Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

This is my Redemption Arc

12346»

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    It's funny I think this came across as false modesty and while I get the point you are making about being humble to be hungry I think the point I was trying to get across was a new appreciation for not sweating the small stuff. While that may seem reductive it is not meant to be I still think its important to give best effort but also realizing that in the grand scheme of things it is a minute part of existence and as such the pressure put on ourselves is disproportionate to the actual relevance.

    “We suffer more in our imagination more often than in reality.”

    This is something which has really struck a chord with me in recent months. Often small things built up way too much in the head causing unnecessary stress and anxiety I needed to take a step back and look at context a bit more

    As I have mentioned in the past to you though Ed. A coach is just the compass, not the ship



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    Time for a fairly late update on October

    A good start to the month tailed off

    RSV ran rampant through the house with the kids as well as getting sick myself meant the last two weeks of the month weren't great. I managed to get a few runs done but had to pull the plug after 2 mile on some occasions.

    The last few days of the month were off the cards as finally bit the bullet and proposed after 8 long years a house and 3 kids. Thankfully all that time hasn't seen her sick of me and she said yes but the weekend was a write off between proposal and visits to the family etc

    In terms of sessions

    Tempo sessions

    4th Oct - 2 mile tempo, 1 mile easy, 600m hard - 6.23, 6.18, (5.52 pace)

    11th Oct - 2 mile tempo, 1 mile easy 1 mile hard - 6.22, 6.21, 5.56

    22nd Oct - 2 mile tempo, 1 mile easy 1 mile hard - 6.23, 6.22, 5.46


    Progression sessions

    8th Oct - 6 mile progression - 7.42, 7.26, 6.50, 6.39, 6.28, 6.10

    18th Oct - 6 mile controlled progression* (sickness) - 8.03, 7.49, 7.39, 7.27, 7.18, 7.12

    November off to a limp start between mid term, ring shopping etc but finally back on track so hopefully can finish strong. Will change up sessions a little but this month and try and grow the mileage



  • Registered Users Posts: 912 ✭✭✭Unknownability


    Congratulations on the engagement!



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,807 ✭✭✭skyblue46


    Congratulations on the impending nuptials even if that takes another 8 years 🤣



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


    Aw congratulations on your engagement 💛



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    Real question is which will come first, marriage or me fit enough to toe the line for another marathon :p



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,831 ✭✭✭Annie get your Run


    Congrats on the engagement although 'bite the bullet' 🙊 😂

    Enjoy the celebrations.



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


    Congrats again..who has time for ring shopping with three kids!



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,020 ✭✭✭Kellygirl


    Congrats on the engagement!



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,398 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Many congratulations!



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭diego_b


    Big congrats on the engagement!



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    Change to training means will probably update this a bit more now as making a small shift from the base I had been doing

    As mentioned between a few things the first two weeks were a bit of a slow started but back on it last week

    Mon - 7 miles easy (8.09 min mile pace)

    Tues - warm up, 5x3 min on/(3 min off) cooldown

    Paces - 5.45(7.38) 5.47 (7.55) 5.44 (8.11) 5.49 (8.00) 5.41 (8.26)

    Wed - 6.1 miles easy (8.19 min mile pace)

    Thursday - warm up, 7x40 sec strides (2 min rec) cooldown

    Paces - 5.10, 5.32, 5.36, 5.27, 5.04, 5.11, 5.07

    Fri - 2.3 mile easy (8.18 min mile pace)

    Sat- warm up, 10 min Tempo, 5 min LT,

    Paces - 6.31 min mile, 6.08 min mile

    Sunday - 3.6 miles easy (8.02 min mile pace)

    Weekly Mileage: 36 miles


    By no means a perfect week but highest mileage since the comeback started. Tuesdays session went well. Recoveries were generous and the fact that the pace of recoveries fell off shows fitness still has a long way to go but wasn't sure if I could hold sub 6's and managed it and to recover well each segment.

