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Berlin 2016: Back to Basics

TheRoadRunner

The last time I started a log it ended in disaster but I'll tempt fate and start one again. I kinda enjoy writing down what I've done/plan to do and the feed back I get so I'll give it another bash and we'll see how we go. Short term goals are Frank Duffy 10 mile, national half marathon. Ideally I'd love to run PBs for both but the Frank Duffy 10 miler is a tough cookie and I heard the route around where the half is to be run are undulating.

Once I get through them I'll decide whether or not to run the Dublin marathon. This will depend on how I'm running and also my work/home schedule.

My PBs to date are
5K 15:40 (2007)
4 miles 21.01 (2008)
5 mile 26.45 (2007)
8 mile 45.02 (2005/6 ?)
10 mile 56.10 (2007)
Half Marathon 75.20 (2008)
Marathon 2hrs 47 mins (2009)

This year has been a good one so far. I haven't ran any PBs but in the last 2-3 months I have been in touching distance of most of those listed above. Training this year hasn't been as intense as before. A lot of my running was easy. I ran 2.48 for a marathon in April and apart from a couple of races and tempos all my training running was very slow. What's more my 5k and 4 mile times were really good (21.15 and 16 minutes) which I was amazed at considering I hadn't done any real pace running to talk about. I have an excel sheet with all my running this year. I'll try and post a modified version in the next few days to show what I've done to date. Going forward mileage will vary from 50-65 miles per week. Anymore than this I generally pick up injuries.

I'm going to continue on as before but will try to get some more tempo stuff in the legs. If I feel it isn't agreeing with me I'll drop it and keep plodding instead. I'd rather be a little slower but injury free.

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theboyblunder

super running D. Chuffed for you.

TRR

TRR wrote: »

Aim is 2.35 but I'd be very happy with anything under 2.40. Aim is 6 minute miles +/- 5 seconds for the first 10 and once I'm into the run of things the pace will be determined by how I feel, nothing foolish but if 6 minute miles are too fast I've no problem easing off. I plan on hitting 22 and making a push, that part of the course is fast and I can easily gain back any lost time. That's assuming I haven't shot my load too early. Anyway enough analysis, the wind could blow and feck everything up. Time to get some rest!

Very slight wind meant 2.35 wasn't on the cards yesterday but you can't complain when you run a PB, even if it is only by 16 seconds

I'll write a report some time later in the week.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/238541468

ThePiedPiper

Brilliant pacing TRR, great speed in the last few miles. Did you find it cold for running yesterday? Was chatting to a 2:45 fella who reckoned the temp was on the cold side of being comfortable and that, with the wind, affected his time.

By the way, you're really going to have to work a bit on a nod, wink or something to your supporters!! While angry scowls do suit you very well, you've also got a winning smile. ;-)

In fairness, you make sub 6 miles look very easy, whether it's your running style or what, at 19 miles yesterday, it looked like an easy jog pace for you. Well done on another brilliant marathon.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Well done Dave great running.

RacoonQueen

RunForestRun wrote: »

By the way, you're really going to have to work a bit on a nod, wink or something to your supporters!! While angry scowls do suit you very well, you've also got a winning smile. ;-)

TRR

RunForestRun wrote: »

By the way, you're really going to have to work a bit on a nod, wink or something to your supporters!! While angry scowls do suit you very well, you've also got a winning smile. ;-)

I gave you a thumbs up at one stage, thanks for the shout outs anyway, much appreciated.

ThePiedPiper

RQ is gonna be even more pi$$ed at ya now!!! You should've kept that as our dirty little secret!!

TRR

RunForestRun wrote: »

RQ is gonna be even more pi$$ed at ya now!!! You should've kept that as our dirty little secret!!

She's only happy when she is giving our or moaning so she will be grand

cwgatling

Cracking racing Dave as always. Those splits are perfect! Well done man.

myflipflops

Great running.

2.36.31 my new goal.

Kurt Godel

Well done on the pb, class act. Now lets see you get a "beer marathon" time, make yourself a real hero.

