I'll have a BQ please Bob

jcsmum wrote: »

Best of luck on Saturday. I've no doubt that you'll PB it!!

Cheers. My PB over 5 miles is from 12 months ago so it's a soft target.

You going for 2 PBs in a week?

Thurs - 9 miles @ 8.16 (HR 149)
Out of work at 10pm on Wed so decided to leave this run til thurs. Got out at 9pm on Thurs:mad:, and really wasn't looking forward to this, but with this being week 1 of the plan I didn't want to be missing sessions. Was an enjoyable run despite my reluctance.

Sat - Irish Runner 5 mile 33.57 (Avg pace 6.48, and Avg HR 168)
I know many people dislike this series due to the crowds, but as I cut my teeth with races in the race series a few years back, I do have a soft spot for them. They fit with the plan, and so long as you get in to the right wave and as appropriately forward in the wave, then I think the crowd issue isn't unbearable. As I'm from culchie land, the ability to take an elbow or a shoulder is all part of growing up:D, so bumping doesn't bother me so much (prob will if I end up on my ass someday though)!!
Now the goal was to first go under 35 mins, and more specifically under 34. This meant averages of 6.48 per mile. As the first three miles were flat and down the Kyber I knew I needed to be on schedule or better at the three mile mark, and then get really stuck in.
I don't rem a huge amount about the first three miles other than two pins on the number fallling off, so I had to move pins around without trying to stab myself. The three miles were 6.45, 6.44 and 6.46. I felt I was cruising in mile 3 and was down at 6.30 pace but the climb up Military rd put manners on me but even still all felt good.
Mile 4 was much the same. I was working harder as we travelled up Upr Glen Rd, pace was on track until my watch beeped 6.46 for mile 4 a good 50/60 yards before the mile marker. Obviously wasn't tight enough to the racing line, and the watch said 26.20 when I hit the 4 mile marker. Fock, threw me a bit there, and that meant a 6.40 final mile to break 34. Checked the pace after a couple of mins into the mile 7.00, and I felt I hadn't let up, so put the head down and gave it some more. Looked down a minute later, 6.55. Fock again, so some serious effort was required. At this stage I was going past a lot of people and maybe just one or two passed me in the last mile. Turned onto Furze Rd, and checked the watch again...pace down to 6.37. That gave me a boost and knew I just had to keep the intensity going rigt to the line. It was really hurting at this stage, but I suppose it's not meant to be easy!. Crossed the line, and final look at the watch 33.57. Delighted.

Good to bump into a few boardsies before and after.

Jogged back to the car, and went out for another loop of the park. 3 miles in I was regretting that decision, but slogeed my way around. 6 miles @ 9.11 (HR 139)

jcsmum wrote: »

Excellent, I said you'd do it. And I'm always right

So sorry I ever doubted you! Won't happen again:)

DigiJem wrote: »

Well done today, congrats on the pb

Cheers. With all the PBs you guys have been clocking up lately, it would have been rude not to produce one myself!!

Mon: 10.5 miles @ 8.41 (HR 146) Tough slog home from work including Knockmaroon
Tue: 9 miles back in to work @ 8.44 (HR 137) Down hill back to work so much easier run
Thurs: 9 miles. Garmin battery died after 7.6 miles @ 7.50 (HR 153) just before I started 10 x 100 yard repeats. Can't say I'm a fan of these and the easy parts between the strides were probably a bit long to have gotten the full benefit
Fri: 9 miles back into work @ 8.50 (HR 135)
Sat: 13.4 miles Avg pace 8.16 (HR 150)
The plan called for 13 miles with 8 @ PMP
5 miles LSR - Completed 5 @ 8.53 (HR 139)
And 8 miles @ PMP - If I'm gonna break 3.30 I need PMP to be somewhere in the region of 7.50 and 8.00 minute miles. The 8 miles were completed @ 7.45 (HR 158). One of the miles was a 7.20 after I had restarted having stopped at a railway crossing. Still not able to run by feel!!
Finished the last 0.4 to home in a nice slow warm down pace. Good enjoyable run, weather certainly helps.

Total for the week 50.9

Mon: 8 miles @ 7.34 (Avg HR of 154). I missed one of the tougher sessions last week, so decided to catchup on it. 8 miles including 4 @ 10 mile pace. First four miles were at 7.54, and then the second four miles @ 7.04.
Tue: 9 miles @ 8.17 (Avg HR 147) Jog home from work so an uphill route
Wed: 9 miles @ 8.49 (Avg HR 137) Recovery jog downhill back into work
Fri: 14 miles @ 8.32 (Avg HR 145) Swapped my LSR to Fri, and did it at a pace that is at the lower range of my LSR pace. jogged from home, in as far as Halfway house, cut across the park, back along Chapelizod Rd, up Knockmarroon, and home via Castlekmock and Blanch villages.
Sat: 5.2 miles @ 9.28 (Avg HR 128) Proprer recovery paced run with the race on Sunday

