Last weeks 'recovery' run certainly did the trick. My legs weren't too sore on during the week. I don't think that the 20+ run was 'suicidal' as suggested by Grellan but it certainly has taken longer to recover than from a more normal 15+ mile long run.
On Tuesday with still 'heavy legs' I attempted a progression run over my usual 5.66mile route around Ballincollig. The mile splits pace ranged from 7:16 to 6:42 with a 'sprint' at 6:26min/mile pace for the last 0.66miles!! It all felt a bit too hard really. After the first mile my heartrate was in the mid 170's and I was only just breaking the 7 minute barrier. In all 5.66miles @6:58min/mile (39:24mins @ 169bpm avg).
So, on Wednesday I decided to take a proper 'recovery' and not run.
A lunchtime out of the office meeting on Thursday meant that if I wanted to run it had to be early in the morning. So I set the alarm from 5:30am but ignored it and got up at 6:15am instead!! It almost felt like a lie in!! At least the early start gave me another excuse for having heavy legs (still recovering from last Sunday). I headed into town at a steady 7:05min/mile pace reaching the turn around point in 24:58min and a low average heartrate of 144bpm. The overall 77m elevation drop may have been a factor but I was feeling good so on the return leg I decided to 'up' the pace. In general the average pace was less than 6:45min/mile and including the climb up Maryborough Hill I made it home in an average of 7:01 giving an overall of 49:24 (155bpm) for the 7.04mile early morning jaunt.
I spent the weekend in Ardmore so on Friday afternoon I ran the beach and cliff route. An overall distance of 7.47miles at an average of 7:29min/mile (160bpm) - 55:54 minutes. Interestingly, although the last couple of months have been a bit erratic in running terms they appear to be showing some dividends - when I ran this route at the start of June my average pace was 7:50+ and 164bpm.
My wife's family had a clan gathering on Saturday so time for running was out of the question - replaced by time on beach and in the pub.
Unfortunately, the rain came in during the night on Saturday so when the alarm went off I turned over. The extra couple of hours sleep helped clear the Guinness out of my system and when I eventually arose I deferred my run until the afternoon. I also changed the plan and instead of the 'easy' 13+ mile run I went for a 2x4mile progression run (Ardmore to Kiely's cross and back). The first 4 miles were 'steady' uphill at 7:11min/mile (158bpm). After a 2 minute recovery I headed back downhill starting out at 6:22 pace increasing steadily to 5:48min/mile (overall average 165bpm). Although the pace was helped by the downhill it felt good to let loose and put in some fast miles.
Week Total (17/08/09 - 23/08/09) - 5 sessions
33.96miles - 4:06:13 - 7:15min/mile - 159bpm - 77rpm
Summer is now officially over, the family is back from Ardmore and the girls start school on Thursday. So today I was back on the roads around Ballincollig for a 5.66mile run. The pace progressed from 7:10min/mile (143bpm) to 6:24min/mile (171bpm) - it was supposed to be an 'easy' run but I think I overcooked it a bit!! I blame the new running shoes...... Tomorrow will be better.....
A blog about my ongoing attempts to delay the ageing process......
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Back on track and new found respect
Well the first week of work after the holidays is over and I think it's time to update this blog...
The holidays were great plenty of relaxation, family time and some running too. Probably not as much running as I'd hoped for, opting instead for more time with the family and some extra hours of sleep. Afterall holidays are supposed to give you a chance to recharge the batteries, aren't they??
During the first week of my holidays (27th July to 2nd August) I managed 5 runs each ranging from 7 to 9.5miles. The runs were generally steady and averaging in the low to mid 7min/mile range over a mixture of trails, beach and road. However, I let off the breaks and put in a few low 6min miles towards the end of a few of the runs - just to loosen out the legs!! In all I covered 42.87 miles.
The second week wasn't as productive fitting in just a single 10.58mile beach, cliff top, road run.
So back to work last week and I hoped for a more regular routine conducive to running. On Monday I went for a 5.65mile tempo run at a average 6:52 pace. I started out at 6:38min/mile and finished at 6:34min/mile but the middle was harder than it should have been. Maybe I was paying the price for only 1 run the previous week? True to form Tuesday and Wednesday were no run days (I'm sure I had a 'good' excuse at the time - just can't remember it right now). I made up for it on Thursday and Friday by going for 5.64 and 6.51mile steady runs at an average of 7:00 and 7:01 min/mile. Still though the runs felt tougher than they should. So I took Saturday off.