TRR

myflipflops wrote: »

Great running.

2.36.31 my new goal.

Yeah you should definitely aim for that time and not a second faster

my official chip time was 2.36.28, a whopping 17 second PB

tisnotover

Great running yesterday TRR, those mile splits are savage! nice one on the pb.

KielyUnusual

Another top class performance TRR

RacoonQueen

Seeing as Mooney has come up, how many marathons has he done this year and what sort of training does he do? Could he easliy better that time or what?

TRR

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Seeing as Mooney has come up, how many marathons has he done this year and what sort of training does he do? Could he easliy better that time or what?

I honestly don't know on both counts. He trains and races very smartly though and is a top bloke. Was without doubt the most enjoyable marathon I've ran to date, on more than one occasion the two of us were breaking our holes laughing at how quickly the miles were ripping by.

TRR

KielyUnusual wrote: »

Another top class performance TRR

Not too shabby from yourself either, well done.

seanynova

nicely run, very strong closing pace....

Krusty_Clown

Here's your MySports video (at least up until the half-way mark). It's actually also my video for the finish-line (so someone didn't have a good day!).

nerraw1111

Great stuff, impressive splits.

TRR

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Now lets see you get a "beer marathon" time, make yourself a real hero.

Challenge accepted, training started at 12.15pm on Monday. I've just stepped up the intensity by experimenting with some of the beers available in Dunnes stores October beer festival, will report back later

shels4ever

TRR wrote: »

Challenge accepted, training started at 12.15pm on Monday. I've just stepped up the intensity by experimenting with some of the beers available in Dunnes stores October beer festival, will report back later

Ah Jesus you've gone all krusty now.......

TRR

shels4ever wrote: »

Ah Jesus you've gone all krusty now.......

Listen I realise that I'm pushing on like krusty and Abhainn. They drink this stuff and it seems to work for them so I said I'd give it a lash. Onto bottle number 5 now. Decking kids have been interrupting my reps all night but I'm ready for the final push. The oharas stout was 6% so the legs are a bit wobbly now but like rocky ii I've made a remarkable recovery and staggered to the fridge and managed to make it back to my arm chair.

thirstywork2

I remember speaking to Peter Mooney last year and he had cut back on racing and had a plan done up.It didn't go for him on the day and I think he just loves racing so fairplay to him.

belcarra

Well done TRR on a cracking time and it was good to meet ya in McGrattan's afterwards.

TRR

belcarra wrote: »

Well done TRR on a cracking time and it was good to meet ya in McGrattan's afterwards.

Thanks great to meet you too and put a face to the name. Best of luck in Seville

belcarra

TRR wrote: »

Thanks great to meet you too and put a face to the name. Best of luck in SevilleValencia

FYP;)

Abhainn

TRR wrote: »

Challenge accepted, training started at 12.15pm on Monday. I've just stepped up the intensity by experimenting with some of the beers available in Dunnes stores October beer festival, will report back later

The O'Hara's Pale ale is one of my favourites, and good you picked up the 6.0% stout too. Lovely stuff. Far better than the 4.3% stout

The OH got me a lovely hamper of Pales from around the world for my 41st:) ther on Mon. Must thrown up a pic too

RacoonQueen

TRR wrote: »

Thanks great to meet you too and put a face to the name. Best of luck in Seville

Hang on, which one was belcarra again?!

TRR

This is going to go on a bit................

I ran Berlin last year in 2.36.45 and that was a massive 11 minute PB. I wasn’t surprised with the time as I knew I had done the work, coupled with that I have ran competitively since the age of 10 so I know what I need to do to get into my best racing condition.
Berlin was marathon number 10 (not 11 as I originally thought) and was the first time I had gone sub 2.40. Sub 2.40 was a big monkey on my back. I always knew I could run that time but the marathon is such an unpredictable beast, getting the time your training deserves doesn’t always happen. I trained for Boston 2007 like a demon, I was in savage shape and ended up with 2.49 in near hurricane conditions when I should have easily smashed 2.40. For London 2009 I was floating until March when I got shin splints and still ran 2.47 having missed the guts of a months training.

