Ultra Training Awaits...

27^th December 2014

The running year wasn’t the worst though I didn’t set any PB’s in the marathons I ran (Connemara 3.37 and Amsterdam 3.30.06) or in any of the 4 half marathons I ran. I ran a lot of second fastest times in the above races and also in 5 mile races. My only notable PB was in the Ballycotton 10 (1.09.43). Given though that the title of the blog alludes to running a sub 3.30 , it’s now over 2 years since I ran that time, the marathon PB mission has stalled . I was also disappointed to miss out on the Sixmilebridge marathon. This and my times in the 5 mile Ballycotton series may point to the fact that I am probably getting slower. This is hard to accept as is the fact that runners of my age who I once ran faster than are now leaving me for dead in races. That however is up to me to remedy but not quite yet…

I have finally stopped the dithering and the procrastinating and entered a race I have wanted to do for years – Connemara 39.3 mile ultra. I had hoped to enter it a number of times in the past but work commitments and other running priorities had meant I kept putting it off. This time it will be different. I have a late start on Mondays so it means I don’t have to stretch the back to back long runs over the Saturday and Sunday. I hope to manage it on the Sunday (with Mallow AC) and on Monday mornings. These will be the cornerstone of my training. Tuesday will be a rest day or a easy recovery run. Wednesday will be a mid week hill run up in Mayfield. Thursday a speed session with Mallow AC. Friday a rest day. Saturday a medium run. That said nothing is set in stone either. I might find that more rest and less running might suit me better or that speedwork is detrimental to my training. I have currently a number of books on the subject of ultra running. Proper  training books mind you and none of that Dean Karnazes  ego tripping stuff either  I also hope to run another marathon in October. These are my goal races.

I have also entered 3 ten mile races – Dungarvan , Ballycotton and Mallow but as to weather they will be races, extended long runs or recovery runs that remains be seen. I can’t  really compromise on the back to back long runs as they are fundamental to ultra training.

In terms of setting myself a goal for the ultra the answer is that I won’t be setting one. I will be happy to get the training done and get to the start line as fit as I can be. After that the main objective will be to finish as comfortably as possible and let the time take care of itself – just like my first marathon in 2010. 

Week 1 of training has gone well. 16 weeks to go.

Mileage for the week 45 miles. (Monday 4 miles recovery, Tuesday 6 miles with 5 X ½ mile repeats  @ 6.22 pace, Wednesday 8.75 miles at 8.12 pace, Thursday 6 miles at 9.15 pace, Friday 13.36 miles at 8.42 pace and Saturday 7.5 miles at 8.06 pace)

Newmarket 5k 2014

Week ending 21^st December

As I write this I am finishing off a box of “Celebration “ sweets and watching a TV programme where Ken Whitelaw and Gerry Duffy are talking about their 32 marathon epic in 2010. To be honest I know where I rather be at this moment.

I ran my first proper race since Amsterdam- a 5k in Newmarket. I ran this 2 years ago in a time of 20.48. This time I hoped to get close to a sub 20 but given the fact I had only got back to speed training 2 weeks ago and I am not a fast runner I was probably being optimistic. Anyway there was a good turnout from the local clubs and it being near Christmas there was good craic and chat. I ran the first mile in 6.24 and I was feeling very strong but by half way I was feeling the pressure. The second mile passed in 6.40 but after that I was getting passed by a fair few runners and must have lost 12-14 places for the last mile. Tony and Paudie were having a fair old battle up ahead both pushing each other on. I on the other hand was glad to turn into the home bend and finish in a repeat time of 20.48!!!!

I was happy to have finished reasonably well but a bit disappointed not to PB, but then again 5k Pb’s aren’t achieved by having attended 4 speed sessions in 3 weeks.

In terms of the bigger picture I am running on average 32 miles a week, 5 days a week. The longest long run was last Friday a mere 11 miles. That is sufficient for the moment. I only feel I am recovering from the different niggles and aches I was undergoing in my failed attempt to run the Sixmilebridge marathon. The hip problem and the issue with the calves seems to be a lot better. In terms of upcoming races the immediate priority is the Dungarvan 10 on the 2^nd February. Ideally I would love a sub 70 but a improvement on last years time of 1.12.53 would be ok too. Dungarvan has a nasty habit of biting back on me so lets just concentrate on getting some work done.

In terms of marathons I have also ruled out the Manchester marathon on the 19^th April on simple economic grounds. Unfortunately there aren’t any fast marathon courses in April in Ireland but plenty in the continent but again my funds are limited so no chance of Vienna, Rotherdam or Paris. Limerick is on in May so that might be a possibility but is a bit late in the year for my liking. Perhaps Connemara again or maybe just concentrate on shorter distances until the summer.

Anyway that will be it for a while so happy Xmas and New Year.

Niggles

November 30^th

The last day of the month and over a month since I last blogged so no harm in getting a post up there. I haven’t been doing a lot just doing small amounts of running in the last 4 weeks, hampered by a number of injuries and  focusing on reactivating a social life with my mates and getting work stuff sorted.

Dailymile.com tells me I have logged 100 miles this month, a very low amount, in fact my lowest since last May but after a marathon I tend to take a break and start from scratch.

I had planned to run the Sixmilebridge marathon during the month but when I returned back to running within a week after Amsterdam I noticed a tightening in my hips and a constant pain in my left knee. This was more pronounced when I was running distances of more than 10 miles. This required me to take more and more rest and as a result I was in no shape to get through the Sixmilebridge course. I returned back to reading my stretching manual and focused more on my hip flexors and of course the foam roller was of great benefit as well.

The other problem was that I suffered what appeared to be a strain on my ankle. I couldn’t put weight on it and I feared a damaged ligament or a stress facture. As a result I took a week off running. John O’Sullivan of Advanced Physical Therapy in Mallow diagnosed a minor pull and his magic hands have appeared to have solved the problem.

I tested the leg by taking part in a charity 5 K race in Doneraile park yesterday. Low key is one way to describe the event, another word would be anti-climatic so small was the turnout. I think there was 20 runners at it and none of us managed to break 20 minutes. 

I finished 3^rd in a pretty slow time of 21mins47seconds, 70 seconds outside a PB but a good training run if nothing else. It was my first attempt at speed work in 7 weeks. At least now I know where I stand fitness wise.

In terms of races next year I have entered the Dungarvan 10 mile race and hope to enter the Adare 10k and Ballycotton 10. In terms of marathons I do have a few ideas but will keep those plans a little closer to my chest until the New Year. I will see how the next 6 weeks pan out.

Photos of the Amsterdam marathon 2014

Some photos of the Amsterdam marathon. Most of them are taken as I am running the last 200 metres to finish line. The second last photo is me throwing my hand up in disgust as I know the clock has ticked past 3hrs29mins59seconds.

Moving on and getting on with it

Week ending 26^th October

It’s not a bad old life really. Back from Amsterdam on Sunday and now heading off a 4 day trip abroad tomorrow. The schools are on their mid term break so like a lot of teachers I will be taking advantage of the free time and heading off for a few days.

The Dublin marathon is on tomorrow and were I around I probably would give it a lash, not because I expect to PB but simply because I always enjoyed doing it and the legs have been in very good shape since last Sunday. Getting back to Cork on Sunday night with Aoiffe and some of the club members the disappointment amongst some of us was obvious.  A lot of us, me included, expected to PB but it just didn’t happen. Some people blamed the weather, others the hassle at water stations but I simply feel in my case I didn’t push hard enough in the last 5k. I attempted to manage the race in order to slip under the 3.30 but had left it too late with 500 metres to go. Anyway it’s all done now. Best of luck to all runners tomorrow in Dublin in particular to all Mallow club runners and also to  my friend Aidan McGee and cousin Don Ryan.

There are  two marathons I will like to have a lash off next year but all in good time.

