My Log on the Run

Monday
5 mile @ 8:57m/m recovery.

Tuesday
6.4 miles @ 7:36m/m
A bit of a progression run for the first 5 miles along the Staplestown route and then I eased back on the pace for the last 1.4 miles. The splits were 8:12, 7:41, 7:24, 7:08, 7:05, 7:54(8:06). Happy enough at how this went considering that there are a few long drags on this route.

Monday
5.1 miles @ 8:58m/m
Out and back recovery run.

Tuesday
7 miles @ 7:48m/m
Time for another few faster miles. I alternated between a slow mile and then a faster one. The splits for the 3 faster miles were 7:06, 6:51 and 6:52m/m. The target was sub 7 min miles, I went out way too fast on the 1st mile and suffered but I had a more controlled effort on the next 2 reps and hit my target. The recovery of a mile inbetween reps is probably too long but its a work in progress as I am still base building and just looking to add a bit of variety into the training.

Tuesday
6.7 miles @ 8:03m/m with 8 x 100m strides
Lovely sunny evening for a run, some difference in the weather in just 24 hours. I had planned on running 7 miles but when I got to 3.35 miles the path along the canal bank was blocked by a fallen tree. I could have added the extra .3 of a mile at the end of the run but by the time I got back to my house it was too dark to continue on. Strides were controlled and I think I managed to maintain good form.

Wednesday
5.1 miles @ 8:58m/m recovery
The usual out and back recovery run after work.

Younganne wrote: »

are you going to risk the trip to Longwood on Sunday? You could put the previous "hills" argument to rest:D

Don't mention the war but that argument will have to stay unresolved because I wont make Longwood this Sunday, I have signed up for Clane 10k on the 4th of November.

Monday
5 miles @ 9:00m/m recovery

Tuesday
7 miles @ 8:13m/m with 6x12 secs hills followed by 6x100m strides
Nice little workout taken from P&L Faster Road Racing

Time for an update.

November
I kicked off November with my first race in 4 months which was the Clane 10k. I wasnt expecing much from this as I was in a base building phase training wise and I had little to no speed work done. I finished the race in a time of 42:18 which I was happy with and I was happier again to have finished injury free.
For the next 2 weeks I plodded along, I even managed to get in my longest run of the year(15 miles) and then out of the blue I had a terrible slog of a long run and it knocked me for six and I just lost all interest in running. I managed to get 3 more runs in by the end of the month but I had to force myself out the door.
114 miles for the month.

December
My running malaise continued into the start of December but it improved week by week as the month went on. On St Stephens I ran a local 5 mile fun run and finished in a time of 34:08, I enjoyed the run and I took that as a sign that my running mojo was back:)
122 miles for the month.

January
January sees the start of Half marathon training, I have signed up for the Mullingar Half which is on St Patricks day. I am following a plan from Faster Road Racing so there are a lot of endurance runs, progression runs, genearal aerobic runs some lactate threshold runs and some strides throwing in there also. A sub 1:35 for the half would be nice but to be honest I am just happy to be back training and following a plan as it is a long time since I actually trained for a race(K club 10k last year).
145 miles for the month.

diego_b wrote: »

Good stuff there L, great stuff you're happy on the roads again as it's very hard to stick with a plan if not enjoying it. Well done on good performances there in the 10Ks, that second one sounds very interesting so well done on a podium finish!

We were delighted with how the trail race went and we got very positive feedback from everyone after even though we had to change the 5k route at the last minute which made it closer to 6k We took a big risk on running a trail race at this time of year but we wanted to offer something different because at the moment there are at least 2 road races every weekend locally.
As for the podium finish prior knowledge of the route helped, especially through the 1.5k section of bog.

Younganne wrote: »

well done L on the races, the relaxed approach seems to suit you.

Its great to be enjoying the running again too as after all isn't that why we do it!!:D

Best of Luck in the Mullingar Half

You are right it should be enjoyable but we sometimes lose that enjoyment while chasing PBs. I am looking forward to the Half hopefully it will a great day out.

OOnegative wrote: »

Good man L, good to see the progress and great to see you have the grack for the training. Se they have swictched the Mullingar Half back again to the original route which i think is faster than past few years. It was the same route ultrapercy won in sub 70 minutes :eek::eek::eek:.

