Getting Back To My Best

Brianderunner

Thurs 31st Mar, 7 mls in 61'30 (8'47) easy/recovery down to Regents Park and then 4 mls on the grass trail and back up. Rest day tues (driving lesson) and did a load of cycling around the place yesterday and no time for a run. Probably just as well, give the body a chance to recover.

Heading to Dublin the Dunshaughlin 10k weekend so i'll more than likely do that. Donore 5k and that look like being the next 2 goal races for me. No idea how fast/slow i'll do the Leeds half in. Cant see myself doing Kilnaboy, i'm skating on thin ice a bit at the mo and that might be the tipping point but might head home anyway. Would be nice to have a weekend in Ireland where the whole focus of the weekend isnt a race.

March, A month to remember;

What a month it was for me. Barca was great but sickening in equal doses. Reading was possibly the highlight, still can't believe i pulled that one out, but Mallow was pushing it a little too far and was silly in hindsight. Only did 120 miles and 18 runs this month but thats fairly meaningless.

Looking ahead i'm just gonna build back up slowly and give myself a chance to recover from barca, which i havent done yet tbh. Launch into some faster stuff for the 11 days i'm at home at easter and gradually up the mileage to 50-60 mpw for the next 2 months before the Berlin training begins in earnest early july. i've been reading P&D a lot recently i have to confess.

Brianderunner

Fri 1st April, 5 mls easy enough in 41'40 (8'20) up to and around Hampstead Heath. Felt good today and nice low HR. Not gonna do speedwork for at least another week and keep taking it easy till then.

Brianderunner

Sat 2nd April, planned to do 6 mls today down and around Regent Park. Did the first 3 mls in 25 mins (8'20) then started to feel lightheaded with cold sweats and had to sit down for 10 mins. Just a sugar crash i think from the horrible diet i've had since barca. Just a case of hitting the wall really. Funny how the body tells you something isn't right. Struggled the last 2 mls back at 9 min pace and walked the last 800m. Painful stuff. 5 mls total in about 43 mins (8'36).

snack_ie

Alright Brian,

Where abouts are you living in London - I presume close enough to Regent's Park from your posts.

Are you running with a club at the minute?

I am living up in Brent Cross - should meet up for a run - wouldn't mind a running partner every now and then.

Niall

Brianderunner

snack_ie wrote: »

Alright Brian,

Where abouts are you living in London - I presume close enough to Regent's Park from your posts.

Are you running with a club at the minute?

I am living up in Brent Cross - should meet up for a run - wouldn't mind a running partner every now and then.

Niall

Hey, I'm living in Tufnell Park/Holloway at the mo, but moving house in the next 2 weeks unfortunately, but it won't be far from Kentish Town, where i'm working.

I'm running with Heathside AC, they meet at 6.50 every Wednesday at the Royal Free Hospital, well worth checking out.

Taking driving lessons in Hendon of all places, so quite near you. I'll pm you my number.

metamorphosis

Brianderunner wrote: »

Sat 2nd April, planned to do 6 mls today down and around Regent Park. Did the first 3 mls in 25 mins (8'20) then started to feel lightheaded with cold sweats and had to sit down for 10 mins. Just a sugar crash i think from the horrible diet i've had since barca. Just a case of hitting the wall really. Funny how the body tells you something isn't right. Struggled the last 2 mls back at 9 min pace and walked the last 800m. Painful stuff. 5 mls total in about 43 mins (8'36).

Weird. very similar experience today. went out for 5 after work and after a mile, pure lightheaded and then it was like i had no control over my legs and they kept turning over independent of my body, like my head space was really floaty. Sure then i thought after that itd been hours since i last ate and i was go go go in work - nothing at all in the system. A run i was glad to finish!

Brianderunner

metamorphosis wrote: »

Weird. very similar experience today. went out for 5 after work and after a mile, pure lightheaded and then it was like i had no control over my legs and they kept turning over independent of my body, like my head space was really floaty. Sure then i thought after that itd been hours since i last ate and i was go go go in work - nothing at all in the system. A run i was glad to finish!

Yeah its fairly odd alright, hope it doesn't happen too often in the future.

Sun 3rd April, 6 mls easy again in 51'01 (8'30) up to and around Hampstead Heath. Explored a bit more of this amazing but hilly park and found a big country house flocked with tourists. Then hit some of the narrow trails on the way back. This park is famous for furry glen related activity (a favourite hangout of George Michael I've heard) and i hit the main trails as soon as i could. Good run, felt much better than the dizzying heights of yesterday!

Weekly Review, 5 runs and 25.5 mls. Gave myself the easy week my body was looking for. More of the same next week, might do the session with the club weds and do it a half speed just to be safe.

Yearly Mileage 461.5 miles

Also, my search for a flat is over, which means i can go home next weekend . I'm much closer to the Heath and work now, a whole 5 mins walk away . The last week has been hell and i'm delighted it's over tbh.

Brianderunner

Mon 4th April, 4 mls easy in 33'44 (8'26). Just gonna keep the discipline and do easy runs till the weekend. Part of me is saying give Kilnaboy a lash on Sunday, only a small part though. There will be plenty of other races throughout the year. 5 runs in a row now so rest day to come.

