Winding it up

Mileage that is in preperation for the 50K in Portumna. Started once I cleared the 7 days antibiotic prescription with 65 Miles and two key sessions. 7 miles at HMP and a planned 4 * 5K MP loops on the Royal Canal Marathon. I only managed top complete 3 as the legs go very tired on the fourth rep. Needing to be in good shape for pacing Limerick the next week I backed off the last rep early. The run in Longford was another good event but you would expect no less from Brendan Doyle.

Going Solo

Due to unforseen circumstances my fellow pacer Paul was unable to be my partner in crime pacing 4 hours in Limerick and it ended up me doing the gig solo. I would be lying if I was a little bit nervous doing this for the 4 hour band but clearly the boss had the utmost confidence in me. I had this band last year and it was my third time pacing Limerick. At the start meet with Lizzie again, I think it was her third time in my pace group for Limerick. We had quite a big group form the start and lost a good chunk of time at the start, i didnt panic as the section from Limerick to UL is downhill so its easy to pick back up the time. Went through halfway in 1:59:41. The second half was a new course again but finally I think they have this part of the course got right. I thought that the congection of half coming against us on the out and back along Rosbrien road would be an issue but it wasnt in the slightest. We meet the the start of the half on this section and runners kept to there own sides. Shortly after this we hit the drag up to punches at which point the group discentigrated. I had taken it very easy to try and get as many up as the city section is normally quicker. We passed the 20 mile marker down 30 second but I stil only had a handful of runners. From there to the finish it was a matter of getting those home. Five of the group managed it. Some had hit for home early and where not seen again while others got caught and passed. Nothing you can do as a pacer other then a small bit of gentle encouragment and keep the pace as steady as possible. Crossed the line in 3:59:25 one second slower then last year. Job done.

Number 25

Celebration time in the Geogre for Paula and Desmond recieving their 25th Marathon medals. Not only that but time to congragulate Paula on smashing her PB the week before in Dusseldorf. I quered her about the guy with the balloon who finished with her, so she told me the tale of the 4 Hour Pacer cutting the course and finishing just behind her in 3:56 ish.

Back to Ballybeg

Hill trainig Ballybeg Woods, I do a 1 mile loop with three hills, One long one 400m and 2 very short steep ones (with hand rails). Six reps at 10K effort was the plan, on the last short one of the fourth loop my legs where like jelly so I canned the last 2. Didnt feel disappointed in not finishing the last 2 as this is always a toughie and with 2 marathons in the previous 2 weeks in the legs its best not to totally trash them. Took it easy over the weekend with 9 & 13 at steady pace. Sunday run was harder due to the unexpected clammy day and tempatures in the low 20’s and the hills around Thurles while the young fella and his mates watched the Banner rob Waterford of the League title. Intention was to do it at 8:15 (planned pace for 50K)but under the conditions it ended up been a little over 8:30. Mileage for the week 81 biggest week ever.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

The niggles

Pretty much has summed up my running since after Eiddie Murphy. I had hoped to add one more achievement to this years tally in getting a sub 20 5K. Duhallow AC 5K in Newmarket was pencilled in late last October as the target race. Started to do 5K endurance work with some hill and faster intervals from about mid October. Thrown in the middle of this was Eddie Murphy Marathon my 25th for the year. I conceded that a weeks of very easy running would be need after this, an post midnight urge to use the little mans room settled this in no doubt both adductors seized up to such an extend I had to bum shuffle downstairs to relieve myself. At that point a week off was set in stone.

Return again, again and again

Always seems to happen, you take a week off running and every niggle ache seems to get magnified. Each time I tried a session which entailed me running fast the aftermath was some thing giving me grief from my right Achilles, left glutes or both adductors. This had the result in starting to miss/reduce some of the key 5K workouts and faster intervals.

2000 Miles

Along the way somewhere towards the start of the month I passed the 2000th Mile of running for the year. My first time to reach this which shows how consistent my running has been and this year I got through it without having to lay  up due to an injury. What was the difference this year ? When my body said I’m sore or tender I listened and adjusted my goals rather then blindly ploughing ahead with whatever training plan I was following at the time. Unfortunately recently this was becoming a bit too frequent.

Bad, worse and prospective

With the race fast approaching I planned a 6*1K 5K effort on a local track. It was a bit windy when I got there and squally showers where not helping matters. First was 4:06, feck that’s under target, pushed a bit harder on the next 4:11, crap pushed harder again to an extent that it felt unsustainable for 5K 4:16, feck this for a game of cowboys and canned the session. So a crap session 4 days before the race, maybe on race day it would come together. The following few days I got my prospective, My Uncle had a massive heart attack and passed away. He had a good innings and while it was sudden it wasn't unexpected. The day of his burial while bring him into the cemetery I lost my footing while carrying the coffin, in an effort to not drop the coffin I pulled something in my left glutes/hamstring/adductors. This effectively put paid to any thoughts of racing in Cork last Sunday. Having completely rested for the last week I ran 4 miles easy on Christmas eve without any major side effects so I will try and get a few miles in Thursday/Friday and if all goes well I may well give 26.2 a lash in Portumna on Saturday

You don't always get what you want

Build-up

Late last August Tom rang to tell me he was going to run the flattest Marathon in Ireland in Mid October in Charleville and have a crack at sub 3:21:20 the club auld man Marathon PB held by yours truly. Armed with this I put together a plan to maybe make a race of it. Unfortunately that plan never came about as I just trashed my legs in August. Feeling much better last week I did a 3 mile MP effort averaging 7:15 per mile which shocked me. Now I was thinking of having a crack if conditions on the day where favourable. What’s the worst that can happen is I crash and burn and hobble home. That all changed on Saturday morning, for the first time in 4 Years my Crohns / Proctitis flared up to an extent I contemplated not even running the race.

