Micilín's Mucky Miles

Micilin Muc

Sunday
Running: 10km up the bog road in the rain. Nice and easy, felt good.

Monday - Friday
Cycling: 250km commuting. Getting faster and fitter.

Saturday
Cycling: 80km back to Ros a' Mhíl and up through Seanadh Phéistín to Oughterard, Moycullen and Spiddal. Have been wanting to go up that road through Seanadh Phéistín for a while now. It's a very remote area, any hermit worth his salt would want to spend some time there!

Strava Link



Cardiovascular Test
I was offered a Cardio test during the week - simply wearing a heart-rate monitor for 24 hours. The long and short is that I have a "cardiovascular age" of 22. I have problems with my sleep though, I quite possibly have sleep apnoea which is affecting my energy levels.

Change in training
I've lost a good bit of weight in the past week with all this cycling. My resting heart rate was down to 46bpm this morning, the lowest I've ever seen it. I reckon I'll continue with bike commuting twice a day for the next while, with a few 10km runs during the week. This should keep me going until the summer when I'll start doing running-specific training.

I've been reading The Cyclist's Training Bible too - one thing I'll implement in my log from now on is a measurement of each activity - running and cycling - with a Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale with the aim of becoming more in tune with my fitness. I'll also log my weekly, monthly and yearly total distances

Micilin Muc

Monday to Saturday
Cycling: 241.2km commuting
Yoga: 10 minutes every morning.

Friday
Running: 10km including hill repeats. Finished work at 4 and went for a run around the area. Found a steep hill just behind the office, perfect for hill repeats. Nice to be able to push myself.

Sunday
Hell & Back
Great fun. Mud and water obstacles for the first 1km, a little wooded section of snipers hitting us with pellets, a trail run for 7km to just below the summit of the Little Sugar Loaf/Giltspur, and more obstacles in the last 3km. Hard work, lots of fun and mud! Really enjoyed the hill run!

Running WTD: 20km
Running MTD: 30.19km

Cycling WTD: 241.2km
Cycling MTD: 744.34km

ThebitterLemon

MM,

Seanadh Pheistin is my local running route.

I love it, quiet roads and beautiful scenery, it's therapeutic.

Can be tough for the long runs if it's windy.

Good luck with the training.

TbL

Micilin Muc

You must do most of your running by headtorch at the moment so? That's hard going.

Have you run much in Cloosh Forest up in Seanadh Phéistín? Looks like an interesting place for a long run.

ThebitterLemon

I dont do any trail running at all, I'm a road hog.

I've run the whole route into Oughterard a couple of times but never in the dark.

The furthest I've run with a head torch is 20 miles an out and back 10 miler.

I do a lot of shorter runs in the dark up there.

Are you mainly a trail guy?

TbL

Micilin Muc

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

I dont do any trail running at all, I'm a road hog.

I've run the whole route into Oughterard a couple of times but never in the dark.

The furthest I've run with a head torch is 20 miles an out and back 10 miler.

I do a lot of shorter runs in the dark up there.

Are you mainly a trail guy?

TbL

Definitely a trail guy, but road running is a neccessary evil at times I would probably do more training at the moment, but my excuse of no street lights is pathetic considering your 20 miler by headtorch!

If you're interested in trail running in the evenings there is an email thread I can add you to. We run mostly in the Oughterard area - Doon, New Village and Derroura.

ThebitterLemon

MM,

Thanks I'd be interested in doing some trail especially if the surface isn't too uneven.

A good head torch and spare batteries and you're good to go.

I'm up around that road most evenings, sure it almost a trail run

TbL

Micilin Muc

PM sent

Micilin Muc

Have just registered for the Debra Ireland Wicklow Mountains Half Marathon. Something nice to look forward to! Not many spaces left.

Micilin Muc

Monday
Yoga: 1 minute. Triceps too sore to do anything useful!
Rest

Tuesday
Cycling: 50.8km commuting. Got some new clipless pedals, cleats and shoes. Was previously on MTB SPDs, now on Look pedals with SIDI shoes. They actually do make a difference!

