In preparation for the half in March I decided it was time to start doing some longer runs. So today I ran from Dangan to the city to meet up with the Harriers for the Cathedral run. Some people would say the long run is the most important part of your training and for me it has been sadly lacking...
The pace was very tame - just what I needed. All up 24km with the run back to Dangan at the end which was covered in 1:50:32. I felt very comfortable throughout.
So that's 100km exactly for the week. Finally some decent volume.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Castledaly 10km
Very cold once again but no wind so after a 4km warm-up it was perfect for running. The course was a 10km loop and after speaking to a few marshals it didn't sound too bad. A few drags but mainly flat I was told....
A small enough field of about 100 hardy souls. The race started with a countdown from 10 (novel!) and we were racing. I went straight to the front and concentrated on following the lead vehicle. The first km was very twisty and soon passed in 3:10 but I was aware of another runner just behind me. We then started to climb which was pretty much the trend for the next 4km. Not a steep climb but a gradual rise that meant you were constantly working hard. This was reflected in the km splits for 2, 3, 4 and 5 of 3:23, 3:24, 3:18 and 3:16 respectively. So I was 16:31 at halfway and felt in decent shape but I was still aware of the runner just behind me.
At 5km the top of the climb had been reached. The next 5km I was hoping would be quick and sure enough the trend was basically downhill for the run home. The 6th km passed in 3:09 after a nice gradual downhill section and then the descent became a little steeper. I was liking this but was conscious that I didn't have the leg-speed to really take advantage of it. Sure enough the 7th km was a 3:16 and should have been a 3 flat. I was hanging on.
The 8th km was another very generous downhill stretch but again I was disappointed to run another 3:16. A further missed opportunity. So 8km in 26:12 so still in with a good shot of a PB with a strong run home. But unlike last week I was spent and didn't have the legs to finish off this race. The 9th km was basically flat and a 3:18 meant I was still there or thereabouts but my mindset was that any slight hill in the last km was going to finish me. Sure enough there were 2 or 3 slight climbs up to the finish and that put pay to my time as I crossed the line in 32:48. That's 4 seconds slower than last Sunday....
I was slightly downbeat post race but I have to take a lot of positives from this race. It was definitely a tougher course. I didn't feel as fresh. 2 sub 33's in 7 days. Another win (just - by 15 seconds or so)!
It's a horrible feeling have someone run just behind you all race. Never sure what the hell is happening!
I finished up with a 3km warm-down. All up 17km for the day. Back to the sports hall for hot soup, bread and 6 (six) Kit Kats. Lovely. My prize today - wine. Finally something I can put to good use.
So the next race will be the XC a week tomorrow. It's a 10km course and I'll take a sub 35 if offered.
A small enough field of about 100 hardy souls. The race started with a countdown from 10 (novel!) and we were racing. I went straight to the front and concentrated on following the lead vehicle. The first km was very twisty and soon passed in 3:10 but I was aware of another runner just behind me. We then started to climb which was pretty much the trend for the next 4km. Not a steep climb but a gradual rise that meant you were constantly working hard. This was reflected in the km splits for 2, 3, 4 and 5 of 3:23, 3:24, 3:18 and 3:16 respectively. So I was 16:31 at halfway and felt in decent shape but I was still aware of the runner just behind me.
At 5km the top of the climb had been reached. The next 5km I was hoping would be quick and sure enough the trend was basically downhill for the run home. The 6th km passed in 3:09 after a nice gradual downhill section and then the descent became a little steeper. I was liking this but was conscious that I didn't have the leg-speed to really take advantage of it. Sure enough the 7th km was a 3:16 and should have been a 3 flat. I was hanging on.
The 8th km was another very generous downhill stretch but again I was disappointed to run another 3:16. A further missed opportunity. So 8km in 26:12 so still in with a good shot of a PB with a strong run home. But unlike last week I was spent and didn't have the legs to finish off this race. The 9th km was basically flat and a 3:18 meant I was still there or thereabouts but my mindset was that any slight hill in the last km was going to finish me. Sure enough there were 2 or 3 slight climbs up to the finish and that put pay to my time as I crossed the line in 32:48. That's 4 seconds slower than last Sunday....
I was slightly downbeat post race but I have to take a lot of positives from this race. It was definitely a tougher course. I didn't feel as fresh. 2 sub 33's in 7 days. Another win (just - by 15 seconds or so)!
It's a horrible feeling have someone run just behind you all race. Never sure what the hell is happening!
I finished up with a 3km warm-down. All up 17km for the day. Back to the sports hall for hot soup, bread and 6 (six) Kit Kats. Lovely. My prize today - wine. Finally something I can put to good use.
So the next race will be the XC a week tomorrow. It's a 10km course and I'll take a sub 35 if offered.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Non Rest Day
The plan was to rest but I couldn't resist turning the legs over. Why not? I happen to quite like running.
Same run as yesterday. The 9.5kms took me 39:02.
The nights are already starting to draw out. Already we have daylight until 5:30pm which means I can squeeze in a run when the other half gets home from work. I'll be able to do some big evening mileage once the clocks change in March.
Same run as yesterday. The 9.5kms took me 39:02.
The nights are already starting to draw out. Already we have daylight until 5:30pm which means I can squeeze in a run when the other half gets home from work. I'll be able to do some big evening mileage once the clocks change in March.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday
I squeezed in my 9.5km run in 39:40 (4:11's).
I'll probably take a rest day tomorrow. Then race on Saturday. It's a hilly one apparently so won't be quick. But a good hit-out before the XC in one weeks time.
I'll probably take a rest day tomorrow. Then race on Saturday. It's a hilly one apparently so won't be quick. But a good hit-out before the XC in one weeks time.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
8 x 1km
Back to the track tonight for a long session. I started running 2 laps of the playing fields around the University (3.2km per lap). I then changed into my flats and ran a further 3 laps of the track warm-up. So 7.6km done and it was now time to start...
I decided to ease into the session. Run the first one comfortably and then wind up the pace throughout. I was running with Ian who was going to run 800's using me as the pacer. I was to get 200m jog recovery (50 walk/150 jog in actuality) in no more than 90 seconds; he was obviously getting a lot more recovery.
The times were as follows:
3:19, 3:14, 3:12, 3:12, 3:12, 3:10, 3:07, 3:03
I'm pleased enough considering:
- I was running the back straight 3 times each km into a slight headwind
- lots of running wide to lap slower runners
- the legs still a little sluggish after Sunday's race
- still carrying a cold/cough/sore throat
I ended up with 6 laps warm-down. All up 19km when you do the math.
The club are trying to put together a team for the intermediate XC on Feb 6th in Dublin. I've agreed to run. XC just doesn't do it for me - but I'll give it another go just to reiterate the fact.
I decided to ease into the session. Run the first one comfortably and then wind up the pace throughout. I was running with Ian who was going to run 800's using me as the pacer. I was to get 200m jog recovery (50 walk/150 jog in actuality) in no more than 90 seconds; he was obviously getting a lot more recovery.
The times were as follows:
3:19, 3:14, 3:12, 3:12, 3:12, 3:10, 3:07, 3:03
I'm pleased enough considering:
- I was running the back straight 3 times each km into a slight headwind
- lots of running wide to lap slower runners
- the legs still a little sluggish after Sunday's race
- still carrying a cold/cough/sore throat
I ended up with 6 laps warm-down. All up 19km when you do the math.
The club are trying to put together a team for the intermediate XC on Feb 6th in Dublin. I've agreed to run. XC just doesn't do it for me - but I'll give it another go just to reiterate the fact.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Night Running
My window for running today was late. I left home at 8:30pm and decided to run mainly up and down the main road which is well lit and has a footpath. Not much fun but better than the treadmill.
All up I covered 11km in 46:46 (4:15's). I took it really easy so surprised to still be running at a decent enough pace. Track tomorrow for 8 x 1km...
All up I covered 11km in 46:46 (4:15's). I took it really easy so surprised to still be running at a decent enough pace. Track tomorrow for 8 x 1km...
Monday, January 24, 2011
Gym Run
Back to the gym for a recovery run of 10km in 42:17. A guy started chatting to me who recognised me from the race yesterday. Fame at last.
The left knee seems to be fantastic lately. The tendinitis has been there for well over 2 years now I'm guessing, but I've had very little pain the last few weeks. Still not as good as new but very close. Such a strange condition - it seems to come and go when it's ready defying any logic.
I'm really hungry for some more races now. I'm of the mentality that races push you more than a training session and I use regular races to improve fitness. I think sub 32:30 isn't too far away for the ten - with a decent course and a few runners to hang on to. There's another 10km on this Saturday about 20 miles away. I may give it a shot.
The left knee seems to be fantastic lately. The tendinitis has been there for well over 2 years now I'm guessing, but I've had very little pain the last few weeks. Still not as good as new but very close. Such a strange condition - it seems to come and go when it's ready defying any logic.
I'm really hungry for some more races now. I'm of the mentality that races push you more than a training session and I use regular races to improve fitness. I think sub 32:30 isn't too far away for the ten - with a decent course and a few runners to hang on to. There's another 10km on this Saturday about 20 miles away. I may give it a shot.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Clarinbridge 10km
With recent beer/darts/snooker training, I went into this race with low expectations. It was again very cold (0.5 degrees), so a long warm-up was required (estimate 4kms), and then it was time to start racing. No obvious quicks at the start so decided to take it out hard, and see what happened.
The course itself was a belter. Mainly road but a couple of kms through a forest trail in the front half of the race. It didn't sound quick but after the first km was passed with me solo running in 3:06 I was starting to reassess. I was again following the lead car and I think it was just after 2km (3:17) that the terrain changed from road to forest trail. It was certainly tougher at this stage as although the trend was flat, it was rolling slight uphill/slight downhill. Me not like.
The third km passed in 3:00 (clearly a dodgy km marker) and I think it was around this point that I nearly got taken out by a couple walking their dog. I only lost a few seconds and that spurred me on. Already there was a decent gap behind me and with a 4th km of 3:48 I guessed that 6:48 for the last 2kms felt about right.
As we got back onto road I immediately felt more at home. I decided to focus on each km and try and keep them under 3:20. Before long it was halfway and the split showed a 3:17 making me 16:28 at halfway. So on track for a sub 33?
The road at this point had been resurfaced and it was also slightly downhill. I felt like I was running quickly but after a couple of minutes of this, there was a slight uphill followed by a sharp turn and this took the edge of the split of 3:17. It was now time for my usual soft-cock approach of saving myself for the last 3km so I cruised the 7th km in 3:25. Does anyone else do that?
I was thinking it would be nice to run the last 3km in under 10 minutes and that would give me a decent time. I was rewarded with a 3:16 through 8km so 26:26 with 2 to go and a great chance of a sub 33. At this point of the course it seemed to be more down than up and I started to feel really good - oh for this to happen more often. The 9th km was a 3:15 so I knew I would have to run a really quick last km for a shot at my PB...
It was one of those strange feelings where I was running at max leg speed and despite this my breathing felt totally in control. The last km was again slightly downhill and despite several twists and turns I was motoring. The last 100m was a little uphill and I kicked to cross the line in 32:44 (a 3:03 last km). A 5 second road PB.
You seldom get surprises in running but I am more than a little surprised by this. I'll certainly take it. Running in temperatures close to freezing isn't everyone's cup of tea but I think if you are going for a time, then for me it's worth at least 30 seconds over 10km compared to the heat and humidity of Sydney.
I finished up with a 3km warm-down running back up the course to watch the other runners coming in. My prize was another crystal vase - I now need to start buying the wife more flowers...
All up 76.9km for the week. A little better than last week.
A couple of photos. Got to love the fog:
The course itself was a belter. Mainly road but a couple of kms through a forest trail in the front half of the race. It didn't sound quick but after the first km was passed with me solo running in 3:06 I was starting to reassess. I was again following the lead car and I think it was just after 2km (3:17) that the terrain changed from road to forest trail. It was certainly tougher at this stage as although the trend was flat, it was rolling slight uphill/slight downhill. Me not like.
The third km passed in 3:00 (clearly a dodgy km marker) and I think it was around this point that I nearly got taken out by a couple walking their dog. I only lost a few seconds and that spurred me on. Already there was a decent gap behind me and with a 4th km of 3:48 I guessed that 6:48 for the last 2kms felt about right.
As we got back onto road I immediately felt more at home. I decided to focus on each km and try and keep them under 3:20. Before long it was halfway and the split showed a 3:17 making me 16:28 at halfway. So on track for a sub 33?
The road at this point had been resurfaced and it was also slightly downhill. I felt like I was running quickly but after a couple of minutes of this, there was a slight uphill followed by a sharp turn and this took the edge of the split of 3:17. It was now time for my usual soft-cock approach of saving myself for the last 3km so I cruised the 7th km in 3:25. Does anyone else do that?
I was thinking it would be nice to run the last 3km in under 10 minutes and that would give me a decent time. I was rewarded with a 3:16 through 8km so 26:26 with 2 to go and a great chance of a sub 33. At this point of the course it seemed to be more down than up and I started to feel really good - oh for this to happen more often. The 9th km was a 3:15 so I knew I would have to run a really quick last km for a shot at my PB...
It was one of those strange feelings where I was running at max leg speed and despite this my breathing felt totally in control. The last km was again slightly downhill and despite several twists and turns I was motoring. The last 100m was a little uphill and I kicked to cross the line in 32:44 (a 3:03 last km). A 5 second road PB.
You seldom get surprises in running but I am more than a little surprised by this. I'll certainly take it. Running in temperatures close to freezing isn't everyone's cup of tea but I think if you are going for a time, then for me it's worth at least 30 seconds over 10km compared to the heat and humidity of Sydney.
I finished up with a 3km warm-down running back up the course to watch the other runners coming in. My prize was another crystal vase - I now need to start buying the wife more flowers...
All up 76.9km for the week. A little better than last week.
A couple of photos. Got to love the fog:
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Pondering
An easy 9.5km in 38:44 (4:05's).
Fully appreciate I'm not doing any quality training at the moment. Racing once per week, plus intervals mid-week, with easy runs either side simply isn't enough to improve. I'm considering something radical. Maybe try 6 weeks of big mileage. My biggest week ever I think is 119km so try say 6 weeks @ 120km/week and see what happens. I can't do this at the moment but maybe at the end of March. Something to think about and won't come easily as I've always been a low mileage runner. But you can't ignore the facts - as I up my mileage year-on-year, my times get better. Quicker times or injury? Ummm....
Race tomorrow. I'll ignore the sore throat, cough and runny nose and run it off/sweat it out. Could be a Barry....
Fully appreciate I'm not doing any quality training at the moment. Racing once per week, plus intervals mid-week, with easy runs either side simply isn't enough to improve. I'm considering something radical. Maybe try 6 weeks of big mileage. My biggest week ever I think is 119km so try say 6 weeks @ 120km/week and see what happens. I can't do this at the moment but maybe at the end of March. Something to think about and won't come easily as I've always been a low mileage runner. But you can't ignore the facts - as I up my mileage year-on-year, my times get better. Quicker times or injury? Ummm....
