Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Sandwell · 12-10-2015 04:18PM

Fri 9/10

7.6 miles inc 6 x 1km @VO2 max with 400m jog recovery. I'm just over halfway through the plan now and the focus switches from LT to VO2 max sessions in the second half. This was the first of three such sessions in the next month and I was very pleased with it, happy that I fitted it in to a pretty hectic day and satisfied, more importantly, with the splits.

I was down in Galway for a conference but I'd worked out (on Boards, where else?) that there was a new public running track fairly close to where I was staying. Despite some talk of it being built on a hill I figured it would be a perfect spot for an interval session. I've got very little track experience but I have to say I was very impressed with the Westside track. It is, unfortunately, built on a slight slope meaning one straight has a noticeable drag but it's a fantastic free public facility and it's something that Dublin could really do with.

The target for the session, taken from the VDot calculator, was to hit 3:34 per kilometer. My first split is lost in the GPS ether but splits 2 to 6 were pretty even: 3:34, 3:36, 3:34, 3:36, 3:31. Very happy with that.

Sat 10/10

Five miles recovery @ 9:00. I did this early in the morning, heading out towards Salthill and then out and back along the causeway to the lighthouse. I was tempted to head to the fabled pitches at Dangan but settled for a good dollop of sea air instead.

Sun 11/10

11.5 miles @ 7:33. This run almost didn't happen. I'd been out with a friend on Saturday night and ended up getting home fairly late and somewhat the worse for wear. A brunch appointment combined with general hungover listlessness and procrastination saw me still humming and hawing at 3.15. With the rugby kicking off af 4.45 it was now or never. Thankfully I managed to drag myself out the door. The run itself was grand, much better than I'd any right to expect. 41 miles for the week.

Mon 12/10

Rest.

Sandwell · 13-10-2015 03:19PM

Tue 13/10

9 miles inc 38 mins LT @ 6:14. Very pleased with this, my longest tempo run of the plan. The first couple of splits were slightly faster than the 6:15 LT pace that I've been targetting so I was a little fearful that I might suffer later on and struggle to hold the pace. Thankfully though I was able to keep it going and ended up with pretty even splits. It obviously got tougher as it went along but I never felt that I was working too hard. Pretty ideal conditions for it too, up in Santry demesne, with just the lightest of breezes.

I've now got an easy few days in the lead up to the first of two 'tune-up' races in the plan, the Teachers BHAA cross-country in Castleknock on Saturday morning. That race provided my first experience of cross-country four years ago and I remember making the schoolboy error of going out way too fast and dying an horrific death in the second half. I'll be starting a good bit more conservatively this time. The long-term forecast looks decent too so it should be a fast race.

Sandwell · 18-10-2015 06:50PM

Wed 14/10

7 miles @ 8:06. Not a particularly memorable run.

Thu 15/10

Rest.

Fri 16/10

4 miles @ 8:23 including 4 strides.

Sat 17/10

Headed out to Castleknock for the Teachers BHAA cross-country. It was a cracking morning for a race and there were lots of heads from the club out so it was a social occasion as much as anything else. The plan for this was to start steady and pick it up towards the end. The start was the usual chaos and it was hard not to get swept along with it. However, I consciously held back after the first couple of corners, settling into a nice rhythm and letting a clubmate go who I'd have been close to on occasion. I was surprised to see the first mile beep at 5:47. It didn't feel that fast. Miles two and three were exactly as planned - 6:03 and 6:06. By this stage I was passing quite a few runners who had perhaps gone out a bit too hard. I upped the effort for the final lap and caught a few more but in the end I probably didn't push quite as hard as I could have. The lap time of 5:54 reflects this. I came in at just over the 24 minute mark which was more or less where I expected to be. Happy enough with the morning's work.

Sun 18/10

13 miles @ 7:38. This started off nice and comfortable. Then I met a few lads from the club, the pace picked up to the low sevens and yesterday's race began to make itself felt in the the legs. The lads headed off in various directions and I ended up doing the final three miles solo at a more sedate pace.

That's 40 miles for the week including a decent tempo session and a race. Five weeks to go until the half.

Sandwell · 21-10-2015 08:49PM

Mon 19/10

Rest.

Tue 20/10

8 miles @ 8:22 inc. 2 sets of 4 x 150m strides. I was over in Brussels with work so headed out early in the morning to a city centre park to get this run in. The park was nice but quite small so it did get somewhat repetitive by the end. It's always interesting to run in a new place though so there was always something to distract me. I did the sets of strides towards the end. Felt good.

