"It's what you do next that counts"

Wottle

Saturday
5.5 miles after the night shift, body tired, felt sluggish.
Swore I was running 10 minute miles but pace averaged 8:58.

Wottle

Sunday
7 miles on the treadmill with 3 at approx 10k pace, 1 mile recovery between each.
Enjoyed this but the room got a bit stuffy.

April has been really good to me, an unsatisfactory half marathon to snap me into life and a running streak of 21.
Time to start mapping out a few races to get me to Bristol half in good shape, so entered Sportsworld 5.

RacoonQueen

Don't come into logs much so didn't notice you'd started a new one. Good to see you logging and enjoying it again D.

Wottle

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Don't come into logs much so didn't notice you'd started a new one. Good to see you logging and enjoying it again D.

Thanks RQ, loving it and as corny as it sounds I'm taking the advice I give the kids I coach after they've had an unsatisfactory outcome...its what you do next that counts!
No more self wallowing for Dave :-)

Monday
5 miles easy up and around marlay 9:38 pace.

Wottle

Tuesday
5 miles
Ran up to, around and back from marlay park.
Mostly at easy pace.

Wednesday
Planned on getting out after work at 6:30pm, dump the car and go but my wife had dinner ready, so thought better of it. Felt bloated after, so jumped on the treadmill instead and felt great. This is 24 days of running in a row and today felt the best of the lot.
5 miles with 2x1 mile at approximate 5k pace
What struck me was how high my cadence stayed and how quickly my heart rate lowered after the first fast mile. It's possible that the HR strap is off but I gave it a good wash two days ago and it appears to be behaving. I know not to get too ahead of myself and am ready for the what goes up...

Wottle

Thursday
30 minutes on the treadmill, heart rate kept well down, cadence was good.

Friday
30 minutes around the grass of Marlay park, heart rate mostly in the low zone but a little sluggish.

Wottle

Saturday
8 miles, very windy.

First mile was a warmp up, legs were tired. Then it was into a 2 mile tempo effort 8:14 & 7:54 (majority of which was into a head wind), 2 mile easy and then a 1 mile tempo 7:43 (a bit quick and also into the wind). 1 mile easy and then 800m steady (this was slightly uphill and thrown in last minute), 800m cool down.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1717059583?share_unique_id=2

A bit tired now but happy to have it done, confidence is growing but weight loss is slow.

Wottle

Sunday
The plan was an easy 5 miles but when I came out of the park I decided to head for the hills, thinking I'd add a couple of extra miles but instead of going down Edmonstown I continued across Mount Venus and down towards Firhouse. The views along the route were amazing and it was such an enjoyable run but it wasn't really fitting the description of easy any more. In total I ended up running 10.25 miles, the Garmin says longer but it messed up the first mile so I just hit lap when I knew where the real mile marker was.
Weekly mileage totals 39.8 and I did think of running the extra 0.2 but my calves were starting to feel it and I've had issues with them in the past, the only bit of sense on this run.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1720560284?share_unique_id=4

I have one more week before I start the Hansons half program but this will mostly be easy and then a race on Sunday.

Mileage for last 4 weeks
29.5
30
32.4
39.8

RacoonQueen

What are you doing for weight loss? Anything specific?

Wottle

RacoonQueen wrote: »

What are you doing for weight loss? Anything specific?

Just running and trying to eat a bit more sensibly. The sweets are still a killer.
Gave up drink on 31/12/2015 and that was easy, trying to go a week without sweets is impossible.

RacoonQueen

Wottle wrote: »

Just running and trying to eat a bit more sensibly. The sweets are still a killer.
Gave up drink on 31/12/2015 and that was easy, trying to go a week without sweets is impossible.

Stop buying them. If they're not in the house you can't eat them.
Hard for you with the kids etc...but I just don't buy. I'd never go out to the shop primarily to buy junk food so works for me just to not have it there...but I'm a pig with normal food.

Wottle

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Stop buying them. If they're not in the house you can't eat them.
Hard for you with the kids etc...but I just don't buy. I'd never go out to the shop primarily to buy junk food so works for me just to not have it there...but I'm a pig with normal food.

My girls aren't even that into sweets, they all still have Easter eggs :-)

I'm coming up to 30 days of running, before that it was 30 days of getting up at 6am, so this is next in the 30 day project.

Wottle

Monday
Recovery run of 3.3 miles on the treadmill, legs were thankful, AHR 142 (71%)

Tuesday
Finished early in a school as the kids had some exhibition thing. So thought I'd get this run in asap, before the day slipped away.
Kind of easy pace but not, headed back up towards the hills to see if I could capture some of the views from last day, a bit too hazy and the gopro is the wrong camera for that.
6.1 miles at AHR 154 (77%)

Wottle

Wednesday
30 mins easy on the treadmill
AHR 73%

Thursday
30 mins recovery on the treadmill
AHR 70%

My streak is at 32 days now but is in survival mode, definitely feeling the effects of the weekends exuberance. Was supposed to do sth a little quicker yesterday or today but having read sth on the forum about consistency and not that one killer workout, I thought better of it.

