Are those my feet?
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Interested to know how the Novablast and Glideride compare and where they each fit into your rotation? I wear the Glideride a lot - they are my staple. I mix in the Endorphin Speeds maybe once per week (or I have Puma Deviate & NB Elite that I throw in very occasionally) but for holidays, as an example, I just brought the Gliderides as they were the best option from my collection to cover all runs.
I think that niggling feeling of self doubt is normal at this stage, especially when you might be following others' training that is different to yours but just hang on to that over-arching trust in the plan which made you choose it... Super stuff going on really. I love following marathon training. The strength of body and mind that grows over the course of the weeks is amazing to follow, it's some journey when it goes well / is done right.
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If I was taking one pair of shoes on holidays I'd take the Novablast. I'd happily use them for everything from recovery runs up to tempo, and for long runs too. I find them a good all-rounder. For me the Glideride suit best at a steady/moderate/MP type of pace, and after 8-9 miles I find my feet get tired of them. At slower paces I find I'm far more ploddy in the Gliderides.
Yeah, I agree with you on marathon training - really exciting to be in the thick of it again this year I must say. In fairness any doubts I'd have would be no more than I'd have following a 5K or HM plan, it's just when it's the marathon everything feels magnified and I probably over analyse every run-of-the-mill bout of tiredness looking for signs of concern.
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Totally understandable A. Everything is magnified in the marathon, you have have what it takes in spades though; mental strength, commitement, patience... Interesting so about the Novablasts. Sounds like one I should possibly try sometime. I don't love running in the Gliderides, it's more that I find them a very dependable general all rounder although I haven't done anything longer than 90mins (9-10 miles) in a long long time so they're untested on real long runs. Thanks for the feedback.
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Some of the last posts here just go to show how different people are. I'm on my 3rd pair of Gliderides and getting close to 1,700 miles in total. They are bombproof, turn over nicely and I have worn them up to 19 miles and find they just get better the longer a run gets. On the other hand I tried the Novablast and had to give up on them... unstable and squishy, long and narrow. I hated them. I honestly believed the 2 shoes were so different that there wasn't a person alive who could like both! 😂 Then along comes A....
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Marathon Block (Week 1/14)
Monday: Rest. I had an exam in Cork in the morning, nothing too important but had put in a nice bit of study on it over the prior weekends. Passed it anyway but I was absolutely shattered afterwards so shelved plans for a short recovery run. Treated myself to a pair of Endorphin Pros instead. I've yet to take them for a spin, but may do on this weeks session, and hopefully they will be the marathon shoe.
Tuesday: 7.2 miles very easy with strides (9:52/mi). I'm starting to like these post work runs around UL on the office days. Nice and dry for this one and lots of runners out taking advantage of the weather.
Wednesday: 10 x 2 mins CV, 8.71 miles total. Another post work run in and around UL. Alas, it was a lot wetter than the day before. This would be my first bit of sustained faster stuff in a couple of months. I kept to the reasonably flat paths around Maguires Fields for the 10 reps - there is a drag on one side, and there was a decent wind about, so I found it tricky to dial into the right pace/effort. Each rep seemed to start off too fast before settling down. I'd just about have managed one more rep if I had too. Target pace was 6:45 - 6:55 and reps came in at 6:49, 6:50, 6:48, 6:55, 6:56, 6:52, 6:56, 6:52, 6:49, 6:48. Finished this very wet but very happy with a decent evenings work. Went to bed thinking this marathon business is a breeze and maybe I should add more stuff and or/miles to the plan.
Thursday: 5.25 miles very easy (10:06/mi). Any notions of this training being easy were firmly dispelled by this run. The legs, calves in particular, were very heavy from the day before. Nice bit of sun out and it was pretty humid too for a lunch time out-and-back on local roads.
Friday: 7.32 miles very easy (9:58/mi). Had planned to do this early morning, but took the chance of a lie-in instead and went out at lunchtime. Legs still pretty dead after Wednesday's session. Went around the bread-and butter local loop, although it had been a while, so was a nice novelty for a change.
Saturday: w/u, 60 mins moderate, c/d (10.31 miles). Found myself in Clonmel so took the chance to run somewhere slightly different for a change. A few too many footpaths and roundabouts to be negotiated but not a bad route along the bypass then onto the Blueway. There was a tasty headwind at times too, mainly on the warm-up and cool-down, so maybe I had the benefit for most of the moderate miles, although I never felt it. Legs felt nice and fresh anyway and had finally recovered after feeling heavy the previous couple of days. 8:15 - 8:30 was the moderate range and miles came in at 8:20, 8:14, 8:12, 8:16, 8:19, 8:21, 8:19 (8:26). Motored along very nicely for most of this, although the cool down was a bit of a trudge into the wind.
Sunday: 16.24 miles easy (9:24/mi). It started pouring rain as soon as I started this and I was well soaked from the get go. Heavy showers came and went throughout and it was pretty miserable at times, weather wise. I didn't mind that too much though, once I got into my running. It was nice and cool so the effort felt nice and controlled throughout. I brought some water and took an aqua gel around 10 miles in, mainly just to get used to carrying and taking them again. Had a decent climb around 9 miles and a bigger one around 14 miles. Felt really strong working my way up both. The legs were a touch tired starting out, but not wrecked and it felt good putting another 16 miles into them. The last 500m was a bit of a trudge - it had turned miserable again into a headwind and I think I just subconciously shut things down knowing the end was near. Very happy with the days work overall though.
