Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try

Firedance

Wednesday 31st March Swimming, 20 lengths of the pool, had missed last week so happy to be back, knackered afterwards, for anyone with trouble sleeping I'd recommend an hour in the pool! slept like a baby.

Thursday 1st April april fools facebook post checking in on bali beach went down a treat, everyone feel for it lots of 'oh wow did you book that last min' and 'have a great time' posts. Of course the joke is really on me because I was in rainy Dublin and not on a beach in Bali....
Anyway, Strength Session 40 mins & AIS stretch routine today

Friday 2nd April plan called for 8 short hill sprints 6-8 seconds w full recovery, instead I did 7.62 miles up Howth Summit so I think the hill sprints are covered... Laura clearly didnt think we'd enough hills and threw in an extra (very steep) one for good measure :-) great run although I found it tough going in places, I wasn't expecting it to be that uneven underfoot so we had a run/bootcamp workout combo :-) I rarely run hills so I'm going to include a hill run in each week if possible. Very enjoyable and thanks to Bungy girl for organising, lovely to meet so many boardsies and very enjoyable flap jack/peanut butter & white chocolate thingys (what were they called A?) & chocolate swiss roll for afters. Looking forward to the next one.

laura_ac3

Firedance wrote: »

Wednesday 31st March Swimming, 20 lengths of the pool, had missed last week so happy to be back, knackered afterwards, for anyone with trouble sleeping I'd recommend an hour in the pool! slept like a baby.

Thursday 1st April april fools facebook post checking in on bali beach went down a treat, everyone feel for it lots of 'oh wow did you book that last min' and 'have a great time' posts. Of course the joke is really on me because I was in rainy Dublin and not on a beach in Bali....
Anyway, Strength Session 40 mins & AIS stretch routine today

Friday 2nd April plan called for 8 short hill sprints 6-8 seconds w full recovery, instead I did 7.62 miles up Howth Summit so I think the hill sprints are covered... Laura clearly didnt think we'd enough hills and threw in an extra (very steep) one for good measure :-) great run although I found it tough going in places, I wasn't expecting it to be that uneven underfoot so we had a run/bootcamp workout combo :-) I rarely run hills so I'm going to include a hill run in each week if possible. Very enjoyable and thanks to Bungy girl for organising, lovely to meet so many boardsies and very enjoyable flap jack/peanut butter & white chocolate thingys (what were they called A?) & chocolate swiss roll for afters. Looking forward to the next one.

I think you definitely covered off those hill sprints for the day!! A good workout alright, it'll stand to us (I hope!). Great to meet you today.

aquinn

Peanut butter and white chocolate blondies by aquinn /Rachel Allen.
How are you after yesterday? I've had a sore hip all day and have finally eased it with gentle foam roller and pilates spikey balls.

Firedance

well they were delicious! Legs were very tired today and lots of residual niggles here and there, likewise have been busy with the foam roller :-)

Firedance

Saturday 4th April didn't have a great sleep last night and woke up ridiculously early for a bank holiday Saturday. Running plans for this morning changed a couple of times by different people, in the end it was decided to do a few miles locally and as it turns out that's just about all I was capable of...

4 miles @ 10.30 avg HR 136. I thought the agv HR was going to be way higher for this, I was out of breath before we'd even gone 800m, the legs were not too bad during the run, tired, but my breathing was dreadful and I have no idea why especially as we were taking this nice and easy as a recovery run.

I have a few small aches and pains today, left ankle & calf are tight and right hamstring & IT band so plenty of foam rolling over the weekend! Will try and fit in a swim tomorrow too as that always seems to loosen out the muscles.

Firedance

Sunday 5th April very enjoyable day today

AM: Ais & foam rolling followed by:
Pool swim, 40 mins, didn't count the laps but felt really good on the legs today, plenty of stretches done in the water too followed by sauna.

Got loads done in the garden finally! 2 hours hard labour followed by 70 min walk in phoenix park with the dog who's now conked out on the couch - lightweight...

Ended the day with 40 mins strength session. So no running but legs feeling well looked after now. Think ill take advantage of tomorrow off work & do a long run. Beautiful weather today yay!

