Brownian Motion

brownian · 21-10-2013 10:43PM

A slightly faster jog over the usual ground on Saturday. Handy enough spin, just ran as the body took me - no throttling back, no pushing. A bit stiff later on, so went hillwalking on Sunday to loosen out. After four hours of that, was actually starting to get niggles and aches. So went home and did too many physio exercises, and could hardly move. Dunno what came over me - excess energy or something. A bit sore that night, including in the base of the stomach, where the osteitis pubis lurks in its den. So taking it handy now for a day or two.

Sorry, dull posting - not much to tell really. Not limping today, so that's good, but not champing at the bit either, TBH. Carry on....:)

brownian · 20-02-2014 11:58PM

As the annual Conn half looms, time to do a bit of running. I've been useless at running for several months - the odd Saturday 10k, followed by obligatory aches and pains, then nothing for a few weeks...no way to get the body back into the groove.

So ran twice so far this week - second one on Monday, for some odd reason the run was smooth as butter, I felt great all the way, and not tired at the end at all. God, that was easier than planned. And 43 a reasonable pace (in fact, stupidly fast for a first run in ages, but some people never learn). Then again today - felt ok for first six, then chugged last four, with growing discomfort in calves and knees. Cut pace right back for last bit, finishing in 46. Probably still a bit fast - should be doing these 'first few back' at 5-minute pace. Lots of aches and pains this evening.

Anyway, hoping that posting here will help to get some motivation flowing again. The upswing in the weather the last couple of days has certainly helped a bit too:)

brownian · 07-04-2014 02:37PM

So, did a bit of training for this. Two ten-mile runs (both in the 1:15 range, far off my best) and maybe four or five 10ks, since Christmas. Add a nice 65km hilly bike ride on Saturday and a modest few pints on Saturday evening.

Hit the race with John (aiming for sub-80), Derek (aiming for 85 or so), and Kevin (no aim stated), with no clear aim of my own. With no training, I hadn't a lot to lose.

Actually found the run handy enough, despite the wind and rain - certainly there were nasty, cold, wet, tough bits, but a lot of the miles slid by handy enough. Getting to Keane's at 1:00 I started to dream of 1:30; that'd be a shocker! The big bad hill was, well, big and bad. The last mile into the wind was a bit rough.

Slunk over the line, pretty shattered at 1:33. An unreasonably good time for a man with no right whatsoever to have come in under 1:45.

Trouble is, I should really get back running. If I can run like that without any work, I could do a decent time......

Krusty_Clown · 07-04-2014 05:41PM

Thought I saw you at the start, but you were swallowed up into the crowd of the starting line and I wasn't diving in after you! Injury all better? Indeed a great time, given the training and the conditions.

brownian · 07-04-2014 10:59PM

Embarassed at the start, really - was late leaving shelter of shed wall in the rain, found myself jammed into second row, where fast people belong. Got out of way as soon as the gun went. Did have super-cool red/black snood on head, tho 8-)

Injury a bit on-and-off. Got away with it, but need to do physio more often. Exercises too.

brownian · 24-09-2014 01:38PM

So, after a summer on the bike (and surviving a week in Switzerland as a result), he tries to get back on his horse (as it were) and run.

Progress to date
- no running all summer.
- 5 easy ks with daughter 2 weeks ago. DOMS after, but easy running.
- 10k in 45 mins 10 days ago. Savage DOMS after, but the actually running was ok.
-10K in 45 mins around Roundwood Lake at the weekend. Not so much pain after...lovely run, though rooty and muddy in spots. Long fast hillwalk next day was a poor idea, however.
- 10k in 43.30 today. Held back a little, but should really have been going a bit slower.

Suspect that I'm doing too much too fast, but am getting away with it.

Aims/Goals
Conn Half next spring.
If things go really well over the next month or two, who knows where I'll find 26.2 marked miles? I could just jog DCM, I guess, but don't really see the point.

Caveat - not really feeling a mad urge to run, so might just stop again. But after 4 runs, it seems like there's enough momentum to open up the log again.

brownian · 29-09-2014 11:39AM

Another weekend another 10ks in the bag. Saturday was the plan, but spent it in a kayak, which was no hardship - what an amazing month September has been for weather!

