Awesomeness never comes cheap…!

babacool · 21-01-2022 8:30pm #1

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:

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

Murph_D · 21-01-2022 8:37pm

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?

babacool · 21-01-2022 8:38pm

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.

babacool · 21-01-2022 8:52pm

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 🙂

OOnegative · 21-01-2022 9:26pm

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……..

babacool · 21-01-2022 11:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118514722#Comment_118514722

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.

Swashbuckler · 21-01-2022 11:46pm

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.

skyblue46 · 22-01-2022 12:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118515572#Comment_118515572

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

jebuz · 22-01-2022 8:30am

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.

babacool · 22-01-2022 11:17am

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!

babacool · 22-01-2022 11:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516069#Comment_118516069

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.

jebuz · 22-01-2022 1:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516542#Comment_118516542

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.

babacool · 22-01-2022 2:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516841#Comment_118516841

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 😁

babacool · 23-01-2022 9:39am

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!

Swashbuckler · 23-01-2022 10:46am

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..............

babacool · 23-01-2022 12:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118520417#Comment_118520417

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.

Wottle · 23-01-2022 12:45pm

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.

babacool · 23-01-2022 1:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118520761#Comment_118520761

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 😂

babacool · 24-01-2022 7:07pm

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!

babacool · 25-01-2022 4:15pm

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!

Swashbuckler · 25-01-2022 5:50pm

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

babacool · 25-01-2022 6:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118532006#Comment_118532006

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

no alcohol at all at least 6 weeks out (dry since April so no issue this time around)
no cookies, chocolate etc 6 weeks before a big race (marathon). Overloaded during Xmas hence sick of it anyways 😂
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) 😁

babacool · 26-01-2022 7:54pm

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 ****!

babacool · 27-01-2022 8:19pm

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.

AuldManKing · 28-01-2022 9:08am

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

Swashbuckler · 28-01-2022 10:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118543927#Comment_118543927

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

AuldManKing · 28-01-2022 11:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118544363#Comment_118544363

I dont know if thats an insult or not :)

Swashbuckler · 28-01-2022 1:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118544871#Comment_118544871

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

babacool · 28-01-2022 4:56pm

@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!

babacool · 29-01-2022 5:45pm

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!

babacool · 30-01-2022 6:09pm

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!

squinn2912 · 30-01-2022 11:06pm

It’s too late at night to try to think in kms!!

Love this log but I had some cake earlier and I feel like scum now. You’re already awesome but looking… wow Armagh on the tv now!! Shhh

Murph_D · 30-01-2022 11:31pm

Donadea is a small race. The ground won’t be noticeably softened by the runners. And definitely don’t rely on gps - clock at end of each lap is the best bet, I reckon.

babacool · 31-01-2022 8:01am

@squinn2912 haha... that's how I feel when you guys post in Miles. Hope you enjoyed the cake! I will enjoy all of that in about 11 days time again.

@Murph_D lets see. 200 runners, 5 laps in means 2000 feet crossed the path. Add some rain and you have a muddy ground :D. Wont be going by GPS on the day! Have 4 spots on the lap where I am going to measure my pace by. Did similar on a TT there in 2020 and worked out well enough. So hopefully it will be fine on the 12th as well.

Murph_D · 31-01-2022 8:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118557863#Comment_118557863

Don't forget you will be at the front of that group of runners and will probably lap about twenty or them at least once, and many of them two or three times. That's a lot of subtractions, and it's a firm gravel path for most of the route, unless it's deteriorated a lot since the last one. Anyway best of luck.

squinn2912 · 31-01-2022 9:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118557863#Comment_118557863

Aye I’m an old school Luddite I must admit! I suppose it’s partly due to the speed limits being in MPH here in The Sudetenland as well. Aw I did! That will all have to go by March - Lent might come at a good time for a sinner like me. Hope your cake is to celebrate a new PB💪🏻

babacool · 31-01-2022 4:51pm

Right, taper time...wooohoooo.... :D. My wife after todays run "what time are you heading out this evening?" - I am like "2nd run my butt. it's taper week 1. I ain't going for no 2nd run!". She didn't really believe it. Showed her the plan for the week. 60-70km instead of 140-160km. Her next question "what are you going to do with all that time???". Guess someone will soon get some house chores handed over.

