Once in a Lifetime....for now

skyblue46

Monday 17th: 5.3km @ 5.58. Very easy local recovery run.

Tuesday 18th: 13.3km @ 4.46. The main body of this was a 6*800 @ HM pace with an equal 800m float recovery at steady pace. This is a session I have taken from Molly Seidel's training and adjusted for mortals. Interestingly enough it also shares some similarities with some suggested sessions on the Canova thread.

Wednesday 19th: 13.2km @ 5:31. Another local easy run. Nice to get a shout from @aquinn

Thursday 20th: 14km @ 5:28. More easy, this time up through Tolka Valley Park to Ashtown and back along the Royal Canal.

Friday 21st: Yet another easy run. 10.5km @ 5:18 on a route taking me down to Donnycarney and back up Griffith Ave.

Saturday 22nd: 22.3km @ 4:57. A 90 minute steady run in the Phoenix Park, shocking humidity and the company of the freckled one. Shirt and shorts were soaked through with sweat and the misty rain. Paces were in the 4:41 to 4:57 range. A nice honest effort. I pulled the trigger on a pair of Boston 12 and am really interested to see how I get on with them.

Sunday 23rd: 29.1km @ 5:06. Again I had the pleasure of the company of her with the new natural blonde hairdo. With the Park hosting the 10 mile race I decided to do the DCM route from Kilmainham to the finish and then back along the Grand Canal to Kilmainham. It started off in miserable rain but thankfully it abated quickly and the rest of the run only featured the odd fitful spells of drizzle. The plan was to run at a 5:10ish pace but paces kept creeping a few seconds below it and just felt really comfortable. The chat was flowing until about 22kms and then it got a little more quiet as the headwind, slightly heavier rain and the tiny yet noticeable gradient along the canal focused minds 🤣 I couldn't wait for a hot cup of very strong black coffee and the Natural Bakery in Kilmainham didn't disappoint.

So another good solid week with the ongoing emphasis on different levels of steady paces, consistency and time on feet. Next week will be a step back week before getting back at it again the following week.

Week: 107.8km/ 67 miles

Month: 316.2km/ 196.6 miles

YTD: 2349.4km/ 1459.6 miles

Lumen

You obviously enjoyed the 20th enough to live it twice 😀

Laineyfrecks

A freckled natural blonde huh, lucky you😉😂

Murph_D

Great work there Sean.

How do you find that LTHR 88-90% effort? Do you calculate based on max or reserve? Looks a bit low for my own stats. Then again my HR numbers never seem to compare with anyone else!

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888276#Comment_120888276

I've never had a lactate test so I'm just going on the guesstimates of a few apps I use which all pretty much concur on a LTHR of about 162/3. After that it's just simple maths. I am very tempted to go for a test but got no reply to emails sent to UCD or the guy you went to. Santry Sports Clinic will be my next port of call.

Mr. Guappa

Nice week there S, as usual really. Particularly impressed with the back-to-back big runs over the weekend... have something similar awaiting me next week and plenty weekends after. I remember actually loving those Sunday runs on tired legs last time around, so hoping for similar this year. Anyway, great to see you motoring nicely.

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888400#Comment_120888400

Yeah it's something I plan to do every second weekend. The legs felt amazingly sprightly for most of the Sunday run. Confidence is high and I'm hitting my targets. The question is whether the target is in the right place 🤣

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888330#Comment_120888330

Well I meant that 90% of LT (whatever it is) seems a bit low, for the likes of me anyway. My number would be closer to 95% for MP. But if you are finding you can hit MP at a relatively comfortable HR that's great.

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888575#Comment_120888575

Remember it's coming from a low HR after the recovery so there's a bit of faster running before it settles into the range. I tend to run at PMP until it falls into range. I don't think I could hold MP at such a low HR if it was more than 2k

Murph_D

Ah OK. I thought it was supposed to be a general rule. I'd argue if it's not sustainable it's not really M effort! Anyway don't mind me, being pedantic as usual.

ariana`

Mighty stuff S, lots of miles in there and plenty of quality too. What do you think you will peak at for the block?

