You only get what you give

diego_b

Boards base plan Week 3 (not really)

Mon 20th Nov

10.5K in 65mins @ 6:13min/km, an after run in the dark...not much to report about. i do enjoy running in the dark though, some people don't like the dark but have never minded it.

Tues 21st Nov

My club S&C class, my 2nd one to make (missed one as was away last week). A little bit of a different format to last one, working through circuits in pairs where you alternate between one exercise...so say round 1, you might do jumping jacks for 30 seconds as your partner does russian twists on a mat on the ground. Then swap over for round 2 so you do the Russian Twists as your partner does jumping jack. Round 3 a new set of exercises and so on. Dreading mountain climbers for the finisher, I hate them so much. No soreness after this class which was nice.

Wed 22nd Nov

Rest day

Thurs 23rd Nov

60min progression run (10.5K in 60min 24secs), another after work in the dark run. Splits went as follows 6:20, 6:18, 6:03, 5:50, 5:49, 5:47, 5:43, 5:40, 5:08, 5:00. For the last two I was surprised when I saw 5:08 beep for the 9th K and thought feck, you're going to have to pick it up a bit more now so I did but probably overcooking what was nice progression run for the first 8 K.

Shocking scenes from Dublin today, the horrid event of what happened at Parnell Square and then what followed. Images that will stay with people for a long time, the image with the school bag on the footpath. And then when night fell something very visceral about seeing Dublin buses on fire, Luas trams and garda cars. Disgraceful scenes and how any can consider that some sort of legitimate protest is beyond me.

Fri 24th Nov

Rest day

Sat 25th Nov

Tralee parkrun in 27:01

Had my name down for pacing today, after a fast one for me last weekend I figured one way to cool the jets was to pace it so I had mailed the ED during the week and said I would do 26/27/28...whichever suited so she said 27. Grand for me as 9 minute laps (GPS never great in Tralee town park I find). Arrived just at 9:20...I need to get out of the house faster and no one to blame but myself and the 27min bib was gone....someone else had volunteered it for themself as they thought I wasn't coming but the rd got it back for me...I was asked would I like to pace 24 instead but I had to decline as that would be pretty much racing it for me at the moment.

Anyways 27 it was and away we went very promptly at 9:30. First lap always seems fast but I had the 26min pacer a bit up the path ahead of me so gauged off him as well as effort. No one noticeable using me for pacing yet but I settled into pace well enough. Going through the start/finish area I noted 8:41 on my watch so was a little bit hot. Second lap now and I could notice a runner on my left hand side, wasn't certain if she was pacing off me and thought she would move ahead but stayed right on my shoulder for a bit. The first place finisher (Oisin) passed me during this lap, saying hello enroute as he set a new course record of 15:20. National U23 XC champions are on another level of running! In my case coming to end of the 2nd lap I had exchanged a few words with my pacee. Through the start/finish and 17:4x on my watch. Last lap now and I start giving my pacee a few tips/encouragement. I tell her this is the last time you run this section today etc, just keep the effort...don't need to go any faster. All good and we're about halfway through the lap and through the dog leg she is still on my shoulder...motoring well. One last time at the draggy section now, just told her again she doesn't need to go another faster but just hold the same effort if she can. Just at the top of the pull she stops for a second to dry retch, I stopped as well and just asked was she okay. She said grand but told me to keep going, I just said you're fine but if you can get running again we have time to spare her and with that we started again....I couldn't see anyone else around that was pacing off me from what I could tell. From this section of the course I always think 2mins to the end....last few corners now and I seemed to have either picked up a few or a there's a few around me (not sure from where). I was watching the watch now and telling them right now is the time to open it up....when there's only maybe 200m left and away they go. I eased back a small bit to see could I get a few others past me and I run through the finish line with 26:55 on my watch (I appear as 27:01 on the results) but the pacee clocked 26:50 and a new pb for herself. I enjoyed this run as haven't done pacing for quite a while.

Cool down jog with a mate, 1.4K

Sun 26th Nov

Over to Cork early this morning for Munster XC B championship in support of one of our club athletes running. A good day where he brought home a bronze medal after a fine run to finish well up the field. Got back home around 4:30pm and said I'd watch the United match and then go for a run. I watched the match but by the time it was over and as I was catching up on a few things on my laptop at the same time I was a bit tired so dinner instead and no run...watched Ireland's Fittest Family instead. I might get closer to following the boards base plan next week.

Weekly total: 27.4K

Year to date: 1236.1K

diego_b

Catchup since end of Nov/Start of Dec, too long has passed to remember these runs but here goes

Mon 27th Nov

60min easy, 10K @ 6min/km

Tues 28th Nov

Club S&C class

Wed 29th Nov

Rest day

Thurs 30th Nov

60min @ marathon pace, 10.3K @ 5:51min/km

Fri 1st Dec

Rest day

Sat 2nd Dec

Tralee parkrun in 25:05. 1K warm up and 1K cool down. No real memories of this run at all, I worn a hat and gloves cos it was a bit cold!