Firedance

Monday 6th April great hearing the reports coming in from clontarf both here and club mates, beautiful day for it.
AIS & drills pre run
82 mins @ 10.17 - 8 miles,
out
10.10 hr152
9.54 hr 162
10.06 hr 156
10.00 hr 154
back
10.25 hr 145
10.14 hr 150
11.05 hr 151 elevation gain 35
10.21 hr 155

up to the phoenix park for this, did the same route as last time down past farmleigh but took the right at the junction which added a bit on, plan was to head for the tea rooms, have some water there and turn back the way I came and that's exactly what I did. Looks like the reverse was hillier than the out especially around mile 7, can't remember where I was for that but I did feel I was working harder on the way back. Very happy with most of those paces especially as I wasn't looking at pace at all on the watch.

lots of people out today as you'd expect, the Q for the zoo was down pas the tearooms! Off to enjoy a day in the garden (relaxing not working!). Will do a strength session this eve.

Firedance

Tuesday 7th April session was 66 mins w 22@tempo - actual was 50 mins with 20 tempo - 5 miles @ 9.50 avg hr 150

9.45 hr 134
10.24 hr 145
8.56 hr 160
9.02 hr 162
10.59 hr 149

miles 3 & 4 were @ tempo pace, was very surprised to see an 8.xx on the watch when I got home, I was trying to keep an eye on a) the time and b) the HR which are displayed on 2 different screens on my watch. I was tired after the tempo even though I absolutely loved it but couldn't convince myself to run past my house to add on the last 10 mins...

Firedance

I'm stealing this from mimojo's log hope you don't mind M and DG! I just wanted to post it somewhere I can find it again when I need to refer to it. I'm sticking with the graduate plan until it ends but after that will be progressing on to include stuff like this and these explanations are clear and easy to grasp :-)

Dubgal72 wrote: »

I'm still learning on the sprints front so please anyone jump in if I'm saying anything that shouldn't be recommended!
I've grouped them into types:

- towards the end of a medium run (ex 4-6 miles), doing 4-6 of around 100m each, make sure to do a half mile warm down too, included in the overall distance, or not, depending on what you have to round up to
- as a warm up before a session: jog your usual distance and then do 2x 30-35 sec slower strides and then 2-4 shorter, snappier strides of 13-15 seconds each
- 6-8 hill sprints/form drills of 8-10 seconds each on the steepest gradient you can find, concentrating on strong arms, high knee lift, up on toes and fast leg turnover or similar on the flat if you can't find a hill.

There are more but these should keep you going for now. The beauty of all three above types is that they don't build up lactic, don't leave you wrecked (good recovery on all these is essential) and they recruit fast twitch fibres without too much effort. They can be done on 'down days' without affecting recovery between session days or a lsr.

Hope that helps!

aquinn

I found your Spencer dock hill at lunch so finally managed hill sprints!

Firedance

aquinn wrote: »

I found your Spencer dock hill at lunch so finally managed hill sprints!

good for you!! have been incorporating hills into all my runs since last Friday , can't do a lunchtime run this week but how about next week? hills on the friday? :-)

Dubgal72

Firedance wrote: »

I'm stealing this from mimojo's log hope you don't mind M and DG! I just wanted to post it somewhere I can find it again when I need to refer to it. I'm sticking with the graduate plan until it ends but after that will be progressing on to include stuff like this and these explanations are clear and easy to grasp :-)

Welcome but don't feel you have to include all three every week, one or max two types will do

Firedance

Thursday 9th April, 4 miles easy @ 10.30, no hr monitor today

First time out in shorts & singlet this year, beautiful evening.

Firedance

Saturday 11 April 2015 K club 10K race...decided to do this on Wednesday, I've been following clearliers graduate plan, slightly adapted since 18th Feb, prior to that I had done no running at all in January and some very gentle easy runs mid february but at some point I wanted to 'see where i am' the training has been tough at times but good and the strength session are paying off, the injury is very much on the mend. So with that in mind a flat fast 10k was a good place to start.

