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Annie get your Run wrote: »Lidl where? I won't recognise the place if I get back for a visit with all these changes to cycle paths, canals etc!
Lidl everywhere :pac:
From the northern side of the level crossing at Clonsilla, turn right and within 100 metres or so the Applegreen will be on your right. Just before this, there's a newish road towards Hartstown. The new Lidl is under construction on this corner - it will take the total number of Lidl stores in D15 to five. Sure we can't get enough of them out here
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Sat 26/9 - 4.94 miles @8:49/mi
I had an exam on Thursday, which I finished around lunchtime, but afterwards I was more concerned with filling my belly than going for a run.
This run was an earlyish start in very chilly temps of 2 deg C. Back to Porterstown, but this time an extended two laps of the Doyle Cup XC course - no speedwork to speak of. Parts of the course were very frosty anyway. I bumped into a couple of clubmates on my way out - nice to catch up, however briefly!
Sun 27/9 - 10.88 miles @8:31/mi
A route I conjured up in my head literally minutes before I went out. Inspired by Murph_D and denis b's visits to Dublin parks during DCM training, I did something similar, with a bit of a twist. Instead of just popping in and out of various parks, I did a lap of each.
Five in all, starting with the largest - Hartstown - and continuing with each lap being shorter. Rest of the sequence was Millennium (big queue for drive through McDonalds at 10:55 AM!), then Porterstown, onwards to Tír na nÓg, and finishing with little M50 Park (550m or so) before trundling home. Nice to mix it up a bit, on a beautiful morning for running.
Maybe this is the way I should approach things for the next while, instead of taking on sessions early in the morning, many of which I'd have struggled with even when I was fit. Just run and see where the feet take me
Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J. 0 -
No running in the rest of September. I had planned to head out on Tuesday morning, but between a late night after the Reds' glorious win over Arsenal, and babysitting with wifey in SIL's house from Tuesday AM, while she was giving birth to her second (all good, everyone healthy and happy), I didn't get home till Wednesday afternoon, and had no interest in going for a run afterwards.
Thu 1/10 - 3.95 miles @8:48/mi
Easy couple of laps around Porterstown. With the days rapidly getting shorter, I'm having to wait a lot longer before getting going on these laps. For the last two months or so, I've had the NBA to keep me entertained first thing, but all the evidence so far points to a 4-0 sweep for the Lakers. If Coach Spo can pull this one out of the bag (2-0 down as I type, with two of their three best players injured) it'll surely go down as one of the greatest coaching feats of all time.
Fri 2/10 - Rest
Sat 3/10 - 6.72 miles @8:10/mi
In the absence of a plan, and having decided to leave sessions to the side for now, I'm firmly in make it up as I go along territory. Earlyish start from the Papal Cross for me this time. A spin around the Acres triangle to start off. On the way back up from the hospital, I spotted a group of 15? on the road. It seems ReeReeG was in there somewhere, although I didn't see her as I passed. I decided to run the Simon 5 Mile course, which is basically the Jingle Bells course with the S bends uphill, down Military Hill, and up the Khyber added on. Feeling fairly comfortable on a medium effort stint, with the Donore posse making their way around the Magazine loop as I was pushing up the hill. Spotted a couple of Crusaders on my rounds too - the PP was full of runners today. Back at the car park, the Dublin Track Club were starting their session, with 52 year old Shane Healy leading out a sizeable group, most of whom were lads less than half his age. Some man.
Sun 4/10 - 6.44 miles @8:34/mi
With more family stuff on the agenda this morning, it was an early return to PP, for a clockwise lap commencing in semi darkness in the rain. Nice to spot Murph_D early in my stint, near Ashtown Gate, and again on the S-bends. It took a while for me to wake up, downhill on the North Road to start off. The fun started at the bottom of Wellington Road, when I headed left up the Military Hill, into the wind and rain. Bit of respite through the S bends, then more work up the Glen Road, then in and out of the Furry Glen before following the trails to Castleknock Gate. Although my pace was slower than yesterday, this felt a fair bit tougher. Still and all, glad I got out and did it Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J. 0 -
No running at all since.
Monday night (5th), I was just sitting on the couch, when I felt short sharp pain in my knee, just coming and going without warning. I'd no recollection of getting any of that feedback after the previous weekend's runs.
With no big events on the horizon, I decided to take a rest from it for the week. Not much of a slowdown on the eating and drinking fronts though. We had a badly needed night away at the weekend. Plenty of runners in St Anne's this morning, including some in Raheny Shamrocks attire - surprisingly I didn't spot anyone from here. Sorry to hear of Pat H's sudden passing - the man dedicated so much of his time to athletics, and the Raheny 5 in particular is an excellent legacy. Tributes I've read here and elsewhere are testament to the fine work he put in through the years.
As for me, back on the roads tomorrow. No point in looking too far ahead. Porterstown parkrun is five years old this Saturday, so for the first (and probably only) time, I intend to run a (not) parkrun to mark the occasion. It won't be the same without L's cakes - let alone the fact that nobody else will be around either - but needs must Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J. 0 -
Mon 12/10 - Rest
Tue 13/10 - 5.37 miles @8:23/mi
Delighted to be back in action. For this one, I headed over to Phoenix Park once there was sufficient light. I gave myself an easy start, heading down the Khyber first, instead of coming up it at the end, like I did a couple of Saturdays back.
Wed 14/10 - 5.18 miles @8:16/mi
Life stuff meant I had no chance to run before work, so at lunchtime I headed over to St Catherine's Park for a rare midweek afternoon outing. First loop was the long lap including the woodland trail that I normally run. Well, not quite. On reaching the Kildare side of the park, I found a wall sealing off the path running round the back of the Leixlip houses :eek: Gubbermint closing county borders? Not quite so interesting or controversial, apparently - as Browneyes informed me, all that's going on is pipelaying :pac: Either way, second time around I turned down past where the reservoir used to be instead.
