Becoming a Real Runner

menoscemo · 28-01-2010 9:13pm

The Glasses saga contiued tonight. Seemed like a lovely bright evening tonight so headed out with the glasses on, but a few miles in it started to drizzle and my specs began to steam up..after a few stops to try to wipe them, I soon gave up and ended up carrying them in my right hand all the way back. Lesson learned tonight: either wear contacts or wear bottoms with a loose pocket

Anyway overall 7.1miles in 1hr. 8:30pace HR158. Felt easier than the HR would suggest althought the legs were a little tired. Think I will have a rest tomorrow and then a light jog on saturday before sunday's race. In other news, I have just broken the 100 mile barrier for the year...

TheLargerBowl · 28-01-2010 9:45pm

menoscemo wrote: »

I have just broken the 100 mile barrier for the year...

Nice one

littlebug · 28-01-2010 10:03pm

I have to laugh at the glasses saga. Without one or the other I wouldn't walk 5 feet without walking into or tripping over something (real or not). Glasses in the rain is a pain because I still can't see anything but if I've been wearing them all day then it seems like a waste to put in contacts then (disposable) for the sake of a couple of hours.
Laser surgery may be your only solution!

menoscemo · 28-01-2010 10:38pm

littlebug wrote: »

it seems like a waste to put in contacts then (disposable) for the sake of a couple of hours.
Laser surgery may be your only solution!

Luckily I have monthly ones, so I can pop them in for a few hours then send them back into storage. It always seems like a waste of time though....Laser surgery is worth thinking about all the same.....It's actually only a problem in the dark , during the summer evenings I can manage fine without contacts or glasses.

menoscemo · 30-01-2010 6:43pm

5 miles real easy this afternoon in just under 44 minutes. Didn't really break a sweat, this was just to loosen the legs for tomorrow. I have to say the legs felt great. i am also looking forward to getting a good lie in tomorrow, I have never managed to do that before a race.

Sub430 · 30-01-2010 10:13pm

Good luck tomorrow. You'll fly through it. :cool:

menoscemo · 31-01-2010 8:30pm

So just a bit of back ground on this. Before today my 5 mile PB still stood at 37:39 from the adidas race last July , though I went through 5 miles in around 36:40 ish in the aware race last month. Now I was lazy over christmas and put on a good few pounds, but have had good training this month despite the snow and Ice. I went into today hoping to break 36 minutes.

So to the race- arrived a bit late and didn't get registered till 15 minutes before the off. About ten minutes before the gun, I was at the start line, standing about 20 metres back. I realised I was in fast company when Robin PH jumped in beside me. I planned to go off fast as usual so when the gun went (at bang on 3pm) I flew off trying to follow most of those around me. I felt I was going ok, but was surprised to see my first mile split at 6:30. I hung on for the next two miles to 7minute ish miles. I passed 5k in 21:10, a PB by 45 seconds (but that will have to officially wait till the 5k on Paddy's weekend).

At this stage I even had thoughts of even going sub 35, but my pace started to fade and the hill at mile 4 was really a struggle, but I hung on and even managed a bit of a sprint down the Home straight. I crossed the line in 35:27 by my watch (35:30 official). I had been asking myself during the race if I was giving it my all. I realised at the end that I had as I stood bent over double over a railing for 3 or 4 minutes after the race :pac:

Anyway spilts were: 6:30, 6:57, 7:03, 7:17, 7:38 for 35:27 total.

Don't know about HR as my strap must be banjaxed it had me at 220 for the first mile and 91 for the last lol.

I am abslutely over the moon with this. I said at the start of the log that A goal for the year was to break 35 minutes for 5 miles and I am only 27 seconds away after a month :eek:. It's amazing what a good months training can do.

5 Runs this week 28.8 miles.

OI · 31-01-2010 10:03pm

Great run man! Well done

littlebug · 31-01-2010 10:41pm

Brilliant result menoscemo. Congrats.

ditzystarlet · 31-01-2010 11:16pm

hi
what garmin product do you use for checking heart rate etc as am very new to this running thing!!
thanks!!

menoscemo · 31-01-2010 11:32pm

I use the forerunner 405 with Heart reate strap. It has been very unrealiable of late though. I get the feeling it needs a new battery.

menoscemo · 02-02-2010 9:19pm

I had what I believe to be a well earned rest yesterday.

