Just Do It

After some thinking and gaining some solid info from reading other logs, I decided to try this to pick up some further advice and hopefully give some back over time. Sorry for the long winded first post, they will be more concise after this. Reason for starting a log to track will become obvious when you read my previous shortcomings below.

Bit of background

I'm 38. I played plenty off football over the years but was never really fit through those years. I did enough to get by, but didn't push myself at all and took shortcuts in training. Knocked that on the head about 6 years ago due to a continuous knee problem, that eventually had to get operated on. Made a few attempts to come back in the astro format, which I enjoyed but never lasted long, due to always somehow hurting the same knee which left me hobbling and down on myself for weeks after.
Decided around this time to get myself proper fit away from football for first time in my adult life, by just cardio gym work, short fast runs and started to use the bike all the time(rarely drive anymore to this day). Diet was good around then too and within a few months was trimmer and fitter then I ever was . Completed my first 10km around then in 46 mins followed by a 44mins a few weeks later. I then did the DLR bay 10k in August(2013) and cut time again to 42.47 mins for a PB. I never kicked on and didn't run again that year for whatever reason(lazy) which I regret.

In next couple of years similar pattern and would yo yo a bit with weight. I never got really big due to the bit of cycling but I wasn't fit and I had a Desperate Dan type chin in some periods. Around summer of 2015 again got into a fitness buzz. Had done a couple of local park runs around the 22/23 min mark but signed up to the docklands 5k to see if I could get around that mark or even somewhere in the 21's. I blitzed it and got 19.34 PB. How I didn't kick on after that, i don't know but yeh probably just lazy again.
Didn't do much again the next couple of years 2016/2017 bar two 10k races within a couple of weeks where i did a 50 min followed by a 46 min one. I don't remember 2018 at all and I don't just mean running, most of the year is a blank to me - ha.. I probably did a few runs here and there.

So before this block of DCM19 training I had ran about five 10k races and maybe four 5kms including parkruns in my life with nothing for 3 years. I did more casual running in the first 6 months of this year then I ever did, which was on average 1 hour of running a week split over either 2 or 3 runs, where I just ran fast with no real purpose but enjoyed it nonetheless.

DCM Plan, lack of plan ?

It always crossed my mind that I'd like to run a marathon and kidded myself into a few times,("ah sure do a few runs, increase it a bit and sure you'll be grand type attitude").
I caught wind earlier in the year that a person I know well in "real life" jackc101 was training for the Cork marathon and was thinking to myself, how was he managing all that training with two young kids same age as my two. On a family visit to his neck of the woods, I saw for myself how. He was getting up at stupid o clock and putting in the hard graft before breakfast/work etc. It definitely got me thinking and in truth inspired me, that I could do that too - I told him as much as we walked out of McGrattans last week. On a related note, I was delighted how well he did in DCM and taking approx 18 mins off his Cork time in such a short space of time - Bravo..

I signed up on 1st of July after seeing the KBC promoted ads every day for a week- I was lucky to get in. Once I did, i ran more then ever. Got myself a Garmin(oh look at this guy, thinking hes's a runner) and just started going down the Forrest Gump route of just running. First 2 weeks or so of running I was running sub 8 min pace all the time.
I was then working of a plan that didn't really suit me. I heard of the boards plan as jackc101 was using it and slowly starting to convert to it. I started to ask questions then and started getting great advice. Slowed up everything and pretty much 90% of my runs from then on in were casual pace following the plan as close as work allowed.
Signed up for a couple of pre Marathon races. For the South Dub 10k, I had to work and was away for frank Duffy 10 mile so unfort missed both of them.

Early August,I returned to DLR Bay 10k in Dun Laoghaire where I had my previous PB 6 years ago.
I ran a really positive race with a negative split to come in at 40 mins 54 seconds for a PB. For anyone who doesn't know it, its not an easy course but great for a negative split as first half is more climbing and 2nd is more downhill. I ran the 2nd half in an even 20 mins. Its a well organised race too.

I then took on the Half in the Phoenix Park. I was feeling sharp on the day but wasn't sure what pace i was going to go. Started off with the 1.40 balloons for first mile or so but pulled away then and came in with 1.32.46 PB with another approx 1 minute negative split. I was buzzing after that and I could now allow myself to alter my original 3.50 marathon target which i inputted on the DCM site as expected finish back on the 1st of July.

My DCM report is the novices/grads thread - not sure how to link it.

I was basically delighted how it went and there is not very much I'd change about it. Despite my struggles with legs cramping in the last couple of miles i still manged a 30 seconds or so negative split for a time of 3.25.20 which far exceeded what I thought I could manage. I think, I overplayed the issues I was having with legs cramp on that report as everything was more dramatic in it, as i wrote it with a few drinks on me. The last 2 miles were a bit slower, but not by as much on the clock, as it felt. I had already passed hundreds of people in the 2nd half. Stopping for those few seconds to stretch just before RDS did me the world of good.

Loads of thanks again to mentors in novice thread as if I hadn't found that thread I would have blown a gasket by mile 10.

So now here I am starting a log so I don't get lazy again. Not fully sure of plans or what plan I should do but i will be running. I have signed up for Dublin next year anyway for starters. I might look to improve on my 5k time at Jingle bells run and would like to go sub 40 for 10km in early 2020. Any tips or advice welcome.

Last week just the one tester run on Sunday with nothing to report. I was going to do nothing all week but had planned sports massage today so wanted to see if anywhere in particular needed to be targeted. Everywhere was the answer.

Sunday 3rd - 3.3 Miles @9.32