GoHardOrGoHome 2: Go Harder

GoHardOrGoHome · 09-11-2010 11:45am #1

I started a log last year and it was dreadful. It lasted about a week. Hopefully having this log will pressure me into logging training sessions and keeping track of weekly/monthly mileage and performance improvements(!).

I had a pretty good hill running season this year and improved my position in IMRA hill races and in the multi-sport races around such as the Wicklow Adventure Race and Gaelforce compared to 2009. So I was pretty happy overall, but to see improvements next year I'm going to have to train smarter and a lot harder.

So the aim is to develop a training plan and to follow it. I will likely make mistakes in this process but hey! that's okay!

I hope to run 6/7 days a week even if it's just 15/20 minutes on a rest day. I haven't done any consistent speedwork/intervals etc. It's almost exclusively been easy running. In the latter half of the hill running season I went to some Lydiard-style hill training sessions in Kilmashogue with Rene Borg (www.mountain-runner.com) and I believe they really improved my climbing power and also leg turnover on descents. I went to these once a week at most. According to Lydiard I can do up to three of these sessions a week. I've ordered Healthy Intelligent Training from Amazon so that should arrive in the next few days. This explains Lydiard's training methods.

I hope to set PBs at all distances next year though road running results are more to show proof of improvements gained from the training rather than the objective itself. IMRA races are the main goal for next year with Snowdon in particular being an A-category race. I would like to start hitting top ten placings for the Leinster League (Wednesday night races).

I think I raced too much this year and didn't train enough although I had great fun doing it.

Race less, train more.

GoHardOrGoHome · 09-11-2010 2:14pm

Current PBs are:

Distance|Time|Place
5k|18:58|2010 Le Chéile 5k|
5 mile|33:21|2008 Adidas 5 mile|
10k|40:08|2010 Kildare town |
10 mile|70:29|2008 Adidas 10 mile|
Half mara|87:05|2009 Adidas Half|
Marathon|3:29:50|2007 Dublin|

Did 33:31 for the 5 mile in 2009

Possible PBs kinda just plucked out of thin air would be:

Distance|Goal
5k|17:30
5 mile|30:00
10k|38:00
10 mile|65:00
Half mara|83:00
Marathon|3:10:00

closer to 3 would be nice for the marathon!

After putting down those goals I checked what McMillan thought of them using a 17:30 5k as seed data. The only one that is way out of whack is the marathon. McMillan reckons a 17:30 5k is "equivalent" to a 2:50:36 marathon. I know, I know, pinch of salt and all that. Oh and the projected 10 mile time is 60:55 which is a lot faster than my goal of 65 minutes.

I may not race all those distances next year but if I do I would be hoping to at least approach those goals.

I was a bit shocked to realise it had been 3 years since I had raced a marathon. I expect to do reasonably high mileage (for me) which would probably only be about 50 miles per week (I realise 50 miles is considered to be a pretty light workload to the advanced marathoners in our midst). I will have to build up to this. I'm very inconsistent at the moment. I might only do one or two runs a week and not very far at that. So if I do manage to get to 50 mpw then that will be a great base to tag on some marathon specific training runs in preparation for either Berlin or Dublin. If I race Berlin it would be great to pace Dublin. I had lots of fun pacing the 2 hour group in the Strawberry Half marathon in Enniscorthy this year.

I plan on reading the 3 hour support thread

GoHardOrGoHome · 09-11-2010 2:15pm

What's wrong with my tables?!

Fixed! Thanks Raycun.

RayCun · 09-11-2010 2:25pm

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

What's wrong with my tables?!

The opening tag in my table is
table="head;width=70%"
you don't have thos double quotes

I always find it easiest to copy a working table from somewhere else and replace the data...

donothoponpop · 09-11-2010 5:18pm

Best of luck GHOGH, you had phenomenal progress last season, it will be interesting to see what you can do with dedicated training.

