Mum on the Run

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Might be time to change your name to BAG:

"Bungy Auld Girl"

TbL

Oh that's well harsh. Way to kick a girl an auld wan when she's down :rolleyes:

The Muppet wrote: »

Compliments are flying in here , have to admire the bravery of KG though , calling BG on her age and forgetting his anniversary all in the one week, 2 lives down I'd say .

I know, right ? Skating on thin ice KG !!

Just as well I'm not sensitive (sniff!)

Murph_D wrote: »

Excellent, G. Look forward to the reactivation of one of the best logs on here.

I’d imagine Dublin half (which is definitely in the Park) will be the usual course. It’s a good course, as you know, but I’d say Charleville is worth close to a minute all other things being equal. Which races in May/June? Hope to be doing a few track races myself around then.

All the best with it. Why not resume club training sooner?

Welcome back!

Thanks Murph! Good to be back. I suppose the preference for Dublin would be to compare like with like as this was a good run for me in 2015. Also has the advantage of being handy to get to, but I won't rule anything out just yet!

Not sure which track races yet, probably one or two of the Graded Meets, hopefully BHAA Trinity Track. Maybe one of the Drogheda T&F series if that's on again this year.

Again, won't rule anything out and I might pop down to the club for a session or two during the speed training but I'd rather wait until I'm closer to where I was and able to commit to (and survive!) two tough sessions a week.

Back in Black wrote: »

Great to see you back at and back logging BG. What sort of plan are you following for the mile training?

Thanks very much B in B . I have two Mile Training plans which I got online - one from Womens Running and one from Competitor and I haven't decided between them yet as they're quite different. I might pop them up here closer to the time to get opinions on them, but ultimately it'll depend on how the body is holding up whether I can do the more advanced of the two.

Mulberry wrote: »

Yay, BG is back at last! Delighted to hear that training and logging have returned and also that you’ll be spending time on the speedy stuff! Brilliant.

Sounds like a good schedule for the year too although I’m also wondering why you won’t return to club sessions for so long? I’d have thought Jan/feb would be enough to get you back, you’ve remained active so it shouldn’t take you long to get back to where you were, or close to it.

Thank you, R. I'm excited about the speedy stuff but haven't done any for so long I'm also a bit nervous. That's part of the reason for not planning an early return to the club. I'd like to be a LOT fitter than I am now before tackling the club sessions. The NYE 5K was a bit of an eye-opener in terms of how much fitness I've lost, but nothing a bit of discipline and keeping away from the cookie jar won't cure :rolleyes:.

Hope all good with you. Indoors coming up ?

The purpose of this 9 week block of base-building is to get me to 35 miles per week (from a current average of about 20). It’s a plan which Clearlier from these parts introduced me to back in 2015 and I noticed a real improvement after it (including current 10K and half marathon PBs). So the plan is to repeat the base-building again later in the year with the aim to getting up to 50 mpw before the half.

There is no racing at all during the 9 weeks and only easy running for the first 2, then you introduce strides, then tempos from week 4 on. Apart from a couple of step back weeks the mileage builds gradually as does the duration of the long run.

Monday 1st January

Slightly frustrating run in the local park, in that it took a few stops and starts before my HR settled. Nothing to do with the previous night’s celebratory (pink!) bubbles I’m sure .

• 2 miles @ avg HR 127 (grass/tarmac)

Tuesday 2nd January

Easy loop of the ‘hood, just as darkness was falling.

• 3 miles @ avg HR 128 (path)

Wednesday 3rd January

No running today. Just walked to and from Pilates. Thought I’d be a disaster after a couple of weeks off but apart from a bit of cramping in my foot the class was good and I was able for most of it.

Thursday 4th January

An out and back along part of the Raheny 5 route after collecting the car from the garage. Cold, dark but nice and fresh and the run helped me get over the shock of the invoice :eek:. Stupid clapped out car :rolleyes:.

• 2 miles @ avg HR 123 (path)

Friday 5th January

BG Jr was outsourced unexpectedly for the afternoon so I took advantage and went to Howth for a run on the trails. Perfect day for it and as an added bonus there weren’t too many out so it was very peaceful. The hills were a bit of a shock after a long absence from this route but the views more than made up for it. Got some encouraging comments from a walker on the first hill but didn’t see anyone for ages after that. It was really muddy and I was only in regular runners (now destroyed with muck!) so there was a fair bit of slipping and sliding. Couldn’t quite believe it when I got to the golf club and saw that they have paved the right of way across the course :eek:. It used to blend in seamlessly with the golf course and you just followed some big white stones. The path is gravelly at least, not concrete, but made me wonder what they were thinking. Mad! I got as far as the GAA club before turning and returning the same way.

• 3.5 miles @ avg HR 144 (trail, hilly, muddy)

Saturday 6th January

No parkrun today as only 2 miles on the plan and it was my turn to get up with BG Jr. so just did 2 laps of the local park. Might be my imagination but Fairview ‘mountain’ seemed a lot easier today after the real hills in Howth!

