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.

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

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.

Stress and Recovery

Don't Break it

I had originally planned to Race the Marathon in Charleville next Sunday October 12th with a good block of training laid out for September but I correctly choose to let me body recover from the 3 consecutive Marathons in August as well as the half baked race in Doonbeg. So the last 3 weeks there has be no hard or long runs done with the exception of pacing the Half Marathon in both Charleville and The Human Race in Limerick. Outside of this I have just 4-5 Mile recovery runs with some stretching and foam rolling thrown in. This has brought my legs back to life so last Wednesday night I decided to do a short interval session 16 * 200m @ 1 Mile Pace with 200m jog recovery. I was worried at how the legs may hold up to this or more particularly the lungs as speed sessions normally entail me needing a brown paper bag. Well the session went extremely well I hit 44 seconds per 200 no problem and I even managed to tack on an extra 4 * 200m which came in under 44 seconds with the last one @ 41. This just shows that recovery is probably the most overlooked session in any training plan and I feel that I am ready to tackle some 5K workouts with a view to racing all the Clare Athletics Winter 5K/4 mile series.  I will tack on another 3-4 Marathons before the year end but these will be spread apart by 3-4 weeks and done at a very easy pace.

The World Jog

I have been following Tony Mangan’s World jog on and off since he started it in October 2010 and on Thursday evening I had the pleasure of running 0.0002% (10K) of his 50,000K journey. I ran out to Crusheen after work and met up with him. Really enjoyed the run in to Ennis and we where soon joined by Keith Wythe as well. So here I was in the company of two of Irelands Ultra Running legends sharing thoughts, jokes and memories. You could not have asked for any better company on an evenings run. On Friday I accompanied Tony to the outskirts of Ennis on a wet morning until we meet up with some runners from Newmarket-on-Fergus and I bid farewell to him as he travelled closer to the finish of his journey in Dublin on the Bank Holiday Monday Marathon. If any runners want to run with him please contact Siobhan Clifford on siobhan.theworldjog@gmail.com and details of his run are on his blog.

The Softy

Trial and Error

So two of my personal best are on the soft side, 10K and half Marathon times. I had planned to tackle the 10K in early July but herself indoors was in Hospital for a week, when like a revolving door she came home and Lorraine went in. Not much serious training done in prep for the new target race Kilmurry Harvest Festival 10K. I ran this before and had a complete disaster of a race. So Monday before the race I decided to do 6 * 1 Mile 10K paced reps just to see what my current pace might be. My 5K time gives me somewhere between 6:40/6:50 per mile pace. So off I set first Mile was 6:30 and felt pretty okay (famous last words) well we all know what happens in reps when you do the first few too hard. They go backwards pretty quickly (6:40, 6:45, 6:55, 6:58, 7:04). I thought I was going to die on the fourth one and very nearly pulled the plug but had some harsh words with myself, you plonker Rodney you went out too fast.

Rodney Part Two

Race day, as usual we get a warm sunny evening for the race. I don't do running in the heat, I just boil over. I decide to try and get 42:30 which is 8:30 per Two Kilometres. Usual 2 mile warm-up with some strides too wake the legs up. Pretty soon we where off. Small crowd so the greyhounds flew ahead leaving me in their wake. I was conscious of not going out to quick, and tried to keep the speed down on the watch, problem it was either too quick or too slow so I was all all over the place. I couldn't get into a rhythm at all. We passed the finish shortly after the 1 K mark and the pace lifted again but it got pulled back pretty quickly with the first of 3 climbs out of Kilmurry. This section is net Downhill but has 4 stiff climbs in it. Passed 2K mark and my time was 8:57 !!. Way too slow and at this rate I would not even get near my PB of 43:56. Still my pace was all over the shop and now my mouth was as dry as the Sahara. Passed 4K with a bad  split 17:52 at which point came the first Water station, I stopped and took a good drink of water. Two runners passed me and where both ahead by 35 to 50m when I started up again. I spent the rest of the race following them but at least I had now managed to find a pretty even tempo. Passed halfway 22:03 which was a big improvement but it didn't register with me at the time. I had at this point pretty much given up on a PB as once we hit 6K its a nice drag to 9K before it flattens out. Spent the rest of the race  just trying to catch the two runners in front of me. It wasn't until I casually glanced at the watch at 9K that I realised I had got quicker 39:04 meant any decent last kilometre would at least unsoften my PB. Dug in for the rest of the race still trying too catch the two in front but they where not coming back to me. Finished with a new PB of 43:21. As per usual I consumed more calories the I burnt in the after race picnic.

