Things will come to those who wait...

belcarra

Hey Pconn062,

Just saw your log for the first time now. Best of luck with it.
From your PB list you appear to have a fair degree of potential for improving this year with structured training. Some of the PBs are quite soft when compared to your faster PBs and you seem to be tearing up the courses in the cross-country races.
I predict a very successful Raheny 5 miler for you!

pconn062

belcarra wrote: »

Hey Pconn062,

Just saw your log for the first time now. Best of luck with it.
From your PB list you appear to have a fair degree of potential for improving this year with structured training. Some of the PBs are quite soft when compared to your faster PBs and you seem to be tearing up the courses in the cross-country races.
I predict a very successful Raheny 5 miler for you!

Hi Belcarra, thanks very much for the comments, and I totally agree with you on the softer PB's, especially the obvious one, the marathon! And some of the longer ones like the 10 mile and half marathon were raced during marathon training so no specific training. I hope to correct those this year and the cross country is helping I have been reading your log and 3.30 should be no problem to you, your training seems to be going really well, and the Ultra training will benefit.

pconn062

10 mile, 1:27:59, 8.48 avg. pace

This was just a slog, I wanted it to be over after the first mile. The legs just felt dead with no bounce after yesterdays race and the wind wasn't helping my mood. Anyway done and dusted, looking forward to a rest day tomorrow and an easy week to bring me up to Raheny.

MYTD: 122.5

pconn062

6.5 miles, 54:17, 8.21 avg. pace

Just an easy enough run this morning on what is going to be a very easy week in general. Got some advice off the coach to take it very easy this week as the cross country probably took it's toll, might do some sort of an easy fartlek session tomorrow just to mix things up a bit, nothing too hard or intense. Looking forward to Raheny, one or two friends are racing so there will be some (not so) friendly rivalry!

MYTD: 129

pconn062

5.5 miles, 42.29, 7.40 avg. pace

Had intended on doing a fartlek session today but the wind put a big dampener on that. It's getting really annoying the constant wind so just went out for a normal run instead. The pace is a bit quicker cause the wind was literally pushing me at points. and also cause I was a bit annoyed about the wind so I just pushed on! But to counter this it actually ground me to a dead stop as I crested the top of a hill so I just stopped and walked the last twenty feet, no point flogging a dead horse.

MYTD: 134.5

pconn062

4.5 miles, 41.32, 9.04 avg. pace

Just a slow recovery run today, not too sure what I was recovering from as yesterdays run was fairly easy but it can't do any harm with the race on Sunday. It's the slowest I've run in a long time, since before the Dublin marathon. Might do a short fartlek session at the track tomorrow.

MYTD: 139

pconn062

5.1 miles, including 10x 2mins hard with 1 min easy, 39.41, 7.44 avg. pace

Good session today, didn't push too hard. The hard sections ranged from 6.10-7.00, mostly around the 6.30 mark. Got soaked in the rain to top it off! Just a few easy miles planned for tomorrow.

MYTD: 144

ThePiedPiper

Well Pconn062,
Your year is going well so far. Doing some very good sessions in there, mixing it up a lot.
What are your target races for the year? Are you keeping to the shorter stuff for the time being or have you any goal half marathons coming up? Is Dundalk happening this year? There's nothing yet on the website. You giving the one in Bohermeen a bash or is out of sync with the training you're doing?
There's definitely a couple of races where you've some unfinished business. But I definitely agree that you need to tackle your basic speed before going back to the marathon.
Congrats on the great time in the Emyvale 10k by the way. I'll need to up my game with ye lot snapping at my heels by the looks of things!!!
Chat to you soon.

pconn062

RunForestRun wrote: »

Well Pconn062,
Your year is going well so far. Doing some very good sessions in there, mixing it up a lot.
What are your target races for the year? Are you keeping to the shorter stuff for the time being or have you any goal half marathons coming up? Is Dundalk happening this year? There's nothing yet on the website. You giving the one in Bohermeen a bash or is out of sync with the training you're doing?
There's definitely a couple of races where you've some unfinished business. But I definitely agree that you need to tackle your basic speed before going back to the marathon.
Congrats on the great time in the Emyvale 10k by the way. I'll need to up my game with ye lot snapping at my heels by the looks of things!!!
Chat to you soon.

Ah well Aonghus, how's life? I don't think you have anything to worry about yet, I have a way to go before I catch you! Yeah plan is to focus on the shorter stuff for the year, up to half marathon. Spend on year to see what I can do and use the aul log here to try and keep me on track. Think Dundalk is on this year all right, 9th on May according to the facebook page so that will be the main target for the first half of the year, probably the half in the park for the second half of the year. Don't think I'll do Bohermeen, not the half anyway, is that a target race for you on your build up to London? Getting close! :pac:

