Be still my beating heart

Monday 21 December
60 min recovery @ 10:23
Didn't sleep a wink on Sunday night after my solo marathon distance run. I just couldn't relax my mind and was wired all night. Body felt fine except for slight groin stiffness on rising, which eased out after a bit. Finally got round to doing some xmas shopping which I'd been avoiding, as I just can't stand shopping and shops. They leave me edgy, but the walking around was good for the old bod.
Got out in the late afternoon for a few miles. Kept it very very easy as conscious of getting a niggle but all felt good but a little sluggish.

Tuesday 22 December
60 mins easy @ 9:55
Had visitors arriving in early so no way of getting a double in today. Probably no harm to take things super easy after Sunday. All good. No niggles. Great sleep.

Wednesday 23 December
am: 10k @ 9:26
Gorgeous morning. Felt good despite the hangover. Did my run in a progressive manner and finished up with 4 mins @ 5k effort just 'cause....

pm: 4 miles @ 9:25
This was a bit of a 'selection box' of a run. The week is a proper step back week, so am just doing whatever I fancy for the week (within reason!). Threw in a few strides, did a fast hill sprint and ran most of it steady with easy bits in-between. Really enjoyable bit of a run/jog/sprint etc medley.

Thursday 24 December
4 miles easy @ 9:56
Strava tells me I was hungover. I canna remember...

Friday 25 December
Rest
Was actually quite well behaved on Christmas day as was planning to run the Stoneyford 5 the next day. Well I still had about 10 drinks over the day but they were well spaced out and lots of water in between. Didn't sleep very much at all however as sharing a room with 2 sick folks. Considered sleeping in the car as didn't want to catch their sickness but it was a little bit too chilly for that!

Saturday 26 December
Rest
Stoneyford 5k which was my planned 5k attempt before the year was out was cancelled due to the flooding. It was too late to do Parkrun by the time we realised.... however, we bumped into a guy my brother knows from Gowran in town that night who told us about the 5k on in Paulstown the next day so made a decision to give that a lash instead.

Sunday 27 December
Paulstown 5k @ 7:51
24.20 gun time (no pb but my 2nd fastest 5k)

The only aim for this race was to give it 100% effort. I had no expectations of a pb due to the usual Stephen's night shenanigans with my sisters and brother in town the previous night.

Drove my sister to Kildare on Sunday morning to get her lift to the airport and got back to Paulstown in time to register and do a bit of a warm up with a few strides.
Lovely flat course and a nice morning for it. Would highly recommend this race to anyone and I think it's also run in November so if you're in that neck of the woods...
Lined up a few rows back behind the fast looking gentlemen and women and all the kids who had pushed through to the front when the race director told anyone who felt they could win it to move up...
Course was 2 laps. I do remember feeling like I was kind of enjoying it for the first mile or so and thinking that wasn't the plan for this morning, so upped the effort immediately. Problem was I felt like puking when I did that so had to hold back a bit. The legs were willing but my system was not willing to tolerate much. Lots of prosecco burping ensued. As I said, I can't remember much but I do remember passing 3 fit looking women who I thought at the start looked like they could win it (their hangovers were obviously worse than mine!), and I also remember not being passed by anyone after a mile. I passed my parked car about half way through the race and not pulling out of the race and sneaking into the back seat to hide, took all the willpower in the world.

I had absolutely no finishing kick in me whatsoever (which one of the Gowran coaches was quick to tell me ) as the main focus was trying not to let the dry retching turn into projectile vomiting!
Surprised a bit by the result and thought it might be a bit slower. Official gun time (no chip time) is 24.20 which is only 16 secs off the pb, so I'm happy enough with that effort for the morning that was in it.

Met ASIMONOV after the race as he had been stewarding. I thought I recognised him earlier on as someone I knew from a previous life. Turns out he was who I thought he was - the coolest older guy EVER on the school bus who had all the obscure band names on his school bag, and all the gals fancied him. Had a great chat and am joining Gowran AC next week and hope to do some track sessions with them over the summer - when my longer races are over for the year, but will aim to get down a few times before then too to try out some sessions. The singlet isn't even that bad if I do have to wear it
Oh and my hungover brother came 2nd in 18.12 and was very surprised with his time due to feeling shight also.

