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.

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.

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!

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....

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.......

Creeping along

Another day at the gym and another 5K run on the treadmill tonight. Simply concentrating on building a base, albeit a low level base, so the short distance and easy pace at around 8:33 per mile. Monday is the Important Day and I have planned out my 20 weeks, with built in races and building up to a 26 mile training run, my last long run, three weeks before Philly, around the streets of Dublin, and they will be kind enough to place drink stations for me, as the Dublin Marathon is just three weeks before my US target.

On a totally different note, it seems quite strange, maybe even more so, from being somewhat remote, as I haven't lived in England for 5 years or so, but we awoke this morning for the first time since May 1st, 1997, and Tony Blair was not Prime Minister of the UK. What will happen, how will things change for our UK cousins with Gordon Brown now in charge. He has done wonders in maintaining the economic strength of teh UK as Chancellor, I wonder what effect he will have as PM.

A good friend of mine from my days working for MSF, Hilary Benn, has been appointed Environment Minister in the New Government, he might have hoped for a higher profile portfolio, but with Climate Change high on everyones agenda at present, then maybe Environment is a Very High profile role these days - Good luck to him in his new job.

OK, enough politics, back to running, and hopefully the weather will improve in the next few days and I can get some sun on my back and some nice outdoor running completed. Now lets see if my new toy has worked and the pics have embedded - Knowing my luck at posting links, it won't work :)

It's Getting Nearer, and I've committed myself

Not to a mental hospital, but the next best thing, I have committed myself to the Philadelphia Marathon. The race is twenty weeks - yes 20 weeks!!!!! - on Sunday - November 18th is the date, and I have Bib Number 2057. So, I better get my skates on.

Today, with 20 weeks and 5 days to go, I stand at 197 lbs, I have run a little over 100 miles this year to date, feel like a slob, and run like a whale (OK, I know whales can't run, but you get the picture!). Well, nothing focuses the mind more than a challenge, and this is a challenge and a half. God loves a trier - He better love me.

This week I am on countdown, and to that effect I ran a 5K on Sunday in 25:48, a time that I would have been quite happy about, but the run was terrible. I set off far too fast and was struggling like mad at 2Km, having reached there in 9:20 - WAY off pace, so I stopped, re-adjusted myself and set off again, reaching 4K in 20:40, still too fast, took another breather and then finished running reasonably steadily. What a stupid run - But as I said, having only run 27 for 5K on the Thursday previous, to run 25:48 as a time was great, just a stupid run.

Yesterday I managed a 3K run in 15:31, which was OK, but I really need to start getting a few more miles into my legs. Tonight I hit the gym again, and ran another 5K, this time in 26:49, slightly quicker than last Thursday, but nice and steady, no heroics, and I didn't feel too bad -

So, I have 5 days more before I start my "proper" programme, a big hill ahead of me to climb, but a determination based on history and endeavour. I have been here before, just hope that Father Time isn't catching up too quickly :)

Hope you stay along for the ride......

Countdown to Day 1

Monday July 2nd is Day One of Week One of my 20 Week Plan for Philly. So I am in Countdown mode, today was "Day One Minus 11". I have no program in place until Jul 2, so it's run as I see fit. It's been a haul this month, but I got off my ass (thanks Alia!), and tonight I ran a 5K timed run, in a slow, steady 27 minutes on the treads. This, and my runs in the next 10 days, will be markers as I see improvement.

Away from running, we had a General Election here in Ireland a few weeks ago, and we have a new coalition government, with the Greens now a minority part of Government for the first time. Ever since they came into office, on a background of Green Issues, such as Climate Change, and a Minister for Climate Change, they have been a tremendous success. They have only had a Minister for Climate Change for one week, and he has had a 100% success rate in changing the climate. A week ago I got sun burnt, this last week, it's rained all day - BUGGER Climate Change, I want my summer back!

Short runs - Just not enough of them.....

Managed another run tonight, just a little easy 1.5 miles on a sultry evening. I haven't been sleeping too well, unsurprisingly, and the effort of lacing up my shoes is a bind. Mentally I still am a runner. I read the mags, I plan my races, the one thing I can't seem to do right now is actually do the running :) - Still, it's 19 weeks and 6 days to Dublin, plenty of time :).......

Seriously I do plan to get back into a routine, and pick myself up from the running demise. If you can all remember, I promised myself that I would qualify for Boston 2008, my 50th birthday present to myself, and I will do it - It is in me, I just need to unleash the Old Liam.

Thomas, a note to thank you for your words, along with Dana, Dori, Anonymous(Rachelle) and many others, I appreciate the support from "virtual" friends, and old pals alike - Now push my fat arse out on that road - I can't use the weather as an excuse - It's gorgeous running weather here :)....

Boston or Bust - I don't want to go bust....

First run since.....

First running steps back to normal tonight, and after a ten day plus hiatus I got out and took a gentle easy run. A beautiful evening and a 14 minute jog to loosen out the legs and shake out the fatigue. Only around 1.5 miles, but every journey must start with the first steps, so out I have been.

Can I just say a brief thank you to everyone who emailed or commented on my mum's passing. I won't labour the point, just a heart felt thank you for everyone's comments, and I'll try and get in touch in the near future as things settle back to normal.