Brianderunner

Weds 6th April, 4 mls easy in 34 mins (8'30). 10 mins late for the club session so just headed out to where they were heading but didnt find them so just went for another easy one. Great day here today, 21 degrees, and great evening for a run.

Brianderunner

Thurs 7th April, 7 mls in 55'33 (7'56) down to Regent Park and around the grass loops down there. Lovely day here again, 21 degrees and still 19 when i started. Allowed myself to go a little faster tonight (a few sub 8's for a change) and felt pretty good. Average HR for the run was only 151, (max is 203) translation; i'm back. Doesnt mean i'm gonna race on Sunday though.

Heading home tomorrow for the weekend for nothing at all, nice for a change. Quinz or Becauseicouldntsee each way i reckon for the grand national if anyone's having a bet in it.

metamorphosis

Im off Sunday if you fancy a run?

glad you've decided that you're not going to race i hope?!? regardless of HR, it' one you have nothing to prove in. Put the body through a bit since Barca, no harm targeting the later A races imho

Brianderunner

metamorphosis wrote: »

Im off Sunday if you fancy a run?

glad you've decided that you're not going to race i hope?!? regardless of HR, it' one you have nothing to prove in. Put the body through a bit since Barca, no harm targeting the later A races imho

Yeah i'll give you a text sunday so. 11am or midday i'd say.

Yeah i've decided not to race. I'm rebuilding at the mo and Sunday would ruin the last 2 weeks recovery.

Fri 8th April, 4 mls easy at lunchtime in 33'20 (8'20), scorching hot day again for April, 22 degrees at the start of the run.

Brianderunner

Sat 9th April, 3 mls in 25'00 (8'20) around home, easy again. Only 25 mins to run (in between races from Aintree!) so i didnt go any further, sweated out last nights pints and felt good once i started. Kilnaboy is a definite no, but there is the 4 mile Limerick Co. Championship road race on tomorrow and thinking about giving it a lash. I'd recover much faster after that.

Brianderunner

Sun 10th Apr, 6 mls in 46'40 (7'40) around home. Felt good to go a little faster and this pace felt comfortable. No race for me today, better off i think. I've a rough day tomorrow (moving house) anyway. Week total, 26 mls and 6 runs. Busy week ahead, hope to do some speedwork but i doubt i'll have the time.

Brianderunner

Mon 11th April, 4 mls in around 34-35 mins (8'30-8'45), no garmin. Wrecked today, got in after 1am last night. Gotta move house now, fantastic :rolleyes:, flat here is finally been sold, new place is only a mile down the road and much closer to work though.

Could be worse, thanks to the bank holidays and a few days annual leave, i'm only working 10 days in the next 5 weeks. it's decimating my holidays (at the expense of the Cork Relay) but so what.

shazkea

Brianderunner wrote: »

Quinz or Becauseicouldntsee each way i reckon for the grand national if anyone's having a bet in it.

You're fired as my tipster :rolleyes:

Brianderunner

shazkea wrote: »

You're fired as my tipster :rolleyes:

There was plenty of money for both horses in my defence, but yeah they were both shocking. I'll get the money back in Newmarket tomorrow, free bar all day, haha!

Looking at 3 rest days in a row :eek:, not ideal, today and tomorrow are definite no's. gonna be a stuggle thurs too.

Brianderunner

Thurs 14th Apr, 4 mls at lunchtime around the heath in 33 mins (8'15). Felt a bit sluggish after the 2 rest days, a lot of drink consumed the last 2 days in Cambridge. I may attempt a double later this evening, there is a Q&A with Paula Radcliffe and Steve Cram this evening in town, followed by a run, all are welcome and I may head in. Chances like that don't come up too often, but if its anything like the Lance Armstrong one in the Phoenix Park a couple of years ago it will be seriously crowded.

Brianderunner

Thurs 14th April (pm), Went into Niketown, Oxford Street for the Q&A with Paula Radcliffe and Steve Cram, followed by a 4 mile run through the streets of London. The Q&A was quite good. The main thing i learned was to eat within 10-15 mins of exercise to reduce the chances of illness developing post run, never heard that one before. Then followed the run, we were all given snazzy tech tshirts (200 of us) and headed down towards Regent Park. This run was faster than i thought it would be, with Radcliffe going at MP near the front (my mp not hers!) The pace increased to sub 7 over the last mile as Steve Cram shouted out "not so chatty now are ye". Finished the 4 miles in 29 mins exactly (7'15). Really happy i went into this (it was posted on Radcliffe's twitter page) even though i ran a bit quicker than i would have liked for my first double.

jcsmum

Wow, very impressive running there. What a great experience. Bet you were on time for that run!!!

Brianderunner

jcsmum wrote: »

Wow, very impressive running there. What a great experience. Bet you were on time for that run!!!

