Cool runnings

davedanon

Thursday 4th

3 mile race with warm-up/cool-down. The first instalment of the 2015 version of the fabled Tallaght AC club race series. 7 races run weekly, over various terrains and distances. It's a team event, but the intricacies of the scoring process are abstruse to say the least. Suffice it to say that no-one knows how it works, bar its originator.
Race 1: Tymon park. 3 miles. Predict your time in advance. No watches. The winner is the one nearest their time. The start is a bunched affair, with 40-odd runners in a narrow lane. By the time we hit the bridge over the M50 things have settled down. There's a bunch of about 10 speeding away, and then there's me, meno and Barry. We've all predicted similar times, but the other two's are the same, while mine's 5 secs quicker. Downhill towards the playground I hit the front, but as we pass the artificial pitches meno surges, and establishes a short lead. We continue around the park, but as we drive up by Limekiln the feeling hits me that
I can't sustain the effort, so I drop the pace very slightly, and now I'm at the back of the group. I'm hoping that I might be able to storm past the two of them in the home straight, but it's a bit forlorn, because I'm not really a tactical runner. And so it pans out. Barry reels meno in, and I pin my hopes on a last-ditch assault. I'm hearing footsteps behind me too, so I give it a lash up the long drag in the last half-mile, and then throw the kitchen sink at it at the final turn, but it's not enough. Still, it's a decent performance.

3.25 @8.45 (warm-up and cool-down)
3.00 @6.16

All times approximate.

PaulieC

so who won ?

davedanon

PaulieC wrote: »

so who won ?

The Turd won. Meno 11th, me 12th (2 seconds in it)

menoscemo

PaulieC wrote: »

so who won ?

Depends what you mean by 'won'. TRR was first finisher but he sandbagged his predicted time actually running 70 seconds faster. So while he 'won' the race in one sense he also finished amongst the last finishers.

Despite being only 3 seconds out on my prediction I wasn't even on the podium. The 2nd place finisher got his prediction spot on (16:40).

PaulieC

menoscemo wrote: »

Depends what you mean by 'won'. TRR was first finisher but he sandbagged his predicted time actually running 70 seconds faster. So while he 'won' the race in one sense he also finished amongst the last finishers.

Despite being only 3 seconds out on my prediction I wasn't even on the podium. The 2nd place finisher got his prediction spot on (16:40).

I meant who won between the trio that Dave mentioned...and by won I meant who came closest to their predicted time. And by time I meant a measure in which events can be ordered from the past through the present into the future, and also the measure of durations of events and the intervals between them.

menoscemo

PaulieC wrote: »

I meant who won between the trio that Dave mentioned...and by won I meant who came closest to their predicted time. And by time I meant a measure in which events can be ordered from the past through the present into the future, and also the measure of durations of events and the intervals between them.

Barry pushed onto 18:39 and came in 11 seconds faster than he predicted, I came next in 18:47 (3 seconds out) while Dave came in next in 18:49; 4 seconds slower than predicted.

All in all we didn't do too bad.

davedanon

Friday 5th

Day off

Saturday 6th

Recovery run. No plan here, bar at least an hour of easy running. Decided to head up towards Stocking Lane, for a change, and while noting the appearance of a nice little kiddies' playground since the last time I ran up here a few years back, I noticed that there was a stream/river I had never seen before, running down the hill at right-angles to the road. Straight away I decided I would follow its course as best I could, assuming that at some point it would empty itself into the Dodder. So down past the Bugler I went as far as the Yellow House, the river all the time just to the left of the road, so effectively every left turn on that road, be it driveway or whatever, features a bridge over the river. There were lots of stops along here as I checked to make sure my burbling companion was still with me, and after running around past the Yellow House up towards the Garda station until I located the river again, I ran through Rathfarnham village (which appeared to be closed), discovered a handy little shortcut down onto the Dodder road (or whatever it's called), ran up and down a bit, then followed the Dodder up until I discovered to my gratification the meeting of the waters where the two became one. After that I followed the Dodder back up home. Longer than I planned, and virtually a lsr in the end.

9.29 @8.19

davedanon

Sunday 7th

Long run day. I probably would have done 12 or so, but I was on lock-up at the club, which means I needed to be back by 9.20 to let the karate kids in for their class, so I ended up doing virtually the same distance as yesterday. However we ran up to the waterworks, so it was a good deal hillier and the faster overall pace was gratifying. Hopefully that's a sign that the body is nearly recovered. Beautiful morning today too.

