The road least taken

Kellygirl · 30-09-2022 11:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683480#Comment_119683480

It’s funny because while I’m training at the moment I’m thinking ‘no more marathons’ and way too time consuming … yet as soon as I saw people registering for Berlin next year I was looking at the website … we never learn 😂 I didn’t apply though.

marathon2022 · 30-09-2022 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119684044#Comment_119684044

It's a runner illness I reckon, was chatting on what's app with my brother last night about Boston and signed up for a half by the time the conversation ended. It's too easy 😜

marathon2022 · 02-10-2022 4:10pm

This week was OK, mostly low level bits and pieces tagged together into something resembling a plan. Passes the 1500 mile mark for 2022 today. About 2 days behind my 2000 mile 2022 target. Here's hoping I get through the next 3 months relatively unscathed.

Monday - Rest day

Tuesday - Session - 2 miles easy at 8.50 per mile - 6 x 3 minute threshold(6.50-7.00) with 90 second easy jog recovery- 2.5 miles easy cooldown

Wednesday - 5 miles at 8.20 per mile

Thursday - 7.5 miles at 8.20 per mile

Friday - Session - 2 miles warmup at 8.20 - 2 miles at 7.30- 1 mile recovery at 8.10 - 2 miles at 7.30 - 4 miles cooldown at 8.30.

Saturday - rest

Sunday - 20 miles at 8.10 aerobic run

52 miles for the week, happy with that.

Learnings from this week- was reading some chatter about the Enervit gels on one of the threads hereabouts and just happened to have some in my press since the fingal 10k(They were in a goody bag I think). The gel itself tasted ok but there are two things not right for me- too runny and the sachet is not really designed for running. Basically opening and running with the square sachet results in a load of sticky mess on the hands, thank feck I pass a tap on my long run or I would have been pee d of. On reflection the cyclist on the sachet should have been the first clue, back to the Decathlon brand for me. * note I tried the Maurten gels a few weeks ago and apart from the odd snot like texture they worked just fine, I would certainly recommend them but Decathlon is on my way home from work so its just easy to grab fuel there.

marathon2022 · 09-10-2022 1:34pm

One step in front of the other. I usually avoid rationalising my running habit, obviously "it keeps my heart healthy" is good motivation but on the odd occasion when I am not to tired to think and am feeling introspective I usually come to the conclusion that I run to avoid introspection. I fill my time with things as a pill to forget and running is one of these things.

I suppose the point is that running while enjoyable should not thought of as the pill, running is just the medium to challenge and test yourself, when running injury's stop me challenging myself I reckon I will move on. For now I am loving it but I sense a divergence in the future

Monday - rest day

Tuesday - Session - 2 miles easy at 8.45 per mile - 8 x 3 minute threshold(6.50-7.00) with 90 second easy jog recovery- 2.5 miles easy cooldown

Wednesday - 6.5 miles at 8.10 per mile

Thursday - 6.5 miles at 8.15 per mile

Friday - Session - 2 miles warmup at 8.20 - 3 x 2 miles at 7.30- 1 mile recovery at 8.10 - 1.5 miles cooldown at 8.20.

Saturday - Parkrun with my reluctant teenager- fun

Sunday - 21 mile session - 9 miles at 8.25, 9 miles at 7.30 and 3 miles at 8 minutes per mile

58 miles is officially the longest week of 2022. Didn't feel like it.

Thoughts - felt a slight pain in my right upper hammer below the gluteus maximus during parkrun and again from about 12 miles today, a pain in the ar$e literally.

marathon2022 · 15-10-2022 4:31pm

Pretty vanilla training week, more a work and college week when I think about it; should be studying statistics but decided to take a break and write this up.

Monday - love Mondays - rest day

Tuesday - Session - 2 miles easy at 8.45 per mile - 10 x 3 minute threshold(6.50-7.00) with 90 second easy jog recovery- 2.5 miles easy cooldown

Wednesday - 5.5 miles at 8.45 per mile- mainly on grass around a local big house

Thursday - 6.5 miles at 7.40 per mile

Friday - 4 miles at 8.10

Saturday - 18 miles at 7.40- this felt OK, little niggle in the right hip, glut since last weekend but nothing too worrying.

Gonna take a couple of days rest and back on some light work next week.

