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Timber!!

overpronator

As you may have guessed from the title this thread is going to be my training log!

Bad jokes out of the way I have found the training logs on here to be both extremely educational and motivational. Furthermore they brought home to me what required to properly improve and the work people put in to do that, I have great admiration for many posters on here and hopefully with chat and feedback through this thread I can improve bit by bit.

About me, I'm a 30 year old male with a pretty sedentary job. In the past I played GAA at a good, sometimes very good level but succumbed to injury and more accurately apathy and pints in my early to mid twenties. The most exercise I got over a 5 year period consisted of five a side a couple of times a week thinking that was keeping me fit, the usual nonsense.

I started running properly about 18 months ago when I "trained" for the Irish runner 5 miler in the park. That involved going up there once or twice a week for the 3 weeks before the race and tearing around the course as fast as I could:). That progressed to the remaining races in the race series where through the graduates 2012 thread I picked up some basics, got some long runs in and got myself around DCM12 just under the 4 hour mark at 3.54

Last year I got more structured and followed a Hal Higdon type plan for the Limerick marathon. I had a tough day finishing in 3.36 blowing up around 20 miles chasing 3.30. I did the race series again last summer and followed a Hybrid plan of P&D which I supplemented with Meno's midweek long MP sessions in place of VO2 max workouts for the last 5 weeks and got around in a comfortable 3.26.

My current PB's are

5k 19.48
10k 41.00
10 Mile 68.45
Half 1.34.03
Marathon 3.26.51

The goals for this year however ambitious, were (and still are) a sub 40 10k and a sub 1.30 half.
The little matter of the London Marathon 2014 has gotten in the way of specifically focusing on these goals. I hadn't intended on doing a Spring Marathon this year but myself and my GF got offered a spot so I couldn't turn it down really.
I'm currently following the 12 week P&D plan up to 55 miles and have been just doing slow base building for the month before the plan started. I will follow the structure of the plan quite closely but will add more mileage depending on how I feel but will again supplement some of the VO2 max workouts at the end with longer marathon specific efforts as I think it was these sessions from Meno's graduates plan last summer that made the difference for me in DCM 13.

From my PBs its clear that my endurance isn't really where it should be yet so hopefully another marathon cycle with more fast finish long runs, sessions Ive never really gotten to grips with will help with that.
Ill post again later with a summary of what ive been up to for the last 3 or so weeks, hopefully this log will keep me more active on here for feedback as im sporadic enough when it comes to posting but love to lurk!

Comments, feedback and general slagging welcome.

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tang1

Epic stuff OP, serious cajones to get through that, shows serious mental strength.

Tom Joad

Great stuff - really great read that report. You have gone from strength to strength over the last year.

annapr

catching up here... fantastic report and kudos to you for that result. I was on the edge of my seat as you were getting dragged down from behind, saying noooooo.... maybe your GAA experience stood to you at that point

overpronator

So London is consigned to the archives and its time to move on, back to some running. Just not very much at the minute! I recovered fairly well last week and the legs felt back to normal by Thursday.

Sunday 5M 9.06 pace
I held off going for a run until Sunday Morning, 5 miles about 9 min pace and all was ok(ish), still some tender spots here and there that ill need to keep an eye on.

Ill continue to ease back in this week and next, no sessions for another 2 weeks id say. I'm in no rush anyway. I'll sign up for Dunshaughlin in June and after that the Fingal 10k as a goal race. I'm gonna look into training with a club in the next couple of weeks also.

overpronator

I was back to some easy running last week, following P&Ds recovery plan more or less. For the record......

Tuesday 5M 7.43 pace
Wednesday 4M 8.14 pace
Thursday 6.4M 8.06 pace
Friday rest
Saturday 10.2M 7.55 pace
Sunday 5.5M 7.43 pace

31 miles

Nothing much to report, I got a tight calf/achilles on Monday and Tuesday but a few good going overs with a foam roller each day this week has helped, its alot better but still there today so Ill have to be careful of this one. The longer run on Saturday was enjoyable but I felt a bit tired as it was finishing so a hint there that I'm still not fully recovered. I had toyed with entering the Terenure 5 miler but have knocked that on the head now. Next week the plan adds some strides so hopefully by end of next week ill be nearly there. I can feel some zip starting to come back but Im still in no rush to do anything too taxing.

tang1

Best of luck this evening OP.

overpronator

tang1 wrote: »

Best of luck this evening OP.

Cheers Tang, I've let the log slip in the last few weeks, boards time lately has been minimal. Hoping for a solid run tonight, I don't expect a pb but will go out around that pace and see what hapens! Are you racing?

tang1

overpronator wrote: »

Cheers Tang, I've let the log slip in the last few weeks, boards time lately has been minimal. Hoping for a solid run tonight, I don't expect a pb but will go out around that pace and see what hapens! Are you racing?

Had planned to, but a calf niggle and holidays put a knock on training, dont want to race when i cant do myself some kind of justice. Your were entitled to let the log slip a bit after London in fairness.

overpronator

37.34 tonight in Dunshaughlin, no timing mat at the start so this is a watch time. Matched the PB so can't I complain. I think this was probably a better run too as the K Club would be a wee bit faster than the course tonight so all good. Will keep tipping along and hopefully give the Fingal 10k a good lash in 4 weeks.

tang1

overpronator wrote: »

37.34 tonight in Dunshaughlin, no timing mat at the start so this is a watch time. Matched the PB so can't I complain. I think this was probably a better run too as the K Club would be a wee bit faster than the course tonight so all good. Will keep tipping along and hopefully give the Fingal 10k a good lash in 4 weeks.

Well done OP, great running, keep us updated if you can.

adrian522

Great running OP. I thought conditions were tough so great time. Sorry not to meet up after.

tang1

Well done today OP.

overpronator

tang1 wrote: »

Well done today OP.

