My UltraRunning log

Friday
Cross training in gym

Saturday
Summary: 6.55KM in 0:27:13 (4:10 pace)
87/161. Winning time 20:50

This is the first x-cross race I have ever competed in and was not sure before what to expect.
It proved a fairly gently introduction, however, since it just involved 4 laps of the Castleknock Sports Ground, with the only obstacle, a small bank.
The Salomon x-wings were a good choice for the terrain and indeed road runners would also have been fine on the dry surface.

Initial Kms 4:08, 4:16,4:06
The advice that comes up constantly in x-cross running is not to go out too fast so I positioned myself in mid-pack on the line and took the first lap around the course easily. I was surprised that the general standard was so high and I rapidly moved further backwards closer to the back-markers than the leaders. I had decided to be cautious in my first serious run for months and at all accounts to avoid picking up a new injury so just accepted the situation.

Middle KMs 4:15,4:20
I would be disappointed with a lap split on 4:20 in a competitive marathon and it was only afterwards I realized I had slowed so much. I felt reasonably comfortable, but was never breathing all that easily, and I think I was dehydrated before the race even started. At this point, I started slowly picking up places as others slowed even more drastically. This gave me a false sense that I was running faster than I actually was.

Final KMs
3:56, 4:01 remainder.
I had always planned to run the final lap fairly hard, and I picked up about 20 places in this section as others were slowing.
Decent burst of speed in this section but I think I would have got more value from the exercise if I had attempted this from the half-way point.
I saw Gerard a few places ahead as I came into the final stretch but could not close the gap to him.

Well organized race, slightly disappointed with the final result, since I had expected to finish about 30 seconds faster on the day. This is never a natural distance for me but I think I have lost a bit of speed in the last 12 months either due to injury, adaptation to slow ultra-running training. or the natural aging process.
A slight niggle in the hip after the race - felt fine during it - and this was gone an hour later. Reasonable return to competitive running again after a long lay-off. Just glad to be back at any level for the moment.

Monday.

Rest.
I have signed up for the Zermatt marathon in July which follows a route up the Matterhorn.

Wednesday
Summary: 3 KM warm-up + 6*800m repeats with 400m recovery+ 2KM warm-down on U.C.D. track

2:59, 2:56, 2:55, 2:55, 2:57, 2:57

Good session. Timings a good bit slower than I was hitting in the Spring but pleased to pass another milestone by completing a speed workout without a reaction.

Friday
Stretching and easy cross-training.

Saturday
Summary: 10KM in 40:00(4:00 pace) race in Donadea Forest Park.
30/558 Winning time 32:24
I really did not feel great on Saturday morning, with a headache and aching upper body and only I had shelled out 32 Euro in advance, I would have given this race a mix. After a long detour caused by a road closed due to a traffic accident, I got to the local GAA grounds there and registered. First 3 k were on road and remaining 7 k were in the forest park. I found the initial 3k easy and when the Garmin gave me 3:55, 4:00, 3:52 I thought I might have a chance of a new PB. Once we went into the forest park itself, the Garmin readings went all over the place, and weakly correlated with the position of the km markers; I believe the course was accurately marked. The course was undulating rather than very hilly and a similar level of difficulty to the Phoenix Park 10km. By 7KM , the Garmin indicates I was on target for a time of 39:30 which I would have been well please with, but 30 seconds vanished in a puff as we headed up for the final hill. I passed the final marker at 36:05 and thought my sub 40 minutes target was blown but we had a good downhill stretch which I was able to use, and a final sprint saw me crossing the line exactly on 40 minutes. I think I will get another second back from the chip time since I was a little behind the line at the start.

Reasonable but not outstanding result - I could see a noticeable drop in fitness compared a year ago and I would need to be running this at around 39 minutes to have a chance of a sub -3 time in Florence.

I felt lightheaded on the 1k walk back to the registration area. I did not recognize anyone in the gym area for refreshments, there was a longer queue for food than I was prepared to toleratem and the showers were cold, so I headed off almost immediately. I am unlikely to run this again.

Sunday
Summary: 34KM in 2:44:08(4:50 pace) along the Royal Canal patch.
I felt good when I woke up; the race did not appear to take too much out of me, and I seemed to have thrown off whatever bug afflicted me on Saturday.
Nice run along the flat Royal Canal patch with progressive intensity; initial 10 K at 5:00 pace and gradually speeded up until last 5k at 4:30. Comfortable throughout.

Wednesday
Summary: 3 KM warm-up + 7*800m repeats with 400m recovery+ 2KM warm-down on U.C.D. track

2:55, 2:51, 2:48, 2:45, 2:50, 2:52, 2:49

Another good hard repeat session on the coldest night of the year. Fingers were still cold despite the repeats so I need to dig out the gloves again from storage. Times were a good bit faster than equivalent session last week, despite a slight head cold, which is encouraging.

I don't have enough time before Florence to complete a full marathon program so I am focusing on speed and MP runs in the hope that I have retained a lot of the endurance I picked up from ultra training earlier in the year.

Friday
Easy cross-training and stretching in gym.

Saturday
Summary:18 KM in 1:15 (4:12) pace.
Marathon pace run along Royal canal in Mullingar.

Warm-up 3.41 in 17:15 (5:04) and got a bit concerned when I got a stitch during this section on the run. I think the two large lattes and panini I had as a pre-race snack might have something to do with it.