    Thursday was a shambles. Back in the office and had found out that the job had booked out the new track for a coached session but was open to all employees so decided to turns strides into 200s on the track however due to communication issue track wasn't opened when we got there and even after another 20 min warming up still no sign and had to be back in the office for a meeting so couldn't hang around any longer so changed up to 40 sec strides on the trails instead just for turnover. Cut it from 10 to 8 given time constraints after extended warm up but ended up miscounting so only ended up with seven but job done as was just spinning the legs and not a difficult session.

    The weak pittered off from here a bit a few things at home had head a little fried and ended up pulling up short on 3 runs including a session. The session however was still a step forward as was 15 min progressive tempo with no break so one to build on (had another 10 min planned at the more controlled pace.

    Still at the stage where a bad week is not the end of the world though so it got the routine back on track and keep moving on from here



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


    Just catching up - Many congratulations to you & D.

    What a great few months for the 2 of you!!



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli



    Cheers man, yeah it's been a fairly busy time alright but in a good way

    Monday 7 miles easy (8.02 min mile pace)

    Tuesday 5.4 miles easy (8.18 min mile pace)

    Wednesday warm up, 4x5 min on/off, cooldown

    Paces: 5.52 (8.37) 5.44 (8.49) 5.45 (9.06) 5.40 (9.22)

    Thurs OFF

    Friday 5.6 miles easy (8.15 min mile pace)

    Saturday 10 min w/u 25 min tempo (MP/LT/MP) 10 min cooldown

    Paces: 6.24 pace/ 6.03 pace / 6.23 pace

    Sunday 6.6 miles easy incl 4x20 sec strides

    Total weekly mileage: 38.8 miles

    Highest mileage week since the comeback started in the summer despite missing a day due to work/wedding venue viewings meaning that didn't have a moment for the day. Happy enough considering I am not really forcing training and not struggling to fit in this level as it continues to build slowly

    Wednesday session went well wasn't sure paces would hold up but was pleased with them. The reps are long enough to get a bit of discomfort but the recovery is full so working on the aerobic development but at a very foundational level. Patience still holding up well and not feeling a pressure to be fit any time soon so happy to just keep building

    Tempo was very controlled throughout although the cold air could definitely be felt with the change in the weather

    Would like to be consistent in this format for another while and hopefully climbing to consistently hitting 50 mpw before the start of the new year and start the new year in a good place to put in a good block of training and get back to racing at some stage



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool


    Interesting. Considering your recovery pace dropped a lot (Wednesday session after rep 2 and 3) you still went faster the last rep and seemed to have “paid” the price for it or was that planned? Would have thought it’s better to keep the pace consistent until the recovery pace isn’t dropping and starting to become too easy?



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    the last rep was slightly more favourable (small little drag in the middle two reps the last 30 seconds) so I reckon effort wise they were on par.

    As for recovery pace I expect it to drop off at the moment as the aim is full recovery and fact is I am not fit so not too worried by it for now it will come in time for now just happy with solid on efforts without being too taxing



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    It's about time I updated this. Went dark a bit during December as I will still in my getting fit enough to train phase. Unlike previous times I have disappeared I kept up training although admittedly alot without the watch simply just getting runs in but overall it was job done. My goal last summer was to get to a position where I was fit enough to actually put in a training block and I have managed to accomplish that. Training paces are in the right ball park for a starting point and I am getting through a week without it feeling like a strain


    This meant that I could start the new year and actually start training. There is no short term goal other than remain consistent and build up aerobic fitness with the view of having a good summer season

    Introduced double just as a shakeout in the evenings of 30 min after the main run of the day (6-7 miles)

    Wednesday was a 9 mile run as an MLR

    Tuesdays session with was same as before Christmas, equal recovery efforts over rolling hills at 5.45-5.55 pace (wind was noticeable)

    Thursday was supposed to be 8x40 sec @ mile effort but I was on a hike in the morning and the legs didn't have alot by the time I got out in the afternoon

    Sunday was alternating miles on an honest loop, wind on back for alot of the harder miles but overall a solid effort (6.39, 7.14, 6.38, 7.04, 6.39, 7.09, 6.43, 7.06)

