Things will come to those who wait...

pconn062 · 14-09-2012 08:20PM

cwgatling wrote: »

Best of luck pconn. Looks like a tough course so make hay on the downhills.

Cheers cwgatling, hope your race goes well for you. It's a shame about the sickness so don't push yourself too hard, the Dublin marathon is the big goal.

RandyMann · 14-09-2012 09:03PM

Good luck tomorrow !

pconn062 · 15-09-2012 04:02PM

Chip time: 1:29:37

Well that didn't go to plan. Preparation had been really good and I felt like I was due a good time. Unfortunately I seemed to pick up a bit of a stomach virus from on of the kids I teach yesterday evening (I'm working as a piano teacher, he was saying "I don't feel good for most of the lesson which makes me ask "why the hell did the parents send him to the lesson?? :mad:). The result was I spent most of the last night and this morning fighting the urge to get sick and generally feeling awful. But I was determined to run, I'm a stubborn fucker like that.
To cut a long story short, I held my target pace for 3 miles but was working way too hard and gradually had to ease back, held a decent pace (6.45) until mile 10 when I hit the hills and died a death, even had to stop and walk for a few seconds to hold back the urge to be sick. Bad day.
Not too disappointed now though, still a 6 minute PB from Dundalk and my first sub 1.30 but just have a bitter taste in my mouth, it's nowhere near the time I wanted. That's the second half this year I've prepared really well for to suddenly fall sick a few days before the race. Anyway it's not the end of the world but I'm giving up on the longer distances for a while, I won't run any longer than 10k probably until the FD 10 mile next year. Still feeling a bit rough now so gonna take a few days off and then start preparing for the cross country season, with the Start of the Sea event up first next weekend.

MYTD: 1364

cwgatling · 15-09-2012 04:10PM

Damn, unlucky Pconn. You deserved better. A/R/T is as sick as a plane to Lourdes these days. Onwards and upwards for XC season.

tang1 · 15-09-2012 04:14PM

Hard luck pconn, no consilation but you know your capable of much quicker. Get well.

pconn062 · 15-09-2012 04:19PM

cwgatling wrote: »

Damn, unlucky Pconn. You deserved better. A/R/T is as sick as a plane to Lourdes these days. Onwards and upwards for XC season.

Cheers man, I know, I'm thinking of buying myself a sealed bubble that I can live in for the week before a race!! How'd ya fare yourself?

RayCun · 15-09-2012 04:21PM

Hard luck pconn, but at least you walk away with your sub 1.30 (and you can kick my arse in cross-country:))

pconn062 · 15-09-2012 04:31PM

RayCun wrote: »

Hard luck pconn, but at least you walk away with your sub 1.30 (and you can kick my arse in cross-country:))

Ha, yeah think I'll stick to racing over shorter distances now! In fairness Ray, even on a good today I don't think I would have got near you, that's a cracking run, fair play.

cwgatling · 15-09-2012 04:43PM

Jeez you and me both. Nothing worse than getting sick in the middle of a good run of training. Came out of it ok in the end, thanks man. Keep her lit you have a good winter ahead of you.

madon · 15-09-2012 04:58PM

Those pesky kids- sorry you didn't get what you wanted you train so hard. Still for a sick man to get a PB in my book is super! Well done.

ecoli · 15-09-2012 05:04PM

Hard luck on today you deserved better still a PB is a PB and the training/fitness you have from training for this hasn't gone away so you will come back from this stronger than ever

Roll on XC

KielyUnusual · 15-09-2012 05:11PM

Bad luck pconn, you were definitely on for a sub 85. Pity you didn't get to find out how far under you would have got. Still a PB when unwell is not to be sneezed at. Well done.

beeduybe · 15-09-2012 05:35PM

Unlucky Pconn. A real pity both half marathon's you ran this year didn't go to plan. Best of luck in the XC.

ThePiedPiper · 15-09-2012 06:04PM

Sh!tty luck Pconn. You derserved much better than this. The type of training you've been doing well see you continuing to improve at all distances. If you'd been healthy, you'd have run 1.25 at a canter. Enjoy the craic this evening.

theboyblunder · 15-09-2012 07:15PM

aahhhh hard luck. fitness will stand you in the XC season

tisnotover · 16-09-2012 02:10PM

hard luck yesterday poconn, your training deserves so much more! def sets you up well for some shorter stuff tho.

pconn062 · 16-09-2012 04:57PM

Thanks for all the comments folks, it's not the end of the world and as my mother said "sure no-one died!!".

