Last long run

Another long run before the big relay next weekend. I'm running the same stage as last year - 19.67 miles around 1:15am. Should be fun. Today's run was similar to last week - though I met Owen after about 30 minutes of running and then we ran together for the next hour and a bit. The weather was good - nice cool conditions for running and the breeze wasn't too bad. I certainly felt a lot better this week compared to last week and soon the 2 hours were up and I was still running strongly. All up 27.6kms in 2:00:04 (4:21's).

That's 96.0kms for the week. I'll take it easy next week with a mini-taper before the relay.

Out again in the evening for another meal with the family. A few beers and then home to crash out on the sofa.

After work tempo and beers

Same run as last Saturday. A 1km warm-up then straight into it. It was again hard going with some nasty uphill drags into the wind and rain. I ran fast for the full 20 minutes covering 5.67kms (3:32/km). Nothing to write home about but at least it was something. Knee getting worse...

All up 8.4kms with warm-down.

Then out later in the evening for beers and curry with Fintan and Owen. Everyone was knackered so it wasn't a rip-snorter. Home by 1:30am.

Unplanned

I was going to rest but decided to turn the legs over after work. Same old loop of 9.5kms in 39:57 (4:12's). Left knee still sore - getting a bit worried about it now...

Temperature drop

A 7am start with Fintan and Owen. Bloody cold early doors and I could have done with my gloves if truth be told! A reminder that winter is just around the corner. After 4kms we were joined by Gearoid. Whilst the pace was nice and relaxed, it felt very easy today and I was just getting into the run and it was over. All up 15.0kms in 1:06:08 (4:25's).

I've now watched 2 episodes of the final season of Breaking Bad. Things are shaping up nicely...

Feeling good

Easy loop of 9.5kms in 39:43 (4:11's).

Dangan 5 x 5 mins off 60 secs

Arrived at track but after the warm-up (3.6km around the pitches, 1.6km on the track), we were moved to the pitches for some 5 minute efforts. The loop we were to run had a nice hill in the middle and the purpose of the session was to build up some endurance.

For the first effort I took the opportunity to sit back and learn the course. Then for each subsequent effort I increased the speed. The efforts felt comfortable enough and I certainly wasn't on or close to the red line.

The pace/km for each effort were:

3:34/3:29/3:28/3:26/3:20

An enjoyable session in near perfect conditions finishing up with a further 3.6km around the pitches to give me 16.5kms for the day.

Earlier in the day I watched England beat the Irish at cricket. Ravi Bapora has bought himself another year in the team. I've never been convinced by the bloke but just when you think his time has come to an end he has a good knock and buys himself some more time. The selectors have certainly kept their faith in him. A good win as it turns out as at 48-4 England were in all sorts of trouble.

Bounce

My bog standard local loop to start the week off. I felt like I had a nice bounce in the step after the long run yesterday which I wasn't expecting - a total of 9.5kms in 39:23 (4:09's). Loving the new runners - the left knee is a bit sore but I think it was like that before I changed the shoes. I think it will settle down after a few days.

Tyre change

The plan was to get another long run on the board of around 2 hours. I ran from home to Oranmore where I'd left my car the previous evening. I took the opportunity to quickly change my shoes from my old Asics 2170's into a new pair of Saucony Triumphs (at 10.5kms into the run). I then headed on down to Maree where I ran a couple of laps of the 5km course, before heading back to the car. The last half an hour was really tough - I was tired and running solo and the time was really dragging. All up 27.3kms in 2:00:26 (4:24/km pace).

Absolutely in bits at the end - I certainly am not missing the marathon training. The wind was also strong today so I was battling with the elements also. A couple of protein drinks later and a cup cake and I was feeling a bit better for the drive back home.

That's 81.2kms for the week. Today was the first day this week that I got above 10km!

More on the new shoes, when I first started running I was a definite over-pronator. I've run in Brooks shoes, New Balance, Asics and more recently Saucony whereby the shoes would all have either a medial post or dual density material to help compensate the pronation. My most recent shoes would be the Asics 2170's (I had a stock pile of these so I never got to run in the newer Asics GT 2000 shoes), plus the Saucony Guide shoes. I've recently had another look at my running gait and I'm now as neutral a runner as you will ever see. With years of mileage it seems that my gait has changed which I suppose makes sense as the various muscles will all strengthen, and the footstrike has become much more efficient as a result (no visible lateral movement). So armed with this new information I thought I'd make the transition over into a neutral shoe and being a tall/heavy-ish guy I thought the Saucony Triumph was the logical choice. First impressions were good though I'm a little nervous that it's a bit of a change (if it ain't broke don't fix it). Touch wood I'll be okay.

Time poor

A quick run home from work - a 1km warm-up, then straight into a tempo run (I don't have a heart rate monitor (yet) so I only had pace from my watch to rely upon). Not a good start as after about a minute I had to stop at a level crossing for a few minutes to allow a train to pass....

Back into it and I didn't feel great - I was running into a diagonal cross wind and the first half of the run felt like it was all uphill. I checked my watch after about 10 minutes and I was pleasantly surprised by my pace which was shown at 3:22/km (it felt much slower). I continued on until I hit a big climb about a mile from home so I took the opportunity to stop my tempo effort (5.66km in 19:09 at 3:23/km).

A nice easy jog home for 8.4kms all up. A session done in just over 30 minutes. That's training on a budget. Happy enough with that. A big run planned for tomorrow to finish the week off.

More lab testing

An early morning drive to Athlone. A couple of kms warm-up on the treadmill and then it was straight into the first test.

My weight had dropped by 1.6kgs compared to my previous visit (no Dad around so less Guinness consumption). Feeling a lot better generally I was looking forward to putting in an improved performance. The first part was a 6.5 minute run at my tempo run pace which had been calculated at 17.6km/hour. This test was devised to monitor your Vo2 slow component - don't ask me to explain what that is in any detail. Anyway, this run was relatively easy and after my heart rate had quickly climbed to around 140 after a minute or so, once I had settled into the run it never climbed above 148 for the remainder of the effort. This again shows I have a good running economy and would be more suited to the longer stuff.

After a 10 minute break it was time for the lung-buster. The test was to run no more than 4 minutes and the pace was to be around 1,500m pace. That's a difficult one for me as I've only dabbled in the distance on rare occasions - but it was decided that 21.5kms/hour (2:47/km pace) should see me max out before the 4 minutes was up. The start of the test is tricky as to jump on the treadmill at that pace is somewhat tricky, but once I was going I felt good. Through the first minute and I still felt in control and you had to commit to a further 30 seconds after each segment. I got to 2 minutes and still felt okay, then 2:30 and 3 minutes. By this stage I thought I'd last the full 4 minutes but then in the space of a few seconds I was in the hurt locker. At 3:30 I had to pull the pin...

The good news is that I hit my Vo2 max - this time calculated at over 64 (I'd say most of this improvement was due to my drop in weight which is part of the calculation). My heart rate maxed out at 168 which wasn't quite as high as the last visit.

A good chat after the test about what all the data means in terms of training. I'll go into a lot more detail about this when I get the full results but the good news is that at my current lactate threshold level, I'm at about 85% of my Vo2 max. So with some smarter training, if I can improve my lactate threshold, I still have significant room for improvement. The target would be to get that ratio up to nearer 90% (with some elite runners close to the 95% level).

All up around 8.2kms with warm-up and down. Not a huge distance but that last test really knocked me. A big thank you for having the opportunity to be part of this study which I really enjoyed and I'm looking forward to putting the results data to good use in the coming months by adding more science to my training.

Early and slow

Miserable conditions but despite that I felt like I was ticking along nicely. My watch wasn't of the same opinion - I clocked 42:51 for my 9.5kms (4:31/km). Not sure what happened there - perhaps the test yesterday took a fair bit out of me. Or perhaps I was still half asleep. Anyway, nice to get the run out of the way.

The darkness

A late night run in the cold and rain. Total 9.3kms in 40:54 (4:24's).

Maree 5km

Super weather again - nice and warm and only a slight breeze. Good memories of this course where I set my 5km PB of 15:33 back in 2011. You wouldn't say it's the flattest course on the circuit, but there are sections you can really attack.

A certain Mr Shannon was in attendance. We had a brief chat at the start and I mentioned I wanted to go sub 16. The race started and me and Michael hit the front, and it was like a carbon copy of Claregalway where we started racing side-by-side (thanks to Francis at Eirefoto):

The first few kms were run into the breeze. There are a few drags on this section, especially the climb up to the first left turn at the t-intersection, then as you get to halfway, there is a lovely downhill section where you really start to pick up speed. At this stage Michael and I were still sharing the lead, with another runner - Keith from Clare - still hanging in behind us. Through 3km and the next km is run down by the water. A couple of times I thought we had dropped Keith but he kept coming back at us. These 2 Clare men were all over me like a cheap suit.

