Go now before its too late

youngrun

Have been reading these logs for a while and have decided to try and get back on track training wise and give a couple of targets a rattle. About me - mid/late ??! 30s (37 ) male, ran in school , gave up, went mad on the beer,fags and college, got back to running 10 years ago,
got down to 34 low 10k and 246 marathon. last couple of years a bit worn out and too much work on, training suffered, but have always ticked along at c 40-50 miles a week without many hard sessions and no real races in last year bar one of each- 5k /10k -at 18/36low mins.
The aim is to get back proper training and run a cross country season , and target a spring marathon at six min miles 2.37/8 and in the process run 33 low 10k .
Can I do it ? What plan should I follow?
Am thinking of 70-75 miles a week with a tempo (4 miles ) and progression run ( 50 mins to 1 hr ) and long run with a few pickup miles as 3 key runs. The body is slow to recover these days so I need an easy day hard day approach I think.
I will start the log this week.

youngrun

Long run Sunday 14 miles, easy with a couple of 620s, Monday about 6.5miles on grass no great shakes 7.40 to 8 min miles. All my easy runs are around that maybe its too slow?
I reckon if I can push up to 60 miles from October and keep adding on a few more a week...
Will aim to bash out a tempo later 4/5k, have to start somewhere I guess. I train usually on grass or trails and nice up and down circuit I will use.

youngrun

Headache today dont know why..maybe that run yesterday did me in. Got about 6.5 mile in 10k plus, with 4k full tilt with another lad, on a trail circuit. 14.20 for the 4k but the legs were like wheels on a horse and cart took forever to turn over, found this tough.
Was thinking of a ten k this weekend but do not feel as if I am fit enough to race the distance yet given the fact I was baked after 4k yest -so perhaps two weeks of decent training and run cross country county race which is shorter is a better plan?

youngrun

another day another run yesterday . this log is a day in arrears...Easy 5 miler nothing run really again on the grass and paths , its a fairly unforgiving surface, very little bounce in my step. 745 pace I reckon. I think I would run 10-15 seconds faster on road on any given day I wonder is there any evidence to back up my theory...!

youngrun

I should add I am a lot more battered in terms of recovery than I was five years ago, like the walking dead in mornings stumbling around on my way to work . I am working my own business plus doing some college this year as well, but no kids so should have a bit more energy I would have thought !

youngrun

Thurs, ran about 5.2 miles, all on a grassy cross country circuit , 4 mile progression run as part of it - miles were 7/6.50/6.30/5.56 and an easy mile, ran with another lad and was struggling badly to hang on, any hill at all and I was dropped losing five yards, lacking strength clearly. Found this tough despite not very many miles in it ! Its clear I need to work on strength and hills and build back up a bit of speed endurance over next few weeks , amazing how quickly you lose all fitness.

youngrun

thats the trouble leaving the log cant remember what i Did!
Friday - An hour easy , 8 and a bit miles , lovely day for it , again on my usual trail circuit
Saturday - Ran a hill session , 10 by one minute- last couple were horrifically tough. Maybe getting 250 m in or close ? Plus a good warm up and down , 8/9 miles all in at a steady clip. PM 5k in a crawl.
Sunday- Long run about 15 miles with some quick sections . Very slow start, first 3 miles at 8s or outside, then down to 7.30, and 4 of the last 5 miles or so at 6.30 or so pace. Ran with a crew . Wrecked after could not move for twenty mins.

youngrun

Monday for recovery , ran 45 minutes easy pm , lovely to run after a dose of rain made pitches I trained round soft. about 5.5 miles.
I wonder if my easy runs are too easy, but certainly wasnt up to much more after weekends training

youngrun

And on to Tuesday , going to run XC race at weekend so myself and another lad did a shortish progression run, again 7.15 odd to start, mile one, 640/605/550 pace for 4 miles pickup on grass in spikes . Funny the fastest mile felt the most comfortable! another 2 mile jog down to finish

youngrun

Wed, 5 .5 miles, with four 3 min reps off 1 minute, at full tilt, last hard run before Cross country Sunday. Its only 6km and as am a terribly slow starter needed a real blowout couple of reps

youngrun

The days slip by unbeknowst...
Thurs, I ran easy 3km am, and then pm did a 45 min steady run with last 3 miles hard, around 6min pace. On road, hilly circuit, felt it after I tell you.
Fri easy 5 miles, mid afternoon lunch break, great to get out at a sneaky time!

