Catch-up time

The week that was:

Mon - Claregalway 11.1kms recovery run 43:53 (3:57's)

Tue - 2km up, 10km threshold run treadmill 32:05 (3:12's), 2km down

Wed - 2km up, strides, 5 x 3.5 mins, 1 x 4 mins, 2.3km down  (treadmill 2% incline, 3:00/km pace)

Thu - Claregalway 11.1kms recovery run 44:42 (4:02's)

Fri - Claregalway 6.9kms 30:05 (4:22's)

Sat - Labane 10km 33:22 (1st place). All up 14.9kms.

Sun - Claregalway 14.8kms recovery run 56:02 (3:47's)

Total for the week 83.8kms.

A really tough week - just not been happening. Feeling very tired and heavy legged. Good enough sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday but really struggled after that and had nothing for the rest of the week.

I managed to win the 10km in Labane - I ran well enough until 5km in around 16:05 and then hit the wind and hills and took the easy option of coasting home.

Might take a few rest days to freshen up.,,,

Killimordaly 5km

A short warm-up before the race. The course was a lollipop - a nice downhill start, then a loop, then an uphill finish. I took it out hard and ran a quick first km in 3 flat and then each subsequent km seemed to get tougher and tougher. I had a decent lead and even though I was running hard, there was nothing in the legs. Expected really given my lead in.

I crossed the line in 16:21 for the win. Not my greatest work but a good hit-out. Enjoyed the event and good to see a decent local turn-out for the race.

Another lap of the course as a warm-down. That second lap was quite quick and I arrived back at the finish with the clock still reading 37 something. That's 12.0kms for the day.

All up 107.7kms for the week. More of that please.

Contrast

I was back on the hamster wheel and not sure what I'd do. Felt good in my 2km warm-up so decided to do another threshold run. Well I felt great from the start - and what a contrast to the run less than 24 hours before. Heart rate all good and through 5km in 16:20 and then ran the second half in 16 flat for 32:20 all up (3:14;s). How that can happen is beyond me. Another 14km run.

Already up to 95km for the week with a day to go. I may try a race tomorrow on tired legs as I feel like I'm coming into some form. A couple of local 5km options. Ummmm. Best make this beer I'm having my last.....

Struggle Street

I must have overdone it yesterday. All the running and a late night is too much for this 43 year old body. I did my threshold run on the treadmill late doors and boy was it a struggle. I had to use every trick in the book to keep going. I was firmly parked at the bottom of my threshold zone and every time my heart rate started to rise I would counter by lowering the speed. I covered the 10km in 32:41 (3;16's) which is still quick but it felt like I'd run a marathon. All up 14kms with the uppity up and downity down.

A few beers in the evening to help the legs recover.

Another double

A treadmill recovery run today of 36:02 for 10kms (3:36's). For the first time since Craughwell I felt great and it seemed very easy. Heart rate back to normal.

In the evening I was in Claremorris to take the Mayo AC track session. It's nice to join in with the efforts for the various groups and I ended up running another 9.3kms with a mixture of 800m, 400m and 200m efforts. Not pushing it but it's more running than I am used to!

The old 1km efforts

Another treadmill jobby. A 2km warm-up, then 4 x 30 second strides, then 5 x 1km efforts off 90 seconds in 3 minutes on an incline of 2%. These are tough but just about manageable. I show-boated on the 6th effort running for 3:30. I plan to keep this session going and will step up to 4 minute efforts next week. Finishing up with a 2km warm-down. All up 11 clicks.

Double days

Treadmill threshold run in the morning. A 2km warm-up, then 10km at threshold in 32:26 (3:!5's), finishing with a 2km warm-down.

Out in the evening to take the Tuam AC session. I joined in for some efforts and ended up running another 6.4km easy. The left knee feels really good at the moment and I put that down to more stretching post run.

Determined

I wanted to ramp up the training this week but it was going to be tricky as it was school holidays so I was on child minding duties. That meant more treadmill running....

But today being a holiday meant I could get outside. I ran my Thursday route as a recovery run and added on a bit to get some volume in. All up 17.0kms in 1:04:45 (3:49's). I haven't felt right for the last 2 weeks now and my pace in my recovery zone isn't what it was - still something a little awry. I'll keep plugging away though....

Getting back on track

A full week of training completed. Still not feeling quite right but got all my runs in and had a decent hit-out on Saturday in Kilmovee.

Here's the week:

Mon - 10km recovery run (treadmill) 36:05

Tue - 2km up, 10km threshold 32:49, 2km down (treadmill)

Wed - 2km up, strides, 6 x 3 mins at 2% incline off 90 secs, 2.3km down (treadmill)

Thu - 10km recovery run (treadmill) 35:59

Fri - easy 4.8km 20:58 out of zone

Sat - Kilmovee 10km 32:16 (all up 15.4kms with up/down)

Sun - Claregalway 14.8km recovery run 57:31 (3:54's)

Total for the week 80.0kms.

A great turn out in Kilmovee for the 10km with about 600 lining up at the start. I hit the front and ran a quick first km to open up a lead over John Byrne and then it was all about staying strong whilst in time trial mode. Conditions were nice and still and quite warm and by the time I reached 5km in 15:48 I was just about done. The second half was a real struggle but i was determined to keep pushing on as I wanted to break the course record and going into the last km I knew it was going to be touch and go as there is a very nasty hill to negotiate. At the top of the hill I put in a huge effort and managed to cross the line in 32:17 for a 3 second course record and another win. I really enjoyed the day but knew from how I was feeling and my high HR that the body still isn't quite right. But to run my 3rd quickest 10km ever when not on top of my game isn't half bad! Much kudos to the organisers of this race - it's a real cracker with just about everyone in the local community is involved.

Here's a photo of me crossing the line:

Sick week

Didn't feel right as of Monday. Gradually deteriorated throughout the week and by Friday I was in full rest mode. Did a return run on Sunday just for sanity's sake. Here's the summary:

Mon - Claregalway 11.1km 43:16 (legs heavy)

Tue - Claregalway 11.1km 42:00

Wed - 2km up, 8km threshold 25:53, 2km down

Thu - Claregalway 9.5km 39:05

Fri/Sat - Rest

Sun - Treadmill 10km 38:39

The Wednesday run was a sure fire sign I wasn't feeling well. The heart rate was much higher than normal (pace slower) and 8km into my threshold run I was toast. So a week with no real sessions in there but these things happen. Hoping to get back into it next week.

Total for the week 53.7kms...

Craughwell 10 miler

This was my 5th time of running the C10. I ran my 10 mile PB here back in 2011 where I had a ding-dong battle with Paul Buckley. That was probably my favourite 'race' of all time as we swapped the lead many times but he got away from me in the last 2 miles. I ended up running 53:20. Since then I've ran 53:33 in 2012, 55:14 in 2013 and 54:02 last year. Pretty consistent times but was hoping that I could have a big race today and maybe dip under 53....

Traning-wise I was happy though a little underdone. I knew I'd be good until around 8 miles, and then the last couple were going to hurt. My plan was to run the first 10km in 32:45 and then hang on. My best times on this course were all negative splits and the way the breeze was blowing today it was going to be a tough first few miles, with a friendlier run home. That worked well for me.

