Meat and Drink

Arrived at the track late and missed the racing. So decided on some 400's after my usual 3.2km warm-up around the pitches.

I was planning 10, then upsized to 12, finishing with 15. My normal 60 seconds recovery in between efforts. Times as follows:

69/68/68/67/67/66/67/67/66/66/67/67/67/67/66

Very happy with those (my best set of 400's ever averaging 67.0). I felt good the whole way (though the last few were getting a bit tough). Thanks to Derek for helping me out with the first 5. I must say that conditions were spot on tonight - very little breeze and nice and cool. Perfect.

Normal warm-down of 3.2km. That's 12.4km for the day.

Good luck to anyone competing on the Gold Coast this weekend. I'll be very interested in the results when I wake up Sunday morning.

There's a 3km time trial on at the track Saturday morning which I plan to run. A sub 9 would be a nice way to finish off the week.

Am I Soft?

An easy run today - 9.5km in 38:23 (4:03's). Still feeling pretty tired. I'll train through it and freshen up next week.

I was thinking about how hard I push myself during intervals and races and came to the conclusion that I'm more than a little lily livered. I read about some runners doing the lung busting/pain train/vomit sessions. I don't think I've even come close to vomiting after a (running) session. I think I have an auto mechanism that kicks in when it starts to really hurt and I naturally back off. Sure I may be doubled up for 30 seconds after a tough workout, but within minutes I'd be fully recovered. Is this normal? Do I need to toughen up?

Tomorrow I'll be at the track. There are some race options (800m!) but it all depends on what time I can get in as I may be tied up with the kids. Maybe some 400's if all else fails...

Bread and Butter

Back to the track for some 4 lappers. Usual format - 3.2km up and down and the session itself was 1600m, followed by 90 seconds walk/shuffle recovery. Perfect conditions - cool with very little breeze.

Times were as follows:

4:55/4:57/4:57/4:57/4:57

A consistent finish after getting a bit carried away with the first one. Each one became progressively harder and I couldn't repeat my normal trick of bringing the times down throughout the session. It would have been nice to finish with a 6th one but I was knackered!

All up 14.4km for the day. The same distance as yesterday but a completely different way of going about it. Very happy with the times today - all nicely under 5 minutes.

New Tyres

My local 14.4km trot in 57:02 (3:58's). Excellent conditions for running and I felt really good out there today. I had some new runners on, perhaps that made me run faster (Asics 2160's).

Westport 5km

I scrounged a lift with Jason for the 75 minute trip to Westport. The town itself looked fantastic, and after registering and running a couple of clicks warm-up it was time to line up at the start.

The weather was overcast and quite windy, and again quite humid. The course was an out and back type affair, with a small lap around part of the town close to the halfway stage. A lollipop shape I suppose. From the section I ran in the warm-up it looked to be pancake flat.

The race started and I sat back. The first 500m was around a village green, then we turned left along a road that took us through a car park and onto a flat forest trail. The first km passed in 3:01 and at this stage I was in second place behind Roger Barret who I had a good race with in Carramore last month over 10km.

Shortly after the path widened and switched to a road that ran through Westport Park. A beautiful location but I didn't really have time to admire the view as I was hanging on. Through 2km with a split of 3:06 and still in second place. Shortly after we left the park and ran through part of town along by the water, then switching back towards the park we had just left. I was starting to struggle and went through 3km with another quick km of 3:05. That made it 9:12 at 3km but I was now very much feeling the pinch of all pinches.

Sure enough, I slowed and Roger gradually gapped me. I had nothing in the legs, probably due to the 10km race on Tuesday. I was confident I could hold second place and I still ran as hard as I could, but it just wasn't happening. Continuing on through the park in reverse, I missed the 4km marker and upon exiting last section through the trees I could see the finish line and that gave me a little lift and I kicked for home to cross the finish line in second place in 15:49 (a 6:37 last 2km!).

Not a bad time and only 4 seconds shy of my road PB but still a million miles away from my 5,000m time on the track. This was a very good course and although the wind made it tough in patches, I really should have done a bit better. Too much racing and tired legs will do that!

Roger won in 15:30 so 19 seconds behind. I'm sure we'll have a few more good races through the remainder of the series. Jason finished 3rd in 16:19 and we both picked up a few Euros for our efforts. All in all a top day out.

