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Baby steps
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Good conditions for this one. No windsheeter need be worn. You could see the TV antenna on the way down to Wexford and it remained visible from the start and throughout the race. Work was being done on the mast, so the turning point would vary from previous years. We'd approach the mast clockwise, which added c. 200m of distance from previous years distance.
I did a 2k warm-up and felt sluggish. That sluggishness usually runs itself off at the start of races. It didn't. I felt sluggish for the first half of the climb and the little voices in my head were louder than usual, telling me I didn't feel well and 'sure drop out'. DNF I didn't and I slogged on. I found myself 3rd of a group of 3 with Damien Kelly and Dermot Murphy, both climbing well. The lead group had quickly gone out of sight - Tom Hogan, Martin Monaghan, Des Kennedy and others.
My legs felt as though I'd a long run in my legs yesterday. Strangely I hadn't run yesterday, a cycle yes, but I should have felt fresher. Anyways, I managed to battle my way through and run every step. I got past Dermot and Damien before the last climb and variation to the turning point. The running conditions were perfect. Ground conditions were boggy in parts, but thats dry compared to previous years.
On the way back down you can really let yourself go on this one. The grassy, peaty ground is in your favour this time. Its one of our great downhills. Alas, whilst I held position on the hill, I couldn't hold onto my pace once we hit the damned fireroad and I lost ground to Damien who was running well.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98159737
13.26k, 1:11:53, 601m climb. 10th place overall. I'm pretty consistent on this hill. My last 2 year's placings were 9th and 10th and my times were 1:10:43 and 1:11:23. This tells me that I'm pretty much back to where I was last year. I just need to keep battling the voices in my head
Heres a comparison of the previous garmins for this race. Obviously while I felt sluggish I was still running okay. Pace comparable and all. Funny that.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/comparison?activityId=98159737&activityId2=40531779&activityId3=19176106
A good vibe as ever back in the pub in Ballindaggin afterwards. Dublin were lucky against Wexford.0 -
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Marathon training mode will see me doing reps Tues and Thurs. Headed out with still tired legs from the race on Sunday and the heat was unwelcome.
Headed out the road a bit until I got to a flat bit to do 400s out and back. 60s recovery. That was the chance for the local flies to swarm around. Painful. The reps were very average indeed. I was really tired after 4 and it was a chore to finish it. Not sure if it was worth doing it, but having said that I felt better having done it. Best was 77s, worst 85 when I struggled to sustain the pace at all. Must get more consistent
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/987108430 -
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Slogger Jogger wrote: »Marathon training mode will see me doing reps Tues and Thurs. Headed out with still tired legs from the race on Sunday and the heat was unwelcome.
Headed out the road a bit until I got to a flat bit to do 400s out and back. 60s recovery. That was the chance for the local flies to swarm around. Painful. The reps were very average indeed. I was really tired after 4 and it was a chore to finish it. Not sure if it was worth doing it, but having said that I felt better having done it. Best was 77s, worst 85 when I struggled to sustain the pace at all. Must get more consistent
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98710843
Hi Slogger
A bit of advice I got.
For every 10 mins racing you need a days recovery.
Ive been giving 3-4 days even after a 5k with great results.
4-5 days at least after Mount Leinster.
Re: 400s.
The objective of the 400s is to improve running economy. You must run good form for each rep. Did the session you did bring you any closer to covering the marathin distance or other training speeds faster or using less energy? I dont think it did
Sprinting them in 77 is only going to sharpen you for a non existant target in a months time.
Id run them at current 5k race fitness and vary with surface/conditions. Stop for 1 min in between.
Id start with 10 and add two every week.
The first week should not be challenging. Think run tall, relax, glide for every rep. Dont sprint for the line: Run through it stopping the watch as you run through the line.
Do them on tuesday. Youll be recovered and have improved form in your legs for the more race orientated reps on thursday.
If you recover adequately after the harder intervals and run with good form without killing yourself for teh 400s youll be astounded at teh results of these small adaptions. Get the miles in allright, but go real easy if recovery is needed, or double up.
I havent done many marathons but i know what those 400s are for and if youre not getting improvements in form out of them they areent worth it.
Running them at 5k pace in a tall, relaxed manner will achieve that.
My tuppee0 -
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Rested yesterday in prep for this.
Not a great sleep last night and an early start beckoned to get me up to Marley park. Legs felt rested and did a very light warm up. The wind was up and it looked like rain so it could be interesting up on the hills. I didn't quite feel 100% though as my dinner from last night was still in my system.
I wanted to use this race to compare where I am vs last year. My Mt Leinster result seems to show me I'm pretty much back to where I was. Lots of familiar faces from imra around the start. Had brief chats with many. Good to see KC lining up for a rare hill race.
