PB or not PB...that is the question

29/04/20

7K - 34:02 - Road - NP34

02/05/20

7.25K - 33:54 - Road - NP35

A couple of more satisfactory runs....would ideally have gone out on Friday evening but was fairly knackered after the week tbh.

Yesterday’s run was meant to be a 10K loop (the new restrictions have opened this route up) but I felt I was running out of gas a bit so took the shortcut at 4K.

No pain in the toe so far and all ok besides

06/05/20

8K - 38:08 - Road - NP35

Another few miles on the road to recovery/normality.

Did a 4K out and back route...struggled a bit on the way back into a strong breeze but kept the legs going

09/05/20

10K - 48:46 - Road - NP35

Finally broke through the magical 10K barrier but it was a bit of a slog in the sun.

Had to take a few brief walking breaks which skewed the time a bit....ran 6 kilometres at <= 4:45 pace which is about par for my fitness right now.

This run was part of a virtual club run for Darkness Into Light, a lot of charities struggling during the lockdown so happy to help out with a donation

13/05/20

8K - 37:19 - Road - NP35

Went out around half 8 last night and it was freezing :eek:

Haven't been that cold on a run in a long time so wasn't hanging around.

Aimed to run at my newish default lockdown pace of 4:45 per km (38 mins for 8K) and pretty much nailed it with a relative degree of comfort. The time gains came in the last 2K which are mainly downhill/flat.

All good besides I think - might do the Curraghchase virtual 10K later in the month to keep halfways focussed.

23/05/20

10K - 48:05 - Road - NP35

26/05/20

8.25K - 38:05 - Road - NP35

So it's been an extremely higgledy-piggledy couple of weeks since my last update.

Basically my thyroid has gone absolutely bananas....wake up some mornings feeling like I've been hit by a bus, some mornings with a dirty hangover feeling and some mornings normal.

Have had another round of blood tests and waiting to see a consultant. Also had a Covid test last week....not a pleasant experience but happy to report, as Donald Trump said, that I was positively negative. My GP has advised to exercise if I feel like it so will keep plugging away when I can.

Anyway, the last couple of runs have bizarrely been the best this year by a long shot. Felt strong and full of running (relatively) both evenings so will just have to take each day as it comes in the thyroid front.

And bought another pair of Pegasus today for a sensational €59. It would have been criminal not to get them...right???

ariana` wrote: »

Sorry to hear you've had a rough few weeks. Hope you can get on top of the thyroid again soon with the results of the bloods.

It's been killing me but i've been trying to stay away from the Nick30! I still have a pair of Pegs in their box since the last time they ran that deal, in fairness it's pretty amazing value, well wear.

Cheers...the thyroid thing has been an issue for the last 18 months or so but deffo getting more volatile lately. Hopefully I'll get to the bottom of it soon one way or the other.

I love the Pegasus I have to say....will be keeping the eyes peeled yet again for the DPD van :-)

29/05/20

7K - 32:16 - Road - NP34


31/05/20

10K - 46:25 - Road - NP35

Bizarrely I had zero after effects from running a fast 5K in racers. Had half expected my Achilles to seize up but no, fresh as a daisy the morning after which made a welcome change.

Anyway, two solid runs ran at faster than my default Lockdown pace followed by the pleasure of a lengthy cooldown in the paddling pool.

05/06/20

10K - 49:20 - Road - NP34

A slow run to end a slow week, had vaguely planned to do 12K but the wind was very gusty when I was out so decided to cut my losses and stick to 10K which no longer feels like a long run :rolleyes:


06/06/20

Intervals - 8 x 800m - Road - NP35

Happy enough with this workout, the average was somewhere around 3:18 I’d say. Didn’t feel under pressure at any point apart from a tricky 200m stretch in the first interval where I had to outrun a combine harvester

It was a narrow country road so nowhere for me to go other than forward as quickly as possible til I got to a point where I could get off the road.

Anyway, all good besides - could do with an event to plan for though!

As I was heading out last night for my tempo run with trusty NB880's in hand it dawned on me that the shoes were absolutely knackered...will reluctantly have to bin them I think...they've done a lot of heavy lifting over the last couple of years but time to say adios.

Shoe Roster Update
- Asics Flux - 90% worn....another good workhorse shoe edging it's way towards the bin.

