilbogget Park, Shankill, Cherrywood, Brennanstown Road and into the top of Cabinteely Park. Managed to time it almost perfectly and joined the back of the field as the parkrun was getting underway. Took the parkrun easy then rounded things up to 10 miles on the way home.

Weekly total: 27.7 miles

MrSkinny

Operation 10k - Week 11/12

Mon 10/6 -- 6 miles easy @ 10:15/mi (Avg HR: 134 bpm)

Another early morning run before breakfast. Legs feeling a bit heavy but kept things nice and handy. Mostly around the lower sections of the Park and taking it very easy on the hills.

Tue 11/6 -- Bray Runners 1 mile time trial

Saw this event advertised here on the Middle Distance thread so thought I'd give it a try as I haven't raced a mile in a long time. Got to Shanganagh Park a bit tight for time so only managed a short warm up jog while I was trying to find the meeting point. Put my name down, got a number and we were immediately called over to the starting area by BeepBeep67, who gave us a short overview of the course before we were sent away.

A very small field with a mixture of ages including quite a few youngsters, which is always nice to see. Tried to get into a fast pace straightaway and after the first 400m the watch buzzed a 1:29 split, which I was happy with so tried to keep that going. The field spread out quickly and I was tracking a chap in a Bray Runners singlet a few metres ahead. The next split came in at 1:31 and I tried to maintain that pace over the critical next quarter mile (1:33) then kick for home and was closing on two or three runners ahead but just ran out of road a little bit.

The legendary Krusty was on timekeeping duty and was calling out the times at the finish line: 5:45 and a new mile PB. Happy enough with that considering the lack of a decent warm up and the fact this was a very laid back and friendly event, which in any case I really enjoyed. Total of 5.4 miles for the evening.

Wed 12/6 -- Rest

Thu 13/6 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:53/mi

I had been meaning to explore the UCD perimeter trail for a long time and, after an afternoon of 5-a-side football at the UCD pitches, the opportunity finally presented itself. The legs were feeling the footie a little bit and completing the entire perimeter became a bit of a grind but it was very nice to discover some lovely sections of the campus.

Fri 14/6 -- Rest

Sat 15/6 -- 6.5 miles inc. Cabinteely parkrun in 20:53 (PB)

The plan calls for a tune-up race a couple of weeks out from the main target race but a fast parkrun would have to do this time. Considered Shanganagh to get a more accurate feel for things on a flat course but in the end decided to stay in Cabinteely and aim to go sub 21' for a new PB.

Lined up at the front and let the hares go off but tried to stay aggressive from the start and, as expected, picked off a few during the first hill. A moderate breeze and a fairly thin field made the more exposed sections a bit of a challenge but slowly I was gaining on the next couple of runners ahead. At the start of the last lap I had closed on one of them and, at the same time, was being overtaken by a youngster. I decided to try and stay with him and he towed me along for most of the lap until he finally pulled clear on the last ramp.

A new PB of 20:53, lowering the 21:04 set on 1 January, is good but I was probably expecting to go a bit faster if I'm honest. Shouldn't read too much into it perhaps.

Sun 16/6 -- 1h cycle + 4 miles easy

A mini duathlon of sorts today. Took the bikes for a short spin near Roundwood (only 12 miles but included a few very sharp climbs) then set off on a loop of the Vartry trail but unfortunately had to abort the run after 4 very slow miles. Probably just as well because the legs felt really tired afterwards.

Finally signed up for the Clonee 10k!

Weekly total: 27.9 miles

MrSkinny

Operation 10k - Week 12/12

Mon 17/6 -- Cycle commute.

Tue 18/6 -- 5.1 miles @ 9:53/mi

A few early morning miles in the Park before heading off to the US. Feeling good despite the hilly terrain but then tried a few strides and it was like trying to shift two blocks of concrete - no speed at all in the legs.

Wed 19/6 -- Long run: 10 miles @ 9:07/mi (Avg HR: 136 bpm)

Nice long run along the Seattle waterfront following the Elliott Bay Trail. I had set off with the intention of running a shorter distance but the legs were feeling great so decided to go along with it and make this the last long run before next week's race. Really enjoyed this run.

Thu 20/6 -- Rest. Right calf *very* sore after yesterday's run.

Fri 21/6 -- Rest

Itching to go for another run in sunny Seattle but the calf was still sore so decided to play it safe and just go for a long walk instead. Flight back in the evening.

Sat 22/6 -- Rest

A bit spaced out after the long-haul flight and didn't really feel like getting out. Still some residual soreness in the right calf and, with the race just days away, best to ensure it clears completely.

Sun 23/6 -- 90' cycle + 5 miles @ 9:38/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Started the day with a gentle 90' spin to Enniskerry and back to try and loosen up the legs then in the afternoon an easy 5 miles around Cabinteely and Kilbogget. Calf seemed to hold up fine but gave it a good stretch and a bit of icing afterwards.

Weekly total: 20.1 miles

MrSkinny

Operation 10k - Race Week

Mon 24/6 -- No running. Short cycle to Shankill and back.

Tue 25/6 -- 4.5 miles including some speed work

A couple of days out from the race I just wanted to get a bit of race pace into the legs so did a 200-400-800 sequence (with matching length recoveries) on the track. Hit the target times (45" - 1'38" - 3'17") reasonably comfortably despite the relatively warm conditions: ~16C at 9 AM. That's the sort of temperature currently forecast for Thursday evening so it could make things interesting.

Wed 26/6 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Thu 26/6 -- Clonee 10k

Pre Race

Crawling along the M50 in rush hour traffic, munching on a peanut butter sandwich and a banana, any sane person should have been questioning the wisdom of abandoning a corporate-sponsored evening of free food and drink to instead go suffer for about three quarters of an hour along some unknown backroads in County Meath. The fact the situation didn't actually strike me as unusual until now probably says something about the insanity of this running lark.

In any case, and despite the traffic, got to Clonee with plenty of time to park in the official field, get changed and walk back the km or so to Race HQ chatting away with a runner from Cilles AC I met in the car park. Collected my number and strolled over to the start area, still fairly empty at this point. Jogged along the first mile or so of the course as a warm up, a few stretches and by the time I jogged back a crowd had finally gathered.

By 8 PM the earlier heat had subsided but the temperature was still in the high teens and there was a welcome breeze. Made a last minute decision to lose the cap but keep the shades on. Sporting a new singlet, I lined up a few rows from the front and felt confident of a good result to cap this training block. First time running this race but I knew the course consisted of a 3km outbound section heading roughly NE away from Clonee, a 4km counterclockwise loop then the initial 3km section in reverse back to the finish; a fair and fast course by previous accounts.

KM 1-3 (Out)

Set off at what felt like a decent-enough but still manageable clip and was perhaps a little surprised when the 1st km came in just inside 4'. The 2nd km was equally fast, I was still feeling good and I allowed myself to get carried away and start thinking that a sub-40 might be on ... way too early to get notions! During the 3rd km the fast pace started to bite and I was very slowly starting to drift off the back of the small group I was with, that I imagined were aiming for a 40' finish. Past the water station, still trying to hang onto the pace but the elastic was starting to give.

3:59 4:02 4:04

KM 4-7 (Loop)

Onto the loop section and I could clearly feel my pace slowing and the group drifting ahead steadily. A slight uphill drag that felt like a big climb at this stage (wasn't the course supposed to be flat?) added to the challenge. Reached halfway in 20:20 and boy was I working hard; breathing heavily already. Tried not to think there was still another 20' of pain ahead and instead focus on the fact that sub-41' (which before the race I would've been delighted with) was perhaps still on.

