That’s the third time I’ve been sick in the last 4 weeks, and I very much hope I’m done with all the retched sickness stuff by now. I’m definitely improving, I’ve still got a cough, but my nose isn’t as blocked as it was yesterday, and the headache is much improved as well. The weather has improved as well today, which is nice as we will be sitting in the car for several hours on our way to Dublin. It’s the first time we’ll take the seven-seater for such a long drive, and it should be much more comfortable than the old hatchback where the five of us were very much cramped together like sardines and the kids got worse and worse by each mile.
The family is finding more and new ways to keep me from running. My mother-in-law just doesn’t get running. She constantly worries about me running too far (“7 miles? You can’t possibly run 7 miles in one go!”) and once told Niamh that she had to insist that I take frequent breaks while out running (“No, mum, I don’t think he will”). Cian, on the other hand just causes chaos wherever he goes. He left a trail of cereal all over the house while I was out, and just managed to get his hands on half a dozen eggs, which he one by one smashed against his tricycle. Oh the mess!
On the plus side, I played reasonably well in yesterday’s match (though we still lost 2:1) and while everyone around me was panting and coughing, I was hardly sweating at the end, and it wasn’t for lack of effort. I wish I had got more than 25 minutes though. Today’s run was fine, except for the masses of gnats that seem to have appeared all of a sudden. Horrible creatures. It’s bad enough when you can feel them bumping against your skin, but on two occasions one flew right into my mouth. Disgusting! The run was fine, it was the first time since the marathon that I tried to speed up a little; it went quite well, though I couldn’t have pushed much harder. It’s amazing how quickly your peak form disappears into thin air.
14 Apr: 7 miles: 57:41, 8:14 pace
Friday, April 14, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Recovering?
I don’t feel it, but I guess I must be getting better. I can’t really tell, my nose is blocked up and I’ve got a slight headache from feeling stuffy all day, but I ran the exact same course as yesterday with the exact same average heart rate, but nearly 2 minutes faster. It would have been better to run it slightly slower than that, but I find it difficult to estimate the effort when I’m not entirely healthy. I estimated that I should feel a bit worse than usual to take the cold into account, and then ever so slightly misjudged the effort I should do. Never mind, I’m sure there’s no harm done.
I’ll rest tomorrow. Maybe the cough medicine will let me sleep until 7:45, but Shea usually puts a stop to that. There is an annual football game organised by the company on Thursday, where my lack of skills as a fullback will be on display. Unfortunately I expect we’ll get our collective arses kicked. On Friday we’ll go to Dublin and spend a few days there, which makes running awkward because I’m off my familiar routes and always find it difficult to judge the distance covered. I guess I’ll have to run by time. On the plus side, Stillorgan is surprisingly hilly, and offers roughly the same type of terrain as my normal haunts alongside Caragh Lake.
12 Apr: 5 miles, 45:56, 9:11 pace
I’ll rest tomorrow. Maybe the cough medicine will let me sleep until 7:45, but Shea usually puts a stop to that. There is an annual football game organised by the company on Thursday, where my lack of skills as a fullback will be on display. Unfortunately I expect we’ll get our collective arses kicked. On Friday we’ll go to Dublin and spend a few days there, which makes running awkward because I’m off my familiar routes and always find it difficult to judge the distance covered. I guess I’ll have to run by time. On the plus side, Stillorgan is surprisingly hilly, and offers roughly the same type of terrain as my normal haunts alongside Caragh Lake.
12 Apr: 5 miles, 45:56, 9:11 pace
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Sick as a Parrot
Would you believe it, I’m getting sick yet again. I thought I had just about managed to avoid the bug that grounded Niamh for several days, only to discover that I managed to snap up something else. I felt a bit low on energy yesterday, but decided to play an hour of football in the evening anyway. I felt like crap after a few minutes, but improved as time went on. Then I did a 5-mile run this morning, and experienced the same again. I felt really bad at the beginning, but gradually managed to get into it. The run as such went ok, though the heart rate was too high to call it a recovery run, but I put that down to being sick. I’ve also got a bad cough that kept me awake until 3am in the morning. That’s when I took some cough medicine and slept like a baby until 6, when Shea woke me up. I took some more medicine before going to work, and had a hard time trying not to fall asleep at my desk – the medicine made me drowsy (not getting enough sleep hardly helped).
Will I run again tomorrow? I’ll decide in the morning. I haven’t got a temperature, and I’m sure a short run won’t have any bad effects on me.
We had an office sweepstake for the Grand National (that’s a big horse race), 40 people put 2 Euros each into the kitty and blindly pulled the name of a horse out of a hat, winner takes it all. I never bet on horses, but felt compelled to take part as part of the office fun. And wouldn’t you believe it, my horse only bloody won, and I’m 80 Euros to the good. That should get me a new pair of runners, all right. One problem less.
11 Apr: 5 miles, 47:40, 9:32 pace
Will I run again tomorrow? I’ll decide in the morning. I haven’t got a temperature, and I’m sure a short run won’t have any bad effects on me.
We had an office sweepstake for the Grand National (that’s a big horse race), 40 people put 2 Euros each into the kitty and blindly pulled the name of a horse out of a hat, winner takes it all. I never bet on horses, but felt compelled to take part as part of the office fun. And wouldn’t you believe it, my horse only bloody won, and I’m 80 Euros to the good. That should get me a new pair of runners, all right. One problem less.
11 Apr: 5 miles, 47:40, 9:32 pace
Sunday, April 09, 2006
A bit sore
Yesterday was a day of cross training of some kind: several hors of working in the garden. After digging and pulling gorse as well as strimming rushes for nearly 4 hours, I was more tired that after a 20 miler. Let’s call it upper body strengthening, because my shoulders and arms are quite sore today.
So, when I went out for my 7 mile run this morning, I just couldn’t get relaxed. This might seem strange to a non-runner, but due to my sore shoulders I could not get into a relaxed stride. After one mile I decided to abandon any ideas of calling this stumble a recovery run and ran a bit faster. The main problem with running recovery run after recovery run is that they start to get really boring after a while. I really felt like speeding up, and when today’s loss of a relaxed form offered an excuse, I jumped on the chance to get in a “real” run. It probably wasn’t the best thing to do from a recovery point of view, but I’m glad I did it, because I really enjoyed today’s run. I didn’t get carried away and still kept my pace in check; it was just a bit faster than all the previous runs since the marathon.
I’ve got three weeks until the half, and I’m a bit unsure on what’s the best way to proceed from here. I need to increase my mileage, but should also try to get in one or two tempo runs to sharpen up a bit. I’ve no real idea on what’s the best way to do this without jeopardising my recovery. My guess is I might do about 30 miles next week, then maybe around 35 the following one, and 40, including the half, after that. I could also try to do a tempo run a week before the half. I don’t know if that’s sensible, I’ll adapt it if I feel a problem along the way.
I also need to buy a new pairs of shoes. If only I wasn’t broke already.
9 Apr: 7 miles, 1:01, 8:42 pace
So, when I went out for my 7 mile run this morning, I just couldn’t get relaxed. This might seem strange to a non-runner, but due to my sore shoulders I could not get into a relaxed stride. After one mile I decided to abandon any ideas of calling this stumble a recovery run and ran a bit faster. The main problem with running recovery run after recovery run is that they start to get really boring after a while. I really felt like speeding up, and when today’s loss of a relaxed form offered an excuse, I jumped on the chance to get in a “real” run. It probably wasn’t the best thing to do from a recovery point of view, but I’m glad I did it, because I really enjoyed today’s run. I didn’t get carried away and still kept my pace in check; it was just a bit faster than all the previous runs since the marathon.