Sat am, 30 min easy with a shortish pickup .

Race tomorrow, 6km XC, I will have to come from the back, due to a terribly slow pace start- 6km is a bit short but have to get back somewhere and take the hit
. Its the county champs so I think a top ten would be very good, was 13th last year, very similar and good running standard so every place is a win ahead of last yrs

youngrun

The first day of XC season in the west, county champs on yesterday, goodish turnouts of about 50 in mens race. The race went out like the proverbial rocket and that was the last I saw of the leaders...On previous years I would have expected just about a top ten, but it was pretty obvious from the gun gun I was nowhere near race fit, struggling for pace all the way. In the mid twenties for much of lap one and two, and then picked up a few places later on, but was being left for dead by lads I should really have no problem beating. Nothing in the tank to push on despite the effort put in. Ended up just scraping into top 20, a very poor result and no excuses . Strange days.
Not sure what went wrong maybe lack of race fitness? Should have taken easier later last week? Or just take it on the chin and train harder? All three most likely.

youngrun

Monday - 5 miles easy, nothing to report
Tues, same run, little bit quicker with another lad who beat me by ten places on Sunday, a guy I should have been challenging really. Motivation for next time I guess
The plan is the Gerry Farnan next, will run the Vets 35 category, unlikely to get the top 4 unless no-one shows up - but they will!. A good run somewhere around midpack will do.

youngrun

Wed - I seem to be stuck around 5.5 miles ! . Yet again thats what I ran. But did 4*3mins in the spikes on grass , a bit of sharpish cross country work on a rolling circuit. Very poor up the hills , ran with another fellow and lost 20-30 metres in no time each hill. Pace around 2.30-2.40 through 800m so not bad. Probably need more volume , will aim for a 20 min tempo weekend on the country and a longish run with a pickup Sunday

youngrun

Thursday was about 7 miles, reasonably steady pace at end , 6.40 ish on grass and trails

youngrun

Friday 10km or so easy

Saturday, 20 min warm up, 15 min tempo at roughly 5.40 pace , 20 min easy. Not a bad effort was running with ano ther lad who pulled up in the tempo so left it at 15 min had planned a bit longer but a good effort . Two more session s early next week of longer duration

youngrun

Sunday the last day of the week, saw a 14 mile early on in cold and dense fog over the hills and back roads with one other lad. Pace easy, felt tired form yesterday, 1.48 to run it so no great shakes but good to get time on the feet, Also ran 2 miles pm to shake out the legs. Mid 50s mileage for the week, not a great one but on the way up. Need to hit 60-65 next month at a minimum with some longer tempo /threshold work

youngrun

Monday I ran 52 minutes on grass for nearly 7 mls, very easy at the start and a few pickup strides thru last mile , super conditions for it. Pace is slow on these but circuit is a trail and offroad one with some short hills where you would be close to walking pace so the effort is there. I hope it does not slow me down terminally for other purposes, the advantage is its traffic free and quiet and a good 2.5 mile circuit

youngrun

Tuesday and the time to get fit is now. My usual sidekick on holidays so a couple of tough runs to do solo , never easy . Today was not sure of plan but decided on a hill session . Have a nice hilly loop of about 400m up and down that I ran hard up and steady down continuously for 20 mins . Was baked after it took a couple of minutes to come to my senses/ ten k all in or so for the day..