The mind was having a tought time though. All through this loop section I was stuck in a dreadful pattern of hearing footsteps behind me getting closer, eventually being overtaken and left behind. I must have lost about 10 or 12 places in all but the negative mental impact of feeling you are inexorably going backwards, completely powerless to react, made this a very difficult stretch.

4:08 4:08 4:12 4:21

KM 8-10 (Back)

Once we got back onto the return section I finally managed to stop the rut and get the legs going again. I latched onto a couple other lads that had just caught up with me and clung onto them for dear life. Eventually one of them pushed on but I managed to leave the other behind. Running on empty I was desperately looking for the '800m to go' sign I had noticed during the warm up, only this time it felt like the finish line was miles away. Not much of a sprint left in the legs but still tried to push all the way to the finish, even though the chance of a sub-41' had also evaporated. Stumbled over the line finally and needed a few moments to steady myself.

4:16 4:09 4:04

Post Race

Managed a short cool-down jog, on very tired legs, before walking back to Race HQ for a more than delicious slice of pizza and a cup of tea. The official results were up quickly: 41:31 is a 55" PB and a great result but the poor execution left me disappointed and feeling I might have done better. In reality, the result is probably a fair reflection of where I am in terms of shape, having missed a few sessions too many during this training block and averaged only a relatively low 24 miles/week.

Chip time: 41:31 (PB)
Position: 71/398 (8th M45)
Splits (per km): 3:59 4:02 4:04 4:08 4:08 4:12 4:21 4:16 4:09 4:04
Splits (per mile): 6:25 6:33 6:39 6:50 6:55 6:37
Avg pace: 6:41/mi (4:09/km)
Avg HR: 171 bpm
Age grading: 70.90%

Fri 28/6 -- Rest

Sat 29/6 -- Recovery run: 4 miles @ 10:18/mi

A few very gentle miles, on grass, around the Park. Legs OK.

Sun 30/6 -- Recovery run: 5 miles @ 10:03/mi

Legs feeling a bit heavier this evening.

Weekly total: 23.3 miles

MrSkinny

Going away on holiday to southern Spain on Tuesday so we'll see how much running gets done over the next fortnight or so. Signed up for the KBC race series!

Mon 1/7 -- Recovery run: 5.2 miles @ 9:40/mi

A late evening run in the Park just trying to get a few easy miles in before setting of for warmer climates.

Tue 2/7 -- No running. Travel.

Wed 3/7 -- No running.

Thu 4/7 -- 5.3 miles easy @ 9:53/mi (Avg HR: 136 bpm)

A few easy miles up and down the beach in the evening. Quite warm but the sea breeze made it nice and bearable.

Fri 5/7 -- 3.1 miles @ 9:13/mi (Avg HR: 139 bpm)

Only had about 30' but managed to squeeze in a sneaky 5k before leaving the beach for the day.

Sat 6/7 -- No running

Sun 7/7 -- Long run: 10.1 miles @ 9:46/mi (Avg HR: 134 bpm)

Long run, on the beach again. Ran the length of La Barrosa to the very end then back all the way to Roche. A bit heavy-going in places and legs were starting to get a bit tight towards the end.

Weekly total: 23.7 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 8/7 -- Rest

Tue 9/7 -- 1h easy: 6.1 miles @ 9:27/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Another evening run up and down the beach. Legs had a bit more zip today.

Wed 10/7 -- 5 miles @ 9:38/mi (Avg HR: 148 bpm)

Out at 10 AM and it was already very warm. Just about bearable in the shade of the pine forest but really tough-going when out in the open. I was sweating buckets and was glad to just wrap it up after 5 miles and cool down with a deep in the pool.

Thu 11/7 -- No running. Travel.

Fri 12/7 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Sat 13/7 -- 4 miles easy @ 9:30/mi inc. Cabinteely parkrun

Legs feeling a bit heavy today so took things very easy on the parkrun (28:20).

Sun 14/7 -- Long run: 11 miles

A long run split in two parts: first up 3 very easy miles with D in the Park (11:30/mi) followed by 8 faster miles (9:40/mi) up towards the Lehaunstown Road, over the M50 and across towards the Brides Glen Road, onto Cherrywood, Kilbogget Park and back towards Cabinteely. Feeling fine for the first 4 miles but struggling a bit from Cherrywood onwards.

Weekly total: 26.1 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 15/7 -- Recovery run: 3.1 miles @ 12:45/mi

A very gentle trot with D in the Park.

Tue 16/7 -- No running

Intended to do a mini speed session but couldn't find the right time to go out during the day. Considered squeezing it in late evening on the way back from volleyball but the legs were feeling sore and lethargic so decided that an early night would be more beneficial instead.

Wed 17/7 -- Liberties 2019

Always a nice event and decided to enter this as a social outing with a group from work, but with the 10k on Sunday I decided to approach it as a session with a little bit of speedwork thrown in: easy first mile then pick up the pace progressively for the 2nd mile, a 2' burst at 7:00/mi pace, recovery for a couple of minutes, a 4' burst this time ramping up to 6:30/mi pace, then easy again for the last mile or so. An enjoyable evening followed by a long cycle home.

Thu 18/7 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Fri 19/7 -- Rest

Sat 20/7 -- No running

Sun 21/7 -- South Dublin 10k (Clondalkin)

This time I wanted to be more conservative during the early miles but see if I could still get close to my PB time set in Clonee, so the plan was to start at 4:10-4:15 pace and see how things would unfold. Got to Clondalkin early enough, warmed up with a couple of laps around the pond near the starting line then lined up a few rows back from the front next to a couple of work colleagues. Overcast but fairly warm and breezy conditions.

The first stretch along the dual carriageway was about letting the congestion ease off and making a conscious effort to keep the pace under control. Sharp turn into Corkagh Park and working to maintain the pace over the next couple of km. The clock by the side of the road at the halfway point was a nice touch; went past in 20:47, perhaps a touch faster than intended but on track for a decent time. The next section leading to and through Clondalkin village is a net downhill and I should've been picking up the pace a little but instead it started to slip slightly and, as soon as we turned onto the canal the legs started feeling very heavy. The group I was with started drifting ahead and this stretch along the canal became endless and soul-destroying. I was aware this section was essentially a long drag but I just felt completely flat and powerless to stop the slide. Finally the turn off the canal arrived, struggled up the short sharp ramp and tried to pick the pace up over the last stretch and the nice long bend to the finish line.

A bit disappointed initially not to have at least gone under 42' but comparing notes afterwards a few others had found the going a bit tough today, and two weeks of running mostly easy miles probably didn't help either. A bit of perspective though: a colleague who is a much faster runner than me completed this race last year in about the same time; I remember looking at his result then (when I was trying to break 45') and thinking 'wow' ... a year later I have matched that time, it's not even a PB and I'm left feeling I could've done better. Got to be happy with the progress!

Chip time: 42:07 (42:13)
Position: 259/2574 (42nd M45)
Splits (km): 4:09 4:11 4:10 4:07 4:10 4:13 4:14 4:23 4:21 4:11
Avg pace: 4:13/km (6:47/mi)
Age grading: 69.92%

Weekly total: 22 miles

MrSkinny

A recovery week before starting to work towards the HM in September so plenty of easy miles. Sleep suffering a bit of late.

Mon 22/7 -- Rest

Tue 23/7 -- 5 mile recovery @ 10:04/mi

Out after breakfast for a few very easy miles around the flatter bottom section of the Park. Fairly muggy even that early in the morning.

