Dream big, work hard, achieve your goals - My DCM '19 Journey

Haha thanks for the very flattering pic😅. I gave my company details to the lady with the laptop, so she said she would update it. Yes, I'm going to give it some serious consideration, would be nice to be part of a club I think at this stage.

Hahaha this made me smile 😊

Thanks a mill 😊

I'm having a good think about it! I've heard they are all very sound which always helps😊

Hahaha thanks for all the input folks, I'm a very indecisive person 🤣🤣

Mon 4th - 10k Easy 7*30 sec hills

A very, very wet day after work - dedication or insanity!?

Tues 5th - 10k Easy

A much nice evening thank god.

Weds 6th - 14k to inc 8*30secs @3:25/45

Did this after a morning spent in the IPA, felt good afterwards.

Thurs 7th - 13 K Easy

Got out for this early as I was heading to Lanzarote for a few days with a bunch of my friends.

Fri 8th - 8K Easy

What a beautiful sunny morning in beautiful Lanzarote.

Sat 9th - Rest

Well needed after yesterdays drinking session!

Sun 10th - 14k E 4K Steady

Another glorious morning in Lanza, got out as early as I could for this as we had a table booked for 16 of us for food & drinks at 12 in a gorgeous place overlooking the beach. I could run in the sun all year round, nothing like it.

Mon 11th - 8k E with 8*8/10sec steep hill sprints

Was heading home today so again an early start despite being a bit hungover! Oh the sunshine & views were a wonderful cure for it...

Tues 12th - 10k E

Nice lunchtime run.

Weds 13th - 14K Easy inc 8*40secs @3:25/45

Lunchtime run, missing the Lanza weather.

Thurs 14th - 7k E with strides

Nice easy run after work

Fri 15th - Rest

Sat 16th - Easy with strides

Sun 17th - Tallaght 5k Race - Paddys Day - Chip time 20:52

Was originally supposed to race a park run but swapped it around so I could support this local race. Wasn't feeling it tbh as I'd had a pretty crappy sleep with my FIL having a 2nd small stroke & ending up in hospital, quite a restless night followed waiting to hear etc, (thankfully it was treated quickly enough & a stay in the hospital for a few days & great treatment has him back home again safe).

I lined up at the start after speaking to a few boardsies, lots of hugs, & wishing each other good luck, which I always appreciate before a race. It was a very humid morning, nice not to be standing on the start line freezing! Off we went, I had no plan really other than to see how I felt, The 1st 2 kms went by fine, felt I was managing well, pushed on a bit then came the dreaded hill, could hear my breathing getting a bit louder & legs were feeling a bit tired so I pushed on past a few people I had set my sights on & was happy to pass them. Came up to where we started & knew I didn't have long to go, one final push on the track & happy to be finished.

Really enjoyed the chats with more boardsie after plus the tea & cakes were great, a brilliant atmosphere as always & a nice solid run for me

Mon 18th - Rest

Tues 19th - 14K Easy

A lovely bright evening but my legs did feel heavy on this, 1st time in ages I've felt like this.

Weds 20th - 3K Easy, 12*400@3:40 off 200, 3K Easy

Right from the start my legs still didn't feel 100%, Tallaght had obviously taken a bit more out of me than I thought! I set off into the 400's and because I wanted to wake my legs up ( & a very bad habit of mine) was starting them off too fast, I got through the 1st lot quite well but I did pay the price on a couple of them & slowed down towards the end, I really need to work on being more disciplined with my speedwork! Overall quite happy with how it went, it's been a while since I feel I've done a session that pushed me so hopefully I get back into the swing of this speed stuff.