ThePiedPiper

Yeah, I registered for Bohermeen half. It's 5 or 6 weeks out from London so perfect timing. I haven't been doing much volume of miles since November, but trying to maintain quality in whatever I'm doing. You're taking a great approach to the year so far. I'm a firm believer in doing 400s, 800s and mile intervals and in improving in these, ulitmately improving your speed over the longer distances. For example, you'll probably be able to maintain your 10k speed over the half distance in Dundalk.
Is your programme taking in anything over 10 miles at the moment or is it mostly up to 8 or so? I must catch up with ya for a run at some stage, I suppose the Rás is only around the corner anyway. Chat to ya soon.

pconn062

RunForestRun wrote: »

Yeah, I registered for Bohermeen half. It's 5 or 6 weeks out from London so perfect timing. I haven't been doing much volume of miles since November, but trying to maintain quality in whatever I'm doing. You're taking a great approach to the year so far. I'm a firm believer in doing 400s, 800s and mile intervals and in improving in these, ulitmately improving your speed over the longer distances. For example, you'll probably be able to maintain your 10k speed over the half distance in Dundalk.
Is your programme taking in anything over 10 miles at the moment or is it mostly up to 8 or so? I must catch up with ya for a run at some stage, I suppose the Rás is only around the corner anyway. Chat to ya soon.

Yeah ten is the longest I'm getting up to at the minute, I'll be starting half marathon specific training in a few weeks so the long runs will increase then. I'd say London will be a good race for you, and a good bounce back from Dublin. We should definitely get out for a run soon, and the Rás will be a good day to catch up with everyone, see you there.

pconn062

4 miles

Didn't bother with the Garmin on this one, nice and easy before tomorrow's race. It's given a wet day day according to Met Eireann but if it is as calm a day wind wise as today there should be good racing conditions. Ideally the goal would be to break 32, I think my time last week at the cross country -30 seconds for the wind would be a great achievement, but I would be equally happy to equal last weeks time as well, will just have to see what the day brings! So long as I beat one of my two mates I'll be happy! Good luck to all racing.

MYTD: 148

pconn062

Traveled up to this one with a two of my mates, one who was a much better runner than me (sub 3.20 marathon runner), but I thought I might have a chance against him today given my solid training over the last while.
Arrived in plenty of time, got number and a good soaking during the warm up. We made the rookie mistake of getting to the start too late, but I still couldn't believe the amount of slower people in front of us, were weren't that far back. First half a mile was spent dodging people which was the slowest of the day 6.35, and that kind of killed my chances for sub 32.
Me and my friend were shoulder to shoulder for a lot of the race, sharing pacing duties and the first two miles went easily enough. He told me he was getting a stitch around mile 3 so I knew a scalp could be on the cards! I pushed on slightly up the hill and he fell about 2-3 meters behind me, we passed the coach about half a mile from the finish and I knew from him shouting he was closing the gap so I put in a little surge, I really wanted to beat him now and I really thought I had him bet until the finishing straight I caught a glance of him make a sprint so I pulled a balls down effort and floored it and crossed the line about 2 seconds ahead of him in 32.11, 6.25 avg. pace. Happy with that, slightly disappointed not to get sub 32 but a good days racing anyway. Great race all round despite the weather and a truly epic goody bag!

Splits: 6.35, 6.26, 6.25, 6.22, 6.20

MYTD: 154

pconn062

Monday: Rest day

Today 5.5 miles, 48.29, 8.42 avg. pace

Just a short, slow recovery run after work today in the dark. It's OK running in the town or city in the dark with all the street lights but out here in the country on small, quiet, country roads it's a bit spooky! So January is over with just short of 160 miles done, two PB's: 40.27 for 10k (well 41.10 on a short course) and 32.11 for 5 mile last weekend, not a bad month, half marathon specific training for Dundalk half marathon starts in about two weeks so looking forward to that. Might do a bit of a session tomorrow, will see what the day brings.

MYTD: 159.5

pconn062

6 miles, including 10x400 @ 6.00 min pace with 90 secs recovery

Good session this morning, had company for this session which makes a change and seems to make the session easier. Felt very strong throughout and the 90 secs recovery always seemed to be enough. Also got to try out my brand new Adidas Adizero Adios 2 runners which arrived yesterday. They are horribly bright and vulgar and I love them! They are also super light and I am looking forward to racing in them if I can find a road race soon, all my planned races for the next while are cross country. Will do a recovery run at some stage tomorrow.

MYTD: 165.5

pconn062

4 miles, 30:47, 7.42 avg. pace

Just a short run today as I'm doing a circuit training session tonight at the club. Ran this a bit too fast because it was short which probably wasn't a great idea, effort felt a bit harder than it should have been. I'll learn some day! Think I'm gonna do the BHAA cross country on Saturday so will probably just do a few easy miles tomorrow.

MYTD: 169.5

pconn062

5.5 miles, 46.22, 8.20 avg. pace

Just an easy run this evening, took a while to settle in but was grand after 2 mile or so. The plan is to head to this race tomorrow, the cross country in Swords, hopefully that won't change. I wasn't going to go to this race but my girlfriend is off work tomorrow, she never has a Saturday off so she wants to come up to the race. I might not race this full out and just use it as a tempo, I'll see what the conditions are like when I get up there.