Race tomorrow. I'll ignore the sore throat, cough and runny nose and run it off/sweat it out. Could be a Barry....
Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday
A hattrick of the run done earlier in the week. This time I clocked 49:54 so getting slower....
Dad left today. On the darts front we had 3 head-to-head games during his stay. I lost the first 5-4 after missing a few darts for the match. Then I got stuffed 13-3 in a best of 25 where I couldn't hit a double for toffee. Last night my pride was restored with a 5-3 victory where I couldn't miss the doubles. You are only as good as your last game and all that.
Easy run tomorrow than race 10km again on Sunday. Not sure what the course is like but sub 34 will be another solid hit-out.
Dad left today. On the darts front we had 3 head-to-head games during his stay. I lost the first 5-4 after missing a few darts for the match. Then I got stuffed 13-3 in a best of 25 where I couldn't hit a double for toffee. Last night my pride was restored with a 5-3 victory where I couldn't miss the doubles. You are only as good as your last game and all that.
Easy run tomorrow than race 10km again on Sunday. Not sure what the course is like but sub 34 will be another solid hit-out.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday
Rest day. Well not entirely, I took the young lad swimming and I had a go at pool running. I managed 3 x 18m lengths and got bored.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday
I decided to run 2 by 12 minute efforts. I had recently measured the course and I had an accurate 3.6km marked out. The goal was to run slightly longer than this distance within the 12 minutes.
After a 15 minute warm-up, I went straight into it. The outward section is more uphill and I settled into a good rhythm. Soon the 12 minutes were up and I had passed my target point by 5 seconds so that indicated sub 3:20/km pace. After a 3 minute walk, I did the same route in reverse. Again, reaching the start point and running on for 5 seconds so very consistent. Happy enough. I finished up with a 15 minute warm-down so all up 14.1km for the session.
My Dad has extended his stay until Friday so any training is being nullified by many beers. At least I'm not going backwards...
After a 15 minute warm-up, I went straight into it. The outward section is more uphill and I settled into a good rhythm. Soon the 12 minutes were up and I had passed my target point by 5 seconds so that indicated sub 3:20/km pace. After a 3 minute walk, I did the same route in reverse. Again, reaching the start point and running on for 5 seconds so very consistent. Happy enough. I finished up with a 15 minute warm-down so all up 14.1km for the session.
My Dad has extended his stay until Friday so any training is being nullified by many beers. At least I'm not going backwards...
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Snooker
Same run as yesterday. Time a little slower being 49:32 (4:06s).
I had a game of snooker tonight after dusting off the snooker cue. In the last 15 years it had slightly warped, the ferrule had gone rusty and the tip was non-existent. Plus my eyesight has deteriorated significantly. That's enough excuses to get going with. Despite this, in the second frame there was some old touches of magic. I managed a 41 break and wobbled a red in the jaws to leave me perfect on the black. A long way from my best from about 20 years ago but not bad after a long sabbatical. It would be nice to get a full-size table but sadly not enough room in our house! Maybe next house...so there you have it, the only 3 sports I have any sort of talent for: running, darts and snooker. A lot of people would argue the latter 2 are not sports. Yes they are. Plus you can drink while playing them.
I had a game of snooker tonight after dusting off the snooker cue. In the last 15 years it had slightly warped, the ferrule had gone rusty and the tip was non-existent. Plus my eyesight has deteriorated significantly. That's enough excuses to get going with. Despite this, in the second frame there was some old touches of magic. I managed a 41 break and wobbled a red in the jaws to leave me perfect on the black. A long way from my best from about 20 years ago but not bad after a long sabbatical. It would be nice to get a full-size table but sadly not enough room in our house! Maybe next house...so there you have it, the only 3 sports I have any sort of talent for: running, darts and snooker. A lot of people would argue the latter 2 are not sports. Yes they are. Plus you can drink while playing them.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Normal loop plus a bit
I took the opportunity to run at lunchtime. I used my normal loop and added a smaller section on the end. I just measured it using Mapmyrun.com and it tallied 12.1kms. The time was 48:51 so that's 4:02/km. Happy with the pace.
There's another race on this weekend. It's a 10km and I have to say I'm tempted. My plan is to try and string together some 80km+ weeks now for the next 4 weeks and do the odd race here and there to see where I'm at. It's about 2 months now until the half so still plenty of time to string some decent training together.
There's another race on this weekend. It's a 10km and I have to say I'm tempted. My plan is to try and string together some 80km+ weeks now for the next 4 weeks and do the odd race here and there to see where I'm at. It's about 2 months now until the half so still plenty of time to string some decent training together.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Dad's Home
My Dad arrived on Friday for a few days. Running has suffered as a result - Friday was a trip into Galway to watch Luka Bloom in the Crane (superb gig). Then on Saturday we went out for a few quiet local drinks and ended up rolling in at 1:45am. Ouch. So two nights on the shant with no running. So well rested for today's race in Tuam...
Arrived in time for a 10 minute warm-up and a few strides. It was cold and there was a strong wind which made certain parts of the course pretty tough. There was a very strong field - a fair bit of prize money up for grabs which was good. The first km was clocked in 2:55 and although I was running quick with wind on the back, I immediately was questioning the km markers. Three runners were edging out in front leaving me solo running in 4th place. That's pretty much how the race remained. The second km was another quick one - a 3:06 again with wind benefit. Then we turned to head back into town and running into the wind was much tougher. The course itself was basically 2 x 4km loops so it was good to get an idea of the run on the first lap. The third 3km was a 3:28, and then there was a nasty climb as we approached the town centre and I went through the 4th km in 3:23.
So basically one lap down and one to go. I tried to push the quick section and managed to drop in a 3:09 and 3:12 for kms 5 and 6. I was still running by myself with the leaders now out of view and no one close behind me. I died a bit in the run home and the 7th km was a 3:21 so I thought a similar split for the final km would see me run a decent enough time. But the last km went on and on and despite really running hard, it was clocked at 3:55 leaving me crossing the line in 26:29. Yes, dodgy km markers!
I finished up with a couple of kms warm-down. All up 12km for the day. Then had to rush home to watch Spurs play Utd.
Only 57.6kms for the week...
Arrived in time for a 10 minute warm-up and a few strides. It was cold and there was a strong wind which made certain parts of the course pretty tough. There was a very strong field - a fair bit of prize money up for grabs which was good. The first km was clocked in 2:55 and although I was running quick with wind on the back, I immediately was questioning the km markers. Three runners were edging out in front leaving me solo running in 4th place. That's pretty much how the race remained. The second km was another quick one - a 3:06 again with wind benefit. Then we turned to head back into town and running into the wind was much tougher. The course itself was basically 2 x 4km loops so it was good to get an idea of the run on the first lap. The third 3km was a 3:28, and then there was a nasty climb as we approached the town centre and I went through the 4th km in 3:23.
So basically one lap down and one to go. I tried to push the quick section and managed to drop in a 3:09 and 3:12 for kms 5 and 6. I was still running by myself with the leaders now out of view and no one close behind me. I died a bit in the run home and the 7th km was a 3:21 so I thought a similar split for the final km would see me run a decent enough time. But the last km went on and on and despite really running hard, it was clocked at 3:55 leaving me crossing the line in 26:29. Yes, dodgy km markers!
I finished up with a couple of kms warm-down. All up 12km for the day. Then had to rush home to watch Spurs play Utd.
Only 57.6kms for the week...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Mile reps
Back to Dangan. After a longish warm-up of 6.5km, the session was to be 5 x 1 mile reps with one minute recovery.
I didn't fancy running the extra 9 metres so I decided to run 4 lappers. The first one was a feeler with the intention of speeding up throughout. Oh yeah, the weather. Mild (10 degrees) but wet and a headwind on the home straight. Times were as follows:
5:22, 5:16, 5:14, 5:14, 5:08
One of those sessions where it seemed to get easier throughout. That said, the last one I pushed and was blowing at the end. Pleased enough especially when you constantly have to run wide to lap some of the slower runners.
Finished up with a 4 lap warm-down. Total for the session 16.1km. Then home for 30 minutes practice on the dartboard. Phil Taylor I am not, more like Elizabeth Taylor...
I didn't fancy running the extra 9 metres so I decided to run 4 lappers. The first one was a feeler with the intention of speeding up throughout. Oh yeah, the weather. Mild (10 degrees) but wet and a headwind on the home straight. Times were as follows:
5:22, 5:16, 5:14, 5:14, 5:08
One of those sessions where it seemed to get easier throughout. That said, the last one I pushed and was blowing at the end. Pleased enough especially when you constantly have to run wide to lap some of the slower runners.
Finished up with a 4 lap warm-down. Total for the session 16.1km. Then home for 30 minutes practice on the dartboard. Phil Taylor I am not, more like Elizabeth Taylor...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Another run
My usual route of 9.5km in 39:15 (4:08's). I may try for some intervals tomorrow.
Darts practice is underway. I have a touch of the Mitchell Johnsons at the moment. Not good. Lets just remind ourselves of that wonderful Barmy Army song:
He bowls to the left
He bowls to the right
That Mitchell Johnson
His bowling is shite
which is nice...
Darts practice is underway. I have a touch of the Mitchell Johnsons at the moment. Not good. Lets just remind ourselves of that wonderful Barmy Army song:
He bowls to the left
He bowls to the right
That Mitchell Johnson
His bowling is shite
which is nice...
Monday, January 10, 2011
Running and darts
Back on the treadmill for 10km in 42:32.
After watching a lot of darts over Christmas (the Sky coverage was brilliant) I couldn't resist buying a board for the games room. It's now installed and my old man sent me over 2 new sets of darts that arrived this morning. Needless to say I've been hitting a bit of red bit today. I need to get more practice in before the weekend as my Dad is coming over from England for a few days and he fancies himself a bit. He does have 86 county caps but that was in the days of black and white TVs. Watch this space for the results...
Oh yeah, there is an 8km road race on in Tuam on Sunday that I may try and get to. Need a babysitter and all that.
After watching a lot of darts over Christmas (the Sky coverage was brilliant) I couldn't resist buying a board for the games room. It's now installed and my old man sent me over 2 new sets of darts that arrived this morning. Needless to say I've been hitting a bit of red bit today. I need to get more practice in before the weekend as my Dad is coming over from England for a few days and he fancies himself a bit. He does have 86 county caps but that was in the days of black and white TVs. Watch this space for the results...
Oh yeah, there is an 8km road race on in Tuam on Sunday that I may try and get to. Need a babysitter and all that.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
MLR
A double loop around Claregalway. All up 17.6km in 1:13:00 so 4:09/km. Legs felt really tired towards the end. A good week of training in the bag.
I may have suffered a little stomach strain after yesterday's run and whilst I could feel it a little today, it certainly wasn't troubling me.
So that's 84.3km for the week.
I've booked my flights for the Norwich Half Marathon (take #2). This will be my first real target for the year and the aim is to run 71 minutes or thereabouts. I have a good base so with a couple of months of decent training, it should be achievable.
I may have suffered a little stomach strain after yesterday's run and whilst I could feel it a little today, it certainly wasn't troubling me.
So that's 84.3km for the week.
I've booked my flights for the Norwich Half Marathon (take #2). This will be my first real target for the year and the aim is to run 71 minutes or thereabouts. I have a good base so with a couple of months of decent training, it should be achievable.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Tempo
Back out to Dangan where the track is for a tempo session. We were to use the surrounding sports fields for a session of 15 mins, 10 mins, 5 mins of tempo with 3 minutes recovery in between.
After a 20 minute warm-up the session was underway. Today it was packed full of good runners - probably 10 runners who can rub sub 35 for 10km. If only they would all turn up to race...
Anyway, the lap we were running was approx 1.25km. When I've done a similar session before I knew that 4:30 per lap was a good pace. Well the first lap passed in 4:11 and I knew I'd gone too hard. I kept running the first 15 minute effort and each subsequent lap was a little slower. The weather was fairly brutal - bitterly cold, and the wind and rain picked up throughout the session to really test your resolve.
So about 3.5 laps for the first 15 minutes. 2 and a bit laps for the 10 minute effort. And 1 and a smaller bit for the last 5 minutes. The pace I ran was fairly consistent if you ignore the first lap (say 4:20 per lap so just under 3:30 per km pace). Ideally it would have been better to pick up the pace throughout the session.
I finished up with a good 20 minute warm-down. All up I estimate 17.7km for the session.
After a 20 minute warm-up the session was underway. Today it was packed full of good runners - probably 10 runners who can rub sub 35 for 10km. If only they would all turn up to race...
Anyway, the lap we were running was approx 1.25km. When I've done a similar session before I knew that 4:30 per lap was a good pace. Well the first lap passed in 4:11 and I knew I'd gone too hard. I kept running the first 15 minute effort and each subsequent lap was a little slower. The weather was fairly brutal - bitterly cold, and the wind and rain picked up throughout the session to really test your resolve.
So about 3.5 laps for the first 15 minutes. 2 and a bit laps for the 10 minute effort. And 1 and a smaller bit for the last 5 minutes. The pace I ran was fairly consistent if you ignore the first lap (say 4:20 per lap so just under 3:30 per km pace). Ideally it would have been better to pick up the pace throughout the session.
I finished up with a good 20 minute warm-down. All up I estimate 17.7km for the session.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Friday
Easy 9.5km run outdoors. Time 38 minutes and 57 seconds (4:06/km pace). Feeling good.
Oh yeah, we won! I can get some early nights now...
Oh yeah, we won! I can get some early nights now...
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
3rd tough session in 5 days
I headed to track but it was too slippery so we regrouped in the surrounding rugby field for some 2.5 minute efforts with one minute jog recovery. I'd run a very long warm-up of 8.1km and was feeling quite tired but the presence of some good runners soon perked me up.
The efforts were pretty consistent - I was averaging about 720m or thereabouts each 2.5 mins so just under 3:30/km pace. This was good considering the state of the field which was spongy in the odd spot. I had runners behind me the whole time so this was good to keep me honest. At the end of the effort everyone jogged over to the same start point to regroup so there was no lapping other runners to worry about.
I finished up with a 1.6km warm-down and was absolutely knackered. That's 2 races and a tough interval session in the space of 5 days. I'll probably take tomorrow off, then try and easy run on Friday with a longer tempo session on Saturday. Then long on Sunday.
Total 15.5km for the session.
The efforts were pretty consistent - I was averaging about 720m or thereabouts each 2.5 mins so just under 3:30/km pace. This was good considering the state of the field which was spongy in the odd spot. I had runners behind me the whole time so this was good to keep me honest. At the end of the effort everyone jogged over to the same start point to regroup so there was no lapping other runners to worry about.
I finished up with a 1.6km warm-down and was absolutely knackered. That's 2 races and a tough interval session in the space of 5 days. I'll probably take tomorrow off, then try and easy run on Friday with a longer tempo session on Saturday. Then long on Sunday.