Wed 24/7 -- 5 mile recovery @ 9:56/mi (Avg HR: 137 bpm)

Out more or less at the same time as yesterday but it felt even warmer so really had to back off the pace to keep the effort easy.

Thu 25/7 -- 4.3 miles easy-ish @ 9:40/mi

Evening run under slight time pressure so ended up pushing the pace a bit. Warmer again so effort level was certainly at the upper end of easy.

Fri 26/7 -- No running

Sat 27/7 -- 6.5 miles easy inc. Cabinteely parkrun @ 9:40/mi

My brother (not a regular runner) was visiting for a few days and joined me on the parkrun so kept things handy then carried on afterwards for a few extra miles on my own.

Sun 28/7 -- 90' long run: 9.3 miles @ 9:35/mi (Avg HR: 144 bpm)

Out first thing before breakfast. A few laps of the Park then headed towards Foxrock, did a complete lap of the Leopardstown racecourse perimeter road then headed back along Brighton Road, enjoyed the long downhill along the Brennanstown Road before easing off to complete the 90'. Long walk to Lough Dan in the afternoon.

Weekly total: 30.1 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 29/7 -- Rest

Tue 30/7 -- Workout: 14/12/8 @ LT pace with 4' jog recovery

So nice to be running in the rain after so many warm and muggy days. Warmed up with a couple of easy miles on the way to Kilbogget Park, picking up the pace gradually then launched into the first interval aiming for something in the 6:41-6:51 range which, according to FRR, is the LT range based on my Clonee 10k time. The first interval seemed to go on forever, and the two laps or so of Kilbogget felt like they were constantly uphill, but was pleased to be inside 7' pace. After a welcome recovery jog, I really struggled to get the legs moving during the second interval and the average pace dropped considerably. Tempted to call it a day but decided to add a third shorter interval and pushed hard to get back up to a decent pace. Needed a few moments to catch my breath before jogging back home. Total of 9 miles for the day.

Splits (avg): 6:56 7:09 6:56

Wed 31/7 -- Recovery run: 4.25 miles @ 10:01/mi (Avg HR: 130 bpm)

A late evening run in the Park at dusk just trying to take things very easy after yesterday's workout. Closed off July with a total of 115 miles, my highest monthly mileage to date.

Thu 1/8 -- Endurance run: 5.25 miles @ 8:46/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

A few miles short of the sort of distance the plan was calling for but was a bit tight for time. FRR indicates endurance pace should be approximately between 20% and 33% slower than 10k pace so tried to aim somewhere between 8 and 9 minute miles. Pleased with the outcome considering the hilly terrain and the warm afternoon (low 20s). It felt like a relatively hard effort and perhaps it was a bit too close to Tuesday's session but with a long weekend away coming up, running may take a bit of a back seat for the rest of the week.


Bank Holiday weekend away in West Cork with just a few walks and a bit of cycling on the programme so no more running for the week.

Weekly total: 18.5 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 5/8 -- XT

A 22 mile spin from Skibbereen to Baltimore and back. Very undulating terrain with some seriously steep sections around Lough Hyne. Long drive back in the evening.

Tue 6/8 -- 4.25 miles @ 8:51/mi (Avg HR: 144 bpm)

Headed out early evening with the intention of doing a few laps of Kilbogget Park and maybe a hill or two on the way back. Felt good to be back out running after the long weekend and had settled into a decent pace when, all of a sudden, a couple of miles into the run the left calf started hurting. Stopped to stretch it out but the pain wouldn't go away so decided to cut the run short and head back home. Really sore afterwards.

Wed 7/8 to Fri 9/8 -- No running - nursing the calf.

Sat 10/8 -- 80' easy: 8.1 miles inc. Cabinteely parkrun @ 9:44/mi (Avg HR: 147 bpm)

The calf was still a little bit sore but decided to test it with a very easy parkrun. The pace was slow but the muggy conditions made it a higher effort than planned. The leg held up well so decided to run a few more miles and went to the Tully Church and back.

Sun 11/8 -- No running. 2h cycle near Roundwood.

Weekly total: 12.3 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 12/8 -- 80' endurance run: 9.2 miles @ 8:46/mi (Avg HR: 149 bpm)

Nice sunny morning to be out and about. Set off at a decent pace and the first mile came in just outside 9', as I was existing Cabinteely Park and heading for Kilbogget. I thought it might be a tad quick and I was perhaps pushing my luck with the calf but the legs seemed comfortable and settled onto a very regular 8:30 pace (give or take a few seconds) for the following six miles, looping around Kilbogget and taking in a hilly lap of Cabinteely Park, before easing off to just outside 9' for the last couple of miles as a warm down. A comfortably challenging run.

Tue 13/8 -- 6 miles easy @ 9:30/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Out towards Leopardstown via Foxrock then back along Brighton Road and the top of Cabinteely Park. Had to keep reining in the pace as I wanted this to be a very controlled effort and could feel the legs tightening up a little bit.

Wed 14/8 -- Rest

Thu 15/8 -- No running

Intended to get out but a very late night meant I was a bit groggy for most of the day and decided to take things easy instead.

Fri 16/8 -- 3.5 miles @ 9:44/mi

Cycle commute followed by an easy 30' or so after getting home from work in the evening to stretch the legs a little bit.

Sat 17/8 -- 8.25 miles inc. Cabinteely parkrun and strides

The parkrun was meant to be an easy effort but started chatting to a couple of people and stuck to their slightly faster pace (coming in just inside 28') then added a few more miles on the quiet road to Tully Church, throwing in a half dozen strides along the way.

Sun 18/8 -- Workout: 14/12/10 @ LT pace with 4' jog recovery

Over to Foxrock this one. After a couple of easy miles tackled the first LT interval going up and down Westminster Rd a couple of times. Undulating and fell a bit short of the target to be slightly inside 7' pace. The second interval was up and down Hainault Rd (a longer slightly steeper drag) then Westminster Rd again. Still outside target. Finally the third interval, as a welcome drizzle started to fall, up Hainault Rd, Kerrymount Ave and the upper section of Brighton Rd - so mostly uphill and the average pace decreased as a result. Cool down via Cabinteely Park for a total of 9.7 miles for the session. A good workout nonetheless to wrap up what's probably my highest weekly mileage to date.

Splits (avg): 7:08 7:07 7:18

Weekly total: 36.6 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 19/8 -- Long cycle commute

Tue 20/8 -- No running

Wed 21/8 -- 1h easy: 6.3 miles @ 9:41/mi (Avg HR: 150 bpm)

Just a few laps around Kilbogget and Cabinteely Parks in the rain.

Thu 22/8 -- No running

Fri 23/8 -- Cycle commute

Sat 24/8 -- Frank Duffy 10 Mile

I was really looking forward to racing in the Phoenix Park again, and actually racing this distance for the first time, so really disappointed that it turned into a bit of a horrow show.

The first couple of miles, mostly downhill, were absolutely fine and I felt comfortable but as soon as we reached the first undulations in the 3rd mile I felt the effort increase significantly and the pace take a big hit. The next few uphill miles became a tough slog, getting slower and slower, and finally stopped paying any attention to my watch. Got to halfway in 37' (7:24 avg) and at this point I might have felt that sub-75' was possible but the pace just continued to drift. Things didn't get any better even when the course flattened out and I struggled down Chesterfield Avenue, going past the interim timing point at 7 miles in 53:21. A minimal respite coming down Acres Road, narrowly avoiding the temptation to just head for the car as we were passing the Papal Cross car park, before a seemingly never-ending and painful crawl up the last mile to the finish. Crossed the line completely empty and was still feeling very deflated when I bumped into Wubble Wubble handing out snacks on volunteer duty.