A few kms warm-up and then lined up for the start. Mick Clohisey was the stand-out runner - with a big group of Raheny green and whites for company. The race started (one of the weirdest starts I can recall - we all looked at each other as if to say "was that the start?"). And we were off...

Mick hit the lead and I went straight into second. Nobody went with me so within 400m and I was in no-mans land. It was going to be a 10 mile time trial. I felt good from the start and despite running into the breeze you get a nice downhill to get the revs up. My watch was set to 1km auto-lap so I had the updates from the watch each km, and I was manually keeping an eye on my mile splits by making a note of the time as I passed each mile marker,

After the first mile it was starting to get a bit tougher and you could certainly notice the breeze. Mick was already a good way up the road and I'd opened up a decent gap. I knew if I could run a solid first few miles it was going to get easier. The course is tough but fair - a few drags here and there where I really focused on keeping my cadence high and I knew from my km splits that my time was okay.

At around 3 and a half miles we took a right turn and it got a lot easier - I could feel my pace lift straight away. It was all about keeping focused and ticking off the miles. On reaching half way I looked at the watch and I was around 26:30 and I knew I could run the second half quicker. Just had to do it. After another right turn it got easier again and I really started to motor. My km splits were well under target time but in the back of my mind was the nagging doubt of the wheels coming off at some point. Through 6 miles and still felt great and then crossed the 10km point in 32:41 so I had a bit of time on my side....

It was a shade over 6kms to go and I knew if I could hold 3:20/km pace I had a new PB. That's pretty much what happened - I was on the km countdown and my splits were all good. If I ran a slow one the next one would bounce back to get me back on track. Just before 8 miles we took another right turn and this is the twisty part of the course - a small country lane. No support whatsoever down there and I was glad to take a left hand turn back onto the main road and I got a good lift from the supporters on that last mile and a half stretch back up to the finish. I was still feeling okay and I really attacked and lifted the pace and felt very strong right up to the finish line where I recorded a new PB of 52:41 for second place. That's 5:16/mile pace or 3:16/km pace so a very solid race.

Well done to Mick who won in classy 49:29 (on tired marathon training legs). He'll have a super run in Rotterdam in 3 weeks time when he freshens up. The Raheny lads then filled up the next 4 spots and then a few more familiar local faces started to filter through the finish. All in all a great day and I was delighted how I ran as I felt in control the whole way.

Here are the km splits:

3:04 / 3:19 / 3:25 / 3:18 / 3:19 / 3:26 / 3:13 / 3:18 (8km in 26:22) / 3:09 / 3:10 (10km in 32:41) / 3:22 / 3:14 / 3:14 / 3:17 / 3:24 / 3:08 (16km in 52:19 - second 8km in 25:57) / 0:22. Finish 52:41.

That's 87.9kms for the week. According to McMillan that's my best ever run - any distance so that's extra pleasing. It still doesn't give me the sub 70 minute half though (70:16) but I'm sure it's there or thereabouts....

Mon to Sat

Here's the first 6 days of the week:

Mon - Treadmill 10km recovery run 35:59 (3:36's)

Tue - 2.0km up, 12km threshold 39:51 (3:19's), 2.3km down (outdoors)

Wed - Claregalway 11.1km recovery run 40:34 (3:39's)

Thu - 2.0km up, strides, 6 x 1km at 3:00/km pace (2% incline - recovery 90 secs), 2.3km down

Fri - Claregalway 12.6km recovery run (3:46's)

Sat - Claregalway 5.0km out of zone 21:17 (4:15's)

A good couple of sessions there - a very encouraging outdoor threshold run on St Patrick's day in perfect running weather. That's 51 seconds quicker than the previous week. So much more benefit getting the runs completed outside as compared to the treadmill - I feel a lot stronger as a result.

A repeat of my speed session on Thursday from last week. I was at the top of my threshold zone and dipped into the tempo zone towards the end of the session. Felt much more comfortable this week so I think I'll keep doing this session but lengthen the reps slightly.

Hitting my zones and found it much easier to get into the zones this week - you won't hear me saying that very often. I think that 3,000m lifted my heart rate to new levels and anything below that suddenly seems a lot more manageable.

Left knee still giving me some grief. Lots of stretching and foam rolling and all that - if I could only get it fixed once and for all I'd really put in a good block of training....

Craughwell 10 tomorrow. If I can maintain the pace from the run on Tuesday for another 4.1kms I'll be in with a PB shout....

Masters gold medal

Another week to report:

Mon - Treadmill 10km recovery in 36:13 (3:37's)

Tue - 2km up, 12km threshold in 40:42 (3:24's), 2km down

Wed - 2km up, strides, 6 x 3 mins at 3:00/km pace/2% incline, 2km down

Thu -  Treadmill 10km recovery in 36:12 (3:37's)

Fri - Claregalway recovery run 14.8km in 54:39 (3:42's)

Sat - Claregalway 9.5km in 38:58 out of zone (4:06's)

Sun - Masters indoors 3,000m gold in 8:56 (all up 6.6kms)

Total for the week 78.0kms.

A good outdoor threshold run on Tuesday but died a bit the last 4km. A speed session on the treadmill running 1km reps in 3:00 on 2% incline off 90 seconds recovery the next day. Then the indoors on Sunday. I went out to the front and ran the first km in 2:58. Started to feel it towards the end of the second km (2;59) and was overtaken by a V35 runner who I couldn't respond to. Managed to hold the pace until the finish but had no zip to finish really strong (last km 2;59), A good run and nice to win this the V40 category for the third year on the trot, Great to run on the indoor track as well and really enjoyed it.

Craughwell 10 miler next week.....

Just not happening

Here's another week:

Mon - 9.5kms recovery run in 36:21 (3:50's)

Tue - 2km up, 10km threshold 32:15, 2km down

Wed - 2km up, 4 x 30 sec strides, 6 x 3 mins tempo, 2km down

Thu - treadmill recovery run 10km 36:10 (3:37's)

Fri - gentle 20 mins out of zone plus strides

Sat - Kinvara 10km 2nd in 33:19

Sun - 14.8km recovery run in 55:53 (3:47's)

I ran some 3 minute efforts on the treadmill on Wednesday. I started out at 3:00/km pace at 1.5% incline and got quicker each rep. A tough workout but the heart rate just not getting high enough...

The race on Saturday was another tough one. Very windy and the first 5.5km of the race was challenging. Then felt great for the run home with the help of the wind. A sponsored athlete was over from Wales and he won in a classy 31:17. He was a sub 30 minute guy (3:38 for 1500) and even he found it tough. I'd say I'm in a minute better shape than 33:19 but just not getting good conditions for quick times....

I'll keep plugging away. Masters indoors next weekend - I've entered the 3,000m and I also have the option to double up in the 1,500......

