Have to confess to feeling a little tired after Thursdays sessions, even though it wasn't me doing the hardest work :). So Friday, after a good week, became a day of rest, a way to recharge the batteries. As I have got older, I have become more and more convinced about the benefits of a full rest day in a training programme. As a younger runner, my "rest" days may have consisted of a 3 mile light jog (probably ran it faster then than I could do a speed session today!), but these days a 24 hour rest once a week is, I believe, far more beneficial. So I took the day of from running.
This morning, fully recharged, and with the morning sun shining brightly, I set out for a steady run along the canal and up to Harolds X, before turning back and running the opposite bank, back towards the Liffey and Grand Canal Basin, home. A few other runners crossed my path, pleasantries were exchanged, and I ran around 8:20 pace for a 4.75 mile run. This is a good distance for me at present, somewhere between a speed session distance, and some miles in the legs - remember I am only in Week 4, but with a trip up north today and an easy run tomorrow, I will have completed a 25 mile week for the first time in ages, and running passed all the Locks on the canal, and having reLoaded myself with the rest yesterday, I am prepared for the challenges ahead over the next 16 weeks.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
W4D4 - A New Running partner - Boy she's quick!
A few days I received an e-mail from someone who had read my blog and recently moved to Ireland from France with her husband, asking about running in Dublin etc. It turned out she had been down at Ringsend last week when I had been running the 5K race, and was also interested in that. Naturally I offered support etc, and the offer to go for a run together was taken up and tonight we arranged to meet up - with no pre-set idea of what we would be running.
Karolina, my new buddy, is originally from Poland, married to a Frenchman who has started work with Google here in Dublin. They are both runners, although he didn't join us this evening, and Karolina ran the Berlin Marathon last year in an excellent time of 3:48, and is training for Chicago this fall.
I jogged down to meet her, and immediately she looked fast - slim, young (well mind you everyone looks young to me these days), and raring to go. She is following a training plan based on a 4 day-a-week schedule, with tonight's plan requiring 10x500 at 4:22 per km pace - A tad fast for me, but I agreed to assist and help her achieve this. We checked out the park by jogging a lap, and gauging an approximate distance. I raced here last week and a full lap is around 950m.
When we started Karolina was off like a whippet. There was no way I would be able to keep up with her, so I cut across the park and met up with her as she came through. That first lap was a little too long, more around 750m, so we decided to cut it short for lap two. I jogged with Karolina as she recovered, then set her off again, this time for a 600m lap. I cut across the diagonal of the park, approximately 400m to meet her as she finished in 2:32, then we jogged the 350 back to the start, and so we repeated a further 8 times. She was brilliant at pacing, with only one lap over 2:40, and that was when the rain bucketed down and we got soaked, with the 10th lap another 2:32 for a good workout session for her, and although I didn't run the speed session, I ran each warm down 350, and the 400 across the park each time, so making around 7/8 kilometres myself.
We then ran a warm down session of around 2 miles, over the quays, before my very fit friend ran home along the canal. Whilst I couldn't keep up with her tonight, I really enjoyed the session, as it brought back my days as a coach, and I actually got a real buzz seeing her deliver the steady, even paced times for each lap. I will certainly be aiming to keep up with her times in the weeks to come, assuming that she will want to return and run with me again some time. Her pace will encourage me to sharpen up as my training develops. She is 6 weeks ahaed of me in her training programme too, so something to aim for.... All in all, I can log around 8 miles for tonight, not bad at all.
Karolina, my new buddy, is originally from Poland, married to a Frenchman who has started work with Google here in Dublin. They are both runners, although he didn't join us this evening, and Karolina ran the Berlin Marathon last year in an excellent time of 3:48, and is training for Chicago this fall.
I jogged down to meet her, and immediately she looked fast - slim, young (well mind you everyone looks young to me these days), and raring to go. She is following a training plan based on a 4 day-a-week schedule, with tonight's plan requiring 10x500 at 4:22 per km pace - A tad fast for me, but I agreed to assist and help her achieve this. We checked out the park by jogging a lap, and gauging an approximate distance. I raced here last week and a full lap is around 950m.
