| Location: Tralee,Ireland Member Since: Oct 01, 2011 Gender: Male Goal Type: Other Running Accomplishments: I've never worn compression socks. Short-Term Running Goals: To do a race. Long-Term Running Goals: 1. Break the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group, when I'm 50 in 2015.
2. Never wear compression socks.
Personal: Married with two girls (6 and 10).
The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method is a four year experiment.
The first year (2012) was about getting back into running, staying off the smokes and booze, while sticking to a healthy eating plan and shedding mountains of lard. All boxes ticked.
Year two (2013 - age: 48) Injured Jan through March. Build back up and work on my 5k speed. Goal 15:45.
Year three (2014) will be about doing my first marathon in the spring. (Just for the experience and on a tough course - maybe Tralee; goal time, 2:30ish.) Then begins the prep work for Berlin 2015
Year four (2015) is all about breaking the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group - it's only 2:19 :).
The above might sound nuts; it is, but then I'm nuts. Please do not copy any of the training I do: if you do, you are likely to end up running like me - not a good idea.
The idea is to have a laugh along the way. If I fail, I don't know what I'll do - my whole belief system will crumble and I suspect that this little rock might just stop spinning for a couple of seconds. Jakers, I better not fail for all our sakes. That's some burden, even for SuperBam. Favorite Blogs: |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 425.76 | 16.00 | 2.00 | 3.75 | 447.51 |
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 139.29 | |
| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 15.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.00 |
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a.m. 15 mins a.i.s.. 8 tired miles. 15 mins a.i.s. followed by quotidian core blast and 20 Jaycorns.
p.m. 15 mins a.i.s. 7 miles easy. 15 mins a.i.s.
Did 1 mile with my daughters, Grace (aka BabyBam) and Olivia along the canal. We dropped off Olivia and BabyBam did an extra mile. She did the first mile in 8:30 and the second in 10. The wrong way round. But she'll learn. I then went on and did a further 5 to make the 7.
I like the idea of running slower for the first couple of miles. Normally I'd run about 7:40 pace for the first and 7:30 for the second, before picking it up. I think, from now on, I'll run the first 2 miles at about 9/8:30 pace and then pick it up as this felt great today. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 132.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 9.00 | 5.00 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 15.00 |
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a.m. 15 mins a.i.s. 8 miles at a moderate pace. 15 mins a.i.s.
Nice easy plod along the river. Was going to open it out a bit but I decided to wait until tomorrow, just to give my hammy an extra day. p.m. 15 mins a.i.s 7 miles progression. 15 mins a.i.s.. Great run. Flew around tonight. Felt strong and fast. Feeling very confident about breaking 15 for 5k by the end of summer. Very confident indeed.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 132.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 14.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 |
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a.m. 15 mins a.i.s.. 8 very slow miles - recovery run. 15 mins a.i.s.
p.m. 15 mins a.i.s.. 6 miles steady. 15 mins a.i.s..
The wife's out invidulating exams at the local college, BabyBam's at a birthday party and her sister, Olivia, is over with my folks. Great. Dropped in a well needed cheeky little nap. Worked a treat. Felt as sharp as a razor. Probably should have taken it a bit easier on the run. More importantly, there's a mountain of ironing that somehow has to get done before the wife, Majella - there's a cool name for ye - gets home. Toodles. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 132.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 12.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 12.00 |
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a.m. 7 miles easy. Tired this morning - had to go out early as Majella is invidulating again and she had to be out and about at the crack of dawn.
Brandon got me into big trouble yesterday...
When Majella got in from a monster day of invidulating - tired and hungry - she saw the pile of ironing and gave me that look. I was sat tapping away on the computer.
'What?' I said.
She looked at the ironing and then glared at me.
'It's not my fault,' I said, trying to think of an excuse.
'Oh,' she said. 'If it's not your fault, then tell me, just who is to blame? Oliver?' (Oliver's the cat)
'This man,' I said, pointing at the computer screen. 'It's all his fault.'
'I'm tired and I can do without all your usual (insert expletive).'
'Honest,' I said. 'Look'.
'Go on then,' she said. 'This better be good.'
Grace ran out of the room.
I pointed at the fat fella on the screen and she gave me a quizzical look.
'Uh-huh. And?'
'He ate me.'
Needless to say that I spent a good part of last night ironing and giving the best ever foot-rub - all to no avail. Thanks Brandon:)
p.m. 5 miles easy.
Olivia did 1 mile with me and Grace did 2.25. Both of them ran well and could have continued. They wanted to do more but they have many years ahead of them. Finished off with 3 miles very easy. Legs felt dead.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 133.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 13.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.00 |
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a.m. 13 miles easy.
Planned on doing 17-18 miles with the last 6/7 at high end aerobic pace. But yesterday afternoon, during an easy 5, my legs felt smashed and after Jake's post about recovery, I was a touch apprehensive about banging out 17-18 miles. To compound things, the old heart rate was up this morning too. So I opted for a 13. Once I got moving, I felt fine and dan-day, but decided to just run a relaxed 13 as I was enjoying the run and felt it would be better not to push it. Wise choice.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 133.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 15.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.00 |
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a.m. 8 miles slow run (turbo paralysis.) Introduced my first real functional fitness session. Crickey-O-Blimey. I knew that I needed to work on my strength but I didn't realise that I had turned into such a wuss. Complete and utter pansy. As BabyBam would put it: EMBARRASSING!
p.m. 7 miles easy. First half of the run was slow but I picked up the pace over the last couple of miles. After this morning's run and 'strength workout', I was surprised my legs felt good. Let's see what tomorrow brings. Maybe a cheeky little iPad... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 133.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 14.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 15.00 |
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a.m. 8 miles. 3 miles w/u; 3x5x22-24secs @ 3kish pace with jog back rec and 5 mins job (Freudian slip there - meant jog) between sets; 2.5 miles w/d. Nailed it. Got the session bang-on and kept it aerobic while managing to feel relaxed and strong.
Did the session on a quiet boreen near the estuary. Beautiful spot. White horses out on the water. Waves swooshing against the rocks. A lone seagull frolicking. Bam - gazelle-like - striding out in tights, wooly hat and gloves - two culchies spectating from a field. Real deal muck-savages in wellies and bog hats. I think they took a fancy to me. Mustn't wear Nike tights down quiet boreens frequented by culchies - could be dangerous.
Searched the house. No sign of an iPad. But then I gave up material things long ago - apart from the computer and a few other things. Ok, I chose to reject many of life's material things and not allow myself to be subjected to the platitudes of consumerism etc. But today of all days, I just wanted an iPad: a little biddy-widdy white iPad, but not a mini iPad.
I'm over it. Happiness fecundates from within. Yes, the external world may trigger those moments of pure bliss, but the ovewhelming joy of being in touch with what it means to be truly aware of your existence on a daily basis outweighs the transcient joys of materialism - although an iPad would be nice.
Actually, I don't even know why I want an iPad. I don't even know what they do.
Enjoy this fantastic day...
p.m. 7 miles easy in the new trainers that I got today, for my 48th birthday. I suppose you can't run in an all singing and all dancing iPad - or can you? |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 132.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 9.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.50 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy. As expected, legs felt tired from Sunday's functional fitness and yesterday's session. Legs are just letting the brain (small as it is) know that they need a bit of time for the necessary adaptations to take place.
So, more importantly, yesterday I turned 48. Athough I was less than subtle (now there's a surprise) with my hints, I didn't get an iPad. Instead, I got two pairs of running shoes and other running apparel - very nice. Although that cheeky little iPad remains (for now) in the shop, I'm not a broken man. In fact, I'm overjoyed. Majella gave me a present that I wasn't expecting. One of those very special presents that you rarely get when you've been under the thumb for a good-many-a-year: a brand spanking new steam iron. I'm off to play with it...
p.m. 3.5 miles easy. Was going to do a 7 but I wanted to get back to my new iron. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 133.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 10.00 | 6.00 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 17.00 |
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a.m. A cheeky little 6 miler. Planned on doing a 13 with 7-8 at high-end aerobic pace but my right boo-tock was whinging like a good-un. So, to be safe, I settled on an easy 6. The boo-tock seemed to appreciate my kindness and even seemed to have eased by the end of the run. I'll see how it is tonight.
Last night when I finished my run, two of my neighbours were giving it some big chit-chat out on the street. I stopped and talked them. They mentioned the Tralee marathon etc but I said that I wasn't running. And then, stood there in the gelid night, in my tights and wooly hat and gloves, it dawned on me as I heard my voice booming through the darkness that I was finally and completely a runner:
'...Yeah, I'm thinking about the 5000m national champs in August, up in Dublin,' I said, stretching my hamstings - like I was somebody. 'I'm hoping to drop in some decent speed before moving up to the marathon. I've only been at it blah, blah, blah."
Yes, I have transformed from a three dimensional person into a sad case - a one dimensional runner:)
p.m. 11 miles. 3.5 easing up to high-end aerobic ; 6 @high-end aerobic; 0.75 @ threshold; 0.25 @ VO2 Max; 0.5 w/d.
Great run - worked hard and kept the concentration levels high. Focussed on running relaxed and hard. Dug in and pushed on when it hurt a bit. Enjoyed the incessant discomfort. Dropped Jake and Matt when I eased up to threshold pace - they were gurning like babies:) - and caught Ryan Hall during VO2 Max pace - pulled his shorts down as I overtook him. Yep, I'm the man.
Wake up son...
