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.

Pack & Bib

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.