A surprise bonus came my way earlier in the day. Lovely to talk to Applegirl in person for the first time, as our paths crossed while I was walking from the shops to the car. Is bean spreagúil í
Thu 15/10 - 4.43 miles @8:19/mi
Three different laps of Porterstown before work, getting smaller each time. I enjoyed this one - nice to get it done early.
Fri 16/10 - Rest
Sat 17/10 - Happy Birthday Porterstown parkrun
After what might be my last haircut for several months, I shuffled up to Porterstown for my first ever virtual parkrun. Warmup lap complete, I was getting my stretches done as our ED finished her run with one of our regulars. One of our former EDs appeared while we were chatting - probably as close as we'll get to an actual parkrun the rest of the year. Anyway, once I could see a bit of space ahead, off I went. Overegged the first lap a bit (6:34 for the first mile), but thankfully I recognised this at the time, and slowed down sufficiently to make laps 2 and 3 much more comfortable. I had to dodge and weave quite a bit. With soccer and GAA underage training taking place, as well as an abundance of walkers and dogs, in addition to a few other runners, twas packed. Not to worry.
21:48 is a lot better than I was expecting this morning, not that I gave times a lot of thought. All that said, at the time of writing, I have the fastest (not) parkrun time for Porterstown this week :pac: 5 years of our parkrun merited an aul lemon slice when I got home. Not the same as L's cakes, but this year it did the job
Sun 18/10 - 7.87 miles @8:25/mi
Back to Phoenix Park to finish off the week. We parked at the Papal Cross, and my wife went for a walk while I headed away on an anticlockwise lap. I don't think I've seen the Park so busy, with walkers, runners, cyclists (including Catherina McKiernan!) and dogs everywhere. Fantastic to see loads of Great Pink Run tops as I meandered around. I was delighted for aquinn yesterday, as she successfully completed the 10k in the aforementioned event. Another inspiring lady. Great day for her and P, and also nice to see that a few from here were present to help them through it. I passed annapr (one of the "cheer squad") just before the end of my stint - very surprised I didn't encounter anyone else from these parts, given that half the population of Dublin seemed to be there. Probably similar activity next week - although I might throw in a virtual HM at something faster than shuffle pace, if the other runs go well. Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J.0 -
Mon 19/10 - Rest
Tue 20/10 - 5.03 miles @8:21/mi
Started this one in darkness, on the Carpenterstown loop for the first time in months. Having completed two of those, there was sufficient daylight to spin off to Porterstown for a lap, before heading home.
Wed 21/10 - 4.07 miles @8:21/mi
Three anticlockwise laps of Porterstown, i.e. the opposite direction to the parkrun. Nothing else novel or interesting here that I can remember.
Thu 22/10 - 4.49 miles @8:35/mi
Easy paced XC laps in Porterstown.
Fri 23/10 - Rest
Sat 24/10 - 4.89 miles @8:14/mi
One of my regular suburban loops. You know you're back in lockdown when the queue for the local Tesco is gone around the corner again.
Sun 25/10 - 5.73 miles @8:13/mi
Back to Porterstown once more, for four different laps of reducing length. Really busy here today, and nice to see some faces I haven't encountered in quite a while. For the day that was in it, I wore my DCM 2016 finisher top. All the while running through memories of that one, and also DCM 2017, when I had the honour of being Novices mentor. A lot of those graduates have gone on to much bigger and better things since - delighted that so many are still active and running well
Great to see all the fantastic virtual marathon running reports here and elsewhere. Quite a number of virtual HMs too. Prize for extreme dedication among those I know, goes to one of the Porterstown Panthers, who ran the entire marathon distance in Porterstown Park :eek:
Mon 26/10 - Garda AC Virtual Half Marathon, Phoenix Park
I only registered for this on Saturday. With very few LRs of late, just finishing would be the main aim - certainly I didn't have any kind of time target. Not so many runners about today - I'm guessing most ran their virtual (half) marathons on Saturday or Sunday. This time it was jammed with walkers in particular.
For my warmup, I took in a flattish loop of sorts, 2.91 miles according to Strava. Two main cons though. One - I'd have to run that entire loop four times, and an extra bit either at the start or at the end. Two - around the Hole In The Wall was probably busier than anywhere else in the park. Instead, I decided to run the course that was used in the Laura Lynn HM in 2014 - which I didn't run, and at this stage I can't remember if I even entered it.