Conclusion

Any time you get a new PB it should be a good race but I ran a stinker. Even with no specific 10K work done I should have got under 43 minutes. I didn’t really get to the pace of the race until after halfway which pretty much cost me the time. It is ironic I ran the second half faster then the first, when the second half is net elevation gain and the first 5K was downhill. There will be another day out to try and rectify this in September, but with 3 marathons pencilled in over the next few weeks I may not really be in true 10K shape but hopefully I might give a better account of myself.

Have a Kit Kat

A back to front race

Since the 5K race running has been very shall we saw like a chore. The week after every run just seemed like work. On the Tuesday I did a 8 mile tempo out to the crab tree and back, even though I did it in just over an hour it just felt too much like work. A couple of easy runs after and I felt no better. So here I was at the start of the Clare Burren Marathon not really in the form for running and to add to it my bowel was not in good shape. Was contemplating a DNS but decided to run the first few miles easy and see how I got on. From the off I was going backwards with people passing me. After a mile I look at the watch only to realise I had switched my watch the other night to KM’s to get an idea of the distance the C25K runners where doing in their 28 minute run and had not switched it back. No worries I may not get to the finish anyway and if I do I wont want to see the time. Shortly I heard the news that Jerry Forde had a minor stroke and was in Hospital, this kind of made me HTFU and vowed to finish the race. I ran a few miles with Jim McNeice and we had a nice chat but the sight of the first portoloo I decided to try and sort the bowel out. After 5 minutes I had finally evacuated the problem, I hope that they provided some sort of clean suit to anyone who entered after me. At this point I was 39 minutes for a little over 3 miles. I now felt a lot better and spent the next part of the race passing runners.

Goat Mountain am not I

The terrain of this race is a mix of well everything. So where the underfoot conditions allowed I ran pretty close to Marathon Pace and eased up on the sections that required you to watch your footing. I had done the half in much worse conditions 5 years ago but the full is a lot easier even with the nasty climb for mile 12. I was now really enjoying the race at this point and was starting to cut down on the time. The run down into Fanore say me pass several runners but the beach section into the wind was tough going and two of these passed me again. I was flying on the road section but the off road I was like twinkle toes trying to find a safe spot to but my foot. Mile 19 to 22 is very difficult terrain and this really tests you. I caught both runners here but was passed by John, who I tried to stay with. The final off road section was a very fast downhill section through a field. Difficulty here was avoiding the cow pat’s as placing your foot in one would not be nice.

The run in

Once back on the road I noted that a sub Four could be possible, but trying to calculate my pace in KM’s was proving beyond me. As John was ahead of me by 20-30 meters so the first task was to try and catch him. It didn't happen as he was going vey well, all I could do was to hold the gap until Mile 25 when with the watch reading 3:52:20 I knew sub 4 wasn't going to happen so I eased up and ran the last mile in the company of Pat Creegan. He tipped on the last 400m but I went meh and finished in 4:01:37. Considering where I was for the first few miles the second half of the race proved I can still string together a lot of Marathon Paced miles.

The Aftermath

Recovery run Tuesday 4 miles crap, ditto Wednesday. Thursday evening myself and Paul double checked the 10K course for the race. We ran it like a progression run, first 5K in 26 minutes second in sub 22. One mile (downhill) was ran in sub 6 pace. A good tough workout but still not giving me any buzz. Decided that once I had 10K paced on Friday night I would take a week or two off and do a few handy runs in Portugal while on Holidays in June. I had planned to run a marathon in Lisbon while on Holidays but I think I will let it slide given how I fell and the fact that every time I have mentioned it to herself indoors I get that look. I even suggested a days shopping in Lisbon and I still got that look.