When we started Karolina was off like a whippet. There was no way I would be able to keep up with her, so I cut across the park and met up with her as she came through. That first lap was a little too long, more around 750m, so we decided to cut it short for lap two. I jogged with Karolina as she recovered, then set her off again, this time for a 600m lap. I cut across the diagonal of the park, approximately 400m to meet her as she finished in 2:32, then we jogged the 350 back to the start, and so we repeated a further 8 times. She was brilliant at pacing, with only one lap over 2:40, and that was when the rain bucketed down and we got soaked, with the 10th lap another 2:32 for a good workout session for her, and although I didn't run the speed session, I ran each warm down 350, and the 400 across the park each time, so making around 7/8 kilometres myself.
We then ran a warm down session of around 2 miles, over the quays, before my very fit friend ran home along the canal. Whilst I couldn't keep up with her tonight, I really enjoyed the session, as it brought back my days as a coach, and I actually got a real buzz seeing her deliver the steady, even paced times for each lap. I will certainly be aiming to keep up with her times in the weeks to come, assuming that she will want to return and run with me again some time. Her pace will encourage me to sharpen up as my training develops. She is 6 weeks ahaed of me in her training programme too, so something to aim for.... All in all, I can log around 8 miles for tonight, not bad at all.
W4D3 - Treadmill Attitude
Over the years I have done a fair amount of my training on the treadmill in a local gym. I have been in a good few on-line debates at Cool Running or Kick!, with many a runner, about the benefits or otherwise of using the treadmill, and I have to confess I have always defended the use, and always argued that I could use them for longer runs as well as short bursts.
Well, I have to admit that I believe my attitude to them is changing. When I lived in England, I was in a country village environment, where, in winter time, I would leave for work in the dark, and return in the evening darkness. The roads and trails, the canalbanks etc, which were a summer delight, were impossible as training routes in the winter months, and so the gym and treadmill were a Godsend. I could easily run 5, 6, 7 milers on the mill, and not think anything off it. I have even managed 10 and 12 mile runs, and lived to tell the tale.
These days I live in Dublin. The streets, if not paved with gold, are generally stocked with lights, so that even in the depths of winter I can run outdoors, wrapping up well at times, but with no danger of visibility. But I still attend the gym, and have been running on the treads, usually when it's been raining, or wild and windy. Generally I would run 2 or 3 miles, maybe extending it to 4 at a push, and for some reason it's been harder this year. I appreciate I'm running slower, and therefore longer, in the gym, but mentally it has become hard to extend past 5K/3M.
Last night, I planned a 5 mile run, but the weather turned against me, with a thunderstorm breaking, so I went to the gym and set about the distance on the machine. I wasn't pushing the pace, I was steady, even paced, but mentally I couldn't cut it. My attitude to running this way has altered. Maybe it's the desire to be running outside, I could have waited till the storm passed, or maybe I have simply got bored with treadmill running. Whatever the reason, I only managed 4K (2.5M), in a time of 19:52, marginally under 8 minute pace, not a great night.
I will continue to use the gym for short sharp speed sessions, and general fitness, but my days of running 7 milers in sub 50 on the machines seem well passed me. I don't know when my mental attitude changed, but for now, I will be enjoying the roads and trails of South Dublin, and sod the weather...
Well, I have to admit that I believe my attitude to them is changing. When I lived in England, I was in a country village environment, where, in winter time, I would leave for work in the dark, and return in the evening darkness. The roads and trails, the canalbanks etc, which were a summer delight, were impossible as training routes in the winter months, and so the gym and treadmill were a Godsend. I could easily run 5, 6, 7 milers on the mill, and not think anything off it. I have even managed 10 and 12 mile runs, and lived to tell the tale.
