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Chasing the sub 50 10k - for what seems like forever

Bluesquare

Hi,

I am driving everyone crazy talking about running and my sub 50 goal. I am a "little bit " obsessed .

My background : I am a 39 year old young one !! I have been running since I have up the fags about 12 years ago. In the beginning I ran to not put on weight due to giving up cigarettes.

My first race was in 2006 - the connemara half marathon . Needless to say every race as been easier since. I have had a lot of breaks in running due to some amazing travel adventures and other life episodes such as ehh pregnancy and young babies and terrible commutes and long hours and blah blah.

Anyways after an 8 month break after a DNF at the cork half in 2013 I returned to running last may. I joined a local club and went into a group punching way above my weight. Anyway ended up with a dodgy knee but did the dublin half in 1hr 59 mins 24 secs. Couldn't walk afterwards and ended up out of the game until early December!!

Got stuck back in and was doing well until all of a sudden was putting in a huge amount of effort to go nowhere. So turns out my iron was a wee bit low!

Back on track now - my 10k is in six weeks and I have no idea if sub 50 is feasible. Will post this massive blurb and then follow with training .

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S.L.F.

Bluesquare wrote: »

I'm just trying to keep myself ticking over until holidays now - I've pulled out of the dunshauglin 10k , to much hassle the day before my holidays . Legs are not fresh and heart rate still up which I guess is down to the iron levels . So I would just annoy myself . So the sub 50 can wait till July/August . Two weeks of hot weather training ahead - which will be unstructured and fun. Fitting in runs when I can and going with my legs . I don't see me doing more than 10k distance wise .

Anyways I have signed up for the local 5k Friday but plan on it being a fun run! That's if my other fun run buddies can contain their competiveness. I like the idea of not racing a race and just running it . I want to enjoy running and need to relax and not stress about time or the pace .

I ran the route last night and it's seems like a nice little course with a fast finish (9k @6:00)

I also went for a scoot at lunch with a guy I hadn't ran with before , it turned into a race some how ! It was kind of fun but it was a bit warm!

I was reading somewhere that taking a full break from running while on holidays recharges the body and makes you come back stronger. I dont know about a full two weeks but you could defo afford one! Enjoy yourself either way.

ariana`

Bluesquare wrote: »

Turns out iron stores are very low - heamaglobin was normal ( that's what receptionist advised in Friday )so not anemic yet . So annoying because I'm taking iron supplements but had moved to the new supplement activeiron as recommended by the gp!!! Lucky I am so self obsessed that I notice mini changes - the symptoms can be fatigue and sluggishness without even being anemic . Very common for runners so make sure you get iron stores checked as well . It's not something that you would notice unless running and trying to improve .

Anyways just thought I'd post to flag to others . Thyroid still ok . So double iron for a coulple of weeks - back to the heavy duty tablets! The fun !

Found myself in the exact same boat a couple of months back. Ferritin levels < 10 (should be in the range 10-200 but GP said she'd expect at least 50, mine were 7 :eek:) I've been take Ferrograd C for the past 2 months and I've seriously my intake of red meat as it contains Heme Iron, the most easily absorbed source of iron, and i seem to be back on track if my more recent 5k times are anything to go by

Enjoy the hols. And good luck with the 10k training. I'll be following as next year's goals will definitely include sub 50 10k!

Bluesquare

Back home now sporting a nice tan and a well fed physique .

I never managed to do the 5k race before I went - life got in the way . I squeezed in 5k on sat - it turned into a progressive sprint (5:51,5:35,5:02,4:46,4:36) @25:14

It was a kind of therapy .

Anyways only managed 7 runs in 14 days in Spain . No structure or plan just ran when I felt like it and let the legs find a pace . In typical fashion didn't get out of bed early enough to avoid the heat of the day so ran in the Evenings in some saucy temperatures.

The gluttony of relaxation stiffened limbs and highlighted any old niggles !

