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3:30 or bust!
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Tuesday, 17th July - 10.6km Raheny 2 Mile League
I had wanted to take part in this league much earlier in the Summer but for reasons addressed several times above, it was not to be.
Tonight however I managed to make it and even dragged along a mate that lives close by. Legs were feeling heavy from the HM on Sun and training last night so I wasn't expecting too much but still was hoping i might be surprised.
2 laps of the familiar housing estate in Raheny and off we went a couple of mins past 8pm. Settled into a decent clip of 3:58 for the first km but doubted i'd hold it til the end. Km2 was tougher and I was being passed by several people at this point. I could tell my pace was dropping but was still surprised to see it as 4:21. The legs were dead at this stage and so thoughts just turned to getting home in one piece! Km3 fared even worse at 4:27 before I managed to get it back to 4:12 pace for the final 250m.
Finishing time was 13:46 (31st/50) when I hoped to be close to breaking 13. In hindsight it was unrealistic tonight but next week I'll give the footie a miss and should be fresher so that will give me a better chance of improving on the 13:22 pb.
Kieran ended up coming home in 14th in 12:32 which was impressive for his first race for a long time (he's only ever done a few races before).
Hoping that I'll hit all remaining (6?) races as this is a great workout.
Managed to tag on a 2.8km warm-up and a 4.6km cool down to bring daily mileage up to 10.6km.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms RunJanuary|29/31|405.7February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|6/17|75.9
Total|124/199|1,768.8
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Wednesday, 18th July - Rest Day
Took it handy this evening as it's stuck between two race days.
Thursday, 19th July - St. James' 6.5k Race
Turned up to this race having forgotten the garmin even though I had managed to put on the HRM! That had left me a bit worried about pacing the race but I chose to look upon it as an opportunity to see how I fared on my own.
After about 1k of warm-up I ambled over to the start line and looked for a good position. Decided to start a little further back than if I had the watch - the idea being that I would hold myself back a little more and then use the opportunity to pass people later on to speed me up.
The gun sounded much to the crowds surprise and away we went a couple of mins after assigned time. Km1 included a steep short downhill and then a longer uphill to get the elevation back. The uphill was not that bad and so we got out onto James' St. before heading right up around Guinness - a place I had never been before:o. Through a couple of rougher looking streets in Ppimlico but we got great encouragement from the kids in fairness to them! Some more side streets through the Liberties and we were out on Patrick St. I reckoned this was around the 2.5k distance and I was still feeling decent. Up the short hill before turning right onto Thomas St and I started to notice one or two who were beginning to struggle at this point. This gave me great encouragement but it didn't last too long. About 500m later and I entered my low point in the race. Thinking I was going to have a tough 3k to home I eased back ever so slightly on the effort. To my surprise nobody really passed me at this point and before long I had recovered enough to get back to top effort.
Through James' hospital and out onto Sth. Circ. Rd. and I knew the finish line was only 1km away. Kept it steady down & up the final short hills before turning right into the RHK grounds. With 250m to go I realised I knew the girl beside me and it was a straight up sprint to the finish between the two of us. We were pretty much step for step the whole way but alas she had just enough to pip me across the line ven though we both got the same gun time it was that close (albeit she was about 20 secs faster by chip time:cool:). A good finish which helped me take a few seconds off my time for sure!
So finished in 27:24, well inside my loose target of 28mins. First time beating a target since I came back after Cork so that is promising.
A really enjoyable event with perfect weather for running, I hope to be back again next year.
Friday, 20th July - 8.5km Recovery run
Did a nice easy run just to loosen out the legs after last night. Kept the pace around 5:50/km. Probably a little bit more sluggish than I would have liked.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms RunJanuary|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|8/20|91.9
Total|126/202|1,784.8
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Saturday, 21st July - Rest Day
Out last night so took today as a rest day in advance of tomorrow's race.
Sunday, 22nd July - Fingal 10k Race
Met up with Philip, Meno, Pconn (briefly) before the start of this race. It was windy and there were rumours of a hilly section between 6.5 and 8km so it wasn't gonna be easy!
I placed myself too far back in the crowd at the start line so it wasn't a major surprise to have to be overtaking lots of people over the first couple of kms. It was still awkward though and this led to a 4:53 first km! Certainly no danger of going out too fast anyways!
Km2 was along the dual carriageway and came at a respectable 4:18 but alas this was to prove to be the quickest km apart rom the final stretch.
Kms 2-6 were steady enough but a little slower than i had hoped. Towards the end of km 6 the incline started to appear. For the most part of the 3k hill it was slight but still tricky considering the wind was also in our faces for much of it. There was one 500m section thrown in near the end of it though that was particularly tough and probably was responsible for kms 7&8 being almost 5mins!:eek:
What goes up must come down however and over the course of the flattish km9 and very quick km10 I managed to wrestle back some time. Indeed with km10 taking 4:05 I was pleased enough, but then again it was mostly downhill!
