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Last of the Summer Wine

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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    NB Fuelcell TC. A great all rounder.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Laineyfrecks


    The Novablasts 2 are great, have been using them for my longer runs. Asics made a few tweaks to the 1st version. They are a little firmer than the 1st but still just as comfy & they made them feel a little more stable around the heel area which was a problem for some people (I love the originals too, had 2 pairs, love the new version too)



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Week of 2 Aug

    This week has a proper road race in it, the first real event since Bohermeen 2020, which I was lucky to do just before the lockdown kicked in. Haven’t trained for it, but looking forward to it.

    Mon Jul 26

    7.1k @ 5:52

    Gentle recovery on the Benroe headland across the water from Killybegs. I say gentle but it’s a lumpy spot so not the easiest of recoveries.

    Tue Jul 27

    Speed: 3x1k, 2x400

    With an eye on the weekend, I didn’t want to overdo the session, so chose this variation, keeping it all around Tempo / 10 mile race pace, resisting the temptation to ramp up the 400s to 5k pace. This done on the road to the pier at Mountcharles on a hot afternoon. The tide was in and I took advantage with a little paddle to cool down the legs afterwards. No jellyfish!

    Splits:  

    4:27 4:23 4:23

    1:46 1:51

    Wed Jul 28

    Barry Day! Was great to meet up with OONegative on his holidays and head out for a few chatty, easy but hilly miles between Killybegs and Fintra Beach. A good catchup and some hair-raising stories!

    Thu July 29

    Rest.

    Fri Jul 30

    8.7k easy on the local loop. Then later, as it was bucketing down, we packed up and headed back to the big smoke a day early.  

    Sat Jul 31

    Another rest day. 

    Sun Aug 1

    Race: Kilbeggan 10 mile

    A real road race involving several hundred people. The novelty!

    The day got off to a great start with an early rise to watch Kellie Harrington win gold in Tokyo. I’m a big admirer of this big-hearted and incredibly humble athlete, who lives down the road and works in the hospital directly over the wall from our back garden. A classy gal! Well done, champ.

    Then Ferris drove us down to Kilbeggan for the race. While I had signed up for this on a bit of a whim and had hardly thought about it in the meantime, it was great to be driving down the country to a race again. We were nice and early and had plenty of time to check out the start area, chat to clubmates (loads of us doing this race), visit the facilities. Then we just chilled out for a while - especially me, with an extra half hour to kill as I was in wave 2, based on whatever predicted time I’d put down (which I honestly can’t remember).

    I enjoyed watching the first wave take off, while I was warming up on the old N6, noticing right away that there were a good few familiar faces in there who were likely to be slower than me on the day, but then again maybe wave 2 would be more competitive in my particular 71-73 minute window. We’d soon find out.

    The course is basically a triangle - starting with three and a bit miles into the wind up the N6 with some long drags. I listened to Ferris and took it handy up this first third, easing into the race, feeling the pace, easing out of the pack, which was soon very dispersed, with only about 200 runners in each wave. This first section was probably the most memorable in terms of noticing other runners. Early on I put on a small spurt to get out of earshot of a guy who was exhaling like a dying horse. Then I got into a bit of a ding dong with a runner who objected to me going past and kept injecting pace to pass me again. I got a bit annoyed of this and told myself, this dude is wearing Calvin Klein shorts, time to leave him behind, so I temporarily abandoned the strategy and never saw him again. There was a Celbridge runner ahead who seemed like the best bet for a consistent pace so I tracked her for a few miles, around into the second leg. We were out of the wind then and onto quieter roads, so I tried to run a good line through the bends, despite the roads not being closed to traffic. I found myself tracking Celbridge past a couple of slowing runners and eventually pulled a few inches in front, ready to do some of the work.