Sunday: Race Series Fingal 10k - 41.52

PB at 10k is from 10k in K Club at the end of April at 42.57. My 5 mile time was giving 42.30 on McMillan's calc, so the aim was to give 42 mins a real go. Wasn't massively confident as it's a marathon programme I'm following with little speed work done so far. Target pace therefore was 6.45 per mile.
The route was unfamiliar to me as it wasn't in the park, but I was aware of what had been described as a 'drag' from 6-8km. And pretty much back down hill for the 9th KM.
Not much to report from the first three miles. Went through in 6.38, 6.39 and 6.41. Was hoping I wasn't going to pay for being a little ahead of schedule but with the 'drag' likely to cost me time, I wasn't overly worried.
Next mile was tougher with the start of the drag which in 10k terms is definitely a hill. Went through that mile in 6.55. Next mile was just tough. Simple as that. I didn't look at the watch once in this mile cos I knew I was just working so hard and I certainly wasn't losing ground on anyone around me. I didn't notice the mile beep on the watch, but the mile was 7.20. I did look at the watch as I passed the 8k marker and pretty much thought 42 mins was gone (but my maths at that stage might have been pants). Down the hill, pushing as much as I could, passed the 9k marker and thought I'd do well to get 42.30. There was a short steep downhill, turn and short steep uphill and turn and on to the main street. 4/500 metres to go. I really hadn't much left, but just kept pushing. Don't think I went past anyone in the last km, but only a handful went passed me. I got a shock about 50 metres to go, when the race clock was showing 41.55/6/7/8. Thought something was surely wrong, but it just seems the 9km marker was out by quite a bit. So I was pretty happy and pleasatly surprised to see my own watch stopped at 41.52 (same as chip). 6th mile was a 6.38, and the 0.2 mile was at 5.55 pace. (Average HR was 173, and peak at 186 on the sharp rise back on to the Main St.) Bumped in to a few familiar boards faces at the end.
A good day at the office, so fingers crossed I can keep things going like this right through to the end of Oct.

Usual efficeint organisation for the race series despite the different venue. Tough enough course


Total for the week 52 miles plus one PB

Mon: 9 miles @ 9.09 (HR 140) Hamstring was not in the best of shape and probably shouldn't have been running, so didn't follow the session in the plan and just ran very comfortably home from work. Good stretch afterwards
Tue: 9 miles @ 8.43 (HR 141) Hamstring was deifintely better and running downhill made things a bit easier
Wed: 9 miles @ 8.28 (Hr 146) Didn't get out of work til 9, so I was doing well to even get this run in and pace was better than earlier in week, if not quite as quick as it should have been
Sat: 18.5 miles @ 8.51(HR 142) jogged from home down to the park (6 miles), then met jcsmum and digijem for another 6 or so which flew by with the chat, and then jogged back home again. Went pretty well, and was strong towards the finish which was much better than prior week. I think the easy sessions during the week meant the body wasn't too tired going in
Sun: 6 miles @ 9.00

Total for the week 51.5

Edit... went through the 1000 mile mark during the LSR too!

jcsmum wrote: »

Congrats on the 1000 miles. Pity we didn't know, we could have stopped for coffee and cake...I could have done with the break!

Sounds like a better reward than the bottle of lucozade and strange looks I got in the petrol station on the run route home!

Wed: 12 miles @ 7.59 (HR 149) Longer trip home from work that included Knockmaroon. Tried to keep pace a little stronger than previous weeks midweek runs

Thurs: 9 recovery miles @ 8.51 (HR 135)

Sat: 20.5 miles @ 8.56 (HR 142) Was awake with the birds so headed down to the park early. Did 6 on my own, then another 6 with Aimman, and then we were joined by macinalli for the next six. Good to have the company and chat but can't say this was easy! Not sure if it was the weather or the harder runs during the week. I went back out for the last two myself and tried to push the pace a bit harder but wasn't happening! Still first 20 miler of the plan done.

average_runner wrote: »

If any of ye guys interested in running lsr in Lucan on a early sat morning let us know. Have s 2 year old and pregnant wife so early is good.

Most of the time I'm not the greatest for early on a Sat, but if I know I need to get the run done early I'll be sure to let you know. It's a great feeling to have 20 miles done by 11am!

Mon: 10.5 miles @ 7.40 (HR 158) Plan had 10 miles incl 6 at LT (10 mile race pace). I was on a day off so went to the park. Car thermometer was saying 24/25 degrees. I did the 4 or so miles warm up miles @ 7.50 pace. And the started the LT miles. Didn't find any of these easy and in the end only managed four of them. HR was showing the pace was tough with the heat not helping. Four miles went 6.55, 7.17, 7.07, 7.12. Took the two miles back to the car nice and easy and drank about two litres of water before I got going
Tue: 12 miles @ 7.56 (HR 149) Home from work with Knockmaroon thrown in to wake me up if nothing else!
Wed: 9 miles recovery back to work @ 9.05 (HR 132)
Thurs: 9 miles home again @ 8.23 (142) It happened and that's about it!
Fri: Rest
Sat: With a bit of doubt around whether the park was going to be accessible with the motor races, I decided to do do something different and something I've been meaning to do for ages. So I took myself off to Glendalough to do my LSR. I'd never been down there so wasn't sure what lay in store other than knowing it would have plenty of hills. So I started off and the first 8 miles had a climb and descent of 1700ft. that excluded one section which was pretty much a stairs (just stopped the watch and walked this). Pace wasn't good either going up the climb or coming down. One up hill mile was a 14 minute mile with a HR hitting 170. Then first down hill section was on a boardwalk and this was slow as when you came upon someone I either had to step into the marshy bog, or wait til either I or the other person could stand on to the log joins (10.23 pace mile). Then the next downnhill section was hopping in, on and around rocks and stones (12.40 pace mile). Got back to a nice paved flat section then for the next three miles. Back to the car for a drink and then off up another hill but not as bad this time, with one mile climbing 400ft, then back to the flat section again from there and back to the car, and finished off with one lap of the car park (it'd be rude not to!!)
Overall a tough run, but incredible views down there and lucky the weather was pretty nice for it too.
18 miles @ 9.32 (Avg HR 146)
Sun: 6.6 recovery miles @ 9.18 (HR 132)

Total for the week 65 miles

macinalli wrote: »

That's great work TBW - takes a brave man to pick Glendalough as the venue for an 18 mile LSR!

Lets put it this way it's wasnt the wisest decision ive ever made!