I'm still on a nice break after the marathon and don't plan doing an exercise until the 14th. I had planned on a two week holiday and then to get back to training, but what to train for? The first time I ran a half marathon I took a three month break after it. It wasn't planned, but I had put so much energy into the half and no thought about what to do after it. I found with no target or plan I just did nothing, well not this time. I'm going to use this time to look at possible races for next year and maybe you can help m choose which ones. I ran three races in 2010, two 10kms and a half marathon. So far I ran five races this year, a 5 mile, a 10km two half marathons and a marathon, and maybe there is room for one more. I'd love to run 10-12 races next year with one of them another marathon and a few others challenging runs. So what choices are out there.
January:
The Great Health: A 10km run fairly close by in Co. Laois. Looks like a good possiblity for the first run of the year.
February:
Enniscorthy: A 10km run in the lovely and hilly town of Enniscorty. I ran a half marathon here this year and it was a tough one for me as I am un used to hills.
Wild West Run: A very scenic half marathon in the town of Kilarrney from Kenmare to Muckross House.
March:
Wicklow: A 10km or Half Marathon starting and finishing in Wicklow Jail.
Kinvara Rock & Road: An excuse to wear my kinvaras in Kinvara. This is a 10km road race in the town of Kinvara in Co. Galway. Looks like the sceanary will be fantastic.
April:
Connemara: A half-marathon, full marathon or ultra marathon in one of the most ruggid and sceanic parts of the country. A tough course from feedback I've received. Would be beautiful though.
Ballinaslow: A 10km walk/run in Co. Mayo. Doesn't look like there would be a large crowd at this one... I could be wrong. It is in aid of the Irish Cancer Society.
Wexford: Half Marathon or 10km run. It looks very well organised. The first part is uphill and then it is downhill all the rest of the way. Looks nice.
Great Ireland Run: A lovely 10km run through the Phoenix Park in Dublin. This was my irst ever road race in 2010 and I ran it again this year. A lovely run with ver 16,000 entrants this year, the largest race in Ireland.
May:
River Moy: Half Marathon in Ballina Co. Mayo.
June:
Strawberry Festival: A half marathon, 15km walk or 5 mile race. I ran this half this year and set a PR on a tough hilly course that my knees did not like me for. Lovely course though and great support out around the town. Really emjoyed it.
Cork City Marathon: This is supposed to be a nice run but doesn't have the level of support that their is in Dublin from the locals.
July:
Irish Runner: A lovely fast 5 mile run in the Phoenix PArk in Dublin with a few hills. A lovely run. Part of the Dublin Marathon Race Series.
Clontarf: Half Marathon and 5 mile race. Billed ast Ireland's flattest half. A great place for a PR then.
August:
Frank Duffy: A 10 mile run in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. Part of the Dublin Marathon Race Series.
September:
Mooathon: This a half or full marathon in Co. Donegal, boasting great scenary and no loop, just a stright point to point run with transport back included in the price of entry. There are miling stations along the way and I'm sure it will be hilly but it looks like it could be a lot of fun.
Dublin Half-Marathon: A lovely race again through the Phoenix Park in Dublin and part of the Dublin Marathon Race Series.
Portugal Half Marathon: Having run the Lisbon Half this year across the April 25th bridge this might be a plan for 2012. It is also based in Lisbon just that it runs across the other bridge and in warmer temperatures.
October:
Dublin Marathon: A lovely marathon in the fair city of Dublin with absolutely fantastic support as you run and a fairly flat course to boot.
November:
Run the Gauntlet: This is a race in the South West of the country through the beautiful landscape of Killarney in Co. Kerry. It is a half marathon over and back through the gap of Dunloe and looks very tough.
Gaelforce Turf Guy: 10km race through bog land in Co. Galway with a few obstacles thrown into the mix.
Mo Run: To celebrate Movember, where men grow a mustache in November to raise awarenss of men's health there is a nice 10km run in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. It'd be a bit of craic and a reason to try to grow some facial hair.
Blue Light Mountain Madness: A nice 5km up and down a mountain.
December:
Santa Dash: This is a 5km or 10km race where you get a Santa outfit as part of your entry and everyone runs in their outfit. The run is in Clontarf in Dublin and finishes on the beach, where you'll have hundreds of Santas crossing the finish line. Money from the event goes towards the Irish Heart Foundation.
Waterford Half-Marathon: Half marathon through the city of Waterford.
RNLI Reindeer Run: A 10km or 5km run to raise fund for the Lifeboats. Reindeer Antleers for all participants.
These are just a few options. There are also races outside the country that could be a possibility and local club races to keep an eye out for. I'm looking forward to next year.
If you were to choose just two or three races from the ones listed above which ones would you pick? Also if you ahve any suggestions for runs in 2012, maybe ones you have run that you found to be great runs please let me know... I'm open to all suggestions.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Dublin City Marathon - Race Report
So the day finally came and went. So much for a good night sleep the night before... I'm not sure if I was excited or nervous, either way I didn't sleep much. The alarm went off at 6am and with all my gear set out from the night before I got ready.
After a nice breakfast of porridge with banana and honey, Jimmy arrived to drive me to Dublin. When we got to Dublin most of the roads were already closed so I got out as close as to the start as possible and then off I walked. I got to the start line a good 90 minutes before the start, with plenty of time to drop off my bag and get warmed up.
There was a good crowd with 14,000 people taking part and there was a great atmosphere. The race was very well organised and started on time. Of from Fitzwilliam square we ran on past St. Stephen's green around Trinity College, across O'Connell Bridge, up O'Connell Street,
Parnell Street, Dorset Street, North Circular Road and into the Phoenix Park. These were very enjoyable parts of the run and my legs were beginning to wake up after a sluggish start. I started in the 4 hour 30 minute wave and was taking it nice an easy unsure what was to come as this was my first marathon. By the time we were leaving the Phoenix park I had past the 4:15 pacers and settled into a nice rhythm. The weather was great, nice and cool with the occasional short bit of rain. I was enjoying this.
At 16km I past Kilmainham Jail to hear my name being called. I looked across and saw three of the girls from the local athletics club. It was great to see them there and great to be cheered on. At 19km I past the trainer from the athletics club and gave him a shout as I past. Things were going well.
At the halfway point I felt a sharp twinge in the base of my left foot, which gave me a little fright. I tried to flex my toes but that just seemed to cause more pain so I favoured the foot for a few kilometres making sure I landed correctly hoping that it would hold up. At 24km I saw yet more people from the club. It was great to see so much support from Carlow up at the race.
From here on in it began to get tough. At 32km I had hit the furthest distance that I had ever run before and the running, or should I say shuffling, was tough. I think from 34km to 39km I may have switched off as I don't remember how I got through them. The worst kilometre was number 37. I stopped to stretch, which in hindsight was probably a bad move as it took ages to get my legs going again.
With a little over 3km left to go the heavens opened, the wind picked up and within a few moments I was saturated. I did get an extra burst of energy here. I'm not sure if it was because I was close to the end or if it was because I wanted to get out of the rain. So on we went around Trinity College for the second time...
and on towards the finish line. I was so happy to finish, doing so in 4:10:58. It was a great race for me and an emotional one also.
For those who have been reading my blog for a while would know I signed up to run the marathon 7 months ago, back in March. I decided to run this to try and raise money for the Irish Cancer Society as there is a history of cancer in my family, my cousin had been diagnosed with cancer and a good friend of mine had been diagnosed with leukaemia. A month before the marathon my friend with leukaemia got the news that it was terminal. 6 days before the marathon my friend lost her battle against leukaemia. We will miss her energy, vitality, sense of humour and joy of life. The world is a much better place because of the time she spent here. We miss you.
After a nice breakfast of porridge with banana and honey, Jimmy arrived to drive me to Dublin. When we got to Dublin most of the roads were already closed so I got out as close as to the start as possible and then off I walked. I got to the start line a good 90 minutes before the start, with plenty of time to drop off my bag and get warmed up.
There was a good crowd with 14,000 people taking part and there was a great atmosphere. The race was very well organised and started on time. Of from Fitzwilliam square we ran on past St. Stephen's green around Trinity College, across O'Connell Bridge, up O'Connell Street,
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| Passing the GPO |
Parnell Street, Dorset Street, North Circular Road and into the Phoenix Park. These were very enjoyable parts of the run and my legs were beginning to wake up after a sluggish start. I started in the 4 hour 30 minute wave and was taking it nice an easy unsure what was to come as this was my first marathon. By the time we were leaving the Phoenix park I had past the 4:15 pacers and settled into a nice rhythm. The weather was great, nice and cool with the occasional short bit of rain. I was enjoying this.
At 16km I past Kilmainham Jail to hear my name being called. I looked across and saw three of the girls from the local athletics club. It was great to see them there and great to be cheered on. At 19km I past the trainer from the athletics club and gave him a shout as I past. Things were going well.
At the halfway point I felt a sharp twinge in the base of my left foot, which gave me a little fright. I tried to flex my toes but that just seemed to cause more pain so I favoured the foot for a few kilometres making sure I landed correctly hoping that it would hold up. At 24km I saw yet more people from the club. It was great to see so much support from Carlow up at the race.
