2012 - a year of two halves...

Dailymile sent me an email yesterday that summed up my running in 2012, literally!

It was definitely a year of two halves. It started with some promise and progress (the first real progress since breaking my ankle in January 2010) and a 40 day streak into my 40th birthday. Things were looking on schedule for a respectable marathon debut but then the wheels (legs actually) came off. The marathon in June turned out to be a learning experience and I still hoped for a late summer or autumn rematch with the historic distance but since then things have gone steadily downhill.

July saw a back (disc) injury and since September I've been struggling with a "right calf issue" that now prevents me from running more than 2 miles every 2 weeks (or so).  I stubbornly decided not to seek professional advice in the hope that things would come right in the end.  It didn't!

So last week I finally coughed up some money and went to a physio.  Apparently my calf issue is a hangover from my broken ankle (something that I thought was long in the past!).  A biomechanical imbalance.  In truth and I've had an ongoing series of lower body issues since my initial recovery from my broken my ankle in late 2010/2011.  So this was probably something waiting to happen.  It's time for some massage, dry needling, joint manipulation, calf strengthening exercises and flexibility work.  I last tried to run on the 28th December and it'll probably be a couple more weeks before I'm able to start back.  Hopefully this time things will work out!

In the meantime I'm going to try some aerobic exercise and eat less in an attempt to shift the many pounds added to my person since last June!  Hopefully Spring 2013 will be the time of new beginnings.  I dare to hope that I'll be back to complete some unfinished business in Cork this year but......

Wintertime resolutions...

I can't believe that the summer is over (it never really started did it??) and it's nearly the middle of October already!  Wow where has this year gone.  It only seems like yesterday that we were planning a family holiday in Boston - and that was last Thanksgiving!  Now, I'm beginning to think of Christmas and some goals (running wise) for 2013.

 

The last 6 months have been a write off from a running point of view.  At Easter I had a different perspective and I was hopeful that 2012 was going to be a good year; after all 2010 and 2011 were total disasters too!  The sorry truth about how bad the recent months have been was really brought home to me when I looked at my Dailymile training log earlier tonight....

 

In other words the 6 months can be summed up as:

• April - some long runs
• May -  groin strain
• June - marathon & recovery runs
• July - back injury
• August - some recovery runs & progress
• September - calf injury. 

Finally, this week & for the first time in a very long time, my runs have been pain free - all I need to do now is find some time in the real world for running!

So what do I hope to do for the remainder of the year and early 2013.  Well, given my low base I think I'll have to spend some time building my mileage (and loose some weight!).  Hopefully by mid November I'll be back in the 30-40+ mpw range.  December and January will see some interval / tempo running and increased mileage.   For the third year in a row I'll try to complete the Spring 10 mile series.  There may be a half marathon in early December but I'll not have any expectations from that if it happens and assuming things work out I'll revisit the marathon in about 6 months.

So new plan hatched - now it's time to put it into action....

It's time for an update....

Yes once again I've been remiss in updating this blog.  Since the Cork City Marathon my recovery had been going well.  I took it relatively easy for the first week or two.  But because I really feel that I didn't push myself over the full 26 miles I think that it didn't take as much out of me as a 'proper' marathon would.  (if you can follow me!)

I immediately started planning my next 'target' race.  Obviously a marathon was going to be on the agenda but I also wanted to give the local Cork to Cobh (15 mile) race a proper go once again and possibly challenge my PB set back in 2009.  So how could I do both???   Then I realised the the Dingle Marathon will be held on the 1st September which would leave enough recovery time before the Cork to Cobh race on the 7th October. 

I also realised that the Dingle course is a hilly one so a really fast time wouldn't be on the cards but something around 3:15 to 3:20 should be an achievable target.

So......Plan hatched!!

Or ..... so I thought!

After a respectable 15mile run on the 1st July my training schedule was off to a flying start.  Plenty of time to fit in some longer runs and long interval sessions.  Or so I thought.  On the 2nd July real world issues struck with a bang and running took a back seat.  I did manage a comfortable 8 mile run last weekend but on Friday last, as I was heading out for another comfortable lunchtime run, the wheels came off my plan.

For some reason my back went into spasm which turned out to be a herniated disc in the L4-L5 region.  As there was no obvious cause it is likely (in my opinion) to be due to a progressive issue of sustained poor sitting posture combined with a 'soft' core.  The 'core' issue is one which I've suspected for a while but not done anything about!

Visit #1 to the Doctor on Friday evening 50mg difene, 5mg diazepam and 500mg paramol (all 3 times daily) plus bed rest!

