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)