Berlin Q or Bust: Road to sub 2:45

An actual week's, well 5 days, running to report on 😁

Wed: 13.2k: 1:00:41 @4:36/km

Just happy to be out running. Little quick but I hadn't exactly over exerted myself if the preceding few days. Running wise anyway 😕

Thu: 7 Miles Easy: 56:33 @5:01/km

Fri: 7 Miles Easy: 55:25 @4:55/km

2 rambles around the town. Mojo beginning to return. Enjoying the runs.

Sat: 8.3k Easy: 41:47 @5:01/km

Shoehorned in a few miles while Ben Healy was at Sarsfields training.

Sun: 16 Miles inc 6x1 mile on/off: 1:48:41 @4:13/km

Starting an actual plan tomorrow, two weeks later than planned, but how and ever. Fancied putting in an effort and dipped into my catalogue of workouts to pull out this guy.

Had a challenging enough route planned out that came in at 16 miles. Had a vague idea of 7:15 pace for the miles off and 6:26/27 pace for the miles on.

Planned on starting easy enough but the two warm up miles come in at 6:53 & 6:50 🙄. No time to second guess myself here so off I went for the first effort. Up the effort and after about 400m glance at the pace, it's showing 3:53/km...ease off but I'm moving nicely and don't slow a whole lot before the miles beeps at 6:17. I know the route is lumpy so I just focus on trying to maintain the same efforts for the on and off miles. First off mile comes in at 7 mins dead on. Obviously this is faster than I'd planned, but the paces were arbitrary enough. What followed were 6:23 & 7:00, 6:12 & 7:43 on a lovely downhill mile out the back of Athgarvan followed by a filthy mile back out of it, 6:16 & 6:59, 6:10 & 6:52 and 6:14 & 7:07 to finish out the efforts. Tipped home in two 6:58 miles for a pretty decent day at the office.

5 days running for 70k in total. Few weeks of shorter stuff now, free hit at the Jingle Bells, a parkrun and warm up race after and then up to Raheny for a good bloodbath 😛

Things ticking along slowly but surely...

Mon: 7 Miles Easy: 56:28 @5:01/km

Usual amble around the plains, which are getting softer by the day. An absolutely glorious chilly late afternoon out there. Passed at least 8 randomers out foraging for what I can only presume were magic mushrooms. Everyone of them was looking in the wrong place and literally missing out on hundreds of them out the other side of the plains near the gallops. I didn't tell any of them that they were looking in the wrong place...😏

Tue: 8 Miles Easy: 1:05:52 @5:07/km

As per Monday, plus a mile, minus the magic mushrooms.

Wed: Session: 8x800m off 90 secs.

Wasn't really jumping out the door to do this after a head melting day, but I'm in a nice little groove atm so I got out without too much procrastinating. Paces are a bit exploratory at the moment. I'm given the sessions and we sort of see where things are. I've definitley felt like I'm already in better shape after only 2 sessions; the horrendous mile repeats (6) and the slightly better 400's (14).

With MacPhisto's recent glowing endorsement of the Endorphin Speeds in the back of my head, I threw them on for this one. I think they're my favourite shoe. I know they're not fantastic in the wet, but I haven't found them as bad as some others have.

Anyway, took to the loop after work and cobbled together the following off 90secs recovery;

2:42, 2:42, 2:45, 2:43

2:43, 2:43, 2:46, 2:40

Nearly got a belt of a car on the second last one (not my fault), and was still annoyed by the time I started the final rep.

I'm doing my sessions off the track in Newbridge from here on in. I've doubts about both the GPS and track length if I'm honest looking back at my sessions. I feel like I get more from doing them on the road anyway.

Was feeling 'that' feeling that one gets at the end of a tough interval workout today. I wanted to quit, recovery felt way too short etc, but I finished session and the times were respectable enough. Again, I feel like I'm progressing slowly but surely.

13.4k for the day.

5 mile tempo on Saturday lined up next. 