6.26 miles @ 9:00 avg hr 170 time 56.22
1: 8.39 hr 173
2: 8.58 hr 172
3: 8.46 hr 167
4: 9.11 hr 169
5: 9.03 hr 166
6; 9.24 hr 167
.1 9.08 hr 172

I though the HR for the last mile would have been higher as I was struggling a lot at this point, the effort felt high although I knew I'd dropped pace.
My 10K pb is from dunshaughlin last summer and is 55.18, I knew I wasn't going to get that but in my head 56.xx was goal A, B & C. Parts of the race were tough and I was a bit confused about where we were in the double loop on occasion!. When the pain came I heard dubgal in my head, acknowledge it and let it go....also the disappointment I would feel at the end if I knew I hadn't done my best. Being honest I dont think I had much more to give today. My fitness is returning after the injury lay off but I'm not there yet. I had told only one person (a fellow club mate) that I was running today so if it all fell apart I could just write it off. Thankfully it didn't and I am happy with my result. I have a point now from where to go forward from.

There's been a lot of talk on this forum about what you want as a runner and I've been thinking about that, so, I have set some goals for myself and I'm going to continue with clearliers plan until I get to the end of it with a side note to self never to miss or skip a run. I have to put in the work to get the results.

Great to get to meet everyone after the race, well done to all those with shiny new hard earned PB's!! you we're brilliant :-) Also have some wise words from Meno to chew over & more stuff to add to the 'goal' list - thanks! Some super results from clubmates too and 3rd place for one of our men.

am off to find some 80's clothes for an 80's disco this eve, should be a fun way to end the day...:-)

Mimojo

Well done FD, really enjoyed the race report, i finished @ 56:02 so must have been very close to you today without knowing it!!

laura_ac3

You kept that quiet lady!! With the consistency from clearliers plan you'll be seeing the benefits in no time I'm sure. I see the first mile was the fastest, do you think it maybe knocked you a bit later in the race?

Great to get an idea of where you're at and it's not that far off your PB considering your injury layoff etc. Well done for sticking with it, plenty more to come enjoy the 80's disco!!!

Firedance

Mimojo wrote: »

Well done FD, really enjoyed the race report, i finished @ 56:02 so must have been very close to you today without knowing it!!

yes possibly! we were keeping an eye out for you in the club house, aquinn was wearing a DCM graduates tshirt so people would spot her, sorry to have missed you, well done on your result :-)

Firedance

laura_ac3 wrote: »

You kept that quiet lady!! With the consistency from clearliers plan you'll be seeing the benefits in no time I'm sure. I see the first mile was the fastest, do you think it maybe knocked you a bit later in the race?

Great to get an idea of where you're at and it's not that far off your PB considering your injury layoff etc. Well done for sticking with it, plenty more to come enjoy the 80's disco!!!

absolutely, its my biggest downfall going out too fast, I wouldn't mind but it felt very conservative and I was being passed left right and centre!!! I did pass some of those people back later on though... I was deliberately not looking at my watch at all during the race as I wanted to run by feel the fastest I felt I could. Next time I'd hope to maintain that pace the whole way round... Thanks Laura!

adrian522

The first mile is all downhill though, add in the pre race jitters and its not surprising that its going to be faster.

laura_ac3

Firedance wrote: »

absolutely, its my biggest downfall going out too fast, I wouldn't mind but it felt very conservative and I was being passed left right and centre!!! I did pass some of those people back later on though... I was deliberately not looking at my watch at all during the race as I wanted to run by feel the fastest I felt I could. Next time I'd hope to maintain that pace the whole way round... Thanks Laura!

It's hard though isn't it? You feel fresh etc, you're buzzing. Mimojo mentioned a similar theme in her race report and that's why I was thinking of it. As I said in her log - getting that balance - I know it's something I find difficult too!!

Excited to see how you get on with the rest of the plan!!

Bungy Girl

Well done Firedance, lovely to see you again and congrats on your race.

Mimojo

Firedance wrote: »

yes possibly! we were keeping an eye out for you in the club house, aquinn was wearing a DCM graduates tshirt so people would spot her, sorry to have missed you, well done on your result :-)

Ah sorry I didnt spot ye, I did do a quick recon around the hall but suddenly realised "shur I have no idea who I am looking for here!", stupid on my part, should have made some kind of a plan of how to identify someone at least! Oh a DCM Graduate Tshirt, didnt know there was such a thing, wish I had spotted it!

Similar to the above, I found I really had to try to hold pace in the first mile esp, there was tonnes and tonnes of people flying past me, felt like I was going at a snails pace, but when I looked at my watch was on about 8:40 which was way too fast to tried to slow down as best I could. It is SO hard to judge, you feel fresh & dying to just get going, and have so many going past you it is not helping either, I know as I have gone out to fast in any other face I did, so I think I was uber conscious of it today.

