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Making every mile count
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Yeah fair point on the recoveries, listening to your body makes the most sense but then you also run the risk of "feeling good" too much when your body may be crying out for a recovery, you may find you get too focussed on your goals to see it so I suppose there's an element of discipline to it also.
My plan is more of a guide, I've been told to tone it down and tweak where necessary and that's exactly how I'm approaching it especially for the first few weeks but I have trust in it and I think I'll reap the rewards by continuing to listen to the feedback from my body but working hard when I know I can.
I have been toying with the idea of splitting the easy/steady days into an AM/PM session, in the past I've always enjoyed those and felt the benefits so yeah when I'm fully settled into the training I'll be discussing that with the big man.
Can't wait for the 20/20 back to back, come back to me after it
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Monday 03/02
11.60 Miles Easy @6.56 in 1.20:31
I will admit that this was wind assisted. For once, I wasn't battered by the wind and enjoyed a lovely tailwind for the majority. The miles flew by.
Tuesday 04/02
13.8 Miles
-4 Miles Easy
-5.8 Miles Pyramid Session
1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minutes with 60 second active recovery (120 seconds after the 5 minutes)
-4 Miles Easy (like a drowned rat
)
WOW.
The thought did enter to skip the club session after I looked out the door and onto the truly horrific conditions. I told myself to run the 2 miles to the club house and then decide. The weather at this point wasn't too bad and was happy to see a decent turnout. Headed out for a two mile run to 'warm-up' and headed straight onto the track to get this done. The mixture of rain and wind was terrible but once I got started I actually really enjoyed my first ever Pyramid Session. With the weather how it was, this session would be all about effort. Despite the worsening conditions, I kept the 5k effort throughout. The weather had a great galvanising effect on the group and I think we were all just delighted to get this one done as the conditions gave us every excuse not to. Two more miles 'warm-down' (!!) and I headed on my 2 mile run swim home.
Never so happy to get into a hot shower.
Wednesday 05/02
9.27 Miles Easy @7.35 in 1.10:20
Nice and easy as I was pretty tired. Briefly flirted with the idea of a double day but I promised myself previously not to mile-chase.0 -
Thursday 06/02
19.32 Miles Easy @7.15-7.20p/m (watch malfunction)
Ran the two miles up the club and then decided to do a long run by myself! What a team player Ran up with two options in mind: tempo or long run. I put a bit of money into the pocket (in case of disaster) before I left so maybe I subconsciously knew that a long run was on the cards, particularly as the weather for the weekend looks pretty grim. I had no route in mind and ended up running a mile or two extra. The run itself posed absolutely no problems so my endurance/aerobic capacity is in good shape at the moment. It's definitely a time for change in regards to the long run. I will talk to the coach soon but I feel I need some progression/faster miles within the long run (progression run, fast finish or some miles@MP). A lot to think about. I have a feeling he will advise leaving the faster miles until later in the plan and therefore closer to the marathon.
Friday 07/02
8.60 Miles Very Easy @7.42p/m in 1.06:10
A bit stiff and tight in the morning so a run at very easy pace was much appreciated. Did the trick nicely.0 -
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Man you make me feel bad every time I see your weekly training :P Great stuff though, I'm envious of your tempo pace, what's the thinking behind that? do you have set paces in your mind for tempo, interval and long runs or do you just run by feel?
What's the aim for Bohermeen? I signed up myself during the week and hoping I can manage about 82 mins
Thanks. I am not too sure if it's good consistency or just plain stubbornness! I do most of my runs by effort. So, if an 'easy' run is, let's say, 5 (out of ten) my tempo effort is 8. Sometimes the speed is there, sometimes not it really just depends. I try not to force it too much.
Great target. Apparently it's a brilliant race. The aim? That's the question! I would like to think I could hit sub 80. Current PB is 1.22 but I would like to think that is now a soft target.0 -
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TIP: If unused to wearing no socks whilst running, AVOID AT ALL COSTS! This may lead to pain and discomfort....ouch
Wednesday 12/02
8.90 Miles Very Easy
The previous nights steady run left it's mark in two ways. Fatigue I can deal with but cut beat up feet is a different matter. That'll teach me. Nice and easy to recover.
Thursday 13/02
17.50 Miles Long Run @7.07p/m in 02.04:30
Firstly, I have no idea how this run was so fast. The plan was for an easy long run before incorporating a bit of speed into the long run next week. My legs are definitely tired at the moment, no doubt so I was somewhat apprehensive setting out today. When apprehension sets in the only thing to help is to get out the door asap and just get going, giving you less time to let the doubts creep in.
Two days easy running before a race on Sunday. I need to build some confidence in the week leading up to a race. Self doubting can fill my mind at times. Time to think positive! Less thinking, more running 0 -
Friday 14/02
8 Miles Easy @7.30p/m
-inc. 5x30 second strides at 5k effort
Treadmill. Beyond boring. That is all.