Thurs 21st - Rest

Fri 22nd - 10k Easy

A nice run after work

Sat 23rd Rathbeggan Lakes 6k XC BHAA mixed Race - 29:32 - 2nd in my Age category - 25th out of 72

This is was the last of the BHAA XC races so I really wanted to do this, it was pencilled in as one of my sessions for the week. I was feeling quite anxious about getting there as the exit was closed on the M50 & I always prefer to take the most direct route. Anyway, I shouldn't have worried, the route I followed was quite straightforward & had me there in plenty of time(I really need to work on my anxiety & worrying about unnecessary things) Chatted to a few people then set off for a warm up. Put my bag in the tea/picnic area & changed into my spikes. The weather wasn't bad at all, a bit chilly but dry & lovely in the sunshine. We were all ready to go at 11 then the man on the mic started talking & talking & talking, the banter in around me with the runners was very funny, some of the aul fellas were gas! Anyway, eventually, we were off. It was very tight getting around the 1st half of the lap(we had to do 3) but now looking at it I think it helped me. I had no choice really but to be quite conservative for the start as I had started quite far back. Once onto the open field I passed a few people but knew not to go too hard yet. It had everything, a few hills, a large field then proper mud, the kind of mud you try to run over so fast in your head hoping you won't get stuck in it, aw it was great craic. There was a few of these patches towards the end of the loop before you came back up another hill then onto grass towards where the finish would be. 2nd lap I was gaining more confidence, feeling good about my running & my breathing, I felt very controlled whilst never even looking at my watch. As we came towards the end of the 2nd loop one of the stewards encouraged me & told me I was the 6th lady & in 30th position. That was enough to hear, I knew I could catch the lady ahead (from Tallaght AC) and I made up my mind I was going to be the 5th lady home, the others just had way too much on me. So while I was playing this all out in my mind, I went flat out in the mud, hands & knees deep in it, I got up so quickly & just kept going, getting lots of cheers from the few people around supporting, now I felt like a real XC runner!! I gradually passed the lady runner, then a couple of men too, once out of the muddy patch, I put a fair bit of welly into my finish again with a lot of encouragement to finish strong, could see the clock was just under 30 mins so made sure I got there. I chatted to a few people straight after then went to hose my legs & spikes down. Tea, cakes & awards afterwards, which again was great craic. I met a few really lovely people & invited to run in the PP for some speed sessions if I was ever free, just really nice how welcoming they all are. I have to say this was my best XC experience so far, I really loved it, roll on more XC racing!

Sun 24th - 16k Easy 4k steady

Up & out for this run, legs feeling surprisingly good. I wore a tshirt for this, as it looked nice enough out. I decided to stay local & ran all around Citywest combined with my usual route. I listened to a few of the Tommy, Hector & Loretta podcasts & laughed most of the way around. Felt really good for this run which is always a plus.

485.6 miles/781.49 kms year so far

God, I've really not kept up to date with this! The biggest news with my running is that I made my decision and I am now a member of TAC, hoping to wear my singlet for the 1st time this Sunday at the Terenure 5mile. Really looking forward to all the new stuff I might get to do now that I am involved in a club😊

Mon 25th - 12K Easy

A run after work on a pleasant evening.

Tues 26th - 3KE, 6*800@4mins, 3KE

The paces on this felt controlled & consistent.

Weds 27th - 15k Easy

Nice easy run at lunchtime.

Thurs 28th - Rest

Got out for this early as I was heading to Lanzarote for a few days with a bunch of my friends.

Fri 29th - 15KE with 7*1min@3:50

Nice bright morning for this, felt good.

Sat 30th - Easy

Easy on a beautiful evening.

Sun 31st - 20K Easy

A nice Sunday morning run around Tallaght.

Mon 1st April - 10K Easy

Easy morning run.

Tues 2nd - 3kE, 1600@4mins, 1200@3:55, 800@3:50, 400@3:35 off 400, 3KE

Went out to the PP for this, was a lovely afternoon, I really do love it there💛 I knew this was going to be a tough enough session & I was right. I dialled into the paces as much as I could & tried to keep it as consistent as possible. It went a lot better than the 1st time I tried this so even though it wasn't perfect I was happy with it.