I finished up running another lap of the course as a warm-down. All up 12km for the day and 69.6km for the week. Next week I'll focus on getting some kms in the legs, then it will be time to freshen up for the 8km in Headford.

Wet Wet Wet

An easy 9.5km local run in 38:32 (4:03's). Weather poor again, wet and windy though not cold (quite humid actually).

Looking forward to the race tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will turn and we get some good conditions for racing. A good chance to claim a second PB in a week as there will be some quicks to push the pace along.

That London

In London for the day today for a work meeting. I was finished by 3pm and wasn't flying out until 8pm so I did the tourist thing and had a good look round Covent Garden, Embankment, the Houses of Parliament, Bird Cage Walk, Buckingham Palace and Victoria. Nice to stroll around the finish of the marathon course and relive the closing stages of my race there in 2009 (minus the pain).

No running today. I needed a rest so no harm done.

Some fun

I was planning a light track session in amongst the various races on the track tonight. After a 4km warm-up, and some deliberation on whether to race the 1,500m or not, common sense prevailed and I decided to watch the race (much easier).

I then helped out with the results for a few races and eventually got the chance to knock out some 200's (only 4) in an around 33 seconds with plenty of jog recovery. I was then roped into running in a mixed 4 x 400 team (me and 3 girls). I was first up and decided to give it a nudge. We had to start in the squat position which I struggled with and when the gun sounded I rose like a salmon (tinned). I was cruising by 200m then hit the windy bend and really struggled over the next 200m before handing over with a split of 60.5. We went on to finish in 3rd place which was a good result. The start and the wind cost me at least 15 seconds so the potential is there to run a low 45...

I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down. All up 9.2km for the day.

Shattered

Very tired today, probably not getting enough sleep. Legs a bit stiff from yesterday but still dragged myself out for an hour. Well just under an hour to be exact covering my local 14.4km run in 58:34 (4:04's).

There is a track meeting tomorrow night at Dangan. I'll probably go along and have a look (at the 1,500m) but I won't be racing as I want to save myself for the 5km on Sunday. Instead I may run a few 400's as a final sharpener (not 15 though!).

A rest day planned for Friday as I'm in London for the day. Easy run on Saturday and race on Sunday.

Annaghdown 10km

Arrived late - my fault as I forgot my racing flats so had to turn back to get them. The weather upon arrival was poor. Heavy showers and after registering it was a case of do I get soaked and run a warm-up, or remain in the dry. About 5 minutes before the start the rain had eased a bit and after a km warm-up (no strides), it was time to line up. I was struggling to get into race mode being such a rushed build-up and despite the short warm-up, my socks and shoes were soaked through.

The race started and I went straight to the front. That's how it remained for me and I was left playing chase the police car who was leading the race round. Well I caught him - on the first corner. I had to check my run and it cost me a few seconds but after that the car remained a safe distance in front.

The course itself was predominantly flat. Regular undulations but no long uphills or downhills to worry about. I wasn't feeling great but tried to keep the concentration going. The only marker I missed was the 5km one but I knew that if I could keep it going in the second half of the race I was on for a quick time.

But too many negative thoughts in the second half. Nobody to race and I knew I was slowing and the course was probably a little trickier. Difficult to remain focused when it's you against the clock. At 7km I did my "if I take 10 mins from here what time will that give me". I knew it would be sub 33 so pushed on but the legs weren't responding. I'd convinced myself that the last km was all downhill so I saved myself for a quick finish. That wasn't the case as there were a few drags to contend with but the last 400m was quick and I gave it my all to cross the finishing line in 32:41 and 1st place.

That's a massive 3 second road PB! You can never be disappointed with a PB but having said that, I wouldn't rate my run that highly today - I ran a fairly average second 5km. With the right race I'm sure there is plenty more to come. I also need to toughen up mentally. Too many thoughts of giving up and just jogging it in. Not good.

I finished up with 4kms warm-down and got completely soaked through in another massive downpour. We were lucky really as the race itself was good - no rain and very little breeze but it was quite humid.

All up 15km for the day. Here are the km splits:

1km 3:07
2km 3:11
3km 3:16
4km 3:16
6km 6:36
7km 3:18
8km 3:18
9km 3:23
10km 3:16

Thanks to Paul and the team for putting on a great race. Very well organised and plenty of food and drink to keep everyone happy post race!

