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mister paul

A bit of background.

I started running because I wanted to get fit and lose a bit of weight. I'd always played a bit of sport, soccer on the local park, cycled into college a bit and then later work (about 10k), joined a gym, played a bit of squash, but there'd really never been any running and everything else had pretty much fallen away.

So one evening in October 2013, I decided to go out and run 5k

Mile|Pace
1|11:01 /mi
2|11:03 /mi
3|11:02 /mi
4|11:05 /mi

My vague recollection is that I struggled around the route and walked parts. I clearly didn't enjoy it, as my next recorded attempt at a run was 0.4 of a mile in May 2014.

Mile|Pace
1|12:14 /mi

I'd a couple of runs a week, never more than 1 mile for the next couple of months.

c25k

I started semi-seriously trying to start running with couch to 5k in September 2014. Based on imported Strava logs, I started on Sept 6th 2014 and finished the programme just before Christmas that year, usually only managing 1-2 runs a week instead of the 3 in the plan (I'm better at following plans now).

My first 5k was on Dec 21 that year in a time of 31:36 according to Strava.

Mile|Pace
1|9:19 /mi
2|10:06 /mi
3|10:06 /mi
4|10:28 /mi

About a month after that I moved to Glasnevin and ran once or twice a week until the end of March, when I stopped running completely.

I didn't run again until late April 2016, coincidentally a month before I met my better half. Built up the mileage over the next few months and was up to long runs of 10k by September time. After that I was out until the new year with injury. Thankfully I eventually found an osteopath who was able to fix me in 20 minutes (and a few days of soreness) and I was back running a week later.

Rock and Roll Half - 2017

From there on, I built up the mileage again up to 10 mile long runs, running 3/4 times a week.

A friend, who'd run Dublin in 2016 and wanted to get back running, talked me in to signing up for the Rock and Roll half marathon while we were in Galway supporting Leinster...in the bar at 1am, so I woke up to find that I'd just signed up for my first race. Thanks go to A here for completing the signup for me, as I was struggling to use my phone at the late hour.

27 May 2017 - St Anne's Parkrun - 22:54 - tough

Mile|Pace|HR
1|7:26 /mi|148 bpm
2|7:40 /mi|164 bpm
3|7:22 /mi|171 bpm
4|15:20 /mi (forgot to stop watch)|179 bpm

I went with the 24 minute pacer, saw the 23 minute pacer just ahead and thought to myself, why not...caught him and held on.

After this point, I started training for the Rock & Roll half on Aug 13. The plan I used for this was the "FIRST Half Marathon Training Plan" - https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20799308/3-day-half-marathon-training-plan/. The plan was sugggested by C, who'd been pacing 24 that day, as by that time I was running, cycling (commuting) and swimming in the gym. He also suggested that I should be able to manage sub 1:45 based on the 5k pace.

Distance|Target Time|Mile pace|Note
Half Marathon|1:44:30|0:07:58
400s Time|0:01:41|0:06:46|Target Mile Pace - 75s / 4
800s Time|0:03:27|0:06:56|Target Mile Pace - 65s / 2
1600s Time|0:07:13|0:07:16|Target Mile Pace - 45s
Tempo Pace|0:07:43|0:07:43|Target Mile Pace - 15s
Long Pace|0:08:28|0:08:28|Target Mile Pace + 30s

I did a lot of swimming as cross training, often 60-100 lengths and a small amount of weights and kept cycling 2 miles in and out of work every day. Most of my tempo runs followed a tough uphill route, taking into account the R&R course. Also, I mis-read what a tempo run was and didn't slowly increase pace to tempo, instead going straight to tempo pace after 2m warmup and then holding that pace until I started my cooldown.

During training, I also switched in the Docklands 5k in place of a tempo run.

6 July 2017 - Docklands 5k - 22:30 - felt good

Mile|Pace|HR
1|7:21 /mi|147 bpm
2|7:24 /mi|162 bpm
3|6:59 /mi|169 bpm
4|5:58 /mi|175 bpm

Over the next couple of weeks, I'd a couple of niggles, definitely some with the calves, so was only managing one run a week. Where possible, I switched out runs with long cycles. In the end I'd a shortened taper. On the Friday before the R&R, I was with physio and had knee bursitis (inside lower left knee) and a tight hip (right). Physio eased out the hip and ibuprofen helped with the knee. With all the niggles, etc, I went out with a view of seeing how I felt when I got started, but probably didn't see 1:45 as a realistic target.

13 Aug 2017 - Rock & Roll Half Marathon - 1:44:53 - tough going but all went as planned

Mile|Pace|HR
1|8:07 /mi|144 bpm
2|8:01 /mi|157 bpm
3|7:47 /mi|158 bpm
4|8:18 /mi|162 bpm
5|7:44 /mi|163 bpm
6|7:36 /mi|164 bpm
7|7:45 /mi|166 bpm
8|8:10 /mi|166 bpm
9|8:17 /mi|170 bpm
10|7:55 /mi|166 bpm
11|7:56 /mi|171 bpm
12|8:11 /mi|172 bpm
13|7:53 /mi|174 bpm
14|6:43 /mi|177 bpm

I ran Fairview Parkrun the next weekend and basically died a death.

19 Aug 2017 - Fairview Parkrun - 27:57 - Strava says "First time doing Fairview Parkrun. Calves in bits."

Mile|Pace|HR
1|8:11 /mi|142 bpm
2|8:33 /mi|156 bpm
3|9:37 /mi|152 bpm
4|11:54 /mi (forgot to stop the watch again - I do this a lot)|154 bpm

After that, my knee didn't feel right. I rested it for a few weeks and then when there was no improvement, I went to physio. The pain was only on impact and walking generally didn't cause any issues, only running. Kept going to physio, but it wasn't helping. Went away in October and took opportunity to give the leg a complete rest.

Getting back on the horse

By mid-December I felt that everything was back to normal and started a walk-to-run over about 5-6 weeks. Kept slowly building the miles after that.

4 Mar 2018 - Lusk 4 mile - 32:41

I didn't push on this too much, although the hill at the end was still a struggle. Target was about 8:30 /mi.

Mile|Pace|HR
1|7:58 /mi|136 bpm
2|8:29 /mi|149 bpm
3|8:18 /mi|161 bpm
4|8:02 /mi|172 bpm

Did some parkrun tourism the next week in Castletown. This was definitely tough going, but I'd targetted sub-25 to see where my fitness was.

10 Mar 2018 - Castletown Parkrun - 24:56

Mile|Pace|HR
1|7:55 /mi|133 bpm
2|7:55 /mi|164 bpm
3|8:10 /mi|175 bpm
4|6:36 /mi|177 bpm

After that, I started building miles, mostly at an easy pace, with a couple of interval sessions and progression runs thrown in, building towards the Cork City Half Marathon.

Sessions:
18 Apr 2018 - 2*400
25 Apr 2018 - 4*400
2 May 2018 - 2*600 & 1*800
16 May 2018 - 5m Progression
23 May 2018 - 5m Progression

Week before Cork, I gave Parkrun one more lash, as it was pacer Saturday in St Anne's.

26 May 2018 - St Anne's Parkrun - 23:03 - struggle at end

Felt I could have done better, but pacing was off and I couldn't manage to pull it back in the last 1k or so

Mile|Pace
1|7:40 /mi|148 bpm
2|7:43 /mi|164 bpm
3|7:15 /mi|171 bpm
4|5:25 /mi|179 bpm

The next week was a couple of easy 5k runs on Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for Cork.

That brought me to over 100 miles for May, which is the first time I'd ever broken that barrier in a month.

3 Jun 2018 - Cork City Half Marathon - 1:54:03

I spent most of this trying to keep up with A.

Mile|Pace|HR
1|8:44 /mi|139 bpm
2|8:57 /mi|152 bpm
3|8:41 /mi|156 bpm
4|8:45 /mi|158 bpm
5|8:41 /mi|159 bpm
6|8:54 /mi|160 bpm
7|8:32 /mi|160 bpm
8|8:39 /mi|158 bpm
9|8:42 /mi|159 bpm
10|8:31 /mi|162 bpm
11|8:29 /mi|165 bpm
12|8:30 /mi|166 bpm
13|8:19 /mi|170 bpm
14|7:13 /mi|175 bpm

After surviving Cork, my plan for the rest of the year was a follows

28 June - Docklands 5k
22 July - South Dublin 10k
2 Sept - Frank Duffy 10 mile
23 Sept - Charleville HM
5 Oct - Get married

December (no set target race) - Random 5k

Charleville was my real target here, with a view to beating my PB. At this point A also signed up for Charleville and it became our pre-wedding smackdown, as we'd never really raced against each other before.

