Consistency....

is what running is all about really. A bit like cleaning your teeth or getting up out of bed at a regular time. It was something I prided myself on for many years. I wasn't fast or particularly one for high mileage but when I had a marathon plan I generally was able to stick to it. Getting out  5 days a week, getting the mileage in was always something I was good in particular in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017. 2013 and 2016 were poor running years in many ways but there was always good running moments in there and a few (modest) PB's too.

2017 has been a complete disaster. No marathons, no PB's with very little consistent training either. I don't know why this has been the case. I picked up one flu or stomach bug after the other from Jan to March and then even getting back to running the legs would be shattered for days afterwards. The mood wasn't up to it either, there was no enthusiasm for it, entering races filled me with dread. I drifted away from Mallow Ac in particular the long runs and bypassed the Manchester marathon simply going over to watch my buddy Aidan take part.  I thought by entering the Dublin marathon in May and training for what was in theory a very simple sub 4 hour time would be easily done. I ran 17 miles in August (as part of the Tullamore half marathon race) and 15 miles a week after but then I couldn't run another step for weeks afterwards. I tried to kickstart things again in September but again I didn't get beyond 13 miles , being left behind in some training runs during my training comeback with the club. By the end of September I cut my losses and flogged the entry running two ho hum half marathons in November and December. The Waterford half in December was well documented previously. I also went back to doing long runs on my own and didn't use a Garmin from August.

But at least there was some running taking place. Not with standing another fall in October I was running around 30 miles a week but that started to drop to 25 miles a week in November to around 20 miles a week in December. Very frustrating but the energy levels both mentally and physically are dropping again.

I have resolved to try to train for the Manchester marathon in April (or failing that Connemara) and this week marks week 3 of the training plan. The first week was interrupted by a pain in the glutes. I dropped into the physio for that and recovery from that took a bit of time, around 2 days. However I was delighted to get a good solid 11 mile run in on the Sunday. Week 2 was a lot better and I hit 6 miles (with 27 minute tempo) on Tuesday and Wednesday and a good paced run on Thursday (7.55 minute per mile but these days it is all relative) and a good solid 13.5 mile long run on Sunday. This was a good week and I hoped the start of a good base of training. Week 3 (this week) was a problem again - a solid 7 miles on Tuesday but nothing on Wednesday and a dire 5.5 mile effort on Thursday. The legs were dead. By the evening I was wrecked and on Saturday I barely managed another 5 miles at around 11 minute pace. Maybe I picked up a bug from Iseult (she is a bit poorly at the mo) or maybe too much sugar in my diet,

I can't explain any of this. It isn't laziness and it isn't anything medical or physiological. It's maybe a case of me not putting running as a high priority in my life anymore or maybe I am simply got stale. We will see how it goes. Further updates next month but I dont know how it will be. Fingers crossed.

Here is Rory Gallagher - the man. He knew about consistency.

waterford half marathon - a bit blah in the land of the blah

Not a very good day out. Not good at all. This was my 4th half marathon since September - Tullamore 1.55, Charleville 1.47, Portarlington 1.48. I hadn't even tried to race those previous races as I was only finding my way back but it was still a effort to get around. That was understandable given my sporadic training, having a bit of weight on me and turning away from running in general the last 12 months. However I had targeted Waterford as a chance to run a time of sub 1.45, a modest target which for many years would have been a pleasant training run. Most of my better half marathons were (in historic terms) generally in the 1.33 to 1.36 range , a sign I was doing well.

By the time I drove down to Waterford I.T for 9 am I had a few worries, namely a head cold which limited training during the week  and that blasted pain in my left glute which was making running and driving quite uncomfortable the last few weeks. Nevertheless, all excuses aside I was hopeful I would do ok enough. I felt good during the warm up, chatting to my cousin Don Ryan,dual Ironman finisher, who was expecting a comfortable 1.28 finish. Don has come a long way in 7 years. My hamstring and glute felt relaxed and the nose was clearing up nicely.

Mile 1 to Mile 3 I was in trouble. The first mile went by in 7.30 (a pace which was now too tough for me) the rest followed in around 8.30. However by mile 8 I was ticking away nicely coming up to 63 minutes on the clock, precisely where I wanted to be. I felt reasonably ok no longer overly troubled like I was in the first few miles. My pace was around 7.50 per mile, I had no garmin but was hopeful of doing ok. By mile 9 I was walking. I had no energy left and the back of the right leg was very tight and sore, a dull pain was now getting more and more angry and mobility was getting very restricted. I tried rolling it out over the last few weeks but it had little impact and it was coming home to roost today. Mile 10 was a Connemara like hill except on the motorway and  walked up that. I walked ran the remaining 3 miles putting in a little spurt for the last mile to come in around 1.55. Mile 11 was the worst of all shifting the weight off the right leg by leaning more to my left side and stopping for stretches.

I was fair fed up coming over the line and just wanted to get away from the place as quick as possible. I chatted briefly to Don and a few clubmates, collecting my goody bag and medal and drove home stopping twice on the way home to stretch out the leg. I was in the car shifting around to get relief. Getting out of the car when I got home proved to be a struggle. Ah it was a shit day no two ways about it.

On reflection I think I would have struggled at modest 7.50 pace regardless of the tight leg thing. Maybe it's a weight thing or a age thing but the decline has been quite startling. Either way I will have to draw a line under it and drive on, it's happened before and I have bounced back from it..