Today: 5k

Dragged myself out the door for a short recovery run today, probably did more damage than good. Have a bit of a cough and a sore throat today so will play it by ear this week and take it easy before deciding if I will race next week. Forgot Rathfarnham 5k is on next week as well so it's could be a toss up between that and Star of the Sea.

MYTD: 1367

RandyMann · 17-09-2012 11:40AM

I understand about having a bad day, your sickness was unfortunate. Don't dwell on something that was out of your control. Your ran a great PB and thats very relevant. You know yourself that you are capable of better and that is what matters. Very well done regardless.

pconn062 · 18-09-2012 08:50AM

Monday: Rest day

Today: 6.5 miles @ 7.53 pace

Out early this morning as I have a very busy day today, pace was a bit slow but I'm no good at running in the morning and it took three miles for me to wake up. Chest is still not feeling great, a bit caught up which probably didn't help either. Will play it by ear for the rest of the week.

MYTD: 1373.5

pconn062 · 19-09-2012 08:35PM

8.5 miles steady @ 7.03 pace

Into the club tonight and did this with a few of the lads. Overall I felt fairly good, chest is still a bit tight but the legs felt good and I never felt like I was forcing the pace. Going to do a bit of a session tomorrow night and then run easy Friday and Saturday before deciding what I'm gonna do on Sunday, would love a good 5k but don't know if I would do myself justice and the cross country race would probably stand to me in the upcoming Louth Novice championships.

MYTD: 1382

pconn062 · 20-09-2012 08:38PM

8.5 miles

Fartlek Session:

2.3 miles WU 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4 mins hard with equal recovery time, 1 mile WD

Into the club tonight and it was time for some specific work for cross country. I did this with a few of the lads who are racing Star of the Sea this weekend. Paces were roughly:

4 minute sections: 6.15-6.20 pace
3 minute sections: 6.05-6.10 pace
2 minute sections: 5.50-6.00 pace
1 minute sections: 5.45-5:50 pace

The first 4 minute recovery felt very long after the first rep but after that the full recovery time was much needed. This is a tough session, looks easier on paper that it actually is. We held it together very well until the last 3 minute rep where we started working really hard, but we still managed to hold the pace. Last 4 minute rep actually felt a bit easier.
Good session, it really gave us that lung burning, heavy dead legged feeling that you get at the latter stages of a x-country race. I didn't even wear a Garmin and just either ran by feel or followed the other two lads. Chest felt much better as well for the first day this week so it's all good. Recovery run tomorrow.

MYTD: 1390.5

pconn062 · 21-09-2012 07:42PM

3.5 mile recovery

Got this done before work this morning, would have liked to have done more but an unexpected visitor cut my time short. Decided I'm doing Star of the Sea this weekend, not Rathfarnham. Rathfarnham is just a bit of a spin for me all of of my training buddies (those who aren't doing a long run for DCM) are heading to the x-country so it's off to the muck and hills we go! Just going to treat is as a training run for the Louth novice in 2 weeks.

MYTD: 1394

pconn062 · 22-09-2012 05:04PM

6.5 miles @ 7.45 pace

Another easy run this evening, feeling good. Very windy though especially along the coast, hopefully it dies down for everyone racing tomorrow. Now I have to go and find my spikes and see what state they're in after the last time I used them. :cool:

MYTD: 1400.5

pconn062 · 23-09-2012 03:09PM

Chip time: 24:09 (I know, chip time. Cross country is getting very hi-tech!)

I had to laugh at a sign I seen on the way up giving directions to the "Star of the Sea cross country fun-run!", there would be nothing fun about it. For those who have never ran this race just a quick word about the course. First of all I think they only took the cows out of the field about and hour before the race and the whole field was covered in cow sh*t! Also it is a lapped course, four laps for the men and each lap contains two substantial hills, and I mean substantial. I thought the Garda cross country was hilly but this was on another level. My plan was to treat is as a training run, run hard on the flat and try not to lose too much time on the hills.
First lap was over in a flash and I was settled into the middle of the pack with three other runners. Into the second lap and we settled into a rhythm with me usually getting ahead on the hills and the lads catching me up on the down hills. Into the third lap and now the legs were starting to ache and the lungs starting to burn, the group split now with two pushing on and one falling back. I ran the rest of the race on my own which was tough especially into the wind going up the hills. Into the final lap and I was barely holding on, up the second last hill and free wheel down the other side, one more to go, I could here a group closing in on me. Down the final down hill and only 500m to go, and one guy made a break to pass me put I pushed on and matched him, he pushed again but I surged once more and kept him away. Crossed the line 38 out of 71 with a very high standard overall.
Very happy with that performance and I hope it will stand to me now to start the season. Had no Garmin with me but a club mate of mine measured it @ 6.25k. Not that distance matters but it was nice to keep the pace near 3.50/K on such a tough demanding course. Jogged another two miles when I got home as a cool down.
Next target race is the Louth Novice in two weeks and I have three sessions planned for it, a hill session, a long interval session (5/6 x 1k) and a short rep session (12x400).

