Sporting history

Grueller

I'll give my background here first. I am mid 30's and had never considered running as a sport for me up until 3 years ago. I was you typical gaa player. I actually probably looked down on any other sport.
I then realised that in order to get into shape for the gaa swason I needed to do a little over the winter every year as advancing years meant wintering well and then knocking it off in spring wasn't going to happen any more.
I decided about 5-6k three times a week was going to be enough. Off I went, 30 mins or so for 5.5k on gravel forestry tracks. My time didn't drop per km for a long time but I got to 10-12k in distance and maybe four nights per week. Gaa eeturned and running stopped.
2 years ago gaa ended on a Sunday and on Monday night I was back running. I decided a couple of 10k races might be a target. 2 monthsin I did my first (after losing 1.5 stone) ttargeting a sub 45. I ran 40:31. That was the day I was hooked because sub 40 became a realistic target.
I am now on my last year of gaa. Defo retiring when we get knocked out this year and have a range of running targets in mind.
My 10k pb is 36:41. Aiming for sub 35.
5k is 17:20. Aiming sub 17.
I want to do a half and will aim sub 1:30
Progressing to a full with no time in mind (for the first one).
Sorry for the long post, but the question I wanted to ask as a long time lurker here is, are many of you from a different sporting background like myself or are ye career runners?

SnappyDresser

Always ran for school team in secondary school; ended up running Dublin marathon aged 17. Was also playing amateur soccer and GAA. Played table tennis as a junior for leinster. Gave up the soccer aged 32. Have run 14 marathons into my forties but now only run 1 marathon every 2 years as they are not good for overall health. Concentrate on 5k races as they are fast and furious!

I think most Irish people have tried loads of sports before making running the number 1:)

Timmaay

i008787 wrote: »

I think most Irish people have tried loads of sports before making running the number 1:)

+1. Took up athletics when I was 22, played rugby for afew years before that, alongside the usual soccer/basketball etc in school. Thought I was just a washed up jogger back then when I started, but thankfully found my way, joined great club, and didn't turn out too shabby after all ha.

Itziger

Grueller wrote: »

I'll give my background here first. I am mid 30's and had never considered running as a sport for me up until 3 years ago. I was you typical gaa player. I actually probably looked down on any other sport.
I then realised that in order to get into shape for the gaa swason I needed to do a little over the winter every year as advancing years meant wintering well and then knocking it off in spring wasn't going to happen any more.
I decided about 5-6k three times a week was going to be enough. Off I went, 30 mins or so for 5.5k on gravel forestry tracks. My time didn't drop per km for a long time but I got to 10-12k in distance and maybe four nights per week. Gaa eeturned and running stopped.
2 years ago gaa ended on a Sunday and on Monday night I was back running. I decided a couple of 10k races might be a target. 2 monthsin I did my first (after losing 1.5 stone) ttargeting a sub 45. I ran 40:31. That was the day I was hooked because sub 40 became a realistic target.
I am now on my last year of gaa. Defo retiring when we get knocked out this year and have a range of running targets in mind.
My 10k pb is 36:41. Aiming for sub 35.
5k is 17:20. Aiming sub 17.
I want to do a half and will aim sub 1:30
Progressing to a full with no time in mind (for the first one).
Sorry for the long post, but the question I wanted to ask as a long time lurker here is, are many of you from a different sporting background like myself or are ye career runners?

Jeez, that's a soft Half target! Good luck with the improvement.

Grueller

Itziger wrote: »

Jeez, that's a soft Half target! Good luck with the improvement.

Kick a man while he is down haha. I will be doing it within probably 2-3 weeks of finishing gaa training so I reckon I will struggle as I will only have that length to train for the distance. I am new enough to all of this so all advice is appreciated. What should I be aiming for?

ThePiedPiper

Like everybody up my part of the country, I played a fair bit if GAA until minor, won a few county underage medals. Dabbled in hurling for a couple of years, and spells of handball. Stopped football for good at 18, didn't do anything until I chanced a few months at rugby at 22! I was a different build back then!! Did my first race of any sort, the DCM in 2005. I ran 9 or 10 marathons before I'd ever done a half, or a 5k! Joined the local club in 2010 and have done lots of different distances from 3,000m-marathon. My 18th marathon is next weekend. Took me a while to find it, but distance running is my calling.

Chivito550

Grueller wrote: »

Kick a man while he is down haha. I will be doing it within probably 2-3 weeks of finishing gaa training so I reckon I will struggle as I will only have that length to train for the distance. I am new enough to all of this so all advice is appreciated. What should I be aiming for?

1:30 is painfully slow for somebody who can run 36 for 10k. You should be looking at sub 1:20.

Itziger

Grueller wrote: »

Kick a man while he is down haha. I will be doing it within probably 2-3 weeks of finishing gaa training so I reckon I will struggle as I will only have that length to train for the distance. I am new enough to all of this so all advice is appreciated. What should I be aiming for?

Ah, now, I didn't know you were going into it unprepared. In that case you probably will be closer to 1.30 than 1.20 alright. With a decent bit of training you'll go a lot faster later in the year or whenever you target a second.
There's not much you can do in 3 weeks to be fair.

Timmaay

Grueller wrote: »

Kick a man while he is down haha. I will be doing it within probably 2-3 weeks of finishing gaa training so I reckon I will struggle as I will only have that length to train for the distance. I am new enough to all of this so all advice is appreciated. What should I be aiming for?

Why the rush to do a 1/2? Esp with so little training?

Grueller

Timmaay wrote: »

Why the rush to do a 1/2? Esp with so little training?

It is a local event that is being organised by a friend and I kinda feel that I have to do it.