Cork marathon training- 10 weeks (or so) to go!!!

Week of  25^th March

Easter holidays for 2 weeks so will be making the most of the time to get into decent shape for my assault on the Cork marathon. Will be looking to get under 3.30 again- ideally PB it .

However there is a lot of work to be done between now and then,  starting in the next two weeks. Looking at the schedule for this week filled me with a mixture of excitement and foreboding. Jogged 4 miles at 9.38 pace on Monday. The idea as always with these runs is to get the heart rate down low and keep the legs refreshed for the rest of the week. Can’t say I did a great job in either count. The heart rate averaged out at 148 which is about 18 beats too high for the pace I was doing. The stats never lie though as on Tuesday morning I didn’t feel hugely fresh going into my tempo workout.  Also I was more dreading the prospect of it than being actually focused on what I was supposed to do. The idea was to run 2 miles warmup and a 1 mile cooldown with a 5 mile tempo sandwiched in between.

I started these tempos (with a 3 mile effort) on the 19^th February and have managed to complete one every two weeks or so since then. Hopefully by end of May I will be able to complete 7 or 8 miles tempo pace, ideally at sub 7 minute pace.

Anyway I didn’t manage to run a sub 7 minute pace. No where near it but I felt comfortable enough all the same. Reasonably happy with the workout considering it was only 8 days since I flogged myself into the ground running the mallow ten and only 2 days since I ran 16 miles. The body will improve and adapt. Splits were as follows 7.08, 7.08, 7.06, 7.00, 7.04. The whole workout with 2 mile warmup and 1 mile cooldown took 59minutes47 seconds.

Wednesday was another solid day. Plan was to run 9 miles but instead of running in Cork city I elected to take advantage of the early morn and run in Charleville instead. Felt really strong all the way through, in particular the last two miles home which I ran at 7.30 pace each.  I suppose the run ended up being a impromptu marathon pace effort. 9 miles in 1hr10mins10 seconds. Average Hr was 153. Average pace was 7.49.

Legs were feeling it by Thursday morning but I was revived enough after doing a nice easy 2.5 mile warm up. Mind you as I faced down the railway road (one mile down and one mile up) there was a very stiff and biting breeze. Last year we were having a scorching weekend, this year while clear is one of the coldest in years. Ran off 8 X ½ mile repeats with 90 seconds or so walking recoveries in between. Funnily enough I was always faster coming up the very slight incline for the 2^nd, 4th, 6^th and 8^th repeats but noticeably slower for the slightly downhill  1^st, 3^rd, 5^th and 7^th repeats . The wind certainly played it’s part but the legs were a bit heavy too. Interval 1) 3.27 2) 3.13 3) 3.25 4)3.15 5) 3.30 6) 3.21 7)3.29 8)3.16. Finished up with a 1.2 mile jog home for a total of 7.7 miles. If i were to follow Bart Yasso’s 800 metre theory it means my potential marathon time is in the range of 3.13 – 3.30, but then again I am not really inclined to follow suit. A bit too gimmicky for me.

Anyway that’s my 5^th consecutive day running. Meeting a few mates for a few beers tonight and a rest day tomorrow. Might (or might not) do a few miles on Saturday with a challenging long run on Sunday. Hopefully in a week of two I can get running 6 days a week rather than the current 5 days a week

Post Mallow Ten

Sunday 24^th March

The week after a good hard race is always a tough race. If I perform badly in a race I am usually up and out the door the next day trying to put it behind me. After finally getting under 70 minutes in the Mallow ten at my third attempt this year, it was time to ponder fresh challenges. I didn’t get out the door until Wednesday two days after the Mallow ten and jogged a nice solid 9 miles up in Mayfield at around 8.27 pace. Up and down the hills..I’m sure you get the idea by now. Thursday I had planned to do a interval session with the club after work but foolishly brought no rain gear with me. I was never one to mind running in the rain or the wind but the gale force winds on Thursday were a bit hurricanical to say the least. Not that it didn’t stop the usual hardcore from   turning up and getting a good session in.

This meant I ran 7 miles up in Mayfield again. 4 miles downhill at 7.15 pace with 3 hard uphills at a slower pace (8.55, 8.15,7.50) This my first time running the route at a strong pace something I hope to repeat during the year. I had limited success this time but repeated practice usually does the trick.

Day off on Saturday with a 16 mile long run with the club on Sunday morning. I was very nervous about this one not having done too many consistent long runs this year. I kept the pace slow running down the back. I went through some hardish patches at mile 9 and mile 11 but did ok enough I suppose. 16.3 miles at 8.51 pace. Hr was 143. As I say it was a solid effort and recovery went well with very little aches and pains afterwards.

