Vomiting;

I arrived home last night from dinner with Kevin and Daniel at Deasys and I didn’t feel great.

I was into bed by 11, but I was up a few times during the night vomiting. My main concern is will I be ok for the marathon on Monday……

I haven’t headed to work yet and even though Kevin and Daniel are over from Atlanta to meet me to prepare for the meeting in Madrid next week I’m half thinking of staying at home in bed.

After a great week, a hard week follows!

I’ve gone from a 56 mile week down to a 21 mile week and this week is even harder!

This week I’ve all kinds of taper madness happening.

On Monday I went for a crazy run – I’m not sure what took hold of me but I did 4 miles with an average pace of 6:52 – there was no warmup or cooldown time – I did however do a good bit of stretching.

Monday evening/night I had a few pains in muscles – These could be the types of pain I get with flu!!!!! I’m putting it all down to taper madness but to be on the safe side I nearly overdosed with vitamin C – Had a lemsip with a drop of whiskey, a lean greens and gargled with Dispirin

Tuesday I felt great and put it all down to taper madness! I went to Peter to get my muscles flushed – really feel great and more than ready for Dublin.

Discussing the plan for Monday with Peter – stay with the 3:10 pacers (7:15 per mile pace) until mile 20 and then I can race the last 10k – Peter suggested a 10 min warmup, followed by 20 min (wind assisted) marathon pace followed by 10 min cooldown

Tuesday afternoon a sore throat and more pains – decided not to do the run and really overdosed on vitamin c and asked Peter for advise – rest and vitamin c + sauna if possible.

Wednesday: keeping the hydration levels and started to slowly add more carbs to my diet (had a pasta salad for lunch) The sore throat is gone and I’m not sure if I really had it in the first place.

Gone to bed early and I’ve flu type pains again – more lemsip and vitamin c.

I’m back on track with the miles – and I had a great pre race 20 mile run.

Bring on the marathon!

On Sunday I was to do a 17/18 mile run with the first 5 easy, the middle 10 at marathon pace (7:10 min/mile) and the last 2/3 easy – taking gels at 5, 10, 13 & 15 miles

I decided I needed to do a 20 mile run to get over my fear of the distance because my longest runs were 2 18 milers. I also decided to not change the distances to take the gels.

It was very cold when I started and the first mile was at 8:20 – so I decided to keep each mile at 8:20 and looking at the splits, I managed to do it. At times I needed to up the pace a bit as I felt the pace dropping off in order to ensure every mile was below 8:20

In order to take the gels and to hydrate correctly I ensured I was passing my house at 5, 10, 13 & 15 miles – I actually stopped to drink and take the gel – I think it will be critical to take on enough water during the marathon to feel as good as I did during this training run!

I had no issue dropping the pace to 7:10 min/miles even though I found some of the 8:20 min/miles hard – go figure. If I tell my body to do something and it is able for it – It will just do it 🙂 but it may still feel hard.

At Mile 12.5 I felt a major blister on my left heal, so at the mile 13 gel stop I put on a plaster – this was gone a mile later and I just decided to keep going. The blister was caused by my socks being too short and the back of the runner hitting off the back of my foot. Note: wear longer socks!!!!!

When I finished mile 15 and I was to drop the pace back down – I hadn’t really decided what pace to do – but I was a bit fast! another running was going the same direction as me, and I thought it would be good to run together, he seemed to speed up a bit and I followed but eventually I got sense and left him go.

I settled on 8:10 min/mile for the last 4 miles and I really felt great. At Mile 18 I raised my arms as if I was finishing the marathon and I could feel the victory crossing the line in under 3 hours 10 minutes, feeling tired but good. I really have this in the bag.

During the run I planned Dublin – I’ll line up in front of the 3h 10m pacers and within the first mile I’ll drop back to the 3:10 pacers.

