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Sunday 18th April
Because half the problem is seeing the problem
Sorry, couldn't resist starting the thread as I'm just back from seeing this artist ( and having the great pleasure of meeting them ) at the Barbican.
Welcome back M.
Runing later
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14k easy done this morning. Felt a bit tougher than normal probably due to yesterday's race. 63k for the week.
Morning!
Hi M. No triathlons planned?
What: long bike.
Why: the only way to get better on the bike is to ride it.
Last hard: 21/3.
Last rest: 12/4.
Lyrics - no.
Morning
M: good to see you
What: probably a hour on the bike later, might swap for a hour on the tready.
Why: A little stiff from yesterdays bike ride
Last Hard: Yesterday
Last rest; 2nd April
morning
great to see M back again, good luck with your planned races
sounds like a good day out at sutton park yesterday
10k road race for me this morning
this one is race 2 in the county GP series and race 3 in the club internal summer series. reasonably confident that we have 4 girls to go faster than me for the GP team so hope to go out fairly relaxed and steady to notch up 3rd finish - keep reminding myself that the aim this year is to complete the necessary 7 to qualify and not to twang anything half way as happened the last two summers
Good Morning
Well i'm now MV 45.
To welcome me to this new world i have a 10 mile race, The Great Island 10, Cobh, Co. Cork.
Training has gone well since my last dubious dabble in this distance and i feel good - so no advance excuses to offer.
LMUH - No offence meant on Friday - apologies. Its always good to see the little miss up early on the screen (and little miss Paddy likes it too).
RFJ - nice race yesterday - All the best with the op and quick recovery.
Morag - jesus hope the trek doesnt play havoc with the knee - can't help any attempt at training either.
Sharkie - Dylan - my massive enthusiasm for him waned over the latter years. I've seen him live six times but have refused to go to see him in his latest visits. I dont get all the folk stuff. My first time to see him was a visit to London (Earls Court) around 1980/81 - I still can't believe my mother let me go (travelled from Dublin with two mates aged 15/16). We were in the second row and the show was super.
Tipp - did you see my post Friday about Fagan - All the best with the return to Training.
Oh by the way no to Lyrics - LMH's would have been better
Morning!
Happy birthday Paddy! Make the most of being the youngest in your age group! Looking forward to the report.
Clink: steady!!! Remember the bigger picture and consider this a tempo run etc etc. I take it this is L W: have been to watch a couple of times and always in beautiful weather. Can't make it this year: too much work! Would be nice to refuel in the Chetwode Arms afterwards!
What: unsure
Why: five hours driving yesterday has left me with very tender shoulders and neck, and my right calf is protesting a little too. May ease during the day but doubt if the slooow 45 minutes will be recorded: something shorter will, though.
Welcome back M.
Welcome back M. It's great to see you. Are you focusing on halves at the moment? A winter thing? How's it all going? Still a member of the club you joined? How's the career? I think you were moving on up last time you were around. Don't answer anything if you don't want to - it's just nice to have you back missis.
mava Sorry the retail didn't work out. I have phases with shops - sometimes it's time to change your allegiances. I doubt you are really too old for lots of things, it's often a case of finding the right cut and details - or lack of them, lots of 'bits' often make otherwise nice stuff look like it's meant for prepubescents.
clink Good luck, go easy, think relaxed missis.
PaddyURM Happy birthday sunshine and good luck with your race.
I think our musical tastes coincide rather more often than they diverge. Although it's hard to say exactly why and there's probably stuff I have a bizarre affection for that you would shudder at - and vice versa. I doubt you share my enthusiasm for mid sixties girl groups like the Shangri-Las for instance. And I do like what I see as 'classic' 3 minute singles - whatever the vintage.
Highway 61 Revisited is one of my all time favourite albums (LPs!). I bought it when I was 15 or so and it still stands up for me (mumble- forty?-mumble) years later.
