The Four Year Plan

Plan for the weekend is a 10k / 1 hour ish LSR but I had said I'd try a parkrun this month. I am thinking I might run 3k super easy w/up before and 2k c/d to make up the distance and not race the parkrun just run it a tad quicker than easy...or would I be as well off just running it easy.

Marley Park is where I would be headed and they seem to have a big crowd most weeks with times that would allow me to run it easy and still not be last (I know someone has to be last but I am not sure my little ego could take it)...shall ponder it!

Sunday's are kinda reserved for long walks at the moment...building up to 13 days of walking a section of the Camino in May from Lisbon to Porto! I'll see how the legs feel tomorrow / Saturday morning.

Also I am a total PR virgin and have no idea how it works - like what do I do with my barcode? Perhaps I should skim the giant PR thread for tips...

Thanks a million for the advice FD - that makes a tonne of sense. I think Tymon is actually a wee bit closer to me than Marley but I know Marley park and how to get there whereas I don't know Tymon at all - gosh I sound like an awful cautious nelly!

No longer a parkrun virgin

Results are in 318th overall and 84th woman at Marley Park this morning. Finishing time 28:23 which is not great like but gives me something to work from. Decided to try race this rather than incorporate it into a long run.

Pre-race - didn't decide until this morning what I was doing so no prep beyond getting a lovely night's sleep and my porridge this morning.

Warm-up - didn't really do this properly. Was a super slow jog around Marley finding a loo and the start and getting slightly lost :rolleyes: ...maybe a km in total, did get warm enough to loose the fleese that I had forgotten to leave in the car. Was trying to figure out how annoying it would be tied around my waist for the 5k when I saw that people were abandoning layers near the start/finish so decide to do the same.

K1 - no clue where to start, no idea how fast ppl were so kept back but in front of buggies, dogs and people who looked like walkers...it was too far back. Was very crowded, moving very slow and took 6:51 before hit the first marker.

K2 - field spread out a bit so was able to pick up the pace, and I did...was trying to run by feel and only looking at the watch at the markers. Kept asking myself could I do this for 4 more k, answered yes, clearly delusional. This was 5:09

K3 - field stayed spread out so was able to keep progressing but the delusion became clear as I slowed somewhat. Based on no information at all I decided I'd be happy to finish in the top 100 women. Don't remember a whole lot more about this 5:39

K4 -Decided that with 2k to go that if I had any chance of keeping up pace I'd need to play reel em in....which I did. Passed about 20 during this k but was starting to suffer. Did a check and nothing hurt but lungs were working and my legs had that cold leaden feeling - I guess due to lack of proper warm up. 5:46

K5 - Getting harder to pass people and had a bit of a battle with a guy that I had passed, he came back and was on my shoulder, I'd push on to create a gap, he'd catch again, I'd push and we did this maybe 3 or 4 times before I just couldn't push any further and he passed me. Held on in, rounded the bend for the last straight bit and gave it one last spurt to almost catch him, and pass 2 others in the process. He finished a mere second ahead of me. My breathing was pretty brutal at this stage though. Final k was 4:53

Lessons learned:

1. Do a warm-up
2. Start further up the field
3. Push harder!!

Firedance wrote: »

great stuff SL you'll be back for more I presume

I imagine so, see why people say pr is addictive!

this week is not going to plan - am wrecked. Not sick or anything, just tired. Not quite getting 8 hours a night but close - must try get to bed earlier!

Monday I did run to pilates (long route), take pilates class - mixed class and I am def a beginner so finding it tough, run home (short route) but since then nada!

Tonight I have a 30 min run planned with the middle 10min at 10k pace...determined that I will do it, even if tired. I mean, 30 min is nothing - tis shorter than an episode of code black (which is strangely addictive).