Sunday morning, up on the static bike in the attic for 15 mins, then out on the usual run in Kilbogget. Looking down at the Garmin, I see the legs are running 3:50 pace, so decide to let the legs do the thinking and slow down if there's any niggles or nasties. Don't keep that pace up, but the first 5km arrives just as I hit 20 minutes. Deliberately (and without any choice) slow down for a k or two, then it's back to 4:15-4:30 pace. Hitting 9K, I am unashamedly wondering if I can hit decent time for 10, so skip the road crossings and other crud at Deansgrange cross and instead run back on myself for half a k, and back again. The girls on the bench in the park must have been sick of the sight of this sweaty old geezer wheezing past every 2 minutes 8-).

Anyway, hit 10k at 41:30, with which I was pretty happy, for the fifth run in a long time. Couple of slow ks jog back to the house, pint of milk, yoghurt, 20 mins on the stationery bike, then off for a walk in Avondale with the fambly. Usual stiff joints etc today, but nothing agonising.

Amazing marathon time in Berlin - sub 2:03 !! That's running.

Thanks for the 'thanks'es above - good to see that many of the ART (sorry, A/T) stalwarts are still giving to the community!

brownian · 30-09-2014 04:02PM

Didn't really feel like it today, but knew if I didn't get out after breakfast the work Kraken would enfold me in its tentacles for the day.

5 mins on the bike to warm up. Breathless but not very warm thereafter.
Took the Garmin AGES to find satellites - was 600+m into the run, up at Deansgrange Cross, before it finally kicked in.
Usual run, usual landmarks. A head-breeze on the first half, and then a tailbreeze on the way back. V hot and sticky. Legs felt a bit wooden and disinterested - didn't creak, but none of the zip they had for the last run. Maybe one day off between runs isn't enough at my current state of fitness - will leave it until Friday at least before next one.

Cranked out the miles, did a bit extra so as to get a definite time for 10k (even if not that great a time, it's not so bad for a trudgy run) got home, 5 mins on the bike, stretch, wash, go to work. Am glad to get a run in, but not one of those runs where you glory in it. As usual, a bit stiff now, but it'll pass.

Have to imagine this post won't inspire anyone - sorry! 8-)

brownian · 06-10-2014 11:49AM

After a fun day on the Liffey Descent, but a pretty poor running week (one run doth not a week make!), I decided it was time to try something I'd been reading on that boards.ie place - a longer, slower run, just to get the body used to moving for extended periods. So off to Glendalough - if you're going to run for longer, go somewhere nice.

Sure enough, Glendo was lovely - blue skies, no wind, lots of people (unfortunately, but unsurprisingly), fabulous autumn colours in the trees, the lakes like cold mirrors. Route went Interpretive Centre-Green Road-Boardwalk-Upper lake-Green Road-Derrybawn Courtyard-turn around-Interpretive Centre-Boardwalk-Upper Lake-Green Road-back to car (16.6km). There are longer loops with no -there-and-back element in Glendalough, but they include a lot of climbing, and I was trying to make this easy on the body.

As usual, running off road and on Coillte trails was very pleasant - it's certainly worth getting out of the city. Freakonomics on the podcast, talking about AirBnB and Lyft and EatWith, and how they interact with regulators. Interesting if you like that sort of stuff.

Happy enough with the run. Defo slowed down over the last six kms, but that was pretty much intentional, as first 10km was 45 mins and that's not really the sort of slow I had in mind. Could easily have pushed it to 20km, but coming off a 'longest-run-in-months-is-10k' position, that seemed foolhardy.

Pint of milk and jelly babies back at the car, and off to the in-laws!

brownian · 08-10-2014 05:45PM

Continuing my attempts to get my legs used to a bit of distance, decided to up my midweek distance from 10k to 10 miles. Should really have run yesterday, but work messed me about...so I returned the favour and had a running meeting from 1530 to 1730. Joy of self-employment.

Lashed all morning, but by 3 it was dry in Deansgrange, so hit the stationery bike for 5 mins, bit of a stretch, and off. Deansgrange-Glasthule-40 foot-Bulloch Harbour, Dalkey, Killiney, Ballybrack, Kilgobbet Park, and back to Deansgrange. In my heyday I've run this route in 1:02 or 1:03; today I was happy enough to just run on feel and try to keep a steady rhythm, and to come home in 1:12. It is actually a pretty hilly route - the last 5k are handy, but there are drags and hills in Monkstown, Tivoli Road and then substantially between Dalkey and Killiney. Nice houses, nice scenery, didn't rain.

