The road to Dublin marathon 2008

mikemac

I started the body fat challenge with gabgab last month (twas around 22% from what I remember ) and while I'm not going to say I've major results if I got remeasured today, it was an learning experience and I've certainly started good habits.
(6 weeks off all beer and counting.....)

I didn't set an exact goal though so this seems a good one, only 68 days to go :eek:
I do try to work some activity at least 6 days a week, my employer pays for my gym and I do the crossfit maybe 1-2 days a week.

So been doing that and starting log from what I can remember over last few days.

Friday August 15th
Morning: 6.5km cycle to work. Blitz the journey on my Trek 1200 racer
Lunch: 45 minutes 5 a side soccer, dripping sweat at the end
Evening: 10km cycle to gym. Learning overhead squats and front squats. 7.2km cycle home.

Saturday August 16th
Morning: 6.5km cycle to work
Evening: 10km run 51 minutes, is that slow?

Sunday August 17th
Morning: Starting Strength program
Squat 55kg 3 x 5
Bench Press 45kg 3 x 5
Deadlifts 50kg 3 x 5
Complete novice to weights but am getting instruction and coaching
Using the calculator fromhere as a guide
10km run 50mins
Evening: 8 mile run


Monday August 18th
Morning: 7.2km walk to gym.
Mainly getting instructions on squatting and workout. The crossfit is always challenging and tough
Lunch: Bodypump class. Did this with a mate, not realy my thing. Generally do the spinning but I'll try it again.

Tuesday August 18th
Morning: 6.5km walk to work (do enjoy my morning walks)
Lunch: Spin class
Evening: 8 mile run

I have a running plan last month's Irish running magazine which I'll dig out. Not much running in my first post but that will change.
Did an 11 mile run a few weeks ago so I do have some base to work off.
Never done a marathon or competitive race at all though, what have I let myself in for...........

Odysseus

micmclo wrote: »

Evening: 10km run 51 minutes, is that slow?

10km run 50mins


I have a running plan last month's Irish running magazine which I'll dig out. Not much running in my first post but that will change.
Did an 11 mile run a few weeks ago so I do have some base to work off.
Never done a marathon or competitive race at all though, what have I let myself in for...........

51 mins for 10k if your just starting is good. Quite good I would say considering. In relation to what you have have let yourself in for the only word that comes to mind is pain:) However, believe me its worth it and you wil enjoy it.Best of luck with it mate.

gabgab

My man MicMclo,

Your doing some impressive work I gotta admit, how did the retest go? Was it with Bwardrop? Based on pics I am a fraction leaner but nothing major,

As for the running and marathon stuff, fair play to ya my man. 50 minutes for 10k is quick, especially considering it was a first go at it. I couldnt do that if I went out fresh, not a chance.... AND I am a triathlete

Some good numbers for the starting strenght stuff,

Woddle

Alright micmclo. only saw your log there, welcome, another runner to help push the rest of us up a gear, best of luck with your goals.

SUNGOD

hi micmclo best of luck with your log and dublin ,there is a few of us doing it here so should be good.
just try get some miles in as its getting closer by the day.
best of luck again

Sweater

Hi MicMclo,

That's some serious training. Good luck with the marathon.

mikemac

Thanks all and I have been reading the other logs.
A good few runners here and others doing impressive stuff

Carrying on where I left off.............

Wednesday August 19th
Morning: 6.5km walk to work
Lunch: Spin class

Thursday August 21st
Morning: 6.5km walk to work
Lunch: 10km run 50.36 (While it's not 100% correct, I wouldn't even comtemplate running without my Nike ipod kit. Sure if you have an ipod nano it's only €30. One of the best things I ever bought!

Friday August 22nd
Morning: 6.5km walk to work (I'm on the phone a lot every day in work and studying for exams in evenings so my morning walk is my time)
Lunch: 45mins 5 a side soccer, got man of the match :cool:

Saturday August 23rd
Morning: 7.5km walk to gym
All day: Gynamastics workshop. Man, I was so uncordinated I couldn't do many of the exercises that others did with ease. Twas all new to me.
Instructors were fantastic and a great day had by all. Wrecked tired and stiff after it all, I suppose that shows I tried hard
Evening: 7.5km walk home

Sunday August 24th
Morning Squat 55kg 3 x 5
Bench Press 45kg 3 x 5
Deadlifts 50kg 3 x 5 (of course there are warmup sets but I'm not typing all them)
Same as last day and yes, I supposed to increase but it was a few days since last time so trying to get form bang on
Afternoon: 10 mile run - 1hr 16 mins, pretty warm out there.
Finished off with sprinting a GAA pitch a few times and throwing in 10 x burpees, star jumps and pushups in between intervals.
Got home for a series of stretches and messed around with the yoga on the Wii Fit, good craic.

This was all general activity this week, been typing the Irish runner program into the calender on my mac as I do need a plan.
It'll have to been done in the morning as:

1. I do finish work pretty late
2. I'm a lazy fecker in the evenings but pretty good at bouncing out of bed at ungodly early hours.

mikemac

Monday August 25th
Morning 10km run 49mins 44 sec
Lunch: 45mins Spin class

Tuesday August 26th
Morning: 6.5km walk to work. I find it very relaxing. Just stroll in at a handy slow pace with my ipod
Lunch: 45mins Spin class
Evening: Starting Strenght. Squats (which I only recently learned to do correctly), Bench Press & Deadlifts

Wednesday August 27th
Morning: 35km spin. Left the house at 5:30am :eek:. Dublin; Chapelizod to city centre to a lap of Howth Hill and back to my desk for 7:30am. Cycling in the dark is not cool imo, I'll stick to doing cycling spins at the weekends.
Lunch: 45mins Spin class

Thursday August 28th
Morning: 10km run 48min 44 secs
Evening: Squats, Bench Press and pullups. I can't do a single pullup yet, I'm pretty damn weak!