54.1 miles for the week. The whole train in the warmth of summer to gain an advantage for a cooler autumn marathon theory isn't really playing out too well so far. Hopefully August will be better weather wise! A recovery run later today will take me to 216 miles for July - my highest mileage month ever. 56 miles planned for the coming week, with the long run up getting up to 18.
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Congrats on passing the exam. I have to Endorphins Pros too and up until this point have just used them for the long runs. Interested to hear how you get on with them for sessions. Currently using the Speeds for those.
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loving the consistency - Great base block and solid start to Marathon plan.. keep her lit!
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Bumper 2-week update
Week 2/14 (31st July - 6th August)
Monday - 3.62 miles recovery (10:17/mi)
Tuesday - 7.88 miles very easy with strides (10:13/mi). The Tag Rugby World Cup was being held in UL this week. Kicking off from the Wednesday, but plenty people milling around already, and what looked to be an opening ceremony was starting as I completed this post-work run.
Wednesday - 3 x 8 mins threshold, 3 min recoveries. The rugby was in full swing now, and made this run a lot trickier as the action was taking place on 10 pitches around which I normally do these runs. The track was open though as the centre field there was being used as a pitch and a few other runners were doing laps. Did my warm-up miles in there, but the surface was a bit greasy and felt slippy in my Endorphin Pros (debut outing) so moved back to my normal gravel loop for the work. 7:05-7:15 was the target pace here, so would be just over a mile for each 8 minute rep. The first rep was ok, tried to avoid the busiest parts of the pathways. Second rep was trickier as some matches ended and people dispersed everywhere. So I moved back to the track for the final rep, which was pretty windy. Paces came in at 7:11, (6:40), 7:09, (7:13), 7:13, (7:09). It all just felt a bit frantic with the condtions and human traffic, so effort was probably up on what you'd expect, but felt like I made a decent fist of it overall. I wasn't overly impressed with the Endorphin Pros on their first outing - they didn't feel super fast. The shiny white colour didn't last long on them either - covered in muck inside a few minutes. 9.26 miles for the evening.
Thursday - Rest.
Friday - 6.73 miles easy (9:44/mi). Don't recall a whole pile about this Friday afternoon one.
Saturday - 10.54 miles with 60 mins moderate. Gave the Endorphin Pros a second look here and much preferred them at this kind of pace. Cruised along for all the moderate miles, which all came in faster, or at the faster end of the 8:30 - 8:15 range. I'll give the shoes a go in Tullamore, and then maybe one of the faster long runs before committing to them for the big day.
Sunday - 18.26 miles easy (9:26/mi). I always love how the runs getting longer allows me to venture farther field, adding in new or rarely run roads. Took in a fair whack of South Tipperary in a loop for this one. Plenty hills again too. Found it a bit of a mental struggle in that section around miles 7-9 where you've been running for well over an hour but still haven't passed halfway. I took one gel again, around mile 12 I think. Started to feel it in the legs for the last 2 miles, which were largely uphill. I wondered afterwards if it was a week or 2 too soon for this time (2h 50m) and distance, but felt strong for the majority and happy to be knocking out this type of distance again. 56.3 miles for the week.
Week 3/14 (7th Aug - 13th Aug) - Step-back week
Monday - 3.77 miles recovery (9:50/mi). I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh the legs felt after the previous day(s) exertions. Pace came in a good touch faster than my normal recovery pace. Felt great.
Tuesday - 5.13 miles very easy (9:52/mi). Woke up feeling the left hamstring. Not sure if it was something random, or a delayed reaction to seomthing I'd tweaked at the weekend. Decided to do the planned lunchtime run around UL anyway - it would be nice and flat, so shouldn't do much further harm. I was aware of the hamstring during the run, and definitely felt like it was affecting my normal stride. Plenty rest, foam-rolling, icing that evening.
Wednesday - Rest. Brought the planned rest day forward to give the hamstring a bit more time. It was feeling better than it had on the Tuesday. Also shelved plans for anything more than easy runs for the rest of the week.
Thursday - 4.1 miles very easy (10:00/mi). Hamstring feeling another notch better so chanced a few miles. Had planned 5 but settled for 4 in the end, as the hamstring started to feel a bit tired as the run went on.
Friday - 6.01 miles easy (9:36/mi). More progresswith the niggle, so added on a few more flat miles. Felt like it was 95% better.
Saturday - 6.9 miles easy (9:41/mi). Down in Cork for a few nights for a Saturday wedding so drove into Clonakilty for this. Didn't seem like a great town for running around from where I went, but maybe I missed the more running friendly routes. Kept it nice and flat again. No noise from the hamstring.
Sunday - 13.16 miles easy (9:43/mi). A late one following our return from Cork. Ended up changing the route midway through to escape fading light out in the coutryside. Surprised by the pace as it definitely felt faster, although not hard. No complaints from the hamstring anyway, so seems like I'm ok to resume the planned training. Worked out ok that the niggle surfaced on a step-back week as I might have been tempted to test it a bit more if it was an ordinary week. 39 miles for the week in the end, a touch less than planned but more than satisfactory all things considered. 57 miles now for the coming week.
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Week 4/14
Monday 14th - Rest
Tuesday 15th - 9.02 miles very easy (9:53/mi). Post work run around UL and the environs. Legs felt a bit dead throughout, so was re-assured by a twitter thread I saw from Steve Magness later the same day. Basically, a flatness might be expected with a high volume of easy paced work. With the previous week all being easy minding the hamstring, this made some sense to me.