Plodding on

Just a short local loop today. Took it easy and covered the 9.5km in 38:22 (4:02's).

I was thinking about the race tomorrow and decided that if I could go through 5km in under 16:10, then I should have enough in the tank to nail a PB. Hopefully a few quicks turn up to push the pace along as I don't fancy doing all the running. Plus I'd like some nice running weather. That's not too much to ask is it?!?!

Runs on the board

A real struggle to get going today. Eventually hit the pavements at about 8:30pm and I was determined to do a long run of sorts. I ran my local double loop course of 17.6kms in 1:13:07 and that works out to 4:09/km pace.

Probably 1hr 30+ should be classified as a long run so I didn't quite make it! Still that's 78.8km for the week. Again poor volume but a good race on Thursday in amongst it all.

One thing I've noticed is that my calves feel like they've cramped up really badly following a big night on the drink. It must be the combination of dehydration and alcohol. My left calf was very sore today, as if I'd run a marathon the day before.

Next week the focus will again be on racing. First up will be the 10km Tuesday night in Annaghdown (summer solstice). It's a flat quick course so I'll be looking to have a crack at my PB.

Ouch

Good to catch up with mates from University over the weekend. We played golf in the afternoon at Deer Park, then hit Temple Bar for a pub crawl. Paying Euros 5.60 for a pint of Guinness I thought was a little on the pricey side...

Obviously no running. Unless you count regular shuttle runs to the bar...

Here are a couple of photos from the 5,000m just gone. Thanks to Andy:

Drink taper

I squeezed in a run - the same run as Monday. This time I covered the 14.4km in 57:45 so 4 seconds quicker!

A few beers tonight to prime the system ready for tomorrow's onslaught...

Galway County 5,000m

I managed a few kms warm-up and some strides before lining up for the start of the race. A few butterflies in the stomach for this track race - wearing running shorts with brown lining would have been appropriate.

The conditions looked good enough. Around 13 degrees and the high winds from earlier in the day had calmed a fair bit. Windier than what you would want, but the layout of the track with the sheltered home straight meant that the worst part of the lap (into the wind) was the final 50m of the last bend.

The gun sounded and I settled into second position. A quick first lap as is normally the case, then the dreaded mind games of counting down the laps. I was wearing the watch, but wasn't looking at the splits, just concentrating on the race at hand.

Not much to report until the last part of the race. I was still in second place right behind the leader and with 3 laps to go it was starting to get tough. The old chestnut of "I'll just give this one more lap" and imagine my surprise in completing the lap to hear the sound of the bell. I knew straight away that this was a mistake and called out that we still had 2 laps to go. The runner in front immediately gapped me and I focused on chasing him down.

At the end of the lap the scorers had realised their mistake and waved us through for another lap. I was only just behind but had no thoughts of kicking for home - way too early. With 200m to go I had drawn level, but this was met with a responsive surge. As we exited the final bend I had drawn level again and this time I kicked on and ran the last 100m full ball. I crossed the line in first place in a time of 15:14 with the runner in second credited with the same time. A great race.

Not a nice way to win a race by sitting in behind for 12 laps and not doing any of the work - sorry Kenny! You'll get me next time in the Streets of Galway.

Here are the km splits:

1km 2:59
2km 3:05
3km 3:07
4km 3:07
5km 2:56

That has equalled my 5,000m PB from last year but this race felt a lot more comfortable. Hopefully that's a sign that better times are still possible...maybe even the magical sub 15?

I finished up with a 6.4km warm-down around the rugby pitches with the first four place-getters in the race. Then back to the track and got roped into running the last leg of a 4 x 100m relay. Good fun though my sprint speed left a lot to be desired.

All up 13.4km for the day. All those 400m sessions I've been doing lately finally seem to be paying dividends!

Windy Miller

The same run as yesterday, this time I just took it easy. Time of 38:35 for 9.5kms (4:04's).

Not sure what time to expect tomorrow in the 5,000m. It promises to be a quality small field, but I'd say conditions will be very windy. So each lap will probably be half effort, half cruise, almost like a fartlek session. I've run 15:45 twice on the road recently so I'll be looking to go quicker than that. I'll try and hold onto 74 second laps and see what heppens...

