Moving up from the back of the pack

shortstuff!

Love reading logs on here, hoping keeping one of my own will help me stay motivated, accountable and consistent which will hopefully make me faster since I have slow completely mastered:D I have been running for the past 18months starting out with the famous C25K and working up to Career_Move’s amazing Boards DCM Novice plan. I really like following a program but all so far have been focused on completing the distance. Now it’s time to take the next step and start focusing on speed. I plan on following Blockic’s winter plan for us DCM 13 graduates:)

So a little about me, I'm 28year old female, 5 ft tall (hence the name;)) and 126.5lbs which is 7 too many so diet starts today. Work in an office in City centre but live in the stick so I'm gone from the house at 7am and back home a little after 7pm so sometime find fitting in the training tough. If its important enough to you, you will find a way... if its not, you find an excuse!

So heres my "race" history...All bar the Bohermeen half are PB’s – I must start racing more.The only times I’m particularly happy with right now are the Athone Half (possibly peaked too early in Marathon training) and Stook flying mile

Race|Distance|Date|Time|Position
Stook 10mile|10m|17-Nov-13|1:40:53|224
Stook Flying Mile|1m|17-Nov-13|7:59|
DCM|26.2m|28-Oct-13|4:59:41|10436
Athlone Half|13.1|14-Sep-13|1:59:20|639
Bob Heffernan 5km|5km|22-May-13|25:57|
Bohermeen Half|13.1m|03-Mar-13|2:13:21|605
Flora Mini Marathon|10km|05-Jun-10|0:59:31|1850



I’m going to focus on shorter sharper distance for the next 6 and then consider whether I’ll do a Marathon or not, will wait and see if I’ve gotten faster! My 10Km PB is particularly weak (and old) so I want to sort that one early 2014 and would love to get under 25:00 for a 5km by the end of the year:)

career_move

Best of luck with the log and the goals

If you can do enough easy miles you won't need to worry about the diet

Deedee2012

Good luck with the log and your goals. I have similar times to you and have decided I'd like to give speeding up a shot too. Will follow your progress with interest :-)

Laois_Man

Your BMI is 24.7 which is in the Normal Weight category

Ur grand!

SamforMayo

Looking forward to following this log! It is hard to find time to fit in all the miles but I find now IM as contrary as a bag of cats if I don't run so its worth it.
Is it possible for you to run at lunchtime at all?

shortstuff!

Laois_Man wrote: »

Your BMI is 24.7 which is in the Normal Weight category

Ur grand!

It's more a case of I've gained several pounds since the marathon, kept eating loads but havnt been running as much:( Just trying to "clean" up the diet before it gets out of hand ha;)

shortstuff!

SamforMayo wrote: »

Looking forward to following this log! It is hard to find time to fit in all the miles but I find now IM as contrary as a bag of cats if I don't run so its worth it.
Is it possible for you to run at lunchtime at all?

Im always in better form when I run too...I must have been a right pain before i started!! That's the plan:) Going to run about 3m at lunch 3 times a week, luckily work just across from St Stephens Green so no excuse really:)

shortstuff!

Deedee2012 wrote: »

Good luck with the log and your goals. I have similar times to you and have decided I'd like to give speeding up a shot too. Will follow your progress with interest :-)

Thanks Deedee, enjoy reading about your training over in the DCM 12 thread! Heres hoping we both find some speed:)

shortstuff!

career_move wrote: »

Best of luck with the log and the goals

If you can do enough easy miles you won't need to worry about the diet

Anything in the name of chocolate and crisps!

menoscemo

shortstuff! wrote: »

Race|Distance|Date|Time|Position
Athlone Half||13.1|14-Sep-13|1:59:20|639

Best of luck with the log!!
If you can break 2hr for a Half, you have plenty of speed, so don't be putting your pace down!!
BTW in September 2011 Claralara ran a slower time for her half marathon so with the right dedication anything can happen

SamforMayo

shortstuff! wrote: »

