Sunday with Fintan

A recovery run. A break from the treadmill and nice to get outside. Very breezy and it seemed like we were copping the wind in every direction. I'd have been pleased with anything sub 4:00's today and was well inside that covering 14.8kms in 57:07 (3:52's).

Great to see Fintan back. Not much time for chat mind as that pace doesn't feel very conversational...

I watched the London Marathon earlier in the day. I thought Mo ran a great debut of 2:08 though he did it the hard way running solo most of the time (strange tactics?). I usually get an urge to dip my toe into marathon training having watched one of these big races but that didn't happen today. Phew.

Watching the Masters now. Looks like Bubba has it in the bag...

Oh yeah, 98.8kms for the week. Three decent threshold runs in there and the average pace well under 4:00/km. If I'd have done the math before today's run I'd have tagged on an extra 1.2kms....

Ditto

Almost a carbon copy of yesterday. Today the HR wasn't climbing quite as fast so I managed to find a bit of extra speed/distance. A total of 13.04kms in 45:11 (3:28's). Drenched in sweat at the end.

Knee just about okay. I have to be very careful with the back-to-back sessions and I'll manage the training on how the knee is feeling each day. All up 17.0kms for the day.

Inspires

Treadmill threshold. Started quick to get me up into the correct HR zone. Then had to spend the rest of the run winding back to the pace to stop the HR topping out. Overall 12.84kms in 45:02 (3:30's).

All up 16.8kms with warm-up and down. I ran today in my Mizuno Inspires - with so much quick running I'd be going through racing flats at a rapid rate so decided to go with a lighter shoe that should still give me decent mileage.

These runs are very tough. More of the same on the cards tomorrow...

Thursday with Sean

Just myself and Sean today who is putting the finishing touches to his Boston Marathon training. Nice conditions and plenty of chat and soon we had completed 14.8kms in 1:02:52 (4:15's).

Under the new regime that's too slow so today can be classified as a rest day. In the coaches words "you're getting about as much training benefit from that run as a walk to the shops!".

Quick 10km

Today I was to get back into the threshold training. I thought 10km in the right zone would be a good start. I ramped up the speed and the heart rate was taking an age to climb. I went through 5km in 16:18 before backing off a little, but still ended up running the 10km in 32:58 - all below the upper heart rate limit of the threshold zone. Not bad going...

All up 14.0kms with the 2.0km warm-up and down. Enjoying the training but the left knee is taking a real hammering with all this quick running. I firmly believe I will either run a big PB or end up in traction...

Recovery #2

Again on the treadmill. A total of 11.0kms in 41:42 (3:47's). Pace not too shabby but it was still well within the recovery zone. It's all about the heart rate for this new type of training.

A few beers this evening for my Mum's last night in Galway.

Recovery #1

A recovery run on the treadmill. A total of 10.4kms in 40:02 (3:51's). Legs didn't feel too bad after yesterday. Another easy day tomorrow and then back into the old threshold training...

Connerama Half

Got up late, had no time for breakfast, just made the last bus out to the start.....time for a coffee and a Kit Kat chunky, a bit of a warm-up and soon we were lining up for the start.

The Kenyan shot to the front, I settled in second, with around 2,000 behind me. I took it handy enough running at the comfortably hard pace, but not flat-out. Plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings, speak to a few fellow competitors in the half and ultra. Conditions were similar to last year - very windy and it felt like we were running into a strong head-wind/cross-wind all the way to Maam Cross. So the speed was slow but the effort level was where it needed to be.

The last climb between 9 and 11 miles was a killer. A few squally showers and very blustery conditions and you were hardly moving. But once at the top I could enjoy the last couple of miles down to the finish crossing the line is 1:18:32 for second place. The Kenyan ran 69 minutes and I think he was targeting 65 minutes so that gives you some idea of the conditions.

All in all still very enjoyable and I think that's the first time my Mum has watched me race. Another great day and I guess I'll be back next year to give it another shot! Well done to everyone who took part and to the organisers. Certainly a very unique event which should be done by all at some point.

All up 23.1kms (a 2.0km warm-up and no warm-down). And that's 91.8kms for the week.

How not to prepare

A slow run outside in the wet to burn off a few pints of Guinness. A total of 6.9kms in 30:35 (4:26's).

Out in the evening for a meal and more drinking. Another 6 pints to be exact. That should give me plenty of energy for the half tomorrow...

Sub 4's

Same route as yesterday - again at recovery speed. A total of 14.8kms in 57:59 (3:55's). Felt great.

The plan is to run the Connemara Half on Sunday at threshold pace. I don't have any chance of winning as there are some rather good Kenyans running but should still make for a nice hit-out.

Darts semis in the evening. We won 5-2 so through to the final. I played okay and was saved by hitting a lucky 180 in the first leg which got me out of trouble. That gave me the confidence to go on to win 2-0. Roll on the final!

My easy day

Early morning run with Fintan and Owen. Speed not as quick as required under the new regime but everybody is entitled to one really easy day!

A total of 15.0kms in 1:04:12 (4:17's). Good to see the boys back running!

Mum arrives

Back in Ireland and the Mum arrived from Spain. So lots of socialising over the next week or so...

A treadmill recovery run after yesterday's test. A total of 12.5kms in 50:04 (4:00's). My recovery running HR zone is 131 to 142 so I'd say all my runs will be sub 4 minute clicks going forwards. It will be interesting to see how that pans out. Remember this is recovery pace - threshold will be much quicker!

Testing

A good chat with my new mentor. All aspects of my running were examined - diet (crap), flexibility (crap), weight (too heavy), running (good but can be improved)...

My results from the lactate test itself were very good and showed that I still had a lot of room for improvement. The focus is on strength and conditioning work which a solid bout of threshold running will deliver. The sub 32 10km is definitely achievable and all being well I'll have a crack at that within the next couple of months. All good.

A really enjoyable day and difficult to gauge the total distance ran. I'll say 12kms and that includes the test itself, plus warm-up and down.

Whoops

Fell a bit behind with the blog. A few quick updates required...

Today I ran an easy 7.5kms in 31:00 (4:08's). Heading to the UK tomorrow to meet my new coach and also for a lactate threshold test. Should be fun.

Another ton

I ran the Thursday route which I knew would give me another 100km week. A total of 14.8kms in 59:03 (4:00's). Feeling good this week and enjoying the recovery time.

That's 100.4km for the week. A total of 65 days running on the bounce - though I've had several very easy 30 minute days in amongst that lot. Happy with how things are progressing.

Out in the evening for some more darts practise. And for some more drinking practise...

Crusing

A spin around Claregalway. My cruising speed seems to have improved a lot in the last couple of months - today I covered 14.0kms in 56:44 (4:03's). Felt very easy and maybe the improvement in economy might be due to the threshold sessions. Encouraging whatever the reason.

A few beers in the evening whilst watching crap on TV. I missed the PTC final which Barry Hawkins won 4-0 against Gerard Greene. All the top players were knocked out (including Ronnie - I gave him the kiss of death). Sort of lost interest in it after that...

Practise

Back to the treadmill. A quicker run but not quite at threshold pace. A 2.0km warm-up, then 12kms in 44:02 (3:40/km pace), then 2.0kms warm-down. Feeling good and don't think it took too much out of me.

No darts match this week - a rest week before next week's home semi-final. Instead the team got together for a practise. We played a mini-round robin and I went unbeaten and was playing some pretty solid darts (even though my double hitting wasn't great).

Quicker Thursday

Cracker of a morning. Early start with Sean and Owen. Usual Thursday route and felt very easy paced and a little surprised by the time - all up 15.0kms in 1:03:13 (4:13's). Rare to run sub 4:20's at this time of today - must have been because we didn't have Fintan to slow us down!

Watched the darts in the evening. Some great needle between Peter Wright and MVG. MVG getting a bit big for his station lately so good to see Snakebite play to the crowd and ruffle a few feathers. Great entertainment!

8 x 5 mins off 60 secs

A 2.0km warm-up, then 8 x 5 mins, with 1.2kms to warm-down.

I started the 5 minute efforts at 3:20 per km pace. After 4 my HR was getting too high so I ran the next 2 at 3:26/km pace. Same again - had to lower the pace again to 3:32/km for the last couple. A clear sign that I haven't recovered from the race.

All up 15.0kms. Then straight on for a rub focusing on the left quad (to help the knee). Bloody hell that was sore. I clearly have no pain threshold. Felt a lot better after mind.

