6.7km in 28:48. went through 1st mile in 6:48 feeling good, turn at sub 14 & hit mini roundabout in 19:37, not so bad, I thought I was on for sub 28 at once stage but no chance really! effort was comfortably hard overall.
Tough week to run because of college commitments. Just had no time to get out at all. Cycled in & out all week though as weather was favourable so about 40kms of cycling in the legs because of that, no running since last post so expected to feel tired with alot of late night etc going against the cause, but actually felt fine.
Ran at a reasonable hour so it was bright, no rain & slightly cool. A good tune up run. & absolutely no problems with the knee so that's good...
pace was good & gave it a good push in the last km. good stuff.Obviously, need more endurance for craughwell but I have to prioritise my time. Next 3 weeks I'll do longer runs. 3 weeks for pure running coming up once we break up for easter so looking forward to that, until then it's a matter of maintaining my fitness & then continuing with the speed work (through my exams) that I satrter during easter whilst building for 5km series. have 3 5k races planned before the series itself starts so I reckon sub 19 is going to happen this year. Definitely.
Should be a good year. after this then I'll be free to ramp up the training volume so things are looking up...
This has been my first winter where I've been training all through it & have managed to keep my fitness up & can run 6:30 min miles all year round, that's good consistency. long may that continue...
Been paying close attention the Irish elections all this weekend. What utter drivel! it's gonna be a disaster no matter who gets in... best to ignore it then eh...
Sunday, 28 February 2016
Friday, 19 February 2016
Easy Ride
The 10km as planned didn't happen, the prospect of studying after a week of assessments didn't seem too appealing so I opted to clean my room instead. Before I knew it, it was 8pm (& I hadn't eaten since lunchtime). But more importantly, my knee has been giving me trouble on & off all day. Don't know what it is but it's a somewhat severe tenderness on the left side of my right kneecap upon touching it. I also can't do squats either (I can bear weight on it no problem, but bending the knee is the issue) Probably just some mild inflammation...
I can run 100% fine on it though, I verified this by going out to the track at around 10pm for a few laps just to see how it'd behave. You just know whether you'll be able to run on it & I reckoned I could. I just didn't fancy being 3 miles into my run & suddenly have to walk home after being forced to pull up with pain in knee (eg from Cappagh road etc) - not fun. I'm also developing a cold so it was all just bad timing. Been up late with college this week so immune system down a bit too.
Absolutely no problems whatsoever on the track... even the 1 mile cycle down was a pleasure. To cut a long story short I put it down to "stiffness" (due to unknown reasons). For now I'll do an ostrich, bury my head in the sand, train as normal (8 miler on Sunday etc) ignore it & hope it's just one of those odd twinges that comes & goes in running.
As ever, I'm more curious now than anything else really as to what it might be (even if it isn't, as of yet, causing me a direct problem) Lets just hope that that's all there is to it. I am doing nothing wrong volume wise so there is no reason for my knee to be protesting. I don't mind being injured at all (this isn't an injury - I even did some 100m sprints - albeit rather cautiously) as long as I know how & why it happened & how long I've to wait to resume full training. It's the uncertainty that does it for me, I hate inconsistency... But it's this sort of stuff that makes running so respectable & humbling which in turn always brings you back for more.
Let's hope it'll blow over. Nothing to really worry about, some stretching & rolling out the IT band etc with rolling pin & it should be fine. No worries!
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
Mettle Tester
10.4km - 46:41.Tough going today I tell ya... it was late evening when I got out (the pounding rain didn't help either), didn't realise how annoying the paths were going to be as there were 2 that I'm not terribly familiar with (on foot, even during the day) en route. The traffic was bloody mental for half 9 at night, I lost count of the amount of times I was forced to a halt. Will certainly have to consider reserving this route for daylight... nothing wrong with my original 10km route mind you, but I must say it's terribly boring... this was, (perhaps marginally) better, but in retrospect, you'd to watch every step you took. That's not conducive for enjoyable running, anybody will tell you that.
