To Hell In A Handcart

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Good to see you still at it Doesn't seem like a year ago all that Enniscorthy shenanigans was starting

Cheers, hopefully an injury free 2016 awaits!
It certainly doesn't, I'm still getting over the lumpy course that day!

Duplicate

Duplicate

Weekly miles

Week 1 3.57
Week 2 19.52
Week 3 18.88
Week 4 23.47

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

How is this a 6 day week? (19-20-21-22-23-24-25)

Anyway well done on the big mileage increase. Very impressive

Quite right

Day 7 also had day 1 of week 5 in it meaning next week will be a day less.

Cheers, a few miles less than this time last year but plenty of time to make up for that!

Why does each post keep duplicating?

Ososlo wrote: »

Because Boards is fcuked these days!
Good going on the training!

And you on the 26.2 mile training run!

Week 5

26/01
am - 1 Hour cross training - Cycling on the exercise bike
lunchtime - Knee and hip exercises
These were meant to of been done on Sunday and Monday but life got in the way.
Late evening - 40 mins easy - not being able to see my watch in the dark meant that this was 38:51 covering 3.37 miles @ 11:31
Strong wind was blowing throughout which made some darker parts quite spooky with the trees swaying.

27/01
1 hour pace covering 6.30 miles @ 9:31
This was meant to be an easy session but I brought it forward 7 days to feel the benefit in Trim, taking into account the ten day rule.
I was doing laps of a local lake and to make it harder, I decided to run against the wind at the unsheltered part while not getting the benefit of the wind on my back due to running that part in shelter of trees.

28/01
40 mins easy covering 3.35 miles @ 11:58.
I could not get going in this run which showed with the average pace.

29/01
Rest day
Foam rolling for the first time since April 2015.
Knee and Hip exercises

30/01
Cross training 30 mins on the exercise bike.
The alarm went off for my intended long slow run but I just could not get up at 5:30 am before a long Saturday at work.

31/01
90 Mins LSR
Covering 7.50 Miles @12.01
Another very slow run, but it was at 6.30am on a Sunday Morning so it was very hard to motivate myself in freezing conditions. This was meant to be a 2 hour run, but I took 25% off due to the Trim 10 miler in 7 days time, plus I did an extra 10 mins the Sunday before with this in mind.

Weekly miles

Week 1 3.57
Week 2 19.52
Week 3 18.88
Week 4 23.47
Week 5 20.52


Monthly Miles

January 81.54

Firedance wrote: »

Good luck tomorrow

And you, I was hoping to see you in the 1:30 pack but I was only in the main part around the second mile.

How did you do?

Trim 10 Mile Race Report

I woke up on Sunday morning after 10 much needed hours sleep after a hectic buildup and the dreaded flu appearing a day out.

I had a lemsip to hopefully hold myself together until after the day at 8:30, and then porridge, a banana and honey, washed down with some Oj for breakfast after a large helping of Pasta the evening which would of taken care of carb loading.

I set off with my other half telling me not to go due to my man flu, but I figured I would just aim more near 1:35 than 1:30 to counter this.

This was a very simple 34 mile drive from Swords to Trim, and to make matters even easier, the Race was very well signposted.

I picked up my race number with minimal fuss and headed back to my car to unleash my newest running top - a white vest with the cross of St George on the front and back, plus three lions on both sides. My Irish other half had made me a little apprehensive about wearing this due to her opinion of the people of Meath which couldn't of been further from the truth with lots of encouragment from the spectators all of the way.

Warm up
12:20 mins covering 1.19 Miles @ 10.21, stopping twice, once to remove gloves and my hat back at the car, and then a tinkle near the start.
I turned up at the start later than expected, luckily not having anything to drop off at the bag drop as my watch read 11:59!
I made my way towards the back and the then moved up the right hand side into about a third of the way back in the pack. I chose the right hand side as we had a sharp left hand turn coming up within 50 meters and I was concerned about losing time and momentum in a bottle neck.

