A motivation for the year

irelandrover

So i plan to start a log here to improve my motivation. Started running in April last year. Had been only playing soccer up until that point but in April last year i decided i couldnt wait for it to start up anymore so took to the running.

Managed to get some decent enough time. Started with a 17minute 3km on my first run and was gassed completely. First 5km was ran a few weeks later in a time of 26 minutes. A week after that i managed a 10km in 57 minutes and was quite proud of that. Managed to run a half marathon in 2 hours 15 min in July but that was out of stubborness and broke me, i wasnt ready for that distance.

I was ticking a long nicely and ran my first offficial 10km in October in a time of 47 minutes. Then broke my ankle in November. Im only starting to get back into it now but have signed up for a few races just to motivate myself.

Entered a 12k last week and it went OK, running a HM in Kilkee in July, a 28km in September and the main target of the year is the Eindhoven marathon in October.

Training plan for the half marathon starts next month so looking forward to seeing how i can go in my first official Half.

marathon2022

Good luck with your training and especially your first marathon block(and half first), there are some great threads on Marathon training and I would highly recomment any of the mentored dublin city marathon ones for copiuos amounts of tips and tricks and experience to soak up and keep motivated.

Laineyfrecks

Welcome to the training logs! Half the battle is motivation & having a log will hopefully help with that. There are a lot of really good training logs to follow here & get tips from, this community is great for giving advice & support if needed. I did my 1st marathon in 2019 with the help of this thread https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057978706/dcm-2019-mentored-novices-thread/p1

Very best of luck with your training.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118989058#Comment_118989058

My first one too, a fantastic place to start Irishrover

irelandrover

Thanks for the comments.

First week of training done. Im just following the plan on strava and use the mcmillian running coach for the training paces.

Monday: easy run of 6.3km

Tuesday: rest day

Wednesday: cruise interval 6x1km with 2 minute recovery run

Thursday: rest day

Friday: easy run of 5.5km

Saturday: Long run of 15km

Sunday: rest day

Happy enough with the first week. first time ive ever had to pace myself slowly so fouund that tough. Also had 2 sicks kids on the friday night so not a lot of sleep was had before the long run.

Anyway, week 1 down. Onwards and upwards.

irelandrover

Second week of training done. Im just following the plan on strava and use the mcmillian running coach for the training paces.

Monday: easy run of 9.1km

Tuesday: rest day

Wednesday: tempo intervals, should have been 2x3km with 4 minute recovery run, due to heat i made it a 2x2km with 3 minute recovery, with a warm up and cool down.

Thursday: rest day

Friday: easy run of 10km

Saturday: Long run of 18km

Sunday: rest day

Total distance this week 42km, up from 34km the previous week. Training going well so far.

irelandrover

Third week of training done.

Monday: easy run of 9.9km

Tuesday: easy run of 5.7km

Wednesday: progression run, 10.2km

Thursday: rest day

Friday: Long run of 23.3km

Saturday: Rest day

Sunday: rest day

Total distance this week 49km, up from 42km the previous week. Training going well so far. I had some minor surgery on Friday afternoon so will not be able to run for the next week.

irelandrover

So a disaster of a few weeks.

Initially the minor surgery kept me out for 2 weeks instead of 1.

then we were on vacation where i managed to get in 2 5km runs.

So then into week 7 of my training plan after essentially losing 3 weeks.

wednesday : easy run pace of 7.72km where i really really struggled. Tested that evening and i had covid. Out the rest of the week

Into week 8

Tuesday: 7km run where i still realy really struggled

Friday: finally back into it with a fastish run of 11km.

My wife is away for the weekend so alone with 2 small kids will mean no running.

Revising my targets for the half marathon at the start of july and will use it more as a training run.

Entered another half at the end of July instead as i should have a few weeks of training behind me at that stage.

irelandrover

So my first half is done. Ran the Kilkee half marathon on the 9th July. Did a few short slow runs on the week of the run.

After the interrupted training I had a goal of 2 hours in my mind and would have been happy with that.

Ran the half with a time of 1h46min so absolutely delighted with that. Have taken last week off and will start my training again. Next run is the half marathon In Rotterdam on the 31st July.

irelandrover

So another week done.

Tuesday:5km

Thursday: 8km

Saturday: 10km

Sunday: 10km

I have a question, i am back working in the office now so finding the time to run is difficult. On days when I need to do an easy 10km, is it possible to split it into 2 5km runs? That way i could just make my commute my runs for the day.

Kellygirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119384174#Comment_119384174

I’d imagine you wouldn’t get the same stimulus from it split into 2 runs but how about doing that and increasing one of your other runs by a couple of kilometres too? Is that feasible?

Murph_D

Or just extend that commute run to 10k. If you can figure out the logistics of commuting into and out of work on different days (I always found it difficult, so much organisation of clothes, backpacks etc.)

Well done on that 1:46 Half. Very nice. How did it feel? That's what gives you the best feedback on your training.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119384502#Comment_119384502

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119391791#Comment_119391791

Thanks for the reactions. I think a 5km on the way to work and stretch it to 8km on the way home is about the best i can do. I cant go in and out on different days due to the days i'm in the office.

