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Not Quite Four Laps
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Strange sort of week. Came down with a cold on the Tuesday (first in a long, long time thankfully) and as usual I could feel it on the few runs in the days preceding the symptoms starting on the Sunday Long Run.
Sun 15.03.15
12.3 @ 6.56/mi
After being so good all weekend, I was up early on the Sunday and thought I would be really fresh and enjoy this run in Phoenix Park. Felt so tired from the start and never got to feeling any stronger as the run progressed. Suspected I might be coming down with something and unfortunately this was true
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Mon 16.03.15
5.2 @ 7.33/mi
Another real chore of a run at lunch time.
Tue 17.03.15
Rest
Out for a few birthday drinks on the night previous. So nice of the government to declare a public holiday after my birthday so I can always go out and celebrate and have the next day off work :P. I'll not divulge my age
Well, the cold had kicked in big time and coupled with the hangover, I barely had the energy to extricate myself from the bed, let alone do anything productive.
Wed 18.03.15
5.4 @ 6.48/mi
Felt weak on this run but at the same time the effort wasn't massive. Always find with a cold that I can easy run OK but anything higher effort is a definite 'no'
Thu 19.03.15
W/U, 2 X 15 w/ 2 min rec, W/D
Paces: 6.01, 6.00
Went down to the club but didn't really know what to do. Everyone was doing 3 X 15 so I joined in but kept my own pace off the back. Again, felt very lethargic but I didn't kill myself either.
Fri 20.03.15
3.1 @ 8.09/mi
Couldn't do my usual lunch run so got out for a few miles in the evening. Had assumed I'd run longer but felt like crap so just did a few strides after a small warm up and jogged home.
Sat 21.03.15
W/U, BHAA NUI 4 Mile XC, W/D
3.9 @ 5.52/mi
Had decided a few weeks ago that I'd run this as a 'last hurrah' to the cross country season and I'm not one for changing a plan so I travelled out despite not being in top form.
It was an amazing days and the grounds out in Maynooth are really picturesque so it was definitely worth it in any case. Really flat course but the grass was quite long in places, which I always find a bit of a killer. After registering, I did a warm up lap of the course, some dynamic stretching and then some strides. I wasn't getting any magic increase in energy but hoped that the race day adrenaline might do me some favours. I sometimes feel really weak in advance of a race and do really well so I wasn't writing anything off yet.
Recognised a few heads at the start line that I'd usually be about in these races so when the gun went off, I tried to settle in with these. This lasted for all of 200m and they started to pull away. There was just nothing there. Still, I felt I was going at a decent pace but after almost a mile, I had my first glance at the watch and saw 6.0x pace. Not great. After the second lap, I started to feel a bit better and gained ground on some of the runners ahead. The field was really strung out so this was a gradual process.
I was finally enjoying myself and was out of my own internal struggle and just concentrating on the next runner ahead. Last mile was 5.33 pace so a good finish at least.
Sun 22.03.15
12 @ 7.20/mi
Down to the Phoenix Park again and struggling a small bit too for the first 5 miles when I met some of the Cru out on a long run. Joined them for a few miles at an easier pace and when we parted ways. I picked up the pace and felt an awful lot better. It doesn't get much better than running the S bends on a sunny day in Phoenix Park
Hopefully, I'm fully over the cold now as first speed session of the year is next Tuesday. Coach's favourite session of 8 X 400 w/ 90s recovery. No track, which is a bummer but it will be nice to sharpen up a bit with the first graded meet only a month away. It begins......0 -
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Thu 26.03.15
W/U, 3 X 15 w/ 2min jog recovery, W/D
Paces: 6.06, 5.46, 5.54
Never really look forward to this session but we decided beforehand that we would take it very handy after the Tuesday session. First one was OK but then we had a late joinee and the pace was upped for the second rep. Legs felt tired but still the pace was manageable so stuck with it. Third one was similar. One of those sessions that it is good to get done but not the most enjoyable to actual do.