Met the lads at the end (incl theboywonder) and all seemed to agree it was a tough run. Finished in 45:49 when i was hoping to go sub 44. The course and conditions probably added 60secs or so but the remaining 49 secs I have no answer for! My HR was in the mid 160's for most of the run and this appears to be my correct range for this distance. Just gonna take more training and less racing perhaps ...?
Sunday, 22nd July - 10.2km Easy Run
Myself and Phil went for a leg loosener about an hour after the race. Just over 10km at easy pace. We were debating during the run if it was just junk miles but I definitely think it aided recovery somewhat. Certainly seemed to keep the stiffness that was threatening at bay anyways.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms RunJanuary|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|9/22|113.3
Total|127/204|1,806.20 -
You are well and truly back in the swing of things with all these races
Have you committed to any other marathons yet? 0 -
Any interest in the Donadea 5k Friday evening?0
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Have you committed to any other marathons yet?
Yip, I'm pacing DCM and Clonakilty and aiming for sub 3:30 in Valencia on Nov 18th. I'll use the 5hr pacing gig for DCM as my last LSR and although I'll be on my feet for quite a while the easy pace should not take long to recover from so I think I will be fine.
Clon is on Dec 8th and I will be pacing 4:15 at that but should have enough recovery after Valencia to do that comfortably also.
Valencia is quite flat and also a chance to get some November sunshine! I'll also be able to catch Valencia v Espanyol in the Mestalla that night as a reward!!:)0 -
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Monday, 23rd July - 6.8km Recovery run
An easy 7km run over to a mates house to collect my bike and then cycled home.
Tuesday, 24th July - 5.3km incl. Raheny 2 mile league - Race 2
My second race in the league and I was hoping for an improvement on last week at the very least but also to get close to beating my 13:22 PB if I could. Went for a bit of a warm-up before the race which started about 8:05pm just as the weather was beginning to get torrential!
This week I decided to take the first km a little bit easier but as I started I relaised I hadn't reset my watch. After a seconds thought I decided to run blind and just record rather than monitor the race. Remained very disciplined for the first km as planned. This meant I had more energy for the middle part, which is probably the toughest mentally, and there was now a group of 4 or 5 around me. I went thrrough the midway point at 6:30 which made me a little anxious as I thought this might be a little too fast. II had gone through in a similar time last week albeit I was slowing down at that stage whereas tonight i was still feeling good.
I continued to run my own race though and wasn't too bothered when a couple of the group went by me with 1km to go. I kept plugging away and then had a bit of a sprint race in the final 300m where I was just pipped at the line. Last week I was going backwards for the second lap but this week was much stronger. Very happy to hear 13:13 being called out as I crossed the line - A 9sec pb in that weather and 33 secs better than last week.:)
I think the feedback i am getting from the races over the past couple of weeks is that i am slowly getting a bit of speed back but just can't sustain it over longer distances yet. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks I'll continue to increase the endurance of my fast runs in time for SoG 8k.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms RunJanuary|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|11/24|125.4
Total|129/206|1,818.3
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Wednesday, 25th July – 11.6km General Aerobic run
Got this run done early in the evening in lovely weather. Took the first couple of km handy and then started to up the effort. Ended up soaked in sweat due a little to the effort but mainly to the heavy weather. An enjoyable run.Thursday, 26th July – 26km LSR run
Met Philip for this in the Park. Did a loop of the Northside of the park before a larger loop which included the War Memorial gardens. This was mainly to serve the purpose of getting miles in the legs so I forewent the planned MP segment of the run and kept to less than 5:30 pace throughout. We were dying for water with about 6k to go so once we returned to the cars I downed the contents of a lukewarm bottle. Feeling a little better I then went on my way and did a 5k loop of the Aras/zoo at an easier pace.No Garmin with me today (When I went to take it out of my bag I realised it had been switched on all day so the battery was close to death!) so had to rely on Phil’s data.
Another good run to get under the belt. This was my 6th run in 7 days so I feel I am fully back in the training groove now.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|13/26|163.0
Total|131/208|1,855.9
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Friday, 27th July – 7.7km Recovery Run
I was in Dingle at a stag for the weekend so managed to get a sneaky run in after arriving and before pints. Took it handy for the outward leg due to incline and headwind but sped up on the return.
Saturday, 28th & Sunday 29th July – Rest Days
Great intentions both days but got sidetracked with pints on Sat and was a bit too wrecked on Sunday.
Monday, 30th July – 7km Fartlek (truncated)
Went for an easy run in the local park but it ended up turning into a fartlek as I fell into a routine of running hard-ish for the first 500m before easing off on the second 500m of most kms. Intended to go longer but felt a sharp twinge in my upper right quad. I made my mind up to return home at that point even though it went away after a couple of mins.
Tuesday, 31st July – 12km Raheny 2 Mile race + Warm-up & cool-down.
Did a 2km warm-up before the race and free from any aches or pains I felt I could do a reasonable time. I intentionally went towards the rear of the field of 60 so that I would be held back a little at the start. This seemed to work a treat as there was no real slow coaches/walkers around so it meant I was able to pick people off every 100m or so for half the race. I ignored my watch for the most part but did keep an eye on it to ensure I was under 4:00/km pace. I passed through km1 in 3:54. This is the kind of pace I was hoping for so was well pleased. Didn’t feel too bad this evening so felt I could maintain it a good distance towards the finish.
