Festina lente

Stazza wrote: »

How on earth do you manage to count 25 laps without getting all messed up?

I do quite often go through a phase of wondering if I've lost count, on this kind of run or hill reps. I have to think to myself "this is lap 8, finishing lap 8, 8x4%=32... now starting lap 9, this is lap 9, I'm on lap 9, 8 finished, this is lap 9" Sometimes on hill reps that's all I manage to think!

Masters XC today. First XC in almost a year, and I was out until after 3 last night (OH's birthday party) so I wasn't going into this with high expectations, just doing it for the crack really. On the other hand, I expected to be fourth scorer for the team so couldn't take it too handy. Same course as last year but a lot less muddy this time around, only used the 6mm nibs, if a little windier. Start and finish lines seemed to have been moved a bit as well to get the course distance right.
Lined up for the start in a muddy section of the field, all mixed together rather than lined up by club, and the start was the usual chaos - just try to match the pace of the people around you as much as you can, because the alternative is to fall and be trampled :pac: The first corner was particularly hairy because of a tree stump on the course right on the corner. I knew it was coming but a lot of people saw it late so there were some desperate leaps around it. I probably lost about 50 places in that first desperate charge :pac:, theboyblunder one of the last of them, but then things settled down.
I really enjoyed the race from then on There was no sucking mud anywhere, just a bit of slippiness, so I settled into a very comfortable stride, picking people off in ones and twos all the way around. Passing people out is even more satisfying in a championship race where everyone is wearing singlets :pac: and today it was easy - no long-running battles, just closing in, picking a time to pass, and putting a gap in to stop them chasing. One guy broke past as we turned the last corner but he'd gone too soon and I passed him again when we hit the real finishing straight.
So - probably too easy overall. Could have gone harder at the start, could have worked harder on the way around, didn't bury myself by any means. Beat at least one guy who finished ahead of me last year, but another was a few places ahead as far as I can tell. But still, I enjoyed it, it was a good session, and there was a good crowd from the club, a lot of them running their first XC, so no complaints from me
(Garmin says 23.03 for 5.98k, 3.51 pace)

Week's total: 92.78k @ 4.56 average

jcsmum wrote: »

Well done Ray, you make xc sound easy - didn't think that was possible!

The secret is to start too slow :pac:
Running conditions were much easier than last year

really beginning to dislike that park, 20 minute warmup (jog down and 3 laps), 3k tempo (3 more) three minutes recovery, another 3k tempo (3 more) and then an hour easy (12 more)
21 times around and around and around...

then I'd be running on my weaker leg

Session 2 - 20 minute warmup, 6 x 5 minutes hard w/5 minute jog recovery
OH away partying this weekend so my only chance to do this was at the track this morning, where I was dragging the kid to do his training. Jogged a few laps then jumped in with the teenagers for their stretches, but made my excuses when it started to get technical :pac: and got into it. The plan was 3.5 laps for each interval (in lane 2 so add a bit ) and 2 laps jogging for the recovery.
First interval was hard. I hadn't done any fast work in the warmup so it really hurt, so much so that I lost count of the laps and did 4.5 instead I counted off each half-lap after that! First few intervals felt sloppy, my legs were all over the place, but I think I worked my way into a decent stride eventually - then again, I was going slower each one, that probably has more to do with it!
6.47 for the first, long interval, then 5.22, 5.30, 5.38, 5.42, 5.42. A couple more laps for a cooldown, then in for a quick change of clothes before the other drowned rat and I went for a fry...

91.21k @ 4.59 average pace

Finished the week with a very uncomfortable easy run around the local park. Part of it down to the runners I got a few weeks ago (Saucony Guides) which don't seem to suit me, but mainly my legs were still knackered. Earlier in the day I'd rejigged my training plan to add the extra week between Kildare and Limerick. I was going to basically repeat last week, but on second thoughts that's a bad idea. My knees were getting stiff and achy again, so rather than push through I'm going to repeat the 70k week scheduled for this week. Get a massage Saturday and let my legs recover a bit before they get another battering in Raheny
So, this evening I skipped the loop of UCD and just ran home, only diverting for a set of strides through the park. Bit of an up and down run, stiff at the start, then fine for a while, then heavy, then fine again :rolleyes:

I knew I should have got my shots before training in Tallaght. (And if that wasn't bad enough, I even used the dressing rooms :eek: There are mould colonies in there so advanced they are working on a rocket programme to get the hell out of Tallaght)
So - no running since Tuesday. Wednesday I changed into running gear before going out to Little Athletics, came home... and took off the gear. Thursday brought my running gear into work... but cycled home. Raheny on Sunday is no better than 50/50. I'd hate to miss it, but there's no point unless I feel better

Still sick racing was not the best road to recovery :rolleyes: Not too bad but plenty of phlegm morning and evening, and a general tightness around the chest, so I've taken things very easy this week.
Got up early on Wednesday for a short pre-work run and bumped into claralara as she set off for a MLR into work (They moved in right outside the exclusion zone, which I'm hoping a judge will agree is making a mockery of the law ) The intention was to go for another easy run that evening but in the end I decided it was better getting some rest (and letting OH go to a yoga class for once) Thursday and Friday were just slow easy runs home and back to work. Easy again tomorrow, but I hope/expect to be okay for a session Sunday morning and back to the plan next week...

