The Four Year Plan

aquinn · 13-09-2016 02:13PM

spaceylou wrote: »

A, I understand what the vaseline was for but the antihistamine?

And I am grand after LSR and today's 10k. Paying more attention to fueling seems to be helping - tomorrow's 18k with a large number at pace will no doubt test me somewhat :rolleyes:

I didn't want to irritate it further by continuing to adjust shorts or scratch so took the antihistamine so I didn't cause any further damage. It could have been the heat on the day.

Firedance · 13-09-2016 02:18PM

aquinn wrote: »

I always wore and trained in 3/4 lengths. Am not a fan of short, shorts.

This used to be me too, I ran DCM in 3/4 lengths in 400 degree heat (yes, slight exaggeration..:p) now i nearly always run in shorts except for my lunch runs and that's purely an office thing. Wear what you're comfortable in and don't give a toss what anyone else thinks

Glad to see you back on the training wagon!

diego_b · 13-09-2016 02:38PM

spaceylou wrote: »

Its just so annoying, cause normally my mum is great and reckons I can do whatever I set my mind to - mind you in the past that was always work/college stuff - maybe she just thinks I'm all brain and no brawn! :D

Explain to her that with the LSRs you are actually training your brain as much as your body, each of those hurdles as you gradually increase the distance/time you run for will stand to you on the day. I am sure she's just worried for you like any Ma would but there will be few people more proud of you than her on DCM day.

Younganne · 13-09-2016 02:55PM

Well done, great to see your longest distance was achieved and you are in good nick after it. Yes the mammies always worry no matter what...its their/our job!! My Mam has given up giving out to me;) .

I use the Heatons Karrimor shorts, they are not short and not tight and have a great big pocket in the back. During races I wear my EVB tighter ones under them for extra support. You might be able to get a pair on Sports Direct and try them out.

spaceylou · 13-09-2016 05:45PM

Thanks for all the tips on shorts...I think I know what I'll be doing tomorrow :rolleyes:

spaceylou · 16-09-2016 02:14PM

The week so far:

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 10k easy - grand, done, don't remember much about it

Wednesday - 17.5k with 14.5 at pace. Well that was a disaster! Due to lots of reasons didn't get out until late, later than I thought and so only half an hour in I really started to feel paranoid about being seen because I had no hi-viz on! Doh! Was following the marathon route from terenure through milltown, clonskeagh etc with a vague plan to cut back through UCD but I never got that far. 6k into the pace section, I just couldn't do it. I am not sure what happened but my brain went, said no, so I stopped for a minute at which point my head got dizzy and my tummy started complaining...I did try and restart but in the end I pulled the plug and rang home to come and get collected. Had about a 1.5k cool down as I walked/jogged back towards home. Felt awful afterwards, had a shower, some choc milk and went to bed! As the OH pointed out, I haven't had any awful runs during the training and I was bound to have at least one so better to have it done with - he has a funny way of looking at stuff sometimes but it did make me feel better.

Thursday - plan called for 5k recovery but after failing to do the full distance on Wednesday I added a small bit and did 6.5k easy. Legs were pretty tired. Glad today is a rest day.

Saturday's LSR I am going to run the same section of the marathon route that I tried on Wednesday so that I can run past the spot where I stopped and scatter any demons!

spaceylou · 26-09-2016 02:18PM

Can't remember how the rest of that week went, haven't synced my watch in weeks and am sooooo far behind on all the various threads including my own log!

Dublin Half Marathon
Ran the Dublin half on Saturday, was tough! Prep wasn't great, crappy sleep, running spectacularly late on Saturday morning, probably not sufficiently hydrated on Friday; several easy runs ran too fast and it all adds up! Legs felt dead after about 4 miles despite up until then feeling great, stopped to walk was really contemplating stopping. Luckily the wonderful Anna from round these parts was passing so I joined her, we had some chats, the next few km flew past (although I think we weren't exactly speedy) got a bit of a rhythm going, took a gel (race day practice), and then said good bye a km or so after the half way mark....sped up a bit but never regained the pace I'd set at the start, but still never stopped to walk either. Thank you Anna for getting me going again!! Don't think she realised how awful I was feeling.

Saw my BF cheering at around the 10 mile mark, so happy to see him, gave me a little cheer. He popped up again on the finishing straight which really helped to spur me on, but also made me cry a little - clearly I was an emotional wreck as the sight of people with first aiders also brought a tear to my eye, as did some overheard conversations about sick kids and other random stuff.

Came in at 2:16 - not a pb but not the slowest either. Plan was to do it around PMP which on average I think I achieved as the plan for full is 4:30 but I clearly was TOO FAST in the first few miles and paid for it the rest of the race. That is all well and good over short distances but can't be doing that in longer races. So hopefully lesson learnt for Oct.

