Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

Krusty_Clown · 20-01-2014 2:47pm

pistol_75 wrote: »

Your mountain marathon will stand to you for the Ardgillan Parkrun

Lol. Not a PB course then, or are you expecting unseasonably hot weather around the Balbriggan locality?

pistol_75 · 20-01-2014 6:10pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Lol. Not a PB course then, or are you expecting unseasonably hot weather around the Balbriggan locality?

Very testing at the start and at the finish, but plenty of downhill as well. When you do get around to racing it make sure you have something in the tank for the last 500M.

http://connect.garmin.com/course/5540736

wrstan · 21-01-2014 12:39am

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Sunday: 20 mile steady run
Great company for this run, with Beepbeep, Abhainn, theboyblunder and clubbie lining up on a cool Sunday morning at 9:15am. I'd plotted a route of two 10 mile loops with a decent climb in each, in order to simulate the Connemarathon route. The plan was 7 minute miles, which suited my tired legs just fine. The first loop took us up Killiney Hill, but in a moment of early-morning-cobweb driven confusion, I took us up the wrong turn and we ended up climbing a significantly steeper grade of hill than I had planned (past the Canadian embassy, instead of Bono's gaff!), but we struggled our way up, with the lads effin' and blinding me under their breath! Much relief when we hit the top and got to enjoy some downhill miles afterwards. Tried to reign in the pace a little, but these group runs tend to get a little enthusiastic and by the time we'd made our way back to the cars for a quick drink, the average pace was around 6:53. We parted ways with Bepbeep, who had completed his 20 mile run the day before, and was ratcheting up another 10 mile steady run.

For the second loop, we headed up Puck's Castle Road, which has a similar profile to the 'Hell of the West'. In fact as Abhainn pointed out, Puck's Castle presents a tougher challenge, as it's 15m more climb, over a similar distance (with further climbs before and after the hill). But what better way to simulate a tough course, than run an even tougher course. Theboyblunder was forging his way ahead on the uphills, and the only way I could keep him in touch of the group was to send himself and Abhainn the wrong direction a number of times, only to call them back once we had taken the correct turn. Once we crested the hill, the pace picked up again, and we were knocking out miles at a very decent clip. One final nasty surprise for the lads, as we passed down and back up a steep valley, that had my 5k-weary legs screaming at me to stop, before we were back on level ground and hurtling back towards Bray and the comfort of the cars. A very enjoyable run, despite the nasty hills. Some very tired/lethargic climbing in the afternoon, followed by my first couple of beers for the year. After a solid 83 mile training week, I reckon I earned them.

Summary: 20 miles in 2:15:46, @6:47/mile

Well done on the Parkrun Royal Flush.

Fab route on Sunday, I'm sure that little dip at 28k just after Fassaroe must've really hurt!

Krusty_Clown · 24-01-2014 6:12pm

Monday: 9 miles @7:31/mile + 5 miles @7:31/mile easy
Again, I had to juggle the schedule, so that I wasn't heading into a sequence of hill sprints the day after a long steady hilly run. So I switched to the 9+5 mile double day. In hindsight, 34 miles in a little over 24 hours was probably a little much, and by the time I hit the second run I was feeling pretty wrecked.

Tuesday: Sick!
Perhaps it was because I was trying to fit too much in, perhaps I just picked up a bug, but I ended up leaving work in the afternoon and heading home to my bed. So first non-running day of the year.

Wednesday: 10 miles @7:53/mile + 5 miles @8:12/mile recovery
Still not feeling 100%, but certainly slightly better than the previous day. Headed to the park across from work with Keith, and managed my longest ever run of laps of the field, notching up 10 miles before I could take no more. Though I had little energy for the run, I felt a good chunk better after it, and was informed that I had returned to a more normal shade of pale on my return. Foolish as it may have been, with two sessions still in the calendar for the week, I wanted to get back to business as soon as I could. I felt better again after completing the evening 5 mile run, proving that while the apple may keep the doctor away for a day, the 5 mile run will keep him at bay for a week.