Sporting extravaganza

With Thursday's track 5,000m looming, I decided to run a final tune up. I didn't have the chance to get to the track, instead using my 9.5km route and about 2km in I did 9 x 1 minute efforts with 60 seconds jog recovery. I was aiming to run these at 5km race pace but difficult to judge speed when it's so windy.

The remainder of the lap I jogged home so all up 9.5km in 37:06 (ave 3:54's).

The sporting rivalry with the Dad continued with 9 holes around the local golf course. I was rubbish (normal) and my Dad was even worse. Golf is difficult enough as it is but when it's blowing a gale it's a different gravy. I was declared the winner on the countback of least amount of balls lost...

On cue

I did a longer run today - in a week which promises to be shy of quality as I have a 40th birthday/university reunion weekend in Dublin to attend...

My double loop of 14.4km in 57:49 (4:01's). They were resurfacing the road in places in some of the smaller roads that I use which means less potholes to worry about in the future.

I then played the old man at snooker. No competition. Six zip to me.

Monivea 5km

Sunday is for (more) racing.

It was raining, cold (9 degrees at 12pm), and windy. But there were still a few hardy souls (read stupid) out at Monivea for the second running of the 5km race. Being the defending champion I was issued with race #1 which was a nice touch. I bumped into Timmy and we did a couple of kms warm-up before lining up for the start.

This is definitely a race of 2 halves. The first half being on the road (me like), then it switches to forest trail (me no like). The race started and I moved to the front and was joined by another runner who I wasn't familiar with. We swapped the lead a few times as we did the initial circuit of the green, trying to dodge the deep puddles that had formed on each corner. I was running wide to try and keep my feet dry which was a pointless exercise as they were soon waterlogged. The first km of 3:04 showed that the pace was on and this continued on as we left the village for a nice downhill/flat section heading out towards the woods.

The second km was again run in 3:04 and it remained me and this other guy running stride for stride. I was still feeling good but as we entered the trail it then become a lot more tricky. The path was a little overgrown in areas which meant you had to run up the centre strip of the path which was long grass. The outside of the path was gravel and quite slippery and you had to concentrate on your footing at all times. A few trees to duck as well but we somehow remained close to one another through 3km in 3:15.

I think it was somewhere close to 4km that I was gapped. I don't like this sort of terrain at the best of times and I simply don't have the motor and leg strength to keep the long levers moving on the uneven surfaces. The 4th km split was 3:21 and although I was only a few seconds behind, I knew this wasn't my day. The last km was a long drag and I had nothing in the tank and couldn't even muster up a sprint finish. I crossed the line in 16:06 so a 3:22 last km. Second place and about 5 seconds behind the winner. Interestingly some 22 seconds quicker than I ran last year in worse conditions so I have to take a big positive out of that.

A good race but the conditions made it tough (plus my preparation wasn't ideal!!!). I'm not sure how others fared but I'd assume that most times were slow in comparison to the times from the recent 5km series. I enjoyed it nonetheless and great to be battling away with the young guy from Limerick who won.

In a perverse sort of way I get more satisfaction out of not winning as it spurs you on to train that bit harder, and try that bit more next time. Hopefully this race goes from strength to strength in future years as the course certainly makes it enjoyable and unique.

I finished up with a kay warm-down before making a swift departure to get home for a hot shower.

All up 8km for the day and a paltry 65.8km for the week.

I should mention that later in the day I lost at darts to my Dad 10-6 (despite hitting a 180 and a 144 checkout), then he took money off me at cribbage. He had great pleasure in announcing that I hadn't won anything all day and that I was a loser. Nowt from 3...

Saturday's for driving

Zero running.

Got a flight over to the UK, picked up the car, drove back. Over 400 miles on the road so pretty tired by the time I got back to Galway. The sensible thing would have been to have an early night but I decided to head to the local boozer for a few pints. Rolled in at 2am. Good race preparation...

Friday Urrrrgggghh

A trot around the block again. Feeling very tired the last few days, probably old age. Time 37:56 for 9.5km so 4 minutes per km. A rest day is planned for tomorrow as I'm nipping over to England to pick up a new car for the trouble and strife (wife).

Here's the good bit, the old man is coming back with me for a few days. So more darts to look forward to. Plus a few beers. Maybe a game of snooker as well. Oh yeah, and a 5km race on Sunday...

