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Running Through The Wall
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Week ending 17th November
Mon: 5.4 miles home from work, 47:50
Wed: Run in the Dark 5k
A few of the gang from work were signing up for this, so I said I'd join them for it. Chose the 5k, as I didnt fancy a 10k so soon after the marathon. The parkrun at the weekend suggested I should be in the sub 18 region again, so that was the aim again.
Turned on the garmin at lunchtime to change it to kms, to find out the battery was almost gone. How did that happen? Hmmm. Luckily I was able to borrow a watch off someone at work - a standard old school casio badboy. That would do fine.
There's been lots of discussions in the Events thread as to some of the issues with this race.... I think the one that affected me most was the hanging around in the cold at the start. I felt sorry for those further back - as I was at 4km, there were still streams people starting! How did that happen!
Got chatting to a few people at the start and did a warmup and some strides. The difficulty with this race was that you didnt know if it was 5k runners or 10k runners around you until the last 100m or so when the 10k guys turned off. As such, it might look like you were 5th or 6th at any given stage, when in fact you were a couple more places up in the 5k race.
I made sure to start up the front to avoid overcrowding and having to weave around everyone. And finally off we went, and I had clear road bar a handful of runners. I started fast enough to stay within sight of the leaders, and went through 1km in approx 3:20 - prob a bit too fast, so I pulled it back a little bit. I dont have my splits - I was terrified of hitting any of the buttons on this unfamiliar timepiece! We went over Matt Talbot bridge and turned right, to have the wind at our backs for the trip to the Point. This was lovely and flat, and felt easy. I picked up a few places along here as I took advantage of the breeze.
The much anticipated turnaround came about and it was headlong into the breeze. I maintained effort and passed some more people before we crossed over Samuel Beckett Bridge and passed 4km. By now I was still feeling really strong and was confident that I wouldnt let anyone past me. I could see the lad ahead of me and wondered what position he was in. He was too far ahead for me to close in on him and catch him.
As we turned for the final straight, I put in that final surge, passing over the 5km timing mat in 17:35, a new PB, and onto 3rd place overall. First was 16:57 and second was 17:25 - so not that far behind them.
Delighted with that as it felt loose and easy throughout, and it bodes well for trying to beat that time over the winter season!
About 5.5 miles total running including warmup and cooldown
Fri: 5.81 miles into work in 49:56
Life kind of got in the way over the weekend so I didnt get any further miles in. 15.71 miles in total this week
I've been drafted in to pace 1:40 for the Clontarf Half next Saturday. Looking forward to it.0 -
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Maybe I was too comfortable? Maybe I should have put more into it? Sometimes I get bored during these races and chicken out from a mental perspective. That might well have happened - was possibly inside the comfort zone?
The plan is to give Donadea a lash, yes. Will all depend on how everything aligns going in to that day - weather, last of the training, conditions underfoot, and the fact that really I have only done a marathon training program rather than anything longer. I do believe I am capable of that 3:4x range alright on a good day... I need to make some final decisions on how to approach it yet.....
Yep, i think there is more to come. You were too smiley and chatty a t that stage :P
Good man on donadea, sounds like you'll be running close to CL. I will just be taking it as a long training run. Hope yee don't lap me
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Yep, i think there is more to come. You were too smiley and chatty a t that stage :P
Good man on donadea, sounds like you'll be running close to CL. I will just be taking it as a long training run. Hope yee don't lap me
I hope you don't mind Killerz but have a quick query for Meno....just wondering what sort of pace you are planning for donadea? I've conn ultra on the horizon and am trying to figure out what's best thing to do in donadea.0 -
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Week ending 2nd February
Been a while since I caught up on the log, so here goes....
Mon: 6.2 miles home from work; 50:12
Tue: Having done the Raheny 5, I shifted the long run out to Tuesday after work. I knew this would be a challenge, having never done more than 14-15 miles after work before. Anyhow, banged it out in 2hrs 52 and was delighted with myself. It actually wasnt as tough as I thought it would be. 20.3 miles, avg pace 8:28.
Thu: Lunchtime run with a few strides thrown in - 6.1 miles. 48:41
Sat: Said I'd have a lash at the parkrun (St. Anne's), 2 weeks out from Donadea. Was prepared to go for a PB, but anything around 18 mins would be a good workout.
2.4 miles easy jog down to St Anne's - 20:41
Weather promised showers - not ideal, but rather running than volunteering today. As the klaxon went, I slotted in behind the guy who went off into the lead and stuck with him. The pace was very comfortable, I was just hoping it wasnt comfortable for him! We went through half way and into the second lap, with no one else really close to us from what I could see. With about a km and a half to go, I passed the guy in first more by just holding my pace rather than speeding up, but then once I hit the main straight I put a bit more effort in, building a significant enough lead to finish in 17:59, almost 30 secs ahead of second place. This was my first time finishing first in any running events, and it was very cool to do it at this particular event!
5km - 17:59 - avg HR 170, max 181.
A great little boost a couple of weeks out from the 50km.
