Focus

For the first 10 weeks of the year I was Mr. consistency - averaging 70 miles a week which included a marathon distance run at the weekend around a club 40 minute tempo run. On these days i'd run into town, warmup with my clubmates, run a 40 minute out and back tempo @ 6:30 to 6:45 pace and then run home, making sure I covered at least 26.2 miles. Some of these were a bit of a slogfest but I adapted and they became easi(er) over time. So while I wasn't as prolific at running/pacing organised marathons as I was last year (I still haven't run one this year) I managed to accumulate the same training benefit from my front door.

All this training culminated in the Wicklow Way Ultra on 22nd March, my 11th marathon distance run of the year. The plan after Wicklow was to repeat last years marathon training programme for Portumna, for which last years M40 win entitled me to a free entry this year. The purpose of the early season tempo runs was to accustom me to the harder efforts of the mile and 2 mile repeats @ 6:15/20 pace that the programme would demand. However within a week and a half of Wicklow I was sporting a mild strain in my left calf, probably due to a combination of maintaining my weekend marathon streak and getting lost coming down from Galty Mór on a evening run and having to run a bit longer than planned to get back to the car. As speedwork was out of the question the strain prevented me from starting my marathon training programme and it was back to easy aerobic running. Even this was putting strain on my calf and I had to ease back for a few days.

 

With the possibility of a serious attempt at Portumna fading the longer my injury prevailed my sights began to shift back towards the endurance side of the spectrum (i.e. all day events). I had two potential targets -

 

(i) if my injury prevailed I would aim for the Sneem 50 Mile Walk on 24th May. To hedge my bets I introduced a few walk only sessions into my weekly training culminating in a 20 mile 4 hour walk on roads - and you though long runs were monotonous!!!

 

(ii) if I recovered reasonably quickly I would aim for the Wicklow Way Solo Race, also on 24th May. This race had been on the back of my mind since my cousin Liam mentioned it to me earlier in the year, the only issue being how could I fit it into my marathon training and be sufficiently recovered to give Portumna a good old rattle. The answer was that I couldn't, it was either one or the other and now with Potumna out of the picture, the Wicklow Way was left standing uncontested.

 

The only concerns I had were that the I had only ever run about 24km of the primarily off-road 131km route and the first 4 or 5 hours of the race would be in the dark (it starts at midnight).

 

I dealt with the first concern by doing a recce of the entire route over 3 separate runs spaced out over a few weeks, the first as part of a Sunday group run from Marley Park to Glenmalure (km 2 - 65) on 27th April and the remaining two on my own - Glenmalure to Moyne (Km 65 - 91) and Moyne to Clonegal (Km 91 - 131) over the following weeks (a great way to use up excess annual leave). The second concern was glossed over with a 5 mile midnight run on Friday/Saturday, with 3 of those miles through Ballincollig Regional Park wearing my budget Aldi headtorch. It did the job, and spooked a few birds from their slumber in the process. I also picked up a spare head torch yesterday in a Euro saver shop for €1.50 (sans batteries) - and it's brighter than the €8 Aldi version. The days of spending money on "quality" torches  ended when the €50 Cateye torch I bought for my bike gave up the ghost within a few months of purchase (and less than 15 hours of work on the clock) - it couldn't handle the wet (i.e. outdoor use!!!)

 

So....... with a week to go it is option (ii) that I have gone for (Sneem was ever only going to be a fall back - but I will keep up the walk training) and now it's time to do a bit of planning.

 

Support

While the race will be supported (drop bag/aid station locations have not been identified yet as it depends on the number of volunteers) I will not have the luxury of having 24/7 attention like I did on Connemara last year so I will have to carry some provisions in a backpack.

 

Time

I haven't a clue. The cut-off is 21 hours. The combined time of the recce runs is a little over 16 hours, but I was fully refreshed at the start of each segment. To give me some basis for aiming for 16 hours I compared my recent Wicklow Way Ultra time of 4:58 to that of Clubmate Paul Tierney (4:18) and applied the ratio (1.155) to Paul's 2011 record breaking run on the Wicklow Way of 13:39. This gave me a time of 15:46, so sub-16 hours is possible. Then again Paul had full support in his 2011 attempt and I on the other hand will not be drafting in any additional assistance next weekend. So we'll see.........

 

Getting There

The current plan is to drive to Clonegal on Friday. Walk the 4 km to Kildavin to get the evening bus to Dublin. Get my brother in law to collect me from the bus station and drop me to Marley Park, with a few hours rest in between, run from Marley Park to Clonegal and drive home. I'm even tired thinking about it. 

 

 

The Aftermath

Things have been very quite on the running front since Connemara. Recovery went pretty well - starting with a 3+ mile walk (of sorts) in Connemara National Park the morning after the race. My first run, 10 days after the event, was slow but reasonably trouble free.

A few months back I had signed up for one of the company relay teams in the Dublin City Triathlon on 24th August (14 days after Connemara). My job was to run the 4km final leg of the supersprint. I didn't give it much thought until a few days before the event when I was heading out on my second Connemara recovery run and decided to run a "tempo" mile to see what I would be capable of. While I didn't push myself to the limit I still gave it a good effort and finished the mile a few seconds on the wrong side of my 7 minute target - essentially knocking 50 to 60 seconds off what I would have been capable of before Connemara - no more that I expected really. Come race day however, lined up alongside Brendan in the "relay pen" with a number pinned to my chest, the competitive juices started to flow. Brendan got about a minutes head start on me and managed to add 8 seconds to his lead by the time I crossed the finish line, covering the 4 k in about 16:30, not the best recovery from a 100 miler and sure enough I felt a bit of tightness in my right calf over the last 500m.

A hilly 15+ mile long run a week later exposed the weakness in my right leg a bit further with a tightness in my Achilles developing from midway through the run - the hills will expose an weakness in your Achilles. I was reduced to limping for the rest of the day and a week off running. A 9 mile run the following weekend and another day of limping dictated that a longer period of rest was required - typically an Achilles injury takes 6 to 8 weeks to recover from as opposed to the 2 to 3 required for a muscle injury - something to do with the reduced blood flow/access to tendons to effect a repair compared to the relatively accessible capillary rich muscles.

