Becoming a Real Runner

menoscemo · 27-06-2011 8:56pm

Sunday 26th
10 miles recovery yesterday along a good bit of the clontarf half course with Brian and Chinguetti. The wind was blowing very fierce down by the Bull Island. I have to pace 1'45 next week and I wouldn't fancy running 8 minute miles into that wind :eek:
Weekly total 6 runs 45.2 miles

Tonight
Met a few lads at Tallaght for an easy run in the park. They were doing 7ish so I did an extra loop to make up one of my medium long runs. (starting P&D as of tonight). They are doing a 3 x 2 mile session on Wednesday so that will perfectly replace the P&D LT sessions, also met the marathon and had a chat so It is looking like I'll definately join up.

10.2 miles @8'19 av

WTD 1 run 10.2 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|21/27|152.2
Total|152/177|1242.5

Mr Slow · 27-06-2011 9:35pm

Shying away from tempo running are we?

menoscemo · 27-06-2011 9:39pm

Mr Slow wrote: »

Shying away from tempo running are we?

Nope, 3 x 2 miles at 6'25 (only 3.5 minutes rest apparently :eek:) is a much tougher session than the planned 4 miles @ 6'50. These session will only bring me on.....Tempo running is many things and 3 x 2 miles certainly qualifies as a tempo session.

Woddle · 27-06-2011 9:50pm

menoscemo wrote: »

It is looking like I'll definately join up.

Good stuff meno, sounds like a good session to get started. I'm heading up tomorrow for about half four for a bit of track.

Mr Slow · 28-06-2011 9:34am

menoscemo wrote: »

Nope, 3 x 2 miles at 6'25 (only 3.5 minutes rest apparently :eek:) is a much tougher session than the planned 4 miles @ 6'50. These session will only bring me on.....Tempo running is many things and 3 x 2 miles certainly qualifies as a tempo session.

You've admitted though that you like intervals but hate threshold running ie 2 mile wu with 6 @ pace and 2 mile wd.

menoscemo · 28-06-2011 10:03am

Mr Slow wrote: »

You've admitted though that you like intervals but hate threshold running ie 2 mile wu with 6 @ pace and 2 mile wd.

I wouldn't call 2 mile reps 'intervals'. They are threshold running!! I find 200, 400 intervals etc to be easy yes. I did not find the 2 mile reps in marlay that i was doing with Woddle on thursdays to be easy- in fact they were the hardest sessions I have ever done! (as evidenced by the fact that i couldn't complete them).

Anyway the club will be building them up thorugh the summer to 4 x 2 miles, 2 x 3 miles etc...I'll still have to do some longer LT runs on my own (e.g the 10 w/6 and 11 w/7 etc) but for the next few weeks while P&D prescribe only 3 and 4 mile bursts of LT, these session are a much superiour substitute.

menoscemo · 28-06-2011 7:26pm

5 miles @ 9'20 pace, almost drifted off at this pace tonight. HR under 130. Hopefully that leaves my legs nice and fresh for tomorrows tempo.

WTD 2 runs 15.2 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|22/28|157.2
Total|153/178|1247.5

menoscemo · 29-06-2011 8:45pm

I Went Up to the Club tonight for my first official session. Tonights plan was 3 x 2 miles with 3.5 minutes recovery on the track. This session really sold the club to me as it fits right in with what I have been doing the past several thursday nights (In fact tonight is when I actually finished out the mcmillan schedule.).It is on every wednesday night and is a perfect P&D LT session replacement....

Only 3 of the Marathon crowd turned out tonight as there was a club race last night. After a nice long warm up, I went out with the crowd but they dropped me after the first mile (6'24, 6'31). the second set went similar (6'29, 6'36) the last set was a killer particularly the last miles (6'33, 6'42). I was ta the back of the pack tonight but I have to say everyone was very friendly and welcoming and the coach even gave me a few good tips. I have to say the 3.5 mile recoveries were tough, in the mcmillan sessions I was getting 5 minutes for 2 mile reps and 4 minutes for 1 mile reps...