Need for Speed

Its a bit short

Nothing to do with the measurement of the course but several comments from runners surprised to see me lining out at the start of a 5K race. After a 2 mile warm-up with some strides thrown in for good measure just to bring the legs up to speed I was lined up pretty much near the start to get a clean get away. Pretty soon we are off, the undulating nature of the course pretty much summed up an over reliance on a watch to pace oneself. I went out too quick realised it on one of the sharp climbs at about the 1K, then eased off too much when Siobhan from Ennis Track breezed past me. As she is in and about 20 Min 5K runner I had to latch on to her coat tails by picking up the pace again. The climb up to 2K say me drop maybe 5-10 seconds of her but on the downhill section I was catching her back. We hit the flat at 3K where my breathing was pretty much in hyperventilation mode as she began opening a gap here, then I could hear the footsteps of another runner catching me fast he passed me at 3.5K, I dug in and latched on and hung on for dear life for the next 1K before he finally dropped me. With only 500M to go and only that hill to negotiate I just kept the head down and pushed through as best I could. Crested the hill with the finish in sight Siobhan had just crossed and I could make out 19 on the clock. I put the hammer down but several seconds later it turned to 20, I kept the hammer down to fall gracefully over the line clock at 20:15 20:23 (see comment). In reflection I don't think I could have gone any faster today. Positives to be taken from this race where the only two runners to pass me after 1K only beat me by less the 15 seconds so I didn't fade too much in the later stages. Chopping 60 seconds off your PB in six months without speed work shows that there is potential for even greater improvements.

What can you expect

You cannot expect results without putting in the work. Since Seville I have ran very little miles @ 5K pace or faster. Actually it has been none existent. Tonight my legs never gave me any cause for concern, its just I could not get enough O₂ into them. In hindsight the aerobic base is there in my legs big time I just need to start putting it to good use. I should break 20 for 5K and possible get a sub 40 for 10K, times that where dreams 2 years ago but there is some work to be done to get there.

Adjusting Focus slightly

While my main ambition since getting my Boston Qualifier is to run 50 Marathons before My 50th Birthday, I now have got the racing bug so I should be able to mix in some shorter/harder races if I am wise with my training. I will leave this off until my return from a long earned break (got none last year with exams and unwell wife) in the Algarve in Mid June.

99 Red Balloons

Following them Balloons

May Bank Holiday again and I will be lining up at the start of the Great Limerick Run (Half Marathon) with balloon or two on my back. Behind me will be a group of people eager to get under whatever time is on that balloon. Saturday will see me at the Expo Number Pick-up manning the pacer stand and answering questions for runners as to what we actually do on the day. What follows should answer most queries but if it does not then call by the stand tomorrow when collecting your number in the UL Arena and make your enquiry.

• What times are been Paced ?
  For the Marathon Sub 5:00,4:30,4:00,3:45,3:30,3:15 & 3:00
  For the Half Marathon Sub 2:15,2:00,1:50,1:40 & 1:30
  Pacers for each group will aim to finish in 30 or so seconds under their allocated time.
• What Experience do the pacers have ?
  Pacers are drawn from a group of runners on boards.ie, 100 Marathon Club and various Athletics clubs in the Munster region. The majority have paced other events including Dublin Half and Full Marathons, Cork City Marathon, Dingle and Tralee. There will be some virgin pacers but each band will have an experienced pacer running the show.
• How will I find them ?
  The guys and girls in the special commissioned pacer gear with inflatable running aids attached to them (balloons). The faster times will be nearer to the front.
• Where should I start ?
  Very important. Behind the pacer. As times are nett times we set our watches as we cross the start line. Anyone behind us that finishes with a pacer or ahead of a pacer will be guaranteed their time. The same cannot be said for anyone who starts ahead of us.
• Will the pacers bank time early ?
  No. We will endeavour to run every mile at the same pace but this may vary by 10-15 seconds per mile. We will not run fast early to gain time nor would we advise any runner to do this either. Do not worry about the time or pace thats our job. 
• I can't get near the pacer ?
  Certain times will have large groups of runners. The 4 hour Marathon and the 2 hour Half Marathon group can be very big at the start. You do not need to be sitting on our shoulders for the race, the last thing we need to happen is runners to get tripped up and fall which may lead to a DNF. So give one another some space and just stay in the vicinity of the pacer group.
• What will happen at water stations ?
  We will pick up our water and run  through the aid stations. As there will be a group us do not stop/walk at the aid station as it will impede other runners in the group, pick up your water/gel/drink and move on.

Aftermath

At some time on Monday evening you will have got your target time and while your legs hurt you feel good about yourself. Hopefully we will have played a part in making your run one not to forget.