No snooker for me tonight. Instead stayed in and had a few beers.

More snooker

The legs felt a bit better today so I upped the pace a little. A short run mind - 9.5kms in 39:30 (4:09's). I might try some quicker stuff tomorrow and I also have a rub booked.

The finals of the PTC snooker started today from the Preston Guildhall (not Galway this year). Ronnie won at that venue 20 years ago as an 18 year old. And he is favourite to win the title this year arguably playing the most consistent snooker of his career. Some player.

Recovery week

Easy 10 miles to shake out the legs after the run yesterday. Legs a bit sore, and the weather had taken a nasty turn (wet and windy), so not the most pleasant experience. All up 16.1kms in 1:10:42 (4:23's).

The plan is to take it easy this week. I'll try some threshold runs but I'll wind back the pace a little as to not overdo it.

Craughwell 10

A good sunny day with only a touch of a breeze which was perfect. After a 2 mile warm-up I lined up for the start and we were soon off and running. Mick Clohisey of Raheny took it out quickly, with Emmett Dunleavy of Sligo AC in pursuit, leaving me alone in third spot. As I settled into my running I was a little surprised to be running by myself in such a big race at this early stage, and as the first few miles ticked by I was basically left in time trial mode.

So not much racing to report - I felt great for the first 4 miles, then started to wobble between miles 4 and 6, and then had to grind out the last 4 miles. We were running into the breeze for the first half of the race, and then had the benefit of the wind in the second half. After passing 10km in 33:20 I was there or thereabouts for a 53 something but I had nothing to offer in the run home. It's very hard to remain focused when you have nobody in sight in front or behind, and even though it felt like I was slowing the mile splits were pretty consistent. That was until the last mile which seemed to last forever and I struggled with the final few drags crossing the line in 54:02 for third place.

Mick won the race in a great time of 50:14 with Emmett in second place in 52:21. That's great running so well done to them both. On a personal note I was initially a little disappointed but upon reflection I was perhaps being a little tough on myself. I only missed my time goal by a few seconds and that was all in the last mile, and what gave me some hope that I was moving in the right direction was that my 10 mile time was worth a 32:20 10km (according to Mr McMillan)...

As I suspected I was only really 10km fit so I need to continue to work on my strength and stamina which the threshold sessions will develop once I increase the duration. So more hard training in the next month and I'll be ready to conquer the longer stuff!

Here are the mile splits:

5:10, 5:25, 5:17, 5:26, 5:27 (26:45), 5:26, 5:25, 5:24, 5:27, 5:35 (27:17)

Total 54:02

A few photos. The start:

During the race:

The finish:

The top 3 (Mick and Emmett had already done their warm-down before I crossed the line...)

All up 22.5km for the day after a very slow couple of miles warm-down. And that's 82.9kms for the week. A few beers in the evening and that was that.

Better weather

The same session as yesterday - 8.4km including 6 x strides. That's it now until the 10 miler tomorrow. I'm targeting sub 54 and if I have a good run I'd love to give my 10 mile PB of 53:20 a shake. We shall see...

A few beers in the evening to ensure a good night's sleep...

Another drubbing

Not great out there but ventured out for an easy 30 minute run with 6 strides at the end. All up 8.4km in 38:54 and that included the strides with the walk back recovery. Soaked come the end...

Darts in the evening. Another 9-0 win - we were lucky winning all the close games. On a personal note I played okay - I cleaned up the doubles nicely but the scoring was very hit and miss. We finished joint top of the league so onwards and upwards with the top 4 teams now progressing into the finals. A few too many beers mind...

Leeds

I hope this weather improves in time for Sunday - not pleasant. So more treadmill running - this time 10.0kms in 41:17 (4:08's). Feeling good.

I watched the Premier League darts in the evening. An incredible crowd of 11,000 to watch darts. The Power looks to be finding some form and he's certainly not finished yet. Good to see Gary Anderson playing well also - and unlucky to lose the last couple of weeks 7-5. I'd tip him as an outsider to win it.

Sport double

Easy week continues - a treadmill 8.0km in 32:59 (4;07's). Awful weather at the moment so took the easy indoor option.

Snooker in the evening. Started well - a 41 break in the second frame missing an easy black, and then finished well with another couple of 30 odds.

6 x 800 off a rolling 4 minutes

More running on the treadmill. A 3km warm-up, then 6 x 800 at 10km pace, then a 3km warm-down. I wasn't sure what my 10km pace was so I ran them at 32:30 pace which is 3:15/km or 2:36/800m. That could be optimistic but it felt relatively comfortable and the 1:24 recovery felt like a lifetime.

All up 10.8kms. A nice easy session for a change and even the knee seemed a bit better today. All positive.

An easier week

I plan to run the Craughwell 10 miler on Sunday so I'll wind things back a bit this week in order to freshen up. I did an easy hour today to help clear the head after another night on the drink....a total of 14.8kms in 1:01:30 (4:09's).

So no threshold running this week. Maybe just some 800's on Tuesday at 10km pace, and then easy running thereafter. It will be interesting to see how I fare on Sunday - the training to date will be more suited to 10km so 10 miles will be a stretch but we will see. Looking forward to it and here's hoping for some good conditions for racing.

Abbey 10km (threshold #4)

I hadn't planned to run but with the Dad here I decided we needed a day trip and the Abbey 10km popped up so that was that. Quite a drive to Abbey which I thought was just outside Loughrea but I should have done a bit more research as it was a good 20 minutes further. Upon arrival it was a quick registration and then a mile warm-up before lining up for the start.

The course was going to be a tough one. That was apparent from the drive in where we basically covered the last 5kms. Hilly plus the wind was also blowing so quick times were going to be difficult - but that didn't bother me as a) I was a little hungover and b) I was looking to use the race as another threshold session.

The race started and myself and Steve McKeigue hit the lead. Steve is a 33 minute 10km runner so I knew I had a race on my hands. We ran out of town into the wind and I took up the running at the prerequisite comfortably hard pace. By 1km I was starting to gap Steve which was a little unexpected. That said, the course was definitely as expected - a big loop full of hills and drags - a good test. And it seemed like that after every turn it was still into the wind - one of those days!

By 5km I had opened up a decent lead. The legs were feeling a bit heavy which was expected really after this week's training. A very nasty climb shortly after 5km, and then some more ups and downs before another left turn just before 7km. Then I felt great - a flattish section with the wind behind and the pace lifted. I perhaps wound up the pace a bit too much, but I was enjoying the run home and soon I was back in town before one final loop to cross the finish line in 34:10 for the win (with Dad and son watching on). Afterwards it was a slow mile warm-down to give me 13.2kms for the day.

What's not to like about that? A great spread afterwards and some more crystal for the collection! Another very well organised event and good to see these local races really well supported. Thanks to all the organisers and volunteers for a great event.

That's 106.6kms for the week. I've averaged 97.6kms the last 10 weeks so that's good going for me. Plus this new training regime has definitely improved my average weekly pace. Take this week for example - 106.6kms at an average pace of 3:51/km. No wonder the left knee is giving me a few twangs...

Here are the splits from the race (clearly the km markers were a little out):

3:05 / 3:33 / 3:30 / 3:37 / 3:49 (17:34) / 3:12 / 3:26 / 3:10 / 3:18 / 3:30 (16:36)

Total 34:10

And here's a photo courtesy of 77edenhill. I think this was approaching the finish:

Gallon

An easy run of 9.5kms with the customary quick finish to ensure I dipped under 40 minutes (39:59 to be exact). That's 4:13/km pace.

Out in the evening with the old man. A few too many beers was had on top of a large meal. Calorific.

Threshold #3

A bit different today - I broke the run up into 5 minute efforts off a minute recovery. Much easier mentally breaking the session down into chunks and to get the heart rate up into the right zone I was running them at a slightly quicker pace (3:17/km). All up 16.2kms with the 2kms warm-up/down.

More socialising in the evening. Starting with a meal and then league darts. I played second in the singles and started like a dream: 100, 140, 100, and then missing the bull for a 161 checkout (for a 12 darter). I cleaned up the 25 in 2 darts so still a 14 dart leg. And then I won the next game taking out 100 in 2 darts. If only it was like that every week. Overall we won 9-0 and that certainly keeps us in the hunt for a top 2 finish.

Solo Thursday

Just me today so delayed the run until mid-morning. I ran the bog standard Thursday route and pushed the pace a little - initially trying to average 4 minute kms but when that seemed too much like hard work I decided to try and keep the run under the hour. All up 14.8kms in 59:59 (4:04's).