The longer stuff actually doesn’t suit me at all. Even on Monday some people commented how I had a natural talent for the marathon, this couldn’t be further from the truth. As a junior I specialised in the 400/800. 1500 was too far for me and I’ve always been weak when it comes to stamina. Over the years I’ve worked on this and at this moment in time I am not in too bad a place although it’s taken me a while to get here. The fact I’m at the stage I’m at, has a lot to do with the training logs on here believe it or not! I use to use the excuse that I was a fast twitch guy but when I started following logs like those of Krusty’s, Abhainn’s, TheBoyBlunders (and even more recently when I seen the work that the golden couple of boards.ie were willing to do) to mention but a few and see were they were coming from, I realised I was making excuses. Those guys had more excuses than me that they could use but when I look at the work they do/did to run their times it was a wake up call. I was a lazy bastard. I hope the lads don’t mind me singling them out and I mean no disrespect but when you read their logs from start to finish it’s pretty impressive and shows that, “yeah” you need a bit of natural talent but if you put the work in you’ll do well. And when it comes to athletics this really holds through for marathon running. If you can run one 7 minute mile with enough work you should be able to run 26 of them, if you can run a 6.30 mile with enough work you should be able to run 26 of them, if you can run a 6 minute mile ….. well you can see where I’m going with this, obviously there is a cut off point but I haven’t hit that glass ceiling yet and either have the guys I've mentioned.

Anyway after Berlin last year I said the following in the final paragraph of my report

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

I’m going to work on leg speed in the new year so that I can comfortably knock out 15.30 min 5ks and 32 min10ks. I’m even dabbling with the idea of running some track next summer. I’d love to run a sub 2 minute 800 again. I will do another marathon but I’ve no interest in taking a minute off here and there. The sub 2.40 monkey is off my back next one I do I want to have a shot of going sub 2.30. May not be realistic but should be a goer if I can keep working on the fundamentals.

Obviously I haven’t followed the path I set out. A couple of days after getting back from Berlin we realised TRR II was on the way so I knew I couldn’t commit to the savage 10k program I envisaged. I decided to just try and tip away for 2012, I had no plans on running a marathon with the exception of maybe pacing 3 hours for Dublin.

Things worked out well for me I got to run London and although basically only getting 6-7 full weeks of training in coming back from another shin injury I ran 2.38. I couldn’t believe it but I realised that run was off the back of a near perfect 12 month plan for Berlin.

TRR II arrived a couple of weeks later and I pushed myself to keep ticking over again, running whenever I could. I didn’t log some of the runs I did here, but lets just say 2 am runs on a Saturday morning with your dog are character building even if they are only 40 minutes.

I ran the Clontarf half marathon in 78 minutes and even though I was dying from 3 miles I realised that I couldpush for another sub 2.40 in Dublin. Why bother you may ask? Especially considering after what I wrote above. Firstly it would keep me in touch with my peak fitness and ensure my inner fat boy didn't make a reappearance. Secondly, in my final year in college I remember my college professor congratulating me on an accomplishment but at the same time telling me that if you do something like that once, and once only in your life, it may be seen as a fluke. I had a few comments from fellow runners about my Berlin time and it seemed to me the consensus was Berlin was soooooooo fast you just needed to turn up. It is a very fast course but it’s not that fast. So I said shag it I’d try go sub 2.40 again in Dublin which isn’t a course renowned for fast times. I have also recently moved clubs and with the runners we have it was an ideal opportunity to try and win a senior national medal as part of a team.

Training went well nothing amazing but it was steady. I wasn’t doing as much fast stuff as I wanted, I was finding it difficult to fit training in with family life but I just got on with it and ran the odd time trial here and there to see how things were going. Anybody who has followed this log will know I didn’t run anything stellar, every race had one goal in mind and that was the 29th of October. I took a fair few beatings over the summer but it didn’t bother me. I knew that I could beat most of the lads who were inflicting defeats on me so I just continued on. I had a countdown, 60 days to DCM, 59 days to DCM, I always do, it helps me forget the beatings and keeps me focused on the main goal. With 3 weeks to go I knew I was ready to rock my weight was below my initial target and aerobically I felt very strong. Because I hadn’t done the 10k training I said I was going to do I didn’t have the speed endurance to go faster than 2.34. This wasn’t me setting limits on myself, this was a bit of kop on from trial and error over the years and also sound physiological knowledge!

