The road least taken
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I followed the first week of P&D 18/55 with not much difficulty except for the SI Joint/hip pain later in the longer runs. With only three real sessions I've been able to recover on off days but I don't think I could do two sessions in row as the hips and quads are sore the day after. Luckily I was able to get the MRI on the lower back, SI Joint and Hips, so 3-4 working days before I should find out if there is anything obvious. Hopefully its a minor issue
- Training
Monday - 2 miles, this wasn't on the plan but it suited me to do the 2 mile very easy, had an errand to run
Tuesday - 8 miles Session, 2 general - 4 LT - 2 recovery. Tough enough
Wednesday - 2 miles, same thing as Monday
Thursday - 9 mile general
Friday - junk food and movie
Saturday - 4 mile recovery
Sunday - 12 mile general
Training on HR, zones taken from Coros watch with over 3000 miles of various activities, Max HR matches most recent VO2 sessions and all out 5k efforts. I've used a HR monitor pretty much every session since January and the watch measures resting HR when I wake up in the morning automatically.
- Resting HR is 42
- Max HR is 178
The calculations using HR range percentages from the P&D book work out as below
VO2 max (5K pace)
166-169
Lactate threshold
146-162
Marathon Pace
146-157
Long/Medium run
134-150
General Aerobic
128-144
My Coros app looks like this
Some similarities
Shoe Rotation- my favorite topic
Super easy - Asics Novablast 3
Daily trainer - Saucony Tempus
Marathon pace inside long runs - Old Alphfly next%
LT and interval weekday sessions - Vaporfly 3/Tempus
Racedays - new(ish) Alphafly
Chances of completion 50/50
Just noticed the p&d HR data table looks awful on mobile, probably not interesting anyway 😜
Post edited by marathon2022 on2 -
Six months later, The story of 2024
3 MRIs, 2 X-rays and a bone scan to find out I have "moderate degenerative change in both hips" and some old injury's but nothing extraordinary. The GP told me to stop running after the first x-ray so obviously I ask for a consult with a professional, I see two consultants through the year and both say similar based on the other scans. Your pain is basically a fact of life, with my age and the hips in the shape they are in, keep running if I want but stop if the pain becomes too much. Nothing to be done.
Essentially the hip issues stopped me doing any hard work for a while in June. I simply decided to just run when I could and keep doing S&C. Chicago is looking further away than ever. I keep running.
That's the excuses out of the way.
I keep running, and probably enjoying it more than ever.
July roles around and I'm still running every second or third day, exercise bike and S&C every other day and I've lost a wee bit of weight. The pain is still there but I can reduce it with ibuprofen, only a couple of tablets a week as I'm uncomfortable with them.
I'm still in OK shape so I decide to race the fingal 10K on the second week in July, new route and all. I have only ever raced two 10k prior, the last one in 2022 was also the Swords 10K, PB of 41.05 in that one but a hammy tear to go with the memory. The morning of the race I wake up with hip pain, take a Nurofen and jog down the town. Sweating profusely on the jog down, heart rate was high, over 140 for what effectively is a zone 2 pace, it should have been in the low 120s, I put it down to the Nurofen.
Swords 10k Race- New start and probably an easier course
Outside Eddie Rockets, the start was bit later than advertised so my sweat was cooling along with me. Bang and were off, got clipped but managed to stay up so timidly run and regain form towards Pennies and swinging around the Pavilions, pretty happy plodding along at 6.40 to 6.50 per mile pace. The race opens up quickly as the roads are wide towards the old dual carriageway. I feel OK, hip pain reduced. The first half is a bit like a bowl, see below, downhill for the start and uphill towards the 5k mark in the country. Nothing to difficult. I reach the 5k at about 20.54
push on as the second bit is pretty much flat for a road race. Fast finish and second 5k in 19.58, nice new shiny 10k PB of 40.52. I know its not heroin or anything but I spent the run thinking why did I bother race if I have to take anti inflammatory tabs. I decide there an then that I would only train or race if I can without. That's the end of that story, not the basketball diaries or anything but there ye have it. No more Ibuprofen to run races
Plod away through the rest of July and August dreaming of a miraculous return to form but to no avail. Dropped the idea of Chicago, the training was too slow and not enough work getting done. Decided to tap away at 5k to see if I could get a bit of speed back. Eventually did a 19.30 Parkrun in October. I have to say I was enjoying running as much as ever. Still periodic pain which slowed me down but nothing like earlier in the year or last year where I was stopped completely for a day or two after sessions.