Wednesday 16th - 11.36 miles including 40 mins Tempo. Another post work run over by UL. Warm up and cool down were a chunky 3 miles each. I kept the work to a relatively flat, 1k or so, gravel loop around some pitches. Target pace was 7:25-7:37. It took the first mile or so to settle into the right effort - each lap gave a little helping hand down one side, but you'd a gentle climb over the other side, so just had to figure out an even-ish effort. Paces came in at 7:32, 7:29, 7:30, 7:22, 7:29 (7:22) for the 5.3 miles tempo. The last few times up the little drag were hard going and I was glad to be finished. Surprised that the 4th mile and last bit came in a bit too hot, but bang on for the most part and a nice one to have in the bag.
Thursday 17th - 6.78 miles easy (9:35/mi). Mundane enough post-work local jaunt. Nothing too exciting, but happily the legs felt fresher than earlier in the week. The Tullamore HM top and number arrived - I like the top. A nice bright yellowy green which is ideal for running on country roads.
Friday 18th - 9.02 miles easy (9:42/mi). I didn't have a window early in the day for this, so had to wait until later when it was pouring down. Ran through town to start, and it was pouring rain already, but manageable, and at least the wind was minimal. I decided to stick to the Swiss river path for a (small) bit of shelter - it would make for a boring run, going up and down a few times, but it turned out to be the right decision. Normally you'd pass scores of people out walking, but today it was just myself and one other lunatic. By the time I was going back through town on my way back to base there was water everywhere. Literally no point trying to keep dry as you were soaked anyway. Fun though, once you are out in it, and the absence of too much wind meant it felt perfectly safe.
Saturday - 17.14 miles progression run (8:47/mi). Much nicer conditions today, although it did rain a few times as well during the run. I tried to keep the route reasonably flat, or at least avoid any major climbing. Started off with a few miles very easy, before 4 miles easy, 4 miles moderate, 4 miles tempo and a couple miles cool down. Felt like I nailed this tbh. It'a amazing how much quicker the long run goes when you've digestable chunks to concentrate the mind. Hit the paces pretty much spot on for the moderate and tempo sections. I wore the Endorphin Pro 3's again - they felt a bit off at the easier paces, but once I got into the moderate miles I really enjoyed running in them. I felt like I was cruising along at the 8:15/8:30 moderate pace, and the tempo pace also felt a touch easier than it had done earlier in the week. First two tempo miles were gently uphill, and being kind to myself, the last two tempo miles were gently downhill. I took two gels during this, an aqua gel at mile 7, and a caffeine one at mile 11. Nearly choked on the thickness of the caffeine one - must get used to that consistency again. I must also pick up a few Maurten gels - they worked a treat 4 years ago. Home and showered in plenty time for the Spurs match 😎
Sunday - 3.82 miles recovery (9:58/mi). Gentle recovery trot, on what was a quiet sunny and humid afternoon. Calves a touch tired, but generally feeling good after the previous few days.
57.1 miles for the week. Tullamore now on Saturday morning - I veer from dreading this and wondering why the hell I signed up for a HM mid-block, to being excited to race again and let's see what happens. Not too much in the way of a taper this week, and I'll hopefully throw up a mini-preview on Friday.
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Week 5/14
Monday 21st - 8.28 miles "easy" (9:44/mi). Had to get this in at lunch, which meant I'd have to stay local and take in some hills. Chose a bit of a loop I hadn't done in a while, but forgot how hilly it was. It got progressively hotter as the run went on, and there was a fair bit of wind about so this was a bit of a struggle.
Tuesday 22nd - 10.15 miles with 2 at HMP. Out earlyish for this before we headed to Dublin for the day. Started off with 6 miles easy, for which I cantered along nicely, although the last mile or so was into a nice breeze. Wasn't entirely sure what HMP was, so just aimed for in-or-around the pace I ran in Limerick (7:26). Both miles had a gentle assitance from the wind and the second mile was gently downhill (being kind to myself on raceweek). Paces came in at 7:26 and 7:09. Wore the Glideride 3's for this and it's probably my favourite run I've done in them - they felt great throughout. Happy with this run, although the usual doubts of holding the pace for 13.1 miles were in the back of my mind.
Wednesday 23rd - Rest. We went to
TaytoEmerald Park for the day. Had planned on a run that evening but it was late when we got back and I'd spent plenty time on the feet standing around in queues all day, so gave the run a miss. Great day out though.Thursday 24th - 7.5 miles very easy (9:53/mi). Had to get this in at lunchtime so needed to stay local for this. Tried my best to keep it flat where possible and be kind to the legs ahead of Saturday
Friday 25th - 3.9 miles easy sith strides (9:31/mi). Got out before work for this, but managed to time it perfectly to get caught in a massive downpour for the first 30 minutes. Left glute was a bit tight throughout, but seems to have eased off now afterwards.
29.8 miles for the week so far. I'm not entirely sure what to expect of myself in Tullamore tomorrow. The course looks reasonable - some sustained gradual climbing between miles 2-6, and a few more lumps late on when the legs will be tired, but nothing ridiculous from what I can tell. Weather seems like it will be reasonable too - maybe some showers, but not too windy or sunny. I don't think I've ever raced in the rain, oddly enough. My PB is 1:37:18 from Limerick, so I'd hope to have a go at that. I feel like I've improved since then, but the unknown is how much of that improvement is cancelled out by tired legs? I had went into Limerick with a 1:34 in mind, but that seems like a big leap right now. Maybe if I have a really good day, but it's equally as likely that I have a really bad day! I'll aim for my preferred negative split anyway, taking it handy(ish) early on and seeing what's left in the legs towards the back end of the race.
