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Awesomeness never comes cheap…!

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  • 21-01-2022 9:30pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭


    Right, here we go:

    My name? - babacool. That stands for baba and 😎.

    My personality? - I take nothing for granted. If I want awesomeness I have to pay a price!

    My goal? - to finally overcome the drug called running!

    My philosophy? - Taking a short cut will win you a race, taking the long way will win you the crowed (it’s up to each individual to judge what’s more important!)

    I debated a lot with myself if I should give this a go. This “pressure” on creating a log and keeping it up to date. Would anyone even be interested in reading it or even get something out of it? But then realised, this isn’t for others. This is for myself and if someone else will gain something from it, so it be! (Don’t learn from what I do but the mistakes I make!!!!). that means, you who reads this and is mental enough to follow this or “check in” every now and then, don’t expect this to be a training guide or a step by step instruction on why, how, when etc. I will try to keep this as personal as I can which means I will not sort my thoughts. I will jump from one end to another if I need to. I will write and post as I think/speak. Feel free to ask questions but expect honest answers! 😁


    Current stats/ PBs:

    5k - think around 16:20 or so.

    10k - 33:54 or so (TT)

    10mile - 57min or so

    1hr - 17.23km or so (TT)

    half - 1:15:40 or so

    Marathon - 2:39:xx


    running goals:

    1. short term: survive this weekend
    2. get to the race that I currently train for (Donadea) and get a respectable time
    3. go under 2:25 in DCM 2022




«134

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 10,457 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Cool. babacool even.

    What’s the Donadea goal? Have you run it before? And if so, what do you think of it as a competitive race?



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    plan was 25k yesterday @ 4:30 pace. Mentally felt drained. Just didn’t want to go out at all. Decided not to go, confirmed with coach and out a nice Chicago pizza in the oven. Needed that at that moment but man did I regret that during the night. Felt like I was dehydrated like a fish in the Sahara. Think I spent more time adding and releasing water during the night than I would have if I had just gone out for a run!

    today was then planned a nice easy 10k run. Well, ended up doing 12.5k easy plus a further 4K shortly after (my 14 year old asked me to join her for a run and who can say no to that)?

    plan for this weekend (to fulfil the short term goal):


    saturday: 5k warm up - 3*5k @ 3:30 (240) - 5k warm down. Not sure what shoe to take yet. Debating if worn down Mach 3, still cushioned Mach 4 or evo rocket (yes for those who don’t know me: I’m Hoka!!)

    Sunday: 42k at 4:13 this will be fun yet looking forward to it. First time I’m going to put on the race shoe aka x2.


    let’s see how that goes. Weight still under control with around 73-74kg.



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Only did a 5 lap TT there last year. Never really raced there. Depending on what you are aiming for it could be a lonely race I think. Seems most run around the 3:45-4:15 mark.

    personal goal is to do a 3:05 effort all depends on the conditions on the day though 🙂



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,834 ✭✭✭OOnegative


    Best of luck with the log & the Donadea target. What’s these “or so” PB’s we’ll find out who you are don’t worry……..



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    It’s all on strava! Nothing to hide. Then times just don’t mean much to me as none of those really reflect my current fitness. Only posted them as an indicator for anyone wondering if I know what I’m talking about. And I don’t 😁. I’m not a coach or elite runner. Not a blogger or vlogger but a jogger.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    TTs don't count! 🤣

    Best of luck with the log. Will follow with interest. I think someone of your calibre has a lot to contribute here.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,807 ✭✭✭skyblue46


    I think he has a lot to contribute too. I'm sensing a spade will be called a spade 🤣



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,771 ✭✭✭jebuz


    Great to see another log up and running, I'll be dropping in with interest. My bit of advice for what it's worth if you want to run sub 2:25 (a target of mine also) is to really focus on the shorter stuff (5k-10k) for a period. You have to learn to run fast before you can learn to run slow and this can make all the difference when it comes to the marathon times and stagnating. Some tend to neglect that side of training and run marathons year after year wondering why they're not improving. There's no hard and fast rule here but for the majority of runners, a rule of thumb is you'll need to be running in and around 15 minutes for 5k and 31 minutes for 10k to sustain that sort of effort over a marathon. Of course there are exceptions, some 'diesel engine' runners can achieve a 2:25 while running a 16 minutes 5k (or 33 10k) but they're rare.

