Once in a Lifetime....for now

skyblue46

Monday 7th: 5.4 mile recovery run on a usual local loop. Pic of the day: the Regency/Bonnington Hotel which was the scene of a bit of a bloodfest when one of Dublin's scum gangs decided to try to take out another at a boxing promotion. Apparently this doesn't put me on the Bord Failte Christmas card list. 🤣

Tuesday 8th: A nice little session up at the ALSAA track of 5*1k at CV off 200m. I was a bit apprehensive about this as recoveries were shorter than I have been doing but it felt smooth throughout. Pics of the day: some views of the grounds..

Wednesday 9th: an easy hour. Nothing much to add. Pic of the day: the former boiler house which heated over 3,000 homes including all of the flats in Ballymun. It has now been repurposed as an eco/sustainable hub for the area.

Thursday 10th: Another vanilla easy hour. Pics of the day: the hallowed pitch at Parnell Park and the Bloody Sunday memorial which was erected there to mark the centenary.

Friday 11th: You guessed it...an easy hour! Pic: Spirit of Finglas

Saturday 12th: 4*1k EIM on a loop around DCU. I think GPS is screwed up down there because the paces I supposedly ran were a bit mad. These are done at 92-95% of LT heart rate but the paces were showing at about 5k pace. It felt good though. Pic of the day: a short covered track of about 80m on the grounds of DCU. I was going to do a few strides on it but the gates were locked 🙄

Sunday 12th: 14 miles easy over to the Park and back via the canal and Tolka Valley Park. It was a cracking afternoon for a run. Enjoying it in the moment is all fine and well but this doesn't bode well. I know I'll be long dead and gone before the sh1t hits the fan but the world needs to take action on climate. Pic of the day: I passed the fallen bough of a tree which threatened by life as it crashed to the ground 100m away from me. Thankfully E saved my life....😆

So I've been doing at bit of thinking and have come up with a plan of sorts. I'll do Jingle Bells off no specific training and see if I can go sub 20. After that will be a HM plan to try to improve my weak PB. I'll aim for March 12th for sure. Now I have to decide if it will be in Bohermeen, Lisbon or the Loop den Haag 🤔

Laineyfrecks

You're welcome 😉🤣

Murph_D

Don’t think I ever saw a soul on that DCU sprint track in the six years I was based there.

Nice week!

ariana`

Lucky @Laineyfrecks was there when she was and was brave enough to risk her own life to save you 😉

Nice plan, best of luck with it.

OOnegative

Free accommodation for the CPC Loop, plus you need to collect that shirt!!!

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119872203#Comment_119872203

They are definite plus points! 😀

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119872203#Comment_119872203

Lazarus has arisen.

coogy

Nice running S!

Seems to be a good bit of interest in Bohermeen. Wouldn't mind giving it another crack!

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119878138#Comment_119878138

Looks like being den Haag for me 🙂 I'm really looking forward to that for so many reasons

scotindublin

Great to see you are doing Jingle Bells again this year, looking forward to seeing your festive outfit 😀.

I will let you know my stewarding points when it gets assigned and keep an eye out for you. I am planning on not being as hungover this year 🙃

C

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119880133#Comment_119880133

You'd never know, I might surprise people! Then again I am very comfortable in Grinch mode 😁

scotindublin

I heard on the grapevine you had a penchant for some Christmas bells

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119880331#Comment_119880331

Is that not my outfit? Oh go on, you thought of it first. 😉

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884250#Comment_119884250

There will be hundreds of happy smiley elves so I'm sure 2 grinches wouldn't be overkill 🤣

ariana`

😲 There should be tight security and no grinches allowed

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119885242#Comment_119885242

I'd be free for security before the race🧐🎅🧝‍♀️🤣

OOnegative

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119886660#Comment_119886660

Can’t say no to that S, might be a hand search involved!!!!

skyblue46

Tuesday 15th: 9.8 miles. The non w/u and c/d part of this was 4*2k EIM. It's 2k reps at a nice cruisey 90% of threshold HR with walk/jog 800m revoveries. Pic of the day: the Dash coffee shop/container outside the Hole in the Wall, provider of my favourite post run coffee anywhere.

Wednesday 16th: 8 very easy miles down Clontarf/Raheny direction. This has to have been one of the most enjoyable runs I had in years. A crisp clear day and great surroundings made the time pass in a heartbeat. Pics of the day: a few shots taken on Dollymount beach and the Bull Wall.

