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The Boggers Log

ThebitterLemon

After some sage advise from Krusty, I've decided to dip my toe into the training log pool.

My 12 month objective is to crack a sub 3, but my immediate objective is to run a 3.05 -3.07 in Seville in February.

I've done a few marathons and did Valencia a couple of weeks ago as a training run (fantastic event by the way), and I've started a 12 week McMillan running program last Monday.

I'll try to post here as frequently as possible and would appreciate any feedback proffered.

Again, tnx Krusty for his time and inputs.

TbL

3 sessions completed so far;

1. 30 min warm up followed by, 22, 30 second strides with 1 min recovery run at between 5k and 1 mile race pace. 15 min cool down jog

2. 70 mins easy run

3. 50 min easy run

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Comments

martyboy48

I enjoyed that read, really felt your frustration..
One thing I wondered about though. You're on about your weight and you made a reference to it while you were in the starting pen. Was it something that you were "put out" about at the start or just a casual observation. Just thinking it might have put you in the wrong frame of mind....

I say that as a heavyish runner myself and could be way off the mark, just a thought

Anyway, I do believe you will craic it sooner rather than later(I'm sure you're sick of hearing that), and I look forward to reading more on your running and meet-up conquests in the near future

skeleton_boy

A great read that. Just one of those days no doubt. You will see the rewards and they will be so much sweeter.

Tom Joad

Very honest report TbL. Disappointed for you that it didn't go to plan but you'll be back even stronger - what doesn't kill us and all that jazz.

pa4

Very good report TbL, sorry to hear the race didn't go the way you had planned. If you still managed to PB when feeling like crap just imagine how well you'll run when your actually feeling good. All that training and hard work will soon work to your advantage. Set new targets and forget about the past.

Cleanman

Great report tbl, really sorry to hear it didn't work out this time. But I do remember you mentioning on this log that Amsterdam was as much a stepping stone to bigger and better things. You still pb'd so you took a step forward, just not as far forward as you expected. Next time will be a big step. I don't think anyone in here that has read your log and training doubts that.

ThebitterLemon

SamforMayo wrote: »

A very disappointing result for you but you did nt give up! Tackle the weight issue, it won't be that hard. You will get that sub 3, I'm sure of it. Enjoy the hols , yourself and your sunny pictures. The door of my car nearly blew off today while I was trying to get in!

And you think I need to tackle the weight issues

TbL

FBOT01

Excellent report as usual. Chalk it up to experience and build on it. Enjoy the rest of your hols. Suitably jealous:)

SamforMayo

A very disappointing result for you but you did nt give up! Tackle the weight issue, it won't be that hard. You will get that sub 3, I'm sure of it. Enjoy the hols , yourself and your sunny pictures. The door of my car nearly blew off today while I was trying to get in!

ThebitterLemon

career move wrote: »

You'll find some like minded souls on the VICE challenge and the winter weight loss thread if you care to join us :D

Tnx CM,

I need to tackle it with the same rigour I apply to other aspects of my running.

TbL

career move

You'll find some like minded souls on the VICE challenge and the winter weight loss thread if you care to join us

ThebitterLemon

Got another 6 miles in early this morning, the place was full of runners.

I'll try and get 10 or 11 miles in tomorrow, I'll have to get out earlier again though as it gets warm pretty quickly

TbL

Murph_D

I was leaking like a cauldron of draining spuds.

You have a way with words, maestro, there's no question about that.

Great report. Your disappointment is obvious, and I don't know enough about running to offer any wisdom, beyond the trite observation that it just didn't happen for you. We could see from the tracker that something was not right around 30-35k but from your report it seems to have started earlier. I've no doubt you will find out what it is. To get back up there and grind out a PB is exemplary - if this is failure, it has a ring of magnificence about it.

100 marathons in 8 years? I had no idea you were that crazy!

pconn062

Great report TBL, on what must have been a very disappointing day. We've all had them and I would be a sucker for moping on it but I've learnt to try and channel it into the next cycle. Maybe a bit of focus on the weight and a training cycle that targets your shorter distance PB's before the next marathon is needed to crack the sub 3 barrier, but I'll leave that up to ecoli.

tang1

You call a spade a spade, honesty personified. Fair play for digging in and finishing the job out, may not be what you wanted but as been said it will stand to you. I've a DCM entry going a begging if you fancy running a PB for me. Well done TbL.

Duanington

Great report TbL - good and honest as always. It sounds like you were well and truly f*cked at one stage, the fact that you didn't cave in to that temptation to take the easier option and pack it in will stand to you in the future for sure.

Onwards and upwards

ger664

I would call this progress. You threw in the towel in Seville, last week you didn't.

Ger

Ososlo

Fair fecks to ya for the honesty.
Glad you're sticking around for another bit:)

yaboya1

Bad day at the office, but it still ended with a pb. You'll be back soon with the time you deserve.

Gavlor

Very honest report. It sounds to me like your issues were as much psychological as they were physiological. If you can address that then your next marathon will be a lot easier for you.

