Run for your life!!!!

I never thought I'd be so happy to have a rest day!
Saturday's 14 miler and yesterday's recovery run left me spent! Also nursing a head cold which doesnt help, especially while on holiday.
Still, I'll look back on these runs and be thankful that I did manage to squeeze them in........not that I'd have had it any other way!
Need to be mentally prepared for Wednesday's pace run and Saturday's lsr considering how I felt after last week's.
Kind of looking forward to getting home now so I can get back to a more familiar routine. Running on holiday is bloody hard work!!
I've decided to register for the Ratoath half in September when I get back. As for my race strategy.......that's as yet undecided but I'm leaning towards 'giving it socks'...........

aloooof wrote: »

Fair play for getting them done while on holidays! With the heat, I'd say the weather at the start of DCM training is standing to you!

Damo 2k9 wrote: »

Huge kudos for fitting it all in while on holidays, especially with the family being there aswell.

You will have a smashing run come October, thats a fact.

Thanks guys, honestly didn't hold out a lot of hope before jetting off but it's all fallen nicely into place!

Friday 18th August- 16 mile lsr
So, after spending weeks convincing myself that I wouldn't get a single run completed on holiday, I've somehow managed to do them all (apart from one 4 mile easy run the day after we got here). Actually, there's tomorrow's recovery run so technically not quite done yet!
I used this morning's 16 miler to explore other parts of Nesebar as I was becoming a little bored of the same route over the last two weeks. Typical of my luck, I left the best route till last. Went up as far as old Nessebar, which overlooks the harbour and the Black Sea. Stunning views and fantastic running surfaces along the promenade too, was annoyed with myself for not heading out that way on previous runs. Still, enjoyed it while it lasted.
Bit of a hiccup during mile 2 when I temporarily lost the gps signal after going a bit too far off the beaten track but got it back soon after. The miles seemed to fly by up as far as the hour mark but at 12 miles and with the early morning sun making its presence felt, I began to wilt a little and longed for the end to come, even considered cutting the run short at the 14 mile mark but would only have spent the next few days regretting it so I pushed on with next to nothing left in the tank, or so it felt.
It was exactly at this point that I decided to set my sights for October slightly lower than I had up till now. I know the heat factor won't be an issue when I return home but as I said before, I want to enjoy the actual marathon experience and if I set myself unrealistic goals, then that's not going to be possible.
So basically anything under 4 hours and I'll be happy as Larry but will be gunning for a 3:45 finish.
A few runs in the rain are just what I need right now!!

Saturday 25th August - 18 mile lsr

I knew that for this 18 mile run, a pre-run banana simply wasn't going to be enough to see me through. This meant only one thing.......I would have to bring to an end my obsession with trying not to wake the family while I prepared a proper breakfast (including the dog) before I left the house. I was still quiet enough while I made my porridge and to my amazement, even with the dog mere feet away, she didn't stir.
Ate my porridge and waited half an hour before heading out the door with my water and three cliff bloks, about half an hour later than I'd have liked but still reasonable early.
The morning was bright and the skies were clear but after a few minutes, I started to feel a real nip in the air which took a while to get over. My strategy for this run was simple: don't overthink the distance you are running and just enjoy the run. I think that's what's got me through most of the lsr's up to now. The route I chose was working out really well too, a nice mix of flat and some steep inclines thrown in for good measure.
Even still, it felt like it wasn't until mile 6 that I really found my rhythm and for the next few miles, it was like I was literally locked into a pace of 9:15. Every time I looked at the watch, there it was........9:15. It felt like the perfect pace for this sort of running and I was almost willing myself not to break the momentum. Thankfully, I managed to stay within a few seconds either side of this pace for the rest of the run without having to check the watch too much.
I was glad of the pre-run porridge and didn't really need a cliff blok until about mile 8 and took another at mile 13. Also somehow managed to make my 250 ml of water with Zero tab last the whole run. Legs felt pretty good throughout and did my usual butt kicks during the latter miles to keep them limber.
Arrived home feeling completely elated with another milestone under my belt to brag to my family about.
Looking forward to the Ratoath half marathon coming up week after next. Gonna give it my best shot, hoping for around 1:45 or thereabouts!