This evening I got back from work late and lay on the couch for half an hour debating whether to go out or not. In the end the better half of me won out and I got out for a very easy 5 miles. The legs felt very stiff still but the heart and lungs felt good. I was surprised on checking the garmin after to discover I had gone round in 42 and a half minutes for 8:30 pace. HR was av 146. This is apparently my very easy/ recovery pace now :eek:

On a side note, I have never seen so many people out running before. The Dodder Park road (running along the back of Bushy park) was absolutely thriving with runners of all abitility. Great to see, but hard to resisit the temptation to chase after someone when they pass you

menoscemo · 03-02-2010 8:48pm

I did a Mid-week semi long run tonight. 7.6 miles in 1hr 03. Pace 8:18 Av HR 152.
The pace was actually more like 8:10 average after a very slow first mile. I have to say I am really feeling the improvement on this length of run. I almost felt like I was gliding along tonight at very little effort. I even threw in a 7:20/mile pace for the last 0.6 of a mile and the HR was still below 160 (158 av). I am looking forward to the weekend, when I will get an afternoon run out in the park. I am thinking of doing a semi-fast 10 miler there on saturday.

menoscemo · 04-02-2010 9:21pm

Handy 5 miles tonight on the treadmill after weights.
I say handy but I sweated bucketloads.

In other news, my weight is back down below 75 kilos, just about where I was before Christmas.

menoscemo · 05-02-2010 7:20pm

Went for a speedy one tonight, had to be quick as I am off out now.
5.1 miles in 39 minutes. 7:40 pace HR 156

Got to be happy with that, it seems pretty efficient for me and i kept all the miles sub 8 minutes, I did this on roads and had loads of traffic light and pedestrian problems, so I am pretty confident I could get a slightly better pace for the same effort in the park.

Tomorrow's LSR is postponed until sunday due to an impending hangover.

menoscemo · 07-02-2010 5:22pm

Today was supposed to be an LSR. I was planning 10-12, but as soon as I started today I knew I just was not feeling it. Fridays drinking and yesterdays all day junk food binge left me very bloated and full of wind. Today I just could not get my legs turnin or indeed my heart rate up at all. I ended up cutting it short at 6 miles in 51 minutes. Pace 8:34 HR 146. Ah well, can't complain I had a few real good sessions this week.

Anyway overall 28.7 miles this week, 5 runs.

Jimh · 07-02-2010 9:51pm

Hi,
I am using Hal Higdon's 18 week Novice program for Newry in May 2010 but I have 21 weeks not 18, I have just completed week 5 and did my first 10 miler this weekend. My question is where do I repeat 3 weeks of the program I put the 3 extra weeks in because I thought I might pick up an injury but it is going quite well so far. I started on Jan 4th at 240 Lbs (5'10") but I have dropped to 222 this week. I hope to be at 190 by the Marathon (31st of May). At the moment I am probably looking at 4:15 4:30 but I am hoping with the weight off that I could break 4:00. I was thinking of repeating Weeks 13 - 15 below or am I being over optimistic

13

rest4 m run9 m run5 m runrest18

cross
14

rest5 m run9 m run5 m runrest14

cross
15

rest5 m run10 m run5 m runrest20

cross

menoscemo · 07-02-2010 10:29pm

Hey Jim. You might be better off posting a new thread in the main forum as You might get better advice....
That said I did the HH Novice programme for last years Dublin Marathon. I also started very early (8 weeks if I remember correctly), but this was because I was going off for a 4 week holiday in the middle of the programme. I ended up repeating weeks 8-12 when I came back.

Anyway I would probably advise you to keep going as long as possible as there is always a chance of you picking up an Injury. I think at week 15 you do the 20 mile LSR? I would drop back to week 12 at that point and repeat. The one criticism of HH Novice programme IMO was that there are not enough long runs, the more you do the better shape you will be both mentally and Physically for the marathon. Obviously if you miss a week or 2 through injury at any stage repeat the week.
Best of luck with your training.

menoscemo · 08-02-2010 10:08pm

After yesterdays disappointment, I was determined to get a good session in today, So I hit the track straight after work.
Plan was 10 x 400m with 200m recovery. I was happy to knock out all the reps without too much bother. Splits were:
1:39, 1:38, 1:39, 1:44, 1:44, 1:44, 1:45, 1:44, 1:44, 1:39.
Obviously I lagged a bit in the middle, but even the 1:45 is inside my 5k PB pace so Happy with that overall. Highest HR was 166, so plenty in the tank.