But it seems daft to cling to the things you grew up just because you did and I find it a bit sad if someone is 'stuck' in the 60s, 70s, 80s or whatever. However (she cries, hedging her bets as usual) equally appalling is middle aged person hopelessly trying to be dahn wiv teh kids. Anyway I can't do text speak. Lawks!
Oh.... track any minute
and it's a no from me for the lyrics. Bit too arty for my tastes AF!
Yesterday's lyrics Sex & Drugs & Rock an Roll by the late, great (if difficult) Ian Dury.
Sharkie - just walked through the guesthouse reception where i'm staying - on the sound system - Hurricane - I jest not.
Morning folks. Had a quick look back over the last few days, so apologies if I've missed anything.
Happy Birthday Paddy!!! I just saw it now. Interesting, but not unexpected. I'd be disappointed if I had a 61-min HM to my name and never went sub-2:08. Fair play to him. Why did he pull out of LA though? On the plus side, I reckon I've got much more scope for improvement than he does now though
Which reminds me. I'm thinking of booking in for another sportstest in a few months when I've got some consistent training under my belt. Curious to see what my VO2max will get to if I don't wimp out on the test the next time. Plus I'd hope to see decent improvements in efficiency since the last time too (Sep '08). Best of luck for the 10-miler today.
mava - I think it's the bulky nature of the aircast I'd have an issue with. Glad to hear the first guided run went well.
RFJ - sounds like excellent news on the op/recovery time. Good race to sign out on as well!
Welcome (back) to Aliard and M.
Nothing for me yesterday as was on a stag do, and as I'm not doing VLM took the chance to relax and have a few drinks, etc. Good day.
What: a variety of core/upper body stuff as I can fit it in during the day. Aim will be for at least 90mins worth across the day.
Why: something better than nothing.
Last effort: doing what I'm told and not running
Last rest: yesterday.
Lyrics: nope.
Knee feels excellent again, so I'll be very surprised if I don't get the all-clear tomorrow. Raring to go.
Even better, I've just taken my last diclofenac this morning. I will not miss those. They were absolutely horrendous! I'm not sure which was worse - feeling permanently rough, feeling permanently tired, or having hands and feet that permanently felt like blocks of ice!
Have a great day all!
morning.
Happy birthday Paddy.
Great news on the knee TT. Here's hoping you can really get going again and run a storming race in Edinburgh.
Have a good race clink.
What: 11.4 miles slooooowly in unbroken sunshine and increasing heat
Why: trying to get back what 3.5 weeks off lost
Last hard: the last couple of miles of that
Last rest: 6th April
So that takes me to 44 miles for the week. Not bad for second week back. It got warm towards the end and I was thinking that although I'm gutted to be missing the first Brighton Marathon today I think it's probably a bit warm to be running a marathon. It will be carnage next week in London if it's like this.
Enjoy your sunday peeps.
Morning again!
Mava: the weather forecast for London is now torrential rain...so there will still be carnage! Earlier in the week it said 4 degrees but feeling like 1! And its cold here now...the early mornig sunshine has gone and I've been in the garden for a while and come in for a coat!
AND be careful: don't rush things!
TT: good news, and hopefully better news tomorrow.
Morning
Happy birthday Paddy
What alledgedly 10ish later
Why essay + taper
Lyrics no
ttfn
Happy Birthday Paddy - hope you have a much better race this time round and thank you, but none taken.
Good luck Clink.
Mava - it's coming back quite quickly, hope it continues.
Lovely day here, first time that I've enjoyed being out on the bike this year and could have done longer but a) I don't need to and b) there are lots of other things I do need to be doing so I did my 50 miles+ and came back to be domestic. Hope to find time to watch at least some of the Amstel Gold this afternoon (V+ box is broken - what was wrong with video recorders eh?).
Quick jump in before i jump into the bath.
Thanks for the happy birthdays. What better way to celebrate that with a PB - 59.32. V happy with that, especially as course was a contrast between uphill, downhill and undulating, (although the weather was great!). Nice to have good days especially after my Ballycotton disaster.
