Baby steps

Pronator

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Tired today but needed to get out and work the legs. Did 2 and half circuits of a figure of 8 run involving road and trail, ups, downs and level bits. The different terrain and changes of speed were great and having started slow and ponderous by the end of the session I was motoring. Still tired though, but better.

10.37k, 211m climb, 4:38 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110398128

Set-back week last week. c. 65k total done from 5 days running. 8 weeks to the DCM.

Ehh 9 weeks to DCM. Good work:D

Slogger Jogger

Swapped out any notion of doing 400s this evening for a trail run instead. Easy up, faster on the way back. Made up for the lack of 400s in the last 3.5k. Nicely knackered at the end of it.

11.77, 236m climb, 4:30 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110630317

Slogger Jogger

Into woods and briskly up a section of trail which gains c. 70m in height in c. 700m of distance. Turned around and came back again with long strides - not full out sprint. Then same again a total of 8 times. Repetitious but character building. Oddly, I found the 5th rep the toughest but after that it was fine. Happy with pace as I pretty much ignored the watch and ran by feel.

10.86k, 410m climb, 4:54 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110865444

Slogger Jogger

An easy paced run was on the cards so I opted for a single loop of the route I did last Sunday. Mainly road with about 2.5k of trail. Never consciously had to push pace. But pace was quiet brisk all the same. It could be a sign of improving base speed. I should be so lucky.

10.82k, 104m climb, 4:24 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111083465

Slogger Jogger

Opted to rest yesterday evening.

Steady rain this morning. The intention was to do around 10 miles. The main focus of the weekend is tomorrows LSR. Kept the run mainly to road, with c. 2k of trail to link things up. 1st k slow, but after that I picked things up. 7k in an avg pace of c. 4: 27. Decided to push the pace a bit then for the rest of the session. Wasn't easy with undulating road, rainy puddles and a bit of wind but got there in the end.

16.43k, 145m climb, 4:18 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111413913

Slogger Jogger

14k out to Aghavannagh and 14k back with a k out and back to Aughrim thrown in for good measure. Ran fairly conservatively and by feel. Didn't look at watch until the half way mark and was happy with the 4:52 pace at that point as the outward section is net uphill. Lovely run this along the River Ow which is flowing heavily after recent rain so you can hear the cascades roaring as you run. Found an isogel in my car the other day so carried that and used it with about 10k left. Don't know if it helped or not. The last 3 or 4k were pretty joyless, just a case of finishing it. Happy enough. 90k for the week.
30.19, 283m, 4:43 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111717374

Slogger Jogger

Out into the drizzly rain this evening, the intention was to run for a bare minimum 8k to get the legs going after yesterday. That plan got complicated when the garmin powered off.. it must have been switched on accidentally at home. Nevertheless the running felt comfortable and the legs weren't complaining, so I ran out past a point I knew was 5k out. This included a short but tough road hill. Returned the same way, resisting the temptation to speed up. Its a recovery run after all. Distance gauged from my geolives software. Pace approximated from church clock at the finish. Nice and easy start to the week.

11.4k, 4:48 pace, 150m climb.

Slogger Jogger

Added up some of my runs over the last 10 weeks. 870k running in 10 weeks. A decent mix of pace runs, hill runs and LSRs. With c.7 weeks to go to the marathon I'm probably where I need to be. Head down now and focus for the next few weeks of training.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

I may of missed it Mick but whats the target for DCM? Great training btw it seems to be going very well for you.

Slogger Jogger

Lyle Fierce Puck wrote: »

I may of missed it Mick but whats the target for DCM? Great training btw it seems to be going very well for you.

Cheers. Any sub 3 hrs will do fine. Just need to keep the body and head together until the DCM.

Slogger Jogger

A strange one this. Wild weather out there this evening. Hit the trail and decided to stay on the same loop repeatedly more for the shelter of the trees than anything else. It was still quite exposed to the wind in parts but less than if I went road running. Underfoot conditions were muddy in parts and each loop of c. 1.8k had a short steep climb that sucked the strength from the legs. Still, the running felt fairly comfortable and the intensity picked up as the session went on. Said to myself I'd do 5 loops. Ended up doing 6. I was surprised at the pace as it didn't feel hard (except on the hill). The 2nd half of the run was in heavy rain which added to the 'fun', but once you are wet you are wet. A kinda elemental run this. On another day weather like this could leave me trudging around but not today.

