Once in a Lifetime....for now

Well this was the week that winter really left it's first calling card. To celebrate I did two of my runs in full Baltic clothing. To be specific this was a base layer t-shirt, base layer long sleeve, t-shirt, marathon top, rain jacket, woolly hat, snood, leggings, shorts and 2 pairs of gloves :pac: You can never be too careful This week was also the start of the Graduates 10k-HM plan for me and it's a perfect fit to take me up to the Bohermeen Half which I have entered. The paces I am trying to train to are from the paces calculator linked to the training plan.

Monday 4th: Plan 20 mins Very Easy 6:03-6:30 per Km. Actual 3.2k @ 6:15 /20m 11s. The gentlest of gentle introductions into the plan.

Tuesday 5th: Plan 60 mins Very Easy 6:03-6:30 per Km. Actual 9.8k @ 6:07 /60 mins. Nice and steady jog.

Wednesday 6th: Plan 8 X 1 min hills @ 3:55-4:10 per Km pace. Actual 3.2k warm up, 8 X hills, 2k cooldown. Paces for the hills were 4:15, 4:14, 4:01, 3:55, 3:59, 4:20, 4:04 and 3:58. This was done in Marlay Park. What with it being my first time to do a session like this I had a struggle settling into the right pace but overall I was delighted with how it went.

Thursday 7th: Plan 60 mins Very Easy 6:03-6:30 per Km. Actual 9.7k @ 6:10 /60 mins. Wasn't sure I'd do this one as I got DOMS from my efforts on the hills the day before. The bitter cold helped keep my mind off my tender muscles :rolleyes:

Friday 8th: A much needed rest day.

Saturday 9th: Plan 25 mins Tempo 4:36-4:43 per Km. Actual 2m warm up, 25 mins Tempo, 1m cooldown. 5 X km splits were 4:38, 4:36, 4:37, 4:38, 4:39 and 4:38 (0.3). I did this at Father Collins Parkrun. It was a nice flat course and I set the watch to warn me if I was going too fast or slow. The average pace didn't change from 4:38 after the first few hundred metres so it couldn't have gone much better. The volunteers thought I was mad when I ran through the finish for 150m or so then came back to finish. I had to make it up to the prescribed 25 minutes! :pac::pac:

Sunday 9th: Plan 1 hour 45 mins Easy 5:49-6:01 per Km. Actual 18.1k @ 5:48 / 1 hour 45 mins. No snow in my part of the world and by evening it was nice and calm, a perfect evening for a run even if it was zero degrees :rolleyes:

All in all a very enjoyable weeks running. I'm really looking forward to getting into the plan, the sessions and more DOMS! :eek:

Another week and a bit done and a few more twists and turns on the road to gaining a few seconds of improvement!

Tuesday 12th- 60 mins very easy was the plan and 60 mins very easy was duly delivered. 6.1 miles @ 9:49

Wednesday 13th- Another session and got this one done on the track at ALSAA where I will probably do most of my sessions. I'll do hills elsewhere and hopefully tie in some park runs for tempo stuff but this track is ideal for me. It's close enough to home, 2 minutes from work and I've joined to make use of the gym and pool anyway. I've noticed the local hare population are fond of trying to burrow through the track :pac: This was a 6*3 mins CV session with 3 mins recovery and a target pace range of 4:13-4:19. The first couple were a tad too fast but settled into it after that. Splits 4:10, 4:11, 4:17, 4:14, 4:14 and 4:16.