Month|2010|2011|2012|2013|2014
January|38.8|105.61|187.46|257.13|202.59
February|35.5|106.68|191.79|212.8
March|53.2|121.83|214|45.93
April|72|106.33|201.18|51
May|75.9|107.13|175.21|41.9
June|90.2|64.85|150.09|89.72
July|118.1|126.92|242.21|147.92
August|124.4|168|240.27|173.96
September|154|171.75|203.69|178.55
October|108.7|191.2|229|196.88
November|58.4|128.9|283.87|208.34
December|83|166.58|285|233.23
Total|1012.2|1578.1|2604|1837.3

97.76 for the week, 4.58 average

Wednesday session was 4 x 3k tempo, but with the weather and the quitters' charter on my mind I decided to run these kind of by feel - which I knew would mean off-pace. Sure enough, the first three came in at 4.12, 4.01, 4.07. Aerobically I was feeling fine but my knees were really starting to play up and 100m into my last rep, running like a 42-year old :rolleyes:, I pulled the plug and jogged the rest out.
Other session was today, 2.5 hour run. Went up to Phoenix Park for this, I haven't done a long run there in ages and I wanted something a bit hillier than Tymon. No breakfast, money, water, gels or phone for this, and Garmin set to show time. Got into the park at the Islandbridge gate, and went s-bends, upper glen, furry glen, chesterfield, wellington, 2 laps with a bit of a detour around the zoo on the second lap to add a few minutes. It went okay - knees stiff in the early going but loosened up, right shoulder was getting sore, and I thought my stomach going to leap out of my abdomen and devour a passing dog :pac: - but generally fine. Did a quick check on the way out of the park to see if I was near any limits but no, I felt fine. Overall pace was 4.58, but that included some very slow ks at the start - 5.25, 5.29, 5.16, 5.17 - general pace was grand and there was no slowdown towards the end.

91.68k for the week, 5.07 average

I do like the Daniels plan, the sessions are all tough but hard-days-hard etc etc - there's no mistaking which ones are the hard days But the other thread about racing in training made me look ahead, I think there's a misprint in my copy. That should be 1-5 miles at MP, right? Right??? :eek:

another week, another failed session :rolleyes:
warm-up, 15-20 minutes tempo, 3 min recovery, 15-20 tempo, 3 min rec, 10-12 tempo, cooldown
Went to Bushy park on the way home from work for this one, about 5k, and ran laps of the 'upper level'. First rep was grand, started off fast but stayed comfortable for the 3.5 laps, 17.32 @ 3.52. Second rep started slower but brought the pace gradually down to target... except I must have slowed a lot in the last few hundred metres , 16.11 @ 3.55 Final rep was slower all the way around, finished at 10.47 @ 4.00
More and more realism being added to my Bohermeen plans as the weeks go on... (which, okay, is to be expected. I picked a target pace out of the air in October, and part of the process is to adjust that the closer the race gets - arguably the whole reason for this race/training cycle is to get some realistic paces for the next cycle. Still not fun though)

Also having some shoe trouble - the Sayonaras are quite aggressive, I don't think my calves will take a long session/race in them yet, but the Elixirs they are replacing really are on the way out. I have blisters after today's run, and I never get blisters...

Ah, pre-race worries, don't you love 'em? :rolleyes:

Session 2 this week, 100 minutes at marathon pace :eek:
I hate marathon pace sessions. I hate any session where you are supposed to be running at race pace, because race pace always feels harder in training but if you can't sustain it in training for a shorter time, what chance in a race? Marathon pace is the worst because in a short race you can just run, but marathons you have to run off the watch...
I only noticed this session on the plan about a week ago (I don't read ahead much). Marathon pace (decided back on October) was supposed to be 4.05, but over the last couple of weeks it's become clear that was not a realistic target (half marathon pace has also been downgraded from 3.50 to 3.52/53 to 3.55... and I just checked, that was my pace last year, so...) so I dropped it down to 4.10.
So, Tymon Park again. 2.5k warmup to the gate and off. Running laps around the east side of the park, six laps to do. Halfway through the first lap I felt like shooting myself - pace was down around 4.25/4.30 and I was working for it. But then I reached the footbridge by the phone mast and suddenly I wasn't going uphill, and a few seconds later I turned to get the wind behind me . So the rest of that lap was 4.00 pace or faster, and for much lower effort. Laps two and three were the same, slow when working against the wind and drag but recovering as soon as I turned and making back up the time. Four and five much the same, but pace didn't drop as much on the harder section or increase as much on the easier, and lap six was just hard work all round, only getting back to PMP at the very end - but getting there. Shoulder and back very stiff at the end, but I'm very happy to have finished that session on target - and there is no way I would have managed 4.05 pace.