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Sounds like a solid plan- gd luck!
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Very best of Luck A 😊
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Tullamore Half Marathon Report (1:35:54 PB 😀)
As I mentioned on Friday, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect here. I set off before half 7, listened to a Spurs and then Premier League podcast on the way up and didn't really think about the race. The tragic events in Clonmel on Friday night also put things in perspective. I ended up taking a wrong turn on a detour as the road around Mountmellick was closed, but still arrived with well over an hour to spare before the race. There was ample parking for everyone at the Tullamore Harriers track, which was ideal. Quick trip to the loo and I started getting ready for my warm-up when I noticed that the one and only @Laineyfrecks was parked right beside me! Chatted with her for a bit, before setting off on my warm-up, which ended up taking in the first and last mile of the race. A nice little unplanned recce. Quite a heavy shower during the warm-up, but it had cleared by the time the race started, and would be the worst rain of the day, thankfully. On Friday evening I nailed down my pacing strategy in more detail - basically 7:30 for the first 6 miles (bar the second mile which looked favourable), pick it up to about 7:10 for miles 7-9 which looked to be gentle downhill, and then assess from there. In Limerick I'd faded badly from 10 miles, so was keen to avoid a repeat here.
I settled into my running very quickly and any time I looked at the watch in the early going it showed bang on the 7:30. For the first 6 miles I just tried to run what was in front of me - keeping it nice and controlled on the hills, and being conscious to take advantage of any little downhill sections. Mile 3 was a long gradual uphill into a nice little breeze - found myself quite isolated here but just kept it sensible and didn't panic. Looking back, I feel like I ran the first 6 miles really well, stayed in the moment, didn't get carried away or distracted. The first 6 miles came in at 7:32, 7:11, 7:30, 7:35, 7:27, 7:39. Pretty much bang on where I wanted to be. I hadn't done a load of watch gazing either, the occassional look of course, but I just seemed to be able to judge the effort/pace instinctively on the day. The miles were ticking along really nicely and I felt good. Working, but in control.
The 7th mile started with a bit of a climb, and then after that it was a nice few miles of gentle downhill. After catching my breath on top of the hill I kicked on. Not a masssive lift in effort, just being sure to keep the pace up and take advantage of the gradient. These 3 (7-9) miles came in at 7:21, 7:07, 7:09. Right on plan.
I took my only gel of the day, a caffeine one, just before the mile 10 water stop. The route was more undulating now, and the bits of gradient were becoming more and more unwelcome. I knew I was on for the PB, if I could just maintain a 7:20 or so pace for the final miles. Once we got into the final 3 miles it really started to bite. I was still maintaining the pace, and passing people but definitely working hard and it was a grind now. I considered throwing in a steady mile as a breather but thankfully kept my foot on the gas. Mile 12 was the worst - 15 minutes left and legs feeling heavy. I then managed to miss not one but two water bottles at the last water stop, knocking both out of the volunteers hands. Thankfully the 13th mile was downhill to begin with. I felt like I was slowing and getting slower, but this was actually my fastest mile of the race, and looking back I was definitely passing loads of people and rarely being passed myself. I'd just got into a negative frame of mind and couldn't shake it. We turned into the club grounds and then onto the track - a whole lap left to go. Head down and picked off another one or two. Finished absolutely exhausted and glad it was over. The last few miles came in at 7:23, 7:14, 7:11, 6:55 and 6:28 for the 0.1.
I draped myself over a railing for a few minutes and then sat down on the ground for another few minutes to recover from the efforts. It was only then that I checked the watch and realised I'd dipped under the 1:36. 1:35:54 was the official time - a PB of 1:24.
Made my way back to the car and had a great chat with E when she returned from her cool down. Headed off on my own cooldown then and bumped into R, a fellow 2018 novice, and C, a runner I know from home. The legs felt semi-decent on the cool down and it was far less of a shuffle than these post-race cool downs often are for me. I'm glad I raced mid-block this time - I think I will benefit from feeling that race day pain and hurt again before Dublin, and to get a positive result into the bargain is fantastic. I thought it was a great race - really well organised and a tough, but fair course. Peeking ahead, this result gives me a bit more confidence that 3:30 might be a realistic target for Dublin. Possibly borderline still, but I'm in the ballpark anyway.
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Super run A. You're on target for a great PB at DCM.
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Congrats on the PB A, very well deserved after a really disciplined run. Sub 3:30 at DCM is definitely there for the taking based on that performance,not getting greedy but I'd say sub 3:25 is within your compass too.
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Fantastic A. You're going from strenght to strenght on consistency. Really well deserved, fair play.
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Absolutely delighted for you A, as I said to you afterwards your patience & consistency has been brilliant, a PB well deserved. I think DCM will be a great marathon for you & hopefully I will see you after for a drink (I'll happily support this year!)
Oh I'll put an order in for a sunflower steering wheel cover for you as you really liked mine😜
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Thanks everyone for the nice comments. The legs were tender for a day or two but feel surprisingly fresh and loose again now. Yesterday's threshold session was one of the
most comfortableleast uncomfortable sessions I've ever done - the nice calm, cool evening was a factor no doubt, but the legs felt great during it. Ready to get stuck into the final few weeks of the plan now.Hahaha, thanks a million E. While you've the credit card out you might get yourself a new sarcasm detector - it seems your current one is not working 😜
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Hmm my spidey senses tell me you didn't get my sarcasm either🤣🤣
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Week 6/14
Monday 28th August - Rest
Tuesday 29th - 7.42 miles easy (9:20/mi). Random day off work to sort out some last minute back-to-school bits. Went for a family hike/walk in the morning and then got out for this run in the evening. Legs feeling pretty good after Tullamore.
