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Timber!!

overpronator

As you may have guessed from the title this thread is going to be my training log!

Bad jokes out of the way I have found the training logs on here to be both extremely educational and motivational. Furthermore they brought home to me what required to properly improve and the work people put in to do that, I have great admiration for many posters on here and hopefully with chat and feedback through this thread I can improve bit by bit.

About me, I'm a 30 year old male with a pretty sedentary job. In the past I played GAA at a good, sometimes very good level but succumbed to injury and more accurately apathy and pints in my early to mid twenties. The most exercise I got over a 5 year period consisted of five a side a couple of times a week thinking that was keeping me fit, the usual nonsense.

I started running properly about 18 months ago when I "trained" for the Irish runner 5 miler in the park. That involved going up there once or twice a week for the 3 weeks before the race and tearing around the course as fast as I could:). That progressed to the remaining races in the race series where through the graduates 2012 thread I picked up some basics, got some long runs in and got myself around DCM12 just under the 4 hour mark at 3.54

Last year I got more structured and followed a Hal Higdon type plan for the Limerick marathon. I had a tough day finishing in 3.36 blowing up around 20 miles chasing 3.30. I did the race series again last summer and followed a Hybrid plan of P&D which I supplemented with Meno's midweek long MP sessions in place of VO2 max workouts for the last 5 weeks and got around in a comfortable 3.26.

My current PB's are

5k 19.48
10k 41.00
10 Mile 68.45
Half 1.34.03
Marathon 3.26.51

The goals for this year however ambitious, were (and still are) a sub 40 10k and a sub 1.30 half.
The little matter of the London Marathon 2014 has gotten in the way of specifically focusing on these goals. I hadn't intended on doing a Spring Marathon this year but myself and my GF got offered a spot so I couldn't turn it down really.
I'm currently following the 12 week P&D plan up to 55 miles and have been just doing slow base building for the month before the plan started. I will follow the structure of the plan quite closely but will add more mileage depending on how I feel but will again supplement some of the VO2 max workouts at the end with longer marathon specific efforts as I think it was these sessions from Meno's graduates plan last summer that made the difference for me in DCM 13.

From my PBs its clear that my endurance isn't really where it should be yet so hopefully another marathon cycle with more fast finish long runs, sessions Ive never really gotten to grips with will help with that.
Ill post again later with a summary of what ive been up to for the last 3 or so weeks, hopefully this log will keep me more active on here for feedback as im sporadic enough when it comes to posting but love to lurk!

Comments, feedback and general slagging welcome.

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overpronator

Thanks a mil lads, I'll keep an eye out for ye at the start. Yaboya you're some man

wowzer

Best of luck in the morning

overpronator

39.16 this morning in the lakes 10k, 35th place I think. Happy with that, feels like job done and a pb by about 40 seconds. Will do a report over the next couple of days but will enjoy a few pints later. Absolutely brilliant race, a great credit to Lakeshore striders.

overpronator

*double post

Ososlo

Congrats! Great pb!

wowzer

Congrats, great running.

adrian522

Well done on the PB, sounds like a great race too.

career move

Sweet

Well done

Tom Joad

Great running today and a well deserved PB. Enjoy them beers

Finnt

Super running, congrats!

Edit: just looking back there the 3x2 mile session was pretty much exact, just shows it's a great session.

yaboya1

Well done on the pb.
Great running

DOCO12

Congrats savage time, enjoy your well deserved drinks

tang1

Very well done OP, great running. It was coming in fairness and very well deserved.

RedRunner

Well done on the pb OP!

overpronator

I was really looking forward to this race due to reports from here and had targeted it for a good run almost since London so it was great to finally get it done. Training had gone fairly well over the last 6 or so weeks so I was hopeful of a PB and ultimately a sub 39.30.