Found a level shaded section of the Royal Canal and then started the MP run.
18 KM in 1:15 (4:12) pace.
Found it comfortable enough once I got into the groove and could have extended the run for longer but I did not want to risk injury. The narrow, windy streets of Florence will be a bit tougher though.

Finally 2.75 in 14:08 (5:09) cool-down.


Sunday
Summary: 10 KM in 54:20 (5:25)recovery.
If training for an Ultra, this would be another back-to-back tough run but I think for a marathon training, a recovery run makes more sense particularly with my history of injury.

Monday
Summary: 38 KM in 3:03:13 (4:49) recovery.

Preparation was not ideal with a big feed of salty bacon and spuds immediately beforehand for dinner. Legs felt fresh though and no real sensation of tiredness at any point. Tried adding a few MP interval in the run but never quite managed to reach the desired pace which does not concern me that much. I found this very difficult in training for Berlin as well, but on the big occasion I was able to manage the extra effort I needed to keep on target.

asimonov wrote: »

Great Saturday / Sunday / Monday combo mithril; is that the longest run you'll do? 75' at marathon pace in training will always hurt I think.

That's the furthest run for me. I might do a long, hill run along the Wicklow Way that would involve more time on my feet but I won't be going as far again.

Tuesday
Summary: 10.12KM in 48:46(4:49 pace) around Carysfort Park.



Wednesday
Summary: 10KM marathon pace in 42:25(4:14 pace) on U.C.D. track.

The plan for today was to move up the distance and start mile intervals but track was very waterlogged and fast running wouild not have been safe particularly as the light was fading and it was becoming more difficult to see the puddles.

I decided to settle instead for a marahon pace run.
After a 3KM warm-up, I upped the pace but found the legs were like lead. The week-end tough work-out was very much in the legs , even though I had no niggles nor a real sense of tiredness before the race.

I decided that running at MP while tired might not be a bad workout to do anyway - as a mental if not physical preparation for the race - and managed it in the end but it never got easier and every step was a slog.
Something not quite right there - maybe overtraining - or perhaps the traditional Irish diet at the week-end which is not quite ideal for athletics.

Saturday
Chi running course with Cathriona McKiernan and a few other boardies. I will post a bit more about it in another thread once I have time.
I recommend the course. We did a run in the morning which was videoed and then reviewed our running form. Not as bad from me as I expected - my faults are that I don't lean forward and use gravity as much as I should and also I hold my hands too low and a bit far out from my body.

Afterwards 16.06KM in 1:08:23 (4:15 pace) marathon pace run in Phoenix park. Got caught out by the dark in the park; I was expecting the pathways by the road to be lit up like in Blackrock park, but you need a head torch. Abandoned the MP run early after a very near head on collision with another runner; we were both going flat out, and my newly acquired forward lean would have ensured I got the worst of it - broken jaw territory if we had not spotted each other just in time. Then another 7K slow jog back to the car at Farmleigh.


Sunday
Summary: 21.80.KM in 1:50(5:05 pace) from Portlaoise to Ballyfin and back.

Down in Portaloise for a meeting and decided I would take advantage to do a long run in some new territory. This looked a reasonable route on the map but the road was a lot busier than I expected and was also narrow, windy and dangerous even in day light. Had a high viz layer with me which made a noticeable difference in terms of the reaction time of the drivers as dusk fell. I also had a head torch with me and could have extended the run but was not keen on running around unknown estates on Halloween night so finished early. Last week-end I did a bit too much and this week-end a bit too little, so I will try and get a good quality run in mid-week as well to make up.

Monday
Summary: 8KM in 43:38(5:24 pace) recovery run on grass around Carysfort Park.

Wednesday
Summary: 8.51KM in 49:10 (5:47 pace) recovery run around Carysfort Park

Thursday
intervals 6* 1.6KM intervals on U.C.D. track with 800m recovery..
Still some tiredness in the legs after Tuesday but not wiped out the way I was last week when I had to abandon the interval session altogether.
U.C.D. track again very waterlogged, and a very strong wind blowing across the track, so conditions not ideal. Ran the intervals between 3:50 and 4:00 pace, a bit slower than I had planned, but anything faster was too dangerous under the conditions.

Sunday
Summary: 10.38KM in 58:13(5:37 pace) recovery run around Sandyford.

Monday
Summary: 10.08KM in 47:40(4:44 pace) aerobic run in the dark on grass around Carysfort park

Tuesday
Summary: 16.04KM in 1:05:47(4:06 pace) at slightly faster than PMP around Blackrock Park.
Lucky with the timing - managed to fit it in between two downpours. Benefiting from an extra day's race, and start of taper, this felt very comfortable on fresh legs.

Saturday
Summary:9.11 KM in 52:46 (5:48) pace.
Recovery run around Sandyford.

Sunday
Summary:26.71 KM in 2:01:12 (4:32) pace along Newry canal path.
Up in Newry for the day and took advantage to do the final long run along the dead flat canal path towards Portadown. This is part of the Newry marathon route which I expect to run at some point.
Freezing fog brought the temperature down to a chilly 3 degrees but I got a very good long sleeved technical running shirt for competing in the Laugevegur marathon in Iceland and it kept me warm without overheating.
Kept the default pace at around 4:50 and then threw in marathon pace intervals as follows:
3*1KM, 1*2KM , 1*3KM, 1*4KM
Comfortable enough hitting the pace for the intervals but putting 42 back-to-back at that speed is a tougher proposition and will only find out on the day whether I can cope.