31 miles weekly total

Monday 28 December
6 miles easy @ 9:46
Ring Road Kilkenny. Just ticking over. Legs felt perfect after race.

Tuesday 29 December
6 mile easy @ 9:54
Ring Road Kilkenny in the other direction. Thought I'd get loads of running and doubles done in KK when home for the hols but seemed to be very busy every day doing shag all really. Strange.

Wednesday 30 December
10 miles easy w/6x45 sec strides @ 9:30
Ring Road Kilkenny. Most enjoyable. Felt like I could have run forever tonight. Remembered back to doing one of my early C25k sessions on this stretch and realised how far I've come in a few years. I remember in the beginning when every single step was such an effort and running for a minute felt like the hardest thing in the world and I felt like dying after it. I still loved it from the very first running steps I took even though it was so painful.

Thursday 31 December
10 miles easy @ 9:56
Last run of the year in the Phonenix Park on the way back home to Santry. Very windy but very enjoyable once again.

Friday 1 January 2016
10 miles easy @ 10:10
Local park, but couldn't run full loops around the park due to flooding so lots of tiny loops and to'ing and fro'ing. Did 3 min loops over and over. My loops are getting shorter. Soon I'll just be running marathons around my coffee table

Saturday 2 January
Had a sneaky plan all week (didn't tell the boss man in case he thought it was a bad idea to race again so soon) to do Parkrun this morning to try and better my time from last Sunday and try to sneak in under 24. I didn't feel great when I woke up however. I have a lingering cold and just lacking a bit in energy so scrapped that idea. I also didn't get to sleep until 3 so wasn't feeling full of beans when the alarm went off at 7:30. Turned over and went back to sleep. That attitude will get me far... however I do think I made the right decision as I don't think I could have run very fast today and it would have just lead to disappointment.

am: 5 miles easy @ 9:39
Quick spin into town to meet my mother who was shopping for the day. I tried out my super new running backpack that my boyfriend kindly gave me for xmas. It's perfect. Very little jiggling and can fit shoes and pants and top etc.
pm: 4.5 miles easy @ 9:54
Return leg of journey.

Sunday 3 January
Plan called for 60 mins @ AT w/wu & c/d however after 5 mins at AT effort, I knew it wasn't happening today. My breathing was just very bad and legs sluggish and head felt like it was spinning. Time to take a day or two off unless I'm 100% tomorrow. This bloody cold just won't shift so only one thing for it... rest. Should have listened to the boss a few days ago when he told me to rest.. I'll learn. Or maybe not...
8 miles @ 9:53
60 miles weekly total

Starting from tomorrow, booze is out the window for foreseeable future and even though I've been fairly good with the old AIS over the hols, I have been neglecting my usual Lunge Matrix and Myrtl routines for the last 2 weeks, so back on the wagon tomorrow. Mileage will be steadily climbing for the next few weeks with the long run going over marathon distance and introducing more and slightly longer doubles, so I know I need to keep the ancillary stuff going in tandem, to ensure the body stays intact, or I won't be able to handle it, and will break and there'll be little pieces of Ososlo scattered all over the Phoneix Park

Maybe I just feel more at home amongst my own kinfolk

Monday 4 January
Tried to take the day off as a bit below par with a cold however.....
am: 4 miles easy @ 9:42
pm: 6 miles easy @ 9:46

Can't remember much about these runs.