Total 15.5km for the session.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
More recovery
An easy 10km in the gym in 42:15. Too bloody cold and windy to run outside.
The cricket is in the balance. England need a good first hour and a first innings lead of 50 or more which will put the Aussies under a lot of pressure.
The cricket is in the balance. England need a good first hour and a first innings lead of 50 or more which will put the Aussies under a lot of pressure.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Fields of Athenry
Today was another race - originally scheduled for Boxing Day, but postponed due to the bad weather. Originally this had sold out with all 1,500 spots taken, but due to the delay numbers were significantly down - less than half that number turned up to race today.
It was a very cold day, with temps at -2.5 degrees as I arrived to collect my number and then warm-up. I was running a bit short of time so I only managed a 10 minute warm-up with a few run throughs thrown in. The race started at 11am and from the gun a small group formed at the front which I was part of. A quick uphill first km of 3:07 and it was at this point that 2 runners broke away to leave me running in third. I wasn't feeling particularly great - the race had taken the edge off me from 2 days previous and I couldn't find that extra gear to really hammer the flat and downhill sections.
I was joined by another runner at around 2km after a 3:15 split and that was how the race remained for the next 5km. We were taking turns running in 3rd spot, whilst the lead 2 runners gradually disappeared from view. Splits were 3km - 3:16, 4km - 3:25, 5km - 3:28 (16:31), 6km - 3:21 and 7km - 3:18. At this point it would have been nice to push for home but there was nothing in the tank. But the other runner started to drop-off so I simply maintained my pace as best I could running through 8km with a 3:22, 9km with a 3:23 and a downhill km to finish of 3:16 to finish in 33:11 and 3rd place overall.
I'm pleased with the placing and the time given my training over the last few weeks. It's my second quickest road 10km ever. The placing flattered me though as if this race had taken place as was originally planned I would have been lucky to make the top 5.
Gerry Ryan won the race in 31:12 - an incredible time given that he is 47 years of age which he wasn't happy with. Second place went to a Dublin based runner with a time of 31:41. So a big gap back to me in third!
I did a couple of kms warm-down so a total of 14kms for the day.
Lots of prizes at the presentation. I picked up a crystal vase and glasses for my efforts. Another great race and has given me the hunger to try and go a bit quicker.
Darts and cricket to be watched tonight...
It was a very cold day, with temps at -2.5 degrees as I arrived to collect my number and then warm-up. I was running a bit short of time so I only managed a 10 minute warm-up with a few run throughs thrown in. The race started at 11am and from the gun a small group formed at the front which I was part of. A quick uphill first km of 3:07 and it was at this point that 2 runners broke away to leave me running in third. I wasn't feeling particularly great - the race had taken the edge off me from 2 days previous and I couldn't find that extra gear to really hammer the flat and downhill sections.
I was joined by another runner at around 2km after a 3:15 split and that was how the race remained for the next 5km. We were taking turns running in 3rd spot, whilst the lead 2 runners gradually disappeared from view. Splits were 3km - 3:16, 4km - 3:25, 5km - 3:28 (16:31), 6km - 3:21 and 7km - 3:18. At this point it would have been nice to push for home but there was nothing in the tank. But the other runner started to drop-off so I simply maintained my pace as best I could running through 8km with a 3:22, 9km with a 3:23 and a downhill km to finish of 3:16 to finish in 33:11 and 3rd place overall.
I'm pleased with the placing and the time given my training over the last few weeks. It's my second quickest road 10km ever. The placing flattered me though as if this race had taken place as was originally planned I would have been lucky to make the top 5.
Gerry Ryan won the race in 31:12 - an incredible time given that he is 47 years of age which he wasn't happy with. Second place went to a Dublin based runner with a time of 31:41. So a big gap back to me in third!
I did a couple of kms warm-down so a total of 14kms for the day.
Lots of prizes at the presentation. I picked up a crystal vase and glasses for my efforts. Another great race and has given me the hunger to try and go a bit quicker.
Darts and cricket to be watched tonight...
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Recovery Run
An easy trot outdoors of 9.5km in 39:42 (4:11/km).
So that's 20.0km exactly for this 2 day calendar week.
Looking forward to the 10km race tomorrow. I've only run one 10km in the last 8 months! McM suggests sub 33 is possible based on yesterday's 5km but I think low 33 is more realistic.
More cricket watching tonight!
So that's 20.0km exactly for this 2 day calendar week.
Looking forward to the 10km race tomorrow. I've only run one 10km in the last 8 months! McM suggests sub 33 is possible based on yesterday's 5km but I think low 33 is more realistic.
More cricket watching tonight!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Racing
After a late night, I woke up feeling not great. There was a 5km race on near the city starting at 1:11pm (on the 01/01/11). I decided to give it a go and I went in with very low expectations. I'm glad I did as it turned into a cracking race...
After registering I headed out for a 3km warm-up. The course was a 2.5km double-loop so I ran the loop then added a bit on. There were some new faces about and the word was that it was going to be a good standard of race.
We were soon underway and the first 400m were slightly uphill. I settled into the lead group of 5 or so, letting 2 young lads up front dictate the pace. The course was undulating and after the initial climb, it flattened out then we had a nice downhill section. The first km arrived in 3:06 and I knew I wasn't in the shape to keep that going so it was a case of hanging on as best I could. To my surprise I moved into second spot but the group remained tightly formed. The second km seemed predominantly downhill and another quick km was recorded of 3:04 so I expected a blow-up deluxe any moment.
I was flirting with the lead on the odd occasion but the whippet seemed to be doing it fairly easy. As we completed the first lap there were 2 uphill slogs and this was reflected in the 3rd km split of 3:22. At this stage the leader gapped the field and broke away by 10m or so. I wasn't feeling great and I slipped into 3rd spot and knew that any chance of winning the race was slipping away. I was hanging on to 3rd but managed to make up a bit of ground on the downhill section to move back into 2nd but was still 10m or more back on the leader. At this point I'd pretty much resigned myself that the best I could hope for was 2nd. It's at this point of the race that when you think back you wish you'd have pushed it a bit harder but I was absolutely red-lining.
The 4th km was a 3:07 and I knew that there was 2 uphill sections to come which I wasn't looking forward to. The guy behind me was right on my shoulder so the battle was still on. After the first uphill I held second place and may have even made up a metre or so on the lead runner. As we rounded the last corner I decided to kick for home. More so to protect my second position but to my surprise, I was suddenly closing in on the leader. With about 50m to go I drew level with him and I thought that would be the sign for him to pull the trigger and sprint ahead to the finish. But he didn't respond in anyway - nothing at all. So I maintained my pace and crossed the line in 15:51. Finally some great racing as opposed to a time trial.
I'm not sure where that time came from. I would have been happy with 16:30 but to break 16:00 just goes to show what you can do when you have other runners to feed off. I should mention that I have absolutely no kick so to overtake a young 'un in the finishing straight was strange.
So my first race of the year and another win. I finished up with a 2.5km warm-down so all up 10.5km for the day.
Edit: Being a complete numpty, I just realised this is a 5km road PB (very soft - previous 16:10). I'll take it. So that's where my next PB is coming from! Beer now.
After registering I headed out for a 3km warm-up. The course was a 2.5km double-loop so I ran the loop then added a bit on. There were some new faces about and the word was that it was going to be a good standard of race.
We were soon underway and the first 400m were slightly uphill. I settled into the lead group of 5 or so, letting 2 young lads up front dictate the pace. The course was undulating and after the initial climb, it flattened out then we had a nice downhill section. The first km arrived in 3:06 and I knew I wasn't in the shape to keep that going so it was a case of hanging on as best I could. To my surprise I moved into second spot but the group remained tightly formed. The second km seemed predominantly downhill and another quick km was recorded of 3:04 so I expected a blow-up deluxe any moment.
I was flirting with the lead on the odd occasion but the whippet seemed to be doing it fairly easy. As we completed the first lap there were 2 uphill slogs and this was reflected in the 3rd km split of 3:22. At this stage the leader gapped the field and broke away by 10m or so. I wasn't feeling great and I slipped into 3rd spot and knew that any chance of winning the race was slipping away. I was hanging on to 3rd but managed to make up a bit of ground on the downhill section to move back into 2nd but was still 10m or more back on the leader. At this point I'd pretty much resigned myself that the best I could hope for was 2nd. It's at this point of the race that when you think back you wish you'd have pushed it a bit harder but I was absolutely red-lining.
The 4th km was a 3:07 and I knew that there was 2 uphill sections to come which I wasn't looking forward to. The guy behind me was right on my shoulder so the battle was still on. After the first uphill I held second place and may have even made up a metre or so on the lead runner. As we rounded the last corner I decided to kick for home. More so to protect my second position but to my surprise, I was suddenly closing in on the leader. With about 50m to go I drew level with him and I thought that would be the sign for him to pull the trigger and sprint ahead to the finish. But he didn't respond in anyway - nothing at all. So I maintained my pace and crossed the line in 15:51. Finally some great racing as opposed to a time trial.
I'm not sure where that time came from. I would have been happy with 16:30 but to break 16:00 just goes to show what you can do when you have other runners to feed off. I should mention that I have absolutely no kick so to overtake a young 'un in the finishing straight was strange.
So my first race of the year and another win. I finished up with a 2.5km warm-down so all up 10.5km for the day.
Edit: Being a complete numpty, I just realised this is a 5km road PB (very soft - previous 16:10). I'll take it. So that's where my next PB is coming from! Beer now.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Yearly Review
Today I did the same route as yesterday - this time a bit quicker in 36:53 (3:53's). So that's it for 2010. Total running for the year 3,782.9kms so well over 10kms each and every day. Plus my beer intake is up on 2009!
It's been easily my best year to date. I've run PB's for 5km, 10km, half and full marathon. You can't really ask for more than that. Here's a quick summary:
5km track - from 15:57 down to 15:14
10km road - from 33:30 down to 32:49
Half - from 1:13:48 down to 1:11:54
Full - from 2:34:49 down to 2:28:20
After never winning a single road race in Oz in over 10 years, my record in Ireland is much better. Since arriving I've won 7 out of 10 road races. Smaller pond and all that but I'll take it!
Below is a summary of my 2010 races:
So here is my top 5:
5th Galway Half Marathon
My first big win - a tough course and a big PB and running with the world ultra guys was a great experience.
4th NSW State 10,000m
I was hoping for a crack at sub 32 but conditions on the night were too humid. That said I still ran only 3 seconds slower than my PB and with the conditions in mind, it was worth at least half a minute.
3rd Streets of Galway 8km
An unusual distance for me. I finished up with a time of 25:38 running into a headwind the last 2km which everyone told me never happens. I reckon this was worth sub 32:20 in terms of a 10km race.
2nd Tullamore 5000m
This race felt like a 12.5 lap sprint. I was comfortable at 3km in 9:05 then things got really hard. I gritted out the last 5 laps and was rewarded with a massive PB.
1st Dublin Marathon
What can you say? A 6 minute plus PB and the realisation of a dream to break 2 hours 30 minutes. I still can't believe it happened.
As you move into a new year it's always difficult to see where the next PB is coming from. I certainly need to get a bit more serious with my training but the weather makes that hard. I'll target the 10km and half marathon. Sub 32 and sub 70 respectively would be nice.
Happy New Year and may 2011 be a great year for all. I might have to get a job this year - I've really impressed myself by adding a spreadsheet to my blog so I feel I've lots of skills to offer!! TTFN.
It's been easily my best year to date. I've run PB's for 5km, 10km, half and full marathon. You can't really ask for more than that. Here's a quick summary:
5km track - from 15:57 down to 15:14
10km road - from 33:30 down to 32:49
Half - from 1:13:48 down to 1:11:54
Full - from 2:34:49 down to 2:28:20
After never winning a single road race in Oz in over 10 years, my record in Ireland is much better. Since arriving I've won 7 out of 10 road races. Smaller pond and all that but I'll take it!
Below is a summary of my 2010 races:
So here is my top 5:
5th Galway Half Marathon
My first big win - a tough course and a big PB and running with the world ultra guys was a great experience.
4th NSW State 10,000m
I was hoping for a crack at sub 32 but conditions on the night were too humid. That said I still ran only 3 seconds slower than my PB and with the conditions in mind, it was worth at least half a minute.
3rd Streets of Galway 8km
An unusual distance for me. I finished up with a time of 25:38 running into a headwind the last 2km which everyone told me never happens. I reckon this was worth sub 32:20 in terms of a 10km race.
2nd Tullamore 5000m
This race felt like a 12.5 lap sprint. I was comfortable at 3km in 9:05 then things got really hard. I gritted out the last 5 laps and was rewarded with a massive PB.
1st Dublin Marathon
What can you say? A 6 minute plus PB and the realisation of a dream to break 2 hours 30 minutes. I still can't believe it happened.
As you move into a new year it's always difficult to see where the next PB is coming from. I certainly need to get a bit more serious with my training but the weather makes that hard. I'll target the 10km and half marathon. Sub 32 and sub 70 respectively would be nice.
Happy New Year and may 2011 be a great year for all. I might have to get a job this year - I've really impressed myself by adding a spreadsheet to my blog so I feel I've lots of skills to offer!! TTFN.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
More of the same
Just going through the motions really - just good to be out there burning off some of the Christmas excess. I squeezed in my 9.5km run in 38:11 (4:01's). I'm subscribing to the David Sweeney training philosophy where all runs have to be at sub 4 minutes per km pace so today I didn't quite make it!
I may try and run some intervals tomorrow at the track. Yearly review will also follow.
I may try and run some intervals tomorrow at the track. Yearly review will also follow.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Hour Run
A lunchtime run in typical Irish conditions. One of those days when it's not actually raining but you still get wet due to the Irish mist. I ran my 14.4km double loop course (first time since Nov 18th!) in a time of 57:43 (4:00/km pace). I think that's a course PB (edit: no it isn't, my best is 57:04) but that said I only cruise these routes. Felt good but the knees seem to be a little sore post run. I'm on a running streak now - 3 days and counting...
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The Ashes
Well I stayed up to watch England retain the Ashes. Well done boys, much deserved.
Earlier in the day I squeezed in a 9km run in the gym in 38:04 (still no water - 4 days now). That's a run 2 days on the trot now - serious stuff.
I also bought a new pair of 2150s in the sale.
Spurs keep winning. Life is good.
Earlier in the day I squeezed in a 9km run in the gym in 38:04 (still no water - 4 days now). That's a run 2 days on the trot now - serious stuff.
I also bought a new pair of 2150s in the sale.
Spurs keep winning. Life is good.
Monday, December 27, 2010
The thaw
Well the weather has improved - the snow and ice has gone to be replaced with rain. I took the opportunity to run outside and it was good to get back out there. I ran 9.4km in 39:29 starting and finishing at the gym. The reason for that is that we don't have any water at present as the mains have frozen so after 3 days of no water I was in need of a decent shower. So a quick jacuzzi, steam and shower to finish off with.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
End of week
No running on Sunday so another pathetic week of only 2 runs and 21.0km in total. Cricket looking good though!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Catch Up
Well no posts since Wednesday. You guessed it, the race was postponed so any thought of trying to being sensible went out of the window.
