Run run run run run run run....
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...and great to see a legend of the boards back! hope all is well
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More a myth of a runner at this stage its been so long haha.
All good bar lack of fitness haha
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And this is why you have people like me talking about lost fitness and comebacks while you just get it done, fair play man great run and hope the new 400m supershoe tax Raheny implemented wasn’t too painful 😂
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Sunday 30/01 - RACE! Raheny 5 mile
Ding ding ding, it's road racing season. The highly revered Raheny 5 mile is probably one of the fastest 5 miles in the Ireland (and maybe even the UK) and with the start line looking almost like a national championship, there's no better race to test yourself early in the season. My last appearance here was two years ago just before the pandemic and I ran a very satisfying 24:37 to finish 27th. I was really up for this one having been banging out some good sessions recently and feeling back in top form since the XC season. Hitting 4:50's in training for mile reps suggested I could go close to holding 4:50 for the 5 miles, well I'd try anyway.
However all of that excitement was put on hold last Wednesday when as my doctor immediately put me on a course of antibiotics to attack what is essentially a baby zit on my tailbone. It was in the early stages but had the potential to put me in hospital (again) so I was completely on board with nipping it in the butt (hehe). The antibiotics did concern me though and my own assumption was that you can't race on them but I guess it's not always that black and white. The doc told me to race away if I wanted to but expect that there may be side effects in the form of nausea or GI issues, as long as it wouldn't irritate the issue down below. In my head, I went out into a silent woods. I sat on a log and stared infinitely into the ground. Should I race? I couldn't decide so I asked boards and some runner friends. I got some mixed responses, all of them pretty sensible and much appreciated. In the end the decision was to travel up, toe the line and if I was in trouble early on I'd have the sense to pull up and call it a day. Seemed like a fair plan.
With a hotel booked in Ballymun and an IKEA shopping list in my pocket, off I set on Saturday afternoon. I was perched somewhat comfortably on an airplane neck cushion to protect my tailbone and made it up to capital city in good time with a few sympathy stops along the way. IKEA was mental even after 6pm but I did the best I could. Thankfully the hotel was right outside IKEA so I was looking forward to relaxing for the evening. I bumped into clubmate Ryan just as I was arriving in the hotel. He was just heading out for pizza with his better half so I joined them and we had a nice old doughy time of it. It was kind of sad when I had to order a heineken 0.0% though, thanks a lot drugs.
Race day arrived and the race is bloody hours away. I'm sure the 3pm start suits a lot of people travelling from around the country, but it's not great when you're in a hotel at 9am and Raheny is only 20 minutes away. I had good sensible plans to fill my time anyway with some assignments for the horticulture course. This worked out really well as I got into the zone and suddenly it was 1pm and time to leg it. My bib never arrived in the post so I had to factor in getting to the HQ to get a new bib. I didn't factor that in. I actually left the hotel at around 1:20pm and traffic wasn't great so suddenly I was hurrying to get there before 2pm which is when they say the bib collection ends. It was now 1:45pm and I'm about 1km away so I just threw the car in the closest housing estate, lobbed on my runners and legged it down to scoil Aine. I got there and there was a queue for numbers so I knew I was ok. I got the new number, pinned it on and we're all good to go. It's just after 2pm so plenty of time. I ran back to the car and got myself properly ready. I was feeling really good on the warmup jog so I was still feeling like the antibiotics weren't affecting me at all and I could possibly get through this race unscathed. I promise I was taking them. I did some leg kicks and felt an immediate strain on my hamstring. Uh oh. This worried me as I read that antibiotics can affect the muscles (lack of electrolytes) but I had been taking a few dioralytes to try combat that. Anyway it just ended up being another thing to worry about that wasn't worth worrying about. Googling of anything medical related for the average human being should be banned.
Fast forward to the start line. I found my other clubmates who had travelled up on the day. We'd really targeted this race since Christmas and we definitely had an eye on the team title. The start was chaotic two years ago and there was no reason for it to be any different this time. I ended up about three rows back which was fine. My coach told me to take it out a little easier for this race and try come through, which I actually agreed with it because I do always seem to race a bit better when I'm coming through rather than blasting out and hanging on. The day was windy, very windy but other than that, dry and mild. Almost good conditions. The wind would be a bit of a pain in the neck but I'm a little fella and there would most definitely be groups to work with today so it was about racing smart.
Mile 1: 4:48
I am terrified of big race starts ever since taking a nasty fall in the Hague half marathon two years ago. I usually start a race now with my arms spread wide to avoid getting tripped. I don't know if this strange tactic works but I suppose I haven't fallen since. It was indeed chaos, I don't know how I got swallowed up so quickly but I was a good bit back. There's no need to panic, it's a long race. It wasn't until the first turn that I got some room to the side and made my way up the field a bit. I noted four Leevale clubmates ahead of me and I was happy to sit behind the lads until I got into my stride. I wasn't watching my pace at all but did take a glace when every mile split popped up. I was feeling really good in the first mile which is pretty fast and was a little surprised to see it read 4:48. I must have been back in about 30th but I know exactly how races like these races go, people go out very hard and I was striving for consistency today.
Mile 2: 4:56
This is a draggy mile but I was feeling strong and started pulling away from the people around me. I was in danger of falling into a comfortable group but I saw clubmate Gavin maybe 20m ahead of me along with some other lads I know I can complete with on my day. There was also added motivation of scoring on the team today (first 3). As I might have said, I was left disappointed but motivated after the nationals when I was 5th scorer on the bronze winning team. Funny enough it was the exact same 5 clubmates around me in Raheny but only 3 spots today. There was no doubting number 1 on our team and I was taking note of the commentary and smiled to myself when I heard Ryan Creech was leading the way. If I got myself up to Gavin I knew we would be in with a great shout for the team. I didn't really take note of the split for this mile as I was focussed on attaching to the group ahead.
Mile 3: 4:50
About 400m into this mile I landed safely to the back of the group. There was Gavin and three or four other runners and they were moving well. I didn't need to barge to the front, this had to be a bit controlled so I just sat quietly at the back, relaxed for a few minutes and observed what was going on ahead of me. I knew we were flying as a unit it so why not take a ride off them. As we made our way towards the park, I could see the 3 mile mark approaching. I took a glance at the time and we were 14:31 or so which means we'd be hitting 5k in just over 15 minutes. This was a very similar split to my last race but I did fade in the last 2 miles back then. The little group was starting to stretch now and I figured it was time to put in some work.
Mile 4: 4:57
I took to the front of the group at the start of the mile as we charged into the park. Gavin is stuck to my back but I can feel a small gap forming and the group starting to really stretch. I wanted Gavin there for the team, but I also wanted to drop him. I'm so conflicted. We've reeled in a runner from Drogheda who was after getting detached from the lead pack and he's happy to stick around for the ride also. I took a sharp left up towards the U-turn and this was a bloody ghastly section. Not only is it a drag but the headwind was gushing into our eyeballs. It was grim, head-down-eyes-wide-grit-your-teeth grim. I was front running the group here and my gap had all but disappeared as the Drogheda runner came up alongside me. It definitely dawned on me at one point that we have been on this stretch for a very long time (compared to 2020) and when the watch beeped for 4 mile I knew something was amiss. I was 100% sure that the 4 mile mark was after the U-turn but we hadn't even turned yet. I didn't think too much about it nor had a long course occured to me at that stage. I was purely focussed on getting away from this group and finishing strong. The team wasn't even in my mind at this point, it was selfishly me for myself from here on in. I think there was a 4 mile PB in there, just over 19:30 or so.
