Brownian Motion

brownian

Time for a new log. Random motion, perceptible only under a micrscope:)

Connemara came and went, and I was pretty pleased. Having a log was a bit plus for me, and the support and advice from the boardsies was fantastic.

There's nothing on my running horizon in the short term - I'm going kayaking in Alaska in a month, and need to train for that, and then hiking in the Pyrenees with the family, so that's a fair free-time commitment to get them into shape too. But in and around I'll try to keep a reasonable level of running fitness, mainly for my own pleasure rather than with a particular race in mind.

Dublin is of course something to think about, if after the holidays I can regain the focus I had early this spring. In the meantime, I'll try to tick along doing 10ks and 10 miles and odd trail or hill.

brownian

Strikes me I said nothing about my plans for Kildare and how they shaped up, in the launch post for the new log. Hurt my neck during a trip to Brussels, just catching a muscle dragging a wheelie-bag through the cobble stones. Locked the head up for the duration of the Kildare marathon weekend. And was pretty knackered from work and so on - just in a bad place. So didn't run it in the end, and to be honest, have no great regrets - I just wasn't ready. Maybe two marathons in five weeks is too much; my body certainly wasn't up for it.

Anyway, turn over a new leaf, slide into summer chillax running. First time out in a couple of weeks, a gentle 10km in the good old park from Deansgrange to Ballybrack. Tailwind for the first half, but (surprise!) not for the second. All in all felt ok, though will no doubt be stiff later on, having done nothing for a while. Lungs felt battered, though - as if running hard in the winter. That odd metallic taste in the mouth, almost wheezing later on. Seems to have settled now, though.

Gorgeous evening out - forecast is sh1t for the weekend, but right now it's fab.:)

Krusty_Clown

They say you should never start training for a marathon until you've completely forgotten the pain of the last one. Even without injury, you were better off giving it a miss. I hope you include some info about training for kayaking. Sounds like an amazing trip.

brownian

Bit of a bits-and-pieces update

- spent the weekend in Connemara, since this was the first weekend with a reasonable forecast in a while. Walked both days with wife and kids - most of the Glen Inagh horsheshoe the first day (all but Ben Ban - came down the valley instead) and the Benchoona - Garraun horseshoe the second. Good days. Training value a little questionable, but it was nice to drive the Conn Marathon route and remember the experience.

- Out on the hill (running) last night - took a notion at about 8 in the evening, so parked outside the barrier at Ticknock, ran up the Boneshaker and then onto Fairy, down the ridge and along the DMW to Tibradden mountain, then back the same way. 10 very interesting and enjoyable kms, though steep at the start! Legs felt good after the first couple of miles, brain felt refreshed and spirit renewed. Gotta get more hill running in.

- Kayak training for Alaska suffered from the weekend in Conn. Hopefully get out this evening for a few miles between Dalkey and Bray and back. Three day paddling meet over the bank holiday...but for a planned two-week trip I've done damn-all training - better hope the body holds out ok.

Neck/shoulder thing still niggling a bit. Drove to Galway and back yesterday, which isn't a recipe for relaxed neck muscles (though it does make you want to get out running!).

Apologies to ART readers for lack of (a) running focus and (b) general interest. But pleased with self that actually got the runners on and had a good run.

ronnie085

Looking forward to you reporting back on your Alaska trip, thats real once in a lifetime stuff

brownian

Ok, so kayaking isn't ART in any sense. But it's what this ARTist is doing this week, and someone may be interested. If not, tune out!

Training last night consisted of getting on the sea in Bulloch harbour, Dalkey, paddling down to Bray, having a lucozade in the Harbour Bar, and paddling back again. Accompanied/led by Alan, a paddling partner of long standing.

What you need to think about when paddling, that doesn't feature much in running
- the tide. We went against north-going flood on the way down to Bray. We stuck to the coast,as the tide is gentler there, than in the middle of Killiney bay. Tide is strongest in Dalkey sound, but even so was only a knot or so. (1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour. Paddling speed is maybe 3 knots, so going against the tide you make two knots, coming back with the tide you make 4 knots). We came back across Killiney bay, with the tide helping us
- the wind - gentle enough SWs last night. Slightly in our faces on the way down, slightly with us on the way back. A big wind (F4+) can be a major obstacle/aid, both due to the way it blows you backwards/forwards and its role in creating waves. Nothing substantial in that line last night.

Anyway, about 1:15 or so to Bray, and about 55 mins back. Little stiff this morning in the neck, but nothing savage.