    The footsteps eventually faded away and I found myself halfway through the race, still feeling reasonably strong. I could tell I was around 45 secs behind PB pace. That PB race in Ballycotton 2016 felt like a very long time ago, and I’d been surprised to note while looking through past races that I hadn’t really raced a 10 mile at all in four years (not counting the Stook, as it’s too mountainy to compare). I hadn’t been passed by anyone since the race had settled, so the trick now was to try to hang on to something close to PB pace despite having no one to race - there was a guy a long way ahead who I would eventually pass, but for now it was just me and the road, and I kept plodding away, around the turn into the final third, some lovely downhill where I felt the pace picking up, strong, strong, can you do it? Average pace gradually getting back from 4:30 through 4:29, 4:28. I needed to see 4:27 before a PB would be on the cards, and there ahead, visible for about a mile, was the punishing overpass straddling the M6, just past the 9 mile marker. By now there were a couple of lads on my heels - I could hear them encouraging each other - and it looked like I’d be caught on the hill. But the Vaporflys are quite confidence inspiring on hills and I held the challengers at bay, then got some distance in between us on the downhill as the road snaked around a few long bends towards Kilbeggan again. I’d deep-breathed my way through a couple of dry heave bouts and was looking good at this stage, but the pace injection felt like it caught up with me here, and I was passed by the two lads with about 300m to go. Managed to pull off an acceleration over the last 100 or so and got one of them back, finishing in about 1:11:44. Results not very specific re gun/chip time, but I hadn’t quite made back the time from the deliberately conservative start, ending up about 12 seconds short of a PB.

    But that PB was from five years ago when I was in great shape on the Boston countdown, so this is a good result, on probably a more difficult course in sparser competition. And of course, mostly off 5k training, and nothing close to a goal race.

    I’ll take it!

    Splits:

    7:14 7:17 7:19 7:10 7:07 7:19 7:16 7:01 7:10 6:56

    (A negative split, which I don't often do in longer races.)

    • This week: 58k (36m)
    • This month: 79 (49)
    • This year: 2,110 (1,312)


    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Week of 9 Aug

    All the dates wrong in the last entry. Never would have gotten away with that in the old days. ;) Mostly recovery this week. And a few days away.

    Mon 9 Aug

    40 mins recovery in the Marino Institute and environs. Post-race, no obvious issues and the legs were happy enough with the gentle pace.

    Tue 10 Aug

    Rest day. 

    Wed 11 Aug

    60 mins @ recovery

    An easy hour in the Phoenix Park, joined by the missus for the first half, which was great as she has been out with an injured Achilles for quite some time now. Nice to be in the park, and we avoided the rain during the running part, if not the coffee part.  

    Thu 12 Aug

    40 mins @ recovery

    Just a short loop around Marino/Drumcondra today. The humidity made this a bit of a chore. No heroics on the pace front.

    Fri 13 Aug

    50 mins trails at Carey’s Castle, a forest park just outside Clonmel. Away for the weekend with a few of the Northside crew, and I enjoyed this strenuous enough shakeout (slope, not pace) after a rare round of golf on the way down. 

    Sat 14 Aug

    LR 100+ mins @ ’steady’

    After a week of very gentle stuff it was good to stretch the legs a bit on this one. A pre-breakfast long run on the Suir Blueway towards Carrick-on-Suir. C and D were warming up with 8 min miles before pressing on to faster stuff so M and I joined them for the first 50 mins before turning back. There was some sort of small local looped marathon going on so we passed a good few runners, and a race walker, during the first few miles. The Blueway is a terrific resource, smooth as silk and lots to see along the way: bridges, castles, neoclassical mansions. Plenty of walkers, runners, cyclists, fishermen, and plenty of room for everyone. With no breakfast on board, however, I ran out of fuel in the last couple of miles and struggled home.

    Later we found a suitable pub to watch Dublin-Mayo. It would have been good to have gone down in a more heroic manner. At least we had good seats to witness the end of this part of the era anyway. A few points to drown the sorrows, but how could you be too down after such a period of dominance?

