Is it Now?

donothoponpop

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Well done Donotblowyourtop. No signs that there was ever an injury!

Thanks Kursty, you know, I've forgotten about that injury!

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

From now on, the catch phrase 'what would Jo do?' will ring across the valleys, and gain legendary status alongside favourites such as 'HTFU' and 'Run Like You Stole Something'.

I use "WWJoD?" when I'm moderating tough calls, and it certainly works for running and training too. In fact, I'm going to use it when driving, cooking, painting...:D

donothoponpop

Mon 31 May 10k hill run Annacurra

Met up with SloggerJogger as we headed up the trails around his home hill. Great to have someone to talk shop with. Steady on the climbs, till we turned a corner about 5k in. "That would make a nice run for intervals, up to that distant tree line", said SJ, so I tapped him on the shoulder and said c'mon. Two of us upped the pace to a hard level, and ran up the trail to the trees, for about a minute (that felt like three!). Hands on knees, heaving to get oxygen into lungs, before setting off again, this time down the trails to home. Nice fresh run through the forest, for one final flourish at the carpark, SJ suddenly sprinting the 100m to the car. I turned on the "kick", and started taking back a bit of distance, stride by stride. Face was contorted into some horrific gurn, as I passed him, to hit the car first, and take the glory of the crowd, which was a couple of cawing blackbirds, and some jeering teenagers.

What did I care: this was my Olympics:)

Slogger Jogger

Next time I'll push harder on the hills to knock that kick out of you

donothoponpop

Tue 4k barefoot

Training the kids, including racing the younger ones (7-10) against the older (12-15). Generous headstart for the youngers, but both groups raced like their lives depended on it. Great fun:)

Wed 11k hill run

Couldn't get out to the Scarr race in time, so had my own run up local Hillbrook. Steady climb all the way, pushed it a bit to the top. I'm managing to run a bit longer through pain now, so hopefully this improving spell will continue. Slow enough running down, wilting in the heat on the last mile.

donothoponpop

Fri 4th June 15k wicklow way

Biked 8k to the start of leg 8, with my brand new road tyres (the Council having finally ceded to my demands for better local roads, means I now get to travel smooth slick tarmacadamed streets, instead of potholed boreens), and I was amazed at the difference in coasting speed. Might just file down the soles of my runners to get this bonus.

Anyway, met up with SJ and Dlow69, who is running leg 8 for one of the Boards teams. Great sunny fresh day, where else would you be but the hills? Although, that said, leg 8 is pretty flat, and after traveling a bone-dry cow trail, we hit the roads for the second half. Great fun, and great to have company for the chat. Left them after 7k in, and traversed the route back to my bike. If the conditions are as dry as this come next Saturday, records are there for the taking.

donothoponpop

Mon 15k hill run

Set out in heavy rain for a recce of the first half of leg 6 WW relay, from the carpark at the Drumgoff Inn. I had run this a few times before, and was only doing a recce since i've been such a "captain-pain-in-the-ass" about recces, to the members of Boards teams:D Going well up the first climbs, following the yellow men, next thing, boom, running on unfamiliar trails with a sinking feeling something had gone astray...:o

Ended up doing a big loop, and coming out about 20m higher than where I should have turned- there was a yellow man post pointing the way. But of course, my rain-addled mind decided this was some new temporary Coillte sign, and I went the other way, ending up higher than I should, towards CarrawayStick mountain. I found a familiar "plastic-mat" path that I knew would take me to Drumgoff, so ran along it, and traversed the WW the correct way, but in reverse, back to the starting point. It was actually an enjoyable run, felt good on the climbs, despite the missed turn. Soaked to the skin when finished, but a valuable lesson learned on the importance of recces:)

Slogger Jogger

A couple of days left to finish that recce properly

donothoponpop

Wicklow Way Relay (leg 6)

Ever since I got injured a year ago, I knew this was to be a "comeback" race of sorts. It's the best race of the year, by a country mile. Eight legs along the Wicklow Way from Marlay in Dublin, (where I grew up), to Shillelagh, Wicklow (where I now live). All the "proper" clubs size this one up, and get their speedster runners out for a jaunt in the country. What your team may lack in speed, you can make up in logistics, as each year races are won and lost by runners not turning up at the right time, or going astray, or whatever. It was back in February that I started looking for a kernal of a Boards team, with a view to working on the logistics side of things, to play it as a strength. Soon we had organized a couple of teams, and began doing recces. My view on recces, as a team captain, is quite simple. I'm dealing with a bunch of six-year olds, who need to be given a map to cross the room. It sounds stupid, but (obviously with a little respect!), works, if you insist that everyone recces and knows their route.

