Running is going well, the wheels fell off in 2018 when I was in Sweden, snowing 6 months of the year made running difficult & slowed me down greatly, as well as feeling relatively isolated over there as well as completely unmotivated to run & race - I didn't even enter the SoG in 2018 as I knew my time wouldn't be what I could achieve - I finished up in October 2018 out there & moved to Birmingham, UK & have been here now since.
From Oct-Dec 2018 I worked hard at my new job & late nights were (& still to this day, are) a regular feature, making linking up with local running clubs tough as I clock in 60-80 hr work weeks regularly. I therefore run on my own & the only time I ever seem to run with others is at local road races (back at home) which I book my flights home in line with the Galway road running calendar.
The start of 2019, pretty much from the off, went well running wise, I packed in a MSc in QS'ing my company had put me on & did a deal to put me on a more appropriate course (Construction economics) in Sept 2019 which starts this coming Monday.
Did the usual 1st Jan resolution 5km (21:20). I had a good race at the Coldwood 4 miler at the end of Jan running 27:29.
I'll do a full summary of all my runs in 2019 (as I do have the records to hand somewhere - either on slips of paper, (outlining distance of run, date, time, weather etc as well as how I felt) or between my 2 diary's (work & personal)) thus far but since July I've began to take the sport a little more seriously - the secret being I'm running regularly & building on the mileage gradually as well as cycling 5km to & from work most days - that has saved me - again cycling being the key to my better results as it was in 2017.
Did a couple of 10 milers in Spring (Craughwell & Tullaroan 10 miler (March & April)), & did the half marathon in Boston scientifc grounds in June (nice race & performed OK, would have to look up the time - did the 1st few laps in sub 7 mins & took my time round the course to talk with the marathon club of Ireland members etc)
I did Headford at the start of July in an extremely disappointing 35:30. Headford was the turning point for me really - back running at least once a week & struggling to get any form in the 1st 6 months of 2019 - So I decided to get a little bit more "serious" with training & prioritising it a little more.
So I entered the Mullingar 10 miler at the end of July running 1:13 (1:15 at the clock as I'd to attend to natures call) v modest (lovely course...) & this time I wasn't getting shin splints (an ongoing theme in 2019 - where I'd have to stop running as my ankle was sore or my calves were screaming from "overuse" - basically if I do anything north of 20 miles a week - I need to monitor the training extremely closely, it's ridiculous, but I've always seemed to react extrelemly poorly/sensitively to additional mileage to anything past going out for a 4-6 miler twice a week - it's infuriating but I've learned to live with it, anything additional is a bonus...), I was even able to go for a 2km jog cool down afterwards - I said, right, maybe 2019 is a year I can target for some decent races.
SoG went well, but overall to me a disappointing race really - 33:45 (considering I ran 32:08 in 2017) but considering everything, it's about right - running's a sport you cannot hide from so I'll have to take it. I went out like a bullet & blew up hard & paid for it big time...
2 weeks later at Claregalway (24th Aug) I was treated in the same vein - I went out hard & paid the price for it, so much so that I decided to walk it in - still got a 48 min time for walking about 2k of the course!
I have settled down into some more regular training (doing regular weekday 10kms round Dordon 2 in last 2 weeks) since then which I'll detail here later for historical purposes (& most importantly of all for monitoring injuries & what training works for me & what doesn't).
I was rewarded with a relatively decent performance at the local Nuneaton 10km (next town over from where I work in the UK) last weekend - nice course too... extremely flat. 8th Sept, Sunday morning at 09:30 - 43:17 - not bad at all - I was 41:40 at the last 400m (the race finished at the local Nuneaton athletics track - pity I can't find any photo's...) - I felt good throughout & knew there was plenty more to give.
