"If I'm not out there training, someone else is."

Netwerk Errer wrote: »

I know Sunday is a race you are focused on(XC?) but I'm curious about your plan going into Spring. Will you be running indoor track in the spirit of your speed based training of late and working up to the road season in early Spring or will you go straight back onto the roads in December?

Plan to race indoors and give shorter distances a bit of a bash (mostly 1500/3000m) till early Feb and then build back up to 5k/10k over the Spring/Summer

This was the main XC race of the year for me, on home turf and a solid team felt this would be a good target to hopefully get some club silverware so My aim at the start of the training block would be top 10-15 ideally all things going to plan. This was revised down a little in my head as the last few weeks had been a small bit underwhelming but was gonna give it a rattle none the less.

When I got down to the park got the news that one of our team had decided to race the Run the Line yesterday, adding to further woes as one of our team members was out sick as well meaning what started as a strong team was effectively down two runners that would have been scorers so both myself and TRR had nailed the team element on the head and just give it a lash.

Gun went and pace was modest enough so I immediately took it on and made way up to the lead pack. I was sitting in group which looked like top 10 so I felt that I would give that a bash and see how it went. Settled into a nice rhythm and despite a good fast opening lap I was running within myself. No sign of TRR near my so I figured it may have been a bit too aggressive and may see him in the later stages coming by me. Finished first lap and the group had split a small bit but I was still in touch and running pretty well. There is a decent downhill section which many were attacking fairly hard, I was losing ground here as I just let myself go and used as little energy as possible and started making ground back on the slight inclines up around the ditches.

2 Laps down and I was sitting in about 14th but I was starting to hurt a little and figured that my lack of strength would soon start kicking in, thankfully it wasn't too bad though the top 10 finish was fairly well and truly gone, at this point I finally started worrying about the people behind me rather than in front of me for the first time in the race and as I lost one or two more places I kept expecting to see the colours of my own club come by me but by the end of lap 3 I saw that TRR was still a good bit back so just had to keep digging in.

Came onto the last lap and I was hurting for the first half, the feeling of wanting to drop out (that feeling you get in the penultimate stage of any hard raced effort) but I kept digging in. Half way through the lap and I see what looked like a personal cheer leading squad shouting for a runner who seemed to be gaining on me, hearing the name I knew it to be KielyUnusual, balls I was gonna have to put the boot down. Coming down the last 800m and I had me and a Liffey Valley lad chasing down a Donore Singlet with Kiely hot on our heels. With 400m to go the LV runner made a decisive move, didn't think I had the strength to attack that early so I held it till 200m coming around the last bend and I had let the lads gain a decent enough gap. I went for it and the body responded well, I was gaining with every stride, passed Donore and despite the LV runners kick being a decent pace I was still gaining and I thought I could get him but he just managed to hold me off by less than a second. A little annoyed that I let him go too early and couldn't make it back but I had put in a good effort and very happy with the result

Official Result : 17th in 29.33

Great to see Kiely coming back to himself and solid run from RayCun also

Tuesday 6 miles easy (7.23 min mile pace)

Felt smooth, quick and easy............ then I saw the watch Put it down to the cold though as I felt really good on this run, a bit of residual stiffness from the race but nothing too major

Wednesday 10 miles session (6.40 min mile pace)

2 miles easy, 1 mile HMP, 1 mile easy, 2 miles MP, 1 mile easy, 1 mile HMP 2 miles easy

Splits
HMP miles: 5.55, 5.54
MP miles: 6.09, 6.08

Decided the session I posted in the Continuity thread would provide an ideal tune up session for the half at weekend. Got my love back for the late night runs also today for some reason so headed out after work. Despite the freezing temps this was really enjoyable run, most enjoyable run in a very long time I think there is just something peaceful about late night running in the winter that is unparalleled.

Paces were a bit slow but I put that down the the cold as the lungs were struggling a bit but the effort was bang on the mark and the session itself was nice and controlled.

Start of the winter I had said to myself that XC was the focus and getting away from the roads so focus was on Dublin Novice/Inters and National Novice however there was talk of a good crew going down to Waterford that weekend so figured I would focus on the Dublin Intermediates as the target XC race and just toddle around Waterford for the excuse of the weekend away.

Focus has been on shorter sharper stuff the last while so I knew I was in good shape but aerobically I am not where I might have been 6 months ago. What I had found was that I was getting more comfortable at 10k and quicker paces but HM efforts always felt slightly awkward so I had no expectations for this one had it in my head to just hammer it and if I got around 78 or under it would be a good day at the office so I was heading out at 6 min pace and go from there.

By time got parking and walked down to the sports Campus we were about 20 min to the race so the shortest warm up ever up to the start line and a quick chat with club members, BeepBeep67 Abhainn and a few others. Also had a Lucan runner introduce himself and mentioned how he had spotted me in a few races so had a feeling he would be gunning for me.

First mile was ridiculously fast so when I saw 5.48 on the watch I didn't think too much of it, to be honest it felt about 6.10 pace after this mile was with tRR and we we tipping along nicely as the rush of blood to many peoples heads subsided and paces started to level off. tRR had planted a seed in my head about chasing Lizzie Lee as she would probably be in around what I said I would run and with a group forming a bit up the road around here this idea grew. 2nd mile was hilly but still managed to hit sub 6 just so I figured I was feeling good and starting working on up. Coming up to three miles and we caught a group to which tRR let it be known that he was gonna hang out here but I pushed on as was feeling very easy. Missed the three mile split but to be honest I didn't really care and started working my way up to Abhainn.

