Leader Of The (Mid) Pack

Wubble Wubble

D'Ireland Run - Week 16 of 18 (continued)

Thu 28/3 - 6.27 miles@7:55/mi

Back to Porterstown, this time for probably a last attempt at the 2E / 3@10k pace / 1E run. Nice sunny evening on the freshly repainted grass track. Warmup miles were very slow, then straight into the meat of the session. 12 laps of a track which has a little bit more in terms of elevation changes etc than Morton Stadium. Really struggling to hang on near the end, but managed to see it out, for what was overall my best attempt at this long tempo.

6:57/6:56/7:02 tonight, in contrast to 7:14/7:17/7:20 around the track two weeks ago. That day it was much windier, and on damp grass too. On closer examination, it turns out I went very fast indeed early on - the first lap was at 5k pace rather than 10k, and although on every lap there were parts when I was on the right pace, I slipped back in one or two sections too. Our lady captain flew past me once or twice in the midst of her 400 metre reps, and apparently - according to Strava - AMK passed by me (in the opposite direction) on one of my flying laps too, but I was too busy trying to keep my hands on the wheel to spot him!

Fri 29/3 - Rest

Sat 30/3 - Nothing

Good intentions, but family stuff took up more of the early part of the day than I had anticipated, and by the time all that was finished, I was feeling tired and not really in the mood for getting out, so I didn't.

Sun 31/3 - 13.01 miles@8:54/mi

No wheels this cold and not particularly summer like morning, so I ran from the house to meet clubmates at Castleknock Gate. Quite fast on the way down, and for the brief period that I had company. Two went off ahead, and the other two I dropped back with were finishing their runs, so from White's Gate after we'd done a loop of the OS grounds, I was basically running alone. Hence, since I didn't have anyone to pull me along, I allowed my times to drop back significantly, which today was probably for the better. My first six miles were sub-9, whereas the rest were all in the 9:xx range.

I don't think I've ever seen so many squirrels in the course of one run, plus our regular trail from the Acres Road above the S bends was blocked by a herd of deer, so a diversion was deemed to be necessary :pac: Almost my entire 8.4 mile (roughly) stint within the Phoenix Park took place on trails. Bit tired when I got home, but then again it was my longest run so far this year, so maybe that was to be expected.

March Review

This month had a lot of running ups and downs, and not just to do with undulating terrain. While I had some very good days, including a long overdue 10k PB, not all of my sessions went according to plan, and there were relatively long stretches of inactivity, so much so that I wasn't sure I'd get into three figures. Overall though, signs are encouraging for the coming months, so hopefully that will continue as we move into the second quarter of 2019.

Races: 1 (YTD 5)
parkruns: 1 (YTD 3)
Mileage: 113 (YTD 328)

Next

At the moment, all roads lead to Phoenix Park for the Great Ireland Run on April 14. I don't think I'm being overly bullish in saying that I'm targeting another 10k PB in that one.

After that, the next race is currently the Inishbofin Half Marathon on May 18, although there might be one or two races in between. For example, I heard a lot of good reports about last year's BHAA race in Bristol Myers Squibb.

Beyond all that, the date for this year's Docklands 5k has been announced. It's still my one and only sub-20, although this time it's only four days after the Castleknock 5k. Surely between those three, I can go sub-20 again. Can't I ? Thanks for reading. J.

Murph_D

I'll join you in the Docklands (as I not longer have to be on marshal duty) and we can try to drag each other along, if you like.

skyblue46

J the Bristol Myers Squibb race was brilliant last year. It's a pancake flat course, perfect. The food afterwards was amazing too...hot noodle dishes!

coogy

Docklands 5k looks tasty! Might see you there!

Wubble Wubble

D'Ireland Run - Week 17 of 18

Wed 3/4 - 3.43 miles@8:28/mi

This was a run to collect our car from the garage before it closed. A day borrowed from December - bitterly cold, lashing rain and a strong westerly to contend with too. I looked a picture as I arrived at the garage reception! Car works again though, and even though I could have gone to Santry afterwards, I decided I'd done enough.