I was still feeling okay at this point and as we approached 4km Michael started to lift the pace. I did the same but the problem was that my quicker pace wasn't as quick as his. I ran on gamely for the last 1,200m, breaking away from Keith to secure second, but I simply wasn't strong enough to really put in a super quick finish. I crossed the line in second place in 15:56 with Michael 7 seconds in front of me (again thanks to Eirefoto) - yes that's a climb up to the finish line:

Another improved performance. That's 31 seconds quicker than last Wednesday's 5km so gotta be happy with that. If I keep improving at this rate and I'll be breaking 13 minutes come October...

All up 9kms with the couple of kms warm-up and down. And a lovely Galway crystal fruit bowl to show for my efforts which sorts out my grandparents Christmas present!

Here are the splits:

1km 3:12
2km 3:19
3km 3:08
4km 3:10
5km 3:07

Total 15:56

New plan

A lovely evening for a run. The legs were sore after the long run - nice to have that feeling again and shows that I'm getting back into it. I felt pretty good and rattled around my 9.5km route in 39:35 (4:10's).

I've arranged for my next bout of VO2 testing on Thursday morning so looking forward to that. And a spot of Tuesday evening racing - my new plan is to race myself fit and so I'll be doing as much racing as possible.

Long Run

I've agreed to run in the Round Norfolk Relay again on Sep 14/15 and being desperately short of long runs I need to get some 2 hour efforts on the board to give me some hope of performing well.

Pace wasn't important today - I just wanted some time on the feet. I ran up to Carnmore, round the back of the airport, then along the Coast Road, then ran towards Galway, before turning right at the N17 for the long run home. All up 25.1kms in 1:52:11 (4:28's). Pretty shot at the end - especially so due to the quick turnaround from the race the previous evening.

That's 83.2kms for the week. Pretty good going - a couple of races plus the testing on the treadmill. If I can stay healthy than I should be back to where I was fairly quickly.

A great day on the final days of the Ashes this summer. Ruined by the ICC though and the daft rules that the umpires have to adhere to. Still, I'll take a 3-0 series win.

Claregalway 10km

The rain had just about stopped before the race started. I had run a short-ish warm-up of about a mile as I was running a bit late. A crowd of around 200 at the start including Michael Shannon and Jason Broderick who is returning to great form after a couple of years in the wilderness.

At 6pm we were underway - starting from the school which you can see from our kitchen window (where the kids were both waving away!). I hit the front with Jason and Michael tucked in behind me. I continued to lead until about 1km when Jason also joined me and we continued to run side-by-side. That's how it remained for the next few kms and at 3km I tried a little surge just to see how the others would respond. It was captured nicely in this photo:

By the time we'd hit 4km, Jason had fallen off the back of the group leaving me and Michael running together. As mentioned previously, this is one of my favourite training loops and I know it very well so I hugged the racing line as best I could. At 5km I had a quick look at the watch and with a split of 16:19 (quicker than than Wedneday's 5km) I was thinking that a sub 33 was definitely on the cards.

I knew that at any time Michael was going to put in a surge but the kms continued to tick by and there was no move from him. At 7km we made a left hand turn onto the main road for the long run back into the village. This part of the run was a lot tougher as we were now running into the breeze and I switched to running from the path to the bus lane as that felt more comfortable. That said, I knew the pace had slowed.

By the time we had reached the church in the village we were still together but I knew that at any moment Michael was going to pull the trigger and I'd have nothing in response. Sure enough, after rounding the church, and then back past the school, Michael dropped the hammer and the last 500m I watched as he disappeared up the road! I enjoyed the run down the finishing chute crossing the line in a time of 33:16 for second place.

Pleased with the run - a much improved performance compared to Wednesday. I think I've lost a bit of speed endurance as the last few kms were tough but that's something I can work on. I'm just happy to be back racing again and turning in some half decent performances.

All up 14.8kms with a couple of miles warm-down with Michael, Jason and Brian. Then back home for some Thai fish cakes and a few beers.

Here are the splits:

1km 3:11
2km 3:17
3km 3:16
4km 3:16
5km 3:19 (16:19)
6km 3:24
7km 3:27
8km 3:25
9km 3:27
10km 3:14 (16:57)

Total 33:16

Rest day

I'm going to give the Claregalway 10km a crack tomorrow so hence a rest day. Not expecting much but I can't resist the temptation to run when I can see the start line out of the back window...

The final test match of the current series and England are plugging away at the Aussies who scored the best part of 500 runs in their first innings. I can only see 2 results from here - a draw or an England win! All the pressure is on the shackle draggers!

An early one

Just me today - I ran 11.1kms in 48:50 (4:25's). Legs a little sore after the 5km and the pace was pretty ordinary. Nice to be out there though.

Oranmore 5km

I was desperate to have a hit-out and this race was just down the road from work so thought I'd give it a go. The weather wasn't great - wet and blowy but I just wanted to try and run quickly again to see exactly where I'm at.

After registration I ran a 2.6km warm-up with Michael Shannon. This man races for fun and can post super-quick times on consecutive days (10km PB 31:01) so I wasn't expecting to give him much to worry about. We lined up with over 400 at the start and we were off. I sat in behind Michael for the first km but as soon as we hit a long drag in the second km I was going backwards. We were running directly into the wind which made it tough but I knew that once we reached the turnaround point at 2.5km, the run back to the start would be a lot easier.

At the turnaround I'd say I'd lost 15 seconds on Michael but I at least looked to have second place sewn up. With the wind on the back the pace immediately lifted and I started to feel a lot more comfortable. I pushed as hard as I could back to the finish but was making no inroads on the leader, Lots of support from the other runners who were passing the other way and I really enjoyed the run home crossing the line in 16:27 for second place. Michael ran 15:53 and I don't think he really got out of second gear!

That'll do - not a great time but it was a tough first half of the race, I hope to improve from here on in. A quick run back to the car to give me around 8.6kms for the day.

Here are the splits:

1km 3:14
2km 3:26
3km 3:25
4km 3:08
5km 3:14

Total 16:27

A great race and hopefully lots of money raised for the Alzheimer's association.

Here's a photo of me and Micheal at the start:

Wet slog

Quite wet and windy today. A total of 9.6kms in 41:02 (4:16's). Didn't feel great - it's about time I got myself some new runners. I think I'm in the right job.

VO2 Max / Lactate threshold

I was at the sports science lab today for 2 tests which were both conducted on the treadmill. After a 15 minute warm-up, I was then tested firstly to determine my lactate threshold.

The format of this test was 3 minute runs, with one minute recovery during which your blood lactate level was measured. Starting at 12km/hour, the pace was increased by 1km/hour for each 3 minute rep. I ended up running 8 x 3 minutes finishing at 19/km hour. During the last effort my heart rate had reached 159.

Then a short break and it was time for the VO2 test. This was a continuous test starting at 15km/hour and then the pace was increased by 0.5km/hour every 30 seconds. After 4 minutes the treadmill was elevated at 1 degree along with the continuing increase in speed every 30 seconds. I'm not sure how long I lasted but having pulled the pin I immediately regretted it thinking I could have lasted one more 30 second blast. That said, by the end of this session I was fairly toasted.

I did manage to get the heart rate up to 171 which is my maximum. My VO2 was also reached and was recorded at 62.6. Nothing too spectacular but the results of both tests combined showed that I was a very efficient runner and would certainly be suited to the longer distance.

I await the detailed results which should benefit my training (training zones and the like). A great experience though I did struggle a little with the mask that you have to wear - especially during the VO2 test. I had a good chat with the guy running the test after and he had a very interesting viewpoint on speed sessions and how that many distance runners tend to run their speed sessions at a pace that is too quick to benefit there training (a view also shared by one of the top running coaches in Ireland). For example, I have been guilty in the past of running my 400's well under 70 seconds. If you continue to do these sessions you will certainly improve your speed at running 400's and whilst you may be able to run 65-66 seconds per lap for short bursts where you turn anaerobic, the benefits of this type of session don't necassarily transfer to 5km and 10km racing where you're running in a different state. I know I haven't explained that well and I'll try and follow-up with some articles on this in future posts.

All up around 15kms with warm-down. I'm back again next week for 2 more tests which I'm already looking forward to,

Testing

My third run of the week today - a total of 17.3kms in 1:13:11 (4:14's). Felt much better today - long may that continue. Great to be out there on a bright and blustery day.

A total of 41.8kms for the week.