We ended up running together for the next couple of miles and figured we would work together to try and get on the coat tails of Lizzie's group who were neither gaining or losing ground on us. Hit the 5 mile mark to see I was a good bit under the target I had set myself of 6 min pace with 29.15 though it felt alot easier than it should have. I started pulling ahead working up towards the next runner - the Lucan lad I had met at the start of the race. 6th mile was a good climb but I was taking it handy enough and making ground on him and ended up working together for the next 3 mile. Lizzie's group had started to spit a few out the back so we were given a few fresh targets. By mile 8 we saw what the announcers had meant about the road surface as it was poor but thankfully I had a bit of experience of it from the XC so didn't bother me too much.

9th mile coming back into the town and I was moving well I felt smooth and fast and seeing sub 5.40's on the clock didn't bother me and this stage the sub 78 was gone and now was sub 77 on the cards as I hit the 10 mile in 58.39.

Coming by Tesco I saw a Leevale singlet in the and decided with a hill and the only little bit of wind coming I would play sensible and tuck in behind him. This was first mistake of the day he was going backwards but I thought that even with this the shelter would conserve enough energy to offset the slowing of pace, it didn't unfortunately and the legs couldn't really get going again at the moment they had been at. At this stage the next 2 miles were back close to 6 min pace. To make matters worse coming round a bend I see the oh too familar stride of a certain TAC athlete hot on my tail.

Get to mile 12 and tRR is on my shoulder which spurred me on to a pace injection, that and a ridiculous long downhill drag. I waved him through as if to say just get it over with but he didn't pass me, looked at the watch and saw why 5.11 pace after 400m of the last mile, WTF! I would be happy to see that in a 5k not the last mile of a HM, I was working but not all out max so I said to myself just keep pushing until the body fails, downhill leveled off and pace started climbing to 5.20 but if I could hold that it would still be a hell of a mile.

Turned second last corner and had got through the mile in 5.19 and tRR hadn't passed, everything was rosey till a minor speed bump of a climb was enough to set the body over the edge, I was in all kinds of pain drove up the incline and turned the last corner and it was all downhill from here (in a good way:) ) I saw the clock still reading 1.15 mid and for the first time in the race I actually considered a PB was on so I pushed on but I had nothing left, dry wretching like nobodies business I just had to make the finish line, at this point though who comes flying by me only "the turd" as if to say "haha nice try" but to be honest with the pain I was in and the PB touch and go it didn't fully register at the time.

Crossed the line in 1.16.03 (76.01 chip time)

Shocked and delighted with it and kinda left me baffled as to what I could have done had I been training for a half. Great course and definitely a PB one up there with the likes of Bohermeen despite the appearance of the elevation profile

Not making for pretty reading. Holiday festivities, 10 days without heating due to a broken boiler, illness take your pick but they meant I have only managed 4 days running in the last 2 weeks

Nothing the week after Waterford and this week

Monday 5 easy (no watch)

Tuesday 6.5 easy (no watch)

Saturday AM 8 miles easy (7.08 min pace)
Saturday PM 3.5 miles rec (8.36 min pace)

Out with tRR this morning and the legs were still in agony from Tuesday's morning put this down to the illness and crap food the last while

Late run was just an attempt to flush out the legs

Sunday AM 8 miles easy (7.17 min pace)

Met up with tRR and dublinrunner for this one and the pain was as bad as yesterday but not getting worse so that DOMS feeling I know will subside in a few days

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

are you stazza in disguise What the hell is your system purge?

Haha nothing too technical basically sweating out the booze crap food and sickness accumulated over the past 10 days previously

Tuesday 7 miles easy (7.28 min pace)

Didn't have a moment to spare between treatments last min shopping and a drive down the Wesht meant I had a single window to get out with tRR. Cold wet and windy not the most enjoyable one but had to be done

Wednesday OFF

Doing the family rounds down the country before back to Dublin in time to do present exhanges with the OH and then up to the family home meant I was always chasing the day.

Thursday 2 mile warm up, goal mile, 2 mile cooldown

Few with the family the night before had me a little groggy but otherwise not too bad. Down to the track with two of the lads I train with the odd time who had been building it up as a show down only to see that me and another lad had been on beer previous night. Gun went and neither of time wanted to take it on so I was out in front and rather than risk pushing it and losing the brekkie I just toddled along. Hit the 1st lap in 78, at this point the sober lad realized how slow it was and upped it to try and chase a time, I sat where I was and continued at a relatively even pace.

Crossed the line in 3rd of the 3 of us on the shoulder of the second lad in 5.30 (other lad had pushed on for a 5.06) Was happy just to get out and do a few miles as always I think it was pretty much same time as I ran last year but didn't feel like death doing it so I am taking it as a win haha.

Saturday 7.5 miles easy (7.22 min pace)

Late night wake up call for taxi service meant that I was out on my feet tired yesterday. By the time I got home from work I just said to myself even get a half hour run and it will be a productive day as I didn't want to go into Sunday's session off a day off (always sluggish day after I take one off). Funny enough the Freezing temps did a great job waking me up and ended up being an enjoyable run minus the cartoon-esque near slips on a few bits of ice