Off the Fence....and looking to go sub 3 hrs

w/c 11/7/2016

Total Miles : 40.3m
Number of run : 6
Number of double days : 1
Number of rest days : 1
Longest single run : 13.8m
Extras 90mins Yoga Class

There is a pattern emerging here.....another pretty relaxed and easy week finished off with a parkrun blowout on Saturday and "long" run on Sunday. However, this week I managed 6 days running and topped off the week with an 18:39 parkrun in Donabate which was good enough to see me as first finisher. My first first finisher....Go Me

After pullng the plug early on Tuesday's lunchtime run with left knee pain I did some good work on the left quad/ITB for a few days that saw the knee pain subside but as I always do as soon as the pain went I stopped doing the exercises. This resulted in a pretty painful finish to Sunday's long run. If I hadn't had Ferris for company to distract me I'd probably have been on the DART home.

NOTE TO SELF keep up the work on the left knee until the end of the month at least even if it feels better!!

w/c 18/07/2016

Total Miles : 30.7m
Number of run : 6
Number of double days : 0
Number of rest days : 1
Longest single run : 6.1m
Extras : 60mins Pilates Class

Another easy week mileage wise mainly to facilitate an LT Test on Thursday. Interesting exercise and definitely found it worthwhile as it confirmed my views on where I am training wise. Based on my recent parkruns, I was able to hold pace at c 06:10/06:15 at a HR of high 150s without any lactate build-up but as soon as I pushed past about 162 my legs were being flushed with lactate.

The results of the test put my current LT at 160bpm or 06:05min/mile. It gave me an LT Zone of 155-160, Aerobic Threshold/Marathon Effort Zone of 145-150bpm and anything under 140 is falls into easy/recovery zone.

The tester confirmed that all the recent easy running means I am in good shape aerobically but advised that it would be worth my while to focus on a little LT running to improve my efficiency in that zone. However before I do this I need to make sure the body is ready for it.

On the injury front after Sunday 13.8m on concrete the left knee was acting up again but a couple of days of exercises eased it off.

Finished the week with a couple of lovely trail runs in Lough Key Forest park while camping down there. Also managed to squeeze out a first finisher on Saturday at Lough Key parkrun. Same strategy as the last couple of parkruns which was run the first 2-2.5m without letting HR go above 160 and then depending on were I was I would decide whether to push on or not. By 2.5m in Lough Key all the quick starters had come back to me and I found myself leading the pack so pushed on a little but finished slower than my previous 2 outings but 1st finisher in 19:13.

w/c 25/07/2016

Total Miles : 40m (assuming 6.2m tomorrow)
Number of run : 6
Number of double days : 0
Number of rest days : 1
Longest single run : 11m
Extras : None

Another easy week bringing mileage back into the 40's but keeping everything in the easy zone. I am now running with the only thing showing on my watch being HR and that has mainly been in the 120's. A couple of days I managed to push it into the low 130's and this resulted in paces closer to 8min.

Wednesday involved a run into town for partake in a run with the pacers event for the RnR. The 5 miles into town and the 10k pacers run were all at easy pace and pretty much all on concrete. However, either the distance or the surface aggravated my knee. On Thursday I ended up stopping after a couple of miles and doing a few stretching on the ITB In St Anne's before joining Duanington for a few more easy miles.

Friday run involved dull rather than sharp pain as did the parkrun warm-up in Cabinteely this morning.

This morning Mrs Mc and I were joined by a couple of others from St Anne's in a bit of parkrun tourism to Cabinteely where FD was in charge. Plenty of banter about the prospect of 3 in a row after having been first finisher in Donabate and Lough Key over the last couple of weekends. Bumped into Tang out there, he had come along to make his parkrun debut. Good to see him as always. My plan was the same as in previous weeks which was to keep the HR in the high 150's for 2/2.5m and take it from there. We were busy chatting when FD sent us on our way and this resulted in me being about 20/30 from the front at the off. Just settle in for the ride. There is a pretty decent hill in Cabinteely park that has to be negotiated 3 time. Each time I made up good ground on those ahead of me and by the time we approached it for the 3rd time I found myself leading the pack again. Held pace last time up the hill which pushed the HR into the 160 but allow me to complete the hat-trick........19:28 was my official time. Slowest of the last 4 parkruns but sure a 1st finish is a 1st finish

Finish off with a cool down lap before coffee and a chat. Great to catch up with FD and Tang.

