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An 18 Week Sabbatical
Comments
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I think I know the one. I found it when exploring the 2k zone around this time last year. Both sides of the river from Waterville Park under the hospital to the M50 are muddy now but dry out nicely in the summer. On inside the M50 feels totally isolated from the city around and it's a pity the trail doesn't go on to Ashtown. Part of me wishes the various Tolka Valley parks joined up better but most of me thinks it'd spoil the peace and they should concentrate upgrades on the Canal.
I’d often seen people disappear down and emerge from the path over the years; primarily teenagers. So I never thought it led anywhere other than a secluded spot to allow teenagers do whatever teenagers do.
I got as far as the River Road before I had to turn back. It would be a nice run if they could link up the parks like you suggest. Where they have them, I hope they’d replaced the wooden planks crossing the river first though. I get less and less confident in them bearing my weight each time I have to run over them.0 -
Monday 22nd March
Long Run w/ 25 minute split tempo + 2 x 800m @ 10k pace22.77km in 1:37:33, 4:17/km, 130bpm
Splits;
1.00km in 5:14,
5.47km in 25:00, 4:34/km
3.66km in 12:30, 3:25/km
Recovery: 3 minutes walking
3.54km in 12:03, 3:24/km
Recovery: 3 minutes walking
800m in 2:31, 3:09/km
30 seconds recovery
800m in 2:35, 3:14/km
5.72km in 25:00, 4:22/km
1.00km in 5:12
Short as they were, the addition of the two stints at 10k pace to this week’s tempo run, made this an important session to get right. I tried to make things as reflective of a real race as possible by doing the first effort with the assistance of the wind, then retracing my steps to tackle the wind head on for the second effort. The 30 seconds off didn’t give me a whole lot of recovery, so I like to think I’d have held the 3:12/km average pace without the break. I find it hard to believe I could hold that pace for a full 10km though, but it wasn’t a lung bursting effort either. Although it might very well have to be 84% of the way into a 10km race. But after the 25 minutes of tempo running tonight, my legs weren’t completely fresh either, and it didn’t feel like I was overreaching. 3:12/km equates to a 32:00 10k time, which is well beyond me right now, but if I progress along the same trajectory as I did when following Magness in 2018, I might get closer to it than I think.
Totals: 1:38 - 22.77km
Tuesday 23rd March
Run 1 - 8km8.01km in 33:53, 4:14/km, 130bpm
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:05
Kilometres 2-7: 6.00km in 23:59, 3:57/km, 132bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:02
Totals: 0:34 - 8.01km
Run 2 - 14.5km w/ 6 x 100m strides14.50km in 1:03:08, 4:21/km, 137bpmThe strides were done up a slight hill, which was even slightly more uphill than the hill I used for last week’s strides. Paces were slightly faster as well, and reflecting on the improvements, I felt slightly better about myself.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:01
11.01km in 45:11, 4:06/km, 141bpm
Strides;
1) 22.6” @ 3:53/km, Max = 3:37/km
2) 23.1” @ 3:51/km, Max = 3:29/km
3) 23.4” @ 3:54/km, Max = 3:33/km
4) 22.8” @ 3:48/km, Max = 3:12/km
5) 24.3” @ 4:03/km, Max = 3:15/km
6) 21.9” @ 3:39/km, Max = 3:07/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:10
Totals: 1:03 - 14.50km
Wednesday 24th March
Run 1 - 10km10:01km in 40:31, 4:03/km, 140bpm
Splits;
Warmup: 1.00km in 4:52, 118bpm
Kilometres 2-9: 8.00km in 31:06, 3:53/km, 145bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:31, 131bpm
Totals: 0:41 - 10.01km
Run 2 - 18km18.01km in 1:13:13, 4:04/km, 139bpmA longish run up around Rosemount and Northwest Business Parks. After it uploaded to Strava, I saw I achieved the 2nd fastest time on a 1.17km segment. I wasn’t aware I was running a segment, and while I’ve never gone out chasing chasing course records, it’s nice to study them and see how I compare to others. Feeling good about myself, I investigated further to see who had the top spot. I found out it was Sean Tobin, and that I’d need to have been 1 minute and 30 seconds quicker to take the crown. That would require running my aspirational 10km pace on what is an uphill stretch of road. And Sean Tobin was probably out for an easy jaunt when he was running. It really shows where you stand in the grand scheme of things.
Splits;
Warmup: 1.00km in 4:51, 110bpm
Kilometres 2-17: 16.00km in 1:03:12, 3:57/km, 142bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:08, 125bpm
Totals: 1:13 - 18.01km
Thursday 25th March
Run 1 - 6km Recovery6.03km in 35:52, 5:57/km, 109bpm
Totals: 0:33 - 6.03km
Run 2 - 16km w/ 8 x (200m @ 5k-3k pace/200m jog)16.14km in 1:16:48, 4:45/km, 121bpmI worked out the above paces based on the markings on the track rather than taking the readings on my Garmin, which look better, but experience tells me are unreliable when running ovals.
Splits
12.02km in 57:06, 4:45/km, 120bpm
Efforts;
1) 39.5” @ 3:18/km, Max = 3:08/km
2) 40.5” @ 3:23/km, Max = 3:09/km
3) 40.3” @ 3:22/km, Max = 3:10/km
4) 40.4” @ 3:22/km, Max = 3:11/km
5) 40.5” @ 3:23/km, Max = 3:02/km
6) 40.9” @ 3:25/km, Max = 3:03/km
7) 40.9” @ 3:25/km, Max = 3:07/km
8) 40.4” @ 3:22/km, Max = 3:04/kmCool down: 0.82km in 4:07, 5:02/km
I drove to Porterstown Park for this, parked there, then ran to Castleknock College for the bulk of the warmup. After returning to my car, I changed into spikes to do the real work on MSB’s 400m grass track. Happily every 50m was marked out, which suited my session perfectly.
The plan was to run the first 100m at 5k pace, then pick it up for the last 100m. I broke it down as 1) run for 100m, 2) accelerate, 3) accelerate again after 150m. At least that was the plan, but the final 100m were on a bend, and uphill (believe it or not). I probably could have arranged things better to take more advantage of the wind, but I was putting in the appropriate effort at the appropriate times, which I suppose is what the session was all about. I had deliberately chosen to run on grass, so as not to get too hung up on numbers, so there’s little point worrying about paces now.
Totals: 1:17 - 16.14km
Friday 26th March
10km Run10.01km in 42:30, 4:15/km, 133bpmI ran up to the NSC for this, and was greeted by yet another set of newly erected barriers blocking entry to the public on one of my usual routes. This is the third barricade put up on what used to be a regular route for me. I just hope the changes are temporary.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:23
Kilometres 2-9: 8.00km in 32:29, 3:59/km, 138bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:09
Totals: 0:43 - 10.00km
Saturday 27th March
Run 1 - 8km Recovery8.00km in 50:44, 6:20/km, 113bpmThis should have been done yesterday, but thinking I’d have loads of time to get two runs done in the evening (on account of a half day in school), I forwent my usual pre-work run. I did have loads of time, I just didn’t manage it well, so the recovery run was moved to this morning. I was still following the sequence of the workouts, so it felt like I was staying true to the plan.
Totals: 0:51 - 8.00km
Run 2 - Long Run - w/ 16km @ MP23.61km in 1:33:49, 3:58/km, 148bpmHumbling, windy, very windy, but still very humbling!
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:03, 120bpm
5.00km in 20:08, 4:01/km, 142bpm
Run: 16.00km in 58:45, 3:40/km, 157bpm
1) 3:29, 2) 3:40, 3) 3:33, 4) 3:39, 5) 3:30, 6) 3:41, 7) 3:37, 8) 3:43, 9) 3:42, 10) 3:40, 11) 3:39, 12) 3:38, 13) 3:54, 14) 3:54, 15) 3:53, 16) 3:43,
Cool down: 1.61km in 9:44, 6:01/km, 123bpm
I wore my ON Cloudracers, the same runners I wore for DCM 2018, to find out how advantageous carbon fibre plated soles are; turns out very. This doesn’t surprise me, but I need to do some test runs that I can compare to the last time I solely focussed on running. I’d like to blame the wind for my woes, and while 40km per hour winds didn’t help, they don’t explain away all of the splits that were so far off my :35/km target. And I don’t think the ON runners do either.
Totals: 1:34 - 23.61km
Sunday 28th March
Run 1 - 16km Recovery16.00km in 1:35:42, 5:59/km, 109bpmThe majority of this was on grass; very slow, but at least my heart rate was very low as well.
Totals: 1:36 - 16.00km
Run 2 - 6km Recovery6.00km in 33:36, 5:36/km, 106bpmI wasn’t too enthused about getting dressed up for a second time today, especially for a half hour run. Bit I needed another 6km to make it a second consecutive 100 mile week, so it felt like I had no choice but to do it.
Totals: 0:34 - 6.00km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 12:24, Distance: 161.09km
Cross training - Time: 0:00
S & C - Time: 0:12 Almost too embarrassed to log this, but I did a few press-ups upon waking up two mornings this week. I thought it would kick start good habits, but still waiting.0 -
Monday 29th March
16km w/ 6 sets of (400m @ 10k pace/1,200m steady)16.60km in 1:05:33, 3:57/km, 142bpmI sussed out the wind direction during the first 25 minutes of this run, and made sure that it was going to be as beneficial as possible when I needed it most. This ensured all the 400s were done with a tailwind, which feels a lot like cheating. However the trade off was dealing with a headwind for more than half of each 1,200m rep, which with an overall average of 3:43/km, weren’t run at anything like an easy effort.
Splits;
Warm up: 1.00km in 4:54, 114bpm
5.00km in 21:36, 4:19/km, 126bpm
400m in 1:17, 3:14/km & 1.20km in 4:31, 3:45/km
400m in 1:19, 3:16/km & 1.20km in 4:30, 3:45/km
400m in 1:18, 3:14/km & 1.20km in 4:32, 3:47/km
400m in 1:17, 3:13/km & 1.20km in 4:29, 3:44/km
400m in 1:18, 3:16/km & 1.20km in 4:28, 3:43/km
400m in 1:16, 3:10/km & 1.20km in 4:18, 3:35/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:31
I felt like I ran well today, and after stopping my Garmin, it told me I had covered 10km in 36:18. It’s nice a time to reflect on, especially when only a combined 2.4km were done at a race paced effort.