By Sunday pain hadn't eased so Visit #2 to the Doctor reconfirmed diagnosis but replaced the paramol with the stronger painkiller solpadol (i.e. more codeine).  More bed rest prescribed plus up to a week off work (not something I'd planned for!!).

The drugs seemed to do the trick as there is no longer any pain (providing I don't move my back too much!).. maybe the muscle relaxants have also relaxed my brain!!! :)

So today I also went to the physio (it must be serious 3 medics in 5 days ... that's unheard of for me!) who (just in case I was in any doubt) reconfirmed the diagnosis but she thinks that it isn't as serious as first feared.  Limited mobility is now the order of the day but sitting is limited to 15minutes (not good when my job involves sitting at a desk most of the time!).  Things do feel alot better tonight (I can even reach my feet to tie my shoe laces and walk to the toilet unaided) so there is hope!  Apparently, I can do some light swimming too and more physio is planned for early Friday morning so I'll have to take it from there!  I wonder if this disc issue and my recent groin issue could be related????  That's one for the professionals!

As you can imagine my Dingle marathon plans are currently on hold.  If I do get to do it I will treat it as a just a long run and any time sub 4 hours would be great.  Cork to Cobh in October is still on my target list though!!!

I did sneak out to the International Cork City Sports earlier tonight though.... my girls were running in the U9 300m so I couldn't miss that!  They did OK, not quite on the podium but a nice run all the same; they got to run a lap with Sonia O'Sullivan with the Olympic Torch and they got her autograph too.  It was great to see the event well supported with many of the big named former Irish Athletes / Olympians there e.g. Sonia, Eamon Coughlan, John Tracey, Mark Carroll, Liam O'Brien etc etc and some of the current names too Rob Heffernan, Ciaran O'Lionaird, Olive Loughnane, Joanne Cuddihy, Maria McCambridge (who missed out on marathon selection despite running the 'A' standard) etc.  This is a great event and long may it continue ... I can still clearly remember Yuri Sedyhk settling the world hammer record there on July 3, 1984!

Roll on the Olympics!!!!!

Marathon debut... success or failure??

They say you'll always remember your first marathon.  Although it is really just another race (just a bit longer) I've come to think that this is certainly a fair statement.  The difference being that a marathon is more than just a race.  It is to many a goal and to others a major lifetime achievement.  Of course, because of its history there is a mystic surrounding the distance and the preparation for the task of completing it, regardless of any time goal, is usually the focus of a number (many) of months training.  During this preparation time there is the constant fear that a late injury may end the any chance of making the startline let alone making the finishline.  Just like what happened to me!

I know that the majority of the (very limited) readership of this blog have already completed their first and many subsequent marathons but last Monday 4th June was my first opportunity to complete the distance.  Being a failed track runner, in my youth, I had always viewed the marathon as a something that a runner matured into and many years ago I decided that when I was 40 I would be mature enough.

So 2012 was to be the year and 12 months ago I selected that the Cork City Marathon would be the one!  Being a local race it would certainly remove much of the complexity of having to travel away and my "long suffering" support crew could also join in on the occasion!  Also I was very familiar with all of the roads having run much of the route many many many times!

 

On race day my wife and kids dropped me at Cork City Hall (race HQ) early which gave me some time to change and go for a brief one mile warm up around the city centre - a good opportunity to savour the pre-race atmosphere (tension!).  The sun was shining, despite the weather forecasts, and it looked like it would be a nice day for a run.

I had a pre-race plan but after struggling with a groin injury for the preceding 5-6 weeks I decided not to be too upset if the plan didn't work out.  However, it was a race and I had some objectives....

1. Finish (always good!)
2. Run sub 3:15 (although a bit unrealistic it would be great for a first marathon!) 
3. If the wheels came off run sub 3:30 (a more realistic and still a respectable time!)

So my optimistic plan was to head out at 7:15 and see how things went.  Probably a novice marathoners mistake but one that I'd personally prefer than heading out too conservatively and always wondering what might have been.

So I lined up between the 3:00 and 3:15 pace groups and headed out at a pace that felt comfortably easy.  I kept missing the mile markers (note these could be improved next year) and the first one that I saw was at mile 4 where I discovered that I had just run an average 7:07 min/mile pace - a bit fast but it was still feeling easy!  The huge cheers from my support crew at the 3 mile mark certainly helped to maintain the pace.

Miles 5 brought me up to the first relay changeover point at Tivoli and the pace had eased back to 7:25.  In the past when I've run the relay in this marathon I've run the second leg so for the next 5 miles I was on very familiar roads.  Mile 6, 7 and 8 out to the Dunkettle roundabout and through the Jack Lynch Tunnel averaged 7:12 pace (back on target!).  Once again my support crew appeared on the side of the road to encourage me.... it worked! :)

Miles 9, 10, 11 & 12 passed relatively easily in 7:12, 7:18, 7:16, 7:16.  At this stage all things seemed to be going well and I took on my first gel as an energy insurance policy!