Not tremendously exhilerating overall so, & waited for about 6.5km before I really throw down the gauntlet tonight as I was quite tired overall today, the cycle in & out of college yesterday mustn't have helped (although I felt great on that!). Look at that, 3 days in a row on the trot & I'm complaining... I really am a wee delicate little boy...
That's running. It's not pretty, but that's another session in the bag. Job done.
Onwards & upwards, eh.
Not tremendously exhilerating overall so, & waited for about 6.5km before I really throw down the gauntlet tonight as I was quite tired overall today, the cycle in & out of college yesterday mustn't have helped (although I felt great on that!). Look at that, 3 days in a row on the trot & I'm complaining... I really am a wee delicate little boy...
That's running. It's not pretty, but that's another session in the bag. Job done.
Onwards & upwards, eh.
Monday, 15 February 2016
Inception
Hello Everyone.
I'm not so sure how this blogging jazz works but I'm gonna give it a shot. It's my way of giving back to the (running) community, for I have benefited immensely from Matt Bidwells blog along with all the stories that have been shared on the athenry AC yearbooks (http://beermatt.blogspot.com/) & frankly, felt compelled to emulate it.
My name is Donagh Coffey. I'm 21 & have been running for the last 5 years or so. I began to take it more seriously in 2015 last year averaging at 1 point 35 miles a week until my knee gave in...
I ran (although honestly it's more truthful to say I merely completed (I had to walk about 8 miles of it, knee gave in at mile 9) the Dublin marathon in 2013 & take part in most local road races here in Galway, Ireland all year round (although I almost never register for them! come on give me a break, this is a poor student here...).
I fear brevity is posessed by very few by my generation so I wish to keep this area of my life focused on this theme, for I am sick to the teeth of people blabbing on about their running & pace charts, & glancing at watches & talking shite. etc. This is a space for recording my sessions, with a brief synopsis of how I felt on the run, weather that day etc. No big long post mortems, if you want that, there is a vast abundance of blogs out there for that. Indeed This will be the longest post I will write for months (I hope), because I talk, far far too much...
I've wanted to start this public blog for a year or two, but was reserved for fear that I might abandon the sport for one reason or another etc, I've now accepted that I simply cannot live without running & if I am sidelined with injury etc, I'll take to the bike & can post about that.
I've concluded that I'm a hard liner, I am genuinely one of the chronics (definitely one of the youngest!) on the Galway road running scene & will continue to be a road runner for as long as possible (hopefully 50+ years).
This is my journey, so come take a float with me, & I hope to bring you some words of wisdom & advice along the roads over the years in the times to come.
Some of my Pb's for all you lunatics out there:
5km 19:52
8km 32:42
10km 41:51
10 miler 1:11:20
14 miler 1:47:10
Marathon 4:47:30
So it's clear I'm very pedestrian & not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but I hope to change that in the next couple of years. Above all I strive to enjoy my running & I would encourage everyone to take the same attitude, weather your running 100 miles a week training twice a day or you're a lazy shit like me & consider 30 miles a week a rather hefty challenge!
Yesterday I ran 6.7km (a nice 4 mile loop that encompasses the salthill prom. N.B I do not run on the promenade itself, that sort of behaviour is for idiots... I run on the other side of the road) that I like to do a bit too often (it's a bit too short really!) in 29:15. Today was a rest day ,I've a staple 10km planned for tomorrow & another one on friday (then a nice 8 miler on sunday)
This is geared towards the craughwell 10 mile road race in a few weeks. I find the training works best when you've a race to run for. I'd still run otherwise but it's immensely more fun when you've got 100 or so other nutcases running with you! great stuff! if you don't race, enter one ASA f***ingP! I never used to either until I joined Maree AC & I've since never gone a month without a road race.
I don't run with them anymore, as I've moved house & now live on the other side of the city & consequentially do all my training solo. A 20 mile week is the max I can do at the moment due to me being in my final year at college & only wishing to run 3 times a week due to time constraints, once june comes I ramp that up to 4 times a week & may consider joining Galway city harriers (which, interestingly enough was founded by my great grandfather I'm lead to believe), but I'm in no rush to do so as I also aim to take cycling more seriously too, (I currently cycle to college most mornings).