Lovely to hear you sounding confident ☺️

skyblue46

Good question. I'm expecting it to be about 120kms. So not much of an increase on where I'm at now. It'll be more about moving the volume around and increasing the steady running.

ariana`

Wow nice one, can't imagine getting to that kind of volume ever!

How does the steady running equate to the EIM 1k intervals, would it be similar/more/less effort?

skyblue46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120889744#Comment_120889744

Oh definitely more effort. EIM definitely makes the time pass quicker too. I'd like to be doing more of it but unfortunately the body won't tolerate it. The combination of intervals and rest is easier than the steady runs but my hammer simply doesn't tolerate any sort of pace.

ariana`

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120889926#Comment_120889926

Yeah makes sense. I'm always trying to equate with my own training when I'm reading interesting logs. When I look back at the long 'tempo' runs I was doing in marathon training 2 years ago (under a particular coach), my HR was about 92-93% of LTHR which as you know is within the range of the EIM 1k intervals but obviously for much longer (peaked at 18miles 'tempo' with 2m either side). I've definitely never felt as strong as when I was doing those runs in training and they're as close to Canova's 'steady' long runs that I've been. Ideal marathon training. Caveat being that that is without paying consideration to the rest of the week. I believe I underperformed (slightly) on the day but I certainly had more confidence that I've ever had going into a race. Anyways, thinking outloud really, no plans to do a marathon for a while but always interested in how others' approach it...

Lambay island

Some Savage training!

skyblue46

Quite the eventful and drink fuelled week! Thank god I had planned a step back week 🤣

Monday 24th: 5.5k @ 5:57. Forgettable recovery run...well I can't remember it anyway 🤭

Tuesday 25th: 16.5k @ 4:53. Another enjoyable 'Seidel' run. 8*half mile on/off with the ons being MP and the offs being steady pace. It's a session I have really grown to like and I plan to incorporate it into upcoming long runs.

Wednesday 26th: 14.1k @ 5.19. Easy run on my now regular Santry/ Beaumont/ DCU loop

Thursday 27th: 11.7k @ 5:03. 10*400 EIM style. Can't remember much about this. My head was in the clouds as I had just got a call from my eldest son to let me know that my first Grandchild had arrived safely into the world. Seeing the first pics of the son of the son was amazing, a moment I'll never forget. ❤

Friday 28th: 15.2k @ 4.36. A 70 minute progression run which was supposed to work down from steady to MP in 30/20/20 minute sections. I overcooked all of it! I'm blaming the excitement 🤣

Saturday 29th: 8.5k @ 5.10. Just a bog standard jog

Sunday 30th: 16.2k @ 4:42. A quick Sunday morning 10 mile steady run before heading to the pub to watch the All Ireland. Day 3 of celebrations (getting hammered) and a result that was the crowning glory on an amazing week.

Week: 87.9km/ 54.6 miles

Month: 404.1km/ 251.2 miles

YTD: 2437.3km/ 1514.2 miles

Lambay island

Deadly week - Congrats on becoming a Grandad!

Laineyfrecks

Ah the doting Granda, enjoy🤗

Dubh Geannain

I hear running buggies are becoming quite popular these days. Congrats Grandad.

Murph_D

Many congrats on the grandson. 👶

ariana`

Lovely new S, many congratulatons 🤗

Annie get your Run

Congratulations S! Lovely news indeed.

mister paul

Congrats S

skyblue46

Monday 31st: 10.8k @ 5:37. Finally got to bed at 3am after the post All Ireland celebrations. I have to admit to some pride in managing to get out for this recovery run 10 hours later! The run itself is already gone from my memory 🤣 I went around to my local later in the evening for a quiet pint and a read of the Monday morning sports supplements. Unfortunately Captain Fantastic arrived in with Sam in tow and another early morning session ensued. 🙈🍻🍻🍻

Tuesday 1st: 18.7k @ 4:50. This was a 30/30/30 min progression run similar paces and route to a run I did the previous week. Therein ends the similarity! Last week was cruising and feeling on top of the world. This was a world of discomfort and a HR which was consistently 10bpm higher. A man must pay the price for 4 nights of excess I guess 🤭

Wednesday 2nd: 14.6k @ 5:27. Easy run on a now regular Ballymun/ Santry/ Beaumont/ DCU loop.