Ha, yeah of course! You had to be there at 6.30 or you didn't get in. Not like the group runs in the park when you can show up whenever you like

metamorphosis

See you're pacing 1'40 in Limerick now. Registered today for the half, not gonna race, just gonna plop along with yerself

Myself and Will doing 10k mungret 15th May

Brianderunner

metamorphosis wrote: »

See you're pacing 1'40 in Limerick now. Registered today for the half, not gonna race, just gonna plop along with yerself

Myself and Will doing 10k mungret 15th May

Yeah its good that you can run the GLR having missed out on it last year. No plans on flying home that weekend at the mo but i'll have a look.

Anyway i'd one hell of a busy week just gone;

Fri 15th April, 5 mls in 41'40 (8'20) easy enough. No ill effects from the double on Thursday. Went down to the expo after work, impressive stuff. Picked up a pair of wave inspire 7's. They feel just as good as the 5's and 6's.

Sat 16th April, 5 mls in 37'45 (7'33) good to go a little faster.

Sun 17th April, rest day, watching the marathon all day. What an amazing race, seriously inspirational stuff and i'm rearing to go for the sub 3 attempt in Berlin, i'm sure i'll start training for it some day soon :rolleyes:

Jackyback, his mrs. and myself proceeded to drink the red lion dry then, followed by a few other bars (and tesco cider on the footpath outside a pub in the sunshine, every little helps ) Cant quite believe i made it into work this morning, must have had 12-13 pints last night. Hanging is not the word.

Weekly review, 22 mls over 5 runs. Poor week, but i won't have many weeks like that again so no big deal. Speedwork starts this week. Heading to Dublin and Limerick Thursday for 11 days off

Brianderunner

Mon 18th April, 5 mls in 38'30 (7'42) in the Heath. Lovely evening for it. Felt quite good despite the hangover. I can pretty much do whatever run i want with hangovers these days. 6 x 100 strides afterwards, happy with my speed. 5.5 mls total.

Tues 19th April, 4 mls easy in 34'01 (8'30) Quite late when i got out and legs tired from cycling around to sites all day with work, eveyone else drives i cycle :rolleyes:. Must have cycled 30 miles in total but not all at once.

Brianderunner

Weds 20th April, 6 x 800m with the club. 2 mls warm up and warm down. As i said before this lot don't do warm downs, 7:30 min miling :eek:. intervals were all around 2'50-3'00 on grass. Good running. 7 mls total.

Joining the great british getaway this evening until after the GLR Happy to get away, its too hot here!

Brianderunner

Fri April 22nd, Met up with Mr Slow, Chinguetti, RQ and Meno for roughly 10 mls with 5 x 1km thrown into the middle of it. First 2.6 mls done at about 9 min pace. then we started the 1km's. Going at roughly 4'15 pace and it felt really easy, possibly due to the rest day yesterday. After 4 of these i said i'd throw in a fast one at the end at sub 18 min 5k pace, which is the goal back here in 5 weeks time for the Donore 5k. I've been accused of not uploading enough garmin links so here goes;

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/80787713

I may have gone out a bit fast (as Meno suggested!) for the last rep but finished it in 3'34 feeling strong. I'll give the sub 18 a good go alright but the hill at 4k may kill me. A hill session or 2 may be in order. We did 4 mls after, during which i took apart 2 of Meno's pb's, which didn't seem to go down well.

Heading down near home tomorrow for Eddie's funeral , which i'm finding quite difficult to comprehend tbh. It's an automatic rest day.

Brianderunner

Sat 23rd April, Got back to Dublin from Eddie's funeral earlier than expected so headed out for 4 easy miles in 34'10 (8'33) from my old flat in Tara Street down towards Ringsend Park and back over the toll bridge and back into town.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81026809

LSR tomorrow in the park, will be a good week. More of the same please for the next 5 months.

menoscemo

Brianderunner wrote: »

Sat 23rd April, Got back to Dublin from Eddie's funeral earlier than expected so headed out for 4 easy miles in 34'10 (8'33) from my old flat in Tara Street down towards Ringsend Park and back over the toll bridge and back into town.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81026809

LSR tomorrow in the park, will be a good week. More of the same please for the next 5 months.

You need to come back to Dublin more often, seems like it's the only time you do any decent training :pac:

Brianderunner

Sunday 24th April (Easter Sunday), Met up with chinguetti, digger, mr slow and the vaggabond for 15 mls in the Phoenix park this morning. After 3 mls on the slow side we upped it to 8'20's/8'30's which suited me fine. Digger and myself ran the last 2 around 7'30, legs were a bit heavy at the end but i haven't gone this far since Barca. 15 mls in 2'06'14 (8'27). Enjoyable run, i hope to get a run this far or further in on weekends i'm not racing between now and Berlin.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81167679

Weekly Review, 45.5 miles and 6 runs. Very good week with 2 speed sessions and an LSR. Onwards and upwards now for Berlin. Track intervals Tuesday before heading home to Limerick on Weds where i'm pacing the GLR half.

Yearly Mileage, 555 miles

Pisco Sour

Brianderunner wrote: »

Weekly Review, 45.5 miles and 6 runs. Very good week with 2 speed sessions and an LSR. Onwards and upwards now for Berlin. Track intervals Tuesday before heading home to Limerick on Weds where i'm pacing the GLR half.

Knock a mile off your next run and book them bleedin Olympic tickets will ya