    Sun 15 Aug

    100 mins @ 'mountain pace'

    Finished off the weekend with a tricky enough run in the Comeraghs on a route known as the Boolas Loop. The rain and mist were approaching as we set off along an old farm road that soon saw us wading ankle deep through "mud" (which smelled suspiciously like slurry), with some hard-to-avoid adjacent nettles to add to the fun. At least this meant the feet were soaked from the start so no need to avoid any subsequent puddles or streams. The route was tricky enough - a good few rocky patches slowed us to brisk hike mode, picking it up whenever we could. I took a tumble on the way down after making a bad decision to step on an unsuitable rock, falling heavily enough on my right shoulder but thankfully avoiding contact with anything hard. A few showers had us whipping the rain jackets on and off, but we avoided the worst of it, and were able to wash most of the mud/slurry/shite off in a conveniently located spring close to the trailhead. An excellent morning.

    • This week: 59k (36m)
    • This month: 138 (86)
    • This year: 2,169 (1,348)


    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Boards these days feels like a cosy old pub you liked to hang out in, but got dickeyed up when you were away on holidays. And the punters are staying away. Anyway, I'll stick with it for the duration of the upcoming half marathon block.

    Week of 16 Aug

    I’m running out of time to get some HM specific work in for the Galway Bay half, which may or may not happen. At this stage I am not optimistic but will do the work anyway. I’ll be using the last seven weeks of the generic 18-week Hanson Half Marathon schedule. This is not ideal, but after the prolonged 5k work and reasonably good mileage this year I think I should have enough general aerobic fitness to get away with it. And after Kilbeggan, which was effectively 10 miles at HMP, I think I have the strength.

    Mon 16 Aug

    Rest.

    Switching rest days around as I was tired after the weekend’s hill and mountain runs. 

    Tue 17 Aug

    11k easy (61 mins)

    8k on the schedule but I hooked up with M for this one and overdid the length slightly. 

    Wed 18 Aug

    Strength session: 4 x 2400m @ T+10s

    Oops. I have an old spreadsheet version of the plan with target paces plugged into it. I didn’t spend much time checking this and there was an error - it sent me out at 4:17/k (6:52/m), which is more appropriate for a 90 min HM target than the 93 I am looking at. While I completed the session without too much trouble, I’ll try to be more careful with the rest of the schedule.

    Splits (target 10:18):

    10:17 10:17 10:15 10:17 

    On the plus side, the session inspired confidence, even though the HR data it threw up is going to be meaningless!

    This session on the Irishtown track, which is looking very tired. The new Cru clubhouse is impressive. Hopefully my own club’s plans will come to fruition before too long.

    • This week: 30k (18m)
    • This month: 168 (104)
    • This year: 2,199 (1,366)
    Post edited by Murph_D on


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,621 ✭✭✭ThebitterLemon


    You’re going well for a auld war horse 👏


    This new site is a disaster, forget about your favorite cozy pub that was dickyied up, it was fire bombed!!!😡


    TbL



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D




  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thu 19 Aug

    40 mins @recovery

    Short loop around Marino with the mrs.

    Fri 20 Aug

    The plan called for 6 miles at HMP. I decided to ease into it with ‘only’ five miles, and jogged the 5k up the Howth Road to Raheny, having decided that doing it on the Raheny 5 course might provide a bit of inspiration. Certainly made it interesting, as I tried to negotiate the first mile and a half through the near-identical streets. Yes, I took a wrong turn but it didn’t add too much to the distance, or effect the pace, which could best be described as ‘uncomfortably comfortable’. Things got a bit easier during the downhill third, but when I hit St. Anne’s Park in mile 4 (which usually gives me a boost in the actual race) I could feel I was working too hard. A glance at the watch confirmed I was hitting almost 90% HRR, which would be OK in a race but not now, so I canned it after four, just after the famous 180 on the main avenue. Took a short break before continuing at a jog, then picking up a good bit again towards the end. No harm done, just a hangover from last weekend’s exertions, I’d say, coupled with the earlier session this week. Jogged about halfway home before jumping on a bus for the last bit. Total for the day: 15.5 kms.

    Sat 21 Aug

    8 kms recovery in a drizzly St. Anne’s. 

