The Road to Berlin: Maybe he'll learn this time.....

chrislad

This is my second go at a training log. Hopefully, it'll go a bit better!

Brief history - I started running about 2.5 years ago, and completed my first marathon in Dublin in 2015. For some reason, I did it again this year, and in the madness that followed that, I entered the lottery for Berlin, and managed to get in. I'm currently not doing an awful lot. I kept up the running after DCM for a month, but I felt like I needed a rest so I've taken the last week or so off, and will probably get back into it today.

2016 was a fairly good year for targets for me.

5k - target: sub 25 - July 2016 22:37
10k - No real target but hit 51 or 52 mins during a half so sub 50 is definitely there. My last 10k race was 58 mins, but that was over 2 years ago.
Half - target: sub 2 - September 1:56:57 Charleville
Marathon - target: sub 4:30 - October 4:27:22 Dublin

Overall, I'm happy but the marathon and half could have been better. The half, I went out for sub 2 but finished very comfortable with more left in the tank. Dublin was on track for 4:15 or thereabouts when I got horrible calf cramp so the last 6 miles dropped to an average of 10:25, where I had been doing 9:20 or so.

My main focus for December is just to train up to half marathon distances, and just stop fitness from dropping too much. I'm signing up for the Clare Race series which is a 5k, 5mile, 10k, and 10 mile Jan through to April. I'll probably do the Limerick Half Marathon and the Killarney Lakes one in May, and then focus on Berlin training. In terms of Berlin, it's an easier course than Dublin, so my A goal currently is sub 4. It may be optimistic, but if all goes well on the day, it's deinitely something I can push for, but I'd be happy with sub 4:15. I probably won't be able to do Charleville this year due to the timing of Berlin, which is disappointing as I loved it last year.

In terms of mileage, I had a near 20% increase on 2015. So far, I'm on 1152 miles, compared to about 950 last year. No real injuries, though I'm keeping an eye on my hip at the moment (which is why I'm doing a bit of a rest)

Hopefully I'll be posting sub 4 here in September! It will probably be my last marathon for a while as it's an awful lot of time, though I've said that before and after the last two....

tailgunner

Best of luck with the log. I'd say sub-4 in Berlin next year will be no bother to you going by your other PBs.

Kennyg71

Keep up the logging and the running and Berlin should go well, welcome
back to the logs.

jake1970

Best of luck with the log and hopefully you will have a very successful 2017.

FBOT01

Best of luck with the log and the training for Berlin. It's a great event and lovely place. Just stay away from the Oscar Wilde when you are there it's a kip!

Murph_D

An obvious question is, why so unambitious about the longer races? I think you should be aiming at 3:40 for Berlin, 1:45 for the half. Your 5k time suggests it's possible, so while you may fall a bit short, you should still have a go at training for a faster time. You have a couple of marathons under your belt, maybe it's time to up the stakes! Berlin was number 3 for me too - brilliant event.

All the best with it.

chrislad

Murph_D wrote: »

An obvious question is, why so unambitious about the longer races? I think you should be aiming at 3:40 for Berlin, 1:45 for the half. Your 5k time suggests it's possible, so while you may fall a bit short, you should still have a go at training for a faster time. You have a couple of marathons under your belt, maybe it's time to up the stakes! Berlin was number 3 for me too - brilliant event.

All the best with it.

That's the story of my life. I'm always on the cautious side of a goal. I'll probably revise those goals once I start up training properly again, and my body is back to full fitness, as all my post DMC runs in November averaged about 9:20 or so, and felt relatively easy, so seeing how Jan to June goes will decide the time I'm going to go for!

chrislad

First run in a week and a half. Just a small 4 miles - slower first half, slightly faster second - 9:54, 9:53, 9:28, 9:25 (say what you want about me, but I can keep a steady pace!)

Singer

Good to see you back logging! Enjoy the long journey to Berlin

Neady83

Best of luck with the log Chrislad, hopefully I'll catch you at the Clare run series. It's a really well organised and run series and there's usually a fun trail half and full marathon in the Burren that follows it up perfectly timing wise

chrislad

Neady83 wrote: »

Best of luck with the log Chrislad, hopefully I'll catch you at the Clare run series. It's a really well organised and run series and there's usually a fun trail half and full marathon in the Burren that follows it up perfectly timing wise

I don't think most people will have trouble catching me at those races

chrislad

Similar 4 miles again to Wednesday night: 9:44, 9:42, 9:24, 9:14

It's fairly warm out there, was reading at 12 degrees when I went out at half 4. We didn't get that in July!

chrislad

5 miles this morning - 9:54, 9:30, 9:27, 9:21, 9:13

I'm not really focusing on any plan at the moment - I think I'll do 4, 5, 5, 8 for the rest of December and then a half marathon plan from Jan to April.

I do need to start some strengthening exercises, particularly glutes. Are there any good recommendations available? I do have access to a machine in work that's good for squats and quads, not so much calves though.

chrislad

5.5 miles done early this morning @ 9:40 average.

chrislad

4.2 miles done early again @ 9:19 average.

