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Running with the birds or for the birds?
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Marthastew wrote: »How great to hear from you, where did you run? The weather was super, I'm sure you managed a trip up Vico Road or out to Bray Head?
I hope you're feeling better soon also, we need to get you a T-shirt that says "I went home to Ireland and all I got was bronchitis";)
Hope the niece did well at the WMM, it was a super day, I had great fun handing out medals
Bray/Greystones cliff walk. Really enjoy this route and it's such a different type of run to our normal I decided it was worth risking my still dodgy collateral ligament.Marthastew wrote: »we need to get you a T-shirt that says "I went home to Ireland and all I got was bronchitis"
Catchy new phrase the for "The Gathering" ? :rolleyes:Marthastew wrote: »8 weeks:eek:
Yikes - that the second time I have heard eight weeks to shake this thing.0 -
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JUNE TOTAL 43.02:eek:
YTD TOTAL 896.05
In the absence of any quality training I’ve had to resort to embellishing the few runs I have managed to make my posts sound interesting, fortunately the Stew family were lucky enough to jet off to Thailand for a much needed family break. I had planned on using the soaring temperatures as an excuse to be lazy but with the thermometer reaching similar levels home here in Ireland (and not to mention Aimann and his pals running 10 marathons in 10 days!) I had no excuse but to get a few miles in. The truth is that after a couple of days relaxing (and a massage every day) I was feeling well rested and I also wanted to explore my surroundings. Mr Stew joined me on a couple of the shorter runs and this allowed us to explore some of the more quiet roads but after a while he felt he needed to rest his legs after the battering they had gotten in the last few months I’ve detailed some of the runs below as they stand out in my mind but all in all it was hot, steamy, tough but fun (I’m talking about my running not the extracurricular activities we got up to;))
Fri July 5th ; 2.5 miles @ 9.02 pace
Having settled in after a few days rest Mr Stew and I were up bright and early exploring the surroundings while the boys slept. We were shocked how much we sweated with the slow pace and we got plenty of weird looks from the locals but we also met a couple of other runners.
Sat July 6th ; 6.03 @ 9.07 pace
I stupidly waited till midday to head out on this run as I hadn’t intended running but when the thermometer only registered 31C midday and with lots of cloud cover I thought “What could possibly go wrong?” (this was the only time I ran later in the day, I stuck to early morning after that) I almost didn’t even bring any money for a drink as I knew there was a 10 K loop around the town our hotel was in. Holy Merde, it was HOT, but more importantly it was humid (95%). This run was largely on flattish roads and I got plenty of waves and cheers of support from the locals… Good, good madame,… The word “good” much like “same” seems to be always repeated as in “same same”. I wasn’t exactly feeling “good good” and had to stop for a drink after only 2.5 miles. Fortunately I found a fruit cart and got myself a fresh coconut juice YUM:) I enjoyed the run much more after my stop although towards the end I was fantasising about the swimming pool. Arrived back to the hotel, trainers off, jumped in the shower by the pool and dived in, heaven. Rehydrated with a lovely ice-cold Singha beer (sorry Krusty, I imagine that’s the Thai equivalent of Coors)
Sun July 7th ; 4.15 miles @ 9.19 pace
Monday July 8th ; 3.62 @ 10.11
Tuesday July 9th (Happy Birthday to me:)) ; 3.28 miles @ 8.58 pace
I always go for a run on my birthday, I love feeling strong despite getting older and I thank the running Gods that I’m alive and well and happy. Arrived back to birthday breakfast with all the Stews and spent the day being spoiled by them all.
Wednesday July 10th ; 4.10 miles @ 8.58 pace
We had returned to our usual hotel in Phuket on my birthday so Mr Stew was keen to join me on this run to do some more exploring. This was a busier location so we met a few runners out and about bright and early like us. Buffet Breakfast always tastes nicer when you have earned it.
Thursday July 11th ; 12.19 miles @ 9.27 pace
Feeling stronger by the day (and still having a daily massage) I decided to go somewhat longer. I had originally planned to stop for a drink after 6 miles but even at 8am it was HOT so I stopped after 4 miles and then again after 8 miles, I bought water and drank half the bottle and poured the rest on top of me. This worked great and I finished this run feeling strong and happy.
Saturday July 13th ; 6.49 miles @ 9.30 pace
I chose a different route this time that included some hills so I kept the pace very slow to start as I headed out of Patong and then it was sooo nice to turn around and let my body weight drag me down the hills. In actual fact the hills weren’t that bad (not too much worse than Vico road) but in the heat and humidity I found them tough going. Despite all that it was so enjoyable to be running in different surroundings, the smells, sights and sounds were just so different and I was loving it; 2 dead snakes on the road, a few elephants down from the hills getting ready for their day trekking with the tourists, the sounds of the exotic birds and the steamy smell of the surrounding forests. I arrived home planning my next long run in the hills.
