The main thing is keeping the main thing, the main thing

Now, where was I...........

Oh yes - in hospital after my near death experience.

Well, like someone else - on the 3rd day I rose again (- it was actually 4 days - but it ruins the tagline).

I met the dietitian and the consultant (again) on Monday evening - from a diet perspective, I was told that my next 2 weeks would be everything unhealthy that I dont normally eat - no fiber, no seeds - so in came white bread, white pasta, white rice - out went veg, fruit, brown bread, whoewheat everything, porridge etc.

We had a pre-planned trip to Belfast planned - so I ran that by the doctor and the dietitian and got the ok (alcohol was also ok in moderation!!) - so spent Thursday & Friday in Belfast with the family.

At this stage I hadn't ran in more than a week and was gettin very itchy feet. Home on Saturday and threw on the runners for what I thought would be a nice easy run.

Good Jebus -it felt like I hadn't ran in a month - never mind 9 days. The next few days runs felt the same - I guess it'll take time to build it up.

July 31st: 6.5m 8.43 pace

Aug 1st: 7.7m 8.24 pace

Aug 2nd: 8m 8.23 pace.

Aug 3rd: 6m 8.42 pace (Quads pretty tired today for some reason - so kept it to 6 and not 8 - all on the flat and mostly on grass)

So - 10 weeks to Manchester - so much going on in my head.

• Train away and do it - whatever the result.
• Train for next few weeks and see how it goes.
• Make the call now and drop out - build up again and go again in spring.

Will probably see how the next 3 week go 1st - see what shape I get myself into and decide.

Thanks for the texts & comments - greatly appreciated.

If said Friend paid for my flights and accommodation for the privilege of me pacing, then its a consideration :p

Wednesday 11th: Rest day

Thursday: The start of a manic few days for me as wifey was going away, I needed to bring daughter number 2 to train station as she was going to Mayo and then go back to hospital for a checkup. As well as go back inot the office for a few hours for the 1st time in a long time.

Got out early for this one.

7.4m / 8.25 pace

Friday: Extremely Busy day in work meant I didn't get out til after 7 for this run. Still managed to walk the dog afterwards but pizza for dinner at 9pm isn't ideal prep for tomorrows long run. Went to bed absolutly knackered.

Had a good chat with coach today and we reset our targets for Manchester and beyond. He helped allay my fears about it being very close to race date.

If things pick up in the coming weeks, we may revisit - but for now the target is set.

7m/8.40 pace

Saturday: Still working a bit on Sat morning, so didn't get out til near 12'ish - I expected to be out in torrential rain, but it wasn't too bad and mainly stayed away after the 1st 15-20 mins.

The session was for 14m at 6.50-6.55 - slower than MP but a good 'structural run' to support the upcoming MP efforts.

2m WU - with the 2nd mile being a very easy 7.20 bode well for the effort ahead - I knew it would be a good day during the WU. (normally my WU miles are slowish).

The coach was saying to me about starting this at 7's and working down (reminding me of my tendancy to start fast) - I smiled at this as the 1st mile beeped at 6.39.

I settled into a very nice rhythm soon afterwards at about 6.45's and seriously it felt like I was jogging - HR was in the low 150's.

I decided after about 7 miles to run over to the hilly part of the park and go up Military and up the Upper Glen Road for additional stimulus, rather than stay on the flat.

The hillier parts did make it feel like more of an effort and certainly worked to fatigue the legs faster, HR was upto 160's at this stage. I came back around by the North Road for the final 3 miles and pushed on slightly to make up for the fact that it was a downhill finish to the zoo. Finished with 6.40/6.39/6.29 for a good 14m effort.

I took 2 gels during the run to test them out - the Maurten went down fine at 7m without water - the Torq was pure sweet syrup - wont be using these again.

Certainly gave me confidence as I've kinda struggled with these efforts previously.

2m cool down.

18 miles total.

Sunday 15th: Legs a bit tired at the start, but got going- kept the pace nice and easy.

7.1m / 8.45 pace.

62 miles for the week - highest mileage week since Nov 2020 believe it or not. Typically I'm a 70-75m at this stage for the Marathon - so it'll be interesting to see how it goes.

