Easter Monday

I wasn't feeling great today. One of those days where you feel like you are on the verge of coming down with something. Some people would take the day off, however my way of thinking is go for a run and sweat it out (no it wasn't a hangover - perhaps too much chocolate!).

That seemed to work - an easy 11.1kms in 46:13 (4:10's). Felt much better afterwards.

Only 2 weeks to go

Starting to scale back the longer runs now. Today we were down for an easy 2 hours and ran from Dangan, out to Fervo, then back to Dangan cutting short near the end as we didn't want to over-do it. All up 28.4kms in 2:06:11 (4:27's).

A good crowd today which really helps pass the time. I felt pretty good throughout after yesterday's race and even tried some of the gel I intend to use on race day.

That's 103.0kms for the week. I've been averaging over 100kms per week for the last 13 weeks now so it has been metronome like consistency. Starting to think a bit about the race now. Really looking forward to it.

Colemanstown 10km

The race in Galway was selected purely on the grounds that it would be less time away from home. The course was advertised as being fast and flat and I wanted to test myself to see what shape I was in. I had no idea what time to expect/target but in speaking to Owen I decided I'd be very happy if I could dip under 33 minutes.

A field of around 175 runners lined up for the start. I'd done a 1.6km warm-up and no strides, and with the start slightly delayed it allowed a bit of time to relax and chat to the other runners. Conditions looked good enough - we were going to cop a bit of wind in places and to me it felt a little muggy but all in all pretty good.

The race was underway and I went straight into the lead. I wanted to push the start and I was a little surprised as I took note of my split for the first km - a 3:07 - and I was feeling good. I concentrated on keeping the legs motoring and unusually there was nobody for company - no lead car, bike or motorcycle - just me in time trial mode with empty road ahead. The second km was again quick (3:12) but the wind was probably assisting at this stage. The road remained very flat and the km markers were appearing quickly - the 3rd km covered in 3:14. I recall the 4th km was a bit tougher - I think we were slowly turning more into the wind, plus it seemed to be a very gradual uphill gradient. I knew I'd slowed a bit and after taking the first left hand turn off the main road I had reached the 4th km with a split of 3:20.

My thinking was that I'd probably paid for the quick start and it was going to be a tough run home. However I managed to pick the pace up again to reach the halfway point with a split of 3:15. With those splits I realised I was in with a shout of a PB. Just keep this going. The next km was the toughest of the race. Very exposed, slight uphill and running into the wind. Again I knew I'd slowed and sure enough I'd run the slowest km yet (a 3:22). Like before though I'd bounced straight back with another turn of speed to record a time of 3:15 for the 7th km. I'd decided to take note of my cumulative time at 8km then decide if a PB was possible. I think it was midway through the 8th km that we took another left turn and suddenly I felt a lot more comfortable as the wind was on the back.

At 8km I had run a 3:19 km and I was left fumbling with my watch to get the display to show me my total race time. I quickly calculated that I was in with a good PB shout and decided to really push for home. Thankfully this seemed like the quickest section of the course and I quickly reached 9km with a split of 3:09. I felt strong and kicked on as best I could. The last km was a bit tougher as there were a couple of turns, plus a slight uphill as we approached the finish. But nothing was going to upset my rhythm today and I managed to cross the finish line in a time of 32:22 recording a final km split of 3:09.

Very pleased with that. Finally I've broken out of the 32:40's! A 19 second PB and I'd also broken the course record in the process. Plus another win! Good to see that all the training is paying dividends and this has given me lots of confidence for the marathon in 2 weeks time.

I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down and that gives me 14.8kms for the day. I guess I'll have to have a few beers tonight to celebrate. Still getting quicker at the ripe old age of forty!

A quick thank you to the organisers. These country races are superb - a very friendly atmosphere and again well organised. The course is super quick and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to target a quick 10km time. I don't think there would be a quicker 10km option in Galway. But then I'd have to say that after today!

More rest

It's important to have these rest days to give the body a chance to absorb all the training and recuperate. I'll probably have 2 rest days next week, and maybe 3 in the final week before the marathon.

So today I did very little except chase the kids around the garden. A few beers in the evening along with chocolate Angel Delight and a family size bag of crisps. Nice. I'm often asked about drinking and training. I've tried tee-total training, and having a few beers and I'm of the firm belief that the latter does you no harm. If anything I find it helps you to relax and is a good reward after a tough session. More often than not I will have a few beers the night before a race. Low and behold you sleep better and wake up refreshed and ready to go. Works for me but probably wouldn't recommend it for everyone. Sports scientists and nutritionists will no doubt give you a million reasons why you shouldn't follow my lead. Oh well...

I'm keen to race on the weekend as a final tune-up. There are two 10km options tomorrow - one in Galway and one one in Mayo. The Mayo race would be a better standard (which I would favour) but would involve a 2 hour round trip. What to do...

Marathon pace not comforable...

A 10 miler today with 5 miles at marathon pace in the middle. Still quite windy and foolishly I started the 5 quicker miles running into the wind. I never felt comfortable and was having to push hard just to get inside my target time of 5:40's. The penultimate mile contained a good 600m climb (still into the wind), then the last mile I was assisted by a nice downhill stretch. Here are the mile times:

5:32/5:37/5:37/5:50/5:26 (total 28:02)

There are reasons why it doesn't feel comfortable running at MP at the moment. I recall feeling the same in the build up to Dublin. Magically on the day it will all click into place - at least that's what I keep telling myself.

All up 16.0kms in 1:02:40 (ave 3:55's).

In the evening I had a good massage which lasted well over an hour. Each massage seems to be less painful than the last - a good sign (caveat - except my calves which were screaming). Rest tomorrow.

Knackered

Still feeling tired. Probably still a hangover from the half. I rattled out 17.4kms in 1:15:32 (4:20/km). Again very windy and a sense of going through the motions. One more session to survive tomorrow, then a much needed massage, with a rest day planned for Friday.

Windy at track

The temperatures have really dropped again. It was well below 10 degrees and the wind had picked up considerably. It was going to be a tough one.

The session was 3 x 2 miles. Sounds easy enough but that's still 24 laps of running around the track. But at least we had the luxury of 90 seconds recovery!

After a 3.7km warm-up myself and Owen lined up for the session. The goal was to run it at 10km pace so that's around 3:15-3:18/km pace which equates to 5:14-5:19/mile. That target went out of the window after the first few laps - a very strong headwind on the back straight (complete opposite to the normal wind direction) and whilst you did get some tail-wind on the home straight, the sheltered nature of that part of the track by no means made up for the time lost running into the wind.

I gritted out the session as best I could but the legs felt dead (breathing was fine). Times were as follows:

10:38/10:39/10:35

Not too bad and I'd say the wind accounted for a few seconds each lap. Bloody tough mentally the 8 lappers it has to be said.

Finishing up with 2.0km warm-down for 15.3kms all up.

Darts in the evening. A win in the doubles and a loss in the singles. Both games went to a deciding leg and both times I was throwing second. I played well enough in the pairs and hit the winning double; the singles was a very close game. The standard of darts was very good in the decider. I had hit 140, 125, 94 and a few lower scores and I had set myself up nicely leaving double 12. My opponent then took out 120 to win the match. Close but no cigar. And to make matters worse we lost 5-4 overall! Alcohol was the winner...

Recovery Run

An easy run around my local loop. The legs were not feeling great but the time wasn't too bad covering 11.1kms in 45:47 (4:07's). One more decent week then it's taper time...

Connemara Half Marathon 2012

Disappointing. I couldn't even manage one pre-race night of no beer...perhaps it helped?

Anyway I was up early to get the bus from Galway out to Leenane which was the starting point for the half. The journey of around an hour soon passed and it gave you a good idea to assess the terrain as we drove some of the course. Rolling hills and warm sunshine were the order of the day.

Upon arrival I was to get an appreciation of the magnitude of this event. There were runners and walkers everywhere waiting patiently for the 12pm start. I took the chance to get ready - sort out race number, timing chip, get changed, put my bag in the truck and then after a slow 2 mile warm-up it was time to make my way to the start.

A few familiar faces at the start and after a bit of chat we were all underway. I went straight into the lead and after crossing the bridge in town, then taking a left turn, it was time to tackle the first hill. I'd decided to take the hills easy enough, and then run the flatter sections of the course at marathon pace (around 5:40 per mile).

The first hill was a tough one and must have lasted well over a mile. I had already opened up a decent gap on the chasing runners and upon reaching the summit I settled into a nice rhythm which felt very comfortable. The course itself was point-to-point finishing out at Maam Cross which meant that most of the running today was directly into a breeze. To make matters worse, the temperatures were hot and you could really feel the heat of the sunshine as most of the course was very exposed.

The scenery was pretty spectacular - hills, valleys and water views and as picturesque a race as I can recall. The terrain was undulating with constant slight uphills and downhills. At the 3 mile mark I took on some water which I would never normally do for a half - that was a measure of how hot it was. I concentrated on following the lead bike and at around 5 miles there was a nasty climb, followed by a steep descent which really had you working.

At 6 miles I took on more water. My splits seemed consistent and I tried to stay as relaxed as possible and enjoy the race. I was overtaking walkers who had started an hour earlier, plus a few of the marathon runners who were on sub 3 hour pace who were running the same route. This at least gave you something to focus on. More water at 9 miles and barring any disaster I had the race in the bag. After taking a right turn it was time to tackle the last hill and it was a beauty lasting the guts of 2 miles. I decided not to push too hard, and upon reaching the summit it was then a very nice descent of around a mile, followed by a fairly flat last mile to the finish line.

