Cool runnings

TRR_the_turd

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Pepe le Pew brought me here

Dave runs like he has a hot poker up his arse

davedanon

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

Dave runs like he has a hot poker up his arse

Hmmm........if it made me run faster.....

davedanon

Wednesday 8th

Easy run in Tymon. Relaxed trot mainly notable for a much-improved performance by the Garmin 225, when worn further up the wrist and tightened a notch. Minimising light-leak is the key with this baby. It performed faultlessly, it has to be said.

7.6 @8.55

davedanon

Thursday 9th

Track session. 8x800m with w/u and c/d. First outing on the track in a while. We aimed at 3.10, which was what I trained at for London. While some of the lads (only 4 of us) were speeding up after a few of these, I tried to hold to the desired pace. No point in going faster than necessary. Warm evening out there.

1.73 @9.10

8x800m

3.10
3.12
3.11
3.09
3.09
3.08
3.10
3.07

1.12 @9.04

davedanon

Friday 10th

A bit weary after that track session, so took the day off. First big long run tomorrow.


Saturday 11th

16 mile run, 16 weeks out from DCM, appropriately enough. Going to a 50th tonight, so joined some of the other lads for a Saturday lsr. They were doing 18, but that was too big of a jump from 12 for me, so after doing a lap of Tymon and heading up into the waterworks, I turned back at the back gate while they continued on up to the 'duck loop', as we call it. Normally the pace would drop below 8 min miles on the way back, but I was happy enough just to get the miles in. A good start to the training block, apart from being a bit short on miles.

16.37 @8.25 (2:17:54)

davedanon

I should really clarify, since I started off by saying that I didn't really have a plan, that I am doing Dublin in October, and this week was the first in the 16 week programme. As with London, it's basically P&D's 55-70 mile plan tweaked to suit me. So while I will be doing MP runs as part of my long runs, maxing out as per P&D at 14miles MP, I won't be worrying about the total mileage so much, although I will be trying to average 55-60, rather than the 48 I managed for London. I won't be bothering with the strides, and the LT and VO2Max runs will be covered by a tempo run on a Tuesday at 6.50-7.00 pace, progressing to 8 miles ultimately, and a track session on a Thursday, probably 800s, or hill-sprints, or a parkrun. I'm thinking that on the weeks I don't have an MP run that I could fit in a parkrun.

davedanon

Sunday 12th

I didn't think I'd be running today, but I ducked out of last night's party relatively early so felt up for a few easy miles. I told myself that 4 would be fine, just to get yesterday's long run out of the legs, but in the end I decided to run 6-plus, and bring up the half-century for the week.

6.38 @9.02


Weekly total: 50

davedanon

Monday 13th

A suggestion for the people running this board. It would be nice if, having typed something, and then accidentally jumped to another site (hovering over the link with the mouse is sufficient in Mac Yosemite), hitting the back button didn't result in your f*cking text f*cking disappearing forever. There's more bells and whistles on here than you can shake a stick at. A bit of actually useful functionality would be nice.

8 mile easy. It was warm today, but the body is handling the increased mileage ok. that's all.

8.24 @8.46

davedanon

Tuesday 14th

Tempo run. Normally I'd do this from the club with the rest of them, but we're going out later, so down to the park on my sweeney for this. A couple of miles of a warm-up, then hit it. I'm aiming to run all tempos at 6.50-7.00 min pace. Even though I've been racing these sort of distances lately, it's still a struggle to run a controlled pace solo. A bit quick over the first mile, then too slow, but the last two were on the money. Slow cool-down home.

2 @8.54

4 @6.57 (6.34,7.17,6.57,6.59)

2.11 @9.39

adrian522

davedanon wrote: »

Monday 13th

A suggestion for the people running this board. It would be nice if, having typed something, and then accidentally jumped to another site (hovering over the link with the mouse is sufficient in Mac Yosemite), hitting the back button didn't result in your f*cking text f*cking disappearing forever. There's more bells and whistles on here than you can shake a stick at. A bit of actually useful functionality would be nice.

8 mile easy. It was warm today, but the body is handling the increased mileage ok. that's all.