Thursday is for track

Arrived just as it started hammering down. Waited in the car for 20 minutes and it was getting quite late by this stage so had thoughts of going home. But luckily (unluckily?) the skies cleared and at least allowed me to get outside.

The usual 3.2km warm-up. Then to the track for some strides before getting into the 400's. I was doing the session in my racing flats (Asics DS racers) and my socks were soaked by the time I started. Not pleasant. That aside, the conditions for running were just about perfect - very little breeze and nice and cool.

The times were as follows:

71/70/69/69/69/68/68/68/68/68/69/68/68/68/65

That's 13 seconds slower than last week (ave 68.4). But I wasn't pushing them as hard as last week (I could still stand up at the end of the session), plus the wet track would make the times a little slower (maybe a second a lap?). So all in all a good session.

Another gauge that I hadn't given them my all tonight was that my warm-down 3.2km run was 25 seconds quicker than my warm-up. If I was totally GAWNE I'd be a lot slower. A total of 12.4km for the day.

I'll give the 400's a rest now and try and introduce a bit more variety into my weekly track sessions. You'll notice I've updated my race schedule for the next few weeks and there is a 5,000m on the track in one weeks time which promises to be a great race with (hopefully) a high quality field. So this will be my opportunity to run the sub 15:30 that I wanted before June is out.

Jumped back into the car and on the drive home it started raining again. Got to love that...

Wednesday is for easy running

I ran my local double loop of 14.4km. Wasn't looking forward to it but felt surprisingly good once I got going. The time was 56:45 which is 3:56/km pace and it felt really easy. More runs like this would be nice.

I'll try and race on Sunday in another 5km out at Monivea. This was my first race in Ireland about a year ago and was my debut win so the race holds fond memories for me. I'm in better nick now so will be looking to improve on my time of 16:28 by a decent margin. Hopefully some other quicks show up to make it a decent race.

2 more 180's today...

Galway 5km Series - Week 6

Tuesday is for racing. Well it has been for the last 6 weeks. Tonight the attention turned to Loughrea in the final run of the 5km series.

I managed to scam a lift with Brian (many thanks) and we arrived in good time to allow a lap of the course warm-up. It was very cold and also windy and the start of the course was a slow gradual climb into the wind for the best part of a kay. The next couple of clicks were much better, flat in places with some slight ups and downs. Then between 3km and 3.9km there was a much steeper hill, and the final 1.1km was all downhill with wind on the back. This promised to be a tough course so I though that another sub 16 would be decent.

The start of the race was a bit of a disaster. The large crowd was struggling to get in position behind the timing mats and then suddenly we were all racing with no warning. I was surprised by this and got off to a shocking start but within about 100m I had gotten into my running and taken the lead. In between my warm-up lap and the start of the race there had been a massive deluge. This meant that the course was now very wet with a few puddles to avoid to keep you honest. But to balance things up the wind had dropped considerably and all in all it was very good conditions for racing.

The tough first km showed a split of 3:09. I've come to the opinion that I can run a decent hill if it's at the start of a race. The course then flattened out and I attacked the next couple of kms with times of 3:04 and 3:08. That's 9:21 with 2km to go so maybe...

Then the big hill. I felt like I was running strongly and was giving it my all. The time for that part of the course didn't agree. A 3:41! So I now had to run a sub 3 last km just to get under 16.

A big push down the hill. I don't think I could have run this section any quicker. This was a flat out sprint. I crossed the line in 15:55 so a 2:53 last km which I think must be my quickest ever km in a race. Another win for the old boy.

A couple of kms warm-down so a total of 12kms for the day. I finished up having a few pints in the Loughrea Hotel. Good to meet some new people and receive some positive feedback on my rubbish blog.

So what to do now on Tuesday evenings? There's a 10km in Annaghdown in 2 weeks time so that's not too long to wait.

A couple of photos from last night (thanks to Tony). This is at the start:



And this is at the finish. The 6 digit salute:

Monday is a day for jogging

Just an easy run around the block today. The 9.5km took me 39:24. Windy.