Totals: 1:06 - 16.60km
Tuesday 30th March
Run 1 - 16km16.01km in 1:05:09, 4:04/km, 142bpmRunning again and again in the NSC is getting wearisome, so I decided I’d venture somewhere else this morning. BIT campus was the chosen alternative, and the bulk of today’s 16 kilometres were done there. The terrain is a bit more up and down than what I normally encounter in the NSC, but there is no harm in that.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:53
Kilometres 2-15.5: 14.50km in 57:45, 3:59/km, 146bpm
Cool down: 0.51km in 2:31, 4:58/km
Totals: 1:05 - 16.01km
Run 2 - 10km10:01km in 41:55, 4:11/km, 130bpmAfter this morning’s hiatus, I went back to the NSC this evening.
Splits;
Warmup: 1.00km in 5:03
Kilometres 2-9: 8.00km in 31:55, 3:59/km, 132bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:55
Totals: 0:42 - 10.01km
Wednesday 31st March
Distance Run - 16km w/ 4 x (400m/200m @ 5k-3k pace/200m jog recovery)16.10km in 1:15:15, 4:40/km, 127bpmI drove to Porterstown Park to use MSB’s 400m grass track for the second week in a row. After warming up on the tarmac path, I changed into spikes for the fast stuff. For both the 400s and 200s the plan was to go out at 5k pace, and accelerate to a 3km effort over the last 100m. I’ve never done a 3,000m race in my life, so when the time came, the modus operandi was simply to run faster. I’m not sure how well I managed that, but my cadence did increase and my grunts got louder.
Splits;
Warmup: 1.00km in 5:02
8.99km in 40:33, 4:31/km, 126bpm
Efforts;
1) 400m in 1:22 @ 3:25/km, Max = 3:11/km
2) 200m in 37.1” @ 3:06/km, Max = 2:59/km
3) 400m in 1:18 @ 3:15/km, Max = 2:57/km
4) 200m in 39.2” @ 3:16/km, Max = 3:05/km
5) 400m in 1:20 @ 3:19/km, Max = 3:08/km
6) 200m in 36.6” @ 3:03/km, Max = 2:48/km
7) 400m in 1:18 @ 3:15/km, Max = 3:03/km
8) 200m in 38.7” @ 3:14/km, Max = 3:00/km
Cool down: 2.02km in 9:47, 4:52/km
Totals: 1:15 - 16.10km
Thursday 1st April
Run 1 - 12km12.00km in 49:58, 4:10/km, 132bpm
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:59
Run: 10.00km in 39:57, 4:00/km, 135bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:00
Totals: 0:50 - 12.00km
Run 2 - 10km Recovery10.01km in 59:56, 5:59/km, 109bpmThis second daily run was done at a very sedate pace. I used the opportunity to explore some of the housing estates in Dublin 15 that I’d never explored before.
Totals: 1:00 - 10.001km
Friday 2nd April
Run 1 - 16.5km Run16.51km in 1:06:52, 4:03/km, 141bpmI ran to the Phoenix Park for this, partly for a change of scenery, and partly to suss out potential hills for a run I’ve to do next Monday. I think I found one of sufficient length and gradient. But it includes a sharp left that could easily take me into the path of startled pedestrians. So it remains to be seen if I’ll use it. Whether I do or don’t, will probably depend on how nice the weather is and consequently the number of people in the Park on the day in question.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:38
Run: 14.50km in 58:22, 4:02/km, 147bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:51
Totals: 1:07 - 16.51km
Run 2 - 10km10.01km in 41:59, 4:12/kmThis being one of the shorter runs, meant I could get it done in the NSC without mentally succumbing to the monotony of the overly familiar scenery.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:56
Run: 10.00km in 32:09, 4:01/km, 141bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:52
Totals: 0:42 - 10.01km
Saturday 3rd April
Long Run - 24km Easy24.00km in 1:47:38, 4:29/km, 127bpm“Easy” was not the guidance given in the book, but with two tough-ish runs already logged this week, and another one coming up in two days, I felt “easy” would be a prudent approach. As per usual, I ran to the NSC, and bar the kilometre it took me to get there and another kilometre it took me to get home, I stayed there for the entire run. About half of it was done on grass; all part of the plan to keep things easy.
Totals: 1:48 - 24.00km
Sunday 4th April
14km Recovery14.00km in 1:20:49, 5:46/km, 112bpmI’d the option of running between 8 and 10 miles for today’s scheduled recovery run. I only needed 14km to hit the 90 mile target for the week though, so once I had that done, I stopped my watch and walked on home.
Totals: 1:21 - 14.00km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 10:55, Distance: 145.25km
Cross training - Time: 2:35
S & C - Time: 0:000 -
Monday 5th April
km w/ 20min tempo + 3 x 3min uphill23.51km in 1:40:00, 4:15/kmMy HRM readings today were complete BS, so there’s no point detailing them.
Splits;
Warm up: 1.03km in 5:03
4.44km in 20:01, 4:30/km
5.83km in 20:01, 3:26/km
1.89km in 9:09, 4:51/km
0.86km in 3:01, 3:30/km, 18m gain
Jog downhill recovery
0.86km in 3:00, 3:31/km, 18m gain
Jog downhill recovery
0.88km in 3:01, 3:25/km, 18m gain
3 minutes jogging
4.37km in 20:01, 4:35/km
Cool down: 0.81km in 5:19
I drove to the Phoenix Park and did the full 100 minutes there. The tempo portion was done around the Playing Fields, and I got about 2⅓ laps covered in the 20 minutes. This is the longest continuous time I have spent at tempo in this block, but with base training well and truly period over, I didn’t think I could soften my target. So the objective of holding :27/km remained the same.
It was another day of strong wind and sudden gusts, which made things much harder on certain parts of the irregularly shaped quadrilateral loop I was running. I tried my best not to react to the conditions, telling myself it was guaranteed to be easier when I’d inevitably be running with a tailwind. Of course, this is what happened, but I don’t think it ever compensated for how hard I was being forced to work when conditions weren’t in my favour.
I was a second or two outside my target pace when I turned out of a headwind for the final time. I still had 2 minutes left to run, and there was an automatic increase in pace now that the wind was no longer working against me. Expecting things would automatically fall into place, I relaxed a little too much at this juncture. No increase in pace showed on my Garmin, and I was forced me to dig a little deeper than I would have liked to bring it home.
Despite 20 out of 29 minutes of hard work done, it didn’t feel like I was anywhere near finished. The hill reps up next had me a little trepidatious. Ideally, I would have started them a lot sooner, but the base of the hill was 2-3km away and I don’t think there was any expectation in the plan to tempo over to the nearest available incline.
I decided to use a different hill to the one I’d settled on during a scouting mission last week. This last minute change meant the wind would be less of a problem. It wasn’t specifically stated in the plan, but I reckoned the intention was to do these at a tempo effort. Being all uphill though, aiming for a particular pace wasn’t sensible, so I just tried to replicate the effort I had been holding for the earlier 20 minutes.
I wasn’t too far off the :27/km tempo target with this approach, and come the final 3 minutes uphill, I thought “What’s the worst that could happen?”, and pushed a little bit harder than I did for the first two reps. I hadn’t completely flogged myself though, and don’t think I would have had any problems had there been more uphill efforts required.
Early days yet; but I felt good about my progress after this.
Totals: 1:06 - 16.60km
Tuesday 6th April
16.5km16.51km in 1:07:28, 4:05/km, 137bpmAs per usual, it was up to the NSC for this run, and I stayed in there for every one of the 13 kilometres at pace; never once straying onto the grass.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:02, 113bpm
Kilometres 2-15.5: 14.50km in 57:45, 3:59/km, 146bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:58
Totals: 1:05 - 16.01km
There was a second 5-mile run scheduled for this evening that I didn’t get done. The plan is to make up for the missing distance over the course of the week.
Wednesday 7th April
Run 1 - 14km*14.01km in 56:50, 4:03/km, 140bpm*This was down in the book as an 5-mile run, but I added an extra 4km to start making up for some of the missing distance from yesterday evening’s missed run.
Splits;
Warmup: 1.00km in 4:34
12.00km in 47:32, 3:58/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:43
I’m back in Tullamore for a few days: Today, I took a roundabout way of linking up with the Grand Canal Way. I was getting to the halfway point in my run, when I decided running up a country road with no through traffic would be a good way to finish out the first seven kilometres. My watch beeped when 7km were completed, and I thought of turning. It was only another 50m or so to a bend in the road that I thought would make a more natural turning point. I carried on and duly rounded the bend, only to be greeted by an Alsatian idling outside a farmhouse. “Just my ****ing luck!”, I thought. The dog didn’t bark or show any signs of aggression, but I didn’t want to risk going any closer to it, so I promptly turned on my heels and started heading back for the safety of the Grand Canal Way. I looked over my shoulder, hoping to fnck, the Alsatian hadn’t given chase. He was loping down the road, but thankfully didn’t seem to be in any great rush, and was merely seeing off the unfamiliar interloper. I made my way back to the canal, and then back home without any further incident.
Totals: 0:57 - 14.01km
8km Recovery8.01km 48:14, 6:01/km, 103bpmI thought about catching up with the rest of yesterday’s missed miles in this evening’s run, but it was tagged as “recovery”, which I’m guessing has something to do with a bastard of a run scheduled for tomorrow. The missing miles were meant to be run at pace, so it didn’t seem prudent to be adding them onto a short recovery run this evening.
Totals: 0:48 - 8.01km
Thursday 8th April
18km w/ 4 sets of (4’ tempo, 2’ 10k pace, 4’ jogging)18.00km in 1:16:19, 4:14/km, 133bpmThe bloody wind once again proved to be my nemesis. I seem to be frequently blaming Mother Nature for my woes, but the differences in my paces go some way to proving I wasn’t just imaging things.
Splits;
4.27km in 20:00, 4:41/km
Efforts;
1) 1.17km in 3:59, 3:24/km
2) 0.64km in 2:00, 3:06/km
4 minutes jogging
3) 1.16km in 3:59, 3:26/km
4) 0.61m in 2:00, 3:15/km
4 minutes jogging
5) 1.19km in 4:00, 3:21/km
6) 0.63km in 2:00, 3:09/km
4 minutes jogging
7) 1.14m in 3:59, 3:29/km
8) 0.60km in 2:00, 3:19/km
4 minutes jogging
Cool down: 3.28km in 16:18, 4:58/km
This looked a tough run on paper, and I can’t say I was particularly relishing it. The prospect of failure loomed large, but with an average pace of 3:25/km for the tempo efforts, and 3:12 for the 10k ones, I’ll chalk it down as a success. I never like tempo runs, and have routinely found them to be the hardest thing to do well in any of the running plans I’ve followed. I often need to work too hard to hit my target pace. But today, knowing I had to hit 10k pace immediately after finishing the 4 minutes tempo, ensured I kept the effort in check. The approach worked well, and it was only when coming towards the end of the combined 6 minutes, that things got difficult.
