If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.

Week 3 Recovery

Monday 11th Nov: Circuit Training class followed by 2.18 miles @ 10:56
My 2nd class, a different trainer and it was tough. Stupidly tried to do an easy run afterwards but legs, were like jelly, it was pouring rain and freezing so gave up. While not on a training plan my coach texted me anyway to tell me not to trying to do runs after those classes and do a very easy few miles beforehand if I have time in future.

Tuesday: 8.01 miles @ 10:09min mile
This was more like it. Ran with a friend and she’s trying to increase her distance so gave me a little push to do a decent run and encourage her to do it all. A great run.

Wednesday: 30 min Personal Training session in the morn; Run In The Dark 10k that night
First PT session and it was great. As a result I wasn’t planning to race RITD that night. I decided I’d do the 10k as a progression run. As the day went on, the weather got worse and I was downing lemsip as not feeling great. Tried to bail but I’d encouraged a group of workmates to train for this and they weren’t letting me off. It was chaotic though. I started too far back and couldn’t get passed people so just ran watching I didn’t trip over anybody or anything and picked up the pace when I could. Turned out to be the perfect progression run, done with very few glances at the watch. I won’t do that race again though. It’s a bit dangerous to be honest and leaping over footpaths and potholes and slipping on slippy wet footpaths was a bit unnerving. enjoyed the run at the same time and love that feeling of passing people out from start to finish and finishing strongly.

Friday: 4.5 miles @ 10:05
Supposed to be 6 miles but was with a friend who was finishing after 4 miles and my stomach was giving me trouble so I finished too.

Saturday and Sunday: Mojo disappeared - no run
Was just tired and couldn’t motivate myself to run ... so I didn’t. I texted my coach and said I needed a plan to tick off boxes and she’d been working on it anyway so got it over to me that night. Lack of motivation stopped me posting here too and haven’t really been checking in.

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Week 1: Progression Plan
So my plan now is about consistently progressing and getting stronger and faster over the next year or so with about 1 race a month planned from January to June in terms of 10 milers or Half Marathons and some shorter stuff thrown in when it pops up. Next race is Togher 5k on December 29th. If I don’t stop eating I’ll roll around it!!

Monday: Circuit Training Class

Tuesday: 8 mile Progression run: 2miles @ 9:45; 2miles @ 9:30; 2 miles @ 9:00, 1 mile @ 8:45; 1 mile @ 8:30
9:33; 9:41; 9:27; 9:15; 8:55; 9:02; 8:37; 8:26
First 6 miles with my friend and headed off myself for the last 2. Very enjoyable.

Wednesday: PT
Was supposed to do 3 miles very easy beforehand but rain made me dither and with all my dithering I never did it. Nice to see some progress already during the PT session after just 3 S&C classes and 1 PT session.

Thursday: 5 miles @ 10:15
First run in a long time by myself and it was nice. Did a bit extra seeing as I’d skipped the previous day’s run

Friday: 5easy + 10x30s strides @ 90%: 7.75 miles in total
Back to running with friends. One joined me for the strides too. Nice to get a bit of speed in the legs.

Saturday: 11.5 miles @ 9:48
With a friend again luckily as I’d have rolled over in bed except I looked at my phone to press snooze and my friend had texted to say she’d meet me just after 8am to run with me. That got me up and we then did a bit over 8 miles before joining parkrun. Felt a bit tired on the 2nd lap of parkrun and a bit thirsty but wasn’t bad for my longest run since DCM.

Week’s total: 32.5 miles

Now at 1424 miles for the year so on track for my last goal of hitting 1500 miles in 2019. should get there before 3 weeks time as going well.

Baby75 wrote: »

Put it down to one of those weeks and the S&C may be having an effect but it will pay off
remind me when is your 5k again, I do not think I will target another one for maybe another year after Saturday LOL

29th December. Rethinking whether I’ll race it though.

ariana` wrote: »

Is there a point in doing it if you don't race it? I understand doing longer races as training runs but 5k i don't know what benefit there is to treating it as anything other than a race? If you don't expect a PB, that's ok you can still race it, it will give you a benchmark for the distance and a damn good workout. And the beauty of 5ks is they don't take long to recover from so no damage to your HM training either. But that's just my opinion, i'm learning lately that i still have a lot to learn :cool:

Yeah, I know I should give it a shot even if I can’t PB. Only benefit of just turning up would be that it’s a nice social one.

Huzzah! wrote: »

Have you had any down time at all this year? I have been following along but maybe not super closely, so sorry if you have and I missed it?

Not much really. I went from Grads 5-10km to Grads 10k-Hm straight into Dublin training and evening though there were recovery weeks in there, I was all gung ho after each plan to start again. I think I need a few easy weeks now and hopefully will come back out of that round Christmas again. Actually I want to run and train but knowing I won’t PB at Christmas is niggling at me which is why I’m thinking of not racing it and just enjoying training for now. Sick kids are enforcing an easy week now it seems as couldn’t run today and doubt I will tomorrow.

