Running in the Real World

RedRunner

Best of luck tomorrow Anna. Hopefully will bump into you ...not literally of course!

jake1970

Best of luck Anna. Enjoy!!

denis b

Enjoy Anna. Give it your best on those country lanes.

annapr

Thanks all! I haven't been on here much in the last couple of weeks, so way behind on this log and others...

Fingal 10k... The good news is I maintained target pace for 4K. . The bad news is it was a 10k race.... overall almost 6 min slower than last year. Off to work on my endurance now

And the tshirt is nice!

Good to see various boardsies there, running and supporting. And to get to wish our local Olympian well for Rio.

RedRunner

Well done anyway Anna. It was pretty warm out there today . I was sweating buckets by 2k mark! Sorry didn't get to catch up.

annapr

RedRunner wrote: »

Well done anyway Anna. It was pretty warm out there today . I was sweating buckets by 2k mark! Sorry didn't get to catch up.

Hi R, well done yourself too, didn't realise you were there until D said he had been talking to you. Yes, I was a dripping mess by the end...

Dubgal72

Hi there, I haven't been keeping up either so I won't read back on yours if you promise not to read back on mine. Clean start, from this page, eh?!

No doubt you know what didn't work today so onwards!


am throwing in a hearty back slap anyway :pac: :pac:

spaceylou

Great to see you again Anna. Sorry you weren't happy with your time but it wasn't a target race (was it?) so onward and upwards. It was pretty warm as well!

Never asked how the holiday mountain training went - hope you had great fun!

annapr

spaceylou wrote: »

Great to see you again Anna. Sorry you weren't happy with your time but it wasn't a target race (was it?) so onward and upwards. It was pretty warm as well!

Never asked how the holiday mountain training went - hope you had great fun!

Thanks L... No, it wasn't a target... You learn something every time, I suppose.

Duanington

Wasn't your day today A but I doubt you expected it to be, nice to have a platform to build on now.

Firedance

The tshirt was nice? brilliant, that's all we want really isn't it

Remind me what your next target race is, is it the DCM Half in 8 weeks time? off with you to work on that endurance so, you can start on Saturday with HILL TRAINING :pac:

annapr

Firedance wrote: »

The tshirt was nice? brilliant, that's all we want really isn't it

Remind me what your next target race is, is it the DCM Half in 8 weeks time? off with you to work on that endurance so, you can start on Saturday with HILL TRAINING :pac:

Yes the half is the target. Plenty of time... 8 weeks :eek:

Firedance

annapr wrote: »

Yes the half is the target. Plenty of time... 8 weeks :eek:

*cough* 7 weeks *cough* how's the training going

annapr

Firedance wrote: »

*cough* 7 weeks *cough* how's the training going

Well, since you asked... Must be time to update... Short version, going ok

annapr

Week of July 25

Monday 25: 30 min recovery.
4.6k @ 6:30, 2.8 mi @ 10:28

Convinced myself that I should start the week with positive momentum. Took advantage of the boys not having to be sent off to any camp and got out at the comparatively leisurely hour of 7.

Felt fine, nice morning, cooler than it has been. Could feel a little bit of a pull in my left leg, but not too bad. All ok. Still drenched in sweat when I got home. Seemed a bit excessive, wonder if I'm losing a lot of salts and electrolytes.

Still pondering on yesterday's Fingal lack of performance... When I stopped for the water, I was struggling a bit, but not that badly. Could I have just kept going, caught Laura again and gotten through that slump? Nothing in how I felt from there on tells me that I could have. But maybe it's all mental and I failed that test. Stopping for the water definitely disrupts the momentum and maybe the central governor dominates then.

Wednesday 27: 60 Min easy
9.7 k @ 6:11, 6 mi @ 9:58

Out before 7, felt good, nice morning, light breeze. Listened to This American Life about child bereavement, more uplifting than that might suggest. Was going to do the session on the plan but Denis said not to after Sunday, so will wait until Saturday to do a session.

Thursday 28: 60 min easy.
9.41 @ 6:23, 5.8 mi @ 10:16

Drizzly this morning and humid on way back. Felt a bit bonky and tired towards the end, last 20 min or so. Listening to TAL again, such good radio. This episode was about fat women, very interesting.