The further layoff didn't bother me too much as I reckon I had my work done for the year and my only targets were "social" races or pacing gigs. A proper rest is probably what my body needed anyway. A few weekends on the bike an a gradual return to running culminated in a 15 mile run @ 7:59 pace on grass today (between 2 miles of walking) with no lingering issues. So hopefully I can ramp it up over the next two weeks to pace 3:20 in Dublin on October 28th - what's the opposite of taper?

Thanks for all the kind comments (on and off line) over the last two months following the death of Cliona - like my running it has been a slow recovery - funny how the body and mind sometimes synchronise.

No. 23 - The Viking Marathon

The inaugural Viking Marathon in Waterford on Saturday was my 23rd Marathon (including 5 ultras) and my 7th as a pacer. With 5 marathons under my belt this year alone and the possibility of 3 more pacing gigs, I appear to be slipping into the abyss that is occupied by those who think nothing of running two marathons in one day (and no I'm not referring to a 52 mile ultra) and have to organise their own marathons to feed their addiction. Sure enough the usual suspects were on the start line at the Mall on Saturday morning, with some sharing the early miles with me, slagging each other off and having a bit of craic before falling off the pace as the memory of their most recent ultra or marathon hits their legs - all well capable of running sub 3:30, if only they allowed themselves to recover, their legs in a perpetual state of stress/recovery.

Pat Purcell of Kilkenny City Harriers was my pacing buddy for the day and for his first pacing gig he took to it like a duck to water and appeared to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

Hi-Ho Hi-Ho It's off to work we go

We got singlets with the word "Pacer" emblazoned across the front and back, which certainly helped us to stick out from the crowd. The day threatened rain and sunshine in equal measure, typically Irish weather, the light rain before the start washing off the sun screen that some of the the runners had applied liberally in the warm sunshine less that an hour before.



Enjoying the First Mile



The course was a mixture of urban and rural roads around the south side of the City before heading out the Cork Road at Mile 9 and south to Tramore at mile 10.5. Unusually for a marathon the mile markers were "miles remaining" as opposed to "miles completed" so anyone with a standard pace band was fucked left slightly confused as "16 miles remaining" meant you were 10.22 miles into the race for which you had no split time on your pace band. Pacing 3:30 at 8 minute miles wasn't too bad as 16 miles reamining meant 2:08 time remaining, indicating that I should have 1:22  or slightly less on my Garmin . 

There were a few drags, particularly the mile or 2 before halfway, where we got a good cheer from the half marathon runners lining up to start just over 15 minutes after we passed through. We slowed the pace going up the drags to even out the effort a little and picked it up slightly on the downhills.



Miles 16 to 19 consisted of a loop around Tramore where the support again was  very good. Through the last relay changeover point at the end of the Promenade and heading for home. A few runners began to drop off the pace here but we still had a good core group of about 10 to 15. Miles 19 to 23 were back in towards the City along the main road and it was a question of keeping the head down and not letting the fatigue take over. The course took an out and back diversion along the ring road at mile 23 - just to mess with your head a little. I could see Chris O'Connell about 50 yards ahead - the last time I saw Chris was just after he crossed the finish line in Limerick last year in 3:30:05 and this was his first marathon since. I shouted out "Don't let me catch you Chris" and he gave a wave of acknowledgement. The out and back section finished just after Mile 24 - two straight miles to the finish - time to keep the head down and ignore the pain - well that's what Pat was telling anyone who would listen. Chris was still ahead and if anything had increased the gap between us. With a mile to go we had about 50 seconds of a cushion and so we eased up slightly to encouage a few stragglers, with the core group of about 8 going ahead to finish comfortably under 3:30. We managed to get 1 or 2 more over the line with a few seconds to spare, with 1 guy cramping badly about 400m from the finish and hobbling over the line just in front of us (he was actually behind us in the shot below) - Clock 23:29:57 (3:29:45 Chip). Chris came in comortably in 3:28:something - Well done on your first sub-3:30 Chris.



What time is it? I can't wait around much longer.



I did my usual post marathon/ultra recovery routine of lying down for 10 minutes and keeping my legs elevated when this guy passing said "There's a man who knows what he's doing" and I look up to be greeted by none other than John Tracy, the silver medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Marathon (behind Carlos Lopez). If only he could say that about my training ;-)

While my legs recovered pretty well after the marathon an easy run in the vibrams on Monday revealed a tight right calf, which got progressively more tender as the run went on. A similar easy run on Wednesday morning (this time in more conventional running shoes) was no better and while the first mile felt good an ache developed in the calf, which got progressively worse as the run went on, forcing me to slow down - the last mile was over 9 minute pace!!!

I think I have a mild strain/tear so it's no running for a week or two. I had been thinking of running a long ultra in August but couldn't make up my mind - at least now it 's made up for me as i'd have had to ramp up my mileage over the next 3 weeks to get some ultra specific training in my legs. So i've switched to the bike, which is less stressful on the legs and will keep me somewhat motivated, particularly as I have agreed to cycle the Ring Of Kerry with a neighbour over the summer (not the organised one this weekend with 6,000 or 7,000 expected to take part).

Finally all the best to Thomas who is heading into unknown territory when he completes competes in the oddessey that is known as the Belfast Bangor 24-hour track race. An exciting time for him. I wish I was there. If you wish to offer support please text words of encouragement via. his support crew @ 00353 (0)86 3840587. All the best Thonms!!!

Cut Back Week...

.....or two. Well that was the advice from Joe after he spent an hour and a half isolating and tenderising (I could think of other words) the soleus or one of the deeper muscles hidden behind the gastroc on my left calf (I know I said "right calf" in my last post but sometimes I don't know my ass from my elbow - hence the trip to Joe).