9.53 @8.08


Mileage for the week: 47

davedanon

Monday 8th

Recovery run, 7 miles. Nice easy club run in Tymon park on the grass. Notably chiefly because I passed 1000 miles for the year after mile 6.

7.01 @8.46

davedanon

Tuesday 9th

Club xc race, w/u and c/d. 3 mile race run around the fields adjacent to the NBA driveway. Quickest time ever for me, although I was beaten even more soundly by Barry than last time. Meno had stated he wasn't racing flat-out, being a total pussy when it comes to slightly uneven surfaces not made of tarmac, cement or tartan. Barry passed me early and my main tussle was with Karl, who runs 3 hour marathons, but is struggling for form because of injury. I passed him but couldn't drop him, and he got me right at the death. I performed exactly like a runner who's got marathon strength in the legs, but short of zip because of said marathon. Happy enough all in all.

1.30 @8.42

3.09 @6.35 (20.18)

0.89 @9.58


Wednesday 10th

Rest

Thursday 11th

Hill sprints, w/u and c/d. Back to Tymon again, and 2nd time out I'm all over this baby. 10 reps, all at or under 1.30 and nobody bests me all evening. Really happy with the way the machine performs tonight, and I even have enough left for a blowout on the final rep. These sessions should be perfect for DCM.

1.79 @8.04 (something up with the Garmin, map route all wrong, 1st mile 6min pace?)

10x400m hills.
Splits 1.27, 1.28, 1.26, 1.26, 1.30, 1.30, 1.25, 1.29, 1.29, 1.21

1.31 @9.23

davedanon

Friday 12th

Working all day/evening. Shattered from Thursday anyway.


Saturday 13th

With the 3rd Annual Irish Beer Mile Championships and associated, er, refreshment looming, Sunday 8am wasn't going to be a good time for a long run, so it happened today. 12 miles at a decent clip up to to the back gate of the Waterworks and back via Kiltipper Woods and around Tallaght stadium. Grand run, with a clubmate to keep me company. Felt a bit leggy over the last 2 miles, but was still knocking out 7.30 miles.

12.16 @8.04

davedanon

Saturday 13th Addendum

Irish Beer Mile Championship 2015. Having run 12 miles earlier, and with no specific beer training done, I had no more than survival on my mind for my inaugural appearance at this prestigious event. As we made our way across to the stadium, already heaving with a throng of at least several people, I heard the siren call of mother nature, a consequence of my warm-up beers and g&t strides done earlier, no doubt. I attended to this and hastened trackside. As the entrants were logged and registered, I picked out a spot for my Sierra Nevada IPA, and noted with concern that despite having been withdrawn from refrigeration 90 minutes earlier, they were still alarmingly cold. At length we were called to the start line, and having distinctly heard people mention 'nerves' earlier, and scoffed inwardly, I was amazed to notice Meno's teeth literally chattering with nerves just prior to the start. Was it possible I wasn't taking this seriously enough, I wondered to myself. Too late, we were off, and as I flipped the cap off my beer and took as long a swig as I could, I noticed with concern that Thirsty was throwing his aside and careering off. Bloody hell. I finished my beer in 24 seconds, fully thinking that I was in last place (video later convinced me otherwise). Running fast was already out of the question, and I lumbered around in 98 seconds. Beer no.2 took me 53 seconds, and as soon as I had finished it I was struck instantly by the most hellish headache I have ever had. It was a genuine case of brain freeze, and it wouldn't go away until much later. 2.03 for the 2nd 400 then, and it was time for beer 3. This took me 58 seconds, and I had by now realised that despite A) choosing an ale, and having it (too) cold, it was still foaming way too much. I was being left with an inch of froth in each bottle, and my hair was becoming unpleasantly sticky from what I was pouring over it. Afterwards Finchacha was to impart some invaluable advice on that score which will be useful come BMC 2016. Lap 3 was accomplished in 1.49, and I seem to remember some people absolutely haring past me on this one. Beer 4 was a real struggle, and it took 63 seconds to dispatch. Last lap, and I lolloped around before raising a half-arsed sprint to finish in 1.35 for an unofficial total of 10.28 - not bad for a first effort.

Sunday 14th

Day off

Weekly mileage: 33

davedanon

Monday 15th

Didn't get around to a run during the day, and was working from 6pm, so threw some running gear into the back of the car, and was able to get up to the Phoenix park after as only had one job. Parked opposite the papal cross car park, and set off. Did a short loop around the Yank ambassador's residence so I could check the phone in the car for a work call, then took off on a longer loop. Went through the roundabout and down the side of the Aras, then followed the perimeter around towards the Castleknock gate. Felt sluggish enough, but got in 6 miles in the end.