I’ve got three weeks until the half, and I’m a bit unsure on what’s the best way to proceed from here. I need to increase my mileage, but should also try to get in one or two tempo runs to sharpen up a bit. I’ve no real idea on what’s the best way to do this without jeopardising my recovery. My guess is I might do about 30 miles next week, then maybe around 35 the following one, and 40, including the half, after that. I could also try to do a tempo run a week before the half. I don’t know if that’s sensible, I’ll adapt it if I feel a problem along the way.
I also need to buy a new pairs of shoes. If only I wasn’t broke already.
9 Apr: 7 miles, 1:01, 8:42 pace
Friday, April 07, 2006
Recovered
So far, I have indeed managed to avoid the bug that’s doing the rounds in the house. Lola recovered very quickly, Niamh didn’t. She’s better now, most of the aches are gone, but she’s still got a very sore throat, and went to see the doctor today.
I had a sore throat Wednesday night (or Wednesnight, as Lola calls it), which looked like an ominous sign, but was absolutely fine the next day. Knock on wood, and it shall pass.
I did a very slow recovery run today. I can’t remember the last time I ran slower than 10:00 pace, but I consciously slowed down every time the heart rate went over 145, to make sure it’s a real recovery run. The right calf is much better now. There might have been a tiny twinge, or maybe I was just imagining it, but I’m calling myself recovered now. I’ll still do another few recovery runs before I’ll speed up again. I’ll see what mileage I can safely do, after Sunday’s run it will be 20 miles for this week, and I’m planning around 30 for next week. It’s only three weeks to the half marathon, but I won’t do any training especially for that. I won’t be at my peak, but hey, it’s only a half.
There is an article on Running Times about the 3-country marathon I ran last October. It’s a nice enough read, but it painfully reminded me of how I had to decline the Free Beer at the finishing line, because I had to drive 40 miles after the marathon. Sigh.
7 Apr: 5 miles, 51:05, 10:13 pace
I had a sore throat Wednesday night (or Wednesnight, as Lola calls it), which looked like an ominous sign, but was absolutely fine the next day. Knock on wood, and it shall pass.
I did a very slow recovery run today. I can’t remember the last time I ran slower than 10:00 pace, but I consciously slowed down every time the heart rate went over 145, to make sure it’s a real recovery run. The right calf is much better now. There might have been a tiny twinge, or maybe I was just imagining it, but I’m calling myself recovered now. I’ll still do another few recovery runs before I’ll speed up again. I’ll see what mileage I can safely do, after Sunday’s run it will be 20 miles for this week, and I’m planning around 30 for next week. It’s only three weeks to the half marathon, but I won’t do any training especially for that. I won’t be at my peak, but hey, it’s only a half.
There is an article on Running Times about the 3-country marathon I ran last October. It’s a nice enough read, but it painfully reminded me of how I had to decline the Free Beer at the finishing line, because I had to drive 40 miles after the marathon. Sigh.
7 Apr: 5 miles, 51:05, 10:13 pace
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Still Recovering
I went out for two easy runs yesterday and today, and managed to keep the pace down this time. The difference to Sunday was amazing; most of the tightness is gone, apart from my right calf muscle, which is still acting up. I’m taking it very easy; tonight is Yoga, tomorrow I’ll sleep in (yeah, right), and I’ll do two more recovery runs on Friday and Sunday.
The weather is beautiful, sunshine and no wind, but it is still deceptively cold in the morning. This caught me out yesterday, I thought it would be much warmer and went out without gloves, but the temperatures were about 0C/32F, and my fingers nearly froze off. I learned my lession today, and felt much more snug in my trusty old gloves.
The one thing worrying me at them moment is a cold that’s doing the rounds. Lola and Niamh are both sick, with Niamh looking especially bad. I had to drive the boys to school/crèche in the morning because Niamh is bed-bound, resulting in me being half an hour late for work. Don’t worry, they are very understanding here. I just hope I’ll manage to avoid that particular bug.
4 Apr: 4 miles, 39:19, 9:49 pace
5 Apr: 5 miles, 48:18, 9:39 pace
The weather is beautiful, sunshine and no wind, but it is still deceptively cold in the morning. This caught me out yesterday, I thought it would be much warmer and went out without gloves, but the temperatures were about 0C/32F, and my fingers nearly froze off. I learned my lession today, and felt much more snug in my trusty old gloves.
The one thing worrying me at them moment is a cold that’s doing the rounds. Lola and Niamh are both sick, with Niamh looking especially bad. I had to drive the boys to school/crèche in the morning because Niamh is bed-bound, resulting in me being half an hour late for work. Don’t worry, they are very understanding here. I just hope I’ll manage to avoid that particular bug.
4 Apr: 4 miles, 39:19, 9:49 pace
5 Apr: 5 miles, 48:18, 9:39 pace
Monday, April 03, 2006
On the Road Again
After a full week of idleness, I finally ventured out on the road again on Sunday. It was funny, on Friday Niamh said “You haven’t been running all week, have you? That’s good.” On Saturday evening she said “I think you should go running again.” On Sunday morning, as I went into the kitchen and was just about to tell her that I was going running, she said before I could utter a word “How long are you running for?”. That woman can read me like a book.
Anyway, I had planned a five mile recovery run, but the calves felt very tight and stiff, so I decided to cut it short by a mile, and only did 4. I also thought that I ran nice, easy and very relaxed, but when I got back home I realised that I had run at sub 9:00 pace – too fast for a recovery run, especially after a marathon. I’ll do more recovery runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. After all the rain, wind and misery, all of a sudden the weather is absolutely gorgeous and far too inviting to stay in bed. As Shea keeps waking me at 5am every night, I can’t sleep in anyway. I’ll try to slow down though. I really need to be more disciplined when it comes to recovery pace, especially when I try to up my mileage to new levels.
After taking all the comments from my last entry into account, I’ve decided to follow the Pfitzinger 70 mpw plan. At least I'll try, and only once I feel fully recovered. Following the other Mike’s advice, I’m seriously considering raising the mileage very slowly and doing the 18 weeks schedule rather than the 24 weeks one, though I’m not sure if I should really listen to the advice of a man who publicly displays those kind of shorts! I’ll slowly up my mileage over the next few weeks, and according to how that feels, I will settle on a plan.
I’ve also signed up for a half marathon in 4 week’s time. The timing is rather unfortunate, just 5 weeks after the Connemara marathon and right at the start of a new training cycle, but it’s not far from home, and the scenery should be stunning – from Glengarriff to Bantry along Bantry Bay.
2 Apr: 4 easy miles, 35:52, 8:58 pace (too fast for a recovery run)
Anyway, I had planned a five mile recovery run, but the calves felt very tight and stiff, so I decided to cut it short by a mile, and only did 4. I also thought that I ran nice, easy and very relaxed, but when I got back home I realised that I had run at sub 9:00 pace – too fast for a recovery run, especially after a marathon. I’ll do more recovery runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. After all the rain, wind and misery, all of a sudden the weather is absolutely gorgeous and far too inviting to stay in bed. As Shea keeps waking me at 5am every night, I can’t sleep in anyway. I’ll try to slow down though. I really need to be more disciplined when it comes to recovery pace, especially when I try to up my mileage to new levels.
