Pushing a elephant up the stairs

was a lyric by R.E.M to the song "Great Beyond" . It could have easily referred to the lugging of suitcases after a 12 day break in Portugal or is perhaps a reflection of my running state of mind these last 2 months. Great holiday all the same with very hot weather. Didn't do any running - not a tap, a fair bit of walking to the pub and restaurant plus various sights- lots of that but no running. The groin was/is still feeling rather sore and the first few days of the holiday it was quite difficult. I was limping a fair bit, the wife amazed at my complete lack of mobility. The scales don't like me either - 14 stone, a figure I haven't seen in a few years. Considering it takes 36 miles of running to burn 1 pound of weight (or 500 calories/5 miles a day) I have plenty of work to do. Mind you why be a slave to a weighing scales?

I have been using the foam roller a fair bit and it is doing the trick. Might start giving circuit training a go - will see. I have very poor conditioning - the ultimate joe runner!!! Again the question is can I be arsed anymore?

In terms of mental focus it is even harder to know where I stand. The interest in running simply isn't there. Previous years I was training for Dublin each year going for a new PB. This time of year - nothing. All those goals I set myself last December, dreaming of a sub 3.20 etc etc won't be happening this year. The Cork marathon really took it out of me.

The solution? Try get back out running. Build up easy miles (3miles for 3 weeks X 3 times a week), get the Hr down close to Maffetone levels, strengthen all that wasted muscle in my legs and hopefully get back in shape. I am thinking a base building period of 10 to 12 weeks increasing the mileage gradually. No promises made re races or speed work. Perhaps a blessing in disguise?

Sorry readers - no heroic 100 mile ultra stories here. Well done to Grellan McGrath, Thomas Bubendorfer, the Cork hurlers and of course the great Rob Heffernan on a brilliant week for sport.

Pulling my leg

Week starting 29^th July

Monday

Entered the Carrigtwohill 5K, traditionally my least favourite  distance and usually my worst. The plan was to hit 7 minute miles and in keeping with the recent trend.. no chance. Did a 14 minute warm up, around a 1.5 miles or so, I had no garmin with me just a stopwatch. Did the first mile in 6.42 just before we hit the hill. It took a bit out of me but I ploughed on hitting the second mile at 7 minute pace. When we hit the hill again i reckon i did ok and we faced into a lovely downhill finish. In fact the setting of Barrystown castle is lovely. The spread was so good before hand i was tempted just to forgo the race and eat the food instead. Any by mile 3 i was running out of gas and I hit the 3^rd mile in 7.30 with the last bit at 50 seconds. My clock time was 22mins19seconds. I reckon the course was probably 3.2 miles rather than 3.1. Nothing special timewise but a enjoyable evening.

1.5 mile warm up with 3.1 mile race, 4.6 miles in total

Tuesday

The back and the back of the legs were rather sore and stiff today. More to do with me digging flower beds rather than the race though I suspect the race and the drive home didn’t help either. Anyway decided to do a 3 mile recovery jog. After every mile i walked for 90 seconds or so, the plan being to reduce the HR. I certainly couldn’t have faced anything else. When I got back the average pace was 10.30 with the HR in the 154 range, a sure sign i wasn’t recovered. My buddies are experiencing mixed fortunes running- one guy has given up the ghost completely after doing nearly 5 marathons, another guy who is semi training for Dublin is finding it hard to get into it and another guy who has taken up running is setting times faster than I have managed all summer3 mile recover at 10.30 pace. Hr 154

Wednesday

Trouble has arrived – uh –oh. The physio last week warned me of a problem in the groin area – adductor longus. I had a soreness of one degree or another since last march but stretching and ice always saw to it. Today walking around even to the shops saw it feel very sore indeed. Iced it and used the foam roller but i suspect time off the feet is the only thing for it.

Saturday

Regular stretching and the foam roller seemed to have done the trick. The pulled feeling in the back of the calves has gone completely at this stage. Did a slow 3 mile jog and I mean slow – 10 minute pace. The HR was going off the scale – 150 to 170. I was certainly finding the effort tough. Since the Cork marathon i had one pain, pull, soreness after the other. IT bands, colds, sore knees and now the groin. Got back home with more icing, stretching and the foam roller (ouch).

That afternoon headed up to Cork for a bit of shopping. Walking around the shop for 2 -3 hours saw that awkward dull ache return once more. Back home again with more ice, stretching and foam roller.

Three problems at the moment. No point in losing the head about it. Just have to be clam and rational and solve each one as it comes. Problem 1 – groin strain. Solution – Rest and time off running for about two weeks. Problem 2 – a bit of a chest cold. Solution – Rest and time off running. Problem 3 – Losing fitness because of lack or running and injury restriction. Solution – get groin sorted and build up fitness again. The last solution will take time. It may mean starting from a base of 3 x3 mile jogs in a few weeks. Anyway lets face it the desire and appetite for running has gone to shit since the Cork marathon so I am not missing out on much at the moment. It means cancelling any plans for races between now and December. As for Achill half marathon that will be binned as well, the race part anyway, the beers possibly not. Heading to Portugal for 12 days holidays on Monday- no fear of me !!!!!