Wednesday 30th - 3 x 10 min threshold, 4 min recoveries. In the office so got out for this after work. Wasn't sure what to expect after the weekend but it turned out to be one of the smoothest sessions I've ever done. Target pace for threshold was 7:05 - 7:15, so each rep ended up being approx 1.4 miles. Paces came in at 7:11, (7:10), 7:07, (7:12) and 7:07, (7:11). It was a perfect evening for running with a coolness in the air and a gentle enough breeze here and there, so that definitely contributed to how well the session went. I felt very much in control throughout and the 10 min reps whizzed by. HR came back down nice and quickly during the 4 minute recoveries. A real confidence booster of a run on the heels of Tullamore. 3.5 miles warm-up and 2+ miles cool down made it 11.16 miles for the evening.
Thursday 31st - 7.51 miles easy (9:38/mi). Fighting the fading late evening light for most of this one. Sad to see the evenings closing in earlier and earlier. Battery died in the HR strap, but the watch seemed to hold up well, for once. This rounded August off with 225.2 miles - a new high mark (for now 😉).
Friday 1st Sept - 6.56 miles easy, with strides (9:35/mi). An early morning pre-work one. HR strap back in action with a new battery. The watch GPS had been taking a mile or two to kick in on a few runs this week, most noticeably here. Only copped afterwards. Physio in the afternoon - my left hamstring and quad have been a touch tight lately but she's happy enough that it won't be a showstopper.
Saturday 2nd - 7.57 miles easy (9:17/mi). A run in the sun! Glad I didn't have more to do to be fair, as it was turning into a pretty hot afternoon by the time I finished. HR up a few points on normal, due to the heat, presumably.
Sunday 3rd - 18 miles with 12 moderate. Out reasonably early for this as we had a busy day later. Probably an IPA too many the night before, but not in bad shape. Foggy starting out into the 4 miles easy to begin - I've started to prefer keeping the cool downs to 2 miles or so, so tend to add any extra miles to the warm-up instead. It's working well for now. The fog was lifting and the sun was starting to make an appearance by the time I was into the moderate miles. 8:15 - 8:30 pace for those. Took one or two to get into the rhythm and effort, but felt reasonably comfortable then and started to enjoy the run. Weirdly enough I felt really good on a couple of longer uphill stretches but less so on the flowing downhill parts. I took a Hi-5 gel around mile 8, then a SiS gel at mile 12. First time trying the SiS - not bad at all, and not sticky. I was lucky enough to have the benefit of the shade for large parts of the run, as the sun had come out big time for the final hour or so. No avoiding the sun during the cool down though. Felt like getting sick at one stage - possibly the SiS gel, but more likely the heat. That sensation passed quickly though. The moderate miles all came in within the range (give or take a second) and I was pleased with this run. Took a chance on the Gliderides and I really liked them for this pace - definitely prefer the 3's to the 2's.
58.5 miles for the week. A step-back week coming now with 42 miles or thereabouts. Then it's into the biggest 4 weeks of the block. I'm feeling really good at the moment, and had debated dropping the step-back week and ploughing through, but in the end I decided to stick with the plan and approach that has got me this far. An extra 15 miles this week seems unlikely to move the needle too far in a positive direction.
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I only tried SIS gels last week for first time too and had their caffeine version at weekend. Seemed to go down well anyway for me. I think I prefer them to Maurten now I think of it. some great running in there!
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Yeah I didn't mind the SiS (from the whole one I had). Have a few more in the press so will see how they go. Found them a nice consistency - not too syrupy or sticky. I'm just ordering a box of Maurten here now (€€€😥) so will try them out too. I was really happy with them last time around.
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Week 7/14 (4th-10th Sept) - Step-back week
Monday: 3.2 miles recovery (10:05/mi). Out during a very warm and sunny lunchtime for this. Took it super handy and stuck to the shade where I could.
Tuesday: 5.01 miles easy with strides (9:21/mi). In the office but able to get out at lunchtime as this was shorter than the last few weeks. Pretty hot out again, so stuck to the path along the river towards the city centre for the most part. Absolutely shattered that evening. I often find this on step-back weeks - I'm wrecked for a few days at the start of the week, possibly more that I mentally shut off knowing it's a "easier" week, rather than my body being exhausted.
Wednesday: 10 x 2 min CV, 2 min recoveries. A repeat of a session I'd done at the end of July. Target pace was 6:46 - 6:55. A very warm and sticky evening on what was a long overdue week of lovely weather. Onto the old N8 bypass for these - relatively flat but always a bit of a slope one way or another. I felt really strong and comfortable for all the reps and the 2 minute recovery was plenty each time. Reps came in at 6:36, 6:49, 6:48, 6:50, 6:45, 6:48, 6:48, 6:49, 6:46, 6:44. Very happy with how this went. 8.18 miles for the evening.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 45 mins moderate. We start a touch later of a Friday so it often suits to get in my run before work. Glad I decided on the early start as it was already getting seriously warm by the time I finished up around 8:45. Pretty lumpy route for this, so I tried to work off effort mainly. Still, the 5+ moderate miles all came in within the range. 7.5 miles for the morning.