Sun 3rd Dec

Was up in Navan for the National Uneven Ages Cross Country as two of the athletes from my club were running in one of the races. Our first time in a number of years having athletes compete at National level in cross country. A fast course with many excellent runs throughout all the races. I was working in Dublin on Monday and Tuesday so stayed up in the city for two nights. Got a few runs done in the Phoenix Park. So this evening it was 60min easy, 10K @ 5:58min/km....going in the Parkgate entrance...I followed the north road around to the Castleknock gate and then back down Chesterfield Ave. After a quick takeaway I headed to see Foil, Arms and Hog in Vicar St. Excellent show.

Weekly total: 37.3K

Mon 4th Dec

9K steady in 52mins @ 5:50min/km. Ran into the Phoenix Park via Stoneybatter and the North Circular Road, cut across the middle of the park then via Lord's walk and down the Kyber. Quite enjoyed this run, moreso than the run the evening before.

Tues 5th Dec

Rest day, drove back home to Kerry after work. Bit of a pain getting out of the city as is the way this time of the year....it was after 10pm before I got home.

Wed 6th Dec

Rest day

Thurs 7th Dec

11K easy (incl strides), hadn't done strides in ages so would like to start incorporating a bit of interval work again so need to get used to running a little bit faster again.

Fri 8th Dec

Rest day

Sat 9th Dec

Templemore parkrun in 25:20, 1.1K warm up and 1K cool down

Not a great nights sleep before this so wasn't too inclined to do but hadn't done Templemore yet this year so pushed myself out the door, my Da was doing it also. It's my home parkrun (when I'm up home in Laois and one my Dad does most weeks, he celebrated his 100th parkrun a week earlier which is great going for 70+ years of age). I didn't feel amazing during this run to be honest, it was pretty windy enroute and coming to the last 200m I thought I might be able to push a bit to finish with 24 on the watch but not to be. A busy time of the year and it does catch up sometimes.

Sun 10th Dec

14K easy 62mins @ 5:52min/km, an uneventful run until the last 20mins where I came across a part in the road that was completely flooded. The options were to double back and add around 5K to the run or else run through it. I stopped for 2-3mins, no way past cross country either and just said feck it and ran through. It was just below ankle deep but not cold so least that was something. After that I ran past a house that had some serious looking dogs that were really not happy to see me on the road running, they were fenced in with not the most amazing fence I have seen but there also appeared to be some sort of an electric fence that you would normally use for cattle. Fierce excitement for the last part of run.

Weekly total: 41.1K

Mon 11th Dec

Treadmill 5K in 30:41 @ 6:08min/km. Not been on the treadmill in a long time and it was horrible, I was planning to run outside but was a proper downpour and whilst I wanted to run I didn't feel like a proper soaking immediately as soon as I was due to start. No two words about the treadmill but I hated it.

Tues 12th Dec

Rest day, should have done the club's S&C class but wanted to watch United vs Bayern. Probably should have done the S&C as would have been a lot less painful than United matches have been this season.

Wed 13th Dec

7.5K in 45min @ 5:59min/km, got this run done at lunchtime.

Thurs 14th Dec

5K in 30min @ 6min/km. Aiming to try get 5 days running this week. Some shot put practice after this run, National Masters coming up in a month so have to get the throws going again.

Fri 15th Dec

Rest day

Year to date: 1332K

diego_b

Sat 16th Dec

Tralee parkrun in 24:29 (4:54min/km), 1.2K warmup (5:51min/km) and 3K cooldown (6:13min/km)

Felt better than the last few parkruns, coming onto the 2nd lap one of the lads I know there beckoned me to go with him as he passed me and I said nah I want to keep this at this pace today. Glad I did as he finished a minute ahead of me. Did a longer cooldown to bulk up the weekly mileage a little to try keep it in line with previous weeks.

Sun 17th Dec

16K steady run in 94mins @ 5:54min/km

Was out to the track in Castleisland for 2 hours coaching with some of our juvenile athletes incl my daughter. Sprints, shot put and javelin were the events I was covering. Back into Tralee then with family, they were going for food and I declined as I wanted to get my long run in ahead of two matches to watch later (United and the Packers both on the tele one after another....need match offered much inspiration or enjoyment in the end). For the run I took in a southern loop of the outskirts of the town going into the countryside more as the run progressed and finishing back where I said I'd meet them around 90mins later at the Brandon car park. One of the small pleasures I find in life is roughly planning a loop in your head as you run and getting the distance pretty much perfect to where you want to finish. Weather conditions for the run were pretty much horrible throughout with decent bit of rain for it all so we just headed home as soon as I was done which was great. Small bit of foot discomfort I have been feeling this week in my left ankle/foot, going to try some mobility work on it to see if it helps.