Downloaded the entry form for Donadea last night..humming and hawing....hmmm....hawww....and so on.

brownian · 10-10-2014 03:42PM

The deed is done - the entry is sent - 50k or bust!

I was thinking, in fact, of doing the Pisa Marathon in mid-December, and then the Donadea 50 two months later. But that might be a bit tight for recovery, unless I just ran the Pisa run as a long training run (in which case, why go all the way to Pisa?). Equally, two months is a good long 'rest', and probably enough time to adjust from a pace-centred approach to a distance-centred approach. Something to think about - a marathon in about 10 weeks would be something to focus the training...though a marathon without a realistic shot at a PB would be less attractive (PB 2:58, my current training jog times are a little off that, though).

In the meantime, I'm actually deliberately training less - I'm easing myself back into running, and that means run one day, rest one day, and spend some time on the bike one day. The bike sessions (just finished one) are pretty minimal really, half an hour on the turbo, then some stretches...the main point is to de-kink the legs before getting out running again the following day.

Overall, I have to confess that training is a black art to me. Typical marathon plans, where you run 50+ miles (80+k) a week, just seem excessive; I've never run more than about 40 miles in a week (2x10, 1x20), and that's been peak pre-taper weeks. That said, marathon times have been pretty flat (3.01, 2:59 (both DCM), 2:58 (Connemara)) - maybe if I did make myself run all those miles my body would become habituated. I'm just worried about getting injured. For the rest of October, I think I'll stick to 2/3 runs a week, 10-14 miles max, then see what sort of pace I'm running at, and see if I need to increase the intensity for the first 3 weeks of November - at which stage it'll be time to either book a flight to Pisa, or not.

menoscemo · 10-10-2014 03:50PM

Good to see you back at it.
I am only around the corner from you nowadays, Give me shout if you want hook up for a 10 miler some time soon...

P.S. Donadea is great

brownian · 10-10-2014 05:51PM

Thanks, Meno, I will. Next week is a bit of a mess (lots of travel), and the following only a little better, but things calm down a bit then. Will PM you.

brownian · 13-10-2014 11:33AM

Out for the LSR on Saturday. First, tho, out for a quick paddle around Dalkey with the kayaking club - lovely day, calm water, porpoises, sunshine - could be the Med. Back for lunch, then down to Roundwood for two laps of the lake, plus an extra km to round it off.

The Roundwood run has some of the characteristics I'm looking for in a long-distance flat offroad - it's long, it's flat and it's offroad. Sadly, fair chunks of it are a bit dodgy underfoot - slippery, rooty, muddy, and that's after the dryest September I can remember. But it's very pretty, parking is easy and it's empty.

Anyway, ran pretty happily - esp the second lap, where the legs felt really strong. I could have gone for a third lap, but that's a bit of a distance jump (as it is, from 10 miles to 20k is a bit of a leap. Pace is slower than once-upon-a-time...but I'm still working on getting the body used to running, rather than going for speed. Feel I'm pushing the distances pretty hard - it's only a few weeks since I got back to it, and am comfy at 20km, so that's ok. Might start working in a few faster kms in the mid-week runs, see how that works out.

Dead jealous of the DCMers this year - that whole weeks-long buildup and excitement is great, and even better when there's a gang doing a lot of training together!

brownian · 14-10-2014 06:20PM

Wasn't really in the mood today. Been heavy going at work of late, and with a deadline at 4pm, I was changed by 4.20. Ten minutes on the stationery bike, then off to Monkstown, the West Pier, Seapoint, Blackrock, Blackrock park, Booterstown, and back home the same way. Legs chugging but not strong, feeling the little drags and the hills. Really, this was just about getting the training in, not really feeling the love.

Anyway, sin e.

brownian · 29-10-2014 08:34PM

Got weird pains in my right thigh last week - like acid burning. On a bad day, was getting hit about 10 times a day. If anyone makes a voodoo doll of me, this is what I expect it to be like - random stabbing and burning. Awkward if it hits when talking in a meeting, or driving a car, or sleeping.

Anyway, seems to have gone away. Departure may be linked to self-massage of v.tight quads and IT band, or may be coincidental.

Anyway, knocked out a slow 10 a few days back, just to see, and all was good. Then a 42-minute 10k today, which was fine, but a lot of effort for a mediocre time. The plan is work up again to where I was 10 days ago (20km at weekends, 10ks and 10 milers during the week, maybe a bit more emphasis on pace) and try to get settled into that, so that coming up to the end of November I can decide if Pisa is worth the trouble or not. Right now, it's not looking greatly likely.