Saturday: 5.15 miles very easy (9:43/mi). Kept this nice and handy up and down the reasonably shaded Swiss path late Saturday afternoon.
Sunday: 13.21 miles easy (9:17/mi). The sun had gone, but it was a very humid afternoon and this felt like more of a struggle than the longer runs of previous weeks. Probably a mindset thing too - "only 13" so you underestimate it a touch and then it's tougher. Wasn't too bad though. Got a box of Maurten gels during the week so took one of those - I'd forgotten the consistency - love them!
42.2 miles for the week. Next up it's the four biggest weeks of the plan, starting with 59 miles this week.
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A busy couple of weeks to catch up on:
Week 8/14 (Sept 11-17)
Monday - 3.64 miles recovery (9:55/mi). No recollection of this.
Tuesday - 25 mins Threshold. Got this in around UL after work. With college back there was an insane amount of traffic within UL - hopefully just a first week thing. For some reason I found myself consuming a mountain of chicken in KFC at (a late) lunch - definitely not the best idea a couple of hours before a session. I did a chunky 3.5 miles warm-up before getting down to the serious business. The first mile was the toughest as I struggled to hit the pace and the thoughts of another 2+ miles of this felt like a bad joke. But, as things progressed I began to hit my stride and saw out the session comfortably (as comfortably as these things go). Target pace was 7:05-7:15 and reps came in at 7:16, 7:08, 7:08 and 7:00 (0.5mi). A couple miles cooldown brought the days total to 9.19 miles.
Wednesday - 7.25 miles very easy (9:44/mi). A routine enough 70 minute spin around UL and the environs after work.
Thursday - 50 mins moderate. Need to get this in early as I wouldn't have a window later in the day. It was foggy starting out but that soon lifted. 9.56 miles including warm up and cool down.
Friday - 6.84 miles easy (9:40/mi). Don't remember much of this, although apparently it was raining.
Saturday - 19.37 miles Progression. The plan was for 6 easy, 6 moderate, 6 tempo and I pretty much nailed it. Had briefly considered doing the re-arranged Clonmel HM as part of this, but decided against that in the end. The jump in pace felt tough each time, but then more manageable once I settled into the new pace. Bit of wind about too at times if I remember rightly - not too bad but more than enough to make it's presence felt when you're working. The moderate miles came in between 8:18 and 8:28, and the tempo miles came in between 7:30 and 7:36. All within the appropriate ranges, although the tempo were typically at the slower end. As 19 mile runs go, this flew by - really enjoyed it. I knew I was working, but at the same time it never felt too hard or too much.
Sunday - 3.54 miles recovery (10:27/mi). Early morning amble before we jetted off to Spain for a few days (sans kids 😀) to attend a wedding. Passed 1500 miles for the year on this run.
59.4 miles for the week.
Week 9/14 (Sept 18-24)
Monday: "Rest" - Cracking day at the wedding. A particular highlight was a couple of hours in between the ceremony and the reception, which was spent in a little village called Mijas, just sitting out in the sun eating good food and drinking. Bliss.
Tuesday: 7.13 miles very easy (10:03/mi). The (ridiculously ambitious) plan was to get up early and avoid the worst of the heat, but I was severely hungover for most of the day. Had managed to somewhat come round by late afternoon so squeezed this in before night two of the wedding. Given the heat and my condition, this was very much a laboured effort, which took in the promenade over to Torremolinos. Had intended to do another mile but chuffed to manage this much tbh.
Wednesday: 10.07 miles something. It was nudging close to mid-morning by the time I set out for this. The plan had 50 mins tempo and I set off without giving too much thought to it. The two miles warm-up were ok, but once I tried to up the pace I could only reach MP or thereabouts. Settled in at that for a few miles and it felt relativiely comfortable for a while, but after about 30 minutes I just ran out of steam. I think it was a combination of the heat, a couple of days on the beer, and very little in the way of food the previous day. Jogged the last few miles back to the hotel.
Thursday: 6.15 miles easy (9:49/mi). My favourite run of the trip. I just felt much better this morning and found a short section which had a bit of misty sea breeze blowing in. Some positivity after a couple of tough runs.
Friday: 6.61 miles easy with strides (9:27/mi). Back home for this, not a bad afternoon by Irish standards and this was another nice run.
Saturday: 12.23 miles with 9 at moderate. Picked a route that would have me on a nice long gentle drag for the majority of the early moderate miles. I hadn't reckoned on a nasty little headwind/sidewind joining the party for that 4+ mile section. It was tough sledding for a few of those miles and I debated veering off the chosen route to get out of the wind, but stuck it out. I think I did an ok job of hitting the paces without letting the effort climb beyond where it should be.
Sunday: 19.02 miles easy (9:18/mi). I was on hi-vis duty for the local women's mini marathon in the morning. Despite the rain there was an excellent turnout. One I'd dried myself off, there was the North London Derby to watch, before finally I set out for this after 5. Thankfully after the first 10 minutes the rain abated and the weather was not bad at all for the majority of this. Started off a little too hot pace wise, but soon settled into a 9:15/9:25 rhythm and began ticking the miles off. As always, these vanilla long runs seem to be more of a mental challenge compared to a long run with stuff. I took a couple of Maurten 100 gels, a SiS gel, and a Maurten caffeine gel. Had to re-adjust the route on the hoof as darkness started to fall and I headed back towards the bright lights. HR stayed nice and consistent throughout (low 140's), although the last few miles being of a favourable gradient no doubt helped there.