Todays run: 12k on the plan, 11.xx done. Couldn't be bothered going for 12. its one of those things. Until taper, I always add more. The moment i hit taper, I don't want to even do the distance that's on the plan. Legs heavy, right knee a bit sore but nothing to be worried about at this stage. Think that's normal after yesterday. Opted for the clifton 6 to have plenty of cushion, smart choice!!!

Food log:

Breakfast: 300ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 2 Bixies, 100gr white grapes, 2 Clementines

Lunch (includes any morning snack): 120gr Couscous, 200gr defrosted blueberries

Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 100gr defrosted prawns, 200gr iceberg salad, 100gr raw spinach, 20 corn cake, 100gr grapes, 60gr nuts

Total per day:

Calories: 1811 (will find additional 150 somewhere I’m sure)

Protein: 80gr

Carbs: 286gr

Weight:

31.01.2022 (8am): 72.3KG

Summary of the day: The higher you jump, the bigger your impact on the world!

babacool · 01-02-2022 6:13pm

Rest day aka "what am I going to do to keep the step count up" day. All it takes is a dog and the willingness to walk (in this case the willingness of the dog not mine. she is a lazy b...). 2000 steps during the morning walk is all we managed. she is just too lazy especially when its rainy, windy, sunny, snowy, breezy, foggy, darky etc. so basically when you can add a "y" to it she doesnt like it and prefers sitting on the couch :D. A proper child i would say!

Lunch time = walk time. Dragged the dog out again. She was a bit happier but not too much. Was happy enough to be back home. Same loop so another 2000 steps added. Think at this stage its fair to say that I wont be reaching 18k steps today :D.

evening: 3rd time lucky, right?! My butt 😂. Got she refused to go on a walk. Had to “chase” her around the house to put the lead on. Man she wasn’t impressed at all. That misty rain isn’t to her liking at all. Still 2.5k walk done. I might even get to 9k steps today wooo hoho. Thankfully I can run tomorrow! 🤗

Food log:

Breakfast: 300ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 2 Bixies, 250gr defrosted blueberries, 2 Clementines

Lunch (includes any morning snack): 120gr cooked pasta (or a bit more but not much), 50gr prawns, 100g iceberg salad, 40g spinach

Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 350gr carrots, 300gr kidney beans, 1 apple, 2 kiwi, 2 clementines, 1 bread roll, 60gr nuts

Total per day:

Calories: 1780

Protein: 80gr

Carbs: 280gr

Weight:

31.01.2022 (8:00am): 72.3Kg

01.02.2022 (8:30am): 72.2Kg

Summary of the day: when you don’t run you realise how banana the world has become!

babacool · 02-02-2022 4:54pm

Interesting observation. Unable to fall asleep last few nights. Always went to bed tired but the moment I put my head on the pillow I’m wide awake and can’t sleep until very late (last few nights it took me roughly 2hrs to fall asleep then). However, last 2 nights I tried putting my head up. Not on a Standard pillow but those wedge pillows. Few minutes later and I’m asleep. Anyone any idea what the methodology is behind that? As a note I have slept on that cushion for about a year now. For some reason it had helped with restless legs. Stopped over Christmas as I was ok falling asleep and no issues with legs. But now it’s all back again since the running volume dropped. Weird?! 🤔 @E.coli any chance I can pick your brain on that? 😁

Think i am close to entering phase 2 of taper: The Doubt Zone!

Session today was 10k @ 3:40 (5:54 per mile). Sure I managed the pace and breathing was fine but head and legs were like "leave me da f alone". Not in the mood. Nothing in the legs. Felt like it is the hardest thing to do to run that pace. Same time its only 8 seconds faster than planned race pace and the doubts starting to appear: "How am I supposed to hold that pace over 5 times todays distance?????".

Let's see how long it will take to enter phase 3: "I don't give a damn zone!" 😁

for some reason, body feels in bits 3 hours later. The usual, the body is starting to heal and recover but it feels like injuries, niggles etc. the human body is just weird.

Food log:

Breakfast: 200ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 2 Bixies, 1 Banana, 1 Pear, 2 Clementines

Lunch (includes any morning snack): 120gr craw oats, 500gr defrosted raspberries, 1 scoop diet whey

Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 300gr kidney beans, 100gr iceberg salad, 200gr carrots, 100gr dry couscous, 60gr nuts

Total per day:

Calories: 2248

Protein: 104

Carbs: 335

Weight:

31.01.2022 (8:00am): 72.3Kg

01.02.2022 (8:30am): 72.2Kg

02.02.2022 (08:30am): 72.4Kg

Summary of the day: Lazy people don't do much but get further in life! Go further being lazy!

