One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Ferris B

OK …here goes…I’m going to bare my soul to the boards running community. Don’t be expecting Christopher McDougall and ‘Born to Run’ , this will be more like the RTE Guide.

The purpose of this log is to keep tabs on myself and my niggles and possibly pick up a few snippets of advice along the way from the more experienced running folk who lurk around these quarters.

I’m a 46 yr old over pronating, 5’ 6 ¾ “, heel striking runner shuffler with a less than perfect running gait who harbours lofty ambitions (delusions?) to complete the Conn Ultra in April 2014.

My running career started in early 2010 with the Raheny 5 when running seeds were sown and I caught the running bug. Since then things have progressed surprising smoothly (niggles aside)with a PB every time ( bar 1) I’ve completed an event which has included 5 mile runs, 10k’s, half marathons and marathons. I’m realistic enough to realise that this trend can’t go on like this forever but for the moment… I’m going to ride this wave….

Marathon History
DCM 2011 03:42:12 (‘FIRST’ training programme)
DCM 2012 03:29:07 ( ‘FIRST’ programme again but less the speed wk due to niggles)
Cork 2013 03:25:25 (‘FIRST’ prog plus extra running days). A fast ½ mara (1:28:15) was run 2 wks prior to this which may have affected marathon performance.
DCM 2013 03:12:22 (P&D 18wk /55m )

PB’s
5 mile 33:50
10k 41:36 ( yes, quite slow, have run 40:01 in training)
½ marathon 1:28:03
Marathon 3:12:22

I’m not a speed merchant and seem to prefer the longer distances hence the next target is the Conn Ultra. I gather in ‘real’ Ultra terms it’s only a ‘baby’ ultra but heck, it’s long enough for me and I’ve got to start somewhere.

A few threads I’ve read on boards on training for Connemara Ultra, have suggested an amended marathon programme as being the way to approach it. However I found a book by Bryon Powell which contains a handy 24 wk programme for a 40 mile + race. This programme goes to a max distance of 50k which ties in nicely with Donadea 50k which I think I’ll have a go at and use it as a training run. There’s an option of training to a max of either 50m/wk or 70m/wk and I haven’t quite decided which one to do but am leaning towards 70m.

Currently I’m just doing recovery runs post DCM but plan to jump Mr Powell’s programme in wk 5. The programme allows for cutting in at wk 5 for folks who have just finished a marathon.

Total mileage last week post DCM: 14m (all 8:00/8:30 ish pace)

Runs this week (all easy , recovery runs) :

Tues 6m 8:42 pace
Wed 5.5m 8:20 pace
Thurs 7.3m 8:17 pace
Sat 7m 8:38 pace HR 133
Sun 7m 8:18 pace HR 136

PS The intention is that future posts will have less waffle and be shorter and to the point.

Ferris B

Injured already:mad:!! My very first post after starting my log is to record a calf strain which cropped up during an easy run on a regular 5m loop yesterday. (Hope this isn't some Boards curse I wasn't aware of!) Thought it was another niggle and that after a mile or two it would ease out but got worse I cut the run short after 2 miles and limped home for some RICE.

At least if you're going to get an injury it's not a bad time in wk 2 of a 24 wk programme. I have the advantage (sometimes!) that my OH is a physio so got some work done on the leg this morning and will ease up on running for a couple of days with my good friend, the ice pack.

I had a similar injury last yr and it clear up reasonably quickly.

Only good news to report is after much deliberating I signed up for Berlin in Sept 2014 having received 1st round offer. OH was keen to go too (as a non running tourist) so flights now booked and it's in the diary.

I wonder does anyone else start eating crap as soon as they get injured? Have to get out of that habit.

Monday: Core work for 30 mins.
Tuesday: 5m Easy run abandoned after 2 miles due to calf strain.

FBOT01

Bummer.....but it is indeed good news about Berlin. You should have plenty of time to recover after Connemara and break the 3hr barrier on the World Record course!

alexanderomahon

Any idea what caused the calf strain? Which part of calf was it? I'm interested as working through one at moment and my OH is not a physio

Ferris B

alexanderomahon wrote: »

Any idea what caused the calf strain? Which part of calf was it? I'm interested as working through one at moment and my OH is not a physio

I was wondering myself what the cause might be. My reckoning is that I had a weakness there already which was exposed by my efforts in the marathon. It only came to light post marathon (lucky for me) when the body is in a fragile state and prone to injury. Possibly i didn't give myself enough rest before running again even though all running post DCM has been at recovery level.

The area that's affected is my 'gastrocnemius' muscle in the left calf. (pain is about 3" below knee and to left of centre). It's more than just a niggle and I know if I keep running on it it will get worse. For that reason I'm stopping running (which I find difficult to do) till it's sorted as if it moves from a strain to a partial tear/tear it could take weeks or even months to fix.

To fix it I'm using the age old PRICE technique which should work. I'll probably also do some gentle work with the foam roller on the affected area.

Sometimes it can help if you put a heel lift into your shoe/runner of the affected leg (piece of cardboard under heel can work) to relieve pressure on the calf and allow it to heal.

Note of caution..this is what I'm doing and is not any medical advice.

Hope you're on the mend soon.

Ferris B

Had some dry needling done on the calf yesterday. Not the most pleasant experience but I've had it a few times and am kind of getting used to it. The deep tissue battering on the calf just after the needles brought tears to my eyes though:(. Hopefully will speed up healing process. Calf certainly feels better today although bit sore from work done.

Had very interesting discussion with physio re concept of (P)RICE. Apparently ice does not promote healing but in fact can hinder it. Heat and muscle activation are apparently what's needed. Have read a bit about it since and it seems to make sense to my simple mind. So RICE is out and MEAT (Movement Excercise Analgesics Treatment) is in. One article is here for anyone interested.

http://www.caringmedical.com/sports-injuries/meat-vs-rice-treatment/

Ferris B

Sat: Was up at the Park run in St Annes sat morning giving Killerz & crew a hand. I was even trusted with a scanner. Good enthusiastic crowd turned out in perfect conditions which was good to see.

Got home and tried an easy 4 mile to check the calf. ( ran back to st annes to pay for the coffees I neglected to pay for after parkrun!!) All ok for 2 miles and then the calf started complaining again. Will have to put away runners for another few days.

Sun: Felt I needed to do something so went out on the bike to Howth summit and back and felt better for doing it. Felt jealous every time I saw a runner! Did some core work when I got back.

Ferris B

Not a good week running wise. Tested calf on wed eve with a gentle 1.5 m and all was good. So headed out thurs with 7m in mind but pulled up after 1m :mad: and hobbled home. Decided I need to extend rest for at least another 5/6 days.

With the reduced running I made a conscious effort to increase strength & conditioning which I did daily as I reckon this will be important for Donadea and Conn.

On sat headed out as lead bike for the 5m in Clontarf. (half and 5m was on). Cold day but good running conditions. Winner of the 5m finished in a very impressive 27:19. Hope I didn't frighten too many pedestrians/ dog walkers while I cleared the route as path was not closed off. Worst offenders were the headphone wearing runners we met on the rtn section. Despite my frantic shouts and waves they seemed oblivious to what was going on around them. (end of rant).