    Looking at your times, you've already ran an impressive 2:39 but it's hard to say where your strengths are, your times all seem to align but I really would focus on that 5k and 10k and the long stuff will benefit as a result. I admire the ambition and energy, that's half the battle in running. All the best with the log, it'll keep you honest if anything.



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Correct @Swashbuckler TTs don’t count, especially not if done on a downhill course where start and finish aren’t in the same spot. As for mine, fair to say I don’t use easy loops for TTs 😁 and the 10k I stopped the watch at 10:04km just to give it some levy (used the clonee 10k route, so sort of new where start and finish are).

    @skyblue46 i don’t know what you mean 🙄. I swear I will be nice! 🤪


    Went to bed at 11:17pm (or 23:17 whatever mood I’m in) hoping for some good, long sleep. Well…. Little one called at 6:32am. No issues there, could have gone back to bed it wasn’t for the damn dog. She wanted me to stay up and go on a walk. 


    House chores done for the day even before the day started (I put the laundry in the dryer). Breakfast at 7:00am. 2 weetabix biscuits (mock up version from Lidl), 500gr (ish) defrosted blackberries, scoop diet whey protein powder and almond milk. Slice of bread with chocolate spread (little one was full he said 🙄). (I’ll probably have to start logging food again during taper just to ensure I don’t eat too much shite. For now I seem to be getting away with it thanks to all them miles). Together with a nice pot of DB Beans coffee. Now sitting on the couch waiting for the missus to get up (let her sleep on a Saturday or else i end up with more chores around the house 😃) and watching the 5 year old acting out the “Godzilla king of the monsters” movie 😂. Joy of fatherhood I guess.


    Legs feel shite. Now debating between **** it take the Mach 3. Will be tough on legs but at least an excuse for making a mess of session or taking the evo 🚀 to have a chance of hitting the pace and look impressive on strava. 


    Evo 🚀 might not be the fastest carbon shoe out there but definitely my favourite from the hoka line up so far. It’s stiff, it’s hard, it’s fast! And legs feel beaten up afterwards (give it a few hours to feel the impact 😂) which is a joy as it means I get remembered to put in a bit of s&c to not feel beaten up which again makes me stronger in the long run (not the one tomorrow though but the run that comes in about 9 months time). 


    Mach 3 lovely shoe but not anywhere near the Mach 2 (and 1). Can’t see myself running a 2:39 marathon in that shoe. Don’t get me wrong it’s a fast one but you hit the ground really hard which makes your legs tired quickly.   If you want cushion go for the Mach 4 or the Clifton line up. 


    9:00am made up my mind. Go with the Mach 3 and so I did. Right call I suppose. Legs during warm up “feck off with your stupid running. We ain’t go do **** today!”. The moment the watch beeped and started the first rep the legs like “stop holding us back. Let’s race!” 🤦‍♂️ 


    Overall session (3*5k @ 3:30 (240) - total distance 27km) went a lot better than expected. Splits 3:32/3:32/3:36. Only during the last 5k I really struggled and considered stopping but then remembered “form over pace. Keep going! It won’t kill you and it is ok to slow down! But never give up: “Awesomeness doesn’t come cheap!”


    Shoes were great I have to say. Felt very springy during the session. Only at warm down I would have hoped for more cushion. Overall though, right choice. 


    Now let’s try to recover the legs a bit for tomorrow’s marathon! Only a few walks with the dog, playtime with the youngest. Maybe a recovery jog with the oldest and that’s it. Early bedtime as aiming to get up at 6:00am.


    Today’s summary: Life is a rollercoaster. No matter how you see it, you start at the bottom and you end at the bottom!



