Dream big, work hard, achieve your goals - My DCM '19 Journey

Yep I agree with the lads in their comparison, the speeds are great for the faster stuff & I had originally bought the speed carbon plated runner for my marathon but didn't find too much difference at all between them & the speeds. I then tried the Asics and well they never fit properly & I just didn't really like them. After a saga of sending them back etc I tried the NB V2 & loved them from the minute I put them on. I can feel a difference between them & the TCs, they feel supportive, airy, cushiony but not overly soft! To me they are just right. Wore them for the half in Antrim & then Manchester, would definitely say I'm a huge fan of NB now.

Mon 25th - WU, 5*400, 7*200, CD

Weds 27th - WU, 4*1k, CD

Fri 29th - WU, 4*1K, CD

Sun 31st - WU, 5mile moderate with surges, CD (and a slight hangover from my daughters 21st fancy dress birthday party)

Tues 2nd Nov - WU, 5*1K@2K HR, CD

Weds 3rd - WU, 5*400, 7*200, CD

Thurs 4th - WU, 5*1k, CD

Sat 6th - WU, 5*1K, CD

Sun 7th - WU, 4*2K, CD

Back to building myself back up over the last 2 weeks. My leg didn't feel great after last Sundays run, was fine on it but was limping a bit after. It was decided it would be best to rest on Monday & see how it was. Couldn't explain exactly what it was but I felt ok to run Tues but did these at the 2k HR. It feels a lot better now thank god as I was genuinely almost crying at the thoughts of not running! I will continue to build myself back up over the next few weeks with a few races thrown in for good measure😉

Having the 2 weeks off running completely was very much needed. I let my body & mind rest, it was tough at times but only when I stopped & reflected I realized how much I was in autopilot. I missed running but as I got back into it I realized how easy it was to fall into the trap of just wanting to sit on the couch watching tv rather than heading out for a run. It was really only after I thought I might not be able to run that I actually knew I needed to adjust my mindset & that consistent running was going to be key!

I also thought a bit about the marathon. Still happy with my performance, I thought back to my training & after a debrief with S he confirmed what I was thinking. I went into this with my goal A time & I do believe it was achievable based on lots of things. I was a few weeks into my training when my dad died & those 4 weeks after should have been when I peaked. Although I ran every day my mind just wasn't in it a lot of the time, in fact a lot of it is a bit of a blur but I would not admit that I may not be able to run the race I wanted to. After my session on the 19th of August, not being able to do the 13miles @7:30ish I just knew it wasn't going to happen for me & it did throw me a bit but in the grand scheme of what I was going through I put a bit of perspective on it but again I didn't want to admit that maybe my training should be adjusted. Thankfully for me S knew this is what had to happen & that's exactly what he did, he softened it around the edges without telling me but deep down I kinda knew. He knows how stubborn I am & how I was in a state of just because I'm grieving doesn't mean I can't follow a plan. I am very grateful to him for this as it actually made the marathon enjoyable for me knowing I didn't need to push myself to that A goal time. My running means so much to me & has helped me so much over the past 3 months & having a mentor that does have my best interests at heart makes all the difference, PB's are amazing & such a buzz but really all I want is to try stay injury free & always have running in my life😃

So what's in store for me? Well my bank balance certainly didn't thank me but I booked a few races, these are just to get back into feeling the race buzz & trying to gain more experience. My goal race is Bohermeen & hopefully the weather is a lot better than when I did it in 2019!

Tallaght 5k - 14th Nov - Was postponed a few times during Covid lockdowns.

Jingle Bells - 4th Dec

Raheny - 30th Jan

Trim 10mile - 6th Feb

Bohermeen - 13th March - Goal race!

