running up that hill

Tues 28/07
13 miles with 10 at marathon pace. Still not 100% on exactly what marathon pace will be, but I will be looking in the region of 3:15-3:20. Did the 10 miles on an undulating route around the park. Average pace 7:30 m/m, ranging from 7:20 to 7:39. Felt good throughout, but towards the end I felt like I was working harder than I should have been.


Thurs 30/07
7.2 miles easy in approx 60 mins, avg 8:20 m/m. Followed this with 8x100m strides, with some basic drills, skips and marching. Legs felt really fresh and loose after this. Lots of cyclists training for the ironman in the park tonight.


Sat 01/08
10k 38:16 avg pace 6:16

Visited family in co. Clare for the long weekend, and signed up for a local 10k with some other family members and friends. I ran it last year and it measured 0.1m short, and the same route was planned this year. It's a tiny village so a very small field took part, but there were a few strong runners so I knew I would have plenty to chase. Last year's winner won in under 32 minutes.

It's a hilly course, and net uphill. The first 2.5k is mostly uphill into the wind, followed by a nice gradual downhill tailwind stretch to 7k, and a few climbs to the finish. Made one change to my routine - no water for the last 60 mins - effort to avoid the stitch that has hit me in the last two outings.

Got off to a slowish start after warming up. By the turn at 2.5k, I was in 7th with 1st and 2nd long out of sight, but all the others strung out not far ahead of me. Once we hit the downhill section, I gradually picked off a few and caught 4th place at the 9k mark. The gap to 3rd was just too much and I couldn't muster the finish to pressure him, though I could see him looking back to check (rightly or wrongly I take it as a sign of tiredness because I only do it when I am tired). There was definitely more in the legs, and a sub 38 should be possible on a nicer course. If I can find one as a sharpener before DCM I'll aim for that.


Mon 03/08
Approx 60 mins easy 7.1 miles avg 8:10

Got the dates all wrong last time.

Thurs 20/08
70 mins easy
8.7 miles avg 8.00 m/m
+ strides and basic form drills.


Sat 22/08 - Frank Duffy 10 mile
10 miles in 72:32 avg 7.15m/m
Total 14 miles.

Easy 4 mile warmup first. The plan for the race was for 9 miles at marathon pace, and then pick up the pace for a faster final mile. Marathon pace is still TBC, somewhere in the range 7.14 / 7.25 / 7.37 m/m. They equate to sub 3:10 / sub 3:15 / sub 3:20 respectively. The main objective today was to run each mile sub 7.30 m/m and see how comfortable that felt. Mission accomplished in that sense.

First half splits:
7.15 / 7.18 / 7.21 / 7.26 / 7.24

Settled into a comfortable pace quickly and tried over the first few miles to push it back towards 7.30 m/m. But I was feeling good and breathing was relaxed. Slowed down for the water station, but I still managed to nearly choke myself - drinking from cups while moving is something I need to work on. Ended up dumping the water by the roadside.

Second half:
7.16 / 7.22 / 7.23 / 7.24 / 6.26

Kept it steady for the first four miles. Legs still felt strong, heart rate and breathing comfortable. Didn't bother with the second water station. From the top of the hill, I gradually upped the pace to finish faster.

Cooled down with a 3 mile walk home. Had hoped to jog back, but with a bit of stiffness in my left ankle I figured there was little to be gained.

Final thought: there's great running in the stretch heading down Chesterfield avenue (twice) towards the city ... Pity in DCM it's the opposite direction....

Wed 26/08
45 mins easy run. 5.2 miles avg 8.30 m/m
Just an easy jog to loosen the legs after Tuesday's long run.


Sat 29/08 - Tullamore half marathon
1:29:04 avg pace 6:48 m/m

I had been keen to do this last year, given that it's my home town, but work got in the way. So this was my first time. Took a couple of rest days on Thurs and Fri ahead of it - the plan was to aim for the PB time (sub 1:27:21), and see how close I could manage on my relatively tired legs.

Got in and parked early and met a few friends around the start line. The first half had a few drags, and a slight headwind, so a few miles in I found myself in a group of 10-15 people with the 1:30 pacers. As we got closer to half-way, some of the climbs and the heat were beginning to take a toll and the group began to break up. I was feeling the heat too. We passed the half way water station and the relay handover point, and I gradually upped the pace to put a bit of distance between myself and the pacers.