Glorious evening - great light on the water and all that stuff. Some seals, some Manx Shearwaters, lots of Guillemots, the odd Gannet, no cetaceans.

brownian

Did my "usual" run up the Boneshaker onto 3 Rock, up to Fairy Castle, down to the WW, out to Tibradden and back last night. Another beautiful evening.

Felt stronger than last time (legs more in tune) but oddly had less energy, and flagged a little on some of the climbs. Had a tough enough day otherwise, and so was likely a bit tired.

Savage weather today - shame to be working. Heading down to Streamstown in Connemara (third drive to Galway this week) tonight, for a three day camping and kayaking extravaganza. Bring it on

brownian

Warning - this is a running-free post

Did no running over the long weekend, due to the fact that my legs were jammed together in a plastic tube as a I bobbed up and down on the Atlantic.

Given that Alaska is now less than two weeks away, my accelerated training program continues. A three-day paddle meet in Claddaghduff, Connemara was to be an important chance to build some fitness. The forecast was practically Caribbean, so packed the shorts and suncream, packed up the car and off we go.

Naturally, it blew like stink all weekend. Force 4, Force 5, Force 6, Force 7 gusts - all not very kayak friendly, all rather cold....camping in strong wind can be a bit tedious. We did get on the water both Saturday and Sunday, but waking to a grey sky, scattered heavy showers and F4 again on Monday was a paddle too far, and we gave up and went home.

Training - yup, got several hours on the sea, one shortish day (12km?) one longer one (19km?), both of which were 50% hacking into the F4/F5 northerlies. Dodgy shoulder was manageable both time, but overall still not very strong. Will continue to blithely assume all will be well, once we're a week offshore in N.Pacific :rolleyes:

Hope to get in the boat over the next few days (certainly tomorrow, when I'm leading a trip out of Bulloch).

brownian

As the date for heading to alaska approaches, my running is tapering to zero and my paddling is ramping up a bit. Saturday I spun down to Bray from Dalkey with members of the ECSKC club. On our return, we saw dolphins in Dalkey Sound .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeLkl858OeY

Starting to feel a bit fitter and more ready for two weeks in the kayak. Packing of monster bags more or less complete now.

Missing the running - looking forward to getting back into it once back in Ireland.

shotgunmcos

Wow the colour of that water :eek: I'm so jealous

brownian

Right - back from Alaska, back from two weeks of pints and family stuff in Connemara, time to get back to work and back to running.

Total effort since June - two 5.5km jogs in Connemara (lovely scenery), one 8km jog in the park, one tough run up Cregg hill (W Galway telecoms high point- nice spin, but hard) plus today's 10k.

I've put on about four pounds since getting back from Alaska, so am about a kilo (it's great to be that generation that doesn't know if it's metric or imperial) heavier than pre-Alaska, and defo five or so kilos heavier than I should be. The obvious line of (ahem) least resistance to better running is simply to shed those kilos of blubber. Failing that (I know myself;)), the aim is get back to pre-Connemara levels of fitness and speed, and to peak for DCM.

Had a quick read of Boards today - including MCOS's inspirational Roth report, and that was enough to motivate my sorry a$$ out the door for 10km. Hopefully I'll get my head in the right place, rapidly followed by my feet, and get back to 35km a week, working up to 50-60 eventually.

So far, so good. No obvious injuries yet.:)

brownian

Back to the grind stone. Jogging along to "talking history" from Newstalk (joy of podcasts), in the good old linear park from Deansgrange to Ballybrack. A couple of the early k's were sub-4, but slowed down a little in the second half. Hardly a surprise, given the lack of general fitness.

Dank sort of a day - hot and sweaty by the end, but not wrecked or anything like it. Should be ok to push out to 12/14/16 km at the weekend, all going well.

Pleased enough to be doing my usual standard of 10k after the long lay-off. Don't see myself stacking 30 more on top without some work, though. To quote - "some pain ahead".

Shame I didn't get back to it a couple of weeks earlier - I'd be in shape to make a stab at the DLR 10k this Monday.

brownian

The faster run yesterday is giving me a bit of stiffness today - I think I need to start reintroducing the strawberry milk recovery drinks, though 10k shouldn't be a big trauma, IMHO. Apart from a good stretch at the end of the run, is there a secret to not having tight calves and quads the day after a run? Maybe not sitting at a computer for hours immediately after?

As it happens, I'm on a rest day anyway. No doubt that means that I should be cross-training on my bike or swimming, but likely it'll mean sitting on my behind doing EU project stuff, drinking too much coffee and wondering why I have no plans for the long weekend.