When it came to race day the plan was simple try and run 6 minute miles and see how it feels, if it’s hard settle for 6.05s and try and hang on, if it’s easy run 5.55s but keep a lid on it until the final 10k. I could have gone out harder and ran a minute quicker but the chances of dying would have increased exponentially, basically it wasn’t worth it. I ran with my friend Peter and we had an agreement beforehand that we’d run together but if one of us felt crap or good than it was every man for himself. We had trained together, killed each other in some sessions while at the same time built each other up. We ended up running the entire race together and the miles flew by. I won’t do a mile by mile breakdown but we were very comfortable to 10, worked an extra little bit to 13 without killing ourselves and never going over 6.05. An approx 79.10 half way split told me the 2.35 was out the window but I still felt good and after that we were like giddy kids asking each other when we should start pushing. We had a couple of wake up calls as we seen lads push on and come back to us very quickly so we played it calm until the 18/19 mile mark, we crested Foster’s avenue looked at one another and just took the brakes off. A 5.38 over the UCD flyover and we decided to take it back slightly. I was actually laughing running by the Merrion shopping centre thinking "this is how you want to feel 20+ miles into a marathon", obviously a bit of leg fatigue but nothing serious enough to cause major concern. We just rolled into the city centre and when I relaised how our projected time was coming down I mentioned to Peter that my best was 2.36.45 and how I’d love to get it. We said nothing more about it and made a gentleman’s agreement at 25 miles to run out the remainder of the race together without killing one another. With 300 metres to go I was in my own little dream world and Peter shouted at me that if I pushed the PB was on, so like the cnut I am I sprinted off. I bagged the PB but felt like a dick for sprinting off. Peter didn’t care but I hope he does realise I may mock him about beating him in the coming weeks. I’m an asshole like that

. The flip side of all this is that I had wound up Abhainn all summer telling him I was going to beat his PB from him but missed it by 8 seconds. This is killing me as initially I though I had missed it by 18 seconds. So I'm expecting a bit of a ribbing

One other thing that comes to mind is a comment myflipflops made, it went along the lines of you won't need any luck marathon day because the work is done. I agree with most things he says but this is one case were I have to disagree. At mile 3 I was dying for a pee but held off and planned on going at mile 10, luckily with reduced water intake there was no need to stop. That one stop there would have meant I missed out on a PB. Secondly I seen a lad from Donore floating at 12 miles and literally going down like a tonne of bricks 200 metres later, his calf just popped for no reason. I was also nearly tripped by one of the Africans on the start line, nearly snoted myself. Finally, the other 3 family members of chez TRR have been dying with chest infections for the last 10 days. I could feel mine coming on all last week but held it off with paracetamol and plenty of rest. I'm wrecked today coughing and spluttering but I don't give a $hite. All in all, I think luck is incredibly important

Anyway where do I go from here. Well I’m going to follow my initial plan from last year. I need to bring my 10k time down significantly over the next 9 months. National 10k on the roads and a sub 33 followed by a low to sub 32 mid summer, also hope to do the national 10k on track but will only contemplate this torture if we have a club team. I may do the Dublin marathon next year but I have my eyes firmly set on Rotterdam or London 2014 for a sub 2.30 attempt. It’s only 5.43 pace per mile and if you can run one mile at that pace ………………… bring it.

Finally big thanks to everybody for their kind good wishes. Until recently I was never the kind of person for keeping blogs and I still don’t really like social media but I appreciate the encouragement and abuse (and believe me there’s lot of it

) that I get here. I left a while back and I’m glad I came back, had some great laughs with you guys in McGrattans after the race.

Will take it handy for the rest of this week but expect a new countdown Monday morning.