Scrub the Blocks

Easy 10k - 43:36 - Sunday, 28.03.2021.

I went out at an easy pace & decided to stay at this pace throughout - I took it really slow.

At the 5.5k mark I actually came to a halt & walked for about 30 secs (mentally tired I would say).

TC's were 08:05, 10:42 (!!), 13:49, 18:20, 21:47, 26:20, 28:03, 30:57, 34:53, 36:05 (at 8k)

Happy enough with the run.Weather was rubbish, wind was strong & raining - not hard rain but enough to slow you down. I hadn't ran or done any exercise for 2 days (walked dog immediately prior to the run).

Very interesting to go really slow vs running a hard pace (or at least what I perceive the be a difficult pace!), I was actually hoping for a -ve split but I didn't have it so I decided to stick to the game plan of going slow.

it is quite remarkable that if I radically drop my pace - I am only off by about 2 minutes or so over 10k - the difference I feel in the run - during & after is huge. at a 44-45 min 10k - I could carry out a conversation - with a 41-42 minute there is not a hope I could sustain rational discourse...

Onwards & upwards for the next run now.

Concrete Hopscotch

Landmark session today - 8k - 34:15

Not Re the time but with what the workout told me about what I am capable of.

Really happy with the run - just went out & performed well.

Originally gauged it to be a 10k but I decided to cut it short as it was getting late.

The key thing this time was I focused on my breathing.

It made a huge difference.

The cycle the previous day did so much for me - it's quite unbelieveable!

Here are the Splits:

TC1 2:20

TC2 3:!5

TC3 5:05

TC4 6:50

TC5 7:25

TC6 8:05

TC7 10:02!! (I used to be 10:30!!) 

TC8 11:45

TC9 12:45 (finally under 13 mins - I always know I am having a good run if <13 mins here)

TC10 15:35 (normally 16:00)

TC11 17:07 (usually sub 18 I am happy with - 17:30 I see as an achievement so to see sub 17:10 here - happy days!!)

TC12 20:51 (excellent - sub 21 here is always good) 

TC13 25:15 (Again sub 26 here is the usual aim & this is good as I was laboring at this point really & had lost control of my form & my breathing + wanted to stop et al) 

TC14 26:40 (sub 27 is the general aim - once saw a 27:03 so this is new territory too & I was beginning to suffer at this point) 

TC15 29:30 (actually not that impressive - usually sub 30 is good here but just 30 secs off I was disappointed considering how well all the other splits had gone etc - regardless I was (or what I perceive to be) hurting coming down that road where I should have been bombing it instead (I took my foot off the gas - that's where running with a group can be helpful though I do prefer running on my own really - I always have - that's what makes road races special...) - once I can reach 28 mins at this point I'll be happy - I will reach sub 29 here with relative ease soon & will get to sub 28 with some slight modifications with my training over the coming few months - I won't need to make major changes really - then eventually I will reach a point where I will plateau & will only be able to get faster with bigger weekly mileage.)

TC16 33:15 

& home in 60 secs later - at that point it is easy to swing round & make a 10k out of it but nah - I went on an all out sprint the last 15 or so seconds - the other 45 secs I lifted the pace but didn't really start hurting till I decided to really go for the line (I do rarely do this to be fair & I should practice this more really!!! 

The key here with me & my training is targeted sessions - I seem to respond best to these... go for a 10k run tues & thurs doesn't seem to do much for me - I like to have a specific goal for each session. The mileage doesn't need to go beyond 15 miles a week (8k run, 4 mile (grass) run then 10k on Sundays - that type of thing ) with 2 cycle days to keep the lungs pumping hard. Incorporate the sprint training - every 2-3 weeks change out the 8k for this session &/or just have the 5k all out session also with 3k recovery at the end. Lets do this for 6 weeks then see where I am then.

I heavily suspect I can get down to 32 min for 8k with this approach alone.

Then I can consider maybe lifting the mileage slightly either on the bike or foot to say 20-25 miles. I just know from history that I do not (seem to) respond well to higher mileage training - my body just cannot take the impact.

The biggest thing is getting used to the discomfort of running harder than I would intuitively & having the desire for this level of intensity - then it's about being able to bash it out to the finish line & being able to lift the pace significantly inside the last 2k (especially in the last mile etc) so the others cannot live with your pace as it were... 

I think I have hit a landmark workout today though. 