The 1:46 felt great. Mainly as i didnt expect it at all.

irelandrover

So my marathon training plan started this week for the Eindhoven marathon in October.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 7km fartlek run

Wednesday: 10km easy run

Thursday: 5km fartlek run

Friday rest: rest

Saturday: 3km easy run

Sunday: Rotterdam half marthon. Slower time this time with a 1:53 but i used the second half of the race to try get some marathon pacing in a race condition.

Happy with the week overall with 46km done in total and really see the training starting to ramp up now.

irelandrover

Another week down

Monday: rest

tuesday: 12km recovery run

Wednesday: 8km run

Thursday: should have had an interval run here, but felt discomfort in my knee so decided to give it a rest

Friday: Rest

Saturday: rest

Sunday: 15.7km progression run. Very happy with how the progression run went. definitely had the gas for the fast last 10 minutes and could have kept going.

I can notice that the running is getting easier. I can keep the pacing easier and im not completely done at the end of a run. heading into a recovery week next week which is good after the discomfort in my knee.

irelandrover

Havent updated this in a while. But at least i kept running.

Week 32: Tuesday 6km fartlk run, thursday cut short my tempo run as it was 34degrees and i was melting, sunday 24km - heat had dropped but 95% humditiy made this tough (41.3km total)

Week 33: tuesday 16km run, wednesday 9km run, sunday 27km long run (52km total)

Week 34: tuesday 6.8km, wednesday 8,8 km, thursday 5km tempo run where i broke my PB, saturday 21km progression run. (42km total)

Happy with how the training is going. The 2 weeks with very high temp and humidity were very tough but at least the marathon itself will be in easier conditions.

irelandrover

So haven't updated in a while but i kept training more or less. I had shin pains so took a week off at week 8 of my training plan. Was gone when i went back running so i feel it was the right decision.

Ran the marathon last week in Eindhoven. A friend of mine with the same goals and training ran one the previous week. Based on his 4:30 i completely reevaluated my goal of 4 hours.

It went better than i expected. Spilts were 5km-27:19, 10km - 55:17, 15km 1:23:44, 21.1 - 1:57:56, 30km - 2:48:15 so on for a 4 hours. Then i ran head first into the wall at 34km and limped home in 4:03:01.

I was thrilled in the end to be honest. Close enough to the 4 hour mark to be happy and a lot faster than i expected when standing on the start line. Not sure i'll be doing another as the training just wasnt that enjoyable. I enjoy the runs for a half marathon and got the same buzz from the race itself but feel really good to have finished my first marathon faster than expected.

irelandrover

So I've managed a few runs a week since the marathon but really felt i needed a break. There'll be no more races before the end of the year so I think a few runs a week just to keep the legs warm.

I had a few targets in mind at the start of the year.

Marathon: 4hour

Half: 1h50 min

10Km: 45 minutes

5km: 22min

I felt these were achievable results for the year, it went as follows

Marathon: 4h03m01sec

Half: 1h45m52sec

10Km: 45m12s

5km: 22m03s

I got pretty close to all my targets. I feel if i pushed a little over the next few weeks i could make the 5km and 10km times easily enough as they both came in the middle of marathon training and a bit of speed work over the next month would get me over that line.

However i feel that a break is more beneficial for me, take a few easy runs a week and head into next year fresh and raring to go again. I have signed up for the half marathon in limerick next year so that will be the first target, to break the 1h45min.

Thanks to those that read this year, having the thread helped. Also reading the other training logs also helps as i see others going through the same struggles.

Laineyfrecks

Well done on your marathon time & for hitting your targets so closely. I am a firm believer of consistency so even if there's no races, miles on your feet will benefit you so much.

Best of luck with your future goals but for now just keep running.

babacool

im a firm believer of taking at least 2 weeks off after a marathon at hard effort. Body needs to recover and mind to sharpen again. Every time I didn’t do that I paid for it later on when feeling tired and no longer motivated.

hence no harm in just relaxing now and then start again. 🙂

and well done on your marathon. I’d say with a 1:45 for the half, a 3:45 for the full should be well on for you if you keep the training up. A nice target to have for 2023!

irelandrover

So I've been training away since the end of January and am running the great limerick run this weekend for the half marathon.

I've set myself some goals for this year:

5km: 20 minutes

10km; 42 minutes

half marathon 1:43:00

There's no marathon on the planning this year. I have two small kids and i can't subject my wife to marathon training again. I'm also back working in the office so getting out for runs during the day is not as easy anymore.

I'm signed up to 2 halfs this year, on on Sunday and one in June, after that i will switch focus to the 5km and 10km timings.

Murph_D

Well, your half target should be the easiest - 1:33-1:35 would line up better with the other two. Good luck!

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120523406#Comment_120523406

Thanks. To be honest I felt that the half was the realistic target. Fastest 5km previously was 22 minutes and fastest 10km was 45:30 so the targets above are very optimistic.

Limerick run went great this weekend. Time was 1:39:29 so way ahead of the target.