As the mad runners mind works I still dreamed of a Marathon this year, my last one was Boston the year before so nearing 18 months since my last confession. Late in September I booked a weekend away in Turin with the family for my birthday(early December), and would you believe it—There just happened to be a marathon in Turin the day of my birthday, weird 😂. So with 13 weeks before my Birthday I wondered if I could fit a mini Marathon block in. I had been chewing on an idea of shorter blocks since the failed Amsterdam block last year, I'd reached 11 weeks of up to 100km weeks prior to my hips putting me out of action,in that block and was in fantastic shape, I wondered if I could throw a 12/13 week block together without my hip flaring up. mmm
Out with P&D Advanced Marathoning and low and behold there is a 12 weeks /up to 55 miles plan, a few adjustments and add a 13th week (11 weeks of sessions and 2 weeks taper) and off I went. As I hadn't told anyone I was considering a shot at 26 miles I could still drop out prior. But I don't like quitting!
During this period the vast majority on here were in the eye of the DCM storm, very motivating, so I did everything I could to make my plan stick. I completely dropped S&C, what's the point during a marathon block when running is the requirement(controversial I know). My diet went out the window, just ate what I wanted when I wanted after sessions. I adjusted distance to add work when I felt OK, never reduced. The other slight changes I made where to the odd session; I changed the metric from HRR to the actual pace I want to run for MP(7.20/m). For anyone who knows P&D they will know its HR based, I was happy with the base of the plan but still didn't feel my fitness would allow me to hit the race pace within the sessions for long enough so I ran the long session intervals at MP not within HRR.
The running was good, a couple of big sessions left me in pain but with the alternating recovery milage of the P&D plan it was doable. I made it to Taper in good shape. Then the fuckers in Boston changed my age category from 3.25 to 3.20 so I knew I would have to go sub 3.15 to get a 2026 entry. I was at the edge of my training, MP had been in and around 7.20/mile so I would have to get all my ducks in a row.
Turin 2024
As luck would have it the weather was fantastic, about 3°C at the start, really perfect conditions. My airbnb was 100 meters form the start line. New Alphafly 3 on the feet, hat, gloves, half length tights under shorts and about got in about 50 meters from the start line. Off we go——
The first mile is on cobbles and rail type roads, couple of ankle dips but kept it easy, I always run the first marathon mile 20 to 30 seconds slower than the planned race pace, crowds, getting into form etc. Mile one at 7.50/m. Happy out. Then the route opened up to a 4 mile straight as a dye road. It was on this section that I won the race! Turin is not well known and as Valencia was on the same day so I didn't expect to see many Irish about but low and behold a Lusk AC top appears out of nowhere right in front of me, "Howya, hows it going, you from lusk etc" The dude was from the same town as me, he also had picked up another Irish guy from Wexford who was running along at what I figured was my planned pace, the next 15 miles I had company, small things can change the day. The chats and craic was perfect for the next half of the race. One of the guys slipped into marathon mode earlier and by the time the other guy slipped into marathon mode and away from the chats we had passed halfway, the good stuff was about to begin. 1.37 at halfway. At about 15 mile I was struggling so I decided to go after the 3.15 pacers who were about 40 meters ahead, took me a couple of miles but eventually latched on. Very lucky I did, at this stage we hit the half distance runners(they started at a different time and would finish at the Marathon finish), weaving and bobbing the happy halfers was easier with three ballon wearing pacers barging through the crowd. The last few miles where treacherous with halfers and smaller paths but I was laser focused on staying with the pacers, I growled at a few of the halfers and pressed on. The last 3 or 4 miles had three hills which really challenged me but I knew I knew if I just stuck it out for 30 more minutes I might have a PB and a BQ, back in the city proper and the crowds started to build, I seen the misses and daughter which was a great boost, I knew they would take pictures and film me so I fixed my slouching form and put on a fake smile. Last mile was amazing, kept right behind the pacers.
3.13.52 a small PB and BQ for 2026
Went for a slap up meal and had my first drinks of 2024, a really lovely Nebbiolo, the best way to break a drink fast.