These days I live in Dublin. The streets, if not paved with gold, are generally stocked with lights, so that even in the depths of winter I can run outdoors, wrapping up well at times, but with no danger of visibility. But I still attend the gym, and have been running on the treads, usually when it's been raining, or wild and windy. Generally I would run 2 or 3 miles, maybe extending it to 4 at a push, and for some reason it's been harder this year. I appreciate I'm running slower, and therefore longer, in the gym, but mentally it has become hard to extend past 5K/3M.
Last night, I planned a 5 mile run, but the weather turned against me, with a thunderstorm breaking, so I went to the gym and set about the distance on the machine. I wasn't pushing the pace, I was steady, even paced, but mentally I couldn't cut it. My attitude to running this way has altered. Maybe it's the desire to be running outside, I could have waited till the storm passed, or maybe I have simply got bored with treadmill running. Whatever the reason, I only managed 4K (2.5M), in a time of 19:52, marginally under 8 minute pace, not a great night.
I will continue to use the gym for short sharp speed sessions, and general fitness, but my days of running 7 milers in sub 50 on the machines seem well passed me. I don't know when my mental attitude changed, but for now, I will be enjoying the roads and trails of South Dublin, and sod the weather...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
W4D1&2 - Ticking along
I don't expect miracles with my running, or my weight loss to get back to a weight I feel comfortable with when I am running, I expect to just tick along. Gone are the aspirations for new records, or the belief that I can break 3 hours for the marathon, I simply came to the conclusion a few years ago, that I can tick along nicely, have a few peaks and troughs, set some reasonable attainments, and work to achieve.
In this light, I set myself a 20 week programmes to succeed in Philadelphia, come November. When I set out I was struggling with my running. Times that were easy to achieve only 12 months ago, left me struggling for breath, and my legs like jelly. I was near 200 lbs and Philadelphia was but a distant dream. Three weeks have ticked by, and improvements are starting to show. There was no point in trying to jump in with two feet and run 30 mile weeks straight away - I would have given up by Week Two. Here we are in Week 4, and slowly but surely things are coming together.
Last Saturday I ran 7 miles, and yesterday, Day One of the 4th Week, I ran a timed session on the treadmill. It was only 7:53 pace for 3 miles, but it was good to run under 8 minute pace and not feel like I was killing myself. I recovered easily, and knew there was more in the tank. Tonight I went for a short run on a local route familiar to long time readers - it's my Two Bridges Run, along the Quays, over the Sean O'Casey Bridge, back along the North Wall, and over the East Link Bridge to home. It's somewhere between 2.25 and 2.5 miles, and tonight, with no real effort, I ran it some 11 seconds faster than ever before - a sign that I'm Ticking Along nicely.
The distant dream is starting to become thinkable, the training progressing. Of course I need to increase the mileage, but steadily, not in any great leap forward. I'm satisfied that things are going well. The weight is down to 194 - I'm aiming at a pound a week over the twenty weeks, the goal being 180, so 14 to go, and nearly 17 weeks to the race - fingers crossed.......
In this light, I set myself a 20 week programmes to succeed in Philadelphia, come November. When I set out I was struggling with my running. Times that were easy to achieve only 12 months ago, left me struggling for breath, and my legs like jelly. I was near 200 lbs and Philadelphia was but a distant dream. Three weeks have ticked by, and improvements are starting to show. There was no point in trying to jump in with two feet and run 30 mile weeks straight away - I would have given up by Week Two. Here we are in Week 4, and slowly but surely things are coming together.
Last Saturday I ran 7 miles, and yesterday, Day One of the 4th Week, I ran a timed session on the treadmill. It was only 7:53 pace for 3 miles, but it was good to run under 8 minute pace and not feel like I was killing myself. I recovered easily, and knew there was more in the tank. Tonight I went for a short run on a local route familiar to long time readers - it's my Two Bridges Run, along the Quays, over the Sean O'Casey Bridge, back along the North Wall, and over the East Link Bridge to home. It's somewhere between 2.25 and 2.5 miles, and tonight, with no real effort, I ran it some 11 seconds faster than ever before - a sign that I'm Ticking Along nicely.