E.coli · 02-02-2022 5:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118571810#Comment_118571810

Probably a bit out of my league but don't suppose you have Scoliosis or any previous back issues? Normally I would say perfectly normal to be a bit restless if the taper has been dramatic enough but tied with the Restless leg syndrome sounds like it might be some nerve dysfunction that the pillow was correcting by aligning the spine.

That is just a ballpark into potential causes but the parasympathetic nervous system can play all types of tricks especially in early stages of a taper

babacool · 02-02-2022 6:08pm

🤔 I did have some back issues back in 2019 I think, after doing yogalates or whatever that was called. Overstretched/bend the lower back. No injury as such though.

i also get extremely stiff lower backs when being on a bus for the first time in a while, now that you mention that. Usually takes a few days to clear up (especially painful first few k when on a run).

physio to look at some point I suppose?!

babacool · 03-02-2022 8:32pm

A way to overcome doubts = look at past races that are similar enough to your upcoming race. Did that last night as (as usual) doubts are growing that the race will go well. Looked at the TT I did in September 2020. 5 laps around the course (so a bit less than half the proper race distance). Managed to complete that in 1:32hrs. On my own, 1 btl of water on me (500ml), heavier than right now, no rest day in the build up, no proper taper, in a shoe that wasn't my favourite (carbon x1). Still from what I remember I could have done 1 or even 2 more laps at roughly 19min per lap. Would have gotten me to a nice 2:10hrs for 34.6km or better said 59min for the remaining 3 laps and a bit. Doesn't sound too bad right? Should give me confidence for the race, right? For some reason it doesn't! In short: a runners mind is a weird thing :D. Think it's time for race week and just wanting to get it done and not caring about time, position etc. Just get it done, cross it of the list and get on with life!

Run: 8k easy. Very easy! So easy I partially stopped running (ok that was the wind). Funny how this week feels like never ending. An 8k run where I thought after 2k “what a further 6 to go?”. A week with a max of 63km when only 2 weeks ago I did 170km. Surprised me every time.

Food log:

Breakfast: 300ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 2 Bixies, 1 Banana, 1 Pear, 1 Clementines

Lunch (includes any morning snack): 2 low fat split pot yogurt, 50gr branflakes

Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 60gr nuts, celery/tuna/ kidney beans salad

Total per day:

Calories: 1780

Protein: 83

Carbs: 203

Weight:

31.01.2022 (8:00am): 72.3Kg

01.02.2022 (8:30am): 72.2Kg

02.02.2022 (08:30am): 72.4Kg

03.02.2022 (7:30am): 71.8Kg

Summary of the day: To lift your spirit, lower your expectations!

Swashbuckler · 03-02-2022 8:59pm

You're always a solid racer. I get why you're having doubts but you always race well. When the crunch comes you deliver.....keep the faith.

babacool · 03-02-2022 9:15pm

Ah… I have faith. This is more like putting down what goes on the head before it drives you mad 😁 and to show those reading this “it is normal. You are not alone!”. Marathon racing is definitely a different mindset than half marathon and less. You get way more doubts as soon as taper starts since you can’t (well maybe shouldn’t is the better word) just wait a week or two and do another one if it went badly 😁

squinn2912 · 03-02-2022 10:31pm

I love your style of just coming out with what youre thinking and feeling. Like therapy done right! Once it’s written down then that’s part of getting rid of it! All part of the process of getting to the start line (and the finish line) in the right way to perform!

babacool · 04-02-2022 7:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118578990#Comment_118578990

Thanks I guess 😁 it’s not even everything that goes on in my head. Every time I open the thread to write the daily update it starts with the Star Trek theme song and then

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of Mr Awesome. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new distances. To seek out new challenges. To boldly go where no runner has gone before!” 😁

squinn2912 · 04-02-2022 7:48am

😂😂

love it!! Your very own epic!! For me it’s usually Rocky or else the line in Michael Collins… “what’ll give in first the body or the lash?”

babacool · 04-02-2022 4:16pm

We are writing the year... nah only messing. One cannot write a year. "year" is just a word. I was always (well since I can remember... think it started when I was 10 or so) wondered why people celebrate new years eve. As if life was just a game and every "year" it resets. So in other words (if i get this correct: 365 days per year, 2021 years since that one important incident plus January 2022 and 4 days in Feb 2022) we are writing the day 737700:

