World and European 24H Team Announced 2013

The World & European 24H championships will take place in Steenbergen, Netherlands on May 11th/12th. Ireland will be represented by a strong team in the men’s category.

The team will comprise of:

John O’Regan
Eoin Keith
Eddie Gallen
Dan Doherty

The team is very experienced and some of the members have been in very good form recently. Eoin Keith set an Irish record over 48 hours at the beginning of the year. Dan Doherty has had some very strong performances over 100K including finishing 8th in the recent European Championships. John O’Regan is the reigning 24H national champion and along with Eddie Gallen competed strongly in last year’s World 24H event. A strong team result is a possibility if all goes to plan.

In an event of this nature the support crew are crucial to the team’s success. On this occasion John Collins, John Belton and Kevin Belton will support the team. They will attend to the various requirements over the 24 hour period and ensure that the team competes to their abilities.

Training Diary 11th – 17th March 2013

Monday Mar 11^th. HRV= 78 White

A good start to the week and today will be similar to last week and I’ll skip the lunchtime run to make the most of an evening session of hill repeats.  Met up with some others from my club and did a few easy hill reps taking almost 30 seconds longer per rep with the focus being on leg strength.  Finished off the session on a shorter steeper hill and did 2 hard reps finishing each with a 100M sprint at the top.  Legs burning towards the end

Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session, a lunchtime MAF session and a short evening Recovery run.

Tuesday Mar 12^th. HRV= 72 White

Better than expected.  Early gym session of Back Squat, 5* 5 with 50Kg and I’m going deeper than ever before. Walking Lunges * 3 sets with 10Kg Dumbbells with each set including 20 steps.  Finished off with some easy core work.  Lunchtime MAF session didn’t go as planned as my HR was spiking and I was conscious of possibly going too hard.  It took almost 3K before it dropped from 180bpm down to a more realistic 130bpm for the same pace and then I pushed on to get my HR to around 140bpm.  Legs feeling heavy and I’m now thinking that instead of an evening Recovery run I’ll rest.

Plan for tomorrow is an easy Lunchtime Run and an evening Interval Session similar to last week.

Wednesday Mar 13^th. HRV=73 White

Expected slightly higher after half a rest day yesterday but probably over did the food last night.  My weight is slightly up and I can feel the DOMS.  My lunchtime run became a shorter easier Recovery Run and even that was an effort and I decided to cut it short at just over 6K.  Not looking forward to this evening’s session but that’s not a good enough reason not to do it.  Made the effort to refuel in advance of my evening Intervals and had the pre training Beet-it Shot on the train journey home before a quick turnaround and a drive to the track.  It was only when I started the warm up that I realised how beneficial the running to the track warm up is as it means less track time and can make the session seem shorter.  Met the gang and we agreed on a session of 5*1500M with 2 min recovery at a pace of 3:30-3:35 per K.  20 minute warm up and then it started.  Session went as planned and only missed the splits by 1-2 seconds and finished wondering if the recovery was too long or the reps were too short.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/284043160

I’ve been asked to run in a 6K Road Race next Monday which is also the County Championships as part of a Masters Team.  Not sure if I’m Race ready and I can’t afford to Taper for a race of lesser importance but I’m thinking that it may help in advance of the Trail Ultra next Saturday.

Plan for tomorrow will depend on my recovery but includes an early Gym session.

Thursday Mar 14^th. HRV= 83 White

A great result after last night’s effort and I feel like I could do it all over again but still feeling the DOMS.  Early Gym session and it’s 5*3 Power Clean with the last set @ 47.5Kg and I could feel it.  Finished off with a core circuit of 20Kg Kettlebell swings, hanging leg raises and standing shoulder press *3 sets and 3 rotations of Plank.  Went out at lunchtime with the intention of running a 10K but knew when leaving the office that it wasn’t going to happen.  Yet again my legs were feeling stiff and it’s probably a combination of the past few days plus this morning.  Changed to a recovery run and was pleasantly surprised at my HR relative to the pace.  I’m coaching this evening but might get an opportunity for a second recovery run.  Finished the day with a very easy Recovery Run of 5K in 30 minutes keeping someone company and this was perfect as I didn’t need to concentrate on HR or pace and all I had to do was run.

Plan for tomorrow is undecided but might do something short and fast to start breaking in a new pair of Running Shoes..

