on it drags

I ran 7.5 miles at around 8 minute pace on the Thursday evening and it was pretty good. The breathing wasn't too bad but I was paying for it that night and most of Friday. The tightness in the chest wasn't too bad but i was pretty nackered by Friday. I knew realistically there was little point in resting another day and it was better to give the long run a shot and see how I got on. A case of Tokyo or bust. I decided to jog around Charleville in what is probably the  most boring long route in the history of long routes. I had planned to do a number of 6 mile loops and see could I make it up to 3 X 6 mile loops and throw in a few miles at the end.. If I had to pull the plug , at least i would only be a few miles from the house. The other advantage was that I was always in range of a water stop and there was number of hills to make it a bit testing.

Anyway Iwas feeling pretty good by mile 12 but at around 13.5 miles of two hours the legs began to buckle and the stiffness started to kick in. I stopped and stretched at mile 14 but by mile 15 the splits began to slip to over 9 minute despite the increasing effort. By mile 16 I had done enough. I was a mile from home and tried jogging it home but that proved beyond me. The sweat was running out of me (even more than normal) and I felt a bit ill. Lots of coughing and phlegm sort of thing.

I was paying the price for missing on long runs two weeks in a run and that's not something you can skip on. Chest infection or not you can't skimp on the basics of training. I have often completed marathons battling one thing or another.

I had given the training the best shot I had in me but for the 3rd time in a year I failed to get the to the start line. That is something I would have found unthinkable a number of years ago but it just isn't  there in me and no amount of rest, core work or self cajoling won't change anything until I get the head game right.

In contrast my friend Aidan ran 24 miles in training today. Now that is crazy (in a completely admirable way

I deferred to run the half marathon in Connemara instead.Let's see what happens.

Best of luck to all those involved in the Mallow 10 today.

I made a list of all the marathons I have entered but have failed to make.

Sixmilebridge 2014 (puled quad muscle, wrecked after Amsterdam 2014)

Galway Bay marathon 2016 (broken arm, twisted ankle)

Manchester 2018 (completely fed up with running post Dublin 2017, work and family issues)

Dublin marathon 2018 ( personal burn out and fed up with running)

Connemara 2019 ( appetite a lot better for running but skipped a number of long runs, chest infection)

Postscript - Dublin 2019 ( PF and ankle issues but I paid too much notice to the Physio. I should have listened to myself and got to the start line and have just completed it)

stop start and all that

the same old thing the last 18 months....no consistency....no long run on that Sunday...no chance of run on the Monday.....7.3 miles on the Tuesday....3 mile fun jog with the pupils on Wednesday and then headcold, stuffed right up...took no notice went for a 3 mile jog on Thursday....headcold got worse and that was me done for the rest of the week...plenty of Lemsip and paracetamol ......no running of any description.....cough kicked in on Patricks Day...attempted a 4 mile run on the Bank Holiday Monday....cough got worse...attempted another few miles on Wednesday morning and went to the doctor that evening for a course of antibiotics...so that's it really...3 weeks next Sunday to the marathon...will rest up for weekend and see where it stands...

going well up to a point.....

The week had gone very well. Tuesday I ran around 7.7 miles in a hour. Wednesday I did a "Mayfield" run covering around 7.5 miles in over a hour, around 8.17 pace and Thursday I covered 8 miles a hour. This was my best running in a long time and I followed it up with a 4 mile recovery run on Saturday. Everything should have been set up for a 21 mile long run on the Sunday. I had planned to meet up with Aidan up in Cork on Saturday but the journey down for Aidan from Portarlington was probably asking a bit much. I didn't fancy the journey down to Mallow as I knew a large number were racing in Newmarket later that day. That left me with the solo option in Charleville and to be honest I didn't fancy it.....

So there you are....

20 up

So yeah I was feeling like a bit of a crock by the end of the week. Sore knee, throbbing ankle and the PF on the right foot were all saying hello to me. Nevertheless after a trip to the physio (John O Sullivan, Mallow) I felt in great shape. The stiffness in my hips and the back was alleviated and it seemed to do the trick, Saturday morning i did a easy 6 miles and met up with Mallow members to run 20 miles on Sunday. I won't deny that the 20 mile run was hanging over me especially the night before and I was humming and hawing about weather to just stay local and solo instead. That would have been a bad idea as the Mallow long runs on Sunday always bring me on and the company is good too.

