The month of Febuary 2014 was not a very good month for running outdoors, and I think most runners would agree that is a safe statement to make. Mileage for the month was a lot less than expected, coming in somewhere around 150 when today and tomorrow are done. This was mostly down to the stormy week where I only got 20 miles done, combined with a very busy time at work.
last weeks mileage was much better, with somewhere around 45 done. Tuesday's speed session with Gary was one of the toughest for a very long time. It was 7 reps of 4 mins at 10k pace, with 90 secs jog recovery. I always try to push the pace on these slightly, so I ran these at 6 min mile pace or slightly faster, which is my 5 mile pace. With warmup and cool down it was 7 miles.
Thursdays tempo session was again a 7 mile tempo and i ran this one at 6.30 pace. The last mile was very hard, and I was still feeling the effort from Tuesday nights session, with an easy 10k on Wednesday not helping. Mile 7 of the tempo was 6.40, with 9.5 miles for the session.
Rest day Friday, and given that I had Saturday off work I decided to give the new local parkrun in the grounds of Ardgillan castle a go. It was a nice morning, although the field of runners was probably slightly smaller than usual as there was a local 5k charity run which attracted a big group.
The grounds of Ardgillan are beautiful, but very, very, and did i mention, very, hilly! This is not a PB course, and is very challenging. There was a good turnout from our club, with Danny, Glen, Brian M and Michelle and myself taking part. Brian C was there pointing and shooting, his camera.
The first two miles are mostly downhill or slightly undulating, but then you have to get back up the hill you came down. I was in front from the start, taking it easy enough on the downhill section. I started to pull away from the runners behind at about half way, and finished comfortably ahead of the next place runner, coming in first and setting a new course record for age category. Kieron from our club usually finishes first in this event, but was running the cross country event in Dunboyne the next day, so I was happy to keep his place warm for him. Its the first time I have ever come first in any type of race, ever, in my life, and I was pretty pleased. After coffee and cake, myself and the two Brians did 9 miles around the roads.
I have had a very busy time at work recently, and was delighted to win a significant promotion this week. Apart from a lot more work and responsibility, it means I now work Monday to Friday, which of course means I can enter a lot more races! Bohermeen is this weekend, and while I hope to do well, I am doubtful of a PB. The weather forecast looks good at the moment so fingers crossed.
Thursday 27 February 2014
Saturday 8 February 2014
Ups and downs
I haven't posted for a while, training has just been ticking along. After the high of breaking the 30 mins at Raheny, the next few days training went well enough. By Friday however, I was feeling really tired. It may have been that my running had all been pretty fast paced.
Monday I did a 6 mile recovery, Tuesday was speed training with Gary, Wednesday I did hills and Thursday I did my tempo. After 1 mile warmup for the tempo, I did 5 miles at 6.20 pace. I had to stop at 5, I just felt weak and drained, and rather than pushing on I stopped. I ran 2 recovery miles home, only because I had to get home somehow!
I took Friday and Saturday off. The weather was dreadful on Saturday anyway, but as I was out and about in the car I encountered many people out running. They were getting soaked, it was blowing a gale, but they were still out. I felt quite guilty about not getting soaked myself, but part of me thought, are they nuts? Does it mean you are a serious runner if you are out getting soaked in gale force winds, and I am not? Whatever the answer, when I went out Sunday, in the sunshine, I felt pretty good after the rest.
I had intended to do half marathon distance at 7 min miles, but once out I got a bit carried away. I knew the feel of the pace would not be the same at mile 10 as mile 2, and true enough, miles 12 and 13 were pretty tough! I finished on slightly negative splits, last 2 miles at 6.40 for a 1.29.32. The target was 1.30 for the training run, but again I felt a bit worn out at the end, and I worry about my target for the upcoming Bohermeen half the first weekend in March.
Starting into this week I felt a bit better again, I had a few days off work, some good quality sleep, and the weather was better on Monday for my 6 mile recovery. Tuesday morning was beautiful and I contemplated going out for a run, or dong my own speed session on the track as the weather was forecast to get worse as the day went on but I decide to wait and hope it was ok for Garys session at 8pm. By 7.30 it was a full blown storm. I didn't believe anyone would turn up, but they did. Again, I decided not to go into the storm, opting instead for the dry warm house.