• 2 miles @ avg HR 127 (path, grass)

Sunday 7th January

7.5 miles on the plan today. Decided on an out-and-back along the canal for a change of scenery. First half was wind-assisted although I didn’t realise this until I turned around :rolleyes:. Got as far as Ashtown or thereabouts before turning back towards home. Nice, easy run and incident free apart from the obligatory canine encounter – one of those miniature types that thought it would be fun to bark at my ankles until I outran him. Bravely .

• 7.5 miles @ avg HR 130 (path, tarmac)

TOTAL WEEK: 20 miles

Routine and normality resume this week as BG Jr is back to school (until the next break which is in about 5 weeks time :rolleyes:). Term time is much easier for me to get training in as I can go to the gym, swim or run while she’s at her various after-school activities and it doesn’t involve any juggling or complex negotiations.

Target for this week is 25 miles, 2 S&C sessions, 1 pool session and a Pilates class.

Monday 8th January

A decent weight loss got the week off to a good start :cool:. Back was very stiff after work today – too much sitting.

Loop of the ‘hood, in reverse for a change. It is MUCH harder in this direction.

• 3 miles @ 128 avg HR (path)

Tuesday 9th January

Woke up with a nasty pain in my back/shoulder and a bit of a cough. Not sure if they’re connected. Felt ok after some cough syrup and painkillers so hoping the pain is just muscular although I’ve no idea what I would have done to cause it.

Did a full gym session and a short swim (400m) while BG Jr was otherwise occupied and shoulder seems ok so must just twisted it randomly.

Forced myself out the door later for a run. Ugh. Wet, cold, dark and really windy. Was difficult to keep the heart rate under control and the pace ended up really slow as a result. Just when I thought I couldn’t get any wetter, I was soaked by a car which speeded up to make the lights and succeeded in drenching two others (Muggles in their civvies) as well as me .

• 4 miles @ 130 avg HR (path, grass, muck)

Wednesday 10th January

Pilates with a brisk walk there and back. Back was very stiff after sitting in work all day and the class sorted it out.

Thursday 11th January

Brought my gear into work and managed to fit in a hilly run in River Valley Park. Conditions were perfect, no wind and nicely chilly!

• 4 miles @ 131 avg HR (tarmac, hilly)

Friday 12th January

Cycled in to town and back for a savage S&C session. Savage in that I can barely move my arms as opposed to good savage :eek:. Was late enough getting out for a run, and it was meh one at that.

• 3 miles @ 130 avg HR (path)

Saturday 13th January

Bailed on the planned parkrun this morning due mainly to serious DOMS after yesterday’s session, but also if I’m honest, the lure of a rare lie-on in my cosy bed. Did a short swim in the afternoon with 1 set of aqua S&C then a short run before dinner. Usual loop, really enjoyed this one and finally feel like I’m getting a bit of pace back at the low HR.

• 3 miles @ avg HR 129 (path)

Sunday 14th January

Ended up over the southside for a family outing. Brought my gear and abandoned them in 6W to follow the Dodder as far as Ringsend then home via the East Link. Interesting run with a mix of path, tarmac and trail, mainly off road through various parks and walkways. I much prefer a point to point route rather than loops or and out and back. Raided the leftover selection boxes when I got back and devoured a Wispa. Nom.

• 8.1 miles @ avg HR 129 (path, tarmac, trail)

Happy with the week. On target and still in one piece. Mileage increases again next week and I get to add some speed in the form of strides. Whoop whoop.

TOTAL WEEK: 25.1 miles

Target is 30 miles this week – the excitement! And I get to include strides !!

Monday 15th January

A mess of a run at rush hour in the cold and wind along the promenade. HR was all over the place and there was lots of stopping and starting at lights, for crazy drivers etc. before getting to the pedestrian area. It was really muddy underfoot too. Pace was slow and even the strides weren’t fun against the wind. Down with this sort of thing!

• 3.5 miles incl 6 x 10 sec strides

Tuesday 16th January

Full gym routine, but with slightly lower weights to ensure I’d have use of my arms in the days to follow. Tough but manageable. Quick dip (200m) in the pool after to loosen out. Barely worth getting in for that but it’s ticking a box and I had a nice lounge in the Jacuzzi after.

Went out later and managed to avoid most of the snow. Still freezing out. Met a clubmate flying along towards me and thought the wind can’t be too bad on the return leg as she’s moving effortlessly. Turned at half way and was struggling to stay upright :rolleyes:. Returned home, the opposite of effortlessly (effortfully ?), thinking I have a LOT of work to do.

• 5.5 miles @ avg HR 130

Wednesday 17th January

Didn’t get home until 6 and was tired so gave Pilates a miss. Oh and also had a very unhealthy lunch. BUT I was celebrating another decent weight loss this week so that, at least, is going in the right direction.

Thursday 18th January

Thursdays are working out nicely in that I have a window of a couple of hours between finishing work and picking up BG Jr. I have scheduled in a ‘medium hilly run’ now for Thursday and River Valley Park is very handy – and hilly! – for this purpose. Did 3 and a bit laps of the parkrun route to make up the distance. The hill got steeper with each lap .