From here on in it began to get tough. At 32km I had hit the furthest distance that I had ever run before and the running, or should I say shuffling, was tough. I think from 34km to 39km I may have switched off as I don't remember how I got through them. The worst kilometre was number 37. I stopped to stretch, which in hindsight was probably a bad move as it took ages to get my legs going again.
With a little over 3km left to go the heavens opened, the wind picked up and within a few moments I was saturated. I did get an extra burst of energy here. I'm not sure if it was because I was close to the end or if it was because I wanted to get out of the rain. So on we went around Trinity College for the second time...
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| Outside of Trinity College |
and on towards the finish line. I was so happy to finish, doing so in 4:10:58. It was a great race for me and an emotional one also.
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| Coming up to the finish line |
For those who have been reading my blog for a while would know I signed up to run the marathon 7 months ago, back in March. I decided to run this to try and raise money for the Irish Cancer Society as there is a history of cancer in my family, my cousin had been diagnosed with cancer and a good friend of mine had been diagnosed with leukaemia. A month before the marathon my friend with leukaemia got the news that it was terminal. 6 days before the marathon my friend lost her battle against leukaemia. We will miss her energy, vitality, sense of humour and joy of life. The world is a much better place because of the time she spent here. We miss you.
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| The Medal |
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| The T-Shirt If you would like to sponsor me in my goal to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society there is still time. Please click on the image on the right hand column of mychairty.ie. Thank you for your support. |
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Last Run Before...
The Dublin City Marathon. The day is fast approaching, in fact it's tomorrow. I'm a little worried at the moment. Last nights last run was a little sluggish, but I was very tired after a very tough week. I should, after some rest be ready for Monday. The race starts at 10am, for me anyway as I'll be in the last wave of those who feel it will take them longer than 4hrs 15mins to finish. That's what I believed it would take me when I signed up 7 months ago but I'm hopeful of a faster finish now, but we'll wait and see.
Yesterday morning I went up to Dublin to collect my race pack and racing bib. I'm number 12878, with over 14,000 runners in the field. This is going to be a great experience and I'm looking forward to it.
Now to get my gear ready and a good night sleep. A friend of mine will drop me up to Dublin in the morning and my wife and son will hopefully be there to great me at the finish line to carry me home. no turning back now.
I'm still raising money for the Irish Cancer Society so if you would like to sponsor me for this race please click on the mycharity.ie logo on the right and donate what you can. Thanks, your support if much appreciated.
Yesterday morning I went up to Dublin to collect my race pack and racing bib. I'm number 12878, with over 14,000 runners in the field. This is going to be a great experience and I'm looking forward to it.
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| Pack & Bib |
I'm still raising money for the Irish Cancer Society so if you would like to sponsor me for this race please click on the mycharity.ie logo on the right and donate what you can. Thanks, your support if much appreciated.
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.
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.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Great 5km
I've been looking at the Run Less Run Faster book in more detail and looking to the future I don't have a recent time for a 5km run so, probably inadvisably I decided to run a 5km at race pace last night. I know I should be tapering and will do now but I was curious.
After 1km at a nice slow easy pace for a warm up I let go. The next km was 4:36 which was a good pace for me. I kept going and hit the second km of the 5 in 4:26, slightly faster, and third came in at 4:28. In my head I had the notion that for a goal for next year I would try to break 23 minutes for a 5km race, at my current pace I was on to break it now. I pushed a little harder on the 4th and finished it in 4.18. I was starting to get carried away. A sub 23 minute 5km was definitely possible but if I could keep up the pace a sub 22 minute 5km was also realistic. I pushed harder again and dug in knowing that the course I picked the final 100m would be up a hill. I finished in 21:48 my faster 5km by almost 2 minutes. What a great run. Now I really need to rethink my goals for 2012, would a sub-20 minute 5km be too much to aim for?
After 1km at a nice slow easy pace for a warm up I let go. The next km was 4:36 which was a good pace for me. I kept going and hit the second km of the 5 in 4:26, slightly faster, and third came in at 4:28. In my head I had the notion that for a goal for next year I would try to break 23 minutes for a 5km race, at my current pace I was on to break it now. I pushed a little harder on the 4th and finished it in 4.18. I was starting to get carried away. A sub 23 minute 5km was definitely possible but if I could keep up the pace a sub 22 minute 5km was also realistic. I pushed harder again and dug in knowing that the course I picked the final 100m would be up a hill. I finished in 21:48 my faster 5km by almost 2 minutes. What a great run. Now I really need to rethink my goals for 2012, would a sub-20 minute 5km be too much to aim for?
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.
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.
First Tempo Run
7th October
I bought a book called Run Less Run Faster. It has been a great read so far. It put forward plans for running 3 times a week with 2 cross training activities also and states that this will improve you overall fitness and in turn you finish times, while reducing the risk of injury.
This seemed like the book for me given my injuries lately. I'm just going to use some of it now but will put it completely into practice after the marathon and see where it gets me. I decided to go on a tempo run and as I didn't have any 5km race to inform the pace I should run at I assume my 5km pace would be at around 24 minutes and ran my tempo according to that pace. 2km slow warm up, 5km tempo and a 1km slow cool down. All in all it was a lovely run and even better was that my legs are still responding well. Not long to go now. 2 more runs to fill you in on but I'll do that tomorrow.
I bought a book called Run Less Run Faster. It has been a great read so far. It put forward plans for running 3 times a week with 2 cross training activities also and states that this will improve you overall fitness and in turn you finish times, while reducing the risk of injury.
This seemed like the book for me given my injuries lately. I'm just going to use some of it now but will put it completely into practice after the marathon and see where it gets me. I decided to go on a tempo run and as I didn't have any 5km race to inform the pace I should run at I assume my 5km pace would be at around 24 minutes and ran my tempo according to that pace. 2km slow warm up, 5km tempo and a 1km slow cool down. All in all it was a lovely run and even better was that my legs are still responding well. Not long to go now. 2 more runs to fill you in on but I'll do that tomorrow.
Downpour
5th October
I've been keeping the mid-week runs small so as not to tax the legs too much, but I've have been adding an element of speed to them also. This run was no different.
What a day. I left work for a small run and the sun was out. I was 400 metres into my 2.4km loop when the heavens opened and it just poured down. When the first loop was over I was so wet their was no point in stopping so I went for another loop running one of the kilometres at speed, 3:50, under 4:00 again. Happy days.
I've been keeping the mid-week runs small so as not to tax the legs too much, but I've have been adding an element of speed to them also. This run was no different.
What a day. I left work for a small run and the sun was out. I was 400 metres into my 2.4km loop when the heavens opened and it just poured down. When the first loop was over I was so wet their was no point in stopping so I went for another loop running one of the kilometres at speed, 3:50, under 4:00 again. Happy days.
Half Way There
2nd October
This day I went out with the aim of running as long as I could. I was still in recovery and hoping to put in a good showing. The marathon is fast approaching and if I could not manage a good distance I knew it would be very difficult for me to be ready in time for the big day. I decided to run in blocks of 5kms. After each 5km I stopped and stretch out the legs and Achilles. No harm in being extra cautious. All this care must have worked as I ran over 21km went I finally stopped, not bad at all.
This day I went out with the aim of running as long as I could. I was still in recovery and hoping to put in a good showing. The marathon is fast approaching and if I could not manage a good distance I knew it would be very difficult for me to be ready in time for the big day. I decided to run in blocks of 5kms. After each 5km I stopped and stretch out the legs and Achilles. No harm in being extra cautious. All this care must have worked as I ran over 21km went I finally stopped, not bad at all.
A Little Speed Work
I've been away a while but I've still been running. Here is what I've been up to lately, (A few quick, small posts)
28th September
Coming off the back of 13km without pain I decided to run a small 4km run with the 3rd km as fast as I could manage. Out the door and running from home I took the first 2km nice and slow averaging 6:20 a km and then I hit out for the 3rd km running it in 3:47, the fastest I've run a kilometre yet. I was over the moon at breaking 4 minutes a kilometre for the first time.
28th September
Coming off the back of 13km without pain I decided to run a small 4km run with the 3rd km as fast as I could manage. Out the door and running from home I took the first 2km nice and slow averaging 6:20 a km and then I hit out for the 3rd km running it in 3:47, the fastest I've run a kilometre yet. I was over the moon at breaking 4 minutes a kilometre for the first time.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
On the Road to Recovery
While Thursday was a bad day, Saturday was a good day. 13km done, no aches or pains and I felt I could have done more. As the post title says I feel I'm on the road to recovery. I also maintained a nice pace around and got in a lovely sprint at the end, before my cool down.
I'm starting to think that my shoes may be a factor in my injury. I've been running in my Asics GT 2150 and New Balance 1064 for a while now and felt they still had more mileage left in them but now I'm not too sure. My Asics has 606km on them and the New Balance has 496km. I've just bought two new pairs of runners, one is the Brooks Ghost 4 and the other is the Saucony Kinvara. I was running in the New Balance on Thursday when I had to stop early and then I used the Brooks runners on this run and they felt great and more importantly my Achilles felt great too. Could my runners with 600km and 500km be at the end of their life span? Should I not be able to get 750km out if them? Another note is Tuesday's run in the Kinvara was also a lovely run with no problems. It has got me thinking. Any advice?
