[macinalli]

Friday is usually a series of 400's but racing Sat so took it easy - a 6.5k at a slow pace.

Sat was the BHAA DCC 4 mile race in St Annes Park and the target was to get under 25 minutes. I ran this race last year and clocked 26.10 so sub 25 would be a good improvement. I got there in good time and the BHAA registration was efficient as ever, all done in less than 2 minutes. Did about a 2k warmup with some strides before slotting in about 5 rows back from the front. I felt that we were going fast at the start but was feeling comfortable. Went though the first mile in 5.52 but still felt great. Decided to try and push on with that pace - bad idea! After about another 500 metres I was struggling and the pace was starting to drop. This was my slowest mile of the race - I think about 6.40. I recovered well after that one and ran steadily for the last 2 miles - did them both in 6.20 to finish in 25.12. A bit disappointing not to break 25, but it was a lesson learned today. I had wanted to be aggressive in my race pacing this year but pushed it too much in the first 2k. It's also a nice improvement over last year and a PB by 58 seconds

One of my key goals for the year is to break 40 for 10k. I just put todays race time into McMillan and it says 40.01. Next race will be the BHAA 10k in the K-Club - that gives me 3 weeks to find a 2 second improvement

[macinalli]

Today was a progression run, starting off at about 4.40/k and gradually picking up the pace to about 4.00/k. I faded a bit in the race at the weekend so I was thinking that this is the session to improve that speed endurance. Up until now it's been a 6.5k course, but have decided to gradually increase that and today did about 7.5k in 34.30. Including warm up the session was about 9k.

YTD: 368.9k

[macinalli]

Ok, Tuesday was a recovery run - a nice easy 4.5k at lunch time.

Wednesday was fartlek and although our group numbers were down, we had some good quality runners. I was probably the slowest there but we had a well run session (despite the wind) which came to 8k.

Due to work/home stuff I didn't get out Thursday. Friday was a relaxed 8k with the dog.

YTD: 395.9k

[macinalli]

Poorly people at home so the main focus of todays run was to tire out the dog. 11.2k in the Park seems to have done the trick. Reckon it'll be the same story on Sunday and hope to do some 10k specific stuff for the upcoming BHAA 10k on Monday.

YTD: 407.1k

[pconn062]

Hi Macinalli, enjoying the log. I also targeting sub 40 for 10k soon and was thinking of the K club 10k as well, meant to be a super quick course. Good luck with the next two weeks training.

[macinalli]

Monday is usually a progression run with the work group but on my own today so decided to do something different. Had an eye on the mcmillan 10k sessions that were mentioned in another thread so decided to give the 3 x 2 mile intervals a shot. The idea is that if I can do these at race pace, then I'll be fine for the 10k. Hadn't done long intervals before but thought it'd be an interesting session. Turned out to be a bad idea! Did the first 2 miles in 12.55 (target was 12.48) so was happy enough. Took a 4 minute recovery and headed off again but the legs were like jelly and all over the place, stopped after 300 metres. Very strange sensation as I know the pace wasn't the issue - my recent 4 mile race shows that. I'm guessing that while my training is going well, I haven't been doing long intervals, and especially nothing near 2 mile intervals. Plan for the future is to build up to these with a series of 1 mile intervals - lesson learned! After pulling the plug on the session I just went for an easy run in the Park - total for the day was a very varied 16.3k.

YTD: 423.4k

[macinalli]

Tuesday was a recovery day, the legs were pretty tired after Mondays strange run. The usual relaxed 4.5k.

Today was fartlek and the usual 8k route. Conditions were great and I had one of those days when running just felt effortless. Why can't I feel like that on race days?

YTD: 435.9k

[macinalli]

Thursday was recovery after fartlek - nice relaxed 4.5k.

Friday was our 400's session - we aim to do 400 in 80 seconds, take 50 seconds recovery and then go again. I had intended to do 5 reps, but recovered quickly during the last and went with one of our guys who was doing a 6th. Struggled in the 2nd half but it's good to be up to 6 this early in the year. Times for the 400 were 82, 80, 79, 79, 80 and 81. Slept very well that night!

Today then was a longish run. Am thinking of doing a half marathon some time in May to help me work out my training paces for Berlin (maybe the Moy half on May 12). Need to get a few longer runs in before then - today was 20.2k around the park in 1:49.

Looking back then on the week, I ran 6 times totalling 59k. Sessions completed were the fartlek and the 400's. I think it's the most I've run in a week when I haven't been training for a marathon and I'm really enjoying my running at the moment. Bring on the K-Club next week!

YTD: 466.1k

[macinalli]

Bit of a daft week, didn't get to update my log at all. Anyhoo, Monday was the usual progression run - about 7.5k with a finishing around the 4.10/k mark. I'm planning on gradually increasing the length of these - currently around 35 minutes.

Tuesday was a recovery day - an easy 4.5k.

Wed - Fri was abroad with work. Knew that getting a run in would be difficult but thought the rest would be good with the BHAA 10k coming up. Plan was to loosen the legs up when I got back on Friday but was feeling crap so skipped that too!