Miles for the week 11.5 - 4.5 Monday with 5K race, Tuesday 3 miles, Saturday 3 miles

 

The Blood and Bandage

Week  ending 28^th July

Whatever thoughts I have had of entering the Dublin marathon and maybe getting a sub 3.40 time were well and truly blown out of the water this week. My form has been poor since the Cork marathon marked by sluggish running and very streaky HR readings. Previously i had little problem after one marathon  going into one training cycle after another. This year is different.  I don’t really want to be putting myself under constant pressure aiming for a race where i am not prepared to accept less than my best. Also we have booked tickets to see Primal Scream on the weekend of the marathon so Bobby Gillespie wins out this time

I had made some noises via friends and social media about tackling Dublin but in truth it was ringing hollow. I am trying to persist with the long runs if only to be in shape to get around for the Achill half marathon at the end of August. My buddies organised  it as my 40^th is on in a few weeks after that so i can hardly not finish it.

In previous entries I placed a lot of emphasis on the Hr monitor and using aspects of Maffetone training. That hasn’t changed but nothing wrong with the occasional race either.

Monday was a recovery run. 3 miles at 136 HR rate. On Tuesday did 5 miles with the newer running group in Mallow. Hr was under 140 yet pace was slow 9.20 per mile. On Wednesday i did 5 miles at a “faster” pace (8.30 pace) with a 150 Hr. Thursday marked by first 5 mile race in 12 weeks since i hit a 33.08 PB in Midleton. The  race took place in Churchtown South .This time I started wobbling at mile 3.5 coming in my slowest five mile time ever – 37.03 (7.27 pace).  Nevertheless I enjoyed the race and it was good to see my friends run well.

By Friday the cold i had picked up had really and truly kicked in not helped by the race on Thursday and possibly worsened by a night out with friends Friday night. No regrets on that score though a meeting with friends is always a valued occasion. On Saturday most of the snotty symptoms had gone but the barking chest stuff was still present. It meant sleeping out the long run with the club on Sunday morning.

By Sunday evening emboldened by the hurlers epic win against Kilkenny i decided to hit and see could I manage 10 miles. By mile 2 the chest was burning and whether it was the lungs , the heart or whatever  i had to pack it in after 3.5 miles.  I no energy what so ever in the body, a problem that has been there in one form or the other since June. This time it was probably worsened by the cold.

As tends to be the way with plan my goals and objectives are changing constantly. This time the plan for the next 2 months will be simple. Get the fitness back and get some races up on my belt. Times or more specifically PB’s are of secondary importance. I know my next planned marathon won’t be until April so plenty of time to build it up again.

Meanwhile let's enjoy the hurling.

Anyway mileage for the week 22 miles with one 5 mile race.

 

Donoughamore 7 race and other musings

It was seriously warm Friday night as we stood around the start line. One of the stewards said his phone stated it was 28 to 30 degrees Celsius despite it being 8 pm in the evening. The field was down on entries too around 212 but still some very good runners at the pointy end of things. Mallow was well represented too with the usual notables present and one or two new faces. My own expectations were very modest. I just wanted to get around in around 7.30 pace. This is a tough course, allied with the heat and my limited training, my target was a reasonable one. My friend Tim O'Connor new to the world of road racing shot off ahead of me and that was the last I saw of him until the finish. He finished in a excellent debut time of 49.10. I ran the first two hilly miles in 7.50 pace anticipating a faster effort over the next downhill 3 miles. I ran at a controlled pace hitting the next two miles at around 7.30 pace. To be fair I had no garmin but the stewards at the mile markers did a excellent job of keeping time. At mile 5 things started to get hairy enough with the mile passing in 7.30 facing into 2 very tough uphill miles. A number of runners were walking it at this stage and I must have overtook a good dozen at this stage with two runners in front of me proving elusive.  A number of locals had set up impromptu water stations and in particular one lovely old lady was a great help. By mile 6 I was feeling shagged and that mile passed in 8.00 or so. The legs were feeling the burn but I managed to squeeze enough out to over take two more runners  before the legs started to feel really heavy. By the times i faced the last pull at 800 metres I had nothing left to give and I lost some ground to some runners. The time for the last mile was  8.20 ish but I had nothing left to give and came in at 53.20 according to my watch. I think the chip time had me down for 53.11 but I didn't give it much investigation. I didn't match or beat my first race back in 2010 but all in all was reasonably happy with the workout. Last year I ran very comfortably in 49.51, a indicator of how fit I was.

Some of the lads from Mallow did very well indeed in particular club trainer Shane who finished 3rd.  As I say a tough race and a good workout.