An update of sorts. Raced JB in the end. An enjoyable morning, if a little underwhelming performance wise. Great to see AMK bag a pb (and take my scalp for the first time in a long long time 😂) Was feeling a bit of a dose that morning and this got worse as the day went on, and by Sunday morning I was tracking McPhisto and watching Valencia in a very ropey state indeed. (What a run btw! If the man himself could treat us to a report that would be great! Tracker went down after 15k, but I never had any doubt as to him keeping the show on the road. Inspiring stuff.) Out of work Mon & Tue, serious case of man flu (I'm not a good patient btw). Back in yesterday, only to be sent home by a combination of my DP and Secretary. Sometimes you convince yourself you're feeling better only to go into work and realise that 'Sh1t, this is just not happening' 🙁 Went for PCR test just to count out Covid, but I'm sure I just have a bad dose.

Anyway, haven't ran a step since Saturday's warm down with AMK. Think I'll scrap the rest of the week and start afresh from Monday. Probably for the best. Feeling motivated though. Think my system is trying to tell me something.

Will sort out restructured a block for Raheny and then go into Limerick block. I've lost the guts of 4 weeks due to illness since MCR, and am nowhere near where I planned to be, but I'm not worried.

When I'm back running I might put up a report on the Jingle Bells (17:27), but there's not really much to report. Ran relatively hard, didn't feel fast, happy enough considering where I was, didn't hurt or put myself in the position to hurt at any point. Actually, that is the report. 😁

Coming near the end of year review time. I don't think I'm looking forward to that.

Thanks for those observations 👍 I know I can learn from the last 18 months, and a couple of small tweaks in training and preparation are all that are probably needed.

Looking forward to getting a few decent weeks back to back and a few nice runs in over the holdiays.

They're draught quality. Now, mid-table fare, but still a nice option to have at home 😁 but yes, afternoon pints are the best pints.

I've been pretty fortunate that I've been close to peak fitness for pretty much the last 2 years. Now this in turn may been a factor in my Autumn marathon disaster, but right now it has made it difficult for me to deal with being out of shape for the first time in forever.

I'm not panicking or anything (maybe the fact I've mentioned that means I actually am🤔), but any sort of fitness just seems a long way off right now. I'm struggling to see how I could be able to start marathon training in 2 weeks. We'll wait and see I suppose.

Since the Jingle Bells, my running has looked like this;

Dec 6th-12th: 0km

Dec 13th-19th: 6.4km

Dec 20th-26th: 35.6km

Dec 27th-Jan 2nd: 54.7km

Jan 3rd-9th: 63.6km

Nothing of note in there. All easy save for an attempted 'steady' longer effort last Sunday which saw me cut it short at 10 miles (in just over 72mins 😭) for fear of me spontaneously combusting! It served me right for doing nothing for 5 weeks and just expecting to bang out 14/15 miles quicker than anything else I'd done.

Got 7 days running in this week which is a bit of progress. Actually felt half decent on today's effort where I felt something was stirring, but still painfully slow;

Mon: 7 Miles: 58:38 @5:12/km

Tue: 7 Miles: 55:06 @4:53/km

Wed: 5 Miles: 39:30 @4:55/km

Thu: 5 Miles: 39:30 @4:55/km

Fri: 10k: 52:26 @5:14/km

Sat: 7 Miles: 56:01 @4:58/km

Sun: 23k: 1:52:37 @4:53/km

83k for the week.

Trust the process. Trust the process. Trust the process.

Hectic enough day which included dealing with Public Health about an outbreak in the school saw me scrap a planned session yesterday. Hoping to get in a couple of 5/6 miles tempos and a 6x1 mile session in addition to 26k & 28k vanilla long runs in the next couple of weeks. I've been assured that my current lack of fitness is a blessing in disguise, but coaches always try and tell their athletes what they want to hear right? No paces prescribed for any of the runs, just get them in and keep building.