Speaking of which - tomorrow's plan is ten easy miles (7 - 7:30, something like that). I need to broaden my portfolio of routes, to include somewhere flat, scenic and traffic free. Maybe the Bray-Greystones-keep going South route, now that I think about it, though I guess there'll be a fair few people on it on a Saturday afternoon. Could drop into Amphibian and get a new pair of shoes too - better bring a book!

Delighted that there are one or two of you reading the log - virtual encouragement is always great. Sorry that it's not exactly riveting so far - in fact, I'd go and read Shotgun's Roth Report, or any of several of Thomas Bubendorfer's articles instead.

Micilin Muc

brownian wrote: »

Apart from a good stretch at the end of the run, is there a secret to not having tight calves and quads the day after a run? Maybe not sitting at a computer for hours immediately after?

I've started doing a lot more cycling and I don't feel stiff at all, even the day after an LSR. A typical training day the past few weeks for me has me running 3-5 miles and cycling 6 miles the same day or the next morning. My brother reckons the cycling releases a lot of the lactic acid in my legs, or something like that!

brownian

Micilin,
you might be right. I've found biking to help with stiffness too - I'll give it a try this weekend and see how it works out.

Thanks!

brownian

Headed to Carrick hill in Wicklow (just outside Glenealy and not a long way from my folks' place) on Saturday, in search of somewhere that was (a) low traffic, (b) not Clara vale, as I know it too well and (c) not going to be full of people and dogs. That last reason is why I opted not to go for Bray-Greystones, though that had been my plan.

Carrick's very pleasant, in a forestry-track sort of way, though its mountainous shape should suggest that it might be a bit hilly. It was. It also has rather a lot of trails, and junctions. I basically kept the hilltop to my left and tried to go as straight as possible - that worked ok, but I did use the GPS/map app on my phone a few times, to make sure I got back to the car. No doubt with more trips to the same venue, I'll get to know it better.


Despite the hills and the getting lost, the run went pretty well. New pair of Asics Nimbus 13s (terrible colour, but a bit lighter than the 12s) , which are now not going to be going back to Amphibian King, even if I don't like them! In fact, I like them well enough so far. Very happy to be back at 35 kms per week and feeling comfortable enough. Also happy to get a bit of hill work in, without excessive loss of pace - average a bit below 4 minutes a km, which is ok for hills.

Had a nice 40km spin over the Sally Gap from Laragh with Mrs B. yesterday, to see how the lactic acid/DOMS would be today. Not bad at all this morning - will see how today's run goes.


Plan for the week
- 2 x 10kms (today and Weds, probably)
- 1 x 16kms (Sat/Sun most likely).
...still working on getting back to a base level of fitness.

Best of luck to all those running in DLR 10km today.

brownian

A bit jealous of the boardsies who have run in the DLR 10k today, but am at least notionally in work. Hit the linear park for 10ks over lunch. Had a sangwidge and a pint of orange juice and water before heading out. Felt good for the first km or so, so put the boot in and consciously ran as fast a pace as I thought I'd be able to manage. Was a bit disappointed to be at 19:30 at the 5km turnaround (best time to here is about 17:30), but kept slogging away and was home in just under the 40 minutes. Wasn't held up much by traffic, so that's a fair reflection of where I'm at.

Home, pint of milk, bounty bar (no bananas in house).

Really, sub-40 for 10km in training, after seven or eight runs in two or three months, isn't bad, so I should be content enough. I did feel strong, but that doesn't translate into speed, I guess, without a (good) bit more training.

Will feel a bit stiff/sore tomorrow, I fear;I did work hard on this run.

Starting to be tempted by the Phoenix Park 10 mile run on 20 August. I might be on holiday that weekend, and so out of town, but if I focus on speed for the next few weeks and am in the Capital, it'd be interesting to see how my first ever 10 miler would go.

brownian

A rest day today. Don't feel too stiff after yesterday's effort, but did feel pretty whacked when I go to bed, and not exactically full of beans getting out of the pit this morning.

A bit of stretching, some core work (that's five pressups - standards are low) and I might try to get a half hour or so on the bike, as I have to be in Wicklow this evening.

Wife gone to IKEA - that's enough stress to keep me going today

brownian

Stiff and sore today. Set out on the lunchtime spin down the linear park, but very uncomfortable in the calves and quads - that effort on Tuesday is still in the legs.