I was running on the pancake flat Grand Canal Way in my Nike 4%, but things won’t be any different when I do my peak race in 12 weeks (in fact I’ll be wearing even better shoes, and Allah willing, it’ll be a lovely calm day); so plenty to draw confidence from.
Totals: 1:16 - 18.00km
Friday 9th April
Run 1 - 19km Run19.01km in 1:18:55, 4:09/kmI ran a bit longer than the plan decreed; partly to make up for the missed 5-miler of Tuesday evening, and partly because I missed a turn on the return leg of what was an out-and-back run.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:58, 112bpm
Run: 17.00km in 1:08:52, 4:02/km, 140bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:51, 125bpm
Totals: 1:07 - 16.51km
Run 2 - 8km8.01km in 33:59, 4:15/kmIt was just a case of getting this done to round off the week. I thought about going for something easier than my standard training pace, but with two consecutive recovery runs scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday, I soon reasoned this wouldn’t be at all necessary.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:57
Run: 6.00km in 23:51, 3:59/km, 138bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:09
Totals: 0:34 - 8.01km
Saturday 10th April
13km Recovery13.00km in 1:12:25, 5:34/km
Totals: 1:12 - 13.00km
Sunday 11th April
14km Recovery14.00km in 1:20:49, 5:46/km, 112bpm
Totals: 1:21 - 14.00km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 10:14, Distance: 134.04km
Cross training - Time: 0:45
S & C - Time: 0:000 -
Monday 12th April
km w/ 2 sets of {5 x (3min @ 10k pace/1min walking)}19.36km in 1:24:02, 4:20/kmIt was wet out today, so I left my go-faster shoes at home and opted for a pair with better grip. My choice of runners might have cost me a second or two, but they helped in that I didn’t fall, and I’m still quite satisfied with how I fared over the 3-minute reps. I’m finding it hard to believe that the 3:14/km average pace I held for the ten efforts today could be my target pace in my A-race, but there’s plenty of time left to require that belief. There was a clear slowdown in the last three reps, and the 3:17/m pace I averaged for them might be more realistic, but we’ll see. A few more weeks of this plan will hopefully enable me hold the faster paces for longer.
Splits;
4.35km in 20:00, 4:36/km
Efforts - Set 1;
1) 0.95km in 3:00, 3:10/km
2) 0.95km in 3:00, 3:10/km
3) 0.94km in 3:00, 3:11/km
4) 0.94km in 3:00, 3:12/km
5) 0.93km in 3:00, 3:14/km
0.84km in 4:00, 4:46/km
Efforts - Set 2;
1) 0.92km in 3:00, 3:15/km
2) 0.94km in 3:00, 3:11/km
3) 0.91km in 3:00, 3:18/km
4) 0.92km in 3:00, 3:15/km
5) 0.91km in 3:00, 3:18/km
0.84km in 4:00, 4:46/km
Cool down: 3.81km in 20:02, 5:15/km
Totals: 1:24 - 19.36km
Tuesday 13th April
Run 1 - 10km10.30km in 43:04, 4:11/km, 134bpmTotals: 0:43 - 10.30km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.06km in 5:29, 115bpm
8.00km in 32:03, 4:00/km, 138bpm
Cool down: 1.25km in 5:31, 4:26/km, 132bpm
Run 2 - 16.5km16.51km in 1:07:30, 4:05/km, 135bpmI tried change up my usual route by taking random roads into and through the industrial estates north of the NSC. The changed scenery wasn’t exactly inspiring though, and I still needed to run into the NSC to complete the final few kilometres.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:46, 122bpm
Kilometres 2-15.5: 14.50km in 57:41, 3:59/km, 139bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:01, 121bpm
Totals: 1:08 - 16.51km
Wednesday 14th April
16km w/ 8 x 10” hill sprints16.03km in 1:16:54kmI won’t bother going into the details of the hill sprints. Looking at the numbers doesn’t reveal much. I was doing my best to run them as fast as possible, but I simply wasn’t fully switched on for them all and I failed. Consequently, the paces were a bit all over the place. Whether it was warranted or not, I took 2 minutes walking recoveries after each hill sprint. There wasn’t much to note during the run that followed. I started not really knowing where I was going, and ended up in Hartstown Park for the first time in my life, 20 minutes later.
Splits;
Warmup: 1.56km in 7:22, 4:44/km
12.07km in 48:08, 3:59/km
Cool down: 1.01km in 5:09
Totals: 1:17 - 16.03km
Thursday 15th April
Run 1 - 10km Run9.60km in 38:15, 3:59/km, 140bpmAs usual, I was in the NSC for this. Even though I’d say I’ve ran all possible combinations of routes more than anybody in the world, I was assessing the route I plan to use for the upcoming 5k TT. There’ll be three about turns, and I spent the half an hour thinking should I turn here, should I turn there, when it occurred to me that I was over complicating things and it’s going to make shag all difference in the grand scheme of things where I turn. A much more pressing issue was not to be late for work.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.03km in 5:06, 4:55/km, 117bpm
Run: 8.00km in 30:36, 3:50/km, 145bpm
Cool down: 0.56km in 2:32, 4:29/km, 134bpm
So it was back home, 400m short of the planned 10km, to gulp down a cup of coffee and scoff down a bowl of porridge.
Totals: 0:38 - 9.60km
Run 2 - 8km Recovery8.00km in 50:40, 6:20/kmI took another trip down by the banks of the Tolka. The rugged nature of the terrain slowed me right down, but I enjoyed the easy 50 minutes.
Totals: 0:51 - 8.00km
Friday 16th April
MLR w/ 5/4/3 x 400m @ 5k pace19.27km in 1:35:48My extra long 10km warm-up was mostly done to bump up my weekly mileage, which had been a little down on where it needed to be. I threw in four 100m strides towards the end of these first ten kilometres. Once warmed up, I wasn’t long getting stuck into the 400m reps. I’d driven to the NAC to enable me to quickly change into my Vaporfly Next%. I put them on at my car, did a few token stretches, then ran easy for a few minutes, before tackling the fast stuff. My hope was to hold :10/km pace for each rep. Whether the shoes I was wearing had an added placebo effect, I’m not sure, but I needed to make sure they worked, and I probably pushed a bit harder than I should have. I was well under the target pace, which seems great, but repeating it on 24th April will be the real test. It’s hard to get too cocky before seeing how that goes.
Splits;
10.00km in 45:30, 4:33/km
Efforts;
1) 0.40km in 1:13, 3:03/km
2) 0.40km in 1:11, 2:58/km
3) 0.40km in 1:11, 2:58/km
4) 0.40m in 1:11, 2:58/km
5) 0.40km in 1:11, 2:58/km
5 minutes jogging
6) 0.40km in 1:12, 3:00/km
7) 0.40km in 1:09, 2:53/km
8) 0.40m in 1:13, 3:03/km
9) 0.40km in 1:11, 2:58/km
5 minutes jogging
10) 0.40km in 1:15, 3:08/km
11) 0.40m in 1:11, 2:58/km
12) 0.40km in 1:11, 2:58/km
5 minutes jogging
Totals: 1:16 - 18.00km
Saturday 17th April
Long Run w/ 6 x 45” surges24.53km in 1:40:46, 4:06/km16.03km in 1:16:54, 4:03/kmAfter yesterday’s session, my plan was to keep today’s pace towards the slower end of my self-determined range. So I set out with the mindset that this was going to be an easier run than usual. As a result, it took a few kilometres and a small bit of mental effort, to settle into the desired pace. Once I was confident my pace wasn’t going to slip north of 4:08/km, I relaxed and ran for 18 kilometres straight before undertaking the surges. After the 45 seconds of faster running, I was meant to settle back into the pace I had been running, but the increased cadence of the surges woke up my legs, and the 2 minutes in between the surges ended up being a good bit faster than 4:07/km pace I was running.
Splits;
Warmup: 1.00km in 4:47
18.00km in 1:14:03, 4:07/km
Surges + in between bits;
1) 0.23km in 0:46, 3:16/km, Max = 3:11/km + 0.50km in 2:01, 4:02/km
2) 0.24km in 0:46, 3:13/km, Max = 3:05/km + 0.51km in 2:00, 3:51/km
3) 0.24km in 0:47, 3:13/km, Max = 3:06/km + 0.52km in 2:00, 3:49/km
4) 0.24km in 0:46, 3:15/km, Max = 3:07/km + 0.53km in 2:00, 3:44/km
5) 0.25km in 0:46, 3:06/km, Max = 3:03/km + 0.49km in 2:00, 4:04/km
6) 0.24km in 0:46, 3:11/km, Max = 3:05/km + 0.52km in 2:02, 3:54/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:11
Totals: 1:41 - 24.53km
Sunday 18th April
13km Recovery13.00km in 1:26:51, 6:41/kmI ran to the NSC for this, and stuck to to grass whenever possible. It’s probably the slowest run I’ve ever, but fingers crossed it helps with the speed work I have tomorrow.
Totals: 1:27 - 13.00km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 10:33, Distance: 136.60km
Cross training - Time: 0:00
S & C - Time: 0:47 I watched two yoga videos on YouTube, and did my best to follow along.0 -
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Monday 19th April
10km warmup + 3 x {500m(5k), 300m(3k), 200m(1mi)}17.36km in 1:21:00, 4:40/kmThis was a daunting session on paper, but I’d no problem increasing the pace when required. I wanted the session to reflect race conditions as much as possible, so I ran the reps however the road fell on the same route I’ll use for Saturday’s TT. So sometimes the gradient, wind, etc. were in my favour, sometimes they weren’t. I maintained my speed over the three sets, and during the last 500m rep, I even had the rare experience of having to slow down because I was running too fast. Being able to run the subsequent 300m and 200m reps in my quickest times for the night, shows it hadn’t cost me. I finished the session very pleased with myself, and quietly confident ahead of Saturday’s TT. As it turned out, that confidence was misplaced, but that’s a story for another day.
Splits;
10.00km in 45:51, 4:35/km
Efforts - Set 1;
1) 0.50km in 1:33, 3:06/km, 1min rec.
2) 0.30km in 0:54, 3:00/km, 1min rec.
3) 0.20km in 0:34, 2:50/km, 1min rec.
0.86km in 4:00, 4:39/km
Efforts - Set 2;
1) 0.50km in 1:34, 3:08/km, 1min rec.
2) 0.30km in 0:54, 3:00/km, 1min rec.
3) 0.20km in 0:35, 2:55/km, 1min rec.
0.84km in 4:00, 4:46/km
Efforts - Set 3;
1) 0.50km in 1:34, 3:08/km, 1min rec.
2) 0.30km in 0:53, 2:57/km, 1min rec.
