The Next step

G-Money

Today I completed Couch to 5K. It was my 3rd attempt to complete the programme, having been delayed before by a few injuries.

I thought I would create a training log and use this as my main place to get feedback on my progress and the like.

However now my attention has turned to what is next for me. I have entered the Jingle Bells 5K in December and while my current pace is very slow (I'm looking at 40 mins plus for a 5K distance), I really would like to not finish last at the Jingle Bells race.

So it's been suggested that I try this training plan now:

http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Knovice.htm

It seems good enough and I'm currently doing over 2 miles each workout anyway so I could most likely begin on Week 4 of that and have it complete with 4 weeks to go to the actual race. I've considered doing some fartlek training as well but I'm undecided about that.

I've also got a 10K programme that I was thinking about starting too. It begins with four 10 minute jogs with a 1 minute walking break between them. So by my estimate, if I started out on that programme now, I'd be doing 5K almost from the first or second week.

Thoughts as to how to proceed?

G-Money

So I think I've figured out what I'm going to do regards training. I was talking to a long distance runner friend of mine and below is kind of what he suggested.

I'm going to follow the Hal Higdon Notice 5K plan, but begin on Week 5 as I'm already doing about 2.2 miles in training as it is. I'm going to replace the shorter Thursday run with a fartlek session as follows:

Week 1 – 1min run, 1min walk x 6

Week 2 – 1min run 1min walk x 8

Week 3 – 1min run 1min walk x 10

Week 4 – 2min run 1min walk x 6

Week 5 – 2min run 1 min walk x 8

Week 6 – 2min run 1 min walk x 10


Then on the Sunday, do a longer jog/run but perhaps at an easier pace...

Week 1 – 5k

Week 2 – 6k

Week 3 – 7k

Week 4 – 8k

Week 5 – 9k

Week 6 – 10k


Hopefully that will be ok :eek:

dna_leri

grandmaster wrote: »

Today I completed Couch to 5K. It was my 3rd attempt to complete the programme, having been delayed before by a few injuries.

I thought I would create a training log and use this as my main place to get feedback on my progress and the like.

However now my attention has turned to what is next for me. I have entered the Jingle Bells 5K in December and while my current pace is very slow (I'm looking at 40 mins plus for a 5K distance), I really would like to not finish last at the Jingle Bells race.

So it's been suggested that I try this training plan now:

http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Knovice.htm

It seems good enough and I'm currently doing over 2 miles each workout anyway so I could most likely begin on Week 4 of that and have it complete with 4 weeks to go to the actual race. I've considered doing some fartlek training as well but I'm undecided about that.

I've also got a 10K programme that I was thinking about starting too. It begins with four 10 minute jogs with a 1 minute walking break between them. So by my estimate, if I started out on that programme now, I'd be doing 5K almost from the first or second week.

Thoughts as to how to proceed?

Well done on finishing the C25K, good luck with the next phase.

G-Money

So I finally got around to starting my 5K training plan. I decided to take 3 days off from training after completing Couch to 5K and today I started the 5K training plan. I'm following the Hal Higdon Novice 5K plan and I began with Week 5 today. I did a 2.5 mile run/jog today and that took me 32.5 minutes. I know it's horrifically slow but there you go.

I think I went out of the starting blocks too fast as my legs were getting heavy towards the end. I've previously done about 2.2 miles non-stop so 2.5 is not much of an increase.

I'm going to incorporate 1 days fartlek training so perhaps tomorrow, I will do that or Friday. I'm thinking about doing a 4K jog at an easier pace either over the weekend or on Tuesday.

G-Money

I couldn't be arsed doing a long-ish run this morning but it just worked out in such a way that today would have been the shorter run of the week according to the programme I'm following and as mentioned before, I'm swapping out the shorter run of the week and replacing it with a fartlek session. Today I would have be due to complete a 2 mile run but instead I did my first fartlek session and it was as follows:

1 min run, 1 min walk X 6

And although that was just a 12 minute workout in total, it felt surprisingly thorough by the end. Before it started I was thinking to myself "Come on, a 12 minute workout isn't much, you really should do more". But by the end, I was definitely feeling like I'd worked quite hard. My legs were tired and I was walking back quite slowly so I'd definitely pushed myself quite a bit. I sprinted very fast during the run's and tried to stick to what my mate told me "the tempo of your first run should be maintainable and be the same as the tempo of your last run". I think it was pretty much, although there were times when I was going up a bit of an incline and I could feel my legs getting tired so it might have slowed a tiny bit.

I checked my Garmin there now and my fastest pace was 6:58 min/mile. I guess that's good but I was only able to maintain that pace for about a minute at a time. I don't know how someone could run at that pace or faster for any duration.