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Hey, at the moment I think I am one of those rare runners. I don’t have pace but endurance. The 2:39 should have been a a 2:37 as I lost 2min over the last 5k due to dehydration (got so cold that day that I couldn’t grab water and suffered in the end). And that was done in a mach 2 (the whole super shoe thing passed by me. Only crossed my mind to jump on that ship the day before DCM which was a bit too late 😁). My PBs before the marathon been 1:16:30 for the half, 16:54 for 5k and 34:42 for 10k. Think that shows, I’m not fast but I am able to hold a certain pace (plus I don’t enjoy fast stuff and short races)!


    same time I’m not disputing the necessity of being able to run fast but since I’m not an expert I will trust the coach to get the plan right. Tried to learn how to rund and train by myself twice now. First time ended up in a stress fracture. 2nd time around ended up in stagnation. Hence I realised for myself, if I want to do it properly i need help.

    So far the last two coaches that I work(ed) with got it right and I’m improving again. So let’s see. Appreciate the feedback though. Let me know if you are around for a few runs, always good to have company as this is my biggest issue at the moment: finding a group that trains in and around your capability.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,771 ✭✭✭jebuz


    Where are you based? I'm in Cork and there's always people to train with around here. You've hit the nail on the head with the company and training with groups around your ability. It's the number one bit of advice I'll give anyone wanting to get better. I can't emphasise how much it brought me on joining a club 7 years ago but also taught me how to control my sessions, learn how to sit in and relax and save your big efforts for race day. If you have a trusted coach then that's already a massive advantage. It takes out the thinking on your side and you don't have to worry about which generic plan to follow and what sessions to do (something I think possibly holds back a lot of solo runners training from books, the over-analysing and self doubt) and you just go out and do the hard graft. It's not for everyone though based on life and circumstances. If you think your strength is enduring a strong pace for long periods then great, you're probably cut out for the marathon and it'll certainly get you far but only so far, you really can't neglect the shorter distances to reach your full potential. All that said, we're just amateur runners trying to have a bit of fun competing so enjoying the journey is the main thing. Run whatever distances make you happy and feeling accomplished.



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Kildare based. Plenty of runners around me at similar level but training for different things. Hence hard to find a group where runs can be linked together. Cork runners are beasts though! Follow a few you guys on strava! You guys are impressive especially when it comes to playing mud 😁



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Sunday 23.01.2022 - marathon (long run) day. Decided on an early start. Hence got up at 5:49am and out of the house before the body started to realise what’s going on.

    it goes without saying that this run was going to be on empty. Only a pint of water and 1 gel (found some in the cupboard last night - exp date aug 2020 😂). Decided to test the body and see how it will react to fueling during the run.

    aim was 42km at 4:13 pace. Opted for a 7.1km loop. Splits 29:41/29:23/29:05/29:20/28:54 for the first 5. Last lap destroyed me. Had company on that lap and with all that chatting (yes I was still able to chat) we didn’t focus on pace and went way too fast. At the end felt like I hit the wall so decided on breaking the loop and go for some change in scenery for the last 7km. Helped a bit but not much. Still struggled mentally and physically at that point. Finished that last split (100m shorter than first 5 laps) in 29:22 which surprised me as it felt more like 39:22.


    shoe been the carbon x2. Lovely shoe. A lot better than the x1 (which I didn’t like at all). Not cushioned but I can see why it is good for ultra. It’s not fast but helps you at the longer distance when the legs starting to fatigue. Maybe that’s why I felt slow but still going fast.


    hoping for a rest day tomorrow but do fear that a 15km is on the plan. At least wouldn’t surprise me at all. All in all, short term goal completed - I’m still alive!!! 😁


    next goal - donadea. 3 weeks to go.

    summary of the day: just because you can, doesn’t mean you can’t!



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    Not the primary focus but you managed a sub 2.56 marathon there I think?............ I know thats no biggie for a sub 2.40 guy but...................still..............