After taking all the comments from my last entry into account, I’ve decided to follow the Pfitzinger 70 mpw plan. At least I'll try, and only once I feel fully recovered. Following the other Mike’s advice, I’m seriously considering raising the mileage very slowly and doing the 18 weeks schedule rather than the 24 weeks one, though I’m not sure if I should really listen to the advice of a man who publicly displays those kind of shorts! I’ll slowly up my mileage over the next few weeks, and according to how that feels, I will settle on a plan.
I’ve also signed up for a half marathon in 4 week’s time. The timing is rather unfortunate, just 5 weeks after the Connemara marathon and right at the start of a new training cycle, but it’s not far from home, and the scenery should be stunning – from Glengarriff to Bantry along Bantry Bay.
2 Apr: 4 easy miles, 35:52, 8:58 pace (too fast for a recovery run)
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Pondering
I still haven’t been running since the marathon. I didn’t feel very well on Thursday. I don’t know if it was a setback of the fight against the cold I had before the race, or if it was something else, but I felt a distinctive lack of energy. I felt completely slack and devoid of energy, and feared I was going to be sick yet again. However, I felt better on Friday, and I’m absolutely fine today. The weather, though, isn’t. The wind is blowing very strongly, and between bouts of sunshine we have rain so heavy that you wouldn’t send your dog outside (but of course you would still train for a marathon if you had too).
My thoughts are turning to the Dublin marathon, despite the fact that it’s still a long time away – 30 October 2006, to be precise. If I counted correctly, there are 29 weeks to go, which I intend to use to prepare thoroughly. I just don’t know how yet. I have plenty of options, but two of them are very much in my mind. The first is Pfitzinger’s 24 weeks/70 miles plan. It starts with several weeks of around 50 mpw, and gradually increases to 70, a level that is reached on three separate weeks. I quite like that plan, especially as it increases the mileage gradually, and I’ve never run such high mileage before. The second option is a Lydiard style training. I don’t intend to do the full 100 mpw that Lydiard recommends, mainly because I’m convinced it would leave me injured. In his book, he describes some lesser training plans, one which goes like this: Monday 1hr, Tuesday 1.5 hrs, Wednesday 1 hr, Thursday 1.5 hrs, Friday 1 hr, Saturday 2-3 hrs, Sunday 1.5 hrs. That’s 10.5 to 11.5 hours per week, which would probably mean about 75 mpw, give or take a few. You know what? That sounds rather daunting, especially for someone who has never run more than 55 mpw. Actually, I once did around 65 miles in 7 days, because I did a long run late in one week, and then another long one earlier in the following week, leaving me with a higher mileage for 7 days, but that wasn’t planned.
The main drawback of the Lydiard method, at least from my point of view, is that it’s much more difficult to follow. When following Pfitz, I can just do the workouts he describes every week. I tend to juggle the work around every week (e.g. do the long run on Tuesday and the rest day on Saturday, rather then long Sunday/rest Monday), but I tend do to all the workouts within each 7 day schedule. Lydiard isn’t so clear, his method requires tuning into your body and adapting accordingly, and I don’t think I know my body that well yet, being the inexperienced runner that I still am. I’m sure Mike would disagree, but I think I prefer Pfitz this time round, even if it means not being quite as well prepared.
Or am I too ambitious, and should do less mileage? Is it foolish to increase my mileage to 70 mpw, when I only just about managed to stay reasonably injury free on 55 mpw max (and that still included tendonitis, muscle pain in my quads, in my hamstring, and some mild heel spurs – yes, I know, I have a warped view on being injury free).
So much to think about, so much to decide. What do you think?
My thoughts are turning to the Dublin marathon, despite the fact that it’s still a long time away – 30 October 2006, to be precise. If I counted correctly, there are 29 weeks to go, which I intend to use to prepare thoroughly. I just don’t know how yet. I have plenty of options, but two of them are very much in my mind. The first is Pfitzinger’s 24 weeks/70 miles plan. It starts with several weeks of around 50 mpw, and gradually increases to 70, a level that is reached on three separate weeks. I quite like that plan, especially as it increases the mileage gradually, and I’ve never run such high mileage before. The second option is a Lydiard style training. I don’t intend to do the full 100 mpw that Lydiard recommends, mainly because I’m convinced it would leave me injured. In his book, he describes some lesser training plans, one which goes like this: Monday 1hr, Tuesday 1.5 hrs, Wednesday 1 hr, Thursday 1.5 hrs, Friday 1 hr, Saturday 2-3 hrs, Sunday 1.5 hrs. That’s 10.5 to 11.5 hours per week, which would probably mean about 75 mpw, give or take a few. You know what? That sounds rather daunting, especially for someone who has never run more than 55 mpw. Actually, I once did around 65 miles in 7 days, because I did a long run late in one week, and then another long one earlier in the following week, leaving me with a higher mileage for 7 days, but that wasn’t planned.
The main drawback of the Lydiard method, at least from my point of view, is that it’s much more difficult to follow. When following Pfitz, I can just do the workouts he describes every week. I tend to juggle the work around every week (e.g. do the long run on Tuesday and the rest day on Saturday, rather then long Sunday/rest Monday), but I tend do to all the workouts within each 7 day schedule. Lydiard isn’t so clear, his method requires tuning into your body and adapting accordingly, and I don’t think I know my body that well yet, being the inexperienced runner that I still am. I’m sure Mike would disagree, but I think I prefer Pfitz this time round, even if it means not being quite as well prepared.
Or am I too ambitious, and should do less mileage? Is it foolish to increase my mileage to 70 mpw, when I only just about managed to stay reasonably injury free on 55 mpw max (and that still included tendonitis, muscle pain in my quads, in my hamstring, and some mild heel spurs – yes, I know, I have a warped view on being injury free).
So much to think about, so much to decide. What do you think?
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Photos
I found some photos from my finish at Connemara. They’re not the most flattering photos ever, and I had no idea I was looking so knackered. I couldn’t find any pictures showing me during the race, so those two will in all likelihood have to do.
The time on display is slightly off, most likely due to the way they start the marathon not at a fixed time but after the top ultra guys pass the marathon start. Not that a few seconds matter, especially as it's nowhere near my PR anyway.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Recovery
It is a wonderful feeling when the pain starts to get bearable.
On Monday, I was in pain.
On Tuesday, I was able to get in and out of a chair without groaning audibly.
Today, Wednesday, I am still a little bit stiff, but well recovered.
So far I’ve kept my resolve and haven’t been running. The fact that we had gale force winds and lots of rain, helped. We’ll see how long I can resist the twitching, but I guess I’ll hold out a bit longer. The weather forecast is ok for Friday. Maybe the weekend will see me back on the road.
On Monday, I was in pain.
On Tuesday, I was able to get in and out of a chair without groaning audibly.
Today, Wednesday, I am still a little bit stiff, but well recovered.
So far I’ve kept my resolve and haven’t been running. The fact that we had gale force winds and lots of rain, helped. We’ll see how long I can resist the twitching, but I guess I’ll hold out a bit longer. The weather forecast is ok for Friday. Maybe the weekend will see me back on the road.
Tragic News
I’ve heard that one runner called Frank Haines, from London, died in Connemara on Sunday. He was only 31. He was running the half, and collapsed on top of the Hell, 11 miles in. The medical services were there immediately and tried to revive him, but their efforts were in vain. I’m shocked about those news, and of course they put a dampener on the positive recollections I had from the weekend. I can’t understand how a (presumably) healthy person can die after only 11 miles. My condolences go to his friends and family (who were in Connemara at the time).
Monday, March 27, 2006
A Cold Day in Hell
First of all, apologies for the insanely long report. I had a lot to say.
