The main thing is keeping the main thing, the main thing

Wednesday: Decided to bring the dog for a walk rather than run - then brought the wife for dinner......on a wednesday. Major brownie points..........

Thursday: 6m@8.09 pace on the trails of PP. Lovely run listening to Jason McAteer on OTB - great interview.

Friday: 4.5m including 4x200/1x400/1x200 - nice little sharpener.

Saturday: 30min easy inc 6-7 strides. 3.5m total.

Sunday: Terenure 5m Race

The day started early as my oldest made the U17 Dublin Dev squad - as a result they've started training on Sundays at 8am!! At least I got an early breakfast

I had a relaxed approach to this race - which makes a big change to the race anxiety I was feeling last year.
Left the house for Terenure at about 10 - parking was grand and I set off for a 2m warmup around Bushy Park, including some strides. Back to the start line and was a few rows back - which suited my plan for a slowish start.

I had harboured some thoughts of a low 29's performance - based on my Dunboyne 4m time and recent good training.
However, the aim was sub30.

As we started I noted that the breeze was a tailwind - so it would be in our face on the other side - so I curtailed my plan for a slow start and decided to bank a few seconds. Mile 1 was 5:49.
I passed raycun somewhere on the 1st mile, but could still hear him getting a few shouts just behind me.
I remember being quite thirsty at this point - the heat was playing its part too.

Turned at the corner and made what turned out to be my 1st mistake. I tried to catch the group ahead, but didn't catch them, so I felt I was in no mans land into a headwind. Effort levels rising - felt like it was a drag instead of being flat.
Mile 2 finished in 5:57.

Mile 3 was a real battle and I considered DNF'ing - the effort levels were outrageous for 2.5m into a 5m race and I was barely keeping 6min/mile pace - which I have ran numerous tempos at this pace in the past few weeks. The wind was a pain for the 1st half of this mile, and then we turned the corner onto the long straight and I had a tail wind.
Rather than try to up the pace, I just used the long straight to recover and beat away those DNF demons.
Mile 3 was 6:04 and a real battle for this 6:04.

Looking at my garmin profile, mile 4 was a tale of 2 halves - the 1st half on the long straight with a tail wind - the 2nd half after the turn into the wind. $hit - I hate this road. I hated it last year and I hate it this year.
It must be the hilliest flat road on the planet Mile 4 was 6:03.

At this stage, raycun comes ambling by, looking fairly relaxed. B'stard. (he went on to record a super time)
It was the best thing that could have happened as I dont think I'd been passed in the whole race upto this point - it gave me something to chase as sub30 was surely gone.
A couple more people pass and I dig deep to keep with them.

I pass them out as I keep on pushing and we turn onto the home straight. The longest home straight in history - about a half mile.
In my head sub 30 is gone. The aim is to get close to 30 - have a tale to tell about losing 4-5 seconds.
I'm pushing hard but the legs are not responding.

Then I see the finish line....whats that, cant be right.........its ticking by and I see it 29:32....29:33.......29:34...

No way I say - elated - I push, the body lets me surge, knowing the finish is soon and I cross the line.
Mile 5 5:52 (0.97m)

I finish in 29:46. Finishing 52nd position and 7th M40.


On finishing I'm delighted with the time, given how I felt and given the fact that I thought I'd no chance of sub 30.
Speaking to a few others, they felt similar about the conditions, both the heat and the wind played their part in making it more uncomfortable than it should have been.

Great to meet with a few old familiar faces too - Digger, CL and baby - all looking very well.

Onwards & upwards - next decision point is to do Bob Heffernan or not.

quick feet wrote: »

Pretty much how I felt Mile for mile.... congrats on the sub 30 and digging in at the end....

Cheers - its pretty much how everyone felt I think. The hard part is keeping it going til the end. Thankfully I didnt give into the demons.

annapr wrote: »

Love that report, makes me feel so much better (and eh much slower too).

Well done, great time

On the other side, I'm in envy of you as you had to endure the conditions for longer than I did. Fair play to you for that. (I mean that respectfully).

Singer wrote: »

Well done going out hard enough and hanging on in a relatively warm and humid day. Nice time.

Cheers - it was pretty windy but didn't think about the impact of the heat til I read anna's report and it resonated with me.

Monday: Nice few miles around the PP - Legs very tired - all on grass.