Friday August 29th
Morning: 6.5km walk to work. If you had to get the 78A Dublin bus, you'd understand why I avoid it
Lunch: 50 mins 5 a side soccer.
Evening: Watch my beloved Shelbourne FC lose to Sporting Fingal

Saturday August 30th
10 mile run 1hr 17min

Sunday August 31st
Squats, Bench Press and pullups.

Monday September 1st
Day of rest, sure it's my birthday
It was always the 1st day back to school, not ideal when you're a kid!

Tuesday September 2nd
Morning: Half Marathon 1hr 51mins 8:30 min/mile
Evening: Squats, Bench Press and deadlifts. Suppose I shoud post reps & weights. Will do that next day

Wednesday September 3rd
Morning: 6.5 km cycle to work
Evening: 6.5km cycle home

Thursday September 4th
Morning: 6.5 km walk to work
Lunch: 45mins Spin

Friday September 5th
Nada, day of rest

Saturday September 6th
8 mile run 1hr 10mins 8:46mins

Sunday September 7th
Zilch, doing study for exams. Just realized I haven't done the weights in 5 days. D'oh!
Been reading on boards about 20 rep squats. Sounds fecking mad, I'll give it a shot (but won't be able to walk, let alone run after it )

Goals for the week:
Get back to the crossfit which is fantastic but I can't attend often due to work and feel kinda bad about that.
Pick up my boards cycling gear but I'm nowhere near fit enough to complete the spins they do. They're lunatics over in cycling forum, I tell ya

Been reading the other threads, great stuff all. I assume some of ye are doing the Addidas Series half-marathon on the 20th

mikemac

Haven't been keep this up to date

Been following Brendan O'Shea's 3:00-4:15 plan that was in June/July 08 magazine. I think it's linked on the marathon website too, I didn't compare them but it might be same.

10 weeks to go

Mon: 8mile easy (around an hourish mark)
Tue: 8mile hard I do the same pace as easy but I do 15 sprints up the hill in my estate. It's steep! Getting strange looks of the neighbours though
Wed:7 mile easy
Thur: 8 mile and sprints on GAA pitch, 10 lenghts
Fri: 5 a side football 15km cycle
Sat: rest
Sun: 14 mile

9 & 8 weeks to go

Mon: 8mile easy
Tue: 10mile hard
Wed:7 mile easy took it pretty easy
Thur: 10 mile run, couldn't run all this, probably overdoing it
Fri: 15km cycle
Sat: rest
Sun: 15 mile

Pretty much the same both weeks

7 & 6 weeks to go

Mon: 8mile easy
Tue: 10mile and 10 lap sprints of GAA pitch
Wed: 8 mile easy
Thur: Supposed to do 10 mile, just did a 6.5km walk to work instead
Fri: 40 mins 5 a side football
Sat: rest, I couldn't make the Phoenix park race, congrats to all who did it
Sun: 15 mile on week 7 and 17 mile on Week 6 (weeks in reverse order)



5 weeks to go

Mon: 8mile easy, 1:02. Wasn't tough, just back and it's pitch dark in the Phoenix Park! I was struggling to see where I was going till I got to Chesterfield Avenue. So I didn't feel safe going harder.


As well as the running I do the crossfit maybe once a week and a general (Starting strenght) program 3 days a week. Usually squats, deadlifts and benchpress.
Still can't do pull-ups, one day I'll get there!

Been reading the other journals, all fantastic and miles ahead of me

Question folks, the running plan states I supposed to have done two 20 mile runs by now but I've done only 17 mile which I did in 2:02 but tbh I was almost falling down at the end.
It's nearly time to start to tapering down going by the plan, is 26miles a step too far?

Oh, it's my first race so I'm not aiming for a time, just aiming to complete.
But I've done a half marathon in 1hr 43mins, is there a rough indication of what kinda goal I could set myself? Obviously, I couldn't do this raceday but just looking for a general idea


I do want to do a race before D-day so hope to do the Clondalkin 10k next Sunday.

Woddle

Not a step too far, keep up the good work and mcmillan gives you a marathon time of 3:37 based on your 1/2 marathon time, thats a pace of 8:18 for 26.2 miles, best of luck

stipes212

I think you will get around the marathon on the the day, if you don't expect too much. As woddle says your predicted time is around 3:37, but that, I expect is based on doing some 20 milers in the build up. I would recommend that you do at least 21 miles early oct. (first week end), or this week end if you don't do the 10k. Short race at this stage won't do you any good, you need the more long runs.
BTW impressive 10m time. (76)

mikemac

Point noted Stipes212, I'll give Clondalkin 10k on Sunday a miss and try to do a 20 milers that day.
I do tend to do these runs at ungodly early hours, if you see some fool stumbling around the Phoenix Park in the dark at 5:30am, say hello, it's probably me

And try for a 21 mile the following week. thanks