now comes the crash and a kick in the groin

 ....as I feared the crash....after the 20 miler a few weeks ago I was doing pretty well running around 20 miles during the week and a easy 10 miler on the Sunday around Charleville. During the week just gone I was doing ok too, running 22 miles over 4 sessions but when it came to the planned 22 miler on Sunday I had to turn back after 15 minutes. Two problems - one was a groin strain which I had being trying to manage for a few weeks but which was very sore by the end of the week (I was running with a strap around the leg). Walking more than 20 minutes is now becoming a issue. The other problem is that I am drained, flat out tired but I suspect if the groin pull wasn't a issue I would be ok. I am stretching and icing the affected area 2/3 times a day but it isn't getting quicker quickly. I haven't run since last Saturday

Mallow AC in light of the COVID level 3 restrictions have (wisely) decided to postpone their planned marathon long run around Ballyhass lakes. It means essentially I have two options (if I run) run locally around Charleville by myself and cover the 26.2 miles or simply just put the whole thing to one side and just cover the distance in my own time before Christmas. It means I may miss out on the virtual marathon weekend but I'm not really missing out on a whole lot in real terms bar a medal and a beanie hat. I already ran a solo marathon in February and I have added that as a marathon to my sidebar. The cancellation of the Mallow Ac event has taken the buzz out of the whole thing, now I wonder is it better to simply keep working on the groin and look to the future. It doesn't appear that we will be seeing any races in the next 12 months.

finally a 20 miler.....

 finally a 20 miler...completed this morning...the same route as the 18 miler two weeks ago but I managed to get the final two miles in this time...the run from Corbett Court to Charleville, long pull as they say..The pace was very slow at the end 9.23 per mile and I was cream crackered for the rest of the day but job done.Overall pace was 8.48 per mile.

It was a funny old running week. 4 miles (8 laps) around the town park but I feel more tired than refreshed after it and sure enough I was on the couch all evening the next night. Wednesday I ran around Charleville instead rather than Mayfield and the pace was good, 8.04 average but again wiped out Thursday. I  overdid the sugar intake (something I have been trying to get a handle on since August) and paid the price for it Friday where I was in pretty shitty form and again spent the evening on the couch panned out. Saturday I was feeling much better knocking out a solid 6 milers at 8.15 pace and suddenly the thought of running 20 miler didn't feel so daunting and so it proved. It also helped today that the weather was glorious, ideal Autumal evening and the rest of the day in terms of weather and famly time proved very nice indeed.

I didn't knock out 40 miles as I hoped but considering the ups and down of the running week I did ok.

In terms of the week ahead I'm taking a day off Monday and will aim for 26 miles. After that one more big running week and then taper for the virtual marathon.

September update

 I'm overdue a blog update. Sitting here on a Friday evening at 6.30 pm in supervised study with 3 students and glorious Autumnal sunshine outside. I'm clocking off at 7 pm and should be home by 8.15 pm looking forward to getting home to see my gang. I probably haven't updated in a while probably becuase I was pre occupied getting into a new school / COVID era routine. Seeing all the pupils especially the 1st year's wearing face masks proved a bit disconcerting at first but the new normal has become  (somewhat) normal).

I had resolved last month to get training for the Mallow Ac virtual marathon on October 25th and training is going reasonably well. I say reasonably in the context of how my running form has declined in the last 3 years. Ideally in the period 2010 to 2017 not withstanding injury I would be hitting 50 - 60 miles a week clocking up some handy PB's on the way and well on my way with the high mileage long runs. These days things are different but hopefully I am learning to live with it. Last week was my higest mileage in a single week - 43 miles.

This consisted of 5 miles Monday, 6.5 miles at 7.50 pace on Tuesday, 6 miles up in Mayfield on Wednesday (first run up there since March - had to walk twice) with a 24/26 minute split. I was a beaten docket on Thursday. I ran 7 miles on Saturday with 18 miles on Sunday on the Charleville-Churchtown road. The long run was going ok-ish enough but the legs cramped up at mile 18.07 and I had to walk the remaining 3 miles home. That is something which rarely happened before but is now a feature of the last 3 years. Also true to form I picked up a headcold (from Iseult and running) on Tuesday which has ruled me ut of any running since then. I'm a lot better now.

Accordingly consistency has still become a issue but unlike the last 2 years (2018 and 2019) the resolve to get to the starting line is a lot better. I have 5 weeks to get to the starting line and while a sub 4 hour marathon may be looking unlikely I hope to get a couple of 20 milers done yet even if it won't be pretty.

On the positive note the calorie counting is paying off combined with the running and 3 mile walk to and from the car every day. The kilo's have dropped from a 91.5 kg to a morning standing weight of 87.5 kg. That feels a lot better. It involves a fairly disciplined healthy eating regime and with the running (the good weather helps) I should be hopeful of further drop over the next 5 weeks.

So anyway one week at a time. I would be delighted to get back into the 40 mile range.

Green shoots or a false dawn?