Thoughts and targets- passed 1600 miles today, still tight for the 2000 mile 2022 target but not impossible.

marathon2022 · 23-10-2022 7:29pm

Tapering shaper - 36 miles of varied quality

Monday funday - no running

Tuesday - session - 2 miles warmup - 4 minutes at 7.00/m pace with 2 minute jog recovery easy x 5 , 2 miles cooldown

Wednesday - 5 mile at 8.30 pace

Thursday - no run

Friday - session - 2 mile warmup - 3 miles at 7.00/m pace with 1 mile easy x 2 then cooldown

Saturday - 4 mile at 8.20

Sunday - 4 mile at at 8.10 / m then 3 mile at 7.30 / mile then 1.5 mile cooldown.

As it stands I'm no wiser as to what I will do next Sunday, Eisenhower's quote, “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable,” describes my current vibe, mainly because I don't have a plan. One thing is for sure; if I make it to the start line I will have a smile.

marathon2022 · 28-10-2022 9:01am

Hasn't been the most straight forward training block but I'm still standing and more than likely will start DCM. I am thankful for this. Early August I returned running after a short break due to a hamstring pull, slow and steady has been the order of the day since, eventually got some nice mileage and time on feet.

75 hours of running - 560 miles of distance - average pace of 8.04

Pace zone distribution is pretty indicative of recovery mode form the hamstring on

65% Zone 1

24% Zone 2

6% Zone 3

3.5% Zone 4

1% Zone 5

I will decide Sunday morning on a target. Somewhere between 3.15 and 4.00 hours will be fine and dandy.

https://youtu.be/HeERupuicHE

For anyone who has bothered to read my log, Go Raibh Maith Agaibh agus rás mór a bheith agat

Kellygirl · 28-10-2022 11:34am

Best of luck! Hope it goes really well.

marathon2022 · 28-10-2022 11:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803750#Comment_119803750

Thanks very much 👍, same to you.exciting times

Laineyfrecks · 28-10-2022 1:14pm

Best of luck to you😊

marathon2022 · 28-10-2022 2:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119804173#Comment_119804173

Thank you, I hope you smash it Sunday.

Laineyfrecks · 28-10-2022 5:23pm

Thank you 🤗

marathon2022 · 30-10-2022 7:14pm

3.17.52 chip time with a 2 minute negative split.

Perfetto

marathon2022 · 31-10-2022 1:16pm

For posterity I will jot down my thoughts on yesterday before they fade, a sort of short, not really report.

Like the first noble truth I know there will be suffering and during a marathon this is as true as it gets and to steal from the Buddhist again , finding the middle way even for a short few hours is not always simple. What's this fookin eejit talking about your probably thinking- My point is that running is about reaching inside and letting your body do what it knows by blocking your monkey mind. In most cases for me, other than physical maladies(old age and injury) the mind causes the problems. I've been meditating for a while now and can see the advantage of quiet mind and as fortune would have it my running journey has been happening parallel. The mind is were I win or loose.

Yesterday I won

The day started well in the company of family, this is always a good thing. After breakfast and a little messing, my lift (little brother )called and off we went. Arrived in Dublin 20 minutes later at 7.50am and parked on one of many street parking areas(who knew :-). Strolled up, put the bags in and went to wave one without a hint of hassle, was standing in the wave at 8.15. Toilet queue had two people in it as the wave had just moved up when we arrived, had a last splash and dash, and stood in sucking in the mad energy. Smooth process. Then the 3.20 pacers walked up stood right beside us, decision made. Had another quick chat with the brother who was chewing on his race pace as well and then it was go.

The start was great, some pinch points and impossible to keep a line other than what the crowd determined so just went with the flow(stealing from zen philosophies here, doing not doing). There was a couple of pinch point in the first mile or two but generally all good. I kept an eye on the 3.20 balloons, one was about 20 meters behind the other two so I that was my target.

Mile one done - fist pumped the brother and put the head down. Next time I would see him was at the finish. And that's it really. Went home had a whiskey and gorged on rubbish, dominos, beer. Woke up today

Tale of the tape first

First 10K - 7.38 average pace

Next 10K - 7.34 average pace

Next 10K - 7.32 average pace

Next 10k - 7.26 average pace

Last 2 k - 7.27 average pace

Chip time of 3.17.52 - a 42 second PB.

GPS data form the distance like most peoples was long at 26.46 miles, not possible to run the lines in DCM so expected.

