Not Quite Four Laps

Fri 16.01.15

4.8 @ 7.43/mi

Was in two minds whether to take a rest day or not but settled for a slightly shorter lunch time route at an easier pace.

Sat 17.01.15

W/U, BHAA Eircom XC (30.17), W/D

Was feeling a bit iffy in the morning. Not too bad but I sort of knew before I even started that this wasn't going to be a hard effort today. In fairness, the weather was smashing and about the best you could expect for a January morning. Got a lift out with a clubmate and after registering we headed out for a couple of warm up laps. The ground was frozen pretty hard on one side so I made the decision to abandon the spikes for fear of injury. Probably a bit over cautious because everybody else on the start line had a few milimetres of metal sticking out of their soles.

Anyway after a bit of a confusing start with no warning from the starter we got off to what seemed like a very easy start. I stuck with the leaders for the first few hundred metres then let them slip away and settled in with a good group just behind. The first of three and a bit laps felt fairly comfortable and I went to kick on as we came towards its conclusion. Bit over eager on my part because it didn't last very long and I started to slip back. It was already in my head that I wasn't 100% today so I made no effort to fight it and just slipped in to a comfortable rhythm for the rest of the race.

I was actually very surprised when I saw the average pace was below six minute miles after the race. Nothing to write home about but as good as a session and it was a fun course to run. Will definitely be back next year and give it a better effort.

Sun 18.01.15

Rest

Mon 19.01.15

5.3 @ 7.10/mi

A really enjoyable run around Shanganagh Park and felt nice and loose after the rest day.

Tue 20.01.15

W/U, 12 X 400 (w/ 30s rec.), W/D
Paces: 73, 73, 72, 75, 74, 75, 73, 75, 73, 74, 73, 74

Long, long time since I had done a session like this and it was a bit of a shock to the system. Well the first one was okay. Maybe :P. The recoveries were so short that you finished your rep, looked at your watch and it was half gone already. Then you're just about over the shock of this and you're off again. Really happy with the times as a re-introduction to some faster stuff but I'm sort of glad now that I can't run the 1500m at the end of the month because it could have been horrific :pac:

pconn062 wrote: »

What's the rough target in the 1500m in two weeks KU? I'm wondering is there an off chance that I might be able to tag onto you......for the first 200m anyway!

As circumstances would have it, I can no longer make the 1500m race down in Athlone. I was finding it difficult to decide on a target time in any case as I've no specific training done. Those 400s were the first time I did a session where the bulk was done below 5 minute mile pace since April last year. Might have aimed for something around 4.25 but hard to know how it would have went. Might enter one of the races in February instead. Any ideas on a target time yourself?

ECOLII wrote: »

AAI Games is the Sunday if that is of any use?

Thanks ecoli, I was aware that was on and probably could make it but I think I'm better off holding off for a bit longer. Going to run in the National Intermediates in Tuam that is only a week after so would probably be better off doing some XC specific work for that.

Wed 21.01.15

5.3 @ 7.17/mi

I run this route so often now that they're starting to blend in to one in my memory. Lunch run around Shanganagh

Thu 22.01.15

W/U, 13mins & 10mins w/ 2 min jog rec, W/D
Paces: 5.55, 5.55

Was going to do 2 X 15 mins and keep it easy enough but we were joined after 3 minutes by RD from the club. He was doing 2 X 10 at a slightly harder pace. I was very open to this suggestion . It was a bit tougher than I would have expected but some evenings are just like that.

Fri 23.01.15

5.3 @ 7.16/mi

Different day of the week. Same lunch time run

Sat 24.01.15

Rest


Sun 25.01.15

W/U, Raheny 5 Mile (27.28), W/D

Well, the day finally arrived and there was to be no more hiding like in the plethora of XC races I have been running lately. Well, it doesn't feel like hiding at the time :eek: but there is a safety net in not being accountable to the time you run and it definitely suited me as I worked my back to a decent level of fitness.