Saturday 30 July: 1:48 Min easy
17km @ 6:22, 10.5 mi @ 10:15

Switched the session in the plan for the LSR. Lovely run around the PP trails with Laura. Ran down and met her there and happy to turn the watch off at 1:48 (Plan was for 1:45). Legs a bit sore now, fuelt a bit tired at times, but having company soon overcomes that. Happy to see I'm now over 25 miles for the week... One more run tomorrow and I might hit 30... First time this year? I'll do the session in Donegal tomorrow, hopefully.

Sunday, 31 July: Rest
Woke up with my eye flared up so decided to skip the session today. Had the pleasure again of volunteering at Albo junior parkrun.

annapr

Monday, August 1: rest day and Glenties 5k
First day of hols and went to support D in the Glenties 5k... The approach to marshalling and traffic was, well, a little casual. Narin beach afterwards with the boys, only slightly spoiled by a local 'band' blaring country music because of some festival or other.

Tuesday, August 2: 60 mins very easy
9.44k @ 6:21; 5.8 mi @ 10:14

Supposed to be very easy, but more like easy for most of it. Sitting here dripping sweat now, it was surprisingly warm and humid out with only a bit of a breeze for relief.

I listened to This American Life, perfect length for a 60 min run. Stories from refugee camps in Greece... Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, 57,000 people held in limbo, while trying to make their way to a better life. Plodding through lovely quiet country roads, with purple and white wildflowers everywhere and passing some neat and pretty gardens... Listening to tales of 3 year olds blown to bits and 4 year olds traumatised so much that their development stopped.

It struck me that here I am, obsessing about mileage and pace and PB's... And which brand of running shoes to spend €100 on. The Afghans in the camp near Athens always need more shoes... The young men wear their shoes out playing soccer, they have nothing to do to pass the time.

Anyway, back to my Western European, privileged navel gazing... Felt pretty good during the run, strong on the hills, tired at the end, and hot. Off for a shower now.

Wednesday, August 3: nada
Watch all programmed for a session, but I let strong wind and rain put me off in the morning and laziness took over in the evening... As well as tick removal from certain very delicate regions of little boys! (Beat that excuse!)

Thursday, August 4: 10*300m @ mile pace w/ 1 min recoveries
Total with w/up and c/down: 7.6k @ 6:28; 4.7 mi @ 10:24

I actually had a dream about this session last night, in which Mrs KennyG was pacing me on the intervals and my legs just wouldn't work right and I couldn't run faster at all. She was being her usual very cheery self and encouraging me but it was no good.

Anyhow, set off from the house in search of a flat-ish 300m stretch, not an easy thing to find around here. Settled on a side road that has a good surface and a more gentle gradient than most. Every second rep was slightly uphill and it showed very clearly in the times. The good news was that the first one was slightly downhill so of course I did that one too fast.

The tinman calculator gave me 4:36/km or 7:24/mi for mile pace (based on an 87 min 10 mile -- I did Frank Duffy last year in just under 87 min, so might as well train for that, even if it's highly unlikely for this year). Based on this, I worked out that each rep should be about 82 secs.

It felt great to be running faster, felt good and strong on all the downhill reps, a bit harder on the uphill ones, only felt like I was struggling on the 8th, which sure enough was the slowest. I walked the 1 min recoveries, which seemed to get much shorter as the session went on.

Reps (sec): 75, 87, 76, 83, 76, 84, 77, 90, 80, 86

Avg pace per rep ranged from 4:08/km (the first of course) to 5:01 (the eighth, not happy with that one).

I read the Jim McGuinness memoir last week and he used to ask the Donegal team after tough training sessions: could you do more? Could I have done more today? Hell yeah! ... Wait, does that mean I didn't work hard enough...?

See, being in the hills makes me come over all philosophical :pac:

laura_ac3

Have you tried not walking through the water stations or have you always done it that way? It's worked well for you previously but might be no harm to try something different next time. I definitely have to keep moving as I'd be afraid it would be hard to get the momentum going again. Also I always think now that if I walk once I'll walk again.

Younganne

laura_ac3 wrote: »

Have you tried not walking through the water stations or have you always done it that way? It's worked well for you previously but might be no harm to try something different next time. I definitely have to keep moving as I'd be afraid it would be hard to get the momentum going again. Also I always think now that if I walk once I'll walk again.