The tightness in my calf was there for the last 3 miles of a recovery paced 5 miler on Monday. Certainly speedwork was off the agenda for the week so I planned on 20 easy laps of the track on Tuesday evening so as to keep myself intact for the hilly club run scheduled for the Nagle Mountains on Sunday.....................and I couldn't even manage that, after 6 laps I had to pull up as the pain came on - no problem for the first 5 laps and suddenly the pain comes out of no where WTF - not a good omen.

Joe advised that I inflict some of my own pain on the affected muscle together with hot and cold therapy but for some reason while I can tolerate a reasonable amount of pain inflicted by others my central governor refuses to sent the correct signal to my hands to inflict anything resembling the same pain intensity. So it is "gentle" massaging with alternating hot water bottle and ice cubes in front of the telly for a few nights - I could get used to this sort of training.

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While I could hypothesise on the cause (insufficient training/recovery from a 45 mile day, a long hilly run both before and after the Bandon 5 miler, most likely a combination of all of the above) it couldn't have happened at a better time - i'm still 3 months out from Connemara (which, in any event, I may use as a stepping stone for something longer!) and the Dungarvan (2.5 weeks) and Ballycotton (7.5 weeks) 10 milers are only fitness gauges along the way with the enjoyment of taking part being the main attraction.

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I have used the downtime to get back in the pool for a few short swim sessions for the first time in months. Glad to have the choice as I have neglected the "other" disciplines for too long - looking forward to the weekend bike ride already!

Mon 10th Jan

5.27 m @8:26 pace & 130HR

Tue 11th Jan

1.34 m @ 7:50 Pace & 130HR

Wed 12th

Swim 1k with 10 x 50m off 70 second starts.

Thur 13th Jan

Swim 1k with 5 x 100m off 135 second starts.

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).

.

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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Amsterdam, Barcelona - Different Cities, Same Story

The weather was perfect for running in Barcelona cool and mostly overcast with a light breeze. The course was perfect too, inclines and descents were very manageable. Thew first 5 km felt a bit tough as I tried to get on pace - my mouth was dry which is a sign of under hydration I sorted this out by taking on plenty of water at the first water station. First 5km in 21:20 - only 20 seconds behind target pace. From 5 to 10 km I felt great 10km in 42:25 - still 25 seconds behind pace but I wasn´t worried. The average Garmin pace was in the mid 6:40s right where I wanted it to be. There was a long incline at about 14 km where my pace dropped slightly but so did the pace of those around me. Just before the top of the incline an acute pain shot up my right calf and I knew immediately that the game was up - no chance of a sub -3 hour run today. I limped on and just before the 15 km mark I stopped and applied my 1 sachet of bio-freeze to my calf (I was saving this for the inevitable cramps after mile 20). The bio-freeze helped a bit and as I was now on a gradual descent the pain eased. I had initially thought of throwing in the towel and walking to the nearest metro station (i had €3 in my belt- premonition?) but i´m no quitter and decided to run on and see if thing would improve. While the pain was manageable it was only so at my revised (naturally selected) pace of around 7:30. I ran the rest of the race more or less at this pace - shuffling up the inclines and resuming normal service on the descents and flats. As there are a few out and backs on the course I could see Pat ahead. He was flying. He was about 4 minutes ahead of me at the half way mark and 7 minutes at mile 18.5 so he was well on pace for the sub 3 hour. My revised plan, to keep me some way motivated, was to come in ahead of the 3:15 baloons and for a few miles I thought of my Amsterdam finish where I wanted to beat my worst time - I wonder could I beat my best time (3:08:58). I was there or thereabouts and to cut a short story even shorter I finished in 3:10:26 - a respectable time for a bad day in the office I suppose. Pat had a cracking race but preliminary results put him 10 seconds (Fu#ki"g hell) over the elusive 2:59:59 - 3:00:09 Chip & 3:00:19 Clock (some prelim results were posted in the baggage reclaim hall). Although he´s convinced he passed under the clock in 3:00:02 which would give him the sub 3. So there might have to be a recount and he may still get elected. Either way it´s a fantastic time. And there´s always the fact that he beat me, which should remove a very large monkey from his back. Adrian, being a part-time runner, had a sub 4 hour target, which he beat by another tight margin of about 10 seconds ) He´s hovering around the computer waiting for the website to dish out the results so that he can light up the hamlet cigar he bought for the occassion. Time to sign off and visit some of the sights before catching a flight this evening. Adios Amigos.

Born Under a Bad Sign

I'm finally in taper mode and my last weeks running went pretty good for the most part. After the 20 miler on 14th I had a easy 5 miler on the Monday and managed to churn out 5 x 1 mile repeats at 6 minute pace at the Tuesday track session.

Following 10 miles easy in the vibrams on Wednesday morning and a day off (2.5 miles on the dreadmill) Thursday I was ready for another marathon pace run on Friday morning. As I had the day off and the kids were off school I had a lie-in until 7 am before heading out the door for about 10 miles at MP. The warmup 1.5 mile were at 7:30 pace followed by 10 miles @ 6:41 pace (1:06:50). I kept my warmdown pace pretty steady and upped the distance to get a half marathon in 1:29:22 (6:49 pace overall). A 28 mile bike ride in the afternoon with Adrian left me completely dead - no energy at all, which surprised me - the week was finally catching up with me. The hilly long run with Eagle on Saturday morning was a struggle after about 8 miles, despite the easy pace, as my right calf began to ache and the gel at mile 10 did nothing to lift me energy levels. I cut the run short at 16.3 miles (shortest route home) and rested up Sunday and Monday to get a bit of recovery in. I gave my calves a good going over with the foam roller and surprisingly it was my left calf that appeared to have all the knots in it despite the dull ache in the right.

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I decided to play safe at the track last night and keep the mile repeats close to marathon pace and see how I got on. I fell in with the group running 6:30 pace and covered 2 repeats (actual pace 6:37/35). My right calf began to tighten up during the 2nd mile so I decided to play safe and reverted to easy pace running for the rest of the session. Another easy 5 miler in the park today and while there was no pain I could feel the tightness in my calf, always conscious of it and the fact that I would probably not be able to sustain a hard effort for very long without doing some damage.