The distant dream is starting to become thinkable, the training progressing. Of course I need to increase the mileage, but steadily, not in any great leap forward. I'm satisfied that things are going well. The weight is down to 194 - I'm aiming at a pound a week over the twenty weeks, the goal being 180, so 14 to go, and nearly 17 weeks to the race - fingers crossed.......
Saturday, July 21, 2007
W3D6 - Saturday Morning Buddy Running
As some know, I frequent a running community site Kickrunners, and over the years I have met many from the site and it's precursors Kick! and Cool Running. I am grateful to these sites for widening my base of running friends, and many I have met have become long standing friends of the family. Well, today I added a new friend to my list, a Canadian working here in Dublin, who uses an unusual handle, Horrible Peanut, on Kickrunners. His real name is Mike, and he is training for the Berlin Marathon in September.
Well, this morning we met up and went for a buddy run. Something that has been missing from my agenda lately, as my regular training partner is sidelined. We ran out from the Grand Canal to the Ringsend Peninsular, running through the park and across the trails. The only drawback around here is the Waste Treatment Works, which does lend something to the air, but that helped us pick up the pace. On the plus side when you round the head of the peninsular, and turn back towards the mainland, you get a spectacular view across Sandymount Strand, with the cloud shrouded Dublin Hills as a backdrop, real James Joyce evocative moments, my thoughts wandering to Ulysses.
Back to running and we completed our run by crossing the Liffey and looping the quays. All in all I ran 7 miles, in a touch over the hour. Mike continued on as he is eight weeks ahead of me in his training, and he also needed to run home to Ranelagh. A pleasant run, good chat passing the time, and a good work out.
Just in case anyone got the wrong idea from a previous post. I have NO intention of closing down my blog. As DC says, how could you all keep tabs on me and make sure I am doing the training if I didn't write here. Keep reading.....
Well, this morning we met up and went for a buddy run. Something that has been missing from my agenda lately, as my regular training partner is sidelined. We ran out from the Grand Canal to the Ringsend Peninsular, running through the park and across the trails. The only drawback around here is the Waste Treatment Works, which does lend something to the air, but that helped us pick up the pace. On the plus side when you round the head of the peninsular, and turn back towards the mainland, you get a spectacular view across Sandymount Strand, with the cloud shrouded Dublin Hills as a backdrop, real James Joyce evocative moments, my thoughts wandering to Ulysses.
Back to running and we completed our run by crossing the Liffey and looping the quays. All in all I ran 7 miles, in a touch over the hour. Mike continued on as he is eight weeks ahead of me in his training, and he also needed to run home to Ranelagh. A pleasant run, good chat passing the time, and a good work out.
Just in case anyone got the wrong idea from a previous post. I have NO intention of closing down my blog. As DC says, how could you all keep tabs on me and make sure I am doing the training if I didn't write here. Keep reading.....
Thursday, July 19, 2007
W3D4 - Thursday easy run
After last nights race it was another easy run tonight out and back along the Grand Canal. It was only around 2.65 miles at an easy 8:30 plus pace, but a pleasant run on a pleasant evening.
I was reading blogs from friends Sister Smile and Chicago Girl, both New York friends, and their ruminations about continuing to blog or not. It got me thinking as to who actually reads my blog, and in truth, does that matter? I write for myself, and hope that others may read it and enjoy, but is a blog any more than a diary for one's own reflections? I'm not sure, and sometimes I wonder why I write what I do. My blogs are tame compared to some, and SS and BCG (my New York friends) write far more interesting pieces and reflections of New York Life - If they discontinue their notes, I would be disappointed, but understand that in the end, we write for ourselves - Rest assured, or maybe this will make you turn off, I will continue to post my ramblings - helps to keep me sane.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
W3 D3 - DCC Irishtown 5K Race Report
After a slow steady 5 mile race on Saturday, it was a second race within 5 days and tonight saw the DCC (Dublin City Council) Irishtown 5K Road Race. (Yes, we actually have a place in Dublin called Irishtown).