Proof that this works, in my own recce this week of leg 6, (which I had run several times previous), I went astray- one simple turn missed, and my orientation was way off. Thankfully this stood to me during todays race!

Anyway, my plan today was to pace the route better than I had last year, when I was catching runners throughout, and died the final few k. So I set off in second, after some great running from my teammates previous, and began the climb. There's a stage when you can feel lactate building in your legs, so I eased off a bit ascending, whenever I reached this stage. 3 and a half k, turn through the forest, again taking it steady, and soon came out onto the long drag of a climb up the trail. Again, steady, with a view to keeping something back for the second half. Throughout the race, I had preminitions of being caught, but didn't look back to see, wanting to run my own paced race. Hit the top of the hill, and ran down to the road. Felt I could go faster, but was wary of needing energy later.

Turned up for the second climb, steady, steady. Heard SJ shout "he's on your shoulder", but figured he was psyching me a bit, and didn't look back. The heat was a dampening factor throughout the race, but not unbearably so. Ran down the first steep downhill, happy to have worn my Speedcross shoes, no mishaps, and fast enough, if not racing. There's a drag for a couple of k here, where I died last year, but it went solid enough this. Bit of road, then the super fast downhill, and I see people cheering at the bridge. Run up, slap Daithi, and chat a bit. Smiling faces. Back slaps. I look at my watch. Nearly two minutes slower than last year. Feck. Loads of energy left. I paced this too soft, last years "hard first half and then hang on" is the way to go. Annoyed with myself. But then I realize I'm talking to Jase, from Rathfarnham, who should have set off long ago. Asks if I've seen their runner. He's gone AWOL. Happens to the best of us, we've all been there, but Rathfarnham's misfortune means Boards are in the lead. A big lead, too.

And then I remember why I insisted on all those recce's, and all those logistics, and the race is back on. We end up winning, a result that I had only fantasised about. What happened today was Holism, where the result is greater than the sum of the parts. But we did it, we won my favourite race, the Wicklow Way Relay:)

donothoponpop

Sun 13 June 7k easy

Two laps around Marlay Park this afternoon, looking at all the pretty girls, feeling good about myself, with a general spring in my step. No real muscle aches or pains, which alas shows that I did indeed leave a couple of minutes out on the leg yesterday. Thankfully no harm done to the team, and a lesson learned. The injury responded very well on the leg 6 downhills, so it's time to stop pampering myself, and do a decent bit of hard training.

After another celebratory glass of wine...

Krusty_Clown

Good to see you're enjoying the moment. If you're around those parts again next Sunday and up for a recce of the Plod route, let me know. Couldn't have managed it today, as the legs weren't up to it, but would like to finally nail the correct route through Massey's Wood (third time's the charm!).

donothoponpop

Mon 10k Hillbrook loop

Working hard with sets of numbers all day, my brain was fried by 9pm, so I set out for a run as the sun set. Set my watch, and out the door. Legs were suffering from DOMS, so no records would be set tonight, but a nice run nonetheless. "The agitator" had produced recent results, and local roads, freshly tarmacademed were still setting, causing sticky runners in a few places. Felt good after I had climbed a couple of hills, great evening, farmers setting their hay, great clouds and colours with the sunset, and abundant wildlife, including what I thought was a youg dog, in fact a small fox cub heading back to its set. Set my mind on next years relay, and ran hard enough in places, but not too hard to set back my injury or anything. Good run:)

donothoponpop

Tue 22nd 8 miles @ 7:23

First day of training for the Dublin Marathon. Headed off on a very hot midday, very eager to impress, and start the new program. Since the last couple of hill races, my ankle and achilles has improved enormously- I'm no longer limping painfully in the morning, which I put down to all the barefoot running I've been doing since Feb, and have now stopped. Hard to believe its almost a year since my calf muscle popped on mount Leinster.