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Well, if you take into consideration the 3 stops I had to make. Twice to retie the laces (first run in them so at first too tight and then too loose) and one to drop a bit of yellow water, I finished just shy of sub3. But like I said before, sub3 isn’t anything to fear and if in the end that’s all anyone takes away from todays post - mission accomplished! it goes back again though to, don’t do foolish things. If you follow a plan, follow the plan! Don’t change things just to make it easier (or difficult, depending on what you change). Also it is all done to consistency in mileage.


    my last 4 weeks been: 149/157/170/149km. Mileage in 2020: 6000km, 2021: 5400km. All about consistent build up at the right effort. Depending on how your body operates you don’t need silly sprint sessions in your workout to break 3hrs! Just get the endurance done!


    oh and I think fitness wise I’m closer to 2:30 at the moment without supershoes 😁. At least that’s what I keep telling myself! So todays pace been basically 30-40sec slower than actual marathon pace.


    how’s your training going? If you are around on the 12th feel free to jump in for a lap or two around the forest 😁. Good workout.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,233 ✭✭✭Wottle


    I love the carbon X2, currently on my third pair. Last week I ran a 20 miler in them, did the same 20 miler today at roughly the same effort in the fuelcell elite and I was 19 secs per mile quicker under similar weather conditions too. (I'm about an hour slower than you though).

    I can only imagine what the Vaporflies will do.

    Back to the carbon X2, I think they're amazing and are responsible for keeping me injury free, in particular my PF at bay.



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Yea. X2 is great not my favourite hoka carbon shoe but defo a massive improvement on the x1. I also know it’s not the fastest shoe out there but there must be a reason why one doesn’t see many ultra runners using Nike etc but hoka and other “not so fast” supershoes. I don’t own any of the other brands and hence won’t really be able to compare them not have an opinion. I just can’t get myself to buy them Nike. 😂

    also I am one of those who would advice against running too much in carbon plated shoes. I prefer normal shoes for 99% of my runs. But that’s just me and my opinion. I don’t judge anyone who does it differently 😂



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    new day, new week, new feeling. not so much really. 3 weeks out. Legs feel surprisingly good, which is a bit of a surprise. Mind is still fresh and taper starts (sort of). happy days!!!

    Time to look into nutrition again. Being careful what and how much I eat, as will have less volume to burn everything off. Goal is to maintain current weight until race day:

    Breakfast: 200ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 1 banana, 1 apple, 2 Bixies Biscuits

    Lunch (includes any morning snack): 1 Brioche Burger Bun, 46gr Tuna & Sweetcorn, 220gr Spicy Couscous (Meadow Fresh Lidl)

    Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 2 corn on the cobs, 100gr blueberries, 100gr raspberries, 150gr cooked pasta, 300gr iceberg lettuce, 50g spinach/kale mix, 60gr nuts

    Total per day:

    Calories: 1960

    Protein: 71gr

    Carbs: 299gr


    race strategy. The time again where one spends more time on thinking what, how, why than running. Current plan is:

    lap 1 - 20min

    lap 2-4: 19:30min each

    lap 5-7: 19min each

    lap 8-9: 18:30-18:45min each

    lap 10: fastest or at least 2nd fastest lap over all.

    All based on 85% ideal conditions. Plan will probably change the moment it gets wet or cold or snowy or stormy or leggy.

    need to remember, I train on my own. That’s my strength! I don’t know how to run and pace in groups. Means I will probably end up doing my own thing rather than going with a group and mess up my rhythm.

    Running: 8k very very easy and rest day tomorrow.

    Clothes: what running shorts to wear?! Old school standard shorts that are light or them 1/4 compression shorts that Eluid wears? 🤔

    Summary of the day: when the dog throws up, it will not rain!



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Rest day - wooo hooo. for some reason the legs really need that today. Feel a lot more fatigue than yesterday. Dog not well either which means no risk of 3-5km walks :).

    Breakfast: 200ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 350gr defrosted rasberries, 2 Bixies Biscuits

    Lunch (includes any morning snack): 100gr Oats (using boiled water instead of milk), 1 scoop PHD diet whey, 1 apple, 1 Banana

    Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 18 corn cakes, 75gr tuna, 125gr butter beans, 100gr celery, 100gr carrot, 60gr nuts

    Total per day:

    Calories: 1982 (leaves me with 200kcal for snacking between 6-8pm)

    Protein: 104gr

    Carbs: 275gr


    irish life sponsoring DCM now. Interesting 🤔. Do they offer insurances? Which means if they could insure the event and be a sponsor shouldn’t that mean entry prices should go down?

    Summary of the day: A walk in the park, is a walk in the park!