To continue my thoughts on the race itself I would probably say that I didn't really notice it, my mind was mostly empty and as I followed the pacers for about 15 miles I didn't need to think about pace or time and even when my pace started to increase naturally I did hear the odd spectator comment that the pacers were not far behind so sort of knew I was only gradually moving away from them. One standout memory I have is a lady in pink, a mad scene I'm not even sure was real; somewhere in the middle of the race when I woke for a minute from my focus I spied this pink haired lady with what looked like a pink negligee standing outside a row of terraced houses laughing at all the mad running fools. I laughed as well

I've no advise for anyone on running but I would say one thing BE KIND, kindness is like running or meditating, it takes practice. Try and be kind to someone today. Try tomorrow, Try the next day, the world is in need of it.

Dubh Geannain · 31-10-2022 11:25pm

Lovely stuff and a nice negative split for you. Well done.

Laineyfrecks · 01-11-2022 7:50pm

Well done!

marathon2022 · 01-11-2022 10:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119817348#Comment_119817348

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119820760#Comment_119820760

Thanks guys, a fine day was had.

Kellygirl · 01-11-2022 10:38pm

I’m laughing at the pink lady!! So funny. I noticed people in fluffy Pjs alright!

Very well done. A great race on a very humid day.

marathon2022 · 05-12-2022 8:58pm

Hello there, remember me

November was a base month, 150 miles, 20 hours of running and four new pairs of running shoes, exactly how it should be after a Marathon.

*Road to Boston

Now that the update is out of the way I suppose its time I mentioned my plan for the next four months, something to keep me honest. With the BQ time in Manchester during the spring I knew I had a bit of a chance to run the mighty Boston Marathon and low and behold here I am starting a plan, the BAA level three marathon plan for a sub 3.10. This plan is 20 weeks with

https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/train/levelthree

3 week prep (Done)

6 week building (Starting this week)

9 weeks marathon specific

2 week taper

April 17th

I used the bones of this plan for the Manchester race so I get it and the structure is clear. I also add two down weeks- including a Christmas drinking week and possibly Donadea( I know, I know) recovery week during the build up.

So 7.15-ish per mile on the quad crushing Boston course in 4 months. Let the fun begin.

marathon2022 · 11-12-2022 3:04pm

WEEK 4 - Passed 1900 miles for 2022 this week

6-WEEK BUILDING PHASE Week 1

MONDAY - Chill

TUESDAY- 9 miles, consisting of: 2 mile Warm Up 5 x 1k at 10k pace(6.40/mile) with 2 minutes rest 5 x 200 at 5k Pace(6.20) with 30 seconds rest 2 mile Warm Down

WEDNESDAY- 6 mile Easy Run (8.15)

THURSDAY- 6 mile Aerobic Run (7.40)

FRIDAY - Chill

SATURDAY- 14 miles , this was supposed to be a session with 3 x 2 mile HMP after a warmup and a couple to warm down but the conditions were pretty bad with ice and muck. I went to a local park with a lot of grass verge type tracks and put some time on feet, even got a nifty progression 4 mile at the tail end when the ice left the outer trail. (8.20 average)

SUNDAY 8 mile Easy Run(8.30)- did this one at the beach, the soft sand is a bit difficult but better than slipy paths.

Obviously some small adjustments in the plan with the conditions but overall a good start to the building phase. I've decided on my shoe rotation for the early part of this block. * exception-took the Hoka speedgoats out of hibernation yesterday(grass path with ices and pools) and today(beach), perfect shoe for messy underfoot.

Easy - Reebok Floatride for anything stable 8.00 to 8.30

Aerobic - Speed 2 - 7.40 to 8.00

Sessions with fast pace sections - Nike ZoomX tempo - whatever

Lazy sessions or hard tempo days if I'm tired - Vaporflys

I have a new pair of Alphafly to go with an almost new pair for racing long, might be the end of spring before these see the light of day.

Murph_D · 11-12-2022 9:45pm

Catching up on your DCM which I somehow missed - very very well done, a great result in tough conditions and I just love the mind over matter discussion, it really resonates with . me. You certainly found the middle way that day.