To level the playing field, A asked her coach if he'd be willing to take me on to help me out. Training became a lot more structured, and painful, as a result. Generally, weeks consisted of easy runs on Wednesdays and Thursdays, an array of different sessions on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and long runs on Sundays.

In training for Cork, the maximum mileage I'd hit for a week was just under 29 miles, two weeks before the half, with mostly easy miles, so the new structure, combined with increased mileage definitely took getting used to. Looking at my Strava updates during the next couple of months, I think the word I used most often was variations on the word "ache". So lots of tiredness, aches and pains as my body adjusted to the increased mileage and effort. Despite all the aches and pains, my workload was obviously very well managed, as I missed 1 session on total, which I replaced with a 17 mile cycle and had to push another back a day. Outside of that, I hit every training session.

Prescribed easy pace was 9:30 to 10:30, which was a bit slower than I was used to, as I'd usually run easy pace somewhere between 9 and 9:30.

Charleville training
Week 1
Tues - 5 miles easy
Weds - 8x60s @ 7:00 w/ 90s rec
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - Arthurs Way 5k
Sun - 8 miles easy

Arthurs Way 5k didn't go well, but that was expected as I drank all of the drink on Friday night - 24:03

Week distance: 28.8m

Week 2
Tues - 2 x [4,3,2,1 min @ 7:15 w/ 90s rec, 5 min jog between sets]
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - 1 mile @ 8:45, 3 min rec, 4 x 800 @ 8:30 w/ 75s rec
Sun - 8 miles easy

Found the Tuesday session very tough, as I did any time I did it subsequently. Achey on Wednesday and Thursday

Week distance: 34.7m

Week 3 - Docklands 5k
Tues - 4 miles easy + 4x30s @ 5k pace
Weds - 3 miles v. easy
Thurs - Docklands 5k
Sat - 5 miles
Sun - 9 miles progression down to 8:45

Weather was in the high 20's IIRC for Docklands, but managed to stay with it and log a 30 second PB of 22:00. Previous PB was from the same race the previous year.

Docklands 5k

Mile|Pace|HR
1|7:07 /mi|154 bpm
2|7:08 /mi|168 bpm
3|7:07 /mi|174 bpm
4|5:56 /mi|179 bpm

Really enjoyed the progression run on Sunday.

Sunday Progression
Mile|Pace|HR
1|9:56 /mi|130 bpm
2|9:44 /mi|138 bpm
3|9:37 /mi|139 bpm
4|9:25 /mi|145 bpm
5|9:19 /mi|144 bpm
6|9:08 /mi|146 bpm
7|8:57 /mi|147 bpm
8|8:51 /mi|150 bpm
9|8:37 /mi|151 bpm

Week distance: 27.1m

Week 4
Tues - 5 x 2 min @ 7:30 w/ 75s rec, 5 x 90s @ 7:10 w/ 90s rec
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - 2 x [1m @ 8:30, 800 @ 8:00, continuous]
Sun - 10 miles easy

Recovery on the Wednesday was tough and achey after the session. Sunday I was out at 7:30 to get the run done before going on a daytrip on the train to Wexford

Week distance: 34.2m

Week 5
Tues - 4 x 2 min @ 7:30 w/ 75s rec, 4 x 90s @ 7:10 w/ 90s rec, 4 x 60s @ 7:10 w/ 90s rec
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - 2 x 1m @ 8.30 w/ 90s rec, 4 min jog, 6 x 1 min @ 7.30 w/ 90s rec
Sun - 10 miles easy

Week distance: 35.8m

Week 6 - South Dublin 10k
Tues - 3 x 3 min @ 7.30 w/ 2 min rec, 4 x 1 min @ 7.30 w/ 90s rec
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - 2 miles very easy
Sun - South Dublin 10k

I missed the Tuesday session with a calf strain but managed all of the easy runs

The South Dublin 10k didn't go as planned. Target pace was somewhere around 7:25 - 7:30 per mile, but on a hot and muggy day I couldn't hold the pace at all.

Mile|Pace|HR
1|7:21 /mi|149 bpm
2|7:27 /mi|163 bpm
3|7:25 /mi|165 bpm
4|7:25 /mi|169 bpm
5|7:41 /mi|172 bpm
6|7:48 /mi|176 bpm
7|6:48 /mi|180 bpm

South Dublin 10k time 46:55

Week distance: 20.9m

Week 7
Tues - 12 x 45s hills w/ 90s rec
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - 2 x [4,3,2,1 min @ 7:15 w/ 90s rec, 4 min jog between sets]
Sun - 10 miles easy

Really enjoyed the hills but found the session on Saturday very tough going. Strava mentions that it was tough after the session the night before, so only myself to blame really.

Week distance: 35.1m

Week 8
Tues - 15 x 60s @ 7:15 (hard) w/ 60s rec
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - 8 x 800m @ 8:00 w/ 90s rec
Sun - 10 miles easy

All went well this week. Went for a cycle to Malahide and back of 22 miles with A on Friday evening. Session still went well the next day and Sunday was 11 instead of 10, as miscalculated distance...

Week distance: 38.4m

Week 9
Tues - 4 min, 3 x 1min, 3 min, 3 x 1min, 2 min, all at @ 7:15 w/ 90s rec
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 6 miles easy
Sat - 20 min tempo
Sun - 12 miles easy

Saturday was tough after work night out on Friday, but other than that, everything seems to have gone well this week.

Week distance: 36.5m

Week 10
Tues - 2 x [4,3,2,1 min @ 7:15 w/ 90s rec, 4 min jog between sets]
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 6 miles easy
Sat - 15 min tempo @ 8:10, 3 min jog, 10 min @ 7:55
Sun - 12 miles easy

The Tuesday session was done at lunch time and was tough as always

Week distance: 40m - biggest ever weekly distance!

Week 11
Tues - 1,2,3,4,3,2,1 min @ 7.15 w/ 90s rec
Weds - 5 miles easy
Thurs - 6 miles easy
Fri - 5 miles easy
Weekend - Stag

I had a bit of a niggle in my hip, so no run on Tuesday and did the postponed session on Wednesday instead. Got up Saturday morning just too late for Oranmore Parkrun so did a 5k local to our hotel.

Week distance: 21.1m

Week 12 - Frank Duffy 10 Mile
Tues - 5 miles easy
Weds - 7 x 600m @ 7:15 pace w/ 90s rec
Thurs - 5 miles easy
Sat - 3 miles very easy
Sun - Frank Duffy 10 mile

I still had some niggles around the hip during the week. Gave the shakeout on Saturday a miss to help the hip to settle.

Frank Duffy 10 Mile

Target pace was ~ 77 minutes, so 7:42 miles. Kept just under that for the first 8 miles and then pushed on a bit as I felt strong. There was a bit of a drag on miles 5/6, so managed effort. Pushed on in the last couple of miles, which resulted in the all too familiar dry-wretching in the last half mile, but slowed briefly before a strong finish. I clearly looked shook at the finish as a steward came up to assist me. Caught my breath for a minute and then strolled off for water and fruit. Must say, the finish area was great here.

Time|Pace|HR
1|7:38 /mi|131 bpm
2|7:28 /mi|158 bpm
3|7:41 /mi|161 bpm
4|7:31 /mi|164 bpm
5|7:49 /mi|165 bpm
6|7:49 /mi|166 bpm
7|7:37 /mi|167 bpm
8|7:39 /mi|168 bpm
9|7:27 /mi|169 bpm
10|7:17 /mi|172 bpm

Oficial time (and a PB) was 76:10. The PB is by default, as it was my first 10 miler, but delighted with it, as it was well inside target time/pace overall.

Week distance: 28.7m

Week 13
Tues - 6 miles easy
Weds - 5 miles easy + 6 x 1 min strides (approx 5k effort 2-3 min jog rec)
Thurs - 6 miles easy
Sat - 15 min @ 7:45, 3 min jog, 10 min @ 7:35
Sun - 13 miles easy

Achey on both Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday session replaced with substitute appearance at g25k for A's work team. Ran steady for time of 25:11. Found the Saturday session very tough and walked most of the 3 min recovery. Sunday run was a bit longer than intended, at 13.5 miles.

Week distance: 37m

Week 14
Tues - 6 miles easy
Weds - 5 x 3 min @ 7:20 w/ 75s rec, 3 min jog , 4 x 30 sec hard w/ 90s rec
Thurs - 6 miles easy
Sat - 3 x 8 min @ 7:40 w/ 2 min rec
Sun - 11 miles easy

Week distance: 37.8m

Week 15
Tues - 4 miles easy
Weds - 4,3,2,1 min @ 7:20 w/ 2 min rec
Thurs - 4 miles easy
Sat - 2 mile shakeout
Sun - Charleville International Half Marathon

Everything went well during the week, 2 mile shakeout became Malahide parkrun at an easy pace.

