A sense of perspective

Monday 26^th November,

 This evening jogged 3.5 miles with my wife at 11.30 pace. HR was screwy tho 153.

 Tuesday 27^th November,

Session with Mallow AC. 2 mile warm up with assorted drills. Then the fun begins.8 x 2 mins of hills with jog down for recovery. Last week I overdid it big time and suffered for the next two days. This time (and for the next few weeks) I ran at a more conservative pace. I covered around 0.26 of a mile on each hill run – that is around 7.42 mile pace with the last one the fastest 0.30 of a mile at 7.09 mile pace. Eventually I will bbe hoping to increase the distance covered close to 0.40 of a mile. Finished up with a 1.30 mile jog to the car for a total workout of around 7 miles plus or so. The HR for each hill sprint was in the 158 to 169 range which suggests it’s a while before I can say I am back to full fitness.

 

Wednesday 28^th November

Wanted to see how would I get on myself on a short 4 mile run. I was gasping for air all the day, a sure sign that building a solid base of running and getting mileage on the legs is the name of the game for the next few weeks. Anyway did 4 miles at 8.20 pace. HR 150

Thursday 29^th November

 

4 mile run up in Mayfield, Body reacted better than yesterday though pace and HR was virtually identical. A lot less flatter than yesterday. Hr 150. Pace 8.18

 

Friday –rest day

Saturday- Didn’t charge the Garmin so that threw me a bit as I planned to do a 3 mile tempo effort. Anyway had to revise plans and ran using my stopwatch instead. Did a one mile warm up in around 8 minutes or so and did ran as fast as I could 21 minutes at tempo speed. I reckon I ran around 3miles or so and it felt like a 7.00 to 7.05 pace. Of course i could have been a lot slower than that but when i finished it was hands –on –knees time and a 2 minute walk before i was able to jog the remaining 13 minutes back to the house. Anyway it’s a start and the beginning of my Dungarvan 10 training cycle.

8 minute warm up – 21 minute tempo run – 13 minute cooldown jog .Roughly 5.3 miles. No Hr information.

Sunday 2^nd December

 

Met up with a smaller than normal group this morning at the roundabout in Mallow. A lot of the regulars are running in the Munster cross country championships or else spectating. Anyway most of the gang this morning opted for a 10 mile run. I had hoped to do 8 miles so myself and Tony Murphy decided to do our own thing. After 1.5 miles Tony’s knee problem forced him to head back to the car so i went off on my own. Ended up jogging around 6 miles of the Mallow Ten route so it was a useful scouting exercise as well as nice easy run. Spotted a couple of lads firing off shotguns bagging some game which was a welcome distraction as it starting pouring down from mile two to the end. When I finished I couldn’t believe my HR average was 87 BPM. That must mean I am morphing into a elite runner or that it really was that cold. I assume the latter was the case...alas!!! Did 2 more miles around the town and was glad to get home.

 

8 miles – 8.20 pace- 1hr06mins46seconds – Av Hr 87 !!!

 

Total miles for the week 32

Special mention must go to a young guy who worked in Charleville for a while as a physio in the local hotel here – Robert Savage. When I first started training for my first marathon in 2010 I suffered with a number of injury issues – knee problems, PF in the foot., sore back etc. Robert was the guy who put me right and while I only went to him probably 4-5 times in two years he really struck me as being a great guy. I was also interested in his other work with a football team I followed for many years – Cork City FC and found his stories of his time working with Reading FC to be a source of his great amusement. His girl friend Lisa Nybo was also working with him and my wife found her to be a excellent physical trainer where she specialised in circuit training classes.More importantly they were nice and good people. Anyway they went  back to Lisa’s home country of Norway this year to pursue new opportunities and I really have never found a physio team as good (or as nice) as them. It was therefore a terrible shock to hear of Rob’s untimely passing during the week. Very sad to hear about it and I hope Lisa and Robert’s family get through the worst of things in the time ahead.

