A Tall Order

py

Following on from DCM 2019 and being part of the Boards novices squad, I've got entries to the first two and then waiting on lottery for the last:

Donadea 50k
Comrades (Down year from Pietermaritzburg to Durban)
DCM 2020

To get things started, this is taken from my DCM 2019 race report:

What's next

• Rest. I might get some really light cycling done over the next few weeks to get the blood circulating in the legs a bit more.
• I've been watching my diet a good bit for the past 12 weeks after a bit of a panic after almost reaching 105Kg early in the training plan. I was 95Kg at the start of week 18. I've definitely got more changes that I can make to lower the body mass, in a healthy way though. This week will be lax though, still ensuring I get protein consumed to help the body recover.
• Run the Line is in a few weeks but I need to see how the body is. If I'm still in pain or my hip flexor is not close to 100% then I'll skip it.
• I need to start doing S&C and mobility work as soon as my body has recovered. My aerobic system (recent lab based VO2 result proved that) is good but my durability is what let me down yesterday.
• Next year's plans start early with Donadea 50k in February and then Comrades in June. I might get another marathon/ultra in between those to prep my legs for June. Pending how that goes I think I'd like to do another DCM training cycle so I may just pick up an entry this month to ensure that is a possibility.
• I'm a little unsure on my training paces moving forward so if someone has guidance that would be great.

DCM 2019 is done. It didn't go to plan. I'm happy to have completed my first marathon but 2020 has moved to the forefront of my mind. There's a lot to get done in terms of strength and conditioning to get me through Comrades. I need to make a decision on whether to do separate training blocks for Donadea and Comrades which may be easier mentally having a few weeks break after Donadea. Or have one large training block from December to June with a brief taper before Donadea. I'll also need to factor in at least another Ultra prior to June, perhaps Connamarathon if it's not too far out from June.

A high priority is shifting unneeded mass from my body. The week of DCM 2019, I weighed in at 95Kg (at 195cm tall). It's a long way from the ~130Kg I was at 5 years ago but if I'm to do marathon/ultra running then I need to get that down to somewhere between 80-85Kg whilst remaining physically and aerobically strong. During this rest period after DCM 2019 I'll be having some wine and bread and probably not stringently adhering to my usual 8 hour window of intermittent fasting so there'll probably be a few more Kg on top of that 95Kg when my training starts.

For the S&C side of things, I don't like gyms. They bore me to death. If it's not fun, I won't do it. I've got some light kettle bells at home and happy to buy heavier if required. I'd also like to be able to do the workout anywhere so bodyweight exercises would be a great addition too.

Huzzah!

Excellent.

Mr. Guappa

Great to see another log starting up.

Sorry that DCM didn't pan out as you wished - great fight shown to see it through though.
You put in a very dedicated and disciplined block of training.

Best of luck with the the year ahead - that's a pretty phenomenal list of targets.

OOnegative

Welcome to the logs, what’s the thinking behind running two ultras in first 6 months of next year when you struggled towards the end of DCM? There’s a 5 hour cut off in Donadea which going on Sunday’s time you won’t make. I don’t mean to sound a horrible ba$tard saying that but it’s true.

skyblue46

I'd be with B on this one. Hitting trouble at 20 miles in a marathon isn't a great indicator that taking on 2 ultras and a marathon in the next 12 months is a good idea.

py

Mr. Guappa wrote: »

Great to see another log starting up.

Sorry that DCM didn't pan out as you wished - great fight shown to see it through though.
You put in a very dedicated and disciplined block of training.

Best of luck with the the year ahead - that's a pretty phenomenal list of targets.

Thanks Mr G. It's been a good learning process throughout the training block, particularly when it comes to the racing side of things. I've said it already but thanks again for all the guidance.

OOnegative wrote: »

Welcome to the logs, what’s the thinking behind running two ultras in first 6 months of next year when you struggled towards the end of DCM? There’s a 5 hour cut off in Donadea which going on Sunday’s time you won’t make. I don’t mean to sound a horrible ba$tard saying that but it’s true.

skyblue46 wrote: »

I'd be with B on this one. Hitting trouble at 20 miles in a marathon isn't a great indicator that taking on 2 ultras and a marathon in the next 12 months is a good idea.

I appreciate the honest comments folks, if I expected sunshine and rainbows I wouldn't have started the log. I went in to DCM with something not right with a hip flexor and it proved to be the catalyst of my downfall during DCM. It's not something that cropped up during the building phase of the training plan but about 10 days out from the race (halfway through taper). I still haven't been able to figure out what caused it as I felt fine on my taper runs but with the increased stress/demands of marathon it couldn't cope at the latter stages.

Does a healed/normal hip flexor mean that everything will go to plan? Absolutely not. If things don't go to plan at Donadea, then the remaining plans will probably get knocked on the head. There's also the hamstring issues at 20 miles which is why I'll be adding S&C to my training twice a week.

Could I do Donadea today (without hip issue) and come in under the time limit? I don't know. I do know there's going to be a lot of progress required. I have the discipline and determination to get done what I think needs to be done to get where I need to be on each of the start lines. I'm not deluding myself in to thinking it's going to be easy during the training or out on any of the courses.

The log is here for feedback, regardless of whether I like/dislike/agree/disagree with it. I've looked at Hal Higdon 50k training plan and also some S&C (This being an example). I am not set on either one so if people have thoughts then I'm open to suggestions.

skyblue46

Speaking as someone who is out of action after ignoring/ running through a hip issue I'd say your first step should be physio. Make sure you deal with injuries before taking on tough training schedules.

OOnegative

And as another who suffered the consequences of a hip injury for a number of months, I would be letting Donadea slide and get the hip and hamstrings strong then start slowly building towards Comrades.

ReeReeG

Welcome to the logs! You've really gotten the bug anyway judging by those goals.

Look, nothing wrong with having big targets but definitely listen to your body along the way.

py

Good physio session today. Got the hip flexor worked on and there's tightness and weakness on the side that caused issue during DCM. I've been given stretching and strengthening exercises for it to get it up to a level where it's on par with the other side. Back in 10 days for another session. Just going to be on the bike till after that anyway.

py

Making progress with the rehab exercises. Started some S&C after guidance from physio. Got out for a few runs which was great for the mind. Back in physio tomorrow for a follow up on the hip and to see if I can kick on with a training program for Donadea. Looking forward to the week ahead and RTL on Saturday.

Monday
RRehab exercises - 2 sets, no additional resistance
Lateral hip raises
Single leg bridges
Knee drive

Bicycle commute.

Tuesday
S&C - 2 sets
Single leg bridges - bw
Single leg deadlifts - bw
Lateral hip raises - bw
Knee drives - bw
Lunges - bw
Calf raises + 10Kg
Bent leg calf raises + 10Kg

Bicycle commute.

Wednesday
Rehab exercises - 2 sets, no additional resistance
Lateral hip raises
Single leg bridges
Knee drive

Mega doms in hams/glutes from yesterday... and I barely lifted anything.

Thursday
S&C - 2 sets
Single leg bridges - bw
Single leg deadlifts - bw
Lateral hip raises - bw
Knee drives - bw
Lunges + 6Kg
Calf raises + 10Kg
Bent leg calf raises + 10Kg

Bicycle commute.

Friday
10Km run, 6:25min/Km, HR 145bpm. Felt ok during this. Neither fresh or fatigued. Had "run" with the young lad during his junior parkrun the previous Sunday and body was ok-ish so waited a few more days to do this run.

Yoga - 40 minutes. Only 5 classes in to this but really enjoying it.

Bicycle commute.