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I don't know if there's any benefit in continuing with easy running as it may delay any recovery/repair that is going on and i'm leaning towards resting up for the next week, switching to the bike, and testing the legs again next Wednesday for the traditional "marathon gear test" where i'll do a couple of MP miles in the gear I intend using on the day. I can't say i'm injured as I can run comfortably but I want to be able to race comfortably hard come Sunday week.

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While things are not quite as bad as they seem and i'm still confident i'll be fighting fit come Sunday week the lyrics of Creams "Born Under a Bad Sign" come to mind -"If it wasn't for real bad luck I wouldn't have no luck at all".

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Mon 15th Feb

5.31 miles in 47:58 (9:02 pace @ 114 HR) Vibrams

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Tue 16th Feb

2.5 miles in 19:48 (7:56 pace - Treadmill)

8.78 miles in 1:08:08 (7:45 pace) with 5 x 1,664m in 6:12/10/11/12/08 (target 6:12)

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Wed 17th Feb

10.11 miles in 1:26:16 (8:32 pace @ 118 HR) Vibrams

..

Thur 18th Feb

2.5 miles in 19:48 (7:56 pace - Treadmill)

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Fri 19th Feb

13.13 miles in 1:29:22 (6:48 pace @ 144HR?) w/10 miles @ 6:41 pace.

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Sat 20th Feb

16.35 miles in 2:18:09 (8:27 pace @ 119 HR)

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Training week # 13 - 58.68 miles

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Tue 23rd Feb

2.5 miles in 19:48 (7:56 pace - Treadmill)

6.41 miles in 50:54 (7:56 pace @ 122 HR) w/2 x 1,664m in 6:49/47.

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Wed 24th Feb

5.44 miles in 44:33 (8:11 pace @ 117 HR)

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Vermillion Border

My new word(s) for the week is Vermillion Border. I never knew I had one until I needed to get it stitched up after a head on collision with the back of the car on Wednesday during my first bike ride in over a month. Why the guys (Connie & Pete of the tri fraternity) decided to head into town and all it's traffic for the lunchtime cycle i'll never know - hindsight is a great thing. In summary I misjudged the car in front which had momentarily stopped to let oncoming traffic past at the bottom of Sundays Well Hill and on taking off I looked down briefly to change gear only to look up and see that the car had stopped again (careful driver) and there wasn't enough time /room to brake in the 2 yard gap between us - so instead the first brake, of wheel against car, slowed forward momentum but not enough to stop me from going head first over the bike and connecting with the back of the car (second brake). My instinctive hand up to my mouth to check for damage revealed quite a bit of blood - so I guessed my upper lip was cut - quite bad I feared by the amount of blood, although I couldn't tell as the whole area was numb. No damage to car or bike. The guy I bumped into turned out to be a cardiologist - can't get one when you need one and I bump into the only one in Munster. He kindly drove me to the A&E of Cork University Hospital where I got assessed and told that it was important to match up the Vermillion Border on both sides of the cut, where the first suture would have to be ( I assume so that my family would recognise me afterwards) and so after 4 hours, 8 external and 5 internal stitches I was discharged into the loving care of my wife. To be quite honest it's more of a hindrance/embarrassment than anything else. The worst pain was the €55 for the antibiotics that the Doctor prescribed and the €100 A&E bill (yet to come). I must say that the care I received was excellent. I couldn't fault the A&E staff, who sometimes have to work in very stressful situations and I had no problem putting up with the wait (wasn't too bad in this case). On the running front my body has all but forgotten that I ran a marathon less than 2 weeks ago. On the Saturday before the marathon my resting heart rate was 38 and this morning it was 37. It shows that I'm in as good a shape as I have ever been - well since I started recording my RHR 3 years ago! Tuesday's track session was 3 x 2km @ 7:55 (6:20 miles) w/ 2min recoveries and while we didn't hit it for the first 2k we got there or thereabouts for the last 2 - 8:03/7:56/7:56. My mid-week accident left me a bit drained so I refrained from running until this morning when I headed out for an easy 5 miler in the rain. In terms of plans for next year, Adrian (my original running partner) and I have tentatively set our eyes on the Barcelona Marathon on 7th March, which we both ran in 2007. Other options include the Rome Marathon on 20th March and Paris on 11th April. Or there's the Connemara Ultra, also on 11th April, for which Barcelona would be a nice training run!!! Decisions Decisions. Monday 2nd Nov

2.5 miles in 19:50 907:56 pace - Treadmill) Tue 3rd Nov 7.13 miles in 58:16 (8:10 pace) with 2 x 2k in 8:04/7:57/7:56 Sat 7th Nov 5.26 miles in 43:59 (08:21 pace @ 126 HR) Paul and I chasing hares at the HSE 4 Miler on 1st November (Photos Courtesy of Richard Cronin)

Change of Plan

By Monday evening the tenderness in my plantar fascia had intensified so much so that it was painful to walk without limping. I did some of the exercises recommended on this site to provide some relief, although according to the article I do not have Plantar Fascitis - the test apparently is to

"Take your opposite thumb to the inside front part of the heel - right where it begins to slope into the arch - and dig in hard. If your scream wakes the neighbors, congratulations, you've got PF.

I followed the instructions and was relieved to find no pain. After a bit more research I thought I might have Metatarsalgia which is more in the ball of the foot and commonly affects runners and those who wear high heals (no wonder Jamie cut the heels off his shoes). My current thinking is that I have delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after my semi-barefoot hill repeats from the previous Monday. Essentially I should have eased myself into barefoot adaptation rather than push too far too soon. Still, no real harm done (fingers crossed) and the net result should be further adaptation of my foot/lower leg muscles to minimalist running.

With my foot still tender on Tuesday and Wednesday I opted for zero running. An out and back 5 miler on Thursday morning, while comfortable at the start ended up painful and totally un-enjoyable. That was enough for me to opt out of tomorrow's half marathon in Blarney and sign up instead for the 130km Rebel Tour Cycle - should be a good test of my endurance.