I really focused on the breathing (from the cycle last night) & put this into practice & boy oh boy did it work out or what!!!

Good times, literally!

Holding Sacred Ground

Friday 19/03/2021 - 5k - 20:10 (6.7k total 27:36 - 5k-6.7k very slow - 45 sec walk break at end of 5k)

Delighted with this run, felt OK heading out but had to work hard initially & then was able to work on relaxing throughout the run. I was 10:50 at end of lap 1 - 14:07 at the bend into the Natus Road - usually 14:25 on a very good day) 

The time is very promising & I am delighted with this. I am writing this the following Monday so my memory is less reliable but I recall it being a decent run with an awful lot of room for improvement.

As ever, with these sorts of times, it did hurt, but not half as much as it had hurt me when I have posted previous times here. My record for this route I believe is 20:03. I had to run the long way round the final bend too so I think I could have equaled my PB for this route.

My actual PB is 19:52 on the road (during the SOG 8K back in 2017) so I have oodles of room for improvement here - I see myself being able to get to sub 18 pace with this event eventually, I am not at all far off - but as mentioned before I need to start getting into the low 19's & feeling like that is comfortable then target the better times. 

This is great news as I have accomplished this with terrible training & no cycling, no long runs, no targeted sprint sessions & all on my own with no races in sight for months, just my own determination.

I went out hard & with the intention of running a decent time, if it wasn't to be I was willing to accept that too but I did feel rested going into it - that is extremely important...

That's all for now. I am going for a cycle today now as I want to give the heart & lungs a workout without the impact factor of the concrete.

Onwards & upwards as ever.

Lesson Time - Learning Time

Tuesday 16.03.2021 - 4.5 miles 33:51 

This is a run I did on Tuesday.

Grass run 16 mins, then I went on the road as my ankle was getting irritated due to the aggressive 90 degree turns every 30 seconds. It normally doesn't  cause me much worry but for some reason today it affected me. Rather then analyse why I stepped off the grass & decided to hit the road. Today, I listened to my body so that was that.

So I went off to complete 1 loop & then kept the watch ticking & continued 1/3rd the way round again home to be in under 34 mins total. Chest felt good but my legs were delicate after from the impact of a few runs in a row now.

This is a signal that I need to get on the bike really - I must prioritise this for the summer months as the evenings get longer etc.

This was my last r - later today I aim to do a hard 5k - let's try to crack sub 20 :-) it'll be one sure shock to the system with 2.5 days of more or less total inactivity - but lets see what I can do :-) 

Theme For an Imaginary Western

8k - 34:57

Nice run. Happy with it. The decent time was there but I purposely didn't push it.

Weather decent - 12 degrees, overcast, no rain, wind minimal = ideal for running really.

Felt good, time checks all pleasent - slowed down at the hill - 19:03 over the hill 21:20 rather than 21:07 previously - again wanted to stop running as it was not pleasant going at this stage however I reminded myself just give yourself 2k & you'll feel better & this patch will pass - that always works.

The aim was to get the session done - the aim was actually to do a 10k but I decided I had enough with the 8k- I'd say that was a wise move really... 

TC 1 was very encouraging with a 07:35 round the bend so this is decent really. 17:30 at the bend too where I am usually posting 18 mins flat so this is good too i.e. things have improved as it were - also 25:30 at the end of the road where I normally look to get in under 26 mins so despite slowing I had recovered at this point to be in the mix for a low 34 time. At this point I, again, tactically decided to pull back the effort which allowed for a 29:57 time at Hennellys & I jogged it home really - decent output.

Happy with the training thusfar - felt like I was jogging too in the 1st mile (which of course I was!) so to get in for 07:35 at the bend is good enough for me... the rest is silence (sorry that was Shakespeare!) stamina :-) 

To Different New Beginnings - To Prosperity & Beauty

09.03.2021 - Tuesday - 30 min run

Did 18 mins on the grass & the lap round Gort completed the 30 min run.

Horrible conditions - near gale force winds & lashing rain - bloody awful but once you embrace it & are motivated to run & have a purpose to be out there then it's the same as if it's sunny outside - the weather no longer really matters... 

Of course the ideas was to do the entire 30 mins on the grass, but as the weather was crap, I kept putting the session off so I didn't get out there till it was almost dark - so I had to finish the session on the road...

