Berlin Q or Bust: Road to sub 2:45

Swashbuckler · 09-12-2021 11:41pm

It's a hard call between the lad that was on the piss for the week and the lad who had a dose and was mentally frazzled....

MrMacPhisto · 10-12-2021 5:46pm

Thanks for the positive vibes Mr Healy! I will cobble together something re Valencia, or god forbid, maybe start a log.

I hope you are feeling better soon. Sometimes rest is just the best. It is a good time of the year for reflection and planning. I am now in the same boat and will be availing of the back of beer mats and discarded takeaway trays to dream up some sort of plan for 2022 :D

E.coli · 10-12-2021 8:31pm

Finally managed to play catch up on this one (slowly working my way through)

Fair play on the training this year can't have been easy. I know you have had a few bumps on the road in terms of race performances but overall I don't think its as negative as you think. I agree with the notion that mental stumbling blocks have been the issue moreso than physical training which has been solid.

I am going to come at it from a slightly different angle in terms of analysis but I can't imagine your job has been easy this year with everything. High pressure stressful situations can take there toll mentally and marathon effort themselves require a huge amount of mental energy expended on the day (can't imagine the airport experience mid covid can have helped either)

While you may not look back on the year as being a stellar one hopefully with things settling down in 2022 (hopefully) you can have a breakthrough year and capitalize on the physical benefits you have accrued over the year.

healy1835 · 11-12-2021 5:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118302099#Comment_118302099

😁 Race reports should only really be written after the consumption of 4 beers minimum 👍 rope your brother into updating his log too 😉

healy1835 · 11-12-2021 5:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118302731#Comment_118302731

Thanks for those observations 👍 I know I can learn from the last 18 months, and a couple of small tweaks in training and preparation are all that are probably needed.

Looking forward to getting a few decent weeks back to back and a few nice runs in over the holdiays.

healy1835 · 29-12-2021 6:20pm

18 days....😮 The forum seems to have exploded back into life too during that period which is a good thing. Decided that since I'd missed a couple of weeks of running due to a virus (not that one), I'd double down and take advantage of the fact that I wasn't in shape to train hard over Christmas for once and just eat and drink my way through the holiday season! 7 days into said regime, I regret nothing! The ever so slightly increasing bulge around my midriff however is now annoying me and this fact added to my now healthy status has me looking forward to training again (in the New Year 😉 as I have a few Guinness Nitrosurge to finish off before then 😋😋). Have ran a few times, felt pretty unfit but just happy to be out.

Obviously, that 10 week block, that then became an 8 week block after my first bug, which was to culminate with Raheny is now in ruins. Sitting down for a pint with the man in charge this weekend so will map out what's next then. Have a good idea what I want to do...

I may try and catch up with goings on around these parts first though 😁

Lambay island · 29-12-2021 9:43pm

Will you still run Raheny even if not in peak shape ? You were right to enjoy your Christmas after all going ons in the last few months.

MrMacPhisto · 29-12-2021 9:44pm

What are the nitro surge cans like? Gimmick or game-changer?

AuldManKing · 30-12-2021 4:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118388058#Comment_118388058

They are defo a gimmick - sort of.

I think they are nicer than 'normal' cans but obviously not as nice as the real thing.

MrMacPhisto · 30-12-2021 5:27pm

Thanks AMK. Maybe I'll give them a miss so! I am a fan of afternoon pints anyway ;)

healy1835 · 30-12-2021 5:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118388058#Comment_118388058

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118391527#Comment_118391527

They're draught quality. Now, mid-table fare, but still a nice option to have at home 😁 but yes, afternoon pints are the best pints.

AuldManKing · 06-01-2022 11:17pm

Right - we've left you alone long enough.

Whats the story with 2022 - give us the synopsis.

shotgunmcos · 07-01-2022 8:42am

What in the bejeezus is a Guinness Nitrosurge? I go awol for a few months and ye have started christening yer fancy shoes?!

Swashbuckler · 07-01-2022 10:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431363#Comment_118431363

You've obviously been one of the responsible folks in lockdown.

healy1835 · 16-01-2022 6:13pm

I've been pretty fortunate that I've been close to peak fitness for pretty much the last 2 years. Now this in turn may been a factor in my Autumn marathon disaster, but right now it has made it difficult for me to deal with being out of shape for the first time in forever.

I'm not panicking or anything (maybe the fact I've mentioned that means I actually am🤔), but any sort of fitness just seems a long way off right now. I'm struggling to see how I could be able to start marathon training in 2 weeks. We'll wait and see I suppose.

