Its all about Time...

Saturday 12 July - 8*400

Had to do these on my own in ALSAA as the rest of the lads were doing hills reps in Howth, and Im not strong enough for those yet. 2 miles warm-up around the fields, with Bunnies, Boeing and Airbus's and for company. Then changed into the DS-Racers for the reps.

1- 85
2- 88
3- 89
4- 86
5- 87
6- 88
7- 88
8- 78 - Had to give it all for the last one (4:45 pace).

Forgot how hard it is to "stay on the moment" with these hard efforts.
Then 1 mile warm-down on the track. Was empty all day after this.

Sunday LSR.

Wreaked getting up for this one, but had to give it a go. Settled into a nice group and held on for 4 miles.

9.3 miles in 1:12 for 7:48avg pace.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/541288549

Thursday 17 July. Phoenix Park easy.

6.6 miles around the park on the roads nice n ease... Used the orange Adizero's for a change (rather than the DS Trainers). The harder compound make them feel fast for this kind of distance. Shirt off as usual :cool:

6.6 miles in 51min for 7:50 avg.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/543381771

Rest tomorrow (maybe some core gym stuff), a few slow miles on Saturday. Then see how Sunday goes !!!

63 miles for the month so far, with minimal miles for the 8 days of holidays, getting back to some normality.

Tuesday 22/07/2014.

Didn't have JohnF to rely on for the usual tempo effort, so decided to upload a 2*2 mile interval plan I had on Garmin connect, and use this instead. Got to Raheny and tried to access the plan, which I then found out had not uploaded, despite confirmation that it had. Decided to just run it by watch display.

2 miles easy,
2 miles at around 6:45,
3 mins jog,
2 miles at 6:45,
1 mile easy...

Complete disaster, warm up miles to fast at 7:15.. Mostly Held the first 2 mile interval at 6:48 avg. Blowing hard on the 3 min recovery. Found it impossible to hold pace on the second 2 mile. I still had the 10K Fingal race in the legs. Just ran at steady pace for remainder.

Thursday 24/07/2014 - PP Easy.

Just 5.3 easy miles around the PP. Ran across fields, and was attached by swarms of flies. Found out that the files can hold 8min pace. Had to drop down to 7:45ish for next 3 miles to loose them.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/548424776

Saturday 26/07/2014 - ALSAA Track Session

Session on my own, as im still worried by joining up with the lads until im a bit stronger. 2 mile warmup followed by 8*400:-

Rep1 - 84 - DS Racers
Rep2 - 84
Rep3 - 85
Rep4 - 85 - Changed into the new Asics 33's
Rep5 - 83
Rep6 - 84
Rep7 - 89 - Back to DS Racers
Rep8 - 82

1 mile warm down to finish.

Sunday 27/07/2014

Usual LSR, but decided not to run with JohnF and Maria, as they are now pretty confirmable at 7:00 - 7:10 for 15+ mile. No point in flogging myself like that when im not doing DCM.
Decided on my fav route, the 10miler from the club house, to Sutton, and then the coast road and back. Also took in Cork- screw-hill for the water tap (Best feeling ever).

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/550413353

No idea where the additional 2 hills either side of cork-screw on the Garmin elevation profile came from?

26.2 miles for the week...

Friday 01/08/2014 - PP Easy

Just easy miles in the Phoenix park at lunch time. 6.6 miles on mixed surfaces @ 8:10 pace.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/554442693

Rock and Roll Half Marathon.

My longest run since DCM13 had been last week with a 10.1 miles, so a half would probably prove to be a bit of a stretch for my current endurance level. Decided that I wanted something around a 1:38ish, so not to fast and not to slow...

Started out in the second start pen, with a few of the other club runners, including RedRunner. Nice to settle the nerves with a chat before the off.

First few miles, the usual settling into the pace group. Plenty of support along the route through the city centre. Miles 1,2,3 - 7:12, 7:14, 7:14. Lost some concentration around Kilmainham and the pace dropped to 7:30 for 4th mile. On to the DCM route in opposite direction. To be honest the bands were giving me nothing, but a head ach, with the exception of the samba band at St Marys in the PP, good work lads...

Next few miles were 7:16, 7:29, 7:39, 7:10. for the most part the route was good, with little or no surprises. The few hills were fine running at steady pace, as opposed to running on the limit, where they take far more out of you. Also nice where the routes came together and you could see the leaders zipping past.

Got a slight cramp in the right calf at mile 10 on the Furze road, but the sight of the girls in the cheer leader costumes, made me forget about it:D. Running down to the furry glen, was probably unwelcome, given the climb up out of it shortly after. Last full mile at 7:18, with the dash to the line down to 5:33 pace. Got past about 10 runners there... Reasonably happy with the race, and the performance...

Finished in 1:37:13 for 7:21avg pace in 494 place...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/558393436

Great to see that the club performed so well, with Mick C, the top Irish man (3rd). Raheny also winning the Team Gold, Team Gold for the 035, and O50...

Sutton to Howth 10K

Didn't know this race existed until it appeared in the Event section about a week ago. Given its not too far from the house, and was on my Thursday MLR route from DCM last year, decided to give it a go.

Turned up at 9ish and registered, got in a mile warm-up with Damo M. Efficient race briefing and lined up on time. The course profile as pretty straight forward first 5K up hill, next 5K down hill. 440 feet of ascending for first half, 440 descending for second half.

Set off towards the back of the field, had no targets and no idea of finish time, just to have a good run on a sunny Saturday morning. Moved through the field quiet quickly, and got into the pace group after 2-3 minutes still on the flat, somewhere around 40th place. You could hear an audible groan from the massed runners when we hit the start of the hill at about .5 mile. I consoled myself that I had run this many times in training in the past and it would not be so bad. Mile 1 7:48.