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 132.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| a.m. No run. 30 mins AIS. Right boo-tock is playing up. Have decided to take a rest day and blast the boo-tock and the rest of this old body with some PT. I think it was the Functional Fitness (FF)stuff that set this off. Not that FF is the problem. It's more a case of poor body management. Adding in FF on top of 100+ miles a week and tempo and strides was a mistake. I think I'll drop the FF and introduce it in September after I've had an end of season break. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today. Leg feels a lot better but I'm going to give it an extra day - just to be safe. Will be back at it tomorrow.
I was listening to an interview on the radio with John Treacy the other night and he was saying that every marathon takes something out of you that you can't put back in. He went on to say that for elite marathon runners, their first5/6 will be their best. This was all in context of Fionnuala Britton running her first marathon prior to Rio etc. He also said (Mark Carroll concurred) that before any serious runner enters into their marathon cycle, they should spend a real concerted effort working on speed - not marathon or half marathon speed - but 5k speed.
I don't know how to do links - it's on the list of things to learn. If you google, Off The Ball interview with John Treacy and Mark Carroll, you'll get it. It's all about how far Fionnuala Britton can go. It's only about 5 mins long.Two guys who really know their stuff. Worth a listen, if not for the top class info from top class athletes, then the mellifluous lilt of the Irish brogue.
The other side (taken from another site): Meb: Olympic medal in 2004, New York City Marathon Winner 2009, USA Olympic Trials Winner 2012, 4th place in 2012 Olympic games marathon despite a stitch that put him back in the twenties mid race. He is also targeting a win at Boston by his recent statements and no doubt he will go close. Expect a top 5 performace in a loaded field. He is 37 by the way.
Gomes dos Santos: New York City Marathon Winner 2006 and 2008. 5th place in 2012 Olympic Games Marthon. He is 35.
Martin Lel: 10 top 3 performances at Major Marathons from 2003 until 2012. This includes 3 London marathon wins, 2 wins in New York and 5th in 2008 Olympic marathon. He is 34 and still going strong when injury free.
Wison Kigsang: 7 marathons in 2 and a half years including 5 wins, an Olympic medal and a 2.03. Is the no 1 marathoner in the world at this moment in decline?
Look at his recovery rates and it would indicate that if the training is specific the recovery from a fast marathon is actually easier than a slower one. This rejects the nonsense that elites go so hard they have only a few good marathons in them. The opposite is the case, the fitter you are, the more quality ones you can do.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 9.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.50 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy. Felt sluggish but it was good to get back out there. A bit of tendonitis lingering but hopefully it will go away if I take it easy for a few days and continue to ice and take NSAID's.
p.m. 3.5 miles proper European hardcore X/Country with Grace.
Grace had a frump-on because she was told to stop going on her multipad to skype all her mates. It's like having all her friends living with us. So, to sort her out I took her out along the North Kerry Way through fields and muck and over fences and walls and stiles. Great fun. She ended up clattered in mud and ran 3.5 miles with the last half mile uphill.
The leg niggled but I think it'll be ok in a day or two. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 134.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 11.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 11.50 |
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a.m. 8 miles easy on a frosty morning.
p.m. 3.5 miles easy.
My piriformis was playing up this morning, so I opted for an easy 3.5 this evening. During the run I decided to have a 'proper' go at sorting out this niggle. I worked out that it was defo piriformis syndrome. I could feel the restriction on the stride and a throbbing sensation each time my foot struck the ground. I could feel the tingles running down the leg and a number of muscles being recruited to help out.
When I got back I asked her-in-doors, after I adopted the appropriate postion, to plonk her elbow into my piriformis. She wasn't up for it until I told her that it would hurt me. She was straight in there. 90 secs later, everything was going berserk. Good sign. I then got her to take the weight of my leg, while I was in the prone position, and move my leg so that my piriformis was in the most relaxed position. 90 secs later I stood and walked - pain free. Miracle. No, just a spot of Bam-therapy. But the real test will be tomorrow...
Those of you who don't get me, please note the tone is exaggerated to show that I'm mocking myself:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 133.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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a.m. No run. Piriformis is much better but my adductors are giving it root-toot. I've decided to take a break...
I've been running now for 15 months without a break. During the 15 months, I've built up from scratch to 100mpw. Although I haven't done any prolonged or structured hard work, I've manage 5:40 pace with ease - just off plodding. This suggests, based on the couple of tester speed sessions that I've done, that once I focus on a structured approach to the 5k, sub 15 will be a realistic goal. I'm aware that the best laid schemes of mice and men often result in failure. For this reason, I'm going to listen to my body and let it soak up and recover from the strain of the previous 15 months. Yes, it'll set me back a touch, but that's no big shakes in the grand scheme of things. In fact, I'm positive, in the long run it'll prove a prudent move.
I''m going to take 7-10 days off and I'll be back stronger than ever... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Day two of no running. Feeling fat. Legs settling down. Must be careful with the quantity and quality of what passes my lips. Wolfed down some ice cream last night. Not a good idea. When I'm back running again I'll be telling myself, 'You see, Fatboy, that ice cream's gonna hurt you now.'
Feeling restless. Got to make beef bourguignon but the pile of ironing is wolf whistling me (top that one Russ). Ironing or cooking. Hmmmm. I'll tease the ironing and do the cooking first... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Day three of no running. Day three of no exercise. Although I will not do any structured exercise today, I will get stuck into bouts of AIS and mobility work. I want to make sure that when I start running again that the break has served its purpose and that all niggles have been exterminated.
Since stopping the routine of running twice-a-day, I've been considering a slightly different approach to my marathon goal. While I ardently believe that it's imperative to work on my 5k time first, I'm aware that Time is against me. I know that when I hit the fifties, it'll be harder to continue with the improvements. The timeline is tight. I believe that to optimise my chances of hitting my goal, I need to take the speed gains I make from the 5k training and utilise them as a foundation in an 18 month build up to a 'reference point' marathon. This means doing a marathon in 2014 (aged 49). This will also give me a taste of what the marathon is all about. I think if I were younger, I would take more time before moving up to the marathon. But if I spend too much time working on the 5k, I'll run out of time for the marathon. So, over the next week, I'll give this more thought.
Toodle-pip, peeps. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Day 4 of no running or any form of structured exercise. Feeling pretty refreshed. Legs are feeling much better. Now that the legs have settled, I've noticed that my lower back is pretty tight - released quite a few triggers; QL was very tender (perhaps where all the problems were originating from). My IT bands were tight too - I gave them a thorough bashing yesterday and they are better today. The piriformis syndrome seems to have cleared but the hamstring origin tendonitis still lingers - although it is easing.
More AIS and mobility work today. Going to make a serious effort today to watch what I eat. To compensate for the extra weight I''ve put on during this break, Majella has suggested that I shave those eyebrows:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles not so easy.
Decided to have a little run out to see how the leg/buttock would hold out. Not great. My right buttock didn't know that it had had 6 days of no running. It ached from the outset and from 4.5 - 5 miles it began to tighten up. I stopped at the 5 mile mark and walked home. On the way home, I thought about what might be causing the discomfort. Psoas. Got home, did my my AIS and then released psoas (on the right side - the side that's been troubling me). Things seemed much improved. It then dawned on me that when this problem first started it was the left buttock. I therefore released my left psoas. My left psoas was far tighter and more painful than the right. Now, with both of my psoaseseseses released, I'm hoping things should be ok tomorrow, when I go for another test drive. I doubt things will be ok. I think I may have to dip into my iPad fund and pay some charlatan - like myself - to fiddle about with my buttock and talk nonsense to me for 30 mins before they rob me blind. That's life...
Oh yeah, I put on 5lbs in 6 days. The strap snapped on my Garmin 110. Great. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 138.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today.
Last night, before I went to bed, I tried to get the cat to go out but he was having none of it. He always goes out, so I thought maybe he was coming down with something. I felt sorry for the crater, so I gave him a slice of roast beef. When I roast beef I make a bed of red onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary and thyme and plonk the beef on it. I then pour boiling water in the tray and rub extra virgin olive oil over the beef and season with sea salt and black pepper - the cat loves his beef cooked this way - as do we. When the beef's done, the juices make the most exquisite gravy on the planet - fit for a president - give it a try. Oliver the cat ate his beef and snuggled down for the night. I pottered about for a bit and did some final myofacial release and then clambered up the stairs and dropped out some zeds.
Got up this morning and there was snow everywhere. Clever cat. None of this powder stuff you chaps get - this is real icy slushy Irish snow and a good half inch to boot. Just looking at it puts hairs on your chest.
The leg was feeling much better but I decided to take the day off and let all the work I did on it yesterday have a chance to kick-in. Cat goes out and prances around in the snow - happy as a pig in the proverbial. Snow in Ireland, I thought. Whatever next? Maybe they'll get an Irish man to play Abraham Lincoln.
BREAKING NEWS...Did the old sitting on the tennis ball thing and everything has released. All pain and discomfort has gone. Completely pain free. Yipeee. Will run tomorrow! |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today.
The leg feels great - no pain or discomfort. I was getting changed into my gear this morning and I thought, maybe I should just take an extra 2-3 days off and give this thing a genuine chance to settle down. Listened to the little voice in my head and decided to have a lazy day sitting by the open fire and watching movies. I'm so stressed, I can't make up my mind whether to start with, 'The Usual Suspects' or 'Chinatown'. Sometimes, life can be so hard. 'Chinatown' it is - the second greatest movie of all time. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today.
Last day of no running. Will be out there tomorrow. Again, I was tempted to get out this morning but I stuck to the plan. Leg is feeling substantially better - I suspect if I were to run it would be fine. But the plan is to make sure that the leg stays fine.