1-4
Starting at the junction of Chesterfield Avenue and Furze Road, feeling comfortable heading downhill, despite a horrendous night of very little sleep. Turning left onto Lord's Walk, and right to bring me out to the far side of the zoo, onto the long North Road drag. That said, I seemed to be settling back to a more realistically sustainable pace as a result. Straight through Castleknock roundabout, passing the Ordnance Survey just before I'd covered four miles. (7:18, 7:39, 7:58, 8:07)
5-8
Up to Knockmaroon Gate, and finally out of the wind, but on the flip side, the route took me in and out of the Furry Glen. Downhill towards the Cheshire Home, and the real fun began uphill on the Acres Road for the first time. Eventually I cleared this, but the Chesterfield Avenue (northbound) wind tunnel didn't bring a massive amount of respite. Left again onto the OS Road as part of the shorter second loop, completing eight miles just after OSI (8:01, 8:07, 8:23, 8:06)
9-12
In and out of the Furry Glen for the second time, and it's really beginning to bite. I take a breather on the downhill towards Chapelizod, but the second time up Acres Road the screws are seriously turning. I'm trying to keep myself going on Acres by telling myself there's less than a parkrun to go. However, in parkrun I'm not dodging around walkers and dogs every two seconds, and it's seldom I'd have to go to the grass. Back onto Chesterfield for the final time, and I'm on the grass as much as I'm on the path. Much the same back on OS Road, as I'm anxiously watching the distance tick toward 12 miles. I thought I'd have the HM distance covered somewhere along Furze Road - it seems I would have to finish it somewhere on Chesterfield (8:13, 8:24, 8:32, 8:36)
By now it looks like I'm set for a finish somewhere in the 1:47s (PB 1:34, Ratoath 2019). Not bad with so little training, and on a fairly sh1tty course in a brutal wind. However, I finally listened to my body, in the sense that I eventually caved in and took a call of nature - that particular issue was by now almost as uncomfortable as the pain in my legs. Cross the road to find somewhere away from prying eyes. But by the time I got back to where I was and tried to go through the gears again, I was feeling really woozy - shades of DCM 2017 there. For a brief moment, I thought I might even walk the rest. Younganne walked/ran this event at the weekend, but she had a lot more invested in it than me. With less than 50 metres covered after resuming, I pulled the plug.
Annoying to say the least, but I'll live with that - I didn't consider it worth the risk, even with a little over a mile remaining. I had been thinking about giving the MSB singlet its first airing in many months - good job I didn't. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to have been anything a warm bath couldn't cure, although I might give the running a break for a few days, just to be on the safe side. Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J.0 -
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Mon 2/11 - Rest
Tue 3/11 - 4.78 miles @8:49/mi
Starting off in the dark (9:10 for the first mile), getting into a more regular rhythm in the second half with the sun out.
Wed 4/11 - 4.29 miles @8:33/mi
Carpo loop, before spinning into Porterstown for an easyish couple of reverse parkrun laps.
Thu 5/11 - 4.51 miles @8:37/mi
I hadn't planned this to be a night run, but between meetings and laziness I ended up leaving it a lot later than intended. This time I got the Porterstown bridge out of the way in the first mile, with the long downhill from Power City to Blanchardstown Main Street to keep me nice and relaxed. Over the Coolmine level crossing on the way back - for a change I wasn't stopped at the barriers.
Fri 6/11 - 4.04 miles @8:05/mi
Morning running again, this time for three old style parkrun laps. I could feel a real bounce in the stride this morning, for the first time in a while. There was even a 7:40 mile in there - not to worry, I just did what felt good, and the short turnaround (13 hours or so) didn't seem to affect me.
Sat 7/11 - 6.46 miles @8:03/mi
Sad news on Friday night, as I heard that my mother's dog had gone to Rainbow Bridge. Bit emotional as my wife dropped me to Castleknock Gate this morning. I decided to run a couple of OS Road - Furze Road - Chesterfield Avenue triangles, in preparation for the club's virtual relay, where I will be running a 2 mile leg (solo of course). Nice to see some familiar faces out and about (a more regular than usual occurrence this week in general) including a clubmate running 400s on the Furze. I hadn't run up White's Road or home via Castleknock College in quite a while, so there was a bit of slippage in the splits through there, but not to worry. Seeing Jason Sherlock up ahead as I turned at Carpenterstown gave me a fun opportunity for a bit of stat padding, with a 7:27/mi split for the last 0.46 miles, as I left Jayo marooned in my wash :pac:
Sun 8/11 - 11.04 miles @8:23/mi
Earlier this morning, I was questioning the wisdom of trying a long run, after a night which involved "several" liquid refreshments during (and after!) the Dubs double header. That said, once I got going I felt ok, so I decided to give it a shot.
This run was the reverse of a run I did in late September (27/9) - laps of five parks, all well within a 5k radius from home. First to little M50 Park, then back up to Tír na nÓg. Quick run across the road before an oncoming car reached the lights (AMK, as he later informed me) and down to the hotel before cutting up to Porterstown Park. Passed a clubmate on a session, then over Porterstown bridge and up to Millennium Park. Leaves falling all around me in the forest section here, to give a real autumn feel. Finally, over to Hartstown for a lap of just over 2 miles, the longest of today's laps. I got stopped for a long time at the lights after I exited the park, and hence I couldn't get into the same kind of rhythm on the way home. Still and all, 6 days running this week, and 35 miles covered, is the best I've managed since April I think.
Next week, the plan is to hopefully start bringing one or two sessions back into it, while keeping this mini running streak going. Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J.0 -
Mon 9/11 - 3.98 miles @8:39/mi
Not the prettiest of runs, with late nights and early mornings catching up with me big style. Plus point: run done before work
Tue 10/11 - 4.09 miles @8:19/mi
Back to Porterstown, for anticlockwise laps this time. Busier than I thought it would be at lunchtime.
Wed 11/11 - 5.22 miles @8:52/mi
Originally, I was considering a session on the grass track in Porterstown. However, wifey suggested getting a lunchtime bite to eat, so that plan went by the wayside. I'd have been slipping and sliding all over the place, so maybe not a bad alternative Nearly didn't go out later on, but eventually dragged myself out after work for three Carpenterstown loops. I nearly skidded into the wall at the entrance to Riverwood; a combination of wet grass and leaves meant I was briefly aquaplaning, but I got my hands up in time.
Thu 12/11 - Rest
Not what was intended, just one of those days when life got in the way.
Fri 13/11 - 4.83 miles @8:20/mi
One of my standard loops (Laurel Lodge - Roselawn - Coolmine) but for a change I did it at lunchtime. Bit of schools traffic early on, but other than that nothing to really bother me.