Minimal doms from yesterday's S&C

Saturday
S&C - 2 sets
Single leg bridges - bw
Single leg deadlifts - bw
Lateral hip raises - bw
Knee drives + band (I couldn't do 1 rep with band at original physio appointment on the bad side. 2 sets of 10 with band is big progress)
Lunges + 6Kg
Calf raises + 10Kg
Bent leg calf raises + 10Kg

Walked around our local parkrun with the young lad. He was delighted to get his first 5Km parkrun under his belt, 9 more to get that t-shirt for him :P

Sunday
10Km run, 6:09min/Km, HR 148bpm - yay for running more.

No doms from yesterday.

py

Great physio session this evening and think we've got to the cause of the hip issues I suffered in DCM. I'd been racking my brain as to what could've caused the left hip issue and came up with a theory. After running through my S&C exercises looking for tips/guidance on form and showing my struggles on the right side of the single leg deadlifts, my theory was all but confirmed.

I played a lot of basketball (multiple teams across multiple age levels each year) from about 9 till 19 and then sporadically since then till now (mid 30s). If you watch the video below which is one of the more popular moves in the game, I would've done this 000s of times throughout that playing period which left me with a really strong left leg (due to the foot plant and subsequent jump) and not as strong right leg. There would've been a correspoding action on the left side but nowhere even close to 50/50, probably more like 90/10 in favour of the right side. It's not something that would've been corrected since I took up cycling either.

Yay to (hopefully) finding the root cause. The load DCM put on the imbalance in my legs was too much and caused the left side to just say no.

Going forward I need to strengthen the lower right leg which is struggling now to even balance on a single leg deadlift. I've also to get my left hip back up to par with the right which is not too far away. Back to they physio in about 2 weeks.

Cleared for starting a running program this week and going to start into a slightly adjusted version of the Hal Higdon 50K program.

py

Monday
Physio - detailed above, great breakthrough in rehab and root cause of issues in DCM.

Tuesday
8km at 6:19min/Km, HR 157bpm. HR a little high, think I may have been too wrapped up and started to get too hot.

S&C - 2 sets
Single leg bridges - bw
Single leg balance - bw
Lateral hip raises - bw
Knee drives + band
Lunges - +6Kg
Calf raises + 16Kg
Bent leg calf raises + 16Kg

Bicycle commute.

Wednesday
10Km at 6:19min/Km, HR 150bpm.

Rehab exercises - 2 sets
Lateral hip raises
Single leg bridges
Knee drive + band
Single leg balance - bw

Bicycle commute.

Thursday
8Km at 6:19min/Km, HR 150bpm. I've no idea how the 3 midweek runs were ran at the exact same pace. :P

S&C - 2 sets
Single leg bridges - bw
Single leg balance - bw
Lateral hip raises - bw
Knee drives + band
Lunges - +6Kg
Calf raises + 16Kg
Bent leg calf raises + 16Kg

Bicycle commute.

Friday
Yoga - 40 minutes

Rehab exercises - 2 sets
Lateral hip raises
Single leg bridges
Knee drive + band
Single leg balance - bw

Saturday
12.2Km with 511m elevation at 7:05min/Km, HR 171bpm. Run the Line - short course. First time dipping my toe... or entire foot ankle deep in to what trails has to offer. Had a pair of trail runners which I used to run on the road with so I opted to use them for the event. They did ok but I could've done with something more sturdy with better grip for some sections. A pair of decent trail runners has been added to the shopping list. HR shows I went too hard for it but I was just having a lot of fun. I'd changed the display settings on my Garmin to just show distance as pace/avg pace/total duration would've meant nothing to me with it being my first trail run.

No S&C today on account of being pretty tired.

Sunday
Junior parkrun in the morning. This was recovery pace.

18Km with 422m elevation at 6:37min/Km, HR 150bpm. This was supposed to be a 2 hour lsr but opted to take a shot at reaching Three Rock masts after being inspired by RTL on Saturday. Thoroughly enjoyed the run, very peaceful compared to my usual road running even if there was a good few people on the way up there. Need to learn my way around up there, got a wee bit lost on the descent and ended up running a long the same stream from yesterday's RTL where I tweaked my ankle a little and then ended up exiting the trail in to an equestrian centre's yard :P Pegasus road shoes held up ok but could've done with perhaps some more cushioning and grip to feel that bit more confident on the descent. There were some brief walking moments on the ascent when the gradient must have been hitting 20% gradients and it wasn't worth the effort to run and also when I was getting over eager.


Hoping to incorporate trail runs in to my sessions going forward but it may be tough during the winter months when it's pitch black and I've to get my runs completed prior to the little ones at home arising and causing havoc. Today was an exception where I got to get out running in the middle of the day.


Good to be back training. Got a training buddy that will come with me a few times on the midweek runs so I've been dictating the pace/distance/route and they're happy to have someone to remind/motivate them to get out and at it. Legs are feeling it after yesterday/today so I'm looking forward to the best part of 48 hours rest (no cycling/S&C/rehab...nadda) now before my next session. Got work related travel later in the week but will be bringing my gear with me to get the sessions done.

py

Monday
100% rest as planned. Legs were tired after my first double at the weekend.

Tuesday
8Km at 6:27min/Km, HR 142bpm. Legs still aching a little but got through it just fine. No S&C and no bicycle commute due to work travel later in the day.

Wednesday
16Km at 6:12min/Km, HR 147bpm. Was going well but had to change my route on the fly due to construction work blocking my path along the quays where I was staying. It made the 2nd half quite boring.

Later in the day I started to feel like crud. Early evening is when I knew things were going to go downhill quick. Sick with a usual illness that I would have meds for at home but didn't bring them on this brief work trip.

The rest of the week was a complete write off. I'm still not 100% so glad there's nothing on the running calendar for me tomorrow.

Upcoming week:

• Physio on Monday for hip review
• Pick up decent trail runners in sales
• Perhaps pick up some more road runners
• Finish reading Thinking on My Feet and begin Born to Run

py

Week of November 25th-December 1st.

Much better week this week with illness pretty much behind me. Energy levels not 100% and my routine was all over the place due to a few things going on at home this week (hence the evening runs) so no S&C. Need to look at my training program for the 50K again and tweak it a little. Will post that up here when I've got it ready for review. Also made really good progress in Born to Run, well over 50% through and enjoying it.

57Km for the week.

Monday
Still sick. 100% rest once again. Main illness pretty much gone by the end of the day but a few minor side effects of the meds lasted in to the next few days.

Physio - wee bit of tightness still in the hip. Felt much better afterwards and throughout the week.

Tuesday

Cycle commute - usual 15-16Km round trip at easy pace, this is pretty much my cycle every day during winter. It only really changes if the mornings are bright or the weather is nice. I might go on an early morning excursion. no fear of that until April/May 2020 at the earliest.

Evening run - 8Km, 6:30/Km,  151avg HR. As I've mentioned in the grad thread, evening runs are not my thing, much prefer them in the morning for a multitude of reasons, normal service will resume next week.


Wedneday

Cycle commute.

Evening run - 10Km,  6:10/Km,  157avg HR - hill repeats. First time doing hill repeats and found somewhere which was 5-7% gradient throughout. They were not too long, about 100 metres (30 seconds ish) per repeat but felt like a good workout. A couple of other hills I was looking at locally are the full distance of this or part (surely not all of it?!) of this.


Thursday

Evening run - 9Km,  6:18/Km,  147avg HR. Different to one of my usual routes, going to have to start running in different areas to alleviate the boredom of running in the dark.

Friday

Cycle commute.

Yoga.


Saturday

Early morning run - 10Km, 6:43/Km,  148avg HR. Quite an easy run, HR a bit higher as I was way overdressed so overheated a little. Still finding it difficult to know what to wear for these longer winter runs as I was only really doing 3-5Km runs this time last year and they were at a higher pace too. Any advice welcome.