Will post more details later.
Afternoon all,
Sharkie: It's all the drinking I did in the Liverpool Poly Arts Bar from my mis-spent youth. ( in the days before all-day licensing, it was the only place open on an afternoon )
Have a good one!
Good stuff Paddy.
TT - don't throw the diclofenac!
Now in a pub on the Hook of Holland. Left Krakow, Poland yesterday at noon and just got here via Berlin (6 changes of train). Best case scenario is a ferry cancellation and overnight trip otherwise it's late tuesday for me.
Sharkie - will be doing the 800 and 1500m in Hungary - the trip's booked. Although if I keep losing fitness at the current rate I'll come last. For some reason the travel part doesn't appeal at this very moment either - the stadium is a 3 hour train journey from Budapest. Any of your gang going? Ceal?
Afternoon.
Happy birthday and well done Paddy.
Well done Mava you've still even beat me by one mile this week! I would've been up another four had I run yesterday but glad I didn't.
Hope you get the all-clear TT. Fingers crossed.
What: 19 miles
Last rest: yesterday
Last hard: today
I can happily say that, while my feet do hurt (why wouldn't they after nearly 3.5 hours on them?!), I feel better than I did after the 17 milers a couple of weeks ago. I still haven't had the perfect long run because, again, today I ran out of fluid. Put a whole litre of Lucozade in my CamelBak and with 5.5 miles to go, just as I turned around outside Richmond, I went to take a sip and there was nothing left.
It was pretty baking today so, while I managed the last 5.5 miles without water, I certainly would've preferred to have had some! Every ice cream van I passed I considered stopping and begging some water as, of course, I didn't have any money with me. But, I thought, that would require stopping. I'll just keep going, I kept telling myself.
Right hip and IT band kept threatening to tighten so I kept trying to stay as relaxed as possible and, I think, it helped. Only so relaxed you can get, though, when you're dog tired, literally, your tongue hanging out like a dog dying for water! Ha ha! Oh well, another long run in the bag. Another 19 miler next Sunday. More lessons to be learned, again, more fluid! Later!
Happy birthday and well done on the pb, Paddy.
Sounds an awful journey, Moraghan!
what - 15 miles @ average 7:39 pace
why - to run in a beautiful area - Derwent Valley with good company. Felt strong and really enjoyed the process of running today!
Nice one Paddy. I love Dylan's recent shows. An unwillingness to pander to what people may want (or think they want) is all part of the integrity he's shown since 1962.
Well done Paddy..
Lovely 11-12 mile run from Leighton to watch the Flitwick 10k today, Junction 12 of the M1 looked particularly beautiful - then a few pints after...Nothing better. Felt ok after Relay yesterday, cold nearly gone.
Enjoy the warm weather - supposed to be getting cooler - boo!!
Good luck getting to Hungary Moraghan!!
Evening.
What: Rest day.
Why: Habit.
Catch up time.
Happy birthday Paddy and a great PB as a present for yourself!!!
Pjlovr - well done on toughing it through the 19 miler. Now when you actually do the marathon and have water stations it'll feel like a breeze!
Moraghan - unlucky that you got caught up in the volcano ash fiasco, hope you don't kill anyone and don't get too tempted by things that, whilst legal in Holland, may not be so good for you! Had a laugh at your post though
Re the volcano - parents missed out on a holiday to Cyprus and next door neighbours were supposed to be going on a cruise in the Middle East. Bad timing. As long as it clears up by 30 June I'll be happy!
Stickless - doesn't sound like you're too upset to be stuck in Boston, can't say I blame you! Hope it's all still well
RFJ - well raced yesterday, doesn't look like you'll lose much at all with the surgery.
LMUH - Opposite to Paddy here, I think yours are the only lyrics I ever stand a chance in getting!
TT - with all those circuits, you're going to be a core machine once you get back running!