3) 0.20km in 0:33, 2:45/km, 1min rec.
0.77km in 4:00, 5:11/km
Cool down: 0.86km in 5:00, 5:46/km
Totals: 1:21 - 17.36km
Tuesday 20th April
Run 1 - 10km9.73km in 40:46, 4:11/km, 135bpmAs per usual, it was up to the NSC for this. I was running out of time, and didn’t complete the full 1km cool down.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:58, 122bpm
8.01km in 32:30, 4:03/km, 138bpm
Cool down: 0.72km in 3:16, 4:32/km, 130bpm
Totals: 0:41 - 9.73km
Run 2 - 12km12.00km in 50:09, 4:11/kmAfter yesterday’s session, and another planned for tomorrow, I considered making this an easy run. I even started out with this plan, but once the first kilometre was completed, I copped on and decided that the truer I was to the plan, the better. If Magness had meant for this to be an easy run, I’m sure he would have detailed it as such.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:55
Kilometres 2-11: 10.00km in 39:56, 4:00/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:10
Totals: 0:50 - 12.00km
Wednesday 21st April
16km w/ 12 x 200m @ 3k pace15.44km in 1:16:54, 4:58/kmI drove to Porterstown Park to use the 400m grass track there. After warming up on the outer path, I changed into my spikes for the intervals. A 3,000m race is not a goal, but if it was, my goal time would be 8:59 or quicker. This translates to :00/km pace. To hold that, I needed to run the 200m reps in less than 36 seconds. The last time I ran in Porterstown, I averaged 37.5 seconds for four 200m reps, which were ran at 5k down to 3km pace. They weren’t easy, and In light of that, I wasn’t particularly relishing the prospect of having to run twelve 200s at an even higher intensity. Failing to hit the <36sec target seemed like a very realistic prospect. Thankfully this just happened for the very first rep, which is often my fastest one. Looking back on the times made me quiet happy. They took me more out of me than I’d be able to give in a 3,000m race, but sometimes hitting the numbers is more important than how you hit them. And today’s session felt like one of those times.
Splits;
Warmup: 8.98km in 42:09, 4:42/km
200m reps;
1) 36.23”, 3:01/km, 200m jog
2) 35.70”, 2:59/km, 200m jog
3) 35.66”, 2:58/km, 200m jog
4) 35.83”, 2:59/km, 200m jog
5) 35.83”, 2:59/km, 200m jog
6) 35.62”, 2:58/km, 200m jog
7) 35.55”, 2:58/km, 200m jog
8) 35.71”, 2:59/km, 200m jog
9) 35.74”, 2:59/km, 200m jog
10) 35.46”, 2:57/km, 200m jog
11) 35.57”, 2:58/km, 200m jog
12) 35.07”, 2:55/km, 200m jog
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:33
Totals: 1:12 - 15.44km
Thursday 22nd April
Run 1 - 8km Run7.76km in 32:16, 4:09/kmThis was a shorter run than normal; I guess to serve as part of a mini-taper for Saturday’s “race”.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:09
Run: 6.51km in 25:59, 3:59/km, 139bpm
Cool down: 0.25km in 1:04, 4:08/km
Totals: 0:38 - 7.76km
Today was supposed to be a double run day, the second of which was a 9-miler. But I was getting the early warning signs of an impending injury. Porterstown Park hasn’t been getting much rain of late, and there wasn’t much give on the grass track yesterday. It was good for running fast, but not very forgiving when running in spikes with zero cushioning. I’ve suffered through more severe pain, and came through longer runs unscathed, but I remembered the cautious approach I resolved to take starting off this plan, and did an 80-minute cycle on my turbo trainer instead.
Friday 23rd April
6 miles w/ 6k easy + 6 x 100m strides9.69km in 45:37, 4:42/km
Splits;
1.00km in 5:20
6.01km in 28:45, 4:27/km
Strides;
1) 0.11km in 20.4”, 3:12/km, Max = 2:55/km
2) 0.10km in 20.5”, 3:29/km, Max = 3:09/km
3) 0.10km in 19.9”, 3:27/km, Max = 2:55/km
4) 0.10m in 19.9”, 3:12/km, Max = 2:52/km
5) 0.11km in 19.8”, 3:07/km, Max = 2:51/km
6) 0.10km in 20.1”, 3:23/km, Max = 3:04/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:28
Totals: 0:46 - 9.69km
Saturday 24th April
4km easy4.00km in 20:16, 5:04/kmJust a very short leg loosener an hour ahead of today’s TT
Totals: 0:20 - 4.00km
5km TTWarm-up: 3.58km in 15:27, 5:04/km
Splits;
2.00km in 9:32, 4:46/km
0.30km in 1:02, 3:30/km
0.32km in 1:00, 3:13/km
0.33km in 1:00, 3:06/km
0.64km in 2:51, 4:46/km
After the above warm-up, I stripped down to shorts and singlet, did a few stretches and some drills, then a few sprints to keep the blood flowing, took a few deep inhales, and began the race.Race: 5.01km in 16:22, 3:16/km
KM Splits:
1) 3:06, 2) 3:14, 3) 3:12, 4) 3:16, 5) 3:31
I’d a long report typed up that still didn’t say half of what’s gone through my mind since. Analysing things to death was only annoying me. In a nutshell, it wasn’t the performance I was expecting. Hopefully the next race I do will be a proper race, and a significant improvement on the performance I turned out today.Cool down: 1.00km in 6:16After a long walk of shame, I began this slow trudge home. I’d all day to reflect on what was a substandard performance, which is not so much because I was so far off my 15:50 prediction, as the complete collapse I experienced in the fifth kilometre. I like to think I’m able to hurt when needed, but there was no evidence of that today. I didn’t even feel any great levels of discomfort at any stage, so it’s rather puzzling what happened. Training has been going well of late, and while it wasn’t the peak race today, a race was still part of the plan. I’m assuming by strictly adhering to the plan, I’d have been in someway half decent shape on a race day. I felt good all week, and even one week later, I haven’t came up with any answers. If something similar happened on a training run, I’d just put it down to a bad day at the office. I’ve no other option but to do the same here, and move on.
Totals: 0:38 - 9.59km
Sunday 25th April
I had the option of a day off or a short recovery run. The good weather meant there was no way I was going to take the day off and sit on my couch all day, so I did an easy 100km on the bike instead.
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 6:20, Distance: 85.59km
Cross training - Time: 5:02
S & C - Time: 0:470 -
Monday 26th April
MLR w 6 x {600m(10k)/1,000m steady)}19.59km in 1:22:25, 4:12/kmI took on the intervals however the road fell, and the variation in paces is mostly just down to the gradient or wind direction. I want to say the effort I was putting out felt like an effort I’d be able to sustain for a full 10km, but the overall average pace of 3:13/km seems less likely. And it probably seems even more unlikely after the recent 5K TT. But the legs felt good this evening, and hopefully the TT was just an aberration.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:06
5.00km in 22:11, 4:26/km, 131bpm
600m in 1:54, 3:10/km, 138bpm
1,000m in 3:45, 144bpm
600m in 1:59, 3:18/km, 148bpm
1,000m in 3:44, 152bpm
600m in 1:58, 3:17/km, 153bpm
1,000m in 3:43, 161bpm
600m in 1:54, 3:10/km, 165bpm
1,000m in 3:48, 155bpm
600m in 1:52, 3:07/km, 162bpm
1,000m in 3:46, 160bpm
600m in 1:57, 3:15/km, 165bpm
1,000m in 3:46, 157bpm
Cool down: 4.00km in 20:54, 5:14/km
Totals: 1:22 - 19.59km
Tuesday 27th April
Run 1 - 10km9.54km in 40:57, 4:17/km, 137bpmUp to NSC once more; I did about 2 kilometres on grass, which was the only slight difference to my usual a.m. runs.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:32
8.00km in 32:39, 4:05/km, 141bpm
Cool down: 0.54km in 2:42, 4:58/km
Totals: 0:41 - 9.54km
Run 2 - 12km12.00km in 50:05, 4:10/kmFor a change of scenery, I did this on the Royal Canal Way. It was in the direction of the city, then back to The Twelfth Lock, so all on paved pathways.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:42
Kilometres 2-11: 10.00km in 39:57, 4:00/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:17
Totals: 0:50 - 12.00km
Wednesday 28th April
MLR w/ 800m reps + hill sprints16.75km in 1:26:59, 5:12/km (Includes numerous extended periods of walking)The instructions for today’s run were simply “3x800 at 5k, HS, 2 x 800, HS”. Being so nondescript, I didn’t know how many hill sprints I was supposed to do. (To be honest, I’m not even 100% sure “HS” stands for “hill sprint”.)
Splits;
Warmup: 5.19km in 23:42, 4:34/km
800m reps - Set 1
1) 0.80km in 2:30, 3:09/km, 1min rec.
2) 0.80km in 2:31, 3:06/km, 1min rec.
3) 0.80km in 2:27, 3:07/km
4min jogging
Hill sprints - Set 1
1) 12.2” @ 3:57/km
2) 12.6” @ 3:57/km
3) 12.9” @ 4:16/km
4) 14.5” @ 3:53/km
5) 13.8” @ 3:58/km
6) 13.9” @ 3:48/km
2:30 walking/jogging
800m reps - Set 2
1) 0.81km in 2:30, 3:06/km, 1min rec.
2) 0.81km in 2:33, 3:09/km, 1min rec.
2:30 walking/jogging
Hill sprints - Set 2
1) 0.20km in 38.7”, 3:11/km
2) 0.20km in 39.4”, 3:14/km
3mins walking/jogging
Cool down: 3.54km in 17:01, 4:48/km
The instructions for the 800m reps were crystal clear though, and I didn’t want to be trying for 5k pace on hilly terrain. This made the decision on where to run, more complicated than normal. And of course, when given an excuse to procrastinate, I’ll take it. Come 7 p.m., I still hadn’t decided where I’d run. Then I saw an activity of AMK’s on Strava, that revealed the perfect location; Chapelizod Road.
Starting from Chapelizod Gate, I’d be able to use the footpath by the walls of the Park for the reps. From there it would be a very short jog to get back into the Park to use one of the inclines, on either the Upper Glen Road or Acres Road, for whatever mix of hill sprints I’d come up with. I’d parked along White’s Road, and after a 3k warmup, I reached Chapelizod Gate. Once here, I took off a few layers, and exited the Park for the 800m reps.