Just like that

The week just gone:

Mon - Treadmill recovery run 10km 36:41

Tue - 2km up, 10km threshold 32:29, 2km down

Wed - 2km up, 10km threshold 32:30, 2km down

Thu - Treadmill recovery run 10km 36:20

Fri - 2km up, 2 x 3km tempo 8:57 and 8:52, 2km down

Sat - Treadmill recovery run 10km 35:59

Sun - 2km up, 14km threshold 45:07, 2km down (went through 10km in 32:17...)

Total 86.0kms for the week.

A good week all in all. Three threshold runs and tried to up the pace a little and get a bit higher up my threshold zone. And my first tempo session in yonks (maybe since last November?), I was happy with that - both 3km efforts nicely under 9 minutes and was certainly working hard but that heart rate wasn't going as high as I'd like. But it was a start. I may try a sub 15 minute 5km next week for something different...

All the above were treadmill runs due to very poor weather. I need to get outdoors. The paces are very flattering and I reckon I'm 6 or 7 seconds per km quicker on the treadmill compared to perfect outdoor conditions.

Knee still not right ever since the XC. Going for a rub tomorrow. It's fine when running but aches a lot post run. Something I'm going to have to live with for a while I'd say.

Other than that very busy with the lactate testing. Plus I've started taking a track session in Claremorris on Thursday evenings which is great fun. Still playing snooker once a week and actually played okay on Wednesday for the first time in a while (high break of 36 but kept missing the key balls). Darts are also going well - doing a bit more practise and that's what it's all about. Beer intake steady but room for improvement....

Another week done....

Quick summary:

Mon - Treadmill 10km recovery 37:02

Tue - Treadmill 10km recovery 35:55

Wed - 2km up, 10km threshold 32:36, 2km down

Thu - 2km up, 10km threshold 32:36, 2km down

Fri - 2km up, 10km threshold 32:36, 2km down

Sat - Claregalway 9.5km easy run 37:42

Sun - Kilconeiron 5m road race. First in 27:22. All up 18.4kms with up/down.

Total 89.9kms for the week.

The race on Sunday was really tough. Very windy especially in the middle section of the course which was very exposed. I lost the will to live at one point and was grinding away going nowhere. This was on a course where I've ran 25:46 and I'm arguably in better shape now! Another win and a great charity event. Onwards and upwards - I'm getting slower each race I do at the moment which isn't a nice trend!

Gorgeous Gort 8km

This turned out to be an action replay of last year. In tougher conditions...

I warmed up with Owen and we made our way down to the start for the 1:30pm off. The race was soon underway and I was a little disappointed not to see any tractors parked on the high street this year as we made our way through town. A left turn and then it got a whole lot tougher as we were then running into a stiff breeze.

I'd opened up a bit of a lead and any thought of getting a bit of a drafting benefit of the lead van were quickly erased as said van was several hundred metres up the road. A couple of tough kilometres followed and then it got a bit easier as the course took another turn to the left. I didn't feel too great - maybe one too many beers the night before; a sore knee; or any other excuse you can think of.

The pace had at least picked up a bit and just before halfway it was time to make another left turn onto the main road just before the half way mark. Now the wind was on the back but that didn't seem to help me much. One of those days where I just felt a bit flat. At around 5km the course took a right turn and then it was time to welcome a lovely tough climb. Then a few more drags before a left turn where the course flattened out a bit.

At 7km there was another speed bump just to keep you honest. Then some welcome downhill back into town. I pushed on as best I could and crossed the line in 26:19 for the win. One year wiser and 15 seconds slower. Progress of the backwards variety!

A very enjoyable run and good to see the same top 3 as last year with my wingman Owen finishing in second place. Credit where it's due to South Galway AC who put on another great event and great to see so many marshals out on the course.

About 14.7kms for the day. And 71.7kms for the week. Pathetic volume but hopefully I can get back into it next week and get some threshold runs under the belt...

Mon to Sat

Here goes:

Mon - recovery run 12.6kms in 46:55 (3:43's). Left knee sore after XC - think I twisted it slightly...

Tue - 2km up, 13.8km threshold 45:10 (3:16's), 1.6km down. All up 17.4kms

Wed - rest. Previous days run was stupid and I was limping around as a result with a very sore knee.

Thu - 7km shuffle on the treadmill. Average HR 111. My zones start at 131 so they were junk miles.

Fri - 10km on treadmill in 37:13. Wound it up a bit and knee feeling a little stronger.

Sat - 10km treadmill in 36:36. In recovery zone and good to race tomorrow.

The week that was

Sorry for short updates....

Mon - 11.1km recovery run 41:37 (3:45's)

Tue - 2km up, 13.9km threshold run 45:06 (3:15), 1.6km down. All up 17.5kms

Wed - 11.1km recovery run 41:06 (3:42's)

Thu - 2km up, 10.0km threshold run 32:19 (3:14), 1.0km down. All up 13.0kms

Fri - 10.0km recovery run 35:58 (3:36's)

Sat - Rest

Sun - National Masters XC - 4km up, 7km race, no warm-down...

I had a very solid run in the XC. Conditions were perfect for me - nice and cold and fairly solid ground (not a mud bath). Lots of twists and turns and undulations and good fun to race on. One small lap of 1km and then 4 more laps of 1.5km. I settled into the lead group for the first couple of kms and was feeling great but lost a bit of ground in the middle of the race where I should have pushed on. I then finished the last couple of laps strongly and pegged back a few places to finish 10th overall and 3rd in the V40 category. Great to get a national medal at XC but looking back I think I could have done a bit better if I'd really pushed it in the middle section. Looking at the results I was only 16 seconds behind 3rd place and I committed the cardinal sin of falling off the back of the lead group. That wouldn't have happened on the road so I need to learn from it.

Here is a great snap:

That's 73.7kms for the week. Doing okay at the moment and building nicely towards some goal races in March.

Weekly Update

The week that was:

Mon - 11.1kms recovery run 42:00 (3:47/km)

Tue - 2km up, 13.7km threshold run 45:11 (3:18/km), 2km down, Total 17.7kms.

Wed - 10.0km treadmill recovery run 35:57 (3:36/km)

Thu - 2km up, 13.9km threshold run 45:06 (3:15/km), 1.6km down, Total 17.5kms.

Fri - 11.1kms recovery run 41:55 (3:47/km)

Sat - 10.0km  treadmill recovery run 36:31 (3:39/km)

Sun - 2km up, 14.0km threshold run 45:08 (3:13/km), 2.0km down, Total 18.0kms.

Total 95.4kms for the week.

Three good threshold runs in there (all treadmill). Pace getting quicker each time so that's a good sign. Happy with my progress.

Next week - more of the same with the National Masters XC in Tuam on the weekend.

Dad arrived Wednesday so a few visits to the pub to report.

Getting there

The week of the treadmill runs....another threshold. Pushed it for 10km (32:50) and then pulled back a bit and ended up running 13.7kms in 45:07 (3:18's). The last 9 minutes were getting tough - so I took the easy option and lowered the incline and pulled back the speed.

That's about what I was doing in the build up to the half last year so I think I'm getting back to where I was. That's 8 threshold runs completed now in the last 3 weeks and I guess I have to keep building them up until I get back to an hour.

88.4kms for the week.

