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Making every mile count
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Saturday 13/12
10.20+ Miles Various
AM
5 Miles Very Easy @7.36/m in 38:02 (5.20 Miles+ forgot to start watch)
PM
5 Miles Very Easy @7.25p/m in 37:05
Sunday 14/12
6.50 Miles Easy @7.10p/m in 46:37
WEEK TOTAL: 77.05+ MILES
A fair few miles under the target but nothing to get too worked up about (yet). The plan was to increase the mileage by 10% but I didn't quite manage that this week. The weekend gave the legs a healthy amount of recovery and for that they feel in better condition.
Hopefully the next few weeks won't involve front-loading the miles to the start of the week.
Monday 15/12
Mountain/Hill Run
-12 Miles @7.19p/m in 1.27:52
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/651414703
A really enjoyable but tough run. I am already looking forward to next weeks hill run! Some of the inclines today really pushed the effort levels into the red. At least the reward was tangible for the effort expended. The views across Dublin are simply amazing. One of those days you wished everyone gave running a go so they could experience the simple enjoyment of running up and down a hill
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dublin runner wrote: »Completely agree.
I was risking a fair bit this week by front-loading the miles/intensity as I knew the weekend would be manic. Luckily the easy miles over the weekend have recharged the old batteries. It's a very fine line and a tactic I wouldn't advise. It's was a bit stupid of me to be honest.
Yeah, the long run. A bit of a mess that was! I planned to run it easy. I checked the watch for the first time after 8 miles and it was showing an average mile pace of 6.51p/m. My easy pace has come down but I think that is down to me unable to control my pace rather than a natural progression in fitness.
I am enjoying reading your training. It looks like a very smart approach. Depending on how things go over the next few weeks I might see you over there in April! Hopefully I won't end up in the 10km corral again if I do.....:D.
I figured there was reasoning behind it because you're generally sensible when it comes to recovery, well, sensible enough
I have also been guilty of front-loading miles and quite recently too but its a risky business and I don't think there's much to be gained while plenty to be lost.
I'm enjoying my training, it's a nice change to what I've been used to and I have a good feeling about it and the upcoming new year. Rotterdam? Do it, just do it. You're training very well, keep going injury free and you'll pull a great performance out of the bag, don't want to give you a time, yet
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I figured there was reasoning behind it because you're generally sensible when it comes to recovery, well, sensible enough I have also been guilty of front-loading miles and quite recently too but its a risky business and I don't think there's much to be gained while plenty to be lost.
I'm enjoying my training, it's a nice change to what I've been used to and I have a good feeling about it and the upcoming new year. Rotterdam? Do it, just do it. You're training very well, keep going injury free and you'll pull a great performance out of the bag, don't want to give you a time, yet
Yeah, usually I am smart enough. Very simple things like doing a hard run in the morning and having your next run late the next evening/night can make a big difference. You can essentially have 30+ hours of recovery (so a full days rest) if you plan your sessions well.
At the moment I am training for the National 50km in Donadea. The question now is will it be a race effort or a good solid effort with an eye on Rotterdam. The 50km is a race I really want to run but I realise it's not the best call in terms of development. I really need to focus on the shorter distances (10km and lower). Ideally I would be doing virtually no track sessions but I am trying to keep some speed in the legs and not become an ultra-runner (:rolleyes:). I'm not allowed race at the moment. That's probably a good thing as I have really become a good trainer and a bad racer!
I just want to head back to my favourite Italian in Rotterdam, the marathon is just the excuse to head over! That and the disgusting Burger King I had the day after.....haha!0 -
Tuesday 16/12
10 Miles Easy @7.14p/m in 1.12:18
Decided against the usual club session. A combination of a hangover (Christmas Party), awful weather and bad traffic made the decision that bit easier to make.
Wednesday 17/12
11.10 Miles Easy @7.08p/m in 1.19:07
I made a bit of a mess of this run. The plan was to do 10 miles @6.17p/m (2.45 MP) so I took myself down to Tymon Park just after work. By half four the carpark was closing and it was getting seriously dark. I quickly got down to it but the last straw was realising that I wearing not two but three layers of running gear! I wasn't fussed about heading back to the car so I decided to keep tonight easy. The park became seriously dark so probably the best decision. My knee became sore several times during the run. The pain has moved from the side to just below the keep cap. Hopefully it keeps on bloody moving and finally gets the picture and disappears!