I got up this morning to go for a short bike ride but decided at the last minute to test my running legs. I warmed up over the mile to the regional park and felt great so decided to increase the run from 5 to 10 miles with the middle 8 miles at 7:00 to 7:10 pace - after the weeks rest I needed a bit of a blowout. The run went off without a hitch covering the 8 faster miles in 7:00 pace with the splits fairly consistent at

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7:02

6:59

7:02

7:00

6:59

7:02

6:59

6:56

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My left foot is still tender which was more noticeable during a 2 mile walk with the dogs this evening. My legs also feel as if they have a touch of DOMS, not the best feeling the night before a 5 hour ride through the hills of North Cork.

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Best of luck to all those running the half in Blarney tomorrow looks like the sun will be shining on you. I wonder how close Brendan and Puds will get to the magical 1:20 mark.

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Mon 7th Sept

2.5 miles in 19:49 (07:56 pace - treadmill)

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Thur 10th Sept

5 miles in 38:44 907:45 pace @ 129HR)

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Sat 12th Sept

10 miles in 1:11:17 (07:08 pace @ 151HR) with 8 miles in 55:59 (07:00 pace) - HR for warmup mile was 150???.

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Marathon Training Week # 7/13 - 17.5 miles! At least todays run served a purpose.

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The only way is up

I had the last physio session on my calf yesterday and while there is still some tenderness following manipulation i'm good to go, provided I ramp back up (distance and pace) gradually. I have eased back over the last week starting with a short 2 mile j0g and increasing to a 5.5 mile run @ 07:45 pace on monday morning. As my next race (9.5k leg of the Lough Ine Challenge) is still 3 weeks away I have a bit of time to increase my running fitness. A 2.5 mile test run on the treadmill yesterday shows how much my fitness has fallen away over the last few months (heart rates for various paces).

A few more of these tests over the coming weeks should show some gains. With tri season started I have managed to get out on the bike a bit more and while I certainly haven't replaced my running time with cycling I have noticed some improvements over the last few weeks. My swim times in the pool seem to be improving also with my last 2 standard training sessions coming in under 29 minutes for 1500m for the first time this year - probably more to do with being more rested from lack of running than anything else.

17 miles under the belt so far this week. So far so good.

Casualty

I had my very first DNF today, although dropping out of a marathon after 3 miles probably doesn't even qualify for a DNF (If it was a shorter race with a proper warmup I probably would have not made the start line). I lined up with Denis Looney of Eagle who was aiming for a sub 3:30. With my primary target as finishing without walking 3:30 (8 minute miles) sounded like a reasonable pace to start with. I tested my calf yesterday morning with a 10 mile warmup on the bike followed by a 2 mile run and apart from the heat everything appeared to work fine. With clear blue skies and only sporadic shade throughout the course I knew the sun would be a major factor. However I could handle the sun through proper pacing and hydration, if my calf behaved. Denis wanted to head out at 7:50 pace so that he would have a bit of a cushion built up for the second half. Our first mile around the Mall, Parnell Place and down the Quays was covered in about 7:38 which felt comfortable so we drove on. We maintained a similar pace as we headed out to Blackpool. I took my first (and only) gel at the 2 mile mark- still going strong. Just before the 3 mile mark I felt the pain coming on my calf and knew it was only a matter of time and sure enough shortly after the 3 mile water station I sent Denis on his way, wished him luck and slowed to a walk as the pain intensified - race over. I must have walked (limped) another 3 miles as I first made my way to the half way mark (about a mile from town) and back to the finish to see the leaders come in. The lead guy passed through halfway in about 1:11 with a 4 minute gap to the next guy. I met Joe Roche and Pat Murphy waiting to start the second half as part of relay teams - Pat ultimately came in with a sprint finish for the line in 2:59:58 with Joe not long after him. No sign of Puds until his first half runner came in and he appeared out of nowhere to take the baton (wrist band) for the second half - he covered his half in close enough to 1:30. Conditions were hotter than expected and even at the halfway point there were a number of casualties. Denis came through a shade under 1:45 complaining about tripping on a gully - he was just about on target for 3:30 but without any cushion left and a tougher 13.1 miles to go I feared that 3:30 was not on (I left the finish area with 3:40 on the clock and still no sign of him) Richard came through in 1:46 or 7 and stopped in front of me - he'd had enough - HR in the 170's and 10 minutes behind pace. We chatted for a while as I headed back to town and he for home. Well done to those who ran today in such challenging heat.

So!...My marathon build came to nothing much - all the 5 am mid-week long runs - sprinting up hills before dawn in February - weekend sleep-ins till 7 am ahead of 20 milers - I sometimes think it's the training that keeps me going not the goal. Why else would I contemplate my next marathon build with such relish.

What next ...physio and no running over the next month with a switch to bike and swim for my first tri in 5 weeks time. At least I can concentrate on these disciplines without going crazy.

"Fingers Crossed"..........

................... were the last word the physio said to me this afternoon as I was leaving, which pretty much sums up my chances of completing the marathon on Monday. Although if it was just a matter of crossing my fingers I’d do nothing else for the weekend. I have run 2.5 miles since my last post - a 0.5 mile test on the treadmill on Friday of last week and a further 2 miles in the park on Sunday. Both runs ended prematurely with the discomfort in my calf intensifying. I went to a physio first on Thursday of last week but all she could find was a tightness on the outside of my calf and along my IT band and apart from showing me a few stretching and strengthening exercises (which I had been doing) told be to “run away”. She was certainly correct with the tightness on the outside of my calf as this was evident any time I used the foam roller. What was frustrating was the fact that no amount of foam rolling hit the spot where I had been feeling the pain leading me to believe that the damage was not close to the surface. I decided to seek out a new Physio following my less than successful attempts at running and finally got seen on Wednesday evening. Straight away he found the elusive tender spot once I had indicated where the pain had been. Following a bit of manipulation and ultrasound he took out an acupuncture needle but said he was using it for “dry needling” which is essentially inserting the needle into the damaged muscle (about 1” in my case) to provide an escape pathway for the particular enzyme that is causing the muscle to spasm. He explained that when the muscle is damaged it contracts in order to protect itself and therefore bloodflow to the area is reduced and healing is prolonged/prevented. While the needle was inserted (10 minutes) I felt a dull localised pain, which came in waves. I also felt localised soreness for a few hours after, which he said was to be expected. He told me to continue with mild stretching and strengthening exercises but nothing too strenuous. While I have kept up with swimming and cycling I have not compensated for the lack of running time. My cycling endurance has improved a little over the last two weeks as I knocked 3 minutes off my best time for the 35-mile loop from Ballincollig, Coachford, Carrigadrohid to Macroom returning along the main road via Lissarda (19.4 MPH avg). Having said that a favourable wind can make all the difference. I did a few open water swims to get used to the wet suit covering about 1 km in Inniscarra lake last Sunday and about 2.3km on my first visit to Sandycove yesterday evening including about 1.7km around the island. Good luck to all those running on Monday, looks like the sun will shine.