    Sun 22 Aug

    Long run: 14: 22.5k (14 mi)

    Drove to Malahide Castle and headed through out along the Broadmeadow estuary to Swords, a route I had never taken before - Singer and PaulieYifter territory, from opposite directions. I’d intended to turn at the northwestern edge of River Valley park, after checking out the old mill and mill pond in the woods there, a spot I believe is known as ‘The Jacko’ (although that term could apply to the entire Ward river that flows through the park). Well, this little bit of suburban exploration went slightly awry when I went astray on the muddy trails that lead down to the river through the thick tree cover. Eventually I found the unlovely but interesting water feature, then got stung by a wasp for my trouble. Got lost again on the way out, before retracing the route back to Malahide.


    The longest run of the year, believe it or not, and the second biggest week mileage wise, at 51.

    • This week: 82k (51m)
    • This month: 220 (137)
    • This year: 2,251 (1,399)


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Week of 23 Aug

    Although I am in half-marathon training, I am obviously a little discombobulated and/or confused, as I have also entered the National Masters Track and Field, where I will probably do the 800 and 1500. Races when you can get ‘em. 😉  

    Mon 23 Aug

    8k easy.

    Hadn’t checked the plan, so this should have been seven miles. Oops, but no matter, was a couple of miles over last week.

    Tue 24 Aug

    Strength: 3 x 2 M (800 jog recovery)

    Decided to combine this with the club summer series of 2 mile races (every Tues, open to all). There are two races, divided into sub-14 mins and 14+. As my target was 14, I originally planned to do the second one, but changed my mind during the warmup, thinking it wouldn’t be fair to rock up and showboat my way to a potential ‘win’, or worse yet, get dragged into a race with another sandbagger. So I just tipped along at the back of Race 1, passing a few souls in the second half because it would have been unseemly to be over the 14. The middle section was a little ropey, although this may have partly due to GPS issues in the trees - certainly felt like the effort was there. And it was good to finish strong in the third section, feeling there was more in the tank if necessary. It was after dark by the end, in St. Anne's - unusual for me to be out so late.

    Splits (target 14:00):

    13:46 14:05 13:57

    There were a few presentations in advance of the race to the club’s first ever 4-min miler (Brian Fay), coach Feidhlim Kelly whose training group, Dublin Track Club has been making waves, and our Tokyo Olympian Sophie Becker, who was the honorary race starter. You don’t get that every day, and nice to see the club making sure these elites are introduced to the rank and file.    

    Wed 25 Aug

    Rest.

    • This week: 25k (16m)
    • This month: 245 (152)
    • This year: 2,276 (1,415)




  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thu 26 Aug

    Tempo thurs: 6m @ HMP

    After last week’s mini-blowup after 4 miles I was prepared to cap this one at five if necessary, but no less - having jumped into the middle of the schedule I think it’s reasonable to find the ramp up a little taxing but no point in using the plan if you can’t get close to what it prescribes. With that in mind, I arranged to run this with M, a regular tempo buddy at this stage. It would just be a steady run for him, and maybe some of that relaxed vibe would rub off on me.

    Set off at the Clontarf Baths into a fairly testy breeze, out towards Sutton, reeling off the first few miles at the prescribed 4:27/k (7:10) pace. I was looking forward to turning out of the wind, but M had picked the route and instead of simply reversing direction and enjoying the tailwind, we headed back via the Howth Road, where I had never really appreciated the drag between the coast and Raheny, so the next two miles were a bit of a struggle and I fell off the pace quite a bit. Was working hard though, and gritted it out until there was at last a bit of downhill relief in the final kilometre. 

    Splits (target 4:27)

    4:25 4:30 4:28 4:27 4:29 4:34 4:42 4:39 4:34 (4:23) 

    Not too worried about the splits, the effort was certainly sustained and more or less appropriate to the terrain. (Translation - I’m shite on hills!)

    Fri 27 Aug

    10.3 kms @ recovery 

    Gentle trot down around the port. Can see the new greenway taking shape.

