2012 4 Races for 4 PBs

MLR 15 Miles

I was in Cork for this one. Out early at 7:20. Cold again. A freezing headwind all the way from town to Dunkettle, but the sun is out. Legs are feeling fairly good. I turn out of Glanmire Village and up Church Hill to Mayfield. The legs strong on the hills but I can detect some tiredness from yesterday's session. I enjoy the descent from Montenotte back into the city. Another climb up Sunday's Well. I turn back towards town by Dennehy's cross. I need to run 15 miles this morning but the Garmin shut down for a period after sounding 13 miles. I know now that when recharging before a run you cannot trust the battery percentage displayed.

Some snow falling for the last couple of miles. Pace picked up naturally as the run progressed. Passed 40 for the week and 400 for the year.

Fifth Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy Run | 4.03M @ 8:37 | N/A
Reps 5x400R | average 400m in 81.87 | N/A
Easy Run with 6x100m | 4.08M @ 8:15 | N/A
Reps 4x200R + Tempo 4x1M + Reps 4x200R | 9.82M average tempo mile 6:28 | N/A
Long Run | 15.10M @ 7:55 | N/A


WTD 41.80 MTD 81.87 YTD 402.93

Easy 5 Miles with 6x100m Strides

Out after work Tuesday afternoon for what should be my last Tuesday evening run in the dark for a while. Stuck to my usual doorstep 5 mile route. When I pass the bus-stop just after the Chapelizod Gate I start the strides. Find i have a surprising bounce in my step tonight, feels fluid and light. I have to negotiate quite a bit of club traffic running at me.

Meanwhile I figure out what is required later in the week when I run my H session. H (hard) sessions are the same pace as I (interval) sessions just they are run over a time duration rather than a set distance. H running per week should be the time it would take you 'to race 8% of your current weekly mileage at about your current 5K race pace.' So as I'm trying to stay between 40 and 45 miles a week, and my 5K PB is 18:35 (not sure I'm in 18:35 shape now, but he does say 'about'): this equates to 20:26 (3:43 pace by 5.5K). That allows me 6 times 3 mins in this weeks session.

Total 5.04M @ 8:10

Sixth Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy Run | 4.04M @ 8:34 | N/A
Easy Run with 6x100m Strides | 5.04M @ 8:10 | N/A
6x(3mins @ H) | |
Tempo 4x1M | |
Long Run | |


WTD 9.08 MTD 90.96 YTD 412.01

Tempo 4x1M

Been busy over the last while and have fallen behind on here with updates. Aim to catch up over the next few days. Some of the detail behind some of these recent runs is starting to fade from memory.

Lunchtime two Saturdays ago I headed over to the Furze OS loop for an easy tempo session of 4x1M. I was out Friday night and so not in ideal condition for this but it still went ok. I reckon the previous day's 5K pace efforts made this feel a little less easy than it looked on paper. I was taking 60 seconds recovery between miles and I wasn't actively trying to run these on the faster side of target pace. I needed to concentrate to stay on track. For this run I experimented by wearing the Glycerins. I'm thinking of limiting the Asterias to runs involving faster than tempo pace. The Glycerins were ok, nice bounce and not too heavy. First BBQ I've seen this year was underway along Furze.

M1 @ 6:33
M2 @ 6:30
M3 @ 6:27
M4 @ 6:30

Average pace 6:30

Sixth Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy Run | 4.04M @ 8:34 | N/A
Easy Run with 6x100m Strides | 5.04M @ 8:10 | N/A
6x(3mins @ H) | 8.30M @ 7:41 with average repeat pace of 3:43 [5:58] | N/A
Tempo 4x1M | 9.64M @ 7:37, with average tempo mile @ 6:30 | N/A
Long Run | |


WTD 27.02 MTD 108.90 YTD 429.95

Easy 8 Miles

Started my second week of Phase 3 two Monday's ago after work. I ran an anti-clockwise lap of the park. Didn't look at the Garmin and didn't concern myself with hitting any target pace this evening, I just kept it easy. The legs were tired and heavy and this run felt like a chore. An unsurprisingly slow average pace of 8:49. Hope I get some zip back in the legs ahead of Wednesday's 5x1000m session.

