Ressurection

Summer already - where has the year gone? At least I have 2 PB's to show for it and 1 of those was even under marathon distance. Still my focus remains on endurance, although I haven't decided on what my next target is - I'm leaning towards the Portumna 50k on 16th June. To keep my foot in and my interest piqued I have a few marathon pacing gigs over the next few months - starting with the Limerick marathon today, in which I was the sole 3:45 pacer - no pressure - except perhaps for the fact that I had the full Irish for breakfast this morning to soak up the pint of plain I had last night and was kinda worried that I might have to take a toilet break before the finish - "excuse me there for a minute, just keep going at the same pace - I gotta pop in here for a minute and I'll catch up with you in a bit"  would hardly instill confidence in those around me. The fact that one guy temporarily went in front of me and turned around after a minute looking for reassurance that I was still there was enough to convince me that "An bhfuil cead agam dul amach go dti an leithreas?" was a non-runner. As it turned out my fear was unfounded and I sailed around the course bringing 6 or 7 with me all the way on a beautiful sunny morning. The fact that I got thanks from a few guys and gals was enough to make it all worth while. One girl even asked for my pacing baloons. Another guy, Jerry O'Connor from Wexford, was heading up to Belfast afterwards to run in the Belfast Marathon tomorrow for his first double. The fact that the early mile markers were out did not help with the pacing.

Over Easter my Garmin, which had refused to recognise the satellites for the last 9 months,  has woken from its deep slumber to give me a glimpse of it's former capability, but reception is intermittent - a bit like tuning into BBC in the 80's. I have found that turning it on and off a few times, assuming I have the time and patience, will eventually give me a lock - weirdly enough sometimes it says that the GPS cache is not loaded (GPS=0.0) and the next time I turn it on it has suddenly appeared (GPS=2.90, I deleted version 3.0) but there are no satellites on the radar - next time I can see the screen cluttered with satellites but the Garmin refuses to lock on and then out of the blue I get a lock. I'm not that bothered as I have got used to running without pace/distance feedback and when I really need it I can go to the track.

I continue to run in the vibrams once a week for a tempo session and while my calves would feel tight for a day or two afterwards I have no real issues with them. Every now and then Abina brings a message back from the physio she is seeing for her back saying that I shouldn't be running in vibrams - this week Martin told her that he read an article recently saying that they negatively affect performance - "That's ok" I said "I already have 4 kids and don't plan on having any more - anyway I don't wear them in bed". "Racing performance, you idiot" She replied. I didn't bother telling her about Ballycotton but did suggest an early night with the barefoot shoes to test Martin's theory - she just gave me "one of her looks".

Wed 25th April - 5.25 miles in 39:59 (7:37 pace @ 128 HR - Easy run)

Thur 26th April - 8.77 miles in 59:09 (6:45 pace @ 142 HR - Tempo run in Vibrams)

Fri 27th April - 5.25 miles in 39:02 (7:26 pace @ No HRM - Easy run)

Sat 28th April - 21.3 miles in 2:51:28 (8:03 pace @ 129 HR - Long run)

Tue 1st May - a.m. - 9.61 miles in 1:10:48 (7:22 pace @ 134 HR - Easy run)

Tue 1st May - p.m. - 7.79 miles in 54:50 (7:02 pace @ 141 HR - Fartlek run)

Thur 3rd May - 8.07 miles in 1:04:42 (8:01 pace @ No HRM - Easy run)

Fri 4th May - 8.78 miles in 57:44 (6:34 pace @ 151HR - Tempo run in Vibrams) 

Sat 5th May - 10;58 miles in 1:18:48 (7:28 pace @ No HRM - Easy run)

Sun 6th May - 26.22 miles in 3:44:27 (8:34 pace @ No HRM - Long run) 

Ballycotton 10 - Not What I Expected

My plan for today in Ballycotton was to run a sub-65 minute ten miler in the vibrams. To be quite honest at this stage I think there is no difference between what I could achieve in the vibrams versus "normal" running shoes. My strategy was to go out at a steady pace just below 6:30 miles. With no satellite reception on the Garmin I aimed to run comfortably hard and check my splits at each mile marker.

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I accepted a kind offer of a lift from Thomas who was en route from the Kingdom and filled up his car with neighbours Pat and Ian who were also running. The day was sunny, with a cold north westerly wind, which meant we'd have it at our back for the last 5 miles. As I wasn't heading for a PB I wasn't too concerned about placing myself near the front of the 2,500+ field. Having said that I joined the queue to the race start a little later than I wanted and spent most of the time before the start pushing my way up through the throngs to get reasonable starting position. With chip timing I knew that my actual run time would be recorded.

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It still took me over 20 seconds to cross the start line after the gun went and the first mile was spent weaving in and out to get ahead of slower runners in front. I quickly caught up with Brendan, who was running his first race in over 2 years (and his first as an M40) and knowing that his target was also sub-65 I decided to hang on to him. The timekeeper was calling out 7:0? at the first mile marker, while the garmin gave me a split of 6:36, not too bad for an opening congested mile, albeit behind target pace. We continued on with the downhill second mile, which came in a much faster 6:14 ,which I put down to the downhill. We continued to pass runners, maintaining a steady pace, as the field spread out Mile 3 coming in 6:20 - building up a bit of a cushion on the 65 minute target. As the Garmin was displaying lap time and HR only I had no idea of total time, which was probably a good thing, especially later on.

