nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Better late than never

denis b

Started life here as a DCM 2015 novice and I have just graduated!!!! A slow starter but I have run on and off over the years, always trying to maintain some degree of fitness. Fell off the wagon a couple of times along the way but had a "moment of inspiration" in September 2013 whilst sitting in the car one evening.

One of the kids had decided to take up competitive rowing, so here I was sitting there looking out through the windscreen, on his first week, thinking that this will be a long winter. Decided there and then that with the Phoenix Park beside the boat club that I would try and get fit again. It felt like "one more throw of the dice". I was almost 51 and wondered what was I capable of doing if I worked at running for a couple of years. I had always cherished a dream of running a sub 4 hour marathon, and this year it has happened. DCM 2015 3:54.

Will explain, but the chapter became a book over the last 2 years and now I move on to the next phase - to try and better my pb's over 5km (21:00) and 10 km (47:02) over the next 4 months.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

This Fat Girl Runs

Really great running, Denis. Impressive stuff!!

denis b

Saturday
5 km recovery run. Did it first thing in the morning at 5:50 km pace. Passed by 14 runners (yes I have a Runners Index going for this 5 km run on Griffith Avenue) and that's an early morning spring record.

Perspiring very heavily. Low and behold I feel slightly flu like by midday. Lemsips on board and 2 tabs later heading out the door to see the Dubs perform in Newry. Was worth travelling too and one of the very best pitches and tidiest Gaa grounds in the country.

Sunday
Left the LR behind me as I still was feeling under the weather. Only run I have missed in several weeks so not too worried. May have taken on too much last week with the climbing as well. Lesson learnt - must adapt to what the body can manage to keep the recent gains going.

Monday
Rest day, and well placed. Should be ok for tomorrow.

Mrs Mc

Mind yourself D youve been doing very solid training so some rest to get back to 100% will do no harm.

denis b

Tuesday

Felt well enough to get out on the 14 km Progressive Endurance Run. Moved through the kms from 5:50 to 5:20 and felt well enough. Not that long ago since this would have been a small bit of a challenge. I suppose that is the sort of progress that is worth marking. I passed in excess of 10 runners on Griffith Avenue all of whom were female! Maybe the lads were out earlier.

Mrs Mc

denis b wrote: »

Tuesday

I passed in excess of 10 runners on Griffith Avenue all of whom were female! Maybe the lads were out earlier.

maybe they heard you were out Denis

denis b

Mrs Mc wrote: »

maybe they heard you were out Denis

Yeah. Thats why they were out in strength. I have a habit of making other runners look good

denis b

Wednesday

12.5 kms Aerobic Run with 8 x 100m strides thrown in near end.

Kept the 10km aerobic run in the correct HR zone. Bit of a stop/start morning with traffic lights at times but at least it ensured that I was operating well within the target zone.

Strides went particularly well this morning. Suggestion in the book is to accelerate to 50m and then push on so most of the intervals were in the 20-22 sec range.

Left hamstring and achilles feeling better and continuing to receive lots of attention. Long workday tomorrow so will have to move that run forward to Friday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow.

denis b

Thurs and Friday

Long work days and just wasn't possible to get out. Friday was to be a rest day. I had a LT Tempo run scheduled for Thursday and I felt that this was an important session for my first race (10 km) on the 9th of April. I did not want to wuss out on it so did it on Saturday in lieu of a scheduled 5 km recovery run.

Saturday

14 km LT Tempo for 30 mins run.

Did a 5 km warm up at 5:40 km pace and then did some stretches and strides. Started from Raheny Village down Watermill Road to the coast and back into Fairview.

Was anxious enough about this run and reckoned it was an important session. This will be close to my 10km pace that I am aiming for and would cover 6.5 kms in the 30 mins. Averaged around 4.35, and was pretty steady at this pace throughout. The HR averaged 161 which is 90% of MHR.