Good luck with the Boston block. It's a difficult course and you'll need things to go your way, especially as it's an away trip. Not sure how your plan to squeeze Donadea in will work out. You seem to realise that yourself however so no point in saying anything more than Donadea is a great race that everyone should do at least once, but maybe not if you want a big marathon performance in the same spring season. I'll be very interested to see how it goes though and best of luck with it all.

marathon2022 · 11-12-2022 9:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119985062#Comment_119985062

Thanks Murph, 90% swinging towards doing Donadea 2024 instead. If Boston goes well I might give Amsterdam a crack late next year, then I think I'm going into the hills. :-)

marathon2022 · 19-12-2022 12:01pm

Block WEEK 5

6-WEEK BUILDING PHASE week 2

MONDAY Off Day

TUESDAY 8 miles, consisting of: 2 mile Warm Up - 8 x (300m uphill at 10k Pace(6.40 per mile), 30 seconds rest, 300m downhill at MP) 90 seconds rest between sets - 2 mile Warm Down

WEDNESDAY 6 mile Easy Run (8.15 per mile)

THURSDAY 9 miles, consisting of: 2 mile Warm Up 4 x 1 mile at HMP(6.55 per mile) with 2 minutes rest between - 2 mile Warm Down

FRIDAY Off Day

SATURDAY 14 mile Aerobic Run (7.40 per mile)

SUNDAY 5 mile Easy Run (8.15 per mile)

43 miles - The conditions were not ideal but nothing too challenging.

marathon2022 · 28-12-2022 12:13pm

Block WEEK 6

6-WEEK BUILDING PHASE Week 3

MONDAY Off day

TUESDAY 9 miles, consisting of: 2 mile Warm Up then 6 x 1k at 10k(6.35-40/mile) pace with 2 minutes rest and a 2 mile Warm Down

WEDNESDAY 6 mile Easy Run (8.03 per mile)

THURSDAY 5 mile Easy Run (8.15 per mile)

FRIDAY 9 miles, consisting of: 2 mile Warm Up 2 x 2 miles at HM(6.55 / mile) with 3 minutes jog, 1 x mile at HM-10k(6.35/mile) Pace then a 2 mile Warm Down

SATURDAY 4 mile Easy Run (8.15)

SUNDAY 14.5 mile Marathon Simulation, consisting of:5-6 miles easy(8.05) 6-7 miles at MP(7.05 bit fast) then 2 miles easy

Down week planned

27th Dec 8 mile at 8.09 Tuesday. That's my 2000 2022 miles done and dusted, good base for next year.

Might give a 1.30 half a shot Saturday morning. Then back to week 7 Boston block next week.

marathon2022 · 31-12-2022 7:23pm

Happy new year guys, thanks for keeping me honest.

Murph_D · 31-12-2022 8:44pm

Many happy returns, and congrats on a great year.

Wottle · 01-01-2023 12:02pm

And to you, what a year 2022 was for you and sth tells me you're only getting started!

babacool · 01-01-2023 7:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119985097#Comment_119985097

😁 im one of the 90% but do think if throwing it in 2024 as a build up to either Connemara ultra or Hamburg Marathon (will decide later on this year if both are still available to sign up that is). So definitely interested in seeing how it will work out for you. Best of luck in 2023

marathon2022 · 02-01-2023 9:04pm

Thanks @Murph_D @babacool and @Wottle, just about ready to give the post Christmas months a go, watching the evenings get longer is worth it.

Did feck all during the down week. A few miles on Friday with a couple of 6.50/mile to keep the leg ticking over.

Had a really high heartrate sleeping Friday night, no drink or anything, up above 60bpm which is post whiskey territory for me so decided to give the half threshold blast a miss. Went for a more sensible threshold 10k instead (4.10 per km) in 41.45. Hard going but nice way to end the year.

Tomorrow back on the cart with week 4 building phase of the BAA plan.

marathon2022 · 07-01-2023 4:02pm

Bound to happen- the other half has had a dose the last two weeks, chesty bunged up all that and as happens sometimes living in a house with infected :-) I started to feel it early in the week leading to a proper no sleep coughing night last night. Running on the back burner I think.

Monday - rest day

Tuesday - Session Hill repeats - feeling ok

Wednesday - hilly aerobic - bit tougher than normal

Thursday - aerobic - not feeling it

Friday - rest day

Today - bad cough - no running.

With the sheer volume of respiratory illness in the air lately I was half expecting to get something. As recommended -anything below the neck - rest up.

The road least taken

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