Tomorrow I'm either going to do the 2.5 mile run or doing a longer easier pace run and get my first 5K distance under my belt. I'd probably supposed to do the 2.5 mile run tomorrow judging by the programme but I'd prefer to do the easier paced 5K long run tomorrow morning than on Tuesday evening.

G-Money

I did my first long run today. I went out and did 5K and it took me 47 minutes 18 seconds. I was delibrately going very, very slowly today. I really wasn't trying to do it fast, I just wanted to get the distance done as I'd never done 5K before.

It was quite comfortable, I was barely going faster than a walking pace though. For a change I listened to the marathon talk podcast today instead of my usual fast dance music. It was interesting as I've never listened to a podcast when training. I think they are good during those longer runs when you don't care about pace and you want something to occupy your mind.

RayCun

Cool, well done. You'll be much faster by the time the Jingle Bells rolls around

hot to trot

Am so proud for you GM.:D YOu have come such a long way since you were only able to run one minute witout stopping.

You will find the fartlek sessions a help. By the way, you are able to get up quite a bit of pace, good on ya. YOur runs the following day will seem an awful lot easier after these short fast bursts.

I listen to a lot of podcasts as well. I often have interviews on them. I recommend the one with miriam o callaghan with Katie Taylor and her dad. The one with the two cork girls - who do the fancy Vittels on the TV is also quite funny. Tommy Tiernan got me through the Seville marathon at one stage. All free on RTE to download.
At the moment I am using my ipod less as I am practising self talk - positive stuff and trying to visualize my race but its nice to have the option. Somtimes I have it and dont switch it on til I get bored or need distraction.
Keep at it. IM sure your weight is coming down as well as your times going up. Enjoy it. It must not become a chore.

G-Money

Cheers.

My eating hasn't been great to be honest so the weight loss has temporarily stopped. I need to get that sorted. My right shin is a little sore this evening, not much, it's barely noticeable. It's more of a "I can feel I exercised today" feeling than an ache or pain. Anyway, tomorrow is a rest day then I'll do 2.5 miles on Tuesday and then I'm heading home to the north on Wednesday so I'll be resting up there too.

G-Money

Think I'm going to rest up for a few extra days. My right shin feels slightly tender after yesterdays 5K long run. I don't want to end up with shin splints or something so I think a few days extra rest is in order.

G-Money

Not much of an update here. I was kind of due to head out yesterday for a 2.5 mile run but I was very very tired so I gave it a miss. I also wanted to give my shins a bit more of a rest after Sunday as one of them in particular felt a bit tender.

It will most likely be the weekend before I'm out for a run again. I'm going home this evening to sort out a few things. I also have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning so hopefully he will give me the all clear to race in the 5K in December.

I used to be very strict about training and would go even when I felt a bit injured. I think I've wised up a bit in that regard now and I'm willing to change training plans to suit my circumstances. For example if my knees feel particularly achy, I won't mind taking one or two days extra rest to hopefully avoid an injury.

metamorphosis

Great to see ya over here man!

As you go on you will become more in tune with your body with aches, pains. Problem with most of us is that we don't really listen to our bodies! Good to be in tune so early on in the process.

I really look forward to seeing you progress over the next few weeks.

G-Money

ULstudent wrote: »

Great to see ya over here man!

As you go on you will become more in tune with your body with aches, pains. Problem with most of us is that we don't really listen to our bodies! Good to be in tune so early on in the process.

I really look forward to seeing you progress over the next few weeks.

Cheers ULstudent.


On a seperate note, there's one word that's been stuck in my head all day. It's a long way off and perhaps completely unrealistic but...

All I can think of is this....




Ultra!

G-Money

Still at home in the north. Went to the doctor and he thinks my blood pressure is high so wants to check it again on Monday and he's doing some blood tests too for cholesterol and the like. I went to him as a few weeks ago I got a funny fluttery type feeling in my chest when I was training that went away after a few seconds, but which came back two days later when training, although again it went away after a few seconds and hasn't bothered me since. Seems to be some sort of palpitation, although it happened to me a few years ago when jogging/running too but again it would go away after a few seconds and would happen quite randomly. Not sure if the few cans of Coke I was drinking per day was helping so I've cut those out. He listed to my heart and said it sounded fine, no mumur or arrythmia which is good!

Anyone else had those palpitations before when training?

He said it's ok for me to do the 5K race, just don't go completely insane when trying to run it.

I didn't bring my gear home with me so I haven't been out training since earlier in the week. Probably not a bad thing, it will give my joints and stuff a bit longer to rest. Aiming to head out for a 2.5 mile run on Monday when I get back to Dublin.

G-Money

I must have been carrying a rock of Kryptonite on me this evening during my run as it was complete torture. I went out with the intention of doing 2.5 miles at least but aiming to do 2.75 miles. In the end I pulled up just after the 2 mile mark and left it at that.