My legs (and backside) haven't been right since my over enthusiastic sprints on Saturday. Hopefully I'll come good for tomorrow's 5km race. Speaking of which I've heard mixed reports on the course. There are hills, plus the weather isn't looking good so that may put pay to a PB attempt. But you never know......and more importantly I have a lift so post race beers are a go-er. Mine's a pint of Guinness.

The Cork Marathon was run today (public holiday here). The winner ran 2:25 so it sounds like a tough course. I'd be interested to hear any feedback on the course and conditions.

After watching the darts on the weekend I spent a bit of time on the practice board. Two more 180s to report...did I mention I love the arrers?

Longish Run

Started out at the track and did a lap of the pitches before attempting to meet up with the Cathedral runners as they came past. Couldn't see anyone at 9:10 so assumed I had missed them. I ran pretty quickly for an hour but still couldn't see anyone so I came to the conclusion that I hadn't missed them and they were probably behind me! The most amazing thing is that I didn't get lost. Those back roads are a maze...

I finished up running back to Dangan along the last 3km of the 5km race I did on Tuesday. All up I estimate 21kms in 1hr 32 so that's 4:22/km pace. To be honest it was probably a bit further than that but who's counting.

Not a bad weeks training. A total distance of 96.1km and some decent sessions in the process. Next week I will be focusing on running a quick 5km to finish off the Galway series. A 15:40 would be nice!

Longer reps

The session was 4 minute efforts with 90 seconds recovery. After the normal lap of the pitches warm-up, we decided to run on the track as most of the pitches were being used, whereas the track was empty.

I ran these at cruise pace. Certainly not flat out, closer to my 10km pace. I was very consistent with the distance each rep - covering 3 full laps plus about one third of the way around the first bend. So that's 1230m give or take and that equates to 3:15/km pace.

The plan was to do somewhere between 5 and 8 reps. Some of the middle distance guys bailed after 5 reps; I called it a day after 7. Legs a bit sore at the end but 20+ laps on the track wearing the racing flats will explain that. A session where I felt in control and that gives me confidence that the sub 32:30 10km is still there.

I finished up with 4 by 80m sprints then 3.2km warm-down. I got a bit carried away in the sprints running the last one flat out in 11 seconds. That's as good as it gets for me - certainly not blessed with natural sprinting speed.

Just a quick mention of the NSW 10km championships at Homebush that were run on Saturday. Some great runs from a few of my old Mingara sparring partners:

Josh Wright 30:40 (wow - London 2012 beckons)
Mark Warren 31:31
Cale Bowd 32:07
Geoff Arnold 32:58
Barry Willis 35:39

Well done - lots of big PB's in there.

Plus 12 degrees

All of May it was around 12-13 degrees for running. Today it was 25 degrees for my easy run. Distance 9.5km in a time of 39:54. Really struggled today, the heat makes a huge difference to the effort level. Still feeling tired...all the excuses under the sun...

Efforts tomorrow at Dangan - 4 minutes with 90 seconds recovery.

15 x 400

The session was 15 x 400 with one minute recovery. The weather was glorious today, 21 degrees when I arrived at the track at 8pm and very little breeze. After a 3.2km warm-up, I moved to the track which was empty.

To be honest I was feeling really tired today and was expecting a poor session. The sensible thing would have been to take a rest day but that would have thrown the rest of the week out. I thought if I could keep the 400s under 70 seconds I'd be doing well.

The session went as follows:

69/69/68/68/68/68/68/67/68/67/68/67/67/67/64

Obviously very happy with that! That's quicker than when I last did this session 3 weeks ago (all up 16:53 for 6km so an average of 67.5 per 400). Absolutely spent come the end of the session.

I finished up with a 3.2km wobble down. A total of 12.4km for the day.

Getting Serious

Tonight it was 14.4kms in 57:51 (4:01/km). A little less windy but still rain in the air. Not too bad for running.

My Dad departed yesterday so it's time to put the head down and get some decent training in. My preparation for the 2 races just gone was shocking. More suited for yard of ale races. Which is nice...

So tomorrow I'm going back to get back on track with some 400's. There are a few 5km races coming up in June so that will be the focus (lots of speedwork required). Then hopefully the extra speed will translate into improved times for 10km and the half marathon in the second half of the year.

Just looking at my stats and I've already chalked up 20 races this year. That's about one a week. Race yourself fit and all that...seems to be working with PB's at 5km, 10km and half marathon thus far.