First week of hilly terrain

9k@6:10

7.4k with 4.4k@5:18 and 3k at 5:50(done kind of tempo attempt)

5k@5:27 - progressive

20 mins @5:56

Second week on flatter terrain

40 mins@ 5:56
9k @ 5:35 - progressive
4 mile @ 5:39 - progressive
No running at all at ten pace . 5:11 fastest k.

All in all the runs were enjoyable if not a little sweaty !

Now need a detox and some structure , fingal 10k coming up and I need a plan of some description ,signing up for duleek 10k as well 2 weeks after , and signed up for rock n roll half as well in the middle on a whim on St Patrick's day because it was 12 bucks! Needless to say that's 12 bucks down the drain !

Bluesquare

Enjoy the hols. And good luck with the 10k training. I'll be following as next year's goals will definitely include sub 50 10k![/quote]

I take Ferrigrad C as well , or am again anyway ! I was taking it during marathon training last year and still managed to become anemic . As I was taking the iron I didn't relate the fatigue to iron - you would think I would know the signs by now! Has a funny effect on my insides - the opposite too most people . Feeling ok now .

Good look in your training . Keep an eye on that iron and get regular tests when training !

ariana`

Bluesquare wrote: »

I take Ferrigrad C as well , or am again anyway ! I was taking it during marathon training last year and still managed to become anemic . As I was taking the iron I didn't relate the fatigue to iron - you would think I would know the signs by now! Has a funny effect on my insides - the opposite too most people . Feeling ok now .

Good look in your training . Keep an eye on that iron and get regular tests when training !

Good to know. I will def keep an eye. Thanks.

Bluesquare

First training session post holiday excesses

Warm up 2k @ 6:00

1x1200 at V02 max with same time recovery
1x1000 """"
2x800"""""

Vo2 max based on results from 2 mile trial which I haven't done - so I just use the paces from my training buddies that I would normally be on a par with

So:
Vo2 max time for 1200: 5:35 . Actual time : 5:34
Vo2 max for 1k: 4:39. Actual time : 4:30
Vo2 max for 800: 3:43 Actual times: 3:44,3:40

Then a cool down for 1 mile @ 610

The first two were not too bad , and I felt strong , 2nd two I was just willing it to be over. I need to work on my mental game ,still .

Fingal next week and no idea how I'll be positioned for it .

Bluesquare

Feeling very sorry for self this morning . Supposed to be doing fingal on Sunday chasing the elusive sub 50 but now I find myself quite breathless.

Thursday night a progressive run more or less stayed steady but I found it very difficult breathing wise . Everyone was like yeah us too ! I'm like lads ye were chatting going up a hill that's hardly the definition of difficult . Resting heart rate on the increase from last week.

I felt ok over the weekend and decided to do a slow five miler on sat . I tried to slow down to stay in the green zone (under 143 bmp) but despite going on 6:30 this didn't happen .

Tried again yesterday and did ten k with the ladies . Pace was faster at 6:05 but breathing was tough. Again everyone was like us too it's the weather!

Now is it the weather and I'm suffering more because I'm asmathic or is it something else. Doesn't feel like a chest infection as not caught up or coughing .

I cannot be iron deficient again , I just can't . So that leaves the thyroid .

This running lark can be so frustrating .

This is not a sandbagging post !!! Really

ariana`

Hmmm there have been some warm/muggy days where the going feels a bit tougher. But still if you're finding it more difficult than you usually do relative to a bunch of runners you are used to running with then i would question if it is the conditions? I don't have experience of asthma. But i do have experience of low iron, well low ferritin and this was one of the things that in hindsight i should have flagged but i didn't, i thought i was just getting slower and/or everyone around me was getting faster.

Keep an eye and get checked if things don't improve.

hot buttered scones

Bluesquare wrote: »

Feeling very sorry for self this morning . Supposed to be doing fingal on Sunday chasing the elusive sub 50 but now I find myself quite breathless.

Thursday night a progressive run more or less stayed steady but I found it very difficult breathing wise . Everyone was like yeah us too ! I'm like lads ye were chatting going up a hill that's hardly the definition of difficult . Resting heart rate on the increase from last week.