I headed back into work on Monday and was surprised to see I had little or no stiffness in the legs. My resting heart rate was 56 on Monday morning but by Thursday was back to normal levels of 48 beats per minute. Therefore I ran 5 miles up in Mayfield doing 5 X 1 miles of the estate.I checked the Garmin afterwards and the overall pace was 8.13 but the HR was nice and low 143. This encouraged me to venture out on Friday and Saturday running six miles each day, the pace was very solid 7.48 and 7.53 with the Hr reading 153 and 148 respectivately. In neither case did I push the pace , I simply ran as I felt. On Sunday I met up with the gang from Mallow Ac for the usual long run. We had a good chat postmorteming the Amsterdam marathon and by the time we finished running it was for me a case of putting the whole thing firmly in the past. Running is therapeutic  that way..... We covered 10.5 miles, I took it very easy spending the required 90 minutes on my feet.

I hope get a few miles up on my feet tomorrow before I fly off. It’s unlikely I won’t get any more running completed until Friday but I am hoping the occasional opportunity might present itself. Ideally I would try to get out every day but it may not be possible. Therefore maybe next week I will try to get out Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Total mileage for the week 27.5 miles

Amsterdam marathon - 3.30.06

Week ending 19^th October – Amsterdam marathon

For those people who like to get to the point...... Three hours:thirty minutes:six seconds. To put it another way – 3.30.06.  Coming into the Olympic Stadium for the final 500 metres I was pretty sure I had done enough to sneak other the 3.30 barrier by a few seconds or so. Then I started to panic when I realised with 200 metres I was going to fall short by a few seconds. I gave it a mighty lash on the astro turf track, sprinting full out, nearly bowling over a guy in front of me.  The axe fell with only a few feet to spare and I crossed the line pretty upset. I stopped the garmin with a reading of 3.30.14 with the course measuring 26.54 miles. So what happened?

In the week leading up to the marathon I had done very little running, a six miler on Tuesday and a 4 mile run up in Mayfield on Thursday. In terms of a goal time I had started the training cycle in June with a ambition of sub 3.20 but I had realised by August that was a tad ambitious. By October i had now revised my ambition to 3hrs25mins or failing that a sub 3.30. Training had gone well despite the absence of any PB’s over 5 miles and 13.1 miles. In fact in most of the races I entered I achieved a lot of second fastest times. Perhaps a portent of things to come?

There was a big gang from Mallow Ac going most of us doing the full marathon others doing the half marathon. The main organiser Darragh Wiley had it all sussed out right from the beginning from hiring a bus to the airport, directions to the expo, booking a dinner the night before in Amsterdam, even getting a club flag and organising a photo shoot right before race time. Most of the club runners were heading over on the Saturday morning but I had booked my flights on the Friday instead figuring that the extra days rest would be of benefit to me. Aoiffe, my wife, came along as well determined to fit in a few art galleries and get a few bargains in the flower market’s while we were there. Sharon, Caroline and Neil were on the same flight. Everyone was in good form. I tucked into Roy Keanes new book on the flight – a cracking read from a fellow Mayfield man. I appreciated his humour.

Meeting up for dinner on the Saturday night was a excellent idea- a very good social occasion with everyone chatting away, drinking plenty of water and eating enough pasta. Sunday – the morning of the race- was all business.

I was very nervous on the morning, not so much about the race but getting the right train and metro to the stadium. I need not have worried – all the marathon runners were heading in the same direction. The bag drop in the stadium was slightly confusing with some of the bags that were dropped in being passed out again by the stewards. Apparently they didn’t have enough stickers to go around!!!!

I completely forgot about the photo shot outside the stadium and headed in with Dermot, Sharon and Caroline. The setting was lovely and the organisation (provided you got there in time – race started at 9.30 am but you needed to be in there at 8.20 am) was good with people being guided to their correct pens. Maybe a few more portaloos would have helped. Standing around with Dermot we did note there was no sign of the pacers, this was to be a problem later on as many of them  did a poor job of keeping time.

Anyway the gun sounded and once the elites went off we followed suit. As we jogged to the start line I started my garmin a tad early which meant my time was slightly fast. By how much I had no idea but I wasn’t unduly worried. I was hopeful of doing well. My plan was pretty simple. Run the first 15 miles at 8 minute pace and push on for the last 11.2 miles. It was all on my shoulders now.

The first 5 km were a bit slow though. We seemed to be directed by the stewards in all sorts of odd ways – some of us to the left and some of us to the right at various points. Running through the Vondel park was nice and while the sun was coming out  the craic was good and the locals were giving good gusto. I garmined the first 5 miles at 8.10,8.03,7.45,7.56,7.50 which meant I was under 8 minute pace so all good. John Paul was motoring ahead as was Dermot – they were looking good for a PB. Another variable on the course apart from the markers being in km were the water stations. Rather than handing out bottles the organisers decided to hand out cups. Apart from being totally inadequate to serve runners needs it meant time was lost walking through the stations or in my case refilling the water bottle I carried. The sponges were a good idea though and they were a aid to myself and other runners. To make it clear I am not looking for excuses – after all it was the same for all other runners but the water stations and the time lost there was a issue for me..

By mile 10 or 16 km we were running along the canal. This was going to the case for the next 5 miles and crowd support was pretty sparse. The sun had thankfully disappeared but the sky became overcast and the wind was  beginning to whip up, nothing major but unexpected  never the less. I stopped for a pitstop  behind a tree and refilled my water bottle for the second time at the water station The splits from 5 to 10 were as follows 7.40,8.07,7.37,7.43,8.38. The last mile was as a result of the piss and the water refilling at the station. My garmin was reading 1.19.33 so I was ok keeping in touch and feeling very comfortable. I was fit and I knew it. Was I fast though?

The splits at mile 11, 12 read 7.43 and 7.50. I was a minute ahead of schedule according to the garmin. The problems begin when I hit the half way split. I was pretty sure i was a minute or so ahead of schedule but the clock read 1hr45mins12seconds which meant i was actually  a minute behind schedule. This threw me slightly – obviously me reading my garmin distance in miles and racing in kilometres wasn’t completely accurate. There was nothing left for it but to push on. A PB wasn’t so much in the balance as was a sub 3.30.

By mile 15 we were back on the road again. I spotted Paudie cheering us on as was Brian O’Callaghan.My watch read the time as 1.58.25 but given the problems with accurate reading of the course and me starting the watch early meant this time could not be relied on.

The field was beginning to thin out quite a bit by mile 18 as many runners were reduced to walking or in some cases completely pulling up. I felt very solid not in the least bit troubled but at the same time I wasn’t  able to push on as fast as I hoped. Mile 16 to 18 passed in 7.46,8.02 (water station),7.45. That said I was two minutes ahead of 8 minute pace which probably meant I had made up the time lost at the half way stage. Mile 19 and mile 20 passed in 7.41 and  7.55. Mile 20 on the course was particularly important – this was 32km and my time at that point would tell me a lot. When I reached 32 km the garmin read 20.2 miles and my time was 2hrs39minutes. It was obvious now that for one reason or another I had made a bad job of racing the course line but on the positive side I was just ahead of a sub 3.30 finish.

The wind started to whip up a bit and to my surprise we started to encounter a number of pulls and dips. So much for a flat course, it was nothing major but it was unexpected. I know all this may sound negative but i was enjoying myself, some of the bands and the crowds while small were a real delight.Mile 21, 22 and 23 passed in 7.55,7.55 and 8.14. Mile 23 was the toughest of the lot with a pretty crappy bridge to deal with and a sharp drop down under a underpass. I spotted Paudie and Brian again and I was delighted to see Aoiffe by the Rijksmuseum . She shouted I looked very fresh. I wasn’t too sure about that and I indicated thing s were beginning to look tight especially as the garmin now read the course as 23.35 miles. I simply couldn’t get my head around it and as the mile passed in 8.14, it was beginning to look tough.