    Sat 28 Aug

    Another 8.4 kms recovery on the seafront. HR a little high after an outing to the pub last night. Passed a woman playing the sax in the sun. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.

    Sun 29 Aug

    Long run: 16.8k @ 5:27

    Straightforward out and back to Booterstown. A third outing for the new shoes - Adidas Ultraboost 21, a heavy but bouncy shoe that is very nice on this kind of run. Delighted to see so many good results at today's races at Larne and Bohermeen. Looking forward to some epic reports. 😉

    • This week: 76k (47m)
    • This month: 296 (184)
    • This year: 2,327 (1,446)


    Post edited by Murph_D on


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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Week of 30 Aug

    This week, throwing the plan out the window in the second half to run the National Masters at Santry. 

    Mon 30 Aug

    10.4k easy

    St. Anne’s and Dollymount during the boy’s GAA training.

    Tue 31 Aug

    Strength: 3 x 2 mi

    Have skipped forward a week in the plan having changed the target race (Mullingar), so the session is the same as last week. Again, I decided to combine this with the club 2-mile race. 14 min target per 2 mile segment so I went in the first race which is supposed to be for runners doing 14 mins and under. Found myself getting sucked in and sort of racing one or two fellow backmarkers, so we were off to a harder than necessary start. Second rep in St. Anne’s was therefor a bit of a slog, although I was reviving towards the end. Third rep on the seafront was more or less on target, allowing for some wind.

    Splits (target 14:00):

    13:28 14:15 14:12 

    August total: 323 kms (201 mi)

    Wed 1 Sep

    Rest.

    Thu 2 Sep

    Speed: 2x400, 2x200

    So no HM paced tempo this week. Swapped in a mini speed session I like to do when there’s a track race later in the week. Couple of 400s at mile pace, 200s at 800 pace. Forgot the watch so ended up having to do these by feel. All I can say is they felt difficult. I had set up my phone by the trackside with the stopwatch running so I know the 400s were at about 6 min mile pace. No idea about the 200s. 

    Fri 3 Sep

    8.5 kms @ recovery 

    Very easy on the seafront. No musicians out this week.

    Sat 4 Sep

    No running. Dinner with some friends, where I was very abstemious and stuck to the zero alcohol Guinness. Not a bad beer as these things go - texture and taste is surprisingly authentic.

    Sun 5 Sep

    National Masters 800

    Not much to say about this - I was off the pace from the start and lumbered home 4th M60 in 2:41 which is the slowest 800 I’ve ever run - even without specific training I would have hoped to be about 10 secs faster, based on past graded meets I've rocked up and done. On my own in no man’s land from about 300m in. Watching the stream later it was my own fault as I started far too slowly and never really got into the pack. Lucky not to collide with a runner at the cut in point as he nearly cut me off. At least I finished in front of the offender.  

    National Masters 1500

    This one wasn’t quite as bad - but 4th again in 5:32, still more than 10 secs slower than my PB from the same event in 2018. Again, ran almost the entire race with no one close enough to chase or push. I’m happy enough to have shown up and done the event. While the results were poor, at least that performance demonstrates that specific training works when you do it and shows you up when you don’t!

    • This week: 60k (37m)
    • This month: 33 (20)
    • This year: 2,387 (1,483)




  • Registered Users Posts: 5,236 ✭✭✭AuldManKing


    Brilliant to put yourself in the mix for those Masters races - while HM training.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thanks. I suppose 4th place in the category makes it look like I was in the mix - but the reality is I was a long, long way from 3rd in both races. Unfortunately not many run these events for the occasion itself or to make up the numbers, so if you’re not prepared you get exposed pretty badly. I would have been happy to walk away with a couple of decent times, but the severity of the track decline - even by my mediocre standards - was sobering indeed.