I was planning to run a bit longer but I wanted to keep the powder dry for tomorrow as I've been invited to take part in a sports science study. This will involve VO2 max testing which I've never had done before so I'm looking forward to that. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow so watch this space. Hopefully I'll be armed with a whole rake of data that promises to be very useful for future training.

Bakers

Managed to squeeze in a quick run after work (9.5kms in 40:15 @ 4:14/km). Started to feel a bit better but still far from easy.

Out in the evening for more darts. Played well for the first half of the night (missed double 8 for a 12 darter but did finish the leg in 13 darts - 100, 125, 140, 120, 16). Then the darts standard started to fade as the arm became too loose.

Another Mo Double

Another rest day on the running front. It was a day of work, then home for tea, then out for a couple of pints with the old man with an accompanying game of darts. I won 10-8.

I've only seen bits and pieces of the World Athletics Champs. From what I've seen it has been pretty good, but the coverage in the media has been pretty ordinary. You wouldn't have known it was on here in Ireland until Rob Heffernan popped up and won gold in the 50km walk (well deserved). Mo is still at his brilliant best and it seems that the other African runners keep playing right into his hands every race tactics-wise.

Trio

Myself, Conor and Fintan for the Thursday 7am jaunt around Claregalway. The pace was slow but that suited me as I didn't have much in the tank. This tonsillitis has really knocked my energy levels. A total of 15.0kms in 1:09:48 (4:39's).

3 days of nowt

Still no running. Still not feeling great but will probably try a run tomorrow. No beers either.

Other than that all is going well in the new job. Still lots to learn but getting there.

No track

Obviously a perfect evening for running but it was rest, rest, rest. Instead I'm eating a lot more with my head in the fridge every 2 minutes. Return of the Fat Matt.

The throat feels a bit better but I'm generally feeling far from great. Not much sport to watch with the cricket finishing a day early. Another early night in preparation for work tomorrow.

Perhaps I need to start watching the final few episodes of Breaking Bad which have just started to air in the US...

Time to listen to the doctor

Back to the doctor with the sore throat. I'm now on a 10 day course of antibiotics and I've been told to give the running a miss for a while to give the body a chance to fully recover. Time to give the booze a rest also...

When I'm better I may go back for some blood tests to make sure my iron levels are all okay as my running of late has been very hit and miss (and that's hit with a silent s).

In better news England win the Ashes. I thought the Aussies were in cruise control at the tea interval but after that they collapsed with Stuart Broad bowling brilliantly. Nine wickets in a session and now an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. That scoreline flatters England a little but they are definitely the better side.

Welcome back

Awoke with another sore throat from hell. The tonsillitis has made a return. Breakfast and then the drive back to Galway.

I did a run in the afternoon to burn off some of the million calories I had consumed the day before. I felt pretty good all things considered. A total of 17.7kms in 1:16:15 (4:18's).

Total 81.5kms for the week.

Out in the evening for a meal with family and friends followed by a few quiet beers in the Crane bar.

Cavan

Out in the morning for a tempo run. A 2km warm-up, then 10kms in 35:10. Finishing up with a 4.3km warm-down to give me 16.3kms for the day.

Despite very good conditions I didn't run well today. I started off around 3:25/km pace and the pace slowly dropped as the kms ticked by. I was ready to stop by 8km but managed to battle on and finish the full 10km. It's a good job I'm not doing the Streets today as based on that form I would have had a Barry.

The drive to Cavan in the evening. Upon arrival it was straight into the beers and food. A great spread and in bed by 3am...

Friday rest day

No run today. I'll have to be a bit more organised to fit my running in now I'm working!

Out in the evening for a few beers and a game of darts. A few of the lads from the darts teams were there and it was winner stays on. I won a lot more than I lost. The old darts are going well.

Morning

Only Gearoid and myself today for the 7am jaunt. Super conditions and lots of chat and the run was over before you know it. 14.8kms in 1:05:09 (4:24's).

The Streets of Galway 8km is on this Saturday and for the first time in moving here I won't be running. Instead I'm Cavan bound with the family for a night away. I thought Cavan was near Sligo and after looking at the map I was a little wayward. 0 out of 10. Must do better. Anyway, the race itself promises to be a belter. Mark Kennealy may be running and he is in decent nick after what looked like a 29:22 10,000m jog to me the other week (I was lapped twice...). But there may be a runner from the Tipton Harriers who could give him a nudge...

And good luck to anyone running the City to Surf on the weekend in Sydney. I think it's the biggest foot race in the world? From my experience it was always the biggest drink on the calendar...

Lost

9.5kms in 40:41. Slower than Monday but always so due to the track session yesterday.

Darts in the evening with the old man. I lost 15-13. A really decent standard. My Dad hit a 167 checkout being the highlight. I was never in front and missed a few darts at a double to force the decider. No bottle.

5 x (1km / 1 min / 400m / 2 mins)

Back to the track. About 3kms around the pitches then a further 4 laps of the track whilst the main group were doing their dynamic stretches and strides (which I always avoid - not sure why).

The session tonight was kms and 400's. I decided on 5 sets (as opposed to 4) as I'm taking a break from racing and I thought I'd take it nice and steady. It was a very damp evening - persistent rain and the track was very damp and covered in small puddles around the bends. But hardly any breeze which at least was something.

My times were:

3:12 / 71

3:05 / 72

3:08 / 71

3:09 / 70

3:08 / 69

Nothing to set the world on fire but I'm happy with that after last week. I finished with a 2.1km warm-down to give me 13.7kms for the evening. Absolutely drenched come the end.

Then into town to pick up my Dad who'd been in the pub whilst I was out training. I think next time we should swap places...

A bit better

9.5kms in 39:43 (4:11's).

A lot better today. I had some drive in my stride and was ticking over much better. A nice afternoon for running being warm and sunny but with very little breeze. I could be back...

Catch-up

Been a bit of a mad week - trying to recover from feeling generally under the weather and also starting a new job! Yes you read that correctly, after 4 years looking after the kids it was time to get back into the workforce!

Here's a quick re-cap of last week. On the running front:

Tuesday - nothing

Wednesday - 9.5kms in 42:06 (4:26's)

Thursday - 9.5kms in 41:38 (4:23's)

Friday - nothing

Saturday - 11.1kms in 49:00 (4:25's)

Sunday - 15.0kms in 1:05:45 (4:23's)

Total for the week 45.1kms

Basically all very slow and steady. I must have been really run down as I was running at my normal effort level for easy runs but my pace had slipped between 10 to 20 seconds per km. Whilst it was a good time to have an easy week, it didn't really feel that easy as the running was such a struggle. Hopefully I'll come good again soon.

On the socialising front I had a big night at the Galway races on Friday night. No winners but a great time was had. My old man had 2 winners and I don't think I've ever seen him so happy (he hasn't stopped gloating since). Another visit to the local pub on Sunday for a game of darts - my first proper game in yonks. After trailing 10-7 I started to come good and eventually ran out winning 20-13. That's a shellacking in my book.

And the new job - I've landed a few days at Amphibian King, a specialist running store in Oranmore. Lots to learn and a new challenge and so far so good! More on that in coming posts I'd say so watch this space.

Sidelined

Went to the docs. I have tonsillitis and conjunctivitis. Plenty of drugs to take and I should start to come good in a few days.

No running...

Dublin to Galway

Woke up - throat on fire. Couldn't swallow any food at breakfast.

Uneventful day - travel to Galway on the coach and then out in the evening for a meal. By this stage I could at least swallow but that was because I'd dosed myself up on pain-killers.

No running. Total for the week 52.2kms. I'll take a few days rest from running until I start to feel better.

National 10,000m

I woke up with a sore throat and was generally not feeling great. I took an early coach to Dublin - met up with my Dad and we were running a bit short of time so we took a taxi out to the Santry.

After registering, I had time for a warm-up. I bumped into Brian Furey and we ran a few laps around a small warm-up pitch for about 15 mins. The events were running a little late so back out for a bit more of a warm-up with Roger Barrett. A total of 20 mins or so (say 4kms).

Then into the call room, before being called onto the track. Lots of rules, officials, etc, up to this point and the nerves were starting to jangle a little. There were about 25 runners or so and we were split into 2 groups and I was in the group that had to run wide around the first bend to the right of the cones before breaking. The conditions were quite warm, around 20 degrees, and the breeze was coming across the track. Okay I suppose.