Since the Jingle Bells, my running has looked like this;

Dec 6th-12th: 0km

Dec 13th-19th: 6.4km

Dec 20th-26th: 35.6km

Dec 27th-Jan 2nd: 54.7km

Jan 3rd-9th: 63.6km

Nothing of note in there. All easy save for an attempted 'steady' longer effort last Sunday which saw me cut it short at 10 miles (in just over 72mins 😭) for fear of me spontaneously combusting! It served me right for doing nothing for 5 weeks and just expecting to bang out 14/15 miles quicker than anything else I'd done.

Got 7 days running in this week which is a bit of progress. Actually felt half decent on today's effort where I felt something was stirring, but still painfully slow;

Mon: 7 Miles: 58:38 @5:12/km

Tue: 7 Miles: 55:06 @4:53/km

Wed: 5 Miles: 39:30 @4:55/km

Thu: 5 Miles: 39:30 @4:55/km

Fri: 10k: 52:26 @5:14/km

Sat: 7 Miles: 56:01 @4:58/km

Sun: 23k: 1:52:37 @4:53/km

83k for the week.

Murph_D · 16-01-2022 7:32pm

This is something I've thought about a bit, because those of us lucky enough to not have prolonged injury breaks often move from marathon block to a slightly less intensive block but with some racing, then back to a goal race training block, fairly seamlessly without much of a break. I've been pretty much doing this myself over and over since early 2014. It gives the impression that you are constantly training and must therefore be constantly on an upward curve, and even when you know this can't be true, you still feel you must be fitter than ever. Even when we know intuitively that rest and recovery have to be part of the process, we feel we should be able to take these periods of lesser intensity without any real drop-off in fitness, or maybe more accurately in 'speed endurance'. I know myself that a few weeks after any marathon, a marathon-pace run always makes me wonder, how the f*ck did I manage that for 26 miles? You just have to trust that it will be OK, it will come back, because it always does, although not always as quickly and dramatically. Hang in there!

healy1835 · 20-01-2022 11:23am

Trust the process. Trust the process. Trust the process.

Hectic enough day which included dealing with Public Health about an outbreak in the school saw me scrap a planned session yesterday. Hoping to get in a couple of 5/6 miles tempos and a 6x1 mile session in addition to 26k & 28k vanilla long runs in the next couple of weeks. I've been assured that my current lack of fitness is a blessing in disguise, but coaches always try and tell their athletes what they want to hear right? No paces prescribed for any of the runs, just get them in and keep building.

I've been looking over my runs since October and I genuinely forgot about a 16 Miler in the middle of November that included 6x1 mile on/off where I averaged 6:15 miles for the efforts and around 6:45 for the entire thing. I had just sort of thought I hadn't ran any sort of effort since MCR. Maybe fitness isn't that far away. Just hoping that things will start to move along and I can see some tangible improvements. Looking at some of my sessions from the last block and at AMK's training, that just seems a long, long way away. Add this to the fact that Limerick suddenly does not seem a long, long way away and you have a slightly worried Healy1835. I also need to stop bleating about how unfit I am on here. Suck it up and get fit Healy!

Swashbuckler · 20-01-2022 11:36am

I think a year from now you'll look back on this "downtime" and think of it as a blessing in disguise. I think you underestimate just how long you were within 80-90% of peak. Easy for me to say I know. If I was in your shoes I'd probably feel the same way but you'll come good again.

healy1835 · 22-01-2022 1:21pm

A little over 3 months ago I stood on the start line of a marathon planning and expecting to average under 6:15/mile, today I ran a 5 mile tempo in 32:43 and was very happy with it. Running is mad 😛

jebuz · 22-01-2022 2:21pm

@Murph_D and @Swashbuckler are right, this period, as frustrating as it may be for you will probably end up being the making of your next big run. Just think how fresh your body is now and ready to tackle the year ahead. All of that hard work last year was banked and your fitness is there, just a little rusty. Boring story: I really struggled in the Spring of 2016, I was way off where I wanted to be, a calf injury just wouldn't go away and I was getting fed up so I just ended up taking a full 2 weeks off and then started from scratch. This is probably all in my log. I gradually came back, every month getting stronger and ran a 2:31 marathon that September which felt like it came out of nowhere but it was no coincidence. I look back at that Spring period and I think it was key in preparing me for the year ahead.

healy1835 · 24-01-2022 1:32pm

A sliver of light at the end of the tunnel here...

Mon: 5 Miles Easy: 40:17 @5:00/km

Mindless shuffle around the Camp & Plains.