Thursday: 11 miles with 10x10 second hill sprints + 5 mile recovery @7:45/mile
Energy levels were still low, but as I found, if there's one session that can be completed when you're not 100% it's 10 second hill sprints, as the 2 minute recovery between reps is more than enough to get you back to full recovery. I moved further up the hill again, to a point where I was starting on a decent slope and changed the strategy a little. I started jogging when the watch started beeping with five seconds to go. When the watch beeped again, it meant I had two seconds to build up to 'full speed', which I then held for 10 seconds. All worked out perfectly. Lovely session but for the bloody cold. Now I understand why sprinters hibernate to base building or hide indoors during winter. Those two minute recoveries are bloody freezing in an Irish winter, dressed only in shorts and a t-shirt. Ever the idiot, I hit the road again that evening for a 5 mile recovery run, to accelerate the recovery so I could fit in the second session of the week on Friday.

Friday: 9 miles with 15 minute tempo
I tried to psych myself out for this session, by trying to convince myself that it would be far more difficult than it actually was. I based the pace on my marathon VDOT of 62 (so 5:45/mile), still had the previous days hill-sprints in the legs, was still sick, low energy.. Basically trying to find any justification to convince myself that it wasn't achievable, so I could put it off for another day. But the other side of my brain was conspiring against me, by reminding me that the Parkrun last Saturday was significantly faster and longer (and felt comfortable), for my marathon training I'd been doing 2x20 minute tempos, with an hour of easy running to separate them, and that I was just being a whiny b1tch.

Moral fortitude won the battle, and I headed to the cinder track for the first time since early October, for my first tempo run since that final pre-marathon session, complete with shiny new lap splits cheat-sheet in hand. Even though I was dropping 20 seconds/mile over the Parkrun 5 days previous, I was amazed by how much more difficult the session was than running in a group time-trial type environment (not a a race!). Still, it was pretty manageable, and I don't think an additional 5 minutes would have been a problem. Every week, 5 minutes gets added to the tempo duration (though they also get split up), so I'm glad that this one went well. True to form, the cinder track contained the usual water features, that left my legs icy cold twice per lap. Bet ya the Kenyans don't have to put up with that (first world problems that the third world doesn't have). Anyway, happy to have the first tempo session completed, even if on paper, it's a pretty easy one.

I've also (rather foolishly) caught up with the program for my missed day, so am back to normal. Going to give Raheny a miss as I'm not race ready, so it would serve no purpose. Being a race-whoor is soooo last year... If anyone's looking for a 20/21 mile run this Sunday, drop me a mail..
Tempo: 15 mins @5:42/mile, HR=~157
Summary: 9 miles @6:57/mile

Krusty_Clown · 27-01-2014 7:26pm

Saturday: 15 miles with 4x30 sec surges
Enjoyed a rare few beers, with some friends over dinner the night before, so took me quite a while to find the enthusiasm to get out the door. Not so much a hangover, as a kind of languorousness (it's my word for the day), but finally hit the road at around 3:30pm (having put on my running gear at 10am :eek:). Thankfully there's a stretch to the evening, and I had daylight for most of my run. Instead of timing my 30 second surges, I just figured I'd count 160 strides, which should be more than enough. Incidentally, I'd also borrowed Emer's watch, as my cadence is something I've never looked at before, so was curious. My average cadence was around 172, picking up to 188-190 for the surges, which were close to 5k pace.
Summary: 15 miles in 1:45, @6:55/mile

Sunday: 10 miles recovery run
Given the blustery day, I was glad that I wasn't venturing as far as Raheny or Dungarvan. I set out on a route that fortunately took advantage of the wind, blowing me up some of the hills around Killiney. As it was a recovery run (with tempo in the plan for the next day), I kept the pace very easy and took the opportunity to do some exploring around some of the few areas I haven't visited on my runs. Finally got to visit the Druid's Chair, as well as Killiney Heath, which turned out not to be runnable, as it was a gorse-filled, muddy quagmire. I reckon if that you overlaid my workouts together on a map, I'd have shaded in most of Dublin at this stage. A few hours of rock climbing with the family afterwards, and at some point I seem to have pulled a hammie or glute, which is giving me a lot of tightness. Enjoyable climbing though.
Summary: 10 miles in 1:26, @8:20/mile