Wednesday: Rest day.

Thursday: an early 8m - cant really recall it.

8m/8.20 pace

Friday: 7m down to the park and back

7m/8.15 pace

Saturday: session - 3WU/ 13 6.25-6.30/ 3CD

Prepared well for this one - I knew it was important to get it done, both for the pace and for the mileage. The thoughts of the pace didn't phase me having done 14 at 6.40 pace the previous week.

I drove to the PP and set of on the warm up - wearing the Endorphin Pro 2's - I was finding them very slippy on the PP surface and didn't fancy doing the session with that on my mind - something similar happened a while back that resulted in me getting a slight quad strain.

So I hightailed it back to the car and drove home to change into the Next %. I was sweating buckets at this stage, given the humidity.

Started the session close to the house and was finding 6.25's tough from the off. I reckoned I'd get a 2nd wind after a few miles, but I was struggling.

1st 4m were 6.26/6.26/6.25/6.28 and I knew that I was not going to do 9 more. On the 5th mile I was really forcing the pace and the effort was certainly higher than MP. I took a reset for 2 mins and tried to get going again, but the body was having none of it after another mile.

Decided to not continue (as I couldn't) and just jogged home.

2 weeks prior to this - the coach and I had a conversation around Manchester - his advice then was to not do it. He reckoned I'd be forcing the pace and it could lead to injury or illness. We compromised on the pace and that led to the previous 2 weeks training where I did churn out some good sessions.

However - the fitness wont be there in time to give Manchester a good rattle - it would be a gamble to keep going for another few weeks - do the race and then spend 3-5 weeks recovering from what could be a great race or a sh1te race. , so we agreed to change approach for the coming months and focus on 10k-10m fitness.

Given how the previous 18 months or so have went with race cancellations - me not doing this Marathon is no big issue for me - I'm not overly disappointed. On the positive - I will get to race more in the immediate future (rather than just 1 race in October)!!

Sunday: Legs were quite tried & heavy on Sunday: just a few light miles to ease them out.

4m/8.30 pace

55m for the week

DD is going to San Seb!! You wont ditch him like you ditched me.

I was thinking of Valencia or a Spring Marathon - but the idea of not running a spring Marathon and just racing a bunch is also appealing

So, following the long run debacle last week - I fired an email to the coach about doing the Antrim Half Marathon - I had an entry but timing didn't suit the coaches plans for Manchester - with that now not happening, coach agreed on doing the HM - we both felt a PB was achievable (1.21.41).

Monday: 7m around the PP - loved how the legs felt today.

7m / 8.10 pace

Tuesday: 20 mins WU / 8x45 secs / 20 mins CD

I was chuckling after this as I looked at Healys 'tune up' (5x1mile) - a difference in approaches - both equally valid.

Legs felt supersonic after these.

Booked a hotel room 30 mins from the start line.

6.5m

Wednesday: Obligatory Rest day - I had bought some SIS Nitrates in advance of Manchester, so said I'd trial them in advance of the HM. Not as bad as the Beet it shots on the stomach - but you have to do a 3-4 day loading of 2 shots per day.

Thursday: 6m / 8 min miles

Friday: Easy paced run with 5 strides - getting the gear ready today - realised that I had no real plan for the race - so settled down to look at the course, the temps, humidity etc. Getting that familiar race nerves at last!

Wifey asked me to go out to the local for dinner. 1 pint served me well - ok ok - I had a 2nd for luck, but left it at that.

4.9m

Saturday: An easy 3 miles, was about a half mile from he house crossing a road and I miss the kerb and jar my foot.

Immediate reaction was it was just a jarring - it'll come right in a min, run it off.

Nope - a lot of hobbling home - I iced it immediately - it wasn't the ankle - but the side of the foot/instep. Rested it and compressed for a couple of hours and then went for a tester walk. I couldn't really put weight on that part of my foot and felt myself compensating when walking by turning my foot inwards. Not a great sign and there was no way I was going to run a HM on it.

Think I was more devastated by this than Manchester - probably by the closeness of the race.