The gun sounded and I found myself behind Roger Barrett. I set into my running but felt very flat. Through the first km in 3:07 and I was already struggling. I decided to take one lap at a time but by the time I'd hit 4 laps (5:02) I was ready to stop. Roger had worked away from me leaving myself and a Raheny runner behind me. I was determined to give it my all until at least 5km but each lap was getting tougher and I knew I was slowing. Through 8 laps in about 10:12 so already off my target of 10:08 and that gap was only going to get bigger. As we approached half-way the guy from Raheny went past me leaving me in no mans land. I should add that at this point I had already been lapped by some of the front runners!

Through 5km in 16:12 and I was ready to step off the track. Shortly after Pauric McKinney went past me. I won't bore you with the detail but each lap got slower and by the time I got down to 10 laps remaining I knew I would finish but the time had gone. I was lapped again by the leader as I counted down the last 10. I reached 9km in 29:50 so I knew a sub 33 was looking unlikely as I simply had nothing in the tank. I went on to cross the line in 33:05 for 14th place.

The winner (Mark Kenneally) ran 29:22 and looked to be doing it easy so I can't blame the conditions. A very poor run from me and not too sure what went wrong. A few laps of the pitches as a warm-down/sulk to give me around 16kms for the day. Very disappointing.

Out in the evening for lots of fun. My Dad and I visited 8 or 9 pubs that we can remember around Dublin, mainly in the Temple Bar area. That was great. In bed by 11pm for a slumber...

Do the math

No ruining today. I watched the darts in the evening with a couple of beers whilst mulling over tomorrow's race.

Confidence isn't great. My recent times in training and racing have been slow due to the spell of hot weather (at least that's what I'm telling myself). I'll try and run 15:50 for the first 5km (76 second laps), and then try and hang on for the second half. I'll be very disappointed if I don't at least beat my long standing track PB of 32:35 set many moons ago at Mingara whilst racing (and beating!) the King. Here's hoping for a cool day but in looking at the forecast that doesn't look to be on the cards...

Alcohol will be the winner as its straight into the Temple Bar after the race for a long evening of fun and merriment with the old man. Have a great weekend and good luck to anyone else racing in the next few days.

Glen Hansard

Another easy paced run - 9.0kms in 39:36 (4:24's). That's it now until Saturday.

Out in the evening to see Glen Hansard play at the Big Top as part of the Galway Arts Festival. This man can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned - one of the most talented musicians on the planet. He played a great set that included songs from his latest solo album, from the soundtrack of the movie "Once", a few cover versions, plus a few Frames songs with members of the band supporting him throughout the night. A great finale finishing up with "The Auld Triangle" where the support act Damien Dempsey returned to the stage to help out with the vocals. A great show.

Short/easy

I squeezed in a quick run before tea. I got completely soaked as I got caught in some heavy showers but despite that it was quite pleasant to be out and about. Total 6.7kms in 30:50 (4:36's).

My first ever run wearing contact lenses. How interesting is that? As I'm long sighted I didn't really notice any difference...

A game of snooker in the evening. Total rubbish!

12 x 400 off 60 secs

My last proper hit-out before Saturday. The 400's were to be controlled as opposed to flat out and I thought that 70 seconds or thereabouts would be about right. It was a damp evening with heavy showers interrupting the warm-up (4.2kms), but despite a damp track the rain managed to hold off for the session itself.

I ran with Fintan and Paul and we took turns leading out the laps. I was knocking out the laps in very consistent times but I seemed to be working a fair bit harder than I would have liked - perhaps it was the slippery conditions. Here are the times:

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

Job done. A further 2.0kms warm-down to clock up 11.0kms for the day.

Claregalway 10km news

I ran my local 9.5km loop in 39:59 (4:13's). A sprint at the end to get me under 40 mins...

The Claregalway 10km in on August 24th at 6pm and the good news this year is that they are reverting back to the old course (as opposed to the 2 x 5km hilly loops that it has been the last few years). This course happens to be the loop that I ran today (plus a small section of the course between the school and the community centre that you run twice to get the 10km up). It's fairly flat and fast and will offer a good chance of a PB if you're in good shape. Well done to the organisers for changing the route as this course will be a lot more appealing. There, that's my bit of race promotion over with - it has to be done being in my home village.

Thoughts now turn to the 25 lapper on Saturday. I've covered the distance 4 times on the track - 2 times up on the Central Coast of New South Wales in times of 33:56 (Sep 2008) and 32:35 (Sep 2009). Then I ran in the state 10,000m at Homebush (Mar 2010) where I clocked 32:38. The most recent being in the county 10,000m at Dangan here in Ireland where I ran 32:45 (July 2010). It's a race that doesn't begin until you've covered 15 laps and then it's all about hanging in there for the final 10 lap countdown. I'm dreading it.

2-0

Afternoon run with Fintan. The aim was to get somewhere near the 1hr 15 mark but it was hot and humid and we pulled the pin early covering 15.9kms in 1:08:32 (4:19's).

That's 89.9kms for the week. I'll wind it back next week to get the legs ready for the 10.

England are now 2-0 up in the Ashes after the Aussies rolled over and were bowled out in less than a day. Not sure where they can go from here - their batters are desperately out of form and some players look like they don't want to be there (Watson springs to mind). If this continues then England will win 5-0. I never thought I'd see that day...

Joe Root

Out at 9am to try and get cooler conditions. Still well above 20 degrees and after having several beers the previous evening, and not much food, plus a lack of sleep I'd handicapped myself rather nicely for this session.

It was to be 6 x 4 mins off 60 secs, then 5 x 30 seconds (off 60) to finish with. I used my local 9.5km loop and after the first 4 minute effort I was struggling. I managed to pick things up a bit for 2,3,4 and 5 but during the last one I felt like giving up and had become a champion negative thought generator.

A 3 minute break and then the 30 second efforts. These were much easier as you just get going and they are over. I was toast at the end. I was running 5:15/km pace for the warm-down and that was hard work. So I ended up walking home. Which was nice. All up 16.5kms.

Here are the paces:

3:21/3:15/3:15/3:14/3:14/3:17 (per 4 minutes)

2:53/3:02/2:53/2:48/2:49 (per 30 seconds)

Basically not my greatest work. If it's a hot day in Dublin next Saturday for the 10,000m then I may as well forget the race and head straight to the Temple Bar.

Another day for England in the cricket. They batted all day long only losing a couple of wickets (one of which was Bresnan the night-watchman). Root batted beautifully and was 178 not out at the close. England with a 500 plus lead and I'm sure they'll give Root a quick dart at his double ton in the morning before putting the Aussies in to see how long they can last.

A poor decision by the third umpire not to give Bell out to a low catch taken by Smith. This series keeps throwing up these controversial decisions and England have certainly been very fortunate this far.

Watched a bit of the darts in the evening - the World Matchplay from Blackpool. Dad is back in town next week so I dare say I'll be back at the oche soon.

Graham Swann

11.1kms in 48:29 (4:22's). Another slog in the heat.

England posted a respectable 361 before bowling the Aussies out for 129. Swann took a 5 wicket haul on a pitch not renowned for taking spin. God knows what he'll do in the second innings...

The Aussies bounced back taking 3 quick wickets before the close leaving England 31-3. England still have a healthy lead and a couple of 50 partnerships tomorrow and we'll bat the Aussies out of the game.

Back to Thursday morning

7am start. A lovely morning and a good bit cooler running at that time of the day. Today's crowd included Conor, Gearoid and Owen but no Fintan who was busy with work.

Same route as normal and the pace gradually picked up to the point where we were running close to 4 minute clicks at the end. All up 15.0kms in 1:04:30 (4:18's).

The second test started today and it was another enthralling day. England were in all sorts of trouble at 28-3 before Bell an Trott steadied the ship with a 99 partnership. Then followed another great partnership between Bell and Bairstow with Belly recording his third Ashes ton on the spin. England got themselves into a strong position before losing 3 quick wickets just before close to leave them 7 down with 281 runs on the board. This match is still very much in the balance.

Highlight of the day: Bairstow being given out on 21 only to be overturned after Siddle had over-stepped the bowling mark.

Topless

Usual 9.5kms in 40:56 (4:19's). Legs a bit sore after track yesterday so that's a good sign that I pushed myself out of the comfort zone.

Lovely weather again for running. More topless action.

400/600/800/1000/800/600/400

Track night - 22 degrees and only a slight breeze made for good conditions. A warm-up around the pitches and a lap of the track (4.3kms) to start off.

The session was a pyramid - a short sharp session where the recoveries were generous which meant the pace had to be upped a notch. I set myself some soft targets as I wanted to get the confidence back after not feeling like I'd done myself justice in my recent racing. I thought that sub 70 for the 400's, then 3:00/km pace for the remaining efforts would be good enough - especially as the legs still felt tired.

