Chronicle of a race foretold

MrSkinny

I've been following the A&R forum and training logs for some time, picking up on the collective wisdom and generally positive vibe of the posters here, and have finally decided to start my own log after somewhat foolishly signing up for the Clew Bay Half Marathon, which will be my first HM and my longest race to date by some distance.

A bit of background: male, 46, very sporty as a youngster but adult life and an office-based job resulted in much reduced activity, although always managed to keep moderately fit through a combination of regular volleyball, the odd hike and long dog walks. Started running again at the beginning of 2016 after entering the Great Ireland Run on a whim. I loosely followed one of their 10k training plans, got to race day feeling fit and strong, and was very pleased to finish the race in what I felt was a creditable sub-50 time and, if memory serves me well, a negative split.

In the process I re-discovered the joy of running and got hooked on parkruns - slowly closing in on 100. Since that first GIR I have kept running on and off, been laid low by the odd niggle, entered a fair few races and lowered my PBs progressively but have struggled to train with enough consistency to make any significant improvements. The first half of 2018 has been particularly barren and lacking in motivation, with many weeks just featuring a measly parkrun, but things have picked up during the summer and I am hoping that keeping a log, together with the perceived peer pressure of an imaginary audience, will help with training consistency and accountability.

Current PBs:

1mi - 06:28 (Sep 2016 - Irish Runner Paced Mile, Morton Stadium)
5km - 21:11 (Sep 2017 - Twilight Team Challenge, Sandyford)
5mi - 38:06 (Jun 2016 - Irish Runner 5M, Phoenix Park)
10km - 45:36 (Apr 2017 - Virgin Media Night Run, Dublin Docklands)

Near-term goals:

Complete the training block for the HM, get to the starting line in one piece and enjoy the experience! Caught inside the training plan is the Lakes 10k, which I had already entered before signing up for Clew Bay and is probably more of a target race than the HM itself. Hopefully the HM training will be a good base for the winter season - last year I really enjoyed taking part in a couple of the BHAA XC races and this time round I'd like to enter a few more if possible.

That's it for now. The next couple of posts will capture the training plan and the runs over the last couple of weeks to bring things up to date.

MrSkinny

The intention was to enter the Clew Bay 10k as an excuse for a long weekend out West but as I was registering I thought 'well, if we're going to go all that way it may as well be for something longer than a 10k', so ended up signing up to the half. Not having run (let alone raced) anything longer than 10k, and not having much of a base this year, it will certainly be a challenge. Note to self: in future do not sign up to races in the afterglow of a sunny morning run.

After a brief online search for a suitable training plan I settled on the Hal Higdon Novice 2 program. I felt that with the amount of running I've been doing over the last few weeks I can just about slot into week 4 of the HH plan and go from there. It's mostly easy runs to build up the distance with the odd pace session and a couple of races thrown in for good measure.

I have re-jigged things slightly to fit my weekly schedule a bit better, breaking up the 3 consecutive days of running (Tue-Thu) in the original plan, and also removed the prescribed weekly cross-training session. I may do the odd cross session but it will be on an ad-hoc basis so no point including it in the plan and keep feeling I'm missing sessions. Leaves me with this:

Week|Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
4 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 7 mi run | 17
5 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 8 mi run | 18
6 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi pace | Rest | 5k race | 3 mi run | 13
7 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 9 mi run | 20
8 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi pace | Rest | 3 mi run | 10 mi run | 21
9 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 11 mi run | 22
10 | Rest | 3 mi run | 5 mi pace | Rest | Rest | Lakes 10k | 3 mi run | 17
11 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 12 mi run | 23
12 | Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 2 mi pace | Rest | Clew Bay HM | Recovery! | 20


The HH plan suggests a 10k race 3 weeks before the HM, however I am signed up to to the Lakes 10k two weeks before the Half. This disrupts the neat progression pattern of the original plan but not too worried about it. The intention is to give the 10k a good crack so I'll probably step things back a bit the days before. I think that 5 mi pace session may turn into something like another easy 3 miler and I'm wondering if I should also shorten the long run the previous week. We'll see closer to the time.

Let's go!

MrSkinny

A brief note on paces: I don't want to overthink this and will aim to run the easy runs by feel but in order to have a rough target for the pace runs I entered a recent 4 mile time into the McMillan calculator and it suggests a target HMP of 7:50/mi, which is bang in the middle of their so-called steady-state pace range. I have no intention of taking on the HM at this pace but will use this in training as a rough target.

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 7 mi run | 17


Mon 23/7 -- Rest

Tue 24/7 -- Easy 3.5 miles @ 9:22/mi (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

Ran home after volleyball session with a slight detour via Dun Laoghaire to take in the views on a balmy evening.

Wed 25/7 -- Rest

Thu 26/7 -- Easy 4 miles @ 10:06/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

Ran this early afternoon when it was still fairly warm (22-23 ºC). Noticeably slower than Tuesday's run for the same effort level.

Sat 28/7 -- Easy 5.1 miles including Cabinteely parkrun: 3.1 miles @ 9:23/mi (Avg HR: 150 bpm)

Sun 29/7 -- Long run: 5.5 miles @ 11:17/mi (Avg HR: 118 bpm)

Very easy trot with D around the newly-opened Upper Vartry reservoir trail. A bit shorter than the 7 mile run in the plan but a bit wary of increasing the weekly mileage too much and the legs were getting a bit niggly.

Weekly total: 18.1 miles

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 8 mi run | 18


Mon 30/7 -- Rest

Tue 31/7 -- Easy 3.1 miles @ 9:40/mi (Avg HR: 139 bpm)

Ran home after volleyball session.

Wed 1/8 -- Cross-training: 90' ride at leasurely pace.

Thu 2/8 -- Rest

Fri 3/8 -- Easy 4.5 miles @ 9:23/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

A last minute family outing to the cinema pushed this run from Thursday evening to Friday morning. Headed out before breakfast, which is unusual for me, and found it a bit of a slog. Misjudged the distance and ended up running a bit longer than planned.

Sat 4/8 --Cabinteely parkrun. Easy 3.1 miles @ 9:07/mi (Avg HR: 151 bpm)

Started out with the 30' pacer but the legs wanted to pushed on a bit. Still managed to keep it easy the whole way without getting caught up in 'racing' those around.

Sun 5/8 --Cross-training

A volleyball session and a long cycle to Dalkey for a dip off Hawk Cliff meant I didn't get out for the planned long run so it's pushed out to the Bank Holiday Monday and this week ends a little light on miles.

Weekly total: 10.7 miles

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 4 mi pace | Rest | 5k race | 3 mi run | 13


Mon 6/8 -- Long run: 8 miles @ 9:30/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

Decided on an out and back via Clonkeen Park and to the far end of Kilbogget Park, which works out at pretty much 4 miles each way. The way out felt very easy, into a slight breeze which I expected would be a help for the way back. Instead, after the turn at the far end of Kilbogget, the cooling effect of the breeze disappeared and the heat (low 20s) became much more noticeable. Effort level clearly went up a notch at the half-way point but focused on keeping things steady and good form to the end. Glad to end what is my longest run to date.

Splits: 9:28 9:18 9:35 9:24 9:23 9:38 9:35 9:39

Tue 7/8 -- Recovery run: 3.4 mi @ 10:55 (Avg HR: 133 bpm)

Legs felt OK after yesterday's long run so headed out with D for a *very* gentle recovery jog.

Wed 8/8 -- Rest

Thu 9/8 -- Workout: 4 miles @ ~HMP (Avg HR: 160)

Warmed up with an easy mile before picking the pace up to a rough target of 8:00/mi. Once up to speed tried to keep the pace and intensity steady without relying on the watch and was pleased to see the splits were reasonably steady. The effort felt medium to hard, under control and with good form almost to the very end of the 4th pace mile. One easy mile to cool down.

Splits: 9:22 8:06 7:54 7:49 7:56 9:37

Fri 10/8 -- Rest

Sat 11/8 -- Cabinteely parkrun. Easy 3.1 miles @ 9:09/mi (Avg HR: 157 bpm)

The plan suggested a 5k race today but I felt that would be overkill after Monday's long run and Wednesday's workout so instead headed off to Cabinteely for the weekly parkrun. No 30' pacer to stick with today but tried to take it easy nevertheless, although it ended up as more of a progression run with a slight burst up the last hill. Splits: 9:41 - 9:10 - 8:44.

Sun 12/8 -- Rest

Weekly total: 21 miles

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead (likely to be re-jigged as the week goes on due to life getting in the way):

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 9 mi run | 20


Mon 13/8 -- Very easy 3.5 miles @ 11:14/mi (Avg HR: 132 bpm)

Out with D for a few random easy miles around the park.

Tue 14/8 -- Orienteering event in Cabinteely Park: 4.2 hilly miles @ 9:25/mi (Avg HR: 160 bpm)

Something different for a change. Discovered by chance that 3ROC were hosting one of their Summer Series events in Cabinteely so decided to give it a go. My last foray into orienteering must have been about 20 years ago but still remember it fondly. Anyway ... registration was straightforward and after a couple of brief instructions off I went map in hand. Cue 40 minutes criss-crossing the park, up and down the evil hills. It was a hard workout and the legs are feeling it the next day but very good fun. The only slight disappointment was that somehow I managed to miss one of the early controls so technically it was a DNF.

Shout out to 3ROC for putting together a very friendly and inclusive event, which seemed well attended with plenty of young kids and families tackling the short course version. Also nice to see how orienteering has moved on with the times; gone are the old needle punches, replaced with electronic timing devices that allow you to get a printout with your result as soon as you finish. The final event results also include time splits between each of the controls for every participant, an almost cruel amount of data for the obsessive to pour over after the event. Still, the shiny new tech hasn't changed one bit the challenge of combining map reading, navigation and running.

Must try this again before another 20 years go by.

MrSkinny

Clew Bay HM - Week 7/12 continued

Wed 15/8 -- Rest

Thu 16/8 -- Very easy 3.2 miles @ 11:12/mi (Avg HR: 123 bpm)

Just a few laps of the local playing fields with D at dusk.

Fri 17/8 -- Rest

Sat 18/8 -- Poolbeg parkrun: 3.1 miles easy @ 9:11/mi (Avg HR: 160 bpm)

After hitting the Cabinteely hills twice already earlier in the week, headed out to Poolbeg for a change of scene on what was a rather muggy morning. Tried to keep effort easy throughout although I did pick it up a tad in the last mile. Followed up with a few S&C exercises once I got home.

Sun 19/8 -- Long run: 6.6 miles @ 10:40/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Another warm and humid morning. Had to cut this a bit short of the planned 9 miles as other commitments got in the way. Not ideal but at least the weekly mileage total was on target.

Weekly total: 20.6 miles

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi pace | Rest | 3 mi run | 10 mi run | 21


Mon 20/8 -- Rest

Tue 21/8 -- Easy 3 miles @ 9:29/mi (Avg HR: 140 bpm)

Legs had been feeling quite good the last couple of days but this run was a bit of a slog, maybe as a result of the late hour and a full dinner not long before.

Wed 22/8 -- Rest

Thu 23/8 -- Rest

Fri 24/8 -- Workout: 1 mi w/u, 4 x 1 mi + 2 mi @ 10k pace with 4' recovery jog, 1 mi c/d (Total: 9.6 miles)

I've been doing lots of easy miles but with the 10k race a couple of weeks away I felt I needed a bit of race pace in the legs. The plan was to do this workout Thursday evening but I felt too tired and postponed it to Friday morning, heading out early before breakfast. The aim was a pace of 7:15 - 7:20 per mile and initially the intention was 6 x 1 mile reps with recovery jogs in between. The first three reps were not far off target even though they were clearly becoming increasingly difficult but the fourth one really knackered me. At that point I decided to increase the recovery jog to 5' and try a sustained effort for the last couple of miles. The reasoning was partly to replicate race conditions and partly to get the session over and done with a bit sooner. I knew I wouldn't be able to hit the target pace so didn't really look at the watch for the last two miles and instead focused on just trying to hit them hard and sustain the effort all the way to the end.

Slightly disappointed that the last 3 reps were so far off the target pace, and not convinced that mitigating circumstances like the fairly stiff breeze, the early hour (HR hardly getting above 160) and the grass surface can fully account for the gap. The outcome of the session casts some doubt on whether going sub 45' on a challenging course in a couple of weeks is achievable but on the plus side it was good to persevere and get through a tough session, which was really a mental workout as much as a physical one.

Splits: 9:23 w/u - 7:17 7:24 7:24 7:45 [7:52 7:49] - 11:09 c/d

Sat 25/8 -- Cabinteely parkrun: 3.1 miles easy @ 9:38/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Sun 26/8 -- Rest

Didn't manage to get out for the long run so a bit of a step-back week in the end, which is OK.

Weekly total: 15.7 miles

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 11 mi run | 22


Mon 27/8 -- Long run: 10.5 miles @ 9:50/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Another run that slipped from the previous day. Headed out early in the morning but this time had some breakfast on board. A beautiful morning for a run: fresh but not cold, partly sunny, a slight breeze. Took things nice and handy but bearing in mind Clew Bay is a hilly course I threw in a few hills in Cabinteely Park between miles 5 and 8. Finished the run in good shape feeling I could have carried on a bit longer; actually much better than the 8 miler from three weeks ago.

