Micilín's Mucky Miles

Three runs again last week, all 4.6km commutes. Three MTB cycles too, totalling 20km.

I've been doing a good bit of foam rolling on the calves and hamstrings, followed by very light stretching.

I had a look at my "training plan" there at the weekend, turns out I've been doing one run too few for the past three weeks. Will be doing four runs per week from today. The training plan is really just a rough schedule for me to slowly build up the distance again.

No niggles to complain about, just some weight I have to lose!

5 runs over 2 weeks.

4 of them 4.6km commutes.
1 was 6km.

8 MTB cycles over the same 2 weeks.
1 on snow, 2 on bog & trails.

The next 5 weeks will be tough due to exams and part-time work. Slowly building the running distance and staying injury free is the goal.

Monday
Running: 4.6km run commute to work.

Cycling: 9.7km MTB commute home.


Tuesday
Rest (Study )

Wednesday
Cycling: 4.6km bike commute in.

Running: 6.2km run commute home.

Thursday
Cycling: 11.8km MTB commute home. Getting faster on the more technical trails.

Friday
Cycling: 4.6km commute to work. Partial eclipse could be seen quite clearly



Running: 6km run commute. Was heading to Dublin for the weekend to give a lecture, so ran to the city (in running gear) to meet the wife and then drive from there. It wasn't until an hour before the lecture the next day that I noticed that I hadn't packed a pair of trousers for the weekend. I had put my weekend bag in the car Friday morning, but had forgotten to pack a pair of trousers. Cue Penney's Rathfarnham to the rescue. This is one of the real perils of run commuting. Head = sieve.

Monday
Running: 4.6km run commute.
Cycling: 11.7km MTB commute.

Tuesday
Cycling: 10km MTB commute, some on the coastal trail.

Wednesday
Running: 5.9km run commute.
Cycling: 4.6km commute.

Thursday
Cycling: 6.1km MTB commute, more coastal trail.

Friday
Running: 5.5km run commute to work, part of it on the coastal trail. I only took 1.6km of trail but immediately I felt like I was a world apart from the busy main road Did some stretching in the 'gym' at work. It's amazing the difference stretching makes when you do it immediately after a run.

Off work for two weeks now to study for my exams. I may very well develop cabin fever. I might explore more of the coastal trail. I should take the road bike out for a spin too. But really I should study

Rás Spraoi an Spidéil 5km

Finish time: 22 min, 22 sec
Position: somewhere around 10th

The race was a fun-run fundraiser for the local secondary school - most of the participants were walkers or schoolchildren. I was happy to see two of the faster members of the tri club volunteering rather than racing

As I hadn't any big plans for the race, I didn't think much about being a few rows from the front. The first 500m was spent overtaking and trying to find room. Still, the average pace for the first 1km was 4:18min/km. The second km was slightly slower, at 4:19. I managed not to lose any places. Saw three of my clubmates in the top 5/6 at the turnaround.

The suffering started in the 3rd km - I slowed down to 4:34. I lapped my wife and mother-in-law here who where walking (they finished in less than 45 mins). The last two kms were about keeping my place - I ran a 4:42 and a 4:43, but lost one place just before the last km. Came in with a fastish (relative) pace. Nearly puked seconds after the finish line.

Now I have a benchmark for the rest of the year. 22:22 is a good bit off my PB of 19:56, but not a time I'm unhappy with given my injury woes over the past few years, and the fact that I've done nothing faster than recovery pace since last summer.

However one cause for concern is a bad calf cramp that I got in the middle of the night last night. I haven't had them in a long time. Obviously highlights my need to hydrate and to do more stretching and foam rolling.

Strava Link

belcarra wrote: »

4:18, 4:19, 4:34, 4:42, 4:43.
Looks like you simply started too fast and paid the price.
Start off the next run/parkrun at 4:25 and keep it consistent and that's half a minute taken off already!

Good to see you racing again though!

Very good point. I definitely went out too fast - I got caught behind loads of slower runners and then tried to make up ground once there was space to overtake :rolleyes:

Next race is Terenure 5 Mile in 5 weeks. Might go for 4:25min/kms then!

What's your own plan at the moment? I see you're in CH now!

Study week #2

Monday
Running: 5km race as above

Tuesday
Rest

Spent most of the day with my feet up recovering from the massive 5km distance I covered on Monday. Had a few cramps in my feet.

Did some yoga and some foam rolling, including the rolling my foot over The Grid.

Wednesday
Running: 4.9km with 5 x 100m strides. Doing these once a week to improve the biomechanics, whatever that is! I did concentrate on keeping the rest of my body relaxed, which is I think one of the more important things when doing strides.

Cycling: 17.6km on the MTB. Who did I meet in the middle of the day on my study week while tearing down a narrow road on the MTB? My CEO. Can't do anything around here without being seen!

Thursday
Cycling: 24km on the MTB. There were some fire engines battling bog fires in the area, I just had to put down my books and investigate!

Friday
Running: 4.9km recovery.

Saturday
Rest.

Sunday
Running: 6.3km @ 'long run' pace. Visited a nearby bog road for the first time. Nice steep hill and rough terrain. What's not to like!
Cycling: 8km in Dublin, A to B journey.

I did foam rolling and yoga stretches everyday. The calf and foot are giving out less

Monday
Cycling: 4.5km commute
Running: 6.3km trail run. I ran another section of the coastal trail - the total runnable section of trail is now nearly 5km

Unfortunately I ran through a puddle of water just after I joined the trail which made my socks a little bit damp. There was only 1km of Killiney Beach-style rocks to run on but the friction tore bits of skin off my foot :eek:

When I arrived home I could see a bog fire in the distance. Since my house is just at the edge of the bog, I walked up the hill to check it out. When jumping off one of the stone walls I landed on my ankle. I swear I heard a crack. I hobbled home and did some RICE treatment.

Tuesday
Cycling: 25km around the bogs. Monday night's fire was in an area I had cycled through a few weeks ago, the whole area is now burnt to the ground!

Wednesday
Cycling: 9km commuting.

The ankle has healed a lot (still swollen), but my right foot is still quite sore from the skin that was torn off. Hopefully it'll harden up today (wearing sandles at work )

belcarra wrote: »

Bloody hippys!:cool:

I believe the correct term in Galway is "Crusties". As we're on that subject, a nice crusty scab has formed on my foot :pac: Ran home yesterday and into work this morning.

Doctor reckons my flexor ligaments are ruptured, to take a week off running, wrapped a bandage support around my ankle and prescribed me some NSAIDs. He typed "no evidence of fracture" in his notes. I'll take it as good news

Feck all to report on in the past two weeks.

Running: 4.6km run commute Friday week ago. I wasn't supposed to be back running but it was the easiest way to get to work logistics-wise. No harm done.

Cycling: Have done 22.5km of bike commuting and did a 48km spin with the club last Sunday on the road bike. First time on the road bike this year!!

Swimming: Was on holidays for a few days in Mayo and did about 10 lengths of kicking in the pool in Westport in anticipation of the club's pool sessions a few days later. First club session on Friday was good. I didn't suffer any calf or foot cramps. The instructor took four of us aside at the end for a chat (we are the slowest in the slowest lane). He gave the other three really good advice and said I should work on my 'catch'. I'm not 100% sure what that is!

Hiking: Did an 8km walk/hike around Clare Island.

Ankle isn't recovered and haven't done much running in the past few weeks. Will knock the Terenure 5-Mile on the head.

Took gym membership out last night in my local gym. I expect to use it for swimming drills, rowing machine and possibly the crosstrainer. I figure the crosstrainer might be a good substitute for running until my ankle is better.