By mile 24 we were reaching the Vondelpark again and I was hanging on a bit. I started to count backwards from a 100 to 50 in order to keep my mind off the dark stuff. A lot of runners were well beaten at this stage. I wasn’t far off it myself but after seeing Aoiffe cheer me on I was determined to continue. Mile 24 passed in 8.07 and the garmin read 3hrs10seconds but because of the vagaries of the course it probably meant I was closer to 3hrs12minutes in real terms. In other words I had lost the minute I thought i had gained at mile 20. To be honest It was a right fucking dose at this stage, the course wasn’t going to suit a runner with such a tight PB.

At 40 km we were beginning to leave the Vondelpark. It was guts or bust time. I had no idea as to how i would get on. It was time to stop clock watching and get racing. At mile 26 I turned  back into the road towards the stadium. I knew I was in trouble at this stage as the 26^th mile in the course read as 26.40 on the garmin and my time was 3.28.20. I started yelling like a demented lunatic on the final finish on the track going over the line in a garmin reading of 3.30.14. I was as they say, in soccer parlance, sick as a parrot. Absolutely livid. The garmin measured the course as 26.54 but because of me starting the garmin early I had no idea as to how I had really got on.

I chatted to Dermot and John Paul as i left the stadium and they disappointed with their times. Neither had Pb’ed but they are very good runners and they will bounce back, Sharon was the best of the lot of us coming in under 3.15 but she too felt it was a tough day at the office.

I headed back to the hotel in slightly better form. My official time was 3.30.06. It was my second fastest marathon run but six seconds away from a sub 3.30 was hard to take. I had felt this was my last chance of a PB instead it was another second fastest time.

I wonder what would Roy Keane would make of it? Fail to prepare or to hell with the prawn sandwich brigade?

Last week of taper

I haven't done a lot of running this week. I did 6 miles on Tuesday with 5 miles at 7.45 pace. The HR was 151 for the marathon pace run. I skipped running on Wednesday and plan to do 4 miles on Thursday. I will be working late in Cork that night so it means it will be late enough when I get home for packing. Friday I  will catch the flight to Amsterdam, visit the expo on Saturday and collect my number. Then it's rock and roll on Sunday. Nothing more to say .......

The 1st week of taper and the training breakdown

Week ending 5^th October

This was the first week of the taper. Always a tricky thing to get the first week right. I like to undertake a small reduction in mileage, small enough to allow for recovery but not pronounced enough to lose fitness. The second and third weeks sees the reduction become more pronounced. Realistically it’s unlikely I will gain any more in fitness over the two weeks so it’s best to just keep the legs fresh and the pace ticking over.

Tuesday I ran 11 miles up in Mayfield. I hadn’t run up there since last April but this was my third run up there since last Friday. I kept the pace steady enough erring on the slow side but I still managed to cover the pace in 8.04 pace and probably could have pushed the workout to a sub 8 pace had I tried. The last 3 miles are as always testing but the Hr on average remained very steady – 144Hr. It was more of the same on Wednesday, a 7.5 mile run up in Mayfield again- run exactly at 8 minute pace. Again I didn’t feel under too much pressure and was happy with how things went. It was good to know that I could still manage a decent turn up here but the calves were twinging afterwards. The day itself was one of the busier days in work finishing up at 9 pm that evening and getting back to Charleville after 10 that evening.

Thursday evening i was felling tired and i wasn’t sleeping all that well since the Tuesday. I had one big speed workout left to do and that was a 10 mile run at a fast pace, closer to half marathon race pace. I was surprisingly fresh this time, getting around 10.2 miles completed  in 75 minutes  or 7.20 pace. I was very happy afterwards – speed and endurance. I have no doubt were I doing this kind of training in a group I would have been a lot faster. Again though I found it difficult to sleep that night though- obviously the body was a bit wired which meant a rest day Friday and a mundane 4 mile recovery run on the Saturday.

That left Sunday – the last proper long run of the schedule. I met up with the Mallow gang at 8 am, running 7 miles in the first hour before looping around again to meet up with the main group for a further 10 miles around the same route. There was a big crowd for the run.  To be honest i was pretty sluggish for the first hour and it was obvious the Autumn had arrived this time – no sunny skies, no heat but plenty of wind with spatters of rain. I was happy to finish up with Tony after 17 miles, the rest of the group ran for a further 13 minutes. The pace was 8.26, Hr 144. A lot of the lads and ladies heading over from the club are probably all going for PB’s. Mileage for the week 50 miles.

To be honest I’m also going for a good time.  A Sub 3.15 is out of the question, a sub 3.20 would be exceptional, a sub 3.22 would be a very good time indeed. I wouldn’t fall out with a 3.29.59 either. Marathons can go pear shaped on the slightest thing so I will keep my plans to myself for a while yet. I did note with interest that on the marathon course the water is in the form of cups rather than bottles. I’m not a fan of the paper cups in marathons but as the stations are 5 km apart and there is 10 of them i should be ok for water. I’ll just have to slow down getting through them making sure I get plenty of liquid inside me on the day.

Anyway here’s the breakdown.

Weeks of training (not including taper) 17. Total mileage 748. Average mileage 44 miles. Highest mileage weeks 62.3 mls, 63 mls, 60 mls.

Long runs over 20 miles. 1) 20 miles,2) 20 miles,3) 21.5 mls, 4) 23 mls and 5) 20 mls (with 15 miles at 7.38 pace).

PB’s in races. Cork to Cobh 15 miles – 1.54.51. Ballincollig 5K – 20.35

Other races entered- Shannagarry 5, Dromcolloger 4,Churchtown 5, Clonmel 13.1, Ballycotton 5, Tullamore 13.1, Charleville 13.1.

A lot of races this time around but only two PB’s. That said though I achieved a lot of course PB’s in the above races and used the Clonmel  race a as marathon pace run, 17.5 miles with 13.1 miles at 8.05 pace. In the other two 13.1 races I achieved a improved second fastest time. I also ran plenty of tempos' in training improving each time.

I can’t fault my training cycle. This is very little I would change- the weight has dropped from 13stone 8pounds to 12stone 10pounds over the 17 weeks too . This is the best training cycle I have ever undertaken, without at the same time ever setting the world alight.

Cork Cobh race 2014

Week ending 28^th September

And on it goes.  3 weeks to the Amsterdam marathon. Clocked up another 60 mile week, this week was a tougher effort in terms of getting out there and getting the mileage done. Monday was a 3 mile walk with my wife, the desire to even do a recovery run wasn’t particularly appealing so the walk was a good option. On Tuesday morning I had a long day ahead of me but a late start so I ran 10 miles at 7 am in the morning around Charleville. The pace picked up for the second  half of the run with me coming me at 8.03 pace. The HR was 148 so all very solid but by Wednesday that old tired feeling was back again so I did the wisest thing and took a day off.

Thursday was a big workout, a 10 mile run with a 7 mile tempo at 7.05 pace. This was my fastest tempo workout of the present cycle and my 7^th tempo workout since June. In June I ran 3 miles at 7.18 pace so the improvement was obvious, my HR was spot on this time too, 161. That left me running 11 miles up in Mayfield on Friday at 8.16 pace and a 6 mile recovery run on Saturday morning in glorious Autumnal  sunshine.