Splits: 9:43 9:32 9:38 10:03 10:26 9:44 10:43 10:08 9:25 9:14 (4:37)

Tue 28/8 -- Recovery run: 3 miles @ 9:53/mi (Avg HR: 130 bpm)

Legs still feeling yesterday's long run a bit so let them dictate an easy pace without worrying about the watch at all.

Wed 29/8 -- Rest

Thu 30/8 -- Very easy 3.2 miles @ 11:43/mi

A busy day at work left no room for a planned workout so just got out late in the evening for a slow leg-stretch with D around the local parks.

Fri 31/8 -- Rest

Sat 1/9 -- Workout: 5.2 miles including Cabinteely parkrun @ steady pace 7:49/mi (Avg HR: 163 bpm)

Having missed out Thursday's planned workout and after a few easy/rest days in a row the intention was to do a parkrun 'at pace' however, with the next long run looming, didn't want to go too hard either so settled on a steady HMP (~8:00/mi). Shanganagh was the intended destination but I left the house too late and ended up in Cabinteely again, where one of the speedy runners had decided to pace 25' today and that would provide the perfect target. Felt like the pacer set off a bit fast (easily done in Cabinteely with the downhill start) so let him go but kept him in sight. The steady pace felt comfortable and found myself slowly creeping up to the pacer and pushing past him around the 2 mile mark. Kept honest all the way to the end for a decent workout followed by another mile to cool down.

Sun 2/9 -- Long run: 6.2 miles @ 11:18/mi (Avg HR: 125 bpm)

After clocking up enough miles earlier in the week I didn't intend to get out today and was planning to shift the 11 mile long run to Monday morning, however an outing to Wicklow was unavoidable on such a nice sunny day. Took it nice and easy around the Lower Vartry reservoir trail, which is almost exactly a 10k loop. Considered extending the run a bit to get to at least 9 miles but was wary of overdoing things given the mileage increase this week and the workout the day before so decided this would do for the week. Spent a few minutes soaking in the sunshine and giving the legs a rest in the cool water, when the sight of two chaps in full scuba diving gear walking past us and disappearing into the water provided a somewhat bizarre end to the afternoon.

Weekly total: 28.1 miles

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 5 x 400m @ 5k pace | 1-3 mi run | Rest | Rest | Lakes 10k | Rest | 10-12


Modified the original plan for this week with The Lakes 10k race in mind: one (small) speed session to get some zip in the legs, one short easy run and plenty of rest.

Mon 3/9 -- No running. First volleyball training session of the season.

Tue 4/9 -- Workout: 1.5km w/u, 5 x 400m @ 5k pace with 1' recovery jog, 1.5km c/d

The objective was to do a mini workout to get some speed into the legs ahead of Saturday's race without making it too taxing. Target pace was 1:44-1:47 per lap so about 7:00-7:10/mile. Headed out at lunch time to one of the local playing fields and managed to hit the target pace reasonably comfortably despite the headwind on one of the straights. Total of 3.7 miles.

Splits: 8:33 w/u - 1:42 1:44 1:44 1:44 1:40 - 8:40 c/d

Second volleyball session during the evening. Suddenly noticed my left leg was very sore, mainly around the glute and hip area. Alarm bells going off and can't really tell if it's as a result of the increased running activity over the last few days, anything I did during the earlier volleyball session or the fact I've been chopping and changing runners quite a bit, including a couple of test workouts with a new pair of Brooks Racer ST5. In any case, the only course of action is to stop running for a couple of days and see if the soreness goes away.

Wed 5/9 -- No running

Thu 6/9 -- No running

Fri 7/9 -- Easy 2.1 miles @ 9:40/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Headed out first thing for a few easy laps of the local green to test things out. The leg seems to have settled down so, fingers crossed, all systems go for Blessington.

MrSkinny

Sat 8/9 - The Lakes 10k (Blessington, Co. Wicklow)

Pre Race

I had a score to settle with this course. After reading good things about this race I entered last year's event on the back of a few weeks of solid training, feeling in good shape and confident that a sub-45 finish was achievable. (This was not entirely unrealistic as I went on to set my 5k PB of 21' and change a couple of weeks later.) On the day, however, I fell off the pace after 5k, struggled over the hill and painfully finished outside 46'. The post mortem suggested perhaps not enough endurance training but clearly pointed to the mental breakdown at the halfway mark.

Registered for this year's event determined to avenge last year's experience but left the training a bit late and, come race day, I was feeling a bit apprehensive about my chances. Although I have been doing higher mileage than usual over the last few weeks in preparation for the HM, it's on top of a weak base and the one workout I attempted at the target 10k pace found me a bit wanting.

Same strategy as last year: aim to stay with the 45' pacers all the way to the top of the hill then try to push on a bit from there over the last 3 km. Goal A: sub-45. Goal B: 10k PB (45:36). Goal C: improve on last year's time.

Got to Blessington with D in plenty of time to collect our race numbers, get ready and do a bit of a warm up and stretching while the Half Marathon (starting 15' ahead of the 10k) was getting underway. Conditions were reasonably good: the earlier rain had cleared and although the sun was trying to peek through the clouds it would stay fairly cool but humid throughout. A couple of last-minute strides trying not to feel out of place alongside some of the club runners who would be at the sharp end and we were called to the starting line. Slotted in behind the two 45' pacers and was chatting to one of them about their intended strategy when suddenly a single blow of an air horn sent us on our way. I completely missed the starting line (no gantry and didn't notice a timing mat) so ended up starting my watch late. Quite late as it turned out, as my lap alerts were buzzing a good 70-80 meters after the km markers and my final watch time was about 20 seconds short of the chip time.

KM 1-5

No congestion to worry about given the fairly small field and straightaway tagged onto the back of the small group that formed around the 45' pacers. Initially the pace felt surprisingly easy and comfortable (even managed to take in some of the scenery) but the effort increased steadily as we were making our way over the rolling country roads. One or two people falling off the group and a headphone-clad runner, in his own bubble and completely oblivious of those around him, cutting right across my running line and forcing me to check my stride the only things to note.

After about 3 km the pacers started pulling away as we were heading towards a more significant drag ahead and very quickly a wave of negative thoughts started swirling around my head: 'you're falling off the pace even earlier than last year', 'clearly the sub-45 was never realistic', 'no shame in stopping' ... Somehow I managed to keep the negativity at bay and keep going but the next 2 km were a tough grind. The pace group had pulled ahead but was still in sight and, crucially, the knowledge that the course would soon turn more favourable really helped to hang on. Later, looking at the Strava splits from one of the pacers, it's clear that on this section they had lifted the pace to a metronomical 4:25/km in order to bank a bit of time before the hill and I had just struggled to do likewise.

4:33 4:23 4:30 4:34 4:31

KM 6-9

Water station just after the halfway mark. Declined the offer of a water bottle as I wasn't really thirsty and, although it was humid and could have done with a bit of water over my head, I didn't want the distraction and instead decided to focus on keeping the effort going. Sharp right turn immediately after the water station and the cheering from a small group of noisy supporters was a real boost - amazing what even the smallest bit of encouragement can do. Almost instantly the pace lifted, helped no doubt by the next km being mostly downhill towards the Liffey. This is the section where the wheels came off last year but this time it felt like the bad patch was behind me.

Over the river and onto the dreaded hill shortly after the 6 km marker. Told myself 'this is where you cash in all the training runs in Cabinteely park', made a conscious decision not to look too far ahead and just focused on driving up the hill hard. Breading very heavily at this stage, passed quite a few runners on the incline and I don't think I was passed so the approach seemed to work. After cresting the hill I was fairly spent and took a bit longer than planned to recover, allowing two of the runners I had overtaken to pass me again. In hindsight, at this point I should have made more of an effort to try and go with them as they both finished well inside 45' and would have probably towed me back to the pace group.

After recovering from the hill I managed to lift the pace again into the low 4:20s for the next couple of km, which are a combination of flat and steadily downhill sections as the course makes its way back down towards the starting area. I was working hard and passing plenty of runners here; mostly half marathoners I suppose but the psychological boost from overtaking was still effective. With the watch out of sync it was difficult to tell if I was on target or not but I could see I was gaining on the two yellow balloons and at this point I really felt confident that I would slowly reel them in.

Despite the effort and hurt involved this was the most enjoyable section of the race. In my mind's eye I was flying along, eating up the ground with every stride and the sub-45 was definitely on. Haven't done many 10k races but it was the first time I've experienced such a feeling at a stage in the race when I would normally be dying inside - a feeling of joy is the only way I can describe it. How is that even possible after almost quitting a few km earlier?

4:21 5:04 4:22 4:23

Last KM

The last km is a bit of a blur but I distinctly remember it felt really hard in contrast. At some point the road took a turn and suddenly there was a noticeable headwind combined with what felt like an interminable uphill drag. I hadn't quite managed to close the gap and was now a bit isolated, still working hard but losing ground again and not really able to kick for home.

Passed the 500m to go sign and the finish line still nowhere in sight. Keep pushing. Slight downhill to the small bridge ahead but how far still to the finish line? I had warmed up on that section of the road but could just not recall. Finally it came into view as I was rounding the last bend. Slight moment of disbelief as I initially misread the clock under the gantry and thought I was outside 46' again but thankfully the 6 became a 5 as I got closer. Crossed the line just behind the pacers with 45:17 or so on the race clock. I knew I'd have a few seconds in hand on my chip time but surely not that many.

Had to take a few moments to catch my breath before I could exchange a few words with one of pacers to thank them for providing a target to aim for throughout the race. They both really nailed the job, coming in just a handful of seconds inside the 45' target time.

4:09 (0.93 km) - probably more like 4:30 for the last full km.

Post Race

Hung around the finish line cheering on other finishers while waiting for D to come in (comfortably inside 60') then a light jog to cool down as my legs were starting to cramp. Changed into dry gear and enjoyed one of the famous blueberry muffins with a nice cup of tea, feeling on a bit of a high after the race. The results were available online before we even left the car park and confirmed my suspicion that I'd be just outside the target but was good for a PB at 45:10.

Yes, ever so slightly disappointed to miss out on Goal A by a small margin and to have faded a bit in the last km but really pleased to walk away with what I felt was a hard-earned PB on a challenging course and, perhaps more importantly, very satisfied with the manner in which I got through the rough patch in the middle of the race. Score settled and a real confidence boost that things are heading in the right direction. The sub-45 is there for the taking on a kinder course.

A couple of things to think about: firstly, maybe next time try I should try running alongside the pacers as opposed to just behind as it may be easier to stay with the group if/when the pace changes; secondly, the ability to lift the pace and put in a slight surge at key moments is probably something to work on.

A final note on the event. This is a well organised race by the local running club on a very nice and challenging course (closed rolling country roads, testing hill) that attracts a relatively small field with a good range of abilities from elite to casual runners. Will surely be back at some stage.

Chip time: 45:10 (PB)
Position: 58/289 (18th M40)
Splits: (skewed by delayed watch start)
4:33 4:23 4:30 4:34 4:31 4:21 5:04 4:22 4:23 4:09 (0.93 km)

Went on a bit but, hey, it's the excitement of a first race report.

Sun 9/9 -- No running.

Strained lower back replacing a flat tyre with the inadequately small wrench that came with the car. Wasn't planning on running for a couple of days but with the lingering hip niggle to worry about I could really do without the sore back.

Weekly total: 13.4 miles

MrSkinny

Plan for the week ahead:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 5 mi run | Rest | 3 mi run | 12 mi run | 23


The original plan for this week has me jumping back to four sessions a week but between recovering from the race and the various niggles I think I'll be happy to get out for one or two easy runs in addition to the long run, which should be unmissable and the crucial session ahead of next week.

Mon 10/9 -- No running

Fairly intense volleyball training session. Haven't had one of these for a while. Good aerobic workout.

Tue 11/9 -- No running

A more casual volleyball session today. Body a bit creaky after yesterday's exploits.

Wed 12/9 -- No running

Thu 13/9 -- Easy 3.2 miles @ 9:36/mi (AvgHR: 146 bpm)

Finally managed to get out for a few easy miles on grass to test the body after the race. Legs wanted to go and had to make a deliberate effort to keep the pace handy. Nice to be back in the fresh air again.

Fri 14/9 -- Very easy 5.1 miles @ 11:01/mi (AvgHR: 135 bpm)

Headed out with D for a few miles around Cabinteely. Still in recovery mode after the race so happy with the very easy pace.

Sat 15/9 -- No running. Volleyball tournament.

Sun 16/9 -- Long run: 12 mi @ 10:01/mi in 2:00:20 (AvgHR: 145 bpm)

Nice sunny late afternoon for a run, warm with a slight breeze. Headed out with the intention of covering the 12 miles in around 2 hours and the average was spot on. First half of the run nice and easy, mostly flat and on grass in Kilbogget Park, then a bit of climbing for the next couple of miles to get across Cabinteely Park and onto Foxrock. Pace recovered fine after the climb and was feeling grand all the way to the end of mile 10 then suddenly the run became a plod, form went out the window, shoulders felt tight and even the runners started bothering me. The Kipchoge-like fluidity of the earlier miles turned into a slog for the last couple of miles.

Lack of nutrition or hydration is probably the explanation. I have been wondering about how to approach this for the HM and, as an experiment, deliberately decided to head out without any water but with a bit of dried fruit in my back pocket to be taken at mile 10. Clearly too late and will need to manage this differently during the race next week. Slightly uncharted territory.

Lower back still a bit sore but not too noticeable during the run.