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Brendan began to show some signs of distress during mile 4 as his breathing became a bit more laboured, despite the fact that he had done his fair bit of surging during the previous miles. We continued to pass others, which is always encouraging. Mile 4 came in 6:24, still under target pace. At this stage I began to harbour notions of getting under 1:04 as all I'd need is to average 6:24 per mile - i'll see how I get on as there are 6 miles left. Running in the vibrams felt very comfortable with no sign of discomfort. The clock at the 5 mile mark displayed 32:10 as I Passed it - Mile 5 split of 6:16. 1:04 certainly felt achievable, provided I could maintain pace for the remaining 5 miles. We turned South East shortly after mile 5 and the wind was now at our back. As I had no idea of current pace I continued to run by feel and was reasonably comfortable, still reeling in runners in front of me. Mile 6 in 6:14 - the wind must certainly be helping. Crossing the 10k mark I saw 1:19 on the lap time (39:23 for 10k, although I didn't know at the time).

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I continued to reel in runners in front of me, albeit a bit more slowly, which must have meant that I was running faster than average pace - Mile 7 in 6:08 more or less proved this. I could be heard well before I was seen, and as I came on runners shoulders, they would instinctively look down to see what the hell was making all the slapping noise. I could see two Eagles ahead, in their distinctive Eagle singlets, but couldn't make out who they were with my myopic vision. I gradually closed the distance, passing Mile 8 in 6:09 and with about 1.5 miles to go I was on the shoulders of clubmates Vivian and Diarmaid. My feet at this stage weren't too bad although it felt as if blisters were forming on the outside of both my big toes - nothing that would trouble me during the race but possibly afterwards.

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We ran on together until we hit the hill before the 9 mile mark and the other 2 began to move ahead of me. This was the first time during the race that I felt under pressure as it was the first time anyone pulled ahead of me (except perhaps for the opening half mile). The timekeeper was calling out 57:0? as we passed the 9 Mile mark - garmin showed a lap time of 6:22, the hill blunting my speed. I had no idea of what finishing time I was heading for, other than it would be under 64 (conservatively adding 6:30 to the 57:0? called out by the timekeeper - forgetting the 20+ seconds it took me to cross the start line). I pushed on at a steady pace - my lack of any real speedwork training showing as the other two, particularly Vivian began to pull further ahead. In fact as we entered the last half mile Diarmaid began to come slowly back to me, the effort of sticking to Vivian probably taking its toll. I began counting down the time left with the last km broken down at 200m intervals......"800m to go"......I could hear the MC at the finishing line "120 passed the finish line so far".......push......through the narrow Main Street of Ballycotton, which appeared to go on forever.........."600m to go"..........counting down the number of strides left in blocks of 90 (about 1 minute)............"400m to go".........one lap of the track........Vivian was gone at this stage......my neighbour Pat just ahead (62:34 last month in Dungarvan) I must be doing good.........."200m to go" keep pushing, but no finishing sprint.....the end is in sight..........I see 1:03:04 on the clock just before I cross under it, stopping my watch, where I think the finishing line is (no mat just a gantry) - 6:02 for Mile 10.

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My overall time was 1:02:45 (avg HR 159), I couldn't believe it, just 7 seconds outside my PB. I wouldn't mind but I wasn't aiming for a PB, if I had I'd certainly have given myself a better chance at the start, do a proper warmup (instead of the half mile jog) and get in a better position at the start line (I wouldn't have killed myself going for a 6:20 opening mile). Although I think I ran a good race, going out relatively conservatively (in hindsight) and negative splitting by nearly a minute(31:50/30:55) An encouraging run, although my feet were quite sore afterwards - the outside of both big toes and under the ball of my left foot - enough to limit my warmdown to a slow walk back to the carpark with Brendan and watch Thomas (Great run he had) complete his two mile warmdown before getting a lift home. All in all a good day out. Someone told me after the race that if I ran in normal shoes just think what I could do - I reminded them that it's my legs and feet do the running, not my shoes. I'm beginning to think I'd be faster in the vibrams. maybe I should give the Asics an outing in Mallow in two week time.

In The Footsteps of Daniel O'Connell

I had the opportunity to walk some of the Kerry Way this week following the route of the "Old Road" around Drung Hill (between Glenbeigh and Caherciveen). Thomas's run along this route as part of his preparation for the Dingle ultra last year put it on my "to-do" list. Spectacular views on a beautiful sunny day. During my walk I met Gail and Tommy, keen hill walkers from Milltown, who told me some of the history of the four routes around Drung Hill connecting Caherciveen and Kilorglin, - the oldest being the upper "Monks Road", which we were on, between 1,200 and 1,300 feet above sea level,

- the lower "Old Road" - now part of the Kerry Way, along which barrister Daniel O'Connell (The Martin Luther King of Irish Catholics in the 1820's) travelled from his home in Derrynane to the various courts sessions around Munster. There is a section of this which is quite scary (for me) to walk along as the ground falls very steeply from the 8 foot wide path 700 feet to the sea below. You can see the other two routes far below - the Old Railway line/tunnels, built in the 1880's, with the last train running in 1960 and the new road hugging the coastline about 100 feet above sea level. You'd certainly want a head for heights along this section. Tommy told me of some story about the wheels of Daniel O'Connell's coach going over the edge on one occasion.

Old Coach Road around Drung Hill - Photo Courtesy of Thomas

I was back there yesterday with Ani, Saran and 2 of their friends, heading up the "Old Road" and crossing onto the "Monks Road" to complete a 4 mile loop. Once we reached the highest point we rested, with the kids taking off their shoes and socks. We all ended up walking the next mile through a mixture of upland bog, heather and rock strewn grassy slopes in our bare feet, the kids delighting in the various textures underfoot, especially the soothing waterlogged moss covered bog - ignoring the general guidance given to hill walkers to use good quality waterproof walking boots.