Chivito550

Wottle wrote: »

Wednesday
30 mins easy on the treadmill
AHR 73%

Thursday
30 mins recovery on the treadmill
AHR 70%

My streak is at 32 days now but is in survival mode, definitely feeling the effects of the weekends exuberance. Was supposed to do sth a little quicker yesterday or today but having read sth on the forum about consistency and not that one killer workout, I thought better of it.

I never get this whole running streak lark and running for the sake of running. If you are in survival mode then take a day off, and then you'll be fresher for some good runs the following days.

RayCun

Consistency is great, but that doesn't mean going from not running to a massive running streak. It means (in your case) running 4/5 days a week every week for 6 months.

Wottle

You guys have solid points and could be right. For me though this is what I need right now.
Streak Survival may have been an overstatement, I was very tired last couple of days as I only finish a night shift at 8am before starting my own job in a school from 9 till 1:30 and then an after school from 2:30 and club training with kids. This is every wed, thur and Friday, but is only for 6 weeks.
Running last night actually helped, felt I had more energy after, heading into night shift.

RacoonQueen

Wottle wrote: »

You guys have solid points and could be right. For me though this is what I need right now.
Streak Survival may have been an overstatement, I was very tired last couple of days as I only finish a night shift at 8am before starting my own job in a school from 9 till 1:30 and then an after school from 2:30 and club training with kids. This is every wed, thur and Friday, but is only for 6 weeks.
Running last night actually helped, felt I had more energy after, heading into night shift.

Hang on. When do you sleep on these days? :eek:

Wottle

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Hang on. When do you sleep on these days? :eek:

lol, I'm allowed to sleep a bit on the night shifts but it's not the same and my boss isn't that demanding, she's super (just if you're talking to her :-)
The school work is my own business and it's very active and always busy around this time of year but it does ease up.

I probably do suffer from a bit of "all or nothing", could be another reason I don't want to end the streak.

Wottle

Friday
5 miles up to, around and back from marlay.
Finished the last 90 seconds-ish of miles 2,3,4,5 with a bit of a steady effort
AHR 75%
Was questioning my heart rate monitor again as the heart rate just seems lower than normal during runs but again the second I got home I put on the finger monitor and both readings were the same.

Saturday
2 miles around the Tuning fork loop, just let my legs go a little before tomorrow.
Pace 8'12


Have no idea what to expect tomorrow and I'm hoping I like the surprise :-)
McMillan gives me a 44 sth based on my Berlin half at the start of April but I know Ill be under that, reckon I can get under 40, by how much, I haven't a clue. I'm a little lacking in race practice, so its going to be fun!

Wottle

Terenure 5 miler

Bed early last night, slept like a baby, woke at 6:30 for a P and felt I'd slept for about 14 hours, back to bed and got up at 8:30, feeling like I just got another 10 hours :-)
I was feeling extremely positive.
Left the house at 10:30 and cycled a mile down the road before jogging another mile to the start, met a few school friends that I hadn't seen in some time. Placed myself right in front of the sub 40 pacer.

Mile 1
Chose not to look at Garmin and run the first mile by feel, 7:23 popped up. It was at this moment I decided on 37:30.

Mile 2
Still felt easy and I was moving from group to group, chasing my clubs meet & train gang. Then we made a left at KCR and this was the first time things felt tough. 7:30

Mile 3
Just trying to stay in the groove. 7:37. Damn it!

Mile 4
Enjoyed this section but a glimpse at the watch showed pace was a little quick, so I held back a little, this was a mistake and most likely caused by a lack of racing. 7:33

Mile 5
Back into the breeze and I was calculating what I needed to run for a 37:59 but a few shouts for clubmates who were just ahead of me, snapped me back into life.
Got into a bit of a battle with some guy who kept pushing but I saw him off and then I passed another club singlet, knew finish was approaching and started to motor, couldn't believe I had such a finish, got a shout from Feidhlim Kelly over the mic and just as I went to cross the line, a woman to my right nailed me, couldn't believe it as I was fairly shifting. 7:25

37:28 and I'm very happy. That's done off about 260 miles this year and I'm putting it down to recent consistency.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1732651435?share_unique_id=8

1 mile cool down back to my bike and although chuffed I was questioning how hard I pushed as I shouldn't have that much left in the tank at the finish and the negative "hold back" thoughts during mile 4. Max heart rate was 192 compared with 197 from Berlin half.