I've been looking over my runs since October and I genuinely forgot about a 16 Miler in the middle of November that included 6x1 mile on/off where I averaged 6:15 miles for the efforts and around 6:45 for the entire thing. I had just sort of thought I hadn't ran any sort of effort since MCR. Maybe fitness isn't that far away. Just hoping that things will start to move along and I can see some tangible improvements. Looking at some of my sessions from the last block and at AMK's training, that just seems a long, long way away. Add this to the fact that Limerick suddenly does not seem a long, long way away and you have a slightly worried Healy1835. I also need to stop bleating about how unfit I am on here. Suck it up and get fit Healy!

A little over 3 months ago I stood on the start line of a marathon planning and expecting to average under 6:15/mile, today I ran a 5 mile tempo in 32:43 and was very happy with it. Running is mad 😛

A sliver of light at the end of the tunnel here...

Mon: 5 Miles Easy: 40:17 @5:00/km

Mindless shuffle around the Camp & Plains.

Tue: 7 Miles Easy: 56:02 @4:58/km

Wed: 7 Miles Easy: 54:11 @4:48/km

Had a session tentatively planned (6 x 1 Mile @whoknows/km) but an afternoon dealing with Public Health had me on the ropes, so a rinse and repeat of Tuesday's run was the best I could muster.

Thu: 10k Easy: 49:50 @4:59/km

This log is pretty uninspiring atm isn't it.

Fri: 10k Easy: 49:32 @4:57/km

I'm conscious of not ramping up mileage too quickly. A lot of these easy efforts could be longer but I'm staying disciplined.

Sat: 12k inc 5 Mile Tempo (32:43)

I really wasn't sure what was in the post for this one. I'm going to make a concerted effort to avoid the loop in the Camp & the Lidl loop in the town for any longer sessions. Limerick & Dublin have plenty of ups and downs so my sessions are going to as well. I've a 5 Mile extended bog loop which has a whole heap of variety and will keep the runner very honest, so that's where I ambled to for this one. I honestly would have been happy with anything under 35 mins. Threw on the Endorphin Speeds and after a couple of km warm up, set tentatively out.

With the handbrake firmly on, the first mile came in at a sprightly enough 6:53. 2nd mile included a decent drag which I navigated smoothly enough to clock a 6:38. A favourable 3rd mile saw me really hold back in order to ensure a strong finish, but still came in at 6:32. I'm singing along to some tunes at this stage, just happy to be back putting in some sort of effort. Bell X1's 4 Minute Mile comes on during the 4th mile and I let the handbrake off a little as I belt out the lyrics (This is happening out in the bog remember 😛) and clock a 6:19. 5th Mile back into a breeze pinches a little but still comes in at 6:21.

Take about 30 secs to recover and then trot home to bring up 12k for the day. Happy with that for a first session back.

Sun: Long Run: 26k: 2:02:23 @4:42/km

If Limerick is to happen, I need to get a couple of longer efforts in before I start a block. Again, no paces planned for this. Just get the distance in. I'd planned to run it very easy, 5min kms and the like. But after a tentative few early miles, the pace just naturally picked up and I really felt good on this one. Tired mind you by the end, but a happy tired. Covered the last 10 miles in around 73:30.

89km for the week.

Something is stirring. More of the same next week, will get in the missed 6x1 Mile session and push out Tempo a little to 6 Miles.

Limerick Marathon Week 1 of 13 🙄

Mon: AM: 5 Miles Easy: 41:02 @5:06/km

Knew I was gonna be tight for time later on so got in a semi-comatose shuffle before the day started.

PM: 8.25k: 42:31 @5:10/km

Mooched around the plains. Going soft.

Tue: 7 Miles Easy: 55:06 @4:53/km

Post work amble around the Camp.

Wed: Session: 3x2 Miles @MP effort off 5 mins jog recovery.

Long day in work saw me hit the loop in the Camp late enough. Was sort of looking forward to the session which was a positive. 

I'd already fired a text to my running consigliere trying to explain in advance how my MP would be pretty slow. The reply recieved was along the lines of 'You're not as far off as you think. Don't sell yourself short and diverge too much from MP'. Which was just a nice way of telling me to man-up a little I suppose.