Universe please send motivational vibes my way

Thanks FD hadn't realised I mentioned it before - diet is fairly okay I think, typical would be:

porridge for breakfast and some fruit

coffee and homemade baked goods for 11s - obviously baked goods are not great but figure when I make myself I have control over the amount of processed sh1t that gets included and some stuff I make has no sugar (like my granola bars)

Salad with chicken/fish/egg for lunch or homemade soup if at home

Fruit and nuts / veg sticks and humous / peanut butter on crackers for afternoon snack

Dinner varies but always with plenty of veg, try have a mix of colours and to get a mix of different meats/fish during the week.

The odd day would be a two coffee day or chocolate might sneak into the afternoon snack but I'd say I eat okay at least 80 per cent of the time. Probably ought to drink more water.

I suspect the tiredness is more to do with the long hours in office and time spent driving. How do people with children manage - i just have to look after myself! I am going to set an alarm every evening for the next week or two and get into the habit of going to bed when it goes off. Even if I don't feel sleepy I can read, which usually sends me straight off anyway - takes forever to finish a book! :rolleyes: If still an issue after a run of decent night's sleep I will investigate other causes like iron levels or whatever.

Week Beginning 15 Feb: round up

Tired this week but happy enough with how running went overall

Monday
Easy run to pilates; pilates class - tough but enjoyable; easy run home (shortest route).
Total: 6.25

Tuesday
Rest (planned)

Wednesday
Rest (unplanned) and tired which prompted the discussion re diet and sleep above.

Thursday
Did a couch25k session with OH before doing the run with tempo section originally planned for Wednesday. Happy enough with pace
Total running: 8.37

Friday
Rest (planned)

Saturday
LSR - didn't get to this until I was down in the homeland of the sunny south east. Enjoyable and more hills in waterford than Dublin 6 which was nice for a change. Did bits of this a bit too fast to be honest but felt good most of the time and the slower paced kms all correspond with up hill and/or heading straight into a tough wind.
Total: 12.1

Sunday
Little walk with my mum - about 1 hour 20min on the move but less distance covered than I would normally. Have booked flights for the Camino at the end of May so gonna have to pick up the walking training in the coming weeks.

Project strong and stretchy
Pilates 1/1
Morning stretches 6/7
Back rehab exercises 6/7
JD Challenge 0/7 - next week; next week
Swim 0/2 -

Totals:
Week - 26.68 km (18.07 last week)
Month - 70.73 km
YtD - 123 km- Woohoo over the 100

Next week...

Am signed up for the paced mile on Wednesday which should be interesting. Plan A: stick with the 8min mile pacers for as long as possible, hopefully having a bit of extra juice left at the end to kick for final lap and finish in less than 8. Plan B: stick with the 8min mile pacers as long as possible and not fade too soon and finish in less than 8:30. Plan C: finish is less than 9min. Aside from that keep up with ancillary stuff although still in Wfd so will miss pilates tomorrow, run 4 days with optional recovery run on Sunday to bring it to 5 and of course vote on Friday.

Bungy Girl wrote: »

The one in Alsaa ? Might see you there

Yeah that's the one - kinda nervous cause haven't done it before. What time are you aiming for?

So BG was right, was fun. After some maths and checking of pace calculater I decided I was mad attempting 8 min and would do the 9 min.

Out to track for warm up, met BG (nice to put face to name), she advised I prob could do it faster but I didn't listen. Lined up with the 9 min folk, first lap was glad and let the powder away from me slightly legs were cold I think... Despite the warm-up if was pretty cold out there! Lap two got closer to pacer, feeling good. Lap three, on pacer's shoulder, still feeling good. Pacer was great during this lap she was giving us tips for how to push on in the final lap and when to empty the tank. Audible tut from someone when my watch beeped at km - get over it people, some of us believe in metric! Final lap started to pull away, felt great, really pushed, got in at 8:31... In hindsight should have gone with the 8 min pacer, might not have managed to stay with them the whole way but prob could have knocked a few more seconds off

Next time!