Thu 4/4 - 5.98 miles@8:33/mi

The first two miles or so were actually worse than yesterday. Rain absolutely belting down, and my hands were several shades of blue/red/purple, so much so that I was raging over not going out wearing gloves. Thankfully, once I got into White's Gate, the rain stopped, and gradually I got warmer and my hands began to look and feel like normal again. Still, it was preferable to skating around the grass track "at speed", with minimal grip, so chalk it up.

Fri 5/4 - Rest

Sat 6/4 - Porterstown parkrun

April 6 has been good for me from a running point of view over the years.

2013 - Completed the inaugural Lord Mayor's 5 Alive Challenge.
2014 - My first marathon (Paris).
2015 - 10 mile PB (Brian Boru).

Earlier in the week, I was considering a hard parkrun, in an attempt to improve on my 20:35 parkrun PB (Malahide, 10/11/18). However, common sense prevailed, helped by the fact that I'd a few pints on Friday night, while watching the Reds come back from a goal down to keep their title challenge going. I may also have gained an extra grey hair or two during.

So with all that in mind, this one turned out to be very low key. I decided on a progression run, starting way way back, and gradually picking up the pace as I worked my way through the midfield. The new runners felt great - even the last lap seemed easy. I stepped off the gas with about 100m remaining, to the extent that two lads whom I'd passed in the previous 300m or so passed me back. Eyes on the prize - no racing! 22:22, 12/137, 2nd M45.

Sun 7/4 - 10.1 miles@8:18/mi

I was on chauffeur duty last night. Plus - no alcohol. Minus - less sleep. Down to Castleknock Gate in plenty of time for the 8:45 start. About 10 of us headed away, and this soon became two fives. I sat back with the second group. Five became four as we reached Chesterfield Avenue, but the rest of us kept together around by the Polos and the Áras, and through the trails from the Hole In the Wall back to Castleknock Gate. Last couple of miles I was finding it hard enough to hang on, not helped by a little bit of chafing. Amazing what you forget when you're not doing many long runs :pac:

Next

That's more or less it until the GIR. Possibly a session on the track in Santry on Wednesday, if I can get out there. Otherwise, everything easy. Still think there's another PB in me. Hopefully a big one!

Speaking of PBs, many of you will have seen or read about AMK's 5 minute PB in the Rotterdam Marathon. It's just reward for his dedication over the last number of years - not just in the sessions and mileage he puts in, but also the help he's given to so many here, myself included. Cheers!

OOnegative

Best of luck Sunday J, hope it goes to plan for you. Run well!!

Wubble Wubble

Thanks B, one of the best supporters on here! Well I certainly won't be anywhere near first place :pac:

D'Ireland Run - Week 18 of 18

In the last few days, not much of interest to anyone but me. I didn't make it to Santry.

Thu 11/4 - 5.64 miles@9:06/mi

Few laps of Porterstown, as well as a Carpenterstown loop. It felt a lot easier on the grass.

Fri 12/4 - Rest

Collected my GIR t-shirt and number at lunchtime. Fortunately, I had seen a couple of comments on the race thread over yonder, about the tops being a bit on the snug side. Hence, the XL gives me a bit of breathing room, without feeling like a tent on me. I can't say I'd have had that with the "Large" ! Continental sizes again :rolleyes:

Sat 13/4 - 2.98 miles@9:22/mi

Five slow laps of Tír na nÓg, just to keep the legs turning over for tomorrow. In the later laps, I threw in a few strides (20-30s) just for the hell of it. Enjoyed that.

Anyway, here we are, at the end of the first block of training (or anything resembling same) that I've done in a year and a half. The GIR is of course Plan C. It looks like the weather's going to be horrendous in Connemara tomorrow, perhaps even worse than when I ran the HM in 2016! 2020 will be glorious

There were some very good weeks in the build up. I really enjoyed the West County hill runs in particular. Six cross country races in those 18 weeks, with one road race - a 10k PB at the K Club, which I aim to attack tomorrow. Four parkruns, none of which were above medium effort. It's breezy out there as I type, but the wind is always against you on the Acres regardless. If everything is still in good working order at the end of that section, I'll hopefully be able to push on strong and do the job well. For those of you running or supporting, I'll be wearing bib number 1819, although probably not wearing the usual MSB singlet, as all our crew are running for charity this time (light blue t-shirts). Hope to see some of you there. Post race report, musings, and future plans when I get to the other side. Thanks for reading. J.