For Sunday, had been told to go out at FD 10 mile pace and "try hold on". Started off alongside A with the 1:40 pacers, thinking that I might be holding on sooner rather than later. After 2, A fell back as she was felt discomfort in her calf, which had been niggling in the days before the race. Instead of holding on, I found myself handling the pace fairly well and at the half-way mark all felt good, assisted by the fact that we were heading downhill out of Kilmallock at this point.

From about 7-9, I started to struggle as the heat got to me a bit, So I decided to forego the racing line and run the shady line instead. By the 9-10 mile point, I was feeling better. I think the psychological boost of only having 5k to go always helps, aided in this case by being back on the main road we'd run out an hour or so earlier. At the 10 mile point, I clocked myself at 1:16:17, so slightly outside my FD pace, and showing the GPS to be about 10 seconds off for 10. The pacers didn't seem sure whether they needed to speed up or slow down, one seemed to think they were well ahead of pace.

I decided to leave them behind and push on myself, as I was feeling okay at this point. Half a mile later, the pacers were all of 2 meters behind me. I pushed on again at the 11 mile mark, trying to tag a couple of runners ahead of me to keep focus. It wasn't until the final mile, back up the first hill that I started pushing hard, resulting in the inevitable dry-wretching with about 600 to go. Slowed a bit until we got back on the the flat for the final sprint and pushed hard, taking a couple more runners coming up to the line.

Not even a second glance from the stewards this time, so I got water and a banana and went back to murph_d and yaboya near the finish to cheer on aquinn.

New PB of 1:39:33 accomplished. Not something I even thought was within sight after Cork, which went well, considering the training.

Mile|Pace|Time|HR
1|7:31.5|7:31.5|127 bpm
2|7:38.0|15:10|152 bpm
3|7:33.8|22:43|155 bpm
4|7:32.7|30:16|157 bpm
5|7:35.0|37:51|158 bpm
6|7:39.6|45:31|159 bpm
7|7:34.9|53:06|160 bpm
8|7:38.0|1:00:44|158 bpm
9|7:40.1|1:08:24|159 bpm
10|7:43.5|1:16:07|161 bpm
11|7:37.8|1:23:45|163 bpm
12|7:36.2|1:31:21|165 bpm
13|7:27.8|1:38:49|170 bpm
13.1|0:46.8|1:39:36|175 bpm

Week distance: 32.5m

5k Training

Post Charleville, focus switches to 5k for me.

Week 1

Recovery week

Tues - 5 miles easy
Weds - 5 miles easy
Sat - Pacing 27 minutes in St Anne's Parkrun

Week distance: 15.3m

Week 2

Tues - 6 miles easy (10k)
Weds - 8 x 200 w/ 200 rec - Target pace ~ 6:03
Fri - 2.2 miles easy before getting married
Sun - 4 miles easy with the better half

Paces for 200's were a bit fast. Find it difficult to pace such short intervals.

Interval|Time|Pace|HR
4|41s|5:30 /mi|137 bpm
6|45s|6:02 /mi|135 bpm
8|42s|5:38 /mi|152 bpm
10|44s|5:54 /mi|154 bpm
12|44s|5:54 /mi|156 bpm
14|44s|5:54 /mi|157 bpm
16|44s|5:54 /mi|155 bpm
18|42s|5:38 /mi|156 bpm

Week distance: 18.8m

Week 3

Tues - 6 miles easy
Weds - 6 x 400 w/ 400 rec - Target pace ~ 6:18
Thurs - Great Western Greenway - 28 mile cycle
Sat - Westpost Parkrun
Sun - 9 miles easy

Did the 400's with A at Ballina AC track. Haven't run on a track since age 10-11 in the community games, IIRC. Really enjoyed it and found it much easier to pace on the track. First and fourth reps too quick and recoveries were too long, so cut most back to 200 and one could have been 100 walk/jog.

Interval|Time|Pace|HR
3|1:25|5:43 /mi|130 bpm
5|1:36|6:24 /mi|139 bpm
7|1:33|6:09 /mi|140 bpm
9|1:29|5:58 /mi|127 bpm
11|1:37|6:22 /mi|135 bpm
13|1:35|6:18 /mi|130 bpm

The Great Western Greenway on Thursday was beautiful, would really recommend it. The views over Clew Bay at Mulrally/Mallaranny are spectacular. Thankfully, other than one shower when we were starting out, the weather held.

The same can't be said for Parkrun on Saturday morning. I was tempted to give it a miss after the steak and wine the night before, but we were brave. Plan had been to race this, but on the morning we decided to err on the side of caution and hold at a steady pace. Started at faster than steady and kept going. A eventually left me go before the one mile point. Most of the first mile is downhill and it's an out and back route. The out and back is short of 5k, so it turns back down the first hill for the finish. Second mile was mostly flat and held my pace. Third mile back uphill was a struggle but tried to pick off any runners in front of me. Started to struggle on the third mile and caught my form going a few times. After 2.5/6, I was definitely struggling and the all too familiar dry-wretching started, so had to pull it back a bit. Still managed to take another runner around this point. That just seemed to spur him on and he stuck with me until the turn.

After the turn he overtook me again and started pushing. I felt it was too far out to push on, so let him go. It was only when the watch showing nearly 3 miles that I felt I could push. Finished strongly and only a second behind the other runner.

Finished on 21:19 for a 41 second PB

Mile|Pace|HR
1|6:58 /mi|145 bpm
2|6:58 /mi|161 bpm
3|6:58 /mi|168 bpm
4|4:58 /mi|170 bpm

Week distance: 26.7m

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mister paul

2023-08-21 - 2023-08-27

Monday

Rest

We a family dinner for my niece who was back from the UK for a few days. Priorities.

Tuesday

6 miles (10k) easy / recovery - Avg. pace 8:45 @ 125 Avg. HR (134 max)

First thing to note, I'm pretty much incapable of running either 3 or 6 miles. I always round them up to 5/10k, even though kilometres aren't a real thing.

I generally aim to keep recovery miles below 130 HR. P&D have my recovery zone maxing out at 135 (70% HRR), so this run was nicely inside that. The average was probably lower due to road crossings, etc.

Wednesday

14.1 mile medium-long run - Avg. pace: 8:04 @ 135 Avg. HR (148 max)

Another "great" midweek medium-long run around the Phoenix Park. I say "great", but it was more the pace that was great. I'm really starting to feel the monotony of all the miles in marathon training and questioning why I'm doing it. I guess that all part and parcel of training for a marathon.

The run itself was split into 4 equals blocks of 3.5 miles, targeting a HR of 130 -> 135 -> 140 -> 145 for each of the blocks. Again going by P&D, I should be maxing these run out at 146 HR.

Sometimes I just don't understand running. Both long runs the last weekends (18 & 20 miles) have averaged 8:24 and 8:25 pace, whereas the midweek medium-long runs (12 & 14 miles) have averaged 8:07 an 8:04 pace. Essentially they're both targeting the same HR from 130 -> 145, so I'd presume that the average paces for both should be roughly equivalent. Maybe the extra time on feet at lower HR for the longer runs means that I'm not fully getting the benefit of the higher HR target in the latter stages, due to HR drift as fatigue sets in.

Thursday

Cycling: 15.45 & 7.9 miles

Out to the mammy's house post-work to cut the grass.

Friday

Not a rest day.

Run: 3.11 miles (see previous note on 3m vs 5k), Avg. pace: 8:41 @ 119* Avg. HR (131 max) - * Road crossings probably brought this down a smidge.

Felt like the legs needed a bit of a run out before the ~~Sunday~~ Saturday MP session, so headed out for a short recovery runch.

Saturday

16 miles with 12 @ MP

Cycled down to the PP and locked the bike at the visitors centre, which was a lot busier than usual due to the Triathlon event taking place. That was restricted to a small part of Chesterfield Road and the south-side of the park, meaning that I could use a 4(ish) mile loop on the "zoo" side for this.

Two miles warmup around the back of the polo ground and turning back up the North Road before getting into the MP miles. The MP start uphill and into a stiff enough breeze. Back across Odd Lamps Road and up Chesterfield before turning back down the North Road. Then back across the Odd Lamps Road and down Chesterfield and around the back of the polo grounds again. A nice figure-8 of sorts.