Busy day

Busy with work and squeezed in another treadmill run in the evening. Pushed it a bit today but still well into the recovery zone. Time 35:57 for 10km (3:36's).

A few beers in the evening.

Yawn

The treadmill runs continue. 10km recovery in 37:09 (3:43's).

Getting it up there

2km up, 10km threshold, 1.6km down. All up 13.6kms on the treadmill.

Getting tougher to get into that threshold zone - a sure sign the fitness is coming back. 33:09 for the 10km.

Out

Outside recovery run 11.1kms in 42:53 (3:52's).

40 mins

A longer treadmill threshold run today. A total of 12kms in 39:47 (3:19's). I felt pretty good up until about 35 mins and then I was hanging on at the end. Heart rate getting up there also - a good bit higher than normal.

All up 16kms.

Back into training

Treadmill 10km recovery run of 37:11 (3:43's). Legs not too bad after the race but pace a bit down on normal so that shows I was perhaps a bit tired.

I had a look at my HR data from the race yesterday. Could do better. I didn't even get into my tempo zone. That's not good.

Tuam 8km

A good crowd for this and pretty good conditions. After a 3.1km warm-up it was time to line up for the start. The horn sounded and Gary Thornton took the lead, with another guy in quick pursuit leaving me back in third.

That soon changed and midway through the first km I had moved up into second with Gary disappearing up the road. That's pretty much how it remained. I felt great for the first 4 kms and I was running sub 3:10 pace feeling like I could hold that for the full 8km. Then we took a few left hand turns and started running into quite a stiff breeze and I decided to slip into a pair of lead boots.

A very tough run home. Especially the long section on the main road. I finished in 25:53 after being 12:30 at 4km so a big positive split. The effort level was consistent but the breeze had me beat today. Still a good result finishing second to Gary who ran 24:34.

A 3.2km warm-down to give me 14.3kms for the day. That time is probably a fair reflection of where I'm at right now. More time needed in that threshold zone to get the strength and speed back up to where it was.

That's 75.3kms for the week. I love racing and really enjoyed that today. I think I need to race a bit more this year.

Well done to Shaun Murphy for winning the Masters. I didn't give him a hope against Robertson in the final and he won easily defeating the Aussie 10-2.

No zone today

Gentle 20 minute run on the treadmill (quite late in the evening). Only 4.4 kms and felt very slow. Tuam AC 8km run tomorrow.

Beer intake suffering due to work

Outside for a change for my usual 11.1km recovery loop in 42:26 (3:49's). Not much else happening - no darts this evening as a busy day of testing tomorrow. Just watching the snooker as you do.

Sub 33

Short of time bit squeezed in a 10km threshold in 32:56 (3:18's). Again a bit quicker and the first sub 33 threshold 10km for a while.

Only 12kms today in total with a short warm-up and down.

Treadmill 1, Bad weather 0

Treadmill recovery 10km in 36:25 (3:39's). Again getting quicker in that recovery zone.

Quicker pace at same effort level

Threshold 10km on the treadmill in 33:10 (3:19's). A bit quicker than last week so getting a bit fitter. Still a long way to go. All up 13kms.

Keep it going

Outside recovery run 11.1kms in 42:14 (3:48's).

Oh no he doesn't.....

Another 10km threshold run in 33:30, All up 13kms with the up/down.

That's 90.9km for the week. Four threshold runs done. I reckon it will be 6 weeks at least before I get back to where I was at the end of November....

Pizza and then the annual pantomime with the kids in the afternoon. Good fun.

Apologies

Treadmill 10km recovery run in 36:51 (3:41's).

Apologies about the infrequent blog updates - no coincidence that me getting busy at work is impacting my spare time!

Masters snooker starts today. Marco Fu hits a 147 to get things underway!

130

Another 10km threshold run today in 33:40 (3:22's). Slower today but felt really tired....

I had to turn out for the darts team as they were short of numbers. I won both my pairs and singles which was a miracle considering I've hardly picked up a dart in the last month. The highlight was a 130 checkout to win my singles finishing on the bull (20-60-50). The highest checkout of the league this season!

Pairs

Myself and Fintan - cold again but lovely for running once you got going. All up 14.8kms in 56:22 (3:49's).

I talked about threshold testing and Fintan couldn't talk...which is nice...

Pattern

Same run as Monday - this time threshold 10km in 33:23 (3:20's). A bit quicker but heart rate a bit higher.

I plan to run 3 or 4 of these a week for a couple of weeks and then start to up the volume (and get back outside on the road).

Chilly

Outside run of 11.1kms in 41:54 (3:46's). Cold but went well and legs didn't feel too bad.

Threshold return

My first threshold run since late November. Being a softy I eased myself back in on the treadmill.

Typical routine. A 2km warm-up, then 10kms at threshold (starting at 1.5% gradient and then lowering to 1% after around 6 or 7 minutes). Then 2km to finish with.

The threshold segment was completed in 33:30 (3:21's). They don't get any easier - but the thing I noticed was that I got in my zone a lot quicker today (around 5 mins). Normally it takes a lot longer so another sign I've gone backwards. But it's a start...

The Flying Scotsman

Outdoors today to finish off the week. A total of 14.8kms in 56:22 (3:49's). My pace has slowed to get into my recovery zone and that's a clear indication that my general fitness has gone backwards. Back into it starting tomorrow...

Watched the darts final in the evening. A great game and really pleased that my tip Gary Anderson won his first world crown. Super viewing.

A couple of three

A short treadmill run of 8kms. Was planning longer but felt very tired. Time 30:26 (3:48's).

No dry January for me this year. A few beers here and there just to keep the joints lubricated.

Last few days of being lazy

Treadmill recovery run of 10kms in 36:28 (3:39's). Legs felt good and didn't feel the race in them at all. Perhaps I didn't push myself enough!

Here are a photos from the slog yesterday (thanks Jane). The first one is just before 2km I'd say. the second photo is at the finish at the Spanish Arch. The third one is the podium. Keith a low 1:50 800m runner and Jamie a 15:04 5,000m runner so not too shabby! I like my race number (think darts).

Resolution Run 5km

Nasty conditions for this run. Wet and very windy. Did a bit of a warm-up and lined up at the start. Lots of young guns to chase so was looking forward to a decent hit-out. The race was soon underway and I found myself in the lead group of 4 running directly into the wind.

I didn't really know the course but that initial starting 800m was very tough. Then we took a left hand turn and then we had the benefit of the wind. I put in a bit of a surge to mix things up but that didn't do too much damage with the group still staying together.

Through 2km and we were running along by the canal. Wasn't feeling great here but wasn't losing any ground and then a few right turns round by the cathedral and the car park. Keith was doing most of the running by this stage and I was hanging on with Jamie also looking good. Perhaps the group was down to 3 by this stage and I know if it came down to a sprint finish I'd be in trouble!

Then the long climb up Shop St and a right turn at Eyre Square. Still not much between us all and I think I made another move around this point but as we passed 4km and took a right hand turn towards the docks. After rounding this corner I was hardly moving. A very tough head-wind and despite a big effort, being over 6ft tall and with wide shoulders I had the aerodynamics of a bus.

