If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.

skyblue46

ariana` wrote: »

Me too to this

What are ye like all trying to claim to being a bit behind each other? Pmsl. Somebody please claim you're the fastest. Competition is good! ;-)

ariana`

skyblue46 wrote: »

What are ye like all trying to claim to being a bit behind each other? Pmsl. Somebody please claim you're the fastest. Competition is good! ;-)

Haha the difference between being from Mars and being from Venus

Kellygirl

Ooh the fear! Thanks for the vote of confidence with the HM times. They scare me!

Hands up, I have a fear of failing and I know it’s mad as what’s the worst that can happen besides I end up walking - but that would be like a fail to me when I know I can run and keep running at a certain pace. Yet, of course I want to get faster and this is the reason I should be racing more - if I could. I’ll certainly try and do as many as I can over the next few months. There’s a 4 mile on next week that i’ll try and do.

You are right S about Cork hanging over me and also the fact that I’m not getting faster at Parkrun. I am confident in my endurance but not speed. On a positive note I am getting 26:xx more consistently in Parkrun and just not beating my pb.

Not sure I’ll ever be competitive enough to say I’m the fastest :-)

Huzzah!

Kellygirl wrote: »

Ooh the fear! Thanks for the vote of confidence with the HM times. They scare me!

Hands up, I have a fear of failing and I know it’s mad as what’s the worst that can happen besides I end up walking - but that would be like a fail to me when I know I can run and keep running at a certain pace. Yet, of course I want to get faster and this is the reason I should be racing more - if I could. I’ll certainly try and do as many as I can over the next few months. There’s a 4 mile on next week that i’ll try and do.

You are right S about Cork hanging over me and also the fact that I’m not getting faster at Parkrun. I am confident in my endurance but not speed. On a positive note I am getting 26:xx more consistently in Parkrun and just not beating my pb.

Not sure I’ll ever be competitive enough to say I’m the fastest :-)

I've a lot to learn about racing, but my 5k times dropped considerably when I let go of the fear of failure. It's easy to do with 5k - what's the worst that can happen? I blow up and shuffle in to finish and, sure, there's another one next week to try again. It's harder with HMs to take that approach but as it's not your goal race, you've nothing to lose by giving it a good bash. I'd have no idea what time to advise you go for, mind you!

skyblue46

Kellygirl wrote: »

Ooh the fear! Thanks for the vote of confidence with the HM times. They scare me!

Hands up, I have a fear of failing and I know it’s mad as what’s the worst that can happen besides I end up walking - but that would be like a fail to me when I know I can run and keep running at a certain pace. Yet, of course I want to get faster and this is the reason I should be racing more - if I could. I’ll certainly try and do as many as I can over the next few months. There’s a 4 mile on next week that i’ll try and do.

You are right S about Cork hanging over me and also the fact that I’m not getting faster at Parkrun. I am confident in my endurance but not speed. On a positive note I am getting 26:xx more consistently in Parkrun and just not beating my pb.

Not sure I’ll ever be competitive enough to say I’m the fastest :-)

I wouldn't be worried about Parkrun too much. I stand open to correction but I don't think Ariana or Lazare made huge improvements to their Parkrun times but they made big improvements on their 5 and 10 mile times. You have trained as well as anybody so I think a 1:53/54 pace is a good one to set out at for the first 10k or so of a half. Then if you still feel good you can pick it up gradually after that. The Cork cloud should be well blown away by the c.1000 miles you have run since then

Kellygirl

Thanks guys. Plenty food for thought and plenty figures to play with on pace calculators!

Thanks again for all the input. Off into the last day of my lifeguard course now. Exam this evening. Will be glad when it’s over! Wedding this weekend and then life can get back to normal again.

ariana`

Kellygirl wrote: »

Thanks guys. Plenty food for thought and plenty figures to play with on pace calculators!

Thanks again for all the input. Off into the last day of my lifeguard course now. Exam this evening. Will be glad when it’s over! Wedding this weekend and then life can get back to normal again.

Good luck with the exam and enjoy the wedding - great variety in cross training there

Baby75

ariana` wrote: »

Me too to this

I think we both be looking at you! for the if she can do it maybe I can as well !!!

skyblue46 wrote: »

What are ye like all trying to claim to being a bit behind each other? Pmsl. Somebody please claim you're the fastest. Competition is good! ;-)

it is so not me! I say Ariana is though

Good luck at the exam and enjoy the wedding K:)

ReeReeG

Aaaah I just realised we follow each other on Strava ;)

Kellygirl

ReeReeG wrote: »

Aaaah I just realised we follow each other on Strava ;)

We do :-) Did the lifeguard training give it away?