On Sun headed out to howth summit on the bike again to give the heart some exercise.

Wed: 1.5m (test run on calf)
Thurs: 2m (calf not right, cut run short)

Ferris B

Ahh..back running again

Rested Mon, Tues and had physio work on calf (with some dry needling) on Wed. Headed out for normal 5 mile loop on thurs. Calf felt a bit tight after 2 miles so reduced stride length a touch which seemed to do the trick. Completed 5m, very happy to be running again.

Ran 8m easy on fri. Thought about a doing some strides but decided not to push my luck. Legs felt ok though.

Decided fri night to give the park run (st annes) a bash on sat am to clear a few cobwebs. Plan was to start easyish and if legs still felt ok to push on. Needless to say I didn't start easy but still monitored the calf. After the first 0.5 mile though, I completely forgot about injury and found myself in race mode. I deliberately didn't look at watch but just tried to latch onto whoever was nearby running at similar pace so I wouldn't be isolated. Managed 3 steadyish miles (6:09, 6:12, 6:03) and even picked it up for the last dash for 18:56 which turned out to be first in my age grp!:D. Was more pleased though, that there wasn't a murmur from the calf. My support crew (2 kids and dog) were quick to point out that I dropped a place (7th to 8th) between 1st and 2nd laps!!

Before weekend I had in my mind to do a 12m (ish) lsr on sat or sun. So while still on a little high from the morning, decided to go out for 10 in the evening. Legs were a bit tired on the return 5. Happy to get 13 done for the day.

Rested today (sunday) as legs were a little tender.

Will have to re-adjust my programme for Conn Ulta slightly due to missing 2 weeks. The plan orginally included for 9 x 20m+ runs (over 24 weeks) but I don't want to ramp up the mileage too quick so will probably cancel the first 20 miler and build up to the next one instead.

M: Rest
T: Rest
W: Rest
T: 5m 8:30
F: 8m 8:20 HR:132
Sat (am) 3.1m 6:07 HR 178
Sat (pm) 10m 8:33 HR 143
Sun: Rest

Ferris B

w/e 8/12/13

First full week of training post dcm. All went well although didn't do any speedwork yet as but will hopefully get that going next week. Added in some uphill strides on Thursdays run though, to add some variety as each days pace was getting a bit repetitive. Long run on sat was reduced to 15 as the programme is slightly modified to reflect missing best part of 2 weeks.

When I originally mentioned the 'ultra plan' to my OH, after the initial 'don't be stupid' response and when it sunk in that I was serious, the next comment was ..' well if you're going to do that you need to get yourself checked out. So on friday, I had myself a stress/exercise test. Had to run on a treadmill which increased in elevation and pace every three mins all the while hooked up to a monitor which spat out pages and pages of lovely graphs. Interesting and worthwhile experience and more importantly, I got that all clear although the doc did question my sanity!

M: Rest
T: 8m 8:36
W: 6m 8:33
T: 8m (w/4 x 120m hill strides) 8:02
F: rest (other than 15 min treadmill for stress test)
S: 15m (incl howth hill) 8:36
S: 8m 8:15

Total for week 45.5

Ferris B

w/e: 16/12/13

Another good week of running. 10m easy on tuesday. Headed inland away from normal coastal (v flat) route so as to introduce some variety in elevation. Was convinced garmin was acting up in the first mile as the effort felt like 8min pace but the garmin let me know it was 8:40 pace! (I could nearly hear the garmin laughing at me) The watch was probably right and maybe I was tired. Felt better later in run.

Joined running buddy for 6.5m easy pace loop around St Annes on wed lunchtime. Running in company is definitely easier. We are trying to see what runs we can share as we're on different programs with different targets.

Re introduced some speedwork into thursday's 8m lunchtime run on the seafront with 5x600. Was happy enough with splits (5:54, 5:59, 5:53, 6:03, 6:06). Left hamstring was getting tight for last two so slowed a little. I don't like intervals and I am wondering if they are any good for an ultra. Maybe I'm looking for excuses not to do them!

Long run (18m) on sat morning was after a fri night of poker and wine with some friends. Out to howth, up and over hill and back down thru howth village. Cut inland a bit on return leg. Definitely felt sluggish in parts and some nasty wind conditions didn't make it easy. Took two gels en route as I knew I was tired. Felt good following after run though which was just as well as I had promised the younger daughter a trip to town.

I've run Raheny 5 for last 3 years (it was my first real race). Trying to figure out whether or not I should do it in new yr (jan '14) as it doesn't fit in with programme and I have a lot of mileage that weekend. It's a great race though and would be a shame to miss and I've PB'd it each time. Will have to see nearer the time.

M: Rest
T: 10m (8:20)
W: 6.6m (8:15)
T: 8m (w/5x600, Ave 7:54)
F: Rest
S: 18.2m (8:32)
S: 8m (8:12)

Total for week 51. Step back week next week.

Ferris B

w/e 22/12/13

Reduced mileage this week started with 8m on tues. Ran 3 faster m's mid run as a sort of tempo to vary things. Recovery 5 on wed on the normal loop bordering st annes. 7 m run with 8 strides on hill in st annes on thurs.

Decided to break up lsr on sat into two. Did park run in am in st annes dressed in full santa suit to mark the occassion. Ran at an easy pace with running buddy who was acting as a 25min pacer per suggestion from Killerz. Good craic was had. Completed the lsr in the afternoon with a 12m run again with running buddy. We headed s'side for a change and got lashed on. Maybe it was a sign from the south side gods!! Finished up with 6 m recovery on sunday before the week of christmas busy-ness begins.

M: Rest
T: 8m , 8:0 pace
W: 5.3, 8.25 pace
T: 7.2m, 8:0 pace (w/ 8 strides)
S: 3.1 m, 8:0 pace (park run) & 12m, 8:19 pace
S: 6m, 8:24 pace

Total for week: 42m

Ferris B

w/e 29/12/13

Considering the week that it was I managed to get in all my prescribed mileage. After mondays rest, headed out for a 10m Christmas eve 7 am run with running buddy.

On Christmas day Having weighed the turkey and figured out oven timings, I worked out I could manage 6 on christmas morning, taking in the Goal Mile in St Annes and still get the dinner made. I ran the long way to the Goal Mile. Good crowd turned up. Didn't go all out and ran at a pleasant 10k ish pace.

Woke early St Stephens day and got out running by 7.30 as the weather was due to get nasty later. It's my fav time of day when hardly anyone is about. Ran 8 with 5 tempo in the middle. Was delighted to get the tempo 5 under 7min pace (ave) considering all the excesses of the day before.

On sat after timing duty at the Park Run, I headed out for my first 20m lsr of this programme. As howth quite similar to the final climb in conn ultra I decided to take it in and do the hill twice. I had the company of running buddy for the first climb before he headed off. Ended up doing nearly 21. On the last few, the legs felt quite tired... not a surprise I guess.