    Post edited by babacool on


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    You don't eat meat by the looks of it?



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  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    I do. Chicken, turkey and the occasional beef. That said for a while now (2018) I start sticking to:


    1. no alcohol at all at least 6 weeks out (dry since April so no issue this time around)
    2. no cookies, chocolate etc 6 weeks before a big race (marathon). Overloaded during Xmas hence sick of it anyways 😂
    3. no meat 3 weeks out. It’s tough as the family is having chicken wings regularly and beef stew. Then again, awesomeness doesn’t come cheap 🙄

    to allow the body to adopt and handle the change (and increase the amount of food I can eat without gaining weight. 1kg of salad is just more enjoyable than 10g of cheese) 😁



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    we are writing the day 26 of the month january of the 2022 in a far far but not so far far Galaxy.mmmhhh Galaxy...chocolate...mmmmhhhhmmm..


    Running: 16k on the plan. Shoe: Mach 3. Planned Effort: Easy. Pace in the end: 4:37.

    Anything to report: I miss lockdowns for the sake of quiet roads. That traffic noise is seriously annoying me. And people..they do annoy me too. But not as much as traffic!

    Other than that, the run itself went meh. Legs still a bit leggy. One could think I ran a marathon recently 😂. Glutes tired (to be expected). Felt like not moving at all. 30% of the run done on grass and gravel which didn’t really help. Too hard to soften the impact, too soft for not draining the legs. And the wind picking up didn’t help either.

    another easy run tomorrow before a session on Friday.


    Food log:

    Breakfast: 200ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 1 Apple, 1 Banana, 1 Teaspoon Chia Seeds, 2 Bixies Biscuits

    Lunch (includes any morning snack): 100gr (dry) Couscous, 50gr Raw Spinach, 140gr Tuna in Sunflower oil, 1 carrot

    Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 3 boiled eggs, 300gr (ish) mashed potatoes, 50gr (ish) lettuce, 10 corn cakes, 4 fish fingers, 60gr nuts

    Total per day:

    Calories: 2267

    Protein: 124gr

    Carbs: 281gr


    It’s always interesting/funny/a surprise/ a struggle to stick to a certain calorie intake but keep the carbs up (without eating sugar) and get protein down.

    Thankfully a bit more running Friday til Sunday. Which means being able to add a few more calories per day which makes it easier to get the carbs count up 🥳.

    Summary of the day: when **** hits the fan, he is covered in ****!



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Another day in paradise. Sleep is getting better, body starting to adapt again to nutrition change, energy starting to increase again (or further), weight starts to come down. That’s good.


    run: 12k planned, 12k done. Opted for the Clifton 6 today. Wanted some cushion under the feet this time around. Man what a nice feeling 😁. the advantage of running late in the day is that one does not eat much before and hence can eat more after 😁. Had more calories after the run than I had all day.


    Food log:

    Breakfast: 200ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 1 Apple, 500gr defrosted strawberries, 2 Bixies Biscuits

    Lunch (includes any morning snack): 100gr oats, 1 scoop phd diet whey, 1 banana, 1 apple, 2 Teaspoons Chia Seeds

    Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 100gr dry couscous, 200gr cooked pasta, 100gr iceberg salad, 50gr nuts

    Total per day:

    Calories: 2039

    Protein: 91gr

    Carbs: 346gr


    Summary of the day: If it isn't broken, you need to break it first to become the hero.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,236 ✭✭✭AuldManKing


    The food thing seems like hard work - I guess I'll just ever be semi-awesome.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    you dont need to worry about that stuff til you're a sub 2.40 guy 😉



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,236 ✭✭✭AuldManKing




  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    Note I said until - I have every faith in you......😉



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    @AuldManKing it is easier than it looks. And I am only doing it for a max of 2 weeks. After that you get a good feel for what you can and what you shouldnt. Plus counting calories takes away the joy of eating, which makes it easier of not over eating. I can honestly suggest this do anyone to do it at least once. Just to get a feel for what you need and to compare what you think you need and what you actually need to eat. First time I did that in 2018, i was surprised how little i really need to eat to still hit the numbers. Same time was shocked to see that even if you think you eat healthy, you dont even get near the calcium, vitamin, iron etc intake that you should as a runner. Realizing all that, made it easier for me to overcome some cramping issues which may or may not have been down to a shortage in certain minerals in the body.