Sunday July 14th ; 14.1 miles @ 10.16 pace
Garmin link,
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/345697129
As I said earlier, the hills weren't really that bad at all but for some reason it felt TOUGH on this run. It wasn’t even that hot or humid but I slowed the pace right down as my heart rate was rising and my only goal was to get 14 enjoyable miles in. I was familiar with the route I’d be running as I was running back past the hotel we had first stayed in and on to a beach I had run at in the first week. I also knew there’d be plenty of shops for drinks etc. I brought my phone just in case I blew up a snake attacked me and I left the hotel at 6.30 in the morning. I had chosen to run on a Sunday as the roads wouldn’t be so busy. Phuket is derived from the Malay word bukit which means “Hill”, since this is what the island looks like when approached from the sea. I was thinking f*kit
as I ran up the hill from Patong towards Karon. I was up so early that the elephants weren’t even down from the hills yet, however there was a nasty dog! The island is full of happy dogs wandering round (probably because they’ve escaped being captured and brought to Vietnam, poor things http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/dog-meat-mafia-inside-thailands-smuggling-trade/616/) but this dog wasn’t too happy. I knew I couldn’t outsprint him up the hill so I slowed and decided to go with “nice doggy, nice doggy”, luckily for me that worked. Road kill this time was a tiny bat and I passed a road sign that said ระวัง /BEWARE, Beware of what? I thought, but kept going anyway. Before long (about 2.5 miles) I was reaching the top of the hill that would take me down to Karon and I was happy to see a group of Spirit Houses; miniature temples that can be seen all over Thailand which are mounted on pillars, they are intended to provide a shelter for spirits so I asked those spirits to guide me along my way:) and enjoyed a nice easy run down into the small coastal town. By now I was getting hot and thirsty although the temperature was cooler than recent mornings (I hadn’t eaten or drunk before leaving the hotel) and I was horrified to see that as it was Sunday and Karon was much quieter area than Patong, there were no shops open:eek: Luckily I remembered a shower located outside a hotel on the main road opposite the beach and was happy enough when I managed to cool down by spraying myself. The next town up was Kata and I reckoned that if there wasn’t a shop open I’d find a restaurant
Hallelujah:) A 7 Eleven:D with very friendly staff who politely ignored the fact that I was dripping sweat all over thier shop. Reaching into the fridge for my drink I lingered slightly longer than necessary and briefly toyed with the idea of jumping into it;) Knowing that would be rude and offend my Thai hosts I reluctantly left the perfectly air-conditioned shop. I gulped down a yummy mango juice and poured a bottle of water over me and headed for Kata beach. By now it was getting busier and there were lots of people (and dogs, happy ones:D) out enjoying the morning and I ran along the beach for a change of terrain. When the Garmin hit 7 miles I turned around headed back to the hills and the spirit houses and I was looking forward to the downhill into Patong. I crossed paths with a few runners along Karon beach and I even high-fived a smiling one. The run up the hill wasn’t too bad as I knew when it would end and afer enjoying the view at the top I was on my way back down again. The elephants were back down at this stage so I stopped and took a photo, I glanced down at my feet and discovered my ankles and trainers were covered in blood! The beach run had been a bad idea as the sand was mixing with sweat and producing a bad combo, I was so happy to be nearly home that I didn’t care, I waved goodbye to the elephants (I’m assuming they’ll remember me on my next visit:D) and luckily there was no sign of the unhappy dog. Back in Patong I realized I needed to add on a loop near the hotel to reach 14 miles so I headed for the beach and caught some locals selling fish, the boxes of ice they were displayed on looked so inviting;) Back to the hotel and the friendly receptionist greeted me with Good, good madame, jogging! and while I usually take offence at the term “jogging” I realized that not only was she right but I was actually very proud of my little jog around Phuket:)
I had hoped to get out running again but Mr. Stew and I decided to relive our misspent youth and running with a hangover was definitely not an option. It’s 25 years since I last drank tequila and it’s likely to be another 25 before I touch it again:eek: The alcohol-induced disco dancing was a workout in itself and of course I spent a lot of my time swimming with all the Stews.
TOTAL MILES WHILE ON HOLIDAYS 57.31
Although it won't have had a huge impact on my already dwindling fitness levels I'm very happy with how I enjoyed my running on holidays. My main priority apart from spending time with Mr Stew and the boys was to completely relax and rid myself of the underlying tiredness that had been with me since I crossed the Finish Line in London and I definitely achieved that. I've a very long way to get back to my fitness levels from earlier in the year but with lots of hard work I'm sure I'll get there.0 -
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Well, I think it's fair to say that with the latest bit of news I've heard, nothing will ever be the same for the Stews again.....:(
I mean it all started out innocently, a bunch of us arriving on the doorstepstew on a weekend morning, going for a long run and then back for a cuppa and snacks. Then a few weeks later we had the trip to Howth where we were introduced to friendstews and cousinjoestew... Again, a long run in nasty weather but a great spread and conversation back in chezstew.... All good clean wholesome fun, no keys been thrown into a bowl here.