2 mile cool down meant a total of: 11 miles @ 7'20 av pace

WTD 3 runs 26.2 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|23/29|168.2
Total|154/179|1258.5

Woddle · 29-06-2011 8:50pm

Good stuff meno. How did you find doing them on the track (8 laps a rep)

menoscemo · 29-06-2011 8:58pm

Woddle wrote: »

Good stuff meno. How did you find doing them on the track (8 laps a rep)

Not too bad, But I was always chasing lads down so that helps. Coach was at the start line every time shouting out the times every lap, so that is incentive to not slow down too much. Certainly easier than in the park, but the shorter recoveries and (probably) Saturdays race meant that that doesn't sow on the time.

They are having a 1 mile race on the track next Tuesday. It'd be right up your street at the moment. Do you fancy that? I might give it a go myself....

Woddle · 29-06-2011 9:06pm

menoscemo wrote: »

They are having a 1 mile race on the track next Tuesday. It'd be right up your street at the moment. Do you fancy that? I might give it a go myself....

Absolutely. Count me in.
maybe

claralara · 30-06-2011 9:03am

Don't think I expressed my well wishes on the brilliant time on Saturday...so, well done! I hope I didn't miss out on too much bad behaviour afterwards...:)

menoscemo · 30-06-2011 9:49am

claralara wrote: »

Don't think I expressed my well wishes on the brilliant time on Saturday...so, well done! I hope I didn't miss out on too much bad behaviour afterwards...:)

Thanks, unfortunately not.
We never even got to see the race video in full to watch you take out all comers with flying elbows :pac: We made our way swiftly to Ryans after you left for the *ahem* hen party but we didn't find much going on

claralara · 30-06-2011 10:01am

Hen party my a5s...I wish!

Krusty_Clown · 30-06-2011 1:08pm

menoscemo wrote: »

11 miles

Looks like there's a 9 foot climb on that track! Good to see you're settling in there well. Must give a club a shot at some stage.

menoscemo · 30-06-2011 7:30pm

5 miles @ 8'58 (135 av HR). Enjoyed this run around Tymon while listening to the radio. Rest tomorrow and two longish runs at the weekend.

In other news I was 11 st 11lbs on the scales this morning. That's 6lbs down on where I was just over 2 weeks ago and only 4 lbs off my target of 11.5 stone. I can taste the chocolate already :pac:

WTD 4 runs 31.2 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
Total|155/181|1263.5

That's June done and dusted, pretty low mileage again, but now I'm back on a programme I should be back up near 250 in July. I really should be on a marathon programme all the time, I have no discipline otherwise...

gerard65 · 30-06-2011 10:06pm

menoscemo wrote: »

In other news I was 11 st 11lbs on the scales this morning. That's 6lbs down on where I was just over 2 weeks ago and only 4 lbs off my target of 11.5 stone.

You've lost 6lbs in 2 weeks? Thats a lot. It would suggest a big change in diet and lifestyle, have you made that big of a change?

menoscemo · 30-06-2011 10:11pm

gerard65 wrote: »

You've lost 6lbs in 2 weeks? Thats a lot. It would suggest a big change in diet and lifestyle, have you made that big of a change?

Yeah, I would have been eating bars of chocolate, crisps, sweets and general rubbish every day to be honest. I have also cut back on the bread, rice, pasta etc, no takeaways and no booze during the week, that combined with running 50 miles a week is doing the trick. I should be down to 11st 7lbs by Tuesday week and after that I can let go a bit. I'll be running 65-70 mile weeks by then anyway.

gerard65 · 30-06-2011 10:17pm

menoscemo wrote: »

Yeah, I would have been eating bars of chocolate, crisps, sweets and general rubbish every day to be honest. I have also cut back on the bread, rice, pasta etc, no takeaways and no booze during the week, that combined with running 50 miles a week is doing the trick. I should be down to 11st 7lbs by Tuesday week and after that I can let go a bit. I'll be running 65-70 mile weeks by then anyway.

Ah, that'll explain it. I was just been wary as the same thing happened to me a few weeks ago, but I hadn't done anything to promote a 4lb loss. I now know I was crashing and burning. One of the major red flags of overtraining is a big unexplained weight loss.

menoscemo · 30-06-2011 10:24pm

gerard65 wrote: »

Ah, that'll explain it. I was just been wary as the same thing happened to me a few weeks ago, but I hadn't done anything to promote a 4lb loss. I now know I was crashing and burning. One of the major red flags of overtraining is a big unexplained weight loss.