youngrun

Wed, not out till late and just ran 30mins easy

Thurs, 3 miles am, and pm ran all in 6.5 miles in the worst conditions in a while - rain and muddy underfoot a bit slippy. 20 min tempo in the middle of it , the pain is back ! Tough to do. Ran around college grounds, loads of games on and training and people activity - and me in my own world of hanging on and pushing the pace ! About 540 pace or slightly over for the 20mins so decent effort. SHould be able to hold 5.30 on a road tempo .
Running the Gerry F XC Sunday so mid pack would be the aim sub 29 mins- just- on the course . Was very low 28s last year or two. Couple of lads from club also going will be doing well to get close to them - both should be a min ahead of me, as they were at the county cross, so thats how much I am off fitness I reckon, a good target to aim for them by end year. One minute slower over 5 miles than last yr is 300 metres not a lot when you break it down ! Could do with a decent run .

youngrun

What happened ? Lets see

Friday - 50 mins easy ish but lashing rain and mud made it harder
Sat 4 miles with strides and 3 miles pm
Sun - Off to Dublin for the Gerry Farnan/Open XC with a few lads from club, good day out. Race I ran was better effort than County cross country as was a lot closer to my training buddies than last time -10 secs versus 1 min last time - has to be better . Place wise though- woeful ! 40-45 places behind lads I was ahead of last year, picked out 3 names all in 75-85 place range this year , really have taken the foot off the gas over summer and it showed up bigtime. Motivation I guess.. and I know I need to be running 65-75 miles as I am a carthorse really and need a better base and more tempo/threshold work as well as long reps.

youngrun

Monday
45 mins in blustery conditions on grass with some inclines, very sore after yesterday , knackered after it, two easy days and two sessions later in week and back to long runs is the plan for week ahead. Only 50 miles odd last week so need to ramp up past the 100k mark at least this wk

youngrun

Tuesday, ran 50 mins all on grass on a 1 mile loop, near to 7 miles I say, some fartlek pieces in it, an enjoyable run.

youngrun

Wednesday, all the days blur into one ... Out late from work so a run in the dark, have to be wary running around town . 5 miles done just before it rained, 640 pace last one.

youngrun

May as well get up to date
Thursday, another long day at work, the joys of deadlines...
Got out just before dark, and ran a steady seven miles all on what is just over 1km grass loop- 1.05k per mapmyrun. Great circuit, a couple of inclines and people and dog free! . 11 and bit laps, 1 lap easy, 9 laps steady to hard, 1 lap easy. getting around at about 4.10 pace per laps on the steady laps- thats per km pace . Hard work but manageable. I think these runs are key for me, will aim for two a week plus a tempo .

youngrun

A long weekend of running related stuff, Friday , hard to remember think i ran 10k easy !
Saturday, a really tough interval session with a good group of lads from club, 4 by 1.25 mile cross country in an absolute gale, really tough and huge effort for little reward at times. About ten lads there all very good athletes, was at the back for most bar the last rep when picked up a few spots
Did 30 mins pm
Sunday, long run, ish, covered half marathon in 1.40, added a half mile, very tired towards the end , ran out of steam, funny pace, 8 mins early on, to 6.30s at finish

Monday, went up to watch the DCM, seemed like good conditions but the pain on the faces and bodies of people told a tale. I ve never seen so many in trouble or walking, we got to 3 spots on the course and saw plenty . Times way off for most, but one of the club lads was 2.40, a good result and well deserved after some really intense training.

youngrun

tuesday, got out yet again after dark - had hoped to get an hour away from work at 4.30 during winter to get some daylight - no luck today....got about 5 miles in with some quick sections, road running amid heavy traffic, am always wary after a bad fall a couple of years ago crossing roads ...

youngrun

Wednesday, managed to steal an hour away from office in afternoon.. Met a club mate and we ran about 55mins, 7.75 miles or so, with 2.5 miles full tilt in the middle around trails, about 5.35-5.40 pace, the rest easy . The other lad is quicker than I am over short stuff and was really working my gut off to stick with him early on, its weird but as the miles tick by I get more comfortable.
Could really do with longer tempos, but racing provincial XC weekend 8k so that will do .
I must say the DCM has inspired me to go back to the marathon, havent ran one in 3yrs and am sure I will get back next spring to one now, the mojo is back for it!

youngrun

More days pass ..
Thursday, similar to Wed, about 10k, with 4k hard thrown in , approx 5.35miling on trails, early on. Pm 20 min easy recovery