But then a certain someone broke the ranks, initially krusty spotted him out around Killiney, Dalkey and Glenegeary (and he lives in Clondalkin).... hubbystew thought he spotted him at a kidstew sportsday dressed as his idol Rory McIlroy.... and then, possibly the most worrying of the emerging stories, he was overheard enquiring if shots were needed for a trip to Thailand!
The latter, thankfully, turned out to be untrue and we all heaved a big sigh of relief. Then previously whispered tales from other boardsies began to increase in volume. News was he was selling up his Clondalkin squat, said boardsies held their collective breaths and hoped he wouldn't move near them. It turned out that Racoon Queen was safe, he wasn't moving to Ballyer, jcsmum had nothing to worry about, he wasn't moving to Tallaght.
He had indeed though found a new dwelling, a dark corner for dark deeds..... Worringly folks it turned out to be a Tyrone-stones-throw-stew from poor marthastew and her lovely family. How could he have done this, to her of all people?..... She had staunchly defended him during his DNF years, had stood right behind him behind him during the claralara chicking months, had counselled him during the Meanies six pack strike and had wiped his tears and chin during the Beer Mile puke scandal. For her effort and friendship she got a slapstew in the face.... Things had just become murkier than the sewage sloshing around the 40 foot. :eek:
So, please marthastew, we are here for you, real friends (well, at least ones that you found on the Internet) Keep a close eye on your family members, especially the younger ones. If you or any of them feel in any danger or threatened at all please call Officer digdig for immediate assistance and a gun-armed response.
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The trouble with summer is that there is too much fun to be had going to the beach, swimming, BBQs etc. and not enough time to keep track of running. Luckily I can rely on my Garmin to remind me of my activities (or lack thereof) over the past few weeks. Along with the miles below I’ve been swimming in the sea every day but no trips to the gym or yoga (bad marthastew:() the weather is just too nice to go inside and I’m spending as much time as I can with my boys before they go back to school.
Below is a brief outline of what I’ve been up to with a few details thrown in for good measure. All in all I’m happy with how I’m getting back into things after my extended break but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little frustrated at my lack of fitness. To make matters worse a few people have told me that I look good “with some weight on”:eek: and I feel it’s only a matter of time before I’m tuning into Gok Wan;) I’m carrying an extra 5 Kilos but with a few minor tweaks major overhaul in my diet and increased mileage I should hopefully drop it over the next couple of months.
Sunday July 21st 15 miles @ 8.41 pace
First run back home after holidays, headed for the hills of Killiney, feeling strong and happy.
Monday July 22nd recovery 6.03 miles@ 8.37 pace
Too fast for recovery but I’m still rested from holidays
Tuesday July 23rd rest
Spent the day in Claralara Water park with my boys, who knew they had named a theme-park after her?;)
Wednesday July 24th 12.13 @ 8.49 pace
Met up with some pals for a super MLR and a catch-up
Thursday July 26th Club speed session, mile intervals
Total approx. 5 miles
Holy Merde! I was dreading this and with good reason, the kick up the ar*e I needed. It was supposed to be 4 X 1 mile with 1 min recovery, I ducked into a bush for the 3rd mile and crawled out to complete the 4th. Mile splits 7.13, 7.20, 7.15:eek::eek:
Friday July 26th recovery 5.95 @ 9.08 pace
Saturday July 27th 6.04 @ 8.36 pace
· passed 1,000 miles
Totalling my miles on Sunday I realised I had passed this milestone on Saturday while running down Vico road, one of my favourite places to run:D
Sunday July 28th MLR 10.02 @ 8.41 pace
WEEKENDING July 28th 46.35
Monday July 29th LSR 16.79 @ 8.25 pace
Met up with Meno for this and headed towards Bray for some hilly miles, this run was tough as I was stupidly trying to keep up with him on the uphills. Not much to be said about this one except that I was delighted to have it finished and wouldn’t have sustained the pace if I wasn’t chasing Meno.lots of work to be done over the next few weeks!
Tuesday July 30th recovery 6.33 @ 9.13 pace
Wednesday July 31st Rest
Total miles for July 141.78
Total miles YTD; 1,037.83
Thursday August 1st 11.18 @9.09 pace
Met up with a pal for this, great run in the hills of Killiney but she had some tummy trouble in the last couple of miles so then we slowed it down.