Keith took up the running again with Jamie in pursuit with me now in 3rd. Some traffic to deal with and we were single file down a narrow strip of road with cars queueing in traffic. A left hand turn and Keith kicked for home. Jamie went also and I was doing my best impression of a sail in third. Having resigned to finish third I rounded the last corner and detected that Jamie was slowing a bit. I put in one final sprint but Jamie responded straight away so I backed off again and wound down the last 100m to finish 3rd in 15:53. Keith took the win in 15:45 with Jamie in second in 15:49.

Great to have a race instead of a time trial and those times weren't bad going in what must have been close to gale force winds. Well done to Keith and Jamie. That gives me the kick up the behind to get back training now!

All up 10.5kms with warm-up and down.

2014 Yearly Review

A gentle 4.4kms today in 20:08. Race 5km tomorrow.

This year I've ran 4,743.2kms. That's 13kms per day or 91kms per week! That's my biggest every yearly volume (previous best 4,649.1kms in 2012) and certainly my best year performance-wise.

A total of 5 PB's this year - improving my 5km time from 15:33 down to 15:23. Lowering my 10km time 3 times from 32:23 to 32:20, and then down to 31:59 and finally down to 31:42. Plus a new half marathon PB of 1:10:31 - a 45 second improvement on my old best from 2011. After 2 years of no PB's it all started happening April after I started the lactate training!

This year I've ran 21 road races. A total of 16 wins, one second, two thirds, a fifth and a sixth. A total race volume of 208.3kms at a average pace of 3:20/km. Not bad.

I'll pick my 5 favourite races of the year and do a quick write-up. Just need to have a bit of a think first....

Happy New Year to all and hope that 2015 is a cracker! Cheers!

Beer/darts

Busy day of testing so only managed to squeeze in a short treadmill run - 8.1kms in 30:08 (3:43's).

Out in the evening for a few beers with Mike. Plus to watch the darts (brilliant BTW with 3 very close games). One of my tips Wade didn't show up the other day and is out. But Anderson looks very solid!

Sub 37

Another treadmill 10km in 36:58 (3:42's).

Long run with company

Out to Clarinbridge to run with Barry, Sean and Owen. Minus 3 degrees at the start and very slippery in patches but once we got going it wasn't too bad. All up 19.1kms in 1:16:17 (4:00/km).

Not in my recovery zone (strap wasn't working anyway) but nice to run and have a bit of a chat.

All up 76.9kms for the week.

Proper training to resume in the New Year.......

Please let the party season be over soon...

Treadmill 10kms in 37:26 (3:45's). A recovery run  - not to recover from yesterday's race but to recover from the rake of beers I had afterwards....

Fields of Athenry 10km

A bit of a stinker of a day. Cold, wet and miserable. Arrived and did a few miles warm-up but was still very cold. Lined up at the start and soon we were underway...

The plan was to run the first half in under 16 minutes and then hang on. We certainly had the benefit of the wind the first half of the race and whilst the 2 leaders (Mick Clohissey and Sean Hehir) disappeared up the road, to my surprise I was left alone in 3rd place with no company...

The kms were ticking by but I was still very cold and couldn't feel my hands. The pace was okay but it wasn't really happening. A left hand turn around 4km and then the run up to the halfway point. I passed the clock in around 16 minutes but the marker was a bit further down the road and I think at this point I lost my focus. Just get to the finish and back in the dry!

The run home was certainly tougher. Into the wind and a few drags to contend with. Plus a few areas where you had to plough straight through some flooded sections of road. By the time I reached 9km I was done and I coasted home using the nice downhill trying to soak up the finish as much as possible.

I crossed the line in 32:46 for 3rd place with Mick taking the win and Sean in 2nd. My best finish in this race and my best time but in all honesty I had a poor run. I just didn't have the fight today. That said my preparation was far from perfect!

A few kms warm-down with Gerry to give me 17.2kms for the day. Back inside to change into warm clothes and for the presentation. I never seem to run well on this course but you can't help but really enjoy the event. Over 1,200 people turning out on a rough old day but that certainly didn't dampen the spirits. Well done to Athenry AC for hosting the most popular 10km in the West.

Here's me on the podium with 2 of the finest runners in Ireland - gotta be happy with that!

Happy Christmas!

No running!

Family day playing Lego and Nintendo. Eating and drinking plenty. Stopped drinking the beers at 7pm as I have a race tomorrow!

More outside

35:54 for 9.5kms (3:47's). More recovery.

A few too many beers in the evening...................

Outside

11.1kms in 40:18 (3;38's). Probably my best recovery run of the year. Felt great.

James or Gary

Ugly weather at the moment so more treadmill running. Time 37:16 for 10.0kms and having to get well under 3:40/km pace on 1% gradient just to get in my recovery zone.

Hopefully fitness can be maintained until the New Year when I'll have to pick a few more races to target. Top of the list will be another half marathon.

Loving the World Championship darts on the TV. I'm going for either James Wade or Gary Anderson.

Weekly catch-up

More recovery running this week. Just lost a bit of mojo and going through the motions. Difficult to keep it going this time of year - especially being party season.

Mon - 11.1kms in 42:29 (3:50's)
Tue - 10.0kms in 37:51 (3:47's) - treadmill
Wed - 14.8kms in 56:59 (3:51's) - with Fintan
Thu - 10.0kms in 37:27 (3:45's) - treadmill
Fri - 9.0kms in 33:38 (3:44's) - treadmill
Sat - 14.8kms in 58:41 (3:58's) - hungover
Sun - 10.7kms in 40:00 (3:44's) - hungover treadmill

Total 80.4kms

On the social front it was snooker Wednesday (highest break 39), Christmas Party Saturday and lads night out Sunday.

Ballinderreen 10km

Woke up and could hear the wind and rain outside. Initial thought was that it wasn't going to be a good day for running. How wrong.

By lunchtime the weather had cleared. Still quite breezy but no rain. Arrived at registration and did a warm-up with Mike and was looking forward to having a good hit-out. The plan was to try and run sub 16 for the first 5km. If that happened I'd go for it; if not I'd pull back.

The race started and I took the lead. It's a quick first km and nobody went with me and I felt great following the lead cyclist. The first km arrived and I left the watch on auto-lap and I got the beep with my split just as I passed the first marker in 2:57, Game on.

I settled into my running and it was all about focus. The road narrowed and I was concentrating on keeping the legs ticking over. The cyclist was doing a great job and would signal all the turns coming up - all I had to do was keep running hard, Another good split at 2km (3:09) and I was well under 32 pace so good to get some time in the bank.

The next few kms didn't seem to pass that quickly and I don't have much recollection of any details of the course. I knew by my splits though that I was still going well and at 4km I was 12:30 so barring a disaster the sub 16 goal for halfway was definitely on. Soon onto the main road and then a lovely downhill section on the cycle path that flattened out but was still quick. Halfway came and went in 15:41 so it was time to get down to business...

A tough section after turning left - maybe a short drag and a section into the wind and the thought of the wheels coming off. But another turn and then back into it and although the 6th km was slow (3;16), I knew I still had time in the bank and a good section of course to come.