Km2 usually is the toughest mentally so a pace of 4:02 kept me under the 4min pace threshold. At this stage I knew I’d manage a decent time alright as I’d surely carry it around the last 1.25km.
Kept it steady and as I neared 800m to go I passed a couple more people including the lady that pipped me last week. I began to push for the guy ahead with 400m to go and although my pace quickened a good bit I’d still feel guilty about calling it a kick! The guy in front hurried up a similar amount to me and kept the distance consistent until safely over the line. I followed in as 13:02 was being called out but it was 13:00 dead on my watch which I’m going with.
So, the ultimate aim was to go sub 13 during these races but I’m pretty much there already. Will have to change the goal to 12:45 now given there’s still a few races left.
Just need to build on this now and translate the regained speedwork to the longer distances now that there is only a week and a half to go to SoG.
Race #:|Date:|Distance:|Time:|Av HR:|Max HR:|Split 1:|Split 2:|Split 3:
Race 1|17th July|3.24km|13:47|169|178|03:59|04:22|04:23
Race 2|24th July|3.26km|13:13|169|178|03:57|04:13|04:03
Race 3|31st July|3.27km|13:00|164|174|03:54|04:02|03:59
Wednesday, 1st August – 13km: 8km IMRA Trail League race #1 + Warm-up & cool-down.
This was the first of the 3 race Trail League series. Advertised as a beginners intro to IMRA lots of seasoned runners also do it. The race took place at the Glen of the Downs and in a bid to avoid congestion I parked my car 800m away in the Glenview Hotel. As I was about to leave the car for my warm-up and reg I noticed my Garmin was dead again*! Damn it, I’d have to run this blind. Not a huge deal then I reasoned to myself as the IMRA runs are so based on effort and inconsistent pace that the garmin is only useful for curiosity afterwards really.
For warm-up I ran to reg and then up what I thought was the start of the course – a hill on a nice tarred surface. I ran about 800m up this road before returning to the reg area. After dallying for a few mins I noticed everyone else had mountain runners and I had chosen road runners. Unnerved by this I asked the RD and he thankfully advised me that given a choice mountain runners was definitely the best option. Armed with this and 20mins yet to race start I ran back to the car and changed to the MRs. When I returned to the start there was still 8 or 9 mins to go.
After a few words from the RD we were lined up facing a different road to the one I had warmed up on! I placed myself about halfway back the crowd with the intention to stop me getting caught up with too fast a pace. This worked nicely as almost from the very beginning I tailed a guy in a red t-shirt who was making good but sustainable ground all the way through the field. After about 700m we turned right into the forest off the road. At this stage it became single track and I was still behind the same guy. He was to serve as my pacer for the next 3km passing the odd person here and there where the space permitted. There was some more uphill during these 3k but it dropped off and before long we were flying down the zig-zags. Red T-Shirt guy (RTS) went straight down these but I kept to the zigzags which lost me about 3 positions and probably 6 or 7 secs. The next 2km seemed to be along the river side and was flattish before we turned for another climb of the hill. At this point I was vying to and fro with a girl in all yellow (GiY). We were well paced for the remainder of the uphill climb again passing a handful of people. Towards the summit I slowed briefly to a walk which was half disappointing and half planned. I managed to drop the HR a few beats at this point without losing more than a few seconds on those around me so that when I did get running again I managed to crest the hill very strongly while those around me struggled and I was able to use this advantage to pass a good few. Getting out onto the road GiY and RTS were back in sight a few metres down the road. With the benefit of the mini-break still in my system I was able to passanother couple of people before I was on GiY’s tail. After 50m or so she pulled to one side to let me past as I guess I must have been putting too much pressure on her. I gladly accepted her generosity before focusing on RTS who was about 8secs ahead. I was still motoring faster than those alongside me which meant I bridged that gap in no time and cruised by him immediately. I knew at this stage that we were close to the finish so I left nothing in the tank to get by a couple of more guys that appeared to be cruising to the finish. When they heard me coming one of them tried booting it but he was too slow to react and I breezed by but not before I almost crashed into him as he closed off the gap I was aiming for on the inside of the corner. A couple of more bends as I pegged it home and the welcome site of the finish line appeared. Very happy as I hadn’t much more to give at that stage. I managed to cross the line ahead of a group of about 7 others all of whom I had passed on the final road down to the finish.
Ended up in 58th/167 in a time of 43:01. I’m not too sure about the time as just after we finished I asked the guy behind me what time he had and the watch appeared to show 42:xx but I guess I may as well accept the IMRA time I guess.
A good race that I think I managed quite well and the body seemed to cooperate pretty well. Looking forward to the two remaining races as they appear to be a touch easier than last night.