No running for 3 days now. Still freezing cold with ice everywhere. Minus double figures, no water in the house as the pipes are all frozen. But the Guinness keeps flowing. Christmas Eve turned into a right bender and today was a day for the cure. All thoughts now turn to the cricket. I can't wait and will try and at least watch the first session which could decide the whole series.
Health and happiness to one and all. I'll finish up the year with a race summary of all my performances in 2010. I bet you'll never guess what my #1 pick was?
No running for 3 days now. Still freezing cold with ice everywhere. Minus double figures, no water in the house as the pipes are all frozen. But the Guinness keeps flowing. Christmas Eve turned into a right bender and today was a day for the cure. All thoughts now turn to the cricket. I can't wait and will try and at least watch the first session which could decide the whole series.
Health and happiness to one and all. I'll finish up the year with a race summary of all my performances in 2010. I bet you'll never guess what my #1 pick was?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Midweek sports special
Still no sign of a thaw. Unbelievably cold - it was minus 12 last night...
So another gym session. I ran 10km and threw in 4 x 1km in the middle with 500m float recovery. I was running them in 3:23's wearing my heavy hoofs and felt pretty cruisey. The total running time was 39:27.
I still doubt the race will happen on Sunday - I kind of hope it does as the standard will be very good. They should get about 500 runners and last year there were 4 guys under 33 with the winner running 29:57!
So another gym session. I ran 10km and threw in 4 x 1km in the middle with 500m float recovery. I was running them in 3:23's wearing my heavy hoofs and felt pretty cruisey. The total running time was 39:27.
I still doubt the race will happen on Sunday - I kind of hope it does as the standard will be very good. They should get about 500 runners and last year there were 4 guys under 33 with the winner running 29:57!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Rest
No running today. My sporting fix was watching the darts world champs with Freddy Flintoff as a guest commentator.
Track is cancelled tomorrow so it will be back to the gym...
Track is cancelled tomorrow so it will be back to the gym...
Monday, December 20, 2010
New week
The knee pulled up okay after yesterday so I went back on the treadmill for more. I think I mentioned I wasn't going to run back-to-back treadmill sessions but at the moment that would mean no running as it's minus 8 degrees and icy outside...
The session was 10 mins easy, then 3km at 3:24/km pace, then 3 mins float recovery, then 3km at 3:23/km pace, then 2km warm-down. All up 11.0km in 42:36.
I felt pretty good - hopefully I can run at that pace for 10km in the race on Boxing Day. Having said that, I'd say there is a very good chance that the race won't go ahead...
The session was 10 mins easy, then 3km at 3:24/km pace, then 3 mins float recovery, then 3km at 3:23/km pace, then 2km warm-down. All up 11.0km in 42:36.
I felt pretty good - hopefully I can run at that pace for 10km in the race on Boxing Day. Having said that, I'd say there is a very good chance that the race won't go ahead...
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday
No running on Saturday - I was willing but the weather prevented a run. Today it was back to the gym for 10km in 42:26. Very boring - difficult to get into any sort of routine when all the roads are iced over.
Cricket was rubbish. It's good for the series that the Aussies are back in it but I can't help feeling that a couple of good days for the Aussies has papered over a lot of the cracks. They still have a lot of players out of form and without Hussey and Johnson in Perth, there wouldn't be too much to worry about.
Cricket was rubbish. It's good for the series that the Aussies are back in it but I can't help feeling that a couple of good days for the Aussies has papered over a lot of the cracks. They still have a lot of players out of form and without Hussey and Johnson in Perth, there wouldn't be too much to worry about.
Friday, December 17, 2010
10km
More snow in Galway so it was 10km in the gym. Time 41:09.
Cricket not so good. The Aussies are putting up a fight. Early wickets needed....
Cricket not so good. The Aussies are putting up a fight. Early wickets needed....
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Track
After a longish warm-up of 6.5km, it was time for my first track session in 3 weeks. Conditions were as good as could be expected - very little breeze and mild for this time of year (6 degrees). Not even raining!
The session was to be 15 x 400m with 30 seconds recovery. I eased into it and felt pretty good throughout. I was at the front and lapped the next quickest group so I ended up running a bonus 16th lap effort which I didn't time but would estimate around 71 secs. Here are the splits for the first 15 laps:
73/75/72/72/73/72/73/72/72/72/72/70/72/73/72
So I averaged around 72 which was the intention as these were supposed to be run at target 5km pace. But there is no way I could have kept that pace up for long at the moment...
All in all a good session. I ended up with a couple of kms warm-down so a total of 14.9km for the session.
I best get to bed early so I can get up in the morning to watch the last few hours of the cricket.
The session was to be 15 x 400m with 30 seconds recovery. I eased into it and felt pretty good throughout. I was at the front and lapped the next quickest group so I ended up running a bonus 16th lap effort which I didn't time but would estimate around 71 secs. Here are the splits for the first 15 laps:
73/75/72/72/73/72/73/72/72/72/72/70/72/73/72
So I averaged around 72 which was the intention as these were supposed to be run at target 5km pace. But there is no way I could have kept that pace up for long at the moment...
All in all a good session. I ended up with a couple of kms warm-down so a total of 14.9km for the session.
I best get to bed early so I can get up in the morning to watch the last few hours of the cricket.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Rest Day
No running today - a planned rest day.
I'm hoping to make the track tomorrow. That said there is more bad weather forecast so we shall see.
The third test starts tomorrow so looking forward to that. I won't be watching the start though as it's a 2:30am start...
I'm hoping to make the track tomorrow. That said there is more bad weather forecast so we shall see.
The third test starts tomorrow so looking forward to that. I won't be watching the start though as it's a 2:30am start...
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Carnmore 6km Turkey Trot
A very small race, I'd be surprised if there were more than 100 runners. Well organised, and after a 4km warm-up it was game on. I took the lead straight away following the lead car. After about 500m I was surprised to hear some heavy footfall behind me getting closer Sure enough a taller runner eventually drew level with me as we approached the first km marker. He was wearing football gear so knew it was a probable quick starter who (I hoped) would slow any minute. That happened as we passed the first km in 3:10. From then on I was left by myself. I was running well but didn't have that edge to really push each km (fitness and lack of concentration), and that was reflected in the kms which got slower and slower. So 2km was reached with a 3:16, 3km 3:20, 4km 3:22, then I missed 5km (doh) and ran the last 2km in 6:44 to finish in 19:52. A few hills and long drags but all in all a pretty good course. I won by just over a minute with my GCH team-mate Ian coming in second. So a good day for the Harriers.
My prize was a turkey (not live) and after a 2km warm-down there was hot tea and biscuits served in the community centre. I was watching the European XC on the TV during the presentation as GCH had an Irish representative running. His name is Gary Thornton and I think he finished 44th overall in the senior event. Well done Gary.
The rest of the year I'll stick with running 5 sessions a week (weather permitting). That way I shouldn't lose too much fitness. There is a race on Boxing Day which I've been asked to run in. It's a 10km race called the Fields of Athenry. If I decide to run it could curtail my normal Xmas day boozing....
A total of 53.5km for the week. Piss poor really but that said, it has been a Stella year.
My prize was a turkey (not live) and after a 2km warm-down there was hot tea and biscuits served in the community centre. I was watching the European XC on the TV during the presentation as GCH had an Irish representative running. His name is Gary Thornton and I think he finished 44th overall in the senior event. Well done Gary.
The rest of the year I'll stick with running 5 sessions a week (weather permitting). That way I shouldn't lose too much fitness. There is a race on Boxing Day which I've been asked to run in. It's a 10km race called the Fields of Athenry. If I decide to run it could curtail my normal Xmas day boozing....
A total of 53.5km for the week. Piss poor really but that said, it has been a Stella year.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
On the road again
Finally the ice had cleared. I only had the cold and wet to deal with....
I ran my 9.5km road route in 39:52. Good to be out there again. I've definitely lost a good piece of fitness which you can detect from breathing a lot harder than was previously the case.
I noticed there is a local race tomorrow. It's titled the "Carnmore 6km Turkey Trot". I'll give that a bash and see how I go. I've set myself a soft target of 21 minutes but to be honest, I don't think I'll better that by much.
I ran my 9.5km road route in 39:52. Good to be out there again. I've definitely lost a good piece of fitness which you can detect from breathing a lot harder than was previously the case.
I noticed there is a local race tomorrow. It's titled the "Carnmore 6km Turkey Trot". I'll give that a bash and see how I go. I've set myself a soft target of 21 minutes but to be honest, I don't think I'll better that by much.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Wednesday
No running yesterday, all I could think about was cricket. Not sure why...
Well today the track was closed due to ice.....so it was back to the gym. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and break into a bit of a sweat so it was to be a 2km warm-up, then 6 x 1km cruise intervals with 400m float, then 2km warm-down. All up a dozen of the best.
All went well. I started the first km rep at 3:45/km pace and worked down to 3:29/km for the last one. It felt pretty easy - it should do really as even the quickest rep was close to my marathon pace from a few weeks back. The knee was a little sore afterwards and as a precaution I don't think I'll be able to run back to back days on the treadmill. Hopefully the ice thaws soon and I can get back onto the road.
Another update on Friday as tomorrow I have to prepare for a job interview. I think that after nearly 18 months as a stay-at-home Dad/athlete, it's time to get back into the workforce. The company is about 2 minutes from the athletics track. Umm.
Well today the track was closed due to ice.....so it was back to the gym. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and break into a bit of a sweat so it was to be a 2km warm-up, then 6 x 1km cruise intervals with 400m float, then 2km warm-down. All up a dozen of the best.
All went well. I started the first km rep at 3:45/km pace and worked down to 3:29/km for the last one. It felt pretty easy - it should do really as even the quickest rep was close to my marathon pace from a few weeks back. The knee was a little sore afterwards and as a precaution I don't think I'll be able to run back to back days on the treadmill. Hopefully the ice thaws soon and I can get back onto the road.
Another update on Friday as tomorrow I have to prepare for a job interview. I think that after nearly 18 months as a stay-at-home Dad/athlete, it's time to get back into the workforce. The company is about 2 minutes from the athletics track. Umm.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Please don't rain
The weather is still atrocious. Black ice everywhere so I headed to the gym for 10km in 42 minutes. Knee still sore...
England need 6 wickets to wrap up the second test match. I'm feeling confident.
England need 6 wickets to wrap up the second test match. I'm feeling confident.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
End of another poor week
No running Friday or Saturday. I then got smashed Saturday night and was licking my wounds all day Sunday. I managed a stumble around on the ice in the afternoon. Very treacherous (read stupid to even consider running) and my normal 9.5km route took me over 47 minutes.
So only 3 runs for the week and a massive total of 31.5kms. My left knee is sore - I think the treadmill running must have triggered that. I've gone from hero to zero in the space of 2 weeks. At least the cricket is looking good...
So only 3 runs for the week and a massive total of 31.5kms. My left knee is sore - I think the treadmill running must have triggered that. I've gone from hero to zero in the space of 2 weeks. At least the cricket is looking good...
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Welcome Back
Well here goes. On Friday I travelled to Dublin to watch my favourite band (The Wedding Present). My first Weddoes gig in over a decade - brilliant. No time to train, plus it was too cold. A few pints was had - all good.
Woke up on Saturday to quite a lot of snow. I made it to Dublin airport for my 11:30am flight and all was well as we queued up at the gate for departure - apart from the small fact that there was no plane to board. Anyway, after being told the flight was delayed by at least 2 hours, I went for a wander only to receive a phone call to tell me that the race on Sunday had been postponed due to bad weather. So that was that, straight to the airport bar......
Eventually the flight left after a 5 hour delay. It wasn't so bad for me, but I did feel sorry for my old man who was waiting to pick me up at Stansted. At least I had alcohol - even if it was a fiver a pint.
So a bit disappointing - I was in decent shape and was looking to have a crack at sub 1:11. My race plan would have been to go out hard (33:30 for 10km), then hang on. Yes, it's the same for all of my races. So the time I spent in Norwich was spent predominantly in the pub. No running, as it was too cold with lots of snow and ice.
I got back to Galway late on Tuesday evening. Luckily no delays coming back. I was feeling guilty about not running for 5 days (unheard of), so I joined the gym last night (Wed) and ran 12km in 49:12. Then today I ran 10km in the gym in 43:35. Very boring but there is no chance of running outside as the paths are all iced over and the temps are currently minus 6 degrees. Pleasant if you are an Eskimo but not to my liking.
I need to find some motivation now. I'll have a look at the race calendar and see if I can target something. It may involve skis or ice skates if in the Irish winter though...
The positive was the cricket. I'd pretty much given up on the first test after day 3. And what a fightback it was. The second test is an hour from starting as I type this and I'm now full of nervous anticpation. Barmy Army.
Woke up on Saturday to quite a lot of snow. I made it to Dublin airport for my 11:30am flight and all was well as we queued up at the gate for departure - apart from the small fact that there was no plane to board. Anyway, after being told the flight was delayed by at least 2 hours, I went for a wander only to receive a phone call to tell me that the race on Sunday had been postponed due to bad weather. So that was that, straight to the airport bar......
Eventually the flight left after a 5 hour delay. It wasn't so bad for me, but I did feel sorry for my old man who was waiting to pick me up at Stansted. At least I had alcohol - even if it was a fiver a pint.
So a bit disappointing - I was in decent shape and was looking to have a crack at sub 1:11. My race plan would have been to go out hard (33:30 for 10km), then hang on. Yes, it's the same for all of my races. So the time I spent in Norwich was spent predominantly in the pub. No running, as it was too cold with lots of snow and ice.
I got back to Galway late on Tuesday evening. Luckily no delays coming back. I was feeling guilty about not running for 5 days (unheard of), so I joined the gym last night (Wed) and ran 12km in 49:12. Then today I ran 10km in the gym in 43:35. Very boring but there is no chance of running outside as the paths are all iced over and the temps are currently minus 6 degrees. Pleasant if you are an Eskimo but not to my liking.
I need to find some motivation now. I'll have a look at the race calendar and see if I can target something. It may involve skis or ice skates if in the Irish winter though...
The positive was the cricket. I'd pretty much given up on the first test after day 3. And what a fightback it was. The second test is an hour from starting as I type this and I'm now full of nervous anticpation. Barmy Army.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Mini taper
A repeat of Monday's session. This time the 6.5km took me 28:16 so a little quicker. I hope to do something similar tomorrow, then rest on Saturday before the race Sunday. Speaking of which, there has been snow in Norwich with more forecast on the weekend. So I may have to get some of those snow shoes that look like tennis rackets....