10.27k, 141m climb, 4:02 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/112404775

brownian

wow - 4:02 pace over 10k, in rain and mud! Nice going, SJ.

Slogger Jogger

Fairly non-descript run in the rain at an easy enough pace considering the up and down terrain.
11.55k, 172m climb, 4:39 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/112634838

Slogger Jogger

Jaded this evening and was devoid of energy heading out the door after a busy day with the family. The plan was to do some 400s and I choose to do them on the trails. I wasn't going to go all-out, but to concentrate more on running form. 1st rep was a disaster. Nearly stopped as the stomach was acting up. Stopping off for food 2 hrs before hand with the family wasn't the best prep for this. Things were better after that. 60s stops between reps. Even reps were net downhill, the odd ones harder as a result. 2k warm down jog at the end. Not one to write home about.

8.54k, 4:50 pace.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/112852499

Pronator

You can't be on top form all the time. When your feeling empty the important thing is that you put the effort in and that's what you did;) It would have been easy to throw in the towel but you did not. Good job.

Krusty_Clown

The road to marathon happiness is paved with sh1tty runs. Makes the nice hill runs seem all the sweeter after it's all finished.

Slogger Jogger

A restless sleep and woeful weather put me off running the lakes 10k this morning. It wasn't a target race so it was an easy decision to make. Headed out to run locally with blustery wind and rain and felt I needed to run with conviction to make up for it. Wasn't easy but got through 10k in sub 40 mins. 8 of the 10k were avg 3:50 but a hill at 8k was just about joggable never mind running fastable. At 10k, took 30 secs rest and ran on with a mind to run easier. The pace was still up despite that but it felt okay. Got home before 11 and had the day to spend on family stuff so happy enough with the no-race call.

Total: 15:57k, 4:01 pace. 1st 10k, 3:59 pace. 136m climb. Weather: poxy.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/113162771
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/113162759

Slogger Jogger

Cut short the intended 32k run this morning. Run was pretty much the same as last Sunday. Out and back to Aghavannagh. Comfortable pace despite the blustery and sometimes drizzly conditions. Body was none the worse for yesterday's tempo run. Except, in the later stages, on the run back home I felt a mild ache at the front top of the right leg. Ache grew as I ran, so with the clock showing 26k, I diverted home to make it 28k for the run. Icing the leg now by way of prevention. Touch wood and all that.:(

28.17k, 4:38 pace, 265m climb
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/113447488

Slogger Jogger

Headed out this evening a bit nervously as I wasn't sure how the body was after yesterday's run ended abruptly. In wild weather I took it very easy early on and glad to report no ill effects. Did strength exercises too before I left the house, so I'll incorporate them into the training the odd day. It can't but help.

9k, 5:22 pace, 213m climb.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/113891011

Slogger Jogger

Same session as nearly 2 weeks back. 8 reps of up and down the trail in my forest with c. 60m climb in each rep. The time flew and the pace was well up on 2 weeks back. I think I was working harder on the downhills this time. Good session, particularly given the blustery conditions.

10.82, 4:44 pace, 426m climb
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/114120906

Slogger Jogger

This run probably should have been recovery paced, but it wasn't. Headed out the backroad 3.5k and up a road hill for the next 2k or so, then about face and back home. < MP avg by the end. Well happy with that. Lots of gnats in the air and blowing in the eyes. Somewhat annoying, but thats nature.

11.1k, 129m climb, 4:11 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/114366436

Slogger Jogger

Lovely evening this evening. Ran with sun glasses to keep the gnats out of the eyes. One annoyance replaced by another as the glasses keep slipping forward. Need an elastic band or something around the back of the noggin.

Did a mainly road loop that I've done loads of times recently. Pace felt easy but the pace was still decent enough considering 2 short steep hills in there. If the hills were evened out the pace would have been MP.

Not doing half marathon on Saturday. Will do my own thing and focus on getting a good LSR in on Sunday.

10.81k, 4:21 pace, 106m climb
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/114591850

Slogger Jogger

Rested yesterday apart from a short strength session, to keep the table ticking over.