Memories of my spectacular failure in last Saturday’s TT were fresh in my mind. As foolhardy as it might seem, I once again decided to aim for the 3:10/km pace that eluded me four days prior. I was working hard during the reps, much harder than I was able to during the TT, but no harder than one should be working in a properly executed 5km race. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
The hill sprints didn’t go as smoothly as planned. I changed my mind at the last minute as to where I’d do the first set. I’d passed a gate, I didn’t know existed, that led to a steepish path zigzagging down to the north bank of the Liffey. It would take longer than 10 seconds to get from top to bottom, so figured it would work perfectly. But I hadn’t fully considered the effect the severe bend in the path was going to have on my momentum. I had to seriously slow down to take the turn, and got some unneeded rest in the middle of each sprint. I still took the full 2 minutes recoveries, and simply resolved not to use the same hill for the second set.
After two more 800m efforts, it was back to the Park for the second set of hill sprints. But for the 6 x 2mins recoveries, which would have added another 12 minutes of walking to a “run”, I would have repeated the set of 6 x 10secs. I was still 3km from my car, and at this stage, I just wanted to get the run over and done with. Fewer but longer sprints made more sense, and that is exactly what Magness had prescribed the last time he gave two sets of hill sprints in a run. He was much more descriptive then, and the assigned work was 6x10secs and 2x20secs.
I began planning two 20-second sprints, and took off as fast as my slow twitch fibres would allow me. I immediately forgot what I was doing, and thought I was to sprint for 200m. After about 30 seconds, it occurred to me that this was a hell of a lot longer than the 10-second sprints I’d done earlier. But at this stage, I was committed to 200m, and carried on grunting my way uphill. The 2 minute walking recovery was definitely warranted this time. Once recovered, knowing the painful parts of today’s run were almost over, it was easy work up the enthusiasm for one final 200m uphill sprint.
Totals: 1:27 - 16.75km
Thursday 29th April
18km18:01km in 42:15, 4:13/kmI did my usual 1km easy before the actual run started. It was an out-and-back affair, and I spent the first half looking at my pace. Then after reaching the turnaround point, I switched to looking at my heart rate, which I kept under 140bpm. There was no great reasoning behind this, other than to provide something different to focus on.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:04
Run: 16.10km in 1:04:58, 4:02/km, 138bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:20
Totals: 1:27 - 16.75km
Friday 30th April
Run 1 - 10km Run10:01km in 42:15, 4:13/km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:09
Run: 8.00km in 32:19, 4:02/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:31
Totals: 0:42 - 8.01km
Run 2 - 14.5km Easy14.51km in 1:07:28, 4:39/kmIt was my own decision to take it easy, and not something Magness had prescribed.
Totals: 1:07 - 14.51km
Saturday 1st May
24.5km w/ 5 minute pickup24.52km in 1:40:32, 4:06/km, 138bpmI drove to the Phoenix Park and began with the intention of sticking to flat roads. However, I ended up running the majority of the first 90 minutes on the lumpier sections south of Chesterfield Avenue. I wasn’t brave enough to attempt the 5-minute pickup on any significant incline though, and made sure I was back on the main road for this final effort. I was able to shift through the gears when necessary, and the increases in pace came easily enough.
Splits;
Warmup - 1.00km in 4:52
21.00km in 1:25:04, 4:03, 136bpm
0.26km in 1:01, 3:58/km
0.27km in 1:01, 3:43/km
0.28km in 1:01, 3:33/km
0.29km in 1:01, 3:27/km
0.40km in 1:18, 3:15/km
Cool down - 1.00km in 5:13
Totals: 0:38 - 9.59km
Sunday 2nd May
8km Recovery8.01km in 48:50, 6:06/km, 109bpmThis was completed after a 2 hour cycle. The cycle wasn’t any more taxing than the run, and hopefully one complemented the other.
Totals: 0:49 - 8.01km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 9:54, Distance: 133.04km
Cross training - Time: 2:01
S & C - Time: 0:00 Normal service resumes.0 -
I’ve a much clearer picture of what the year has in store than I had on my resumption of this log. I got an email a while ago telling me my Ironman in June has been cancelled. However, there weren’t many running races I was certain would go ahead. So even though I grew more and more committed to this 21-week plan, it still felt like a bit of a side project. Since then, things have changed for the better, and the Irish running calendar is starting to take shape. I’ve entered three races between now and 3rd July.
15th May - 5000m Time Trials, Le Chéile Athletic Club, Leixlip
30th May - Down Royal 10k,
3rd July - Gold Coast 10k, Ballygally
I also need to find another race on 12th June, but there’s no panic on that. The 10k on 3rd July will be my peak race, which is a week after it’s supposed to happen, but that should be easy enough work round. Ideally I’d like to do the peak race on a track, so if I can find something more suitable, then I’m prepared to switch target.
Now that I’m at the start of the “Competition Period”, barring catastrophe, I can guarantee that I’ll see the plan through. I’m not sure what I’ll do after the peak race, whenever it is, but at least I’ve something definite to focus on until then.0 -
Monday 3rd May
75mins w/ 25mins tempo18.15km in 1:15:00, 4:08/kmI was hoping I was done with windy days until the autumn, but I got another one of them today. To make matters worse, they only seem to come on days I’ve to run fast. Strava recorded the wind as blowing at 39.1km/hr, and it made my tempo pace of :27/km very difficult to hit. It rained as well to make matters worse. And for fear of getting cold, I started off the 25 minutes of tempo work in a short-sleeved cycling jacket. Two minutes into proceedings however, I was getting too warm, and stopped to strip down to just a base layer. This made for a fairly unpleasant run, but I was working hard, and didn’t suffer too badly given the weather. I failed to hit my target pace, but there was no point busting a gut for it. Also, I’d opted for shoes with good grip over one of my carbon fibre-plated pairs, so it’s easy imagine the desired speed would have been easily achievable in more clement conditions.
Splits;
Warm-up: 0.94km in 5:00, 5:16/km
4.51km in 25:00, 4:26/km, 131bpm
7.17km in 25:00, 3:29/km, 147bpm
4.54km in 20:00, 4:24/km, 135bpm
Cool down: 0.97km in 5:00, 5:09/km
Totals: 1:15 - 18.15km
Tuesday 4th May
Run - 23km23.01km in 1:35:18, 4:09/km, 141bpmThis was supposed to be a double run day, but I took an executive decision to combine the two runs and cover the recommended daily mileage in one run. This is something I plan to do more frequently over the remaining 7-8 weeks of the plan. I think my endurance is lacking, and for someone who is used to marathon training, I’m not really sure my stamina is being maintained by the long runs in this plan. I could just extend the long run at the weekend, but that would be straying from the recommended weekly distance.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:57
21.00km in 1:26:14, 4:06/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:05
Totals: 1:35 - 23.01km
Wednesday 5th May
Run 1 - 12km12.02km in 50:40, 4:13/kmTotals: 0:51 - 12.02km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:12
10.00km in 40:07, 4:01/km, 143bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:16
Run 2 - 10km Recovery10.32km in 1:02:48, 6:05/kmTotals: 1:03 - 12.02km
Thursday 6th May
Run 1 - 13.5km13.50km in 56:28, 4:11/kmTotals: 0:57 - 13.50km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:05
11.50km in 46:24, 4:02/km, 143bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:03
Run 2 - 10km Run10:01km in 42:01, 4:12/kmTotals: 0:42 - 10.01km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:50
Run: 8.00km in 32:03, 4:02/km, 141bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:06
Friday 7th May
Run - 13km Progression + 1km Cool down14.00km in 58:36, 4:11/kmMy plan was to go from sub 5:10/km to sub 3:10/km pace over the 13km of progression. This meant the penultimate kilometre had to completed in 3 minutes 20 seconds, but as you can see, I didn’t get anywhere close. An untimely hill in the 11th kilometre forced me into working too hard too early, and despite the road levelling out for kilometre 12, I couldn’t get near the :20/km pace I was aiming for. Then but for a generous downhill stretch on the final kilometre, I’m not sure I’d have been capable of accelerating one final time, and I was still miles off :10/km pace. Missing my targets isn’t ideal, but both my cadence and heart rate rose with each successive kilometre, while the moving time fell, so I still did what was required.
KM Splits;
1) 5:04, m gain + m loss, 113bpm,
2) 4:49, 1m gain + 3m loss, 117bpm,
3) 4:44, 5m gain + 0m loss, 128bpm,
4) 4:36, 2m gain + 1m loss, 127bpm,
5) 4:23, 2m gain + 5m loss, 129bpm,
6) 4:15, 4m gain + 1m loss, 135bpm,
7) 4:04, 8m gain + 1m loss, 144bpm,
8) 3:58, 1m gain + 2m loss, 145bpm,
9) 3:46, 2m gain + 3m loss, 149bpm,
10) 3:36, 2m gain + 4m loss, 155bpm,
11) 3:29, 5m gain + 1m loss, 162bpm,
12) 3:24, 1m gain + 2m loss, 164bpm,
13) 3:16, 1m gain + 10m loss, 167bpm,
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:03
Totals: 0:59 - 14.00km
Saturday 8th May
10 miles easy in the mountains16.11km in 1:19:48, 4:57/km, 469m gain, 129bpmI drove to the village of Kinnitty for a run in the Slieve Bloom Mountains. Despite a dodgy forecast, it turned out to be a nice day. I ran on the Slieve Bloom Way, which thankfully was very well sign posted, so even a numpty like me wasn’t going to get lost.
Totals: 1:20 - 16.11km
Sunday 9th May
10km Recovery10.36km in 1:02:47, 6:04/km, 104bpm
Totals: 1:03 - 10.32km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 9:43, Distance: 127.48km
Cross training - Time: 0:00
S & C - Time: 0:00No memory of doing anything0 -
Monday 10th May
Distance Run w/ 6 x (1 mile @ 10k pace/4mins rec.)20.44km in 1:25:26, 4:11/kmWhile the resumption of sports no doubt made a lot of people happy today, it messed with my sporting plans. I was hoping to do this session on my go-to routes in the NSC. But the return of group training meant there were a lot more cars there than there has been of late. After discovering this on the warm-up, I deemed it would be too dangerous to be both dodging cars and belting along at 10k pace. So I ran to Ballycoolin Road and did the intervals there. There were a couple of points on the stretch of path I was using that necessitated slowing slightly, but bar taking my chances with the cars in the NSC, there wasn’t much else I could do. The 1-mile intervals were done as three sets of one out and one back rep. It was predominantly a crosswind for each rep, and the differences in the paces are mainly attributable to elevation.
Splits;
Warm-up: 5.19km in 24:25, 4:42/km
Reps;
1) 1.61km in 5:16, 3:16/km
2) 1.61km in 5:21, 3:19/km
3) 1.61km in 5:15, 3:16/km
4) 1.61km in 5:22, 3:20/km
5) 1.61km in 5:17, 3:17/km
6) 1.61km in 5:21, 3:19/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:06
Due to rain, I left my go-faster shoes at home, so I’m hoping there’s another second or two I could take off my overall average pace of 3:17.83/km for 6 miles of fast stuff. Even without that, holding the same pace in a 10k race, would see me finish in under 33 minutes, which judged against Saturday’s 5km race time, would have to be deemed a success.