I really enjoyed the last section as there were lots of spectators and a good atmosphere down at the finishing chute. I crossed the line in a gun time of 1:14:30 to give me a comfortable victory. A good win when you consider there were over 2,000 runners in the race.

So today I managed to tick all the boxes. I ran exactly the time I was after and also won the race in the process. I finished up with a slow 3 mile warm-down with Enda who had a great run to secure second place.

A great event which is superbly organised and is very unique in its nature. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different but it's not a course to go for a time on!

Just a quick mention to the guy who won the ultra event (39 miles or 1.5 marathons). His name is Georgio Calcaterra and he is the current 100km World Champion. He seemed to be doing it easy knocking off the 39 miles in 3:56:56. That's 3 by 1:19 half marathons back-to-back. Incredible.

All up 29.1 kms for the day and 104.1kms for the week. A few beers to be had now.

Here's the first photo (thanks to Jane Walsh). The scenery looks much nicer than me:



Here are the mile splits from the Garmin which measured the course at 13.22 miles:

Mile 1 5:46
Mile 2 5:51
Mile 3 5:13
Mile 4 5:26
Mile 5 5:33
Mile 6 5:42
Mile 7 5:41
Mile 8 5:33
Mile 9 5:32
Mile 10 5:53
Mile 11 6:23
Mile 12 5:16
Mile 13 5:30
Mile 13.22 1:11

Total 1:14:30

Nothing Day

No running today. A bit of freshening up before tomorrow's race. The course profile shows a big hill of around 2 miles at the start, then a further hill of similar distance at about three quarters of the way through. It's a net uphill course and as I mentioned earlier in the week I'll be happy with a time around 1hr 15.

Heading into town this afternoon to pick up my race number, get some new gels, and to purchase some new gear at the sports shop. Will aim for a beer free night tonight...

Big discrepancy

An easy run around my local loop of 11.3km (from MapMyRun). It turns out that the Garmin measures it closer to 11.0km. That's a big difference. Not sure what to believe!

Anyway, the time was 45:22 and if I trust the Garmin that's 4:07/km pace. Feeling good and looking forward to the race on Sunday.

Alternating

Another longish session today. The brief was 2 miles warm-up, then alternate between a mile at MP followed by a relaxed mile stopping at 10 miles (all up 4 miles at MP). I ran my local loop and added a bit on at the end and the flats/downhills all seemed to come in the right places! My splits for the miles were:

5:34, 5:40, 5:41, 5:31

All up 16.4km in 1:04:12 (3:55/km pace). Nice change from imperial to metric right there...

I didn't feel that good on the efforts to be honest. I seemed to be working a lot harder than you should be running at MP. You need to be comfortable running at your target MP - almost like you're jogging along. Today it didn't feel like that at all...

Finally, Dad left at lunchtime to fly back to the UK. So the socialising should be more scarce in the final 3 plus weeks to the marathon...a good chance to catch up on some sleep!

Running a half soon

I headed out at lunchtime in the midday sun. I wasn't at my best after a late night coupled with a few too many beers the night before. Once I got going it wasn't too bad but the last 30 minutes were a real grind. All up 21.1kms in 1:28:04 (4:10's).

Thoughts turn to the half on Sunday. It's a really tough hilly course and in speaking to people if you get within a few minutes of your PB you are doing well. I might set myself a goal time of sub 1hr 15 as that would be target marathon pace. If I could achieve that then running the same pace on a flat London course should be a lot more comfortable. So with this race in mind I'll be taking it relatively easy for the remainder of the week...

Almost as hot as Sydney...

Out to Dangan for a session that promised to be a tough one (in 20 degree plus heat!). The session for those in marathon training was 4 x 400, 4 x 1600, 4 x 400. All off one minute...

Luckily the start of the session tied in with the middle distance runners who were to run 10 x 400 off a minute. I led out the first lap in a sluggish 74 seconds, but after that things improved. Here are the times:

1:14/1:12/1:10/1:08/5:00/4:59/5:00/5:00/1:11/1:11/1:10/1:08

Really pleased to keep the miles consistent at 5 minutes. Running these off a minute is tough and I was having to work harder than I would have liked in doing so. The legs were feeling tired going into the session so it was pleasing to put together some good reps. I have to say that the final 4 x 400 were like desert. Whilst the minute recovery seemed tough between the miles, it was more than enough between the one lappers and they felt a lot easier in comparison.

All up 15.3km with a 3.7km warm-up and 2.0km warm-down.

Darts in the evening and we were playing the top team who dished out a right hiding of 7-2. I played very well and lost both games. I had 2 darts to win both the pairs and singles in the deciding leg but it was not to be. You really have to take those chances against the top players. To give you an idea of the standard, in my singles game I lost the first leg in 15 darts. The second leg was a bit scrappy and I managed to win after my opponent missed a few darts on the double. In the decider I was on 96 after 15 darts and missed 2 darts at double 18 after hitting treble 20 with my first dart. My opponent then took out 94 for the match. Close but no cigar...I have to mention that my Dad won both his games after making a guest appearance for the team. I'm not going to hear the end of that for a very long time...

Heatwave?

Beautiful running conditions at the moment. Hot and sunny. Rolled out my normal loop of 11.3km in 45:32 (4:02's).

Another victory for me against the old man at darts last night. Not our best game but managed to win a marathon best of 31 legs...

Longest Sunday

I met with Owen, Barry and Fintan out at Dangan. We started on the Cathedral Run but added an extra section out towards Ferbo which made for a very pleasant change. The pace started slow with a few 5 minutes kms to kick off with, but the pace gradually picked up as we made our way back to Dangan. The weather was glorious today - blue sky and sunshine and for the first time this last week you could really feel the warmth of the sun.

I never felt comfortable today. It has been a big week of training and with 3 good sessions in the legs already I was looking at the watch more than I normally would. I've been lacking sleep and losing an hour overnight with the clocks changing didn't help things. On the positive it's another very good week of training in the bag and I think I'll be jumping out of my skin when I finally freshen up.

All up 34.2km for the day in 2:26:01 (4:15's). That's 115.9kms for the week and nice to get back over triple figures.

Saturday session

Another speed session today. This time it was 3 minutes, 6 x 6 minutes, 3 minutes (off 90 seconds recovery). After a 2.4km warm-up I eased into the session and armed with some Garmin data I can report the following:

Duration Pace Distance

3:01 3:30/km 863m
6:00 3:27/km 1.74km
6:00 3:21/km 1.80km
5:59 3:22/km 1.78km
6:01 3:22/km 1.79km
6:01 3:21/km 1.80km
6:02 3:19/km 1.82km
3:00 3:11/km 944m

I ran local and after a slow start, I managed to run well enough for the last 6 efforts. Very tired again after a late night and another night on the beers...

Very impressed with the Garmin. A very useful training aid. I should have got one of these years ago...

All up 18kms for the day after a couple of kms warm-down. A very long run planned for tomorrow...

Fields of Athenry

I didn't run today. Instead my exercise was a game of golf out at Athenry. I was awful which is as per the norm. Good fun nonetheless and finally my Dad has something to brag about with a narrow victory...

That was short-lived as I beat him again at darts. I hit 6 x 180's during the match and had a couple of chances for 11 dart legs (down to below 100 after 9 darts). Poor finishing was the theme of the night...

Feeling knackered after my "rest day"...

Speeding Up

Another acceleration session. The brief was to get quicker and try and run 5 to 8km at marathon pace or better towards the end of the run. I was again using the garmin and the km laps were as follows:

4:20/4:01/3:53/3:54/3:42/3:35/3:39/3:23/3:32/3:33/3:27/3:30/3:29/3:15/4:25/4:23

All up 16.3kms in 1:01:29.

Legs felt heavy and tired so pleased to get through it in one piece.

Rest day planned tomorrow.

Darts and beer in the evening. Played well at darts dishing out another hiding to my old man!

Longest Wednesday

The brief was to run 1hr30 today. I headed out at lunchtime and armed with a Garmin that I have on loan (thanks Brendan!), I decided to run a new route. Basically I ran from Claregalway to Oranmore village (8kms), then ran a further 3km along the coast road heading towards Galway. At 11kms I then turned and ran the same route in reverse giving me 22kms all up in 1:31:21 (4:09's).

I felt pretty tired throughout but despite that the pace was quite quick. I'll take that as being a good sign that I'm running well. My first ever Garmin run and I feel like I bonded well. My eyesight is not the greatest without glasses so I need to reconfigure the display to make the text a bit bigger. Looking at the manual that seems to be fairly straight-forward. Impressed thus far.

Pyramid session with bells on

Out to Dangan for another track session. I made the decision to run the session comfortably and wouldn't be pushing the pace but again I felt pretty good and was very happy with the outcome.

After an initial 3.7km warm-up and a few drills it was time to find out what delights were in store. The group session was 400/800/1200/1600/1200/800/400 off one minute but the marathon guys (me and Owen) had to run a bonus km at the start and end of the session. Cheers.

I eased into it and ran the first km very controlled. Then we joined the main group and rolled out the session. Here are my times:

1km 3:12
400m 1:13
800m 2:27
1200m 3:39
1600m 4:57
1200m 3:43
800m 2:24
400m 1:06
1km 3:04

I was getting more than a minute recovery as we were taking the minute from the middle of the quick group so I was getting an extra 5 to 20 seconds depending on the length of the previous effort. The times were very pleasing as I could still feel the 10 mile race in the legs but despite that I seemed to be bounding along strongly.

Finishing up with a 2km warm-down. All up 14.1kms for the day.

The darts match was cancelled but that didn't stop me going down the boozer for some practice post run. Another late night...