Taper

I'm thinking of trying something radical for my marathon taper - little or no running! That's if I want to give myself the best chance of getting round the 26.2 mile course in two weeks time. By way of compensation I intend to keep the heart pumping a little faster by switching to the bike.

I intended completing my last long run today by repeating last weeks 20 mile progression. However 2 miles in the increasing tightness in my left calf was telling me otherwise and sure enough it got more painful as I continued and I pulled the plug shortly after 4.5 miles.

The dull pain was also present during my lunchtime run with Brendan on Friday increasing in intensity towards the end. The signs were already there.

The only run that went according to plan was a 10 mile progression on Wednesday morning with the first 5 @ 07:40 pace and the last 5 at 06:52 pace (slightly ahead of the 07:00 target). This could have been the run that caused the calf pain to flare up again though as I began to feel a bit of tenderness in it during the last mile.

Mon 11th May

5 miles in 41:35 (8:19 pace @ 126 HR) recovery run - uncomfortable run - some niggles.

Wed 13th May

10.51 miles in 1:17:08 (7:20 pace @ 148 HR) with 5/5 miles in 38:19/34:22 (7:40/6:52 pace)

Fri 15th May

5.67 miles in 44:56 (7:56 pace @ No Garmin) Time/Pace courtesy of Brendan.

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Sun 17th May

4.78 miles in 37:25 (07:50 pace @ 134HR)

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Marathon Peak Week #8 (Run 25.96 miles, Bike 34.8 miles, Swim 250m)

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Specificity

With only 3 weeks to go to Cork my priority is to get in as much running as I can at marathon pace, whatever that may be. Thomas suggested that I aim for beating last year’s time (03:17:05 – 07:31 pace) which is now my primary target. Before injury my plan was to go sub 3:10 ( 07:15 pace) with a target pace between 07:00 – 07:10 ( I don’t think I was ready for the assault on 3 hours). So as my calf regains strength over the next few weeks my training marathon pace is anything between 7:00 and 7:30 pace.

I got in 5 miles @ MP on Thursday's 6.8 mile run where the pace felt comfortable and my claf behaved. Friday’s run over 7.8 miles felt less comfortable with my calf more sensitive than usual to uneven surfaces and the pace remained above 8 minute throughout.

I decided to give the scheduled Eagle AC long run a miss on Saturday to give my legs an extra days rest and instead opted for a brick session heading out on the bike shortly after 8 for a 21 mile loop via Crossbarry and the Viaduct followed by a 5 mile run @ MP. While my legs felt good during the run my feet were wet and cold coming off the bike and it took a mile for them to thaw out. I had agreed to run the 2nd half of the Cork marathon route with Puds at 0815 on Sunday morning (he is doing the half as part of a relay). My plan, legs permitting, was to run 20 miles with the first 10 @ MP+10% and the last 10 @ MP. Three weeks ago this would have been 07:40/50 down to 07:00/10. Today the plan was 08:00 down to sub-07:30. If it went well I would up the target for next week. A few drinks at a neighbour’s house last night was not the best preparation and I felt a tad groggy rising before 7 as I had agreed to run into town to get the easier miles in before meeting Puds. It took me a few miles to get into my stride and I had to concentrate to keep to the 8 minute pace. I took a gel at mile 7 and felt reasonably good when I met Puds at Albert Road just before mile 8. On we trotted out to Turners Cross, Ballypheane, upped the pace after mile 10, around the Lough, Glasheen, Wilton Road and out the Model Farm Road at a steady pace just under 07:30 miles. I took a 2nd gel at mile 13 which helped me keep the pace steady on the uphill mile to Nangles Nurseries. Down to Carrigrohane and onto the Straight Road where we got down towards 7 minute pace for mile 17. Past the Kingsley Hotel, just over 2 miles to go. I had to concentrate on my running to keep the pace under 07:30 over the last 2 miles as fatigue began to set in. Down the north Quays and we are greeted by Joe Roche of Eagle AC running in the opposite direction. “He’s doing the course backwards?” Puds offered. “He’s doing the half also” I said “probably practising his victory warm down when he take on the Murphy Boys next month”. Round the corner onto Patricks Street and past the finish line, mile 20 at last. A short warm down and we are back on Albert Road. Puds had a 750ml bottle of Robinsons with glucose and a pinch of salt for me which went down surprisingly well and while I was stiff after the run my legs are reasonably good now except for a blister on the big toe of my left foot – I never get blisters – it’s back to the Asics after these Nike’s are finished with.

A check on the Garmin showed I covered the first 10 miles in 01:19:43 (07:58 pace) and the 2nd 10 in 01:13:16 (07:20 pace) so on target for today – 20 miles in 02:32:59 (07:39 pace). I felt good that I completed the run to plan and that my legs are in reasonably good shape 12 hours later. However I was certainly tiring over the last 2 miles and my endurance is not where it was a month ago. Thur 7th May 6.81 miles in 51:32 (07:34 pace @ 137HR) with 5 miles @ MP Fri 8th May 7.8 miles in 01:04:46 (08:18 pace @ 129HR) Sat 9th May Bike 21.37 miles followed by 5.29 mile run in 38:39 (07:19 pace @ 144HR) 5.29 miles @ MP Sun 10th May 20.59 miles in 02:38:23 (07:42 pace @ 141HR) - 10 miles @ 07:58 pace followed by 10 miles @ 07:20 pace & 0.59 mile cool down @ 09:10 pace. Marathon Peak Week # 6 (Run 47.76, Bike 51.7 miles, Swim 1,500m)

Plugging Away and a great PW.