Weekly total: 42.7K

Year to date: 1357.20K

diego_b

Catchup...not a huge amount in the last two weeks, feeling a little bit niggly in my left foot so dropped things back to 3/4 days running a week at the moment and have reduced mileage....weather not helping on that front either.

Mon 18th Dec

Nothing

Tues 19th Dec

5K easy in 30:17 @ 6min/km

Wed 20th Dec

5K easy in 29:44 @ 5:54min/km, bit of hassles with a dog on this run. I do wonder why as the same dog is well used to me running past his house but today he was not happy for some reason.

Thurs 21st Dec

Nothing, finished up work for the Christmas break. Sad news in the family as my wife's aunt died after a short illness over the last number of weeks so meant a family funeral to come over the coming week or so.

Fri 22nd Dec

Rest/Birthday. Was planning for either a run or cycle (first one since the summer) but the weather was proper horrid so we just headed into town for the day and picked up the last few things for Christmas.

Sat 23rd Dec

Tralee parkrun in 25:07. 1K warm up and 1.6K cool down. This felt a good bit harder than it should have felt and in comparison to recent similar efforts, fitness not amazing this time of the year and the last few days have been quite stressful with a few things.

Sun 24th Dec

Nothing, traveled up to Laois to my parents as the plan was we'd have Christmas dinner with them before coming back down again as the funeral coming up on was on Stephen's Day/day after that.

Weekly total: 17.6K

Mon 25th Dec

7K in 40:35 @ 5:47min/km, as Santa had been and gone there was a bit of time to get out before dinner so just a loop around my home place. It's easy know that my mileage is low at the moment as the pace on easy runs has increased. Not running enough to have fatigue. Drove back home to Kerry in the evening time, first time every traveling a significant distance on Christmas Day but it's only a 2hr drive so not too bad.

Tues 26th Dec

Originally didn't think we'd in Kerry on this day but with the funeral coming up in the evening there was some spare time in the morning so had time to do a local 5K race that's a fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society (Festive 5K for Cancer it's called). It's a simple race around Ballyduff, donation bucket that you put your donation in and sign the disclaimer....no bib numbers and no results taken as it's just a bit of fun. Even still people run it pretty hard to try burn off the excess of the previous day, good support from my club with around 10/12 runners doing it. I was cutting it fine when I arrived so no time for a warmup. 24:16 was finish time which was just over a minute quicker than last year so always nice to be a bit quicker!

Back home then and some throws practice with my daughter as we were supposed to be competing in the Northwest Indoor Games in Athlone on the 28th.

Wed 27th Dec

Funeral today, a sad day as said goodbye to a very nice person who had a great sense of humor that I always enjoyed plus was always very nice to our daughter so a lot to like and remember. Later in the evening, drove up to Laois later on that evening with my wife and daughter with the competition in Athlone the next day

Thurs 28th Dec

Northwest Indoor Games, decided to do this competition for practice for the indoor season to come and originally as we'd thought we'd be in Laois for 3/4 consecutive days over Christmas we'd drive home via the competition in Athlone that day. As it worked out it was a trip especially for it but a good distraction. It was a nice competition that was well attended from all parts of the country so I expect we'll attend it again next year. My daughter did great in her comp where she placed 3rd with a new pb which was great. In my own case a terrible series of throws, my best one being my first one and just downhill from there....got bit of work to do.

Fri 29th Dec

Nothing, was going to run in Laois before the trip down but said I'd leave it till we got home. More terrible weather when we got back down so just left it off.

Sat 30th Dec

Barcoding scanning at Tralee parkrun for me today, some challenges with the regular route today as the dog leg section (an out and back on every lap) was flooded so they had to adjust the course and it came up short unfortunately. Found out later that they were able to adjust the times for 300m approx that was missing from the route. I went for a run when I got home, what was meant to be an easy 30/40min run turned into a 35min progression run (6.3K) as the weather turned yet again for the worse around halfway through the run....got a right battering with wind and rain. A great end to the year!

Sun 31st Dec

Nothing, just non stop wind and rain here. Could have used the treadmill but decided to leave it off and start anew in 2024.

Weekly total: 18.3

Year to date: 1393.10K

That wraps 2023, the highlight on the running front was being able to train for and complete the Dublin marathon and I guess that's no small thing to go away from any year with. Was just looking back at a race results sheet I keep and it was in the summer of 2019 the last time I broke a running pb in an official race (10K, 44:40). I did do some time trials through 2020 which set fastest times for me in 1K/1mile/3K/5K but that's a long time ago now so would be nice to get official faster times than those. So for the year ahead I would like to try get back into the shape that I could consider an attack on a one of the pbs at some point over the next 12/18 months....I also have to accept that I am now 5 years older and 5-10kgs heavier than I was when I set some of those times....I can't do much about the former but I can do something on the latter.

Best of luck to all for the year ahead and thanks for reading throughout the year. The supportive comments here and elsewhere are always appreciated.