Keep Improving

PDCAT

Wednesday 25/03/15

11.00 - 1.39.02 - (9.00) Medium/Long Run

Working evening shift this week, so expected the legs to be heavy this morning. Wasn't expecting to them to feel like lead though.
They never really got any better during the run, so it was case of just getting this one over with. The recent MP & 5K pace run's certainly didnt help. Rest day tomorrow and easy 4 miler on Friday.

PDCAT

Thursday 26/03/15

4.00 - 35.59 - (8.59) Recovery with Strides

Legs really tired this morning. Still, i ran this too fast. Supposed to be recovery pace. Threw in a few strides at the finish.
Plan calls for a 10k race tomorrow. Not sure what i'll do.
There's a 10k in Athy tomorrow morning. It's looks like a small local run, no chip timing, maybe not accurate 10k. Also i've done 3 races recently, might do a 10 mile easy run at home instead. Will decide later tonight.
17 miler on Sunday.

PDCAT

Saturday 28/03/15

10.00 - 1.31.12 - (9.07) General Aerobic

Decided against doing the 10k run and ran this loop at home instead. Very windy out but enjoyable run nonetheless.

Sunday 29/03/15

17.00 - 2.28.19 - (8.43) LSR

Ran first 8.5 miles at MP+20% (9.06) and second 8.5 miles at MP+10% (8.21). Tough run at times, gale force wind in my face for first 4 miles and last 4 miles which made managing the pace of this run more difficult. Last 1.5 miles was torture, really steep unhill for about 3/4 mile with savage gale blowing me back. Reminded back of my hiking days at the top of a mountain.

PDCAT

Tuesday 31/03/15

7.00 - 1.04.21 - (9.11) Recovery with Strides

Legs really tired for this. Another very windy evening, first half blowing into my face and second half behind me. Threw in a few strides during the last mile.
222 miles for March, my highest mileage month ever. 600 miles so far this year (140 miles more than same time last year).
Tough week this week, as i have to try and get all my run's in by Saturday morning as will be very difficult to get a run in Sunday morning.

Sharkey47

Hey PDCAT , I can hear the tiredness in your post. Well done on the mileage, the reward will be in London. Btw, I dont know how you run on that ring road , it must be mind numbingly boring.

PDCAT

Sharkey47 wrote: »

Hey PDCAT , I can hear the tiredness in your post. Well done on the mileage, the reward will be in London. Btw, I dont know how you run on that ring road , it must be mind numbingly boring.

Cheers Sharkey 47. Yeah legs are feeling it at the moment, really only noticed the tiredness over the last two weeks. This week is heavy enough for me though (have a 10, 11, 4 & 22 mile runs by Saturday).
As for the ring road - i f**king hate it. Glad i'm finished with it now until October. Boring as hell and having to stop at the roundabouts is a pain.

Have you anything in the pipeline yourself? After missing out on Berlin last September, you must have something else planned for this year.

Sharkey47

Yeah, I have entered Frankfurt in October. My two brothers are doing it as well as are a few from the brother's club. It took me an awful long time to get any kind of fitness back. I am still at the stage of just tipping along and enjoying being able to run. Times are irrelevant. I haven't worn a Garmin since London!

PDCAT

Sharkey47 wrote: »

Yeah, I have entered Frankfurt in October. My two brothers are doing it as well as a few from the brother's club. It took me an awful long time to get any kind of fitness back. I am still at the stage of just tipping along and enjoying being able to run. Times are irrelevant. I haven't worn a Garmin since London!

i think a fair few from boards did Frankfurt last year with some good results. Taking your time getting back will help you in the long run. Best of luck with the training for it.

PDCAT

Wednesday 01/04/15

10.00 - VO2 Max Session

Wasn't particularly looking forward to this session. Warm up of 4.5 miles was tedious to say the least. Legs very tired. Was meant to run this at 9.10 - 9.15 pace but was nearly 9.30 pace in the end.
Reps went better - even though pace's all over the shop. Planned pace 6.20 -6.25 minute per mile pace.
First one (6.06) was mostly downhill. Third rep (6.36), mostly uphill. Knew i wouldnt hit this one as i wasn't able to last year prior to Berlin. Second and fourth were a mixture of both uphill/downhill (6.16, 6.18).