Sat 14/11 - 3.34 miles @6:35/mi
The captain put a session up on the WhatsApp, so for better or worse I decided I'd try my first interval session since September. After a warmup during which I spent nearly as much time chatting to various people I met along the way as actually running (2.66 miles @9:33/mi) I was readyish to go.
This one was a tricky enough 5 x 1k (3 mins) in Porterstown Park. The park was very busy with walkers, dogs and other runners as well as soccer, GAA and MSB training. Starting near the parkrun start, down to the first corner in 40 seconds or so, right through the trees and reaching the bottom of the park around 2 minutes. Another minute or so to get around the back of the GAA pitches, then a 300 metre plus drag back up to the start. 4:23 for the first one - I remember thinking getting that time took a lot out of me? Go again, another 4:23. Nearly stopped altogether by a loose dog on the downhill part of the third rep, 4:29 the time for that one. Back to 4:23 in the 4th, in spite of Jasper running across me on my way up the hill. I tried to get a big finish in for the last, but all the dodging around and having to run on the grass wasn't really helping me, with a 4:24 being the outcome.
Surprise surprise, the loop I ran was a good bit over 1k. Strava helpfully had a 1k segment - my times for this were 4:08/4:08/4:17/4:10/4:09. Happy to get a tough workout done - to be honest the times weren't all that important, but at least the consistency was there. Good support from clubmates as I made my way around - a few there who I hadn't actually spoken to in quite a while, so nice to catch up.
Sun 15/11 - 6.84 miles @8:23/mi
I had to get this one done early, so I threw the car near Castleknock Gate before the masses arrived. Running clockwise meant that I had the long North Road section downhill and with the wind behind me. Easy enough really, until I got to the bottom of Wellington Road and started up Military Hill, struggling into the wind and rain. Bit of respite on the S bends, then the second hill from Chapelizod Gate before a turn downhill into the Furry Glen. Great to see plenty of clubmates as I reached the top of the hill from the pond up to Knockmaroon Gate - it gave me a boost for the last stint past the Ordnance Survey (more shouts from clubmates here) and back up to Castleknock Gate. I got a bit of a laugh from the mile splits - big difference between 1-4 and 5 (S bends/Upper Glen Road) and 6 (Furry Glen/OS Road). 31.5 miles for the week, spread over 6 days running.
Next week I'm planning to run a virtual 2 mile relay leg. Hopefully, I'll make a better job of it than the 10 minute TT in July. Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J.0 -
Mon 16/11 - Rest
This log is four years on the go today. You'd miss the aul race reports :pac:
Tue 17/11 - Virtual club relay, Phoenix Park
I had a day off work today, so I headed to the Park at lunchtime. 1.78 mile warmup, few stretches and I was ready to go, so I thought. Starting at the set of Furze Road poles nearer the Furry Glen, I bombed towards Chesterfield Avenue with a strong wind behind me. Left onto Chesterfield Avenue towards Castleknock, and I knew that was a major error, averaging 6:20/mi for that half mile stretch. No way I was going to make that pace stick. I got about halfway to the roundabout before deciding to pull the plug. Annoying, but not totally surprising. On a positive note, I managed to get the activity off Strava before even the most eagle eyed among you noticed I'd done anything
Wed 18/11 - Intervals, Porterstown Park
Having abandoned that bit of speedwork, I decided to try the club session over lunch break. Chats with fellow parkrunners left me feeling very conscious of time, so the warmup was fairly quick, with stretching and strides not really part of the equation this time.
The session was 3 x (4 x (400 on/200 off)) with one lap jog recovery, or 3 minutes, between sets. On the slippy grass track, I did my best to make it work. 1:48/1:48/1:52/1:48 for the opening set. Far from spectacular, but reasonable? Unfortunately, about 250 metres into the second set, I felt my hamstring tightening up, so I decided to call it a day. No point in risking further damage.
Thu 19/11 - 3.84 miles @9:01
Back to Porterstown, this time in the morning sun. No attempt at speed today - quite the opposite, with the hamstring and all the other spare parts playing ball for once.
Fri 20/11 - Rest
Sat 21/11 - Virtual club relay, Phoenix Park - Take 2
Back for another crack, maybe not the wisest thing to do after last night's "Pandemic Poker", but I thought it would be easier to do it today than Sunday. Wet and windy this morning, and after a chat with the Porterstown Panthers founder, I toddled off for a warmup. On Ordnance Survey Road, I was approaching a guy wearing one of those GT5K tops. I don't know what I did to spook the lad, but he stuck both arms out wide as I was passing him. It's frightening to see the effects that nine months of constant Covid coverage has had on some people.
Quick hellos to some clubmates who'd just finished their downhill relay legs :pac: and back to the poles again, for a rematch with the 2 mile distance. Wind behind me running down the Furze. This time I was conscious of the need to hold back through here. Plus I've never raced 2 miles before. It's a distance regularly used by the BHAA for women only XC races, but never for the men. How to judge it? 3:25 for the half mile or so stretch down to Chesterfield, feeling more controlled than on Tuesday. Crosswind hit me hard as I turned into Chesterfield, slightly uphill too, but not too crowded thankfully. 2:55 for this section. Into the wind and rain on Ordnance Survey. Halfway in 6:50, around the White's Road junction. Starting to really feel it now. I tried to run on the road where possible - paths were crowded enough. One more turn and then we're homeward bound. 3:48 for this segment as per Strava. Wind and rain at my back after the sharp lefthander back onto Furze Road, but the hoped for power finish didn't materialise - only slightly quicker than the first time along here. Through the second set of poles, past the picnic tables and that's it. Phew! 13:45, with the second mile five seconds slower than the first. Back when I was fit and competitive, I reckon I'd have beaten that time by well over a minute. However, this is where I am now in terms of fitness and form, and it'll take a while regardless to get back to anywhere near that kind of level.