Anyway back to “fresh challenges”!!!! Last November I entered the Connemara marathon scheduled for April 7^th but had to defer by January as the head and legs were not up to it. This time post Ballycotton and post Mallow I am in a better place. Next year I plan on running a really big race but the immediate target will be the Cork marathon in 10 weeks time. We will worry about everything else after that.....

 

Total mileage for the week – 43 miles (Monday 11 miles (1 mile warm up with 10 mile race at 6.59 pace), Wednesday 9 miles, Friday 7 miles, Sunday 16 miles)

A team effort - Mallow Ten report

March 11^th

Parent meeting after work followed by a Mallow Ac meeting in regard to Mallow ten. Home by 9.30 p.m- no running all sleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz

March 12^th

2 mile warm up-4 mile tempo (6.51, 6.50, 6.58,7.00) and 1.7 mile cooldown. Definitely getting faster but HR still high for such a workout. Without being picky I would have liked to kept the pace on a more even keel.

March 13^th

9 mile run up in Mayfield. Legs were heavy for this one. 8.27 pace. Workout took around 1.16.06 to complete. Hope to run these workouts a lot “stronger” in future. Being able to attack the hills will stand to me .

March 14^th

Ran with Mallow AC. 2.4 mile warmup. 12 X 2 mins sprints with 60 second cooldown. Finished with a easy 1 mile cooldown. The sprints were very satisfying, covering 0.32 in each sprint or 3.91 miles in 24.21 at a average pace of 6.14 per mile.

March 16^th

Saturday evening. 6.2 mile easy jog at 7.50 pace. Decided to run this at a solid “marathon type pace” keeping a sense of control and reserve. Only checked my watch at the end and was happy to see the first mile at 8.15 with the other miles between 7.41 and 7.46. A interesting way to run...

March 18^th – Bank Holiday Monday – Mallow Ten

The really BIG race when it comes to the club. The amount of behind the scenes work undertaken by club members on a voluntary basis was really something to witness. Even attending some of the meetings I was really struck by the amount of detail and planning that is undertaken to arrange this event. The big jobs like marking out the route, getting sponsorship, organising pacers are equally dependent on other jobs like putting up signage, printing numbers, organising pacer balloons. Every big job depends on the other jobs going well, otherwise chaos reigns. Every  club member plays their part be it stewarding, setting up electrical systems, putting out cones, setting up water tables, catering, tidying up afterwards. It’s amazing really when you consider that John Holland, the club chairman has only ran the race once in it’s years of existence, so busy he is with the whole thing. The club doesn’t even make money on the race, doing enough to break even. The race and other races like it organised by real clubs for real runners (commercial operations take note) are essentially labours of love.

I was chuffed to see my buddies – Aidan, Tim, Don and Dermot head down to take part. I for one was supposed to be on pacing duties but someone else wanted to step in my pace so I was delighted to be able to race it. I didn’t want to let those people who were kind enough to give me a chance to race it. I decided it was sub70 or bust.

Funnily enough I noticed my number was 70, 69 would have been better tho!!!!

Mile 1 passed in 6.59. Mile 2 in 6.51. Mile 3 in 6.37. Mile 4 in 6.44 and Mile 5 in 7.00. Allowing for the usual discrepancy between garmin and clock time I hit the clock at 5 miles in 34.30. No doubt about it, i was smoking and was very confident of getting under 1.09. Mile 6 was hit in around 41.30 but the pace started to drop at mile 7. Aidan McGee passed me around the 7.5 miles and the boy was obviously cruising. To be honest I was delighted to see him doing so well but I was beginning to worry if i would miss out on the sub 70. Barry Aherne of Midleton was hitting his 5^th gear too and I was feeling a bit desperate. Mile 7 and mile 8 passed in 7.05 and 7.11. At mile 8 or so I could hear  Dave Lyons, 70 minute pacer roaring on his group over my shoulder. He seemed a long way off at mile 5 but by Jesus he sounded very close now. Time to push on God damn it...time to push on!!!

Mile 9 passed in 7.10 and the clock read 1.02.35 and once I kept the legs moving I knew I would get under the 70 minutes. The shouts of encouragement from Colie, Neil and Aidan’s parent’s was fantastic. Rounding the corner with 200 metres to go I knew I had it. I even had time for silly little one armed windmill at the end, crossing the line in 1.09.53. Totally chuffed and another milestone achieved. Perhaps next year I can improve and go even quicker. It’s a wonder how runners can get under 1.05 in a discipline as tough as a 10 mile race.