Start of a big week

Some analysis from yesterday's race. Here are the splits with last years times in brackets:

Mile 1 5:09 (5:09)
Mile 2 5:24 (5:30)
Mile 3 5:24 (5:24)
Mile 4 5:27 (5:22)
Mile 5 5:31 26:55 (5:28) (26:53)
Mile 6 5:18 (5:11)
Mile 7 5:18 (5:20)
Mile 8 5:17 (5:15)
Mile 9 5:26 (5:22)
Mile 10 5:19 26:38 (5:19) (26:27)

Total 53:33 (53:20)

Basically very similar. I forgot to mention I also managed to retain my county 10 mile title as the first 2 runners were not Galway based, plus GCH won the county team title. So more medals for the kids to play with!

Today was an easy recovery run around my 11.3km route. I felt surprisingly good after the run/beer clocking 45:47 (4:03's).

Here is a photo from the race:



And another one of the first 3 Harriers home:

Craughwell 10 Miler

I only managed a short warm-up of around a mile before the race. A few strides and it was time to line up for the 1pm start. Conditions looked to be good. Plenty of blue sky and sunshine around and the wind didn't seem to be too bad...

I went straight to the front group of 4 as we settled into the race. We were running into the wind and the first mile has some nice downhill sections which meant a quick first mile of 5:09. Midway through the second mile I wasn't feeling particularly great and I was soon gapped leaving me alone in 4th place, whilst the front 3 started to work away. I missed the 2 mile marker and kept plodding away still not feeling great - perhaps running into the wind was tougher than I had imagined.

My split of 10:48 at mile 3 for the last 2 miles showed that I had slowed significantly. This wasn't good. That trend continued through miles 4 (5:27) and mile 5 (5:31) to reach halfway in 26:55. At this point the front 2 runners had broken clear leaving me to chase Paul Buckley in 3rd who I had a good battle with in the same race last year. At the halfway point someone shouted out that after the next right-hand turn the wind would be on the back all the way home. Sure enough as soon as I took that turn I started to feel a lot better. I counted a gap of around 15 seconds on Paul and started to work on reducing the gap.

Mile 6 arrived in 5:18 so I had at least managed to get the legs moving again. I would say I had halved the gap and sure enough at around the 7 mile marker (another 5:18) I caught Paul and went straight past him. This was definitely a race of 2 halves as I was feeling much better and I continue to push the pace. At mile 8 I was still full of running and another decent split of 5:17. This section of the course was a little tough as you take another turn down a narrow country road with a grass median strip but I continued to plug away until I rejoined the main part of the course with the long mile and a half run up to the school. A slowish 9th mile of 5:26 but I was still feeling good and I managed to lift the pace again for the last mile.

This mile seems to last forever but compared to last year I was still feeling strong. I had consolidated 3rd place and the first 2 runners were out of sight so I had the opportunity to enjoy the run home crossing the line in 53:33 for 3rd place with a 5:19 last mile.

Happy with that. I was 13 seconds slower than last year but ran most of the race by myself after I dropped off the front group. The first half of the race was tough but it felt a lot better in the second half and I never felt like I was outright red-lining. A good confidence booster for London. Straight on the McMillan and that time gives me 1:11:07 for the half and 2:29:59 for the full. That's exactly where I want to be.

A very slow 4 mile warm-down to give me 15 miles for the day. Really tough going and by the end of that I was very low on energy. A few cup cakes and cups of tea and I was back on track.

A great race which was very well organised as per last year. Lots of PB's by fellow Harriers which shows that all the training of late is starting to fall into place. Well done to all.

Lots of beer to report in the evening with some belated St Patrick's Day celebrations. Ouch.

That's 24.1km for the day and 84.0km for the week. Two more big weeks of training then time to wind it back for the marathon. Photos to follow.

More snooker

With the final of the PTC Championship in town at the moment it was another opportunity to watch the snooker up close out at the University. I missed out on seeing Judd (knocked out) and Ronnie (withdrew) and instead had the please of watching Andrew Higginson Vs Xiau Guodong in the first QF. A very poor game with lots of missed pots and Higginson eventually winning 4-1.

The second QF was Neil Robertson Vs Joe Perry. This started a lot better with Robertson making a 131 break in the first frame, only for Perry to reply with a century of his own to level things up. The quality of the snooker fell away a little with Perry missing a few easy balls and that presented Robertson with frame winning chances which he didn't miss out on. He went on to win 4-1. Not a bad night but I don't think I'll be rushing back to watch live matches any more...I seem to enjoy it a lot more watching it on the tele...

No running today. Thoughts turn to the race tomorrow. If I can get anywhere near last years time of 53:20 I'll be delighted.

Exhibition

A final easy run of 11.3kms in 45:40 (4:02's). Feeling really good.

Out in the evening to watch a snooker exhibition match in town involving Ken Docherty. A great evening and the highlight being a 137 break by Ken. His touch around the black was incredible. I think he only missed one easy ball all night...and easily beat the 9 players that were put before him...

Easy run and massage

Another easy run of 11.3kms. I picked up the pace for 3-4 minutes at a time in a couple of spots to get the heart rate up. Time 44:22 (3:56's).

Massage in the evening. No real niggles except for the sore neck that still persists. Apart from that I feel that I'm in decent nick. A game of darts in the pub with the old man to finish off the day. Happy to report a 15-13 victory.

Winding back

Easy running for the rest of the week until the race on Sunday. Today I was down for an hour - I did my normal 11.3km loop and then tagged a bit on at the end to get me up to 13.1km in a very relaxed 56:49 (4:20's).

Dad arrived today so trying to keep a low profile on the socialising front until after the race. That said there will be no AFD's between then and now...

Coming into form

What a difference a week makes. Despite a lack of sleep, I was looking forward to tonight's track session. The plan was to run 1km followed by 400m with 60 seconds between efforts and 90 seconds between sets. The volume was reduced and we "only" had to do 5 sets. That's 7km of track running compared with around 10km the last few weeks.

Conditions were spot on. Hardly a breath of wind, bone dry and everyone doing the same session. I was up the front for most of the session and it felt really easy. I only started to feel the pinch halfway through the last set and by that time it was almost over. Times were:

3:12/1:10/3:05/1:10/3:02/1:08/2:59/1:08/3:01/1:06

Nice to wind the pace up throughout the session and a sub 3 minute km to report. Long time since I've run one of those. With warm-up (3.9km) and warm down (2.0km) it's another 12.9km to add to the tally.

Everyone in the front group was running well tonight. Some great improvements in times and that bodes well for everyone racing on Sunday. It's getting very competitive at the pointy end which is great for the club.

Darts later in the evening and a league match out at Clarinbridge. We won 6-3 overall and I won both my pairs and singles and I was happy with how I played. The singles was a really close game and I was throwing second in the deciding leg and managed to take out 112 (T20, S20, D16) for the match. Whilst on the darts, I managed to squeeze in some practice today at home (for the first time in a fortnight) and I chalked up my 100th 180 for the year (now at 102). Target is 365 for the year (one a day!).

An easyish week

In the run in to the Craughwell 10 miler on Sunday it's time to cut back the volume this week (but not the intensity). Today was an easy run to shake out the legs after yesterday's long run. Total 11.3kms in 44:52 (3:58's). I felt really good today despite the sore neck. Weather still perfect for running with very little wind around. Hopefully it stays like that for tomorrow's track session which is sets of 1km then 400m.

Pain In the Neck

I managed to twist/crick my neck/shoulder in the drive to Craughwell. Upon arrival I tried jogging very gingerly and I was in a fair bit of discomfort. Time to man up and get this over with...

The run today was a long run around the Craughwell 10 mile course as a bit of a recce for next week's race. Conditions were just about perfect: dry and very little wind. The marathon runners (myself, Owen and Fintan) were joined by Gerry, Paul and Sean who were doing a bit of a tempo session. Our brief was to run a relaxed 2 hours but the other 3 were soon pushing the pace along nicely knocking out a few 6 minute miles along the way. After finishing the first loop, the other 3 ran home leaving us to run another loop. At this point Fintan decided to push on leaving myself and Owen in pursuit. Relaxed it was not!

After completing the second loop we ran back to the school where we had started. All up 30.2km (18.8 miles) in 2:02:59. That's 4:04/km pace so a good honest clip.

Neck still very sore and had to resort to painkillers when I got home.

Another 100km week to report - this time 109.3kms. That's 5 on the trot now and 7 out of the last 8 weeks. Very consistent. Looking forward to the race next week - the course is superb - very flat with only a few drags and should be a good field to help get dragged around.

Dogs

One of the hazards of running around the local back roads is that you often have a few close encounters with dogs. They can hear you coming and they then run out of the driveways and chase you down the road. I'm not afraid of dogs but when an unknown mutt comes charging after you it always gets the blood pumping and tends to cause an injection of 3 minute km pace. I counted 7 dog episodes in one run recently. After a while you know where they are but occasionally you get taken by surprise. No injuries to report yet but a few close shaves. Enough waffle.

Today was 15, 10 and 5 minutes off 3 minutes recovery. I ran up to Carnmore Cross as my warm-up (4.0km), then started my session running back towards Claregalway, then turning off at the Rock Road and continuing around the Claregalway 5km course. After 15 minutes I had covered 4.5km (3:20/km pace). I then jogged back to the start of my 5 minute course (400m) which I was to use for the rest of the session. I ran this out and back for the 10 minute effort turning in 4:54 with a tough run into the wind on the return leg finishing in 10:08 (3:18/km pace). The last 5 minutes I decided to give it a real nudge and with the benefit of the wind I got to my end point in 4:41 and ran on for the full 5 minutes (3:04/km pace).