I used to work for the City Council and have marshalled at this race in the past, so it was nice to turn out on a pleasant evening for a race with a couple of hundred others. The race starts on the track at Irishtown Stadium, with 900m on the track before heading into the adjoining park for a couple of laps and back onto the track to finish.
My goal was to run under 25 minutes, taking it steady for the first 3K and then trying to see where I was and try and finish strongly. The track start made it easy to settle into a pace, as I could judge myself over 400m and gauge my subsequent pace accordingly. This I duly did, running 1:55 for 400 and settling into my stride. To be honest, once I got into my stride, there wasn't a lot to report for the next 3.6 Km as I settled behind a couple of girls, maintaining the steady pace, and with Km markers I was running well within myself and feeling comfortable.
My splits were consistent, 4:50, 4:50, 4:45, 4:47, reaching 4K at 19:12, and a simple maths equation worked out that I was well within my target of 25 minutes, and with a good finish I could break 24. I left my girl pacemakers and concentrated on the runners in front. There was another lady runner, and three guys, the nearest around 10 yards ahead of me, and I set about reeling them in.
The park was running out and I knew we had a couple of sharp turns from the park back onto the track, and then 300m on the red top of the track. I closed on the first guy and sat on his butt as we exited the park, navigated the turns and finally took the path to the track. As we strided onto the track I pulled alongside and passed the first guy, quickly onto the shoulder of the lady runner - I eased past her and with the next guy some 5 yards ahead, I closed in. I arrived on his tail with 200 to go, and pushed on, overtaking and keeping the pedal down - One more target in my sights as we rounded the bend, he was another 5 yards ahead, I saw him glance around, and he accelerated when he saw me closing, I gauged myself for the final spurt, but maybe I was asking that little too much of my legs at this stage in my fitness campaign, and little extra was there - he pulled a few more yards on me, before I could react, but my legs were leaden, and no extra pace could be found as the line approached, but I could see the clock saying 23:4......, and relaxed a tad as I was very happy to finish under 24, well inside what I had anticipated, I ran through the line, only a few yards behind my nemesis, with a 23:50 clocking and a smile on my face.
I was very happy with my time, two minutes faster than the disaster of a 5K race on June 24th, with good even pacing at a "relatively" fast pace, and although not quite catching my last target, a strong finish, and another good building block. My next planned race is on August 11th, and a great race down in Galway, the Streets of Galway 8K, where I ran 36:21 in 2005, and have a PR from the race of 34:57 back in 2003. I would like to get myself in shape to be challenging the 2005 time, and the encouragement from tonight's run augurs well. Back to training hard for the next three weeks.
I used to work for the City Council and have marshalled at this race in the past, so it was nice to turn out on a pleasant evening for a race with a couple of hundred others. The race starts on the track at Irishtown Stadium, with 900m on the track before heading into the adjoining park for a couple of laps and back onto the track to finish.
My goal was to run under 25 minutes, taking it steady for the first 3K and then trying to see where I was and try and finish strongly. The track start made it easy to settle into a pace, as I could judge myself over 400m and gauge my subsequent pace accordingly. This I duly did, running 1:55 for 400 and settling into my stride. To be honest, once I got into my stride, there wasn't a lot to report for the next 3.6 Km as I settled behind a couple of girls, maintaining the steady pace, and with Km markers I was running well within myself and feeling comfortable.
My splits were consistent, 4:50, 4:50, 4:45, 4:47, reaching 4K at 19:12, and a simple maths equation worked out that I was well within my target of 25 minutes, and with a good finish I could break 24. I left my girl pacemakers and concentrated on the runners in front. There was another lady runner, and three guys, the nearest around 10 yards ahead of me, and I set about reeling them in.