Fri, 50 mins easy in wet and muddy conditions

Sat , 30 mins am , 3 km pm, some stride

Sun, Cross Country 8km, the connachts ...Well what a disappointing run. Some weather before , sun wind, and then it lashed rain and hail, for ladies race . Good warm up but then got caught in the rain and cold. Absolutely frozen on start. The gun went off and I went nowhere, unreal slow start and just had no wheels early on.. A five lap race, and took me three laps to pass some of the very old! club vets 50+ lads, really slogging it. Flying on last two laps and took 5/6 places. Too late . Way way off guys I was ahead of last year- maybe 2-3 mins and 10-12 places. And these are guys I do sessions with at a similar clip.
I think I need more volume and some threshold/longer hard runs, and a basic 5 by 1k session, dont seem to be able to do anything off 40-50 miles a week. Have always done 60-70 last 3-4 years and the miles drop seems to be hitting performance.

youngrun

Monday , a real November day, cold, muddy, spots of rain....I probably ran better today than in race...70 mins, 9.5 miles in grass and trails, muddy, with a couple of lads, one very fast guy so clipping along at 6.30 pace for the last 35 mins...hard work early on but I am able for it then, need to continue these kind of runs regularly

youngrun

Tuesday,
10 k easy enough on grass and trails as usual, have a 2 mile circuit around pitches and gravel trails about evenly split surface. Tired after last two days.
Wed- about 10k, with 15/16 mins or 4k of it very hard with a fast lad from club, 6 min miling along trails , hadnt planned it at all so a shock to the system ,easy finish to run

youngrun

May as well get right up to date...!
Thursday, about 7.75miles, first two dry then wet wet wet, heavens opened . Ran with two other lads and had planned a tempo type run but the trails and grass circuit we were on was a mudbath in no time. Ended up running about 5 miles of it at 6.20 pace which felt comfortable despite the conditions so a good run out. Probably need to do some sharp intervals tomorrow like 8*100m , another XC race Sunday so not going to do much

youngrun

Friday, 5 miles with 5*30 second strides at end flat out,
Sat, 5 miles am at a good clipmaybe too good with race tomorrow
I am struggling for long runs and am not getting miles up to anywhere near where i want, 50 miles odd as opposed to high 60s /70, will have to run a long one midweek ,with all the races on sundays ,
Sunday - Connacht XC Westport. Headed up with one of the club lads on a showery day . Lovely setting Westport House, but what a course! Probably toughest I have ran , very technical , sheer downhills and cambers and sharp turns at the ends of hills. And a mudbath at the end of each lap. A real test. Ran with juniors and they and a Mayo lad ran away from field. Picked my way through field, tired from lap 6 on ( of 8). Could nt take the turns at all. Fell twice, lap 5 went straight downhill and over the white tape /fence posts marking the course!. Lap 6 came down muddy hill and straight into a mudbath.. A bit dazed for a few seconds and got up and kept going . Lost 4 places and got 3 back by last lap but again slipped on last few bends and one came past me. A good run I felt improved but am not fit or strong enough to last the course or have any impact, probably finished mid teens place out of 40 odd when should be 5/6 place in that field.
Crocked after could hardly move 500 m warm down and am crippled since!

youngrun

Monday
Badly crocked after cross country, Glutes and hammer left really tight, ran 5k in 30 + mins unable to stride out left leg more than half usual length. Loads of stretching
Tues , the same problem . Ran 4.5 miles at a crawl. Stretching,
Need physio but will be end week before I can get to one with work
Thoughts of intercounties now might be in vain and not a good idea given current fitness levels?