I'm starting to think that my shoes may be a factor in my injury. I've been running in my Asics GT 2150 and New Balance 1064 for a while now and felt they still had more mileage left in them but now I'm not too sure. My Asics has 606km on them and the New Balance has 496km. I've just bought two new pairs of runners, one is the Brooks Ghost 4 and the other is the Saucony Kinvara. I was running in the New Balance on Thursday when I had to stop early and then I used the Brooks runners on this run and they felt great and more importantly my Achilles felt great too. Could my runners with 600km and 500km be at the end of their life span? Should I not be able to get 750km out if them? Another note is Tuesday's run in the Kinvara was also a lovely run with no problems. It has got me thinking. Any advice?
Ups and Downs
What I've come to realise is that in recovery you have good days and bad days. Thursday was a bad day. As I've said I had a flare up in my Achilles tendon which has restricted my running. I went to get it checked out a week a go and had some work done on it and have been working on it since. I've been very careful not to push too hard and to stop when I notice it acting up, so I've been building up. 5km done last Sunday, 7km last Tuesday and I was hoping for another 7km on the Thursday run. I had to stop before I got to 4km, really frustrating, but I guess I just have to take what I can get at this moment and continue the recovery.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Kinvara Speed Run
Today I felt good, no real pain in the Achilles tendon. I had planned a run for tonight to see how the recovery is going and I decided to try a speed workout and to run in my new Saucony Kinvaras. I had read a lot about the Kinvaras over the past few months and the reviews mostly raved about them. Recently Saucony have brought out the Kinvara 2 which meant that on Amazon the Kinvaras had become a clearance item, which I picked up for half price.
Immediately I could feel the difference in the shoe as I ran. It felt great. I could feel my feet land correctly (at least to me it seemed I was landing on the mid-foot as opposed to my heel). I also felt I was running fast. It has been a long time since I did a speed session and the fastest I had run 500m before was a 1:53.63. So how did I preform in the Kinvaras.
500m:
1: 2:06.14
2: 1:49.27
3: 1:58.95
4: 1:51.07
5: 1:58.77
4 of the 5 in under 2 minutes and a new PR for 500m, delighted. Number's 1, 3 and 5 were slightly uphill with 2 and 4 slightly downhill. All in all a good workout and I see how my Achilles Tendon is in the morning. So far it feels fine.
Immediately I could feel the difference in the shoe as I ran. It felt great. I could feel my feet land correctly (at least to me it seemed I was landing on the mid-foot as opposed to my heel). I also felt I was running fast. It has been a long time since I did a speed session and the fastest I had run 500m before was a 1:53.63. So how did I preform in the Kinvaras.
500m:
1: 2:06.14
2: 1:49.27
3: 1:58.95
4: 1:51.07
5: 1:58.77
4 of the 5 in under 2 minutes and a new PR for 500m, delighted. Number's 1, 3 and 5 were slightly uphill with 2 and 4 slightly downhill. All in all a good workout and I see how my Achilles Tendon is in the morning. So far it feels fine.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Keeping Going
On Saturday I didn't run the Dublin Half Marathon, instead I went to the physio. It turns out that the range of motion I have in my Achilles tendon is pretty bad and it was just a matter of time before this injury flared up. I got the tendon manipulated, which was no fun at all and shown some exercises to try to lengthen the tendon. I'm going to try to take it easy over the next few weeks and am still hoping to run/walk the marathon at the end of October, I just have to revise down the time I though I could finish in.
Out tonight for a tentative run to see how things are. A nice 5km run done and a slight twinge in the tendon, not to bad. We'll see how things go on Tuesday. Thanks to Fortnightflo for the tips on looking after the Achilles Tendon, much appreciated.
Out tonight for a tentative run to see how things are. A nice 5km run done and a slight twinge in the tendon, not to bad. We'll see how things go on Tuesday. Thanks to Fortnightflo for the tips on looking after the Achilles Tendon, much appreciated.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Yep, I'm Injured
I've been icing my Achilles as much as I can and putting Arnica Gel on the tendon in the hope that I would get better. So far there has not been that much of a recovery. Today, a little annoyed and probably not to clever I went out for a run in my new Brooks Ghost 4. They felt great but I only got to 4km when I thought that I may stop before I do damage. Back home and out with the ice again.
This has really put my marathon training in disarray. With only 6 and a half weeks or so to the marathon I'm not sure I'll be in the right condition. There is a half marathon on this weekend and I just may have to miss it in the hopes of getting some recovery in. Any tips on how to quicken recovery?
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| My new Brooks just before their inaugural run |
This has really put my marathon training in disarray. With only 6 and a half weeks or so to the marathon I'm not sure I'll be in the right condition. There is a half marathon on this weekend and I just may have to miss it in the hopes of getting some recovery in. Any tips on how to quicken recovery?
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.
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.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
A short recovery run today. My legs weren't up for much more. 6km done at a nice slow steady pace and my legs feel that little bit better after it. Just over 28km done this weekend. I think that is the most I've run in two consecutive days. 46.47km done this week. Next week is a big week and I'm looking forward to it. A lot of running will be done, I hope ;-)
Saturday, September 3, 2011
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.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
DCM Week 9: 8km Regular Part 2
Yesterday's run was a strange one. Although the speed was similar to Tuesday's run my heart rate was higher and funnily enough I actually felt better running it than Tuesday's one, go figure.
I cancelled today's run because my legs were a little sore and I'm trying to ease myself back after the break due to illness. My next run will be a nice 21km on Saturday morning and then I think it will be off to visit a sports store and maybe a new pair of runners. My current two pairs have clocked up 600km (Asics GT 2150) and 447km (New Balance 1064) respectively.
I was thinking of going for the Saucony Mirage. Anyone tried these, run in these or have any experience of these I would appreciate any comments.
On a happy note even with the 10 day absence from running due to illness I ran further than ever before in the month of August, 129km. I guess holidays and running appeal to me. Now to beat that distance in September.
I cancelled today's run because my legs were a little sore and I'm trying to ease myself back after the break due to illness. My next run will be a nice 21km on Saturday morning and then I think it will be off to visit a sports store and maybe a new pair of runners. My current two pairs have clocked up 600km (Asics GT 2150) and 447km (New Balance 1064) respectively.
I was thinking of going for the Saucony Mirage. Anyone tried these, run in these or have any experience of these I would appreciate any comments.
On a happy note even with the 10 day absence from running due to illness I ran further than ever before in the month of August, 129km. I guess holidays and running appeal to me. Now to beat that distance in September.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
DCM Week 9: 8km Regular Part 1
Up at 6:30 this morning and out the door before 7am for a nice 8km run, well it wasn't as nice as I would have liked. I found it a little tough. I'm not sure if it is down to that week and a half of no training due to illness or if it is due to being really tired and not fully awake or functioning at that hour of the morning. Maybe it was a combination of the both.
Any way the weeks to my first marathon is not in the single digits and I'm starting to get a little worried. I'm not in the shape I would like to be at this moment in time or covering the distances I would hope to cover. I'm still going to plod along and if I have to walk the last few km's I will. This is all about finishing, I can always try to be better prepared next time. 9 weeks to go and I aim to finish my training schedule and hope that will be enough to get me to the finish line, one step at a time.
Any way the weeks to my first marathon is not in the single digits and I'm starting to get a little worried. I'm not in the shape I would like to be at this moment in time or covering the distances I would hope to cover. I'm still going to plod along and if I have to walk the last few km's I will. This is all about finishing, I can always try to be better prepared next time. 9 weeks to go and I aim to finish my training schedule and hope that will be enough to get me to the finish line, one step at a time.
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.
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.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
DCM Week 12: 6.5km Run Part 2
3 days in a row done. The last time I did this was back in December 2010 and I injured myself. I hope that doesn't happen this time, touch wood. I'm not superstitious by the way :-)
A big run coming up on Saturday. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Ah well only one thing to do... Run It!!!
A big run coming up on Saturday. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Ah well only one thing to do... Run It!!!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
DCM Week 12: 6km Regular Run
Out again this morning. I got up earlier today and began the smaller 6km run at 6.54am. Half way through the run the cool air became warm air, I was glad I got early to run. The first 2km went fine. I've been running easy due to an tightness in my right Achilles but I am missing the speed workouts, never thought I'd say that. I decided to run the 3rd km fast just to see how I'm doing pace wise. A 4:27 for kilometre 3 wasn't bad. My favourite piece is that I managed to average a heart rate of 149 BPM at a pace of 5:26 over 7km total. Pretty happy with that.
Another 6.5km planned for tomorrow. If I do it it will be the first time in a long time that I'll have run three days in a row.
Another 6.5km planned for tomorrow. If I do it it will be the first time in a long time that I'll have run three days in a row.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
DCM Week 12: 6.5km Run Part 1
Today was hot. It was my own fault as I couldn't drag my ass out of the bed so it was 9am before I was ready to hit the road. Out the door, turn on my Garmin and low battery shouts back at me. I'm wondering if my Garmin is dying. It doesn't seem to be able to hold a charge past a day. Back into the house and I put the watch on charge for 30 minutes hoping it would be enough to cover the 6.5km I intended to run today.
I had bought a new pair of Ray Ban sunglasses yesterday for normal wear but hoped they would be ok for running too and I aimed to try them out today. 30 minutes later I began the walk to the track. At 9.56am I began my run. Did I say that it was hot? I know running in this heat will benefit me in the end but it was hot, hot, hot. Well done to those who go out in this weather on a regular basis. In Ireland this is not something we have to worry about much.
