I'm either getting better or worse but what if I am just F@#king nuts?

Walkedit

I'm a returning "never was" who's had an interesting few years. I feel I have unfinished business to take care of, so I'm give it a go and I'll stop when I'm done. I don't see that happening any time soon

I stumbled into the DCM 2022 Grads thread although I'm really a 2012 Grad. I realised my ramblings & angst needed their own separate place before I wore out my welcome, so against my better judgement I'm now a "would be" logger.

In the interests of efficiency I'm re-using my intro from 14/4/23 ..

Hey I'm new although this is my second time around, I'm 62yo. I really enjoyed these threads from when I was here before, so much encouragement and accountability, with a wealth of knowledge available. I'm hoping to get a bit of advice and find a new tribe for the next part of my running story.

What follows is very long so feel free to ignore it.

Some background. I Was a quite heavy bloke 18st at 5:9 and lost weight to 13.5st with WW in 2010 -was looking at 50's coming down the tracks fast. I walked DCM about 8 hrs in 2010 & 2011 with my daughter (included last 4x hours in a downpour!) and ran it in 2012 (4:51) & 2017 (5:10) and a virtual in 2020 (5:06). A big parkrun fan ever since Malahide early days. I don't race much. I had some injuries especially calf strains that bothered me. I was training on/off for a bit and moved barefoot shoes about 6x years ago and now that's all I wear 24/7, I don't have great form or cadence but have been injury free since I switched. I had a horror ankle break in 2018 6x weeks out from Boston, needed a plate & screws. I have had a pretty full recovery over 18 months, I credit doing HBOT a lot for this. Full disclosure I did not BQ but had picked up a sponsor place in a lottery, given the weather that transpired I guess I dodged a bullet but I was devo.

I'm a run streaker on day #1199 today (started 1/1/2020) and that was a complete blessing during Covid, most of my running is super easy, including running to work a few days a week more recently after 2 years of WFH. So I have some running base and have averaged 6km daily, been doing 45k per week but stretching to 60k most recently.

I have 2xs sets of PB's from before/after the ankle break. Pre 5/10/21/42 23:11/52:27/2:09:58/4:51:31 Post (all in 2020) 5/10/21/42 26:21/56:26/2:21:04/5:06:35. I did the 5 Alive series this year with BHAA DCC 4 mile in 36:51 and the Raheny 5 mile in 48:09. Tom Brennan 5k 29:59 so that's my form now.

I'm wanting to get back on the horse properly and will be toeing the line at DCM '23.

My big goal in the next 18 months is to BQ which for 60-64 is 3:50:00 and to start down that path by beating my 2012 time in 2023. I'm also really keen to stay injury free and keep running for life, so I see myself playing long game.

My plans so far are:

• Work on making the 60k pw the regular between now and end May
• Losing a few lbs, I was 14:7 post Xmas, now at 13:1 with a target of 12:7 (which is how I was for my Pre PB's so I know it plays a part, I'm a low carber and eat I/F usually OMAD, I ran DCM 2017 fasted which worked surprisingly well but it was slow!!)
• Joining a training group in the local running club which is clonliffe
• Looking at starting Intermediate training plan at start of June
• Probably look at HM in Aug/Sept

On the weight front (OK any front) I love a few stats and normally weight daily although I didn't track it for months from July '22 to March '23 - the results were nor good! Anyway the attached show my progress over the last few years ups & downs, despite a fairly decent diet and an active run streak. But from 1/1/23 to today a small milestone, I've dropped exactly 10% of my body weight 20.4 lbs. More evidence of the results when you get after it every day. It's classic marathon stuff, have a plan, use the plan, trust the process.

Walkedit

So I got some great encouragement and suggestion that a short term 5/10k goal/race may be a good idea.

So ..

As a baseline I decided to run a 5k time trial on 15/4, did a 3k easy warmup with few strides, then 5k in 25:38 (a 40 sec PB) the pacing was consistent 5:04/07/02/12/09 but was tailing off a bit.

Quite surprised/pleased with that and thinking well it's not a bad place to start.

I'm literally researching what to do intervals, hill repeats tempo runs etc and thinking about the paces based on the timetrial. I did a small bit before. I had ankle break in 2018 and have pretty much run all easy since then as I've been afraid to push on it, I think the TT is probably the 1st "quality" workout post break. it's time to visit the cave.

so I'm thinking I should get started from this week and during my upcoming hols.