Sunday 26th August - 2 mile recovery run

Late in the day squeezing this one in after a busy day. The dark evenings are well and truly upon us so need to invest in some hi-vis gear quick-sharpish!

skyblue46 wrote: »

Treble it!!

Edit: it was actually 500ml of cold, chocolate goodness.:D

Tuesday 28th August - 4 mile easy run
Decided to make the most of the kids' last few days of being off school with a run before work.
I was glad of the extra mile compared to the usual 3 miles on the Tuesday. Not much to report on this one.


Wednesday 29th August - 7 miles easy run
Last run of the summer before the kids go back to school and it was a really nice 7 mile run through Lucan and part of Leixlip. For me, there's no greater feeling leaving the house to set off on a run when most people are still asleep and there's barely any traffic on the roads.
Again, not sure there's much to report on the run itself, other than I'm feeling really comfortable with my pacing at the moment. Still doesn't stop me wondering if it's the right pace for me or if I should be slowing it down some more.

Thursday 30th August - 4 miles easy run
Back to city centre running today with the kids back in school (have I mentioned that yet?). Ran this one slightly quicker that planned. Mainly as a result of having to sprint across certain junctions along the city's quays to prevent myself from being splattered.
Always happy to take in some of the Phoenix Park on a lunchtime run, no matter how brief.

Saturday 1st September - 2 easy miles
I knew I wasn't going to be able to do my lsr today due to other commitments which was my first real experience of 'life' getting in the way since the training kicked off so it was suggested to me by skyblue46 that I should squeeze in a 2 mile easy run before taking on the 17 mile lsr the following day.
With this one, I tried to slow things down a little as I've got a niggling feeling that my usual lsr pace of around 9:15/9:20 is a little on the quick side and that it will force me into running at a pace during the marathon that I will ultimately struggle with. I don't think that will be the case though. Just another case of self-doubt creeping in.
Anyway, my attempts at running at a slower pace generally failed.


Sunday 2nd September - 17 mile lsr (actual distance ran - 16 miles)
I had to make sure I was out of the house early enough to be back in time to bring my son along to his Junior Parkrun.
Had the alarm set for 5:40am but didn't hear the it go off and woke just before 6am. Luckily, had everything laid out from the night before but by the time I ate and left the house, I knew in the back of my head that I would not have time to run all 17 miles.
Decided on the Phoenix Park today, even though by the time I got there, I could only enjoy the scenery for about 4/5 miles before it was time to head back home. For the next 20 mile run, I will probably park the car a couple of miles from the PP and spend a bit more time there on my actual run.
Spent most of the run trying to work out whether I would actually make it back to the house on time so the run itself felt like it flew, hardly noticed the miles at all. Had a bowl of porridge again prior to this run so I only need the one cliff blok and water of course.
Also spent a few miles thinking about next weekend's Ratoath half marathon and how unfazed I felt by the prospect. Such a difference to the version of me that 10 months ago, struggled to complete a 5k run before falling in the door in a heap.
Pace-wise, it was quite similar to last week's lsr.

I was right about running out of time, cutting the run short at 16.2 miles....close but no cigar. :roll eyes:


Edit: I felt exhausted after today's lsr, far more than any other lsr I've done. Not sure what to put that down to. Perhaps it's just my body's way of saying "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO ME??!!!"

This felt like a bit of a strange week for me.

On the one hand, I had the mix of excitement and nerves ahead of the Ratoath half and on the other hand I (naturally) had to scale back on the distances in preparation for the race. Only ended up running 4 mile and 5 mile runs on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, Friday's planned couple of miles didn't materialise.

I won't go over old ground again about the nerves and apprehension of running the race, coupled with the dilemma of how to approach it on the day. Simply out, my limited race experience is the main factor. 90% of my runs have been at an easy pace so I suppose it's only natural to experience nerves prior to a race. Anyway, blah.

Ratoath half marathon, Saturday 8th September.