Anyway, fresh start, no excuses, and I ran well for the first few miles, including a decent bit of uphill. Sweat and heat meant the pace became a little harder to maintain, but I managed a bit over 8 miles within the hour. Probably a little too eager to impress (myself) on day 1, since it was an easy run scheduled, and this felt like a decent enough clip. Sub 3 in 16 weeks started today:)

Krusty_Clown

Good man D'pop. Best of luck with the new training goal. I've been running (due to work rather than personal preference) at around 9pm-10pm of late, and the weather is cool, the roads quiet and it doesn't interfere with evening meals. You might even catch the setting sun in those Wicklow hills.

donothoponpop

Wed 8 miles hilly circa 65mins

Cheers KC, I took your advice tonight and headed out at 9, for my first run around the new Ballycumber Loop in Tinahely. This was an easy paced run, but still far from a plod, and with only a swarm of bluebottles for company, I hit the part of WWRelay leg 7, in reverse. Trails were bone dry, so ground was fast if you wanted fast, but the heat was everpresent, (and you'd down a pint of Harp- if ya had a pint of Harp). About 5k in, there's a long, slow drag up the hill, boring trail, until it hits the mountain proper. Although this was a slow run, I still put a bit of push in the uphill, and was dripping with sweat at the top. What better way to cool down than a fast downhill, wind in your hair face, and no fear of falling? Great fun, and a(nother) great loop round these here parts.

donothoponpop

Fri 4 miles easy

Sat 15 mile cycle

SunStrawberry Half, 1:45 pacer

Pre-race at registration, Krusty walks in:

"Hi Krusty, good, you have your 405, I forgot my garmin"

"You forgot what?"

"I forgot my Garmin"

"You forgot what?" (louder)

"I forgot my Garmin"

"You forgot what?" (louder still, calling over other Boardies within earshot, video camera in hand)

So the pacer organizer forgot his Garmin, big deal, no problem when you get to run alongside the human metranome that is KC:D

Big enough crowd with us from the off, up the incline through town ("I thought you said there was no hills" I was asked from more than one person. "Just this one", says I). Settled into pace easy enough, and before long we were out of the town, along country roads. A gentle rise upward at 2.5 miles ("This is the last one") and we were motoring along. Great vibe between the runners at this stage: the weather was cool, gentle breeze, pefect conditions. Every so often I'd drop back a little, to round up runners who were dropping off the pace a bit, while Krusty kept the spirits up in front. Past the castle, and a small lift in the road ("Just work hard on this one: all downhill after"), round the bend, and a nice long stretch through tree-lined back roads.

Our group was breaking up a bit from half way, and there's only so much you can do to push runners on. Nevertheless, we kept a decent group together here still, and the banter was ever-present. Over the river again, and turn up a bend ("Last hill, fight a bit up here guys"), and we were on the motorway, with the finish 5k along this long expanse. The sun was out now, getting hot, runners getting tired, so I took the opportunity of a water station to brighten things up a little by dumping a bottle on Krusty's back. The ensuing cry of shock and cold was greeted with gleeful laughter from assembled runners, and no doubt Krusty will understand my actions were for the greater good;)

Anyway, the final, final, final uphill was on this stretch, and try as we might, our group started to break up, with runners giving up a bit, and some walking. Hard to know what to do here, do you stop and start shouting at them to move again? I did this to one poor guy, and if looks could kill...! Kept it steady to the finish, and stopped at the 13 mile mark to encourage a few more over the line. Sprint, man, sprint! KC set off to finish, but I spied a girl who had been with us all the way, so waited for her to turn into the straight. Ran with her as best she could, but alas, no sprint finish, and she just finished outside 1:45, although chip timing might be ok for her.

