Coastal Charity Challenge Half Marathon

I headed down to registration which was only about a minute down the road from where we were staying. I picked up my number and being a point-to-point race we were bussed to the start at Louisburgh. The weather wasn't looking good, lots of rain and a bit of a wind to deal with.

I did a couple of kms warm-up and lined up at the start. We could drop bags at the start line which were then transported back to the finish. I was trying to think of other point-to-point races I had done and the only one I could think of was the Bay to Bay in Gosford. I don't have fond memories of that race as I got stung by a bee as I crossed the finish line and then managed to injure my Achilles in the warm-down but I digress...

The race started and I went straight to the front. The race was basically along the coastal road and the road wasn't closed which made for a few interesting moments as we were running on the left hand side of the road (dodging large puddles) with cars overtaking from behind. I was fortunate as I had the lead vehicle to follow but with very little traffic it was safe enough. The first mile had a lot of downhill and with the plan being to start slow and build the pace - I had started way too quickly. It seemed like what breeze there was was coming straight at you and with persistent rain, heavy in places, it wasn't that pleasant.

The scenery was pretty spectacular. Croagh Patrick on your right and the coast on your left. The race plan had gone out of the window and I decided to try and maintain around 5:40 per mile pace, and lift in a few spots on the run for home. The miles kept clicking by and I was overtaking walkers who had started 45 minutes before the main race. I had opened up a large gap and was feeling fine. After 11 miles it was time to take a turn off the main road to follow a smaller coastal road into Westport. Still very wet but I was still feeling strong and I really tried to push the last couple of miles. There were a few ups and downs but in general this was a fairly flat course. Soon I was running down the finishing straight crossing the line in 1st place in 1:13:30.

A good hit-out and although I wanted to run the last 5 miles hard, this was never going to happen running into the rain and wind. I felt comfortable all the way and the groin behaved so all in all a good day. I got back to the apartment to the news that Mo had won the 5,000m. The icing on the cake.

All up 23.1km today and 84.5km for the week. The race today left me thinking about the marathon and whether I could maintain that pace. Umm, when's Dublin?

Here are the splits:

1m 5:15
2m 5:41
3m 5:37
4m 5:47
5m 5:36
6m 5:49
7m 5:40
8m 5:33
9m 5:40
10m 5:40
11m 5:46
12m 5:24
13.1m 6:02

Total 1:13:30

Westport

No running today. The family travelled to Westport and we are staying in a really nice apartment overlooking the quay. I would post a photo but I forgot my camera....

Coincidentally, our apartment is overlooking the exact spot where I got dropped in the Westport 5km race (report here). Which is nice.

I've entered the half marathon tomorrow. The plan is to use it as a training run and attempt to finish strong running the last 5 miles at target half marathon pace (3:19/km). That could all go out of the window if it turns into a race from the gun...

Still a problem in the down below region. Fingers (legs) crossed I'll be okay tomorrow...

Friday

I did a one lap version of the long run I did last Sunday. Total 11.1kms in 45:28. A few niggles still. Guinness will fix it...

Tempo Running

A quick 15 minutes warm-up, then 20 minutes tempo running, finishing with a similar warm-down. All up 13.3kms in 52:18 (ave 3:56's).

I'm never quite sure what pace you should run these tempo runs at. According to McMillan, based on my target 10km pace (32 mins), it gives a range of 3:14 to 3:23 per km for tempo running. I guess the wide range is dependent on the length of the tempo effort. I reckon I covered about 6km today in my 20 minutes so that works out to 3:20 per km which is nicely inside that range. You hear people say that tempo runs should be completed at a pace slower than your race pace. That's not very scientific/accurate as race pace varies greatly dependent on the distance. Today illustrates this - I was basically running at my target half marathon race pace but approx 15 seconds per km slower than my 5km race pace. If you're confused then have a look at the pacing charts and McMillan is a good place to start.

Some great athletics today at Daegu. I really enjoyed watching the mens steeple final, the womens 1,500 final and the mens 400 hurdles final. Fantastic viewing.

Steeplechase

A local run around my bog standard 9.5km route in 38:56. There is work being done on the bridge but you can still cross if you hurdle the barriers...

Then a massage. Very sore. All being well I'll do a tempo run tomorrow.

Pyramid Session

A long warm-up of 6.4km. Then to the track for stretches and strides. It was decided to move from the track to do the session (argghhh!) - so down to the pitches for a pyramid session.

The session was 1 min, 2 mins, 3 mins, 4 mins, 5 mins, 4 mins, 3 mins, 2 mins and 1 min (total 25 mins hard running). Recovery between each effort was always 1 min walk/slow jog. There was a good group at the front and by starting back a little I had people to chase down each rep.

I covered about 8km during the fast bits which wasn't bad considering I'm not a huge fan of running on the grass. I certainly wasn't holding back and gave it my all. I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down so all up 17.6kms for the day.

A few niggles at the moment. Massage booked for tomorrow...

Angel Delight

After being told that my local loop had been closed, I decided that I had to go and investigate. I added a bit on at the beginning (Rock Rd), then ran up to the bridge which was still there and could be crossed. Strange. I decided to double back anyway as to continue on would mean more than 40 minutes and I only wanted to run for that length of time. All up 9.9km in 40:48 (4:07's).

I forgot to mention yesterday that I had my first Angel Delight in at least 20 years. I spotted them in the supermarket recently and thought I'd try the butterscotch flavour. Bloody lovely. I ate the whole thing in one sitting.

As we move in to September the focus will be on some longer training. I have 2 trips planned. The family is going to Westport for a week at the start of September for a change of scene. Then at the end of the month my old man is taking me to Skiathos for a week for my 40th birthday. That means less racing but fear not, I'll still be training hard.

STOP PRESS - I just checked and there is a half marathon in Westport this weekend. This could just work as a nice training run to mark the start of the trip...umm...

Exploring

With the news that my normal 9.5km loop is no longer accessible due to the bridge crossing the river being rebuilt, I had to look for a new long run. I decided to try another of the local country lanes than joins the N17 to Galway Airport. To make it a loop I had to run on the hard shoulder of the main road for about 5km which isn't much fun with cars whizzing by.

Anyway, I completed the first lap in just over 45 minutes, then decided to run a second loop. All up 22.3kms in 1:31:18 (4:06's).

That's 83.9km for the week. Not a bad week with a couple of decent races. The only thing is that I appear to have picked up a slight side strain. Nothing too serious and should be fine in a few days.

A quick mention of the sport on the weekend. England finally beat Ireland at rugby; Spurs get humiliated for the second time in a week; Mo has a fantastic race in the 10,000m getting pipped on the line. No shame in finishing second Mo - and to finish with a 53 second lap just beggars belief....

Claremorris 5 miler

I'd heard mixed reports on the course ranging from "not too bad after the first hill" to "all hills apart from the flat section along the motorway". I'd go with the latter, a very undulating course. Not steep hills, but long drags that really had you working.