My legs felt like two huge anchors swaying in my tracksuit bottoms. I wore my Lidl running jacket which seemed like a good idea but I was getting too warm by about 15 minutes in. I had absolutely no speed or pace today, nothing.

I think the main reason for the train wreck of a workout today was that I stayed up late last night and I only got about 6 hours sleep. Mistake number 1. Mistake number 2, I had a salad for lunch and to be honest, it didn't really sustain me. I had the words of the nurse I was talking to yesterday ringing in my ears "Salads are ok but they don't tend to fill you up very much and you can find yourself feeling hungry again quite soon". No truer a word was spoken as by 2pm I could feel myself getting hungry and by 3pm I really needed to eat something.

However I was past the point of no return. I don't eat in the preceding 2-3 hours before going for a run so I knew I had to just do without. My whole insides felt empty and I just had no energy at all.

A torture workout today. As punishment I'm thinking about forcing myself to do 2.75 miles tomorrow to make up for it.

G-Money

A much, much better workout this morning. On the way home work yesterday I bought a bottle of Lucozade sport on the recommendation of a friend. I got up this morning had a few mouthfuls of water and several mouthfuls of Lucozade sport, did 5-10 minutes stretching then went out for my run.

The last day the run went very badly, I was struggling to do 2 miles, legs felt like lead, no energy, heart rate too high, awful workout in general.

Today was a complete 180. I started out slow for the first couple of minutes but gradually felt myself speeding up a little. My heart rate was at a nice comfortable rate and I was running well within myself. I aimed to do at least 2.5 miles today but really wanted to do 2.75 miles as I've missed a few training sessions.

To my surprise I was able to increase the speed a bit and maintain it. I'm still not going particularly fast but I seem to be a bit faster anyway. About 3/4's of the way into my workout though I started to get rumblings down below. I had a feeling that might happen so I ended up stopping at 2.74 miles as I was reaching the exit of the park and I knew I had pushed it too much and might not make it back to the little boys room in time if I kept going.

Anyway though it was a really good workout. I ran on the tarmac path this morning as the grass was very muddy and slippery after the rain.

I did 2.74 miles, average speed 10.23min/mile and it took me 35 minutes, 53 seconds. I'm aiming to do 5k or 6k LSR tomorrow.

I also wore my Lidl running tights out today for the first time. I have to admit feeling a bit self-conscious wearing them but after a few minutes I didn't care. I have to admit they feel a lot better to wear than the tracksuit pants I've been wearing up until now. The tracksuit pants are too baggy and sort of seem to weigh me down or something. Thankfully the Lidl tights have a small zip pocket in the back for my keys and the iPhone arm band is finally being used after gathering dust for well over a year

ecoli

Great to see you enjoying your running and getting into the habit. The fact that you are running well within yourself is great as you progress it will be important to keep these runs easy. This is something alot of even experienced seasoned competitors can struggle with.

Keep up the good work

hot to trot

Well done that man.:)

I often have nightmare runs after long breaks. Legs feel like I am starting right from scratch and have forgotten that I am actually able to move .
Then the run after that is back to its usual flow.
There are so many lessons that we learn as to how our bodies cope and behave when we deviate from its usual routine.I think this is important when staying injury free.

Try not take more than two days off in a row. When you go home again or away for an extended break, take your runners, You might not manage a run but you can often squeeze in a brisk walk.
.
I know cans of fizzy non diet orange provide 50% of an adults daily sugar intake so a couple of cans would be total sugar for the day. Its probably similar for coke but that has caffeine also . Try and save them for treats . I am a diet coke addict( there , I said it ) but I am trying to cut down to about 4 cans a week.

YOu are making FABULOUS progress with you running. KEEP IT UP.:D

G-Money

hot to trot wrote: »

Well done that man.:)

I often have nightmare runs after long breaks. Legs feel like I am starting right from scratch and have forgotten that I am actually able to move .
Then the run after that is back to its usual flow.
There are so many lessons that we learn as to how our bodies cope and behave when we deviate from its usual routine.I think this is important when staying injury free.

Try not take more than two days off in a row. When you go home again or away for an extended break, take your runners, You might not manage a run but you can often squeeze in a brisk walk.
.
I know cans of fizzy non diet orange provide 50% of an adults daily sugar intake so a couple of cans would be total sugar for the day. Its probably similar for coke but that has caffeine also . Try and save them for treats . I am a diet coke addict( there , I said it ) but I am trying to cut down to about 4 cans a week.

YOu are making FABULOUS progress with you running. KEEP IT UP.:D

Yippee, my first groupie

Seriously though, thanks for the kind words.


This morning I went out for an LSR and did a tad over 6K at about 11.23min/mile pace and this took me 57 mins 11 seconds. I wasn't really going for speed today, it was distance. I started out quite slow but again I naturally sped up as time went on, it was more of an effort to go slow than it was to go a tiny bit faster. Average heart rate was about 155 bpm which was comfortable. It's amazing to think that I can run for almost an hour now non-stop. And even more amazingly, I could have kept going today for a lot longer. I started to feel myself get a bit hungry about 3/4's of the way towards the end as I'd had no breakfast but I could have easily kept going for another half an hour.