Splits:
9:37 9:40 9:49 9:42 9:45 9:52
10:17 11:13 10:07 9:46 10:14 10:08

Weekly total: 20.3 miles

MrSkinny

This is it - race week:

Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday|Mileage
Rest | 3 mi run | Rest | 2 mi pace | Rest | Clew Bay HM | Recovery! | 20


Mon 17/9 -- No running. Volleyball training.

Tue 18/9 -- No running

Too fatigued after yesterday's session so the easy 3 miles parked for the next day.

Wed 19/9 -- No running

Storm Ali, a long day at work and some other stuff conspired to stop me from running again.

Thu 20/9 -- Easy-ish 4 miles @ 9:05/mi (AvgHR: 139 bpm)

Finally managed to get out for a few easy/med miles including a mile or so at MP in the middle. Plenty of debris to negotiate after the storm.

Fri 21/9 -- No running

A walk to stretch the legs after the long drive to Westport turned into a two-hour hike around Murrisk and the foothills of Croagh Patrick. No ill effects. Large bowl of pasta and a sneaky beer to round the day off. Forecast looking good for tomorrow.

MrSkinny

Sat 22/9 -- Clew Bay Half Marathon (Louisburgh, Co. Mayo)

Pre Race

This race was always going to be a venture into unknown territory, both in terms of the course and the distance (10k being my longest race to date). The outcome of the race in Blessington a fortnight before gave me confidence that I was in reasonably good shape but I wanted to ensure my maiden half marathon was an enjoyable experience, so I decided against chasing a specific time and opted instead for a conservative approach: go with the 2h pacers until about halfway then assess the situation and go from there. Anything inside 2h would be great - just don't crash and burn during your first half marathon.

Between one thing and another ended up a bit pushed for time and only managed a shortened warm up: barely a 1k jog and a few rushed stretches whilst listening to the organisers' brief instructions before the start. Wished D good luck for her 10k (starting 30' after the half) and followed the group to the starting line just a couple of hundred metres up the hill from the finish area. Slotted in next to the 2h pacers and a couple of minutes later we were on our way, past the chearing crowd gathered to see us off.

After wondering what character-building weather we might get out West in late September, conditions on the day were absolutely perfect: cool, overcast and no wind to speak of.

Miles 1-5

Having studied the course profile on Strava I expected the first half of the course would be mostly uphill and so it proved; not a very steep incline but a steady climb all the way to the highest point on the course around the 5 mile mark. With that in mind, resisted the temptation to push ahead when the early pace felt too easy and stuck with the 2h pacers, who were doing a great job setting a steady tempo for the small group of 10 or 12 hopefuls that had gathered around them.

This section of the race was all about keeping things nice and controlled, maintaining the effort on the uphill and making the most of the easier sections, and all the while enjoying the fabulous scenery south of Louisburgh. About 3 miles in I picked up a discarded water bottle and started taking small sips every now and then. After doing all my long training runs without any kind of fluid or fuel intake, I decided to play it safer on race day and ensure I stayed at least well hydrated throughout.

9:01 9:02 9:03 8:56 9:05

Miles 6-11

After 5 miles the course takes a 90-degree turn right and heads west onto a downhill section. Immediately, and almost unconsciously, the pace increased slightly and 3 or 4 of us found ourselves drifting ahead, at which point the pacer that had gone with us decided to pull back and get back on pace. As I was feeling comfortable I decided to keep going at the slightly faster pace but at the same time tried not to get carried away because I knew there would be some more climbing to do before halfway.

The couple of miles after the halfway point are downhill and in this section I allowed myself to start picking up the pace a bit more. I was feeling good and started to overtake people, including the few runners that had drifted ahead of the 2h pace group, although I was still wary of overdoing things with quite a few miles still left to come.

Shortly before the 8 mile mark I decided to break the cardinal rule of not trying anything new on race day, shoved a few gummy bears into my mouth and let them disintegrate slowly, washing them down with sips of water over the course of the next few miles. I had taken a handful of gummy bears in my back pocket to be taken in case of an emergency but as the effort level was increasing I decided to get proactive and experiment. It's hard to tell what impact they had or what would have happened if I hadn't taken them but there were no ill effects and probably they helped a little bit.

After 8.5 miles the course takes a sharp right turn and heads northeast back towards Louisburgh. Two things became immediately obvious after the turn: a slight but noticeable headwind and a long drag ahead with a strung out file of runners all the way up the road as far as I could make out. At this point the competitive instinct had taken over and there was no question about what to do: keep the pace going, target the next runner ahead, pass decisively, rinse, repeat. Managed a steady effort for the next few miles, lost count of how many runners I was overtaking but all the while was half-expecting the wheels to come off.

8:42 8:38 8:11 8:18 8:14 8:24

Miles 12-13.1

Once I got to 11 miles I finally felt confident I would make it to the finish in one piece and, for the first time, I checked my running time: 1h35 and change. Could I squeeze in just inside 1h50? Probably not but, hey, let's give it a lash. Somehow the legs found another gear, although I could feel things were getting a bit tight. Onto the last mile and yet another drag to be dealt with before the final sweeping bend back into Louisburgh and a fast downhill stretch to the line, overtaking all the way and finishing strong with the clock showing 1:50:xx.

7:28 7:14 (0:30)

Post Race

Needed a few moments to catch my breath after the fast finish before I could catch up with D, who was feeling very pleased with her 10k and, as we found out later, had actually managed to bag a decent PB on what by all accounts is also a very challenging course. Watched a few of the finishers and was pleased to see the pacers come in bang on target with just a handful of seconds to spare. Managed a short jog to cool down before tucking into the wonderful spread on offer.

Spent the rest of the afternoon cycling around Westport before going for a slap up meal in a local pub. The cycling must have helped with the recovery because I was expecting the legs to be in bits the following day but they felt absolutely fine and even managed a couple of hours of hilly cycling in Achill before heading back to the big smog.

Very pleased with the outcome. Thoroughly enjoyed the half marathon distance, which was the main objective, and even felt I ended up having raced it more than I perhaps expected if that makes sense. Not having a time target and a conservative approach definitely paid off this time in my opinion. Will now take a break from running for a few days to ensure I'm well recovered (lower back still a bit sore) and to plan the next episode.

Chip time: 1:50:40
Position: 80/188 (39th M40)
Splits: 9:01 9:02 9:03 8:56 9:05 8:42 8:38 8:11 8:18 8:14 8:24 7:28 7:14 (0:30)
Avg pace: 8:28/mi
Avg HR: 159 bpm

Sun 23/9 -- No running

A couple of hours cycling along the hilly coastal roads of Achill. Another beautiful if breezier day and some seriously steep ramps to be negotiated, which the legs didn't seem to have any complaints about.

Weekly total: 18.5 miles

Mulberry

Well done, a great first Half.

MrSkinny

Mulberry wrote: »

Well done, a great first Half.

Thanks ... and you have the honour of leaving the first comment on this log!

MrSkinny

Sat 29/9 -- Easy 5.1 miles including Cabinteely parkrun @ 9:17/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

Itching to get out again after an entire week without any running and having been kept busy with a house move - an active recovery of sorts. Saturday morning and with the park now practically on my doorstep there was only ever going to be one destination. Approached today very much as a systems check to see where the body stood; a few creaks and groans but eventually things fell into place and had a very enjoyable run on what was a gorgeous morning. Good vibe in Cabinteely with Crusaders having taken over the parkrun today.

Weekly total: 5.1 miles

Wubble Wubble

Nicely done. SIL ran that one a couple of years back. You certainly didn't pick an easy one for your first half

MrSkinny

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

Nicely done. SIL ran that one a couple of years back. You certainly didn't pick an easy one for your first half

Thanks. Certainly a challenging course but perhaps not as bad as I had imagined, and luckily the conditions turned out to be perfect; if storm Ali had hit a couple of days later it would have been an entirely different story!

ReeReeG

Well done on the HM! What's next, or have you thought that far ahead?

MrSkinny

ReeReeG wrote: »

Well done on the HM! What's next, or have you thought that far ahead?

Thanks. A timely question, as I have actually been giving my next move a fair bit of thought over the last few days. I find that without the focal point of a target race and a plan around it my commitment tends to wane and it's very easy to get out less and less. It's nearly a fortnight since the Half and I've been out twice, which is fine because some downtime is necessary and I needed to nurse a couple of stubborn niggles, but I can see the trend easily continuing.

For the time being I'm seeing my foray into the HM distance as a bit of a one-off and I'd like to concentrate on improving my 5k/10k times or, if anything, go even shorter and give middle distance a crack. In the short term I am thinking of targeting the Jingle Bells 5k with the aim of taking a good chunk off my PB and get as close to 20' as possible. There are exactly 8 weeks to go, which is perfect to fit a distance-specific plan into it.

After that, if the body is still game, I would really like to find the commitment to build a good base over the winter months for a change, incorporating as many of the BHAA XC events as possible, to set me up for whatever comes in the spring. Then, who knows, I have a couple of ideas but nothing definite yet - need to see how the next 3 or 4 months go before getting too carried away.

MrSkinny

Thu 4/10 -- Easy-Med 5 miles @ 9:48/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Headed out before breakfast with the intention to run a few random loops around the Park and ended up alternating easy and hilly miles. Struggled a bit with the second hill but kept plugging away and the last mile turned into a bit of a plod. Turned out to be a harder workout than the easy run I had in mind when setting off. Splits: 9:27 10:02 9:21 10:17 9:56

Sat 6/10 -- 5.4 miles including Cabinteely parkrun @ 7:35/mi (Avg HR: 160 bpm)

Beautiful crisp morning for a run. Today I felt really good during a very easy warm-up, including a couple of strides thrown in for good measure, and was debating whether to start near the front with the sharpish folks but was caught out by the RD starting us off while I was chatting to the tail walker, so that meant a start from the back. Decided to run by feel and steadily worked my way through the field at what felt like a decent pace but it took me a lap and a bit to catch up with the 25' pacer, who seemed to be slightly ahead of schedule. Stuck with him until the end of the 2nd lap then, feeling comfortable, decided to push on a bit and enjoyed a tussle with one of the regulars who likes to surge when overtaken. Often he'll get the better of me but today it was my day, although it took me a couple of goes to drop him - good practice for a future race. Still feeling strong caught up with a group of three runners ahead and unsuccessfully tried to get a bit of shelter from the breeze along the more exposed section of the course before pressing on past them and onto the final climb. It felt like a good solid workout without being an all out effort so was a bit surprised to discover afterwards on Strava that it was my fastest time ever for the long lap (by a couple of seconds) and I had equalled my PR on the climb segment. A warm-down mile rounded off the morning.

Sun 7/10 -- Easy 5.1 miles @ 9:35/mi (Avg HR: 139 bpm)

A few easy miles, mostly on grass, to round off the week. Legs felt a little heavy.

Weekly total: 15.5 miles

MrSkinny

Better post this without further delay ... Next target race will be Donore's Jingle Bells 5K on 1 December, aiming to lower my 21:11 PB and to get as close to 20' as possible. With eight weeks to go there's a good bit of time for a build up. I wasn't taken by any of the ready-made plans so have put together something a bit more bespoke based on the advice in some of the 5k-specific posts here. Will try to follow the following weekly structure (adjusted on the fly to work around real life):

Monday | No running (VB training).
Tuesday | Interval session. Starting with 400m intervals and building up to a session consisting of 3 x 1 mile @ race pace a couple of weeks out from race day.
Wednesday | Easy run
Thursday | Workout. Typically a tempo run or perhaps hill repeats. Replaced by an easy run on XC race weeks.
Friday | Rest
Saturday | Easy run. Replaced by the BHAA XC races on a couple of specific dates.
Sunday | LSR. Build up to 10 miles 2 or 3 weeks into the plan and stay there.


It's one additional session per week compared to the HM plan so we'll see if that is feasible or not. Expect weekly mileage will be in the 20-25 mile range; a bit on the low side perhaps but I think that is the volume I can manage at present. Mental note to try and incorporate a few strength/flexibility sessions along the way.

MrSkinny

Mon 8/10 -- VB training.

Tue 9/10 -- 3.6 miles easy @ 9:15/mi (unreliable HR measurement)

Ran home after volleyball session. Not the most exciting route but a good way of clocking a few easy miles on a mild evening.

Wed 10/10 -- XT?

No running today but cycled in and out of work: a 14 mile round-trip in about 1h. Usually this is taken fairly easy but today I was a bit pushed for time on the way back and had to give it some welly, so we'll count it in as a XT session.

Fri 12/10 -- 3.1 miles very easy @ 10:47/mi (unreliable HR measurement)

Garmin playing up again. Usually I wear it fairly tight on my wrist but lately it goes through patches when it's measuring over 200 bpm during easy-paced runs.

Sat 13/10 -- 5.1 miles including Shanganagh parkrun @ 6:48/mi (Avg HR: 169 bpm) -- New 5k PB

After the Teachers XC race was cancelled I decided to take the opportunity to give a parkrun a good lash to get a good indication of what shape I'm in. Based on my recent 10k PB I expected my 5k time would be around 21:30 give or take a few seconds. Headed down to Shanganagh Park on what was a fairly wet morning as I didn't want the Cabinteely hills to skew the experiment. Coincidentally, the 3 times I've run Shanganagh parkrun have all been in very wet conditions. Decided to complete the experiment by running entirely by feel and, although I still used my watch to track my time and splits, I turned off all alarms, set it to display time of day and resolved not to even glance at it during the run.

