The Boggers Log

Murph_D · 22-08-2021 10:37pm

I genuinely don’t get the version of Hanson that has you doing 10 m at HM pace, but if I read that right, you managed it, or very close to it. If you can pull that off in training, you’ll do it on the day, as long as you stay upright. You’ve found the going tough but you owe yourself a shot at the target.

AuldManKing · 23-08-2021 10:53am

Fully agree with Healy above - even targeting a sub 1.30 half is something that you probably didn't see happening after the year you've had.

Breaking the race up as Healy advises is a good strategy - I also think you'll have more as its a race as opposed to a solo effort - and you are stubborn b0ll1x when you set your mind to it.

The race is an out and back - and according to the Strava has a hill at the turnabout point - hitting that in good spirits needs to be the goal and then you're on the home straight for the return.

6.50's early on, 6.40's on the way home - 6.3x to finish.

I echo the sentiment about a positive race experience - I think thats a must for most of us as we approach racing again.

ThebitterLemon · 23-08-2021 2:39pm

Thanks lads.

might hang around the 90 min pacer for a few miles and take it from there.

all going (relatively) well I’ll attempt a marathon before the year end

TbL

Laineyfrecks · 23-08-2021 2:40pm

I agree with what has already been said here. You have come so far with your training, it's brilliant to see so take all the positives from that.

Healy has made some great points & I'm far from an expert (that's what my mentor is for) but I would agree with Denis here. Training can be so tough at any time, some sessions go our way some don't. I don't know how many times I've convinced myself that I was going to have a really bad race because of sessions that left me feeling less than confident. I had 2 of my 1k reps recently in the one week, the 1st one should have been great, out in the PP fairly flat, weather was good but it was awful, felt really bad...then the next one went brilliantly felt so good after it! Race day is so much dependent on obviously the training but also it's a bit of luck & how you are feeling on the day! I think you will know yourself Sunday which one is best to go for & you will be happy with that choice but for now maybe don't give up on your dream 😊

Hopefully I will see you there providing I don't get lost!

ThebitterLemon · 30-08-2021 11:17pm

After the Antrim half, a line from one of Joe Walshes famous song springs to mind, “I can’t complain but sometimes I still do…”

An all over the place week with very easy short runs in the build up to the half. For the last 10 days or so my piriformis and glutes have been giving me a lot of pain. I was to see the physioterrorist on Tuesday but a car crash ( not me some else and road was blocked) on the way in meant I missed my appointment and typical she see was off to Liverpool for a few days so never got to see her. This messed with my head way more than it should have. Tried every trick I knew to relieve the pain but it wouldn’t budge.

Given my daughter was also running it there was no way I wasn’t going to show on the day but my plans on how to run it must have changed a dozen times from Wednesday.

We were staying the weekend in a Ballygally hotel and headed up on Friday afternoon, at the worst possible time, the traffic was mental and it took us over 6 hours to get up. Was very stiff and sore when I arrived but got a quick dinner in the hotel and headed out in the dark for a quick plod. First time I ever brought the Thera Gun with me to a race and I was wearing it out trying to relieve the pain.

On Saturday we headed into Larne for lunch and we were met by Orange Men marching bands out in force to welcome the Bogger 🤣

My daughter speaks to me in Irish sometimes especially if she doesn’t want people to know what she’s saying ( she assumes that anyone that lives outside Connemara is a non Irish speaking apostate 😳) and in the middle of a throng she asked me why all the old men were wearing those stupid things around their necks!!!! I had to give her the Dad stare to shut her up but at lunch she couldn’t get her head around it and was asking me loads of questions that I really struggled to answer. The difference between NI today and when I was a lad is like chalk and cheese!

Did another 5k around Ballygally and went into the sea in search of more pain relief.

I rarely take ibuprofen anymore but took some Saturday night and went to bed with my plan decided, I’d follow the 1.30 pacers for 5 miles to see how I was and if I blew I’d wait for my daughter and if able I’d try and push on.

Arrived early on Sunday morning and parked in a garage about 15 mins walk to the start, well I think it was the start as nobody seemed to know! It was chaos but it didn’t bother me as I was more concerned about making sure my daughter was settled. Parked myself behind the 1.30 pacers looking around to see if I could spot the Luminous Princess herself but no joy! After about a 20 min delay we were off with no pre warning just a slow collective movement forward. Whatever happened to the 90 min pacer he definitely wasn’t doing 6.52 pace after about 500 metres, in fact he was clipping it. I had to weave through serious traffic and it took me 6.30 pace to catch up. His second mile was fast too.