The fact that many people struggled with the conditions doesn't really make me feel any better. Failure to re-adjust my ambition of a sub-70' in light of the course and especially the conditions is inexcusable; even if there might have been other issues at play, setting off at that pace and expecting to hang on was foolish to say the least. Still, trying to take away some positives from the day: I did finish(!) and I now know what the course for the Dublin Half is like; just need to ensure an honest and realistic assessment come race day.

Chip time: 1:18:21 (PB)
Position: 720/3930 (116th M45)
Splits: 7:05 7:03 7:20 7:42 7:49 8:02 8:10 8:06 8:00 8:31 0:34 [0.08 mi]
Avg pace: 4:52/km (7:50/mi)
Avg HR: 164 bpm
Age grading: 61.63%

Weekly total: 20.4 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 26/8 -- 90' easy: 9.5 miles @ 9:23/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Finally decided that the best way to stop dwelling on Saturday's 'performance' was to get back out running, so off I went first thing for a few loops around the Clonkeen and Kilbogget Parks. The long run really helped clear my thoughts and start focusing on the next target: the Lakes 10k on 7 September; a favourite race of mine and, two weeks out from the Dublin Half, it should be the perfect opportunity for a tune-up and to get a bit of mojo back.

Tue 27/8 -- Rest

Wed 28/8 -- 1h aerobic: 6.75 miles @ 9:08/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

A few easy miles towards Foxrock, a couple of laps of the Hainault Rd - Kerrymount Ave - Brighton Rd loop, then Hainault again and back down via Cabinteely Park. Good pace considering the numerous drags on this route.

Thu 29/8 -- Rest

Fri 30/8 -- VO2max session: 8 miles inc. 5x 1000m @ 5k pace w/ 3' recovery jog

I had to scroll back up the log a fair amount to find the last speed session I'd done, in early June. Set out to repeat it and headed down to the Kilbogget track in breezy conditions. The first couple of intervals weren't too bad. The wind seemed to pick up significantly after that but it's probably more likely that the lack of speedwork started to show. Either way the intervals became really really tough and I needed a few seconds of standing recovery before jogging back to the start. Clearly more work required.

Splits: 3:56 4:04 4:14 4:15 4:15

Sat 31/8 -- Recovery run inc. Cabinteely parkrun: 4 miles @ 10:04/mi

This time I just walked across to the start and took it very easy, chatting the whole way round the course with one of the RDs, then a short jog back home. Walk from Lough Tay to Lough Dan (and back up the hill of course!) in the afternoon.

Sun 1/9 -- 4.3 miles @ 9:33/mi (Avg HR: 140 bpm)

Limited time for a run before heading into town but I wanted to get above 30 miles for the week so just squeezed in a few easy laps around the bottom of Cabinteely Park.

Weekly total: 32.6 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 2/9 -- Progression long run: 12 miles @ 9:01/mi avg

Tried to find a local route to more or less replicate the profile of the Dublin Half. Started with a couple of flat easy miles on grass to warm up, added a few undulations for the next mile and a half, then a long steady climb over the next 2 miles and a bit towards Foxrock via Mart Lane, Westminster Rd and Hainault Rd; slight downhill via Brighton Rd to Foxrock village then hit the drag up Hainault Rd again, back down Brighton Rd, Westminster Rd then Gordon Ave and the steeper Kilteragh Rd back to the top of Hainault Rd before returning back down via Cabinteely Park. Pace increased steadily over the first 9 miles, from about 10' per mile at the start of the run to inside 8' pace for miles 8 & 9 then eased off for the rest.

Really enjoyed this run and gave me time to mull over how I might approach the Half in three weeks. Also tried a Hi5 gel for the first time ever halfway through the run; a bit of a sticky mess and found it a bit tricky to gulp it down at speed but it didn't cause any upset.

Splits: 10:01 9:41 9:45 9:25 9:03 8:32 8:20 7:50 7:54 9:06 9:05 9:26

Tue 3/9 -- Rest

Wed 4/9 -- 7.1 miles aerobic inc. 6x 120m strides @ 9:21/mi avg

A few easy loops around the Cabinteely and Kilbogget Parks including a half dozen strides on the track.

Thu 5/9 -- Rest

Fri 6/9 -- 30' easy: 3.1 miles @ 9:48/mi

Sat 7/9 -- The Lakes 10k (Blessington)

This time I put a bit more thought into how to approach the race. The objective was to use this as a tune-up and confidence builder ahead of the Dublin Half. The plan was to go with the 45' pacers for the first 2-3 km, in order to keep the early pace under control, increase the pace slightly to the 6 km point, work the hill then go hard to the finish for the last 3 km. It's not a PB course so just race by feel and don't focus on time, although I calculated that with this strategy I'd probably be in around 43'.

Pre Race

Got to Blessington about 10 AM, in plenty of time to park up and collect my number without any hassle. By the time I got kitted out and nipped across to the loo the queues at the registration desk and on the bridge had picked up significantly. Started the warm up with 30' to go; a few dynamic stretches then a light jog towards the finish line and beyond, to re-acquaint myself with the last km of the course: a slight uphill drag for the first 500m then dowhill to the finish. Cut things a bit tight and by the time I got back to the starting area everybody was already on the bridge - a bit of a rush but found my way to the 45' pacers and still had a couple of minutes to settle down before the start. Very good conditions: a tad warm (14-15C) but a bit of cloud keeping the sun at bay.

KM 1-5

A small field of less than 300 runners (I expected that being part of the KIA race series would attract a few more people this year) so no congestion to worry about and very quickly slotted into the 45' group; behind the pacers initially but then decided on a more confident approach and moved up alongside them, even if it meant having one of the baloons bounce off my head every now and then.

Anecdote of the day: partway through the first km we came across a flustered Hiko Tanosa -obviously late- rushing towards the starting line, and it wasn't long before he flew past us again, heading in the right direction this time. Eventually he finished 6th, about 3 1/2 minutes down on Sean Hehir, which is probably less than the head start he'd given the rest of the elite field. It would have been interesting to see what his actual time was but unfortunately the results only have his gun time.

Feeling comfortable at this pace, as soon as we hit the 2km marker I decided to push ahead of the pacers and opened a small gap. By the 3km point I could still hear their chatter not far behind me but I kept pushing and eventually their voices died off. This is a very nice section of the course, along undulating country lanes, and having a few runners ahead to aim at helped keep focused and avoid letting the pace slip on the drags. Reached halfway still feeling strong and with plenty in the tank.

4:23 4:32 4:26 4:27 4:23

KM 6-10

This year the water station was just after the sharp right hander. Felt guilty picking up a water bottle just to take a couple of sips and poured some of it over my head

At this point I had caught up with a group of 3 or 4 runners, including a tall well-built lad and a female in a DSD singlet running very strongly, and stayed with them for the next km, a fast downhill section towards the Liffey. Past the 6 km marker on the bridge and, almost immediately, hit the dreaded hill at the front of the small group. It's a long climb so tried to go hard at it but keep the effort controlled. Gained a few positions on the hill but a couple of runners -one of them the tall lad- went also past me at some point. Once we reached the flat section at the top of the hill I tried to bring my breathing back under control as quickly as possible without letting the pace drop. I noted that by the 7 km sign the tall lad was about 10s ahead.