I trained a lot for this marathon, more than ever before, and with 10 days to go I was very optimistic I was going to do really well. Unfortunately, disaster struck in form of a cold that I most likely picked up from Shea. I was feeling rather low for several days, and kind of recovered by Thursday – just 3 days before the marathon.
We (that’s me, Niamh and the kids) drove up to Galway on Friday evening. The drive took much longer than expected (the roads are crap – and busy) and didn’t get to our B&B until 10 pm, and then had a hard time putting the kids to sleep. I tried to take it easy on Saturday, and it worked out ok, but taking it easy has a rather relative meaning when you’re looking after 3 children all under the age of 5.
I got up early on Sunday, got ready and left for the bus. The transfer to Maam Cross (the hub of the marathon) was smooth, but as soon as I got off there and was looking forward to some breakfast, an announcement came that everyone participating in the Full marathon had to proceed to the busses and take a bus to the starting line. There are 3 different races, an ultra-marathon of 39.3 miles that goes in a big loop, a full marathon, where you are dropped off 13.1 miles into the ultra course, and a half, obviously starting another 13.1 miles later. The start time for the marathon isn’t exact, the field leaves as soon as the top ultra guys have passed. The same goes for the half, the start for that is as soon as the elite marathoners pass that point.
Well, the leading ultra guy soon passes our way (running 6:10 per mile average!!!) and off we go. I had been rather cold at the start line, and was deliberating what to wear. Eventually I settle on shorts and a t-shirt with a wind/rain jacket on top.
Half a mile into the race I know that this was not my day. I still feel the effects of the cold, I feel a bit light-headed and rather unsteady on my feet. Any ideas of doing 8:20 miles immediately go out of the window and I run in what is closer to recovery pace, about 8:50 to begin with. I keep that going until the first water stop, about 3 miles in, where I think about bailing out. If this were a training day, I would definitely bail, but it isn’t and I decide to plod on. I get a shock when I look at my heart rate monitor. Despite running so slowly, my heart rate is all the way up at 175. I cannot possibly run a marathon like this and decide to abandon any idea of running the course and start walking until the heart rate is back around a more bearable 155 before running again. This keeps happening a few times over the first 10 miles. I think of Rob, and how he once said an ultra is always run in the mind. I’m not running an ultra but decide to follow the advice – just put your mind to it, ignore the time, just keep going until the end. The course is gradually making its way past Connemara National Park, of which we don’t see much because of the very low clouds. I feel very hot under my jacket and curse myself for not running in a t-shirt. The course steadily climbs uphill, and from mile 7 to 8 it’s a much steeper climb (well, not that steep). At mile 10 we suddenly descend rather abruptly into what is Ireland’s only fjord. I start to feel a bit better at that point, and manage to run several miles without stopping, I also start overtaking people from this point on – until mile 10 I felt like running at the very back of the pack (though looking back a few times I see plenty of people behind me).
We pass the half way mark in a village called Leenane (my time so far is about 2:05 – by far the slowest I’ve ever passed the half way mark), and the course immediately begins a rather brutal climb of about one mile and a half, gaining over 70 meters of elevation in the process. This is where my training comes in handy. While just about everyone around me is walking, I manage to run the entire climb. At one stage, about half way through the climb, a painful spasm shoots through my left hamstring. I just about manage to avoid a cramp, and continue running. I fact, I speed up a little, to use the muscles in a different way (Bob Glover recommends that in his book). The other problem is the wind. From here on, for all the 12 miles until the finish we are running into a rather strong head wind. There is no cover anywhere, and all we can do is battle against it. From the highest point then the course gradually falls a few meters over the next few miles, and then there are rolling hills until mile 22 – but more of that later. I feel much better at this point. It feels like I had to suffer the first 10 miles by running that cold out of my system. Once I reached a certain point, the proper running could finally begin. I constantly overtake other runners. It’s not that I’m speeding up – I just manage to keep my pace constant while everyone around me is slowing down. The only people overtaking me along that stretch are about 5 or 6 ultra runners – that’s 2 women and a few guys, all of whom are going to finish in the top 10. I’m feeling good at that stage; it is by far the best stretch of the course for me. I have a few short conversations with a few runners as I pass them. “How’s it going?” “This is the life, eh” (this one nearly makes me laugh). I get a few compliments on how relaxed I’m looking, while everyone else seems dead on their feet. I don’t feel overly relaxed – the quads and calves are gradually getting heavier and heavier, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I am doing really well until mile 22. If this were a normal marathon, I could try and match my time from Dublin 18 months ago, and make it my second best finish, but unfortunately, this is not a normal marathon. At mile 22, I reach the point everyone has been dreading all along. Welcome to the Hell of the West.
The Hell is a continuous climb of 1.8 miles. It is not particularly steep, and if it were at mile 1, everyone would say it’s tough but manageable. It’s not at mile 1 though. It’s after the 22-mile point. What makes it worse is that EVERYONE is walking it. I start running it, but looking up I hardly make any headway to the walkers in front of me. It’s soul-destroying work, and eventually, after what seems like running forever, I start walking too. I run/walk up the hill, still overtaking plenty of other people (that now also include the slow coaches from the half). After what seems an eternity, I finally reach the summit. It even provides a very nice view, though neither me nor anyone around me is in any way inclined to enjoy the moment – the climb took too much out of everyone. It’s also freezing cold. I estimate that on that Hell climb alone I lost about 7 minutes compared to what I would have run on a flat course. The next mile is downhill, but of course my quads are shot to bits at that stage and I can hardly pick up my knees – I don’t think I gain much time compared to what I would have done on the flat. Once we reach the valley it’s another mile of winding road towards the finish – it’s around the 25-mile marker that I get overtaken by the only two marathon runners since mile 10. Those guys have plenty of pace left – I wonder why they didn’t run faster on the first 25 miles. Never mind, I plod on and even have a little bit of a kick left in me for the last 0.2 miles after the 26 marker.
I reach the finishing line in 4:11:45. It’s nowhere near my personal best, and nowhere near what I know I can do, but on the day it was the best effort I could possibly do. I still had the effects of my illness in me, and it just wasn’t my day. But I know I am (relatively) strong. I ran the second half only two minutes slower than the first, despite the fact that it’s a much more demanding part of the course. I must have overtaken 100 people on the last 16 miles, and only got passed by 2 (plus the top ultra ones). I’m convinced that on a flat course I would have broken the 4-hour mark, despite the slow first 10 miles. I’m not disappointed, I feel rather pleased with the effort and the fact that I kept going despite feeling slightly ill. I always regarded this marathon not just as a race on its own, but as a further step in my development as a runner. If my HR monitor was correct, then my average heart rate was 167 – 88% of my max – that’s insane, and I don’t know if I can trust this reading. But even if it’s not correct, with the course and my after-effects, I rate this effort higher than the 3:55 I ran last October.
I’ll rest for at least one week – anyone who sees me on the road for the next 7 days had my permission to shoot me. I might even rest for another week after that. Then the preparations for Dublin 2006 start. No rest for the wicked, and Dublin doesn’t have the Hell.
I trained a lot for this marathon, more than ever before, and with 10 days to go I was very optimistic I was going to do really well. Unfortunately, disaster struck in form of a cold that I most likely picked up from Shea. I was feeling rather low for several days, and kind of recovered by Thursday – just 3 days before the marathon.
We (that’s me, Niamh and the kids) drove up to Galway on Friday evening. The drive took much longer than expected (the roads are crap – and busy) and didn’t get to our B&B until 10 pm, and then had a hard time putting the kids to sleep. I tried to take it easy on Saturday, and it worked out ok, but taking it easy has a rather relative meaning when you’re looking after 3 children all under the age of 5.
I got up early on Sunday, got ready and left for the bus. The transfer to Maam Cross (the hub of the marathon) was smooth, but as soon as I got off there and was looking forward to some breakfast, an announcement came that everyone participating in the Full marathon had to proceed to the busses and take a bus to the starting line. There are 3 different races, an ultra-marathon of 39.3 miles that goes in a big loop, a full marathon, where you are dropped off 13.1 miles into the ultra course, and a half, obviously starting another 13.1 miles later. The start time for the marathon isn’t exact, the field leaves as soon as the top ultra guys have passed. The same goes for the half, the start for that is as soon as the elite marathoners pass that point.
Well, the leading ultra guy soon passes our way (running 6:10 per mile average!!!) and off we go. I had been rather cold at the start line, and was deliberating what to wear. Eventually I settle on shorts and a t-shirt with a wind/rain jacket on top.
Half a mile into the race I know that this was not my day. I still feel the effects of the cold, I feel a bit light-headed and rather unsteady on my feet. Any ideas of doing 8:20 miles immediately go out of the window and I run in what is closer to recovery pace, about 8:50 to begin with. I keep that going until the first water stop, about 3 miles in, where I think about bailing out. If this were a training day, I would definitely bail, but it isn’t and I decide to plod on. I get a shock when I look at my heart rate monitor. Despite running so slowly, my heart rate is all the way up at 175. I cannot possibly run a marathon like this and decide to abandon any idea of running the course and start walking until the heart rate is back around a more bearable 155 before running again. This keeps happening a few times over the first 10 miles. I think of Rob, and how he once said an ultra is always run in the mind. I’m not running an ultra but decide to follow the advice – just put your mind to it, ignore the time, just keep going until the end. The course is gradually making its way past Connemara National Park, of which we don’t see much because of the very low clouds. I feel very hot under my jacket and curse myself for not running in a t-shirt. The course steadily climbs uphill, and from mile 7 to 8 it’s a much steeper climb (well, not that steep). At mile 10 we suddenly descend rather abruptly into what is Ireland’s only fjord. I start to feel a bit better at that point, and manage to run several miles without stopping, I also start overtaking people from this point on – until mile 10 I felt like running at the very back of the pack (though looking back a few times I see plenty of people behind me).
We pass the half way mark in a village called Leenane (my time so far is about 2:05 – by far the slowest I’ve ever passed the half way mark), and the course immediately begins a rather brutal climb of about one mile and a half, gaining over 70 meters of elevation in the process. This is where my training comes in handy. While just about everyone around me is walking, I manage to run the entire climb. At one stage, about half way through the climb, a painful spasm shoots through my left hamstring. I just about manage to avoid a cramp, and continue running. I fact, I speed up a little, to use the muscles in a different way (Bob Glover recommends that in his book). The other problem is the wind. From here on, for all the 12 miles until the finish we are running into a rather strong head wind. There is no cover anywhere, and all we can do is battle against it. From the highest point then the course gradually falls a few meters over the next few miles, and then there are rolling hills until mile 22 – but more of that later. I feel much better at this point. It feels like I had to suffer the first 10 miles by running that cold out of my system. Once I reached a certain point, the proper running could finally begin. I constantly overtake other runners. It’s not that I’m speeding up – I just manage to keep my pace constant while everyone around me is slowing down. The only people overtaking me along that stretch are about 5 or 6 ultra runners – that’s 2 women and a few guys, all of whom are going to finish in the top 10. I’m feeling good at that stage; it is by far the best stretch of the course for me. I have a few short conversations with a few runners as I pass them. “How’s it going?” “This is the life, eh” (this one nearly makes me laugh). I get a few compliments on how relaxed I’m looking, while everyone else seems dead on their feet. I don’t feel overly relaxed – the quads and calves are gradually getting heavier and heavier, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I am doing really well until mile 22. If this were a normal marathon, I could try and match my time from Dublin 18 months ago, and make it my second best finish, but unfortunately, this is not a normal marathon. At mile 22, I reach the point everyone has been dreading all along. Welcome to the Hell of the West.
The Hell is a continuous climb of 1.8 miles. It is not particularly steep, and if it were at mile 1, everyone would say it’s tough but manageable. It’s not at mile 1 though. It’s after the 22-mile point. What makes it worse is that EVERYONE is walking it. I start running it, but looking up I hardly make any headway to the walkers in front of me. It’s soul-destroying work, and eventually, after what seems like running forever, I start walking too. I run/walk up the hill, still overtaking plenty of other people (that now also include the slow coaches from the half). After what seems an eternity, I finally reach the summit. It even provides a very nice view, though neither me nor anyone around me is in any way inclined to enjoy the moment – the climb took too much out of everyone. It’s also freezing cold. I estimate that on that Hell climb alone I lost about 7 minutes compared to what I would have run on a flat course. The next mile is downhill, but of course my quads are shot to bits at that stage and I can hardly pick up my knees – I don’t think I gain much time compared to what I would have done on the flat. Once we reach the valley it’s another mile of winding road towards the finish – it’s around the 25-mile marker that I get overtaken by the only two marathon runners since mile 10. Those guys have plenty of pace left – I wonder why they didn’t run faster on the first 25 miles. Never mind, I plod on and even have a little bit of a kick left in me for the last 0.2 miles after the 26 marker.
I reach the finishing line in 4:11:45. It’s nowhere near my personal best, and nowhere near what I know I can do, but on the day it was the best effort I could possibly do. I still had the effects of my illness in me, and it just wasn’t my day. But I know I am (relatively) strong. I ran the second half only two minutes slower than the first, despite the fact that it’s a much more demanding part of the course. I must have overtaken 100 people on the last 16 miles, and only got passed by 2 (plus the top ultra ones). I’m convinced that on a flat course I would have broken the 4-hour mark, despite the slow first 10 miles. I’m not disappointed, I feel rather pleased with the effort and the fact that I kept going despite feeling slightly ill. I always regarded this marathon not just as a race on its own, but as a further step in my development as a runner. If my HR monitor was correct, then my average heart rate was 167 – 88% of my max – that’s insane, and I don’t know if I can trust this reading. But even if it’s not correct, with the course and my after-effects, I rate this effort higher than the 3:55 I ran last October.
I’ll rest for at least one week – anyone who sees me on the road for the next 7 days had my permission to shoot me. I might even rest for another week after that. Then the preparations for Dublin 2006 start. No rest for the wicked, and Dublin doesn’t have the Hell.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Definitely Maybe
My self-imposed deadline of 72 hours before race start has expired, and am I feeling better and ready to run on Sunday? Err, probably. I’m definitely feeling better, the headache is gone, the coughing has mostly disappeared and the general feeling is much better. I did break my long period of non-activity last night to attend my usual Yoga class. We did a lot of standing asanas, and about half an hour into the class I started to feel dizzy, then the breathing when hay-wire, and when I started to see black spots in front of my eyes, I knew I was about 5 seconds away from fainting. I stopped whatever I was doing, drank a sip of water, calmed my breathing an immediately felt better. I was fine for the rest of the class.
Today I feel a distinct lack of energy, and I’m tired as hell, despite sleeping ok(ish) last night. Thanks a lot for all your well wishes and prayers, they are all gratefully received. We are definitely going to leave for Galway tomorrow, no matter if I feel ready for the marathon or not. I’ll take it easy on Saturday, and if I feel up to it on Sunday, I will run the marathon. But, to be honest, I’m pretty sure I will. Yvonne’s tale of how crap she felt before Chicago and then ran 3:30:15, is encouraging, and I found one story on RW where a guy ran a marathon with 101-degree fever (yes, he got seriously sick. But hey, he ran the whole thing). I haven’t got a temperature, so should be ok from a doctor’s point of view.