Weds 3rd - 14K Easy

Easy run after work.

Thurs 4th - Rest

Fri 5th - 2KE, 2K@5:15/20, 10mins Tempo, 5*1mins 5k to Tempo, 10mins Threshold, 2KE

Back out to the park for this because I knew this was another tough one. The start of this was good, tried to get myself into a good rhythm, tried to focus on my breathing too. Was on the loop for this & there was a bit of a breeze on one side but hoped it wouldn't impact me too much. The 10mins Tempo came in @4:20 which was pretty spot on, straight into the 5*1 mns @5k pace then into the 1min @Tempo, these came in @ 3:59/4:29, 3:59/4:19, 3:58/4:20,4:03/4:19,4:04/4:15 - These were hard enough, I felt I was really pushing towards the end & feeling it. Then the watch beeped for me to start the 10mins @Threshold, my instant thought was fook, how the hell am I gonna finish this??? I struggled both physically & mentally for the rest of this, never hitting the required paces, it should have been done @4:10 but instead came in @4:33. I'm not gonna lie I felt very deflated afterwards, a bit of a dent to the confidence. As the evening went on I decided to not be so hard on myself & to actually see the positives in it, I so badly just wanted to stop the session when I couldn't hit the paces but I didn't, I kept going & finished it completely. Obviously not ideal to be not hitting sessions in a 5K block but also not the end of the world!!

Sat 6th - 8K Easy

A wild morning around Tallaght.

Sun 7th - 20K Easy

Another Sunday morning run around Tallaght.

Mon 8th - Easy run

I went down to meet some of the TAC crew & did a nice easy run with them.

Tues 9th - 3kE, 5*1K@5K pace, 2min rec, 3ke

Out to the PP for this, wind & sunshine. A really good solid effort for this session. The 1K reps came in at 3:59,3:58,4:00,3:55,3:57 - Happy with the consistency.

Weds 10th - 10K Easy

Out early for this as I was heading to Marbella for a few days.

Thurs 11th - Rest

Cocktails & sunshine on the beach - perfect recovery!

Fri 12th - 2*3K@4:20, 2mins off

Up early for this, probably still slightly drunk but thankfully didn't affect the run😉

Sat 13th - 10k Easy

Beautiful sunny run in Marbella.

Sun 14th - 20K Easy

Up & out early again for this, my roommate was fit to kill me at this stage haha. I ran the opposite direction from where I had been running and it was beautiful, the sun on my face & just listening to the sea, just perfect for running!

Mon 15th - Easy with 6*30sec strides

Back down with TAC for this, great to have some company. Really friendly people. Did my strides on the track & it just felt so good. Home for some birthday cake with my eldest daughter turning 27, where do the years go…

Tues 16th - 3KE, 1600@4:10, 1200@4:05, 1000@4, 800@3:50, 400 fast off 2mins, 3KE

Got out for this run after work. This went well, was very happy with how I paced it & controlled it.

Weds 17th - 15K Easy

Easy miles after work.

Thurs 18th - Rest

Fri 19th - 3KE, 5*1600@4:25/30,2min rec, 3KE

This went well, another session down!

Sat 20th - 10K Easy

A beautiful sunny morning for this. Found myself struggling a lot this week with missing my dad, little signs everywhere, it's hard when it just comes out of the blue, I'd give anything to just have a cuppa & a chat with him ✨

Sun 21st - 20K Easy

Another gorgeous morning.

Mon 22nd - Easy

Down to TAC for this, this week as it was a lot drier we ran most of the run on the grass, really enjoyed this.

Tues 23rd - 3KE, 5*1K@5K pace, 1:30rec, 3KE

The 1st thing I noticed when I seen this was the drop in rec time, great I thought! It was quite a warm evening & I felt it even more once I got into this session. I really felt the lower rec time but got it done. The reps weren't perfect but I felt like I really put the effort into this. The reps came in at 3:59, 3:55, 3:59, 4:03, 4:04.