Back firing through the next 2kms - nice and flat and the wind wasn't a factor and with a 3:10 and then a 3:11 it was all about hanging on. The 9th km has a bit of a drag and perhaps I was saving myself a bit for the run home but the split was still okay (3:15) and it was time to lift the pace for the run home.

You always seem to find something at the end and despite feeling the pinch, I started to wind it up as I spotted the bollards near the finish. That finishing chute seemed to last forever but I eventually crossed the line in 31:42 for the win and a 17 second PB. Job done.

Very happy with that - and certainly not what I expected. A great course and I don't think you'll find a quicker one in County Galway. Conditions were good but perhaps not ideal so with the right day and some company I reckon I can improve on that!

A warm-down with the lads and then back to the hall for the presentation. Some great performances by other Harriers today with lots of PB's! The perfect day! And Spurs won! Now beers!

All up 16.0kms for the day and 75.6kms for the week, I may keep this recovery running going now until the Fields of Athenry on Dec 26th!

Testing

Busy day of lactate threshold testing with 4 appointments so no time to run. Great fun putting people through their paces and some good quality on show today!

4 beers and lots of crisps. Ballinderreen 10km tomorrow!

The wingman and I

Run with Fintan. Back outside and a bit of a cold one but it was dry albeit a little breezy.

Total of 14.8kms in 55:51 (3:46's). A bit slower than last week but conditions weren't as good. Still throwing in plenty of sub 3:40's at the end.

Treadmill #3

Not feeling great - bit of a cold and generally not quite firing.

Still got into my zone but didn't push it at all today - 10km in 38:13 (3:49's).

Treadmill #2

10km in 37:39 (3:46's). Plus 5 lots of strides at the end (20 seconds each time).

Treadmill #1

The weather has turned so back on the treadmill. Gradually wound up the pace and into that recovery zone by around 4km. Total 10kms in 37:58 (3:48's).

Third week of RR

I think another week of recovery running is in order.....hopefully maintaining fitness without doing the killer threshold runs.

Legs felt good today. 14.8kms in 55:27 (3:45's).

Turkey Trot 5km

Very cold today and a stiff breeze. I did a few kms warm-up and then lined up at the start. We were into the wind for the first half of the race, and then had the benefit coming back.

A tough start - I hit the lead and pushed on but was struggling a little. Through the first km and then mid-way through the second km we turned left onto the Lydican Road and that was also tough going. Just through the second km it was a right hand turn and then it was a long uphill drag. At the top it got a lot easier and it was nice to hammer the downhill section passing through the third km.

Splits to this point were slow so I knew I'd have to lift the pace for the run home if I was to break 16 minutes. Even though the wind was now helping there were some small drags and I was going through the motions a bit. I ran the last km hard and managed to cross the finish line in 15:52 for the win. My quickest time on this course and a new course record but I was hoping I'd run 20 seconds quicker. Next time.

A bit of a warm-down and then back to the clubhouse for the presentation and a welcome hot drink. I do like this race and I haven't missed it since its inception in 2010. With around 200 participants it is going from strength to strength.

A few more beers in the evening. I'm not sure what to read into that performance - I don't think I've lost any fitness but I did feel a little flat today. I'll have another hit-out next weekend in the 10km as I think that will suit me more.

That's 77.4kms for the week.......splits for the race were 3:11 / 3:13 / 3:17 / 3:10 / 3:01. Total 15:52.

Snooker in the evening was great. Ronnie went 9-4 up only for Judd to peg it back to 9-9. Then in the deciding frame Ronnie lays a superb snooker and gets in to get the match winning break. A real nerve jangler but great viewing.

Gentle trot

Easy run on the treadmill just to turn the legs over - I'm going to race the Turkey Trot 5km tomorrow so nothing too taxing.

A few beers in the evening watching the snooker. A Ronnie v Judd final tomorrow.

Darts night

11.1kms in 40:57 (3:41's).

Darts in the evening. I won both my pairs and singles. I hit a 180 in the deciding leg of the singles to give me a bit of breathing space on the doubles. Overall we won 7-2. Just the 2am finish....

Ronnie 147

A short 9.5kms in 36:23 (3:50's).

Watched the snooker in the evening with Ronnie beating Matthew Selt 6-0 in the UK Champs. And in the last frame he hit his 13th 147 of his career. What a break it was. Playing with a broken ankle and nobody can touch him....

Wingman run

Another run with Fintan. Started slow but the pace soon picked up after the first 2km and we were ticking along very nicely at sub 3:40/km pace for the guts of the run.

All up 14.8kms in 55:24 (3:45's). Fintan sounded a lot healthier this week.

Snooker in the evening. Played well in patches - had lots of chances for a decent break but kept missing silly shots....

Boring

Still no session. Might just keep this recovery running going for another week as I still don't feel quite right.

Today back outside - 11.1kms in 43:34 (3:55's). That was a real struggle...

Come on Matt get motivated

Well after a week of great running weather it was raining so decided to turn the legs over on the treadmill.

Started slow and gradually wound up the pace to get up into that recovery zone for the second half. A total of 10.0kms in around 38:20.

RR#6

Much better today. Same route as yesterday but over 2 and a half minutes quicker.

14.8kms in 54:48 (3:42's). Zone-wise it was perfect.

End of the week. A total of 79.1kms. Must try a few sessions next week.

RR#5

14.8kms in 57:21 (3:53's).......still struggling to hit zone.

Went to watch Ham Sandwich in the evening in the Roisin Dubh. Great venue and a great band. Really enjoyed it.

RR#4

12.5kms in 48:58 (3:55's). Still no good.

RR#3

Another struggle today. 11.1kms in 42:58 (3:52's). One good run, one bad one. Could be a pattern emerging here.

RR#2

14.8kms in 55:45 (3:46's). Much better today though lots of soreness still in the legs. Ran with Fintan and thought he was going to die. I've heard better sounding tractors....

Recovery running

No sessions planned all week. Just recovery running until the legs feel right.

Well they didn't feel right today - an out of zone wobble. Total 11.1kms in 44:36 (4:01's).

Nowt

Woke up feeling far removed from my athletic endeavours the day before (read big drink up yesterday). A bit of a look around the shops and then the long journey back to Galway.

No run - legs in bits as is other parts of my body.

Norwich Half Marathon 2014

Well it was very wet as expected. I delayed my warm-up for as long as possible and got out there about 25 minutes before the race was due to start. A 10 minute gentle run, and then a 3 minute hard effort to lift that heart rate into race mode. Then a quick change of shoes and lined up at the start. Hardly anyone warming up - that's how bad it was...

The race started and 2 sponsored athletes took it out, with 3 others chasing (that includes me), So a nice lead group of 5 as we made our way around the showground. A horrible muddy wet section with ankle deep water in the first mile where I lost about 5m, and then had to work to get back onto the group.