Ah No Ger, this weightloss has been 100% intentional. I tend to balloon during lulls in training mileage due to lower mileage and failure to eat less accordingly

. Same thing happened after DCM last year. The good news is that with a bit of discipline it tends to come off again very quickly.

outforarun · 30-06-2011 11:35pm

Never said well done on your 10K time. Well Done. Great time. I'd put money on you getting under 40mins next time.

RacoonQueen · 01-07-2011 5:08pm

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/NIK1392/

menoscemo · 01-07-2011 7:10pm

RacoonQueen wrote: »

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/NIK1392/

Nice colour, but it's getting a bit tedious that they are bring out a new one every year. Still though I guess it means there'll be loads of cheap Lunarglide +2s on the market soon

menoscemo · 02-07-2011 1:09pm

16 miles @ 9'30 av in the park with Pistol 75 and Average Runner. We had nules 10 for the first 10 miles and Mr Slow for the last 11. Enjoyable run, nice to meet new folks. I was happy to keep this one slow today as I am pacing 1'45 in the clontarf half tomorrow

WTD 5 runs 47.2 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|1/2|16
Total|156/182|1279.5

Nules10 · 02-07-2011 1:36pm

Lovely to meet you this morning... thanks for keeping the pace slow

digger2d2 · 02-07-2011 1:46pm

menoscemo wrote: »

Nice colour, but it's getting a bit tedious that they are bring out a new one every year. Still though I guess it means there'll be loads of cheap Lunarglide +2s on the market soon

Technically the 3 is quite a bit different though!

tHE vAGGABOND · 03-07-2011 9:18am

Imagine loosing the pacing balloons? I would be mortified if it was me who le them go

RacoonQueen · 03-07-2011 9:58am

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Imagine loosing the pacing balloons? I would be mortified if it was me who le them go

Imagine losing all 9 of them over an hour before the race even starts. :rolleyes:

menoscemo · 03-07-2011 1:31pm

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Imagine losing all 9 of them over an hour before the race even starts. :rolleyes:

Yes RQ, you must be really embarrassed

I was never really that keen on this Job, but somehow managed to rope myself into it. I've been working hard all week and have to go to work this evening. Haven't really slept enought he last few nights and the 16 miles yesterday was probably not the best idea ever

. Anyways Like a good boy I bought 9 lovely foil balloons for the pacers today. I handed them to RQ this morning as we arrived at the start and 10 minutes later they were in the sky above north Dublin :eek: We manged to improvise by getting some balloons from the local gym which was sposoring the race and grabbed some bits of rope to tie them on.

10am and we were off. Myself an Ral 3 took a pretty even pace throughout, got about 20 seconds up after 6k and held it. We had a pretty decent group with us to be fair, the legs felt pretty sore from yesterday (and the weekly mileage in general) but they managed to hold out today. some of the terrain was not the best. In particular the sand coming onto the beach is very loose. We were 30 seconds up as we came back onto the beach for the second time at about 15k. We slowed a bit in the loos sand but nothing much, so imagine my surprise when we passed the 16k mark 10 seconds down

. I pushed on at this point while Ral3 roared at me to slow down. I brought 6 or 7 of our group with me and we put in a 4'30ish km, i realised passing 17k that I was now a minute+ up. the 16k marker was obviously well out

. I dropped the pace now and told the 'splitter group to push on (they would all finish well ahead of us) and slowed down over the next few km to let the Ral3 and his merry men catch up again. By 19k were were all one big family again and we got about 15-20 people over the line in sub 1'45. The great thing was that there was no-one behind us for well over a minute, so we literally dragged everyone capable to their goal pace.

Summary: 13.1 miles in 1'44'15 (7'56/mile pace)

WTD 6 runs 60.3 miles

Month|No. of days Runnning|Miles
January|28/31|256.3
February|24/28|236.9
March|23/31|221.9
April|22/30|150.2
May|25/31|198.5
June|24/30|173.2
July|2/3|29.1
Total|157/183|1292.6

RAL3 · 03-07-2011 9:19pm

Welll done today Meno, we got a good bunch over the line under 1 45 and some, as you said earlier, under 1 44.

I had dropped back a core group of about 8, most of whom had not done a HM before so they needed to be brought along with some tlc. They didnt care about smashing 1 45, just getting in under it, so I was trying to keep it as even as possible for them especially along the sand where the markers were a bit off.

In fairness it worked fairly well in that the two of us ended up with that group for the last 2 miles so it was a job well done as far as i am concerned.

Becoming a Real Runner

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