 43 miles this week so that is a positive . Probably my highest weekly mileage since Janruary. 4mls recovery on Monday at 9.20 pace. 6.2 miles at a good 7.50 pace up and down to Pikes Cross on Tuesday evening. 7.5 miles at 8.20 pace on Wednesday again in the evening. No run Thursday - two reasons - storm Helen and I was tired. Friday morning 7.5 miles at a slow pace around 8.35 pace, that run was tough but getting through the mentally tough patches stood to me. Saturday no run, up to Cork with the family. 

Sunday I ran 18 miles with the Mallow gang. I ran the last 7 miles on my own and while the last 3 miles were a bit messy it was a case of mission accomplished. I was delighted with the run overall pace was 8.45 per mile. Hopefully this week can serve as a turning point. Weight wise I am very heavy these days - 14stone 4 pounds but trying to get a handle on the calorie intake. I have taken to calorie counting. it's not easy and requires a fair bit of discipline so I am hoping the counting with the running and the motivation to train for a marathon will have the desired effect. I am back in school/work next week and in this COVID world it will be interesting to see how it all ties to life and running. The reality is it's all interconnected - eating well, losing weight, staying fit, good running, positive mental outlook, happy personal and work life. They all feed into each other but one must keep it all in perspective. 

August update

 The long run last Sunday went better than I hoped. It wasn't fast at all (16 miles at 8.50 pace) but what made it encouraging was I went out and did it on my own. It was my longest long run since February and I was happy with my effort and solid pace. The Sunday previously I just did a easy 5 mile effort, the legs were very tired after a Thursday trip up to Mangerton mountain with the lads and I also had a fair bit of power washing to do on the house using the 62 foot cherrypicker to get up to the chimney breast.  The mileage for that week  was 23 miles.The mileage for last week was high too , 34 miles (4mls + 7mls +7mls + 16 mls) so I finally felt I was getting somewhere, This week started off slow . No run Monday (family trip to Fota). 4 miles Tuesday (family trip to Granagh pet farm). No run Wednesday as we headed to Ballyheigue beach, 7 miles on Thursday evening (very humid) and 7.2 miles today (very humid again). The weather has been great but my sleep has been very broken due to high humidity at the night meaning I am running in the afternoon. Hopefully I will get a few more miles in over the weekend though I might just take it easier on the Sunday run.

.....the Sunday run had it's good and bad points. The bad points were that I was too wrecked to arise to head down to Mallow for the club run heading out myself for a planned 10 mile "8.30" pace run, up and down to Ballyhea. Mission accomplished but the humidity proved difficult and the extra stone on the belly limits me a lot. 28 miles for the week ok i suppose should be better.

down the line

To be fair in the last few weeks  the long runs were going reasonably well  - 11 mls with Mallow, 12 mls solo, 13 miles with Mallow last week. Nevertheless heading down to Mallow yesterday morning I felt I probably might have benefited from a shorter run this time rather than a 14 mile effort. During the week I ran a 5 mile easy effort on Tuesday and a faster 6 mile effort on Wednesday (7.57 pace) but managed nothing on Thursday. I was very tired and quite cranky with it all the week. It was obvious to me I was on the tired side of things and needed to pull back for the week. I took a rest day Friday as we had to head down to the garage to get the car sorted. That meant my next run was  a  Saturday. Again it was good 6 mile run (8.10 pace). By Saturday evening I was feeling tired again and I knew fully well it was better to opt for a  shorter Sunday long run. I met up with the usual gang on Sunday morning and I was doing pretty well after 7 miles but as soon as I hit the Caherduggan hill the energy drained out of me. I struggled on for another 3 miles before leaving the group off at 10 miles and I walked in by myself for the last 3 miles. I knew after 8 miles the problem was not helped by the fact that I was dehydrated. A sip of water would have sorted me out and I would have made the last 4 miles so a lesson learned there.

Anyway this week is a busy one on a number of fronts. Aoiffe is back in the office this week so it will mean a earlier start for me if I want to get the running in. I am also popping down to Killarney for a few nights for a spot of hill walking and then at the weekend I am undertaking a bit of  outside maintenance work on the house. It shouldn't stop me from getting the long run in. My focus will be completing the virtual marathon organised by the club in October.

two long runs in a week

I can't remember too much about the weekend before last running wise but I didn't do a long run last Sunday as we had to attend my sister's 40th lunch up in her house around 40 miles away. I took the easier option of postponing the long  run until Monday morning running 12 miles at 8.46 pace. It felt fine.I ran 4 miles on Tuesday and 10 km on Wednesday resting Thursday and another 6 miles on Friday with 4.5 miles on Saturday. I ran with Mallow Ac on Sunday (today) in glorious sunshine. We ran 13 miles including a tough 2 mile climb up to Dromahane. I thought at one stage I was going to heave up - it was that tough. The miles from 7 to 10 were downhill and while I struggled at the end , doing a lap of the park to make up the 13 miles I was very happy with the effort. The splits and over all pace was solid enough - 8.37 per mile. I wouldn't have managed it on my own that's for sure.

Anyway I entered the virtual Dublin marathon and Mallow are organizing a lowkey marathon on the scheduled day on the 26th October. It's a great idea and gives me massive incentive.

I'm delighted.

45.7 miles give or take but that figure is inflated by the 12 run on Monday.