With only 2 miles of running last week I decided to ignore the 10% rule when increasing this weeks mileage (otherwise it would take a few years to get up to marathon distance). In fact Monday's 3 miles was already an increase of 50%. I braved a further 2.5 miles on the treadmill on Thursday lunchtime increasing the pace gradually from 8.5 to 13.5 kph (07:09 per mile) and was delighted that it remained pain free (first sign that my calf was on the mend).

To ensure that I wasn't dreaming I headed out on a 5 mile run after work, delighted to be able to hit the roads again. The first downhill mile went reasonably well and under 8 minutes and all. Following a stretch it was into the second mile on a slight uphill drag and I don't know whether it was the stretching or the uphill but the discomfort in my calf returned and remained with me for the remainder of the run as I altered my gait to protect the calf especially on the uphill sections where my normal gait would tend to stretch the calf muscles that bit further on pushoff. "F*#k, when is this going to end!" was all I could think. Still I was philosophical enough about it, what else could I do, no amount of angst was going to speed up recovery.

I took a rest day Friday and hit the roads (well the park) again yesterday morning on a run with Puds. I had warned Puds that I may have to bail if my calf acted up. He was taking it nice and easy after running the Pfizers 6 miler on Wednesday. We eased into the run at about 9 minute pace and I felt fine. We did three laps of the outer loop giving just over 7 miles and ended up at 8 minute pace for the last mile and i'm glad to say my calf behaved and gave me no trouble. The fact that the pace was easy and the terrain flat may have helped.

This was all the encouragement I needed to keep my date with the Bayrun half marathon this morning as I headed off to west cork shortly after 7. (I had paid for it and there was free physio afterwards) I bumped into my neighbour Pat in Bantry (finish line) and gave him a lift to Glengariff where the race was starting. As the first 4 miles of the race (and the worst hill) were within a mile of the start (the first 2.75 miles is an out and back loop) I figured that if things got rough I would be close to the car if I needed an exit strategy. My plan was to run relatively comfortably and protect my calf by taking it easy on the uphills. I thought I would be able to manage 8 minute pace (or close to it). After picking up our race numbers we went on a 2 mile warmup - 1 mile uphill at 9 minute pace and back down at 07:30 pace. Legs holding out - so far so good.

Catherina McKiernan was starting the race (and running in it) - (Catherina was just over a minute outside the then world record when she won the Amsterdam marathon in 1998 in 2:22:23).

Once the gun went off I eased into my stride as those around me raced off. A quick glance at the garmin showed a comfortable 08:30 pace. Half a mile later it was averaging 07:45 but still comfortable so I kept plugging away. Pat and I ran together over the first three miles as we looped back towards the start line and headed up the hill out of Glengariff towards Bantry.

Miles 1 to 3 in 07:37/38/26.

Then came the hill up out of Glengariff (I took a gel at the bottom). My pace eased back a little as I shortened my stride. Over the next mile and a half the upward gradient continued and surprisingly I left Pat behind me and passed a steady stream of runners. My calf held up pretty well but I didn't expect the level of general aches and pains I was feeling - probably due to the lack of any significant running over the last 2 weeks. Still it wasn't a big deal.

Mile 4 in 08:05.

At the top of the hill I passed a girl who had passed me just after the 1 mile mark. On the downhill section to Mile 5 she passed me back but I kept a few yards behind her without altering my pace.

Mile 5 in 07:27.

I passed her again as we approached the timing mat at mile 5.5. We exchanged places a few more times before she increased the gap between us to 10 yards. I maintained my pace which rose and fell with the gradient as if I was locked into a preset effort level (calf protection mode - still a long way to the finish).

Downhill Miles 6 and 7 in 07:10/04.

We came up on the back of a group of runners strung out over 20 yards after the 7 mile mark and slowly reeled them in. It was nice to run in a group for a change. The gradient continued downhill and for some unexplained reason I decided to up my pace and surged forward out of the group down to the 8 mile mark where I came alongside Denis Looney of Eagle AC. We briefly exchanged pleasantries before returning to our silent efforts.

Mile 8 in 06:45. (took my second gel)

I was feeling strong at this stage and maintained my new found effort as the route followed the coast at sea level. I continued to reel in and pass others although I was worried that while the effort was relatively comfortable my left leg may not be up to the challenge.

Mile 9 in 06:53.

We rounded the headland into Ballylickey on towards the 10 mile mark up an incline.

Mile 10 in 07:10 - I knew the Garmin miles were shorter that the actual miles and noticed that it was 50 seconds after the garmin beeped that I passed the 10 mile marker. (average of 5 seconds to be added to the mile splits)

Legs holding out pretty well although the general achy feeling that I felt during the early miles persisted. The road rose and fell again over the next few miles and I noticed that the camber was having an impact on my calf as I jumped to and from the footpath looking for the most comfortable surface. One guy passed me shortly after the 10 mile mark at a relatively strong pace despite the fact that I was still passing those in front of me.

Mile 11 in 07:29 (Hilly)

Shortly after the 11 mile mark I could feel a dull ache coming on my calf. "Please God don't give up on me now just hold out for another 10 or 12 minutes". I continued on as the discomfort increased slightly. Downhill past the last watering station and the last uphill past the 12 mile mark.

Mile 12 in 07:05.

I passed 3 guys shortly after the 12 mile mark and as it was 100+ yards to the next guy thought that I was finished exchanging places for the day. Now all that was left was the downhill into Bantry, make sure that no one passed me. The discomfort in my calf increased as I reached the bottom of the hill - through the narrow streets of Bantry - the guy in front was getting closer. Still not sure if my calf would sustain the increase in effort necessary for overtaking. I passed him just before the 13 mile mark and upped the pace towards the finish line just to make sure I was well past him.

