More of the same

So I reached the end of January and more of the same will do nicely thank you very much. Started the month with the view of shedding some weight before considering starting a training cycle for ay kind of a race. Dug out my copy of Matt Fitzgerald's Racing Weight and had a quick reread. One thing that stands out for me in this book is that you cannot train on a restricted diet, so the loss comes through a change in the type of foods one puts in the mouth. While I have not gone totally mad I have made some in roads with a few small changes with regard to my food intake. We where also treated at the time to Dr Eva ranting about one,two, three spoons of sugar. Didn't like the program but the Aussie guy brought home the reality that I should and do know, You cannot out run a bad diet. Result has been a gradual loss of 3 lbs. over the month with runs getting easier as the month progressed with a Marathon in Lilliput been the total polar opposite to Portumna’s slog fest.

Trails, Friends and Sausages

Marathon Number 40 23rd Of January Lilliput Adventure Centre. I wasn't expecting much as most of my long runs in the new year had been a continuation of Portumna. Start out at 9 Min pace and just gradually get slower and slower, like the pace my mood would also do same, go south. This I put down to my recent change in diet, trying not to restricted calories but changing where they came from most likely was the root cause. The results where showing on the scales/waist but runs where tough and miserable. On this today however it was the reverse, started out slowly enough and enjoyed the company with Leslie, Jimmy, Charlotte and later Patrick. Got a shout from Mr Race Director himself Vincent that we where going too slow on the first big lap Patrick stopped for a chart with his better half and I found myself alone and the pace from here gradually picked up on each lap. Ended up clocking a relatively comfortable 3:51 just before the rain came. Really felt strong and good for the whole race and don't you just love days when running is easy and you can pick it up at will. The reward for my exertions was a sausage butty and soup. Okay white bread but you have to breakout every now and then.

This olde house

This olde house enters its 50th year next August and some items are beginning to show signs of wear. Got me my brand new OnePlusTwo phone. A long awaited Birthday treat to myself. It can do everything a smartphone can do. Only issue is it has highlighted my eyesight is not what it used to be. So off to the Specsavers for a pair of yokes that will hopefully allow me to read the screen properly.

One thing after another

Doc finally cleared my proctitis, but as a result my joint bursa are getting inflamed. At the moment both elbows and particular my right knee which of course is causing a pull on my IT. The solution is good old Diefene. This however aggravates the proctitis so at the moment I am awaiting MRI’s and a colonoscopy and on a very reduce mileage. Basically run when I am able and all easy nothing hard. The week before Christmas I stupidly (several units of Alcohol involved) went over badly on My ankle so another missed week of running. Leading up to Christmas my biggest week was 27 miles and two single figure weeks. This has also given rise to a probably rise in my weight. I haven't stood on the scales since before Frankfurt when I was pretty much close to 11st 4lbs my race weight. I have no intention of doing so until the New Year, I have no doubt that the result may not be nice but for now I will enjoy the Festive period and worry about such things in 2016.

Slowest one to Date

Courtesy of Mary Mockett

When all of the above was taken into consideration being at the start in Portumna for the final MCI race of the year was an achievement in itself. I knew I was not in good shape and was nursing the ankle, knee and extra little belly that had appeared out of nowhere. Arrived to be told there was a change in the course which was now going to be longer to ensure correct distance as part of it would be on trails. More like XC conditions so of we set 16 laps of 1.6 Miles, Ray mentioned Km’s but i cant compute those things. Started of with Cezary and Dari at around a 9 minute clip. Even after 2 loops I was starting to feel the pace so I was glad when my bowel rumbled and I said my goodbyes as I headed for the toilets. In contrast to last year where I was the bear in the woods several times, this year I made the White Throne and only had to stop once. Continued on after this comfortably between 9 and 9:30 pace. Meet and ran with loads which always make the miles easier. Even got a hug from Aaron of team Kerr, had to hug all of the team before been released to continue on my way. Eventually got over the line in 4:21:15, nothing spectacular but I loved every minute of it. With over 100 runners on the day all credit must go to Ray, Vincent and Brian with his crew of helpers in the mobile kitchen. Its a pleasure to get a warm drink and a sandwich into you after a marathon.

2015 a year in numbers

So to wrap up the year 2,486.4 miles (4001.4K) ran, 13 Marathons completed, 5 PB’s ran  19:45 (5K) 25:47 (4 Mile) 41:11 (10K) & 3:18:12 (Marathon). I am extremely happy with this even if the last 4 months have been a write off. Next year I hope to complete my 50th Marathon before my 50th Birthday on 4th August

A different perspective

Even before Frankfurt fizzled out to be a non race I was contemplating not running for 6-8 weeks. As usual when I take a different approach to my running I run it by RC. While he is not always right he is seldom wrong so I give his opinion on running matters a lot of respect. He suggested that maybe 6-8 weeks of easy running with no pressure, just get out an enjoy it would be better then none at all. This has proved the case since my return from Germany, no watch, no planned route just go out and run. I must say I am enjoying the freedom of not having to follow a structured plan for a while.

Dizzy

Yes its loppers running loops of Sixmilebridge again. I had decided a long time ago that I would not be running this year. Somehow at a meeting I manage to land the important job of Race Director for the early part of the race as Richie had something on that day. Working the night before meant into bed @ 2 AM for 3 hours of wake up its 2:30 now its 3:15. Finally woke at 5:15 quick coffee and of to the Bridge. While it may seem that Race Director would be a nightmare, it was not. Everyone was assigned their tasks and knew exactly what to do, leaving me to just make sure all the races got off on time and everyone finished safely. That is exactly what happened, everyone had a  good day when you consider what happened in Paris the previous Friday.

Not my Day

Landed early on Friday morning in Frankfurt, a quick 15 minute train from the Airport to the city centre rail station. Making my way to my hotel which involved passing into the metro/lower section of the station. To my surprise the area is where homeless, addicts seem to congregate to get there fix or root through bins. It is also smack bang in the Red Light district so my decision to book here due to its proximity to the start and finish areas could have done with a bit more research. Over the weekend I would have to pass through this area a lot and while it was uneasy I was never bothered in any way. Every modern city has these problems its just a surprise to see it 400 yards from one of the ECB head quarters the Euro Tower or maybe that's the irony of it. Safely got to my hotel but my Room was not available so I dropped of my bag and hit the expo. Much the same as other expos but you had to get Number, goodie bag and t-shirt at there different points. Picked up my Gels and was going to get my Pace Band but the queue was a bit too long so I headed back to the hotel. Chilled out for the day and wandered around to explore the sites and found the location of the cities Irish Bars.

Pretzel Run

Decided to do this and meet Gary and Neil at the start ran a small bit with them but their idea of a slow pace was a bit too quick for me so I let them off. Finished the run but the queue for the free Pretzels and Juice was a bit too much and I was getting cold so I went back to the hotel and vegetated for the day. Wandered out that night and found a Italian. Unfortunately been solo the owner could not justify wasting a table but sent me to the wine bar next door. I was able to order from the same kitchen but a reduced menu. Night before a Marathon simple food is always best so it worked out and at least she was honest enough in her reason for not seating me.

This is your Day

Rose at 6 o clock to get in 1 or 2 miles to loosen the bowel. Ended up doing close to 3 very easy miles to get the desired result. Perfect Conditions today for racing overcast, dry no wind and cool, so everything was lined up nicely, all that had to be done was run 26.2 miles in less the three and a quarter hours. Start area is good, you can use the main hall to shelter from the elements before making your way into your allocated corral. Everyone seemed to be shoved right up to the line with loads of room at the back. As I entered late I went to the back to avoid this. If the 2 pacers groups in this corral where instructed to go halfway up for 3 and at the rear for 3:15 the congestion would not be as bad. Took my first gel and picked up a GPS signal. Still took nearly 2 minutes to cross the line after the gun. As anticipated I would loose time over the first 2-3K which allowed me not to weave left and right or surge. When the gaps appeared I went through them. The warning about the GPS been unpredictable around the city proved correct so it was really not very useful at this point, in the end my watch read 43.4KM. After 3K I got up to pace and hit 5K mark bang on what I had predicted. Up to halfway things where going along nicely. Settled into a good rhythm and hit halfway at 1:38:09 bang on where I wanted to be. Plan was now to pick up the pace slightly after this and again at 30K mark. Things starting to get tough but I was getting through it until I hit 28K mark again still on time but I now had lost any interest in continuing on. I just didn't fancy having to hurt more for the remain 8-9 miles. Stopped took stock, if we were in the city I think I would have dropped out but as it was the furthest point from home, I decided to continue on at a slow jog. When I hit 32K I managed to pick up the pace to 8 min/mile pace and thought I would get in under 3:20. Once I hit 39K mark I realised that this would not happen either and the last 3k where a very slow jog to the finish. Excellent finish indoors with lights/music and pom pom girls. I was still really not in the form to partake with them. Crossed the line 3:21:51 and the only positives were I finished and now have a Boston Qualifying time of over 5 minutes for 2017 if I need it.

