Ok, what's next?

aquinn

First St Anne's Parkrun and HR test done.
That was hard, pukey at the end hard, so you can't say I didn't try.
I arrived at 9.26 so panic to ditch the car and run to the start. No warm-up. Met Murph_D and the group was just starting to move to the start.
The first mile was hard, slippy underneath and legs were sleepy. Pace was slow but couldn't speed up. Murph_D went casually by and being over-taken even more casually by a man and a buggy didn't spurn me on. The field evened out and made it easier so no more running on slippy grass and muck. First time I'd even used people to spur me on as was really ready to quit for most of this. Once I caught someone I was briefly happy and then was able to move on and find next target. A great route and event.
Would have given up if it wasn't for Annapr my own personal supporter. If she wasn't there I would have thrown myself into a bush and limped off home.
Here is what it looked like, also first race since DCM and back running 2 weeks.
1 9:07.2 1.00 9:07
2 7:54.4 1.00 7:54
3 7:43.1 1.00 7:43
4 :22.3 0.06 6:39

First time ever to use HRM.
Avg HR: 171 bpm
Max HR: 198 bpm
Training Effect : .3

So grateful for all the marshal's and their hi-vis as if I didn't see them I would have also quit. Happy to have raced and given this a good shot. My time has it at 25.06 but waiting on official results, possibly under 25 but not sure. Last 5km race was in Sept in the flat Docklands and that was in 22.37 but as only just back running I'm not disappointed. Very pleased actually. Warmer than expected too. Also noticed that the pain in heels I'd had this week, like I needed to crack ankle, has gone. A successful morning and hopefully HR test.

OFFICIAL TIME: 24.23 DELIGHTED!

Firedance

aquinn wrote: »

First St Anne's Parkrun and HR test done.
That was hard, pukey at the end hard, so you can't say I didn't try.
I arrived at 9.26 so panic to ditch the car and run to the start. No warm-up. Met Murph_D and the group was just starting to move to the start.
The first mile was hard, slippy underneath and legs were sleepy. Pace was slow but couldn't speed up. Murph_D went casually by and being over-taken even more casually by a man and a buggy didn't spurn me on. The field evened out and made it easier so no more running on slippy grass and muck. First time I'd even used people to spur me on as was really ready to quit for most of this. Once I caught someone I was briefly happy and then was able to move on and find next target. A great route and event.
Would have given up if it wasn't for Annapr my own personal supporter. If she wasn't there I would have thrown myself into a bush and limped off home.
Here is what it looked like, also first race since DCM and back running 2 weeks.
1 9:07.2 1.00 9:07
2 7:54.4 1.00 7:54
3 7:43.1 1.00 7:43
4 :22.3 0.06 6:39

First time ever to use HRM.
Avg HR: 171 bpm
Max HR: 198 bpm
Training Effect : .3

So grateful for all the marshal's and their hi-vis as if I didn't see them I would have also quit. Happy to have raced and given this a good shot. My time has it at 25.06 but waiting on official results, possibly under 25 but not sure. Last 5km race was in Sept in the flat Docklands and that was in 22.37 but as only just back running I'm not disappointed. Very pleased actually. Warmer than expected too. Also noticed that the pain in heels I'd had this week, like I needed to crack ankle, has gone. A successful morning and hopefully HR test.

OFFICIAL TIME: 24.23 DELIGHTED!

Brilliant! Welcome to parkrun :-) now you know the setup you'll just get better & better! Enjoy your post race buzz for the rest of the day :-)

annapr

Great time this morning, well done! It's ok, murph was passed by that guy with the buggy too (aka killerz, aka St Anne's parkrun director... With his twins!). You looked great coming down the home stretch, giving it your all!

Dubgal72

Great time, especially with no warm up! Lovely progressive increase in the paces too. Well done!

hillsiderunner

Good time for your first time for sure *but* have to say I noticed you are doing your 'easy lunchtime runs' at nearly that pace! Imagine there are huge parkrun improvements on the way

aquinn

I only noticed the second child at the finish.

Murph_D

Good to see you again this morning. Nice run, well done. Hard to do a good 5k with no warmup!

aquinn

Sunday morning - post match, few sociable beers.
Got on the bike and did 12.88 miles, started with a Chinese, came back and had more chinese and a Mars bar and then passed out on the sofa exhausted. A healthy day as you can see followed by a huge dinner.