Thursday 14th- Another 60 mins very easy was the plan and I did it over Rathfarnham direction. First mile or so was predominantly downhill so I spent most of the remainder of the run slowing down and trying to work on my form, aka shuffle. 6.1m @ 9:46

Friday 15th- Reading so many posts on here make reference to the importance of S&C pushed me into deciding to give it a go. Went in for my first assessment and to have a programme planned out. After I explained that it was for running I ended up doing squats and stiff leg deadlifts with light weights, single leg back raises, alternating lunges and something he called the superman! I felt grand after it and went out and did a leisurely hour run, 6.6 miles @ 9:38

Saturday 16th- Legs were a bit stiff in the hamstring area after the gym work but not too bad so I decided to go ahead with my session which was to be 5*5 mins @ threshold (4:25- 4:31) with 2 mins rest. A mile warmup and off I went. Splits pace wise were 4:25, 4:28, 4:28, 4:29 and 4:25

Sunday 17th- This was to be long run day of an hour and 45 mins. Not a chance could I have even run for a minute 45! :eek: Hamstrings were in a jock, sitting down was a challenge as was tying shoelaces!! No choice but to make it an enforced rest day. Realising now that for someone who has never darkened the door of a gym or done even a day of manual work the DOMS I will get as I adjust to it will make following a plan to the letter impossible. I'll just run when the body allows me.

Monday 18th- S&C Part 2, the upper body. The plan he came up with includes assisted pull-ups, shoulder press, frontal raises, kneeling single hand rows and press ups. For the core there are crunches, reverse crunches, planks, left side planks, right side planks and back extensions. I really struggled to complete the press up and pull-ups. The others were tough but manageable. Went for a 20 min jog to cool down. 2.2 miles @ 9:30

Tuesday 19th- Firstly the good news, my core must be in better nick than I imagined as there is no pain today. The bad news, my arms and shoulders are in absolute flitters! Kinda scared what tomorrow will bring as the second day of DOMS is normally worse Luckily I can run with dangling arms so was able to get out for my easy hour. I was delighted I did too. Drove down to Raheny and parked at St Anne's. Ran down the coast, over the rickety bridge and out to the end of the Bull Wall. The sun was shining, the tide in, salt in the air, sea birds all around....it really was stunning. One of the benefits of shift work I guess is getting out at times when it's quiet as so many are at work, in school or keeping our homes in good working order :P Ran back up the coast road and then out onto Bull Island before finishing back at St Anne's. 6.8m @ 9:21, a bit faster than plan but I was just lost in the moment for some reason.

So that's where I'm at. Not sure how S&C will impinge on running, how long it will take to get used to it and not get DOMS so bad, or if I'm balancing running properly around it. Any advice would be gratefully received

Due to do hills tomorrow with the usual instruction to concentrate on form. I don't think arms hanging by my side will make for great form but hey ho, I'll do what I can :pac:

2,000kms hit for the year. I know it was only a made up target after hitting 1,000 miles during DCM but it kept me focused over the past few weeks. Might try to turn it into 2,000 miles next year... 😉

Kellygirl wrote: »

Brilliant! Would you not do 17 more and get 2017??

If the weather in Cork is better than forecast then I will!

Tuesday 26th: 6.1 miles very easy @ 9:50 Gently working off some turkey, beer and red wine.

Wednesday 27th: Session, 6 X 2 mins @ AP (4:04-4:09) off 3 mins. Got this one done in my local park. Definitely tough at times but I seemed to warm up into it well. Splits were 4:04, :05, :08, :06, :05, :05 so I was happy with the consistency.

Thursday 28th: Rest day....of sorts. Worked 4am to midday then drove to Cork for a couple of days break.

Friday 29th: 6.2 miles very easy @ 9:56. It's always great to run somewhere different and this was no exception, 5k out and back along the old Carrigaline to Crosshaven line now converted into a lovely cycle/ walk/ run path. Ran with the best half of this couple in a gentle mist alongside the river. Idyllic!!!

Saturday 30th: 5.1 miles incl Ballincollig Parkrun. Met Kellygirl briefly before and after this really nice parkrun. Great to see her really enjoying her running. The course is 2 laps with a nice mix of paths and trail. After the rain it was a bit mucky in places but that didn't lessen the enjoyment one little bit. As this run was taking the place of a session I planned to do 3k tempo and 2k threshold. The trees meant that paces on the watch were all over the place so I ran by feel. Tempo splits which should have been at 4:40 per km were done in 4:35, :33 and :34. Threshold Kms were 4:16 and :25, much closer to the planned 4:25. With the .08 of a km difference between watch and course it gave me a time of 22:48 which was close enough to plan.