Monday: 10 miles with 2 x 10 minute tempo
Back to the cinder, for the second time in 4 days (too cruel). Weather was woejious, with driving hail and crazy gusts, but at least the icy pools of water had disappeared from the 'track'. Hammie was stiff/sore, but I'd a couple of compression wraps on it, so I figured It'd be ok as it wasn't a problem caused by running. I was ready to back out and switch to a recovery run, if I felt any twinges, but thankfully, it doesn't seem to be affected greatly. Touch of chest-infection working it's way back in (number three :eek:), which made the breathing a little harder during the tempo sections, but thankfully the sections were mercifully brief.
Tempo 1: 2800m in 9:57, @3:33/km (5:43/mile), HR=157
<2 mins rest>
Tempo 2: 2800m in 9:58, @3:34/km (5:44/mile), HR=159

They went grand but for one bend, where occasionally I'd get slammed to a standstill by massive gusts of wind. I never seemed to be able to take advantage of the tail-wind though, as I didn't feel the same force in my back at the opposite side of the track. It's probably pay-off for my recovery run the previous day, where the wind seemed permanently behind me. Good to have the tougher session of the week done on a Monday, though with a 90 mile week, I'll probably end up heading out for a few more miles into that crazy wind this evening.

Summary: 10 miles in 69 mins, @6:55/mile, HR=~140

Chivito550 · 27-01-2014 11:35pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Lovely session but for the bloody cold. Now I understand why sprinters hibernate to base building or hide indoors during winter.

Haha, that is completely untrue.

Krusty_Clown · 27-01-2014 11:45pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

Haha, that is completely untrue.

A happy coincidence then!

BTW: I see that Steve Magness (he of the 5k plan and former coach to Ciaran O'Lionaird) is releasing a book fairly soon, and is offering to provide interviews. Might be a good one for The Running Review.

dna_leri · 28-01-2014 12:11pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

A happy coincidence then!

BTW: I see that Steve Magness (he of the 5k plan and former coach to Ciaran O'Lionaird) is releasing a book fairly soon, and is offering to provide interviews. Might be a good one for The Running Review.

Are you following magness 5k plan? Do you have a link.

Planning on getting that book. He makes lots of sense. Good mix between science and experience.

Krusty_Clown · 28-01-2014 12:18pm

dna_leri wrote: »

Are you following magness 5k plan? Do you have a link.

Planning on getting that book. He makes lots of sense. Good mix between science and experience.

Yes, I am following it, though some of it requires some interpretation based on the information available (in other words, following a plan without much of the background information to support each session). Here's the presentation, in particular slides 42-44. Warning, it's a pretty high mileage plan!

jfh · 28-01-2014 2:52pm

hi krusty, this probably has been asked before so apologies for not trawling through your log,
you use that cinder track for a lot of the speed work, how do you keep track of the pace, for instance you did a 2*10 min tempo last.

i know the garmin is not accurate on the track, so the 5:44 pace is that from the watch or something you've calculated yourself?
sorry don't have privilages to open the workout.

ultraman1 · 28-01-2014 2:54pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Warning, it's a pretty high mileage plan!

Lookin through it....,seems to be room for a long one mid Feb ....and den there were two:)

ultraman1 · 28-01-2014 2:54pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Warning, it's a pretty high mileage plan!

Lookin through it....,seems to be room for a long one mid Feb ....and den there were two:)

Krusty_Clown · 28-01-2014 3:09pm

jfh wrote: »

hi krusty, this probably has been asked before so apologies for not trawling through your log,
you use that cinder track for a lot of the speed work, how do you keep track of the pace, for instance you did a 2*10 min tempo last.

i know the garmin is not accurate on the track, so the 5:44 pace is that from the watch or something you've calculated yourself?
sorry don't have privilages to open the workout.

