Something New

After about 450 miles on Kerry’s tarmac roads, I have finally found a running option with soft surface: Rossbeigh beach, over 2.5 straight miles of sandy beach each way. Unfortunately it is only available at low tide and I don’t even want to think about how windy it can get there, but my shins are crying out for a soft running surface.
I went there yesterday with the best wife of all, she had a swim and I had a 40 minutes run. As you get to the tip of the peninsula, the surface is very soft and running on it is quite tough, but it is definitely something I will do again. I also had a swim in the water afterwards (on strict order from the missus), which, I suppose, also worked as icing of the shins. It might even be possible to run from our house to Rossbeigh, do 5 or 6 miles on there and run back, which would make it a 20 mile trip. I will think about it.

More Pain

My shin splints are hurting again, and I haven't done any running since Tuesday. Bugger.

Intervals

I did my first “proper” VO2max session yesterday. The aim is to increase your maximum oxygen intake, and to do that you run intervals at up to 98% of your max heart rate. I don’t have an athletic track, so I had to have to guess the distance of 600 meters. I did 5 repeats, as ordered in the training plan, and it went ok, with my heart rate up to 182 – I can assure you, that is rather high. I felt a painful twinge in my hamstring for the 36 hours after that, but it seems to be ok now.
I definitely have to be careful with my shin splints, I could feel the by now familiar pain in my left leg all day today, so I decided to skip today’s 11 miles run. I will probably do a run on Friday, and then a long one on Sunday, that would still leave me at about 35 miles this week, which is significantly less than in the weeks before my injury. I am obviously guessing wildly here on how much mileage my battered leg can take at the moment. If the pain gets worse it means I’ve got it wrong.

Back on the Beat

I stopped running for about 10 days, and started again a few days ago. I did 6.7 miles on Wednesday, at an insane speed of 6:24 per mile, and that over a course with a climb of 60 or 70 meters elevation. I didn’t even know that I could run that fast, never mind doing so after being out injured. I obviously had loads of energy to unload. Subsequent runs were a bit more relaxed, and on Sunday I tackled my first long run, 17 miles, but on a very flat course. I’m on Valentia island at the moment, and the Good Thing about running here is that the roads are very quiet and you have a good choice between running along the shore (flat as a pancake) or up the hills. The Bad Thing is wind – lots of it, and then some more. If you take a map of Ireland, well, Valentia is right there at the western edge, and then there is nothing but water – nothing to stop the wind. Hence half of my 17 miler was run against an increasingly strong headwind, strong enough to nearly causing me to stop a few times, but I eventually managed to toughen it out. It is amazing how quickly your endurance goes. Four weeks ago I ran 20 miles without any problems, and yesterday I felt an overpowering urge to do anything but keep running after only 9 miles!
I also bought a new pair of shoes, because I had done 400 miles in the old pair, and I have decided to replace any recovery runs with cycling, to give my shins a bit of a rest. That brings my weekly running mileage to about 40 or 45 miles, and I hope that I will be able to handle this without aggravating my injury any further. The marathon is only 6 weeks off, and another injury would surely stop me in my tracks.
Here’s hoping for the best.

Cursed!

I suppose it all went too well and it was only a matter of time until my first serious setback: I’ve got shin splints, a moderately painful injury in my right lower leg. I have started to feel it a few weeks ago, but, being an inexperienced runner, did not know what it was. Now it has got worse, and to avoid aggravating it even further, I have decided to stop running for at least a week. I don’t want to lose my fitness, I have worked far too hard to get so far, so I went cycling on Sunday, 15.5 miles around Caragh Lake, and that included a 3 miles climb from 15 to 200 meters above sea level. The average heart rate was way lower that it would have been while running, so I really hope I will be able to get back to running sooner rather than later.

Heavy Pounding

Bank Holiday Weekends are there to relax, put your feet up and enjoy a few days of peace and quiet – unless you’re training for a marathon that is!