Listened to the body and decided to cut the distance down to 8km, instead of the planned 10k. By the time I hit the turnaround at 4km, I was warmer and looser, but still feeling discomfort in all the wrong places. Didn't pay much/any attention to pace, which might be an error, as it turned out to be just over 4min/km, which is pretty much marathon pace. Did slow it down a wee bit over the last km, but it's hard to run slow.

Usually, you'd get to the end of a run and think that you could do a few more, at a similar pace, without killing yourself. Today, I was happy enough to get off the feet.

Had a good long stretch, focusing on the hamstrings and the calves. Achilles feel ok, which is good, but shins feel rather sore. Lots more stretching later, and maybe a quick spin on the bike to hit the lactic buildup.

brownian

Gentle 30k on the bike this evening with Mrs B. Foggy and damp, and very dark very early in forested areas. Did a spin from my folks (5 miles outside Laragh) to Laragh, over the Shay Elliott and then back to Rathdrum via the back road from Kirikee (you know it or you don't - it's hard to explain!).

Broke a chain on the climb out of Kirikee, and spent half an hour with the midges. Powerlinks don't work on old six-speed chains,as the chains are too broad, and the powerlinks don't quite fit. Eventually had to go old skool and use the chain breaker to push the link pin just-far-enough and then wiggle things together again. Still scratching the midge bites.

Nice ride otherwise.

brownian

Went down to Shanganagh to visit Bray Runners (noticed Krusty and BeepBeep67 talking about them). I have hopes that getting involved in a club will open the golden doors of speed secrets, as well as provide some new people to run with, at something like the pace I want to run at.

Did a nice few minutes warm up, which was good as my calves are still a bit shinsplinty from Monday's exertions, then did 5 x 3mins, followed by a warmdown jog. The 3 minute sessions were around a 1km loop, so that you ran as far as you could/felt like in the three minutes. Good tough session, trying to keep up. The last one was a bit of a struggle. Certainly, one runs faster when there's someone you're running against, and there's a lot of extra thinking you can be doing (tactics, head games, etc.). Very enjoyable, and I'll certainly be back.

How much running? Dunno, didn't bring a Garmin. The fast runs were about 900m each over 3 minutes, so that's a fair pace anyway.

brownian

Reasonable day's training yesterday. Headed out after breakfast for the 10-mile circuit around Killiney that I ran a lot when training for Conn. Felt really poor at the start - shuffling along with tight hams, calves, the lot. Loosened out after a while, but the hill climbing was very weak. Picked up to about 4:05 to 4:15 kms for the last couple, though I had been hoping to run 3:45s or so at that stage (the law according to Krusty - run hard in the finishing miles). Overall 1:08's a bit better than I felt, so I'm content with that.

Headed out then for a 50k spin in Wicklow with Mrs B on her new bike (finally got her onto a roadie bike, and off her trusty but slow MTB). Nice spin from Ballinaclash to Glenmalure, over Slieve Maan into Aughavanna, down to Aughrim and then back over a range of backroads to Avoca, the Meetings and back to 'Clash. Only rained on twice, and neither time very hard.

Hit a horrendous, road-wide series of killer potholes on the last part of the drop into Aughavannagh - threw me off the bike, blew out the tyre, buckled my lovely Campag Neutron wheel and gave me a good set of roadrash on elbow, knee, back and hip. Shoulda taken more care. Hopefully won't be too sore to run tomorrow.

Plan for this week - 10k or 10 miles tomorrow, depeding on how I'm feeling. Club meet Thursday, probably intervals. 10 miles Sat or Sunday. Frank Duffy only two weeks away - based on current performance unlikely to break 60 (or 65!) minutes, but will spin along for the run anyway.

Krusty_Clown

brownian wrote: »

...the law according to Krusty - run hard in the finishing miles...

That's P&D strategy, rather than my own, and typically is a long-run strategy, where you pick up the pace over the last few miles to PMP+10%. Hope the road-rash clears up quickly. Sounds nasty. What club are you with, by the way?

brownian

Got my own copy of P&D this morning - dense stuff; having it digested and interpreted is great - thanks KC. You're right that it's long-run advice, but I imagine it's no harm to apply it even for shorter runs, just to keep the effort flowing.

The rash is ugly, but should be gone in a week. The first shower's the worst.

Went out to see how Bray Runners do things last week, in Shanganagh. They're certainly very welcoming and it was fun to run with other people and to have an impetus to really go fast on the 900m intervals. I'm hoping that some speed work will benefit my pace over longer training runs. I haven't formally joined up as yet, but see no reason not to in the foreseeable.