Mile 1 8:56
I set my virtual timer to 9:15 average pace which would get me in at 1:32:30 not taking into account myself perhaps running a slightly further distance that would drag up the time.
I didn't notice any bottle necking in the first corner which good news for all, I was got into a very relaxed rhythm straight away which was good news and was clock watching quite a bit as we went down a gentle slope before turning left and moving up a gradual climb. I notice that the 1:20 pacer was besides me at the first corner which helped me relax and slightly slow myself down even more.
I didn't notice any pacers when I lined up but was planning on running my own race and maybe latching onto the 1:30 group if feeling no ill effects of the flu.
Many people passed me in the first half a mile which is never a nice feeling, but I told myself they were going off too fast and most would come back to me.

Mile 2 9:05

Gradual ups and down were had here and the first sightings of cars passing us. The 1:30 group caught me up here which was pleasing to give me some shelter from a slight breeze.

Mile 3 9:03 Mile 4 8:57

I stayed with the group for about half a mile before losing ten or twenty meters on them which was fine given that I was l was trying to nurse my body into the race. Three girls all in red GAA looking shirts with white and red stripes and numbers on the back went past along with a man wearing a what I think was a Trim club shirt. I got in behind them to shelter from the wind and matched strides with them. I found that by the end of the Mile 4, they had pulled me back into the 1:30 group. I had already started sweating by this stage so knew it was hard work but was very thankful that I left my gloves in the car as my hands were very warm!

Mile 5 9:24
I took my only gel just past Mile 4 assuming the water station was ahead but was very disheartened to find scattered plastic water cups shed all over the road! It looked like they had not had enough water so had packed up and gone! I had lost about twenty meters from taking my gel which seems to be a recurring theme!
Thankfully about a quarter of a mile on, the water station appeared with each cup being about a quarter full. I took two, tried to swig from one and hardly got any in, poured the other over my head and back to help the sweat, went to drink from the first cup only to find it was now empty, and I was still very thirsty! I looked up and the pace group were now about 50 meters away due to again losing time fueling up!
We then had a long drag and to my surprise two of the girls in the gaa red shirts were walking, I also overtook a few others on this hill. (My house is surrounded by hilly terrain which means a large amount of my training has taken place and obviously helped on what was a very weak area for me).

Halfway in 44:46 although the actual marker was about 10 meters after this.

Mile 6 9:08

I was only about a 100 meters behind the 1:30 group at this stage, we had turned and was now facing strong wind, although thankfully this was masked by downhill stretch.
It got a bit twisty then so I never saw the pacer group again.

Mile 7 9:30

We were faced with a very big hill and given my recent training sessions had been hilly, I felt confident and sped up while shortening my stride, taking aim at a guy twenty or thirty meters ahead, I caught him halfway, then another 10 meters ahead, then two a further twenty meters ahead just as I got to the top of the hill. I then lengthened my stride to then go on again as I thought that my legs had come to me and I could really kick on! I went through the middle of these two - a guy in the Trim running vest who I tagged onto in mile 2, and a girl in pink that had been twenty meters or so ahead for about 3 miles, but then the strongest wind that I had ever faced hit me head on and straight away weakened me. I tried to tuck in behind the girl who was as tall as me, but she was a rubbish wind shield and I found myself about twenty behind these two in no time!
I lost the feeling in both hands about now and my tops of my legs were so cold!


Mile 8 9:56

The water stop came along unexpectedly with me carrying the cups for a good half a mile trying to get the water down me but a combination of me breathing so heavily and the wind meant it all went on the floor on about four tries of drinking.
I was really feeling it now and by this stage I had the annoyance of a blonde girl who kept running past me, and then 100 meters up the road stopping until I passed her again! This was sole destroying! I had a down hill stretch to open up my stride but could see a group ahead strung out including the trim guy and pink girl who all looked like they had stopped up a hill! I found out that it was a side wind and hill that was to almost stop me in my tracks and it was just a case of grinding through it with my watch saying I was on 10:41 pace at a point of this mile!

Mile 9 9:46

A lady had the prodigy 'smack my bitch up' blaring out of her car as she was clapping and encouraging as we went past, this really helped me lengthen my stride for a good half a mile before the wind started whistling through my ears, piercing my brain as it whistle out the other end. My hands were bright red and I was breathing on them rather than worrying around running with them.