Sunday

Junior parkrun in the morning. Young lad enjoyed it a lot and he's halfway to his Ultra wristband. Trying to instill some good habits of getting outdoors and being active at a young age but unsure how much to push him to get out the door to get to parkrun. When the actual event is done he's thrilled he's done it, can be a struggle at times to get there though. Cake at the end helped

Afternoon run - 20Km, 6:18/Km,  161avg HR - 587m elevation. Got new trail shoes in the post during the week so was itching to try them out. Plan was to run up past Three rock, go around to the back of The Gap, up to Two Rock and back down the Wicklow Way on to Kilmashogue Lane. Took a wrong turn at a fork on the road on the way up to Two Rock and and ended up back at Three Rock. No harm as at least I wasn't too lost and I know the exact point I went wrong for next time. Really enjoyable run up in the hills and the new kicks held up really well in providing stability and grip on the trails.

py

Week of December 2nd-8th

66Km for the week. Couple of tough runs this week - one was from a motivational pov and the other from fatigue. Last 2 weeks have seen an increase in mileage so going to either drop it back or have it stagnate for the week ahead to allow for some recovery. Only one day of S&C this week due to time constraints but with yoga finished till the new year then Friday may be a new S&C day. Finished "Born to Run", highly recommended for anyone who hasn't read it.

Diet this week was pretty terrible. Discipline is required. Need to keep on top of this and prep as much as possible in advance.

Physio tomorrow for a check in on the hip. Last session showed that my strength in the area had improved significantly but still some tightness remained. Hoping it's strong and loose tomorrow.

Donadea 50Km is 9 weeks away. I'm going to get out to there at some stage over the holidays and do a few laps of the course so I'm not going in blind on race day. My fear right now is that even if my hip is ready for the day, that physically something else may go wrong on the day. I feel like I'm prepping sufficiently from a running perspective (diet and S&C need to follow suit and quick) but my experience from DCM has me doubting myself a lot. My Plan A is to to finish within the 5 hour cut off which is 6min/Km which I think is achievable if I am disciplined with my pacing. I think the course lends itself to pacing yourself quite easily. There's also an element that I may just be torturing myself by thinking about it this early.

Monday

My new favourite day of the week, rest day from pretty much everything.

Tuesday

Morning run - 8km @ 6:06min/Km, 144avg HR.

S&C - lateral hip raises, single leg bridge, calf raises, bent leg calf raises, lunges, knee drives and pushups.

Cycle commute of 15Km

Wednesday

Morning run - 9km @ 6:18min/Km, 150avg HR. Struggled to get out the door for this. Main reason is that I didn't have a set plan (distance or hillls etc) nailed down for the run so I faffed about. Eventually got out and I ran, that's about all I can say for it.

Thursday

8Km @ 6:23min/Km, 144avg HR.

Cycle commute of 15Km

Friday

40 mins Yoga.

Cycle commute of 15Km

Saturday

26.5Km @ 6:50min/Km, 161avg HR, 779m of elevation. Another enjoyable run up in the hills, starting to get a better sense of direction up there and recognised more of the RTL route from a weeks ago. Still went the wrong wat a few times though. It was a wild day up there with strong winds and some brief sideways rain. Thankfully I was prepared with buffs, gloves and wind jacket. Covered Three rock, Two rock, Tibradden, Cruagh and Massey woods. I am far from a mountain goat but I really look forward to this run each week now. It's exceptionally tranquil up there with the only thing to be concerned about is where your next step goes.

Sunday

14.5Km @ 6:33min/Km, 144avg HR. Felt a little fatigued for the 13th/14th Km but finished the last .5Km in better shape. Was greatful for the company whilst out on this run as the conversation took my mind away from tired legs.

py

Week of December 9th-16th

This week went mostly to plan. Got my rest when I was supposed to. Also managed to have a step back week for more recovery. Diet great at the start but poor at the end. 2 S&C sessions this week was positive. Cold weather this week was horrid. Next week is a bump up in mileage, heading for 73Km/45miles.

8 weeks to go to Donadea. 6 months till Comrades.

56Km for the week.

Monday

Rest day as planned. Physio for check in on hip. It's much improved since DCM, little bit more to go and I feel I'll be 100%.

Tuesday

Morning run - 8Km @ 6:15/Km, 153avg HR.

S&C - lateral hip raises, single leg bridge, calf raises, bent leg calf raises, lunges, knee drives and pushups.

Cycle commute of 15Km

Wednesday

Morning run - 8Km @ ; 6:24/Km,  149avg HR - 30 second hill sprints with ~100 seconds recovery * 10.

Thursday

Morning run - 8Km @ ; 6:13/Km,  146avg HR.

Cycle commute of 15Km

Friday

Cycle commute of 15Km

S&C - lateral hip raises, single leg bridge, calf raises, bent leg calf raises, lunges, knee drives and pushups. Bumped the reps and weight up on a few of these. Making progress.

Saturday

Morning run - 16Km @ 6:28/Km,  138avg HR. Included a parkrun in this but kept it low intensity.

Sunday

Afternoon run - 16Km @ 6:06/Km,  143avg HR. Included 20 minutes at planned race pace just to see how the body would handle it and seemed to go ok.

py

I've been getting advice from those who have participated/completed Comrades and think I've nailed down my race calendar for first half of 2020. From the guidance I've been given, this will give myself the best chance of reaching the finish line in Durban prior to the 12 hour cut off:

• February 9th - Donadea - 50Km
• March 28th - Maurice Mullins Half - 25Km
• April 19th - Connemarathon Ultra - 63Km
• June 14th - Comrades

Pending body and mind being in good shape, I'll look at doing the DCM race series as prep for DCM. That's a long way away yet so laser focus on February for now.

py

Keep forgetting to post this. This is my training plan for Donadea. It's an abridged version of the Hal Higdon 50Km ultra plan. I've had to adjust it as I'll be traveling with about 3-4 weeks prior to the race and also because I'm not going to be racing a marathon prior to Donadea.

For every other middle midweek run I'm hoping to do hill repeats. For the non step back/recovery weeks I'm planning on doing at least one of my LSRs on trails/hilly terrain. Donadea is pan flat but this rotation in addition to the S&C has helped me build leg strength thus far.

Comments and opinions welcome as always.

Treviso

5HR LSR :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

skyblue46

Treviso wrote: »

5HR LSR :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I have to agree. A 5 hour LSR is bonkers. Very few go above 3 hours for a marathon and Donadea is only 8kms longer than a marathon.

To me the schedule for the year is a huge step up from Novice DCM but that aside I think I'd be looking at doubles as a way to up mileage..

skyblue46

Treviso wrote: »

5HR LSR :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I have to agree. A 5 hour LSR is bonkers. Very few go above 3 hours for a marathon and Donadea is only 8kms longer than a marathon.

To me the schedule for the year is a huge step up from Novice DCM but that aside I think I'd be looking at doubles as a way to up mileage..

skyblue46

Treviso wrote: »

5HR LSR :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

You're more polite than I am...

py

Treviso wrote: »

5HR LSR :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

skyblue46 wrote: »

I have to agree. A 5 hour LSR is bonkers. Very few go above 3 hours for a marathon and Donadea is only 8kms longer than a marathon.

Thanks for the comments. The 5hour LSR was the one day on the HH plan that I was really unsure of what it's benefits to my training were. I may change that week to a 3 hour LSR on each day as opposed to the 2/5 hour LSR the way it currently is. Again, open to suggestions on what is going to help me the most.