Burn out and a dodgy 'tache

Sunday 25^th Movember

 

Here’s the raw data for the last 4 weeks since Dublin marathon. Time to move on and all that but being honest I am hardly doing high mileage am I?. Probably the toughest workout of the lot was the club workout on Tuesday, week 4. Ran 1.5 mile warm up with the club, did various drills and strides, 8 X 2 minutes of hills with another 1.5 mile cooldown. I probably over do the last couple of hill repeats and the back of the legs have been feeling it ever since so much so I had to take 2 days off running. Having entered the Connemara marathon (April 7^th 2013) I am now wondering have I bit off a bit more than I can currently chew. It’s not the distance nor the course that bothers me it’s the lack of appetite for running that bothers me. The appetite for everything else has continued unabated ;-). This was confirmed to me today (Sunday) when I slept out and missed out on the club run and spent the day reacquainting myself with “Big Time” and “Macaroon” bars. Sleeping out is always a bad sign as I rarely need alarm to wake me up at the weekend. The photos below are from the Mt Oval 6 mile Movember run held last Sunday. I'm on the left, Derm is wearing the orange, Don (my marathon running buddy) is wearing the hat and Timmy is the second photo wearing shades and a blue tracksuit top.

 

I am sure good running and shaving habits will reassert itself soon. Anyway I will have a better idea of my form in a few weeks in the Clonakilty 10K. I had hoped to do the half marathon but the price (50 yo’s) was way too prohibitive so I hope the organisers take note. My buddies Aidan and Dermot are entering it too so if nothing else it will be a chance to catch up with friends. Will see what my racing strategy will be closer to the date but a chance of a improvement on 10K PB (41mins40secs) is unlikely.

 

While I'm at it I just want to mention a 5K Santa dash that is taking place on the 15th December in the lovely setting of Doneraile Park. Organised by clubmate Ger Vowles it's in aid of a number of charities to aid sick children. Check facebook for details.

 

Anyway here’s to Movember..................

 

 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Marathon	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest	3ml141	3ml146Hr
3ml139HR	Rest	3ml153HR	Rest	Rest	3ml139HR	7mls140HR
Rest	4.3ml150HR	4ml129HR12minpace	4.3ml159HR	Rest	4ml166HR	6mls151HR
3ml139HR	8X2minshills	4 ml75HR	Rest	Rest	6.5ml130Hr	Rest

 

What's up pussycat?

Two Questions - what's next and what have I learned?

It’s time to reflect on my Dublin marathon experience in particular for future marathons. Firstly what marathons will I be doing in the future?

I toyed with a number of ideas. Straight up my big target in 2013 is to get under 3hrs15mins in the Dublin marathon next year. Frankfurt or Amsterdam are tempting races and if nothing else a bit of variety is a good thing. Then again if it ain’t broke why fix it? On so many levels Dublin hits the spot everytime.

Next target race will be the Dungarvan 10 mile in January. I have never  run under 70 minutes in a 10 mile race so this challenge will be a good one. Also 10 mile races and 13.1 mile races are excellent tempo workouts in preparing me for marathons. I also hope to attempt the Ballycotton 10, Mallow 10, Kilnaboy 10 and Cobh 10 over the first 4 months of next  year . On top of that I will attempt a number of 5 mile and 4 mile races over April and May with possibly a view to completing all 4 races of the Ballycotton series.

Anyway back to my original point- what have I learned from the Dublin marathon?

1)       I can, if i work hard enough, get my marathon times down. In 2 years I have taken 31 minutes off my marathon times. A case of hard work triumphing over talent. Just how fast can I go?

2)       I need to be running 6 days a week and each run must serve a particular purpose. Recovery runs, tempo runs, LT sessions, long midweek medium runs, short medium runs, long runs and marathon pace long runs. Running miles for the sake of it serves no purpose except perhaps in the base building stage. These training runs allow to me to successfully assess what pace to run in races.

3)       Join a running club. I was lucky in that running with Mallow AC worked out so well. I’m not a “club joiner type” by nature but running the long runs in company and the benefit of structured speed sessions really helped me. Also talking and running with club members provides excellent focus and motivation.