Here's how it panned out (recoveries in brackets):

400 - 67 (60)

600 - 1:42 (75)

800 - 2:19 (2 mins)

1000 - 2:55 (2 mins)

800 - 2:19 (75)

600 - 1:40 (60)

400 - 64

Very happy with that. I really attacked the reps tonight and posted some decent times and nice to finish with quicker times in the second half of the session compared to the first. Thanks to Eamon and Paul for helping with the pacing - it makes it so much easier to have someone to hang on to.

Warm-down of 3.5kms. Very tired at the end. All up 12.4kms for the day.

Easy running now until Saturday where I'll do another session of longer reps.

Turning the legs over

The legs were sore today. I ran my 9.5km loop in 40:30 (4:16's) and wasn't feeling great. I'll push on this week starting with a track session tomorrow. For the first time in a while the weather had cooled down a notch which it least made it a bit more bearable for running. It promises to get warm again though for the remainder of the week...

National League Round 2 - Sligo

I caught the team bus at 8:15am for the 2 hour journey to Sligo. I wasn't running until around 4pm so plenty of time to watch the action. But my attention was elsewhere - listening to the climax of the first test at Trent Bridge. I was mentally drained when England eventually got that final wicket. More on this later.

Hot conditions and there was a nasty breeze on the back straight/start of the final bend. The gun sounded and I settled mid-pack. The front group of 5 runners quickly worked away - no surprise as they were running 3 minute/km pace and I wasn't able for that. There was a mini-pack of me and a couple of others in pursuit. That lasted for a couple of laps and I then made a move on the back straight to lead the chase group and in terms of positioning, that's how it remained for the rest of the race.

Through 1km in 3:04, through 2km in 6:10 and by this time it was another time trial. I was running solo and despite feeling quite strong, the 3rd km passed and with a disappointing split of 3:10 (time 9:20) I started to crumble. The next few laps were a real grind. I don't recall my 4km split but I continued on as best I could eventually crossing the line in 15:44 for 6th place overall (4th scorer in the Premier League).

The lead group all ran close to 15 minutes with the winner clocking 15:01. That group included Roger Barrett who must have only been a second or 2 behind the leader. So despite the hot condtions, it didn't seem to slow some people down! Great running Roger!

Personally I was very disappointed by that run. I felt like I could go sub 15:30 but come 3km that goal was gone and it was a long slog home. The sub 32 target for the 10km now seems like a pipe dream. The thought of running a 25 lapper at this moment in time seems like slow torture...

Some great performances for the team today. Peter O'Sullivan guested and was brilliant running 4:09 in the 1,500m, and then 2:01 in the 800m. Well done Peter.

All up 10.7kms for the day and 57.2kms for the week. I'll try and put in a decent week's training next week and then I'll wind it back for the 10,000m attempt the week after next.

Well back to the Ashes. What can I say? That match had everything. I had no nails left as the Aussies were closing in on the victory target. But King Jimmy managed to muster up another wicket getting the faintest of edges to dismiss Haddin. A few celebratory beers for the lads and then onto Lords for the second test on Thursday. More of the same please!

Ian Bell

No running today. A rest day before another 5,000m slog in the afternoon sun tomorrow...

Went out and did a bit of shopping with the kids. Never take a cranky 3 year old into a large toy shop. A nightmare scenario.

Watched the Ashes. Another cracking day. Ian Bell played well to get his ton but I think England folded a bit too cheaply at the end. The Aussies got off to a blistering start, but England fought back well. Those late wickets put England in the box seat but I wouldn't be writing the Aussies off just yet (137 required with 4 wickets in hand). Whatever the result it has been a great test match to watch. I say watch, I'll have to listen to radio commentary tomorrow as I'll be up in Sligo. Hope the battery holds out on the phone...

Stuart Broad

Another evening run. Sill hot. Third topless run on the trot - good for saving on the washing. A total of 10.8kms in 46:11 (4:17's). I guess it's going to be hot on Sunday for the 5,000m so this is my way of acclimatising...

Wow, what a day of cricket. I thought that if England could bat out the day for the loss of 6 wickets (2 per session) then they'd get themselves into a strong position. Well they survived the day but only lost 4 wickets in the process. The lead is now 261 and if they can get that up above 300 then it's going to be very tough for the Aussies. Bell batted beautifully and deserves his ton. And Stuart Broad stood his ground after a blatant thick edge was not seen by umpire Dar. That was disappointing but anything that winds the Aussies up has got to be for the good!

Dog attack

I ran around 7pm - still very hot. I decided to try and keep going for an hour by running the guts of my normal Thursday morning route. On the corner of Rockmount and the N17 a large puppy dog came hurtling at me straight over the top of a 5 foot fence. Once the dog realised how big I was he started to run away from me - that would have been fine but by now he was running up and down the busy N17 close to the traffic. Thankfully no damage was done as he eventually went into one of the fields where the owner could round him back up into the garden. Phew.

All up 13.7kms in 1:00:34 (4:25's). Hard going.

The cricket was incredible. England took early wickets but could not get the last man out. Agar eventually out for 98 batting at 11 on debut to give the Aussies a handy lead. Then England got off to a poor start with the bat losing a couple of quick wickets. Then down to Cook and Pietersen to steady the ship and see them through to the close. The Aussies are certainly favourites from this position and England need to bat really well tomorrow to get themselves back into the match.

The Ashes

I ran at around 4:30pm. Very hot - the road was sticking to my shoes in places, Total 9.5kms in 40:47 (4:17's). The legs felt okay after yesterday but it was tough going in the heat.

I watched most of the Ashes today. England got off to a poor start getting bowled out cheaply but bounced back well with the ball to have the Aussies 75-4 at the close. A great day and at this rate the first test could be over inside 3 days. That nut from Anderson to bowl Clark was as good as any delivery I have ever seen.

Galway County 5,000m

Another cracking day - temperatures were around 29 degrees as I arrived at the track for the race. Not much activity with lots of people milling around trying to keep out of the sun. At about 7:15 I did a 10 minute warm-up with the guys, then another rest. Still no race and as the women's 3,000m race started myself and Owen went out again for another 10 minutes warm-up.

We were called to the start about 8pm. There were around 28 starters and after a few admin issues which caused a further delay, we eventually got underway. Two guys went straight to the front and I settled into third place. By 200m one of the guys had blown, leaving me in second. A few laps passed and I worked into the lead and then it was a question of trying to maintain the pace whilst in time trial mode.

I wasn't wearing a watch and to keep myself focused I tried to run 75 second laps as they were calling out the times at the 200m mark. I went through the first 4 laps in 4:59, through 8 laps in 10:02 or so, but I knew I was going to struggle home. The last 4 laps were a real grind and there was no attempt to lift the pace for the run home as the legs were heavy and unresponsive. I crossed the line in 15:53.67 (electronic timing!) for the win.

So another disappointing time but I'd say most times were way down due to the Galway heatwave. I've been very unlucky with conditions this year but I'll keep racing in the hope that I get lucky soon - starting with another 5,000m in Sligo this Sunday! Sub 15:30 would be nice!

A 3.5km warm-down to give me 12.5kms for the day.

Here's a photo (thanks Jane). Race number 90 - that's how old I felt...

Legoland

Today was spent in Legoland. But not before my third full English breakfast on the trot...

An incredible place and great for the kids. Even better for the grown-ups (read me). Loved it.

No running today. Come 4:30pm it was time to leave for the drive to Stansted and then the flight back to Ireland.

Forgot to mention last week's tally. A massive 60.3kms.

Here are a few photos from Legoland:

Windsor

A token run at lunchtime in the midday sun - a blistering pace covering 6.6kms in just under 33 minutes. Sweat out some of last night and all that.

Lunch at my grans and then we moved on from Norwich to Windsor. Listened to the tennis in the car on the drive down and good to see Andy Murray finally do it.

Upon arrival I had a few pints with the old man, then we had a wander around. The castle there is something else - incredible. Something to eat and a few more pints.

Here's a few photo with old man and son:

Lord Mayor's 5km

I woke up with my left eyelid welded shut - seems I may have some conjunctivitis, probably brought on by the new contact lenses...

I did some kid stuff in the morning, then spent the rest of the afternoon with the rellies. Then into the city at around 3:45pm to pick up my race pack. The temperatures were scorching hot - close to 30 degrees and after a quick chat with the race director who described the course to me, I had just about lost the will to live as it wasn't the pancake flat course I had hoped for...definitely not course and conditions for a PB. Paul Evans who holds the course record of 14:11 says he was in low 13 minute shape when he ran that time so that gives you an idea of the course...