Should I dump the 4 hour LSR too?

skyblue46 wrote: »

To me the schedule for the year is a huge step up from Novice DCM but that aside I think I'd be looking at doubles as a way to up mileage..

Thanks for the suggestion. I'd like to do a runmute double once a week but I want to get a few more one way trips under my belt before attempting a double.

py

Week of December 16th-22nd

A good week of running. Enjoyed my first runmute so I'm hoping to get some more of these in to my routine in the new year. Tough back to back long runs this weekend but happy to have completed them without any physical issues. If the upcoming week goes to plan I'll have completed 1,500Km for the year.

7 weeks till Donadea.

73Km for the week. Biggest week I've ever done. Slight increase for the upcoming week too.

Monday

Rest day

Physio was really happy with how hip strength is, will probably get a follow up in mid January just to make sure I'm in good shape prior to taper.

Tuesday

Morning run - 7.5Km @ 6:16min/Km, 146avg HR.

S&C - lateral hip raises, single leg bridge, calf raises, bent leg calf raises, lunges, knee drives and pushups.

Cycle commute of 15Km

Wednesday

Morning runmute - 10.5Km @ 6:07min/Km, 153avg HR. First runmute, this was enjoyable and will not be my last one. Pace should've been slower by 15-20 seconds for the runmute so will monitor it the next time I do it. Didn't take a direct route as I'd to to get at least 10Km done.

Thursday

Morning run - 8Km @ 6:12min/Km, 144avg HR.

Friday

Cycle commute of 15Km

Saturday

Afternoon run - 27Km @ 6:40min/Km, 157avg HR, 804m elevation. Back on the trails this week and managed not to get lost this time. More elevation than I've done to date so last ascent was tough so ended up doing some run/walk to avoid stopping. Recent book I've been read recommended run 100 steps and walk 50 when going uphill during Comrades and this worked really well and didn't result in too much drop off in Km/min.

Sunday

Morning run - 20Km @ 6:43min/Km, 136avg HR. After yesterday's run, this was a physical and mentally tough run. I'd the company for the first half and then I'd podcasts for the 2nd half. Delighted to get through it.

py

Week of December 23rd-29th

Hope everyone had a nice enjoyable/quiet/happy Christmas/Holiday. Thankfully it was quiet here. Missed a couple of midweek runs due to illness but happy to have got most of the planned distance in the back to back LSRs complete. No S&C :rolleyes: After the few runs I missed, I'll be slightly short of the 1,500Km for the year but not going to start chasing irrelevant targets which may break me physically.

6 weeks till Donadea.

50Km for the week which is 2/3 of what I'd hoped for. Just glad I caught the illness early or it could've been 12Km total. Need to review my plan for the next 3 weeks as they're still the upswing of the plan and I'm away for the last week of that. I also have the possibility of doing a half marathon as an LSR when I'm away so going to start looking at booking my place for that this week.

Parkrun double on Wednesday so might see a few of you about. Still undecided on which double but I think it'll be Griffeen/Brickfields and then over to Tymon.

Monday

Rest day.

Tuesday

Afternoon run - 12Km @ 6:14min/Km, 137avg HR. Can't recall anything about this run... it's on strava so it must have happened.

Wednesday/Thursday

Sick - tonsillitis back once again but caught it very early so only 2 days off my feet instead of 5 like last time.

Friday

Rest day - was tempted to get out after missing a few days but decided to stick to the plan and not chase lost miles.

Saturday

Morning run - 18Km @ 6:19min/Km, 147avg HR. Went out to Donadea forest to see what the route for the 50Km is like...eventually travelled the right route after several attempts Enjoyable enough route with mostly compacted clay/mud and a small amount of tarmac. Dunno if it was the lack of movement during the week after being sick or something else but legs just didn't feel good and started to feel some niggles in my left calf and left hamstring. Had hoped to get 5 laps of the course in but ended up with 3.5. Got home and cleaned up and worked through some stretching and rolling which helped immensely.

Sunday

Afternoon run - 20km @ 6:30min/Km, 144 avg HR. Legs felt a little better throughout but definitely fatigued towards the end. Happy to get back to back LSRs complete after being ill for a few days. More stretching/rolling afterwards.


Edit: just realised Brickfields is on at 11am on NYD so need to rejig my plans for my parkrun double

py

Week of December 30th - January 5th

(sorry, a lot of words this week)

Happy new year everyone, wishing you all the best for 2020.

2019 review - I ran almost 1500Km which is pretty much 1500Km more than I'd ever run before. Completed a few races - some went well, others did not. Had a blast being a member of the DCM Novices group and learned a huge amount from the mentors (thanks again Mr G, ReeReeg and Huzzah) and also the other novices.

This week felt great to finish out 2019 and kick start 2020 with the NYD double run. Few issues with stomach this week but putting it down to poor eating choices though I'll be keeping an eye on it for a few weeks. Looking forward to the routine of the work week moving forward. I've got work travel next Saturday morning. Should I get my LSR out of the way earlier (5am?) on the Saturday or move it to the Friday to get it done? I'm leaning towards the Friday as I'm concerned that an LSR plus about 12hours of flights will have my immune system shot to sh!t.

I got signed up to the 3M Half Marathon which is taking place whilst I'm traveling so I'm looking forward to participating in my first foreign running event. It looks like a nice fast course but I'll be running it as my last longish LSR prior to taper for Donadea. So looking forward to taper.

5 weeks till Donadea. Unsure how I feel about the 50Km right now. I need to get these niggles in my left leg sorted which have been occurring the past 10 days. Hoping they're nothing serious and just a sign of fatigue with the increased mileage which will ease during the taper in 2 weeks. Hoping. :o:( Physio tomorrow to be sure.

76Km/47miles for the week.

Monday

Usually a rest day but took the road bike out for the first time in months for a quick spin in and out of the city to take care of some personal stuff. Roads were really quiet which made for an enjoyable spin. 17Km return at moderate effort.

Tuesday

Morning run - 10Km @ 6:25min/Km, 136avg HR. Enjoyable 10Km and a little slower than my usual easy pace due to the parkrun double the next day.

Wednesday

Morning run - 24Km @ 5:47min/Km, 146avg HR. Parkrun double at Griffeen and Tymon was a great start to the year and my first goal of the year ticked off. I knew the transition between the two was going to be tight so I'd to pace myself well at Griffeen, get barcode scanned as quick as possible and then hit the road to make it in time for the RD chat at Tymon. Griffeen was 27.44 which felt easy and my HR was at a good level for the duration of it. I hit the road after grabbing a lucozade sport from the car and started my 10-11km transition between the two. Roads were relatively quiet so I tried to stay on them as much as possible instead of the undulating or off camber paths. Made good time even with a quick toilet break in the trees just before arriving at the RD chat. Caught the tail end of the RD stuff and then we're off. Stomach started to feel off and I'm unsure if it was the lucozade sport which is unusual for me to drink or whether it was food from a NYE party the night before. I was on the dry and in bed at 11pm but it's unusual for me to eat past 7pm so I'm putting it down to a combination of both. Had to ease up on pace due to the stomach and one or two niggles in my leg that have shown up over the holidays. Got around Tymon in 31:28. Grabbed some water and some sweets at the end and hit the road home to finish out the rest of the run. Delighted to get my first NYD double done though I might not put myself under so much pressure next year and do two that are a little closer.

Thursday
Late afternoon recovery buggy run - 6Km @ 7:02min/Km, 137avg HR. Had the youngest in the buggy with me for this and it was windy as hell out. Short and sweet to get the blood flowing to the legs after the NYD escapades.

Friday

Rest day.

Saturday
Morning run - 19Km @ 6:43min/Km, 146avg HR. Average run was average. Few niggles still about. No stomach issues.

