Becoming a Real Runner

4.8 miles @9'08 pace
Around the local roads up home. Made a bit of a balls of the route as I ended up going 1 mile straight up a dual carriageway and there wasn't a hard shoulder :eek:. Also wore my new Brooks, green silence Racers. They feel very nice I have to say, though maybe half a size too big...

Heading up to Belfast tomorrow to help Oisin1178 and Aimman out in the 24 hour race. Keep an eye out on BBC1NI tomorrow evening, I have a funny feeling that newsline might have some live coverage of the start at 6.45pm (I remember them doing so last year).

Hopefully I'll be able to clock up a good few miles on the track between friday and saturday- there won't be much else to do!

WTD 4 Runs 44.8 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|19/21|187.6
Total|165/202|1451.1

I've been up at the 24 hr Race in Belfast since early friday to help out. So Haven't been able to update this:
Friday 22nd July
7.1 miles @ 8'50 pace (137). Got out for a quick hours run just as the boys got started on their 24 hours of runnin around a track. The officials had said that no supporters were allowed on the track so I headed out on the roads and went down as far as my old Universtiy and back.

I spent the rest of the evening/night, running around helping the runners on the track I was Officially supposed to be helping Oisin11178, but he wasn't stopping and never needed anything so I helped others instead.At 2am I got roped into lap counting (basically marking off runners laps as they crossed the start/finish line) for a few hpurs. Eventually got to bed at 5am for 2 hours sleep.

Saturday 23rd July Got up early and looked for a mcdonalds. Oisin11178 had requested a big mac meal for breakfast!!. After half an hour eventually got a drive thru but they weren't serving bigmacs till 10.30am :mad: Oisin had to settle for a bacon sandwhich meal instead. I spent the day helpign out whatever way I could. Ran lots of laps with several different runners (officials had slackened their stance from yesterday) and hat chats with everyone. I spent most of the day near the computer logging the chips as the runners crossed the line so I ended up running about providing info to all the runners on their progress. The sun was very strong all day and I got completely burnt. After Oisin crossed the 100 miles he basically stopped so I ended up coaxing a few of the other runners over the last few hours as they reached their goal. Specifically Paddy quinn and Graeme Culhoune. Graeme was waning all day but I noticed he had 31 laps (about 12k) to do with 1.5 hour remaining. I set him a goal for every lap and met him with 100m to go each time with an update. that kept him going without stops and eventually he was the last person to 100 miles (17 in total made it) with 15 minutes to spare!!

I'd say i covered about 20-25 miles total for the day, but for the purposes of this log, I'll only count the laps I ran with the runners and give myself a conservative 6 miles for the day.

Left Belfast just after 7pm and headed back to Dublin. i found myself nearly sleeping at the wheel so i had to stop several times and eventually made it home for 10pm. I had myself my first decent meal in 2 days and got to bed at midnight ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Sunday 24th July
I was going to do the Parkwest 10k today. Given how tired I was last night I decided not to set an alarm and go to the race if I awoke on time. (the race started at 11am and starts 100m from my appartment). I woke up at 12.15, so no race . Glad I didn't now as I went out this afternoon for 10 miles and I have to say it was the worst run I have had in years. No energy, no pace, everything was a slog. I couldn't even break a 9 minute mile, so I had no chance of a 10k PB today. Glad I didn't run it as I would have either had a poor time and got down on myself or else injured myself.

10.1 miles @ 9'09 pace (HR 142)

Weekly total 7 days Running 68 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|22/24|210.8
Total|168/205|1474.3

Thats now 17 days in a row of running :cool:

Met up with Mr slow this morning to get my midweeks, medium long run out of the way. Felt very sluggish again to start but picked up a bit. Overall much better than yesterday but it is still feeling a bit too much like hard work.

14 miles @8'30 pace (144).


WTD 1 Run 14 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|23/25|224.8
Total|169/206|1488.3

AM
4.5 miles handy to get the legs moving. The HR (147) seems too high for the pace (8'26). It was very warm though

PM
1 mile warm up, a few strides on the track and into the race. I put myself into the open sub 6 category along with Raycun. Wore my new Brooks Green silence racers for the first time, did not want to get caught with having to wear the lunarglides like the last time. The Legs felt much better than the tallaght mile race (5'56) immediately. The shoes felt much lighter. A lot of jostling in the first lap but I soon found a place mid pack (about 7th out of 16 starters) and settled into a nice rythm. Pretty uneventful after that, I had to pass a runner at the start of the second lap because I was following him and I realised he was going too slow. The next group in front were always a little out of reach. I held my position until the final lap when I looked back and saw a guy in black about 20m back, I though it was Raycun!! I planned to keep a little for a sprint finish. 200 to go and I looked back again- he was closing! Coming around the final bend and he just passed me and I realised it wasn't Ray at all so I let him go, I was mentally already happy enough with the performance.

Result 1 miles in 5'43 laps: 81, 85, 88, 85. Felt much better tan the last mile race and almost 15 seconds faster. I think I have a sub 5'40 there if I was pushed and it was a goal race.

0.5 mile cool down after the race make 7 miles for the day

WTD 3 days running Run 26.6 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|25/27|237.4
Total|171/208|1500.9

I always dread these runs and this was no different.

I did this around Tymon Park and the plan was to do the tempo miles in and around 6'50 pace. After a 2 mile warm up (8'50 pace) I launched into the tempo miles. The first little part was downhill, still i felt I was going too slow so I had a glance of the watch and say 6'10 pace :eek: Slowed down a bit but the first mile was still too fast. I though I'd pay for it, but never did. I felt very comfortable throughout, even on the uphill sections where I would normally be seeing 7'1x I was seeing 6'5x.
In the end I did the 4 miles Tempo in 26'48 (6'42 pace) Splits were: 6'37 (156hr), 6'49 (170), 6'38'(170), 6'44 (172).
1.1 mile cool down at 8'10ish pace (felt more like 10 minute mile pace).

Total for the day:
7.1 miles. I definitely feel like I'm getting places after this run.

WTD 5 days running- 41.7 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|27/29|252.5
Total|172/209|1516

Met up with about 10 in the park this morning for the group LSR.
Pace was nice and handy which was good after yesterdays run. Legs were getting pretty tired at the end.

16.9 miles @ 9'30 pace. I am planning a rest day tomorrow which will bring a 24 day running streak to an end. It will also bring July to an end, which has been my biggest mileage month ever. Hopefully auagust will bring more of the same

Weekly total 6 days running- 58.6 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|28/30|269.4
Total|173/210|1532.9

RacoonQueen wrote: »

1:30 is be a breeze for you. No reason to change the goal for Berlin IMO.

I wish, I think 3'10 was always optimistic. I'll still give the 10 miler a lash and see what happens. I'm eating nothing then, Hopefully I can still have a fry before Berlin.:pac: