get to the chopper!

Huayra · 16-11-2013 08:40PM

Yea was there. Must catch you sometime. There tomorrow at 9 for easy 14 miles. Could see you at some stage then even? Did the 800m route in the back 2 fields. They are my favourite dogs alright but we weren't able to stop and play unfortunately. If your training for marathons and ultras in winter they would be great to run with lol.

Huayra · 17-11-2013 05:47PM

Recovery 11.2 miles on grass just under 8 m/m pace. Met plenty of Bray runners who I haven't seen in a while so was good to catch up.
Went to the Inter Counties afterwards to watch the Senior races. The standards were so high. It is inspiring to see the elites go like bullets. Makes you want to be like them. Was a fun day.
65.2 miles this week.

Huayra · 20-11-2013 08:05PM

Monday: 10 miles on road @7:17

Tuesday:12.3 miles on road @7:29

Today:9.25 miles; Including w/u, w/d, 4 strides & 6X510m hilly on footpath in Kilboggot Park.
Strong enough wind, mainly coming from my right side as I did these. Roughly 1:45 for each of them, with a jog back to the start line after. They were obviously difficult towards the end of each of them with the incline, but I finished the session feeling like I could do plenty more unlike last week.

Huayra · 21-11-2013 03:48PM

~10.5 miles @8:09 m/m. Decided to go onto the grass today as Ed wasn't able to make it today for a run on the road. Bumped into another guy who we sometimes run with in Shanganagh. Was nice to have some company for the bitterly cold run. He also wanted to have an easy day. He ended up hurting his ankle after a few minutes jumping over a dog that got in the way and was really annoyed. He wanted to keep going so we went really easy. Let him finish off after 5 miles. Hope he didnt do any damage.
What confuses me though is that I was going nearly 9m/m for half the run and steady pace for rest of it. Why is it that a steady pace ends up feeling so fast when you have been going slowly for 5 miles? Is it just me, or can someone explain lol? I find all my consistent pace steady runs so easy and enjoyable. I've noticed this a few times. Rant over now

, just confused as it doesn't make sense lol

Huayra · 23-11-2013 02:25PM

Friday: 6.35 miles easy on grass @8:08 m/m.

Today: 8.7 miles; w/u, 4 strides, 6X1k, 2 mins average recovery, w/d.

Ed wasn’t here today as he was racing, so I was all on my lonesome for the session, and felt very nervous about it. Bitterly cold morning so was well wrapped up for the w/u and w/d. The wind in the back fields of Shanganagh was more favourable today. It was going in the opposite direction, which meant that it was against me in the lower, more sheltered part of the loop for a change. It also meant I could start and finish each rep very fast aswell.

Was really pushing it. After I finished my recovery jog before the 4th rep, I went to reset the garmin and turned it off by accident. I ended up getting 15 seconds extra recovery. I was furious. I didn’t want to quality of the session to be ruined and I turned into a Spitshine Tommy for the rest of it

. I didn’t have a time for the 4th rep but it must have been one of the fastest. After this one I gave myself a bit less recovery than normal to make up for the last one. Managed to up the pace from here on. I am sure my total recovery was 10:00 at the most so I didn't give myself too much in the end. Was surprised at how I did overall.

This is my last session until the week after the Wicklow Senior so I will be more confident going into it after today. Will try and be really aggressive again for that. Until then its easy running.
Splits for session; 3:20, 3:19, 3:18, sub 3:20, 3:17, 3:11.

Huayra · 24-11-2013 01:21PM

14 easy miles on grass @7:55 m/m, brings me up to 71.1 miles this week. Very stiff and tight after the hard session but I will be fresh after an easy week of running. Most I've ever done and it's the most I'll be doing this year for sure. Should be happy but can't help feeling a bit of a low. Mainly because my running buddy is having alot of trouble with his heel spur. Has been off form with it all year, and today he had to stop running a minute into the run. Hes helped me so much, just wish I was able to do something in return. Ran by myself for 8 miles @ 7:30ish pace and then met a good crowd from the club. Was nice to have the company for the rest of the run.

Huayra · 30-11-2013 01:18PM

On grass for the whole week. Feel like I needed it as don't want any unnecessary niggles for the big race.

Monday: 9.15 miles @7:07m/m.
Tuesday: 9.15 miles @7:32m/m.
Wednesday: 9.15 miles @7:36m/m.
Thursday: 9.15 miles @ 8:20m/m.
Friday: No running.
Saturday: 6.35 miles @ 8:13m/m.

Huayra · 01-12-2013 05:29PM

Wicklow Senior

Was nervous going into the race today. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been so the pressure to do well was there. I knew that if things went well for me and the rest of the team, we would have a good chance of winning gold. There were some good runners from the club who couldn’t run, but their support for the team throughout the race was much appreciated.

Weather was perfect this morning. Ground was nice to run on as a result. The women’s race was on first and they got gold. Now it was up to us to try and match this. w/u and strides done, we headed to the start line. There was a strong field today. Lots of fast guys who weren’t at the same course for the Intermediate in October. The gun went and I went with the guys at the front. I strided out the first 4/500m. I was happy to get a good start. Krusty came alongside me and then passed me another minute later. I felt like I was already working hard enough just half way through the first of 5 laps.

I eased off a small bit but didn’t want to let everyone escape. Kept a consistent pace for the middle 3 laps. It was the crowds shouting out my name that stopped me from slowing down. Special thanks to my running buddy/coach who came down to watch me. He isn’t in the club, he’s actually part of Liffey Valley. Owe him a few drinks near Christmas.

Throughout lap 4 there was a group of about 5 just ahead that I was sure I could catch. It makes such a difference to catch a cluster of runners as its alot of points for the team. Gradually caught up and passed them at the start of the last lap. Then I surged away. Managed to get pass Krusty. He’s shaking off the remains of a chest infection so was an impressive performance under such circumstances.

A minute into the last lap I started to get a stitch. Got worried as I thought I could hear the group closing in on me again. I was afraid to look back. Used the breathing technique my coach told me to use and that worked. 2 minutes later I was grand. I was now ready to finish the race like the last rep of a hard session. Went as fast as I possibly could for the last half lap. It was no man’s land from here to the finish. The person in front was obviously a good bit ahead. I still love a sprint finish even if I didn’t have to. It feels good going as fast as you possibly can after 6 miles. Dived onto the ground at the end screaming in pain. The pain was from fatigue. I always seem to do it. Don’t know how people are able to finish races and are still able to stand. I always need to collapse for 2 minutes before getting up again.

Great day overall for me and the team. Best race I’ve ever done. Double victory for Bray; gold for men and womens’ race. Well done to the other team members. Includes; Krusty and BB67. Also thanks go to helpers; wrstan and Abhainn for making sure we didn’t take too long to get around.

Feel that I’ve improved so much over the past few months. Getting used to racing these XC. It helped that I already ran on the course for the Wicklow Inter so I was more confident on the hills, tight corners. Knew what to expect and was fully prepared. I think I came 7th in the race and the time was something like 35:3x. Don’t know exact distance but was good to get under 6m/m pace on that course. Will know exact time/position when results are out.

Huayra · 08-12-2013 02:31PM

Tuesday: 7.5 miles @ 7:56m/m.
Wednesday: 8.55 miles @ 7:36m/m.
Thursday: 10.4 miles @ 7:33m/m.
Friday: 6.35 miles @ 7:54m/m.
Saturday: 14.25 miles @ 7:33m/m.
Sunday: 9.15 miles @ 8:15m/m.

Very easy week. I needed it. Couldn't do anything fast this week as I was very sore after the race. Was Catholic Churched on monday so couldn't do my recovery run then. Hamstrings particularly bad. Why do I have permanent tightness? After tuesday's run I did feel alot better than before though. Was on road till thursday and then grass for rest of week.
56.2 miles to add to my growing base.
I will be taking another assault next sunday in Waterford so plan to run easy again for the whole week. No sessions but will throw in a few strides into my midweek run. Should be 100% fresh again by next weekend.

Huayra · 15-12-2013 10:30PM

Monday: 10.53 miles @7:24m/m

Tuesday: 10.22 miles @7:26m/m

Wednesday: 8.3 miles on grass @7:35m/m. Threw in 6 X 75 second strides as part of the run. Over 5 minutes between each of them so it was an easy enough run overall. Didn’t want to do session this week but was eager to do something fast again.

Thursday: 8.02 miles @7:41m/m. Also got my medal today for coming 3rd on the winning team in Wicklow Seniors. Hopefully I’ll be able to build up a collection while I’m physically able to race.

Friday: Rest day.

Saturday: Regenerative paced run on grass for Sunday. Ran for 47:48 but not sure of distance, ~6 miles maybe.

NATIONAL NOVICE CROSS COUNTRY
The standards for this race today were mental. It was nothing like I’ve ever seen before in a race. Before today, I reckoned maybe the top 50 would be a good position. I randomly had this as a target for some reason. Well, I have to say I gave it everything, and think my performance was pretty much as good as it could have been. In the end I placed 120/222 finishers for the 6000m in 22:29. The place was overflowing with serious talent and competitiveness. I was beaten by the best today, and I also beat some very good runners too.
The course was hilly, muddy and it was a bit windy at times too. 4 laps. Toughest of the 6 XC I’ve done so far. Well maybe the Wicklow Novice was worse. It’s hard to compare because I’m a good bit fitter since that one.
From the start it felt like I was going to be last, and that I would never catch up to where I should be. The pace of everyone was explosive. It made the starting pace of the Wicklow Senior seem like jogging(probably was for the guys who won lol). I felt like I was going hard, but just don’t have the track season in me yet. I ran hard throughout the whole race. On the up hills I was working my arms so hard, I’m surprised they weren’t dead after the race. Won’t be surprised if I have DOMS in them tomorrow. It was nice that the finish was a flat straight after a downhill section. I think my sprint finish was the fastest speed I’ve ever reached on foot. Of course everyone around me was able to do the same. Managed to pass a few people, and was extra happy that nobody else passed me. As far as I remember, I was just passing loads of people throughout the race who ran for their lives at the start.
Today was my final serious race of 2013. Enjoyed the experience of running in a high profile race. I just have 2 races to conclude the year. Will be running as a guest in my coach’s club. 2 XC 5ks in Phoenix Park. They won’t be competitive. Although, I have a tendency to take everything seriously, so theres no point in lying, and saying I will just run them as a training run.

Huayra · 21-12-2013 04:39PM

Monday: 8.2 miles @7:38m/m.

Tuesday: 10 miles @7:45m/m.

Wednesday: 8.15 miles @7:28m/m.

Thursday: ~11 miles @~7:37m/m. Threw in 6 strides of roughly 200m in the middle of the run. About 30 seconds between them.

Friday: 6.35 miles @7:54m/m.

Saturday: LVAC Handicap 5k XC.
The route for this was fast. A big respite from the tough one last week. 2X2.5km pretty flat laps in Phoenix Park. Considering how scary the weather has suddenly become, the conditions weren’t bad for the actual race. Seems like it was timed to be on for the nicest part of the day. Sun was breaking through the clouds for some of it. No rain. Ground was soft and a bit muddy in places, but not enough to kill the pace. Can’t complain about the wind as it was mostly coming from the side.

I felt very stiff and sluggish for the strides beforehand, but managed to run 17:55 in the end so that wasn't too bad. Only 7 seconds slower than my last 5k which was on a track. Was 8th overall, and my actual race time was 3rd fastest of the 40 something in the race. I went out hard in this race, and gave it everything. Started race at same time(8:30 handicap) as a guy who was 21 seconds behind me in the National Novice. He is a faster starter than me, and it took about 3 of 4 laps for me to catch him last week, but today I stuck with him from the start. He broke away after 400m, and left a gap of 10m, but then I eventually passed him out at end of first lap. It felt good flying past people. As a result, I didn’t have the finishing kick I normally do, but I need to get used to going out hard anyway. Good to get the practice in on various racing techniques.

Good craic and enjoyed it. My only concern was the finishing time. I can’t help thinking that I should have been faster than 17:55. I know its not a road race, but its still on the back of my mind. Felt like I was going faster than that. Everyone else was very impressed with my result so I guess I should go with their opinion. They have alot more knowledge and experience than me.

pconn062 · 21-12-2013 08:57PM

17:55 on grass in the weather is a great run. You'd be much quicker on the road on a fast course in good conditions. Any good road races coming up down your direction?

Huayra · 22-12-2013 04:49PM

Hi pconn, thanks. Would like to do a parkrun early in the new year. I haven't done a road race in ages and my training has been shockingly bad for all the ones I've done. There will be more pressure now to run a fast 5k now though as I have a solid block of training and lots of xc races done. I'd like to run 16:40. Maybe the Marlay parkrun is a good idea as its the nearest. Will need everything to be perfect on the day though and I'm going to get a good pair of racing shoes for Christmas in Amphibian King tomorrow. I'm abnormally nervous thinking about the next road race, just the person I am, but if I blow up at least I won't be losing any money.
Am going to be doing very little road running next year with XC and track. Just a few 5ks and just a single 10k in September. Oh and the 6k leinster novice on the road I can't forget that. You have any big plans next year?

pconn062 · 22-12-2013 05:57PM

Huayra wrote: »

Hi pconn, thanks. Would like to do a parkrun early in the new year. I haven't done a road race in ages and my training has been shockingly bad for all the ones I've done. There will be more pressure now to run a fast 5k now though as I have a solid block of training and lots of xc races done. I'd like to run 16:40. Maybe the Marlay parkrun is a good idea as its the nearest. Will need everything to be perfect on the day though and I'm going to get a good pair of racing shoes for Christmas in Amphibian King tomorrow. I'm abnormally nervous thinking about the next road race, just the person I am, but if I blow up at least I won't be losing any money.
Am going to be doing very little road running next year with XC and track. Just a few 5ks and just a single 10k in September. Oh and the 6k leinster novice on the road I can't forget that. You have any big plans next year?

That sounds like a good plan, and 16:40 sounds very achievable for you. I'm looking at the track season next year as my main focus, going to run a few BHAA x-country races in the new year and a few road races and then hit the track training in March. Should be fun!

Huayra · 27-12-2013 09:00PM

Good to see you have a similar plan for 2014 too pconn. I think it will be a big year for improvements for both of us if everything goes to plan.

Just done my 4th race for the month. Felt like a very busy month of racing. Thats it for the year now. A few easy runs and one session to complete the year. I got the Saucony Fastwitch runners on monday. They have yet to be tested on the footpaths in Shanganagh for some speed work.

Sunday: 12.06 miles @7:45m/m. Ran down to Cabinteely park to do some miles there and then ran home. It is alot smaller than Shanganagh and is more difficult with all the hills. Grass was also alot softer now after all the rain. I struggled on this run. Not the best choice of a run the day after a hard 5k.

Monday: Planned to 9 miles in Shanganagh park and surrounding area. I was completely drained/aching for this run. Thought I might be coming down with something. I didn’t have any motivation and just left it at 6-6.5 miles(didn’t wear garmin).

Tuesday: Decided to rest today as I thought it might be risky to run.

Wednesday: Went for a nice easy Christmas run of around 9.5 miles mostly on grass. I felt so much better. The reduced run on Monday and the days rest on Tuesday obviously did me the world of good. Weather couldn’t be better for running in today. Made a nice change.

Thursday: 9.15 mile route on grass. Easy enough pace.

Friday: LVAC 6k XC handicap.
With the current weather, this was an extremely tough race. I find the wind worse than any hills. Was quite a hilly route near the magazine fort. Soft surface for alot of the race but not as much mud as I expected. The strong winds dry the ground quicker. 3X2km laps. I found the warm up for this race tiring to be honest and didn’t really bother doing proper strides. Just did 3 strides, only 5-10 seconds each. I wasn’t feeling confident. Jogging directly into the wind was tortuous. Once I got started though I actually felt better. Nearly all the time I race, I feel crap beforehand, but pull through in the end. There were 16 others in the race so it was a small crowd. I managed to win in 22:45. I was leading from about 5 or 600m from the end, so it gave me a taste of victory for my final 2013 race. Was second fastest time. The guy behind me finished 18 seconds back but he ran 22:08. It will be good to train with people like this in sessions in the new year.
I’m not sure if it was adrenaline, but I felt much better for the warm down afterwards. Happy days. I will be taking it very easy for next few days. Will probably be sore again tomorrow. I think last Sundays run was a mistake after the last race. As runners, we are all constantly learning.

Huayra · 31-12-2013 03:23PM

Saturday: Recovery jog on grass of 6.35 miles.

