Anyway, I will keep this going, and if the last person will have lost interest it will be my private training diary again, just like it was when it all started over 13 years ago. And with me getting older and slower, I might even get stopped being accused of violating the trade act due to falsely naming this blog. But, you know, it's all relative, and there were are also some lovely guys along the way who let me know that the name is perfectly apt.
Anyway, I keep on running, very slowly most days. It's a bit disconcerting that until a few months ago my natural pace was around 8-minute miles and now it suddenly changed to 9-minute miles, and I could swear they feel more or less the same. I know I keep getting older, but surely I didn't age so much within 3 or 4 months.
However, just this morning I thought there were glimpses of the old legs starting to re-appear, when running felt more effortless, and the stiffness and aches disappeared for a while. Now, I know the mile along the promenade was misleading as I had a strong tailwind pushing me along, but it wasn't just on that stretch that I felt good, so maybe something is indeed finally starting to work.
I am doing mostly very slow, easy miles but I'm also mixing in a few faster strides, like on Tuesday with some work colleagues, not really speedwork as such but just some things to rev up the system. I did a 1-minute-on/1-minute-off run last Saturday (Kenyan Fartlek, in structure that is, not in pace), which felt ok for a while and when it no longer felt ok I stopped, so it's all relatively gentle and measured. The last thing I want is to feel overtrained again, been there, done that, no desire to do it again.
- 6.19 miles, 55:44, 9:00 pace, HR 140
- 6 Oct
- 6.58 miles, 57:48, 8:47 pace, HR 146
- Kenyan Fartlek
- 7 Oct
- 15 miles, 2:19:23, 9:16 pace, HR 144
- 8 Oct
- 6.71 miles, 1:01:37, 9:10 pace, HR 142
- 9 Oct
- 4.95 miles, 43:05, 8:42 pace, HR 147
- 100/200/300/200/100
- 10 Oct
- 10.21 miles, 1:32:14, 9:02 pace, HR 145
- 11 Oct
- 6.67 miles, 58:53, 8:49 pace, HR 144
I’ve been following your blog for about 2 years Thomas. I’ve found them to be a great source of information and encouragement. I ran my first race last year, a marathon and managed to break 4hrs comfortably. For my 2nd challenge I took on the Ultra distance in Connemara this year and your race reports from were a huge help to me running 6:16. I managed to squeeze in Limerick, Burren Marathon (Didn’t realise you were there until after) Portumna 50km and Gaelforce West Ultra in the space of 12wks. The arrival of baby number 2 has grounded for a while but the body need a rest anyway. Like you, the legs are struggling a bit a the moment. Keep running, keep blogging and never mind the 5kms. I hate them too!!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blog, and I also prefer written to video blogs.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading this blog Thomas, but I have to say, give over with the aging thing! Whatever's going on with you is not age related (other than perhaps peripherally). It's really not encouraging to the rest of us who are hoping to continue to get faster despite age, it's no fun to read and it's simply not true! That's my view anyway, I hope you get over this thing, whatever it is. Buck up!
ReplyDeleteStill loving the blog Thomas - I'm sure you'll be back to sub 3:30 marathons in no time, the body's just having a well earned rest at the mo!
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, that's the attraction of the blog, the fact that you do have problems sometimes with the running, you report that honestly (and still register some great times). We are all in the same position, trying to fit our running around our jobs and families. So the blog is something we can identify with - unlike reading about some super elite athlete in Runners World who does 2:30 marathons, does not have a job and 'relishes going into their pain cave'!
ReplyDeleteKeep blogging Thomas! I enjoy it!
ReplyDelete