Hello Again

It's been over two weeks since my last post but I have been running, if a little sporadically. Here is a quick update on the runs I've been doing over the past two weeks.

On the 16th I went for a lovely little ramble around the two for my last big run before the marathon.  It was a nice relaxing half and I felt great after it. A good time for me also, an unofficial PR.

On the 21st I ran a nice tempo 5km run around a local track and then did 10 minutes on the bike in the local gym and another 10 minutes on the elliptic trainer.  I'm taking it really easy in the final few weeks as the Achilles are OK now but still I want to go easy on them before the big day to make sure I don't tweak anything.

And on the 24th it was the last long run before the Dublin City Marathon a nice 15km run that again was fast for me but felt good.  It feels like I am as ready as I'm going to be for this run... Bring it on.

Tired But Happy

Last Sunday I went out for my long run.  This according to the ever changing marathon training plan would be my last long, long run before the marathon.  I arrive up at the clubhouse and the lovely 1km track and started of with 25km in mind and a bit hopeful that my legs would last the distance considering the difficulties they have been having recently.

The first 5km went off well and I stopped for a water stop and a quick stretch.  5km more and it was a water and energy gel stop with a quick stretch.  Another 5km, another water stop and 5km more with a stop for a gel and water.  20km done and I was still felling good.

Long Run But Not Too Long

Last week was a bit of a disaster.  I ran Tuesday and felt great.  Didn't get to run Wednesday or Thursday but that was no big deal as I was going to run Friday and try a long run on Sunday.  I woke up Friday with a terrible pain in my right Achilles.  I was in pain all day.  I didn't know what I had done.  I decided not to run at all that day.

Sunday I did get out and the plan originally was to run 28km but with 16km on the clock I called a halt to the run my Achilles was quite painful.  I'm a bit upset and annoyed as I felt great, just not in my right Achilles... not sure how this is going to play out but hopefully it will rectify itself pretty soon.

DCM Week 9: Long Run

Long run of 22km done and I struggled a little getting it done.  My legs are fairly sore today.  With just over 8 weeks to go I'm wondering how I will be during and after the marathon as I'm still finding the half a little tough.  Missing that week of running two weeks or so ago has set me back but I'll see how I get on next week.  Long run of 28km planned for next week.  That should let me know how ready I am for the marathon.  Hopefully I'll be feeling more confident at the end of next week than I am today.  Maybe it is just a slight fear of the unknown.

DCM Week 19: Long Run

My long run was on a Thursday last week as I was on a stag weekend in Liverpool and I knew there would be no possible way I would get a run in over the weekend.  I started out from work and had the Garmin set for a 26km long run but I knew that would be optimistic.  After missing training for a week and a half with pharyngitis and a fever to accompany it I knew I would have to start back easy and was not too happy to be losing a weekend also so the aim was 26km but I would be happy with 16km, or so I told myself.

It was a nice enough evening but my legs didn't last the full journey.  I managed 17.5km and then I stopped as I was afraid I would bring on an injury if I kept going as my legs had nothing left.  I feel like I've gone a step backwards but I'll just start building up again and hopefully I reach my goal and complete the Dublin City Marathon in a reasonable time.

DCM Week 12: Long Run

This morning I got up to run the longest run I've run to date.  I got dressed, dropped a Nuun tablet in my water, put on my earphone, turned on my ipod, strapped up my right knee, turned on my Garmin and began running.  A nice 500m warm up and some stretches and the run began.

As I'm in a small, small village today the options of somewhere safe and flat to run are a little limited so I ended up running a single road up and down for what must have been 40 times.  I had to go back to the house to refill my water bottles twice but that was fine as the house was never more than 500m away due to where I was running.

The inital stages were a little tough but I kept myself going by not looking at the Gamin, instead I focused on the water and when that was running out.  At a refill stop I allowed myself to check the watch.  1st stop 11km down.  2nd stop 20km done.

Getting started the third time was a struggle as my legs did not seem to have enjoyed the stop and were getting very heavy.  I pushed through and thankfully made it to 25.01km, my longest run ever both in terms of time and distance.  Next weeks long run is only 16km so it will feel like a holiday.

DCM Week 13: Long Run

I had to drag myself out of the bed this morning.  I had hoped to be out the door at 7am but it was just after 9am before the door closed behind me and only then becuase I knew it was just going to get warmer the longer I left it.

I walked the 500m to the track to warm up the Achilles tendon and then hit my 500m jog warm up.  After my stretches it was into the run, a nice 14kms easy.  I split the run into two 7km runs.  The first went well as I ran anti-clockwise around the track.  Once the first 7 were completed I turned around and ran clockwise for the next 7km.  The sun also decided to join me and it began to get very muggy with the high humidity.  When the last kilometre approached I felt I could run it hard but as I'm still having Achilles trouble I tried to make it quick but within the pace zone I've set of 5:45 - 6:22 m/km.  I finished the last in 5:47 joint fastest of the day. Covered in sweat I walked back to the house after another good run.

I felt I could have run longer if my legs were in better shape, my breathing and heart rate were good, I guess the McMillan Running Calculator is working for me.  I'm on for a PR tomorrow if I complete the recovery run.  It'll be the most distance I'll have run in one week.  I'm sure I'll have more of these PR's throughout the rest of the training.  So far so good.

