In the park with Frank, 2016

The almost annual post of the 10 mile in the race series.

After a decent result at the recent 10k, I was happy enough about my fitness levels and prospects for the upcoming run. With a previous PB of 1:04:44 for 10 miles, I had hoped I could beat that.
I didn't over do the taper, the marathon training still has to go on, so really I just didn't run on Friday.
Thursday was just the easy 9 as previous post, with very little energy on that day.
The next day, Friday, I was just as lethargic, and I went to bed at 10pm, which is very early for me, and got a pretty good night sleep.
The weather forecast for Saturday was for wind and rain, but ever the optimist, I figured it would probably actually be quite good, hopefully. Well how wrong I was, it was absolutely bucketing down with rain, and gale force winds. When I woke and looked out the window, I nearly didn't go at all.
But I figured it might clear up by the time I got there.

No such luck, it didn't ease a bit. After two minutes out of the car,my was cold and getting wet. I had put a black bin bag under my jacket and over my t shirt, and that kept me pretty dry, that and large groups of runners sheltering under trees, looking like groups of penguins in the artic huddling for shelter.
Eventually I has to do somewhat of a warmup, but it was a pretty poor one at that.bwith the poor conditions, everyone kind of left it until very close to start time to get into position. When I went to get in line, I couldn't see the time zones. I did see the sub 80 minutes sign, so I jumped in at that point. Looking around, I had an idea I was probably a bit far back, but I consoled myself with the fact it was chip start and finish.
At the start gun....... Nothing happened. I was so far back, it took me 27 seconds to get across the start line. I spent the first frustrating mile trying to pass multitudes of runners. Eventually, after two difficult miles trying to get past slower runners, the way freed up, and I reckoned I was where I probably should be, and I settled into a better rhythm.
The wind was ridiculous in parts, with very little shelter. At around 4 miles I came up behind two runners from the Dunboyne club, and I decided to cheekily tuck in behind them for some shelter. This proved to be an inspired move, as after a while it was evident that they were running the exact same target pace as me, at 6:20 per mile.
I stuck with them for pretty much the rest of the race. We took it in turns to lead our little group, which soon became four, and then five runners, running to the front to shelter the runners behind.
At just after 8 miles we hit the hill, and after that at mile 9 they pulled away slightly. I had to let them go with about 600 meters to run, and they crossed just ahead of me with one other from the group of our five. Crossing the line, I was fairly spent, the clock showed 1:04:27. I didn't know at that point what the exact time was, as I didn't know how long it took me to get over the line. Turns out, it was 1:04:00. A new PB, and actually 15 seconds quicker than my Dunboyne runners on chip time.

Pretty happy with that. I would have been fairly confident that in better conditions I would have knocked another 20 or 30 seconds, but that will be for next years plan. Off to the car fairly sharpish to dry off and change.
Sunday was an easy 2 hours, half of which I did on grass, and it was 14.5 miles.
Rest day Monday. Today, a mile warm-up, with 3x2 miles at 6:20 pace. A bit of a tough one, average was a few seconds quicker but not much, the weekend still very much in the legs.
Next target the Dublin half marathon, a well needed holiday in a week will interrupt the training slightly, but there is a good gym on then ship, it's the motivation that might be lacking!

Just another one so.

Progress is fairly steady.

Since the last 10k race I have been training fairly consistently. Again, the only thing getting slightly neglected are the tempo runs.
For two weekends in a row, the plan was 16 miles, target pace 30 seconds slower than marathon pace.
Both times, I did 17, and at a 7:15 pace, which was slightly faster than prescribed. However, the pace and distance both felt very comfortable. I have been taking an energy chew at 11 miles each time, and  it really gives me a kick by 13 miles. I can't help feeling I am cheating though. I intend to push the distance out at which I take the chew, but as I intend to use them during the marathon, I need to practice using them.
Weekly mileage is around 50. The one thing that is going well are the speed sessions.
I went to run the Duleek 10k last Sunday. Conditions were good, but Duleek is kind of my nemesis. Last year I didn't break 40 minutes, and the previous year I got an almighty stitch in my side and had to pull up and walk the last mile. It is not an easy course, with a particularly long energy sapping drag on the back straight. I went out with the watch set at 6:10. It all went pretty well, but I finished at 38:26. On the plus side, that's two 10k's within three weeks fairly consistent times around the 38:20.
Again, after I drove home, I went out for a 9 mile run, which gave me 17 for the day.
On Monday I felt a lot better than I had after the previous similar session, and I went out for an easy 9.
Tuesday was a speed session, two miles warmup, 10x400 at 5:40 pace, and two miles cool down.
Wednesday was a rest day, primarily because it rained heavily all day.
Today was an easy 9 miles again. The only thing is that today I felt like someone had plugged me out. I had no energy, and the legs felt really heavy, which was surprising given I had a rest day the day before.
Another rest day tomorrow as I have the Frank Duffy 10 mile on Saturday. Not sure how that will go. I would hope to run well, but that depends on whether my energy levels come back up.