Becoming a Real Runner

menoscemo

OI wrote: »

No way, I'm at 9 min miles for 5 at the moment. Unbelievably unfit. If you are really stuck and need to make up the numbers, I'd consider it but I'd feel like deadweight.

check out the thread. The B team is more of a laugh than anything serious and if you join we could bump someone fster up to the A team.

OI

menoscemo wrote: »

check out the thread. The B team is more of a laugh than anything serious and if you join we could bump someone fster up to the A team.

I posted in the thread. I'm willing if needed.,

menoscemo

Intervals today. I did my usual 6 x 1k with 400m (approx) recovery. I went back to Marlay park again this week as I really like the 1k course, unfortunately woddle couldn't come this week.
Anyway, I have to say these were quite strange. The first felt really tough in the legs (even though it was quite slow) I nearly called it a day. they got gradually easier and at the end it all felt easy. I really don't understand, another thing is that my HR was really low, even though I felt like I couldn't push much harder at times. I laid it all out in the last one and still coul donly get the HR up to 165 average. On most of the laps my max HR was only in the mid 160's. I have a feeling my max HR is dropping, I noticed in the GIR it was lower than most races even though I definately gave it my all as evidenced by puking at the finish line.

Anyway the laps went: 4:15 (157) 4:01 (162), 4:13 (160), 4:12 (157 ) 4:15 (161) 4:04 (165)

Overall 10k exactly (6.2 miles) in 48:25, Pace 7:48, Av HR 151

menoscemo

Planned about 7 easy tonight, but the legs felt tired today so I called it a day early as this was just a recovery run anyway and I have a big tempo planned tomorrow (doubling uo as a long run).
4.1 miles in 36 minutes. Pace 8:48, HR 139

menoscemo

I had a real big session tonight as I am not sure I'll be able to get a long run in this weekend. The plan was a long run with two big 3 mile tempos. I was quite nervous about this as I have struggled doing 2x 2 mile tempos in the last few weeks so I wasn't sure If I would be fit for so many fast miles.
Anyway I needn't have worried. This went really well I concentrated hard on trying to relax while running fast and in the recovery mile between tempos I was still going quite fast unintentionally, normally I'm wrecked and hardly moving.
Anyway the session went 2 miles warm up (9:37, 8:36) -> 3 miles tempo -> 7:25 (158), 7:01 (165), 7:01 (169) -> 1 mile recovery (8:37) -> 3 miles tempo -> 7:11 (161), 7:10 (167) 6:53 (169) -> 1.1 mile cool down at 8:10 pace.

Overall 10.1 miles in 1hr 18min 30 sec at 7:46 av pace and 157 Av Hr.

Incredibly I was though 10 miles in 1:17:45 - that would have been a dream race time over the distance 6 months ago and yet I ran 4 of the 10 miles at easy/recovery pace tonight. This run has given me real confidence ahead of the sportsworld 5 mile next weekend. I am planning to break into 33:XX

OI

Jaysus, you have come a long way, won't be catching up to that any time soon. Wish I had kept training now.

menoscemo

OI wrote: »

Jaysus, you have come a long way, won't be catching up to that any time soon. Wish I had kept training now.

Keep it up and you'll get there. I have found from reading other logs that the key is to get a few key sessions a week (1 tempo and one speed if you are going for shor stuff, and 1 Tempo and 1 LSR if you are going for long stuff) and keep the rest of you runs really slow and easy. BY slow I mean a minute or more below Marathon pace.
I heard it said that keeping your slow sessions slow keeps you rested allows you to do your fast sessions fast I wish I had followed this advice when training for DCM last year. I think we both did all our runs at PMP or fatser yet we couldn't make PMP on the day :rolleyes:

In saying all that I was surprised that the run went so well tonight.
BTW you are only a few months behind-After christmas I was in bits and could hardly do 9 minute miles and I was injured for about a month in February. You'll be flying come the summer.

OI

Right ok, so I desperately want to go sub 4 this year. And I want to stick to that. Does that mean that I should do all my easy runs at 10 min miles. Cause you're absolutely right, I ran 18 miles last year at 9 mm. It was crazy when you think about it. IT's flaired up 3 days later and I couldn't get the 20 milers in.