By Sunday morning I was feeling Friday's race during the long run. The lads picked a very hilly  route - Caherduggan. All hills and pulls. I was last man in running 13 miles in around 2 hours. Not a great long run by any means but HR was respectable enough 147.

The chances of a respectable time in the Dublin marathon seem a long way away at the moment but I will persevere and see how things turn out by September. I really have little interest in turning up for at best a sub 4 finish.

Miles for week 33 miles. Monday 3, Tuesday 5 miles, Thursday 5 miles, Friday 7 mile race, Sunday 13 miles.

Heart rate V pace rate

Still enjoying the heat wave that has been hitting the country for nearly two weeks. Forecasters are predicting we could actually go another week like this which given weather in the past is nothing short of amazing.

What it means for running is that I have to try to get my running done in the morning. No chance of me running in the heat that's for sure. Tuesday morning  I was scheduled to run a fast 5 miler with the middle 3 miles at a faster pace than the first mile. At the moment fast is a relative term. Did the usual 5 mile route in Charleville. It's fast and flat. Did mile 1 in 7.55 with the fast portion in 7.34, 7.34, 7.41. I was feeling solid enough at that point running the last mile home in 7.30 with a easy 2 minute cool down jog afterwards.Hr worked out as 160. Again that is high for what was for me a slow tempo run. Previously I would have run the same tempo at around 7 to 7.15 pace with a Hr reading of 150 but it was the best workout since the marathon 6 weeks previously.

Wednesday was by contrast a bit of a wipeout. I over slept and considering I had a bit of work to catch up on I never managed to get out at all. In hindsight that was pretty dumb and probably had more to do with me reacting in a lazy manner. Will know better next time. Thursday morning decided to run a 5 mile jog at heart rate rather than by pace. The target heart race was 144. Mile 1 took 8.45 but the other miles were run slower and slower in order to keep the Hr to 144 with the last one passing in around 10 minutes. I will persist with this midweek method for a while yet hopefully sandwiching it between two pacier workouts.

I was reading with interest a article debating the merits of running by pace or running by HR. Both sides of the argument are very strong but I like to think that running recovery, long runs and midweek runs by Hr and tempo and interval workouts by pace might strike a happy medium. Of course the ideal outcome would be to run at a fast pace but within the correct HR parameters. That I am sure will come back in time. That is why I feel committing to another marathon cycle would be unwise. For the moment I will just commit to training.

Anyway it's time to get back to entering a race. I decided to do the Donoughamore 7 tomorrow evening. Last year I ran this at a handy enough clip of 49.52 or so and I had hoped to get under 49 minutes this year. It is a hilly course with 2 miles uphill, 3 downhill and 2 uphill again.It's a tough race and probably not the most ideal one to be racing as a comeback race but at the very worst it will be a good chance to get 7 miles up on my legs. I won't be predicting a time either I will just see how it goes

Munster final loss

Monday 15th July

Just writing this a few hours after a 3 mile recovery jog at9.20 pace. Before I even started I knew this would be a poor effort as the Hr was up to 90 beats before I even went running. Anyway it averaged out as 150, about 20 beats higher than normal. Easy explanation - 12 mile long run the day before instead of a planned 10 followed by very long and fruitless day watching the Cork hurlers implode against Limerick in the Munster final followed by a 3 hour car journey home. It normally takes 30 minutes. Having to deal with some clown who decided to block any chance of me getting out of the car park despite me having right of way wasnt great either. P. Reidy of the blue contractor van, you sir are a pillock.

To be fair though the previous week had gone well. Solid stuff all the way. Recovery run on the 15th July at 136 hr, 5 miles with 3 mile tempo @ 7.36 pace on the 16th July, 5 miles @ 144 hr on Wednesday, 4 mile club session with sprints on Thursday with the long run with the club on Sunday. Massive room for improvement on all those workouts but at the moment it's the best I can manage.



Mileage for week ending 14th July, 29 miles

Getting back to my roots

The fact that I am contemplating entering a few races over the next month or so is a good sign that the hunger is coming back. The mental and physical recovery from my Cork marathon has been very difficult marked by mileage exceeding no more than 20 odd miles a week over the last 4 weeks. It probably means running the Dublin marathon in 16 weeks may be unlikely unless the long runs start increasing at a quicker rate. One must remember that this time last year I was running 55 miles a week with a low Hr in long runs and able to run 4 mile tempos at a strong pace. This time things are different being preoccupied with getting that blasted Hr down. The Maffetone method is one for the most patient but I am trying to apply during Monday, Wednesday, Sunday long runs. Thursday is put aside for a club session with the possibility of running a race or two over the next month. Tuesday is a scheduled tempo session.The road back will be hard but it's good to be back.

Monday 3 miles, Tuesday 5 miles, Thursday 5 miles, Sunday 8 miles.