The park was waterlogged so I had to run around the tarmac path again today. I stepped onto it and my foot immediately slipped so I tiptoed like a ballerina off the grass back onto the tarmac. I did a about 3/4 of the loop and tried the grass again and all I heard was "squish, squish, squish" and I looked ahead to see several pools of water and could feel cold liquid starting to seep into my GT 2150's so I ejected once more for the tarmac and stayed there this time. Joints feel fine so far, a little achy but barely noticeable to be honest.

I need to change my mentality when running as I find myself looking at my Garmin to see when I've done 5K and seeing that it's at about 47 minutes into my run and I'm like "I'm definitely going to finish last at that Jingle Bells 5K race". I'm not sure how to change that way of thinking tbh.

Not much else to report now. Training should hopefully be back on track more or less. I have to head home at the end of next week again to get more dental work done and I'll aim to bring my gear with me to go for a run.

Rest day tomorrow. Then out for a 2.75 or 3 mile run on Tuesday.

Something even more amazing I noticed. I got up and checked my blood pressure straight away after getting out of bed. It was ok, but after coming back from my run and stretching, my blood pressure was lower than it was when I got out of bed. I'm not surprised. After the run I felt a nice calmness and relaxation. It was enjoyable.

hot to trot

Its no harm to practice running on hard surface. Most of your races will be on solid ground and now that your body is getting used to the distance , you need to build up tolerance to running on tarmac as well.
Can you set your garmin to the distance and then leave it in your arse pocket? Dont bother looking at it . It will beeep when you are done and you can run as you feel without constant reference to it.
what date is the Jingle bells?

You could also consider running some of the middle mile a bit faster...say heart rate up about 7 beats? You need to get used to pushing your comfort zone for maybe 5 mins at a time , once in a while.

G-Money

The Jingle Bells race is Saturday the 4th of December in the Phoenix Park. Are you going to do it??

I've only managed to do one sort of fartlek session so far. I'm aiming to do another one this week though so hopefully that will help with the speed. I'm also aiming to do my 2.75 or 3 mile run tomorrow a wee bit faster too.

hot to trot

Im not sure . Its a long way to go for a 5k run.And I will have been away the previous weekend. Would love to see you crossing the line though .

Skip the fractions at this stage and just do the 3. The difference between it and 2.75 isnt much. YOu need to get used to going that tad further at this stage.

shoegal!

GM don't be worrying about coming last at the Jingle Bells 5k! I'm doing it too and I will definitely be way behind you. Just think - you can look over your shoulder at any time and I'll still be there way back in the distance, my shining red face like a beacon of hope, reassuring you that you're not last .

Seriously though, you're doing great with the running and there's still over a month til the race. You need to have more confidence in yourself and I think you'll surprise yourself with how well you do!

G-Money

Back on track more or less I think. I hadn't been out for a run since last Sunday when I did my LSR. I had meant to go out Tuesday, then Wednesday, then Thursday but a combination of bad weather, laziness, and other things resulted in me not heading out. I decided that I had to go out this morning and go for a run and that is what I did.

I ran 3.16 miles this morning in 41 minutes 52 seconds. I converted that distance and apparently it's just a tad over 5K which is good. I was going at a slow enough pace too, I didn't have loads of energy, but I wasn't completely wrecked either. My heart rate was comfortable enough in the 155-165bpm range for most of the time.

I got passed at one point by a woman much older than me who was running/jogging. I'd say she would be in her 60's anyway. For a second I was tempted to put the hammer down and try to catch her up. But truth be told I simply didn't have a lot left in the tank today. I had something left, but not much. Instead I just tried to focus on this phrase "Just get the miles on the clock, that's all that matters, don't worry about speed".

My average speed was about 13min/mile pace today which is slow enough but it was reasonably comfortable. I think the extra days break was starting to show so it was good that I went out and nipped it in the bud today. I was hoping to go out for an LSR tomorrow but it looks like I'm going out tonight and if it's a late one, there's no hope of me doing any running tomorrow.

The park was still like a swamp today so I stuck to the tarmac. I also bought a brand new pair of Asics GT 2150's which are what I have been wearing. I kind of plan to alternate between them and the ones's I currently have.

G-Money

Went out this morning and completed a LSR which was about 7.1k and it took me just over 1 hour I think. I say "I think" as I seemed to have wiped my Garmin by accident and hadn't got the data uploaded. It caused the app to freeze when it tried to upload and then it wouldn't respond. Had to reset the watch which didn't seem to work and I somehow reset it some other way and it lost all the data. No biggie, I only lost today's workout from it, everything else from before it stored.