Week 3 progression plan and 6th week after Dublin

Highlighting the number of weeks since Dublin as seems to have taken the full 6 weeks to get back to myself.

Monday December 2nd - Circuit Training class
Happy with this. Really felt the progress doing the various exercises.

Tuesday: WU: 8x1 min AP (7:20-30) moderate hill; CD
I did this workout at the start of October though supposed to be slightly slower - I checked back and all my paces were in the range I was to do for this. However, I couldn’t hit those paces this time so wasn’t overly happy after. Felt like my fitness was well and truly gone. I’ve put on some weight but don’t know if that’s the problem or what.

Wednesday: 30 mins personal training strength session
Was supposed to do 4 miles very easy before this but a sick child out paid to that. Happy with the session though.

Thursday: 4.12 miles @ 9:42 squeezed in a few miles before school collection.

Friday: 5 miles including 5x20s strides
All fine except I looked at my training plan later and I was supposed to do 5 miles + 8x20s strides. Away with the fairies. While doing this run I started thinking about parkrun the next morning. It was pacer Saturday. Thought that maybe I should forego my planned 11 mile run and go with the 24 min pacer instead. My 5Km Pb is 23:37 but parkrun is 24:41 officially though I take it to be 24:09 as the course was too long previously. Mentioned it to my coach and she suggested 26 mins instead as a tempo run that would make me feel good after as opposed to perhaps being disappointed with the 24 min run. So plan made for Saturday morning.

Saturday: 7 miles easy @ 9:57 + parkrun in 24:53
As I ate my breakfast a friend texted to know if I was going out so she joined me and we set off. Ended up a little faster than planned really as a result but that’s ok. Instead of running straight into the back of parkrun I stopped at the car, had a drink of water and then went to the start line. My friend moved us up a bit ahead of the 26 min guy so we wouldn’t be weaving too much and we set off. I could see the 24 min guy ahead of me and pulled back slightly. The pace was fine. I felt I was holding myself back slightly so probably not true 5Km pace which is good! First mile was 8:05. I’d planned around 8:20 but was feeling fine. 2nd mile came in at 8:03 and still felt good but wasn’t able to pick it up for mile 3. In fact it was 8:12. I lost my friend in this mile. Others round me were picking up to sprint earlier than me and I didn’t have it in me to start too early. I ran the last .1 mile in 6:54 though so that wasn’t too bad. So 24:53 and my 2nd fastest parkrun ever. I was delighted to be honest. I finally felt my fitness wasn’t entirely gone and I know that wasn’t 5Km pain either so there’s more in me - especially if I don’t do a 7 mile warm up.

So I’m Back!!

Time to pull this log out before it gets lost for ever. After an amazing year, December went rapidly downhill becoming my lowest mileage month of the year. Turns out I’ve got Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot and slightly suspicious of my left this week. December was spent trying test runs, resting, trying again, taking nearly 2 weeks off over Christmas, running the Togher 5Km at a tempo pace, setting myself right back as I was limping 5 mins after it and it was at that point I got onto my physio as rest clearly didn’t help. While waiting for my appointment I got insoles which helped a bit. I could do easy runs sort of but not up the pace at all. I’d physio last Tuesday and my right hip was jammed and that seemed to be the cause. She worked hard on my foot which was torture. It she was very positive that I’d be sorted after so I was over the moon. She told me take it easy this week with a 3, 4 and 5 mile and then up the distance and pace next week. The 3 miles was very tough on Wednesday. I was probably stiff from the physio but I was wondering how I could have gotten so unfit compare to Dublin just 2.5 months ago. Anyway, my foot was very sore after so I was panicking and the physio thought maybe it’s just my body adjusting to the treatment and rest until Sunday. Today a friend was doing a long run and I joined her. We stayed in the park as a I thought I might be giving up after 30 mins. I was sore for a little while, half a mile or so, at the start but was grand after that. Really enjoyed the run in the sun and no wind and just kept running until the end of her run which was 1hr 15 mins for me and 7.5 miles. I was a little sore for the last 20 mins but no worse now really besides a dull ache and just tired but hopefully I’m going to be able to get back on track.

I’ve Seville half marathon this day 2 weeks on the 26th January. Obviously I’m not racing it at this point so I’ll just do it to enjoy it and treat it as a sightseeing run. Today’s 7.5 miles is my longest run since a 10 miler on the 14th December. My goal will be to just run it at a steady pace whatever that pace may be :rolleyes:

I’m not setting goals for 2020 right now. I have a number of 10 milers and races planned and the aim was to chip away at my PBs throughout the year. Now I’m going to be happy just to be able to run easy and consistently and then I can think about speeding up again.

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Balls.

Sorry to hear that K. Be super careful because being any way aggressive with plantar can be disastrous. Younganne on here had a bad dose of it I think?

Stay sensible. And positive.

Thanks P. I read back through her log yesterday actually and it frightened me a bit. That’s why I’ll just be happy if I can run easy and consistently for a while as I do not want to lose too much of the fitness I built up.