I felt ok over the weekend and decided to do a slow five miler on sat . I tried to slow down to stay in the green zone (under 143 bmp) but despite going on 6:30 this didn't happen .

Tried again yesterday and did ten k with the ladies . Pace was faster at 6:05 but breathing was tough. Again everyone was like us too it's the weather!

Now is it the weather and I'm suffering more because I'm asmathic or is it something else. Doesn't feel like a chest infection as not caught up or coughing .

I cannot be iron deficient again , I just can't . So that leaves the thyroid .

This running lark can be so frustrating .

This is not a sandbagging post !!! Really

Saturday was a disaster for a lot of people (myself included). Yesterday was a tough day for it too, I'm only glad I got out in the evening and my route was a bit shady. It's been really hot the last few days, but it's the humidity that's the killer for me. I would have breathing issues from time to time (allergy related) and I find the really humid days really difficult and it really effects the pace I can run at. So I would be inclined to blame the weather. I know there's science behind this - the body has to work harder to keep cool when it's humid, humid air is denser, and also the oxygen content of the air may be slightly lower - but I wouldn't know enough about to even sound like I knew what I was on about! But I do think that if non asthmatics are having difficulty in this weather, the it's probably reasonable to assume that asthmatics will have a bit more difficulty. Don't let it get you down, just run at the appropriate effort rather than by pace.

Bluesquare

The doctor claims I'm perfectly healthy and the blood tests back it up . Feel a lot better now , so who knows what caused the blip .

Took the advice from hot buttered scones and ran to effort for the fingal tenk . Came in at just under 52 mins but given the fact I felt crap for the week before and have only run over 9k once in six weeks I'll take it . Felt good until about 7k then it all fell to pieces - obvious lack of stamina and no pacing . The legs were all over the place , they didn't know what to be doing . I was relaxed going into it as convinced I would be lucky to do it in an hour . Didn't even warm up . Breathing took a while to settle , but once I settled into the run I felt good for a while . Still like the course despite the lack of a pb.

Next up is the duleek 10k next weekend . Thought I might get some "Quality" training in this week and a batch of 10ks. Alas it was not to be . I managed one steady 10k@9:00 min mile and one 5k @6:00.

Away for weekend now until Sunday so packed the runners . Hopefully will get a couple of runs in .

Watch this space . I need to get some focus back.
Soon

Kennyg71

Bluesquare wrote: »

The doctor claims I'm perfectly healthy and the blood tests back it up . Feel a lot better now , so who knows what caused the blip .

Took the advice from hot buttered scones and ran to effort for the fingal tenk . Came in at just under 52 mins but given the fact I felt crap for the week before and have only run over 9k once in six weeks I'll take it . Felt good until about 7k then it all fell to pieces - obvious lack of stamina and no pacing . The legs were all over the place , they didn't know what to be doing . I was relaxed going into it as convinced I would be lucky to do it in an hour . Didn't even warm up . Breathing took a while to settle , but once I settled into the run I felt good for a while . Still like the course despite the lack of a pb.

Next up is the duleek 10k next weekend . Thought I might get some "Quality" training in this week and a batch of 10ks. Alas it was not to be . I managed one steady 10k@9:00 min mile and one 5k @6:00.

Away for weekend now until Sunday so packed the runners . Hopefully will get a couple of runs in .

Watch this space . I need to get some focus back.
Soon

have you fully completed a 10k specific plan from start to finish in recent times, maybe worth having a look at one again, stick to plan for one cycle, and track back from target race to plan start date and I think you may have much better out come. Fully commit to it and I rekon your goal is there within 10 weeks.

Good to hear no health problems, best luck in Duleek,

S.L.F.

Kennyg71 wrote: »

have you fully completed a 10k specific plan from start to finish in recent times, maybe worth having a look at one again, stick to plan for one cycle, and track back from target race to plan start date and I think you may have much better out come. Fully commit to it and I rekon your goal is there within 10 weeks.

Good to hear no health problems, best luck in Duleek,

Yes I have to agree, you're very close to the sub 50 but you need more commitment to just tip you over the line.