From the first step my piriformis was very sore but it wasn’t getting worse and I changed my plan to just try and run around in 6.40 pace and left the pacer behind before the end of mile 3. I got the occasional dirty shot of pain from the piriformis/glute but in a strange way this distracted me and the miles just ticked by. I seemed to be doing more passing than being passed and on hill on the way back from Ballygally I got a high five from my daughter. I thought I’d start to really struggle now but it never really happened and I just stayed fairly consistent with no wild oscillations in pace.

I didn’t like the steep downhill on the last mile nor the surface and at this stage I was on target to break the 6.40 average and I didn’t go flat to the mat to make extra seconds.

Finished with chip time of 1.26:27.

I know people will tell me to stop chatting sh1t but even a day later I’m perturbed/ disappointed. Yes I was injured and my training plan was in tatters but at my age opportunities don’t come along that frequently and I think that if I channeled my inner Ragnor Lothbrok I could have gone sub 1.26. Despite everything I feel like I could have and should have done better on the day and been more aggressive in the second half.

I took more satisfaction from my daughter’s 2.10 ( she didn’t think she’d run under 2.20)

Anyway it’s in the past and I’ll move forward. I’m hoping to do a marathon in November or December, I’ll use the Hanson’s sessions but reduce the filler mileage. Also want to chalk off a sub 19 5k as it’s being bugging me.

I’m going all in for a sub 3 and hopefully the saga will have a better ending that it did for Ragnor :)

Congrats to Elaine and Johnny on super runs

Finally thanks for all the really nice comments and compliments, made a cantankerous auld Bogger feel good 👍

TbL

Laineyfrecks · 31-08-2021 7:23am

Sorry we missed each other, I was hanging around the 1:30 pacer too but fairly in my own little world trying to stay focused & not let emotions take over...next time hopefully 😊

I'm not gonna say you shouldn't feel disappointed if you know exactly what you were after & you feel it didn't go that way BUT for someone that was questioning breaking 1:30 you completely smashed that & ran a superb race so maybe stop your belly aching & be very proud of that😉

I'm really happy for your daughter too, all our goals are equally valid regardless of times & if she smashed her goal then she must feel amazing & dad too🤗

Fair play setting your goals down now, you aren't afraid of hard work or saying when you feel maybe things aren't going so great but I really like that, none of us get it right all the time! Very best of luck with those goals but for now enjoy the fact that you went balls out for Antrim (achieved faster than the 6:40 pace) & didn't give up on the dream...

Murph_D · 31-08-2021 9:27am

Sometimes it’s just about grinding out a result, and while you haven’t gone into your usual level of detail, it sounds like that’s what you did here. I hear you on the point that PB opportunities are thinner on the ground for auld lads like yourself 😉 but you got more out of that training block than perhaps you had a right to expect, given the niggles and your fairly difficult execution of a plan that’s a lot harder than it looks on paper. Yes, no doubt the magic shoes helped but to get close to PB territory under those circumstances - as you know well - is an achievement worth celebrating.

A sub-3 marathon is going to require another level of consistency and greater injury risk, so you need to think carefully about how you’re going about that. As I’ve said before, you don’t need any souped-up Hanson for a sub-3, just a careful execution of the basic schedule.

But that’s all for another day. Well done to yourself and the young wan, whose as gaeilge mutterings suggest she’s definitely one of yours.

ThebitterLemon · 31-08-2021 2:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117826348#Comment_117826348

Indeed D.

Thanks

I’d have taken your hand off for anything around a 1.28 prior to the off!

Just feel I left a bit out on the course but it’s all hindsight and I could have blown up spectacularly.

Anyway I’m onto the next challenge already 😊

I had decided to jump into the 16 week Hanson’s advanced plan (60-80 miles) at week 4 (the work I’ve done so far should compensate for the late start). I’ll do the sessions and the LR and trim back the other days mileage. I don’t envisage going over 60 miles, and I’m sure it won’t be straightforward but I want to use the fitness I’ve built up rather than take a break and start again.

TbL

Back in Black · 02-09-2021 8:43am

Serious well done on that time - as you said yourself you would have taken a minute or 2 slower before the start. You have a serious foundation to build on for the next challenge.

I didn't make it to Larne as was struggling with a pulled hamstring but sounds like a great race - would you do it again?