Im always in better form when I run too...I must have been a right pain before i started!! That's the plan:) Going to run about 3m at lunch 3 times a week, luckily work just across from St Stephens Green so no excuse really:)

You better consult Blockic first, I have a feeling our 3 mile runs will be few and far between:P

shortstuff!

menoscemo wrote: »

Best of luck with the log!!
If you can break 2hr for a Half, you have plenty of speed, so don't be putting your pace down!!
BTW in September 2011 Claralara a slower time for her half marathon so with the right dedication anything can happen

Thanks menoscemo:) That was a perfect race on a perfect day, but yes there is hope for me yet! If I can make a fraction of the progress that claralara has made, I was be one very happy girl!

shortstuff!

SamforMayo wrote: »

You better consult Blockic first, I have a feeling our 3 mile runs will be few and far between:P

Ha yeah I've been thinking that! May try stretching out the aul lunch hour;)

shortstuff!

Here's a rough idea of how I see my week shaping up for the next couple of weeks... I've started circuit training with Kiltale ladies on the run group but haven't made it to a running session yet due to DCM recovery/injury so may adjust the rest of the week depending how tough these run are. Starting Pilates next week which hopefully will help keep injuries at bay... Others on here rave about them so worth a try!

Day|AM|PM
Monday|Recovery 3m|Group session
Tuesday||Pilates
Wednesday|4m|Club circuit training
Thursday|Recovery 3m|4m
Friday||
Saturday|LSR 10miles|
Sunday|Group session|

kit3

shortstuff! wrote: »

Im always in better form when I run too...I must have been a right pain before i started!! That's the plan:) Going to run about 3m at lunch 3 times a week, luckily work just across from St Stephens Green so no excuse really:)

You'd be better off heading up onto the canal - you'd get dizzy going around Stephen's Green Good luck with the log .

Ososlo

Best of luck shortstuff with your goals! Your focus is similar to my own with looking at sharpening up over the next few months post DCM, so I'll be following this closely. Hope the niggles clear up so you're fightin' fit for Jingle Bells!

shortstuff!

kit3 wrote: »

You'd be better off heading up onto the canal - you'd get dizzy going around Stephen's Green Good luck with the log .

Great idea, just stuck to the green in case I'd get lost and to avoid traffic! The canal wouldn't be half as boring, I hate laps!

shortstuff!

Ososlo wrote: »

Best of luck shortstuff with your goals! Your focus is similar to my own with looking at sharpening up over the next few months post DCM, so I'll be following this closely. Hope the niggles clear up so you're fightin' fit for Jingle Bells!

Thanks Osolo, really hope legs will be right by then... Hope your comeback is going well:)

shortstuff!

Plank off Friday:cool:

Week 1 70seconds

shortstuff!

12.3 miles done today @ 12min/ml to collect the car from it service (timing belt ouch:() Probably a little far considering my legs aren't 100%. I had mapped the route to 10miles but I spotted a signpost for my destination which tempted me off the route I had planned to take & ended up adding 2miles to the route, oops... Knee was fine but IT band gave a bit if trouble, related no doubt, walked a few sections to ease it out which worked well! Some more rolling needed tonight;) Looking forward to my first club session tomorrow!

Ososlo

Your plank challenge spurred me on to doing mine today too! I've really neglected this stuff since the marathon. How often do you do them? And how many reps?
Good luck with the club session! Looking forward to seeing how it goes for you!

career_move

Might be worth seeing a physio about your knee. Get it sorted now before you up the training and get doing some exercises to keep it in check

shortstuff!

Osolso - I've also neglected planks and any type of core work for way too long... I followed a beach body insanity program last winter so use to be good at them from that. Planning to do this workout 4times a week, who doesn't have 8minutes to spare?! Hope to build up to 3minutes




Career_move - Yeah definitely going to get an appointment sorted for next week

Ososlo

Thanks for that plank sheet. Looks good. I need to mix it up a bit so those additions look good. One thing I discovered today is that part of the problem for me holding the plank is boredom so I now read the paper while I'm doing them:D It's makes the time go quicker!

blockic

Best of luck with the log shortstuff!

