Training Log Archive: ColmM

spare garmin has well and truly mashed itself up - strap is broken, and usb connection won't work, on top of the previous faulty sync error. Here we are, at least it still tells me time and distance.

Got yesterday's earphones charged up and working before this run which made the fact that this run was solo less grim, especially given the weather was a bit shit. But taking the phone in the jacket pocket was a little awkard.

Lined up to get into a tempo, went through the first 2.5k in 3:59s, and so kinda knew I wasn't flying today, so decided then to do another lap and then pull the plug, so ploughed on till 20mins, and actually got moving quite a bit better by the end.
No complaints, got 20mins at pretty much (a little over) my tempo pace done, so happy enough. Little bit of racing coming up the next week or two.
Was a fair oul punter running with the phone in my hand.

commute

easy miles in the park.
never as pleasant on your own, went and bought running earphones beforehand so I could bring some podcasts, but then it turned out you need to charge the things first as they're wireless.

El Classico - bank holiday pine forest 10, with Corbett.
But we started a fraction too late, and had to cut down the Wicklow way to the road on the way back. Legs feeling absolutely fantastic, and cruising bashing out some nice low 3min/k pace for some short periods, just stretching out.
Garmin has gone slightly whack, so using corbett’s Gpx.

First 100k week of 2018, a little depressing, but good to be up there now.

Bit of a big one with jonnyq. Got scared 5mins when heavy rain with hints of hail defied the forecasts, but 5mins later we were dried up and left so for the day.
A lovely day out in the hills running some routes I wouldn’t know well, but a frosty Wicklow served as a chilling reminder of what could be later in the year.

A lovely run filled with heather and pest hags. Jonny had to wait up a on me bit on the early climbs, but as we drifted over the halfway mark that reveresed a little so it evened out nicely.
Bloody tough one up Oakwood. Tonlagee was steep, but coming off it I still felt alright, so ploughed on and skipped the bail cut-off point and did the extra hour or so up scarr. This worked out very well as I caught a nice sunset on the summit, and it was actually much less steep than tonlagee so I was able to run a good chunk.
All in all good run, and will do the endurance no harm.

C • nice 2

Long run with Niall & roar.
Lovely one around Massey’s & pine forest. Nice day. And popped up at one point to see Hugh and his family there. Mad.
Enjoyed it, and definitely appreciated the company.

Few very easy ones with clo to vote.
Quicker last 1.5k after I left clo at the steps and wanting to stretch out a little

Commute

Tempos with corbett.

20min [2'30], 10min tempos.
Pretty happy.

commute

Evening miles in the park with Corbett

Munster champs

Started alright, not fastest, but getting them grand.
Basically continued this trend, not beautifully clean, but getting controls alright, not going too fast but solid enough. Was feeling good and pushed the climb on 12, little right but corrected nicely to the boulder and poof! No control. Scandalous. Checked all surrounding rocks for the next 15mins, covering a 100m squares area, but no luck.
Eventually saw Eadaoin and asked had she seen it and she pointed me out further into the open.
Of course, one hill over, and in a very different re-entrant with no hill in it, and on the wrong side of the re-entrant, I found the control. Lovely. Wasn’t too bothered, and Corbett has joined me at this point so we went off together.
No luck on 11 which was not beside a wall, but sure look.
Got going then and between us starting find controls (though lost a good bit on 14).
Got ahead on 15 & 16, but Corbett pushed away on 17-20, and I couldn’t see him anymore.
Put in a decent climb on 21 and on the better route, punched not long behind, and a better route to 22, I got away.
Small issue not seeing the cairn on 23, but 24 was alright.
Looked back on the road to 25 and saw Corbett behind so have him a quick tense, but he took a nice route and was just behind again at 26. Woo. Caught Zach H here and basically the 3 of us got into a bit of a showdown till the finish, made my move early but ruined by 28 in the wrong spot, not sure I had the legs to win anyway so roughly held thegap till the finish. Enjoyed it.
But 10 should have been discarded from results.