Did approx a 1k warm up and warm down, so Overall 5.1 miles in 40:44. Pace 8:00/mile.

menoscemo · 10-02-2010 9:27pm

I had planned a run yesterday, but I lazied out of it. I hope to get 5 runs this week, but with a busy weekend ahead, this might affect my chances....

I had my semi-long Mid week run tonight. 7.4 miles in 61 minutes, Pace 8:15 HR 153. I didn't look at the garmin the whole way round, very happy with the pace, I have to admit it felt tougher then the Hr suggests though. I didn't take any liquids out and dressed up for colder weather than it actually was, So I was gasping for a drink at the end. Sipping on a nice cold pint of milk now.

menoscemo · 11-02-2010 9:42pm

Felt a few niggles today from yesterdays run and had a huge work lunch that left me tired this evening. Had amonumental struggle with the sofa when I got home but in the nd managed to get out for some very easy miles.

6.6 miles in 58 minutes. Pace 8:47, HR 148. Hoping to fit two more runs in at the weekend, but it will be tough...

Edit: Whoop! back above Sub430 in the 1000 mile challenge. If you are reading this man, eat my dust :pac:

menoscemo · 12-02-2010 8:13pm

5 miles on the dreadmill tonight after weights. My feet have been killing me this week and my achiiles heel is a little sore. I'll probably not get any more runs this week anyway with the Rugby, so the rest will probably do me good

menoscemo · 15-02-2010 9:58pm

I am fairly pissed off with myself for not getting anymore runs in over the weekend, but two solid days of drinking put paid to that (although I nearly went out yesterday evening in a severely hungover state). Last weeks total was 23.6 miles over 4 runs.

This week is looking even worse because I am off on friday for the weekend to take in the United match against Everton at Goodison. Friday, saturday and sunday will be out for running so..... I haven't had a decent LSR in weeks, so I was planning one over the next few days. Went out tonight for a run, wasn't sure how long- felt really good so I kept going and always taking the long way round. My Garmin turned off early in the run due to low battery.
I Just checked mapmyrun there so it appears I did 8.5 miles. According to the time I started and finished, I was out about 72 minutes, so that would put the pace just over 8:30. I have to say it felt very comfortable and for the bit my garmin read the HR was mid 140's.

Hopefully I can now get 3 more dencent length runs in and about 30 miles total for the week (7.5 mile average).

RedB · 16-02-2010 11:22am

Just checking in seeing how you're getting on

. Juggling the social life with the runs can make it messy at times alright but keep up the good work. Get some decent rest when you're not running and you'll bounce through them a bit easier. You're not going to let Sub430 creep ahead of you this month, are you

! Get those decent runs in!

Sub430 · 16-02-2010 11:29am

Hey!
I have feelings you know.

RedB · 16-02-2010 11:55am

Sub430 wrote: »

Hey!
I have feelings you know.

Heck - I thought you were a machine with all those good runs you've been posting too. That 100min target is looking good. Think how that'll feel!:)

Sub430 · 16-02-2010 12:22pm

RedB wrote: »

Heck - I thought you were a machine with all those good runs you've been posting too. That 100min target is looking good. Think how that'll feel!:)

Thanks RedB, it's been going well and am enjoying it which is the main thing. Glad to do well in a race, gave me a boost and shows the miles have been doing their job.

213.69 miles, think you are more machine than me.

menoscemo · 16-02-2010 12:52pm

RedB wrote: »

Just checking in seeing how you're getting on . Juggling the social life with the runs can make it messy at times alright but keep up the good work. Get some decent rest when you're not running and you'll bounce through them a bit easier. You're not going to let Sub430 creep ahead of you this month, are you ! Get those decent runs in!

Thanks for the encouragement but Sub 430 has no reason to be worried (this month anyway)...I had a little niggle on my left anke/achilles tendon last weekend. I though nothing of it but felt it after 3 or 4 miles last night. Stupidly i ploughed on and ran off the pain, but I am limping today. i don't think it is anything too serious but doubt I'll be running again this week :mad:

RedB · 16-02-2010 12:58pm

menoscemo wrote: »

i don't think it is anything too serious but doubt I'll be running again this week :mad:

Ouch! Hope it clears up. Mind yourself.

menoscemo · 22-02-2010 9:01pm

5 miles tonight very easy in 44 minutes 8:45 pace.
Felt very groggy which is always the case after a week off. Ankle seems to be much better though it did feel a little weak. Hoping it will be fine tomorrow, I don't see myself doing any fast runs this week though..

Becoming a Real Runner

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