Today (Sunday) was the last of the training runs with Sinead Kane before we take on the Donadea 50K and if today was anything to go by then the signs are good for Race day.
Who is Sinead Kane? Sinead is a visually impaired runner from Cork and I’ve known of her for a few years now after first reading about her in a newspaper article but we only got to know each other since last August through a mutual friend , twitter and email as she prepared for the Dublin Marathon. We then met for the first time only 2 weeks before the Dublin Marathon and the meet up was partly because she was recovering from an injury and having missed some long training runs was feeling slightly underprepared and was looking for some advice. Knowing the injury she had I may have advised her against doing the Marathon but she seemed more worried about rain than pain and didn’t really listen to the parts of the conversation where I was telling her that it might not be such a great idea.
Two weeks later and through sheer determination and ambition she proved me wrong and went on to successfully finish and in doing so became the first visually impaired female to complete the Dublin City Marathon guided by Kieran O'Reilly. Rather than feeling that sense of relief with finishing she wanted more and 3 months later we are now in the lead into the Donadea 50K (Irish National Championships) to be held on Saturday Feb 14th.
Since finishing the Dublin Marathon Sinead has become more focussed with her training and through a network of Running Guides (Denis Kelleher in Cork and Claire Powell & myself in Dublin) has managed a more consistent training routine although it’s still far from ideal as every session is a compromise (for Sinead).
In the build up to this race we’ve ran together as often as possible and mostly around the Phoenix Park in Dublin and after each session I’m left thinking that we need to run together more often but that isn’t going to happen as every training run means 6-7hrs of travel time for Sinead and that isn’t practical for a few obvious reasons including Recovery.
Sinead is quite fast and that brings extra demands for both runner and guide as it means a quicker reaction time to avoid hazards and as the pace increases so too does the injury risk. A gentle climb feels more severe for the visually impaired runner as it can’t be visually prepared for and any turns other than a gentle curve can put extra pressure on the knees. The list is endless and I could go on and on because every run is a new learning experience but come race day the learning needs to be done as this is the exam.
To help improve my guiding skills without actually guiding and to get a feel for the race route I went to Donadea and ran blindfolded over sections of the course with a friend acting as guide. It soon became obvious that what may appear as a flat surface when running with friends and distracted with conversation is a continuous obstacle course full of potential trip hazards and ankle twisting traps. Potholes appeared out of nowhere, branches were lower than I realised, tree routes breaking through the ground were never noticed before and the once familiar route that I’ve ran hundreds of times was now the unknown. I was running with my heart in my mouth and expecting to fall with every step and found it hard to fully trust my guide and this has given me a better appreciation of what’s to be expected on Race day.
This will be the fifth edition of the Donadea 50K and on completion I'll be the last of the original list of invited starters to start and finish all of the races but I’m not expecting this to be a ‘Walk in the Park’ of a Run.
Thanks to Great Outdoors & No17 Personal Training for the assistance in preparing for the event.
A good start to the week but I can feel the fatigue in my legs and some tightness around my ITB (illiotibal band) and have booked a massage for Thursday. Easy lunchtime run of 8.5K and that’ll be all for today as I’ve an online Q&A later for 
Early Gym session of mostly mobility work and a slight increase in lifted weight with the Back Squat and improvements is always good, 5 sets of 5 @ 47.5kg (+2.5kg). Squat weight has increased by 7.5Kg over the last 3 weeks and feeling more manageable which is a good sign and although 47.5Kg might not sound like a lot my lifted volume from this session equals 1187.5Kg. Legs starting to feel much stronger again and there’s no signs of any discomfort around the knees or lower body. Didn’t have time for a lunchtime run as I was stocking up on some items for next week’s race and when I got home it was raining quite heavy which meant overdressing and having to change my run plan. Went for a local hilly loop and included some fast paced reps along a forest trail but fading light and the bad weather meant having to cut it short as I didn’t want to risk a fall or twisting an ankle. I was starting to enjoy picking up the pace to try beat
A great result but I can feel the DOMS from yesterday’s strength session and although that’s good as it show’s I’ve lifted enough to stress the body it also means altering my run plan for later as I don’t want to slow down my recovery and adaption to the strength work. Took the opportunity to do a lunchtime Recovery run and stayed slow and flat for an easy 6K with a walking finish. Climbing a set of step towards the finish had me feeling like a newborn giraffe. Legs started to loosen up as the day went on and only noticed the improvement when I started to think about my next session. Made a slight alteration to the session and instead of the usual steady state run I went for an easy to steady warm up followed by 5*800s at an average of 2:45 per rep. Finished with a long cool down and then it was coaching for an hour with an opportunity to stretch.