Weds 24th - 16k Easy

HR monitor went mad & it was really annoying me so I disconnected it.

Thurs 25th - Rest

Fri 26th - 3KE, 2*3K@4:15 off 2Mins, 3KE

Don't remember to much from this so I presume it went well.

Sat 27th - 8k Easy

A beautiful evening.

Sun 28th - 20K Easy

An easy run around Tallaght.

Mon 29th - Easy

Another Monday easy run on the grass with the TAC crew. I got my singlet tonight t which I was told by some of the au fellas that it would be best to have a spare top with me at any races in case I do crap in them so I can whisk the Tallaght one of me - no pressure 🤣

Tues 30th - 3kE, 4*1200@5Kpace, 300 off, 3KE

Fettercairn park for this. Really dialled into the efforts, the winds were picking up as I did this & I didn't quite manage the pace on the 4th but happy with it overall.

Weds 1st May - 14K Easy

A gorgeous day, was hoping this is how the month of May would be weather wise!

Thurs 2nd - Rest

Fri 3rd - 3KE, 5*1600@4:10/15, 2Min rec, 3KE

Well the weather didn't last, a horrible grey bleak Friday evening. Happy with how this was going until all of a sudden the paths I use were filled with Adults & Children from the local GAA club doing a colour run. I had a lot of dodging to do & changing direction to avoid as many as them as I could but thankfully it didn't affect me too much!

Sat 4th May - 10K Easy

A lot of procrastinating meant I didn't get out for this run until the afternoon.

Sun 5th - 20K Easy

No procrastinating for this, up nice and early & out the door for this lovely run.

Mon 6th - Easy

Another nice easy run on the grass with TAC.

Tues 7th - 2KE, 2K@5:15/20, 10mins Tempo, 5*1mins 5k to Tempo, 10mins Threshold, 2KE

This was my 2nd attempt at this, was a little worried when I seen it but decided to try my best not to over think it. Out to the PP for this. A nice warm afternoon. The 1st 2 steps went by easily, I really concentrated on my breathing & how was feeling. I wanted to be able to complete this for myself, I knew I could do it so I just needed to believe in myself. The 1st 10 mins tempo went by, the pace for this came out pretty spot on & I felt good, watch beeped for the 5*1mins, was feeling better about this than last time, these felt more controlled which was good, the reps came in at 4:00/4:16, 4:01/4:15, 4:01/4:14,3:59/4:17,4:01/4:20 - straight into the 10mins @threshold, my 1st thought again was how the fook am I gonna manage this, my legs felt heavy along with my breathing but I composed myself & thought to myself, I can do this!! I fixed my posture which helped with my heavy legs then took deep breathes to control my breathing & by this time I was half way around already bang on pace, come on keep going I thought, you are well capable. I got the paces bang on the 4:09 for this & I was absolutely buzzing it went so well. Always good for the confidence when a session goes well.

Weds 8th - 10K Easy

Up and out early for this easy run.

Fair play if you have read this far! So my plan is to race Terenure 5M on Sunday wearing my new TAC singlet. Not sure how I will do in it but I will give it a good bash. My goal race for this 5K specific block is Bob Heffernan on 21st May. I would love to go Sub 20 again for this but this block feels like it has been full of ups & downs, I really found this block tough both mentally & physically but I suppose that's the nature of 5K training. I have been back Strength & Conditioning training the last couple of months too so hopefully that is standing to me. I am feeling much stronger & fitter with my running & how I'm feeling after sessions so hopefully that's a sign that I am reaping the benefits of my training, would be amazing to break 20 again but if I don't that's ok too, it's not like it's wasted training. My sole goal this year is on the Berlin marathon in Sept, this would just be a lovely added bonus.

Miles for the year so far 816.3mi/1313.70kms