Today, the win for Ireland was a great start to the day. Headed out for a short run after that full of beans despite the blustery conditions. Intention was to at least do marathon pace and that was managed with time in hand. Same run as Thursday evening but pace upped again. Pretty happy.

11.01k, 104m climb, 4:06 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/114999579

Slogger Jogger

Had a pain on my right foot sole this morning. Post on main forum refers. I didn't want to miss my planned LSR so I choose the safe, if insane, option of running my LSR by doing continuous loops of the woods beside where I live. At least then if the pain worsened I'd be within walking distance of home. It was a gamble but it worked out pretty well.

An added advantage of running around the trail was the relative shelter given that the weather was very mixed. Wind and some rain.

Each loop I did was c. 2k. It was a mixture of stoney dry trail with a short climb and other muddier stuff. Lovely to run on if you felt 100%.

The first few loops I was very aware of the pain in my foot. As it was central on my sole I couldn't adjust my footfall to protect myself. I just had to suck it up.

Despite that the pace was steady and after 6 loops, when I was into the middle third of my run, the pain in the foot lessened and eventually faded into the background. Its as if my body got fed up sending my brain pain messages that I choose to ignore. My sole is tender after but a bruise is showing

Successive loops went quickly, 2k at at time. Eked it out to 15 loops and 2 and a half hours worth of effort. Chuffed to finish it. Another LSR ticked off. Apart from the foot pain earlier I felt relaxed throughout and ran fairly comfortably. No breaks either for calls of nature, tying shoelaces and no water or gels carried.

Check out the map and elevation profile of the run!

32.2k, 4:40 pace, 320m climb.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/115226067

Krusty_Clown

Great running and great mental strength too! Look after that foot. Physio straight away if it persists. No sense in risking making it worse. Brilliant elevation profile!

PositiveNegativ

Get off that foot before you make it worse. 3 days rest min, plenty of RICE. Bruising is internal bleeding and there's sod all down there to bleed that isn't doing an important structural or load carrying job.

Slogger Jogger

Rested yesterday from running. A 10 minute session of exercises to keep the winter strength table ticking over.

Felt fresh this evening heading out. Conditions perfect for running, cool, dry and no wind to speak of. Headed up the trails and did a nice loop picking the pace up particularly on the downhill until it was virtually marathon pace avg at the end when I was pushing it. Very happy with that considering.

11.82k, 236m climb, 4:17 pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/115868662

Slogger Jogger

Felt a bit meh this evening so wasn't too spritely getting out the door. Elected to do a trail and road combination loop that I regularly do, but for a change I ran it the opposite direction. Trail bit to Aughrim. Road bit to beyond Aughrim. Another trail bit to the Woodenbridge road, then backroads back to home. The 2nd trail bit was very greasy after rain and in road runners this was a bit treacherous as a fall was a distinct possibility. After pushing it last night the original theory this evening was to go easier. Plan went out the window in the last 1/3 of the run. The pace was increasing and a sub 4:20 pace was attainable, so I pushed a bit harder and pretty much reached avg marathon pace again. It ended up being a progressive tempo run then with some testing hills in there. And the last section was against a wind too. Really need to run easier tomorrow so :rolleyes:

11.22k, 4:16 pace, 141m climb
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/116087098

village runner

Great running.............I rem really following your log for Rotterdam in 2009 and you had a super run in enniscorthy last yr. No doubt you have the potential to break 3hours.
Any ideas wy you havent broken it before ?? are you trying anything diff this time ??

Slogger Jogger

village runner wrote: »

Great running.............I rem really following your log for Rotterdam in 2009 and you had a super run in enniscorthy last yr. No doubt you have the potential to break 3hours.
Any ideas wy you havent broken it before ?? are you trying anything diff this time ??

I followed training plans before but a lot of my runs were same paced, slower and I probably did too much on the hills. This time I'm doing more on the road and more faster stuff - tempo, reps (400s mainly and hill reps). My pace generally seems to have moved up as a result. 3 hrs was only really a target for that marathon in Rotterdam and I was unlucky but in retrospect not properly prepared. Touch wood I'll be prepared for Dublin if I can avoid injury. Cheers.