Thursday 17th: 8 miles mainly made up of 5*1k EIM (92-95% threshold HR). Didn't have much time so did them in a local housing estate with very quiet roads. Pic of the day: Loop den Haag race poster

Friday 18th: 7.5 miles easy with 30 sec surge every mile. Up to Santry Demesne for some of this. A pretty non descript run. Pic of the day: the seemingly stopped work on the new track at Morton Stadium.

Saturday 19th: 9.3 miles (4*10 mins @ HM off 2 mins jog). I went down to Griffith Park and its surrounds for this. I found parts a little tougher than expected hopefully down to a few stop/start 90 degree corners which needed negotiating a few times in each 10 minute rep. Pics of the day: the 'almost' Pyramids of Glasnevin, namely the Met Office and Our Lady of Dolours church.

Sunday 20th: 13 miles easy. A lovely afternoon to run even if it was crisp and breezy. I had to work a bit harder coming back up Griffith Avenue into the gentle breeze but it was all in all a very comfortable run. Pic of the day: Stardust Memorial. It'd be better if the families of the @48NeverCameHome got justice.

As alluded to above I have entered the Loop den Haag on March 12th. I also entered the Raheny 5 (not sure if I will be working that day though). The coming week will be a further week of aerobic base building in the 55 miles range. After that I will have a quiet week leading up to Jingle Bells which will not be flat out raced. The plan is to then have a couple of easy weeks before beginning a half plan for den Haag. Believe me everything is crossed 🙈

skyblue46

Monday 21st: 3.2 miles recovery shuffle round the local park @ 9:52 pace and an average HR of 108...the lowest I have ever managed when doing anything beyond a walk.

Tuesday 22nd: 8 easy miles from Portmarnock to Malahide Estuary and back. A super route to run.

Wednesday 23rd: Over to the Phoenix Park for 9.7 miles of which the main content was 4*2k of EIM.

Thursday 24th: 8 miles around Howth Head and both piers. With a half marathon plan on the horizon it's about time that I took on some hill work

Friday 25th: 8 easy miles locally

Saturday 26th: 8.7 miles including 50 mins steady.

Sunday 27th: 10 miles easy bringing it to 56 for the week. Happy with that and feeling strong.

Monday 28th: 3 miles recovery @ HR 110.

Tuesday 29th: 6.9 miles including 4*1k EIM. Ran into town and along the quays for this. A really nice run in places once away from the heaviest of the rush hour traffic.

Wednesday 30th: Over to the Park again for 6.5 miles easy

Thursday 1st: 4.5 miles easy locally. The first of a couple of days to rest the legs prior to Jingle Bells

Friday 2nd: 3 more easy miles.

So that takes me to today, the eve of Jingle Bells. I'm planning to give it a good crack, something which would equate to 20:15 based on any race predictor which uses recent training. The problem is that it's 2.5 years since I ran anything at paces faster than threshold. I have done no speedwork so have no idea how I'll react. Maybe all the easy/steady training will pull me through, maybe I'll blow a gasket because of the total lack of speedwork. Time will tell...

Swashbuckler

All the best for tomorrow. Let the strength carry you through. Ignore the watch and feel it out. Have fun!

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119951003#Comment_119951003

Almost prophetic....the strength got me through, I felt it out cautiously, ignored the watch except for the 1k laps and I had a blast!

Murph_D

Really very well done Sean, looking forward to a detailed race report.

skyblue46

Jingle Bells 5k

If D asks for a report, a report must be written!

I could not have asked for much more from the weather this morning. It was nice and crisp with barely a breath of wind.....perfect running conditions. I met Lainey and we parked at the Hole in the Wall before setting off on a 2 mile warmup jog down to the start area. There were plenty of runners warming up and many obviously of a very high standard. It really is a top quality race. When we got down to the bag drop area we met Lazare who was his usual ebullient self, ready to rumble! After the customary fist bumps and chats we headed to the start area and somehow lost C. So I stood in the starting pen with a very clear plan in my head...4.10 for the first km, 4 for the next 3 and then use the downhill finish to pull myself under 20 mins if I could. I turned the watch on to run mode only to find that I didn't have a watch face with time, distance and pace on it...a rookie error but I haven't been concerned with pacing a race for nearly 3 years....I decided to go with a face which showed average pace and current pace only.

0-1km: The start was a disaster. I am getting increasingly confused as to why so many people ignore the request to start in a position that reflects their expected finish time. After being held up and blocked by people for 500m a quick glance at the watch showed I was doing 4:32 pace average. Nothing to panic about as I like a slow start but I needed to pick it up. I found myself a bit of space over the next 100m and settled into a rhythm. 4:10 for the km.

