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So the only bad thing about the good luck messages for parkrun was a bit of performance anxiety during Friday ... I guess it is 6 months since I've done 'racing' of any kind now. Anyway any nerves were gone on Saturday morning having to concentrate on getting out of bed and off on my bike by 8:40 :rolleyes: .....
Saturday, 14th March: 5mins w/u, 5k in 24:41 [7:57, 7:56, 7:47, run-in 7:20], 1mile c/d (4.5 miles total)
Very nice conditions for this parkrun, cold but hardly any wind. So now I had no excuses .... Didn't arrive as early as hoped but had enough time to do 5mins warm-up and a couple of strides before the parkrun started. The plan was to aim for 8min for the first mile, and under no circumstances to go faster than 7:55. Then if all was well I'd pick it up to 7:50 for the second mile, and maybe a bit more for the 3rd mile (know that's not in keeping with what I wrote here about making 25mins, I was hoping to surprise myself ...).
Anyway I took the first mile out quite sensibly with the usual flood of people passing me in the first 1/2 mile or so....but after that hardly got passed at all. Kept an eye on the watch and pulled the effort back back slightly a couple of times, and brought this first mile in on target at 7:57. Then into the second mile and checking my breathing it seemed a bit too heavy to pick up the pace, so I backed off slightly and in fact I let the pace go over 8mins during the first half. Then very slight downhill in the second half of mile two brought this one in below 8mins overall. Then I was able to push a bit more in the third mile and knew halfway through this that I'd definitely be below the 25mins
. Nice to do the negative splits too. I passed about 10 people in this third mile and was only passed by 1 . Then on the run-in, a couple in the 10 passed me back! Anyway, this is the only parkrun where I've paced well, apart from my PB back in September. It's more typical that I crumple in the third mile, after going off too fast. Was of course helped by the lack of wind, because usually we'd be doing the final mile into a headwind!
So, 72seconds away from the PB from September. Will be doing a parkrun every 2-3 weeks from now on, and the aim will be to take 10-15secs off on each attempt, until I get back to September's time ...and below.
Stuck the time into McMillan to check the corresponding paces for tempo/steady/easy etc, and it seems they match my recent guessing pretty well.
Sunday, 15th March: 13.25miles hilly LSR @9:27 average pace
A similar route to last Sunday's run, except that I changed the second half to put in an extra loop of Holyrood park to increase the hill factor, and get to 13miles. Hardly any wind! Went fine, there were miles as slow as 11:04 and as fast as 8:31, but effort was consistent. Am getting a bit stronger on the uphills and did not even think about walking on any of them (well, not *seriously* anyway). The final significant hill was at the end of mile 10 and I pushed a bit harder on this one. Then the final few miles were flat/moderate and these came in below 9:15 pace. Could feel my tight left adductor in the final two miles so will be foam rolling later.....
weekly total: 33.3miles 0 -
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I was galloping around myself this morning and thought "I wonder how hillside got on with his parkrun"!
Very well done @ parkrun! Nice job (also on the LSR). Must be a nice confidence boost to hit the sub-25 at your first attempt "back". No doubt you'll be hitting the September times, and below, within 3-4 attempts. 0 -
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Very well done @ parkrun! Nice job (also on the LSR). Must be a nice confidence boost to hit the sub-25 at your first attempt "back". No doubt you'll be hitting the September times, and below, within 3-4 attempts.Bungy Girl wrote: »Well done on the parkrun! Won't be long at all before you're getting a new PB - all that hill training will really stand to you.SamforMayo wrote: »+ 1 to the above. You are building nicely, I'm jealous.
Thanks guys, very nice to say that ... I think it'll probably take 5-6 parkruns to get down to 23-and-a-half, felt I was close to my limit today. Anyway we'll see.
SamforMayo, you are being very sensible with re-introducing the running, think it's definitely the right thing to do. I tried to push the distance up too quick when I was first coming-back in November/Dec, and I think that's why I reinjured. Got stricter rules for increasing distance from ecoli when I saw him at Christmas and I think being cautious in January made the difference....0 -
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I was galloping around myself this morning and thought "I wonder how hillside got on with his parkrun"!
It's one of my favourite things about forums, but I should probably confess I am not a 'him'... would be a bit cheeky to say nothing now... Have made the mistake myself a couple of times
, I was stunned when I discovered SfM was female (the passion for GAA was so strong I'd imagined a big fella training the local Gaelic team in his spare time).
(btw, seems we did very similar runs this evening, nop! Good training for Connemara in your case)0 -
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hillsiderunner wrote: »It's one of my favourite things about forums, but I should probably confess I am not a 'him'... would be a bit cheeky to say nothing now... Have made the mistake myself a couple of times, I was stunned when I discovered SfM was female (the passion for GAA was so strong I'd imagined a big fella training the local Gaelic team in his spare time).