Also lost my hotel fee as it needed to be cancelled by the morning....sheezzzzz

Sunday: Foot felt a bit better, but still sore, I made the correct decision as I wouldn't have been able to race.

Really enjoyed seeing the results come in on Strava - some fantastic performances all around. Delighted to see the Lemon do a 1.26, Healy have a stormer and Elaine run a 'da' inspired PB.

Time to knuckle down, get back fit with some consistent week upon week of training - I'll make plans then.

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: 8x8sec hill sprints (2.30 Rec).

Kept this local as I've a nice hill for this sort of stuff quite near me - Strava tells me its a 6-7% gradient.

4 miles easy then pumped out the 8x8's.

Friday: Easy miles today after lunch - as it was wet out I wanted to try the grip on the Adidas Solar boost that were in my attic - I have a box for runners that I retire early, but just might unretire :) )

I had been thinking about doing some sessions in 'normal' runners - not the supershoes we have now - so checked Strava and seen I had done many sessions in these shoes - both speed and longer MP stuff.

Holy Jaysus. I think I've gone soft in the legs or something. Not too sure I'd survive many sessions in those shoes - I firmly believe its the foam that makes the difference, not the carbon plate.

At least I didn't slip.

7m at 8.23 pace.

Saturday: Session - 2m WU/ 12m at 6.40 down to 6.30 / 2 CD

So - slightly apprehensive about this one given I managed 8m at that pace last week with no pick up at the end. However - the headspace was different this time.

Making the choice that I wasn't going to do loops and just run a route was a big difference - didn't matter if there were hills - I can just run at effort. Simple things.

Our Brain is our biggest 'holder backer' at times!!

Anyway - 2m warm up - both under 8 min mile, so I knew it was going to be a good day. It was dry and I was wearing the Endorphin Pro 2 - some strides and set off.

1st few miles was down North Road, around by the zoo and up Military hill - navigated these quite well - bit quick, but downhill (6.30/6.40/6.32/6.34)

Went up Military hill and onto the S Bends (6.40/6.36) - onto the Upper Glen Road - this was encouraging as the climb was beginning to bite, and for a while the pace was in the 6.50's-7's but once I got onto the flat - it came back down and the mile came in at 6.40 - bang on target. I was wondering if I'd be able to hold 6.30 pace for the next part.

Along the Furze and onto Chesterfield to CK Gate - picking it up as I went - (6.36 / 6.29)down the north road/C'Field (6.28/6.23), with a nice downhill finish by the Magazine fort (6.19).

Very happy with this run - was in control most of the way - was tiring by the pick up - but that's the point I guess.

2m cool down

16m total (Total ave 6.56 pace / 12m Tempo in 6.32)

Sunday: Nice n easy few miles - the HRM is chaffing my chest, so will lay off it for a while.

7m/8.34

58 miles for the week

Thursday 23: 8x8sec hills - 8.1 miles total.

Friday 24th: 7 miles total - 8.36 pace - felt ok.

Sat 25th - session - 40 mins at 6.15 pace.

Legs didn't have it today at all - 1200 meters in to the rep I stopped, that's not happened before. Got going again - but stopped wthin 2 miles. Got going again - stopped again.

Ah Here - WTF is going on. Why is there always f'ing drama with these - nearly threw my toys out of the pram along with the baby & the bathwater.

Giving up running, running for fun, running for less ambitious targets, giving up running, giving up running, run less etc etc - all going around my stupid noggin'

15.4 miles total at 7.29 pace - (thats not bad is it!)

Sunday: Monday is a hospital appt - so Sunday was a prep day - no eating at all. So decided not to run - it would have been stupid.

I had to take this concoction to clear my stomach/bowels - starting at 3pm.

Started working at 4.30pm just as the Spurs v Arsenal match was on - No matter where I looked, all I could see was $h!te.

Pretty weak by the end of it.

Monday: Endoscopy & Colonoscopy - reminded me of being in San Seb with TBL.

Very efficient in the Hermitage - in at 7.30am - home by 11:30am.

2 polyps removed and sent for testing / Numerous diverticulae / Multiple ulcers / a Hiatus hernia / bad bacteria in the gut / medication for 12 weeks / further endoscopys needed - but apart from that I'm grand.