8.24 @8.46

If you click "Post Reply" or "Go Advanced" when typing your post (As opposed to "Quick Reply") then hitting the back button will restore your lost text.

davedanon

Wednesday 15th

Easy 5 mile recovery run. Warm and dry, so I decided to give my Kinvara 6's their debut. I can never find much to say about shoes, though. The best pair of shoes are the ones that feel like they're not there, if that makes any sense. The less I notice them, the better they suit me. There is, apparently, some added gubbins around the laces that prevent the foot sliding into the toebox, but since I never had this problem, I can't comment as to its efficacy. Anyway, they were fine.

5.68 @8.39


Thursday 16th

I went to the club not knowing what I wanted to do, with a race tomorrow, albeit only a short one, and ended up doing another tempo. I wasn't psyched up for it, and that coupled with being out in front on my own, meant I struggled to get near Tuesday's pace. So I told myself it was more of a short MP run. The weather was awful, too, I had to run in a jacket, which I hate doing.

1.44 @9.30

4.01 @7.13 (7.07, 7.16, 7.22, 7.06)

2.25 @8.57

davedanon

Friday 17th

Club race 7. 1200m track race. The last in the series, and you only find out who your teammates are at trackside. This year we had teams of 7, meaning two off each team run the 400, 800 and 1200, and one does the 1600. There is one race at each distance. We quickly divvy up our roles, and off we go. I've been going in the 1200m for the last 3 or 4 years. I think I got the 1600 one time prior to that. I'm relieved to get it again, because that extra lap is a real killer. Three laps are over in a flash, really, and you don't spend a lot of time in pain. The pain comes after, when your chest is on fire for several minutes. We started slowly enough, by the standards of the better runners, although the 80 second first lap was probably my quickest. One guy took off after the first lap, and I tried to hang onto the group of four I was in. Couldn't be done, though, and I concentrated on staying ahead of my chasers. I was well clear, though, and finished in 4.07, off my best of 4.01 set a couple of years ago. After that it was upstairs to the FREE BAR, and eventually the prize-giving. TRR won an award for the most races won by a male, and I won the bottle of Rioja I'd had my eye on in the raffle. It was a long, long night, and I am paying royally for it today. Pray for me.

1.97 @9.02

1200m @5.38 (4.07)

0.44 @9.41

davedanon

Saturday 18th


A day not so much off, as missing, absent, lost.


Sunday 19th

Long run. 18 miler slated for today, and felt surprisingly chipper, although it got very warm and I was obviously still a bit dehydrated, as I was slurping at the water bottle more than usual. A lap of the park and up into the waterworks, as per last week, but I added the duck loop to get the 18 in.

18.05 @8.19 (2:30:14)

davedanon

Too late to edit, but 51 miles in total for last week.


Monday 20th

8 miles nice and easy. After an opening 8.40 mile, which felt fine, I nevertheless made myself slow down to 9 minute pace. After 18 yesterday, and with a tempo to come tomorrow, I told myself the watchword, as ever with recoveries, was minimum effort. The only purposes are mileage volume, and the clearing of any lingering lactate. You should finish these feeling as though you've barely done anything.

8.12 @8.54


Tuesday 21st

Tuesday night is tempo night. Meno in attendance too, returned from holidays, for a 5 miler at a planned 7.00min pace. 6.50 for the first mile, downhill, was fine, with a climb to come, but we attacked the hill for a 7.00 2nd mile, and thereafter there was no slackening of the tempo. Orna D joined us shortly after, which was nice, and we continued at sub-7 pace, until after the fourth mile, when I pronounced that we "had loads of time in the bank", which was my way of saying that I was knackered and planned on coasting in from there. Even so, I was nicely under the 35 minutes. Thanks all.