Sunday was the morning of my last race in training for Amsterdam – the Cork Cobh 15 mile run. I ran this in 2011 and 2012 and it’s a excellent event. Again like in previous years I wanted to use it as a marathon pace run so after collecting Dermot and Kevin from Mallow I ran 5 miles around the north ring road before settling down for the race. I started off at 7.40 pace which wasn’t strictly the plan ( I was thinking 7.55) but decided to stick with it. The sun started to come out at mile 4 so I decided to walk through the water stations and get plenty of water inside me. It’s probably the only way to drink out of paper cups and I made up the lost time quite easily. The first 5 miles passed in 38.13 which put me well under 8 minute pace. I saluted Grellan and Margaret and a few others who like me were running the course as a easier long run. By mile 10 John Holland was there to cheer us on and I hit the clock in 1hr16min33secs. I was beginning to feel slightly light headed as we crossed into Cobh, possibly due to heat loss, the gear i was wearing was probably a bit heavy and I could have done without the t shirt under the singlet. Mile 11 and mile 12 passed in 7mins40seconds and 7mins35seconds so my times were still very solid. However by mile 13 the effort was beginning to tell and going up the hill I was glad to the end of it. My splits were solid enough (7.42) but the Hr was climbing to 163. Mile 14 passed in 7.41 – again a hilly mile and a few runners were reduced to walking. Negative thoughts were soon banished with cheers of support from the locals on the street and I crossed the line in 1.54.45 running the last mile in 7.21. This was about a minute faster than 2 years ago but i was a lot more comfortable that time. Dermot and Kevin had finished well ahead of me and were happily chatting to other finished runners while I was catching my breath before we faced the long hilly walk to the community centre. Peadar dropped us back to Cork where we drove back home.

Looking at the stats on the garmin- my average time was 7mins38seconds, my average HR was 158. A high Hr certainly around 5 beats higher than 2 years ago. That said I wouldn’t be getting too hung on the stats too much. I still ran 20 miles with 15 miles at a fast  marathon type pace. The taper awaits....

Monday 3 miles, Tuesday 10 miles, Thursday 10 miles, Friday 11 miles, Saturday 6 miles, Sunday 20 miles with 15 miles at 7.38 pace. Total mileage 60 miles.

Charleville half marathon 2014

Week ending 21^st September

As the time gets closer to the taper the tougher the training gets. As pointed out before, September is the toughest month of the lot with the  big workouts taking place over a long 4 weeks. This week was a bit different to previous week’s 60 mile plus efforts. I logged a modest total of 40 miles, happy to have a cutback week. This was due to us attending a wedding in Monaghan on the Fridaywith us having to undertake  a 4 hour drive up on the Thursday after work and another 4 hour drive down on the Saturday. It was a good wedding and it was interesting driving along the border around Clones, Monaghan town and Fermanagh. In Clones there were grim reminders of previous times with plaques to those killed in the bombing of 1974 and various ditchside plaques to those killed by the paramilitaries. Nevertheless with the peace process promising better times the famous northern hospitality was enjoyed by us revellers from the South though plenty of words were lost in translation !!!!

Monday was a 4 mile run with a 10 mile run at 7.21 pace on Tuesday and a 13 mile run at 8.10 pace on the Wednesday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday was the wedding in Monaghan. Sunday was the day of the local half marathon in Charleville. Organised by North Cork Ac I missed out on this race last year due to injury but was looking forward to it this year. It is a PB course and I had notions of pushing for a sub 94 minute time. However the morning of the race despite getting a good nights sleep in after the long drive down I decided it would be better not to push it too much. The wedding celebrations had taken it out of me so it was very much a case of see what happens on the day. The resting heart was around 53 beats rather than the more steady 48 beats of late.

The drive from my house to the start line took around 3 minutes, a nice change from the long journeys to East Cork, Clonmel, Dungarvan and Tullamore. I met as you would expect plenty of familiar faces and the chat as ever was pleasant.. I decided to line up behind the 95 minute pacer and see could I push on for the second half of the race. The first 3 miles of the course are slightly downhill which means the last 3 mile have a slight pull on the way back. Nothing major but enough to take a bit of energy out of your legs when finishing the race. As a result I took it handy enough for the first 3 miles running 7.07, 7.27 and 7.15. Michael Kilmartin, a fellow  club runner tore past me at mile 2. This was his first half marathon and I wondered if he might pay for such pace later on. As it was he didn’t, running a fantastic time of sub 1.30,an amazing time for a debut half marathon.

By mile 5 the sluggishness had left my legs and I ran mile 5 and mile 6 (through Killmallock) at around 7.13 and 7.17 pace. I was gaining ground on the 1.35 pacer. His group was dwindling away as many runners were beginning to take advantage of the downhill 4 miles.  By mile 9 I was on top of the pacer having run a couple of sub 7 minute miles. I hit mile 10 in around 1hr12mins10 seconds. The last 3 miles of the course took it’s toll on me two years ago when i finished in 1.35.50 but I was a lot more solid this time without ever at any stage looking strong enough to pull that far ahead. I ran mile 11, over the small humpback bridge in 7.07, giving me a small increase and a certain sub95 minute finish. Mile 12 was another 7.15 mile and it was the most enjoyable mile of the race with some good crowd participation and good craic with Paudie and his wife who were taking photos. Neverthe less I was feeling a small bit tired at mile 13 which passed in a slower mile of 7.27, rounding the final stretch in less than a minute. My final time crossing the line was 1.34.41 , a small improvement on two years ago and my second sub95 minute half marathon in 3 weeks.

When I crossed the line I recovered pretty quickly but drank around a litre of water such was my thirst. All the Mallow runners were very happy with their times with plenty of PB’s all round. I was happy enough with my efforts. It means I am in good shape for Amsterdam in 4 weeks time as to what kind of shape, we will see at the end of this week. As ever the race organisers put on a excellent race.

In retrospect I could have really pushed harder for a PB but I was happy to keep it steady all the way around the course. The various calculators have me down for a marathon predicted time of somewhere between 3hr19mins and 3hr25mins. Personally I prefer doubling my charleville time and adding a 15 minutes. It proves to be reasonably accurate. We will see....Another week awaits.

Two weeks in September

Week ending  14 th September

Two weeks of news to catch up on. Last week marked another high week of mileage – 62 miles in the week. That has been my highest week of mileage in nearly 2 years but next week after that will be considerably lower as work and social commitments will make 6 days a week running difficult. Anyway last week consisted of 9 mls at 7.33 pace, 4 miles recovery walking with my wife, 12.4 mls at 8.03 pace, 9 miles at 7.40 pace, rest day, 6.2 miles at 8.03 pace with a long run on the Sunday of 21.5 mls at a slow pace of 8.40. The last run was the most important workout of the week, namely the plan was to spend around 3hrs5mins on my feet. This I managed easily enough – the Hr was 140- nice and steady. I had spend the few days prior to this celebrating my birthday with plenty of food and cake. Hopefully running 62 mls will prevent any major bulge occurring.

Monday this week was another recovery jog, 4 miles at 9.13 pace with a HR of 136. That should have meant by Tuesday I should have been fully rested for the weeks mileage but all day Tuesday in work and coming home I felt definitely out of sorts. My Hr was fine but I yet didn’t feel fully up to going for a 9 mile run. When training for Cork last year I used to force myself out for a run with the results being less than satisfactory. I opted for a rest and a early night instead. By Wednesday evening I was feeling more in tune running 9 miles with a 6 mile tempo at 7.06 pace. The splits were 7.10,7.08, 7.03, 7.07,7.09,6.56. Total time of tempo was 42mins36seconds.  The Hr was 162 average but was 166 for the last mile.  All in all I was happy with the workout in terms of distance and pace. The weather was great too.

Thursday was another tough workout. For my midweek runs I was running according to time on my feet rather than pace. The idea was to get up to 13 miles, 15 miles was probably pushing it. I was up to 12.41 miles last week so i hoped to run this 12 mile run at a sub 8 pace. I ran in and out of the estate behind my estate , up and down Love Lane out and back Smiths road and 3 laps around the park before a quick water break by the Cork road heading down by Pikes Cross and back into town taking up and down the  Railway road. I was doing fine by mile 10 and I was running around 7.40 pace. The last two miles were a struggle to be honest but I managed to gut it out to complete the workout at 7.45 pace. It didn’t come easy. The Hr was 155.

Friday I normally don’t run but having missed a workout on Tuesday I wanted to get the 9 miles around town in a relaxed pace- 9 miles at 8.19 pace. The Hr was 147. Saturday was a interval session. 1.5 mile warm up and a 2.5 mile cooldown with 6 x 3 minutes at 6.40 pace. I covered around 0.45 miles with each interval, this was similar to 3 weeks ago. Were I training for races between 3.1 miles and 10 miles I would probably need to do more reps at a faster pace.Maybe in the future. I have a few ideas what I want to do after Amsterdam but that can wait a while yet.