Can I then run speed sessions as fast as I like once a week aswell as races?

menoscemo

This is Misty Floyd's Marathon training Programme as designed by himself and alongthe lines of what our resident forum expert Tergat has suggested. I will be followin something similar to this. The key is two 'big sesions a week' one is a long tempo run e.g 6x2 miles at HMP in midweek and an LSR at the weekend with PMP miles at the end (e.g. 16 miles with last 5 at PMP). The LSR's start long from week 1 so by the end you should be used to it.
Everything else should be 'easy' pace. Misty was running 8 min/mles for these runs and his PMP was about 6:45. You might notice my easy runs are now at low 140's HR (they used to be low to mid 150's). I am actually doing these midweek tempo runs now so I will be used to the regime come June and at that stage I will be dropping the monday/tuesday 1km intervals from my plans altogeher.

Have a look through misty's log yourself to see what he was at. I already have his permission to copy his plan, I am sure he won't mind if you do too :P

menoscemo

So I was playing poker and drinking all weekend. I managed to jog about 2 miles to the luas to go back and get my car on sunday. So overall a bit of a crappy week again though I did get 2 really quality sessions in so not too disapponted
Totals for last week: 4 and a bit runs 28.4 miles

The plan for this week is to get a run in all 5 days mon-friday and rest up saturday for the Sportsworld 5 mile on sunday.
I started tonight with a nice gentle 7 miles, well 6.9 in 1hr 1min, 8:51 min/mile HR 140
Legs felt a bit heavy but I have all week to loosen them up.

In other news I am starting to have a bit o trouble with a toe. For those who read my last log, you may remember an accident I had last summer when a pingpong table fell on my big toe and kept me out of action for a few weeks. It nearly scuppered my whole marathon. Well about 5 months later the nail finally fell off and has been growing back ever since. Now it is back to full size, but I suspect a little bit is now ingrowing and staring to give me a bit of pain. It is not really affecting my running but I will have to go to the chiropodist I suspect. I don't want to go this week as I really want to race on sunday and I am afraid they might do something to keep me out. I will leave it to next week I think.

menoscemo

Intervals tonight. Plan was Marlay Park but Woddle wasn't doing them (we meet tomorrow) so when I saw it lashing after work I took a snap decision to go to the gym and do it on the threadmill. I regretted that decision immediately but went to the gym anyway and togged out. I realised then I had no lock for my locker so had to go back out to the car on with the Garmin and headed to Tymon park.

Anyway long story short I decided to not push myself today with the race on sunday so went for 4 1k's instead of the usual six. First two were 4:06 and 4:02, with the legs a bit stiff I went for a lap of the park and then decided to run the last two together so did 2k in 8:12 (6:35 pace- HR just 162 :eek:).

Overall 5.2 miles in 41 minutes. Pace 7:55 Av HR 152.

Tomorrow I will be doing hills with Woddle at lunchtime and maybe a few easy miles in the evening.

menoscemo

No hills with woddle today as I had to head off in work. We will do that tomorrow.
This evening I decided to check out the new canal walkway beside the house. The idea was an easy run but my pace was fast enough on the flat surface so I just kept it up. I will call this Aerobic pace!!
10k or 6.2 miles in just under 49 minutes. Pace 7:53. Av HR 152.

Edit: woot!!! Just passed 500 miles for the year.

Woddle

menoscemo wrote: »

Intervals tonight. Plan was Marlay Park but Woddle wasn't doing them

You make it sound like I was skyving you forgot to tell everyone I only got your message after I had got back to the car having finished my run

Very tough route tomorrow (for me anyway) so you'll either be holding my hand or pushing on

menoscemo

Woddle wrote: »

You make it sound like I was skyving you forgot to tell everyone I only got your message after I had got back to the car having finished my run

Very tough route tomorrow (for me anyway) so you'll either be holding my hand or pushing on

Nah, take it easy, real easy I have the race on sunday and went a bit faster than planned this evening.