Sunday 31st: With work and new year celebrations limiting my time I only got in 4 miles @ 9:07 instead of the 70 mins on the plan. I didn't really mind this as I was planning to do 2 parkruns the following day instead of 20 recovery minutes.

Monday 1st: Both of today's parkruns were new to me. First up was Bushy Park and a great crowd were in attendance. I had planned 5k @ tempo but failed dismally. Started at the back unaware that the run was all on a quite narrow path. For the first Km there was nowhere to move unless I wanted to dive right and down the bank into the Dodder! First km was a pedestrian 5:30, next was 5:14. After that the congestion eased a bit so I got back on plan for the last 3km. Splits were 4:34, :37 and :30. Time was 24:46 or thereabouts.
Drove up to Tymon Park then for part 2. Great crowd again and another nice course. Plan here was 3km at tempo followed by 2 @ threshold. Splits of 4:37, :20, :35, :20 and :08 would indicate that I didn't follow the plan but the course and wind dictated that. The uphill section was into the wind and the downhills had a tailwind which led to the seesaw splits. Watch time was 22:06, it was a really good blow out without turning the legs to jelly! Thanks again to all volunteers involved, one of whom may have been Raycun in Tymon.

Tuesday 2nd: A really wild and windy 6.4 miles @ 9:50. Storm was brewing and wheelie bins blowing on the streets. 3 miles were as if I had a sail attached and 3 as if I had an anchor and concrete runners! :pac:

Wednesday 3rd: 8 X 1 min hills session in the middle of a very easy 6.2 mile @ 9:50 run. Really concentrated on form which led to them being a bit slower than 2 weeks ago. Target pace was 4:03- 4:10 per km. Repeats were at 4:11, :12, :06, :11, :12, :11, :07 and :09. Very happy with it all the same.

So here I am with mixed emotions. Some good training done but feeling somewhat meh about it. I've not got out for a long run in 3 weeks so I'll have to sort that out next weekend. I probably did too much faster running so will definitely keep it very very easy over the next couple of days. The weather is making it hard to force myself out the door yet once I take the first step I'm happy as a pig in sh1te!

I'd just like to say happy new year to ye all and wish you a year of injury free running.

I'm just putting this up so I can get back to a Monday to Sunday log. OCD much? :rolleyes:

Thursday 4th: A gentle very easy 6.8m jog @ 9:50 per mile. Took in a lap of each of the local parks, Johnstown, Poppintree and Albert College Parks.

Friday 5th: Rest Day

Saturday 6th: Session on the plan was 15 min tempo (4:38-4:45 per km), 4 mins rest then 10 mins at threshold (4:25-4:31). I tried to tie this in with my tour of Dublin parkruns which for this week had me in Shanganagh. Did my warm up and tempo before the Parkrun began with the intention of getting my 4 mins recovery while the race director was giving his few words. Ran the tempo a little fast (4:33) and the Parkrun was a couple of minutes late so my rest was actually 6/7 minutes. Set of for 10 mins of threshold from the gun and settled into an again slightly fast 4:20 pace. Decided to stick with it as I was in a nice little group. After the 10 minutes were up I slowed to cool down pace. I'm sure a few who passed me thought I had gone out too fast and blown a gasket! :pac:

Nice little course and the usual high standard of volunteers was more than maintained. Plenty of encouragement at every turn. Thanks to all involved.

Sunday 7th: Plan had today down as 1:45 easy run. I headed to St Anne's Park and parked so that I could do a loop and come back to watch the XC. I decided to try a lap of Howth Head which would be my first time running it. Strong breeze against all along the coast between St Anne's and Sutton Cross which I probably worked into a bit too hard. After this the wind wasn't a factor again until it pushed me home for the last 3 miles.
After turning at Sutton the road began to rise. I settled into an easy rhythm and tipped along for the next 5k to the summit. Then came the steep downhill into Howth where the main challenge was to slow down!! A nice flat few miles back to the car made it 12.4 miles @ 9:16. A super enjoyable run.

