Training log week ended 15th December

Tuesday 5 miles in 50 minutes (recovery pace). Wednesday no run , can't remember why. No run Thursday or Friday. Saturday 8 miles at handy enough pace, around 8.20 per mile. Sunday a very enjoyable and relaxed 14 miles in around 2hrs 02 minutes. Felt good for that one. Again the long run was good but need to get more done during the week.

Training log week ended 8th December

All the running was compressed into 4 days - Tuesday a 30 minute walk run around Charleville - 3 mls, lots of stretching on the way. Wednesday around 7.2 mls in a hour and a very slow 7 mls at 9 minute pace followed by a 20 mile epic in Cork on Friday.
 I broke the 20 mile run in to 5 X 1 ml loops  around Mayfield and then 15 mls on the regular "Cork long run route" out towards the long road by the Lee Fields and 2 mls back into the city stopping by the bus stop on Summerhill. If I wanted to jog back to Mayfield that would have meant another 4 mls on very very tough hills, it's unlikely I would have been able to run it without walking. It's something I may come back too in the future. This time I was happy / relived to get the run done. The whole thing took 3 hours.

My splits were very even generally in the 8.45 to 8.55 area. As I waited for the bus I popped into the off licence for the life giving properties of Tanora and a Mars bar !!! I was reasonably comfortable for the rest of the day. It was only my second 20 ml run this year but I was happy enough with it.

Saturday was a busy day - Iseult had a visit to Santa in my wife's workplace and I then drove from Limerick to Cork for my work xmas party. Sunday I had planned to do a easy recovery run but Aoiffe was struck down with a bug so that was that. It would have been great to do the 40 mls for the week. Monday is out of the question too. I'm doing a course on that day.

Training log week ended 1st December

Good week just gone. 5 MLS at 930 pace Tuesday. 1 hour with 7.6 MLS on Wednesday. 1 hour in Mayfield Cork at a lot faster pace than before, 8.10 as distinct from previous 8.30 pace. That was it until Sunday. Shame I can't more consistency in terms of getting out 5 times a week. That would have been my ideal training cycle but it's a lot better than it has  been in a couple of years. On Sunday I ran a MP longish run, 11 miles at 8.20 pace. I know in terms of MP it's around 30 seconds slower than what I used to do but that will do fine for the moment. 30 miles for the week.

Hopefully the Xmas break will give me more time to get he running done in the morning. I was hoping for a regular 4- 5 day running cycle

training log week ending 24th November

Anyway I ran the long run this morning - Sunday. I was pretty happy with how it went considering i only had one other run during the week - a hour on Thursday up in Cork. I am aware that I should be logging more miles than I am currently but I can only work with what I can do. Hopefully that situation will rectify itself over December. I ran 18 mls at a very slow pace - 9.13 pace - staying on my feet for 2hrs45mins. That was deliberate. Last Sundays half marathon was a faster pace but this route around Charleville makes a faster pace impossible. I was comfortable enough up to 2 hours (13mls) but started to feel uncomfortable for a mile after that before things settled down again. The last 1/2 mile home was dead on my feet time but I was glad to finish at that stage. I do hope to log around 18-20 miles during the week but I'm not sure what time I will get to do another long slow effort next weekend. I might push it to a Wednesday or Thursday week, maybe run it up in Cork.

Training log week ending 17th November

A good training week in a month marked by inconsistency. Classic November issues. I'm either too wrecked or it's plain too wet to go outside. I don't mind running in the rain or the dark but running in torrential downpours ain't my thing these days. A indication of how my running habits have changed in the last 2 years. Anyway I was up early Tuesday morning for a nice relaxed 5.5 mile recovery run - around 9.30 pace. In Thursday I did 7 miles around Mayfield , Cork City, at around 8.30 pace, a bit slower than the last time I did the same route. Wednesday was a write off, the little one was sick so I had to stay at home with her and I had painters also coming in to do a extensive painting job on the house. (We got a new gaffe last August). It meant that even when Aoiffe came home it made no difference as I had no access to the bathroom (all painted). Friday not a chance, the day involves working from 8.45 to 8 that evening. That left a window of opportunity on Saturday at 6pm after another shopping trek to Cork (Christmas must be on the way). I did a bog standard 7 miles in a hour. On Sunday I ran a half marathon up in Portarlington - the Gingerbread run. It was a 2 looped course. The route was ok enough no real issues with it. I ran it at 8.25 pace for most of the time bar the last two miles which were under 8 minute pace (very fast for me these days). The time was 1.49.40 so solid enough. It was my first race since May and my first half marathon since April.

The rest of the week ...nothing much. Course on Monday. Too tired to get up early on Tuesday. No chance of a lunchtime run on Tuesday. Another course on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday I was home too late to get out for a run as I had to collect Iseult from the creche and then the downpour started again at the night. Thursday was better - 7 miles up in Mayfield. Friday too busy as usual. Saturday my wife was away at a course all day so no chance of a run either. That leaves Sunday so we see what happens then. I suppose we can find excuses when it comes to running. Up to two years ago I was pretty fanatical about the whole thing. Less so these days.

training log week ended 10th November

Only two runs this week. Late home on Monday as usual (after 9) so not possible. Tuesday home late again , parent teacher meeting again closer to 8pm. Wednesday I bailed out of it completely. Thursday no chance in the usual slot and busy in the evening. Working late on Friday and not home until after 8.
4 miles on Saturday. V stiff effort. Iseult was awake at 2.30 am the next morning after getting sick in her bed. I slept on the floor beside her just to keep a eye on her and then went out at 9 am for a 16 mile long run. Same old route as ever. Garmin died again at mile 11 (rubbish device) and then struggled through the last 5 miles in a poor way. I was probably well over 9 minute pace at the end of it. I really would want to be more comfortable at a sub 9 pace in the future. To be fair the bad nights sleep and the lack of mileage during the week didn't help.

Training log week ended 1/11/19

Week off work doing all sorts of stuff and a bit of running. Anyway the short version. Monday 3ml walk, legs were v stiff, lots of stretches. Tuesday 6.2 mls at 8.20 pace. Wednesday 6.3 mls at 8.20 pace. Friday 6.5 mls at 8.15 pace. Sunday afternoon 12mls at 8.40 pace. All Charleville. 34 mls for the week. Other non running stuff included - Trip to Fota with the family, Limping through assignments for my course, spending a grand (yes a grand) on paint and looking at new beds and sofas. Trick or treating with the small one on Thursday night. Watching the Joker in the cinema - great film. Nursing a cold all week and leaving a Lloyd Cole gig halfway through as it was so boring.