Sun: Had 16 miles pencilled in for the Sunday. Did not stretch properly on Saturday after the parkrun and paid for it the next day. Didnt enjoy this run at all, and called it a day after 14.3 miles - 2:08:41 (probably about the equivalent of 16 miles on a normal day time-wise.
52.4 miles this week
Week ending 9th February
Tue: 7.6 miles home from work 1:03:00
Thu: 8.6 miles with 3 x 1 mile at 5k pace w/2 mins recovery..... well that's the target anyhow.
Total: 1:04:26; HR AVG 142, max 173
Warm up - 2.65 mile; 21:21
Mile 1: 5:56; HR 158
Mile 2: 5:51; HR 166
Mile 3: 5:53; HR 166
Cool down to home: 2.44 miles
Fri: 5.6 miles into work - 46:32
Sun: 11.9 miles, 8 of which were spent with Ferris B running along the seafront. Nice easy run, miles flew past.
Week ending 16th February
Tues: Was travelling with work Mon-Tues, got back in on Tues evening and out for my last session pre-Donadea. 7.2 miles, w/2 MP. Driving snow and wind did not help.
Total: 7.2 miles; 54:41
MP: 2 miles @ 6:39/mi
Thu: 2.8 miles very easy: 23:31
Sat: Donadea 50km
This was to be my goal race of the Spring. Training had gone reasonably well, but I think overall I was well-trained for a marathon, rather than anything beyond it. Endurance was not at its great in the run-up, moreover speed seemed to have been the area I had improved most in in this training cycle. Lots going on in regular non-running life too, culminating in me not knowing for sure if I would be racing until Friday lunchtime.
So enough of the excuses.
Weather had been poor over the past couple of weeks, and I had some concerns on the effect this may have on the course. Having not seen the donadea loop before, I was imagining very muddy forest trails. I understood that the trees would provide some shelter, so I was not overly concerned about wind.
Myself and Mrs Killerz arrived down at the race HQ around half 8/ quarter to 9 in the morning, ahead of a 10am start. It was pretty cold and damp out, so was happy to stay in the car for a while before the start.
Nice atmosphere there, reminded me a lot of the Canadian trail races which I really loved. After a few chats with familiar faces, we were off. The course consists of 10 x laps of just under 5km, with an additional spur added to the first lap to make up the 50km total.
Lap 1 (slightly longer lap): 22:45
Having seen a few significant puddles on course, I positioned myself up towards the front (maybe 2nd or 3rd row) to try and get good positioning on the road and avoid getting the feet wet so early. Worked well, and I felt good as we set off. This lap was too fast - Excluding the initial spur, it was 6:57/mi for the 21:26 lap. I was getting carried away early. HR 159
Lap 2: 21:35; 6:58/mi
Maintained this pace as I was in step with a couple of other runners... didnt really want to be on my own to be honest. As I felt comfortable, I stuck with it. Gel at end of lap. HR 155
Lap 3: 21:33; 6:56/mi
Still plugging away here. HR 158.
Lap 4: 21:44; 7:01/mi
Pace still too fast, by about 10-15 secs per mile. HR 154. Gel at the end of the lap.
Lap 5: 22:00; 7:06/mi
Still feeling reasonably good at this point, and was looking forward to starting the second half of the race... Slowing a little, which was good - HR 156
Lap 6: 22:23; 7:14/mi
I think it was this lap or the next where Gary O'Hanlon (race winner) came by me. I'm sure he must have passed at some other stage, but I don't recall that happening. I was starting to get a little tired at this stage. Gel at end of lap. HR 158
Lap 7: 22:35; 7:17/mi
Lap 7 brought us to 35km, and it was this and the following lap where mentally I was suffering a lot. I was losing interest, feeling fatigued and knew I had gone out too fast and was now suffering. HR 161
Lap 8: 23:09; 7:26/mi
Slowing again, but still running at a reasonable pace. Was feeling pretty down in the dumps finishing this lap, gel at the end and passing through the start/ finish area was really wondering what time I was going to finish this in. A bit light-headed at times during this. After what happened to me in Chicago, I am always very conscious of this, and reeled in my pace big-time. HR 161
Lap 9: 24:26; 7:53/mi
Slowed to a walk twice on this one, and was in an exposed area of the course when a serious rain/ hail shower came down, freezing me. Thankfully it was over pretty quickly and did not cause any major issues. Went through the marathon distance in about 3 hours and 8 mins - thought to myself that the marathon was where it was at - what was I doing going for 50k!
Each lap seemed to have a few uphills for the first half, but then mostly downhills in the second half. I was dreading the start of each lap for that reason. A few signs of cramp during this lap. Hopefully it would hold off. HR 158
Lap 10: 24:22; 7:53/mi
Finally the last lap! Unfortunately, the aid station was all out of water as I was about to head out for the last 5km. They only had powerade which I wasnt interested in. Thankfully, FBOT01 who had come down to spectate was on hand with some water. I was feeling pretty rough at this stage but roused myself for the final lap. Target was just to at least keep 8 min miles to get in with a result of 3:4x. That was building in a lot of contingency as it happens, but my maths wasnt great at that stage!