Sunday
Evening run - 16Km @ 6:51min/Km, 135avg HR. Due to issues out of my control I'd to push this run from the morning to the evening. I really dislike running in the evening time due to a number of factors, the main one being that it puts me out of routine when it comes to diet. Had to slow down to a walk twice in the last 5Km due to stomach issues. Got home without incident :P

Treviso

That 3m Half marathon course is my sort of elevation profile! Enjoy it

https://secureservercdn.net/184.168.47.225/74c.8a1.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/3M-Elevation-2018.pdf

py

Spotted some swish graphs over on mister paul's log recently. They're from the Elevate chrome browser plugin which links in to Strava. it took multiple syncs with the app until I got my own data loaded in.

Very little running data. Started running "regularly" in Nov 2018. There's a very small blip for 2017 when I tried to run/jog 5Km as a once off.



Smallest distance for a full calendar year of cycling since I started 6 years ago. If there was no other exercise in going on I might be annoyed but running really took off last year. Should hit a total of 30,000Km on the bike in the first half of the year.

Mr. Guappa

Is running something you think you'll stick with long term, or is it more of a bucket list thing, i.e. do a marathon, do a 50k, do Comrades, then move onto the next big challenge, in whatever discipline that may be? Triathlon?

py

Mr. Guappa wrote: »

Is running something you think you'll stick with long term, or is it more of a bucket list thing, i.e. do a marathon, do a 50k, do Comrades, then move onto the next big challenge, in whatever discipline that may be? Triathlon?

I don't know sorry . Running has kind of caught me off guard if I'm honest, in a good way. I'm enjoying it, it fits in with family/work/college(last year) life much easier than cycling (imo anyway), it's cheaper (vaporfly at $250 or carbon wheels at $000s :P), it's safer (no motor vehicles on paths/trails) and it still gets me out in the fresh air like cycling does. Unsure on triathlons. I almost signed up to some Duathlons in spring 2019 so that may be something for early 2021.

I had plans in my head for cycling for 2020 and beyond (LEL in 2021 and PBP in 2023). If I were to tackle those I would have used 2020 as a starting point for building endurance on the bike and testing out a new bike along with new gear/equipment to get me ready for the big distances to ensure I was completely ready for all weather/terrain. I'm in no way disappointed that those plans have been delayed, just delighted to be enjoying what I'm doing while getting fit/healthy.

py

Week of January 6th-12th

Penultimate week of upswing in this training block. Missed one of LSRs due to travel and the other didn't go great. Upcoming week will go better.

4 weeks till Donadea. If I can replicate the effort from Thursday's run times 5 on race day I'll be happy.

53Km/33 miles.

Monday

Rest day.

Tuesday

Morning run - 10km @ 6:26min/Km, 149avg HR. Incredibly windy run which resulted in slower pace and higher HR. Turned out there was a yellow wind warning in place that I missed the notifications for :pac:

Cycle commute of 15Km.

Wednesday

Morning run - 16Km @ 6:29min/Km, 141avg HR. Longest midweek run to date, nothing memorable about it.

Thursday

Morning run - 10Km @ 5:56min/Km, 149avg HR. I'd planned on doing this a little quicker than normal and it threw up some interesting (to me at least ) numbers. Exact same time of day and route as Tuesday's run but didn't have the yellow wind warning. A quicker pace of 30 seconds per Km. HR was the exact same. First time I've seen weather conditions have a drastic effect on my running where I can compare a like for like run. Quite happy with how I felt throughout the run.

Cycle commute of 15Km

S&C - first standalone S&C workout. I've typically done this straight after a run but I've moved it to lunch time now and it suits much better.
Single leg heel raises, single bent leg heel raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, knee drives, deadlifts, pushups. Run through that 3 times. Felt good afterwards. Glutes and hammies were tender on Friday.

Friday

Cycle commute of 15Km.

Yoga - 45 mins. Doms from the previous day were relieved a little during this.

Saturday

Was supposed to be a 2 hour or ~20-25Km run but I'd 18 hours worth of traveling to do so running. Got a brief few minutes of sprint work in trying to catch my connecting flight whilst carrying 2 hand luggage bags. Since it's not on strava, it didn't happen.

Sunday

Afternoon run - 17Km @ 6:36min/Km, 135avg HR. Legs felt really heavy throughout and both calves felt tight. I'd done some rolling/stretching a few hours beforehand to ease the legs after travel. Perhaps I should've jumped on a bike or treadmill indoors first to loosen them up a little more. Would've liked to have gotten out for 2.5 hours or ~25Km but just wasn't to be.

py

Week of January 13th-19th

Final week of building for Donadea complete. Taper from now until February 8th. What's done (or not done) is done. C'est la vie. Still have some niggles in my leg that I'm hoping physio and reduced mileage will help it get race day ready.

This training block has definitely been a different experience compared with novices DCM 2019 plan. Doing this solo compared to the hoards of us who were involved in the Novices thread has been testing mentally. Peer pressure is probably the wrong way to describe how it works in the Novices thread (accountability to the group?) but I definitely felt that I didn't want to let down the mentors or other novices as we were all going through the same plan with ups and downs every week. Going it alone solo for this race has meant I've had be more aware of those little voices that tell you to stay in bed for a few more hours instead of going running in the dark/cold/wet/wind (sometimes all 4) or that you'll get it done after work which of course will never happen. The folks on our novices (grads at this stage) whatsapp group have also been great with words of encouragement (to everyone, not just me) on a regular basis. It's been a great source of motivation and also an outlet when runs go to sh!t because there's no point in saying to the wife or kids . I've also recently started the headspace motivation course which has helped with focusing the mind on the goal ahead.

3 weeks till Donadea.

80Km/50miles for the week. Biggest mileageweek thus far. Hard not to have a sense of both pride at the total and dissapointment of not having it being more.


Monday

S&C in the morning - Single leg calf raises, seated calf raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, knee drives, deadlifts, pushups. Run through that 3 times. I'd a bit more weight to play with in the hotel gym so seated calf raises and deadlifts had a bit more weight on them. Doms for rest of that day and following days were nothing compared with the previous Thursday.

Tuesday

Morning runmute - 12Km @ 6:26/Km,  154avg HR. Lovely runmute to the office which consisted of running by high rise buildings, through suburbs and then on trails along the banks of a river. It was slightly raining so I threw on my lightweight rain/wind jacket but didn't factor in the heat so HR was slightly higher than I'd have liked. Carried everything with me so the backpack had laptop, clothers, shoes and a few other items. Going to continue these when I get back to Ireland as body seems to be ok with them.

Wednesday

Morning runmute - 12Km, @ 6:26/Km,  163avg HR. Pretty much the same route as Tuesday bar a little deviation which had me along the other bank of the river on a single trail with a 50 foot drop in to the river. Adrenaline kicked in due to my rather ironic fear of heights and my HR never really recovered, there was a small bit of recovery after getting off the trails but not enough. Garmin prompted 3.5 days recovery at the end of the run.

S&C in the evening - Single leg calf raises, seated calf raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, knee drives, deadlifts, pushups. Run through that 3 times.

Thursday

Morning runmute - 12Km @ 6:32/Km,  145avg HR. Reverted back to my route from Tuesday. HR reading is a bit wonky for majority of 1st Km so I reckon the HR avg should be ~150 for the run.

Friday

Rest day. Had planned on doing some yoga after picking up a new swish yoga mat but was mentally drained after a long week in the office.