Since then I have ran 10km on Tuesday in 45:45 - felt good & going off more slowly also has really helped + Ran last night Friday - my usual ~ 4 miler (7.1km measured really) in 32:49 - I had a terrible stitch which forced me to a halt in Polsworth so I lost 2-3 mins there so would have been sub 31 mins if I hadn't had that disruption.
As I've now been running reasonably regularly since Summer of 2011 - training hard since 2008 at something (Taekwondo - then later Muay thai - then running), my 8 years of running is finally starting to pay off & I've seen it all now really - the only unknown for me is marathon training & racing - maybe as I approach my 30's my body may start saying yes...
So for tomorrow, I've a 5 mile road race planned for Tamworth & the rest of the years running calendar goes something like the below:
In addition to last nights run, about 10 mins in I did feel a twinge coming on in my left calf - complete over use & am surprised it hasn't affected me until now as I've been running the last 6 weeks with no issues - the only solutions (for me) is rest - I was tempted to stop - turn back & go home but figured if I do that then what will I ever achieve etc, so I finished out the run but was sore enough at the end & rubbed it out afterwards - nothing at all a couple of days rest won't sort but I expect to be out of action until Thursday of next week once I give Tamworth a good go tomorrow.
It'll be important how I deal with this overuse injury now next week as this has been putting me out of action intermittently all this year - there's nothing I can seem to do with it - only when you feel it coming on - you simply need to listen to your body, rest it & hop on the bike in the meantime as I don't want this to effect my target race at Loughrea at the end of the month.
Did a couple of 10 milers in Spring (Craughwell & Tullaroan 10 miler (March & April)), & did the half marathon in Boston scientifc grounds in June (nice race & performed OK, would have to look up the time - did the 1st few laps in sub 7 mins & took my time round the course to talk with the marathon club of Ireland members etc)
I did Headford at the start of July in an extremely disappointing 35:30. Headford was the turning point for me really - back running at least once a week & struggling to get any form in the 1st 6 months of 2019 - So I decided to get a little bit more "serious" with training & prioritising it a little more.
So I entered the Mullingar 10 miler at the end of July running 1:13 (1:15 at the clock as I'd to attend to natures call) v modest (lovely course...) & this time I wasn't getting shin splints (an ongoing theme in 2019 - where I'd have to stop running as my ankle was sore or my calves were screaming from "overuse" - basically if I do anything north of 20 miles a week - I need to monitor the training extremely closely, it's ridiculous, but I've always seemed to react extrelemly poorly/sensitively to additional mileage to anything past going out for a 4-6 miler twice a week - it's infuriating but I've learned to live with it, anything additional is a bonus...), I was even able to go for a 2km jog cool down afterwards - I said, right, maybe 2019 is a year I can target for some decent races.
SoG went well, but overall to me a disappointing race really - 33:45 (considering I ran 32:08 in 2017) but considering everything, it's about right - running's a sport you cannot hide from so I'll have to take it. I went out like a bullet & blew up hard & paid for it big time...
2 weeks later at Claregalway (24th Aug) I was treated in the same vein - I went out hard & paid the price for it, so much so that I decided to walk it in - still got a 48 min time for walking about 2k of the course!
I have settled down into some more regular training (doing regular weekday 10kms round Dordon 2 in last 2 weeks) since then which I'll detail here later for historical purposes (& most importantly of all for monitoring injuries & what training works for me & what doesn't).
I was rewarded with a relatively decent performance at the local Nuneaton 10km (next town over from where I work in the UK) last weekend - nice course too... extremely flat. 8th Sept, Sunday morning at 09:30 - 43:17 - not bad at all - I was 41:40 at the last 400m (the race finished at the local Nuneaton athletics track - pity I can't find any photo's...) - I felt good throughout & knew there was plenty more to give.
Since then I have ran 10km on Tuesday in 45:45 - felt good & going off more slowly also has really helped + Ran last night Friday - my usual ~ 4 miler (7.1km measured really) in 32:49 - I had a terrible stitch which forced me to a halt in Polsworth so I lost 2-3 mins there so would have been sub 31 mins if I hadn't had that disruption.