Splits first half: 6:47 / 6:47 / 6:58 / 6:50 / 6:47 / 6:58

Splits second half: 6:42 / 6:43 / 6:45 / 7:02 / 7:03 / 6:50 / 6:27 / +0:27s

After the 3 faster flat/downhill miles, I began to tire. Miles 10 and 11 were tougher with some drags, and my pace fell away as my legs seemed to drain of energy.

In mile 12, I heard voices get closer and closer behind me. I asked as I turned around "are you lads doing the relay?", fully expecting that the two people gaining rapidly on me were doing the shorter 10.5K option. Turned out to be the two 1:30 pacers, on their own, no sign of any of the earlier pace group. They provided some great encouragement over the final miles to me and a few others that they reeled in.

Coming into the stadium, there was very little left in the tank. When someone passed me looking strong on the track with about 300m to go, I couldn't muster any sort of fight. That was a disappointment in hindsight, I normally have a semi-decent finish in me. In the end, I finished 1:43 shy of the PB time.

Summary: Tougher than I thought it would be. I didn't expect to be that short of the PB time. I struggled in the heat, and I probably should have carried water from the stations instead of sipping and dropping the bottles immediately. That's also the final nail in the coffin of a sub 3-hr marathon attempt at DCM. (There are many nails in that coffin now...)


Next up
My first 20+ mile long run is planned for this week. The only other outing before DCM that I have booked is the race series half marathon, which will be a MP run. Will also try to fit in a 10K and/or parkrun between now and DCM. And I might squeeze in the Athlone 3/4 at MP too... still in two minds about it.

Sat 05/09
Parkrun in 20:47 avg 6.41 m/m
2 mile warmup + 2 mile cooldown
Total = 7.1 miles

Cycled up to the local parkrun for this, and took a very easy lap of the park as a warmup. Should have done an extra mile in the warmup to get the legs going. I think the splits reflect that - it's a route where the first mile is the fastest and the last mile is the slowest, yet, for me: 6.49/6.45/6.33 + 0.40 (6.05 pace).


Mon 07/09
45 mins easy (avg 8.11m/m) + 45 mins MP (avg 7.39m/m)
Total 11.7 miles in 90 mins.

Left this very late in the evening. Came across some eerie music in the furry glen as I went by - it's a performance that's part of the Fringe festival. http://loosysmokes.com/ Passed the 1,000 mile mark for the year tonight - nice to reach a milestone that I once considered beyond me.


Thurs 10/09
20.1 miles in 2h 50m, avg 8.20m/m

Left achilles felt a little niggley on Tues, but I should have done this on Wed night as originally planned. At least I remembered to charge the watch this time, and it lasted the distance. My legs barely lasted the distance though - only took on water during this and really struggled towards the end, whereas the miles had seemed to fly by in the first half. Legs were stiff & tired this morning on the cycle commute.


Next up
Hopefully another parkrun tomorrow morning, a 16 miler mid-week, and the Dublin race series half marathon at MP next weekend.

Thurs 17/09
8 miles in 60 mins+ easy, avg 8.07m/m

My left achilles/ankle area hurt today. There has been a slight niggle there for a while now, with a good deal of snapping/cracking going on. I'm trying to manage it with occasional ice and resting - getting out on 5 or more days per week is just not possible now without further damaging it. On a typical run, the niggle/pain goes away after a few miles. But I know that this does not indicate that the problem is resolved. And also, on marathon day, I will not have the luxury of jogging around for 3+ miles - I don't plan on running much more than the prescribed 26.2. Until the marathon, I'm going to try to manage it as carefully as possible and not put it through any more effort than it can handle. Making the start line is priority #1.


Sat 19/09 - Race series Half Marathon (@ MP)
4.5 miles very easy
13.1 miles in 1:38-ish avg 7.30m/m
Total 17.6 miles

Started out with 4.5 miles jog around the park to loosen the legs and pad out the mileage. The achilles was still a little niggly at first, and the easy miles settled it down. It didn't bite again during the race, but the walk home later was sore and slow. Jumped into wave 2 a little behind the 1:40 pacers, with the plan being to stick with them for most of it, and push a little harder towards the end. 1:40 is MP, as I'm targeting 3:20 in the full.