Sun 22/11 - 7.78 miles @8:44/mi
Following a late night celebrating Dublin's 10th Leinster football championship in a row, I wasn't sure how much stamina I'd have for a run this morning. We parked near the Papal Cross, and wifey went for a walk, while I got rid of the dirty petrol. Spotted Skyblue and Laineyfrecks (I think) away over yonder but out of earshot. Over to the Hole In The Wall to start the lap itself. Very busy around there - their popup café is making a mint. On the trails now, really sticky in parts - that's my excuse for the first two miles up to Castleknock Gate. Firmer ground towards Knockmaroon Gate, and then in and out of the Furry Glen before the downhill to Chapelizod. Nice to see AMK as we passed each other at the Cheshire Home. Tough going up through the S bends. I got a shout from a cyclist around here. To be honest, I didn't quite spot her - could as easily have been a work colleague as somebody from these parts ? I'm so long out of the loop(s) I'm having trouble remembering what some of these people look like.
Anyway. Nice bit of respite down Military Hill. Very annoyed to hear a cyclist roaring "GET OFF THE ROAD!" at a young lad walking alongside an old woman in a wheelchair (his granny maybe?) Up the hill from Islandbridge Gate to the Wellington monument, and from there it's a drag back up North Road past Cabra Gate and left at the grass triangle back to base. Happy with this morning's work.
I can't let this one pass without mentioning the Bloody Sunday centenary commemoration. I thought it was superbly done - a fine tribute to the 14 lives lost on that fateful day at Croke Park. If you haven't done so already, I recommend reading "The Bloodied Field" by Michael Foley, and listening to the associated series of podcasts. Healy has also referenced these on his log. Foley doesn't just talk about the day's events - there's background information on the main players on both sides of the War Of Independence, and it also details the aftermath. In a way the ceremony worked better with the house lights off , as each of the flames was lit with perfect timing along with Brendan Gleeson's oration. Cuimhnímis orthu uilig. Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J.0 -
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No entry last week, because I was injured (toe) and basically didn't feel like I'd anything to contribute. That said, last weekend I'd a bit of a debate on FB with OOnegative about Maradona, his greatness, and his (lack of!) morals
Back to running. I used a day off work productively, by (among other things) finally investing in a new pair of runners. First step in getting the love back.
Thu 10/12 - 4.06 miles @8:00/mi
Just a few laps of Porterstown, but more importantly, the first airing for the new shoes. Delighted with the support in them, and the pace I ran at seemed much more manageable than in the battered old pairs.
Fri 11/12 - Rest
Sat 12/12 - 4.96 miles @7:36/mi
I'd been waiting for this day for quite a while. For the first time in over nine months, I ran with people, as I shuffled up to Porterstown for the club session. Delighted to be back in the fold ! Great welcome back from the gang. Ciara was also back with us, after several years absence - another speedy lady in the ranks.
With the Doyle Cup taking place next week, the captain decided to give us a bit of a taster of what to expect. Hence, today's session was 3 x Doyle Cup laps (a little over 1.45 miles) with 400m jog recoveries (i.e. a lap of the grass track).
I kept it steady enough, without going mad and making the second and third reps feel like the seventh circle of hell. It worked out nicely, so much so that I got down to sub-6 on the last downhill :pac: Give the fans what they want and all that
In a way it was just as well that I had a longer interval session to get me back on board with the club. I'd originally planned to go to Santry on Wednesday night (9th) but life got in the way. That was 2 x (4 x 300 on/100 off), then 4 x (400 on/200 off) :eek: Anyhow, delighted to be back in the fold - another little bit of normality returning.
Sun 13/12 - 7.58 miles @8:22/mi
Over to Phoenix Park, for a lap starting from the Papal Cross. With the legs feeling very tired and heavy after yesterday's session (and a few beers last night) this turned out tougher than expected. On a fairly windy day I went down the North Road to begin. Breeze against me here, then around to the Military Hill. Toughest was mile 5, which started with the climb up from Chapelizod Gate, and finished with the climb out of the Furry Glen to Knockmaroon Gate. Still at least I got it done between the showers.
Next up, the Doyle Cup XC handicap in Porterstown. 6 miles around four fields. I finished third in this one two years ago, but I'm not sure that's going to be realistic this time, especially if next Saturday night turns out to be a late one due to 6 in a row celebrations ! Thanks for reading. Fan Slán. J.0 -
Mon 14/12 - Rest
Invested in a new pair of XC runners - not as flashy as the old "MSB runners", but hopefully they'll do the job anyway.
Tue 15/12 - 4.04 miles @7:58/mi
One of the Clonsilla loops, taking in the latest addition to the family of Lidl stores in D15. Can't get enough of our discount supermarkets out here
Wed 16/12 - 4.38 miles @8:19/mi
I didn't start this one till after 2 PM for some reason (meetings?) - a wet and windy run on the Porterstown paths, with darkness already not far off.
Thu 17/12 - "5.07 miles @8:20/mi"
Weird start to this. Apparently Strava had a bit of a "moment" seconds after I set off. I remember running along the outside of Tír na nÓg, checking my pace to see 4:45 :eek: yet it felt really easy
Must have accidentally changed it to kms, I'm thinking. Hence the 6:56 for Mile 1 on Strava is way off - the other miles were mostly in the 8:40s.