I got a taste of the first climb as you exit the town on the warm-up. I bumped into Colm and we jogged a few kms. The weather was mixed, windy and raining one minute, then it would clear the next. Thankfully for the race the weather behaved.

Of the course, it was a P shaped affair. The loop was probably just over a mile, with the balance being made up of the road out and back into town. There seemed to be a decent turn-out and we were soon underway.

I went to the front with Roger Barrett and we ran stride for stride up the first hill. After that, there was a long downhill section where we passed through the first mile. Then more climbing and on a few occasions I threw in a few surges which were all covered off. I think it was somewhere before the second mile that I managed to open up a small gap and feeling good I was again trying to lift the pace.

The section along the motorway was great. Nice flat terrain running with the wind and I felt strong and was opening up a nice lead. That was short lived as I turned off the motorway for the run back into town there were more hills and I started to struggle. That's how it remained for the last couple of miles, just gritting it out. The start of the last mile was the long uphill drag, then a nice descent before a flat section of about 400m to the finish line.

I crossed the line in 26:04 for another win and although the time wasn't particularly quick, it's still the equivalent of a sub 26 minute 8km on a challenging course. Happy enough with that given I've raced 3 times in 8 days.

I finished up with a couple of miles warm-down so that's 13.2km for the day. Another good race in the Mayo league. I'd recommend these races to anyone thinking of giving them a go.

Here are the mile splits:

1m 5:08
2m 5:13
3m 5:16
4m 5:18
5m 5:09

Total 26:04 (3:14/km pace)

Photos and Video

Did nowt today. Give the legs a chance to freshen up and all that.

Okay, I've found some photos from some recent races.

Starting with the Oranmore 5km. This one is approaching the finish line:



And here is a little video clip from the same event:



Here's one from the 5,000m on the track last weekend at Tullamore. It's near the start of the race with the 3 division 1 runners leading the race:



And finally some from the Claregalway 10km (start, finish and top 4 - thanks to edenhill):







Another race tomorrow. A few hills to deal with but I'm in decent shape so should go okay. Looking forward to it.

Tired

During the race yesterday my legs felt fine but today I was struggling. It must be some sort of delayed reaction to back-to-back sessions. Anyway I decided to get out for a bit and covered 12.1kms in 52:14 (4:19's). I was wearing my new technical top from yesterday's race - very nice.

I have to mention the cricket. England finally beat Ireland at something. A close game that could have gone either way. A shame it had so many weather interruptions but that was always going to be a possibility playing the game here!

Rest day tomorrow.

Oranmore 5km

I decided to race so I made the short trip up the road to Oranmore. After collecting my number, I bumped into Brian and we ran a few kms warm-up with a couple of 100m strides thrown in before heading down to the start.

The set-up looked very impressive. A good start/finish area, race announcer, a big crowd (estimate 300+ runners). The countdown was under way and it was time to get moving. Everyone started running but the lead car didn't budge! Thankfully they realised just as the runners were starting to draw level and it whizzed off for us to chase. Through the first km in 3 flat and I was leading with a young guy Paedar right on my heels. The second km was a long uphill drag and the pace slowed but was still running nicely through 2km with a split of 3:17. I was still being chased by Paedar and thankfully there was a downhill section through to the turnaround point at 2.5km (it was an out and back course).

I sensed at this point I had opened up a small gap so I pressed for home. After the initial climb back to 3km (3:15) I put the foot down and was feeling good. The last couple of kms seemed to pass fairly quickly and I went through the downhill 4th km with a 3:04 finishing off with a 3:05 to cross the finish line in first place in a time of 15:41. I won by about 20 seconds and it was pleasing to be able to lift the pace at the business end of the race.

Thanks to the lead cyclist who cleared the return path of oncoming runners. I'm not a fan of the out and back course as I get too easily distracted but on this occasion it worked well.

I finished up with a 3km warm-down so all up 10kms for the day. Here's the best bit, my prize for the day - an 8 week fitness course! Well it made me laugh and was greatly received by the wife. Thanks to all the organisers who put on another decent race. I'm taking it easy now before Saturday...

Combo training

Track night. After a long warm-up (5.6km), it was onto the track. A few strides and then the session was revealed. A 4 lapper, 2 mins recovery, 15 minutes tempo around the grass pitches, 2 minutes recovery, then back to the track for a further 4 lapper. Didn't sound too bad.

I cruised the first mile in 4:59, then jogged down to the pitches and started my 15 minute tempo bang on time. The course I ran was around 3 of the main pitches with an off road section of a couple of hundred metres at the end of each lap. I took my splits each lap and was running at exactly 4:20's which for the approx 1.3km circuit meant nicely under 3:30/km pace. After 3 and (almost) a half laps the 15 minutes was up. Jogged back to the track and knocked out my last mile in 4:56. A good session. After a small recovery I jumped in with another group and did a further lap as they finished their session.

After a 3.2km warm-down it was all over. All up 16.8kms for the day.

I'll be doing more of these longer type sessions in the coming weeks as we move into half marathon season. I have the Galway Bay Half on October 1st, then I may head back to Norwich for the tough half in November. I'll be 40 for both of these races so I'll have moved up an age bracket...

Not sure whether to do the 5km on Wednesday or not. My legs at this stage are saying no!

Deja Vu Week

This will be the fourth week on the trot where I have a Saturday race. And my training will be similar to previous weeks (maybe with a twist).

Today was an easy 9.5kms in 39:37. My legs felt tired today and glad to get it out of the way.

Tomorrow will be track and if I pull up okay I'm considering a 5km race the following evening. That breaks the golden rule of doing back-to-back speed sessions so we shall see. Then easy running on Thursday with a rest on Friday before the 5 miler on Saturday.

As I suspected England won the final test match. India put up a good fight in the first session only to roll over after lunch. That was good.

Watched Spurs get shellacked by Utd in the evening. Spurs were in the game until the first goal then it got a bit embarrassing. That was bad.

Finishing the week long

A late evening run. Started at 7:30pm and did my neighbourly long run covering 22.5kms in 1:30:26 (4:01/km pace). Felt really good tonight and no sign of yesterday's 5km in the legs.

That's 77.5kms for the week.

The cricket is nicely poised for an interesting last day. England should win comfortably unless the little master can conjure something up...

National League Finals

I had the kids in tow today as the better half way away for the weekend which meant I had to rely on some of the guys from the club to look after them whilst I did the race. I can report they did a good job (thanks guys)!

So after the long drive to Tullamore, I was running a bit late, plus the races were running early which meant I only had time for a couple of kms warm-up. Then straight on the track for a few strides and then lining up at the start. Not a big field (14 in the race), and whilst I was running division 1, we also had the premier league guys to keep things interesting. Some quality in the field, including Mark Kenneally (national 10km champ - sub 29 minutes), Joe Sweeney (Irish rep), Sean Connolly (ran 2:16 on marathon debut recently and a 4 minute miler). Sean was the stand-out guy in division 1 so to be honest it was a race for second place...