I'll start off with a cheeky little 4 miler tomorrow and take it from there... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy and a mile cool down.
The leg's much improved but the hamstrings and lower back were very tight. The right buttock wasn't functioning properly and by 5 miles my hamstrings and lower back were going into overdrive. Rather than walk the mile home, I jogged to keep the blood flowing so that I could maximise the impact of my post run AIS - this proved to be a sagacious move - even if I say so myself. Did a good session of AIS and some butt firing stuff. We'll see how things are tomorrow.
Watched a great movie last night on the old television box - Mr Ip Man 2. Class. A beautifully ironic film. A pastiche of Rocky 1V (with a stunning reversal) but with a whole lot more thrown in; the ending is just sheer brilliance. If you haven't seen it and you like clever martial arts movies it's a must see. Might even take up a bit of the chop suey myself; "so you want to fight" (done in lip sync - no offence Beyoncé). |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy. Sluggish and slow but felt much better than yesterday. Did some exercises to get my brain talking to my butt before I went out and it seems to have paid off. Also did some trigger pointing and AIS last night, which defo worked.
Off to the cinema tonight with Jelly Baby (the wife). We're going to watch something called, Lincoln. Haven't got the foggiest what it might be about but I'm looking forward to it:)
Update: sublime. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 137.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
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p.m. 3 miles slow.
The plan was to do 3 miles along the canal with Grace and then do a further 5 on my own. Didn't happen. Set out on the 3 miles with Grace and my leg/butt felt perfect. The path was covered in puddles and after about 1 mile I jumped a puddle and slipped on some mud and nearly ended up in the canal. Worse still, the muscles in my right boo-tock and hamstring went nuts - possibly torn something. It was windy and pinning rain, so I soldiered on with Grace. When we got back to the Marina, Jelly was waiting in the car and took us both home.
Great stuff - one small step forward two giant steps back. Oh well, at least I didn't fall in the canal and drown because of my gammy leg/boo-tock. Always look on the bright side of life, do-do... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 138.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
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a.m 16 metres (ish) slow:).
Decided to give the leg a test and stopped after a few seconds - I must have looked like a lame dog hobbling up the road. So, before somebody put me out of my misery, I sought the comfort and security of home. I'll just have to wait and see what's what. C'est la vie! |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 138.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| No run today but I did 30 mins of AIS and trigger pointing and then followed that up with some serious cross training: made a beef casserole - peeling and slicing and dicing carrots and celery and onions and parsnips; chopping leeks and red peppers; seasoning with sea salt and black pepper and smidgeon of cumin; concocting my secret sauce. Very tired after this workout. Might need forty winks. Should I or shouldn't I? Yes, I'm off for a codger's nap. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today. 30 mins AIS - no trigger pointing: thumbs are killing me from poking and prodding (might have tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome now; is there a syndrome I don't have?) I think I've neutralized all the pertinent and active triggers. Must say, feeling much improved, but I'm still going to wait and make sure it's fully cleared before I get back to the running.
Feeling rather rotund. That's probably because I don't believe in cross training :) and I've continued to eat as though I were running 100 miles a week. A bit more than a tad stupid. I'll suffer when I start back, but that'll make it all the more rewarding. At least, that's how I'm blagging myself. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.50 |
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a.m. AIS and positional release followed by 3.5 miles easy and some more AIS and positional release.
Yep, much better. I was able to run rather than hobble. Most of the aches and discomfort have subsided. There's still a bit of a niggle around the right gluteal sulcus as opposed to the wrong one. Must be a cheeky little trigger somewhere that's escaped the wrath of my banjaxed thumbs. You can hide, Trigger, but hear this, I'll find you, and when I do, as sure as Zeus is my witness, I'll destroy you...
Feeling rather tired from this morning's cross training. - probably went OTT. As cross training is under the microscope at the moment, I can divulge what cross training I did this morning and prove that cross training isn't always appropriate. I read the comments from yesterday's blog without taking a break. Too much in one go - ended up cross-eyed:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.50 |
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a.m. AIS and positional release followed by 3.5 miles and then some more AIS and positional release. Did a few improvised MET's on the S.I. joint too - not pretty but efficacious. More AIS and P.R. later.
In terms of pain/discomfort, much better than yesterday. Only the odd twinge, which is great. The glutes seem to be working much better and I felt as though there was much more power in my stride. That might be wishful thinking.
I think I'll stick to this routine until Sunday as it seems to be working. I could proably go and run a 6 no bother but I'm not going to risk it. In fact, I'll probably keep it like this until everything feels 100%. Happy to report that I'm a happy bunny:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.50 |
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a.m. AIS followed by 3.5 miles easy and another blast of AIS.
Things are looking good. All the hip and butt stuff have completely cleared. I have noticed a slight twinge in the distal mtj of my right biceps femoris and I suspect that that might be the cheeky little blighter that was responsible for my woes. The right achilles was a tad tender too, but nothing too troublesome.
Anyway, now that the boring stuff's out of the way, let's get ready to rumble...
What a week! Some may feel exhausted from the cross training debate but I feel as though we're just warming up. But, as the week draws to a close, I'll leave it for another time. That said, I want to sum up my thoughts on the initial forays into the murky world of cross training...
Earlier in the week, Andrea asked the question about my thoughts on cross training or if I remember correctly, what cross training I do/did. Before I answered I thought carefully - I knew my answer might incite responses that would differ from my views. Not one to sit on the fence, I answered with candour. I don't cross train. I gave some very general reasons that lacked substance but they were ok on a general level. Then we had some great opinions and views - JG's thoughts were really thought provoking and forced me to think hard about my opinions on cross training.
Anyway, I'm sure most of us will think about what we do or do not do when we're injured in future and that has to be a good thing. It's got to be a good thing to think carefully about what we're doing when we're injured. Is it better to cross train and maintain fitness even though it may prolong the injury or is it better to rest and lose fitness but get over the injury quickly? I'm still not sure and, for me, that's one of the many reasons why we're just lifting the lid on this can of clichés:)
So, I had an idea... I think I'll pick a topic each week and post my thoughts on the weekly topic. The reasons for this are many, but mainly because it might be a laugh:). Yes, I will be provocative - that should ensure good debate:)
Hold your breath, this is a good one... Next week's topic - Coaching. Some initial things to consider: are coaches and parents living vicariously through their athletes/children? Do coaches push kids too hard so that the coach receives the kudos while the child/athlete ultimately ends up disillusioned/injured. What motivates a coach to leave the family environment and coach other parents' kids? Do parents make bad coaches? I'll leave you with this gem - a proposition propagated by some senior British coaches - teachers make the worst coaches, discuss.
Laters. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.50 |
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a.m. 3.5 easy.
We took Grace, aka BabyBam, to the Killarney Spring Series 5k at the National Park. I ran around with her and I have to say she surprised me. In fact, she blew me away. She ran a good bit faster than I expected and although she's only 10, she finished ahead of all the under 15 girls and all bar one of the under 15 boys. She beat loads of adults too.
Great day. Think I might send her over to coach Murphy. Not sure what to do with her. I think she could have run well under 24 today.
It was good to see the leading men battling it out as they came back in. Made me wish... Ah well, maybe in a few months. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.50 |
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a.m. AIS, 3.5 miles easy, and AIS.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 138.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
| a.m. 6 miles easy. No run yesterday. When I got up I couldn’t detect any sign of discomfort in my leg/butt, so I decided to take the day off and see if it remained that way. It did. Today, there were no signs of discomfort so I decided to give it a proper test and ran 6 miles easy. No problems. I think I may have finally sorted out this little injury. I’ve lost a good four weeks and I’ll need to be careful building back up. I’ll probably take a month to get back to running twice a day and then from March I'll start training with gusto - he's my training partner. Anyway, back to the old coaching conundrum. First off, some important points: 1. My wife is a qualified Secondary School teacher (High School) and worked, for many years, as the head of the English dept. in the school where she taught – she left teaching to take a job as an editor. So, I’m a fan of teachers (yes, I had to say that because my wife sometimes reads this rubbish). 2. The senior British coaches who said that teachers make the worst coaches were Frank Horwill, Harry Wilson, and Denis Watts – all were very famous and highly respected coaches. They made this statement in their ‘seminal’ book, The Complete Middle Distance Runner. They removed this point from the book in later editions, along with some incorrect physiological statements they made – they were taken to task on these issues by my coach, Chris Orchard, who was a teacher! 3. This is the most important point: I know nothing about coaching! I do, however, have many thoughts and questions that I will articulate during the week. Because it’s such a broad subject, I’ll start tomorrow with my musings on why I think runners (generally) do not make well balanced individuals – of course, these are my mad thoughts based on anecdotal evidence and are not drawn from any scientific studies and should therefore be taken with a gargantuan mound of salt. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 138.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.50 |
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COACHING
INT. DR LOOPER’S OFFICE, SOME CITY -- DAY
Well thumbed tomes and papers are scattered about the floor. Framed photographs of runners decorate the walls. The thrum of traffic carries from the streets and drifts through an open window. Cars honk. Everything softens to silence. Looper and Bam face each other. Looper’s cluttered desk separates them. A long beat passes, they wait.
BAM
Sorry, I just… You know.
LOOPER
It’s all right.
BAM
It was just that I…Well, sometimes I get a little. It’s not that I’m - you know.
LOOPER
It’s all right to say it. You might even find…
BAM
But I’m not! How many times do you have to be told?
LOOPER stands and pockets his hands. He strolls over to the window and closes it. He looks down at the city. The city’s busy at it.
LOOPER
Do you think the cat will survive?
BAM
I’m not sure. It wasn’t pretty.