4)       Enter races!!! Ideally try to enter a race every two weeks. Physically it allows the body to adapt to running under stress and mentally gives one that bit of strength over the last few miles. When training for Dublin I entered 3 half marathons and a 15 mile race. The benefits were immense

5)       Keep the weight down. I dropped nearly 10 pounds by the time the taper came around. Running 50 to 60 miles a week probably was the reason why the weight fell off me but cutting out or cutting down the beer, sweets, tea and cakes played a huge part as well.

6)       Finally have a realistic plan when racing the marathon and stick with it. Treat bad patches and good spells with respective respect and caution. The blog was a great aid in allowing me to record my thoughts and ideas and to plan a sensible strategy. It was also nice to get comments, feedback and compliments on it. I might stick with it!!

 

Dublin Marathon race report 2012

Dublin Marathon race report -29^th October

I finally cracked the magical sub 3.30 coming in at 3.27.17 and while it might appear to be a tight finish the truth be known I felt very comfortable for the duration of the race. I often read about “achieving flow” and while that might be a bit waffly for my taste I was in a very happy place from start to finish.

Met up with Don Golden in the Cliff townhouse on Stephens Green and we headed to Merrion Sq for the bag drop. This is my 3^rd Dublin Marathon but I just love the buzz and excitement of seeing 12,000 people arriving en mass in this wonderful celebration of human endeavour. The positivity of people never surprises me and I was in great form. Met up and spoke briefly with a few mallow lads a couple of whom were pushing for a sub 3. (Well done Noel and Mick.)

What did throw me was the disorganisation and crush that occurred in getting to the correct pen area. I had visions of Rome again but eventually all was sorted and at 8.55am  i was ready to go. Don was going for a sub 4 and slipped off down the back. I was keeping my eyes on the 3.30 pacers. They were probably 2 minutes in front of me but I wasn’t unduly worried. I had allowed for the usual congestion down Kildare St- O’Connell st and Phibsborough and the first few miles reflect this – 8.15, 7.57, 7.55. Neverthless what was surprising was that points of the course were crowded more so than usual, probably due to the increased numbers. One guy on a motorbike was trying to get through the crowds before we hit Phoenix Park. Some of the runners were not happy and I was worried it could get nasty. Either way he/she shouldn’t have been there but then again neither should have the slower runners who constantly slowed me down. I nearly tripped over a few guys feet going into the park and while I was hitting good times I wasn’t any closer to the pacer than I was when we started.

I also mentally couldn’t get into a proper race focus and my breathing was a bit erratic. I was feeling unsettled so I started to count backwards from 100 to 1. I know it sounds silly but by the time I got to 53 I was a lot calmer.  After mile 6 had to stop for a bathroom break  but managed to catch up with the pack by running along the pavement in the park. This was a bit of a godsend as it allowed me plenty of space to give slower  runners the slip and get closer to the pacers.  At mile 7 my watch read 55mins 40 seconds and things were slowly coming together. Mentally I was become totally tuned into the job at hand and I was taking no notice of the spectators, fellow runners or attempts at conversation by some crazy deranged Ennis woman. Heading down Chesterfield Ave my pacer guy pulled off the course to relive himself by a tree. It brought a great reaction from the crowd but I suspect John’s neck went a bit red. At mile 9 I consumed my first gel and almost got flattened at the water station for the 3^rd time. This was to prove a hazard throughout the course. Passed John Quigley of Eagle AC and cancer survivor fame at mile 10, a admirable and decent man. Came to a hill at mile 11 but managed it easily enough. At this stage I was running right beside the first 3.30 pacer  and I was feeling great. By mile 13.1 I was running alongside the other pacers passing the halfway mark in 1.43.54 and I was very relaxed. Miles 13 to 18 I ran right behind the pacers, close enough to tip them on the shoulder. I consumed gels at 13 and 17 and these were a great help. While it was cold weather wise, the temperatures were a lot warmer in the increasingly large group behind the pacers.