On the hill towards the 1km marker, cramp was starting to really set in again, so I did what I could to manage it and slowed to a walk for about 20 seconds soon after that. Got going again and just pushed myself through each km marker and was counting down the kms to the end. With 1km left, I was still feeling awful, a little pukey, a little crampy, but just kept plugging away.
Finally, the last turn and the 300m or so to the end came around. Pushed on through for the finish. 16th place, 3:46:33. Thank God that was over!
Great race, lovely medal. I paid for going out too fast and not doing long enough runs in training. On the flipside, I am proud of what was a great run, fighting the mental demons and plugging away to finish in a very respectable time. Anto and the team put on a special event and for anyone who hasnt done it, it is well worth adding to the list for the future.
The mud and puddles didnt play a big factor in my race. If I had held back a little over the first few laps, I think I may have been able to hold a more even pace overall. Having said that, it was laps 9 and 10 where I was maybe 2 mins behind target time, and I had that in the bank from the start, so all in all, the result was pretty much the same, just more painful the way I did it.
Thanks to everyone who supported. The shout outs of 'pretty in pink' from marshals and supporters really kept me going. 0 -
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It has been a while since I updated my log, so I better get on with it!
Week ending 9th March
Mon: 7 miles home from work - 55:45
Wed: Cant remember what run this was - battery ran out....
Fri: 6 miles in to work - 47:13
Sun: 15.2 lovely miles from Blackrock out to Dalkey and back, taking in both of Dun Laoghaire's piers. Lovely day for it. 1:59:28
Week ending 16th March
I'm planning on focusing my attention towards the HM this summer (although I do change my plans an awful lot). The first step is pacing Limerick HM, so I have started doing some more HM stuff, albeit considering I am relatively recently after doing 50k and also have Boston, the HM pace stuff is more at the 1:25 level rather than HM target which will probably be sub 1:20. I'll work towards that in more depth over the summer all going well.
Tue: HM session
3.75 mile warmup, 29:39
4 x HM pace miles in a row, target <6:30 pm. Splits as follows
Mile 1: 6:24; HR 155
Mile 2: 6:23; HR 162
Mile 3: 6:18; HR 162
Mile 4: 6:13; HR 165
Cool down 2.3 miles, 18:53
Overall: 10.05 miles, 1:13:50 HR avg 142 max 167
Thu: 8.2 miles home from work, 1:05:56
Fri: 6 miles into work: 48:27
These back to back runs have really served me well in recent training cycles. I appreciate there is a night's sleep in between, but doing 10-12 miles on Thursday evening and 6 miles straight out of bed on a Friday seems to have toughened me up!
Was babysitting in Kildare from Saturday until Monday, so that was it in terms of runs for the week.
Week ending 23rd March
Was at the physio a couple of times over recent weeks to try and find out why I was getting some discomfort close to my knee. Long story short is that it is due to tight hammers. Luckily, some stretching that I now incorporate into my routine seems to be doing the job.
Mon: (St. Patrick's Day). Got that long run in that was scheduled for yesterday. 19.3 miles; 2:34:38. A great run.
Wed: Lunchtime run, 6.15 miles, 46:45
Thu: HM session
3.68 mile warmup, 28:03
5 HM pace miles in a row, target <6:30 pm. Didnt take splits but overall:
31:29; avg pace 6:18/mile; HR 163
Cool down 2.02 miles, 18:53
Overall: 10.7 miles, 1:15:41 HR avg 149 max 174
Fri: 6 miles into work, 47:35
Sat: Malahide parkrun: 1.5 miles warmup + 3.1 miles parkrun + 0.5 mile cool down.
Parkrun: 17:49 HR avg 176, max 185. 4th place.
Found this tough - was quite tired, but a nice run out all the same, and nice to go back to Malahide again, where I hadnt been since last summer.
A solid week's work - 47:25 miles
Week ending 30th March
Mon: 7.4 miles home from work - 58:47
Tue: 10.5 miles - 1:26:22
Thu: HM session
3.08 mile warmup, 23:36
6 HM pace miles in a row, target <6:30 pm.
First 3 miles: 19:10:62 avg pace 6:24/mile.
Second 3 miles: 18:52:60 avg pace 6:17/mile
2.29 miles cool down, 19:49
Overall: 11.37 miles, 1:21:28 HR avg 147 max 170
Fri: 5 miles into work, 41:09. Hailstones this morning wtf
Sat: Long run:
16.09 miles; 2:06:32 HR avg 132, max 175
3.1 miles - St Annes parkrun - 19:49 HR avg 168, max 183. Met up with Meno, Claralara and Marthastew at the start of parkrun and joined the latter two for the first lap before pushing on a little in the second lap to try get in under the 20 mins.
1.6 mile cool down - 13:01
Total long run 20.79 miles overall 2:39:22 - avg pace 7:40/mile.
Great morning run, lovely to meet the guys and catch up with them over a few miles.
Right. that brings the log up to date. Wont leave it so long next time!
Must start my beer mile training soon come to think of it.
55.06 miles in the bag this week as I start to taper for Boston, but maintain the HM pace stuff over the next couple of weeks.0
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