Okay, so the cricket was ordinary if you are an England fan. Thanks for your comments David. But I don't think you can get the brass band out until the Aussies have at least had a bat. Plus being a Spurs fan I can always harp on about our recent win over the scum. You still there David?!?
I tried watching the cricket sober last night and that didn't work. So a few beers tonight....
Okay, so the cricket was ordinary if you are an England fan. Thanks for your comments David. But I don't think you can get the brass band out until the Aussies have at least had a bat. Plus being a Spurs fan I can always harp on about our recent win over the scum. You still there David?!?
I tried watching the cricket sober last night and that didn't work. So a few beers tonight....
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Km Reps
Out at the track again this evening. About 30 hardy souls for 6 x 1km with 200 jog recovery. I was planning to run them feeling relaxed and in control as opposed to red lining them. I forgot my racing flats so was wearing my normal jogging shoes as an added handicap.
After a 3km warm-up it was on. I was running well within myself and focused on keeping the upper body relaxed. The weather was cold (approx 4 degrees) but much better than the previous week as it was dry (ish). My times were:
3:20, 3:21, 3:21, 3:19, 3:17, 3:13
The average jog recovery was approx 80 secs.
Happy with that. I finished up with a 2km warm-down and now watching the build-up to the Ashes. England have won the toss and are batting. Please let it be a good day for the England. Barmy Army.
After a 3km warm-up it was on. I was running well within myself and focused on keeping the upper body relaxed. The weather was cold (approx 4 degrees) but much better than the previous week as it was dry (ish). My times were:
3:20, 3:21, 3:21, 3:19, 3:17, 3:13
The average jog recovery was approx 80 secs.
Happy with that. I finished up with a 2km warm-down and now watching the build-up to the Ashes. England have won the toss and are batting. Please let it be a good day for the England. Barmy Army.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Rest day
I didn't get a chance to run today - that said, I would have only done an easy half hour so no big deal in the scheme of things.
Tomorrow it's back to the track. Please don't rain...
Tomorrow it's back to the track. Please don't rain...
Monday, November 22, 2010
Clothing
It was 4:45pm when I went out for my run. A cool 4 degrees at that time with temperatures forecast to go 4 negative during the evening. The central heating is getting a real workover...
I think I set a new record for the number of garments worn for a run. Two long-sleeve tops, tights, gloves, beanie, socks, shoes and my watch. Are you supposed to wear anything under or over running tights? I've no idea so I went commando. Oh yeah, the gloves. This was a running first, I've turned into one of those poncy footballers who I find myself swearing at on the tele.
Anyway, I did a very easy half hour run. I had to come up with a new route that stuck to the main roads as the country lanes are now a complete no go. It would be like running through Lane Cove National Park in the pitch black with the occasional car whizzing by at 80km/hour. Not recommended.
The exact run measured 6.5kms and this was covered in 28:43 (4:25/km). Basically an out and back run along the main road where I have the benefit of a footpath and street lights.
This week I'll do some km reps on the track on Wednesday. The rest of the week will be easy running. I may throw in a mile at race pace at some point which gets me thinking that I need to decide what time I should be targeting. A PB to finish off the year would be nice...
I think I set a new record for the number of garments worn for a run. Two long-sleeve tops, tights, gloves, beanie, socks, shoes and my watch. Are you supposed to wear anything under or over running tights? I've no idea so I went commando. Oh yeah, the gloves. This was a running first, I've turned into one of those poncy footballers who I find myself swearing at on the tele.
Anyway, I did a very easy half hour run. I had to come up with a new route that stuck to the main roads as the country lanes are now a complete no go. It would be like running through Lane Cove National Park in the pitch black with the occasional car whizzing by at 80km/hour. Not recommended.
The exact run measured 6.5kms and this was covered in 28:43 (4:25/km). Basically an out and back run along the main road where I have the benefit of a footpath and street lights.
This week I'll do some km reps on the track on Wednesday. The rest of the week will be easy running. I may throw in a mile at race pace at some point which gets me thinking that I need to decide what time I should be targeting. A PB to finish off the year would be nice...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday
Very cold today, but good for running after warming up. I did a repeat of the session from Nov 12th. So a 15 minute warm-up, then 2 x 12 minute efforts with 3 mins walk/slow jog recovery, followed by 15 minutes warm-down.
The efforts felt really good. I did my first 12 minutes and ran about 5 seconds quicker than last time to the same end point and continued running on. On the return leg I really pushed it and got to the start in 11:47 and continued to run until the 12 minutes was up. One of those runs where the breathing felt really good. I was running as quick as my legs would allow and I still felt in control. No sign of the hamstring problem so all good - I can stop being a drama queen. All up 13.7km for the session.
This week it's another 64.8km for the annual total. I have now run more kms in 2010 than in any other year and there is still another 5 or 6 weeks to go...
The efforts felt really good. I did my first 12 minutes and ran about 5 seconds quicker than last time to the same end point and continued running on. On the return leg I really pushed it and got to the start in 11:47 and continued to run until the 12 minutes was up. One of those runs where the breathing felt really good. I was running as quick as my legs would allow and I still felt in control. No sign of the hamstring problem so all good - I can stop being a drama queen. All up 13.7km for the session.
This week it's another 64.8km for the annual total. I have now run more kms in 2010 than in any other year and there is still another 5 or 6 weeks to go...
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Dodging a bullet
I headed out to see how the leg was. A horrible feeling not knowing, just hoping that each stride brings no pain. A very slow start, and after about 10 minutes I was still running with no pain. I completed my 9.5km route in 41:10 (4:20/km). The hamstring was a little tight at the end - bit at the top of the thigh and not where the pain was before. So all looks good and a smile on my boat.
I'll try some longer intervals tomorrow. Maybe 2 x 12 minutes or something similar. That will really test it...
I'll try some longer intervals tomorrow. Maybe 2 x 12 minutes or something similar. That will really test it...
Friday, November 19, 2010
McMillan
No run today. Just resting up and hoping the hammy will come good. It feels okay - no twinges all day, but obviously the most exercise I've done is going up and down the stairs...
So on to McMillan. I know a lot of runners use his race calculator which is a very useful tool. So I entered my recent marathon time and this is what it predicted across various distances:
3km 8:43 (15 seconds quicker than my PB)
5km 15:13 (1 second quicker than my PB)
8km 25:05 (33 seconds quicker than my PB)
10km 31:36 (59 seconds quicker than my PB)
Half 1:10:20 (1 minute 34 seconds quicker than my PB)
So according to McM, that marathon was my best ever race. That's very surprising as I've always considered it to be my weakest distance. Having said that, for me the marathon is where the challenge lies and so that has been my focus. If you have a bad 5km or 10km race, no problem, you simply do another race. You can't do that with the marathon. If you are lucky you get to run a couple of marathons in a year. It's the ultimate test.
In the build-up to this marathon, I was using McM and the best I could hope for according to my races was 2:31 ish. And that's what I believed I was going to run. But I took a chance and went for the sub 2:30 by running a 1:14 first half. And the rest is history. So don't believe all that McM tells you. It pays to roll the dice every now and then...
I'll see how I am tomorrow. I'm hoping I can get out for a few km to see if there is any improvement...
So on to McMillan. I know a lot of runners use his race calculator which is a very useful tool. So I entered my recent marathon time and this is what it predicted across various distances:
3km 8:43 (15 seconds quicker than my PB)
5km 15:13 (1 second quicker than my PB)
8km 25:05 (33 seconds quicker than my PB)
10km 31:36 (59 seconds quicker than my PB)
Half 1:10:20 (1 minute 34 seconds quicker than my PB)
So according to McM, that marathon was my best ever race. That's very surprising as I've always considered it to be my weakest distance. Having said that, for me the marathon is where the challenge lies and so that has been my focus. If you have a bad 5km or 10km race, no problem, you simply do another race. You can't do that with the marathon. If you are lucky you get to run a couple of marathons in a year. It's the ultimate test.
In the build-up to this marathon, I was using McM and the best I could hope for according to my races was 2:31 ish. And that's what I believed I was going to run. But I took a chance and went for the sub 2:30 by running a 1:14 first half. And the rest is history. So don't believe all that McM tells you. It pays to roll the dice every now and then...
I'll see how I am tomorrow. I'm hoping I can get out for a few km to see if there is any improvement...
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sidelined
I headed out for my lunchtime run and pretty much straight away I could feel a pain at the base of my right hamstring (about 6 inches above the back of the knee). Not a real severe pain, just a sharp jolt every now and then as if someone was pricking the back of my leg with a needle. I had felt a bit of pain in that region on the track the previous evening but didn't think nothing of it at the time...
Anyway, in true runners style I decided I would run it off....but it didn't seem to be getting any better (or worse). So I soldiered on and completed the run at a very sedate pace. I ended up running my 14.4km double loop in 1:02:15 (4:19/km).
As I type this I can still feel it (aching slightly) so I may have to take a few days on the sidelines and see how I pull up. I can't really complain as I've had a golden run with injuries and if I'm sensible I think I'll still be okay for the half in just over a week. I'll take some Nurofen and hope for an improvement by tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
So instead of running tomorrow I'll have to bore everyone with some running stats analysis...
Can I have a few beers if I'm taking painkillers? I don't suppose a couple will harm...
Anyway, in true runners style I decided I would run it off....but it didn't seem to be getting any better (or worse). So I soldiered on and completed the run at a very sedate pace. I ended up running my 14.4km double loop in 1:02:15 (4:19/km).
As I type this I can still feel it (aching slightly) so I may have to take a few days on the sidelines and see how I pull up. I can't really complain as I've had a golden run with injuries and if I'm sensible I think I'll still be okay for the half in just over a week. I'll take some Nurofen and hope for an improvement by tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
So instead of running tomorrow I'll have to bore everyone with some running stats analysis...
Can I have a few beers if I'm taking painkillers? I don't suppose a couple will harm...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Weather Watch
This blog is starting to read more like a weather report. Today it was very ugly. Torrential rain, windy but not as cold as it could be. So there could be worse to come....one of the guys mentioned it was the worst conditions he had experienced in his year of doing track. Which is nice.
So after a longer warm-up (2 laps of the football fields followed by 3 laps of the track = 5.7km), I lined up for some 4 lappers with 60 seconds recovery. The plan was to run 6, using the first one to get into the session, and then take it from there. The lap itself was a bit like running a fartlek - an easy 200m (wind benefit), then hitting the wall down the finishing bend/straight. I'd made the decision not to check the watch for lap updates and would run on feel. Well the first effort was clocked at 5:34. That was very slow. But I soldiered on with the session removing my jacket after the first 2 efforts (completely waterlogged). The remaining 5 "miles" were timed at:
5:22, 5:20, 5:20, 5:21, 5:23
Pretty consistent but very slow. The conditions played a big part - the effort level was up there but it simply did not translate into speed. I'd challenge anyone to run quick in those conditions.
I finished up with 6 laps warm-down so all up 17.7km for the session. Tired.
So after a longer warm-up (2 laps of the football fields followed by 3 laps of the track = 5.7km), I lined up for some 4 lappers with 60 seconds recovery. The plan was to run 6, using the first one to get into the session, and then take it from there. The lap itself was a bit like running a fartlek - an easy 200m (wind benefit), then hitting the wall down the finishing bend/straight. I'd made the decision not to check the watch for lap updates and would run on feel. Well the first effort was clocked at 5:34. That was very slow. But I soldiered on with the session removing my jacket after the first 2 efforts (completely waterlogged). The remaining 5 "miles" were timed at:
5:22, 5:20, 5:20, 5:21, 5:23
Pretty consistent but very slow. The conditions played a big part - the effort level was up there but it simply did not translate into speed. I'd challenge anyone to run quick in those conditions.
I finished up with 6 laps warm-down so all up 17.7km for the session. Tired.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Rain stopped play?
It was a case of "you are not going out in that are you?" - well I did. Wet, windy and cold - all the bases covered. Plus it was getting dark...
Despite all that I had a great run. I ran 9.5kms easy in 38:35 (4:04/km). If it's like this at the track tomorrow it's going to be ugly.
Despite all that I had a great run. I ran 9.5kms easy in 38:35 (4:04/km). If it's like this at the track tomorrow it's going to be ugly.
Monday, November 15, 2010
More Rest
No running today.
This week will be similar to last week. A track session on Wednesday, long efforts on Friday and race on Sunday. The problem being that the race scheduled for Sunday has been postponed by a fortnight! I may have to do a long tempo run instead...
So my time yesterday equates to a 1:13:43 half according to McMillan. I think I can do better than that with a few more decent sessions under my belt.
This week will be similar to last week. A track session on Wednesday, long efforts on Friday and race on Sunday. The problem being that the race scheduled for Sunday has been postponed by a fortnight! I may have to do a long tempo run instead...
So my time yesterday equates to a 1:13:43 half according to McMillan. I think I can do better than that with a few more decent sessions under my belt.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Corofin 8km
The weather was as good as I could have hoped for - a barmy 9 degrees. The sun was out, and there was very little breeze. Perfect for running. I arrived in good time, registered, then ran 3km as a warm-up. The start of the race took me by surprise - without warning we were off and despite being on the front row, I lost a few metres. No problem, I was quickly into my running and within the first 500m I had hit the front.
From then on I was following the lead car, and after a quick uphill first km of 3:11, I had opened up a decent lead. I was feeling pretty good - and was just concentrating on running with good form. From then on the km markers seemed to tick round nicely - 2km with a 3:15 split, 3km with a 3:27 km (slow but uphill), then I reached halfway in 13:08 (3:15). Feeling good.
I was expecting to slow down a bit but that didn't really happen. The 5km marker passed in 16:27 (3:19), 6km 19:45 (3:18), 7km 23:08 (3:23) - then time to try and run a quick last km which was helped by a nice 500m downhill stretch. I crossed the line in 26:17 so a very pleasing 3:09 last km split. My time trial was over!
No warm-down - just straight to the community centre for hot cups of tea and biscuits. Very nice. I picked up my prize at the presentation, then headed home for a few celebratory beers.
All up 11km for the day and 78.5km for the week. After struggling a bit post marathon I now feel I've turned the corner and this race has given me the confidence that I can run a decent half in 2 weeks time.
From then on I was following the lead car, and after a quick uphill first km of 3:11, I had opened up a decent lead. I was feeling pretty good - and was just concentrating on running with good form. From then on the km markers seemed to tick round nicely - 2km with a 3:15 split, 3km with a 3:27 km (slow but uphill), then I reached halfway in 13:08 (3:15). Feeling good.
I was expecting to slow down a bit but that didn't really happen. The 5km marker passed in 16:27 (3:19), 6km 19:45 (3:18), 7km 23:08 (3:23) - then time to try and run a quick last km which was helped by a nice 500m downhill stretch. I crossed the line in 26:17 so a very pleasing 3:09 last km split. My time trial was over!
No warm-down - just straight to the community centre for hot cups of tea and biscuits. Very nice. I picked up my prize at the presentation, then headed home for a few celebratory beers.