Mile 5: 4:59 (+Mile 0.3 @ 4:41 m/m)
It's so tough to get moving again after the U-turn but I just had to get on with it. Aaron (Drogheda) took up the lead after the turn and I just stuck to him as I worked into a good rhythm again. I even noted the 4 mile mark a few minutes into this mile, but I validated it by assuming that it was the 4 mile mark on the way up the avenue and that my 2020 memory was lying. No time to think, focus. We exited the park and I think this is where GPS goes haywire with all of the trees, I'm pretty sure this mile was a tad quicker. I noted Aaron was tiring and losing form a bit. But then again, I'm also tiring and losing form. Despite both of us firmly in rag-doll territory, I decided to make a move knowing we'd only a couple of minutes running left. Also, he is way younger than me and looks very fast. Gavin was also tracking both of us closely and also has a ridiculous turn of pace so I needed to cement my place now. I went around Aaron as confidently as I could and I started getting away every so slightly. I'm really in hurty territory now but I know it's almost done. I am almost done aren't I? I'm familiar with the turny finish but suddenly out of nowhere, with a few turns yet to turn, my watch beeps for 5 miles. What? Now it all makes sense. The course is definitely long. Still, stop thinking Conor and just drive it on for these few extra seconds. Seconds right? Nope. A good bit to go yet. 500 meters to be exact. That last 90 seconds or so really, really tested me. I was running on fumes and so was everyone else but there was no way I was losing my place. I think I ended up extending the gap slightly and I held on, crossing the line in 14th place with club mate Gavin coming in just behind in 16th place. As I crossed, I knew had run a good race whatever the real time was and I heard Dick Hooper announce that Leevale have probably won the team prize. I still didn't know my position so I was over the moon later to hear I was on the first page of results, an upgrade from my last outing by 13 places. Plus we did win the team prize. I was also delighted to see Ryan having a stormer coming in second and another big performance from Tim O'Donoghue in 5th flying the flag for Cork.
As risky as it might have been, I think it was a good decision to race, you just have to take those chances when you're there and primed to compete. I did take into account how I was feeling, how the warm up felt and my general reaction to the medicine. All the signs were telling me to go for it. There doesn't seem to be any consequences (yet) and the infection is clearing up so I am on track to run again next week in Dungarvan. I averaged 4:53 per mile for the 5.3 miles so really not too far off the 4:50's I thought I was capable of and definitely heading in the right direction. I was particularly delighted with my strenght over the last 2 miles where I was able to pull away and I feel a much stronger runner than I was 2 years ago. It may be a consequence of doing a lot more 20 milers, or it could be the recent haircut I got, I don't know.
The next morning, as I lay in bed I was thinking about developing a little calculator to figure out approximate genuine times on a long/short course. Before the idea left my brain, I made a coffee, sat down and coded it up it before work. The result was this: https://myrunningpace.com/long-short. I shared the link to a couple of lads in Whatsapp and on a boards thread. That evening it was after getting almost 700 hits and doing the rounds in a lot of running circles. The internet is mad! The calculator works out your pace for 5.3 miles and then applies that pace to 5 miles, fairly simple. Even that calculation is probably a little conservative because it doesn't account for the extra distance you raced but at least it's a consistent calculation and better than people taking their 5 mile split from their GPS of which there can be wild variability. My 5 mile time came out at 24:25 which would have been a 12 second PB. I'm ok with not getting the PB, I'm thrilled with the run, the placing and winning the team prize. There'll be plenty more chances to run a 5 mile PB so it's really not worth getting upset over.
Raheny put on a great race as they always do. Yes a human error was made and a lot of people were disappointed but they held their hands up, they'll learn from it and it won't happen again. I have no doubt it will not affect the reputation and turnout of the race for next year, it's got too strong of a reputation and history. We're actually lucky to have such a high calibre race for such a small population. Despite all of that longness, it was a great kick-off to the road racing season, people are in great from and I can't wait to get stuck into some more racing. This week is all about recovery and getting fresh again for the 10 mile.
Post edited by jebuz on17 -
Great run man and congrats on the team win.
Not quite as hectic a race morning as a certain Berlin escapade IIRC but you still like a bit of pressure on race day haha.
Good to see that majority of people seem to have taken the error in good spirit and not got too worked up about it. I think it's worth remembering that this is the first year operating without Pat Hooper as race organizer. The man was a legend and very hard boots to fill
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Outstanding. I was marshalling near the park exit and wondered which of the Leevale lads was you - you all looked in good shape, at what turned out to be about the 5 mile point. Thanks for not giving out about the SNAFU. The club has shared your calculator too on the website. Congrats on a great run and a brilliant account of it, and also the team prize. You should also share the link to your clubmate's top 10. Or forget that, I will:
That was Dick Hooper doing the commentary by the way, not Dave. 😉
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Thanks @Murph_D, both for the kind words and your (assumed) top notch marshalling. I didn't think I needed to share Donal's 10 things, he's such a mega celeb now, it's the first thing the whole running community looks forward after a race and they're always very entertaining reads. He went easy on the mistake also which I expected, Donal's a big fan of 'approximado' races, and maybe rightly so because they're just pure races for position.
I think I might start charging for this calculator 😁 Donal had an idea of doing a supershoe calculator which adjusts your race time for 'old' shoes. I'm not sure it would be as popular...
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Great race and an amazing performance - to place 14th in that race is a fantastic achievement - especially with 1.1 tailbones.
Whats on the plan for you after Dungarvan?
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Great read as always! Well done on another great performance😊
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Well done on the race and on the race report - I always enjoy the detail you give and the humorous expression of the thoughts you have as you race, makes for a great read!
edit: I've just clicked on your strava, dear god when I see it in KM's it's just shockingly fast and incredibly consistent over the distance, bravo
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Thanks Alan. After Dungarvan it’ll be head down for a half marathon 3 weeks later in The Hague in and after that maybe back to some shorter races again.
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Hell of a performance and hell of a report. Really great to hear about what goes on at the pointy end in a race filled with such quality. Serious serious running. I was blown away by Newmarket but 14th in Raheny? Seriously? Keep the log going. Great to follow.
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I’d love to see that supershoe calculator 😁
serious running though. Raheny is fast but only if you are in row 1 or 2 at the start. After that I’d say you lose so much time being stuck in traffic. Then again it adds to the excitement I assume! 14th is amazing! Really well done!
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A fairly easy going week as planned with the only aim of recovering the body for Dungarvan with a small effort mid week. This was also the week I actually moved house and that certainly put a bit of stress on me both physically and mentally. Today (Saturday) was actual moving day but I was lucky to have help from my folks and more importantly a moving company - money well spent. I'm winding down for the evening now and hopeful that we get a good day of it tomorrow. It's looking mighty breezy but then again, it was mighty breezy last week too!
Monday 31/01 - 6.5 miles @ 7:27 m/m
Contemplated not running at all but ended up just meeting a club mate for a blegh run (whatever pace, whatever distance) and it ended up being a nice run.
Tuesday 01/02 - 11.5 miles @ 7:39 m/m
Went down to the track and a few of the lads who ran Raheny were just going easy so we headed out the straight road to Ballincollig and debriefed the race, again.
Wednesday 02/02 - 10 miles @ 7:29 m/m
Thursday 03/02 - 4 mile tempo (5:37, 5:27, 5:12, 4:58) (8 miles)
This suited me and my legs just fine. I was still feeling a bit tired and a 4 mile tempo didn't sound so bad even with the howling wind down at the track. I sat in with Gavin for the session who was also tired after he forced me to beat him last Sunday and it was a nice session where we took it easy to start and finished strong. We also forgot to get off at the tempo stop when we finally hit that pace, and just kept on going. No harm done (I think).
Friday 04/02 - 6 miles @ 7:31 m/m
Nice early morning jog with club mate. Finished the antibiotics today and the infection has been nuked, nice try pilonidal abscess! back to your hole (pun intended)
Saturday 05/02 - 3 miles @ 7:26 m/m
With a physically demanding day ahead of me I still wanted one last little jog in Blarney so I headed off at first light (it was really 8am) along my favourite walkway hugging the river Martin. The routes around here have served me so well for the last 5 or 6 years so it was a nice little goodbye but onto newer pastures. I just hope the day (and week) don't have a big impact on tomorrow but compared to last week this should be the least of my worries!