After far too much vino tinto on sat night I managed 10 miles on late Sunday afternoon. Wore my brand new compression tights (Christmas Present) which I definitely think helped get me round. Mind you the effects of the vino and a late night ruby murray had me running for the cover in st annes mid run!!:mad: Suffice to say, it just as well it was dark!

M: Rest
T: 10m, 8:21
W: 6.2 m (inc Goal 'Mile' @ 6:24 pace)
T: 8 m (inc 5 tempo @ 6:51 pace)
F: Rest
S: 20.9 , 8:28 pace
S: 9.9. 8:25 pace

Total for week: 55.2m

AuldManKing

Super running. Great log, just game upon it tonight.

Ferris B

w/e: 5/1/14

I picked up a cold which hampered me a bit this week.:mad: No form of speed work was done as my breathing was a bit laboured and I reckoned there was no point. I also dropped the recovery run on Wednesday as I felt sh!te and also the weather was pretty crap too. The weekend lsr was moved from sat to Sunday just to give myself another easier day.

I had decided to do the lsr in the Phoenix Park as a change to up and down howth. As I was going to be on my own for 22/24m I had a quick glance on the Boards Group Training Sessions and found Belcarra looking for company. My OH gave me a funny look when I told her on Sunday am I was heading to the park to meet a bloke I met on the internet!! Anyway I met my date for the morning who was excellent company for 16 miles before he called it day after a very impressive 70+ mile week. Belcarra was able to share a few ultra stories/warnings which are useful before I head down that path. The weather looked horrendous at the start but within a half an hour it cleared up and actually turned out to be great running conditions, if a little windy. I ran 24 miles which is my longest training run ever. Felt a bit jaded at about mile 21 but got a second wind and pushed on and finished in good condition, pleased with my mornings work. We spotted a few handy runners along the way incI Fionnuala Britton, Gary O’ Hanlon and Killerz of this parish. Must be a good place to train.

Although the weeks total was slightly down on what it should be, it turned out ok in the end considering how I felt on wed.

M: Rest day
T: 14 m, 8:20 pace
W: Forced rest, sick.
T: 8m, 8:23 pace (no speedwork)
F: Rest day
S: 10.3, 8:10 pace
S: 24m, 8:22 pace

Total for week 56.6m

belcarra

Ferris B wrote: »

We spotted a few handy runners along the way incI Fionnuala Britton, Gary O’ Hanlon and Killerz of this parish. Must be a good place to train.

Killerz should be happy with that sentence!!
Enjoyable run, must ensure it's not a one date fling!:D

Ferris B

My programme has this week as a recovery, step-back week with no speedwork. However having done no fast running last week due to a bit of cold I decided to added in some strides in tuesdays 10m run. I usually do these on a 140m incline in st annes. Times for strides were fairly consistent at 28,29,28,29,29,29,30,27,27,27. I was joined on the last three by regular running buddy, hence the faster times.

Wednesday's 6 m recovery run was run at 8:29min/m pace. This is probably a bit fast and the intention was to run slower (8:45/9:00). I had hoped to run using HR as a guide but HR strap is still giving spurious readings. Will have to work on my slow running discipline.

Thurs,with no speedwork was a pleasant general aerobic 8m at 8:17min/m pace with running buddy.

I've recently joined a local gym with the intention of work on core and general strength/conditioning. I feel like the preverbial stick insect amongst the muscle heads but I remind myself I'm not there for pumping serious iron. I'm a novice as regards the gym so I 've got a bit of guidance from cross fit trainer who knows runners needs. He has me doing all sorts of bendy stretches and some light weights. It's really only started this week. My flexibility is not great and stretching at home is a bit hit 'n miss, so hopefully this will and add a bit of discipline (there's that 'd' word again!).

M: Gym 1hr (more familiarisation than workout)
T: 10.8 m , 8:16 pace (w/ 10 strides)
W: 6m recovery, 8:29 pace
T: 8.3m, 8:17 pace

Heading to donadea sat am for a recce with Ultraman.:eek: Looking forward to it.:)

Ferris B

Saturday 11/1/14: I took advantage of an opportunity, courtesy of Ultraman to do a recce of the donadea course on a cool sat am. Up at 5.30am for breakfast, I headed to donadea for 8am. Along with UM there was a few members from Donadea AC (on their regular run) and Le Cheile. We did a couple of loops of the 5k track before heading out on the road for a very icy jog of the 'Staplestown' loop (6m). The conditions on the road reduced the pace considerably. Having survived 1 loop of the 'Staplestown Luge' we headed back to the comfort of the forest where UM took our reduced group of 4 on a bit of a trail run ('muck and sh!te route') for about .75m before rejoining the forest track. This small intro to trail running was great. It takes a bit of concentration though but I wouldn't mind doing a bit more of it.

I had planned to finish after about 16m but the offer of a hot drink for the price of another 4k was impossible to resist so we headed to a fantastic little 'Hansel and Gretel' like cafe in the middle of the forest where UM, Liam (le Cheile) and myself got a very welcome mug of hot chocolate.:D A great way to end a very pleasant run. These guys have done Conn ultra a few times so it was good to get their thoughts on the run.

On Sunday, after a good 1.5 hrs walk with dog and kids in st annes where they ran up and down just about every the hill in the park, I headed back there for a gentle 8m run. I took a couple miles off the programmed amt as I'd run a few extra yesterday. There was XC masters race on at the time so I stopped for a bit to watch the runners. Some fast guys there in tough conditions. I'm not sure I'd be tempted by XC racing.

Sat: 18.7m, 8:54 pace
Sun: 8.2m, 8:30 pace

Total for week:52.3

Killerz

Ferris B wrote: »

..... We spotted a few handy runners along the way incI Fionnuala Britton, Gary O’ Hanlon and Killerz of this parish. Must be a good place to train......

belcarra wrote: »

Killerz should be happy with that sentence!!
Enjoyable run, must ensure it's not a one date fling!:D

Oooohh, how nice to be in the same sentence as those guys. If only I was in the same league! I think the Phoenix Park is a great spot. I'll either do my long runs out to Howth and include one or two laps of Alpe d'Howth before returning, or else run out along the Royal Canal, do some miles in the Park and back again - mixes things up nicely.

Fair play for getting 24 miles in - that will stand to you big time!

Ferris B

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference Mr R Frost

I have a pair of Adidas Kanadia's trail runners sitting in spotless at home for the last 2 years. The mileage on them is about 8 miles and they keep looking at me from the wardrobe pleading to be taken out. Today's programme had some form of speedwork to do but the sun was shining, it was a balmy 8 deg, so I decided to head to Howth and go exploring 'off piste' with my shiny, lonely trail shoes. I had a ball. I ran 10m in all which was made up of a few loops of the peaks surrounding the golf club and finishing with a couple of miles back along the cliff walk. My route on Garmin connect looks like spiders web with the various routes I took including a few cul de sacs. I think Robert Frost would be proud.:)

It certainly felt like a great workout with calves and thighs complaining regularly and the heart was certainly tested. Views were spectacular from the peaks which added to the run. Got back to the car, manky dirty, injury free, v pleased with my efforts to find my ave pace was 9:57 m/min :eek: WTF! This trail running lark is tough, particularly when there's a few mountains hills to negotiate.