Saturday

Morning run - 22Km @ 6:48min/Km, 142avg HR. I'd to go collect my race pack for the next day's half marathon. It was a bit stop/start at times due to the large roads here in the US and waiting around for it to be safe to cross...lots of jay walking across roads the size of the M50. Race pack was the oddest bag I've ever gotten, bunch of stuff from the main sponsor 3M (picture on the strava activity) but no food or anything. Tshirt was ok. I was wearing my parkrun apricot tshirt and got talking to a gent from Belfast very briefly who recognised the logo. After finishing up at the expo I started off with the plan on running all the way back to hotel for a round trip of ~34Km. Legs just weren't up for it though. Stopped after a few Km on the way back.

Sunday

3M Half Marathon - Chip time 2:04:50. Plan was to run at a little under 6min/Km but really doubted if I could carry that out after yesterday's sh!tshow. Course itself is a point to point with most of it downhill bar the bumps at the end which feel like mountains by the time I've got there. Bit of fruit and water prior to getting out the door.

Got to the start area about 45 minutes prior to start. It's cold, like DCM 2019 morning cold but I've no throwaway clothes with me so I keep my jacket and hat as long as possible and thus my race bag too. There are people with blankets, foil blankets, dressing gowns and a variety of other items draped over them to keep them warm. Drop the bag off about 20 minutes prior to the start and enter the pens very close to the 2:05 pacers. Start shivering almost immediately.

1-5Km - Goes off without incident as the roads are really wide so plenty of space for everyone to run comfortably while people find their own pace/rhythm. For most of Kms 2-4 I can't see anything outside of the feet of the person in front of me due to the low and blinding winter sunrise. I'm a out of the gates a little quicker than I'd planned but feeling ok. I'm ahead of the 2:05 pacers at this stage but no idea how far.

6-10Km - About 7Km I get a little urge that I should take a pit stop at a portaloo so I wait till there's a quiet rest stop and take care of business. Probably wasn't a good idea to eat a large amount of local BBQ early the previous evening :pac: but I'm in the land of top notch BBQ cuisine so it is what it is. I get out of the portaloo and about take off but find myself right behind the 2:05 pacers so I tag on.

11-15Km - I'm with the 2:05 pacers for all of this section. Fairly uneventful. The pacers are really good so I'm just tucked in behind them.

16Km-Finish - I'm still with the 2:05 pacers right until crossing the finish line. There are a few bumps towards the end of the race in the last few Km which test the legs after yesterday's run. I turn the final corner to see the finish line and it's at the top of a drag... bastards Cross the line and my watch says 2:04:55 with chip time later saying 2:04:50.

I booked the race for the novelty of doing my first race outside of Ireland and using it as a PMP/LSR run but I'm not sure I'd have mentally got through that run on my own after what I consider a disappointing day yesterday. Aerobic system felt fine throughout but legs are pure tired and beat up right now. The support from the public along the route was great and volunteers were fantastic. It was a bit of a pricey race as I booked it pretty close to the race day. If my work trip is better planned next year I'll consider either the same race or perhaps the Houston marathon which is on the same day.

py

Week of January 20th-26th

Bit of a meh week in terms of the distance I covered but I'm in the first week of taper and just travelled a few 000Kms so not going to get too down on myself over it. Falling asleep at the computer so trying to keep this brief.

34Km/21miles.

2 weeks till Donadea.

Monday

S&C in the morning - Single leg calf raises, seated calf raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, knee drives, deadlifts, pushups. Run through that 3 times. Body/mind pretty tired after the back to back runs over the weekend just gone but happy to have got this out of the way.

Tuesday

Morning run - 7Km @ 6:23min/Km, 144avg HR. Tough enough run. Legs were still tired from the weekend and the S&C yesterday didn't help.

Wednesday

Morning run - 10Km @ 6:00min/Km, 160avg HR. Legs recovered from the weekend at this stage. HR was a little high at points whlist effort felt fine. Unsure if HR strap is busted or I'm coming down withi something.

S&C in the evening - Single leg calf raises, seated calf raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, knee drives, deadlifts, pushups.

Thursday

Morning run - 5Km @ 6:18min/Km, 147avg HR. Short on time due to work stuff so just got out for as long as I could.

Friday/Saturday

Travel home from the US. Think I was on the move for close to 24 hours between taxis and flights. No running got done. So very tired after all of it.

Sunday

Junior parkrun in the morning - legs felt pretty awful during it. Putting it down to sitting in a cramped airplane seat for about 10-12 hours.

Evening run - 10Km @ 6:25min, 155avg HR. Had to get out after travel curbed yesterday's plans. Was a bit of a meh run but glad to get the legs moving. They felt better during this then this morning in junior parkrun.

py

Week of January 27th - February 2nd

Taper week #2. Got the runs in thankfully. Struggled with fatigue due to jet lag and lack of sleep until I finally got a great nights sleep on Friday evening. HR during the 3 midweek runs was higher than it usually is due to this. It dropped back to normal levels on the weekend runs so happy to see that.

6 days till Donadea :eek: Just 6.5Km * 2 to get through during the week before a few days rest. I've been formulating my plan for the actual race and I'm planning on 5:48min/Km for a 4:50 finish. I've read over my DCM report and the main thing that sticks out is discipline with regards to pacing. By all accounts the surface is a lot more forgiving than DCM and not as hilly so hoping my race plan works out. Legs are certainly stronger and my aerobic system has improved. Positive thinking for the week.

Monday

15Km cycle commute.

S&C @ lunchtime. Single leg calf raises, standing bent lef calf raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, knee drives, deadlifts, pushups. Run through that 3 times.

Tuesday

Morning run - 6.5Km @ 6:22min/Km, 150avg HR. Little sleep the night before. Body and mind tired throughout this short run.

15Km cycle commute.

Wednesday

Morning run - 10Km @ 6:09min/Km, 154avg HR.


Thursday

Morning run - 6.5Km @ 6:13min/Km, 150avg HR.

S&C @ lunchtime. Single leg calf raises, standing bent lef calf raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, knee drives, deadlifts, pushups. Run through that 3 times.

15Km cycle commute.


Friday

19Km cycle commute.

Yoga - 40 minutes.


Saturday

Morning run - 10Km @ 6:20min/Km, 141avg HR.


Sunday

Evening run - 10Km @ 6:!2min/Km, 138avg HR. This and Saturday's run felt much better than the midweek runs. Fatigue seems to be gone.

py

Week of February 3rd - 7th

Left hamstring felt off at the start of the week but eventually came around after the S&C session on Tuesday. It's been good since. Thursday morning saw the start of a head cold so I've been 50/50 on whether to take anything for it on the day, unsure if it'll affect my gut.

1 more sleep till Donadea. As it is 5Km per lap I've got my fuel/fluid prepped in a small box which I can hit up at the start of each lap. Got a mixture of nakd bars, banana chips and wine gums to get me through. Still deciding on what attire to wear tomorrow as it's looking like 30-40Km/hr winds for the latter half of the race.

Monday

Cycle commute 15Km.

Tuesday

Morning run - 6.5Km @ 6:10min/Km. 141avg HR.

S&C @ lunchtime. Single leg calf raises, standing bent lef calf raises, single leg bridge, lateral hip raises, farmers walk, deadlifts, pushups. Run through that 3 times. No bands with me so no knee drives.

Cycle commute 15Km.

Wednesday

Lunch run - 7Km @ 5:45min/Km. 152avg HR.

Thursday/Friday

Back to back rest days with a head cold settling in :rolleyes::mad: Was due to have yoga Friday lunch time but decided to skip it and conserve energy.

mister paul

Best of luck tomorrow M.

py

Donadea 50Km - Official time 5:24:17

Not the time I wanted or under the cutoff time but I had a great time today and came out the other side in much better shape than I was after DCM 2019 - physically and mentally. I'm thinking it's going to be a quick recovery based on how I feel now.