Random Post Race Thoughts

1. I've said it before, I'll probably say it again - need to slow down my easy runs.
2. On the big day, I need to make sure I run the first half super conservatively - I want to enjoy it and won't if I kill myself in the first 10k.
3. Gels are awful sticky but the texture grows on you.
4. People are great - there was a woman on a bike that seemed to pop up every few km to cheer people on, and like really heartfelt cheers. She was also handing out jelly babies or similar at one stage.
5. I love when the water is in bottles and not cups on the course.
6. Body glide is great - shorts were worn, shorts got wet, still no chaffing

7. I need more sleep. I cry when I am tired and pretty much anything would have set me off by 12:30 on Saturday.

So all in all, a tough race for me, but happy to have finished, some lessons learned, I like the blue t-shirt and was pretty happy about the voucher for AK as I was planning a visit out there anyway this week or next

Firedance · 26-09-2016 02:24PM

Can you set your garmin to run at a particular pace? That way it will beep at you if you're going to fast. Well done on sticking with it on Saturday, sounds like it wasn't fun but love all the lessons learned

If you slow right down your easy runs between now and DCM you will have a much better experience on the day, that's a certainty.

aquinn · 26-09-2016 03:19PM

I thought it was really weird Anna was running with a friend, only found out after it was you.

Well done on Saturday, glad the short shorts and bodyglide all worked out. Scary thing to try, short shorts eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

spaceylou · 26-09-2016 04:11PM

Firedance wrote: »

Can you set your garmin to run at a particular pace? That way it will beep at you if you're going to fast. Well done on sticking with it on Saturday, sounds like it wasn't fun but love all the lessons learned If you slow right down your easy runs between now and DCM you will have a much better experience on the day, that's a certainty.

I have tried that but even when I leave the range nice and wide it drives me crazy...usually goes something like this:

I start off too fast, watch beeps at me, I slow down...but not a fast enough transition so watch keeps beeping at me for the next few minutes. I eventually think I've slowed down enough to keep the watch happy only for it to start beeping that I am going to slow so I speed up a bit...and for a few minutes I hit the sweet spot of keeping the watch happy :cool: until i have to speed up slightly to catch a green man; avoid a stupid dog or similar and the watch goes mental at me again, so I slow down and maybe have to cross the road which causes me to pause for a moment, not enough to warrant pausing the watch but enough for my pace to slow enough for it to beep at me again...:mad: and so on we go alternating between too fast and too slow, with me scaring passers by as I mutter and curse at my wrist and eventually stop the workout and press start on just a run with no settings :mad::mad: or if I know where I am and how far it is to home, I just turn the watch off and we don't talk to each other for several days.

But I could try it again I suppose....

spaceylou · 26-09-2016 04:13PM

aquinn wrote: »

I thought it was really weird Anna was running with a friend, only found out after it was you.

Well done on Saturday, glad the short shorts and bodyglide all worked out. Scary thing to try, short shorts eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Haha, thanks A. But those weren't the short shorts, they were just shorts

Thanks to the body glide I have decided to keep the short shorts for around the house until I transform into a size 6 beach wear model :cool:

Firedance · 26-09-2016 04:14PM

^^^:D

^^^ I hear ya!! I had a few of those episodes myself! Some garmins have a virtual pacer but I don't think the 220 has it (I think we have the same watch?) No, don't put yourself through it, it's not worth it! How about rewarding yourself with a treat if you keep below a certain average pace

spaceylou · 26-09-2016 04:20PM

Firedance wrote: »

^^^:D ^^^ I hear ya!! I had a few of those episodes myself! Some garmins have a virtual pacer but I don't think the 220 has it (I think we have the same watch?) No, don't put yourself through it, it's not worth it! How about rewarding yourself with a treat if you keep below a certain average pace

Yeah I've the 220.

I like your thinking...a treat! I am supposed to be eating clean from now to the end of Oct but I think if I manage to run slow enough I should get chocolate - just a little bit of good quality dark stuff, sure 'tis practically healthy!

spaceylou · 29-09-2016 10:44AM

Monday: following Firedance's suggestion that I bribe myself to run slow enough I managed to do just this. Tired legs after Saturday's efforts may have also contributed. Plan 6.5k easy; Actual 6.6k easy with all km splits as well as average pace being in the slow and easy range. Had some choc to celebrate.

Tuesday: Planned Rest

Wednesday: When I left the house it was bright, it was sunny, it was warm, birds were chirping and there was still a trace of summer in the air. By the time I got home two hours later, it was dark, it was windy, oh so very windy, it was cold and it was lashing rain! Winter had arrived. Last weekend's race still in the legs so keeping the pace slow wasn't really a problem. Ran the section of the marathon route from Terenure to Nutley lane before peeling off to head home via Donnybrook, Ranelagh, Rathmines. I always thought of this section as being fairly up-hill but its actually down and up, down and up, down and up so there will be respite from the ups - imagine by the time I get to Roebuck on race day though, I will feel the inclines!