The park was running out and I knew we had a couple of sharp turns from the park back onto the track, and then 300m on the red top of the track. I closed on the first guy and sat on his butt as we exited the park, navigated the turns and finally took the path to the track. As we strided onto the track I pulled alongside and passed the first guy, quickly onto the shoulder of the lady runner - I eased past her and with the next guy some 5 yards ahead, I closed in. I arrived on his tail with 200 to go, and pushed on, overtaking and keeping the pedal down - One more target in my sights as we rounded the bend, he was another 5 yards ahead, I saw him glance around, and he accelerated when he saw me closing, I gauged myself for the final spurt, but maybe I was asking that little too much of my legs at this stage in my fitness campaign, and little extra was there - he pulled a few more yards on me, before I could react, but my legs were leaden, and no extra pace could be found as the line approached, but I could see the clock saying 23:4......, and relaxed a tad as I was very happy to finish under 24, well inside what I had anticipated, I ran through the line, only a few yards behind my nemesis, with a 23:50 clocking and a smile on my face.
I was very happy with my time, two minutes faster than the disaster of a 5K race on June 24th, with good even pacing at a "relatively" fast pace, and although not quite catching my last target, a strong finish, and another good building block. My next planned race is on August 11th, and a great race down in Galway, the Streets of Galway 8K, where I ran 36:21 in 2005, and have a PR from the race of 34:57 back in 2003. I would like to get myself in shape to be challenging the 2005 time, and the encouragement from tonight's run augurs well. Back to training hard for the next three weeks.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Week Three - Day Two
After Saturdays run I had a mild sprain like feeling in my left ankle, and so on Sunday I just ran an easy 2.6 miles along the canal in 21:30 to see how it felt. I had no reaction whilst running, no discomfort in the ankle, although I was tired after Saturday. On Monday I went and bought a new support bandage as it was still a little sore, and to be safe I decided against running and kept it strapped all day.
Today, Tuesday, with the strap still on, I ran the same route as Sunday, feeling fresh and running easily, I was well over a minute quicker, but feeling as if I was running very gently. Glad to report the ankle was fine, and as I type this an hour afterwards, no reaction. Keep an eye on it, and a 5K race tomorrow, again being run as a training exercise - All go...
Today, Tuesday, with the strap still on, I ran the same route as Sunday, feeling fresh and running easily, I was well over a minute quicker, but feeling as if I was running very gently. Glad to report the ankle was fine, and as I type this an hour afterwards, no reaction. Keep an eye on it, and a 5K race tomorrow, again being run as a training exercise - All go...
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Week Two Day 6 - A 5 Mile Race
Sorry I haven't been able to keep things up to date, but I was away from my PC last weekend and this week I have been hectic at work. Whilst I have found time to run, I haven't been able to post. Suffice to say I have been running reasonably within my plan, if not absolutely according to rule, but it's going OK.
Today, Saturday, I had a race to run. It was the Adidas 5 Miler in the Phoenix Park, here in Dublin, a regular in my summer season. This is the first in a series of races, sponsored by Adidas, in build up to October's Dublin Marathon. We have this race over 5 Miles, then next month there is the Frank Duffy 10 Miler, and in September we have the BHAA Dublin Half Marathon, all aimed at the end of October Dublin Marathon.
So at 10 am this morning I lined up with around 2000 others, on a surprisingly pleasant July morning - not too warm, sun peeking out, and no rain! I had no time expectations for this race, treating it as a timed training run rather than as a specific race. I set off with the crowd, dodging and weaving and despite the bodies, I relaxed into an 8:32 first mile, probably a little quick for now, and I eased along as we took the second mile, along Chesterfield Avenue (the main road through the Park) and then down the slopes passed the grazing fields. There was a slight wind about, not enough to cause problems, but you could feel it. Mile two was a slower 8:50.
Mile 3 was uphill coming up the Furry Glen, after the zig-zags, and I dug in here, head down, and climbed in 8:45 for the mile, although this took the toll out of me and I had to ease right back when we reached the levels as I was feeling it in my legs. I had a little concern during Mile 4 as my right foot and leg "went to sleep". This is something I have encountered many times when running, and it usually passes within 5 minutes, although today it lingered a while. Mile 4 was a slow 9:19, but I was still on to be well inside 44.