Recovery - "Love the way you lie"

Recovery Run

"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
But that's alright, because I like the way it hurts"
My alarm ringtone the lovely Rihanna has interrupted my sleep again @ 6:30 A.M. This morning is one of those many recovery runs, the ones that you do after doing 20 miles the day before. Why in gods name would you want to even attempt to run when you are going down the stairs like someone twice your age. Simple it may hurt but I like the way it hurts and afterwards you will have a spring in your step again.
For the last year I have reduced the length of these runs from 5 to 3 miles but added in 20 lengths (25m) of the pool with the emphasis been on my kick rather the time and pull. This has had a very positive effect on recovery of my legs while at the same time reducing the impact from the extra miles.
Now I have never been a morning person but due to herself been out of action recently I have reverted my runs to early morning as its the only time I realistically can get them in. So it was with dread I took to the pool for the first time earlier this month after a 3 mile run in bright frosty conditions. Well I needn't have worried, it was like getting into a Jacuzzi it was that warm. I really enjoyed the swim and the legs felt really invigorated after it. I now really look forward to my early morning recovery runs.

Marathon Paced Run with spice added

Came across this recently on the interweb and decided to give it a blast to see its effect. Basically Run the first 1 minute of the mile at 10K pace and the drop back to Marathon Pace. Rinse and repeat for each mile. I pencilled in 8 miles of this last week but six was more than enough as it felt quite hard even to maintain Marathon Pace for miles five and six. Repeated this again today and while not as hard as last week, the last 2 miles (after the 10K segment) felt like the effort in the 3rd quarter of a marathon without having to run 13 miles before hand. The aim of this is to trick the body into conserving energy at a higher HR when we drop back the pace after the initial burst at the start of each mile. Its hard to gauge if this is having an effect at this early stage but as they say if i doesn't kill you it makes you stronger.

Boston Madness

Like many runners I was shocked and horrified at  the scenes at the finish of this years marathon. This has only heightened our resolve to be at the start next year's race. For this I need a GFA sub 3:25 but I suspect that may not even be enough as last weeks events will ensure that next years race will be over subscribed. With this in mind I will most likely need sub 3:20. Currently my pace would be 3:22 based on my Adare 10K. This was run in ideal conditions so I am sitting on 2 options here. Get the 3:25 first and have a shot @ 3:20 in August/September or just go for it in Portumna.

Club Run

Next week is the clubs annual 10K run. Details can be found here. I will not be running or even pacing this as I am in on a recovery week next week so Hi-vis vest for me and give a hand at the start and finish.

April 1st
          15 Miles  Long Run 13 Miles 1:46:12 @ 8:11 pace,  HR 154 with 1 Mile WU/WD

April 4th
          10 Miles Tempo 8 Miles 1:00:15, @ 7:32 pace, HR 157 with 1 Mile WU/WD

April 7th
           6.2 Miles 5*1000M off 400M Recovery @ 4:04 pace (4:01 to 4:05) with 1 Mile WU/WD

April 10th
          18 Miles Long run 2:42:51 @  9:02 pace, HR 139 (last mile @ 7:40 pace)

April 13th
          12 Miles,Tempo 10 miles 1:19:18 @ 7:56 pace, HR Malfunction with 1 Mile WU/WD

April 17th
          8 Miles Tempo 6 miles 45:10 @ 7:33 (10K pace + PMP) with 1 Mile WUWD

April 20th
          20 Mile Long run 2:53:05 @  8:36 pace, HR Malfunction (2 * 3 Mile PMP included)

April 23rd
          8 Miles Tempo 6 miles 44:58 @ 7:30 (10K pace + PMP) with 1 Mile WUWD

Under 45 at last

Running on empty

This happened by pure accident but it is one thing I do every so often just to remind myself how the end of a marathon can feel if you get nutrition wrong on the day. It also gives the fat burning system a good workout. I had planned a 15 mile run for Friday night. Plan was big breakfast finish work early @ 4 and have a lunch then start the run 2 hours after that. However herself had said something to me that obviously did not register She was going out to some male stripper show at 8. This meant either abandonment of the run or going straight out on empty. Of course I chose the later option. Glass of water and half a banana stuck the other half in the pocket for emergency purposes, brought 330 ml of water and ditched it at mile 2 to collect later in the run. Run was extremely easy and straight forward for the first 10 miles. Things as expected started to get tough for the next five. I managed to complete the run without having to go for the second half of banana, but  the last mile was really tough to run and is as close as I have ever come to bonking.