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

I hope to set PBs at all distances next year though road running results are more to show proof of improvements gained from the training rather than the objective itself. IMRA races are the main goal for next year with Snowdon in particular being an A-category race. I would like to start hitting top ten placings for the Leinster League (Wednesday night races).

Keep your calender clean around the middle of June also:)

Slogger Jogger · 09-11-2010 9:51pm

Best of luck with the log Eamonn. You are probably setting your targets a trifle low, but hey beat them and you can stretch further. You're improved considerably this year on the back of a lot of easy runs, so you can go a lot further with some more structure to your training.

GoHardOrGoHome · 09-11-2010 11:33pm

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Best of luck with the log Eamonn. You are probably setting your targets a trifle low, but hey beat them and you can stretch further. You're improved considerably this year on the back of a lot of easy runs, so you can go a lot further with some more structure to your training.

I don't think so SJ, but I'm glad you disagree

. They're not hard targets that once I hit I'll retire. They're more just targets which will hopefully fall and prove that I'm improving. Rene commented on a good article where you don't train for a specific time, you base your targets on what your training times suggest you can achieve. So don't go out and run four six-minute miles, go out and run four miles at 90% effort. If that takes 6:15 that's fine, if you manage 5:50 then that's good too.

@Donothoponpop - as long as the Wicklow Way Relay doesn't fall on the same weekend as the Euro trial. Seeing as I'm on the committee this year I can make a spirited case to keep them separate!

The Euro trial is used (obviously) to pick the Irish team for the European champs but it is also used to pick the Irish team for Snowdon. I want to gauge my performance against people like Jason Kehoe and the Healy brothers and that way I can attempt to race Snowdon at the correct pace.

GoHardOrGoHome · 09-11-2010 11:58pm

2010-11-06 Saturday Powerscourt Ridge Race (approx 16k/10 miles)

Kept within 10/20 seconds of Slogger Jogger for most of the race but coming off Djouce Greg Byrne and SJ extended their lead gradually and finished two minutes ahead of me. Amidou also caught me but he's a great descdender and now he's learning to climb!

For all that I didn't think I had over extended myself but I was quite stiff on Sunday and Monday.

2010-11-07 Sunday Rest

Watched some friends take part in the Alive Outside duathlon in the park. Great craic but I made the right decision not to race. Just jogging from the carpark to the various spectator points was tough!

2010-11-08 Monday 7.3k easy (VFFs)

Nice easy jog in the evening with housemate and JeffOnTour. Did around 7.3k in the Vibram Five Fingers. Too dark to run inside Bushy park so ran on more path and road than I was expecting. I was expecting the calves to feel sore the next day but they were actually grand. Maybe I'm getting used to the VFFs?!

7.3k
Week to date 7.3k

2010-11-09 Tuesday Intervals with Rathfarnam

Went along to a Rathfarnam session which was very good. 8 x 1K with 2 minutes recovery.

1st 3:47
2nd 3:43
3rd 3:43
4th 3:40
5th 3:35
6th 3:43
7th 3:35
8th 3:36

Breathing was tough on the last half of the last K (in particular). Think I could have done another two reps at that speed. Not sure if that is desirable or not. Should I do the eight reps but try to run faster or run at that pace for 10 reps? Hopefully Lydiard will have all the answers (still waiting on my Healthy Intelligent Training book by Keith Livingstone - here)

Total - 8x1K plus 1k warmdown. No warm up :eek:
9k
Week to date 16.3K

dapope · 10-11-2010 10:35am

Agree with SJ. Your PBs are conservative Eamo. Especially the 10k and Marathon.

Your 3:10:00 target for the Marathon screams:
"I'm gonna have a crack at sub 3"

Your well capable of it!. Nothing wrong with 50 miles a week. Have a read of
Jack Daniels Running Formula.

Best of luck!

"+ Follow Thread"

Krusty_Clown · 10-11-2010 11:15am

Look forward to tracking your progress Eamonn. Expecting great things this year, and not those soft targets ya have posted.