Tuesday: 8m - legs felt great with the 2 days off. mostly on grass - 8m @ 8.12 pace.

Wednesday: Session: 20 WU/ 15 min Tempo / 5x2min on-off / 15min tempo / 20 CD

1st 15min Tempo was around the North road/C'field loop: 5.58 pace - felt very strong.

5x2 mins - up & down Chesterfield: ave 5.33 - tough into the breeze.

2nd 15min Tempo - Down the North Road, mainly to avoid the wind - pace was 5.57. Hd hoped for slightly faster given the downhill nature of it - but cant complain given what went before.

I really like these sessions.

Total was 13 miles

Thursday: A proper recovery run - 6.2 miles / 8.40 pace - trying to avoid the hills. Nice. (mad day/week/month/year in work mind you.........)

At some point in the week I crossed over 2000 miles - also finished Sept with 234 miles.

Not a dialogue I wanted to have - but sure, lets do it and open the can.

Its not the same sort of thing as pre-race nerves - that's part and parcel of racing.

This is something I've noted with all coaches I've had - MSB/Luke/Wilsons/Stazza. Its very difficult to put into words or have a dialogue about as I dont think I have the language for it.

The best example I can give is that there are a number of workouts that I can do if I set them, I can do them without issue 10/10 times.

If that same workout is set by a coach, I feel an added pressure prior to the workout and a self doubt during the workout - invariably the workout goes wrong because my normal positive mindset isn't there.

Workout goes wrong - I spent time beating myself up, both because the workout went bad, but also because I know I should be able to do the workout and only 'failed' not because of my legs or lungs, but because of the grey space between my ears.

I then that that thought process into the following weeks workout - a vicious circle.

It doesn't happen all the time - but if it happens 2-3 times in the period of a few months - then its stuck in the memory bank.

Typically I'm a very very optimistic and positive person - so I don't deal with the above too well.

Being self coached - that 'pressure' (thats not the correct word - but for want of a better word) doesn't exist - if a workout is not going well - I change it on the fly into a similar workout, I turn it into a positive, finish the workout feeling good and look forwards to the following week.

There I go again...........over sharing.

Many thanks for the texts & PM's - certainly feeling the love - alls well here - still training away - I'll update the log later.

Right so - moving on with relentless positivity............

Monday: 7 miles recovery - about 8.20 pace

Tuesday: Wasn't sure what state the legs would be in today, so set off thinking I'd do a session if the WU felt ok - legs still felt a bit tired, so moved it to Wednesday - Tuesday is obviously too close to Sunday!

Done a lap of the PP - legs felt ok - but not ok enough for a session.

7.5m / 7.55 pace.

Wednesday: Session

The planned session was WU/ 4x1m progressive / 5 min R / 3 mile Steadyish on the lumpy side of the park.

Actual was 3x1m / 5x30 sec hill sprints / 10+6 mins steadyish on lumpy side of the park.

Ran from the house to the PP - started from CK gate and down North Road to avoid the wind.

Mile 1 was 5.58 pace - 2 mins recovery

Mile 2 was 5.53 - 2 mins recovery -

Mile 3 was 5.46 - probably too quick as I knew I wasn't doing a 4th rep faster than that.

Decided to do 5x30sec hills in lieu of the 4th rep - enjoyed these - about mile pace or slightly faster.

Took a 2-3 min walk break and then started on the Steady part - the idea here was that with the wind and the hills, the pace would be the pace - once the effort felt steadyish.

The 10 min section was about 6.30's and that brought me up Military - s Bends and down to St Marys.

The 6 min section was up the UGR and into the Glen, going out the other side. Nicely B0ll!xed by the end of this.

2.5m home

12m total for the session with a good volume at a decent effort and pace.

Interestingly, I wore the old Pegs 37's for this workout - they are as useless as the Endorphins in the wet. But it felt great to do a workout in a 'normal' pair of shoes.

That being said - I've a Nike Bday discount this month (no - not a new age category just yet) - so might treat myself to the Next % Tempo's. (I need a shoe with good traction in the wet for longer MP sessions).