Keep Improving

PDCAT

Thursday 02/08/12

5.00 - 45.37 - (9.07) - Easy

Nice morning for this easy run around GAA Pitch. Plan is to run another 3miler tomorrow morning.

PDCAT

Friday 03/08/12

3.00 - 27.30 - (9.09) - Easy

Again, around GAA Pitch, took it nice and handy. Legs tired as haven't been home from work and in bed until 3.30am all week. Getting minimum sleep at the moment.

PDCAT

Saturday 04/08/12

9.00 - 1.24.53 - (9.26) - LSR

Handy enough run early Saturday morning. At a christening Saturday night, few pints, delayed Sunday's run until monday morning.

Monday 06/08/12

5.00 - 46.25 - (9.17) - Easy

Leg a little sore this week again. Stupidly spent some time on the dance floor Saturday night. Not sure will i run tonight yet. Will wait and see.

PDCAT

Tuesday 07/08/12

5.00 - 45.43 - (9.09) - Easy

Leg was sore yesterday morning, so didn't really fancy this. However, decided to go out last night and give it a go. Surprisingly, never felt the leg a problem at all and enjoyed the run.

PDCAT

Thursday 09/08/12

3.00 - 27.15 - (9.05) - Easy

PDCAT

Saturday 11/08/12

5.00 - 42.20 - (8.27) - MP

Marathon pace run around GAA Pitch. Ran in afternoon after work, warm day and felt it.

Sunday 12/08/12

6.00 - 56.11 - (9.21) - LSR

Not really an LSR, but that's what the plan called for. Took it handy, legs a little tired from Saturday.

Monday 13/08/12

3.00 - 30.13 - (10.04) - Recovery

Around Hurling pitch again. Really easy, plan to do 6 miler tomorrow.

PDCAT

Tuesday 14/08/12

6.00 - 55.06 - (9.11) - Easy

Heavy legged this morning. Only home from work at 2.30am, probably why.
Stretched and iced the left leg when i finished. Left Calf area finally getting better. Don't seem to be feeling any niggle in it this last week. Lets hope that's the end of it.

PDCAT

Thursday 16/08/12

3.00 - 27.33 - (9.11) - Easy

Nice jog around GAA Pitch this morning. Injury seems to have finally cleared up which is great. Plan for Saturday is 6 miles at MP.

PDCAT

Saturday 18/08/12

6.00 - 50.49 - (8.28) - MP

Down to GAA Pitch at 8am to run this. Was a bit apprehensive with regard to these weekend run's as i hadn't ran 6miles at MP before. But found it ok.

Sunday 19/08/12

11.00 - 1.42.56 - (9.21) LSR

Out on the road at 6am as i had an early start up to Croke Park to watch Kilkenny take Tipp apart. Thought my legs would be tired due to the run the day before, but surprisingly they were in good shape. Enjoyed this run, No one on the roads at this hour.

PDCAT

Wednesday 22/08/12

6.00 - 54.40 - (9.06) - Easy

After weekend run's, felt the left shin slightly sore again. First time in over a week. Decided to give Monday's 3mile recovery run a miss and to push Tuesday's run until last night. Put ice on the shin Monday & Tuesday.
Then done a 6miler last night. No real problems with the leg and run went very well. Will try a 3 miler tonight.

PDCAT

Thursday 23/08/12

3.00 - 27.27 - (9.08) - Easy

Handy run this evening. Legs in decent shape. Put ice on left shin when i got home. Hope to run Tinryland 4 mile road run on Saturday evening. Target is sub 28.00.

PDCAT

Saturday 25/08/12

Tinryland Road Race

Have completed this run for the last three years. Really well organised event, lovely village and nice route. Great food afterwards as well and a very high quality field.
My target for this was sub 28 minutes. Wasn't sure if i'd be able for it but i knew i'd be close either way. Hadn't done any speed work since May due to injury but had been getting some miles in all the same. Plan was for four 7 minute miles, running the first two slightly faster as the last two miles had some hill's in them. Started off fairly handily, passed approx 15/20 people in the first mile. Hit the first mile marker at 6.44 and was feeling pretty good. Second mile, field strung out a little. Passed approx 5 people on this mile and ran mile two in 7.00 dead. Was a little disappointed in that as i felt it was slightly faster. Third mile is always the hardest in this route. Very long straight with a bit of a drag and then a steep uphill. Had suffered on this mile the last two years. Passed another 5 approx people on this mile, ran this mile in 7.10 (20.54). Knew i had to run last mile in approx 7 minutes to be sure of sub 28. Tried to dig in as much as i could here as i knew it would be very close. Passed nobody and was running on my own with nobody near me either in front or behind. Could see the clock at the finish line and it was reading 27.5X, i sprinted for the line and thought i'd done it. Chip time was 27.56 (PB). PB by 50 seconds.
Have improved over the past three years in this run. 2010 - 29.59 2011 - 28.46 2012 - 27.56.
Completed 1 mile warm up and warm down.