Great to see KC and DrQ going so well in Frankfurt - well done the lads! DCM seems to have been a bit of a nightmare event - I'm only slightly sorry I missed it 8-)

brownian · 31-10-2014 07:07PM

Made the mistake of dropping by Krusty Clown's log on my way here - hardly seems worth the trouble of recording my meagre efforts. But...

Plan today was to try to cut my inter-run gap from 3 days to 2, and to work a little on some speed. So out the door (no drink beforehand, which was a poor decision) in my leggings (another poor choice, it's hot out there), and off to the usual park. My new Garmin 10 is lousy, compared to my old ForeRunner, at showing lots of info on one screen, but it does find the satellites a lot faster, and it does beep every km and tell you how you've done, so that helps to focus a little more. Oh, and it's orange and black (yes, on purpose).

Anyway, a slow starting km (around 4:30) and then a mix of 3:5x and 4:0x-4:1x kms up to the 5k mark. Overcooked just slightly; was able to keep below 4:30 for the return run, but never felt the zip in the legs to push for another sub-4 km. Still, did get the two sub-4 kms, which was most of what I had in mind.

Kayaking tomorrow, then aim for a 20k LSR on the Sunday. The hills are starting to call out to me, but for now, I'm going to keep things flat.

brownian · 02-11-2014 09:21PM

Off to Glendalough for the weekly LSR today. Halfway up the Sugarloaf hill, it strikes me that I've left my runners in Deansgrange. Idiot boy. Home again, turn around, back to Glendalough.

This afternoon was meant to be showery, but in fact it was cool, fairly still and dry - perfect conditions. So, parked in the interpretive centre, ran to the upper lake via the boardwalk (nice place, too many people, why do walkers not look where they are going, or if there are runners coming? I'm sure I probably wouldn't either), then along the side of the upper lake, up to the Miners' Village. Listening to Freakonomics on the broken window fallacy and how it applies to a Zombie Invasion - quite good, actually.

Anyway, back to the car lower end of the lake, and then up the hill beside the waterfall, picking up the Wicklow Way. Up up up, then up some more. Took a wrong turn someplace, and my upward trajectory finally stopped by a fallen tree, and then the abrupt end of the road, just in the elbow where the Derrybawn ridge meets the main ridge up to Mullacor. So, back down again. Fantastic running here - big open views, reasonably good footing, real sense of 'out there'. Great fun.

Back to the WW way, and then off to the east towards Derrybawn, dropping slowly across the side of the eponymous ridge, to emerge, after some steep descent, on the continuation of the Green Road that joins the Derrybawn craft shop with the main Glendalough interpretive centre. Only at 19km at this stage, so ran on to the upper car park again. Stopped at 21km (today's plan), put on my mini jacket and hat, walked back to car as 1-mile warmdown. 700ml of protein-enriched milk and a packet of almonds, a few stretches (getting a bit cold), then headed off.

When the weather is right, the legs are behaving and you're away from the traffic and the crowds, there's a simple animal pleasure in just running for its own sake. Today was really one of those days...just good to be alive, uninjured, and out under the sky.

OK, I care how long it takes: 1:45; flat ks were 4:10 to 4:30, the uphills were 6 or so. The last 3 were 4:30 or so, which isn't too bad a finish

RacoonQueen · 02-11-2014 10:22PM

Good to see you back at it Brownian...that kind of report is what makes me want to try mountain running...too much of a slave to the plan though...that sounds WAY off my kinda plan!

brownian · 03-11-2014 12:49PM

Thanks, RQ.
It was one of those great running moments that you (or at least I) only get rarely - the sense of aliveness and general health - no injury, easy movement, but more importantly a big open environment, peace and quiet, a sense of 'what a great place to run'...oddly enough, the actual pace isn't part of this pleasure.

It's certainly not something you can plan for, I fear, but it's great when it happens.

brownian · 04-11-2014 05:59PM

A windy one. The first half was handy enough, with the breeze behind me
4.23; 4.12; 3.55; 4.09;3.55;

then about face and into the wind (suddenly not a breeze any more, a righteous headwind!)