ReeReeG

Kellygirl wrote: »

We do :-) Did the lifeguard training give it away?

Yes, the penny finally dropped ! Great running you are doing, and for what it's worth I definitely think you can / should aim towards a low 1.50s HM. If you are able to maintain that 9min/m pace on your own, you can certainly maintain a harder pace in a race environment... based on my own experiences of course.

Kellygirl

ReeReeG wrote: »

Yes, the penny finally dropped ! Great running you are doing, and for what it's worth I definitely think you can / should aim towards a low 1.50s HM. If you are able to maintain that 9min/m pace on your own, you can certainly maintain a harder pace in a race environment... based on my own experiences of course.

Well it will be a learning experience whatever happens in Limerick!! Hopefully I’ll have the confidence to go for it.

skyblue46

Kellygirl wrote: »

Well it will be a learning experience whatever happens in Limerick!! Hopefully I’ll have the confidence to go for it.

Or I'll run alongside you brandishing a big stick!

Kellygirl

skyblue46 wrote: »

Or I'll run alongside you brandishing a big stick!

Oh go on! That would definitely help!

Lifeguard exam passed tonight. All sorted for another two years now. Every time I do it I think I want to get back into more swimming but no time with running.

Be glad to have life back to normal next week.

Kellygirl

Just finishing off my week’s log

Wednesday Planned Half Marathon
Actual 13.2 miles

The training plan has a half marathon in this week but I didn’t have a race to do so just did my 13 miles as an LSR. Set off thinking it would be easy but the wind was strong and initially I thought that’s why I was finding it hard. My body seemed tired but I hadn’t been overdoing it running and then it clicked with me that I’d spent a couple of hours in the pool on Tuesday swimming lengths where we were being timed and then hawling and dragging people out of the pool etc on my lifeguard renewal course. Explained the sore shoulders anyway! So I did the run but not as nice as my normal long runs

Friday
Planned: No run
Actual: 5.2 miles very very slow

Turned up for the last day of my course and ended up getting a few hours off before the exam so instead of studying like everybody else I changed into running gear which I had thrown into the car on the off chance I’d get an hour off. One of my friends was there too and has taken up running so I dragged her along with me and we went at her pace and I was just thrilled to be out on an unexpected run. Anytime we came to a hill she walked and I sprinted up and would run back to her then.

I ended up on 30 miles this week.

My plan has a 10 miler for tomorrow but will miss it as we are going to a wedding. I’ve a hill workout planned for Monday and 20 mile LSR for Wednesday. I think I’ll do the hills Sunday night if i’m in a fit state, an easy run Monday and forget the 10 mile. I thought I’d be missing way more runs this week so one isn’t too bad even if it is a ten mile. I’m thinking the hills would be more important though if anybody thinks differently, I’d be happy to hear?

Baby75

I hope you enjoyed the wedding another good week in the bag

missing the 10 miler should be ok, you got out for an extra run last week ( was it) and the run this week during lifeguard training ( who needs to study when you can run eh ) with your 20 miler on Wednesday I agree with your plan

Kellygirl

Week 13 Cork City Marathon Training

Monday: Planned Hill Intervals
Actual 2mile WU and CD; 5 x (run up rest, run down, rest)

Did this with a friend who is much faster than me but our warm up and cool down was fine. She is much faster up the hills than me but we did that part at our own paces which worked well. I tried the first two too fast but slowed down and concentrated on holding my pace after that. I can’t say it was the most fun but had to be done. Only issue is my calves were really tight and Achilles hurting a little. I’d been at a wedding in high heels all day Saturday and not used to heels. I foam rolled when I got home and the next day and big improvement.