Sunday 26/08/12

12.00 - 1.51.59 - (9.20) - LSR

Thought my legs would be sore after the race the night before, but they felt in great shape and found this run very easy. Biggest trouble was trying to slow down a little.

Monday 27/08/12

3.00 - 30.54 - (10.18) Recovery

Down to GAA pitch this morning in heavy rain. Legs feeling heavy and motivation low. Not feeling well last 24 hours, feels like something viral, energy very low, feeling very tired all over. Hopefully i'll recover in time for tomorrow's 5 miler.

PDCAT

Tuesday 28/08/12

5.00 - 45.53 - (9.10) Easy

Around GAA Pitch, felt ok while running. Still feeling very fatigued during parts of the day. Hope it clears up by the weekend.

PDCAT

Thursday 30/08/12

3.01 - 27.26 - (9.07) Easy

Around GAA Pitch, felt tired/fatigued whilst doing this. Day off tomorrow, then 6mile MP on Saturday, followed by 9 mile LSR on Sunday.

PDCAT

Saturday 01/09/12

6.00 - 50.50 - (8.28) MP

Found this tough. Legs very heavy due to stomach bug that i am carrying all week. Touch of Diarrahoea as well today. Not good.

Sunday 02/09/12

9.00 - 1.24.26 - (9.22) LSR

Again, legs heavy and did not enjoy this run. Low motivation for this today as well. Stomach bug worse today and threw up a few times during the evening. Might take Monday's recovery run off and try to shake this illness.

BobMac104

Nasty stuff PDCAT. get rid of that bug lad asap. Had something similar few weeks back. very hard to run with it.

Monday off sounds like a good idea.

PDCAT

BobMac104 wrote: »

Nasty stuff PDCAT. get rid of that bug lad asap. Had something similar few weeks back. very hard to run with it.

Monday off sounds like a good idea.

Yeah good advice Bob. Have this bug now about a week. Haven't missed any runs (5 runs this week), but am not shaking it off. Between puking, cramps in the stomach and excess toilet time required, legs seem very heavy and not getting the same enjoyment from the run's.

Mileage is due to increase this week with 7 milers on Tuesday & Saturday and 14 miles Sunday as well as couple of 4 milers during the week. I dont' feel too bad today, but still think i'll take tonight off.

BobMac104

may be down on electrolytes from all the "toilet time" aswell.

an ol sports drink or something tonight might help you along the way to recovery. hope it clears up soon for you.

edit: and a walk tonight mightn't do any harm to get the blood through the legs.

PDCAT

BobMac104 wrote: »

may be down on electrolytes from all the "toilet time" aswell.

an ol sports drink or something tonight might help you along the way to recovery. hope it clears up soon for you.

edit: and a walk tonight mightn't do any harm to get the blood through the legs.

Cheers bob. Have already asked the wife to pick up some sports drinks for me. Hopefully that'll help.

PDCAT

Tuesday 04/09/12

7.01 - 1.04.08 - (9.09) Easy

Rested Monday due to illness. Was anxious to do this run last night as mileage has started to increase in the plan. Legs in good shape, suffered from reflux during the whole run. Very uncomfortable, putting it down to the tablets i was taken for the bug i have. Feeling better today, so hopefully the worst of the sickness is gone.

PDCAT

Thursday 06/09/12

4.00 - 36.37 - (9.08) Easy

Very warm out this evening. Still getting a bit of reflux whilst running but other than that felt fine. Busy weekend ahead with All Ireland Hurling Final to attend - have to try also to get 7 mile MP and 14 mile LSR done aswell.

PDCAT

Friday 07/09/12

7.00 - 58.17 - (8.19) MP

Around GAA Pitch after work. Found it tough enough.

Saturday 08/09/12

14.00 - 2.12.10 - (9.26) Easy

Ran long run on saturday as travelling up to Croke Park for the hurling on Sunday. First 7/8 miles were ok, felt it getting tougher as the miles went on. Spent too much time counting down the miles rather than just enjoying the run. Took one Gel at mile 8 and some water at mile 12.