As we turned back onto Chesterfield Avenue it was a good run in to home, so I accelerated a little from my pedestrian pace, passed a few nice ponies on the way, and with each 100m marked out from 500 to go, it was easy to keep the push on and finish relatively strongly. The last mile was 7:50, for a total time of 43:16, and a welcome drink, followed up by tea, biscuits and fruit cake in the college down the road.
Not a bad work out. A lot slower than previous races on this course, having run 38:22 in 2003, 40:20 in 2005, and 40:38 last year. But each of those runs were actually run as races in themselves, today was part of the training regime, so I am happy enough. A lot of work still to be done, and next stop will be a 5K race this coming Wednesday - all programmed into the training, so fingers crossed.
Today, Saturday, I had a race to run. It was the Adidas 5 Miler in the Phoenix Park, here in Dublin, a regular in my summer season. This is the first in a series of races, sponsored by Adidas, in build up to October's Dublin Marathon. We have this race over 5 Miles, then next month there is the Frank Duffy 10 Miler, and in September we have the BHAA Dublin Half Marathon, all aimed at the end of October Dublin Marathon.
So at 10 am this morning I lined up with around 2000 others, on a surprisingly pleasant July morning - not too warm, sun peeking out, and no rain! I had no time expectations for this race, treating it as a timed training run rather than as a specific race. I set off with the crowd, dodging and weaving and despite the bodies, I relaxed into an 8:32 first mile, probably a little quick for now, and I eased along as we took the second mile, along Chesterfield Avenue (the main road through the Park) and then down the slopes passed the grazing fields. There was a slight wind about, not enough to cause problems, but you could feel it. Mile two was a slower 8:50.
Mile 3 was uphill coming up the Furry Glen, after the zig-zags, and I dug in here, head down, and climbed in 8:45 for the mile, although this took the toll out of me and I had to ease right back when we reached the levels as I was feeling it in my legs. I had a little concern during Mile 4 as my right foot and leg "went to sleep". This is something I have encountered many times when running, and it usually passes within 5 minutes, although today it lingered a while. Mile 4 was a slow 9:19, but I was still on to be well inside 44.
As we turned back onto Chesterfield Avenue it was a good run in to home, so I accelerated a little from my pedestrian pace, passed a few nice ponies on the way, and with each 100m marked out from 500 to go, it was easy to keep the push on and finish relatively strongly. The last mile was 7:50, for a total time of 43:16, and a welcome drink, followed up by tea, biscuits and fruit cake in the college down the road.
Not a bad work out. A lot slower than previous races on this course, having run 38:22 in 2003, 40:20 in 2005, and 40:38 last year. But each of those runs were actually run as races in themselves, today was part of the training regime, so I am happy enough. A lot of work still to be done, and next stop will be a 5K race this coming Wednesday - all programmed into the training, so fingers crossed.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
First (minor) lapse
Today the plan states a 4 Mile Easy run, but I only had a small window at lunch time to fit in a run, and I was feeling very tired. I managed a 2 mile run at around 8:40 pace, which is pretty awful, but three runs inside 30 hours, at my present level of fitness, have left the legs a little tardy, and my next run will not be until Thursday evening, some 30 hours away, time to recover.
I am fully aware that recovery is an important part of any running programme, and whilst I am trying to build up the miles to a good take-off level, I need to remember those rules about recovery, or I might be prone to injury.
Still, I did get a run in, which is more important than bagging it - the discipline of getting out there is kicking in.
I am fully aware that recovery is an important part of any running programme, and whilst I am trying to build up the miles to a good take-off level, I need to remember those rules about recovery, or I might be prone to injury.
Still, I did get a run in, which is more important than bagging it - the discipline of getting out there is kicking in.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Day 2
It sounds like I'm in the Big Brother House - Day Two of my Philly Plan.
Well, it said 5 miles, so with the rain making the place pretty damp, I decided on testing not only my legs, but my patience (read sanity!), and do my 5 miler on the treadmill. Decided on a nice slow easy pace, and running around 8:50 pace I set off and succeeded in running even paced without feeling bad at all. Could have pushed it physically, and mentally I did start to want to push the accelerate button, but I stayed under my orders and kept it steady - running home in 43:53 - Slow but sure -
Two days down, 138 to go!