Preparation

Switched the focus to tempo runs this week and had in the back of my mind ideas of going for a sub 45 minute 10K in Adare on Sunday. This  is one of the first races in the year and I placed it in the training plan as a tempo run or race. Mondays 5 mile tempo run was done at 7:30 pace and it left me wondering whether I was even near that shape and I was contemplating maybe not running Adare on Sunday. Thursday was a trip to the bridge for another tempo run with the club. Rushing that morning meant I forget essential bits of clothing such as skins, gloves and warm woolly hat. There was as per usual a bit of extreme elements to deal with and tonight it was a southerly breeze that would cut you in three. Then to top it off coach informs us its 5 * 1 mile loops of the town, the loop that goes up that hill, at least tonight there was only 5 to navigate. Had planned to do these easier then Monday but for some reason 7:30 pace felt easy. After 4 miles I decided to see what I could do at what felt like 10K pace. Result was mile 5 in 6:55. Anyway a lot happier with this that I decided to race Adare after all on Sunday and go out @ 7:00 pace and see what happens.

Race Day

Perfect day. For a change running conditions where ideal. Sunny but not warm and not a puff of a breeze. There would be no excuses today for a bad run. Collected my number changed and went for 2 mile slow warm up jog. I noticed that the numbers where going to be big and the start area was not clear of parked cars so congestion was probably going to present problems at the start. I lined up in the 3rd or 4th  row with the faster runners, in an effort to get away as cleanly as possible. There was a five or ten minute wait for the start but it didn't bother me. Once we got going the pace was a bit slower then I was aiming for as there was plenty of people passing me and I was having to pass other slower runners who started ahead of me. I was planning to manually run splits on the watch every 2 KM's. Say the first marker and took no notice to it passed the second and hit the lap button. Looked down 14:09 what ??, it took me 2 seconds to realise the markers where in miles and not km's. This was a bonus as now I was nearly a third through the race and not 2k. Next 2 miles where uphill and passed without incident except avoiding bottles on the road as I skipped passed the water station. Watch split @ 14:05 and well on target. Next two miles where horrible, while it was net downhill I just could not push on here. It hurt and I did not like this place at all. I would push to stay with someone hurt easy back push gain hurt then again wimp out and easy back. This was pretty much how I remember miles 4-6. Watch split for miles 4-6 was 14:16. A quick look at the overall time (brain too addled for sums) was 42:3x (cant remember x.). From here I can hear and see the finish and quickly think 1:30 to there and I would make sub 44. So I push again it hurts, I don't like it but I push through to the finish. As I approached the clock i see 44:54 and I just but the hammer down cross @ 44:58 wrecked and breakfast is on the way up but I manage to hold on to it.

Aftermath

On getting over the line briefly met some club mates turned out Jason Fahy had taken the win. Went for a quick cup of tea and the usual host of sambos and cakes. Had to hit home early so I missed the prize giving where it turned out we took the team title as well. So a good day for B.M.O.H. in Adare. My own performance while I broke sub 45 for the first time and bagged a PB by of over 2 minutes I was a bit disappointed with how I dealt with miles 4 to 6. I am hoping that this was down to lack of races over the last year and I still think there is more improvement there. I have no races penciled in between now and June but I may do some 5K's  a bit nearer June just to get some more speed into the legs.


February 15th
          15 Miles Long run @ 8:47 pace, HR 149

February 18th  
          7.25 Miles 5.25 Miles Tempo 39:41 @ 7:33 pace, HR 160 with 1 Mile WU/WD

February 21st  
          9 Miles 5 Miles Tempo 36:55 @ 7:23 pace, HR 164 with 2 Miles WU/WD

February 24th  
          10K Race 43:56 @ 7:04 pace, HR 174

Puppy Fat

In reverse

Over the last two weeks I noticed that the effort to sustain training paces was on the rise. This I was putting down to the race in Sixmilebridge still been in my legs. Yes there was something in my legs an extra 4 lbs. I stood on the scale at the start of the month only to jump of it in horror and start checking it for damage. It registered 173 lbs. On again with my eyes closed and praying it will be better this time, as we all know it never is. This is not good as trying to maintain ones weight over the festive season is hard enough but having to shed a few pounds is rather daunting.

Racing Weight

A subject I have never really looked at. According to Dr Stillman's guide a long distance male runner of my height averages at 136 lbs. That's a mad figure but his average non active male is 160 lbs really had me baffled. I am a fatty considering the amount of running that I do. Between now and next spring I will aim to get my racing weight down to 156-160 lbs. This should help in getting that Boston Qualification time next year.