I had run 27.11 last year in this same race and deep in the dark recesses at the back of my mind, I thought there was a chance I could beat this but realistically I was shooting for sub 27.30 at best. The thought of running 5 miles at 5.30 pace was a bit daunting to be honest. All these sessions on grass and XC races are slowing me down in my mind .:rolleyes:

Met up with JF from the club and we went for a warm up down to the coast and back. He seemed in very relaxed mood and was chatting about his aim to push it out hard from the start. Think he lead for the first mile or two and finished in 24.3x, so he wasn't bulshi**ing :eek:. I was obviously a bit nervous because I went back to shed some layers down to my racing gear and first left with my running pants on and then almost forgot to stick on my number too. Amateur hour. Got a dynamic warm up done down one of the side streets and a few strides at the start line before settling in a few rows back.

Must have picked the perfect starting point because I could get in to my rhythm almost immediately. I was picking my way through the groups for the first mile even if I do find the cars parked at the start very frustrating every year. I couldn't find any group that was running at the pace I wanted so I just kept the rhythm going and a few people were tagging along with me all the time. Eventually, I passed OD from the club and she tagged along with a few other girls too. Was still feeling OKish up to mile two but then the inevitable hurting started. Everybody else had dropped off, so it was just myself and OD from mile two to three. My breathing was absolutely perfect but the legs were tiring. Still, the average pace was sticking at 5.30 so I just kept the turnover constant.

OD made a bit of a surge after 3 miles and opened up a small bit of a gap. I'd like to say I made a tactical decision not to follow but I was holding pace and was happy enough with this at the time. I always find the stretch on the coast the toughest and it was no different this year. I was hurting and I was praying for the hill strangely enough. When I reached the turn off, I could see Catherina McKiernan on the hill up ahead, which was good motivation to get back in to the race again. I made massive ground coming up the hill and then focussed on keeping the effort up once I hit the top. After passing Catherina, I was in no man's land but put the head down and was making good ground on OD ahead. The one pity about Raheny is that you only see the finish line from a hundred metre's out so tough to know when to pick up the pace. As it was, I hit the gas when I turned the corner and saw the gantry but left it too late and there was a bit too much left in the tank. Saw 27.30 as I crossed the line so was deloyra with this of course

So. Not a bad return to road racing. This time last year, I had a slight injury entering this race and a serious enough injury leaving it. Didn't get back to proper training until mid March. So, the way I see it, this gives me the opportunity to have a much better race than last year in Ballycotton and then be in better shape heading in to the Summer track season. Sounds good on paper anyway.

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Nicely done KU, what are you targeting in Ballycotton now?

TbL

You're relentless TbL. Can I not revel in the satisfaction of having completed this race a little longer:D.

I'm not going to focus too much on Ballycotton but of course I'd like to do well all the same. Might push out the long run to 12-13 miles but other than that, the training will be largely similar. In an ideal world, I'd like to get under 56 minutes but I'll hold out until the week of the race before I tie my colours to the mast.

Mon 26.01.15

5.4 @ 7.23/mi

No major after effects from the race but legs felt a little tired of course.

Tue 27.01.15

7.4 @ 7.28/mi

Lots of boring, boring laps around the Clann na nGael pitches in Irishtown. The boredom was punctuated by smmoore hurtling around like a runaway train in the opposite direction every few minutes. Just made me feel like less of an athlete though

Wed 28.01.15

5.3 @ 7.09

Had to hold back on this after a few rest days but I'm super sensible these days;)

Thu 29.01.15

W/U, 2 X 15, W/D
Paces: 6.00, 5.54


I was préachta leis an bhuacht after the cycle down to the club and getting in to my running gear was made all the more difficult by having no feeling in my fingers :rolleyes:. Normally, I don't like to layer up too much if I'm doing a session but I went with the 4 layers, running tights and a wooly hat tonight and all were well needed. Despite the conditions, there were 5 of us down for this and we got it going fairly quickly.

It was a game of two halves with a bitterly cold wind down one side and then a nice relaxing effort down the other. With one lap to go on the first tempo effort, the floodlights went, so we were just running in the dark with the sheen of the moonlight on the muddy track the only light to guide the way. For the second effort, it was run in the complete darkness and it was tough going but enjoyable in some kind of perverse way.