The Sub 210 London Challenge

pistol_75

Tuesday 21st May

7.4 Km
Avg Pace: 5:43

Had been for a sports massage and dropped into club training slightly late. Just a few easy K's to help flushing out the legs.

pistol_75

Wednesday 22nd May

11.23K
Avg Pace: 5:31
Avg HR: 133

Can't remember much about this on other than I think it was showing a few local clubs the 5K race route with a few other K's thrown in somewhere.

Thursday was a rest day followed by managing a Golf team on Fri/Sat/Sun that involved lots of walking but no running and some beers

Monday was the start of 18 Week P&D Plan with a rest day (recovery from Sun night).

Tuesday 28th May - Star of the Sea 5K

5K in 21:39
Avg Pace: 4:20
Avg HR: 153

So a good start to the marathon plan to move away from the prescribed session and substitute the clubs 5K race. Didn't feel in any sort of mood after the weekend but at least legs should be fresh enough. Did about a 4K warm up inclusing jog down to the start and the race kicked off pretty much on time.

Held it steady enough through the first K including a slight rise over the M1. Down through the village and another slight rise to bring us out of the village. Got through 2K in around 8:25, shortly after this though the legs were feeling heavy and the mind was having lots of negative thoughts. The 3rd K had a bit of a drag before turning into the grounds of a nursing home and a slight downhill finish. Seemed to switch off here a bit and slowed to 4:30 pace. The next half K was a drag out of the grounds, was in a bit of a mess and felt like I was plodding rather than running. Checked pace coming out of the grounds and it was showing 4:50ish :eek: Dug in a bit from there and hit 4K at 4:31. Just wanted to saunter to the finish from here but mush have picked it up a bit as passed a few people and there was nobody coming past me. Downhill through the village and a slight rise up towards the finish. Got passed by one person but passed another in the last 50m. 4:15 for the last K to finish in 21:39.

About 5 seconds per K off PB time but happy enough for where I am at the moment and gave it a good go. Consensus was that although the course had a couple of short hills it also had a couple of nice downhills, especially in the last 1.5K.

Short warm down to bring up 10K for the night and then into an absolute mountain of food afterwards.

average_runner

Well done on your pb, things moving in the right direction, always good for the confidence.

pistol_75

Wasn't a PB. Meant about 5 seconds per K slower than PB pace

average_runner

pistol_75 wrote: »

Wasn't a PB. Meant about 5 seconds per K slower than PB pace

Sorry, still a good time!

pistol_75

Thursday 30th May

14K
Avg Pace: 5:37
Avg HR: 136

Lovely evening out this evening. Ran part of this on the beach at Gormanston. Was really nice. Legs fine after race on Tue night. Thought there would be no Club session this week with the race but there is one tomorrow night :rolleyes:

Letyourselfgo

Great stuff Pistol and you stuffed me by 30 seconds

pistol_75

Friday 31st May

Plan: Rest
Actual: Club Session

Didn't think we'd have a session this week with the race but it was moved to Friday night :-(

3.9K warm up included a loop of the college grounds, stretching and a couple of laps of running the straight hard and the bend easy. The session was 3 sets of (1x1200m, 55 sec recovery, 1x300m) with a 3 minute recovery between each set.

Splits were (5:03,1:01;4:57,1:01;4:53,1:00)

A couple of laps then to warm down finishing with 9.33K for the session. This was a tough session but with any session the key is to be able to pace yourself right and run all the intervals close to the same pace/effort. Legs were pretty wrecked afterwards.

Saturday 1st June

Plan: 6K - Recovery Run
Actual: 5.3K Treadmill Run

As part of the local summer festival the local pub 'The White Hart Inn' was running a 24 hour treadmill run with the proceeds going to Crumlin childrens hospital & Balbriggan Cancer support group. I was assigned the 7am slot so just treated this as a recovery run. Great to get it out of the way so early but legs were in ribbons after the night before.

Sunday 2nd June

Plan: 19K - Long Run
Actual: 19.6K

Avg Pace: 5:39
Avg HR: 134

Another lovely morning when I set out from Stamullen for my long run. Was worried how the legs would hold up given how they felt the previous morning and while they were tired that is all it was. Headed towards Julianstown and then the back road to Laytown where I swung back and headed back towards Mosney and eventually back onto the main road at Murphy's quarry. From here I headed up towards the Delvin and back up around Gormanston College and back to the car. Probably could have done with a bit of water towards the end but felt fine afterwards.