Elevation profile (first 0.25 miles missing)

On the running front I ended my second recovery week with a 17.2 mile long run on grass and a total of 55 miles in the bag. 15 of the grass miles were barefoot starting off with clubmate Denis, sharing 4.5 miles at an easy 8:40 pace. Once Denis left I upped the pace towards 8 minute miles with the idea of averaging that pace for the entire run. From mile 5 to 15 my pace averaged 7:27 (1:14:32) - however the 15 miles took their toll on my feet with a few blisters developing over the last mile. I put on my running shoes for the 2.2 mile warmdown, joining clubmates Anne Marie Holland and Pat Murphy, both training for sub-3 hour marathons (Cork and Vancouver respectively) & Anne Marie Healy. It wasn't until I got home that I noticed the extent of the blisters on my feet. However they have largely disappeared at this stage, which is fortuitous as I am due to pace the 3;30 group at the Limerick marathon tomorrow.

Recovery Week #2 (Run 55.3 miles, Bike 34.8 miles, Swim 3km)

April (Run 150 miles, Bike 56 miles, Swim 7.5 km)

Baring it all

My recovery from Connemara is progressing apace with two 5 milers at lunchtime yesterday and today, with no noticeable issues, other than the 7:33 pace today felt a bit tougher than it should have (still only 135 avg HR).

I headed to UCC Farm for a second run this evening in glorious sunshine to meet up with Denis for a run around the 2.3 mile grass loop around the playing pitches, with evening league teams warming up for their matches.

Following a 2+ mile warmup before meeting Denis I ditched the shoes and went for an easy barefoot run over 7 miles, enjoying the conversation more than observing any pace.

20 minutes into our run Denis, who has an eagle eye, compared to my myopic vision, noticed a girl in a dressing gown who had come against us -

"I could be wrong" he said "but I think she has nothing on underneath the dressing gown".

I on the other hand, hadn't even seen her and so we continued on our circuit. When our route took us back around Denis noticed again

"There she is again look" He said

I couldn't see a thing as we were still 200 yards away

"Is she naked" I said as my vision slowly picked out a naked form running across a pitch.

"That's her, streaking across the pitch" he said.

As we got closer she was running back towards us and her friends at the edge of the pitch, who were in hysterics. We gave her the thumbs up as we passed - not every day you get to appreciate the beauty of the female form in a natural setting.

Who said recovery runs are boring.

On downloading my run to Sportstrack I had to add my feet to the "New Equipment Schedule".

Model: Foot

Brand: Bare

Date Purchased: 24th December 1965

Expected Life in Miles: Now that's the six million dollar question.

Work Done

I've finally reached the end of my last 3 week training block for Connemara. All that's left is for an orderly wind down over the final 3 weeks of taper. Starting the week with a mild chest cold was not a good omen for my last high mileage week and so with a mixture of determination and caution I got through it without sacrificing mileage and still managing to lose the cold.

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Not wanting to break the tradition of the last 3 weeks I finished off today with a race in the vibrams, again going out with a few more of the ultra club fraternity (John, Maura & Denis) and Donnocha (who is running the Connemara half) for a 14 mile slow paced warmup around the by-roads of Glounthane arriving back at 10:30 to sign up for the Janssen 4 mile road race in Little Island. My legs and body were certainly tired from the weeks mileage. I met up with Elmer, who was dipping his toe back in the water after a lay-off and clubmates Laurence, Monica, John, Pat, Denis and Derek (fresh back from his 2:54 Toyko marathon).

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My plan was to take things relatively easy with a target of getting under 30 minutes (7:30 miles) - I thought that that was all I was capable of. I started mid-pack and eased slowly into the run. The first mile came in 7:16, which wasn't too bad. I continued on towards the 2 mile mark of the out and back course seeing those in front coming against me. I turned at the 2 mile mark without checking my split (7:15) and continued to gain on and pass others, passing the 3 mile mark in 21:25. While I was well under 30 minute pacing, I thought I wouldn't be able to close the 25 second deficit to get sub-7 minute pace overall (28:00) which would require a 6:35 final mile.

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With about 3 quarters of a mile to go I came up behind a guy who was determined not to let me pass and upped his pace to match mine , with both of us passing others who were on even pacing. This went on for about quarter of a mile with my running companion resorting to quick shallow breathing to keep pace. With half a mile to go I decided to push the pace a little more as the finish was within striking distance. My running companion kept pace up a slight incline until, with about a quarter of a mile to go, he let out a roar, signalling that he was spent, and fell behind - certainly he had been working very hard over the previous half mile and ran out of steam before the finish line came. I kept pushing for the finish, crossing the line in 27:45 - 6:20 for the final mile.

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Just under a mile warmdown back to the community centre and some welcome refreshments. While I hadn't planned it, I covered nearly 20 miles for the day (a record for the vibrams) which brought me to a record weekly high of 114 miles. Up until this month I never contemplated running over 100 miles in a week and with 308 miles covered over the last 3 weeks I have averaged 102.7 miles a week for the final build to Connemara. Whether or not I can translate that into a good result remains to be seen, especially as I haven't really thought about what a good result would be, particularly as form and conditions on the day can have a huge influence on how things turn out over a 39 mile run. If I had been training for a 10 miler or HM I generally would expect to be within a minute of target. But as the distance moves towards the marathon and beyond predictions are less reliable. Obviously I'd like to beat last years time of 5:29:25 (8:24 pace) but the challenge of averaging 8:00 pace and crossing the line in 5:15 is what I should be aiming for and who knows, I might get close. I just need to awaken the dormant fast twitch fibres over the coming weeks, if there are any left.