These should keep me busy for a while😂

Ok maybe a slight exaggeration🤷‍♀️ but it wouldn't be me if there wasn't some drama😉

Yes I agree & the purpose will be to feel the buzz! I will bring a packed lunch to each race, a flask of tea, sandwiches & home made cakes😜

Haha nope I couldn't wait to register! You should defo get that log back up & running, we could use some more life around here😁

Yeah feels good J, doing what I love!! That was a very random last minute route I put together on Sunday! Can't beat running in the park on mornings like it😊

Cheers D, hope all is well with you! Looks like there will be a good few from Boards at these races, be nice to meet up before or after if possible...@Lambay island I think you said you were good at baking🤔😉

Mon 8th - Rest

Tues 9th - WU, 5*1K & 3 strides, CD

Weds 10th - WU, 15*200, CD

Thurs 11th - WU, 5*1k & 3 strides, CD

Fri 12th - WU, 8*V. easy 400, CD

Sat 13th - Rest

Sun 14th - Race

Tallaght 5k - Chip time 20:53

This was booked so long ago & the date changes a few times but because of restrictions etc it never happened. Got an email a few weeks ago to say it was going ahead, there was an offer of a refund but I decided to race it just to gauge where I was as I had booked Jingle Bells which is only 3 weeks away. Went out for food & a couple of drinks last night but was home at a very respectable hour😇

Had all my gear laid out & as the race was only down the road I stayed in bed till 8. Had a slice of toast & Jam & off I went. Parked up on a path near the collage as all the spaces in the school & clubhouse were gone. It was a lovely morning so went with my navy & orange speedy shorts & matching top, my Endorphin Pros (which are still so white😁) were my runners of choice this morning. I knew I wasn't in PB shape but I wasn't really too sure where I was at, I didn't know how exactly I would deal with the 5k pain again. I had decided to go out cautiously at about 4:10/15 for the 1st 2 kms then see where I was at. Had spoken to @scotindublin at the start, he was going hell for leather, going out hard & seeing how he hung on...I wished him all the best. Then I met @Lazare too, we chatted & headed up to the start line, he also had a PB in his plan, listening to the 2 lads I thought maybe I should go for a PB but knew I'd blow up & that I just wasn't in the place to! The gun went & we were off, we wished each other the best of luck.

The 1st 2kms felt good, didn't stick to my plan really of the 4:10/15 pace. The more I thought about the course I thought I might need it a bit later as Tymon road can be quite a drag. I was in with a small group for the 1st 2 kms, tucked in behind & was happy with the effort & pace. As we came down the straight road at Tymon park I picked up the pace a small bit & dropped away from the group. A man came up behind me at this stage & we ran together for the guts of a km. He then slowed down a bit & I was running alone for a bit. I felt good, defo no regrets of going at the pace I did.

3 & 4km felt tough. This is where the pain set in. The drag felt steep, my time just kept getting slower, at one stage I seen 4:30😲 I could feel my breathing becoming labored too & everyone else's around me. I needed someone to shout at me right now, c'mon Elaine, run, you can do it, the pain will be gone soon is what I kept telling myself. I wanted to push on more here but I was afraid to as well, I didn't want to stop & was kinda in the mind frame that I might stop if it really became unbearable so I kept it at a pain level I could deal with. Today was not the day for heroics on so many levels. So I just kept pushing on. Thankfully I managed to push the pace a bit for the last km, was so happy to see the entrance to the clubhouse as I knew the end was near!

Ran onto the track & it was so nice. The bounce was lovely, had decided I wasn't going to proper push it until I had reached the bend, got there & gave it one last surge to finish in a gun time of 21:02, chip time 20:53. Happy with that, I enjoyed the whole race experience & it's gonna take a bit of time getting used to racing again but i'm loving being back at them. Had a lovely chat with @djemba djemba too before collecting my medal & heading for a cool down with @Lazare. Well done to the lads on their very impressive performances😊

Happy with how today went, just need to get my pacing a bit better timed but I'm sure with more practice that will come to me. As a bit of a chatter box(you'd never guess it😜) I really enjoyed being back with people again, chatting to fellow boardsies & other people I knew from the area & from other races.

Looking forward to Jingle Bells now, have the Elf outfit all ready to go🎅🎄😁

Miles for the week - 41.2

Miles for the year - 2,036.8