6 @8.40

PaulieC

davedanon wrote: »

Monday 15th

Didn't get around to a run during the day, and was working from 6pm, so threw some running gear into the back of the car, and was able to get up to the Phoenix park after as only had one job. Parked opposite the papal cross car park, and set off. Did a short loop around the Yank ambassador's residence so I could check the phone in the car for a work call, then took off on a longer loop. Went through the roundabout and down the side of the Aras, then followed the perimeter around towards the Castleknock gate. Felt sluggish enough, but got in 6 miles in the end.

6 @8.40

did you leave your gear and phone in your car in the PP ? Mad....

davedanon

PaulieC wrote: »

did you leave your gear and phone in your car in the PP ? Mad....

Full sure I replied to this. Was I taking a chance then? I'll remember in future. You see plenty of people doing this though. Getting changed and obviously leaving stuff in their car before running/walking or whatever.

davedanon

Tuesday 16th

Club race 3, 4 mile out-and-back, start Waterworks gate. A disaster. A hot and sticky evening, and my race-plan was just wrong. Last week one of the guys unexpectedly ate us for breakfast on the xc. He's never previously beaten me, although has come close. This time he 'smoked us', in his own words. This caused me to think I needed to set a really quick pace last night. Anyone who's familiar with the waterworks knows it's all uphill going in - 2 miles of it for our race, including two nasty big hills, before a turning point halfway up the 2nd reservoir. After half a mile I was travelling at sub-6 pace. By the mile point I was done. Stopped. Doubled over at the side of the path, with a walk of shame back to the start line. I didn't fancy hanging around, so headed straight home. In the end, Meno, who told me I led everyone out so fast that he thought he was 'off' and was going to give up himself, led everyone (of his usual rivals) else home. I'm not a good racer, and I just can't do tactics. All I can do is run as hard as I'm able on the day, and what is the one unbreakable rule, which I thought I had well learnt through painful experience? Don't go out too hard! Oh well, my next run will be in Palma, Gran Canaria. Ole!

2.34 @9.01

1 @6.39

2.73 @8.2x

PaulieC

davedanon wrote: »

Full sure I replied to this. Was I taking a chance then? I'll remember in future. You see plenty of people doing this though. Getting changed and obviously leaving stuff in their car before running/walking or whatever.

PP is pretty notorious for car breakins, they even have a warning on their official site - http://www.phoenixpark.ie/newsevents/title,33822,en.html.

If you are leaving it, I would take precautions:

• Park on Chesterfield Avenue, close to the zoo
• Don't leave anything in plain view
• Lock all valuables in the boot

The usual, especially if you have valuable valuables...

menoscemo

davedanon wrote: »

Tuesday 16th

Club race 3, 4 mile out-and-back, start Waterworks gate. A disaster. A hot and sticky evening, and my race-plan was just wrong. Last week one of the guys unexpectedly ate us for breakfast on the xc. He's never previously beaten me, although has come close. This time he 'smoked us', in his own words. This caused me to think I needed to set a really quick pace last night. Anyone who's familiar with the waterworks knows it's all uphill going in - 2 miles of it for our race, including two nasty big hills, before a turning point halfway up the 2nd reservoir. After half a mile I was travelling at sub-6 pace. By the mile point I was done. Stopped. Doubled over at the side of the path, with a walk of shame back to the start line. I didn't fancy hanging around, so headed straight home. In the end, Meno, who told me I led everyone out so fast that he thought he was 'off' and was going to give up himself, led everyone (of his usual rivals) else home. I'm not a good racer, and I just can't do tactics. All I can do is run as hard as I'm able on the day, and what is the one unbreakable rule, which I thought I had well learnt through painful experience? Don't go out too hard! Oh well, my next run will be in Palma, Gran Canaria. Ole!

2.34 @9.01

1 @6.39

2.73 @8.2x

Yeah You guys went off like lunatics, I was sure I was done, especially when the other Barry came past me after half a mile :eek:, also Gerry S was up with you guys which had me convinced I was having a mare.

In retrospect You went off fastest and pulled up.
Karl went off next fastest and I put a 45sec on him by the end (only caught him at halfway). Barry went off behind you both and he finished just behind me.
We should all be at the same level over 4 miles so maybe there is a lesson there.

Other Barry and Gerry S finished 1 and 2 minutes behind me and I only passed Gerry at almost 2 miles.