On Sunday I went for my first 'long' run in a few weeks. This time I decided to push out the boat in terms of distance and go for a very 'easy' 20+ miler!! Afterall I need to start logging some decent weekly mileage!! This would be my longest run EVER. Pamela and the kids went back to Cork so I had a few free hours (and I needed all of them!!) so I left Ardmore and headed for Dungarvan along the N25. My Garmin wouldn't start so I had to rely on my old reliable Casio stopwatch - 15 years old and I've yet to change the battery!! It was nice, if a bit unfamiliar, to run without constant pace feedback. I had run a 15miler last June (Ardmore to the Marine Bar - 28th June) along this route so I had an idea of the terrain i.e. 4 miles uphill (160m climb) followed by 4 miles undulating, followed by a steep 160m drop over 2 miles, turn around and repeat in reverse!! Tough!! I took it easy over the first half reaching the turn around (approx 10 miles) in 78mins (7:35 pace). The next 2 miles uphill were 'hell' as I realised that I'd been running with a tailwind for the first half. No wonder I felt so relaxed!! The picture didn't improve for the rest of the run. It was humid, I was tired and my legs hurt (left hamsting) but my breathing was fine. I must admit (shame on me) that I 'gave in' on a few occassions and walked for my water breaks. By 16miles I took the last of my water and having run for more than 2 hours at that stage fatigue set in and motivation dropped. I just wanted it to be over even the last 4 downhill miles did nothing to help ease the fatigue! I eventually made it back to the caravan park in Ardmore after 2:50:23. Measuring the route on Map My Run I think that I covered approx 20.5miles at an average of 8:19min/mile. I'll have to repeat the run with my Garmin just to be sure!! Although it wasn't my prettiest run ever it was my longest and I've now got a new respect for all marathon runners!! Running for more than 2 hours is hard and not just physically hard. It's mentally hard too.
The long run on Sunday did help my weekly mileage though 38.30miles in 4:54:26 i.e. 7:41min/mile average.
I went for a recovery run today. 5.77 miles in 46:36 (8:05 min/miles average pace). It hurt too!! Mile splits were 8:43, 8:36, 8:15, 7:51, 7:31 and 7:24. Even if I wanted to I couldn't have gone any faster - hopefully tomorrow will feel better.
By the way my Garmin footpod arrived while I was on holidays so I now have lots more numbers to tell me how badly I'm running!! Based on my first few runs it appears that my average cadence is in fact 76-78rpm and if I try and increase my leg speed I just run faster!! When I've recorded a cadence >80rpm on a flat road it seems like my pace is in the low 6min/mile, 77rpm roughly equates to 7:00min/mile pace. Interesting!! I'll monitor the trends over the coming weeks / months and see what happens.
As for races I've decided not to run the Great North Run this year. My 'training' hasn't been focused enough and although my race number came in the post last week I've not booked any flights or accomodation yet so I think that I'll defer my entry until next year. I'll probably opt instead to run the local half marathon here in Cork on Sept 13th instead and hopefully I'll be able to run something similar to last year (i.e. sub 1:27).
More anon....
The holidays were great plenty of relaxation, family time and some running too. Probably not as much running as I'd hoped for, opting instead for more time with the family and some extra hours of sleep. Afterall holidays are supposed to give you a chance to recharge the batteries, aren't they??
During the first week of my holidays (27th July to 2nd August) I managed 5 runs each ranging from 7 to 9.5miles. The runs were generally steady and averaging in the low to mid 7min/mile range over a mixture of trails, beach and road. However, I let off the breaks and put in a few low 6min miles towards the end of a few of the runs - just to loosen out the legs!! In all I covered 42.87 miles.
The second week wasn't as productive fitting in just a single 10.58mile beach, cliff top, road run.
So back to work last week and I hoped for a more regular routine conducive to running. On Monday I went for a 5.65mile tempo run at a average 6:52 pace. I started out at 6:38min/mile and finished at 6:34min/mile but the middle was harder than it should have been. Maybe I was paying the price for only 1 run the previous week? True to form Tuesday and Wednesday were no run days (I'm sure I had a 'good' excuse at the time - just can't remember it right now). I made up for it on Thursday and Friday by going for 5.64 and 6.51mile steady runs at an average of 7:00 and 7:01 min/mile. Still though the runs felt tougher than they should. So I took Saturday off.
