Festina lente

menoscemo

RayCun wrote: »

6.05 miles in 56.32 (9.20 pace)

A run to make you realise why people stop running during the winter. Didn't get the threatened rain, but it was so much darker than last time I ran home (3/4 weeks ago and the unlit park paths I run on were invisible, and covered with slippy leaves, the lipstick stones over the Dodder were uncrossable, and the gates into Bushy park seemed to be locked anyway. Will really need to reassess when and where I can run during the winter. I'll start working on a plan next week, sort it all out...

Maybe get yourself a head torch ray. A really handy tool to have and you hardly notice you are wearing it.

RayCun

5.41 miles in 53.22 (9.51! pace)

Another winter-OMFG run, seriously windy out there this evening. The main thing bothering me though was my calves, they felt tight all the way home and I was running like it was mile 22 of the marathon - except slower. Not happy with that, didn't feel comfortable running until I was almost home and went a bit faster.

This week: 11.46 miles

grimbergen

Best of luck Ray, looks a well thought out plan and I must do something similar for myself.

Your targets wouldn't be too far away from my own so I'll be checking regularly to see how you're getting on.

RayCun

6.16 miles in 1.01.31 (9:59 pace)

Not a good run. Calves felt tight all the way around, and my form felt awful for the first couple of miles. Don't think I've had a run I was happy with since the marathon, so II'm going to take another few days off, not run again until Wednesday. Anyway, the plan today was to run up to Tymon and do some km repeats (since they're marked out anyway). Went out way too fast on the first, under 6m/m, and faded away long before the end for a 6.48 total, went back to the start and tried again but I just wasn't feeling it, and just continued on through the end and on home.

Anyway, assuming the few days off does some good, the plan is to just do bits and pieces for the next few weeks, maybe try a few different types of run. Use the Jingle Bells to set a marker, then follow a 12 week 5k programme leading up to the MSB St Patricks Day race.

This week: 17.62 miles

RayCun

6.11 miles in 53.56 (8.49 average)

The good news is, I can run properly again, I'm not hobbling around the way I was last week. Still a bit of a twinge in the right calf, but not too bad.

The bad news is, I'm completely out of condition! Already! This was all much harder than it should have been, I just didn't have the energy going around.

Anyway, 2 miles warmup, which turned out to be at marathon pace. Mile 3 I sped up a bit, to 8.39, and mile 4 sped up again, to 7.48. Slowed down again for miles 5 & 6 8.52 and 9.24. I'd have been happier if I could do 8 miles, 2+2+2+2, and each 'faster' set faster than that, but it's a big improvement on last week anyway.

menoscemo

Don't worry Ray. A couple of runs and you'll knock the rust off and be back to marathon shape.
Are you aiming to finish off the 1000 mile challenge?

RayCun

menoscemo wrote: »

Are you aiming to finish off the 1000 mile challenge?

Oh definitely, less than 20 mpw needed for that. I'll be back into three runs a week now so the miles will fly by.

RayCun

5.36 miles in 48.16 (9.00 pace)

Still not feeling the love, but that was a bit better.
A few stops to cross the roads pushed my time down, but most of that was at about 8.30/8.40 pace. Bloody cold out there though.

RayCun

9.45 miles in 1.24.35 (average 8.57 pace)

Lovely morning for a run The snow was fresh enough not to be slippy, and there was only a couple of minutes of light hail. Probably gone slushy by now though.

2 miles up to Tymon, 9.13 and 9.01, followed by faster and slower 1k intervals
4.35
5.57
4.44
5.44
5.12 :rolleyes:
5.48
4.36
6.31
and then a longer bit to get to the park gate at 7.24 pace, and about 10 on the way home.

My fastest pace was still only about the speed I ran in the Rathfarnham 5k, so I won't be tearing up the field next week. I'll be hard pushed to beat my Rathfarnham time at all, and keep the run of PBs going.

(14.8 miles this week, need to do more runs)

menoscemo

how was Tymon? in the snow last year it was beautiful for running.
Don't worry about the pace, in the snow you are working quite a bit harder so the pace is slower.

RayCun

Tymon was great, lovely for running. There was one spot on the 3k loop, between the trees near the motorway, where it was a bit slushy, but everywhere else was nice and crunchy, not slippy at all.

RayCun

5.52 miles in 58.35 (10.37 pace)

Slow, and quite hard work, but I love running in the snow

If the snow keeps up, I might run in and out of work tomorrow...

neilc

Best of luck with your runs in the next 12 months Ray. We have pretty similar goals and like you I've my newly purchased P&D at the ready. I'm hoping to go 3:20:59 in the marathon to get a BQ. Will be a massive stepup but going to give it a good go. Looking forward to following your progress.
Neil

RayCun

4.37 miles in 54.11

slow, slow, slow in the snow. It was a bit deeper, a bit more broken up, and I really felt I was running through the snow today rather than over it. Still the fastest way to get to work.