Had a fair idea that the weather wouldn't be great this morning and I was right. Woke up to a pretty steady downpour but even though I was confident it would clear, running in wet conditions didn't really faze me.
Had a decent breakfast and plenty of hydration before leaving the house.

Left in plenty of time as the plan was to meet with some of the other Boardsies for a light jog before the race. Ended up meeting skyblue46, Damo, Sheep, Wubble Wubble and Omeceron. Was great to finally put faces to some names.
Before long (approx 10 seconds), talk began of everyone's race strategy, most notably mine. The others had decided on a 1:30 so I knew I'd be leaving them to it and after some good-natured cajoling, we I decided that I'd be foolish not to go for at least a 1:40. I drew a deep breath and told myself that this was happening.
Made our way out to the gantry, by which time the rain had thankfully stopped.
Looked behind me and saw that I was standing a few metres in front of the 1:40 pacer. The next time I would see him would be watching him cross the finish line as I held my finishers medal and goodie bag. What a great feeling that was.
The first mile was really a test to see how the slightly quicker than planned pace felt to me. I'm well aware by now that starting out too fast can end in disaster but I was feeling really confident and at a pace of 7:20, it certainly didn't feel like I was overdoing it. The question I then asked myself was "can I keep up this pace for 13.1 miles?" The only answer I had was that time would tell.
When I saw my time for mile 1, I was a little taken aback when I saw 7:26. I had a sudden urge to ease up a little and wait for the 1:40 pacer but just as quickly decided against it and kept going. I felt good and was frequently checking my watch to see how I was doing. A good few runners started to pass me out and a little part of me wanted to try to keep up with them, as they weren't exactly going hell for leather, but I decided that this pace suited me perfectly and it would be foolish to try to match the pace of others at this early stage.
For the next 2 or 3 miles, my pace rarely faltered and I knew that if I kept this up, I'd be well within reach if a sub-1:40. Not the time to be getting carried away, I thought. I just kept telling myself to run tall and keep going. The water stations were a little challenging when it came to actually drinking the water. The water, dished out in plastic cups, mostly ended up everywhere but in my mouth so didn't really benefit from it very much and cursed myself for not bringing my own bottle. Still, I took in enough to keep me going till the next water station.
The route turned out to be as flat as expected with a couple of minor inclines but nothing that posed a problem.
Then, at around mile 8 or so, there was a runner just ahead of me who I noticed had started to walk. Out of habit and mostly concern for others, I always ask another runner if they're feeling ok if I think they're struggling a little. This woman, as soon as I asked her how she was feeling appeared quite distressed and told me that she was really struggling and starting to shake as she had had no hydration. I slowed down a little to give her some encouragement as she started to run again but I could see that she was not in good shape. I told her that the next water station was only another mile up the road and strongly advised her to stop running and take breather for another few minutes. I really hesitated leaving her behind but she told me to go ahead and that she would be fine so I carried on, feeling bad that there was nothing I could do for her.
At the next water station, same again. Water, everywhere so took a second cup and slowed a little to make sure I took in enough. Took a cliff blok for good measure. I think it was around this stage that I saw the following hand-painted sign in red, posted onto a wooden pole by the side of the road:
'Sheep have been killed by dogs'. "Well that's lovely", I thought and felt I had no choice but to take them at their word. I carried on regardless.
As the miles went by, I was feeling more and more confident and was doing the maths in my head based on maintaining a 7:30 pace till the finish. I was now starting to catch up with some other runners, and to my delight, some that had passed me out during the initial couple of miles. That was a great feeling and it gave me the extra positive boost I needed to up the pace just a little bit more. I could not believe how good I was feeling. At no stage, up to this point, did I feel in any way under pressure or that I was running out of my depth.
At mile 10 (something I was so happy to see), I shouted out at the top of my voice "just a park run left, come on!!!!!", which was mostly ignored by others around me but it helped me no end, and gave me another boost, overtaking a few more runners.