Well, it said 5 miles, so with the rain making the place pretty damp, I decided on testing not only my legs, but my patience (read sanity!), and do my 5 miler on the treadmill. Decided on a nice slow easy pace, and running around 8:50 pace I set off and succeeded in running even paced without feeling bad at all. Could have pushed it physically, and mentally I did start to want to push the accelerate button, but I stayed under my orders and kept it steady - running home in 43:53 - Slow but sure -
Two days down, 138 to go!
Day1/Week 1....... Philly here I come
It's here. 20 weeks of hard training, 20 weeks of pushing my body, 20 weeks of getting out when I don't want to, 20 weeks of black toes, 20 weeks of ups and downs - they start here, now, today. No putting things off, no excuses. I WANT to run the Philadelphia Marathon well. I'm not going to make myself a hostage to fortune and say right now that I will run 3:35 or 4:35 for the race, but I will be as prepared as I possibly can be, and I will do my best - That much I owe myself.
My Week One Plan goes like this :
Monday 3 Miles Easy
Tuesday 5 Miles Easy
Wednesday 4 Miles Easy
Thursday 5 Miles Easy
Friday 4 Miles Easy
Saturday 3 Miles Easy
Sunday 7 Miles Easy
So Monday arrives and out I head. I don't actually have a 3 Mile route locally, so I cheat a little and run a 2.6 mile loop, along the quays, over the road bridges locally. I treat this as a light jog, clocking the run purely as an indicator, and I run around 8:40 pace for a 22:30 run. I can use this route for my 5 miler, running it twice, a little more than 5 miles, so I don't feel guilty at running slightly under the plan - I did manage to get out and run - The vitally important bit.
The weight is an issue and one that has to be addressed. It's been an issue for a year or more really. I hover around 196/198 on a regular basis, and obviously to reduce this to around 180 will improve my speed as I carry less flab - So today, Week One, Day One, I weigh in at 197 lbs - Watch this space..... Roll on Day 2....
My Week One Plan goes like this :
Monday 3 Miles Easy
Tuesday 5 Miles Easy
Wednesday 4 Miles Easy
Thursday 5 Miles Easy
Friday 4 Miles Easy
Saturday 3 Miles Easy
Sunday 7 Miles Easy
So Monday arrives and out I head. I don't actually have a 3 Mile route locally, so I cheat a little and run a 2.6 mile loop, along the quays, over the road bridges locally. I treat this as a light jog, clocking the run purely as an indicator, and I run around 8:40 pace for a 22:30 run. I can use this route for my 5 miler, running it twice, a little more than 5 miles, so I don't feel guilty at running slightly under the plan - I did manage to get out and run - The vitally important bit.
The weight is an issue and one that has to be addressed. It's been an issue for a year or more really. I hover around 196/198 on a regular basis, and obviously to reduce this to around 180 will improve my speed as I carry less flab - So today, Week One, Day One, I weigh in at 197 lbs - Watch this space..... Roll on Day 2....
The build up is complete
A late post regarding the weekend, and the lull before the storm of my Marathon prep. Whilst I can hardly call any run a speed session at the moment, I did run a "faster" 2 mile session on Friday, running 16:36 for the session, hardly a flying time, but I did enjoy it.
Saturday I put my feet up and "rested", or in reality I lazed about, did my shopping, cooked a nice dinner and had a couple of cocktails before eating - The joy of idleness.
Sunday I had a lie in (luxury!), then a leisurely breakfast with the papers, and in the late afternoon I went to the gym and ran a timed 5K tempo run, clocking 25:56 for the run and all is ready for Day 1.......
Saturday I put my feet up and "rested", or in reality I lazed about, did my shopping, cooked a nice dinner and had a couple of cocktails before eating - The joy of idleness.
Sunday I had a lie in (luxury!), then a leisurely breakfast with the papers, and in the late afternoon I went to the gym and ran a timed 5K tempo run, clocking 25:56 for the run and all is ready for Day 1.......
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