If you can achieve an 83 minute 1/2 marathon, I'd certainly be aiming for a sub-3 marathon, but maybe you just have commitment issues.

GoHardOrGoHome · 11-11-2010 1:01am

Aw shucks lads!

Great to see the encouragement.

GoHardOrGoHome · 11-11-2010 1:07am

2010-11-10 Wednesday Medium Hill Run Ticknock

Had in my head to do around 40/45 minutes up around Ticknock/Fairy Castle. Ended up going over to the Tibradden carpark and back. Only 14k(ish) but it took us 1h40. JeffOnTour, Stark and Zoran.

Diet was pathetic today - no breakfast, meagre bagel at lunch and two mandarins before heading out the door for the run.

We ran at what I know to be an easy pace but I felt tired during it. Mostly because of the food but probably a bit because of the Rathfarnam session last night. Glad I didn't do 10x1K reps last night.

Running streak = 3 days.
14K hilly
Week to date - 25.3K

GoHardOrGoHome · 11-11-2010 1:09am

Healthy Intelligent Training arrived today. Some swotting to do now.

GoHardOrGoHome · 13-11-2010 2:03am

2010-11-11 Thursday 9k easy

Easy jog on the streets of Dublin. Merrion Square, Stephen's Green were both closed so just ran along the canal a bit.

Swim

200m fc
200m bs
50/50/50/50 fc bs fc bs
100/100 fc bs
50/50/50/50 bs fc bs fc

Total: 1000m

2010-11-12 Friday 8.7k easy

It had gone past 11pm but I promised I would run every day this week and it was my own fault for not finding the time earlier in the day.

Also mountain biking for three hours - easy pace.

8.7k in 44 minutes. Avg page 5:06 minute/k

Running streak = 5 days!
Week to date = 43 km

GoHardOrGoHome · 13-11-2010 4:44pm

dapope wrote: »

Your well capable of it!. Nothing wrong with 50 miles a week. Have a read of
Jack Daniels Running Formula.

Best of luck!

"+ Follow Thread"

Thanks DaPope I had actually ordered it before you said that. Damn Amazon and their suggestions. "Readers who purchased Healthy Intelligent Training also purchased Daniel's running formula". So I did too! Haven't opened the book yet mind you!

GoHardOrGoHome · 14-11-2010 3:51pm

2010-11-13 Saturday 8k easy in Carton

Met up with two friends and went for a chatty loop around Carton. Felt a bit tired going up the little hills in Carton but was relieved to feel full of energy on the flat.

8k in 44 minutes so an average of 5:30 per K.

8K

Running streak = 6 days!
Week to date: 51K

figs · 14-11-2010 4:09pm

Look forward to reading this log GHOGH. Your PB's are similar enough to mine (give or take), and targets pretty much in line too... except the marathon time! As previously menntioned, you're way too slow if you're running an 83min HM.

I ran sub-89 HM this year, and marathoned in just under 3:05. I'd be hoping for a sub-85 HM and sub-3 this year, targeting Dublin HM and DCM 11.

Good luck with the training.

GoHardOrGoHome · 14-11-2010 10:59pm

figs wrote: »

Look forward to reading this log GHOGH. Your PB's are similar enough to mine (give or take), and targets pretty much in line too... except the marathon time! As previously menntioned, you're way too slow if you're running an 83min HM.

I ran sub-89 HM this year, and marathoned in just under 3:05. I'd be hoping for a sub-85 HM and sub-3 this year, targeting Dublin HM and DCM 11.

Good luck with the training.

Good stuff figs. Good to have a few people all going for similar goals. You, me, Macanri and Cunvalos.

I didn't think long and hard about the targets so they're not all in line. The 83 minute half marathon is a bit mad alright. I know a couple of guys who did 84 in Enniscorthy Half Marathon so that's where that target came from. My PB is 87 and that was a race where everything went perfectly.

That's a great marathon time. Sub 3 no bother to ya!

GoHardOrGoHome · 14-11-2010 11:26pm

2010-11-14 Sunday Measly 4k!