Miles 1-7 splits: 7.27/7.39/7.26/7.43/7.30/7.34/7.20

There's not much point in ranting about people in the wrong pace-zone, because it seems that nothing ever changes in this respect. And in light of the death later in the race, this seems almost trivial. But I'm going to rant anyway, it has to be said and hopefully with more people ranting, word will filter through. It annoyed me massively at the time, and nearly caused me to crash into people more than once. Before wave 2 went off, a bunch of people joined the front of the wave ahead of the two 1:40 pacers. Credit to the pacers - they did a great job warning the rest of us when there was a slower person ahead, and they shouted to let people know the pace group was coming. Also, and maybe my opinion is coloured here, but it seemed that a large proportion of the people we passed were wearing headphones. Some seemed utterly oblivious to the ducking and dodging that the people behind them were forced to do. It's inconsiderate, it's greedy, it's lazy, and it's dangerous.

So it was difficult to settle on the narrow sections down the khyber road. There were a few near misses along here, and again on the uphill towards the wellington monument. It was not until we hit the great north road that things spread out a bit and became more comfortable. All the while, I was just behind the large 1:40 pace group. On the positive side, with concentrating on minding my footing and not running over people, I hardly noticed the first 3 miles disappear, until one of the pacers shouted, "that's your Saturday parkrun done now". The pacers were great, big thanks - drumming up support and cheers at the major turns, carrying water, and giving good advice on the course.

I took some water on at the first station, and lost a few seconds due to the crowding. The ground was littered with discarded bottles - need to be very careful not to step on one and potentially twist an ankle. At the second station, I took in some Lucozade sport, purely to test my stomach as practice for the marathon. Happy to report no issues.

Miles 8-end: 7.27/7.22/7.28/7.32/7.38/7.04/1.02
Kept it nice and steady from there to the end. Picked it up a bit after the hill and stretched the legs out a bit on the run in.

The main take-aways are that (a) good to get 17+ miles in with the last 13 at target pace, (b) I was still motoring quite well at the end, and didn't feel overly fatigued. The big question is can I keep it going and get under 3:20, but the Moone kilomarathon (next week) and the athlone 3/4 will provide more info on that.


Next up
The busy season in work has kicked off again this week, so it's going to put a little more pressure on when I can get out. Highlights are:
- 20 miles+ midweek long run
- Moone kilomarathon @ MP

---

Like everyone else, I was shocked and sad to hear about the death at the HM. When I think of the excitement I got from the day, and the joy I get from from running and racing in general, to think that someone will not come home is terrible. I can't imagine what his family are going through, it seems so unfair. To anyone reading, if you have not already, get a cardiac screening. It may cost a bit, but it's worth it.

vanderlyle wrote: »

Wed 23/09
A demoralising evening that will hopefully be put behind me in Moone this weekend.

Done. Good confidence boost in Moone today. But not forgotten.

Sat 26/09 - Moone Kilomarathon
1.2mile warmup
26.2km avg 7.22m/m in 1h 59m 43s
Total 17.4 miles

Got parked early and did a little warm-up jog to suss out the final hill. It didn't seem too bad, but of course it might be a different story by the end.

Plan was to hold 7.30m/m pace for as long as possible. This was aided by joining a group of like-minded 7.30-ers one mile in. I joined in with two lads wearing Tallaght vests and a few others, and we stuck together for a good few miles. The group began to break up after a stretch into a headwind, and then it was just me and one of the Tallaght lads. We kept the pace hovering around 7.30m/m, working together until about mile 11 or 12.

At that stage, I was still feeling comfortable. Climbing up over the motorway, the guy I was running with waved me on, and we went our separate ways as I pushed on. With about 2.5 miles to go, some hasty mental arithmetic meant I could scrape in under 2 hours if I upped the pace just a bit more. It seemed like nice target to aim for, and I decided to go for it. I was completely on my own by now, and I knew there was no risk of blowing up a this stage. The hill at the end took a bite, but with the finish line in sight, and a few encouraging shout-outs, I stretched the legs to get in about 15 seconds under 2 hours. A nice little bonus for the outing.

Splits
First half: 7.13 / 7.26 / 7.22 / 7.34 / 7.26 / 7.32 / 7.26 / 7.32
Second half: 7.32 / 7.34 / 7.24 / 7.26 / 7.22 / 7.12 / 7.16 / 7.08 / 1.19 (last 0.2 miles at 6.35 pace)

Big confidence-booster ahead of the 3:20 attempt in Dublin. There were bits of tightness and soreness here and there, but the pace was never a problem. The route is good - some climbs, but good payoffs with downhill sections coming soon after most of the drags. The frequency of water stations was a great addition. It's a shame more people don't run it. It seems like an excellent preparation run ahead of autumn marathons. Also great meeting Krusty and theboyblunder today.