Great day out, very well organized, and there were so many other Boardies around afterwards, great to meet and chat with so many! Next year I'm racing this one:)

donothoponpop

Tue 9 miles easy

Started running at 7am, which is very early for me, but something I must do more of. Great way to start the day.
After a day off yesterday, I was itching for this run, which was done at an easy enough 7:45 pace. Legs felt great, wanted to keep on going, but there's a lot more work ahead this week, I'm sure that feeling of tiredness will be back soon.

donothoponpop

Wed 6 miles steady, 8x100m strides

Late enough when I got out, but still clammy and warm- there's a storm a'brewin'. Garmin was messed up under trees, but first mile came in at 7:30, which I was surprised at given the decent effort I felt I was putting in, thankfully each mile got successively quicker, without any upping of effort. By the time miles 5 and 6 came around, I was running about 7:05 pace, and feeling strong enough. The effort involved is such that I could hold a conversation if needed, so long as I was the one asking questions, and was they were very brief indeed.

The scary thing though, this is still 15 secs slower than my PMP, which I'll have to hold for 26 miles. I *know* that this will get easier (I've done a sub3 training before) as the schedule goes on, but right now, 26x6:50, scary!

donothoponpop

Fri July 2nd 10 miles easy

Didn't manage to get out at all yesterday, and I was waiting for an opportunity all evening, which never came. So rather than miss a days training, I set the alarm for 6am, and went to bed early. Woke up at 4:30, tossing and turning, should have just got up then but didn't, which meant I finally drifted back to sleep, and was dreaming about being half way into my run when the alarm went:rolleyes:

Still half asleep, I set off at an easy pace, and it wasn't until I was three miles in that I started to wake up properly. I had no intention of upping the pace, as I want my easy runs to be just that- easy. Having looked over the logs of some faster runners (does anyone else just read primarily those faster than them too?), and seen how they treat "hard runs hard, easy runs easy", I figure I had been fooling myself a bit- when last marathon training, I would never run the LSR's slow enough.

So up the hills and trails, fighting off swarms of early morning flies, for a great start to the day. Home before anyone else was up, coffee on, and the day ahead: this might become a habit.

donothoponpop

Sun 4th July: Gawd Bless Amerikaw 16 miles easy

I missed yesterdays planned 8 miler, family stuff trumped. If I miss out on sub3 because of missed sessions for this reason, I'll be pissed, but will understand the perspective. Family comes first, I took my kids up to see a mountain race, and they had a blast running down the hill, so all is well:D

Anyway, went to bed early, set the alarm for 6, dreamt about a magically comfortable gel-filled airbed, before the alarm rudely woke me. Backstard! Got dressed as I was still half-conscious (think I was wrestling a buxum blonde on the airbed as I laced up my shoes), and hit the road. Every single time I do these early runs, I think of TBubendorfer, and it takes a least three miles before I realise I'm not running round Kerry lakes- but thats ok, as I'm well into the run at that stage.

Felt good this morning, yesterdays missed session meant I was very fresh, and a hilly 13 became 14, which became a hillier 16 miles, and i felt I could keep on going. Wind and cool rain played their part, in that I felt fresh throughout, about 7:50 pace or so.

donothoponpop

MonRest

TueMissed 8 mile easy session

Wed Two-fer. 6 miles steady followed by 8 miles easy.

In the sense that every training run should have a purpose, this one was to cover my annoyance at having missed another session. Couldn't get out at all yesterday, so I got up early today, determined to make up for it. On the road at 6am, and did the first 6 steady. Legs felt good, and I slowed a bit after 6, to begin the 8 mile easy session.

There's a lot more benefit to be had in doing these runs a day apart, and I'll endevour to get back on track a bit. Heading to France for a couple of weeks, and I'm a big lover of French wine, so the next 14 days I'll either be running off the effects of French wine, or running under the effects of French wine. Its also going to be very hot, so early morning runs should be in order. Which will leave me free to start drinking with lunch:)

donothoponpop

Back from two weeks sampling the delights of France. Lots of cellars visited, lots of wines tasted. Which inevitably cut into my training schedule, so quite a few sessions missed. However, I did get a fair amount of decent runs in, including :

13 miles running along Utah beach in Normandy. At 5am, running off a hangover, in thick fog, with not a sinner about. Very eerie feeling, with all the concrete bunkers to fend of the D-Day landings. Did this as a fartlek run, hit some good times, and cooled off in the sea.