Fri 18/12 - Rest
Sat 19/12 - 3.12 miles @8:04/mi
Yo Ho Ho, It's Six In A Row
The old runners made a comeback this morning, for a trail run with a difficult enough climb at the end of it. Getting that run in the bag meant I felt less guilty about the amount I ate and drank later on, during, before and after the Dubs' glorious triumph over Mayo. It felt so strange though, due to, for example, (1) not being there, and (2) watching an All Ireland final being played in an empty Croke Park, with Christmas coming next week. Can they make it a "Magnificent Seven" in 2021 ? Here's hoping! Not forgetting Liverpool winning 7-0 in the early PL kickoff, to cement their top of the table position. I might add that I hadn't started drinking *that* early :pac:
Sun 20/12 - MSB Doyle Cup XC Handicap (6 Miles) - DNS
On Tuesday, we were offered a cancellation for a stay in a hotel down the country. With more and more restrictions set to be enforced earlier than anticipated (IMO, at the time of writing) taking up that offer turned out to be a good move. On the other hand, I had to reluctantly knock the race on the head. Too much risk involved in being "probably" over the limit driving back at such an early hour - had I tried it, knowing my luck I would have been stopped. Anyway, I would have needed a lot more than two minutes of a head start on the winner - our club secretary, a regular National Masters XC participant, who crossed the finish line with nobody else to be seen in the home straight.
Mon 21/12 - 4.00 miles @8:17/mi
More drinks last night, with Sunday's four in a row for the Dublin ladies footballers, as well as Celtic winning the quadruple treble (on penalties!) adding to my general good humour. On the shortest day of the year, it all left me feeling quite tired on the old Porterstown parkrun route, which was populated by quite a few dog walkers during my stint. Glad I wasn't trying any speedwork, that's for sure. On arriving back at base, I checked Strava to see 3.99 miles on the display. I seem to have picked up some running OCD from AMK over the years, as I ran up and down the path until I saw 4 appearing :pac:
Well that's more or less it for 2020 I think. Like pretty much all of us I'd say, my running year can be split into before and after Covid restrictions being imposed. Luckily enough, I raced early and often in 2020, totting up eight race efforts over nine weekends (the ninth saw me run a Leap Year Day parkrun).
Highlights were breaking my 5 mile PB twice in the space of eight days, the second of which was a sub-33 in the Raheny 5, on a glorious sunny Sunday afternoon. February was all XC, starting with a course PB in the BHAA Garda XC in the Phoenix Park. I doubled my number of National Masters XC appearances the following Saturday, on the testing and extremely hilly Avondale course, while Storm Ciara raged around us. The Carlingford HM, on March 7, brought a better than expected outcome of 1:35, my second fastest HM time. At that stage, I'd set my heart on a sub-90 tilt at Ratoath in September.
Little did we know then how long we'd be in this void. Major kudos to everyone here who managed to set blistering times (some at unbelievable hours too!) without anyone to push them along. Try as I may, I just don't have the same grá or sense of HTFU when it comes to virtual racing. Even the Boards 5k TT in April was a bust, although starting at 6:40 AM is something I might revise if we're doing it again.
Christmas Day is going to feel strange without Waterstown parkrun, as I ran that one four years in a row from 2016-2019 inclusive, with numerous other past/present/active/inactive Boardsies - always a great occasion for festive cheer.
Hard to say with any certainty what 2021 will bring running wise. Can't see the aforementioned new XC runners getting an airing until closer to 2022, unfortunately. I haven't done anything with my Conn entry, but surely it's only a matter of time before that one gets cancelled or postponed. I'll keep the training going - being back running with people again will help with the motivation.
I really miss the races and parkruns. Getting those back on stream would help with the log too - to be honest, keeping this updated felt like a chore a lot of the last nine months, occasionally with basketball musings and Corona rants dominating at the expense of any training or racing related news. Sure I didn't even get a nomination for LOTY this time. 2021 can only be better
Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise oraibh uilig. Fan Slán. J.0 -
Rounding up the last of the leftovers....
Tue 22/12 - 6.04 miles @8:30/mi
Routine enough lunchtime spin down to PP via Castleknock College and White's Road, home via Castleknock village and Laurel Lodge.
Wed 23/12 - 4.38 miles @8:27/mi
Another Porterstown lunchtime run in the wind and rain. Very few people around. Only passed three runners in my 37 minute stint, including a clubmate.
Christmas Eve - 7.65 miles @8:29/mi
Chilly on the hands as I started in darkness, but thankfully the sun came out as I progressed along my park laps route. This time it was four parks, starting with the smallest (M50 Park) and Millennium Park being the last and largest one.
Christmas Day - Rest
As above, no Waterstown parkrun for the first time in five years. As it turned out, I didn't get a chance to run at all.
St Stephen's Day - 3.50 miles @8:34/mi
We overnighted with family in Wicklow, which gave me the opportunity to try a new route. Having put away a not insubstantial amount of food and alcohol the night before, it turned out to be even harder than anticipated. The house is near the top of a hill, so down a steep hill to begin, then left along a very flat stretch by Wicklow standards. The end of that side of the triangle was around 1.7 miles in. Of course, I knew the real fun was yet to come. The next part was brutal. A climb of just over 0.4 of a mile, climbing 176 feet and with an overall gradient of 8%. Nice views from the top, mind ! Decent breather on the long downhill on the other side, but I knew I had a long drag back up, so I didn't go mad. The last part (130 feet in 0.7 miles) was longer but less severe. That said, I was puffin and pantin when I eventually reached the top. A nice way to work off Christmas indulgence. So quiet too. I saw one dog walker, one car, and a tractor in my half hour spin. Hopefully it won't be long before I can run this triangle again.
