Is it Now?

^From the horse's mouth, as they say. I think about you a lot when I'm running (Oh, Krusty ), about how disiplined you were when you were injured this Summer. I know it killed you having to pull out of our WW relay team, but your training is great now, and you're reaping the benefits of a slow comeback. Every time I want to go faster, I remind myself that it's a slow process, that a moments stupidity could set me back months.

So tonight I got out for a great "after the rain" muckfest around the local forest. Fresh air, soft mud underfoot, the evening at an end: best 5k I've ran in a while. I even threw in a few easy hills, climbing with my good leg. Slow as you like coming down them.

Even after yesterdays' mapreading walk, I still managed to get myself lost in todays' Nav Challenge! I'm pretty embaressed about that tbh.
Cycled about 25k out to the start, figuring I'd gain Enduro-like superpowers and win the race. Sadly, things don't work that way! Managed to get lost on top of the Aughnavannagh/Lybach ridge, and ran way too far, overshooting by a peak and almost a valley. In my defence, it was a thick rainy cloud up there, and there was no "features" as such to go by. However, this didn't seem to bother anyone else, so I'm just confused by my inability. On the plus side, I used compass and map to successfully navigate my way back, and was a lot more confident in mapreading after yesterdays course. The NC challenge today was (for me) an exercise in practice, so I'm happy enough to have salvaged something. Saw dunebuggy and slogger there, SJ had a good run to finish 3rd I think. He had time to go home, shower, devour a fish'n'chip supper, and still drove back out to give me and my bike a lift home. Is there no end to his infernal decency?

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Were you thumbing the map? Did you count your strides?

On the strides point, it would have been useful. I grossly underestimated the distance I had covered, and wasn't wearing a Garmin that might have underlined the distance. On the plus side, once I knew I was lost for sure, I used yesterday's course pointers to successfully get back on track, and moving from A to B in a thick cloud was good practice.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I would have failed to find the start, and would've arrived in my slippers.

...and you still would have beat me! I was out there for over four and a half hours!:eek:

Woddle wrote: »

Congrats DP, about time in fairness if like me the last 100 were the worst and you think you'll never get there and your wondering why you care so much about finishing
Now that it's out of the way you can concentrate on the real training without the worry.

Yeah, considering I was at one point a few good weeks away from a top 10 spot, just shows how backwards my training has gone. I had a great 3 miler to finish, down by the river trail I first started using three years ago, when I first got back into running. It was a glorious late summers day, my five year old daughter was clearing the path ahead of me on her bike, all was well with the world as I hit 1000!:D

Thankfully, this injury seems to be at an end, in that its less and less sore as the days go by. I'll start a proper block of training once I'm back on my feet proper.

Rusty Cogs 08 wrote: »

Congrates on reaching the Big G. One race I just couldn't match you for.

Cheers! You'd have been there long ago but for your own injury. You're flying now though, best of luck in Berlin.

And I fully intend this to be the start of a long sequence of victories;)

Decided to start a new training log, with a goal of the Wicklow Way Ultra in late March, followed by the Limerick Marathon about a month later. I should be able for some of the IMRA races scattered through the year, although the focus would be on the longer, weekend runs of the LC. This log will be less verbose and less cocky than my previous one (ie. no self-motivational "sub-3 I'm gonna DO IT!" stuff that comes back to bite me in the ass:))

Since Mount Leinster way back in August, I've been unable to run much, and any time I did, my heel would get sore again very quick. Mountain Biking has seen me through these lean times, and I have been biking about 60-70miles a week, over some hilly offroad stuff, so the endurance fitness is still there. I can run now, and it seems for as long as I like, but at the sacrifice of pace. The plan is to build up to about 35miles a week running at Xmas, and hit into a proper marathon plan then.

Thurs 26 Nov 09

Cycled three miles to the start of a trail on Annagh Hill, then hit the ground running. Some hilly climbs from the start, and I took them very handy, as I was tentative about my heel area (it's still sore: I wake up limping every morning, but stretching seems to loosen it early on in the day). Went up higher, and was rewarded with some stunning views NorthWest across Wicklow. Came down (very slowly) through trees along a trail that was now a stream, and finished off the loop to make about 8miles. No idea of pace, but it was easy all around, and I could have gone on at that pace all day. 3mile cycle home, and the ankle feels better than it has in ages. Expecting some soreness tomorrow though, if so, no run.

PositiveNegativ wrote: »

Good man. Hope it works out for you.

PositiveNegativ...? Lives in Wicklow...? Gotcha!;)
Welcome to boards, might bump into you out there.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

More verboseness and cockiness wanted though!

Believe me, that's not something you should wish for;)

27 Nov

Recovery, 2 miles cycle, 2.5 mile run, 2 mile cycle. (Additional 7 miles bike during the day)
No big deal distance wise, but a huge deal for training. 2 days running in a row. I woke up with an (expected) painful limp, but through some stretching and bike work, the pain went, which meant I felt great on this run. The temptation is to go for broke in my schedule, but I'll give it at least 3 weeks before deciding I'm back in business. Starting to believe I'm a runner again.