Sunday: 12.88 miles on grass @7:33 m/m.

Monday: 10 miles in Cabinteely Park. Almost all of it was on the grass, just a few minutes respite on the footpath. Average pace was 8:12 m/m and that was a good pace considering the surface. Very hilly, wet and slippery. You would need spikes if you wanted to reach a steady pace that you are used to elsewhere. I actually enjoyed it though. It was a quality workout, good to get the experience for the XC. Felt so much better than when I ran here last Sunday after the 5k XC. Am glad I’ve recovered better from the 6k on Friday. Lesson learnt.

Tuesday: Decided to save the new runners for another time and do a pace run on the grass in Shanganagh. Eddie said there is no rush to run fast on the road, and that I have plenty of time. Should be really moving after the track season. Probably won’t do a 5k until the St Patricks day one and go for the low 16’s. Need to remain strong for the Leinster Senior soon.
Did about 9.5 miles altogether today. w/u, strides, 4 mile tempo with spikes, w/d. Ground was very soft in places but much better than Cabinteely park yesterday. I really enjoyed the tempo run. I felt like I was going fast and hard but the pace was just right. Could have kept it up for 10 miles probably. Didn’t bother with garmin today as it would be pointless guessing the pace I should be going at on the surface. Felt close to 6m/m I’d say.
I’m really happy with how the year has ended. Feel great at the moment. The first half of the year was not glamorous. The last 5 months have been exciting though. An epic journey altogether. I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own and there are so many people that deserve the credit.
Happy running for 2014!

wrstan · 03-01-2014 05:33PM

Happy New Year Chris!

Great to see your log here. Dunno how I'd missed it up to now, so just catching up on it now.
Some savage progress since our first run in Shanganagh last July. I think your performance in the Seniors in Avondale was mega impressive, must be close to your running highlight for 2013. Great to have you competing in an orange vest!

Here's to a great 2014, I sense big things to come.

BeepBeep67 · 03-01-2014 05:48PM

wrstan wrote: »

Happy New Year Chris!

Great to see your log here. Dunno how I'd missed it up to now, so just catching up on it now.
Some savage progress since our first run in Shanganagh last July. I think your performance in the Seniors in Avondale was mega impressive, must be close to your running highlight for 2013. Great to have you competing in an orange vest!

Here's to a great 2014, I sense big things to come.

The big question is when will we see Bill's log, or go you see enough logs 9 to 5 :pac:

wrstan · 03-01-2014 08:01PM

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

[d]o you see enough logs 9 to 5 :pac:

He he I see what you did there

I guess I've been known to hijack the odd log from time to time alright.:o

Well Monday marks the start of a new 24 week programme for me, so the excuses are wearing fairly thin. Maybe watch this space. :cool:

Huayra · 04-01-2014 06:15PM

Thanks wrstan. Happy new year to you. Hope your achilles is recovering well now, and that you get the times you want for 2014. Definately set up a training log aswell as I will be interested to see how you are doing. I really miss the weather we had back when we ran in July. I'm a sun worshipper.

Huayra · 04-01-2014 06:18PM

Wednesday: 10 miles on grass. Very nasty run to start the year. Shanganagh park was flooded in alot of places. Squishy, wet, raining and windy. Ran slowly but it still felt like I was doing a session. Tempted to stop after a while, but would have been negative starting the year, not doing what I set out to do. Towards the end of the run I didn’t bother trying to avoid the mini lakes that had formed. Toes sore after the run. You could get trench foot if you were stuck out there for too long lol.

Thursday: 9.15 miles on grass @7:37m/m. Was a nice day and the ground was much better. Still messy but anything would be better than the previous day. Was glad to finish the run as I was exhausted from the new years day run. Those kind of runs are good for toughening you up.

Friday: 5 miles jog on grass. Enjoyed it alot more today. Wish I could say the same for Eddie. He’s suffering alot with the heel spur so I won’t be running with him for a few weeks. Hope he gets well soon. He would be difficult for me to keep up with if he didn’t have any injuries.

