Ok, what's next?

aquinn

Here we are again, well last week of course.

May 20-26

Monday - not a rest day for a change. Went out with P for an easy run. It was his pre-Bob shakeout so he left me in the final mile for strides. A bad day at the office so good to run. 3.2 miles @ 9:55, HR 139.

Tuesday - P off on his big adventure to Enfield and I had promised a colleague for weeks I would take him down to the club. We ran down after work and did many laps on the grass. Faster than my usual pace as he is v speedy. Dynamic warm-up, strides and a session of:
4*(600/400/200) off 75/60 and two minutes.

I felt like I hadn't digested lunch and was slow and unfit but delighted to see the results afterwards.

Lap Distance Time Pace  HR
1 0.37 mi 02:40 7:11 /mi 134 bpm
3 0.24 mi 01:36 6:38 /mi 165 bpm
7 0.36 mi 02:31 6:59 /mi 169 bpm
9 0.23 mi 01:38 6:54 /mi 168 bpm
13 0.36 mi 02:31 6:55 /mi 168 bpm
15 0.23 mi 01:38 6:52 /mi 168 bpm
19 0.36 mi 02:28 6:50 /mi 170 bpm
21 0.24 mi 01:33 6:22 /mi 171 bpm
Delighted with that. I timed all recoveries. Ran with people but they flew off but still some sort of company.

Colleague flew around.

Productive according to the watch which I always enjoy seeing. 60 hours recovery though, hmmn.

Anyway good to be back at the club as seriously slacking of late or too sociable. Home then to stalk and report back on #pbfest2019. Well done all.

7.2 miles for the evening.

Wednesday - A runmute to work on a fine morning. 3.1 miles @9:45, HR 142. Kept to the flat. Legs ok.

Over and back then to pilates on lunch gave me another mile. Pilates is a nice half an hour.

Thursday - A short and easy run over to the gym for Kettlebells. A different instructor again so more upper body and less squating but a good class. Knee grateful anyway. A run back to give me a mile on lunch.

Out in the evening then for the balance of the miles. P off socialising so I went out for 5 easy miles. It was a warm night and with very dark clouds but it didn't lash on me. Actually ended up finishing in sunshine. Went by Croke park and a desperate sound of the Spice Girls warming up. The poor residents.

Still clinging on to Productive. 5 miles @10:04, HR 142. Hamstrings could feel pilates and lunch class.

Friday - out with a friend for dinner. I would highly recommend Grano in Stoneybatter for those who like Italian food. Worth checking out.

Saturday - Pacer Saturday at St Anne's. I was amazing as the 29 minute pacer and came in at 28:53. Amazing! 5.1 miles for the morning.

Sunday - up early to get the long run done as entertaining later in the day. A windy morning and so off we went up NCR and into the Phoenix park. My toe, remember that woe? Was killing me for the first two miles. I unlaced my runners and it eased off. Back then was tight and then at one point my knee was hurting. Poor P. Nice to go back down the canal and have the wind behind us. That was better. 10.1 miles for the morning @ 9:32, HR 143 so very controlled.

Entertaining went very well. Great to do.

Highest mileage in weeks as had missed the long run for a few weeks. 36.2 miles for the week.

shotgunmcos

I'm fascinated by the Garmin fitness status too. Took great satisfaction when it showed 'Peaking' a week out from the marathon! V02 has dropped 3 points since..

aquinn

shotgunmcos wrote: »

I'm fascinated by the Garmin fitness status too. Took great satisfaction when it showed 'Peaking' a week out from the marathon! V02 has dropped 3 points since..

Oh me too and the heartbreak when I go to Unproductive, which happens frequently. Awful disheartening. No idea how to fully control it as a lot of the time I try to stick in easy zone and then sometimes it prefers aerobic.

Love seeing productive though, with it a week now and still thrilled. I was peaking before Charleville half last year too. Also after the warm-up on Tuesday at the club though, hmmn.

I am currently V02 max 50 but then I am only back at the club so hopefully that'll continue to rise now. Superior

aquinn

Mucho catching up. Two weeks out.

May 27-Jun 2

Monday - rest day. It normally is.

Tuesday - Waited in work for P and headed down to the club. Trying to get back into it and build up confidence and fitness.

Two miles to the club and many laps of the grass and I have it noted that sometimes running just doesn't feel natural. A good start.

Whoever I was running laps on the grass with I was doing it much faster than easy pace for sure.

After a good session last week I hoped to achieve the same.

Sadly this was not to be.