BHAA 10k @ the K-Club
Got a great nights sleep on Friday so felt good again and ready to have a shot at my first sub 40. McMillan was predicting a 40.01 for me so I thought it'd be close! Got there in good time, a 2k warm up with some strides before joining the pack. The start was a bit of a mess as no-one knew where the start line was and the pack had to move back about 10 metres. Was really congested at the start but cleared out after maybe 100 metres. Got into my stride straight away and went through the 2k mark in 7.45 but I was working hard at that stage. From there on the pace steadily dropped but I went through 5k in 19.53 and thought that if I could keep the pace then a fast finish would get me there. Was not to be as the pace just kept dropping - km splits of 4.10, 4.08 and 4.12 to get me to 8k. Managed to pick it up for the finish, crossing the line in 40.38. It's my 2nd race in a row now where I've walked away with a PB (by 75 seconds!) but still felt disappointed.

In hindsight I think the 3 days off had left me rusty, but I'm getting closer to that sub-40 so reasons for optimism. It's my main target for the year, will have another crack later - maybe Dunshaughlin.

YTD: 495.1k

[macinalli]

More travel with work has meant a v interrupted weeks running. Was in Athens from Sun - Wed and brought the running gear with every intention of getting out. That plan didn't last though as it's not a good town for running. Footpaths are small and uneven, traffic is bedlam and it's also damn hot all the time. On a positive side, the Acropolis is spectacular!

Joined the work group on Thursday for a slow 4.5k at lunch time - nice to get out again. Friday was the usual session of 400's. The format is the same - target pace of 80 sec off 50 sec recovery. Wind was a bit awkward so the pace was a bit erratic - splits of 83, 79, 81, 80, 82 and 81. Happy with the session though.

Today was a longish run - 21.3k around the park in 1:56. Am thinking of doing the Moy half marathon in 2 weeks as I'll be down West that weekend and I'd like to get a half in before the Berlin training starts. Not sure about the pace (McMillan says 91) but have only done a couple of runs over 20k this year. Will probably do the race anyways!

YTD: 526.9k

[macinalli]

Monday means a progression run with the work crew - the usual 8k route with 6.5k at pace. We started off on about 5.20 pace and finished very fast at 3.40. Am thinking that I might try change these to a much more even effort in the future but undecided for now...

YTD: 534.9k

[macinalli]

Couldn't get out at lunch time but was happy to get an easy run in after work. Conditions were awful but was wearing the right (Winter!) gear so it was fine. Eventually I got so wet I decided to go cross country in the Phoenix Park - was brilliant! Something very therapeutic about running through puddles - a very relaxing 8k.

YTD: 542.9k

[macinalli]

Ok, a busy week but still managed to get some good runs in. Wednesday was fartlek, the usual 8k course with a nice mix of fast/long. Thursday was a recovery day, again the usual 4.5k route. Friday I was travelling all day and no chance for a run.

Have decided to do the Moy half marathon next weekend to get an idea of where my pace is at before getting stuck into training for the Berlin marathon. For that I've been doing longer weekend runs and today was another of those - 22.8k around the Phoenix Park in 1.56. Average pace was 5.07 per km - will need to do much better next week in Ballina!

YTD: 578.2k

[macinalli]

Monday was one of those days when I just couldn't be bothered - a write off of a day all round By tradition Tuesday is always a recovery run - this time it was a 5k recovery run after my Monday laziness!

Wednesday was the usual fartlek, although unusual in that it was probably the fastest session of the year. The usual mix of long/fast, but with a good bite to the various splits. Today was a 4.5k recovery run - very easy. Legs are pretty tired today - have been back on the bike after a few lazy weeks but feeling better for it.

Am in 2 minds for a race strategy this weekend. McMillan says that I'm 90.30 for the half marathon but I don't think I've the hard work done to get that time. Apparently though there's a 90 min pacer for the race so it's very tempted to see if I can hang on. Tomorrow is a day of rest, will probably just wing it on Sat morning!

YTD: 595.7k

[macinalli]

Headed west last night and then had a short drive this morning down to the course. Registration was a doddle - all done in 30 seconds; seemed that half of Ballina was getting roped in to help with this one! The race started bang on time, and about 30 seconds before that the 1.30 pacer appeared beside me. Decided to go with him at the start but was prepared to let him go if the pace looked like it might be too much. That happened after about 1.5 miles - I noticed that I was running at 6.30 mile pace and the pacer was going away from me! I knew I couldn't sustain that so decided to let him gradually get away from me. I was told before hand that the course was fast and flat - didn't think so at all. We left Ballina at about 2 miles - 14.14 on the clock so happy enough. From mile 3 to 6 it was a long drag up a hill, into the wind and that was tough going. I kept on the pace however and went through 6 miles in 43.15 - happy enough. Miles 6-10 were largely downhill, but with a few toughish hills in between. Was very happy with this stage of the race - pace was under 7.00 for all of these. As expected though my lack of long hard runs started to tell and the pace flagged a bit towards the end. I was stilling passing some people in the last mile and finished pretty tired in 93.30. I was asked to predict my time on Friday and I said 93 so all in all I'm pretty happy with that.

The race itself was well run - lots of marshalls on the course, good local support and a good spread afterwards. I still have my quibbles about the entry fee (€45) but could not fault anything else. Based on todays run I need to come up with a training plan for Berlin. Will be following the P&D 55 mile plan, but unsure of a target time - any advice welcome!