For anyone who knows Norwich city centre the route itself was a 2 and a bit lapper. From the lowest point of the course down at the mini-roundabout outside the Maids Head Hotel there are 3 drags - up through Tombland, then another climb up onto Castle Meadow, then a long drag up St Stephens to the roundabout at the top. And being 2 laps you have the joy of experiencing these tough sections twice.

I walked the course as a sort of warm-up and had already worked up a good sweat. Then a quick change into race gear and about a 1km warm-up and it was time to start the race. Just over 100 people on the start line and with thousands of people lining the streets to watch the procession which immediately followed the race, it promised to be a unique experience.

Off and racing and I settled into my running. The first section had us running downhill through Tombland, then around the hairpin roundabout and the start of the 3 hills that I described. I was running solo with a few groups up front to chase. I wasn't paying any attention to the watch and by the time I had reached the top of the course on the first lap (approx 1.5km), I was already starting to struggle and the likes of Gemma Steel and another CoNAC runner were a good 20 to 30 metres in front of me.

The downhill sections were great, but I didn't have the energy to attack them and whilst the pace picked up, relative to the field I was simply maintaining my position. Back through Tombland for the second time and with a few cheers from some mates I really tried to attack on the second set of climbs. I was certainly closing on Gemma and by the time we reached the bottom of St Stephens I had caught her and cruised past. Then I caught the guy wearing the CoNAC vest and by the time I reached the top of the course at 4km, I pushed as hard as I could for the last downhill km. I think I overtook another couple of runners in this section, and at the same time one guy sped past me. I crossed the line with a time of 16:04 for 10th position (first V40).

Not the time I was after but I have to say I was pretty happy with the run. I took over 20 seconds out of Gemma in the last 1.5kms and certainly felt strong at the end. Nice to finish a race overtaking people and with the huge crowd support on the course it was a good day.

After the race I jogged straight back to where we were staying for a shower and change. Then out for some fun and merriment. Very enjoyable. A total of 9.7kms for the day and lots of beers...

Here are the splits:

1km 3:11
2km 3:08
4km 6:44 (I missed the 3km marker)
5km 3:01

Total 16:04 (7:59 first half, 8:05 second half)

Here are some photos courtesy of one of the CoNAC photographers (thanks Granville). The first one is just before passing Gemma. I don't recall the other two!

Travel

Up at 3:45am with the family for the drive/plane/drive to Norwich. Arrived with no major dramas.

Spent the rest of the day catching up with family. Eating plenty and out in the evening for a few beers and a game of snooker. The weather is scorching hot which is nice when you're not running...

Thursday

9.5kms in 39:48 (4:11's). A bit quicker than yesterday - legs starting to feel a lot better.

No running now until the race on Saturday.

Early start tomorrow morning...

Wednesday

Just catching up on the old blog....

9.5kms in 41:30 (4:22's). Can't remember anything else!

4 x 400, 3 x 1600, 4 x 400

Track session - a 5.0km warm-up and a few strides and we were faced with a tough old session. Conditions were damp as it had been raining on and off for most of the day, but the wind had dropped so it was a lot better than I had feared.

Numbers were a bit thin in the top group with only myself, Paddy and Conor for company. I set myself a target of 69 seconds for the 400's and 5:04's for the 4 lappers which was dream target 10km pace (31:40).

The session was a real struggle. I had the other lads helping out with my pacing - but I felt very heavy legged and couldn't wait to get it over with. Here are the times:

70/70/69/70
5:00/5:01/5:01
70/68/70/69

The 400's weren't great but at least I managed to crank out some decent 4 lappers. I forgot to mention the recoveries - 1 minute between all the efforts and 2 minutes between sets. It's bloody tough running those 4 lappers off only a minute...and to think I want to try and run at that pace for over 6 times the distance...

A short warm-down of 2.5kms to give me 15.5kms for the day. Easy running and rest now before Saturday.

Watched a bit of the England cricket warm-up game - a 4 day game against Essex. A bit of a joke as it started off as a first class game, then due to a couple of injuries to the Essex bowlers they drafted in some new players resulting in the loss of the first class status. I'd say Bresnan was a bit peeved as he hit a ton which will not now be part of his stats...

Australia going well in their 4 day game.

A great run by Cameron Page to run his first sub 4 minute mile in winning the mile race at Cork this evening (time 3:54.77). I think that puts him either 9th or 10th on the Australian all time list. I think Cam next races in Belgium on Saturday July 13th (KBC Nacht) where he will be chasing a world championship qualifier. If recent form is anything to go by he has a red hot chance.

Struggle St

9.5kms in 39:59 (4:13's). Felt very tired all day and that was reflected in the run - basically no energy. Upped the pace for the last couple of minutes just to dip under 40. I think that's a runners thing...

So started taking some iron supplements: Galfer syrup - awful sticky stuff. Will finish the bottle and see if I can get a Tigger like bounce...

Not coasting on the Coast Road

Out at 9am with Owen starting at Roscam. Conditions were very windy and whilst it stayed dry for the first half of the run, the rain came making the second half pretty miserable.

We ran out through Oranmore, then onto Maree where we completed about 5km of the 8km course out there. Then doubled back with the last section of the Coast Road being very tough running for about 20 minutes straight into the wind (probably at around 5 mins/km pace).

All up 27.2kms in 2:02:03 (4:29's). That's 105.4kms for the week and a decent couple of sessions in the bag in the process. Very happy with how things are going.

Next week I'll do a big track session on Tuesday, then wind things back in preparation for the three 5km races I have scheduled.

I watched the Diamond League athletics from Birmingham in the afternoon. Jess Judd had another great run winning the 800m in 1:59.85 and securing her first sub 2 and more importantly her ticket to compete in Moscow. Then the men's 5,000m which Mo won with another stunning last lap - especially the last 200m where he put the 2 fancied Ethiopians to the sword (Yenew Alamirew and Hagos Gebrhiwet). Looks to be in great form and when he describes 13:15 as slow you'd have to say he has plenty more to come...

10 x 3 mins off 60 secs

Same participants as Thursday, same location, this time though it was a speed session. I mentioned on the warm-up I felt a bit selfish keep having these runs on my doorstep but in all honesty the back roads are great around here being relatively flat and traffic free.

A bit of a breeze, but nice and cool and during the warm-up we quickly decided on committing to the full 10 reps as the plan called for 8 to 10. We agreed on running them at 10km pace so I would be looking at a range of 3:15 to 3:18 pace (threshold and not flat out interval pace). Just a note on this, if it was the track I'd be looking at a pace around 3 or 4 seconds per km quicker - that's how much quicker I run on the track for the same effort level.

After a 15 minute warm-up we started the session. We ran 5 x 3 mins in one direction around the loop, then doubled back finishing back at the starting point. The breeze was certainly a factor on the 4th and 5th efforts, but I didn't really notice it after we turned even though we were probably running straight into the breeze for the last couple. Paces for each 3 minute were as follows:

3:16/3:13/3:15/3:14/3:13/3:10/3:10/3:09/3:10/3:08 (average 3:12)

Basically well inside target pace and whilst it was a good hard session, it certainly wasn't red-line (which after all was the intention). Fintan has moved up a notch and was with me the whole way whilst Owen ran another blinder and it's only a matter of time before he does some real damage to his 10km PB.

A great session. Same warm-down of 15 minutes or so and I ended up with a total distance of 17.4kms on the Garmin. I feel like going out and getting hammered now but I'll keep the powder dry for another week - at least until after the 5km in Norwich next Saturday night.

Talking of Norwich, I see there is a big campaign there to have the film premier of the new Alan Partridge movie in Norwich's own Anglia Square as opposed to London's Leicester Square. Smell my cheese...

No sport to watch

11.1kms in 47:37 (4:18's). The only thing of note was watching 2 large birds cross the road and stop the traffic. Not sure what they were - bigger than ducks with webbed feet!

An Irish coffee followed by 4 beers in the evening. Perfect preparation for the (running) session tomorrow morning. I have company for that one so that should make for a better quality session.

Down to business

Myself, Fintan and Owen and our 7am Thursday run. Nice and cool with little wind. My daughter had been redecorating her room all night so I was like a zombie for the start of the run.

Lots of comfort breaks on this run (none from me) - it may have been a record. I'll have to start counting them but it felt like double figures. All up 15.0kms in 1:07:08 (4:29's). Started raining just as we finished!

Watched some athletics in the evening from Ostrava - the standard was pretty hot. Bekele finished 4th in the 5,000m and it seems his best days are perhaps behind him - shame he never stepped up to the marathon when he was at his best. I think the winner (Muktar Idris) ran 13:04 with a 54 second last lap!