I felt really strong today. Probably due to the rest day. Nice to get a decent session in to get my confidence back with the feeling I had some still in reserve. Finishing up with 3.7kms warm-down and that gives me 17.3km for the day.

Letting myself go

No run today. Instead I went on a reverse health kick eating crap food including bacon sandwiches, pizza, crisps and peanuts. Finishing up with a few too many beers. Nice one.

Moves Like Jagger

I couldn't face a windy dark run so I headed to the gym. The session was 8-10 miles with between 2 and 5 miles at MP depending on how you were feeling. I still wasn't feeling great but wanted a decent session as tomorrow is a scheduled rest day.

I did 3 miles warm-up gradually lifting the pace and then ran 5 miles (8km) at 5:38/mile (3:30/km) pace. Finishing up with a couple more slow miles to give me 10 miles overall in 1:01:25. The breathing felt okay but the legs are still unresponsive. The above song came on as I was finishing the last of my MP miles and I couldn't resist throwing in a few facial expressions and hand claps. In my head.

Legs not mine

I left the run late and that meant a night run up and down the N17. I added on a bit at the end to get the time up finishing with 1:20:15 for 18.5kms (4:20's). Another struggle and pleased to get it over with.

Tough session...

Out to Dangan for my weekly dose of track. The weather was awful - cold, very wet and windy. I don't feel like I'm hitting my straps and I carried that mentaility into the session expecting to struggle. Guess what - I did....

Usual 3.9km warm-up then the session was 2x1km, 3x2km, 2x1km. The coach said I should be able to run at 3:10/km pace but after the first lap that went out of the window. Grit the teeth, run hard and get the session over with.

My times were very poor. Here goes:

3:24/3:18/6:45/6:45/6:49/3:24/3:18

The wind around the final bend and home straight was a real leg sapper. At times I was hardly moving made all the worse by driving rain in the mush. Not pleasant.

Oh well, another session in the bag. I finished up with a 2km warm-down and that's another 15.9km to log.

Darts in the evening. Quarter finals of the cup. I won both my pairs and singles but didn't score that well. No practice all week so happy with that and we won overall to progress to the semis...

Back to Galway

Too much falling down water and then the long drive to Galway so struggled to get out of the door. I ended up running an easy local loop in 47:35 for 11.3kms (4:13's). Legs not feeling great at the moment. One more tough week to get through this week and then a mini-taper for the Craughwell 10 miler on March 18th. That will be a really good gauge of where I'm at fitness-wise. Hopefully all the mileage will start paying dividends...

Cork Day 3

Today was a long run. I delayed the run until the afternoon which is never good as you have it hanging over you. I had no idea where to run so did a large flat out and back run out past Ballincollig until I ran out of footpath. That got me around 1hr 45 mins so I then did some mini-loops down by the river to get the distance up. All up 32kms (estimate) in 2:20:26 (4:23/km pace). Slow but good time on the feet and another 20 miler in the legs (weather good except for the icy sleet shower for the first 10 minutes).

I really need to get one of those Garmin thingamejigs as it's all well and good when you run locally and you know your distances but not so good when running in new locations. I think I'd also find the pace you are running at very handy. If anyone wants to buy me a 610 then I'd be eternally grateful!

All up 124.7kms for the week.

Cork Day 2

A slight change to the plan this week reverting back to the old structure of a speed session on Saturday. I was down for 3 x 12 minutes off 3 minutes and I managed to find a good loop down by the river that was exactly 12 minutes. After a 4km warm-up I rattled off the 3 x 12 minutes covering around 3.6km each time (3:20/km pace). The same 4km warm-down and that gives me 18.8km for the day.

Cork Day 1

Arrived in Cork on Friday after the 3 hour drive. I was straight out for an easy 50 minute run to try and get my bearings. We were staying near the University and did a few slow out and back runs to get a feel for the place. Time 50:37 and I estimate I covered 11.3kms. Beer and food followed.

Spring in the air

But not in my legs. Today was a mini version of the long run last Sunday. I ran 3.5kms warm-up, then ran 4.9km at MP (3:36 pace), then 4.1km at HMP (3:23's), finishing with another 3.5km warm-down. All up 16kms in 1:03:42 (3:59's).

I still wasn't feeling great tonight and the first MP effort was very sluggish. I really pushed the HMP effort and was happy to lift the pace a bit but it was a lot harder than it should have been. I then walked for a minute before the slow crawl home.

Holiday tomorrow so will get plenty of sleep and try and recharge the batteries.

Midweek longish run

Same run as the last 2 weeks. The first 25 minutes were tough going as the lower body is still sore, plus it was into a stiff wind. The time seemed to drag and it was another effort just to keep going. Pleased to get it out of the way covering 19.4kms in 1:22:11 (4:14's).

If the legs don't improve then I'll take another rest day on Friday. Talking of which I'm heading down to Cork for the weekend for a few days R&R. Never been to Cork so looking forward to checking it out and seeing what running routes I can discover whilst there. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know...

Legs heavier than lead balloons

It's all part of marathon training running on tired legs. I guess you are trying to simulate running the last 6 miles/10kms of the marathon that can make or break your time. Well tonight was another tough one. A track session of 1600m followed by 400m and 5 sets to keep you honest. That's 25 laps of the track which is enough to send anyone dizzy.

Usual warm-up of 3.9kms. Recoveries were tight tonight - 45 seconds after the 1600m, then a minute after the 400m. Target times were 10km pace for the miles (5:12), and target 5km pace for the 400s (72 seconds).

Here are the times:

5:13/1:11/5:04/1:11/5:05/1:11/5:06/1:12/5:06/1:09

After the first mile the coach said that I looked too comfortable and that I needed to come down to 5:08's (insert swear words). I responded and ran the next 4 under that pace but it was a real effort. The legs were in bits so it was nice to turn in a decent session when the legs and the brain were not as one.

Another 5 laps of the track as warm-down. All up 15.9kms for the day.

Darts in the evening and finally a decent win of 8-1. Our team was at full strength and I won both my pairs and singles. The singles went to a deciding leg and I took out 76 to win the match in very unconventional style - single 1, semi-bull, bull. Game shot.

Moving on

What should have been an easy run was a real struggle as my legs were heavy and the calves were screaming (32kms in racing flats will do that...). Time 46:59 for 11.3kms (4:09's).

The Accelerator II

Today was a nastier version of the "Accelerator" run that I last did here in the build up to the Dublin Marathon in 2010.

As mentioned earlier, the brief was 30-40 minutes relaxed, then 35-40 minutes at marathon pace, then 20-40 minutes at half marathon pace. I decided to take the relaxed section really easy, then target 3:30/km pace for the marathon pace section, then try and lift the pace in any shape or form for the last effort.

The conditions weren't too bad. A bit of wind about but nice and cool. I'd plotted the route locally as best I could to make the last part easy - at least that was the intention. I was using my local 11km loop for the majority of the run, with a bit of flat running at the end. Here is how it went (distances courtesy of MapMyRun so could be slightly out):

9.69km - 42:36 - 4:24/km pace (relaxed)
11.04km - 38:29 - 3:29/km pace (marathon pace)
8.58km - 29:32 - 3:27/km pace (half marathon pace)
3.49km - 16:09 - 4:38/km pace (warm-down)

Total - 32.8km - 2:06:46 - 3:52/km pace (2:43 marathon pace)

Pleased enough with that. It was very difficult to lift the pace for the last effort at HMP but I managed a slight improvement (this should have been at sub 3:25/km pace but the legs disagreed with that). I was pretty spent come the end and had a very slow jog back home. Another 20 miler in the legs and almost 20km of that at marathon pace or better (note I took no breaks for the entire run).

This is why it will be a lot easier come London:

- fresh legs after the taper
- fitter (still 7 weeks to go)
- better nutrition (today I took no water or gels for the entire run)
- better conditions (you can but hope)
- people to race with (get in a group)

Now I'm sitting down ready for the Spurs match against the unmentionables. There is beer in the fridge which won't be there for long...

Oh yeah, 112.3kms for the week. That's 3 ton plus weeks on the spin now and pleased to report the hammie was no problem today.

Double fitness test

A rare double session for me. I did my local 11.3km loop in the morning at a "steady" pace. Time 44:29 which works out to 3:56/km pace. The hammie felt fine but the legs were feeling very heavy. That was a bit disappointing after yesterday's rest day but was probably residual tiredness from the massage.

Then in the afternoon I did a very easy 8.6km run in 38:43 (4:30's). Hammie behaved again. I'm now primed for tomorrow's horror session. Please let it be good weather...

Rest from running

I didn't feel the hamstring pull at all today so I'm hoping it will be okay. A bullet dodged and all that.

Instead I had a few beers, threw a few darts, watched some tele and built some lego. Which is nice.

Up to now the structure of the marathon training has been 3 speed sessions per week (Tue/Thu/Sat) and a long run on Sunday. For the next few weeks that will change slightly and the quick session on Saturday will be incorporated into the Sunday long run. This session then becomes a real toughie....this Sunday the sessions calls for 30-40 minutes relaxed, then 35-40 minutes at marathon pace, then 20-40 minutes at half marathon pace. Clucking bell...

Ouch

It was wet and windy and after delaying my run I inevitably missed the last of the daylight so I ended up at the gym for 2 x 14 minutes at half marathon pace.

I ran to the gym (900m) and did a further 2.3km warm-up. I then stopped the treadmill and started the session from a standstill. It took at least 30 seconds for the belt to reach target pace (18.1km/hour) so I decided I would keep running for the full 15 minutes.