Thursday 18/12
11 Miles Various
-.50 Mile W/U
-10 Miles @6.07p/m
-.50 Mile W/D
The legs were telling me to get off the hard roads so I decided last night to head down to the gym instead of forcing it and doing this session on concrete/tarmac. It had been a long time since I was last in gym and the treadmill. It thinks it definitely serves a purpose if you can hit the right effort level. Without doubt it is slightly easier but to combat this I put on a decent gradient and a faster pace (6.07 vs 6.17 per mile). A healthy amount of clock watching staring at the stats on the treadmill nearing the end meant I probably hit the correct effort level for this run.
I am as weak as a kitten at the moment in the upper body. I really need to take some classes as I have zero motivation when it comes down to lifting weights etc. Zero.
The plan at the moment seems to be focused around long hard(ish) runs. The mileage is building nicely and I am feeling very strong despite some discomfort. I have entered the Staplestown Marathon (EoI) in late January. I am not sure will this be a long hard effort or an opportunity to simply get some time on the feet. I am really hoping there is some depth in the field around my target time. Looking back I really saw the benefit of running Tralee a few weeks before Rotterdam so hopefully this will hold true for the 50km in February.
As I type I realise how mad my plan is. Not something I would really advise if I were to be honest but something I have always wanted to do
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Monday 22/12
10 Miles Various
AM
5 Miles Very Easy @7.26p/m in 37:10
A cheeky run before seeing the physio about my knee, prompted by fear that I will be told not run! Knee not too bad but noticeable.
PM
5 Miles Very Easy @7.27p/m in 37:16
A very cheeky run after seeing the physio. As usual Ecoli did a great job, despite the very necessary pain he put me through! As expected the issue was with my ITB. No knee issue whatsoever during this run.
Tuesday 23/12
10.50 Miles
AM
5 Miles Very Easy @7.22p/m in 36:55
The difference in the knee was like night and day. Not once did it give out, although the right calf suddenly had it's moment in the spotlight. A sharp pain halfway through reminded me to take it easy this week. Perhaps this was due to the the fast I was compensating (due to the bad left knee) and had put more responsibility on the right leg to pull me through runs.
PM
5.50 Miles
Club Track Session
-1.25 Mile W/U (inc. stretch/drills/strides)
-400m reps @10km effort with 80 seconds recovery (77,80,76,80,78,79,80,77,77)
-W/D
Needing to collect my medal (and prize-money
) from the Dublin Marathon, I headed down to the club and substituted the 1km reps for a few 400m laps of the track. In reality the pace was very easy, aided by long recoveries. I felt I needed to keep in touch with some faster paced running without putting any stress on the body. Job done.
This week will be a step-back week. The body needs a bit of break so that's what it will get! I may do the 5k in Dromore, Sligo on St. Stephen's Day (an excuse of get out of the house!). If I avoid eating all around me on Christmas Day I will tempo run it, not aiming to achieve any decent time. I came 4th lat year in the 10k last year but the last km is through a challenging enough section of forest so I will avoid the longer distance and hopefully latch on to someone in the 5km.0 -
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Monday 29/12
10.20 Miles Various
AM
5.20 Miles Very Easy @7.34p/m in 39:21
PM
5 Miles Easy @7.16p/m in 36:20
A nice easy day to balance out the long run the previous day. At the moment I need to keep the runs a bit shorter than I would really like but I need to look after an issue or two I have in the legs.
Tuesday 30/12
12 Miles Various
AM
Total: 6.60 Miles
Hill Session
-4.10 Miles Easy (7.15p/m)
-10x20 seconds @1 Mile Effort
-2 Miles Easy (7.32p/m)
I found a nice little hill during an easy run last week. I thought it would be good for the 30 second hill rep session I planned but it was a fair bit shorter than I remembered. I increased the effort from the planned 3k pace to 1 mile pace to compensate. A really enjoyable session and a reminder how much I love the short sharp stuff on hills. Not only does it improve leg strength it also serves as the perfect form drill session.
PM
5.40 Miles Easy @7.26p/m in 40:09
Wednesday 31/12
Medium Long Run
-13 Miles @7.06p/m in 1.32:16
Setting out on the last run of the year I knew this would be a tough enough run. The type of run you encounter every few weeks. That feeling of tightness and tiredness but feeling strong, not seeing the pace drop despite the constant stiffness in the legs.
Thursday 1/1
8.10 Miles Easy @7.09p/m in 57:58
After a busy night (house party) today served as a simple maintenance run. A run that keeps you ticking over when feeling <cough> 'delicate'!