Realism

To undertake Marathon training for a 3:20-3:25 marathon it is important to be near that in terms of fitness and speed endurance before starting. Some research suggest that I need to be sub 44 for a 10 Km or sub 1:38 for a half marathon. My aim is Portumna in Mid June so I will run a race in mid January to determine if I am in shape for the training. The upside is that at this point in time I am not that far away. My recent 1:40:47 in Sixmilebridge was in very tough conditions and Friday I ran an 7 Mile Tempo which had a measured 10 Km  in it, which was clocked at 45:45. Times in question are possible but its another matter going out and doing them.

Downtime

Normally I take the month of December off from running to give the body a break as its my busiest time of the year with work and gigging at night. This year however I will train through but work commitments are going to have an effect on the amount and quality of training I get in.


November 30th
         16.8 Miles Long Run 2:30:47 @ 8:58 pace, HR 145 

December 4th  
       11 Miles 9 Miles 1:11:58 @ 7:59 pace, HR 158 with 1 Mile WU/WD

December 7th
         9 Miles 7 Miles 51:45 @ 7:24 pace, HR 163 with 1 Mile WU/WD

3 in 3

I have not gone mad

No I did not go mad and run three back to back marathons over the weekend. I did however run three events whose accumulated mileage did not even make up to the marathon distance. Friday night was Ennis Tracks Family Twilight Run over 5K in the grounds of Lees Road, followed by the Clare 10K Bra Run for Cancer on Saturday Morning in Ennis and finishing up with pacing duties in Charleville for the Half Marathon.

Running in the dark

My young fella runs twice a year, both times in lees road and both in darkness. Whether its Pieta house Darkness to Light or Ennis tracks Twilight run he is geared up for it. So we are off to lees road for his bi annual race. He wanted to improve on his time but of course he has no training done. He took off  too quick and by the 3K mark he was suffering and I know his time is going to be his worst. He suffered through the last 2K for a 28:05, a sore and not happy camper at all. So hopefully he will do some training or even join a club over the winter.

My moobs are not that big

In my search for a pink bra to wear in the Clare 10K Bra Fun Run on Saturday My daughter had hidden every single one of hers on Friday. There was no way in this world was I going to be wearing one of hers around Ennis on Saturday so I had to resort to wearing one of hers indoors instead. Start was at the west county where it looked like some mad hen party had descended on the hotel. Everyone had attired themselves appropriately soon it was down to St Flannan's to the start and we where sent on our merry way. Used this as a tempo run 2K warn up 8K @ 160-165 HR. Most where walking this or where going to be around the hour mark so for a change I could position myself at the front and not impede any other runners. About 10-12 runners hit off in front of me but I kept to the plan of 2K easy. I picked it up after 2K and started to real in each runner until I got to 7K. At this point I passed Brian Haran who was suffering a bit but was the only person who tried to stay with me after I passed him. He stuck with me until 9K but the hill got the better of him. I spoke with his mam afterwards and he had done a 100 mile charity cycle the week before. He is one tough cookie and one to watch for in the future.

As I was in the top three runners I had a Garda escort at the end of the race or maybe he was contemplating picking me up for indecent exposure.A very enjopyable way to spend a Saturday morning and over €5,500 raised for Breast Cancer Research on the day so well done all.

I'm a celebrity get me out of here

Pacing gig in Charleville on Sunday Morning and as I was gigging the night before I struggled with the early start to get to Sixmilebridge for a rondevu with some of the other pacers. Arrived in plenty of time in Charleville got ready, picked up our black balloons, not very smart a color choice especially when one has to write the time on with a black/blue marker. The boss had made up sheets with our names and time bands to attach to the back of our shirts. I may have needed one but my pacing partner Johnny from North Cork A.C. had no need. You see it seems he is a bit of a celebrity in this neck of the woods. During the start and all throughout the race All I could hear was "how's it going johnny ?".