    Not trying to be falsely modest here - it’s just the way it is. And I’m still glad to have run the event. Lining up for a race, literally next to a M60 world champion, and with another world class runner on the other side, doesn’t happen every day.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    To be fair to yourself, when you ran those faster times they were off a very specific block of training weren't they?? Very hard to run a fast 800m off HM training? Kinda like trying to listen to 2FM at 96MHz.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Haha, true, but as mentioned above I've still managed considerably better performances off little or limited specific training before. This one was just further off the mark than I expected, allowing for all that. But never mind, it's done and dusted and out of the system!



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Week of 6 Sep

    This week, trying to get back on track with the truncated Hanson schedule. Only three weeks to go to Mullingar, which is the new target after giving up on Galway a while back, although I still have the entry and it looks like it will go ahead. My pride has been slightly wounded by the National Masters showing but one must plough on!

    Mon 6 Sep

    8.6k recovery

    The now regular St. Anne’s / Dollymount trot during the lad’s GAA training. A lovely evening, if a bit sticky.

    Tue 7 Sep

    Strength: 4 x 2400m

    I knew this would be a bit clunky with Sunday’s races still lingering slightly. Added to that it was a hot evening, and I hadn’t eaten properly at lunchtime after some running around, so when I set out at around 5pm I was expecting that these factors might well combine to produce a tough run. Some wind in the mix too on the outward journey on the seafront towards Bayside. As usual the first rep felt iffy, into the wind. Second a little better. Got a stitch on the third and took a short break to massage it out. By now it was getting very hot without the cooling breeze and I found the going very laboured in rep four, barely managing HMP for much of it.  

    Splits (target 10:30):

    10:36 10:31 10:29 10:47

    As DD pointed out later, heat, humidity and hunger make for a tough sesh! Happy to just be done with it.

    Wed 8 Sep

    Rest.

    • This week: 25k (16m)
    • This month: 58 (36)
    • This year: 2,412 (1,499)


    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thu 9 Sep

    Tempo: 7 miles @ HMP

    Hooked up with M again. Expecting this to be very tough, as it’s only the third MP run of the very short block. For a change, I was pleasantly surprised that the first half felt reasonably comfortable. The mileage, and the session from the other day, started to catch up in the second half and the last two miles were suitably purgatorial. I felt the pace was dropping precipitously but at this stage I wasn’t really looking at the watch much and just trying to stay reasonably close to M. In the end, his watch showed an average of 7:11 for the seven miles so I was happy to go with that number. Delighted to get through it. 

    Fri 10 Sep

    10.2 kms @ recovery 

    Gentle trot through Marino and Drumcondra.

    Sat 11 Sep

    9.7k easy

    Around the local loop in Donegal before watching the the All-Ireland. Quite enjoyed the game. The right result. 

    Sun 12 Sep

    Long run: 22.3 kms @ 5:40

    Left the car charging in Killybegs and did a loop of the harbour then out along the neighbouring headland of Benroe. It’s an undulating and scenic road, and I felt great today. A few years ago, I stopped reading the Chi Running book when it mentioned something about being pulled along by the energy of the universe. Today, I could swear I felt that cosmic assist. 😮 

    • This week: 83k (51m)
    • This month: 115 (72)
    • This year: 2,469 (1,535)


    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Week of 13 Sep

    Two weeks to go. Only a couple more big sessions left.

    Mon 13 Sep

    11.2k easy

    Lap of St. Anne’s, broken by a trip down the causeway and short bit of beach to bring it up to 7 miles. Just about made it back to the car before the kid’s GAA training was over.

    Tue 14 Sep

    Strength: 6 x 1 mile (800 jog recovery)

    Driving to Donegal but stopped off at Killykeen Forest Park in Cavan, a place I’ve been wanting to explore for a while. Lakeside so I figured it must be flat. Wasn’t 100 percent accurate in that assumption but it was close enough, especially as my varifocal sunglasses seem to create an optical illusion that gives flat ground a downhill look to it. Hmm, I guess that’s a good thing? Anyway the final strength session of the plan called for six repeats of 1 mile at faster than HMP.   