ThebitterLemon · 02-09-2021 2:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117836541#Comment_117836541

Thanks J

wondered what happened to you as I couldn’t see you in the results.

I wouldn’t do it again because of the drive but the number in the race ensured you were always surrounded by other runners and I found that a great help.

you back at it now? What’s the plan?

TbL

Back in Black · 03-09-2021 3:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117837927#Comment_117837927

I hear you - if it had to be closer to home I might have spun up and just done it as a long run for the views!!

I'm back at it and have added speed back in for the last two weeks and so far so good!! Have 3 Half's provisionally in the diary - Ratoath next weekend, Mullingar on 25th and Galway on 2nd October (all deferred entries). Unlikely I will get to do all 3 with other commitments but hoping for a decent run in one of them at least and maybe even dip under 86 minutes!

Must update the log but finding it hard to engage with the new site at all!!

ThebitterLemon · 03-09-2021 6:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117842811#Comment_117842811

You on Strava J?

TbL

Back in Black · 03-09-2021 9:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843454#Comment_117843454

I’m not. Will just have to get my head around the new site!!

ThebitterLemon · 05-09-2021 9:18pm

This weeks song lyric is one by Santana, “I’m winning, I’m winning and I don’t intend losing again” 🤣

Very low mileage week after the Antrim half.

Mon through Friday were only slow 5k plods. I’m trying desperately to sort out my glute/ piriformis issue and I got needled Mon, Tue and Thursday. It’s better but still an issue.

Sat: my middle lad is on the Galway U16 GAA development squad and I’d to drive him up to the Beacon outside Claremorris.

I’d also entered the East Galway AC 5k, so I arranged for the young lad to get a lift home and I headed to the race, arrived early and had a chat with one of the organisers. Think they were very disappointed with the entry, only 60 runners. We need to support these races if they are to survive. I’d done this race last year in under 21 mins but couldn’t remember much about the course. Met up with a buddy of mine and we did a short warm up. Pop Up were doing the timing and as usual it was very efficient, said a quick hello to Dublin Runner and made my way to the start line.

Started close to the line but out of the way of the faster runners. First mile was a bit downhill and I got off to an ok start with the watch showing 6 min pace. The glute was reminding me that its still niggly and I was conscious of it and was hoping it would hold up to the faster pace. In all my years running before injury I think I only ever managed a single sub 6 min mile and my plan today was to get as close to 6 for the first two miles and then hang on.

The first mile came in at 5.52 and I felt ok despite the nagging arse. Felt a little cocky at this stage before a slight uphill drag on the first part of mile two made me work harder and the breathing was becoming a bit laboured. Worked hard and was happy to see the 2nd mile come in at 5.58. Never ran two sub 6 min miles before 🤣

At this stage things were starting to get tough and the last mile was mainly an uphill drag, I started leaking time and the watch drifted to almost 6.25 pace. I seem to only have two race mental settings, surrender soldier or tenacious dog and luckily today the dog came out on top! I focused on two runners ahead, dropped a gear and started to reel them in. My arse was sore now, the hill seemed huge and I lost the ability to compute what I needed for a sub 19.

Went past the two runners, got to the top of the hill and the last 400 should have been fast as it was flat but I’d little left. Mile 3 beeped at 6.10! I’m short sighted and I wasn’t sure if I was seeing the race clock correctly as I approached it, it looked like it was at 18.30 but surely that wasn’t right. Mustered up a feeble old man “sprint” to cross the finish the line in 18.43 (chip time).

Didn’t know whether to laugh or puke but I was delighted, 5k PB by 22 seconds and I time I never though possible for me.

I’m really hoping that I can keep the body plastered together for the next few months and have a crack at a running goal that has been burning a hole in my head for a decade!

TbL

Murph_D · 05-09-2021 9:31pm

Well you know what I think about racing so soon after the HM but congrats on the result!

ThebitterLemon · 05-09-2021 9:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117851135#Comment_117851135

Yep, but it probably proves my point on my thoughts on last week. Anyway time to try and stick to the Hanson plan for a few weeks

well done today at the Masters 👍

TbL

AuldManKing · 06-09-2021 12:52pm

That's a brilliant result - 22 secs is a huge PB. Keep doing what you're doing!

Well done to the little lad on the U16 Dev squad.