7.54km done today including warm up and cool down. A nice run out. The sunglasses were fantastic and didn't move at all. I forgot I was wearing them most of the time. Delighted with my purchase now, I was worried yesterday as it was a lot of money...
A nice rest now and off to the beach in the evening. Gotta love holidays.
I had bought a new pair of Ray Ban sunglasses yesterday for normal wear but hoped they would be ok for running too and I aimed to try them out today. 30 minutes later I began the walk to the track. At 9.56am I began my run. Did I say that it was hot? I know running in this heat will benefit me in the end but it was hot, hot, hot. Well done to those who go out in this weather on a regular basis. In Ireland this is not something we have to worry about much.
7.54km done today including warm up and cool down. A nice run out. The sunglasses were fantastic and didn't move at all. I forgot I was wearing them most of the time. Delighted with my purchase now, I was worried yesterday as it was a lot of money...
A nice rest now and off to the beach in the evening. Gotta love holidays.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
DCM Week 13: Recovery Run
As it was going to be a beautiful day and we were going to go to the beach in the morning I elected to get up early in the morning for my recovery run. I was out the door by 6.40am. The legs were really tired so the very, very slow, easy pace was as much as they could do for this morning. They did begin to wake up around 6km along with the sun and the rising heat. 7.58km done and a total of 36.98km for the week, a new PR.
With just 12 weeks left to the Dublin City Marathon the weeks are going to get longer and next week the long run is a 24km. Having never passed the half marathon distance this will be a new horizon for me. I hope I'm up to it.
I'm running the Dublin City Marathon on the 31st of October this year to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society. If you would like to donate some money to this worthy cause please click on the link below or the image for mycharity.ie on the right side column. Thanks in advance.
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/thomasjfarrell/
With just 12 weeks left to the Dublin City Marathon the weeks are going to get longer and next week the long run is a 24km. Having never passed the half marathon distance this will be a new horizon for me. I hope I'm up to it.
I'm running the Dublin City Marathon on the 31st of October this year to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society. If you would like to donate some money to this worthy cause please click on the link below or the image for mycharity.ie on the right side column. Thanks in advance.
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/thomasjfarrell/
Saturday, August 6, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
DCM Week 13: Mid-week Runs
Tuesday
This was a bad run day for two reasons.
1. 500 metres into the run my Garmin died. I was sure I charged it after my last run. I hope it's not on its last legs. Two weeks ago it refused to reset after a run, not good. It's a good thing I knew the route so I could be sure to cover the distance I was supposed to.
2. I think I did something to my Achilles tendon on my right foot. It began to hurt towards to end of the run, not much though, but 5 hours later I had difficulty walking, definitely not good. Ice pack was required. 7km done.
Wednesday
This was supposed to be a 6km run but the tendon was not up for it so that got shelved and became a rest day with a little more icing thrown in for good measure.
Thursday
"Woke up this morning, feeling fine", well close to it anyway. I decided to try the run today and see how I got on. The plan was 6.5km, but I would be happy with 3km done. I changed the pace zone on the Garmin to a nice easy run and left the house.
I walked the first 500 metres to warm up and jogged the next 500 metres to complete the warm up. After a bit of easy stretching off I went. There was a bit of slight discomfort for the first km but that disappeared quick enough. I kept a nice easy, slow pace throughout. At around 4km the discomfort came back but never moved into pain. I finished up having done 7.3km, not including walking and walked the .5km back to the house for a nice round of stretching.
I've iced the tendon up again and with tomorrow being a rest days hopefully it's on the mend, fingers crossed. It's going to be easy runs, with no speed or hills gore the next two weeks just to be sure things are fine. I don't want to put myself out for a while. Also it seems my Garmin is ok. I must have turned it on to check something but forgot to turn it off, searching for satellites indoors is a quick way to running out of battery.
This was a bad run day for two reasons.
1. 500 metres into the run my Garmin died. I was sure I charged it after my last run. I hope it's not on its last legs. Two weeks ago it refused to reset after a run, not good. It's a good thing I knew the route so I could be sure to cover the distance I was supposed to.
2. I think I did something to my Achilles tendon on my right foot. It began to hurt towards to end of the run, not much though, but 5 hours later I had difficulty walking, definitely not good. Ice pack was required. 7km done.
Wednesday
This was supposed to be a 6km run but the tendon was not up for it so that got shelved and became a rest day with a little more icing thrown in for good measure.
Thursday
"Woke up this morning, feeling fine", well close to it anyway. I decided to try the run today and see how I got on. The plan was 6.5km, but I would be happy with 3km done. I changed the pace zone on the Garmin to a nice easy run and left the house.
I walked the first 500 metres to warm up and jogged the next 500 metres to complete the warm up. After a bit of easy stretching off I went. There was a bit of slight discomfort for the first km but that disappeared quick enough. I kept a nice easy, slow pace throughout. At around 4km the discomfort came back but never moved into pain. I finished up having done 7.3km, not including walking and walked the .5km back to the house for a nice round of stretching.
I've iced the tendon up again and with tomorrow being a rest days hopefully it's on the mend, fingers crossed. It's going to be easy runs, with no speed or hills gore the next two weeks just to be sure things are fine. I don't want to put myself out for a while. Also it seems my Garmin is ok. I must have turned it on to check something but forgot to turn it off, searching for satellites indoors is a quick way to running out of battery.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
DCM: Wk:14 5km Recovery
I started running back at the beginning of 2010 due to a health scare at the end of 2009. A severe bout of chest pains landed me in hosiptal and after a few tests with no conclusions stress was put down as the cause. I knew I needed to get back into shape and began running as it was something I always enjoyed but hadn't done for a number of years. I called the blog Recovery Runner to remind me of why I decided to run again and to recover my health.
Last year I ran on and off but this year has been better and I already ran longer and further than last year. However with all this talk of recovery, today was the first time though that I did a proper recovery run. My calf muscles and Achilles tendons have been tender and sore lately and I have put it down to increasing the distance run while running constantly on the road and running too many faster runs. So last week I went to McMillan Running Calculator which, if you put in your last best race will give you the pace you should be running at for your long runs, speed workouts and recovery runs. While I was still a bit faster today than I should have been it is the slowest I've run for a long time and I feel great after it. Maybe the experts do know a thing or two that I could learn.
I've since adjusted my target pace for certain runs and inputed them into my Garmin to make sure that I stick to them and so far so good. I'll report back in a week or two on how the muscles are reacting as the distance goes up but the pace zones stay in correlation with the calculator.
Last year I ran on and off but this year has been better and I already ran longer and further than last year. However with all this talk of recovery, today was the first time though that I did a proper recovery run. My calf muscles and Achilles tendons have been tender and sore lately and I have put it down to increasing the distance run while running constantly on the road and running too many faster runs. So last week I went to McMillan Running Calculator which, if you put in your last best race will give you the pace you should be running at for your long runs, speed workouts and recovery runs. While I was still a bit faster today than I should have been it is the slowest I've run for a long time and I feel great after it. Maybe the experts do know a thing or two that I could learn.
I've since adjusted my target pace for certain runs and inputed them into my Garmin to make sure that I stick to them and so far so good. I'll report back in a week or two on how the muscles are reacting as the distance goes up but the pace zones stay in correlation with the calculator.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
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.
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: Wk:14 6.5km Regular
My Achilles tendons are giving me some trouble at the moment. I've been reading that speed and hard ground can agravate it so I'm looking at running on softer ground and at a slower pace for teh next three weeks. Hopefully I'll still cover the kilometres I should while giving the calfs and tendons a slight break.
On Tuesday I went up to the Éire Óg club and ran on their km track. It is mostly gravel and a part on grass. It was to be a 6.5km run. The weather as usual this summer wasn't great and I found the run tough as the muscles and tendons were not too happy, but I still managed to finish it, just. I was happy to get home after this one, not a good day.
On Tuesday I went up to the Éire Óg club and ran on their km track. It is mostly gravel and a part on grass. It was to be a 6.5km run. The weather as usual this summer wasn't great and I found the run tough as the muscles and tendons were not too happy, but I still managed to finish it, just. I was happy to get home after this one, not a good day.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Race Report - Irish Runner 5 Mile 2011
On the 16th of July it was off to the Phoenix Park in Dublin for year another race. This time it was a 5 mile race, my first every 5 mile race, so a guaranteed PR, something I love about running a distance for the first time. It was also the first race in the Dublin City Marathon race series.
The weather was very windy and a cool 18º. As i pulled up to park the race started coming down and combined with the winder it felt distinctly cooler than 18º. A nice little warm up and it was into the coral for the start of the race. There were three different starts and I chose the middle one for those who hoped to finish between 40 minutes and 45 minutes. A month ago I had hope to run under 40 minutes but due to having a cold all week and not training as much as I should I set myself a target of 42 minutes 30 seconds. It was freezing waiting for the start, but it wasn't too long a wait.