A great result and makes me want to run later so I’ll make sure to be prepared if the opportunity presents. Early Gym session and it’s a repeat of last week with a set of 3*3 Deadlifts @ 95Kg, 3*3 Strict Press @ 25Kg (-10Kg) plus 3 sets of 5 Pull Ups (+1). It felt very manageable compared with how I felt last week and that shows improvement on me without having improvement on the bar. Stress / Rest / Adapt. Lunchtime massage and not half as bad as I was expecting which is good but my left leg was much tighter than my right which is the opposite to what I was thinking and that’s not so good as it means there was a possible problem developing that I was unaware of. Won’t leave it as long before next massage. Managed a short run between Athletics finishing and the coaches meeting starting and made the most of my limited time. Did a quick but easy warm up of 2K and on every lap after than I threw in a 100M sprint with a 300M recovery for 5 laps before finishing with a cool down to end the session with 5K in 21 mins.
A great result and I’m putting this down to last night’s session followed by a good night’s sleep and waking without an alarm. Feeling good but legs still recovering from the strength training and the tenderising from yesterday’s massage. Easy lunchtime run of 6K with very low heart rate and with that a very easy pace.
Managed to wake without the alarm and started the day with a 
A great result but feeling like I could do with a lie in. Ran as planned and did 18K with almost 780M of Ascent over one of my usual routes with some good climbs. Took my time and made a few stops to take in the views and refuel with wild berries. Finished the day with a short recovery run of 5K.
A good week finishing with a first place in a tune up 5K race and a medium distance Trail Run. Noticing the results of my reduced volume in my HRV scores and the Taper proper starts tomorrow.
Another good result after a tough session which has me wondering if I need to start increasing the intensity. Not sure what to do today but got an offer of some company for a lunchtime run and just let it happen. Started at a comfortable pace but could certainly feel it as the run progressed and know I would have slowed down if I was on my own, finished with 11.2K (7 Miles) in 46 minutes. Didn’t have a run opportunity after work as I got late notice of a ‘Code of Ethics’ course at the Athletics Club and I’m feeling better about the lunchtime session. Do what you can when you can.
Early Gym session of mostly mobility work and a slight increase in lifted weight with the Back Squat and improvements is always good, 5 sets of 5 @ 45kg (+5kg). The discomfort I was feeling behind my knees last week has gone and only realised it when asked by my Trainer. Unsure what to do later and trying to decide on either a hilly continuous run or a session of Hill Repeats. Change of plan and went for a shorter than usual lunchtime run as I was told it would also be shorter than usual.
Woke during the night with very bad pains in lower stomach area it kept me awake for over an hour. Fell back asleep eventually and then woke feeling very tired with the alarm. Not surprised with result but putting it down to lack of sleep and feel ok to continue with training as normal while keeping myself under observation. Also feeling the DOMS from yesterday’s strength session and this could help with keeping the training controlled. Skipped the opportunity to run at lunchtime to benefit from the extra rest ahead of the usual Wednesday night group session. A slight change of pace and plan for this evening to accommodate those recovering from recent races and preparing for upcoming races. Session consisted of a steady 10K at a Pace no quicker than 4:15 per K and no slower than 4:30 per K. This meant a conscious effort to stay slow and we finished the 10K with an avg of 4:15 followed by a few faster laps to loosen out the legs. Finished the evening with a coaching session and much neglected stretch.
A late night and early morning might be the reason for this but I’ll be taking it easy just in case. Early Gym session with a slight increase on last week including a set of 3*3 Deadlifts @ 95Kg (+5Kg), 3*3 Strict Press @ 35Kg (very tough) plus 3 sets of 4 Pull Ups. Skipping the Lunchtime run and will reduce the volume / intensity of this evenings session. On two minds whether to run or not but settled for a few easy laps with 4* 400M at a faster pace included. Total distance of 5K and then it was home for an early night.
A good night’s sleep and feeling good but a little creaky in the legs department but you’re supposed to feel that way during times of heavy training. Decided against a lunchtime run but knowing it was my only option I changed my mind and went out for an easy 8K in the hope of loosening out my legs and aid recovery. Took a few minutes before it started to feel easy and at that point I was wishing that I’d stayed closer to work. Finished with 8.5K in just under 40 minutes and not looking forward to standing on the sideline of a football pitch this evening.
Almost a lie in as most of my weekend mornings have had early starts over the last while. Still woke early but went back to bed after checking my HRV and used the opportunity to take a 
A great result but my legs are feeling the effects of yesterday and the weather seems a bit rough so I do a double take knowing it might not be a day for the hills. I go back to bed thinking I need to go but thinking back to last Friday when I had a close call due to leg fatigue I think it’s the right choice. When I finally get up I get caught up watching the Great North Run and the weather gets even worse and I almost miss my Long Run opportunity. Eventually I notice a break in the weather and take my chance for a long run and just run without any plan on where to go and make it up as I go along to arrive home 30K later. It felt a bit tougher than it should have and that makes me think I needed it more than I realised.
Again it’s another good week but would have preferred more time in the hills and not happy to have missed the long run opportunity on Sunday. Fitness is definitely improving and my Parkrun time trial resulted in a Season’s best without a lot of effort and without a Taper.