Sun 27/12 - 5.21 miles @8:45/mi
Back home, and too much of a lazy lump to make it an early start. It meant that a post 11 AM run in St Catherine's Park was on a route packed with famblies and dog walkers. It's amazing how even two people can block up an entire pathway. Hence I had to make a number of detours onto the grass, saturated in parts after a very wet night. I'd planned to run for longer, but near the end of the middle loop I said "f0ck th!s", and turned down past where the reservoir used to be instead.
Mon 28/12 - 10.00 miles @8:20/mi
Getting into double figures would finally get me through the 1000 mile barrier for 2020. I felt in decent enough shape on the outer lap, then concocted a route that would get me to the ten. Having more room to manouevre than yesterday was an advantage. Lots of runners getting their early Bank Holiday miles, including some speedy ladies from the Cru and MSB. Just relieved when I got back to the start/finish point, as for a period I wasn't sure I'd even get 1000 ! Treated myself to a nice warm bath when I got home
Tue 29/12 - Rest
Wed 30/12 - No running
I vaguely had it in mind to try a virtual GOAL Mile. I even had a route picked out - just under three laps of M50 Park. However, when push came to shove, I ended up just pigging out and watching the darts.
New Year's Eve - 4.85 miles @8:30/mi
Dark, wet day, with even a few snow flurries, as I was stretching before setting off from beside the Papal Cross. I didn't do the full lap this time, just keeping to the western half. 1005 miles for the year.
A very Happy New Year to you all. May 2021 bring happier days - and have us back racing again! Thanks for reading. J.0 -
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Wubble Wubble wrote: »Rounding up the last of the leftovers....
Tue 22/12 - 6.04 miles @8:30/mi
Routine enough lunchtime spin down to PP via Castleknock College and White's Road, home via Castleknock village and Laurel Lodge.
Wed 23/12 - 4.38 miles @8:27/mi
Another Porterstown lunchtime run in the wind and rain. Very few people around. Only passed three runners in my 37 minute stint, including a clubmate.
Christmas Eve - 7.65 miles @8:29/mi
Chilly on the hands as I started in darkness, but thankfully the sun came out as I progressed along my park laps route. This time it was four parks, starting with the smallest (M50 Park) and Millennium Park being the last and largest one.
Christmas Day - Rest
As above, no Waterstown parkrun for the first time in five years. As it turned out, I didn't get a chance to run at all.
St Stephen's Day - 3.50 miles @8:34/mi
We overnighted with family in Wicklow, which gave me the opportunity to try a new route. Having put away a not insubstantial amount of food and alcohol the night before, it turned out to be even harder than anticipated. The house is near the top of a hill, so down a steep hill to begin, then left along a very flat stretch by Wicklow standards. The end of that side of the triangle was around 1.7 miles in. Of course, I knew the real fun was yet to come. The next part was brutal. A climb of just over 0.4 of a mile, climbing 176 feet and with an overall gradient of 8%. Nice views from the top, mind ! Decent breather on the long downhill on the other side, but I knew I had a long drag back up, so I didn't go mad. The last part (130 feet in 0.7 miles) was longer but less severe. That said, I was puffin and pantin when I eventually reached the top. A nice way to work off Christmas indulgence. So quiet too. I saw one dog walker, one car, and a tractor in my half hour spin. Hopefully it won't be long before I can run this triangle again.
Sun 27/12 - 5.21 miles @8:45/mi
Back home, and too much of a lazy lump to make it an early start. It meant that a post 11 AM run in St Catherine's Park was on a route packed with famblies and dog walkers. It's amazing how even two people can block up an entire pathway. Hence I had to make a number of detours onto the grass, saturated in parts after a very wet night. I'd planned to run for longer, but near the end of the middle loop I said "f0ck th!s", and turned down past where the reservoir used to be instead.
Mon 28/12 - 10.00 miles @8:20/mi
Getting into double figures would finally get me through the 1000 mile barrier for 2020. I felt in decent enough shape on the outer lap, then concocted a route that would get me to the ten. Having more room to manouevre than yesterday was an advantage. Lots of runners getting their early Bank Holiday miles, including some speedy ladies from the Cru and MSB. Just relieved when I got back to the start/finish point, as for a period I wasn't sure I'd even get 1000 ! Treated myself to a nice warm bath when I got home
Tue 29/12 - Rest
Wed 30/12 - No running
I vaguely had it in mind to try a virtual GOAL Mile. I even had a route picked out - just under three laps of M50 Park. However, when push came to shove, I ended up just pigging out and watching the darts.
New Year's Eve - 4.85 miles @8:30/mi
Dark, wet day, with even a few snow flurries, as I was stretching before setting off from beside the Papal Cross. I didn't do the full lap this time, just keeping to the western half. 1005 miles for the year.
A very Happy New Year to you all. May 2021 bring happier days - and have us back racing again! Thanks for reading. J.
Happy New Year to you J. Glad to see I wasn't the only one who suffered from over-indulging!
Been largely absent around these parts for most of the year and I have a lot to catch up on but hoping to make my visits/log entries a bit more frequent.
Hope 2021 is good to you and yours!0 -
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Happy New Year to you J. Glad to see I wasn't the only one who suffered from over-indulging!
Been largely absent around these parts for most of the year and I have a lot to catch up on but hoping to make my visits/log entries a bit more frequent.
Hope 2021 is good to you and yours!
Thanks K, same to you and yours! Lack of live racing hasn't slowed you down, that's for sure.scotindublin wrote: »Happy New Year J and always good to break through the 1000 mile mark. Sounds like a great Christmas you have had to yourself; plenty of over indulging in food and Brew Dogs aswell.....normal service will resume Monday.
Praying for a victory tomorrow and better 2021 all round; there is light at the end of the tunnel hopefully.
May even crank open the log again!