61.2 miles for the week. Happy out with those two weeks all things considered. Slightly annoying not to tick off the 50 mins tempo session, but these things happen - I bounced back well to end the week at least. Another two big weeks before it's time to taper. I must start getting in some of the long runs in early in the morning, just to get the body clock used to that. 63 miles on the cards for the coming week.
Post edited by Mr. Guappa on9 -
Week 10/14 (Sept 25th - Oct 1st)
Monday - 3.34 miles recovery (10:23/mi). This was supposed to be a rest day, but with Storm Agnes forecast for later in the week I decided to bank a few miles. Over to Cashel for this while the eldest had gymnastics - my first time running here and it was a horrible loop. Concrete everywhere. I was surprised to encounter a load of Roman Soldier types getting off a bus - turned out they were filming a movie at The Rock (and at Cahir Castle later in the week).
Tuesday - 10.08 miles, with 6 at moderate. Re-arranging stuff again with Agnes in mind. This felt like a nice, strong run. Had a loop planned but got into a nice rhythm on the old N8 so changed it to an out-and-back. The moderate miles generally came in at the faster end of the range (8:15/mi).
Wednesday - 5.59 miles very easy (9:58/mi). Sat watching Agnes howling all day, and thankfully it eased off a touch in the evening. Still enough of a breeze about that I was glad I didn't have a session. Got in 55 minutes or so around the town.
Thursday - 8.24 miles very easy (9:57/mi). I was supposed to do my threshold session here, but a work meeting dragged on and on and it was late when I got out. Was also wrecked after the meeting so settled for an easy amble around town. This was up at the limits of what distance can be covered in the dark around town without including loops.
Friday - 3 x 12 mins Threshold, off 4 mins. Finally got around to this session. Not ideal doing it on a Friday, but couldn't really be helped. After a chunky warm-up of 4+ miles it was into the Threshold work. The majority of the first two reps were into a stiff little breeze and more uphill than downhill. I turned for the final rep and so conditions were more favourable. By the end of each rep I was really working hard. Target range was 7:05-7:15 and I managed to hit these paces. The just about 1.7 miles for each 12 minute rep came in at 7:09, (7:12); 7:08, (7:06) and 7:11, (7:04). 11.62 miles for the afternoon.
Saturday - 5.3 miles very easy (9:59/mi). A handy afternoon trot to round off September with 239.6 miles - the third month in a row I've hit a new high water mark, although I won't see those levels again for a while as things begin to taper off this month.
Sunday - 19.06 miles with 11 at Tempo (7:25-7:37). Out earlyish on Sunday morning for this as I'm keen to get in a couple of long runs at that time of the day before Dublin, and try out the night before and morning of routine. No problems on that score this time anyway, except the dog helped himself to half of my overnight oats. I started off with 6 miles easy, a lot of which was a gradual ascent, and then it was into the Tempo stuff. It took me half a mile to get tuned into the pace/effort and then I knuckled down to the task at hand. The route featured plenty of long drags, although of course you got that back at some stage too, but the long drags were tough going so I was always glad of the little breather afforded when I hit a bit of friendlier terrain. Towards the end of the Tempo stuff the drags started to take their toll and I had to work mightily hard to stay close to the pace. The two miles cool down were mercifully downhill all the way to the car. Paces were bang on for the most part, with a couple of the later miles slipping outside the range. Not sure I've ever completed a tougher run than this outside of a race - I had to dig in again and again towards the end to see it through - a really pleasing one to have in the bank. I carried 7 gels for this and ended up taking 4, but found it useful to get used to the Flipbelt with that much in it.
63.2 miles for the week. Just the 65 planned for this week before things start to calm down a bit.
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Week 11/14 (Sept 2nd-8th)
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 8.15 miles very easy (9:50/mi). Bit of a wet one around UL after work.
Wedneday - 12.04 miles (2 x 30 mins tempo). Not sure what it was but I absolutely nailed this. Never felt under pressure and could have done another 30 minute rep no bother. It was a very, very wet evening, but a nice kind of rain! Plenty runners about smiling at the absurdity of running around as others took shelter from the conditions. It was nice and cool too, with minimal wind about. The last time I felt this good on a session was the threshold session after Tullamore, which interestingly was the last time I wore the Magic Speeds. Don't love them though, and 12 miles is at the max of what I'd like to do in them. The approx 4 miles for each 30 mins came in at 7:24, 7:25, 7:22, 7:22 and 7:26, 7:28, 7:32, 7:32 so mainly at the faster end of the 7:25-7:37 range.
Thursday - 6.22 miles easy (9:43/mi). Lap of the relatively hilly local loop, with a bit extra tacked on.
Friday - 5.86 miles easy (9:44/mi). Same loop as the day before, minus the extra bit. Physio afterwards - bit of a sore heel on the right foot, same as I had after Limerick but it's not too bad - working on the calves should loosen it out. In pretty good nick overall though.
Saturday - 13.11 miles, with 10 at moderate. Another solid run. Had a nice headwind to contend with for a good chunk of the moderate stuff, and a lot of that was gentle uphill too so I was working reasonably hard at times. I brought no water on this, and didn't give it a second thought, then the next day I'm reaching for the water after 3-4 miles - funny how when you don't have it you don't need it.
