Bliain Faoi Thrí

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Hopefully the foot injury is not too serious and you can get back to whizzing around properly.

ronanmac

Sure, it may have been helped by the fact that the race was being run at midday on a Friday, therefore whittling down greatly the potential field of opponents, but the SCC 5k last Friday saw my first race victory!

A windy day, a tough course, and a dose of some sort of virus made it a tough run (my lungs felt like they were on fire afterwards, and I had what seemed like the taste of blood in my mouth:eek:), and didn’t make for a particularly fast 5k time. The race was being organised by my former alma mater, Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin, and was opened up to the non-school going public for the first time this year. So, along with about 300 students, there were members of our tri club, parents, students from the local branch of NUIG and a few other stragglers.

I found myself out on my own quickly enough, with no company other than the squad car ahead of me. Surreal. It felt like a tough training run with a Garda escort. At about the 1.5 mile stage, I was really beginning to feel the burn and knew that I had gone out too fast (Garmin didn’t pick up satellites so I had no idea what pace I was running). Any time I looked back, I could see a blue singlet that wasn’t closing the gap, but with about 4k done, a white t-shirt appeared from nowhere and seemed to be closing.

The last thing I wanted was to have to put some more effort in, but with the course record of 20:02 up for grabs as well, I put in a final spurt to finish in 19:30. Second place came in 23 seconds later.

Weird. I never thought I’d win a race, and I guess that this was the only kind of race I ever am likely to win!

On the plus side, neither the hip or the foot injury came into play. On the down side, whatever cold/flu/virus I've had seems to have embedded itself in since the race.

Distance: 5k
Time: 19:30
Pace: 3:54
Weather: Windy but dry

catweazle

Well done!

Had they the Finishing line tape for you and a few high fives for the crowd going down the chute!

ronanmac

catweazle wrote: »

Well done!

Had they the Finishing line tape for you and a few high fives for the crowd going down the chute!

For the record, I have never partaken in finish line high fives, despite what photos from a certain HIM might suggest (that was merely my "arms outstretched, Jesus-like, in glory" pose)...

There was a chute, but, disappointingly, no tape . I've always wondered why the winners of running races run through the tape and ignore it, but victorious triathletes clutch it like it was their first-born...

ronanmac

My wife was running her first marathon on Monday, so I brought the bike with me so I could cheer her on from a few different spots. I would imagine that marathon bank holiday Monday is one of the easiest days of the year to cycle in Dublin, but it really opened my eyes to the luxury of rural biking. Man, we have it easy down here in the sticks. The difference is that among the bogs and the mountains, all you have to think of is your effort. Cycling in Dublin involves a lot more thinking and a lot more awareness. Yuk!

Anyway, spectating the marathon was a great experience. Looking at the first bunch of runners coming through was unsettling. A group of Kenyans with the outward exertion of a training run. Behind them, it occurred to me that a marathon is a lonely place if you’re running substantially sub-3. A few small groups, lots of solo runners with no-one within sight, and then along came the sub-3 balloons and 14,000 runners behind them! Looking at the number of people on either side of the balloon divide, it struck me that sub-3 is almost as psychological as it is physiological.

I saw plenty of boardsies on the day, jackyback and Macanri (I think) being the first I saw, with catweazle shortly behind them. After that, I saw who turned out to be Izoard (nice to meet you, Izoard, if only briefly!), Micilín Muc and, of course, my reason for being there, MarySamsonite!

I thought I’d feel left out of the whole experience but, with feeling so crap lately, the last thing I would want to have done was a marathon. Plus being a spectator was great! Weirdly, the only time I felt like I had missed out was while watching people walk in pain afterwards!

Done: 35.6km

pgibbo

Congrats on your win! Nice one :cool:

Izoard

hey Ronan, good to say hi to you in the flesh - have to say, it was pretty easy to pick you out - almost the same gear on as your finish at Galway:)

El Director

Hey Ronan, congrats on your win! I often visualise winning a race, breaking the tape first, being number one, having a title to defend next year and so on... it has to be a cool moment! You can never control who turns up for a race, all you can do is race who's there and see what plays out.

You've had a great year dude, well done.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Nice one on the win.

pgmcpq

Congrats on the win. And congrats to Mrs Mac on the marathon. Was she happy with the experience ? Welcome to the world of the dual marathoner household ! Hope this means the the foot problem is behind you.

Yes, I've seen the elite guys finish the Philly marathon a few times. You'd swear they had just popped out from behind a bush half a mile earlier. Incredible to see up close. TV does not give any idea how fast these guys are moving.

littlebug

Oh wow a win!
Well done Ronanmac!