(btw, seems we did very similar runs this evening, nop! Good training for Connemara in your case)
LOL! When I was typing it, I realized I wasn't 100% sure.0 -
Have been in a frazzled state most of the week
. I have guests coming tomorrow for the weekend, and unfortunately had the "brainwave" to use the visit to do a total spring-clean of the flat instead of the usual quick tidy-up. Anyway between work-work and the house-work I've been like a headless chicken (a cross and sour headless chicken ), and have not been feeling the love for running or anything else. Got my 3 midweek runs done but really had to bully myself into it. Pity because we've had perfect running weather this week.
Tuesday, 17th March: 1.3miles w/u, 5x650m repeats, 1.8miles c/d (5miles total)
This was the first time in about 6months back doing these with the group, it was time.... Really wasn't feeling-it during the day, and would have loved to dodge the session entirely. I didn't allow myself to go back home after work because I knew I mightn't come back out. Was perfect running weather, not a puff of wind, and that helped give a bit of motivation. Went ok and the repeats came out scarily consistent at [4x2:56, 2:55]. Hope to be speeding up over the coming weeks.
Wednesday, 18th March: 5.18mile easy run @9:30 average pace
After getting out on Tuesday I was back in running-mode on Wednesday, and then I went and left this until late....and of course at that stage was a battle to push myself out. Headed out at 10pm and did this round the neighborhood.
Thursday, 19th March: 6.21mile multi-terrain run @9:38 average pace
The same run from last Thursday. Had planned to change the run to take a short route back down from the top of the trail, and then scale a more serious hill before coming out of the park. But I was in a foul mood again and the best I could do was to kick myself out of the office and allow myself the option of ditching hill, or hill and trail, or whatever I wanted really... was going to let myself do what I wanted. Got myself to the park, took the trail (no walking) but at the top of that decided I'd take my usual route back.... just didn't have enough running-mojo to push myself further. Then when I came back round near the Palace near the end of the run, it was getting dark and the British Military Fitness gang were there finishing their warm-up ... and starting to head up the hill I didn't do .... Was a bit fed-up with myself seeing that. So next Thursday. No excuses.
Not sure how many of these mid-week runs would have got done if I didn't have this log waiting for the report I have to say (which is the point of having it! ...).
On the positive side, think the run this evening did take the edge off a bit. Had a large curry chips and a big mug of tea and that probably helped as well. Would prefer a glass of wine but there is still some tidying/hoovering to do so better not. If I have it all done, then I can get out of the other side of the bed tomorrow :rolleyes:. As it happens I am really looking forward to seeing them...0 -
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Sounds like a busy week alright! But great session Tuesday, yup...scarily consistent!! Enjoy the weekend in your sparkling flat and hope you've got a glass in your hand right now, you deserve it.
Nooooo, still finishing up the tea and have to get the hoover out. Will read a couple more logs and then get down to it. Any fun is going to have to wait till tomorrow.
When I was writing that I was thinking "that's probably what every parent's week is like". But I'm not used to it :rolleyes: ...0 -
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Didn't get Saturday's run done, but that wasn't a big surprise ... some heavy aunt duties during the day and evening. Fun weekend anyhow and I'd taken the precaution of buying-in "Despicable Me 2", so there was no danger of having to watch "Frozen" again.
Sunday, 22 March: 14.02mile hilly LSR @9:46 average pace
This was the same run as last Sunday, with a short section stuck on at the end to get up to 14. Done this evening after the visitors left, and after a bit of time-wasting on boards and youtube (for the empowering anthems). Wasn't feeling it, story of this week for me.... Anyway pushed myself out a while after 5 o'clock and set out with the feeling I might be bailing at some point. The bloody garmin dropped out and lost about .25miles near the start which didn't help motivation. Did the first 5-6 miles, and have to be honest there were a few hills when I really wanted to walk - I didn't, but I was tempted. The plan was to go back into Holyrood park for a second lap near the end of mile 7. Had an eye on my watch and knew this was going to be borderline with regard to the sunset - there are no street lights inside Holyrood Park, except for short sections near the exits. Not to mention the issue that I was looking for an excuse to cut this run short .... anyway by the end of mile 7 it was after 6:30pm, and the sun was low in the sky. But I guessed I had enough time to get up through the back section of the park before it got dark... so I went in and did that fine, then came back along the more public section (has car traffic) in the dark. Most people had cleared out of the park already, only saw about 5 runners and about the same number of couples walking in there.