AuldManKing

Just seen the log, best of luck, looking forward to the progression.

shortstuff!

5miles including 8X200m and 6X100m hill sprints with jog down recovery

First club session done! So looks like Sundays will be taking care of hill work going forward, it's definitely something I need to work on so happy out:) Theres no way I would have kept going without people ahead and behind me to spur me on, I'd recommend joining a club to anyone who's looking to improve!

shortstuff!

1.5miles @ 11:00

This was meant to be recovery 3miles @ 12:00 during lunch but a meeting went over so I ran out of time:( Didnt mind much as planned going to club training tonight but didnt get out of work in time so no way will I make it now:(

Will consider today a rest day and do the 3days in a row per blockics plan for the week *with minor adjustments
Mon|Tues|Wed|Thurs|Fri|Sat|Sun|Total
1.5m recovery|4m easy|3m easy|5m easy incl. 6x100m strides|Rest|10m easy|5m with hills|28.5m

1hour foam rolling done, long overdue.

shortstuff!

4.15m @ 10:30

Took the advise of kit3 and headed to the canal for today's lunchtime run, ashamed to say I didn't realise how close it was! Nearly landed in a heap after 1mile when I lost my footing on the path, but made it as far as Dolphins barn safe and sound! Enjoyed this much more than laps of the green. Bit of a squeeze fitting this into my lunch hour but doable, further inspiration to get faster:)

Pilates later...

belcarra

shortstuff! wrote: »

...made it as far as Dolphins barn safe and sound!

Ahh, the safe refuge that is Dolphins Barn!

statss

I sometimes go to the Trinity College grass cricket pitch/track at lunch time, less stop/start than the canal and plenty of other runners are usually about, handy way to get 3-4 miles in with limited fuss and very close to Stephens Green.

shortstuff!

Thanks statss - always good to have a few options to stop everything becoming repetitive!

3miles done at lunchtime, guesstimating 11min miles. Garmin was dead so stuck to the green since I can work out the distance! Bit of marathon talk helped ease the monotony of laps!

1hour of circuit training this evening, boy it was tough... I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow

shortstuff!

Down a pound so 125.5:)

5miles with 5x .1m strides

Mile1 11.34
Mile2 11.06
Mile3 11.16
Mile4 11.03
Mile5 strides 53s, 59s, 49s, 53s 48s

Did this run today instead of yesterday since I had the day off work. Had a training partner for a change, Rock the German pointer who could learn a thing or two in the art of pacing!! A couple quick pi$$ stops (him not me) and a bit of dog chasing meant the mile splits aren't very even... The 3rd stride was heading towards another dog so was nice & quick until I came very close to being tripped by rock, just about managed to stay upright! An enjoyable run with a very tired thirsty dog by the end of it:D

SamforMayo

shortstuff! wrote: »

Down a pound so 125.5:)

5miles with 5x .1m strides

Mile1 11.34
Mile2 11.06
Mile3 11.16
Mile4 11.03
Mile5 strides 53s, 59s, 49s, 53s 48s

Did this run today instead of yesterday since I had the day off work. Had a training partner for a change, Rock the German pointer who could learn a thing or two in the art of pacing!! A couple quick pi$$ stops (him not me) and a bit of dog chasing meant the mile splits aren't very even... The 3rd stride was heading towards another dog so was nice & quick until I came very close to being tripped by rock, just about managed to stay upright! An enjoyable run with a very tired thirsty dog by the end of it:D

Sounds like that dog should come with a health warning!

shortstuff!

4miles @ 10:51/mi

Mile 1: 11:24
Mile 2: 10:56
Mile 3: 10:21
Mile 4: 11:03

Left it too late to do my long run so just 4miles easy instead & do the LSR tomorrow. Trying to up the pace of my easy runs as I'm inherently lazy & could easily run all my runs at 12min/mi forever;) Found this comfortable so roughly 11min/mi is my new easy.