Saturday: 10 miles; w/u, 4 strides, 7k tempo and w/d.
Wore my spikes for the tempo run and did 7 1000m laps in the back fields of Shanganagh. It was a lovely morning. When the weather is good for running, it can be easy to forget how energy sapping the ground can be. I did the first lap in 3:38 and knew that it was too fast. Maybe on the road that would be my tempo pace but the fields just drain the life out of your legs when the weather has been bad beforehand. In the 5th lap I had to pause the watch while I tied my laces. I better be careful this doesn’t happen in a race or I think I would go mental. Took 26:45 so that is 6:09m/m. I was tired after this but I suppose I could have held this average pace for an hour if I was racing and giving 100%. When I started to be coached last August, I reckon this would have been a true tempo pace for me on the road.

Huayra · 07-01-2014 11:20PM

Sunday: 14.05 miles @7:30 m/m on grass. I stayed on the side of Shanganagh, east of the dartline, and just kept doing laps. The ground was softer and wetter here, but at least it wasn’t very windy like the other side of the park nearer to the sea.

Monday: 7.15 miles easy. I went to Kilboggot park and did 10 laps around one of the fields. Decided to give the soft grass a break and go for a relaxed, innocent run on the footpath. At least thats what I had planned. Don’t know why I went here. The winds were tortuous for half of each lap. I am useless at running when its windy. There are no hills too big for me, but winds are my biggest downfall for some reason. Must be my weak lungs. Was stiff and sore after the run too.

Tuesday: Felt stiff and sore so wore the lycra leggings for the session. Was a w/u, strides, 1X200m, 5X800m, 1X200m, w/d. Didn’t bother bringing garmin, but the 800’s were timed by the coach. There were 5 of us in the fastest sub group for the session. It was a very tough session. Was done on the paths around the polo grounds in PP. Was dark, had tight corners, some narrow gaps, and other groups were also doing sessions in opposite directioin. Wind wasn’t bad, but it slowed us down for the last few 100m of the 800’s. I wish I was wearing my shorts as maybe I would have been faster. At least they were all consistent between 2:38-2:41. The coach told us to do them in 2:30 but nobody did them quite that fast, just about though . The other guys are on average ~2:05 for 800m on the track so I guess I shouldn’t be disappointed with the pace. Will be recovery run tomorrow so hope I feel better after that.

Huayra · 12-01-2014 08:20PM

Don’t think there is anything wrong with me as of now, but the last week has been terrible overall. I don’t know what it was. I felt weak, niggling and lethargic, and very sore at times. I think the runners I use for the grass need to be put to sleep soon, don’t think they are helping me anymore. I also put it down to my lack of leg and core exercises over the last month. I got lazy with them coming into Christmas. I also haven’t been for my regular checkup to the physio since the week after the National Novice. I’m going to get an appointment for after the Leinster Senior XC next week.

Wednesday: 9.15 miles easy on grass. Wasn’t in any pain but felt sluggish.

Thursday: About an hour steady around Phoenix Park, with 8X200m strides within. Felt great for this run. I was enthusiastic with the strides. Could have done them longer if I wanted to. They were short enough, and far apart enough, so that you wouldn’t be starting to suffer at the end of them. I was relieved as I think it was best I didn’t do an all out session again.

Friday: 6.35 miles on grass at easy pace. Legs in bits.

Saturday: Went ahead and did the workout that was recommended to me to do on my own. 8 miles, 5 easy with last 3 at tempo. Done on paths in Kilboggot Park. Felt fine, maybe a bit more tired than I should have been, but when I did the short tempo it was a disaster. I only averaged around 6:20. Don’t know what was wrong with me. I kept my extra top on, and leggings, and it was a bit warmer than expected, but even that shouldn’t account for such an underperformance.

Sunday: Normally I would have done 14 miles on grass but wasn’t sure if I should do anything at all. Eddie told me to just go out and do a shorter easy run, when I asked for his advice. Gave the grass a break as it is tough spending so much time running on the grass when it is soft underfoot. Did roughly 10 miles in 76 minutes. I could easily have managed the extra 4 but the shorter run will do me good. I felt fresh today so was happy.