I have a 10 km plan specifically for sub 50 that Im not using if you want it let me know.

Bluesquare

Kennyg/S.L.F thanks for your feedback .

It's ironic that the diary is titled chasing the 10k blah blah blah when I never infact have followed a tenk specific schedule . I try to follow the club schedule but have fallen of track a bit since the begginning of summer .

In general I tend to get side tracked by other people's goals and end up doing half marathons etc because I am a sheep !

SLF if you could send me the schedule you have please I would be very grateful .

Also as 10ks seem to be short on the ground in September/October ideas for a target race would be great .

Thanks again
Blue square

Kennyg71

4th Nov there is the MO Run 10k, not to sure about Sept, Oct. but it may give bit of time to Finnish out next couple of races, then get started. Best of Luck.

aquinn

This is September for you:

https://sirius.eventmaster.ie/event/9pqHw5HWJ

Kennyg71

aquinn wrote: »

This is September for you:

https://sirius.eventmaster.ie/event/9pqHw5HWJ

Might be bit early to get full 10k training block in before target race. Think middle to end of October would be target.

ariana`

I'll be following you closely bluesquare :-) I'm going to target a sub 50 10k when DM is over, if I'm still alive & able to run!!! DM is my 1st time following a plan properly and in the 5th wk I can already see the benefit. I'd have been like you and just signed up to any race that friends were going to or was local or had a nice t-shirt going etc...

Well done on Fingal 10km. Sub 52 was a good outcome. Glad you got a clean bill of health too!!

S.L.F.

Bluesquare wrote: »

Kennyg/S.L.F thanks for your feedback .

It's ironic that the diary is titled chasing the 10k blah blah blah when I never infact have followed a tenk specific schedule . I try to follow the club schedule but have fallen of track a bit since the begginning of summer .

In general I tend to get side tracked by other people's goals and end up doing half marathons etc because I am a sheep !

SLF if you could send me the schedule you have please I would be very grateful .

Also as 10ks seem to be short on the ground in September/October ideas for a target race would be great .

Thanks again
Blue square

Hi Blue,

I sent you on an 8 week schedule there and again I agree with Kenny I wouldnt enter until around start of October or even mid October but you're nearly there now.

Good luck.

Bluesquare

Thanks SLF for sending the plan on . Unsure exactly what my plans are just yet - I'll get Sunday over and then worry about it I suspose .

Bluesquare

I was away down the country from Thursday morning on a reunion type jaunt so not the most running friendly environment .

I managed 5k @ 5:36 on Friday before the heavies arrived and cursed myself for not doing more as there was a lot of time wasted on procrastination. I ran on the beach - hard on the legs and windy in one direction but pleasant despite the slight red wine hangover .

Sunday morning dusted off the runners and did another 5k @ 5:55. I was really feeling the effects of the weekend at this stage and my legs were like jelly lumps . Too many dogs up random country lanes woofing away - one scary looking brute but thankfully chained unlike the nippy little shiatsu. Thankfully I'm super fast and escaped getting bitten !!

So no decent mileage but kept the legs ticking over and earned some street cred for being a tough old bird running with a hangover .

Anyways today is most definitely a rest day . I will do some kind of a session tomorrow then easy running until Thursday then nada until Sunday .

Bluesquare

Last nights session as per training schedule :

10/15 mins warm up
10 mins steady
10 mins hard
10 minds harder
10/15 mins cool down

No clear indication of what this meant exactly so had a rough plan of steady : 5:37, hard 5:15 and harder : 5:00

So warmed up @ 6:03 for 13 mins
Steady ten mins 5:36
Hard ten mins : 5:25 ( very windy so hard effort )
Harder ten mins: 5:03
Cool down : 13 mins @ 5:55

Felt ok . Find it hard to run into the wind . Breathing all over shop. Never got a slow lunchtime run as had blocked out memory of client visit.

Need to work hard now on sleep and healthy eating ! Tough job coming into bank holiday weekend !