The gun sounded and there division 1 runners hit the front of which I was part and I settled into 3rd place. I wasn't running with a watch but the pace seemed very slow. They were calling out lap times at the 200m mark and the first lap was a 73. Nothing flash. It became a tactical race and that's how it remained for the next 3 or 4 laps. Nobody prepared to up the pace so it was going to get interesting at some point.

I don't recall all the detail but probably after 2km, one of the premier guys hit the front to get things moving. Lap times had been in the 73 to 76 second range and I was feeling fine. A few more guys hit the front and I was left chasing them at a slightly quicker pace. After a couple of laps of this the main group had reformed and it was going to be a 2km shoot-out.

Sure enough, the lead guys suddenly dropped in a 64 second lap and I was left alone in 5th place (2nd in division 1 behind Sean). I had upped the pace to around 72 second laps but made no attempt to go with them. The remaining laps I was left running by myself and whilst I was out of touch on the leaders, I had opened up a decent gap on the chasers. After kicking down the last lap I crossed the line in a time of 15:26.61. A pleasing time given the slow start to the race.

I finished 2nd in division 1 (5th overall) and some decent points to put towards the Galway City Harriers tally for the day. As it turns out we finished 2nd overall on the day and will now be promoted to the premier league next year. Well done to all the other sprinters, throwers and jumpers on the day who represented the club plus thanks to Matt for organising.

I finished up with a couple of kms warm-down and a quick shower. Then back in the car with the kids for the long drive back to Galway. All up 9kms for the day.

The most pleasing thing is that the time (15:27 rounded) felt completely comfortable. It was a warm day (19 degrees) and a few people were struggling but I felt good. It gives me heart that the sub 15 is still within reach!

Here are the overall team standings for the day:

Division 1 Men
1. Tallaght 114
2. Galway 98
3. Clare 92
4. Sligo 88
5. An Riocht 87
6. Olympic 78
7. Kildare 75
8. Tipperary 76

Here are the 5000m results:

5000 m - Men Division One Final

1 27 Connolly, Sean Tallaght A.C. 15.16.51
2 51 Bidwell, Matt Galway City Harriers A.C. 15.26.61
3 52 Kelly, David Sligo A.C. 15.56.72
4 25 Murphy, Brian Clare County 16.03.46
5 28 O'Callaghan, Donal Riocht A.C. 16.12.89
6 54 Roche, Patrick Kildare County 16.81.66

5000 m - Men Premier Division

1 1 Kenneally, Mark Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 15.02.88
2 7 Sweeney, Joseph Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 15.11.43
3 5 Dooney. Kevin Raheny Shamrock A.C. 15.19.16
4 4 Brown, Robin North Down A.C. 15.31.85
5 8 Connick, Andrew Ferrybank A.C. 15.35.61
6 3 Maunsell, Thomas Leevale A.C. 15.35.63
7 2 Murphy, Ed Kerry Athletics 15.44.43
8 6 Nolan, James St. Abbans A.C. 17.49.40

Bell and Pietersen

No running today. Instead plenty of time to mull over the race tomorrow. If it's like last year then all grades will be run as one race which works well for me. It's all about running hard and hoping that a) your pace is on target, and b) that the pain involved is manageable. Ideally I'd like to go through 3km in close to 9 minutes and then hang on but you never know how the race will unfold. I don't think I'm in PB shape but would love to run another low-ish 15...

The cricket today was magnificent. After a closely fought first session, England have taken the game away from India. Are you watching Australia?

Easy and strides

One final run before the track race on Saturday. Another easy run of 9.5km in 38:07 (4:01's). I stopped after 20 minutes or so and did 6 x 100m strides trying to increase the pace on each effort. All up 10.1km for the day.

Thoughts turn to the race now. I'm not getting many positive vibes at the moment following a couple of poor track sessions. More thoughts on this tomorrow.

Easy hour

I ran 14.4km in 58:03 (4:02's). It's starting to get a bit cooler in the evenings now - good for running but jumper needed in the house. The countdown is on before we have to start lighting the fire again...

Tuning Up

Back to the track for my weekly session. I was hoping this would be a friendly session acting as a final hit-out before Saturday's track race. I'm of the preference of not knowing what's in store and being told once you get together as a group. Knowing up front tends to bring on too many negative thoughts of dreading it. Anyway, I digress.

After a 4.0km warm-up, stretches and strides it was time to get going. The session was 6 x 800 off 90 seconds at target 5km pace (15 minutes so that works out to 2:24's for the 800's). Perfect weather conditions - cool with very little breeze.

As with a similar session 2 weeks back, I struggled a bit. Well quite a lot if I'm honest. They were supposed to feel comfortable but I was having to work more than necessary to bring them in on target. Actual times were:

2:25/2:24/2:24/2:22/2:23/2:21

I finished up with 3.2km warm-down so all up 12.0kms for the day. Not a real confidence booster but hopefully I'll come good by Saturday (being Mr Consistent). Easy running for the next 2 days and a rest day on Friday.

Owen looking strong at the moment. Expect some big races from him in the coming months.

Another week and more racing

An easy 9.5kms in 38:30. Weather very wet. Some sun forecast for the remainder of the week...

Track 5,000m on Saturday. Dreading it!

Late Doors

It was another run where I had to force myself out of the door. Ideally you get your long run out of the way early doors, but today I left it late and eventually got going just after 7pm. I ran my long local run and knocked off 22.5kms in 1:33:46 (4:10's). Very tired.

That's 83.6km for the week. Another typical week for me in the bank.

I forgot to add my splits for the Claregalway 10km. Here goes:

1km 3:23
2km 3:11
3km 3:08
4km 3:18
5km 3:19 (5km 16:19)
6km 3:32
7km 3:20
8km 3:13
9km 3:17
10km 3:17 (5km 16:39)

Total 32:58

Ted "the Count" Hankey

Later in the evening I made the short trip to Tuam to watch Ted Hankey playing a darts exhibition match. I wasn't sure what to expect but was keen to give it a look (thanks to Colm for the tickets!). Oh yeah, almost forgot, I was down to play him in one leg. Game on.

The turnout was fairly poor - I'd estimate about 70 people watching. I was scheduled to play 8th, and after the 7th game there was a long interval which was more time to sweat. Thankfully a few pints of Guinness had helped to lubricate my elbow and ease the nerves. If I was like this before a race I'd have to give up running....

Anyway, my walk-on music was AC/DC's "Thunderstuck", and soon "the Thunder from Down Under" was in action. It was one game of 801 and after starting well with scores of 85 and 81, I hit the wall. I had another score of 98, but the Count smelt blood and finished me off with a couple of big scores and straight out on the double. I knew I had made a mistake when I forgot my garlic. Hopefully some photographic evidence to follow...

