Mum on the Run

Thursday – REST

R&R (work, laundry, cleaning, decluttering, parenting, etc.) and some much needed foam rolling.

Friday – LSR

Loved, loved, loved this run. Begone, distance demons! Dublin Half let’s be havin ya! Plan for today was a recce of the Dublin Half route in the Phoenix Park. I decided against gels and went for my standard breakfast (porridge with berries, seeds, nuts, Alpro yoghurt, a Kelkin Revive with apple cider vinegar and a pint of hot water with lemon) with the addition of a slice of Biona rye bread toasted with some almond butter. Stuffed! I had no issues so this is what I’ll be having on Sept 19th. I parked on Furze Road and made my way to where I guess the start will be. Stashed a kids bottle of water up a tree as I’d be passing by there again around Mile 8. I’d studied the route but brought a copy just in case. The first mile is really fast so I guess a bit of holding back will be required here on the day. Bit of a drag then on the 2nd mile and after that is very flat up to and including Farmleigh. I stopped at the security hut to check directions and after a bit of discussion the lads sent me on the right route to the Tower Gate. They neglected to tell me the gate was locked though :rolleyes:. No way out other than the way I came in, so doubled back and went out the other gate just beside the entrance to Farmleigh towards Castleknock College and arrived on the other side of Tower Gate. I was about a mile behind as a result so I knew I’d have to make up some route changes on the hoof or risk finishing miles away from the car. Sharp left after Mount Sackville back into the park and took the Furze Road instead of the Ordnance Survey Road to get back on course. Retrieve the water bottle and had a few sips but wasn’t dying of thirst or anything. Skipped the minor detour off Chesterfield towards the Papal Cross, partly to catch up on myself and partly to avoid the swarms of Ironmen convening on Race HQ which has set up in the Papal Cross car park. Every so often on the run I’d hear the whirr of a disc wheel and sure enough there’d be some lad in a pointy helmet down on his tri-bars on a bike that cost more than my car. I didn’t go all the way out the main gate but cut down by the Wellington Monument and down some steep steps out to the Chapelizod Road. I was trying to get the last few miles right as per the race route so ‘that’ hill would be close to the finish. Chapelizod Road is looooong and I could feel my knees a bit on the concrete so moved into the bike lane, being alert to pointy helmets of course. Back into the park via the Chapelizod Gate and tried to relax up the hill past St. Mary’s then onto the Furze Road for the final stretch.

I ran this primarily by feel only looking at each mile split as the watch ‘pinged’ cheerfully. I was definitely running easy and felt comfortable throughout* so I was surprised and delighted to get a shiny new half PB of 1:50:27. I’d feel a lot more confident now about going with the sub 1:40 pacers in September if the conditions are good.

*last mile’s a biatch though

115 mins - 13.6 miles @ 8:26 (tarmac)
Splits: 8:11, 8:33, 8:26, 8:25, 8:21, 8:24, 8:36, 8:25, 8:26, 8:07, 8:22, 8:22, 9:01 (5:22)

Saturday – Easy

An uninspiring up and back to the Wooden Bridge. Although I did pass the boats in the bay and it looked like a great evening for sailing. Wondered if Cap’n Aquinn was among them. Strides into the wind.

• 5.3 miles @ 9:00 incl. 6 x 20 sec strides

Sunday – Medium Run #2 of 2 incl segment @ 2 hour pace/effort


Hadn’t done hills in a while so took this to the Bog of Frogs loop along the Howth trails this morning. Wasn’t too busy with walkers so not too much stopping and starting. Tripped up three times along the route but didn’t go splat. I think I need some very pretty new trail shoes to help with the tripping.

• 8.3 miles @ 10:06 incl. 30 mins @ 9:23

Splits: 11:44, 10:48, 8:57, 8:23, 10:19, 9:30, 10:02, 11:28, (2:31)

Compared with easy loop 3 weeks ago
8.3 miles @ 10:38
Splits: 11:45, 10:54, 8:43, 9:26, 11:25, 10:51, 10:30, 11:58, (2:45)

Happy enough with that effort the faster section averages over a minute per mile quicker which is about right I think.

TOTAL WEEKLY MILES: 50.0*

Step back week next. Only 40 miles!**

*I wasn’t running another step!
** Never thought this would be something I’d hear myself say

annapr wrote: »

Great stuff, G. You have six weeks to go to the Dublin HM... you're in great shape for it. And you seem to be thriving on the extra mileage which is great to see too.

Thanks Anna. I'm really surprised to have survived this far to be honest. I keep waiting to fall apart limb by limb :rolleyes:. Hope your LSR mojo comes back soon. Maybe a few (temporary even) tweaks to the programme might help so you're fresher for your long runs ?

Monday – Easy

Short on time today but needed to get something done before the physio and the inevitable enforced rest.

• 4 miles @ 8:59 incl 6 x 20 sec strides (grass, which needs cutting DCC!!!)

Got some work done on my apparently man-size chunky calves (hey!:o), my feet and ITB. Ouchers, but all good, and nothing that can’t be explained by the increase in mileage.

Tuesday – Rest

Rest as predicted. Just means the week is backloaded more than I’d like but it’s a stepback week at least with *only* 40 miles :rolleyes:

Wednesday – S&C, Medium Run #1 of 2 with section at 1 hour pace/effort

Pilates first, then out into the fab sunshine for my tempo run. Warmed up around Clontarf and did a lap of Fairview Park before upping the pace outside Westwood for the paced section. Very busy along the promenade this evening with walkers, kids, dogs on leads, loose dogs, dumb dogs etc. so did a fair bit of weaving and dodging and there was a bit of a breeze too. Excuses, excuses. Felt tough but manageable. Turned at the wall for the last three minutes of the tempo and it was much easier with the breeze at my back. Took the most direct route home then as was starvin’ Marvin. Spal bog for dinner. Nom.

• 7 miles @ 8:40 incl. 18 mins @ 7:23

annapr wrote: »

Wait... Were those 10k splits in Km???? Woo hoo.

Oh I wouldn't get too excited Anna I'm not about to convert any time soon. Km for km races/recces only is the rule. I forgot to change back in time for Saturday's run and it drove me nuts!

aquinn wrote: »

Holy hell girl, this is you cutting back? Sure that's nuts.
2 in Sept, and actually you are missing Sept 1st :P
3 Oct, 2 Nov and 3 Dec?

How did you make it through last year if you had 3 additional races???

Ha ha, I never claimed to be smart . But I did survive and was on a bit of a roll so somehow got away with it.

They're actually all very short races, and in most cases took the place of a hard session during the week. Also XC is a much more forgiving surface than road so body not getting as much of a hammering.

Not sure about Sept 1st now, might save myself for the Lakes 10K on the Saturday.