Same as that I know I need far more a far more consistent training plan going forward, have threatened to get stuck into Clearliers one so many times, maybe this is it!!

Well done today, dont be too hard on yourself, still a great result, and you know you can smash it in no time at all!

hillsiderunner

Well done FD, one minute over a 10k is very close back to the PB. Then you can start to chip away at that Glad the posterior tib is holding up well.

annapr

Good for you, FD, you weren't too far off at all which is great in the circumstances. I'm enjoying the Clearlier plan, hoping it will pay dividends for all of us...

enjoy the disco!

*DCM Grads tshirt??? who knew?

Dubgal72

Well done for getting your A goal, and it's really not far off your PB so looking good as a fix-point today! Well done too for hearing me in your head mid-race and finishing with your sanity
I think your PB is there for the taking over the next few months...you could well be hovering around the 50 mark by the end of the year. Go get it

Oh and DCM grads shirt???? Where?????

Firedance

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Well done for getting your A goal, and it's really not far off your PB so looking good as a fix-point today! Well done too for hearing me in your head mid-race and finishing with your sanity
I think your PB is there for the taking over the next few months...you could well be hovering around the 50 mark by the end of the year. Go get it

Oh and DCM grads shirt???? Where?????

thanks DG, that goal is definitely one I'll chase however long it takes me.. I really do need to get the psychology stuff sorted as it makes a massive difference and saturday proved that, I've given up too easily before.

I think A got the tshirt done up herself, had her name on the back of it with DCM graduate 2014 (or something like that). Looked very nice as she whizzed past me at the start

Firedance

Sunday 12th April AM: 2 miles recovery run to pick up the car, I figure the 4 hours dancing I did last night went some way towards a recovery run so kept this short in the cold rain. Legs feeling good, foot feeling good, seemingly no ill effects from Saturday's race. I do have a whiplash injury though! I blaming ACDC...

PM: 40 mins Strength session

aquinn

Hey FD, how's the whiplash, you ok?
Great to see you yesterday, well done on racing. I'm going to join BHAA and get more race practice as up until yesterday I've only done the big events. Found it good also for having no music and focus on body and race.
Good to hear legs are good today.
The tshirt is my personalised DCM Novice 2014 top that I've now worn twice, so October 27th and yesterday. Tip. Get name on the front so people can actually cheer as you approach.

Firedance

aquinn wrote: »

Hey FD, how's the whiplash, you ok?
Great to see you yesterday, well done on racing. I'm going to join BHAA and get more race practice as up until yesterday I've only done the big events. Found it good also for having no music and focus on body and race.
Good to hear legs are good today.
The tshirt is my personalised DCM Novice 2014 top that I've now worn twice, so October 27th and yesterday. Tip. Get name on the front so people can actually cheer as you approach.

ha ha yeah its been a while since I did some headbanging... the 80's have a lot to answer for.. a nice bath will sort it out! Great to see you too yesterday and well done again I hope you're still buzzing. I'm a BHAA member so the races are only 10e which is ridiculously good value, the Great Ireland Run on the same day in the PP was 40e...Make sure you sign up for the Dunboyne one on 26th May!! - actually that goes for everyone :-) its a lovely course around the back country roads finishing with a lap of the track and a very decent spread afterwards.

Firedance

Monday 13th April: PM Strength session 40 mins, AIS stretching

Tuesday 14th April 4 x 4 mins @ 5K pace - beautiful evening to be out running :-)

warm up 1 mile @ 10.16 pace HR 141

8.25 hr 149
8.37 hr 158 (this was 5mins 44 secs long)
8.32 hr 153
8.13 hr 150

cool down 1 mile @ 10.14. jogged the recoveries although I did walk some of the last one.

Found this very tough and then messed up the 2nd interval (missed the beep to tell me the 4 mins was up). Following on from that I relaxed into the pain, of which there was a-lot and this helped, the pace of the last rep for me is normally worse but today is much better and that's got to be down to that - possibly my first ever positive split!!!. Also I told myself it was still only 2 days after a race and it was normal to be extra tired. Very happy indeed to finish!