All up 11km for the day and 78.5km for the week. After struggling a bit post marathon I now feel I've turned the corner and this race has given me the confidence that I can run a decent half in 2 weeks time.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saturday
I rolled out an easy 9.5kms in 41:15 (4:21/km). Just to turn the legs over before tomorrow's race. Talking of which I have absolutely no idea how I'll go. The legs still aren't right. I've definitely lost some speed but that's par for the marathon. If I break 27 minutes I'll be happy enough.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Threshold or tempo?
Not sure of the difference. Perhaps someone in the know will tell me...
Anyway, after a 3.4km warm-up, I ran 2 x 12 minute efforts (hard). I had the luxury of 3 minutes rest between efforts (walk/slow jog). I estimate the pace to be sub 3:30 per km but not by much.
I finished up with a 3.4km warm-down. All up 13.7km for the session.
Anyway, after a 3.4km warm-up, I ran 2 x 12 minute efforts (hard). I had the luxury of 3 minutes rest between efforts (walk/slow jog). I estimate the pace to be sub 3:30 per km but not by much.
I finished up with a 3.4km warm-down. All up 13.7km for the session.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Treadmill
Well the weather has taken a real turn for the worse. Galeforce winds, horizontal rain and very cold. Am I a fair weather runner? Obviously yes as I decided the only way I was going to run today was to check out the local gym.
An hour on the treadmill later I had notched up 14.6kms. It felt tougher than running on the road. I'm not a big fan of treadmill running but having said that, treadmill running is better than no running. It's going to get colder still so I think I'll sign up for 3 months. I tested out the top-end on the treadmills and they go up to 18.5km per hour (3:15/km). A bit quicker than the ones I used to use in Pymble...
An hour on the treadmill later I had notched up 14.6kms. It felt tougher than running on the road. I'm not a big fan of treadmill running but having said that, treadmill running is better than no running. It's going to get colder still so I think I'll sign up for 3 months. I tested out the top-end on the treadmills and they go up to 18.5km per hour (3:15/km). A bit quicker than the ones I used to use in Pymble...
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Trackwork
More nasty weather, but that's to be expected...
After a 20 minute warm-up (4.5km), I did some drills on the track and then started proceedings with an 800m effort in 2:40. That felt like hard work as the wind on the home straight was blowing right in my face. Anyway, the rest of the group disappeared to run some longer efforts on the road so I decided to stay on the track and run 5 x 4 lappers (miles) with 60 seconds recovery. After a couple of minutes I started with a 5:15. Again, that was a real struggle. From then on it was a case of hanging in there and the remaining 4 efforts were knocked off in 5:20, 5:19, 5:20 and 5;19. Not a great session and it seems like I have lost around 10 seconds per mile compared to other times I have run this session pre marathon. Oh well, it's a start.
The group returned as I had finished the session and I decided to do one final 800m effort with them. After a slow first lap I managed to run a quickish second lap to finish with a 2:33. Again, nothing flash but it gives me hope. I finished up with a warm-down of 3 laps so a total of 15.3km for the session.
After a 20 minute warm-up (4.5km), I did some drills on the track and then started proceedings with an 800m effort in 2:40. That felt like hard work as the wind on the home straight was blowing right in my face. Anyway, the rest of the group disappeared to run some longer efforts on the road so I decided to stay on the track and run 5 x 4 lappers (miles) with 60 seconds recovery. After a couple of minutes I started with a 5:15. Again, that was a real struggle. From then on it was a case of hanging in there and the remaining 4 efforts were knocked off in 5:20, 5:19, 5:20 and 5;19. Not a great session and it seems like I have lost around 10 seconds per mile compared to other times I have run this session pre marathon. Oh well, it's a start.
The group returned as I had finished the session and I decided to do one final 800m effort with them. After a slow first lap I managed to run a quickish second lap to finish with a 2:33. Again, nothing flash but it gives me hope. I finished up with a warm-down of 3 laps so a total of 15.3km for the session.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Start of 2 week training block
More of the same today. An easy 14.4km in 58:38 (4:04/km). Cold (estimate 6-7 degrees) but good for running.
I've edited a few of my PB's removing the Corporate Chase, and adding my 5km road and 8km road PB's. Eight kms seems to be a common race distance here in Ireland, not sure why?
Monday, November 08, 2010
Rest Day
No running today. The plan for this week is to do a track session on Wednesday, some threshold stuff on Friday, then race on Sunday (8km). Easy running either side of those sessions.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Stats round-up
I finished off the week with a slightly longer run of 14.4km. Time 59:45 so 4:09/km. That's 46.8km for the week and happy to be back running.
So I'm up to 3,413.4km for the year thus far. That's an average of 11.0km every day of the year or 76.8km per week. Consistency is king - that's my philosophy.
I've been running now since the year 2000 - but I've only been keeping my training diary since 2001. Here's a quick snapshot by year:
2001 1,193.3kms
2002 1,835.1kms
2003 2,428.4kms
2004 2,689.7kms
2005 2,631.5kms
2006 205.8kms (injured - tendinitis of the left knee)
2007 1,954.5kms
2008 3,268.8kms
2009 3,528.4kms
So it looks like I'll easily eclipse last year if I remain injury free for the remainder of 2010.
So I'm up to 3,413.4km for the year thus far. That's an average of 11.0km every day of the year or 76.8km per week. Consistency is king - that's my philosophy.
I've been running now since the year 2000 - but I've only been keeping my training diary since 2001. Here's a quick snapshot by year:
2001 1,193.3kms
2002 1,835.1kms
2003 2,428.4kms
2004 2,689.7kms
2005 2,631.5kms
2006 205.8kms (injured - tendinitis of the left knee)
2007 1,954.5kms
2008 3,268.8kms
2009 3,528.4kms
So it looks like I'll easily eclipse last year if I remain injury free for the remainder of 2010.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
More easy stuff
Same run again as yesterday. Today I was a bit quicker (39:12) so that's 4:10/km.
Legs feeling better still, I must be close to 90% recovered now. A great night for running - cold and damp - Ireland at its finest.
I'll aim for an easy hour tomorrow. Then into some proper stuff next week.
Friday, November 05, 2010
Getting Better
Same run as last Saturday, this time covering the 9.4km in 39:40 (4:13's). I felt a lot better today, the calves are still tight but I think I'm well on the mend.
It's Friday so a few Guinness tonight. After all, it's good for you...
More photos to follow each day:
Probably a good time to say a few thanks for the help in the lead up to the marathon:
- my wife for putting up with this running obsession
- the Galway Harriers who have made me very welcome the last few months
- Matt for the help with the training
- Conor for the massage
- Brian who was my wingman for the weekend
- Clare and Christy for the fun bit after the race
- Fred for the photos
It's Friday so a few Guinness tonight. After all, it's good for you...
More photos to follow each day:
Probably a good time to say a few thanks for the help in the lead up to the marathon:
- my wife for putting up with this running obsession
- the Galway Harriers who have made me very welcome the last few months
- Matt for the help with the training
- Conor for the massage
- Brian who was my wingman for the weekend
- Clare and Christy for the fun bit after the race
- Fred for the photos
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Running ugly
The weather the last few days has been absolutely awful. Very wet and windy. But I had the opportunity to do a group session at the track so I wasn't going to let that up.
I did a 20 minute warm-up wearing many layers. It wasn't that cold but by the end of it I was pretty soaked. But the legs were feeling a lot better. On the track there was a solid turn-out of about 20 people - I wasn't expecting anyone to show...
The session was a pyramid. Starting with 1 minute, working up to 5 minutes in 1 minute increments. Then work back down to 1 minute with 60 seconds recovery between efforts. Sounds easy enough.
Straight away my calves felt sore (again). I just ignored it and ran at a hard pace, but not red lining as I wanted to ease back into things. My breathing felt good, but the legs were gone. I concentrated on running around 80 second laps throughout which was taking more effort than it should have. Umm, still not recovered by a long chalk.
I finished the session and then did a few more laps of the track as a warm-down. So all up it was about 25 minutes hard running and good to be back of sorts.
It was around 13.6kms all up. The half marathon is in 3 and a half weeks time so I'll do some easy running for the rest of the week. Then hopefully 2 solid weeks training after that.
I did a 20 minute warm-up wearing many layers. It wasn't that cold but by the end of it I was pretty soaked. But the legs were feeling a lot better. On the track there was a solid turn-out of about 20 people - I wasn't expecting anyone to show...
The session was a pyramid. Starting with 1 minute, working up to 5 minutes in 1 minute increments. Then work back down to 1 minute with 60 seconds recovery between efforts. Sounds easy enough.
Straight away my calves felt sore (again). I just ignored it and ran at a hard pace, but not red lining as I wanted to ease back into things. My breathing felt good, but the legs were gone. I concentrated on running around 80 second laps throughout which was taking more effort than it should have. Umm, still not recovered by a long chalk.
I finished the session and then did a few more laps of the track as a warm-down. So all up it was about 25 minutes hard running and good to be back of sorts.
It was around 13.6kms all up. The half marathon is in 3 and a half weeks time so I'll do some easy running for the rest of the week. Then hopefully 2 solid weeks training after that.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Ouch
I've done one run since the marathon. On Saturday I ran a lap of the block and after a couple of kms my calves were very sore. By the end of the run it was like I was back in the closing stages of the marathon. Not good. I ran 9.4km in 41:52 so that's 4:27 per km. So it was time for more rest/recovery and I'll knuckle down with some proper training starting tomorrow at the track.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Dublin Marathon 2:28:20
The race wasn't scheduled to start until 9am so no need to rush about in the morning. I woke up at 6:30am and had my breakfast including half a banana and a Le Rice. I then went back to bed and eventually got up just after 8am. I had a quick cup of coffee, then made my way down into the foyer. I should mention I had 2 visits to the toilet which was always good. Outside it was very cold but I wasn't complaining - no wind or rain so it was looking just about perfect.
I made my way down to the start area and was struggling to get through the crowds. After about 10 minutes I found my way down to the elite start area where I met up with a few familiar faces. I had a little light jog, then soon it was time to drop off the gear and line up at the start.
The wheelies were off a few minutes before the main race. The atmosphere at the start was really good. There was a band playing and there was also the singing of the national anthem. Then the gun sounded and we were off.
I was quickly into my running. I settled into what felt like a comfortable pace and had the usual nervous anticipation of getting feedback from the first mile marker. That quickly passed and I was very uneasy when my watch read 5:09. That was way too fast but I didn't panic as I suspected the first mile was short. We made our way over the Liffey, along O'Connell street heading south towards Phoenix Park. I was feeling great and already I was running with a small pack. All good so far.
My next mile split was 6:01. Okay, so the markers are not accurate but assuming the 2 mile mark was in the right place I was averaging 5:35s which was a little quick but about right. A lot of the detail of the run has been erased from my memory but by mile 4 we entered Phoenix Park. This part of the run was amazing. It was very cold and frosty, and our group was soon joined by the 2 lead women so now we had a group of 9. At one point about 100m ahead there must have been at least 50 deer charging across the road. This was a fantastic sight and would have been scary if we were a little closer. By 10km, we were still in the group and the time on the clock read 35:25. Bang on schedule.
After leaving Phoenix Park it was back on the roads. There were numerous water stops which had bottled water - very good. Again, my memory fails me but despite a few little hills and drags the course remained very flat. I recall seeing the 15km marker in 52:52, again that was target pace. The group was still tightly formed and we were following the lead car for the women. The constant reminder of having the clock in your face was good and bad. Could I keep this up for another hour and a half?
The next point I recall clearly was the halfway point. We rolled under a big archway, still in the group in about 1:14 but the timing mat was a good few meters past that and my official halfway time was 1:14:12. That was 18 seconds quicker than target and I was still in the pack getting dragged round. Things were hotting up and looking good.
Again, I'm lacking detail from this point of the race but my feedback was the splits each mile and these were consistently around the 5:40 mark. My thought process was get to 20 miles and then try and push for home. I'd say at about 16 miles, the race started to develop and one of the lead females made a break. I decided that I was happy running at the pace I was but I think it was about at this point that our group got strung out. I was still running well, no need to do anything brash with 10 miles still to go.
I found myself running with one other guy, and I could hear a few of the others not too far behind. The crowd support around the course was generally very good. The course was by no means lined by people but there were pockets where the were lots of people cheering you on. The miles kept ticking by, again on target, and I was closing in on 20 miles.
At 19 miles I had a wobble. I can't recall if it was a hill, but it felt like I was struggling to run in a straight line. Keep focused. This is where mental toughness was paramount. I was still running with the other guy and could see the lead female up front, though it looked like she was pulling away. I briefly spoke with my wing-man and he mentioned he wasn't feeling great and would try and put the foot down at 20 miles. Well that soon came and the clock read 1:53 round numbers. Quick mental arithmetic - I could run 6 minute miles plus 1 minute for the final 0.2 miles and I had my sub 2:30. It was time to start believing.
It was probably some point before that the eventual winner of the women's race came screaming past. And I mean screaming - she went past me like I was barely moving. Very impressive. She went on the win the race running the second half in 1:11 and change. Incredible. I thought I had slowed but thankfully the mile splits didn't show that.
So it was mind games from here on in. My old trick of breaking it down into smaller segments. I was focusing on each mile and my new target of 6 minutes per mile was ingrained into my thinking. My partner had sped up, or that was what I was hoping and then I reached mile 21 with a mile split of 5:48. A little slower but the mile markers were definitely dodgy and well under 6 minutes so still good.
All the feedback from the body was telling me I was slowing. The legs were getting heavy, the calves were very sore, and I was getting the occasional tweak in the muscles as a reminder that a cramp was a possibility. But 22 miles came and went and I was still running big sub 6's. Only 4 and a bit miles to go. I was putting more time in the bank and was starting to get myself fired up by giving myself a motivational speech. Out loud. Thankfully nobody around me could hear so I could just about get away with it.
At 23 miles I was well on the way back to the city. The crowd was getting bigger and I was still running target pace. No slow down. This cannot be right - my legs were absolutely gone and I was still running quickly. I couldn't explain it but I'll take it. I could hear a fellow runner not far behind and that helped spur me on.
At this point I was running on pure adrenaline. I was very focused, I'd waited over 10 years for this. I only had to run for another 18 minutes or so. This was my big chance. Again, 24 miles arrived probably quicker than I would have expected. A glance to the watch showed a 5:51 split. More time in the bank.
The next mile was a real effort but I was still travelling nicely. I think you can gauge the pain factor by how often you look at your watch. I recall looking when the split was around 3 minutes. In times gone by, that may have been only 1 minute. I was hurting but still covering ground. And I recognised some of the city by this point so almost home.
At 25 miles I'd run a 5:39 split. Wow, that was quick and again more time up the sleeve. I knew I could have a real blow-up and still have a good chance of sub 2:30. I got to Trinity College and was running along Nassau Street and that is where I started my fist pumping to get really fired up. The crowd was huge and it felt like the finishing straight. With hindsight that was a bit of a mistake as at the end of this section the crowd thinned and I still had half a mile or so to go.