The run worked out really well. Got to the pace from the start. For once I read and re-read the preparation. The stretches and strides and long warm up definitely suit me. By the second km I was flying and even holding back and relaxing. Just picked off the landmarks - sculpted birds, roadworks, wooden bridge, Easter Island man, the slipway, clontarf baths and the Railway Bridge. Had to finish up the Howth Road and along Charlemont Road before the 30 mins elapsed. Couild have kept going for another km or three

. A real confidence booster.

To everybody racing the MSB, et al, the very best of luck. Will be at the MSB to support the youngest at home who is undertaking his very first 5 km run.

Murph_D

Nice tempo, Denis. They're never easy but you were all over that one.

denis b

Sunday

Race spectator day. Went into the MSB Race to cheer on the Boards Graduates and the youngest at home who was embarking on his first ever road race. A great day and funny to be present on the other side of the barriers for a change. Went up to Fitzwilliam Sq, where a quick dash, gave me a second fly by of the runners. Headed up to Leeson St to catch them on the last km as well. Saw TFGR (chatting :eek:

) and Singer and I am sure that I saw Duffer (Karl).

Fair play folks ye all did so well. Surprised myself when I nearly blew (encouraged) Singer back into this world with 1 km to go. Oh and I lost the house 5km record as well. Still, I have the Vets 5km record at least

.

Monday

Tune up 10 km race this Friday. Nothing on this side of the country so I will devise one. If anybody happens to know of one then please let me know. Saturday and Sunday will be very busy with long work hours so there isn't much flexibility. Such is life.

Did a 13.49 km aerobic run with 2 sets of 4 x 150 m strides this pm. Went well and moved along at a 5:30 ish pace before the strides. Strides were done as prescribed: first 75 m gradually accelerate to full tilt and run out the last 75 m full on - but relaxed. Liked these and most of them were in the 27 to 30 sec range. Appreciate the times are a bit meaningless but they were pretty consistent.

Conscious effort to start drinking more water after disturbed sleep last night with headache. Its a classic symptom for me and I should know better.

This Fat Girl Runs

Thanks for the cheers, Denis! Was great to have some encouragement, it helps, it really does!

For the record, I let the American guy do most of the talking

denis b

Tuesday

12 km aerobic run.
Nice and handy through Marino, Donnycarney, Whitehall, DCU, Finglas and back down along Griffith Avenue. Just glanced at the watch at each km to check my pace at what I felt was an easy enough effort. Just 3 days to the tune up race so just started a mini taper.

Murph_D

If you haven't found a Friday race yet there's supposed to be a 5k on in St Anne's at 9:3am. Better than nothing. You could always go around twice!

http://www.runireland.com/events/good-run

denis b

Murph_D wrote: »

If you haven't found a Friday race yet there's supposed to be a 5k on in St Anne's at 9:3am. Better than nothing. You could always go around twice!

http://www.runireland.com/events/good-run

Cheers D. Spotted that ok. The target race is a 10 km race on the 9th of April. Should a tune up race be of similar length or is just a question of using the tune up for race preparation etc?

Murph_D

I think a tune up should probably be shorter so a 5k is ideal - no expert but I think the idea is to hone the mental and psychological side of race craft as well as giving you some (hopefully positive) feedback on your training progress.

denis b

Murph_D wrote: »

I think a tune up should probably be shorter so a 5k is ideal - no expert but I think the idea is to hone the mental and psychological side of race craft as well as giving you some (hopefully positive) feedback on your training progress.

Thanks for that. Fits in with my own thoughts. I was probably being too literal in interpreting what was required. Am probably also avoiding tackling my 5 km pb - which is by far and away my strongest.

Right, will lace up for St. Annes this Friday and go for it.

FBOT01

denis b wrote: »

Thanks for that. Fits in with my own thoughts. I was probably being too literal in interpreting what was required. Am probably also avoiding tackling my 5 km pb - which is by far and away my strongest.