Wed 21/10

10 miles @ 7:33. Midweek long run time and I wasn't sure how this would go having had quite a few Belgian beers yesterday after we finished up our meeting. As it turned out I felt grand although the legs did feel quite niggly, something I often notice the day after a flight. After a few miles things seemed to loosen out and I picked up the pace towards the end. I took the head torch to the Park tonight for the first time and really enjoyed the novelty of running around in almost total silence. It beats running on the broken footpaths of the northside, that's for sure.

Sandwell · 27-10-2015 02:50PM

Thu 22/10

Rest

Fri 23/10

8 miles easy @ 8:01 with 8 strides at the end.

Sat 24/10

5 miles recovery @ 8:09. Probably ran this one a bit too fast in hindsight.

Sun 25/10

13 miles progression with last 3 at LT. This went ok but my pace in the later miles was down on where I'd expected it to be. I started out around 8 min pace with the intention of upping it by 15-20 seconds every second mile. This worked fine until mile eight by which time I was running at seven minute pace and felt that I couldn't really up it any more without pushing into tempo effort. I settled for another two miles at the same pace. Mile ten came and it was time for the hurt to begin in earnest. I upped the effort and focused on staying as relaxed as possible. When the first mile beeped at 6:28 I was a little disappointed but it felt like the effort was right so I carried on. Mile two was 6:29 and the final mile was another 6:28, consistent splits but 15 seconds or so off my target pace. Looking back at my heart rate for those miles it appears I got the effort spot on and if I'd pushed any harder I'd have been into VO2 max territory. A solid session if not a confidence boosting one. 44 miles for the week.

Mon 26/10

Rest

Tue 27/10

8 miles easy @ 7:41. A very enjoyable lunchtime run in the rain, splashing through puddles and piles of fallen leaves. Legs felt fresh which is welcome as this will be my highest mileage week of the plan.

Sandwell · 09-11-2015 05:43PM

It's been a while since my last update. I had a bit of a wobble last weekend for a number of reasons - both niggles and personal stuff - which led to me missing five days in a row including a couple of sessions. Thankfully I'm back on track now, just about. Goal race in two weeks.

Wed 28/10

10.5 miles endurance @ 7:35

Thu 29/10

4 miles recovery @ 8:37

Wed 4/11

6 miles easy @ 7:52

Thu 5/11

5 miles easy @ 8:11

Fri 6/11

3 miles easy @ 8:11 inc 4 strides

Sat 7/11 IMRA Powerscourt Ridge

This was the second of two tune up races in the lead up to the Gingerbread Run half-marathon. I should really have chosen a road race to get a better idea of where I'm at but I enjoy the IMRA races too much to miss the last one of the year. I started conservatively enough but really struggled on the climb up to Maulin. I'm not sure if it was more mental or physical but something wasn't right. I finally reached the summit and started down the tricky rocky track towards the Dargle. My descending, never good at the best of times, was dreadful today and I found it impossible to get into any kind of a rhythm. The conditions didn't help either, the heavy rain had left the rock really slippy.

Sure enough it was only a matter of time until disaster struck - I tripped on a rock and ended up on my ass. After letting out a few choice swear words in frustration I gingerly picked myself up to assess the damage. I was already cursing myself for wasting a whole training block for the sake of running up a bloody mountain! Luckily, apart from a multitude of scrapes and bruises, the only significant damage seemed to be to my hand which was already beginning to throb. Considering the likelihood of falling again and doing more damage I decided to cut the day short and return via the short course. It was actually a very pleasant jog back to the start where the first aid officer cleaned me up and sent me on my way home. A very lucky escape.

Sun 8/11

10.5 miles endurance @ 8:14. I was at home in Monaghan for the weekend so headed out to Rossmore Park for my long run. Rossmore is beautiful but it's ridiculously hilly. It's in drumlin country so there is no flat ground whatsoever, you're either climbing or descending the whole time. By mile six the legs were beginning to complain but I managed to keep going at a fairly steady average pace for the duration of the run.

Mon 9/11

Rest.

chickey2 · 09-11-2015 07:06PM

I'm only just catching up on this log now. Sounds like you're doing great with the plan (apart from the last few days). What is your goal race and have you decided on a goal time yet? I found it a great plan and got a 10 minute pb out of it.
Best of luck.

Sandwell · 09-11-2015 07:26PM

chickey2 wrote: »

I'm only just catching up on this log now. Sounds like you're doing great with the plan (apart from the last few days). What is your goal race and have you decided on a goal time yet? I found it a great plan and got a 10 minute pb out of it.
Best of luck.