At the moment I feel way better than I did this time last week after my 14 mile run on the grass. I remember feeling dodgy afterwards when I was walking and standing around watching the Wicklow Masters after my run.
I need to focus and not do anything mad during the week, as I have been looking forward to the Leinster Senior for a while now. Lucky for me I have a good support network, and I am being told what to do from now on. I would still love to hear what you readers think though. No doubt most of you know more than me about running. Still feel like a rookie.

pconn062 · 12-01-2014 09:10PM

I'd say it's just a culmination of the recent work you've been putting in. You have been doing fairly heavy mileage recently and it could just be catching up with you. Also running on grass, particularly if it's anyway soft, can really take its toll on the legs. If you have a big race next week maybe take it as an opportunity to take a step-back week this week. Cut the mileage back a bit and give the body a chance to recover. Won't do your training any harm in the long run.

BeepBeep67 · 12-01-2014 09:16PM

Haven't seen your plan and I'm sure Eddie knows what he's doing, but he did also have a tendency to train very hard. Just remember improvement is based on stressing the system and then most importantly letting it recover, rebuild and become stronger.
Quite a few plans work off a 4 week (3-1) cycle, 3 weeks of building the stress, followed by a recovery week and then rinse and repeat!

Huayra · 13-01-2014 12:12PM

Thanks for the input guys. The mileage has been very high. I certainly won't be doing that much when I'm racing on the track in the summer. I am going to try and avoid doing too much on the grass. Will also do less this week. I have a tuesday speed session but that won't be long and I won't be going that hard. Apart from that I will just be jogging. I normally take the Friday off before a race so will be doing that. Saturday will just be 5/6 miles jogging very very easy.

I always know what I am doing for the upcoming week. I don't have an exact training plan laid out(like Hal H, Jack D which lots of people here seem to have) but I have an idea of what to do. I am getting great advice. I have a clear enough idea of all the target races I need to do this year.
Eddie has helped me alot, and he admits himself that he has made mistakes too. He wants me to learn from him. One of the coaches he knows is also nice enough to help me with my training too.

Huayra · 15-01-2014 12:30AM

Monday: 8 miles @7:42 pace.

Tuesday: Roughly 8 miles; w/u, 5 strides, session, w/d.
I didn't go out too hard because its an ease back week for me, with a tough race to finish it off. Had plenty left in me. We did 300m followed by 100m jog recovery, and then 400m followed by another 100m recovery. All this repeated 7 times. Pace was just under 3:20/km on average. I think it is a good quality session with just 100m jog recovery. It would probably be a harsh session if I was going a few seconds faster per rep.
I'm just going to run very easy until the race now. Will keep the pace close to 8:00/mile and hopefully I will be fresh for the Leinster Senior 10k

BOSWOLLOX · 01-06-2014 11:48PM

Good to come back after a long break from boards. In terms of running, it has been a very eventful few months. Have done the Leinster Senior, National Intermediate & Senior. The XC went on forever. Was an epic journey and I enjoyed these races so much more than I thought I would.

Afterwards did some road races and one track race so far;
MSB 4.9k-16:09, I was really happy. Aimed for 16:30 which I would have been spot on if distance measured right.
Club 4 miles handicap-21:52.
Club 2 miles handicap-10:11, had a great day, first time I’ve felt a lung burning sensation after a race.
Dublin Road Novice 5k-16:57, bitter-sweet race. Thought maybe I could go sub 16 or close to it but most people were also way off where they should be so that was comforting. Good side is that I got 2 bronze medals- team and individual.
Graded Meet 1 800m-2:11.87, was great time for me since most of my sessions up to this point had been 600’s,800’s or 1000’s and some 400’s with just a handful of 200’s/100’s thrown into some of them. I seemed to recover very quickly and my lungs weren’t burning any more than the 2 miles so must have been too conservative.
Graded Meet 2 1500m-4:27.13, I went mental in this race. Tore off from the gun and flew past the leaders from 100m, by 200m I must have had a few metres on them and then I realised my mistake. I panicked. I must have done 30 for first 200m and was ahead of my last 800m pace up until 300m. Managed to recover the last few hundred metres though for a hard sprint finish passing 3 or 4 in the finishing straight.
Graded Meet 3 Mile- 4:57.98, I thought this would be 3rd time lucky. I was feeling good before the race too. I stupidly thought my race would be delayed from all the 400m races beforehand, and didn’t have time to get any strides in. I was called suddenly and had to quickly get my shorts and spikes on. I also realised that my new racing socks were so thin that my spikes felt a bit lose. The race was doomed before it even started. For the actual race I decided I wouldn’t make the same mistake as the 1500m, and just sit in with the leaders. The pace was extremely slow for the first 600m. Must have been 5:20 pace. Then they suddenly accelerated and because of my own mistakes I couldn’t respond at all. Was hoping for 4:40ish so I’d rate this run as my worst performance ever. The biggest lesson to be learned is that strides are very very very important. Most of the time I have felt crap on the strides and have still ended up running well. If I ddn't do strides other races could have ended much worse too.