Plan for the week was 4 runs and 53K, with the session as well as the race it was a tough enough week and ended up doing 5 days and around 58K in total. Back to 4 days this week before moving to 5 from the following week. Have my sister in laws 30th birthday party on Saturday night so will aim to get the runs out of the way and leave Sunday free for a rest day this week.

pistol_75

Tuesday 4th June

Plan: 13K w/10x100M strides
Actual: Club session (5x800 w/75sec rec)

Club session last night and after a 3K warm up followed by lots of stretching & drills & a couple of strides we were into the session. Any of the women who had ran some 10K the day before were giving a nice handy bit of running but the rest of us suffered and wilted in the heat. Splits were:

3:13, 3:12, 3:15, 3:18, 3:19

These kind of threw me a bit as wasn't sure what pace I should be running them at. Ran the first couple a bit quick and by the 3rd one the legs were riddled with lactic. suffered badly on the last couple and felt like I was running in treacle. Checked afterwards and the Mcmillan range is (3:12-3:21) so although all in the range not the ideal way to do them.

Just over 3K cool down to bring it up to around 10.3K for the night.

pistol_75

Thursday 6th June


16K
Avg Pace: 5:30
Avg HR: 135

One of those evenings that no matter how bad the legs or body feel its just great to be out on the roads. Got a couple of K in before the club run and we did one loop of our usual loop and then a few of us headed off to do a hilly 10K which brought the distance up nicely to the plan.

pistol_75

Saturday 8th June

8K @ 5:36 pace 133 Hr
13K @ 5:01 pace 141 Hr

Was down at the In-Laws for the weekend and although not looking forward to this had to get it out if the way on Sat morning. Was warm starting out and spent most of the first 8K worrying about the marathon pace part if the run. Reset the watch after 8K and after a drink of water was on my way.

Wasn't sure of the roads so did a big loop which started out on a country road but before long turned onto the road connecting Athy to the M9. First couple of K if anything had a couple of downhills and was just watching the pace without having to think about it too much. This road continued until around 6K and was pretty open and exposed and was into any breeze there was so I was looking forward to getting off it.

Took a walking/drink break after 6K as an experiment and it went ok with getting water in and recovering back to pace no problem. Felt a bit crappy after 9K and popped a gel which seemed to do the business. Picked up the pace slightly for the last 3K which was a good boost as there was a good uphill portion here.

Glad to have the first of these out of the way. Found it tough but more mentally I think in some ways. The heat was also a factor and doing it on mainly exposed roads was mind numbing.

Sunday 9th June

8.04K @ 5:53 pace 131 Hr

After Sis-In-Laws 30th last night I wouldn't have been in top shape today. Glad it was only recovery run today. After the first couple of K is was grand and enjoyable and had to focus on keeping pace down. The only downside are the amount of seagulls around the place. I reckon they're planning they're attacks for the breeding season :mad:

jcsmum

Is there something you need to tell us about you and seagulls? Didn't you have this problem too last year?

pistol_75

jcsmum wrote: »

Is there something you need to tell us about you and seagulls? Didn't you have this problem too last year?

Just that they are vicious during breeding season and yes they can get quite close at times when it suits them. You'd think they'd much prefer it on da southside :rolleyes:

average_runner

pistol_75 wrote: »

Saturday 8th June

8K @ 5:36 pace 133 Hr
13K @ 5:01 pace 141 Hr

Was down at the In-Laws for the weekend and although not looking forward to this had to get it out if the way on Sat morning. Was warm starting out and spent most of the first 8K worrying about the marathon pace part if the run. Reset the watch after 8K and after a drink of water was on my way.

Wasn't sure of the roads so did a big loop which started out on a country road but before long turned onto the road connecting Athy to the M9. First couple of K if anything had a couple of downhills and was just watching the pace without having to think about it too much. This road continued until around 6K and was pretty open and exposed and was into any breeze there was so I was looking forward to getting off it.

Took a walking/drink break after 6K as an experiment and it went ok with getting water in and recovering back to pace no problem. Felt a bit crappy after 9K and popped a gel which seemed to do the business. Picked up the pace slightly for the last 3K which was a good boost as there was a good uphill portion here.

Glad to have the first of these out of the way. Found it tough but more mentally I think in some ways. The heat was also a factor and doing it on mainly exposed roads was mind numbing.

Sunday 9th June

8.04K @ 5:53 pace 131 Hr

After Sis-In-Laws 30th last night I wouldn't have been in top shape today. Glad it was only recovery run today. After the first couple of K is was grand and enjoyable and had to focus on keeping pace down. The only downside are the amount of seagulls around the place. I reckon they're planning they're attacks for the breeding season :mad:

You looking at a sub 3:30 with the pace run?

pistol_75

average_runner wrote: »

You looking at a sub 3:30 with the pace run?

It's early days, very early days

Mr Slow

pistol_75 wrote: »

It's early days, very early days

That's a 'yes' then.

pistol_75

Mr Slow wrote: »

That's a 'yes' then.