Knee a little sore - no surprise as I seem to be pushing it a bit at the moment.

Threshold #2

A 2.0km warm-up, 40 mins at threshold (average 3:22/km pace), a 2.0km warm-down. All up 15.9kms. The average pace was one second per km quicker than yesterday. That's improvement right there...

A day sightseeing with the folks. Out to Ashford Castle and then a drive back to Galway through Connemara. We drove the last few miles of the Connemara half marathon course - even the car struggled up that last mountain...

Threshold #1

A 2.2km warm-up, 40 minutes at threshold pace (ave 3:23/km), 2.2km warm-down. All up 16.3kms.

These aren't getting any easier but I was warned it would take a few weeks before you start to feel normal. Hopefully a big improvement in performance just around the corner.

A few beers in the evening with the old man in Oranmore.

Spring?

The best weather for the year so far - no wind and a bright sunny day. I did my long run, starting conservatively at 4:20/km pace, and then gradually winding up the pace thereafter. The road that had flooded had cleared so I could run a different loop so that made for a pleasant change. All up 21.0kms in 1:26:52 (4:08's).

Knee a bit sore so will have to be careful this week. That's going to be difficult when I have to run threshold sessions the next couple of days...

Lewis

An easy run from Claregalway out to Oranmore to pick up my car. Just did enough to clock up another hundred kms for the week....total 10.5kms in 43:55 (4:11's).

That's 102.1kms for the week. Nice to have a break from racing and get the 3 threshold sessions in (total of 1hr 40 mins of threshold). The plan is to get that up to 2 hours next week and then pull it back after that for the Craughwell 10 miler (March 23rd).

I watched a bit of the darts - the UK Open. Good to see MVG lose for a change and that left the door open for Adrian Lewis to win another major.

3rd of the week

Basically a carbon copy of the session Wednesday. Threshold run of 35 minutes covering 10.45kms in that time (3:22's). The HR was again a little high so I had to drop the pace slightly the last 10 minutes. All up 16.0kms with warm-up and down - and just for some variety I ran my warm-down outside instead of on the treadmill...

My Dad arrived in Galway today so pubs and food in the evening. More of the same I'd say for the next week or so...

Rub and run

Massage in the morning. Still focussed on the left knee which has been a little sore the last few days and will try and keep on top of it with fortnightly rubs from now on.

An easy 9.5kms in the afternoon (39:53 / 4:12's). A few beers in the evening. No races planned this weekend - a threshold session instead...

Early run

Just myself and Fintan for the early jaunt. Conditions were pretty good and we clocked up 14.9kms in 1:05:45 (4:25's). Pace wasn't flash but that's pretty much the norm for these early runs - not helped by the back-to-back sessions the last couple of days.

35 mins at LT

Another threshold session. Again on the treadmill which offers me a very controlled environment (I'll do all of these on the mill). After a 2.5km warm-up and a change of shoes into the flats, it was time to get rolling. I set the pace to 18.0kms/hr (3:19/km) but after 25 minutes I was right at the top of my HR target (151/152) so every couple of minutes thereafter I had to notch down the pace a fraction to keep the HR in check. All up a total of 10.46kms in the 35 minutes which averages out at 3:21/km.

So that's 5 minutes more than last week - and I aim to increase these by 5 minutes per week until I get up to 45 minutes. I felt good today - though come the end the ball of my right foot again felt sore (blister) - and I'd generated enough sweat to swim out of the room. A 2.5kms warm-down to give me 15.5kms for the day.

Snooker in the evening. A few 20 odd breaks but nothing flash. We were on the match table and the pockets were as tight as....well you know what. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Ronnie's performance hasn't rubbed off on me yet....but it will come.

The old 6 x 5 mins

Myself and my trusty wingman for some 5 minute efforts (with 60 seconds recovery). Perfect running weather and after 10 minutes warm-up it was straight into the first effort off a rolling start. The first one is normally slow so we perhaps worked it a bit harder than normal, then after that I settled into a decent groove. I'd not done this session for 4 weeks and I recall struggling the second half of the reps back then. That wasn't the case today, and I felt good throughout (the pace should be comfortably hard) - that was until the last one where I felt flat. Anyway, an excellent session which we both nailed. Here are the paces per km for each of the reps:

3:18/3:14/3:16/3:15/3:13/3:17

A warm-down of 3.6kms to give us 15.4kms for the day.

A few photos of the Kinvara 10km courtesy of their website. Just after the start:

During the race at the top of the hill at 7km:

The finishing chute:

The Bog

Longish run with Fintan. Superb conditions and we ended up running most of our normal route, adding a new out-and-back section down "the bog road". Actually very nice, with water flanking either side of the road due to the recent flooding. Total 20.3kms in 1:25:48 (4:14's). Surprised by the pace as it felt much slower (that doesn't happen very often these days).

More threshold running planned this week. I'll run some 5 minute reps at threshold pace on Tuesday and will probably double-up with a continuous run at that pace on Wednesday. Then one final LT run on the weekend.

Maximum

Damp and cold weather but headed out in the morning feeling a little under the weather myself...a few easy kms to get the blood flowing and ended up running the distance required to get me up over 100kms for the week. Total 12.1kms in 52:40 (4:21's).

That's 101.0kms for the week. Happy with how things are going and I feel I'm definitely on the improve at the moment.

Well the snooker was incredible. Ronnie gave Ding a right going over - and the last frame was without doubt one of the best that I have ever seen. Ronnie hit a maximum 147 to win the tournament having played an incredible shot on the last red to screw back more than half of the length of the table for the black - playing it left-handed! Then he did the same on the final black - switching hands to roll it in left-handed. Jaw dropping stuff and without doubt the finest snooker player of all time. And at the ripe old age of 38 he is playing the best snooker of his career.

Kinvara 10km

A lovely cool day and very little breeze so as good a conditions as you could hope for. Very busy around Kinvara with the hustle and bustle of 1,500 runners competing in the 10km and half marathon and after finding a parking spot, it was a stress free pick-up of the race number, then a few kms warm-up before lining up for the start.

The course was a quick first 5km, and then a few hills in the back half - a big climb around 7km and then some further ups and downs to keep you honest. The gun sounded and myself and Andrew Annett took up the running, with the massive field giving chase. The start is actually uphill, but you don't notice it with the adrenaline pumping, and after a quick right turn onto the main street, we settled in behind the lead vehicle.

A short distance up the road and the lead car came to a standstill in a traffic bottleneck. I went one way, Andrew the other, and we overtook the car continuing on up the hill. Through the first km and the road flattened out, and we ran stride for stride whilst the pace was hotting up. The car went past us again and after hitting 2km we took a left turn onto a smaller road, and for the next 3km there was nothing in it. I was sitting behind Andrew for the most part, and I knew from glancing at the watch at each km marker that the pace was fast, and surprisingly it felt comfortable enough.

Between 5km and 7km the worm had turned. One moment I was feeling good, the next I was ready to step off the course. I tried taking up the running a few times, and even threw in some surges, but Andrew had me easily covered and with each effort came a longer period of recovery. Then we hit the climb up to the 7km marker. I went to the lead and to my surprise I started to open up a gap. Andrew shouted "go on Matt" and with that I pushed on as best I could. More recovery at the top of the hill before tackling the last 3km.

The race was now there for the taking so it was all about keeping it going. I was feeling awful but the legs were still moving well and I went through 8km inside 26 minutes. Wow, a good finish here and I'll be well under 33 minutes. But despite feeling that I was running strongly, the run home was a little disappointing. Another climb up past 9km, and then a very long last km (I think I noted the same last year). I've no doubt the course is accurate but the 9km marker must have been early as the split for the last km doesn't do the effort involved justice.

I crossed the line in 32:50 for the win, beating my old course record by a massive 7 seconds! Absolutely done in and over to the nearest park bench for a lay down. Andrew finished second 21 seconds back, with Paddy from Ennis third in 34 flat.

Very happy with that given the last 7 days. I felt very comfortable for the first half of the race which shows I have plenty of speed, I just need to work on the endurance to keep it going for the full 10km (especially the last 3km if the splits below are to be believed!). Hopefully these new threshold sessions will deliver on that front. Nice to have a good race as well with Andrew - it certainly dragged us both on and you need that to run a good time.