Training block - 13 weeks
Between 2 bouts of sickness and then 2 weeks of work travel close to the event, I missed a bunch of long runs. Longest run I got in was a 27Km trail route with a good bunch of climbing. The move from a 4 day (HH novices) to a 5 day training program (Hal Higdon 50K ... adjusted a bit) was a challenge at times but more to do with logistics of getting 2 LSR sorted without disrupting family time.

I'd a bunch of niggles from around Christmas time so I've been in physio regularly. The S&C has been a great help with remediating issues and making me feel stronger whilst helping those niggles recover. I've been tracking the S&C every session and I've been getting stronger so looking forward moving forward with it but there will be some adjustments for the next training block to include more single leg weighted exercises.

I've been doing a bunch of reading about endurance running trying to pick up as much knowledge as possible and put some of those tidbits to play today. Nothing ground breaking but small stuff I screwed up at DCM.

I'd a plan of a 100mg salt tab per lap and had my fuel/fluid laid out on the table at the finish line for collection. By my calculations I'd take in about 50-60grams every based on my original goal of 4:50.

Race day
Arrived down in the forest at about 8:30am and things were already busy in the car park. It's blooming baltic out. I walk up to the tent and grab my T-shirt and drop it back to the car. Walk back to the facilities close to the finish line, take car of business. Back to the car to collect my bag and think about getting ready based on the todo list I have. I get everything done on the list... apart from taping my nips... tis ok, nothing to report so it's safe to read on. :pac: I throw on a bunch of my non running clothes to try keep warm right up until the off. I get my fuel/fluid setup at the tables provided, all ready for grabbing at the start of each lap. Another quick stop in the facilities prior to the race brief. Race brief happens at about 9:50am so just as it's finishing I strip down to the race kit and drop my bag to the tent before joining the back of pack on the start line.

It's all so vivid during the race but it's a blur now so I'll try my best to recall the race.

Lap 1 - 29:40

Started from the very back of the pack between 4:45 and 5 hour pacers. Fairly uneventful first lap tbh. A lot of chat going on about who's a first timer or who's a vet of the D50. I'm just behind the 4:45 pacers and by my calculations they're a little on the slow side for the first lap. I should state, the pacers were great company and a little slow is like ~5 seconds per Km and sure it's only first lap.

Lap 2 - 28:08

I grab water from the organisers but forget to hit up my own fuel but luckily I'd packed some fuel in my flipbelt to get me through the initial lap or two. Still rolling with the 4:45 pacers and again they're a little behind (I think). Towards the end of the lap I get the feeling I'm going to have to pop in to the woods at some stage for a number 1. Grab some of my electrolyte drink and some banana chips from my box at the finish line. About halfway through this lap the leader comes storming by and he was motoring.

Lap 3 - 27:57

Start munching on the banana chips, which I have to say, taste great. However, they're a bit dry so I'll finish out the supply I have at home but will look for an alternative carb supply for future races. Still on the heels of the 4:45 pacers and the group is still in tact. Chat ongoing, all good natured banter to keep our mind off the task at hand. I'm refusing to pay a visit to the woods this early

Lap 4 - 27:45

As each lap ticks by, I'm saying to myself 10% done, 20% done and so on. It keeps me motivated and focused on what's ahead. 4:45s going strong, group chat is not as frequent now but occasional quips get the laughter going. By the end of the this lap the cracks in the group are starting to show. I'm feeling ok. None of the niggles I've been getting work on are showing any signs of causing issue.

Lap 5 - 28:10

Passing my fuel box, banana chips are ignored and the wine gums are brought out a few laps early. Dunno how or why (being the most important question) but I'm still hanging with the 4:45s. Good few of the original group have dropped out. About halfway through I start to drop back myself and am running alone. I'm also starting to get angsty about the 20 mile mark which is where things went tits up during DCM. I keep on trucking around but the surface during the 1st Km and hills during the 2nd Km taking their toll. Crossing the finish line at the end of this lap means I'm halfway done.

Couple of the DCM 2019 grads are on hand to cheer me on at the finish line for a few laps, it gave me a great boost. Support within the group (not just for me) has been fantastic since we completed the novices program last year. You're all deadly!

Lap 6 - 30:06

Legs are tired now, no injury concerns which is great though. Pace has slowed a bit. Still moving. 20 mile mark approaching soon. Starting to get concerned that I'll suffer like hell as in DCM. Finally take that trip in to the woods :P The "hills" are starting to feel like much larger now. I think I feel like a blister is developing on my baby toe, again another thing that happened in DCM and it was excruciating. Feels like it's going to pop and start causing me issue but it goes away. Later when I get home I find it has indeed popped so I'm guessing my choice of footwear and the anti chafe cream I covered my toes with helped here.

Lap 7 - 33:38

Nerves get the better of me here and I do some run walking during 1st Km of the lap, I really really don't want to suffer like I did in DCM. Pace slowing down further. 4:45 pacers are long gone. Other folks are walking too so we keep each other company whilst doing our run walks. 20 mile mark comes and goes but I'm still moving. I could just about walk at this stage during DCM. 3 more parkruns to get done at the end of this lap. I think it's this lap where I meet Singer. Fairly sure I spotted him several times prior to the start of the race but I was a bag of nerves so I just kept to myself. I've been a bag of nerves since DCM if I'm honest.

Lap 8 - 36:18

Run walking most of the time now. Mind is wandering and to keep it from going to dark/dumb places I look at the watch and based on the Km mark for the lap I picture myself where I'd be in a particular parkrun. This gets me through this lap without much issue. A lot of people are finishing around this time as I'm crossing the line. "1 more parkrun to go" someone shouts... "2 more" :pac: At some stage on this lap the 5 hour pacers go by without me even noticing, I was just in a world of my own.

Lap 9 - 39:18

1 more lap after this is what I tell myself all the way throughout. I meet up with another gent who is walking and we start to work together to get through the final 20% of the race. Run walking at varying times and chatting along the way. The company was most welcome at this stage of the race. Mind is in a great place if I'm honest, I know I'm going to finish. Start to get a little cramp as I'm running in upper hamstring. I stretch as I approach the final 1Km mark and again on the home straight, it doesn't bother me again after this. About midway through I know I've also gotten a marathon PB which puts a smile on my face and gives another mental lift.

Lap 10 - 43:14

Still doing walk run with the gent from the previous lap. We've no chance of making the 5 hour cutoff but that doesn't dampen our spirits. Finishing is very much the goal right now. Get to the final 1Km on the lap and we decide to run the final bit on our own. Was delighted with the company for the past 2 laps. I cross the line running/jogging which is a fantastic feeling. I place my hands on my knees to gather myself to take in what I've achieved.


Post race
Grab my potted plant medal and the remnants of my fuel/fluid setup and get to the tent to queue up for a well earned massage. I locate my bag and as I'm bending down to pick it up I begin to well up but gather myself before losing my sh!t in front of everyone. It has been a journey since a really disappointing and discouraging DCM so emotions were a little high at the end.

After the massage, the walk back to the car felt like it was another 5Km. I'd say the shuffle I carried out was hilarious. At this stage of DCM I was in agony. Hip, hamstrings and feet all took a beating that day but none of those came even close to that feeling during or after the race.


Final thoughts
My fuel/fluid intake was much better this time. I took salt regularly to avoid any issues with cramp/dehydration which seemed to have pretty much worked albeit a brief cramp late in the day. More variety in what I was fueling with helped mentally too.

I wore a more cushioned shoe this time around as opposed to a "race" shoe and it paid dividends in the latter stages when it came to how blisters felt and also being able to do some form of running when I was just exhausted.