I went a bit slower today as it was an LSR. However over the last kilometre, I sped up a bit. I met the old woman who lapped me yesterday and she said hello today which was nice of her.

I'm wondering if I'm more suited to longer distances than short distances. I don't seem to have a load of pace at the start. But if I start out steady and don't blow up, I can usually keep going continuously. My only enemies being boredom and that wee voice in my head saying "you can't keep going" when I know for a fact as I can as I feel comfortable. I could probably have kept going for a few K today and reached 10K comfortably.

I ran the park in the opposite direction today and I think it's a bit more of a gradient so it's probably better preparation for races.

Formula 1 is on today and it's hard to believe but I'm almost considering skipping it to watch the NY marathon online.

G-Money

Funnily enough today I was thinking it might be fun to enter myself regularly in 5K and 10K races around Ireland. I've been looking for things to do and it would be a nice way to get out and about and to meet new people I guess.

Well, just an idea anyway. Don't know how feasible it is though!

hot to trot

Great going GM. Keep it up. Keep adding to your distance on your weekend runs, apart from the odd step back week every 3 or 4. By working up towards 10k, your 5k race will seem easier and you will be spoiled for choice with all the 10 k races around the country:D

G-Money

hot to trot wrote: »

Great going GM. Keep it up. Keep adding to your distance on your weekend runs, apart from the odd step back week every 3 or 4. By working up towards 10k, your 5k race will seem easier and you will be spoiled for choice with all the 10 k races around the country:D

Cheers H2T.


Feeling a bit run down today, like I'm getting a cold. I was planning to head out and do 3 miles this evening but I will see how I'm feeling then.

G-Money

Haven't been out for a run this week since my LSR of 7.1K last Sunday. I'm now in the north and I didn't bring my runners either. Am hoping though to head back to Dublin on Saturday morning and get a run in then and Sunday.

I've really been messing around this last week or two and haven't been doing enough running. I think I'm ok in that I have a half decent level of fitness built up so it hopefully won't disappear overnight, but I really need to nip this laziness and procrastination in the bud.

I noticed Asics are bringing out GT-2160's this month/next month. They look all shiny and new and had I not just bought a pair of 2150's last week, I'd maybe go for a pair of 2160's. Let's see how it goes anyway, I might buy some as a reward for finishing the Jingle Bells 5K Although I think there's still a good bit of mileage left in my first pair of 2150's that I bought back around or just before the summer.

I also bought Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald. I need some sort of focus eating wise and I'm hoping it will help me sort out my diet.

Not much else to report. Except that yesterday (Thursday) I won a signed photo of Jessica Ennis - phwoar

shazkea

Keep up the good work GM and when you get out there over the weekend, you'll prob find no difference in your fitness but maybe you'll be a bit fresher. Everyone has those lazy weeks!

I was just looking at that book yesterday as someboady had recommended it as a good read; let me know what you think of it. Happy reading!

G-Money

Just back from a 5K run. It started out ok and I felt reasonably fresh but I could feel myself slowing down as I approached the 2K mark. I was like "Ah balls, this is going to be another one of those hard runs, I knew I shouldn't have left it that long".

Anyway I kept going and I had one eye on my watch as I wanted to be back to my apartment for 9am to buy tickets for something that was going on sale. As it was approaching 9am I said to myself, I will just do 4K and then head back. But once I got to 4K I said to myself "Sure you might as well just go ahead and do the 5K now, it's only another 8-10 minutes". So I did that and I checked my Garmin and I did 5.02K in 40 minutes, 57 seconds.

I'd say with a bit more training and proper nutrition, I could crack 40 minutes by the Jingle Bells 5K but let's see how it goes.

It was cold and windy this morning but most importantly, it was dry. I would love to have stayed in but I forced myself out and am glad I did it now, even if I don't feel spectacularly better for it. Mentally I know it was better than just lying around the couch all morning.

Resting now for the rest of the day, and out to do a 8K LSR tomorrow morning.


I was at my doctor on Thursday getting a bit of a follow up appointment. About a month ago I'd noticed what seemed to be like heart palpitations when I was training and while I didn't feel ill or anything, it was a bit worrying even though it only lasted a few seconds. Anyway I was talking to him on Thursday and he asked me if I was still running and I said I was and that I had done 5K the previous Saturday and 7K the previous Sunday. He said "Gosh, I wish I could do 7K". I think he is struggling a bit himself with weight and stuff so I started telling him about the Couch to 5K programme

Anyway, after initially thinking I had high blood pressure, it now turns out my blood pressure is fine after monitoring it for about 10+ days. I just need to get the cholesterol down a bit!

G-Money

After several days of overeating and procrastination, I made myself go out this evening for a run. The Jingle Bells 5K is looming large on the horizon and there's less than 3 weeks to go until the big day. I think I've been slacking off a bit as I know I can do the distance and I know I'm not losing that much fitness by taking a few days extra rest here and there. However I've been leaving it a bit too long between workouts so it's not good that way.