After this I took the low road out of the park, and I'd forgotten that this road is also without street-lights, and also closed to cars in Sunday ... so there was about a mile in the dark occasionally looking over my shoulder (btw this is not exactly badlands, I passed a group of three people who obviously mis-timed their evening stroll and that was it :rolleyes: ). Then a few miles back to the flat. Since an early stage of this run I'd been thinking of ways I could shorten it. At least by now I'd done over 10miles and I wouldn't wreck the weekly total if I got on a bus and dropped a couple of miles. Continued with this at the back of my mind, but kept running, and managed to get all the 13.25 miles back to the flat done ... then found the motivation to add the extra .75 on. There was no speeding-up over the final miles this week though, flat or not! Was just a matter getting through it. I was also thinking of my mileage count, because it's looking likely that this month will be highest mileage of all time ... so that helped a bit.
Worked out the aggro a bit while on the run, and by about mile 10/11 had settled on the cause being work-issues... not a surprise, but unfortunately a recurring issue
The coughing was back for this run (and also yesterday walking around town). Won't be weather-influenced this time, I think most likely caused by Windowlene etc during the previous days. Fortunately I'm not a habitual user of these substances though
weekly total: 30.4miles0 -
That's gas, I now have visions of you running around Holyrood Park muttering to yourself about having to do 14 miles, to add to earlier visions of you giving out about the wind...
well done on grinding out the 14 miles! and at a good pace too.0 -
That's gas, I now have visions of you running around Holyrood Park muttering to yourself about having to do 14 miles, to add to earlier visions of you giving out about the wind...
well done on grinding out the 14 miles! and at a good pace too.
In fact the wind was back this evening, not as bad as in early March, but not windless. Was maybe a minor contributing factor to the angst!0 -
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Whew! Flattened on Monday and Tuesday after the week of hosting & babysitting, and maybe also the 14miles on Sunday. Not sure what it was, but something in all of that dealt a shock to the system. Monday was a rest day, so no matter. The coughing was back all of Monday and also on Tuesday unfortunately. I really wanted to do the repeats on Tuesday evening, and was planning to go no matter what, but in the end I decided it would be stupid and would only aggravate the cough. And I'd make a show of myself ... last week (when the cough was less severe) one of the others asked if I'd been smoking round-the-back during the interval. So Tuesday became a rest day too. C'est la vie. See from annapr and dubgal's logs that I'm not the only one ditching session because of weak lungs...
Wed, 25th March: 1.3miles w/u + 5x650m repeats on a 5-min clock + 1.36miles c/d (4.5miles total)
Cough was a good bit better on the Wednesday, so I headed out to make up for the day before. Am getting much better at bullying myself into doing the repeats alone. Was pushed for time as I had to get to Pilates for 6:45pm, so I decided to work on a 5-min clock for the repeats (roughly 3mins run and 2 mins rest). I'd noticed before that I don't seem to need 3mins rest, and this session confirms it. The 5 repeats came out at [2:58, 2:57, 2:59, 2:54, 2:59]. I was making the effort to push a bit earlier on the 4th one. Think I've been doing these repeats slightly on the cautious side since my return from injury, so will try to push on all of them next week with the group. w/u around 9:10, c/d around 9:15pace.
Thurs, 26th March: 7.56mile multi-terrain run with 2 big hills at 10:35 average pace
Another Thursday run in Holyrood Park, but today's challenge was to take in a biggish hill of 100m climb over about 800m (so the average gradient around 12%), and preferably do this twice. Not hill repeats or intervals, just a matter of getting some uphill into the run. Was going to be taking this very conservatively and expected there'd be a good bit of walking and would be ok with that. So ... first mile and a bit to get into the park, and then a nice downhill run to the bottom of the hill (annapr, this is the Radical Road track that starts near the Palace to climb up below the Crags). Then early in mile 3 started the first climb .... walked a bit at around 10m, got going again, walked again around 100m, got going again and got all the way up to the top without any more walking ... partly this was because the gradient is steeper near the start, but I also got more careful at pacing. Some shockingly slow paces on the watch during the climb. Then from the top there was about 400m downwards on the Radical Road, and then over a mile of lovely gradual comfortable descent on a well-trodden grass path to get back to the start again. This bit was *lovely*, took it nice and easy and really enjoyed it. Then I did a second climb, and this time paced it so I didn't walk at all. Got a cheer and a fist pump from a walker coming down as I ascended this time :rolleyes:. Then out of the Park and back to base, with an extra lap of the meadows to add mileage. Looking forward to doing this again, and I'll put in 3 laps of the Radical Road in the future.
