Man! I feel like a runner

A "coming-towards-the-end-of-the-year" update

August

After about 3 weeks of no running and plenty of calf exercises, I tested out the achilles again and all ok. Think I caught it in good time, but of course it meant no point in trying to catch up on marathon training so DCM was out. With other stuff going on as alluded to, that was no bad thing! A few short runs saw out August.

September

Tried to get a bit of a routine going, but was failing to get out on a Sunday or for anything longer than 5 miles really, so another low mileage month.

October

Still failing to get out most Sundays or do anything longer for most of this month, but did get a couple of parkruns in, including Gorey for the first time. Got a couple of tempo sessions in, though I often think that's pointless if the overall picture is so poor! I also changed where I do S&C (somewhere more local) so at least that has remained consistent. Office move meant suddenly trying to get to Ballsbridge - public transport was a disaster so I dug out my old, and oh so poor, bike. Painful. Bike2Work scheme was utilised! Was still on the crappy one for my DCM cycled support however. Great day out :)

November

With the other life stuff having settled a little, I managed to get back into a proper routine last month. Ignored speed work for the most part knowing actual miles are going to be more beneficial (and enjoyable really). Got in a couple new (for me) parkruns too, Dodder Valley and Sport Ireland Campus. New bike arrived, cut 15 minutes off my commute (and it's not electric).

December

Did JB5k - honestly expected to barely get under 25 mins, but managed 23.54 or so. I saw 23:17 on the watch when I turned the corner and put the boot down (copied AMKs analysis and it was a quicker sprint by 4 seconds than in 2021 on that last bit). Got back towards the hills for a couple of Sundays with the club early crew which has been great. The weather this past week has scuppered me a little but I'm still hopeful I'll manage the 40 or so miles before 31st to get me to 1,000 for the year...

I am very much taking the approach of just happy to get out when I can, but I guess in terms of races (as they are needed to keep me on the straight and narrow) so far is Dublin Masters XC in Jan, John Treacy 10 Mile in Feb and I've signed up for Edinburgh HM in May (look up the elevation profile :p)

Oh no, sorry if it sounded like I 1. enjoyed cycling or 2. am a fast cyclist. The old bike was just that sh*t!

Underwhelming race report - Dungarvan 10 mile

I'd signed up for this assuming my brother who lives in the area would be running it as usual. However, he had raced the 2 weekends preceding and is headed to National Masters XC this weekend so no 10 mile race for him. Ah well, had a nice Saturday with him and his family and made my way over to Dungarvan Sunday morning feeling very relaxed. I got a nice parking space close enough to both the start and finish lines, and managed to use hotel toilet facilities rather than a portaloo. Jogged the 1km or so to the start line, arriving about 5 mins before the start and used that time to stretch the ever-tight calves and find a spot between the 80 and 90 min pacers.

My plan for this was to run an easy-steady first half and pick it up a little for the second half, based on advice from the brother. I had no idea what shape I was in, but was fairly aware my endurance isn't great at the moment. In my head the easy-steady pace was aimed for 9 min miles and this is what I started out at when we got running (for about 2 mins then kept trying to pull myself back). Plenty of people were tearing off, which made me question where I had positioned myself but I knew the 90 min pacer was behind me and I was hoping to come in under that. Possibly I would pass these people back out is what I told myself. I had switched my watch to lap pace to attempt some discipline. Speaking of, the amount of people who jumped up on the paths to take those early corners really bugged me. Shortcuts! First few miles flew by and came in at a very comfortable 8.40, 8.47 and 8.44. I didn't bother with the water at 2.5 miles as I didn't feel I needed it.