Essentially, I switch my Garmin to 'stop-watch mode', so it doesn't auto-lap, and I have 'Lap-Time' as the displayed data field. At the start of the first lap I hit the lap button on the watch, and then check my time against the splits in the above sheet (which I've printed and wrapped in sellotape) every 200m.

This is the first time that the lap-splits sheet actually works out with really nice round numbers (3.5 laps = 5mins, 7 laps=10 mins, 10.5 laps=15 mins), so it's easy enough to remember and I probably don't need the lap sheet, but it gives me some level of comfort! It's essentially a pace band, for lap splits.

The local council workers have been working alongside the cinder track for the last week. I'm sure they reckon I'm quite insane, stripping down to shorts and t-shirt in horrendous weather, trying to read numbers off a card while running at a moderately quick pace, like some deranged bingo caller.

Krusty_Clown · 28-01-2014 3:12pm

ultraman1 wrote: »

Lookin through it....,seems to be room for a long one mid Feb ....and den there were two:)

What's with the double-entries these days ultraman?!

Would love to run Donadea, but I'd just be doing myself a dis-service. I'm really enjoying not having any big races in the pipeline and focussing on general speed improvement instead (though I may see you for some sneaky pints in Connemara!).

AuldManKing · 28-01-2014 11:42pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Essentially, I switch my Garmin to 'stop-watch mode', so it doesn't auto-lap, and I have 'Lap-Time' as the displayed data field. At the start of the first lap I hit the lap button on the watch, and then check my time against the splits in the above sheet (which I've printed and wrapped in sellotape) every 200m.

This is the first time that the lap-splits sheet actually works out with really nice round numbers (3.5 laps = 5mins, 7 laps=10 mins, 10.5 laps=15 mins), so it's easy enough to remember and I probably don't need the lap sheet, but it gives me some level of comfort! It's essentially a pace band, for lap splits.

The local council workers have been working alongside the cinder track for the last week. I'm sure they reckon I'm quite insane, stripping down to shorts and t-shirt in horrendous weather, trying to read numbers off a card while running at a moderately quick pace, like some deranged bingo caller.

Take note RayCun

(the lap splits, not the insanity.......although?)

RayCun · 29-01-2014 12:24pm

AuldManKing wrote: »

Take note RayCun (the lap splits, not the insanity.......although?)

It is not our place to question Krusty's sanity. Where he leads, we must follow.

dna_leri · 29-01-2014 12:31pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Yes, I am following it, though some of it requires some interpretation based on the information available (in other words, following a plan without much of the background information to support each session). Here's the presentation, in particular slides 42-44. Warning, it's a pretty high mileage plan!

No its not a plan for me but a lot of the rest of the presentation is still very useful - like the individualization between FT & ST runners.

I expect his book will be largely an expansion of the ideas presented here.

Krusty_Clown · 31-01-2014 5:30pm

Monday (cont'd): 5 mile recovery @8:38/mile
After the earlier tempo session, I headed out into the murky wet darkness, to accelerate the recovery and clock up some miles. Not looking forward to sploshing around the slop in the park on a cold, wet evening, with tired legs, but it was by far my most enjoyable run in a long time.

Tuesday: 6.2 miles @7:05/mile + 6.5 miles @6:59
An easy day after Monday's tempo. Couldn't stomach the idea of running the same old routes for my second run, so when the boss offered to drop me off 6 miles away (like an unwanted puppy!), I jumped at the chance and as luck would have it, got dropped off up-wind of home, so enjoyed a leisurely run back home. Most easy runs these days are following a pattern, with the early miles at around 7:15-7:30/mile, and the later miles dropping down to 6:30/mile or faster. I reckon it may be a consequence of age, as it takes some time for the muscles to loosen out properly. Effort seems pretty consistent across the early and later miles. Perhaps it's a little like a rusty locomotive - it takes a little more fire to get moving, but once there's bit of momentum, it's hard to stop.