I didn't use my orthotics for this run (first time in 3 yrs), the thinking being that I should let my feet just roll with the terrain and not be 'held in place'. So far no reactions.

Note to self: when going trail running, make sure to bring a big back plastic bag to change into for the drive home!

In other news....last Tuesday also had me up in howth with FBOT01 (the artist runner formally known as my running buddy, a recent convert to this parish). This time it was on the road though. We summited howth and managed 14 miles. Even though pace was easyish (8:26) , I felt shattered afterwards.

Wednesday was recovery and was disciplined to keep it nice and slow at (8:48).

M: Gym: Core work, 1 hr
T: 14m (8:26 ave)
W: Gym (core wk, 1 hr) 6m (8:48 ave)
T: 10.4 (9:57 ave)

DogSlySmile

Just catching up on the log now, good stuff so far! Are you still following Powells program? I'm trying to decide between ultra schedules at the minute but feel that Powell is a little light on speed work so not sure wether to give it a go. How are you finding it?

Btw, seeing as you do a lot of running in Howth there is an IMRA race up there this Sunday, might be of interest yo ya.

Ferris B

DogSlySmile wrote: »

Just catching up on the log now, good stuff so far! Are you still following Powells program? I'm trying to decide between ultra schedules at the minute but feel that Powell is a little light on speed work so not sure wether to give it a go. How are you finding it?

Btw, seeing as you do a lot of running in Howth there is an IMRA race up there this Sunday, might be of interest yo ya.

Hi there SlyDogSmile. Yep, I'm still relying on Powell to get me through Conn. I moved a couple of the long runs around though to allow for Donadea which appears 2 weeks earlier than the program suggests. I know a lot of folk around here say a modified marathon prog should be good enough for Conn but as I don't have much running experience (and no previous ultra experience) I went with a already prepared program which should be more than enough for conn (it caters for 40-70 mile races)

I agree with you as to the reduced amount of speedwork. There seems to be some debate out there as to how necessary it is for ultra distances. I guess it's certainly not needed for the likes of 50 mile plus unless you're at the sharp end. Powell seems to suggest it's not absolutely necessary but reckons it'll do no harm if you do it - he kind of sits on the fence. Based on my own limited marathon experience I do think the speedwork will help, even over 39 miles. I decided to stick in some strides in the medium long mid week run and do tempos on the speedwork day.

I'll let you know on April 6th at about 2.30/3.00 pm if it's any good.:D

Thanks for info on the imra in howth. I will be in howth but I'll be doing a 22/24 mile lsr. Hoping too get in 2 or 3 laps of the hill (on the road). Might have a look at the imra stuff again though.

What are your own ultra plans?

DogSlySmile

Yeah I appreciate the way Powell gives you the pro's and cons of adding speedwork to a schedule but when you are heading into training for an ultra it can be quite daunting so sometimes you just want someone to say 'this is the correct way to train!' But I suppose its like training for any other distance - there are lots of different view points on what is the most effective way to train for each distance.

I have a few races on the horizon this year: Wicklow Way Ultra, Full Wicklow Way race or Mourne Way Ultra (havent decided which one yet), Lakelands 50 and CCC.

I'm yet to pin down a schedule. I might try and adapt a mara schedule or I might try this schedule. It seems to have a good mix of speedwork and back to back long runs.

Ferris B

DogSlySmile wrote: »

It seems to have a good mix of speedwork and back to back long runs.

You must subscribe to the back to back long runs as opposed to longer long run plus recovery runs following day. Do you find it works. Any issues with injuries? I need to decide in next couple of weeks which way I go as Powell has a few b2b's lined up for me but i'm tempted to just do one long run followed by maybe just 10ish the next day

That 100k program looks daunting. I don't like being prescribed hrs of running though, prefer mileage.

Wouldn't mind a go a the ww ultra some time. Must look it up.

DogSlySmile

Yea I'm a fan of b2b runs. Found them great last year when I was training for the Mourne Way Ultra (50 miles). Think the longest b2b run I did was 26m on a saturday followed by another 26m on the sunday. Which is probably overkill for a 50 miler tbh but I was building towards a charity run that was 240k over 3 days. I got injured during that event but I think it was down to not getting enough runs in on the road, I much prefer to get out onto the trails for longer runs.

Yea I would prefer to have the schedule laid out in miles rather than time but its not so bad to run to time. I do a lot of my long runs as an out-and-back on the Dublin Mountains Way so you just head outbound for 2 hours and then turn around and head home. Its all about time on your feet as they say thing is you quickly find out how many miles you can run in 3,4,5 hrs etc so if you want to think about it in miles alone you can.

The WW Ultra is a fantastic race I would highly recommend it.

Ferris B

w/e 19/1/14

Saturday: Early morning (6.30am) 12 mile run. Had to be back for helping at park run (st annes) and also wanted to get plenty of rest time before long run on sunday. Started off cool and dry but then the rain came down and didn't stop:(. Picked up the pace a bit for this one and averaging 8:09 which is near to what I'm thinking of running in Donadea. Calfs calves backs of legs were a bit tight after my mountain goat exploits on thurs but they didn't bother me too much.

Sunday: Linked up with Killerz for this one and headed back to Howth (3rd time this week!) Plan was to run 22-24 miles with at least 2 climbs of Howth. We went over the top and down the other side the first time. We used the old tram route on the descent (a new route for me, thnx killerz) which less less steep than the route via the village and easier on the knees. Back to sutton cross and headed back up the hill. Refilled the water in the summit shop and headed for home back tehy way we came. Ended up running 24.5 miles and the only time I felt really tired was on the last 1/2 mile. Great run with good company.

I have re jigged my program so I can fit in Raheny 5 next week. It being an anniversary race (30th?) I decided I should make the effort. Not sure if it'll be a PB this yr though with all the mileage being run but the plan is to go an enjoy it.

S: 12m, 8:09 ave
S: 24.5m 8:42 ave

Total for week: 67m ( think this is my biggest weekly mileage,:D)

Ferris B

Tuesday: Having decided to enter Raheny at the end of the week I moved my speedwork day (there's one a week) forward from thursday to tuesday. Rather than a tempo run I reckoned it would be good to wake up the legs with some intervals. The session chosen was 8x800 (90s interval) purely cos it was already set up in the watch and no reprogramming was needed! FBOT01 also had 'desire' for intervals so we hammered them out together (well me a few secs behind him). Just as well though as I would have faded on my own. I had in mind to try keep them at 5:55 - 6:05 pace but after my 24+ lsr on sunday I wasn't sure what would happen. Splits worked out at:
3:02, 3:03, 3:03, 3:02, 3:06:mad:, 2:57, 2:59, 3:00 which wasn't too bad.
I can't say I enjoy these sessions and think of them as a necessary evil but it was great to get them done and recovered fairly quickly with a 2m warm down.