I was supposed to do a 6 miles recovery run on Saturday, mixed with 6x100m stride-outs. I ran it way too fast! I still have to get to grips with how to combine a recovery run with stride-outs, the last time I attempted it I was too fast as well.
Sunday’s run was special, a 15 miler with 12 miles at full marathon race pace, quite a challenge, not helped by my idiocy the day before. At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it at speed because my thighs felt rather heavy, but as the run went on I just kept plucking away, and managed to finish the distance in 1 hour 59 minutes, that’s 7:56 per mile, which was very satisfying. My average heart rate was 163, probably the highest average heart rate I’ve ever had, especially over such a long distance. It was a really good confidence booster though, because I was still running very strongly on the last mile, in fact I sprinted back home.

Monday was not only a rest day but a bank holiday as well, but instead of being able to put up my feet and relax I had to go to the wildlife park in Fota, Co. Cork, with the children, where we spent over 4 hours walking around. The kids absolutely loved it, but it certainly wasn’t a recovery from my point of view.
Today’s 8 miles run was okay, but I am getting more and more familiar with the concept of Running on Tired Legs! What’s more, tomorrow is the first VO2max session, and you are supposed to be rested and relaxed for that. I guess we shall see how it goes.

Running on Tired Legs

Whoever designed my training schedule must have had a sadistic streak. Only three days after the 20 miles run it called for a mid-week 14 miles run. Not only was I still stiff from the weekend’s effort, it also meant I had to get up at 5:20 in the morning. On the plus side it meant a tranquil run in a beautiful setting with hardly anyone on the road, at least initially. The run was not too bad, but I could definitely still feel the effects of Sunday in my legs, and the longer the run went on the more my hamstrings were hurting. Luckily headwind or dogs didn’t bother me this time, and I managed to get back home in reasonable shape, but I am really tired now. There is still no rest for the weary, tomorrow calls for another 6 mile recovery run, but at least this week’s mileage is lower that last week, a mere 47 miles, and I have already covered 20 of those.

Long Long Long

20 miles sounded like a very long run, especially after the torturous 18 miles run two weeks ago. I woke up a couple of times the night before and it was raining heavily each time – not too encouraging. But the rain stopped in the morning, and temperature wise it was perfect. The strong wind was less so, and from mile 6 to 11 I was constantly running against an increasingly strong head wind. I suddenly got a stitch in my side, something that had never happened before since I started running in earnest. It was then that I got aware of my breathing. Instead of taking a breath every four steps I did so every three. I consciously changed my breathing pattern and the stitch disappeared. Apart from that there was no problem, I changed my running route from mile 13 to the finish to run in the woods toward Ard Na Sidhe, thus avoiding more wind.
Considering how long a run it was, I felt amazingly well, I was still running strong on the last mile. I was pretty tired for the rest of the day though, and today I’m quite stiff. Nevertheless, I’m pleased how well it went. There won’t be any longer runs than this for the rest of the training schedule (though there will be two more 20 milers), and to go through a run like this feeling fairly well is a tremendous confidence booster.

Long Ones

This week the mileage is seriously cranking up. 12 miles on Wednesday, 11 today (including 6 miles at LT speed), and the longest run is yet to come, 20 miles on Sunday. Add to that two shorter recovery runs and you have one big week. Well, not by athletic elite standards, but certainly by mine.
Additionally I had to endure a test of character yesterday, as the company organised a barbeque with free drinks. Most other guys (and the girls!) got drunk, and I was there with my glass of water. On the plus side, I’m the one without the splitting headache today.
The LT run today was great, I enjoy pushing myself harder, and I can already feel the effects of previous tempo runs on my fitness.
The missus yesterday mentioned to a friend that I got up at 6 am to go running (actually, it had been 5:30), and she recommended that I should go for a psychiatric treatment!

City Life is not for me

I think it’s fair to say that if I lived in Dublin, I would not have taken up running as a hobby. Most of the pathways are concrete, which is really bad for your knees, and where they are tarmac they tend to be so uneven that you have to be very careful to go over your ankles. Add to that that on each crossing you either have to break your rhythm or risk your life.
I didn’t realise that South Dublin is so hilly! Running up either Kill Lane or Newtownpark Avenue is a challenge, take my word for it.
I still managed the 37 miles I had intended, and the training is going quite well, to be honest. This week is going to be tough, with 54 miles, and a 20 miler on the weekend.