4.5M (9.29 pace)

4 X 0.75m (1.2K) reps @5k pace (4.15 jog in between reps)
(6.06, 6.16, 6.36,6.18)

0.75m (9.20 pace)

PDCAT

Friday 03/04/15

11.00 - 1.39.28 - (9.02) Medium/Long run

After work, nice run, legs felt good.

Saturday 04/04/15


4.00 - 36.54 - (9.13) Recovery


Sunday 05/04/15

22.00 - 3.17.15 - (8.58) LSR

Out on the road at 7am as i had to be back and showered to attend mass (my one visit a year). Legs felt really good for this run.

Ruined a couple of good run's by going out on Sunday night and all day Monday on the beer. Lots of smokes aswell. Only my first night out since Xmas, but still feel sh**te today.

PDCAT

Thursday 08/04/15

6.00 - 54.03 - (9.00) General Aerobic

My first run since Sunday morning. Over the last couple of days, a combination of a hangover from Monday and some post drinking session fear & depression ensured a real lack of motivation for anything this week.
Got back on the horse this morning. Should have ran this as a recovery but first few miles were way too fast and spent the last couple slowing down as much as i could.
Glad it's out of the way. Plan for tomorrow is 8 mile with includes some rep's.

PDCAT

Friday 10/04/15

8.00 - VO2 Max Session

Ran 2.4 mile warm up, followed by 5 X .37mile (600metres) @ 5k pace with 2 minute jog recovery in between. Then ended with 2.6 mile CD.
Messed this up abit. Took too long (daydreaming) between two of the recovery's and ran too far. This meant my last rep ended half way up a steep hill, instead of the bottom of the hill. Couldn't hold 6.20 - 6.25 pace for this.

2.4M = 9.11 (pace)

.37M Intervals (6.11, 6.16, 6.18, 6.16, 6.28)

2.6M = 9.13

PDCAT

Saturday 11/04/15

10.00 - 1.30.52 - (9.05) General Aerobic

Out early in the morning. Beautiful morning for the run. Legs felt heavy from the session the day before.

Sunday 12/04/15

16.00 - 2.19.12 - (8.42) LSR

Ran first 8 miles at MP+20% (9.05) and second 8 miles at MP+10% (8.19)
Really heavy rain for the first hour of this run, wasn't as bad afterwards.

PDCAT

Tuesday 14/04/15

7.00 - 1.03.01 - (9.00) General Aerobic + Speed

Beautiful evening for this run, but unusually, motivation for this was low (not sure why). At this stage, i just want to get it over with.
Legs very sluggish and it felt a bit of a slog. Threw in a few strides at the end.

PDCAT

Wednesday 15/04/15

8.00 - VO2 Max Session

Ran 2.4 mile warm up, followed by 3 X .98mile (1,600metres) @ 5k pace with 6 minute jog recovery in between. Then 1 mile CD.
Only my second time ever to run this session - don't like 5k pace run's so knew this would be a little hard.
Went well - hit the required paces. However was generous to myself with 6 minute recovery.

2.4M = 9.14 (pace)

3 X .98M Intervals (6.16, 6.17, 6.14)

1M = 9.13

PDCAT

Friday 17/04/15

5.00 - 44.43 - (8.57) General Aerobic + Speed

After work on Friday evening, really nice run. Ran a little too fast. Threw in few strides during the last mile.

Sunday 19/04/15

12.00 - 1.43.24 - (8.37) LSR

Really beautiful morning for this run. Legs felt good, ran second half a little fast. Ran first 6 miles at MP+20% (9.04) and second 6 miles at MP+10% (8.10)

Few easy runs planned for this week. Had recorded BBC's coverage of last year's London Marathon. Sat in this morning and started watching it to get me in the mood.