I finished off the night back in the local boozer. More Guinness, darts and pool. I love pubs...home at 3am...

Claregalway 10km

I missed this race last year so was looking forward to having a solid hit-out in my home town. The course is a tough one, a double loop with a long climb of 600m at the start of each lap. There's also a nasty hill at the 3km/8km mark. Conditions were quite windy and we were lucky that the rain just about held off.

I walked up to register (about 800m from where I live), got changed into my gear and headed out for a couple of kms warm-up. Soon it was time to line up at the start.

Just like sprinters I had worked on my start (minus the blocks). My watch was ready, I was listening to the starter, and was soon pounding the pavements. As we exited the industrial estate I was in the lead only to be greeted with the first big climb. My plan was to run strong, but not flat out and about halfway up the hill I was joined by another runner who I wasn't familiar with. As we reached the crest of the hill I immediately felt a lot more comfortable and opened up a gap on the chasing field.

As has been the norm lately, I wasn't looking at the watch and was running on feel. I know this course like the back of my hand so it was quite ironic that I had a lead car to follow round. I have to say I'm not a big fan of the double lap courses as I'm always thinking that I have to do this again, or that I wish I was on the second lap. I'd say I'm not alone in those thoughts.

The race that I was hoping for didn't really happen - once again I was in time trial mode. After 2km there is a long downhill, then the aforementioned climb at 3km. Then it's fairly flat for the balance of the lap. As I went through the halfway mark I had opened up a decent gap and to be honest I switched off a bit (plus the legs were feeling quite tired). The second time up the climb was bloody tough, but again I got the legs moving nicely once at the summit. I knew I had slowed a bit but wasn't too phased and soon I was running down the finishing chute to cross the line first in a time of 32:58.

The time was actually a bit faster than it felt (I would have guessed it to be a 33:20 run). So that was pleasing. I also won by a decent margin which was surprising as this was the County 10km Championships. I'll certainly take the win and I think I'm now the current county champion at 5,000m (track), 10km and 10 miles. I'd say the course is on a par with the Lane Cove 10km course in Sydney. There are tough sections but if you are sensible, there are some very fast stretches to make up some time.

I finished up with a couple of kms warm-down so all up 14kms for the day. Moving on...

I Can Read

No running today. Instead a quiet Friday night drinking beer and eating pizza. I threw a few darts as well for reasons that will be explained tomorrow. Lets just say I'm more nervous about the darts than the 10km race...

I've just about finished reading "Running With the Buffaloes". A great read as it gives you a real insight into the world of university cross country running in America. Focussing on the Colorado University team and how these guys churn out 100 mile weeks - at altitude. It makes me feel like I'm not even training...

A Mixed Bag

A quick session today. I basically did my normal 9.5km lap but threw in a few efforts. The first was my 3.6km time trial route which I knocked off in 11:27 (3:11's). Then continuing on at a slow pace for a further 3 minutes I then did a 5 minute effort (into the wind - estimate 3:25 pace). Then after a 2 minute jog I finished up with a 1 minute effort. Then easy running for the balance of the lap.

All up the 9.5km took me 35:01 (3:41's). That's it now until the race on Saturday.

England going very well in the cricket. It's like India don't want to be there. A shame in a way as I thought this would be a very closely fought series.

Splashing around

Tonight the running conditions were brutal. Very wet and windy and the roads were covered in water as it had been raining hard all day. I put on my waterproof gear and hat and it must have looked like I was off for a spot of looting.....anyway I finished my 9.5km route in a slow 40:15 (4:14's). Glad to get that over with.

A few photos coming through from the Streets. Here's a good one of the start (thanks to edenhill):



Here are the top 10 times:

1 2199 Gerry RYAN Male Senior Men Craughwell AC 0:24:24 0:24:24
2 2168 Vinny MULVEY Male Senior Men Raheny Shamrocks AC 0:24:29 0:24:29
3 19 Neville DAVEY Male Senior Men 0:24:39 0:24:39
4 2263 Simon RYAN Male Senior Men Raheny Shamrocks AC 0:25:35 0:25:35
5 1422 Matthew BIDWELL Male Senior Men Galway City Harriers AC 0:25:36 0:25:36
6 1883 Cillian O'LEARY Male Senior Men Raheny Shamrocks AC 0:25:44 0:25:44
7 2119 Bernard ROE Male Senior Men Raheny Shamrocks AC 0:25:55 0:25:55
8 1840 David BYRNE Male Senior Men Tallaght AC 0:26:16 0:26:13
9 1382 Tony SCANLAN Male Senior Men Galway City Harriers AC 0:26:19 0:26:17
10 1488 Ruairi O'DONNELL Male Senior Men Limerick AC 0:26:29 0:26:28

Finally, a big thanks to all the support I got on the course on Saturday, I couldn't believe the amount of shouts I was getting. Much appeciated.

Reducing Recovery

A repeat of a session I last did on Sep 15th 2010 here.

After a long 6.4km warm-up and some strides it was showtime.

Just to give the full details of the session - it was 16 x 400m off reducing recoveries - you get 60 seconds recovery between laps 1,2,3,4 and 5. Then 45 seconds between laps 5,6,7,8 and 9. Then 30 seconds between laps 9,10,11,12 and 13 finishing with 15 seconds between laps 13,14,15 and 16. Simple.

The plan was to run them just below target 5km pace (15 minutes for me) so it was agreed that 70 second laps (72 seconds less 2 seconds) should feel "comfortable". Here are my times:

71/70/70/69/70/70/69/69/69/69/69/69/69/71/71/69

It went from feeling relatively easy to bloody hard as soon as the recovery time dropped to 15 seconds (a very cruel mistress). Glad to get the session over with to be honest. A tough old session on the back of Saturday's race.

I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down and that makes it 16.0km for the day. Easy running for the rest of the week except for Thursday where I may do a bit of fartlek training.

Cruising

Another easy local run (same route as last Monday). This time the 12.1kms took me 47:54 and that works out to 3:58/km pace. Feeling good.

Back to the track tomorrow.

Long and local

I wasn't feeling too shabby today so rather than slob around I did a mid afternoon long run. My local route of 22.5kms in a time of 1:32:05 (4:06/km). It was raining most of the run which was quite pleasant.

That's 82.3km for the week.

It's the Claregalway 10km next Saturday. It doubles up as the County 10km championship so hopefully more good racing to look forward to. Not a PB course as it's a hilly one - the course being 2 laps of the 5km course used during this year's 5km series (same direction).

The Streets of Galway

I arrived in good time. I bumped into Paul and about 30 minutes before the race start of 7pm we headed out for a warm-up. It soon started raining so we cut the warm-up short after only 2 kms. Back inside for shelter and to change into the racing flats, then back out again for a final 5 minutes warm-up before doing a few strides and lining up at the start.