Tue: 7 Miles Easy: 56:02 @4:58/km

Wed: 7 Miles Easy: 54:11 @4:48/km

Had a session tentatively planned (6 x 1 Mile @whoknows/km) but an afternoon dealing with Public Health had me on the ropes, so a rinse and repeat of Tuesday's run was the best I could muster.

Thu: 10k Easy: 49:50 @4:59/km

This log is pretty uninspiring atm isn't it.

Fri: 10k Easy: 49:32 @4:57/km

I'm conscious of not ramping up mileage too quickly. A lot of these easy efforts could be longer but I'm staying disciplined.

Sat: 12k inc 5 Mile Tempo (32:43)

I really wasn't sure what was in the post for this one. I'm going to make a concerted effort to avoid the loop in the Camp & the Lidl loop in the town for any longer sessions. Limerick & Dublin have plenty of ups and downs so my sessions are going to as well. I've a 5 Mile extended bog loop which has a whole heap of variety and will keep the runner very honest, so that's where I ambled to for this one. I honestly would have been happy with anything under 35 mins. Threw on the Endorphin Speeds and after a couple of km warm up, set tentatively out.

With the handbrake firmly on, the first mile came in at a sprightly enough 6:53. 2nd mile included a decent drag which I navigated smoothly enough to clock a 6:38. A favourable 3rd mile saw me really hold back in order to ensure a strong finish, but still came in at 6:32. I'm singing along to some tunes at this stage, just happy to be back putting in some sort of effort. Bell X1's 4 Minute Mile comes on during the 4th mile and I let the handbrake off a little as I belt out the lyrics (This is happening out in the bog remember 😛) and clock a 6:19. 5th Mile back into a breeze pinches a little but still comes in at 6:21.

Take about 30 secs to recover and then trot home to bring up 12k for the day. Happy with that for a first session back.

Sun: Long Run: 26k: 2:02:23 @4:42/km

If Limerick is to happen, I need to get a couple of longer efforts in before I start a block. Again, no paces planned for this. Just get the distance in. I'd planned to run it very easy, 5min kms and the like. But after a tentative few early miles, the pace just naturally picked up and I really felt good on this one. Tired mind you by the end, but a happy tired. Covered the last 10 miles in around 73:30.

89km for the week.

Something is stirring. More of the same next week, will get in the missed 6x1 Mile session and push out Tempo a little to 6 Miles.

healy1835 · 27-01-2022 2:11pm

'Something is stirring'....was actually accurate. It just happened to be a horrendous case of the 💩 (apologies). If it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at the moment. No running Tue or Wed. Will tip out for a run later and hopefully get in session + LR at the weekend, or maybe a LR session. Will see what the man in charge thinks.

Swashbuckler · 27-01-2022 3:27pm

Oh sh*t.

healy1835 · 31-01-2022 11:03am

Mon: 7 Miles Easy: 59:06 @5:15/km

Shuffle around the town. Legs feeling fairly fresh after the previous days longer effort. The Invincibles are such a nice shoe to just amble around in.

Tue & Wed: Nowt

I'll spare readers the details, but it was grim. The take away is that Imodium Plus is the real deal.

Thu: 7 Miles Easy: 54:14 @4:49/km

Was unsure about how the system would be after the previous 48 hrs, but everything was fine. Scrapped midweek session obviously, decided not to chase it and just leave it on the shelf.

Fri: 10k Easy: 48:58 @4:54/km

In service day at work saw me treating the staff to Dominos pizza for lunch 🙂🍕. Not an ideal pre run lunch, but a very tasty one nonetheless.

Sat: Long Run: 27k: 2:06:18@4:41/km inc an 'up-tempo' 10k effort (41:57)

Weekend was shaping up to be a busy one, so getting this in early Sat morning made things a lot less complicated for me. It had been a while since I did any type of run at 6:30 am, let alone a LR session. It never dawned on me that it would be dark out until I was lacing up the runners. This important piece of information meant a big change to the route I had in my head. Add to this the scaldy weather conditions and I really wasn't feeling it as I shuffled out the door.

Plan for the run was to include an up-tempo effort for 10k at some point. After about 6 Miles I decided that I'd better make a move as the mojo was beginning to flatline. If I had planned the route a bit better I could have had some wind assistance, instead I had an annoying cross wind that was neither helping nor hindering things, but always present. Once again, i'd no real pace in mind. Was hoping to maybe average sub 3 pace, but that was a fairly arbitrary target and with the jacket on, I just left the watch under the sleeve and went off effort.