Got up this morning and the little one went straight to the couch, turned on the TV (youtube) and watched the evolution of King Kong (amongst some other weird stuff that kids watch nowadays. Wonder where the good old days are when kids watch Pokemon or Spider-Man etc). Started of ok and reasonable. A big sized monkey. Sure why not. Can happen. Add a bit too much protein powder and some steriods and it could probably happen. But then it jumped to the final version from King Kong vs God-the almighty-zilla. An ape like 10 times the size of all the other versions and a weight of 80-90000 tonnes!!!! And guess what...my first reaction wasn't "man that's is unrealistic shite..." no, my first reaction was "man, imagine i would be that tall. Sure i could cover the 50k distance within seconds but then again where would I get my runners from? Which company would manage providing a shoe that can handle my then big feet and my slightly heavier weight????" 😁 ... i suppose that's called priorities!

Today's run: put on the Clifton 6 (btw did I ever mention that they are white? Like really white! And I use them for running on dirty, muddy, wetty roads 😂. They ain’t white for much longer, that’s for sure) and went out not looking at the watch. 500m in I was like “man that is exhausting and I don’t even run fast” (it really did feel slow) so I looked at the watch and pace was 4:25 per k (7:06 per mile). So legs felt fine and wanted to run by feel, everything else was fine and wanted to run by pace. Think I did well by doing the 10k in 48min overall 😁. And yes, you can still tell the shoes are white but turning grey soon.

Food log:

Breakfast: 100ml Almond Milk (no sugar), 1 scoop phd diet whey, 2 Bixies, 500gr defrosted strawberries, 25gr branflakes

Lunch (includes any morning snack):

nothing. Busy at work. Forgot to take a break. Then put on shoes to get out at 2:15pm. Finished run, shower, back at desk before picking up the little one from after school. No time at all for eating. Well, good thing: I can have more for dinner 😁

Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 60gr nuts, 500gr defrosted strawberries, 1 scoop diet whey, 100gr oats, 20 corn cakes, 2 clementines, 1 pear, 200gr carrots

Total per day:

Calories: 2075

Protein: 90

Carbs: 306

Weight:

31.01.2022 (8:00am): 72.3Kg

01.02.2022 (8:30am): 72.2Kg

02.02.2022 (08:30am): 72.4Kg

03.02.2022 (7:30am): 71.8Kg

04.02.2022 (8:30am): 71.8Kg

Summary of the day: The journey ends, when the journey starts!

babacool · 05-02-2022 5:31pm

Right. Almost there. Rest day today which meant not having to get up in the morning and waiting for 2hrs until I can go for a run. 😁 dog wanted to go out at 6:30. Said “screw you” and opened the back door. She went for a wee and back inside falling asleep. As said before she hates those weather conditions so didn’t mind having to wait until 9am for a proper walk to make the big business. Had a nice 4K walk with her then during the morning just to keep the legs moving. Felt so light and bouncy with every step. Nice feeling to finally meet legs that don’t suffer from fatigue.

shopping after the walk, little nap and then rugby. Finally a real sport again. Not this football shite. Don’t get me wrong I like watching a good game of football but lately (a few years now) there is non. Last one I really enjoyed: Netherlands vs Portugal in 2004. What a boxing match. That was great to watch. 😁

further 3.5k walk after the match. Soaked after. Got death wishes from the dog every time some gusts had blown rain in her face 😂. So much fun but hey a runner during taper who isn’t allowed to run needs to walk. Keeps the legs entertained without putting any stress on the body.

last day of calorie counting. Woooo hooo. Next three days it’s just being mindful of the intake (know by now what I can and shouldn’t eat) and then it’s carb loading until Friday morning. Nice…. Just need to continue watching the weight. Ideally I will be at 72-73kg on the day (well an elite marathon runner would weight 68kg at my height. Not gonna happen! Not gonna starve myself to death!!!!).

In phase 3 now (not sure if there ever was a phase 4). Earlier than expected. Usually happens 2-3 days out for me. Never a full week. Don’t really care anymore how it will go. Or how the conditions will be like (why would I? Same for everyone. Not like some other sports where one could have an advantage over others by stacked starts). Right now I just want this to be over. Enjoy it to the extent one can enjoy suffering. Oh and looking forward to clear the Xmas leftovers. So much chocolate left. Turns out no one touches them at all but the moment I will eat it, it will be like “who ate the chocolate? Why? I wanted them!” 🤦‍♂️ Well tough. You had your chance. All mine after next Saturday!