I got down in good time and did a quick warmup running into outforarun and Tom Joad before the start, the lads were in good form and before I knew it we were lining up at the start. There was a great atmosphere and the start was smooth and uncongested with the specific starting sections. I always start too far back in races stupidly erring on the side of caution but stepping into the sub 40 section I was across the line and moving within a second of the gun, great stuff. The pace was brisk early on with slight downhill once we got off the bridge so I just went with it, keeping an eye on the breathing. Mile 1 6.11
I found miles 2&3 tough going, maybe because the first mile was a bit quick, the course was mostly flat with little rolling ups and down along the country roads. I wasn't hitting pace along here but was working quite hard so I didn't want to force things before half way, there was a bit of a wind but overall I was feeling sluggish Mile 2&3 6.29, 6.32
Coming through halfway somewhere around 19.58 I knew I needed to get my act together so I upped the effort and really began trying to catch runners ahead of me. I wasn't panicking as I could still see outforarun about 100m up the road but I was starting to properly hurt by the time we hit the hill at the start of mile 5. I knew the hill would be tough and it was, I got myself up it and thankfully I recovered fairly well. Checking the watch I could see overall pace at 6.25 so I was confident of at least getting in under 40, now it was just a question of how much. I really got stuck into the downhill and went all out to the finish. I passed a good few runners over the closing miles and OFR was getting closer and closer, whilst I knew he wouldn't be caught he definitely made for a good target. The last half mile really hurt as they're supposed to but crossing the line the watch read 39.15 so I was delighted, not minding the 1 second robbed by precision timing to give me a chip time of 39.16 Miles 4,5&6 6.17,6.22,6.03 (5.31)
Once I got myself together I had a chat with the lads and a big well done to OFR on a cracking time. Tom Joad had a less than perfect day but I know sub 39 and faster is a mere formality for him over the next couple of weeks.
35th place Chip Time 39.16

Very happy with my own time especially as it's exactly a minute quicker than Fingal back in July on a marginally slower course. Id like to have a crack off sub 39 before the end of the year so if anyone has a recommendation for a fast;) 10k in the Dublin area let me know.
Finally Id like to thank Lakeshore Striders for a brilliant race. The course is fair, challenging and fast and the goody bag as well as the general organisation was brilliant. Its 100% on the calendar for next year.

overpronator

Finnt wrote: »

Edit: just looking back there the 3x2 mile session was pretty much exact, just shows it's a great session.

Yeah would agree with you there Finnt, its a brilliant session. It doesn't necessarily make hitting goal pace feel any easier but it really helps with handling the sheer discomfort of 10k pace towards the end of the race if that makes sense.

Murph_D

Lovely running - well done.

outforarun

Nice report and well done again on a great run. I need to get some finishing tips from you, very strong finish at 5:31 pace for the last quarter of a mile.

overpronator

outforarun wrote: »

Nice report and well done again on a great run. I need to get some finishing tips from you, very strong finish at 5:31 pace for the last quarter of a mile.

Cheers, I think its just run like f*ck once you smell the finish line!! What are you thinking training wise over the next 10 or so days. Will you do a HMP session this week and would you be doing a LR of 2hrs+? Not really sure how to approach things ahead of the half as I don't think a proper long run will be of too much benefit at this stage, but 6-7 miles at HMP would if the legs feel recovered?

outforarun

overpronator wrote: »

Cheers, I think its just run like f*ck once you smell the finish line!! What are you thinking training wise over the next 10 or so days. Will you do a HMP session this week and would you be doing a LR of 2hrs+? Not really sure how to approach things ahead of the half as I don't think a proper long run will be of too much benefit at this stage, but 6-7 miles at HMP would if the legs feel recovered?

I'm going to take it fairly handy during the two midweeks before the HM. But I'll probably try fit in some HMP miles alright on Saturday morning or lunchtime (I'll let you know when, if you're about we could hook up for these if it suits?), maybe 4-5 miles more so than 6-7. I'm setting HMP at 4:14/4:15 min/km [6:49/6:50 min/mile]. Then on the Sunday I'll probably do a 14 miler at 8:30 to 8:45 pace.

overpronator

outforarun wrote: »

I'm going to take it fairly handy during the two midweeks before the HM. But I'll probably try fit in some HMP miles alright on Saturday morning or lunchtime (I'll let you know when, if you're about we could hook up for these if it suits?), maybe 4-5 miles more so than 6-7. I'm setting HMP at 4:14/4:15 min/km [6:49/6:50 min/mile]. Then on the Sunday I'll probably do a 14 miler at 8:30 to 8:45 pace.