Wednesday: 11 miles with 6 x 60m sprints
Headed on a hilly loop with ChickenBalls and parted ways once we arrived at Kilbogget track, after 6.5 miles. The cinder was once more underwater, so I picked a line that largely avoided the pools of water. Didn't bother measuring the 60m, and just went with the distance between the goal-posts on the pitch in the middle of the track (probably around 85m). I'm enjoying the fact that this plan is taking me outside of my comfort zone, doing things that I ordinarily wouldn't do as part of a typical marathon training plan. I wouldn't say that the 60m sprints were entirely enjoyable, but so vastly different to anything I've done in the last 6 months, that I find it stimulating. Times and paces are largely irrelevant, but certainly the fastest running I've done in 6 months. I jogged the rest of the lap of the track for recovery, and waited until the Garmin told me I was fully recovered (around 80bpm). Three mile easy run back to work afterwards.

Thursday: 10 miles @6:56 + 5 miles @6:49/mile easy
Lunch time run that took me as far as Marlay Park, along one of the trail, before splitting back via Sandyford. Felt knackered in work afterwards, but with a late meeting I had a window to get out for the second planned run of the day before it started. Despite the lethargy, I felt great as soon as I got out the door, and was banging off miles with ease.

Friday: Strength Endurance Hill Circuit
When I first looked at the program, I assumed that this was some kind of hilly tempo run, but a quick browse of Steve Magness' site yielded this evidence, that suggested it was in fact a sequence of drills with interconnected steady running and sprints, up a hill. The drills included squat jumps, skipping, hopping, ankle flips and bounding; none of which I have ever done in my life (with the exception of some hopping and skipping in school). With my wife's words ringing in my ears ('you'll look a right pr1ck doing those'), I decided I'd better find somewhere quiet and secluded to perform my dance move/hill running routine and took the opportunity of the sh1tty weather to head to Mine Hill Road - a cul de sac that leads up to the smelting tower, that sends shivers up my spine.

I wouldn't say I perfected each of the drills (having never encountered them before), but I gave them a decent lash, and don't think I was too far off the mark (ot looked nothing as elegant as the young lads in the video). Certainly my legs were in bits for each of the steady running sections that separated the drills, so I reckon that even if my drill form wasn't perfect, I was getting a decent amount of benefit. Humiliation complete, I ran the 2.5 miles home on tired legs.

Despite the crappy weather, it's been a refreshing week of running and the body is holding up well to the new stresses. A 20 mile run this weekend and an easy 7/8 miles will wrap up a solid 90 mile week, with three climbing sessions, so a solid week. As always, if anyone's interested in meeting up for an easy 20, drop me a pm.

wrstan · 31-01-2014 9:07pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

took the opportunity of the sh1tty weather to head to Mine Hill Road

Isn't that a Bruce Springsteen album?

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

- a cul de sac that leads up to the smelting tower, that sends shivers up my spine.

Seriously though, love the trail from the end of that road up to the tower. Now there's a hill. :cool:

Krusty_Clown · 01-02-2014 11:37am

wrstan wrote: »

Seriously though, love the trail from the end of that road up to the tower. Now there's a hill. :cool:

You know I've done it a couple of times, but it never grabbed me, but I may be thinking of the wrong one. Winding path through some gorse/fields, opening up to the barren remains of the old quarry? I prefer the trails from the Puck's Castle side.

How's the Daniels 5k training going, by the way? Someone mentioned on the main forum that Daniels has a new revision of the book out soon. Will be interesting to see how the programs have evolved.

conavitzky · 01-02-2014 12:55pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You know I've done it a couple of times, but it never grabbed me, but I may be thinking of the wrong one. Winding path through some gorse/fields, opening up to the barren remains of the old quarry? I prefer the trails from the Puck's Castle side.

