Adare 10k 2017

Sunday 26^th February

Running has been going well in the last week or so in that I am  completing 4 workouts most weeks with a solid speed session, one long run and two more relaxed aerobic runs. That’s probably as much as I will be able to do until the summer and even then I will be only doing 5 workouts a week but that particular cycle is a while aways yet. I ran 7.25 miles (1 hour) at 8.16 pace. I do hope this casual aerobic pace will eventually improve over time but I know it will take a while to ideally drop down to 7.30 pace by the time September comes around. On the plus sides the legs were pretty fresh after the 6 X 800 intervals the day before. Saturday morning I had hoped to get up at 7.40 am in order to join club members for the Doneraile hill session but I was pinned to the bed. I don’t get a chance to make the Sunday long runs either as I am on night feed duty with Iseult from Thursday to Saturday’s . 

Feeds are generally scheduled at 11.30 pm, 5 am and 9.30 am and considering Aoiffe has her all the rest of the week it would be unfair to change the routine for a club run. I miss the club sessions no doubt about it but family first. It may mean that running times will remain mediocre but that’s the way it goes. If I keep the emphasis on running for enjoyment and being less time obsessed that will hopefully prove a more fruitful approach. I ran 40 minutes easy on the Saturday morning (around 4.7 miles) before a busy day up in Cork City.

My good friend Aidan came down from Portarlington to run the Adare 10k with me. I ran this 3 years ago when I was training for a Ballycotton PB and a marathon in Connemara. This year I was hoping for a sub 45 minute time, slower than before  but ideally faster than the pace I ran in Dungarvan. The Adare course is a tough mother of a route with plenty of ups and downs but it’s also a satisfying race to have completed. The weather was pretty bad in the morning but storm Ewen had largely blown out when we started. Up at the sharp end were Micheal Harty and Sean Hehir, the rest of us making up the numbers. My mile splits were good at the start but started to slip as the race progressed. I was overtaken by a large amount of the field by mile 3 including Colm , Pat and Gary from Mallow. It was nice saying hello as they went past. I crossed the line in around 44.47 at around 7.13-7.15 pace with mile 5 passing in 36 minutes (must keep a eye on that). It was a solid average time but I would have liked to run a bit faster than my tempo training runs but again the course is very hilly. Aidan enjoyed himself finishing in around 41.45 – a loose shoelace costing him 30 – 40 seconds. It was a tough but fair race. The ankle was throbbing afterwards so the ice pack was thrown on afterwards.

Mile 1 – 7.04, Mile 2 – 7.07, Mile 3 – 7.11, Mile 4 – 7.21, Mile 5 – 7.10, Mile 6 – 7.08 , 1.45 for the rest.

Iseult and running

Week ending 26^th February

Midterm in school at the moment so a handy time off work. Normally we disappear to London for a break to celebrate a whole range of anniversaries ( our wedding anniversary in 2011, our first meeting in 2001, Aoiffe’s birthday, Valentines). It was one of those trips that last year that begat the process to us having our baby daughter in our life so I guess that’s a sort of anniversary too !!!!!!

Iseult is 20 weeks old and is thriving. I won’t lie the first 11 weeks were pretty horrendous and for a lot of it very difficult.( In fact it was awful and miserable) Not only were we novice parents but Iseult was struggling with reflux. Her little tummy was unable to suppress stomach acid and it was leaving her in a lot of pain and discomfort. Every second feed was vomiting up and some nights were marked by 6-8 hour crying marathons. I think we are over the worst of it and the little mite is getting stronger, has started on solids and is sleeping a lot more. There is still one or two issues she has to deal with and she is on medication to suppress the reflux (LOSEC) but there is no comparison to where we are now and where we once were. Perhaps the lowest point (amongst many) was spending the 30^th November in the A and E in the C.U.M.H (maternity hospital) with Iseult from 6.30 pm to 2.30 am in the morning awaiting a visit from the doctor in paediatrics. I seem to have spent the last 18 months in hospitals for one reason or another and I was getting well sick of it The place was full of sick babies and old people many of them lying on hospital trolleys, sitting on stools or standing up awaiting to be seen. By the time the doctor got to see us she looked at Iseult for 10 minutes and said there was nothing she could do. Off we trudged home again back to Charleville, I won’t deny I got emotional with my faith in the medical system in this country eroded even further. In fact there was many times where the last 20 weeks has been emotional.

So what was that got to do with running? It was in A and E I received my confirmation mail for the Berlin marathon in September 2017. I owe to myself and to Iseult to do my best there. No shortage of motivation there.

Training has gone well enough in the last week. 5 easy miles last Thursday week (16^th February), 8 miles with a 5 mile tempo at 7.16 pace on Friday, 12 miles at 8.20 pace on Saturday, Monday 7 miles at 8.20 pace, Wednesday 7 miles with 6 X 800 repeats at 6.50 average mile pace. Hopefully a few more sessions at the end of the week with a 10k race on Sunday.

Slight uplift

Maybe it’s time to start with regular blog updates. 2017 is well underway and it’s probably time for a new perspective on the whole running goal's thing. Everything this year is firmly centered in getting in shape for the Berlin marathon on 24^th September. I wouldn’t be lying if I didn’t have some apprehension about the prospect of training for another marathon (my 12^th). The fear of injury has weighed heavily on my mind since I started back jogging last October but so far a diet or 3 – 4 solo runs a week (23-30 miles a week) hasn’t done me any harm so far. I haven’t attempted much in the way of speedwork or hillwork since November  sticking mostly to the well known routes around Charleville town and trying to get away from the whole “I must get a PB, I must get faster, I must get better than the guy in front of me” mentality which at this stage isn’t going to do me any good. As I said before lets keep it very mellow for the moment.

That said there was been a slight uplift in the training in the last 2 weeks. Wednesday’s are currently devoted to a tempo session (20 minute warm up, 25 – 30 minute tempo and 10 minute cooldown). Monday is a easy pace 6-7 mile run, Thursday 6-7 miles with a 90 minute long run over weekends. I don't envisage me running more than 35 miles a week unitil the summer. I also ran the Dungarvan 10 last Sunday. As in keeping with a time honoured tradition of using that race as a attempt to feel my way into racing I ran a solid plod of 1.16.00 / 7.35 pace. I thought I would be only to run around 8 minute to 8.10 pace but I did ok enough I suppose. A slow time but hopefully it’s a pace I can eventually stretch to  over 20 miles in September. It was also a good opportunity to catch up with clubmates. Realistically there is little chance of attending many Mallow training sessions as baby Iseult is number one priority. Aoiffe is understanding enough as it is – best not to push it too much at the moment. Lets just hope this latest chapter in me making a running comeback isn’t mired down in injury, illness or trauma – something which has been a on/off feature the last couple of years.

By the way a word about the photo (courtesy of Derek Costello) , pretty awful isn't it. Obviously overweight. I was pretty comfortable until the end ;-) (Honestly!!!)