*Garmin seems to be playing up yet again in that every time I unplug it from the laptop it automatically turns itself on! I need to keep an eye on it any more and ensure it’s turned off again if required.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|1/1|13.0
Total|131/208|1,895.60 -
Thursday 2nd August - Cycle from Santry to Maynooth via City Centre (&Return)
I went for a cycle this evening with a mate. We have loosely discussed the possibility of cycling home to Mayo (210km) some weekend but neither of us have done too much cycling. Tonight was to be a feeler for a bit of distance and see how we coped/reacted.
Part 1:
I cycled into Merrion Sq. from Santry after work to meet up with Niall. This was an easy effort with the main issue being having to stop at lights and unclip the shoes. I find this very annoying!
Part 2:
We left Niall's apt @ 6:20-ish and headed along the canal, SCR and arrived at Kilmainham. We soon discovered there is no cycle path on the N4:eek: so had to detour into Ballfermmot & Chapelizod before cycling on the footpath against traffic as far as Palmerstown. At last we had a bit of quiet road which turned into a cycle path over the M50 and then back onto the N4 before turning off at Lucan. Once through the village we happened upon the Riverside walk which neither of us knew about before. This was an enjoyable couple of miles to Leixlip where we passed through Main St. before passing Intel and then a decent stretch of open road to Maynooth. This was a pretty busy stretch of road but we were thankfull of being able to get a bit of speed in at last.
Part 3:
We stopped in Maynooth for 10mins for a drink and a bit of snack food before saddling up again. The return journey was much better as we simply retraced our track rather than having to think about the right roads/direction. We stayed to the same route as far as Chapelizod when we veered alongside the Phoenix Park and up the quays. I departed from Niall at the Phibsboro Rd. and it became a bit of a slog with the uphill sections out past Ballymun to Santry.
Very enjoyable cycle and I didn't feel as wrecked as I expected afterwards although I was still quite tired. Hopefully the cycle will aid the marathon training in some way...all those tri athelete's must know something!0 -
Yip, I'm pacing DCM and Clonakilty and aiming for sub 3:30 in Valencia on Nov 18th. I'll use the 5hr pacing gig for DCM as my last LSR and although I'll be on my feet for quite a while the easy pace should not take long to recover from so I think I will be fine.
Clon is on Dec 8th and I will be pacing 4:15 at that but should have enough recovery after Valencia to do that comfortably also.
Valencia is quite flat and also a chance to get some November sunshine! I'll also be able to catch Valencia v Espanyol in the Mestalla that night as a reward!!:)
Last year, I did the 10k which is parallel (well, for a short while!) to the marathon course. The start and finish are in a spectacular location. Course is v flat and weather should be pleasant for running. Don't expect too much support from the crowds compared to other cities. By the way, the Valencia game might well take place on the Saturday, kick off dates are not set until about a week before the game.0 -
Sr. Pirotecnic wrote: »Last year, I did the 10k which is parallel (well, for a short while!) to the marathon course. The start and finish are in a spectacular location. Course is v flat and weather should be pleasant for running. Don't expect too much support from the crowds compared to other cities. By the way, the Valencia game might well take place on the Saturday, kick off dates are not set until about a week before the game.
Thanks for the feedback there Sr. Pirotecnic!
Good to hear the course is very flat as that is primarily what I'm looking for. Don't mind if the course is quiet as I'm used to that.
Ya, I know the game is open to having the time changed and am not bothered to be honest. I'll head along to it at any time as long as I'm not running the marathon during it! I have heard good things about the atmosphere at the Mestalla!:)0 -
Friday, 3rd August – 10.0km Recovery Run
Went home to Mayo for the weekend and managed to get out for the bare 10km in what were at some stages torrential showers. Nice to get back indoors afterwards. Legs were a little tired after the past few days but generally good.
Saturday, 4th August – 17.2km Medium Slow Run
Went for a Medium Long run with a friend. Last couple of kms were pretty tiring but still managed to up it for the last km and to include a sprint finish over the last 200m.
Sunday, 5th, Monday, 6th & Tuesday 7th August – Rest Days
Took Sunday as a rest day but Monday and Tuesday were unintentional and more than a little to do with watching Katie Taylor in a pub in the afternoon! Worth it though!!
Wednesday, 8th August – 9.5km: 7.3km IMRA Trail League race #2 - Djouce + 2.2km Warm-up
Race 2 of 3 of the Trail League took place in Djouce which is usually associated with one of the tougher races of the year but tonight was much less fearful. I did a quick 2km warm-up on the start of the course which meant a full km of descent followed by the inevitable climb back up.
