Race recap - Naas Parkrun

And yes I know it's a timed run rather than a race but for the sake of consistancy I'm calling it a race recap. I had asked E from the club to give me a call some weekend if she was going to do Parkrun. This Wednesday at the track after she kicked my ass again she said she might be up for it this Saturday. She is much faster than me but coming back from having a baby so temporarily more my speed! She had run a good bit faster than me at the cross country over a shorter distance so I knew she would be a great pacer for me to push myself a bit over the 5k. Oh and she is also a sweetheart and it's nice to catch up with friends first thing on a Saturday so there is that too! Another lovely running friend O came along too but was just hoping to get around as she hasn't been training much due to some family stuff. It was so nice to catch up with her too. Have I mentioned I love my running friends? Probably many times, but I do!

So anyway Saturday dawned clear and not too cold (unlike last Saturday) and we arrived at Naas racecourse with about 15 minutes to spare. Not ideal for warming up but nothing I could do about it. I got to it straight out of the car while the others went looking for the loo and then we jogged up to the course together and around the long way to the start line. The warm up exercises were almost done by the time we got there so there was just enough time to shed layers and we were off!

I didn't get caught up too much at the start and settled in about 10 meters back from E and hoped I could hang on for as long as possible. The first mile was uneventful but I felt like I was breathing very hard already. Would I be able to keep this up or was I going to die in the second half? 7:14 on the garmin. Not too bad!
The next mile was a bit of a slog but I always find this middle one hard mentally. E seemed to be further away from me and I had to fight to keep the pace going especially on the parts of the course where we had a headwind. Mile 2 7:17. Was this a sign of things to come? Was I going to be slower again for the next mile?

At this point I started to really feel like I might have a bit more in the tank so I let myself push a bit more as I knew there was only a mile to go. How does that happen when you swear you don't have anything previously? Anyway I started to bridge the gap with E and was right on her shoulder for a while. She told me after she knew it was me as she recognised my breathing from the track! Anyway she gave me a "go on!" gesture with her hand and I thought she had lost it. There was no way I was going to be able to go past her was there? But her faith in me gave me a bit of a lift and I looked up and saw we were on the last bend before the long stretch to the finish. I might as well give it a try anyway.
I tried to relax and push hard at the same time if that makes any sense and my legs kind of took over. I used all my mental games to keep it going all the way to the finish line.........counting, swearing I could stop at the next fence post, promising myself I never had to run again after this. The usual! I didn't look at my watch here but according to garmin the third mile was 6:57 pace and the final segment was at 6:07 pace. I'll take that!

The time on my garmin at the finish was 22:06 so a PB by over a minute and on the same course too. The time Parkrun gave me was 22:02 but I don't think that can be right so I'll go by the higher one to be safe. E was a few seconds behind me for a post baby PB and O was about a minute after. Not bad for a bunch of old(er) birds!

Time flies!

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I updated this! Lots has been happening and I think it's safe to say that I need to go to the track on a Wednesday night whether I feel like it or not as my mood is so much better after. I was doom and gloom central this day last week!

Thursday was an interesting running day. I turned up on the curragh plains and a couple of the other girls were doing "easy" runs as they had done the track session or tempos the day before. Meanwhile I had a tempo on my training plan.
I decided to use my frequently bemoaned lack of speed to my advantage and let them drag me around in their wake.  Surprisingly this actually worked really well!

We started off with a 9 minute mile but quickly dropped to 8 min/miles for the rest (bar the last one where it was requested that we slow down. Newsflash....that was not me asking!) There were definitely a few segments where I looked down and saw my 5k pace on the watch and freaked out a bit. I stopped checking it and that resolved the problem. What? Is that not how all news you don't want to know should be treated?The takeaway from it was that I was fine and I nailed my first really challenging tempo run.  Yay me!

Friday was a bit of a disaster. I was driving down to Kerry with my kiddos to meet up with friends and climb Carrauntoohil early Saturday morning.  After a refuel I hit the motorway and within about ten minutes knew I was in trouble. You are not meant to be able to actually see the fuel gauge drop. Not while you are looking at it. Not on a tiny diesel anyway! Thank god for breakdown cover is all I can say.

So we spent the night in a hotel and needless to say didn't manage to get the car repaired on time to join the climb.  We did however make it to the evening refreshments though so all was not lost.
I did get to do a 1.5 hour hike with the kids while we waited for the others to get back so that sufficed instead of a run on Saturday.

Sunday morning was difficult due to an amazing self-filling wineglass the night before. Must make sure to never get one of those.
A long walk on Banna beach blew the cobwebs away and was followed by some seafood chowder and my very first raw oyster! The verdict? Not too bad actually.

I hummed and hawed over my longish run all day and pretty much had an excuse made up for myself but then I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do either so I just got out and did it!. It was a slow burner this one. The legs felt fairly crappy for the first couple of miles and I was having problems hitting 10 minute miles. It was fairly hilly but that's no excuse! And then I just started feeling better. I finished really strongly and felt a kind of power in my legs I haven't felt in quite some time. Due to my total lack of navigation skills this run ended up being 9.5 miles instead of the intended 8, but who's counting? (Me)

I rested on Monday and went for a pretty good 6 miler yesterday and then today I had track. I didn't bring my watch but I felt like I was in a different gear this week. Maybe it's just the day that was in it? Maybe I've just strung together some strong training sessions and it's a coincidence and doesn't mean anything? Perhaps though I have finally gotten off this damn plateau I've been on? A girl can dream can't she?