The first one I covered 4.43km, and after 3 minutes recovery I notched up the pace very slightly and covered 4.47km for the second rep. Sweating like you wouldn't believe...

Then a 2.1km warm-down, followed by the 900m run home. All up 15.1km.

After stepping off the treadmill I could feel a slight twinge/pull in my left hamstring. The massage had come just at the right time. I was given a right good going over and was in a fair bit of discomfort. Obviously I didn't complain though....the verdict was that the hamstring didn't seem too bad so again tomorrow's rest day sits very well. Fingers crossed I'll be okay for the weekend.

Frank Carson RIP

The same run as last Wednesday covering 19.4kms in 1:23:32 (4:18's). That's over 2 minutes slower than last week but not too bothered as my legs were sore after yesterday's track session, plus it was blowing a gale.

Massage booked for tomorrow and rest day planned for Friday.

Click click

Track day. Windy and wet and soaked after a heavy shower in the 3.9km warm-up.

Today was a sharpening up session before 6 weeks of marathon specific trackwork. This was great as it meant the middle distance and long distance guys could train together to push things along.

The session was 5 sets of 600m/500m/400m. One minute recovery between efforts and 3 minutes between sets. That was plenty. Our group of 8 or so decided to target lap pace of 76/73/70 seconds for each rep which gives target times of 1:54/1:31/1:10 (the aim was to run the 600m at 5km pace and then work the subsequent shorter reps a few seconds a lap quicker). There was a stiff wind around the final bend/home straight that made each lap easy then hard in terms of effort.

Despite the wet track I felt great from the get go. Times were as follows:

1:56/1:33/1:09
1:49/1:32/1:08
1:52/1:31/1:08
1:52/1:30/1:08
1:54/1:31/1:07

This is the best I have run all year. Okay the times are flattered by the long recovery but it was nice to run some quick laps again and being in the group meant the session seemed to tick along nicely.

I finished up with a 2.4km warm-down so all up 13.8kms for the day.

Our team finally won at darts 5-4. Not helped by me much though - I won my pairs but played a shocker in the singles losing in a deciding leg. No consistency on the match board at the moment. I think the running is taking too much out of me!

Another day another run

Start the week off with an easy run of 11.3kms in 47:17 (4:11's). Still feeling tired after yesterday's run.

That's all for today...

Matt runs decent mileage shocker

Long run day. Out to Dangan with Barry and Owen for the Cathedral Run. Conditions were brilliant with very little breeze about and plenty of winter sunshine. We added in a loop of the Galway Bay half marathon course down on the prom to get the distance up and then added in another extra loop on the approach to Dangan. Then Owen decided to lift the pace the last few miles and me and Barry were hanging on for dear life. A couple of 6 minute miles to finish with as we hit the rugby pitches certainly had me rattled.

A good hit-out. All up 32.6kms (my first 20 miler) in 2:14:56. That's 4:08/km pace on average so a decent clip (around 2:55 marathon pace).

That gets me a weekly total of 126.1kms. Another PB in terms of weekly distance. The body seems to be holding up okay apart from feeling knackered most of the time. I'll pull back a bit next week and throw in a rest day and also get a massage. Only 9 weeks now until race day...

Four seasons in one run

I know I rattle on about the weather and running conditions but today was the most bizarre day I can ever recall. It went from blue sky, to white cloud, then grey clouds, wind picks up, black clouds, icy hale storm, snow, rain, then back to clear blue skies. All in the space of just over an hour.

The session was a mixed bag of 10 minutes tempo, then 15 minutes continuous hills, then finishing up with another 10 minute tempo. With the luxury of 3 minutes recovery between each discipline. Didn't sound too bad...

I was running locally and was to use my 10 minute out and back route for the tempo, and the start of the Rock Road for the hills. Normal warm-up of 3.5kms and ready for action. The first 10 minute effort and I turned on 5:12 finishing up on 10:34 (3:27/km pace). The return leg was slower due to the wind.

Then a slow walk of just over a minute to the start of the hills. The effort was to be continuous which meant keeping the heart rate up throughout. So rather than roll back down the hill I wanted to run them at a decent pace (quicker than the ascent). I was using my normal turnaround point which is about 1 minute of uphill when running well. The 15 minutes quickly passed by and I ended up doing 8 ups and downs in a total of 16:25. I'd say the uphill part was taking just over one minute and I was running down in a minute or quicker.

Then back to the tempo course for the final effort. By this stage the clouds were becoming much darker and I reached the turnaround point in 5:08. I then felt really strong and I think I was helped by a change in wind direction as the clouds continued to roll in. The last 2 minutes turned really nasty and I was suddenly running in a freezing cold hale storm. I had to put my hand up to cover my face and I considered stopping but decided to lift the pace and run as hard as I could to the end. I finished in 10:11 (3:19 pace). Very pleasing.

Then the same warm-down back to the house. After a few minutes the hale had turned to snow and I was now soaked through and all I could think of was the need for a hot shower. Then the rain came and after losing the will to live the clouds cleared to reveal clear blue skies. I enjoyed that I told myself as I got back to the house shivering...

All up 17.1km for the day.

No Beer

Almost the same run as Monday - except that I started at the in-laws just round the corner after dropping the kids off which added a couple of hundred metres. Very blustery today with the wind going up another notch. All up 11.5kms in 48:34 (4:13's).

Watched Descendants at the cinema in the evening. Very slow but a good performance from Clooney. Not really my cup of tea...

Changing Gears

Not a session I was looking forward to. I was feeling tired from the late night, and coupled with poor weather it was a struggle to get motivated. Get out the door and get it over with...

Today was an out and back run. The brief was to take the first half of the run steady (sub 4 minute kms), then lift the pace to be running quicker than marathon pace for the return leg. This was going to be tough with a strong wind and I plotted a route that I thought would give me more of a tailwind on the return leg. That's not how it turned out...

After a 3.1km warm-up I went straight into it. I used my now bog standard local loop (more like a rectangle) and I was to run 3 sides of the rectangle (6.8km), then turn and repeat. The first section was straight into the wind, then the longest section of around 3kms dealing with a cross-wind, finishing with a tail-wind. The pace was fluctuating with the wind direction but I tried to keep the effort level consistent and I reached the turnaround point in 26:55 (3:58's).

Then time to pick it up. This was tough as it was now straight into the wind. The long middle section was also tough as it's more up than down, and the cross-wind seemed more troublesome. The run for home was good though and I really picked it up the last 5 minutes or so. I got back in 23:26 (3:27's) and that just about achieved what I set out to do.

Finishing up with a shortened warm-down of 1.7km as I was running out of time. Another big day of 18.4kms. What doesn't kill you will make you more tired and all that...

Darts and snooker to watch tonight. I may be asleep before it ends.

Biathlon

A longer mid-week run today. Similar to last week but I added a bit extra on at the end. All up 19.4kms in 1:20:55 (4:10's).

Then darts. Very little practice before the big match against the top of the table side which wasn't ideal. I lost the pairs 2-1 after missing doubles to win. Then in the singles I played poorly chalking up another loss. And our team got hammered 7-2 in the process and the rot continues. Next week, next week...

Valentines Track Session

Another track session focused purely on marathon training. It was to be 5 x 1600m (4 laps) off one minute. I was going to try and run them slightly quicker than my km reps from the previous week.

Conditions were dry but there was a stiff wind that made the back straight tough. I was leading out the reps and was happy enough as I again felt strong throughout. Times were:

5:17,5:14,5:12,5:12,5:12

That works out to be around 3:15/km pace on average.

With warm-up/down it was 15.8kms for the day.

No darts tonight - moved to tomorrow night due to Valentines!

Here we go again

An easy run today to flush out the legs. Despite feeling great yesterday I was struggling a bit today. I knocked out my usual 11.3kms in 47:05 (4:10's).

Some photos from yesterday's race courtesy of Amphibian King.

Chatting at the start:



Approaching the finish line:



Crossing the line:



The podium:

Maree 8km

My speed session today was to be a local race in Maree. An 8km that I managed to win last year and I decided to incorporate it into my long run to get two workouts rolled into one.

I arrived in good time to allow me time for a decent lap of the course as a warm-up. The conditions were splendid - nice and cool and no wind to speak of. This is a lovely part of the world and on the warm-up lap I had sufficient time to take in some of the fabulous views around Maree. I completed the 8km in 35 minutes exactly and then changed into my race gear and it was time for the off.

I got a decent start and there was a few young lads who sprinted off leaving us all to chase. The course has 3 decent hills. A long climb of about 500m as you approach the 2km marker, then hills after the 5km and 6km markers. You wouldn't call it super quick, but at the same time there are some lovely flat sections where you can tick along very nicely.

At about 500m I took the lead with a few runners hot on my heels. I wasn't looking at the watch but I took the time to record my splits at each of the km signs. At the start of the climb around 1.5km I knew that I had gapped the field and I pushed on up the hill. At the summit there is a welcome downhill stretch followed by a flat section that takes you out to the turnaround point at around 3.5km.

At this point I could see I had opened up a 50m lead and following the lead motorbike I had no issues running against the flow of runners coming the opposite direction. This flat section continues for about a km then it was time for a right turn to take you closer to the water for the trickier back half of the race. Through 5km and I still felt strong and shortly after it was time to take a left turn onto a much smaller road with a grass median strip.