Totals: 1:25 - 20.44km
Tuesday 11th May
Run - 21km21.34km in 1:29:01, 4:10/km, 144bpmI combined the two daily runs and ran from Clonsilla to Leixlip along the Royal Canal. Due to COVID restrictions, it’s the first time in a long time I’ve ran this route. I’d love to say it was inspiring to be back, but it just felt like a dreary long slow run.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:58
19.33km in 1:18:51, 4:05/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:09
Totals: 1:29 - 21.34km
Wednesday 12th May
Run w. / 7mins tempo, 2 x 3mins 10k, & 2 x 45secs 5k14.66km in 1:01:48, 4:13/km, 134bpmIt was wet today, so once again, I wasn’t wearing my racing shoes for a speed session. But on the plus side, it wasn’t windy, and I was grateful for that much. I was working hard, but at the same time, I was acutely aware that the tempo effort needed to be followed up with two faster 10k efforts, which in turn needed to be backed up with two even faster 5k efforts. All reps were all brought home on target, and I feel like I did a good job metering the effort.
Splits;
Warm-up:
2.09km in 7:00, 3:21/km, 138bpm
0.63km in 3:00, 4:43/km
0.92km in 3:00, 3:15/km, 133bpm
0.64km in 3:00, 4:40/km
0.94km in 3:00, 3:12/km, 137bpm
0.64km in 3:00, 4:41/km
0.24km in 0:45, 3:07/km, 132bpm
0.62km in 3:00, 4:49/km
0.23km in 0:45, 3:10/km, 128bpm
0.61km in 3:00, 4:52/km
1.00km in 3:54
Totals: 1:02 - 14.66km
Thursday 13th May
Run 1 - 8.5km8.52km in 35:48, 4:12/kmTotals: 0:36 - 8.52km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:14
6.50km in 26:04, 4:01/km, 137bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:30
Run 2 - 13.65km13.65km in 1:03:27, 4:39/km, 122bpmI was almost 9km into what supposed to be an easy 7 miles, when I bumped into my brother who was also out for a run. I knew a significant slowdown was going to ensue if I started running with him, but I wasn’t attaching much importance to the run anyway, and it would have been a bit rude to just run by him. So I fell in step with him, and was thankful of the company. It’s the first time I ran with another person in what feels like an eternity, so the remaining slow miles passed rather quickly.
Splits;
1) 8.98km in 39:46, 4:26/km,
2) 4.67km in 23:40, 5:04/km
Totals: 0:42 - 13.65km
Friday 14th May
10km Run10:01km in 42:01, 4:12/km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:50
Run: 8.00km in 32:03, 4:02/km, 141bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:06
Totals: 0:42 - 10.01km
Saturday 15th May
4km easy4.0km in 1:19:48, 4:57/km, 469m gain, 129bpm
Totals: 0:20 - 4.01km
Le Chéile 5,000m TT
Warm up- 1st Part; 3.51km in 16:28, 4:41/kmThis included three hill sprints of 7 seconds, 16 seconds and 25 seconds duration.- 2nd Part; 0.95km in 4:04, 4:15/kmTwo and a half laps of the track progressing to what I hoped would have been today’s race pace.
Race5km in 16:20, 3:16/km, 159bpm
Laps; 1) 0:38.28 (200m), 2) 1:15.83, 3) 1:15.56, 4) 1:17.43, 5) 1:17.43, 6) 1:18.26, 7) 1:18.74, 8) 1:18.85, 9) 1:20.34, 10) 1:20.46, 11) 1:20.73, 12) 1:21.77, 13) 1:18.06,
The lap times above will tell the story of the shortest race report I’ll ever write; Disappointed.
I wasn’t in the mood to immediately go for a cool down jog, and while quietly brooding on my own race, I watched the final one from outside the track. By the time that race ended, it had just started to rain heavily, so it made the decision to hop into the shelter of my car and drive home even easier.
Totals: 0:37 - 9.46km
Sunday 16th May
12km Recovery12.00km in 1:09:54, 5:50/km, 110bpmTotals: 1:10 - 12.00km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 8:29, Distance: 115.82km
Cross training - Time: 0:00
S & C - Time: 0:450 -
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if you are to ignore the times which you dont like
what was the difference you felt between track and the road tt .
ie which day did you feel better?
did you prefer track or road
alone or with somebody?0 -
peter kern wrote: »ie which day did you feel better?
did you prefer track or road
alone or with somebody?
I don't really know how to answer those questions to be honest. It was my first track race, so I think I'd need to do a few more of them before coming up with a preference. From the mental side of things, I'd prefer a road race, but it's an undeniable fact that track races are faster. And as it's all about the time for me, were it possible, I'd still enter a 10,000m track race in 5 weeks.
I'd the same level of confidence heading into both races, but the implosion I experienced in the solo TT meant I adopted a different strategy for the race in Leixlip.
Obviously having someone to run the full 5,000m with both times would have been great, but you'd need the perfect running partner. And in a race with only 12 runners, I was unlikely to be so lucky. I stuck with the leaders for 2.5 laps, but it didn't work out. Was there any benefit to what I did? It's hard to know, but it was demoralising to see the gap grow over the final ten laps. I'm well used to running on my own in training, and racing on my own in the run legs of triathlons, so having company is certainly not something I depend upon.0 -
thats good enough for me .
so i take it you are going to train more on the track if you want to do 10 k track race.0 -
peter kern wrote: »thats good enough for me .
so i take it you are going to train more on the track if you want to do 10 k track race.
That would definitely be the sensible thing to do, so "No", I won't be doing it.
But more seriously, I don't have ready access to a track. If I was more motivated about this 10k mission, I'd probably rejoin Dunboyne AC, and do my sessions on their track. But honestly, my mind is already wandering to what I might do after 3rd July, and it doesn't necessarily involve running or triathlon.0 -
That would definitely be the sensible thing to do, so "No", I won't be doing it.
But more seriously, I don't have ready access to a track. If I was more motivated about this 10k mission, I'd probably rejoin Dunboyne AC, and do my sessions on their track. But honestly, my mind is already wandering to what I might do after 3rd July, and it doesn't necessarily involve running or triathlon.
i dont get that really, your training has gone well and are on a clear track for a 10k pb apart from 1 poor track race and a ****e last k in a 5 k tt .0 -
Monday 17th May
Distance Run w/ 1mi (10k), 600m (5k), 1.2k (10k), 600m (3k), 1mi (10k), 400m (3k), 400m (1mi); 3min recoveries17.42km in 1:11:40, 4:07/kmI was happy with the paces I held for all of the reps. If anything, I was even faster than I was expecting. So it was a bit of a tonic after the disappointing race two days prior. But the nagging voice of doubt is telling me it might be another case of training well and racing poorly.
Splits;
5.53km in 25:00, 4:31/km
Reps + Rests;
1) 1.61km in 5:14, 3:15/km
0.66km in 3:00, 4:31/km
2) 0.60km in 1:56, 3:13/km
0.68km in 3:00, 4:25/km
3) 1.20km in 3:52, 3:13/km
0.66km in 3:00, 4:33/km
4) 0.60km in 1:46, 2:57/km
0.64km in 3:00, 4:39/km
5) 1.61km in 5:12, 3:14/km
0.64km in 3:00, 4:41/km
6) 0.40km in 1:13, 3:03/km
0.60km in 3:00, 5:01/km
7) 0.40km in 1:11, 2:58/km
0.58km in 3:00, 5:09/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:11
Totals: 1:12 - 17.42km
Tuesday 18th May
Run - 21km21.40km in 1:25:34, 4:00/km, 139bpmI had to drive from Dublin to Tullamore this evening, and stopped off along the way to get this run done. I pulled off the M4 and parked up in a village I’d never heard of before; Johnstown Bridge. The change of scenery was good. Being a bit pressed for time, I didn’t really have time for my routine warmup and cool down. Consequently, I was pushing the pace from first to last step.
Totals: 1:26 - 21.40km
Wednesday 19th May
12km Run12:01km in 50:15, 4:11/km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:07
Run: 10.00km in 40:10, 4:01/km, 144bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:56
Totals: 0:50 - 12.01km
Thursday 20th May
Run 1 - 6km Recovery6.01km in 35:18, 5:52/km, 109bpmTotals: 0:36 - 6.01km
Run 2 - 18km w/ 8 x 45” surges18.01km in 1:13:09, 4:04/km, 141bpmI drove to the Phoenix Park for this, and stuck to flat terrain for the entire run. I ran conservatively for 9km before starting the first of eight surges, when my watch auto lapped for the tenth time.
Splits;
Warmup - 1.00km in 5:12
9.00km in 36:39, 4:04/km
0.23km in 47.0”, 3:25/km, Max speed = 3:12/km
0.59km in 2:15, 3:47/km
0.22km in 46.9” @ 3:30/km, Max speed = 3:17/km
0.59km in 2:15, 3:49/km
0.24km in 46.0” @ 3:12/km, Max speed = 3:07/km
0.58km in 2:15, 3:53/km
0.23km in 47.9” @ 3:27/km, Max speed = 3:22/km
0.60km in 2:15, 3:45/km
0.23km in 45.3” @ 3:18/km, Max speed = 3:07/km
0.57km in 2:16, 4:00/km
0.23km in 45.7” @ 3:14/km, Max speed = 3:05/km
0.58km in 2:15, 3:55/km
0.25km in 47.2” @ 3:12/km, Max speed = 3:09/km
0.58km in 2:15, 3:52/km
0.23km in 45.6” @ 3:16/km, Max speed = 3:04/km
0.58km in 2:16, 3:55/km
0.47km in 1:56, 4:06/km
Cool down - 1.00km in 5:06
Totals: 1:13 - 18.01km
Friday 21st May
10km Run10:01km in 42:46, 4:16/km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:15
Run: 8.00km in 32:19, 4:02/km, 141bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:11
Totals: 0:43 - 10.01km
Saturday 22nd May
25km on Wicklow Way25.00km in 2:11:08, 5:15/km, 954m gain, 140bpmWith a slightly longer long run than usual scheduled for this weekend, I figured it was worthwhile driving to Marlay Park for it. It was only a short distance from there to link up with the Wicklow Way. It was nice to be away from traffic and the non too inspiring routes I’m used to running in Dublin 15. And if all the climbing I had to do helps with strength, then that’s another bonus.