Another messy start. Anyway, quickly into my running up near the front and after being overtaken by a crocodile, I settled into a small group heading towards town. There was some breeze to deal with, and it was trying to rain again, but nothing too bad. I went through the first km in 5th position but I wasn't looking at splits, I was just using my watch to record the times.

By this stage the first 3 runners had opened up a nice gap, then there was a guy chasing them back in 4th (Simon Ryan), and a group of 3 of us fighting it out for 5th. We climbed up to Eyre Square, then headed out towards the Cathedral. This section was quite tough as the breeze seemed to be coming straight at you with a sort of wind tunnel effect between the city buildings.

I remained in the group of 3 with the leaders slowly disappearing up the road. After the Cathedral there was another tough drag as we ran along University Road. Again into the wind and to make matters worse it started drizzling but thankfully we soon were to make a left turn down Newcastle Road.

I felt better running this section and at the bottom part of this long section where we were to take a right turn up Devon Court, the 4th place runner Simon missed the turn and had to be sent back. He must have lost close to 10 seconds and was now part of our small group...

As we made the turn down Rockbarton Road there was still 4 of us fighting it out. I though this section would be fast but it didn't seem to be the steep downhill that I remembered from last year. Simon had again moved into 4th and I went with him and it seemed like we had opened up a small gap on the remaining 2 chasers.

Moving onto the prom and it was time to push for home. There was a bit of cat and mouse after the 6th km as neither myself or Simon wanted to go too early. The wind was on the back and I was feeling as good as could have been hoped for. Upon seeing the 7km marker it was time to kick. Initially I think I moved into 4th place, but this was short lived. With 500m to go we were still stride for stride and I indicated to Simon that there was a final sharp right turn before the finish line. As we hit the 200m marker Simon kicked down and left me in his wake. That's how it remained and I had to settle for 5th postion in a time of 25:36.

I'm happy enough with the time though it did feel like I'd run a bit quicker. That's a 2 second PB and one position better than last year so happy days. Here are the splits:

1km 3:02
2km 3:19
3km 3:14
4km 3:12
5km 3:26
6km 3:10
7km 3:13
8km 3:00

Total 25:36

I pretty much executed my race plan except for the sloppy 5th km which may have cost me the sub 25:30. Nice to finish quick running the last 3kms in 9:23 finishing with a 3 minute click.

No time for a warm-down. Straight into the shower, a quick change, and back to the finish line to hand out water bottles!

I have to give the winner of the race a big mention. Gerry Ryan won in a time of 24:24. Incredible running beating a strong contingent of Raheny Shamrock runners who had made the trip over from Dublin. Gerry is 47 and with those sort of times at that age it gives us all hope. World class.

All up about 11kms for the day. Then I headed into town for some (read plenty) of post race refreshments...

The Streets

You're fit, but my gosh don't you know it...

The Streets of Galway is arguably the biggest race on the Galway calendar. Tomorrow will be the 26th running of the event and with over 2,500 people registered, it promises to be a great race. Last year I finished in 6th position running 25:38 and I'm hoping I can improve on that this time around. Splits last year were as follows:

1km 3:09
2km 3:13
3km 3:13
4km 3:04
5km 3:19
6km 3:14
7km 3:21
8km 3:05

The course is fast and flat and looking at those splits, it seems I lost a bit of speed through kms 5 to 7. The plan is to run the first 5km under 16 minutes, then try and lift the pace for the final run along the prom (hopefully with the wind on the back). Then hit the pub...

Talking of which, I fell off my 3 day wagon last night. I lasted one day. Pathetic. And tonight being Friday means it would be rude not to...

Good luck to everyone racing on the weekend. May it bring PB's then VB's (or whatever else your tipple is)...

48 Hours

Another easy run around the block. A 9.5km run in 38:55 (4:06's). I did a few pick ups on the final run home but the legs still feel very unresponsive. Hopefully with 48 hours rest between now and the race everything will come together and it'll be alright on the night.

Still not bad

Okay, the last proper session before the Streets. Arrived at the track late and after sitting in the car for a while to avoid heavy rain, I eventually got going for my warm-up where I bumped into Ian. After about 4.8kms I was ready for the session.

Conditions were pretty poor. Still raining, shirt and shoes already waterlogged, track very slippery, plus about 10 more excuses. I'd spoken with Matt and the instructions were to run 6 x 800 (off 2 minutes). Starting at say 2:20, then a couple of 2:18's, finishing with a pair of 2:14's. I would have been confident of doing that based on recent form but after the first lap of the first 800 those times were out of the window. The session went:

2:25/2:24/2:23/2:23/2:22/2:20

So looking for the positives, overall it was still at below 3 minute per km pace, and I managed to get quicker throughout the session. But it was a real effort which was either due to the conditions, or me being on the shant for the last week. Probably a bit of both.

Not the confidence builder I wanted just before the race but still a decent enough session. I'll take it easy the next couple of days as I'm feeling pretty tired and I'll be avoiding all forms of alcohol until post race. That will be a full 3 evenings...

I finished up with 3.2kms warm-down so all up 12.4km for the day.

Shame

A bit further today. I squeezed my run in at lunchtime and did my local 14.4km route in 57:26 (3:59's).

Far too much activity on the socialising front. It's 5 nights on the trot and counting. Dad leaves tomorrow so tonight won't be a late one...

I see that the Galway City Half/Full Marathon has been cancelled at the end of the month (see website for details). That's a pity as I was planning to run after winning the half last year. Hopefully we'll see this race on the calendar at some future date.

Simple Innit

More of the easy stuff. A total of 12.1kms in 50:14 (4:09's).

This week will be lots of easy running, with a track session on Wednesday, and a rest day on Friday before the race on Saturday evening.

Swinford 8km

Added pressure today as my old man and the nipper had made the trip to Swinford to watch me race. A couple of kms warm-up and soon we were lining up at the start. Not many runners in attendance as the race clashed with the football (Mayo Vs Cork) which was a shame. Roger Barrett was running who I'd had a couple of good battles with at Carramore and Westport and with one win each, it was shaping into a decent race. I certainly needed to break my recent run of finishing second (4 races on the trot now!)...

I hit the front with Roger and we raced stride for stride. The start of the race had us climbing up through the town, then it flattened out. I wasn't looking at my watch but was taking splits at the km markers. After a few kms we took a left turn which brought us onto a main road and this section was gradual uphill (at least one km). At this point I tried to up the pace and to my surprise I managed to work a bit of a lead on the hill and that's how it remained. The second half of the race was all fairly flat as the course took us back into town. The last km was a nice downhill section and I crossed the line in 25:41 for the win.