4.21; 4.26; 4.31; 4.18; 4.16

While this felt easier than the last 10k day, the numbers overall are pretty similar, and the wind added quite a bit of challenge on the way back. I did a few things 'better' - I drank a glass of water just before I started; the stride shape was cleaner (more of a lift-and-gallop, less of a shuffle); I didn't over-cook the first half, and still ran pretty much as fast (tho, of course, the wind did help).

I was hoping to get some more speed-specific work done today, but it was a bit of a struggle to get off my behind and out the door at all (a pint or two last night at a meeting dinner didn't help), so I'll take what I got and be thankful.

Thinking about Pisa, I don't really see how I'll get to any sort of decent Marathon fitness in the next month, and then I'd need a short sharp taper for the first half of December. So maybe better to focus on Donadea as the current goal race, and then some spring marathon... no decisions yet, but that's today's sense of the sensible.

brownian · 11-11-2014 05:09PM

What a week - not a good one for training!

Between work and then kayaking, running ground to a halt for the last week.

The plan was to go sea kayaking in Anglesey (big tide races - eurgh) last weekend. That grew into Thursday - spend evening dropping kayak to Bray, during which boat lifting I hurt my back; Friday: travel to Holyhead (three and a half hours .... WTF ?); Saturday: on the water all day, manky weather, making back even more sore; Sunday: on the water all day, back a bit crocked, then Ferry back. I took runners and so on to Wales with me, and told everyone in my group that I was going to be running 20k+, in order to put proper peer pressure on myself - but the kayaking was tough, my back was sore, and then it was dark, and lashing rain, and I was tired...I'd say the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak, but it was more an all round sort of weakness really.

Then all day meeting yesterday (0900 to 2300, including the obligatory dinner) and today I'm trying to catch my breath, and the rain is lashing down... weak again. At least a full day of rest is improving my sore back.

So, off to Belgium for a meeting tomorrow. Will try to get out tomorrow in the AM, as it'll be late in Leuven when I get there, and the next day is a dead loss.

Things were going pretty well there, for a while...the challenge now is to get it back on the rails and to focus on the running instead of getting distracted with other stuff. Otherwise Donadea is gonna race up and hit me. Pisa pretty much a dead loss, it seems 8-(

brownian · 12-11-2014 03:37PM

Having done my whinging yesterday, it was time to do something about it today, before flying to lovely Belgium for an all-day meeting tomorrow. So waited for a particularly heavy shower to end, did a few physio-exercises, and hit Kilbogget for the ritual 10k.

It rained, but not too much. In expectation of rain, I wore a very light cycling jacket (Sportful hotpack 4), and cycling 'armlets' - those black wrist-to-shoulder jobs, plus a waterproof baseball cap, along with the usual jersey and shorts. That worked pretty well; I got a bit warm late in the run, and put the jacket in the pocket of the jersey.

Ground saturated. Lots of lakes and mushy bits - shoes in the hotpress now. But not much wind, and only a bit of rain, and the podcasters at freakonomics to while away the time. No eye on pace at all, basically plodded around in about 42:30. Calves a little tight after, but should be grand by Friday, when the next run is on the agenda. Overall, run was very easy (as in not much effort), which is good.

So, a more cheerful situation than the last posting.

brownian · 14-11-2014 06:18PM

Another standard lunchtime run. I know I should be thinking 'sessions' and working on pace, rather than trudging from Deansgrange to Ballybrack and back every couple of days, but the weather is so sh1te that it's an achievement to get out the door. And it keeps the legs moving, so that the LSRs at the weekend are not too traumatic.

So, the minor details - wind in face for first 5km. No rhythm to start with, as GPS didn't find the satellites, and then traffic at Deansgrange cross was unusually dense and I had to stop and wait for a couple of minutes - maybe 3.30 isn't the ideal time for a run. Then, of course, the grass is a quagmire and the tarmac paths are littered with lakes - I started out trying to avoid them, but by the run back towards the house I just ploughed through the puddles. Ugh.

Performance - given the crap conditions I'm reasonably content - it's pretty much my old MP, give or take a few seconds, and it didn't take anything out of me, effort wise. A few niggles on the run itself discouraged me from any heroics, pace-wise, as did the detours onto grass or into water. Interesting podcast about the world hot dog eating champion (72, including the buns, in 10 minutes...yeurgghhh).

