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