Saturday 15/02
4+ Miles Easy
-inc. 30 second stride at 5k effort
In Sligo for the weekend so a gentle run was in order with a race the next day. That evening the body just felt terrible. Could barely get out of the car!
Sunday 16/02
7+ Miles
Cloonacool 5k Road Race
Time: 17.03 (unofficial)
Position: 1st
To put this into some perspective, I ran this race last year running 19.47. I wasn't in a good place and ran terrible. To say I was keen to make amends would be putting it lightly.
Like all great pre-race plans, the plan went out the window as soon as the gun went. In my head the aim was get a good time and hopefully secure a decent place. My PB is 17:24 so the aim was to break this. So the gun went off and I quickly realised I may be in with a shot of placing well or maybe even winning. I tucked in behind the leader and hit the 1k in 3:15. Now the race was all about tactics, effort and in a distant third, time. After the 1k mark we were both overtaken. No need to panic. I tucked in behind the new leader and allowed him a 10-15m lead, pretty confident I could catch him later on. The course was an out and back so a quick turn around the community centre saw us head for home with just over 2k to go. The course here was a gradual long uphill into the wind. With all the hill work under the belt I was fully confident I would make up the ground on the leader.
Soon after the 3k marker I positioned myself behind the leader and considered my options. I waited to just before the 4k mark to make my move. Now it was all about winning. I didn't care about time. If I cared about the time I would have pushed on earlier and possibly risked the win. The race on Stephen's Day taught me a lot. In that race I settled for '3rd place' and didn't push on and try and catch the runner ahead. In fact I came 4th, not 3rd.
Delighted to take my first ever win. Yes, it wasn't the biggest race of the year but a win is a win These days probably won't happen too often so I fully intend to savour the moment (and that I did!) I know, if pushed, I could have maybe gone 15-25 seconds quicker today but 16:xx will happily wait for another race.
Great to finally collect some prize money. A very well run race and a great spread afterwards (most importantly).
WEEK TOTAL: 73.25+ MILES
The body is tired but the mind is strong.0 -
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That's a cracking run DR, inspirational stuff. Smashed your PB, 1st place and a huge confidence booster for a sub 2:50, a good day all around I would say
Thanks. Most definitely. It has given me some much needed confidence that training has/is going well. I find the endless weeks of training without races tough as a lot of doubts creep in. Now to look towards Bohermeen.....now that'll be all about time! Hope the training is going well0 -
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Monday 17/02
80 Minutes Easy
-11.05 Miles @7.16p/m in 1.20:21
Legs felt good for this one.
Tuesday 18/02
12+ Miles Various
-4 Miles Warm-Up
-800m x 8 in 2.37-2.41 with 90 second recovery
-4+ Miles Warm-Down
Found this tough. The 5th and 6th rep were hard. A lot of tiredness in the legs. I briefly thought of knocking the last two on the head but ground it out. The 7th rep was actually felt pretty good and the 8th was the fastest! Pretty decent session. No not a chance I could have done this solo today. Really seeing the benefit of doing this type of session in a group.
Wednesday 19/02
10.89 Miles Very Easy @7.48p/m in 1.25:00
Legs pretty shattered after the exploits of the previous few days. Up early before I had a chance to think. One of those runs to just get ticked off and move on......
This week will be a hard week, I can feel it. Almost half way there though A long run, hill session and a steady/run planned. The plan is to (sort of) experiment with the long run tomorrow. This really does depend on how I feel tomorrow. Next week is all about knocking out a good HM. My marathon plan is a long one so I can hopefully afford a few easy days before and after. 0 -
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Monday 25/02
8.65 Miles @7.07p/m in 1.01:38
Tuesday 25/02
10.4+ Miles Various
-4 Miles Easy
-10 x 400m in 73-75 seconds (although one was a quickish 70)
-4 Miles Easy
Wednesday 26/02
2hr Long Run
-16.88 Miles Easy @7.09p/m in 2.00:38
With one eye to the weekend I was keen to knock out a shortish long run. The pace felt easy and controlled. The run took very little out of me. This was exactly what I needed, with a race on the horizon and the previous nights session still slightly in the legs.
Thursday 27/02
6.75 Miles Recovery @8.01 in 54:07
Let the mini-taper begin :pac: I'm getting good at these slow runs! Once the Saucony Hurricanes (aka The Bricks!) are put on the pace come right down. I really do notice the extra weight using these runners. They did the trick nicely.
Friday 28/02
4.63 @7.01p/m in 32:31
-inc. 3 x 30 second strides @5k effort
Month|Days Run|Miles Run|Daily Average|2014
January|31/31|347.8|11.20|347.8
February|28/28|309.2|11.04|657
Another decent month ticked off. The real work begins on Monday. With a few easy days before the HM I cannot wait to get going next week. I really am willing to throw the kitchen sink (within reason) at training this month. The old social life will take a back seat. There will be a lot of doubles once I get the plan nailed down after the race on Sunday. I should be pretty well rested come race day so the pressure is slightly on! That's the way it should be I suppose.