P.S. you were skiving

menoscemo

Another 10k today, all runs seem to be 10k nowadays but they are all different route. Today I did this at lunch time over a very hilly route with Woddle in a quite slow time. Some of the hills were killer and the first 3 miles were uphill all the way to the tune of almost 300m.

The legs actually are feeling it now though it was quite an easy run. Hillr unning definately must have stranght benefits.

I meant to go to the gym this evening for some weights but realised i still didn't have my lock in my gym ba, so I gave it a miss Might do some pressups later if I can be bothered.
Summarry: 6.1 miles in an hour, 250m elevation gain. HR 147.

menoscemo

Legs were pretty stiff after yesterdays hills so I did a nice easy recovery run this morning.
4.1 miles in just over 9 minute miles.
Now I'm off up north for my niece's communion tomorrow morning. I'll be back down tomorrow night for The Sportsworld 5 on sunday. No more running till then.

menoscemo

This was an early start with the race at 10am. I was up at 7.30, had a light breakfast and picked up RQ at 8:30.
We met Gerard65 down at registration and had a nice few miles warm up. At the line We met Alan Foley and Aimman. Alan was on for a fast run so he went up the front. Gerard, RQ and Aimamn started just behind me as they all said they waere aiming for slower times than me. My pan was sub 34, I knew Gerard was not going to settle for a 35 as he claimed :rolleyes:
Race started well with a nice quick mile- 6:26 is just where I wanted to be. the next mile already began to hurt as we turned onto the whitehall rd and slightly uphill into a head wind- 6:46. At this stage Gerard65 came up alongside me- he had been on my shoulder all along an took uo the reigns. I stayed there for a while but my head started to drift and he pulled away. I was suffereing at this stage and when they called out 17 minutes at half way, I mentally gave up the sub 34 time. Mile 3 7:02, Mile 4 6:55 at 4 miles I realised that a great last mile would still get me goal, people were passing me here and I picked up and overtook a few but then let off the gas and they passed me again. I held on and with 100m to go Alan Foley gave me a big roar and somehow I held my breath and went off on a huge sprint overtaking 6 or 7 people. Pace for the last 100 4:30/mile but overall the mile was 7:01.

Total 5.01 miles in 34:15 Pace 6:50 HR 172. Disapointed to fall just short of target, I think I could have done a little more in the middle stages when I let myself drift. Overall I am just not suited to morning running I think. I am not a morning person and even my light breakfast was repeating on me. For the second race in a row a little bit came back up after the finish line :pac:

Gerard had a Super time sub 33.30. Now to find an evening 5 miler and break 34 before marathon training starts......


Edit: Just to Say, That was still a pb by 1min 12 seconds (from Raheny in January) and also a McMillan PB (faster than the mcmillan Equivalent for any race distance) So I propbably shouldn't be too disappointed.

menoscemo

Not sure what to give myself for today as the warm up was untimed. I'd say maybe 1.5 miles for 6.5 miles for the day
Weekly total: 6 runs 35.1 miles, no real long run, 1 race, 1PB

RacoonQueen

Just remembered now about leg it for your liver race in the park on Wednesday if you're ready for an '8k' race by then.

menoscemo

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Just remembered now about leg it for your liver race in the park on Wednesday if you're ready for an '8k' race by then.

8k? Grrrr why can't they just put an extra .05k to make it 5 miles? Will think about it all the same, It could replace my weekly speed session

smmoore79

menoscemo wrote: »

This was an early start with the race at 10am. I was up at 7.30, had a light breakfast and picked up RQ at 8:30.
We met Gerard65 down at registration and had a nice few miles warm up. At the line We met Alan Foley and Aimman. Alan was on for a fast run so he went up the front. Gerard, RQ and Aimamn started just behind me as they all said they waere aiming for slower times than me. My pan was sub 34, I knew Gerard was not going to settle for a 35 as he claimed :rolleyes:
Race started well with a nice quick mile- 6:26 is just where I wanted to be. the next mile already began to hurt as we turned onto the whitehall rd and slightly uphill into a head wind- 6:46. At this stage Gerard65 came up alongside me- he had been on my shoulder all along an took uo the reigns. I stayed there for a while but my head started to drift and he pulled away. I was suffereing at this stage and when they called out 17 minutes at half way, I mentally gave up the sub 34 time. Mile 3 7:02, Mile 4 6:55 at 4 miles I realised that a great last mile would still get me goal, people were passing me here and I picked up and overtook a few but then let off the gas and they passed me again. I held on and with 100m to go Alan Foley gave me a big roar and somehow I held my breath and went off on a huge sprint overtaking 6 or 7 people. Pace for the last 100 4:30/mile but overall the mile was 7:01.