youngrun

Wed,
Not much improvement, 30 min jog at a 10 min pace . 30 mins of stretching, quite sore! Physio this am

youngrun

Thurs
More of the same, cant really run right , 4.5 miles . One leg moves normally the other cant stride properly half normal pace.
Fri, ditto, 3 miles at a crawl, limited movement in left leg with glutes/hammer tight, eased out a bit
Lot of stretching and deep heat
Sat . Well we had a team XC session planned, so went down and warmed up. Didnt plan on running hard, but ended up sitting in behind thee group, and running fairly steady on the 5 reps of a 1500 circuit - had to short cut parts to get back, but felt fairly ok , pushed it a bit on the last one. very surprised at how well i could run . Still way way off being right or fit though, hitting 5.57 on best rep for 1500 the rest 6.20 pace, so no use for national cross country

Sun - Long run. Might be a misnomer. 70 min am barely 8.5 miles. hardly moving, crocked from yesterday. Lunatic runner as usual cant stop . Ran 20 mins pm
Would love to run intercounties but at this stage I should just leave it and fix injury as would be right out the back of it bottom ten lads at current fitness.

youngrun

Mon

About 6 miles. Dug out the Garmin . 9.61 km ! Pace 5min kms on grass

Tues 5 miles even slower . Physio then . Jesus! Agony . Aagh .
Hope it works

Think I will make an executive decision not to run Sunday, will head up with team , not fit enough and injury has me crippled yet the mind and heart is willing. Hate missing this race but objectively will be badly wanting in race , not that would even feature, but a target any year is inside top 100 out of 150 in a given field say, no great shakes but its all relative. Could only see myself at 130-140 this year so what is the use?! Cursing my luck but plenty after Xmas to do.

youngrun

Wed,

Felt half normal from a running point of view post physio, so headed out before dark for a quick run. Planned to test the water with a session on grass, so 2km warm up, then launched into 5 by 1km. Had to pull up after 900m of the first one blown up, then got going again... hitting 4min kms on rep 2, down to about 3.40 by last one when i added on the missing 100!. Good to do, but just shows the shape, was thinking of I could somehow run 3.35 average would be of some use , average around 350 so a long way off fitness. 5km in around 19 mins across the reps, just over. 1 mile warmdown. Still not running pain free and limited in left leg stride so there you go.

Writing this thurs and fairly sore since!

youngrun

Thurs , six miles, with an attempted steady run, but could not get going , really hampered with left leg and probably yesterdays session, 2.5 miles at a faster pace than the rest but couldnt call it a session , left trailing in the wake of two other lads. it was so foggy couldnt even see them as they pulled away! . No way running Sunday now, would be last or drop after lap one.
Time to get fixed and fit , have a base and some good races, just bad timing with injury. The older you get the harder it is to miss the big ones, cant expect to make it much longer at that level.

youngrun

Friday, 5 miles easy
Sat, 30 mins am and 40 mins pm, easy,
Gave up the ghost on XC and am just going to run easy a week and physio to fix the damned injury
Sun 15 mins and off to Dundalk bring a few to XC , great day out

youngrun

After a few easy days, 5 miles with 2 miles of it at 6.20 pace with a couple of fast lads. Not too bad .Lots of stretching etc , still not quite right though the 600km round trip drive to Dundalk had me in bits when I got back, plus more driving Monday with work, 250 k, not ideal for injury recovery/....!

youngrun

Tuesday, 5.2 miles pm just before dark , one of the benefits of an early start is getting out when theres light .Albeit a dark and dank day, always easier with some good company with another lad. No great pace, 5 min ks but running on trails and muck will never be quick. Injury improving, still tight though, And worse a flu coming on, painful!> On the lemsip.
Would hope to run a session the weekend, think I need to wrap up a bit better.

youngrun

A few days to catch up on. Some improvement in injury, this is a long time for me to be out, ok still running but 8/9 min miles is not worth much to me bar getting out and ticking over ...
Wed, 5 miles
Thurs 7 miles, with 2.5 at a steady pace, with a buddy of mine, who has come back to form with a vengeance, hard to stay with him, 6.15 pace for the 2.5miles
Fri, 5 mile easy
Sat - 6km am and 6 miles pm, with 3 miles at 6.20-6.30 pace steady, felt okay , but couldn't push anymore as the hammer is really under strain now on both sides, like its ready to rip .
Sun 35 min am and 50+ pm, late night minding baby so had to get some sleep and no early start as planned. Usually run club long run but no confidence in body to get an 11 miler so just did what I could, 8.30 pace am, 8 min mile pm, an improvement !
All the runs on trails or grass so I guess a bit slower than road pace but
Down to run novice next week but will see, no preparation whatsoever .!