Another climb of no more than 400m, then it flattened out again through to the next km marker. After 6km there was a shorter steeper climb, and I find this the toughest of the lot. But it was soon behind me and then it was a fairly flat run through to the finish. I tried to push the last km but despite feeling strong, I lacked some leg speed to really kick in a quick finish. That's to be expected when in marathon mode and I was very pleased to cross the finish line with a nice win to defend my title in a time of 26:22 (3:18/km pace). A bit slower than last year (19 secs) but that's explainable now that I'm an old codger.

I only have positive feedback about this race. The organisation was first class - very well marshaled and the signage was brilliant. Chip timed (the chip was in the race number - not sure if that was meant to be returned?) and the results were published within a few hours of the race being completed. A great prize as well thanks to the sponsors Amphibian King and Asics and I picked up a pair of racing flats (Asics DS racers). How good is that?

Then more running. Another lap of the course with Gerard, Paul and Paddy at a nice sedate pace. Still not content with that I then ran a further 5.2km with Paddy around the 5km course that I set my road 5km PB on back in July of last year.

All up 29.2kms for the day (total running time 2:03:32 at an average of 4:14/km).

That's 119.6kms for the week. I've just checked my training diary (read Excel spreadsheet) for the last 10 years and that's my biggest weekly distance ever! Okay not the huge distances that some people cover but I seem to be moving in the right direction.

Here are the splits:

1km 3:12
2km 3:19
3km 3:15
4km 3:19
5km 3:19
6km 3:24
7km 3:20
8km 3:14

Total 26:22

Ps, just remembered - where is my bag of nose candy I was promised from last year?!?!

Change of plan

I was going to do some faster stuff today but after consulting the coach I decided I'd incorporate it into my Sunday long run instead. It therefore opened up the window for another easy run and being a splendid day I perhaps did a bit too much.

Total run of 16.4kms in 1:09:19 (4:14's). I did a new-ish out-and-back route around the back road near the Abbey in Claregalway. Made for a pleasant change of scenery.

Now watching the mighty Spurs play. They are two nil up and there is only 5 minutes played!!!

Jogger

An easy run to break up the week. Weather was again very good and I trotted round my local loop in 45:54 (11.3km at 4:04 per km). At one point a kid yelled out "jogger". I nearly gave him a piece of my mind...

Marathon pace efforts

Today's session was 3 x 2 miles at marathon pace with 2 minutes recovery. I decided to use my short mile course (my latest estimate is that it is 3.07km out and back). So what's my marathon pace? It was 3:31/km at Dublin in my last marathon and whilst I think that's going to be beyond me that's what I went with. My target was therefore 10:48 for each rep...didn't sound too bad.

Conditions were great today. Very little wind about and nice and cool. I felt pretty comfortable throughout but had the usual thoughts of "there is no way I can keep this pace up for 42.2kms"....

Here are the times:

10:45,10:32,10:37

The 2 minutes recovery felt too long but I took it nonetheless...

All up 16.0kms with warm-up and down.

Darts premier league starts tonight. That's the next 15 weeks of Thursday nights sorted!

Hour Plus

The session called for 70 to 80 minutes. I headed out around 4:30pm and managed to catch just over an hour of daylight which allowed for a few loops around the back roads. Conditions were very windy but the rain just about held off. All up 17.7kms in 1:16:33 (4:19's).

Practice Pays Off

Back to the track for another marathon specific session. No ice to deal with tonight - but there was a stiff breeze in the home straight but all in all good conditions. After the normal 3.9km warm-up it was to be 10 x 1km at 10km pace with 200m jog+ recovery of around 55 to 60 seconds.

I led most of the reps and was consistently running them in the 3:16 to 3:19 range. Felt strong throughout apart from the last couple where the legs started to become tired. Good to have some company today with Barry and Owen who are both also running London right on my heels. Here are the times:

3:17,3:19,3:18,3:19,3:16,3:18,3:17,3:17,3:15,3:10

A 2.0km warm-down on the track and a hasty exit for darts.....all up 35 laps of the track in my racing flats. Tough going!

I practiced for about an hour and a half during the day and was reeling off the big scores (9 x 180s). Played okay in the pairs but lost and going into my singles the team was losing 7-0....well I managed a win after hitting another 180 followed with a 93 finish in the deciding leg. We also won the last game so it ended up as a 7-2 drubbing. Our league form has been woeful since Christmas....we will be lucky to stay second at this rate...

Big week

I need to start hitting my straps this week. I felt a lot better today and headed out for an easy loop of 11.3kms. I felt good from the start and covered the loop in 44:20 (3:55's). Amazing what a rest day can do - even if it was enforced.

A couple of big sessions required this week. Starting with km reps on the track tomorrow night. Maybe 10 at 10km pace...

More sickness

Got home around midnight and started to feel very ill. Spent all night being/feeling sick. I eventually went to bed at 10am and had to pull the pin on XC as a result. Apologies for letting the team down - I would have given anything to be feeling better than I was - even if that meant running XC! Not sure if it was food poisining or a bug. I suspect the former as I could still taste the curry 24 hours later. Not good.

So no run today. A pretty poor week to be honest. Ice skating on the track Tuesday, a poor session on the treadmill on Thursday and nothing of note for the weekend. Looking at the positives my legs should have at least freshened up after the massage and rest day...

85.kms for the week.

England won the World Cup of darts and Ronnie won the German Masters. Get in.

Ditto

Same run as yesterday which completes the mini taper before the XC. Conditions were awful being wet and windy. Time 47:25 for 11.3km (4:12's).

A curry then went to see Gemma Hayes at the Roisin Dubh in the evening. It was all going well until.....

Leg test

An easy run to test the legs post massage. A slow 49:17 for 11.3kms (4:22's). Legs seemed a lot better.

Progressive run

The session today was an 8 mile progressive run starting at MP and finishing at HMP. My lunchtime running window disappeared and that meant an evening visit to the gym on the treadmill. I started off at 16.5km/hour and every km I notched it up by 0.1km/hour. At 10km I notched it up 0.2km/hour and repeated that at 11km and 11.5km finishing with 12km in close to 42 minutes (ave 3:30/km pace). With the run to and from the gym plus an additional 2km warm-up/down on the treadmill I registered 17.8km for the day. A bloody good sweat but not as hard as this session would have been on the road.

Later that evening I finally managed a massage. Wasn't too painful except for a few sore spots around my calves. A couple of easy days now before XC on Sunday. Yes I'm racing XC on Sunday - Masters at Boyle (7km in the mud). Hating the thought of it...

Longer midweek run

I'll try and get this run up to an hour and a half over the next couple of months. Today I managed just over and hour and was tired going into the session after a late night/early morning. A total of 16.1kms all up in a time of 1:07:21 (4:11's).

Crushed

Back to my old routine of track on Tuesday with a session start time of 7:30pm on the button. That would make me a little late for darts but the running takes priority at the moment...

After a 4.5km warm-up it was long intervals for the marathon runners. The session was 4/8/8/4 lappers and I have to say the prospect of running 24 laps on the track wasn't filling me with glee. Very cold temperatures but dry with very little wind. The plan was to run them at 10km race pace...

On the first lap I noticed it was a bit slippery on the approach of the final bend. Then every lap thereafter it got worse as the temperatures continued to drop. Midway through the session it was very hard to run quick and I was having to take baby steps on the bends to avoid slipping over. I found a good line in lane 2 on the back straight but the remaining part of the lap was very slippery. I soldiered on but the sensible thing to do would have been to pull the pin. I was wearing my racing flats which can't have much grip but I have to say I've never had a problem with them in the past - even when the track has been wet.

Here are the times:

5:19,10:36,10:50,5:23 (recovery of 90/120/90 secs)

Yes I slowed as I went from runner to ice-skater. I finished the session barely out of breath. Oh well, we've been bloody lucky with the winter here so I can't really complain.

I finished up with a 3.9km warm-down. All up 18kms for the day.

Darts in the evening. No league match this week replaced with an internal singles competition to determine the top 4 players in the pub to go through to the league finals. The overall result was very tight with 4 of us tied in 2nd place on equal points. Basically another comp now required to decide the final 3 to get selected!

Valentina

An easy run locally. Managed to squeeze it in during daylight hours as it's not getting dark until 5:30ish at the moment. Legs felt good and ran 45:23 for the 11.3km (4:01/km).

Valentina is the title of the new Wedding Present album that is due out in March. A couple of listens to a few preview tracks and it promises be a return to form for Gedge and the boys. Talking of which I'm looking forward to seeing them on the 21st anniversary world tour of the iconic album "Seamonsters" later this year. Would you believe they are playing in Oz for the first time ever? Catch them at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney on April 13th - you won't be disappointed.

Getting Longer

I met with Brian and Owen for the Sunday long run in damp but mild condtions. A similar route to last week doing some of the Dangan pitches before running the guts of the Cathedral Run. We then added a few extra bits on in the run back to Dangan to get the distance up. All up 29.3kms in 2:10:32 (4:27/km pace).

I felt a lot better than last week but still a long way to go. Happy enough with progress to date and I'm not feeling as tired as my body overcomes the shock of collecting some proper kms.

All up 113.5km for the week. Left hammy/buttock still sore and I will get on top of that this week.

Mud Run

A trip to Dangan for some intervals running around the training pitches. Lots of rain around and the paths were very muddy. It was going to be a tough day. I'd decided not to run them eyeballs out as I was feeling knackered, but looking back I couldn't have gone much quicker.

The session was 3 sets of 6 minutes, 3 minutes, 90 seconds (all up 31:30 of fast running). The active jog recovery was 3 minutes, 90 seconds and 45 seconds. The first set was relatively straight forward and the 3 minutes recovery felt way too long. But the session got interesting the start of the second set faced with a 6 minute effort after only 45 seconds recovery. Slipping and sliding around wasn't much fun and I kept telling myself that I was really enjoying myself...still a good group today at the front with various runners taking turns pushing the pace which helped to pass the time.