Teddy's Bear Picnic

Had arranged to meet the others afterwards for some cans which where in my bag at the drop point. On my way I passed the beer tent but on consuming some I immediately got sick. Same thing happened after Boston so I picked up my bag from the drop point and hit back to the hotel for an hour or two’s kip. Really think that the gels are causing this post marathon stomach issue. Meet up with the other afterwards and everyone else had a good race and nailed their targets. Some celebrator beers and food was had. A lot of food, and local beers in the 12 Apostle's. Also interesting to hear the thoughts of the four sub 2:45 runners at the table and some things to chew the fat on for the future.

Overall I was not disappointed with the run, My head just wasn't there on the day. The only time this has ever happened in a race but the lead up to this race was far from ideal and a work issue which I thought I could park for the weekend probably had a lot to do with this. As regards the race itself, considering the conditions that Dublin has got over the last few years, anyone looking for an Autumn Marathon should consider this instead of Dublin if you are chasing a time. Its just as cost effective as it cost me €350 for Flights and accommodation for 3 nights. Dublin would very nearly cost me as much.

Am I mad

Perpetration for this race has been well lets say horrible. A situation in work over the last week very nearly put paid to the run. I eventually said to hell with this the work issue can wait until my return. This added stress has done me no favours with the bowel issue. Last night I looked up the Frankfurt site not to find where gel/aid stations are but which ones have Porto potties. My bowel movements don't move until I start to run and then its a case of where to go now. Hopefully I can get it emptied before the start on Sunday morning. This may mean doing one or two miles the evening before or on the morning of the race.

Expectations

Looking at the course and weather ideal conditions are going to be available to run a good time. Today I ran my usual cover the watch run with the HR. Run 3 miles @ what I think is MP effort, this has always given me a realistic target. Ran it today a bit too hard time and HR reflected this but on adjusting (Thomas 7sec/2 beats rule) I should fall anywhere between 3:12 and 3:21. Normally I would play it safe and aim for the middle ground and a possible 1 minute improvement on my PB. However I feel that my training or commitment really deserves a sub 3:15. I may not be in that shape but I am going to go for it. If I by any chance I can avoid a Porto Potty over the first half and it doesn't go tits up in the second half due to my lack of race specific work in September I may just get there. Anyone going through taper madness or at a loose end on Sunday Morning (9 AM) tracking is available here and my bib no is 8176

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Twenty Cents

All things considered running Galway Bay Marathon was always going to carry a big risk of flaring my recent knee issue. What the issue was I still don't know but the prescribed Define did the trick however it did aggravate my bowel. I was still mindful of this not getting done but as the course is six loops, two short one miles and four of 6 miles, the furthest I would be from the finish was 3 miles if anything went pear shape. Plan was first loop easy with 3 * 4 mile at Marathon Effort of 1 Mile recovery. Set this up on the watch as I was trying to line up the recovery mile with the start finish area to avail of the Porto potty and half way up the Prom is a public toilet. On the first loop I discovered I would need a 20c coin to enter but luckily the MCI support crew in Vincent was able to provide me with one. Race went to plan and pretty much as expected. Marathon effort was 7:40 pace which is way off where I would like it to be. Also 4 potty stops as expected added 6 minutes to my time on the day 3:51:26. With this in mind I still don't have a target set for Frankfurt yet. Unless the bowel calms down its unlikely that I will get anywhere near a crack at 3:15 regardless of whether my fitness level improves.

The Final Week

Last week was the final week to try and get any sort of sessions in. Planned midweek 10 Mile with 2 * 3 mile off 1 mile recovery went well and I finally hit the 2000 mark during that run.
Saturday was a rest day and a long awaited trip to Amphibian King in Oranmore to get deck out in a new pair of running shoes. Nice flashy pair of Munzio Inspires which on first impressions are very comfortable. May even be the shoe for Frankfurt but again decision to be made next week on this.
Sunday was the last session before the taper, 14 mile with 2 * 4 mile Marathon Efforts of 1 mile recovery. Very hard as it followed the celebration of my Daughter Lorraine's 18th Birthday. Shots and marathon training are definitely not compatible. I got through this in 7:35 pace so at least the fitness is coming back and even the new scud missiles from the doctor are having a positive effect on the bowel. Only one potty stop on this one.
Two weeks of Taper madness started as per usual, everyone at home has some flu/bug and I am getting the usual craps/tightness/niggles everywhere. Wont have it any other way. Frankfurt –12 Days

It is what it is

Current level of fitness or running speed. What is for sure it isn't what it was 6-8 weeks ago. Quite demoralising struggling to do 7:15 pace for 2.5 miles with 0.5 8:30 recovery in between. Third felt like the tail end of a 10K race and HR figures back this up. 6 weeks ago I was knocking out the same session @ 7 Min pace with the HR in the MP to HMP range.Three weeks off didn't help but neither did my diet. A non reduction of calories has added extra 6 lbs. on the frame. It makes a difference alright.

It will be what it will be.

All I can do is get the diet in order and try and maximise my running without flaring up the knee. Still no answer but have a visit to the Doc on Monday for a review. Anti Inflammatory brought it down and no pain or flare up this week so far, however my mileage is not back to 100% yet. Saturday will test as I plan to toe the line at the start of Galway Bay Marathon. Easy first lap, with 13-14 Miles somewhere between 7:45 and 7:15, then jog walk the last few miles. Any sign of knee issue and I will pull up. It is a 4 Loop course so it makes it easier to manage from that respect. As regards what I do in Frankfurt I will make a decision on race day. If I can comfortable go sub 3:15 for the first half then I will have a lash at it otherwise ease back and enjoy is plan B.

Corner Turned

Finally able to get back to running this weekend. Reverted back to the Doctor who accessed the situation. Time for an Anti-Inflammatory. Difenee which comes with a bad rep of side effects notable that it may (and has) aggravated my Bowel. So one thing gets fixed another thing breaks. Going to persist unless my Bowel shows signs of bleeding. Course of tablets for 10 days. The real issue may be what happens when I come off them, will my symptoms return? Hopefully not as I am not a believer in taking tablets just to eliminate symptoms. It may well be just an unusual inflammation from some sort of infection but I am more inclined to think this may be more related to the current age of my joints and the possibility that they are starting to remind me I am not a kid no more.

Frankfurt Target

I feel having lost well over 3 weeks of specific training that my lofty goal of sub 3:10 is gone by the wayside. I am not really going to get any sort of race pace work done or really very little between now and race day. This could turn out to be one hell of a taper. Best case scenario is a crack at sub 3:15 outside of that lining up on the day will do me. Pity as for the first time in my life I got rightfully in to the first Corral.

Still Broken

Still on the bench. Not a mile ran in September and have abandoned this Saturdays planned Marathon in Tulloran. Just finished my 3rd Visit to Leon in Physiozone, needles today on the TFL and Quads. My knee is still swelling up after any length of time standing/walking and even though I have no pain just swelling and a pulling sensation at the IT insertion point under weight. Leon has advised to refer to the Doc tomorrow for an MRI referral or possible NSAID/ Steroid Injection. Its doubtful that it is a Stress Fracture as I would not be able to tolerate the ShockWave Therapy on the Insertion point if it was, of which I have had 3 sessions with minor discomfort in the area.

At this point running a PB in Frankfurt is not likely , best case scenario is that I make the start line and get to jog high 5 my way around the city. I have also planned a marathon in Galway in Three weeks time but I may drop down to the half unless there is a miraculous recovery on the knee between now and then.

Bolt from the blue

Been a while since I updated this but on my 49th Birthday and 20th Wedding Anniversary our extended family was rocked by the tragic and untimely death of Freddie Nightingale. Coming from a family of girls and marrying into the same, all of my Brothers in law are more like brothers to me. For Freddie this was especially true as he too ran multiple marathons so he got why I run. He completed Dublin 2005 4:53:59, Belfast 2006 3:52:13 and finally Dublin 2006 3:36:42. A prankster of the highest order but I can never recall him not greeting me with a smile and a joke which I will always remember him by.

Gone but never forgotten

 

A brief outline of running over the last six weeks.