Getting slowly back into it. 5.9 miles yesterday with 4 strides which I felt surprisingly good after. The last run I'd done of that length was exactly 3 weeks previously
What: 6.3 miles
Why: Building it back. Planned 7.1 but my knee was giving me grief (don't you hate it when you get overuse niggles... and you're not even overusing it!)
Last hard: there may be one soon, but some time back in March
Last rest: Friday (although 5 hours sleep hardly constitutes rest)
Lyrics: nope
Warning: second part of post has all been said before. By me. The arms saga.
Very satisfying and useful session this morning. I can't deny that warm weather with only the a hint of a breeze makes a big difference. Perhaps woolly socks inside my spikes were overkill today but oh the bliss of actually recognising sensation and movement in my hey-those-are-toes-not-frozen-stumps.
Several different distances on offer to accommodate the individuals present. 6 reps. About 8 minutes recovery between reps - a lot of groaning, gasping and collapsing and then 400 metres walk. 95% effort?- minimally sub maximal perhaps!
Typical example of how Pete makes it work for everyone. Jay, Steve and Leigh were on 300. Jay's coming back from injury so he sets off a few seconds before the other two. Mr S is running 220s and 250s, and when Jay reaches him he goes - as do coach P. his daughter J. and my young rival Clare, who are all on the 200 start. I'm running 150s and wait 'til Pete and J just round the bend - there's a useful lamppost. They're 30 metres behind me and now everyone is running.
Meanwhile Poppy and Caizee (Leigh's 4 year old) are roller skating up by the high jump and setting up Poppy's cafe. Steve's little brother is coaching ten year olds on the 100 metre straight, and the Special Olympics gang are shot putting and telling us we're not trying hard enough. It's Sunday morning business as usual….
After a tough, heavy week of feeling like I'm progressively getting slower, with mild despair on Thursday (will I EVER master the fucking blocks) suddenly this morning the sun is shining and I'm cooking with gas. I romp home ahead of the pack.
"That's too easy for Sharkie. We need to cut her start," says Pete.
So on my five remaining reps I wait 'til Pete and Jo, charging towards me, are within ten or twelve metres then I turn round and go. It works well. They have to work harder to catch and overtake me and I get more of a feel for what I'm capable of. The middle four reps are excellent. Jo comes up alongside me and tells me to drop my arms, "stay with it, you can…." It's hard but I cross the line barely behind them and miles ahead of Clare.
Pete tells me I'm running well and pulling everybody along. General consensus is blame Sharkie for the speed of the reps. Which is over stating it a little but nice to hear all the same. Once over the line each time Jo collapses and gasps. I'm breathing heavily and wandering around in vague circles.
"But you're still able to speak while we're running. I can't." I say to her.
"Takes my mind off how much it hurts, " she smiles.
Hey Paddy brilliant present to yourself. Its a BP-PB!
As per if there's a problem with my form - it's my arms. Jo says immediately she's on my shoulder my arms tense and fly up into the air. She says lots of runners have problems with their arms when they're tired or trying too hard. In most cases the arms start flailing - going wider and from side to side but with me it's a bit different. And not just about my shoulders creeping round my ears. My hands and forearms are coming up far too high and staccato. I then virtually lift myself upwards rather than forwards - resulting in a shortened stride.
Even Claire - some distance behind - says it's really apparent. "You start off relaxed, your arms are down, then they tense up soon as you hear Jo and Pete behind you. Jo shouts at you as she draws level, your arms drop down again and you speed up. You need to take Jo with you to races!"
Best thing is this. I've been moaning about not cracking 16 seconds for my 100. Unbeknownst to me Pete times one of my reps. Not the whole 150 but from one foot over the 100 start to one foot over the finish line. That's MY feet not the measurement. So my time for what's called a 'flying' 100 is 16.02 seconds. This is WELL cheering. Just two hundredths over 16 on the 4th rep, after a hard week.
"You can add half a second for your start. But you'll be running faster."
Hurrah!
I think.
I think.