Cheers chickey2. Yeah, the plan has been great. It's easy to follow and seems to have just the right ratio of intensity to easy running. My only mistake has been doing a cross-country and a mountain race as my 'tune up' races because I'm now somewhat unsure as to what pace to aim for.

My goal race is the Gingerbread Run half-marathon in Portarlington on Sunday week. I'd been thinking of targeting 1:20 but my tempo runs during the plan suggest that might be too ambitious so I'd say I'll aim for 1:22 or thereabouts. I'll probably try and hold 6'20 pace for the early miles and see how that pans out.

Sandwell · 13-11-2015 08:09PM

Tue 10/11

6 miles easy @ 7:46 w/6 strides. Felt good.

Wed 11/11

4 miles recovery w/ 6 strides. Forgot the watch, took it very slow.

Thu 12/11

Rest.

Fri 13/11

Unlucky for some, but apparently not for me as we went sale agreed on a house this morning. Celebrated by heading up to Morton stadium for the final VO2 max session of this training plan - 2 x 1200, 2 x 1000, 1 x 800 (3:57, 4:16, 3:32, 3:36, 2:52). I had my watch set up arseways so ended up running by feel. The splits show that I went out waaaay too fast, got the middle intervals pretty much right and faded badly on the final 800. A good session though and it should stand me in good stead come next Sunday.

Sandwell · 15-11-2015 03:08PM

Sat 14/11

3 miles recovery @ 8'42.

Sun 15/11

10 miles easy @ 7'56. Nice run with some clubmates round the mucky trails in Phoenix Park. Very easy for the first six and then picked it up a bit for the last few.

One week to go until the Gingerbread Run. I had a look at the long term forecast and it's predicting it to be cold and dry with only a light breeze. That would be ideal if it pans out. The plan calls for a session including two miles at HMP on Tuesday. Unfortunately I'm still not really sure what my HMP is but I'm veering towards 6'20. My last road race was the Lakes 10km back in September where I averaged 6'02 so I reckon 6'20 should be achievable for a half considering the training block I've put in. I'll see how it feels on Tuesday I suppose.

vanderlyle · 21-11-2015 01:48PM

Good luck tomorrow, hope all goes well. Congrats on the house too!

Sandwell · 21-11-2015 07:37PM

Mon 17/11

Rest.

Tue 18/11

7 miles easy @ 7'43 inc. 2 at HMP. This session coincided with Barney so I was in two minds about whether to bother with the HMP miles. Did them in the end with a fair tailwind so the splits, 6:17 and 6:13, are probably a bit faster than I'll be going on the day.

Wed 19/11

Rest. Got a sports massage to iron out some kinks. My calves and hips had been in bits for weeks and the session really helped to loosen them out.

Thu 20/11

5 miles recovery @ 8'51. Legs felt great. Pity I can't afford a massage every week.

Fri 21/11

4 miles recovery @ 8'31. More of the same.

Sat 22/11

3 miles recovery @ 9'15 inc. 4 strides.

Really looking forward to tomorrow's race now. The taper seems to have had the desired effect as I'm feeling fresh. The weather forecast seems perfect too so I'm going to be struggling to find excuses if it doesn't go to plan. Speaking of plans, I'm going to aim for a 6'30 first mile and try and settle at 6'20 from there on in. I've really got no idea if I've got the endurance to hold that pace for 13 miles but there's one way to find out.

Sandwell · 24-11-2015 11:52AM

Sun 22/11

Gingerbread Run Half 13.1 miles @ 6'18

Goal achieved. My main concern coming into this race was that I wouldn't have the endurance in the second half of the race and that I'd end up losing a load of time. As I mentioned a couple of times I wasn't sure what pace to target but I settled on 6'20 pace as a nice round number that seemed to be close enough to where I hoped I might be. Thankfully it proved to be the case and I found the pace relatively comfortable until mile seven or so when I started having to work much harder to stay with it. Even so, I managed to run a decent negative split and finished strongly in 1:22.29.

A detailed race report would be quite boring as I spent much of it on my own. The course was fast, as predicted, and the weather perfect. There was a gentle breeze which you could feel at times but nothing worth remarking upon. I started conservatively and paced myself off a couple of 10km runners for the first three miles. The 10km was an out and back course so when they reached the turnaround I was on my own. For the next couple of miles I concentrated on closing the gap on a pair of runners ahead of me with the hope that we might be able to work together. However it became apparent that they were slowing slightly so when I did catch them they soon drifted back and I was on my lonesome again. I didn't encounter any other runners until the end of the race.