Friday August 2nd unplanned rest day
Saturday August 3rd
AM; .6 mile warm-up followed by Marlay Parkrun 3.04 miles @ 8.36 pace
PM; 4.61 miles @ 8.30 pace
In an effort to get Junior back into running after his prolonged lay-off with his rugby injury I persuaded him to do Parkrun. He is such a superstar, he HATED it; he got a stitch, had to walk a few times but he still kept going and never complained. Luckily he hasn’t lost his competitive streak and his last mile was his fastest as he picked off runners to overtake. My only goal for him was to get him back into running and when we were heading home he said “maybe we should come back next week?”:)
Sunday August 4th rest day
Total miles for week 29th July to August 4th 42.54
Monday August 5th
DLR Bay 10K; 3rd F40; 6.28 miles 44.37, avg pace 7.06
Total miles including warm-up 7.65
Mr Stew and I were dreading this race after our over-indulging on holidays and at one stage I had contemplated running this as part of an LSR just because I didn’t want to face up to how slow I have become. We were lucky enough to have Krusty join us for a warm-up mile and on hearing of his exploits in the Alpine marathon only 1 week before I decided I had no excuses not to give today a good shot. The race started bang on time and it had been so long since I’ve raced that I jumped when the gun went off. My plan for this race was to run on feel and ignore the Garmin and see where that got me and I maintained a fairly steady pace of “uncomfortably hard”. Although my result was fairly abysmal (PB is 42.XX from June 2012) I’m relatively happy with how the race went, I feel I did the best I could on the day and I pin-pointed exactly what I need to work on over the next few months. The fitness will come back with the miles but I also realised that I need to lose the weight and even more importantly I need to work on the Central Governor, going into this I had talked myself out of a good result, in the first few miles when people were overtaking me it didn’t bother me as much as it should have but by the time I reached 7K I had started to reel a few people in and fight for a few places. I finished looking forward to putting in some hard work and hopefully doing better in my next race (10 miler in Phoenix Park) mile splits were 6.54, 7.18, 7.24, 7.09, 6.55, 7.11 (6.19 for .28)
Mr Stew finished just behind me and Krusty was just a little ahead of us both;) (he finished 5th and we were only about 110 places behind him!) We topped off the day with a dip in the sea with the Krusty family and 99s all round:D
Tuesday August 6th Recovery
AM 4.63 @ 9.38
PM 5.27 @ 9.24
Wednesday August 7th Tempo run
Total 8 miles; 2 warm-up, 4 tempo, 2 cool-down avg pace 8.20.
Tempo miles 7.28, 7.29, 7.28, 7.34
I concentrated on effort rather than the watch during this run and I was definitely starting to feel a little stronger.
Thursday August 8th recovery
5.26 miles @ 9.47
Friday August 9th LSR
18.11 avg pace 8.25
A fab day for a run and I took the somewhat easy option of flat in along the coast into town and back home again. The wind was in my face on the way in so it made the prospect of PMP miles on the way home much easier. Started with a 9.30 mile and gradually picked the pace up for the first 8 miles then I ran the last 10 @ PMP (7.55). I more or less ignored the Garmin and ran on effort as I’m pretty sure had I been doing this in the run-up to London I wouldn’t have ended up so exhausted and out of action for so long. I really enjoyed this run and I picked up the pace for the last couple of miles finishing feeling strong on a 7.40 mile.
Saturday August 10th Marlay Parkrun 23.41
Despite our not so great run last week Junior was fortunately keen to get back and better his time. I also volunteered us for Post-run helping out and we were up bright and early raring to go. Junior was wearing Mr Stew’s Garmin and he told me he planned to run at approx. 8 min/mile pace. This week went so much better, I had told him that our only goal was not to get a stitch and not to walk and I also think that knowing the route helped to relax him. We started a good bit back so we spent the first 2 K overtaking and then heading into the slight hill in the 3rd K I had told him to take it easy but also to try and overtake, this worked great and before we knew it we were passing the 3K marker, at this stage I was letting him lead and letting him dictate the pace. Again his competitive streak took over and the mile splits were great, 8.15, 8.14, 6.55 (.02 5.07). Everybody up at Parkrun is so friendly and I would definitely encourage anyone who does them to volunteer, we both really enjoyed helping out with the token-sorting. I then jogged around to collect the signs (a really great way to do a cool-down run) and after some treats in the market we did a short cool-down run together. We hope to try and get a few more parkruns in before his GAA season starts back up again. A great way to spend a Saturday morning:D
Total miles including warm-up and cool down 6.46
Sunday August 11th Recovery
5.69 miles @ 9.33 pace
My legs definitely felt the high mileage this week and were in need of some slow easy miles, a fab day for it and I gave up counting the amount of runners I saw when I got to 12:)
Total miles for week 60.49 A good solid week that has left me feeling strong and optimistic:) 0 -
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