Today I’m stuffing myself with carbohydrates, both to counteract the lack of energy I’m experiencing, and to try and do some carbo-loading. I’m not very picky. So far I’ve had jam on toast (twice), some grapes, wheat cereal, a big lunch (including a scone packed with jam), an energy bar, a banana, and I’m about to attack another energy bar. And it’s only 3 o’clock. Plus plenty of sports drink. I don’t think a lack of carbs will be my problem.
I haven’t run a single step since last Friday. I hope that won’t affect my fitness.
The route in Connemara is full of hills. One guy in the forum reckons they add 10-20 minutes to your time. That seems a bit much, but judging from the profile, I would regard any time less than 4 hours as an achievement. I’ll try and shoot for something more ambitious, as long as I feel well enough. The first 9.5 miles are gradually uphill, then there’s a big downhill, a big climb, another down section, a few small ups and downs until mile 22 and then there’s the Hell of the West, more than 1.5 mile of climbing towards the highest point of the course. From then on you can roll towards the finishing line. I’ve run plenty of hills, but never on mile 23. I’ll let you know how it went.
Today I feel a distinct lack of energy, and I’m tired as hell, despite sleeping ok(ish) last night. Thanks a lot for all your well wishes and prayers, they are all gratefully received. We are definitely going to leave for Galway tomorrow, no matter if I feel ready for the marathon or not. I’ll take it easy on Saturday, and if I feel up to it on Sunday, I will run the marathon. But, to be honest, I’m pretty sure I will. Yvonne’s tale of how crap she felt before Chicago and then ran 3:30:15, is encouraging, and I found one story on RW where a guy ran a marathon with 101-degree fever (yes, he got seriously sick. But hey, he ran the whole thing). I haven’t got a temperature, so should be ok from a doctor’s point of view.
Today I’m stuffing myself with carbohydrates, both to counteract the lack of energy I’m experiencing, and to try and do some carbo-loading. I’m not very picky. So far I’ve had jam on toast (twice), some grapes, wheat cereal, a big lunch (including a scone packed with jam), an energy bar, a banana, and I’m about to attack another energy bar. And it’s only 3 o’clock. Plus plenty of sports drink. I don’t think a lack of carbs will be my problem.
I haven’t run a single step since last Friday. I hope that won’t affect my fitness.
The route in Connemara is full of hills. One guy in the forum reckons they add 10-20 minutes to your time. That seems a bit much, but judging from the profile, I would regard any time less than 4 hours as an achievement. I’ll try and shoot for something more ambitious, as long as I feel well enough. The first 9.5 miles are gradually uphill, then there’s a big downhill, a big climb, another down section, a few small ups and downs until mile 22 and then there’s the Hell of the West, more than 1.5 mile of climbing towards the highest point of the course. From then on you can roll towards the finishing line. I’ve run plenty of hills, but never on mile 23. I’ll let you know how it went.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Premature Celebrations
Thanks for all your well wishes, but when I said I was feeling better, I meant I was feeling a little bit better – but still not very well. I went to work on Monday, but that might have been a mistake, because in the evening I felt like poop, and went pretty much straight to bed. I got up at 8 to watch Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter final. I had high hopes for this game. We had been waiting 15 years to reach that stage in the competition, and it was clearly our special year. Well, 90 minutes later we lost 2:1, the cup is over for yet another year, it will probably take another 15 years to get that far and I was feeling suicidal.
Niamh slept with Cian in the guestroom, and I had the first uninterrupted night of sleep since, well, I can’t remember, and slept for 9 hours solid. I felt better (still not recovered), and decided to take the day off work. By now I’m worried. It’s only 5 days to the race, and if I’m not better with 48 hours, the marathon will be going ahead without me.
In the last 12 months, I've been sick three times: the week before I ran the Belfast marathon, one week after the 3-country marathon, and now one week before the Connemara marathon. Niamh says it's psychosomatic. I say it just sucks.
Two ibuprofens just made me feel a lot better, but that’s just covering up the symptoms, not curing it. Send good vibes into my general direction, maybe it will help.
Niamh slept with Cian in the guestroom, and I had the first uninterrupted night of sleep since, well, I can’t remember, and slept for 9 hours solid. I felt better (still not recovered), and decided to take the day off work. By now I’m worried. It’s only 5 days to the race, and if I’m not better with 48 hours, the marathon will be going ahead without me.
In the last 12 months, I've been sick three times: the week before I ran the Belfast marathon, one week after the 3-country marathon, and now one week before the Connemara marathon. Niamh says it's psychosomatic. I say it just sucks.
Two ibuprofens just made me feel a lot better, but that’s just covering up the symptoms, not curing it. Send good vibes into my general direction, maybe it will help.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Sickbay Update
Well, the good news is that I’m better. I’m still a bit unwell and there was never any doubt that today’s planned 7-mile run was going to be cancelled. However, I’m fine enough to go to work tomorrow, and I’m confident there won’t be any ill-effects for Sunday’s marathon.
The last week before the marathon was the one week where I had already planned to deviate from Pfitzinger’s schedule. If you have a look at the programme, he suggests running on four out of five days before the marathon, with a total of 22 miles. I did that before the Three-Country marathon in October, though I did cut the last two runs from 9 miles combined down to 5. Afterwards I felt that they were taking valuable energy away from me, without me gaining anything from them. I think that those runs were responsible for feeling like crap at mile 16. (was I hitting the wall? Probably.) As a result of that experience, I always planned to rest the final two days before the marathon, and have two short runs on the two days before that. Since my present state means a re-jiggling of plans, I’ll play it by ear. If I feel really well on Monday, I’ll have a short run on Tuesday, but more likely I’ll postpone that. I promise, I won’t even attempt a run if I’m not entirely well. I know that there is not much to gain from any run now, apart from fulfilling the urge to get out and run, and I won’t do anything stupid.
Oh, and Ireland beat the English at rugby on Sunday. In England. With a try just two minutes from the end. Sweet.
The last week before the marathon was the one week where I had already planned to deviate from Pfitzinger’s schedule. If you have a look at the programme, he suggests running on four out of five days before the marathon, with a total of 22 miles. I did that before the Three-Country marathon in October, though I did cut the last two runs from 9 miles combined down to 5. Afterwards I felt that they were taking valuable energy away from me, without me gaining anything from them. I think that those runs were responsible for feeling like crap at mile 16. (was I hitting the wall? Probably.) As a result of that experience, I always planned to rest the final two days before the marathon, and have two short runs on the two days before that. Since my present state means a re-jiggling of plans, I’ll play it by ear. If I feel really well on Monday, I’ll have a short run on Tuesday, but more likely I’ll postpone that. I promise, I won’t even attempt a run if I’m not entirely well. I know that there is not much to gain from any run now, apart from fulfilling the urge to get out and run, and I won’t do anything stupid.
Oh, and Ireland beat the English at rugby on Sunday. In England. With a try just two minutes from the end. Sweet.
Friday, March 17, 2006
It's Official
I’m unwell. I don’t want to use the term sick, because I don’t feel that bad, but I’m certainly not in any condition to run a marathon at the moment. It’s a very good thing indeed that it’s still 9 days to go, that should leave me plenty of time to recover.