Holiday Time. – Clonakilty and another Marathon read more

Blowing off Steam – Report on my new 10K PB read more

Trouble ahead – The warning signs that got ignored read more

Something Ventured Nothing gained – Report from the Quinlan Cup in Tullamore read more

Broken – self explanatory read more

Broken

Monday morning I awoke no pain and took one look at my leg. Swollen quite badly from my knee to my ankle. Luckily I had an appointment with Leon but he really could not do much work on the knee with the swelling. He did work on my right TBL using Electro Shockwave Therapy. He said it would be sore but to be honest I found dry needling to be more severe. One thing with this therapy, I was told not to take any sort of anti inflammatory medication and only ice the area if it was really sore. Secondly only exercise allowed this week was Stationary bike 20 minutes or Front crawl Swim. Breaststroke, Rower, Cross trainer or running where a no go. So my first zero mile week in almost three years.

Luckily I had a spare week to play with between the Special Phase and the Race Specific Phase. Somehow I think it may need 10 to 14 days to fully recover. Still okay but anything longer raises the possibility of not having a crack at a marathon PB in Frankfurt.

Someone told me during the week that runners cycle as regards injuries is as follows. Getting Injured, Injured or recovery from an injury. I tend to agree and hopefully I will be back to getting injured again sometime soon.

Something Ventured, Nothing Gained

Even after last weeks half baked efforts at session’s combined with the early week scare with my knee, I still was of the mind-set to go for it in Tullamore. Recent 10K/5K times had me somewhere between 1:30 and 1:31 but in my head I convinced myself that having a bash at 1:30 was a good idea. On Friday night I had an Army reunion Dinner in Portlaoise which wasn't going to help but I kept the celebrations limited. Still didn't get to bed until 2:30 AM and still under the grand illusion that 1:30 was doable.

Murphy's Law

Courtesy of Rory Mooney

What can go wrong will go wrong. This is exactly what happened on Saturday, why because I am an idiot and let my head rule my body. Got to the race with herself in tow, not feeling too bad all things considered. Went for my warm-up, stiff as a plank and right knee just didn't feel good after a mile. Mile back it seemed to loosen out so a couple of legs swings at the start. Unfortunately my coffee did not kick in and had no effect on the rear but hopefully the channel was empty. Briefly meet with Gary beforehand and lined up behind the 1:30 guys. Plan was to go with them into the slight breeze to halfway and hang on for dear life. After the last race debacle I wore the GPS watch this time, but no need, two guys had the pace bang on from the go. They explained they would lose some time for the first few miles due to the drag and wind. Splits reflect this 6:49; 6:57; 6:59. Passing mile 3 I had to finally accept that this delusion ejeit was not in 1:30 shape, as this felt extremely hard for Mile 3-4. Only 2 weeks previous I had held faster easily. Group started to slowly disappear from here to mile 6 7:11; 7:11 & 7:34. At mile 6 coffee had finally started to work , “where's the Toilet I enquired”, “Up the road” Two more **** miles up the road. It was quite warm at this point and I was flagging badly 7:27 & 7:06 on the downhill stretch, Finally got the Toilet in Mile 8-9 (9:20). On the bog I did a quick calculation that I would need to be 1:06 or better at Mile 9  to try and get a PB. Soon I departed and hit mile 9 (1:06:31) I thought even if I ran 1:30 pace to the finish I would not get a PB (wear a pace band, you cant do maths in a race). Decided to put in some MP miles instead so the day would not be a total waste of time. 7:22, 7:22; 7:23 where at a manageable effort. As I hit the last mile a Tullamore Harriers Runner passed me. All the marshals lined along the route where encouraging him to stay ahead of me. Race on, so I pursued him and finally caught and passed him on the track, we then got hit with what I can on describe as a Monsoon. Luckily It was for my last 200m. Crossed the Line in 1:36:17 disgusted with myself. Last mile was 6:52 with 0:48 for the bit at the end.

Aftermath

Herself was suitable impressed with the spread that was put on afterwards and it was good. For the race itself you could not fault it in any way. Also the facilities available at the club are damn impressive. Its just a pity we cant run the National Half Marathon there instead of having to do the Rock n Roll thingy in Dublin. For me drive home and the right knee had stiffened up. A wise decision was made last week to book an appointment with Leon for Monday. Realistically I should have done a DNS when it showed signs of stiffness in the warm up,that would require a runner with a brain. I would suspect very few would have actually done any different so us runners brains go out the window once we pick-up our race numbers.

It just got harder

What a difference a week makes. Before the 10K I was getting through trough sessions and hard workouts. However after completing the 10K last Friday night I felt really fresh so I decided that a 2 hour long run with alternate miles between Marathon Pace and Recovery/Steady pace could be done. Had planned on doing 6 such repeats with 3 miles as per normal combined warm up and cool down. Having done this type of session (post race) before, I again did it on a 3 mile loop so I could bail. After the 4th repeat I could not hold 8 minute pace any longer. With that in mind I pulled the plug and did 2 miles cool down to get home. No point in beating the body up.

Following Wednesday was a 4 * 3K 6:50 pace (HMP) with 1K @ steady 8:00 pace. Done this in the fair green track as normally would mean running the section on the road. Last weeks session just was too hard with traffic. Got to the last repeat but just could not hold the pace from the get go. To be honest the steady Km prior was probably harder then it should have been. Another incomplete session starting to get worried

Next Sunday called for 16-17 miles with 12 at 7:20 pace. Unfortunately I didn't get this done in the morning so with dinner been in My sister in laws house in Lissycasey the route was far from flat and conducive to trying to run at a certain pace.  so I wore the HRM and tried to run by effort rather then pace. Gut feeling is that is not the objective of this type of training. Anyway after 8 tough miles in hills I didn't have the will to continue with another 4 miles and just ran them at an easy pace.

So three half baked session got followed by waking up on Tuesday with my right knee badly swollen and unable to flex it. One bright note was no pain. Took the day off and canned next days session. Rang Leon and set up an appointment for next Monday. By Thursday had totally cleared up so easy runs on Thursday and Friday left me still felling confident of 1:30 in Tullamore on Saturday.

Blowing off Steam

Under the circumstances training was all over the place but still getting down to some degree, all prescribed sessions getting done. Recovery times tough where starting to drop off the required pace. Having read various accounts of this type of training it is more critical to keep an eye on the pace of the recovery as once you cannot hold it you only really are flogging a dead horse. Thus far it had not happened but each session was adding extra accumulated fatigue that I was beginning to question if I need to add extra recovery days/runs into the program.

I had my first race of this part on Friday 11th. Had planned a 10 Miler in Monaghan but was in no mood to drive that far for a tune up type race. Found a local 10K in Shannon so did that instead. I rarely use a GPS watch when racing which allows me to concentrate more on my pace/form. so when I checked the split at the first K of 3:55 I reigned in the pace. Second Km came at 7:50 still too quick, eased off again, passed the 3K with 15:45 on the watch, this felt doable, sub 40 on the cards then I hear some triathletes Garmin beep 16:30, feck course is short. This puts me slower then what I should be so I up the effort again. Up ahead was John Clune from Ennis Track so I concentrate on keeping the gap to him. For the most part I was gradually closing it. All markers had me sub 40, passing the 9K in just under 36 minutes. At this point I am resigned to a short course and John is starting to open up the gap again. I go as hard as I can for the last Km funny enough the course is the right length because I cross the line in 41:11. Spoke with a few afterwards who confirmed that the course was over the 10K on watches but all the markers came up short.

Don't know if easing back in the first 3K made a difference to my race time, but its in line with where I wanted to be. Sub 41 would have been the icing on the cake but a 30 sec PB from spring is good result

Holiday Time

While most people tend to struggle to get runs in over the holiday period, I am the opposite. The time that the Donohue clan don't hit the Algarve means a stay at home vacation. This normally involves at some point me running a marathon. I had managed to convince the clan this year to head for West Cork namely Clonakility and by chance it coincided with the Keith Whyte Ultra. The cat was let out of the bag about four days before hand when one of the offspring came across one of the many Team Hoyt posts on Facebook. Anyway a beautiful day, in a beautiful location surrounded by beautiful people. Marathon number 36 in 3:50 with two miles cool down one pushing a chair.

It was great to see Fozzy win the 100K much deserved and his club mate David had a great race coming back from a close DNF to get second. Loads of Marathon club Members got their medals and the highlight been Leo on his 100th as well as the Cake.

Afterwards while waiting 20 minutes for a plate of chips after the race in the Courtmacsherry Hotel, I noticed Team Hoyt in a side room out of the glare of the media. Dick was changing, feeding and generally looking after Rick. Personally I think Eimear Hurley summed this up correctly when she called him a remarkable Father.