Post edited by jebuz on9 -
Sunday 06/02 - RACE! Dungarvan 10 mile
This would be only my 2nd race longer than 10k in almost 2 years. That's a bit mad. I was looking forward to this after a good run last week in Raheny and hoping to take a scalp off the PB of 52:27 last summer. My plan (pre weather forecast) was to run around 5:05's and get under 51 minutes. I'd ran 50:56 in in a time trial about a year ago but on a perfectly flat loop on a perfectly calm day which doesn't really count but it at least showed me I'm capable of a similar time. Today was neither flat nor calm, it was anti-calm. The winds were expected in the region of 35 kmph and miles 3-5 were straight into that headwind. This should be fun. All of this didn't really change my plan, I just said I'd go out at the 5:05's and deal with the wind when it hit and try gauge the effort. I am staying in a hotel in Midleton for a few days until the new house is habitable and I ended up having a nice long 9 hour sleep so I was feeling well rested but not sure how the whole week of moving and being on antibiotics might still affect me. I made it down to Dungarvan just before 10am and parked up. I laced up and headed off for a 2 mile jog and really felt the brute force of those westerlies. As a small framed person prone to wind damage, I really hoped I would be able to sit in and work with a group today and willing to do some of the work too, not that I offer much physically. To the start line and I have to say there was a great buzz around the town. I chatted with some runners I hadn't seen in a while, performed some mandatory leg kicks, dumped my jacket behind a rock and finally lined up for the countdown.
Mile 1: 5:05
Off we go. It felt like a pedestrian start and I was bunched in the lead group who seemed to be working very slowly into the race. I looked around and felt a bit out of my depth but then I glanced down to see us running 5:10's and so I just went with it. The mile picked up pace as we headed back past the start and enjoyed a downhill to the roundabout where we clocked 5:05. Feeling good but looking around, I knew current company wouldn't be sticking around for long.
Mile 2: 5:05
I was right. The group dropped the hammer and the super 6 gradually pulled away. I could have gone with them but in hindsight now, it was a good decision not to, I would have been out of my depth and it was only mile 2 of 10. I continued the plan of running 5:05's and had company with West Waterford trainer partner Pat as we worked up the hill, hearing the shout of 5:10 for 2 miles. On track and feeling quite alright.
Mile 3: 5:04
Still moving well and into a good rhythm now but I had now pulled away from Pat during this mile and the inevitable of being isolated for the windy patch was not even inevitable any more, it was going to happen.
Mile 4: 5:25
Welcome to Windyville, Co.Waterford, population: you and only you. This was not very nice. As I said, I'm a small framed boy and I just really struggle with the wind. The super 6 were now a good distance ahead. I gritted my teeth and battled as best I could but it was absolutely sapping me of energy. It was like a million little tiny ghosts kicking and pushing me backwards as I mustered every ounce to hold them back. 5:25 popped up for the mile. Yep, sounds about right.
Mile 5: 5:28
One more mile of this. Can you do that? I probably can but I'm really not happy about it, I feel like I'm not even moving. Just get to the left turn and after the turn, things will get better, I promise you. But the turn is nowhere near me, it's miles away up the road. No it's around 5 miles, I promise you. It better be because this is sheer hell. Do you think you made the right decision not going with the super 6? I think so because I can't see them anymore and I'm already at death's door. I think it was a good decision too, you are very smart. Just focus on the hedges and keep going. What species of hedges do you think they are? There's a good mix of natives hedges there I'd say like whitethorn, spindle, blackthorn, you know. Yep I hear you. Ugh.
Mile 6: 5:13
It's after 5 miles, I'm still eating wind and I've still not turned yet. Eventually a turn does appear thank flip. There were crowds of people cheering but I was so downtrodden I didn't really acknowledge them. When I did turn, the relief was almost immediate with the biggest noticable difference being the sound. It was eerily calm and quiet. There was nobody behind me and nobody in front of me. Just the sounds of my clown boots slapping off the country roads. It was very, very odd and felt like I was in the middle of a big workout, which is quite typical for the longer races. I think you've too much time to think in races of 10 miles or longer. I struggled to get the engine going again but some running was starting to return to the legs. There was lady on a bike ahead which gave me something to look at and chase. She was going the same pace as me but then at some point she was just gone and I don't remember when or where she disappeared. Maybe was not real.
Mile 7: 5:03
The course was bumpy enough around here and I was still working harder than I wanted to be with 4 miles left. The course was very rural at this stage with some rural people out in their rural gardens shouting rural stuff at me, good encouraging stuff which usually prompted a weak thumbs up from me. A 10k mat and a clock appeared out of nowhere with a man nearby shouting at me to add 1 minute to the time. I think the clock read around 31:30 and I liked the look of that until I added a minute to it. I spend about 30 seconds wondering how the clock was exactly 1 minute behind. My conclusion was that they forgot to start it in sync with the starting gun and so they decided to start it exactly 1 minute later to make sums easier for the runners. "Add 26 seconds" for example would be very difficult for runners already 6.2 miles though a 10 mile race. Following the fake 10k time was a nice, nice 2 minute downhill where I let the legs completely go started to feel good, mainly because of the downhill. It was then onto a very nicely paved tarmac road and hitting 5:03 definitely lifted spirits.
Mile 8: 5:05
Despite all of the struggles, I was now moving well and felt a PB was still on. With little else to think about, I calculated I could probably run under 52 minutes if I kept the pace in the 5:0X region for the remainder. The surface was perfect here with a massive tailwind. There were pockets of support right around the course which was great and really helped push me on at some of the more difficult stages. You've got to love the Irish road racing scene and you can tell that Dungarvanites are very proud of their race. I wanted to go faster than 5:05's but I couldn't, the legs were overly zapped from the windy stretch earlier and I was running at what I felt was the fastest pace that could be sustained for 3 more miles. I finally caught a glimpse of the super 6 ahead now which was no longer a super 6 but had fragmented into smaller bits but still whole humans, each no doubt hurting just as much as I was. It still felt like a long way to go with energy running getting low. I was now approaching the final left turn where the long straight towards the finish would greet me. In the far far away distance, already on the home straight, I saw the leader Hugh Armstrong. He's so far ahead of me. I wished I was where he was but then again, someone will see me there in a few minutes and wish they were where I was. As I said, running almost 10 miles solo gives you a way too much time to think.
Mile 9: 5:14
Just after the start of mile 9 I hit a small little hill which utterly murdered my good rhythm. I then took the left turn onto the N25 and what I thought would be a flat fast mile was not really a fast mile at all. It turns out this is a sneaky drag but I didn't know it at the time and my groove was most definitely over. I was really working hard up here but glanced down at the watch and thought to myself I've less than 10 minutes of running here, just come on and do it. Get the PB. Get under 52. What was all of that hurt for earlier? I struggled on, hurting like hell at this stage, evident by the barbaric grunts and dribbly mouth. When I heard the shout of 46:55 hitting mile 9 I felt it was touch and go for the sub 52. Let's crack on and see.
Mile 10: 5:04
I did get going here but I also didn't realise that the drag was over and assumed it was all final mile energy. It was probably a combination of both. I really did get moving though and felt like I was hammering it for the last mile. I passed a sign with 800m to go, got some great shouts and was really breathing hard. Then I took a left turn, the wind slapped in the face and I was challenged to a final showdown with a dastardly climb. Rag-doll outfit on and up we charge. It felt like a lonnnnng hill but I suddenly remembered we had passed the finish at mile 3 and it was on a nice downhill. That means just get to the top of the hill, discard the outfit and GO. I did just that, the support and cheering was immense and even better because it was all for me. See, there actually are benefits to running in no-man's land! I was hurtling my little legs down that hill, finish line in sight now with the clock ticking onto 51:40. I think I can do it....I must do it....I did it. 51:58 for 7th spot. Job done and I had completely emptied myself on that last mile. For the first time after a race I felt like I was going to puke. A man came to offer me a foil blanket, first time that's happened. I was happy in that sense because I think I got the pacing and overall effort just about right.
In hindsight now it was a good result, not quite what I had hoped timewise but given the week in it and the weather conditions, running a PB in that was a very good day. Another nice unexpected bonus in leading the club to a team win also. That's race 2/3 done and it's back to the muck for next week for the national Masters in Cork.