Krusty_Clown

brownian wrote: »

I'm hoping that some speed work will benefit my pace over longer training runs. I haven't formally joined up as yet, but see no reason not to in the foreseeable.

I have filled out a form myself. Just haven't sent it to anyone!

brownian

Club captain Mike Bullock did talk about hooking me up with some members for longer/faster runs (their Sunday run looked to a little slower than I was planning last weekend); this didn't work out short notice. It'd certainly be good to run 10+miles at 6.5-7.5 minutes with somebody else, for a change. I've a notion that Aibhinn of this parish is a BR member (tho, like yourself, quite a bit faster than I am)

brownian

Yesterday was a rest day, just a walk down the pier at sunset to loosen out the limbs. Still sore from the bike crash, and very low on energy.

Today's plan is ten somethings at lunchtime - the units (minutes, kms, miles) depend on how I'm feeling. I took more sleep last night (9 hours) but still not feeling full of beans. Hoping to find some form soon...

Reading Pfitzinger and Douglas - by their standards I'm barely training at all, and never have done. Their stuff on lactate thresholds makes a lot of sense to me, though...I'll start to play with those ideas in the next week or so.

brownian

Today I'm trying something new - adding a bit extra at the end of the ten-miler to see if a slow (slower) mile or two helps with lactic acid flushing and general recovery. That wasn't the plan - the plan was (at its most ambitious, see last post) ten miles tempo, namely three easy, five fast, two easy, as in my new copy of P&D. But once I got settled into the run (800m in or so) I got settled into in-or-around 4 minute kms, and it seemed pointless to go slow for the sake of it. This may be a strategic error on my part, and maybe I should work on keeping it slow (say, 5 minute kms) for the first three miles and then pushing below 4 minutes thereafter. There's a slight issue there, in that the middle part of my usual circuit is by far the hilliest (Killiney coast, inc. Vico and Coliemore Roads), so serious pace there is hard.

Comments welcome.

Anyway, a little disappointed not to have cut a minute or two off my ten-mile, as am still three minutes "off the pace" compared to pre-Connemara training. But then am still in first month of training, so will hopefully build some pace in the coming weeks. Also feeling pretty low energy-wise this week.

Road-rash from the weekend wasn't an issue; muscle stiffness not too bad either.



Rest tomorrow, or perhaps a short cycle. Then club on Thursday, and long run on Sat/Sun (maybe 13 miles).

Must sit down with P&D and see how my "plans" compare to their carefully crafted schedules. I suspect they'd have me running more than 25 miles a week...and that I will need to up the distance if I'm serious about 2:55.

brownian

A second session with the good folks at Bray Runners. Five repeats of the 3-minute (900m?) circuit, plus a nice cooldown run. Got there late (long meeting in town), so no proper warmup and only got four repeats done with the group. Was sent on a last circuit on my own as a punishment...harder to find pace on your own.

I've a nasty feeling that replacing a mid-week 10miler with 5kms of faster running isn't ideal marathon training. So I might need to move to a Monday, Wednesday 10-mile routine, plus the club session on a Thursday and a LSR on the Saturday.That'd put me at around 30-35 miles a week; longer LSRs will eventually push that towards 40. That's still a llot less than P&D consider "typical".

Must admit, though, am finding myself physically tired a lot, even with the relatively low level of training. Hopefully this will pass, as I get more used to it.

Micilin Muc

Sorry for recommending you to cycle to flush out the lactic acid I'd rather have lactic acid than road rash.

brownian

Mrs B got a new bike - hence a sudden increase in bike miles. I'd happily blame you, Micilin, for the road rash, but it's my own stupid fault.

Happily, not impeding my running much.

brownian

Did nothing much today. Not too sore from last night's club session, so perhaps should have gone for 10km or so. Weather wasn't right, though (excuse 1) and had too much beer last night (excuse 2). Long run planned for Sunday so wouldn't in the normal course of events run tomorrow. Prolly head out hill walking or cycling, though.

brownian

Was going well on the resting front, until herself said "let's nip up Lugnaquilla". Five hours of hill walking followed. Nice walk, but perhaps not ideal prep for a long run on the Sunday.

brownian

Can't believe August is already half over. Where have my holidays gone?:eek: Will be back doing school runs before I know it. Gark.