After a few mins of relaxation we were lined up to start. The RD gave a brief overview of the course and also acknowledged David Brady’s 100th race – fair play to the man! After a couple more moments we were away. I was positioned almost at the back but wasn’t too bothered about that. With the experience of the warm-up I knew to blast past people where possible on the quick start. By the 1km marker I had probably passed 50 or so others which was good going. There was a little further descent before things levelled out. I immediately changed pace and effort to match and while I thought most of my overtaking was completed for the evening I surprisingly continued to pass runners, but one-by-one now as opposed to groups on the downhill. Before long we were jumping over/through a stream and into the forest where we were almost immediately faced with a series of about eight switchback climbs. It was all about maintaining position here before we came back out of the forest and along the side of the mountain. Slowly over the course of the next couple of kms I managed to reel in a handful of more people. Eventually we were back climbing again and one or two who started out too fast began to falter here. I focused on shortening my stride and changing down gears which helped me make constant progress on those around me. We soon came out at a junction I recognised from earlier and I knew we were only about 500m from the finish but it was all uphill. I kept plugging away before upping the effort when I knew the finish was just around the next couple of corners. Crossed the finish line in 35:10 which left me in 52nd place out of 170. Very happy with that as it’s an improvement on last week as well, without having positioned myself advantageously at the start. I was only passed by one guy in the whole race but he was someone I had passed halfway around so it worked out neutral in the end (Still would have liked to hold him off to the finish!!)
Looking forward to next week now where I will hopefully improve position again and move up the League table.
Thursday, 9th August – 21.6km Medium Run
Went for a run in the Park last night with an extra skip in my step as a result of Katie’s golden performance! As soon as I parked I realised I left the Garmin charging at the PC, but before I got too peeved I had a cunning plan. I used the GarminFit app on my phone and, having no wallet/holder for the phone, wrapped it up in a long sleeve t-shirt I happened to have with me. I then tied this around my waist and hey presto it worked for the whole run!
The run itself was good but the weather was quite muggy so I sweated loads. Not knowing my pace I just went by effort so I was kinda surprised to see that I did the run in an average of 5:14/km. I was quite happy with that as I was expecting to be closer to 5:30 pace.
Looking forward to both running the SoG on Sat and also to getting it out of the way and starting marathon training properly. My LSRs haven’t really begun yet so I’ll aim to do 3 LSRs in 2 weeks as long as the body can take it which I think it will. All should be back on track by that stage.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|6/9|71.3
Total|136/216|1,953.90 -
Friday, 10th August – Rest Day
Went for a hike up around Howth instead of going for a run.
Saturday, 11th August – 11.1km - 3km Warm-up + Streets of Galway 8k race
I went for a 3km warm-up before this race which included a group of strides between lampposts on the Salthill Rd. As it neared 7pm myself and my friend moved through the field and spotted Philip near the front. After a brief chat Phil & Stephen moved closer again to the front but I stayed a couple of rows back as they were going to be a few mins faster. In the end I was about 12 rows back, much further up the field than I have been in any other SoG.
The race started a min or two late but within seconds I was over the line and free from congestion. I was passed by a few people in the opening km but I figured I'd see most of them again later so I wasn't feeling too guilty. By km1 I noticed I was running 3:54 pace so I decided to ease off a touch. As we neared the turn for Eyre Sq. we passed over a peculiar road surface which, under a light coating of moisture from a mini-shower led to an unusual squelching sound like nothing I'd ever heard in previous races. This only lasted about 50m but still quite odd!
Km 2 was straightforward and I was still feeling good. The pace had eased back to 4:13 and I knew if I held this all the way to the finish I'd be home in under 34 mins. Kms 3&4 were out along the Salthill Road and towards the halfway pint there was a nice downhill incline which led to a surge in speed. The splits for these were 4:11 & 4:13, so still very much on target.
Km 5 included the couple of small inclines. These were quite short and not very steep but their timing was such that it still knocked a few seconds off the pace, hence the 4:26 split. I was now getting to the point where the race would be defined - Get back on track and a good time was still possible or drop the head and lose momentum for the mentally tough run along the Salthill prom. I decided to go for the former so lengthened out the stride as I went down the brief hill at Pearse Stadium. As we hit the Salthill Road the wind was in our faces and it would be like this until the finish:rolleyes:. Aided with the injection of pace down the hill I managed to get a 4:17 split which put me back in a good position.
Around this time a guy in a red shirt started drafting behind me for the 2.5km run-in to the finish. Halfway through this I was getting a bit peeved as he made no effort whatsoever to share the work and as I began to slow a little due to the headwind with a 4:28 km7 he then latched onto another runner to bring him home. I managed to stick with these guys til the 500m from home mark when a bit of jostling for position began. A group of 5 or 6 were all prodding the pace to see who would make their move first. With about 300m to go a tall guy to my right decided to go for it so I went with him. We passed my leach with about 200m to go and just after rounding the last corner I floored it. He had no answer and I kept it throught to the finish line passing several others along the way, finishing in 34:06. I didn't realise I was that close to sub 34 until 20m from the line but was still very happy with the time. Just 6 seconds off a PB for the distance but 2mins faster than last year on this course in what were tougher conditions. The HR data suggests I gave it a good honest effort as well. Stephen and Philip did remarkably well finishing in 29:50 and 30:30 respectively.
Not everyone would have enjoyed their day though as 50m short of the line there was a body in a heap on the ground who was receiving medical attention. Also, at the start of our sprint finish I nearly got taken out by another guy who was staggering across the road oblivious to the other runners. I think he was about to feint from having gone out too hard. Afterwards I heard of another runner who had collapsed about 1km from the finish so it was tough enough conditions really, especially for those that may have been underprepared.