Totals: 2:11 - 25.00km
Sunday 23rd May
16km Recovery16.00km in 1:32:18, 5:46/km, 109bpmTotals: 1:10 - 12.00km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 9:42, Distance: 125.87km
Cross training - Time: 0:45
S & C - Time: 0:000 -
peter kern wrote: »i dont get that really, your training has gone well and are on a clear track for a 10k pb apart from 1 poor track race and a ****e last k in a 5 k tt .
It’s simply a question of motivation. I guess a 10k PB doesn’t mean as much to me as qualifying for Kona or a sub 2:30 marathon did. This was a project I sort of stumbled into and I’m a little surprised that I’ve stuck with the plan for this long. I’ll be running a 10k on 3rd July, and I’ll let the chips fall where they may.0 -
Monday 24th May
Distance Run w/ 6 x (800m @ 10k pace/800m steady)15.66km in 1:03:01, 4:01/km, 143bpmThis looked like a challenging run on paper, but despite that I still opted to go to The Polo Grounds and run on grass. I’m not sure how much speed that took away from me, but I’m telling myself it was significant enough. I concentrated on the effort rather than the pace. I’m pleased with the consistent times I held for the first four 800m 10k-reps. And while I didn’t hold that consistency for the final two reps, I’d much rather be a few seconds quicker than a few seconds slower.
Splits;
5.06km in 23:34, 4:39/km
800m in 2:43, 3:24/km
800m in 2:56, 3:40/km
800m in 2:43, 3:24/km
800m in 3:01, 3:24/km
800m in 2:44, 3:25/km
800m in 3:04, 3:50/km
800m in 2:43, 3:24/km
800m in 3:05, 3:51/km
800m in 2:39, 3:19/km
800m in 3:03, 3:49/km
800m in 2:40, 3:20/km
800m in 3:01, 3:46/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:00
Totals: 1:03 - 15.66km
Tuesday 25th May
Run - 23km23.00km in 1:33:04, 4:04/km, 140bpmI combined today’s two scheduled runs and did the recommended distance in one activity.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:03
Run: 21.00km in 1:23:22, 3:58km, 144bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:58
Totals: 1:33 - 23.00km
Wednesday 26th May
Distance Run w/ 8 x (200m 5k-3k pace/200m jog)13:01km in 57:22, 4:25/km, 131bpmThe 200m efforts were all done on flat ground; the odd numbered efforts were all in the same direction on what was basically the exact same stretch of path, the even numbered ones in the opposite direction. So any advantage to be had from either the wind or gradient was nullified. It’s probably easy enough hit target paces for such short efforts, but at least I wasn’t failing.
Splits;
8.17km in 36:21, 4:27/km
1) 200m in 36.7”, 3:03/km, (Max = 2:56/km)
2) 200m in 37.9”, 3:09/km, (Max = 2:56/km)
3) 200m in 36.7”, 3:04/km, (Max = 2:54/km)
4) 200m in 36.0”, 3:00/km, (Max = 2:57/km)
5) 200m in 36.4”, 3:02/km, (Max = 2:57/km)
6) 200m in 37.2”, 3:06/km, (Max = 3:02/km)
7) 200m in 35.6”, 2:58/km, (Max = 2:51/km)
8) 200m in 36.2”, 3:01/km, (Max = 2:57/km)
Cool down: 1.64km in 8:12, 4:59/km
Totals: 0:57 - 13.01km
Thursday 27th May
13km Easy13.00km in 1:03:48, 4:54/km, 122bpmThis was one of the rare runs in the plan that is actually tagged as “easy”, so I felt I had the imprimatur from Magness himself to take it even easier than normal.
Totals: 1:04 - 13.00km
Friday 28th May
10km w/ 6 x 100m strides9.83km in 42:04, 4:17/km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:53
Run: 5.00km in 20:07, 4:01/km
Strides;
1) 19.2” @ 3:15/km
2) 19.2” @ 3:04/km
3) 18.9” @ 3:13/km
4) 19.1” @ 3:16/km
5) 19.7” @ 3:14/km
6) 19.3” @ 3:17/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:50
Totals: 0:42 - 9.83km
Saturday 29th May
5mins w/ 3 x 1min blocks accelerating to 5k pace3.57km in 15:03, 4:13/kmTotals: 0:15 - 3.57km
Splits;
2.47km in 11:00, 4:27/km
0.27km in 1:00, 3:37/km
0.2km in 1:00, 3:18/km
0.32km in 1:00, 3:07/km
0.20km in 1:00, 5:00/km
Race - 10k
I arrived at Down Royal Racecourse 24 hours early for a 10k race ChampionChip Ireland were holding on 30th May. However, MyRunResults were hosting the Northern Ireland 100K & 50K Championships at the same venue today, so I parked up without realising anything was amiss until I walked up to registration.
Luckily a 5-person relay race was part of the 50k Championships, and MyRunResults were kind enough to give me a number free of charge. So major thanks to them for accommodating me and saving me a pointless 3½-hour round trip.
Warm up1.98km in 9:56, 5:02/kmA short trot with three sprints; completed as close to the start of the race as I dared leave it.
Race10km in 33:32, 3:21/km, 167bpmMy hope today was to get as close to 33 minutes as possible, and my strategy was to hold sub 3:20/km pace for as long as possible. I’d forgotten to switch on the auto-lap mode on my watch. So with just average pace showing, I wasn’t fully aware of how early, nor how far, I was off my target pace. I’m not sure I could have done much about it had I known the >3:20 kilometres had started so early. But I drove up North not expecting to run a whole lot faster than 33:32. Also, I was on my own from the get go, and I managed to avoid a capitulation after a 3:26 split midway through. And at the end of the day, I was lucky to be even racing, so I’ll graciously accept the result and take it as a sign I’m on the right track for 3rd July.
KM Splits; 1) 3:15, 2) 3:15, 3) 3:17, 4) 3:23, 5) 3:26, 6) 3:21, 7) 3:27, 8) 3:26, 9) 3:24, 10) 3:24
Cool Down3.22km in 18:16, 5:40/km
Totals: 1:01 - 15.18km
Sunday 30th May
I didn’t bother with the scheduled recovery run, and opted for a 3½ cycle instead.
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 9:42, Distance: 125.87km
Cross training - Time: 0:45
S & C - Time: 0:000 -
Can I ask why you seem to have dropped S&C these last few weeks, is it a conscious decision?
As I’ve gotten older I’m convinced that S&C is essential for form and improvement
TbL0 -
ThebitterLemon wrote: »Can I ask why you seem to have dropped S&C these last few weeks, is it a conscious decision?
As I’ve gotten older I’m convinced that S&C is essential for form and improvement
TbL
It certainly wasn't a conscious decision. This is just just what half-arsed training looks like for me, and it's simply just a bad habit I've let develop. Anytime I've had an injury, I'm as convinced as you are about the merits of S & C; touch wood the next reminder isn't just around the corner. I had hoped logging zero hours week after week, would shame me into doing something, but I'm still waiting. While I know it's easy to do effective work at home, home fitness is not something I ever seriously got into. And with gyms being shut for so long, it was easy find an excuse not to do anything. Now that they're open again, my excuse is it's too late in the program to be changing anything.
I suppose I've been foam rolling regularly for 10-15 minutes (sometimes up to three times a day) for the last while. No doubt that's helping keep the injuries at bay, but I don't count it as training. And I intend to go back to Bikram Yoga this week, which combined with running itself (the most specific strength work you can do) has most bases covered.0 -
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Race - 10k
I arrived at Down Royal Racecourse 24 hours early for a 10k race ChampionChip Ireland were holding on 30th May. However, MyRunResults were hosting the Northern Ireland 100K & 50K Championships at the same venue today, so I parked up without realising anything was amiss until I walked up to registration.
Was this your error or an error in communication?
You seem to be less enthused (or maybe more down on yourself?) about your training these days - is this due to the plan you are following, lack of races or other?
Have you considered getting a coach specifically for running rather than using an off the shelf plan?0 -
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AuldManKing wrote: »Was this your error or an error in communication?
It was entirely my own fault. The plan had the a tune-up race on the Saturday. Then after registering for ChampionchipIreland’s race, in the book I literally just pencilled in the race for Saturday without even thinking about it. I even knew driving up that the race was on the 30th May, it just never occurred to me to check the date when I left Dublin that morning.You seem to be less enthused (or maybe more down on yourself?) about your training these days - is this due to the plan you are following lack of races or other?
Have you considered getting a coach specifically for running rather than using an off the shelf plan?
I think it’s fair to say I’m less enthused. It’s not due to a lack of races, I think I’ve been lucky enough to fit in what I have, and I’ve had the peak race picked out for a while. Training is more or less going to plan, but I’ve had a few mediocre races and TTs in the build up. Those performances are annoying/puzzling me, and it’s hard to see what is going to change come July.
Also, as I alluded to in a previous post, this was not the return to running I had envisioned for myself. I wanted to give triathlon another year or two before fully committing to bettering my marathon PB. COVID messed up those plans, and I haven’t yet adjusted to the changed sporting world. They’re first world problems I know, but that’s where my mind is at.
RE run coaching; it’s not something I’d rule out, but I’d only look into it if I knew I was going to be 100% committed to it for the long term. And right now, I’m nowhere near that.0 -
Monday 31st May
Distance Run w/ 4mi MP + 15mins tempo18.38km in 1:16After a 5km warm-up, I changed into a brand new pair of Saucony Endorphin Pro 2s. Despite only going 1 second per kilometre quicker, I was working much harder for the the 15 minutes at threshold than I was for the MP effort. I’m telling myself though the combined distance of fast running was in excess of 10km, and only 2 days after doing a full 10km at an all out effort, so I’m going to cut myself some slack on this occasion.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1) 5.00km in 22:49, 4:33/km & 2) 1.00km in 4:39
6.43km in 21:54, 3:24/km, 162bpm
3mins rest
4.43km in 15:00, 3:23/km, 168bpm
3mins rest
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:11
Totals: 1:16 - 18.38km
Tuesday 1st June
Run - 18km18.00km in 1:13:06, 4:04/km, 138bpm
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:56
Run: 16.00km in 1:02:52, 3:56/km, 142bpm
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:09
Totals: 1:13 - 18.00km
Wednesday 2nd June
20km w/ 8 x 10” hill sprints + 1hour run20.02km in 1:36:04, 4:48/kmTotals: 1:36 - 20.02km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.78km in 9:19, 5:13/km
8 hill sprints w/ approx 2min walking recoveries
Run: 15.01km in 1:00:02, 4:00/km
Cool down: 1.53km in 8:43, 5:42/km
Thursday 3rd June
12km12.00km in 49:37, 4:08/km, 132bpmTotals: 0:50 - 12.00km
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 5:02
Run: 10.00km in 39:30, 3:57/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:57
Friday 4th June
Distance Run 3 x (600m, 600m, 400m @ 5k pace w/ 40” rest)16.37km in 1:10:13, 4:17/kmI was happy with this run; the second session of the week. Well, happy with the finishing paces above, but as I’ve found out a few times in recent months, it’s a lot easier hold sub 16 minute 5k pace for short reps, than it is for a full 5,000m.