As we exited the showground we passed the first mile marker and the pace was on. I stuck at the back of the group getting some shelter from the wind and was running strongly. I knew the pace was quick but that was okay as long as the HR stayed in my threshold zone. Through the second mile and then a long uphill drag up to mile 3. As we passed a drinks station I checked the HR and it was too high so I had to pull back, If it was a 10km you'd just get on with it but I had to be sensible as there were still 10 miles to go. I watched as the other 4 slowly drift up the road. I had a decent gap on any chasers so it was time-trial mode for which I'm well used to.

Miles 4 and 5 were great. Some lovely long downhills and I was moving well. The course was slightly different this year - in previous years there was a long uphill drag back into the showground. This year it was still the same climb but a much shorter sharper hill - around 500m of lung-busting effort. That pegged me back but I got going again and as I ran into the showground again we had a new section to cover where you were running on long wet grass for what seemed like 400m. Back onto a path and good to get running again but miles 6 and 7 were slow and that wasn't due to lack of effort.

Exiting the showground again for the start of lap 2 and it was tougher now as I had no protection from the elements. I knew 8 and 9 would be tricky but there was the good section to look forward to for miles 10 and 11. I pushed on and felt strong but knew the pace wasn't as quick as the first lap. The splits for 8 and 9 were good and then I made a big effort on the quick part of the course. Through 10 miles in 53:11 (a new PB)  and managed to keep it going well until mile 11, Then it got a lot tougher. Lots of backmarkers to lap by this stage (I reckon I passed 200) and the lanes are quite narrow and with either side of the road flanked by water everyone was running in the middle of the road. When people run 2 a breast it blocks the dry line so you either shout to move people out of the way or run in the water. I tried to shout but not easy when you don't have much spare oxygen.

The sharp climb back into the showground and I was really feeling it. I was passing people but not going that much quicker than those 6 miles behind me. Still plenty of shouts of encouragement which was great. Into the showground at mile 12 and it was all about hanging on. Another section of water/mud with around 1km to go and this time I slipped and went down - I grabbed the fence which prevented a full face dunk but I lost a good bit of momentum and somehow managed to keep it going. The last stretch was tough - there was nobody on the course just one volunteer and I had to ask what the route was. Then just get on with it - a couple more turns and I could see the finish and just ran as hard as I could to cross the line in 1:10:31 for a new PB and 5th position overall.

Happy with the run in those conditions - but I know I can do better. Putting the weather aside it's still a tough enough course so I think I need to find something flatter and faster to have another dig on.

Here are the splits. You can see the tough miles 6, 7 and 12, 13 which cost me the sub 70.

Split       Time      Pace      Avg HR  Max HR

1              05:07.3  03:12     142         152

2              05:05.7  03:11     149         152

3              05:10.6  03:12     160         182

4              05:05.5  03:11     165         186

5              05:18.4  03:16     153         174

6              05:40.5  03:32     147         154

7              05:38.8  03:28     144         157

8              05:26.1  03:23     160         167

9              05:24.9  03:21     148         162

10            05:13.7  03:12     144         146

11            05:20.2  03:19     144         147

12            05:46.8  03:35     146         148

13.1         06:13.8  03:29     146         151

Sum        1:10:32   03:20     150         186

Here's some photos to give you an idea of what it was like:

Travel and gentle 20 minutes

Long trip to Norwich, Then a gentle 20 minute run just to turn the legs over. Out in the pub with a few mates to watch the Arsenal v Man Utd game whilst drinking water. Than an early night. The forecast for tomorrow looks pretty bad - very wet and some wind...

Rest day 2

Another rest day. A couple of lactate tests to do which kept me busy and were good fun. And one beer in the evening just before I went to bed. Up early tomorrow for the trip to Norwich.

Mini session

Treadmill as weather not good. A 3km warm-up then 10 x 30 seconds off 30 seconds. Then a 3km warm-down to finish.

I was running the 30 second efforts at sub 3:10 pace and it felt very comfortable. The heart rate wasn't even getting into my recovery zone during the 30 second effort. Feeling good.

All up 7.6kms.

All good

Tentative start to the run. After 2km there was no reaction so wound up the pace to get into that recovery zone. All up 11.1kms in 40:55 (3:41's).

Can still feel it slightly but no problem me running - probably just a slight strain or nerves as the coach calls it. Bullet dodged.

Rest day 1

No running. Just the drugs and some icing. Can feel it in the Achilles but it's not pulling so think I'll be fine. Will try a run tomorrow.

Ouch

Recovery run. Felt a sharp pain in my lower calf/top of Achilles not long into the run. Pulled back the pace and jogged the rest of the lap as could feel something wasn't right.

All up 11.1kms in 43:29 (3:55's).

Luckily had a massage booked. Had a rub and some dry needling for the first time and don't think it's nothing serious. Just need to rest for a few days and ice and take the old anti-inflams. Frustrating but remain confident.

That's me done

Outside recovery run for 11.1kms in 41:06 (3:42's) - a perfect day for running.

Felt mighty today. A slow first km (4:05) and then into the groove. Running sub 3:40 for a good while and a couple of 3:26's in there on the downhill sections. Feeling really strong and really looking forward to the race now.

That's 106.2kms for the week. Just looking at average pace for the week - and putting in 16kms of warm-up/warm-down running at 4:10/km pace (it's probably quicker) - it works out to 3:34/km for the week. That's pretty solid.

All set now for my nice easy taper week. Just hope the weather gods are kind next Sunday...

Three down

Legs tired and with little mojo it was back on the treadmill to complete the third threshold run. Same drill that I do every time - 2 up, 45:16 zone 2 (13.6kms at 3:20 pace), 2 down. All up 17.6kms.

Didn't feel great throughout and looking at the clock every nano-second didn't help. Glad to see this one through and certainly another good sweat. Legs in bits after so hopefully a nice easy taper week next week to look forward to (hint, hint, coach!).

That's 150 minutes of threshold running in 3 days (45.3kms). No wonder my legs are gawne. I've never trained as hard for any race I've ever done and that includes numerous marathons.

Not much planned for the rest of the day. A homemade chicken vindaloo and maybe a couple of beers. A good recovery diet.

Watching the clock for 60 minutes

More of the same - this time a longer 60 minute threshold run....

2km up, threshold 18.0kms in 60:06 (3:20/km pace), 2km down. Today I hit the bad patch just on 45 minutes so I had 15 minutes to battle through. I was being a bit of a cellar dweller zone-wise today (right at the bottom of the zone) so I took the easy option and lowered the incline to 0.5% for the last 15 minutes which made it a good bit easier.

Still through 10km in 32:59, and 10 miles in 53:40 so not a bad hit-out. Two down, one to go...

Darts in the evening. I won both my pairs and singles but playing pretty average. Just haven't put the practise in this year and it shows...

Run Hold Thresh

A hat-trick of threshold runs and then my training is just about done. Faced with the quandary of should I run outside and not fully hit my zone, or run on the treadmill and get in the zone but have to go through the mind-numbing experience of watching a clock for 45 minutes.....well the latter won.

Why do I find it easier to get in the zone on the treadmill? A few reasons I think - firstly you have to keep up with the belt if not I'd end up on the driveway. Secondly it's a lot warmer indoors and it has you working that bit harder. Plus I wear my normal runners so again I think that makes it a bit tougher. Or it could all be in my head....but boy do I find it hard to get into that threshold zone outside.