I went to the park after work this evening, having nipped off about 3.50pm. It gets dark quite early and the park I run in doesn't really have any lights so I was basically racing the sun this evening to get my run completed. Unfortunately though it was pretty dark by the time I got the run finished (5.15pm) and I was finding it very hard to see the path at that point.

However I did a total of 5.3K in 46 minutes, 20 seconds. I was running around the park in the opposite direction and I think there's a bit more of a gradient which I think accounts for the slower time.

I had plenty of energy this evening and I picked up the pace over the last kilometre or so and I probably could have done a bit sooner too. I've started to have a few mouthfuls of water followed by a few mouthfuls of Coke before I go for my run these days. not sure if that is a factor. My Garmin was fast running out of battery power too so I was hoping it would last the distance and thankfully it did.

I need to workout now what the best option is for doing my runs. It's becoming obvious that evening runs in that park are going to be hard to do unless I'm out of work very early. The way I see it, I have two options, either run on the footpaths or run first thing in the morning in the park. The last few times I've been running in the park I've been using the tarmac as the grass has been too muddy and slippy to run on. I guess I could use the footpath's around where I live but I'd like to avoid running on concrete if I can (to save the joints etc).

The other option is to run in the park in the mornings around 7am or so. It's starting to get bright around then and would be quite bright by the time I finish. The downside is that I like to get into work early so I can leave early and going for a run in the morning will affect those plans. Even though I work just over a mile from where I live, it's still a 5-7 minute walk to the park, about a 40 minute run, another 5-7 minute walk back, 5-10 minutes of stretching, shower and then get into work. I guess I could get up a bit earlier and try to fit it all in and still make it into work for about 7.40am but we'll see.

This past few mornings I've been waking very early so I will have a look outside tomorrow morning about 6.45am and see would it be bright enough to run then.

My left knee was feeling a bit sore when I was running, mostly the knee cap as I was running downhill (not much of a gradient though). It feels ok though but I will keep an eye on it anyway.

I'll aim to check the light tomorrow morning, then see what I think. Tomorrow is a rest day and although I've been thinking about doing fartleks, I'd sort of prefer to get another solid 40-45 minute run under my belt instead, followed by the same on Saturday and a LSR on Sunday of about 8K.

I listened to the Marathon Talk podcast today again, I felt the time going faster than when I listen to music. Interesting that.

hot to trot

Get a headtorch. If you are tired and dont make it out in the morning then you will find a million excuses to stay in . Unless you have trail runners stay on the path or road. You arent really doing enough miles to do any harm to yourself and your body needs to learn to strengthen up and get used to it.
Keep at it . As long as you are warm and in a light jacket if it rains when you run, it doesnt really matter what the weather is doing as you wont feel miserable. The hardest step is the one out your front door. Keep reminding yourself of all the work you have put in since August and you dont want to throw it all away.
There might be streets you can run around where there is street light.
DONT let what you cant do , get in the way of what you can do .

G-Money

hot to trot wrote: »

Get a headtorch. If you are tired and dont make it out in the morning then you will find a million excuses to stay in . Unless you have trail runners stay on the path or road. You arent really doing enough miles to do any harm to yourself and your body needs to learn to strengthen up and get used to it.
Keep at it . As long as you are warm and in a light jacket if it rains when you run, it doesnt really matter what the weather is doing as you wont feel miserable. The hardest step is the one out your front door. Keep reminding yourself of all the work you have put in since August and you dont want to throw it all away.
There might be streets you can run around where there is street light.
DONT let what you cant do , get in the way of what you can do .

Yes boss

menoscemo

I just got a head torch in snow and rock in dundrum (beside elverys dundrum south level 3) you can get them from €40-€60 and they are very comfortable.

Now darkness is never an excuse not to run

Also when you go up home, you can easily run on the side roads since they are not too busy. I used to never run when I went up home (Tyrone) but now I love going out for a run over quiet country roads. Just make sure you run into the traffic (on the right) so you can see the traffic coming towards you.

Edit to say I'd also recommend you getting out of that local park sometimes if it's the only route you run. It can get very boring and repetitive running the same loop time after time. Near you, you could head to UCD, Marlay Park, Bushy park, Cabinteely park etc, etc, etc...

G-Money

menoscemo wrote: »

I just got a head torch in snow and rock in dundrum (beside elverys dundrum south level 3) you can get them from €40-€60 and they are very comfortable.

Now darkness is never an excuse not to run

Also when you go up home, you can easily run on the side roads since they are not too busy. I used to never run when I went up home (Tyrone) but now I love going out for a run over quiet country roads. Just make sure you run into the traffic (on the right) so you can see the traffic coming towards you.