As was only a two hour run (only two hours - check me out!) no gels etc just water, which I didn't finish. In hindsight this was a mistake as was not drinking enough during the day but more of that anon. Found the last few km tough but then again legs were tired, I was dehydrated, I was being rained on and I was getting hungry. Plan 17.5k easy; Actual 17.5k easy

The aftermath: pretty much as soon as I stopped my body realised what I had done and went on strike, especially my tummy. Very odd and loud noises emminating from my vicinity all evening, only managed a few mouthfuls of dinner and those I really had to force down. Drank a pint of water with one of the electrolyte, re-hydration tablet yokes desolved in it - yuck but did help. Dehydration definitely a problem, finding it hard to drink enough now that temperatures are falling a little, more herbal teas I think. Off to bed by 10:15 and a restless night's sleep. Tummy still in a heap this morning but also hungry even after a big bowl of porridge for breakfast so trying to find easily digestible but healthy snacks in the office. Suggestions are welcome cause the corn cakes in my drawer just aren't cutting it right now! :rolleyes:

aquinn · 29-09-2016 10:56AM

Great going on a Wed evening.

Try a dialorite sachet rather than shoving water into you. I like the blackcurrant. On race mornings I had it with my porridge. Drink it before you go out on a training run. You only need a small bit of water with it or have one during the day.

spaceylou · 29-09-2016 11:54AM

Thanks A, can't stand the blackcurrent myself - more of an orange fan not that any of them are what could be described as 'tasty'. Hadn't thought of drinking dialorite pre-run, usually what I resort to after the damage is done so might try being pro-active and take one tomorrow eve in advance of Saturday's run.

annapr · 29-09-2016 01:29PM

Hey Lou, good to see you on Saturday. Enjoyed running with you, and yes we were slow!! But I think we distracted each other for a bit

Good lessons learned for you ahead of the main event...

spaceylou · 03-10-2016 12:53PM

Thursday: Plan - 8k recovery; Actual - nada
After Wednesday left me in a heap I decided it was unwise to try run at 6:30am on Thursday morning and by the time I got home at 10pm I was only fit for bed.

Friday: Plan - rest; Actual - rest

Saturday: Plan - LSR 32k; Actual - rest - the day just got away from me!

Sunday: Plan - 3k Recovery; Actual - With nothing to recover from I did 32.4km. That 0.4 is of huge psychological importance to me as now on race day, the unknown, never run before distance will be in single digits

Most of this was on the marathon route or close to the marathon route although I seem to have missed a hill in Ballyfermot/near Ballyfermot so going to have to refresh my mapping skills and try that section again - do not want any surprise hills on the day.

Legs were exhausted afterwards and super achy BUT all tired aches and no injury aches which is encouraging. Had a little nap post run, followed by a wonderful shower, food and an afternoon of 'not a whole lot'. This morning still a little achy but hope a walk at lunch time and some foam-rolling this evening will sort that out.

Only 4 weeks to go am a mixture of impatient, excited, terrified and in awe that my body can do this!

spaceylou · 24-10-2016 04:01PM

Oh log, I am very sorry for the neglect but between running and work I haven't had a moment.

I can't remember exactly what I did over the past few weeks so here are the highlights and low points.

An LSR got pulled about 4k in due to dizzy spell. Not sure what happened, fine afterwards although exhausted, might have been a blood sugar thing, might just be a crock!

Bought lovely new Mizuno Wave Inspire in blue to replace my current 'second pair' of runners as post marathon my current Wave Inspire (in purple) will become the seconds and the current seconds are gone in the bin!!

New runners meant a run on the dreadmill - euck! But on the bright side lets chalk it down to humidity training cause the gym was stifling and gross!

Ran from Harold's Cross to Marley Park this Saturday. I do not know the hill in Ballyfermot on the marathon route but it is surely not any worse than the drag up from Rathfarnham followed by the steep hill to bring you up to Marley...and even if it is, I have run up the awful hill by Deer Park - I can take it (just not with any level of speed).

There were many runs around Terenure, I miss running in day light, fallen chestnuts on dark footpaths are the bane of my life and people need to start wearing hi-viz gear!!

I will update monthly totals etc when I get a chance to sync my watch.

DCM is this Sunday, hard to believe it is so close. I know I can finish, not so sure about the time. Have been training for 4:30 secretly hoping for closer to 4:20. I've done the two longest runs on the plan but I have missed other runs so not sure the endurance AND speed are in the legs. After the debacle of the half am also very very very nervous about going out too fast! Currently trying to decide between the following pacing strategies:

1. Start near 4:30 pacers, keep them in my sights and depending on energy levels around UCD either start to move away or concentrate on keeping up.