Sunday - 20.31 miles easy (9:17/mi). The longest run on the plan. I'd picked out a pretty undulating route for this, with a couple of decent climbs and a very noteworthy hill at 13 miles. I'd debated keeping it to something flatter but wanted a bit of a challenge. Got up a couple of hours early, had some overnight oats and a bagel in preparation. Humidity was pretty high, and I was concious of this - started off at a cautious enough pace but after 3 miles I settled into a rhtyhm and the paces settled at 9:1x and under, save for the big climbing miles. I took a couple of salt sticks during this - think I'll go with those over the electrolyte tabs for Dublin. I got to the big climb and knuckled down and ground my way up there, and happily the HR recovered nice and quickly once over the top. I did manage to whack the big toe on my right foot, not once but twice. The first time on a little branch that was sticking out of the grass verge, and later I somehow manged to flick up a stone with my left foot and volley it with the same big right toe - I really felt that one and was hobbled for a minute or so. Thankfully it seems fine today. The legs were super tired over the closing 5 miles but I was able to keep the pace and effort consistent and saw the run out feeling strong. Really happy with this run.
65.7 miles for the week. I really love the feeling of accomplishment at ticking off long runs and big weeks - it's something I'm really going to miss as the taper begins. So, I'm happy to have made it this far in one piece, but also a bit disappointed that there's no more super long runs (for now). That said, running windows were becoming smaller and smaller with winter approaching and kids activities back, so it's a good time for things to be winding down a touch. Something like 45-48 miles this week - I need to firm up the plan for the next few weeks.
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Week 12/14 (Oct 9th-15th)
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 6.06 miles very easy with strides (9:55/mi). Post work spin around UL. The top corner of my go-to loop has been closed off for the past few weeks, meaning I've had to mix and match the smaller inner loops. It's actually been a welcome distraction on sessions as I've been plotting my next turn on the fly rather than circling continuously. The reason for the temporary loop closure is, rather depressingly, so that they can access and chop down a couple of rows of nice, mature trees to allow for road widening and "enhancements"
Wednesday - 10.15 miles with 3 x 15 mins tempo. Back to the same loops as the day before for this. Each 15 min tempo block would be approx 2 miles (7:25-7:37) with 5 mins recovery jog in between. Wore the Gliderides for this - probably at the limit of what I like them for pace-wise, but grand really. After a 2 mile warm up it was into the work. Defintely felt like I was working a fraction harder than the equivalent session last week, but not struggling by any means. Paces came in at 7:27, 7:27; 7:30, 7:30 and 7:33, 7:29 - so bang on really. Another decent effort in the bag.
Thursday - 6.04 miles easy (9:42/mi). Lunchtime lap of the local loop. Very much on auto-pilot for this.
Friday - 8.05 miles, with 6 at moderate. Quite a cold evening by the time I got out for this, close to 6pm. This was the first week where I felt we were getting close to base layer, hat and gloves weather. Gradual uphill for the majority of the moderate miles, then gentle downhill for the last couple. Ended this run thinking "I'm ready".
Saturday - 3.64 miles recovery (10:04/mi). Up and down the Swiss path.
Sunday - 14.43 miles easy (9:14/mi). Oh what I'd give for a morning like this on the 29th!! Lovely and cold starting off, so much so that I wore a second running t-shirt for the first half of this. Could have done with a pair of gloves too. Not much in the way of wind, and although the sun emerged, it stayed nice and cool for the whole morning. Cruised around for most of this. Delighted to see such fantastic performances in Amsterdam when I finished.
48.4 miles for the week. The recent great showings in Berlin, Chicago and now Amsterdam really sharpen the focus and whet the appetite for Dublin. At the moment I'm slightly nervous of the unknown, given that it's been 4 years since my last marathon. But mainly I'm relaxed and feeling very ready. I've a slight pain in the left shin/calf which is proving slow to shift - it doesn't cause any discomfort when running though, and is maybe a bit better today, so hopefully that clears completely soon. 39 or so miles pencilled in for this week.
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It had all been going so well.... I'd not missed a single run of this plan, until yesterday.
Week 13/14 (Oct 16th-22nd)
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 5.04 miles very easy with strides. Lunchtime spin around UL. The shin/calf discomfort that I mentioned at the end of my previous post was still there, and it nagged at me throughout this run.
Wednesday -
4 x 10 mins Tempo- Rest. When I woke up in the morning the pain was the worst it has been. Thankfully my wife talked me out of the tempo run, and told me book a physio appointment instead. Luckily the physio had a slot for Thursday morning. Still though, Wednesday was bleak - Dr. Google suggested a stress fracture of the tibia was the cause of my discomfort, which would be goodbye to the marathon. Tried my best not to dwell on it anyway, and see what the physio said.Thursday - Long story short, the physio reckons it's most likely an inflammation of the tendon beside the tibia. I've to ice and foam roll the calves, try a short walk over the weekend, and then try a short run next Tuesday or Wednesday. That run will be a go/no-go for Dublin - any pain and I'm out. If it is the tendon, it will be healed by next week and the run will be pain free, but if I do have pain, then it's likely some slight damage on the bone and will require another 3 weeks rest. The physio is optimistic that it is the tendon.
So that's frustrating. Over the past 18 months I've been gradually and sensibly (IMO) working towards this marathon, so for it to be in jeopardy now is maddening. That said, I came to the realisation yesterday that, if needed, I'd happily skip the marathon if it was a choice of letting the injury fully heal vs. chancing it and potentially facing a longer layoff. So, more patience required now and I'll try not to go insane over the next week. Fingers crossed!
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Hopefully it's just the tendon. Having shared a similar recovery period as you I don't think I would have coped well with this turn of events. Fingers crossed for you 🙏
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Sh*te. Hoping for the best outcome A.
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