Sunday, 12th – Rest Days
No run on Sunday as I was too tired before I left Galway and when I arrived back in Dublin the Olympics Closing Ceremony was close to starting. In hindsight I should have ran rather than watch that crap. A big let down compared to the Op Ceremony imho.
Monday, 13th August - 12.2km Tempo Run
Woke up this morning with yet another dose of bloody tonsilitis!:mad: The only real symptoms were the white spots on the tonsils but I went to the Doc first thing regardless. I was just expecting antibiotics and to continue into work but he insisted on giving me a cert for the week. This annoyed me much more than it should but I guess it is contagious so I did as he ordered and stayed at home.
However, by evening I was bored to high heaven and it was such a nice evening that I just had to go for a run. The Doc never actually told me that I couldn't... Anyways, what an enjoyable run it was! I took the first couple of km handy at about 5:25 pace but I then decided to play with my running style by raising the knees much more than I normally do (I have a lazy running style!). This resulted in a large speed gain (5:00 pace) with not a lot of HR gain (142bpm). This style was causing my quads to feel tired and even burn a little bit so I reverted back to my normal style for about 1.5km. As expected the pace dropped about 20secs/km but the HR only came down a few bpm. I then went back to the new style again for another 4km where the average pace was 4:55/km @ 143bpm. If this was replicated for 42.2km I'd be very happy indeed! So, I think I will try and train the legs to this new, sleeker way of running and hopefully the quads will adapt.
All-in-all not a bad run by any means for a man who was told not o go to work by his Doctor earlier in the day! Just hope I don't wake up with more symptoms tomorrow!!:eek:
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|8/13|94.6
Total|138/220|1,977.20 -
Tuesday, 14th August – 13.2km Raheny 2 Mile race + Warm-up & cool-down.
Another Tuesday and that means another Raheny 2 mile race. Similar drill to before with a warm-up (which I just noticed lasted longer than the race itself!) before toeing the line for 8:09pm start tonight...seems a bigger delay each race!:P
I started solidly but ensured I wasn't giving too much effort. Early doors I slipped into the stream of a female runner I battled against a couple of races ago but after half a mile she dropped away a little. I was then joined by an older guy by the name of Christy/Charlie who was getting lots of shout-outs from the few spectators. This first lap seemed to go quite fast as I appreciated how much better I am running these races now. At last I seem to be able to pace them quite accurately.
Passed through halfway in 6:20, the same as my previous race. This was a double-edged piece of news however as I thought I'd be quicker, yet I noticed I was still feeling pretty strong. I took it upon myself at this stage to ensure my closing mile didn't fade away to the extent of the previous races. I injected a little pace to see how my buddy was able to cope with it but he was canny enough to stick with me. He'd seen it all many times before!
As we approached the final corner with 400m to go the spectators were full of encouragement for us to floor it to the finish. As I was psyching myself up to do just that my buddy just left me for dead in the space of 20m! I was still feeling pretty decent so I pushed it as hard as I could but never got near him again until he'd crossed the line! As I approached the end I could hear the time being called out. I eventually got home in 12:50 which was another pb and a further pointer in the right direction for my progress. Just a few weeks ago I was finishing almost a minute slower so great to see the consistent progress over the weeks. I really do think these races have helped me enormously. Anyways, only three more to go before the series is finished but by then I'll be needing my Tuesday nights for MSRs and the like so probably just as well the end is approaching!
Race #:|Date:|Distance:|Time:|Av HR:|Max HR:|Split 1:|Split 2:|Split 3:
Race 1|17th July|3.24km|13:47|169|178|03:59|04:22|04:23
Race 2|24th July|3.26km|13:13|169|178|03:57|04:13|04:03
Race 3|31st July|3.27km|13:00|164|174|03:54|04:02|03:59
Race 4|14th August|3.26km|12:51|163|175|03:51|04:03|03:56
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|9/14|107.8
Total|139/221|1,990.40 -
Wednesday, 15th August – 8.5km IMRA Trail League race #3 - Devil's Glen
After taking a detour en route to the final IMRA Trail Run due to lack of signage I just about managed to get registered and togged out to hear the tail end of the RD's description of the course. Needless to say there was no warm-up done this evening and I was just happy to get there in time for the start.
The course consisted of two different loops, both approx 4km long. The start was a 100m vertical climb which lasted for 800m. Much of this was single-track which made overtaking difficult. When it eventually flattened out I managed to get past a handful who were struggling with the climb. Not much progress from there to the halfway point but I did manage to pass a few on the downhills which I seemed to be doing well on.
The second loop was down to a river and then alongside it for a couple of kms. This flat bit took it out of me and I was re passed by a few people. We then turned uphill away from the river and caught up to a couple of more people who were struggling with the climbing. Course knwledge would have been useful here as I never knew if the climbing was finished or if there was another hill to come. As it turns out there was a nasty short little section about 150m from the finish which meant a slow panting finish in the end. My time was 44:01 which I reckon was pretty decent and with the reduced crowd tonight (Due to the weather and the fact the venue was that bit further South I imagine) I will be hoping for a top 50 position. If so it should be a scoring race tonight.