A slow warm-down with Andrew of 5km to give me 17.5kms for the day. Here are the race splits:

3:14 / 3:07 / 3:12 / 3:13 / 3:15 (16:01) / 3:20 / 3:17 / 3:21 / 3:23 / 3:28 (16:49)

Total 32:50

Well done to everyone who took part and I'm sure there were plenty of PB's to report. There is something special about this race - Kinvara being a beautiful location, the vibe and support around the village, the sell-out crowd, I can't quite put my finger on it - but it definitely works. The race organisation was also very good after ironing out a few problems from last year. That's to be commended so credit where it is due.

Back to the snooker - Ding and Ronnie play in the final tomorrow and that should be a cracker.

Beer and curry in the evening with the better half to celebrate 7 years married. Lucky 7!

Lucky 7

Easy run of 7km in 30:25  (4:21's). Still not feeling great.

Race tomorrow. I ran 32:57 on the course last year so more of the same would be nice.

The snooker is getting good. I can't see anyone beating Ronnie - he is in a different league at the moment.

Not dark

Early morning run with Fintan and Peter. It's getting a lot lighter now so we can just about see where we are going. Which is nice. All up 14.6kms in 1:05:01 (4:27's).

Not feeling great today - this may be the body saying I don't like those back-to-back LT sessions. Or it could just be something else. Umm.

I'm going to race again on Saturday out at Kinvara in the 10km. That will be 2 races and 2 sessions in 7 days.

Session #2

Exact same session as yesterday. This time it felt tougher - especially the last 5 minutes where I was hanging on for dear life. All up 14.0kms for the day.

I watched a bit of the Welsh Open snooker today - a great 4-3 win for Mark Williams against Neil Robertson. Willo is one of my favourite players and great to see him doing well in his home event. And he had his mate Justin Pipe (a top PDC dart player) watching in the crowd!

Session #1

A 2.5km warm-up, then 30 minutes threshold running (9kms at 3:20/km), then a 2.5km warm-down. All up 14.0kms. I'll be doing similar to this a lot in the coming weeks so it's going to be like Groundhog Day.

The heart rate had just reached 150 in the last 5 minutes of the session keeping the pace constant throughout. Over time as your aerobic fitness improves the pace you're running at should gradually improve whilst still running at the same heart rate. Basically more bang for your buck.

New regime

A long run with Fintan discussing all the gory details about the XC from the day before. Conditions were good and we were ticking over nicely - the legs felt good though the quads/buttocks were a bit sore so I must have used some new muscles yesterday. All up 21.8kms in 1:30:46 (4:10's).

Well it's time to start a new training regime. In a nutshell I've gone a bit stale the last couple of years and I've clearly plateaued. So in an effort to try and make some improvements this year I'm following a new plan that is clearly quite radical when you compare it to my current training. To start with it's going to be threshold, threshold and more threshold. I plan to run 6 to 8 weeks of just threshold running and during that time I will be doing no specific speed sessions.

Threshold pace is defined as your maximum steady state pace of running. It's a hard pace that you can maintain for one hour so for many people it would be close to 10 mile race pace. I had this pace calculated for me recently and when I reach a heart rate of 151 I'm at my lactate threshold. Run quicker than that and I start to use the anaerobic system which then generates higher levels of lactic acid; run at or below that heart rate and I am training the aerobic system which keeps the lactate level in check, thus reducing the need for recovery.

This type of training will help to develop stamina and strength - which is required to sustain running high speeds for long periods of time. To start with I plan to run 2 to 3 of these sessions a week - starting at 30 minutes, and gradually building these up to 45 minutes. By that time I'll be ready for the Craughwell 10 miler at the end of March which will be the first gauge of how things are progressing. I'll then adjust the training after that with the view of increasing the duration and quantity of these threshold sessions further. Well that's the plan all being well!

So lets see how this goes. I have a threshold session planned for tomorrow to get the ball rolling...

National Masters XC

I arrived in Dunboyne about an hour before the race and after meeting up with the team, I ran down to the start area with Fintan and we ran some of the course together (approx 3km). A windy day and just about dry, but the course was cutting up nicely and there were already some very muddy patches from the earlier races so conditions were tricky enough.

I spoke with John Byrne after the race and he said that if you can get in the top 20 runners after the start, you'll finish top 20. Well my first error was to start conservatively and settle mid-pack - probably around 80th - and for the remainder of the first mini-lap there was nowhere to run as there was traffic everywhere and I was boxed in nicely...

The start of the 2nd (big) lap and I started to pick people off. I was slip sliding all over the place in the muddy sections and wasn't gaining any ground, but I could pull out some overtaking on the firmer parts of the course where it at least felt like I had a bit of speed. This was to be the pattern for the rest of the race - try not to lose my shoes in the mud, and then up the speed the minute I felt like the feet weren't sinking. The pace was up and down like a fiddlers elbow...

After lap 2 we had 2 big laps left. More of the same gaining around 20 places next lap. The breathing felt good but the legs were getting a real workout. I think someone called out at the conclusion of the lap that I was in 38th and with the number of runners ahead of me thinning out I had little room for improvement.

The last lap was another tough slog. I closed in on a few more runners and saved myself for the last 800m where I knew the ground was better. I ended up having a sprint finish passing 2 more people in the finishing chute to end up in 32nd in a time of 26:14 (3:45/km).

Clearly my lack of experience showed today. If I'd run a bit smarter with a better start I may have finished a few places higher but that said, I'd still be outside the top 20. I'd sum it up by saying it was good fun, but frustrating when you can't dial into the speed you normally have on the road.

Some great runs by my Galway team mates - notably Peter who finished 8th and Fintan in 10th. They were well over a minute in front of me and close to the winner who clocked a very solid 24:10 (Declan Reed). Looking through the results one of the runs of the day has to be Pauric McKinney who is in the M3 category and ended up in 2nd place in a time of 24:30. Great going. And an excellent run by John Byrne who finished 4th. Clearly he is in great form as he prepares for Rotterdam.

A warm-down of 1.7kms with a few of the lads to give me 11.7kms for the day and 87.1kms for the week. Not my greatest work today but great to be part of a big team event. Thanks must go to Peter and Brian for the lifts there and back and to the other Brian for organising the team.

And to finish with here's a photo that sums it up nicely:

T -1

An easy 7.5kms before the fun tomorrow. Time 32:15 (4:18's). I feel like I'm in good nick so I await to see how that relates to XC running.

A few beers in the evening and that's about that.

More threshold

Weather dodgy so on the tready again. Warm-up of 2.5kms, then 30 minutes at threshold, then a 2.5km warm-down. I tried to keep the heart rate in the 145 to 151 range but it takes a good 5 minutes to get up there, and then it gradually rises throughout the session. I felt pretty good up to about 25 minutes, and then it was a struggle the last 5 minutes. I covered 8.96kms in the 30 minutes so that's an average of 3:21/km pace (or 33:30 10km pace). Swimming in sweat come the end and also developed a bit of a blister on the ball of my right foot (wearing cheap socks). That's the problem with the treadmill - you are landing on exactly the same part of your foot every time and that coupled with the sweat and dodgy socks...equals blister.

All up 14.0kms with 2.5kms of warm-down.

Darts in the evening. Away in Abbeyknockmoy. I won both my singles and pairs and played a lot steadier. Overall we won 6-3 so that's another win to keep us in the top 3.

Tractor

Early morning run with Fintan and Owen. It's starting to get a bit brighter now but still basically pitch black when we start the run. All up 14.7kms in 1:06:42 (4:32's). A very sedate pace which was nice.

A few photos from Gort last Sunday (courtesy of Gordon Thomson) that I'd like to share. This great shot just after the start - I particularly like the tractor parked on the side of the road!

And this one just as I took the lead:

6 x 1km off 85 seconds

Another treadmill session. I don't mind doing the longer reps on the hamster wheel - conditions aren't a factor and I can wear my HR strap and monitor my progress very accurately.

The usual 3km warm-up and then into 6 x 1km off 85 seconds. I was running them in 3:05 and hence the 85 seconds recovery to keep the maths nice and easy (starting each rep every 4 mins 30 secs). I felt good today and interesting to note how the HR slowly creeps up at the end of the rep each time (it was high 140's for the first couple but up over 150 by the end of the session).

And then a 3km warm-down to give me 12 clicks on the knocker.

More snooker in the evening. In the first frame I resumed from where I left off 2 weeks ago - I was on a break of 64 with 3 reds still on but ran slightly out of position and left myself nothing. Shame as all the balls were on for a biggie. Played okay in the remaining frames with a further break of 35. I'd be a much slower player now than when I used to play as a young lad - I used to get down and crash the balls in but now think about it a lot more - especially the positional side of the game which is what's all about to be honest. The plan is to have my own table before I turn 50 - I just need to win the lottery first...