It was very crowded at the start as usual but it didn't take too long to spread out. The first mile was straight into the wind with a slight incline but once that was over you turned around and the wind was at your back and you hit a gradual slope down hill. I had my watch set to km, as it's what I'm used to and I was checking each km for time. 1st km was done in 5:16, good timing for 42:30. The 2nd km was 5:05 and when I saw that I got thinking, maybe a sub 40 is not impossible. I just needed to shave a couple of seconds off my current pace. 3km past by in 4:51 and I knew I had a good chance. I was feeling good, my breathing was good and I felt I could keep this pace up. I knew the next 4kms were on a downhill before we hit the last km which would be a tough uphill to cover all the down hill we had got and get us back to the finish line just beside where we started. I knew if I put it all out there on the next 4km I could leave myself plenty of time for the hill.
The sun came out, the heat rose and the day began to turn nice. I kept the pace up, it was nice to run down this hill as opposed to up it as I did in April. 4km down in 4:47, so half way through in 19:59, still on. I really pushed myself over the next few kms. 5km in 4:32, 6km in 4:46 and 7km in 4:26 and then the hill struck. It was tough and my legs were sluggish. I actually felt for the first time in a race that I may vomit, but didn't. I pushed up the hill willing myself to the finish line. Afterwards i saw my heart rate peaked at 200, not so good. I crossed the finish line with 8km in 4:55 and another 70m on top for good measure with a chip time of 38:58. I was delighted. In over 6300 runners a finish of 1177, great day out, looking forward to my next race.
The weather was very windy and a cool 18º. As i pulled up to park the race started coming down and combined with the winder it felt distinctly cooler than 18º. A nice little warm up and it was into the coral for the start of the race. There were three different starts and I chose the middle one for those who hoped to finish between 40 minutes and 45 minutes. A month ago I had hope to run under 40 minutes but due to having a cold all week and not training as much as I should I set myself a target of 42 minutes 30 seconds. It was freezing waiting for the start, but it wasn't too long a wait.
It was very crowded at the start as usual but it didn't take too long to spread out. The first mile was straight into the wind with a slight incline but once that was over you turned around and the wind was at your back and you hit a gradual slope down hill. I had my watch set to km, as it's what I'm used to and I was checking each km for time. 1st km was done in 5:16, good timing for 42:30. The 2nd km was 5:05 and when I saw that I got thinking, maybe a sub 40 is not impossible. I just needed to shave a couple of seconds off my current pace. 3km past by in 4:51 and I knew I had a good chance. I was feeling good, my breathing was good and I felt I could keep this pace up. I knew the next 4kms were on a downhill before we hit the last km which would be a tough uphill to cover all the down hill we had got and get us back to the finish line just beside where we started. I knew if I put it all out there on the next 4km I could leave myself plenty of time for the hill.
The sun came out, the heat rose and the day began to turn nice. I kept the pace up, it was nice to run down this hill as opposed to up it as I did in April. 4km down in 4:47, so half way through in 19:59, still on. I really pushed myself over the next few kms. 5km in 4:32, 6km in 4:46 and 7km in 4:26 and then the hill struck. It was tough and my legs were sluggish. I actually felt for the first time in a race that I may vomit, but didn't. I pushed up the hill willing myself to the finish line. Afterwards i saw my heart rate peaked at 200, not so good. I crossed the finish line with 8km in 4:55 and another 70m on top for good measure with a chip time of 38:58. I was delighted. In over 6300 runners a finish of 1177, great day out, looking forward to my next race.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
DCM Week 15: Regular
Today was a scheduled 6.5km regular run. Once I had put the young lad to bed I got changed and headed out the door. I was really tired and not in the mood but I need to be more focus with my running if I'm to be ready for the marathon. I've pushed my legs over the past two runs and have been feeling it in my calves and Achilles so the plan was to run nice and easy today.
As I set off on a surprisingly nice evening I settled into a nice easy pace but it wasn't long before the left calf started feeling tight. I kept focusing on running steady and easy and although the tightness didn't clear it also didn't get worse. With a km to go I realised that I had misjudge the route I chosen so instead of 6.5km I ended up with 7km, not too bad. I felt great after the run. You have gotta love hove you seem to have more energy after a nice run than before it and you know you made the right decision to get out.
Back home and getting out of the shower I felt a twinge in my right knee. The knee feels tender and a bit weak. I hope I haven't done damage to the IT band again. The strap may have to come back out of the press for the long run on Saturday. It's to be a nice 15km run. I hope my knee is up to the challenge.
As I set off on a surprisingly nice evening I settled into a nice easy pace but it wasn't long before the left calf started feeling tight. I kept focusing on running steady and easy and although the tightness didn't clear it also didn't get worse. With a km to go I realised that I had misjudge the route I chosen so instead of 6.5km I ended up with 7km, not too bad. I felt great after the run. You have gotta love hove you seem to have more energy after a nice run than before it and you know you made the right decision to get out.
Back home and getting out of the shower I felt a twinge in my right knee. The knee feels tender and a bit weak. I hope I haven't done damage to the IT band again. The strap may have to come back out of the press for the long run on Saturday. It's to be a nice 15km run. I hope my knee is up to the challenge.
Monday, July 18, 2011
DCM Week 15: Speed
So there is only 15 weeks left to the Dublin City Marathon and so far my training has not gone to plan. Last week was a complete write off. I woke up on Monday with a head cold, which had me totally bunged up and miserable. I had no energy to run and probably would not have been able to breath had I run. The cold started to clear on Friday afternoon, which was good timing as I was supposed to run a 5 mile race on Saturday morning. So my only run of the week was that 5 mile race on Saturday, race report to follow in the next few days.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, work wise, so I moved Tuesday's run to today. The plan called for an 8km run so I programmed the Garmin for an 8km pyramid speed workout. It was tough but doable and the legs are getting a good workout. I never look forward to speed workouts but I'm glad I've done them when they are over as I can feel the benefits of them. I calculated a bit wrong and ended up running the cool down fast as I though I had another 400m fast to come. For a perfect pyramid I should have run another 400m fast, so I wasn't wrong but that would have put me well over the 8km target for today. I was a bit surprised when the watch said workout finished and I thought I still had 900m to go. A small jog back to the car was my cool down, a nice round of stretching and then home.
3 more runs left this week, a 6.5km, a 15km and a 6km run. I need to be focused for the remainder of the plan. Bring it on.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, work wise, so I moved Tuesday's run to today. The plan called for an 8km run so I programmed the Garmin for an 8km pyramid speed workout. It was tough but doable and the legs are getting a good workout. I never look forward to speed workouts but I'm glad I've done them when they are over as I can feel the benefits of them. I calculated a bit wrong and ended up running the cool down fast as I though I had another 400m fast to come. For a perfect pyramid I should have run another 400m fast, so I wasn't wrong but that would have put me well over the 8km target for today. I was a bit surprised when the watch said workout finished and I thought I still had 900m to go. A small jog back to the car was my cool down, a nice round of stretching and then home.
3 more runs left this week, a 6.5km, a 15km and a 6km run. I need to be focused for the remainder of the plan. Bring it on.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Race Report - Enniscorthy Half Marathon 2011
A bit late but here is the report of my attempt at the Enniscorthy Half Marathon, also called the Strawberry Half, which took place on the 26th of June 2011.
I arrived with plenty of time to warm up on an already warm morning in the town of Enniscorthy in Co. Wexford. Wexford is famed for it's strawberries and they have a festival each year called the strawberry festival. Last year they staged their first half marathon as part of this festival. I was registered for the race last year but didn't run it as I picked up a slight knee injury. This year I wasn't going to miss out again.
Parking was in a field beside the river, very close to the starting line. I sat relaxed and then decided to jog the short distance, probably 500m or so, to the start as part of my warm up. I was already sweating due to the heat and high humidity by the time I got to the start. I had a feeling that this was going to be a tough race. The temperature was 22ºC which is warm for Ireland but there was complete cloud cover and it felt very heavy.
At the start line I bumped into people I knew and we chatted about times and hopes for the race. I was hoping for a PR, which meant I would have to come in under 1h 59m 30s. I had decided to run with the 2hr pacers for the first 10km and then see how I felt after that.
We all lined up and a gentleman climbed a step ladder with a loudspeaker to get us under way. We ran straight to the first bridge and across.
From here we ran along the river crossed back over the bridge and up our first hill with not even a kilometre done. I should have realised from this point what the course would be like. I've never ran as many hills in my life.
From here we left the town. The two lads pacing were good craic and chatted away as we ran. They knew the course really well and would let us know when the next hill was coming and motivate us through it, telling us to conserve energy and get the breath back on the down hills. At 7km I started to feel a strong twinge in my left knee. Not used to running many hills and with the road slanted and pretty much uneven my knees were getting a good going over. After the injury at Christmas to my right knee and the length of time it took me to get back to running good distances I contemplated dropping out just in case I did some damage. I decided that there is always an aid station, if I needed to I could stop there, and kept going.
At the 10km mark we hit our biggest hill and this separated those who were aiming for a sub 2 hours into two groups. Once we got to the top of the hill my knee was giving me grief. I decided that if I ran quicker I would be finished quicker and be in some pain for less time. I picked up the pace a little, which actually helped the knee. Maybe my form changed with the change of pace, I don't know. The clouds had broken at this stage and there was brushings of blue in the sky. The sun was picking up in strength and the heat was making it tougher. The water stations were extremely welcome when I came upon them.
From here with the heat the going got tough. My heart rate was really high, it actually started higher than normal at the start due to the humidity. All I could do was plod along. Coming up to 16km and we crossed the bridge over the river that would mark our turn back towards the town. What I thought was the last water station was here and I was so happy for the extra water.
