Better late than never

denis b

Friday
A rest day

Saturday
Out on the hills in Wicklow and 50 mins easy run accounted for again.

Sunday
90 minute Progression Run; 40min easy, 30 min steady and 20 at MP: Ended up forgetting to move up on 40 mins which was extended to 48 mins (6:03 per km), 22 mins Easy (5.45 per km) and 20 mins at MP ( 5.30 per km).

All in 15.83 km done from Camden St out to Blackrock by the canal and coast. Felt strong finishing and had plenty left but trying to get this pacing nailed. Think my running form is improving and am beginning to re-connect.

annapr

Thought I spotted you heading up into Charlemont Thursday morning?

denis b

annapr wrote: »

Thought I spotted you heading up into Charlemont Thursday morning?

Just before 9 am, if memory serves me right. Think I went up and into the Institute to add another handy km.

annapr

denis b wrote: »

Just before 9 am, if memory serves me right. Think I went up and into the Institute to add another handy km.

you can get away with nothing around here

denis b

annapr wrote: »

you can get away with nothing around here

That what keeps us honest:D

denis b

Monday

Should be a rest day but I need to get a day ahead of the schedule so that I can get my LSR in on Saturday. Would prefer a rest day after the work is done!, and it gives me some room with other commitments.

50 mins easy run. I seem to be adding mileage to this run as my easy pace has gotten to the faster end of the easy spectrum. Was particularly conscious of taking it handy today after yesterdays progression run. Slight tenderness in left ankle (missed a step down on uneven grass surface yesterday) dissipated after a slow warm up km. Rest of the run was fine passing cars on the funeral commute to work.

Mrs Mc

Feeling the same after that progression run yesterday Denis had never done one before definately feeling it in the legs today .... Sure it can only get easier

denis b

Tuesday

Travelling all day so had to drag myself out mid evening for this one. Hard to believe but after 2 and a half years I am definitely a committed early morning runner. Boards was down so I looked back at what we were doing on the graduates plan and kinda guessed what the session might entail.

10 mins w/up at 6km followed by 8 x 2 mins at 5km pace with 90 secs recovery and then 10 mins c/down at 6km. Pretty tired after this one.

Oh and as the paths were much busier there was lots more to think about. Particularly so with the odd dog walker with extendable leads the whole way across paths and oblivious to anyone else as they are chatting on the mobile. Upside - it was great to see so many people out there and trying their best.

Wednesday

50 mins Easy Run at around 5.45 per km. Think the legs had some faster running than normal in them after last nights session.

denis b

Thursday and Friday

Rest days

Calm before the storm of sorts. Tomorrow is the 5km hard effort run. Will be using my Raheny (8km - 5 mile) target time over this distance tomorrow at St. Annes Parkrun. So that will be 4.22 per km.

Bungy Girl

denis b wrote: »

Thursday and Friday

Rest days

Calm before the storm of sorts. Tomorrow is the 5km hard effort run. Will be using my Raheny (8km - 5 mile) target time over this distance tomorrow at St. Annes Parkrun. So that will be 4.22 per km.

Sub-35 in Raheny ? Will be lots of us on that train Sunday week I think! See you then and good luck tomorrow.

denis b

Saturday

Parkrun Day and official result of 21:54 but for pacing purposes I am using (rather than claiming) my own watch time of 21:47. It was a hectic start and I was back a little too far so several seconds elapsed before I got to the start. Thats fine. This was to be a hard paced run and I was due to finish in 21:50 to keep to my 5 mile goal pace for 2016. It worked but not so sure if I would have been running more than about another km and a half. Kept it hard pace and didn't run full on.

Might be a little under the weather so am going to assess during the week. The 35 mins is a 2016 goal time so I might use the Raheny race for practice and aim for 35.30. Think I need another mini cycle, or two, on the Graduates programme to get properly back up to speed.

denis b

Sunday
Out in Wicklow on the hills for the day. Probably counts as a slightly harsh 90 mins Easy Run!

Monday
Rest Day

Tuesday
45 minutes easy run done and dusted early morning

Wednesday
10 wup 1,2,3,2,1 mins at 4:25km pace with 10 mins cdown. Went well and was largely done by feel. Have to figure out to do a set like that with the watch marking pace and time.

Thursday
25 mins recovery jog.

Friday
Big session for the Raheny 5 miler on Sunday.....bought all the flapjack ingredients as its my turn to produce the goodies on raceday. Trying to remember which seed bags are for the bird feeder and which are for the flapjacks !!!!