Yeah, you're probably right actually wrt the HMP miles. I think ill try to get those in Thursday evening, legs allowing. Give me a shout when you know what time you hit the road on Sunday morning for the LR and ill join you if I can.

overpronator

Monday Recovery 5.22 miles
I went up to the phoenix park with the better half for a grand handy recovery run, the pace was extremely gentle, 5 miles@ 10.14 a and we ran mostly on grass on an absolutely cracking evening. The legs were pretty tired and sore as my recovery from Blessington wasn't too optimal with plenty of ale consumed at the beer festival in the RDS on Saturday night. Totally worth it:D

Tuesday MLR 11 miles
Met a mate for this one and the pace was again nice and easy on what was an even better evening than Monday and not a breath of wind in the Park. Im really going to miss these evenings. Again this was mostly on grass and trails so easy on the legs. Pace was 8.39

Wednesday 5 miles
I had hoped that the legs would be back ship shape by Wednesday but they felt very tight on this and my hip was still niggling at me. I had planned to do a few strides but thought better of it. Bumped into outforarun on his MLR and also had a whinge to him about the state of me legs! Pace here was 8.13.

Thursday HMP session
I had all but decided to knock any thoughts of a session on the head this week based on the last couple of runs but lo and behold I woke up this morning and I felt fairly decent. Walking about at work was ok so I decided to go ahead with a few miles at HMP as I'd planned. I jogged up to the Acres lap for a 3 mile warmup and it was fairly calm wind wise and not too warm, so good conditions.
Splits:
6.47
6.45
6.45
6.44
6.41
6.41
I enjoyed this and settled into a good rhythm early on. It felt comfortably hard apart from the last half mile or so where I was more conscious of the effort. I could have tacked on the 7th mile for the "gold standard" HMP session but as it wasn't a session I had really built towards I decided to take what I had and be happy. 2 miles cooldown for an 11 mile session overall.

Ill take things fairly easy between now and the Dublin half where the plan is to go with the 1.30 pacers and see if I hang on. Its tempting to target a more aggressive time, McMillan has me down for 1.27.30 but I know that I just don't have enough proper long runs done for that so hopefully Ill hold on. I'm considering targeting the Waterford half in December but I'm still 50:50 on that one, if anyone has done it let me know your thoughts.

outforarun

Healthy splits yesterday. 24 hours can make such a difference to a pair of tight and niggly legs.

overpronator

Nothing too exciting going on around these parts at the moment in the lead up to the Half on Saturday

Sunday 14M LR
Met up with outforarun for Sundays long run, 14 miles steady/easy around Ashtown the phoenix park and on the trails. The miles ticked very quickly on a great morning for running, enjoyed this one and as always having company on an longer run seems half the battle. The pace was up and down due to the terrain but always felt easy, it averaged out at 8.20

Tuesday 8 miles easy
I met a mate for this one and we kept it almost completely on grass, across the acres and some trails along the perimeter before heading back across the acres. Hes doing his first half on Saturday so I was doing my best to set his mind at ease. Ha, little does he know whats in store! Pace was 8.50ish.

Wednesday 5 miles easy with strides
The goal with this one was just to wake the legs up so a couple of miles in I eased into some strides, gradually upping the distance and pace, I did 7-8 in total. I felt good once this was done but cant seem to shake this little hip niggle I have, something to look after in the next couple of weeks.

Ill do a similar run either Thursday or Friday and that will be it, looking forward to Saturday.

Tom Joad

Best of luck tomorrow OP.

yaboya1

Tom Joad wrote: »

Best of luck tomorrow OP.

+1
Sub 1:30 no problem.

yaboya1

I told you so :pac:
Well done!

overpronator

1.28.04 Chip time, I had a really solid run today so I'm delighted. It was also deadly to see so many of the lads from here cruise in under 1.29 and the better half was comfortably under 2hrs so a great day all round.

Ososlo

brilliant result! Cograts:D:D

DOCO12

Congrats brill time