I decided to tackle a half-marathon with the intention of improving my endurance. I also had some vague intentions of following it up by jumping straight into a marathon plan and targeting a spring race. I've reassessed in recent weeks and my plan now is to put in a substantial block of base training over the next few months, perhaps following the Hadd plan, and spend another year focusing on the 5km to half-marathon distances. I'd like to get my 5km time below 17 minutes and to break 60 for the 10 mile. Those goals should keep me motivated for much of next year along with the occasional IMRA race.

In the shorter term I have Run the Line on Saturday so this week is going to be all about recovery. I had a massage yesterday followed by 10 mins of excruciating torture in a cryotherapy spa. The legs do feel much better today so it was a worthwhile investment.

ThebitterLemon · 24-11-2015 02:35PM

Sandwell wrote: »

Sun 22/11

Gingerbread Run Half 13.1 miles @ 6'18

Goal achieved. My main concern coming into this race was that I wouldn't have the endurance in the second half of the race and that I'd end up losing a load of time. As I mentioned a couple of times I wasn't sure what pace to target but I settled on 6'20 pace as a nice round number that seemed to be close enough to where I hoped I might be. Thankfully it proved to be the case and I found the pace relatively comfortable until mile seven or so when I started having to work much harder to stay with it. Even so, I managed to run a decent negative split and finished strongly in 1:22.29.

A detailed race report would be quite boring as I spent much of it on my own. The course was fast, as predicted, and the weather perfect. There was a gentle breeze which you could feel at times but nothing worth remarking upon. I started conservatively and paced myself off a couple of 10km runners for the first three miles. The 10km was an out and back course so when they reached the turnaround I was on my own. For the next couple of miles I concentrated on closing the gap on a pair of runners ahead of me with the hope that we might be able to work together. However it became apparent that they were slowing slightly so when I did catch them they soon drifted back and I was on my lonesome again. I didn't encounter any other runners until the end of the race.

I decided to tackle a half-marathon with the intention of improving my endurance. I also had some vague intentions of following it up by jumping straight into a marathon plan and targeting a spring race. I've reassessed in recent weeks and my plan now is to put in a substantial block of base training over the next few months, perhaps following the Hadd plan, and spend another year focusing on the 5km to half-marathon distances. I'd like to get my 5km time below 17 minutes and to break 60 for the 10 mile. Those goals should keep me motivated for much of next year along with the occasional IMRA race.

In the shorter term I have Run the Line on Saturday so this week is going to be all about recovery. I had a massage yesterday followed by 10 mins of excruciating torture in a cryotherapy spa. The legs do feel much better today so it was a worthwhile investment.

That's an impressive run, well done.

TbL

AuldManKing · 24-11-2015 03:57PM

Sandwell wrote: »

Sun 22/11

Gingerbread Run Half 13.1 miles @ 6'18

Goal achieved. My main concern coming into this race was that I wouldn't have the endurance in the second half of the race and that I'd end up losing a load of time. As I mentioned a couple of times I wasn't sure what pace to target but I settled on 6'20 pace as a nice round number that seemed to be close enough to where I hoped I might be. Thankfully it proved to be the case and I found the pace relatively comfortable until mile seven or so when I started having to work much harder to stay with it. Even so, I managed to run a decent negative split and finished strongly in 1:22.29.

A detailed race report would be quite boring as I spent much of it on my own. The course was fast, as predicted, and the weather perfect. There was a gentle breeze which you could feel at times but nothing worth remarking upon. I started conservatively and paced myself off a couple of 10km runners for the first three miles. The 10km was an out and back course so when they reached the turnaround I was on my own. For the next couple of miles I concentrated on closing the gap on a pair of runners ahead of me with the hope that we might be able to work together. However it became apparent that they were slowing slightly so when I did catch them they soon drifted back and I was on my lonesome again. I didn't encounter any other runners until the end of the race.

I decided to tackle a half-marathon with the intention of improving my endurance. I also had some vague intentions of following it up by jumping straight into a marathon plan and targeting a spring race. I've reassessed in recent weeks and my plan now is to put in a substantial block of base training over the next few months, perhaps following the Hadd plan, and spend another year focusing on the 5km to half-marathon distances. I'd like to get my 5km time below 17 minutes and to break 60 for the 10 mile. Those goals should keep me motivated for much of next year along with the occasional IMRA race.