Next weekend sees me back in St Anne's on RD duty so I will bank my 3 in a row and end the streak on the up. Really enjoyed the few weeks of parkrun tourism, attending some excellent event and meeting plenty of lovely people. It only hammers home to me what a great initiative parkrun is and I am grateful to be part of it.

w/c 01/08/2016 to w/c 15/08/2016

More of the same really. Plenty of easy runs on grass to keep the hip issue at bay. Averaged 50m+ per week over the 3 week perdio but longest single run was 13.1 miles today. Some focus on doing the knee exercises and a dry needling session on the left ITB seems to have sorted the knee issue that lingered a little after Belfast 24.

Each week also included one tempo/LT run. These were run by heart rate but I struggled to get into the right zone on two of these as the legs just wouldn't do what they were asked.

This week also included the FD10. Plan was to try to get through 8 miles in LT training zone which should equate to somewhere around 6:10/6:15 pace and then see if I had anything in the tank to push on. All went fine aerobically but the lack of session work really showed in my legs strength or lack of it. While the lungs were so relaxed that I probably could have whistled Dixie all the way round the legs just had very little to give and I kinda lost the will to live, never mind run after the first 3 miles or so. This coincided with some right hip/lower back pain. Nothing major just enough to stop me from finding any rhythm. It was a bit like Terenure in that runners streamed by me and I did very little fight back. DNF did cross my mind but just couldn't be doing that. Finished it out in 64:08 slowest FD since 2013 and excluding my pacing gig in Trim earlier this year it was the first time I haven't PB'd at the distance in 9 attempts. Although to be fair I never thought I was in PB shape for this. Apart from the weather, the run and the result it was a good day out As always good to catch up with plenty of boardies and the parkrun crew.

Plan for the next few weeks is to up the rehab work on the hips to allow me to increase my long run distance as I need to get a few decent long runs in before DCM pacing gig. Also plan to take in Charleville HM in September and hopefully, sneak a PB of some sort before moving back to base building for 2017.

w/c 22/08/2016 & w/c 29/08/2016

More of the same but increasing the mileage to over 60m/wk while keep the one tempo/LT session per week. Managed to get in a decent 18m and 20m LR in the company of Ferris and a decent 14m MLR in the company of Murph. All moving in right direction. TW I have the knee issue under control and a few visits to the SSC in Santry have me happy that I have handle on the lower back/right hip problem. It is primarily muscular rather than a disc issue and I have a clear "path to redemption" that should have me out the other end in 10/12 weeks if I do as the doctor orders.

Onwards and upwards with entry confirmed for Charleville HM and the mojo on a definite up curve

w/c 05/09/2016

Total Miles = 65
Sessions = 1x20min Tempo @ 06:30 avg pace with 4wu and 1cd
Longest Run = 20miles @ 08:03 avg pace

Another solid enough week. Nice MLR on Tuesday evening in the company of Ferris, Yaboya and Duanington, a couple of miles pre-tempo with KennyG on Thursday and a good 8miler on Friday morning with Killerz where the highlights of the week. The low points were a very wet LT/Tempo session on Thursday and a real slog of a solo LR on Sunday. The Thursday tempo was far harder work than it should have been again and had great difficulty getting the HR up in my LT training zone. Sunday's LR started badly when delayed the start by 90mins as I couldn't motivate myself to get out of the bed. When I did get going it was a case of just keeping going and ticking off the miles. The fact that I seemed to be running into a tough wind no matter what direction I ran didn't help either. Some lower back pain from mile 15 onwards but it remained local and didn't cause me too much trouble. Finished with a few MP miles (DCM pacing MP that is ) Pace was a little all over the place at times but the HR was solid and in the right zone throughout. Can't wait for the legs to catch up on the heart and lungs

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Best luck Sunday M, hope legs keep up with lungs

Cheers G. I hope went well with the relay today.

Good day at the office today. Watch time at Charleville Half was 1:23:59 (still waiting for official time.) 2 min PB followed by a bubble bath with TbL. Doesn't get much better than that

All went to plan and finished strongly so very happy with my day's work. I will do up a more detailed report during the week.

Great event and would recommend it. Well organised, well marshalled, great spread and a relatively flat fast out and back course. Thanks to all involved.

Official chip time in the end was 1:24:01