Next up
Another midweek LSR and the Athlone 3/4 next weekend, which will again, be mostly MP. I also need to visit a podiatrist this week. The blister on my left foot is getting very unsightly. 1 month to go! :eek:

Sat 03/10
Lucan parkrun in 19:11, avg 6.10m/m.
Total 5 miles.


Sun 04/10 - Athlone 3/4 marathon
19.65 miles in 2h 29m 55s avg 7:38m/m

Printed out a 2h 30m pace wristband for this. First time using one and found it really useful. Kept the pace steady, lost some time on the uphills and generally gained it back on the downhills. Took on water at each of the stations, little and often, and didn't take in anything else. I will probably take on some lucozade sport at DCM, as I know from before that it's a safe bet with my stomach. Pace rarely varied much from the target splits on the wristband, and in the end I came in pretty much on target, with 5 seconds to spare. Which was nice.

Happy with that effort, didn't overdo it. Average pace today was 16 seconds per mile slower than Moone last week. Had some calf tightness in the early miles, but it disappeared and the legs feel tired but ok now. The route is tough in places, with decent climbs at miles 5, 8, and 18.

Massage and showers available on site were a nice touch. Organisation was great. I'd do this again, if/when I do another late Oct/Nov marathon.


Next up
Final midweek LSR, and the wind-down begins.

Mon 26/10 - Dublin marathon

Pre-Monday:
The weather, in particular the wind, was a big fear before the race. Both yr.no and met.ie can thank me for a lot of the traffic to their sites in the days leading up to Monday. I was a spectator at Roebuck hill last year, and I witnessed first hand how the weather dealt a blow to the ambitions of many. Seeing gale force winds promised on the RTE 1 forecast on Sunday night did nothing to help.

When I first began this log in January of this year, my stated goal in my first post here was 3:20 for DCM. This event was the main goal all year. But during the year, some fanciful notions began to enter my head (blame some faster short-distance races and the McMillan calculator). At one point, I was beginning to dare to dream about sub 3. But once the long runs kicked in, they painted a very different picture.

I had come into the training plan having never done a run longer than a half marathon. Indeed, before 2015, I had only completed one half marathon; my other effort at the distance being a desperate failure. I've been looking back over my spreadsheet log from 2014, and counted a total mileage of only 517. So far this year, I'm at 1,268 miles. Suffice to say, building endurance and getting the miles up was going to be the main challenge.

Some of the long runs knocked my confidence a bit. One in particular stands out. A 20-miler on concrete paths covering most of the southside section, where at 18 miles I stumbled in the doorway of some pub begging for water, then ended up wobbling at 10m/m for the rest of the way home. A horrible experience. After these runs, I felt like 3:30 or even 3:40 might be beyond me in a marathon. But there were some confidence boosters, like Moone, and the Athlone 3/4. They are both excellently organised and I drew a lot from the work done there to get me through DCM. Based on my experiences as a novice, I'd strongly recommend future novices to add one or both of these to their plans.

So for a finish I would up where I started, settling on a target of 3h20m (target avg pace = 7.37m/m). Nutrition plan was simple: drink a little water at every water station, and sip on lucozade sport where it was offered. I didn't bring anything with me (except the house key and a taxi fare home, in case things were to go wrong). I don't use gels, nor do I carry belts/bottles as they would only annoy me.


Pre race:
Woke around 6.30 and got a lift in. Made my way towards the start area at about 8.15am and bumped into a former work colleague who was running DCM for the 3rd time. I stayed to the right before the off, anticipating the first corner. Not willing to discard my well-worn hoodie, I stashed it behind a tree in Fitzwilliam sq, and soon later we were off.

Miles 1-3:
The congestion helped to ease me in, and we were very soon hitting the appropriate pace. I was in among the 3:20 pacers, two in front of me and one behind me. The water stop in Stoneybatter took a few people by surprise, and there was a bit of bumping.