Sunday was the bread and butter long run. We met at the roundabout at 8 am , did 7 miles and then a further 13 at Caherduggan. I ran a further 3 miles afterwards giving me 23 miles and 3hrs17mins up on the legs. I didn’t feel unduly stressed running but hopefully I can at a decent marathon pace on the day. Hr was 141, average pace 8.33. It will probably be my longest run of the current training cycle.

Total mileage for week ending 7^th September 62 miles,

Total mileage for week ending 14^th September 63 miles.

From Charleville town to Charleville road and back again- Tullamore 13.1

Week ending 31^st August

The month of September is nearly upon us, the time of year where marathon training intensifies before the taper kicks in for a few weeks in October. The date for the Amsterdam marathon is the 19^th October so it means I have 4 weeks of training left. In terms of races there is two more on the calendar – the Charleville half marathon and the Cork to Cobh 15 miler. The former is a race I hope to do well in – even if it does occur a day after a family wedding, the latter race will be a tempo run run at marathon pace with maybe a 6-7 mile warm up.

This week saw me complete around 46 miles, 10 less than last week and a shorter long run but that long run was a half marathon in Tullamore. More about that and the ballycotton 5 mile race in a while.

Monday was the usual 4 mile recovery jog with a faster 9 mile run on the Tuesday. I ran the first 8 miles at around 7.27 pace covering 8.2 miles in the hour tacking on another cooldown mile at the finish. Being able to run over 8 miles in a hour is always a hopeful sign as was the low HR 157. It meant Wednesday was a more relaxed affair running 12 miles in 1hr40mins. The legs were a bit heavy but once again the Hr was low – 145. I had plans at running  up to 15 miles on these midweek runs but now I’m not sure, maybe I will cap it at 13 miles and possibly at a faster pace in a more hilly route. 15 miles seems to be pushing it slightly.

Thursday was a drive down to Ballycotton to finish off the final race of the famed race series. It was my first time completing the 4 race series and while the races were tough and the driving tedious it was still nice to have played my part. Coming into the 4^th race I was in a 100^th place with my times solid rather than spectacular . My cousin Don Ryan however had come on leaps and bounds in the last 9 months and had gone from a sub 35 minute runner (over 5 miles) to now being comfortable running under 32 minutes. He was in 50^th place and was very sure of getting one of the coveted top 50 t shirts. The standard was higher this year, my times this year would have placed me 83^rd last year. Of the 4 races the Ballycotton 5 is probably the fastest taking in a portion of the famed Ballycotton 10 route. As usual Mallow Ac was well represented – Aidan Buckley, Denis Cronin, Niall, Lisa, John Holland, Peter, Paudie, Catherine, John Flynn, Maria Keating, Donough, Cliona, Trish, Catherine and Cathriona amongst others.

I was happy with my run coming in at 33.46- my fastest run of the 4 races and over 30 seconds faster than the same race 2 years ago. My splits were 6.32 (steep downhill), 6.42, 7.00 (uphill), 6.40 and 6.48. Not a bad effort though I would hope to improve next year, training for 5 miles is a different game to training for a marathon- shorter longer runs and more intervals.  In the overall standings I finished 83^rd out of 268 runners over the course of the series.Don finished  the race in around 31.30 and finished 46^th overall. A excellent effort with Aidan B putting in a cracking effort to finish 49^th – not his first time coming in the top 50 either. My time wasn’t a PB but it was surprisingly only my second going sub 34 minutes in a 5 mile race.  Maybe it’s worth a shot again next year even perhaps to the exclusion of the marathon.

Friday was a day off running as I was heading up to Tullamore on Saturday to run their club half marathon. Aidan McGee my good friend lives in Offaly so it was a handy spin for him. Mind you it’s a journey which took only 110 minutes. The start line was in Tullamore AC clubhouse, funnily enough the address was Charleville road. The race was to start at 12 but having got up there before 11 am I had plenty of time to check out their running track and their facilities which to be fair would be the envy of any club in Munster – running track, clubhouse, gym, grass pitches, plenty of parking and from a history buff’s point of view a lovely photograph display of the club’s history throughout the years. The whole set up is something which be ideal for running – track, field and cross country- in mid and north Cork.

Anyway I met up with Aidan and the race kicked off a little after 12. I was feeling hopeful after Thursday’s race and I was determined to put the Clonmel half marathon firmly out of my head. By mile 3 I was averaging around 7.23 a mile and it was clear the course was on the whole pretty flat with only a few pulls and some downhill sections. Within 30 minutes I had covered 4.1 miles and I decided to start pushing the pace a bit. I think from mile 4 to mile 10 I wasn’t overtook by a single other runner and i had covered 8.35 miles in a hour. There was no doubt about it but i was close to a PB. What was even more satisfying was that mentally I was in strong shape- the distance was flying by in the mind’s eye – always a good sign. By mile 10 and mile 11 the course started to rise  gradually and this was reflected in my splits – 7.18 and 7.25. Nevertheless I was still on for a sub 1hr35min finish but at mile 12 I was overtaken by 4/5 runners a sure sign I was slowing down. The last mile was a fast downhill mile, almost too fast as I was finding my breath was getting caught up. It was a hectic finish for many of us to the 13^th mile turning back into the clubhouse (7 minute mile). At this stage I was running on my own with perhaps  5 runners in a pack ahead of me and 4 runners around a few seconds behind me. The last part of the race consisted of a lap around the running track – a good way to finish a cracking race. My finishing time was 1hr34mins47 seconds – I was only 30 seconds away from claiming a PB. Maybe next time....
The average pace was 7.13 per mile. Those tempo sessions are paying off.

I probably lost a bit of time in mile 10 to 12 and possibly in my opening few miles which were very cautious. However in the context of my marathon training this was a very positive result- 2 good races in a week – all run at a good pace. Tullamore AC put on a excellent event, the spread afterwards was probably the best i have ever had – plenty of food , tea, cakes , minerals, buns and sweets all located in the cavernous clubhouse making access to the tables easy. Myself a and Aidan (he PB'ed with 1.32.25) hung around for a hour after the race before I headed back to Charleville town.

Hopefully it all points to a promising month ahead.

Weekly mileage 46 – Monday 4 mls, Tuesday 9 miles, Wednesday 12 miles, Thursday 5 mile race with 1 mile warm up, Saturday 13.1 mile race with 1 mile warm up

Shift...

Week ending 24^th August.

I was wondering how the body would react to a tough day out in Clonmel but no problems this week. Truth be known it was a good running week accumulating my highest weekly mileage in a long time (56 miles). Monday was a 3 mile recovery run, Tuesday 8 miles and Wednesday 11.25 miles at around 8.15-8.30 pace. All very relaxed and respectable. The tempo run was a faster affair and was my best tempo run so far in the training cycle. Average pace was 7.06 per mile with the last few miles coming in at 7 minutes and 6.46 each. The HR was 152 which if correct is very promising indeed. Friday was a rest day running 6 miles with 6 x 3 minute inserts at sub 6.30 pace on Saturday. I wasn’t far off 6 minute pace at times in the intervals.

Sunday was 20 miles with the club. I had notions of running 3 hours but again the pace was very solid with me running the 20 miles in 2hrs48minutes. Next time I run a long run I will have to spend 3hours on my feet. Again the HR if correct was low - 140.

A lot of the club members are putting in a massive shift in training – all the more admirable when you consider they are mixing running with work and family life.  I am putting in a good shift myself. Hopefully it will pay off. This week will give me a good idea.

Monday 3 mls, Tuesday 8mls,Wed 11.25mls, Thursday 8.2mls with 5ml tempo, Saturday 6mls with 6 X3 mins, Sunday 20mls.