Post edited by jebuz on18 -
Man oh man. Running out of superlatives for these runs. Mighty impressive. How you kept managing to pull back to 5.05's each time is beyond me. Says a lot about your strength. And all solo too.
Some great humour in there too. Rural people in rural gardens shouting rural stuff 😄
Great racing. 7th in Dungarvan. Quite the CV you're building!
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Super stuff, brilliant to hold that together running solo for almost the whole race. My own experience, nearly 19 minutes behind you, was pretty different, but I had a lot of the same thoughts.
Classy!
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Fair play C a lot of long straight soul searching stretches on that course for a solo runner especially of a windy day. The PB is a testament to the mental strength. As much as the physical. Great but if racing as of late
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Savage running and reporting.
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A whirlwind of a week as I finally moved into the new gaff on Tuesday. There was a lot of physical (and mental) exertion expected with many things and people to take care of so after a chat with Donie early in the week he absolutely removed all pressure in terms of training and said take it as a down week week, no sessions and just get out for a run whenever you feel. He reminded me I'm in good shape and I'll still be fresh for the XC on Sunday. I have to say it really did work and exactly what I needed as I got to enjoy the move, got about my business and woke up in the new house every morning feeling relaxed and really to tackle the day. This is where the art of coaching becomes more than just about athletics and factors in life.
Monday 07/02 - Rest
Tuesday 08/02 - Rest
I was happy to take these two days off. Dungarvan had fairly floored me. I very much enjoyed hotel dinners and a pint each night.
Wednesday 09/02 - 6 miles @ 7:14 m/m
This was nice. I'm now living 5 minutes outside Midleton town so I drove in, parked up and headed in a random direction. I found a lovely walkway looping around the town so just relaxed and enjoyed the run. This town will do nicely.
Thursday 10/02 - 7 miles @ 6:50 m/m
Again no real plan other than get a few miles in so I just headed out on the same loop as yesterday. I was feeling very bouncy today so put in a few 30-60 sec efforts in the middle to stretch the legs. When I got back to the car at 5 miles, my partner told me she ordered takeaway which wouldn't be ready for another 20 mins. What am I supposed to do for 20 minutes? Alright fine, 2 more miles of exploring.
Friday 11/02 - 7 miles @ 7:21 m/m
Met up with some club mates mid morning who are now reasonably close (including Mr.10 things) and headed for a nice windy loop from Glounthaune to Carrigtwohill - a terrible town. The body is definitely benefiting from the lowered intensity and volume this week.
Saturday 12/02 - Rest
A big day taking a trailer of rubbish to the dump and picking paint colours so I was happy to take another rest before the XC. Also hit the Midleton market in the morning which is going to be a big hit.
Sunday 13/02 - RACE! National Masters XC
A 14 minute drive to nationals, I really timed this house move well! What a luxury being able to leave my house after 1pm for a 2:30pm kick off. Castlelyons was the venue, a town I know well and the home club are known for their excellent organisation. The day was fantastic, a superb buzz around the place despite the rain, the wind and the muck and great to see some old (pun intended) faces at a masters race. We had heard rumours of a fairly sticky course and I had a feeling this would be proper XC so that meant the 12mm spikes would be making an appearance. Unfortunately the 12mm's had to be attached to a pair of lovely white dragonfly's which were sacrificed in the name of health as my old battered XC shoes were on the verge of collapse with holes in both shoes.
I was feeling fairly rubbish on the warmup but at this stage I don't take that as a sign of anything other than things are pretty normal. Still though, when doing a few strides before the race I felt so lethargic and almost weak. I was worrying if I'd eaten enough today. It's so hard to get the fuelling right for an afternoon race. I just had to trust I'd get into the groove it when the gun went. I don't write many XC race reports so I'll just do this by laps. The distance would be 7k which consisted of a 1k loop and then 3 x 2km loops. Because we are so old and useless, we get to run 1km less than the sprightlier intermediates. The course had no major hills of note but some difficult muddy sections and a few drags. There was a bitter wind at play also on a twisty course so it would be wise to choose your moments.
Lap 1 (1km)
It's 2:30 pm, tops are off, singlets are out and 200+ auld fellas are huddled like penguins in a field in Castlelyons. We were all raring to go but of course one lad was at the back, frantically getting changed and lads pleading with the starter to hold on for a few minutes. Some were getting restless telling him to get on with it while others took pity and told the starter to hang on. I just stood there, spaced out. At this stage he had two fellas kneeled down each tying a shoe for him. I can't imagine that was the best mental preparation for a race. I had a look along the line and saw already saw a few names that I knew would be a handful today. Of east Cork there was Michael Harty and Tim O'Donohoe, a clear favourite. Sergiu Ciobanu would no doubt be featuring at the business end and there was also Paul Moloney of Mallow who has a good record on the country. We had a good team but lost one of our stronger runners to the intermediates as they needed a little more firepower. Anyways, the gun went bang and we're off. It was straight into the sticky stuff and I got an awful start. I probably wasn't aggressive enough but maybe that was ok as I actually felt really relaxed but I was way, way too far back going into the first corner, probably in the 50's. I could see a lead group forming up front including clubmate John and Donal and I needed get up there. Once we got to a straight, I pulled out to the side and gradually worked my way up and still feeling in control. As we got to the end of the 1km loop, it was back into the very sticky mud but I had gotten myself up to the front and alongside John.
Lap 2 (2km)
It was onto the first of the three 2km loops and I was getting into my stride. I was happy enough to just sit in behind the 4 or 5 and stay relaxed. The going was particularly soft but there were a few decent patches where you could get some good running in. It was probably in the 3rd km where Tim, who was looking ridiculously comfortable finally made his expected break. Tim is at another level to most in this race and I honestly didn't expect anyone to challenge him given his recent form. His clubmate Harty made the bold move to go with Tim. Was he able to challenge him? Nobody knew, we hadn't seen him race since the Munsters and Cork county masters races, of which he had won both. The rest of us were happy to play the long game and it was down to a group of 6. I've never been in a race where positions changed so much, it was back and forth but we all stuck closely and it was honestly such a great buzz running with these runners. It was good, hard, honest cross country running where you could only but respect the eventual medalists. I had no doubt I was in the runnings and capable of a medal but there was a ways to go just yet.
Lap 3 (2km)
Onto the 2nd lap and i'm really working hard, particularly in the muddy sections where I traditionally have suffered in the past. I was able to hold my own on the good sections and was doing my best to stick to clubmate John who had a great XC season last year and had clearly carried that form over despite a injury setback in December. John was looking relaxed and strong and kept making gaps which I had to close but there were gaps forming between all six of us now. An Omagh Harriers runner, Eoin, who I wasn't familiar with was right in the mix the whole time and was starting to form a gap at the end of this lap. John and Sergiu followed and I tried to follow but daylight was forming. It was during this lap that Harty had come right back to us and was within touching distance. Despite coming back, you could see how gritty he was and defiant to give up the place as he stuck with the lads ahead of me. Tim as expected is nowhere to be seen but the minor medals are wide open and I still had to believe I was in the mix though that belief was starting to fade and it was becoming more about securing the best team position I can. The support on the course was outstanding, I was getting shouts from everyone and it was lovely to see supporters of what would be local rival clubs enthusiastically cheering me on.