Paces started well and the HR was nicely under control, but by the end of the first lap, I was starting to feel it and having to convince myself that I could do this. It was warm and fairly humid, which probably didn't help matters. After the first lap there was a much appreciated rain shower, which helped keep me cool. I took a gel after each of the laps, so after 4 and 8 of the MP miles.

The main reason for using a loop like this was to give me a better indication of how I'm maintaining effort levels as I go through the MP miles. The routes for the two previous MP sessions had made it more difficult to properly gauge, due to gradient and other factors, such as wind direction. 3 laps of 4 miles gave me a basis for comparison.

As can be seen from the above table, the paces got consistently slower after the first few miles. Miles 1-2 in each block were uphill and into the breeze, with the second half of each block much more favourable.

The averages for each of the 3 laps was 7:33, 7:53 and 7:59. It really leaves me questioning where I am wrt target pace/time for DCM, which is one of the main things I was hoping to get from this approach.

There's another MP session in another 4 weeks, so I guess I'll see how that goes and make a call at that point.

Sunday

Saturday evening consisted of steak, red wine and beer.

Went for an hour on the turbo / Zwift, keeping the HR low. Managed 16.2 miles in the hour despite keeping the HR to a max of 104 and an average of 96.

Headed out for a short recovery run afterwards.

4.1 miles recovery - Avg. pace: 8:56 @ 125 Avg. HR (134 max)

The legs definitely felt better after this one than before it.

The week in review

The week went well, with the only exception being the most important session of the week. As I noted during the week, my midweek progression runs are going much better than the equivalent (longer) efforts at the weekend, with the being a 20 second per-mile average differential. Maybe there's something different in my approach between the two.

Next week

This week (and the two after that) is going to be somewhat disrupted by life taking over. I should hopefully get all runs in, although there'll definitely be some juggling required. The cycling on the other hand is likely to fall by the wayside. I'll try to find replacements where possible, be that increasing the overall running mileage or cross-training and/or adding in extra stretching (I'm thinking Myrtl Routine here).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bUVjJWA6Vw

Kilometres are real. You just need to believe.

mister paul

2023-08-28 - 2023-09-03

Monday

8 miles with 8 strides, Avg. pace: 8:33 @ 128 Avg. HR (151 max - strides)

Nice run one of my current morning loops taking in Tolka Valley Park and the Royal Canal.

Nothing much to report here, legs definitely getting back to normality after Saturday.

Tuesday

Rest (flying)

Wednesday

5 x 800 @ 5k effort with 2 minutes recovery

Rain, rain and more rain. This was a wonderful run along the Charles river in Boston.

Reps came in at

3:06 (time) / 6:14 (pace)

3:09 / 6:20

3:04 / 6:10

3:03 / 6:08

Spotted A on my cooldown, so a small pickup to catch her.

Thursday

10k recovery along the river. Completely different weather but another fabulous run along the river.

This was a recovery run by HR but you wouldn't father that from the 8:26 average pace.

Friday

14 mile medium long run along the Charles river. Pace vs HR as per the previous day. (8:25, 7:44, 7:32, 7:24 / 3.5 mile blocks)

I clearly work better when powered by wine and beer.

Saturday

Rest (flying)

Sunday

Rest (flying)

The week in review

No cycling but still a good week of running.

Next week

More running in (hopefully) sunny climes.

mister paul

2023-09-04 - 2023-09-10

Monday

7 mile recovery with 6 strides

Morning (just about) recovery run along the coast.

Tuesday

4 mile recovery with A through the nature reserve beside where we're staying.

Wednesday

Sunrise session towards the next town. Great "running track", possibly meant for cycling but I'll not complain. Thankfully it was mostly in the shade as the temperatures started to rise. While the surface was great, the route was at best undulating.

The actual session was 11 miles with 7 at half marathon effort. Paces as recently...

7:23, 7:12, 7:16, 6:54, 7:23, 7:17, 7:05.

My left calf tightened up a bit on the cooldown so happy to have a rest day on Thursday.

Thursday

Rest. Calf still a bit niggly.

Friday

Back at it with a 12 mile medium long just after sunrise. The run was split into 4 three mile blocks, which came in at average paces of 8:56, 8:23, 7:52 and 7:50 as the temperatures soared. The final mile was fairly tough going.

The left calf was still a bit niggly, so will be booking into the physio on Monday to get it looked at.

Saturday

Rest (flying)

Sunday

The calf was still niggling at me, so I decided against the long run and just hopped onto the turbo instead.

20.1 miles in 1:05 / 18.5 mph

The week in review

Left calf niggles :(

Next week

More travel, meaning less/no cycling, swimming and S&C.

mister paul

2023-09-11 - 2023-09-17

Monday

Physio visit.

Nothing much to report thankfully; a small Achilles strain, but nothing major. I've been advised to drop the VO2Max sessions and one day of running, which means only 3 days of running a week. I'm really not sure about dropping another day of running and replacing it with another cycle, so will listen to the body.

Tuesday

5k recovery. Avg. Pace: 8:37, Avg, HR: 124.

Calf was grand.

Followed it up with a 10 hour flight.

Wednesday

10k morning run in Seattle. First 0.25 mile was down a steep hill and the run finished back up the hill. Lower calf still good despite the route, but calves a bit tight generally. No real surprise after the flight. Avg. Pace: 9:05, Avg, HR: 129.

Thursday

A busy day of meetings, so had a limited window to get out afterwards.

Used the same route as Wednesday, with a couple of miles added.

Calf still feeling good. Went with a bit of a progression run to test it out. This included using the final hill for "hill sprints".

8.75 miles in total. Avg. Pace: 8:35, Avg. HR: 135.

Friday

Rest

Saturday

17 miles long run. Again, no calf issues.

Out the door first thing in the morning, running on empty. This went well, other than numerous stops to check my route (and some photo stops). I should really add the routes to my Garmin to make things easier for myself. A well as a few fairly steep hills, there were a couple of flights of stairs thrown in for good measure.

The day got warmer as this went on and it got more difficult to keep the HR under wraps. The lower average will be as a result of all the stops.

A big thanks to @ReeReeG for suggesting a route around Lake Union. It allowed me to see so much more of the city than I would have otherwise.

Avg. Pace: 8:32, Avg. HR: 130

Sunday

Flight home.

The week in review

I'm really happy with how this week went. I started out worried about the calf, but I've hardy noticed it since the physio visit. That said, I'm not going to take anything for granted, so the VO2Max sessions will either be undertaken on a bike or replaced with something slower.

Next week

Back to reality.

* Any errors or omissions should be attributed to jetlag.

ReeReeG

You did a much bigger loop around the lake than I did, fair play! What did you make of the place, I didn't think much of it the first time I was there but it grew on me on subsequent work trips.

mister paul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131204#Comment_121131204

It definitely took me a few days to warm to it. As I slowly got my bearings, helped no doubt by running, it grew on me quickly enough. It's a strange mix of really nice, rough and just plain boring areas downtown. We were staying in one of the more boring areas, so there wasn't much in the way of bars or restaurants around us. But once we discovered which direction to walk to find a bit of life it improved immensely.

The long run that you suggested (and that I extended) was a really great way to see both the city and some of the more residential areas while retaining a view of the lake, etc. most of the time.

mister paul

2023-09-18 - 2023-09-24

Monday

Rest. I didn't arrive home from the airport until well after midday, so took it easy enough for the remainder of the day.

Tuesday

A great nights sleep on Monday night meant that I was rearing to go...after work.

I setup a route on onthegomap.com and then imported it into Garmin, to test out the course function after all the route checking stops on my long run in Seattle on Saturday. It worked much better than I remember from previous attempts to use it.

Using the course function meant that the default screen on the watch during the run was the map. I didn't bother changing it and just ran by feel, which thankfully seems to have worked for the most part.

Total: 9.01 miles, Avg. pace: 8:30, Avg. HR: 132.

Wednesday

An early morning recovery run with @aquinn , the best type of run.

Total: 3.12 miles, Avg. page: 9:55, Avg. HR: 114.

PM: Zwift session: 10 min WU, 3 x [3 min @ 160w, 3 min @ 180w, 3 min @ 200w] with 9 minute recovery @ 100w, 5 min CD

Damn that was tough. Haven't done any sessions on the turbo before but with needing to replace some running sessions in the next few weeks to take pressure off the Achilles this is now the alternative.

Thursday

Rest day...

Short cycle for an appointment and to the gym later in the evening for a total of just over 6 miles.

Added an easy swim in the evening of 1k - 2 x 250mt freestyle, 250mt breaststroke and 250mt back crawl.