Fri 27.03.15
Off
Had no time to get out at lunch but a rest day was a good idea anyway. Just needed the circumstances to make the decision for me:D
Sat 28.03.15
W/U, 5 X 1k, W/D
Times: 3.19, 3.09, 3.18, 3.12, 3.16
Never the best place to go on a windy day but it was down to the Acres in the Phoenix Park for the traditional 5 X 1k session that signals the onset of the summer. We went for a slightly different 1k stretch than usual and we suspected that it might have been slightly short. Garmin data seems to corroborate here. On a day like yesterday, it was never going to be about times anyway. The wind affected both the over and the back repetitions but it was a longer stretch in to the wind on the over stretch, whcih can be seen in the times.
Even on the first one, the legs were getting a little jellified towards the end from battling in to the wind so it was a big effort to keep all the times similar at the end. Was actually delighted when I reviewed the spilts at then end and saw all the wind effected reps were quicker than the previous. Felt like I was running through treacle on the last one but I must have managed to keep the pace up.
Thw downhill, wind assisted warm down to Drumcondra felt pretty sweet after that effort.
Sun 29.03.15
14.5 @ 6.52/mi (w/ last 15 mins at 5.50/mi)
Set out just 20 minutes too early for this and it was teeming it down for the run up to Phoenix Park but actually cleared up nicely once I arrived. Met up with a clubmate at the Garda HQ we went on a lap of the park, sticking to the trails at first but they were very flooded so we eventually left them for the paths. He was sticking to the coaches notes, which were under 7 minute miling for 65 minutes with the last 15 at 6.15 pace. As luck would have it (or maybe good planning
), the 15 minute stretch was down the North Road with the wind at our back so the faster pace is probably a little misleading. Calf was tightening during the session and I had to stop briefly at one stage. Been a while since any issues like this so hopefully it will loosen out by tomorrow. I'm rather appropriately getting at it with a sliotar while both watching the hurling on the telly and listening to the Tipp match on the radio. Who said men can't multitask :cool: 0 -
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thewolf_ie wrote: »Similar on my 1k session had 200 meters every 400 of a tough wind.
...better to get it in training than a race anyway 0 -
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Krusty_Clown wrote: »Just in case you were looking for them: results
Did well to claw back the gap to just 1 second!
Cheers KC.
Yea, I nearly had the fecker. It wasn't the kind of finishing chute that would be conducive to a very tight finish so probably best that I didn't get too close. Could have ended up with the two of us in a heap with the marshals entwined in the finishing tape. I'll take it as a non track 3K PB, which means I can have the beer this evening. Now down to the off licence :rolleyes: 0 -
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Mon 30.03.15
4.7 @ 7.27
Knew I shouldn't have run today but I haven't had any niggles in so long that I forgot about treating them with tender care. My calf muscle tightened up a good bit after the long run yesterday and despite feeling a bit better today, I should have just given it the extra days rest. Felt it for most of the run and I was running a little restricted. Still it wasn't until after that it really tightened up and I was hobbling about the place :mad:
Tue 31.03.15 - Wed 01.04.15
Rest
Gave it a few days for the muscle to loosen out. Bit of sliotaring and foam rolling to help it along.
Thu 02.04.15
W/U, Fit4Life 3k (9.26), W/D
Bit of a risky move running this race but I felt the muscle had loosened out sufficiently to give it a go. Stayed on a bit after work and then headed straight down to Shanagangh Park, which is about a mile away. Didn't feel amazingly energetic now but its hard to pay any heed to pre-race energy levels as they can fluctuate massively based on experience and are no indicator of how you'll perform. Met KC, Abhainn and Emer911 at the registration and then myself and KC headed out on a short warm up.