The next couple of km are mostly downhill and I tried to take advantage of this to pick up the pace as much as I dared, slowly reeling in the odd runner, but the tall lad stayed stubbornly a few seconds ahead. By the time we reached the 9 km sign we were closing on a larger, disjointed group of 5 or 6 runners. Strongly carving through this group on the last uphill section was, despite the intense effort, a great feeling. Past the "500m to go" sign and kept pushing all the way to the finish, still chasing a couple more bodies ahead. The bridge and then the gantry came into view and finally crossed the line just outside 43'.

4:15 4:42 (hill) 4:07 4:07 3:54

Post Race

Tired, but not feeling completely exhausted, I sat down for a few moments to enjoy a glass of water and some fruit. A cool down jog, then changed into dry clothes and treated myself to a coffee to go with the nice muffin while the brief presentations were taking place.

Delighted that the race went almost perfectly to plan. Great injection of confidence ahead of the Dublin Half. Looking at the splits afterwards (I didn't even glance at the watch during the race) I might have hoped to go slightly faster in a couple of places but overall it was a very solid and controlled hard effort from start to finish. I also reflected on the nice progression achieved at this event over the last 3 years: 46:06 - 45:11 - 43:13. At this rate it'll be sub-40 next year (I wish!). I think this has to be my favourite event of the year: well organised, a lovely challenging course, and it has been kind to me so far.

Chip time: 43:13
Position: 44/272 (12th M40)
Splits: 4:23 4:32 4:26 4:27 4:23 4:15 4:42 4:07 4:07 3:54 (0.59 mi)
Avg pace: 4:19/km (6:57/mi)
Avg HR: 164 bpm
Age grading: 68.22%

Sun 8/9 -- No running. Short 90' cycle in Roundwood.

Weekly total: 31.8 miles

Wubble Wubble

That's great progression for 10k in the space of a year.
Pity you didn't get to sample a parkrun in Cork.

Best of luck with the HM. I plan to be out supporting this time.

MrSkinny

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

That's great progression for 10k in the space of a year.

Cheers. My 10k times were soft compared to 5k so I've been trying to focus the training on that distance this year, although I'd say most of the improvement is mainly down to increased mileage more than anything else.

Pity you didn't get to sample a parkrun in Cork.

Quite. We were actually staying a 5' stroll away from the Clonakilty parkrun venue but I only realised on Saturday morning that it was cancelled because the Circus was in town. Mind you, it was absolutely bucketing down that morning so I wasn't perhaps entirely disappointed.

Best of luck with the HM. I plan to be out supporting this time.

Hope to see you there ... and banish the bad memories of the FD10. And good luck to you in Ratoath!

MrSkinny

Mon 9/9 -- No running

A frustrating day in running terms. Felt a bit too sluggish to head out first thing, was changed and about to go out at lunch time but got caught up with some work stuff and the window of opportunity closed, finished work late and then just started feeling too tired to get out and dinner took precedence anyway.

Tue 10/9 -- 8 miles endurance inc. hills @ 9:05/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

This time I managed to get out the door first thing and set off at a good pace. First 4 miles on the flat around Kilbogget Park followed by several hilly laps of Cabinteely Park. Felt nice and strong but was a bit mindful of doing too much too soon after Saturday's race. Calves a little bit tight afterwards.

Wed 11/9 -- No running. Volleyball session.

Thu 12/9 -- Long cycle commute + 7 miles easy

Return cycle from Cabinteely to Clonshaugh during the day (~20.5 km each way). A bit pressed for time on the way back so was pushing a bit more than usual and got back in 1h flat. Then a few easy miles in the evening, split in two parts either side of a volleyball coaching session: 3.6 miles @ 9:13/mi on the way there and 3.4 miles @ 9:45/mi on the way back.

Fri 13/9 -- Cycle commute + VO2max session

Intending to do a workout before heading home from work, I had the brilliant idea (or so I thought) of using the Trinity grass track, only a km or so away. Left the office a bit early and sauntered over to the College but, as I was rounding the back of the Pavilion, the flaw in my plan became painfully obvious: a sunny Friday afternoon on the first week of term so people all over the place and clearly the least appropriate place for a speed workout. As I was jogging away having resigned myself to just a few easy miles, I vaguely remembered a discussion here about using Merrion Square for sessions so went to check it out: a bit busy on the Weste side with pedestrians wandering around the various monuments but not too bad so decided to give it a go.

The session was straight out of the FRR Half Marathon plan, which I've been loosely following for the last few weeks: 2x1200m + 2x1000m + 1x800m @ 3k-5k race pace with jog 50-90% interval time recovery. I decided to aim for a relatively conservative 4' per km but the splits were a fair bit outside that target: 4:58 5:05 - 4:11 4:06 - 3:27. The effort level was high and I was fairly wrecked by the end so won't worry too much about the times considering conditions were less than ideal: a fairly warm afternoon (even though most of the lap was in the shade), a gravelly surface, the inaccuracy of measuring interval distances manually with a watch set to miles in a leafy environment, etc. Back to the office for a total of 7.8 miles then a gentle cycle home as a cool-down.

Sat 14/9 -- Recovery run: Cabinteely parkrun @ 9:35/mi (Avg HR: 150 bpm)

Tried to pace myself to 30' but was a good half minute too quick - more practice needed, which just shows how tricky it is to pace the course and can't fully rely on the watch with all the tree cover. It was a cool-enough morning but was sweating quite a bit at the end and the effort felt higher than expected. Tired and a bit sniffly afterwards so a bit worried I might have picked up a dose.

Sun 15/9 -- No running

Feeling better after a good night's sleep but spent the day traipsing around town and by the time we got back home it was a bit late to go out. Didn't mind the extra day's rest.

Weekly total: 25.8 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 16/9 -- Race pace + speed: 8.5 miles inc. 4 x 100m strides and 2 miles @ HMP

Last meaningful session before winding things down ahead of Saturday. Off I went before breakfast into a fine drizzle: 3 easy miles up and down Cabinteely Park feeling good and controlled, discarded the light jacket at home and took a Hi5 gel (just to see how it would sit on an empty stomach) then off to Kilbogget Park. A few strides along the way then a couple of laps round the mile loop in Kilbogget Park. Hit the target pace of 7:30/mile fairly quickly and locked onto it for the duration - a reasonably comfortably hard effort and glad to see both miles come in at 7:28.

Tue 17/9 -- 45' recovery: 4.5 miles @ 10:00/mi (Avg HR: 134 bpm)

A few very easy laps of the bottom part of Cabinteely Park in the evening.

Wed 18/9 -- No running. Day trip to London.

Thu 19/9 -- 30' recovery: 3.1 miles @ 9:47/mi (Avg HR: 133 bpm)

Just a gentle leg stretch at lunch time. Very warm (17-18 C) and a bit breezy -the sort of conditions forecast for Saturday morning- and could clearly feel the heat despite the low level of effort.

Fri 20/9 -- 30' recovery w/ strides: 3.2 miles @ 9:27/mi

Another few very easy miles to keep the legs ticking over, this time with 4x 100m strides. Noticeably breezier than yesterday.

Sat 21/9 -- Dublin Half Marathon (Phoenix Park)

Pre Race - Once bitten, twice shy

My second half marathon, virtually one year to the day since the debut in Clew Bay, the event that actually triggered the start of this log. Planning in the lead up was heavily conditioned by the debacle at the recent Frank Duffy 10. With the forecast predicting another warm day (16C at 9 AM rising to 18C by noon) plus a moderate SE breeze I was keen to adopt a more sensible race strategy. Initially I was thinking of setting off at 7:30 pace for the first couple of miles, drop to 7:45 (or even slower) on the long uphill section to mile 8, then pick the pace up again at that point with the goal of coming in under 1h40m. In the end, though, I decided it would be easier to start with the 1h40m pacers, let them push on ahead if necessary on the uphill, then start reeling them in after mile 8. Pretty much the same strategy and having the pacers as markers would take some of the thinking out of it. That's a plan!