Total 5.01 miles in 34:15 Pace 6:50 HR 172. Disapointed to fall just short of target, I think I could have done a little more in the middle stages when I let myself drift. Overall I am just not suited to morning running I think. I am not a morning person and even my light breakfast was repeating on me. For the second race in a row a little bit came back up after the finish line :pac:

Gerard had a Super time sub 33.30. Now to find an evening 5 miler and break 34 before marathon training starts......


Edit: Just to Say, That was still a pb by 1min 12 seconds (from Raheny in January) and also a McMillan PB (faster than the mcmillan Equivalent for any race distance) So I propbably shouldn't be too disappointed.

Same thing happened to me. Had a very quick first mile and then struggled the rest of the way! Thought i might break a pb but that never happened. Think it might have been the sun, it really killed me..

menoscemo

smmoore79 wrote: »

Same thing happened to me. Had a very quick first mile and then struggled the rest of the way! Thought i might break a pb but that never happened. Think it might have been the sun, it really killed me..

Yeah, I think the same thing happened Alan Foley. The first mile went just as I planned, but that turned out to be too quick. Ah Well, still a pb for me in fairness. I just need to find a 5 miler with a later start

dublinrunner

well done today! a pb is a pb!:)

xebec

Fair play on the PB today, that's a great time! (Now how do I find 4 mins to catch up with you?!)

Was looking through the logs and spotted the title of yours which led to a question: do you feel like a real runner yet? We all know you are, but everyone's perception of themselves is different... Might be time for a change of title

menoscemo

Not sure I am a real runner yet, but hope to be by the end of the year Gotta knock out a proper marathon and get under 20 minutes for 5k....

Anyway I have been rethinking yeserday and I think I was a little hard on myself. It is still a big PB. I was just expecting to improve more since Raheny, but I am going to have to accept that improvements are going to plateau from now on... Looking at the splits from yesterday they went: 6:26, 6:46, 7:02, 6:55, 7:01. In raheny they were: 6:30, 6:57, 7:03, 7:17, 7:37. Basically I realise looking at those stats that my endurance is much improved, I held it together much better yesterday even though I felt like I buckled again after two miles. More of the same and I will soo be able to run all the miles in 6:30 ish

Anyway today was a recovery run. 5.8 miles in 51:30, av pace 8:50, HR 141. Legs a bit tired but otherwise moving well.

OI

You're a bit hard on yourself alright. Sub 7 min miles, come on man, that's class. Puts you in the A/R/T elite.

RacoonQueen

A bit hard on yourself? You're being massively hard on yourself, think of where you were last year and where you are this year. You've come a LONG way in a really short space of time. Did you think you'd be running sub 7 minute miles now this time last year?

menoscemo

RacoonQueen wrote: »

A bit hard on yourself? You're being massively hard on yourself, think of where you were last year and where you are this year. You've come a LONG way in a really short space of time. Did you think you'd be running sub 7 minute miles now this time last year?

I acutally ran sub 7 miles back last october in the rathfarnham 5k But yeah I get what you're all saying... now for the next race- I am thinking the donore 5k on saturday 29th (chip timed and downhill, t'would feel like cheating) or else that BHAA donore 5 miler a few days later- i would give me a chance to see if my morning vs evening running theory is true.
Anyone out there know if that donore route is flat?

RacoonQueen

Pedantic fecker.

xebec

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Pedantic fecker.

My turn to be pedantic

meno, I presume you mean the Dunboyne 5 mile race? Don't know anything about the course... That Donore 5k is looking more and more tempting! My 5k PB is very soft and how could you go wrong with a lovely downhill course?!