Original plan was to join LeCheile and JB-Ski for an Art O'Neill for a long run along part of the Art O'Neill route. Was at a friend's 30th birthday so that was a late night. Got back and went for a 4k run just to do something! 19 minutes. Pace: 4:45/k

Cycled about 30/35k as well.

Running streak: 7 days
Week to date: 55k
Week to date: 60k (not so bad for a first week!)

GoHardOrGoHome · 15-11-2010 3:46pm

Weekly Summary 2010-11-08 to 2010-11-14

Day|Distance (K)|Pace
Monday|7.3|easy|
Tuesday|9.0|intervals|
Wednesday|14.0|hilly, slow|
Thursday|9.0|easy|
Friday|8.7|easy 5:05|
Saturday|8.0|5:30|
Sunday|4.0|4:45|
Total|60

Cross training

Day|Activity|Distance|Time
Monday|
Tuesday|
Wednesday|
Thursday|Swimming|1000m|1hr|
Friday|Mountain biking|?|3 hours|
Saturday|
Sunday|Cycling|35k|1h 35
Total|||5h 35

GoHardOrGoHome · 16-11-2010 1:55am

2010-11-15 Monday 20.8k split over three runs.

6.2K in the morning @5:37
6.6K in the evening @5:37
8.0K later on with a couple of friends. @5:59

Week to date: 20.8K

donothoponpop · 16-11-2010 9:28am

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

2010-11-15 Monday 20.8k split over three runs.

6.2K in the morning @5:37
6.6K in the evening @5:37
8.0K later on with a couple of friends. @5:59

Week to date: 20.8K

Doing triples in November?!?:eek: The Winter League will be very interesting!

GoHardOrGoHome · 16-11-2010 1:25pm

The first two were a commute with a backpack of clothes. The third was more of a chat with friends but we happened to be running at the time!

At the moment I'm playing around with runs and seeing how I feel. Rene has suggested using from now until Christmas as kind of experimental. See what works for me. Do I get very tired after intervals and need a full days rest afterwards or am I quite happy to run the next day.

Going to a lecture this evening so may have to shift the club intervals I was looking forward to and do my own. Hmmm.

jeffontour · 16-11-2010 4:51pm

Frankly this makes for disgusting reading. How am I supposed to use you as a gauge for my times if you persist with this ridiculously consistent training? My haphazard, over drinking and eating interrupted training approach will only see me lose more ground on you.

Next time you're out in your VFFs I reckon I will have to nobble you by stepping accidentally on your toes!

GoHardOrGoHome · 17-11-2010 1:51am

2010-11-16 Tuesday Intervals with Rathfarnam 8*1K

Warmed up by jogging to Nutgrove park and doing a couple of laps nice and easy. 8 * 1K intervals. I wasn't sure how I would feel at this session coming off (for me) a week of good running. Most of my runs have been nice and easy so I was hoping I wouldn't have any ill effects. And I didn't! The pace was a couple of seconds quicker (at the top of the group) than last week and I had to check my watch to see that I was indeed running at similar speeds to last week. A lot more people there tonight.

On rep 6 I wasn't paying attention and the group went off (early I thought!) so I followed them 5 seconds later. 5 seconds is a long time! I went at what I thought was the same pace as I had the other intervals but it ended up being 3:53 rather than 3:43. I was 10 seconds slower when I ran on my own compared to running in a group. Mentally I thought I was going at the same effort level but I was going a lot easier. Much easier (mentally) to latch onto the group and stick with them. The wind may have had a slight effect too.

1st 3:53
2nd 3:46
3rd 3:43
4th 3:44
5th 3:45
6th 3:59
7th -- messed up the Garmin (around 3:50)
8th 3:49

Warm up of 6.3K @ 5:03
Warm down of 3k @ 5:16

Total for the day of 17.3K
Week to date 38.1K
Running streak = 9 days!