1-2km: this is a slight uphill on Chesterfield and the plan was to run steady. Lainey was just in front of me and I was starting to get the idea I was in a good place compared to those around me. There was lots of heavy breathing and gasping while I was still very relaxed. Near the end of the 2nd km was where the questions about what to do started. I felt great but was afraid that the lack of 5k work would expose me very quickly...I decided to sit tight. 4:00 for the km.

2-3km: As we turned on to the OS Road I felt I had to pick it up a bit. I know from running this section of road so often that I feel most comfortable until the OS entrance and then the road gets heavy. Lainey fell behind me but I had not got any idea if she had tucked in or was dropped. Motoring nicely now, 3:49 for the km.

3-4km: We crossed through the Furze/OS crossroads and I spotted C about 20 yards ahead of me. He looked strong. We were both passing people and not being passed. By the look of things he was on his pace which meant if I tracked him I'd get sub 20. I was also afraid of passing him and then dying and being repassed before the finish. I tucked in behind a Rathfarnham and Portmarnock runner and had a think...3:43 km

4-5km: Fook it. I feel too good to hold back. Time to pick it up. I pass C just at the point the road intersects with the climb out of the Furry Glen. The plan is simple...run fast! At the same time a little competitive streak in me comes out. I have no clue of what time I'm on for, I have no idea if E and C are sitting behind me drafting...pick it up but save a bit in case a challenge comes. As we approached the bottom of the hill I got a chance to look behind and saw they weren't there....relax and bring it home. I took the wide line at the last corner to see Craig and give him a shout. A short 'burst' up to the finish and that was that. Last km 3:19, chip time 19:10 which is actually an official PB and just 9 seconds outside my TT PB

Bumped into AMK shortly after I finished and he looked remarkably fresh for someone who had just run so close to his PB...obviously in great shape and more to come.

The aftermath....Still not analysed...how much was down to the net 13m downhill, how much to the supershoes? How hard did I not try? Why did I back off? Should I be able to wave and give a shout out 150m away from the end of a 5k? Maybe all these things cancel each other out and 19:10 is approximately where I'm at....One way or another I'm back in the game 😁

Huge congrats to Lazare on his PB, the first of many. Also big thanks to Lainey...she didn't have her best day but has been very supportive over this past 18 months encouraging me to believe that I could beat the tendinopathy. Its an ongoing war but today I won a battle...

Kellygirl

Delighted to finally read a race report from you and a great report at that. You really deserved to have such a good race today after the last few crappy years of injury. Fair play to you for working away so steadily. Looking forward to seeing where you go from here.

scotindublin

Class run Sean and good to see you yesterday, you should take a massive confidence boost from that and great to hear you enjoyed the race.

I hear you on those at the start who do not position themselves properly, it takes some common sense from them and I am not sure what can be done to rectify it to be honest.

We definitely lucked out with the weather in comparison to the battering cold rain out there this morning, a perfect one for a nice coffee in the coveted Jingle Bells mug

Swashbuckler

Great run S and a really smart approach. An approach that seems to suit you which is golden when it comes to your next 5k.

Out of interest what shoes did you wear? I don't recall spotting it in your report.

Murph_D

Outstanding stuff. The report didn't disappoint, and the racing was excellent too!

What a result - although I'm shocked you looked over the shoulder, the worst possible thing to do at that stage of a race! Nice to be able to run in a high-five finish and still clock a 3:19 final km. 3:19!

You're back alright, many congrats.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954076#Comment_119954076

Fantastic report Sean, and such an amazing strong confidence boosting performance. It's gas, I had no awareness at all of you passing me, my brain was boiling lol

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957181#Comment_119957181

Yeah, 3:19 is swoon stuff. I told him this yesterday but his km splits are a work of art.

Mr. Guappa

Great stuff S. I had thought your initial target was a bit conservative alright but the strength you showed there must give you great confidence moving forward.

Glad to see you take the shackles off and put in such a great performance when you did. I'm sure it's extra pleasing after all the setbacks and frustration over the past few years. When the going is good it's easy to take days like yesterday for granted, but PB's and strong races are hard to come by, so I hope that race gives you a lot of satisfaction.

Had the same issue in Waterford with having to negotiate hordes of out of position runners in the early going. Most of these people must spend their entire race being passed, which surely can't be a pleasant experience.