Started a few rows from the front and went out hard but not all-out, slowly picking off a few other runners over the first km, at which point a very strong buggy runner who had started from the back went past and surged ahead. Onto the first long lap trying to keep the pace steady, overtook another few runners as the course goes around the first playing field and with 2 km gone I was working hard but feeling comfortable. Passed another couple of runners early on in the 3rd km and was closing in on buggy runner when suddenly he went straight ahead across a small patch of woodland, cutting out a slight dogleg in the tarmac path. I followed out of inertia, wondering if the course had been modified since I was last here, as a marshall was making its way over to block off that particular junction but the few moments hesitating about which way to go killed my momentum and the two runners I had overtaken shortly before were right on my tail again, so not much gained from the slight shortcut. Finally caught up with buggy runner as we were aproaching the end of the second lap and got around him shortly afterwards, as a youngster was calling out split times at the 3k mark: twelve thirty-something ... or was it forty-something? Didn't really worry about it that much but sounded decent enough.

Halfway through the 4th km the view opens up and I could make out what looked like a lone leader on the opposite side of the playing field, a group of 3 or 4 runners some distance behind, then another gap to a loose group of 3 still some distance ahead of me. With both lapped runners and walkers on the course I couldn't be sure it was an exact count but it looked like I was top 10, which gave me a bit of a boost at a point when I was really starting to feel the effort. The thought that this was the only workout of the week, combined with the possibility of making up a few places, helped me to keep pushing through this section.

Onto the final km and the 3 ahead were slowly coming back to me but it wasn't until 400m to go or so, with the finish line in sight, that I was close enough to do anything about it. Got past two of them, heard footsteps behind me so picked up the pace and got onto the shoulder of the third of them, then a decisive kick to get past and sprint to the line. For all I know the other lads might have been on their Saturday morning stroll but I was on a mission.

The finish token said 6th place and my watch said 20:44 ... woo-hoo! Later on the official results would surprisingly bring this down to 20:38. Regardless of the actual time, delighted with the run and no doubt this was my fastest 5k to date, so a new PB (perhaps with a small asterisk against it) but the main conclusion of the day is that a 20' attempt at Jingle Bells seems like a realistic target. Plenty of hard work to be done between now and then but this result is great motivation. Clearly I'm still at a stage when even modest amounts of consistent training translate into improvements.

Splits: 6:49 6:57 6:41 0:16

Sun 14/10 -- No (meaningful) running.

First volleyball match of the season. The intention was to get out for a long run later in the day but it didn't happen in the end, which leaves me a bit low on mileage for the week, so I'll cheekily include the one easy warm-up mile before the match.

Weekly total: 12.9

MrSkinny

Mon 15/10 -- Long run: 1h easy - 6.3 miles @ 9:40/mi (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

Spillover from previous week. Nice morning to be out and about. Incipient sore throat didn't seem to have much of an impact on the run. VB training session in the evening.

Tue 16/10 -- No running

The intention was to run home after VB and get a few easy miles in but plans changed and ended up having to drive, then was too tired when I got home so canned the run.

Wed 17/10 -- Workout: 15' easy + 10' @ 10k pace + 15' easy

For the tempo section of the workout I found a flatish loop on the lower part of Cabinteely Park, the first half of the loop mostly a gradual uphill into a fair breeze and the second half the opposite. As the target pace I had in mind something in the 7:00-7:15/mi range. Hard work and glad to complete the 2nd loop and get back to the easier pace. Total of 4.6 miles in 40'. Avg pace for each section: 9:11/mi 7:15/mi 9:07/mi.

Thu 18/10 -- 3.2 miles easy @ 10:08/mi (Avg HR: 148 bpm)

Cycle commute. The head torch I had misplaced for months finally surfaced so had to go out and test it in a very dark Cabinteely park. Legs feeling a bit tight after yesterday so kept it to just over 30'.

Fri 19/10 -- No running

Sat 20/10 -- No running but plenty of walking.

Sun 21/10 -- Long run: 1h easy - 6.25 miles @ 9:43/mi (Avg HR: 148 bpm)

Family weekend away in Barcelona but managed to get away for a few easy miles with the family still asleep. I was expecting to be the only muppet out and about at 8:30 AM on a Sunday morning and was really surprised by the amount of runners and cyclists already up at that time. Lots of walking again for the rest of the day.

Weekly total: 20.3 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 22/10 -- No running

Tue 23/10 -- Workout: 15'easy + 8' @ 10k pace + 2' jog + 6' @ 10k + 15' easy

Home for a few days. For the tempo sections I decided to use a long stretch of unpaved path along the river that flows across town, which turned out to be just about long enough to accommodate the whole of the 8' interval. Target pace was 7:00-7:15 per mile and both tempo intervals, the first into a slight headwind, felt comfortably hard but doable. Total of 5.65 miles in 47' or so. Avg page for each section (minutes/mile): 9:02 7:08 9:52 7:01 8:58

Wed 24/10 -- No running

Thu 25/10 -- Easy run: 5 miles easy @ 9:20/mi (Avg HR: 141)

A few easy miles around a nearby forest park along the river. Mostly flat but very mixed terrain.

Fri 26/10 -- No running

Sat 27/10 -- 5 miles easy @ 9.02/mi including Cabinteely parkrun (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Very cold morning. I think a hectic week with a bit of travel and several late nights finally caught up with me. Started the run brightly but soon the legs felt really heavy so decided to back off and take it easy, which was the intention anyway.

Sun 28/10 -- Long run: 80' easy - 8.1 miles @ 9:50/mi (Avg HR: 134 bpm)

Another step in the build up to a weekly 10 mile long run. Left it a bit late to get out and with the time change this was run in the dark.

Weekly total: 23.8 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 29/10 -- Rest

Tue 30/10 -- 4 miles easy @ 9:43/mi (Avg HR: 134 bpm)

A few easy miles to get home after the volleyball session.

Wed 31/10 -- Workout: 12x400m @ 5k pace with 200m recovery jog

The original (and perhaps slightly ambitious) plan was to try and do two sessions per week (speed intervals + tempo run) but so far I had only managed to squeeze in one workout per week and hadn't done any speed work, so this time decided to start the week with an interval session. Headed down to the Kilbogget track and after a couple of half-hearted form drills got down to business. I think the splits were roughly in line with what the calculators suggest based on my recent race times. Very slow 200m jog recoveries between each lap (and actually a walk recovery after the first 6 reps) but pleased to be able to maintain pace and effort all the way through, even though the last 3 or 4 reps felt quite tough. Noticed form going to pot at times so that's something to work on. Total of 6.5 miles for the day.

Splits:
1:31 1:38 1:35 1:38 1:35 1:36
1:36 1:39 1:36 1:37 1:38 1:35

Thu 1/11 -- Rest

Legs still feeling the session a little bit.

Fri 2/11 -- No running

Noticed the legs feeling nice and strong during the cycle commute today. Great feeling after Wednesday's hard workout.

Sat 3/11 -- Workout: w/u + 8' @ 10k pace + 2' jog + 6' @ 10k + c/d (inc. Cabinteely parkrun)

Felt good this morning so decided to turn the parkrun into a bit of a session and I figured that a repeat of last week's tempo run would fit in nicely. I took the first lap easy as an extension of the warm up, picked up the pace at the start of the second lap for the 1st 8' tempo section, which worked out to be an entire long lap almost exactly, then a short recovery jog at the start of the third lap and picked up the pace again all the way to the finish. Target pace for the tempo sections was 7:00-7:15/mile, which I managed to hit reasonably comfortably thanks to the downhill start of both sections and was able to maintain during the uphills. Total of 7.6 miles in about 43'. Avg page for each section (minutes/mile): 10:17 7:11 8:43 7:10 10:53

Sun 4/11 -- No running

Volleyball match in the morning. After the match and yesterday's workout decided to park the long run until Monday morning. It leaves the weekly mileage a bit on the low side but it will hopefully be made up next week.

Weekly total: 15.3 miles

MrSkinny

The previous week was a bit heavy on workouts relative to the overall mileage so the aim for this week is to restore a bit of balance and focus on easy miles.

Mon 5/11 -- Long run: 90' easy - 8.9 miles @ 10:11/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Had to drop the car off at the garage first thing so decided to get the long run in on the way back via the Clonkeen, Kilbogget and Cabinteely parks. Target was 90' easy. The legs were actually feeling heavier than the day before so I just let the body dictate things without worrying about pace or distance. It was helpful that the auto lap function on the watch was still turned off. About one hour into the run started feeling livelier so threw in a couple of short hilly laps in Cabinteely Park before the end of the run.

Tue 6/11 -- 4 miles easy @ 10:00/mi

Another uninspiring run home after the volleyball session.

Wed 7/11 -- No running. Generally tired after a bad night's sleep.

Thu 8/11 -- 4.5 miles very easy @ 11:15/mi (Avg HR: 129 bpm)

An even worse night's sleep and very tired the whole day but managed to drag myself out for a few *very* slow miles around Cabinteely Park.

Fri 9/11 -- 45' easy - 4.4 miles @ 10:33/mi

A few (unplanned) easy miles with D after dinner. Sluggish.

Sat 10/11 -- 5.1 miles easy @ 9:25/mi inc. Cabinteely parkrun

During the warm up jog to the start of the parkrun I very quickly concluded that an easy run was going to be the only reasonable option today. Having people around naturally resulted in a slightly faster pace but didn't have much energy to get out of second gear, even though I couldn't resist a bit of a sprint up the final hill. I had considered entering the Clane 10k as a tune-up race and glad that in the end I decided against it as, in hindsight, it would have probably been a bit of a fiasco today.

Sun 11/11 -- No running. Volleyball match.

Low energy levels for most of the week due to a combination of poor sleep, a bit of stress and perhaps a slight hangover from the previous week, but at least managed to clock a decent amount of easy miles.

Weekly total: 26.8 miles

MrSkinny

Hopefully this will be a more enjoyable week. A bit of foreign travel for work should afford the chance to explore a new area and some parkrun tourism. Looking forward to it.

Mon 12/11 -- Long run: 90' easy - 9.3 miles @ 9:41/mi

A lot more bounce as soon as I set off mid morning for the weekly long run around Kilbogget Park, including the customary track mile. Legs tiring towards the end but managed to keep them ticking over and the effort stayed on the easy end of the scale. A positive start to the week.

Tue 13/11 -- Rest

Wed 14/11 -- 30' easy - 3.1 miles @ 9:56/mi

Just a short easy run around the park before setting off for Boston.

Thu 15/11 -- 45' easy - 4.5 miles @ 10:18/mi

Awake early due to the jet lag so decided to head out at sunrise to loosen up the legs and explore the paths and trails of Olmsted Park and The Riverway, which are part of a series of linked parkways and waterways making up what's known as the Emerald Necklace. Great resource to have in the middle of a big city and just a slight shame to have missed the best of the autumn colours. Plenty of joggers and cyclists out and about despite the early hour and the sub-zero temperatures.

Fri 16/11 -- Workout: 6x800m @ 5k pace

Whilst researching the Brookline area on Google Maps I noticed an athletics track round the corner from where I was staying and wondered if it would be a public facility. Sure enough, Harry Downes Field includes an eight-lane track in great condition, football and baseball fields, a playground and a picnic area completely open for everybody's enjoyment. Great location on the edge of a residential area and across from Olmsted Park. It really would have been remiss of me not to make use of this fantastic facility for a workout. I can imagine the place being very popular in good weather but, with the temperature just above freezing and a little bit of the previous evening's snow still on the ground, I had the place to myself.

The session consited of 6x800m with a 400m jog recovery between reps (roughly about 2'), which I shortened to a 200m recovery before the last two reps. McMillan suggested a target of 3:05-3:15 per 800m but I try not to get too obsessed and let the legs find their pace. The session was hard work but felt easier than the 400m reps I did a couple of weeks earlier. Maybe the pace was a shade slower or the recoveries a tad generous ... or maybe I enjoy cold conditions. Total of 6.75 miles including w/u and c/d.

Splits: 3:15 3:21 3:19 3:16 3:19 3:16

Sat 17/11 -- 5.24 miles easy(ish) @ 9:28/mi inc. Jamaica Pond parkrun

Another factor in my decision to stay in Brookline instead of downtown Boston was the proximity to the only parkrun in this part of the country. Jamaica Pond parkrun is run by a very friendly crew and is a relatively new addition to the family having only started at the end of March. The course consists of two laps of Jamaica Pond (which, as I was reliably informed by the run director, was a favourite training ground of American marathon legend Bill Rodgers); first loop clockwise then a second loop counter-clockwise after a turn-around point, not quite pancake flat but just a few gentle undulations. A lovely setting for a run especially on a cold and sunny morning. Conscious of the previous day's workout, tried hard not to get carried away but invariably the pace crept up as the run went on, and afterwards the cool-down mile back to base felt like a slog, a clear sign that the legs need a bit of a break.

Sun 18/11 -- Rest

Weekly total: 28.9 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 19/11 -- Long run: 90' easy - 8.65 miles @ 10.02/mi

Last day in Boston and the plan was to get up early to squeeze in a long run before the start of the working day and the trip back home but woke up feeling a bit rough after the previous day's activities (day out at Fenway Park for the Super 11's Hurling Classic, followed by one or two drinks too many) and the prospect of a long run in the cold rain was decidedly not appealing. After feeling miserable for about an hour, trying to justify to myself that it was OK to skip the run, my window of opportunity was closing; another quick look out the window and the rain appeared to have eased off ... "feck it - when are you going to be in Boston again? just get out and if you feel too rough then cut the run short". After that kick up the backside, scoffed down a bagel and banana whilst getting changed and off I went.