Asics GT 2000 2

A 40 minute trot on the treadmill today (9.6km @ 4:10's). Will run a session tomorrow and on Friday before the XC on Sunday.

I picked up a new pair of Asics GT 2000 2 - the 2 at the end indicates the second release in this current series. I liked them a lot and they felt very comfy - and I even went up half a size to a UK11. You'd think after nearly 15 years of running I'd get to know my size...

Ramblings

A longish recovery run today (solo). I did a few of the local loops and covered 17.6kms in 1:13:19 (4:10's). Lovely cool conditions for running and it felt very relaxed and comfortable. I think I've finally cleared my cold, cough and splutters that I've had the last few months and the breathing seems a lot quieter.

Galway are sending a huge number of athletes to the National Masters XC on Sunday which is great to see. I'm going to make up the numbers and I'm not expecting much - especially if it's a mud-bath which is more than likely given all the recent rain and flooding. The location is called Cow Park in Co Meath and that doesn't conjure up images of nice, flat, firm meadows for running. I had a conversation with Owen on the weekend where I made the point that in my mind, XC running is so far removed from road running that I see it almost like a different sport (at which I'm no good). As you can see I'm getting my excuses in very early doors...perhaps all this negativity stems from those cold, wet, wintry runs we were forced to do as a junior in school (which everybody hated). Perhaps I need some form of counselling?

Gorgeous Gort 8km

The knee had been behaving, I'd lost a few kilos, I felt like I was coming into form and the conditions looked pretty good. So no excuses at hand. I'd not raced in Gort before so I was looking forward to covering some new ground and there was certainly a nice friendly vibe at the registration. A 3km warm-up with Owen where we encountered a few tough hills (more on that later), and it was almost time to line up. Michael Shannon was running and we had a quick chat and it turns out he has been struggling with injury the last couple of months so it looked like I may give him a decent race for a change!

The race started in town and we had a nice downhill start where a guy from Ennis track took the lead and I settled in behind him. After about 400m I decided to push on and took the lead with the rest of the field in pursuit. We took a left turn and then hit the first km marker and whilst this section of the course was flat enough, we were running into the breeze. I was feeling good and had a quick glance at my watch at the 2km marker and the split was a little disappointing but I was still leading with Michael right behind me.

I don't recall the detail of the course but mid-way through the 3rd km we took another left turn. I was still plugging away but not surging and upon reaching the 3km point I was starting to think that Michael was going to stick with me until the last few minutes and then put in his customary quick finish. That didn't happen and at about 3.5km I started to open up a gap as we took another left turn onto a busier road. At this point it was foot down with wind on the back and it was soon apparent that I was out in the lead by myself.

At around 5km we were back in town and there was some great support from Fintan and his kids. Then the fun started - I was directed up the section of road I'd covered during my warm-up so knew straight away this wasn't going to be fun. I lost a lot of momentum going up the first hill and in the space of a minute I'd gone from feeling great to feeling very ordinary. At the top of the hill I had nothing left to push on and had to take a further 5-10 seconds of recovery before attacking the downhill section. Then another climb before a left turn and then the 6km marker arrived and having missed the 5km split the time for the last 2km seemed decent considering the hills (6:36 - I'd guess 3:10/3:26).

This gave me a bit of a lift and the old thought of "keep this going for 6+ minutes and you'll be home and hosed". The 7th km was certainly flatter and I'd convinced myself that the last km was going to be a quick one. Not on your Nelly - it was a very nasty climb up past the 7km marker and again on reaching the top and making a left turn, I had to recover again before lifting the pace for the run home. This section still felt tough - perhaps into the breeze and then a few more turns and another drag before the run down the finishing chute.

I crossed the line in 26:04 for the win with my team-mate Owen coming in second. It turns out that Mike had pulled out of the race around 3.5km and I hope that he didn't aggravate his injury and wish him a speedy recovery. I'm delighted with that result - especially the time which was 42 seconds quicker than last week. The course and conditions were certainly better than Maree but I wouldn't say the course was an easy one - some very testing hills between 5km and 7km which left me thinking that I still have more to come. My "race yourself fit" strategy seems to be working...

A warm-down with Owen and we ran those nasty hills for a 3rd time. A total of 3.3km to give me 14.3kms for the day.

Here's a photo of me on the course courtesy of South Galway AC. As you can see I'm wearing my away strip for a change:

All in all a very enjoyable day. Great organisation from South Galway AC and they must have been delighted with how the day panned out. It certainly got a big thumbs up from all the people I spoke to so credit to the organisers.

That's 93.9kms for the week. Very happy with how things are progressing at the moment.

Here are the splits from the race:

3:10 / 3:21 / 3:17 / 3:14 (13:02) / 6:36 / 3:10 / 3:16 (13:02)

Total 26:04 (note even splits - pleasing given the tougher second half)

Lego Movie

An easy 7.2kms in 31:59 (4:27's). Race tomorrow. Conditions were superb today so hoping for more of the same on Sunday.

I watched the Lego Movie in the afternoon with the wife and kids. I enjoyed it! I consumed my own body weight in popcorn in the process. Good carb loading!

Threshold run

Again terrible conditions outside so it was back on the treadmill. A 3km warm-up, and then a 25 minute threshold run, and then a 3.0km warm-down. All up 13.4kms.

I started my threshold run at 3:24/km pace but the heart rate wasn't getting high enough, so I eventually had to get up to 3:19/km pace before I was in the correct zone (no higher than 151). I ran 7.44kms during the 25 minutes so that's an average of 3:22/km. Felt great again today and I feel like I could be coming into a bit of form. Fingers crossed.

I will probably race again this weekend so will be hoping for better conditions. And I've also signed up for the Masters XC the following weekend (yes you've read that correctly). Galway will hopefully have a strong team so we are going in search of some vets medals at the national champs.

I cooked a curry in the evening from scratch. The recipe called for grated tomatoes as one of the ingredients. Well I'd never grated tomatoes before and for good reason - what a mess. I made a lovely red mush on the chopping board which I then forgot to add to the main dish. In my defence it did still taste very nice...

Storm dodging

6:35am start with Fintan and Owen. Somehow we managed to avoid the storm though we did spend most of the run trying to avoid all the puddles whilst running in the dark. Owen had the right idea with his head torch. Good fun and nice to get the run out of the way whilst most normal people were still in bed.

All up 14.7kms in 1:03:55 (4:21's). Pace was a bit quicker than last week though it felt the same!

Darts match in the evening (re-arranged due to Valentines day - the darts crowd are obviously hopeless romantics). I was first up and lost comfortably. Very poor! We then went on to win our next 8 games to run out 8-1 winners (I did win my pairs - though I didn't play much better!)...

6 x 1km

Wet and windy outside so the speed session was to be done on the treadmill. I settled on some kms starting at 3:10, and then reducing the pace by a second per km each time. After 6 I was done for finishing with a 3:05. I was starting every 4 mins 30 so I was getting around 80 seconds recovery between each effort. All up 12.0kms with the warm-up and down. Felt fairly comfortable and worked up the customary indoor sweat that you rarely get outside.

White Stuff

I decided to take an easy day and delay the normal Tuesday speed session until tomorrow. I started at around 9:30am and within 10 minutes of me running I was caught in a snow storm. Quite novel to run in and made for a pleasant change from the rain! Another 10 minutes and the snow had stopped and I was left to finish my run. All up 9.5kms in 39:48 (4:11's).

Oranmore and back

A long run with Fintan. We both agreed to take it easy but we were both ticking over nicely right from the off. At one point the average pace was 4:15 but with a quick last half an hour we got that down to 4:09's - with the benefit of a few sub 4 minute kms as we ran back into Claregalway. All up 22.2kms in 1:32:18.

Not wishing to jinx myself (which I invariably will) but my left knee has been good the last few days. The massage must have helped so I just need to keep on top of it now with regular massage.

Maree 8km

My first road race of 2014. Conditions were dry and windy and during my 2km warm-up with Owen it was obvious it was going to be a tough run.

The race started just as a shower was threatening and I settled into the lead group. The first 3.5km of the course were straight into the wind, with a tough climb up to 2km, and during the climb I slipped into second position. Once at the top of the hill the pace picked up as we began a descent and I closed back in behind the leader as we worked our way up to the turnaround point. This section of the course was very slow and boy was I glad to finally make the turn at around 3.5km. I was then a different runner - I put the foot down and hit the lead with the wind on the back. I pushed the next flat mile running behind the lead motorbike who was doing a good job of clearing the flow of runners coming in the opposite direction for which I received many shouts of encouragement!