DCM: Wk:14 21km Long

Thursdays 5km went out the window.  There was a family emergency and the run was totally forgotten.  I'm now into a very important three weeks.  The distance starts to creep up with today being a nice 21km.  I'm on holidays for the next three weeks also, in Portugal so I'll have to contend with the heat.  I hope this will make the run in to higher distances when I get home easier as the temperatures will be cooler.

I got up early this morning, early for me and ran what is probably my first run before 7am.  I have present my garmin before I left for holidays with the runs I need to do and with pace zones for the runs to ensure I don't run too fast and end up burning out.  Todays runs was nice and easy and clocks my slowest ever time for the distance, but not by much.  The great thing for me was that it was just my legs that were tired, the break during the week had help but my muscles are still recovering.  My breathing was good and my average heart rate was the best it has ever been for this distance.  I have ran this distance five times now, but never further.  This run was probally the most relaxed one I've done.

In two weesk time I'll run my very first 24km run, here.  It will be another early start.  I've been using Nuun hydration tabs for my long runs and they seem to be working.  While I'm still not enamered by the taste todays run felt nice, even in the heat and I didn't feel dehydrated during the run.  I'll see how this continues.

DCM Week 15: Long

Yesterday's run was a nice 15km on a lovely day.  When I woke up the sun was shining.  It's been a while since that has happened in the wet country of ours.  The weather has been pretty miserable in June and July, more like winter than summer, but yesterday was a glorious day.

A nice easy 500m warm up, a stretch and I was on my way.  I had put the IT band strap on my right knee as it was giving me a bit of trouble on Thursday's run and I had put a Nuun hydration tab in my water.  I had read about Nuun tabs on blogs and some bloggers swear by them so I thought I'd give them a go.  I had the orange flavoured ones.  The taste is like lightly flavoured water but there is a slight fizz also.  I'm not sure if I'm mad about the taste or the fact that as I run they bubble up so when getting near the bottom of the drink you get foam but they did seem to do the job they are meant to, in that they kept me hydrated on a warm day.  I'll stick with them until the end of the tube and see how I go.

The run itself was non-eventful except that my right leg must be getting too much work.  The IT band is currently fine but my Achilles tendon is very tender today.  I was supposed to run a 5km recovery run today but on account of the Achilles I've decided to rest up.  Next run is on Tuesday.  14 weeks and counting to the Dublin City Marathon.  Here's hoping the tendon will be in better shape by Tuesday.  If anyone has any tips on taking care of your Achilles tendon I'd love to hear it.

Week 18 & 17 Roundup

I've been away for a while and have not really had a chance to blog so I'm throwing all my latest runs into this post to catch up rather than create an individual post for each one, not that there are many runs since my last blog.

I've had a poor start to my marathon training.  I'm on a schedule which is 4 runs per week.  I'm looking at getting in a speed workout, a regular run, a long run and a recovery run.  Two weeks in and I've managed 5 runs out of 8, not great.  With only 16 weeks remaining to the run I have to become a lot more disciplined or I won't be at the place I need to be for the marathon.

One of my runs was in Geneva, a little outside of my usual routes, working trip.  It is a beautiful place to run.  Geneva is situated on a lake and this really makes the run enjoyable.  I wish I had more time to run there but the day I did run was beautiful, sunny, warm, clear blue sky and had a snow capped Mount Blanc in the background.

I hope to blog on a regular basis again now that life has slowed down again.

Good Hilly Run

This morning was another early long run.  I met up again with the Women's Fit for Life Group and joined them on their long run.  The group is really nice and it is great that I feel a part of the group.  It is much easier to run in company.  Last time out with them I started at the back of the group because I wasn't sure of the pace of the group and ran my own pace.  This time I decided that I would try to begin by running with the front runners and see if I could keep up.

We went out the same route as before, a nice route with 7 hills along the course.  The satellites hadn't kicked in on my Garmin when we started so I lost about 150 metres or so or recording before I hit start, which would have been enough to hit 15km.  The pace started nice and easy and I was enjoying the pace until about 6km.  At this point the group trainer moved up to the front of the group and began pushing out the pace.

From here on in the pace was fast and I was glad that I was keeping up.  With 2km to go I was still managing to keep up with the front two runners and we upped the pace again and kept on pushing.  With 1km to go we got faster still and with 200 metres to go we broke out into a sprint  back to the club.  It was a tough run (felt like a race), my calf's are quite sore as I write this, but I really enjoyed it. I was delighted that I was able to keep going the full distance at that speed, my fastest ever 15km, and still have a good kick at the end.

How was your long run? Enjoyable I hope.

Hilly Long Run

This morning I joined the Carlow Women's Fit For Life group for a long run.  The Carlow Men's Fit for Life group has only just been established and as of yet doesn't do long runs as part of the group.  For the past two months I've been doing my long run alone, as the person I normally run with is injured so it was great to have company again for the run.

At 9.30am we met and began our run.  The run was at a nice pace and was on a route I never ran before.  The majority of my runs over the past year or so have been mostly flat as there are not many routes around the town that have hills.  Today's route went out of the town.  The weather was great and before long we had hit our first hill.  As I wasn't familiar with the route I wasn't really expecting any hills.  Today's run was really enjoyable and felt great.

It was the first time this year that I've run more than 12km without having my right knee strapped up.  With seven hills on the run I happy with how the knee held together and think as long as I look after it I should be able to run without the ITB strap from here on in.