How's the Daniels 5k training going, by the way? Someone mentioned on the main forum that Daniels has a new revision of the book out soon. Will be interesting to see how the programs have evolved.

The o/h got 3rd edition for me for Christmas. Its only being delivered via parcel motel today. Guess who's going to be zoned out later today!

wrstan · 01-02-2014 1:06pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You know I've done it a couple of times, but it never grabbed me, but I may be thinking of the wrong one. Winding path through some gorse/fields, opening up to the barren remains of the old quarry? I prefer the trails from the Puck's Castle side.

Yeah I guess the gorse doesn't enhance the experience, but I really love the way the gradient knocks the wind out of you once you hit the scree path!

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

How's the Daniels 5k training going, by the way? Someone mentioned on the main forum that Daniels has a new revision of the book out soon. Will be interesting to see how the programs have evolved.

Training is going well thanks. Still in the initial 6 week base building, so lots of EZ miles which I'm really enjoying. Decent step up in my mileage in Jan compared to last year. Just introducing some strides at the end of my runs now.

Have been looking towards the next phase and some of those paces look a bit :eek: compared to what I've been doing in this phase.

Actually something maybe you could advise on. The 10k time I'm targeting at the end of this programme would give me a VDOT of 56/57, which is relatively consistent with the 5k PB I ran last year. However I am well off that right now, probably more like 53. Once I get into the Phase II sessions, should I start with the paces for a VDOT of 53, gradually moving towards my target of 57? Should I play it by ear, based on how I'm feeling after a session maybe building in a few Parkruns to test where I'm at and revise? I presume jumping in at the target VDOT paces would not be smart.

Thanks as always for your advice.

BeepBeep67 · 01-02-2014 1:19pm

wrstan wrote: »

Yeah I guess the gorse doesn't enhance the experience, but I really love the way the gradient knocks the wind out of you once you hit the scree path!

Training is going well thanks. Still in the initial 6 week base building, so lots of EZ miles which I'm really enjoying. Decent step up in my mileage in Jan compared to last year. Just introducing some strides at the end of my runs now.

Have been looking towards the next phase and some of those paces look a bit :eek: compared to what I've been doing in this phase.

Actually something maybe you could advise on. The 10k time I'm targeting at the end of this programme would give me a VDOT of 56/57, which is relatively consistent with the 5k PB I ran last year. However I am well off that right now, probably more like 53. Once I get into the Phase II sessions, should I start with the paces for a VDOT of 53, gradually moving towards my target of 57? Should I play it by ear, based on how I'm feeling after a session maybe building in a few Parkruns to test where I'm at and revise? I presume jumping in at the target VDOT paces would not be smart.

Thanks as always for your advice.

You've answered your own question there Bill, train at your current pace to get the most out of the sessions, hit a TT or race after 4-6 weeks and readjust as required.

Krusty_Clown · 01-02-2014 2:15pm

Exactly. Work at your current vdot and adjust along the way. The only exception I ever make is target pace runs (e.g. marathon pace or race pace), where I usually try to hit my goal pace. Doesn't always work, but if you fall short a couple of seconds per mile over a long session, that's just where you are at. No need to lose the faith. Just a step on the road to greatness.

Krusty_Clown · 01-02-2014 2:16pm

conavitzky wrote: »

The o/h got 3rd edition for me for Christmas. Its only being delivered via parcel motel today. Guess who's going to be zoned out later today!

If by 'zoned out' you mean 'scanned out' then good. We welcome the results of your endeavour!