ReeReeG

Wubble Wubble wrote:

Collected my GIR t-shirt and number at lunchtime. Fortunately, I had seen a couple of comments on the race thread over yonder, about the tops being a bit on the snug side. Hence, the XL gives me a bit of breathing room, without feeling like a tent on me. I can't say I'd have had that with the "Large" ! Continental sizes again

See, it's different again as a woman, the Small is still not actually small! So annoying

Will keep an eye out for you!

Swashbuckler

Best of luck J. Run well.

skyblue46

All the best tomorrow J. Have a good one.

scotindublin

Good luck tomorrow J; I should be out on the course somewhere.....thinking Furze/Ordanance Road junction to catch both loops.

Give it a good lash....hopefully not as windy as today.

Kellygirl

Best of luck tomorrow J.

Wubble Wubble

Sun 14/4 - Great Ireland Run, Phoenix Park

Finally, the end of this training block, and my second shot at the GIR. My first attempt was in 2017, when I sleepwalked my way to a disastrous 45:56 - probably my worst performance that year, albeit on a very different course to this one.

On a cold and ferociously windy morning, I arrived early enough to get a spot near Castleknock Gate, with plenty of time to take care of any outstanding issues, before meeting the gang for our pre-race photoshoot for the charity. Down at the start area, I was pottering around in "just" my club singlet (creature comforts had long since been jettisoned) and I got spotted by Feidhlim Kelly on the mic, who I think compared me to a polar bear :pac: Sure I've often said it here and elsewhere, I'm a winter runner Somewhere around here, I bumped into ReeReeG, and we had a nice chat before she went off to bag drop. Delighted to see her result on Strava afterwards I also bumped into aquinn and mister paul, fresh from taking part in the inaugural Kilcock parkrun yesterday

The front pen was reserved for National 10k entrants (in theory, anyone who entered via their club) so even though normally I would be in the second (35-45 min) wave, I entered this area. Singer and RedRunner were here too - nice to catch up with both. It was more than a little chaotic, with no obvious divisions within the National 10k. Hence, you had 55-60 min runners lining up more or less alongside the big guns. I lined up with Paddy, thinking his presence might help me keep the handbrake on heading to the first corner.

Kms 1-4

Right from the gun, I was gone ahead of Paddy, as we headed to the left hander at Castleknock roundabout onto Ordnance Survey Road. It didn't seem like I was going that fast, so I decided to just stay with it. I was passing quite a number of people early on, but as outlined earlier, I don't think too many of them were starting in the right area anyway. scotindublin was at the Furze/OS road junction, and gave me a shout. Right into the dip heading for Knockmaroon Gate, and then, much to my surprise, a 40 min pacer appeared on my shoulder, shortly before we turned into the Furry Glen at 2k. Oh.Sh£3t.

Down into the Furry Glen, I decided to just stride it out on the downhill, and see could I keep it steady up the hill on the way out. I managed this reasonably well, or so I thought. However, the wind was in our faces on the downhill heading for Chapelizod Gate, and a few passed me through here, including Paddy. We passed through the 4k mark at the back of St Mary's Hospital, and next would be the hardest climb of the race.

Kms 5 + 6

For the first time that I can ever remember, I was racing up the hill from the back of the hospital up the Acres Road. The first part is the steepest, and here it was all about keeping the legs turning over, then getting through the wide open middle section. Halfway along here, and I was trading places with three or four people, with Paddy 15-20m ahead. We took a little detour off the Acres Road near the top, before rejoining it and going through the Phoenix roundabout shortly before the 6k mark. At this stage I was thinking I'd got through the hardest climb of the race, but would I have enough to keep this going?