8m at 8min/miles

Tuesday: another meander around the park - nice pace, keeping it easy and all on grass.
6.5m@8.02

Wednesday: I've a stag this weekend in Galway (a late entry), so wont get a long run in, I had planned another easy run today, so added a few miles in to it.
Legs still tired today and got tireder as I went on - although notably, the pace was quicker.

Listened to S-Town - only through the 1st chapter, but its kinda weird listening to it - still has me downloading Ch 2.

Passed 1000 miles tonight - a few days earlier than last year.

12m @ 7.46

Thursday: Legs feeling some semblance of normality, although a bit tired from yesterdays 12 - it was a different kinda tired.
done a few miles around the Furze and the Acres and then back to the path outside Farmleigh, where I done 10x20s strides and a few stretches.

6.52m

At this stage - I've decided not to do the Bob Heffernan - so my next race will be on May 30th - BHAA 5m.

Friday: The planned session for week 1 phase 4 in the JD 3rd edition was 3x2 @ Tempo - But I've been eyeing the sessions in the 2nd edition (same week of phase 4) and it was a tempo with some stuff - which I think I needed.

The planned session was 2x2T / 3x800 interval / 3x400 Reps.

Ran down to the PP and done some strides and stretching and set off on the 1st 2mT, which brought me to the Ambassadors Res - a 2 min recovery and off on the 2nd 2m Tempo. Back up Chesterfield and a lap of the OS and Furze.

Took 2 mins recovery and started on the 800's - all on the OS/Furze loop.
1st 800 was tough but the next 2 went smooth (tough but smooth ) - 2 min recoveries on these.

The 400's were done with full recoveries and went fine - on the last one, I tried to simulate the closing stages of a race - pumping the arms etc.

Times:
2mile Tempo: Target: 12:18 - Actual = 12:06 / 12:06

800m: Target: 2:50 - Actual = 2:47 / 2:45 / 2:45

400m: Target 79 - Actual = 79/79/71

With WU & CD run came to 11.4miles.

Saturday: Recovery run around the PP watching the road race.
6m @ 8:35


Off to Galway for a stags - no running Sunday.

Weekly total: 50.4m

MisterDrak wrote: »

:eek:

I rounded down tbh

Friday & Saturday: Planned rest days with Dunboyne (Goal race 1of3) due on Tuesday.

Sunday: The ickle bigger girl is on the U17's Dub Dev Squad (GAA) - henceforth referred to as DDS - and they arranged training out in Rush for 8am on Sunday morning

So, up at 7am - quick brekkie and off to Rush - I let her off and drive to Skerries for a few miles and strides.

My image of Skerries is very skewered - I have old memories of myself and my Dad out there collecting winkles off the giant rocks by the tower. (Yes - those rocks are quite small, but back then..................)

My other image of Skerries is of the beach and town filled with Dubs (.........no, real Dubs), littering the place to bits, full of drunkards and chippies.

So - getting there on a beautiful Sunday morning at 8:15, seeing the tranquil town was great. Its a beautiful spot when its quiet.
I ran from the car park down the beach and back, deciding to run on to the other part of Skerries (the West part) that I hadn't seen. On my way, I passed an old guy in a wheel chair being interviewed on the street by a TV crew - I thought it was to do with the recent tragedy there, but on my way back, the crew were finishing up and I heard someone shout "Arse, Drink,Women, Feck" as I ran by .

Completed the run with 6x30sec strides at >mile pace.

5.4m and 40 for the week.


Monday: 4.5m inc 6x20sec strides.

I love this race. It’s the only race I’ve ran every year for the last 5 years, and if memory serves me right, its generally ran in sunshine.

I had targeted this race as a goal race early on – I would be well into phase 4 (Comp phase) of the JD plan but I still had reservations if I could better my PB – 29:13 – set on a near perfect racing performance in 2015.
My recent 5m time from a few weeks back in Terenure was 29:46 – at a minimum, I was looking to take 20 secs off that.

I had the added incentive today of having my wife for company – she’s shown a healthy interest in my running recently and wanted to see what all the fuss was about in Dunboyne with the ‘after party’.

I had a decent warm up and got the 1st indications of how good I felt during the 1st lap of the warm up on the track as I felt I was doing 9 min/miles but was closer to 7 min/miles.
I felt good as I changed my race week routine and hadn’t done a workout in the past 7 days but had done a good few strides. I also took 2 days off Fri/Sat.

I was doing strides and done 3 of them – for some reason I didn’t feel the need for them – it was quite warm and I was starting to feel very confident – despite the jokes with DD prior to the race about the heat, the wind and the hills.