Wednesday was a recovery run, again with FBOT01. I'm getting more disciplined at keeping the pace nice and easy. 6m at 9:01

Thursday. I was toying with the idea of dropping a session to rest myself for Sunday but the very sensible title of AuldManKing's log came to mind....Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing! So with Conn Ultra back in my mind I headed to Howth again for a 14m run. Mid run i decided to push it to 16m and swap it with saturdays lsr. The first 6/7 m were a bit of a drag but half way up howth I started feeling better for some reason and actually picked up the pace a bit for the the last 2 uphill miles. I returned home via the old tram route, howth harbour, sutton X, seafront and up howth rd. While it was a fairly long 'mid week' run I'll only have 14 to do on sat after a rest day on friday.

M: gym, 1hr
T: 10m (w /8X800, 90s int) 8:00 ave
W: gym 1 hr; 6m, 9:01 ave
T: 16.2m, 8:17 ave

Ferris B

Saturday 25th. 11m lsr + 5k Park Run.

With 14m to do, I decided to run the last few as part of the park run (st annes) so I’d have a bit of company. Ran the first 11 at a steady 8.30min pace. There was a good tailwind as I headed out from clontarf towards sutton so turned inland for return trip to the park. A couple of loops of the park had me at the start of the park run with about 10 mins to spare. I had planned to keep my pace at 8-8.30 for this but once christeb signalled the start, the brain switched off, raheny 5 was forgotten about, adrenalin kicked in and I found myself tipping away at 6:15 ish pace :eek:. During that first mile I re evaluated my pace and pulled it back to 6.30 min/m . I basically decided (probably unwisely) I may as well finish what I started. I’m not sure about my thinking as it was never going to be near a pb(18:56) and I had raheny the next day. Anyway I maintained the pace and came in just under 20min in 11th place (1st in category ). As I came down the back straight I do recall Raheny coming back into my mind and thinking ‘oops, was that wise?!’

Splits for the 3 miles were 6:26, 6:29, 6:31.

Sunday 26th: 10m incl Raheny 5.

The legs defintely felt heavy sunday am so I wasn’t overly confident about what I could achieve in raheny. I ran the long way from the house to the start which gave me about a 3.5m warm up. There was a great buzz about the place as I was running up watermill rd with buses unloading runners from all parts. Met up with FBOT01 and we had a brief jog just before the start. Also had a chat with KielyUnusual and wished him well. My pre race plan was to run sub 6:45 pace which would give me a pb (33:50) and I would be happy with that considering all the recent mileage and the park run the day before. FBOT01 was aiming for sub 6:20 pace so pre race, I decided not to try running with him and do my own thing. The race started with the usual hustle and bustle with people trying to establish a good place. Again there were far too many slower runners up near the front which meant a bit of ducking and diving. After the first half mile I checked the watch...6:10 pace...sh!t…that’s not the plan. However I was feeling ok. The stretch along howth rd was tough and I tried to get stuck behind other runners for shelter. The pace slowed here a bit and I was a bit boxed in but I didn’t know whether to jump to the next group and lose the benefit of the drafting. I had stopped looking at the watch at this stage and was trying to run more by feel. Then I saw FBOT01 about 20 yards ahead and I thought….’I’m up near him, I’m going too fast (for me) but I don’t feel awful’. Spurred on my some familiar faces in the crowd (incl OH and kids) I caught up with FBOT01 on mt prospect rd (2.5m) and we had a brief chat and we actually stayed together until the last 600m when he started winding up for an impressive final sprint. Legs started to burn heading up watermill rd but I don’t think pace dropped off too much. Can’t remember if I was passing others or being passed but I just tried to keep the pace steady. I knew I wouldn’t have any energy for a sprint finish but managed to hold my pace and crossed the finish for a very unexpected 31:01.:D:D:D. It’s funny but after the initial elation, I was slightly disappointed for not getting under the 31min. That didn't last though. Met a few others after the race incl Killerz. Everyone appear to be happy with their times which was good considering the windy conditions. Finshed off with a 2 mile cool down easy jog afterwards before a well deserved pint.:)

On reflection, I was very pleased with my performance. It also gave me an indication what I could possibly achieve with some targeted training.

A very well run race and top marks to all the volunteers.

Splits for the race: 6:08, 6:25, 6:04, 6:03, 6:07.

Anyway back to the long stuff for me now with the focus on Donadea in 3 wks.

F: Core work in gym, 1 hr
S: 11m (8:31) & 5k park run (19:56, 6:28ave)
S: 3.4m (8:22) wu; 5 mile race (31:01, 6:08 ave); 2.1 m cd (8:47)

Total for the week: 57.2m

belcarra

Great going C! Far more to come from you indeed. That was obvious from that LSR in the Park.
Should smash through a few PBs when you get the long stuff out of the way!

Ferris B

belcarra wrote: »

Great going C! Far more to come from you indeed. That was obvious from that LSR in the Park.
Should smash through a few PBs when you get the long stuff out of the way!

The 'long stuff' is the target now. Don't like these short heavy breathing distances.

Looks like your own finish time is close to your 8k PB you ran recently 'outside the pale'.

belcarra

Ferris B wrote: »

Looks like your own finish time is close to your 8k PB you ran recently 'outside the pale'.

Yep, very much a similar pace on both runs.
There were so many at the race yesterday that I never saw it's crazy!

AuldManKing

Super run in Raheny. Nice work.

Ferris B

Tuesday 28th

The body was tired after the weekends exertions so I was thankful of rest day on Monday. Flirted with the idea of swapping 6m Wednesdays rec run withTuesday. If I was on my own I might have. Ended up doing 12 steady miles with FBOT01 taking in a tour of killester, Marino, drumcondra, finglas & glasnevin. Tiring run and pleased when it was over.

Wednesday 29th

After an hr in the gym doing to core work and juggling kettle bells ( badly) headed out for a recovery 6m along the seafront with FBOT01. The pace was 9:12 and couldn't have run much faster.

Thursday 30th

A couple of good nights sleep had the legs in better form today. With back to back runs coming up at the weekend there was no speed work. Upped the pace a bit to do 10 at 8:00 pace. The city council were out placing several large pumps in place along seafront in preparation for more unpleasant weather due sat / sun. Could be a couple of interesting LSR s. Garmin wouldn't up load for some reason even though I can see run on summary page on watch.

M core wk,1 hr
T 12m, 8:34
W core wk, 1 hr; 6m, 9:12
T 10m, 8:00

belcarra

I had to hurdle the large sandbags myself last night. Easy at the beginning but much tougher at the end of my session!

Ferris B

belcarra wrote: »

I had to hurdle the large sandbags myself last night. Easy at the beginning but much tougher at the end of my session!

Only to be done under the cover of darkness in case it all goes pear shaped!

belcarra

Ferris B wrote: »

Only to be done under the cover of darkness in case it all goes pear shaped!

The trick is to ensure you avoid your foot getting caught by the sandbag handles or you will get snagged and then it becomes 'interesting'!