Bluesquare

Well Ok I bottled it . Sunday was a bit breezy . I started with the sub 50 pacer . Ran 1k @5:00 then really started to struggle against the wind on the incline . Difficult to regulate breathing , windy running is the one instance that I think being ashmatic hurts my running . Anyways not to dwell by 3k I had skipped to a 5:22 k . We turned the corner and the wind was eased but I was finding it tough, I decided then to stop trying and enjoy the run , so I slowed down to a 9 min mile (5.36 min k). I trotted along enjoying it until I heard voices behind me , two girls from the club that never shut up and were chatting up the 55 min pacer, I eased up the pace and waited for them , told them to stop yaking whilst preceding to join the banter. We decided to speed up slightly and stop annoying the sub 55 group.

Had an enjoyable km @ 5:22. I was secretly delighted to be one of the annoying ones yapping away whilst others were trying hard around me. We started to speed up and lost a buddy . Lap 6 was a chatty 5:09 , it ended as we approached the runs large incline which was about a k long . My chatty buddy that has lungs like a horse took off and found someone else to chat with , I decided to keep with my enjoying it buzz and slowed to a comfortable pace of 5:45. After this it was only 3k left and I had no friends left so I just ran at a nice tempo pace (5:10), not easy but it felt ok . I started passing people with ease and this was a mighty buzz as I'm usually being passed at this stage of a race. I kept going at the same pace until 9k , then I sped up slightly for the home straight 5:03. That stupid wind ruined my buzz again at the end and what could have been a mighty finish!! Anyways finished in 53:20 and enjoyed it immensely. Spread after was super and was like being in the pub for a bit , local races have a special edge!!

I wussed out but that was plan b . If it's not in the legs enjoy and don't torture self . I have to keep running enjoyable .

I have a half baked plan at the moment , I have some willing victims and a couple of target races in mind .

The mo run looks like a reasonable target but it's too far away so I need some stepping stone goals. So a sub 24 5k is part of my plan , going to add in the odd park run. I never run 5ks but I think I need to practice pain and pacing. My local park run is a tough one , grassy and hilly , apparently adds 1/2 mins onto your time , I'm embarrassed to say I've never done it.

Once the tenk schedule is ready ill fill ye in but the first week is as follows:

Tues: 2 mile warm up , two mile tempo (8.00-815), two mile cool down
Thursday : 5 mile easy
Saturday : park run
Sunday : 8 mile easy

Bluesquare

Right! The new me - made everyone go slow for the warm up we did 2.2 mile@ 9:55. Believe me this is a vast improvement . Then 3.2k at 4:58. First spilt was 4:59, second 5:06 (took in large hill) and 3rd which included said hill down was 4:50. So on the money 4:58 m per k. Slowed down for last one to try and keep within the times perscribed. It felt good . Cooled down 2.4 mi@10 min mile . I cracked the whip and made sure we stayed at a cool down pace . Dunno how long i can keep these ponies cantering at a perscribed pace !!

On Sunday when I was supposed to be racing I couldn't get under 5:00 to save my life, my fastest spilt was the first one at 5:00! Last night I had to force my self to slow down ! Traitorous body,

S.L.F.

Well fair play BlueSquare for all the racing you do, i wish I had your motivation!

Bluesquare

S.L.F. wrote: »

Well fair play BlueSquare for all the racing you do, i wish I had your motivation!

Im motivated by food mostly !! Seriously though I am in a club and have a group of likeminded/ similar ability runners who I run with. We keep each other going and are motivated to stay with the group fitness rise so not too much slacking . Races and running can be fun and I need to remind myself of that from time to time .

Would you be interested in a club ? Maybe there is one close by? Or a running group ? Easier to get up and go when you have people depending on you

S.L.F.

Bluesquare wrote: »

Im motivated by food mostly !! Seriously though I am in a club and have a group of likeminded/ similar ability runners who I run with. We keep each other going and are motivated to stay with the group fitness rise so not too much slacking . Races and running can be fun and I need to remind myself of that from time to time .