Felt better as soon as I stepped outside into the fresh air and the legs were full of bounce heading down towards Jamaica Pond. Got a little bit lost trying to find the link-up to the Arnold Arboretum, the next 'jewel' in the Emerald Necklace, but got there eventually. Another super place; 281 acres of green space offering a myriad of opportunities for the runner: tarmac paths, off-road trails, hills. Lovely even on a drab autumn day - must be magnificent on a nice day. Managed a long loop roughly around the perimeter of the park and it was time to head back; sadly not enough time to go onto the even larger Franklin Park.

Maintained an easy steady pace throughout with brief interruptions to ask for directions and road crossings. The legs responded well and didn't actually seem to get as fatigued as in previous long runs even though, with the rain, my core started getting really cold from halfway. Glad I dragged myself out.

So goodbye Boston and thank you for some splendid running opportunities over the last few days. Hope to visit again at some point.

Tue 20/11 -- Rest

Wed 21/11 -- Rest

MrSkinny

Jingle Bells 5K - Week 7/8 continued

Thu 22/11 -- 5 miles easy @ 10:00/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Still not completely recovered from the travel but went out at lunch time to try and get back into the swing of things. Long zig-zags to make my way up to the top of Cabinteely Park as gently as possible but felt heavy-legged throughout and it was a harder effort than the average pace would suggest. Still, another few miles in the bank.

Fri 23/11 -- 30' very easy - 2.9 miles @ 11:17/mi (Avg HR: 133 bpm)

Cycle commute today (14 miles). Then a few easy clicks with D after dark. Sluggish to start with, then had to watch our step during a very dark wooded section in Cabinteely park but the pace picked up in the latter part of the run.

Sat 24/11 -- Workout: w/u + 10/7/4 minutes @ 10k pace with 2' jog + c/d (inc. Shanganagh parkrun)

Despite not feeling great after a poor night's sleep, headed down to Shanganagh Park with the aim of turning the parkrun into a bit of a session. Felt better during the warm up so decided to press on with it. The initial plan was 2-3 minutes easy at the start to let congestion ease off, then 10 and 8 minute intervals at 10k pace (7:00-7:15 per mile) with a 2 minute jog recovery in between, which should hopefully take me to the end of the parkrun. Managed to hit the sharper end of the target pace range without having to force things and tried to keep it nice and controlled throughout. Coming towards the end of the parkrun I could see the timing wasn't going to work out and the second interval would come up a bit short, so decided to collect my token and immediately carry on with another 2' recovery and a shorter 4' interval at pace. This one felt a little harder but still reasonably comfortable. Total of 6 miles for the session (Avg HR: 150 bpm).

Splits: 9:46 6:59 8:48 6:57 9:49 7:01 9:42

Sun 25/11 -- 1h easy - 6 miles @ 10:07/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Easy trot around the Lower Vartry reservoir with D. Always a lovely place to run but today it felt particularly splendid and colourful despite it being deep November already. Fairly nippy to start with but once warmed up it turned into one of those runs where everything seems to just fall into place and you feel at one with nature. Nipped into Amphibian King on the way back to pick up a new pair of XC spikes - can't wait to give them a lash.

Weekly total: 28.6 miles

MrSkinny

Race week. Plan for the week is one short speed session to try and lock race pace into the legs, a couple of easy runs and as much rest as possible.

Mon 26/11 -- No running. Volleyball training.

Tue 27/11 -- Intervals: 5x200m @ goal pace (48s) w/ 200m jog

Waited for the deluge to stop and headed down to the Kilbogget track for this session: just a few short intervals to get a taste for 20' pace. After an exhuberant first rep managed to latch onto the target pace reasonably comfortably but, as usual, the thought of trying to hold this pace for 20' is scary. Total of 4.15 miles for the session.

Splits (manual timing): 43.2 47.7 49.1 47.6 47.1

Wed 28/11 -- Rest

Thu 29/11 -- 40' easy/medium - 4.6 miles @ 9:16/mi (Avg HR: 139 bpm)

Caught in two minds between an easy run or something with a bit more zip, ending up doing a bit of a progression run for the first 3 miles before pulling back to an easy pace for the remainder of the run. Slightly concerned to have overdone it so close to race day but hopefully no harm done. Splits: 9:48 8:39 8:10 9:55 6:08 [0.6 mi]

Fri 30/11 -- 30' very easy - 3 miles @ 10:27/mi (Avg HR: 136 bpm)

Awake around 5 AM ... surely not pre-race nerves already? Cycle commute to work then a short run at lunchtime to loosen up the legs and explore a stretch of the Grand Canal near work. Nice but so stop-start with all the road crossings and the traffic. Not feeling in great shape in the evening - feels like something might be brewing. Hopefully a good night's sleep will sort things out.

MrSkinny

Sat 1/12 - Jingle Bells 5k (Phoenix Park)

With another few weeks of solid running under my belt (peaking at close to 30 miles/week) and with the prospect of a competitive field on a fast course, the expectation was to improve on the baseline time of 20:38 set in Shanganagh seven weeks prior and, let's be honest, attempt to break the 20' barrier. Tall order but determined to give it a go.

Feeling better than the previous day, but still slightly out of sorts, made my way to the Phoenix Park in time to park by the Papal Cross and warm up with a jog down to the starting area, where I noticed the front pen for sub-16 runners, which just shows the expected standard at the sharp end of this race. Very good conditions for racing: the earlier rain had stopped, temperature was fairly mild and there was only a light breeze to worry about.

Lined up initially in the sub-20 pen but it was clear people were pushing up towards the front so moved forward a few rows. After a few moments, and without much fanfare, we were off. A tiny bit of congestion but soon settled into a good rythm, trying not to get too carried away. The fist km felt reasonably comfortable and went past the marker just about on target pace as we turned onto Chesterfield Avenue. Here latched onto another runner in a dark top that seemed to be on a similar mission and we started passing a few other runners as we made our way up the long drag. Still on track at the 2 km marker, then the turn onto Ordnance Survey Road still holding onto my running buddy.

The next couple of kms are a bit of a blur. I remember things getting tough and my breathing becoming more laboured but the legs were responding and somehow I managed to sustain the effort and stay on target, growing more and more confident that sub-20 was on, although at this stage still felt touch and go. At some point a strong runner in a St Cocas singlet sailed past and commented on my 50 parkrun milestone top but I was too goosed to even mutter a 'thank you' and he was quickly gone, taking with him my running pal. Past the start of the flying mile (such a great idea but sadly I didn't get a time ) and onto the twisty part of the course trying to find the best racing line.

Once inside the last km I thought back to the 800m reps I did in training on the track in Brookline: just one last rep to get through. A few stronger finishers going past in this last stretch but tried to keep pushing, past the tight left turn and onto the last 100m with the finish line in sight. Not sure I managed to lift the pace at all and crossed the line completely knackered but knowing the sub-20 was in the bag, confirmed later as 19:31. A big PB.

So Jingle Bells definitely lived up to the expectation of a very fast course and a competitive field to pull you along to a fast time. Sub-20 achieved and PB smashed by over a minute but the whole thing felt oddly anticlimatic. Maybe it was the exhaustion after a hard race or the fact I was feeling a bit out of sorts and not really in the mood but there was none of the buzz I was expecting at breaking 20'. Rationally I know it was a well-executed race, finely paced according to the splits, and evidence that the training has delivered a great result but the immediate emotional reaction was surprisingly subdued in comparison. I actually felt a bigger high after failing to break 45' at the Lakes 10k. It was an odd sensation - maybe I just need to give it a bit of time to sink in.

Chip time: 19:31 (PB)
Position: 232/1192 (18th M45)
Splits (km): 4:05 4:01 3:59 3:55 3:34
Avg pace: 3:54/km (6:22/mi)
Avg HR: 169 bpm

What next? A slight step back for the next fortnight to aid recovery then I plan to take the rest of December and January as base-building months, trying to cement a five-a-week routine with mostly easy runs and a smattering of 'sessions' in the form of the BHAA XC events and a crack at a Cabinteely parkrun PB at some point. I have entered the Raheny 5 mile with a crew from work. It'll be my first time taking part and I'm really looking forward to it. Not planning any specific training for it but will be racing it to baseline my form ahead of getting into an eight-week distance-specific plan aimed at the K Club 10k on 23 March. Best laid plans and all that.

Weekly total: 17.3 miles

MrSkinny

A catch-up post to bring the log up to date. The plan was to take it easy for a couple of weeks and not much running has been done but there have been other activities to make up for it and hopefully stop the fitness level from dropping too much. Have started ramping up the running again the last few days.

Sun 2/12 -- VB tournament in Kilkenny

Mon 3/12 -- VB training session. Good workout.

Tue 4/12 -- VB session.

Sat 8/12 -- 45' easy - 4.8 miles @ 9.22/mi inc. Cabinteely parkrun (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

First time out running after JB and the legs felt remarkably bouncy to begin with before getting a bit sluggish during the parkrun. Still, the plan was for this to be a very easy run as a bit of a warm up for a volleyball game later in the morning.

Weekly total: 4.8 miles

Mon 10/12 -- XT: 42km round-trip cycle to NSD for work event (2h30m)

Tue 11/12 -- XT: 41km round-trip cycle to NSD for work event (2h20m) + VB session

Thu 13/12 -- 45' easy - 4.4 miles @ 9:54/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

Inspired after watching the recording of the European XC championship races, hit the grass and trails in Cabinteely park for a few easy miles, nice and soft after the recent wet weather. Felt good to be out and about running again.

Sat 15/12 -- Bushy Dublin parkrun - 3.1 miles easy-ish @ 8:45/mi (Avg HR: 144 bpm)

A bit of parkrun tourism today, trying Bushy for the first time with a friend from work. Lucky to get a window in the inclement weather before the heavy rain and the storm got going. Really liked the course and will definitely be back before long.

Sun 16/12 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:23/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Decided to take the new XC spikes (without the actual spikes) for a test run in the park. After Storm Deirdre, found plenty of mud and water-logged areas to put them through their paces. A very enjoyable run but the legs feeling a bit in the evening. Very pleased with the spikes and surprised by the amount of grip the studded soles provide even without spikes.

Weekly total: 12.5 miles

MrSkinny

The mileage build-up post Jingle Bells continues (slowly) but hoping to get things back on track during January.

Wed 19/12 -- 45' easy - 4.7 miles @ 9:39/mi (Avg HR: 137 bpm)

Really tired after not getting much sleep the night before but didn't want to skip another day so headed out late in the evening for a few easy miles around Kilbogget Park.

Fri 21/12 -- 3 easy miles @ 10:27/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Glad to finally wrap up a very busy week at work and looking forward to a few days off to restore healthy sleep and running routines. Late run with D in darkness just to stretch the legs. Managed to get locked in the park and had to scramble over the fence trying not to get impaled!

Sat 22/12 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:08/mi inc. Cabinteely parkrun (Avg HR: 158 bpm)

Took the parkrun nice and handy before adding a couple of cooldown miles to round things up. Felt like hard work in spite of the relatively easy pace, probably a sign of lingering tiredness and lack of sleep. Stupid freak accident later in the day when I banged my left knee really hard on a tow bar when walking between two parked cars - it didn't seem too bad initially but after a couple of hours I could hardly walk. Had planned a long run on Sunday to take the weekly mileage up to the 20 mile mark but after traipsing around IKEA for most of the afternoon, and with the knee still a bit sore, it didn't happen in the end.

Weekly total: 12.7 miles

Mon 24/12 -- 1h easy - 6 miles @ 10:18/mi (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

Nice afternoon to be out and about. Did the first half hour on my own before picking up D for a slightly easier pace.

Tue 25/12 -- No running

Didn't get to Waterstown in the end so the plan to reach 100 parkruns on New Year's day is scuppered and will likely have to wait until February!

Wed 26/12 -- Very easy 5k - 3.1 miles @ 12:09/mi (Avg HR ~ 120 bpm)

Out for a leg-stretch with D, who was having a bit of a difficult time, so the outing turned into a slow trot.

Thu 27/12 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:46/mi (Avg HR: 139 bpm)

A few easy miles getting mucky on the grass and trails in Cabinteely park. Started with a couple of flattish miles along the bottom of the park before venturing up the hill, which really took it out of me today, so had to back off the pace to keep to the easy effort. The last couple of miles were a lot more enjoyable.

Sat 29/12 -- 1h easy-ish - 6.5 miles @ 9:28/mi inc. Cabinteely parkrun (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

Had toyed with the idea of having a parkrun PB attempt but left the house way too late for a decent warmup and, with a moderate breeze blowing, decided to wait for a better day and take things steady instead. On close-down duty today so got to enjoy another lap of the park (and the hill) before stretching the run out to the 1h mark.

Sun 30/12 -- No running

A 3h hike in the Dublin mountains on a mild afternoon to close the year out. Realised I hadn't been out hiking in some time and really felt the uphill bits.