Dubh Geannain · 06-09-2021 6:38pm

Congrats on the PB. That's a serious effort, so soon after the Half too.

ariana` · 07-09-2021 9:02am

Congrats on the PB, that's a massive achievement.

The times you are running seem to be quite a contradiction to your injury woes. Do you feel that despite the on-going aches that your are physically stronger than your former self pre-injuries.

ThebitterLemon · 07-09-2021 7:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856856#Comment_117856856

Thanks Ariana

That’s a good question and one I’ve considered myself.

A couple of things have probably helped/improved me:

I’m way over a stone lighter than pre injury lightest weight.

For the years I was out injured I did a huge amount of core (note to self I need to get back to this) and S&C and that definitely helped

My diet is way better, I don’t eat any crap at all.

I changed the way I approach easy runs, pre injury I’d be almost embarrassed to run 10 minute miles now I do that a couple of times a week and try and save myself for sessions/ races.

I’m more fastidious with stretching and massage.

The magic shoes obviously help.

I’ve a bit more belief in myself, and this has certainly helped with the faster stuff

I’m way more consistent now, I run every day.

Given that my racing days could be numbered I take every race seriously and try and get the most out of every race.

The downside is I’m getting older and it’s very hard to string a consistent training block together, Antrim was a disaster. I have to back off training with flare ups. There is hardly a day where I’m not sore/achey and this can affect the motivation and drive.

Just hoping the positives continue to outweigh the negative and I can keep going for another bit yet 🤣

TbL

ThebitterLemon · 17-09-2021 9:27pm

Last week was just a week of short easy plods while I was trying to loosen up some niggles and decide what’s next. Was in London for most of the week and in an area that wasn’t great for running, also had to contend with a load of muppets on mechanised scooters! Bloody ridiculous things!!

Finally decided to jump into a Hanson marathon program, and hope that the long meandering unsuccessful journey to sub 3 over the last decade might just be possible this time.

If I get to toe the line nothing else will do, it’s sub 3 or fcuk me 🤣

Mon: longest run in over two weeks, a five mile NHS while the daughter cycled along side and distracted me with some chit chat.

45 mins of functional strength

Tue: ladder session 400/800/1200/1600/1200/800/400 off 400 metres. 5k pace. Had to get this done earlier than planned as I’d the physioterrorist directly after. Headed into the Westside track for this in the pissing rain. Hopefully I’ve learned from the Antrim training block and I’m not going to go booloobaas straining to hit a certain pace and end up injured, so took a cautious enough approach to this. Found this tough the paces were between 6.05 and 6.10, mainly towards the latter on the final reps.

Tough bloody session but was happy to have it completed unscathed.

Wed: work buddy run, just over 10k in under 9 min pace which was probably a little hot for me after the exertions the day before.

45 mins functional strength

Thur: felt crappy, and the weather was awful so just plodded around, just over 3 miles very easy.

Fri: 7 miles tempo. Thought I’d manage this handy enough but McPhisto warned me these are tougher than they look and he obviously jinxed me 😇 Had been hoping to do these sessions at 6.45 pace but given it’s early in the plan I wasn’t going to sweat it if it drifted out a little. Easy mile warm up and then into it. Strange run, never got into a groove and it felt a whole lot tougher than I’d imagined. Dam you Phisto 🤣 Was a bit disappointed that I’d to chase the last two miles hard to get under 7 min pace.

[6.55;6.52;6.53;6.56;6.46;6.59;6.59]

Back into physioterrorist as the glute/piriformis issues are still niggling away.

Off to Derby for a Stoke away game with my daughter, looking forward to it.

Mulling over doing either the Galway Bay 10k or the half.

TbL

Swashbuckler · 17-09-2021 9:46pm

That Tuesday session was a monster...well done.

MrMacPhisto · 18-09-2021 10:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117905938#Comment_117905938

You are welcome 🤣

If ya find them Tempos easy after the Tuesday session, then you are doing something wrong.

Derby v Stoke, the beautiful game!

Itziger · 20-09-2021 12:25pm

Hey Bogman, Congrats on the recent Half and the 5k. You're tippin along nicely it seems. Fair fooks for getting back after your issues. Is it only in running that a fella can say, "Hoping for a sub 1:30" and then moan about a 1:26??

You've moved on to full marathon training, if I'm reading this correctly. Remind me which one.