Ferris B

Saturday 1st Feb
22m at 8:34 (w/ howth hill x 3)

After some cold and wet timekeeping at the parkrun it was time for my first lsr of the weekend. I decided hills were required and with only one decent hill on the northside (howth) I reckoned I'd do it 3 times. I took the car as far as sutton and parked by the church. As I was running by the car twice I had the opportunity to top up supplies and also to try out flat coke mid run which is something I haven't done before although I decided to save the coke till the third loop in case it didn't agree with me. While the weather was not good it was really only the first 1/2 mile of each loop that caused any issue as that was most exposed to the winds and sea spray. I took in part of baldoyle as part of the first loop to make up the mileage. The other two loops turned at sutton cross. The two most difficult parts of the run occurred at mile 2 when the body felt very tired (probably just at the thoughts of starting a weekend of long mileage) but also about mile 18 where there was a definite temptation to spend my emergency tenner on a sneaky pint in the summit bar. ...I didn't but someday....;)
The flat coke, while a welcome change from water didn't give me any noticeable boost. I haven't ruled it out though for conn and may use it as a kind of treat in a late drop bag.

Sunday 2nd Feb
17.5m @ 8:26 pace

I'd originally planned for this for the morning in the P Park but my other life (ie non running) took priority at the last minute and it was postponed till 5pm which actually gave the legs the benefit of another 7 hours of recovery from sat. I kept the route to the flat and ran the coast from clontarf to seapoint (and back) with a little bit of the quays in the middle. The legs held up quite well which I was pleased with. The only issues were negotiating my way around a few wobbly rugby supporters. Thankfully the wind held off and there was only bits of rain. I upped the pace a little over the last few miles partly to see if I could but also cos it was dark and a bit quiet along the quays :eek:and past the Point.

A good weekends running - 39.5 miles.

Total for the week - 67.7m

Killerz

A super weekend's work there, Ferris B. That will really stand to you for Conn, nice going.

Ferris B

Monday 3rd Feb
Normal rest day per programme. Did 1hr in gym doing general core work.

Tuesday 4th Feb
10m, 8:15 pace
This was a 10m general aerobic run. Headed inland about lunchtime to avoid the nasty weather which came later. The legs definitely felt very heavy, no doubt a direct result of the b2b long runs at the weekend. It was a tough slog to get this done. I did wonder during the run how long my recovery from the weekend's effort would take. I managed however to keep the pace between 8:10 and 8:30 which I was pleased with.

Wednesday 5th Feb
6m recovery. 9:03 pace
This actually felt a bit better than the same run the previous week so there was definite signs of recovery from the weekend. The garmin record of the run has disappeared :mad::mad::mad: so I'm using FBOT01 's figures who joined me for most of this run.

Thursday 6th Feb
10m (w/5m tempo) , Ave pace 7:21.

The programme called for 10m with either 20mins of intervals or 30-40 mins of tempo running. I elected to do the tempo and aimed for 5m @ <7min pace as my speedwork of choice. With the weather much improved and only a slight breeze, I headed out the seafront to sutton. 2m warm up ( followed by 5m tempo (splits: 6:57, 6:54, 6:51, 6:50, 6,54) with 3m cool down to finished. I was delighted the there was no sign of the fatigue in my legs that I had on tues. I could have kept up the tempo pace for a couple more and was tempted but told myself to stick to the programme. On reflection I'm glad I did stay with what was prescribed as with Donadea next week I need to be in good shape for what will hopefully be my longest ever training run.

Ferris B

Saturday 8th Feb
16m, 8:33 pace

Following a rest day on friday, I headed out early (6:15am) for this weekends LSR. Just the one LSR this weekend and only a 'short' one at that as this is a low mileage week in advance of the 50k run next weekend. I took no food or drink in advance of run but had a Clif Shot blok about mile 3 which had a dose of caffeine so I got breakfast with coffee all in one go.:) I took the now well worn route from the house to howth summit and back which amounts to just over 16. It was a bit breezy but thankfully no rain, just a bit of sea spray along the coastal section. Legs felt ok for the duration of run and it was great to come back to the house with the full day still left.

I've been experimenting with a few different gels over the past couple of weeks. During this run at howth summit I tasted a Honey Stinger. Not unpleasant but I wouldn't fancy more than 2 in a run so they've been ruled out as contenders for conn.

Sunday 9th Feb
8m, 8:51 pace

Met up with Killerz who ran by the top of my road and picked me up en route. This was a just a nice gentle jog along the coast to finish a step back week. Nice headwind on the return journey but as the pace was easy it didn't really bother us too much. Plenty of discussion of how to attack approach both donadea and conn.

Total for week: 50m

Ferris B

Tuesday 11 th
10m w/8 x strides, pace 8:15 ish

The Garmin couldn't pick up a satellite for this one and it was too cold and snowy to hang around the seafront waiting for one to link. I was running with FBOT01 so used his watch for checking pace. At this stage we know most of the mile points on the various routes so checking distance wasn't an issue. Legs felt quite heavy throughout run despite having a relatively low mileage weekend. At mile 7 I headed into st annes park for some strides on the hill and I left FBOT01 to finish his 15.

I seem to recall in the final week prior to my previous marathons like this week, I never seem to feel great and there's always lots of phantom pains. Up to now though it all has come good on race day. Let's hope that's the same this week (although I'm not 'racing', it will be my longest race to date)

Wednesday 12th

8.5m, 8:18pace

I ran this one from town, taking the long way home via donnybrook, ballsbridge and sandymount before hitting DNS. There was a gale blowing but luckily it was with me hence the slightly increased pace than planned.

Thursday 13th

3.8 m on treadmill.

I only had a short run to do so coincided the run with a trip to the gym. First training run to do on a treadmill. Not sure about the pace or distance it was giving me, as the effort over 35 mins felt much more than the 3.8 miles it showed on the screen. Maybe it was just me.

Ferris B

Saturday 15th
Donadea 50k

In my relatively limited my marathon experience (4 to date) I would tend to be just a bit nervous on race mornings wondering what might unfold. However before this 50k (further than I’d ever run previously), I was actually quite relaxed…so of course then I started worrying about being too relaxed. I guess though, because I was not racing, but rather planning a steady lsr, the pressures were not quite the same. Also training was going well and I was relatively niggle free for once. In fact, really the only thing I was concerned about was what to wear as the weather was so unpredictable. I had brought a mini wardrobe in the back of the car to cater for all seasons.

In advance of the start I met Belcarra who introduced me to a few boardsies and it was great to match the faces to very familiar names…incl Beep Beep & Digger. Also met TFB, whose blog I follow and he had some wise Austrian advice for me re nutrition in ultras..’learn from my mistakes’…I shall bear that in mind.

My race plan was a progression type run starting with 8:30 ish pace for a few laps, then picking it up to 8:15 ish for the next few and then depending on how things were going, possibly pick it up again up to a max pace of 8 min/mile. This is the sort of pace range I hope to run in Connemara. Belcarra then mentioned he was planning to run 8:15/ 8:20 with a few others incl Marthastew who I’d heard of but never met. Rather than heading off on my own I reckoned I could hitch on to the back of their group to make life easier. Killerz was also there at the start but he was aiming for 3:4X so I wished him well at the start and moved further back in the starting line.