Weekly total: 20.6 miles

MrSkinny

A year of two very contrasting halves. The first half of the year saw very little running: a total of 96 miles between January and June says it all really. There may have been one or two niggles involved but it was mainly down to lack of motivation. Thankfully a dozen or so parkruns managed to maintain a very faint running heartbeat. The good summer weather brought a very slight uptick in activity, with participation in one of the Donadea Forest duathlons and a few training runs in the lead up to the Liberties fun run on 18 July (which we had entered again with a group from work and where despite the lack of fitness I almost managed to replicate my previous year's time) but it was the decision to enter the Clew Bay HM, pretty much on a whim, and the start of this log to track my training progress that really kick-started a very different second half of the year.

Having a target, a plan and the accountability of the log I embarked on a block of consistent running that delivered a hard-earned and very satisfying 10k PB of 45:10 at the Lakes 10k, en route to a very enjoyable maiden Half Marathon in Clew Bay at the end of September.

After a couple of recovery weeks I picked the next target and started an eight-week training block aimed at Jingle Bells 5k on Dec 1. The earlier training for the half marathon was obviously beneficial for the shorter distances because a 'calibration' parkrun in Shanganagh at the start of the training block resulted in a new 5k PB of 20:38. Then, consistent running 4/5 times a week and increasing the mileage to close to 30 miles per week helped bring that down even further to an unexpected 19:31 on race day in the Phoenix Park.

The addiction to parkrun continued in 2018 with 33 runs, mostly in Cabinteely but with the occasional visit to nearby events, and also managed a first overseas parkrun in Boston. This attendance rate is slightly down on the average of 3 events per month of the previous two years (27 in 2016 over 9 months, 37 in 2017) but takes me to 97 in total at year end. Also volunteered a handful of times for good measure.

Consistent running during the second half of the year has also resulted in an all-time mileage record this year (not that I had a particularly high target to beat) ...

2016: 330 miles (530 km)
2017: 425 miles (680 km)
2018: 550 miles (880 km)

In summary, I have really enjoyed my running and racing over the last few months. Being able to get into the habit of consistent running 4/5 times a week has been key, and of course I'm still at the stage where that alone is almost enough to deliver significant progression in terms of PBs, which in turn feeds back into the motivation. But more than the PBs however, the main highlight of the year is that the joy of running is definitely back and I look forward to carrying that into next year. I truly believe that keeping a log has definitely helped and hopefully will manage to keep this chronicle going too.

MrSkinny

Start the year as you mean to go on ...

Tue 1/1 -- 5.3 miles @ 8:31/mi inc. Cabinteely parkrun (PB)

I like doing a bit of racing around the turn of the year. Two years ago it was a parkrun double on New Year's day (including a shiny new 5k PB in Father Collins), last year it was the Bossost Sant Silvestre race in a small corner of the Pyrenees on New Year's Eve and this year it was back to NYD parkruns, or parkrun to be more precise as in the end I decided to forego the option of the double and focus on having a crack at my Cabinteely PB of 21:54, which I knew was getting on a bit but did only realise afterwards it was over a year old at this stage. After the good progress over the last few months I felt a PB was realistic and I set myself a loose target of trying to get close to 21', but a good time in Cabinteely is never easy so I was a bit apprehensive about the pain that would be involved.

Normally you can roughly target a given pace by choosing which regulars to run alongside but this being New Year's Day there were lots of visitors and unfamiliar faces (there would be 7 first timers in the top 10) so realised I would have to rely on my own pacing. Lined up at the front and let the speedier runners get away during the first downhill section, which is very easy to overcook. After the left turn at the gate lodge we found ourselves running straight towards a beautiful rainbow and into a noticeable breeze. The leading female, who is an infrequent visitor to Cabinteely but happens to be the course record holder, went past me at this stage and (wisely) decided not to try and stick with her. She was shortly followed by the second female, a Cabinteely regular and former course record holder herself, who seems to have been taking the parkruns a bit more leasurely of late but today she looked like she meant business so decided to follow her wheel and got a tow along to the first km marker, where the Garmin buzzed 4:05 for the first km, which felt spot on and completely efortless. As we tackled the hill for the first time, started picking off a few of the more over-optimistic souls and as we completed the first lap I found myself at the front of a small group with a gap of 12-15 metres to the next group ahead.

The second female edged ahead again as we crested the hill and I resolved to stay with her on the downhill section, passing the 2nd km marker in 4:16, still very much on target. I found myself creeping ahead of her again on the short uphill through the trees and I think nobody went past me again from this point on. After the gate lodge it was back onto the most exposed section of the course but this time I had nobody in front to try and get some shelter from the breeze so I tried to keep the pace going without fighting the headwind too much. I was expecting the urge to stop to kick in around here but somehow it didn't happen so, still working hard but feeling strong, carried onto the next uphill and clocked the 3rd km in 4:21. A wave to the daughter, who'd made a rare appearance to see her old man fight the Cabinteely hills, and to the volunteers gathered at the finish line and onto the last lap.

Tried to relax and let gravity do its work during the long downhill and completed the 4th km in 4:17. After a bit of mental arithmetic (I hadn't reset my watch after the warmup) I figured that meant 17' flat for 4 km and the low 21' would be in the bag if I just managed to stay on pace. Again onto the exposed section along the park boundary and a few of the guys that had fallen off the back of the group ahead were slowly coming back to me. Managed to overhaul two of them but the third one, running with a very easy-looking loping stride, was still a few meters ahead as we started the final climb. Breathing hard and legs burning, I launched in hot pursuit up the hill, gaining all the time but ultimately running out of road and just a second behind at the line. Cabinteely has such a b**** of a finish - kills you every time no matter how easy or hard you're taking it.

Still, mission accomplished and the official results confirmed a new shiny Cabinteely PB of 21:04 to start the year with. Delighted with it and with another strong well-paced run (both long laps in exactly 7:33 according to Strava) that left me with the feeling there might just have been a little bit left in the tank to go sub-21. Knackered but absolutely loved it.

Wed 2/1 -- No running

Thu 3/1 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:37/mi (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

Legs still feeling Tuesday's effort a little bit but wanted to get out for a few easy miles to roadtest the new pair of Ravenna 5s. Only managed to get going when it was already dark so stuck to the tarmac paths in the park. I was a bit concerned they might be a bit on the tight side but they felt nice and comfortable during the run. Will have to see how they fare on longer runs.

Fri 4/1 -- No running

Sat 5/1 -- Clarisford parkrun - 3.3 miles @ 9:43/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

Down in Limerick for the weekend and managed to squeeze in a bit of parkrun tourism into the bargain. Drove up to Killaloe for Clarisford parkrun, a cosy affair in a scenic park alongside the Shannon. Five laps of a mostly flat course with one gentle incline (referred to as a hill during the course description - it's all relative I suppose!) was perfect to get into a steady easy pace. A day out in Limerick beckoned so just time for a brief chit-chat with the friendly locals after the run and we went on our way.

Sun 6/1 -- 3.5 miles easy @ 9:56/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

Out early morning for a leg-stretch with D before her match. Set off down a small country lane that quickly degenerated and became so badly broken up that made it difficult to get into any kind of sustained pace but once we turned around and got onto better ground we managed to get into a nice groove at roughly 9 minute pace. Unfortunately time constraints meant the run had to be cut short so the weekly mileage will fall a bit below the intended target of 20 miles. Left knee has been a bit niggly the last couple of days so not too worried about this.

Been doing quite a bit of thinking during the weekend about running and formulating a plan of sorts for the months ahead. More detail to come in a future post.

Weekly total: 17.2 miles

MrSkinny

The plan for the first half of 2019 is taking shape: continue to focus on long distance but shift the emphasis from 5k to 5m/10k, aiming to try and get a good chunk off both PBs by the summer. Initially I was planning to base build during December and January, before starting a distance-specific plan targeting the K Club 10k in March but I have decided to take a more patient approach and will extend the base-building phase into February, and possibly March, before any distance-specific training. I still need to decide which races to target but I am considering events in May/June like the BHAA Government Services 5 mile in Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin 10k or Clonee 10k. Then perhaps do a bit more speedwork for 2 or 3 weeks to prepare for the Day of Irish PBs in mid July. No firm plans after that but perhaps increase mileage and long runs to target a half marathon in the autumn.

The base-building phase should take me up to 30-35 miles per week, mostly easy runs with at most one session per week. This phase coincides with the BHAA cross country series, which I'd like to complete this year, and the Raheny 5 mile. With so many races in such a short space of time (6 in 8 weeks) I will have to take a pragmatic approach to avoid overdoing things, so the plan is to race Raheny and run the cross countries more as tempo workouts rather than all-out races. All other running in between will simply be easy aerobic runs.

Goals:

1. Consistent running throughout the entire year - 4/5 times per week
2. Run 1000 miles
3. Complete the BHAA winter XC series
4. Try a couple of IMRA events
5. Average one parkrun volunteer credit per month
6. One strength/conditioning/flexibility session per week (let's aim low with this one!)

PB targets:

1mi - sub 6'
5km - sub 19' (plus running sub 20' at least 2/3 times outside target events)
5mi - sub 34' in Raheny, sub 32' by mid year
10k - sub 42' by mid year, sub 41' by year end?
HM - sub 90'
Cabinteely parkrun - get close to 20'

MrSkinny

Mon 7/1 -- 1h easy - 6.3 miles @ 9:29/mi (Avg HR: 136 bpm)

Another late evening run. Took in part of the park but it was just too dark to run safely so had to stick to the roads. Mild evening.

Tue 8/1 -- No running. Very late night catching up on work.

Wed 9/1 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Thu 10/1 -- Double run: total of 7.1 miles @ 9:52/mi (Avg HR: 135-140 bpm)

After having cycled to work, and finding myself without the car, I decided to run to volleyball training and back. Survived but probably a bit too much physical activity for one day.

Fri 11/1 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Sat 12/1 -- BHAA Bank of Ireland XC (Tymon Park)

First cross country race in over a year. Arrived in Tymon Park nice and early to pick up my number and check the course conditions. We've had very little rain recently so the ground was soft but not particularly muddy. Trail shoes would probably have done but decided I might as well give the new spikes a run. Very pleased with how they performed: very comfortable, good grip and a much 'racier' feel than the trail shoes would provide.

Mindful of all the events coming up, and after a tiring week, decided to approach this more as a longish tempo workout rather than an all-out race and figured that aiming for something like 7 minute miles would probably do. Lined up around the middle of the pack and, after the initial jockeying for position around the first field, I tried to settle into the target pace. About a half mile in, a couple of strong-looking runners went past and I decided to try and stick with them. One of them very quickly drifted ahead but the other, in a Lucan Harriers vest, seemed to be matching my intended pace and we slowly started to work our way through the field. A fresh westerly breeze and the long drag back after the pond kept us honest all the way round but at this stage the effort level still felt comfortably hard. Down a surprisingly steep bank and past the finish line with 13:09 or so on the clock for the first lap.

It must have been somewhere along the beginning of the second lap that we picked up a couple of other runners going at a similar pace and this group stayed together for most of the lap, swapping positions around and generally pushing each other on. Must say I was mostly I was mostly hanging on but I did try to take a turn at the front, although it happened to be into the strongest headwind so it didn't make much of an impact. The second time along the drag effort was starting to sting but I still felt there was another gear in there, so when Lucan Harrier put his foot down with about a half mile to go and blew apart our little group I managed to go with him and keep up until the last corner, when he finally pulled away. Overtook a female runner just before the very steep bank and, having negotiated that safely if not necessarily gracefully, I launched into a sprint to stay ahead of her and still managed to gain another place before the finish.

A very enjoyable race. Possibly put in a bit more effort than intended but satisfied all the same. Total of 6.5 miles including warm-up and cool-down.

Chip time: 26:49
Position: 64/174 (9th M45)
Splits (per lap): 13:09 13:40
Avg pace: 3.83 miles @ 7:02/mi (4:22/km)
Avg HR: 160 bpm

Sun 13/1 -- No running. Volleyball session.

Weekly total: 20 miles

Wubble Wubble

Nicely done. Your targets for 2019 are very similar to my own. Will be following with interest.

MrSkinny

Mon 14/1 -- No running. Rest day after the weekend's exertions.

Tue 15/1 -- 5.1 miles easy(ish) @ 9:20/mi (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

I only had a limited time window to squeeze a run in during daylight hours and that slight time pressure made me set off a bit faster than intended. The first 3 miles were at low 9 minute pace, slowed right down for the fourth mile but the last one was close to 9 minutes again. Effort level still felt reasonably easy so hopefully no harm done.

Wed 16/1 -- No running

Thu 17/1 -- Long run: 70' easy - 7.4 miles @ 9:30/mi

An early long run at sunrise after dropping the car off at the garage. The usual way back home when that happens, meandering around Clonkeen and Kilbogget parks with a customary track mile thrown in for good measure. Lovely morning to be out - I had bundled up a bit because it was just 1 or 2 degrees but after a couple of miles I had to discard a layer and hide it behind a tree until the way back. Run felt sort of OK, a little sluggish.

Fri 18/1 -- No running. Another long day at work with zero physical activity.

Sat 19/1 -- BHAA Eir XC (Cherryfield Park)

A tough day out. Decided to approach this as a session and eventually settled on a split tempo run consisting of 2.5 miles @ pace, 0.5 mile easy, 2 miles @ pace. It's difficult to translate training paces to a cross country course but decided to aim for 7 minute miles like the previous week and see.

No sign of last week's wind and a nice bit of winter sun peeking through the clouds occasionally. Ground conditions were fairly good; a bit softer than last week with a couple of muddy sections that got a bit churned up and slippery as the laps went on. It's a testing-enough course; long stretches on grass with a fair few sharp inclines and tight turns to keep things interesting.