Keep it up lad and I do hope you achieve the old sub 3. And you'd better not moan afterwards.

ariana` · 20-09-2021 12:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117859979#Comment_117859979

Just realised I read this but never acknowledged it - can I blame the new site 😅

Thanks, some interesting points there. You're an interesting conundrum! I sincerely hope you break that sub 3 barrier. Lots of inspiration around these parts, the likes of Ultrapercy who never gave up on the sub 2:30 and eventually nailed you, is just one of many who spring to my mind.

ThebitterLemon · 20-09-2021 5:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914656#Comment_117914656

Hey D with the dodgy hip 🤣

No it’s not just in running, when Mrs TbL tells me to do the hoovering for an hour and I do it for 45 mins I’m still moaning 😇

I’m gonna either do San Seb or Valencia they are a week apart and I’ve entered both! More likely Valencia though.

Doing the Hanson’s plan with some age related tweaks!

Are you currently injured?

TbL

ThebitterLemon · 20-09-2021 5:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914694#Comment_117914694

Thanks Ariana

but just to clarify for the collective, and while I’m sure he’s very attractive, Ultrapercy never nailed me 🤣😳😇

TbL

Itziger · 21-09-2021 7:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916371#Comment_117916371

It would be great if you made it Valencia. I'm all signed up, entry bib (not a hope in hell I'll be running), flights, AirBnb.....So, I could do water carrier (think Kipchoge in Berlin) and of course there's the post race beers.

Itziger · 21-09-2021 7:54am

I'll have to start following your log more seriously now that you're doing Hansons and probably for December 5th. I remember being really worried about Tuesday/Thursday turnaround. I almost always did a little 6k trot on Wednesdays.

ThebitterLemon · 30-09-2021 10:17pm

Busy, busy, busy!

Still plodding along with the Hanson (modified) plan. I’m trimming back the mileage and continuing to focus on the sessions and LR. Everything else is super short and easy. I’m probably going to be excommunicated by Hansonites but I will try and work the long runs up like this 18,19,20,20,19 &18.

Sat 18th: was at Pride Park in Derby for the Stoke game so just go under 4 miles easy done. Great atmosphere at the game and my daughter only wants to go to away games now!

Sun: didn’t get back till 3am so wasn’t in much mood for running but said I’d get a 10 miler LR in, managed 11 comfortably enough.

Mon: 4 mile NHS

Tue: 3 x 1600 off 600. Into Westside track for this. Quick warm up, stopped thinking about it and just got stuck into it. Despite thinking I was going to die on the last 400 of every rep I was reasonably happy with this, the reps came in between 6.00-6.03.

No time for a cool down as I was heading directly to the physioterrorist!

Wed: reluctant run made the 2 kids come with me, 5k easy

Thur: another 5k plod!

Fri: 7 miles tempo. Don’t like these now! Did the same route as last week and not much of an improvement, only a little less fade over the last 2 miles. I seem to have a 6.50 pace condom on for these runs as I can’t break through! Paces were 6.54, 6.50, 6.47, 6.52, 6.52, 6.53, 6.57! Not really good enough and I’ll need to see rapid improvement here. 9 miles for the day.

Sat: over in Stoke for the Hull game with my middle lad and his buddy. Got 4 miles easy done before they got up.

Sun: late back home again and struggling with motivation to get out, watched my daughters GA game and headed off on the LR, got 13 miles in @ 8.37 and felt better for having it done.

Mon: nice easy run and chats with my daughter 4 miles super easy.

Tue: was in Dublin Monday evening and going over and back to London. Got an easy 5k run done along a very busy road that put the **** up the Bogger with the car’s whizzing by! The place itself was never gonna appear in the Lonely Planets top 10 places to visit 🤣. Over to London and then up to Preston for a Stoke game, back to London and working all hours!

Wed: back in Dublin parked up at the Clayton hotel, charged the car and jogged up to Santry. Session was 6 x 800 off 400. Found this rough, stiff and sore after all the travelling, hard to focus as lots of dogs and walkers our. Almost pulled the plug after 5 reps but managed to finish the last one, disappointingly the reps came in between 3.02-3.09 pace.

I also did 4 x 45 mins of functional strength stuff over last 10 days.

I’m happy that the body’s in one piece but not so happy with the tempo runs, I need to be getting those down to 6.45 pace.

Decided not to race this weekend as I feel a bit mentally and physical drained

I’m in Spain for 5 days next week so hopefully get a decent block of rest and training done.

Good luck to Boardsies racing this weekend

TbL

The Boggers Log

Comments