I will run tomorrow - should have been running today but wasn't feeling it, stomach is slightly dodgy too so deciding to leave the hard sprint workout - you need to be in a good place for these workouts otherwise you'll run yourself, quite literally, into the ground.

Likely will do a interval session on the grass to compensate - need to be careful when sprinting on the grass as it's an absolute health hazard running on that field... anyways..

Closing the Circle

07.03.2021 - 10k - 42:07

What's not to like?

Weather perfect - absolutely ideal, dry, overcast, no wind, no rain, 10 degrees, 18:20.

This run went very well - I didn't leave the house on Friday (after thursdays run). Yesterday I took a brisk walk with Bobby. That was it.

Just before the run I walked Bobby then straight into it. 

TC1 07:30

TC2 10:05

TC3 12:57

TC4 17:25

From 4.5k to 6k I eased off as I was genuinely tired & running out of gas & getting ready/hoping for the 2nd wind. At this point I wanted to stop etc, all the usual things went through my mind but, as ever, I just kept going. i.e. that awful feeling of running too hard "I need to ease off" etc. was screaming at me but then I remembered, I'm going really well, why should I stop etc.

TC6 21:07 (this is where I lost & continued to lose time through to TC7 - I had a good 15-20 second advantage at this point than on my previous 8k & I lost this during this part of the run - I decided (I suppose unconsciously) that this was OK as this was a 10k & not an 8k etc).

I received my second wind, as it were, heading down the Loughrea Road. 

TC6 30:00 (Hennelly's)

TC7 32:30

TC8 32:45

TC9 34:45 through 8k

Then continued to increase the tempo over the last 2k - I really worked the last 2K hard now & was rewarded with a decent time.

I thought this was particularly impressive that my speed actually significantly increased today as the run went on, especially inside the last 2k. A brilliant piece of running today - Best performance of mine in months.

Recovery run now in store for Tuesday on the grass. Absolutely delighted now with this outcome.

I didn't even run that fast today - obviously 42 min 10k is nothing special but bear in mind my PB is technically 41:51 (Claregalway 10k 2015) - I'll easily smash this this year.

Well capable now of going sub 40.

Only issue really is that this was supposed to be a slow 10k run with next Thursdays session in mind - so I cannot expect this performance weekly - or can I - if I keep the mileage down maybe this is my new sweet spot - time will tell.

There will come a point that I will plateau too off this training, but I certainly havn't hit this at all yet.

& another night of avoiding eating crap from Aldi - I hit the Brown Bread & Sweet tea - this works a treat!!!

The Portal is Open

This is an entry covering 2 runs:

Tuesday: 02.03.2021 - 30 mins grass run

Got dark at 16 mins in so I went on the road & did a lap of Gort - started at 18:10 & home for 29:57

All up 8k (usual 1.1k cool down)

Thursday: 04.03.2021 - 5k all out - 20:18

This felt good - really good - I went out hard & didn't let up

Obviously the time isn't impressive but on a diet of  < 10 miles a week for the last 2.5 months as well as crap sleep pattern + average (at best) diet etc, this is pretty good.

I must do some sprint training now to get this time down.

I felt I was working hard but not exactly pushing to the limit - there is loads more there.

I couldn't have ran that much faster but I just decided to push that pace & that's all it is - just getting used to that pace again - the rest comes with getting used to it - there was nothing hard about 20 min 5k pace, it's just getting used to it, at that level you start to go into the top 10-15% of runners - so it's tough but nothing as compared to those who run sub 18 min 5k on 50k a week or those doing sub 16 min 5k on 60 miles a week etc..

I've never been a big trainer but I know if I can run 3 times a week with targeted workouts that I can improve again this year & break 19 min for the 5k - that should be relatively easy really & I shouldn't have to lift my mileage up past 25 miles a week to do this - just do some more cycling & harder interval threshold sesssions - that's it - as well as living sensibly. 

My body breaks down after I enter 30+ miles a week territory - I simply can't handle it, so getting to that next level which you can only achieve really at 50 miles + per week will always allude me - but that's OK as I love my running the way I currently am doing it & have done so for the past 11 years now.

Tomorrow (Sunday I'll do a 10k - relatively easy) then for next week a nice 30 min on the grass on Tuesday & then do 5x1k sprints on Thursday (go at about 15:00 after the cryptography lecture...) 

My Goal then is Fri 2nd April - try to break 19:30 for the 5k using my usual route - this should be quite do able now really - though it would help if I had people to run with (thanks Covid!)