Hot hot hot!

There appears to be a notable lack of races in my calendar for the moment and I feel like I'm missing that a bit at the moment.  Still, there is a lot of training going on!

I was back at the track again on Wednesday for 800's this time.  Only girl doing this workout so proud of myself for sticking with it.  The coach did make me stay back on the 4th one and only do 400 for that as I wasn't getting a full recovery.  Apart from that I completed the session.  So that's three track workouts in a row.  Yay!

Thursday I did 8 rainy miles.  It actually wasn't a bad evening at all once you were already wet.

Friday I met up with my lovely friend N in Galway for a long awaited night on the town.  We had a blast and were proper social butterflies (well we thought so anyway!) For this reason the only exercise done on Saturday was a walk to Sheridans Bar in Knocknacarra for a late breakfast (they serve until 1pm) and much rehashing of our night over sparkling waters.

Sunday I had a long drive to pick up my baby boy in Achill.  So good to have him home!
By the time I got back it was nice and warm and I realised I had forgotten my headphones.  I headed off anyway for a very uncomfortable 10 miles but it's done and they can't all be nice I suppose!

I followed that up with another fairly crappy 5.5 miles in the heat today.  My legs were tired and my lungs were hating the pace.  Probably should have slowed it down a bit due to the heat but never mind. I'm going to run by myself Thursday to keep my pace comfortable after track Wednesday.

Rest day tomorrow and perhaps a picnic somewhere nice.

So where was I??

Oh yes! I was injured, or pre-injured rather.  That rest seemed to work quite well and I got back to running again last week. I was probably well enough to run by Monday but I had an exam that day and was wiped. (Passed.  Phew!  I get to put AVS after my name on LinkedIn. Something about which nobody cares except me!) and then belatedly brought my daughter to Dublin for the night to celebrate finishing both of our sets of exams. Tuesday I was predictably still wrecked after a busy few days so got back to it properly at the track on Wednesday.

It was the hottest night I've been there so far and I'm proud to say I did the whole set session of 4x400 warm-up/10x90seconds/4x400 cool-down.  For most people it's 10x400 but the whistle always goes before I get all the way round so that's me done at about 330m. I could probably get all the way round maybe three times (and then get sick after) but it's not worth it if I want to do the full 10. When I started in November I was getting to maybe 250-280m and could only do 6 so I'll take it. Hopefully with consistency I'll get all the way round for the full set of 10. And on that night I will buy myself a lone beer in celebration!

Thursday was dinner out with the athletics club girls at a local restaurant that does two courses and a glass of wine for 20 euro. Stuck with that and went home hoarse from talking and sore in the belly from laughing so a good night was had. What a great bunch they are!  I've fallen on my feet there. Oh and I snuck in 5 flat miles by the canal after work before I headed out. Uneventful but a bit on the warm side.

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in Achill as the guest of a friend and her grandparents. Again, I must say I have absolutely lucked out with the people I have met recently. Everyone has been so positive and generous with their time and seem to want to be out in the fresh air as much as I do. Very good influences all!

Anyway we squeezed in about as much activity as it's possible to while still getting some sleep.
Saturday started with a 5 mile run on the beach.  I followed this up with a cycle from Achill to Mulranny and back with my number 1 son. This was garnished with a side of 3 hours of hiking from Keem beach up to the Shepherds Hut?/Lookout? and along the sea cliffs to the megalithic tombs. This took 3 hours as we took a boggy route back that required quite a bit of zig-zagging.

Oh and we also cycled to the pub and back (only a mile mind!)

Sunday was more of the same only we had to head back early afternoon so we only managed a run to Keem from Keel and a 1.5 hour cycle around the island. Lazy wagons we were.

And then on Monday I ran 8 easy miles and my legs fell off. The end.
Well almost!

A good week of training

This week has been really good in general and with a view to training.

I had that 8 miler on tired legs on Monday and some solid strength training on Tuesday.  This was followed with the club 4 mile handicap on Wednesday night so with warm-up and cool-down that makes at least 6 miles.  Thursday was 4 recovery miles catching up on a friends holiday and then Friday I did another 8 miles on the Curragh pushing myself on hills and into a strong headwind on the flats.  I rewarded myself with pizza and wine!

Today was a leisurely hike with a friend from Ticknock to Johnnie Foxs pub (I was a JF virgin up to this point) and back.  One pint of the black stuff each was purchased to punctuate our journey and the conversation flowed from the first step to the very last.  Oh and the sun shone unexpectedly.  Can't ask much more than that of a Saturday afternoon!

I'm hoping to get 10 miles in tomorrow morning with some of the running club......hopefully someone slow will show up or it will be lonely out there!  I had better bring my headphones just in case I'm on my own.

If I include the hike that will put my mileage for the week well into the mid 40's which is exactly where I want to be right now.  Feeling very happy with my lot in life right now!

Oh and I may have the beginnings of a team for the Sionnach Relay (same as Ragnar in the USA) which is something I wanted to do since it was first announced but I couldn't find anyone to do it with me.  We have four now so four to go and we are all set.  Yay!