Monday - Lunch 3.88 miles.
Nice and slow today as tired but it went well, stomach not happy with yesterdays gorging but a good run.
Monday night - pilates - lovely twitching leg muscle again. Bad sleep
Tuesday, so later might give the 5*2km session a go. Also to run off my 'last lunch' pre-lent as body is a temple kicks in tomorrow so my treat of a sandwich with meat and chesse, crisps and chocolate is no more. Trust me I don't have this every day. All going well until the chocolate had coconut in it, yuck.
Tomorrow as it is lent and I will behave, get weight down to below 9 and keep it there. Ease out back regularly as still paining me. Will foam roll and not only am I re-starting Bootcamp after a long break I will go and continue to run on lunch, hopefully.

aquinn

Tuesday evening -
Did the 5 * 2 mins @ 5km with 3 mins recovery.
Started with a 17 min warmup and then timed myself around a pitch.
The warm up was certainly different as felt so odd watching watch and plodding along to keep HR low, did this on a tree-lined avenue so wasn't sure if it was the trees or me. Few achy muscles in legs/ass.
The 2 mins sessions were ok but not ideal as checking watch for end of two mins. Need to read watch instructions for the best way for these to work.
Foam rolled before and after, albeit briefly.
I don't think I fully pushed myself as a result of watching the clock but did 4.67 miles in 47.01. Warm-up pace I tried to keep HR under 162 as per resting heartbeat which I took as 50. Avg HR 157 and Max HR 187.

Wed lunchtime jog - 4.06m in 33.34 @8.16
Was reluctant to do this but glad that I did. Windy along the canal on the way out so was looking forward to the return leg . Two twinges in left glute and hip. Need to get back into what they taught me in FTI and 'engage glutes'.
Pilates session again tonight.
Have a big list now to accomplish as the start of Lent.
1 - Get weight down, yes this again. Currently 9s,6lbs so will make to 9 and KEEP IT!
2 - Make time for lunges and core work. Foam rolling and stretching on run and non-run days
3 - Take stairs in work daily, 92 hard steps and done 4 times already
4 - Swear jar!
5 - Find a physio to date

Ososlo

Would you consider slowing down the jogs/easy days a bit A? That was a fair clip you were running at today after a session yesterday. It's usually advised to run to 'recovery' effort the day after a hard session like the 5k one you did yesterday. You might find you have less twinges if you run much more slowly the day after sessions/faster paced work. A recovery run usually helps with twinges etc. Just a thought!
Great to see you getting your groove back!

Dubgal72

Ososlo wrote: »

Would you consider slowing down the jogs/easy days a bit A? That was a fair clip you were running at today after a session yesterday. It's usually advised to run to 'recovery' effort the day after a hard session like the 5k one you did yesterday. You might find you have less twinges if you run much more slowly the day after sessions/faster paced work. A recovery run usually helps with twinges etc. Just a thought!
Great to see you getting your groove back!

+1, our universal mantra should be 'keep the easy days easy and the hard days hard'

aquinn

Fair point Ladies, felt bad though as with a colleague so will go easier then in future. This should be more 9.30 + pace post-session?

Ososlo

aquinn wrote: »

Fair point Ladies, felt bad though as with a colleague so will go easier then in future. This should be more 9.30 + pace post-session?

Yeah I'd say so, sounds about right. Just forget the watch and run to feel.
I'd run my recovery runs around 2.5 mins per mile slower than 5k pace and these runs make my legs feel better than they did before the run.
I know it's difficult when you're running with people.

menoscemo

Ososlo wrote: »

Would you consider slowing down the jogs/easy days a bit A? That was a fair clip you were running at today after a session yesterday. It's usually advised to run to 'recovery' effort the day after a hard session like the 5k one you did yesterday. You might find you have less twinges if you run much more slowly the day after sessions/faster paced work. A recovery run usually helps with twinges etc. Just a thought!
Great to see you getting your groove back!