Thursday 3rd: 15.2k @ 5:00. This was an EIM 4*2k. HR is to be kept in the 142-146 range which should be slightly below marathon HR. I dispensed with the walk in the recoveries. Paces for each of the 2k reps were 4:33, 4:35, 4:39 and 4:35. Very happy with that.

Friday 4th: 10.9k @ 5:37. A vanilla 60 mins easy

Saturday 5th: 29.2k @ 4:59. This is the full version of the Molly Seidel training run that I have been building up to over a few weeks. It's 5 miles easy followed by 8 miles of alternating MP and steady every half mile before dropping back to an easy paced 5 miles to finish. I used the 5 easy to get over to the Phoenix Park and back and did the 'stuff' part on the Furze loop. I was really thrilled with how it went. The MP paces were 4:29, 29, 29, 30, 27, 27, 25 and 25 with the steady bits all between 4:46 and 4:49.

Sunday 6th: 11k @ 5:36. A nice recovery run in the Park with a very hungover freckled person 🤣

Week: 110.3km/ 68.6 miles

Month: July: 415km/ 257.9 miles. August: 99.6km/ 61.9 miles

YTD: 2547.6km/ 1582.8 miles

skyblue46

Monday 7th: 14.5km @ 5:24. First of a few vanilla runs this week

Tuesday 8th: 17.7km @ 4:46. The main part of this was a 20/15/15 minutes progression run with a segment of 95, 100 and 105% of MP. Target paces therefore were 4:43, 4:30 and 4:16. As I was passing by I decided to do it on the track in ALSAA. Some people might find 40odd laps of a track a bit monotonous but I don't have a problem with it. It was a nice day with very little breeze so I didn't face the usual issue on this exposed track of having one straight into a wind and the other straight with the wind. It was one of those runs where the starting pace felt so challenging that I didn't believe I'd be able to pick up the pace for each subsequent step but yet by the end I was feeling comfortable at the paces. 4:40, 4:29 and 4:11 were the actual paces for each.

Wednesday 9th: 12.2km @ 5:44. Vanilla 2

Thursday 10th: 16.3k @ 5:11. This was an EIM 4*2k. Paces for each were 4:39, 4:41, 4:41 and 4:39. Recoveries were very slowly jogged 800s.

Friday 11th: 12.2k @ 5:25. Vanilla 3. Dropped my brothers car up to the airport car park to await him on his return from holidays and then ran home. Single direction runs aren't hugely enjoyable when there's a good wind in your face all the way. 😏

Saturday 12th: 11.1k @ 5:25. Vanilla 4

Sunday 13th: 32.4k @ 5:02. So this was it! The reason for so many mid-week easy runs...my longest run in 5 years, the last time I did a marathon block. The build up wasn't ideal with me having to do it after 4 night shifts, getting to bed at 8am and then up at 1pm. I decided to reacquaint my body with Maurten products so had a pre run 320 drink and brought 3 gels on the run, 1 caffeine and 2 standard issue. I took them at 8, 16 (caffeine) and 24k. No issues.

The plan was to run it at 5:05/10 pace. The route I had chosen however was quite favourable in terms of gradient and a good wind for the first half before turning back into the wind and up the gradual incline from the coast at Baldoyle to home. It was down Griffith Avenue to Fairview, out the coast road to Sutton Cross then back via Baldoyle, Clare Hall, Coolock, Santry Demesne and Ballymun. It would mean being a touch faster than target pace for the first 16/17k before slowing a bit for the second half.

I have never run well on hot days and after 7/8km I was really having doubts about this run. I was sweating buckets and just not feeling comfortable at the 5:03 pace. Another 20+ kms didn't feel possible. I had been grand for the first 5/6k so maybe it was coming out from the shade of the trees on Griffith Avenue to the open sunshine on the coast. Thankfully the bad spell didn't last long and from about 10k on I felt stronger as the run went on. I finished with a nice MP mile (which felt like a sprint 🤔)

Week: 116.4km (72.4 miles)

Month: 216.1km (134.3 miles)

YTD: 2664km (1655.2 miles)

skyblue46

Monday 14th : 5k @ 6:09. A shuffle down to Albert College Park for some more recovery shuffling on grass.