In the shorter term I have Run the Line on Saturday so this week is going to be all about recovery. I had a massage yesterday followed by 10 mins of excruciating torture in a cryotherapy spa. The legs do feel much better today so it was a worthwhile investment.

Good run and nice goals to aim for.

What brings you to Hadd?? Do you see it bringing you better (or quicker) gains than other plans. Pfitz seems to have done you well.

Sandwell · 24-11-2015 04:55PM

Good question. I've seen the Hadd programme mentioned quite a bit on here of late and thought it might be interesting to train by heart rate for a bit. I'm wanting to build up my mileage to around fifty miles per week over the next while and thought it might be as good a way as any to do that. I don't see it as necessarily better or quicker than any other plan but the idea of being able to test your progress every few weeks is appealing. That said, there are base building plans in the Pfitz book that would achieve the much same thing and they seem similar enough to Hadd (minus the HR focus), with two steady/progressions sessions per week and the rest easy. As you say, I've had success with the Pfitzinger plans this year and I'll probably return to one of his 5km plans sometime in the spring.

vanderlyle · 24-11-2015 08:42PM

Well done in portarlington. That's a good time considering you were running solo for much of it. Those are two nice targets you mentioned, the 5k and 10 mile. You're probably not a million miles away from the 10 mile under 60 mins, did you consider targeting any of the 10 mile races in spring?

Sandwell · 24-11-2015 08:50PM

vanderlyle wrote: »

Well done in portarlington. That's a good time considering you were running solo for much of it. Those are two nice targets you mentioned, the 5k and 10 mile. You're probably not a million miles away from the 10 mile under 60 mins, did you consider targeting any of the 10 mile races in spring?

I'm thinking of entering Ballycotton. It'd give me something to aim for over the winter and I'm keen to experience the buzz of race day down there. It sounds amazing. Have you any plans yourself now that you've got Dublin over?

vanderlyle · 24-11-2015 09:22PM

Ballycotton is a nice one, good buzz as you said and no shortage of depth in the field too. It's a long drive down and back form Dublin on one day though. No concrete plans here, just keeping the legs ticking over. Hoping to get back towards a training plan in the next week or two.

Sandwell · 28-11-2015 10:09PM

Tue 24/11

4 miles recovery @ 9'29. Legs felt ok but very heavy and sluggish.

Wed 25/11

5 miles recovery @ 9'05. Legs slightly better but still heavy.

Thu 26/11

6 miles recovery @ 8'47. Better again. Not back to normal but getting there.

Fri 27/11

Rest

Sat 28/11 Run the Line (short course)

Having signed up for Run the Line months ago and now finding it sandwiched between last week's half marathon and the Jingle Bells 5k next Saturday, I debated with myself all week whether to run the long course as a long training run or to run the short course at something close to race effort. In the end the weather made my mind up for me. I had little desire to spend 3 hours out in the hills in todays conditions.

I wasn't sure how the legs would feel after Sunday's half but when I headed up the course to do my warm up I was pleasantly surprised at how springy they felt. When the race started I immediately found myself close to the front runners. I ran the steep early road bit at my own pace feeling pretty comfortable but all the time keeping the front group in sight. Once we hit the trails it became apparent that the front two or three were opeining a fairly big gap so I just focused on trying to stick with the lads around me. I made up a couple of places during the long climb to Fairy Castle and by the summit I was pretty sure I was in fifth or sixth.

The conditions up top were brutal, a howling gale and sheets of rain. The short course only gave us a taster of this. I've much respect for the guys who carried on over Tibradden and Cruagh. Apart from an abundance of mud and puddles, most of the short course was grand and well sheltered from the elements. Having summitted within a couple of seconds of the runner in front I hoped to catch him over the course of the descent but as it turned out he was a better descender than me and I never got close enough to trouble him. Instead I lost a place quite close to home, getting overtaken descending too tentatively on the Boneshaker. I ended up in sixth or seventh, I think, and very pleased indeed with my days work. I felt strong all the way through and but for my brutal descending skills it could even have been better. Now for a few more days of recovery to hopefully set me up for a crack at a 5k PB next week...

Sandwell · 29-11-2015 02:02PM

Sun 29/11

6 miles recovery @ 9'28. An easy run in very blustery conditions. I'm down in Wexford at the in-laws so headed from Killinick to Drinagh and back along the Rosslare Road. Not the most scenic of routes but Rosslare Strand in this weather was not at all appealing. The legs acually felt pretty good considering the battering they took yesterday but I'll keep it at recovery pace for another couple of days at least.