Next phase

I have been loosely following a program form Italian coach Renato Canova. There is really no set program like HH or P&D and most of his online posts on sessions relate to elite runners with not very good English. So looking at various internet resources I have based them against time. A Two hour session for an elite is a Two hour session for me, mileage and paces will vary. My recent 5K time puts me able to at least train at sub 3:10 pace for an Autumn Marathon. Hopefully the gods will shine on me and that will be the result but I won't say no to a sub 3:15 if that's what pans out. So I downloaded an excel spread sheet courtesy  of T_Runner on Boards or whatever he is called now. My aim for the next Six weeks is to do a mix of shorter faster session midweek with the longer slower ones on the weekend. In between will be 5 mile or 4 & 7 Mile recovery days.

First up in Clon on the Wednesday was 7* 1K @ 6:35 pace with 1K recovery @ 8 minute pace. All Recovery intervals in this phase will be ran at 8 minute pace. On paper this looked hard but I nailed it and was really pleased that this was done given the race on Saturday. The following Saturday I did 3 * 5K @ 21:49 with 1K recovery again at 8 minute pace. Horrible wet and windy day but nailed it again. These 2 sessions really gave me confidence about the remaining sessions in the coming weeks. 22:00 was my 5K PB only 3 years ago now I was stringing 3 of them together in a session. Tougher ones to come but I feel I have step up to the plate and will get through them.

Up and Over

Marathon De Escargot’s in Portarlington was the destination for my latest Marathon. Having meet Mark chief bottle washer for the day on the course in Dublin twice, once as a runner and secondly as a DJ I felt it was time to participate in his event. This event’s funds go 100% to charity so I was happy enough to part with the few €’s and once I got an accurately measured course with a bit of grub afterwards was all I was looking for and that's what I got.

Pre Race

Unfortunately this race coincided with Willie week. This normally means gigs in Milltown Malbay into the early hours. This was the case on Friday night got home at 4am so the decision to get the train to this race was a safer option then driving as I could very well fall asleep at the wheel on the return leg. Train from Ennis would get me to the start with 20 minutes to spare. That's if Irish rail play ball. They didn't, I had to change and Vaseline up in the bog of the train, which was a new experience. Train arrived in Portarlington @ 9:15 and even with the short walk to number pickup it was 9:20, ten minutes before the start. This still left enough time to meet with some old friends, Eamon who I had not meet since his Dalmatian Run in November was about to try a Marathon again as well Frank, John, Dipak, Leo and Patrick the Belgium.

Race Time

Soon we set off. Water was in short supply for the first 3 or 4 miles and of course it was the one time I was thirsty. Plenty of water and fruit, jellies etc. after that. Todays race plan was, 4.5 Miles Warm Up followed by 4 sets of 7:10 min pace for 2 miles and 8:00 min pace for 2.5 miles. Race went pretty much to plan expect the third set was into the wind and when we turned out of it, I was expecting a cross/tail wind, but it was still in my face, a bit demoralising but toughed through it. The marshals where great along the way and passing/catching runners makes this type of session easier to do in a race then on ones own. Finished the set and after 1-2 miles easy picked up the pace to roughly 8 minute pace again to finish in 3:36:34. Medal is class acts as a bottle opener as well. T-Shirt was cotton, in fairness the organisers where trying to do something different with this, I would prefer none and give more funds to the charity.

Tea Party

Got my cuppa tea and several (packets) of Custard Creams. The girl doing the tea/food was solo which didn't help things but it turned out there was a valid enough reason for this. Having been involved in organising club races I get what happened. Traffic on the course meant runners safety was far more important then the speed of tea pouring. I still got a good feed so no complaints here. Not a photograph of me to be found must start wearing a pink running gear again.

Travelled home in the company of Club mate Antonio who failed again to go sub 3:30, but as he said he was in a better state afterwards this time. His time will come in Dublin.

Pretty in Pink

Another pacing gig this time at the Viking Waterford Marathon. I was a bit nervous on this one as the distance was not correct on the two previous years of this event. A quick look at the course showed it had changed again and had a very windy twisty start to it. I would be worried if I was the 3:00 pacer but seen as I was 4:15 it was a case of follow those in front. Arrived on Saturday morning a bit frazzled. Parking meters don't take €50 notes and it took me a good 15 minutes to get an open shop to get change. Made my way to the Meeting point in the Tower Hotel to collect my balloons. Also in the bag was a lovely pink singlet with our time all over it. To be fair to the organisers there would be no complaints about the visibility of the pacers.

Jump might as well jump

Down to the start where we had to line up several times for photos. There was loads and we had to jump each time, well at least it was at the start and not a requested for a Dargan jump at the finish. Finally we where on our way myself and Paul for the day along with a small group of warriors. Goal for today was to bring home the balloon for some eager nieces and nephews of my pacing partner.

Different Folks Different Strokes

A couple of lads from Balbriggan, Pat the Belgium from MCI, Paula, Fidelma and several others including some half runners set out at the start. Plenty of banter in the opening half with everyone in good spirits. New requirement for pacers is to shave our legs, the female of the species need something nice to look at while they run. The miles flew by as usual meet with the normal mad people who do this every week along the way. Then there is the first timers worried they wont get there, one such person was Louise. In Tramore she said to us when we get to 18 she would walk, next thing at 20 there she is ahead of us, we catch her at 24 she stays with us before that nasty hill in the last mile finally got her to walk. Look around coming into the track there she is again on our shoulders powering home for the finish.  We crossed the line and the final task of handed over my Balloon was all that was left to do. Jogged back to the hotel to change and hit home pretty much straight away so didn't get to meet any of the usual gang afterwards. Tramore surf drew me back and my legs got some well deserved love and attention

Feeling good or so I thought

The sea water of Tramore did my legs pretty good and I was nearly tempted to go for a loosen out on Sunday. I wisely didn't break my routine. Monday an easy 6 miles and the really felt good. Plan to run Thursdays 5K race looking good. Tuesday night however put doubts in my mind if it was going to happen. 5 * 600 @ 5K pace was a lot harder then it should have been. Wednesday legs felt like I had weights tied on to them. With that in mind I canned the idea of a 5K race on Thursday night, M45 prize is not worth getting injured for, did 3-4 miles easy instead. Nothing easy about it, but a bit better then the previous day.This evening set out at an easy pace but suddenly there was a spring in the step so I did 2 * 2 mile tempo @ 7 minute pace with 1 mile recovery. Delighted to have the legs back again. This week has proved or brought home to me that regardless of the pace running 26 miles, it does have an effect on the body. Thankfully I am wiser to allowing how I feel to dictate my training as apposed to blindly following a laid out training plan. This week was my first under 50 miles in a while but honestly it was probably needed.

Paleo Diet Live longer (my arse)

So the latest greatest diet for runners. All the benefits to be got from running in fat burn mode only. LCHF (Low carb High Fat). I am not one for any of these fad diets but today I inadvertently followed it. The Father in Law is in Hospital and due for some serious surgery as a result the shopping was left up to yours truly again. Guess what I forgot half of it. So today there was not a piece of fruit, cereal or bread to be found in the house. Made an attempt at scrambled milk (eggs) this morning for breakfast. Lunch was whatever tinned fish lay about the press whilst myself and Loraine fought over the last piece of bread. She won.

Fat Burn Running

The damn hardest thing I have ever done. After 6 miles of this evenings 16 mile long run I was suffering as sugar levels where low. The next ten miles where anything but enjoyable in fact several time I contemplated ending it all. I have never been so down or just not enjoying a run in all my life. Struggled all the way to the chipper for pizza and chips after the run.

Conclusion

Today 16 of the hardest most miserable miles I have ever ran because I didn't eat properly

So I don't think I will become a Paleo runner anytime in the future.

A round number

Since I ran a 21:15 timed 5K on the Eddie Murphy loop in November 2013 I have felt that getting the softest time in the boards 10 round numbers thread was doable. There is nothing soft about a sub 20 minute 5K but it is doable regardless of your age or ability. It takes work, discipline and a lot of training. In my case it took 3 marathon cycles or 18 months of thankfully uninterrupted training to get to the position that I found myself in this evening when I toed the line for the first Clare AAI Summer Series 5K. After last weeks Four miler at the required pace I was confident of doing it even on a slightly tougher course, but it still had to be done.

Course

Clare AAI run two separate 5K courses at the Lees Road Complex. One that start and finishes at the main entrance and one that finishes in the grounds of the complex. The later has a nasty hill in the last Km so I was delighted to see the start finish area outside the complex on my way to registration. The First Km is uphill, Second Km undulating with little or no flat, Third KM has a climb a the start and it then drops all the way to the Four Km Marker. The last Km is relatively flat with a small bump 200m before dropping back to the finish. I know the section of road from the start to the 2K very well so plan was settle into 4 Min/K pace and pickup time on the faster section in the second half to the finish.