Met up some rubber-clad men from the internet for a session in the Phoenix park yesterday morning. Krusty, TheRoadRunner, EColi, Tunguska and (subsequently) Aero2K - I was a bit intimidated with the quality of the company, I must confess. Arrived a few minutes early and did a short warmup, which confirmed that my quads and calves were really rather sore after the previous evening's spin up Lugnaquillia. Hobbled and limped back to the car park to be reassured by KC that I looked like shi1te already

Very nice run, once we got going. Solid pace, but pretty manageable - very consistent throughout. Stopped at ten miles back at the car for a quick drink, then ticked off another three. Despite having brought cakes for all, I took them home with me - half a marathon wasn't enough for anyone else!

Home for rasher, egg and sausage sandwich. Out for a nice 30km on the bikes with wife and kids around Wicklow in the afternoon - great quiet roads out around Ballinaclash, Macreddin area.

A little stiff today...probably take it easy, head out for ten miles tomorrow.

TheRoadRunner

You could have left the cakes under my car. I would have shared them out, honest

brownian

I was going to do that, but you know what deer and Jaffa Cakes are like. Once they'd eaten them, they'd have opened your car like a bean can, to see if there were more inside. I couldn't in all conscience.

If it makes you feel better, I did have half a dozen and a cup of tea after I found my way back to the Paypal X.

brownian

A poor run today - I felt like I worked hard throughout, but the time doesn't reflect the effort. That in turn doesn't do anything for my confidence that I'll be able to knock out a decent run on Saturday.

Started out slow but soon had the pace up around the 4 minutes a kilometre. Felt like I was motoring along pretty handy up to the end of Kilgobbet park, but got to the 5km mark only at about 20:00 (best to date up to there was 17:30 and I'd have hoped to get there about 18:30 or so today...not a bit of it). Bit of a drag up the hill through Ballybrack and down to Killiney dart station. Sections of 3:45 pace, then hit the steep hill away from the sea, where speed predictably dropped to about 6:00/km up to the top. Listening to a rather dull lecture about Freud's relationship with Fister (ok, Pfister, but that's fisting with an Austrian accent) didn't help. Stopped at the top to watch a kayaker in Killiney bay being buzzed by three dolphins - a large male and two smaller ones. Probably the ones I saw in Dalkey sound earlier this summer. Lovely to see.

Handy spin down to Coliemore Harbour, up to Dalkey village and down to Bullock Harbour. Feeling the heat from here on in, and a stiff enough headwind along Tivoli Road back to Monkstown. Final spin up Monkstown Avenue and down to the Rock Road and home.

Definitely put some extra effort into this run, trying to keep a decent pace (sub 4/km where possible, since that'd be my goal pace on Saturday), but I don't think I prepared well - didn't drink a whole lot with lunch so was dry from the start, didn't take a gel or anything to drink en route, didnt' sleep all that well last night, went to bed late with a beer and a toastie cheese sitting on the gut...not quite Pfistinger and Douglas.

Gentle shorter run on Thurs, quick jog on Friday - that's my lot before the Frank Duffy. Then really have to think about some sort of plan to increase pace - the distance is going ok, but I'm 3 minutes per ten miles slower than pre-Connemara, which doesn't delight me.:(

Krusty_Clown

brownian wrote: »

not quite Pfistinger and Douglas.

You definitely need a break from Freud!

brownian

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You definitely need a break from Freud!

Wondered if anyone would notice

Krusty_Clown

brownian wrote: »

Wondered if anyone would notice

Not a freudian slip then?!

brownian

Tapering a little coming up to Saturday's race, I shortened things down and took them a bit easier today, and will skip the club intervals this evening. Had a bite of lunch and a pint of water+sugar+electrolytes before heading out, and put on my boards running top for enhanced performance. Listened to a talk on pheronomes in badgers "human armpits are like badger bottoms". To my shock, those AttractaBurd tablets I've been buying off TrusteeFarmisy.com may not actually be based on hard science...but I may be more attractive to badgers than I expect.

Anyway, running was tight and uncomfortable to start with, and I kept a pretty tight rein on speed, never letting it get faster than 4:00/km. Found 4:15 pretty comfortable from a breathing and energy perspective, but doubt I could have done another 10 or 20km at that pace today. Legs were sore throughout - calves (as usual) and quads (more worryingly) both full of niggles. That's a few days that I've had this level of discomfort - if it persists after my week in France next week, I'll go for a beating to Ciaran Fitz. That'll remind me what discomfort really is all about.