Round by the waters edge and then a tough climb just through 5km. I'd opened up a decent gap so I wasn't going to kill myself on the climbs, instead leaving some in the tank to hammer the flatter sections. One final short sharp climb just past 6km and then a fairly flat run home. I finished the race strongly and had a sprint finish with a young spectator who was trying to beat me to the line. That helped keep the pace honest and I crossed the line in 26:46 for the win (for the 4th year on the trot!!!).

I was pleasantly surprised by the time as it felt slower than that but looking at the splits the first half wasn't as slow as it felt:

3:26 / 3:24 / 3:21 / 3:35 (13:46) / 3:12 / 3:24 / 3:16 / 3:08 (13:00)

Total 26:46

Here's a photo me at the finish courtesy of Maree AC (don't let those blue skies fool you - it was bloody freezing as you can see from the nancy boy wearing the gloves):

A warm-down of 4.8kms with Owen and Conor to give me 14.8kms for the day. I'm taking some positives out of this race as I ran well for the last 4km - albeit with the benefit of the wind - and it was good to feel like I am getting back to where I was in the lead up to Christmas.

That's 93.9kms for the week. Happy with that given that it included today's race. A big well done to Maree AC who always host a great race - and judging by the turnout of well over 300 runners it certainly is a special event to which all involved should be proud of.

I got home just in time to see Spurs beat Everton 1-0. And then to see Murphy win the snooker. A perfect sporting day really so a few beers in the evening just for old times sake.

Just about a run

Not feeling the best today. Ouch. I decided to do a light run as I was planning on racing tomorrow. And to get some fresh air in the lungs. Only 6.7kms in 30:50 (4:36's).

I watched a bit of the snooker from Poland. Shaun Murphy was playing well. A shadow of his former self after shifting 3 stone and his new healthy lifestyle seems to be paying dividends. He hit a maximum today - the third in his playing career after hitting another one last month. I'd say he'll have a good run in the worlds...

6 x 800 off a rolling 4 minutes

A late afternoon treadmill session. A 3km warm-up, then 6 x 800 running them in 2:25 (3:02/km pace), (so a recovery of 65 seconds), then a warm-down of 3km. All up 10.8kms.

I wore the HR monitor for this session. Here is a link which shows the HR peaking at 159 during the last effort.

Here

Then darts in the evening. A few beers to lubricate the arm and then it was game on. I won both my singles and pairs and we ran out 5-4 winners. Then a few more beers...

Drought continues

More running in the dark with Fintan and Owen. Conditions were a touch on the cold side, and upon completion of the run the times showed it was a slow one - a total of 14.6kms in 1:05:41 (4:30's). It felt a lot quicker than that but just can't seem to get going first thing in the morning.

Still no drinking - I plan to change that tomorrow...

Run, Rub and Rolling back the years

Easy run to see how the new niggle was. Could feel it for the first 5 minutes and then it went, and then the spotlight was back on the knee. All up 9.5kms in 41:25 (4:22's).

Another massage to try and take some pressure off the knee. The focus was again on the quad, plus a very tight base of the hamstring on the same side. Could be linked so hopefully some improvement when I next run.

Out in the evening for snooker. I can't recall playing that well for a long time. I played 5 frames and in the first frame I hit a 66 break. That set the tone and I had further breaks of 45, 34, 38 and 73! I missed an easy enough green off the spot whilst on the 73 with the remaining 4 colours on the spots so the 98 clearance went begging. Still compared to how I've been playing lately that was a massive improvement and took me back to how I could play 20 years ago. Maybe still time to get that elusive 100 (my highest ever break is 99)...

6 x 5 off 60 secs

The old 5 minute repeats with Fintan. Weather was bloody freezing but dry and a tricky breeze when running straight into it. A 2.2km warm-up and then game on. The first 5 minutes were tough and this seems to be the pattern for this session. The next couple we had the benefit of the wind, then doubled back for a couple of tough ones - and then a nice downhill stretch to finish with. Here are the paces:

3:22/3:14/3:12/3:20/3:19/3:18

A little better than last week but again I was having to work a lot harder than you'd like. Certainly nothing cruisey about it. I guess I still have a bit of a cold so hoping things will pick up once that clears.

During the warm-down it was apparent that I'd pulled something at the top of my right quad. Noticeable this evening but I'm going to try and run it out in the next few days. At least it has taken my attention from the left knee...

All up 15.3kms for the day.

Dodging

Long run with Fintan. We were very lucky with the weather as it had been absolutely juicing down all night but it cleared just as we headed out the door. Lots of puddles to avoid but great conditions for running. All up 22.2kms in 1:31:46 (4:08's). Our 2 Garmins never give the same distances and mine tends to give a higher reading for distance. I'll take anything that's going that makes my running look a little better...

Room 101

Another treadmill run. I'm a bit nervous about running on the treadmill as it seems to be harsher on my knee compared to the road (that may be contrary to what I've said previously but you live and learn). I started at around 4:30/km pace and gradually worked down to 4 minute clicks. All up 13.0kms in 54:43 (4:13's).

That's 101.3kms for the week. Another steady week in the bag without setting the world on fire. Hopefully I start to feel good soon and this will give me some confidence to get back to road racing.

Ding beat Judd in the snooker. Ding was the deserved winner and keeps winning lots of tournaments. I still can't see him beating an in-form Ronnie mind....

Tempo time

A treadmill run  - 3.5km warm-up, 20 minutes at 3:24/km pace, 3.5kms warm-down. All up 12.9kms. Felt pretty good today despite a heavy sweat.

Watched some snooker in the evening. Judd Trump was on fire and was playing the best snooker I've seen from him since he reached the World final in 2011. He will play Ding tomorrow in the final.

Still no beer - I went to the fridge and I'd forgot to put some beers in. That's what happens when you're out of practice. Schoolboy error.

Evening stretch

I managed to squeeze in a run in daylight hours after the other half returned from work. All up 12.6kms in 54:24 (4:19's). Weather was okay but not looking good for the weekend.

In the evening it was league darts. Having not played in goodness knows how long it wasn't going to be pretty. Plus it was the first time I've ever played a league match having consumed zero pints. I was a little shaky but somehow managed to win both my singles and pairs. That didn't stop our team going down 6-3 mind! I was tempted to have a beer when midnight arrived as it was technically February but in the end I didn't bother. One thing I will say is that this non-drinking malarkey is very cheap. I consumed one cup of coffee and 2 teas all night long for the princely sum of zero Euros!

Berlin Masters

Just myself and Fintan for our early morning run in the dark. It seemed very dark this morning (more dark than just normal dark). You could hardly see where you were going on some of the back roads. Anyway, nice conditions for running with no wind to contend with. Pace was slow but you'd expect that running blind. All up 14.4kms in 1:04:06 (4:27's).

Day 30 of no booze now. I checked my drinking diary and I did a dry Feb back in 2009. Always go for the shortest month!

And more snooker to watch - the Berlin Masters. The spaceman into the last 16 and looking for back-to-back wins!

Hamster wheel

10kms on the treadmill. Around 4:30/km pace. Not much else to say...

Snooker in the evening. A good first frame and then went downhill. A few chances for 50's but I just keep missing some easy balls. Grrrrrr.

6 x 5 mins

The now bog standard session with wingman Fintan. A dry day with a fair breeze but not too bad. A 10 minute warm-up and straight into it. Struggled on the first rep, a bit better on the second and third, and then doubled back and had the benefit of the wind for the final 3. Paces for each 5 minute effort were as follows:

3:24 / 3:20 / 3:18 / 3:16 / 3:14 / 3:15

I really had to work to run these times so perhaps an indication I'm still not travelling that well. That said, I seem to have picked up another bit of a cold. It's one thing after another at the moment.

All up 15.3kms with warm-down. I do enjoy this session as it's over in around an hour. Nice to have Fintan for the session who again seemed to be doing it easy!

Squally

An awful weather day. Gusting winds and squally showers - and to make matters worse it was a solo hit-out. The Rockmount Road is still out of action so I was running lots of other local circuits and I ended up running the guts of 5 different loops in my 23.1kms (time 1:40:15 @ 4:20/km pace). Glad to see the back of that one.