Kms 7 + 8

Around the triangle at the Hole In The Wall, and now we had the breeze behind us heading for Ashtown Gate. A clubmate had made the same mistake as me early on, but he suffered more as a result, as I passed him around the 7k mark. In general, I was passing and being passed, probably more a case of being passed. Even though the stretch from Ashtown Gate to the roundabout is downhill, the crosswind here was vicious. 8k just before the roundabout. Last push, or a desperate crawl home?

Last 2k

I picked off a few coming off the roundabout, but then choons passed me between the turn for Farmleigh and the Ordnance Survey, looking like he'd plenty left in the locker, but far too quick for me! Soon after this, I got passed by a girl from Donore who runs in a lot of the BHAA races - I couldn't stay with her either. Only 3/4 of a mile left though. Can't let it slip now! C was still supporting at the turn for home - fair play to him for sticking around in those conditions.

I knew the finish was very near the end of the Furze, and thought this might be to my advantage coming down the stretch. Paddy was further ahead now, although I was catching a few I'd been behind for a while. The long finish straight can feel like light years away if you're having a stinker. I was struggling to pick up the pace, even with only a couple of hundred to go. The clock was ticking down. I could see 41 turn to 42. F0ck. Don't drop the ball now! I dragged out a bit more for the last section, and found a bit of extra speed coming towards the line. I think I made up a few places too. Through the line, and I knew I'd got another PB. Hopefully I didn't scare too many spectators with the roar out of me afterwards :pac: before I slumped over the rails to catch my breath!

Time: 42:44 (42:38)
Position: 384/3246
Category: 40/87 M45

Our lady captain took first prize, and the ladies team was (we think) second overall.

Thoughts

Overall, I think I managed to dig in fairly well in the end, in desperately windy conditons which caught quite a few people out. On another day, that PB could very easily have slipped by. I think I've gained a bit of speed endurance that had been lacking before the commencement of what was the Conn HM plan (courtesy of John O'Regan). Hopefully, this will stand to me in future weeks and months. I did botch a few of the sessions, and missed some others altogether - but that's life, as they say, and especially us non-elites can't get too hung up on such matters. Before the start, I commented to several people that I'd be delighted with any PB, and that emotion remains the same.

Future

I'm now rapidly approaching my first tilt at the Inishbofin Half Marathon, on extremely undulating terrain in the West on May 18. In the meantime, I'm tilting towards the BHAA Bristol Myers Squibb race on May 1, maybe preceded by the road relays in two weeks time. After that, there's a plethora of options in the weeks and months leading up to DCM, such as the Irish Runner 10 Mile, the Kilcock 10, and the Race Series HM. I still haven't quite decided on the best ones yet. And of course, I ran the GIR today as a result of having to defer my Conn entry to 2020. Next year, I might just get away with it :pac: Thanks for reading. J.

tbukela

Well done, great read as always. It sounds like a really strong effort and an excellent time.

scotindublin

Great effort on a tough day J.....I think I can just about feel my hands again!

OOnegative

Good man J, great to see, any PB ran in the Phoenix Park is hard earned. Delighted for you.

Unthought Known

Cracking run J and an amazing time! Congrats.

Kellygirl

Very well done J on a manky day. Great job.

ReeReeG

Well done!! Nice report, I haven't a clue of the Phoenix Park so mine will have way less location references!

skyblue46

You dug in very well there J. Great running in the conditions. Congrats on yet another PB.

coogy

Well done J! Didn't envy you lot out there today but looks like you didn't let the elements faze you one bit.

Great reporting as per usual!!

Baby75

Well done J great running and report I will be looking forward to hearing how the insihboffin HM goes

Swashbuckler

Great stuff J. Super pb

Murph_D

Congrats, J. That sounds like a proper effort and congrats on the PB - even more impressive with the wind and the hills.

Singer

Great going, congrats on the PB! Your detailed description of the course was very accurate

ariana`

Another great race and report! Well done J. Delighted to see you going so well this year!

AuldManKing

Good man J - a super performance. Well done.

The Black Oil

Nice one! Distinct lack of Gaeilge in the report?

aquinn

Brilliant, congratulations on the PB. Were you not frozen in the singlet?

eyrie

Congratulations! Well done J, and well deserved PB. Sounds like you really toughed it out, always a good sense of satisfaction in that