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Let the taper begin.

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Mon 14th Mar

Lunctime - 6.1 miles @ 8:06 pace & 124 HR (legs fresher than this time last week)

Evening - 10.07 miles @ 7:48 pace & 131 HR (Still chesty)

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Tue 15th Mar

Lunchtime - 6.1 miles @ 8:01 & 131 HR (High HR and chest cold still there)

Evening - 10.67 miles @ 8:11 & 125 HR (Better but still chesty)

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Wed 16th Mar

a.m. 8.21 miles @ 8:19 & 124 HR (Vibrams)

p.m. 8.21 miles @ 7:59 & 126 HR

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Thu 17th Mar (Paddy's Day)

p.m. 16.04 miles @ 7:47 pace & 133HR (was in no mood for this run but got through it)

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Sat 19th Mar

a.m. 29.17 miles @ 7:43 pace & 140 HR

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Sun 20th Mar

a.m. 19.81 miles @ 8:25 pace with 4 miles @ 6:56 pace & 144 HR.

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Base Week #8 (Run 114.4 miles, Bike NIL, Swim NIL)

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(Not quite) Barefootin in Ballycotton

I finished off my highest mileage week ever with the Ballycotton 10 today, pushing the 90 mile barrier for the first time. Needless to say I was taking in the sights for most of the race and only began to push the pace over the last few miles.

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Following a 5 mile warmup with Paul (easy to spot the ultras) I donned the vibrams for the first time in a race. We got to the start with about 10 minutes to spare and consequently were placed towards the back of the 2,500 pack. Not too bad as the last thing I wanted was to get dragged out too fast. However I didn't realise that it would take me over 2 miles before I could run un-impeded. Following a first mile on the wrong side of 8 minutes (Paul had ducked and weaved through the crowd much more efficiently than I had) I settled into a 7:30 pace for a few miles with the vibrams feeling very comfortable and the aches and pains felt during the warmup miles long gone. I knew I needed to up the pace a little to get under 75 minutes (unofficial target) but there was plenty of time for that during the closing 5 miles. I passed through 5 miles with about 37:55 on the watch and the HR still on the right side of 140 (25 seconds off 75 minute pace). Over the next few miles I pushed the pace towards 7:00 as I had one or two targets in sight. I passed a guy wearing vibrams around the 7 mile mark - he wasn't making a sound compared to the flat-footed slaps I was making with every footfall - you could hearing me coming a mile off.

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As the finish line got closer I pushed under 7:00 pace with my HR climbing steadily through the 150's and into the 160's, averaging about 6:43 for the last 3 miles and coming in a tad slower than I did in Dungarvan - 72:26. The only disappointment from the day was the chip I discovered on my Ballycotton Mug when I got home.

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I travelled down with Pat and Thomas who both Pb'd on the day finishing a few 100 places ahead of me.

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My main run of the week was a 3 hr 15 min outing yesterday morning leaving the house just after 7 - running into town along the Lee Road, out the Straight Road, back in the Model Farm Road, a few grass laps of the Farm and home via the Curraheen Road, with a 500ml bottle of High Five for company. While I felt a bit tired during the first 5 or 6 miles I got into a bit of a grove during the 2nd hour, churning out mile after mile at just under 8:00 pace while maintaining a relatively steady HR. While my HR pushed towards 140 over the latter miles the pace still remained sub-8 minute which is a good sign that my aerobic conditioning is continuing to improve - the next MAF test will tell.

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Mon 28th Feb

a.m. 5.28 miles @ 8:40 pace & 116 HR - recovery run in the vibrams

p.m. 5.51 miles @ 8:07 pace & 130 HR - legs felt heavy

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February - 279 Miles

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Tue 1st Mar

a.m. 5.51 miles @ 7:41 pace & 136HR

p.m. 10.16 miles @ 7:49 pace & 129 HR with 5 x 1 mile @ 7:16 pace

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Wed 2nd Mar

10.39 miles @ 8:04 pace & 134HR ( Avg HR 164 for 1st mile???)

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Thu 3rd Mar

10.76 miles @ 7:52 pace & 128HR)

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Sat 5th Mar

25.14 miles @ 7:45 pace & 132HR

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Sun 6th Mar

17.96 miles @ 7:50 pace with 10 miles @ 7:15 pace & 140HR.

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Base Week #6 (Run 90.65 miles, Bike NIL, Swim 0.75km)

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Energy from nowhere

I had to postpone my weekend long run until Sunday morning as I spent a wet and windy Saturday morning doing a recce of the Lough Ine Tri bike route with Pete, Connie, Brian and Dixie (poor Dixie got dropped, I wasn't far off getting dropped myself).

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I was up too late on Sunday morning to join the MacCotter Glounthane run (would you like some hills with that?) so with a cup of coffee swiftly dispatched I went to the farm for a flat barefoot run on grass. I joined Joe Roche, Austin Brown, Pat Twomey & (forgot his name - I keep doing that, although in my defence I had just been introduced to him) for the last few miles of their run. The pace was around 7:30 so by the time they had finished I was set on 2 hours @7:30 pace average, which would give me 16 miles (a bit more than last weeks 14.8 mile 2 hr run). Shortly after I was joined by Pat Murphy for a few laps and over the course of those few miles the pace seemed to gradually increase towards 7:00. I passed the first hour with 8:14 miles on the clock (7:22 pace average) well on target for my 16 miles and feet feeling great. I kept the pace pretty close to 7:00 for the remainder of the run finishing with 16.77 miles in total - 8.63 for the second hour (6:57 pace average) the only niggle caused by being careless passing through a gap next to a gate where I managed to hit my 2nd smallest toe on my right foot off a stone ditch. I didn't know until I had finished 3 miles later which toe was hit and by that stage it had turned black and blue. Apart for the incident with my toe I was very pleased with the run and how relatively comfortable I felt throughout, particularly as my pre-run nutrition was limited to a cup of coffee.