Miles 13 and 14 along river and over the footbridge over the South Ring road took 7:11 and 7:23 min / mile.  

It was shortly after passing the 14 mile marker that the first signs of the wheels coming off occurred - left hamstring cramp!  What the..... this had never happened before and was surprising as the pace so far had felt easy!  Despite a short walking break I managed to cover Miles 15 & 16 at an average 7:25 pace.

Cramps in both hamstrings appeared at Mile 17 (8:06 pace) .... and the first thoughts of going home early crept in... but I was still ahead of the 3:15 pacer group so maybe I could walk out the cramp and salvage something.  So I took on my second gel and walked out the South Link road!. 

The remainder of the race was a series of running, stretching and walking.  The chart below tells the story. with mile splits ranging from 9:01 to 9:18 for miles 18, 19, 20, 12, 22, 23, 24 & 25.  Unfortunately the encouragement from the spectators (each mile I passed someone that I knew!!) couldn't help.  Aerobically I was as fresh as when I started the race but my legs just didn't listen!!

Downhills were the worst as the hamstrings and calf muscles went into spasm and I was in danger of falling over each time I was forced to stop!  Thomas and his 3:15 bus passed by at the 18mile mark and I decided not to hop on.  My focus now was to get to the finish and hopefully get there ahead of Grellan's  3:30 bus!!

Not even the bottle of Coke that my support crew had a mile 21 for me was enough to fully get me going!  The oranges and sweets kindly offered by Kevin Geary and the team from Eagle AC after the final relay change over point were welcome and helped a little but the sharp decent at Inchigaggin Bridge brought back yet more cramps!  However, just like smelling salts, the sight of a fellow runner lying on the pavement on the Straight Road receiving medical attention shortly after Mile 23 was a stark reminder that things could be a lot worse!

The smell of the finishline somehow kept the worst of the hamstring cramps at bay and brought me to the 26 mile mark at 7:48 pace.  And the added motivation from Fergus Wall, the 1:30 half marathon pacer, who shouted "run bricey run just like it says on the website" and the thought that my support crew (wife and kids) would be at the finishline was enough to bring me though the last quarter at 6:40 pace to finish just ahead of Grellan and his crew!

Here's the summary: 

• 03:28:20 (gun)
• 03:28:08 (chip)
• 01:35:17 (1st half)
• 01:53:04 (2nd half)
• 07:53 min/mile (avg)
• 217 (place) / 1406 (finishers)

Overall I'm content with how things went today.  I gave it a shot and I've learnt a few lessons.  My first marathon is now over, I know I'm mature enough to do it again so it's now time to plan my next attack on the hallowed distance.  Next time, with some proper training and a bit of luck I'll have a real target and it won't be just to finish and, if possible, run sub-3:30!

Some pictures that tell a story (thanks to the many photographers out on the course incl. Doug Minihane, Darren Spring, John Quigley, Gearoid O'Laoi & Joe Murphy)...

Mile 2...

Mile 3...

Mile 3...

Mile 10...

Mile 17...

First Family honours!!

Since I can't write about my own running due to a current groin issue(!) which hopefully will resolve itself in time for me to at least make the start line of the Cork City Marathon I thought I'd sing the praises of my daughters who yesterday competed for the first time in the Cork County T&F Championships.

The U-9 Long Jump and 200m were the only events on offer.

Although neither girl had ever before competed in either a long jump or a 200m competition their long winter of training certainly paid off!

Both girls kept running hard all the way to the line and came a respectable 5th in their respective 200m (middle distance) events with 10+ competitors in each heat!

Eva jumped 2.98m in the Long Jump which was good enough to take the bronze for her first podium.  Despite one no-jump Una recovered well and jumped 2.59m to come 7th out of 22 competitors!  (the winner jumped a fantastic 3.43m and second was 3.07m).  Full results here

Nothing like winning / not-winning your first medal for added motivation!

Olympics 2028 here they come..... :)

Only 5 weeks to go.....

Since the last post I've taken the leap and entered the Cork City Marathon.  So I suppose now I've got to get serious!!

Training has generally been going well but true to form soon after I spent my money on the entry I got a slight groin injury.  This happened last week and threatened to end my marathon career before it ever really started.  The last time I got a similar injury it took over a month to heal but this time it turned out that a few days rest and some TLC in the form of ice and light stretching was enough to put things right.  This week things are back on track.  So hopefully no major harm done.