I took my place with a quick hello to some familiar faces (Adrian/Yaboya/Fletch) and we were off fairly lively.

From speaking to Fletch prior to the race I knew he was targeting high 28’s – so I wanted to keep him in my sights for the 1st couple of miles.
After a few hundred meters I realised I hadn’t started my watch – I momentarily thought about not starting it, but wanted to watch the pace as it was very hot and I was worried it would inadvertently drop.

1st mile was 5:44 (there or there abouts, givent he watch issues) – I thought it might be too quick, but it felt ok – breathing was good and the body felt good – lets keep it going.
There was a good group of us at this stage and I could see Fletch about 20m ahead.

Over the next mile, I picked out some targets and over took them, keeping the pace controlled – maybe a bit fast on mile 2 as it came in at 5:39.

Into the 3rd mile and there was a few of us being led by Yaboya, who tried a few surges to the group in front (fletchs group) – but they were too far ahead and I knew better than to try to go with them as the heat was beginning to kick in.

Towards the end of mile 3 I notice the general pace starting to slow – I’m prepared for this as I had looked at the times from my last races here and also OP who ran well last year – the 4th mile is ALWAYS the slowest for some reason.
Mile 3 was 5:49 but the pace was in the 6's at the start of mile 4.

Yaboya had fallen back slightly and I was working with a guy in a Tallaght 5k top (I later seen on Strava it was P FitzP) – the two of us were pushing each other.
I seen the pace drop and pushed on – striving to keep it under 6 min/miles – P Fitz beckoned me fwds a couple of times but I was struggling at this stage.

The demons were present at this stage, but I knew I had given too much to the early miles and the 4th mile was a ‘known’ tough mile – all other times I’ve raced this my 5th mile has been faster than the 4th – so that kept me going. That and the fact that my wife was at the entrance to the track for the finish .

Mile 4 came in at 5:59 – our group was down to a few people at this stage – maybe 3-4 – I daren’t look around.
I ran under a water hose that was very welcome – we could hear the commentator at this stage. The end is near. I'm performing mind games at this stage - "only a few mins to the track entrance" etc etc.

No one immediately ahead of us to chase – it was a case of keeping it going. A quick glance of the watch showed a 5:4x pace – lets keep that going and a PB may be on the cards I was thinking – possibly a 29:10 as I was doing the maths to pass the time and keep the mind from the pain.

We were passing parked cars and I knew it was close to the finish – P Fitz was still with me at this stage – 800m to go sign came into view – 2 laps of the track – less than 1 lap of the polo grounds.

The aim was to keep the pace and push on the track – theres something about finishing on a track that makes you want to sprint.

We came into the club house car park and I was scanning to see my wife – there she was, got the shout out – passed by P Fitz and kept going – there was 1 guy ahead of me as I turned to the back straight – can I catch him?

I tried to up the pace – pumping the arms, but there wasn’t too much left in me. About 60m to go and another guy comes streaming past me wtf – the only time I’m passed in the race since the 1st mile.
No idea if I caught the other guy or not as the clock came into view and I see the 1st 2 numbers showing ‘28’.

I’m amazed at this – I can’t comprehend that – 28:4x and its counting down – I push hard over the last 30-40m and cross the line.
5th mile in 5:42.

28:53 Official time – 40th place and 6th O40 – A PB by 20 seconds.

Strangely – there was no dry wretch – tiredness, but no wretching – maybe the lack of the real high octane sprint finish helped

Delighted with the result – never in a million years did I think I’d be under 29 mins.

P Fitz and the guy who passed me on the home straight both come over to me and we thank each other for the help over the race – it’s a great sport really.

Fletch finished in 28:14 – great result by him.
Yaboya had a great PB, followed by Adrian with another PB – a difficult day at the office for DD – but he’s too good a runner to let it bother him – he’ll be back kicking my ass soon enough.
Luke had the performance of the night with a 12th place finish.

Strava told me later that I had ran a 17:52 5k in the race - another 14 secs to a PB.

We warmed down with The Claw – who is seemingly best buddies with DD – great to hear his stories from this race and Terenure.

Back to the HQ for the famous grub – nice to see the group and AGYG was present having ‘jogged’ around the course. My wife enjoyed the company - she's yet to meet a runner who is an ar$ehole.

PB beers at home were a welcome finis to a great evening.

Did I mention I went sub 29??