The return of the Clonmel half marathon

Week ending 17^th August

This is my first post since returning from my break in Berlin/Lubeck/Copenhagen. We had a great time doing all the usual touristy stuff. As always it’s tricky to balance running in with enjoying your holidays but having run high mileage in the month of June I was ok about cutting it back a bit. We went a 10 day break and the first 9 days consisted of a easy 26 mile week – 8 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles and 10.4 miles.The diet could have been better but I didn’t over do it on the beer too much. Nevertheless I have probably thrown back on a few pounds but no harm. Jogging through the Brandenburg gates a la the Berlin marathon was good fun. Copenhagen was nice too- very flat. You could see why the marathon there is so highly rated, unfortunately the cost of eating/drinking and living there is a bit of a turn off.

In the last week I ran 7 miles on Monday. I was busy getting back to Charleville on Tuesday before taking another day off on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday consisted of good 8 mile runs at a pace of 7.55 and 7.38 each day. The only snag was the high HR 155 -157.

The HR readings came home to roost on the Friday walking smack bang into a headcold on the Friday night. Saturday I was completely stuffed sounding like a Dalek. Running was out of the question on the Saturday – yet another missed workout. Running the Clonmel half marathon on Sunday was going to be a tricky business.

I had a terrible nights sleep on the Saturday night/ Sunday night. You know the usual stuff – sneezing, sweats, blocked nose. Anyway I was a bit bothered about running a half marathon under such circumstances but was it was a long run there was little point in bailing out. The resting HR was well into the 60’s, never a good sign as it should have been 48 to 50 beats.

I ran this 2 years ago and had a tough time out there then as well. This time I planned to run 4-5 mile at a slow pace for the warm up and then complete the course at around marathon pace, somewhere between  7.50 to 8 minute pace. Once I got up to Clonmel I felt a lot better and it was great to chat to my old buddy Aidan. The warm up went fine – 4.5 miles at 9.03 pace, Hr 144. So far so good. I was feeling positive when the race started. I was determined not to go any faster than I needed to so i kept a bit behind the 1.45 pacers. It was after all a marathon pace long run, not a all out race. Having got the hilly 3 miles out of the way I settled into a comfortable rhythm hitting each mile in around 7.50-7.55 pace. I was feeling fine but the HR was in the 160-165 range, obviously way too high. This from a training point of view was in the red zone but as I wasn’t feeling under too much pressure I decided to press on. By mile 10 I was on my feet 1hr18mins20secs but the effort was beginning to tell. Whether it was the cold or rubbery legs as a result of my holidays I don’t know but every step was becoming a real effort. The hill between 10 and 11.2 miles was enough to finish me and at mile 10.5 the pacers overtook me. In many ways it was all very similar to 2 years ago. I walked ran up to mile 11 before jog walking to mile 12. Time was slipping away and the HR remained stubborningly high – peaking at 170 at one stage before I able to resume my slow shuffle to the last mile. I wasn’t too upset to be honest but glad to cross the line in 1hr48mins09seconds. The splits for the last 3 miles were 8.40, 10.20 and 9.20. This was 3 minutes slower than two years ago and it wasn’t a very good run. it was as a long run very useful -4.5 miles at 9 minute pace,10 miles at 7.50 pace, 3.1 miles at a poor pace. Average Hr was crazy 164. Aidan flew in at 1hr35mins. The day wasn't helped by the Cork hurlers getting a pasting off Tipp either.

I bounced back from this kind of thing two years so iI don’t see why  I can’t this time either. Running however will be of a easier pace for the duration of the week or until my system sorts itself out. Nevertheless my races haven’t  gone the way  I would have liked either since April.  With only 6 weeks of real training left until the taper for the marathon begins I will have a realistic idea of where I stand by then. Daniels and McMillian have me down for 3hrs50minutes.

Mileage for week ending 10^th August 26 miles

Mileage for week ending 17^th August 41 miles (7 miles, 8miles,8 miles, 17.5 miles)

 

Coming into August

Friday 1^st August

Time flies over the summer. I noticed that for the month of July I ran 199 miles. A mile short of 200 miles for the month. Had I ventured yesterday for even 8 minutes I would have hit the 2 ton mark but it wasn’t possible yesterday as I had a few social and family calls to make yesterday. Anyway I also wanted the days rest before I ventured out for my long run today, 15 miles. Neverthe less my mileage this month is the highest I have run in nearly 12 months so I am happy with that. The last couple of weeks have seen me hit close to or slightly over the 50 mile mark.  I will try to return to that kind of mileage when I get back from the holidays later next week but so far so good. I was also happy I managed to a long run of 20 miles, midweek runs of close to 12 miles and a few races of 5 mile distance as well. As Grellan pointed out “My endurance base is building nicely”. What I do need to work on though is running at marathon goal pace. I feel if i don’t work on that in particular over August and September I will struggle to achieve a decent time in Amsterdam. I want to be able to do more than run a efficient marathon at 8.30 pace.

As a result I have scheduled in a number of marathon pace long runs over the next 11 weeks. There isn’t a need to schedule in too many – one every 3 to 4 weeks is plenty but they are important. Along with tempos, midweek runs, recovery runs and tempo runs they play a important in giving me a idea of where I am going. It’s easier to schedule them in as a part of races so I was thinking the Clonmel half marathon in mid August and the Cork Cobh 15 mile race at the end of September are ideal times to incorporate these. I might also try to fit one in in mid September. I have also entered the Charleville half marathon in September but I hope to be in decent shape to race it. My attempt at running a marathon portion run was mixed enough today. I had planned to run a hour easy (7.16 miles in 62 minutes) and then run 10 miles at marathon pace. I was thinking around 7.50 marathon pace/garmin time. I was doing fine up to mile 8 running at average pace of 7.39 but tellingly I had run the 6^th and 7^th miles at 7.23 each which meant I was suffering at mile 8. The turnaround at the railway proved too much mentally and I stopped. Hr was 158 for the MP portion which was obviously too high. I finished up with a 2 mile walk home. A mixed result.

This week I have had to fit in as many miles this week between Monday to Friday. I do hope to get a small bit of running in during the break but as I am in unfamiliar surroundings I don’t know where, when or how much mileage I can get done. I suppose just enough running to keep the legs fresh is enough of a plan. There will enough weeks left to tire myself out in August and September.

I threw myself up on the scales last week in the local chemist. I weighed myself on June 4^th on the same scales coming in at 13stone 7.8 pounds. Therefore I made a few changes on the diet front – namely no sugar in the tea, no biscuits in the weekly shop (i was getting through a packet a week), no chocolate (I was doing well up to last week) little to no beer  and a few more veggie dinners (salads and stirfrys). Anyway I dropped the 7.8 pounds and stood at 13 stone. While there is bound to be a increase over the next few weeks (German and Danish food !!!!)hopefully the rate of improvement will be maintained over the next number of months. 

I was worried on Monday how I would react to the unexpected 20 miler on the Sunday but as it was only a recovery jog I was able to take it as I pleased. Tuesday was a tougher session 2 mile warm up in 17 minutes and a 5 mile tempo at 7.15 pace followed by a 1 mile cooldown. The splits were even enough – 7.16,7.14,7.22,7.07, 7.14 and the Hr while climbing to 167 for the last mile evened out to 157 overall. I felt reasonably untroubled during the run but was glad to be finished. Wednesday was a tougher business – a 95 minute run with the last 4 miles at a faster pace. In all I covered 11.7 miles walking the last minute as a cooldown. I ran the first 7 miles at 8.15 pace pushing on for the last 4.5 miles at around 7.40 pace. There was no real reason for me to run the last portion so fast it was just a case of wanting too. A lot of literature recommends running these runs at a pace similar to your long runs certainly not forcing it at race pace. I probably was anxious to do so as i was overly bothered about not getting any running done over the weekend. Anyway it was a bad idea as the legs were heavy enough by Thursday forcing me to take a rest day. Lesson learned (for now).