Since I missed my planned long run last weekend I was all the more determined to go 20+ miles today.  It was just as well that I was determined because when I woke up at 06:30 I was less than motivated.  But the sun was shining and I knew that the weather was due to turn later on so off I went.  

My plan was to head out at a comfortable 7:30 min/mile pace matching my 20mile run of a couple of weeks ago and again carrying no fuel or water.  I was banking on the three weetabix and the glass of apple juice that I had just before I left the house to carry me through!   The run went reasonably well despite a slight calf cramp from miles 9 to 11, a stomach cramp at mile 21 and sore feet by mile 22, not to mention the the obligatory chafing .  It's encouraging to think that if I could keep today's pace going it would be a 3:15 marathon; respectable enough for a first attempt wouldn't you think!? 

Pace Splits (min/mile)

Miles 1 to 5       7:34, 7:25, 7:32, 7:31, 7:26    (Avg 7:30)

Miles 6 to 10     7:17, 7:16, 7:18, 7:24, 7:25    (Avg 7:20)

Miles 11 to 15   7:31, 7:26, 7:25, 7:25, 7:27    (Avg 7:27)

Miles 16 to 20   7:23, 7:27, 7:30, 7:34, 7:23    (Avg 7:28)

Miles 21 to 22   7:47, 7:15                              (Avg 7:32)

Today's long run (22.32miles in 2:46:17, avg 7:27min/mile) around Cork City....

2 month update

July was going just fine (from a running persepective anyway) despite the lack of summer weather. I was even looking at potential races. The first was to be a 5 mile race in Ardmore Co. Waterford on the 12th August. A local run that would be a good benchmark of my fitness. But... that was before I went for a very easy lunchtime run in early August and ended up limping back to the office with a groin strain type injury. I initially rested it for 2 weeks but it wasn't cured until the start of September. Looking back I think that it was caused by a muscle imbalance that was agrivated by running 16 miles in one day a few days previous. Too much too soon (you think that I'd learn the simple lessons!) That injury wrote off August and any chance of me being in any sort of reasonable shape to tackle the road races in September/early October. But as of the 3rd September I'm making comeback number 567. I'm trying to be sensible - generally keeping the pace in the high 7 minutes and distanced of 5 to 6 miles. But I did manage a 10+mile run on Saturday last and a total of more than 30 miles for the week. Also my two eldest have joined a local running club (Belgooly AC) at the tender age of 7. So far (week 2) they're really enjoying going to the track on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. In fact, each night they can't wait to go back! Hopefully it will turn into a life long passion but, since going back to school their timetable has exploded into the something that even an Outlook Calendar couldn't take control of, so it remains to be seen if they'll stick the pace. You know the scene.. I'm sure everyone with kids has been through it.. school, homework, birthday parties (2 last Saturday for a start!), music lessons, Irish Dancing lessons, Track training, hockey training, sleepovers etc etc .... and that's just Monday (you should see what they do on Tuesday). One of the fringe benefits of the girls going to the track every Tuesday/Thursday is that I get an opportunity to fit in a track session too! (That reminds me that I must pay Eagle AC for the pleasure of using their track time!!) It's nice to run on tarten again. The last time I set foot on a track was a lunchtime training run with Aberdeen AC in 1998... so it's been a while. At the moment I'm working on 800m intervals currently at 3min pace which based on this evenings workout feel pretty good. My plan is to increase the reps in number and pace and reduce the recovery over the coming months. Race plans... No definite target races just yet. But at this stage it may well be the Munster 10 mile series after Christmas. Hopefully I'll fit in 1 or 2 shorter races before then though. Training... Over the past few years I've found that having 2 'speed' sessions combined with at least 1 long run is the perfect mix for me. Since I'll be at the track twice a week this should work. Hopefully the second workout will be tempo/longer interval run and this wil be combined with a regular long run over the weekend. On the other days I'll put in my normal 'easy' 5-8 mile runs. But over the next month I'll primarily concentrate on building up a base of steady / consistent running (35-45 miles per week) and hopefully avoid any injuries (fingers crossed!) As usual my training will be logged on DailyMile which I'm finding a really useful resource. Updates will also be included on the Twitter ticker on the siderbar and if I've anything noteworthy to post I'll be back here. Happy running.....

Recovery over..

Bless me reader, it's been 2 weeks since my last run.... so I thought yesterday would be a good day to check out my calf. 5+ easy (really) miles at the seaside over a course that included some hills, some beach and some undulating trails. A good test I'd say ... and if my calf did bomb I'd at least have had a nice walk home.

Luckily it didn't and despite some hamstring twinges it was pretty good (42mins). So I now reckon a 2 week recovery is the minimum for calf injuries. Hopefully I won't need to use this bit of new found knowledge again in the near future.