Friday

Another early morning run, this time solo. A little bit cold starting out but a beautiful morning for a run. The run itself was a 12 mile medium long run (progression). I took one of my usual routes, out through Tolka Valley Park and into the Phoenix Park. Ran the trails along the Castleknock side of the park, back along Furze Road and down Chesterfield. Finished along the North Circular to Phibsboro and homewards from there.

Total: 12.01 miles, Avg. pace: 8:06, Avg. HR: 136.

Saturday

We decided on Friday that on some parkrun tourism would be good and eventually agreed on Dodder Valley as neither of us had been there before. It turned out to be a good decision. It's a nice two lap course, a short lap on a longer second lap that crosses over and back the Dodder.

Not for the first time recently, it turned out that I was unknowingly pacing A. The pacing gig only really started after 3k and was apparently a success.

Total: 3.11 miles, Avg. page: 8:21, Avg. HR: 129.

Sunday

One of the big ones in the training plan; 18 miles with 14 at marathon effort.

I cycled down to the Phoenix Park for this one and got going shortly before 10. As I was starting out from the visitors centre I passed @Ferris B , who was finishing up a great run himself. Ran two miles down the North Road before getting into the MP miles around the back of the zoo and turning back up Chesterfield.

I was only a mile into it when the demons started; far too early. It wasn't that I was struggling in any way, shape or form. It was more that I was questioning why I was running in the first place. Thankfully by the end of the second mile along Acres Road they'd mostly dissipated. Up along Military Road to Chesterfield, out of the park and back along Conyngham Road into the War Memorial Gardens along the Liffey.

After that the route got a bit more challenging, back into the park and up the Upper Glen Road before a brief respite around the Furze / Ordinance Survey Road. No sign of @Laineyfrecks looping around here singing to herself. I'd say she was well finished by the time I got there.

Then I left the park again for one final hill, up Tower Road to Castleknock. This mile was definitely the toughest and I struggled to keep the HR under wraps. Crested the hill around Castleknock College and the HR very slowly decreased after that. The final couple of miles were back down into the park and along the North Road towards the zoo. This was mostly into the wind, but at this stage I knew that the hard work was done. That didn't stop the right glute from complaining a bit, but it eased quickly once I'd dropped to an easier pace. Finished off with 2+ miles easy back up Chesterfield to the visitors centre.

I took two gels, one after 8 miles and the second after 12. I noticed, not for the first time, that my HR seems to increase by a 2-3 BPM for a minute or two after taking a gel. Maybe it's just the extra effort and stress of trying to do two things at once.

To me, the pace/HR/elevation stats are suggestive that maybe I'm lacking some strength on the hills and I need to possibly reign myself back a bit on the hills to better keep the HR under control. Would be interested in getting some input there from those with more running knowledge.

All in all a good run on an honest route.

The week in review

Definitely happy with how the week went and particularly with the Sunday MP run. There's still a couple of weeks before taper and another 20 miler in a fortnight to navigate, but I'm starting to feel that I can do this.

I'm mostly happy that I've decided on an MP for DCM now. his run came in pretty much where I expected it to, with the only small worries being my strength going up hills, and the HR drift and whether it's suggesting that I'm pushing things a slight bit.

Next week

This week should ideally have a tune-up race of ~10 miles on the Saturday, with a gruelling 17 miler the next day. I'll be skipping this for the second time out of two this week, as I feel that I'm getting enough from the training without adding the extra stresses of racing onto my body and mind.

The VO2Max session will be done on the bike / turbo again this week, but overall running mileage should be close enough to originally planned.

Stats

This week

Run: 45.5m
Cycle: 36.5m
Swim: 1k
S&C: ❌
Yoga: ✔️

This Month

Run: 128.7m
Cycle: 56.75m

Year to Date

Run: 1246m
Cycle: 1391m

ariana`

I don't know if it helps but the runner/coach i did my LT test with (who promotes running by HR obviously) said it's ok to go over the top of the target zone going up a hill as long as it settles back in the zone again when you hit the flat. Now, that advice may be different if you are running an awful lot of hills! My routes are fairly flat and he encouraged me to find hilly routes when I can to build strength in the legs.

Murph_D

I'd agree with E there in general, although on the likes of Tower Road (ya mad thing) I think that kind of long hill should really all be about effort levels rather than pace. When it comes to training anyway. On long aerobic runs you don't want to be straying into that threshold zone for too long (if that's where it's going, not sure where your range is). Nice week, especially with all the travel. Lots of dedication on show.

mister paul

Thanks @ariana` . Allowing the HR to drift (slightly) above the target zone on hills sounds good. I've possibly a tendency to be overly strict in this regard, which results in me crawling up hills and cursing everything.

As you say @Murph_D , I probably did stray into threshold for too long on Tower Road and struggled to reign it back in after that as a result.

mister paul

2023-09-25 - 2023-10-01

Another week of moving workouts around.

Monday

Managed to get up to the gym for S&C for the first time in about a month. I'd somehow hurt my right thumb / hand the day before moving position on a sofa, so stuck to the lower body exercises.

Seated leg curls (single leg)
Leg extension (single leg)
Leg press (single leg)
Adductor
Abductor

Followed that up with 1k freestyle in the pool.

Tuesday

An easy pre work loop of Tolka Valley Park and back along the canal. Nothing much to report here, other than the light rain.

Total: 8.01 miles, Avg. page: 8:33, Avg. HR: 130.

PM (Lunch): V̇RT - V̇O2 max Replacement Therapy. Back on the turbo for this one, with 6 x 2 minute intervals targeting increasing wattage with 3 minute recovery between them.

Zwift session: 10 min WU, 6 x [2 min @ 160-190w, 3 min @ 105w], 5 min CD

Wednesday

Struggled to drag myself out of the bed for this one, even though I knew that Storm Agnes was incoming. Eventually got going shortly after 7.

The plan was 4 blocks of 3 miles each, targeting a max. HR of 130/135/140/145. For the route, I'd decided to head in the opposite direction to my usual runs, out towards Clontarf, up the coast to Raheny and back home inland.

Not a huge amount to report on the run itself, other than half a mile of so into a roaring gale out towards the Wooden Bridge, it went well. There was definitely a lot of fatigue present in the legs and on occasion I found the effort levels dropping. At times it was a bit of a struggle to increase the effort levels again, but managed it. While I may have struggled to maintain the effort levels, there was no issues maintaining pace, as can be seen below.

Pace wise, the final block came in well inside the pace that I'll be targeting come marathon day. It's one of those strange ones, but I'm finding that the "shorter" medium long runs are coming in with quicker paces than the longer ones, and are generally inside my marathon target pace on the final block, despite targeting a lower HR.

Thursday

Rest

Friday

Rest. I'm not going to count the 2 hour walking tour in which I covered 1.3 miles. 😁

Saturday

17 mile long run (progression).

I'd things to do on Saturday evening, so was unlikely to be able for this on Sunday.

Got up and out the door to run up to St Anne's parkrun. Then up the coast before doing an about turn @ 10 miles and heading back home along the coast and Griffith Avenue. The run itself went grand, although I was starting to feel the miles during the final miles. That said, the effort levels were where I'd expect them to be, and even if the last 3 miles were a similar pace to the previous block, that was more due to the (slightly) uphill route for those miles.

I'd a few minutes break after parkrun to get my barcode scanned and to say hi to a few people, before I headed back out on the road.

The targets for each block were split as follows:

Miles 1-3 - max. 130BPM
Miles 4-7 - max. 134BPM
Miles 8-10 - max. 138BPM
Miles 11-14 - max. 142BPM
Miles 15-17 - max. 146BPM

Total: 17.26 miles, Avg. pace: 8:08, Avg. HR.: 135.

Sunday

6.2 miles when we got back from our night away in the midlands. Just glad I managed to get out and get this one done after all the festivities on Saturday night and the afternoon drive back to Dublin.

Total: 6.22 miles, Avg. pace: 8:48, Avg. HR.: 129.

The week in review

Another mostly good, restructured week due to work and personal commitments. That said, the cycling mileage continues to take a hit, so this is something I need to look at to see if I can get it back on track.

This week

Run: 43.5m
Cycle: 34.5m
Swim: 1k
S&C: ✔️
Yoga: ❌

September

Run: 166m
Cycle: 91m

Year to Date

Run: 1290m
Cycle: 1426m

Next week

There may actually be no need to restructure anything this week, which will be the first for a while.

This is the last big week before taper, and can't be underestimated. Sunday sees the final 20 miler of the training plan, but the week is about more than just that one run. I need to stick to the plan as much as possible to ensure that I get as much benefit as possible from the earlier runs and cycles.