LOOPER gives a hard stare at the city streets and then closes the window. He walks back to the desk and sits.
LOOPER
Was that the first time that you…
BAM
What do you take me for?
LOOPER
I think we should move on.
BAM
Yeah, this is costing me some serious coin.
LOOPER
What get’s your goat most – runners who count downhill dashes as pr’s or runners who use PED’s?
BAM
Overtraining!
LOOPER
What?
BAM
There, I said it. Overtraining.
LOOPER
That's great, but what about my question?
BAM looks at one of the pictures on the wall and then stands to take a closer look.
BAM
Is that your man? It is. It's himself.
To be continued…
a.m. 3.5 miles easy. Hope to get out for another easy 3.5 later.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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… BAM walks back to his seat and sits. He shakes his head.
BAM
Man-oh-man, I can’t believe you have his picture hanging on your wall. How do you know him? Wait, did he have to come and see you. You know, did he need his head sorting? Was he do-lally too? I bet I know what it was. Wait a minute… Hold on. It’s on the tip of my...
Beat
Both of them.
DR LOOPER
What ?
BAM
Both of them. PEDS and people who count downhill dashes as pr’s – they both get my, what was it you called it? Oh yeah, my goat. Both cheaters. PEDS is obvious but the Down-hillers are as bad. Worse.
DR LOOPER
From that, I take it that you’re a moral absolutist?
BAM
Imagine the torment the down-hillers must suffer. That little voice nagging away in their heads, “Liar. Cheat. Fraudster. You’re only bluffing yourself. Add 5 minutes onto your marathon pr and then you might be close.”
DR LOOPER
Do you really believe that?
BAM
I can see them now, you know, at work in the office as they hobble over to the water machine, hoping somebody will ask what’s wrong with them. Even the slightest chance to regale some nobody with how they pr’ed on the weekend. Of course, they’ll start with how they started training 12 weeks back, building the miles, increasing the tempo runs, dropping in the speed work in the wind and rain and snow and all of this when they were suffering with folliculitis on the big toe of their right foot.
DR LOOPER scribbles down notes on his pad. He stops and scratches his beard.
BAM
Then they give it the big chat, “knocked 2 minutes off my time and if I can get my fuelling right, I might just knock another couple of minutes off my pr.” The work colleague scurries away and spends the rest of the week avoiding the fruitcake. But the nutter’s there at home, telling all and sundry how everybody at the office wanted to know.
DR LOOPER flips over a page and continues writing – smoke’s coming off the paper.
BAM
But then when they’re in bed at night, the little voice comes out and plagues the hell out of them. “Cheat. Bluffer. You haven’t got the stones to run a marathon on a legit course. Because if you did, your family and your colleagues would treat you as though you were somebody with chronic halitosis; the world would see your soul – they'd see you for what you really are – nothing. Squat. Worse than that, they’d know that you’re merely a jogger”
DR LOOPER
What’s your marathon pr, Bam?
BAM looks at him. LOOPER stares right back at BAM. Through him. Bam’s phone dances on the table.
BAM
I better get that; it might be about the cat.
DR LOOPER nods. BAM picks up the phone.
BAM
Hello.
Beat
OK Sweetness and Light, I better go. I’m with DR LOOPER.
BAM places the phone on the desk and shuffles back in his chair.
BAM
‘Twas the gaffer. She said that the cat didn’t make it. I’m in for a rough few weeks.
DR LOOPER
I asked you about your marathon pr.
BAM
Poor cat. Maybe I had been overtraining. Shouldn’t have thrown it out the bathroom window.
DR LOOPER
Your marathon pr?
BAM
What do you do with a dead cat? Can you bury them in the garden or do you have to take them to the undertakers? They don’t teach this stuff at school.
DR LOOPER
Your marathon pr? Any pr?
BAM
The kids will go nuts. They might cut up my skipping rope and I won’t be able to do my AIS. Jakers! Sorry Doc, where were we?
DR LOOPER
I think we’ll move on. I want to talk to you about balance. Balance in your life. I’ve been doing this job for twenty odd years now and I’ve yet to come across a jogger who leads a balanced life.
BAM
I haven’t run a marathon yet. But in two years time when I’m fifty, I’m going to break the world record for the 50-55 age category.
DR LOOPER
Is that right?
DR LOOPER starts writing again. He’s shaking his head.
BAM
I’ve spent fifteen months getting back into running, building the miles, strengthening the tendons and ligaments and all that sort of malarkey. Once I get over this butt crap, I’ll be ready to go. Being injured is like being constipated: you’re dieing to go but you can’t. Once you do get going again, there’s no stopping you.
DR LOOPER
Do you really believe you can break the world record?
BAM
Hold on a sec, Doc. But did you just call me a jogger? No offence, but if you ever call me a jogger again, I’ll knock you out.
DR LOOPER
Bam, you’re what, 138lbs? I’m 200lbs of beef. I workout and I’m a Master of Brazilian jujitsu.
BAM
The world record’s only 2:19 something.
DR LOOPER
Times up Bam. Tomorrow I want you to come to my clinic. We’ve got some serious work to do.
BAM
Compression socks.
DR LOOPER
What?
BAM
Compression socks get my goat.
DR LOOPER
Why on earth do compression socks get your goat?
BAM
Think about it, Doc. Women look ridiculous in compression socks, you know, the whole Britney thing and all that. Serious fashion faux pas. But I don’t profess to understand the female psyche. But men in compression socks is one step too far. Any man who wears compression socks should be stripped and flogged in public. If my wife saw me in compression socks she’d say, “Why Bam, what are you doing? It isn’t the weekend.”
DR LOOPER
Times up Bam, we will carry on with this tomorrow – in my clinic.
BAM leaves. DR LOOPER puts his head in his hands and then buzzes his secretary.
DR LOOPER
Mary will you bring me in some ibuprofen. I have a migraine.
MARY
Ok. Your wife dropped off your gym kit. She said to tell you that if you look in the side pocket of your bag, you’ll find your compression socks.
a.m. 6 miles easy on an honest loop. I swear I wasn’t wearing compression socksJ |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 138.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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WAITING FOR BAMOT
INT.DR LOOPER'S CLINIC FOR THE INSANE, SOME CITY -- DAY.
The treatment room is white. Everything. White couch; white table; white chair; white walls. DR LOOPER is sitting at the table tapping his polished finger nails on the desk. He's dressed for the gym: white headband, white running vest, white running shorts and white Nike trainers. Worse still, He's wearing white compression socks and white compression calf sleeves. He takes a crumpled photograph out of his headband and studies it. He looks at it longingly.
DR LOOPER
(To the person in the photograph) You are my hero.
Many minutes pass. DR LOOPER has remained fixated with the person in the photograph.
DR LOOPER
You're so athletic.
He pulls the photo closer and stares hard at the person in the photograph. After twenty minutes he sets the photograph down on the table and then stands and starts to pace the room.
DR LOOPER
Where's Bam? I need to get back to my office. I've clients to see.
An hour passes and he starts to leave. He stops and goes back to his desk and picks up the photograph. He stares at it.
DR LOOPER
You knew how to wear compression socks, and sleeves. Nobody dared laugh at you, did they, Brandon.
Carefully, he rolls up the photograph and tucks it in his headband. He saunters towards the door and stops for a moment. He looks about the room.
DR LOOPER
Better get back to the office. Dr Poulsen's coming to see me about managing his desire to destroy all runners in races. Wonder what happened to Bam.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
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3 miles easy along the canal with Grace.
The plan was to do 3 with Grace and then go on and do a further 4 miles. but my right achilles played up so I decided to call it a day with the just the three. I've iced the achilles and it feels much better. I'll see how it is tomorrow... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy.
Got up and read all the race reports (considering the conditions, there were some sterling performances in the SLC 10K - aka The Battle Of The Sleeves - and the pictures were great). I looked out the window and realised how lucky I am to live in a country where the climate is temperate.
Planned to do an easy 6 but after 5 I decided to stop and walk the final mile. Nothing serious but my right achilles and the right side of my body just felt out of sync. Played it safe. I fear this little niggle may plague me a wee while longer... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
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a.m. 4 miles easy along the canal.
Spent an hour doing myofascial release, then did some static stretching and moved gracefully on to some cheeky glute activation exercises, followed this with some glute integration/functional work - getting the glutes to work as decelerators/stabilisers - and then finished this litte bout of PT off with some body weight functional exercises - squats and dead lifts etc - to reinforce the motor patterns. Then I did some AIS and dynamic stretching before going out for a slow 4 miles. After the run I did some positional release (didn't work very well), more AIS and iced my achilles.
More of the same scheduled for later with some mobility and pre-core work thrown in too.
p.m. AIS and mobility work followed by some pre-core work. No run - trying to get the old achilles to settle down.
Made healthy brownies for the kids. The reason they are healthy for the kids is that they will not be getting any:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today. Planned to do 2x3.5 miles and a load of pt stuff but Grace woke up sick and had to stay off school, which meant I couldn't go for a run.
Managed to get loads of PT stuff done, which is defo helping. I know I'm so close to getting back; I've just got to be patient. I'll skip the run tonight too and give the achilles more time.
Although the injury sucks it's affording me the opportunity to stand back and re-evalutate things. When this injury has cleared, I might attack the training from a different angle and maybe with a view to changing my goals - they'll still be mad:)
Above all else, I'm considering the compression route (not the socks and sleeves - the compression body suit). I think I might need it to hold in the explosion of lard that I'm now saturated in. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 7.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
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a.m. 3.5 miles at silly o'clock. Had to get my run in early as Grace is skiving off school with a cold.