Mile 13 in 06:54.

I thought I crossed under the finish line in 01:35:xx - I wasn't really concentrating and I did not stop the garmin either. However my official time is 01:36:08 which is a personal worst by 16 seconds (a record which stood since September 2007 when I also ran a conservative race due to a calf injury!). I've never been so happy with a personal worst. An enjoyable run on a beautiful sunny morning and hopefully I am back on the road and can get some solid training in over the next few weeks before tapering for Cork. I'm not out of the woods yet though, the stiffness in my left calf this afternoon is sufficient to remind me of that. A running rest day tomorrow and an easy recovery/evaluation run on Tuesday should inform me on my recovery progress. The "Go" Gels I used today appear to be agreeable so I will use them for Cork.

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The timing mat at mile 5.5 showed that my pace up to that point was 07:32 increasing to 07:11 for the last 7.6 miles giving an overall average of 07:20. It also showed that I passed 44 runners during those faster 7.6 miles and that I was passed by 1.

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This is my third time running this race and I have yet to go sub-90 - Next Year perhaps!

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2007 - 01:32:29

2008 - 01:30:00

2009 - 01:36:08

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I availed of the free physio session after the race and my left calf got a good going over. A hop on the courtesy bus back to Glengariff and a walk down the slipway and into the cold Atlantic water to begin the muscle repair process. I was joined by Laura Buckley of Eagle AC. We must have looked a bit odd standing there up to our waist chatting about running and triathlon.

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Mon 27th Apr

3.05 miles in 27:37 (09:04 pace @ 126 HR)

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Thur 30th Apr

2.5 miles in 20:50 (08:20 pace - treamill)

5.29 miles in 42:32 (08:02 pace @ 144 HR)

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April 2009 (Run 210.2 miles, Bike 49.3 miles, Swim 11,000m)

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Sat 2nd May

7.13 miles in 59:46 (08:23 pace @ 137 HR)

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Sun 3rd May

15.12 miles with 13.11 miles in 01:36:08 (07:20 pace @ 157 HR)

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Marathon Peak Week #5 (Run 33.1 miles, Bike 16.5 miles, Swim 3,000m)

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Ups and Downs

Yesterday's long run with Eagle AC was certainly one of the hilliest I've ever run. Well if truth be told it wasn't very long, 15 miles in all with the last couple of miles at a slow hobble as I appear to have pulled a muscle in my left calf on the last hill. Initially I thought it was a cramp as a bit of stretching appeared to ease the pain and I was able to run very comfortably on the downhill section to mile 14. However I eventually slowed to a walk over the last flat mile and for the rest of the day I was limping as it was painful to walk. Now 24 hours later it is still tender so at least a few day of no running is called for (perhaps a week). Not what I want 6 week out from a marathon bit I don't have much choice. I wouldn't mind but this week I had cut back on the mileage as I was conscious of proper recovery before making the final 4 week assault of intensive training before the 2 week taper. Funnily enough it was this time last year that I was laid up with an IT band injury (21st April) and just as I was recovering from that my calves gave trouble (9th May), what can I say? I certainly looked after my IT band in the intervening year (strengthening my hip adductors/abductors) but I can't say I have been looking after my calves, other than simple post run stretching. There's a lesson there I think.

While yesterday's run was all ups and downs so was my week in that I managed to shave a few seconds off my 4 mile PB on Thursday evening at a road race in Castlemartyr (the first of the summer evening road races). Following on from last weeks 6 mile tempo run at 06:29 pace I though that it would be a good time for a tune up race to check my fitness. However a lot can happen in 6 days. Whereas on the previous Friday I had felt very strong during my tempo run the race on Thursday was a huge effort from shortly after the halfway mark. Still my pace was reasonably even throughout over what is a relatively flat course. Over the first two miles I was continuing to pass others with one guy passing me around the halfway mark. The guy was familiar to me, as on a couple of occasions in the past I would have overtaken him on the last mile. This time was different, I stayed with him for about half a mile and then he gradually pulled away. By mile 2.5 I was wishing it was a 5k, especially when I looked at the average3rd mile pace of 06:24 on the Garmin. However the downhill section to the 3 mile mark improved the pace. For the last mile I was slowly pulling in the guy in front of me. If truth be told I was using him to pace me to the finish as I was spent. When I was on his shoulder with about 600m to go he urged me to "go for it" and he dropped back a little. However I knew I had no kick left and as we approached the last corner with about 60m to go I could hear one of his supporters urging him on to "take me" after the bend as the finish was close. I upped the pace in anticipation but had nothing left when he powered past me putting a margin of 2 seconds on me by the time we crossed the line. My official time was 24:35 (Garmin gave me 24:33 for 4.03 miles) - average 06:09 pace. Adjusted splits were 06:07 06:11 06:12 06:05 I was hoping to attack my 5 mile PB next week but I think I'll have to leave it for another day. Next PB will be the marathon in June. Mon 13th Apr 8.63 miles in 1:13:39 (08:32 @ 151 HR) HR incorrect - I hope Tue 14th Apr 6.02 mile in 48:56 (08:08 pace @ No HRM) with 3 x 1000m in 03:34/33/33 (equivalent to 03:42/43 in lane 3 of previous weeks) Wed 15th Apr a.m. 13.54 in 01:44:17 (07:42 pace @ no HRM) p.m. 2.5 miles in 19:50 (07:56 pace - treadmill) Thur 16th Apr 10.06 miles with 4 miles in 24:35 (06:09 pace @ 167 HR/Max 181) Fri 17th Apr 5.2 miles in 44:56 (08:39 pace @ 115HR) Lowest recorded HR may be error Sat 18th Apr 15.07 miles in 02:05:49 (08:21 pace @ 132HR) walked last mile. Marathon Peak Week #3 (Run 61.4 miles, Bike Nil, Swim 3000m) - I decided against the bike this morning but it may form a bigger part of my training over the next few weeks. Finally best of luck to Thomas, Mike, Michael and Bill running in Boston tomorrow.