The days before the race weren't ideal by any means: a 5 AM start on Wednesday for a long day trip to London, another 5 AM start on Friday and an evening out with a friend visiting for the weekend; it wasn't a late night but I foolishly had a fairly heavy dinner and didn't sleep well as a result. Still, come Saturday morning I was feeling in good shape and eager to go. Underestimated just how much bigger an event the Half is and, as we were queueing to drive into the Park and crawling up the Avenue, I was starting to get a bit concerned that I might miss the start. Finally found a parking spot near the cricket club, quickly got ready, squeezed in a few dynamic stretches and by the time I started jogging towards the starting line it was already 9:18. Eventually I made my way past most of the assembled field and slotted in behind the pacers. Just in time ... barely a couple of minutes to settle down and we were off.

Miles 1-8

The start was a lot more congested than the FD10 and being in such a large pack was a new experience for me. There was a small bit of weaving involved trying to settle within the group but most people seemed to have started in the right place and we were all tipping along at roughly the same pace. About 1k into the race, running too close to the outside edge of Ordnance Survey Rd, I stepped onto the grass verge and rolled my right ankle quite heavily. Ouch! (I may have used a different expletive. ) I managed to stay upright and keep going, took a few slightly tentative steps and it seemed to be fine, but I did wonder if it would come back to bite me later in the race. (And thank you to the fellow runner who asked if I was ok!)

The first couple of miles, mostly downhill and surrounded by the big pack, were otherwise uneventful and came in at 7:43 and 7:35. Feeling very comfortable at this point but I knew full well we were a long way from home. The pacers were just a handful of seconds ahead and it was too crowded to try and close the gap any further so I just tried to concentrate on staying out of trouble.

Mindful of the heat and the distance, I had planned to make good use of the water points: pick up a bottle at the first station (mile 3) and carry it with me, top up at the second station (mile 5.5), swap for a full bottle at the third station (mile 9) then see how I felt at the last one (mile 11). I also had with me an out of date zero tablet and a caffeine gel I found in a kitchen press at home and a small packet of Haribos. I could probably just about get through the half without eating anything but it was also a chance to experiment a bit under race conditions.

Ahead of the first water station I fished out from my back pocket half a Zero tablet and got ready to pick up a bottle. Even though I was looking out for it, I didn't actually spot the station until we were on top of it ... and I was on the wrong side of the road. Cue a frantic attempt to cut across the pack to grab a bottle, which I just about managed.

During the FD10 the uphill miles had been a real soul-breaking slog. This time I found myself tipping along faster yet much more comfortably. Spaces started to open up somewhat so it was easier to try and follow the racing line and find the odd bit of shade. Keeping the pacers in sight, about 10-12 seconds ahead, the miles kept ticking down: 7:42 7:39 7:34 7:49.

Ahead of the second water station I took the caffeine gel and popped the empty wrapper back into my pocket. I didn’t really need the gel but I was curious to see if the caffeine would deliver a little bit of a boost a few minutes later, at the point I was planning to lift the pace. Grabbed a cup of water at the station and slowed down slightly to pour it into my bottle (much easier than trying to drink from the cup) then carried on having lost a handful of seconds at most. Remarked again on the stark contrast with the FD10; instead of the dreaded uphill, this section almost felt like running on the flat for the most part. Would I push on? Long way to go ... stick to the plan!

The amount of support -always welcome- increased as we approached Chesterfield and turn onto the footpath. This section was narrower and a bit more crowded so I stepped (very carefully!) onto the grass to get a bit more space. U-turn onto the Avenue and the headwind became instantly obvious. Just tuck into a group and keep the head down. Off the Avenue and onto White’s Road, bracing myself for the next uphill section. Tried to keep the effort going over the sharpest ramps and finally past the 8 mile marker near the top of White’s Road in 61’ flat. Bang on target from the pacers.

7:43 7:35 7:42 7:39 7:34 7:49 7:30 7:42

Miles 9-13.1

Sharp left at the top of White’s Rd and time to step it up a notch. I used the downhill to help lift the pace and started closing quickly on the back of the pacer group, still quite large and taking the width of the road. It was going to be impossible to cut through the middle of the group so I jumped onto the pavement and started to make my way past them. By the time we reached the left turn at the bottom of Tower Road I had just about completed the overtaking manouver and jumped back onto the road just ahead of them.

Pace had increased to low 7’ miles and I tried to carry that forward onto the next uphill section. My calves gave me a gentle reminder that they were there but otherwise the legs seemed happy with the pace increase. Mile 9 in 7:13. Exchanged my water bottle at the next station and kept pushing. Back on Ordnance Survey Road I was making my way past another large group and came up to a fellow Cabinteely parkrun regular, exchanged a few words of encouragement and kept gliding forward.

Back onto Chesterfield Avenue and again into a strong headwind so I tried to seek as much protection as possible whilst moving up through the field. Mile 10 in 7:18 for a cumulative time inside 66', nearly 3 minutes faster than my FD time and feeling I wasn't going full throttle yet. Once we turned off the Avenue I fished out a couple of Haribo from my back pocket, thinking they might give me a small boost for the last couple of miles but found it difficult to chew them at this point so didn’t bother with the rest of the small packet.

Still carrying a half full water bottle I ignored the water station and kept motoring down Acres Road, buffeted by a fairly strong cross wind. Mile 11 in 7:16. A female runner from Ashton AC asked if we’d be finishing into this breeze and I said “nah ... it’ll be behind us, slightly to the side”. How wrong was I! Next mile in 7:14 and reached the mile 12 marker working hard but still feeling in good shape. This is it ... last push. Next to the Ashton AC lady and one or two others also running strongly I tried to maintain the pace and as a result breathing became louder and more laboured – a clear sign that I was finally operating at maximum effort. Remarkably I found myself able to keep pushing at this pace all the way along this last uphill drag. The finish line finally came into view and I was still going strong and picking up plenty of places. Eventually the Ashton AC lady sprinted ahead in the last few metres and I went through the line as the clock was ticking down towards 99'. Eventually the results would confirm a chip time of 1:38:03 - a PB of over 12 minutes!

A few moments to catch my breath next to the barriers then a very welcome glass of water and a banana. As soon as I stopped to chat with a few folks my ankle started hurting but it was just about OK for the easy cool-down jog back to the car.

7:13 7:18 7:16 7:14 7:12 0:39 (0.1 mi)

Post Race

Very satisfied with this race. It went absolutely according to plan and was a really enjoyable experience. A big PB, a negative split and also an unofficial fastest 10 mile time (I reckon inside 1h15m for the last 10 miles). Could I have pushed a little more, earlier? In hindsight perhaps yes. It's normal to think that way having finished feeling there was a bit left in the tank. Do I regret it? Not at all. There was sound logic behind the slightly conservative approach and, in any case, the discussion is slightly academic because it’s impossible to know where that fine line of optimal performance was on the day.

Bottom line is that this race has given me a lot of confidence in terms of endurance running and I doubt it’ll be another year before I have another crack at a half marathon.