Wednesday: Planned 20 mile LSR
Actual: 20 mile @ 10:43 min / mile

Planned to keep this nice and slow as had a 5 mile race planned for tonight (Saturday) and wanted the save my legs. It was a lovely easy run. Took a gel a 1 hour and 2 hours. Needed it at the 2 hour mark. Was running up by Tory Top Park as part of the marathon route and felt I was struggling a bit but picked up nicely very quickly. Continued on and during mile 15 I was feeling a bit smug. A good song came on and without realizing it my pace picked up that mile. I was dreaming of the finish line in Cork. Pride comes before a fall and next thing I felt all energy was gone. Took my last gel and knew I’d pick up soon. Next thing got a funny pain in my right glute and groin area that went down my leg and from then on my foot was really sore. I kept going and hoped it wasn’t anything major and my energy came back. The pain didn’t go away afterwards or the next day even after RICE so I went to physio yesterday. Glute just needed a bit of work and been given exercises to do. The physio gave me a good confidence boost as said I was quite strong and in good shape.

Oh I passed the 400 mile mark during this run too.

Thursday: Planned: Recovery run
Actual: Rest because of the foot

Saturday: Planned: 7 miles
Actual: Gas Networks BHAA 5 mile race - 40:50 (the clock said) @ 8:09 min/mile (8:21; 8:01; 8:05; 8:28; 7:47)

So I had to give it my all on this to see what my training was really doing for me as realistically all I have been doing is training - as was pointed out nice and subtly here :-) I suppose I didn’t know what I was really capable of and I was thinking of going out at an 8:30 min/mile and praying I could hold the pace.

Two friends did it too so we warmed up for a mile and lined up. Being only used to Parkrun I was too far up the front! Lesson learned! I was with my faster friend - in fact both do training runs way faster than me so I was interested to see how this would go.

We set up and myself and my friend took off way too fast - my fault completely. I looked at my watch and some 7:20 or something and kind of figured I was in trouble. People were flying past me though. This was different to Parkrun and people were flying! I lasted half a mile and breathing all over the place and started getting dizzy. I watched for a space to move over to the side and stopped and walked for a bit - blowing up half a mile in must be a new record!! One man told me get running again and pick it up. My other friend passed and asked if I was ok. I started jogging behind her and caught up and said I’d stay beside her but within in 5 seconds I was gone I’d say and feeling good. I had my pace this time and I knew I could keep this up. Passed the 1 mile mark at 8:22 and couldn’t believe I’d walked part of that.

Mile 2 was nice and steady and I started passing out people - that kept up until the end of the race actually. At 2.5 miles I caught up with my faster friend and ran along beside her for a while and pulled away from her soon enough. I turned the corner and was into the last two miles. I knew I was doing well and thinking of Strava and that all the gang here may have been right! I think SkyBlue predicted 41:xx. I had to keep going and prove myself!

These miles were now into the wind especially the second half of the 4th mile. I was trying to tuck in behind big men but I was passing them all out so that wasn’t working. Next thing I passed two men who turned out to be the guys who told me to pick it up when i’d stopped earlier. One commented it was good to see I’d got back in the race. I left them behind but they caught up with me. He was chatting away asking questions as I was wearing my Clonakilty t-shirt. I couldn’t talk back. Just one word answers. His friend stayed beside me and ran the rest of the race together. Initially I didn’t like it as felt it was putting me off but I couldn’t pull away and I wasn’t letting him go either. We were right beside each other and our breathing seemed to be in sync at one stage :-) Was this finish line ever going to appear! My breathing was a bit too shallow but I wasn’t letting ‘Orange stripes’ go. That’s what I was calling him. Finally I saw the red numbers and the people ahead were jumping up onto the path where the finish line was. Orange Stripes jumped up and said ‘come on’ and he then took off. I couldn’t sprint, I just didn’t have it in me but I could see 40:22 on the clock and I knew I was close enough to come under 41 mins. Flipping hell, I was thrilled. Could barely breathe but I was through in 40:50 I think it was (40:45 on Strava).

I can’t wait to go and I out the time into race calculators now and start planning a pace for the Limerick half. Cork will still be up for debate for another while.

Thanks so much to everybody who pushed me here and on WhatsApp. That’s what kept me going during the race. It’s so great to see that the training is working and hopefully I can do a good few races over the Summer to learn a bit more.

Total mileage for the week 32.3 miles

Omeceron

Kellygirl wrote: »

Week 13 Cork City Marathon Training

Saturday: Planned: 7 miles
Actual: Gas Networks BHAA 5 mile race - 40:50 (the clock said) @ 8:09 min/mile (8:21; 8:01; 8:05; 8:28; 7:47)

Total mileage for the week 32.3 miles

Well done, great report.

skyblue46

Great stuff K. I'm delighted that I was wrong by a few seconds in the right direction. I'm sure you'll get a taste for racing after that and I think you should start to call your faster friend your slower friend and tell her to slow up her training runs! Haha

ReeReeG

Em imagine what pace you could have done if you hadn't run 20 miles just 3 days before?! Well done!

hot buttered scones

Well done and I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's great when you can see the results of your training like that. Was that your first BHAA race?