9 miles by the Loire in Saumur. Very hot afternoon, I could either wait till the cooler evening, or head now and have wine with dinner. No choice , felt good picking up the pace along the twists and turns of the riverbank.

8 miles along the dune paths of Jean-du-Monts in the Vendee. Napolean bought up miles of dunes and converted them into forest trails for the use of the French citizenry, and they are still well-utilized by the many bikers, hikers, and runners, of all ages. Great country for looking after its citizens, is France.

Few other bits and pieces of runs, but only just over half the total milage I should have done. (Had to keep the family sweet, I was on hols, and good wine at €2 a bottle deserves early opening)

Sat 24th July 10 mile Hill run.

Met SJ early for what should have been a recce of leg 3 SXtoLug, but the smiling RTE weathermen have been paid off by the government, and are basing their cheery forecasts more on creating some hope in the country, than science. Thus we abandoned plans for the open mountain recce, since low cloud, rain, and boggy ****e, do not a good mix make. Instead we took the chance to run the ten miles there and back to the top of local Croughan Kinsella Mountain, a pretty imposing and steep local landmark I'd never yet been up. I wore an old pair of road shoes, and was lucky in my choice, as there is a lot of stoney paths to be scaled (SJ was suffering in trail shoes with limited support or cushioning). A fair old slog to the top, and running in mist as we were, it was hard to see when the summit would come.

Good chat going up, became quieter towards the top, and we were both happy with the effort involved in getting there. Pretty steep in places coming down, but I was able to run quite fast into the large stones, with good cushioning from the impacts. Felt good at the end, like I wanted a few more miles, but thats just from not having got out in a few days.

The tough stuff for Dublin starts now, and I'm looking forward to giving the training schedule a good lash.

donothoponpop

Sun 25th 16 miles hilly easy

Yesterday's steep 10 miler I felt great, but obviously it took a little bit of puff out of me. Started out on todays LSR hoping for 8min miles, but felt tired throughout, so that 8:30 was closer to "easy" pace, going on feeling. Since I'm very conscious of making sure my easy runs feel easy, my hard runs feel hard, this morning's was very much a plod, around the mid section of Annagh Hill.

donothoponpop

Mon 26th 4 mile recovery pace.

Felt great on this run, late in the evening along the Tinahely Railway walk. Had to keep telling myself to slow down the pace. Might give the Bridge to Bridge and Back record a lash one of these days.

Tue 27th 8 miles incl. 4x2min hill repeats.

4 miles easy, dodging crazed farmers in massive machines who are making hay while the weather is good. They really should show more consideration for city types like me, who moved to my rural abode for the quiet bucolic life. Might start a campaign, "Sometimes-road-runners-against-combine-harvesters-sharing-our-roads", see how popular that makes me:)

Anyway, ran up to Hillbrook, to a decent grade of fireroad uphill, for the 4x2min uphill repeats. They were tough, I found myself counting down the last 40 secs of each, tougher than 600 intervals on the flat. Jog back down recovery between each, happy that they are done, and two mile warm-down back home. Loads of small flies out, didn't have my shades, so they were in my eyes, in my mouth, yummy fly-protein mmmmmmm.

donothoponpop

Wed 28th 11 miles easy

Met up with Krusty this evening for a peek at his local mountain run. Good to have the company for chat, and its a nice steady route, up gradually along some back roads before hitting some trails, and then up onto the impossibly domed peak (Ballycorus?). Stopped to admire the great views, all over Dublin, over to Wales, Sugerloaf to Djouce. The evening light was spectacular, breaking through the clouds and illuminating patches of land as in a Rembrandt landscape. Setting back down, Krusty pointed to the loose rocks, and advised me to watch my step on the downhill. I think this was said without irony: in any case I pushed past him and gave the downhill a bit of a lash- I didn't come all this way to miss out on some fun!