Something like

1x intervals session maybe 400/800m repeats @ target 5k pace say 4:50

- is that pace ok? how many repeats/rest

- do I need to do 1k repeats or can that wait?

1x tempo run @ 5:30

Walkedit

Well it all seemed so easy so easy and straight forward.

for today's easy miles (day #1202) I thought I'd conciously keep the pace a bit faster say about 6:30 after warning up and that would still be lo HR but It was off the charts!

for the TT avg pace 5:07 avg HR 143

today avg pace 8:26 avg HR 156

I could see it passing 165 and started walking to bring it down. Maybe I'm getting something but that was unsettling, overnight resting HR still showing 39 which is typical for me. I'm suddenly wondering if I'm breaking after 1 hard run?

Think I'll just watch the HR a few days before I try the speedwork!

Anyway that's me all caught up, I've started a log, had my first freak out and let's see what happens next

ariana`

Welcome.

This calculator is good for getting training paces, pop in your recent 5k time and click on training paces.

I'd start with easy enough sessions, 8 * 1min on/1 min off, 6 * 2min on/2min off, progress them over the weeks. If you use the calculator above you could base your target paces on CV (Critical Velocity) pace. This is probably slightly slower than your 5k pace, it's the pace you should be able hold for 30mins. It's a good one to work on, to start with anyhow, along with some tempo as you said. You could break your tempo up into intervals as well to start with, 2 * 8 mins off 4mins recovery...

Probably better to start with 1 session per week and see how you go, I'd be particularly wary of those fast intervals. Maybe alternate fast (CV) intervals with tempo intervals. Remember you don't have to progress everything at the same time and you don't have to progress things every week, it's ok, better even, to hold steady some weeks and step back some weeks.

Mind the body & enjoy the running.

Bluesquare

Welcome - love the title -this is me most days . I’m deffo improving , no I’m crap - and I’ve come to the conclusion I am just nuts . I think most runners are tbh!

Walkedit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120487196#Comment_120487196

Thanks, I have a few minority interests including running generally, marathons, the run streak, way of eating that really seem to provoke folk around me to assume I've lost the plot. I feel right at home here with the other crazies.

Walkedit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120486932#Comment_120486932

Thanks, that's a useful website, I'll try the paces out and I see the sense in hasten slowly, life is a marathon!

Murph_D

Welcome back, from another member of the Class of 2012. Look forward to seeing your progress.

Laineyfrecks

Best of luck with your return😊

Kellygirl

Enjoy your intro. Best of luck with the training.

Walkedit

Run Streak Day # 1203. So following yesterday's HR scare, normal service was resumed today, thankfully.

I work in the city up by the canal, normally in the office 3x days. I've started to run in across town a few days, I normally bring my lappy in a backpack. It's 6.5k but sometimes I take a slightly longer route and on others I drop the bag and add a few more K on the canal to bring it up to 10k.

Todays trip was 7.16k in 56:32, pace 7:53/km, avg HR 107 (max 125), a tad slower then usual which is around 75 mins for the 10k.

I had been thinking that I should work on making this faster but with looking at the pacing info I'm now thinking it's better to keep it easy as now and stay in HR Zone 2/3

Going home I tend to mix it up depending on the day and time I can finish up, often I run part ways and staying in like 4-5k, I like to add the extra easy K's but also I enjoy it to clear my head.

I've volunteered for to lead a wellness initiative in work and with 2x colleagues we've set up two events, that gets me a few steps during the day

• Tag along Tuesday, a lunchtime group walk of about 35 mins
• Trot along Thursday, a lunchtime group Jog of about 35 mins

Daily Weight: 13 st 0.5 lbs

Walkedit

I'm still figuring out the plan over the next while but as of now the broad strokes are:

My plans so far are:

• Work on making the 60k pw the regular between now and end May, keep streaking
• Losing a few lbs, I was 14:7 post Xmas, now at 13:0.5 with a target of 12:7 (which is how I was for my Pre PB's so I know it plays a part,
• Joining a training group in the local running club which is clonliffe, after my hols in May
• Starting immediately on the 5k Grads plan to work towards a late June/ early July fastest 5K, probably at a parkrun. I'll jump in around week 5 to give me 8 wks training. I'll target sub 25 but if all goes well I will push for sub 24
• Following the 5k a small recovery block and then the Grads Intermediate plan
• Probably look at HM in Aug/Sept - I would dearly love to break 2 hours but any PB will be a win
• DCM in October

Just reading your 5km pace from Tom Brennan to April. Thats a serious improvement in just 4 months. How did you do that? Well done