Tuesday 5 January
Tried to take the day off as still not feeling great...
am: 5 miles easy @ 9:50
Local. Park no-go due to flooding so had to make the unusual decision to go outside the safe confines of the park gates in the daylight. I survived... #workingonmyocd!
pm: 5.5 easy @ 9:46


Wednesday 6 January
Yet again...still not feeling 100% I have a problem... can't stop ...
am: 4 miles easy @ 10:06
Local
pm: 5.7 miles @ 9:11
Did first 4 miles with my brother who was staying with my sister on the outskirts of the badlands of Tallaght. We didn't venture to far into the murky depths of bandit country but felt safe in the knowledge that there was a safe family outpost close by if needed

I remembered running down the Belgard Road a few years ago, when I was finished Couch 25k and had been running just 3.1 miles for weeks and weeks but finally decided to see if I could make it to 4 miles on this stretch of road. I managed it - just about and was SO so happy. I remembered thinking then that if I can run a whole 4 miles then anything is possible.

Thursday 7 January
6 miles easy @ c.9:50
Net downhill to get the car. My new 310 decided to freeze on me half way through and remained frozen for the rest of the run. I've run the route many times so know it was 6 miles. Guessed the pace. That never would have happened with my old reliable 305. I might resurrect it yet.

Friday 8 January
am: 5 miles easy @ 9:31
First time running into work and first time doing an 'early' run in yolks. Early for me that is but nothing compared to some folks around here!

Anyway, it worked out great. Fab morning for it and delighted to be passing the traffic all the way. Saved myself a few bob and had a blast except for the fact that my watch froze again at Mountjoy Sq and wouldn't upload to the pc.
pm: 5.8 miles easy @ 9:48
Return leg. All good but net uphill.

Saturday 9 January
28 mile long slow run @ 9:37
4hrs 29.5mins

Ok so today was a day of firsts. I was to go over marathon distance for the first time and to be finally have my first Boards running date.

Usual slow start to my run with a 10+ min mile but settled into it then. I always know very early on in a run whether I'll be able to do what was set out for me or not and I knew by mile 2 that I would be able to run 28 miles today. This run was slightly different to the last few long runs in so far that I had a few wobbles early on. I don't know why. My legs felt fine but I had done 4 doubles already this week so maybe it had something to do with it and I still have a bit of a cold so not quite 100% on the health front. Also had a slightly nauseous stomach and my neck was very sore today for some reason. Enough excuses yet? As always I ran by feel and I had warned my running date before-hand that it would be as slow as it needed to be.

About 18 miles into my run and making my way up Chesterfield Avenue, I see a figure ahead with arms outstretched. None other than aero2k who had been in touch earlier in the week about doing a few miles with me. He greeted me with a sports drink, and even offered to mind my sunglasses - what a 'gentle man' . I was happy for aero to do most of the talking as I was having a mini-wobble when we met. After a few miles of running together I got my second wind and felt pretty good for the rest of the run. I had to keep an eye on the watch as it had been freezing on me yesterday so that was a bit of a nuisance as I usually prefer to ignore it. I got a third wind towards the end and picked up the pace for the second last mile and again for the last mile to finish with a sub 9 minute mile. Really happy to have that one under my belt and had a great running date experience to boot, so a great day for me. The thought of running with someone so so far ahead of my level was a little intimidating but aero you couldn't have made me feel more at ease and it was an absolute pleasure to run with you. I look forward to our next outing! I even got a gift at the end and an invite back to his gaff:eek: He's a fast mover:D

thanks again and hope you enjoyed your long walk!

Sunday 10 January
3 miles recovery @ 10:30
All feels great! Surprisingly so despite a night of only 4 hours sleep max. Groin slightly tender but legs feeling great! Secretly wanted to hit 80 miles this week but was advised that wasn't a great idea and yeah, it's silly and senseless chasing miles just for the sake of it.
Now if I could only bloody sleep...

Weekly total: 78 miles

stammerjones wrote: »

Nice week,am doin conn39.3 my self but nowhere near your level yet.Do u think i shud do a longer than marathon run aswell.I was going to wait till nearer the time and do a a b2bs instead.i think i reddit here aboutvb2bs

I'm very new too all this so not the person to ask. Personally I'd feel more prepared by going well over marathon distance in training to feel confident of being able to handle 39.3.
You might be better off asking about it in the ultra thread or Conn thread or random running questions thread.
Good luck with your training.