Well done on the pb and very well done for seeing it out.

ThebitterLemon

The Amsterdam 26.2 Training Run!

Not sure where to start this, so I suppose I'll go back to the start.

I did my first marathon in Amsterdam in 2006 after following a generic 12 week training plan. I was delighted to finish in 3.18, I did DCM two weeks after that and blew up, about a year later I caught the multi marthoning bug and set off in pursuit of 100 marathons hoping to lower my PB along the way. It took me another 90 odd marathons before I managed to do just that dropping it to 3.17 in Limerick in 2012 and to 3.15 a couple of weeks later in Waterford. After hitting the 100 marathons in August 2012, I just plodded along training wise for a couple of weeks before deciding to try and go sub 3.00. I started but didn't finish many different generic plans before joining the ART logs last year. I got a present of the McMillan online coaching plan and set off in my attempt to break 3.05 in Seville, a week or two off with a shin injury caused me to lower my target to sub 3.10. I found the support on here much better than the online coaching lark with some superb replies to requests for advice. I had a terrible run in Seville and ended up with a DNF, in hindsight my head was probably writing cheques my legs/training couldn't cash. I was pissed off then as well but some great support from AMK got me back in the saddle pretty quickly, and I remember running 20 miles in Jordan a week or two after Seville and finishing fast and strong. I took some advice from Stazza, on my log regarding a 6 week plan, at the time and to be fair to the man I felt it complemented the training I'd already done very well. I'd decided to bounce back from the failure in Seville and give Limerick a sub 3.10 crack. I cut it fairly close in Limerick but snuck under 3.10 chip time and man was I ecstatic. I'd already given up the McMillan happy chappy online coaching and looking to improve I reached out to Ecoli to see would he coach me and rebalance the age profile of his stable

He put together a plan that fitted my work and family life and was always only a text or call away when I needed some advice. So having put in a great training cycle with some satisfying race times in the mix I headed off to Amsterdam in a confident mood. I had no colds or niggles was fairly well rested and was confident that the strategy we had planned would yield a comfortable sub 3.05 with the potential for better if things came together.

I arrived in Amsterdam on Saturday around lunch time and while it was a bit warm and windy I wasn't to concerned. I hydrated and ate properly for the day and got an early night. I did notice that I had sweated very heavily in the bed during the night (and no Gavlor, I was on my own!) but I didn't pay it a second thought. Got my usual breakfast of alpen in the morning and also had a croissant and a banana. Got to the stadium in plenty of time and went into my pen nice and early. Got all the toilet jobs done nice and early and sipped a bottle of sports drink. I was feeling pretty good and sat down on the track against a barrier just chillin. Around 9 the sun broke through and it started to feel warm, it was the first time that I started to think about it and the effect it might have on my race. While the organisation in the Olympic stadium was very good I thought the atmosphere was quite poor. That doesn't bother me as I've run marathons with a couple of lads and a few sheep at the start to see us off, but for a big city marathon it wasn't great. Without much of a do we were off and very shortly we weren't, a couple of hundred metres we were funnelled into a tighter area and came to a shuffling stop. Lots of expletives from disgruntled runners. The congestion at the start was causing me to have to zig zag and weave and focus on not been tripped up. A slow first mile was completed in 7.19 and I was surprised to see that I was sweating heavily so early. It took a good few miles for the congestion to ease and to get into any sort of rhythm but I was ticking along nicely apart from the fact that I was leaking like a cauldron of draining spuds. I haven't taken salt tabs in years but had packed a couple into the zipper for just such an eventuality. I decided at mile 8 to take one and as I'd no water I swallowed it dry (not a problem for me as I do this regularly with pills), very quickly however my usually cast iron stomach revolted and I was close to puking. The sensation passed after a couple of mins and had no adverse effect on my pace at all. I was concerned about the wind coming up the river but although it was fairly windy this section was the best I felt the whole way around. I had taken a gel at around mile 10 (I hadn't used any gels at all on this training cycle but had bought a few power gels that I'd used without incident in the past).

The gel caused me another few stomach flips but again it had no effect on my pace. I had expected I'd pick up the pace when I got over the other side of the river and would have the wind at my back, it didn't happen and it was around here that I started to feel it pinch a bit. I decided to keep the pace to just under sub 7 and blast the last 6 miles if feeling good. I was finding the water stations a real pain, I can handle water in cups as I just pinch the top together and sip it on the run. The contents of the cups however was a different matter, about a inch of water in the cups was definitely not enough. I also thought that there weren't enough water stations. I hit half way in 1.32 odd, a little over target but if I was on form, nothing to worry about as I usually finish very strong. I was worried though as the effort level was rising and I knew the 3.00:01 was out the window. We had planned for this so I hit plan B, quickly it became apparent that wasn't going to happen so I adjusted to our plan C. At mile 18 or nineteen, my brain said to fock with plans and I stopped and walked. I was considering another DNF and was as damn close to an auld lads in tears as you will see. I blinked the salt out of my eyes and looked at my watch. I did some half arsed mental calculation that told me if I ran at around my steady/easy pace for the next 7 miles I'd still PB. So putting the sub 3.05 outta my mind I focused on the painful task of grinding out the last few miles. At this stage my forehead felt like a George Foreman grill that had been cooking burgers for an over eaters anonymous summer BBQ. My head felt like it was gonna explode. I was thankful that it had completely clouded over at this stage and wasn't as warm. I passed an elite runner # 80 walking and I thought I might join him and share our woes