Chip time: 1:38:03 (PB)
Position: 792/6936 (96th M45)
Splits: 7:43 7:35 7:42 7:39 7:34 - 7:49 7:30 7:42 7:13 7:18 - 7:16 7:14 7:12 0:39 [0.1 mi]
Avg pace: 7:29/mi
Avg HR: 164 bpm
Age grading: 68.22%

Sun 22/9 -- 3.2 miles recovery @ 10:16/mi (Avg HR: 121 bpm)

Still on a slight high I couldn't help going out for a few very easy recovery miles. The ankle was still a little tender so kept it short to round off a great week with another total mileage record.

Weekly total: 38 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 23/9 -- Rest. Cycle commute.

Tue 24/9 -- Rest. Cycle commute.

Feeling very tired after a couple of drinks and not enough sleep the night before so decided to park the planned recovery run until Wednesday.

Wed 25/9 -- 4 mile recovery @ 9:30/mi (Avg HR: 133 bpm)

Fairly busy during the day and only managed to get this done at 9 PM on the way home from volleyball. Still feeling the ankle a little bit but easy running doesn't seem to be a problem. Legs felt really good and a nice steady rain made for a very enjoyable run.

Thu 26/9 -- Travel

Fri 27/9 -- 5.5 miles recovery @ 9:49/mi (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

Back home for a few days. Headed out for a few easy miles around La Mitjana park. Warm but at least the sections within the greenery were nice and shady.

Sat 28/9 -- 7.5 miles aerobic @ 9:30/mi (Avg HR: 140 bpm)

Very warm evening: ~24°C at 8 PM. Started off towards La Mitjana as light was fading and, once I got there, visibility was almost down to zero so did a short cautious loop amongst the trees and headed off towards the embankment of the river Segre, which is better lit. Ran the whole length of the south bank from Pont de Pardinyes, busy with people going to the fun fair, to the Pasarel.la dels Maristes, where I crossed over to the other side. Caught a glimpse of the correfoc taking place in Avinguda Blondel before heading back home. Legs felt good but the muggy conditions were starting to tell towards the end.

Sun 29/9 -- Hike to Sant Salvador

Short punchy mid-morning hike up to Sant Salvador. Just over 1h up and down. Long family meal followed and no time for any more running.

Weekly total: 17 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 30/9 -- Hike in the Montsec

A long 3 1/2 hour solo hike in the Montsec following this loop: Àger - Ermita Mare de Déu de Pedra - Font de Gabrieló - Cova d'en Rosell - Ermita i refugi Mare de Déu de Colobor - Àger. About 800m of climbing, mostly exposed to a very warm sun made for a good workout. Decided to run the last couple of miles back to Àger, slightly downhill on a fairly wide trail, and it was nice to see the legs happy to oblige.

Tue 1/10 -- 8 miles @ 9:02/mi (Avg HR: 139 bpm)

A nice run following the Canal de Pinyana, from near the Hospital to Gualda and back, alongside fields and fruit tree orchards. Sunny and fairly warm again (low 20s) but the legs found a bit of zip.

Wed 2/10 -- 7.25 miles @ 9:05/mi (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

I had intended to explore an interesting trail near Alpicat that I spotted on Strava but I was a bit pushed for time and ended up just heading to La Mitjana and slightly beyond. Out a bit earlier today so the temperate was only in the high teens. Picked up the pace a little bit in the middle section but after 6 miles the legs had had enough so eased off and jogged back home. Didn't mind as I should still be in recovery mode and careful not to overdo things.

Thu 3/10 -- Rest

Got back to Dublin in the early hours and had a long day catching up with work so no running today.

Fri 4/10 -- Rest

Another long day at work and still feeling a bit fatigued so didn't push the issue today either.

Sat 5/10 -- 5.8 miles inc. Cabinteely parkrun in 26:13

Was meant to be a few easy miles but got carried away and the parkrun turned into a bit of a progression run. A decent effort but afterwards felt fairly tired for the rest of the day.

Sun 6/10 -- Ride in Wicklow

A 2h spin between Roundwood and Moneystown. A good bit of climbing as usual.

Weekly total: 21.1 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 7/10 -- 1h hills and muck: 6.25 miles @ 9:34/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

With the first XC race of the season coming up on Saturday, laced up the trail runners and went in search of soft ground and mucky patches in Cabinteely Park. Threw in a few hill sprints for good measure. A fairly random but very enjoyable workout with a nice feeling of strength in the legs.

Tue 8/10 -- No running. Very long day at work.

Wed 9/10 -- 8 miles endurance @ 8:50/mi (Avg HR: 151 bpm)

Found out that Saturday's BHAA race has been cancelled. Out at lunch time towards Foxrock for a few laps of the usual Hainault Rd / Brighton Rd loop. After a slow warm-up mile the pace picked up a bit towards low 8' miles. Halfway through the run, tipping along nicely, I decided I might be overdoing it and lifted up. Immediately the legs felt heavy and the rest of the run became a slog even though I only slowed down to about 9' miles.

Thu 10/10 -- Cycle commute

Fri 11/10 -- No running

Sat 12/10 -- 7.2 miles inc. Cabinteely parkrun in 22:14

Decided on a fast parkrun in place of the cancelled XC race. Misjudged the length of my warm-up loop and had to rush to make the start on time, only getting there with a few seconds to spare, definitely not helping any notions of challenging my current PB. Set off with the front-runners and tracking one of the regular 21' runners but he pulled ahead easily during the first hill already. Kept pushing and slowly overtaking other runners as we went along, including a couple on the last climb, that I was pleased to finish with a strong sprint. Slightly disappointed to be over a minute down on my PB but it was a good workout and will try not to overthink it.

Sun 13/10 -- 90' aerobic: 10 miles @ 9:00/mi (Avg HR: 140 bpm)

Long loop along Foxrock - Lehaunstown - Cherrywood - Loughlinstown - Kilbogget Park. Tried to keep the effort nice and controlled during the early miles, picked the pace up a bit during the long downhill along Brides Glen Road and Commons Road, then kept things steady on the gradual and long drag back up to Cabinteely. Very pleased with the effort. Hit both 10 miles and 90' exactly right outside the house.

Signed up for the Clontarf Half on 30 November. Had been debating whether to switch to more speed work and target Jingle Bells like last year but in the end decided to stick with the longer stuff, have another go at a HM and hopefully take another chunk of my PB if the conditions are favourable on the day.

Weekly total: 24.1 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 14/10 -- No running

Up early to catch a flight to Boston. Got there mid afternoon and actually changed into my running gear but felt a bit too jaded after the travel and decided to park the running until the morning and just go for a stroll along the river. Lots of runners out and about as one would expect in Boston.

Tue 15/10 -- 80' aerobic: 9.1 miles @ 8:38/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

Woke up very early due to the time difference. Waited until shortly before sunrise then set off from my hotel on Boylston St (overlooking the Boston marathon finishing line!) along the river to Harvard University and back. Nice sporting facilities on campus by the way, including both outdoor and indoor running tracks. A beautiful sunny morning and the miles went by quickly at a nice pace. Again lots of runners out and about. Evening flight to Seattle.

Wed 16/10 -- 8.6 miles aerobic @ 8:27/mi (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

With the day's work commitments over, decided to explore a new area of Seattle and set off for a lap of the Cheshiahud Loop around Lake Union. Rather wet and gloomy conditions, and a bit more tarmac than I would have liked, but still a scenic run nonetheless.

Thu 17/10 -- No running. Return flight to Dublin in the evening.

Fri 18/10 -- Rest

Sat 19/10 -- 5 miles easy inc. Marlay parkrun @ 8:25/mi (Avg HR: 147 bpm)

Fancied a bit of a change so gave Marlay a go for the first time. Really liked the course and it didn't feel as crowded as I expected. Easy-ish pace the whole way round.