Miles 3-6:
We entered the park, and I began to feel comfortable now. The little drag up from the quays was now behind us, and the section following that to Chesterfield avenue is a nice one. I noticed I had slipped ahead of the first 3:20 pacer, so eased back a little. The wind was at our backs on chesterfield avenue, which is a rare pleasure. Got a shout out from the folks and mrs v at the 5 mile mark at the phoenix monument. By the end of the park I reckoned I had about 20 seconds in the bank.


10K: 47:10
avg pace: 7.35m/m


Miles 6-10:
Coming up to castleknock, I was blown away by the noise and support. There is a nasty drag from the park up to Myo's, but honestly, I didn't feel it. I can't describe it or understand it. And I'm normally the very person who'll call bullsh1t on this kind of statement. It was helped by getting another shout out, this time from mrs v's family. Banked a bit more time on the downhill section to chapelizod, and took on some lucozade sport outside donore harriers. Loads of noise in my adopted home of chapelizod.

Mile 10-13:
Mile 11 was 7.52m/m. I killed the pace on the climb out of chapelizod under the bypass and let a good few pass me by, including all 3 pacers. I didn't enjoy the up and down bits in kilmainham and rialto, and by mile 13, I hadn't caught back to the main pace group. But I was still on target, though I had now only a few seconds banked.


10K-Halfway: 52:36
avg pace: 7.38m/m


Miles 13-16:
I had not been looking forward to this stretch, but I actually found it relatively comfortable. I closed back towards the pacers and spent most of this drag running in line with the 3rd of the 3:20 pacers. The main pace group were still a bit ahead. Turning at the roundabout, I noticed the wind for the first time in my face. I now had two choices: up the pace for a minute or two and catch the main 3:20 group for shelter, or maintain pace and stay with the few strung out at the back and face the wind in relative isolation. It was an easy choice. I pushed on and by mile 16 I was snugly enveloped in the big group. From then on, I didn't feel the wind again. Got a high-five from a friend who was marshalling at mile 16, really brought a smile to my face, as things began to get a bit tougher.

Miles 16-21:
Fairly uneventful. Just staying with the group, trying to do as little extra effort as was possible. Got some more shout outs and met my brother at the 20 mile mark, when he asked, I told him I was confident. That confidence was to be tested in Clonskeagh. Got some more lucozade in Miltown. Great support in rathgar village.


Half-30K: 41:43
avg pace: 7.32m/m


Miles 21-22.5
Found this stretch very tough. The giant blue balloon that had been the leading 3:20 pacer gradually moved further into the distance around the back of UCD. I knew I was beginning to feel a strain as we turned onto Roebuck road, and I gladly grabbed my last lucozade. I told myself that once roebuck hill is done, the rest is easy, and I reminded myself that the hills in athlone were much harder. Up roebuck hill and some MC/disc-jockey was making some wise crack like "it's called heartbreak hill, you know." Ha, ha. Shut up and play that Kate Bush song, I thought to myself. Miles 21 and 22 came in at 7.42m/m and 7.48m/m.

Miles 22.5-26.2
Going down foster's avenue, I was relieved to be over the worst and still moving. Gradually gained on the lead pacers again.

Stillorgan road. A bus whizzes by.
Just 5K to go.
That's only a parkrun.

We pass belfield and I think of the times I ran around the track at UCD. Something's playing on the stereo as we go over the stillorgan flyover. Something dancey, from the past, from the 90s. Sounds like Ferry Corsten.

My sister, marshalling near the end of nutley lane gives me a shout out, and then I turned the final corner on to the long straight stretch. I like long straight stretches to the finish. Crowds everywhere roaring at no one in particular.

Just two miles to go.
That's only 8 laps of a track.

I'm picking the pace up gradually now. I pass the last pacer and say a quick thanks. He tells me I have time in the bank and tells me to push on, and soon enough the 800m to go sign appears. I can't believe the noise and the size of the crowds. 400m to go. Longest 400m ever! The folks have made it to the finish and give me yet another shout out and I'm over the line for a chip time of 3:18:02.


30K-End 57:05
avg pace 7.32m/m


Post-race
Felt wiped at the end, and struggled to walk. Hordes of people behind the barriers staring silently as my legs began to realise what they had just been through. But I got myself together and remembered the hoodie stashed back near start line... one death march later, and the hoodie and I were reunited! It was soaking wet, and not all of it rain water... Saw some friends afterwards and spent the rest of the day with family. They seemed very pleased for me, my Dad in particular. As a former runner in the 1970s, he was sure I'd hit the wall, though he never told me so. They are owed a big thanks for following me around and supporting me for the day.