Micilin Muc

Your new log for next year should be called Bliain gan Rith

ronanmac

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Your new log for next year should be called Bliain gan Rith

Bliain gan Maitheasa...

ronanmac

This has been my longest training (and boards) hiatus in quite a while, and I thought I may as well bring the log up to date before the end of the year, and before the start of a new log. As well as not training, I’ve put my head in the sand and stayed away from all other logs on boards so as not to get even more depressed!

The training has been knocked on the head, partly by a change of job and the madness of finishing up one job and starting a new one, but mostly by a very stubborn infection that keeps reoccurring. Various approaches to getting rid of it have included ignoring it, nuking it with a double-dose of antibiotics, and a gentler, wholistic approach! None have worked so far, and I’m left with the most frustrating solution of near-total physical and mental rest over Christmas.

So far, I have trained with the infection unknowingly still in my system (leading to fun group cycles where I think I’m going well but get dropped by everyone on every hillock), went back to the pool for the first time since September to do a gentle 1000m (giving up, gasping, at 500m after multiple rest breaks), and I think I may have forgotten how to run altogether!

Anyway, for the sake of the log, I’m adding the training I have done but haven’t logged. As for next year, I’m unclear as yet what to do (other than I’ve signed up again for Galway 70.3). I had planned to travel to the Mallorca 70.3 in May but it turns out that a biggish work thing is on the cards around the same time so no can do.

Run Mileage Done since last update:
23.72

Cycling:
107.21

Swimming:
500m

So much for using the off season to get set up for 2012…

Anyway, a belated Nollaig Shona and a thank you to all who posted and advised here over the year, and apologies for the over-enthusiastic end of year taper!

pgmcpq

Sorry to read about the virus - I know how frustrating it is to be working away wondering how everyone else is getting further away. Hope you shake it soon.

Best of luck for the new year with the training and the new job.

El Director

Sorry to hear Ronán of the less than ideal end to 2011, which let's not forget was absolutely terrific for you. A very impressive first season. You'll bounce back man, and a new start is just around the corner - 2012. So head up buddy and do whatever it takes to get the health on track. Best of luck in the new job and the new year.

catweazle

Nice to get the illness on the off season for a change. Galway 70.3 again - that new job must be shelling out the big bucks to afford that one, hope the holidays are as good. At least you don't have to be peaking till towards the end of the year

Met your sister buying Mrs C shoes in town - she goes to me after chewing her ear off for ten minutes - I think her brother is yer man from boards with the red hair

Although I know Peadar who was with her well from my GAA days

littlebug

... and there I was waiting for a(nother) extended holiday report :pac:
Sorry to hear you've not been well Ronan... hope the new year brings better health. I hope Mrs Mac has avoided this virus and is back running again!

ronanmac

Yesterday seemed as good a day as any to start back training again. The start of a new year in every sense (it was my birthday yesterday!), plus I seem to have finally gotten over the various ailments that have served me well as excuses over the last couple of months.

It was a straightforward, scenic run with no purpose but to get back into some sort of groove again. I’ve lost a ton of fitness but yesterday wasn’t a day to dwell on that. Merely to enjoy going out and taking in the views (here’s a photo from the run yesterday, it was taken at Barr na Corra, the most southerly point of the peninsula on which I live):


I also used the day to note a few data points. My weight is 71.7kg and my resting heart rate has climbed up to 53. I’ve been looking back at 2011 through misery glasses brought on by the past few months of inaction, but when I look at it more objectively, it’s been a good year. A good start to triathlon, and an enjoyable one at that, plus the added bonus of being part of a new club. My run mileage for 2011 was down considerably on 2010 (932km v 1350km), but in mitigation, my swim total was up from 0!

I’m calling my log for 2012 “Bliain Faoi Thrí”. The reasons I had for calling it that have disappeared but I’ll stick with it. I had intended to do 3 half-ironmans in 2012, I’m no longer convinced of the merit of that, so I’m revising it to two. I had also hoped to give a sub-3 marathon a shot, but I currently can barely envisage doing a sub-4 marathon, so I’m knocking that one on the head as well. So with no marathon faoi thrí uair a chloig, or a half-ironman to be done faoi thrí, Bliain Faoi Thrí will be about undertaking the three sports of triathlon in a more equal, committed manner.

I’ve no specific targets worked out as yet, other than that I have signed up for the Galway 70.3. I had hoped to do the Mallorca 70.3, but a big work thing the day before that race rules it out. I don’t know what my second half will be, although this is currently the leader among choices.

I plan to take the swimming more seriously, not to treat it as a time-consuming annoyance, but as something that I am weak at, and that I need to improve.

That’s it. Happy New Year, and I hope it’s a good training and racing year for all.