On Sunday I went for my first 'long' run in a few weeks. This time I decided to push out the boat in terms of distance and go for a very 'easy' 20+ miler!! Afterall I need to start logging some decent weekly mileage!! This would be my longest run EVER. Pamela and the kids went back to Cork so I had a few free hours (and I needed all of them!!) so I left Ardmore and headed for Dungarvan along the N25. My Garmin wouldn't start so I had to rely on my old reliable Casio stopwatch - 15 years old and I've yet to change the battery!! It was nice, if a bit unfamiliar, to run without constant pace feedback. I had run a 15miler last June (Ardmore to the Marine Bar - 28th June) along this route so I had an idea of the terrain i.e. 4 miles uphill (160m climb) followed by 4 miles undulating, followed by a steep 160m drop over 2 miles, turn around and repeat in reverse!! Tough!! I took it easy over the first half reaching the turn around (approx 10 miles) in 78mins (7:35 pace). The next 2 miles uphill were 'hell' as I realised that I'd been running with a tailwind for the first half. No wonder I felt so relaxed!! The picture didn't improve for the rest of the run. It was humid, I was tired and my legs hurt (left hamsting) but my breathing was fine. I must admit (shame on me) that I 'gave in' on a few occassions and walked for my water breaks. By 16miles I took the last of my water and having run for more than 2 hours at that stage fatigue set in and motivation dropped. I just wanted it to be over even the last 4 downhill miles did nothing to help ease the fatigue! I eventually made it back to the caravan park in Ardmore after 2:50:23. Measuring the route on Map My Run I think that I covered approx 20.5miles at an average of 8:19min/mile. I'll have to repeat the run with my Garmin just to be sure!! Although it wasn't my prettiest run ever it was my longest and I've now got a new respect for all marathon runners!! Running for more than 2 hours is hard and not just physically hard. It's mentally hard too.
The long run on Sunday did help my weekly mileage though 38.30miles in 4:54:26 i.e. 7:41min/mile average.
I went for a recovery run today. 5.77 miles in 46:36 (8:05 min/miles average pace). It hurt too!! Mile splits were 8:43, 8:36, 8:15, 7:51, 7:31 and 7:24. Even if I wanted to I couldn't have gone any faster - hopefully tomorrow will feel better.
By the way my Garmin footpod arrived while I was on holidays so I now have lots more numbers to tell me how badly I'm running!! Based on my first few runs it appears that my average cadence is in fact 76-78rpm and if I try and increase my leg speed I just run faster!! When I've recorded a cadence >80rpm on a flat road it seems like my pace is in the low 6min/mile, 77rpm roughly equates to 7:00min/mile pace. Interesting!! I'll monitor the trends over the coming weeks / months and see what happens.
As for races I've decided not to run the Great North Run this year. My 'training' hasn't been focused enough and although my race number came in the post last week I've not booked any flights or accomodation yet so I think that I'll defer my entry until next year. I'll probably opt instead to run the local half marathon here in Cork on Sept 13th instead and hopefully I'll be able to run something similar to last year (i.e. sub 1:27).
More anon....
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Holidays are coming...
Yesterday's 6.5 mile (6:55min/mile avg) was a lot harder than it should have been!! Remind me never to take a 5 day break from running again. (no reason for the break just didn't manage to fit any runs in).Still though, I'm on 2 weeks holidays from tomorrow so plenty running is planned!!
Today I was due to run a 5-mile race in Churchtown South but since I missed the best part of a weeks training and yesterday's run took a bit out of me so instead I decided to go for a long easy/steady run tonight. In all I covered 15.7miles in 2:01 or an overall average of 7:45 min/mile. The first 13.5miles were at 7:13 min/mile pace (i.e. faster than my first HM race pace!!) with a 2 mile cool down. The good news is that the run went well avg heartrate 157bpm but the bad news is that summer is certainly over it was cold tonight - so cold that my legs began to cramp over the cool down!! Bring back the sun!!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
It's time to count...
I've learned more about cadence and it's role in distance running over the last few days than I ever thought I would thanks to all the advice, links etc after my last post. All really appreciated.
So I spent today's tempo run (5.61miles @ 6:40min/mile [37:25] 161/181bpm) counting my foot strikes!! My mile split pace was 6:48, 6:51, 7:07 (uphill), 6:26, 6:21, 6:20. It felt reasonably comfortable. Next week I'm planning on increasing the length of these runs to approx 6.5 miles.
Today's run...