Back out of the town again past the GAA grounds where I was nicely distracted by a spat between a motorist and a garda. The motorist was moving bollards to get across the road. You have to wonder at some people. Miles 4 and 5 weren't exactly hilly but felt fairly draggy, and the pace naturally relaxed to 8.55 and 8.51. I was still feeling pretty comfortable but could have done with some water around halfway. My brother had said once you hit halfway its time to pick it up, and I could see how when we turned a corner just after the 5 mile mark (I think) and hit a nice downhill so the pace naturally picked up, not that I pushed it to be honest. 8.33 for mile 6.

Much of the same for miles 7 and 8 (thankfully got some water at mile 7ish), and I was passing a few in fairness. It was a lovely day for running and I was enjoying myself. 8.29 and 8.33 for those two miles. Into the home stretch, but I had not been forewarned of the hill at the start of mile 9. We turned a corner onto the main road, and all you could see was the long and not insignificant drag up. Ugh. Head down time, keep it together. Could feel myself slowing when I hit the top (as I often do, need to work on keeping the momentum) but gathered myself when a few women passed me, and I just had to pass them back out. 8.44 mile. Into the last mile and I know I'm a cert for under 90 mins anyway. I had been warned of the last incline before the finish line, so was just waiting for it to arrive. Lots of choice language around me as everyone was in the same boat once we hit that last 400m or so. As I turned the last corner, I knew I had to pick it up for the finish line with my brother and his family waiting there. Some lad kept blocking me so as soon as I had the space I put the foot down (or as much as I could), and then heard my name (with an added "O") being called out 😁 1.27 chip time. And a high five from my nephew and niece at the finish!

Pretty happy with that. Well off my PB but that was always going to be the case. I've signed up for another 10 mile in about 4.5 weeks so I'd be hoping to take a few minutes off, considering I didn't quite empty the tank plus I'd be hoping to get a few good weeks training in. I did feel the effort in the legs on Tuesday's easy miles, but they felt grand on yesterday's run.

Highly recommend the Dungarvan 10 mile by the way, great setup, lovely run, and if they could guarantee that weather every year 👌

Gorey 10 Mile

Realised I never did a 'report' on this one.

Another race I signed up for due to family living in the area. I actually signed up the day after Dungarvan, thinking it would be a good marker for (hopefully) progress. The brother living in the area also signed up, as well as one of my sisters. I travelled down the morning of the race with said sister, discussing our race tactics - or at least just trying to figure out reasonable start paces!

Handy jog to the start line area from my brother's in-laws place, and quickly realised it was going to be an uphill start. According to the locals, the second half of the course was going to be the tougher part in terms of hills etc. My goals were a) to beat Dungarvan, b) beat it with a sub 1.25 and c) beat my siblings.

There were only about 200 in the 10 mile (there was a 5k also, which had about 700), so it was easy to spot the 85 min pacers. Lined up behind them, my brother (who doesn't run much in fairness but is damn stubborn) beside me and I said I would probably start more conservatively than that time and he admitted he will probably take off quicker and see how long he would last 🙄

Miles 1-3 (8.21, 8.23, 8.20)

Despite the uphill start, I was quickly settling into 8.25 pace or so and felt really good. So I just stuck with that, mind you we were quickly into a downhill so that helped. It was a nice morning for a run, very little wind and not too cold. We headed up through the main street about 2 miles in, which is a drag but there were people out cheering and lots of shops to look at so I quite enjoyed it. The route ducked around a school / park and there was a water station maybe 4 miles in, took a sip even though I didn't really feel I needed it.

Miles 4-6 (8.23, 8.26, 8.33)

I was still really enjoying myself, and saying hello to the several volunteers (it was a very well marshalled race, GAA organised), and miles 4 and 5 were reasonably flat, maybe the odd drag. I did start to feel a slight lag in mile 6 when the drags became more frequent but was still feeling strong.