Tuesday 15th : 13k @ 5:25. Over to the Park for this easy run and a smashing late afternoon it was too. Saw Lainey doing her run and arranged to meet for a cuppa after. Also spotted the lesser seen AMK!

Wednesday 16th : 19.2k @ 4:46. The main part of this, sandwiched between a 2 mile w/u and c/d, was 20 mins @ 4:42, 20 @ 4:30 and 15 @ 4:16. I drove down to Santry Demesne and parked there before running the 2 miles out to ALSAA to do the session on the track. I really enjoyed it and pretty much hit the paces on the button. A good day.

Thursday 17th: 13k @ 5:34. Vanilla easy run on my now regular 13k route.

Friday 18th: Unplanned rest day. My second grandchild and first granddaughter was born the previous day so running took a back seat as I only had a few hours between waking up after one night shift and getting in for the next one. A visit to see her was the priority 🥰

Saturday 19th: 23.8k @ 4:53. 2k warmup and then 35 mins each of progressively faster steady paces working from 5:02 to 4:52 and then 4:42 which was finished with a faster km or two.

Sunday 20th: 13k @ 5:24. A repeat of Thursday.

As the weeks count down to Amsterdam thoughts of paces and times are starting to occupy the mind. I have to admit to lots of confusion and doubt. Hopefully the next few weeks will clarify things.

Week: 86.8 km/ 54 miles

Month: 302.9 km/ 188.3 miles

YTD: 2750.8 km/ 1709.2 miles

ariana`

Awww congrats on the 2nd grandchild and first grand daughter, wonderful news!

Training looks super S, really pleased for you that it's going so well, you deserve it!

skyblue46

So here we are again! Thought I'd throw down my musings with just a few days to go to Amsterdam so that I can read back on how messed up one man's head can get if I ever get this close to a marathon again! 🤣

My last update was on 22/8. The following day everything changed as regards my targets and hopes for Amsterdam. I took on a session of 1k reps and decided to do it on grass in the pissings of rain on the Polo Grounds. Why? Confidence....training was going really well and I fancied upping the ante despite being aware that the tendinopathy doesn't like pace work. Fooking stupid and the inevitable recurrence happened. Thankfully it wasn't full on like in The Hague 2 years ago but it has been enough for me to now be in week 7 of decreasing mileage and having dropped quite a few sessions over that time.

These few weeks have been head melting. I know some of you will look at my miles for this year (3446km/2141miles) and say I'm still in a decent place. Unfortunately I don’t feel it. I know what I wanted to do in training to be in a position to run 3:10 and I didn't do it. I have only run 2 marathons and the last was 5 years ago. I needed confidence from a good block and I haven't got it.

This lack of confidence led to a lack of interest in Amsterdam. I, probably now much to my regret, have never been one to race hard if I wasn't 100%. I'd pace or use a race as a training run but I just couldn't get motivated to race as hard as I could unless I had a realistic chance of doing a time that would be 'acceptable ' to me. I tossed around the idea of just plodding around and taking in the atmosphere. Needless to say all plans to improve the diet and give up the drink for a few weeks went out the window. What was the point to do that and then just run a middling time?

Then I decided to throw my hat in to the Berlin '24 lottery last weekend. This is where fate decided to throw me a curve ball. As I moved through the application I noticed something that wasn't there last year. For a time better than 3:15 I would need to provide evidence...that is definitely new says I (though I could be wrong). Further (brief) investigation on the site indicated time requirements to enter the lottery. Just like that I snapped out of my stupor. I have a target...3:14:59! Am I in shape for it? I honestly don't know but I will give my all in finding out. I know its not a guarantee of anything but it worked in getting me to get a grip. I haven't done all the training to just jog around. Bring it on!

So why did I post this? So that those of you that know me will remind me to stop bailing out in future when things aren't going swimmingly.

Sorry for the blathering 🤣

Annie get your Run

Well best of luck!