Back home along the backroads again, easing off the pace to stick to the "easy run" part of the plan. I found slowing easier than Krusty, who, even for a man who ran 30+ miles in a bog a few days ago, has a natural pace several clicks faster than I. Hadn't really eaten today, so I was happy to finish, and get some grub in me, and happy to have got another good training run done with a fellow Boardie.

Krusty_Clown

Tried to watch the video linked to in your signature, and I couldn't make any more sense of it then when you were trying to describe it to me. Had to watch a Britney Spears video immediately afterwards, just to bring my brain back into harmony.

donothoponpop

Thurs 29th 8 miles easy

Legs are feeling the increased milage from this week, but loosened up a bit from biking 12 miles round trip to Dublin (how does anyone bike that commute regularly? I was nearly killed by a taxi who just swerved in front of me to get a fare- the fare proceeded to step right into my path on the road as I was braking hard. She got a bollikin', the taxi got a boot in his side door;)).

When I got back, and started my planned 8 mile easy run, the legs were still a bit heavy, so I struggled to hit 8 mins until the second mile. Started to feel better after then, and headed into Marlay, where I picked up the pace a pinch in order to look good in front of all the young ladies walking around. Was happy with the way things went till the end, as the 8 min pace didn't feel like too much effort, an extra gear being there if needed. 57 miles total in the last 6 days: I'll use tomorrows 4 miler as a much-needed recovery run.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Tried to watch the video linked to in your signature, and I couldn't make any more sense of it then when you were trying to describe it to me. Had to watch a Britney Spears video immediately afterwards, just to bring my brain back into harmony.

To be fair, that link only works if you watch and understand the previous video. (Polynomial approximations of functions). If you don't understand that one, watch the previous one, and repeat as necessary.

Here's an easier to understand explanation of Euler's Identity. (For anyone else interested, Euler's Identity is the most beautiful (and profound) formula in all Mathematics.

If you still are scratching your head, try Britney Spears' Guide to
Semiconductor Physics , and take it from there:). Go Britney! Go Britney!

Peckham

donothoponpop wrote: »

Stopped to admire the great views, all over Dublin, over to Wales, Sugerloaf to Djouce. The evening light was spectacular, breaking through the clouds and illuminating patches of land as in a Rembrandt landscape.

Sounds very romantic. Did you hold hands on the way back down?!

donothoponpop

Peckham wrote: »

Sounds very romantic. Did you hold hands on the way back down?!

It was very romantic. Shudda made my move on top of the hill, but the chance was gone.:D

donothoponpop

Sat 31 July 4 miles recovery

I had an 8 mile fartlek scheduled for yesterday, but after 57 miles in six days, my legs had had enough. I'm upping the milage too quickly after relatively small milage on my holidays. So I took a blessed day off, and cracked open a couple of beers. Still three months to go, so I figure its a bit too early to be in full-marathon-training mode. There's plenty of dry and painful weeks ahead, no point in denying myself a bit of life this early in the program.

Anyway, the legs were the happier for a rest, and felt much better today. Still only did a nice four miles at easy pace- and looking foward to a tough 16 miler (8 @MP) tomorrow.

donothoponpop

Sun 1 Aug 16 miles, including 7 @ current MP

Very humid day, dark thunderclouds threatened, but never opened. The schedule was for 8 miles easy, 8 miles at current marathon pace. Found it hard to keep the pace down to about 8min/mile , my current easy pace, but it wasn't long before the sweat was dripping from me, and in the end, the 8 miles were done @ 8:09 pace, and it was time to up the pace.

I entered Marlay park, and started doing a few loops. The legs were hurting after 2 miles, so I convinced myself to just get 4 in. After 4, I convinced myself to get 5, and by that stage 6 and 7 came. I overcooked the last two, so skipped the last, but I was very happy with the way this session went, with 12 good weeks of training still to come.

Summary, 8@8:09, then 7:04, 6:59, 7:05, 7:09, 7:33, 6:40, 6:46, 1 x warm down.