Forgot about Plank off Friday yesterday so did it today - 90seconds.

shortstuff!

Sunday Dec 1st 3.5miles @ 11:41

Hill training with the club, 2long, 2mediun and 2short hills. Changed watch to autopause to record the distance covered. Very tough session, was surprised to see a mile time of 8:57; can barely do that on the flat most days:)

Was meant to do 6.5 miles afterwards to covered the 10miles planned LSR but ended up doing Xmas shopping & decorating instead, oops...

shortstuff!

|Mon|Tues|Wed|Thurs|Fri|Sat|Sun|Total
Planned|1.5m recovery|4m easy|3m easy|5m easy incl. 6x100m strides|Rest|10m easy|5m with hills|28.5m
Actual|1.5m recovery|4m easy|3m easy|Rest|5m easy incl. 5x100m strides|4m easy|3.5m with hills|21m

Bit annoyed with myself for missing my long run particularly when I had a 3day weekend. On the plus side I ran 6 days so I think the consistency I have been missing since the marathon is back! Got two good sessions under my belt and found my easy pace coming down. Also got talking to some girls that meet on a Saturday for a LSR so going to join them, finding having a set time for runs suits me:)

Mon|Tues|Wed|Thurs|Fri|Sat|Sun|Total
Rest|4m easy|7m Pyramid Session|3m recovery|Rest|12m easy|4m easy|30m

shortstuff!

This feels like the start of a slippery slope.... Works been mental busy, only managing to take a 15min lunch break to make sure I get out in time for the last bus (that didn't even happen Tuesday) so no time for a lunchtime run. Just about made it to circuit training last night which was a great workout but the only one since Sunday if I don't count running for the bus ha! Xmas party tomorrow night, then back on the straight & narrow after that!

NO MORE EXCUSES!!

shortstuff!

4m @ 12min/mi
Ok back into the swing of things, first run back after a week:O Instead of running on Sunday morning as planned I ended up getting engaged instead! Still in shock:)

Zaram

shortstuff! wrote: »

4m @ 12min/mi
Ok back into the swing of things, first run back after a week:O Instead of running on Sunday morning as planned I ended up getting engaged instead! Still in shock:)

Congrats shortstuff. Brill news..think that is a valid excuse to miss a run!

shortstuff!

8m @ 10:24min/mi

8mile LSR done today with a group, was great having this planned as there was no way I would have managed to motivate myself to get out in that wind & rain, particularly after the bottle of wine last night! Done & dusted by 9:20:) Definitely going to do my long runs with them from now on, running with people is great!

10:04, 10:26, 10:09, 10:09,10:20, 11:11(oh my god the wind )10:39, 10:24

SamforMayo

shortstuff! wrote: »

8m @ 10:24min/mi

8mile LSR done today with a group, was great having this planned as there was no way I would have managed to motivate myself to get out in that wind & rain, particularly after the bottle of wine last night! Done & dusted by 9:20:) Definitely going to do my long runs with them from now on, running with people is great!

10:04, 10:26, 10:09, 10:09,10:20, 11:11(oh my god the wind )10:39, 10:24

Good woman, I didn't brave it. By the time it calmed down here I had committed to bringing the kids swimming, hoping I will get out tomorrow. If I go 2 days with out running I get very cranky!

shortstuff!

SamforMayo wrote: »

Good woman, I didn't brave it. By the time it calmed down here I had committed to bringing the kids swimming, hoping I will get out tomorrow. If I go 2 days with out running I get very cranky!

Wasn't too bad in a group, but we even had to change our route so we weren't blown away!! No way would I have braved it on my own... Good luck with your run today!

shortstuff!

Dec 17
Pilates - last of a 4week beginners course, really picked it up a gear, ouch!!! Amazing how your weakness are so obvious when doing stuff like this, weak glutes, tight shoulders, weak neck... Exactly what caused trouble during DCM! Definitely going to join the improves group in January.