The day didn’t start too badly. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, which means I’m off work of course. Nana and Gaga are here, and provide some help with the children, leaving me with the possibility to take it easy during the day. I went for what was supposed to be a recovery run, but it didn’t work out that way. I was running way too fast. Every time I tried to put on the breaks and consciously slowed down to an acceptably low pace, the body took over once I let my mind wander again and speeded up again. I presume it’s down to me being full of energy from the taper.
However, once I got back home, I soon started to feel unwell. By lunchtime I felt really cold, and it stayed like that all day. I didn’t develop a temperature, but it sure felt like that was only a matter of time. I used the opportunity to lie in bed most day and read Run Strong, nearly from cover to cover, plus I had some peeks into Pfitzinger’s and Lydiard’s books. An hour ago I took some ibuprofen, and I feel much better now, which once again confirms this as my drug of choice (not entirely unusual for a runner, I presume). I don’ know how I’ll feel once the drugs wear off, of course. I’m hopeful a decent night’s sleep would cure me, but those are few and far between for me, thanks to my boys.
I’m very confident that I’ll be ok for the marathon, though, so don’t you all worry too much about me.
Good Luck to Rob in his insane quest.
17 Mar: 5 miles, 41:50, 8:22 pace
The day didn’t start too badly. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, which means I’m off work of course. Nana and Gaga are here, and provide some help with the children, leaving me with the possibility to take it easy during the day. I went for what was supposed to be a recovery run, but it didn’t work out that way. I was running way too fast. Every time I tried to put on the breaks and consciously slowed down to an acceptably low pace, the body took over once I let my mind wander again and speeded up again. I presume it’s down to me being full of energy from the taper.
However, once I got back home, I soon started to feel unwell. By lunchtime I felt really cold, and it stayed like that all day. I didn’t develop a temperature, but it sure felt like that was only a matter of time. I used the opportunity to lie in bed most day and read Run Strong, nearly from cover to cover, plus I had some peeks into Pfitzinger’s and Lydiard’s books. An hour ago I took some ibuprofen, and I feel much better now, which once again confirms this as my drug of choice (not entirely unusual for a runner, I presume). I don’ know how I’ll feel once the drugs wear off, of course. I’m hopeful a decent night’s sleep would cure me, but those are few and far between for me, thanks to my boys.
I’m very confident that I’ll be ok for the marathon, though, so don’t you all worry too much about me.
Good Luck to Rob in his insane quest.
17 Mar: 5 miles, 41:50, 8:22 pace
Thursday, March 16, 2006
The last interval workout
I did my last interval training before the marathon, and it was a tough one, 3x1600 with 2 minutes in-between. The beautiful spring weather we’ve had over the last two days had me completely fooled, and I didn’t even check the weather before leaving our house.
It was drizzling slightly, and it was quite cold. I kept going, but thought that I should have worn long sleeves instead of a t-shirt. I was right. The wind and the rain got stronger, and soon I felt pretty cold. However, once the intervals started, I forgot all about that. It was really tough. In fact, I seriously contemplated bailing out and going home towards the end of the first interval. Somehow I managed to get going, hoping that the other runs would feel easier. Well, the second one did, but it was my fault. When I checked my heart rate monitor about half the way, I realized that I was running too slowly, the HR was around 170 instead of 180 where it should have been. I upped the tempo, and eventually managed to finish the workout. This time there was no extra interval though; I was knackered.
I’m not feeling 100%; Shea had a temperature earlier this week, and I might have picked up something from him. I don’t have a temperature myself, but I don’t feel entirely on top. I get this every time before a marathon, the last 2 weeks before the race I am totally paranoid about any coughs and sneezes. In fact, before Belfast last year I actually spent two days in bed, just 5 days before the race, unable to eat and hardly able to sleep (no, I wasn’t at my best for the marathon). Understandably, after all that training I don’t want to get sick at the last minute.
But I’m just paranoid here. In 10 days I’ll be there at the starting line, healthy as a fish in water. Honestly.
16 Mar: 7 miles, 56:29, 8:04 pace (including 3x1600 [approx] intervals)
It was drizzling slightly, and it was quite cold. I kept going, but thought that I should have worn long sleeves instead of a t-shirt. I was right. The wind and the rain got stronger, and soon I felt pretty cold. However, once the intervals started, I forgot all about that. It was really tough. In fact, I seriously contemplated bailing out and going home towards the end of the first interval. Somehow I managed to get going, hoping that the other runs would feel easier. Well, the second one did, but it was my fault. When I checked my heart rate monitor about half the way, I realized that I was running too slowly, the HR was around 170 instead of 180 where it should have been. I upped the tempo, and eventually managed to finish the workout. This time there was no extra interval though; I was knackered.
I’m not feeling 100%; Shea had a temperature earlier this week, and I might have picked up something from him. I don’t have a temperature myself, but I don’t feel entirely on top. I get this every time before a marathon, the last 2 weeks before the race I am totally paranoid about any coughs and sneezes. In fact, before Belfast last year I actually spent two days in bed, just 5 days before the race, unable to eat and hardly able to sleep (no, I wasn’t at my best for the marathon). Understandably, after all that training I don’t want to get sick at the last minute.
But I’m just paranoid here. In 10 days I’ll be there at the starting line, healthy as a fish in water. Honestly.
16 Mar: 7 miles, 56:29, 8:04 pace (including 3x1600 [approx] intervals)
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Getting Ready
Only 12 days to go and I’m already in the middle of the taper. When I went to bed early last night, Niamh and I had the following dialog:
Niamh: I thought you wouldn’t do any more long runs
Me: I don’t, it’s only 12 miles, and long runs are anything over 17 miles
Niamh: *roles eyes*
Me: You should listen to some of those ultra guys, they say long runs are anything above marathon distance
Niamh:
Me: But they’re nuts
Niamh: Yeah. Like you’re not.
Don’t worry; I know she loves me.
I had a lot of troubles with my shoelaces coming undone recently (I like to think it’s down to the laces material, not my lack of tie-lacing skills). I searched on the Internet, and while most people suggested a double knot, this guy suggests a completely new knot. I liked it and decided to give it a go. It’s like learning how to tie your laces all over again, and it was a bit weird the first time I tried it, but with a little bit of practise I got there, and I think this is the way I’ll tie my running shoes from now on.
The run today was excellent; I feel full of energy, which I presume is a result of the additional rest the taper so far has provided. I was really frustrated that yesterday was a rest day. On Sunday I was very much looking forward to the next run, and was slightly shocked when I realised that this week incorporates an extra rest day, but decided to stick to the program. Today I felt really good, and despite the fact that I didn’t particularly push the pace, I came back with a sub-8 mins/mile average time, which is quite unusual. I am well able to run under 8 mins/mile, but usually I have to push the pace. Today I was just cruising along at some decent speed, and was surprised at the end that I had been so fast. Not that I’m complaining. I just feel more confident about the marathon – better be careful, I don’t want to get cocky ;-)
14 Mar: 12 miles, 1:34, 7:50 pace
Niamh: I thought you wouldn’t do any more long runs
Me: I don’t, it’s only 12 miles, and long runs are anything over 17 miles
Niamh: *roles eyes*
Me: You should listen to some of those ultra guys, they say long runs are anything above marathon distance
Niamh:
Me: But they’re nuts
Niamh: Yeah. Like you’re not.
Don’t worry; I know she loves me.
I had a lot of troubles with my shoelaces coming undone recently (I like to think it’s down to the laces material, not my lack of tie-lacing skills). I searched on the Internet, and while most people suggested a double knot, this guy suggests a completely new knot. I liked it and decided to give it a go. It’s like learning how to tie your laces all over again, and it was a bit weird the first time I tried it, but with a little bit of practise I got there, and I think this is the way I’ll tie my running shoes from now on.