Thoughts
There are still some unanswered questions. What next? Should I pursue the marathon? Should I focus on what I want to get better at - shorter stuff i.e. mile-5K, and park the marathon for a few years? Was 3:20 too conservative? How much rest will I need now? Is now the perfect time to take a longer break and focus on eliminating the left achilles tendon niggle? (It is barely noticeable, and didn't give me any trouble on Monday - neither did the calves). How can/should I incorporate gym/weights/strength training? These and others I'll come back to when I've thought some more. But for now, I'm satisfied with my time, and probably won't run again until next weekend.

---

SUMMARY (based on gun time from website):
1st half: 01:39:46
avg pace: 7.37m/m

2nd half: 01:38:48
avg pace: 7.33m/m

overall
chip: 03:18:02
avg pace 7.34m/m



Splits (from watch, accuracy questionable):
Mile|Time|Note
1 | 7:43|
| 7:23|
| 7:35|
| 7:25|
5| 7:42|
| 7:33|
| 7:40|
| 7:30|
| 7:25|
10| 7:35|
| 7:52 |(incl hill leaving chapelizod)
| 7:35|
| 7:33|
| 7:37|
15| 7:30|
| 7:25|
| 7:33|
| 7:32|
| 7:35|
20| 7:33|
| 7:42 |(incl clonskeagh rd)
| 7:48 |(incl roebuck hill)
| 7:24|
|7:22|
|7:34|
25 |7:16|
|1:45|

Mon 08/02
Gym. 35 mins on core, hip extension and glute strength after a 10 min warmup on a cross-trainer. The session consisted of a variety lunges, squats, burpees, and my personal favourite so far, kettlebell glute bridges.

Over a month has passed since I started at the gym. The DOMS after the first night was bad - I struggled to get out of the chair in work for 3 days, and extending my arms straight was almost impossible. My upper body is weak. But I'm gradually finding these sessions less difficult, and the DOMS are gone. Too soon to say if the gym work is making any difference to running.


Tues 09/02
5.1 miles
38 mins avg 7.25 m/m

Bit faster than intended, but still felt comfortable enough on a mostly flat route.


Wed 10/02
Club session: 15x 400m with 60 seconds recovery

Jogged down to the track for my first session with the club. After a short warm-up out on the road, we got going. Having very limited experience of intervals, I was conscious of misjudging the effort on the early reps. So I approached it conservatively and stayed towards the back of the pack, with the main aims being to at least finish the session and keep the times consistent. The times gradually came down and the coach encouraged us to go off at the back of the faster lads' group and push harder on the last rep.

First 4: 87-89 secs
Next 10: 83-86
Last rep: 76

Enjoyed the session. Amazing how much easier it is with others around. Probably erred too much on the slow side, but there will be plenty of opportunities to drop those times in due course.


Thurs 11/02
Gym. 30 mins, same range of stuff as Monday.


Fri 12/02
Nothing.

A room in our house had been a dumping ground since we moved in almost a year ago. Spent tonight clearing it, with great success. Hoping to put a pool table in there now if I can find the funds and swing it with mrs V.


Sat 13/02
7.5 miles progression
56 mins avg 7.32 m/m

The first 20 mins of this was easy, around 7.50-8m/m. Gradually faster for the remainder, up to around 6.50-7.00 m/m by the end.


Sun 14/02
7.8 miles easy 63 mins avg 8.01 m/m

Easy run on grass today. Plan was to for 10 miles, but had to cut it short due to stomach cramp.

Not a lot last week. In report card terms, a D-.

Mon 22/02
30 mins gym work on hip flexibility and glutes.


Tue 23/02
5.0 miles in 37:39, avg 7.32m/m

Unremarkable little trot around Islandbridge.


Wed 24/02
Club session: 4x 800m (5K pace; 90s recovery) // 4x 200m (hard; walk recovery)

This should have been 6x 800m but I cut it short because I stupidly arrived late. Again assuming I'm good for a 5K between 18:00-18:20, that works out as 2:52-2:56 for 800m. The splits were roughly in line with that.

Found the 200s enjoyable at the end. Ran them hard, but controlled and not flat-out. Found the last one even more enjoyable because we had been running to the wrong cone for the first three. :rolleyes:

Splits:
(800s) 2:53/2:59/2:54/2:49
(200s) 36/36/37/33


Thurs 25/02
Gym. 15 mins warmup and 45 mins TRX class.