All in all a lovely year - Tale of the tape
Passed 10,000 miles on strava
Strava 5k PB of 19.25
Strava and race 10k PB of 40.52
Strava 10 mile PB of 1.08.49
Marathon PB - 3.13.52
My deferred Chicago place should keep me busy this year 😓
If you made it to this bit well done, happy new year
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February has come and gone,
It was a slog some days to get out in that sh1t weather, apart from that I did enjoy the running. Got out 20 times for a nice base 172 miles in February, grand total of 300 miles this year, few aches and pains in the hips, that's life
Plans and thoughts for today….(will most likely change)….I will probably wait till the end of March before deciding my spring and summer challenges. With Chicago Marathon away in the future common sense would say work on a 5K block first, then a 10K block and maybe a threshold half late summer. Build some speed then endurance
For the 5K block I want to get close to 19 minutes, I'm probably floating around 20 minutes now on a good day. Hate 5ks, **** hard graft
If the 5K times go well I would look at last years 10k time of 40.52. Have the Swords 10k entry, heres to the summer
Then for the finale I'm thinking about a 12/70 P&D plan, looks tough on paper so not 100%. This would commence the 3rd week in July to top me off for Chicago on the 12th October. sub 3.10 would be perfecto
I do love dreaming
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March has come and gone, first half the month I was flying, 45 miles a week then the old hip warned me to chill. 150 miles for a grand total of 453 mile in 2025.
March effort
Had some nice runs early in the month but still no strict plan, just sticking to my usual Tempo Tuesday and long-run Sunday routine, with casual bits in between. I nailed a lovely zone 2, 20-miler in the first week and kept things steady up until the third week. Decided to test the speed with a 20-minute 5k TT during a Tuesday session on the local 1k loop; hit 20:03 comfortably, but my hip felt a bit sorer than normal during the cool-down. After a couple of easy runs later in the week, I had to stop entirely. Once the pain hits above a 6/10, I know it's time for rest. Took three days off, tried a slow 3-miler but still wasn't great, then rested another four days through the weekend just past.
Feeling somewhat better now, but I think I need return to basics. Last year, after being told my hip wasn't improving and probably wont, I started strength and conditioning and noticed improvements. Unfortunately, I dropped the S&C last year to squeeze in a 12-week marathon plan toward end 2024 and never went back to it—lazy bastard that I am :-) The hip’s still around a persistent 4/10, nothing unusual there.
So for April and May, the plan is to scale back running slightly and reintroduce consistent S&C:
- Monday: Legs (S&C)
- Tuesday: Easy/steady (~6 miles)
- Wednesday: Full-body (S&C)
- Thursday: Easy run (~6 miles) or intervals if feeling good
- Friday: Upper-body (S&C)
- Saturday OFF -study eat junk
- Sunday: Medium-long run
If the hip improves, I’ll gradually ramp up the mileage and introduce some speed work again in May. lets see
On another note I seen some complaints on one of the other threads about gels packs left after a recent race. Seriously, stop fvck1ng littering whoever the **** you are, put them back where you took them from, a pocket, a belt or just put them in a bin. NO NEED FOR IT!
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April has come and gone, not much to reminisce for this month. A grand total of 33 miles, my lowest monthly volume of the last 3 years. The old hip really hurt early in the month so on the 14th I decided to bite the bullet and take three weeks or a month off and see how I feel, if all goes well I will tackle some early summer base work and a late summer attack on a 12 week block for Chicago. 🤞
I've been wearing a Coros watch since January 2022 and the weekly volume chart shows the fun I have had since then. Maxed out at 70 miles a week, Not too hard to see the Marathon blocks in there 😁
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The summer slump on training logs is as bad as I've seen it, hope all you cool kids are enjoying the weather
I had a very easy month with a grand total of 61 miles, 10 runs and averaging low zone 2. The hips don't lie
From a running standpoint my only thoughts are on the Addidas brand, Ive never used them in the past but since they are getting great reviews I went and bought a pair of Evo SL from addidas.ie. Went for my summer long run size of 10.5uk, as a couple of my YouTube favorites said they were true to size. The are in me hole true to size.
Looks like the adidas running range is small by a fair margin, why cant they just size like everyone else?
Anyway the real gripe is the ordering, took a week to delivery which isn't bad so when I discovered that they are dopes and cant size the shoes correctly I tried the return on exchange, this is the prefered method on the site and I was happy enough as I really wanted to try them. Packed the shoes off and ordered a size up, three weeks later they haven't even processed the exchange! I've had two online chats and been advised they will request a review but still nothing.
Now the likelihood of anyone reading this and wanting a pair of adidas is very low, but if so I would advise going at least a half , maybe a full size up, and if you do have to return do not use the exchange process. Just return for credit and order a new pair as normal[vent over]
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