My 5 mile goal time for 2016 is 35 mins so will be aiming for under 36 mins this time. Its my first 5 miler but really looking forward to it at this stage. Its time to speed up.

annapr

Good luck Denis! Happy to 'mind' the flapjacks for you on the sidelines if you want?

john mayo 10

Best of luck

Firedance

annapr wrote: »

Good luck Denis! Happy to 'mind' the flapjacks for you on the sidelines if you want?

and if you need an assistant minder....:p

Good luck Denis! Have a great race

Mrs Mc

Firedance wrote: »

and if you need an assistant minder....:p

Good luck Denis! Have a great race

Don't know do I trust those 2 D there will be none left!!!!

Dubgal72

Good luck Denis, I'll be roaring like a sergeant major cheering you on near the finish, enjoy! More importantly, hoe are the flapjacks and ahem would you like me to mind them?!

Dubgal72

Good luck Denis, I'll be roaring like a sergeant major cheering you on near the finish, enjoy! More importantly, how are the flapjacks and ahem would you like me to mind them?!

Kennyg71

Best lucktoday Denis. Have a good one.

denis b

Many thanks folks. Have the flapjacks, with and without sultanas. Better get them out to the car before they're scoffed by the rabble here!

Enjoy the event, runners and supporters alike.

denis b

Many thanks folks. Have the flapjacks, with and without sultanas. Better get them out to the car before they're scoffed by the rabble here!

Enjoy the event, runners and supporters alike.

FBOT01

Excellent. Looking forward to assisting the graduates in ensuring your flapjacks get the devouring that I am sure they deserve.

Have a good one and of course.....ENJOY!!!

This Fat Girl Runs

Good luck today! See you after! Save me a flapjack?!

Firedance

well done today Denis!! those flapjacks were AMAZING!! oh and great running too

laura_ac3

Denis, I had one of your lovely flapjacks and didn't catch you to sat thanks. So thank you, it was lovely! Hope you had a good race.

This Fat Girl Runs

Great to see you today, Denis. Thanks for the flapjacks, they were awesome!

Mrs Mc

Great flapjacks today Denis, well needed with the cuppa and that tough race today, good to see you.:D

Bungy Girl

Super flapjacks, Denis. Many thanks. Looking forward to your race report.

denis b

Sunday

Raheny .....5 miler race

I hardly know where to start. Had planned on a 36 min run which was based on my last 5 km run and hoped that I could hold the pace. It wasn't to be but a lot was learnt.

It was my turn for Flapjacks so the pre-race prep started at 9am. 2 batches done and dusted by 10 am and only thing then was to hide and cool them from those wandering downstairs unusually early for a sunday morning.

Wasnt feeling 100% for race day and this wasnt the first time. Happened the previous 5 km park run as well. Might be stressing myself out a little as have not felt that training has been going as well over the last three months.

Got there nice and early and was cheering the kids race on. One young girl absolutely flew out on her hands and knees close to the finish. Nasty, but she was picked up and dusted down and ran on to finish. No doubt that there will be story to tell on later.

Met Nop and while he was at bag drop I met a cousin of mine who I hadnt the faintest idea ran at all. She filled me in on the last 10 years. Time flies. Nop and I jogged for a km or two and arrived at the back of a Mecca like pack squeezed onto the road at the start. We moved up a little on the inside without any fuss and waited. At go, we all walked and jogged and walked and jogged. I managed to find a break and lost sight of Nop until I spotted him on the other side of the road where he was just about having better luck finding some space. It was pretty brutal and we were moving at 6km+ pace. With cars on both sides of the road through the estate it was impossible to get ahead. Held tight and managed to find some space coming back into Raheny village. Passed the Boards Supporters Roadside Crew - hope I wasnt scowling at this stage.

Things improved a little on the Howth Road and ran outside (the long way) of the tape. No traffic and managed to make some progress before we hit Sybil Hill. Felt the head wind but was happy to take it as at least I could run my own pace. Hit the bend onto Sybil Hill at 12.40 and the pace was now at race target. I knew that I was at least 1 1/2 mins down. Running down Sybill Hill helped and I managed to just get inside my pace time but the stop/start earlier had taken its toll. Decided I would run steady and try and recover some time on Mt Prospect Ave with the wind behind us. It helped and I was recovering some time but trying to balance out my energy for the second half. Really resolved at this stage to dig in deep and get just inside race pace for as long as I could. Its kinda time to really start feeling the effort.

Perverse as it sounds thats what spurred me on - "the effort". So that what DG meant when she advised us about acknowledging the pain and boxing it off. Just as I felt like stopping, I dug in and facing the wind and uphill in St. Annes I continued to pass runners who were equally struggling. I moved to the RHS to get a better line and picked off runners the who way up through the park until we turned. That 180 couldnt have arrived at a better time. I turned and picked up the pace from almost a standing start and went pretty close to my limit , wind assisted.