Sandwell · 24-12-2015 05:34PM

This update is somewhat overdue. I had planned on running the Jingle Bells 5k but a combination of the dreadful weather and generally not feeling like racing for the third week in a row saw me skip it in favour of a long easy run. Since then I've been focusing on base building with Ballycotton (and hopefully a sub-60) as my next goal race.

I'm very happy with the progress I've made in 2015, especially since I started from such a low ebb. I've hit PBs from 5k to half-marathon, ran sub-5 for the mile, and had some decent performances in IMRA races. I believe that endurance is my biggest weakness as my times are relatively poorer at longer distances so hopefully the next few months will help to address that. I'm currently running 30-40 miles per week with most of that at very easy pace and with a weekly long tempo thrown in. I'll also add some light speed work in the new year. I hope to get up to fifty miles per week by the end of January and try and sustain that for the coming year. If I can manage that I'd expect significant improvement to follow.

Mon 21/12

11 miles @ 10:17. I'd missed a week's training due to a combination of boozing and illness - work Christmas party, followed by a weekend in Amsterdam, followed by a bout of tonsilitis. Even after the illness had passed it took me a couple of days to get back my appetite for training but by Monday I was raring to go. As I was finished up for Christmas I decided to take advantage by spending an afternoon in the hills. I parked at Pine Forest and headed up via Cruagh to Glendoo and across the extremely boggy ridge to Prince William's Seat. From there I joined up with the Wicklow Way and returned to the car via the Dublin Mountains Way and Tibradden.

Tue 22/12

4 miles walk/run. Myself and the missus headed out to Ballinastoe for the (unofficial) IMRA solstice run. She wasn't feeling the best so we took the shorter option and turned back at White Hill rather than continuing like most to the summit of Djouce. It was a cracking night and a really enjoyable event to be a part of.

Wed 23/12

6 miles @ 8:41. An easy run from Wexford out along the N25 into a pretty unforgiving headwind.

Thu 24/12

7 miles @ 8:30. Another easy run, this time on a much more scenic route taking in the full length of Rosslare strand and returning via the back road to the village.

Sandwell · 08-01-2016 10:00AM

First post of the new year. I picked up some sort of a sinus/glandular/gum infection over Christmas and ended up on a course of antibiotics so all running has been very easy since my last post. I've been using the HRM on all my runs for the last while and it was interesting to see the effect of the infection and the drugs on my heart rate. It was on average 20-25 beats higher than normal even on the easiest of runs. It certainly brought home to me the importance of running easy when you're sick and not trying to be a hero. Yesterday was the first day I felt normal again and the heart rate confirmed that, back to where I'd have expected it to be for the relevant effort.

I've been roped into running in the Masters XC on Sunday in St. Anne's Park. I just barely qualify having turned 35 last year but since I've also been added to the club team for the National Intermediates in Dundalk a couple of weeks later the opportunity to get a race in is welcome.

Sat 26/12

4 miles @ 8'53. A few easy miles around Johnstown Castle.

Mon 28/12

4 miles @ 9'18. Back home in Monaghan so headed to Rossmore for some mucky trail running.

Tue 29/12

7 miles @ 9'13. Rossmore again but threw in an extra loop. Felt pretty terrible later in the day and resolved to get antibiotics in the morning.

Fri 1/1

6 miles @ 8'59 First time I've ever made it out for a run on NYD I'd say! Not being able to drink on antibiotics has its benefits.

Sat 2/1

6 miles @ 8'13. Ran this at a steady pace round the sodden trails of Phoenix Park.

Sun 3/1

5 miles @ 9'17 This was planned as a long run but I cut it short as the heart rate was way higher than it should have been considering the gentle pace.

Tue 5/1

3 miles @ 9'30.

Wed 6/1

7 miles @ 8'53. Felt good for this and heart rate seemed to finally be back to normal. Finished the antibiotics the night before.

Thu 7/1

9 miles including a club session, a six mile (slowish) tempo run, 6'52 pace. Nice to get back out with the club for the first time in a month or so.

Sandwell · 11-01-2016 09:50PM

Fri 8/1

4 miles easy @ 9'17.