M01 9:33
M02 8:52
M03 9:06
M04 8:40
M05 8:30
M06 8:29
M07 8:31
M08 8:50

Total 8.01M @ 8:49

Seventh Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy 8 Miles | 8.01M @ 8:49 | N/A
Intervals 5x1000m @ 5K pace | |
Easy 4 Miles | |
Tempo 20mins + 4x200R| |
MLR with 4M @ MP | |


WTD 8.01 MTD 132.18 YTD 453.23

Easy 4 Miles

Lunchtime run last Friday. Standard lunchtime route over to Islandbridge Gate, a lap of the playing fields, then back home. Legs felt better than I expected. Decide I'll be running off plan next week in the lead-up to my Parkrun.

M01 9:10
M02 8:41
M03 8:20
M04 8:05

Total 4.02M @ 8:34

Seventh Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy 8 Miles | 8.01M @ 8:49 | N/A
Intervals 5x1000m @ 5K pace | average 1000m in 3:43.77 | N/A
Easy 4 Miles | 4.02M @ 8:34 | N/A
Tempo 20mins + 4x200R| |
MLR with 4M @ MP | |


WTD 21.49 MTD 145.66 YTD 466.71

MLR 11 Miles with 4M @ MP

I behaved during Munster celebrations and the head was fine Sunday morning. Out under a heavy grey sky, we just cannot string 2 sunny days together.

So JD is looking for 4 miles at marathon pace today. Last year I trained at 2:55 pace and that didn't prove successful. This year I'll dial it back to 3:00 pace, so no faster than 4:15 min/km [6:50]. I cross the Shannon run along O'Callaghan Strand and onto Clancy Strand. Cross back over the river by the castle and then head out of town towards UL. Streets are quiet, I suspect not everyone behaved themselves yesterday. A few other groups of runners out, it's 5 weeks to the Limerick marathon. I run through campus and out the top gate, the Garmin sounds the start of the MP section here. It's a straight runback into town. Once I settle on pace it's fairly easy to maintain. I do think the legs are tired from yesterday. Back into town and back across the Shannon. I run out Shelbourne Road to pass by Thomond and then head back to the city centre. That's April's account opened.

5.00M @ 8:26
4.00M @ 6:50
2.00M @ 8:16

Total 11.00M @ 7:50

Seventh Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy 8 Miles | 8.01M @ 8:49 | N/A
Intervals 5x1000m @ 5K pace | average 1000m in 3:43.77 | N/A
Easy 4 Miles | 4.02M @ 8:34 | N/A
Tempo 20mins + 4x200R | 9.58M @ 7:37 with 3.10M @ 6:27 and average 200 in 40.63 | N/A
MLR with 4M @ MP | 11.00M @ 7:50 with 4.00M @ 6:50 | N/A


WTD 40.80 MTD 11.00 YTD 486.03

MLR 14 Miles

Sunshine and warmth, feels so foreign. Thursday morning I head out for a 14 miler so easy to do in these conditions. I'm accompanied by junior outforarun on her bike for this one. I wasn't sure how far she would manage, in the end she completed 12 miles, not bad.

We run one and a half laps of Parco di Trenno and then move on to the nearby Parco delle Cave. Two laps of this, with a few stops at water fountains. Junior outforarun chats non-stop the whole way round. Lots of other runners, cyclists, dog walkers out this morning. Return to Parco di Trenno for another lap and a half. After around 12 miles we find a bench where junior outforarun can sit while I run a 500m loop, always visible, to bring up 14 miles.

Stroll back home. Enjoyed that, legs felt good. Vitamin D levels spiking.

M01 8:42
M02 8:27
M03 7:55
M04 8:27
M05 8:01
M06 8:11
M07 8:19
M08 7:54 (500 miles for the year)
M09 8:06
M10 8:10
M11 7:45
M12 7:58
M13 7:21
M14 7:24

Total 14.02 @ 8:03

WTD 20.44 MTD 31.44 YTD 506.47

Parkrun Milano Nord

Out of the house at 7:20am to travel cross-city. Bus and metro and a 10 minute stroll brings me to my destination. I enjoy this journey, gives me time to wake up and get ready mentally for the run. I use the lockers at the running-shop and head over to the start-line. I over-estimated how long it would take me to travel this morning and now I have 30 mins free to warm-up. I run one lap of the 2 lap circuit. Then mingle with the crowd and chat with some people I recognized from Christmas.