Creating a monster

I took the kids out at lunchtime to meet the wife. The venue was the athletics track which she works almost next door to. Both kids were fascinated by the track and they immediately lined up for a one lap race. Conor (aged 4) finished the lap without stopping leaving Maeve in his wake (she's 3). I wish I'd taken the camera to capture this moment - even Maeve finished the circuit after walking most of the last 200m.

Anyway I did a short 40 minute run whilst the family had a picnic and I bumped into Eamon around the pitches so the time passed quickly. Upon return to the track Conor then wanted to race me. Not being one to refuse a challenge I accepted and I was just pipped on the line by a winning time of 2:05. So that's his new 400m PB and he's not stopped giving it the big I am ever since.

All up 9.5kms for me including the 400m at the end. Time just shy of 45 minutes.

Snooker in the evening - lenses and all. No improvement - in fact I think I was better playing blind.

15 x 200 off 30 secs

Long warm-up of 4.5kms around the pitches, then another 4 laps of the track. The session tonight was 200's off a short 30 second recovery. I was aiming for around 32 for each one which is about where I ended up. Here are the times:

33/33/33/32/33/32/33/32/32/32/32/32/32/31/30

A good front group of myself, Owen, Billy and Conor. We were taking turns leading each rep - I felt pretty comfortable throughout up until the last few where I started to work the pace that bit harder and was suffering as a result. The 30 seconds recovery evaporates and feels much shorter. You check the watch after running the 200 and 15 seconds has gone straight away. You then line up ready to start the next one and you're off again. The session was over in a little over 15 minutes! I think I enjoyed it...

A long warm-down of 6.6km around the pitches. Total 15.7kms for the day.

Longer reps planned for Saturday. Until then it's easy running.

Mickey Arthur

A lovely evening for a run. Legs felt great and was running very freely knocking out my standard 9.5kms in 38:48 (4:05's). Looking forward to the track session tomorrow - some rare 200's to get the legs fired up.

Good to see the Aussie cricket team in turmoil only a few weeks before the Ashes. I did suspect that Mickey Arthur had completely lost the plot when he described their bowling attack as the best in the world...that said, a good appointment bringing Darren Lehmann in.

2 Hours

I couldn't face running solo today so I was up early to run the Cathedral Run with a few from the club. I parked on the edge of the city and ran to the meeting point (3kms). Then ran the normal Sunday route in conditions that were not good (very windy and wet). Then after the loop I ran back to the car deliberately taking a slightly longer route to get me up over the 2 mark.

Total 2:00:14 covering 25.9kms (4:39's). Pace not quick but legs still weren't right.

Lots of sport watching for the rest of the day. Robertson won the snooker as I tipped earlier in the week. Some more athletics from Gateshead with team Great Britain finishing 3rd. And the final of the cricket between India and England. The less said about that the better...

84.9kms for the week. I'll drop in a decent week of training next week and then pull it back as I have 3 x 5km races planned in the space of 8 days - the Lord Mayors 5km in my home town of Norwich on July 6th, then the Galway 5,000m champs on the track on July 9th, then round 2 of the National League on July 14th. Perhaps I can run a World Championship qualifier of 13:15.......???

Recovery Run

Legs were in bits today - didn't stretch properly after the race and all that. I decided I'd shake the legs out with an hour run but didn't feel any better cometh the end. Total 15.0kms in 1:07:51 (4:31's).

I suppose it's only natural that the recovery process takes longer as you get older. In the same way it now takes me an eternity to recover after a big night on the falling down water, I'm noticing a similar pattern after a tough run....

Watched a bit of the athletics on the Beeb today - the European Team Championships held in Gateshead. Great viewing. Mo dropped in a quick last lap of the 5,000m (50.89 seconds!) after jogging round for 4,600m. A great win for Jess Judd in the 800m who ran 2 minutes flat. There looks to be a fair bit of young talent in the British team coming through. Good signs.

Annaghdown 10km

Out to Annaghdown for the Summer Solstice 10km - a lovely town situated on the bay with some of the nicest trimmed bushes I have ever seen...I felt like I was in decent nick so was looking forward to a good hard hit-out in the build-up to my sub 32 attempt on the track at the end of July.

Conditions weren't ideal - it was constant fine rain and a fair bit of wind around, but at least it was nice and cool. That probably put a few people off as the numbers looked down on previous years.

A short 2km warm-up with Brian and Chris and we were soon lining up at the start. I didn't get my greatest start (not paying attention) but by the time we rounded the first left-hand turn I had taken the lead and started to put the foot down. The first 4km is run in the same direction - plenty of undulations but nothing too taxing with perhaps the wind on the back at this point. My km splits were metronome like and after a couple of kms I had started to open up a handy lead.

Through 4km and then another left turn. Through 5km in 16:12 and feeling pretty good but I knew the back half of the course was tougher - especially the section between 7 and 9kms. I was still running well up to 7km and as soon as I hit that point I still felt like I was ticking along nicely but the km splits disagreed. Perhaps the wind had picked up as it was certainly tough going. A bit disheartened I crawled up the last drag by the graveyard just after 9km - then upped the tempo for the run to the line.

I crossed in 32:49 for the win so all in all happy with that given the conditions plus the fact I was running Hans. My best 10km in a good while so good to see things on the improve - not bad running with a throat infection as confirmed by the doctor a few hours before the race...

Despite the conditions there were some good runs by many with both Paddy and Chris both running PB's in 2nd and 3rd place. Well done to everyone who took part.

A warm-down with Conor and Brian and back to the school for some hot drinks and the presentation. All up 15.0kms for the day.

Here are the splits:

1km 3:14
2km 3:14
3km 3:13
4km 3:14
5km 3:17 (16:12)
6km 3:16
7km 3:17
8km 3:23
9km 3:27
10km 3:14 (16:37)

Total 32:49

Some great photos courtesy of Jane. Here are a few. My poor start:























Crossing the finish line:

Can I swap this for a beer?

The podium. Paddy on the right needs a good feed:

The presentation. Thanks to Paul and the gang for putting on this fine race:

Rest before race

No running to report today.

More cricket watching - England to play India in the final on Sunday. Should be a good game with 2 teams of very contrasting styles.

More snooker watching - the Wuxi Classic. My pick at this point is Robertson.

A few beers in the evening and an early night. The throat still isn't right so it may be time to visit the doctor.

Just looking at my previous performances in Annaghdown. A 32:41 in 2011 and a 32:38 last year. Looking at my splits the first half of the course would appear to be quick (16:08 in 2011 and 16:05 in 2012). Or perhaps I just went out too quick and blew-up in the second half...the course record is 32:31 which I don't think is in reach for me at the moment. But hopefully some quicks will show and they can smash that to pieces!

Not easy

Was hoping for a nice and easy lap around the block. I felt dreadful the whole way - the worst run I can remember for a while. All up 9.5kms in 41:55 (4:25's).

Even stopped for 5 minutes mid-run to speak to one of the lads out of the darts team. With hindsight perhaps I should have pulled the pin at this point.

A good win today for England in the Champions Trophy. They look to be in good from whilst the Aussies are really struggling. Me likey. Roll on the Ashes!

8 x 75 secs off 60 secs

Slight change of plan. I couldn't make the track session so had to run later locally. The club session was 3-4 sets of 400/600/400 with 60 secs between efforts and 90 secs between sets. I decided on something similar opting for 8 x 75 secs on the road with a minute recovery. With my watch it's just easier to run for a set time rather than a distance.

Warm-up of 2.2kms then got going. Anything under 3:00/km pace I would've been happy with:

Pace/km 2:59/2:56/2:59/2:57/2:54/2:54/2:50/2:49

Not bad though I just can't run as quick as I can on the track. Answers on a postcard please...

All up 10.0kms with warm-down. Still have sore throat/left ear.

Contacts

Easy run of 9.5km in 39:19 (4:08's). Still have sore throat but the running seems to be going ok.

I am trying out some contact lenses which I picked up this morning, Had a 30 minute session on putting them in and taking them out and was good to go. These were primarily for playing snooker so trialed them with a game in the evening. Yes I could see a whole lot more but what I witnessed was a pile of shite. Didn't play well. Couldn't pot a geranium. It can only get better.

Will take it easy this week in the build-up to Friday's 10km. I'll do the track session tomorrow but won't run the full number of sets. Then an easy run Wednesday and a rest day on Thursday.

Fathers Day

Long solo run today on my lonesome. A big loop and then running back into Claregalway along the N17. All up 25.1kms in 1:51:19 (4:26's). Still not cracked the 2 hour mark - that's just lazyitis.

A bit of a sore throat at the moment. Perhaps time to lay off the booze for a few days...