Food log:

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

Lunch (includes any morning snack): 350gr defrosted berry mix, 1 banana, 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 phd protein bar (on sale in H&b - couldn’t resist buying it 😁)

Dinner (includes any afternoon and evening snack): 60gr nuts, 300gr kidney beans, 2 eggs, 100gr sweet potato

Total per day:

Calories: 1809

Protein: 86

Carbs: 219

Weight:

31.01.2022 (8:00am): 72.3Kg

01.02.2022 (8:30am): 72.2Kg

02.02.2022 (08:30am): 72.4Kg

03.02.2022 (7:30am): 71.8Kg

04.02.2022 (8:30am): 71.8Kg

05.02.2022 (8:30am): 73.0Kg

Summary of the day: Weight is relative. It’s just another way of justifying a run.

babacool · 06-02-2022 6:38pm

I love a good debate. It isn’t about being right or wrong but being able to challenge themselves and others. To see how far one can push boundaries. How much one is able to explore new ideas, views, opinions. How open one is to other views or stubborn in general as in “I’m right. He is wrong and I don’t even try to understand his point of view!”. How quickly one can find an alternative answer, being able to adapt his own thinking and so on.

translates into running to me it shows if i am able to handle training or not. If I’m able to push through the pain in a race or not. If I avoid a good, honest debate just because it is uncomfortable, I will most likely step away from certain sessions as they seem to “uncomfortable”. And if I’m not able to hear my opponent and at least try to understand his view of things (not saying to acknowledge he is right or wrong) I might not be able to push through the race as I’m too stubborn to stick to the original race plan even if I realise i might not be able to hold on to it. To me during a marathon (and sometimes even a half) I undergo those debates all the time. Not with others but with myself. My legs vs my brain. My brain vs my breathing. My brain vs my brain etc. all of those parties have good points and valuable facts and in the end neither is wrong. So surely if one isn’t wrong he must be right, correct? Unfortunately that isn’t always the case! The brain isn’t wrong in saying “I’m done!” When you are mentally fatigued. That doesn’t mean it isn’t right though. Yes, the brain might be done at that point but only because it can’t think beyond the pain. It just needs to open up and see what the legs say and why they want to keep moving. It is a tough battle and doesn’t matter if you run for 2:30hrs or 4hrs. You will still face that battle (if you don’t, you don’t push hard enough!! 😁).

todays run: 16-18k @ 4:30 effort. Settled for 14.95km at 4:36. No point doing much more at this stage as one will not gain anything by going longer but could jeopardise everything by going to long. Important part is to just having the legs clipping over and not going into a full shut down. Also the Mach 3 felt hard on the legs. Thought the ground in the park would be soft and muddy but has been hard with puddles. Wrong choice on shoes, right decision on shoes! 😁

any ways, job is done. Nothing else to be gained this week. Just a few runs and ensuring the legs will continue to move. Watching the diet and plenty of popcorn, bagels, pasta and couscous Wednesday-Friday. Nothing heavy and slow in breaking down.

schedule for the week:

Monday: 10k easy

Tuesday: 2k warm up 6k @ 3:50 2k warm down

Wednesday: 6-8k very easy

Thursday: rest

Friday: 3k very easy 800m @ 3:45 200m very easy

Saturday: race

so that’s all for today and the run up to Donadea. Thank you for reading and if I don’t read you again, good morning, good afternoon and a very good night! 😁

Weight:

31.01.2022 (8:00am): 72.3Kg

01.02.2022 (8:30am): 72.2Kg

02.02.2022 (08:30am): 72.4Kg

03.02.2022 (7:30am): 71.8Kg

04.02.2022 (8:30am): 71.8Kg

05.02.2022 (8:30am): 73.0Kg

06.02.2022 (8:30am): 72.1Kg

Summary of the day: If you don’t like headwind turn around and run backwards. Now you have tailwind!

Swashbuckler · 11-02-2022 11:23am

All the best for tomorrow lad. You're in great nick as always. Hope it all goes to plan. I'll be keeping an eye on Strava so please don't keep your fans waiting 😂

Awesomeness never comes cheap…!

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