semper currere

Sun 4th November

17.71 km run in 1:51:34

No pace miles in this, just a long slog. Sometimes, when you're not feeling well, or running particularly well, it's still consolation to know that you're banking some miles. This was my longest run since May, and I'll gladly take that.

However, churning stomach noises, combined with an array of fallen norovirus-stricken comrades, are foul omens for the next couple of days. Balls.

Week (39) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Oct 29th-Nov 4th | 4 | 44.56 km | 36.3 km | 650.39 km

Wed 7th November

7.22 km run in 40:00

Higdonesque tempo run, peaking on the fifth km. Splits/km, 6:18, 5:45, 5:30, 5:10, 4:50, 5:10, 5:30 and a slow finish. Done again on a treadmill, with 2% incline.

Week (40) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 5th - 11th | 2 | 15.28 km | 51.58 km | 665.77 km

Sun 11th Nov

11.61km in 75:16 slow and very hilly run in the beautiful surroundings of West Cork. I had to call this short because I was visiting friends and didn't feel like I could disappear for any longer period. That and *maybe* the wine the night before

Week (40) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 5th - 11th | 4 | 37.05km | 73.35km | 687.54 km [

Wed 14th Nov

8.1 km in 45:01, 2km @ 6:15/km, followed by 9 x 400m @ 4:15/km pace, with 200m breathers @ 6:30/min pace. This was hard, the last 50m of each interval tasted like giving up. But they're done.

Week (41) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 12th - 18th | 2 | 16.16 | 89.51 km | 703.7 km

Fri 16th Nov

8.1 km in 50:58 easy pace. Really beginning to appreciate the benefits of 10 min mile pace, my legs were like lead this morning, but they got well loosened by this.

100th log post. Hurrah!

Week (41) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 12th - 18th | 4 | 32.36 km | 105.71km | 719.8 km

Tues 20th Nov

8.25 km in 48:45, with last 800m at 4:50/km. Back to the dreadmill, which is proving not too dreadful at present. Heart rate was below 75% all the way, apart from the end bit at slightly quicker than PHMP. All good, more distance down. I'm hoping all this slow running will translate into endurance to hold the necessary speed for the half at Clonakilty!

Week (42) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 19th - 25th | 1 | 8.25 km | 131.67 km | 745.76 km

Thurs 22nd Nov

8.18km in 49:30 @ 6:03/km avg. Easy session with heart rate peaking around 75% of max. Nowt else to report, really, except calorie counting and running are combining nicely for steady weight loss over the last 4 weeks (204-199lbs). Must keep this up!

Week (42) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 19th - 25th | 3 | 24.55 km | 147.97 km | 762.06 km

Sun 25th Nov

19.75 km in 1:59:41 (378m climb). The weather down here is cold and very wet, but I was lucky enough to get a relatively clear window to get this done. 3 x 6.5k road laps incorporating a similar hill in ascent and length to the one towards the end of the Clonakilty HM. I'm still not able to run up this hill at anything close to race pace, but I'm getting stronger each week, and more used to it. Visibility wasn't great, so the scenery I enjoy wasn't really there this week, but that's ok. I'm really getting used to running on food intake from the day before, rather than taking anything on in the morning. I felt it occasionally today but managed to shake off any negative thoughts, with the help of another episode of 'Marathon Talk'. Was ravenous when I got back though, and was delighted to raid one of my frozen spagbols from the freezer for lunch. Job!

That concludes week 10 of the Hal Higdon intermediate HM plan, I'm really pleased with how it's going so far, not that I'm anyway confident of doing anything extraordinary at Clon, but that I'm enjoying my running, keeping to the schedule, and feeling progress. Good times!

Week (42) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 19th - 25th | 5 | 53.5 km | 176.92 km | 791.01 km

This has easily been my best month of running since I started in February, and I'll hit 200km for the month, and 806km/500miles for the year before the end of November. It's been an up and down year running wise, so I'm really pleased to achieve this.

Tue 27th Nov

8.1 km in 49:22, at a nice slow pace. 10 x 400m intervals tomorrow.

Week (43) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 26th - Dec 2nd | 1 | 8.1 km | 185.02 km | 799.11 km

Just entered next year's Cork City Marathon. It's going to be a busy year. :eek:

Fri 30th Nov

8.1km in 45:06, 2km warm up to 4.8k @ PHMP (4:52/km), and 1.3km warm down.

This was my fourth day running in a row, along with a game of 5 a side last night, the result being that this was hard work, and I was very glad to finish the prescribed 3 miles at HMP. Even allowing for this, I still think that this pace will be a little too fast to maintain for 21.2km on Saturday week.

Going to be running a fifth day in a row tomorrow with my LSR (which thankfully will be done slowly), as I'm busy most of Sunday. But I'll be able to sneak in a recovery 4-5k then if I'm organised!