PDCAT

Tuesday 21/04/15

6.00 - 55.01 - (9.10) Recovery

Another great morning out there, lovely run. On evening shift this week, so legs a little tired this morning as per usual. Will probably be the same each day this week....

PDCAT

Wednesday 22/04/15

7.00 - 1.00.39 - (8.40) General Aerobic with 2m@MP

Plan was to run 5 miles at easy pace followed by 2miles at MP.
Legs sluggish again, putting that down to working evening shift. However, the legs really didnt' fancy the 2miles at MP.
It felt like i was running LT pace. Hoping it's just pre marathon nerves, but not the easy 2 mile MP jog i was expecting. Felt like i was having to work at this pace. Having said that, i was the same doing this run pre Berlin.

5m = (9.09 pace)

2m = (7.27 pace)

PDCAT

Thursday 23/04/15

5.00 - 46.01 - (9.12) Recovery

Nothing much to report. Handy enough run. Was supposed to do a few strides over the last mile but decided not to. Another cracking day out there. Will be severely depressed when it ends. Even though i'm hoping for a nice cool day on Sunday.

Sharkey47

Hi P,

Just want to wish you the best of luck on Sunday. Have a great trip.

PDCAT

Sharkey47 wrote: »

Hi P,

Just want to wish you the best of luck on Sunday. Have a great trip.

Thanks Sharkey47.

Looking forward to the weekend away - being quite a number of years since i was over in London. I'm heading over Sat morning (working Friday until 10pm), coming back Monday evening.
As for the marathon, confidence is'nt exactly sky high at the moment.
When doing any MP runs, i seemed to be working very hard (harder than i'd hoped for). Anyway, i'll see how it goes. Main aim is to enjoy it.....

Sharkey47

You ran really well in Berlin, so no reason London cannot be the same. Good luck!

menoscemo

Good luck PDCAT.
Will we be seeing you in the Coal Hole?

PDCAT

menoscemo wrote: »

Good luck PDCAT.
Will we be seeing you in the Coal Hole?

Cheers Meno - same to yourself....

Not sure about the coal hole yet. Will probably decide on the day.
It's not too far from my hotel, from what i can make out on Google map.

I'll probably head back to the hotel for a shower, and some grub, then go for a few pint's. By the time i do make it down to ye, i'd say it could be messy. I'll be with the missus and the sister, so i'll see what the plan is on the day..

menoscemo

PDCAT wrote: »

Cheers Meno - same to yourself....

Not sure about the coal hole yet. Will probably decide on the day.
It's not too far from my hotel, from what i can make out on Google map.

I'll probably head back to the hotel for a shower, and some grub, then go for a few pint's. By the time i do make it down to ye, i'd say it could be messy. I'll be with the missus and the sister, so i'll see what the plan is on the day..

Ah sure come on down!!
Most of us will be getting some food and a shower before heading in. I know I will, I learned my lesson from last year!!
It will be busy with us from 4 I would say. I can go halfers with you on that nasty habit haven't had any for 6 months...

PDCAT

menoscemo wrote: »

Ah sure come on down!!
Most of us will be getting some food and a shower before heading in. I know I will, I learned my lesson from last year!!
It will be busy with us from 4 I would say. I can go halfers with you on that nasty habit haven't had any for 6 months...

Yeah might do. It will probably be about 6/7pm before id make it though.
Your doing well staying off them for 6 months.
I was good since Christmas, but I broke out on a two day bender three weeks ago and ate two packets.

PDCAT

Friday 24/04/15

4.00 - 36.44 - (9.10) Recovery

Last run before Sunday, took it nice and easy.
Not home from work until 10pm tonight, then have to pack.
Have an early start in the morning to the airport, so not a whole lot of sleep. Will try and make up for it tomorrow night.
Italian restaurant booked for Sat night.

If temperatures are ok (which i think they will be), i'll give sub 3.20 a go, if it's too warm, i'll be just running and enjoying the atmosphere.

Bulmers74

Best of luck & enjoy

PDCAT

Bulmers74 wrote: »

Best of luck & enjoy

Cheers Bulmers74 - Will do.....

menoscemo

Cracking run on Sunday!!