It felt like hell!

The 18 miles run just 14 hours after the Killarney 5km fun run was pure torture. It didn’t help that the sun came out after 4 miles and was burning down relentlessly. I had chosen on a new route towards the McGillycuddy Reeks and that included a 3 miles stretch where the road continually went uphill. At least coming down the other way was easy! The worst thing was that I ran out of water 4 miles before the end. I didn’t drink enough before my run and felt thirsty soon enough, which is always a bad sign. Anyway, 2.5 miles before the end I asked an old lady if I could have a drink of water, because I was really dehydrated. She seemed actually please to have someone to talk to for a minute or two. Anyway, after thanking her several times (and really meaning it!) I went on for the last stretch home which now felt much easier. I was glad to come home though, mind. The whole run took over 2 hours 40 minutes.

Thoughts about Friday's Killarney 5km Fun Run

• Don't eat a dinner just an hour before the run
  DOH!
  
• Don’t wait behind some, well, heavier runner at the starting line. They are bound to slow you down when you try to overtake them.
  Fell for that one
  
• Don’t run behind some good-looking girl and stare at her behind instead of overtaking her.
  Managed to avoid that one. Just.
  
• Don’t run the race the day after an 11 miles run, and the day before an 18 miles long run. On the other hand, that is fine as long as you’re treating the race as part of the marathon training.
  I did the latter one, obviously.
  
• Don’t worry about some overweight fellow overtaking you after 500 meters. You will catch him 1 km further on at the very latest.
  Yup
  
• Don’t worry about some kid not older than 8 or maybe 10 years in front of you. You will finally pass him on the last km.
  Yup
  
• Don’t worry about the maybe 70 years old granddad in front of you either. You will finally catch him on the hill just before the end.
  Yup
  
• If this is your first ever race over 5km, despite the fact that you have already finished two marathons, you’re doing that running thing the odd way round
  I know
  
• Anyway, finishing within 21:50 despite being tired from the day before and despite not running all out because you’re conscious of the 18 miles run waiting for you just 14 hours later isn’t bad.
  At least I hope so.
  

Reality Bites Yet Again

The Good Lady Wife has informed me rather late that she made an executive decision that the whole family are going to spend next week in Dublin. She even pretended to have discussed that with me (which she had not) and that I had agreed (which I definitely did not). As I don’t fancy running 50 miles through Dublin’s traffic, I decided to up this week’s quota and have next week as a recovery week instead. Of course we are already in the middle of the week, but my total so far is only one mile less than scheduled, and I can live with that I guess. To further complicate matters, I will have to do this week’s long run on Saturday rather than Sunday because there is no way I can run 18 miles in the morning and then share the drive up to Dublin.

I’ll handle it, I’m sure.

Here Comes the Rain Again

A run of 17 miles sounded very daunting, and I was somehow dreading it all Saturday, but when I got going, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared it would be. The biggest problem was the weather. It was raining very heavily when I intended to go out, so I delayed for about 20 minutes, when the sun was shining again. All went well for two hours, when, at 14 miles, the mother of all downpours erupted. It was raining so hard that I first thought it was hail stoning. There was not much I could do about it, apart from keeping running. It rained for less than 20 minutes, so the last mile was run in full sunshine again, but I was soaked all the way through, and rather glad when I got home. The whole run took 2 hours 26 minutes, which I was pleased with.

This was the longest run I have ever done in one go without any walking breaks, so I am definitely getting a lot fitter. The first phase of the training schedule is now complete, next week is a recovery week with “only” 36 or so miles to go, and then the lactate sessions phase will begin. Somehow, in my weird way, I am actually looking forward to that.

Gone to the Dogs again

I managed to get through the two hard days without too much troubles, but I am quite tired now. Walking up the staircase into the office was a challenge, but I had just completed 24 miles within 36 hours. I’ll recover over the next two days, but Sunday’s 17 miler looks daunting now.

After about 2 miles there was a cyclist coming the other way, followed by two dogs – the same two idiotic dogs that had been bothering me last week. He asked me to make them follow me instead of him, which I really hoped they wouldn’t do, but they did indeed. Luckily, when we passed their home, they stayed there and I could continue undisturbed.