I don't usually bother with mile times for these hilly runs, but I'm getting a kick out of the skewed times, so here they are: 9:33, 8:50, 13:50, 8:55, 13:42, 10:06, 10:02, .56 @9:48pace. Sure everyone can work out where the climbs were. Apart from the uphills this was a nice easy run, and I even took the downhills fairly relaxed. A fair bit of coughing but I hope tomorrow's rest will sort it.
Saw a pheasant early in this run. Not flying, scurrying across the road at a gentle trot. Needs to put in a bit of training. Though I'm not sure I was any faster than that on my uphills....
I have some hope of trying parkrun again on Saturday, but I'm waiting to see if the forecast improves. I don't mind being rained on during a run, but having to cycle out and back in it is a little bit too miserable for a Saturday morning. Unless I'm feeling *really* hardcore ...0 -
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That's a bloody decent week's work Hilly, you must be buzzing. I'm always amazed by how consistent your reps are, you have a really good internal metronome
Maybe but also maybe I'm being slightly too nice on myself, they are consistent but could be faster! Not improving so quickly so will try to push harder next week.....0 -
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Wow, really impressed at your Radical Road loop... not once, but twice! Fair play. We walked up that when we were there, fab place to run. Keep that up and you'll be in great shape for the hills race (not to mention for Howth next week!).
yep there's plenty of coughing going around, hopefully yours doesn't develop... so far, touch wood, mine hasn't . Some of it here is pollen cranking up with recent warmer weather.
Yeah, mine is sensitive airways aka cough-variant asthma - possibly a bit exercise-induced by running in the cold air. Also suspect Windowlene and similar substances ... I have an preventer inhaler for it at least.
My running pace might not have been much quicker than your walk. But glad to have made a start. Looking forward to Howth next Friday too! 0 -
Plan had been to try to get up for parkrun on Saturday. I had been watching the forecast and the prediction was light rain for 8am, so it was all going to be weather dependant. Anyhow, I woke up around 8am, looked out the window ... it was cloudy & damp but not actually raining ... and then I thought "feck it" and went back to bed :rolleyes:.
Sat, 28th March: 0 miles
Had planned to go out for a few miles in the neighborhood later, but the weather wasn't great, and I was coughing a good bit, and had a tender quad from the Thursday hills. So I continued my slacking ...
Sun, 29th March: 12.6miles hillyish LSR @9:48 average pace
Had to push myself out for this one. The original plan had been to do my first running-recce of the 7Hills route this weekend, but it was going to take a good few hours because I'd be route-finding, and there's the hills to slow things down. Didn't have time for all of that so changed the plan to just doing last week's LSR again. I wasn't under the cloud of angst like last weekend, but still there were a couple of difficult points - walked a bit on the annoying hill in mile 8; then ended up in a serious wind-tunnel around the 10-mile point. That's the stage where I decided to cut the run short, I decided I wasn't going to continue in the same direction. I turned off for the short run back to my house, but took a detour to push the mileage up a bit. Shorter than planned but not the end of the world. The tender quad is still tender but didn't give trouble during the run, could feel it a tiny bit once or twice but that's all.
weekly total: 24.66miles
Only 3 of the 5 planned runs done. This is now going to be designated a cutback week.0 -
hillsiderunner wrote: »Plan had been to try to get up for parkrun on Saturday. I had been watching the forecast and the prediction was light rain for 8am, so it was all going to be weather dependant. Anyhow, I woke up around 8am, looked out the window ... it was cloudy & damp but not actually raining ... and then I thought "feck it" and went back to bed :rolleyes:.
Sat, 28th March: 0 miles
Had planned to go out for a few miles in the neighborhood later, but the weather wasn't great, and I was coughing a good bit, and had a tender quad from the Thursday hills. So I continued my slacking ...
Sun, 29th March: 12.6miles hillyish LSR @9:48 average pace
Had to push myself out for this one. The original plan had been to do my first running-recce of the 7Hills route this weekend, but it was going to take a good few hours because I'd be route-finding, and there's the hills to slow things down. Didn't have time for all of that so changed the plan to just doing last week's LSR again. I wasn't under the cloud of angst like last weekend, but still there were a couple of difficult points - walked a bit on the annoying hill in mile 8; then ended up in a serious wind-tunnel around the 10-mile point. That's the stage where I decided to cut the run short, I decided I wasn't going to continue in the same direction. I turned off for the short run back to my house, but took a detour to push the mileage up a bit. Shorter than planned but not the end of the world. The tender quad is still tender but didn't give trouble during the run, could feel it a tiny bit once or twice but that's all.
weekly total: 24.66miles
Only 3 of the 5 planned runs done. This is now going to be designated a cutback week.
hills, wind... you have to be a bit adaptable
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