Splits;
Warm-up: 7.99km in 34:50, 4:21/km
0.60km in 1:57, 3:11/km
0.60km in 1:50, 3:05/km
0.40km in 1:16, 3:11/km
0.61km in 3:00, 4:56/km
0.60km in 1:55, 3:10/km
0.61km in 1:50, 3:02/km
0.41km in 1:16, 3:04/km
0.62km in 3:01, 4:51/km
0.61km in 1:55, 3:09/km
0.60km in 1:51, 3:05/km
0.40km in 1:14, 3:03/km
0.61km in 3:01, 4:56/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 5:07
Totals: 1:10 - 16.37km
Saturday 5th June
14.5km Recovery14.51km in 1:21:28, 6:10/km, 106bpmI ran to the NSC, and stuck to the cross country route for the bulk of this run.
Totals: 1:21 - 14.51km
Sunday 6th June
Long Hilly Run22.64km in 1:41:58, 4:30/km, 424m, 138bpmSeeking a change of scenery, I drove to the Hill of Tara for this week’s long run. It was all on grass and very much an up and down affair.
Totals: 1:42 - 22.64km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 9:15, Distance: 121.94km
Cross training - Time: 0:00
S & C - Time: 0:000 -
can i ask how do you calculate that your marathon pace is 3.24 ?0
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peter kern wrote: »can i ask how do you calculate that your marathon pace is 3.24 ?
I was aiming for 3:27/km, same pace I held in DCM 2018. While it's only a 3-second difference, I'm not confident enough in my current form that I'd be willing to slowdown when the margins are so fine. It was a day when I wanted to hit my target paces no matter what, and in the moment, the fact I was moving too fast was of minor concern.0 -
I was aiming for 3:27/km, same pace I held in DCM 2018. While it's only a 3-second difference, I'm not confident enough in my current form that I'd be willing to slowdown when the margins are so fine. It was a day when I wanted to hit my target paces no matter what, and in the moment, the fact I was moving too fast was of minor concern.
and how can your marathon pace be 3.27 if your 2nd half of your 10 k race was 3.25 pace ...
or to make it clearer, 2 days after a race you train as fast or faster than what you run 5 k in a 10 k race and call it marathon pace...0 -
peter kern wrote: »and how can your marathon pace be 3.27 if your 2nd half of your 10 k race was 3.25 pace ...
or to make it clearer, 2 days after a race you train as fast or faster than what you run 5 k in a 10 k race and call it marathon pace...
Well if that’s the way you want to look at it, fair enough. But the way I look at it is I know I’ve ran 3:27/km in a marathon before, so until old age catches up with me, I’m going to continue training with that pace in mind.
PS. Now that you’re here, can you tell me have you ever flown with a bike from Ireland to Iceland?0 -
Well if that’s the way you want to look at it, fair enough. But the way I look at it is I know I’ve ran 3:27/km in a marathon before, so until old age catches up with me, I’m going to continue training with that pace in mind.
of course if you feel your training is going well that makes sense.
ps yes i did fly to iceland 4 times awesome place .0 -
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Monday 7th June
Distance Run w/ 3 x 2,400m - alternate 400m LT/400m 10k to 5k12.20km in 57:21, 4:49/km, 155bpmI deliberately chose to do this on MSB’s grass track, as it would give me an easy excuse should I fail to hit my paces. I wasn’t particularly relishing this run, which had an affect on my mentality. Plus pools were back open today, which was an unwelcome distraction. Despite today being a bank holiday, I’d left it until late afternoon to start. So I was under pressure to get things wrapped up before my inaugural swim of 2021, and my mind was elsewhere when I should have been solely concentrating on running fast.
Splits;
Warm up; 3.19km in 15:21, 4:49/km, 124bpm
2,400m Effort 1;
400m in 1:28 - 3:40/km, 300m in 1:02 - 3:27/km, 100m in 0:21 - 3:30/km,
400m in 1:28 - 3:40/km, 300m in 1:02 - 3:27/km, 100m in 0:21 - 3:21/km,
400m in 1:28 - 3:40/km, 300m in 1:04 - 3:30/km, 100m in 0:21 - 3:30/km
Circa 4 minutes rest
2,400m Effort 2;
400m in 1:28 - 3:40/km, 300m in 1:03 - 3:30/km, 100m in 0:21 - 3:30/km,
400m in 1:28, 3:40/km - 300m in 1:03 - 3:30/km, 100m in 0:21 - 3:30/km,
(I forgot where I was in my sequence of 400m), 300m in 1:06 - 3:40/km, 100m in 0:21 - 3:30/km
Circa 4 minutes rest
2,400m Effort 3;
400m in 1:30 - 3:45/km, 300m in 1:03 - 3:30/km, 100m in 0:20 - 3:22/km,
400m in 1:31 - 3:45/km, 300m in 1:06 - 3:31/km, 100m in 0:19 - 3:10/km,
400m in 1:31 - 3:45/km, 300m in 1:03 - 3:30/km, 100m in 0:21 - 3:30/km
Circa 4 minutes rest
Cool down; 1.00km in 5:31
I’m working out the speeds above based on the 100m markings on the track, rather than the more generous figures my Garmin recorded. The numbers don’t look great, but I’m sure there’s a significant margin of error attributable to how quickly I pressed the lap button upon crossing the 100m chalk markings. But Garmin Connect shows that my cadence increased with each attempted turn of speed, so I’ll take that as clearer evidence that I was successfully doing what I was supposed to be doing.
Totals: 0:57 - 12.20km
Tuesday 8th June
Run - 17km18.00km in 1:09:22, 4:05/km, 141bpmAfter a longer than planned power nap this evening, I wasn’t feeling very sprightly. I seriously considered just doing this as an easy run, but I copped on during the opening kilometre, and stuck to the original plan of 15km at pace.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:57
Run: 15.00km in 59:26, 3:58/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:59
Totals: 1:09 - 17.00km
Wednesday 9th June
15km w/ 6mins LT, 3mins 10k, 2 x 400m 10k & 4 x 10sec sprints14.90km in 1:02:02, 4:10/km, 140bpmI was well off my 3:23/km target for the opening salvo. Although, I’m pretty sure a lap pace 3:24/km was showing on my watch before taking a left hand turn with about 90 seconds left in the effort. But I just couldn’t maintain the pace, and finished the effort with a rueful shake of my head. The start of the first 10k wasn’t going too well either, and once again, I found myself a couple of seconds off my target pace. I started to think I was in for a long evening, and knew a change in approach was required. Grunting things out wasn’t working. So I consciously took the decision to relax, and focussed on lengthening my stride. As if by magic, my speed increased and it was fairly plain sailing from there on. I actually had to slow down for the 400m efforts; a rare occurrence of late.
Splits;
Warm-up: 6.04km in 26:02, 4:19/km
1.75km in 6:00, 3:26/km
1.29km in 6:00, 4:39/km
0.92km in 3:00, 3:15/km
1.39km in 6:00, 4:18/km
400m in 1:17, 3:13/km
0.17km in 0:45, 4:21/km
400m in 1:17, 3:12/km
0.17km in 0:45, 4:23/km
0.47km in 2:00, 4:17/km
4 x {10” max sprint* + 50” jog}
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:52
*I don’t believe the varying speeds my Garmin is giving me for the 10-second sprints, so I won’t bother detailing them. Suffice to say, they were all max efforts, and the 50-second recoveries were very much needed.
Totals: 1:02 - 14.90km
Thursday 10th June
Run 1 - 10km10.11km in 41:44, 4:08/km, 144bpmLegs felt a bit heavy on this run. I was wearing old-school racing flats, so I’m attributing it to that.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:39
Run: 8.09km in 32:04, 3:58/km
Cool down: 1.00km in 4:55
Totals: 0:42 - 10.11km
Run 2 - 8km Recovery8.01km in 49:00, 6:07/km, 110bpmI’d taken the morning off; not the most sensible decision when a double run day is scheduled. It meant I had to get the two runs done in the evening, and I only began this run at 21:48. It was a lot of reluctance I took the first few steps, but in an attempt to cheer myself up, I ran by the local pubs to see how outdoor drinking is going down with the neighbours.
Totals: 0:49 - 8.01km
Friday 11th June
10km w/ 6 x 100m strides10.01km in 42:33, 4:15/kmA fairly standard run on the eve of a race done and dusted.
Splits;
Warm-up: 1.00km in 4:53
6.00km in 1:57, 3:11/km
6 x {100m strides + circa 60second recoveries}
1.00km in 3:53, 137bpm
Cool down: 0.35km in 1:39, 4:37/km
Totals: 0:43 - 10.01km
Saturday 12th June
Race (The Virtual Kind) - 5k
Warm up5.45km in 23:37, 4:20/km, 135bpmIn an attempt to give this something of a race like feel, I’d driven to St. Anne’s Park to use the parkrun route there. I’ve never ran here before, but it seemed to one of the easier parkrun courses in Dublin. Anyway, I scoped out the route on my warmup, and threw in a few sprints for good measure. Then after stripping down to a singlet, and lacing up my Sacouny Endorphin Pros for only their second outing, I undertook my most half hearted attempt at a “race” ever.
Race5.01km in 16:51, 3:22/km, 166bpmIt’s hard to draw too much confidence from this, but there’s not much I can complain about either. The route was about as fair a route as I could hope for, and conditions were ideal. It’s simply a case that when a decent performance was required, I just wasn’t able to deliver. I’m losing heart in this whole 10k project the closer it gets to D-Day. The idea that I might not be as fast as I’d like to think I am, is a hard one to get away from. And unless something magical happens on July 3rd, I don’t see how I’m going to break 33 minutes.
KM Splits; 1) 3:21, 2) 3:18, 3) 3:23, 4) 3:26, 5) 3:21
Cool Down3.00km in 17:30, 5:49/km
Totals: 0:48 - 13.46km
Sunday 13th June
3km Recovery3.01km in 15:44, 5:13/kmI started this at 21:49, not long after finishing a 4½ hour cycle, so getting this done took a lot more resolve than it should have.
Totals: 0:16 - 3.01km
Weekly Totals
Running - Time: 6:35, Distance: 88.73km
Cross training - Time: 5:28
S & C - Time: 0:000
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