Looking ahead - Sunday is the LSR, and 15 miles is the plan. Wicklow someplace is the likely venue. The distance is getting too long for any forest trail that I know of; I could, I guess, do 2 laps of some nice 12-km loop in Glendalough...or else just park in Roundwood and head off in to the back-roads of Moneystown and what not. Alternatively, I see a plan to 'run the line' recce at some stage; if that was at a suitable time, I might jump on...tho a flatter run would suit me better, for this longer-distance stuff. If it's dry and not windy (yeah, right), parking at the Sally gap and running 12km towards Laragh, andt then back, would actually be very nice running....

anyway, suggestions welcome 8-)

Happy weekend, folks

brownian · 16-11-2014 06:43PM

Down to Glendalough for this one, but a change of route - instead of climbing up the wicklow way, I parked just above the bridge where the kayakers get out, on the road between Laragh and Glenealy (the Drumgoff road), and ran through Derrybawn courtyard and down the green road into Glendalough. Then turned off onto the track that goes up to the retreat houses, beside the river, that's parallel, more or less, with the Wicklow Gap road. Up that track, which is pretty nice, to the old mines (signposted for Kevin's Way), then back to the Monastic Village, back onto the Green Road, and away up to the Miner's village. Back to Glendalough village, back again to the Retreat Houses, and then back to the car, via detour to Laragh village. A bit 'out and back and back and out' of a route, but all in lovely surroundings with no traffic, and (compared to the last run here), a lot flatter. The difference was pretty clear - I hit the half marathon at 1:35 today, and at 1:45 the last (much hillier) day.

There was a certain amount of messing about, getting the last km done (this route is really about 23.5km, but I had 25km on the plan), but apart from that it was grand. Felt great around 13-14km, really strong, and pretty ok the rest of the time, tho tiring a little in the last 5km...the green road from the visitor centre to Derrybawn is largely (gently) uphill and I didn't appreciate that much.

Speed was nothing special - pretty much 4:3x on average. I really wasn't looking for speed, so no kms at all below 4:00, and a couple of messy ones around the 5:00 mark (think unexpected river crossings, that sort of thing).

Glad to get the distance up to 25km, and to have run ok despite my weekend off, kayaking. Donadea is still far away, but not that far.

brownian · 18-11-2014 04:43PM

Like the Raconteurs' song (dum dum di doo dum, dum dum di doo dum...what a talent

). Overcame the usual post-lunch laziness, spent 10 mins on the physio exercises for the core, fired up the Garmin and away we go.

Just for a change (not), ran down to Ballybrack and back via Kilbogget Park. Bit o of a head-wind on the way down, bit of a tail-wind on the way back. Ground in better condition than last week, but stayed on the tarmac paths throughout. No wading/puddles this time, though.

4.49
4.07
4.06
4.03
4.08
4.11
4.00
4.03
3.57
4.02

I should really have put in an extra km, to get 40:xx for ten...but leaving that for another day. Happy enough to see that I am starting to work my way towards a sub-40 10k; back in my youth (1999) I ran 37:30 odd, and while that may require actual 10k training, it'd be nice to get below 40 at least.

Quite a different stride pattern today - working at opening out the legs and taking longer strides, as compared to my LSR/trail jogging, which tends to be low-energy, relatively short steps.

Today's podcast - the impact on mortality on fertility. Not 'can dead women have children' but 'do communities that experience loss of life have higher fertility thereafter, than similar communities that do not experience loss of life'? You'd expect so, and indeed they do, according to demographers who studied the after-effects of the Tsunami in Indonesia. From the usual Freakonomics crowd. Have also been listening to 'what you missed in history class' from the 'how things work' stable - but the presenters are really amateur, and the research is a bit second-rate.

brownian · 21-11-2014 06:55PM

So it's raining all day. But it was foggy all day yesterday and I just couldn't get my a$$ in gear...today I was a bit more motivated and despite the weather I dragged myself out about half three. Wasn't pigging down, but a steady drippy drizzle thing.

Anyway, off to the usual commute. Into a brisk breeze, to add further joy to the rain. Just coming back from the Ballybrack end, up the wee climb, when the right calf decides it's hurt. This is the first niggle/injury in weeks, and it's not something I whole-heartedly embrace. So I stop and stretch against a tree, ignoring the deep wet slime of the grass/mud (grud?) and the looming sense of doom. After a few mins, start to walk home, and after a few mins of that, start to jog a little. No pain, so soon back to a relatively normal jog pace (say, 4:45, something like that). Got home in one piece, and no major trauma yet. The big question is how will I feel tomorrow?

