With only 12 days to the Lisbon half I've begun reducing my training. Today was 6km at a pace of 30 seconds slower than last week. Thursday will be another 6km at a pace of 30 seconds slower than today and then Saturday will be 12km, slower still.
I'm so happy to have got to this stage. In January I wasn't really sure that I would end up running this race at all. To have got through the injury enough to be contemplating a PR is great. There is still a niggle in the knee, a small bit of discomfort at times, but it's getting better. I still wear the IT band strap on my Saturday long run but run without it on the other runs during the week. The plan after Lisbon is to try to also run the long runs without it. I have to get through Lisbon first.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Early Morning Run
The idea of today's run was to run slower than last weeks 18km but still at a good pace. This was my last long run before the half, I'll be slowing it down from here on in.
Normally I would run between 10am and 11am on a Saturday morning but as my wife was off to Dublin today I needed to get the run in earlier. I had my porridge and honey for breakfast, which is what I like to eat before embarking on a long run, drove to the shop and bought an energy drink. After a few drinks drove to work where the run would begin. The radio was talking about beautiful weather, blue skies in Dublin but outside in Carlow the fog was everywhere and still hasn't lifted as I write this.
At 8:35am I left the car park with my head fully awake but my legs seemingly still asleep and a little sore. This was going to be a long run. I have four road routes that I like to run around the town and today I decided instead of doing a loop 3.5 times maybe I should run them all and see how far that is. By combining the routes there would only be one stretch of about 750m that I would run twice.
The first 8km were far from comfortable, unlike Thursday's run but I battled through. It wasn't until 14km that my legs started to respond and feel that they were up to the task. I reached the front of my office and the Garmin showed 17.83km, not bad. I ran a little further to hit the 18km and walked back to the car to stretch. I felt the run, although tough, was at a comfortable enough pace, a pace of 05:33 min/km, which would give me a sub 2 hour half, happy days. I was 1 minute and 24 seconds slower than last week, not much.
With the IT band problem in late December and a half training schedule that was changed almost every week I didn't think I'd be at the stage I'm at now. Looking forward to Lisbon now. Recovery run tomorrow, all going well.
Normally I would run between 10am and 11am on a Saturday morning but as my wife was off to Dublin today I needed to get the run in earlier. I had my porridge and honey for breakfast, which is what I like to eat before embarking on a long run, drove to the shop and bought an energy drink. After a few drinks drove to work where the run would begin. The radio was talking about beautiful weather, blue skies in Dublin but outside in Carlow the fog was everywhere and still hasn't lifted as I write this.
At 8:35am I left the car park with my head fully awake but my legs seemingly still asleep and a little sore. This was going to be a long run. I have four road routes that I like to run around the town and today I decided instead of doing a loop 3.5 times maybe I should run them all and see how far that is. By combining the routes there would only be one stretch of about 750m that I would run twice.
The first 8km were far from comfortable, unlike Thursday's run but I battled through. It wasn't until 14km that my legs started to respond and feel that they were up to the task. I reached the front of my office and the Garmin showed 17.83km, not bad. I ran a little further to hit the 18km and walked back to the car to stretch. I felt the run, although tough, was at a comfortable enough pace, a pace of 05:33 min/km, which would give me a sub 2 hour half, happy days. I was 1 minute and 24 seconds slower than last week, not much.
With the IT band problem in late December and a half training schedule that was changed almost every week I didn't think I'd be at the stage I'm at now. Looking forward to Lisbon now. Recovery run tomorrow, all going well.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Comfortable
Again a late run today. I got out at 9.30pm for a planned 8km. I wasn't too clever today in that I ate my dinner close to the time I ran at. I don't usually do this. I would normally run before eating or about 3 hours after eating and today I know why. For most of the run I could feel the food and it was not very pleasant.
Despite this small bit of annoyance the run was actually very comfortable. I questioned myself afterwards, "When did 8km become comfortable?". 18km again on Saturday and then I begin to reduce in time for Lisbon.
Despite this small bit of annoyance the run was actually very comfortable. I questioned myself afterwards, "When did 8km become comfortable?". 18km again on Saturday and then I begin to reduce in time for Lisbon.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Killer Run
Tonight's run was tough, tough, tough. Granted it was self inflicted torture and in some sick way I enjoyed it. OK maybe I didn't really enjoy the whole of the run but I definitely enjoyed the finish and the finish time. This was my last fast run before the half marathon, with Saturday my last long run. After that it's reducing everything until the race.
I decided as this was the last fast run to put it all out there and see what time I hit. I ran the first 1km fast, not at full throttle, but fast and then stopped to stretch. After the stretch I ran faster, trying to go to the threshold while not pushing too hard that I wouldn't finish the 5km. After 2km my legs began to tire and my heart rate began to explode. After 4km I thought I was going to keel over and began to think I would not finish the 5km. My body wanted to stop but my mind kept pushing me on and on. Finally I reached the 5km and stopped, trying to catch my breath. I had run my heart out. My fastest 5km before this was 24:22. Today I ran the same distance in 23:04, a full 1 minute and 18 seconds faster. No wonder I thought I was going to collapse. At least I'll sleep well tonight.
I decided as this was the last fast run to put it all out there and see what time I hit. I ran the first 1km fast, not at full throttle, but fast and then stopped to stretch. After the stretch I ran faster, trying to go to the threshold while not pushing too hard that I wouldn't finish the 5km. After 2km my legs began to tire and my heart rate began to explode. After 4km I thought I was going to keel over and began to think I would not finish the 5km. My body wanted to stop but my mind kept pushing me on and on. Finally I reached the 5km and stopped, trying to catch my breath. I had run my heart out. My fastest 5km before this was 24:22. Today I ran the same distance in 23:04, a full 1 minute and 18 seconds faster. No wonder I thought I was going to collapse. At least I'll sleep well tonight.
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