Kellygirl

ReeReeG wrote: »

Em imagine what pace you could have done if you hadn't run 20 miles just 3 days before?! Well done!

Not sure. I was well recovered by yesterday anyway. I can’t imagine I’d have gone much faster really.

hot buttered scones wrote: »

Well done and I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's great when you can see the results of your training like that. Was that your first BHAA race?

My first one I put a bit of effort into. I did the EMC one the last two years and did a good few of them 6 years ago but I was always at the tail end of those races really.

Huzzah!

Woot! That's a fantastic time. I'm so chuffed for you. Sub-25 5k (and some) is right around the corner.

Kellygirl

Huzzah! wrote: »

Woot! That's a fantastic time. I'm so chuffed for you. Sub-25 5k (and some) is right around the corner.

Thanks Huzzah. Garmin Connect gave me a new 5Km record of 25:05 from last night so definitely getting a bit closer to the sub 25. I’ll have to watch out for a good 5km race to see what I can do. Was looking earlier but funnily enough a few of the races that were 5km a few years ago are all 4 and 5 mile races now. Even last might’s was originally a 5km.

hot buttered scones

Kellygirl wrote:

Thanks Huzzah. Garmin Connect gave me a new 5Km record of 25:05 from last night so definitely getting a bit closer to the sub 25. I’ll have to watch out for a good 5km race to see what I can do. Was looking earlier but funnily enough a few of the races that were 5km a few years ago are all 4 and 5 mile races now. Even last might’s was originally a 5km.

The John Buckley 5k is always a good race. Don't know if it's too close to the marathon for you, but it always has a big crowd that seems to drag you along. If your running 25.05 5k during a 5 miler especially in those conditions, then a sub 25 5k, if not better is well within your capabilites.

Kellygirl

hot buttered scones wrote: »

The John Buckley 5k is always a good race. Don't know if it's too close to the marathon for you, but it always has a big crowd that seems to drag you along. If your running 25.05 5k during a 5 miler especially in those conditions, then a sub 25 5k, if not better is well within your capabilites.

I was looking at that one earlier actually and wondering if a good or bad idea so close to the marathon. I certainly had no after effects today after last night’s race so might not be any harm. Same route too so unless it’s windy I should be able to do the sub 25 surely.

hot buttered scones

Kellygirl wrote:

I was looking at that one earlier actually and wondering if a good or bad idea so close to the marathon. I certainly had no after effects today after last night’s race so might not be any harm. Same route too so unless it’s windy I should be able to do the sub 25 surely.

The last few years it's been on the same week, but this year it's on the week before - but I would have a think about it. If you the decide not to do it then the CPO/Garda race in early July (I think) is another good one. Looking good for a sub 4 marathon too if the weather plays ball.

Kellygirl

hot buttered scones wrote: »

The last few years it's been on the same week, but this year it's on the week before - but I would have a think about it. If you the decide not to do it then the CPO/Garda race in early July (I think) is another good one. Looking good for a sub 4 marathon too if the weather plays ball.

The calculators are saying sub 4 but I still can’t quite imagine it. Will see how the next 8 weeks go I think. There’s hopefully a sub 4 somewhere in the next few marathons and DCM if not Cork.

Just checked the John Buckley again - says May 22nd and May 29th on the BHAA website. If it was the 22nd I’d consider it though it’s son’s 5th birthday that day too so may not be appreciated 😂

ariana`

Brilliant report K! I'm delighted for you. You deserved that. I was laughing at you trying to tuck behind people only to find you were too fast :pac: And so much for your fast friend :pac: Super race, much more to come in the shorter distances in the Summer time I suspect and sub-4 marathon is definitely not too far off either

Sunny Dayz

Well done for not loosing the head altogether in the first mile. It can be easy when a start doesn't go your way to write off the rest of the race/run. You pulled it right back, got the head down, regrouped and went on to have a great race. Lol at you not being able to shelter behind two big men cos they weren't going fast enough!!