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A 3 mile recovery run on Monday evening showed that my toe was unlikely to be broken but there was some pain which was enough to dictate the pace - 8:27.

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I took Tuesday off work and brought the 2 young ones and 4 of their friends to Killarney for the day where we trekked to the summit of Torc Mountain (535m). I dipped my feet in a mountain stream for a few minutes on our return, the cool water easing the inflammation/discomfort in my toe.

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My evening track session called for sets of 4 to 5 minutes (1,200m to 1 mile) at Interval (I) pace with 3 to 4 minute recoveries. As Daniels recommends that Intervals shouldn't last longer than 5 minutes, and 5 minute miles are not my Interval pace I settled for 5 x 1,200m in 4:24 (88 second laps) with 3 minute recoveries. I had to add 3 seconds per lap as I was running in lane 3 - so 4:33 was the target for the 3 laps (4:30 sounded better). Following a few laps warmup which revealed no discomfort in my toe I settled into the work at hand, taking my eye off the ball for the first interval but hitting the target for the remaining 4 -

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4:33/29/30/29/28.

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The intervals felt reassuringly more manageable than the similarly paced 6 x 800's a few weeks ago - so a step in the right direction I think.

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Why didn't he drive?

I took the kids to Gougane Barra last Sunday (well the 2 youngest and 2 of their friends). We walked some of the trails, the longest being 2.4 km with 130m of elevation gain (great views) - it was billed as a 1.75 hour walk which we covered in about 45 minutes (A course record?) I was impressed with Saran who's only 7 and spends most of his waking moments jumping up and down excitedly in front of the television with a Wii console in his hands. We also stopped by the Island where St Finbarr established a Monastery in the 6th Century. Eager to impart some knowledge to the kids I told them that St Finbarr sailed down river from here to what is now Cork City and established another monastery where St Finbarrs Cathedral now stands. The only response I got was "Why didn't he drive?". I hadn't time to explain that one. This was week 2 of 9 in my 5k - 15k training programme with the first speed session of the week on Tuesday calling for repetitions of 4 x 200, 2 x 400, 1 x 800, 2 x 400 and 4 x 200 with equal distance active recoveries. Target pace was 1:20 per lap although I allowed myself the full 2:44 for the 800m. Others in the club were doing a few faster 400m reps (between 70 and 78 seconds) with full recoveries in between. I joined them for the last one and got sucked into a 74 second lap - way faster that my R-pace of 80. Otherwise the session went according to plan 36/39/37/37 - 1:18/1:21 - 2:44 - 1:19/1:14 - 38/38/38/37. I had an opportunity to run a 5k on Thursday but opted instead to return to the track for sets of 800 at I Pace (second quality session of the week) I also got in a bit of bike training by cycling the 5 miles there and back (suited my training needs better than bursting a gut over 3.1 miles). Target pace for the 800's was 2:56 (88 second laps) with 400m recovery jogs (plan called for 3 mins). 2:54/55/55/53/54/52 - I wonder if I managed 4 more would that mean a 2:55 marathon a la Bart Yasso - I don't think so! A sockless run in the park on Friday left me with some tenderness on the tops of my toes so I ditched the socks and shoes yesterday morning (couldn't find my fivefingers) for a barefoot run around the grass pitches at the farm. After my warmup mile I joined John (a week after his Portumna marathon success) and Denis who were finishing up a session of 2 x 3 miles @ 7:10 pace. I ran the last 1.5 miles of the session, which was a good test to see how comfortable running barefoot was at a faster pace. The feedback was good so I decided to continue with my planned 3 x 10 minutes at T-pace (6:26) sans shoes - I had brought them along just in case. Each 10 minute effort equalled 2.5 laps of the back pitch. I wasn't sure whether the recovery between efforts was 1 or 2 minutes, so I settled for 1:30. Surprisingly I felt reasonably fresh after each recovery with my HR coming well down into the 120's. I was also happy with my pace for each effort even though it was faster than planned - 6:20/13/15 for each 10 minute set. During my last effort I noticed a woman running in the opposite direction to me and it wasn't until she got within my limited eyesight range that I discovered she was none other than Sonia O'Sullivan. A few minutes later while warming down with John, Monica, Aine and Gillian we came across Sonia's husband, Nic Bideau, also running around the farm, noticeable by his distinctive Aussie tan. They must have been in town to promote the Cork City Sports which was on the same day. All in all I covered 14.8 miles barefoot and the only time I had to stop was to pick a thorn from my big toe, no big deal. .