- Saucony Kinvara - 60% worn...bought these on a whim years ago but find a hard run generally ends with my calves turning to concrete. Have worn them on treadmills and dry cross country but not in a while

- Asics DS Trainer 17...85% worn...bought these at the London Marathon expo in 2012 and mainly used them for races and speed work. A great shoe & still not in too bad shape all things considered

- Asics DS Trainer 21...75% worn...another race/speed shoe, have to admit I never really liked them despite a couple of PB's. Much more rigid that the other ones and marked the beginning of the end for me with Asics.

- NB 880 - RIP after a couple of years great service; the shoe equivalent of James Milner for me

- NB 1400 - 20%....a racing shoe that I've done very little racing in tbh but hopefully that will change next year

- Pegasus 34 - 80% worn...wore these a good bit for DCM mileage last year

- Pegasus 35 - 40% worn...ran the marathon in these and have gradually become my regular runner in the last few weeks.

- Pegasus 36 (Cherry red) - in a box under the bed...will be unveiling them soon

- Pegasus 36 (Black) - in a box under the bed also got these last week for €59 so will be a while before they see tarmac

14/06/20

12K - 56:27 - Road - NP35

A comfortable and solid "long" run... probably had more in the tank today but no point in rushing at this stage.

Might try a few at this distance before progressing up to 10 miles

19/06/2020

Intervals 8 x 800m - Road - NP35

Was feeling a bit dozy yet again at the end of the week and was going to give running a miss but dragged myself out around 9pm.

Felt a bit leggy for the first one (3:30) but settled into a solid pace after that, ran the majority of them at 3:15 and a couple down around 3:05 without having to push too hard.

An unexpectedly good workout tbh, may take a gentle spin out today if I get a chance

25/06/20

12K - 55:29 - Road - NP36

So another involuntary break from running :-(

Presumably another thyroid flare up....tired, groggy, achey etc.

Then bingo, today grand again for no apparent reason

Anyhoo, decided to bust out my “new” Pegasus 36....a dayglo cherry red pair I picked up on sale last autumn in a sale.

They feel more like a racing shoe tbh than the traditional Pegasus workhorse feel....would be perfect for 10 miles or half marathon I reckon.

Flew along comfortably enough and knocked over a minute off recent time over the same distance

29/06/20

7.25K - 34:33 - Road - AF

Felt like shyte all weekend so didn't get out - getting pretty frustrated now with the symptoms flaring up and down so frequently

If stopping running would help I'd stop right now but all the advice I'm getting is to keep fit, exercising etc. so I'll keep plugging away.

This run was total meh - not that enjoyable on any level but felt good to get out I suppose.


01/07/20

8K - 38:31 - Road - NP35

Woke up early so popped on the gear and headed out this morning pre-breakfast. Don't normally run in the mornings ever really so nice to change things up a bit.

Still not exactly feeling tippity-top but this was an improvement on Monday's grim grind.

Could possibly have gone out to 10K but didn't feel there was much point to it tbh.

Anyway, ordered a pair of NB 1080's yesterday so at least if my running goes to sh1t I can't blame my gear They were less than half price on SportsPursuit yesterday so too good to turn down...have been after them for a while so it wasn't just a random buy.

05/07/20

12K - 56:57 - Road - NP35

Completely underestimated the wind earlier on...got on grand though in the swirling and blustery conditions.

Not a lot to report tbh....no major niggles at the moment

So nearly a month since last update....says it all really :-(

Had about 2 weeks with no running at all (a combo of work being busy, house renovation and the usual feeling like shyte) but have been plodding along as much as I can.

Did a few runs on holidays last week in Mayo/Sligo on various different beaches, trails and off road surfaces which was a nice change.

Anyway, I think I'll suspend this thrilling log for a while until something approaching normality is restored. There's enough crap on the internet already without me whinging and moaning about feeling tired and grinding out 50 min 10K runs two or three times a week.

Over and out for now....

Aaaaaaandddddd I'm back

Glad to see the back of 2020 like most of the planet I guess.

Covid aside....it was a total sh1tshow for me....as long time readers might recall I spent most of the year suffering from severe migraines/headaches/bodyaches so not being able to run was the least of my concerns tbh. Ended up being off work for a long time and even playing and spending time with the kids was challenging.

Anyway, I'll keep this short but basically....