Right, will lace up for St. Annes this Friday and go for it.

Good man D. Best of luck with it. I'll have to stroll over that way with the dog to offer some words of encourage along the route so :pac::pac:.

denis b

Wednesday

Rest day and felt a chill coming on.

Thursday

Did the prescribed 7 km recovery run. Felt sluggish and just got more tired over the day. Aches etc.

Tomorrows 5 km race in St. Annes is full and the way I feel there will be no race tomorrow even if there was a place. Will bow out for a day or so and preserve heart and soul for the big day in 2 weeks time.

Hope that doesn't upset your plans for walking the dog FBOT01

Kennyg71

Bad dose doing rounds rest & recover.

Bungy Girl

denis b wrote: »

Wednesday

Rest day and felt a chill coming on.

Thursday

Did the prescribed 7 km recovery run. Felt sluggish and just got more tired over the day. Aches etc.

Tomorrows 5 km race in St. Annes is full and the way I feel there will be no race tomorrow even if there was a place. Will bow out for a day or so and preserve heart and soul for the big day in 2 weeks time.

Hope that doesn't upset your plans for walking the dog FBOT01

Very sensible Denis, hope you're feeling better today ?

denis b

Bungy Girl wrote: »

Very sensible Denis, hope you're feeling better today ?

Yep, as KennyG has keenly observed "its in the air". Chest tight on LHS and will be resting until Monday/Tuesday. Dont mind too much as I have had a good 10 week cycle at this stage. Had been thinking that I was probably close to the edge anyway.

Hope you are feeling stronger at this stage G with your own recovery. Seems as though a few of us are on the subs bench at the moment

Kennyg71

Had couple wobbly LR, but think combination od lot of things, but feeling much better, should have got on top of things sooner as per she who knows best:)

Just realised not for me

Mrs Mc

Mind yourself D seems to be in the air am in the sick bed myself.

denis b

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Had couple wobbly LR, but think combination od lot of things, but feeling much better, should have got on top of things sooner as per she who knows best:)

Just realised not for me

Not at all G. Know that you have been battling away and sure you are a guaranteed starter at this stage. Bench is full, so keep running

Mrs Mc wrote: »

Mind yourself D seems to be in the air am in the sick bed myself.

Think you have been fighting it for a while as well A so take your chance to recover well. Sure we have the rest out running for us and someone has to encourage them

Firedance

denis b wrote: »

Bench is full, so keep running

Bench is getting fuller by the day! We might need a second one soon :eek:

Bungy Girl

denis b wrote: »

Yep, as KennyG has keenly observed "its in the air". Chest tight on LHS and will be resting until Monday/Tuesday. Dont mind too much as I have had a good 10 week cycle at this stage. Had been thinking that I was probably close to the edge anyway.

Hope you are feeling stronger at this stage G with your own recovery. Seems as though a few of us are on the subs bench at the moment

Off the subs bench and back in the game today

. I really did need that time off though, like yourself I was close to the edge and with this HTFU stuff there's a fine line between getting it right and going overboard. So rest up - pretty much all the hard work is done - and you'll be in flying form for the K-Club!

denis b

......shuffles down the bench. Seems to be working in a reverse alphabetic pattern. All the G's are back in the fray so that must mean I'm next to get a running ticket. Lets hide that second bench and get everybody back on their feet as soon as.

denis b

Wednesday

Aerobic Run 10km.

Early morning round of golf in Howth to keep one of the young fellas company. Felt fine so headed out the door after lunch and did 10km aerobic run along by the promenade at Clontarf. Kept to the aerobic zone until I find my feet again and will have to adjust this weeks running plan to allow for continuing recovery.

10 km K Club race on saturday week. Will make it despite losing the best part of a weeks training. Concentrating on recovery and will get a few strides and a race pace km or two in over the next 3 days.

annapr

Glad you are back off the bench, D!

Mrs Mc

Shuffles to the end of the bench my turn next