Krusty_Clown · 02-02-2014 3:22pm

Saturday: 8 miles easy/recovery
Nasty day, so was glad that the long run had been put-off until Sunday. Headed to Shanganagh Park, and put on the spikes to negotiate the puddles and slop. Bumped into Huarya who was hitting some mile repeats. Did not envy him one bit in that wind. Toyed with the idea of joining him for the fleetest of seconds, before resuming my easy run.
Summary: 8 miles in 61 mins, @7:38/mile

Sunday: 20 miles easy/steady
A couple of beers and a crap night of sleep and I was pretty wrecked when the alarm went off at 7:30am, but it seemed that the wind had finally died off so I wouldn't have to run on my secret basement treadmill. After a few cups of strong coffee I met up with Neil at the park, and we headed off on a nice route, taking in the Bray to Greystones cliff walk, before hitting the hills of Windgates, up to Kilmacanogue and back via Southern Cross, with some fast splits for the last couple of miles. Really solid run and getting used to the steady long runs without any water, which I'd have struggled with, this time last year.
Summary: 20 miles in ~2:17, @~6:49/mile, HR=~140

Clearlier · 03-02-2014 12:04am

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Sunday: 20 miles easy/steady
A couple of beers and a crap night of sleep and I was pretty wrecked when the alarm went off at 7:30am, but it seemed that the wind had finally died off so I wouldn't have to run on my secret basement treadmill. After a few cups of strong coffee I met up with Neil at the park, and we headed off on a nice route, taking in the Bray to Greystones cliff walk, before hitting the hills of Windgates, up to Kilmacanogue and back via Southern Cross, with some fast splits for the last couple of miles. Really solid run and getting used to the steady long runs without any water, which I'd have struggled with, this time last year.
Summary: 20 miles in ~2:17, @~6:49/mile, HR=~140

Possibly my favourite place in the world to run. I grew up just down the road and as a kid our neighbours (Joyce's of cricketing fame) Dad used to have his wife bring him and a few of their children (there are 9) to Greystones and they would run back to the house. I managed to tag along a couple of times and I absolutely loved it. My first experience of running outside of school sports days. I make a point of doing that run every time I'm back over.

Krusty_Clown · 03-02-2014 12:22am

Clearlier wrote: »

Possibly my favourite place in the world to run. I grew up just down the road and as a kid our neighbours (Joyce's of cricketing fame) Dad used to have his wife bring him and a few of their children (there are 9) to Greystones and they would run back to the house. I managed to tag along a couple of times and I absolutely loved it. My first experience of running outside of school sports days. I make a point of doing that run every time I'm back over.

It really is a super route, and as my running buddy pointed out, one of the best routes early morning, during sunrise. I do love running the top of the cliff walk too; from Windgates to the cross. Some of the most scenic coastal running in the country (though I may be a little biased). If you're back in these parts, give me a holler for a run.

Clearlier · 03-02-2014 12:31am

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

It really is a super route, and as my running buddy pointed out, one of the best routes early morning, during sunrise. I do love running the top of the cliff walk too; from Windgates to the cross. Some of the most scenic coastal running in the country (though I may be a little biased). If you're back in these parts, give me a holler for a run.

I'd love to although I'd probably only just about manage your recovery pace at the moment.

Krusty_Clown · 03-02-2014 12:10pm

Clearlier wrote: »

I'd love to although I'd probably only just about manage your recovery pace at the moment.

Sure pace is unimportant when you have company and cracking views! It's not all about minutes on the clock!

Today: 9 miles easy
Surprised myself by getting out the door, even before I'd enjoyed my first cup of coffee of the day (I rarely do anything before at least a couple of cups of strong coffee). Had I looked out the window before leaving the house, I'd probably have postponed my run first run until later in the day, but having ejected myself out the front door, complete with running gear and moderately heavy backpack, there was no turning back. Surprised myself by really enjoying the run, despite the crazy conditions, much down to a strong tail-wind that lifted some of the weight from my backpack. I took the long hilly route to work, so I could cross off my 9 mile run, and doubling back for the last few miles ran into the full force of the 31mph head-wind. I looked a little dishevelled arriving into work (my colleagues almost clapped

). Not looking forward to my second run of the day (possibly homewards into that horrendous head-wind). Suddenly, treadmills seem like a great idea. Wish that thread was still open, so I could retract everything I've ever said. I'm so fickle.

Summary: 9 soggy miles in 65 mins, @7:17

Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

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