Better than expected even though it should be higher but based on the weekend it’s a good result. Legs feeling stiff / heavy and did a short lunchtime run of 8K to try get them moving again. Running Commute home and from the start it felt more of an effort for the pace and HR. Legs tired and wasn’t mentally switched on so I’ll call it a good run.
A slight improvement which wasn’t expected as I felt tired last night and still carrying the excess weight gain from the weekend. Relatively easy Gym session of Sumo Deadlift and standing lunges with front leg elevated. Legs feeling ok so I went for a short recovery run to make the most of the good weather. Followed this with a 20K after work starting easy but picking it up as the legs started to come alive.
A good result and looking like a great day. No time for a lunchtime run but ran home and after a quick change made my way to the Track to coach for 1.5hrs and even managed a short recovery run.
Gym session cancelled so I used the opportunity for a running commute. Felt tired getting up and was very tempted to stay in bed but made the right decision.
Unexpected but I’ll take the warning. Easy lunchtime run of 7K keeping my HR around 120bpm and happy with the resulting pace for the easy effort. Had the opportunity for a second evening run with a club mate and I took it as he’s nursing an injury and just wanted to test the recovery. Between the 2 of us we agreed on a 4-10K route with a few escape options if there were any problems. Started a bit faster than I expected but the pace was manageable and as the run progressed so did the pace. We took a chance and picked it up for the 9th Km and then eased back to recovery at a pace than was now feeling easy. A good run and totally unexpected. 
A good result after yesterday. Went to the track and the plan was 3*1K after a long warm up and a short break / distraction to coach a few footballers. Coaching session went well but when I tried to do my Intervals I just couldn’t get the legs going. Not sure if it was because I was on my own or just simply fatigue from yesterday but it was still worth getting out of bed for.
Just what I wanted in advance of a long run and the plan is for 40-50K. Started off on my own and met a club mate running towards me along the canal and we continued in the direction I was heading which was also back towards his house. We continued on for 15K and then turned to retrace our steps before leaving the canal at 20K and then I was on my own. I didn’t have any particular route planned and sometimes this can be a good idea on a long run as you don’t start to dread what’s ahead when you’ve only started. Some of my direction decisions were made by the flow of traffic and I finished close to my house with 45K. Definetly had more in my legs and wasn’t feeling any drop in energy and that’s a great way to finish.
A good week and managed to make the most of the running commute with a few extra Kilometres clocked up and I’m now back up to 160K (100 Miles) for a week.
A good start to the week and my new training cycle. Easy lunchtime run of 30 minutes keeping my HR below 130bpm, legs feeling heavy since the session last night but apart from that I’m feeling good. Met some club mates after work and did a repeat of yesterday’s session but ran for pace rather than heart rate as that’s the compromise when running with others. Only 2 minutes slower than yesterday but average heart rate was 8 beats lower which has me thinking that the pace for this run might be more economical.
Change of plan as my Gym session is cancelled so I used the opportunity for a long recovery run to work keeping my HR below 130bpm. Wasn’t really on form for this run and tried to convince myself to stay in bed but the guilt was keeping me awake. Made a deal with myself as and if this morning’s reading was an Amber it was back to bed for a few more minutes. Here’s a few tips from Men’s Running magazine about the running commute with a little contribution from myself: 
Lower than expected and HR higher than usual even though I think yesterday was a good recovery day. Skipped the opportunity to run during lunch but instead ran home at an easy pace and went a little bit longer after meeting a club mate running towards my direction as planned.
Before going to bed last night I wasn’t expecting this result but when waking I felt tired. Easy Gym session of single leg squats and an abdominal routine. Will decide this evening whether to run or not. Normally I’d just skip the run but chances are my weekend could be a write off so I want to maximise my available time but will be cautious not to overdo it. Didn’t run.
A great result and I tried to make the most of it with a long Tempo run but the DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) were starting to kick in and the effort felt a little bit too much. Decided to do a longer warm up but in my mind I was torn between a hard session to make up for what I might miss over the weekend but also wanted to listen to my body and not negate the training effect from the strength session by working weak muscles that were trying to repair and adapt. Finished meters short of 16K in 62 minutes after a long lazy warm up and walked to cool down. The long drive didn’t do my legs any favours and the hours of inactivity meant serious cramping by the time I reached my destination.
A good result after yesterday but my legs feel totally seized up. Went for an early run of 10K and felt like I was running on the spot for the first half but managed to get going on the return and finished in 41 minutes. Would have liked a longer session as my thinking is the extra miles will cancel out some of the damage I might do at the wedding.
Delighted with this result after a long day yesterday. Only got to bed at 4:00am and was up again at 9:00am. Dreading the drive home and in advance I pre planned to stop if suffering from cramps. Journey went ok but felt tired when I got home, wanted to run but had all the reasons why I deserved the day off but also knew I needed to get out. Weighed myself and the one day damage became visibly obvious and without any further thought I was out. Took it easy and finished with 25K in just under 2hrs, better than nothing and during the run I thought about a few long sessions I might do over the coming days and weeks.
Could have been worse as the weekend was a possible write off but managed to salvage 45K.