Friday 2/1
Long Easy Run
-23.20 Miles @7.13p/m in 2.47:31
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/662498152
With a busy weekend on the cards I reluctantly pushed forward the long run to today. I really wasn't feeling the love this morning, with a dodgy enough stomach and the prospect of running many miles on my own. When my morning coffee doesn't taste it's usual delicious self I know my stomach ain't great! In truth I was probably a bit apprehensive about what was ahead. The weather was glorious, despite the challenging wind. I took a very bad fall on the 4th mile, destroying my gloves, elbow, toe and right hip. Out of sheer embarrassment I jumped straight back up and marched on. Luckily the pain subsided after a mile or two. A lucky escape.
I really dislike the early miles of most long runs. Today was no different. I only started to feeling strong after almost two hours of running. After hitting the 15th mile the miles flew by and the effort was most definitely easy. Today was more about getting alot of time on the feet rather than hitting certain splits and time.
Two things to note:
-I took on no solids, fluids, water, gels etc. during the run
-It ended up being my longest ever training run
I am pretty happy how the run went. The knee seized up completely after the run but after a few stretches it loosened out nicely and gave me very little pain throughout the run.
Very little fast running so far this week but that's they way it really has to be at the moment. The body is feeling stronger but the emphasis this week is simply about getting the miles in and doing the best I can in the circumstances. 0 -
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Monday 5/1
13 Miles Various
AM
5 Miles Easy @6.59p/m in 34:54
PM
8 Miles Easy @7.1x (treadmill)
-inc. 3 pick-ups (5k effort)
One soul destroying hour of unadulterated running fun. I included a good stretching session to compliment the excitement before almost drowning during my two laps of the pool (25m lengths). Long gone are days are the days of me being a very strong swimmer. My arms were falling off me. Embarrassing! Happy to see solid ground again.
Tuesday 6/1
10.40+ Miles Various
AM
4 Miles Very Easy @7.38p/m in 30:34
A gentle leg loosener to wake-up the legs.
PM
Club Track Session
Plan: 8x600m reps @5k effort (75sec/200m recovery)
Actual:
-W/U 1+ Miles (grass) inc. drills
Reps:
1. 2.00
2. 1.59
3. 1.56
4. 1.56
5. 1.54
6. 1.55
7. 1.54
8. 1.54
-W/D 2 Miles
A solid session and a nice introduction into some speed-work after my recent ITB issues. The reps were honest in effort but I really didn't push myself too hard, happy to complete the session with a fair bit left in the tank. Definitely a session to build from. Happy.0 -
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Saturday 10/1
Long Easy Run
-22 Miles @7.15p/m in 2.39:38
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/670099005
*the first mile is always long after leaving the house. The Garmin trace is constantly off hence the slower first mile/faster second mile.
With a good sleep had (after watching Gremlins until 1am) I awoke to weather warns on the radio. This was not the best way to start the morning of a long run! The usual breakfast of a bagel and weetabix was taken before a cheeky little sleep. After a quick strong coffee I was ready to confront the day and whatever weather was instore for me. The sun was shining while the wind was indeed strong but happily it wasn't as bad as feared. The plan was to do a few miles before meeting Ecolii in Tymon Park. The journey to the park is always into wind and always uphill. It was great to meet someone to tick off 7 or 8 miles in the middle of a long run. It helps breakup the run and makes it seem more manageable.
Next week sees the last long run in training before a training race in Staplestown on the 24th. How the weeks fly by. I may take a gel/energy drink on my long run next week to help mimic race day.0 -
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Monday 12/1
15.20 Miles
AM
5 Miles Easy @7.09p/m in 35:45
PM
10.20 Miles Easy @7.14p/m in 1.13:55
Originally penciled in for an easy 8 miles but I embarrassingly got quite lost despite being under 2 miles away from home :eek:. Dublin 12 should be known as The Bermuda Triangle! I must have went by the same church three times. I couldn't get out! Very so happy to see Kimmage Village and familiar ground.
Oh course I could have asked for directions but that's not what us proud Irishmen do!
Tuesday 13/1
10 Miles Various
AM
3 Miles Very Easy @7.49p/m in 23:29
It's pretty hard to motivate yourself for such a run but getting the legs loosened out in the morning makes a differnce come the session later on.
PM
Club Track Session
7+ Miles
Plan: 12 x 400m @3k effort (60 seconds recovery)
Actual:
-W/U 1 Mile inc. drills
-6 x 400m
Reps:
1. 77 secs
2. 75 secs
3. 75 secs
4. 76 secs
5. 76 secs
6. 75 secs
-6 x 200m
Reps:
1. 34 secs
2. 35 secs
3. 36 secs
4. 35 secs
5. 34 secs
6. 33 secs
-W/D 2.78 Miles
Tonight was my first experience of a frozen track. My choice of footwear (Cloudracers) transpired to be a poor choice, with traction difficult to come by. By the 4th rep things were getting worse and I thought about getting off the track before I slipped and/or injured myself. Very happy to hear after the 6th rep that we would finish off with some 200m reps (with diagonal recoveries), using the least effected part of the track. The conditions were costing me a good few seconds a rep but nothing that can do about that. Disappointed not to continue and finish the 400m reps but the decision was the right one. Not often I say that! Things must be on the up.