I was very impressed to see the winner of the ladies race, for whom the two miler had obviously been just a warm-up, lining up with us to tackle another 5 miles. After Jim Aughney - our starter today - sent us away I very quickly got up to speed within the pack. As usual the pace during the early stages felt very easy but I knew full well that wouldn't last. Mile 1 in 7:03 mainly moving slowly through the field, then onto a couple of uphills and tight turns at the start of the second mile. By the time we went past the finish line to complete the first full lap I was working hard and starting to think that the 7 minute target pace might have been too optimistic today. Mile 2 in 6:58, still on target but I could feel the pace starting to slip. The prospect of the easy pace section coming up helped to keep pushing and got through the next half mile in 3:35.

Even though it was pre-planned, dropping the pace felt like a bit of a cop-out but was a welcome relief. I'm not sure I would have managed to complete the full race at that pace today - the legs were mostly fine but the lungs were taking a bit of a battering. As expected, a few runners went past me as I trotted along for the next half mile at 8:25 pace. I would get most of them back later except perhaps one or two.

Despite the slight reprieve mile 4 was still the toughest part of the race. Getting back up to speed was hard and the mind was starting to falter but I managed to latch onto a group of another 3 or 4 runners and, before we got to the narrow muddy section through the trees, I pushed to slot into second spot ahead of a tall runner that seemed to be working quite hard and starting to struggle. Sure enough, the two of us at the front of the group pulled away from the rest through that tricky section and then, on the slight downhill that followed, I stepped it up a notch to break clear of my companion and build a bit of momentum ahead of the next ramp and twisty section.

Having gotten through the rough patch of the fourth mile and with a feeling of stregth returning, started winding the pace up slightly over the last half mile for a strong finish and gaining one more place at the start of the long finishing straight. Pace for the last 0.95 of a mile was 6:49 as measured by the watch and the average over the race was 7:10 so very pleased with that. A tough day out but a good workout that will hopefully deliver benefits in Raheny next Sunday. Total of 8 miles for the day including warm-up and cool-down.

Chip time: 35:28
Position: 84/141 (12th M45)
Splits: 7:03 6:58 3:35 (0.5 mile) 4:12 (0.5 mile) 7:13 6:28 (0.95 mile)
Avg pace: 4.95 miles @ 7:10/mi (4:27/km)
Avg HR: an unreliable 149 bpm (first 1.3 miles below 140, really?)

EDIT: incidentally, that is actually a 5 mile PB, beating the very-soft-by-now 38:06 from the Irish Runner 5M I ran back in June 2016, which was my first and only 5 mile race so far; hopefully I can bring it down a bit further on Sunday.

Sun 20/1 -- 3.1 miles easy @ 10:16/mi

Somehow managed to persuade my daughter to join me and this ensured the pace stayed nice and handy for what was essentially a recovery run to top up the weekly mileage. Right leg feeling just a little tight so made sure to stretch it well afterwards.

Weekly total: 23.5 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 21/1 -- Rest. Just a 1h brisk walk.

Tue 22/1 -- Long run: 80' easy - 8.5 miles @ 9:30/mi (Avg HR: 142 bpm)

Lovely crisp morning for a long run. Out to Kilbogget Park and beyond as far as Shanganagh Road then back via the Loughlinstown Woods. A moderate breeze on the way back slowed the pace down a little but tried to keep the effort constant until I took in part of the Cabinteely Park hill during the last mile. I came across my old iPod nano the other day so I tried running with music for a change - I can see how it helps fill the time during a long run, once you get tired of your own thoughts, but I didn't really like the feeling of being isolated from your surroundings.

Wed 23/1 -- No running

Thu 24/1 -- 30' easy - 3.2 miles @ 10:07/mi

Just a few easy miles at dusk in Cabinteely Park, mostly along the lower flat sections. Legs still feeling the long run a bit. Cycled to and from volleyball training in the evening.

Fri 25/1 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Sat 26/1 -- Recovery run: 3 miles @ 10:25/mi

On volunteer duty at parkrun, followed by coffee and cake, then decided to get out for a very easy 30' in the rain just to loosen up the legs before tomorrow.

Sun 27/1 -- Raheny 5

First time entering and I was keen to experience a race so highly rated by many boardsies. Managed to get there very late and by the time I had collected my number, changed and dropped off my bag, I had less than 5 minutes for a minimal warm-up. Certainly far from ideal on such a cold afternoon.

The plan was to give the race a good lash to check my current level of fitness and to aim for a new PB. The old 38:06 from the Irish Runner 5M in June 2016 (my only 5 mile road race to date) had already come down to 35:28 during last weekend's cross country and I felt confident of taking another chunk off it on the road. One of the goals I set at the start of the year was to go sub-34' here and, if I'm honest with myself, that was probably a bit conservative. In any case the intention going into the race was not to worry too much about times and just try and race mainly by feel.

With moments to go before the start of the race I managed to slot in next to a friend who was fairly close to the front. The start was crowded but luckily no significant congestion and I aimed to ease myself gently into a comfortable race pace. The first mile was about letting the field spread out, watching out for dodgy speed bumps and negotiating the infamous stranded car! In what felt like an instant we had completed the first loop and went by the first marker in 6:19 (which in reality was more like 6:24 on account of the gap between the actual start line and the gantry).

The headwind hitting us along the All Saints Road didn't feel as bad as expected - it had certainly lost the intensity of earlier in the day - but it must have made an impact because Strava shows the pace dropping significantly towards the 7 minute mark along the Howth Road, then recovering again after the turn into Sybil Hill Road. By this time I was in a small group including a Raheny lad who was obviously well known locally and was getting shouts of encouragement seemingly from every other person we passed. I stuck by him hoping that the encouragement would somehow rub off. The second mile went by in 6:27 and we maintained a good pace during the downhill section and onto Mount Prospect Avenue. This was my favourite part of the race - running in a pack at a hard pace, feeling a strange unspoken connection with those running alongside.

Once Mount Prospect turned into a gentle uphill drag the pace was starting to bite. Still, we passed the third mile marker in a decent 6:21 but as we entered the park it was clear the pace was dropping and a few more runners were starting to get past. Tried to keep pushing for the rest of the fourth mile, which I had anticipated would be tough, but Strava clearly shows a steady slowdown from the moment the road turned uphill on Mount Prospect to the turn on the park's avenue. I enjoyed trying to spot familiar faces going the other way and giving the odd shout of encouragement. In fact, seeing a few who I would normally consider much faster runners not that far ahead was actually encouraging and immediately after the turn the pace lifted significantly.

I don't have a precise split for the 4th mile (I missed the marker and today I had decided to experiment with manual lap times) but I calculate it must have been around 6:39 give or take a few seconds. Either way it was significantly slower than earlier miles. Unfortunately the lift in pace didn't last long and the drag along the dog park was a real struggle. Once outside the park I tried to pick it up to the finish but I still managed to lose a few more places, including one to the Raheny lad. I had drifted ahead of him at the start of the avenue but he put in a very strong finish and I just couldn't hold onto him when he came past me again with a quarter of a mile or so to go. With the finish line in sight I did finally accelerate a bit and got under the gantry with 32:40 on the clock, tired but not exactly about to faint either. The approximate split for the last mile was another 6:39.

The official time was 32:30 - a handsome new PB. Very pleased with it and gives me a decent marker for the next training phase. It's also equivalent to a sub 20' 5k so I'm happy to validate that I'm in that sort of shape. The fade over the last couple of miles, arguably the two hardest of the Raheny course, is a bit disappointing but it's something that the distance-specific training later in the year will hopefully address. I may have been paying for the aggressive pace of the earlier miles but I think there was also a mental element, linked perhaps to the fact this was not a target race, that somehow stopped me from digging as deep as I may have in other races.

Thoughts on the event: unfortunately marred by arriving too late and the stress that followed; next time should really get there in plenty of time to take in what appeared to be a great pre-race atmosphere. Enjoyed the race itself; a competitive field on a testing course and luckily managed to avoid the congestion, although I can see how it would have been an issue for many people starting further back. The plaque is a nice touch but I can't say the tons of sugary stuff in the famous goodie bag do it for me.

Total of 7 miles for the day, including the miniscule warm-up and a short gentle recovery jog once we got back home.

Chip time: 32:30 (PB)
Position: 431/3889 (46th M45)
Splits: 6:24 6:27 6:21 6:39 6:39
Avg pace: 6:30/mi (4:02/km)
Age grading: 72.31%

Weekly total: 21.8 miles

MrSkinny

I had prepared these tables to go with the annual goals but I didn't post them, so I may just as well update them with this year's results.

Annual Progression

Event|2016|2017|2018|2019|PB
1 mile | 06:28 | - | - | - | Irish Runner Paced Mile
5 km | 21:30 | 21:11 | 19:31 | - | Jingle Bells 5k
Cabinteely PR| 22:38 | 21:54 | 22:53 | 21:04 | Cabinteely parkrun
4 mile | 34:38 | 28:35 | 28:50 | - | Liberties Fun Run
5 mile | 38:06 | - | - | 32:30 | Raheny 5
10 km | 49:35 | 45:36 | 45:10 | - | The Lakes 10k
HM | - | - | 1:50:40 | - | Clew Bay HM
Mileage| 330 | 425 | 550 | - |
Age | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 |


Current PBs

Event|PB|Date|Event|Location|Age Grading|VDOT
1 mile | 06:28 | 14 Sep 2016 | Irish Runner Paced Mile | Morton Stadium | 62.91% | 44.5
5 km | 19:31 | 01 Dec 2018 | Jingle Bells 5k | Phoenix Park | 73.87% | 51.2
Cabinteely PR| 21:04 | 01 Jan 2019 | Cabinteely parkrun | Cabinteely | 68.51% | 46.9
4 mile | 28:35 | 20 Jul 2017 | Liberties Fun Run | Kilmainham | 64.72% | 44.7
5 mile | 32:30 | 27 Jan 2019 | Raheny 5 | Raheny | 72.31% | 50.7
10 km | 45:10 | 08 Sep 2018 | The Lakes 10k | Blessington | 64.72% | 45.1
HM | 1:50:40 | 22 Sep 2018 | Clew Bay HM | Louisburgh | 57.26% | 40.1


Age-grading calculator: http://www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wmalookup15.html
VDOT calculator: https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/

MrSkinny

Not a good week in terms of running between long days at work, not enough sleep and a cold that wiped me out for a couple of days.

Mon 28/1 -- No running. Long cycle to & from work event (42km round-trip in 2h20m)

Tue 29/1 -- No running. Long cycle to & from work event (42km round-trip in 2h15m)

Wed 30/1 -- Recovery run: 5 miles @ 10:28/mi

Legs still feeling a bit heavy after the race and a couple of nights without enough sleep so stuck to the flat parts of the park and took things very handy.

Thu 31/1 -- No running. VB training session. Fairly tame today.

Fri 1/2 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Sat 2/2 -- No running. VB game.

Woke up a bit congested but still managed to get through a long five-set game that included a worrying ankle injury scare. It was a sudden shooting pain in my right ankle (that I couldn't relate to any twists or knocks during play) and I was unable to put any weight on that foot for a short while but thankfully it cleared after a few minutes and was able to resume. It's telling that my first thought was 'I won't be able to run for a while' rather than 'I won't be able to play volleyball for a while'. I had planned an easy run in the evening but the cold was in full swing by then and I was in no state to go out.

Sun 3/2 -- Rest

Feeling too fatigued and weak for any serious exercise. Proper man flu I reckon.

Weekly total: 5 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 4/2 -- 4 miles @ 10:42/mi

The cold still lingering a bit but on such a sunny day I couldn't resist getting out for a few very gentle miles at lunch time.

Tue 5/2 -- No running. Travel.

Wed 6/2 -- 1h easy - 6.1 miles @ 9:32/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Short two-day trip to the UK for work but I packed a pair of runners just in case. One great thing about the UK is that one is never too far from a green space or a public footpath. Although I was staying just off the M4 -next to Heathrow airport- it only took about half a mile to get onto a nice towpath along the Grand Union Canal. I followed the canal east for about a mile then a sign for "Explorer Trail" or something like that took me onto an open grassland area still covered in the morning mist (the Lake Farm Country Park in Hillingdon as it turned out). Followed the many paths and trails criss-crossing the park a bit randomly for a while before retracing my steps along the canal and back to the hotel. A lovely run and very pleased I grabbed the runners at the last minute.

Thu 7/2 -- No running. Cycle commute. VB training session.

Fri 8/2 -- 5k easy - 3.1 miles @ 10:01/mi (Avg HR: 139 bpm)

With Cabinteely Park closed because of storm Erik, I just did a few easy laps up and down the Glen in the breezy conditions.

Sat 9/2 -- 5.4 miles @ 9:12/mi inc. Cabinteely parkrun (Avg HR: 143 bpm)

Parkrun number 100! After an extremely windy night thankfully the Park re-opened just in time for the weekly parkrun. Still fairly breezy and cold but the sun was out. Started the parkrun fairly handy but halfway through I decided to pick up the pace a little and do a bit of work on the final hill. Celebratory tea and scone afterwards.

Sun 10/2 -- No running.

A planned jog around the Vartry reservoir turned into a walk so the long run is parked till tomorrow and will end the week a bit low on miles but still a good recovery from last week.