Yep, I agree with Laura, very hard to get the legs working again after a water station. I slow enough to get the water and Then If it's cups, I try get past the water station before attempting to drink, that way most goes in my mouth and not all over my face.;) unless that was the aim!! Good stuff, training is going well.

annapr

Friday, August 5: 60 Min very easy
9.30 @ 6:31; 5.7mi @ 10:29

Enjoyed the post-session endorphins all day yesterday. 60 min of very easy running therapy today... Glorious day, lovely cool breeze on the way back... No deep and meaningful podcasts today, all good for the heart and soul. Kept it very easy and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Saturday... Nada.

Sunday, August 7 : 1:42 min Easy (plan said 1:45)
16k @ 6:25, 9.9 mi* @ 10:20

*look away, FD and Laura!

Skipped the planned session yesterday (even though I carefully put it in the watch), footered around all day today house cleaning, watching a bit of hurling (poor Waterford), making dinner, eating dinner... Didn't get my run, I said grumpily at dinner, to which D replied go after dinner. How long would I have to wait after eating, I asked, clutching at straws. An easy run, he said scornfully, just go.

So I just went, put on my most day glo green tshirt, because I don't have anything reflective with me and headed off out into the long twilight. I considered incorporating yesterday's HMP session into the long run, but it was so windy, that idea didn't last long. The wind was so strong at times I was nearly blown sideways, hat was blown off and I couldn't even hear my podcast.

Up over our local favourite big hill and then back over it from the other direction. It felt great, really enjoyed it and got home just before dark. I felt really strong on the hills (of which there are many) and as I crested the continental divide on the way back, I did my best Rocky impression, hands in the air, victory yell. Startled the sheep a bit. I'll probably be awake all night now.

So I didn't do all the plan this week with skipping yesterday's session, but one mile more than last week and almost 1,000 feet more hills! Happy enough with that, really happy that I didn't wimp out tonight. My best efforts at self-sabotage thwarted.

annapr

laura_ac3 wrote: »

Have you tried not walking through the water stations or have you always done it that way? It's worked well for you previously but might be no harm to try something different next time. I definitely have to keep moving as I'd be afraid it would be hard to get the momentum going again. Also I always think now that if I walk once I'll walk again.

Younganne wrote: »

Yep, I agree with Laura, very hard to get the legs working again after a water station. I slow enough to get the water and Then If it's cups, I try get past the water station before attempting to drink, that way most goes in my mouth and not all over my face.;) unless that was the aim!! Good stuff, training is going well.

You are both probably right... Especially for a 10k race! I find I get fixated on wanting water though and I hate those bloody cups. When they have bottles I grab one and take it with me. Reflecting on it, I think my problem was at least partly psychological in Fingal... I never even got close to pace again after the water stop and I'm not sure I really tried.

Mrs Mc

You should know by now never ask the hubby the question .... You know the answer it's always the one you don't want to hear ....' I really don't feel like running today ' me .... Him ' you don't have to run if you don't want to ' ' how many miles do I have to do' me ... Him ' you don't have to do any miles ' .....' I don't think I'd be able for that time' me .... Him ' well enjoy the race or enjoy the pb after ! Him .....

Firedance

9.9, 9.9, 9.9, 9.9 *rocks back and forth* I won't be able to sleep for a month now! LOL on the scornful 'just go'. In the end it felt great, as it always does Nice weeks work there A.

annapr

Firedance wrote: »

9.9, 9.9, 9.9, 9.9 *rocks back and forth* I won't be able to sleep for a month now! LOL on the scornful 'just go'. In the end it felt great, as it always does Nice weeks work there A.

You could always switch to Km... Nice round 16 there

tang1

Best of luck tomorrow A, hope it goes to plan, run well.

spaceylou

Best of luck tomorrow Anna, weather not looking great but maybe we'll get lucky and it will ease for an hour or two!

Firedance

Good luck Anna!!!!!!!

adrian522

Best of luck tomorrow A!

This Fat Girl Runs

Good luck for tomorrow, A!

Mrs Mc

Best of luck tomorrow Anna see ya there

Kennyg71

all best for tomorrow, give it socks.