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Turning a mule into a race horse.
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Also want to compliment Dunboyne AC (organisers of the race) for a well run event with an absolutely epic spread afterwards. Plenty of tea, biscuits, cakes, sweets, crisps etc but lads get this - the biggest stack of Dominos pizza I've ever seen. They were shovelling it into people amd there was loads available. Best afters spread I've ever seen. Not that it should just be about the spread of course but it certainly left everyone happy.
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Congrats on another PB!! one a week is not bad
And that is really impressive progress on all distances, brilliant, you should be really chuffed. What would you say has been most important for getting the improvements?
Thanks Anna. More than chuffed with the progress overall.
As to where its come from I would say a combination of things.
Smarter training: I've learned a hell of a lot from this forum. My initial time running was spent making all the beginners mistakes. The last 18 months or so I've been training smarter, easy days easy, hard days hard and getting the max benefit of it.
Weight loss: Much easier to run when trimmer. I shudder when I think about running at 17 stone now.
Running more: Simple enough. I've been able to increase the mileage a bit and that brings its own benefits.
HTFUing: Not withstanding last nights not so great effort in general I've toughened up quite a bit. The effort put into last weeks 5k just wouldn't have been there 18 months ago. I train and push much harder where appropriate and race a hell of a lot harder.
None of the above is any great secret. Would be the same for anyone I imagine !0 -
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Thanks for sharing the experience PM - really invaluable for all of us who are trying to speed up. And well done on the (latest) PB too!
Boils down to put in the work and it will eventually pay off.
When I first started running the progress was mainly with distance improvements. Speed just wasn't there nor improving. I remember my first 5k taking 35 minutes and how much of an absolute struggle and triumph it was to get under 30 minutes. Stagnated a bit then but there came a point where it all started to come together, the easy training runs were getting faster and faster and the race times around where doing the same. 21:21 for a 5k was frankly unimaginable for me even 12 months ago and I'm expecting to be giving sub 20 a real go at the end of the year. Then it will be time to start trying to catch up with some of the more faster members around here. There's always something to aim and work for. 0 -
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Monday
3 Easy with the dog. He is pissing me off. No concept whatsoever of taking it handy. Wants to run every run fast and as hard as possible. Reminds me of a less experienced mule back in the early messiah days. Poor fecker was near choked from the harness but we kept to easy pace. 3 @ 9:37
Tuesday
6.4 Miles @ 8:57 avg pace
One of the most enjoyable runs I've had in a long time. Met tang1 for a running date ! Really enjoyed this break from the local monotony. Change of scenery and a bit of company made for a refreshing run. We did a lap and a bit and a few dead ends of Catherines Park in Lucan / Leixlip. No set target pace for this. tang1s easy pace would be a bit faster than mine which I didn't mind as I could use this as a tempo run myself. Took it in turns naturally to lead the pace. Great company and the miles flew by. Of course he does go and up the pace for the uphill slog sections :rolleyes::pac: so conversation dried up a bit whilst I hung on a bit.
Finished up with a decent climb up from the river to the fields beside the car park which was a nice little test of the legs. (80ft gain in 0.2 of a mile) tang hardly broke stride at all. Very graceful hill climber.
9:08, 9:21, 8:52, 8:53, 8:31, 8:48, 9:12 (0.4)0 -
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SamforMayo wrote: »Tang is coming the next Bitter Lemon
Maybe, but he lacks the flowing Richard Gere-like locks 0 -
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ThebitterLemon wrote: »You two timing me B!!!
I want me roses back
I look moe like Richard Geres bo-locks
Tbl
Really thought you were more of a man of the world TBL - wouldn't have had you down as the jealous type
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Wednesday - Thursday
Root canal work and a 70 min session in the dentists chair took me out on Wednesday, had plans for Thursday so ended up with 2 rest days.
Friday
4 miles steady @ 8:40 avg
Took the dog out again. After 2 days off had a steady run planned and figured he would be ok to join me. As usual he's giving it loads and wants to run faster and faster. Was feeling quite good myself so figured I would have a go at beating a PB on a strava segment near the house. It's a .8 of a mile stretch of road. Plan was to just keep up with the dog Haven't really ran this hard for a while. Previous PB was 5:44 for it. Anyway - we hit the turn into the long stretch and off we go. He's loving it and I'm struggling to keep up with the little fecker. Once in a while the lead is going taut again and I've to up my game to stop him choking. Then up ahead we see a bloke on a bike in the cycle lane. And we're kind of gaining on him. Now he's not giving it loads himself just leisurely cycling along but we are gaining on him. The dog looks back and gives me the look - the look that says we're doing this - and he speeds up again. Catch and pass the cyclist who gets a fright and we carry on to the end of the road and the segment. Landing in at 4:48 nearly a minute off the PB for it. Easy mile back in to cool down.
Saturday
12 mile LSR @ 9:28 avg
This was meant to be a short 3-4 mile easy recovery ahead of a long run tomorrow. However I've been called into work tomorrow morning and have an afternoon out with the kids already planned so had to move the long run to today. Not ideal coming off the back of the harder run yesterday. Plan called for 13 miles - ended up doing 12. Picked a route and decided whatever it landed at it landed at. If it was short of 13 so be it. Took a few miles of a run down to the start of the clonee 10k route from couple weeks ago, ran most of the course and then turned for home. Tough 11th mile climbing back up but held pace. Legs were certainly feeling it after last nights run and the 5am work start today. Glad to get it over and done with is how I feel about it now so won't say it was 100% enjoyable.0 -
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Pacing Mule wrote: »Was feeling quite good myself so figured I would have a go at beating a PB on a strava segment near the house. It's a .8 of a mile stretch of road. Plan was to just keep up with the dog
Next time just tie the Garmin on the dog and let him set a few segment records 0 -
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Tuesday
4 miles @ 8:40 avg Wasn't feeling the love for the running again. Went out ran fast as I wanted it over and done with. Blew out a fast mile mid way - fastest ever km during it. Didn't feel right. Just didn't enjoy it.
Wednesday - Saturday
Sums up the few days. No running (zero motivation and was very easy to convince myself that resting niggles was a better option), too much food, too much beers. Proper off the wagon stuff for an ex fattie :mad:
Sunday
13.1 LSR @ 9:26 Avg Pace with 1MP @ Mile 12
Drove to blanch and set off for a run down the canal. Have never ran this route and it is well worth the effort to get there. Figured if I ran away from the car in a straight line there would be no wussing out of the distance required as I had to return. Got down as far as croke park before turning back. Canals aren't flat ! Steep litle hills at each lock are a challenge coming back. Left achilles started grumbling a bit and I was questioning if the out and back strategy was wise but thankfully settled down. Felt great and despite the overall uphill back from mile 6 onwards was happy to open it up a bit for mile 12 coming in faster than MP before slowing back down to finish it off nice and easy. A very different mental experience to last weeks LSR where it felt like a chore. Love for running restored. Happy days.
9:32, 9:24, 9:31, 9:39, 9:12, 9:30, 9:41, 9:22, 9:38, 9:28, 9:25, 8:28 (MP), 9:560
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