I've stretched, drunk a pint of milk and put on a calf compression support thing. Fingers Xed, that's as far as it goes.

brownian · 24-11-2014 11:59AM

Off to Glendalough yesterday for what is fast becoming the 'usual' run around the valleys. Glorious cold crispy day, hardly any wind or cloud. Ground still a bit wet from the recent monsoon, but otherwise excellent conditions. This did mean lots of people blocking my road, but nice weather is nice!

Parked up on the road going up towards Garryduff (out the Rathdrum road from Laragh, then left, over the bridge on the Annamoe), then jogged down into Derrybawn courtyard and took the green road into Glendalough. Turned left upon onto the Wicklow Way, and climbed up for quite a while, parallel to the Derrybawn ridge (this route is nicer to run down, than up!), then steeply back down to the top of the waterfall, and from there to the upper lake, the Miners' Track, and back to the Village. Quick jog up past the Retreat Houses on Kevin's Way, and then back to the car. Took a short detour to get that last km in, jogging into the forest towards Jackson's falls on the Annamoe. The falls are pretty washed out, but vigorous enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi0dZbFJEyU&feature=youtu.be

After that little bit of a scare last week, I ran a bit gingerly to start with (and wore compression calf guards), but the legs were fine. A bit tired after 20k, but then there were a few steep kms in there, so being 10 minutes slower wasn't a major issue. Lots of 4:30-ish kms in there, plus about three or four where the time went out to 5:30. None the less, I didn't feel any great urge to push the distance out to (say) 30km. Maybe next week (but, since I'm in Barcelona for the weekend, that's not very likely).

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brownian · 26-11-2014 09:49PM

Strikes me as a pretty dull log this - apologies to those with the patience to read it. It really is just this old geezer (well, 46 old) trying to get a bit fitter and work his way up to being able for the Donadea 50. So day to day, it's the usual struggle to find motivation to get out the door, and then running up and down the best local venue, the handily 10k Kilgobbet park. Not the stuff of classic literature - sorry!

Nice easy run today, tho rather cold. Heroic struggle to get off behind and into running gear - once the gear is on, tho, you know there's no escape. First day in long tights, and was pretty pleased to have them on, I must confess.

Felt pretty good throughout; put some extra oomph into it for the last couple of kms. The numbers don't really bear this out, with a couple of fairly speedy kms early on that didn't really register on the effort front, tho there is a pickup in the last 2 kms. The perceived effort increase was pretty sharp, all the same.
4.32
4.17
4.06
4.05
3.59
4.12
4.16
4.11
4.00
4.04

Back in my last marathon cycle (Connemara), my MP was 4:11, that's nearly exactly today's average speed. Doing 4 of these runs back to back would be a challenge, though - in particular, those last two kms wouldn't position me well for more long distance.

I've a general perception of a need to keep working on my 'relaxed' pace - the 3,4,5,6,7, and 8th kms today were pretty ok...but I doubt I could knock out 30 or 40 at that pace; we'd really be looking at 10-15 seconds slower before comfort of any sort would set in. I don't know what to do about it, though, other than what I am doing anyway - long runs at the weekend, and this sort of pace-building during the week.

Off to Barcelona for the weekend on Friday, not back til Wednesday - I'll do my bestest to get a long run in, but Friday's run itself might be in some jeopardy - we'll see. Wonder where to run in Barca for 30km...?

brownian · 03-12-2014 02:40PM

Off for the weekend in sunny (actually, rain-pigging) Barcelona, in preparation for a meeting there Mon-Weds (in the airport now). Lashed out of it on a regular basis on Saturday, so left the run til Sunday. Then down the Ramblas (too many people, much dodging) to the coast, turn left, keep the sea on your right. The walkway/bike way extends apparently forever, with little enough disruption in the way of junctions, etc. A few people around, but with the rain, it wasn't too crowded. Ran up as far the Port Forum (for anyone who knows BCN), past a combination of very des-res country and some dodgy looking spots out of Blade Runner. Ground very hard underfood (tiles), strong headwind (lots of windsurfers, kite surfers and plain surfer surfers). Easier on the way back, tho had to stop for a drink (it might be raining, but 19C is still pretty warm for running in).

Anyway, this was never going to be a quality run, when compared to the relative tranquility of Wicklow. But it was good to get out and about.

Brownian Motion

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