Official time 59:28. 10th overall, second vet - got a prize for myself. Felt good from the start and more or less kept my position all the way around, maybe passing 4 or 5 on the way. Introducing hills and lenghtening my long run (as advised bhy Morag and TT) certainly helped. normally usually loose ground on hills - today i didnt. Its great to have a positive experience after the Ballycotton disaster. I decided at the time that it was a one off and carried on after a few days of easy running/ time off.
BR - Regarding Dylan, its up to the individual whether you like the new (not not so new anymore|) stuff or not - i enjoyed the earlier music - fair play to Dylan for sticking to his guns but I just didnt enjoy the shows so stopped going ( and keptb the €60-70 in my pocket). Dont get me wrong Dylan is a legend and will always be a hero of mine. Regarding another favourite of mine and contrastingly, Ian Brown keeps on bringing out his own stuff and plays it at his gigs with just a limited amount of Stone Roses songs - I enjoy his new stuff so i keep going to his shows - thats the way it is.
Tipp - extract from report on Fagan today:- "Fagan made his move half way through the Phoenix Park 10-kilometre test and went on to win comfortably in a time of 29 minutes and 17 seconds. For the first time in its eight year history, victory in this race also meant the winner became Irish national champion over the distance".
Evening
Not posted here for a few days. To cut a long story short phoned for an ambulance this morning upon waking still in my night clothes so without going into details was over at the hospital for a good part of the day - still undergoing various tests reckon she'll be in their for a little while
so no running today Paddy - Happy Birthday to you great race and great time from you great way to start your new age group long may it continue
pj - good going on your long run i remember my 1st 20 some weeks back felt like death the next one was easier as yours will be and the race itself not quite a walkover but you get my drift
Though i did read some posts of last few days one post particularly sticks in my mind thats clink with her batlike antics on the sofa, reminded me i used to do that much younger was definitely quite relaxing, also used to do headstands on the sofa dunno what sharkie would make of it was it a safe exercise to do - dunno. But guess my mum wasn't to impressed of this activity
oh pammie i was wondering about your mum, that's a real worry. hope they are able to stabilize her now and that she'll soon be home and well. take care
nice one paddy! birthday and great race. can't get much better
i loved the track tales for today sharkie. not just an entertaining story but that you are shining through and in your own words 'cooking on gas'! fab way to come into the new season
quick report in from this morning's adventure - you were right alehouse - whitley 10k.
i really like this race (i have a trophy from 1992!) , a picturesque little village and very often seems to be fine weather, though we started the day with thick fog it gave way to pleasant sunshine but not too hot.
i had 'mcmillaned' the 2 recent road races which gave a 44.4X prediction but felt i need to hold back because of it being road and coming soon after 3 other races.
lined up a little further back than usual at the start so as not to get swept along and it was very tight so made for a sedate first half k or so.
garmin failed to charge overnight so i was on my old stopwatch and going by feel but settled well and felt good.
slowly picking off runners till 5k (22.38) when my shoe felt as if it was coming off! flaming chip through the laces never felt comfortable from the off and i had to stop and sort it all out as best i could. meanwhile a dozen or so runners went past.
once i got going again i did put in a bit of effort to get back the places and carried on making up places till i realised i could see clubmate S (who i overtook on the hill last week and is a point behind me in the series) and a couple of the men. gave myself a strict talking to not to blast it to catch them but very gently closed the gap and finished 15 secs behind S which under the circulstances (i expected her to paste me today) was really pleased with. i think given the shoe stop it was probably a reasonably even split which is v unusual for me, normally start too fast and trail off,
45.59 at the line, 13th lady and 3rd V45 which if my calculations are correct will make a 3 way tie between me S and K at the top of the ladies' table for the club series.
as i expected there were 4 ahead of me from our girls to keep the team top in the county GP series so everyone happy tonight
particluarly pleased that all suspect body parts are quiet and happy
Why: it was there
Last hard: Today when the cramps hit but much better than LA
Last rest: in the past
Lyrics: no
2.52 3rd place report at some point