Lap 4 (2km)
I was still putting the chase on Sergiu, Eoin and John at this stage but a gap, albeit 2-3 seconds was getting so difficult to close and I had my own problems with Paul Maloney by my side. It was on the first straight of this lap that I first felt a worrying sensation in my left ankle, a sharp stabbing pain that made me feel like my ankle was going to give way. The ground was so cut up and uneven at this stage so it was whenever my foot hit the ground at an angle that I really felt it. I don't think the Dragonfly's were such a good choice for heavy muck. I had also badly bruised my toes on the same foot during the week dropping a heavy shower head on them (don't ask) and that was also hurting so maybe there was some unconscious overcompensating going on. Over and over, I kept feeling it jarring and was really starting to worry. Thoughts raced through my mind of having to stop and explain why I pulled up on the last lap, why I potentially cost the team a medal. I wasn't feeling injured, it was more of the threat of an injury and it really felt like I was on the edge. I tried to adjust myself up on my toes and already felt I was after taking the foot off the gas to try gather myself. I thought Paul was starting to labour but I still felt I had more left in me. Harty was meters ahead of me in 5th with the trio having already passed him. This was a case of either cautiously getting home in 7th (or worse) or blasting through whatever pain I had and coming 5th (or better). As I turned onto a drag, I found something, the pain was subsiding (I think) and on a downhill I made a conscious surge passed Paul and then powered my way up the subsequent drag. I was moving well, the threat was still there and I was laboured but I had Harty in my sights. I was getting closer and finally as we turned onto the last straight, it was about 800m to go. Harty glanced around as I came up on his shoulder. What an exhilarating moment of racing. The roars from the crowd that flanked the straight were chilling, cheering us both on. I managed to get a gap on him and I pushed again. My only goal was to get to the line now. John was right ahead of me in 4th with daylight separating 2nd and 3rd also. The places looked nailed but as we neared the end of the straight, there's still about 300m to go. When we turned, pace was absolutely decimated as we hit the sticky muck. It was incredibly energy sapping and I was aware of the East Cork singlet right on my shoulder. I drove through that section as hard as I could, utterly gassed at this stage. John was 3 seconds ahead of me and when we got to the last 50m with good footing, I put in an effort to nail the place and crossed in 5th. I fell to my knees, then just plain flat on my face. I was empty. I got up and Harty was nowhere to be seen but I'd love to have shook his hand after what was a monumental battle to the line. What a race. I was just 11 seconds off Sergiu in 2nd and 6 seconds off Eoin in 3rd. So very close to a national M35 medal and you'd be almost thinking HOW could you not find 6 seconds but that's too easy to say in hindsight, that's actually a big gap in XC. I honestly gave that my everything and came up a little short but I know it's there now. When I consider I was almost going to pull up with the ankle, I can't be but pleased with 5th.
Donal "10 things" also finished up with a very strong top 10 run and we ended up with 4th, 5th, 10th and 51st scorers which helped us to 3rd place just losing out to East Cork on a countback (70 points) and Rathfarnham (63 points) who took the title with very solid packing between 7th and 21st place. There was a gold county medal in there also which is always nice. I was happy with the race and my effort overall. I'm not the strongest of XC runners but I left it all out there today and got such a buzz from the battles. It really is hard to beat XC in terms of good honest racing where times, pace and shoes don't make a difference. It was a seriously good day for the club with the women winning the masters and the mens intermediate also taking the gold. We had to make sure to get together than evening because it's not all about the hard work, celebratory pints are also essential.
Overall, I'm delighted with that 3 weeks of racing and it bodes well for the year ahead. There's a great buzz and sense of pride in the club right now with a really solid group of lads to train with and we're all hungry for some national successes. So many positives and learnings to take away from each race, so much drama, ups and down, but at the end of the day it makes every step in training worthwhile. For now it's probably time to get the head down for a few weeks and put in another training block and we'll see what comes my way. Unfortunately the next race I had planned in 3 weeks time (The Hague half marathon) has been cancelled but I'm not too disappointed, there are enough races out there for everyone.
Summary: 5th in 22:25 (bronze team, gold county)
Post edited by jebuz on15 -
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Amazing stuff again. Running out of superlatives. Great log to follow. How's the ankle?
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At this stage its repeating ad nauseum to congratulate you on a excellent race so instead I am gonna say congrats on the new house
(Hell of a race block there, probably no harm with a few weeks to settle into the the house and a few weeks of training before you go again)
You Leevale boys definitely in fine form at the moment fair play, great to see
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Thanks a lot SB. The ankle is still not perfect but doesn't feel very threatening either, more of a niggle to be managed. I reckon I just jarred it badly in a divot on Sunday and it'll take a few days to heal. Turning corners is where it becomes very noticable, and kind of hilarious as I've been turning like a double decker bus.
Thanks Luke, you're right there in that I probably need a few weeks of settling into the house and to reset a little after the racing block. Great to see you logging away with consistency, now all we need is Krusty to come out from under his rock!
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Quick catch up. 3 weeks of very low volume running and no sessions, for a few reasons. I hurt my chest (again) while trying to put a pulley back on a tractor lawnmower and I stopped for 8 days to let that settle. These non-running injuries are getting ridiculous. I think I must be very sensitive in this area because over 2 weeks later and it's still not great but at least I can run. Also, I've been busy with house things and trying to plant 1200 tree whips for a hedgerow which is a little time sensitive as the bare root season is coming to an end soon. It's fair to say that despite not running I've been fairly active and to be honest, I half welcomed the break from running which is probably a sign I needed to reset. This week I'll hit the track on Tuesday and take it from there.
Monday 14/02 - 5 miles @ 7:23 m/m (ankle still dodgy from race)
Tuesday 15/02 - Rest (went for 60 min cycle)
Wednesday 16/02 - 9.5 miles @ 6:49 m/m
Thursday 17/02 - 10 miles @ 6:42 m/m
Friday 18/02 - 5 miles @ 7:23 m/m
Saturday 19/02 - 10 miles @ 6:30 m/m (5 mile pick up @ ~5:50 m/m in the middle)
Sunday 20/02 - Rest (chest injury)
Weekly miles: 52
Monday 21/02 - Rest
Tuesday 22/02 - Rest
Wednesday 23/02 - Rest
Thursday 24/02 - Rest
Friday 25/02 - Rest
Saturday 26/02 - Rest
Sunday 27/02 - Rest
Weekly miles: 0...duh
Monday 28/02 - 3.5 miles @ 7:18 m/m
This was a bit of a kick in the comeback face. I headed out intending to get 5 handy miles in to kick off the return. About 1.5 miles in I started feeling pain on my left knee. I've never had any sort of troubling knee pain before so I assumed it was nothing but a minor ache yet about 3.5 miles into the run the pain had gotten so bad it brought me to a standstill. I had to embark on the walk of shame back to the car in the freezing cold. No fun. To make things worse when I got back, the 4th toe of my left foot (which was slightly niggling me when running) was twice the size of its right foot equivalent and not feeling good to touch. This was the toe I dropped a shower head on a few weeks ago before the XC race. It was badly bruised at the time for a few days but was slightly concerning that 4 weeks later it was still massive. Later that evening I read that most toes are broken by dropping something on it. It could be that it's broken but it's not really hurting to run on so since I've got bigger fish to fry, this felt like one to put on the "ignore and hope it will heal without bothering me" list.
Tuesday 01/03 - 5 mile @ 7:44 m/m
Undeterred by the knee pain, I was determined to prove this was a passing ache. I set off for another 5 miles. The run started fine but again about 3 miles in I started feeling a pain but nothing as bad as yesterday so I just eased back the pace and made it back to the car still standing.
Wednesday 02/03 - 8.5 mile @ 7:07 m/m
Once and for all I would rid myself of this knee pain and this was the day to banish it forever. That's how injuries work isn't it? Off I set and I was just 1 mile into this run and bang! Owee. I felt a very sharp stabbing sensation in the same knee, as bad if not worse than day one. Some mild expletives were discarded on the streets of Midleton as I resigned myself to retreating. I headed back towards the car in the miserable pouring rain. That's me back to square one and out for another few weeks I thought. But minutes later something odd happened. The knee pain mysteriously floated away. Nothing. It felt absolutely fine. I came to a crossroads soon after and I had two options: turn left back to the safety of the car or go right into the countryside where I would be in serious trouble if the knee pain returned. My gut said turn right and get through it, so I did. Mile after mile I ticked off, and the knee was behaving itself. All was better in the world despite the wind and rain now lashing on top of me. I eventually looped back to the scene of the crime (the 1st mile of the run where the pain hit) and a little wry smile emerged as I almost knew I would be ok. I got back to the car, body feeling good, emotionally drained and clothes very wet. That'll do.