Race

So much for strategy. Made sure I was right up the front so as not to get caught up in traffic as this was a Gun Time race and hit off with runners/greyhounds streaming by me. Settled in to the pace pretty quickly and split 1K @ 3:57 with an identical split @ 2K. All going to plan. Made the climb after 2K and then tried to pick it up. Nothing for some reason it got extremely hard at this point, 3k split was 4:03 negative thoughts enter the head fight them off and keep going. Even with the downhill section the 4K split was 4:01 fuck its not going to happen tonight. Things seemed to be slipping away and its here that you either kick a race to touch or you get kicked to touch yourself. For the last K I was going to have to dig very deep to get this done. Upped the effort again, suddenly I was catching runners in front. There was a strung out group of about 6-7. Unlike last week when I settled in behind, tonight I pushed on and passed each runner bar 2 in the group. It helped me focus and when the finishing clock was in sight I noted 19:20 on it. Shocked at the ground I made up but finally knew it was in the bag, so much so I kicked on from here and had a battle royal with another runner over the last 50M and just piped him, 19:45 for a 3:48 last KM

Result

So finally able to add my name to that table on boards tonight. Still think there is more in the tank. If I can run 3:48 in the last K, I should be able to run the same time for the proceeding four just need to HTFU. Results also have me as 1st M45 runner but no prize unless I manage that feat for the remaining three races in the series. Might consider it but my training will shifting focusing more on 10 Mile/ Half Marathon work from here on.

Official Results

Single Digits

Races that are in the single digit range ie 5K 4 miles and 5 miles are my focus for the next month or so. I have some very soft and even non existent PBs at these distances. There is a reason for this, I don't race enough of them. There is also a very good reason why I don't, they are damn hard as I discovered again tonight.

Dooneen 4 Miler

So Race 1 was always going to guarantee a PB as I haven't ran one in over two years. Made my way to Mungret this evening a bit apprehensive as a gale had been blowing all day and the direction was going to mean the last mile was into my face. On arrival I registered pretty quickly and set about an out and back on the last mile of the course. The wind/gale had died down somewhat from earlier but there still was a nice breeze on the run back also a drag for the last quarter of a mile which gets steeper until 100 yards before we turn into the finish. Made my way to the start and just had time to say hello to Joe before we where off. Set my watch off on the gun, shortly afterwards while checking it I nearly tripped a female in front of me so I abandoned getting the watch to the correct screen until it thinned out a bit. Was a little congested to start with but it spread out quickly. I was surprised to see Joe pass me as I had expected him to be further up at the start. Coming up to the One mile I glanced at the watch and read 31 something, takes a few seconds to realise that makes no sense. Looked again I had paused the watch after starting. Hit the continue and just concentrated on running. Probably a good thing split the watch at the first mile. Second mile spilt was 6:20, Was going well but it was getting tough. Third mile is net downhill and wind assisted so I was disappointed to see 6:30 on mile 3, briefly picked up the pace again but pretty soon it was unsustainable as we where back into the breeze. A runner ahead provided some shelter but he was going backwards, I took a little bit of a break here before I got the finger out and pressed on. Got going again but breathing was full on and I just concentrated on holding good form and leg turnover. Hit the hill and it all fell asunder and I probably looked like a rag doll, certainly felt that way, rounded the corner and thought the clock was 26:25 which was outside what I was hoping for (25:45) however my eyesight improved as I got closer to see it was in fact 25:xx, put down the hammer to get under 25:45 but too little too late passed (fell) under the clock which to best of my recollection was 25:47 in a heap.

Reflection

Did one mile cool down with Joe on the pitch afterwards. We pretty much both concluded that marathon running is never as hard as this eyeballs out short stuff. The usual cup of tea and all things sweet afterwards. Very happy with the outcome as 25:45 is 20 min 5K pace. In saying that I still have to go out and run it. I really think that tonight I eased up in places so a small bit of HTFU may see a bigger improvement on this. I think to get a good time in this type of race you go out hard, when it gets hard go harder, much easier said then done

Overdue

A little guilty of not writing here in a while. Have been meaning to post but things like work have got in the way. After the initial disappointment in Boston I have now come full circle and realised (with the help of some respected runners) that it was a pretty good showing. Buoyed by this I have now got the bug for racing back big time and have every intention of improving over all distances and ultimately an Autumn Marathon. This will preferably be Frankfurt but work situation may dictate Dublin. Regardless of which one to achieve the times I want I have to put in the work. I am going to take a new approach instead of P&D this time. P&D has got me in fabulous shape aerobically but on the last 2 marathon cycles my leg strength was my downfall. This could be due to tired legs or not enough sessions that are specific to the race itself. The basic outline between now and October will be as follows. Between now and end of June I am doing long slow with some very fast short work. Will attack 4 mile and 5K races in this period. July and August I will up the pace of the long runs and increase the distance of the intervals. A few 10K, 10 Miles races thrown in. At the end of August I hope to race a half fresh and then 6 weeks of mainly Marathon Paced workouts and long runs. A Canova type program but I will have to water down the sessions somewhat to suit my ability.

GPS Accuracy

Since Boston I have paced 2 Marathons @ 4 hour pace Limerick and Killarney National Park. Limerick was a straight  forward pacing job but Killarney required me to dust down my good old foot pod as the race has a good section of it covered in trees. Anyway both races paced to the usual standard even though I did get a slap on the wrist for losing my balloon in Killarney. I had brought my cheap Soleus GPS as a backup to Killarney but was mostly ignoring it as I was sure it would come up short. At the end to my surprise it showed roughly the same distance as Limerick while all the more expensive Garmin's all came up short. As can be seen below both Limerick (left) and Killarney came up roughly the same maybe the Soleus GPS range is a bit more reliably in not losing satellite connection even in wooded areas.

No place like this

Short version. New PB 3:18:12, horrible conditions, great crowd but a course that chewed me up and spat me out.

The Course

No matter what you read or how you train, nothing prepares you for running the Boston Marathon other then actually getting out there and running it. From the first mile the course relentlessly rolls up and down all the way to the finish. With the exception of somewhere between 6 and 8 where you run along the shore of Fisk Pond you are either going up or going down. This constant change in gait/running really takes it out of your legs. Some of the downs are pretty steep, at the start, the run down to the Charles River just before the start of Newton Hills, the descent at Boston College and the run into Cleveland Circle. Another phrase its all downhill to the finish. There are some more nasty little pulls once you pass Boston College so no its not all downhill to the finish. When your legs are trashed they really hurt and it will bring you to a standstill very quickly. Having reviewed my the total assent/descent on my watch yesterday and comparing it with the data that I got on Saturday I quickly saw that the Newton Hills only represents a little over one third of the total assent. As for the descent I don't need to look at a watch as my quads can totally reflect on this.

The Crowd

What can anyone say other then fantastic. I always thought the crowds in Dublin where good but Boston just blew me away. I was told afterwards by others who have ran this race that the crowds where down this year due to the weather conditions. It never felt  that way to me. From the word go they are there on the side of the road and all the way to the finish there is someone to cheer you on. The famous tunnel of noise, this is surreal a mile away you can hear the girls of Wellesley College. It has to be experienced there are no words to describe running that mile of road with 1’00’s of screaming young ones. It was the crowd that got me home in the race, without them I doubt I would have finished in the time I did. The last half mile down Boylston Street as you look down to the finish with Grandstands packed with spectators now that's the way to finish a race, it lifts and carries you over the line.