Felt good on the last 3 minute effort and carried that through to the last 90 seconds. Pace was difficult to gauge but I'd say it was in the 5:20 per mile region. Pretty good going given the slippery terrain. Not a session I would ever do by myself but a good one to add a bit of variety to the training.

All up 12 miles/19.2kms with warm-up and down.

Struggling On

I trotted out for an easy run and nearly had to pull up in the first few minutes as the back as the top of my left hamstring/buttock was very sore - it almost felt like a strain. After about 10 minutes I could start to run more freely but it still wasn't great. Anyway 11.4kms in 48:12 (4:14/km pace). A reminder that I still need to get a massage...

New runners were used today. I won a pair of Saucony runners for the Noriwch Half and I could choose anything in the Saucony range. I went for a pair that I was told would be similar to my normal Asics 2160's. I think they are called Progrid 5's and they seemed very comfortable to wear. I'll continue to use them for the next few weeks and see how I go.

It'll be alright on the night

I wasn't looking forward to this session. The weather had deteriorated throughout the day and on the drive to Dangan it was windy, raining and was a cool 4 degrees. To make matters worse the session was 15 x 400 off a short 30 second recovery (blink and you'll miss it).

By some miracle by the time I arrived it had stopped raining. I did my normal 3.9km warm-up and followed that up with some strides and went straight into it. The goal was to run the laps at a few seconds quicker than current 5km pace. Here's how it went:

75,73,74,73,72,72,72,72,72,72,71,71,72,72,69

I wasn't running them flat out and perhaps started a little too cautiously. By the time I got to the 8th rep I was starting to fatigue a bit but I still managed to remain consistent through to the end. A good session and the 15 laps soon ticks off once you get into a rhythm.

The same warm-down and another 15kms for the training log.

Trying to be a bit healthier at the moment whilst I'm in marathon mode. Crisps and biscuits have gone, to be replaced with fruit and yoghurt. Semi-skimmed milk to replace full fat milk. Booze consumption remains constant...

More of the same

Same run as Monday. I felt like I was running a bit quicker but that wasn't the case when I checked the watch at the end. Time 52:50 for 12.4kms.

Almost Miles

Today was another repeat session from last week. A total of 6 x 5 minutes with a reduced recovery of 60 seconds. Using my short mile course I completed the session with the following times:

5:11,5:23,4:58,5:21,5:03,5:18

A very nasty wind to deal with on the even number reps. I was working harder than the outward sections but was running around 20 seconds slower. A good session nonetheless. I've almost come to the conclusion that you should ignore the watch when the wind is blowing as the slow times are depressing...

All up 15.0kms with warm-up/down.

League darts in the evening. I won both my pairs and singles and we somehow managed to scrape a 5-4 win. I was scoring very consistently and the recent time spent on the practice board seems to be paying off. Already 23 x 180s for the year...

T - 90 Days

Proper marathon training starts today. Only 90 days until showtime...

An easy rattle up and down the main road. Total 12.4kms in 52:25 (4:14's). That's one second quicker than last Monday's run. Progress right there.

I don't have a training plan for the marathon as of yet. It will be a case of following similar sessions to what I did in my build up to Dublin and failing that I'll make it up as I go along. On this subject this is a good read:

Twelve Things You Should Know About Marathon Training

Some good principles in there to follow.

Robertson won the snooker as I expected and Spurs were a little unlucky (read totally robbed) against Man City. At least Arsenal lost as well.

The Masters

I decided to try and get a long run on the board. Up early after a late night in the pub so not ideal preparation. More focus required...

Met with Brian and Barry at Dangan. We started with some laps of the pitches then headed into town to do the Cathedral Run. The pace was gradually lifted but not too quick. At about 1hr 40 I was dead on my feet and about 5 minutes shy of 2 hours we were back at Dangan. Determined to get 2 hours up we added on an extra loop eventually covering 17 miles in 2:02:30. That's 27.4km in new money (4:30/km pace).

Certainly not a confidence booster as I felt tired throughout. But at least it's a start and a decent week of training in the bag. I must be training hard as I feel absolutely exhausted.

A total of 109.8km for the week. Three figure weeks need to become a habit. Plus 18 days of training on the bounce.

So with Judd out of the Masters it leaves Robertson Vs Murphy in the final. I'd like Murphy to win but I think Robertson will be too strong.

Tempotastic

Not a run I do that often. It was either tempo or hills and I fancied running quickly so opted for the tempo.

After a 3km warm-up I did my local 11km loop (more like a rectangle). First 15 minutes was easy with the benefit of a strong wind, the next 15 minutes was bloody tough getting blown all over the place, finishing up with wind behind for the last section. I managed 39:44 for 11kms and that equates to 3:37/km pace. Happy with that given the conditions.

The same 3km warm-down and that makes it 17km for the day.

A few beers and some darts in the evening.

Big Break

Same run as last Friday. A total of 14.4kms in 1hr 2mins. Knackered.

I forgot to mention yesterday I had a big break against my son on the new 4ft snooker table. A clearance of 91 (maximum 107 as only 10 reds). Lets just say he wasn't happy! My Dad never used to let me win and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not...

Something and nothing

I made the trip out to Dangan to be greeted by cold, damp and quite breezy conditions on the track. I joined in with the university training group and after 5 laps slow warm-up and a few token strides it was time for some 800's off 90 seconds recovery.

I was consistently running 75 seconds for the first lap but couldn't lift the pace beyond that (no speed). The times aren't great but it's a start:

2:33,2:32,2:33,2:32,2:32,2:32,2:31,2:30

Not easy running by yourself on the track as the main group were doing a different session to me. In some respects I think I was simply going through the motions...

These track sessions make a huge difference to your running - I've been slacking off the last couple of months and I've lost a few seconds each lap as a result. Moral of the story is that you have to hurt yourself in training if you want to run well...

I finished off with a 3.9km warm-down. All up 12.3km for the day.

Judd played brilliantly to beat the Rocket. He's still my tip for the tournament.

Double Shift

Same run as Monday. This time a bit quicker covering the 12.4km in 52:04 (4:12's). Track tomorrow...

Training Shift

No track today - I've moved this to Thursday from now on. Instead I ran some 5 minute efforts locally (total 6) in fading light. Warm-up and down were 2.3km. All up 13.9km. I used my short mile course. Here are the times:

5:12,5:19,5:01,5:14,5:01,5:11

A stiff cross-wind to deal with which slowed the even number reps more than the odds. Legs constantly feel sore/heavy. Time for a massage.

Darts in the evening. Another 180 fest in practice but I wasn't getting too excited. It was a cup match and we were away. I played okay and won both my pairs and singles hitting a 118 check-out to wrap up my singles match. Overall we won 5-2 to progress to the next round. League resumes next week.

Night Shift

An easy run to flush out the legs after yesterday's race. I ended up running up and down the N17 a few times. All up 12.4km in 52:26 (4:14's).

Snooker on TV. Judd all the way.

Tuam 8km

On the drive to Tuam I was thinking that if I could run under 26:30 I'd be happy. A sub 26 would be exceptional. Conditions were cool (8 degrees) and there was a stiff breeze but compared to my previous 2 races you would take it. After a rushed registration I went out and ran about 3kms warm-up. Then lined up at the start.

Sean Hehir and a guy from the North (Paddy Hamilton) were the stand-outs in the field. So for me it looked to be a race for 3rd. My old sparring partner from the Mayo League Roger Barrett was also there. That would at least give me a good marker and someone to hang on to. The race was underway with very little warning and I couldn't believe the pace at the start. Everyone seemed to be running way too fast and I just tried to settle in and hope that some runners would soon come back to me. The course itself was sold as being very fast and flat and it didn't disappoint. I glanced at my watch at 1km and it showed 3:08 (see splits below) but that was the only time I checked the watch until the finish.

Through 2km and I was hanging on to Roger and sure enough most of the quick starters had been reeled in. As expected Sean and Paddy were eating up the road in front with me and Roger left battling for 3rd. The next couple of kilometres were really tough - we had the benefit of the wind at the start but after making a left turn it became more of a struggle and I started to lose touch with Roger. At the same time I was aware that another runner was very close behind so at least that kept me focused.

By 4km we took another left turn for some respite from the wind. This section of the course was great. Dead flat and very easy to lift the pace. I'd managed to catch a glance behind to find that it was Peter O'Sullivan from Craughwell AC who was matching me stride for stride. At this point I attempted a couple of surges but these were covered off by Peter. Despite this I still felt good and thought I still had a chance of catching Roger who looked to be about 50m further up the road.

This straight section continued for 3km. Just before the 6km marker I think I finally opened up a small gap on Peter. At 7km we were greeted by a small bridge which was the only noticeable climb on the course, then after that it was the last kilometer. I was confident I'd done enough for 4th place but with about 500m to go I was aware that Peter was closing back in. Sure enough at 200m I looked round to see that he was only a few meters behind and that was the trigger to put the foot down until I crossed the finish line. So 4th place in a time of 26:18. Happy days.

Some congratulations firstly. Roger ran a really strong race today finishing 3rd with a time of 25:51 - sorry I couldn't give you a better race today! Peter ran a big PB of 20 seconds and looks to be in great form. The first 2 guys were again in a different class with Sean running 24:10 and Paddy 24:14. A great day and well done to Tuam AC for putting on an enjoyable race which had 630 starters!

I finished up with an 8km warm-down (another lap of the course). I was knackered come the end of that and had to rejuvenate with coffee and biscuits back at the presentation.