Weekly total: 18.5 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 11/2 -- Long run: 8.1 miles @ 9:55/mi (Avg HR: 137 bpm)

Headed out after breakfast for an 80' easy run around the Cabinteely and Kilbogget parks. A bit nippy to start with but the sun was just rising and soon had to discard the thin jacket I had put on. The early miles were comfortable but still felt like I was working harder than I should be, then a few laps of the Kilbogget track helped me settle into a nice rhythm and from that point I felt much better and ended the run feeling I could have carried on for a while. Another lovely morning to be out and about and a great start to the week.

Tue 12/2 -- No running

Very early start to catch a flight to London and too tired for any exercise after a long day so decided to make it an early night.

Wed 13/2 -- 1h easy - 6.6 miles @ 9:08/mi (Avg HR: 145 bpm)

Feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, headed out for a few easy miles along the Thames. West from Southbank as far as Vauxhall then crossed over the bridge to the north bank and returned along Westminster and the Victoria Embankment, crossing back south of the river again at Blackfriars bridge. A very scenic run with all the landmarks along the river but a very harsh surface to run on - my calves were in bits afterwards. The Garmin struggled to keep track of the GPS signal and reckons the first mile was in 7:20 so the distance covered is probably slightly off. It was interesting to see the amount of runners, many of them runmuters going about their business very seriously compared to the more touristy feel of my own run.

Thu 14/2 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:37/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Another early morning run in London. This time I tried to find softer ground and took in a lap of St James's Park and a stretch along The Mall but the majority of the run was on hard pavements that my calves didn't really appreciate.

Fri 15/2 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Sat 16/2 -- BHAA ALSAA XC

Looking forward to this after missing the race in the Phoenix Park. Got to ALSAA very early and had plenty of time to walk most of the course before warming up: mostly grass, a bit soft and spongy in places but not muddy; trail shoes would have been fine but in the end decided to go with the lighter spikes. A nice sunny day, not too cold and only a moderate breeze hitting us in places.

The plan for today was perhaps a bit too vague: simply try and get a decent workout out of the race, without any specific time or pace targets in mind; just run by feel and ignore the watch. On the first lap I tried to settle into what felt like a comfortably hard pace without overcooking it, mindful that it was a relatively long race. Found myself in a group with the leading female and a few others jostling for position as we went around the course, all part of the good fun to be had during cross country races. Eventually, probably somewhere along the second lap I started pulling ahead of this group only to be overtaken by another female runner coming through very strongly. I latched onto her for a lap or so before I pulled ahead again about three quarters of the way into the third lap. Up to this point the effort had felt reasonably steady but comfortable. Avoided being lapped by the leaders and started the last lap determined to stay ahead of the chasers and with a few targets ahead to aim at. The field was fairly strung out at this stage; I managed to gain a couple of places part way through the lap but even though I kept pushing I wasn't able to make any more ground over the last half mile and just cruised to the finish.

It was an enjoyable race, a good workout and pleased to have sustained a decent effort throughout without fading, but afterwards I couldn't help feeling that maybe I could have pushed myself a little harder and finished a few places ahead. Still, it's all part of the learning to try and judge the right balance on the day ... and there's always next week to have another go!

Total of 8.2 miles for the day including warm-up and cool-down.

Chip time: 35:09
Position: 67/131 (12th M45)
Splits (per mile): 6:57 7:08 7:14 7:11 6:41 [0.96 miles @ 7:00/mi pace]
Avg pace: 7:03/mi (4:22/km)
Avg HR: 162 bpm

Sun 17/2 -- 2 miles @ 10:45/mi (Avg HR: 116 bpm)

Just a very short recovery run that doubled up as a gentle warm-up before today's volleyball game.

Weekly total: 29.9 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 18/2 -- Planned rest

Tue 19/2 -- No running

Not disciplined enough to get out the door first thing in the morning then work and other stuff just took over the rest of the day.

Wed 20/2 -- 90' long run: 9.5 miles @ 9:33/mi

This time I made sure to get going shortly after breakfast. As with last week's long run it took me a few miles to get into the swing of things but after that I was motoring and feeling very comfortable, taking in Cabinteely Park hill towards the end and getting good feedback from the legs. This is probably as far as I'll push the long run during this phase.

Thu 21/2 -- 5 miles easy @ 10:00

Another morning run after breakfast. Stuck to Cabinteely Park for this one - looking fabulous in the warm spring sunshine. Legs feeling a bit heavy after yesterday's long run and a couple of late nights. Left knee a bit niggly.

Fri 22/2 -- No running. Cycle commute.

Sat 23/2 -- BHAA AIB/NUI XC (Maynooth)

As this was the last XC outing of the season, and the last opportunity to get a fourth score towards the winter league, the plan was to make a more determined effort and go for it a bit more agressively than last week. Got to Maynooth early and warmed up with a couple of gentle laps of the course, some stretching and a few strides. The ground felt fairly firm, some sections of long grass, a fair amount of tree debris in places and a few tarmac path crossings so I decided to go with the trail shoes instead of the spikes. As the rain started to fall just before the start of the race I wondered if it had been the right call and I almost regretted it as the race unfolded - clearly I had underestimated just how quickly the racing line would soften up after a bit of rain and the repeated trampling with each passing lap. Still, it's not like I was slipping all over the place so probably the footware choice didn't have a significant bearing on the outcome.

During the initial rush off the line I recognised a Dublin Bus runner who has finished ahead of me in the last couple of races and used him as a marker to set my pace. After negotiating a bit of congestion through a very narrow but short wooded section the course opened up and we settled into what felt like a strong pace. By the end of the first lap I certainly felt I was working hard and found myself in a small group including the DB lad but being led by another runner I also recognised from previous races - I have usually finished ahead of him but today he seemed to be going much better.

The second lap was about maintaining that strong pace. DB lad proved to be a useful marker as he started to cut through the field, and I was pleased to be able to match his surges and keep up with him. Onto lap 3 as the rain was getting heavier and I certainly was having to work hard to stay with DB. He was still setting the pace and I was hanging on a bit but I resolved to not let a gap open up. I managed this for most of the lap, and in the process we overtook another couple of lads who had fallen off the back of the group ahead but towards the end of the lap I was going through a rough patch (feeling almost sick at one point), DB started to pull ahead and I could feel a few runners catching up to me. Time to dig deep.

Somehow I managed to stay ahead of the chasers through the finish area and the wooded section at the start of the last lap but I didn't need to look behind to know they were breathing down my neck. As we embarked on the last section around the far end of the course I could feel a semblance of strength returning; two or three of the chasers (including the lad I'd finished ahead of in previous races) finally got past me but at the same time DB was slowly coming back to us. Kept working very hard and, as we emerged onto the last field, there must have been at least 4 or 5 of us still close enough to fight for positions. I asked the legs for a final effort and managed to get past DB and keep chasing all the way down the long finishing straight (video evidence will no doubt reveal the reality of an awkward grimacing plod) before crossing the line just under 27' and staggering -completely knackered- down the long chute.

A cheerful Wubble Wubble came up to introduce himself. It was very nice to meet him, even if at the time I was way too wrecked to engage in very meaningful conversation. Hopefully I managed to sound just about coherent.

In the immediate aftermath of the race I felt that, in terms of effort, this had definitely been the hardest of the four XCs in the series whereas, in terms of outcome, it felt like the worst performance of the lot after having dropped a few places in the last lap and finished behind a couple of runners I've beaten before. Having reflected on it afterwards, however, there are several positives to take away from the race. Last week I complained about not having pushed myself a little harder - I can't have such regrets this time and I think I gave it as much as I could on the day. I might have pushed just that tiny bit more at the start to bridge up to the next group ahead but that is easy to say, two days later, from the comfort of one's armchair. Also, the willingness to dig deep when things got tough, something that I felt was missing during Raheny 5, was definitely there again. Objectively, Strava tells me that the lap times were fairly steady (6:24 - 6:22 - 6:26 - 6:22) bar for the slight dip on the 3rd lap, and if the course was actually closer to the advertised 4 miles than the 3.8 that my Garmin measured then the average pace was fairly decent too. And ultimately maybe others just had a better race, which at the end of the day is absolutely fine. Anyway ... total of 6.3 miles for the day including warm-up and cool-down.

Chip time: 26:58
Position: 45/86 (8th M45)
Splits (per mile): 7:05 7:10 7:19 5:23 [0.77 miles @ 6:57/mi pace]
Avg pace: 7:09/mi (4:27/km) as per Garmin
Avg HR: 138 bpm (!?)

That concludes the XC series and ticks off one of this year's goals. I've managed to take part in four of the six races, it has been thoroughly good fun and hopefully it will pay dividends later in the season as well. What next? Another couple of weeks in the base-building phase, aiming for steady 30-mile weeks, then a few days skiing to give the legs a different kind of challenge and then, depending on how I feel afterwards, perhaps I'll enter the K Club 10k to establish a baseline before starting a distance-specific training phase.

Sun 24/2 -- No running

Just a walk around the Vartry reservoir. Debated whether to go our for a few recovery miles but in the end decided to give the legs a break after yesterday and treat this as a bit of a step-back week.

Weekly total: 20.4 miles

MrSkinny

Completely abandoned the log during a busy couple of weeks and then it just gets harder and harder to get back on track. I have been keeping notes though, and will aim to tidy them up and bring things up to date over the next few days ... hopefully!

MrSkinny

Mon 25/2 -- 1h easy - 6.1 miles @ 9:49/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

A few early morning laps of Cabinteely Park, sticking to the flatter lower sections to ensure this was mainly a recovery run after the weekend's race. Nice fresh sunny morning again.

Tue 26/2 -- 45' easy-ish - 5.1 miles @ 8:58/mi

Bit of sore throat this morning but didn't feel too bad so went out after breakfast for a tour of Cabinteely and Kilbogget. A few patches of frost still on the ground but sunny and getting noticeably warmer by the minute. The plan was for 5 easy miles but the legs had a bit of zip today so I decided to just go along with it and ended up clocking some remarkably steady splits (8:58 8:59 8:58 8:58 8:57).

3.2 miles recovery @ 11:53/mi (Avg HR: 146 bpm)

A very light second run in the evening, as D wanted to stretch her legs and I was happy to go along.

Wed 27/2 -- No running

Thu 28/2 -- Cycle commute

Fri 1/3 -- 7.2 miles easy @ 9:29/mi (Avg HR: 136 bpm)

To Blackrock & back via Kilbogget Park in the rain.

Sat 2/3 -- XT: indoor rowing (2 km)

Missed today's parkrun due to a conflicting appointment but later on managed a 20-odd minute session on the new rowing machine, focusing on technique more than anything else. The plan is to try and incorporate a few rowing sessions into the routine as cross-training.

Sun 3/3 -- No running

Should probably stop factoring in Sundays as a running day, as family life tends to get in the way and I invariably end up getting peeved off. Best just treat it as a bonus day if I manage to get out.

Weekly total: 21.6 miles

MrSkinny

Mon 4/3 -- Long run: 10 miles @ 9:20/mi (Avg HR: 150 bpm)

Usual morning loop around Kilbogget and Cabinteely parks. A bit nippy but the legs were feeling good after a quiet weekend. Took it easy for the first 7 miles, listening to music on the iPod for a change, then picked up the pace leaving Kilbogget and decided to go hard from Cabinteely village all the way to the top of the Park, a climb about one mile long; then a short downhill recovery followed by another hard mile, mostly flat this time, to get to 90'. Wrapped things up with an easy trot home for another 2 or 3 minutes to round it up to 10 miles. Very enjoyable run but was definitely feeling the effort later in the day.

Tue 5/3 -- 30' easy: 3.1 miles @ 9:39/mi

Just a few easy miles around the flat sections of the Park to stretch the legs before getting onto a long-haul flight.

Wed 6/3 -- 7.2 miles easy @ 9:22/mi

Over in Seattle for a couple of days. Found a bit of time for an afternoon run after the day's meetings and headed from downtown towards the waterfront, then northwest along the Elliott Bay Trail in the direction of Magnolia before doubling back after a half hour or so. A scenic an enjoyable run despite the cold (3?C) and drizzly conditions.

Thu 7/3 -- No running

Fri 8/3 -- No running

Sat 9/3 -- Crissy Field parkrun (3.1 miles @ 7:31/mi) + 3.5 miles easy @ 9:53/mi

Onto San Francisco for a couple of days. Up early to catch a bus from downtown and over the hill to Crissy Field for the 9 AM start of the local parkrun. Walked across to the starting area and joined a handful of other parkrunners taking shelter from the massive downpour. The RD's speech was mercifully brief and off we went. Started easy then picked up the pace progressively and moved up a very spread out and relatively small field. Many parkrun tourists in attendance including a UK fellow doing his 400th parkrun. A very scenic location with great views of Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and the Bay area but the course itself is perhaps a little uninspiring: a very long and fairly straight out-and-back section with a small loop at the end.

Unfortunately conditions weren't ideal to stand around socialising after the run getting cold so after a couple of snaps I headed back towards downtown along the waterfront. Another scenic stretch but was glad to finally get out of all the wet gear and tuck into a hearty breakfast.

Sun 10/3 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:10/mi

A few easy miles from downtown to South Beach as far as Oracke Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. First run with the new Adrenaline 18s I had picked up in Seattle. I don't really like urban running on pavements but the cushioning and bounce of the new shoes made it just about bearable.

Weekly total: 31.9 miles