• 5.5 miles @ avg HR 135

Friday 19th January

Another short run with strides along the promenade. Much more pleasant run compared to Monday.

• 3.5 miles incl. 6 x 12 sec strides

Saturday 20th January

Some parkrun tourism with a first trip to Corkagh Park. Started regretting it when it I arrived 10 mins before the start and was obviously at the wrong car park, d’oh. Legged it across the park and arrived just before the off. Plan was for an easy run including strides so I said I’d jog the first couple of miles then ramp it up a bit for the strides if I could do it without annoying anyone. Turns out there was plenty of space along the route so I got the strides done without a problem. The weather was just brutal. I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold and wet at a parkrun. Or even a XC ! I’d brought spare clothes but my hands were too cold to even consider attempting to change in the car so I drove back home getting progressively more shivery, watching my fingers turn white. Took a long time to recover from that, even after a hot shower. Couldn’t face the planned trip to the gym so it wasn’t a very productive day. I did get to watch the videos Nop posted about the Orcas 50K – wowzers, that is going to be EPIC!

• 4.0 miles incl. 6 x 15 sec strides

Sunday 21st January

Long run with Laura_ac3 on the Phoenix Park trails, some of which had turned into rivers, others merely swamps, so it was a mucky affair with some hills thrown in for good measure. Discovered one or two new paths too. Enjoyable run and didn’t feel the time go by with company – thanks L!

• 8.2 miles (path, trail, muddy, hilly)

TOTAL WEEK: 30.2 miles

Ta da!

Step back week up next – only 20 miles on the plan and the start of the tempo sessions :eek:.

Step back week so just 20 miles on the plan. The tempos start this week too and form part of the mid-week medium runs. The idea is to build up the tempo section to half the duration of one of the runs (tempo @2 hour pace) and a third of the duration of the other (tempo@1 hour pace). I think there will be some trial and error getting the paces right as I’m nowhere near fit enough to use the paces I was running pre-injury.

Monday 22nd January

Very short run on the plan, and just as well as I only had a 30 minute window to fit it in while BG Jr was briefly occupied.

• 2 miles incl. 6 x 12 sec strides (path, tarmac)

Tuesday 23rd January

Gym and short (400m) swim.

Then the first of two tempos this week, this one at 2 hour pace which I estimated for my current fitness at 8:50 min/mile. I had the wind at my back for the first mile of the tempo and the watch beeped at 8:49 for a fairly comfortable effort. Turned to complete the last section into the wind and it was a different proposition all together :rolleyes:. Worked a lot harder and probably over-compensated as the average pace for the 6 or so remaining minutes was 8:38 min/mile. I’d left the mile auto lap on so didn’t get the average pace for the 15 minutes as a whole but would have been 8:45 or thereabouts (I’m not quite* nerdy enough to apply the weighting and work it out properly). It was dark out, and sometimes slippy and muddy underfoot so happy enough with the evening’s work. Felt a bit glum when I considered that 2 years ago I would have been a minute faster per mile for the same effort. Oh well, it’s early days in terms of the base building so no cause for alarm just yet. I think.

*almost but not quite

• 3.5 miles incl. 15 mins @2 hour pace (path, grass, mud)

Wednesday 24th January

Pilates with a brisk walk there and back. Tough after missing last week.

Thursday 25th January

Drove to River Valley Park after work to attempt Tempo number two. This time it was one hour pace and I’d estimated this at 8:25 min/mile. I waited until I’d got up the hill before starting the tempo (#wimp) and figured I’d get the 10 minutes done before facing the hill again. The wind was behind me and the pace felt comfortable, easy even. I knew the wind would be in my face for the last bit so enjoyed it while I could. Sure enough the last section was tough but the pace averaged at 8:07 min/mile for the 10 mins. Probably a bit fast for my current ability but it felt good and really nice to run at a pace beyond a plod for a change.

• 3.5 miles incl. 10 mins @1 hour pace (tarmac, hilly)

Friday 26th January

Had to work this morning but managed to get out during daylight, just about. Planned 2 laps of the local park but had to divert slightly to avoid some upstanding members of the community who had started a noxious smelling fire on one side of the park. One of them was wearing a balaclava (I’m guessing to avoid CC TV – it wasn’t that cold :eek:) so I legged it to the other side of the park to finish my run.

• 2 miles incl. 6 x 12 sec strides (grass, tarmac)

Saturday 27th January

Booked in for a Pilates class as I’ll be missing next Wednesday’s and won’t have an opportunity to do another class during the week. Got a short run in before the class, then a swim including some aqua S&C (1000m total).

• 2 miles incl. 6 x 12 sec strides (path, grass)

Sunday 28th January

Busy day but managed to fit in a long run between protesting in St.Anne’s against the planned residential development there (www.ilovestannes.ie for background and how to object) and cheering at the Raheny 5. Spotted Adrian522, aquinn, annapr and loads of clubmates but no doubt missed loads too – well done all; it looked very windy! Cycled there and back and probably covered a couple of miles on the march. Oh and Junior parkrun this morning too. No wonder I’m tired!

• 7.2 miles (tarmac, grass, trail, muck)

TOTAL MILES: 20.2