A total of 19kms for the day and 93.4km for the week.

Here are the splits:

1km 3:01 (I mis-read the watch during the race - I thought it was quick!)
2km 3:09
3km 3:28
4km 3:32 (13:10)
5km 3:23
6km 3:15
7km 3:14
8km 3:16 (13:08)

Total 26:18

In summary a very quick first 2kms, then a slow 2kms into the wind. Finishing the race strongly the last 4kms. Great racing!

Turning the legs over

Another easy run. This time a very slow 9.9km in 44:54. The temperature had dropped a lot today and it felt much more like winter. Gloves and hat were utilised.

Curry and cinema in the evening (The Iron Lady). Good acting but the film was a bit slow for me. Not sure curry is a good idea on the eve of a race...

Why not?

I was planning an easy 45 minutes but was enjoying the run so I did a bit extra to get me up over the hour. Total 14.4kms in 1:01:52 (4:18's).

Idi Im In

I received confirmation that I have my spot for London a day before the closing date. Cutting it a bit fine but all good to go now.

Today I did some quicker stuff. After a 3.5km warm-up I ran 2 x 10 minutes off a 150 second recovery. I was using my short mile route running out and back for the 10 minutes. My times were 10:22 and 10:08. I should mention that conditions were perfect today - no wind and bathed in winter sunshine. Happy with that and a good tune-up for the race on Sunday.

I finished off with a 3.5km warm-down. All up 13.0kms.

Nosebleed

The same night run as last Friday. 12kms easy in 51:58 (4:20/km).

A few photos from the recent Resolution Run (thanks to Edenhill).

This one is just after the start with me tucked in behind the leaders:



This one is mid-race during the uphill kilometre which was run into a gale. I like my race number (a la Chesney Hawkes):



Spurs on fire at the moment. I fear it will go horribly wrong but you can't deny they are playing some very good football.

Good fun

The long awaited return to the track for a proper session. The weather wasn't great but I was determined to have a hit-out. The Harriers session has now been put back to 7:30pm which wasn't going to work for me (clashes with darts), so instead I headed to the track for a 6:30pm start with my only concern being whether the floodlights would be on or not. Plus I'm used to training by myself so what could possibly go wrong?

I did my normal 3.9km warm-up then headed down to the track. The lights were on and I was greeted by about 50 other runners from the local tri club. I've never seen the track so busy. They were doing 400's so I asked if I could join in and do my own session and thankfully that was okay as long as I didn't get in their way...

It turned into a good session. I decided on 6 x 1km off 200m walk recovery (90 seconds). I was running wide on numerous occasions to keep out of the way made all the more interesting by dodging people at the start/finish line. I set a PB for the widest line on a lap edging out to lane 5 on a couple of occasions. It was raining quite hard every now and then but that added to the novelty. Plus the constant overtaking seemed to spur me on. By the end of the session I was soaked through but I was happy enough with the times given the conditions, plus the fact that I wasn't running them eyeballs out:

3:11,3:11,3:11,3:10,3:09,3:12

Thanks again to the group for letting me train. I'll have to plan a new day/time for my track sessions going forwards. Either that or become a triathlete.

A 3.9km warm-down so that's 13.8km for the day.

Then darts. I had half an hour practice in the afternoon and couldn't miss. I'd quickly notched up 4 x 180's and was feeling good. That form didn't transfer to the match board and I played poorly in both my pairs (which we somehow won) and singles (which I lost). Overall we lost 5-4 to the team who were second from bottom in the league. Our worst result thus far and strange as nobody in our team played well. Perhaps a Christmas hangover? Hopefully normal service will be resumed next week.

And finally some more stats from 2011. I exercised on 315 out of 365 days. I had 111 AFD's. I hit 72 x 180's. And my biggest year on the beer since 2005. Not proud of that last fact...

Low key

An easy loop of the same run from yesterday. Time 45:39 for 11.3km.

A good nights sleep

Out the door for a longish run. I decided on a double loop of my normal easy run and today it felt really good. I was 45:30 at halfway (11.15km) and I ran slightly quicker the second lap despite not deliberately pushing the pace. Perhaps yesterday was just a bad day.

Total time of 1:30:32 for 22.3km (4:04/km).

That's 81.8km for the week.

I have 15 weeks until London. A couple more weeks similar to this week and then it will be time to start ramping things up.

5km Time Trial

Back to the track for a 5km time trial with a few of the Galway Harriers. My first time on the track since November 22nd and it showed...

A nice easy 6 laps to warm-up. Then a dozen or so of us toed the line in a self-timed 12 and a half laps. Conditions were very good - nice and cool with only a bit of breeze around the final bend. I hit the lead and pushed on and was left thinking my watch had malfunctioned when I went through the first km in 3:14...

From there on it was a real struggle. I was slowing lap on lap and had nothing in the tank. Perhaps the hill session had taken it out of my legs as I was back peddling. Through the seconds km with a 3:17, followed up with a 3:21. It was then a slow death march whilst counting down the last 5 laps.

A penultimate km of 3:21 and I kicked for home blowing out none of the cobwebs with a 3:20 to finish up. Time 16:33 and I honestly thought I'd run close to 16 without going to the well. Oh well, perhaps the kick up the rear that I need. To think I ran 15:14 in my last track 5km. Today I still had a lap to go at that time...

A 3.2km warm-down and all up 10.6km for the day. Track sessions to resume next week me thinks.

No daylight

The evenings are really starting to draw out now - dark by 5pm! I managed to get out just at the time it would be too dangerous to run on the back roads so instead I did 3 different out and back sections along the main roads near to where I live. A nice easy run of 12.0kms in 51:42 (4:19's).

Hill Session

My new years resolution is to try and do a few more hill sessions. Today I made a start with a repeat of the session I've been doing recently. A 3.4km warm-up, then 30 minutes continuos hills (1 minute up, jog back down), followed by a 2.3km warm-down.

I managed 13 up and downs by which time I'd gone over the 30 minutes. A good session as it is short and sharp and is quickly over. A total of 12.6kms for the day.

London 2012

No run today. Busy doing other stuff so it never happened.

Well the big news is that I've decided to come out of marathon retirement. It looks like I have a Championship entry for the London marathon in April. That means I'm going to have to get a dozen weeks of decent mileage (100km weeks) under the belt starting very soon. Could the impossible be repeated with another sub 2:30? At this stage I very much doubt it...

Last treadmill session

The plan was to make my track comeback today but with both kids sick that never happened. Instead it was another session on the treadmill. I reverted back to 2km efforts (times 3). Trying to make this a bit harder than 2 weeks previous I decided to up the pace slightly and reduce the recovery.

Overall it was 3km warm-up, 3 x 2km off 400m float, 3.2km warm-down. All up 13kms in 50:29. The speeds for the efforts were 18.2, 18.4 and 18.6kms/hour respectively. Another good sweat.

No darts league match tonight but we still met down the pub for some practice. Just when you wanted to take it easy on the beer front the landlord decides to give us all free beer. Nice.

Wadey bottled it

I squeezed out the last daylight of the day for my 11.3km recovery run. Another big night on the drink the night before. Home at 3:30am. Not good. As for the run it wasn't too bad - 47:48 and that works out to 4:15/km pace.

5km Resolution Run

Happy New Year to one and all!

I managed to keep a lid on the drinking the previous night and felt much better than this time last year on the drive out to Renmore. Similar to Athenry from last week conditions weren't good - very blustery and wintery showers to deal with.

I registered and ran a lap of the course to warm-up. Then a few strides down by the finishing line and it was time to race. Soon we were underway and I settled into the back of the lead group as we ran the first couple of hundred metres directly into the wind. A small gap then opened in front and I took this opportunity to put in a surge and hit the front. After rounding the first corner there was some shelter from the wind but it was still tough going. I was in front and by the time I reached 1km I was joined by 2 other runners. In keeping with recent races I decided to ignore the watch and focus on the race.

Just before 1km we had taken another left turn and it suddenly became a lot easier. I was doing the majority of the running with the other 2 runners sitting in behind me. There was a nice long downhill/short uphill roller coaster like section, then it flattened out through a few more turns before hitting the 2km marker with another left turn. It was now gradual uphill for a few hundred metres before the final turn of the lap and the long climb back to the start line.

This section was extremely tough. I just couldn't get the legs moving in any sort of rhythm as the wind was gusting knocking me in all directions. I deliberately eased off a little and all 3 of us struggled on past the start line for the start of the second lap. By the time we had reached the top of the course the wind had picked up further coupled with an icy rain shower. The left turn (3km) made things a little easier but it was still tough on the run back down to the army barracks.

Another turn and again it was a lot easier being swept along by the wind. On the downhill section of the roller coaster I opened up a tiny gap and that was the opportunity to push on up the hill and race for home. At 4km I had opened up a gap of a few seconds and it was a case of holding my nerve for the last click. The final part of the course had the repeat long uphill drag back up to the start line and then another left turn before the final 100m to the finish line. Thankfully I managed to hold on for the win clocking 16:34.

A good start to the year but over 40 seconds slower than last year! Old age? Not enough drink? Tough conditions? I'll let you decide.

A further 2.5km warm-down with the lads. I didn't hear of any PB's today and I think that most people were around 30 seconds down on their expectation. Those Galway winds are a cruel mistress!

World darts semi-finals tonight coupled with a night in town. Gotta love this time of year! Serious training to resume soon...

A total of 87.1km for the week. Here are the splits:

1km 3:13
2km 3:02
3km 3:43 (all into the wind)
4km 3:17
5km 3:19

Total 16:34