+1000 I have always been surprised to see your easy and recovery runs are at or faster than your HM pace which you struggled to hold when myself and MS were pacing the dublin half last September. I think that is pretty close to your HM PB?
Running at HM pace is effectively a tempo run, so you shouldn't be doing it at all unless in a HMP focussed session.

No matter how short they are; easy runs should always be at least 90 seconds/mile slower than your HM pace and recovery runs (like today) slower again. If not you will struggle to get a decent weekly mileage done and will likely be plagues by niggles/injuries.

aquinn

menoscemo wrote: »

+1000 I have always been surprised to see your easy and recovery runs are at or faster than your HM pace which you struggled to hold when myself and MS were pacing the dublin half last September. I think that is pretty close to your HM PB?
Running at HM pace is effectively a tempo run, so you shouldn't be doing it at all unless in a HMP focussed session.

No matter how short they are; easy runs should always be at least 90 seconds/mile slower than your HM pace and recovery runs (like today) slower again. If not you will struggle to get a decent weekly mileage done and will likely be plagues by niggles/injuries.

The mention of the HM horror is clarification of what I was doing wrong. Thank you.
As I'm just back running I wasn't wise at all and just saw that been able to go out and run again as being great but not minding myself at all.

I've just checked my 5km Parkrun from Saturday and that was at a pace of 8.13 so today was FAR too fast. That and that I'm tired all afternoon as that's running hard 3 days in a row. I need to learn it's not about distance and time but rest and recovery too.

To O, DB and menoscemo. Thank you, will go easy when required.

annapr

aquinn wrote: »

The mention of the HM horror is clarification of what I was doing wrong. Thank you.
As I'm just back running I wasn't wise at all and just saw that been able to go out and run again as being great but not minding myself at all.

I've just checked my 5km Parkrun from Saturday and that was at a pace of 8.13 so today was FAR too fast. That and that I'm tired all afternoon as that's running hard 3 days in a row. I need to learn it's not about distance and time but rest and recovery too.

To O, DB and menoscemo. Thank you, will go easy when required.

Good advice there A... That's why you need to hang out with slow people like me!!!

aquinn

Well Annapr I won't be pacing your sub 25, 5km just yet as current progress had me breaking both of us.
Live, learn and slow down!

Killerz

Hope you enjoyed your debut at St. Anne's parkrun, A! I'm sure you'll find that it is the finest parkrun out there, and with the best-looking volunteers and director team too

Don't let that guy with the buggy put you off

aquinn

There you go then, recovery/rest/easy run (not sure which as took yesterday off except for gentle cycling across town for jobs) 3.07 miles @9.56 in 30.30:42. Was nice, legs even felt a little tingly afterwards which is a first.

Nothing else really achieved except haven't forgotten stairs, another pilates session. Muscular pain finally easing after a bath and stretching, both which then ensured an incredible nights sleep. Oh and I ran on a Friday which I never do. Pleased now.

aquinn

Sat morning, gentle 2 mile + to Pilates and back.
V windy out so glad I wasn't out for much longer as wasn't too bothered.

Saturday night on the town so rest Sunday and pure lack of motivation.

Monday - so brave as bootcamp!
After the snow and rain on Monday I thought this would be horrific but it was actually great. The wind was strong but the rain stayed off. I haven't been to Bootcamp since Nov 2013 so a long absence and I thought the fear would be a lot worse but it helps when you know you can run. As one of the girls noted fairly quickly 'you can really sprint'. Glad that I had gotten back into running as this class would have been very painful otherwise. We did a lot of short sprints but also core, leg and arm work. Arrived home in muck destroyed but happy. I'd made myself go despite the weather as biscuit gorging and lack of motivation over the last few days revealed it's reason on Wed, 2 feminiex and I was more rational, ladies problems.

Tuesday - 6 mile cycle doing jobs and dog walk. Wasn't sore from yesterday but wasn't getting up to much else.

Wed - Ran 4.16 miles with colleague on lunch. Took it easy and completed in 36.52.
A really tough Bootcamp session with the infamous James. You don't turn up and expect an easy class. Lots of sprinting as one and even up to 5 at a time holding hands. Sprints varied from 20 which you could do 3 in a row or even harder version of sprint to 1 - 2 - 3 so a distance of 60. This is not a session that you skip away from, more OMG that was hard but brilliant.