    @Swashbuckler i started that when I was a 3:01 marathon runner and it had helped to break 2:50. That plus the training of course :D.

    run: todays session: 3*(3-2-1km) with 80sec between each rep. Paces: 3:45/3:30/3:20. Shoe: decided on x2. Changed the lacing and wanted to see the impact and also get a feel for faster pace in them. Have to admit been surprised by them. Going by reviews I expected them to be good at 50k pace, ok at half and struggle at 5k pace. Turns out they are great at 5k pace too. You just need to know how to work them 😁. With all the other hoka carbon shoes I used so far you got a push when changing to mid to toe strikes but the x2 seems to be great for heel strikers. Used mid to toe for the first 3k, felt ok but not fast. Changed to heel strike for everything else and felt like flying. I’m curious though how much faster I could go in other shoes that are more suitable for that distance. Will probably never find out 😂.


    other than that, session went well. Got hungry 5k in and not hungry anymore during warm down.

    weather a bit too warm. Would love for some colder spells to get adjusted to it for race day. And wind, i want more wind during training but not on race day!!!


    Food log:

    Breakfast: 200ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 1 Apple, 500gr defrosted strawberries, 2 Bixies Biscuits, 20gr Swiss Style Muesli (had a bit too much strawberry juice in it, so needed something to make it a bit chewable 😂)

    Lunch (includes any morning snack): No lunch today. No snach since breakfast. Wanted to do the session on an almost empty stomach.

    Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 2 rocky road bars (mummy meagz), 50gr nuts, 330gr carrots, 220gr pasta, 1 low fat yogurt, 1 egg, 18 corn cakes. This will be a struggle today as the family ordered Chinese and I won’t have any of that! Mind over stomach I think that’s called 😁

    Total per day:

    Calories: 2456

    Protein: 71gr

    Carbs: 362


    Summary of the day: Don't piss me off on a friday! Wait til Monday and I am calm. Do it on Fridays and I will tear you apart!



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    One of those days where you want to go out early but can’t really. Dog got me up at 7am, wooohoooo.. a lie in if only I would have fallen asleep quicker. Went to bed at 10:30pm but couldn’t sleep until about 2am. Thought I drank plenty during the day but turned out I needed a further 2 litres!!! Between 11-2am before the body was able to rest. Weird!!.

    up at 7am as said, walked the dog. Bit windy so the cutie didn’t want to go further than 200m to make her business and then go home again. Thanks for dragging me out of bed for a 5min walk! 🤦‍♂️ Little one awake too but still in bed with mammy for the Saturday morning cuddle. Which meant, I couldn’t go for a run as I needed to be on standby in case he wants to get up. 8:30am decided to Chance and get ready for a run and of course little one now deciding to get up. And since mammy wanted to continue her sleep (I wouldn’t dare challenging the morning dragon and go for a run anyways 😁) I am still stuck inside the house. Ah well….


    weirdly enough thought I would find it harder to keep a log but so far so good. It may not be informative or debative or simply ive but it keeps the mind occupied and focused on what’s important… nothing but enjoying life.

    plan for the day: 10k easy in the morning and evening (for those who are good at math i know that’s 20k in total but that doesn’t mean it has to be 20k in total! Sometimes 10+10= 21🙂).


    morning run: decided on a not so cushioned shoe (Mach 3). Don’t know why but for some reason I thought that was a smart move. Wasn’t at least not for the first 4K. Legs screamed at me for putting them through some unneeded effort. Fine after that. Also had a little reminder why I don’t like eating before a run. Let’s just say I was happy to stay close enough to home so I could barely avoid an accident! 🙄


    evening run: lesson learned from the morning run and opted for the Clifton 6. So soft, so much cushion, so nice. Not faster but more comfortable. Needed that.


    on top: between the runs, 4Km walk with the dog plus a further hour of shopping (hate shopping. Anyone else out there picturing the store and then preparing the shopping list in an order that you can basically walk through the store blindfolded picking up the items you need? Saves so much time. No running back and forth. Only annoying part is when the store decides to change the setup (because of shoppers like me) and you have to start your planning again 😁).