Wednesday
Cycling: 50.8km commuting
Running: Got the finger headtorch out and ran my usual 10km up the bog road. Got a little freaked out by the random abandoned bonfire by the side of the road with absolutely no one in a 2-mile radius. Night-time views were perfect - not a cloud to be seen, could see all of Galway Bay.

A nice table, thanks to RedRunner

KMs|Cycling|Running
WTD|101.6|9.9
MTD|846|39

ThebitterLemon

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Monday
Yoga: 1 minute. Triceps too sore to do anything useful!
Rest

Tuesday
Cycling: 50.8km commuting. Got some new clipless pedals, cleats and shoes. Was previously on MTB SPDs, now on Look pedals with SIDI shoes. They actually do make a difference!

Wednesday
Cycling: 50.8km commuting
Running: Got the finger headtorch out and ran my usual 10km up the bog road. Got a little freaked out by the random abandoned bonfire by the side of the road with absolutely no one in a 2-mile radius. Night-time views were perfect - not a cloud to be seen, could see all of Galway Bay.

A nice table, thanks to RedRunner

KMs|Cycling|Running
WTD|101.6|9.9
MTD|846|39

Good man MM,

If a few abandoned Bon fires freaked you out, wait till you see the light reflections off eyes looking out at you from bushes and hedgerows!

In a heavy mist once, I almost rear ended a cow (no lewd jokes at your country cousins please AMK), I don't know who got the bigger fright all I remember is that I was running through splattered cow ****e for 10 metres

TbL

Micilin Muc

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Good man MM,

If a few abandoned Bon fires freaked you out, wait till you see the light reflections off eyes looking out at you from bushes and hedgerows!

In a heavy mist once, I almost rear ended a cow (no lewd jokes at your country cousins please AMK), I don't know who got the bigger fright all I remember is that I was running through splattered cow ****e for 10 metres

TbL

Haha that sounds awful!

I'm used to seeing deer eyes peering back at me from my runs in the Dublin-Wicklow Mountains. I guess I'm just afraid of the dark, especially on a dead-end bog road!

I don't think AMK will put his foot in it, sure isn't he the one hanging around the Furry Glen most nights

PaulieC

it never gets old, does Furry Glen. Makes me giggle everytime.

Micilin Muc

Thursday
Cycling: 50.8km commuting

Yoga:

• 5 x sun salutations
• 90 seconds plank

KMs|Cycling|Running
WTD|152.35|9.9
MTD|896.69|39

belcarra

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Thursday
Cycling: 50.8km commuting

Yoga:

• 5 x sun salutations
• 90 seconds plank

KMs|Cycling|Running
WTD|152.35|9.9
MTD|896.69|39

I remember a time when there used to be running on here...
Mods - Throw him out of this forum!!:pac:

Micilin Muc

belcarra wrote: »

I remember a time when there used to be running on here...
Mods - Throw him out of this forum!!:pac:

I promise a running update tomorrow. This is all just cross-training

AuldManKing

Micilin Muc wrote: »

I don't think AMK will put his foot in it, sure isn't he the one hanging around the Furry Glen most nights

Sometimes the Furry Glen is a better choice than the Khyber

Micilin Muc

belcarra wrote: »

I remember a time when there used to be running on here...
Mods - Throw him out of this forum!!:pac:

Promised update:

You'll be happy to know I didn't cycle today and have made plans for a nice short (20km) run up the Maamturks tomorrow with the Western Way recce folks. They're running about 42km of the route tomorrow as a recce for their 180km run in April :eek:

belcarra

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Promised update:

You'll be happy to know I didn't cycle today and have made plans for a nice short (20km) run up the Maamturks tomorrow with the Western Way recce folks. They're running about 42km of the route tomorrow as a recce for their 180km run in April :eek:

All I see is still no running!!!:P

Micilin Muc

belcarra wrote: »

All I see is still no running!!!:P

Can I call it a taper?