GoHardOrGoHome · 17-11-2010 1:56am

jeffontour wrote: »

Frankly this makes for disgusting reading. How am I supposed to use you as a gauge for my times if you persist with this ridiculously consistent training? My haphazard, over drinking and eating interrupted training approach will only see me lose more ground on you.

Next time you're out in your VFFs I reckon I will have to nobble you by stepping accidentally on your toes!

Mwuaah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa! It's early days yet and I've had bouts of enthusiasm which have gone nowhere so hopefully I can maintain this level of consistency if only to pull rank if we argue over who's the hottest in the Apprentice.

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

Going to a lecture this evening so may have to shift the club intervals I was looking forward to and do my own. Hmmm.

CSS3 and HTML5 lecture was booked out so went to Rathfarnam.

Must book a sports massage to make sure nothing's going terribly wrong with my legs. I feel fine but good to get any knots worked out early rather than when they become a problem.

nerraw1111 · 17-11-2010 1:27pm

Best of luck with the training. Will be reading this log with interest. You have similar goals to myself and background. I also spent this year running IMRA races and multi sports.

I agree with jeffontour that this makes for disgusting reading

I'm no expert but I reckon you should smash those PB targets given your current training

GoHardOrGoHome · 18-11-2010 1:42pm

2010-11-17 Wednesday around 9.5k

Ran into Middle Abbey street for the talk about the Art O'Neill challenge led by Enduro and Ezikel?! 4.8k.
Ran back 4.7k (slightly different route).

4.8k @ 4:32/K (clock stopped at lights etc, so I got a rest)
4.7K @ 4:45

Total for the day 9.5
Week to date 47.6
Running streak = 10 days!

GoHardOrGoHome · 19-11-2010 1:06am

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Best of luck with the training. Will be reading this log with interest. You have similar goals to myself and background. I also spent this year running IMRA races and multi sports.

I agree with jeffontour that this makes for disgusting reading

I'm no expert but I reckon you should smash those PB targets given your current training

Thanks Warren, good to have people aiming for the same goals! We can egg each other on. See you at the IMRA winter league. I may not do all five races but I'll do some of them.

GoHardOrGoHome · 19-11-2010 1:12am

2010-11-18 Thursday - 3 runs - 19.9K

Commute in and out was
6.1K @ 6:00/K (I had a backpack on)
6.0K @ 5:28/K

Hilly run before IMRA committee meeting from Lamb Doyles up to Three Rock and back down with Dunebuggy and Stark. 7.8K @ 6:07/K

Total for day: 19.9K
Week to date: 67.5K
Running streak: 11 days! (I'm going to keep putting in that exclamation mark when it's a personal record. If I miss a day and have to start over I'll leave out the exclamation mark!

GoHardOrGoHome · 20-11-2010 12:26pm

2010-11-19 Friday Three runs - 19k

Ran around 5.5k into college to do a weights session. Second half of an induction followed by the session. I feel like I don't belong in there. I reckon I'm the only guy in there who doesn't want to get bigger. Ideally I'd like to gain 2kg of muscle and lose 2kg of fat. Judging by those dodgy weighing scales that claim to measure your fat content I'm 13% at the moment. That's an improvement from 16% last year when it was more reliably done by Bernard Donne in Trinity with calipers. Still I'd like to be closer to 10%. I'm not going to get hung up on the idea and I *love* my full fat milk (none of that grey-water muck they call Slimline "milk") but I reckon it's a good idea to reduce it a bit and I reckon I have a fairly weak core so I'm going to improve on that.

Felt a bit tired to go for a swim afterwards so got some food in a cafe and jogged home. Another 5.5k.

Jeffontour was wondering if I wanted to knock out a handy 10k at 6:00 pace but I reckoned it would be pushing it a bit much so I said I'd give it a miss. He insisted so I went out in my Nike Zoom Vomero 3s (which are super comfy) with the proviso that I might back out after4/5k but I felt great so I did 8k.

Total for the day 19k
Week to date 86.5k
Running streak = 12 days!