    Rounded off the week with 55 miles and 3* (2 and a half) sessions, nothing ground breaking but a good first week back



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    Week 2


    No streaks to speak of this year with two missed days, Thursday unavoidable as I had one window to get out in the day due to commitments and that was firmly shut when issues cropped up in work when I was supposed to get out on lunch break

    Sunday however was avoidable but the start of a head cold saw me play it safe (thankfully avoided the worst of it)

    Session went well on Tuesday with similar paces (5.45-5.55) feeling solid throughout still with lengthy recoveries but keeping in touch with good paces

    Wednesday battery died to cap off a miserable run like a drowned rat in the heavt rain

    Overall not a great week with only 34 miles mostly easy though didn't let it derail and pick up and go again. 34 in a week would have been a good week pre Christmas so its progress even if not linear.



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    Bit of a late update


    Last week a slight improvement with 45 miles. Was on track to hit over 50 again but pulled the long run up early

    Sessions themselves were solid

    5x3 min on/off @5.47-5.55 Conditions weren't great and post work so just ran off feel in the dark.

    Thursday was icy cold conditions yet despite that found a decent flat stretch that had good traction. Paces (though largely irrelevant on these ones between 4.40 and 4.50 (1 mile effort_

    Capped off the week with a very solid tempo, finding when I get the chance to do these sessions in the daylight seem a bit easier in terms of pace. 6.14, 5.58, 6.16 which is the sort of tempo pace that hasn't been there in a few years. the comeback not linear in terms of progression but it has definitely been consistent.

    This week was more a fitness gauge and as such the first "proper" session. I have been focusing on effort for a duration with full recovery till now while still in the early stages of training. Happy with how this went. Loop was a flat compared to the loop I had been using (a bit more undulating) but was happy to be hitting 5.35-5.40 here without busting my gut.

    Overall happy to keep things patient, enjoying the process and not too worried about the outcome for now just gonna keep continuing to move in the right direction for now



  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭E.coli


    At least the training is going a little better than the log updates 😁

    In truth there is no major insights or excitement to be got from this log. I am not doing anything spectacular simply taking one day at a time and trying keep the general trajectory going in the right direction

    As such my overall training looks something like this


    28th Jan - 4.5 miles easy (8.11 min/m)

    29th Jan - OFF

    30th Jan

    AM 6 miles easy (7.52 min/m)

    PM 3.3 recovery (9.03 min/m)

    31st Jan - 4x5 min on/OFF - Paces - 5.44/8.25, 5.48/8.12, 5.43/8.59, 5.45/8.55

    1st Feb 4 miles Easy (7.43 min/m)

    2nd 25 min Tempo (10 M/ 5 T/ 10 M) - Paces - 6.26, 6.06, 6.26

    3rd - 6 miles easy (7.49 min/m)

    4th - 6 miles easy (7.44 min/m)

    5th - OFF

    6th

    AM 6.25 miles easy (7.35 min/m)

    PM 4 recovery (9.00 min/m)

    7th - 4x5 min on/OFF - Paces - 5.54/8.14,5.50/8.57, 5.47/9.15, 5.49/9.18

    AM 6 miles easy (7.46 min/m)

    PM 3.7 recovery (9.05 min/m)


    Long runs have definitely been a downfall but overall training is trending in the right direction, The 5 min segments done on an honest loop so happy enough that a decent hard effort for these. Will do similar to last month with full recovery and a tester session at the end of the month. Fitness is building albeit slow but taking to a more process driven approach this time finding joy in what I am doing rather than aiming for a performance outcome as the metric for being happy with the work being put in.

    Definitely about sustaining moving forward at 70% vs the boom boost cycle in of the past, If I can put months behind me before really knuckling down for a racing block I think it will stand to me more than making big short term improvements and then struggling to break through the stagnation that only comes with patience



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 10,398 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Any graph that's going up and to the right is generally something to celebrate.



  • Registered Users Posts: 361 ✭✭babacool




  • Registered Users Posts: 10,398 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Oh, don't worry, someone somewhere is celebrating. 😉



Advertisement