The splits suggest that some of the km markers were a bit dodgy but the overall distance felt right:

1km 3:14
2km 3:17
3km 3:19
4km 3:23
5km 3:10
6km 3:14
7km 3:16
8km 2:48 (if only!)

Total 25:41

A good run, and it was nice to finish a race feeling very strong after taking the start of the race a bit easier. Only 3 seconds slower than my PB over 8km and with the quick Streets of Galway course next week I'll be looking to run sub 25:30. Interesting that McM equates that time to a 32:22 10km. I'm confident I would have gone a bit quicker than that today had it been a 10km race.

I finished up with 2 miles warm-down so all up 13.2km for the day and exactly 70kms for the week.

Heading into town tonight for a few celebratory beers served in plastic glasses...

Licking my wounds

A great time was had last night. I managed to pick 3 winners and survived 2 stewards enquiries in the process. Drinking like a witch so today was painful and with no plans to run I couldn't do my usual trick of sweating it all out.

Tomorrow will be interesting. Not ideal race preparation...

Studying the form

Squeezed in a run at lunchtime - again easy and short. Total 9.5kms in 38:19 (4:02's). Hot and humid.

Galway races tonight...

Upsizing

I always prefer to run a set distance rather than a time. So rather than 2 x 10 minutes, I was to use my local 3.6km marked route which meant more than 10 minutes for each rep...

I've used this course a number of times in the past - though not recently. The outward section is all gradual uphill, made worse today by the fact that I was running into a stiff breeze. Coming back was a lot easier and I'm of the mindset that's easier to get the tough rep out of the way knowing full well the second one was going to be a lot easier. Times were 11:54 going out (3:18 pace) and 11:19 coming back (3:09 pace). In between I had 2 and a half minutes recovery.

With warm-up and warm down (6.9km), I knocked out 14.1km for the day.

Here's a race report from the Balla 10km. I like the video of the finish line. I didn't realise the gate over the finish line was so low! People having to duck under the banner!

Same old

Another easy run - 9.5kms in 39:27 (4:09's). Feeling a bit sore and niggly after yesterdays track session so didn't push it along at all. Should be fine.

Tomorrow will be 2 x 10 minutes.

I hit my 50th 180 of the year today (at darts if you're wondering). If I practice about 15 minutes I seem to hit a couple. I don't think I'm getting any better, just luckier. Dad arrives tomorrow so we shall see.

Hitting my straps

Another track session. This time we were down for 4 sets of 600/500/400 off one minute with 2 minutes between sets. The goal was to up the pace as you stepped down the distance.

During the 5km warm-up we were all complaining that it was too hot. Runners are never happy, it is always too something. After stretches and strides it was time to get going. Here are my times:

1:49/1:26/1:05
1:45/1:24/1:05
1:42/1:23/1:04
1:42/1:24/1:04

The first 600 was very conservative but after that I tried to run them all hard. Some decent 400 times in there with the last couple sub 64 (63.7 and 63.6). All up the efforts totalled 6km in 16:53 (67.5 lap pace). That's about the same pace as a couple of my standalone 400m sessions so nice to maintain that pace for a slightly longer distance.

I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down. All up 14.2km for the day.

This week

An easy run to start the week off. My 9.5km local loop in 38:24 (4:03's).

The plan this week is to run track on Tuesday, some longer reps on Thursday and race on Sunday. Easy running in between apart from Saturday where I'll take a rest day to recover from the Friday night visit to the races...

Sunday's race is an 8km on a fairly flat course. I'll be aiming to run quicker than I did in Headford and anything sub 25:45 would be very nice.

Finishing Long

An evening run today. I did my local "long run" covering 22.5km in 1:34:11 (4:11's). Very humid and was absolutely knackered and dehydrated come the end. Just glad to get it out of the way.

That's another week in the eighties - this time 85.7km. I'm happy with how things are going and will be looking to peak for the Streets of Galway in 2 weeks time.

My 10km running has been so consistent this year. I've run 32:4x on no less than 5 occasions. A big improvement is just around the corner...

Balla 10km

Conditions were not to my liking. A hilly course and very humid but I'd been running well so was hoping for a decent outing. After a 3km warm-up around the start of the course, I was already sweating up, and after changing into my racing flats it was time to line up at the start.

There was a good buzz around town and this was made all the better by a marching band playing at the start as they welcomed Enda Kenny to officially get the race underway. No security that I could see and I was literally standing next to him at the start line. After a 3-2-1 we were off and racing.

I quickly hit the front as we took a sharp left turn and then the first long climb of about 500m which took us up and around the school. After that there were some twists and turns, a section along some loose gravel and rocks, a cattle grid, then back onto the roads. I wasn't looking at splits and was just running on feel. After the first km, the course remained on the road as we headed out of town. More gradual climbs in the second km where I was joined by another runner (Martin Conroy) and we raced stride for stride. The start of the 3rd km was some welcome downhill but this was quickly followed by more up and this was pretty much the pattern of the course from here on in. Constant ups and downs, not steep hills but difficult to get into any sort of rhythm.

We continued running together for the next few kms but as we passed 5km (16:07!) I knew I wasn't going to be able to maintain the pace. We were still together through 6km but it was around this point that I was gapped and it was time to hang on in there. The hills were still coming and after every turn you were looking up the road to see where the next hill was. The gap was about 7-8 seconds and wasn't growing as I went through kms 7, 8 and 9 and I was still of the belief that I could get close with a quick last km. But that wasn't to be and after kicking down the last 200m I crossed the finish line in 32:43 for second place (the winner ran 32:30).

Very happy with the time. Two seconds slower than my PB on a tough course and some good racing. I think the heat effected me more than the hills and I know the sub 32:30 is there on a better day. Overall a great evening with tea and sandwiches after the race and a few Euros prize money thrown in. One of the most memorable races of the year so far.

I forgot to mention I did the same 3kms warm-down. That's 16kms for the day. Hopefully some photos to follow...

Splits:

1km 3:09
2km 3:19
3km 3:16
4km 3:14
5km 3:08
6km 3:17
7km 3:29 (where I was gapped)
8km 3:22
9km 3:15
10km 3:14

Total 32:43

Feet Up

No running today after my 13 day training block...

Instead it was time for a few beers, crisps, chocolate, etc - all good race prep.

Loving the darts.

Races Approaching

Another local run. This time slightly longer running 2 local loops totalling 14.4km in 57:54 (4:01/km). That's it now before the race on Saturday evening.

I ordered a new dartboard which arrived today. I'd worn out the 5 and 1 on the old one...I need to put in some practice as the old man is in town again next week for the races. That's the famous Galway races where the whole town comes to a standstill for a week. The pubs are mobbed and it's party time. Should be fun, especially if I can pick a few winners.

More of the easy stuff

Another easy local run of 9.5km in 39:24 (4:09's). My left knee is still a little sore, but that aside I'm feeling really good. I'll do some final tuning up tomorrow, then rest on Friday before the 10km race on Saturday evening.