Sun 20/10 -- Spar Cross Country Xperience

Signed up for this event (part of the Autumn Open) after last week's BHAA race was cancelled, as I really wanted to see what the Abbotstown course is like. Got there early enough to catch the senior races, including Wubble Wubble's valliant effort in the masters race, then a gentle warm-up and got ready to give the spikes their first outing of the winter. The event was only 4k and designed to give recreational runners a taste for XC but it was still a good opener for the coming XC season and decided to give it an honest effort: stampede off the wide starting area, jostling for position as the course narrows at the end of the straight, settle into a hard pace going round the field at the far end then a couple of very soft mucky sections before the ups and downs round the back of the lap. Tried to maintain the effort during the second lap but could feel the pace dipping slightly towards the far end of the course, as I was swapping positions with another two or three runners. Picked it up again, trying to find a good line through the muddy sections, then kept pushing over the last uphill drag ... sit on somebody's shoulder round the final bend then kick. I could sense one or two others right on my heels but was pleased to find enough strength in the legs to sustain the long sprint to the line and keep them at bay. Finished 27th in 16:41 for what was a very enjoyable low-key event. Total of 6.9 miles for the day.

Not a bad return for the week considering the amount of long-distance travel.

Weekly total: 29.6 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 21/10 -- No running

Tue 22/10 -- 1h aerobic: 7 miles @ 8:31/mi (Avg HR: 147 bpm)

Lunchtime run around Foxrock and Cabinteely. Turned into a slight progression run with pace ranging from 9:10 to 8:15 per mile. Feeling strong again.

Wed 23/10 -- Travel to Berlin

Sat 26/10 -- 6 miles inc. Hasenheide parkrun in 23:50

Turned out we were staying about a mile away from Hasenheide park so made the effort to get over there for the 9 AM start of what turned out to be their Halloween-themed parkrun and the course being run in reverse, which I only realised afterwards (not that it made any difference to me). The legs felt a bit sleepy during the warm-up jog to the park so set off at a moderate pace and only picked it up over the last half mile or so, including a bit of a battle with a couple of younger lads towards the end. A friendly bunch, smaller than expected field considering this is the only parkrun in Berlin, lots of visitors (easily a third of the field), briefings in both German and English, and a beautiful park in a fantastic city.

A low mileage week as expected. Plenty of cycling done over the 5 days in Berlin albeit mostly at a fairly leasurely pace.

Weekly total: 13 miles

Wubble Wubble

MrSkinny wrote: »

Sun 20/10 -- Spar Cross Country Xperience

Signed up for this event (part of the Autumn Open) after last week's BHAA race was cancelled, as I really wanted to see what the Abbotstown course is like. Got there early enough to catch the senior races, including Wubble Wubble's valliant effort in the masters race, then a gentle warm-up and got ready to give the spikes their first outing of the winter. The event was only 4k and designed to give recreational runners a taste for XC but it was still a good opener for the coming XC season

Yes, there were quite a few considerably above "recreational" standard :eek: Nice for the spikes to get an airing either way. Thanks for the support, I needed it in a tough, longer than the usual XC race.

MrSkinny

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

Yes, there were quite a few considerably above "recreational" standard :eek: Nice for the spikes to get an airing either way. Thanks for the support, I needed it in a tough, longer than the usual XC race.

Fair play for taking it on. You looked so in the zone every time I shouted at you that I did wonder if you'd noticed me at all!

MrSkinny

Mon 28/10 -- Travel back to Dublin

Tue 29/10 -- No running. A bit hesitant to go out first thing then the day just ran away from me.

Wed 30/10 -- 8 miles aerobic @ 9:05/mi (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

After reading so many positive DCM race reports my mind was all pumped up to get back into the running but sadly my body wasn't feeling the love this morning and the run was a bit of a grind. Hopefully just a bit of rustiness after last week. Still, stuck to it and -on the plus side- I reached 1000 miles for the year! :cool:

Thu 31/10 -- No running.

Fri 1/11 -- 5.1 miles easy in the rain @ 9:49/mi (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

A bit of a sore throat first thing but it seemed to have gone away later on, so finally got out late afternoon for a few laps in the park. Very wet and got dark so quickly ... Legs felt fairly heavy on the soft ground and the pace over the last couple of miles just got over the 10' mark.

Sat 2/11 -- No running. Must admit I was a bit lazy to go out early on then the heavens opened and didn't really fancy getting soaked again.

Sun 3/11 -- Long run: 10 miles aerobic @ 9:20/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

Sore throat still lingering but it was such a beautiful day that I just had to get out. Decided to try a long run and repeat the loop from 3 weeks ago. Have heard a few people talk about Scullion's podcast so downloaded a few recent episodes and stuck that on. It was an interesting listen: he can ramble on a bit in places but it certainly helped pass the time on the long run and a few things actually resonated, especially today when he talked about getting the training done even when slighly under the weather. His thoughts on the marathon, and Dublin in particular, were also very interesting for somebody who is pondering whether to give it a go. Back to the run ... tried to keep the effort easy and under control throughout but I could feel straightaway that I wasn't as comfortable as last time, particularly on the uphills, and my right leght was also a bit tight from the off. Took a whole 3 1/2 minutes longer than last time for a marginally higher effort overall.

Reaching 1000 miles was the highlight of an otherwise poor week but hopefully this bug will clear soon and I can start ramping things up for the Clontarf Half.

Weekly total: 23.1 miles

Wubble Wubble

Congrats on reaching the 1000. I think I only spotted you once btw :pac:

Good luck with the Clontarf HM.

MrSkinny

Mon 4/11 -- 5.1 miles recovery @ 9:51/mi

Still a bit congested but I felt that a short recovery run during the day would be OK. Checked the weather forecast whilst having breakfast and it was heavy rain for most of the day with the only dryish window ... erm ... now. That made up my mind and off I went for a few very easy laps of the flat section at the bottom of the park. Very soft underfoot including some completely waterlogged sections. Love this sort of conditions and it put me in a good frame of mind for the rest of the day.

Tue 5/11 -- Workout: 6x800m @ 3k-5k pace

Over to the Kilbogget track for an early morning workout. Dry and not too cold but a moderate northerly breeze to keep conditions challenging. The legs felt sprightly-enough during the two warmup miles (8:45 8:26) then a few more stretches and drills to get ready for the session. I gave myself a wide target to aim at for each interval: 3:02 to 3:12 (equivalent to 19:00 to 20:00 for 5k) and expected the jog recoveries (a lap around the infield of the track) to be at the upper end of the prescribed duration (50-90% of interval time). The first interval was as usual a bit faster but the rest were fairly consistent, albeit slightly outside target. Halfway through the session it felt like I might not make it but glad I persevered and got it done. Fairly wrecked but pleased afterwards and jogged home as a cool down. Total of 8 miles for the day. Looking at the last few speed sessions, which have been a bit infrequent, I seem to be stuck at this sort of pace - perhaps a more speed-focused training block would be needed to break through this plateau.

Splits: 3:09 3:13 3:16 3:15 3:15 3:13

Wed 6/11 -- No running. Volleyball session.

Thu 7/11 -- 3.6 miles easy @ 9:47/mi

Jogged over to Dalkey for a VB training session then felt a bit lazy/tired to run back afterwards so got a lift home.

And that was it for the week. Long drive to Cork on Friday for a VB tournament on Saturday, then Sunday was busy with family stuff.

Weekly total: 16.7 miles