Thanks Tang, I've let the log slide something spectacular!
I ran 37.4x in Duleek yesterday which I was a bit disappointed with but fully expected at the same time! I ran a good PB in Fingal (37.07) but my training has been pretty haphazard since then, there's been alot going on but coupled with that I've let my consistency slide too.
I've been training with a local club since June so that's helped, next target is the Dublin Half Marathon, wont be expecting to move mountains there but a PB might be a possibility still.

Tom Joad

Are you planning on doing the lakes this year?

overpronator

Tom Joad wrote: »

Are you planning on doing the lakes this year?

Toying with it J! I'm racing the Frank Duffy at the weekend but on tired legs. If I get a hint from that Duleek was just a blip and I might have a shot at a good run in Blessington I'll do it, otherwise I'll just focus on the half.

(I'll probably just cave in next week and sign up anyway

)

overpronator

Ran 60.55 in the Frank Duffy yesterday so I'll sign up for Blessington this week I'd say. Are you running it TJ?

tang1

overpronator wrote: »

Ran 60.55 in the Frank Duffy yesterday so I'll sign up for Blessington this week I'd say. Are you running it TJ?

Nice, is that a PB OP?

overpronator

tang1 wrote: »

Nice, is that a PB OP?

Yeah Tang, think I ran 66 something last year so a good result. Goal was sub 62 but managed to just dip under which I was delighted with.

Tom Joad

overpronator wrote: »

Ran 60.55 in the Frank Duffy yesterday so I'll sign up for Blessington this week I'd say. Are you running it TJ?

That's a fantastic time. You are really in the groove lately.

Was toying with Blessington but doesn't really work for me so will stick with Athlone the following week.

ThebitterLemon

That's a fab time, congrats.

TbL

overpronator

I think it might be time to make a return.

OOnegative

overpronator wrote: »

I think it might be time to make a return.

Where you off to?

overpronator

OOnegative wrote: »

Where you off to?

Gonna start boring boards with my presence again. Keep me honest. How are you by the way??

OOnegative

overpronator wrote: »

Gonna start boring boards with my presence again. Keep me honest. How are you by the way??

Yeah all good S, tipping along after Cologne and DCM, nothing to strenuous. What’s in the pipeline for you?

overpronator

OOnegative wrote: »

Yeah all good S, tipping along after Cologne and DCM, nothing to strenuous. What’s in the pipeline for you?

Good stuff buddy. Really glad you're well, been reading your log.

Loose plan is Raheny and Trim. No 26.2 in 2019.

Your goodself?

OOnegative

overpronator wrote: »

Good stuff buddy. Really glad you're well, been reading your log.

Loose plan is Raheny and Trim. No 26.2 in 2019.

Your goodself?

5k stuff till April/May time and toying with the idea of Eindhoven marathon next October, haven’t fully committed to it yet though. Plenty of time to decide that.

IvoryTower

Timber?!

Welcome back bro

El CabaIIo

IvoryTower wrote: »

Timber?!

A log joke. Some toilet humour would have worked better imo. Something like the loggers bog ala TbL style.

Welcome back man, be good to see what you're up to these days.

IvoryTower

are you going to log anything ever

overpronator

OK, so I should probably post something.

Since I last posted on this log I would say that I’ve improved a little, but not a great deal.The log was very marathon focused from reading it back and sadly my pb remains at 2.58.18 from London 2015.

Ive had two serious cracks at a marathon PB since then; both times, I came undone very badly. Once in Berlin 2016, where I went out at 6.35 pace for 18 miles and suffered with horrific cramp, disastrous. I actually felt cramp from about 10k that day so was a strange one. I was in very solid shape for that race but I’d say I bit off a little more than I could chew pacewise in all honesty. I jogged around Dublin in 3.06 4 weeks after Berlin and it took nothing out of me so I know I was in decent shape that summer, but it wasn’t to be. Fine margins.

Last April I was in the shape of my life for London, ran a half pb of 1.20 in the lead up and had trained solidly. The savage heat on the day killed me and my race was run by 8 miles. Very very disappointing. I may also have been a bit fatigued going in but what is done is done. I spent most of last summer trying to get on top of Achilles tendonitis that came as a direct result of that race so it was a write off really. I started from a low base in September but managed to get in decent shape for the Jingle Bells 5K where I ran a pb of 17.23 so a nice end to the year.

In between those marathons races I did run sub 3 again, in London 2017, 2.58.4x I think it was. This was actually quite a comfortable run, I had been pretty unfit in the Jan of that year so was using marathon training to get going again, I lost most of that summer also to Achilles problems from the marathon. Its only when you write this stuff down that you see patterns emerge!

So here I am. I had to fish about for these but my current PBs stand as follows:

5k 17.23 (Jingle Bells 2018)

5M 28.55 (Dunboyne 2016)

10K 36.33 (Dunshaughlin 2016)

10M 60.55 (Frank Duffy 2015)

Half 1.20.28 (Bohermeen 2018)

Marathon 2.58.18 (London 2015)

The marathon is the weakest there by a good bit but I’ve no real desire to tackle it for at least a year, maybe more. Plan for the first half of the year is to focus on 5-10k. I’ve had a fair bit of life stuff happen in the last few years too, marriage, house, job changes and baby to be exact. I’ve left Dublin and transferred to the local club at home which has been great so far.

Currently I’m in middling shape. December wasn’t too consistent but I treaded water without losing a great deal. Im certainly behind where I was for Jingle Bells though. Next race up is Raheny, I don’t think Ill be running a PB, id say 29.30 would be solid running for my current shape.

Ill try to keep on top of updates.

Longer-term I’d love to crack a sub 5 mile so may move to the shorter stuff. Someone talk me out of it please.