PDCAT

Tuesday 11/09/12

Approx 5 miles - Easy

No Garmin today as currently getting house painted. Painter has taped up the wardrobe i keep the garmin in to avoid any paint getting on any furniture. Couldn't access the wardrobe and only barely managed to find my running gear, also covered up under sheets of plastic.
Went down to Hurling pitch and ran 17 laps (roughly 5 miles). Just ran by feel, keeping it fairly easy as this was the first run since Saturday and i had a feed of beer on Sunday. Plan is for 4 miler on Thursday and hopefully Athlone Half Marathon on Saturday.

PDCAT

Thursday 13/09/12

4.00 - 36.55 - (9.13) Easy

Again, ran this on grass this morning. Absolutely no motivation at the moment for running. Million things i should be doing at the moment and so many things coming up on the horizon which is going to take up so much time. Nevertheless, went and got this out of the way this morning. Comfortable enough. Plan is to travel to Athlone on Saturday to run the Half Marathon. Would have much preferred to run Kilkenny since it's on my doorstep. The journey up and back to Athlone is going to take valuable time, i could be doing something more valuable than sitting in the car.
Anyway, plan at start of the year was for sub 1.43 for half. Already ran 1.41.39 in connemara so i'm too bothered as i achieved my target for the year. However would like to go below 1.40 and that's the target for Saturday. Will try and keep pace at 7.35 per mile. Not feeling it at the moment, maybe will get more into it on the day.

PDCAT

Saturday 15/09/12

Athlone Half Marathon

Firstly, have to say this was an excellently organised run. Very little to improve on and considering it was the first year of this race, the organisers should take a bow.
i drove up from Kilkenny early Sat Morning and registered. My plan was run 7.30 - 7.35 minute per mile to achieve sub 1.40. Wasn't going to beat myself up about it if i didnt' as i already had achieved my target for 2012 of sub 1.43.
Anyway, the one crib i do have about the race as the confusion at the start. I wasn't sure what direction we were running in and eventually when it was sorted, i was too far back inthe pack. i was caught behind lots of slower runners inthe first mile and was slightly slower than i wanted (7.40). Picked it up in the second mile slightly 7.30. Over the next few miles my plan was to just comfortably run at approx 7.30 minute per mile, picking off runners as i went. I made sure that if i was going too fast to slow down and vice versa.
i reached 10k at 46.24 which is 40 seconds quicker than my 10k PB (poor PB). Took drink of water at 3 mile and 6 mile marker. Took a gel at mile 8 as i was starting to have to work harder. Reached 10 mile mark at 1.14.40, 2 minutes quicker than my 10 mile PB.
i was still holding my 7.30 pace and still passing runners. It was around 11.5 miles that i started to feel it. I was working hard to keep pace at 7.30 and at mile 12 my pace had dropped to 7.40. Managed to hold it at this for mile 12 and last .1m i sprinted my best to cross the line in 1.37.37 by my watch. Official Time 1.37.54

Happy with this (4 minute PB) on Connemara in April and (9 minute PB) on my half marathon time 12 month's ago. Need to sit down and think now what marathon time to go for.

PDCAT

Monday 17/09/12

4.00 - 40.22 - (10.05) Recovery

Legs a little stiff after Half on Saturday but loosened out over the course of this run. Plan for this evening is 7 miles.

PDCAT

Tuesday 18/09/12

7.00 - 1.04.38 - (9.14) Easy

Legs felt a little heavy/tired after the half on Saturday. Not too bad though. Hopefully today's rest day will help in recovery.

PDCAT

Thursday 20/09/12

4.00 - 35.09 - (8.47) Easy

Normally run this at pace of 9.10 - 9.15 and that's what i did for the first three miles. Decided to throw in a couple of strides during the last mile. Have never tried these before. Ran .2 mile on two occasions during the last mile at approx 5.30 per mile pace. Overall pace of the run was quicker as a results. Might try these during this run every Thursday as i'm not doing much speed work at the moment.

PDCAT

Saturday 22/09/12

7.00 - 1.03.16 - (9.02) Easy

Took this handily around hurling pitch. Legs felt great and the miles flew by.

Sunday 23/09/12

15.00 - 2.19.39 - (9.18) - LSR

My longest run since DCM 2011. Felt ok. Took gel at mile 11 and water at mile 12. Missed Monday's recovery run as i was overloaded with stuff to do before work.

PDCAT

Wednesday 26/09/12

8.00 - 1.13.22 - (9.10) Easy

Plan a bit messed up this week. No time to run recovery run on Monday. Pissing rain and work to do at home on Tuesday so never got out.. So decided to do yesterday's run this morning. Legs a little heavy due to late night working (2.30am) last night. After two miles, loosened out and found it a very pleasant run.