Race From Hell

On the morning of the race we get perfect running conditions but I know that racing is not going to happen as I am guaranteed a pit stop if not multiples. I wished Tom all the best and was sure barring a complete disaster he would nail sub 3:20. He ran 10 miles with me the week before at 8:20 pace like he was just out for a stroll. Of we set and I settled in with Valerie, Peter and Derek for the day as we rumbled along at 4:10 pace. As expected first pit stop came around 3 miles and I knew from this point today was going to be a long day. Caught up with the gang again only briefly as another jump the wall was required near 8 miles. This time I got rid of everything and I mean everything both ends, and was looking like a DNF when I got back to halfway. We met Tom coming back against us on target and looking good at 14.5 miles. Got to halfway but I was now feeling much better and for the first time felt I could eat something, scoffed my banana and some mini mars bars. Tom had gone through the Halfway mark in 1:41 pretty much on target. He had discussed this with me last week and the consensuses was to take the first mile easy and ease up to Marathon Pace over the second mile. Was going very well in the second half myself and the pace had picked up. Derek and Peter fell away so just Myself and Valerie until we caught up with Michael a recent MCI member. From here on things got ropey for me, I had no energy, starting to feel dizzy and I really had to concentrate on what I was doing. Now doubt my two companions noted my sudden lack of chat. We got to mile 23 which had a water station, I was hoping maybe there would be some coke but no such luck. Just about to look for a lift back when Valerie shouted back to me to come on its only 3 miles. So the runner in me did just that (us runners are not smart). Now I knew I couldn't hold the pace so I let them off in the distance and concentrated on getting home by doing what Thomas calls the Ultra shuffle. It doesn't look anything like running but at least you are going forward. Got to the finish spent and could only sit down. Got some Coke into me and I was grand again once it hit blood stream. Discovered later that Tom suffered the same fate, unable to take on Gel’s, coming home in 3:28 still a good time but missed his PB by 10 seconds.

Medals

There was however some consolation on the day for Tom as he received his 75th Marathon medal along with Mark Hillard getting his 25th Marathon award. Then the big shock as Tom presented his Father in Law Patsy O’Brien with his 25th Medal.


 

The Marathon

I have always said that this distance is both cruel and rewarding. When all the stars line up and you nail your time its the best feeling in the world. However one small issue on the day and all your work will yield no reward and sometimes a rather horrible experience. I felt gutted for Tom as he has really had put in the work and had nothing to show for it at the end of the day. I have no doubt he will break 3:20 so I am currently only keeping that PB warm for him.

Oh look another race

Post Craughwell I had stated to Jude Hickey “If you see me with a balloon in Dingle next Saturday give me a kick”. I had planned to reset the only old PB left Half Marathon on Saturday in Doonbeg. Sure enough I got the pacer call but declined, I don't think my legs would hold up to another Marathon. Hell they probably wont be great in the race either but sure it is only a half.

Build-up

Did nothing all week, as my legs where in absolute bits after Craughwell. Got out for an easy run on Thursday night legs dead heavy but improved after the first 2 Miles. Morning of the race weather conditions where going to be close to ideal well they say 16°C is ideal but not for us fair weather paddies. Got to Doonbeg early and did the warm-up, first Mile legs where heavy but they seemed to improve for the second mile. I was still in two minds at what time/pace I should aim for. If I was fully rested and had this as a goal target I would probably be around 93 minute mark but I knew the auld legs would not survive that pace today. Decided to try and go out and aim for 95 minutes.

Race

There was a good crowd at the start for this with plenty of walkers up the front. However the road is plenty wide and I wasn't delayed at all. In saying that I clocked a sub 7 minute mile so pulled back a bit. Again as in the previous race my mouth was dry but luckily there was a water station at the 2 mile mark. Water was in plastic cups, doesn't bother me, got a good mouthful and even had some spare to throw over my head. Even though it was in cups and the day was quite warm I never felt the need to take it at every station. In total there was 7-8 water stations. Once we hit 3 miles you turn into the slight breeze and a gradual slope for the Mile. Everything was going well until 4 when there was a sharp descent followed by another sharp up and down. The combination of these two descents was the last straw for my quads and I had to drop the pace back slightly thereafter. Still passed 10K mark in 45 so target was still on. From here to 11 was a real struggle, legs just had no zip in them, which I was half expecting to be honest and if I had half a brain I would have taken the opportunity to stroll around Dingle for the day. Effort wise I was comfortable but I had no wheels under me today. From 11 onwards I pushed to try and catch two runners ahead. Just before 12 I was 20 seconds behind when they stopped to take on water. I knew I would be alright to not take on water so I just zipped by them and kept the head down and kicked on. One guy kept with me, and at one stage drew alongside with half a mile to go. I pressed on again all the way to the finish and kept him behind crossed the line in 1:35:56 some what disappointed.

The usual feed of nice stuff and a chat with Seanie Whelan afterwards on running. I hit home early as I had some DIY to attend to that had been neglected in the recent weeks. Turned out that final mile I promoted myself from 4th to 2nd in the M40 Category, this made up for my initial disappointment of not getting under 95 minutes. A first podium finish for me happy days.

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.

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.

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