The long run will also be used as a dress rehearsal for three weeks later; gels, kit, etc.

mister paul

2023-10-02 - 2023-10-08

The final "big week" of DCM training, culminating in my last 20 miler on Sunday.

Monday

Cycled up to the gym after work for S&C and swim.

Did both lower and upper body S&C this week, but then got bored of swimming so called it at 750 metres instead of the usual 1k.

Mostly freewheeled back down the hill home to my pizza delivery.

Tuesday

Early morning 7 mile loop around Griffith Avenue, Artane, Beaumont and back through DCU and Albert College Park. Cool enough breeze this morning, which meant that the long sleeve top over my t-shirt lasted the whole 7 miles for once. It's unusual for it to last more than 1 mile. Winter is coming!

Total: 7.0 miles, Avg. pace: 8:37, Avg. HR: 128.

PM: Zwift session(s) post work. Double session because Zwift Hub/Companion/App had a **** fit and stopped talking to each other, after multiple reboots of all to get them talking in the first place.

3.64 miles @ 19.1 mi/h & 1.19 w/kg
10.05 miles @ 20.1 mi/h & 1.41 w/kg

My upper right calf was niggling a bit both in the early part of the run and during the cycle...

Wednesday

Nada. Calf niggle.

Thursday

Right calf still not right. Physio visit in the afternoon...thankfully nothing of note. The was just a tight calf which was causing pain in the tendon just below the knee. Calf eased out and all seems to be well.

Friday

Back at it, after spending the evening celebrating our wedding anniversary the evening before.

An afternoon run. Headed out the coast at Clontarf and then back into the wind, as if the hangover wasn't making it tough enough.

Total: 12 miles, Avg. pace: 8:57, Avg. HR: 136.

Saturday

Moving swiftly on...

I volunteered at St Anne's parkrun on Saturday morning, so about a 4 mile cycle each way.

Total: 7.95 miles

Hopped on the turbo in the afternoon between two rugby matches.

Total: 15.10 miles @ 20.1 mi/h & 1.71 w/kg

Sunday

The final long run before reaching taper town.

I cycled down to the Phoenix Park as I often do for these runs, getting there just in time to see the FIRST EVER public bus service departing from the Visitor Centre. What a time to be alive!

That's about as good as it got (unsurprisingly).

The run itself was a 20 miles progression, which I split into 6 blocks: 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3 miles, each block targeting 3 BPM higher than the last.

The bad

Garmin gave me an "execution" score of 66% - meaning that my HR was higher than target for at least 30% of the time.
There was very little progression in pace; in fact the slowest blocks were 1, 5 & 6.

The good

I kept going despite the frustration of slowing paces.
The legs only started to feel fatigued during the final 1.5 miles.
Monday morning and no ill effects.

The "mitigation"

It was warm and muggy, and got warmer throughout the run.
The similar (progression, albeit shorter) run on Friday and 25+ miles cycling on Saturday meant that I was fatigued going into this.
The alcohol intake on Thursday possibly still having an impact.
I possibly (probably) didn't drink enough water during the run, my small bottle was still half full after the 20 miles and I downed many pints of water throughout the day afterwards.

Cycled back home afterwards, and noticed that other than a couple of grumbles from a few muscles initially, the body felt good.

Spent the afternoon watching more rugby with a "break" to build a shelf in the shed from some random pieces of wood that were lying around.

The week in review

Not the best week from the outside looking in. That said, I'll stop short of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I need to get nutrition back under control, as this has gone to shite the last month or so, not helped by all of the travel, etc.

This week

Run: 39.04m
Cycle: 51.27m
Swim: 750mt
S&C: ✔️
Yoga: ❌

October

Run: 45.3m
Cycle: 51.3m

Year to Date

Run: 1,329m
Cycle: 1,477m

Next week

The ~~tapir~~ taper starts here!

Time to get the mind and body in check; to refocus on the task at hand. I've put in a lot of good training over the last while and I need to make sure that it's not in vain.

mister paul

2023-10-09 - 2023-10-15

Monday - S&C & swim

Cycled up to the gym after work for the usual S&C session. The gym was stupidly busy again, as it has been since those pesky students came back from their Summer break.

Some of the session was tougher than usual, most likely due to the 20 miler the day before. Followed it up with a shorter than normal swim, only 0.5k.

Tuesday - 5 miles easy (Lunch) & 30 minute Turbo/Zwift session (PM)

Lunchtime run on one of my standard(ish) loops. Nothing much to report, other than the lack of air in the atmosphere generally at the moment.

Total: 5.00m, Avg. pace: 8:39, Avg. HR: 131

PM: Short Zwift session post work and pre dinner. Watched the second half of the Ireland vs Scotland match again after work and thus had a very limited window to get this done. Found a 30 minute session, which was spot on timewise.

8 min warmup (slowly increasing power)
2 min @ 160W
2 min @ 105W
4 x [1 min @ 175W, 1 min @ 210W, 2 min @ 105W]
2 min cooldown

A tough enough short session, but not a killer by any means.

Wednesday - 8 miles easy (AM) ~~& 15 miles Turbo/Zwift (PM)~~

"Early" morning run in the rain. I'd thought about using A's "new" recovery pod ice bath thing, but decided that I was wet enough after the run without making matters worse. Straight into the shower instead.

Total 8.01m, Avg. pace: 8:21, Avg. HR: 131

Thursday - Rest

Friday - 8 miles easy with 8 strides

Another early morning run on the same route as Wednesday. Effort levels a smidge higher today, maybe due to slightly higher temperature. Added some strides on the way back down the canal to waken the legs (and me) up a bit.

Total: 8.00 miles, Avg. pace: 8:37, Avg. HR: 132

Saturday - 30 minute (9 miles) Turbo/Zwift

Time constrained (and hungover).

Sunday

Nada. Also hungover, so decided to push the long run to Monday instead.

The week in review

Not an ideal week from a marathon prep perspective. Time constraints, higher than normal alcohol intake and pushing out the long run.

Next week

Get "back on track".

mister paul

2023-10-16 - 2023-10-22

A question to start the week. I'd been chatting to @Murph_D about my plans for marathon day, heading out at the back of wave 1 with the 3:30 pacers, slowly pulling away from them (7:53-55 for first 7 miles) and then upping the pace a bit if all was going well (7:45-7:50). This plan was quickly torn apart when he mentioned that the 3:30 pacers are at the front of wave 2 and not the back of wave 1.

So, the question is, should I head out at the back of wave 1 and watch everyone disappearing into the distance, or should I wait for wave 2 make use of the pace group...try to slowly pull away from them?

My thoughts at the moment are to head out at the front of wave 2. This has the added benefit that I should have easy access to loos as I'm waiting around. I did this last year and although there was some waiting around, being able to use the loos without there being a massive queue was really handy.

Monday (catchup) - 16 miles long run

Post work long run along the canal and into the PP just as the last of the evenings light was fading.

The first 8 miles were up along the canal and through Castleknock. This first half was definitely a chore and the demons were kicking off, lamenting my recent lack of progress and fitness. Once again on a progression run my paces seemed to be going the wrong way.

Then it was down Whites Road and into the park and a partial Lainey Loop later I was bouncing along merrily across Acres Road. Note to self, next time bring the head torch. Other than that the second half of the run was really confidence building.

Tuesday - 5 miles easy (Lunch)

An easy local loop at lunchtime. Nothing much to report. The legs were possibly feeling the 16 miler from the evening before early on, but all good generally.

Wednesday - 0.75k Swim

30 lengths of the pool. This was meant to be relaxing, but the pool was really busy and a lot of the other swimmers completely ignored the slow/fast lane signs and dawdled about/chatted/swam 1min lengths in the fast lane/...

Thursday - 6.2 miles easy (Lunch), Tempo cycle

Lunch time run around the block. Nothing much to report, but had to alter my choice of runner for this one when I went to put on the first pair...

It seems that I last wore this pair nearly a month ago.

On the run itself, my HR has been a bit higher for the same paces recently, not sure if I've a bit of a cold; watch has my resting HR up and my HRV down since the weekend.

Friday - 6.2 miles easy (Lunch)

A very different day from yesterday; torrential rain instead of a warm sun. Still, at least I got it out of the way early enough based on the forecast for the rest of the evening.

All felt good, although my HR is still a bit up. That said, the effort levels still feel easy.

Saturday - 10 mile Turbo / Zwift cycle

An easy cycle on the turbo.

Sunday - 12 miles medium long run

Had a couple of things to do in Swords, so ran up there and back. Another run of two halves, first half mostly uphill and the second back down. Wore the Saucony Screw (Ride) 15 and no issues encountered.