I’ll stick with the 3:10 pacers (7:15 pace) until Mile 10, and then I’ll drop my pace by 5 seconds (7:10 pace) until Mile 23. At Mile 23 with 3 miles left I’ll give what ever I have left in the tank – the objective is to come in under 3h 10m

Good run, I enjoyed getting out – the weather is changing and it was a bit cooler today!

Between travel to Germany and off-site management meetings I couldn’t find time or the energy to train this week.

After Cork to Cobh I was due to do a 30 min recovery run on Monday – this didn’t happen.

Tuesday was to be a 60 min easy run – I managed 20 min in the morning on a treadmill and 22 min at night (in the dark) next to the river in Bonn.

Wednesday – was to be a tempo run – didn’t happen

Thursday – was to be an easy 5k – didn’t happen.

Friday – was to be 6 * 800m intervals – I got out, but with all the hills I decided to do an easy run instead

Friday night I went to the AAI level 1 Coaching course and did a bit of stretching/ drills etc.

Saturday I was to a 30 min easy run – I didn’t, but again I was at the AAI Course and did a bit of running/stretching/drills.

Sunday, I was to do a long run, and I did it!!!!!

18 miles – Peter had me practice with gels – Gels and Water at mile 5, 10, 13 & 16. I felt great.

While I was to run at 8:30/9 min pace, I decided on the morning to do 8 min pace (as I had messed up the last 18 mile run I was to do at 8 min pace)

After not managing gels on the Cork to Cobh, I decided to go back to High 5 gels instead of the 33 Shake gels, and they were easy to take.

I carried the gels, but I left the water in my front garden – ensuring I was passing at the right time.

Details of the run:
Distance: 18.28 miles
Time: 2:23:06
Average Pace: 7:50 min/mile

I really felt great for this run, and if Brooke hadn’t a Cross Country race which I needed to be home for I would have continued to 20 miles.

I decided to up the pace to marathon pace for the last mile, and I still felt great. some different to the 18 mile run 2 weeks prior.

New PB!

Thinking on the race, I’d say I went out too fast, and the group I attached myself to (targeting 6:50 min miles) were too fast for me. by mile 9 I was struggling to stay with them and I left them at about 10 1/2

The last 4 miles were very hard and while I tried to kick into gear at times when people were passing me I just couldn’t maintain it.

I finished in a very respectable 84th position (out of 744) My average pace was 6:52/6:53 which was my actual target (to run between 6:50 and 7:00 pace) so in a way I achieved my target, but today was to be a test for Dublin to see could I run 6:50 for Dublin and I think I may not be able for it – and maybe sub 3 hours will not be possible (the McMillan pace calculator suggests a pace of 7:10 for a marathon based on my finish time, which would give me a sub 3h 10m marathon)

What have I learned – lining up too close to the front means you run faster, and when you pick a group to attach to, they may be going too fast for you. would I have been better off doing the first mile in 7:30 pace and to pull it back in after that?

New half marathon PB was set today during the 15 mile race, 1h 29m 🙂 I can’t wait to try a 1/2 marathon and see what I can do, the only issue is I don’t have any scheduled until after the Jungle next year.

Recovery: I actually feel ok, a lot better than my 18 mile training run last weekend.

I did about 15 min warmup with the PGi guys and I did a few miles after the run.

What is amazing is the amount of water I drank after the race. Straight away after the race I drank 1L of water (with a High 5 Zero in 500ML) while I was stretching/walking, then I ran a mile (0.85) cooldown (lots of hills in Cobh) I followed up with another 2 miles (1.99) followed by 500ML water with my protein shake while stretching again, followed by 500ML water with more High 5 Zero, followed by another 500ML water while I drove home.

After I got home, I drank another 500ML water, and went for a run with Aidan (very very easy 1/2 mile) which I followed up with a good KM (0.72 miles) with Brooke (Brooke was testing her new Cross Country Spikes  we ran at about 9 min/mile) followed by another 2 pints of water.

I’m just about to get more water!

The good news is I don’t have a headache – though at times during the day I felt one coming.