Dec 18
Circuit training with the running group. Boy it's windy tonight, so much so that sky tv signal went so I was delighted to have this planned otherwise I would have had a night spent watching a GAA DVD, not my cup of tea! Numbers were way down at circuits so there was nowhere to hide:O Realy good workout, lots of speed work as well as strength work.

shortstuff!

Dec 21

7m @ 9:53/mi

Met a group of girls to do a long run. Ended up being about 7miles so not very long but sure it's Christmas! Wasn't very slow either, with mile splits coming in sub 10min/mi which for me is faster than MP. Just aswell though as it lashed ran afterwards, when we were safely inside the hotel having tea looking out:)

shortstuff!

Dec 22

3.1m @ 8:51/mi

Santry Christmas Cracker 5km
27:19

Splits: 4:54, 5:41, 5:50, 5:36, 5:20

I went out last night but was very restrained & only had 3west coast cooler & was in bed by 12.30. Up at 9am, dressed then looked outside, uh oh snow!! Quickly packed a change of clothes for afterwards...was lashing rain & freezing when I left, if I hadn't already paid I might have went back to bed, was happy to see the closer I got to Santry the better the weather got. Managed to find Morton stadium & met the lovely Ososlo! Got my chip & race number in super quick time. Dropped our bags back at the car & met Ososlos family! We did a couple of laps of the track to warm up, sun was out at this stage & I wasn't cold at all, a couple stretches & we were lining up.

Had set my watch at 4:55 min km. The 1st km was round the track & then out onto the roads, the weather held up for this km & we were dead on target (which wasn't going to last much longer), Ososlo was just ahead of me and I was feeling good.

2nd km- Had been warned we'd be into the wind for the 2nd km, but hadn't expected it to start lashing rain! Felt like hailstones hitting your face, was soo cold! Ososlo was gaining distance on me here but I was happy that I couldn't go any faster into the rain. Pace never recovered though

3rd km - was much of the same, cold, wet miserable! What were we doing!! Though my legs felt fine, no pain or anything... I couldn't seem to increase the pace. Recalled the ABC tip mentioned here- Attitude- hmm want this over quick so run faster! Breathing-definitely not controlled, the cold air was killing my lungs, Cadence- tried playing around with shorter faster strides but didn't really help the pace.

4th km - so not too far to go now, just tried staying with the people just ahead of me but they were pulling ahead. Still raining

5th km - Was a bit discouraging seeing the faster folk already changed, in their cars & headed out the gate! Managed to pick up the pace slightly here & gave it all I had coming round the track to finish but breathing was very heavy! Delighted to finish so I could just stop

Think Ososlo finished about a minute ahead but didn't get the time she wanted. But she beat me & her sister by a decent margin

Not particularly disappointed with today, weather was atrocious, training hasn't been great but at least I have a starting point going into 2014 to improve on!!

Ososlo

you can take 10 seconds off that 27:19. That's your gun time. There was no chip time (no mat) but Championchip says everyone would have got over the start mat within 10 seconds and we were very near the back so well done on your newly revised time of 27:09

shortstuff!

Ososlo wrote: »

you can take 10 seconds off that 27:19. That's your gun time. There was no chip time (no mat) but Championchip says everyone would have got over the start mat within 10 seconds and we were very near the back so well done on your newly revised time of 27:09

I'll take that:) looking forward to beating it in the New Year, Merry Christmas:)

shortstuff!

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Lots of overindulgence done...

3miles @ 9:48/mi
Met the girls for a run this morning, was meant to be a bit longer but the roads were still very icy, still better than nothing:)

Ososlo

Hey shortstuff! All very quiet here

shortstuff!

Ososlo wrote: »

Hey shortstuff! All very quiet here

Very true Osolso, but there's a reason for it! I'm 12weeks pregnant:) Found out Xmas day:) Only had my scan today & started to tell people hence the silence & lack of running!! Fully intended on keeping running but was quite shocked at the sheer exhaustion that goes with pregnancy. It's meant to get better in the second trimester so hoping to start back with slow 5km runs.

Hope your training is going well!