Day 27 of no-booze. I notice that Feb 1st is this Saturday so I dare say I'll be blowing the froth off a few that night. I did a weigh in and I'm down to 78kgs so I've probably shifted a kg or 2 but I have to say I don't really feel any better for this month of no alcohol. At least I've proved to myself I can do it!

The Spaceman

A solo hour to shake out the legs after yesterday. To be honest the legs felt pretty fresh - so more evidence that I didn't over-do it in the 3,000m. The fact that I could speak just after crossing the finish line was more evidence! Anyway, a total of 15.4kms in 1:05:58 (4:21's). I had to stop at one point as I got caught in a nasty hail shower which had me cowering behind a tree. Yes I'm totally soft.

That's 83.8kms for the week. Happy with the last 3 weeks and seem to be heading in the right direction. If I could just get this knee sorted then I'd be really fired up to run some decent times this year. I haven't set any goals but I'd like to get back into mid 32 10km shape and see where that takes me.

I watched the final day of the snooker shoot-out and was delighted to see Dominic Dale (the Spaceman) win the title. Great entertainment and 32 grand for a weekend's 'work' - not bad!

And finally some stats to finish with. I'm in the 14th year now of my running/beer diary and since the turn of the millennium I've run close to 37,000kms which works out to 7.7kms per day or 54.2kms per week. That includes 18 months of no running when I had a bad dose of patella tendinitis.

Looking at the running stats from 2007 onwards which is when I started to take the running a bit more seriously, I have averaged 10.0kms per day or 70.3kms per week. Consistency is king!

Masters Indoors 3,000m

A 45 minute drive to the indoor track in Athlone. It was a pretty shocking day - cold and windy but that doesn't matter when you're running indoors! I got there about an hour before my scheduled start time, but it was running slightly ahead of schedule so I got outside and ran 4 laps of the outdoor track as a warm-up. Then inside to find out what heat I was in. This year the races were organised a lot more logically with all the people in each age category in the same race. So the M1's were away first (age 35-39) and then in the second race it was the M2's (my category - age 40 to 44) along with the M3's. So I had a few minutes to do a bit more of a warm-up, and watch the first race at the same time (a great finish with Paul Fleming running down Paul Buckley in the last 50m and both going sub 9 in the process).

I lined up for my race and soon we were off. I settled mid-pack and took a couple of laps to find my feet and get used to the track. The pace seemed really slow but I was boxed in so I took the sensible option to sit in and wait for the gaps to develop. Nobody was pushing the pace at the front so I wasn't too concerned but after a couple more laps I was starting to get frustrated having to keep checking my run so about at the 1km mark (split of 3:13) I ran wide and overtook 5 or 6 runners to take the lead.

So I'd upped the pace a bit without going silly - I ran a few laps at the front before slowing a little only to see Pat Byrne go past me. This was perfect as I could sit in behind him and weigh up the right moment to attack once more. The pace still felt comfortable and we were breaking away from the chasers so no cause for concern. It was all about picking the right time to push for home and feeling good I thought that would be around the 2km mark. But I got a bit twitchy and took the lead again with about 5 and a half laps left and started the push for home.

The last 5 laps seemed to count down really quickly. I wasn't really running any quicker but I was aware that the gap on Pat was growing by a few meters each lap. At the bell someone shouted that I had a 10m gap and so I kept the pace the same and crossed the line in 9:15:74 for the win (the splits for kms 2 and 3 were both 3:01). So not a great time, but it was never going to be quick after the slow start. The pleasing thing was feeling relatively comfortable running the last 2km at basically 3 minute/km pace and still having a little bit left in the tank.

A nice win and great to retain my national title. A few more laps outside to give me around 8km for the day before a quick shower and the drive home. I have to say I love competing at this track - it's a real gem and I should make more of an effort to compete there more often. I wonder if they have an indoor 5,000m there this year?

Lactate threshold training

No running today - a much needed rest day after 19 run days on the bounce.

An interesting blog article on Andy Ward - a UK runner aged 44 who has recently clocked sub 30 minutes for 10km here. Interesting that his training is all based around his lactate threshold pace and specific heart rate zones. It gives hope for us all!

Not much else to report. The snooker shoot-out starts today on Sky and that's always good fun to watch. No beer now for 24 days and it's fair to say I could murder a beer...

Indoors

Solo run mid-morning. A total of 15.1kms in 1:05:34 (4:21's).

I'm going to give the Masters Indoors 3,000m a go on Saturday so I'll rest up tomorrow in preparation for that. I had a great experience there last year so more of the same will be good (though I can't see myself running anywhere near 8:53....).

Wednesday mixed bag

I never got going today - the legs felt very dead and I was trudging along. Total 9.5kms in 42:57 (4:31's).

Out in the evening for a game of snooker - the local club has shut down so it's back into town. I played last week and the less said about that the better. This week was a bit better - but I was having constant problems with my right contact lens. The highlight was a 39 break - but I missed the easiest black you will ever see with plenty of reds still on offer. Nightmare stuff.

6 x 800 off 90 secs

I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of a cold, wet, January track session but I managed to haul myself out to Dangan. Warm-up of 3.8km on the road, followed by 2 laps of the track and it was time to arrange into groups for the off. The session was 800's and with a lack of these type of sessions lately, I thought if I could run 2:30 or thereabouts, I'd be happy.

Andrew took out the first couple, and on the third one I find my legs and was feeling good and I hit the front. I lead out the 4th one, and then ran a couple more for good measure. A stiff breeze on the home straight which is quite normal, so it was an easy start to each lap, and then having to work the final 100m. And in typical style I'd run the first lap a lot quicker than the second one - the effort level would be the same but the endurance isn't quite there. The times were as follows:

2:30/2:28/2:27/2:28/2:30/2:28

That will do nicely. A warm-down of 3.8kms to give me around 13.2kms for the day. The 90 second recovery seemed like an age when you are used to a minute so perhaps that was why the times were a bit quicker than I was expecting. Knee a bit better after the rub but still not great.

Long run and rub

Woke up to a corker of a frost and after getting the kids to school it was long run time. The roads were very slippery for the first half an hour, and I nearly went A over T a few times so the pace was very sedate. I gradually picked it up, and an hour in I was ticking along nicely. I was stopped on about 70 minutes to help an old guy use his mobile, then again on 90 minutes by a lady looking for directions (my 2 good deeds for the day). All up 22.6kms in 1:37:37 (4:19's).

In the afternoon it was rub time. Left inside quad was again very tight so most of the time was spent on that muscle trying to get it to ease off. The pain factor wasn't too bad today and seems a bit better now as a result.

As I suspected Ronnie won easily 10-4 in the masters final. He only dropped 6 frames all tournament and in fairness he should have probably won the final 10-1 (albeit for a sitter brown he missed to make it 9-1). On this form there is nobody who can touch him and he could keep collecting major titles for plenty more years to come.

Timmie

A local run of 15.2kms in 1:04:21 to finish off the week (4:14/km pace). Felt good but the knee was giving me constant reminders. So I booked a massage for tomorrow and then used the kids to stand on my quad to try and get them to ease off a bit. Seemed to work a little.

I watched the Spurs beat Swansea 3-1 so a great start under new manager Timmie Sherwood who I was a bit sceptical about when he got the job. Four wins a draw later and I'm coming round. Plus the snooker final and at the time of writing Ronnie is 7-1 up in the race to 10 so there is only one winner from here.

That's 103.5kms for the week (almost the same as last week). Maybe drop the volume a bit next week to give the knee some recovery.

20 minute tempo

I made the call to give the Tuam 8km a miss this weekend and after today's session that seemed like a good call. A 3.5km warm-up and then it was straight into a 20 minute tempo run at a planned pace of 3:24/km. I checked the pace about 8 to 9 minutes into the run thinking that I'd started too quickly and when it showed me that I was running 3:27/km pace I knew it was going to be a tough slog. So I upped the pace as best I could and gradually worked the average pace down to 3:23/km by the time I'd finished the 20 minutes (covering 5.9kms). It felt like I was running really well but you can't argue with the Garmin! Another decent warm-down to give me 13.5kms for the day.

Left knee is back to how it was last year. Quite sore so definitely time for another massage. I've probably over-done it a bit the last couple of weeks so only have myself to blame. I'm sure a massage, some rest and some anti-inflams and I'll be back to where I was...

Ronnie still hammering his opponents in the snooker. This time Macguire sent packing 6-1 and a O'Sullivan / Selby final awaits.