Week (43) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Nov 26th - Dec 2nd | 4 | 32.2 km | 209.12 km | 823.21km

It's also the end of the month, and November has me quite quite proud of my progress this last month! Table time:

Month | Days | km
Jan | 0/31 | 0
Feb | 8/29 | 54.89
Mar | 13/31 | 126.29
Apr | 10/30 | 112.53
May | 9/31 | 117.27
Jun | 0/30 | 0
Jul | 2/31 | 13.02
Aug | 2/31 | 12.02
Sep | 8/30 | 61.03
Oct | 16/31 | 117.04
Nov | 21/30 | 209.12
Dec | 0/31 | 0
Totals | 89/335| 823.21

The goals for December are quite modest. I want to clock similar distance and session frequency to November (as part of getting a good base for when I start training for CCM at the start of February). I want to run a couple of 4 mile races also, just because they're there - the Simon Cork one on the 16th down by the Marina, and the Belgooly 4m on Stephen's day - weather pending! I want to lose another 4 lbs this month - a tough ask at xmas, but not impossible by any stretch. And of course, I would really like to beat 1:49:01 for Clonakilty in 8 day's time.

Thanks dna_leri, for taking the time to read and comment. I'm pleased with the progress, overall. I'll keep the head down and plug away.

Tues 4th Dec

8.18 km in 50:02

My body really enjoyed the couple of rest days, and I felt fit, strong and comfortable this morning. No niggles or protesting body parts. Hurrah for slow easy runs!

After all my mental yoyo-ing re: race pace and the effect of hills and the usual self doubt, I'm just going to go out and try hit 8 min miles for as long as I can, and worry about leaving it all out there, rather than chasing numbers. If I've done enough, the finish time will take care of itself.

30 min tempo tomorrow and probably a recovery pace 5k on Thursday.

Week (44) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Dec 3rd - 9th | 1 | 8.18 km | 27.02 km | 850.23 km

Sat 8th Dec

1.49 km warm up and 21.1km (Clonakilty HM)

Where to begin? I drove down nice and early, after a big bowl of porridge around 5:30. Collected my pack and watched the sun rise over Inchydoney beach with a nice hot cup of tea. Did a warm-up slow mile running on the beach, and got my stretching done in plenty of time for the official start time of 9:00am. So far so good.

It was clear from about 8:55 that no-one had a clue what was going on, from organisers down to the runners. They separated the marathon runners from the half-marthoners and 10k runners. The PA seemed loud, but unfortunately it was pointed in the wrong direction from the majority of the crowd of runners corralled before the start line. We were stuck waiting about 30 mins (I stopped looking at the watch) before we finally got going. Luckily it was a fine sunny day, and I was kept warm by the heat of the surrounding runners - the only handy aspect on a cold day. I had planned to follow pacers, but they were at the front by the time I spotted them, and out of sight by the time I crossed the start line. Probably just as well, I'd probably have blown up at some point at that pace, with those hills.

The race itself went as well for me as I expected, the hills slowed me up, but I ran a better half than I did in May. I am carrying more weight than I was then, and got round a tougher course in a similar time. The object of this race was to have something to aim for to get me back running, and contribute to base building for next year. I felt strong enough for 11 miles, and tired for the last two, a good indication of where I am.

My app clocked me at 1:48:12, but my official time texted to me yesterday was 1:50:13 - I'm a little disappointed with it, since it's outside my PB of 1:49:01. I have no idea where the extra couple of minutes came from, but whatever, I know exactly where I'm at for the next one.

edit: chip times in, 1:48:37, which translates into a 24 second PB. :P I'll take it!

So in summation, very delayed start, disorganised, ridiculously narrow first half-mile, but afterwards a very nice race with some sapping ascents, on a gloriously beautiful day. Some of the issues with organisation are outlined on the race thread in the events sub-forum. I'm loath to criticise any event, but I'll be giving this one a skip next year, I think the new location couldn't handle the numbers. But I'll keep an eye on reports, and a good review next year will probably bring me back the following year.

Week (44) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Dec 3rd - 9th | 3 | 39.13 km | 57.97 km | 881.18 km

Next week, it's some easy running to get the legs running again, along with a 3 x 2m at desired 10 mile pace. The preparation for Dungarvan starts here!

Wed 12th Dec

7.74 km easy in 43:45

Moved back to Cork City from the countryside today and celebrated by taking advantage of its night running facilities (ie street lights). Drizzly but not particularly cold, this was short and sweet enough, took the hills with only a slight change in effort compared to the pain they induced not three months ago. Visible signs of progress are always nice!

Week (45) | Sessions | WTD | MTD | YTD
Dec 10th - 16th| 2 | 15.84km | 73.81 km | 897.02 km

Back to routine tomorrow, which means an early start for an early run. Better build up a calorie deficit for tomorrow's Xmas party!