As I've now been running reasonably regularly since Summer of 2011 - training hard since 2008 at something (Taekwondo - then later Muay thai - then running), my 8 years of running is finally starting to pay off & I've seen it all now really - the only unknown for me is marathon training & racing - maybe as I approach my 30's my body may start saying yes...
So for tomorrow, I've a 5 mile road race planned for Tamworth & the rest of the years running calendar goes something like the below:
In addition to last nights run, about 10 mins in I did feel a twinge coming on in my left calf - complete over use & am surprised it hasn't affected me until now as I've been running the last 6 weeks with no issues - the only solutions (for me) is rest - I was tempted to stop - turn back & go home but figured if I do that then what will I ever achieve etc, so I finished out the run but was sore enough at the end & rubbed it out afterwards - nothing at all a couple of days rest won't sort but I expect to be out of action until Thursday of next week once I give Tamworth a good go tomorrow.
It'll be important how I deal with this overuse injury now next week as this has been putting me out of action intermittently all this year - there's nothing I can seem to do with it - only when you feel it coming on - you simply need to listen to your body, rest it & hop on the bike in the meantime as I don't want this to effect my target race at Loughrea at the end of the month.
- Headford 8km - Done
- Mullingar 10 mile road race - (end of July) 2019 - Done
- SoG 8Km - Done
- Claregalway 10km - Done
- Nuneaton 10km - 8th Sept - Done
- Tamworth 8km - 15th Sept - To Go (Tomorrow)
Weekend off (21st Sept) racing will give me time to do a sprint workout as well as a longer run 8 miler in prep for Loughrea - All Pending how my legs hold up now :-)
- Loughrea 10km - 27th Sept - To Go (Goal race)
- Tamworth 10km - Sun 6th Oct - To Go - only discovered this race was scheduled today!
No race then until end of November as well as no Flight booked home either so focus on consistent mileage as well as getting college coursework complete,
Other races to focus on for closing out 2019:
- Run for Mary 5km - Sat Nov 9th
- Coventry 10km - Sun 17th November - Also Balindereen 10km (SGAC Home race) or Hollymout 10km (still awaiting to hear formal confirmation) - I have the flight booked so whichever event I end up going to - I'll have a 10km race on the 17th regardless.
- Claregalway 5km - Sun 8th Dec (Claregalway community center)
- FOA 26th Dec - 11am
Then Jan 2019:
- 1st Resolution Run
- Tuam 8km
etc, etc, etc,
There's a couple of races I'd like to go to - namely the Raheny 5 miler (End of Jan - clashes with Coldwood though ), Dunshaughlin 10km (June) amongst many others - I've holidays to carry over from Work etc, so be sure to take advantage of this...
Ones not to miss either are:
- Gort 5km in Feb
- Listoonvarna 5km, 25th Jan (clash with Coldwood + Raheney)
- Kilnaboy (Sonny Murphy) 10 Miler 12 April
I think maybe I could try a marathon next year - maybe I need to give it another couple more years of solid running then jump to the distance....
Time will tell.
Anyway it's good to be back to what I'm happy doing, which is running.
I need to drop weight also - I'd like to be hovering around 70kgs - I'm tipping 82kgs at the moment - not bad considering I was almost 90Kgs in Sweden - 35Degree summers, Lidl donuts & Dennis' dinners didn't help the plight but sure made me happy out...
It's time to get serious about my training & my life now so I' looking forward to this now - I had always said I was looking forward to the winter season this time round, I will be now.
Last October when the nights were rolling in it didn't happen for me - I hadn't the fire in my belly - the desire to hurt myself - this time round however I do - I want it again, badly. whatever it is - it seems to bring me closer to the truth.
Donagh.
Donagh.
A Picture of me at Mullingar back in July, at the turn heading into Mile 2 - all ahead of us yet...
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