So the goal is to try hold 3:45 [6:02] pace and log an 18:XX. A podium finish and/or a Parkrun PB would be a bonus. I don't entertain thoughts of a 5K PB (sub 18:35).

Lap 1

The lap is mostly flat, with one or two very slight inclines or declines, and one very short climb across a footbridge. The surface is maybe 50% gritted hard earth, and 50% cement patch. I start near the front. Happy to get going.

One guy goes off at a blistering pace and powers out ahead of the field. We'd soon realise he was probably doing so just to indicate the first few bends of the lap, he dropped the pace dramatically and we passed him after 500ms or so. For the first 800m I'm running in second place, a guy in an orange t-shirt just ahead of me, and arriving on my shoulder is a red-shirted silver haired runner. Checking the Garmin I see we're travelling at 3:38 [5:50] pace. Even though I feel 'ok' at that moment I still reckon I won't be able to hold this pace for the next 4 and a bit kilometres and I ease up a little.

Orange-Top pulls ahead and Silver-Hair also overtakes me. We're running on the grit path, I like the sound of my footfall along here, and I don't hear anybody's footfall behind me. The first kilometre logs at 3:42 [5:57]. So that's 3 seconds up on target pace.

I allow pace drop to 3:44 [6:00] and then try hold it. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic, the pace is tough but I feel in control. Orange-Top is pulling further and further away at the front, Silver-Hair is about 15m ahead of me. Still no sound from behind me. I'm enjoying this. The second kilometre is a 3:46 [6:04]. So 2 seconds up on target now. Through the final sweeping bends and up ahead we can see the start/finish line. As we pass through our splits are called out; 9:25 for me. That would be an 18:50 finish if I can hold it.

Lap 2

Still 'ok' but the legs and lungs are starting to feel the effort now. Orange-Top has surely got the win, he's about 150m ahead of me. Silver-Hair remains 15m ahead in second place. The sun is out but there are some left over puddles from earlier in the week, I enjoy powering straight through these. Kilometre 3 is another 3:46 [6:04] so just 1 second up at this point.

For a while the gap to Silver-Hair starts to shorten, he comes to maybe 10m ahead of me. Is he tiring? Whether he is or not, I realise I am. Pace has become tricky to hold now. I've begun to play count-down games in my head, just one point something kilometres to go, just one mile to go. Silver-Hair finds a second breath and the gap has grown to 15m again, Orange-Top is 200m ahead. Kilometre 4 is a 3:45 [6:02] so I'm still 1 second up on target.

A disappointing final kilometre. I could see average pace on the Garmin had dropped to 3:46 [6:03] but calculating that that would still get me an 18:XX a part of me settled for holding 3:46. I think I could have dug deeper on this final kilometre. It logged at a poor 3:51 [6:11].

Now on the Garmin this gave me an 18:52 for 5K neat. If it had been a training session I would have been satisfied with the morning's work. But it wasn't a training session and I still hadn't crossed the finishing line. I needed over another 10 seconds to do that, and finished in 19:05. I know I could have found 6 more seconds out there if I really wanted them.

Lesson learned, keep pushing on the final K, don't let the Garmin give me excuses to ease up. I take some positives from this, I do honestly think if I were to run it again in a week's time I would log an 18:XX. After recent interval sessions I wasn't sure how long I could hold 3:45 [6:02] pace for but I managed to do so for 4K today and really it was the head not the legs that let me down in the end.

Finished 3rd in 19:05 of 78 finishers

WTD 32.88 MTD 43.88 YTD 518.91

Easy 6+ Miles

I knew that last week would prove tricky to fit in a midweek speed session so I opted to stay off-plan for one more week, and set a second consecutive Parkrun as the focus. Another shot at 18:XX.

I started the week after work on Monday. Into the park at Islandbridge and head clockwise as far as Chesterfield then a nice descent back down to Islandbridge via the Khyber. Legs are ok.