I did a good steady hill session Wednesday. Thursday was tempo day again, and I was interested to see how it would go. After the mile warmup, it was off for 7 miles and I decided on a 6.30 pace.
As always, the first two miles were good, holding back a little, and happily the rest went well too. I finished with 6.27 avg pace for the 7 miles, and although it was tough enough, with the run home I covered 9.5 miles, and i felt pretty good.
The test would be the next day. I headed out for 9 miles of hills, and while not at an easy pace, I was looking for about 7.10 avg. I finished 10 miles, and the last two were very tough. Again towards the end I felt like stopping, but kept going, again mostly because I had to get home.
While I seem to be having ups and downs with enthusiasm for the running at the moment, I am still putting in around 45 miles a week, just the days I am running are tending to be longer runs now. Again, for January, I more than doubled the miles I did last year. The weather I believe certainly has an effect on my desire to run some days, and work is pretty busy at the moment too. Looking back over my posts for the last few months, I see that I have gone through at least two of these down cycles before, and I am sure they will pass. I suppose I don't need to run every day, mostly its just six days, feelings of guilt creep in at only 5 done. Maybe this is why the wife reckons I have a problem!
Either way, I am certainly looking forward to the longer evenings and the end to this weather cycle.
Monday I did a 6 mile recovery, Tuesday was speed training with Gary, Wednesday I did hills and Thursday I did my tempo. After 1 mile warmup for the tempo, I did 5 miles at 6.20 pace. I had to stop at 5, I just felt weak and drained, and rather than pushing on I stopped. I ran 2 recovery miles home, only because I had to get home somehow!
I took Friday and Saturday off. The weather was dreadful on Saturday anyway, but as I was out and about in the car I encountered many people out running. They were getting soaked, it was blowing a gale, but they were still out. I felt quite guilty about not getting soaked myself, but part of me thought, are they nuts? Does it mean you are a serious runner if you are out getting soaked in gale force winds, and I am not? Whatever the answer, when I went out Sunday, in the sunshine, I felt pretty good after the rest.
I had intended to do half marathon distance at 7 min miles, but once out I got a bit carried away. I knew the feel of the pace would not be the same at mile 10 as mile 2, and true enough, miles 12 and 13 were pretty tough! I finished on slightly negative splits, last 2 miles at 6.40 for a 1.29.32. The target was 1.30 for the training run, but again I felt a bit worn out at the end, and I worry about my target for the upcoming Bohermeen half the first weekend in March.
Starting into this week I felt a bit better again, I had a few days off work, some good quality sleep, and the weather was better on Monday for my 6 mile recovery. Tuesday morning was beautiful and I contemplated going out for a run, or dong my own speed session on the track as the weather was forecast to get worse as the day went on but I decide to wait and hope it was ok for Garys session at 8pm. By 7.30 it was a full blown storm. I didn't believe anyone would turn up, but they did. Again, I decided not to go into the storm, opting instead for the dry warm house.
I did a good steady hill session Wednesday. Thursday was tempo day again, and I was interested to see how it would go. After the mile warmup, it was off for 7 miles and I decided on a 6.30 pace.
As always, the first two miles were good, holding back a little, and happily the rest went well too. I finished with 6.27 avg pace for the 7 miles, and although it was tough enough, with the run home I covered 9.5 miles, and i felt pretty good.
The test would be the next day. I headed out for 9 miles of hills, and while not at an easy pace, I was looking for about 7.10 avg. I finished 10 miles, and the last two were very tough. Again towards the end I felt like stopping, but kept going, again mostly because I had to get home.
While I seem to be having ups and downs with enthusiasm for the running at the moment, I am still putting in around 45 miles a week, just the days I am running are tending to be longer runs now. Again, for January, I more than doubled the miles I did last year. The weather I believe certainly has an effect on my desire to run some days, and work is pretty busy at the moment too. Looking back over my posts for the last few months, I see that I have gone through at least two of these down cycles before, and I am sure they will pass. I suppose I don't need to run every day, mostly its just six days, feelings of guilt creep in at only 5 done. Maybe this is why the wife reckons I have a problem!
Either way, I am certainly looking forward to the longer evenings and the end to this weather cycle.
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