GoHardOrGoHome · 24-11-2010 1:01am

2011-10-20 Saturday 12.7k

Jogged from Terenure out to Marley Park and back by Dundrum to make 12.7. Added in just a couple of fartlekky type sections but not enough to call it a quality session. Surprised to actually fell the quads a bit tight later that evening. Didn't stay though. Woke up fresh on Sunday.

Total for the day 12.7k
Week to date 98.2k
Running streak = 13 days!

2011-10-21 Sunday 5 miserable K

Had a busy day so kept putting off my long run which should have been around 20k or 2 hours. It got too late and all I was bothered doing that late at night was 5k. Still, I kept my streak going. It was never in doubt that I was going to run it was just a matter of how far.

Total for the day 5k
Week to date 103.2k
Running streak = 14 days!

GoHardOrGoHome · 25-11-2010 12:37am

Very happy to hit 100k. I had lost track of the weekly total and I thought I had come to around 98k but having just come back to this log I see I got to 103k. Sweet! Definitely a record for me.

I also had a weights induction and my first weights session on Friday which included (if I can remember them)
lat raises
lat pulldown
bench press (2 dumbells)
bicep curl
ab crunch thing (can't remember what it's called)
tricep pulldown?
side bend with a kettle bell
back extension (on the Swiss ball)

She gave me a couple of machine weights for my legs but I don't think she realises I'm running 7 days a week. Don't really want to fatigue my legs with non-running-specific exercise. I'd prefer to do hill bounding.

The abs exercise was fairly tough to complete but it was nothing compared to the pain I endured on Saturday, Sunday and to a lesser extent Monday. By Tuesday the tenderness had subsided. Until then I felt that somebody had expertly beaten me up. Unbelievable pain. Shows what a weak core I have. Reckon this will stand to me. Going to head to the gym twice per week until Christmas and see if I can handle 3 days and also change the routine around.

2 hours mountain biking on Friday. Not a huge amount of cross training this week.

GoHardOrGoHome · 25-11-2010 12:48am

Weekly Summary 2010-11-15 to 2010-11-21

Day|Distance (K)|Pace
Monday|20.8|easy|
Tuesday|17.3|8k intervals, the rest easy|
Wednesday|9.5|easy|
Thursday|19.9|12 easy, 8 hilly|
Friday|19|easy|
Saturday|12.7|easy/fartlek|
Sunday|5|easy|
Total|103.2

Cross training

Day|Activity|Distance|Time
Monday|
Tuesday|
Wednesday|
Thursday|
Friday|Mountain biking|?|2 hours|
Friday|Gym/Weights||1 hour|
Saturday|
Sunday|
Total|||3 hours|

GoHardOrGoHome · 25-11-2010 1:03am

2011-10-22 Monday 9k

9k with JeffOnTour. Easy

Total for the day 9k
Week to date 9k
Running streak = 15 days!

2011-10-23 Tuesday 11k

Missed Rathfarnam interval session so took the opportunity to show a couple of friends the idea behind intervals. Did four intervals at an appropriate pace for them and did one last one faster on my own. 3:27 for the faster one. Don't think I could hold that for four reps let alone eight. Might try to push 3:35 next time instead of 3:40/3:42/3:44. That will be hard.

With warmup and warm down the total was 11k

Total for the day 11k
Week to date 20k
Running streak = 16 days!

2011-10-24 Wednesday 15.3k

6k commute followed by longer 9.3k circuitous commute home.

Gym session - 1 hour-ish.

Total for the day 15.3k
Week to date 35.3k
Running streak = 17 days!

Slogger Jogger · 25-11-2010 9:00pm

You're flying Eamonn. Keep it up. Easy on the running streak stuff. Might be more preferable to take a rest day if you're tired than risking burning the candle at both ends.

GoHardOrGoHome · 02-12-2010 8:21pm

2011-10-25 Thursday 11.4

11.4 @5:17/k felt bored. Into town and back home

Had a massage tonight. Excellent!