The resting HR and HRV are both back to normal thankfully, so it seems (fingers crossed) that whatever was there has worked its way out of my system.

The week in review

Happy with how the week went. With the 16 miler pushed out to Monday, I cut a few miles out of the week and also a cycle.

Weekly totals

Run: 45.5m*
Cycle: 24.9m
Swim: 750mt
S&C (None): ✔️
Yoga: ❌

* The postponed 16 miler makes the mileage for the week look way above where it should be, but I'm happy enough that I'm managing the taper well.

Next week

This is the one we've all been waiting for: DCM '23

I'm pretty much decided on my race strategy for the first half of the race and will finalise things as the week progresses.

There are some niggling concerns around whether I can hold the pace, mainly due to the large variation in average pace for some of my medium/long runs and particularly the lack of pace progression in some of them. On the other side of that, the 18 miler with 14 @ MP (effort) is what I'm trying to focus on, as in many ways it's the most indicative run of the block and it's in line with my target.

I suppose we'll find out on Sunday morning either way.

Laineyfrecks

Hahaha the Lainey Loop...very apt🤣🤣

Very best of luck on Sunday, can't wait to see how you get on😊

Annie get your Run

Do let us know your wave when you decide so multiple supporters spreadsheets can be updated accordingly 😀. Best of luck!

mister paul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121275888#Comment_121275888

I reckon I'll go with my own advice and wait for the start of wave 2.

ariana`

Best of luck on Sunday Paul, hope it all comes together for you - you've a very solid block of training behind you so be confident!

mister paul

DCM 2023 Week

This is it. This is what all the training has been for.

Monday - Short cycles, 0.5k swim (20 lengths)

A short lunchtime cycle for a pre-marathon massage.

Up to the gym in the evening for a short swim and a sauna.

Tuesday - 5.7 miles easy

The plan had 6 miles, but it's DCM week, so I'm not gonna fret about a missing 500 metres.

Calves a bit sore after the massage, but generally all okay.

Wednesday - 7 miles with @ 2 MP

Stayed on the (mostly) flat for this one, heading down to the Clontarf seafront for the MP miles. Calves were much better than Tuesday.

The first mile @ MP was into the breeze with the second back towards the city. Nothing much to report.

I selected a screen that didn't show my HR so that I could focus solely on the pace. The pace definitely felt manageable, and looking at the stats afterwards, my HR was slightly below what I'd expect, so a win/win all round.

Thursday - Marathon haircut day

Friday - Cycle over and back to expo (Lunch), 4 miles easy (PM)

Again nothing much to report here...

Saturday

Rest (mostly)

Sunday - DCM ' 23 - 3:25:19 (6:34 PB)

A race report may follow although my recollection of the race isn't the best...

mister paul

Dublin Marathon '23 - Race Report

Pre race

I'd gotten the expo out of the way on Friday, so that I could relax on Saturday. I also decided to give the Leinster match a miss in the afternoon, as I reckoned that 2 hours standing on a terrace would be suboptimal race prep. An early dinner of Lasagna and chips were followed by the RWC final and a relatively early night. Sleep wasn't amazing though, but there's no surprise in that before a big race. I'd already front-loaded my sleep the previous few nights, so it wasn't a big issue.

The alarms started going off about 6:20. I'd two set and A had another one. Up and showered then downstairs for breakfast; my standard pre-long run breakfast of a couple of slices of toast with butter and jam. Then made up a Berocca and grabbed a banana and we were off, with A driving into the city centre, picking up a few friends on the way.

The organisation on the day was great and my bag was dropped off in a matter of seconds. Met up with some of the Sanctuary Runners for a pre-race photo-op and chatted with a couple of the pacers.

After that I made my own way towards the wave 1 entrance. There were plenty of toilets, but the queues were not insignificant, so I just waited around for a while. I'd already decided that wait for wave 2 and start at the front of it instead of watching everyone in wave 1 disappear into the distance as I ran my own race.

The added benefit of this was that the toilet queues dissipated by 8:40 or so and I'd a choice of facilities to make use of. This was probably for the better as I managed 4 pre-race poos and that's without even having a coffee.

Eventually the wave 2 runners were allowed around the corner onto Fitzwilliam Square and I took my place near the front on the right. There were still 5-10 minutes of waiting around, but eventually the gun went off and we were on our way.

Race

Miles 1-2 (Target: 7:45)

The first couple of miles were all about settling into my rhythm. The plan was to start out at about 7:45 pace for the first 2 miles to Stoneybatter. One of the first things that occurred to me after the start line was that I wanted to pee, but I managed to push the thought aside for a while. There were plenty of runners streaming past me, some doing so at a rate of knots. The hardest thing was blocking them out and sticking to my own plan. That said, mile 2 was definitely a bit on the hot side. I get a great shout out from some of the Raheny crew that I know as I cross onto the northside.

Paces: 7:44, 7:36.

Miles 3-7 (Target 7:56)

Miles 3-7 start at the bottom of Stoneybatter and finish near the top of Tower Road in Castleknock, which is the highest point in the marathon, so I'd set a target of an average pace of 7:56 for it. As we ran up Manor Street past the first water station, I once again felt the need to pee but decided that it wasn't pressing enough for me to stop at this early point in the race. At the top of Manor street I get a shout out from K&B, who have brought their family out to support. It's around here that I remember that I'm meant to taking gels. Oops. So the first gel gets taken on the North Circular Road after 3.5 miles instead of after 2.

There were still plenty of runners streaming past me, but I was for the most part still sticking to plan. It's always a joy to run in the park and this time was no different. At this stage I know it so well, so know that there are parts of Chesterfield that are more of a drag than others. I think that this really helped me to maintain efforts. As I turn onto Chesterfield I'm greeted by huge cheers of encouragement from a group of Sanctuary Runners. Shortly after that I get my first shout (of many) of encouragement from my wife, who's out on the course on her bike.

As I got to some of the quieter parts along here, I found myself eyeing up some of the trees for a quick pee stop, but in the end, I decided against it. There are lots of cheers and encouragement along the length of Chesterfield, from C&Y, @Singer and then another friend M, who's husband is running his first marathon.

For the second time already, I forget to take a gel. I remember a mile or so later, so not much harm done (hopefully).

From the time my watch beeped to when I passed the actual 7 mile marker I counted about 10 seconds. This is generally something that I try to keep in mind for the latter parts of the race.

The big blot on my paper here is that for the third time running DCM I managed to miss seeing my mother as I ran through Castleknock. Next time.

Official 10k: 0:48:40

Paces: 7:53, 7:46, 7:58, 7:45, 7:51.

Miles 8-10 (Target: 7:38)

This block starts with more support, this time from the outlaws, who've brought their two kids out to cheer me on.

After the long uphill section from the city to Castleknock, the next few miles back into the park and into Chapelizod were much appreciated. Things were generally feeling good, although I was starting to notice a few small bits of tightness in my glutes.

Back into the park and I see another runner going "off piste" for a quick call of nature behind a tree. I briefly consider a similar detour, but decide against it.

The watch beeps for 8 miles and I again count the seconds until I pass the official marker; 12 seconds. Not bad. Same for the 9 mile marker, but this time the difference is over a minute. WTF? By the 10 mile marker the difference is back to 15 seconds. Hmm...

It was along here that I got chatting to another runner. She was only a few weeks after finishing the Wicklow Way Ultra and was flying along in great form.

Paces: 7:36, 7:37, 7:40.

Miles 11-14 (Target: 7:52)

Through Chapelizod and the hill on St Lawrences Road loomed. "Take it easy and just get to the top" I told myself. My new ultra running friend is telling me how she'd normally walk the big uphills on trail runs. We'll be having none of that today. Her target is 3:30 although she's already well inside that and enjoying the day.

St Lawrences Road is negotiated without any issues, but by the end of mile 11 I've a stitch starting to build on my right (IIRC) side, relatively shortly after taking my third gel (only a mile after scheduled). Not what I want. I use the excuse of some traffic to let my new friend head on and give me some time to wallow in my own misery. I get another shout out from A in Kilmainham, but she tells me afterwards that I looked "concerned" both there and shortly after in Dolphins Barn. To be fair, I'm wondering how I'm meant to keep this up for another 14/5 miles. The aches and pains of long distance racing have started. Nothing sinister, but, yeah, concerning. The one good thing about having a stitch is that I forget for a while that I need to pee.

Official 20k: 1:37:16

Official Halfway: 1:42:51

I not aware of there being a massive hill between 20k and halfway, but nearly every runner I've checked on the official results seems to be slower for that short block, including the leaders. It seems more likely that one or both of those markers were incorrectly placed.