This morning I repeated the run at 7am when the sun was shining, the sky and sea were blue and the waves were calm. Definitely a run for the soul and not one for a fast pace. This time the pace was slower (44+mins) partly due to the early hour and partly due to DOMS. I need to run more often!

Also today I purchased a new Garmin 305 - a real sign of intent. It's been over 12 months since my old one was stolen while on holidays and I've been running by feel ever since. It's time to get a bit more scientific! I'll wait patiently for Amazon to deliver it in a week or so.

I've also been playing around with DailyMile and Map-My-Run & Twitter - there are too many social network site combinations!!! I still haven't decided which is the best to log & post my runs - possibly Daily Mile & Twitter as Map-My-Run has too much advertising getting in the way! ... but ... only time will tell which combination eventually wins out.

Well done to all those who ran the Cork City Marathon, Half & Relay today - some very impressive times/performances!

2011 update

Some ways in which the World has changed...

• The Queen came to Ireland;


• Dr. Garrett Fitzgerald passed away;


• Eamon Coughlan became a Senator;


• Portugal joined Ireland in bankruptcy;


• Leinster joined Munster as two time winners of the Heineken Cup!

It's always an ominous sign when New Year's resolutions are put down in text. In my case, at least, it usually means that the exact opposite will happen - a bit like making a doctors appointment - by the time I get to the surgery the symptoms have cleared up!

This is certainly true of my last post which, as I was recently reminded, is over 4 months old!

Let's examine this in a bit more detail. Two resolutions were stated:
1. To run 'lots' more;
2. To post more often on this blog.

A reasonable person might consider these to be relatively easy and attainable goals for 2011 but I've failed misearably on both counts.

On the running front - I have run 'some' more but not 'lots' more and certainly not as much as I'd intended. During January, February & March, mainly due to other demands on my personal time, I only managed 'infrequent' slow/short runs. This certainly put paid to any chance of me following in the footsteps of others and running 39 miles on my 39th birthday in February (I'll have to aim for the 40 @ 40 target instead!). It also caused me to DNS the Ballycotton-10 on March 6th for fear of doing myself an injury. Unfortunately, I went for a 6 mile lunchtime run on March 7th only to seriously pull my left calf at mile 4.5. Maybe I should have run the Ballycotton-10 anyway - at least then I'd have got a mug instead of looking like a mug. (luckily Grellan passed by in his car and gave me a lift back to the office which saved me some of the walk/limp of shame)

However, since April I've had a bit more available personal time so I've tried to redress my family/running/work-life balance. Running has been a bit more frequent and for a short while I managed 4+ runs per week (20-30 miles 7:45-8:15mpm pace). My plan was to get a few solid weeks in the bag as 'conditioning' and then to set some goals for the rest of the year. Maybe even a marathon in the autumn... But since the start of May things have not been good. My calf problems are back. I've been resting and icing but I probably need to do some more massaging and strengthening. Last week I got more than 5 miles into my run before my calf cramped but today (after a 7 day rest) I pulled up after less than 1 mile. I think that the source of the problem is a general tightness/weakness in my left hip/leg. This is now getting a bit frustrating as, obviously, my self-treatment isn't working so I may have to resort to seeking professional advice!

On the blogging front - I think that no post in almost 5 months speaks for itself! There's just not been too much to talk about, really. In my defence, I have tweeted (see the sidebar across...) about my infrequent runs/injuries etc. So if you are part of my small band of followers you'll know know what's happening.

The Cork City Marathon is only around the corner so I hope all your training is going well. Next year I may be availing of your pacer skills ....

Recovery

There wasn't too much running in my calendar this week... I'm putting it down to a 'recovery' but really it was more due to lack of time.

On the recovery front - all went reasonably well and there were no post-race issues with my ankle. So I don't intend on posting about 'anklegate' again and I'm moving on....

Before the race my left calf was a bit sore. Plenty of deepheat and massage beforehand made sure that I didn't feel anything during the run but now it's taking time to heel. I reckon it's a symptom of needing to rebuild muscle strength and a reminder not to push too hard too soon!

On Thursday I finally managed to fit in a lunchtime run - steady 7:10 pace 5.6 miles around Ballincollig. Earlier tonight having recovered from today's hangover I went for an easy 5.5 miles @ 7:45 pace. The said calf is now being iced so hopefully all will be well tomorrow. That's a 'massive' 11 miles for this week excluding my Guinness & Lennox's chips fueled walk home from town last night. Next week will have to be better...

It's time to start some 'real' training..

Today saw the 30th running of the Great North Run - probably one of the greatest mass participation races in the world! Looking at it on television it made me wish I was there again. Although I must admit that based on my recent training I don't think Haile Gebreselassie would have been too worried! Maybe next year??