2. Start slower than the 4:30 pacers and do the 10/10/10 strategy So first 10 miles 6:30/km; Second 10 miles 6:20/km; Last 10k 6:15/km

Both get me in within about a minute of each other and to be honest, my main aim is to finish with a smile on my face and not feel broken - exhausted, sure but not broken. Given my worries about going to fast, I wonder should I try the 10/10/10 strategy and if I end up faster than the planned pace DO NOT PASS the 4:30 pacers until UCD or so, otherwise they will run nice and steady and pass me out when I pay for going to fast. Still at least the crowds should keep me in check too! So much to freak out about!! :eek:

Younganne · 24-10-2016 07:28PM

Start at the back of the 4.30 pace group keeping them in your sights but not worrying about catching them. Then start to push on a bit and get nearer to them from halfway. When you catch them then use their support to bring you the rest of the way in and you'll have you sub 4.30 because of the time difference at the beginning! If you're feeling good you can ease by them.

This was the strategy I used for my sub 4.00 using the 4 he pacers in the same way. Passed them at the RDS and came in in 3.57 as I'd a cushion built up at the start. Using same strategy with the 3.50 pacers on Sunday.

Whatever happens, main thing is to enjoy and don't worry too much about the time. It's your first so relish it!! See you after for a catch up.

spaceylou · 25-10-2016 11:55AM

Thanks for tips Anne - sounds like a fairly reasonable strategy - am totally overthinking it! Haha! And definitely my number 1 aim is to cross that finish line with a smile on my face, ideally with the body still feeling intact!

Felt like such a fraud heading out this morning for a mere 3k - like it was hardly worth putting on a technical top

First out door run for the new runners though - lovely and light.

spaceylou · 25-10-2016 01:59PM

Just watched this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-aUnVZTQOg&feature=youtu.be

made me cry...am gonna be an emotional wreck come Sunday!

spaceylou · 27-10-2016 11:58AM

Mon: rest (planned) with 45 min stretching and foam rolling

Tues: 3k run (mentioned above) with 45 min stretching and foam rolling

Wed: Rest (unplanned) - picked up BF's cold

Was due to work from home so spent the day on the couch with a stready stream of hot drinks, vit C, lemon, ginger, honey, soup etc and paracetamol, seems to be more or less working - fingers crossed.

Thur: Woke up with still a bit of a sore throat but nose is clear, chest is clear, headache is faint and blocked ears is back to my "normal" level (have a thing with intermittent ear ache that doc can never find anything wrong with). Going to continue with hot drinks in the office today and go for 5 - 6k easy this evening.

In other taper planning I am banking sleep, eating well, staying well hydrated, watching where I walk, avoiding heavy lifting and putting my feet up in the evening - just three more days and weather is looking like it will suit me :cool:

Younganne · 27-10-2016 01:49PM

Best of Luck Spacylou, hope the cold has cleared by Sunday and have a great race and enjoy every minute of it!!

chickey2 · 27-10-2016 01:51PM

Sounds like you're doing all the right things! Best of luck!

Firedance · 27-10-2016 01:52PM

spaceylou wrote: »

Just watched this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-aUnVZTQOg&feature=youtu.be

made me cry...am gonna be an emotional wreck come Sunday!

You're not on your own there L, and I'm not running!!!!! Have knots in my stomach with nerves for all you guys, I really really hope you have a fantastic day, regardless of time enjoy your very first marathon, see you afterwards in McGrattans

tailgunner · 27-10-2016 01:56PM

Best of luck!

diego_b · 27-10-2016 02:38PM

Best of luck to you Spaceylou, hope you enjoy the experience and have a good race!

spaceylou · 27-10-2016 03:19PM

Younganne wrote: »

Best of Luck Spacylou, hope the cold has cleared by Sunday and have a great race and enjoy every minute of it!!

You too Anne, you've put in some great training!

chickey2 wrote: »

Sounds like you're doing all the right things! Best of luck!

Thanks chickey, fingers crossed - feeling better even since I wrote earlier...touch wood not ginxing myself

Firedance wrote: »

You're not on your own there L, and I'm not running!!!!! Have knots in my stomach with nerves for all you guys, I really really hope you have a fantastic day, regardless of time enjoy your very first marathon, see you afterwards in McGrattans

Awh AM, you guys are the best mentors - thanks! Yeah, looking forward to McGrattans, I'll either be very tipsey or asleep after a beer

tailgunner wrote: »

Best of luck!

Thanks - can't keep track of everyone who's running on Sunday so if you are, best of luck

diego_b wrote: »

Best of luck to you Spaceylou, hope you enjoy the experience and have a good race!

Thanks diego - think you are running

in which case, hope you have a great day too.

This Fat Girl Runs · 28-10-2016 03:20PM

Good luck for Sunday! Enjoy the race and the atmosphere! I'll be on the sidelines cheering for you!

The Four Year Plan

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