Few warm up exercises with strides and before you knew it we were lining up at the start line. Intended on going out quickly but found myself a good bit behind KC and another Bray Runner with Neil W out on his own in front from early on. Slowly reeled KC in and was about to go by but they were making quite a wall with the two of them running side by side and I was reluctant to go by until we hit a straight. Finished the first small 1k loop and the time was called at 3.07, which wasn't bad. Now I moved round KC and the other BR and tried to pick up the pace a little. The gap to Neil up ahead was staying pretty constant but it was quite big at about 20m. There were 2-3 tight turns in the 2nd k that probably cost a bit of time and when we reached the marker, time was called out at 6.20. I was disappointed at the time but looking back it can probably be explained by the wet surface and the tight turns. Knowing the course pretty well, I was happy to up the pace a small bit for 500m and then push it out for the last 500m as we finished out the race with half a lap of the 1k loop at the back of the park. Executed this pretty well and was reeling in Neil at a good rate in the last 200m but didn't quite make it, finishing a second back.
Enjoyed the race and while I was disappointed to not get under 9.20, I was happy with the strength I showed at the end.
Fri 03.04.15
Rest
Took another day off as a precaution for the calf muscle that I could feel was a little tight after the race
Sat 04.04.15
W/U, 3 X (4 X 200 w/ 45s recovery) w/ 6 min between sets, W/D
Times: (30.3, 29.7, 31.8, 30.3), (29.9, 29.8, 32.6, 30.8), (30.9, 30.1, 32.8, 30.6)
This looks a whole lot easier on paper than it is in reality. How hard can a mile and a half's running in a about twenty minutes be?
Weather conditions were neigh on perfect, although the wind did pick up a little just before we started. Coach marked out a 200m stretch on the grass along a side of the Acres in Phoenix Park. First and third reps were in to the wind and up a very gentle incline, meaning the third rep was a killer on each set. We did some ridiculous looking drill before we started. I think I'm going to have to accept the fact that as a middle distance runner, you run less and do an awful lot more prancing about
I stuck just behind the two 800m runners I was doing this with for most of the session. I was contemplating heading down to Tipp on Friday and doing this session on my own, which in retrospect would have been a huge struggle. The aim was approx 31s for each 200 and the average probably worked out close to this so job done from that perspective. The purpose of this session was to get a bit of lactic tolerance and it was definitely evident for the last two reps of each set. Got the irony lactic taste in my mouth and my ears were completely blocked for the last set. This was irritating because it meant that the sound of your breathing was really amplified so it was hard to relax. Common enough according to the more seasoned track runners but first time I'd experienced it.
Stitches in every part of my body on the warm down. Don't know what I did myself in that session but there definitely are a lot of unusual side effects from running really hard.
Sun 05.05.15
6.2 @ 6.50/mi
Should have went longer today but a few too many on the night previous and I was glad just to get out for anything. Lovely day and great to be back running on the country roads of Tipp but hard to fully appreciate it with a banging headache and tumultuous stomach :mad:. Having said that, I felt so much better after finishing. Best hangover cure out there :cool:0 -
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ThebitterLemon wrote: »You're flying at the minute KU, serious stuff in the last few months.
Are you gonna concentrate on the shorter stuff for the summer?
Any inclination to run the 26.2 this year?
TbL
Cheers TbL
Its the middle distance for the foreseeable now. I don't have any long term plans but as long as I'm enjoying it, I'll stick to the track and the cross country with the odd road race and leave the marathon until I'm an auld lad 0 -
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Tue 21.04.15
4.8 @ 7.22/mi w/ strides
Just an easy one with some club mates. Strides before and after.
Wed 22.04.15
W/U, Dublin Graded 'B' 1500m (4:14.82 :cool:), W/D
A long time since the title change to the log and finally I've a 1500m under the belt. It was quite the experience :eek:
Full of Boardsies out in Santry. Raycun and ecoli in the 10,000 and then myself, Timmaay and wolfie in the 1500. I was aslo surprised to meet a clubmate that joined the Cru before Christmas but hadn't been down in a few months before the start. Another 1500m runner. Formerly a low 3.50 guy but just getting back in to it. Hopefully he's back for good now because he would be a great training partner to have.