There was something in the air last night. I would have followed you guys at the start but my legs wouldn't let me; in Retrospect the first miles is very uphill even before the hill from looking at the garmin....

kit3

menoscemo wrote: »

There was something in the air last night. I would have followed you guys at the start but my legs wouldn't let me; in Retrospect the first miles is very uphill even before the hill from looking at the garmin....

Found it very hot & a lack of air yesterday (for want of a better description - I'm sure there's a term for it - something to do with humidity ??). Found this while running around 6 O'clock & even when I was walking the dog around 10 last night (it was still 18 degrees at that stage)

davedanon

menoscemo wrote: »

Yeah You guys went off like lunatics, I was sure I was done, especially when the other Barry came past me after half a mile :eek:, also Gerry S was up with you guys which had me convinced I was having a mare.

In retrospect You went off fastest and pulled up.
Karl went off next fastest and I put a 45sec on him by the end (only caught him at halfway). Barry went off behind you both and he finished just behind me.
We should all be at the same level over 4 miles so maybe there is a lesson there.

Other Barry and Gerry S finished 1 and 2 minutes behind me and I only passed Gerry at almost 2 miles.

There was something in the air last night. I would have followed you guys at the start but my legs wouldn't let me; in Retrospect the first miles is very uphill even before the hill from looking at the garmin....

I probably screwed up the race for anyone who went after me, thinking about it. Although Gerry Schley actually went past me quite early, which I couldn't believe. I thought it was Barry 1 with him, but it turned out to be Frankie, which should have told me something. Ah, there's nothing like racing for making you feel/look like a fool.

davedanon

Nothing much to report, just bringing this up to date. On holidays 18th-25th. In Kerry 27th-28th. Two easy runs in Gran Canaria, one mountain climbed in the Kingdom.

June 20th

Easy run. Maspalomas promenade and back.

6.57 @8.28


June 23rd

Easy run. Discovered a better route from our apts. to Maspalomas promenade following a dried-up river and coming out at the beach close to the lighthouse. Pleasing progression in pace, despite the early-morning warmth.

7.01 @8.24

(9.24, 9.00, 8.46, 8.32, 7.44, 7.46, 7.34)


June 27th

Carrauntoohil ascent. Arduous climb to the top of Ireland's highest peak. Via a walking/scrambling route rather than actual proper climbing, but it still took 7 hours up and down, and the legs are really feeling it today, so it goes in the log. The watch was started at the metal bridge up from Scanlan's yard, and I did forget to re-start it at one point, so the overall distance was 7 miles plus. From the yard to the summit took exactly 3.5 hours. Oh, and it was marvellous.

6.98 @48.35 (per mile)


https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/817888936

kit3

davedanon wrote: »

Nothing much to report, just bringing this up to date. On holidays 18th-25th. In Kerry 27th-28th. Two easy runs in Gran Canaria, one mountain climbed in the Kingdom.

June 20th

Easy run. Maspalomas promenade and back.

6.57 @8.28


June 23rd

Easy run. Discovered a better route from our apts. to Maspalomas promenade following a dried-up river and coming out at the beach close to the lighthouse. Pleasing progression in pace, despite the early-morning warmth.

7.01 @8.24

(9.24, 9.00, 8.46, 8.32, 7.44, 7.46, 7.34)


June 27th

Carrauntoohil ascent. Arduous climb to the top of Ireland's highest peak. Via a walking/scrambling route rather than actual proper climbing, but it still took 7 hours up and down, and the legs are really feeling it today, so it goes in the log. The watch was started at the metal bridge up from Scanlan's yard, and I did forget to re-start it at one point, so the overall distance was 7 miles plus. From the yard to the summit took exactly 3.5 hours. Oh, and it was marvellous.

6.98 @48.35 (per mile)


https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/817888936

What, no pictures ????

davedanon

kit3 wrote: »

What, no pictures ????

Oh, I haven't downloaded any from the phone yet. I'll see if I can successfully post up a link for some edited highlights.

davedanon

June 28th

Day off. And bloody well-deserved too.


June 29th

Nice easy run, met up with club members after 2m which slowed me right down and all the better for it.

6.44 @9.16


June 30th

Club race in Tymon park, with w/u-c/d. The dreaded 2-lapper. It's like the parkrun on steroids. I wasn't looking forward to this, and my fears were realised, to the point where I couldn't even maintain marathon pace and ran a 7.55 last mile. There was a bit of hubbub when we were brutally heckled by some members of a lesser-known local running club. I don't know what they were doing in our park. The grass must have grown too long on their own 'track'.

1.25 @8.47

5.38 @7.08

1.19 @10.44


July 1st

Day off. Work work work.