Sat 9/1

6 miles including Cootehill Parkrun. I was home in Monaghan for the weekend and decided to head up to the local Parkrun. This was only the second time I'd run it since it began in late 2014 and both times the weather played havoc. The first time the course was frozen so badly that parts of it were unrunnable while today one half of the normal loop was was flooded so the route had changed to a hillier section of forest trail. I was only out for a relatively easy run with the Dublin Masters the next day. I ran the 5k at something just below tempo pace, starting quite slow but moving through the field gradually to finish in 21.xx

Sun 10/1 Dublin Masters XC

Arrived in Raheny to discover two lads had dropped off our team so we only had two to score. While disappointing, it meant I could just treat the race as a good session which given my lack of preparation was probably for the best. The conditions made it incredibly tough, especially on the grassier sections that had been churned up into a sludge that made it difficult to gain any forward momentum. Despite planning to start conservatively, I clearly went out too fast as I must have lost twenty or more places on the first lap or two. After that things settled down and I managed to get into some sort of a rhythm of suffering that took me through to the final lap without bleeding many more places. I even had just about enough left to catch one or two runners at the finish.

I finished in the mid-sixties, a long way down the field, but I was happy enough with my race as I gave it my all and refused to ease off when things got painful in lap two. That should stand to me next time out.

Mon 11/1

4 miles @ 9'12.

Sandwell · 15-01-2016 10:14AM

Tue 12/1

Rest.

Wed 13/1

6 miles @ 8'56. An easy lunchtime run. Did a few strides at the end.

Thu 14/1

9 miles including 6 mile tempo @ 6'45.

Sandwell · 21-01-2016 02:35PM

Wed 13/1

6 miles very easy @ 8'52

Thu 14/1

9 miles inc. 6 mile club tempo @ 6'45 avg.

Fri 15/1

4 miles very easy @ 8'58

Sat 16/1

10 miles @ 9'19. I wanted to get my long run in but with a race the following day I figured it best to keep the pace very easy.

Sun 17/1 IMRA Howth

The first IMRA race of the year and a bit of a landmark for me as it was exactly a year since my return to racing after almost three years out. Last year I was still understandably cautious on the rocky Howth course having not yet regained full confidence in my ankle. Thankfully a year later I've almost forgotten about the injury and today I was ready to go as hard as possible.

Conditions were perfect for the time of year and a very large crowd had turned out. I made sure to get in the first couple of rows before the start as I'd discovered last year that hanging back at all would lead to an enforced walk up the initial stepped section of the climb where overtaking is impossible. I hit the steps in tenth place or so and was able to run the climb at my own pace like I had hoped. I was passed by a couple of people as the climb leveled out and we faced into a short fast downhill section through forest. I got around the first lap of the Ben without losing or gaining any significant places and when I got a shout from one of the marshals at the end of lap one that I was in thirteenth it sounded about right. I held that position throughout lap two with what seemed like large gap behind me and no obvious target up ahead to chase down. At the start of the final climb back to Deerpark I passed a runner who had sailed by me early on. He seemed to be struggling a bit and I had opened a decent gap on him by the time I hit the descent. The final descent was quite technical with lots of large rocks buried in the muddy trail. I deliberately eased off here and wasn't entirely surprised to hear footsteps pounding behind me as I neared the bottom. I knew that the final few hundred metres was on a gradual incline so I decided to surge up it in the hope of dropping my pursuer before the finish line came into sight. This ploy worked and the footsteps became more faint as I neared the finish, knackered from the late effort but very pleased to have held my position. I finished in 12th, twenty places higher and three minutes faster than last year. Progress

Mon 18/1

4 miles easy @ 8'45

Tue 19/1

10 miles inc 1 hour steady (8.2 miles @ 7'21).

Wed 20/1

4 miles easy @ 8'51

Pleased with the last couple of weeks. I seem to have shaken off the lingering effects of the illness I had over Christmas and can feel myself getting stronger. I've slowed down my easy runs and I'm focusing mainly on tempo work in sessions with the races serving as speed work to some extent. I don't have any goal races coming up until March so I'm really just using the cross-country and IMRA races as (the fun) part of my training. I'm running in the National Intermediates in Dundalk this Sunday with a team from the club. I'm kind of dreading this as I'm nowhere near the standard of most of the guys who'll be running. Still, there's no harm of being reminded from time to time that you've a lot more work to do.

Sandwell · 02-02-2016 04:37PM

My optimism in the previous post lasted for roughly a day. On the way home from a club session last Thursday week I jarred my ankle which led to me missing a few days, including the National Intermediates, and making a trip to the physio last Monday. To my relief he told me that the ligaments were fine but that the impact had aggravated the peroneal tendon. A few more days rest should do it.