Back in August/Sept my symptoms got a lot worse and I was spending most of the time mooching around the house in a reasonable amount of pain. Went to GP and got a tentative diagnosis of fibromyalgia. A totally sh1tty thing to be diagnosed with but I was kinda relieved in a way as at least it was something to work with.

Was waiting to see a rheumatologist to confirm/investigate the diagnosis when another GP in the practice I go to contacted me and said for me to go and see and allergy/fatigue specialist guy in the Galway Clinic. I was sceptical but had nothing to lose so went to see him - he did a few basic allergy tests and nothing major showed up and then started asking me about my diet.

He suggested I go on an elimination diet to see if there was anything going on.....I remember driving home feeling extremely p1ssed off and annoyed at a wasted journey and another couple of hundred quid down the toilet.

The elimination diet was very strict (basically nothing out of a jar/packet; brown rice, rice cakes, peanut butter, fruit, veg and chicken formed the majority of my meals) BUT....

after 3 or 4 days the headache that had plagued me for 12 months vanished :eek::eek::eek::eek:

My energy levels returned pretty quickly and I was back walking and cycling within a week. Started back running very tentatively but was feeling really well for the first time in ages.

I lost a lot of weight very quickly as well (went from 80kg to 75kg in 3-4 weeks). Unbelievably I was now able to run consistently on consecutive day as well which is something I've found to be a huge challenge over the years.

So tldr - following weeks of testing and reintroducing foods it seems that I had developed a severe intolerance to both wheat and dairy which apparently led to the symptoms I was plagued with all last year.

Have been consistently running 50K-60K a week for a while now (normally do 3/4 days on, rest, repeat)....done a couple of 20K+ efforts as well no hassle so whenever racing returns I should be in good shape. My weight has stabilised now as well so back at ~76-77kg.

I've been doing a few TT's as well to keep the interest up - my 5K time is down to 19:20 from a few weeks ago (Race PB is 18:39). I had a bit of a cold over the Xmas so took a break from running, easing back into it again now....ran 19:30 on Saturday so not a bad marker all things considered. I would be confident of getting down to sub 19 in the not too distant future.

Done a couple of 10K TT's also - the best time so far is 42:00 (which may well be my PB for that particular route...it's really hilly so don't recall ever going faster on it tbh)

Anyway, roll on 2021 and hopefully there might be some races on later in the year.

I'll probably update here every Monday I think with a weekly report

ariana` wrote: »

Gosh that is mental. I'm glad to hear you're on the mend and hope it continues for you.

I hope you don't mind the hijack but do you mind me asking the name of the consultant you went to in the Galway Clinic? I've very interested in food intolerances but it's seems a bit of an unknown quantity with my GP. I have an 8yr old who has awful eczema and is on a prescription to manage on-going issues with constipation. The same child also had severe reflux as a baby. I personally feel there has to be a dietary connection between all 3 conditions but both the GP & Paediatrician seem more interested in treating the symptoms rather than find the cause

Best of luck for 2021

No worries.

He's called Dr. Joe FitzGibbon (http://www.joefitzgibbon.ie/)....I'd recommend based on my personal experience so deffo worth having a chat with your GP and getting a referral.

And if you do go...one thing to note....they tell you in advance that the consultations are not covered by medical insurance but I was able to claim all of mine with VHI.

Good luck!

Week Beginning: 04/01/2021

Number of Runs: 2

Total Distance: 26 km

So after all the fanfare of my blog returning, last week turned out to be a bit of a damp squib due to a combination of factors very much beyond my control - the weather being the chief offender and homeschooling chipping in as well.

Got out for 10K on Tuesday - set off at a mid pace and felt good after the first couple of km so decided to change gears a bit and do the rest as a mini TT. Ended up doing a not too shabby 42:53.

The rest of the week was a write off tbh - as long term readers (:pac:) will know I had a nasty fall doing intervals a couple of years ago which has spooked me somewhat in terms of running in slippy conditions. The home gym is going well though I think - a pull up bar arrived last week so will add a bit more variation to my workouts.

Finally got out yesterday morning for a gentle 10 miler (78:04).

Probably going to be fairly limited again this week I think and it'll be that way I think until the kids go back to school Lunchtime workouts are my only viable option really right now but I'll have to consider morning runs I guess if this thing drags on for too long

Week Beginning: 18/01/2021

Number of Runs: 4

Total Distance: 33.8km

Couldn’t get going at all this week - had a mild flare up of symptoms earlier in the week (headache, feeling meh etc).