The Race

This is a very early start I was up at 6 and had a quick breakfast of Instant Oats, banana and peanut butter sandwich. Got ready packed my gear bag and brought my old clothes, hat and gloves for the long wait to Hopkinton. Dropped off the post race change of clothes in Boston Common and pretty soon I was on a yellow School Bus on my way to the start. These buses are designed for school kids, halfway out, both my calves cramped, not the ideal start but once we arrived in Hopkinton they returned to normal. The 2 hour wait for the start was not as bad as I thought, found an nice dry spot sheltered from the wind and sat down. Pretty soon hit the Portoloo (Porto potty as the yanks call them) and off to the start. Lined up but even with waved starts in was very congested. Manageable but I went with the flow kept it easy for the first 5K roughly 24:00. My initial ambitious plan of 3:12/3:13 was never on. The promised headwind/rain later in the race was going to put paid to that so I was now aiming from 3:14:59. After 5K the course opened up and I was able to start bring the pace up. Going very nicely but very hard to get into a running rhythm due to the constant up and down nature of the course. Going through the various towns along the way you have to easy up as its very easy to get caught up with the crowds and pick up the pace. Through 10K and 15K in pretty good shape. Around Mile Nine my quads started to give the first indication that there was trouble ahead. This was worrying as it was going to be a long way home. Manage to snag a kiss at 12, I just could not pass up the opportunity, It isn't every day us auld lads get young ones eager for our attention. Passed halfway on pace 1:37:11 but the legs where not in good shape. The drop on Washington Street to the Charles River confirmed that I was not going to be able to push on the downhill sections later in the race. I flew through the four climbs in Newton but it was the downhill section’s that where causing the most concern. Really could only get to 7:15 pace on the downhill's, any faster and the legs where screaming at me. This pretty much put paid to 3:15 and from the top of Heartbreak Hill to the finish it was pure determination and the crowd that kept me going through the pain. Once we turned Cleveland Corner another dimension was added. The rain coupled with the wind hit us head on from the sea. This made it feel a lot colder then it was and in a singlet I was starting to get quite cold. I was never eyeballs flat out at this point but It is no good having the engine to go when the tyres under the car are flat. Got home in 3:18:12. A new PB and I seriously don't think on the course with the conditions I could have ran any faster. Once I left everything out there it is as much as I could do.

The Aftermath

The one thing that I think the BAA got wrong was they had water and Gatorade stations before the foil blanket station at the finish. As the weather conditions where flagged in advance I think the blanket station should have been first. Maybe this would have lead to congestion at the finish. In saying that the foil blanket was top class I even brought it home with me. Picked up the medal and gear dried off and changed in Boston Common. On the way to meet herself and a few more, the amount of local who congratulate you or thanked you for running is phenomenal. Even had a Transport Police Officer take a selfie with me at Park Street station. Meet up with the crew and had a drink and a bit to eat. The stomach then decided that's it, so I spent 10 minutes in the toilet. I declined offers of more yellow wine and returned back to the hotel for a lie down. Meet the gang later when the stomach returned to normal and had no problem in catching up.

Stateside

Finally have arrived in Boston. long flight and was pretty much wrecked but got the expo out of the way. This is the first time herself tagged along at an expo and she was suitable unimpressed by my browsing around looking at running gear and all things related. Well now she knows what it's like I doubt she will come to once again. Number pickup was smooth and got the Boston jacket, colors are not as bad as they looked in print. My bib number for the race will be 11644 if anyone wants to track my progress or lack of during the day.

The Newton Hills

Had planned this as my last easy run before the race. Caught the Worcester line to Wellesley Farms which is half a mile from the very bottom of the course on mile 15.5. I meat a local runner on the train who had his 2011 Boston Number with him. He was on his way to meet friends in Hopkinton and they where going to run the course today. In discussion he told me that each of the four hills had a double climb. On arrival at Welleslsy Farms the station is in the countryside so I had to use basic navigation skills in that the rising sun was the way back to Boston. Soon I was at the bottom of the first climb. The climbs are not long but there is a gotcha, you crest the climb and see a drop and rise again. This occurs on all 4 hills so each one for want of a better word is a double dip hill. Soon I was over heartbreak hill and glad I had made the effort to come out this far for a run. Hopped on the tram at Boston College green line which follows the rest of the course back to the city. Noticed shortly after Boston college their is another bit of a pull. Having ran that section of the course I now have the strategy of attacking the second climb. Initially I was going to attack each hill just before cresting. Conditions today where ideal but Monday we are promised a sea breeze headwind which will make the Conditions cooler. There is rain promised for the second half but that has never end bothered me just hope that the breeze does not become significant. 

Its madness but its my madness

After making the correct decision to run easy in the build up to Boston, how was I going to curtail the urge to run faster. I had come across this article on Heat Adaptation before and figured I would give a go to see a) would it be of benefit and b) definitely would prevent me from running too hard during the taper.
As explained in the article, first layer base layer, second layer non breathable waterproof. This keeps the sweat from been wicked away from the skin. Third layer warm layer and another fourth layer water/wind proof to keep the heat from escaping. These layers are applied to head and legs as well. There is a warning in the article so I wore a heart rate monitor and never let the heart rate go above 80% (160 bpm).
Of course the first time I deck out with my four layers last week we had temperatures of 16/18 degrees. Herself indoors thinks I should be locked up. During the winter I hit out for a run in Shorts and a tee shirt and just as the summer hits I don 4 layers.God knows what all those who encountered me in the evenings on the Drumcliffe Road thought.

That was harder then I thought

I was going to run @ easy pace until HR hit 80% stop and walk/run back. First night the run only got to 1.25 miles before having to stop and walk to bring the heart rate down. Never felt so drained in all my life on the return journey. Got home base layer soaked and steam rising off me and drained. Continued on over the last seven days and yesterdays evening run I managed to do the whole 5 Mile run (2.5 miles out and back) with the HR hovering close to 80% but not getting to it. Still felt drained towards the end but I could handle it better. What I did notice last night was that while there was more sweat on the base layer the was very little salt staining in comparison to the first night. At least this proves that the adaptation has had an effect in reduce the amount of electrolyte I was losing under the conditions. Fortunately the forecast in Boston means I wont experience high temperatures but as they say what doesn't kill will only make you better.

The last session

This is the one that will determine what time I go for on Monday. 2 Miles warm-up, cover the watch and run what feels like Marathon effort(HR was worn to verify its not too hard/easy) for 3 miles. In my last few marathons this has always been a pretty good indicator of where I am at. Conditions for the run this morning are pretty similar to what is expected in Boston on Monday. Perfect conditions if they hold up. Set off felt really fresh 3 miles in 22:19 (7:27) pace. Felt very comfortable overall so much so that the HR reflected this @ 149 average. A little below what I would expect so the target for Monday is definitely sub 3:15 by how much we will see.

Let the madness begin

One more session had to be done before l entered the dreaded taper madness but I have decided to can it. Too be quite honest I am looking forward to it, while my training his been very good the increased mileage has left my legs feeling very heavy. So rather then race my last 10K I opted to run it easy and dropped the day after 17 mile run to a another 5 mile recovery run. I am contemplating running just 5-6 miles easy runs between now and Monday fortnight. The final session will be 7 Miles with 3 at marathon pace the day before I fly out and that's pretty much as much as I will do. Between now and then I am just going to let the legs recover. The plan when I started this was to maybe get close to 3:10 seemed possible but my last two races put me in the 3:15 ballpark. However the current state of my legs would not get me near that or even a PB, so whatever minute aerobic fitness I may loose by only doing recovery runs between now and race day will be negated by having fresh legs under me on the morning of the 20th.

Can Do Better

That's the conclusion I have come to after this evenings 17 mile slow run. Why? Well yesterday I ran a new personal best for Ten Miles in Craughwell. While it was a PB it should/could have been quicker. This session is one of the cornerstones of my marathon race prep stage. Flat out race followed by a long 2½ hour run the day after. In this evenings run I was able to run 2 miles downhill at marathon pace for miles 14 & 15. If I had ran Craughwell yesterday to my ability and not taken the easy options there is no way I would have had Marathon Pace in my legs this evening let alone in the second half of that run.

Another PB

I have discussed the mental aspect of races and normally I am pretty solid in this department, but yesterday was a different story. When my alarm went at 10 o’ Clock on Sunday Morning I was having to work to get out of the bed. I even contemplated no bothering to go but eventually I convinced myself it was better to go. Arrived in Craughwell and very nearly had an incident in the Car Park with a certain boardsie TBL. Luckily I spotted 3 digits in his plate and decided that hitting it would be expensive. We both had a quick chat and went to registration where he was up to his usual antics looking for a small tee shirt. I just wish the girl had the neck to hand him the xs tee shirt he requested. We went our separate ways for warm up my been 2 miles his been two thumbs on the iPhone. Meet again at the start I was going for sub 69:52 (Tom’s PB) and TBL had been told to do nothing faster then 6:30. I didnt have a GPS watch so I slotted in near TBL and on the off I tried to judge my pace of his 6:30. Should have known better, he never does as he is told. Hit the first Mile marker with him sailing away in the distance and me with my mouth open and a 6:25 opening mile. As there was a stiff breeze and I had tuck into a group I tried to stick with them but the pace was too hot. I fell off the back before mile 2 (13:10) and was left to struggle into the wind on my own until the turn around at 4. Hit halfway with 34 dead on the watch. Comfortable but hard. As the undulating hills started to bite into the legs I began to struggle and pretty quickly started to settle for a 35 min second half to get me under 69 minutes. Then it got real tough at 8 and I took the easy option and readjusted my goal to 69:15 you know the rest I never really got into the cave and just finished out the race. Hamstring gave a twinge over the last mile which gave me another excuse to easy off. Finished in 69:33 nett a PB can do better, but that's for another day

Tired

On Tuesday morning doing a recovery run I pretty much realised that my 5 hour excursion in Tralee had taken more out of me then I bargained. As I was racing in Craughwell on Sunday. I reduced my weekly sessions by a third but kept the intensity the same. By Saturday Evening legs felt really fresh and I was looking forward to a good race in the morning.