M01 9:07
M02 8:28
M03 8:42
M04 8:23
M05 7:58
M06 7:50

Total 6.57 @ 8:21

WTD 6.57 MTD 58.49 YTD 533.52

Parkrun Waterstown

I wasn't as motivated ahead of this Parkrun as I was ahead of the previous Saturday's, I guess because I'd decided to run it at such short notice. I try to find some focus during my warm-up from Kilmainham across to Palmerstown, telling myself that if I'm going to line-up for this then I need to take it seriously and have a proper second shot at an 18:XX. If I'm too casual about it then it gives me an excuse to quit when it starts hurting.

A good turn out this morning (there would be 109 finishers). As usual I identify in the crowd the runners that are likely to be at the head of the field. There are a handful of candidates. After the formalities we head to the start line. I line up near the front. One woman heading for the back of the field tells her friend that some of these guys will 'run it in 18 minutes'. I hope I'll be one of those guys. A quick countdown from 5 and we're off.

Pacy start and by the time we reach the start of the fabolous descent on the first kilometer, I count 5 runners ahead of me, already running in single file.
Pace rockets during the descent. Waterstown is a very strategic 5K, the opening K allows you establish a fast average pace, the middle section allows you to gradually drop the pace to target pace and then you need to dig in for the final kilometre with its nasty ascent.

I hadn't set the Garmin to autolap after each kilometre so there was no noting of splits while running. Reviewing splits later I see I log a 3:30 [5:38] for the opening K.

Onto the flat section running west along the Liffey. The lead runner is opening up a significant gap already, positions 2 through 5 have maybe 10m separating them from each other, everyone appears comfortable. The average pace is slowly slowly dropping. I feel fairly ok, pleased with the slow rate of slowdown. Over the bridge for the first climb of the morning. I cannot hear anyone's footsteps on the bridge behind me. I reckon my 6th place won't be challenged, but I'm wondering if my 100% Parkrun podium finish is under threat.

Half way there and pace is uncomfortable but manageable. I'm happy when we swing left to descend back down to the Liffey and onto lap 2. Start passing the back markers along here. Then I'm happy to see 4th and 5th starting to come back to me. Before we reach the bridge again I've eased past them into 4th place and then I also pass the runner who I think is in 3rd, this latter is slowing dramatically. Nobody comes with me and I don't glance over my shoulder.

So I reckon I'm back on the podium spots as we cross the bridge. Some shouts of encouragement from some of the volunteers and some of the backmarkers.
I'm tiring but I'm on the last K now and I do a better job today than 7 days previous at convincing myself to dig in and not ease up. I finish the second lap and turn right to tackle the nasty climb to the finishing line. I'm not going to improve my position and I don't detect any threat from behind. I tell myself to keep pushing, just 200m to go.

I sprint over the line and the timer tells me 18 forty something. I was just happy to hear 18. Catch my breath, shake a few hands. Cheer a few other runners over the finish line.

I'm satisfied with the morning's work, it quickly puts last week's 19:05 behind me. An official time of 18:50 means a new Parkrun PB for me. Annoyingly I'm listed as 4th on the results. I'm fairly certain there were only two runners ahead of me, and the 3rd place runner is listed as unknown and doesn't have a time posted. The winner came home in 17:03 and second place was 17:42. I was never going to challenge them.

Enjoyed these back-to-back 5Ks. A bit of me is curious to see how my 5K time would improve if I raced a 5K say twice a month over the course of a year. Could be a future project.

Warm-up 5.57K @ 5:04

K01 3:30 [5:38]
K02 3:48 [6:07]
K03 3:47 [6:05]
K04 3:46 [6:04]
K05 3:59 [6:25]

or

M01 5:48 [3:30]
M02 6:05 [3:47]
M03 6:19 [3:56]

Cool-down 5.73 @ 5:04

WTD 24.92 MTD 76.84 YTD 551.87

Easy 5 Miles

After a two week break I return to JD. My third week of Phase 3, I need to complete at least 4 weeks from this phase. Start gently with a 5 miler around my doorstep loop. The temperature is picking up but I still don't trust the weather and so wear a very light running jacket. Legs are heavy, stiff and aching tonight. Not much to enjoy from this run.