I probably started the run walk a little early but I wasn't sure if I could make it through at that stage so on the day it was the right call. I should've got more marathon distance racing done between DCM and Donadea but schedules didn't allow it so I'll try next time to fit them in.

Muscle on the right shin was a little bit tight in the latter stages so going to have that checked on Monday at physio. Feels like it just needs rest but still going to play it safe. Will evaluate a run when I'm done with the physio.

passinginterest

Fantastic achievement and a great report. Amazing to keep pushing on after the marathon disappointment. Take your time to recover and you’ve got some huge improvements coming.

Lambay island

Well done, great achievement and report. Im not sure if i could mentally do the same loop 10 times.

healy1835

Fair play yesterday, 50k in tricky conditions is no mean feat, you've packed a lot into your relatively short running career so far you're still doing Comrades right? I'd say after that maybe ease off on the longer stuff and concentrate on getting consistent mileage and quality in without having a big target to aim for.

py

passinginterest wrote: »

Fantastic achievement and a great report. Amazing to keep pushing on after the marathon disappointment. Take your time to recover and you’ve got some huge improvements coming.

Cheers P, looking forward to the recovery.

Lambay island wrote: »

Well done, great achievement and report. Im not sure if i could mentally do the same loop 10 times.

Thanks! The laps were something that concerned me originally but it allowed those running it to plan their lap out later in the race when energy levels were low. You could choose which parts could be run/walk sections and you could use little milestones along the lap to work towards.

healy1835 wrote: »

Fair play yesterday, 50k in tricky conditions is no mean feat, you've packed a lot into your relatively short running career so far you're still doing Comrades right? I'd say after that maybe ease off on the longer stuff and concentrate on getting consistent mileage and quality in without having a big target to aim for.

Thanks! We were fairly isolated from the conditions within the forest so were lucky for it not to be a factor on the day. I reckon I ran about 30 seconds in the rain but that was it for the day. I think had it been scheduled for today it probably wouldn't have gone ahead.

Comrades is still on for sure. I have a small amount of logistical issues to get sorted for the trip but it's a go. The plan (right now anyway) after that is to take 3-4 weeks off and then decide how I'm going to approach DCM (and race series) starting in early July. The 4 miler in the race series may just be used as an easy run prior to Comrades.

Mr. Guappa

Congrats M - that's a great achievement so early in your running career. I'm glad that you had a positive experience this time. It strikes me reading that report just how much of a mental battle these distances are - it's hard to prepare for that side of things, so this and DCM will stand to you for the battles to come.

py

Mr. Guappa wrote: »

Congrats M - that's a great achievement so early in your running career. I'm glad that you had a positive experience this time. It strikes me reading that report just how much of a mental battle these distances are - it's hard to prepare for that side of things, so this and DCM will stand to you for the battles to come.

Cheers A. I knew going in that there would be suffering and I think this is where I was too naive going in to DCM. I was unsure after DCM how that would manifest so I opted to keep a PMA throughout Donadea and deal as best I could with anything that arose. Between reading race reports and talking to people on the course everyone had their own way of dealing with the suffering. When walking I tried to reaffirm to myself that I was walking strong, perhaps in reality I looked like a waddling overweight duck (:D) but I was moving closer to the finish line.

ReeReeG

Loved that report M! Well done, serious mental strength there and I'm delighted you had a more enjoyable day than DCM!! Hope the recovery goes well now

Huzzah!

Really well done. It struck me looking at the Strava results how significant the extra distance is over the marathon. Feet up now for a while and mind the niggles.

Dealerz2.0

Well done M

py

Physio session on Monday went great and they were happy with how the body had bounced back after just a few days. The massage straight afterwards definitely played a part in that. Nothing to be concerned about bar the usual tight/fatigued muscles after such an effort. Might try some recovery miles in the next few days to see how the body really is. Got an epsom salts bath in tonight and then going to do some rolling/stretching tomorrow.

I've got my plan for the next 4 months laid out in my head after reading the Don Oliver book "Make sure of your Comrades medal". I just need to tweak it a little to fall in line with the races I've got lined up prior to June. Basics of it are a 6 day running week with easy days (6-10Km) from Tue to Sat with an LSR on the weekend. Will post more about it when I have it fully written down.

The few races I've got lined up are just about prepping for the main event in June, not race efforts for the distance bar the Connemarathon which is going to be brutal on the body. What I've got thus far are:

February - Wicklow Hospice Half
March - Maurice Mullins Half
April - Connemarathon Ultra
May - Nothing lined up due to family commitments so I may have to do a solo Ultra early in the month as my last "race" giving me a month of taper.

I may also look at doing one of the "Marathon on a school day" events at the end of February or April depending on family schedule.

ReeReeG wrote: »

Loved that report M! Well done, serious mental strength there and I'm delighted you had a more enjoyable day than DCM!! Hope the recovery goes well now

Thanks V. I can't recover too long, the wine consumption won't help me in the long term.

Huzzah! wrote: »

Really well done. It struck me looking at the Strava results how significant the extra distance is over the marathon. Feet up now for a while and mind the niggles.

Thanks E. I was prepared to finish the 50Km, not a single yard more. I think the same goes for any race distance whether its a 5Km or a marathon, if someone asked you to race (cool down pace is different) another Km immediately afterwards you'd tell them to GTFO :P

Dealerz2.0 wrote: »

Well done M

Thanks F! Got my fingers crossed for you in Manchester.

py

Week of February 9th - 16th

Pretty much nadda for the week bar a 5Km recovery run @ 7:25min/Km on Thursday and then yoga on Friday.

Plan for next 4 months almost finalised, just need to nail down a few details. Excited.

py

Week of February 17th - 23rd

First week of training block for the next 17 weeks. Twas going grand till my calf gave up the ghost in the 1/2 at the weekend after it being tight on Friday. Just back from physio and got some calf needling carried out. Will miss my usual Tuesday 8Km but should be back in action on Wednesday. Feel lucky that it's nothing serious. Back on the bike this week too, has been a number of weeks since I've been on it so looking forward to that.

Have started to integrate some walking in to my runs to get the body/mind used to the start/stop part of the goal race. Typically running 4-5Km and will add in 100-200 metres of walking before kicking on again. No issues with it thus far and hasn't affected paces all that much either.

Monday

Rest day.

Tuesday

S&C at lunch. Bit of a change in my usual S&C due to using a a new gym which has better equipment but is busier so I can't commandeer as much equipment at once so I've split my routine up. It was originally a circuit so now I've moved to doubling up exercises. 3 sets of each of the following.

Single leg heel raises & single leg seated heel raises.
Single leg bridge & lateral hip raises
Farmers walk & single leg deadlift
Deadlift & pushups

5Km @ 6:25min/Km, 156avg HR. Straight after S&C. Ouch but good to be back running.

Wednesday

Lunch run. 10Km @ 6:26min/Km. 147avg HR.

Evening yoga.

Thursday

Morning runmute to work. 12km @ 6:28min/Km. 150avg HR.

Lunch S&C. Same as Tuesday.

Friday

Lunch yoga.

Evening runmute home. 8Km @ 6:22min/Km. 154avg HR. Calf was tight during this run. Stopped and stretched during it and got home. Some further stretching later that evening.

Saturday

Wicklow Hospice Half Marathon. Dropped out after 14Km. Sharp pain in the same calf as yesterday. Stretched and tried to go on but after a few steps I knew I had to stop.

Sunday

Was due a 5Km recovery run but did nothing due to the calf.

ReeReeG

Hey M, just curious did the physio not advise any longer rest than a couple of days? Also, does the physio know you did a 50km just a couple of weeks ago... I can't help but feel you may be doing / expecting too much too soon after such a long race. Just my tuppence worth!