A Busy Week

From a running point of view I got a lot in last week. From my training side I did my biggest week ever in 75 Miles and not all where easy miles. Tuesday was interval session of 6*1K @ 5K pace off 75% recovery. Aimed for 4:02 for each but the last one my legs where gone ended up been 4:05 even with me pushing it. The next day was a 12 mile run which I sometimes do in lees road. Anyone who runs or has ran in there will know the undulating nature of the trails. Again another very tough session on the legs. This followed with a 2-3 miles with the C25K group that evening. Recovery day on Friday and Saturday started with the inaugural lees road parkrun which I was acting as one of the timekeepers and was followed later that evening by a 8 mile General Aerobic Run. I have started to make this a fartlek in Ballybeg Woods with and one minute get up as fast as I can climb on a slope of over 45°. Overall the session is not hard but the hills add the reminder of what it is like to be flat out without battering the legs to death. Sunday saw me finish the week with the small job of pacing the Tralee Marathon for the 5 hour bus.

parkrun comes to Ennis

I had been asked to have a look at a suitable course for the parkrun in Lee’s road Ennis. The run was to take place as much as possible in the wooded section and we could not use the cross country track as it crossed the entrance road. This would mean the course would be very undulating and no mater what way it went would have some tough short climbs. The finalised course had some reservations regarding the finish area so on Friday Night we changed it to allow it finish and start in a wide area but this meant 2 loops up a very steep hill. On the day we had 130 runners which was very good considering the 2 largest Primary schools had Confirmation that morning. No major issues on the day and I was well impressed by the concept, and hopefully this will go from strength to strength in the future. The course lived up to its billing only one runner under 20 minutes.

In Kerry again

My second year to pace this at 5 hours. Between 50 miles in the legs and only 3 hours sleep on Saturday as I was gigging to say the least I was not fresh. Recently with the C25K group if I don't wear 2 pairs of gloves my hands get numb. Several times when getting ready one of our pacing team tried to relive me of a pair but I was having none of it. The wind factor today would mean I was in for a long cold day. Got to the start and noted numbers where down on last year. My starting group consisted of 5-6 Kerry Crusaders ladies and a few lads willing to take a risk running with them. Soon we where off and moving along nicely. Mile One no marker not to worry, Mile two none again by the time I heard Garmin's beeping around me for the third time there still was no sign of a marker. Final saw the three mile marker but it was way out, now starting to worry as 11:25 pace is not anywhere near a natural pace for me. The fourth Mile marker appeared to be correct but we where now close to a minute up. Group was going along nicely plenty of chat. Got to the turn in Banna a nice section but on the day the wind was now in our face so I gave back the minute hear and in the climb back up to Ardfert. At this point I had noticed my group of Crusaders had got noticeable quieter and over the next 2-3 miles they fell away. Coming out of Ardfert there now was only two left in the group. Paul and Donie, Donie was chatting away but Paul had got noticeably quieter. The pull up to Chruch Hill would see him fall off the back. At this point we had caught a cork native with plenty of support. Even managed to snag me a Cork flag as they passed cheering in the car. The two guys where going well and picked up a bit as we entered Fenit. This left me on my own. From here to Tralee it was a lonesome run with a cold headwind and I was now glad my fellow pacer didn't snag my gloves as at least my hands where warm. Passed Donie at 23 his race was done. He had mentioned several time that he always fades at this point. Again proves if you believe its going to happen you will always be correct. I was at this point the most hated runner on the course. There was maybe 7-8 runners ahead of me dreading my approach, stealing the odd glance behind to see if I was catching them. For some reason all but one stayed ahead. I caught 4 of them but three passed me again on the way into Tralee determined not to let me catch them again. Pretty soon the finish was there and I crossed 4:59:20. The lack of a 26 Mile marker had me in a bit of a panic but Once I saw the finish I knew my pace was okay. Thought I was good snagging myself 2 chocolate Santa’s only to discover later some intrepid young lad got his hands on Ten of them.

Hard Times come again

Getting close to Boston which means the old P&D session of a  prep Race followed by a long slow run. There was plenty to choose from so I decided to have a crack at a very soft 10K PB time of 43:20. My gut on this was I am between 41:30 and 42:30. I chose to go with the Hurley Hoey 10K, having ran this previously and sections of the course on training runs I had a fair idea of what to expect on the day. Race Day was dry but a stiff breeze would be against us on he uphill section between the 2K mark and a little shy of halfway. Did a 2 mile warm up as an out and back of the last mile and lined up very close to the front, as mostly casual runners doing this so I didn’t want to get caught behind them. We got off pretty much on time which was good as I had decided that a base layer would be too much for racing today and went with the hardy runner uniform of just shorts and club singlet. This race is hosted in the grounds of Doora Barefield GAA club so there where plenty of eager young lads who took off ahead of me in the first Km in various GAA club and county shirts. I thought I had paced this right until I read the watch passing the 1 K mark 3:40 shite Sherlock out too fast. Second Km came and 7:30 on the watch (going to pay for this), but once we turned at the Shibeen Pub it was uphill and into a stiff wind. The wind seemed to die down a bit from earlier which was a welcome relief but my pace dropped to 4:30 ish. I knew at 5K we would turn out of the wind so I plugged away until then. Halfway came 20:48 on the watch and from here to the finish was wind assisted. Started to pick off the GAA jerseys one by one all the way towards last Km. Really enjoyed this section of the race, was starting to hurt but the added incentive of passing young bucks was keeping me going strong. One persistent guy just would not let me pass. We passed several runners at this point but every time I went to go by he found more. I was really beginning to hurt so Once the turn to the finish (200m) came I made one more burst but he took off and left me as if I was standing. A look at the finish gantry showed 41:48 (41:46 net) as I passed under. Forgot to stop the watch and congratulated my opponent over the last Km. A new PB or rather a time I should really have set at some point last year.

The Day After

Having done this before I was putting it off ( the torture) for most of Sunday but it was such a lovely afternoon I just could not pass up the opportunity to run in such abnormally pleasant day considering what we have experienced recently. Previously I have done this type of long run session after race in a loop in case I have a need to pull up if something is not right. Halfway through the first loop the legs where feeling very good I decided to do an out and back instead. Best decision every. Run was really invigorating and it only really started to get tough for the last 2 miles where I just eased down the pace and got it done. 16 miles in 2:20 ish on a day like Sunday really more then makes up for all the hard/cold/wet runs over the winter. For a finish I could not figure out why I was putting this off for so long on Sunday.

Step up

Mileage has really come up since I started to concentrate on P&D 55-70 Plan. Even with only 28 Days in February I still managed to equal my largest monthly mileage of 220 Miles. While some runs have been very hard due to fatigue this week saw a pencilled in recovery week. By Friday morning I was really feeling fresh. So much so I decided that the 4 miles Easy/Recovery where not going to serve any purpose other then add miles to a total so I decided not to run but do 40 or so lengths of the local pool instead.

Parkruns

In Two weeks a new Parkrun will start in Lees Road Ennis. A place I know only too well and I was asked to map out some possible routes for the run, and while the final route is not finished I can say its one of those seanic routes with rolling hills. On Saturday I travelled to the nearest Parkrun in Clarisford, Killaloe just to get a flavour of what the event is about. After a quick race brief course description we went to the start and 123 we are off. Trotted along at an easy pace finishing in 25:06, but still managing 1st in my age category. Luckily Curley Cunningham is older then me yet he manage to pass me twice. Overall it does what it says on the tin. A timed run over 5K Distance in a park. While around 75 ran I would expect initially the numbers to be bigger in Ennis. We just need to get enough volunteers for the first few runs. Anyone interested drop an email to john[at]claresportspartnership[dot]ie.