89.53 for the week, 4.48 average
Over target, but that was inevitable given the two sessions - about 20k on Wednesday and close to 30 yesterday.
Busy day yesterday at the 'indoor' relays but at least there was no snow. Off to Santry soon for the last day of the Dublins, shot putt, long jump, and a 600m final for the kid...

Jack Daniels

AuldManKing wrote: »

Is there much difference in the latest edition from the last one?

How you finding the sessions (I mean in the general sense as opposed to the detail in your log)?

I don't know, I just linked to the version on Amazon I haven't compared the editions, or the matching plans from the two editions.

In general... having two sessions a week suits me these days, because I can't make the Tuesday and Thursday club sessions (coaching during one, the other doesn't fit in with my runmutes). I can't really remember how it compares to P&D its been so long, maybe not all that different? I think P&D has a session, a MLR, and a LR each week, and I usually run a bit longer on Monday, session Wednesday, and long run with extra bits on the weekend. I think the sessions are harder than P&D - then again, I'm not sure how many P&D sessions I did last time around, I think I usually did the club session instead. The structure of the week definitely encourages you to take it easy on the easy days, maybe too much so in my case, I never need much encouragement to run easy There is a good sense of progression through the plan, from the shorter intervals back in January to the tempo stuff I'm coming out of now to lots and lots of PMP running on the way. I think I'll use it again for DCM, though I should get my copy of P&D back from the guy I lent it to and refresh my memory before deciding.

Month|2010|2011|2012|2013|2014
January|38.8|105.61|187.46|257.13|202.59
February|35.5|106.68|191.79|212.8|217.1
March|53.2|121.83|214|45.93
April|72|106.33|201.18|51
May|75.9|107.13|175.21|41.9
June|90.2|64.85|150.09|89.72
July|118.1|126.92|242.21|147.92
August|124.4|168|240.27|173.96
September|154|171.75|203.69|178.55
October|108.7|191.2|229|196.88
November|58.4|128.9|283.87|208.34
December|83|166.58|285|233.23
Total|1012.2|1578.1|2604|1837.3


low energy, dead legs... usual pre-race stuff

1.23.07 (21.2k @ 3.55)

This was my last race before injury last year. Well, not before injury - it was becoming more and more of a problem through February, this is the race that convinced me I had to stop running and sort it out. This year I'm not as fit as I was a year ago, but I'm not limping everywhere either. Going into this race I was hoping I wasn't too far back on last year, but knew that whatever the result, I'd be able to build on it instead of crashing to a stop. A lot of the motivation for running this race was to just put it behind me and move on.
Didn't have my chauffeurs today so had an interesting tour of the sites of Meath and Cavan before the race, luckily I had left in plenty of time so got to meet some of the club gang before heading out for a short warmup. Start line was switched around this year so we were away only a minute late, just as well given the weather. Spent the first few k settling into a pace and group, eventually lined up behind a guy from St Finbars, with a couple of guys from Donore and a guy all in black who turned out to be from Mullingar Harriers (he came up to me afterwards and said he though we were going for the same category prize. Cheeky fecker is an M60!!:pac::rolleyes::o) A couple of miles in and there's a guy ahead stopped to tie his lace - it's the same Clonliffe guy who tailed me around last year, he joined in the group too.
First lap was fairly steady, and I think bang on 3.55 pace, until we hit the second hill. Group pace dropped on the way up, and didn't recover on the downhill. I started a gel on the downhill - practice for Limerick, and sure it couldn't hurt - and grabbed some water from the station, then it was time to try pushing on to the next group. There was a gap of about 20m, and it stayed about 20m for ages. They guy in front was wearing a singlet I didn't recognise with a name and symbol on the back, so I sent the next few miles trying not to look at my watch but instead focus on catching him and finding out what it said
That was it for the next few miles, trying to go faster-but-not-too fast, and most of the time that gap didn't seem to be closing. Got to the last water station and grabbed a bottle - disaster! the lid was still on it and I couldn't open it :pac: - and then we got to the bridges again. On the first bridge some guy flew past, Dunboyne?, but I finally caught the guy in front - Sydney Harriers! I was into a loose group now and slowly passing some more guys, winding it up for the finish. The last hill was not so bad and I was looking forward to the other side, downhill to the finish, but the wind, which seemed to be blowing every direction during the race, was definitely in our faces now. The last mile then was a struggle, trying to accelerate without much success. Finally got in sight of the final corner, and a big group of cheerers from the club , was very happy to finish.
Time last year was 1.22.16, so 50 seconds slower than last year - there were times in the last few miles when I thought I might be faster, but my calculations were obviously way off. I'm happy enough though overall - I had a target pace that I stuck to (slowest ks were 4.00, 4.01, 4.02 approaching halfway, 13 ks were within 2 seconds of 3.55) and finished strong, and I think this leaves me in good shape for Limerick.