MYTD: 1406.5

theboyblunder · 23-09-2012 03:15PM

pconn062 wrote: »

Chip time: 24:09 (I know, chip time. Cross country is getting very hi-tech!)

I had to laugh at a sign I seen on the way up giving directions to the "Star of the Sea cross country fun-run!", there would be nothing fun about it. For those who have never ran this race just a quick word about the course. First of all I think they only took the cows out of the field about and hour before the race and the whole field was covered in cow sh*t! Also it is a lapped course, four laps for the men and each lap contains two substantial hills, and I mean substantial. I thought the Garda cross country was hilly but this was on another level. My plan was to treat is as a training run, run hard on the flat and try not to lose too much time on the hills.
First lap was over in a flash and I was settled into the middle of the pack with three other runners. Into the second lap and we settled into a rhythm with me usually getting ahead on the hills and the lads catching me up on the down hills. Into the third lap and now the legs were starting to ache and the lungs starting to burn, the group split now with two pushing on and one falling back. I ran the rest of the race on my own which was tough especially into the wind going up the hills. Into the final lap and I was barely holding on, up the second last hill and free wheel down the other side, one more to go, I could here a group closing in on me. Down the final down hill and only 500m to go, and one guy made a break to pass me put I pushed on and matched him, he pushed again but I surged once more and kept him away. Crossed the line 38 out of 71 with a very high standard overall.
Very happy with that performance and I hope it will stand to me now to start the season. Had no Garmin with me but a club mate of mine measured it @ 6.25k. Not that distance matters but it was nice to keep the pace near 3.50/K on such a tough demanding course. Jogged another two miles when I got home as a cool down.
Next target race is the Louth Novice in two weeks and I have three sessions planned for it, a hill session, a long interval session (5/6 x 1k) and a short rep session (12x400).

MYTD: 1406.5

Well done pconn. Sounds tough! You transported me back to preteenage races 25 years ago.

pconn062 · 23-09-2012 03:23PM

theboyblunder wrote: »

Well done pconn. Sounds tough! You transported me back to preteenage races 25 years ago.

Ha cheers man, I can report nothing has changed in those 25 years, well apart from the chip timing!!

ThePiedPiper · 24-09-2012 01:17PM

Well done yesterday pconn.. Good to get the cross country season off well. You were talking to me about Bohermeen, here's the link to my Garmin activity for it last year. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/159747798

See ya Wednesday.

pconn062 · 25-09-2012 08:29PM

RunForestRun wrote: »

Well done yesterday pconn.. Good to get the cross country season off well. You were talking to me about Bohermeen, here's the link to my Garmin activity for it last year. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/159747798

See ya Wednesday.

Thanks for that RFR, will keep that on file and see how the next few months go!

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday: 8.5 miles @ 7.48 pace with 8 hill repeats

On a list of mad things I've done in my life, running repeatedly up a hill this morning (on purpose) in the pissing rain and howling wind ranks as one of the stupidest! But that's what I done, nearly bailed out of it when I see the rain but after a few miles I was well warmed up and just got it done. The hill was about 250/300m in length and I ran at a pace that felt like 3-5k effort, and jogged back down again. Got through the first 6 fine, then I started to lose my form a bit on the 7th so called it a day after 8 repeats. Good session and even though they were hard, I felt strong tackling them. Funnily the usual throw up feeling you get with hill repeats didn't come on until the jog home! Hopefully it will stand to me in the upcoming x-country races. Going to start a few sessions from Daniels 5-15k plan over the next few week and concentrate on a few shorter road races.

MYTD: 1415

ecoli · 25-09-2012 08:56PM

Solid hill repeats pconn. Have my first hill session of the season on Thursday and dreading them. 8 reps though of that distance hills is some going keep it up everything is clicking into place for you and I am expecting some big performances to come your way in the near future with the hard work you have been putting in over the last while

pconn062 · 25-09-2012 09:33PM

ecoli wrote: »

Solid hill repeats pconn. Have my first hill session of the season on Thursday and dreading them. 8 reps though of that distance hills is some going keep it up everything is clicking into place for you and I am expecting some big performances to come your way in the near future with the hard work you have been putting in over the last while

Cheers man, same as yourself, Have been keeping a good idea on your log for training ideas, you've got some great cross country sessions there, looking forward to seeing how they pay off for you.

Things will come to those who wait...

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