Did a good bout of AIS and glute activation stuff before the run and followed it up with more AIS and glute activation exercises. Plan is to do 90 mins PT later and then repeat this morning's exercises and 3.5 tonight.
I felt better running this morning - in terms of my leg/butt/achilles/brain - than I have in months. But I've lost my aerobic fitness and put on a pile of lard.
Luchtime: 90 mins PT and functional fitness.
p.m. 3.5 miles easy. Repeated this morning's routine. Injury has gone. But my achilles is still a touch tender to the touch, which isn't too bad. I think it'll clear up in a day or two. Great stuff:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today - too busy opening my Valentine's Day cards. Exhausted.
Do I still love my wife after all these years?
Yes.
Why?
Because she'd beat me if I didn't.
My leg is 100% better. My achilles is nearly there and I don't want to risk a flare up, so I've decided not to run until it too is 100% - hopefully that'll be tomorrow.
xxx |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
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a.m. 4 miles incl 5k race with Grace aka BabyBam.
Headed over to the Killarney National Park so that Grace could run the second of her 5k races. Even though she has been sick, she ran well and won the under 15 girls section. I wasn't going to let her run but I value what's left of my life:)
My leg was fine and dan-day, but the ahilles played up. I'm not fussed about the achilles, it'll clear soon. I'm just glad that the Brandrea thing has cleared:) The secret is to use some of Brandon's voodoo chants. You have to hop around sockless, singing 'We all live in a yellow submarine,' while stabbing a doll with needles - odd, but it works:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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a.m. No run. Some PT stuff and functional fitness malarkey. I'm being ultra cautious with my achilles - I'm not going to run until it has completely cleared. This will afford me time to start addressing the stability and mobility and strength and muscle firing and general decrepitednesseocity of my right leg and hip area.
Skipped my appointment with Doc Looper - had to mop the floors, cook a stew, and work on my 'new' training schedule - It's very nice! |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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a.m. No run. Final day of no running. Did 90 mins PT and functional fitness.
Now ye are gonna tink me ole head's cut, but come here and listen while I let ye on some goss:
When I leapt outta me scratcher dis morning, I noticed duh most amazing ting, ever in duh whole widest world. Stood dare in all duh grandeur and glory dat I entered duh world in, I realised dat duh right side of me body was closer to duh left side of me body. Imagine how shook I was at dat little fact-a-rooney. I shuddered like an enuit stood in duh buff, doing his business outside his neighbour's igloo. Me blinkin right side was now duh spit of me left. Duh body is some supernatural beast. Powerful stuff. Healed. Duh achilles is no longer no achilles heel and with duh right leg, now that it's spankers like duh left un, all's chilled in Bam's igloo. But I decided to give it all another day before I take back to duh roads.
With all duh excitement, I nearly forgot me appointment with duh head fella and dat I was supposed to meet dat chick from duh blog, Janz. But I remembered in time and pegged it over to duh head doc's pad and arrived with enough time to splash on duh old santos de cartier - the lay-days love a splash of duh old santos:)
Anyways peeps, big stuff happened at duh head doc's pad, and den over at duh 'restaurant', der was some major leagaue happenings. Dat Janz can eat and weep like prairie dog dat hasn't seen head nor tail of its butt in weeks.
Now, come here and listen for a wee one, I haven't duh time right now - gotta pick up duh money grabbers. Tomorrow, I let ye in on all duh big stuff... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal, followed by some PT and functional fitness.
I was able to run without any major discomfort - some slight stiffness in the tibiofibular joint and some referred pangs into the mid-substance achilles. But nothing major. Very pleased, mainly because the hip plague has done one.
Bad news: I think my digital scales are kaputt! They gave out a reading of 144lbs - yeah, you know what I mean. Fat chance of that being correct. That would mean that I've put on between 11 and 13 lbs in about 6 weeks. Come to think of it, they might be in perfect working order.
Time to knuckle down, no more faffing about - everything has to be about getting super fit. Sorry Janz, no time for shenanigans - top athletes need to stay focussed, self centred and disciplined. From now on, it's all about me... unless the wife tells me something different. I'm off to work on pronating... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
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a.m. 3 miles easy along the canal.
Just did a short jog to get the blood pumping etc. Everything felt fine. Noticed after the run that the reason why my tibiofibular joint feels stiff is more to do with an ache in my hallucius longus tendon. Later, I'll be doing some PT on my big toe's tendon. I suspect that people out for an evening stroll might just stop in mid stride when they hear the profanities booming from our house as my thumbs root around searching for triggers... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
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a.m. 3 miles easy.
100% pain free and discomfort free. This is the normalistickiest that I've felt in a long time. I'll do 4 miles tomorrow, which will include 5k with Grace as she runs in her final race. Then, from Sunday I'll start building.
Grace's coach, at her athletics club, asked my wife, Majella, if we would consider not letting Grace run any more 5k races - he doesn't know me:) He told Majella that Grace has massive talent and is the best out of all the kids at doing the drills etc. I think he might be concerned that we are over zealous parents trying to live vicariously through our children - I just want her to win a few major marathons so I can retire without any worries; what's wrong with that? That's why we had her- a bit like My Sister's Keeper:)
Just wondering what people think about a girl of 10 doing a 5k run - she's not doing them eyeballs out, she running at what I would call tempo effort - comfortable hard. Apart from going to athletics twice a week, where they mainly do drills, she's running twice a week - 3 miles each time; I hasten to add, off road and on soft surfaces.
From what I've read, it's ok for pre-pubescent girls to develop their endurance, in fact, up until the age of 10, endurance and running form are the main areas to develop. Her two runs a week are much slower than what she does the 5k races at. She doesn't do anything resembling vo2 max stuff.
So, do I stop her from running the 3 miles etc and just let her go to athletics or should I continue to let her develop her endurance? Remember, my future is in your hands, together we are coaching Grace towards Marathon/10,000m/5,000m/1,500m success:)
I've read the stuff about Alana Hadley but I think Grace may suit middle distance running initially - I want her to be able to kick at the end of a marathon and find 5:13 pace doable during a marathon:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
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a.m. 4 miles including 5k with Grace in the final race of the winter series at the Killarney National Park.
Leg was fine today, which is great news. It feels strange being able to run without discomfort. Yipeee!
Great fun this morning. Grace ran well and she received a huge cheer at the prize giving doobry. I think she's well and truly hooked!
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal. Nice fresh morning. Bumped into my old fella at the end of my run - he was out doing his first training session of the day: he walks a mile and a half in the morning and then again in the evening. Jakers, we're all at it:)
My plan is nothing more than 5/6 miles in one go until the end of March. I'll throw in the odd double day (a 3 or a 5) and the odd session of drill/strides. I've introduced some functional fitness and pre-core work (very important stuff - getting the minor muscles to fire before the bigger core muscles, through rolls and bears and crabs and other such animalistic exercises - it's about going back to being a toddler. There's no point doing planks etc, if your body has forgotten how to function correctly. This, I suspect, is why so many of us are suffering with hamstring/glute/core/s.i. problems.) I intend to develop this over the next month so that when I get to April, and start 3 months of base training, the F.F. will be the norm.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy. Very slow. Odd twinge in the achilles but nothing too serious.
So I told the wife that all American 'men' shave their legs. Hoho, there was some chortling and guffawing in our house this morning:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
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p.m. 3 miles easy along the canal with Grace - well, not quite...
Decided to wait until Grace finished school so I could run with her. The plan was to do 4 easy miles along the canal in the afternoon sunshine. Someday I'll understand women.
After Saturday's race the three lay-days went to the hairdressers for the works. They came back looking the dogs. Great. But today when we set out to run along the canal, Grace was complaining about her hair. Not that it was getting messy etc, but that it was flapping about and going in her eyes - women, what are they like? She got all mardy and wouldn't run with me. She ran 10 metres behind me the whole way - until I decided to speed up a bit:) I cut the run short to a 3 as I knew she'd be in a stinking mood.
When we got back to the car, the gaffa gave out to me for not running with Grace. I kept stumm: if this life has taught me one thing, it's that you should zip it when the old lady's giving out to you about the kids.
It's tough being me. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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5 miles along the canal.
Started out nice and slow and then after half a mile, out of nowhere, my legs took off and I was going at a good clip. I could feel the the breeze tickling the hairs on my legs. Lovely jubbly. Kept this up until the turn-around point at 2.5 miles and then eased off a touch on the way back in.
Right leg felt a bit heavy - maybe that's where I've put on the weight:) Delighted that I was able to go a bit quicker and work the heart and lungs. Even more impressed that I've lost a pound:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 143.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
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p.m. 3 miles easy along the canal with Grace.
Waited for Grace to come home from school and then we all headed down to the canal. Majella (the wife) and Olivia (6) fed the swans while Grace and I went for a pootle. Grace wore a headband today and that solved all the girly tears. It was nice to run and chat with her. She was telling me about school; normally she tells us very little.
Beautiful afternoon: sunny and chilly. Mist over the mountains and a good few people out plodding along the canal - no doubt getting ready to run the Tralee International Marathon on the 16th March. The town's buzzing with marathon mania.
Talking of marathon mania, I'm tinkering with my predictions. Let me know if you want a Bam prediction (revealed after the event) for this weekend's races:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 143.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal.
Nice run. Just went out and enjoyed it. Leg is still holding up but it's defo not ready for much more than what I'm doing at the moment. The 'quiet' work I'm doing on the leg should mean that in a week or so I'll be able to pick it up a notch.