Would you be interested in a club ? Maybe there is one close by? Or a running group ? Easier to get up and go when you have people depending on you

Yeah I know what you mean.
I was in a Triathlon club for a while but had to give it up due to ear infections in the water.
I do remember though that my running came on really well in that time.
I might start looking at a club, it seems Im not able to do the speed thing on my own really.
In fact Im getting bloody slower since I get disappointed if I dont hit the target pace and end up walking or giving up at times.

You definitely sound like you're enjoying your runs though, its great to read someone whos happy running.

annapr

Bluesquare wrote: »

Right! The new me - made everyone go slow for the warm up we did 2.2 mile@ 9:55. Believe me this is a vast improvement . Then 3.2k at 4:58. First spilt was 4:59, second 5:06 (took in large hill) and 3rd which included said hill down was 4:50. So on the money 4:58 m per k. Slowed down for last one to try and keep within the times perscribed. It felt good . Cooled down 2.4 mi@10 min mile . I cracked the whip and made sure we stayed at a cool down pace . Dunno how long i can keep these ponies cantering at a perscribed pace !!

On Sunday when I was supposed to be racing I couldn't get under 5:00 to save my life, my fastest spilt was the first one at 5:00! Last night I had to force my self to slow down ! Traitorous body,

Well done... just tell them it will do them all good in the long run to slow down

You might even start believing it yourself...

Bluesquare

annapr wrote: »

Well done... just tell them it will do them all good in the long run to slow down You might even start believing it yourself...

I do believe it , I do I do !!!

Seriously though we as a group train hard (mostly) and haven't seen a huge amount of improvement . I think I may have convinced them this time this is where we are going wrong . Baby steps !

Bluesquare

Thursday - 5 mile @ 6:10, even enough splits

Saturday ....drum roll please ..... first ever park run!!

My arch nemesis aka wind turned up . The brat.

Anyways why have I waited so long !!

My local run is a tough one so lots of folk avoid because they think if others see their time on this course the won't know how amazing their running really is . This is a real thing . It is .

Anyways it's all on grass and a wee bit hilly . There was only about 85 folk there . Lots of serious guys doing all sorts of gymnastic stretches before hand. Not for me they looked fierce dangerous . I opted for a10/15 min trot around a couple of fields instead . Shocking slow too.

Anyways because we got the new people chat we started near the front . I panicked before starting thinking I'm going to block all these speedy folk !

Anyways we were off and anyone who wanted to rushed by me. I didn't really have a plan but my friend at set her watch to do 5:05 so I went with that . The first bit was up and into the nemesis, not a good start breathing wise . But I had a chat with myself - don't panic , not a race , a timed tempo. The first lap was 5:08. There were a lot of fields and ups and downs and everybody seemed to settle in their place . I did wonder how you would pass someone in a lot of sections - there's probably an etiquette of some sort. My run plan was to practice pushing myself without stopping or slowing but to keep going . I'm not sure stopping was an option - may have caused a pile up .

Anyways lap 3 I was really struggling on a slight climb and a lot of wind and my lap time was 5:17. Lap 4 I can't really remember that well only that I recovered from lap 3 and settled into a nice comfortable hard pace . Then with one lap to go all caution to the wind ! At about 500m out I Caught two people who where between me and my friend , thankfully there was room to pass both on the outside the second person I passed tried to keep up but couldn't , then the nemesis was back to annoy me but I kept pushing till the end . Last lap 4:42 .

Very happy to finish , final time 25:32. And wait for it .... first in category !!!!! It said it on an e-mail it really did , ok so there wasn't a lot of people there , but it was on an e-mail. Delighted

I underestimated the recovery needed after that . Some muscles came out of retirement for the occasion , ouch the quads !

Bluesquare

And 8 mile slow Sundays @ ten min mile , yes I know not slow enough. Baby steps
, legs ached , not helped by a visit to croke park and a lot of steps .

The plan for this week is not much of a plan . In the uk from Thursday to Sunday with the family so will struggle to run . Bringing the runners and hoping for the best .

I have a mammoth sessions scheduled for tomorrow so it will only be slow running after that anyway . Mac millan - the first training session in the ultimate ten k schedule . 6* 1 mile repeats at target race pace ..........