Then I went in to watch the XC. She who cradles my heart in her delicate hands was doing the ladies race but a hamstring strain she got during the week meant she took it easy with the intention of finishing. Thankfully she did with a very respectable 50 runners behind her. Then came the men's race. A big entry and I found it impossible to spot Wubble or scotindublin on the first lap. Gave them a shout on each lap after that. I have the height of respect for anyone that does XC, it looked proper tough!! Well done all Boardsies who were there. Have to say the running community really do themselves proud. There was amazing support and encouragement for all runners from first to last. It certainly put my mind at ease about trying it next year. :eek:

All in all a good weeks training and a long run done for the first time since Christmas Eve.

Week 47.4 miles and surprise surprise YTD is also 47.4 miles:D

Damo 2k9 wrote: »

Serious mileage S, must meet up for a long run one of the weekends with a couple of other DCM Novices as the weather starts to get a bit nicer (and now that im off Sat+Sun ). I was driving out to howth yesterday and only mentioned to herself that it looked like a lovely day for a run, absolutely itching to get out myself.

How are you finding the S+C??

S&C has been shelved for now. My love for feeling sore and stiff as an ironing board is non existent! I'm going to ease my way back into it...soon....:rolleyes: My attitude to S&C is a bit like yours to running in the cold

Yep a long run with some of the gang would be great. If I'm off whatever weekend it turns out to be I'd love to meet up.

ariana` wrote: »

I love hearing this too :P

But seriously, i guess if you're uninjured then run more but if running more is causing injuries then it is showing up weaknesses that need to be addressed which is the bracket i fall into

In my case over the year prior to starting DCM training it was running too fast, too often that caused me injuries. I have a passionate dislike for the boredom of gym work.......you'd never guess :pac::pac:

Week Ending 14/1/18

Monday 8th: Rest Day. On another note it was a very good day though. I had my annual visit to the GP. I got the flu vaccination and a full set of bloods taken. Got the results a couple of days later and all were good. The main positives were that my cholesterol which was 6.8 2 years ago, 5.7 last year is now 4.1 and that my resting heart rate has dropped from 63 to 48 since I got to running consistently in April. There's more to this running lark than PB's

Tuesday 9th: 6.9m @ 9:47. Pretty much as the grad HM plan looked for today. A few near slips and trips on the way as part of the route was in total darkness due to power failures in the Glasnevin area....not that this city boy has a head torch even if he had known before he left the house!

Wednesday 10th: Session day. Got this one done on the track in ALSAA. It was 5*5 @ CV (6.47-6.56) with 4 min jogged recoveries. Split paces were 6:48, 6:47, 6:44, 6:44 and 6:45 and I was well chuffed with keeping them so even. 15 mins warm up and the same to cool down brought the mileage to 8.8m

Thursday 11th: 7.2m @ 9:54. More of the very easy paced running which is every day on the grad plan except for sessions and the long run. Was only planning the 60 mins but went a bit over as I was enjoying the foggy evening. Met Damo en route and stopped for a quick chat. That boy will rip the roads up once he settles into a plan and a club.

Friday 12th: 6.6m @ 9:52. I'm starting to feel that these 60 minute very easy runs are my default setting. I'm starting to settle into the pace that a few weeks ago seemed slow. It certainly makes a difference to recovery after sessions and keeping me fresh before them. As for the run it has vanished from my memory already and I'm not going back to look at Strava...Glasnevin/ Finglas I think :pac:

Saturday 13th: This was to be a session of 3*8 mins @ threshold (7:06-7:16) with 3 mins recovery but it never got done. Hopefully the Parkrun at similar paces but without recoveries will be somewhere near as good. Had planned to do warmup and first threshold repeat before the Parkrun and the next 2 repeats during it but the watch was showing crazy paces, both fast and slow, so I aborted it after 4 or 5 minutes. Fairview parkrun was a wet and windy experience with the wind blowing the rain in off the sea. Great volunteers and heartwarming flapjacks! Parkrun in a steady 22:41 and the various warm ups, aborted session and cooldown brought things up to 5.9 miles for the morning.