So that is likely to be my last trail race of the year. Hopefully I keep up a few training runs in the hills as I really got to enjoy them.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|10/15|116.3
Total|140/222|1,998.90 -
Thursday, 16th August – 21.0km MSR
Met up with Vader_MLK in the park for a MSR this evening. Legs and body were felling a bit heavy after 3 races in 5 days so the first 10 mins were handy enough. Ended up speeding up and doing this run much faster than spposed to with the last few km being way too quick. Happy enough to be finished it but will need to go slower for the longer distances or I’ll never hit 30km again!
Friday, 17th August – 8.4km Recovery Run
Again quite tired this morning but still wanted to get a run in before heading to Galway for a wedding. Managed 8.5km in the end and felt better finishing up than when starting out, job done!
Saturday, 18th August – Rest Day
Brought running gear but never made it out for a run. This ended up being a much needed rest day instead.
Sunday, 19th August – 12.8km Fartlek run
After a lethargic first km I soon felt much fresher, no doubt as a result of yesterdays rest day. So, I decided to throw in a makety-up Fartlek /Tempo/Cruise Intervals session where I’d do 1km fast and then recover for 1km at approx 20secs/km slower. This worked well and by the time I was finished my 5th fast km I was feeling like I had put in a good effort. This was a bit of an ad-hoc session and may not have been at the optimal intensities but it broke up the run well.
So, I endeed up with my most mileage for a week (76.1km) in a long time. Pretty much back on schedule but won’t feel comfortable until I go to 27-30km for an LSR so as to see where my endurance is at. I think I will try and do this at the weekend with the gang in the Park.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|13/19|158.5
Total|143/226|2,041.10 -
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Monday, 20th August – 9.2km Recovery run
Pretty ordinary run this evening, taken nice and handy. Still ended up a little too fast for what was required but any slower seemed too much of a chore. Av HR was 131bpm so this suggests the run was slow enough. Threw in a fast last 500m as I was expecting a downpour but thanksfully it never came.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|14/20|167.5
Total|144/227|2,050.30 -
Tuesday, 21st August – 13.25km - Raheny 2 Mile race + Warm-up.
Wasn't feeling the love for this race this week - my legs were feeling a bit dead, probably from my biggest week of running for a couple of months. Did the usual warm-up and things weren't improving hugely.
Anywys the race starts and for the first km I'm on my mate's shoulder most of the way. I was probably running a tad quicker, but felt alright, but he was definitely slower i reckoned. Made a bit of a move past to let him know that I was there and that he should be 100m up the road but no reaction. Km1 was 3:50.
We continued on and in the final straight of the first lap he began to move ahead at last. I was still plugging away and the gap widened to about 4 secs by the time we went through half way (6:16/mile). There had been a third runner in our midsts but around now he kicked on also and constantly seemed to be the mid-point of an increasing distance between myself and my friend. Km 2 was done in 4:02. This is always a little slower so I guess it must contain whatever elevation gain there is on the course. I think I also sub-consciously 'settle-in' for periods of the mid-section before kicking-on a little more in the final section.
By Km3 I was on my own with an ocean of space before and behind me. I just kept the head down and pushed it as much as I could until the final corner where i emptied the tank on the last 350m to the line. Finished in 12:48, a PB by 3 secs (are my times about to plateau now??:rolleyes:).
Happy enough with it given that i was feeling too energetic beforehand so to see continued progression in those circumstances is always nice!
Race #:|Date:|Distance:|Time:|Av HR:|Max HR:|Split 1:|Split 2:|Split 3:
Race 1|17th July|3.24km|13:47|169|178|03:59|04:22|04:23
Race 2|24th July|3.26km|13:13|169|178|03:57|04:13|04:03
Race 3|31st July|3.27km|13:00|164|174|03:54|04:02|03:59
Race 4|14th August|3.26km|12:51|163|175|03:51|04:03|03:56
Race 5|21st August|3.26km|12:48|160|175|03:50|04:02|03:55
After the race: 7.3km Progression Run
Afterwards we went on a cool down run but the easy effort only lasted the first km. The splits were 5:50, 5:12, 5:15, 4:54, 4:48, 4:23, 4:19 before finishing off with a 4:35-paced last 270m. HR was reasonable until the last full km where it remained in the 160's until the end.
This was actually as good if not better training than the earlier race.
All-in-all a decent night's session!
Wednesday, 22nd August – 13.0km Easy Run
I went out with the intention of a recovery run but ended up going too fast so am labelling it an easy run. Av HR was 138bpm and HR only really increased when going uphill. A decent run but was still a little tired afterwards so another rest day may be required if I don't have the discipline to stay at recovery pace!:cool:
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|16/22|193.8
Total|146/229|2,076.60 -
Thursday, 23rd August – 12.3km LT Run
Decided to go out for an LT run this evening. Have done none of these so far during this training cycle so this was a 'dipping the toe in the water' type of run. 3km easy, 7km @ 150-160bpm, 2.3km easy. I stayed around the flatter parts of the Park for this and the LT splits were: 4:17, 4:26, 4:28, 4:29, 4:31, 4:25, 4:24.