C
Thanks C, no luck on the above! Even under Tommy Burns we never lost to Rangers without them having a shot on target of their own :mad:
New Year's Day - 3.68 miles @8:37/mi
Into my 10th year as a runner. Hope D doesn't mind me stealing that one :pac:
I knew this would be tricky, when even walking across the car park to the grass I nearly went up in the air. Hence, I almost tiptoed over to the Hole In The Wall and down the North Road past Garda HQ and the zoo. Still had a couple of near misses. I saw a cyclist's bike slide out from under her outside the People's Park - conditions weren't just treacherous on the paths. I had intended a longer run than this, but instead of running up Khyber Road and going around the Furze - OS Road - Chesterfield triangle (as per original plan) I ran up the hill from the bottom of the Khyber which is part of the BHAA Garda XC route, and back to the car park from there. Lovely sunny morning this time, with PP only getting busier as I was heading home.
Sat 2/1 - 4.17 miles @8:41/mi
I would have gone out earlier, but for another day of frosty paths. As mentioned above, watching Celtic wave cheerio to 10 in a row had me in a foul mood heading out. Up to Porterstown where, although the frost had cleared from the paths, the place was plódaithe with famblies, walkers, and dogs. Hence after less than one lap I decided to shuffle around the grass track instead. Bit more space there, although one or two still insisted on coming into the infield.
Sun 3/1 - 4.14 miles @8:30/mi
The Porterstown Panthers have lots of little running related challenges to help them through the latest lockdown, and having seen one of the lads put his county colours up on Strava, I decided to follow suit. With it being nearly a year since I attended any GAA match, this was a good excuse to give the Dubs top an airing
Back to Porterstown, in the afternoon again, but this time doing three different loops, each one smaller than the previous. I stayed on the grass for the most part, as I reckoned the nice crunchy underfoot conditions would be more secure than the paths.
In other news, as mentioned on The Black Oil's log, I have deferred my Connemara HM entry to 2022. I just can't see it getting the go ahead in April, what with large numbers of overseas entrants, as well as buses transporting runners to the start and from the finish of the various races. Besides, this time next year I should hopefully be a lot fitter and healthier, with plenty of strong racing performances behind me, in order to help build the confidence in advance of starting the training plan. At this time, I don't have any of that. In the meantime, I'm running on my own again, after one day back in the MSB training pack. Hopefully it won't be too long before that changes. Thanks for reading. J.0 -
You’re always welcome to steal my material, J! Nice few runs there, hadn’t realised til reading today’s logs that the Big Shmoke is just as icy as the rural NW. Nice to have the ‘crunchy grass’ option (note taken to steal that one sometime). This mythical Connemarathon getting a good bit of airplay at the moment. Never really considered it myself - might think about the 39 mile version in a few years time if I’m still alive.
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Mon 11/1 - 4.87 miles @8:33/mi
Standard D15 loop via Laurel Lodge and Roselawn, over Dr Troy (Porterstown) Bridge on the way back.
Tue 12/1 - Rest
Wed 13/1 - 4.76 miles @8:30/mi
Same as Monday, until I went straight past the Roselawn shops instead of turning left up Delwood Road. Back through Woodview, and over the railway line at the level crossing this time.
Thu 14/1 - 7.53 miles @8:16/mi
I wasn't going to bother with this one hour January challenge jobbie, but after this I might reconsider. Over Dr Troy Bridge to Power City, right around the fish shaped loop that goes over the N3, past the National Sports Campus up to Ballycoolin, and back down the far side of Corduff and Blanchardstown SC. Not a busy route really, especially after I cleared the entrance to the "West End" shops. 1:02 on the clock overall
Fri 15/1 - Rest
Sat 16/1 - 4.12 miles @8:23/mi
My wife wanted to go for a walk in PP this sunny and dry but windy morning, so we went for a stroll around the Acres triangle together. I was well wrapped up against the elements - coat, scarf, beanie and all. So much so that when scotindublin passed on his warmup, he barely recognised me with all my layers on :pac:
Later I got out for my own run. I decided not to go back to PP this time, instead turning left at Castleknock College, left again at Myo's, and through Laurel Lodge back to base.
Sun 17/1 - 6.25 miles @8:12/mi
Back running in PP again. I parked the car at the Hole In The Wall, which led to a cold and windy start heading up North Road past Ashtown Gate. Shortly after this I passed C again. He had no problem picking me out in more familiar attire Plenty of runners out today - I passed several clubmates on my lap, as well as some others that I'd know. Always good when that happens, especially as I'm back to running solo until further notice.
St Brendan's AC Virtual 5k / Waterstown (not)parkrun
The real boss wanted to walk in Waterstown, so less than an hour and a half after completing my PP lap, I lined up at the Waterstown parkrun start, while she went for a stroll. I hadn't been there since the beginnings of lockdown, so it was nice to be back, even though it was a lot busier than during my early morning March/April stints.
Especially with over six miles in the bag already, there was no way I was going to attempt anything close to race pace. Having said that, the hills back up from the Liffey, as well as the "gentle incline", still required a bit of effort. Having seen Nop's run on Strava, it then occurred to me that diego_b of this parish had tagged me in relation to his club's virtual 5k, so I decided to use this for my entry. Like I say, the time (23:42) was pretty much irrelevant.
This was my first double in nearly five years. The last time was when I set my 5k PB at Porterstown parkrun, and then two hours later ran the IKA 5k, way back in May 2016. Before that, I vaguely recall doing a few doubles while training for DCM 2014. Not something I plan to do regularly, but today it was kind of nice to try it without any pressure. Just under 10 miles for the day, 31 for the week. Next week I'll go back to my "usual" five days a week, and maybe if it goes well I'll try a session on Saturday. Thanks for reading. J.0 -
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