From here it was 5km along a straight, main road. I think I found this part the toughest of the course. As tough as the hills were finishing by running 5km virtually in a straight line with nothing but a clear view of the distance you have to run in front of you was tough. At 17km I could see the road looked like there was an incline up above. At 18km I could see it was a hill and I was not prepared for this. I thought this road was all flat for 5km. My heart nearly stopped. I was nearly out of energy and my brain was telling me to stop that I was going to collapse if I kept going. I could feel I was over heating. I had pushed my body very hard and was not sure If it would get me to the finish. As I reached the crest of the hill a water station came out of nowhere. I was never so happy to see a water station. I drank half the bottle and poured the rest over me to cool me down. I felt immediately better and my motivation came back. I was going to finish and in a good time, for me, too.
Back down to the town we crossed the first bridge we crossed at the beginning of the race again and turned back to the finish line. My knee was really aching now but not far to go now. I crossed the line in 1:56:00 race time but a 1:55:36 chip time, a new PR. Happy days
From here I walked to the river and got in. The water was freezing but me legs felt great for it. A nice stretch out and walk to cool down and it was back to the car, a quick change and a 1 hour drive home. Maybe there is something wrong with me but despite the toughness of the course I really enjoyed the event.
The only thing I could fault the organisers for is the t-shirts. When I came across the line there were no more medium size shirts left so I had to take a large, no biggy. Apart from this it was a great event. The route was fantastic lots of little roads and very scenic. We passed lots of houses where people were outside cheering us on. At one house a group of girls had set up their own water stand and were handing out cups. Although I didn't take any I thanked them for their work. There was a great buzz and atmosphere about the place the route was well sign posted. It is a tough run but all the more enjoyable when you finish it. It is also a small race at the moment with 414 starting it and 409 finishing. I finished 244. I hope to be back next year.
I arrived with plenty of time to warm up on an already warm morning in the town of Enniscorthy in Co. Wexford. Wexford is famed for it's strawberries and they have a festival each year called the strawberry festival. Last year they staged their first half marathon as part of this festival. I was registered for the race last year but didn't run it as I picked up a slight knee injury. This year I wasn't going to miss out again.
Parking was in a field beside the river, very close to the starting line. I sat relaxed and then decided to jog the short distance, probably 500m or so, to the start as part of my warm up. I was already sweating due to the heat and high humidity by the time I got to the start. I had a feeling that this was going to be a tough race. The temperature was 22ºC which is warm for Ireland but there was complete cloud cover and it felt very heavy.
At the start line I bumped into people I knew and we chatted about times and hopes for the race. I was hoping for a PR, which meant I would have to come in under 1h 59m 30s. I had decided to run with the 2hr pacers for the first 10km and then see how I felt after that.
 |
| The 2hr Pacers and their orange balloons |
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| Me "71" crossing the bridge |
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| At least there is always a downhill |
At the 10km mark we hit our biggest hill and this separated those who were aiming for a sub 2 hours into two groups. Once we got to the top of the hill my knee was giving me grief. I decided that if I ran quicker I would be finished quicker and be in some pain for less time. I picked up the pace a little, which actually helped the knee. Maybe my form changed with the change of pace, I don't know. The clouds had broken at this stage and there was brushings of blue in the sky. The sun was picking up in strength and the heat was making it tougher. The water stations were extremely welcome when I came upon them.
 |
| 12km in, just under 10km to go |
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| Across the bridge and the return journey begins |
Back down to the town we crossed the first bridge we crossed at the beginning of the race again and turned back to the finish line. My knee was really aching now but not far to go now. I crossed the line in 1:56:00 race time but a 1:55:36 chip time, a new PR. Happy days
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| At the finish line, and happy to be there |
The only thing I could fault the organisers for is the t-shirts. When I came across the line there were no more medium size shirts left so I had to take a large, no biggy. Apart from this it was a great event. The route was fantastic lots of little roads and very scenic. We passed lots of houses where people were outside cheering us on. At one house a group of girls had set up their own water stand and were handing out cups. Although I didn't take any I thanked them for their work. There was a great buzz and atmosphere about the place the route was well sign posted. It is a tough run but all the more enjoyable when you finish it. It is also a small race at the moment with 414 starting it and 409 finishing. I finished 244. I hope to be back next year.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Double Milestone
Today marked a double milestone for me.
The first one is my inaugural run in my first ever marathon training schedule. I've set up an 18 week training schedule that has just started and will end with the Dublin City Marathon in the end of October this year. Although a bit nervous of the time commitment and the training involved I am looking forward to it. I'm also going to try to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society while doing it so if you would like to support me please click on the mycharity.ie link on the right hand side of this page. All support is very much appreciated.
The second milestone I've reached is that with this run, run number 57 of the year, I have equalled the total number of runs for 2010. So in 6 months I've managed to get my legs out the door the same number of times as the full 12 months of 2010, a great improvement for me. Now I have a nice target to beat, more than 57 runs in the final 6 months of this year.
Here is a comparison of both 57 runs a slightly longer distance in a slightly faster time.
The first one is my inaugural run in my first ever marathon training schedule. I've set up an 18 week training schedule that has just started and will end with the Dublin City Marathon in the end of October this year. Although a bit nervous of the time commitment and the training involved I am looking forward to it. I'm also going to try to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society while doing it so if you would like to support me please click on the mycharity.ie link on the right hand side of this page. All support is very much appreciated.
The second milestone I've reached is that with this run, run number 57 of the year, I have equalled the total number of runs for 2010. So in 6 months I've managed to get my legs out the door the same number of times as the full 12 months of 2010, a great improvement for me. Now I have a nice target to beat, more than 57 runs in the final 6 months of this year.
Here is a comparison of both 57 runs a slightly longer distance in a slightly faster time.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Juneathon Meltdown
The first half of Juneathon went well. I managed to get in 15 day of exercise in a row and blog about it. My legs were tired but there was a nice sense of satisfaction at managing to get in 15 days of exercise in a row and I was starting to notice the difference from the core exercises.
Then meltdown. I felt run down. I know tiredness is a state of mind but I lost my motivation and a bit of my willpower to continue exercising everyday. I also backed away from the Internet, so I've read no posts and written none since June 15th. This is not to say that I have not ran during this period because I did, I just didn't do what I hoped I would.
I guess I found out how tough Juneathon is if you are not prepared for it. I'll be back next year with Janathon and hopefully will make a better go at it then.
So since the 15th of June I've ran a total of three times. Once for 17km, another for 6km both shown below, and I also ran a Half Marathon race, the strawberry half. Race report to follow. It's back on the horse again and the next run will be the first run of my 18 week Dublin City Marathon schedule, a schedule I hope I am better at sticking to.
Then meltdown. I felt run down. I know tiredness is a state of mind but I lost my motivation and a bit of my willpower to continue exercising everyday. I also backed away from the Internet, so I've read no posts and written none since June 15th. This is not to say that I have not ran during this period because I did, I just didn't do what I hoped I would.
I guess I found out how tough Juneathon is if you are not prepared for it. I'll be back next year with Janathon and hopefully will make a better go at it then.
So since the 15th of June I've ran a total of three times. Once for 17km, another for 6km both shown below, and I also ran a Half Marathon race, the strawberry half. Race report to follow. It's back on the horse again and the next run will be the first run of my 18 week Dublin City Marathon schedule, a schedule I hope I am better at sticking to.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Juneathon - Day 15: Exercises
Today I was pretty tired after work and left the little bit of exercise I had planned to do today until late. I did manage to get in 34 minutes of sit-ups, push-up parallel stretches and balance exercises. I feel really tired now and am off to bed. A 6 to 8km run planned for tomorrow.
I also got my sponsorship pack today from the Irish Cancer Society. I'm running the Dublin City Marathon on October 31st, my first marathon, and am fundraising for them while doing it. If you wish to donate to this cause please click on the mycharity.ie button on the column on the right. The marathon training schedule starts in July and I'm not sure what to expect but I am looking forward to it. But before all that starts I have a half marathon on Sunday week. I better get in a good long run this weekend to make sure I can still do it.
I also got my sponsorship pack today from the Irish Cancer Society. I'm running the Dublin City Marathon on October 31st, my first marathon, and am fundraising for them while doing it. If you wish to donate to this cause please click on the mycharity.ie button on the column on the right. The marathon training schedule starts in July and I'm not sure what to expect but I am looking forward to it. But before all that starts I have a half marathon on Sunday week. I better get in a good long run this weekend to make sure I can still do it.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Juneathon - Day 14: Speed Workout
Today I didn't really know what I was going to do running wise. I wanted to run at least 6km but how was still to be decided. I was working until 9pm and when I got changed I decided to do a speed workout. It had been a while since my last one.
The goal was a 1km warm up, stretching, then 500m fast followed by a 1 minute walk 8 times and then a 1km cool down followed by stretching. In my head I said I wanted the target time for all 8 500m to be under 2:30 but as close to 2:00 as possible. When the first 500m started I went off too fast and was unsure how I would mange 8 at that pace. When I reached 4 reps I felt 6 is enough I'll stop after 6. When I hit 6 I told myself there was only 2 more to go I had this. Meanwhile I think my Garmin was playing tricks on me. I could swear that the 1 minute walk was getting shorter and shorter. Rep 7 came and went and then on rep 8 I decided to go for broke as the rain began to bucket down.