The atmosphere was great, meeting a few boardsies, school friends and mingling with clubmates was just brill.
I want more!

Wottle

Monday
40 recovery minutes on the treadmill
AHR 69%
Finding the treadmill really helpful for both convenience and recovery running, your legs get a proper rest.

Tuesday
5.3 miles up to marlay, into and home.
AHR 80%
https://www.strava.com/activities/989498568/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1494942663
Bit of a nothing run as the effort was higher than it should have been.
I'm blaming the heat and new shoes.

Trying to figure out my next race, was thinking civil service 5 miler, ran my 2nd fastest 5 miler here, back in 2009 but how much time can I knock off Sunday's race in 2 weeks.
Then I see Raycun starts a Dunshaughlin 10K thread, I've never ran well here, so another opportunity to put things right, what I had never mentioned in ^^^race report was that last time I entered the Terenure 5 in 2012, I DNF'd.

More positives, my weight is down, in to the 12 stone bracket.

Wottle

Wednesday
6.6 miles up and around Firhouse, effort levels were low and run felt good.
AHR 75%
Pace 9:45

Thursday
Very active day, lots of sprinting and turning, legs were exhausted by 4pm.
Brought kids training, did loads of stretching, legs felt better, so jumped on the treadmill when I got home for 30 mins.
AHR 73%

Wottle

Friday
More games which involved chasing, fell over and felt sth in my knee but seemed fine.
So still headed out for an easy 5 but my legs were so tired, should have stopped at 3 but didn't.
5 miles at 9:45 pace
AHR 73%

Saturday
My Knee was sore, pain a 3/10. Went to Marlay for kids training and luckily enough one of the parents is a top sports physio (I think, maybe therapist) and he had a look, doesn't think its too serious but he could feel sth going on with my right IT band.
Got home and foam rolled the band vigorously. Jumped on the treadmill, could still feel sth but after 10 minutes, all was good.
30 minutes at 71% AHR

Today was day 41 of the running streak and although I don't want it to end, I'm prepared to, if needed, as I don't want to do anything silly and end up missing 41 days :-)
A couple of hours after the run and my knee feels grand but IT band is sore from foam rolling and trigger ball thingy.

Wottle

Sunday
10.2 miles at 8'47 pace
Felt good for most of this, started in the rain and finished in nice sunshine.
1 mile warm up, followed by 4 miles at easy steady
1 mile easy, followed by 2 miles at steady
1 mile easy, followed by 1 mile at hard steady (feeling tired now)

Another solid week in the bank.

My clubs Meet & Train group invited me to their magic mile race in Greystones on the 10th of June, can't wait, probably have a crack at sub 6 and more than likely blow up

Wottle

Monday
40 minutes on the treadmill.
I felt a little sloppy on this one and cadence was lower than normal.
AHR 72%

Tuesday
5.6 miles, should not have started on a hill, followed by 2 miles of wind in my face. I had planned 2 miles at 165 but with heat, wind and tirdness, the HR was already high, so decided to just run a fast mile, trying to be relaxed, 7:02
AHR 81%

Wottle

Wednesday
5.5 miles, AHR 76%, Pace 9:21 Around Marlay.
A bit tired starting this but then the body woke up a little and I felt a spring in my step.
Finished with 3x20 second strides.

Thursday
6 miles, AHR 80%, Pace 8:58
Ran 2 miles up to Marlay and then went straight into a 2 mile tempo around Marlay.
First mile is downhill, from golf course to dog pound and then main car park 7:30.
Second mile was main car park and back up to golf course, taking in the hill that starts the Parkrun 8:15.
2 mile cool down home.
It was so hot and I was unsure if I liked the breeze or not, overall felt a little flat.

Wottle

Friday
Finished the night shift at 8 but thankfully had no school to go to as they had their sports day. I had a sports massage planned for 5pm, so decided best to get out early, as my legs may not be in any condition to run after.
5.5 miles around marlay
AHR 73%, Pace 9:38

Went for sports massage and had my legs well and truly smashed up. I made app last week for my knee but that sorted itself out. Was advised I'd be a bit tender tomorrow but all should be grand again come Sunday.
Think I'll do this once a month for maintenance.

Also weight continuing to fall off, down to 178 from approx 189

JohnDozer

Tells us the secret to the weight loss please!!!

Wottle

JohnDozer wrote: »

Tells us the secret to the weight loss please!!!

Haha, I suppose there's a lot to shift but main things I've implemented is less takeaways and sweets and I think the running streak has helped, averaging around 5 miles a run.
For the first 25 runs I didn't lose much but from that point on it was like a metabolic switch was turned on, now day 48 today.