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Better late than never

  • 09-11-2015 7:58pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭



    Started life here as a DCM 2015 novice and I have just graduated!!!! A slow starter but I have run on and off over the years, always trying to maintain some degree of fitness. Fell off the wagon a couple of times along the way but had a "moment of inspiration" in September 2013 whilst sitting in the car one evening.

    One of the kids had decided to take up competitive rowing, so here I was sitting there looking out through the windscreen, on his first week, thinking that this will be a long winter. Decided there and then that with the Phoenix Park beside the boat club that I would try and get fit again. It felt like "one more throw of the dice". I was almost 51 and wondered what was I capable of doing if I worked at running for a couple of years. I had always cherished a dream of running a sub 4 hour marathon, and this year it has happened. DCM 2015 3:54.

    Will explain, but the chapter became a book over the last 2 years and now I move on to the next phase - to try and better my pb's over 5km (21:00) and 10 km (47:02) over the next 4 months.


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 4,272 ✭✭✭Dubgal72


    Welcome to logs Denis, delighted we're not losing you - you were such an integral part of the novices thread. Looking forward to the next few chapters - or shoud that read new book?!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,015 ✭✭✭jake1970


    Best of luck with the log and your running denis.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Great to see another "runner of a certain age" starting a log, D! All the best.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Monday
    5km Easy run at 5:55/km
    15 mins stretching and rehab excercises (Glutes)

    Tuesday
    Strength Training 2 Sets - Using the suggested programme from Advanced Marathoning.
    Rehab excercises (Glutes)

    Managed to use the back garden for some of the excercises this morning. It feels like summer, well "better late than never".... cringe!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭diego_b


    Good stuff Denis, will be keeping tabs on your progress and using it for inspiration as I'd happily take those PBs you have there right now!!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,447 ✭✭✭FBOT01


    Good man, D. Best of luck with the log and with smashing those PBs over the coming weeks/months.

    Don't forget that St Anne's is the flatest and fastest parkrun in Ireland when it comes to sorting out that 5k..... if you flagged it in advance they might even be able to arrange a pacer for you ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    FBOT01 wrote: »
    Good man, D. Best of luck with the log and with smashing those PBs over the coming weeks/months.

    Don't forget that St Anne's is the flatest and fastest parkrun in Ireland when it comes to sorting out that 5k..... if you flagged it in advance they might even be able to arrange a pacer for you ;)

    Cheers. Yes its my local and will be getting there more frequently from now on. Pacer is a great idea... always kept my eye on two particular runners there in the past to help with my pacing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    diego_b wrote: »
    Good stuff Denis, will be keeping tabs on your progress and using it for inspiration as I'd happily take those PBs you have there right now!!

    David - it was great to meet and get to know so many novices and mentors on the DCM. Those connections make it much more interesting in following their training logs. Good to see that you are mobile again :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,776 ✭✭✭This Fat Girl Runs


    Definitely following this! Looking forward to seeing what's ahead for you!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Wednesday

    5km Easy run. Can feel the effort from the strength training. Was my first strength training session in quite some time. Will watch recovery with this for another week or two and tone it down if necessary.

    Thursday

    7km Easy run. Noticed that the easy kms are naturally speeding up. Km 5 and Km 6 were at MP. Slowed down a little to finish but run was very comfortable. Begining to feel much more fluid again when running.

    Friday

    Rest Day. I am out hillwaking all day tomorrow getting some practice in for an assessment. Will get some downtime in for coffee this morning at some stage.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,119 ✭✭✭Mrs Mc


    Best of luck with the log Denis hopefully see you at St Anne's park run soon.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Saturday
    A very stormy and wet day hill walking in Wicklow. The weather cleared for the walk off the hills and back to the car. My legs can still feel the effects of the strength training from during the week so will have to be careful with those sessions. The legs are still recovering.

    Sunday
    6 Km city run from Portobello along the canal, past the Aviva and across the DCM route at Ballsbridge. Seems like a lifetime away at this stage. Past Herbert Park and back to the Canal to finish. Now that was a much better run around 5:50min /km.

    Monday
    6.5 km easy run and defnitely feeling a significant improvement with the legs. Have started working on massaging the calves again and did my first drop heel sets in a week or two. Continuing the remedial physio exercises on the hips.

    Tuesday
    First longer run, 8km, and ran easy with 3 faster (5:25min/km) in the middle. An easy tempo run???? Felt really good after this. Feel a need to start running faster again - prepping for the 5km challenge. Would like to have a go at the 5km Jingle Bells as well.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Wednesday
    A recovery 5km run at 5.49/km and HR 139. Was either running up a hill or into the wind today. Still the run felt fine and it was good to be back in the PP again today.

    Thursday
    First "proper" session post marathon. 6 km run with 6 X strides on the way home. Really enjoyed the turn of pace and can feel that the legs are strong. No niggles

    Rehab exccercises and good tretching after each session this week. Keep forgetting to do the heel drops. Gotta watch that and do them!!!!.


    See we have Myles on the Graduate thread. The learning will continue after all the foundations that DG built .


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Friday

    Managed to climb Galtymore in the late afternoon while returning to Dublin. 3 hours on the hills but no run!!!


    Pretty tired on saturday so made that my rest day. Sunday ditto - sinus headache so decided to recover today and start my 5km training tomorrow. Targeting St. Annes Parkrun for some racing practice after reading Graduate Log (Myles) and MurphD's log. That extra experience and practice will be good for a Pb attempt in mid January.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Monday

    Last free run before the Graduate plan starts tomorrow. Relaxed 5km at 5.40/km. The left quad is still tight above the knee. Figured out that that my office chair is tilted forward and placing pressure on my upper legs. I seem to hold the tension through the front of my legs. Seating arrangement changed and will evaluate.