Long stretch, big drink of juice+water plus a banana when I got in. Still a bit sore. One consolation is that Krusty seems to have similar malaise...if the superstars get it, then maybe my discomfort is a sign of incipient superstardom:)

Krusty_Clown

brownian wrote: »

Long stretch, big drink of juice+water plus a banana when I got in. Still a bit sore. One consolation is that Krusty seems to have similar malaise...if the superstars get it, then maybe my discomfort is a sign of incipient superstardom:)

If you're following my path of wanton destruction, you can expect to hit rock bottom in a couple of weeks. I always felt that 'TheGutterRunner' would've been a much better username than Krusty_Clown.

Did you figure out what Saturday's target is going to be?

brownian

TheGutterRunner- is that like TheRoadRunner only wetter and smellier?

Still in two minds about Saturday. One mind is
- Mind #1 - run at 6:00/mile pace for as long as possible. If I get near the end and am still alive, go faster and try to get under 60 minutes. This mind is largely fantasy and likely to lead to a 65-70 minute end result at best, injury or demoralisation at worst. But the only possible way I'll do better than with....

- Mind #2 - run at usual lunchtime pace or a little harder (say, 6:30 a mile). Aim for creditable if unspectacular 1:05 goal, which would be my fastest 10 miles since training for Conn, at which time I seemed to be able to knock off 65s twice a week. What happened to me since:(

There is of course a sort of middle ground, where I aim for 63 or 64. TBH, that doesn't seem much better to me than 65, and more risky.

Will decide on the day. Knowing me, it'll go like this
- half a mile at 6:30
- three miles at 6:00
- three miles at 6:30
- three and a half miles at 6:45
...unless I feel great, find that a gel at the start makes a massive difference and am swept up by a superstar group that I draft effortlessly all the way round.

Long-winded way of saying "target-me??"

brownian

Just a few handy ks to keep the legs ticking over for tomorrow's ten-mile race.

I feel like sh1te, though. Quads and calves tight and sore, poor power, rapidly tiring when I do put the foot down. I can get the pace up to 6 minute miles, but I'm gasping and fighting to keep it there, and my legs hurt hurt hurt. Not the usual tightness, but a real soreness in all the major muscle groups. Stretches are fine, but muscles feel full of acidic fizz. Everything's off kilter.

Been like this for a couple of weeks now...might it be something to do with the new shoes ? Will run in my last pair tomorrow, just in case there's a miracle cure there. That said, I have run adequately (last weekend's 13 miles, last Tuesday's 10 miles) if not actually very well, in the new shoes.

For tonight, a couple of neurofen and a good load of fluids. Will get around tomorrow, but any thoughts anything around 60 seem total pie in the sky - 65 to 70 looks more likely. Then take a week of holidays, with just a few handy ticking-over runs. If I still feel this poor at the end of the month, it's time for professional advice.

Roll on tomorrow...hmmm

brownian

Having felt poor most of the week, I wasn't looking forward to this. Got to the park nice and early, did some desultory warm-ups. Not quite as sore as the last couple of days, but legs not feeling the love, and lungs also not happy bunnies.

Strolled down to the under-85 bin (wasn't THAT pessimistic) but hung back maybe ten rows from the front. Met up with Derek, a friend who runs with Rathfarnham, and with whom I've run several Connemara Halfs, usually in or around the same pace. A few more stretches, ignoring a sense of dodgy stomach - why is there always an urge for a squidgy steamer 15 minutes before the off? It must be nerves, but it put me off my plan to take a gel before the start.

Slow enough start, getting past the many people in front, but by half a mile in myself and Derek were spinning along handy enough at about 6:20 pace. Kept this up to mile 5, pacing one another and keeping things under control. I could have run a little faster, but not sub-6, and I was very aware of the need to keep something in the tank. Took a gel just coming up to Chesterfield.

Broke away from Derek on Chesterfield after the 5 mile marker, and ended up putting about 20 seconds on him by the end. Ran the long gentle downhills between 5 and 8 a little bit faster, occasionally hitting 3:40 or 3:45 a km pace. Throttled back a little (to 4:00) on the flats. Looking forward to a gulp of water at the bottom of the steep hill, but sadly there wasn't one, and so had to keep going. I'd been reeling people in fairly steadily, if slowly, for miles 5-8, but was caught by a few speedsters too.

Bit of a crank up to the top of Acres Road, then the loooong flat back to the finish line. Tried to really hit pace around the 1km mark, but after 100m I knew I couldn't sustain 3:50, and dropped it to about 4:00. Went over the line as hard as I could, but not what you'd call a sprint finish.