Sub 3:46

average_runner

pistol_75 wrote: »

It's early days, very early days

So early that you could go for better than sub 3:30?????????

pistol_75

Tuesday 11th June

12.1K
Avg Pace: 5:25
Avg HR: 137

Club session last night. Usual 3K warm up followed by stretches, drills & strides. Session then was (15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120 secs w/35 sec recovery between each interval and then the same in reverse). These were meant to be done at 5K pace which was hard to guage for some of the shorter ones but the effort was there. doesn't seem much on paper but a tough enough session with the recoveries feeling shorter all the time.

Finished off with a nice cool down loop of the college grounds.

pistol_75

Thursday 13th June

16.1K
Avg Pace: 5:14
Avg Hr: 135

Was pretty wrecked after a slogfest on the golf course last night. To make matters worse the person I was meant to meet never showed. Headed off solo and have to say was most enjoyable run for a long time. Just ran by feel and after easing into it the splits dropped and kept dropping. Only the one Hail Mary of a shower as well which was a bonus

pistol_75

Friday 14th June

6.05K
Avg Pace: 5:51
Avg Hr: 123

Recovery run this evening lucky enough as wouldn't want to be trying to do much else. More like January than June but still enjoyed being out in it. Long run in the morning.

pistol_75

Saturday 15th June

22.71Km

Avg Pace: 5:39
Avg Hr: 123

Met up with Chinguetti for a long run on Sat morning from the environs of Croke Park along the canal as far as Ashtown. From there we headed into the Park and did a few K's on trail/grass before making our way back out the Ashtown gate and back where we came from. Lovely morning for a run and apart from a few roads to cross a lovely route. Wasn't really putting pass on the pace which is the advantage of running and chatting with someone. HR went a but wonky for the last few K's I reckon cause it wasn't that low for the whole run.

Sunday 16th June

6K

Avg Pace: 6:06
Avg Hr: 128

Just a handy recovery run as prescribed in the plan. Nothing exciting to report.

average_runner

pistol_75 wrote: »

Saturday 15th June

22.71Km

Avg Pace: 5:39
Avg Hr: 123

Met up with Chinguetti for a long run on Sat morning from the environs of Croke Park along the canal as far as Ashtown. From there we headed into the Park and did a few K's on trail/grass before making our way back out the Ashtown gate and back where we came from. Lovely morning for a run and apart from a few roads to cross a lovely route. Wasn't really putting pass on the pace which is the advantage of running and chatting with someone. HR went a but wonky for the last few K's I reckon cause it wasn't that low for the whole run.

Sunday 16th June

6K

Avg Pace: 6:06
Avg Hr: 128

Just a handy recovery run as prescribed in the plan. Nothing exciting to report.

Keeping the heart rate very low. Runs that comfortable? Even had a great rate at 8 min pace earlier.

pistol_75

average_runner wrote: »

Keeping the heart rate very low. Runs that comfortable? Even had a great rate at 8 min pace earlier.

It registered around 100 for the last 5K on Saturday so that was a blip but overall happy with what it's showing. My max HR would be quite low though anyway compared to some.

average_runner

pistol_75 wrote: »

It registered around 100 for the last 5K on Saturday so that was a blip but overall happy with what it's showing. My max HR would be quite low though anyway compared to some.

Looks good. All going to plan for u?

pistol_75

Tuesday 18th June - Club session

3.87K w/u including stretches and a couple of laps of bends easy/straights hard.

2 sets of (1x1000,2 min rec,1x800, 2 min rec,1x600) w/4 min between sets. These were to be done at 10K pace as coach said he was taking it handy on us before Dunshaughlin.

Splits were (4:21,3:25,2:27,4:22,3:26,2:22)

Happy with how this went and felt controlled enough throughout, except for an eyeballs out sprint with someone for the last 50M of the last rep.

2.66K w/d to bring it up to 12K for the session in total.

chinguetti

Those last couple of miles after we came off the canal on Saturday are a pain as the junctions are busy and break up any flow you have going with your run. Its a handy run though as you get to the Park without much traffic and its usually quiet, apart from the odd swan or two:pac:

pistol_75

chinguetti wrote: »

Those last couple of miles after we came off the canal on Saturday are a pain as the junctions are busy and break up any flow you have going with your run. Its a handy run though as you get to the Park without much traffic and its usually quiet, apart from the odd swan or two:pac:

I know if it's not Seagulls it's Swans :rolleyes:

chinguetti

pistol_75 wrote: »

I know if it's not Seagulls it's Swans :rolleyes:

The Birdman of Balbriggan:D

pistol_75

Wednesday 19th June

16.4K

Avg Pace: 5:40
Avg HR: 127

Moved this run forward a day as had more time than I will today and maybe with the intention of sneaking in a race at the weekend. Met with one of the lads from the club and took in a nice hilly route at an easy pace. Felt the session the night before in the legs for the last mile or so but no real issues apart from that. Hr very low again for some reason and not a correct reading for sure.