On Thursday I managed a pain-free 15 mins on the threadmill and Friday I went out for a short run at lunchtime in the local park. After 10 mins and feeling good I (stupidly) decided to do a few mins at tempo effort. This started off fine but midway through my achilles started to hurt. :rolleyes: This led to me missing another couple of days. By Sunday things were improving and I decided to chance a long run with the option of cutting it short if things got too painful. The achilles was a still a bit sore but as the pain was quite low level I carried on comfortably for 10 miles at an easy pace. Thankfully there was no reaction but I took another rest day yesterday as a precaution. I managed a short session on the threadmill today with no issues so things are looking up again.

With Ballycotton in four weeks I'd like to be doing some decent sessions but I'll have to run conservatively for the next week at least and hopefully avoid a serious flare up.

Sandwell · 08-02-2016 05:42PM

Still nursing a sore achilles but thankfully it seems to be slowly improving, or at least not getting any worse, and I was able to get in a pretty good week after a slow start.

Wed 2/2 Rest

Thu 3/2 6 miles easy

Fri 4/2 7 miles inc 6 steady.

Sat 5/2 5 miles inc 20 min tempo on Munich hills

Sun 6/2 14 miles LSR

Total for the week was 34 miles so I'm happy enough. The target for this week is something similar although I'm in the middle of a house move so getting the runs in could be tricky. I hope to do the IMRA Brockagh race on Sunday too although that will also depend on how the move goes.

Sandwell · 24-02-2016 11:11AM

As I'd suspected, moving house and all that goes along with it was so time consuming and stressful that I ended up missing an entire week of running. One of demfad's treadmill hill sessions was as much as I managed to fit in. Last week wasn't bad though, as things began to approach normality again.

Mon 15 Feb

5 miles very easy @ 9.00 avg. Easing myself back in.

Tue 16

Treadmill hill session. 15 mins alternating from 7.7 to 9 at 15 degree incline. Then five min easy followed by five min tempo. This was the third of these sessions I've done in the last three weeks and they're definitely getting a bit easier. Hopefully they'll stand me in good stead the next time I get out in the hills.

Thu 18

8 miles easy @ 8:15

Fri 19

6 miles including a three mile tempo. Did this in Poppintree Park which is actually a pretty good spot for this type of session being just over a mile in circumference and fairly flat with a decent surface. Warmed up and then started into what felt close enough to tempo effort. First mile was a 6:15 but I was feeling the heat already and could tell I'd went out a bit too hard. Mile two was a 6:25 and mile 3 was slower again at 6:37. It was pretty windy and the park is very exposed so that might account for the pace being a little off. Still, I reckon I'm probably looking at a current tempo pace of just over 6:20, not far off the 6:18 I ran for the half back in November. That would make sense as although I've kept up the mileage I've done very little speed work since.

Sun 21

12 miles @ 8:16. I stuck to the trails in the Phoenix Park so this turned into a pretty energy-sapping slog through the mud given the heavy rains of the past few days. I was wearing my Roclites but could have used a pair of Mudclaws in places. Enjoyable run despite the adverse weather.

Tue 23

8 miles easy @ 7:52. Gorgeous day for a run.

I've decided to turn to Pfitzinger once more in the search of some structure (and faster times!). The plan for the past couple of months had been to increase my mileage and do the odd race without worrying too much about pace. Illness and niggles meant that the mileage hasn't increased as much as I'd have liked but I have been able to manage 30-40 miles relatively comfortably on the good weeks so I should have a reasonable base on which to build.

I'm going to go with the 45 mile per week 10km plan from Faster Road Racing with the Dunshaughlin 10k in June as my goal race. That race gets glowing reports on here and it suits me perfectly timewise as I'll be heading to Glastonbury the following week for a rather different type of endurance event. I'd also be hopeful of improving my 5k time in the build up to Dunshaughlin if the plan goes ok. I've never trained specifically for the 10km distance before but the plan looks like the best of both worlds with an equal emphasis on speed and tempo work. I have half a mind to have a crack at an autumn marathon if this training block goes well and I reckon a plan of this kind should be good preparation.

I've got a few weeks yet until the start of the plan so I'll be focusing on easy running with a few races thrown in including Ballycotton next weekend.

Sandwell · 25-02-2016 04:06PM

Wed 24

4 miles easy @ 8'37. Managed to catch the only hail shower of an otherwise grand day. Great timing

Thu 25

8 miles including a 20 min tempo @ 6'06. Pleased with this session as the effort felt right and the pace was much closer to where I'd have expected it to be. It's a bit of a confidence booster before Ballycotton where I'll probably target 6'15 or thereabouts.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

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