Edit to say I'd also recommend you getting out of that local park sometimes if it's the only route you run. It can get very boring and repetitive running the same loop time after time. Near you, you could head to UCD, Marlay Park, Bushy park, Cabinteely park etc, etc, etc...

Aye, I guess I should find another park. I just like that one as it's a short walk from my apartment so I don't have to drive to get there or anything.

I've been thinking about going for a run up home alright. I live in a very, very hilly area so it would be great for fitness. Although the roads are that narrow, they can only support traffic going in one direction.

littlebug

grandmaster I just saw your post on the "clubs" thread. I can heartily recommend looking into a fit4life group near you. The groups I started out with has everyone from walkers to sub 3 marathoners and everything in between and everyone gets the same cheer crossing the finish line. It's easier to go out in the elements if there are other people there too and easier again if there's a nice lit track to run around.

Timing issues mean I can't really go anymore and I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to get out whereas I used to be out with the group in sleet and snow!

G-Money

littlebug wrote: »

grandmaster I just saw your post on the "clubs" thread. I can heartily recommend looking into a fit4life group near you. The groups I started out with has everyone from walkers to sub 3 marathoners and everything in between and everyone gets the same cheer crossing the finish line. It's easier to go out in the elements if there are other people there too and easier again if there's a nice lit track to run around.

Timing issues mean I can't really go anymore and I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to get out whereas I used to be out with the group in sleet and snow!

Cheers.

Has someone got a link for Fit for Life? The site I found seems to be aimed at those living in nursing homes!

littlebug

grandmaster wrote: »

The site I found seems to be aimed at those living in nursing homes!

:D I'm not that old!

General info here http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?page_id=6057

list of groups here (pdf) http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fit4life-clubs-contacts1.pdf

G-Money

I'm going to have to get a headtorch so I can run in the evenings.

I struggled to get out of bed at 7.15am, I think forcing myself out the door at 6.30am or 6.45am is going to be close to impossible.

MarySamsonite

Hi Grandmaster,

I had the same problem as you with regard to finding time to run in daylight. Once the mornings got too dark I took out gym membership for three months and now do my midweek runs in the gym and my long run outside on Sunday morning when it gets bright. I'm lucky that the local gym is really good value, but maybe you could find somewhere that does monthly membership. Having said that, I know that running outside is much better training for your Jingle Bells. The idea of a head-torch is great as well. My husband recommended this for me, but I just wouldn't be comfortable running in the dark on my own. The Fit4Life group that Littlebug recommended is the best idea of all. I would love to join my local group but the timing of their meeting just doesn't suit me.

Well done on your great progress so far. Think of how happy you will be eating your turkey this year, knowing what you have achieved . I think nerves will hamper my enjoyment of it as I was silly enough to aim for a St. Stephen's day run :eek:

maria74

Grandmaster, I have a similar problem with the darkness setting in. Could you run anywhere near work i.e finish work at 4 and instead of driving somewhere to run, just run near work? I have done it once a week for the past couple of weeks and then that only leaves 1 morning run (if I can get out of bed) and 1 long run on my day off?
Perhaps one run a week on footpaths may not be too hard..as long as it is a short one?

G-Money

Not sure about running near work, there might be a loop I could run but to be honest, I only live a short distance from the office and the park I run in is right beside where I live so I won't save much time.

I've been running on tarmac for the past few workouts as the grass in the park is too slippy and muddy to run on. I forgot to check it the last day until it was getting too dark to see if it was still waterlogged.

I've made a few enquiries about joining Fit4Life. I think there is one in Dundrum that might suit me, if not that leaves Tallaght and Bray although the Bray one seems more appealing for some reason.

ecoli

grandmaster wrote: »

Not sure about running near work, there might be a loop I could run but to be honest, I only live a short distance from the office and the park I run in is right beside where I live so I won't save much time.

I've been running on tarmac for the past few workouts as the grass in the park is too slippy and muddy to run on. I forgot to check it the last day until it was getting too dark to see if it was still waterlogged.

I've made a few enquiries about joining Fit4Life. I think there is one in Dundrum that might suit me, if not that leaves Tallaght and Bray although the Bray one seems more appealing for some reason.

Yeah you cant trust them Tallaght folk:D. best of look with the club hunt its all about finding the one that suits you not always about the "best" club. We had a lad who moved to us recently from a very well respected club because he felt they were too athletics focused for him to balance in his life. Like wise have seen people moving becaause i club isnt competing at high enough level. All about finding the balance which suits you

G-Money

I meant to head out yesterday morning for a run but got lazy and didn't bother which is pretty shameful. The only "justification" I could come up with was that I went to bed very late (2.30am) and therefore would be too tired to do a decent run

Anyway this morning I got up and even though I felt like lazing around, I went out and done a run. I was sort of aiming to do an LSR of 8k this morning but in the end I did 5.1k. For some reason at the start of the run I was absolutely starving, which is rare for me first thing in the morning. I'd just had my usual few mouthfuls of water and coke before heading out the door and to be honest, the hunger as well as the fact that I've been skipping a few training sessions had me think I should just knock another 5k distance out and get that done.