There were tables laid out at the finish area for the runners to stash various bits and pieces they could grab they went through after each loop. I was amazed as to the quantities of ‘stuff’ people had left , and wondered what was in their bags. Belcarra had a picnic box full of goodies!! I had no plan to leave anything at the tables but feeling a bit left out I put a spare top in a plastic bag just in case I got soaked early on. I wanted to do a kind of dress rehearsal for Connemara so I carried everything thought I’d want for this run: 5 gels and a small bag of saltstick tabs. Another bit of advice from TFB..’don’t over complicate things’. My idea was to take gel every second lap. In case the brain went to mush, I told myself to take on fuel after every even numbered lap..2,4,6,8 with one spare.

As this was a 10 x 5k loop race my recollections tend to blend together so the following is more of a mish mash of events that happened and possibly not in this order…

Laps 1,2,3 ; Pace min/mile (8:28, 8:11, 8:09 ; 8:17, 8:19, 8:08; 8:12, 8:03, 8:07)

The low key start happened pretty soon after we assembled with the Master of Ceremonies, Ultraman, getting us underway. As we went through the finish area for the first time there was loads of cheers from the supporters and everyone was in great spirits. I wondered how many laps that would last for. The course was quite wet and mucky in places afer the recent weather and during the first lap there was a lot of tip toeing around/ jumping over ‘water hazards’ in an effort to keep the socks dry for as long as possible. Others had the same idea so initally there were a few traffic jams at wet/muddy sections as runners queued for the dry racing lines. I soon found Belcarra and tagged on behind him sussing out the conditions on first lap. I felt good. Average pace was slighty faster than planned (8:16 ish) but I wasn’t concerned so long as it didn’t go much faster at this stage. I think there was a group of about 8- 10 over the first 3 laps (incl Belcarra, MS, Mr Stew, Cousin Stew plus others) at this stage. There was a few introductions as people settled into their run. The pace quickened up every third mile to near 8:00 min pace as we hit the downhill sections but this was balanced out on the uphills so the average stayed quite steady. I quickly picked up on the fact that MS knew (or pretended to know!) just about everybody from runners to marshals to spectators so there plenty of shouts of encouragement which made it a very sociable run.

Laps 4,5; Pace min/mile (8:32, 8:28, 8:10 ; 8:23, 8:27, 8:08)

I think our group reduced slighty here with some people falling off the pace or deliberately pulling back. I still felt good. Ave pace here was 8:20ish We were lapped for the first of 4 times by Gary O’Hanlon in lap 5. Even though he was leading and flying along he still had time for a hello and quick joke which was great. Still plenty of chat going on. Conversation topics here included….. proving the universe is infinite…I stayed out of that one and went for a quick call of nature in the forest instead. I made the effort slowly to catch up with the same lively bunch over the course of about a ½ mile. My gels were going down well which was good (I’d recently changed to a new brand)

Laps 6,7,8; Pace min/mile ( 8:14, 8:13, 8:02 ; 8:04, 8:33, 8:09; 8:12, 8:08, 8:01)

After I crossed the half way point I was on my own for a short while. I think others had stopped for supplies or eased of the pace but I ran through. The group soon reformed but now there was only 4-5 of the original bunch. The pace picked up a bit here, I think led by MS but it suited me perfectly and I did my fare share at the front. Slightly less chat (relative that is to the ‘telephone exchange’ quantities in the first half. Conversation topics had changed by now from theoretical physics to karma and farts!!

The ladies winner, ClaraLara lapped us around here. She was looking very focused and running very well. I also got lapped by Killerz on mile 19 or 20 (I think) and wished him well. By now we were also doing our fare share of lapping which was encouraging for us. There was no water available as I went through the feed station on lap 8 but luckily I spotted FBOT01 who had come out to lend some support and had a bottle of his own which he gave me which was very well received. I think our group was just three at this stage (MS, Cousin Stew and myself) so that water was gratefully shared amongst the three of us.

Our group of three had the enormous pleasure of running right behind the mens winner, Gary O’Hanlon as he crossed the finish line for a fantastic sub 3 hr finish time just as we were finishing lap 7. We joked that if there was a finishing photo we’ll claim ‘That’s us in 2nd , 3rd and 4th places!!’. I definitely got some encouragement from the applause the winner got which spurred me on for the next lap.

Laps 9, 10; Pace min/mile (7:54, 8:07, 8:02; 7:59, 8:23, 7:39)

The legs were starting to hurt through lap 9 as we approached marathon distance. I made a mental note that the glutes needed strengthening over the next 6 weeks as they were aching a bit. I hit the lap button on the watch at the marathon point (indicated by MS) to record a 3:35 time. Not bad for a training run. Cousin Stew and myself congratulated each other for getting beyond 26.2miles. MS had been there already, a few times I think.

Chat levels were definitely lower now though. Ave pace was was still good and increasing slightly and again just where I wanted it. As we ran the final lap we said thanks to the various marshals who had had stood out in the cold and hail showers (I think we had 2) and they wished us well. MS knew by now she was in 2nd place so around the 48k mark she slowly picked up the pace and headed off on her own to prepare for her final sprint for a deserved podium place. Myself and Cousin Stew upped it a little but I wasn’t prepared to do any sprinting and we crossed the finish line together in 4:13:38. Time was maybe 2 mins ahead of schedule but I was delighted nonethless.:D:D:D

Although quite tired at the end I still felt quite strong and could have gone further if absolutely necessary which was an encouraging sign.

Got a lovely hot chocolate courtesy of FBOT01 at the end which was great because I was getting quite cold. Also finally got to taste some of those cakes you boardsies have been raving about. Nice.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable race with great company all the way round. Great organisation by Ultraman and crew. I think I might have to come back for more… (subtle message for my OH who I understand now reads my log).

A few things learned for Conn Ultra:
-New gels work…think I’ll use them in Conn.
-Saltstick tabs worked… may have contributed to lack of cramps I’d previously got in marathons at 19/20m.
-Wear gloves and don’t throw them away. Weather can change a lot in 4 hrs
-Stay in a group where possible. Miles fly by.
And most important…
- I can survive beyond 26.2m

Sunday 16th

I've been eating like a horse since the 50k. Woke up starving at 6am so got up for a bowl of porridge.:). No running today, just a walk with the dog for some 'active rest'. Legs felt quite good. Will be interesting though to see how they are during next week.

AuldManKing

a great read. love the detail and the learnings.

Marthastew

And most important…
- I can survive beyond 26.2m

I'd have to say you more than survived..... you were in great shape the entire time and I'm pretty sure Connemara Ultra will go really, really well for you (don't worry I touched wood, crossed fingers etc. when I typed that :-) )
Great report (I'm tempted to cut and paste it for my log) and a great run, and thanks for the great company

Killerz

Nice one C, well executed and should give great confidence for Connemara. What gels did you go for as a matter of interest?

Ferris B

Marthastew wrote: »

And most important…
- I can survive beyond 26.2m

I'd have to say you more than survived..... you were in great shape the entire time and I'm pretty sure Connemara Ultra will go really, really well for you (don't worry I touched wood, crossed fingers etc. when I typed that :-) )
Great report (I'm tempted to cut and paste it for my log) and a great run, and thanks for the great company

Cheers ms. You paced us well.

