Once in a Lifetime....for now

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957108#Comment_119957108

I was wearing the original Metaspeed Sky. I bought them in May '21 but only getting to wear them

skyblue46

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

It's very downhill as you know D and I had managed to keep the powder dry.

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957257#Comment_119957257

If I had known I wouldn't be seen I might have passed earlier 🤣

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957396#Comment_119957396

Thanks A. Believe me, nothing will be taken for granted again. I have also learnt the lesson to be patient about goals which is one I intend to heed when it comes to future targets.

coogy

Really enjoyed that report S! So many positives to take from that race, huge congrats!

I think it would be safe to say you are well and truly "back". 🙃

diego_b

Fantastic stuff there S, been great tracking the comeback and seeing a cracking run and time. Well done.

Dubh Geannain

You just wound it up and up the whole race. Brilliant stuff.

Laineyfrecks

Well done again S, absolutely no need to be thanking me for anything, I defo knew you could do it! Super racing by you & in a style that just suits you so well. Great attitude to future targets also. Genuinely thrilled for you🤗

Bluesquare

Great race report . Well done !

ariana`

Hats off sir, that was a super 5k. I admire your ability to contain yourself at the start and to stay comfortable for so long. In the past I'd say this type of racing was born out of discipline, this time perhaps also a slight lack of confidence in yourself - not unsurprising after such a long tedious period of injury. I hope this result has renewed your confidence in your ability, it certainly should, you are in super shape and proof that even 5ks are mostly an aerobic effort - even if they can feel otherwise. Just like @AuldManKing's experience - proof that you don't have to run x pace in training to produce it in a race when it counts.

It would indeed to be interesting to play out all the different "what if" scenarios but I don't think you'll get much better performance wise? Maybe a few more seconds time wise 🤔 Either way no doubt you are in excellent shape and can really push on from this, 19:10 for an official race PB - congratulations!

Lambay island

Smashing race- well deserved after your consistency over the last 6 months or so

SuspectZero

Savage going! Running a PB off base alone is always a good sign, being able to rip a 3:19 off it is even more impressive, that's some serious natural speed to have in the backpocket, nevermind for a man of your vintage😋. Shows there's a hell of a lot of both short-term and longterm potential still there.

As for the pacing, thats just an experience thing I feel and comes with practice. The only way to know is to have a pop someday in a tuneup/non target race where you think you are going out too fast and don't be afraid of a blowup. It might hurt but it'll teach you more than anyone can tell you when it comes to pacing so would be a good experiment/experience for you to maybe consider. No pressure on the result, just on finding the feeling.

Anyway well done! Good to see you motoring again!

Sunny Dayz

A great 5k race, well run. congrats on your pb.

Good to get a 5km time to guide your paces and training through the winter season.

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119959951#Comment_119959951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119965619#Comment_119965619

You both touch on a theme here...that of trying something different. Firstly @ariana` I'm not yet ready to accept there are only seconds of improvement available. If you mean between pacing strategies at a moment in time perhaps you are right but I think there was a sub 19 there (granted the course plays a huge part) even with the strategy I employed. But back to the different strategy, that of targeting something closer to even pace. I have only tried it twice and both were disasters...walking in a HM and just hating and then quitting and easing home in a 10k. I remember meeting @Swashbuckler before that 10k in Dunshaughlin and the thoughts of what lay ahead had already sucked the joy out of the evening. 🤣

ariana`

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119973025#Comment_119973025

I was referring to a few seconds on that day given your pacing strategy and not in the greater scheme of things. I have no doubt you have potential to improve more over longer time, like a lot of us here, you were late to running and haven't reached the ceiling yet - that's the exciting part!!

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119987239#Comment_119987239

I'm so jealous of the age that most of ye have found it at! Thankfully I have D as a role model for future hopes 🙂

Murph_D

Ha, that's not the highest bar you've set there. Anyway it's all about 'running age', look at Sinead! 😉

skyblue46

I have 2 weeks to catch up on so I'll leave out the vanilla stuff. As planned I kept the last couple of weeks in the 40's mileage wise with an eye on being fresh to start off my half plan. A tempo and hills session were included to ease my way into what I have planned.

Tuesday 6th: 2*13 mins tempo. This was an honest effort with training paces changed to line up with JB. Tempo for this block is a one hour race pace. Target was 6:46 and that was pretty much hit.

Wednesday 7th: I entered Amsterdam Marathon so I now have an October target 😊

Friday 9th: 6*45 sec hills. Done at the Furry Glen in sub zero conditions

Tuesday 13th: 3*10 mins tempo. Much tougher than last week for some reason. In what was to become a recurring theme over the subsequent days HR was higher than I would expect for the paces.

Friday 16th: 8*45 sec hills. Really enjoyed this. However, I think hills may come out of my plan. I have felt a twinge from the glute/hamstring for a couple of days after both occasions that I did them. I'm not sure if it's the pace or the hill but I'm not interested in taking chances.

Sunday 18th: A really enjoyable run around the Park and its environs with Lazare, Scotindublin, Lainey, Coogy and ReeReeG. Sadly MurphD was unable to make it but hopefully it's something we can arrange at another time again.

Mr. Guappa

Great to see you pull the trigger on signing up for another marathon - an exciting year lies ahead.

Lazare

Ooh, Amsterdam you say. Hmm. Giving me ideas.

Great to run with you today, as always.

scotindublin

Great running with you guys, keep me posted on when you are all meeting up again.

ReeReeG

Thank you for the run on Sunday, and sorry if your flashy runners got muddy :p

Laineyfrecks

Yeah cheers for the run, it was really enjoyable to just run & chat & not really focus on anything other than a Scotsman guiding us Dubs around on a run🤣🤣

AuldManKing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120011879#Comment_120011879

Give me a shout if your doing it with a big group of a Sunday - My Sunday runs are non sessions now.

scotindublin

I am still trying to figure out how a Dub had never been to the War Memorial Gardens 🤣🤣

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120019183#Comment_120019183

I mentioned it at home & my mam said we had my brothers wedding photos taken there...clearly I'm not very observant 👀🤣

scotindublin

Haha class, must have been the Bulmers that day

Laineyfrecks

Possibly 👀🤣

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120019183#Comment_120019183

I found out the answer to this one. My family has a very strong republican background. My grandad was present at the burial of O Donavan Rossa carrying a wreath for Fianna Éireann at the young age of 15. He was in the Four Courts during the Civil War as was interned afterwards. He spent a life fighting for his beliefs and was actually in jail for munitions and firearms charges when my dad was born. As a result there would have been no celebration of 49,400 Irish lives lost fighting WW1 for a country occupying our own country which is what the Memorial Gardens remember.

Edit: Apparently if my grandad knew I was there he wouldn't be remotely happy 🙈 It might make for an awkward reunion when I make it to the pearly gates.

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120017553#Comment_120017553

I think I'll try to organise something in January, not just those who loosely know each other but try to sort out a run for posters on here. We stayed as a group on Sunday but if numbers permitted it could split into groups before getting together for a coffee after?