July 2nd

Busy again with work all day (you should have gathered by now that I'm far from being a 9-to-5er diligently getting the runs in first thing or late at night) but managed to squeeze in 4 miles in the Phoenix park. Ran down Chesterfield and around the a-Zoo than back up as far as the US Ambo's roundabout and then back to car. Spectacularly knackered at first, but gradually recovered and was moving nicely at the end.

4.00 @8.17


July 3rd

Busy again, but was able to get out for a 5 miler first. Nice easy run, and I was pleased to see that the running economy was good today. I tried to run by feel, the main consideration being to feel comfortable, and yet the pace was decent. In some ways my best run since London.

5.06 @8.16

davedanon

Saturday 4th

Tymon parkrun with warmup/cooldown. I knew I didn't have strength or speed for this, but it got me out the door and it's a painless (sort of) enough way to rack up a few miles. Jogged down, and semi-deliberately started back in the pack so I wouldn't crash and burn over the first mile. Struggled around to finish in 23rd place, overtook a few people on the way but not many, and just barely got in under 21 mins. Came as close as I've done to spewing at the finish line. I was actually retching, but I'd had no breakfast, which helped.

2.01 @8.36

3.09 @6.46 (20.55)

1.8 @8.58


Sunday 5th

Out on the piss all day and night with an anniversary and a friend's homecoming coinciding. Got home at 3am, completely twisted. No chance of getting up for lsr at 8am, so probably no running today. Official DCM 2015 training starts tomorrow.

Week's mileage: 30

menoscemo

Are you sandbagging ahead of the handicap race on Tuesday? hmmmm

davedanon

menoscemo wrote: »

Are you sandbagging ahead of the handicap race on Tuesday? hmmmm

I bloody wish. Here's a tip: don't pace off me on Tuesday.

davedanon

davedanon wrote: »

I bloody wish. Here's a tip: don't pace off me on Tuesday.

It's a handicap, of course.......d'oh.

davedanon

Monday 6th

Easy run. 7 miler in Tymon park. The hrm on the new 225 spiked at the start, but then settled down. Nothing much else of note.

7.06 @8.36


Tuesday 7th

Club race No.6 - One lap of Tymon run as a handicap, with staggered starts, leading to lots of pre-race BANTS. I was deemed the worst-performing of our little mini-group comprising, myself, meno and Barry, with epo suspect Karl lurking threateningly just behind. Off we went, and I had a 10 second start on the other two, but before the mile was out meno had overtaken me, which shook me a bit, as I was then anticipating the rest to come streaming past. Meanwhile I was making no inroads on the lead of the runner ahead (another Barry). Along by Limekiln, main Barry was still behind me though, and the next runner to pass me, Karl having flown by earlier, was a guy called Brendan, and in retrospect he'd overturned the handicap far too quickly, because he slowed and stopped just as we hit the base of the hill by the dog park. Pre-race I had fancifully envisaged the classic racing strategy of stepping on the gas when cresting this climb, but this seemed like a silly fantasy right now. I could only try to climb as strongly as possible, and as we entered the lane I still had the lead, but he had certainly cut into the handicap significantly. The last mile is when the fastest runners start to steam past, and also the slower runners get reeled in, so things can get confusing. All of a sudden I can hear footsteps getting closer and closer, and Barry appears on my shoulder, then pulls ahead by about 10 metres. It looks as though I'm done. Then Brendan then passes me for the second time, his trademark breathing sound heralding him as usual. He is a lion of a competitor who frequently pushes himself harder and faster than other would, or could, and in this case he looked to be on the red line, running on pure will power. There was maybe a half-mile to go, and if I was going to do anything, it needed to be now. Having Brendan in between me and Barry seemed to help, because as I wound it up, his lack of strength enabled me to catch and pass him quite quickly. This gave me a tremendous boost. I had closed the gap to about 5 metres and before I knew it I was pumping the legs and passing Barry. I was ahead again, but the only problem was I had a few hundred metres still to go, and I could hear Barry giving chase. I was blowing like a sounding whale, but this was my last chance to beat any of my immediate rivals on the road, so I threw everything at it approaching the last corner, and managed to hold him off, finishing about 5 metres ahead. Even so, he'd beaten me by 2 seconds with the handicap. But a good race, and a nice end to the 'between-marathons' silly season.

1.79 @8.49 w/u

2.95 @6.31 (19.13)

1.25 @9.23 c/d

ThebitterLemon

Pepe le Pew brought me here

You seem to be going well with some nice sessions banked.

Best of luck with it.

TbL