1.44 @9.28

5.00 @6.56 (6.54, 6.55, 6.59, 6.45, 7.07)

1.35 @9.06

menoscemo

Good man Dave; enjoyed that. Just what the doctor ordered after a week of excess.
Good to see there were no 'sisters' in our park either, I think they got the message last time when they were landed with the bill

RayCun

menoscemo wrote: »

Good man Dave; enjoyed that. Just what the doctor ordered after a week of excess.
Good to see there were no 'sisters' in our park either, I think they got the message last time when they were landed with the bill

I think they were on the hills last night - and they didn't say "oh we worked hard for the first four, let's slack on the last one"

davedanon

RayCun wrote: »

"oh we worked hard for the first four, let's slack on the last one"

Nonsense, it was 8 secs/mile. I was just being sensible. No medals given out in training and that.

menoscemo

RayCun wrote: »

I think they were on the hills last night - and they didn't say "oh we worked hard for the first four, let's slack on the last one"

*cough* I'll just point out that I didn't back off on the last mile *cough*

davedanon

Wednesday 22nd

8 miles easy. 9 minute miles all the way.

8.15 @9.07


Thursday 23rd

Track session most likely planned for tonight, but work intervened at the last second, as is its wont, so an unscheduled day off.


Friday 24th

8 miles. Felt fresher today after doing nothing since Wednesday, but not at first, oddly enough. The first half was at 8.30 pace, but at one point in Tymon park I come to a complete stop, feeling strangely wobbly-legged. Not a feeling of tiredness, more like an adverse reaction to the day off, as though my legs didn't feel able for a slightly quicker pace. So a little walk ensued, and then when I got going again it was as though the body had woken up, and the last four miles were run at under 7.45 average.

8.21 @8.07 (8.32, 8.28, 8.30, 8.37, 7.50, 7.48, 7.44, 7.31)


Saturday 25th

5 mile easy run. Not quite, as I just wanted to notch up 37 miles, with an 18 miler to come tomorrow.

4.73 @8.41

davedanon

Sunday 26th

Long run. Wind and rain in abundance this morning. The run followed its usual pattern. A 9 min/mile start, then 8, then under 8, by mile 3. I immediately dropped back, as this is just too quick for my liking. With the result that I soon found myself on my own, but never mind. I was at my strongest in the first half as it happened, uphill and into the wind. Maybe that took a toll, or maybe it was a touch of dehydration, but I was unable to up the pace on the return part of the run, which is pretty much downhill. The lower back and glutes were tight, which made me run with a choppy stride, and I could feel myself tiring over the last couple of miles.

18.12 @8.25


Weekly total: 55

davedanon

Monday 27th

8 mile easy run. Very, very slow they were too. I ran down from the house aiming to hook up with the regular club run. The rain was teeming down for a lot of this. I considered a jacket beforehand, but knew I'd only overheat, and I'd be wet anyway, whether from rain or sweat. The rain wasn't unpleasant, in any case.

8.26 @9.19

davedanon

Tuesday 28th

In a bit of a quandary with this. Many were opting for a track speed session, with the R&R Half looming, but I was inclined not to meddle with the training programme, as I am planning to use the R&R as an MP run. There are a couple of reasons: The course is not designed with pbs in mind, and I have been struggling with the distance for a number of years now. Since the 2011 RS Half I haven't been able to get near my pb of 1:30:30, let alone break 90 minutes, which I should have done by now. Also a half this early in the programme isn't ideal. Recovery alone could took take a fortnight, if I race it, and that will impinge upon some of the most important training weeks. Anyway, the upshot is I opted for the 5 mile tempo. I was all on my owneo yet again, but c'est la vie. I knew it was going to rain but overheating is always the worry so went with the singlet. Sure enough the heavens opened by mile 3, and I was able to wring out the vest at the end. It was actually quite enjoyable though. Very slightly slower than last week, but I felt a little more comfortable on the last drag of a mile. Bang on 7min pace.

1.5 @8.57

5 @7.00

1.55 @9.10

PaulieC

what's the goal Dave ? It's hardly DCM with an LSR of 18 miles already ?

davedanon

PaulieC wrote: »

what's the goal Dave ? It's hardly DCM with an LSR of 18 miles already ?