At the moment I am aiming to get 3 sessions a week in. I have averaged 2 for the first few months of year(or 1 when racing). They are getting more and more intense, and most of the time I feel like I’m 100 when I go out on my easy runs although I’ve noticed I’m gradually adjusting and recovering better. Have to put the work in to get the results.

I need to get myself back on track and run a race that doesn’t leave me completely dejected and soul destroyed. Only good races since the XC ended have been the MSB 4.9k and my 2 mile. Wasn’t happy at all with any of the others. Mostly, I need to work on speed. Typical sessions now include 200, 300 and 400m reps and sometimes the session is divided into sets. We did a 5X1000m session on grass 2 weeks ago and it actually felt quite comfortable. Would have felt like a sprint to me not so long ago. I’m hoping that the brutal paces will make longer races feel much easier, and I will be able to go off with the faster people nearer to the front of XC races when the season starts again. I will always hate running on the track. One of the things I find most difficult is that there is no privacy at all and it makes me very anxious. I also get bored and lose motivation/concentration easily when I am almost flat out looping around.

Here is my sessions from this week;
Wednesday; 1 mile @ not quite 1 mile pace.
Thursday; 4 sets of 3X200m on grass near Papal Cross. Average 32 seconds with 30 seconds between reps and 3 minutes recovery between sets.
Saturday; 12X300m on Donore 300m track with 100m(60 second shuffle) recovery. All 50/51 I think. This is the most proud I have been after a track session as it was quite hot and sunny but I still hung in there. If I can motivate myself to push this hard for the next track race I will see huge gains.
I’m not measuring total distances of all my runs for each week but I’d estimate 55 average. Outside of the sessions I normally go @7:30ish pace per mile.

BOSWOLLOX · 05-06-2014 10:44PM

Tuesday session was on the light side because of the 800m in ALSAA today. Did 10X1 minute with 75 seconds recovery jogs. Felt strong for the session. Did it on grass with the spikes. I much prefer my XC spikes to the track ones.

The 800m was yet another track disaster. Became very sore gradually after Wednesday and felt bad today. I got a terrible start to the race, becoming trapped behind some slower people. I had to go on the outside but the leaders were so far ahead. The first lap ended up 65. I just didn't have any motivation and got a slower time than last 800m. Was ~2:13.0. I just don't have any motivation to run these kind of races and am only doing them because I have to. I'm dying for the XC season to just come around again. There is another 800m back in Santry for next GM on Wednesday but to be honest I really wish I could get out of it. I envy people doing Dunshaughlin, would be nice to do that again. I'd say the torture of the track will make me improve most over long distances.

BOSWOLLOX · 07-06-2014 03:22PM

Today was a very light track session compared to any other track session I've done. Went to the Donore track and did 5X600m. Was meant to do 5X150m afterwards but another group arrived and we had to rush so didn't get that done. It was such a relief as I wasn't in any state for sprinting. I'm surprised I got the 5X600m done without collapsing. My back and legs were destroyed and the warmup was torture. I wasn't even able to do any strides, but when the session started I tried to ignore all the negative thoughts. I didn't think I'd be able to do them under 2 minutes but they were all 1:50, apart from the last one where we let one of the lads lead it out to 1:55. The recovery was 300m jog and each 600m felt easier and easier as the session went on so that the 1:55 felt like a jog

. In a way its good to have a coach who pushes you hard as otherwise I'd just be just doing long easy runs all the time.

I forgot to add that after the 800m on thursday, we did 8X100m. This is probably what really hurt me. I'm just not built for speed at all. I'm willing to give the 800m a go in grade C on wednesday and sub 2:10 would be a good time for me. If I can get a few seconds off my pb I might be able to get a sub 16 5,000m before the end of the summer. I'm not going to stress myself too much over my times over the shorter stuff.

get to the chopper!

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