Mile 10 9:24

Cole icy rain had started to fall at this stage which was not what the doctor ordered.
I overtook three girls in this part as I lengthened my stride a tiny bit before two girls wearing green club vests past me which gave me something to aim at and be a wind shield! This slowly edged away before a girl in pink edged past before a kick the last five meters to overtake her again giving a raised fist to the guy on the mike giving the guy in the three lions shirt a shout out!

Previous PB (INJURED BEFORE RACE) 1:41:58
Chip time 1:33:19 Watch Time 1:33:23 Average pace per mile 9:19
New PB 8:35


Afterwards


I stumbled about and after about 1 min got my goody bag with only a banana of interest in it which was at least something. I was expecting chocolate or some kind of sweets to get me going again as I was a mess.
It then took me a good few mins to open the bottle of water I was given as my frozen fingers would not work.
My car was parked a good half a mile away, so I decided to use it as a cool down while clasping the goody bag with my frozen claw, craving heat with ever step while the wind and rain chilled my bones further.

Cool Down
0.52 miles @ 11:22 pace.

I then put as many layers on as possible and went to race HQ in the hope of sugar and soup to warm me. Great spread, and once my hands had finally warmed up a good 30 mins after the race, I felt like a real boy again!

I know the few days before the race were far from ideal and know I can improve on this again. My training had not gone over 10 miles very often so my stamina could also be improved for next time.
My 2:00:20 half marathon last March is still my best effort imo, and I may well well see if I can beat that next month.

Week 7

08/02

Rest Day
My thighs were pretty sore going up and down stairs.

09/02

40 Mins Recovery covering 3.42 Miles @11:43

10/02

Rest Day
Things got in the way of my planned run so everything was pushed back a day.

11/02

76.41 mins easy covering 6.98 miles @ 10:59
This was originally meant to be 70 mins pace, but I dropped the pace and slotted it in as easy to take into account the race that I had on Sunday. I felt very fresh so decided to just let my legs take me at whatever pace they fancied.
Still in Dublin, I decided to take in the Malahide Park Run route which was my first ever race since returning to running in 2014. My calf was not happy on the trail, but was soon fine again once I returned to a normal pavement.

12/02

42.21 easy, (meant to be 40 mins easy) which covered 3.71 miles @11:25

A morning run before sailing back to the UK in the afternoon and driving hours back to MK.

13/02

Rest Day

Hip and knee exercises

14/02

2:20:07 covering 11:98 Miles @11:42

Splits

12:21, 12:22, 11:45, 11:52, 11:02, 11:25, 11:34, 10:54, 11:25, 11:22, 11:42, 11:46

Up at 7am to fit this in and like a few Sundays ago when also starting early, this took ages to get going, although the frozen patches didn't help.
I did this one without a drink which was not part of the plan, but I left a drink in a bush but never returned to that area until half a mile left of the run.

Week 8

15/02

Rest Day / Cross training

1 hour on the exercise bike.
I also signed up for the Milton Keynes Half Marathon which takes place on March the 6th.

16/02

50.31 Mins Easy covering 4.43 Miles @ 11:24 pace

17/02

70 Mins Pace covering 7.17 Miles @ 9:46

A nice change of scenery for this as I ran this around a huge lake where the Milton Keynes Park Run takes place. I was happy with anything under 10 mins for this and felt like I could of upped it if I needed to.
I will go for 9 min pace on the 24th in preparation for HM.

18/02

50 mins easy covering 4.49 Miles @ 11:09

19/02

Rest day
Hip and Knee exercises. I was very keen to fit this in as I have not made enough time recently for something that is crucial to keep my legs ticking over!
Foam rolling. Another that has not been done enough of late and certainly had an effect.

20/02

Cross training
I only managed 20 mins on the exercise bike due to having to work 11 hours on a SATURDAY!
I will try and get the other planned 40 mins in on my next planned rest day on Monday.

21/02

2:58:00 LSR covering 15.57 Miles @ 11:25
18 Mins longer than this was meant to be, but I wanted to eek out a little more as this will be my last LSR that will count ahead of my HM in two weeks when taking into account the ten day rule. This run was done in blustery, warm conditions which brought back memories of DCM14!
I will no doubt cut at least a quarter off next weeks LSR in order to taper.

The average pace per mile is going the right way!