So I've finished tinkering with my predictions. I've done predictions for allie; Jake; Riley; Joe; seeaprilrun. It was harder than I thought. Much harder. I was going to justify my predictions with a supporting paragraph but I've decided not to and just let the numbers speak for themselves.
*If I have this right, allie's race is on a (I know some people still think it should be 'an' - but 'a' is correct) honest and undulating course. Jake and Riley are running on a honest course too. SlowJoe and seeaprilrun are running on a downhill course with a lump in the last 4.
Later, I will fire the predictions over to SlowJoe and he can post them after the respective races. I need to send my prediction for SlowJoe to somebody. Who can be trusted not to let the cat out of the bag? Now there's a question for you...
No Jake, you'll be straight onto Joe: 'I'll show you mine, if you show me yours:)' |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 143.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
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a.m. 4 miles easy along the canal.
And your old dad calls it, nearly to the second:) Congrats Jake on first place and Riley on third!
Just waiting for allie's result... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run yesterday or today - I'm recovering from the gruelling exploits of the weekend's marathon predictions.
Although my leg has held up well to the 3-5 mile easy runs, I decided to take two days off so that I could hammer my leg and lower back with some intensive soft tissue work. I want to make sure that I'm 100% sorted before I start training properly.
Last night, after releasing just about every muscle in the right side of my body and a good few on the left, I felt like I'd been struck by lightning: sharp and tingling pulses zipped through my body - unnerving:) and sometimes unpleasant. Today, I feel battered and bruised and lopsided - I'd better be careful walking down to school to pick up the kids - I might fall onto the road and get run over.
Hopefully everything will settle down by tomorrow afternoon - I'm supposed to be running with Grace. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 |
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pm 2 miles easy along the canal with Grace - well, not really easy and not really with Grace.
Plan was 3 miles easy but my leg played up bad. Grace took her opportunity to destroy me in true Terminator fashion. She zipped off into the distance, not even stopping to see if her poor old fella was ok. When our paths crossed as she came back along the tow path, she gave me the loser 'L' sign with her fingers. Kids. You do your best by them and then when you're on your knees they stomp on you.
Going to get my own back on the little rapscallion:)
p.s. my leg is about as much use as a chocolate bikini in the Sahara - no more running until leg feels perfect for a week. On second thoughts...
Where's that humongous Belgian chocolate cake I bought. Ah, there it is. No way Grace - only losers with gammy legs eat this stuff:) Oh yes, here we go... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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I'm angry. I'm livid. I'm apoplectic with rage. I'm going bananas. Ballistic. Mental.
I'm so annoyed I can't even say why...
Seething...
Doing my nut...
Somebody's having it... They're getting weighed in. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has my pants down and gets away with it.
Narked. Vexed.
I'll be back -Just got to go and blow up a physiotherapy clinic:) Quacks. Bounders!
I'm back and I've calmed down:) Today I decided, against my better judgement, to go see a physiotherapist (that's a bit like your PT's). Big mistake.
Checked the clinic out on the internet and they had a range of therapists who had supposedly worked with Irish Olympians etc. Arrived and the pad was professional looking etc. My Physio did all the history stuff - very good. Then they did all the right assessments - excellent I thought. Maybe we'll get this little thing sorted once and for all...
I'd told them what I thought and I sensed the physio was a tad nervous. Physio gave me all the spiel about how great my musculature was etc - I can handle that, even though I'm 14 pounds over weight.
The physio then gives my erector spinae a bit of a rub - no effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, kneeding etc - just a rub - like the good lady might do.
'We'll get you sorted over the next couple of months. I'll pass you on to my colleague - he's really good."
What the... I'm thinking. The next couple of months at 50 sheets a week. On your bike.
"That's it, for today," she said.
After a bit of chat etc - there's no diagnosis or thoughts about what's wrong or why no proper treatment etc.
I pay the Euro 50 (out of my ipad fund - yeah, I know, but I've been spending the money on cakes and sweets etc: it's part of my injury depression). They try to book me in for next week with super physio. He'll have you on the wussmill and he'll look at your gait.
So I tell them there's no point looking at my gait etc - I can't run at the moment I'm injured and I need fixing. Much embarrassment.
They book me in for next Wednesday with the rub-a-dub-dub physio.
I ain't going back. All this PT stuff is a rip. A con. Eat cake and watch the goggle-box when you're injured. Let the body heal itself.
Anyway, the good news is... my new belly - from the cakes - has pulled my si joint into place, my core muscles etc have settled and I think, if I eat a few more cakes, I'll be back running in a couple of days. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| No run yesterday or today but plenty of soft tissue release and AIS. Feel great but I'm not going to run until next week. I feel 100%. I'm sure if I were to run today, I'd feel ok. But I'm going to play it extra safe. I hammered my postural muscles after I went to the physio. I was in agony yesterday but today I'm feeling great. No pangs or discomfort. If I can remain patient for a few more days I'm positive I'll have this injury sorted once and for all. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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No run today. But I'm going out with Grace tomorrow. We're going to do 3.5 miles on the rolling sand dunes at Banna beach. Should be fun. I confident that my leg will be fine but we'll see what tomorrow brings.
Went up to Tipperary (it's a long way to Tipperary) today for the Munster Regional indoor relay champs - Grace was running in the 4x100m for her club. What a laugh. Grace was half the size of the other girls:) She ran the first leg, and although I can't pin it down, it was hilarious. She just didn't look right out there. The baton was the size of her arm. Her team finished 3rd out of 4 in their heat.
She's decided that while she has some basic speed, she's not a sprinter. Some of those 10 year olds were juiced up:) Fun day. Looking forward to getting out tomorrow for a plod. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
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3 miles easy out at Banna dunes. Great fun in the freezing rain - don't think Grace enjoyed it: I think in future when her old fella tells her to wear gloves and a hat, she might just listen.
The Banna dunes is a great place to train - loads of grass tracks and sand dunes; good for getting on soft surfaces and strength work. I'll be training there more often.
The leg was perfect. I'll get in a week of 5 milers and then start picking things up. The holiday is over... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal.
Leg and achilles felt fine and dan-day; can't say the same about my heart and lungs - I was blowing like a harpooned whale. It's going to take a good bit of time to shift 14 pounds but I suppose as the weight vanishes the fitness will improve.
I need to have a little look at some goals and start scheduling some races - I'm not going to be doing 15 months of miles without any focus. I'm thinking that for the next 18 months I 'll work on my 5k fitness. Probably 6 month blocks. Hopefully each block will result in substantial improvements.
The 5k goal is 14:50ish by Sept 2014 - my little injury scuppered all plans of breaking 15 this year. So, I need to set a goal for Sept/Oct this year and March/Apr 2014. I was thinking, maybe 16 mins for Sept this year and then 15:30 for March next year (hard to do speed work in the winter because of the wind). 15:30 to 14:50 may seem like a big jump but I'll have a summer of track work, so I think it's possible. Once I hit 14:50ish, I'll have the necessary speed and foundation to attack the marathon:)
Of course, I'll only hit those goals if I can stay healthy. Staying healthy is a major part of managing the process... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 145.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal. Everything fine and dan-day.
Last night, I was doing a bit of the old English Lit. teaching stuff and I covered the 'unseen poem'. We went over the poem, Cold. I thought I'd share it with you as it is a beautiful poem that I suspect all of you will be able to tune into...
Carol Ann Duffy
Cold
It felt so cold, the snowball which wept in my hands,
and when I rolled it along in the snow, it grew
till I could sit on it, looking back at the house,
where it was cold when I woke in my room, the windows
blind with ice, my breath undressing itself on the air.
Cold, too, embracing the torso of snow which I lifted up
in my arms to build a snowman, my toes, burning, cold
in my winter boots; my mother’s voice calling me in
from the cold. And her hands were cold from peeling
then dipping potatoes into a bowl, stopping to cup
her daughter’s face, a kiss for both cold cheeks, my cold nose.
But nothing so cold as the February night I opened the door
in the Chapel of Rest where my mother lay, neither young, nor old,
where my lips, returning her kiss to her brow, knew the meaning of cold.
A simple sonnet with a majestical volte that comes in as late as the 12th line. But let's pick a random line. Ok, let's see - ah yes, line 6:
'Cold, too, embracing the torso of snow which I lifted up'
There's a kinaesthetic strain to this line that mimics the physicality of lifting the torso of snow. 'Cold, too,' - here, Duffy enacts, through the employment of two perfectly placed commas, the effort the child uses to lift the snow. The polysyllabic, 'embracing' simulates the arms wrapping around the snow, while the iambic syllables which follow, draw us into the energy of the line, as our eyes lift the snow with the child. But here's the spellbinding brilliancy of the poem: 'which I lifted up'. The enjambed line leaves our eyes straining at the end of the line with the snow in the air. We struggle under the weight as our eyes stare out across the cold, white, artic expanse of the page, looking for somewhere to plonk the snow. I could go on and on...
I wonder if Carol Anne Duffy could break 4hrs for the marathon. I very much doubt it:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy - out and back along the canal. Although I'm finding these 5 milers a tad taxing, they are becoming easier. Should have watched what I was eating when I was injured. Oh well.
Well, well, well, come here and listen carefully folks, I've some big news that's going to upset you slightly - don't worry, you'll learn to live with it, eventually:)
Forget all that waffle your history teachers taught you about who discovered America; those teachers polluted your young minds with the worst type of jingoism. All of you are Irish. Yep, Paddy Krong; Paddy the schoolmaster Murphy (that's a given); Paddy Jardine - nope, you're not a Scot as you once claimed, you're Irish. Etc. etc. etc. And as for all ye colleens (girls), you too - Irish through-and-through.