I had reckoned on 155bpm being around 4:30 pace so I managed to hit them all apart from one and that was close enough! Tough enough session especially when being done solo but glad to have it done.
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|17/23|206.1
Total|147/230|2,088.90 -
Friday, 24th August – 8.0km Recovery Run
Just an easy 8km recovery run. Was feeling tired earlier but when I went for the run the legs seemed fine. Managed to keep the AvHR at 129npm with the av moving pace @ 5:29.
Saturday, 25th August – 24.0km LSR with 15km at MP
Met up with Micilin Muc in Clontarf to head out along the Coast for an LSR. I had no real plans myself for the run so just tried to row in with MM regarding pace and distance. Started off with 6km @ 5:25-5:30. Then we cranked it up to 5:00 pace for the next 15km, during which we made a couple of stop-offs for dropping & collecting a bag and jacket. I began to fade towards the end and the MP kms were becoming more of a struggle. There were many reasons for this (Out last night, no breakfast, headwind, biggest mileage week for a long time, MP kms being a tough session, etc., etc.!!) but given this was my first MP session I was happy enough with this. I slowed down for the last couple of kms to 5:23 pace before walking the last couple of hundred metres to the car. Legs were pretty tired after this but a valuable session and good to meet Micilin Muc for the company during the run. Apologies about messing up your last few kms of MP running!:o
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|19/25|238.1
Total|149/232|2,120.90 -
Sunday, 26th August – 12.0km Recovery Run
At what point does a mini break in the middle of a run become large enough to consider it a double-session??:p
I went for an easy recovery run this evening to stretch the legs and call in on a mate in Cabra. 6km there and 6km return with a 30min break in-between. In reference to my opening rhetorical question I think you need to at least shower and change clothes before it could really be called a double...
Anyways, this has been a really good training week for me - 2 mile race, 7km LT session, 7.3km progression run, 15km @ MP session and all in a 92km (57mile) week - my second longest week since training for Donadea back in February. Long may it continue and even improve!:)
Monday, 27th August – Rest Day
Looking out at the torrential downpours at 6pm and reflecting on the past weeks training I decided today would be a good day to rest.:D
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|20/27|250.1
Total|150/234|2,132.90 -
Tuesday, 28th August - 15.4km Easy Run
I decided to ditch my usual 2 mile run in Raheny this evening with one eye on Saturday and pacing the 2:15 half-marathon in Dingle. However, while at work today I was contacted by RunningCoach to see if I could change up to the 4:30 full marathon pacing duties instead. I was a little bit nervous at going the full distance at constant pace but decided to go for it in the end. Haven’t gone more than 25km since Cork in June but at the pace required I’m sure I’ll manage it regardless.
A friend was in Town today so we took the chance to head to the Park and do a 15km easy run. DukeofDromada, who is based in Philadelphia, is looking to do Scranton Marathon in October and nip below BQ time (Sub 3:10) though so he’d be a fair bit faster than me. We agreed though that it was to be easy-paced so stuck to between 5:20-5:30 pace. Lovely evening for a run but turned a bit chillier towards the end. My legs were feeling a little heavy for some reason as I thought the rest day would have reinvigorated them.
Wednesday, 29th August - 25.1km LSR Run
So, I had already planned on meeting Vader_MLK in the park for a long run this evening but given the longer run next Sat we kept this to a nice handy pace also – No PMP miles today! We started on what was a nice evening but by 2/3 the way round the rain came. Turned pretty miserable for the last 10km but I suppose it’s all good training! Again, the pace was averaging out between 5:20-5:30 so about a full min/km faster than planned pace on Sat. And at the end of this evening’s run I really felt another 10km would be easily doable so with a couple of easy/rest days coming up I’m confident Sat will be just fine….!
Month|No. of Runs|Kms Run
January|29/31|405.7
February|24/29|365.6
March|22/31|310.0
April|21/30|277.5
May|20/31|252.1
June|2/30|47.4
July|16/31|189.7
August|22/29|290.6
Total|152/236|2,173.40 -
Good luck Saturday!0
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Will see you down in dingle. I'm filling the void of ur change to the full. Will probably continue on to the full route once pacing duties are done. It'd be rude not to!0
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The_Boy_Wonder wrote: »Will see you down in dingle. I'm filling the void of ur change to the full. Will probably continue on to the full route once pacing duties are done. It'd be rude not to!
Nice one. That means we'll be pacing the same people until you guys branch off at approx 11.5 miles.
Leg it back out onto our course afterwards and catch up to us!:p
Of course if you are feeling extra energetic Aimman is bringing round the 4:15 gang!:D
See ya down there.0 -
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I didn't realise they had bumped you up to full marathon pacing duties. Best of luck with it!! Bank a few minutes for those hills at the end.
Best of luck TBW too!!0
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