M01 8:54
M02 8:22
M03 8:28
M04 8:20
M05 8:04

Total 5.04 @ 8:25

Eighth Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy 5 Miles | 5.04M @ 8:25 | N/A
Intervals 5x4mins @ 5K pace | |
Easy 4 Miles | |
Tempo 2x2M | |
MLR 12M to 15M | |


WTD 5.04 MTD 97.08 YTD 572.11

March Review

Improvement on February mileage wise but still not as good as I'd like, the first days of the month were lost to the Beast from the East and despite every week of March in which I ran clocking over 40 miles, average weekly mileage is still only 35 miles for the month. Runs in Dublin, Cork, Athlone and Limerick.

Some good tempo sessions with fast 200m and 400m repetitions tagged on.
My fastest session of 400s on the track in AIT, averaging 81.87 per lap, that's 3:24 [5:29] pace. There were only 5 laps prescribed but I was still happy with this one.

Return to 5K paced intervals, including a testing track 5x1000m session, bit disappointed with an average pace of 3:43 [6:00] for these, would have liked to go 5:5X min/mile.

And one run was memorable simply because the sun was out and it didn't feel cold, I lapped a few times through the heart of the 15 acres to soak in as much of that sunshine as was possible.

Month | Monthly Miles | Daily mileage for month | Weekly Mileage for month | Daily mileage for year | Weekly mileage for year | Predicted yearly mileage
January | 181.48 | 5.85 | 40.97 | 5.85 | 40.97 | 2150
February | 139.57 | 4.98 | 34.89 | 5.44 | 38.09 | 1986
March | 153.98 | 4.97 | 34.77 | 5.28 | 36.95 | 1927
April | | | | | |
May | | | | | |
June | | | | | |
July | | | | | |
August | | | | | |
September | | | | | |
October | | | | | |
November | | | | | |
December | | | | | |

AuldManKing wrote: »

I've often thought about this myself - what if we ran 20-30m per week and ran a hard (cant say raced ) park run every Sat.
I'd definitely race more than I usually would and would probably PB at 5k. And do a lot of Park Run tourism.

As I get older, I can see my future running plans.

Nice work on the the 5ks!

Thanks. The 2 Parkruns have taken away a little bit of the fear from 5K distance. Yeah it hurts but really only for the last 2K or so (maybe that's where I need to improve, suffer for 5K). I can imagine running hard twice a month at Parkrun. If not for 12 months maybe a 6 month trial could work. Need to do a volunteer visit soon.

Tempo 2x2M

Properly warm Saturday morning, gorgeous conditions. I head into the park at Islandbridge, up the Khyber where a bike race is underway. Turn left onto Chesterfield and head for Furze. My usual clockwise loop of Furze, OS and Chesterfield is the venue for the tempo bits. 2 miles covers a full lap plus another 400/500m. I hit tempo pace quickly on both 2 mile blocks, it feels easy for the first half mile and then manageable for the remaining mile and a half. I'm not used to this heat and haven't sweated this much in a while but over 2 miles it doesn't bother me I'm happy to be squinting through salty eyes.

My tempo pace is close to the pace I'm hoping to hold for the full half marathon. This morning I ran the tempo sections at 4:00 [6:26] and 3:59 [6:25], so right at, and a little beyond, the fast end of my tempo range 4:00 to 4:04 [6:26 to 6:32]. I'm not convinced right now that I could hold this for the full HM and if I want to log a 1:24:XX I'd need to, allowing for racing line. To get a 1:25:XX I'd need to run at around 4:03 [6:31]. At the moment this latter seems more realistic. I'm optimistic about running a PB (sub 1:26;16) but not yet certain that I'll be in 1:24:XX shape.

Head back the way I came once the tempo blocks were completed. It's such a treat to run in the sun.

2M in 12:53 @ 6:26
2M in 12:50 @ 6:25

Total 9.46M @ 7:40

Eighth Week of JD | Session Results | Post Run Weight
Easy 5 Miles | 5.04M @ 8:25 | N/A
Intervals 5x4mins @ 5K pace | average interval pace 3:49 [6:08] | N/A
Easy 4 Miles | 4.08M @ 8:02 | N/A
Tempo 2x2M | 9.46M @ 7:40 with average tempo @ 4:00 [6:26] | N/A
MLR 12M to 15M | |


WTD 27.30 MTD 119.34 YTD 594.37