Course 1 - Splits

Lovely long one from glenbeigh along the Kerry Way to the macgillycuddyreeks. In there picked up Caher & Carauntoohil, and then down into Cronin’s yard.

Started in the wrong spot at glenbeigh and ended up not quite on the Kerry way, so just took the terrain and roughly ploughing over the hill till I met it.
Didn’t see a soul from the climber’s inn till the Caher summit, which was all too lovely, though the Caher climb was one of those slogs I probably should have run but just opted to walk.
Had plans for an extension descending off Caher, and climbing back up to the other ridge to bag a few more summits. But I’m the end I’d been out long enough, probably underestimated the run, and didn’t want to risk an extra 90mins + potential torchless darkness. Not to mention my lift.

Rushes across to carrauntoohil and down slowed progress up a bit. Had also planned the eagle’s nest descent, but wasnt fully sure of the route and how sketch it might be, so in the end bailed to the devil’s ladder, which memory suggested was grand, but in reality the name probably should have given it away.

Feeling really not too bad at the finish. Granted that extra climb coulda been killer, who knows. Not moving quick but ah sure that’s distance and terrain for ya.
Elapsed time: 5hrs30

3x 10min tempo [2min], on the canal with Corbett.

Settled in fine at the start and the first couple breezed by, though a little interrupted by the occasional gate and a stop to pick a passer-by’s dropped phone.
Third one Corbett upped it a small bit and had to concentrate a little to keep on him early on but settled in nicely again and feeling good overall.
Legs found it easy enough, lungs found it fine too, pace felt comfortable. Mostly just good things to report back, so happy with it.

Phoenix Park with the Corbett.

commute

Nice little run with a few boys round the seat. \Good end to the short trip. Thanks all for a nice weekend

Pentland Skyline - long

Didn’t have many expectations. Knew I’d done a little long stuff, and I’d also run a 5k Pb so couldn’t be in too bad shape, but I’m still a woeful climber, and this has a lot of climb - and in short stints this probably suited even worse. So we’d have to wait and see.

Started chilled enough. Knew if I was to do one thing right, it should be to be stronger in the 2nd half.
I could see Jonny not too far ahead going up capelaw, and knew mark was a bit up ahead of that with James behind me, but surely not by much. I moved well enough off capelaw but not willing to take big risks on the descent so early I cruised down, but just before the road ended up getting just ahead of Jonny. Short drink at flotterstone, left Jonny ahead and off we went. I was not far behind First Lady here, which I reckoned was a good start for my rough sub-3 aim.

Jonny pulled a good bit away up Turnhouse and I could see him nearly catch Mark. Kept it steady off Turnhouse and tried to settle into the next few climbs, but it was mostly all walking if we’re being real. Was already feeling the climbs and was a little tired in the legs but not the worst.
Saw out Carnethy & Scald Law, second lady had caught me here but I passed away from her on that small south hill. Then into the kips. Could see a lot of people were struggling here. As opposed to me generally being passed on the climbs, all of a sudden I was passing a good few. Seemed very early to be struggling, but made me feel good about my pacing.

Could see Jonny not too far ahead coming off west kip, and made an effort down the drove rd to try pull some back. It was possibly down to 30s coming up hare hill, but I had my first gel here and a few people came back to me so think it stretched again.
Still, moved nicely through the terrain ahead of a group and down the descent to get back close again. A little behind First Lady climbing black hill, with Jonny close, but not close enough. Kept it up the whole way up, and after another solid descent through terrain could tell I was near at the foot of bells, but I was starting to fade. Once again maybe less than 30s, but it increased a little on the steep bit, and I left Jonny and First Lady go on again. I ran a bit, but mostly struggled up harbour and had to walk half. Just getting tired at this stage, despite having taken the 2nd gel on bells.

A couple of lads caught back to me on that 2nd last hill, and I stayed around them but aye wasn’t flying at this stage. Took the jelly babies off Corbett starting Allermuir and he said he couldn’t see James. Then shouted back that he could. So really had no idea what that gap was, but felt it should be alright.
Turns out after struggling up Allermuir, James was maybe only 10-15s back. I never saw him though as I could make back a little descending towards caerketton. Back up to caerketton and the euoc support was appreciated, as I just about stuck to these other two fellows.