2km up, 45 minutes threshold, 2km down. I covered 13.7kms in 45:01 (3:17 pace). Again on 1% incline for the guts of the run. I've noticed that I hit a bad patch on these runs - anywhere between 35 and 45 minutes. It goes from feeling like you're ticking along nicely, then suddenly it feels like you're running really hard uphill (and the HR suddenly jumps so it's not in my head this time). Today it happened on 36 minutes and it was a really tough last 9 minutes.

One down, two to go...

It's all about the knee

Outside for a recovery run. Felt good today and was in zone. Running sub 3:40's for the middle section and it felt like I was jogging. All up 14.8kms in 55:17 (3:44's).

You'll notice I haven't blogged about the knee lately. That's because I don't want to jinx it but it's a lot better. And I mean a big improvement. Still a little bit of pain when I run but almost to the point where you don't notice it. So what fixed it? After focusing all my attention initially on tight quads, then perhaps hip alignment, I've come to the conclusion that it may have been due to tight calves. I now stretch my calves after every run and it seems to have made a world of difference. After over a year of discomfort in the knee I have definitely turned the corner...

4 x 5 mins tempo off 3 mins

A repeat of a session from a fortnight ago. This time a longer recovery but to make up for it I was going to run quicker and using a higher incline (yes I was on the treadmill again).

A 2km warm-up and then 5 lots of strides - quick paced efforts for around 25 seconds each time to get the ticker tocking.

I always tend to be a bit soft on the first rep to gauge how the heart rate will react. I settled for 3:00/km pace on 1.5% incline but going into the last minute I still felt okay so I notched the pace up to 2:58/km. Max HR 151 so a couple of beats down on target (153+).

Second one ran at 2:56/km pace and got the HR up to 154. Same again for reps 3 and 4 (I did add an extra 0.1km/hour to the speed but that still comes in at 2:56/km pace). HR 155 and 156 respectively.

I love doing these quicker sessions on the treadmill. Really focused on nice relaxed breathing and good form and although I was working hard, I was just about in control. I'd say I'd go well on the track at the moment (if the conditions allowed). It's just nice to do some different sessions to the threshold runs (talking of which I have 3 planned this week Thu/Fri/Sat...).

A 2km warm-down for 10.8km all up.

Weather bad so....

Treadmill recovery run. Gradual increase of pace and incline to get into first gear (zone 1). It took me a good 15 minutes to get there but once in it was easy to hold. All up 12.2kms in 45:11 (3:42/km pace). Running at around 3:35 pace for the guts of the run and went through 10km in just over 37 minutes.

Forgot to mention the snooker yesterday. Nice to see Ronnie pick up another title in the Champion of Champions. Fantastic standard of snooker in the final. He's still the best in the business.

Not as good today

Another threshold run to finish the week off. Outside this time and it was wet and windy but I wanted to give it a good effort.

A 2km warm-up and then straight into threshold mode. The plan was to run 17kms hard and hopefully that would see me up in zone 2. After a quick start it gradually became apparent that there was no zip in the legs today - I struggled when I hit the wind and never made the time back in the second half of the run. I clocked 58:50 for the 17kms (3:28's) so still a decent effort but zone-wise the heart rate wasn't up high enough.

A bit disappointed with that - but it could be down to a number of factors - more likely the 3 tough runs in the previous 3 days, Plus I still feel a little under the weather.

All up 107.5kms for the week. I've averaged over 100kms the last 8 weeks and 98kms per week over the last 16 weeks so some decent mileage. One more decent week next week and then it's taper time.

3 x 10 minutes threshold

My 3rd treadmill run on the spin. Usual 2km warm-up and then into 3 long 10 minute efforts with the aim to get up into that tempo zone (next zone up from threshold). My zone target was 153 to 162.

I used incline during the efforts - starting at 1.5% and then lowering to 1.0% when that felt tough. I perhaps didn't push the first one enough and I was only at HR 152 by the end of the first 10 minutes (covering 3.24kms or 3:05/km pace).

Second one was much better - started quicker and hot the zone no problem. Clocked up 3.3kms (3:02/km pace). Max HR 154.

Last one much the same as the previous one except the heat rate went a little higher. Again 3.3kms at 3:02/km pace. Max HR 156.

Total 9.84kms in the 30 minutes. 

I was getting a massive 5 minutes recovery between efforts which helps. Felt good today - could have pumped out another one I'd say.

A 1km warm-down and that gives me 12.8kms for the day. Really enjoyed that session.

Out in the evening to Dublin to watch The Wedding Present play. Brilliant. They never disappoint. I was front and centre and even did a bit of moshing. Just like the good old days:

Copy

Same run as yesterday. Covered an extra 100m in the 45 minute threshold and that's about the only difference. Total 17.7kms. Feeling marginally better.

45 minute threshold

Awful weather so treadmill it was. 2km up, 45 mins threshold (13.6km), 2km down. All up 17.6kms.

Despite not feeling great the run went pretty well. The heart rate was slightly higher than normal, and the pace was marginally down. Job done. More of the same tomorrow.

Final recovery then back into it

12.6kms in 47:59 (3:48's).

Definitely not feeling myself at the moment. Backed off a little today and it was a bit out of zone-ish. I'll see how I am tomorrow...

Recovery run with Fintan

Distance 14.8kms in 58:10 (3:56's). A bit slower than normal but still in my zone. Not sure how that is - maybe I'm not feeling quite right? Or it could have been all the chatting I was doing? Good to run with some company for a change!

Splits

Legs were understandably a little tender today. Recovery running for a few days. Distance 11.1kms in 42:59 (3:52's).

Here are my 5km splits from yesterday:

5km 17:01
5km 16:50 (33:51)
5km 16:29
5km 16:43 (33:12)
1.1km 03:42

Total 1:10:45

Half PB?

Another long threshold run today - basically a replica of the run I did 2 weeks back in just over 1hr 12 minutes.

Conditions were cold, a bit damp and quite windy. I did my 2km warm-up and then straight into it. The first 4km was straight into the wind and was tough going - then as I changed direction it got a lot easier. I was consistently running sub 3:30/kms for the first 5km but then for the middle 10kms I was running consistent 3:20's and it felt effortless. The last 6km it was a bit tougher as I was hitting the wind again but the pace didn't really drop much. I felt really strong until the last couple of kms but the wheels were still ok. All up 21.1kms in 1:10:45 (3:21's). A PB which I can't really claim.

Certainly a great confidence booster 3 weeks before my target half. I'd say there is more to come effort wise as it always felt like I had an extra gear today which is nice to have when racing so you can drop in the surges.

A slow 1.6km warm-down to give me 24.7kms for the day. The sub 70 half is firmly on the radar now.

Oh yeah - 89.6kms for the week,

November

A recovery run today. My first outdoor run of the week and did the old Thursday route. Legs were a little dead but nice to be outside. All up 14.8kms in 55:26 (3:45's).

Cinema in the evening to watch '71. The year I was born.