A Totally Different 10 Miler

The Week That Was

My left Achilles looked like it was giving trouble during Tuesday's track session, despite cutting the mile repeats back to 6:40 pace. It was still aching during the early miles of Wednesday's 15 miler which tempted me to cut the run short but I persevered and the pain subsided and was all but gone by the end of the run. Still I took the precaution of taking Thursday off and I was as good as new on Friday for an easy 7 mile run in the Vibrams. In fact the last 4 miles were at 7:30 pace or less and I had no issues afterwards. Saturday's long run with Pat was over a reasonably flat 23 miles over which we pushed the opening pace (8:00 for the first 5 miles) to eventually end up with an average of 7:30 for the 23, which wasn't a bad test of endurance. Pat cut his run short to 21 as he was saving something for Today's 10 miler in Mallow. Looks like he exceeded his target of running the 10 miles in a sub 3-hour MP of 6:45 and came in at 6:30 average. I, on the other hand, had an entirely different 10 miler around the roads and park of Ballincollig averaging 8:30 pace in the Vibrams. I joined Adrian for the first 6.5 miles as he was heading out for his 21 mile long run. The ball of my left foot had been tender for the last few miles of Saturday's long run (I have now taken the insoles out of my cheap runners which now have 540 miles in them) so I took the precaution of carrying a pair of runners in a backpack in case I needed them. While there was some discomfort in my feet I ran the full 10 miles without changing footwear and actually the pain subsided - all part of getting used to minimalist shoes. It's certainly not a sign of impending injury as i've felt this pain before and it has always subsided. It's all part of the adjustment as the load from the ground is transferred up through my legs by muscles and tendons in my feet that probably never had to do a days work in their life, well not since I was first shod, shortly after I rose up on my hind legs. I've spend the last 4 years challenging my body to see what it is capable of doing now it is time to challenge my feet as they are far more technically advanced than any running shoe with 2 million years of development behind them compared to 30 odd years or so for cushioned running shoes. I don't think I'm ready yet for my first race though. I still have to undo a lot of bad learning. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Training Thoughts

A few of you asked what was different about my training that resulted in a breakthrough in Dungarvan last Sunday. The primary reason I think is that I continued to train after Dublin in October and my body did not breakdown (i.e. I remained injury free). After my injury last April I scaled back my running until the late summer before ramping up for Dublin. Therefore I have been able to train beyond Dublin without my body requiring a long break. If I can get through Barcelona in 4 weeks time I will give my legs a bit of a break, especially from speedwork, before Connemara. The only thing that I can think of that has changed in my training is that I am doing less speedwork. In particular tempo runs have all but disappeared from my schedule, the very session that I would have thought would be crucial to improving times from 10k to 15 miles. After all tempo pace is anything from 10k to HM pace. I read somewhere that us Master runners could do with less speedwork as recovery takes longer and the risk of injury is greater. Certainly, a fair number of my calf strains/tears happened during tempo runs. I also have strengthened my calves adding calf raises to my gym session. One more thing - I am not following a program out of a book. I am loosely following a programme given by the Club coach - i.e. I follow the track session every Tuesday and the coach keeps an eye on my log and advises me if I am doing anything wrong. Mon 1st Feb 5.11 miles in 43:11 (8:28 pace @ 119 HR) Recovery run Tue 2nd Feb 8.17 miles in 1:13:31 (9:00 pace @ 126 HR) with 5 x 1 mile @6:40 pace Wed 3rd Feb 15.04 miles in 2;00:56 (8:02 pace @ 128 HR) Fri 4th Feb 7.04 miles in 53:49 (7:39 pace @ no HRM) Vibrams Sat 5th Feb 23.29 miles in 2:54:17 (7:29 pace @ no HRM) Sun 6th Feb 10.03 miles in 1:25:05 (8:30 pace @ 116 HR) Vibrams Training Week # 11 68.68 miles.

Stress before rest

The first half of the week started with recovery followed by 2 relatively hard days.

A morning recovery run in the Vibrams @ 9 minute pace was called for on Monday and went off without a hitch. Effortless at that pace which was evident from the average HR of 111, lowest ever I think. A short run closer to 8 minute pace from Turners Cross to Glasheen and back in the evening as Safan was at guitar lesson finished off my recovery double.

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Track on Tuesday evening saw me repeat last weeks 5 x 1 mile @ 6:20 pace although I had more company this week with a good group of 8 or 9. I was doubtful whether I should run at that pace so soon after the race on Sunday but the intervals went off without a hitch. They're were a few of us in the group signed up for the Dungarvan 10 miler next Sunday and the advice from the Coach was to join up with a few other runners from the club who were targeting 6:20 pace. While 6:20 miles with 2 minute recoveries felt fine stringing 10 of them together with no recoveries over undulating terrain is a different story. Then again nothing ventured nothing gained. If I did manage to pull off an average 6:20 pace the 63:20 result would be a massive PB and my first sub 65 minute 10 miler. To be quite honest another PB, even by a few seconds, would be more than enough for me.

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Given that i'm training for a marathon in 5 weeks and an ultra 5 weeks later I was conscious of the fact that I need to get a long run in this week and to run well in Dungarvan a Saturday long run would not be the best preparation. With this in mind I set the alarm for 4:45 this morning with the aim of getting at least a 2 hour mid-week long run in.

Surprisingly I woke about 10 minutes before the alarm and after a quick cup of coffee was out the door a few minutes before 5 with 1 gel in my pocket for insurance.

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Immediately I started thinking of how far I would get if I extended my run time to 2:20 or a little longer. While 18 miles would be good I subconsciously was thinking, all things being equal, I should be heading for 20 miles at this stage in my training. With a max of 2:30 I could just about squeeze the 20 miles in at 7:30 pace and should this be unachievable, 18 miles would do. With this plan squirrelled away in my subconscious my early pace in the 7:50's reduced through the 7:40's heading for 7:30. The first 5 miles averaged 7:37 pace. I more or less repeated the 16.5 mile route I did a few weeks ago heading into town along the Model Farm Road, College Road, South Quays, Horgans Quay, Train Station and back west through Sunday's Well and the Straight Road adding a 3 mile loop back the Model Farm Road to Inchagaggin Lane and eventually home.