I first entered the GNR in 2007 and I used it as my motivation to get fit. Three years on I'm in a very similar position - trying to get fit..

I see that Sonia O'Sullivan was the last person to cross the start line today and finished the GNR in 1:34:53. When I first ran the GNR I started close to the back of the field and finished in 1:34:51. For most of that race I was passing runners, running on the footpath, crossing the road from side to side and constantly looking for the 'gap' ahead. It was both mentally and physically exhausting! Sonia, I know what you went through today. There are easier ways to run 13.1 miles!

Since my last post I've been getting out approx 4 times per week and I'm now up to approx 20-30 miles per week. Nothing spectacular but for me the most important indicator has been that my ankle is holding up.

Last week I went for a 'slow' 12.6mile run (1:45) on Saturday morning and followed it by a 'steady' (i.e. low 7min/mile pace) 10k on Sunday morning. Despite the fatigue everything else seemed to hold up.... a good sign!

This week my long run was 11.7 miles (1:28) i.e. Douglas to City Centre to Sundays Well down the Mardyke back to the City Centre and home to Douglas. I could class it as an 'easy' run (i.e. possible conversational pace) but it'd be more correct to refer to it as a 'comfortable' pace run i.e. a bit harder than 'easy'. :) I passed the 10 mile mark at approx 73mins and feeling good. Interestingly, I last ran this route on 3rd January (4 days before I broke my ankle). The time on that day was 1:31 .. the slower time being more a function of the icey conditions rather than a measure of my fitness!

Today I followed yesterday's run with a 6.5 mile run (47mins) - Douglas to Bishopstown. This felt good and was 13 minutes quicker than the last time I ran this route .. sign of progress??

So now that I've some base training done and I know that the screws in my ankle are holding it's time to start some real training. I guess I need to formulate a plan... but what plan and can I stick to it??

It's time to put my thinking hat on.....

Back again

Since it's been over 2 months since I last posted I thought this blog, and it's limited readership, deserved an update!

After my last post my training went well for a week or so. Then I decided to go for what would ordinarily have been an easy 12 miler. Despite it being a little tougher than I'd hoped the run itself was uneventful but afterwards my ankle became very stiff & sore. The pain was different to the usual aches and pain of a middle aged runner in that it felt like a joint pain. So my 'semi-mature' brain told me to give my body more time and take a rest. So that's what I did. At the same time 'real life' became very busy so it's just as well that I hadn't planned any big races!

Until last week my running has been curtailed to one 60-70min run per week at 8:30+ pace by the sea side.

Last week I extended this run to 90 minutes and the following day I put in a 45minute 'steady' (i.e. 7:30 pace) run. So this week I've decided that it's time to lose the 6kg that my broken ankle has given me, stop eating junk and start training again. Hopefully this time my body will hold up and I'll be back to where I was by Christmas....

Breaking the hour mark

I missed my planned run yesterday so I got up early this morning to make sure I didn't miss today's run. I was in Ardmore and at 6:30am the sea was full in and dead calm and the sun was shining. (Pity it started to rain later in the morning)

It was an easy morning to go for a long run and 65mins of non-stop running felt good ... even if the pace was very slow!

Progress over four miles..

I thought it was about time that I updated this blog.

Since my last post I've been doing some running but nothing too serious. Last week I managed three x 4+ mile lunchtime runs at approx 7:30min/mile pace. On Monday I managed to only get 1 mile into the run before my lack of fitness forced me to take a brief (15 secs) walking break. Unfortunately the break wasn't long enough because I also had to walk at the 2 and 3 mile marks!! I suppose that's only to be expect having not done any serious exercise in 5 months!! Tuesday's run showed some progress... I lasted 2 miles before I needed a rest but I also walked at mile 3. I rested on Wednesday and on Thursday I got to just over the 3 mile mark and that was the one and only break! Can fitness really increase overnight?? Interestingly, despite these breaks all three runs were timed at between 32:25 and 32:35.

Injury watch......The range of forward rotation in my ankle seems to be gradually increasing but I suspect that it will be many months yet before it begins to feel 'normal'. I've also been having some issues with my right achilles (broken ankle side) and left hamstring / glutes so hopefully these too will ease with time....

Today, after resting my ankle for a few days, I headed out for another 4+ mile run at lunchtime. It felt comfortable for the first time and I actually completed the run without stopping and knocked a minute off my time too, finishing in 31:40. That equates to approx 7:20 pace. Happy days.....small victory but at least the positive trend continues.

I've my next and hopefully final physio session next Monday so hopefully I'll get to run some more before then.

Have a great weekend.