Had been doing the maths for roughly the last half an hour, and reckoned the descent from here to the finish was about 5mins. So when I hit caerketton in 2:55, I knew I had a race on my hands. Opened up and went for it down the trails, not exactly smashing it, but going well. It was tight and I was clock-watching, but my sprint had me squeeze inside by 10sec.

No masterpiece performance, and maybe I’ll have to go back and see if I’m capable of the 2:40s times everyone else seems to be able to run, or shall I just have to resign with the satisfaction of scraping under 3, who knows.

The euoc boys ran some absolutely ridiculous times. Just filthy. Pure pure filth. Damn.
Jonny turned out to only finish 30sec ahead after I gained a good bit on the final descent. James was 3:02, and of course mark whooped us all in 2:45. Respect.

Squad out before the big one

Nice late run. Started in the hills and just ran home essentially. Simplest way to get a little distance

Commute

Commute home for Skype meeting

Dublin mountain half marathon - 6th

Not totally sure why I was keen to do both these things this weekend, but figured it was another good start to doing some longer weekends, and a bit of panic prep so I don’t bonk really badly at the skyline.
Anyway, here we are.
Started off steady enough, climbing legs certainly stiff. On the descent I was cruisingggg, but maybe not pushing wasn’t enough, maybe I should have actively held back, as I flew past the main pack into 2nd, and prmoptly got caught going up through Massey’s.
Onto some technical trail I was fine, but the group had gone on and I was a bit isolated. Climbed through pine forest, and is it opened up I could see the pack breaking a bit with Jonny in 3rd about 90s ahead.
After tibradden I wanted to work hard and pull time back. Did so whole way through pine forest and back towards tibradden, but was starting to wobble a little through tibradden. Still, coming down through I took 3 of them.
Into cruagh I was struggling up the hill and had one with me again. Held him off, but John Bell who had been behind me the whole way had paced it perfectly and was far too strong.
Worked on the descent in Massey’s to hold off any remaining challenges, and was very glad to see the finish. Wrecked.

great fun, but being all trails, and no big climbs it was a bit unrelenting, as once you’d finished pushing up a little hill, you’d have to push through some flat. Too bloody tough for me, but happy all considered (mainly yesterday). Good final prep for next week.

Smashing run from boyzone besting Conroy, and a very solid performance from jonnyq too 3mins in front of me - that’ll have me nicely worried for next week.

Gorgeous long run with Corbett, and had Jonny for company the first 7km or so.
Started from kippure, and then went over to tonduff & maulin and checked those areas out. The terrain was surprisingly reasonable.
Then down from Maulin through switchbacks to crone, and back the Wicklow way the whole way to Prince Williams seat. We were both doing alright for most of this, but starting to tire a little in curtlestown on probably the biggest climb of the day.
We got up anyway, but suddenly Corbett had run out of a energy a bit, ah sure he’d made it pretty far, I was happy.
Just before knocknagun I cut into the terrain to get up, Corbett was enjoying the downhill on the trail though and cut in later, I lost him here and after some brief pauses to try find him, I ploughed on.
Hit the car feeling alright, somehow avoiding the bonk, but having thought Corbett had taken the road back was slightly concerned not to see him.
Drove back down the road though and found a body meandering off the mountain. He stumbled into our car and all was jolly. Great day out.

commute

Easy lap of the 5k route and home.
Was tired when I got home this evening.

30min grass tempo.

Got out sure and got going. Was surprisingly not feeling too bad at the start. Settled in and was happy enough. We’d said roughly 3:50s we’d be happy, and the splits were fairly on target.
2.5k laps and every time we hit the wind it was tough going. But we made it through and kept it going, and the heavy tailwinds were appreciated.
In the end went on a little more to hit 8k, then just a tad more to get 5 miles.

With Shea & LQ, enjoyed it though must say really quite tired.