Micilin Muc

Friday
Rest

Saturday
Cycling: 35.1km on the MTB from Uachtar Ard to Maam. I started late so I spent about 34km of this chasing the runners doing the Western Way recce. Storm force wind in my face the whole time made things hairy. Most of the off-road section is not suitable for MTBing, ie boardwalk designed for walkers but lethal for bikes. I got lost a few times, and so did the runners!

Running: 12.4km from Luggaun area up the Pilgrim's Path to St. Patrick's shrine at Maumeen and back again. True Connemara mountain running. Some parts were too windy to even walk against the wind, particularly up the top of the col. The journey back down again was supposed to be easy with the wind on my back, but in reality it was extremely dangerous. Wind lifted me off my feet at one stage. Run felt a bit short, but I wasn't able for much more, probably because of the hard day's cycling.

Nice to meet the runners who are planning the whole route of the Western Way in April. Some contacts made for developing hill running in the area.

Cycling: 8.5km back to Maam Cross. Wind on my back helped me coast at 40km/h at some points.

belcarra

OK, that report has earned your log a stay of execution! Sounds like a tough day out! Was it just you, Pat and David?

Micilin Muc

belcarra wrote: »

OK, that report has earned your log a stay of execution! Sounds like a tough day out! Was it just you, Pat and David?

Yep, and Caroline. They did 41km of a recce today :eek: Serious kudos to them. Think you might do the next recce, or the whole run itself?

Micilin Muc

Sunday
Rest

Monday
Running: 17.47 Medium-Long commute home from town. I kept my heart rate according to the P&D guidelines for MLRs, ie between 74% and 84% of max HR. I pushed it a bit harder on a few of the hills too. Encouraging average pace of 5:22min/km (8:38min/mile). Delighted with this run.

KMs|Cycling|Running
WTD|43.61|17.47
MTD|43.61|29.83
YTD|940.30|69.49


Did about 30 mins of yoga once I got home.

That's my second running update in a row

belcarra

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Yep, and Caroline. They did 41km of a recce today :eek: Serious kudos to them. Think you might do the next recce, or the whole run itself?

I have decided to go no further than marathon distance this year so probably won't be joining them. Going to try keep the speed up over the Summer as opposed to slow down for longer stuff like last summer.

Well done on that LSR also. You are not too far off where you want to be with that I imagine?

Micilin Muc

Yeah, it's a good sign! One swallow doesn't make a summer though. I wouldn't mind getting at least one PB this year. None of that last year.

Your blog schedule still has a good few ultras in it. No plans beyond April then?

belcarra

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Yeah, it's a good sign! One swallow doesn't make a summer though. I wouldn't mind getting at least one PB this year. None of that last year.

Your blog schedule still has a good few ultras in it. No plans beyond April then?

Must update that...! I had entered the 24 hr race before xmas but have decided to cancel/defer that. Main plan is:

• Donadea (an ULTRA!! D'oh!!) in 2 weeks.
• Barcelona, March.
• Dusseldorf, end of April.
• Hopefully Frankfurt in October if I'm in PB shape, otherwise I'll jog Dublin.

I'll be mainly running 5k to HM over the Summer I reckon but nothing confirmed yet!

nerraw1111

Nice training. Good stuff.

The Western Way. Is that a race or just a walking route that you plan to run?

Micilin Muc

Cheers nerraw.

Yeah it's a 180km walking route that some Connacht-based lads have planned to run in April, not as a race. I'll invite you to the Facebook group if you want? Sounds like your kind of thing.

Nice result in the AON again. Jealous!

nerraw1111

Yeah that'd be great. Cheers. Not sure I'd be able to do it. But see how it goes. Plan to do a lot more running in new places this year. Reading an article at the weekend re the Mournes, struck me that I've yet to run anywhere in the Mournes and they're relatively close to Dublin. Cheers re AON.