I’m a bit worried that my running speed seems to decrease, at the moment I’m struggling to reach 8:30 per mile, something I could do easily at the beginning of the training. I hope it is just because of the increase in training intensity and will be ok once my body gets used to it, and not a sign of over-training.

Reality Bites!

A few weeks ago I stupidly decided to give the wife a special surprise and got her 2 tickets for a concert of some aging overrated rock-group in Dublin (all right, U2 in Croke Park, the hottest tickets in the country by far), and now I’m paying the price. She went off Sunday morning and won’t be back until Tuesday, and I’m the one minding the children, thus no running. To get somewhat around this I did my 15 miler on Saturday rather than on Sunday, and got up at 5:20 on Sunday so that I could do my 4 miles recovery run before she left.

Yes, I was totally wrecked on Sunday.

Monday is a rest day anyway, but I had planned a hard tempo run for Tuesday morning, which will now be impossible. I might be able to do an easy 5 miles on Tuesday evening, the tempo run on Wednesday and 10 miles on Thursday, thus matching the pre-planned mileage, but I will have to see if I can handle two hard days like this in a row. Sigh. It always sucks when real life interferes with your plans, doesn’t it?

alarm troubles

I’m really losing it. I set my alarm in time for my 10 miles run today, and set it for 5:20 instead of 5:40. I didn’t even notice at first, only wondered why it was still so dark. I didn’t even get any extra sleep when I went back to bed eventually, because our youngest one must have heard me getting up and demanded a) a bottle and b) some attention.

Apart from that the run went well, the miles were just flying by. Only problem is that I didn’t wear any of my usual running shorts because they were all in the wash, and the pair I wore were just a little bit too tight, not tight enough to be uncomfortable, but tight enough to cause chafing. Ouch. I hope it will have cleared up by Sunday, because a 15 miler with aching legs is not my idea of fun.

I hate dogs!

Actually, I love dogs. I used to have one when I was a child, until it died of old age when I was 16 or 17. But when I’m out running, things are different. Dogs that bark are a nuisance, but dogs that chase you are worse. Exactly that happened today. With 2.5 miles left on my run, those two stupid dogs started to come after me. They didn’t try to bite me, they just kept running alongside, and twice very nearly tripped me up. I tried to shoo them away, I shouted at them, and one stage, when it was getting too much, I even tried to kick one of them (no chance :-) ), but nothing helped. They kept following me until I got home (2.5 miles away from their home), and even tried to enter our house!

In fact, those stupid animals were still there when I left for work nearly 90 minutes later! Can you believe that?

The run was okay, apart from those last miles when I kept getting out of rhythm. I hate dogs!

Putting on the miles

I’ve noticed that I mentioned my heart rate in four of the last five entries, so I’ll leave it out for a while, or I might sound obsessed with it. Saturday’s four miles run was easy enough, but the 14 miles on Sunday were rather tough going. Usually I get into cruise-control-mode after about two miles, when the running becomes automatic and the miles just fly past. Not so yesterday, I had to push myself all the way, and was really knackered at the end of it. It was a warm day, and by the time I finished the run at 11 o’clock, the sun was really burning down.

Having to bring the kids to the pet farm in the afternoon (and staying there for 2 and a half hours) didn’t do much for me either. I’m exhausted today. Then again, I've just finished a 40 miles week, which is definitely the most I've ever run in one week.

Windy Conditions

I must be completely bonkers, because I got up at 5:40 in the morning for my 10 miles run, despite hearing the wind and rain outside. Getting out of the house was delayed by 5 minutes, because I was watching our kittens (4 weeks old) running around the hall and one daringly made it into the kitchen. They are incredibly cute at the moment, and I had to stay and watch them for a while rather than storming out of the house immediately.

The run was fine, I noticed that I must be getting fitter, because on the same run last week my average heart rate was 162, and today it was 158, despite running in quite windy conditions. Actually the wind wasn’t too bad, the road along Caragh Lake is quite sheltered, and there is just the odd spot where you feel the full force.

All in all, the training is going very well so far.