2011-10-26 Friday 16.4

Super 16.4k run with Jeff. Started slow but we both felt nice and quick. @4:47/k pace. Last 7k were @4:32/k

2011-10-27 Saturday 4.4k

The bare minimum. Headed into town for friend's 30th so the lads had to wait for me to squeeze in my run. 4.4k @5:27/k

2011-10-28 Sunday 11.6

11.6 @ 5:50/k. Up to Marley park and back.

GoHardOrGoHome · 02-12-2010 8:30pm

GoHardOrGoHome · 02-12-2010 8:37pm

2011-10-29 Monday 4.05 @5:05/k

Bare minimum. Running as a commute is a great way to build mileage easily.

2011-10-30 Tuesday 4:03 @5:37/k

4k local loop.

2011-11-01 Wednesday 19.25 @6:24/k

Headed out to Ticknock/Three Rock in all my gear. Took me 1h03 to summit Three Rock. Had to walk all the way up the Boneshaker. Should have just gone up the road. I could have run that route. Who would have thought that light pollution could be so beautiful up there. Thought my descent would take about 40 but it actually took 59 minutes. I was getting tired I suppose and I wasn't able to leg it down the descents. Had to be careful.

Listened to All Day - new Girl Talk album. Great running music.

2011-11-02 Thursday 6.2@ 5:41/k

Just ran around Bushy park for a while in a blizzard. The hill was packed with kids - 150/200 probably. All with sleds. Nice to see!

Running Streak is now 25 days!

GoHardOrGoHome · 02-12-2010 11:08pm

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

You're flying Eamonn. Keep it up. Easy on the running streak stuff. Might be more preferable to take a rest day if you're tired than risking burning the candle at both ends.

Rene had a good article about being doing doubles for the sake of it and doing running streaks for the sake of it. High mileage is vital to improvement but running every day isn't. However the whole streak thing is incredibly motivating and usually when I feel tired before a run it's actually just laziness. When I actually get out there I feel great. If I'm actually sick or run down I won't go out and do a run even if it's only 20 minutes. No Ron Hill running on a broken leg for me.

Almost all my runs have been easy pace: between 5:00/k and 6:00/k. Intervals are obviously quicker, that one tempo I did with Jeff was around 4:30 pace towards the end but felt easy but everything is going to plan. I'll introduce a couple of quality sessions and see how the body responds. Real/structured training starts on 2nd of January with a long run.

I'm going skiing on the 12th of January. So that will be a challenge to the streak. Then again I love running in the snow!

GoHardOrGoHome · 19-09-2011 11:26pm

Possible revival of this log to shame myself into doing some training.

Just saw a thread I posted a year ago of a 100k week. Circumstances were slightly different and I had a bit more time but this is ridiculous.

Saturday before last I did Achill Roar which was grand. Legs were sore from the cycling though. Took it fairly easy on the run. I was caught by too many cyclists even though I was working well with Nerraw1111.

Went for a 30 minute run on Tuesday, 30 minute lunch time run on Friday and a 35 minute run on Saturday. Pretty pathetic.

On the good side I did three strength sessions spurred on by T Runners excellent challenge thread and discussion thread. (I'll post links later).

GoHardOrGoHome · 19-09-2011 11:30pm

Good first day to the week even though I skipped my planned lunchtime run.

50 minutes run around Bushy park - easy pace. Also did my usual strength routine of the plank (four variations) and the Myrtl routine (explanation to follow).

Going to do the Powerscourt Wicklow Adventure Race this Saturday which will be one of the last races I do this year.

Need to get some solid training done over the winter.

Will hopefully turn up to a few cross country novice races which I've never done before. I'm not targeting these particularly I just think it's probably a good idea to put myself under some race pressure. Too often in IMRA races I find myself running alone and not under any pressure to speed up. (Would also help if I had the training to allow myself to speed up).

RacoonQueen · 19-09-2011 11:37pm

I give you three weeks! :pac:

Any plans for next year yet?

GoHardOrGoHome · 20-09-2011 12:11am

Jeez! I'd take three solid weeks of training. I'm going for one week at a time!