Would like to run on lunch today but as I'm getting my hair done later I don't want to turn up with mental hair and have them thinking I look like that every afternoon and they need to do something radical

annapr

have to get the hair done ahead of Sunday of course...! can't have you coming to Djouce with MENTAL hair

aquinn

Yes, that's it Anna. For the good of the D3 team I'm getting it done.

aquinn

Ok so hair turned out awful and in foul form like you wouldn't believe on Friday. As a result this prompted something that hasn't happened in months. A VERY angry run. I took it easy as I knew a few miles wouldn't fix me. I know I also haven't the miles in my legs (I've warned you I was angry) but went out and did 10 miles in 1.37 and loved it. First 3 were the worst as I'd no music, yes I run with music, but kept going up through Raheny and to the top and then around and back by the seafront and was extremely pleased with myself. Not only did anger eventually vanish but this is my longest run since DCM and also it's 4 months anniversary.

I stupidly thought post-marathon I'd aim to run 10 - 13.1 miles I think I said either once a month or even ever two weeks? Anyway it has taken this long but I did it and am really pleased. I stretched well and foam rolled. Went for a not so gentle dog walk also to ease out legs.
Slept like the dead on Friday night and huge rest on Sat morning. No aches or pains at all on Sat and pondered a little recovery run but would have rushed it and then raced it and being given out too so skipped it.

Sunday - trail day.
This was great. Weather in D3 was super on departure. On arrival in Wicklow not so great as I'd with no real rain gear with me. Was warm throughout and a very enjoyable run. Wasn't impressed with the first 'bridge' crossing. Distinct lack of a bridge and more sticks over water. Thankfully didn't fall in as that would have been really unpleasant. A really lovely run and not taxing at all. Saw the Waterfall which is cool. Good tour guide and company. Super flapjacks and treats afterwards. Ate for the day like I'd raced up a mountain rather than 5 miles gently done.

Monday - 4 miles lunch
No company, watch or music. Only the very changeable weather from sun to snow to wind and hail but a great run regardless. It could have been a race pace or easy pace (unlikely knowing me) but no way to track it. Hips are tight today so need to stretch and ease out later. Might be nasty tennis ball time pre-bootcamp. Not ONE hello from fellow runners or walkers!

Runs for Feb totaling 63.87 miles????

Firedance

well done on your 10 mile run :-) you'll do many more now that you've got the first out of the way!

aquinn

Fell off the bike this morning, right on to knee. The PAIN! Limping about now afraid to put weight on it as it hurts.

I knew conditions were treacherous and was going easy as a result but following the bike path from road to path and bike went alongside curb rather than up it so went flying. Bike falls hurt. Am fine, just sore. Glad to report two cyclists stopped to see if I was ok.

Went to Bootcamp last night. Nice instructor didn't want us on the grass as it was freezing. 4 layers on and could still feel the cold. Was a good circuit of leg and arm exercises with sprints but with a cool-down in the snow I was happy to have the heating on and straight into a bath.

Enforced rest day then today but might do a cycle across town as a very important card wasn't posted yesterday so only way to get it there before tomorrow. Worst Sister.

Bungy Girl

Ouch! Sorry to hear that. Hope it's feeling better soon.
Well done on boot camp. Have to say it sounds like my idea of hell - respect !

Firedance

ouch indeed!! hopefully it heals soon but mind it in the meantime :-)

aquinn

Firedance wrote: »

ouch indeed!! hopefully it heals soon but mind it in the meantime :-)

Bungy Girl wrote: »

Ouch! Sorry to hear that. Hope it's feeling better soon.
Well done on boot camp. Have to say it sounds like my idea of hell - respect !

Thanks Ladies. I was lucky I fell on the path and not under a car but hard impact on knee. Will be grand.

I've just entered the race series bundle to have a Summer aim

annapr

oh no... you need to STOP CYCLING!!!!! it's too dangerous... !!! hope the knee is ok...

aquinn

annapr wrote: »

oh no... you need to STOP CYCLING!!!!! it's too dangerous... !!! hope the knee is ok...

But that's leaves walking which is just as treacherous this morning but so slow in comparison. Fine, will take the bus tomorrow .