By the way Monday's lunchtime run (same course as today) was a steady progression with mile pace varying from 7:12 to 6:26 over 5.64miles (avg 6:58min/mile 158 /170 bpm). It went well - nothing too exciting apart from the fact that the elements conspired against me - it stopped raining just long enough for me to get my gear and change and get a half mile into the run.
I'm off shopping.....
.... just back from shopping .... Does anyone know if the foot pod for the Forerunner 305 is suitable for outdoor use and actually measures cadence.... it seems to be marketed as an indoor accessory and I haven't been able to find info on cadence (as this is principally targeted at cyclists?? At approx €70 I want to be sure before I purchase and the Garmin website is no help!!
So I spent today's tempo run (5.61miles @ 6:40min/mile [37:25] 161/181bpm) counting my foot strikes!! My mile split pace was 6:48, 6:51, 7:07 (uphill), 6:26, 6:21, 6:20. It felt reasonably comfortable. Next week I'm planning on increasing the length of these runs to approx 6.5 miles.
Today's run...
On cadence I'm told that the target is 90+ but I've never monitored it before today. So today's run established a baseline. Approx once per mile I counted my foot strikes for 30 seconds. Initially I was hitting 78rpm but over the last 2 miles I counted 82 and 84rpm respectively. I noticed that as I concentrated on counting that my speed tended to increase - poor multitasking abilities!! :). I seem to fall short of the target 90+ so I'll try and introduce some regular drills aimed at increasing cadence and maybe that will translate into quicker times!! I'll repeat today's baseline check in a few weeks and see if there's any benefit.
By the way Monday's lunchtime run (same course as today) was a steady progression with mile pace varying from 7:12 to 6:26 over 5.64miles (avg 6:58min/mile 158 /170 bpm). It went well - nothing too exciting apart from the fact that the elements conspired against me - it stopped raining just long enough for me to get my gear and change and get a half mile into the run.
I'm off shopping.....
.... just back from shopping .... Does anyone know if the foot pod for the Forerunner 305 is suitable for outdoor use and actually measures cadence.... it seems to be marketed as an indoor accessory and I haven't been able to find info on cadence (as this is principally targeted at cyclists?? At approx €70 I want to be sure before I purchase and the Garmin website is no help!!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
More Corkbeg...
800m to go...I'm in the background....
Also, courtesy of John Desmond's blog I see that there are 2 videos of the Corkbeg race uploaded to YouTube. Thanks to Rob Patterson.
Corkbeg near start (@23sec...)
Thanks for all the comments after my last post. I think that the 'irregular' training I've been doing has been showing some limited dividends but I'll have to knuckle down to some proper training if I'm to make any real improvements!! Ohh.... Thomas you'll be able to beat me over a marathon / ultra for a long time to come (don't worry!!)
Also, courtesy of John Desmond's blog I see that there are 2 videos of the Corkbeg race uploaded to YouTube. Thanks to Rob Patterson.
Corkbeg near start (@23sec...)
Corkbeg near finish (@3:40)...
Video footage can be very enlightening... I hadn't realised until now how 'loping' my stride is. Maybe if I can increase my leg turnover I can also increase my speed??
Yesterday there was so much rain I thought that I'd moved to the tropics so - no running. As an aside some family members are in Kenya on voluntary work at the moment and they're praying for the rainy season maybe we can tanker the rainwater and ship it to Kenya!!
In between the showers today I managed to fit in an 8 mile steady run (7.87miles in 55:00 i.e. 6:58 min/mile (160/174bpm). The run was a bit of a progression run starting out at 7:16 pace for the first mile and progressing to 6:41 pace for the last).
This week was a fast but low mileage week. Hopefully I'll fit in some longer runs and more sessions next week ...
Week Total 6/7/09 to 12/7/09 (3 sessions)
22.77miles - 2:42:26 - avg 7:08min/mile - 162bpm
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Corkbeg 5mile
I was a bit unsure about how I'd run tonight. In fact, tonight's race was my first real test since the 4 mile race in Carrignavar last March (which in hindsight I probably should have skipped as I'm now sure that it added to my ITB issues!!). But hindsight is great isn't it!!
Although I've had a few good runs recently I haven't put in any really hard workouts and my training has generally been a bit... erratic. So pre-race I convinced myself that a solid sub-32 would suffice.
The Corkbeg 5 is organised by my club East Cork AC so, since I started running again a few years ago I've always wanted to run in this race but until tonight I didn't get the chance. Also I grew up in the area and I've always thought that it would be nice to run a race there. Thinking back, the last run I raced in the area was a "Milk Run" in the early 80's.... remember those anyone??