And then I could see the finishing chute. No need to sprint, just enjoy this. This was 10 years in the making. Time for more fist pumps and the aeroplane. I crossed the line in 2:28:23 and was almost in tears. The time was incredible and was beyond my wildest expectations.
So I'd done it. The sub 2:30 dream was now a reality. I still can't quite believe it - the race went perfectly. I'm not sure how I could have improved on it. Drugs perhaps?
The second half was covered in 1:14:11 so on gun time I ran a 1 second negative split. That's a new one on me, I think my previous best was a 3 minute positive split. That's testament to the shape I was in.
My 5km splits were:
5 - 17:41
10 - 17:44
15 - 17:16
20 - 17:39
25 - 17:27
30 - 17:23
35 - 17:52
40 - 17:36
42.2 - 7:45
Gun time 2:28:23, chip time 2:28:20. 27th overall and 9th in the Irish Championships.
More thoughts to follow when I come back down to earth. I'll be dining (boozing) out on this for years.
Here is the video:
BeerMatt Video
Here are some photos:
BeerMatt Photos
Here are the 12 weeks training in kms up to and inlcuding the marathon:
Week 1 - 101.2kms
Week 2 - 94.6kms
Week 3 - 96.4kms
Week 4 - 84.3kms
Week 5 - 14.4kms
Week 6 - 119.1kms
Week 7 - 104.0kms
Week 8 - 107.9kms
Week 9 - 101.0kms
Week 10 - 101.5kms
Week 11 - 87.1kms
Week 12 - 79.4kms (8 day week up to and including the marathon)
Total 1,090.9kms, Average 90.9kms.
So why the breakthrough in this marathon. I can think of:
1) The conditions - flat course and very cool conditions. Much colder than Oz
2) Injury free - no niggles to speak of
3) Consistency - I haven't missed a session all year. I just keep plugging away
4) More tempo/threshold runs - I have done a lot more of these than in previous build-ups
5) More volume - I've upped my training 10% and noticed a big improvement. Could be more to come - London 2012!
6) Increasing the pace of my easy runs - I was running these at around 4:10/km
Perhaps it's time to go public with my Blog. Originally I was doing this for my kids for when they get a bit older but they probably won't be interested. It could however be of some use to fellow hackers who want to improve on their marathon time.
So what now? I'm considering retirement from the marathon. At 39 years of age I'm in the twilight of my running days. That said, I still seem to be improving at a rate of knots. I have one race left this year - the Norwich Half Marathon on Nov 28th. I'll take this week off and then start blogging again in the build-up to the half. Next year I may focus on the shorter stuff - 5km through to the half. It would be nice to give sub 32 a shake for 10km, and also try and run under 70 for the half. But I've achieved pretty much everything now I've set out to do on this running journey over the last 10 years and boy does this beer taste nice. Until next time...
I made my way down to the start area and was struggling to get through the crowds. After about 10 minutes I found my way down to the elite start area where I met up with a few familiar faces. I had a little light jog, then soon it was time to drop off the gear and line up at the start.
The wheelies were off a few minutes before the main race. The atmosphere at the start was really good. There was a band playing and there was also the singing of the national anthem. Then the gun sounded and we were off.
I was quickly into my running. I settled into what felt like a comfortable pace and had the usual nervous anticipation of getting feedback from the first mile marker. That quickly passed and I was very uneasy when my watch read 5:09. That was way too fast but I didn't panic as I suspected the first mile was short. We made our way over the Liffey, along O'Connell street heading south towards Phoenix Park. I was feeling great and already I was running with a small pack. All good so far.
My next mile split was 6:01. Okay, so the markers are not accurate but assuming the 2 mile mark was in the right place I was averaging 5:35s which was a little quick but about right. A lot of the detail of the run has been erased from my memory but by mile 4 we entered Phoenix Park. This part of the run was amazing. It was very cold and frosty, and our group was soon joined by the 2 lead women so now we had a group of 9. At one point about 100m ahead there must have been at least 50 deer charging across the road. This was a fantastic sight and would have been scary if we were a little closer. By 10km, we were still in the group and the time on the clock read 35:25. Bang on schedule.
After leaving Phoenix Park it was back on the roads. There were numerous water stops which had bottled water - very good. Again, my memory fails me but despite a few little hills and drags the course remained very flat. I recall seeing the 15km marker in 52:52, again that was target pace. The group was still tightly formed and we were following the lead car for the women. The constant reminder of having the clock in your face was good and bad. Could I keep this up for another hour and a half?
The next point I recall clearly was the halfway point. We rolled under a big archway, still in the group in about 1:14 but the timing mat was a good few meters past that and my official halfway time was 1:14:12. That was 18 seconds quicker than target and I was still in the pack getting dragged round. Things were hotting up and looking good.
Again, I'm lacking detail from this point of the race but my feedback was the splits each mile and these were consistently around the 5:40 mark. My thought process was get to 20 miles and then try and push for home. I'd say at about 16 miles, the race started to develop and one of the lead females made a break. I decided that I was happy running at the pace I was but I think it was about at this point that our group got strung out. I was still running well, no need to do anything brash with 10 miles still to go.
I found myself running with one other guy, and I could hear a few of the others not too far behind. The crowd support around the course was generally very good. The course was by no means lined by people but there were pockets where the were lots of people cheering you on. The miles kept ticking by, again on target, and I was closing in on 20 miles.
At 19 miles I had a wobble. I can't recall if it was a hill, but it felt like I was struggling to run in a straight line. Keep focused. This is where mental toughness was paramount. I was still running with the other guy and could see the lead female up front, though it looked like she was pulling away. I briefly spoke with my wing-man and he mentioned he wasn't feeling great and would try and put the foot down at 20 miles. Well that soon came and the clock read 1:53 round numbers. Quick mental arithmetic - I could run 6 minute miles plus 1 minute for the final 0.2 miles and I had my sub 2:30. It was time to start believing.
It was probably some point before that the eventual winner of the women's race came screaming past. And I mean screaming - she went past me like I was barely moving. Very impressive. She went on the win the race running the second half in 1:11 and change. Incredible. I thought I had slowed but thankfully the mile splits didn't show that.
So it was mind games from here on in. My old trick of breaking it down into smaller segments. I was focusing on each mile and my new target of 6 minutes per mile was ingrained into my thinking. My partner had sped up, or that was what I was hoping and then I reached mile 21 with a mile split of 5:48. A little slower but the mile markers were definitely dodgy and well under 6 minutes so still good.
All the feedback from the body was telling me I was slowing. The legs were getting heavy, the calves were very sore, and I was getting the occasional tweak in the muscles as a reminder that a cramp was a possibility. But 22 miles came and went and I was still running big sub 6's. Only 4 and a bit miles to go. I was putting more time in the bank and was starting to get myself fired up by giving myself a motivational speech. Out loud. Thankfully nobody around me could hear so I could just about get away with it.
At 23 miles I was well on the way back to the city. The crowd was getting bigger and I was still running target pace. No slow down. This cannot be right - my legs were absolutely gone and I was still running quickly. I couldn't explain it but I'll take it. I could hear a fellow runner not far behind and that helped spur me on.
At this point I was running on pure adrenaline. I was very focused, I'd waited over 10 years for this. I only had to run for another 18 minutes or so. This was my big chance. Again, 24 miles arrived probably quicker than I would have expected. A glance to the watch showed a 5:51 split. More time in the bank.
The next mile was a real effort but I was still travelling nicely. I think you can gauge the pain factor by how often you look at your watch. I recall looking when the split was around 3 minutes. In times gone by, that may have been only 1 minute. I was hurting but still covering ground. And I recognised some of the city by this point so almost home.
At 25 miles I'd run a 5:39 split. Wow, that was quick and again more time up the sleeve. I knew I could have a real blow-up and still have a good chance of sub 2:30. I got to Trinity College and was running along Nassau Street and that is where I started my fist pumping to get really fired up. The crowd was huge and it felt like the finishing straight. With hindsight that was a bit of a mistake as at the end of this section the crowd thinned and I still had half a mile or so to go.
And then I could see the finishing chute. No need to sprint, just enjoy this. This was 10 years in the making. Time for more fist pumps and the aeroplane. I crossed the line in 2:28:23 and was almost in tears. The time was incredible and was beyond my wildest expectations.
So I'd done it. The sub 2:30 dream was now a reality. I still can't quite believe it - the race went perfectly. I'm not sure how I could have improved on it. Drugs perhaps?
The second half was covered in 1:14:11 so on gun time I ran a 1 second negative split. That's a new one on me, I think my previous best was a 3 minute positive split. That's testament to the shape I was in.
My 5km splits were:
5 - 17:41
10 - 17:44
15 - 17:16
20 - 17:39
25 - 17:27
30 - 17:23
35 - 17:52
40 - 17:36
42.2 - 7:45
Gun time 2:28:23, chip time 2:28:20. 27th overall and 9th in the Irish Championships.
More thoughts to follow when I come back down to earth. I'll be dining (boozing) out on this for years.
Here is the video:
BeerMatt Video
Here are some photos:
BeerMatt Photos
Here are the 12 weeks training in kms up to and inlcuding the marathon:
Week 1 - 101.2kms
Week 2 - 94.6kms
Week 3 - 96.4kms
Week 4 - 84.3kms
Week 5 - 14.4kms
Week 6 - 119.1kms
Week 7 - 104.0kms
Week 8 - 107.9kms
Week 9 - 101.0kms
Week 10 - 101.5kms
Week 11 - 87.1kms
Week 12 - 79.4kms (8 day week up to and including the marathon)
Total 1,090.9kms, Average 90.9kms.
So why the breakthrough in this marathon. I can think of:
1) The conditions - flat course and very cool conditions. Much colder than Oz
2) Injury free - no niggles to speak of
3) Consistency - I haven't missed a session all year. I just keep plugging away
4) More tempo/threshold runs - I have done a lot more of these than in previous build-ups
5) More volume - I've upped my training 10% and noticed a big improvement. Could be more to come - London 2012!
6) Increasing the pace of my easy runs - I was running these at around 4:10/km
Perhaps it's time to go public with my Blog. Originally I was doing this for my kids for when they get a bit older but they probably won't be interested. It could however be of some use to fellow hackers who want to improve on their marathon time.
So what now? I'm considering retirement from the marathon. At 39 years of age I'm in the twilight of my running days. That said, I still seem to be improving at a rate of knots. I have one race left this year - the Norwich Half Marathon on Nov 28th. I'll take this week off and then start blogging again in the build-up to the half. Next year I may focus on the shorter stuff - 5km through to the half. It would be nice to give sub 32 a shake for 10km, and also try and run under 70 for the half. But I've achieved pretty much everything now I've set out to do on this running journey over the last 10 years and boy does this beer taste nice. Until next time...
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Travel to Dublin, Expo, etc
I left Galway at lunchtime. I had a lift with my wingman for the weekend (Brian). All good.
The journey went quickly and despite a bit of traffic in Dublin city, we arrived at the expo to pick up the race numbers, register for the Irish Champs, meet Clare, and have a good look around all the stands. Very impressive set-up though I was keen to leave to get to the hotel, eat and have an early night.
That evening I met up with Clare - in the pub! Then on to a cheap and cheerful pasta joint which served a really decent pasta dish with loads of garlic bread. Just what I needed. On the way to the hotel I stocked up with more food for morning, then it was time for a big sleep.
The weather forecast was still looking good...
The journey went quickly and despite a bit of traffic in Dublin city, we arrived at the expo to pick up the race numbers, register for the Irish Champs, meet Clare, and have a good look around all the stands. Very impressive set-up though I was keen to leave to get to the hotel, eat and have an early night.
That evening I met up with Clare - in the pub! Then on to a cheap and cheerful pasta joint which served a really decent pasta dish with loads of garlic bread. Just what I needed. On the way to the hotel I stocked up with more food for morning, then it was time for a big sleep.
The weather forecast was still looking good...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Last run
Just a light run tonight. I ran 7.0km in 31:17. All done now until showtime on Monday. The forecast looks really good. But that could change being Ireland...
Friday, October 22, 2010
Rest
I'm thinking that if I'm going to have a crack at breaking 2:30 I need to be going through the halfway point in 1:14:30. That's a pretty honest pace and only allows me (up to) a 1 minute fall-off in the second half. Ummm...
So 1:14:30 is 3:32/km, then follow that up with 1:15:29 (3:35/km). Total 2:29:59 (3:33/km).
Or in miles: 5:41/mile for the first half, 5:45/mile for the second half. Overall 5:43/mile...
Wow, sounds very quick. To be honest, I think it's a little bit out of reach but I need to aim high. I think 2:32 would be a more sensible target (as per what the race calculators are saying). I'll ignore them as I don't have too many more throws of the dice.
No running today. Feeling tired so will get a good nights sleep.
So 1:14:30 is 3:32/km, then follow that up with 1:15:29 (3:35/km). Total 2:29:59 (3:33/km).
Or in miles: 5:41/mile for the first half, 5:45/mile for the second half. Overall 5:43/mile...
Wow, sounds very quick. To be honest, I think it's a little bit out of reach but I need to aim high. I think 2:32 would be a more sensible target (as per what the race calculators are saying). I'll ignore them as I don't have too many more throws of the dice.
No running today. Feeling tired so will get a good nights sleep.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday
A repeat of Tuesday's session. The only difference being I was wearing my racing flats. The time was a little quicker coming in at 34:06 for the 8.1km.
Rest day tomorrow. I need to work out my race plan...
Rest day tomorrow. I need to work out my race plan...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Positive thinking
Okay, so I was on a downer yesterday. Time to put that to bed.
I ran well tonight. It felt really easy and I covered my 7.0km route in 29:45 (4:15/km).
Here is why I'm going to run a PB on Monday:
- I'm injury free. The left knee has been very good the last 6 months
- I've run the most volume in all my marathon preps i.e. consistent 100km+ weeks
- I've improved my half PB by almost 2 minutes since I ran my last marathon
- The weather in Dublin will be better suited for running
- There will be more runners to hook up with in Dublin
Until tomorrow...
I ran well tonight. It felt really easy and I covered my 7.0km route in 29:45 (4:15/km).
Here is why I'm going to run a PB on Monday:
- I'm injury free. The left knee has been very good the last 6 months
- I've run the most volume in all my marathon preps i.e. consistent 100km+ weeks
- I've improved my half PB by almost 2 minutes since I ran my last marathon
- The weather in Dublin will be better suited for running
- There will be more runners to hook up with in Dublin
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Chewsday
Another easy 30 minutes. I ran 5 mins 30 at marathon pace mid-way through the run and it felt awful. That's normal, don't worry. Total distance 8.1km in 35:40.
I'm trying to get fired up for the marathon. I'm in the negative thoughts stage at the moment:
- have I done enough long runs?
- have I done enough strength and hill work?
- am I too old for all this?
Again, perfectly normal for me.