The run today was excellent; I feel full of energy, which I presume is a result of the additional rest the taper so far has provided. I was really frustrated that yesterday was a rest day. On Sunday I was very much looking forward to the next run, and was slightly shocked when I realised that this week incorporates an extra rest day, but decided to stick to the program. Today I felt really good, and despite the fact that I didn’t particularly push the pace, I came back with a sub-8 mins/mile average time, which is quite unusual. I am well able to run under 8 mins/mile, but usually I have to push the pace. Today I was just cruising along at some decent speed, and was surprised at the end that I had been so fast. Not that I’m complaining. I just feel more confident about the marathon – better be careful, I don’t want to get cocky ;-)
14 Mar: 12 miles, 1:34, 7:50 pace
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Not a Racer
There was a 10k in Adare today, about 90 minutes drive from here. I was thinking about going, but decided yesterday not to bother. That’s the third race in a row I have missed voluntarily. There was a 10 miler in Mallow (90 mins drive) in January, a 5 miler near Cork (2 hrs drive) three weeks ago, and now the 10k today. I thought about this during my run today, and came to the decision that I simply don’t particularly like racing. Now that probably sounds strange, I am doing all this running and then I don’t want to race? Well, think about it that way. I ran for a good hour today, directly from home, which means that I was home again after that hour. If I had gone to the race, I would have had to drive 90 minutes each way, spend a good time there before and after the race, and with the race itself we are talking about 5 hours absence from home. That’s an additional 4 hours away from my family, and family time is very precious to me, especially on weekends. The only race I did this year was a 5k in Dublin, where we happened to be at the time, and I didn’t have to drive far. Bringing the family to the race isn’t an option as Niamh refuses to have three kids running around and with nobody to help her looking after them.
So, it looks like I won’t be doing much racing for the foreseeable future. I’m fine with that. The runs I have enjoyed the most this year so far were the two twenty milers in nice conditions, with the moon shining on the first one and the stars being so brilliant for the second one. Compare that with the race that I could have run today, a 10k after a lot of time in the car, and where I would have been lucky to finish something like 112th out of 250 racers.
Having said all that, I am still looking forward to the marathon. Marathons are different; they are the focus of my training, not some afterthought. Plus, Niamh and the kids are coming to Connemara with me and we’re making it a family weekend away.
Oh, and the run today was fine. I decided to run all the way up to the summit of the Devil’s Elbow. That’s a climb of about 200 meters and definitely counts as a tough hill workout. The last 2 minutes until the summit were not runnable, due to it being a very steep, stony and muddy trail. The view up there was breathtaking (it’s the one you can see in my header, but it looks much better in 3D), but the wind was rather cold and I didn’t stay there but turned back immediately to run back home. I felt full of energy when I rejoined the road and decided to run the last 2 miles at speed, probably close to 7 mins/mile. I don’t know how long the distance overall was, my guess would be 7.5 miles.
Finally, Good Luck to Jack, who is running his marathon as I write these words.
12 Mar: 7.5 miles (est.), 1:05, 8:40 pace (est.)
So, it looks like I won’t be doing much racing for the foreseeable future. I’m fine with that. The runs I have enjoyed the most this year so far were the two twenty milers in nice conditions, with the moon shining on the first one and the stars being so brilliant for the second one. Compare that with the race that I could have run today, a 10k after a lot of time in the car, and where I would have been lucky to finish something like 112th out of 250 racers.
Having said all that, I am still looking forward to the marathon. Marathons are different; they are the focus of my training, not some afterthought. Plus, Niamh and the kids are coming to Connemara with me and we’re making it a family weekend away.
Oh, and the run today was fine. I decided to run all the way up to the summit of the Devil’s Elbow. That’s a climb of about 200 meters and definitely counts as a tough hill workout. The last 2 minutes until the summit were not runnable, due to it being a very steep, stony and muddy trail. The view up there was breathtaking (it’s the one you can see in my header, but it looks much better in 3D), but the wind was rather cold and I didn’t stay there but turned back immediately to run back home. I felt full of energy when I rejoined the road and decided to run the last 2 miles at speed, probably close to 7 mins/mile. I don’t know how long the distance overall was, my guess would be 7.5 miles.
Finally, Good Luck to Jack, who is running his marathon as I write these words.
12 Mar: 7.5 miles (est.), 1:05, 8:40 pace (est.)
Thursday, March 09, 2006
The Eye of the Storm
My, doesn’t time fly. I can’t believe today was Intervals again! Actually, they have grown on me. The main reason for this is probably the fact that they are over so quickly, thus enabling me to get some much-needed sleep.
I woke at 5:50 (after only one interruption in the night – wahey!), and the weather out there was rather wild – I could hear the wind and the rain, and thought about skipping today’s workout. Then I remembered that I had already had a rest day yesterday, and I won’t be able to make up for it because I might run a race on Sunday, and I would feel guilty, and … and before I could think any more, I got up.
I actually got very lucky. When I left home it had nearly stopped raining and the wind had calmed down considerably, and I got my workout done in decent conditions. I was planning on 5x600s, which for me means running hard for 2:30 mins, and 90 seconds of recovery. When I ran the first interval, I checked the watch – oh dear, 2:40 gone already, I have done too much. Never mind. Then I did the second interval, eventually checked my watch and – 2:50 gone. Oops. I managed to do the third one to the correct time, but believe it or not, I again overshot my target on the fourth interval. After the fifth, and supposedly final one I once again didn’t feel tired enough and added a sixth one. You could argue that maybe I didn’t run the 5 planned intervals hard enough, but my heart rate was up there at 182, which is 96% of my max HR, so I’d say I ran them pretty hard. Maybe all the training has made me stronger - well, that’s ok by me.
I got back home, and by the time I left again for work the rain and the storm were back, and it’s been a miserable day all day. I really must have managed to get the only calm hour of the day to get my workout done. This should make up for Tuesday’s atrocious timing.
9 Mar: 6.5 miles, 55:23, 8:31 pace, including 6x600 (roughly) intervals
I woke at 5:50 (after only one interruption in the night – wahey!), and the weather out there was rather wild – I could hear the wind and the rain, and thought about skipping today’s workout. Then I remembered that I had already had a rest day yesterday, and I won’t be able to make up for it because I might run a race on Sunday, and I would feel guilty, and … and before I could think any more, I got up.
I actually got very lucky. When I left home it had nearly stopped raining and the wind had calmed down considerably, and I got my workout done in decent conditions. I was planning on 5x600s, which for me means running hard for 2:30 mins, and 90 seconds of recovery. When I ran the first interval, I checked the watch – oh dear, 2:40 gone already, I have done too much. Never mind. Then I did the second interval, eventually checked my watch and – 2:50 gone. Oops. I managed to do the third one to the correct time, but believe it or not, I again overshot my target on the fourth interval. After the fifth, and supposedly final one I once again didn’t feel tired enough and added a sixth one. You could argue that maybe I didn’t run the 5 planned intervals hard enough, but my heart rate was up there at 182, which is 96% of my max HR, so I’d say I ran them pretty hard. Maybe all the training has made me stronger - well, that’s ok by me.
I got back home, and by the time I left again for work the rain and the storm were back, and it’s been a miserable day all day. I really must have managed to get the only calm hour of the day to get my workout done. This should make up for Tuesday’s atrocious timing.
9 Mar: 6.5 miles, 55:23, 8:31 pace, including 6x600 (roughly) intervals
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