I'm hoping for cool weather on the weekend as I always seem to run well when it's cold. It's a hilly course but I still think I'm in PB shape. Looking forward to it.

Darts on TV again this week. Loving that.

Going Well

My weekly track session. Arrived and did the normal 2 miles (3.2km) around the University pitches. Then onto the track for some strides before the session.

It was a repeat of the session from April 27th here.

So 4 x 400, then 3 x 1600, finishing with 4 x 400.

60 seconds recovery between 400's, 90 seconds between the 1600's, and 90 seconds between sets. Times were as follows:

67,67,67,67
4:56,4:53,4:56
68,67,66,64

Very happy with those. The middle 1600 I ran too quick and it took me a while to recover but the last few 400's I felt really good. Nice to finish with a 64.4. I think I've moved up a notch so I need this form to be replicated on Saturday in the road 10km.

Another 3.2km warm-down so all up 14.4km for the day.

More Dublin

A shorter version of yesterday's run. This time 8.9km in 37:30. Back to Galway tomorrow for a track session.

Dublin

A few days in Dublin with the family. I did a late run around Ballsbridge and Sandymount and covered 11.6km in the process in a time of 50:12. That's 4:20/km so not particularly quick. It was just nice to run somewhere different.

A weekly total of 88.8km. That's the third week on the trot where I've been in the 80's for the week. I really struggle to get it up above that...

Token Hills

My lack of hillwork is so apparent in races. I seem to almost give up on the tough hills and knowing that there is a hilly 10km on my race aganda, I though I'd do a token hills session...

I drove to Dangan and did a longish warm-up of 7.2km with Owen. Then to Chestnut lane where I ran some 30 second uphill sprints. I used the downhill as slow walk/jog recovery and that was taking around 70 seconds. I broke the session up into 3 sets with 2 and a half minutes recovery bewteen sets and managed a total of 16 x 30 seconds (5 in the first set, 5 in the second and 6 to finish with).

A tough enough session. Only 8 minutes of hard running but it really has you gasping for air if you run them hard. I finished up with a 4km warm-down so all up 15.2km for the day.

Stubborn

More easy running. My local loop fo 9.5km in 38:56. Conditions wet and windy but I forced myself out of the door...glad to get it over with.

MLR

Not a Medium Long Run, a Matt Long Run. The first time I've run for more than an hour and a half since early June. I ran local and did some of my local loops tagging bits on to get me over the 90 minute mark. Total running time 1:31:46 in which time I knocked off 22.5kms (4:05/km pace). Pretty tired come the end of that...

Maree 5km

A very warm day, the first proper day of summer! The race was a late start at 8pm, and by that time it had cooled a bit, and there was a bit of a breeze around.

I ran about 3kms warm-up, then lined up at the start. Just before the start I had a disagreement with a bramble bush and the bush won. Scratches all down my arm, not a good look...

The start itself warrants a mention. I can't remember such a bad start from myself. The race started and I stalled, my fault as I didn't have my watch ready and I was fumbling around trying to find the stopwatch. By the time I started running I had switched over to the stopwatch but then I needed to reset it. After fixing that I was way down on the leaders and I then had to start pegging people back. With hindsight this probably wasn't a bad thing...

After 400m I was in 3rd position. The first km was undulating and up front Gerry Ryan and Michael Shannon were taking it out really hard and I was a good distance back. I knew I was running hard so there was no point trying to catch them so I just focused on my own race. I decided not to look at my splits during the race as I didn't want any distractions.

The second km was much tougher. Some uphill drags and as I took a right hand turn, it was then time to run into the breeze which seemed like it had picked up. The third km was all downhill and I really started to feel good and was closing in on 2nd place. At the bottom of the hill it was another left turn and it was now pancake flat running down by the water. Through the 4th km and I was now just behind 2nd and it was time to make a move. I ran into second place and after a right turn, the last 800m was an undulating run in to the finish...

It was hurting but I managed a decent finish crossing the line in 15:33 for 2nd place. Gerry won in 15:12 so in our second meeting in 4 days he again beats me convincingly. Splits were as follows (last years times in brackets):

1km 3:00 (3:01)
2km 3:16 (3:25)
3km 3:08 (3:18)
4km 3:06 (3:15)
5km 3:03 (3:11)

Very happy with a 12 second road PB. I think the 3 days of easy running before the race made a big difference as I felt really fresh tonight.

3kms warm-down to make it 11kms for the day.

There was a legend of the running scene watching the race tonight - Steve Jones - what a class marathon runner he was during the 1980's. I think he was over on holiday as he now lives in America. My pace tonight doesn't even come close to his marathon pace!

More easyish stuff

Another easy run to see how the legs were post massage. I was feeling good tonight and pushed the pace along a little so you wouldn't call it easy, whatever the next level above easy is called. The same route as the last 2 days, this time covering the 9.5kms in 37:09 (3:55/km).

Perhaps I was feeling a little guilty after consuming 5 chocolate doughnuts in one sitting...

Maree 5km tomorrow. Last year I ran 2nd in 16:10....

Easy running and massage

The same run as yesterday (9.5kms in 38:20). My left knee has been a little sore of late so I had a rub to try and iron out any muscles that could be impacting the tracking of the knee.

I've updated my race schedule. There's a 5km on this Wednesday which will be a decent hit-out. No racing this weekend but then the following 3 weekends I have pencilled in some races.

10km PB?

Today was a struggle. The run happened late and my Sunday "long run" was 9.5kms in a time of 38:42. Everything was hurting - time for a massage.

Interesting that McMillan gives my 25:51 8km yesterday as an equivalent performance of 32:35 for 10km (6 second PB). That's encouraging, especially as there is more to come on a flatter/cooler day.

That's 82.3km for the week. Not bad considering I had a rest day.

It's now time to get back on the horse...

Headford 8km

I arrived in good time for registration and warm-up. The weather was hot, close to 20 degrees which was a little too hot for racing but better than the torrential rain from last year. Gerry Ryan was running after a long break from racing and I knew he was in good from after posting a low 31 minute 10km the week before.

The race was underway at 7pm sharp. The first part of the race had us running through the main street up through town. A tough enough uphill drag of about 600m before taking a left turn onto the main road heading towards Galway. I settled into second position trying to keep Gerry in my sights. The run along the main road saw me going through kms 1, 2 and 3 and with splits of 3:02, 3:08 and 3:10 I was moving along nicely.

Shortly after 3km it was time to take another left through the smaller country lanes. I hit 4km with a split of 3:14 and that meant 12:34 at halfway which was way better than planned. Then the hills started. Not steep hills but long uphill stretches and I just couldn't get the legs going. This continued through kms 5 and 6 and the times of 3:26 and 3:20 showed I had slowed significantly. I could occasionally see Gerry up front which helped to spur me on a little. I managed to find an extra gear (other than reverse) in the last couple of clicks and with kms 7 and 8 passing in 3:18 and 3:13 I crossed the finish line in 25:51 for second place. Gerry won in 24:59 and I thought before the race that if I could get within a minute of him I'd be doing well.