It is indeed. You think it's too soon? There's some in the club up to 20 already.

davedanon

Wednesday 29th

8 mile easy. Often when in the throes of a training programme, it's easy to miss important aspects along the way. The highlights are always the big sessions, and the MP long runs. When you've nailed a track session, or run a long tempo at the required pace, it's a great feeling. If I can do that, you tell yourself, I'll have no bother on the big day. But there are other markers, other indicators. Along with nailing those big sessions, you also have to run those (dare I say humdrum?) recoveries. X miles at XX (slow) pace. Yeah yeah. So what. Plug in the earphones, tune out, jog on. I have to say, I find easy runs the closest thing running ever gets to boring*. Even when you log the mileage after, there's nothing to pore over. No tasty splits to admire. No succession of sub-8, or sub-7, miles to feel smug about. It's just junk miles, right? Well, yes. But even so, your recoveries can tell you a lot about your progress. Take today. I'm lucky, in that I'm not in a full-time, 9 to 5 job. Most days I can afford to wait until the late afternoon or evening before heading out. Today though, I was working in the evening, so I was out at the unusually early time, for me, of 2:30pm. And despite last night's tempo, I felt strong and eager to run. Even so, I took it out very easy at 9 min pace, but after a couple of them, I was down to 8:20, and positively floating along. No doubt the Kinvara 6's helped, and that reminds that I must invest in another pair so that I can alternate and make the 6's last long enough that I can run DCM in them.
Very easy, easy run.

* although, of course, running is never boring.

8.01 @8.37

PaulieC

davedanon wrote: »

It is indeed. You think it's too soon? There's some in the club up to 20 already.

I thought they would be in late August/early September no ?

davedanon

PaulieC wrote: »

I thought they would be in late August/early September no ?

Well, I aim to get in a half-dozen 20+ milers, 2 of those 22. After this weekend, there's 9 weeks of solid training left before the 3 week taper. Plus there's the 10 miler, and Charleville. Not much time at all, really.

PaulieC

davedanon wrote: »

Well, I aim to get in a half-dozen 20+ milers, 2 of those 22. After this weekend, there's 9 weeks of solid training left before the 3 week taper. Plus there's the 10 miler, and Charleville. Not much time at all, really.

not bad for an oul lad :P

davedanon

PaulieC wrote: »

not bad for an oul lad :P

Young at heart, man. Young at heart.

davedanon

Thursday 30th

No running today, unexpected work issues.


Friday 31st

As Thursday.


Saturday 1st

Tymon parkrun with w/u and c/d. Have to hold my hand up here, and admit that though the stated intent here was to get a few miles in early on Saturday, that was an excuse. The real reason was that I reckoned the day before the National Half might be be my best chance of getting on the podium in a parkrun. Sure enough, the regular top-5ers were conspicuous by their absence, but even so as we rounded the first bend I was lying 5th. There was a kid among the leaders, however, so I discounted him, and sure enough he faded early. Then a guy overtook me, and seemed strong, but he failed to push on, and I fell in on his heels. There was someone else near him too, but for now he wasn't my main concern. Pretty soon I realised guy 1 was at his limit, so I pulled out and left him behind. I noticed though that guy 2 had done the same and was now in my slipstream. This was a novel experience, as for some reason I usually seem to be on my own in parkruns. This dude was playing it smart too. As we started the second lap he sat in behind me, biding his time, waiting for his moment. By the time we reached Hanlon's, he had finally pulled ahead, and as Viv waved us into the final left-hander, the boot was on the other foot, because he hadn't pulled away and was allowing me to shadow him. Now, I'm not usually a good racer, but this seemed like a textbook racing scenario, with me holding the upper hand. I kept getting the urge to try and smoke him going up the hill, but then a little voice in my head said "what's the hurry? He's not going anywhere." So I held fire, and in fact the third mile was the slowest, as he was either unwilling or unable to raise the pace, and I wasn't going to overtake until I was good and ready. We reached the top of the drag, and ran through the trees, and finally I made my move, establishing a good, hard pace but keeping something in reserve. He was right there, but I couldn't tell how close, or whether he was catching me, so as we hit the last section, with about 100m to go, I threw everything I had at it, and finished about 3 seconds ahead of my pursuer. I was handed my token with the No. 4 on it, or so I thought, but when I turned it over it said 3. Seemingly the leader, who had taken off like a rocket, had failed to finish, so I had my podium finish after all. I wanted to say hello to my chaser and shake his hand, but first there was the business of keeping my breakfast down, as it was threatening to make an unscheduled appearance.

2.54 @9.01

3.08 @6.30 (20.00- official time 20.04)

1.61 @9.30