Finished and into a 1km cool down then stretching. I felt great afterwards. Good workout. Here are my times:
500m:
1: 1:54.59
2: 2:06.45
3: 2:05.29
4: 2:09.38
5: 2:07.95
6: 2:05.34
7: 2:01.25
8: 1:53.63
Two of the 500m under 2 minutes. Delighted
The goal was a 1km warm up, stretching, then 500m fast followed by a 1 minute walk 8 times and then a 1km cool down followed by stretching. In my head I said I wanted the target time for all 8 500m to be under 2:30 but as close to 2:00 as possible. When the first 500m started I went off too fast and was unsure how I would mange 8 at that pace. When I reached 4 reps I felt 6 is enough I'll stop after 6. When I hit 6 I told myself there was only 2 more to go I had this. Meanwhile I think my Garmin was playing tricks on me. I could swear that the 1 minute walk was getting shorter and shorter. Rep 7 came and went and then on rep 8 I decided to go for broke as the rain began to bucket down.
Finished and into a 1km cool down then stretching. I felt great afterwards. Good workout. Here are my times:
500m:
1: 1:54.59
2: 2:06.45
3: 2:05.29
4: 2:09.38
5: 2:07.95
6: 2:05.34
7: 2:01.25
8: 1:53.63
Two of the 500m under 2 minutes. Delighted
Juneathon - Day 13: Core Exercises
Today was another non-running day. I got in 31 minutes of core exercises and balance exercises. Enough to fulfil my Juneathon goal. Tomorrow will be a running day.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Juneathon - Day 12: Running
This morning the weather was horrible and I was not looking forward to my run. It was dark, wet, cold and miserable. I needed to run as it had been a few days since I did and I knew I would have to go out in this. I can't believe this is June.
When the time came to run the temperature had risen a little and rain had stopped. I didn't bring the gloves that I was contemplating in the morning. When I got to my starting point I left my jacket in the car, the weather had improved some more, and set off at a nice pace. The idea for today was to try and hit 15km. I'm supposed to run a half marathon in two weeks and I haven't run further than 12km in almost two months.
The first 10km were nice but then the dreaded IT band, on my left leg this time, began to play up. At 11km I stopped to stretch it out and again at 13km. At 13.1km I stopped and walked the short distance back to the car. I didn't want to push the knee too hard. I did this in December and it resulted in one month trying to get past 2km without my knee giving in. I'm hoping the problem is related to Juneathon and daily exercise and that my body is a little tired. I'll know next week how I'm feeling when I run my long run if the half is doable or if it is better I sit this one out. I hope next weekend is better.
When the time came to run the temperature had risen a little and rain had stopped. I didn't bring the gloves that I was contemplating in the morning. When I got to my starting point I left my jacket in the car, the weather had improved some more, and set off at a nice pace. The idea for today was to try and hit 15km. I'm supposed to run a half marathon in two weeks and I haven't run further than 12km in almost two months.
The first 10km were nice but then the dreaded IT band, on my left leg this time, began to play up. At 11km I stopped to stretch it out and again at 13km. At 13.1km I stopped and walked the short distance back to the car. I didn't want to push the knee too hard. I did this in December and it resulted in one month trying to get past 2km without my knee giving in. I'm hoping the problem is related to Juneathon and daily exercise and that my body is a little tired. I'll know next week how I'm feeling when I run my long run if the half is doable or if it is better I sit this one out. I hope next weekend is better.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Juneathon - Day 11: Core Exercises & Yoga
My wife is in college today and tomorrow so me and my son get to spend some quality alone time together. We went to visit the grandparents (my parents) and the great grandmother (my grandmother) in the afternoon and just played around for the rest of the day. My wife was going to out after college and wouldn't be home til late so there was no opportunity to go for a long run today. We don't have a treadmill in the house, not enough room for one but I still needed to get in some exercise.
So I got in 31 minutes of core exercises and yoga today to meet my quota. My wife is home early from college tomorrow so I'm going out for a run and I'm aiming for 15km. I've said it here so hopefully I'll hold myself to it. Hope Juneathon is going well for you.
So I got in 31 minutes of core exercises and yoga today to meet my quota. My wife is home early from college tomorrow so I'm going out for a run and I'm aiming for 15km. I've said it here so hopefully I'll hold myself to it. Hope Juneathon is going well for you.
Juneathon - Day 10: Disaster
OK so today was a disaster of a day. I never made any real adjustment to my schedule to get in any form of exercise during the day and when I got home from work we had someone coming over to do some work in the house. After he left I really should have gone out the door and hit the road for a run but laziness took over and I spent the night in with my wife watching TV.
The only think that I could put down exercise wise is that I went for a walk today for approximately 1/2 a kilometre, not really worth mentioning and not the 30 minutes a day target I had set myself at the beginning of Juneathon. I'll try to do better over the weekend.
The only think that I could put down exercise wise is that I went for a walk today for approximately 1/2 a kilometre, not really worth mentioning and not the 30 minutes a day target I had set myself at the beginning of Juneathon. I'll try to do better over the weekend.
Juneathon - Day 9: Core Exercises
Another flat 30 minutes of core exercises. Didn't really have the inclination or desire to do any more than that, but got in my 30 minutes for the day.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Juneathon - Day 8: Running
Again time was short today to get in some exercising so I decided to go out for a 6km run and to try to complete it a good bit quicker than Mondays 6km, which was run in 35:40. I also needed to be done quick as I was going back to college and tonight was orientation so I had to be home, showered, changed and out the door within 90 minutes of leaving to go on this run.
I started comfortably and ran for 1km. Here I stopped and stretched a bit before hitting the road again. I decided to push it the 2nd km and slow down the 3rd. Push it again the 4th km and then take it easier for the final two. I was hoping to get as close as I could to 30 minutes and that would fulfil my goal of at least 30 minutes exercise every day in June.
1km: 4:58
2km: 4:30
3km: 5:24
4km: 4:28
5km: 5:11
6km: 4:51
This, surprisingly, gave me a total of 29:24. I actually had to run a further 36 seconds to hit my 30 minute target. As soon as I got back to the car the rain poured down so I stretched quickly the areas that have been sore lately and drove home to stretch out properly.
Everything worked out well and I was out the door on time. Great workout.
I started comfortably and ran for 1km. Here I stopped and stretched a bit before hitting the road again. I decided to push it the 2nd km and slow down the 3rd. Push it again the 4th km and then take it easier for the final two. I was hoping to get as close as I could to 30 minutes and that would fulfil my goal of at least 30 minutes exercise every day in June.
1km: 4:58
2km: 4:30
3km: 5:24
4km: 4:28
5km: 5:11
6km: 4:51
This, surprisingly, gave me a total of 29:24. I actually had to run a further 36 seconds to hit my 30 minute target. As soon as I got back to the car the rain poured down so I stretched quickly the areas that have been sore lately and drove home to stretch out properly.
Everything worked out well and I was out the door on time. Great workout.
Juneathon - Day 7: Yoga
For day 7 I squeezed in a 30 minute session of Yoga before bed. Not much to report on but the body seemed to cope better with it this time around. I am a bit tired though after 7 day with no break from exercise.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Juneathon - Day 6: Running
6km was the plan for today as I was feeling a bit tired and my calf muscles were a bit sore. I had planned to run in the morning but the few drinks last night stopped that. I woke up this morning and decided that more sleep was needed and rolled over to sleep for another 2 hours.
It was after 8pm when I did get out and I didn't want to go. If it wasn't for Juneathon I may have stayed at home. It looked like rain as I left the house but thankfully it held off for the run. My legs were very sluggish, I guess exercising everyday has left them a little tired. The first km was in 5.51 and I was tired. I stopped to stretch out and then continued. The next two km were 5.58 and 5.59. I can't remember the last time I went out on my own and ran this slow. The next two km were 5.52 and 5.56 with the 6th km a 6.02. The legs were tired and it showed.
At least one positive of the run was that my average heart rate was 150bpm. I read somewhere that the if you can maintain a heart rate of 150 the pace that you run is a good pace for completing a marathon. Of course you still need to train the legs to run long distances but this would be a good gauge of pace. If that is the case them my goal time at this stage for a marathon would be 4 hours 11 minutes. I'd be very happy with that time, a good goal to aim for. I'm going to use Juneathon to build up a base fitness and marathon training will begin in July.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Juneathon - Day 5: Core Exercises
5 days in and core exercises again. Today was a nice 3 minute jog for a warm up followed by 40 minutes of core exercises and a 2 minute jog for a warm down. Nice session and speaking of sessions I'll be going out tonight for one. Tomorrows run should be fun...
Juneathon - Day 4: Running
Day 4 of Juneathon and time for another run. It was another beautiful day and as I said yesterday the aim was to run 10km. I decided that I would run along the banks of the local river and enjoy the morning. When I started running, albeit sporadically the year before last I ran a lot up along the banks of the river as not many people would see how slow I was running. I would usually run 3.5km up the river and then turn back. Today the aim was 5km up and 5km back, so I would see a new part of the track.
I decided to set out from work and run a 1km warm up, 10km run and finish with a 1km cool down, a nice 12km morning outing. Here is how it went.
Warm up km: 5:41 followed by some light stretching.