They wouldn't give me a medium t-shirt (cheeky!), but the large is pretty medium, really. Got a good load of water and a couple of bananas, met up with Krusty the sub60 Clown, Aero2K, TheBoyBlunder, Aibhinn and one or two other speed merchants...they gave me that "63...you should be happy enough" encouragement that the sub-60s can afford :). Really, it was good to put some names on faces, and also to run into Mike from Bray Runners.

Gentle jog down to Parkgate Street (traffic in park unsurprisingly savage) and home for pancakes with nutella and rasberries (as a foreign friend so nicely puts it "tastes like an orgasm in your mouth" ) and to pack for tomorrow's week of wine, cheese and easy jogging in France.

Overall, I'm pretty happy. I was sincerely expecting a 67/68 pain fest; instead I managed (just) negative splits and ran in or around 4:00 kms, which is adequate. Not sub-60 this time, but someday it might happen... And, of course, it's a PB!

Krusty_Clown

Nicely done brownian. Negative split? You must be one of the few! Enjoy the vino.

misty floyd

Well done man, I was near enough behind you. Glad there was no movements from that "squidgy steamer" :-)

brownian

A week of wine and (especially) cheese hasn't really done much for the fitness. Oddly, my legs have more niggles and twinges than when I left, so am stretching several times today to see can I get some normality back. Right knee also giving gip - probably the IT band.

Out in la belle France I did get two pleasant 10ks in...mixed road and trail running, pretty hilly, in mid/high twenties temperatures. Did the same route twice; on the second time it was mysteriously ornamented (if that's the word) with an enormous dead dog in the middle of the trail. Given that the trail looks like it sees two tractors a generation, I can't imagine how it died or how it got there

Also got in a lovely day's walking in the Pyrenees and a reasonable 45k family cycle, so wasn't entirely idle. That's (un)balanced by many hours in the hot tub, six-course meals ("avec ses vins"), plenty of beer and ice cream. Cross-training, I'd call it.

Anyway, back to it. Will try a short easy run today, to see if the legs are in fact sore, or just whinging.

Oh yeah, got my pix back from the Marathon Pix people - I look agonised more or less all the time..I do actually like running

brownian

Headed out this evening after a reasonable amount of warm-up, just to jog around easy and see if my sore right knee or tight (tight) left+right achilles were going to behave. Sure enough, the first mile or two felt tight and sore, but then it loosened out. Wore full-length tights for the first time in months - after France, Ireland feels cold (expect to see Krusty in his snorkel jacket after Calfornia:)). Apart from the dead dog, I saw no sign of mountain lions or snakes in France.

Pleasant spin along the usual linear park, listening to the opening chapters of Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities. Actually, given that I'd no great energy and no savage urge to run, I'm pretty happy that I just went and did it, and that, after a while, I found some reasonable pace without killing myself.

Home then for a long stretch, some foam rolling (ITB hell, can't put much weight on it), a pint of strawberry milk and a late dinner (mmmm, steak, nice break from the cheese). Actually, I'd be happy to lose a few pounds between now and DCM, but the accepted wisdom seems to be NOT to cut down on your calories. However, I'll try to cut down on the chocolate and beer that represent the bottom of my food pyramid

Major trauma ahead - back to getting up at 0630 and bringing the sprogs to school. Those evenin's are a drawin-in...can't wait. Urgh.

Delighted to see that the odd person with nowt better to do is reading the log occasionally. Thanks for thanking - I don't mind talking to myself, but real peer pressure is also good.

Krusty_Clown

brownian wrote: »

Wore full-length tights for the first time in months.

Jaysus. What kind of a country am I coming back to? It was all sunny and warm when I left it.
Where's the pictures of the dead dog?

brownian

Nothing in the way of running today - just some stretches and a stroll.

Sorry, Krusty, no pictures of the dead dog. Cloud of flies would have ruined the shot anyway. Picture a big brown heap covered in fur and black flies; add a broad rothweiler-shaped head and a bushy retriever-style tail, and you've got it.

Mind you, compared to the Coyote trails you're on, at least the French ones are scenic and free of chicken wire, industrial estates and hobos.

Back to usual whinges - ITB still giving me gyp. Hopefully will get a beating from cfitz in the next day or two, and also some extra stretches. Am stretching the Achilleses pretty religiously, but still look like an old man when I get out of bed in the morning, doing a sort of John Wayne meets Long John Silver walk for the first few minutes, and going downstairs clutching the banister....

Ten somethings tomorrow, depending on how I feel, and back to the club on Thursday, now that I've actually paid money and filled in a form.