Fri 26/02
Nothing. The journey home to vote and a family birthday meant I didn't get out. A little bit of forward planning needed and I could use my lunchtimes more, or mornings.


Sat 27/02
9.4 miles easy avg 7.39m/m

Kept it very evenly paced on mostly flat roads. Calves a little tight for a short while after it.


Sun 28/02
Ballycommon 5K
18:15 avg pace 5.52m/m

Forgot to undo a settings change on the watch so I have no splits data. But the pace felt even throughout, around or just under 6.00m/m. Conditions couldn't have been better today, the complete opposite of windy Boora last week. The finishing time was within the range I had anticipated. It seems a long way from here to sub 17 by the end of the year, but this was by no means a target race and it's still early days. Five lads finished ahead of me, mostly drawn from two local running clubs, with the winner around 17:20 I think. I gained a little on 5th place over the last km, but there was still a big gap of 10+ seconds at the end.

Quick update. It had been going so nicely, but I picked up an injury a few weeks ago. On a rare run into work, carrying a backpack, something felt funny in my right calf. I thought little of it, despite it niggling away during the day. By the following night, the niggle was gone, or so I thought, or made myself think, and I did 16x400m with the club. The session went reasonably well for me, or so I thought, (most of the reps were around 80s), but my legs were stiffer & sorer than usual after it. The next morning, I couldn't walk. Left leg fine, right leg felt like it was hanging off. Too much too soon, most likely. Saw a physio, and he diagnosed a muscle tear somewhere between grade 1 and 2.

Last week, the physio gave the ok to restart some light jogging on grass. So after 22 days without a jog, I'm building up slowly from 10 min jogs up to a whopping 30 mins by the end of next week. It's good to be out again. In the meantime, I've been cycling to work everyday, which the physio ok'ed, and that has kept me somewhat sane. The physio also has me doing a set of stretches and strengthening exercises.

I'm going to be very cautious and take my time before getting back to faster runs, and I don't plan on signing up for a race anytime soon. I don't know how my body will react. Up to now, I've been lucky to have never had an injury/niggle that prevented me from running for more than a day or two. I'm also going to have to manage how much of the speed sessions I complete, whenever I can get back to them.

Time to breathe some life back into this log. Things are a lot better since the last post, and I'm feeling positive about the weeks ahead.

I've spent the last few weeks slowly building up the miles. It's been mostly easy/steady running on grass and trails. I wanted to run a race in May to see what level I had gotten back to, so I chose the Terenure 5 mile over Enfield and RTE as the day suited best. Having no specific work done, the plan was to go out at 6 min/mile pace and just try to get in under 30 minutes. With the gradual downhill in the first mile, I probably went out a shade too hard, and gave back some time on miles 3 and 4, but got in under 30 mins for a chip time of 29:43. Was nice to meet and chat with a few boardsies afterwards.

Last week was my first week back doing some faster sessions. After a chat with the coach, I'm taking his advice and joining a group in the club who are targeting improvements in their 800m/1500m times. I've mentioned here before that I'd like to tackle the 800m and 1-mile time on the '10 round numbers' thread, so now's my chance. The first aim will be the 800m in the Dublin graded meets in July.

I'm bit nervous - these distances are a whole new world for me. I guess it's fear of being dropped way off the back of a group in training, or in a race. But I'm also excited about getting into this. Hopefully the 6/7 week training block will give me a good shot at hitting my target of 2:20. It's not a fast time in the grand old scheme of things, but ya gotta start somewhere.

Last week
Mon 23/05: 5.8 miles in 40 mins 6.54m/m

Tue 24/05: 10x 300m, 45s recovery between each, except a 5-minute recovery after the fifth rep.

First five: 52-54 seconds, second five: 54-56 seconds.

First speed session since injury. The short recoveries were tough. Pace noticeably dipped in the second half. Warmup with drills and cool down afterwards.

Wed 25/05: 3.7 miles very easy, 8m/m +.

Thurs 26/05: 5.5 miles in 42:30, 7.44 m/m

Fri 27/05: -

Sat 28/05: 8x 600m, 2-minute recovery.

All within 1.57 - 2.00. Pace consistent throughout, and no drop off unlike Tuesday.

Sun 29/05: 60 mins, 7.37m/m, approx 8 miles