My pace was ok-ish today and did 5.1k in 42 minutes 13 seconds. My time seems to fluctuated between 40 mins 50 seconds and about 42 mins 50 seconds. I started out kind of slow but at the end I picked up the pace again towards the end with no difficulty. My heart rate seemed to stay in a decent range (155 bpm) and obviously went up towards the end as I was running faster but still seemed ok.

I thought about going for a long jog around the footpaths and doing 5K that way but in the end I just went to my usual park. I think it's because it feels like a bit of a safety net. It's near my apartment and stuff so if I need to dash to the loo or something, it won't take me very long

Anyway yesterday wasn't a total write off, I bought a head lamp to use in the evenings. It's pretty obvious I'm not going to get up early enough to go for a run before work so that only leaves the evenings. Getting out of work and getting stretched and changed takes a while and it's simply not possible to get that all done plus a 40 minute run with it still bright. I'm kind of looking forward to using the head lamp, even if it makes me look stupid. I discovered a pocket in my running jacket this morning that I didn't know existed so I most likely will just keep the lamp in there until I need it, rather than wearing it while it's still bright.

G-Money

Rest day yesterday.

My left knee is giving me a very slight bit of bother. Most of the time it's grand, but across the top of the knee cap gets a bit sore when I'm walking down declines or down stairs. It's not bad or anything if anything, it's very very mild, I guess it just annoyies me that I can feel a little discomfort. I always sort of assumed when you started running you wouldn't feel any soreness or anything once you got quite fit. I don't think it's an injury as such or at least I'm hoping it's not. I think it's just more from the exercise I've been doing.

Anyway I need to head out today and get another 5k plus on the clock. I have my head torch so hopefully I will not talk myself out of using it. I was very tired yesterday after sleeping extremely badly on Sunday night, so it was just as well yesterday was a rest day.

I really need to get my eating sorted out, it's holding me back.

I have to make sure I don't skip any more training sessions as the race is at the end of next week.

I have to head home again this week (Dentist again :mad:) but I should be back to Dublin on Saturday or Sunday.

G-Money

I was looking at the Jingle Bells 5K finishing times from last year and it seemed that the last timed finisher on the results page was 38 minutes, 35 seconds. I started to panic a bit and worry that I was going to be completely and utterly last.

So I left work a little early, went home, stretched, got changed, packed my head lamp and said to myself "I'm going to break 40 minutes today".

And guess what? I did!

I started out a little faster than normal today and after doing a lap of the park, the pace was reasonably good. I kept going at that pace and checked my watch to see that I had done about 1.1k in under 8 minutes which was new for me. So I kept going, the pace more or less the same or a little faster.

I checked the watch at the same point on each lap to see how I was doing and I passed through 4K around the 30 minute mark. So I tried to make sure I kept the pace going. I got to about 35 minutes and see I was around about 4.7K mark so I just kept going and kept the pace. I checked and I went through 5K at just over 38 minutes. I was going to stop right then but I wasn't at the exit of the park so I kept going and put the hammer down a bit and did a total of 5.15k in 39 minutes, 46 seconds. With the good thing being that I wasn't going flat until the last 10-15 seconds and I could have went faster.

I know I'm not about the break the 5k world record anytime soon but I'm quite pleased that I broke 40 minutes. My previous PB was about 40 minutes, 52 seconds so I've chopped between 2 and 3 minutes off it this evening.

I guess it just goes to show what you can do if you think right. I wasn't super, super determined and confident and I had moments of doubt. I just thought to myself "Right, I'm going to break 40 minutes tonight".

Heart rate was good too, average 166bpm.

maria74

Thats brillant. Well done!
Anyway even if you were taking 40 mins, I bet you wont be last, I think there are loads of people have taken up running this year (us included) and this is a great first race for them also. Easy to say I know but I worried about being last in my 5K and then at the end it really didn't matter to me. And everyone says the race day excitment means you usually go faster..look what you did today when you put your mind to it.:)

G-Money

No running today, snow everywhere here in D18. Boooooooooooooooooo :mad:

RayCun

grandmaster wrote: »

No running today, snow everywhere here in D18. Boooooooooooooooooo :mad:

Are you familiar with the phrase 'HTFU'?

menoscemo

RayCun wrote: »

Are you familiar with the phrase 'HTFU'?

It had to be said. GM, there will always be a million excuses not to do something, but if you want to improve you need to stop looking for those excuses. There are always solutions to every problem. The trails and paths in Phoenix park were beautiful his afternoon and I exect the running in most parks around Dublin would have been the same.