The first 10 miles were in 1:14:16 (07:26 pace). I took the gel at 12.6 miles and continued on at a relatively even sub 7:20 pace to get the last 10 miles in 1:11:54 (07:11 pace) - in fact the last 15 miles averaged 7:12 pace with each 5 mile block marginally faster than the previous one (36:10, 36:00 & 35:54). The effort felt tough towards the end but the relative ease at which the pace came early on and maintained for most of the run was good.

That the last hard long run before Barcelona, i'll probably do one or two shorter runs with some marathon pace miles thrown in and one or two 20+ mile easy paced long runs before the taper.

My legs certainly felt tired throughout the day particularly during a lunchtime cycle with Connie, Pete and another fast guy less than half my age - over the hill to Crossbarry and back - I was dropped on both climbs, and they were taking it relatively easy. Then again I haven't been out on the bike for over a month and before that a month and a half. Time for some catchup. I'll probably spend more time on the bike between Barcelona and Connemara to give my running muscles a bit of a break which should limit loss of condition.

With 40 miles in the bag already this week the next few days will be relatively easy on the running front with at least one days rest. While my calendar weekly totals have been between 60 and 65 miles the last 5 days running have totalled almost 72 miles (79.5 for the last 7 days) which was enough to convince me to ease up.

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Chasing hares at Mile 3.5 on Sunday - I certainly look a bit overdressed for the ocassion

Mon 25th Jan

a.m. 6.83 miles in 1:01:17 (8:58 pace @ 111 HR) recovery run in vibrams

p.m. 4.73 miles in 38:23 (8:07 pace @ 123 HR)

Tue 26th Jan

9.08 miles in 1:14:49 (8:14 @ 129 HR) with 5 x 1,600m in 6:17/22/20/20/14

Wed 27th Jan

20.04 miles in 2:26:10 (07:18 pace @ 143 HR) Long Run

Ramblings

I haven't posted in a long time (for me) - not for the want of something to say but more for the lack of time. It's easier to read other people's posts and leave a comment than to put fingers to keyboard and pen my own bit of drivel - so here goes a few unconnected thoughts..............

The Great Cushion Debate

When I started running just over 4 years ago I was clueless. The first month or two I ran with what I had - a pair of shorts last worn in the 1970's and trainers pulled from the back of my wardrobe. That was until my running buddy Adrian turned up one day with "real running shoes" that he had got in John Buckleys, the local running store. Suddenly I felt disadvantaged, I wasn't using the right gear, my feet, knees and hips were on the rocky road to destruction and so before long I was sporting a pair of Asics Gel Nimbus that John Buckley himself advised me were best for my high arches and neutral gait. I felt much better - at least now I looked like I knew what I was doing. The Gel Nimbus has been a staple of my wardrobe ever since - a necessity even if they did cost €120 (with the 10% discount). I changed to a pair of Saucony Triumph 5's once after a free gait analysis - still the same shoe though - "Neutral Cushioning" - my type, my passport to injury free running, no matter where I was in the world the "Neutral Cushioning" shoe was my shoe.

In the intervening years the rest of my running wardrobe changed as I became familiar with terms such as "moisture wicking", "anti-chafing", "compression", "breatheable" etc.etc. anything that I felt would give me an edge. But I digress........ Over the last 4 years Asics has served me well and caused no problems that I know of. Not that I didn't get injured - just that my injuries were primarily muscle tears/strains which I put down to overtraining - my joints were fine and I have no long term niggles. Nevertheless I experimented with a pair of minimalist shoes 2 years ago, because I had read about them in Matt Fitzgerald's "Brain Training for Runners" and he recommended them for those plagued with injury. While I didn't fit into that category I fitted into the other category of "I'll try anything once" and I must say they felt great and while they take time to get used to (about ten minutes;) the feeling of freedom is worth the struggle of getting the toes into their right home. Having said that I didn't cross the chasm and abandon cushioned running, in fact I stuck with the old familiar and only pulled out the "Vibrams" for short recovery "fun" runs which were few and far between. Over the last 3 months I have started another experiment of one by introducing a cheap pair of runners from Lidl (I think they cost €13) into my training runs. Over the months this pair of runners has slowly taken over from the Asics as the shoe of choice for all my runs. Initially my feet would have felt more uncomfortable in the Lidl shoes (weaning off the cushions perhaps) and I would have just used them for short outings, but gradually they began to feel more comfortable as they began to mould themselves around my feet, something that the more cushioned shoes take much longer to do - usually about the time you tend to throw them out (600+ miles). I used the Asics for the first time in a few weeks for a short recovery run on Monday and certainly noticed a very spongy feeling under feet (and my heels in particular). I'm less inclined to use them now but still feel apprehensive about what my next "new" pair of shoes should be - were the Lidi shoes a once off or should I try an equally "cheap" pair of shoes and see how it goes? I think I've proven that I don't need all that cushion under my feet as all my long runs of the past month, even the 33 mile beast, have been in the Lidl shoes, which now have 440 miles up on them (compared to the 205 on the Asics - what a waste if I don't use up the remaining 400 odd miles - see I'm still in 600 mile expiry date mode). This thread is not going to draw any conclusions as the one thing I have learnt from running is not to draw conclusions and leave the mind open to all possibilities, which forms part of the joy of running for me. The whole minimalist running thing has been fueled by the book I am currently reading "Born to Run" - the story of the Tarahumara tribe from the copper canyons of Mexico who are natural barefoot runners who think nothing of running for days on end as they appear to love the act of running.