I think my report has out-rambled your 'ramblings'. Just make sure you correct all my errors / makeyups before you cut n paste.

Ferris B

Killerz wrote: »

Nice one C, well executed and should give great confidence for Connemara. What gels did you go for as a matter of interest?

Went with the clif gels. Mix of the razz you gave me and citrus. Think I prefer the razz. The citrus has caffeine which may have promoted my two calls of nature with its possible diuretic effect.

Ferris B

Tuesday 18th Feb
7m, 8:35 pace

This was a kind of 'lets see how the legs are after Donadea' type run. Didn't push it just took it easy. Turns out the legs felt great which was super news. Ran 6 of the miles with FBOT01 whose legs didn't quite feel as lively as mine and he had 14 ish to do! I could easily have run more than the program ..in fact I allowed myself an extra mile:D

Wednesday 19th Feb
9.7 m, 8:46 pace w/ 4 strides

Woke this morning to slight complaints from the calf muscles. It was too late since donadea for DOMS. At the time of writing this up I am thinking it was probably lack of rehydration ( the correct H20 variety as opposed to the pint and vino which was what actually happened sat eve) after the 50k.

This was run at proper recovery pace. A lunchtime run again with FBOT01, we headed out the coast towards Sutton. I've had it in mind for a while to check out a running track in kilbarrack that I'd read about on these pages so we diverted inland and found it. Did a couple of laps to get a feel for the place. A bit grotty and run down but not bad all the same. Better than no track I guess. Might head back there post Connemara when I'm move onto Project Berlin. Tagged behind FBOT01 for a few strides towards the end of the run.

Called into the gym on way home for some stretching and core work. I'd forgotten mid term was on though. Place was packed (it's small) with spotty young fellas doing their best to impress the one poor girl who was there on her own. I got a good laugh watching them in action.:D:D:D

Thursday 20th Feb
10m, 7:14 pace (inc 6 tempo, 6:45 ave)

Wasn't sure how the legs would be for this session. Kept it on the flat along the coast. After a 2m warm up I upped the pace with the intention of keeping it under 7min/m but not over pushing. I had a good tail wind heading towards sutton and found myself by miles 2&3 at ~6:40 pace but still relatively comfortable. With 3 miles with the wind, I was anxious as to what sort of pace the return 3m would give me and decided in advance that 7:10 ish would be acceptable considering the conditions. Not for the first time though, I underestimated my abilities as I ran the return 3 m in 6:48 ave. Happy days. I was delighted with myself. I even allowed myself a wry smile. My HR strap is out of action but curious to know how my ticker is, I took my pulse directly after the tempo miles and got 154. More good news. A 2 mile cool down followed at 8:00ish pace.

Splits for tempo miles: 6:49, 6:37, 6:41, 6:51, 6:48, 6:46.

I'm glad now I didn't push it too much in donadea!

belcarra

Great running C! Almost a pity you are 'wasting' this form on Conn Ultra - A very quick marathon PB awaits you for sure in Berlin if you maintain full health through the summer!

Ferris B

belcarra wrote: »

Great running C! Almost a pity you are 'wasting' this form on Conn Ultra - A very quick marathon PB awaits you for sure in Berlin if you maintain full health through the summer!

Thanks J. In my mind I'll need every ounce of good form for Conn. Hopefully if I come out alive the other side though, I'll have a bit of endurance from it and can then work on some speed during summer months...hate intervals though.

Ferris B

Saturday 22nd Feb
18m. Ave 7:56 Pace. (howth x 2)

Headed out earlyish (6:45am ) for this one in order to get back home to do a few bits before the rugby. I’d arranged to meet FBOT01 mid run ( he was doing 10) and I also wanted to get in a couple of climbs of howth so I took the car to sutton so faciliate this. In my rush to get out the door I forgot to put my contact lenses in so I had my prescription sunglasses on for the drive to sutton...in the dark!

My plan today was to run at least the first climb up Howth close to MP ( UMP?). With just a sip of water for breakfast I started out uphill straightaway (graveyard side). Legs took a mile to wake up but I managed an ave 7:49 pace over the 3 miles to the summit and felt ok. Going back down the same way, it was obviously easy to keep the pace. Kept it at a steady 8 min/m back along the coast rd. There was a healthy headwind here. The plan was to meet FBOT01 somewhere along the seafront and then I’d join him and head back for Howth. I was hoping he had started early and would be further into his run so I could turn early and have the wind in my favour but I had to stretch it to near the causeway (mile 10) before he appeared. Because of my lack of contact lenses I actually saw two runners coming towards me (both wearing the same gear!) until he morphed into just himself. Back to Howth at a slightly more leisurely pace. I took on a Clift Shot blok as I passed the car in sutton and we headed back up the hill. I (we?) pushed the pace a bit here to get back to ~8min and was comfortably able to hold it. Unfortunately a recent hamstring niggle that my runner partner had, started to kick in. So , like the good friend that I am, I abandoned him on the hill and I kept the pace till the summit carpark. He had sensibly stopped to rest, so having picked him up on the way back down we took it easy back to the car.

Other than pulling my friend’s hamstring, (hope that's not a euphenism for something!) it was a good run from my point of view and good to get some hills in race pace under my belt.

…All good that is until the fcekin’ rugby result. My HR during that match was higher than running howth!

Sunday 23rd February
10m, 9:53 pace. (hillier hills)

Wanting more hills but a change from howth, I headed southside. Following a suggestion from Statss on the Connemarathon forum I parked in Marley Park and headed for Ticknock with the intention of coming back down via Kilmashogue. The pace was to be very gentle and with the hills I encountered it certainly was. I love running unfamiliar routes even if sometimes you haven’t a clue where you are. Anyway after some fairly steep roads (ticknock rd!) I found the forest park entrance and followed the path to the summit of 3 rock. Calfs were complaining but not screaming so all was good. Views of the city were spectacular. Thinking I was heading on a loop around the top I inadvertently ended up going down the other side and I re summited again via a route that included road, path, trail, stream and a section straight through the middle of a forest. I was fortunate the weather was dry as I only had road shoes on. I stopped at one point to confirm directions with a walker. He pointed me in the right direction and also mentioned he was out for a good walk ‘ to rid his mind of the disastrous rugby result’! Up on the summit I was like a kid and had to climb to the top of one of the rock formations for a few photos…’I’m king of the world! etc’. The wind was howling and I was in my shorts to didn’t hang around.

Took it very easy going down through kilmashogue forest and out by stackstown golf club, taking on board a few jelly babies as a reward. Met a few runners. All said ‘hi’, most of the mountain bikers just glared! After crossing the M50, I cut back into marley park and did a loop back to the car. Picked up a lovely 9” pizza from a stall in the park which was devoured in seconds.

This was a great location to run and I will definitely be back. Regarding specific training for Conn though, it was possibly a bit steep (uphill and downhill) but most enjoyable nonetheless.

Total Miles this week: 55m