    Will be good to have a little more focus with training now. I am ready to go again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Tuesday

    Late start this morning. Its t-shirt weather again this am. First day on the Myles Graduate Plan - 45 mins easy run (7.82km at 5:45/km for me). Bar the first warm up km all the other splits were within 3 secs of average. Didnt look at the watch this morning and went on feel. Two things to note:

    1. This mornings average pace is about 8 secs faster per km then before the marathon.
    2. Km 3 and km 4 have a significant, although not steep, hill.

    The effort felt pretty constant and relaxed. Perhaps there is "gain" in my legs after the marathon.

    And just ran through the 2,000km mark for the year this morning.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Wedesday

    Its a strides day. Waited for the Avenue to quieten down and then hit it. 11 mins warm up at 5:50/km and then 10 mins strides with each segment at: 2 Fast 1 Slow. Felt good and was nice to feel the circa 5 km pace. Completed them knowing I had stretched the legs. Ran tall and relaxed. 12 mins cooldown and finished.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭Baggirshorts


    Good log you are keeping.
    Good stuff. Might motivate me to start one too..
    Cheers...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Good log you are keeping.
    Good stuff. Might motivate me to start one too..
    Cheers...

    Its a start!!! finding it useful as it allows me to reflect and think a little. Will watch out for your own :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Thursday

    Easy run but it felt slow, very slow. Legs were heavy and was overtaken by a running Dad pushing a buggy with a toddler on board. Thought about trying to stay ahead and then let them off.

    7.58 kms at 6.05.

    Friday

    Rest day - recovery and ego re-build time.

    Saturday

    Got out before the rain and there were plenty of like minded runners out there for company this morning. Felt much stronger today and eased back to stay in line with The Myles Plan. Easy first warm-up km and was running progressively faster. Eased up a little and then did 4 km at about 5.25/km. A little faster than MP but they felt very ,very comfortable. Last km for a cool down.

    8.15km, 5.40/km

    Enjoy your weekend peeps.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Sunday

    Woke early and heard one of the kids heading out on their run. Stayed in bed, tired, and didnt like the sound of the weather! Around 8am the wind had eased and couldnt hear any wind on the window. Went for it.

    Yep... the week had caught up with me. Stayed dry and ran a slightly hilly course with a few out of town hills, up from the Tolka. Nothing like your stomping ground Nop!

    Did some serious stretching after the 75 min run, which had taken me 75:41 to complete!!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Monday
    Rest Day and just as well!!

    Tuesday
    45 minutes easy and ran them exactly as prescribed at 6 min/km. Started in the dark and on return was greeted by a warm breeze which pushed the darkest of clouds inland from the night sky over Dublin Bay to expose the most brilliant ribbon of bright orange over the sea. Was well worth getting out of bed for and within 2-3 minutes the intensity of light was lost as the clear morning sky broadened.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Wednesday

    Felt like I was a runner this morning, what with strides and all that!! 30 mins easy and 6x100m strides. That woke me up nicely. Ready for whatever the day throws at me now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Thurs to Sunday

    Have been overdoing it in recent weeks and not getting enough sleep. Caught up with me this week. Decided to forego running for a few days and get some rest.

    Feeling a lot better this morning and enjoyed reading those JB race reports. Great to see so many DCM15 runners out there and a few more experienced ex Novice DCM runners pushing it so hard. Will be ready to go again tomorrow morning and aim to do the postponed 5km time trial next Saturday morning.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,119 ✭✭✭Mrs Mc


    Hey Denis looks like G has decided on the sub 21 in St Anne's 19th Dec hope we will see you too :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Think the impending 19th has put the hex on me. Am down and out for the last 5 days (Something has moved from the throat/sinus/ears to the chest). Knew it was lingering and did a 5km easy run yesterday which has not helped. A shame.

    Am going to use the downtime this week to get organised about my running. I can see how others plan ahead whereas I seem to go from one training programme to another. Very happy to keep with the Boards Graduate Programme and will continue to target 5-10km races through the winter/spring and then push for a HM before the summer.

    First target identified... have heard great reports about the Straffan 10 km. Think it is happening in April 2016.

    Next Target... a Parkrun once a month to improve on 5km time. Will need practice with this as a pb will be tough going.


    Current Pb's
    5km 21:00
    10km 47:02
    10 mile 1:18:01
    HM 1:45:11
    Mar. 3:54:49

    Will try and figure out what to aim for during 2016.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    Mrs Mc wrote: »
    Hey Denis looks like G has decided on the sub 21 in St Anne's 19th Dec hope we will see you too :)

    Cheers. Have been lurking around the logs to see what my fellow racers (opposition) have been doing. They are flying it and I will be there on the day no matter what happens.

    Well done on getting a card for Ballycotton.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭denis b


    and back.....

    Essentially had a 2 week enforced break with something or other!!! Did...

    Monday
    45 mins Easy Run

    Tuesday
    30 mins easy and 6x100m strides

    and feeling as though I have recovered well enough.

    Somebody suggested that a few boardsies who are close to breaking 21 mins for 5km should support (have a shoot out) each other in a Parkrun this saturday to try and get under 21 mins. Will be there.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Excellent, another one on the No. 21 train.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,353 ✭✭✭Bungy Girl


    Murph_D wrote: »
    Excellent, another one on the No. 21 train.

    Choo Choo!

    Denis_b no pressure but you're the bookies favourite :D


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