I'm trying to get fired up for the marathon. I'm in the negative thoughts stage at the moment:
- have I done enough long runs?
- have I done enough strength and hill work?
- am I too old for all this?
Again, perfectly normal for me.
Monday, October 18, 2010
One week today
Just a very easy 30 minutes today. I did an out and back run and finished up with 7.0km in the legs in a time of 31:29.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Getting close
Another easy run today. I was down for 70 minutes so I decided to run my 16.4km route and this was achieved in a time of 1:09:32. Felt pretty good.
Afterwards I had my first massage in about 6 months. Since arriving in Ireland I have taken the "if it's not broken then don't fix it" approach. Basically I have been lucky injury-wise but I was offered a free massage so decided to have a light pre-race rub. All good, not at all painful and I'll be back for more after the marathon is completed.
That's 87.1km for the week. So the first week of the taper is over. Only 8 more sleeps until showdown...
Afterwards I had my first massage in about 6 months. Since arriving in Ireland I have taken the "if it's not broken then don't fix it" approach. Basically I have been lucky injury-wise but I was offered a free massage so decided to have a light pre-race rub. All good, not at all painful and I'll be back for more after the marathon is completed.
That's 87.1km for the week. So the first week of the taper is over. Only 8 more sleeps until showdown...
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Saturday
I am now a fully qualified management accountant...job hunt starts proper. The weather in Dublin this morning was perfect for running. If it's like this next week I won't be able to use the weather as an excuse...
Today I ran an easy 14.4km in 59:32. That's the same run 3 times this week all under the hour. So much for variety.
Accommodation is booked for Dublin. I spoke with my coach and I'm to run most days next week, though only 30 minutes just to turn the legs over. Maybe drop in a mile at marathon pace here and there. Need to decide what marathon pace actually is now...
Today I ran an easy 14.4km in 59:32. That's the same run 3 times this week all under the hour. So much for variety.
Accommodation is booked for Dublin. I spoke with my coach and I'm to run most days next week, though only 30 minutes just to turn the legs over. Maybe drop in a mile at marathon pace here and there. Need to decide what marathon pace actually is now...
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Laps of the track
Back to Dangan for what I would imagine will be my last track session before Dublin. After a 3.2km warm-up, I was to run 12 x 400 with 30 seconds recovery.
Someone had left the steeplechase hurdles out on the straights so rather than move them, I decided I would run wide. Made me work a bit harder so all for the good. My times were:
71/71/71/71/71/71/71/72/71/72/70/70
Nice and consistent. I didn't run them eyeballs out, but still hard and not an easy session with such a short recovery.
I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down and bumped into Brian for a chat along the way.
All up 11.2km.
Someone had left the steeplechase hurdles out on the straights so rather than move them, I decided I would run wide. Made me work a bit harder so all for the good. My times were:
71/71/71/71/71/71/71/72/71/72/70/70
Nice and consistent. I didn't run them eyeballs out, but still hard and not an easy session with such a short recovery.
I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down and bumped into Brian for a chat along the way.
All up 11.2km.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Same old
Another 14.4km run in the bag. Time was 58:26 so a bit quicker than Monday (4:03/km). A solid enough "easy run".
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Threshold Running
Today I was down for 3 x 12 minute threshold efforts. Another session you like to see the back of.
I ran on the old Claregalway 10km course. After a 10 minute warm-up, I started my first effort. I tried to keep it relaxed and push hard. It was a perfect evening for running so no excuses. Soon the first effort was over and it was nice to get slightly further than when I last did a similar session to this (see Aug 19th). After 3 minutes walk/slow jog, I turned to run the same effort in reverse. Again, I pushed hard and the return section is definitely quicker with more downhill. I just managed to run past the initial starting point so again, that was encouraging. The third effort was soon underway after another 3 minute break. I pushed this one all the way and again ran past my finishing point on the first effort by a good few seconds.
I finished up with a good 16 minute warm-down. All up this was 16.3km in a time of 1:02:34 (after removing the 6 minutes of recovery). Almost there.
I ran on the old Claregalway 10km course. After a 10 minute warm-up, I started my first effort. I tried to keep it relaxed and push hard. It was a perfect evening for running so no excuses. Soon the first effort was over and it was nice to get slightly further than when I last did a similar session to this (see Aug 19th). After 3 minutes walk/slow jog, I turned to run the same effort in reverse. Again, I pushed hard and the return section is definitely quicker with more downhill. I just managed to run past the initial starting point so again, that was encouraging. The third effort was soon underway after another 3 minute break. I pushed this one all the way and again ran past my finishing point on the first effort by a good few seconds.
I finished up with a good 16 minute warm-down. All up this was 16.3km in a time of 1:02:34 (after removing the 6 minutes of recovery). Almost there.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Start of the taper
The race is 2 weeks today so time to start reducing the volume. After travelling back from Norwich, plus another night on the terps, I decided to run an easy hour. I ran 14.4kms in 58:54 (4:05/km) so pretty happy with that.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Long Enough
After a biggish night on the sauce with my old man, my running window was lunchtime. Not feeling good, and with what seemed like a scorching summers day, this was always going to be a struggle. The plan was 1hr 45 which I stuck with - running a similar route to the day before, but this time adding on a much bigger section after reaching the city centre. Finished up running 23.5km in 1:45:49 (4:30/km pace). Ideally I would have run some of this at marathon pace but that wasn't going to happen today. Just pleased to get it out of the way - talk about going through the motions...
All up 101.5km for the week. That's 5 weeks on the trot now where I've exceed 100kms...
All up 101.5km for the week. That's 5 weeks on the trot now where I've exceed 100kms...
Saturday, October 09, 2010
New Runners
In Sprowston staying at my grandparents. The weather was glorious and I had a very pleasant run of 14.6km which was covered in a time of 1:03:26. I took in a few of the sights of Norwich - nice to have a change of scenery. Feeling good.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Friday
Today is a rest day. Good really as I'm travelling to Norwich to see the family. More socialising!
Thursday, October 07, 2010
More Easy
I ran the 16.4km route today in 1:08:45 (4:12/km). The legs were a little sore after yesterday's track session but I felt better as the run progressed.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
KM Reps
Back to the track. After a 3.2km warm-up, I was on the track for 10 (ten) by 1kms with 1 minute recovery. The plan was to run them at 10km pace so I thought 3:10 per rep would be a very solid hit-out.
After a few run-throughs it was time to get started. The first one was to be the gauge and after running quite hard I was a little disappointed to see the time of 3:14. This was going to be a tough session. Anyway, I knuckled down and the remaining reps were all 3:10 or thereabouts. Here are the exact times:
3:14 / 3:10 / 3:11 / 3:11 / 3:10 / 3:12 / 3:11 / 3:10 / 3:11 / 3:07
Whilst I felt strong and could have run a few more of these, my lack of speed is a bit of a concern. It must be all the kms I'm racking up at the moment.
I finished up with a 3km warm-down. All up 16.2km for the day.
After a few run-throughs it was time to get started. The first one was to be the gauge and after running quite hard I was a little disappointed to see the time of 3:14. This was going to be a tough session. Anyway, I knuckled down and the remaining reps were all 3:10 or thereabouts. Here are the exact times:
3:14 / 3:10 / 3:11 / 3:11 / 3:10 / 3:12 / 3:11 / 3:10 / 3:11 / 3:07
Whilst I felt strong and could have run a few more of these, my lack of speed is a bit of a concern. It must be all the kms I'm racking up at the moment.
I finished up with a 3km warm-down. All up 16.2km for the day.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Tuesday
Another easy run today. I ran 14.4km in 59:53 after lifting the pace a little over the last 10 minutes to duck under the hour.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Start of a new week
I had a 16km run down in the plan with a few kms at marathon pace towards the end. I decided that was a bit optimistic as the legs were still not recovered from the half, plus the weather outside was atrocious - swirling winds and driving rain. Not good.
I headed out in my new warm weather gear - a long-sleeve top and my new running tights. Very gay. I ran my 16.4km route and was a drowned rat by the end. That said, I ran quite well covering the course in 1:06:43 so over 6 minutes quicker than the day previous (4:04/km). A few sections I had the wind on my back so I lifted the pace to run the odd km here and there quite hard (estimate 3:30/km pace).
By the time I finished the weather was improving. Bloody typical...
I headed out in my new warm weather gear - a long-sleeve top and my new running tights. Very gay. I ran my 16.4km route and was a drowned rat by the end. That said, I ran quite well covering the course in 1:06:43 so over 6 minutes quicker than the day previous (4:04/km). A few sections I had the wind on my back so I lifted the pace to run the odd km here and there quite hard (estimate 3:30/km pace).
By the time I finished the weather was improving. Bloody typical...
Sunday, October 03, 2010
End of another week
I took it really easy today. I ran my 16.4 km route (just over 10 miles) in a time of 1:12:48 so that works out to 4:26/km. Legs were a little sore from yesterday - especially the calves. Understandable when you've run a half marathon on the roads in racing flats.
That's 101.0km for the week. Notice a trend here? Another biggish week next week than will be a 2 week reduction in volume in the lead-up to Oct 25th.
That's 101.0km for the week. Notice a trend here? Another biggish week next week than will be a 2 week reduction in volume in the lead-up to Oct 25th.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Galway Bay Half Marathon 1st in 1:13:39
It was a windy day down at the Bay so we were going to cop it running away from the city. Didn't bother me, just wanted to get stuck in. It looked like none of the gun runners were going to show so that left me in with a good shout. After a 10 minute warm-up, I changed into my race singlet, dropped off the bag, had a quick toilet break, then made my way to the start where I did a few run-throughs. Soon we were off.
I found myself at the front straight away with 2 other Irish runners. I was sticking to my race plan to take the first few miles easy so good to settle into a mini group and try to get out of the wind. All good. The course itself was flat, and after a mini-lap at the start which had us at 5:36 for the first mile, the pace slowed a bit as we made the long drag out of town running into the wind for a couple of miles.
I was still in the group and miles 2 and 3 passed in 5:49 and 6:00 and we had a decent gap on anyone behind. We reached the turnaround point at about 3.5 miles and after a downhill section leading onto the sea, I decided to lift the pace and take the lead. Nobody responded so from this point on it was me against the clock. I had the 2 lead motorbikes to follow so no chance of getting lost but I must say the constant sirens were vary annoying.
With the wind now on the back it felt really easy and miles 4 and 5 passed in 5:30 and 5:27. There was a lot of support on the course from runners streaming in the other direction, plus from others who were watching the race and I was surprised by how many people knew my name and were giving me a big cheer. There was a horrible section where we had to run out and back along this jetty - straight into the wind on the way out and then wind behind for the return. By the end of the first lap I had opened up a good 40 second gap and decided I would run relaxed as I headed out for the second lap running straight into the wind once more.
I missed the mile markers for 6 and 7 but by mile 8 the previous 3 miles had passed in 16:55 so I was still running okay. Mile 9 was still into the wind and that passed in 5:49 and when I reached the turnaround for the run home it was time to lift the pace. The mile splits dropped straight away and miles 10 and 11 were covered in 5:35 and 5:32. I was really enjoying this run, I was taking in the crowd and it was nice to not be red-lining the whole race. Another trip up and down the windy jetty and mile 12 was covered in 5:27. So getting quicker still and now the last mile and a bit. Soon I could see the finishing area and after rounding the last corner I was soon running down the finishing chute to cross the line in 1:13:39. The last 1.1 miles taking me 5:59.
The second place runner was a good 2 minutes or so I had increased the gap significantly the second lap. Another prize cheque and my best win to date as there were well over 1,000 runners in the race. A perfect training run and felt comfortable the whole way.
I finished up with a couple of kms warm-down so all up 25.1km for the day.
I found myself at the front straight away with 2 other Irish runners. I was sticking to my race plan to take the first few miles easy so good to settle into a mini group and try to get out of the wind. All good. The course itself was flat, and after a mini-lap at the start which had us at 5:36 for the first mile, the pace slowed a bit as we made the long drag out of town running into the wind for a couple of miles.
I was still in the group and miles 2 and 3 passed in 5:49 and 6:00 and we had a decent gap on anyone behind. We reached the turnaround point at about 3.5 miles and after a downhill section leading onto the sea, I decided to lift the pace and take the lead. Nobody responded so from this point on it was me against the clock. I had the 2 lead motorbikes to follow so no chance of getting lost but I must say the constant sirens were vary annoying.
With the wind now on the back it felt really easy and miles 4 and 5 passed in 5:30 and 5:27. There was a lot of support on the course from runners streaming in the other direction, plus from others who were watching the race and I was surprised by how many people knew my name and were giving me a big cheer. There was a horrible section where we had to run out and back along this jetty - straight into the wind on the way out and then wind behind for the return. By the end of the first lap I had opened up a good 40 second gap and decided I would run relaxed as I headed out for the second lap running straight into the wind once more.
I missed the mile markers for 6 and 7 but by mile 8 the previous 3 miles had passed in 16:55 so I was still running okay. Mile 9 was still into the wind and that passed in 5:49 and when I reached the turnaround for the run home it was time to lift the pace. The mile splits dropped straight away and miles 10 and 11 were covered in 5:35 and 5:32. I was really enjoying this run, I was taking in the crowd and it was nice to not be red-lining the whole race. Another trip up and down the windy jetty and mile 12 was covered in 5:27. So getting quicker still and now the last mile and a bit. Soon I could see the finishing area and after rounding the last corner I was soon running down the finishing chute to cross the line in 1:13:39. The last 1.1 miles taking me 5:59.
The second place runner was a good 2 minutes or so I had increased the gap significantly the second lap. Another prize cheque and my best win to date as there were well over 1,000 runners in the race. A perfect training run and felt comfortable the whole way.
I finished up with a couple of kms warm-down so all up 25.1km for the day.
Friday, October 01, 2010
Pre-race Rambling
Today was a rest day - nice to have a 1 day taper for the half tomorrow.
The plan is to use the half as a training session for the marathon in just over 3 weeks time. The ideal plan would be to run the first 3 miles steady, the next 5 miles at marathon pace, then the last 5 miles hard. That would give me a time of around 1:14 to 1:15.
That plan could go out of the window if I have a chance of winning the race - my competitive spirit may kick in! We shall see who fronts up and take it from there.
The course is potentially quicker than the half course from last month - if, and this is a big if, the wind is not blowing. It's nice and flat, but chances are you are going to cop the wind at some point...fingers crossed the weather gods are smiling.
The plan is to use the half as a training session for the marathon in just over 3 weeks time. The ideal plan would be to run the first 3 miles steady, the next 5 miles at marathon pace, then the last 5 miles hard. That would give me a time of around 1:14 to 1:15.
That plan could go out of the window if I have a chance of winning the race - my competitive spirit may kick in! We shall see who fronts up and take it from there.
The course is potentially quicker than the half course from last month - if, and this is a big if, the wind is not blowing. It's nice and flat, but chances are you are going to cop the wind at some point...fingers crossed the weather gods are smiling.
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