How so? I hear you scream. My youngest daughter came home from school yesterday and told me that St Brendan discovered the New World. Now, I'm not going to sit here and explain away the history of the New World but I suggest you go look it up, that is, of course, if you want to know the truth.
From this day forth, across the proud nation of the United States of America, the 13th of March will now be known as Bam day. A holiday for all, where all must do a fine wee bit of a jig in their kitchen to celebrate the enlightenerer. For sure, 'twas Bam Himself who did only enlighten the good citizens of the United States of America.
sláinte:)
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal. It's tough trying to run when you're fat!
Anyway, I had this great idea this morning. Guess what? I'm going to share it with you. It's the Tralee Marathon on Saturday and I've decided that I'm going to get out and about on the course and hide behind bushes and chuck stones at people as they run along the road:) Great fun.
Imagine Jake and Riley and the Kenyan fella deep in concentration. Jake smiling to himself - that drink that I pretended to drink from and passed on to them, will have their stomachs turning like washing machines in a minute and then I can stride away to glory:) Thwack! A stone in the head:) Great stuff!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch in the quasi real world of Bam, I was thinking about my goals and I've decided to alter my plans slightly. I might just try and break 3:30 for the marathon. Only joking. I'm going to stick with the 16 mins for the 5k in Sept and 15:30 around March time next year. But rather than pushing on for 14:50, I'm going to give the 2014 Cork Marathon a crack. I think I need to get one under my belt. Cork's a toughish course but it's not as hard as Tralee. There is one (The Killarney Marathon) that's a bit like all the Utah marathons but I couldn't live with myself if I ran it:). So that's it: aim for 15:30 for 5k by March next year and then aim for a sub 2:30 at Cork in June. Secretly, I want to break 2:28. The Irish record is 2:28:XX in the 45-49 age group. That would be cool, breaking the Irish record in my first marathon:)
After that, I'll push on and aim for the 14:50 as part of the prep work for going sub 2:20 for the marathon in the autumn of 2015. That's the new plan.
Of course, the success of the new plan is contingent on not getting caught this Saturday. I doubt I'd be able to train in prison:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal.
Runners everywhere. They're clogging up the roads. Marathon mania has struck. What they don't know is that Bam went to the beach yesterday and got his Pebbles:)
I've never watched a marathon in real life - only on the gogglebox - should be exciting. If my throwing is accurate, I should take out most of the leaders. The race might be won in about 3:45. My guess is 2:32 - for a marathon, it's a very tough course and the weather might be pants!
Off to the expo to see if I can pick up some proper running shoes for my girls. They have tiny feet and it's a nightmare getting running shoes for them.
Somehow, I've put on a couple of pounds. Must be muscle - I doubt it. Now how many cakes did I eat yesterday? |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 145.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy along the canal.
Went out with Grace and my old fella to watch the Tralee Marathon. Great fun. The guy who finished 2nd was leading from the off and had over a minute lead on 2nd and 3rd at 17 miles and 5 mins on 4th/5th/6th. A chap in the 4-6th group pulled the leader back by 23 miles and went on to win. The course was brutal and people were caving all over the place. Well organised apart from some traffic issues and some cheating - people on bikes riding alongside runners and giving them drinks etc.
Not sure of the winning times but I think 2:37 won it! If only I had been fit, I could have run it backwards in 2:35:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy on my old 6 miler route. Great to be back out doing 'real' runs again. The plan for this week is to keep the morning runs around 5 miles and I'll train on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (in the afternoon) with Grace - this should add an extra 10 miles onto my weekly total, without causing too much stress to the old system. I prefer adding in the doubles early rather than maxing out the singles.
I'm down to 143lbs:) 0nly 10 more to go(: |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 143.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 8.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles out and back along the canal.
Nice easy run. Just pleased to be injury free. Running with Grace and Olivia later. I suspect they will make me run behind them:)
p.m. 3 miles on Banna Beach with the girls - well, they wouldn't run with me, so I just ran on ahead and kept checking to make sure that they hadn't tried to swim the Atlantic. For some strange reason, I kept thinking about cake. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles out and back along the canal. 3.5 planned for tonight...
p.m. 4 miles out and back along the canal. A bit of zip in the old legs this evening. Feel liked I've trained today. Let's see what tomorrow brings... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 145.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles out and back along the canal. Very slow. Body felt like I'd either done an Ironman or been cross training with Brandon. Hopefully, I'm fighting off some lurgy and that it's not a reaction to the training. Must start recording my RHR again.
RHR 227 - that's a slight exaggeration but a handy enough place to start from; things can only get better. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy on the canal route - gotta love the soft surfaces.
Was planning on doing a 5 followed by a 4 but the old lady's shook:) - she's only gone and got herself a handy helping of the lurgy; SuperBam fought it off. They laugh at me for eating a Bam Bar everyday - but all those ingredients work to fight off lurgies and give you fantastic skin and oh so many other things.
This morning I woke to the wife's splutterings. Up and at the day straight away, so I was. Banged on the quinoa for the pack lunches, made the marinade for the skinless chicken breasts, choppend up the cucumber and baby leaf spinach and watercress to add to the quinoa ( a squeeze of lemon - helps with the old iron absorption; I doubt the kids know the efforts I go to just so that they will grow into superbeings, like their dad, whoever he is - and some cracked black pepper is added at the end), popped on my lentils and beans - for the wife's soup (what a great hubby I am - modest too) -, fed myself two handy helpings of granola with goji berries and then gave Oliver the cat his breakfast. I went up and got the school uniforms sorted and then woke the girls and gave them a good serving of porridge with some added secret ingredients. Got the girls ready for school while making the lunches and taking the wife's breakfast up to her.
Anyway, by 9:00 the world settled and I changed into my running kit and did my AIS. Now, with my 6 miles out of the way and my Bam Bar lunch wolfed down, I'm ready for what the world wants to throw at me. Bring it on. Let's have it... Maybe I'll have me a cheeky little nap. This life is so hard. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 144.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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p.m. 6 miles easy along the canal and up through the Kerries.
Jakers, I can't believe how hard an easy 6 is; I've got a good way to go. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Sick.
For sale: 2 kids and 1 wife.
Tip of the hat to Ernest. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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I think I might be ok to go for a shuffle tomorrow. This plague that I've suffered would have killed many.
I found something yesterday that made me laugh. I suspect many on here have seen it before (the ostrich and vit D for stress fractures references etc). But I've got to say, when he says can everybody who hasn't run a sub 2:30 marathon leave room, I nearly wet myself laughing. Brilliant.
There's another one, which is not full of profanities and it's by an Irish comedian. Look up, on youtube, Tommy Tiernan: Drug And Steroid Olympics at Just For Laughs Festival - watch the whole clip. Very funny. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
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a.m. 4 miles easy out and back along the canal. Took a mile or two to get going but then everything felt ok. Felt whacked when I got back. That's probably the extra weight I'm carrying, the plague, and some left over lower back aches from the injury. The girls got me with a classic April Fools - they covered the toilet with Cling Film and I didn't spot it. There was serious joviality this morning in our house.
So, on the 1st April this old fool starts training again... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 148.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy out along the canal and on up into the Kerries. Much improved this morning. No congestion, aches or pains. Great. Will keep it steady this week and then start laying the base next week.
Plan for the next 4 weeks:
1. Increase the long run from 6 to 10 miles:) and pick up the pace in the final couple of miles.
2. One or two high end aerobic progression runs a week.
3. Drop out one session of aerobic/vVO2max pace strides: (2-3 sets of 5-6 x 15-40 secs., jogging equal distance between reps and jogging 5-10 min. between sets).
4. Introduce doubles.
5. Try to keep all runs on soft surfaces. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy. Chilly morning. Out and back along the canal. Planning on dropping out a cheeky little 4 later...
p.m. 4 miles steady - out and back along the canal. Nothing fancy, just getting in a few more miles. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
| a.m. 6 miles easy - out and back along the canal. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 10.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy - out and back along the canal. Will drop out another 5 miles later...
p.m. 5miles relaxed - out and back along the canal. Pleased with this run. Not because it was fast or anything but it was the first run this year where I felt like I ran with any fluency. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy - out and backalong the canal. Legs felt pretty beat up.
Plan to start adding a bit of seasoning to the training - nothing to spicy, just a peppering of sea salt. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.25 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.75 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles. 2 w/u, 2x6x22 secs off jog back rec and 800m jog b/ween set, 2 w/d.
Great little session and I'm a believer, again. On the way to church this morning, Majella and the girls dropped me off at The Green (a large grass field with a rutted 450m(ish) path in the shape of a track). So, while they were off doing their thing, your old dad dropped out a cheeky little session, which has restored his faith in himself.
The idea was to keep the 22 sec efforts at vvo2max pace and not turn them into strides or pick-ups. Succeeded in this. That said, I probably ran a touch quicker than vvo2max pace, but not much. The session felt comfortable and aerobic, so the goal was achieved. But more importantly, I felt great running at the faster pace. I was genuinely worried that the injury might have knocked the stuffing out of me. This has given me something to build on. So, in the words of the legend that is allie, 'off (i) go':) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 10.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy. Out and back along the canal. Legs felt fine.
p.m. 5 mile easy. Out and back along the canal. Legs felt a tad heavy. On the way back in, the wind was wicked.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles plod out and back along the canal towpath. Legs were giving out to me. Probably complaining about Sunday's little sesh. No second run today - heeding Russ' pearlers. If the legs don't complain too much, I'll drop out a 7 miler tomorow with 4/5 done as a progression up to, but not beyond, LT.