Fergal Murphy met up with me at 7.30 am a to do 6 miles out to the racecourse and back. He was good company and his youthful enthusiasm rubbed off on me. We then met up with the main group at 8.30 where I continued my adventure. They ran 13 miles along a testing route (plenty of hills). I was slow but was reluctant to take too many rest breaks. I was overtaken by the posse at mile 17 and my pace which was in the 8.30's dropped to a bit over 9 minute pace. The last 3 miles were a real mental struggle but I was damned if I was going to give in. I mightn't be fit at the moment but this was all about getting the miles up on the legs. At mile 18 I turned off towards the healthcare centre and I was glad to face down the last mile by the town park. I won't deny I was glad to see the Garmin beep at mile 20. I was on my feet for 2hr58mins, roughly 8.52 pace. Job done. The rest of the day was spent doing very little, watching the Irish rugby team huff and puff against Italy. Today was all about huff and puff for me too.

In terms of a body N.C.T I was ok enough , the knee was a bit sore but nothing too major. I guess I will know better when I get back out running during the week.

The mileage this week was 38 miles , very low compared to what I used to do but I am happy to play it careful for this cycle. Hopefully the weeks of 60 miles a week won't be too long in coming back this year.

Running in and running out

The last three weeks have gone ok enough. 3 mid week runs on average during the week, around 1 hour each, 7 to 7.5 miles each time and long runs of 13 miles, 18 miles and 10 miles retrospectively. Coming into March will mean long runs in the region of 20 - 22 miles or at least I hope so. These will have to be done on my own more likely so I hope it goes well.

This is where the focus has to be good. It was never a problem before so hopefully it won't be this time either.

P.S Issues with the left knee, ankle and PF are sufracing lately

spun out

Great intentions this week after a good solid week last week. Took the Monday off as per usual as there is no real opportunity to get a run in given work/ family/ creche collection obligations. I did my usual Tuesday morning run at 6.30 using (as usual)the stopwatch. I covered 7 mls in what I felt was a modest effort. The rest of the day went fine but by Wednesday evening after the snow cleared up I had nothing in the tank - I just came home and slept for a hour before I headed down to collect Iseult from the creche and that was pretty much the window closed. Thursday evening was a productive effort but the legs felt gammy for the first 3 miles before picking up the pace and running 7.5 miles at a comfortable 8 minute pace. I was happy with the workout and looked forward to a productive weekend.

Friday was a odd day. No chance of running given the usual work/ iseult collection cycle. Again on Saturday I had no interest in running in the morning (too cold.... too dark.... too soft) before heading up to Cork with the gang for a dinner up in the Montenotte hotel and meeting the lads for the rugby game in the Crawford. I was hanging coming home (tired not drunk) and I knew I was in trouble for the Dungarvan 10 on Sunday. Iseult was up again at 6.30 am (the pet) and my wife had other stuff on (work) and I frankly didn't have a ounce of energy mentally or physically for the drive down, a race and a drive back. I simply stayed at home and grabbed 40 winks when possible.

I was in my own words "spun out". I have had this before but looking back I should have done a few things differently in the week. I'm happily rested now but better care and attention required in particular with diet, rest and hydration. Too much running (pardon the pun) doing stuff during the week and in particular Saturday allied with a very poor sugar laden diet did the damage.

Hills all the way

Ran 17 mls today. 13 mls with 4 Mallow Ac clubmates and 4 mls on my own. Those 4 mls were tough remaining me of the time when you just have bit down hard and get on with it. I was happy to plod away at 8.50 pace covering 2hrs30minutes on my feet but I didn't have much more to offer either. I did 7 mls on Tuesday and nothing until Friday having to attend Aoiffe's granny's funeral (96 years some age). I ran 7 on Friday and Saturday. The week before was a good solid week - 15.5 ml long run in the company of the Mallow Grouch at 9 minute pace with a couple of 10ks on Tueday and Wednesday and a longer tempo of 8 miles around the town on Thursday. That was a good run - 7.40 average but some miles were well under 7.25, the start was slow. Sunday was a 10 mile run- easy as she goes

Oh yeah I am running Connemara after all. The flights for Manchester were rip off central - 400 quid return. So it's Hills, Hills, Hills all the way