A straight off comparison with last year wasn't really on the cards however as we were talked through the route description. Coming back into Marley we would do a bit of a loop around the playing fields, similar to the way we run at the start. Last year we finished by running directly to the finish from the gate.
I set off steady enough but quite a bit slower than last year. I plodded along buffeted by the wind and I looked forward to getting some cover in the trees in Massey's estate. Early on KC went past me running strong. I made no attempt to keep pace. Today was about running my own race.
In Massey's it was muddy as hell but I made plodding progress and gained a few places from those ahead who chose to walk hillier, messier bits.
On into Cruagh and I was overtaken by a runner who I'd taken over before. This was to be repeated over the coming ks as I'd overtake on the ups and they'd get away on the levels and downs. Cruagh went by very quickly and before I knew it I was jogging upwards towards Tibradden. A train of 3 or 4 runners overtook me at this point. In retrospect I should have done more to stay with them but my tummy was playing up (a repeat of last years race, but I kept going). Tibradden was a joy. Running up a hill being pushed up by the wind is something that doesn't happen too often.
Down towards Kilmasoghue I was running steadily, if unspectacularly. I held my pace back a bit as I didn't want to finish at the Marley park gate and have nothing left for the last run. I neither gained on the runner ahead nor did anyone get near me. I think I was 23th (if a shout of places from Henny on the Wicklow way was accurate). Last year I was 21st. Last year my pace was 4:39. Today it was the very same. I think my overall race today was more consistent. My time is slightly down on last year (less than a minute) but we'd the extra few hundred metres around Marlay.
Overall, happy enough and more reassurance that my fitness levels of last year are returned. Well done KC who placed 9th by all accounts. A great performance from a non hill runner
21.24k, 4:39 pace, 579m climb.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/997331270 -
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Haha. I do run hills, but only when no-one is looking.Slogger Jogger wrote: »Well done KC who placed 9th by all accounts. A great performance from a non hill runner 0 -
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Yesterday: Easy paced run from Glencormack down towards Glenview and back along a trail which took me up to the Little Sugarloaf and back over to Glencormack. 9.5k.
This evening. A repeat of last Thurs. Warm up, 5 x 1 mile (2 min rest), warm down. Gusty wind wasn't great for these so some of the reps suffered. I seemed to be tiring badly too (rep 5 suffered by time, but I didn't think it was bad as I was running it). Avg pace was same as last Thurs but reps were up and down depending on wind. Did the cold water treatment after and the legs feel sort of normal again. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100760998
13.44k, 4:31 pace avg, Rep avg 6:05 (1s improvement on last Thurs).0 -
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This was very tough. If I knew what was going to be in store I probably would have shied away from this and taken in a medium distance run myself. Then again I would have missed a great event, so from that perspective I'm glad I did it. My legs won't be talking to me for a day or 2 I reckon...
Brilliant sunshine today in Wicklow. A big crowd for a nav.. circa 40 competitors lined up in Crone wood and we were given maps by the Race Director with 4 controls to visit in order. Route choice between controls was up to you.
Control one was at a crag above Ballyross. Most of us followed reallly really bad routes to try find it. Bashing through thick vegetation. Walking pace at most for much of it. Lesson 1, stay on the trail as long as possible before going the bashing through forest option.
Control 2 was over on Tonduff north. The running between both controls wasn't great. Lots of boggy ground and large tufts of grass. Pretty straightforward nav at least.
Control 3 was back over at Djouce, just under the peak facing Tonduff. Running was possible at first, then got very difficult cos of the up and down nature of the ground, and wild vegetation. So quite slow on this one. Could see other competitors not too far ahead. Gareth Little, Pat McCavana (who had earlier managed to lose his compass). Thanksfully with the weather the compass didn't really need an outing.
Last Control was Maulin peak. Bad decision by me to follow another runner on a nearly bee-line (attempt) between Control 3 and 4. The ground underfoot was very unrunnable. More high heather, gorse, tufts of grass, holes, bog. Basically lots of stuff to make progress pretty dreadful. I was getting tired at this point. The slog up Mauin through high vegetation was a bit of a battle. All the while I was thinking I should have taken to longer, more runnable route. You live and learn.
Made Maulin summit just after Caroline Reid and Gareth. Coming off Maulin I made things longer for myself by taking the descent which is the Powerscourt Ridge ascent. Added time unnecessarily but a tired mind etc. Very relieved to cross the line in just over 3 hours.
I asked the RD if he mixed the nav races up and organised the hard one today instead
The flies were out in force today. They must have had a field day eating me all day.
Wrecked after, but lessons learnt (again). I always learn lessons on these races
I don't know yet who won or what the winning time was. Whoever took the most efficient route to control 1 and took the longer route between 3 and 4 would have made up huge time today. I think I was circa 13th place. Room for improvement.
17.09k, 901m climb, Pace (standing still would have been faster)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1011583760 -
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