Met up with the lads afterwards and headed back to the youth centre chatting to all and sundry.

Happy days indeed but what now........?

 

 

Steady as she goes.....

4^th March to 10^th March

Plan this week to get good solid miles up on the legs. No speedwork, just wanting to respond to my Ballycotton run by getting a good weeks running up on legs hoping adapation will occur and I will be ready to turn to my next race.

Mentally tuning into another weeks training after a demanding race is always difficult but totally necessary. No point in resting on your laurels. I have pretty much figured out what I want my next marathon to be- anybody figured it out yet?

On a side note I have signed to a massive challenge next year but more about that at the end of the year.

Anyway back to the running....

Monday was the by the now traditional 3 mile recovery run. Legs were v heavy so I jogged at a really slow pace (10 mins) and tried to see how low could I bring the heart rate down.When I was finished the watch read a HR of 139Hr. My lowest ever was 129Hr but a good start nevertheless. Tuesday was a 10K run, not at a incredibly fast pace but running early at 7am sets me up for a good day. Pace was around 8.12 bu the last 5 miles were well under 8 minute pace. HR was 151. By Wednesday I was wrecked, no two ways about it. The thoughts of a 8 mile run up in Mayfield wasn’t filling me with much excitement but on the other hand I was motivated by how I would feel if I didn’t do it. Did the whole thing in over a hour. Not fast again but all good miles-8.17 pace.

Thursday was more of the same. Met up with the Mallow group, forsaking the speed work for a solid 7 social miles at 8.30 pace. Sunday was my first group run with Mallow since middle of January. Jogged down the back with Aidan, Pat and Paudie. 15 miles in 2hrs14mins35seconds, 8.54 pace. A cold wet day for it but a good one to get up on the legs.

The weather forecast for the week isn’t good at all but will hope to log 40 miles with a possible 4/7(4temp)/9/7/rest/6/rest week ahead of me.

Steady as she goes.........................................................................

Some photos of Ballycotton. The first pic is of Aidan McGee, David Hackett and myself post race. The second one is far more serious with McGee about to slip past me on the line. (Bugger)

 

 

Solid rather than speedy- Ballycotton 10

Week starting 25^th March

A good training week. 3 miles recovery Monday. 7 miles on Tuesday with 4 mile tempo at 7.05 pace. 8 miles on Wednesday. 7 miles on Thursday at 7.45 pace.

Anyway lets cut to the chase shall we?

 

Bally cotton 10, Sunday 3^rd March

3 years ago I ran my first ever race of any description in Ballycotton. The photo is still on the fridge. I was very naive looking back on it but was happy to get the 10 miles done in 1hr20mins16seconds. A year after that I ran the race in 1.14.25 and achieved my PB in Mallow at the ten mile distance at 1.12.25. All very modest looking back on it. My attempt to get under 70 minutes fell apart in Dungarvan admist a plethora of back pain and general fatigue. Today I planned a redemption of sorts.

 

I met up with my friend Aidan McGee and hung with him for the day replaying the compliment of his hospitality he showed me during the Heath 10k. Met loads of people as per usual but conversation was quick and to the point. Every one was serious today. Running without a Garmin and with just a ordinary stopwatch I ran the first mile in 7.15. Caught up with Lorraine at mile 2 and had a quick chat about the pace we were at. She reckoned 7.05 and sure enough hit mile two at 7.05. Mile 3 passed in the very same thing following a pattern that was to be repeated for the duration of the race. Mile 4- 7.05. Mile 5 I went under at 35.30, similar to Dungarvan but feeling a lot happier. I knew I would PB but by how much?

I knew I needed to hit the next 5 miles at around 6.52 pace, a task which didn’t seem impossible but which my legs were not up to yet. Chatted to Niall o’Callaghan at mile 6. He was looking very solid and up ahead on the straight I made out a number of familiar faces, all tantalisingly close. The 10km mark was reached in 44 minutes and I knew I had it. I really needed to be hitting it in 43 minutes but on I went. At mile 8 I ran I reckon a 6.50 and at 8.5 miles I think was on the hour mark. Perhaps I would make it after all!!!!

Then I met that hill and I met my match. Mile 9 was reached in around 1hr04 and then it was a struggle to hang on. Aidan passed me around 400 metres out running a cracking debut in 1.10.50 or so finishing the last mile in 6mins45seconds. I crossed in 1.11.11 running the last mile at a slow 7.20-7.25. I had given it my all, no doubt about it just a small bit frustrated not to get under 70 minutes. That said it was a very satisfactactory effort and hopefully set me for greater challenges ahead.

10 miles Ballycotton 1.11.11

Mileage for the week 35 miles