Those last 7 miles was pure unadulterated mental torture. If I wasn't been coached or wasn't logging here I'm 100% certain I would have quit. Mile 26 was the hardest mile I ever ran, when I realised I wasn't gonna run even a 3.08 I almost completely capitulated but somehow managed to slowly trundle forward. There were lots of people walking at this stage and everyone of them I slowly passed seemed to be telepathically encouraging me to join the Walking Dead. Most people coming into the stadium were delighted, I didn't give a fock! I crossed the finish line in disgust and didn't want to be near anyone. A PB but not one that I'll ever take an ounce of satisfaction from.

Luckily I had to change my flights and leave on Sunday evening because of work, as I was even ****e company on my own.

Thanks to all for the many messages of support, especially Snailsong who experienced something similar last year. TBH it was hard to even come back onto Boards and see everyone else enthusiastic and getting ready to do battle themselves (pathetic as that sounds)

The day after my legs felt fairly ok, nowhere near race stiff but my head was still melted. I know I didn't run anywhere near my potential, and although I had high expectations they were backed up by the best training cycle I have ever done. I've been distraught since Sunday and the feeling is only marginally receding, it's not life or death but I'd invested a lot into it!

One thing that I do need to tackle, all joking aside is my weight, down in my pen at the start I looked like the timble in the middle of the box of pins! Saddlebags should be on horses not marathon runners. When I was getting ready, I was taking off my wedding ring to lighten the load, the ridiculousness of this really struck home as I'd probably eaten the weight equivalent of a Sherman tank in chocolate on this cycle.

Anyway I need to put Amsterdam behind me and move on to beyond sub 3. Ye'll have to put up with me for a while longer.

Finally very well done to Viperlogic and while I'm delighted for him I'm jealous as fock at the same time. Is that just wrong

All the best to everyone racing at the weekend, may the running gods smile kindly on ye.

Splits:

7.18
6.52
6.56
6.55
6.56
6.53
6.50
6.51
7.02
6.59
6.50
6.55
6.57
6.55
6.53
6.53
6.56
7.04
7.58
7.17
7.36
7.36
7.32
7.48
7.33
7.56
3.23

TbL

career move

Looks nice

Are you thinking of taking up windsurfing .....

you could become #popeyesurferdude

ThebitterLemon

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

I know someone with a spare number :cool: you could make it a double report :P

Unfortunately I'm stuck here BB till it's over, otherwise I'd do it like a shot!

What's the weather like at home

CM, the super bug formerly known as Ecoli has been providing appropriate counselling but at this stage even my wife is sick of my moaning self pity, but a bit like a super bug myself, I'm hard to kill off, so I'll be back

TbL

BeepBeep67

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Haha didn't think of that, might now delay the self pitying navel gazing report till Monday night:)

TbL

I know someone with a spare number :cool: you could make it a double report :P

career move

I thought you were after joining 'the guru' in his self imposed exile

ThebitterLemon

AuldManKing wrote: »

thats it - mix it in with all the DCM stories.
It'll still taste bitter (pardon the pun) no matter how diluted

Seriously - good stuff on the running break - much needed mentally I'm sure.
Back stronger.

Haha didn't think of that, might now delay the self pitying navel gazing report till Monday night:)

TbL

AuldManKing

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

You're right Murph, I'll get it out tonight or tomorrow at the latest

TbL

thats it - mix it in with all the DCM stories.
It'll still taste bitter (pardon the pun) no matter how diluted

Seriously - good stuff on the running break - much needed mentally I'm sure.
Back stronger.

ThebitterLemon

Murph_D wrote: »

OK, time to break up the "pity party" and file the report. Let's have it! :pac:

You're right Murph, I'll get it out tonight or tomorrow at the latest

TbL

ThebitterLemon

After a week of mental self flagellation I decided to head out for a run.

I'm in Lanzarote for a week and got a easy 5 miles done in glorious morning sunshine.

The legs have been fine since last Sunday but the brain seems to have been badly injured suffering a second degree cerebral tear

I was gonna take two weeks completely off running before hitting the next cycle but I've decided to do a few weeks of easy running and then jump into the next cycle.

TbL

Murph_D

OK, time to break up the "pity party" and file the report. Let's have it! :pac:

ThebitterLemon

I'm still fockin disgusted!

The pity party should however, only last another day or two.

As you can see I'm still not sleeping right since Sunday

TbL