Wednesday 14/1
Medium Long Run
-15.20 Miles Very Easy @7.28p/m in 1.53:28
The miles ticked by nicely this morning in the company of two of Tallaght's finest 'athletes'. A very enjoyable run to Sean Moore Park/Nature Park before returning to D6 with the wind in our faces. The legs were feeling good so I threw in a few extra miles before deicing my fingers before frost bite set in.
Glad to keep this nice and handy as I took last weeks medium long run a bit too fast after the previous nights session.0 -
Thursday 15/1
13 Miles Various
AM
5.50 Miles Easy @7.18p/m in 40:08
PM
7.50 Miles Easy @7.10p/m in 53:42
Never listen to weather warnings, simple! You would swear we get proper weather extremes in Ireland if you bothered to listen to the media. We have only really ever two types of weather: mild and fierce mild. Two runs framing a busy working day.
Friday 16/1
13.5 Miles
-W/U 1 Mile
-12 Miles Steady @6.11p/m (treadmill)
-W/D .5 Mile
A good steady effort, hitting the right effort level. I felt very sluggish starting out but after 5 miles I hit a nice groove and the stride/arms found a nice rhythm. The effort felt about right but later on that night I felt shattered so obviously it took a bit more out off me than first thought. Nice to get off the roads and give the legs a bit of break.
Saturday 17/1
Long Easy Run
-24 Miles @7.04p/m in 2.49:27
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/675622720
Nice to have the long run done and dusted by 2pm on Saturday. It just means your whole weekend doesn't revolve around the traditional Sunday morning long run. I do enjoy my Saturday nights so the last thing I need is an early start the next day! Running is very important to me but so too is a bit of a social life and a few pints of Guinness. Balance is everything.
The plan starting out was to tick off 22 miles around the 7.15p/m mark, with 'time on your feet' the most important thing. I knew after a mile that I would push it out to 24 miles and try and avoid the temptation to clock-watch. The effort felt nice and controlled, never once pushing it despite the trying wind and cold.
Once again I took on no gels/solids or liquids. I brought along a gel and some money is case I needed it but at no point did I want to take anything on board.
At this stage I really don't find these type long runs hard in anyway. Sure you have your moments questioning your sanity but I no longer find the distance any problem. I guess that old saying of 'it's the pace that kills you, never the distance' has never sounded more true. God, I sound like an ultra-runner.0 -
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Thursday 22/1
6 Miles Easy @7.16p/m in 43:36
Friday 23/1
5.20 Miles Very Easy (treadmill)
-inc. 5 pick-ups
The legs were feeling a bit dead so I threw in some pick-ups to waken. It did the trick nicely. Sometimes a day or two of running easy isn't the best way 'rest'. Sometimes.
Saturday 24/1
30.91+ Miles Various
AM
EOI Staplestown Marathon
Time: 2.57:04 (26.41 Miles @6.42p/m)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/681471745
What a fantastic morning for a long run. It was my kind of morning. The icy chill of the morning meant a patch or two of ice on the ground but I relish the cold. There's something oddly comforting in the freezing temperatures presented to us this morning.
The race consists of a short out-and-back section before 4 laps of the Kildare countryside. With only a slight breeze to contend with we set off. I quickly fell in beside PM before I waved goodbye to him around Mile 3. His goal of 2.50 was a bit loftier than mine. From that moment the race turned into a solo run, with only the sound of my thoughts to keep me company. The first lap quickly passed by and I felt pretty good. The inner demons were making themselves known but that is all part of getting back into the racing groove.
The course as a typical country affair with a few drags but nothing noteworthy. The lapped course meant that you quickly became familiar with the sights and sounds of Staplestown (the angry dog, the abandoned scooter....etc.). The penultimate lap was typically the toughest mentally. I told myself that here is where you get mentally strong. I know I generally have it in the legs but mentally I can let the demons get the better of me at times. Unlike Tralee (similar type training run) last year, I didn't have the safety net of a pacer. The plan all along was to run comfortably and not to focus on the watch/pace. The last mile or two proved very enjoyable. Job done.
An excellently organised race, on a fantastic course, ran with very friendly people. What more can you ask for?
PM
4.50 Miles @7.49p/m in 35:11
A good leg shakeout (before some beer!). The legs felt a bit tender setting out but loosened out nicely by the second mile.0 -
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