After a mile and a half warm up with him, we met up with Timmaay and headed over to the start. Only 4 in the 'A' race, so they chucked these guys in with one of the 'B' races and then there was one sole 'B' race. Myself and the clubmate were in the 'B' and Timmaay was in the A/B race. I got in a few strides and then we were called to the line.
Took up a position second from the inside with the intention of going out hard and getting a position at the top of the field early on. Gun went and I got a good start, slipping in to second after about 20m when things settled down. Trouble started then when two guys came up on my shoulder and just stuck there. I was completely boxed in. The pace was very slow and I was getting really frustrated. I was sort of hoping that the adrenaline was misleading me in to thinking we were going slower than was the actual case. A call of '71' after one lap confirmed otherwise. Had to make a move, so I just stuck out the hand and forced my way out to take the lead and upped the pace. Felt so much better being able to run at my own pace but then we passed the line and there was just two laps left. Couldn't believe it. Jaysus, the race is nearly over. Tried to inject some more pace and now I was working hard. Think a few guys passed me at some stage on this lap but my memories are sketchy. Was just focussed on keeping the momentum going. Hit the bell and now it was just flat out to the end. Can't really remember the last lap at all but I was catching one guy in the straight before he realised and put in a small surge to keep just ahead at the line. Might have been fourth or fifth but again not sure. Lot of internal focus during the race.
Looked at the watch after the race and read 4.33. I was absolutely livid and thought I had completely fecked it up. It was only 2 or 3 minutes later, chatting to the club mate that reality dawned. I looked at my watch again to see 4.14. Weird. That was a bad few minutes. Anyway, it was long enough for me to think of a few instances in the race that I can improve upon for the next time. It really was over before you could really think though.
The garmin record of the race probably sums up the race better than I can, Very fast start, slow first lap, faster second lap, even faster third lap, a little bit faster fourth lap, finished.
Thu 23.04.15
5.3 @ 7.00/mi
Nice east run in the glorious sunshine. Have developed what I'm terming the 'Miler's Cough'. Had a case after the Relay's and again today. It certainly is a distance that is tough on the lungs0 -
Fri 24.04.15
5.2 @ 6.59/mi
Feeling a lot less tired on these lunch runs since the mileage has dropped ever so slightly. Legs feel a lot stonger
Sat 25.04.15
W/U, 2 X (4 X 400 w/ 200 jog recovery) w/ 3 mins between sets, W/D
Splits: 67.0, 70.8, 67.3, 69.7, 65.0, 70.3, 67.2, 68.7
Fairly rank conditions but a couple of us had arranged to head out to Santry and use the track rather than doing this on the grass in the Phoenix Park. Ran the 3.5 miles out there, all fairly uphill and in miserable conditions only to find out that the track was being used for an amputee/wheelchair event. Nuts! We drove back to Sean Moore Park, did another short warm up, followed by dynamic stretching and strides. By this stage our enthusiasm was very low but we got going. Aim was 1500 pace, which I now know, so 67s per 400. Hit the splits fine in one direction but in to the wind, it was impossible to run much faster than 70s. Would have been worried but it was the same case for all three of us so just putting it down to conditions. Happy with the effort and the splits were decent.
Sun 26.04.15
12 @ 6.48/mi
Such an enjoyable run in the Phoenix Park this morning. Legs were sore yesterday and still a little bit today after the session yesterday but more a general soreness than any muscle soreness so nothing to worry about I think. Felt tired going out but still the pace felt effortless. This lapsed in to actual tiredness for a few miles on the trails by the North Road. Once I reached my favourite side of the park, I always feel better and it was great running the ups and the downs facing in to the glorious sunshine. Back in time to then catch the bulk of the London Marathon.0 -
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