I also noticed that sleeping is becoming a important factor in my training over the last 6 weeks. In other words I can’t get enough of it. Taking a 60 minute nap in the afternoon on top of my normal 9 hours during the night is becoming a vital part of my recovery. Of course I won’t have that luxury when I am back teaching in September but that will be easily dealt with too, it just means getting to bed a hour earlier the night before.

Monday 4 mile recovery @ 10.15 pace with 126 HR, Tuesday 8 miles with 5 mile tempo at 7.15 pace with 157 HR, Wednesday 11.7 miles at 8.01 pace, Thursday nada, Friday 15.5 miles with 8 miles at 7.39 pace with 158 HR and a 2 mile walk home.

A early 20 miler

Week starting 21^st July

Another good running week but I would have liked to have got a better 5 mile time in Churchtown South on Thursday. This was the third race of four of the Ballycotton series.They are proper tough races and the ultimate aim is to finish in the top 50. That was never really on the cards but I had hoped to be comfortably in the top 100 at this stage.I ran the same race last year and ended injuring myself and taking a enforced break from running. My finishing time today was 34.31, not a bad time probably a solid one but well removed from a a sub 34 time and miles away from a PB. A lot of my clubmates were flying it and have made significant ground in the last 12 months. That said it’s the  Amsterdam marathon  that is my number one race and I am currently number 100 in the standings so hopefully with one race to go I can make up some ground. Mind you if I want to improve on the 3-6 mile distance different training is called for.

Monday was marked by a relaxed 4 mile recovery jog as was Friday. Sandwiched in between  was a 7 mile run on Tuesday with a 30 minute tempo insert at 7.25 pace (last mile 7.18) and 11 miles in 91 minutes on Wednesday (Hr 141). Thursday was the race in Churchtown South (2 mile warm up).

Sunday was the morning of the long run. I had planned to get 10k in on the Saturday but mindful of how leg weary  I felt the previous week I thought it best to give it a miss. Just as well really as I ended up running 20 miles on the Sunday with the club group. My original plan was to do 18 miles meeting up with Dermot at 8.15 for a 4.5 mile run and then do the remaining 13-14 miles with the main group at 9am. The problem was though that the route we took was over 16 miles. The terrain was varied and challenging.. It was a enjoyable route made all the more sweeter by a fine spread at various rest points. At mile 16 Caroline had a bagful of goodies for us – water, bananas, croissants, lucozade, chocolate and so on. Barry commented that we end up heavier after a long run rather than lighter.

Despite my 4.5 miles before hand I was feeling very relaxed tipping away at a handy pace. The Hr was averaging out as 140 and I never felt troubled. With less than 1.5 miles to the car park I had accumulated 20 miles up on the legs and I was happy to stop and walk the remaining distance to the car with Jim for a pleasant chat. I had spent 2hrs53mins on my feet which while unexpected will stand me later on.

This time next week I won’t be running on Irish soil so it will be interesting to see what of mileage I can get done. The next 5 days I do hope to continue the good work, the holidays will be more relaxed. The remaining 10 weeks after that will be pretty full on.

Mileage for the week 53 miles. Monday 4 miles, Tuesday 7 miles, Wednesday 11 miles, Thursday 7 miles with 5 mile race, Friday 4 miles, Sunday 20 miles. Picture by Paudie Birmingham, taken at Churchtown South.



Humid

Week ended 20^th July

I am heading off on my holidays in a few weeks so the priority for me is to get miles up on the legs. I will entering one more race in the coming week –Churchtown South 5 miler. As a result I gave the Donoughamore 7 a miss, my first time missing it since 2010. I had hoped to get under 50 minutes ideally under 49 minutes but the recovery from running a very tough race always takes it toll at the weekend. My clubmates from Mallow recorded good times there on Friday night.

Monday was a relaxed affair – jog / walk in 40 minutes. Tuesday was a surprisingly good run. One mile warm up and 5 miles at what was meant to be at 7.40 pace and one mile cooldown. I really didn’t think I had a strong 5 miles in me but I ran the lot in 7.16 average with the last mile at 6.55 pace. Wednesday was another mid pace medium long run – 85 minute run covering 10.38 miles at a solid pace of 8.12. The weather was very heavy – meaning humid and for a second week in a row I was very parched. The Hr was a bit high too 151 – but that was down to the weather with temperatures at around 23 degrees Celsius and the workout the day before. Thursday I joined the club session in Doneraile park. Not having been there in 7 weeks I didn’t get around to doing my planned 2 mile warm up too busy catching up with all the gossip. Anyway in keeping with the week the workout went well running 5.5 miles with 3.1 miles in 22.15 and keeping in touch with the leading runners in the group, though i am sure they were taking it easy.

No running on Friday but it did mark the end of the correcting so hip hip hooray. Saturday I ran 10k at a 7.50 average pace. I bumped into Paudie who is currently recovering from a  operation on his leg. He will be back in a few months but recovery will take time.

Nevertheless despite my good week I felt unsettled as to what run I would do on Sunday. The schedule called for a long run of 17 miles or a marathon pace with a 10 mile cut in or a 13 mile cut back run. I had resolved to do the 17 mile long run but the early start in Mallow ( a solo run of 4 miles before joining the main group at 9am for 13 miles) was totally thrown out by me missing my alarm. I had a terrible nights sleep as some idiot couple were having a drunken and noisy argument for a hour at 5 in the morning outside the house. By the time I woke up and dragged myself down to mallow for 9 I was pretty much not-in-the form. As a result I ran 13.34 miles instead. It was very humid and I think we were all suffering and glad to see it done. Most of the group had ran Donoughamore the Friday before so they were feeling it themselves. Anyway for the record it was 13.34 miles at 8.27 pace. The HR was 147. It will have to be a proper long run next week though and a marathon pace long run the week after that.

Nevertheless a good running week. 46 miles. Monday 3.7 mls, Tuesday 7 mls, Wednesday 10.38, Thursday 5.5 mls, Saturday 6.2 mls, Sunday 13.34 mls.

The half ton week

Week ending 13^th July

In my last entry I was talking about getting out 6 days a week and getting 50 miles up on my legs. I had reckoned I would have to wait till the end of the month. However I had resolved on Sunday night to keep the focus and get out 6 days a weeks and get 50 miles up on the legs. Mission accomplished.

Monday I ran the Dromcollogher 4 mile race giving Tony a lift on the way up. 2 years ago I ran this in around 27minutes 34 seconds. I missed out on it last year but watched as a interested spectator in what was the hottest day in Ireland in nearly 30 years. Again I didn’t know what to expect but hoped to improve on my previous time and ideally get under 27 minutes and set a PB. We did a 2 mile warm up beforehand in the added company of young Declan and bang on 8 pm the race started. The first mile is arrow flat and downhill but I was careful not to over extend myself. It passed in 6.32 and I was happy to see that I wasn’t too stressed by the pace. Turning the corner at 1.4 miles however the race took on a entirely different character.  The course got a bit steeper and the second mile passed in 6.42. Tony zipped past me and tore on up the road leaving me for dead a la the Dungarvan 10 last January. Aoife was up ahead and in her attempt to push for a prize was feeling the pressure. Sharon was as usual flying ahead of all of us. Mile 3 was a aslower time of 6.57 and I was feeling the pressure myself. I still reckoned a sub 27 minutes was on the cards if I could push really hard the last mile which was downhill in parts. Turning the corner into the town I broke into a attempted sprint with two lads breathing over my shoulder. I crossed the last mile in 6.53, five or six seconds outside a sub 27 minutes. Tony came home in 26.45 and Aoife not far behind him.

It was also great to see club great John Holland mark a 14 month absence from running by completing the circuit. While a small bit disappointed not to PB I enjoyed the evening and rounded off the day with a one mile cool down giving me a pretty decent workout of 7 miles.

Tuesday was a recovery day. One mile jog and watch the Hr drop to below 140 beats by walking for a minute to 90 seconds. I repeated this 4 times. The overall pace was 9.15 with the Hr a bit higher than one would expect – 136. While it is a tedious way to run it helps the system to bounce back.