MYTD: 175

Stazza

Good luck for tomorrow's X/C race. Don't wear your pulchritudinous flats - you'll destroy their beautiful vulgarity and probably end up skating rather than running:).

pconn062

Stazza wrote: »

Good luck for tomorrow's X/C race. Don't wear your pulchritudinous flats - you'll destroy their beautiful vulgarity and probably end up skating rather than running:).

Ha cheers, no I'll leave the flats at home tomorrow and bring the spikes instead!

pconn062

Headed up to this race, a warm up lap of the course told me that conditions were bad in some areas, real slippy and sticky which would only get worse as the day went on. Decided to just treat this as a tempo run as I didn't think really fast times would be possible and it wasn't a goal race.
Off we went and I settled into the race at a comfortable pace, the first mile went in 6.37, a bit fast. The second one felt slower but passed in 6.37 again. The next two miles were slower, which was partly due to the tough conditions in the second field, the part along the river was getting very sticky which took it out of the legs. Felt OK on the last lap and had a good bit left at then end, crossed the line in 32.06, but the course was short, 4.88 according to my watch, works out at about 33.10 or something like that over 5 mile. I enjoyed the race, was a good training session if nothing else but not as nice a course as SDCC or the Eircom race. Will do a longer run tomorrow.

7 miles in total including 4.88 miles- 32.06

Splits: 6.37, 6.37, 6.48, 6.45, 5.19 for the last bit (6.32 pace)

MYTD: 182

drquirky

Tough conditions out there, eh?

pconn062

drquirky wrote: »

Tough conditions out there, eh?

Hi drquirky, yeah it was tough out there alright, down by the river was very boggy by the third lap. Great time you got given the conditions, fair play!

pconn062

10 miles, 1:24:33, 8.27 avg. pace

Had little or no enthusiasm for this run before I set out, had a very late night last night at a gig (playing, not attending so no beer), so very little sleep. But as soon as I started I felt fine and the miles went very easily. Really enjoyed it actually with little effect of yesterdays race in the legs. A nice rest day tomorrow and then a build up week to the Rás na hEireann next week, can't wait!

MYTD: 192

ThePiedPiper

You're an animal for the racing this year pconn. Did a few miles with Brendan Saturday, he was saying that your improvements have been huge since last year. Great to see the fruits of your labours and there's a long year to come.

What sort of build-up you doing for the Rás? I can't decide whether to interrupt marathon training this week to do a bit more focused work for it. Should be a great day at it hopefully. Chat to you then

pconn062

RunForestRun wrote: »

You're an animal for the racing this year pconn. Did a few miles with Brendan Saturday, he was saying that your improvements have been huge since last year. Great to see the fruits of your labours and there's a long year to come.

What sort of build-up you doing for the Rás? I can't decide whether to interrupt marathon training this week to do a bit more focused work for it. Should be a great day at it hopefully. Chat to you then

Cheers Aonghus, I know there's prob one or two many races in there but the cross country is so much fun, and sure there's worst ways to spend your weekends! I was just going to do a bit of a session on Wednesday, 6-8x800 or something like that and just run easy for the rest of the week. What were you thinking? Are you running the senior race or just the Larry McGuill 3k?

pconn062

6.5 miles, 55:25, 8.34 avg. pace

Out nice and early for this one, nothing really to report. Felt a slight twinge in my foot for the first 2 mile or so but it seemed to go away then and was fine for the rest of the run. Going to do a session of some sort tomorrow.

MYTD: 198.5

ThePiedPiper

Doing the Larry race at it. I be far enough back the pecking order in races without going it against the big guns in the Rás!! 3k will be a lovely race distance anyway, I'd say there'll be a great crowd in it. I haven't done any specific training at all for shorter stuff so it'll be tough going. Chat to ya then.

pconn062

RunForestRun wrote: »

Doing the Larry race at it. I be far enough back the pecking order in races without going it against the big guns in the Rás!! 3k will be a lovely race distance anyway, I'd say there'll be a great crowd in it. I haven't done any specific training at all for shorter stuff so it'll be tough going. Chat to ya then.

Well according to Eugene on the Rás facebook page, the 3k is just a fun run for the fit for life runners, not really a race and that if you want a bit of competition you should run the 6k senior race and just run the 3k as a warm down. Go on, I will if you will!

ThePiedPiper

Last time I was chatting to Carrie, he said we should do the 3k instead of the 6k... Yeah sure, let's do both, why not.. I still think once there's a number of reasonably fit and competitive people on a starting line, in race gear, it's going to take off!!! Possibly the fastest ever 3,000m training run we'll ever do!!! Should be a bit of craic anyway.

pconn062

3.5 miles, 28.12, 8.15 avg. pace

Didn't have time to do the session today with work and college so headed out for my usual 5.5 mile route instead. About a mile in I got a terrible stitch which was probably the worst one I've had since I started running. I tried walking but it would not go away, really odd, so I just cut the run short and hobbled home. I think I had my lunch too close to heading out and it bit me in the ass. Anyway, miles in the bank. I think I'm going to head in to the track in the morning to do the session I had planned for today.

MYTD: 202