At the start I realised that I had forgotten to calibrate my foot-pod for the slower pace. So I knew that the pace would show faster on the watch then what we where actually doing. So instead of 9:54 per mile I guessed that this would equate to 9:45 on my watch. My guess was wrong as a result we where down about 15 secs after 2 miles so I recalculated it would need to be 9:37 on the watch. We hit that average pace at Mile 5 and we where bang on every mile marker after this. Charleville is an AIMS accredited race so as expected the Mile markers where dead on and for future reference there was 5K splits as well.
We had a 20-30 in our group up until Mile 8 and from there to Mile 11 this had reduced down to 9. We lost 2 more on the run in, a guy cramped and his mate stayed with him. All the remaining lassies got home under the 2:10. Chip time for the day was 2:09:43 so pretty much done what was asked of us.Anyone considering  this race should do it as its flat and if there is no wind a very good PB course.
The only downside of this race is that the standard of baking and size of the spread afterwards  laid on by the North Cork Ladies will mean you will most likely consume more calories post race then where burnt during the race.

7 Day declaration

To Race 

Recovered extremely well from Dingle, that I turned my mind to doing a 3 * 2 mile @ 10K Pace session. Decided to keep the pace as close to 7:15 as possible but easy off if Hammer started to stretch. From the warm up it never felt 100% so was going to abandon ship. Once I upped the pace strangely it seemed to easy up for the first 2 intervals. Only really started to tighten in the last 100/200 m of the second interval. So I went for the third but could not maintain the pace without feeling a tightness in the hammer. Drop the pace but even with the dropped pace it still felt like the toughest of the three. Afterwards I felt okay and was deciding to aim for 45:30 in East Clare 10K in 2 weeks. 

or not to Race

Then I woke up the next morning, right hammer and glutes where as tight as hell. Took 3 days of light running, stretching foam rolling and swim to get any bit of mobility back into them. Even on 8 mile Easy Run on Saturday the still felt tender and sore. Is it really going to be worth the risk of a bad injury just to knock 1 min of a PB ? Also I now have a double gig the evening of the race, so horsing gear and standing for the guts of 6 hours is not what you want post race. I think I will park the sub 45 10K until the spring and just concentrate on building back my strength and mileage over the winter.

Interval	HR	HR%	Time
2 Mile	162	83%	14:31
2 Mile	170	88%	14:34
2 Mile	177	93%	14:38

5 Minute recovery Jog in between.

Kind of Blue

Kilmurry 10K

As I had missed a planned 5K time trial last week, I decided on Thursday evening after a quick chat with Leon that I would give this a bash. Plan was 5K between the three and eight kilometer marks. Got there about 6 and registration was quiet picked up my number and bumped into the fast postman who was registering ahead of me. He had won Saturday in Kilmihil (repeated the feat here as well) but said he was given a good race by Jake o Regan. Meet with some familiar faces from B.M.O.H who where on pacing duties for the day. Made my way to the start and set of with Paul Conway in the 55 Minute group. At 3K mark said my goodbyes and set off. Plan was to run between 6:45 and 7:00 min miles (as the elevation profile suggested downhill) for the first 2K and just try and hold on after that. Yes their was downhills but there where uphills as well which I was not expecting. Through the first K in 4:15 and feeling every bit of it but  was 9:00 through 2K when the alarm bells went off. I had ran 2 mile intervals 10 days previous in similar conditions at a faster pace. Hit 3K and my average pace was just under 8 min miles. Could see the 50 min balloon ahead but just could not get to them. The last 2K I just want to forget, struggled and at the 7K mark threw in the towel and stopped to walk, just wasnt intreasted in pushing it anymore. After 200m of feeling sorry for myself some guy passed me so I picked up with him and we ran to the finish. We managed to pick up the pace for the finish but I didnt push it too hard as I didnt want to tweak the hamstring when nothing was on the line so I pulled back a small bit towards the end.

 I had stopped the watch at 8K for my 5K time and didn't even bother to look at it until afterwards. Disgusted when I saw 25:18 and the HR readings where well below what I have done for previous 5/10K races. It was a case of me wimping out when the going got tough.  

The usual spread of Sandwiches and cake and all sorts afterwards helped to console my bruised ego. Overall its a well orgainised race on a tough  but run-able course. Its a pity the numbers were small but I will return again next year and try to redeem myself.

Normal Service Resumed

After Friday nights no show I ran a 4 mile tempo run @ 8 min mile pace on a hilly loop with 1 mile warm up and warm down this evening. Felt good and strong throughout. Kept pace up the hills and recovered on the downhill sections. If the planned 2 mile and 1 mile intervals on Thursday and a paced 10 mile run on Sunday go as well I will be very happy indeed, and will confine Friday Night to a one off event that I don't want to repeat.