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.

Better Every Day

Running up that Hill

Had Not been to club training in quite a while so decided I had better show my face. Thursday nights is Interval/Speed workouts so I have decided to do as many sessions as possible between now and Dublin. So where does a club with no track run its 400/800 intervals ? You got it up heartbreak hill. Last week also saw the added benefit of some typical Sixmilebridge Whether  We were treated to a typical torrential downpour. By the time Eddie Murphy comes round I will either be sick to death with it or maybe I might not even notice it's there.

WOI Galway

An unplanned excursion mainly due to Man Flu saw me line up at the start of the WOI Marathon in Galway. I only decided to run it 3 days prior so the plan was to take this extremely easy and do some miles at the pace I will be pacing Dublin at. Meet up with the usual MCI heads before hand where we witnessed the warm up routine that the 10K runners were vigorously going through. It was quite intense, not what I would call a gentle warm-up by any stretch, some people were actually pretty spent after it. We started with the 10K runners for the first loop and settled in to a group of three Myself, Caroline and Paul at about 9:30 pace. Caroline was saying this was her fourth marathon, it was only later that we realised she also ran the 24 hour in Belfast and the 50 mile in Dingle so it kinda but this my 10th Marathon back into its box. We pretty much kept this pace for the first half and I will admit that when I got to 14 miles I was happy to doing the next 7 miles at 11 minute pace. The heat and humidity where really knocking the stuffing out of me and I let Caroline go on at this point. Ran a bit with Gerard Fay and a few more so its great to be able to have a brief chat with people to pass the miles away. Got to mile 21 and had promised myself a Ice Cream cone so on the last Lap I got one, I must have looked a sight jogging up the prom in Salthill like a big child with his face covered in Ice-Cream. Ran a few miles with Valerie who kinda half convinced me to run in Craughwell in December  With 5K to go I decided to pick up the pace but after about a mile my legs started to cramp a small bit so I eased into a run walk for the last 2-3 km. Interval sessions on the Thursday prior probably didn't help me here. Overall considering I have been sick for the previous 2-3 weeks and the heat of the day 4:21 was a decent enough result.

Recovery

The same as my previous Marathon. A dip in the sea afterwards followed by watching Clare in the hurling followed by several pints of the black stuff. This time I managed to find my way home. I am still unsure why this works because I was not sore the next day and was back running on Monday Evening. I had left the decision to Pace the Human Race in Limerick until Monday so when the boss rang I was able to give him a positive answer. I declined the chance to pace 4 hours as I felt that it was a little outside my comfort zone for 30K and left whether I did 4:15 or 4:30 up to him. This was a more appealing option then racing 6K Cross Country trying not to finish last.

The Human Race

First running of this event and I can say that the experience was a good one. The whole event was ran very well, plenty of Marshals, Water and KM markers spot on. With these things in place it is very easy to pace or race such an event. The combination of Dooneen AC and the Management of GLR was a good one and they should take credit where its due. Hopefully this race will stay on the Calendar for next year.

courtesy of Munster Images

I had a smalish group and there was some confusion at the start with the half marathon runners a bit bemused that there was no 2 hour pacer. Maybe something to look into for next year and possibly start the 3 races separately rather than the 30K and Half both starting together. Had an initial group of 8-10 runners and most seemed to be going at a comfortable enough pace. Three ladies took off shortly after 3-4 K. I would catch two of them on the last lap but both where able to stay in touch and pass me again in the last KM. Again I lost my balloon when it got ensnared on the bridge just coming up to the end of the first lap. This kinda leaves you anonymous for the race but luckily I had an idea of the faces that started with me and the group was still pretty much intact.
After 15K we lost 2 out the back and 3 pulled away ahead not to be seen again. This left me and Mike who was actually going easier than I was, without my balloon it was hard to tell which one of us was the pacer. I had a quick toilet break but was back with the group again within 1K, it was good to stretch the legs out a bit. Caught up with some of the stragglers who were starting to suffer. One girl who was pretty much going at marathon pace was telling me she did 20 the previous week and had planned 22 next week. Dublin was to be her first so I told her that 22 miles next week would just be too much for her that close to the race, I really hope she takes my advice on board. Meet with Rebecca who had been with me in Limerick and Killarney where she got a Sub 2 hour on both days. She struggled over the last 5K but stuck with it even though I dropped her in the last 2K she had started far enough behind me to make the time on her chip. Came home in 3:01:15 3 secs under pace, and pretty much all that started with me that went ahead or where still there after 15K got home with the time they were aiming for.
The combination of the last two weeks races have giving me my first 50 mile weeks in over two years with thankfully no ill effects afterwards.  With this in mind I will easy back this week and keep myself intact for Dublin.