Flood watch

A local run today to see if the flooding on the Rockmount Road had subsided. It hadn't so I was faced with an out-and-back run which totalled 13.0kms in a time of 56:35 (4:21's). I'd say there we at least a 100m stretch of water on the road so it could be a while before that clears.

A Ronnie master-class today as he despatched Walden 6-0 in under an hour. Some of the best snooker I've ever seen and he never looked like missing. Even the long pots were going in which is probably the weakest part of his game in recent years.

Thursday Crew

Myself, Fintan, Owen and Brodders for today's 6:35am start. A modified route to avoid local flooding. Bloody cold but soon got going. The pace seemed pretty good but the watch disagreed and we ended up covering 14.5kms in 1:02:39 (4:19's). Brodders had a close call with a car which sent his heart rate spiking but we all lived for another day. Knee definitely on the slide...

Rocket

A slow-paced run today to clear the legs. All up 9.5kms in 41:18 (4:21's). A bit of pain creeping back into the knee which isn't good.

Enjoying the masters snooker. Ronnie is floating and can't see anyone touching him on this form.

6 x 5 minutes

A sort of repeat of the session from last Friday (6 x 5 minuntes off 60 secs). But this time Fintan wanted to run them at a slightly quicker pace - so not at threshold pace, but more at say 10km race pace. His target was 3:15 to 3:18 per km pace so I'd try and hang on as best I could.

A bloody cold day - with threatening rain and a bit of breeze. The usual 10 minute warm-up and straight into it. As per last week Fintan was leading them out and I was trying to keep up. The first couple felt pretty good and the pace was on target, I started to feel a bit more like my usual self and took up the running for most of the 3rd rep. I died a bit on the 4th one for which we had changed direction, so we changed direction again and I was able to lead out most of that rep. The last one was a real toughie as we were running straight into the wind. I lasted just shy of 3 minutes before I started blowing and let Fintan sail past me. Here are the paces for each 5 minutes:

3:17 / 3:14 / 3:13 / 3:18 / 3:15 / 3:23

Another pleasing session and a nice improvement on last week. Running at a deliberately faster pace but feeling generally more comfortable.

All up 15.5kms with warm-down. A note on Fintan - now that he has become a full-time athlete he is absolutely flying. I'd say he is in career best form and is ready to run a string of PB's in 2014. Great to see.

Long again

Another long run today. This time with Fintan. I'm happy to run long at the moment - it's a good test for the knee and with that behaving I'm getting a lot more enjoyment from the running. Also an opportunity to burn off some calories and get the weight down (no booze is helping there also). I need to get back under 80kgs and ideally down around 78.

We stayed in Claregalway and again had to avoid Rockmount. Conditions were okay and stayed just about dry and soon we had rattled up 22.3kms in 1:32:43 (4:09's). Again feeling pretty good having now clocked up more than the marathon distance over the last 2 days.

Breathing still not 100% as I still can't shake off this cold. But I'm definitely heading in the right direction.

A run of 2 halves

Long run with Owen starting at Doughiska, and then an out and back run to Maree. Awful conditions - very wet and windy and the first half of the run was into the wind and we were running 4:29's. It was a lot easier coming home where the pace lifted to 4:09's. All up 21.2kms in 1:31:30 (4:19's). Still a good hit-out and nice to catch-up with Owen who I'd not seen for a few weeks.

That's......wait for it....103.3kms for the week. Not a bad resumption to proper training. A couple of sessions in there, and some decent volume also (well for me anyway). That's my first century week in about 6 months (the last week of June 2013). Happy with that.

Nidge

Beautiful conditions for running today - cold and still. Running solo I ran some of my local loops but had to avoid the road through Rockmount as it's still under water. All up 14.4kms in 58:49 (4:05's). Felt good throughout and each run seems to be getting easier and the knee is holding up well.

I finished watching series 3 of Love Hate in the evening. Enjoyable viewing. Now to track down the 4th series...and still no booze.

Put to the sword

I was keen to get back to the 5 minute reps that I was doing in the latter half of 2013 as I really felt they were bringing my running on. I met with my wingman and straight away I informed Fintan that I was only going to do 6 sets of 5 minutes (off  1 minute). I thought that would be a nice and easy welcome...

The usual 10 minute warm-up and then straight into it - my watch was playing silly buggars during the first 5 minute effort and it was telling me I was running sub 2 minute km pace....so running blind for that one. And then I settled into a nice enough rhythm for the next couple. We doubled back after 3 and during the 4th effort I started to struggle. The next couple I was running on empty - the breathing was laboured and the legs were heavy. And Fintan was bounding along like Tigger without a care in the world. Oh what a difference a couple of poor training weeks and a bout of illness can make.

Here are the paces per km for each effort:

3:20 (estimate) / 3:19 / 3:19 / 3:20 / 3:20 / 3:23

Not too bad I suppose but I was running these feeling comfortable a month or so ago and today I was on the red-line. But at least it's a start and perhaps there is still a bit of the pox flying around the system.

All up 15.2kms with warm-down.

I'm trying a dry January which is going to be a real test of will-power. I'm only 10 days in and I could already murder a beer...

Turlough

Just myself and Fintan for the Thursday run. So we took the option to delay the start to a more sociable time of 9:30am. I had to change the route to avoid the turlough that had spilled over onto the road, and that was fine accept that about 2km into the run we were joined by a small dog that proceeded to keep running with us for the next 5km. We tried all things to shake it off - surges, stopping and trying to shoo the dog away - but nothing was working. In the end we had to move to the side of the road to let a car through, and then the dog got tangled in my long levers and we both nearly went flying. At this point the dog stopped, and we were left to finish the run minus K9.

All up 15.2kms in 1:03:42 (4:11's). Pace was better and the knee felt as good as it has done in the last year. And perfect running conditions. Still trying to shake this cold mind that I've had all over Christmas but I guess you can't have it all...

Here's a photo of one of the local turloughs. If the sun came out it would almost be like being back at the Bay in Drummoyne:

More of the same

Another 9.5km loop. Time 41:37 (4:23's). Legs a little sore after the track session but not too bad.

12 x 400 off a minute

A long awaited return to track. I knew the session was to be 400's which seemed like a nice one to make my return. A warm-up of 3.8km on the road, followed by 4 laps of the track and then it was time to break into groups. I was with Andrew, Eamon and Cian and we started taking turns leading out the laps. My plan was to run them around 72ish and hopefully feel nice and relaxed. That's pretty much what happened though my times were maybe a little quicker than target. Just checked the watch and my times have somehow been wiped but I recall running one 69, a few 70's, some 71's and 72's and one 73. I'd say my average was around 71 so that will do. Especially pleasing as it was quite a testing night - the track was wet and there was a nasty wind mid-way round the final bend and the home straight.

Andrew was running really well and was several seconds clear each lap. He'll be dangerous this year on that form.

I finished up with a 3.8km warm-down with the lads - and we hit an absolute torrential downpour which soaked the lot of us. All up 14.0kms for the day.

Wading

Was planning a long run, but decided once I got going that an hour was about right. I ran the guts of the Thursday morning route, and about 6.5kms into the run I was confronted with a 200m section of water. So it was off with the socks and shoes, then a quick wade through the water (which was bloody freezing), then back on with the gear to finish off the run. All up 13.8kms in 1:00:28 (4:23's). Pace still not great but just nice to be back running.

Welcome back!

Well after being knocked about a bit by the pox, I took 3 days off and feeling a little bit better I headed out today to get some fresh air in the lungs. I took it right easy like, and ran my local 9.5km loop in 42:23 (4:28's). Nice to be back and the one good thing about having a break is that the left knee felt really good! Hopefully a sign of things to come.

I'll start back proper next week and may even try a couple of light sessions just to get my eye in.

That's 48.5km for the week. Not too bad with 3 rest days!

Bad Dose

I woke up not feeling the full quid. I had a few spots on my body which I suspected was chicken pox, and had a bit of a hangover for good measure. In true runners style I thought I'd head out and try and run it off. That was all fine and dandy and I ran 9.5kms in 41:09 (4:20's).

As the day progressed I was feeling much worse. More spots and by the end of the day I was doing my best Freddy Kruger impersonation. So a dose of the pox it is. I'll take a few days rest now as I'm obviously run down and this certainly explains why I haven't been feeling great the last week or so. Not the best start to the New Year but it could be a lot worse I suppose.

For the record I ran 4,200kms in 2013 vs 4,649kms in 2012. Round numbers about 10% down and that's attributable to the marathon I ran in 2012 where I was collecting the kms.