RayCun

5.46 in 1.07.34 (12.22 average pace)

Legs are getting very tired now. Will run tomorrow morning, but walk home.

Month|Miles
January|38.8|
February|35.5|
March|53.2|
April|72|
May|75.9|
June|90.2|
July|118.1|
August|124.4|
September|154|
October|108.7|
November|58.4|

RayCun

4.38 in 56.46

Unfortunately I have a choice between a direct route, where the snow is all chopped up, there are plenty of roads, and its difficult to run, and an indirect route, which has better running surfaces for most of the way, but is at least a mile longer (and a mile in that snow is a good ten minutes).
Either way, my legs are pretty knackered.

(19.73 this week)

RayCun

5.48 in 1.07.13

(and a bit more running home from the shops, but the Garmin was switched off by then)
It's definitely worth skipping the whole Terenure/Rathgar area, even if it takes a bit longer. The snow around there is impossible to run in, it's too soft. Some salt or grit in the mix that stops it freezing more?

(25.21 this week)

menoscemo

RayCun wrote: »

5.48 in 1.07.13

Nice time :pac: No seriously I admire your commitment. Today the weather has got the better even of me ( I also have a cold though. I was out walking earlier and the snow is just too thick, must be upwards of a foot and a half deep. It must be like running through quicksand!!

RayCun

to be honest, its just that my work is 4/5 miles away, and the quickest way in and out is on foot - even if that is walking for 90 minutes. Running is at least slightly faster. Also, some places, like through the parks along the Dodder, are fine to run on, the snow has been compacted without getting icy.

RayCun

5.2 miles in 58.52

...and that's enough for this week, my legs need a break. Saw someone else running this morning around Terenure - in shorts! and on the road! Don't know which was crazier. He was going at a decent pace (compared to me, which isn't saying much)

(30.41 this week)

meathcountysec

RayCun wrote: »

5.2 miles in 58.52

...and that's enough for this week, my legs need a break. Saw someone else running this morning around Terenure - in shorts! and on the road! Don't know which was crazier. He was going at a decent pace (compared to me, which isn't saying much)

(30.41 this week)

Good man!! Fair play to you for keeping up that sort of mileage in this weather.

I'm now more or less house-bound. Can't get out to the club grounds and her indoors would have me put away if I started running around the green in the estate :rolleyes:

RayCun

I haven't been on a treadmill in a year, but needs must when tunney is giving out, so I dropped down to OH's gym on a day pass. ipod wasn't charged, I was bored, and converting kph into minutes per mile was too much like hard work, so after a couple of minutes warmup, I lashed it up to 15kph... four minutes and one km later I was already wrecked! I limped through some more not-so-fast intervals, but at 5.1 k declared myself done. :rolleyes:

On the bright side, on a day when the boiler at home is broken, and the water was cut off at 7pm (and some feckers stole all of my money), I still got to have a hot shower

RacoonQueen

That sounds familiar. Congrats on making it to 5.1k. I hope to make it to 30 minutes tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

RayCun

Marginally more successful dreadmill session. Forgot locker key, so had to keep my stuff against a wall in front of me, forgot to charge my ipod, so was bored out of my mind, and on the way down discovered that my (admittedly 12 year old) boots have a hole in them, so had to wear my sweaty gym socks and runners on the way home.:rolleyes:
aaaaaanyway, the running itself wasn't too bad. Lasted for all of 6k this time, just under 30 minutes, which was about as long as I could have before the showers were switched off. Plus, I warmed up better this time, and managed a few runs at my target pace of 14.2 kph. Still not great, and I still hate the treadmill - looking forward to a proper outside run on Sunday - but not an absolute fail like last time.

RayCun

8.5 miles in 1.15.54

Sooo good to be back running outside. Tymon still has some ice on the paths in places, and is pretty muddy off the paths, but compared to the last few weeks it was perfect. Didn't bother with speed intervals this time, just enjoyed being able to run for over an hour.

meathcountysec

Good man. Consistency brings its rewards. Enjoy your run-in to 1,000miles. I hope to be not too far behind you.

RayCun

5.29 miles in 45.56

Fartlek run! Still a bit of ice around in some parts so I had to take them slowly, but I was also able for some faster bits.
Even got up to 5 minute mile pace! :cool:

... for about 50 metres

digger2d2

RayCun wrote: »

5.29 miles in 45.56

Fartlek run! Still a bit of ice around in some parts so I had to take them slowly, but I was also able for some faster bits.
Even got up to 5 minute mile pace! :cool:

... for about 50 metres

Hmmmmm...I know, I fell today...Bottom half ended up on the road, top half on a grass verge...No damage done though!

RayCun

Ouch! This running in winter thing - you'd realise why people don't do it, wouldn't you?

digger2d2

RayCun wrote: »

Ouch! This running in winter thing - you'd realise why people don't do it, wouldn't you?

I guess so, tough being stuck inside though!