Thursday 03/03 - 10 miles @ 7:04 m/m
I went into the office today in a rare commute to the city. I met up with a club mate after work and was delighted to get 10 miles in without any trouble. I suppose this was the real tester if anything and ticked all the boxes. I might be actually back now. I came to the conclusion that the knee pain might have been related to the tree planting where I was using my left foot to push down aggressively on the spade when digging into the soil. Running just doesn't seem to like when you do anything else physical with your body but I'm afraid in this case it'll just have to deal with it.
Friday 04/03 - 8 miles @ 7:20 m/m
A nice, handy run with a few club mates around Glounthaune and Carrigtwohill on the right side of east Cork.
Saturday 05/03 - 10 miles @ 5:59 m/m
I was contemplating a session today but felt a little too early to go very hard again. I settled to keep this local and solo and I just headed off with no real plan apart from putting in a moderate effort to test all of the systems. I hit the first mile in 6:49 and just ramped it up from there, finishing up with a 5:38 mile. The breathing was ok, the knee was ok, the toe was ok, the effort manageable but the chest is still definitely tugging at me a little. Encouraging run overall.
Sunday 06/03 - 8.5 miles @ 7:13 m/m
An early start as I needed to be at plant school in Limerick by 10am for a practical day. This was actually a lovely, peaceful run. It was 6:30 am when I started. A cold, crisp morning with a beautifully blue sky and the sun yet to peek above the horizon. I felt like I was the only person in the world apart from the soothing tones of Blindboy's voice in my ears. I ran in a new direction today and discovered a lovely new loop into the countryside and back into the town. All good apart from my chest still hurting slightly.
A boring yet interesting week of running but I'm back on the horse. Let's see how next week goes.
Weekly miles: 54
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Monday 07/03 - Rest
Tuesday 08/03 - 15 miles
- AM: 4.5 miles @ 7:27 almost got blown to Oz with the stupidly aggressive wind but I was happy to be back to my Tuesday morning pre-session run
- PM: Track - 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 8 x 400m (all off 200m recovery)
This was a nice reintroduction to hurting myself and I was pleasantly surprised with the session and effort. After 4 weeks without a session, I didn't expect to be able to hang (reasonably well) with the group but I felt good, in control and came away feeling like I wouldn't be long getting back in racing shape. Not killing myself for the first 1600m definitely paid off for the rest of the session and I worked my way into the session. Once I got to the 400's and feeling ok, I knew I would be able to finish out the whole session. The 200m recovery meant we really didn't have a lot of time to relax and it was a good race simulator as we all start preparing for some shorter 5k-10k races over the next few weeks. I like these sessions and this is such a simple session when you break it down. 4 laps, 3 laps, 2 laps, 8 x 1 lap. Recover for 1/2 a lap. We rarely, if ever get pace or time targets from the coach (e.g run your 1500m effort, 3k effort, 10k effort, whatever...) because it just adds confusion, causes runners to stress and removes the sense of feel and intuition as you're constantly watching the clock. It's up to the athlete to decide on the correct pace and it's in this space where you learn to grow as runners and racers. We work on self control, relaxing, discipline and controlling the effort and I think that all adds up to better training and racing. The chest was ok during the workout but quite sore when I got home that evening and big breaths were quite difficult. I didn't like that.
Splits: 5:05, 3:46, 2:26, 71, 70, 71, 69, 70, 70, 70, 68
Wednesday 09/03 - 6.5 miles @ 7:31 m/m
On a very wet morning the legs were tender and the calves were tight but in a way it was nice to feel post session soreness. I think it means I did something right last night.
Thursday 10/03 - Track - 20 minute tempo (@ 5:26 m/m) & 4 x 200m
My legs were knackered since Tuesday so why not pour more fuel on the fire and try shock my poor body into shape. This was quite sensibly paced though, I just sat in with a group and we started off around 5:30 m/m pace before picking it up to 5:15 m/m for the last mile or so. Then it was a few 200's (32-24 sec) where I quickly realised I that I don't really like 200's, at all. My chest is finally feeling like it's coming around now, much improved from Tuesday which perhaps shocked it into healing quicker. Either that or it's just completely given up on me and sees no point even signalling pain anymore.
Friday 11/03 - 5 miles @ 7:27 m/m
God I felt old today, old, sore and crippled. I don't know how to describe the aches other than pure joint and muscle aches. I guess an unsurprising consequence of 2 sessions in 3 days following a month of doing almost nothing. I've decided to forego the planned Saturday session tomorrow and I'll do a 4 mile race on Sunday instead. The goal is to run the Kia Series Portlaoise 5k next Thursday so I think a race before that will do no harm. I'll be going in Sunday with absolutely no expectations other than get my body used to racing again.
Saturday 12/03 - Rest
Wasn't feeling terrific, had a sniffle and given it was the day before the race, I just took it off.
Sunday 13/03 - Rest
I woke up not feeling the best and my Whoop strap told me I wasn't remotely recovered, had an elevated HR and respiratory rate. Yes, it's coming. I was still planning on going to do the race as I just thought it was a mild cold but just to be sure I did an antigen test and sure enough, you win Covid! A shame as I was just getting going again but what can I do but suck this up and get better. The symptoms aren't terrible in that I'm not bed-bound but I definitely feel sick and lethargic. I'll get going again soon, the world just seems to want me to take a longer break.
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Comeback attempt #23. Evil Covid fairly battered me for a few days, it wasn't pleasant and I'd only wish it on my absolute worst enemies. I'm happy though to have a decent first week under the belt so perhaps this is the start of a good training block now. I'll aim for Limerick half in 5 weeks. Motivation and hunger has been questionable in recent weeks with everything going on outside of running so I think I just need a target to work towards.
Monday 14/03 - Sick
Tuesday 15/03 - Sick
Wednesday 16/03 - Sick
Thursday 17/03 - Sick
Friday 18/03 - Sick
Saturday 19/03 - 6 miles @ 7:18 m/m
Sunday 20/02 - 13 miles @ 7:14 m/m
Weekly miles: 19
This week I was staying down in Bunclody in Wexford doing work experience for my course on a small organic farm. I've realised this week that running and manual labour don't work so well together. I was pretty much scraping the barrel with some of my runs and was exhausted at the end of every day. It was a terrific week though, I loved everything about working outside and the beautiful weather was the cherry on top. By the weekend I was feeling well recovered and was happy to get a good session in followed by a decent long run. Fitness wont' be long coming back and I think I probably haven't lost much anyway.
Monday 21/03 - 8.5 miles @ 7:02 m/m
Tuesday 22/03 - 8 miles (AM: 4 miles @ 7:55 m/m and PM: 4 miles @ 7:15 m/m)
Wednesday 23/03 - 5.5 miles @ 7:27 m/m
I was going to do a tempo this evening by I wasn't feeling it at all. My Whoop strap also told me I was on death's door with only 37% recovery which just confirmed what I was feeling so I opted for a short run and ice-cream.
Thursday 24/03 - 12 miles
AM: 4 miles @ 7:40 m/m
PM: 4 mile tempo (5:35, 5:23, 5:43, 5:29)
First sort of effort since Covid and it was a bit of a rude awakening. I did this on the new course for the Enniscorthy 10k and found it really tough. It was a bumpy route, a windy evening and considering I was knackered from the work, it looks about right. I knew the effort was there and I was getting the heart rate up so I wasn't worried about pace. I finished up questioning my logic of aiming to run a marathon at that pace last September but then again at the time I had ran 14 miles at 5:30 pace without any real distress. It's interesting how perception of effort changes based on your current fitness levels but I have to believe I'll get back there soon.
Friday 25/03 - Rest
Saturday 26/03 - 9/8/7/6 mins (off 2 mins) - 11 miles
This was probably my first time back at the farm in 2 months and the first time I'd taken the trip from Midleton, which wasn't so bad, just over 25 minutes. I was apprehensive about a session considering it felt so tough on Thursday but things can only improve and I had to make sure to run my own session today and forget about everyone else.