Back from holiday

Having successfully avoided the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud by spending an extra hour in the air and flying at least 500miles further east we landed back in Cork this today from our mid-term holiday in Gran Canaria. It wasn't until we landed in Cork that I realised how close we came to spending an extra week (or more!!) in the sun.... it turns out that our plane was the last one to leave the island before the airport was shut down!! Just as well we got up at 4am for the early flight! Still, I'm not complaining 7 days of 28-30+ degC was just what the doctor ordered. :)

So now it’s back to reality.. :)

On the running front and with my physio’s consent I brought my trainers complete with new orthothics on the holiday. But although there was a lot of ‘pool time’ I only got to run twice. Both runs consisted of approx 4 ‘hilly’early morning miles at circa. 8 minute pace from which I learnt (a) that it is impossible to find a flat route (as per physio advice) from our apartment and; (b) that my fitness level is through the floor! Although it was nice to be running again it generally felt like I was learning to run for the first time... maybe now is the time to learn how to run properly and forget a lifetime of bad habits?

The bad news from the holiday was that my Garmin went 'missing' during the week. So, I’m going to have to live without stats for the time being. This may be a good thing as I’m sure my stats will be pretty bad and would only serve to depress me but it may give me a opportunity to upgrade from the Forerunner 305 to 405... :)

As I've no running shots to post, here are some holiday snaps for anyone who may be interested...

So that is what the sun looks like...

Now that's a view I thought I'd never see...

Call the ISPCA...that man just kicked a dolphin...

(Eva) Well hello there...

(Joe) Just keep holding on...

(Eva) This is how you do it...

Who are all the strangers looking at us?...

Lets play some ball..

(Una) I'm so coool..

(Joe) I want to climb...

(Una) Am I too young to drink this?...

(Eva) I don't care. That was nice and refreshing...

(Joe) I just like water...

The family...

Some running again...

The good news is that, as of today, my surgeon doesn't want to see me anymore!

Other news is that I ran on two occasions since my last post, Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday I covered approx 2 miles by running 100m, walking 50m repeats. My ankle held up well and there weren't too many ill effects. Interestingly at the start my achilles was sore but by the end it was the front 'inside' of the joint that was in slight pain. Minor bumps and corners were a bit of a problem too! And, my gait has certainly changed. Funnily enough the limited rotation of the right ankle joint is causing me to land harder on my left leg. That's something I'm going to have to monitor carefully. My new orthotics are also something that I'm going to have to get used to.

I felt so good on Tuesday that I decided to ignore the physio's advise and push out the boat a little. I know, I know.... I shouldn't have but after 5 months of no running I couldn't resist the temptation! And despite what my wife thinks I was careful! Don't tell my physio though or I'll be in real trouble!! In total, I ran 2.5miles 'non stop' over a flat course at a 'blistering' 7:40 min/mile pace. Again my achilles was bothering me at the start but this eased off after approx 0.5 miles. Also after about 2 miles I could feel my foot beginning to swell up and again the joint started to niggle so I decided to call it a day. Later on there was some swelling but that settled down overnight and the biggest side effect was some DOM's in the quads..... I'm officially unfit!

Another physio session planned for tomorrow and then it's off to Gran Canaria for a week in the sun. Hopefully I'm allowed being my runners!

Is this the end game?

Cycling used to be the simple matter of taking your bike out from the shed, hopping on and going.

Now it's a matter of putting the bike rack onto the car, filling it up, getting helmets, baby seat, lunch, kids change of clothes, hopping into the car, driving to a nice flat quiet area, unloading the car, waiting for the youngest to wake up, and then doing some cycling. See how things have changed? Still though, I wouldn't change it for the world!

Running has yet to begin but I got some good news earlier today ... the physio says that I can start with some very very light short runs later the week. YIPPEE

Since my last post I've been limited to stretching, some dynamic work and some cycling. Not enough to halt the (significant) weight gain from 5 months of being a couch potato. But all that may change over the coming months!

The emphasis of the weekly physio sessions has also changed. I think I'll have to live with a much restricted rotation on the ankle joint (may be a problem on hilly runs) and now it's all about compensation i.e. the new orthotics I received last week. The joint is still swollen on occasion, mostly at the end of the day, but ice and elevation seems to keep that largely under control. My achilles is also bothering me but hopefully the orthotics will help with that issue.

On the 7th January 2010 I really didn't realise that it would take this long. I've really missed my 'irregular' runs. Amazingly, I don't recall missing running this much when I 'retired' back in 1994.

All in all though an end 'seems' to be in sight and hopefully my next post will include some running!

Exercising again....

Mostly more of the same this week..... physio x 2, walking, exercises, stretching, ice, etc, etc... No running except on the trampette at the physio clinic.