Plans for next month? Race a 5k/10k with no easing up in the training beforehand. I am tempted though to run a half at marathon pace, adding a few slower miles to bring it up to 20.
I had an interesting during the week discussion regarding pain and particularly, dealing with pain during a race. It gave me plenty of food for thought. Not many are adept with coping with, and dealing with, the anguish that can come when pushing yourself to the limit. This may be what separates the good from the truly great.
All that can wait though. Bohermeen deserves 100% commitment and concentration.0 -
dublin runner wrote: »Monday 25/02
8.65 Miles @7.07p/m in 1.01:38
Tuesday 25/02
10.4+ Miles Various
-4 Miles Easy
-10 x 400m in 73-75 seconds (although one was a quickish 70)
-4 Miles Easy
Wednesday 26/02
2hr Long Run
-16.88 Miles Easy @7.09p/m in 2.00:38
With one eye to the weekend I was keen to knock out a shortish long run. The pace felt easy and controlled. The run took very little out of me. This was exactly what I needed, with a race on the horizon and the previous nights session still slightly in the legs.
Thursday 27/02
6.75 Miles Recovery @8.01 in 54:07
Let the mini-taper begin :pac: I'm getting good at these slow runs! Once the Saucony Hurricanes (aka The Bricks!) are put on the pace come right down. I really do notice the extra weight using these runners. They did the trick nicely.
Friday 28/02
4.63 @7.01p/m in 32:31
-inc. 3 x 30 second strides @5k effort
Month|Days Run|Miles Run|Daily Average|2014
January|31/31|347.8|11.20|347.8
February|28/28|309.2|11.04|657
Another decent month ticked off. The real work begins on Monday. With a few easy days before the HM I cannot wait to get going next week. I really am willing to throw the kitchen sink (within reason) at training this month. The old social life will take a back seat. There will be a lot of doubles once I get the plan nailed down after the race on Sunday. I should be pretty well rested come race day so the pressure is slightly on! That's the way it should be I suppose.
Plans for next month? Race a 5k/10k with no easing up in the training beforehand. I am tempted though to run a half at marathon pace, adding a few slower miles to bring it up to 20.
I had an interesting during the week discussion regarding pain and particularly, dealing with pain during a race. It gave me plenty of food for thought. Not many are adept with coping with, and dealing with, the anguish that can come when pushing yourself to the limit. This may be what separates the good from the truly great.
All that can wait though. Bohermeen deserves 100% commitment and concentration.
Good luck on Sunday. I hope all goes according to plan....Enjoy!!0 -
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Good luck Sunday DR, hopefully won't be too far behind you If you see me around (Donore vest, #320) say hello!
Haha! I'll look out for you. I think you may be slightly underselling yourself, I will be the one behind you I think! Cracking training by the way. Really enjoying the blog.
I'll be wearing an orange or something with orange in it and tall enough so I should stand out. Have a great race. Time to collect on all the training.0 -
Saturday 01/03
3 Miles Easy
-inc. 30 second stride
Sunday 02/03
19+ Miles Various
BOHERMEEN HALF MARATHON
1.18:17
24th Place (out of 656)
I allowed myself a three day mini-taper heading into the most important race before Rotterdam. The race was important to both get a good time and as a confidence booster. The legs felt surprisingly fresh this morning. It's been quite a few weeks since the first few steps out of bed weren't tired ones. The aim was to go sub 1.19 and break my PB from Waterford last December4 (1.22:36).
The start was cold and wet which might excuse the quick start I made. Realistically though, it was a combination of inexperience and a general eagerness to prove to myself that training has gone well. Natural order was resumed when Ecoli overtook me around the Mile 4 mark I decided at Mile 3 to slow up a bit and concentrate on my own race and not to try to catch the Mullingar runner just ahead. This race was all about time. The rest of the race was quite uneventful but at the same time very enjoyable. I always felt in complete control.
I kicked on slightly at Mile 11 but at that stage a 1.17 was off the cards. If I had more confidence I could have kicked on earlier but that day can wait. I am happy to knock over four minutes off my PB in the three months since Waterford but in the same breath, I know that there is so much more there.
Steady progress.
PM
5.72 Miles Easy in 7.23p/m in 42:14
WEEK TOTAL: 69.31+ MILES
A reduction in the mileage this week to leave myself as fresh as possible heading into Sunday. After a chat with my coach this evening a revised target for Rotterdam has been decided. Using the Tralee Marathon as a long slow training run was even mentioned but that is far from a certainty. I am not too sure whether running MP +25 seconds for 26.2 Miles is the best course of action for me at the moment.
Six weeks to go......:)0 -
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