2km: 5.33
3km: 5.27
4km: 5.13
5km: 5.22
6km: 5.18
So I ran the first outward 5km of the 10km in 26.53. I found these kilometres tough going and when I hit the turn around and began the return journey I though of the quote that running is 90% mental and the other 10% is mental and tried to change how I was feeling to enjoy it.
7km: 5.18
8km: 5.07
9km: 5.03
10km: 5.01
With a kilometre to go in the 10km I realised that I was close to my official fastest 10km time of 52.31 and that if I pushed I might beat it.
11km: 4.51
The 5km return journey was done in 25.20. Gotta love the negative split. 10km in 52.13 a new unofficial PR.
Cool down km: 5.23. All in all an enjoyable morning.
I decided to set out from work and run a 1km warm up, 10km run and finish with a 1km cool down, a nice 12km morning outing. Here is how it went.
Warm up km: 5:41 followed by some light stretching.
2km: 5.33
3km: 5.27
4km: 5.13
5km: 5.22
6km: 5.18
So I ran the first outward 5km of the 10km in 26.53. I found these kilometres tough going and when I hit the turn around and began the return journey I though of the quote that running is 90% mental and the other 10% is mental and tried to change how I was feeling to enjoy it.
7km: 5.18
8km: 5.07
9km: 5.03
10km: 5.01
With a kilometre to go in the 10km I realised that I was close to my official fastest 10km time of 52.31 and that if I pushed I might beat it.
11km: 4.51
The 5km return journey was done in 25.20. Gotta love the negative split. 10km in 52.13 a new unofficial PR.
Cool down km: 5.23. All in all an enjoyable morning.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Juneathon - Day 3: Yoga
Third day of Juneathon and my third fitness activity. This evening I did a 36 minute yoga workout. The aim I'm setting myself during Juneathon is to exercise everyday for at least 30 minutes each time... so far so good.
This evenings exercise was a little sore. I know it was a short session but stretching is not a skill of mine, I happen to be one of the most inflexible people around. I'm lucky to touch my knees, let alone my toes but hopefully yoga, if I keep it up, will start to change that. I really found three of the exercises today difficult, well more difficult that what would be normal for me. The sun salutation, downward facing dog and especially the half-moon poses hurt. I guess after the core workout yesterday my stomach muscles were still a little tender and those poses gave them a nice going over, again. I guess the tenderness must mean I working these muscles for the first time in a long time and maybe that I'm doing something right.
Tomorrow is a running day. I hope to get out early in the morning and run 10km. Bring on day 4.
This evenings exercise was a little sore. I know it was a short session but stretching is not a skill of mine, I happen to be one of the most inflexible people around. I'm lucky to touch my knees, let alone my toes but hopefully yoga, if I keep it up, will start to change that. I really found three of the exercises today difficult, well more difficult that what would be normal for me. The sun salutation, downward facing dog and especially the half-moon poses hurt. I guess after the core workout yesterday my stomach muscles were still a little tender and those poses gave them a nice going over, again. I guess the tenderness must mean I working these muscles for the first time in a long time and maybe that I'm doing something right.
Tomorrow is a running day. I hope to get out early in the morning and run 10km. Bring on day 4.
Juneathon - Day 2: Core Exercises
No running today so what to do instead. I thought core exercises would be interesting so I spend 35 minutes running through various different core exercises and I have to say today the stomach muscles are a little tender. I'm not a frequent core exerciser and I guess it is something that I should spend more time on.
I really think this Juneathon idea was a great idea and many thanks to Joggerblogger for coming up with it. I'm going to try some Yoga tonight for day 3 and then back to running tomorrow. I've a feeling that I'm going to be in much better shape by the end of this month and who knows maybe I'll establish a habit for myself.
I really think this Juneathon idea was a great idea and many thanks to Joggerblogger for coming up with it. I'm going to try some Yoga tonight for day 3 and then back to running tomorrow. I've a feeling that I'm going to be in much better shape by the end of this month and who knows maybe I'll establish a habit for myself.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Juneathon - Day 1: Running
Over the past month I've been very bad where exercise is concerned. To try and get myself out of the bad habit and back into the good habit I've had for the first three months of the year I decided to try Juneathon.
The rules of Juneathon are:
So the idea is to exercise every day in the month of June and today I went for a 6km run. I know I won't be running everyday but this gives me a great excuse to finally take the bike out of the shed, fill the tyres with air and start cycling to work again. I don't need the car everyday and I don't live too far from work so I really should bike in the days I don't need the car. Core exercising and yoga might fill in other days when I won't be cycling or running.
So here's to Juneathon and the challenge it is going to give me. If you are interested it's not too late to start. Head over to the website and inform yourself and enjoy the exercising month.
The rules of Juneathon are:
"Run or do some form of exercise every day.
Blog about it within 24 hours.
Join the Juneathon group at the Running Free website and log your runs/exercise.
Visit other blogs and leave comments, giving your support.
And that's about it really. Simple, huh?"
So the idea is to exercise every day in the month of June and today I went for a 6km run. I know I won't be running everyday but this gives me a great excuse to finally take the bike out of the shed, fill the tyres with air and start cycling to work again. I don't need the car everyday and I don't live too far from work so I really should bike in the days I don't need the car. Core exercising and yoga might fill in other days when I won't be cycling or running.
So here's to Juneathon and the challenge it is going to give me. If you are interested it's not too late to start. Head over to the website and inform yourself and enjoy the exercising month.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Easy Run
I'm trying to get back into running after a small break, so up I got Saturday morning and met a friend for a nice easy 5km run. It was a cool, breezy morning and we set off at a slow and easy pace. The first 3km was at a nice easy pace and then I picked up the speed for the last two kilometres, finishing at a sprint. Nice outing. Now to start building up the distance again. It was good to be out.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Lazy Days
I haven't been very good lately with exercise, food and blogging, both reading and writing. I took about 19 days off not so long ago. I didn't run, I didn't blog and I ate badly, it was a nice break but towards the end I needed to get back on the road. I'd like to put it down to the fact that my Achilles tendons were sore and I was resting them, but I could have ran. Maybe I was tired but that wasn't really it either. I guess I got lazy and didn't really want to run. I needed a break.
It is amazing how a little break like that can set you back in your training. My first run back was supposed to be a nice 6km run. I felt after running 21km in my last run before my break that 6km would be doable. Not so. At 5.26km the old ITB issue struck again and I had to walk the last 750m back to the car. I went home and took out the foam roller again and rolled out the legs. The next run was better and I finished the nice 6km run at a very good pace.
Since then I've only completed two more runs a 5km and a 2.5km run. The short one was because it was all I could squeeze in and rather that skip a run, as I would have before, I ran what I could and ran it fast. I think the break has been good for me and I'm enjoying running again. Time to set a new, flexible, plan for the next month or so.
It is amazing how a little break like that can set you back in your training. My first run back was supposed to be a nice 6km run. I felt after running 21km in my last run before my break that 6km would be doable. Not so. At 5.26km the old ITB issue struck again and I had to walk the last 750m back to the car. I went home and took out the foam roller again and rolled out the legs. The next run was better and I finished the nice 6km run at a very good pace.
Since then I've only completed two more runs a 5km and a 2.5km run. The short one was because it was all I could squeeze in and rather that skip a run, as I would have before, I ran what I could and ran it fast. I think the break has been good for me and I'm enjoying running again. Time to set a new, flexible, plan for the next month or so.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Beautiful Day For a Run
The women's fit for life group went for a 12 mile run on Good Friday. I wasn't free to go with them and as they had planned a 10km for Saturday morning I decided to go go my own way as I wanted to do at least 16km, but the aim was 18km.
The group normally meets at 9.30am but as I was going by myself today I gave myself the luxury of a lie in and began my run at 11am. I decided to take it easy and bring my phone with me to take some photos. After the first 1km I stopped at the local tennis club to stretch. From there it was out to Oak Park.
This arch in olden times was the entrance to the Oak Park house and estate of 700 acres of woodland and lakes. The arch was also someone's house and as you pass under it you can see the door which was the entrance.
I kept running out the road and aimed to link to the route that I had been running the past few weeks with the hope that this add-on would give me enough to hit 18km.
I love the colours of the fields this time of year and it is great to be able to run with these views. I reached the long mile and was feeling good. There is a lovely downhill at the beginning of the long mile, but what goes down must go up...
The rest of the run was nice and I did stop on the way back to the car to refill my water bottle as I had misjudged how much I would need and how far I was running. When I got back to where the car was I was just over 2km short of a half marathon distance. The block where my car was parked was a 2.4km loop so I kept going. The speed workouts I've been doing are really starting to pay off and I finished the 21.1km strong, in 1.54.09, a new best and a really enjoyable run. I did stop the watch twice for the initial stretch and when I refilled my bottle, but not for any photo taking so I'm really happy with the time.
The group normally meets at 9.30am but as I was going by myself today I gave myself the luxury of a lie in and began my run at 11am. I decided to take it easy and bring my phone with me to take some photos. After the first 1km I stopped at the local tennis club to stretch. From there it was out to Oak Park.
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| Entrance to Oak Park |
I kept running out the road and aimed to link to the route that I had been running the past few weeks with the hope that this add-on would give me enough to hit 18km.
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| Colours |
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| The Long Mile |
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| My Garmin |
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