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.

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.

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.

February 2011 Round Up

My final run for February was a 3km recovery run after the long 18km yesterday.  The calf muscles were very tender and it wasn't the easiest 3km I've ever run but at a slow pace I got through it and tomorrow is a much needed rest day.

So to my goal of running 1,500km in 2011, how is that going?  At this stage, two months in, I should have notched up a nice 250km to be on target.  What do I have at the moment, 121.81km, I'm already a month behind.  I knew when I set this target it would be a tough one for me.  Having run 58 times last year covering 431km I knew I would have to get out more and add another 1,000km to my 2010 distance to meet the goal.  Starting the year injured meant January was a tough month where I reached 40km and in February I had the flu which cut running out for a week.  There are positives though.  In both months the number of runs are in double digits, something I never managed once last year and this month the 81.23km is the furthest I ever run in a month, definite progress being made here.

I'm still debating about signing up for the Dublin marathon in October but I know if I do, the training will give me back the month I'm down on my 2011 goal which I'm still confident of achieving.  Roll on March.

Train(ing)

My training has gone on hold and I haven't run since last Saturday's 10km.  On Sunday I started to feel a bit unwell and decided against running as I was afraid I might get worse.  It didn't matter.  On Monday I felt worse and by Monday night I was worse still.  The first thing I did Tuesday morning was ring the doctor and off for an appointment.  The doctor's prognosis was Flu.  So I'm at home now, out of work for the week, and away from my training programme for a week.  I'm hoping by Sunday I'll be feeling up to a small run and then back to the training programme on Tuesday.

The last few runs I've been out on by myself I've took the iPod and have been listening to the same album that my wife got me as part of my Christmas present.  The album is "Save Me, San Francisco", the golden gate edition, by the band Train.

Train - Save Me, San Francisco (Golden Gate Edition)

I'm really enjoying running to their music.  Hopefully I'll be running again on Sunday so no updates until then.