Miles 7-9 (8.20, 8.09, 8.39)

Took another sip of water somewhere around mile 7, and kept the head down. Thought I must have been over the worst of it by mile 8, so hit it hard. Bad idea. Mile 9 was hell. In reality, it probably wasn't that hilly but it was just drag after drag on tired legs. I had spotted my brother ahead around 7.5 miles and he looked to be struggling, so this was the motivation to push through mile 9 and I caught him when he started walking (in fairness he had actually brought back an old football injury... eep)

Mile 10... and 0.1 (8.29, 1 minute)

The start of mile 10 was another little drag past my brothers in-laws, but I somehow missed seeing their house and was panicked about where the bloody finish line was. My watch beeped for 10 miles at 1.24.05 and I was nowhere near the finish line... damn me and my zero attention to the quickest route around!!! Pushed as much as I could for the line (and elbowed a child finishing the 5k 🙈 in my defence, a tall child and he cut across me) to hit the clock under 1.25 which I didn't but knew I had started back a bit. Chip time did my dirty though, seems I blocked the start time while hitting my watch as chip and gun showed identical times. The brothers had a 6 second difference so I'm taking that (chip was 1.25.04). Interestingly, 85 mins is 8.30 pace which I was quicker than most miles, and never caught the 85 min pacers.. They were in my sights all along but losing people a lot towards the end and in fact one of them looped back a long way with about a mile to go as I'm sure they realised they were well ahead of that time.

Anyway, 2.5 mins quicker than Dungarvan which is plenty in the space of 2.5 weeks. Ideally, I will do another 10 mile in summer and be closer to PB shape?!

Next up Madrid HM with the club at the end of April. No target as yet!

Well the chip and gun were the same for me , and not for anyone else apart from the leaders, and I certainly didn't start in the front row :)

Yes, I really am. I have a loose target in my head to be back near PB shape by the 10 mile in Edenderry in summer.

April's Running

This was a better month in terms of mileage and sessions completed. The one race wasn't amazing, but banking it as decent training all the same. The first long run of the month was a fab one up kilmashogue, fairy castle and on out to glencullen. One of those mornings where we just kept going. I got out 5 days most weeks I think, and the bit of hateful cycling alongside that. S&C continues to be abandoned at the moment, oh dear.

Tuesday sessions:

• Sprint work, 3k at HM pace (15.44), 1500 at 10k (7.22), and 1500 at 5k (7.03), all off 90s
• 6 x 1500 at 10k, off 2 mins (7.54, 7.58, 7.40, 7.39, 7.36, 7.33)
• 4 mins at HM, 2 x 2 mins at 10k, 4 x 1 min at 5k (pre race session)

Saturday sessions:

• 2 x 1k off 2 mins (4.47, 4.46), 3 x 800 off 90s (3.36, 3.33, 3.38), 4 x 400 off 60s (1.37, 1.35, 1.37, 1.34)
• 8 x 1k at 10k, off 90s (4.55, 4.53, 4.52, 4.51, 4.49, 4.50, 4.46, 4.41)
• 1600 at 10k (7.52), 3 x 1k at 5k (4.42, 4.42, 4.37), 2 x 400 at 3k (1.40, 1.35)
• 4 x 800 at 5k off 90s (3.40, 3.40, 3.38, 3.38), 2 x 400 at 5k off 60s (1.36, 1.36), 2 x 200 at 1m off 60s (41, 43)

Madrid HM was last weekend, I won't bother with a report but thoroughly enjoyable weekend and race, despite some footwear issues. I'd worn the Saucony Speeds the odd session and felt them a little 'burny' on the soles, but then wore them the last 'long' run before the HM and figured they can't be that bad for a full HM. Anyway, they were that bad and I tried to ignore them for as long as possible but at 7 and 11 miles had to stop to take them off and let my soles cool down. Not ideal. I think I'll stick to 5/10ks in them in cooler weather from now on.

Next is Terenure 5 Mile, much shorter distance to travel for a race :) Not sure what the target is yet, suppose sub 40 anyway.

Ha, not sure there is excitement enough in my training to warrant weekly updates ! For now just very happy to be getting out consistently and enjoying the club running. You're going very well yourself, great to see.