Hamstring tightness session. 3*400 off 45/30/15 and two minutes.
Too warm again. Wrong leggings and should only be used for yoga as dug into me. I thought it was 4*400 and had decided after 2 to do 3 as a calf pain turned into a tight hamstring. Delighted to be told at the finish we were done and not have another set as paces were suffering. Hamstring is still tight which has never happened before.

Lap Distance Time Pace HR
1 0.24 mi 01:37 6:32 /mi 121 bpm
3 0.24 mi 01:35 6:21 /mi 166 bpm
5 0.24 mi 01:38 6:37 /mi 176 bpm
7 0.24 mi 01:40 6:49 /mi 181 bpm
9 0.24 mi 01:40 6:54 /mi 163 bpm
11 0.23 mi 01:41 7:04 /mi 169 bpm
13 0.23 mi 01:43 7:17 /mi 173 bpm
15 0.24 mi 01:46 7:21 /mi 176 bpm
17 0.24 mi 01:47 7:24 /mi 161 bpm
19 0.24 mi 01:45 7:17 /mi 169 bpm
21 0.24 mi 01:42 7:04 /mi 173 bpm
23 0.23 mi 01:44 7:17 /mi 178 bpm
A regression session. Also gave us only 30 seconds and not 45 for the last set.

I was timer. So weird all the runners with the fancy watches and they use them like watches and don't do sessions on them. The strangest :-)

Hamstring tight on the cool-down back to the office wit Singer, Crockmac and P. Cycled home.

6.2 miles for the evening.

Wednesday - LauraAC has suffered from many a hamstring tightness so she told me to take care and ease it out with exercises. I walked over to the gym on lunch for a Pilates class and then a little jog back. All ok, no tightness or twinges.

After work then as no more running for the day I did a cycle up the coast to Raheny and back inland. Lovely to not have to battle the sea breeze up the coast. Just short of 12 miles for the evening. 11.85 in 1h 8.

Thursday - more stretching and minding the leg. I gently ran over and back to the gym and did a Kettlebell class. I though the stretching and strength work would help the leg. It did.

Evening run then with P. I only stayed with him for two miles and headed home. Very humid. Breeze to our backs on the way out to Alfie Byrne and battled it then home. Legs tired. Knee feels tight and restricted.
Unproductive to top it all off and dropped to V02 49. Huh. Sigh.
Oh, hip and hamstring ok.

4.12 @ 9:33, HR 140 bpm.

Friday - rest.

Saturday - A big group were heading to Darndale from St Anne's as it was off with Summer concerts. We had been out the night before for a few sociable drinks supporting the economy.

No warm-up at all. I had a plan of sticking with P's pace. Didn't tell P this of course and just lashed off. Thankfully he came with me and I ended up with a course PB. Chased a Raheny woman who has finished ahead of me now a few times but good to chase. I nearly had her at the pond on the third lap but she accelerated and I couldn't keep up. Happy with the final sprint. Dry retching so I tried. I saw the first mile and thought we would be running around 8:10 pace. Second mile was tough but really felt it on the third, especially with the hill. P tried to distract me with a heron flying overhead.

Lap Distance Time Pace HR
1 1.00 mi 07:40 7:40 /mi 148 bpm
2 1.00 mi 07:35 7:35 /mi 172 bpm
3 1.00 mi 07:23 7:23 /mi 178 bpm
4 0.14 mi 49s 5:49 /mi 183 bpm

Great going with my hangover and Kettlebell aches and woes. Happy with that. P stayed alongside to keep effort steady. A big Raheny crowd supported the event.

Sunday - LR increase from 10-12 miles and really felt it. 12 miles is long! Long run with P. Legs tired today and many aches and moans but got there.
High HR from the start. Left side most of the woes. Windy morning and very warm. A few last minute route changes to avoid the various events. Glad that's done. 12.14 @9:32, HR 151bpm.
Thought we would head through the park but Bloom was on. Then headed for Sandymount but it was very windy. Changed to up the Coast, around St Anne's and home inland. All park paths open even with all the concert disturbance. Used facilities and got more water up there too which was required.

27.6 miles for the week.

June 3-9

Monday - the Bank holiday and late afternoon we got the bikes out for a home service and headed up the coast to and around to Malahide. It was a windy day so carefully picked the route. 23.05 miles. Twingy arse/tight hip that finally eased. Huge cycle, new saddle.
Didn't miss all the rain but wind not desperate. I've done that route a few times but first time to change direction. Cake and hot chocolate in DF Malahide after some twat opened a car door on me and scared the sh*t out of me. Bloody stupid and no apology. I'm fine, except for the resentment.

Tuesday - A shocking day weather wise. Very wet but was v brave and hung around work to go to the club. My colleague had signed up so we waited for P and then headed down.

Warm-up and strides with dynamic warm-up 2.9 miles @ 9:12, HR 144.