Spluttered into life with a 7:05 first mile. Thought I was moving faster, but I told myself that if 7 min miles were all I was capable of this morning then 7 mins miles it is. Happily enough I worked my way into the session and by the end I was feeling pretty great. The effort just naturally became a progression run and the rest of the miles came in at 6:47, 6:51, 6:45, 6:33 & 6:30, with the 10k coming in just under 42 mins. Jogged home (rather than do loops of the Lidl wind tunnel, I ran out the dual carriageway to the Tougher's Industrial estate. This meant that any thoughts I may have had of capping things at 15 miles were out the window as I was now 7k from home) feeling pretty happy with the lay of the land.

Sun: 10.2k Recovery: 51:32 @5:05/km

Shuffled around the town, before heading to Conleth's Park to see a brilliant performance from the Lilies. A couple of beers afterwards (my first of the year) whilst sitting at a bar just capped off the day.

70k for the week. I would have bitten your hand of if offered that around 4am Wednesday morning!

As of today I'm marathon training. I'm going to give it a whirl and see what sort of shape I can get myself into over the next 13 weeks. No pressure, just get the runs in, enjoy the process and see where we end up.

healy1835 · 02-02-2022 10:34pm

Limerick Marathon Week 1 of 13 🙄

Mon: AM: 5 Miles Easy: 41:02 @5:06/km

Knew I was gonna be tight for time later on so got in a semi-comatose shuffle before the day started.

PM: 8.25k: 42:31 @5:10/km

Mooched around the plains. Going soft.

Tue: 7 Miles Easy: 55:06 @4:53/km

Post work amble around the Camp.

Wed: Session: 3x2 Miles @MP effort off 5 mins jog recovery.

Long day in work saw me hit the loop in the Camp late enough. Was sort of looking forward to the session which was a positive.

I'd already fired a text to my running consigliere trying to explain in advance how my MP would be pretty slow. The reply recieved was along the lines of 'You're not as far off as you think. Don't sell yourself short and diverge too much from MP'. Which was just a nice way of telling me to man-up a little I suppose.

I don't know what MP will end up being. In an ideal world it'll be sub 2:45, but with current fitness levels being where they are, I'm prepared for it not to get down to that pace. For today, seeing as I ran the 10k effort during last weekend's LR @4:12/km, I could hardly be banging out out 6:50's for this one could I!?

Decided to feel my way into the efforts. Left just the elapsed time field on the watch for the first loop, around 1.5k, and then checked the pace...3:58/km. Eeek. This seems fast I thought, so I dialled it back a bit for the next mile. I wanted to finish strong and thought that pace wasn't sustainable. The first rep comes in at 13:03 (6:23, 6:40).

5 mins recovery felt very slow but was still coming in at 4:40/km. Bang out a 6:21 to start the next rep, but don't really feel the need to hold back now. The 2nd mile of these reps is a little trickier route-wise, and comes in at 6:26 for a 12:47 split. 5 mins recovery flies by again and I bring it home in 12:48 (6:25 & 6:23).

5 mins recovery and cool down brings up the 10 miles and I finish the session feeling pretty happy with things. The 2 mile reps were more than a marathon effort if I'm being honest. I know this. But I feel like things are progressing nicely and we're building bit by bit here.

Swashbuckler · 03-02-2022 12:07am

Was very happy seeing this today on Strava. This is one of those occasions where I won't give out for running at an effort harder than planned. To be honest I think it'll serve you well.

Like your advisor said...you're not as far off as you think. We all catastrophise when we get injured or struggle for a period. You'll be very surprised how quickly you'll come good. Roll on GLR. First round is on you afterwards 😉

AuldManKing · 03-02-2022 10:38am

I really think you'll hit the target in Limerick - the break will have done you good and you'll peak just at the right time. I also think you'll 'find' fitness much faster than you think.

MrMacPhisto · 03-02-2022 10:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118574399#Comment_118574399

Ditto to the above. 11 weeks to climb to the peak, level, recover, and then do battle.

healy1835 · 03-02-2022 11:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118574399#Comment_118574399

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118573509#Comment_118573509

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118574464#Comment_118574464

👍️👍️

And to be honest, I'm very relaxed about what MP ends up at. Lessons have been learned after October from chasing arbitrary times. Doesn't mean I'm any less ambitious about how low I want to go, but the focus is on performance rather than splits.

Swashbuckler · 04-02-2022 10:27am

How did you do the multiquote there?

Berlin Q or Bust: Road to sub 2:45

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