The course is generally an out-n-back which starts on a downhill (never good!!) but is mostly flat with a bit of a climb up to the 2 mile mark followed by a short steep descent. Unfortunately, being an out-n-back the start and finish are near each other so the downhill start becomes an uphill finish (also never good!!).
After an early check in, a 3 mile warm up and some chat with those I knew (and some I met for the first time) it was time to line up. The weather was perfect, warm, no wind and there was a good enough crowd (probably 100 or so) which was a reasonable turnout as there was a popular BHAA 5k race in Cork last night which attracted more than 400 runners!!
Despite my resignation that a solid sub-32 would do I intended on going out at 6min pace and hanging on for as long as I could. The downhill start helped me and I passed Mile 1 in 5:45mins a bit quicker than I'd planned. At this stage the field was quite strung out and I was in danger of being lost in no-mans-land so I fixed my eyes on a clubmate (David) who was one or two places ahead.
The climb up to Mile 2 was tough but manageable and cost me a couple of seconds and one place!! Note to self....I must do some more strength work!! I reached the Mile 2 marker in 6:08min still ahead of my average 6min pace target - OK!
Now came the sharp downhill. Should I push hard downhill and pull back lost seconds or maintain my pace and recover from the climb. I could hear footsteps and breathing not too far behind so I sort of did a bit of both. Pushed hard enough not to loose any placing but used the downhill to recover a bit also. Spot the dip in the heart rate in the chart below. I passed the Mile 3 in 6:02min.
I began to falter during the initial stages of mile 4 and my pace dropped to 6:16min for a bit. I could have done with another downhill to help me recover!! I was joined from behind by another runner (unfortunately I couldn't draw enough breath the ask him his name!!) and we ran side by side for a while. I thought to myself he came alongside but he didn't pass me so after about half a mile I began to feel better and I upped the tempo and put some daylight between us. I reached the Mile 4 marker in 6:05mins... that initial dip in form cost me!!
At this stage I could smell the finish line (or was it my sweat!!). My first thought was that I can jog now and still make the sub-32 target...oh how tempting was that when my heart was beating at 187bpm. I didn't give in though, put temptation to the back of my head and started to think of a sub-31 finish!
The last mile was initially flat but the last half was uphill - how cruel!! I concentrated on the runner about 15m ahead determined not to let him get away and also determined not to be passed. I wasn't, but unfortunately, and despite a 1:27 last quarter, I didn't have enough to catch the guy ahead. I crossed the line and stopped my watch a 5:58min last mile giving a total of 30:00min for the race!! A solid PB by almost 30 seconds - happy days!! I only lost 3 places after the first mile and I think I finished in 19th place.
It would have been nice to have made sub-30 (McMillan says I can!!) especially when the guy who finished behind said "well done - did you make sub-30". "No, just 30 flat", I replied. To be honest with my training being so up and down I don't think I deserved a sub-30 tonight and it's good to have something to aim for!! Next time (assuming a fast course!!)
A 1 mile warm down and back to home to my mothers for a nice home cooked dinner!! Happy days!!
My achilles are sore now - I can only imagine what they'll be like in the morning!!!
Although I've had a few good runs recently I haven't put in any really hard workouts and my training has generally been a bit... erratic. So pre-race I convinced myself that a solid sub-32 would suffice.
The Corkbeg 5 is organised by my club East Cork AC so, since I started running again a few years ago I've always wanted to run in this race but until tonight I didn't get the chance. Also I grew up in the area and I've always thought that it would be nice to run a race there. Thinking back, the last run I raced in the area was a "Milk Run" in the early 80's.... remember those anyone??
The course is generally an out-n-back which starts on a downhill (never good!!) but is mostly flat with a bit of a climb up to the 2 mile mark followed by a short steep descent. Unfortunately, being an out-n-back the start and finish are near each other so the downhill start becomes an uphill finish (also never good!!).
After an early check in, a 3 mile warm up and some chat with those I knew (and some I met for the first time) it was time to line up. The weather was perfect, warm, no wind and there was a good enough crowd (probably 100 or so) which was a reasonable turnout as there was a popular BHAA 5k race in Cork last night which attracted more than 400 runners!!