I watched the Champions Trophy cricket between England and New Zealand. A good win for England who bowled really well to defend a lowish score. I then stayed up to watch the end of the US Open golf. Nice work by Justin Rose who was incredible coming up the last hole.

That's 100.3kms for the week. Easy week planned next week.

3 x (7 mins tempo/1 min jog/2 mins hard/3 mins recovery)

Another Harriers session run locally. Thankfully I had Fintan for company who was doing his first serious speed session in around 6 months.

Warm-up of 3.5kms then into the session. The tempo efforts pacing always confuse me - the plan was to run them "comfortably hard" and I thought that 3:20/km pace or better would be a good target. Then try and run the 2 minute efforts much quicker.

Here's how the session went:

7:00 - 2.15kms - 3:16 pace

2:00 - 0.64kms - 3:07

7:00 - 2.16kms - 3:14
2:00 - 0.66kms - 3:02

7:01 - 2.15kms - 3:15

2:01 - 0.65kms - 3:05

I felt great today - the longer efforts felt really comfortable despite a strong breeze in parts. The last 2 minutes was directly into the wind but I was still going nicely. Definitely hitting some form. Good to see Fintan back and running well. Roll on the Annaghdown 10km.

Warm-down of 3.9kms. All up 16.8kms.

No rub-a-dub

I was planning to rest today but after consuming so much junk food in the last 24 hours (namely crisps and Kit Kat chunkies), I decided to turn the legs over with the sole purpose of burning off some calories.

Same route as Mon/Wed - 9.5kms in 40:37 (4:15's). Getting slower! Weather was pretty ordinary though - quite cold and juicing down with rain. Summer looks to have been and gone.

No going out at the moment - haven't been to the pub in about a fortnight!

Almost 4

Myself, Owen and Gearoid this morning after Fintan had to dash back to the bakery thus missing the run. Good of him to still taxi Owen round to my place though! Great effort.

Usual route with no switchbacks for toilet breaks (no Fintan you see). Lots of chat and this is fast turning into my favourite run of the week. All up 14.8kms in 1:04:40 (4:22's).

Did manage 4 later in the day on the beer front.

The camera never lies

Same 9.5kms as Monday in 39:58 (4:12's). Quite quick which perhaps reiterates that I didn't hurt myself enough on the track last night.

A couple of photos courtesy of edenhill from the Monivea 5km. This one was within the first 500m of the race where I look almost normal:

And this beauty at the finish line where I was supposedly cruising home...

6 x 1km off 2 mins

Damp rainy conditions for track tonight. A long warm-up of 3.8kms around the block, then 4 laps of the track before changing into the racing flats.

The session was km reps off a longer than normal 2 minutes. The longer recovery simply meant you were to push the pace more than if you were running off a shorter break.

A good lead group with Keith, John and myself leading out the reps. Here are the times:

3:04, 3:05, 3:04, 3:02, 3:02, 2:59

Not sure what to make of that. I felt comfortable throughout, never hitting the red-line. The 2 minutes recovery felt like way too much. With a little time to reflect on it I don't think I attacked the session enough - perhaps I should have aimed to get them all under 3 minutes.

A warm-down of 3.7kms around the roads and that was that. All up 15.1kms. Several people running very well at the moment - just what you need to keep everyone honest.

Turned

The weather has quickly turned back to non-summer like conditions. An easy run of 9.5kms in 39:25 (4:09's) to kick the week off.

The plan this week is to get 2 good sessions in with no racing.

The Power

Out at 9am with young Timmie for a long jaunt. We ran out to the Coast Road and back, and then did a few loops in Claregalway. All up 24.5kms in 1:47:30 (4:23's). Another gorgeous day and could have done with some water after an hour but the time soon passed with plenty of chat.

Phil Taylor won the UK Open after defeating Andy Hamilton easily in the final. A great weekend of viewing and good to see MVG get beaten to show that he is human after all.

A total of 87.0kms for the week.

Monivea 5km

A hot summers day again. The temperature was already well into the 20's for the drive to Monivea and with Some Friendly by the Charlatans blasting out on the stereo I was really looking forward to having a good blow-out in the 5km.

I ran the course as a warm-up (5.1 kms). I watched the start of the half marathon at 11am and then we lined up about 5 minutes later and we were off. I took it out fairly hard and by the time I made the first turn at the bottom of the village I had already opened up a lead. The first 2.6kms of this race are on the road (with nice stretches of downhill), then you hit the forest trail which has lots of twists and turns coupled with some nasty drags. Through the first km in 3:10, and then I pushed on and by the time I reached the second km with a 3:08 I was well clear.

The next km and after 600m you switch to the trail. I was still going nicely and with a 3:13 3rd km (9:31) I had visions of breaking 16 minutes. That thought was short-lived and I lost some momentum in the 4th km and with a 3:22 split I was pushing custard uphill with a fork. I cruised the last km and crossed the line in 16:13 for the win.

I'm happy enough with the time (my quickest on this course was a 16:06 in a closely fought race 2 years ago). This time ranks as my second best and it felt pretty comfortable - despite the very hot conditions.

Another lap of the course as a warm-down with the top off. A total of 15.8kms for the day.

A great day which I really enjoyed. One of my favourite races on the calendar and great to see this race grow in its 4th year. Superb organisation, a beautiful location and probably the warmest weather I have raced in since moving to Ireland. And here was me thinking that Australia was the lucky country...

Painting and Decorating

Well the playroom, kitchen and sitting room are just about done. Thank fcuk for that. Time to put the paint brushes away for a while...

No run today. I'm going to race the Monivea 5km tomorrow. I asked the coach of GCH whether I should run the 5km, or use the half marathon for a session and the response was to race the 5km. Given the weather conditions (forecast hot) then that comes as a welcome relief.

More beer (drinking) and darts (watching) in the evening.

As good as it gets

The sun was splitting the sky at 7am in the morning and that sets you up perfectly for a run. Myself, Fintan and Owen in attendance and some good chat and before you know it you have just over 15kms under the belt. Time 65 minutes (4:19's). Perfect.

A few beers in the evening whilst watching the FA Cup of darts.

I feel like a Tooheys

More glorious weather. The legs were a little sore after the 400's but not too bad. The same run as Monday covering the 9.5kms in 41:02 (4:19's). Thirsty.

12 x 400 off 60 seconds

This session has to be one of my favourites. I last did this session on April 27th and was looking for an improvement today. After a warm-up of 4.4kms it was game on.

A great lead group today with myself, John and Eamon taking turns leading out the laps. The first one was a slow one that felt awful, then after that I clicked into a nice rhythm. Here are the times:

70/69/67/67/67/67/67/67/67/66/64/63

My target was 68 seconds per lap and I ran these at an average of 66.75 seconds so well under that (the total session was 3 seconds quicker than last time). The 67's felt really comfortable but as soon as I tried to dip below that it was a different ball game. I never attacked the laps running them much more controlled and even paced than I did back at the end of April. I think that speed session on the 300's a few weeks back has really brought me on.

A warm-down of 3.4kms to give me 12.6kms for the day. I feel like I'm starting to hit some form now and that will be put to the test at the Annaghdown 10km on June 21st. But in the meantime I plan to run in Monivea on Saturday.

Bank holiday

9.5kms in 39:20 (4:08's). Felt great. Weather is super at the moment - long may this continue.

Dinner party in the evening with some friends. A few too many cans...

Nearly 2 hours

Longer run today as per my orders. Started off and felt very heavy legged. The tops of my hammies were particularly sore and knew I was in for a tough one. I ran from home out to Oranmore and back and then added a local loop to get the time up. The legs never recovered and it was a slow slog.

All up 25.0kms in 1:52:35 (4:30's). At least the weather was quite warm. That being the case it's now the insect swallowing/spitting out season. Which is nice.

93.6kms for the week.

5 minute efforts

Out late today after a 10 hour decorating stint in the sitting room. Wasn't looking forward to it having been thinking about the session most of the day whilst perfecting my brush work.

Ideally I'd have gone to the track for some 4 lappers but time didn't permit so it was on my local stretch of road for speedwork. I decided on 5 x 5 mins off 90 seconds and the target was to run them at target 10km pace or better (sub 3:12 per km).

Here's how it panned out:

5:00 1.52kms 3:17/km
5:01 1.54kms 3:15/km
5:00 1.55kms 3:14/km
5:00 1.55kms 3:14/km
4:59 1.57kms 3:10/km

Basically not what I was after. Conditions were good so can't blame that and I felt like I was going well but the speed wasn't quite there. Perhaps 10 hours on the feet beforehand could have been the reason.

All up 15.5kms with warm-up and down. Home then for a few beers. No problem with my beer drinking speed,