Passed the 4 mile sign and started to try and judge how to continue increasing the effort and pace with the distance left. Uphill and out of the park was hellish but when I hit the run in I spotted a group ahead (they were moving well) and without knowing how I would catch them I just focussed on the their calves and pulled them in over 400 m. Managed a sprintish finish emptying the tank and felt really really satisfied that I hadn't given up.

Watch said 36.57 - Official Time ( and only time that matters) 37.01. Its a PB by default as its my first 5 miler.

Splits were

1km 5 min
2km 4.37
3km 4.34
4km 4.21
5km 4.28
6km 4.28
7km 4.27
8km 4.36
.11 .25


Its January and my aim is to break 35mins. Will run at least 2 more 5 milers and looks as though my 10km pb of 47.02 might get rumbled this year as well.

Enjoyed the swapping of war stories in the GAA Hall afterwards and I hope I am not doing anybody else a disservice but congrats to Nop, AQuinn, TFGR and Singer on their magnificent pbs in Raheny. Part of the reflective process, post race, was certainly marked by their performances today. I will be back.

Will definitely stay with this running lark!!!

denis b

Sunday

Raheny .....5 miler race

I hardly know where to start. Had planned on a 36 min run which was based on my last 5 km run and hoped that I could hold the pace. It wasn't to be but a lot was learnt.

It was my turn for Flapjacks so the pre-race prep started at 9am. 2 batches done and dusted by 10 am and only thing then was to hide and cool them from those wandering downstairs unusually early for a sunday morning.

Wasnt feeling 100% for race day and this wasnt the first time. Happened the previous 5 km park run as well. Might be stressing myself out a little as have not felt that training has been going as well over the last three months.

Got there nice and early and was cheering the kids race on. One young girl absolutely flew out on her hands and knees close to the finish. Nasty, but she was picked up and dusted down and ran on to finish. No doubt that there will be story to tell on later.

Met Nop and while he was at bag drop I met a cousin of mine who I hadnt the faintest idea ran at all. She filled me in on the last 10 years. Time flies. Nop and I jogged for a km or two and arrived at the back of a Mecca like pack squeezed onto the road at the start. We moved up a little on the inside without any fuss and waited. At go, we all walked and jogged and walked and jogged. I managed to find a break and lost sight of Nop until I spotted him on the other side of the road where he was just about having better luck finding some space. It was pretty brutal and we were moving at 6km+ pace. With cars on both sides of the road through the estate it was impossible to get ahead. Held tight and managed to find some space coming back into Raheny village. Passed the Boards Supporters Roadside Crew - hope I wasnt scowling at this stage.

Things improved a little on the Howth Road and ran outside (the long way) of the tape. No traffic and managed to make some progress before we hit Sybil Hill. Felt the head wind but was happy to take it as at least I could run my own pace. Hit the bend onto Sybil Hill at 12.40 and the pace was now at race target. I knew that I was at least 1 1/2 mins down. Running down Sybill Hill helped and I managed to just get inside my pace time but the stop/start earlier had taken its toll. Decided I would run steady and try and recover some time on Mt Prospect Ave with the wind behind us. It helped and I was recovering some time but trying to balance out my energy for the second half. Really resolved at this stage to dig in deep and get just inside race pace for as long as I could. Its kinda time to really start feeling the effort.

Perverse as it sounds thats what spurred me on - "the effort". So thats what DG meant when she advised us about acknowledging the pain and boxing it off. Just as I felt like stopping, I dug in and facing the wind and uphill in St. Annes I continued to pass runners who were equally struggling. I moved to the RHS to get a better line and picked off runners the whole way up through the park until we turned. That 180 couldnt have arrived at a better time. I turned and picked up the pace from almost a standing start and went pretty close to my limit , wind assisted.

Passed the 4 mile sign and started to try and judge how to continue increasing the effort and pace with the distance left. Uphill and out of the park was hellish but when I hit the run in I spotted a group ahead (they were moving well) and without knowing how I would catch them I just focussed on the their calves and pulled them in over 400 m. Managed a sprintish finish emptying the tank and felt really really satisfied that I hadn't given up.

Watch said 36.57 - Official Time ( and only time that matters) 37.01. Its a PB by default as its my first 5 miler.

Splits were

1km 5 min
2km 4.37
3km 4.34
4km 4.21
5km 4.28
6km 4.28
7km 4.27
8km 4.36
.11 .25


Its January and my aim is to break 35mins. Will run at least 2 more 5 milers and looks as though my 10km pb of 47.02 might get rumbled this year as well.

Enjoyed the swapping of war stories in the GAA Hall afterwards and I hope I am not doing anybody else a disservice but congrats to Nop, AQuinn, TFGR and Singer on their magnificent pbs in Raheny. Part of the reflective process, post race, was certainly marked by their performances today. I will be back.

Will definitely stay with this running lark!!!