The heart & lungs know no different, (check out "Durianrider" on youtube...) so I'll be investigating that this summer too & will, of course keep track of the journey here, but ultimately I'll be experimenting with the bike so as to improve my running, any good advise I find/learn I'll be sure to write about here for you guys, for anyone who reads this, as there will always be someone who'll benefit from this (that's my goal of this whole blog, even if 1 person benefits from it, my job is done & It'll have been worth it)
The goal really is to become (as narrowly defined by me) a half decent local amateur level road runner, I aim to do this by achieving the following goals:
5km sub 18
8km sub 30
10km sub 38
10 miler sub 60
Marathon sub 3:10
my lifetime goals then are:
5km 16:40
8km 26:40
10km 34:30
10 miler sub 55
Marathon sub 2:40
both sets of times are do able I feel. The lifetime goals are just that; lifetime goals! & I certainly won't be entertaining them much until I'm at least 25 (probably) & by then hope to be a very different athlete, running 50 miles a week will be normal etc...
The 1st set of times I have listed above there, are by todays standards very respectable, but I feel if you claim to be a member of an atheltic club, you should be hitting those times, easy. Yes there's a certain sense of elitism there, absolutely, but unless you're ok with some fella passing you out in GAA shorts when you're wearing an athletics club singlet then I feel you shouldn't be in one.
I'm not OK with that, at all at all. Sure it's great to have anybody join a running club, what a wonderful thing to do, I wholeheartedly agree, but for the races only allow people who are in the club who are hitting these times be allowed the privilage of wearing the singlet, because at the moment, the standards at local road races are overall, a shambles. I feel if you've any respect for the sport (at least at the business end of things) you'll agree.
I keep it old school, no garmin no strava none of that shite. I run to feel & check (my simple unsophisticated casio) watch at certain parts of my routes, a wonky tree or a pole or that unusual looking pothole to indicate mile 7, whatever. you get the idea. I keep it honest, back to basics for I believe there is no other way. We all think we're semi pro with our heart rate monitors & stuff, & it sickens me. If you think you're hot shit, run a sub 24 minute 8km, then consider investing in your flashy technology or what have you. I hope you get the point.
Stick around kids, You never know, this blog may be of benefit to you, I sure hope it benefits somebody else aside from myself anyways, I really do... thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this,
looking forward to all the good things to come.
all the best to all of you,
& remember, get out the door & kick some f***king ass
toodles!
I'm not so sure how this blogging jazz works but I'm gonna give it a shot. It's my way of giving back to the (running) community, for I have benefited immensely from Matt Bidwells blog along with all the stories that have been shared on the athenry AC yearbooks (http://beermatt.blogspot.com/) & frankly, felt compelled to emulate it.
My name is Donagh Coffey. I'm 21 & have been running for the last 5 years or so. I began to take it more seriously in 2015 last year averaging at 1 point 35 miles a week until my knee gave in...
I ran (although honestly it's more truthful to say I merely completed (I had to walk about 8 miles of it, knee gave in at mile 9) the Dublin marathon in 2013 & take part in most local road races here in Galway, Ireland all year round (although I almost never register for them! come on give me a break, this is a poor student here...).
I fear brevity is posessed by very few by my generation so I wish to keep this area of my life focused on this theme, for I am sick to the teeth of people blabbing on about their running & pace charts, & glancing at watches & talking shite. etc. This is a space for recording my sessions, with a brief synopsis of how I felt on the run, weather that day etc. No big long post mortems, if you want that, there is a vast abundance of blogs out there for that. Indeed This will be the longest post I will write for months (I hope), because I talk, far far too much...
I've wanted to start this public blog for a year or two, but was reserved for fear that I might abandon the sport for one reason or another etc, I've now accepted that I simply cannot live without running & if I am sidelined with injury etc, I'll take to the bike & can post about that.
I've concluded that I'm a hard liner, I am genuinely one of the chronics (definitely one of the youngest!) on the Galway road running scene & will continue to be a road runner for as long as possible (hopefully 50+ years).