I nearly tripped up a few times as crowd down the back now started to push up. Annette Golden cheered me on at mile 17 and as we approached Dundrum I was beginning to wonder if this was the time to make my planned break ahead. The legs felt great and the heart rate and breathing was steady. Just was I was sizing up the options – a red haired lad from Offaly tapped me on the shoulder and introduced himself as Ultan. He complimented me on the blog and we exchanged pleasantries. Whether it was ego inflation or I was just feeling good I pressed ahead of the pacers. Thanks Ultan and well done on your time.

 I increased my pace to 7.50 a mile which wasn’t all that faster than my previous pace, the difference being I felt very comfortable. I toyed briefly with the idea of running all out but of course that would have been stupid. Spotted Paudie Birmingham at mile 19 (he was watching and taking photos, running New York next week). Again his support gave me another boost. I just couldn’t get over how relaxed I felt and I hit mile 20 after 2hrs38mins36seconds.

Nothing was going to stop me and all I had to do was run at a appropriate pace and keep the legs moving. The so called heartbreak hill at Roebuck road passed by without effort. Mile 22 at Stillorgan was negotiated without much effort and the next 4 miles were all downhill. The miles were flying by and after 3 hrs02 mins of running I had covered 23 miles which meant I was scheduled to get in under 3hrs28 minutes. I was getting a bit giddy at this stage at the prospect of reaching my goal and for the first time since mile 8 I became a bit tense.-

 At mile 24 I was finding things a small bit tougher but the adrenalin was pumping all over my legs. No chance of hitting the wall either. I kept the pace at 7.45- 7.50 and this was working out brilliantly. Susan O’Hanlon cheered me on at mile 25 and I got a lovely surprise spotting my buddy Aidan at Pearse St complete with camera. Rounding Trinity college and facing onto Dawson St I went a bit nuts doing a “Marco Tardelli” at mile 26. I looked around for Aoiffe at our prearranged spot but no sign of her (she was actually across the road – my mistake). Crossed the line in 3hrs27mins17seconds. A very very good day.

Post race went shopping with Aoiffe and out for a  meal. Met up with Don Golden and Annette and a few others in Keoghs for 4 or 5 pints. Happy times indeed.

Next marathon? Maybe Cork in June and Dublin or Frankfurt in October 2013. The plan will be even more ambitious- sub 3.15. Either way I don’t want to be going over 210 again, that’s for sure ;-) Sure I will take a few weeks off and take it from there.

Dublin marathon 3.27.17, 7.54 pace, No HR.

Mile splits at 10km 49.22, 13.1 miles-1hr43mins54seconds, 20miles -2hr38mins26seconds, 26.2miles-3hrs27mins16seconds

2012 Dublin marathon 3.27.17(report soon)!!!!

Pre race rambling....

23rd to 27th September –With the big day looming, my everyday thoughts are turning more often than usual to the race itself. Have decided to run with the pacers and ideally at mile 18 start tipping ahead. Weather it works out this way we will see. Bubendorfer in his blog said the 3.30 pacers run at 7.55 garmin time as the garmin measure the course around 26.4 rather than the 26.2. A useful thing to know. In terms of gels I will take 5 in the pocket and take one every 4/5 miles. The only issue for concern is what to wear. I want to wear the club singlet but don’t know if i should wear with a t-shirt underneath it or not. If I choose the former option do I risk getting overly warm or if I choose the latter do I risk chafing? Mind you the waether is supposed to be chilly so might opt for the singlet/running top combo after all complete with disposable gloves, hat and black bin liner.

Anyway will think about it later...ran 5.60 miles at 7.30 pace. First mile was 7.50, the rest around 7.20 to 7.25. Obviously way too fast in terms of intended marathon pace but glad the pace and legs felt good.HR 158. Went for another run on Thursday. Ran the first 5 miles at a slow pace with the last 3 miles at MP (around 7.49 average). At this stage it makes no difference to my training if I did 6,7 or 8 miles. Too much or too fast a workout is in fact detrimental to my chances on Monday. In terms of sleep not doing too badly either- grabbing plenty of naps in the afternoon after work – a hour here and a hour there. It’s the carb loading thing that I can never can reconcile . I over did it last year and paid the price for it a few days beforehand in the worst way possible (I’ll spare my small readership the gory details...).