Kennyg71

chrislad wrote: »

5 miles this morning - 9:54, 9:30, 9:27, 9:21, 9:13

I'm not really focusing on any plan at the moment - I think I'll do 4, 5, 5, 8 for the rest of December and then a half marathon plan from Jan to April.

I do need to start some strengthening exercises, particularly glutes. Are there any good recommendations available? I do have access to a machine in work that's good for squats and quads, not so much calves though.

Did lots of squats, lunges and squat jumps, also resistance band around
bottom of legs and doing 20 X 3 sets of side steps each side with leading leg doing
work is good.

chrislad

I had a fairly quiet two weeks. I just did a 5 mile, a 4 mile, and a park run on NYE. I just planned to take it easy after a few tough months!

All my goals for 2016 were hit, which was fantastic! Time to refocus on 2017 and get some races on the calendar. I'm going to focus on the Hal Higdon half marathon plan for the next couple of months, before getting set up for Berlin training.


From Strava:

https://2016.strava.com/en-us/share/6489999

Mrs Mc

Only seeing your log now Chris best of luck will look forward to following your progress

chrislad

Tuesday: 3 miles @ 9:38
Wednesday: 4 miles @ 9:54
Thursday: 3 miles @ 9:44

Going to do some strength in the gym tomorrow *shudder* and planning for another 3 and 5 on the weekend.

chrislad

Total Weekly Mileage of 18.8.


Saturday: 3 miles @ 9:37
Sunday: 5 miles @ 9:22

Similar enough week planned for this week.

Neady83

chrislad wrote: »

Going to do some strength in the gym tomorrow *shudder* and planning for another 3 and 5 on the weekend.

How did the strength work go?

chrislad

Neady83 wrote: »

How did the strength work go?

It was only 3 sets of 15 squats and 3 leg raises, nothing major. Same again tomorrow evening and hopefully Friday. Just easing into it.

chrislad

Mid week update!

3.5 @ 9:31

4 mile tempo (1 mile warm up, 3 miles tempo) - quite happy with this - managed fairly comformtable pace of 8:51, 8:34, and 8:26 for the 3 miles.

3.5 @ 9:40 - surprisingly fast considering the frost this morning. I felt I was going quite slow.

I can definitely feel the endurance coming back to the point when 3-5 mile runs are fairly effortless now.

3 and a 6 planned for the weekend.

chrislad

Weekend running according to plan!

3 miles on Saturday @ 9:24

6.1 today @ 9:30 average

Total mileage for the week of 20.3 miles.

chrislad

Iffy week this week due to a flu coming on midweek, and knocking the weekend out of it. Technically, on the plan I'm following, I was only supposed to do a 5k race, but had planned to do a 7 mile long run so I really only missed out 3 miles!

Tuesday: 4 miles @ 9:33

Wednesday: 5 miles @ 9:32

Thursday: 3 miles @ 9:32

(Again, I'm nothing if not consistent in my pace!)

Are there any decent half marathons in Munster around the end of March? I know Limerick is in April but I'm already pacing someone for that.

chrislad

A bit lax here last week due to a family event, and not in a good way so I only managed my midweek runs last week.

End up doing about 10 miles @ about 9:10

4 miles done on Tuesday @ about 9:45

6 miles done last night @ about 9:31

I'm thinking on doing the Rock and Road half marathon in Galway in March. Has anyone done it before?

chrislad

A good weekend of running. Did my longest run in a few months, probably since November, and it felt much more comfortable as I was still a bit knackered after DCM at that stage.

8 miles @ 9:31 on the Saturday.

A nice easy 4 miles @ 10:31 on Sunday, as I was pacing my sister who is aiming for the Limerick half in about 2:20.

chrislad

Midweek update. This is a step back week with only 4 days running this week so yay!

3 miles on Wednesday @ 9:19

5 miles on Thursday @ 9:20

Hips are a bit sore, I think I just need to get new shoes. 482 miles on these ones!

Annie get your Run

Have a look here for half marathons in March, it's in the events thread, maybe Mullingar or Kerry might suit you.

I did Kinvara Rock n Road last year, would highly recommend it.

chrislad

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Have a look here for half marathons in March, it's in the events thread, maybe Mullingar or Kerry might suit you.

I did Kinvara Rock n Road last year, would highly recommend it.

Thanks Annie. I'll probably do the 10k. I thought it was late March, when I'd be closer to half marathon fitness, and giving it a good lash, so I think the 10k will suit me better in early March, and I'll go for a PB in that one.

chrislad

Weekend was fine, got my two runs done.

3 miles @ 8:48
6 miles @ 9:05

Breaking in new shoes that were badly needed. Hip pain pretty much gone instantly.

Plan for this week is 5 miles today, and tomorrow. Wednesday, I'm in Rome so no run but plenty of walking. I'm hoping to do 6 miles in Rome on Thursday, as I've love to run around the city, and Friday as rest. Back in Ireland for 9 miles on Saturday and 4 on Sunday.