Thanks for the heads up on the route B. I remember ultrapercy winning and I think Dublin runner was second last year so watch this space

denis b wrote: »

Good to see the training and fun L. Have you any other HM or 10 mile races lined up after Mullingar?

I dont have any definite plans as regards whats next Denis. I am leaning towards a 10k training cycle with maybe Dunshaughlin as the target race, I would like to knock those 4 seconds of my current 10k PB.
I know that I wont be running DCM this year as I have a wedding in Sligo that weekend, so that would give me a clear run at Donadea 50k next year.

Saturday
10 miles @ 7:54m/m endurance
I ran this on an out and back route from the house and for the last 3 miles I was running directly into a nice little breeze so I was happy to maintain pace all the way home.

Sunday
4.1 miles @ 8:41m/m recovery.
I woke up Sunday morning and my calves were a bit tight after yesterdays run but they loosened up a bit during this run, stretched and foam rolled after. I think the reason for the tight calves was because of the relatively new runners I was wearing, this was my longest run in them. I was going to wear them next weekend for the Half but I think now I will wear an older pair.

33.7 miles for the week.

Friday
4.3 miles @ 8.20m/m
A few more easy miles before tomorrows Half marathon.

Saturday
Mullingar Half marathon
I signed up for this as a way to get back into more structured training. After last years injury woes this is the first target race since last years K Club 10k. I had spent the second half of last year slowly building back up the mileage and then I went through a base building phase. My only concern going into the Half training cycle was the lack of speed work.
The training went ok I was hitting the prescribed mileage every week but I missed a few sessions.

I arrived in Mullingar nice and early, it was very cold and windy. I collected my number and headed back to the car to shelter from the weather. At around 10 o clock I decided it was time to brave the weather conditions and I headed down to the start area and I done a 1.2 mile warm threw in some strides and stretched whatever muscles needed to be stretched.
The target for this race was 1:35 or thereabouts so nothing slower than 7:15m/m pace was the plan.

Miles 1-4: 7:16, 7:11, 7:09, 7:09
I lined up at the start about midway between the 1:30 and the 1:45 pacers. There was a great atmosphere, everyone seemed to be in good spirits despite it being bitter cold hanging around waiting for the start.
And we are off, despite there being a large crowd of runners the start wasnt too congested and I was quickly up too pace. The first thing I notice is that the we are running into a very strong headwind and someone said that we can expect this for the first half of the race but that it would be on our backs for the second half. After about a mile little groups started forming and I as usual found myself in no mans land running on my own. There is a group of about 7 runners up ahead of me and I catch up with them by the end of mile 2. Running in the group is working well for me even though my pace is a bit faster now than when I started I am feeling comfortable.

Miles 5-8: 7:13, 7:19, 7:10, 7:03
In miles 5 and 6 we are now running into the worst of the wind and people are starting to struggle and our little group starts to break up. I up the effort to try and maintain pace and I am followed by 2 other runners and we are working together well. Around the start of mile 7 we take a right turn and we now get some respite from the wind, it is now to the side of us. By now I am back on pace but up ahead is the motorway flyover and I decide that I am going to try and remain on pace so I push hard over the long drag of the flyover and I pass a few runners on the way but I also drop my 2 running buddies. At the top of flyover we turn right again and now the wind is on our backs. As I am coming down the flyover a runner in a Dundrum singlet passes me and I decide to go with him even though the pace is a bit quick but I am feeling comfortable now.

Miles 9-12: 7:00, 7:02, 7:07, 7:04
By now we are running along side the canal and its completely flat and the wind is on our backs:). The field is strung out now but both myself and Dundrum guy are in step together and we are cruising along picking off a few runners here and there and we continue like this for the next 4 miles.

Last mile and a bit: 7:10(48 secs)
Into the last mile and I am starting to tire. Dundrum guy starts to pull away from me, I try to stay with him but I cant. The objective now is try and stay under the planned pace of 7:15. We turn away from the canal and back again onto the road, there is less than half a mile to go and my legs start to respond again and I manage to pick up the pace and I finish strong for a time of 1:33:40.