 

Did the usual porridge thing for breakfast, fruit and whole grains for lunch and chicken and pasta for dinner on Thursday. The day before was similar enough with a veggie stirfry for dinner. By Friday come dinner time I couldn’t face digging into a plate of gnocchi so went down to the chipper instead for a milk shake, chips and a chicken burger. Bet you won’t  see that recommended in any running blog!!!!

I also threw myself on the scales today for the first time since training began in June. back then I weighed 190 pounds or 13st 10 pounds. These days I am 184 pounds which works out as 13st 4 pounds which prior to the taper was probably nearer 13st. It all helps... This was first time i actually paid a more conscious effort regarding my food intake. No tea, coffee, only 4 beers since August, very little choc and way more veg and fruit. I also cut out drinking cranberry juice. I estimate the stuff is nearly 40% sugar and I was drinking nearly 4 cartons  a week. All that on top of running a average of 50 miles a week with a race nearly every week since August has defintely paid off. (Chips on Friday excepted.... ;-) )

Saturday morning. The slight pain in the left shin is still there so cancelled the two mile light jog. Feeling happy and rested otherwise. Will be glugging the water as per usual today and breakfast and lunch will consist of porridge (with honey and grains), 3 to 4 pieces of fruit, a couple of bagels for lunch and for dinner a salad and Aoiffe’s humdinger steak sandwich. We’re heading to Dublin via the train on Sunday staying in the usual (expensive!!!) spot in Stephens Green. Routine usually is the same, that usually means heading straight to the RDS and then to Dundrum shopping centre. Aoiffe does a bit of shopping and I plan to  sit down in  a local pub trying to catch the Everton V Liverpool match. Hope to meet up with Don Golden, Don Ryan and a few Mallow AC lads on Monday morning of the race.

Destiny awaits and the time for bullshitting is over....................... (old photo from 2 years ago but the feeling never changes)

Mileage for the week 14 miles. 6 miles with 5.6 at 7.35 pace with 0.4 mile cooldown. 8 miles with 3 miles at MP pace.

Taper week 2

17^th October

Ran 7 miles at 7.24 pace. HR 160.51mins28seconds. Last big tempo workout of this training cycle.

18^th October

Jogged 7 miles at 8.51 pace. Was content to take it easy coming only 14 hours after my previous workout. HR 141.

19^th October

Rest

20^th October

Did my little bit with Mallow AC helping out on their open day. It was good to chat to various club members not having attending a training session in a while. To be honest it will be a while after the marathon before I get back into the sprint and speed sessions that are a excellent part of their training sessions. I will need to get plenty of work in there if i want to get under 70 minutes for the Dungarvan 10 in January 2013. Mind you I did miss the visit of David Rudisha later that evening. Some of the club members got photographs with the great man himself. They even got to hold his medal!!!!! An opportunity missed

 My immediate focus is only 9 days away. Did 5 miles and 5 X100 strides at 7.39 pace if only to keep my mind off what is looming ahead. Hr 142.

5 miles with 5 X0.1 strides. 7.39 pace. 42mins.04secs

21^st October

Did my Sunday morning run with Mallow AC. This was the last the long run before Dublin. This is a busy 3 weeks for marathon runners – Frankfurt (best of luck to Aidan and Pa), Dublin (to many to mention but best of luck to Elaine, Caroline, Jim, Tony, Colie, Dermot, Noel, Barry and anyone else I have left out) and Paudie in New York. It was a fabulous morning- really beautiful. Did 10.60 miles ,was happy to leave it at that with last 3.6 miles at pace- 7.50,7.33,7.10 and 7.06. Hr 148. Didn’t see the point running another 2.4 miles and besides I was enjoying the post run chat with some of the lads.

Total mileage for taper week 2 - 30 miles.

Wednesday 7 miles, Thursday 7 miles, Saturday 5.5 miles, Sunday 10.60 miles