Spring is in the Air

Definitely not. Sundays return to the Marathon distance was a tough one. An encounter that will some day serve me well At the start of lap 3 in UL at about Mile 14 I got hit with what I can only describe as the hail storm from hell. Nasty ice bullets hopping off me. The easy thing to do was turn left into the start finish area and DNF. Did it enter my head no, I luckily had my head in the right place for these sort of conditions. I soldiered on and after struggling for much of the first half. It seemed to galvanise me to a strong finish. Talking with a certain RD from Clonakilty afterwards I would concur with his assessment that racing is 99% in your head. He is right, if your head is in the right place your body will cope with most anything you ask it to do. Sunday’s run ended up been on paper a stroll at 4:05:00 but in fact it was much more then that, it was the manner in which I finished out the run that gave me as much real satisfaction as if I had done a PB. A special word about a guy who never says much but on Sunday delivered some of the best facilities we could ask for. Together with his family we where really well looked after in the form of a stream of never ending tea/coffee and all sorts of confectionary with the added bonus of a nice hot shower afterwards. Derek and Maryse take a bow.

Dogs

Recently I have had a spate of dogs chasing me on runs. This again continued on Thursday Morning, about 3 miles into a 11 mile Run a young German Shepard rocked up beside and frightened the living daylights out of me. For a brief second I was worried but he turned out to be very friendly, we had a little chat. He had no collar or means of identification on him, and came about 100m with be on the run before deciding it was not a good idea to follow me. I rang local dog pound on my return who informed me he had been picked up. I really hope he finds a good home would love to take him but we just don't have the space a dog of this size needs and he clearly doesn't like long distance running.

A Step Up

Dusted off my copy of P&D and started the race prep section for Boston. Since I have been averaging 45-50 miles a week for the last year I have decided to give the 55-70 mile plan a crack. I wont stick exactly to the plan and have to juggle some key runs around to suit my commitment to pace Tralee Marathon. One thing I noticed is that some mileage will be adjusted. There are some Medium Long Runs of 15 miles, that would take me over the 2 hour mark which in my view turns the session into a long run. For these I will run based on time of 1:50 and 1:40 for the shorter runs. Same is true of recovery runs in excess of 6 miles. I will keep recovery runs to 50 minutes for the longer ones and 40 minutes for the shorted runs. This week was hard and this was after a marathon in my legs on the previous Saturday. On Saturday morning I did Long run with 12 miles at Marathon Pace/effort. Location was the nearly five loop of Finn Lake in Ballycar. I have forgotten how beautiful this stretch of road is early of a sunny Saturday morning, I also forgot how bad the road surface is in spots.I cover the watch for these but the combination of a poor road surface and tired legs, this turned out to be a very tough run. Never got into my stride and the last 3 miles really tested me to finish them. The watch and HR showed that I was near enough Marathon effort but the pace was slower then I would hope for. This is the main reason I never try to hit paces in these runs. I would like to think my current Pace would be 7:35 to 7:30 minute miles, but last Saturday that was not in the legs and I think there is no need to force the issue especially as the previous 7 days I had clocked 75 miles my biggest ever 7 day total.

Miles	Time	Average HR	Pace
1-3	0:23:04.9	152	07:41.6
3-6	0:22:52.1	153	07:39.5
6-9	0:23:22.0	154	07:42.1
9-12	0:23:19.0	155	07:43.2

It just got Better

After the disappointment of not improve my 5K PB. I hit the fairgreen in Ennis for one of my favourite sessions on Wednesday. 1200m repeats of 400m @ 10K pace followed by 800m @ Marathon Pace. No rest/recovery between any legs/sets just one straight up run. As I hadn't done this in a while I decided that 8 repeats would be enough. Set the paces based on the 5K time from Saturday (1:43 and 3:46), and cruised through it. Felt really good and strong throughout and the MP sections normally get very tough towards the end where very manageable so much so I threw in and extra 2 repeats to bring it to ten. I was very delighted with the run and the HR data which I looked at afterwards indicated that I could go much faster/harder. Either I had a bad race on Saturday for whatever reason or it really sharpened me up. Either way things are going in the right direction.

Old Friends

Jack Healy and Larry Rigney are two guys I have great respect for and when I saw that Jack was race director for a  Marathon in their native parish it was first on my list for the year. Never been to the centre of the Universe (Ireland) before and had heard that the course was of a slightly undulating nature neither where every going to put me off going. Plan for the day was decided after I overlaid Seville's Training Program and found that I had ran Craughwell in 2013 with the last loop at Marathon Effort. Was going to give this a whirl today. Friday night family DVD night saw me break out and consume some Chocolate and Coke, I was regretting it on the drive to Killeigh with my co pilot Tom. We got there with plenty of time to spare and time to do some running repairs on an ingrown toenail. This had the effect of taking the heat out of my feet so for the first lap they felt quite numb and took that long to warm up. Myself, Paul Hogan and John set out on the first loop. John had tweaked something in his hamstring during the week and it was still giving him jib after 3 miles. He decided to pull up and call it a day as had bigger fish to fry next week in Donadea. Hopefully he makes it to there. Towards the end of the second lap I saw the error of my ways the night before unfold rather quickly. I had surveyed the first lap and unfortunately there was no adequate concealed area for me to take a dump. This meant making it back to the start area to use modern facilities. Past several people here including Tom and George at somewhere south of 6:30 pace. Hooked up with Paul again shortly afterwards and we where joined by Alan and Cezary. Company was good and miles ticked on nicely until I had another visit to you know where at the end of the 4th Loop. This left me on my own as, and I had no intention of catching the guys back up, saving myself for the last lap. Crossed lap 5 and noted the clock was 3:16 and set about going as hard as I could. It was tough but manageable. Stiff breeze and hills where a lot more noticeable when going that bit harder. Finished out the lap strong to get in under 3:50. Did the last loop 4.4 miles in 33:17 just a little outside 7:30 pace. This combined with my good session on Wednesday Night has convinced me to have another crack at a Marathon PB in Boston.

Windy Wednesday

I have switched my training block from 3 Sessions every Ten days to 2 sessions every week. This suits better as I intend to do more races at weekends this makes more sense to me. This means that the other session is mid week on a Wednesday. I am alternating between long tempos and 5K/10K paced interval sessions every second week. Track in Ennis at the Fairgreen is very open and the last 3 nights I have visited it there has been a gale blowing. This makes it very hard to judge what my actual pace is. I would like to believe it is sub 20 Minute for 5K but I have not hit that pace in any of the recent sessions. Last Wednesday was no exception only adding to the fun was hail showers that where hitting you like a machine gun. Those things are seriously sore. I did a shorter session as in 6 * 300 @ 5K 3 times. So of the earlier paces did hit the magic figure but I doubt I could hold this for a full race. I would not need to wait that long to answer the question.

Resolution 5K

Opened the door at 7 AM on Saturday morning to l et the cat out, she promptly changed her mind as quick as I noted not ideal racing conditions. One of those hail showers with a nasty northerly breeze would make life difficult today. Run in Clare the brain child of Jason Moloney is a new race series combining of a new 5K with three other races in Clare. A new Five mile in Quilty, Kilnaboy 10 and Eamon Maloney 10K, this hopefully will increase the numbers in Quilty and Kilnaboy races. Judging by the numbers that ran on Saturday it has got off to a good start. Over 700 people turned up to run this including yours truly. I had C25K group in the morning so was under time pressure to make the start. Had packed a backpack, ready to go when I got home. After a very cold C25K session I got back to Ennis earlier then expected and had time for a quick cup of coffee and banana. Jogged to the start at the gates of Lees road and dropped my bag over the wall.

Race

The start was bedlam. 700 runners on the road and cars still coming both ways. Learnt later the Gardaí refused the request to close the road for any period prior to the start. A lot of first time runners ended up liming up totally in the wrong spot. Soon we where off and suddenly I had to jump over a young lad (9 or 10) who had fallen at the start, luckily he escaped injury but I dare say it wasn't a pleasant experience for him. After that the race was perfect, I soon settled into a group who seemed to be ticking nicely along at my pace and provided some shelter from the cold North Breeze in our faces. Just as we approached 2K mark and the turn off to the main road I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pass Jason under the watchful eye of Gerry Hayes. Probably took a bit out of me as the group dropped me shortly afterwards. Wasn't really bothered as we now had a tailwind and there job was done so things where getting serious now. Held off a bit for the 3K mark, course Downhill/Flat from here, hit the afterburners but only lasted till the turn back to the finish. Was totally gone at this point and with 800M to go, plenty of runners where starting to pass me. Finally saw the finish and decided that no more people where to pass me. Slogged it out with Rita Kierce (2nd Lady) over the last 200M and just held her off. Over the finish side of the road and now regretted my snack of an hour ago as up it came.

Reflection

I ran this again without the worry of a watch and finished with a time of 20:25. Two seconds outside a PB, I was hoping to get closer to 20 and I have to accept that's where I am at the moment. Legs really felt strong throughout, but I just wasn't comfortable once I tried to push on for the last 2K. Maybe some hill sprints/sessions might get me over that hump, or just do more races this year between 5K and 10 Miles.