Done (Yesterday)
Route: Home to Rinn to An Damba, and home
Distance: 8.92km
Time: 49:15
Pace: 5:31
Average/Max HR: 163/181
Weather: Very windy but mostly dry

ronanmac

catweazle wrote: »

Nice to get the illness on the off season for a change. Galway 70.3 again - that new job must be shelling out the big bucks to afford that one, hope the holidays are as good. At least you don't have to be peaking till towards the end of the year

Met your sister buying Mrs C shoes in town - she goes to me after chewing her ear off for ten minutes - I think her brother is yer man from boards with the red hair

Although I know Peadar who was with her well from my GAA days

I heard that alright, small world indeed!

ronanmac

littlebug wrote: »

... and there I was waiting for a(nother) extended holiday report :pac:
Sorry to hear you've not been well Ronan... hope the new year brings better health. I hope Mrs Mac has avoided this virus and is back running again!

Thanks littlebug, started feeling better once the clock struck for 2012 (although that may have been the wine...). Mrs Mac has had a bit of a running break as well, but is all set to go for a new lash at it for 2012.

pgibbo

Happy New Year and belated birthday wishes.

Hopefully that's your share of illness and injury out of the way. Onwards and upwards. :cool:

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Good to have you back R, have you looked at Challenge Barca Half? I would highly recommend it if the dates suit you.

catweazle

I feel that massive training shift I put in over the xmas thinking how I would spank you in Swinford is gone to waste

Not to sure what I am at myself yet

ronanmac

With a marked reluctance, I went back to the pool last night. The little I did was unsurprisingly tough, but that’s to be expected. The purpose of this week is just to get back into the groove of training, and to start properly next week.
Done:
750m

This morning was my first AM session in a long time, and it felt good (once it was done, of course!). The session was a straightforward 25.7km workout using the Realtour DVD, so the hills of Sardinia were a distraction from the gale and rain outside the garage. I’ve done this DVD four times so far, and it’s as good a measure of where I’ve gone, fitness-wise, over the past few months.
October 10:
Average Power*: 160
Duration: 00:52:52
Average Speed: 29.2

November 22
Average Power: 130
Duration: 00:59:14
Average Speed: 26.1

December 19
Average Power: 120
Duration: 01:02:17
Average Speed: 24.8

January 4
Average Power: 109
Duration: 1:05:41
Average Speed: 23.5

A pretty severe decline!

Done Today:
Route: Trainer (La Maddalena DVD)
Distance: 25.7
Time: 1:05:41
Average Speed: 23.5
Cadence: 87
Average/Max HR: 151/171

*Realtour’s interpretation of power, as opposed to a power meter

ronanmac

Selah Early Seller wrote: »

Good to have you back R, have you looked at Challenge Barca Half? I would highly recommend it if the dates suit you.

Barca was my original target, but it falls on the same weekend as this, which my club is organising, and the opportunity to go for a spin with Bernard Hinault in my own backyard is too much to pass up!

catweazle wrote: »

I feel that massive training shift I put in over the xmas thinking how I would spank you in Swinford is gone to waste

Not to sure what I am at myself yet

To think that you would deny yourself the satisfaction of destroying me in Galway, but for that you're a tight b*stard and won't cough up the entry fee for an iconic race that goes past your own front door

backspacer

Good to see you back on the wagon after Xmas, have been away for a few weeks so plenty of training went out the window, only training was learning to eat in large amounts Think i better get back into it asap or they'll be no challenges this year!!

ronanmac

backspacer wrote: »

Good to see you back on the wagon after Xmas, have been away for a few weeks so plenty of training went out the window, only training was learning to eat in large amounts Think i better get back into it asap or they'll be no challenges this year!!

Cheers, hope you got plenty of training done in 4 feet of Polish snow!

ronanmac

Yesterday Lunchtime:
One of the biggest problems I had last year were constant issues with hip flexor, lower back and abdominal injuries, all core-related, and with one or all of them constantly present in minor or painful forms.
I decided that I might as well start doing some core work this year to try and counter this weakness, and while I plan to start doing one hour sessions next week, I started off at lunchtime yesterday with a half hour core-specific session from the Athletes Guide to Yoga DVD. Tough going for a weakling like me!

Done:
Core work, 30 minutes

Lunchtime Today:
I had planned to get up for an early run session this morning, but the noise of the wind at 6am put me back to bed, and blew out of my head any memories of having a treadmill in the garage
So it was a short run at lunchtime, still pretty windy but had eased up a lot.

Distance: 7.74km
Time: 39:19
Pace: 5:04/km
HR (Ave/Max): 171/182
Weather: Windy, cold but dry

backspacer

ronanmac wrote: »

Cheers, hope you got plenty of training done in 4 feet of Polish snow!

Ha not flippin likely, the main thing was trying to walk on on icy snowy footpaths never mind run on them!!