Despite my resignation that a solid sub-32 would do I intended on going out at 6min pace and hanging on for as long as I could. The downhill start helped me and I passed Mile 1 in 5:45mins a bit quicker than I'd planned. At this stage the field was quite strung out and I was in danger of being lost in no-mans-land so I fixed my eyes on a clubmate (David) who was one or two places ahead.
The climb up to Mile 2 was tough but manageable and cost me a couple of seconds and one place!! Note to self....I must do some more strength work!! I reached the Mile 2 marker in 6:08min still ahead of my average 6min pace target - OK!
Now came the sharp downhill. Should I push hard downhill and pull back lost seconds or maintain my pace and recover from the climb. I could hear footsteps and breathing not too far behind so I sort of did a bit of both. Pushed hard enough not to loose any placing but used the downhill to recover a bit also. Spot the dip in the heart rate in the chart below. I passed the Mile 3 in 6:02min.
I began to falter during the initial stages of mile 4 and my pace dropped to 6:16min for a bit. I could have done with another downhill to help me recover!! I was joined from behind by another runner (unfortunately I couldn't draw enough breath the ask him his name!!) and we ran side by side for a while. I thought to myself he came alongside but he didn't pass me so after about half a mile I began to feel better and I upped the tempo and put some daylight between us. I reached the Mile 4 marker in 6:05mins... that initial dip in form cost me!!
At this stage I could smell the finish line (or was it my sweat!!). My first thought was that I can jog now and still make the sub-32 target...oh how tempting was that when my heart was beating at 187bpm. I didn't give in though, put temptation to the back of my head and started to think of a sub-31 finish!
The last mile was initially flat but the last half was uphill - how cruel!! I concentrated on the runner about 15m ahead determined not to let him get away and also determined not to be passed. I wasn't, but unfortunately, and despite a 1:27 last quarter, I didn't have enough to catch the guy ahead. I crossed the line and stopped my watch a 5:58min last mile giving a total of 30:00min for the race!! A solid PB by almost 30 seconds - happy days!! I only lost 3 places after the first mile and I think I finished in 19th place.
It would have been nice to have made sub-30 (McMillan says I can!!) especially when the guy who finished behind said "well done - did you make sub-30". "No, just 30 flat", I replied. To be honest with my training being so up and down I don't think I deserved a sub-30 tonight and it's good to have something to aim for!! Next time (assuming a fast course!!)
A 1 mile warm down and back to home to my mothers for a nice home cooked dinner!! Happy days!!
My achilles are sore now - I can only imagine what they'll be like in the morning!!!
Update:....
The official results are here. 19th place is confirmed (157 competitors) but look at the pace per mile 5:59.9min/mile....so I did break 30mins!! :)Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Running free
I'm house sitting at the moment Pamela and the gang are enjoying the beach while I stay at home and work. What did I do wrong :(
I rested my heel/achilles yesterday so no running.
Tonight my Garmin battery was low so for a moment I actually thought I'd put off the run until the battery charged. But... I knew that once I sat down on the couch I wouldn't get up again. So I put my need for GPS data to one side and put on my old stopwatch and went for a run. I can't remember the last time I ran without the constant pace and heartrate feedback. It felt good tonight - it felt free.
I felt so good my 'easy' run turned into a 'steady' run. 6.25miles in 44:23 (7:06min/mile). Maybe I should run without the Garmin more often!! Not the quickest I've run the course but it was about a 1:20min faster than the last time I ran the same route in May and only 40seconds slower than the time in March. A sign of some progress but still more to do!! The achilles area was a bit sore to begin with but it seemed to ease out after a few miles and it isn't too sore now.
A real 'easy' run is planned for tomorrow and hopefully the Corkbeg-5 on Thursday....
I rested my heel/achilles yesterday so no running.
Tonight my Garmin battery was low so for a moment I actually thought I'd put off the run until the battery charged. But... I knew that once I sat down on the couch I wouldn't get up again. So I put my need for GPS data to one side and put on my old stopwatch and went for a run. I can't remember the last time I ran without the constant pace and heartrate feedback. It felt good tonight - it felt free.
I felt so good my 'easy' run turned into a 'steady' run. 6.25miles in 44:23 (7:06min/mile). Maybe I should run without the Garmin more often!! Not the quickest I've run the course but it was about a 1:20min faster than the last time I ran the same route in May and only 40seconds slower than the time in March. A sign of some progress but still more to do!! The achilles area was a bit sore to begin with but it seemed to ease out after a few miles and it isn't too sore now.
A real 'easy' run is planned for tomorrow and hopefully the Corkbeg-5 on Thursday....
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