Into the 9 minute rep and I fell in with a nice big group where I felt safe. There was an early breakaway of 4 lads who I'd normally be up there with but I had to let them away today and behave myself, plus the current effort just felt right. I was feeling comfortable, much more so than Thursday and already running a quicker pace on grass. Maybe it was the day off (and lack of manual labour) but also there's something about the group that makes things feel easier. From here on in, I was able to crank it up each rep which to me is exactly how this session should be run as the reps get shorter. At the start of the 7 minute rep, the 2 groups had merged again on the recovery and this time I just went with the 4 lads and stuck to the back of them. I was able to hang in there and again for the 6 minute rep though I was getting close to (or possibly deep inside) the red zone. Really happy with that one and just the buzz of running in a group like that was something I had really missed.
9 mins @ 5:25 m/m
8 mines @ 5:23 m/m
7 mins @ 5:14 m/m
6 mins @ 5:09 m/m
Sunday 27/02 - 16 miles @ 6:38 m/m
To top off a successful first week back, I met up with 3 others on a cracking sunny morning and we banged out 16 lovely miles. The legs despite being a little tender from yesterday were feeling good overall. Let's try to build on this now with the focus on just showing up every week and an emphasis on no silly injuries.
Weekly miles: 62
Post edited by jebuz on8 -
Monday 28/03 - Rest
Tuesday 29/03 - 15 miles
- AM: 5 miles @ 7:29 m/m
Bitter cold but beautifully sunny morning in Midleton. I felt well rested after the day off and motivation seems to be returning now that I've actually signed up for Limerick half.
- PM: Track: 5 x 1200m (off 400m, pick up middle lap)
I knew this would be a real lung buster of a session as some of the lads did it last week and sounded like it was mayhem with people dropping out, getting pacing arseways and basically making a hames of it. I remember doing it a few years ago and struggling to get the pacing right. 1200m is 3 laps and the goal is to run the middle lap noticeably quicker than the 1st and 3rd lap. The logic being that this simulates racing where there's an injection of pace and a move needs to be covered before the pace settles again. Getting the pacing right is important here so that there's a distinct change of pace in the middle lap. This is where the fallibility of the human brain and our ability to accurately assess our fitness is exposed because people tend to run a pace that they can't pick up for the second lap or they can't restore the initial pace on the 3rd lap. My group was given a rough target of 74's for the "slower" laps and 70 for the faster lap. Not being near as fit as the lads, I sat right at the back and said I'd see how this goes and adjust if necessary. Onto the first rep and it was comfortable as it should be, 76 for the lap. Then came the injection of pace and that was noticeable, a 69 and it felt hard. I make a mess of it here and for some reason started jogging after the 2nd lap thinking we were done and then realising that the group were 10 meters ahead of me still running hard. There was no point trying to catch them so I just tried to relax and this ended up being a 74 but feeling ok. At this stage I knew how the effort felt but I thought I should ease up on the middle lap as that was slightly fast and I wanted to be able to get through all 5 reps. The next few went fine with the middle lap at a more manageable 71 and the slower laps 74-76. We had two casualties dropping out after only 2 reps showing just how hard this session can be to get right. I was able to keep in decent contact with the group for the rest of the session and finished feeling banjaxed but satisfied. It's a great session, really tough on the lungs and legs but one to really develop your ability to feel a pace rather than relying on the watch.
Rep 1: 76 69 74 (3:39)
Rep 2: 74 71 76 (3:41)
Rep 3: 75 71 75 (3:41)
Rep 4: 75 71 75 (3:41)
Rep 5: 75 70 74 (3:39)
Wednesday 30/03 - 8 miles @ 7:29 m/m
10 miles was the plan, 8 miles was the reality. My legs were pleading with me to stop from the offset. In a way it was a good because the session last night had clearly stressed me so I can only benefit from that but on the other hand, it just wasn't pleasant to run. It felt like had done a massive leg workout in the gym so it was a case of DOMs than more than anything and my legs needing to adapt to running hard on a track again. It was mainly my calves and glutes that were complaining and wearing spikes on the track was probably the protagonist there. I pushed through anyway keeping it very easy but early on I decided I'd just run for an hour so there was no need to grind out 10 miles. I did a nice loop down to some woods and back and by the end my glute and calves had relaxed but that was enough for the day. Recover, repair.
Thursday 31/03 - 7 miles @ 7:17 m/m
Still very much feeling like an old man, creaky and sore from too much bingo on Tuesday night. With no huge improvement from yesterday, I just had to push through this one and again opting to keep it under an hour. The thoughts of a lovely egg salad roll from Fitzpatricks at the end kept me going. Yes, I'm also so old now that an egg salad roll is a bit of treat.
Friday 01/04 - 8.5 miles @ 7:21 m/m
Finally the run where I felt good and normal again. Maybe it was the company of a couple of a clubmates who came out to Midleton, maybe it was the Friday morning sunshine, maybe it was the idea of a coffee and pastry from the Grumpy Bakers afterwards. Whatever it was, this was a really enjoyable run and I could have kept going for a good few more miles. A reminder of why we do it sometimes.
Saturday 02/04 - Grass session: 9/8/7/6 (off 2 mins) - 11 miles
Good sesion today on a sunny, breezy and chilly Saturday morning. I liked that this was a repeat of the session last week and I can already see a bit of an improvement. That said, I did go into this session wanting to put in a hard shift for the whole thing whereas last week I eased into it gradually. It's 30 minutes of honest, hard running over 4 reps so I just said I'd go with the group, cling in there and see how it goes since I was feeling well recovered from Tuesday. It went just fine, hard work but good progress.
9 mins @ 5:08 m/m
8 mins @ 5:09 m/m
7 mins @ 5:09 m/m
6 mins @ 5:06 m/m
Sunday 03/04 - 20 miles @ 6:45 m/m
Another cracking day, what's the catch here? Nice to crack out 20 miles for the first time in... a long time. Hopefully I can get a few similar weeks in now and see what happens in Limerick. Good week of it.
Weekly miles: 71
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Monday 04/04 - Rest
Tuesday 05/04 - 13.5 miles
- AM: 4 miles @ 7:38 m/m
Groggy legs, groggy head but ready for another week of abuse
- PM: Track: 5 x 1200m (off 400m, pick up middle lap)
Another repeat of last week. It's nobody's favourite session but that means it's got to be doing something good. There was a really strong wind this evening at the track so I planned to err on the side of caution and focussing on that middle lap making sure there was always a noticeable change of effort and I think as a group we got it spot on. Slightly slower splits than last week which means nothing, effort wise it was just as hard and more importantly it was consistent.
Rep 1: 76 73 75 (3:44)
Rep 2: 77 73 77 (3:47)
Rep 3: 75 73 76 (3:44)
Rep 4: 76 72 75 (3:43)
Rep 5: 75 72 75 (3:42)
Wednesday 06/04 - 13 miles
- AM: 5 miles @ 7:24 m/m
I found a forest (well, it's more of a crop than a forest) only 5 minutes from my house with a great ~5 mile loop around it and decent access trails. No people, no cars. Morning bliss. I'll be visiting this a lot more.
- AM: 8 miles @ 7:26 m/m
Wind can be just awful at times. This was one of those runs where the wind just kicked my arse.
Thursday 07/04 - 12 miles
- AM: 5 miles @ 7:30 m/m
- PM: 7 miles @ 7:00 m/m
Friday 08/04 - 9.5 miles @ 7:37 m/m
Saturday 09/04 - 9/8/7/6 mins (off 2 min) - 11 miles
A solid session down at the Marina this morning with a group of 5 and maybe things are starting to come together a bit. After a few Saturdays on the grass we headed for road today and it was a good effort again focusing on slightly increasing the effort each rep. We were all completely strung out but I at least had someone to focus on ahead of me. I kind of got it right but really went to the hurt zone for the last rep.