I read a post recently on "what you shouldn't buy at Lidl" and running shoes were second only to condoms - didn't know I was living that close to the edge. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Have I Been Doing

The last two weeks have see me do more of the same - in and around 60 miles a week. Going Long - My long runs have been a bit all over the place with a 21 miler the week after my 33 miler and back to back 16 milers last weekend. Today I had planned on a 20 miler but a dodgy gut cut that back to 18. As I plan on running a 4 mile race tomorrow there'll be no back to back long runs this weekend. Going Fast - My mile sessions at the track never got back to the pre-christmas 6 minute pace. However the 6:20 miles were at reduced recoveries of 2 minutes with 4 last week and 5 in the pouring rain this week (the last 2 were on my own) - My endurance appears to be good as I did not struggle with the 5 reps and felt I could have went on. Therefore I need to increase the pace towards 6:00 miles to get the desired training benefit. I headed back to the track for a second time on Thursday to get in 4 tempo miles @ about 6:30 pace if I could manage it. I had initially planned on 2 x 2 as I had not done a tempo session for some time and was unsure of my speed/endurance ability. However I managed to sustain the effort over the full 4 miles, averaging 6:30 pace - each 1,600m was faster than the previous one and overall I was happy with the effort as at times I felt like quitting - 6:35/30/25/20 (25:50 for 3.98 miles). Hopefully I'll better that time tomorrow. Going Slow - I'm not very good at going slow although I did have a recovery run at 9:18 pace last Monday evening through the fog, rain and rush hour traffic of Douglas while waiting for Safan to finish her Guitar lesson. Miserable run when you have to compete with so many other road users. I think i'll have to don the Vibrams for some slow easy fun training runs.

No Going - I had one down day on Thursday last week as I was recovering from a head cold and as Friday is my day of rest the cold was well an truly gone for saturday's run.

Sun 10th Jan 21.13 miles @ 8:30 pace @ 128HR (Hilly long run) Base/Training Week #7 - 60.97 miles Mon 11th Jan - 5 miles @ 7:52 pace - Treadmill + 5.45 @ 7:21 pace @ 140HR Tue 12th Jan - 7.21 miles @ 8:02 pace & 134HR (with 4 x 6:20 miles & 2 min rec) Wed 13th Jan - 8.66 miles @ 8:06 pace & 125HR + 2.5 miles treadmill Sat 16th Jan - 16.2 miles @ 7:53 pace & 138HR - last 5 miles @ 7:02 pace avg Sun 17th Jan - 16.81 miles @ 7:19 pace @ 143HR Base/Training Week #8 - 61.83 miles Mon 18th Jan - 4;34 miles @9:18 pace & 113HR - Recovery Tue 19th Jan - 7.84 miles @ 8:19 pace & 146HR (Track with 5 x 6:20 miles & 2 min rec) Wed 20th Jan - 11;51 miles @7:55 pace & 126HR + 2.5 miles treadmill Thur 21st Jan - 7.69 miles @7:38 pace & 137HR (Track tempo run with 4 miles @ 6:30 pace) Sat 23rd Jan - 18.19 miles @ 8:09 pace & 130HR.

Silver Medal

To-date in my "running career" I have picked up medals for completing 6 marathons, 2 half marathons and a 10k. However the only running medal that I actually won through my blood sweat and tears was a second place masters team medal with Eagle AC in the AAI Munster half marathon championships last September, which I finally received from Pat Murphy, the club secretary, just before we set off on the clubs long run yesterday morning. I think the long wait had something to do with dope testing! You can't be too careful at the elite end of Munster old guys in running vests.

Yesterday's long run felt better than last weeks, as the head and legs had grown more accustomed to the monotony/fatigue and running with others tends to pass the time away quicker. 10 in all started the run with 4 remaining for the full distance, all of whom are training for Dublin (Denis, Paul, Derek and myself). The run, on mainly rural roads around Glounthane and Carrigtwohill, was quite hilly which offered some great views of Cork harbour on a beautiful sunny morning (the only sun we had all weekend). I headed into town with Safan this afternoon to see the final stage of the Tour Of Ireland. We headed for Bakers Road with it's 23% gradient so that we could see how the pro's defy gravity. Conditions were woeful with torrential rain and strong winds with a small river flowing down the hill against the cyclists. Still they powered up the hill as if they were on a Sunday stroll, some of the stronger climbers even using the opportunity to break away.We were soaked through and only stayed to watch 2 of the 3 City laps. I headed to the park for a short run in the evening and as it was an easy/recovery day I decided to run barefoot in the hope of slowly reactivating some of the under-utilised muscles in my lower legs and feet that should provide natural cushioning and take the strain off other muscle groups that have been forced to adapt to cushioned shoes. I ran 6 miles in all, 2 on pavement and 4 on grass, and it felt great. The recent rain had made for wet and muddy conditions in the park. I initially had been avoiding the wettest areas but soon was seeking them out and splashing straight through without a care in the world. It also kept my feet cool (they tend to heat up more being closer to the action). At least I made the most out of the wet weather. The pace in the park was a little faster than my normal "easy" pace as I covered the first 2 miles in 7:30 pace. However it felt very comfortable and so I ended up with a small progression run covering miles 3 and 4 in 7:16 and 6:55 before warming down on the homeward mile.

Friday 21st Aug 5.26 miles in 40:44 (07:45 pace @ 126 HR) Sat 22nd Aug 19 miles in 2:30:11 (07:54 pace @ 129HR) Sun 23rd Aug 6.19 miles in 46:28 (07:31 pace @ 130HR) - barefoot Marathon Training Week 4/13 - 68.55 miles