Mile 11 brought us on to the Fairyhouse Road which we had to share with traffic and there was a two foot wide makeshift lane for us by the side of the road that really only allowed for single file runners. I largely I ignored this and ran around the outside of a few runners as we made our way towards the racecourse. As I approached the main entrance I noticed there were a good few lookers-on and marshals gathered to cheer us on. I noticed that one of the marshals was really shouting out encouragement to everyone and I saw that he was a guy I knew from years ago from where I grew up and who I hadn't seen in about 16 years. Shouted out his name and gave him a high five as I passed him (I could tell he only recognised me at the last second) and I pushed harder as I commenced mile 12, the end clearly in sight........or so I thought.
Now this part of the run deserves a separate entry all of its own, as it was probably the most drawn out 2 miles I think I have ever run. As we entered the racecourse we could hear the announcer calling out names of runners crossing the finish line with music pumping in the background. I breathed a sigh of relief and knew that the finish line had to be close but also was aware that a lap of the racecourse was still to come. Little did I know exactly what was in store. As I passed more marshals to enter the perimeter of the racetrack, it was almost impossible for me to get a sense of what was ahead of me as I couldn't make out exactly how big the loop of the course was. All I could do was not try not to focus on it too much which was hard considering the announcer's voice and the music that I'd heard moments before seemed to be getting more and more faint.
I knew I was close to finishing but the legs were getting tired and I could see a few walkers ahead but I still managed to stay at the same pace. I passed one or two more heads and when I heard that beep from my watch to indicate that mile 12 had just elapsed, I looked at the pace saw 6:59. I couldn't believe it! This was exactly what I needed to get me over the finish line and I was thinking "can I do a 1:35?" I didn't really care, because I knew I would now without question get a sub 1:40. Was tempted to look behind me to see if there was any sign of the 1:40 pacer but I knew there was no point and as I approached the stands, the announcer's voice and the pumping music became more and more clear again. It was U2's 'Beautiful Day' that played me home. Don't think I could have asked for a more fitting song and with that, put the foot down even more, sprinting for my life (while passing out another two runners) to the finish line. Came in at 1:37:53. Result!
I can't really describe how that moment felt. I'll be honest, I almost wept but managed to hold it back. Save it for October.
Collected my medal in a complete daze and was greeted by Wubble Wubble who had finished just ahead of me and then saw the others who had come in a few minutes previously.
The post mortem of each of our respective races were analysed for a few minutes as we had a chance to gather our thoughts about the 'what-ifs' and the 'if-onlys'. The 1:30 hopefuls just missed out on their targets but still managed a very impressive time nonetheless. No such thing as a wasted race in my eyes.
So to sum it up, I feel that it was a gamble that I took, not a risk, and it absolutely paid off. I would put this down to a combination of a few things: knowing my limits, listening to my body and staying sensible throughout.
I know I would have been happy with a 1:40 or 1:45 but now I have a much better idea of exactly what I am capable of and I will sit down (or stand up) and have a serious think about my target time for DM. I don't think it will change wildly from what it was but i now have more confidence in myself which is a huge thing for me.
Thanks to the fellow Boardsies for all the words of encouragement, I honestly couldn't have done it without ye!!

Over and out......

ariana` wrote: »

Fantastic running, well done you. Lots more to come too.

Thanks Ariana! It's all coming together nicely! :pac:

Tuesday 11th September - 6 mile easy run


Late to bed last night so this morning's alarm was met with a groggy 'ugh......'

Somehow managed to drag myself out of bed and after a pre-run breakfast, I was out the door at 6:20am, mindful that I had to be back in time to get the kids out of bed and ready for school.
Wore my new hi-vis gear for the first time as it was still a bit on the dark side when I left the house. As soon as I started running, I was so glad that I didn't hit the snooze button and soon enough got into my stride, savouring every moment of this run. Very happy with my pacing again.
Still have to pinch myself that I am running these distances for fun. I am saying 'for fun' because although each run is a challenge in its own way, I don't really see it as hard work.....if that makes any sense?
Planing on using tomorrow's pace run as an opportunity to run into work. It's the perfect distance so really looking forward to that.