    Splits (target 7:01):

    6:58 6:57 7:02 7:08 7:06 7:18

    Muggy day so I didn’t get too hung up on the numbers, but the effort was considerable. Definitely running out of gas at the end though, as you can see. Some tricky surfaces and a few dogs to negotiate. Happy enough, although it seemed unimaginable to do 2-mile reps at this pace, even though that’s exactly what I was doing a couple of weeks ago. The effect of cumulative fatigue! Nice park, by the way - reminiscent of Donadea in places, especially near the car park. Surprisingly few lake views from the trails due to the dense tree cover, but plenty of (ignored) side routes down to the water. Worth a visit if you’re in the vicinity.

    Wed 15 Sep

    Rest.

    • This week: 30k (19m)
    • This month: 145 (90)
    • This year: 2,499 (1,553)


    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭ReeReeG


    I've been very poor at keeping up with people's logs while also neglecting my own. Fair play on the Master's events!

    And best of luck in Mullingar, it's a nice enough course. The only hilly bit I can remember is going up and over the motorway but then it's really flat along the canal back into the town. You should go to Red Earth for food after!



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,397 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D




    Cheers, I know how you feel, the 'new look' has most of us spending less time (if any at all) on Boards, I think. Thanks for the tip about Mullingar. When did you do it? Must check back on your Strava for a closer look at the course. Thanks also for the dining suggestion!

    Thu 16 Sep

    Tempo: 5 miles @ HMP

    The final HM-paced run. While it was tempting, given my shortened version of the schedule, to increase the mileage a little (@TbL style), I stuck to the planned five miles, which went by quickly on the Clontarf and Dollymount coast. 

    Km Splits (Target 4:27):

    4:27 4:27 4:24 4:28 4:29 4:33 4:18 4:23 

    Wasn't quite as desperate to be finished with this as last week. Felt comfortable and controlled for most of it. As usual, the wind was playing tricks with me, seemingly in my face in both directions, so I had to knuckle down in the second half. No shortage of race pace with Hanson anyway - that's 18 miles at HM pace or more in the past eight days. Total for the evening: 13.75k (8.5M)

    • This week: 44k (27m)
    • This month: 159 (99)
    • This year: 2,513 (1,562)




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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,393 ✭✭✭Dubh Geannain


    Logs are so so quiet. It's like a latent effect from lack of events due to Covid and then as things are starting to open back up the site change happened.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    I find it not so bad on my mobile phone.

    Theres a couple of things I really dislike about the new format - the lack of "View first unread" option and the fact that when you are up to date on a thread, the title used to go from dark bold font to lighter font. Now its almost impossible to tell (when browsing on a laptop) whether you are up to date on someones log or not. At least on the mobile phone the title turns from bold font to lighter font if the thread hasnt been updated since you last read it.

    Not sure if i explained that very well but it makes sense in my head



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,393 ✭✭✭Dubh Geannain


    Now that you've pointed it out I realise I miss that too. That's one of those that I hadn't pinpointed was different but you're right. And your log. I miss that too! It's the wholesales change overall really I'd imagine as opposed to just one or two things. I could list 5 off the top of my head but decided I wouldn't give out about them here hopefully getting used what it is now.


    On my browser at least the font does change to non-bolded for threads I'm up to date on.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    No point updating my log these days...baby due next week so its all about to change......again!



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Laineyfrecks




  • Registered Users Posts: 3,393 ✭✭✭Dubh Geannain




  • Registered Users Posts: 4,287 ✭✭✭ariana`


    You kept that very quiet! It feels like you just have one like a few months ago but in reality you are going to tell us he is a toddler now! Seriously where is time going. Congratulations and best of luck with the new arrival! Hope all goes well for you guys x



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,582 ✭✭✭Swashbuckler


    This is the ultimate log hijack...lol...Thanks E. The little fella is two now...so this will be three kids under four....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,287 ✭✭✭ariana`


    I know, I bet D wasn't expecting his log to be filled with baby congrats 😂


    Sorry D 😳



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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Laineyfrecks


    And you still manage to run too😳 fair play...one very understanding lady😉🤗



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