However, this weekend I did managed to fit in a couple of nice cycles of 9 and 13 miles. Today, I even dusted off Mr Garmin, who last saw daylight on the 6th January, so long ago! Today's effort looked something like this...

Based on the above, as you can see, I don't think I'll be entering the Tour de France any time soon. In my defence, the second half was into a headwind! Neither my sore legs nor the saddle sores played 'any' part in the gradual creep in the pace! :) I was surprised that I could only cycle 13.18miles in 1:09. add 15 to 20 minutes and I could run the same distance!!

I also spent the morning in the pool with the kids. A good excuse to do some non-weight bearing exercise; although having to carry Joe (now 15kg in weight) significantly negated any buoyancy non-weight bearing benefits!!

While I hopped along in the pool, my girls made a new friend who turned out to be the daughter of none other than Robert Heffernan (Ireland's top international 20k walker - 6th 2007 Worlds, 8th 2008 Olympics). As our children became more and more 'competitive' (i.e. adventurous) in the water, we compared ankle injuries and concluded that there is no quick cure. He's still suffering 18months on from an ankle injury. :(

We chatted for a while, then he slipped in that he raced a 50k in Slovakia last week. "How did you do?", I asked kicking myself for not checking the Athletics Ireland website lately! "3rd but I broke the Irish record", he replied. "Congratulations", I said. "Yeah, I went through the Marathon mark in 3:05 but the last 10k was a killer!" ..... yikes !!! .... and he was walking!! The official report is here. His wife Marian Andrews, also a handy athlete, is the current Irish 400m champion - so London 2012 may just be a family holiday!!

I'm off work next week but as I'm childminding I'm not sure how much cycling I'll be able to fit it... but I'll try I need to do something!!!

Three in a row

Still no running but I'm gradually getting more active; which is just as well cause my appetite is no different now than when I was running 'regularly'. Surprisingly it's only been during the past few weeks that I've noticed my weight go up. So it's official - it takes 3 months for all my muscles to revert to fat!!

I had three physio sessions this week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday was an unplanned session - I finally got a call from the CUH and although I've been going privately I didn't like to disappoint Mary Harney and the HSE!!!

Progress seems to be on track (or maybe slightly ahead of schedule) as I've now advanced cycling and to running on the spot on a trampoline while playing catch with a ball. (not at same time). BTW she (ie the physio) says the ball is to distract me but I think it's a subtle hint to give up running and take up a less risky sport like rugby!!

St Patrick's Day adventure

A belated Happy St Patrick's Day to all.

No running (obviously!!) recently just physio, exercises and some nice walks. The physio says that I've now to start some cycling which should be fun as I live at the top of a big hill. I'll be OK on the downhill but I'm not so sure about the return leg! Luckily I have a mountain bike!!

Since I've not been running I've had some time to experiment with one of my new toys - a digital video camera. And what better day to take it for a test run than St Patrick's Day.

I've never really seen the point or relevance of the whole parade thing. But, I usually watch it anyway. What does a few thousand of people standing by the side of a street watching a series of brass bands, dragons, pirates, underage camogie teams, ethnic minority groups, majoretts, international visitors, environmental activists, catholic prayer groups and the local Credit Union really say about the Irish or St. Patrick?? I'm certainly not sure but it's a bit of craic and as a nation, and possibly an international community, we all seem to enjoy it.

Today I had the pleasure of witnessing (with my camcorder and family in tow) two very different parades....

(Before I go any further apologies for the poor quality of the video footage.... I'm still in training!!)

The first was a small community parade in Sunday's Well. Organised by a few locals and primarily for the children of the area (and a some 'blow-ins' such as us). Today's parade was officially the "2nd Annual Sunday's Well Community Parade". The parade was an 'out and back' and lasted a whole 5-10 minutes (actually it passed by in about 30 seconds) but was great fun for young and old with ages ranging from 1 to 90+. And the after parade party and BBQ in Nuala & John's house with mulled wine (thanks Don!!), hot chocolate, burgers, breakfast rolls, pizza and, of course, lots of tea, sandwiches and cakes was brill. Well done to all.

See for yourself...




We left the party while it was still in full swing to walk the mile or so into town to see the official Cork City parade. A much bigger spectacle but for me the smaller family parade was much more like what it is all about.

Still though it was enjoyable to see the effort that the various participants put in. Groups taking part were from far flung places such Bangladesh, Poland, Kenya (all places full of Irish diaspora??) and the UK. I didn't see a US float but as I was late for the start I could have missed it. After all a St. Patrick's Day parade isn't complete without a representation from our US friends!!

Here are some extracts from the Cork parade....