    Food log:

    Breakfast: 200ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 500gr defrosted green smoothie mix (Kale, spinach, pineapple and mango I think), 2 Bixies Biscuits.


    that was an interesting experience. Soaked spinach and kale for breakfast. Weird yet enjoyable. Then again wouldn’t want to have that every day.

    Lunch (includes any morning snack): 1 clementine, 1 pear, 120gr carrots, 1 yogurt, 1 kiwi, 1 banana

    Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 60gr nuts, homemade vegetable soup (broccoli, sweet potato, green peas, garlic (loads), red chilli pepper (homegrown) and some spice), 2 multi seed breadrolls

    Total per day:

    Calories: 2385

    Protein: 143gr

    Carbs: 295gr


    2 weeks to go!!!! Starting to question why I signed up for this. Why on earth did I decide to race a 50k?!?! 🤦‍♂️🤔🤦‍♂️


    Summary of the day: when the sun shines bright, it’s dark on the other side of earth!



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  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Well, Sunday. Family time is more important than running! That meant we decided last night to go to the zoo this morning. That meant 4K of walking before I could go for a long run. Last minute decision to go to donadea instead of staying “local”.


    plan was: 2hrs easy (4:25-4:35 on the road) and 10min @ current MP fitness effort (3:35).


    actual: I did the 2hrs at 4:31. Tried to go slower but felt as tough as sticking to that pace (I’m amazed how accurate the GPS signal was per lap. Wonky throughout but perfect overall) so just stuck to the pace. Wanted to stop after lap 1. Legs felt tired, mind felt tired, stomach felt empty (been almost 6hrs since and all I drank til then been 3 cups of coffee and 500ml of Coke Zero. No water etc during the run), dressed too warm (hat, gloves, 3 layers including thick jumper and rain coat underneath - protection from the cold wind that I expected to experience). Man I sweat like a pig after the first lap. That together with them showers got everything soaked. Weighted those 3 layers when home. Almost 2kg. 🤦‍♂️. Obviously didn’t stop at lap 1 but did lap 2 and 3 and debated if I should go on or call it a day. Felt worse and worse (legs and mind) and thought “coach won’t mind. It’s two weeks out. When abd session won’t make a difference). Started lap 4 and all of a sudden felt a bit better so kept going (stubbornness is one of my strengths/ weaknesses). Finished lap 5 and 7min to go til the 2hrs were over. I knew I didn’t have anything in pace in me today but still “awesomeness never comes cheap) so decided to just go on to lap 6 and give it a go.

    10min: I did try. Legs just couldn’t/didn’t want to. After 3min decided to just go for steady until the lap was done but then changed that too and stopped after 7min to have the 10min done at some pace but not pushing harder. Last k or so at easy pace then (felt slow yet faster than the 2hrs avg pace 🤔).

    All in all, roughly over 30k in total. I take that. Shoe: Mach 4.


    course itself: all in all 1.5-2k are tough. Inclines and/or soft ground. Need to remember for race day: go slower on those sections and make up time on the other 3k without really increased effort. Just wondering how soft the ground will be after all them runners went over it 5-7 times. Just hoping for a cold spell with no rain all of next week.

    Food log:

    Breakfast: 300ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 150gr branflakes, 1 Apple, 2 Clementines


    Lunch (includes any morning snack): homemade vegetable soup (broccoli, sweet potato, green peas, garlic (loads), red chilli pepper (homegrown) and some spice), 2 multi seed breadrolls, 1 slice of Brennan bread - had it after todays run. So at around 3:15pm

    Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 50gr nuts, 130gr carrots, 20 corn cakes,

    Total per day:

    Calories: 2331

    Protein: 127gr

    Carbs: 310gr (need to find a bit more just not how and where as full after all those corn cakes. I might just add a Guinness zero or two 😁)


    The family is really supportive this weekend!!! Takeaway on Friday, chicken today for lunch, pizza and pastries this evening. 😡


    Summary of the day: Gorillas have big butts!



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