Sunday 14th: 13.1 miles @ 9:11. Ah God I enjoyed this one. 3 months without running in the PP is just far too much. I have to get back to running on grass and trails more often. The bright morning had the park full of runners, walkers, footballers and cyclists. Plan was for 1 hr 45 mins at easy pace (9:25-9:45). Pace was steady at 9:27 average practically from beginning to end. When the time had elapsed I was still a bit from the car so took a crazy notion to do the last 3Km a bit faster. It brought the ave pace down to 9:11 and heart rate up from 126 to 160 :pac::pac: It felt good even if it wasn't in the plan.

It was my first time in ages to use the HRM. Average was 132. Allowing for a spike that always happens at the start (watch seems to record cadence rather than heartbeat for 5/10 mins before settling) and the push at the end my average for the majority of the run was about 125. Following on from a post by the muppet elsewhere this morning I looked back on a similar length run in July which was at 9:45 pace and my average HR was 143. Sometimes it's reassuring to see progress like that.

Plan for the week ahead includes 10*300 @ mile pace with short recoveries. This one terrifies me and my delicate hamstrings!! :eek: We'll give it a lash anyway

Total for Week: 49.1 miles YTD: 96.5 miles

Week ending 21/1/18

Monday 15th: 2 mile recovery jog @ 10:06. A couple of laps around Johnstown Park just to try an active recovery day instead of a rest day.

Tuesday 16th: 6.6 miles @9:30. Plan for today had 60 mins very easy and I repeated a loop that includes a lap of each of three local parks. It's my go to daytime 60 min loop but no good for evening time as the parks are closed. :pac:

Wednesday 17th: First session of the week and I buggered it up a bit by only setting the watch to do nine repeats instead of ten. It was to be 10*300s at approx mile pace off 60 sec jog recovery. As I have never raced a mile I used the calculator which suggested a 6:05 mile pace. This meant 300s of 68 seconds. They got progressively harder to complete after the 5th or 6th repeat. I fell over the line after the last one!! In hindsight I think I would have failed to meet the target pace for the 10th one had I done it. Splits were 67, 67, 67, 69, 69, 68, 68, 68 and 67 secs. Warm up and Cool down brought total miles to 5.8m.

Thursday 18th and Friday 19th: 6.5 miles @ 9:48 and 6.2 @ 9:45. Practically identical route and pace for these two 60 min very easy runs. My evening loop down Collins Avenue, Grace Park Road and then back up Griffith Avenue.

Saturday 20th: Went over to Brickfield Park for their 3rd Parkrun and tied in a session. 4*8 mins @ HM pace. I've kinda decided to aim for 7:20 pace so this was the target pace for the session. Paces were 7:16, 7:17, 7:19 and 7:17. Soaking wet morning, terrific volunteers and lots of walkers! Warm up and cool down totalled the day at 8.4 miles.

Sunday 21st: 12.6m @ 9:14. Wimped out of the planned morning run! Thankfully the evening cleared up rain wise even if the strong breeze was still there. First half was downhill with a tailwind down Griffith Avenue to Fairview and then up the Howth Road to Raheny so pace was faster than planned but effort was easy. Once I turned towards Donaghmede from Raheny the wind slowed it down and then up Tonlagee and Oscar Traynor Road was into the headwind. Felt really good though.

So it's Raheny 5 on Sunday. I won't change the HM plan much during this week and try to run an even paced race, not a strength of mine and it actually scares me a bit. Best 5m time is 37:17 and I'm going to aim for 36:00 with as close as I can manage to 7:12 splits. It'll be a good guide for where I am at the moment and if a plan for 7:20 splits in the half is a bit ambitious. This day next week I'll have a much better idea!

Thanks for reading

Total for week: 48.3 miles. YTD: 144.9 miles