I don't know what MP will end up being. In an ideal world it'll be sub 2:45, but with current fitness levels being where they are, I'm prepared for it not to get down to that pace. For today, seeing as I ran the 10k effort during last weekend's LR @4:12/km, I could hardly be banging out out 6:50's for this one could I!? 

Decided to feel my way into the efforts. Left just the elapsed time field on the watch for the first loop, around 1.5k, and then checked the pace...3:58/km. Eeek. This seems fast I thought, so I dialled it back a bit for the next mile. I wanted to finish strong and thought that pace wasn't sustainable. The first rep comes in at 13:03 (6:23, 6:40). 

5 mins recovery felt very slow but was still coming in at 4:40/km. Bang out a 6:21 to start the next rep, but don't really feel the need to hold back now. The 2nd mile of these reps is a little trickier route-wise, and comes in at 6:26 for a 12:47 split. 5 mins recovery flies by again and I bring it home in 12:48 (6:25 & 6:23).

5 mins recovery and cool down brings up the 10 miles and I finish the session feeling pretty happy with things. The 2 mile reps were more than a marathon effort if I'm being honest. I know this. But I feel like things are progressing nicely and we're building bit by bit here. 

👍️👍️

And to be honest, I'm very relaxed about what MP ends up at. Lessons have been learned after October from chasing arbitrary times. Doesn't mean I'm any less ambitious about how low I want to go, but the focus is on performance rather than splits.

Eh, on my phone, I just clicked quote on each of the three posts and they were automatically added to the draft message.

Thu: 7 Miles Easy: 58:51 @5:13/km

Shuffle around the town. Feeling fresh enough after previous evening's effort. Listened to a cracking episode of the Song Exploder podcast on Franz Ferdinand's Take me Out. Brought back some great memories of the days when I was a much more prolific gig-goer.

Fri: 10k Easy: 50:30 @5:03/km

Friday has become an unofficial rest/easy day. Shuffled around the plains for the usual 10k.

Sat: LR: 29k: 2:13:03 @4:35/km inc 5/4/3/2/1 km steady off 5/4/3/2 mins recovery.

Saturday suited me again this weekend for the LR. Had a lumpy route planned in my head, which was going to make the steady efforts interesting as I wasn't entirely sure where they were going to kick in. Thought I had a water out on the route from last week that I didn't use, but this turned out not to be the case so the run was on empty.

Plan called for 28k with another up-tempo effort a-la last week's LR. I fancied pushing it on a bit though, so the 5/4/3/2/1 would give me 15km of decent work and keep me alert too.

Conditions were pretty grim for the most part. Rain and a very strong breeze. What direction you ask? Against. That was the direction of this morning's wind! The Curragh can be it's own little eco system at times, and today's wind direction was just confounding 🥴 settled on something in the region of 6:50 pace for the efforts, knowing that average pace was the name of the game due to the route and wind.

5 mile warm up saw me starting the 5k steady just after a steep drag. Chugged into action with a 6:53 mile into the breeze, and really had to work during the predominantly uphill and into the breeze 5k. Split came in bang on target at 21:15 and now I just had to navigate a crosswind instead of a headwind.

The next 4k were a lot more straight forward route-wise and came in on target at 16:57.

Thought I'd a bottle of water stashed in a bush around this point, but to no avail. Moved quickly on and started making my way back towards the Camp. A couple of sneaky drags didn't put the pace off the rails and the 3k came in like clockwork at 12:45 😁

These sessions are great when you get to the last couple of efforts as you've really broken the back of it (particularly the mile & MP version of this session and not the lite version that this was). The 2k effort had a steep decline and nasty hill in the first 1.2k so I just let gravity take it's course and came out of it with an 8:23 split.

The last km took care if itself at 4:08 and a tired shuffle home brought up 29k on the button. Happy with that effort. 94k for the week to date, recovery amble tomorrow will bring up my first 100+k week in a little while.

@Swashbuckler In short, yes. I've gone through phases of doing long runs on empty etc. but the main man would a big advocate of fuelling during LR's and after listening to a couple of interviews with the nutritionist Evan Lynch, I'm very much of the volition that it's just too risky not to fuel during LR sessions.