That's 17 seconds quicker than last year and the course was much tougher than I remembered. The heat didn't help after training in cooler weather the last few weeks. Overall I'm fairly happy with that and I'll be looking to run sub 25:30 on the back of that for the Streets of Galway 8km in early August.

A few kms warm down so all up approx 15kms for the day. Then into town for umpteen beers with the lads. Home at 3am and feeling less than the full one hundred as I write this. The thought of running later today isn't filling me with much glee...

Repeat Racing

No running. A few beers tonight as a final preparation for tomorrow's 8km.

The Headford 8km was another race that I won last year - in a time of 26:08. A good course which from memory was fairly flat. Perhaps there was a drag in the 5th km? Here are last years splits:

1 3:10
2 3:16
3 3:15
4 3:16
5 3:24
6 3:17
7 3:17
8 3:13

I'm sure I'm in slightly better nick this year so will be looking to duck under 26. A lot will depend on the weather which has been very wet of late. Fingers crossed.

The best bit is that there are a few of us going for beers in town after the race. I'll be the thirsty one.

Persistent Rain

It rained all day but once I got out there it was quite nice. I did my usual hour double loop and knocked off the 14.4km in 58:54 (4:05's). I was pretty tired so looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.

Cruise Intervals

Track night. I did a couple of kms warm-up and hooked up with Matt and Owen for a session of 400's (just for a change). They were planning 72 second laps which suited me as I didn't want to run flat out.

The session itself was slightly different to my normal session of 400's. We did 4 sets of 4 (total 16) off 30 seconds with 3 minutes recovery between sets (including a 200m very slow jog). It felt pretty comfortable throughout and the times were:

72/74/71/72
71/72/71/72
71/71/72/71
71/70/69/66

Average of 71.

I finished up with an easy 6.9km warm-down. All up 15.9km for the day.

I nearly forgot to mention the weather. Raining most of the day but by the time the session started it had cleared. No breeze to speak of so apart from the damp track, conditions couldn't have been much better.

Short and Sweet

My local loop of 9.5km in 37:12 (3:55's). A perfect evening for running.

Winding back

I decided to do the long run today that I missed on Sunday. I was aiming for an hour and a half and I'd plotted out a new local route that took in a new loop that I'd discovered. I was out the door quite late (8:30pm) and it was a case of going through the motions. I had to add an extra bit on at the end to get me nearer my target but I still pulled up short running for 1:24:23. A quick check on Mapmyrun and it turns out I covered exactly 20kms at a pace of 4:13/km.

The rest of the week I'll take it fairly easy. A light track session on Wednesday, with easy running to fill in the gaps. I'll rest up on Friday before the race on Saturday. Hopefully some post race boozing in Headford as well!

Darting Biathlon

My planned long run was put on hold as I decided it was time to make my darts debut in a ranking competition where points could be accumulated towards making the county darts side. I still managed to squeeze in an hours run - the same run as Monday covering the 14.4km in 57:30 (4 minute kms).

So on the running front that's 87.5km for the week with 3 solid speed sessions thrown in. A very good week.

Moving on to the darts, I hit the practice board and quickly hit a couple of maximums. Upon arrival at the pub (which is only 4km up the road), I registered and played a few warm-up games where I hit another maximum. Then the comp started and we were split into groups of 5 players where we had to play a round robin format with the 2 highest leg scorers in the group progressing to the quarter finals. Every leg counted and you played all 3 legs against the other 4 players in the group regardless of the scoreline.

In my first game I won 3-0 after playing well after a slow start. In the next game I lost 3-0 after playing very poorly. I returned to winning ways in game 3 with a 2-1 victory then lost my last game 3-0 after scoring well but missing chances on doubles. Scoring for show and doubles for dough and all that...

So my for and against read 5-7 and had I won one more leg I would have progressed through to the quarters. Not a bad debut and there are more of these comps coming up so I'm sure I'll give it another crack. Hopefully I'll be less nervous next time or perhaps I just need to drink more...

Sloppy Seconds

Time trial day. I used to run these regularly in Sydney on the first Tuesday of each month. In fact, I've just had a look at my record and I've ran 24 3,000 time trials at Mingara between August 2007 and December 2009. I also raced the distance 3 times during that time at Homebush. My first ever 3,000m I ran 10:22 on 07/08/07. My current PB was ran during a time trial the week leading up to the Melbourne Marathon where I ran 8:58 on 06/10/09. I find these good sessions as they don't take too much out of you and they are a good indication of where you are at.

After my normal 3.2km warm-up, I made my way over to the track for a few strides. The weather was glorious - quite sunny and a bit of breeze to deal with coming down the finishing straight. There was 10 or so of us running. A good standard so it would be clean track with no lapping other runners to worry about.

We quickly got going and I hit the front. I took my splits each km but didn't look at the watch. As is normal, I ran a good first and last km, but the second one was a little sloppy. I finished in 9:05 and the splits were 3:00, 3:05, 3:00. So not the sub 9 I was after but not to worry. I'm sure in a proper race I could find a few seconds to get me well under 9.

I finished up with a 6.7km warm-down. All up 12.9km for the day.

Ouch on the Oche

A glorious day. I took it really easy covering my local 9.5km in 40:48 (4:18's). That's as slow a lap I can remember for a long time - running at a slower pace than you are used to just feels a little awkward and laboured. That plus the heat and I was pleased to get it over with.

I suffered a minor injury earlier in the day. I was throwing a few darts and one bounced out and lodged in the top of my foot. I think I'll live...

Meat and Drink

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Am I Soft?

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

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

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

Bread and Butter

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

Times were as follows:

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

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

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

New Tyres

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

Westport 5km

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wet Wet Wet

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

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

That London

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

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

Some fun

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

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

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

Shattered

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

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

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

Annaghdown 10km

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plodding on

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

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

Runs on the board

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

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

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

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

Ouch

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

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

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

Drink taper

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

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

Galway County 5,000m

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the km splits:

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

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

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

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

Windy Miller

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

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

Sporting extravaganza

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

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

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

On cue

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

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

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

Monivea 5km

Sunday is for (more) racing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday's for driving

Zero running.

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

Friday Urrrrgggghh

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

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

Thursday is for track

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

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

The times were as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday is for easy running

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

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

2 more 180's today...

Galway 5km Series - Week 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

Monday is a day for jogging

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

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

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

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

Longish Run

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

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

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

Longer reps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plus 12 degrees

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

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

15 x 400

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

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

The session went as follows:

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

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

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

Getting Serious

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

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

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

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