Was debating whether to take a few days off altogether but said fuppit and headed out for a 10K TT on Tuesday to blow the cobwebs off....and unexpectedly ran a lifetime PB (41:20) for my regular local hilly loop :pac::pac:

The time itself isn’t hectic on paper but to give it some context...the previous best time was from my supposed peak back in March 2012, a few weeks after running 63 mins in Dungarvan, a few weeks before detonating in London and a couple of months before I went sub 40 for 10K for the first time in a couple of races.

I guess I could spend a lot of time trying to analyse the reasons for the improvement but I suspect it’s probably multi-factorial and largely irrelevant at this stage

Anyway, that was the obvious highlight of the week...the other runs were firmly in the headspace category. Had mentally pencilled in a long run today but didn’t fancy running in the ice and wasn’t really in the form for it tbh. Got out for a quick 8K this evening as the sun was setting and nearly fell on my arse on black ice twice.

More of the same this week most likely....morning runs might still be just out of scope but not long to wait now hopefully.

Weight has stabilised now around 76kg which is grand. S&C ticking along as well...making progress with the pull up bar. Not looking to bulk up really but some strength and tone wouldn’t go amiss.

Week Beginning: 01/02/2021

Number of Runs: 4

Total Distance: 41.0km

Another ok-ish week I guess…..still struggling with the whole homeschool-working from home shenanigans but plenty out there a lot worse off at the moment so just need to keep ploughing on and hope this fupping thing ends sometime soon.

Not a bad week running wise – starting to fall in love with my new Hill Repeats session….both times I’ve done it now the weather has been absolutely brutal. 15 x 200m of a hill so with warm up and cool down it equates to ~8K of a session.

The other midweek runs were morning efforts (lunch runs now fully parked until the kids go back to school) – I find I’m very sluggish for a mile or two at the start, not sure if there’s a workaround really (?) but not a big deal either way.

Tried a 10K Time Trial on Friday morning – took a while to get going and even then I didn’t hit full steam but was reasonably happy with 43:11.

Was busy and knackered on Saturday, and just knackered yesterday….was out on the bike with the kids in the morning and came back freezing. Had mentally written off a run while putting the bikes into the shed but by the time I got into the house I was ready for off :-)

Ended up doing a very challenging and satisfying 14.5K – was going to tag on another couple of km but figured there’s no point overdoing it atm.

Not a lot to update otherwise tbh – might bust out a shiny new pair of Pegasus 36 (or 37) that I have stashed in the attic. The Peg 35’s are veering down the road of walking shoes now so time to refresh the herd.

Have been keeping an eye on the Nike website as well – have some vouchers (and upcoming birthday discount) so thinking of dipping my toes in the carbon plate market for the first time and see what all the fuss is about

Very easy update this week :-(

Was feeling better earlier on in the week and had mentally pencilled in a return to running on Thursday but alas my left kidney and a stone therein had vastly different plans.

Woke up in the horrors yesterday morning, muddled through the day somehow hoping it might pass but had to give in today and went to A&E. On a trolley now, doped up to the eyeballs and probably having a procedure in the morning.

Getting pretty pissed off with these random bouts of random illnesses I have to say

ReeReeG wrote: »

Oh man that sounds rough. Fingers crossed you get it sorted.

Cheers.... hopefully will get it zapped and removed today but will be out of action for a while either way.

The only consolation I can think of is that I won't be missing out on any races :-)

Week Beginning: 15/03/2021

Number of Runs: 4

Total Distance: 39.9 km

A much better week on the running front - the mini stretch in the evening makes a big difference.

Did a nicely paced (75 mins) 10 miler on Paddy's Day in a 'new' pair of Pegasus 36 that have been lurking in the attic for a while.

The other runs were solid and unspectacular - was busy with the kids most of the weekends but popped out for my first 5K TT in a few weeks yesterday....had no real expectation/goal but happy enough with 19:48. I had got down to 19:08 a few weeks ago so will hopefully be back at that level fairly soon.

Not a lot going on besides - the kidney stone is still rattling around...feels like a timebomb but trying to plough on as best I can in the meantime.

No major targets for this week - regular and consistent running would be welcome now with the odd hill repeats or speed session thrown in