Session: 4 * 800 (75) followed by 400 (60).

Stuck with Kate and Donal so that's an achievement. Operated knee at me of late. Feels tight like it needs to crack but won't. Led out the last set and was most conformable at that. Manky, wet evening so extra delighted for heading down.

Lap Distance Time Pace HR
1 0.48 mi 03:26 7:09 /mi 153 bpm
3 0.24 mi 01:40 6:52 /mi 166 bpm
5 0.48 mi 03:30 7:14 /mi 174 bpm
7 0.24 mi 01:39 6:43 /mi 169 bpm
9 0.48 mi 03:31 7:19 /mi 174 bpm
11 0.24 mi 01:42 6:54 /mi 169 bpm
13 0.48 mi 03:31 7:17 /mi 175 bpm
15 0.24 mi 01:37 6:37 /mi 172 bpm

800's are tough but v pleased with that.

Back with P and B to work for the bike.

7.1 miles for the evening. Did I mention how wet and manky it was?

Wednesday - Pilates on lunch. Usual instructor away so KB instructor took the class. More abs and ass than pilates. the tightness in my quads for some of the exercises!

Evening Run with P. New route so followed. Managed to hurt a toenail at last night's session. Mostly ok running. Eased out painful spot with foam roller on back before heading out and no hamstring or hip issues.
The rain has finally stopped so a good evening. Bit windy and cooler. Two toilet stops so lunch didn't agree. Grateful to those publicans. Kept heart rate and pace low yet Garmin disagrees as unproductive and again dropped to 49.

5.1 @9:58, HR 132. Unnaturally low for me.

Thursday - Physio on lunch for hamstring/hip/niggly arse. Tight QL muscle so he eased that out. Ouch!

Evening Run with P. I was in charge of the route tonight. Started in sunshine and wind. Then rain and on to rain and sunshine! Took us up Drumcondra to the canal and ran out towards Ashtown.
6.25 @ 9:49, HR 138.

Friday evening cycle. That damaged wedding toe still hurts! Nice night for a cycle as no mental wind. Same as last week. 11.85 miles in 1:09 this time.

Saturday - St Anne's parkrun celebrating P's 50th parkrun. All tat provided. The feather boa didn't hamper his tempo anyway. I thought I would get P to pace me but decided to try a session off the watch. I went with 5*3 @ 7:20, off 90.
I started too far back and had only done half a mile warm-up. I wasn't going to hip lap at all but decided to give it a go. A very busy route and windy, except for the amazing avenue.

The easiest of the 3 minutes was the last one.

Lap Distance Time Pace HR
1 0.70 mi 06:25 9:08 /mi 128 bpm
2 0.40 mi 03:00 7:30 /mi 125 bpm
3 0.18 mi 01:30 8:02 /mi 129 bpm
4 0.41 mi 03:00 7:12 /mi 166 bpm
5 0.19 mi 01:30 7:51 /mi 173 bpm
6 0.40 mi 03:00 7:23 /mi 179 bpm
7 0.17 mi 01:30 8:42 /mi 182 bpm
8 0.40 mi 03:00 7:28 /mi 181 bpm
9 0.17 mi 01:30 8:24 /mi 182 bpm
10 0.43 mi 03:00 6:57 /mi 182 bpm
11 0.14 mi 01:01 6:51 /mi 179 bpm
12 1.00 mi 09:58 9:58 /mi 155 bpm
13 0.04 mi 23s 9:02 /mi 155 bpm
I had forgotten how annoying the watch is for these things as hadn't attempted one in so long. Got through it anyway. 23:26 and 78th parkrun.

Sunday - Another 12 miles but better this week. I was less moany anyway. It was very warm though so had lots of stops. We went into the park and around Furze to the trails and back the canal. Stopped off in Ashtown to get more water which was guzzled. 12.04 miles @ 9:37, HR 152 bpm. Another V02 max drop but unsurprising. HR was in threshold for nearly 26 minutes.

35.2 miles for the week.

So week ahead and thoughts.

We are doing the Arthur's way 5km on Saturday evening, if free please join us. All proceeds to Beaumount hospital. €10 entry or €20 for the Family.

I would like to do well obviously in this race. Thought I would do so last year and again couldn't break 23 minutes.

So, club Tuesday. 5 Wed, 6 Thursday, rest Friday and then what do I aim for on Saturday? I don't think I can break 22 yet. Would like to but don't think I can. It is a route along the canal, up the bridge and down into Lyons Estate, back the canal. Another humpback bridge and into the GAA club to the gantry. It also starts on grass. Thoughts please. Thanks.

Also club yes or no tomorrow?