Mum on the Run

aquinn wrote: »

Oh right, yeah. Wake up the legs. Hmmn. All twitchy to race more like.
If you get a team of 4 and pay €100 you can race as far as I know:
http://www.grantthorntoncorporatechallenge.ie/index.php/event1/

€100 :eek: Although somehow I don't think it's the money that would be the limiting factor among my colleagues :rolleyes:

Wednesday – REST

A mini-break in Wicklow involving zero running, zero wifi, and practically zero sleep in a ‘family’ room that you couldn’t swing a cat in. Luckily we hadn’t brought the cat.

Thursday – Easy

Home sweet home. Got out early evening for a very relaxing run up to the Wooden Bridge and back. Bit of a tough breeze on the return but nowhere near the gale force winds of late. Saw FBOT01 en route (on the grass, no less ). Pretty sure it was him but I’d no glasses on so either he or a random runner got a nod and a hi.

• 6 miles @ 8:52 incl 6 x 20 sec strides (path, grass)

Friday – LSR

Epic route today, courtesy of Annapr who suggested this a couple of weeks back. Headed out after Pilates to the Phoenix Park via Clonliffe Rd, Whitworth Road and the NCR. This is all a slight drag uphill but not so you’d notice much. Clockwise around the park including the S Bends, Military Road, Furry Glen (I think that’s what it called – the south-west corner of the park ?), Ordnance Survey Rd then out the Ashtown Gate. Life flashed before my eyes trying to get across at the Halfway House roundabout :eek:. Turned on to the canal path. What a revelation! How have I not run along here before? It’s awesome. And downhill all the way home! I think I always thought it would be well dodgy and full of dubious characters but I only saw one cider drinker and one crazy person, which along a 4 mile stretch is fairly tame. I did avoid the section from Drumcondra to Ballybough though, which might have brought up the average :rolleyes:.

• 110 mins (12.55* miles) @ 8:46

*didn’t know whether to round up or down. I think if it’s 5 or over you’re supposed to round up but I’m not sure and don’t want to cheat. Hilly, if you’re reading can you clarify ? Next week’s LSR should bring me to Half Marathon distance. Should be a PB if I can hold the same pace. I may have conquered my distance demons .

It’s the 31st, so time for a table. Quite chuffed with this month, especially as I am still, miraculously, in one piece. Legs a bit weary, but a sports massage tomorrow should sort that out.

Month 2015 2014 2013
January 101 86 0
February 109 75 0
March 124 109 0
April 129 101 24
May 133 95 81
June 110 86 72
July 181 2 101
August 31 37
September 83 43
October 93 64
November 107 69
December 119 94
887 987 585

Ososlo wrote: »

Great stuff BG, you're flying it! Lovely monthly total there. A big increase from the previous month but you seem to have handled it fine.
That sounds like a lovely long run today. I must incorporate some of that into my route.
What distance/time of a long run will you peak at?

Thanks Ososlo, I had to double check the numbers because I assumed I'd added them up wrong! I think the reason I got away with the big jump is because apart from the LSR which only goes up 5 mins a week, all the other runs are familiar distances and I'm following the hard/easy rule. Any time I tried to increase mileage before (without guidance or a proper plan) I failed miserably because I did too much too soon (and was racing like a loon during it too ). LSR in the base building plan peaks at 2 hours, which should be 13.x miles. I think I'll leave it around there for now .

Ososlo wrote: »

Thinking about the gel thing, I asked the question on Random Running Thread. General consensus seems to be not to bother taking any for a half but then I read anna's report and that got me re-thinking it.
I might try one in training in the next week and see how it goes.
Great going for July! All this base work will be SO worth it when you're back racing again!

Yeah, I'm undecided. Really not a fan of gels. When I used to cycle long distances I liked the jelly type sweets but the thought of all that sugar makes me feel a bit queasy. I might do the same as you and try one during next week's LSR which should be half marathon distance. Yuck though....

Not long to your half now! Exciting times :

Ososlo wrote: »

Well you're definitely going the right way about things this time. Base training like a loon will allow you to race like a loon eventually! Well race within reason:)
I'll peak around 2hrs10 I think.

Are you getting club/coach guidance with the training at the moment or doing it on your own with a plan?

Yes not long to go now at all to mine. Not so long ago I thought I had ages to train and had silly notions of aiming for 1:45 or something but as the date gets closer the goal time is increasing:o It'll be down to 2 and a half hours by the time the race comes around!

Yeah, I probably should aim for a longer LSR too before the half but I'm racing a 10K the only weekend where it would fit in. Oh well :rolleyes:.

I'm following a plan based on a framework Clearlier put together for me and he very kindly offered assistance with it if needed, but so far it has all been straightforward and I've been able to manage on my own (with the collective wisdom on boards too, of course). I haven't been able to make the main club session due to work but I'm hoping that'll change at least for winter time and I can pick the coaches' brains there too.

I like Dubgal's idea (I think it was her idea anyway) of an A, B and even C goal. Means you can keep your dream/ideal scenario target but have one or two in reserve just in case things don't go 100% to plan. I'm thinking for Sept of 1:40 (the dream!), 1:45 (would be delighted) and anything under 1:57 will be a PB . Don't talk yourself down from 1:45 !! I think that sounds realistic based on your run last week.

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Pretty sure I got that idea off some mentor or other round these parts last year

Ha ha. Oops

hillsiderunner wrote: »

Depends whose rules , you see I wouldn't be doing any rounding until I got to the weekly total. I'd just leave those decimal points there (hi Dubgal! ). Even on weekly total I'd just round that to a .5 because its *wrong* to be designating .55 a whole mile ...

The way to avoid these dilemmas is to be aware of how the weekly total is looking and then run a bit more or less on the Sunday to get it the weekly total close to some round number of miles :rolleyes: ... do you not have a run tomorrow to tidy things up?

Why am I writing all this anyway... Never mind the total, am massively jealous of all your miles! And of anna's sunshine too.

Thanks, Hilly! So sorry to read on the novices thread of your food poisoning woes . I normally round to one decimal place for the individual runs and the weekly total so I was just curious if 12.55 is 12.5 or 12.6. I do have a run today so I can call it at 8.45 and still hit my target. Thanks!

Murph_D wrote: »

Nice going, G. Re the 50 mile week, the trick is to get off to a good start.

Welcome back . I'm feeling tired already thinking about 50 miles - it's a long way! No rest day tomorrow then ?

FBOT01 wrote: »

Yep that was me alright. Hardly recognised you without the shades :cool:

They're prescription :cool:! Don't know what I was doing out without them :rolleyes:

FBOT01 wrote: »

Where do you do Pilates? Is it a general class or does it have a running focus? Looking for a new class for this cycle.

The Pilates Centre in Clontarf. Here's the website. They have a range of classes (I do mat, but there's all sorts of machine classes too). It's not runner specific but the owner Anna knows her stuff and would understand a runner's weaknesses and strength requirements. One of the other instructors Caitriona is a runner and also a physio and her classes are excellent too.

The have an app too which makes life very easy. Pretty sure I'd have fallen apart long ago if it wasn't for this place.

Sold ?? .