This is my journey, so come take a float with me, & I hope to bring you some words of wisdom & advice along the roads over the years in the times to come.
Some of my Pb's for all you lunatics out there:
5km 19:52
8km 32:42
10km 41:51
10 miler 1:11:20
14 miler 1:47:10
Marathon 4:47:30
So it's clear I'm very pedestrian & not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but I hope to change that in the next couple of years. Above all I strive to enjoy my running & I would encourage everyone to take the same attitude, weather your running 100 miles a week training twice a day or you're a lazy shit like me & consider 30 miles a week a rather hefty challenge!
Yesterday I ran 6.7km (a nice 4 mile loop that encompasses the salthill prom. N.B I do not run on the promenade itself, that sort of behaviour is for idiots... I run on the other side of the road) that I like to do a bit too often (it's a bit too short really!) in 29:15. Today was a rest day ,I've a staple 10km planned for tomorrow & another one on friday (then a nice 8 miler on sunday)
This is geared towards the craughwell 10 mile road race in a few weeks. I find the training works best when you've a race to run for. I'd still run otherwise but it's immensely more fun when you've got 100 or so other nutcases running with you! great stuff! if you don't race, enter one ASA f***ingP! I never used to either until I joined Maree AC & I've since never gone a month without a road race.
I don't run with them anymore, as I've moved house & now live on the other side of the city & consequentially do all my training solo. A 20 mile week is the max I can do at the moment due to me being in my final year at college & only wishing to run 3 times a week due to time constraints, once june comes I ramp that up to 4 times a week & may consider joining Galway city harriers (which, interestingly enough was founded by my great grandfather I'm lead to believe), but I'm in no rush to do so as I also aim to take cycling more seriously too, (I currently cycle to college most mornings).
The heart & lungs know no different, (check out "Durianrider" on youtube...) so I'll be investigating that this summer too & will, of course keep track of the journey here, but ultimately I'll be experimenting with the bike so as to improve my running, any good advise I find/learn I'll be sure to write about here for you guys, for anyone who reads this, as there will always be someone who'll benefit from this (that's my goal of this whole blog, even if 1 person benefits from it, my job is done & It'll have been worth it)
The goal really is to become (as narrowly defined by me) a half decent local amateur level road runner, I aim to do this by achieving the following goals:
5km sub 18
8km sub 30
10km sub 38
10 miler sub 60
Marathon sub 3:10
my lifetime goals then are:
5km 16:40
8km 26:40
10km 34:30
10 miler sub 55
Marathon sub 2:40
both sets of times are do able I feel. The lifetime goals are just that; lifetime goals! & I certainly won't be entertaining them much until I'm at least 25 (probably) & by then hope to be a very different athlete, running 50 miles a week will be normal etc...
The 1st set of times I have listed above there, are by todays standards very respectable, but I feel if you claim to be a member of an atheltic club, you should be hitting those times, easy. Yes there's a certain sense of elitism there, absolutely, but unless you're ok with some fella passing you out in GAA shorts when you're wearing an athletics club singlet then I feel you shouldn't be in one.
I'm not OK with that, at all at all. Sure it's great to have anybody join a running club, what a wonderful thing to do, I wholeheartedly agree, but for the races only allow people who are in the club who are hitting these times be allowed the privilage of wearing the singlet, because at the moment, the standards at local road races are overall, a shambles. I feel if you've any respect for the sport (at least at the business end of things) you'll agree.
I keep it old school, no garmin no strava none of that shite. I run to feel & check (my simple unsophisticated casio) watch at certain parts of my routes, a wonky tree or a pole or that unusual looking pothole to indicate mile 7, whatever. you get the idea. I keep it honest, back to basics for I believe there is no other way. We all think we're semi pro with our heart rate monitors & stuff, & it sickens me. If you think you're hot shit, run a sub 24 minute 8km, then consider investing in your flashy technology or what have you. I hope you get the point.
Stick around kids, You never know, this blog may be of benefit to you, I sure hope it benefits somebody else aside from myself anyways, I really do... thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this,
looking forward to all the good things to come.
all the best to all of you,
& remember, get out the door & kick some f***king ass
toodles!
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