Wednesday was another mid week medium long run. I don’t know how long these runs will go up to – maybe 2 hours or maybe 1hour50 minutes but for the moment the pace will be dictated by the HR. This time the readings were very positive – 8.06 pace with a Hr of 143. The mileage covered here was 10 miles on a flat course. Thursday was a day off with a tempo run Friday. Again this was a positive workout – 2 mile warm up with a 30 minute tempo and a 1 mile cooldown. The tempo portion went well but it was tough. Doing this on your one makes it harder even the pace (7.15) was a lot slower than that which I raced on Monday. Anyway I ran 4.16 miles at the aforementioned pace. I didn’t have a Hr strap for this one but i suspect the Hr was well above 170.

Saturday consisted of a 6 mile run around town with 6 X 1 minute sprint inserts at 6.15 pace. That gave me a overall pace of 7.50. Ideally I would want to be running the casual medium run at a faster pace without the effort  feeling difficult. Hopefully all in good time.

That left Sunday as the last run of the week – the bread and butter long run. I did 3 miles beforehand with Pa and Peader joining up with the large main group at 9 am for a further 13.1 miles around the hills and dips of Chaherduggan. I was glad to hog it down the back keeping a eye on the HR. In all I ran at 8.30 – 8.35 pace spending around 2hrs20minutes on my feet. HR for the second portion was 146.

A good running week – 50 miles and two years since I joined Mallow AC

Monday 7 miles with 4 mile race at 6.48 pace, Tuesday 4 mile recovery pace,Wednesday 10 miles, Thursday rest, Friday 7 miles with 30 minute tempo at 7.15 pace, Saturday 6 miles with 6 X1 minute sprints, Sunday 16.3 miles.

.

 

Getting it all together

Week ending 6^th July

A solid week running if only I could have got out running a bit more.Monday was the end of a very busy week with a lot of driving around the country and up and down to Cork from Charleville (2 hour round trip). Last week I was up in Athlone attending the marking conference, then it was down to the Marquee for a couple of gigs (Biffy Clyro and the Pixies), a race in Ballycotton, a christening for my niece and waiting on a painter to do a bit of work in the house.  Ok ok it’s hardly hard work but still ......

It was all a bit crazy so hopefully I  can get a bit more consistency over the next few weeks. Thankfully the weather has held up and it is nice spending the time enjoying it.

Monday 4 mile recovery walk, Tuesday – no running as the painter was around the place until 7 in the evening and the corrections were getting very hectic, Wednesday – 9.5 mile medium long run at 8.20 pace, Thursday 7 miles at 8.10 pace, Friday – no running, Saturday – 10 miles with 3 miles tempo insert at 7.25 pace, Sunday – no running as I needed to get a few things done around the house. In fairess it’s hardly groundshaking stuff ,around 30 miles. I would really want to be getting 6 times a week by the end of August and up to 50 miles by the end of July. The main thing is not to panic and keep the focus. There is probably 2-3 races coming up this month and I would like to do these. I would also however to get a bit more natural pace up in the legs on my medium pace 6-7 mile runs. At the moment I am stuck on a constant 8.10 - 8.15 pace.

I have distilled my training down to a Monday recovery run, Tuesday tempo run, intervals or fast paced 7 mile run, Wednesday medium paced midweek long run, Thursday tempo, intervals or fast paced run or 5 mile race, Friday rest, Saturday relaxed 6 mile run and Sunday long slow run with some marathon paced portions thrown in. That's the ideal idea of a good running week. Hopefully I can get it all together.

Change of plan

Week beginning 30^th June

I won’t be doing the Dublin marathon after all. A chance to run the Amsterdam marathon had arisen and it was a opportunity too good to turn down. There is a very big crowd from Mallow Ac going and the wife also saw it as a great opportunity to get a mini break in. It’s on a week before the Dublin marathon (19^th October) so it doesn’t throw out my training schedule by much. The only awkward point will be weather or not to do the Cork Cobh race but aside from that no real problems.

My weekly mileage up to this week has picked up a bit too. 40 miles last week and 41 this week. The long runs have been of identical length – 14 miles. The only difference has been in terms of pace. The long run last week was with the club at a slower average pace of around 8.35-8.40 per mile. The Hr was around 145. Yesterdays run was in Charleville – 7 miles at 8.43 pace and a restrained marathon pace effort of 7.45. The Hr for the latter part of the run was 149 which is spot on for me. Hopefully further improvements await.

I also ran the usual mid week stuff. Two weeks ago was a 7 mile run with a 4 mile tempo inserted in the middle part. Average splits for the tempo were 7.19 but the HR was a very solid 165. Again I hope this picks up over time. I also ran the second race of the Ballycotton summer series in Shannagarry during the week. This time I started closer to the start line. It was probably the toughest 5 mile race I have ever done but despite running too fast in the first two miles I was glad to sneak in at 34.36. Not hugely fast and a lot slower than most of clubmates but solid enough. I ran 2 miles in the warm up and 1 mile cooldown.

On we go.

Looking ahead

Thursday 12th June.


Since the Cork half marathon I haven't got as much running completed as I like. Last week consisted of a 5 mile recovery jog, a 60 minute mid week run and a 5 k race in Ballincollig. The race in Ballincollig was a GAA organised event. Generally not a fan of races organised by the GAA as it is essentially a easy fun raiser for a organisation that was plenty to go around. I headed down with Dermot and while I didn't get much of a warm up done I enjoyed the race which to be fair was well marshalled and stewarded. I think the course was probably a little short as it read 3.1 miles on the garmin. Normally it should be 3.15. Anyway my official time was 20.37 which was solid enough. I don't know if I will be doing many more 5k races over the summer so hopefully it will help improve my (shabby)  5 mile times of late.


That was pretty much it for the rest of the week. DIY activities took  over the rest of the weekend. New shelves had to be put up in the garden shed so what with ordering lumber, getting a loan of a circular saw, measuring up, drilling and nailing and so on there was little time for running. We also managed to fit a quick break in the Mustard seed restaurant in Ballingarry. Most times there's more to life than running and it was a very satisfying weekend without it.


Monday I was back to the recovery jog. I started wearing the heart rate strap for the first time in 6 months.The readings are mixed to say the least but hopefully I will see a improvement by the Autumn. No chance of a run on Tuesday evening (it's been that sort of month) and I headed out for a 6.5 mile run on Wednesday. Again the HR results indicate a bit of work is required if I want to compete to my satisfaction. Ideally that would mean more consistent running at the correct pace and possibly a look at my weight. Currently I weigh in at 13stone 8 pounds which means I am carrying 8 pounds more than I need to. Weight is to running as height is to basketball players, it all helps. I will try to work on that too. Easier said that done though.
Thursday I went for my hopefully regular long slow medium run. The idea borrowed from Pfitzinger and Douglas is that I run a medium length run once a week at a pace or HR similar to my long weekend runs. I ran these in training for Connemara and they definitely gave me extra strength over a hilly course. For the moment this will be run by time not distance as I don't want to be running these too fast yet. Anyway the legs were heavy for this one so I covered 65 minutes at 8.58 pace. It worked out as 7.26 miles. These runs are all completed around home. I will be happy to take a break from training in the city until September.
My other dilemma is upcoming races. I have my eye on 3 races coming up over the next 3 weeks. I will definitely enter one and possibly a second one but it may be asking a bit much combining tempo workouts , intervals, long runs and races in any one week. The priority is of course the Dublin marathon so maybe we will review what and how many races I enter. A training session can sometimes tell you a lot more than a race.


Tuesday 3rd June- 5 miles, Wednesday -  60 minute run at 8.20 pace (7.20 miles), Thursday 5k race.


Monday 9th June - 4 miles, Wednesday 6.5 miles, Thursday 65minute run at 8.58 pace (7.26 miles)