As I get to the CIH, I start to feel the heat for the first time and notice the sun making an appearance. After a few minutes I need to pour some of my water over my head. "Not a good sign" I think to myself. That may not be a good sign, but at least the stitch has abated.

I don't tend to drink a lot of water when I'm running, but always pick up a bottle at water stations and carry it with me to sip. It seems that I may need it for more than that today.

Paces: 8:11, 7:51, 7:50, 7:50.

Miles 15-17 (Target: 7:49)

The end of mile 15 brings me to Walkinstown roundabout. As I'm nearing it, I find myself comparing how I feel now to 2019, which was my first marathon and still my PB. On that day I was wondering how I was meant to keep going at this pace. Now I'm 2/3 minutes ahead of that time and wondering how I'm meant to keep going at this pace.

Around the roundabout and I get a shout out from @Laineyfrecks .

The end of mile 15 also brings me to the realisation that I was meant to take another gel after mile 14. Better late than never.

The weather has taken a turn. At mile 14 I was worried about the heat, but the sun has been well and truly vanquished and replaced with a glorious shower of rain. Bliss!

I have a nearly full bottle of water at this stage, so decide to attempt to open it and put a Dioralyte tablet into it. Thankfully I manage to pull the procedure off without a hitch.

Paces: 7:48, 7:43, 7:49.

Miles 18-21 (Target: 7:46)

Who needs to carry water? Just open your mouth and you'll have all the water you could desire.

The glorious shower has become a torrential downpour. Suddenly there are glistening rivulets everywhere along the road. The heat is now the least of my concerns. This allows me to focus on the slowly building and migrating niggles.

While I may be focusing on the niggles, A catches me again in Terenure and said afterwards that I looked much more comfortable than I had in Kilmainham and Dolphins Barn. My Sanctuary Runners top gets noticed at their cheering station near Terenure, so I get another real boost from them.

I may be concerned by some of the increasing niggles, but at the same time I'm tipping along nicely, slowing at bit on the inclines and making the time back on any downhills. I can feel that I'm working harder, but I still feel relatively comfortable. As I take another sip of water, I notice some more portaloos. Yup, I still need to pee.

Around the 20 mile mark , my left adductor starts complaining for the first time and it's the first niggle that worries me. Thankfully it settles after a minute or so.

Official 30k: 2:25:53

Paces: 7:38, 7:42, 7:46, 7:53.

Mile 22 (Target: 8:00)

I don't know the latter stages of the route that well, I'm usually in somewhat of a stupor by the time I get there. As happened in '22, I'm wondering if I'm on Roebuck yet. Am I there yet? Am I there yet? I try to just focus on avoiding the worst of the raging torrents of water on the route. I'm fighting a losing battle. At some point I realise that I'm not really going to get any wetter. Finally Mount Roebuck appears in front of me. I can do this. Just manage the effort levels and hope when I get to the top, that my quads survive the downhill of Fosters Avenue. Mission accomplished.

Pace: 7:54.

Mile 23 (Target 7:40)

Having defeated Roebuck, I slowly start to build up the pace again on Fosters. In 2019 this is where I really started to struggle and by Nutley it was all I could do to place one foot in front of the other. The niggles are still growing, but they're manageable.

As I'm running down Fosters Avenue I notice my feet squelching in the runners for the first time. Yup, I'm not getting any wetter than this. I've reached peak saturation levels.

Pace: 7:53.

Miles 24-26.2 (Target: 7:47)

...or flying it in like a Jumbo Jet.

It's been a while since I've been able to read my (badly) homemade pace band, so I can't work out whether I'm ahead of or behind target. I've stopped counting the time between my watch beeps and the mile markers as I've run out of fingers and toes.

I'm fairly sure that they're about 0.1 mile out of sync.

"How long will it take me to run 0.1 mile?"

...does not compute.

I reach Ballsbridge and get another shout out from the Sanctuary Runners who have a cheering station here. Then I see A for the final time before the finish. Double boost!

It getting tougher, but I'm going in the right direction and still passing other runners for the most part.

The legs are making their presence felt, but by this stage I know that they're going to hold up.

I'm pushing as hard as I can, but when I try to push any more the dry heaves threaten.

Official 40k: 3:14:29

"Which mile marker did I just pass?"

Hmm...

So, I've 10 minutes to cover the final 1.22 miles.

"Did I work that out correctly?"

"8 minute miles and you're golden."

"Are you sure?"

"It definitely sounds plausible."

"Are you sure?"

"Umm...definitely."

"What about the extra 0.1 mile?"

"You'll be grand. Don't worry about it."

The watch beeps for 26 miles and I can see the 26 mile marker and the finish up ahead. It looks like there's the same distance between me, the 26 mile marker and the finish.

Bugger.

I try to push on, but the body won't allow me. I'm at my limit.

Almost...

Paces: 7:37, 7:52, 7:55, (7:14).

Official Finish: 3:25:19

Post race

I cross the line knowing that I've just missed out on my 'A' goal by 20 seconds. I also know that I've crossed the line having given it my everything.

I make my way over to the barrier for some well earned dry heaving. A volunteer looks over in my direction momentarily to see if I need assistance, but they know. There's a smile trying to break out on my face.

I collect my medal and t-shirt and meander along Merrion Square to collect my goodie bag and my own bag. Chat to some of the Sanctuary Runners who ran brilliantly.

There's no point putting an extra layer on, the rain is teeming down now and it'll just get soaked as well. The downpour eventually eases after 5-10 minutes and I find somewhere to get changed quickly before meeting up with A in McGrattans. I walk in the back door, straight up to the bar and order a Guinness. 2 minutes later I have a Guinness in my hand. Bliss! I start to walk towards the front and a group are leaving a table. Perfect timing! I sit down and finally I get to take my runners and socks off, dry my feet and put on dry socks and runners. This is as good as it gets! Then it's heads down in the phone checking all the other brilliant results on the day.

Catch up with some other runners and fellow boardsies over a few pints. Does it get any better than this?

Then back to the local for a pizza and a few pints in good company.

Looking back now, I'm hugely proud of my run. It's an official negative split and a PB by 6:34 on my 2019 debut.

I'm not finished. I'll be back next year and I while the marathon distance can be cruel, I know that all going well, I can get another PB.

Annie get your Run

For someone who wasn't sure what his memory of the race would be, that's a great report! Massive well done on the PB! You looked strong both times I saw you.

I am in stitches laughing though - "As I turn onto Chesterfield I'm greeted by huge cheers of encouragement from a group of Sanctuary Runners."

Em that was just me 🤣. I'd also been wondering where A was and discovered very quickly that she was just past me on the bank 😀. Well if you're going to cheer, you might as well do it justice!

Enjoy the rest.

Comic Book Guy

Crackin run P, Congrats on the PB.

Amazing the level of detail you've retained for that report!

ReeReeG

Very much enjoyed that report, and congrats on the PB. Super running !

AuldManKing

Thats probably my favourite report of the lot - great detail and humour!! - very well done - great report to match a Super run - dont mind those 20 seconds - it was still a fantastic time.

Out of interest - you showered before the run...........is that a 'thing' before a race or just a daily thing that happens anyway "just another Sunday" (I've heard of a lot of people who shower before a Mara)

Great report. Congrats again. That monkey is gone now.

I'm also in the pre race shower group. Feel fresher on the start line.

Lazare

That's a fantastic report P, such an enjoyable read.

Cracking PB too, so very well ran.

Did you manage to get to a jax for that wee 😄?

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307932#Comment_121307932

Oh I'd always shower before every race.

Always conscious of standing up close and personal in a singlet in pens. Definitely makes me feel fresher too.

diego_b

Congrats to you there P, smashing result! You’ve a great motivator at your side there too I must add.

mister paul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307217#Comment_121307217

Yeah, I'm not sure where all the memories came flooding back from, but clearly some of them aren't entirely accurate 😄.

Thanks for the support.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307582#Comment_121307582

Thanks J. You were probably one of the runners streaming past me early on. Well done on your own massive PB considering the fueling issues.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307643#Comment_121307643

Thanks V.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307932#Comment_121307932

Thanks A. I'm definitely not going to get hung up on the 20 seconds. I ran a great PB at the weekend and I see it as a stepping stone to better things.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307957#Comment_121307957

Thanks M. I missed your shout out at Bushy Park in my report.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121308522#Comment_121308522

After my second pint of Guinness 😄

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121308677#Comment_121308677

Thanks D. Motivator is definitely one word that could be used 😄