youngrun

Mon - late at work, only out after an 11 hour day, not much interest in running then...! 4km in pitch dark
Tues, longest run in over a month, a massive 1hr! . Finally running okay, stopped twice to stretch. Going to get physio Fri again to fix it up once and for all. The comeback may be on. Wont do Novice too risky to get another injury , 3 weeks of it is enough

youngrun

A few days to catch up

Wed , 10k easy,
Thurs, 5.5 miles with 2.5 at a good 6.25 pace, all on grass and muddy trails
Fri, 4 miles easy, some physio and stretching
Sat am 15 mins, Pm , an attempted session to see how I was. First real blowout in a month. 10 min warm up, 20 mins of fartlek but more stop start intervals of between 1-3 mins hard effort, had to stop after some I was blowing so much,light jog after others, quite wet and windy , 10 min warm down,
Some hamstring trouble remains
Sunday 4km early and off to the Novice bringing a couple up and a great day watching athletics, happy enough not to run would not have managed a decent place given fitness, some very good runs espc from the womens team.

Monday, a new dawn hopefully can run today pain free for the first time in a month, will see. !

youngrun

Monday, ran 10k including about 7k of that with 2/3 fast lads met up with so 6.10-15 pace on trails and grass. Very sore after, left leg really strained . Loads of stretching.just under 44 mins
Tues , 5 miles pm in rough weather, again a few quickish miles in middle, held up well , 37 mins

Will try to get a steady week in and see how I go, 50 miles plus this weeks aim, only 30 odd last week

youngrun

Wed , 4.5 miles in bad weather, nothing to report
Thurs , 6 miles In atrocious conditions, rain, wind , cold, muddy trails and grass. Tried to pick it up but could not hang to other lad training with, did manage one km pickup at end
Fri, 10k again on the trails 50 mins
Sat , 10 min jog am after work Xmas party - no booze but no sleep till 4 am plus, up at 9, in bits, Pm did 6 miles with 8*100m strideouts good workout though very sore still left hammer/glute when the pace /strain is on, not able to give it socks
Sunday, watched Euro XC , pm did 10.25 miles with another lad, all bar the first two were sub 7 so a good run, felt ok, 1 mile later on jog to ease out soreness,
46 mile week , steady running best I got to , but at last I can run with little pain

youngrun

Bad weather out West ! And working all week crazy hours , 40 hours in 3 days so far ! 4 to go!

Monday 5 mile late at night slow. I detest running n the dark! .
Tues am, 5 miles steady ish with a few quick kms that felt faster than the watch...Enjoyable run bit disappointed with the pace though.
Wed, again late run , 4 miles and cut short by two dogs jumping me, heard them racing at me and owner miles away. A bit wary of dogs even though they were not barking mad just jumping around me a bit disconcerting and couldn't run away..! . Took a few mins for them to go away and I just walked away back to car and stopped , very annoying way to end a run.

youngrun

Thurs... Another long long day at work, 12 hours plus, so a late run of 6 miles at 8 pm, not bad pace at end, still not breaking 7min miles though. I think the first day I ran with no bother in 5 weeks from injury so I will take that !

youngrun

Fri , Managed 5 miles post work and pre an Xmas party , not too sore

Sat am 20 mins 4km before work, then went out late evening for a further 7km with some strides

Sun , Longest run in two months or more, 12 miles in 1.33 or so, slow but happy to get around without injury troubling me, hills were a bit iffy , bad weather and just getting used to being out time wise for a long spin was the hardest. 45 mile week . Working most of day, close on a 70 hour week fairly shattered, and another 3 days of the same ...

youngrun

Might try to start back to sessions later this week, long time without 2 months of enforced very easy running some goals need to be aimed for 2015 ..

I think the aims would be the remaining National cross country events and hopefully a half marathon by April with a view to a late year marathon