That's all folks... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 2.25 | 3.00 | 0.75 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles out and back along the canal towpath with 4 miles progession.
Jogged the mile or so down to the canal and then picked up the pace for a mile to about normal steady run pace. Increased it slightly in half mile(ish) increments until the 4th mile, where I picked it up a good bit and ran about 0.75 miles around LT pace. I eased off 0.25 miles earlier than intended as I didn't want to cross the threshold, which seemed likely. Jogged back home.
Legs felt better than yesterday but every stride seems to rattle my old bones. I think I might revert to the Asics Nimbus - in November, when I first started having 'problems' (yes, I can hear the smart remarks before they're even uttered) I had changed my shoes to the Adidas Response Cushion (nearly a third of the price); I don't think these are the reason for getting injured but I suspect they are not helping.
Before I dive in and spend big bucks on two pair of Nimbuseseseses, I'll try out an old pair tomorrow and see if I notice a difference to my bockety skeleton.
Anyway, good to get a bit of work in rather than plodding (just for you, April) along. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 10.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.00 |
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a.m. 5 miles easy out and back along the canal towpath. Felt much better today - slipped into a my old Nimbuseroonies to see if they would ease the skeletal bashings I've taken recently. The trick worked and I've ordered two pair of Nimbus - I'll never betray Asics again. I'll see how this evening's 5 miler goes, but I'm certain the shoes are the answer.
Big news - on Sunday I'll be posting a Boston Marathon scoop. I have the intimate thoughts of a runner who is starting with the elites - very informative and interesting. Also, he lets slip some shocking thoughts on Killer Krong's race report from last year's Boston Marathon. Apparently, Killer Krong's race report has motivated/driven him to the point of distraction, so much so, that he believes there's a good chance he will cause an upset...
p.m. 5 miles easy - same route as this morning. Although I managed to squeeze in two naps today :), I still felt tired on this evening's run; maybe I need three naps on top of my 9 hours each night. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles incl 6x8secs hill blasts er, waddles.
Jogged 3 miles to the boreen where I do my hill reps. It's a beautiful spot: Hanzel und Gretyl type cottage, babbling brook and a colonnade of trees. Did some pathetic drills and then proceeded to do 8x8secs hill blasts. After 6, although I was feeling fine, I decided to play it safe and call it a day. Jogged back home.
The ladies of the house are camping out tonight - in the living room. They're having a Hobbit party. The wife bought the Hobbit DVD today and they are setting up the tent in the living room. They'll be munching away on all sorts of goodies - I spied some nice looking chilli flavoured crisps - I think you guys call them chips, which is weird: chips are what you have with a burger. Anyway, I'll be sent up stairs early. Not fair:( |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
| a.m. 6 miles easy out and back along the canal in the freezing rain. And that's 50 miles for the week with a couple of little sessions - something to build on... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 5.75 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.25 | 7.00 |
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p.m. 7 miles. 2 miles w/u, 3x6x22 secs @ vvo2 pace with jog back rec and 800m(ish)b/ween sets, 2 miles w/d. That's an extra set added on from last week.
Great session in 60-70mph winds and freezing rain.
Haven't been able to log in today - I think something to do with my ip address, whatever that is:) So, haven't got time to relay the Boston scoop - got to watch the Masters; even though it's not real sport it's kind of exciting.
Good luck to all running tomorrow. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
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a.m. 6 miles easy - out and back along the canal towpath.
Well, I guess today I had my suspicions confirmed: when I was waddling up the road, with about 0.5 mile left of my run, a girl/woman (late teens) shouted, 'go on ya, ya fat old git.'
I suppose if you give it, you've got to take it. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Update - the weight is coming off, I'm getting faster and I feel fully recovered from my injury. I'm optimistic about this summer.
I grabbed this from an Irish site - be warned SlowJoe and I Just Run: your kits are in the post:)
Could an alternative to PEDs be just around the corner?
Interesting study done recently. Link here. More info here. Researchers have improved the endurance of cyclists by applying electricity to a part of the brain (insular cortex) associated with discomfort.
Quote:
Ten competitive cyclists participated in the study; each completed two all-out cycling tests, after receiving 20 minutes of either real or faked brain stimulation. The electrodes were placed over the left temporal cortex of the brain, which is directly above the insular cortex, so that both regions were affected. The results: After brain stimulation, the cyclists had lower heart rates, slower increase in perceived exertion and produced 4 per cent more power in the cycling test. |
It seems there are pretty big gains with little chance of health risks. With the rapid advance of technology it will be interesting to follow this issue and see where it leads.
Interesting... What's that smell? Jakers, my hair's on fire; better go... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Just to keep Dave The Toke Taylor happy: 10 miles with 6 miles as a progression run. 2 easyish, 6 progression, 2 cool down. Felt like a wounded wildebeest - noticed the excess weight. But that was probably a blessing as it prevented me from going too fast. Good workout.
Anyway, why was the first 2 miles easyish instead of easy? Ladies, please stop reading as you may be offended by what is to follow, especially some of the later stuff.
So, I jog to the bottom of my road and there she is: swoosh - a flash of orange with beautiful flowing blonde hair. My heart skipped a beat and then with autonomic ease I slipped through the gears. As I glided past her I said, 'Alrighty Treacle? Nice morning for it.' She giggled and I carried on. She's in love now. See how easy it is to make a lovely lady's day. Simple. Have I ever told you how charming I am? No! Maybe some day. Note to self - delete this before Old Lady has a chance to read it, otherwise there will be blue murder.
Another point: as many of you know Brenda - I mean Brandon Base - is saving up for the operation (the one where they change him into a her). Well, if you didn't know, you didn't hear it from me, ok? Good. Well, Brenda's gonna need some support over the coming months. If you like Brenda/Brandon and you have no moral objections to his desire to be a woman, please send donations to Dave The Toke Taylor. Dave has promised me that he'll put all monies into a trust fund for Brenda. He has assured me that he will not take the money and visit his good friend and crime lord Pablo (down in Mexico). Dig deep, Brenda's had it tough recently.
Another point. If any of you men folk have daughters who are 8/9 be warned: when they get to 10 they turn into whirling dervish. Man-o-man, Hor[moan]s Almighty. They start to get opinions and what's worse, their opinions are antithetical to yours. I'm warning you, they are little terrors. From the moment the rapscallions wake, to second they hit the pillow, jakers, you are on egg shells.
Never fear, SuperBam is here with top-class parenting gems. Wanna know what to do with them? Bet you do. Drug them. Yep. Drug them. Feed them pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts (the zinc is great for the little ladies and the big ladies too) and spike their food with smidgens of Maca powder. (Now ladies, I told you not to be reading this stuff - go away, this is a blog for real men; Brenda, that includes you too, go on, off you scoot.)
Fantastic - can't have the old treacles checking out the big man chat. Anyway, this Maca stuff's an adaptogen and works a treat with those cheeky little hor(moan)aly things. It's like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nests - you know at the end. Peace and tranquility.
Anyway kids, see you later. Gotta go buy me some more pumkin seeds... |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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The girls (Brandon and Dave) wanted an update so here goes... well this is a bit special, I raced last night. I did the Tralee 5k. Finished 2nd in 15:52. Course was a tad long accorcing to the Garmin but I now know that's the norm. Pleased enough with the result as the course is very honest - undulating out and back. Wasn't happy about coming 2nd but then I'm making this up so I suppose I could say that it was an exciting race blah blah blah. No, I've had a cold since Saturday and haven't run a jot. I'll be getting back out tomorrow and doing a 5 miler. I'll take a few days getting back into the swing of things and then I'll re-start from where I was 2 weeks back. I picked up the cold from shedding too much weight too quickly. I'd been dropping 1-2lbs a week but last week I lost 5, which I suspect I've now put back on. I should know better. So nothing exciting apart from the fact that Brandon and Dave wet their panties when they read I'd run 15:52:) |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Update: did a little session today:3x(6x30 secs) jog back rec and 5 min jog between sets. Felt good, better than anticipated.
Anyway, some news: We're moving to England - my homeland:) In some ways I'll be sad to leave Ireland - it's a great country and the people are tops - but I am looking forward to heading home. We've decided to go back to Oxford and settle ourselves down, for many reasons but mainly to give the kids a better springboard and all that stuff. The kids are buzzing - they want to go today. But we're waiting until July so that they can finish school.
Better try and shed this Irish twang that I've picked up: jakers, I don't want anybody mistaking me for an Irishman. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Bobby Dazzler, aka Dave The Dope Taylor, asked for an update. He was going to spread it that I was doing out and backs to Killarney or even Milltown. The Dope's knowledge of Kerry is impressive.
The other week's sickness set me back a bit but I'm up and going well. Here this week's schedule and it's all going to plan:
Sunday 3x(6x30 secs vvo2 max pace strides) jog back rec and 800m jog between sets. To finish off the session, 1200m @ 95% effort. Session done with aplomb, beauty and grace.
Mon - 2x6 miles easy on soft surfaces, untimed.
Tuesday - same as Monday.
Wednesday - 10 miles. First 8.5 done as a progression, followed by 1.5 cool down. Progression was much improved this week (By golly, I think I've progressed).
Thur - same as Mon
Fri - 6 with 8x8 sec hill blasts
Sat - same as Mon.
Mileage works out somewhere in the low 70's and that's without a long run; the progression run will develop into my long run.
So, hopefully that'll keep The Dope happy:)
And just for Brandon, my weight is now 142lbs - only 10 lbs left to shed and then I can get shifting. |
Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | 425.76 | 16.00 | 2.00 | 3.75 | 447.51 |
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 139.29 | |
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