9 mins @ 5:09 m/m
8 mins @ 5:03 m/m
7 mins @ 5:04 m/m
6 mins @ 5:02 m/m
Sunday 10/04 - 18.5 miles @ 6:35 m/m
I needed to be in Limerick for 10am for a course practical day so I had to do the impractical and start my long run at 6am. Well of course I didn't have to but you know, the long run won't run itself. I decided I'd not put myself under pressure to get 20 miles in and settled for 2 hours and whatever miles I get I get. I started solo in Midleton when it was almost dark, the world was asleep and the roads were deserted. It was kind of nice in a way being out there alone but it was also a brutally windy morning and in some stretches felt like I was standing still. As I passed the slumbering homes in the eerie countryside, I wondered about the people inside warm in their beds, oblivious to my windy woes. In reality it wasn't that much of struggle, I got into a good rhythm and probably ended up enjoying it. A few podcasts and 18 or so miles later, the town was awake, the day was bright and I was done. It was just after 8am and after a quick pitstop at home and a smoothie down the hatch I made it to Limerick with 1 minute to spare. Job done for the week.
Weekly miles: 77
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Monday 11/04 - Rest
Tuesday 12/04 - 14.5 miles
- AM: 4.5 miles @ 7:28 m/m
- PM: Track: 6 x 400m (off 400m) - 10 miles
Less homework this evening at the track as a few of us prepare to tackle the streets of Kilkenny 5k on Thursday, the priority being Leevale staying on top of the Kia series club leaderboard. I'm apprehensive about the race having not raced in almost 9 weeks. I really don't know what to expect but I'm also going in without a lot pressure. I'm definitely not feeling back to myself yet but that doesn't mean I shouldn't race, it means I most definitely should race! After a lengthy 6 mile warmup, kicked into some steady 400's with a few lads and felt...well, reasonable. Splits: 74, 73, 72, 72, 71, 70
Wednesday 13/04 - 13.5 miles
- AM: 8 miles @ 7:32 m/m
- PM: 5.5 miles @ 7:20 m/m
Thursday 14/04 - Race! Streets of Kilkenny 5k
So almost 9 weeks since I last raced and that felt like a long time, for me. As I mentioned above I didn't really know what to expect but honestly went in prepared to be happy with a result around 15:30 and that would have been a good starting point. I've felt pretty sluggish and rusty in sessions and easy runs but it's all part of the game, you just can't be in flying form all year round and you have to be patient when you're rebuilding. Some of my clubmates have been flying it recently so it's really given me the motivation to keep consistent and just show up each week regardless of how crap or good I'm feeling. As I also mentioned, Leevale as a unit are really gunning for the Kia series club title so I also felt a bit of duty go show up for the team on this one after missing the first race due to Covid. Besides, a Tuesday night road trip might be fun, and it actually was. We arrived at 6:30pm for a 7:30pm kick off. The town was buzzing with people and there was a nice pre-race atmosphere with well over 700 in attendance and plenty of amused spectators. The course was 2 laps around the epicentre of the city, which was not exactly flat but not exactly hilly either. I was feeling a terrible pain in my stomach once I got out of the car, maybe from sitting for so long but it's also hard to get food right for an evening race. As the start drew closer, my pain was subsiding but I still felt so lethargic on the warm up, which at this stage pre-race, I'm actually used to. I gingerly made my way to the start line, ready to do battle not only against the field, but myself also. My plan? No plan really but my primary motivation was simply to score on the team for the race series which meant being one of the first 3 home from my club. We had 6 Leevale men running so I did have my work cut out.
Mile 1: 4:47
I lined up in the second row and there was a seriously deep field of quality runners here today which was great to see on a Tuesday night in April, if a little intimidating. The start was downhill but some people really got overly carried away when the gun went. I got elbowed and pushed out of the way by people squeezing through to get a good start. Utterly pointless and ridiculous carry on, it's a 5k race not a 400m race. About 30 seconds later we hit a hill and people were already coming back to me. Ok, that's my rant over there. I was somewhat resigned to not going out really hard in this race, probably lack of confidence but also just didn't feel race sharp going in so I fell in behind a group which looked like it was moving well. Little did I know, I actually was going out harder than I thought but I was so far back it didn't feel like it. I had already decided I wasn't looking at my watch today, just get a race under the belt and race it. I was a little uneasy with how far back I was, probably sitting somewhere between 30 and 40th place watching a mob of people ahead of me. I felt ok though and was feeling decent.
Mile 2: 4:54
On to the second mile as we barrelled back towards the finish line area to start our second lap. The course, while very fast, has it's fair share of drags but likewise some quick spots where you could just let the legs go free a little. I noticed I was really starting to come through the field in this mile and observed my breathing and stride was feeling pretty good. As we got back to the very first hill from the 1st mile, I made a conscious push up the hill and took a few runners who were slowing. When I pass someone in a race, I like to pass aggressively and confidently to try convince the passee that I'm too fast to bother trying to stick with. I'm not sure if it works but it keeps me entertained. I still was running alongside a Leevale clubmate, and noting two other clubmates well up the field ahead of us so it was basically us battling it out for the 3rd spot on the team, a nice little bit of healthy interclub rivalry and really kept me honest. Today I really just felt I was battling for position and for that reason it really felt a lot more like a cross country race...on road...with magic shoes....and no muck. Nearing the end of the mile, I felt I was pulling away and reeling in about 4 or 5 lads ahead of me but still absolutely no idea of the time I was on for.
Mile 3: 4:57
The splits show I was slightly slowing but it didn't feel it. I felt I was getting quicker but in reality, people were just coming back to me and I had pulled away from the group I was with. I think I was running solo for the first half of this mile and then on the final stretch into the city, I was tracking a group of 4 ahead of me who at one point felt too far away but every step I took they were starting to get bigger, i.e less further away. I realised I was running out of road so I had to start scraping the barrel for some fast juice. There was a testing climb with about 400m to go and it was here where I really reeled them in. Suddenly the last corner is in sight and time really is running out. For some reason I had started to relax once I got within touching distance so without thinking I made my way to the side of them, taking the long route and I started charging. One of them out of nowhere just pulls away with a turn of speed I could only applaud. I was able to take the other 3, sneaking one spot just before the line as one chap just took his foot off at the last second and I nipped by. I was utterly gassed but had put in a really good shift. Once I gathered myself I took a look at the watch and was a little stunned but pleasantly surprised to see 15:07! For some reason, that was a little off and my chip time was actually 15:04. Upgrade! I came 16th in the end and there were 14 guys under 15 minutes. Now that's a quality race.
I really don't know where that performance came out of but I'm really pleased with it and that race has given me a new drive and a hunger knowing that I'm clearly in better nick than I have being giving myself credit for. I thoroughly enjoyed coming through the field, having a strong finish up the hill and taking 4 places in the closing stages. Only at Christmas when I felt in super shape was I running these sort of times (14:52 in Newmarket, 15:04 in Togher) so I think this is a good indicator and a mental boost for me. As always, you can't beat an honest, hard race and it really doesn't matter what shape you are in or think you're in, it will give you more than you'll ever get from a session. A great evening overall and capped off with a team win. I was really happy to be able to put that score on the board which was my ultimate goal for the evening. The women nailed it (1st, 3rd, 5th) and a massive result also for two clubmates ahead of me running PBs of 14:40 and 14:52, it's nice to see that progress in the group and to be a part of it.
Friday 15/04 - 12 miles
- AM: 5 miles @ 7:27 m/m
- PM: 7 miles @ 7:13 m/m
Saturday 16/04 - 4 x 10 mins (2 min rec) 12 miles
Out to the farm and the grass was the right call today with the legs a little tired from the race. With the Limerick half (and possibly the full marathon in Cork) coming up, the focus is on more volume now and we got a decent 40 minute of work in. It was windy and humid but the effort was really controlled so I was happy with this effort while conscious of a long one tomorrow.
10 mins @ 5:23 m/m
10 mins @ 5:25 m/m
10 mins @ 5:26 m/m
10 mins @ 5:27 m/m
Sunday 17/04 - 20 miles @ 6:40 m/m
Today it rained, it rained non stop. It rained and is still raining so much rain that a permanent moat has formed around my house. That wasn't going to stop the long run train, it just put a dampener on it. Met up with a few clubmates and we set off into the wet. Company is king on a day like today. Job done and a solid week in the bag.
Weekly miles: 80
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Super training and a super result at KK - very well done - really inspiring to see such improvement on some really good times!!
Regarding the Whoop strap - can you talk a bit more about it - what you use it for & how you interpret the data?
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