No one focus for next year. I reckon if I get solid consistent training over winter then I can focus on particular events later on in the year. So in February I can prepare a list of one or two A races to work towards and a couple of lesser B races.

If the summer goes well I might tag on a Dublin marathon with 6/8 weeks of focussed training. (This is assuming I'm doing relatively high mileage year round - says the guy who can't remember the last time he ran for an hour).

GoHardOrGoHome · 20-09-2011 10:14pm

50 minute run in Bushy today. Not easy pace. Medium pace?!

Also 15 minutes of core work. Felt good.

Going well so far!

Slogger Jogger · 20-09-2011 10:20pm

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

50 minute run in Bushy today. Not easy pace. Medium pace?!

Also 15 minutes of core work. Felt good.

Going well so far!

Welcome back to the training log zone

Do you wear a garmin Eamonn? What pace is medium? Whats your easy?

See ya on Saturday. I'll be marshalling on the Sugarloaf.

GoHardOrGoHome · 21-09-2011 11:03pm

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Welcome back to the training log zone Do you wear a garmin Eamonn? What pace is medium? Whats your easy?

See ya on Saturday. I'll be marshalling on the Sugarloaf.

Hopefully I'll stay here longer than the last time.

My Garmin is faulty. I'm sending it back to get a replacement at a cost of approximately 50 sterling which is not bad.

Easy is quite slow. Slower than 8 minute miles or 5 minute Ks. I reckon 5:30 per K. I'm often running with somebody else so this dictates the pace.

I was probably doing 4:30s on my medium pace. Don't know what that corresponds to in your olde worlde measurements!

I'll get the Garmin back and keep an eye on the pace. When I was following Rene's plan it had a gradual progression to doing your longish aerobic runs quicker and quicker as you got fitter so that it still felt easy. You weren't artificially keeping yourself slow. After a month or so of consistent training running 4:50 Ks seemed as easy as running 5:00 Ks did before the improvement in fitness.

No run for me today unfortunately, work and life got in the way. Might just make time for a quick core session.

Great! See you on Saturday! I'll attempt to bring a smile!

GoHardOrGoHome · 22-09-2011 3:05pm

Any boardsies doing WAR Powerscourt? Couldn't find an event thread. There's probably an amalgamated super WAR thread covering the different races but I hate the search function in Boards. Very hit or miss.

I have no clue going into this race. Hopefully take it easy as much as I can because the last cycle is going to be tough for me. Especially seeing as there's no Nerraw to work with me!

GoHardOrGoHome · 22-09-2011 11:28pm

Only really posting to try to keep the habit of checking in here.

Didn't get to go to Rene's cross country running session due to work pressure. Hopefully it's only temporary.

In other news I'm reading a book called Getting Things Done which should help me fit in training with personal and work life. It's pretty good!

I did get a good 15 minute core/strength session in. Not sure how to measure the effects. May only see a result when I do a half marathon.

GoHardOrGoHome · 25-09-2011 11:40pm

Just 5 minutes of core work today. Knackered.

Absolutely gorgeous route for Powerscourt WAR on Saturday. Just felt slow from the start. Wasn't flying but was okay until Maulin came along and I couldn't get going. I couldn't even let the legs go downhill. That was very, very slow. One of those races that I just wanted to end. I'm not normally like that. Prep for the race wasn't great and I had a bit of sleep deficit in the week leading up to it. Would love to do it next year and take 30/40 minutes off it. Then I'd be approaching the level of the leading ladies.

Came in just under 4 hours.

GoHardOrGoHome · 28-09-2011 12:02am

Monday: 30 minute run (approx 6k)

10 minutes of core/strength.

Tuesday 30 minute run (approx 6k)

10 minutes of core/strength.

Had a great massage this evening. I was whimpering when she worked on my left IT band. Aiming to get a massage every fortnight. Not that I'm doing any mileage to justify it!

GoHardOrGoHome 2: Go Harder

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