The second mile is still mostly up hill, but there is some respite at mile 1.3 for a few hundred yards, then up again. Still passing a few lads that had set off to quickly. Temperature was building quickly with effort levels and strong sun. The top had to come off as usual. Passed a girl with a camel back, that sounded full ?? WTF, talk about making things harder that they need to be ??? Mile 2 7:33. From mile 2-3 the gradient smooth's out slightly. The views of Dublin bay were great given the fine weather.

4 minutes from the top were passed by the leader on the way back down, followed by Damo M in second place. The half way point was at the summit car park, and a drinks stop. 4-5 lads ahead of me were stopped and taking on water. I didn't take on anything kept going, and as a result made up a few more places. Mile 3 7:51.

Great to be now heading back down and see the groups of runners behind still struggling up hill. Tried to run easy and up the pace, but still difficult to drop a gear when in races. Mile 4 7:04, and still passing the odd runner.

Mile 5 heard footsteps behind, and a triathlon guy moved up to my shoulder, running well. We ran shoulder to shoulder, matching strides on the final descent for 3/4 mile. He would push, then I would respond. Made my break with 800m to go with a shout out of encouragement from a marshal. Mile 6 - 6:16.

Next began to close down in a young guy ahead suffering badly. Really opened taps for the last .2, but couldn't catch him, finishing 1 second behind. Last .2 in 5:42 and finished in 19th place in 45:03.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/562397769

Good race, and happy to acquit myself well. The time meant nothing with all the climbing, but happy to have held off the Tri guy, and finished strongly.


Sunday 10Aug - LSR.

Was never going to be to long after the 10K the day before. Couldn't sleep, so up to the sound of torrential rain at 6:00. Running from the clubhouse at 7:15am. Soaked to the skin after 5 minutes.

7.1 miles in 57 minutes for 8:00avg

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/562397776

Tuesday 19/Aug/2014 - 2Warmup, 2Tempo, 1E, 2Tempo, 1Warmdown

Similar session to one last Tuesday, and had the benefit of the two John's for this one. Given they are both faster that me , I volunteered to be the "rabbit" and set out with a 1:30 lead.
The mind set when you are being chased down by faster lads, versus one where you have already been dropped is very different.

First 2 mile rep in 13:05 for 6:33avg pace. Happy that I ran strong and held form. Second one in 13:31 (to much of a drop in pace) @ 6:46 avg. Constantly thinking that the lads were going to catch me, again held form and finished relatively strongly.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/569443041


Wednesday 20/Aug - Easy

Easy miles around Malahide park, as the son was football training.

4.8 miles in 40 minutes, all on Grass. Followed by 4*80 strides at about 80% pace, bar the last one where I got down to 3:26pace for the mile

No more running until Frank Duffy on Saturday Morning, as the knees are a bit sore...

Sunday LSR - 24th Aug

Big group out considering most of them ran Frank the day before. Headed out at the front for a few miles. Pushed the pace on the sea front, with 2 miles under 7:00m/m.

9miles total in 1:07 for a decent workout.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/573408817

Also received the new Asics DS trainers 19 in the post, but they seem to small, I have exactly the same size in the DS trainer 18s and they are fine ???

Seriously thinking about changing to Nike...

Al,

Jesus long time... Where have you been hiding all this time?

I was actually out running with JohnF and Gavin last night for the first time in ages. John is flying at the moment, and Gav is mostly back from injury.

My come back is taking way longer that expected however :mad::mad:

Pop down for a few miles "steady miles" at some point...

Catching up.

Bit of chest cold over the last week, as such the running has been curtailed somewhat.

Tuesday 26 - Tempo.

First day of school for the lads, so didn't do a club session, rather just a few miles down in Malahide park. 5.6 miles of running including 2 miles at tempo pace - 6:23avg for 2 miles. Also 4*80 strides after.

Cold for rest of the week.

Sunday 31 - Easy Run.

In bits but needed to get out and complete the Garmin 120m for the month challenge thingy. Easy 2 miles around St Annes in the sun.

Monday 1 - September

Gym for medium workout. Getting a bit to scrawny for Mrs Draks linking...
Also 3.2 miles easy in the park.

Tuesday 2 Sept - Tempo

5 miles tempo effort on the Raheny 5 course on my own (as I finished work early). 2.1 warmup on the Wade Avenue course. followed by 5 miles in 34:06 for 6:48avg.
Then 2.4 miles easy @ 7:58.
Total 9.5 miles running.

Wednesday 3rd - GYM - Hard session.

Call me a sap for posting this, but im still smiling sitting here at my desk...

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Thursday 10/09 - Steady Run.

Busy in work and as a result missed the MLR Hills group. With the growing fatigue, just decided that 10ish mile steady would do. Club house to Sutton and up half of Howth hill. Caught one of the lads 3/4 up the hill anyway, turned at corkscrew hill and jogged back down. Stopped briefly at the Martello Tower on strand road, and the views across Dublin Bay, in the evening sun were spectacular.
The strap on the 610 is still busted, and awaiting on the replacement arriving.

9.9 miles in 1:16 for 7:35 avg.

Friday and Saturday - Gym for light workout.

Saturday Extra, 3.5 miles easy on fields, then 4*80m hill reps.

Sunday LSR.

Down with the club lads @ 8am, headed out for just a few miles, as MrsDrak had to be collected at the airport at 9:30, so distance would be limited.

9 miles in 1:06 for 7:25avg. Felt strong and miles passed quickly. Said hello to the East of Ireland Marathon Group, running 10 marathons on 10 consecutive days.