Friday Mar 15^th. HRV=81 White

Great result and legs feeling refreshed which is probably down to the disciplined recovery run last night and that tells me that my recovery runs might sometimes be too fast and the recovery runs do work.    Lunchtime session of 6*1 minute fast as I’m stuck for time, decided against trying the new shoes just yet (Saucony Kinvara) and the session went better than expected.  Will try for a second session later and if it happens I’ll go for a steady state run with the effort dependent on my available time and keeping Monday’s race in mind.  Personally the Trail Ultra next weekend is a more important race but the club comes first and I need to be on form for Monday.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/284676310

Managed to fit in a short steady state run on the track and settled for 7K with my HR between 140-155bpm

Plan for tomorrow is a short trail run.

Saturday Mar 16^th. HRV= 80 White

Great result but legs feeling stiff and heavy and I’m thinking that a short but fast Interval session would be a better choice for today but plans have been made so it’s off to the mountains.  Early start and met with two friends to run the start section of the Wicklow Way Ultra.  Felt good at the start and was happy with how comfortable the pace felt but shortly after the climbing started I could feel the effort and was soon reduced to a walk.  I told the other guys to go on ahead and I’d follow but unfortunately they held back so I’d no option but to get going again.  I took it slow and steady and as the terrain started to level out I got going again and it almost felt like a second wind but I knew I’d struggle again if the climbing was to start again.  I think it’s time now to Taper the climbing muscles and I’ll forget about the Trail race until after Monday.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/285005280

Plan for tomorrow is an easy social club run to mark St Patrick’s Day.

Sunday Mar 17^th. HRV=63 Amber

Didn’t expect such a low score as yesterday was an easy day even if I did suffer on the climbs as I was cautious not to over cook.  I did have 2 bottles of beer last night and I expect the alcohol could be the cause of the low score.  I’m not too concerned as this mornings run will be at recovery pace and I woke before the alarm so I’m well rested.  Just as I was leaving the house it started to snow and that meant a quick change of clothing and then it was off for a freezing cold 14K and if it wasn’t for the pre planned session I probably wouldn’t have ran today.

Plan for tomorrow is a 6K race and my plan is to run 3:30 per K and hold it for as long as possible.

Weekly HRV Summary

All in all a good week but would have been happier with a better run on Saturday and a higher HRV on Sunday.  On the plus side my Interval session went very well on Wednesday and overall for this week my HRV scores were quite high.

Training Diary Monday 04th-Sunday 10th March 2013

Monday Mar 04^th. HRV= 56 Amber.

An expected result but didn’t expect it to be so low as I didn’t think I worked hard enough yesterday and I’m now glad I didn’t do a second session. Will skip the lunchtime session to make the most of this evening.  Met with some club mates and did an easy session of hill repeats totalling 11K in an hour and alternating between a short sharp hill and a longer gradual climb.

Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session and a lunchtime MAF session if I feel up to it.

Tuesday Mar 05^th. HRV=79 Green.

A great result and I’m back in the game.  Early gym session of Back Squat, 5* 5 with 45Kg working on depth and technique. Walking Lunges * 3 sets with 10Kg Dumbbells and 3*3 Deadlift with 95Kg, 100Kg, 105Kg.  Still lifting less than before but I’m feeling more confident in the movement and can feel the strength returning.  Lunchtime recovery run and could feel the cumulative fatigue in my legs and it was too much of an effort to elevate my heart rate so I dropped it down a gear.   Evening Recovery run over an undulating course keeping the HR low.

Plan for tomorrow is an easy Lunchtime Run and an evening Interval Session similar to last week.

Wednesday Mar 06^th. HRV=67 White.

Same as last week and woke with the DOMS and remembering how I felt last week after consulting my diary I think I’ll skip the lunchtime run and be even better prepared for this evening’s session with the intention of working harder.  Evening Interval session was almost abandoned for something easier as I struggled to get my legs moving.  For the past few weeks I’ve ran this with 2 club mates but tonight it was just 1 and we were both feeling the effects of the last few days.  The plan was 7* 1K @ 3:30 per k with 55 seconds recovery which is a rep more than last week with 5 seconds less recovery.  We finished the 1^st rep in 3:40 after picking up the pace towards the effort felt closer to 3:20 pace and we both knew that that this was unsustainable.  The 2^nd rep felt a little bit easier but still an effort and then Liam arrived looking fresh as a daisy so we got him to lead out the next 5 reps and we were then able to switch off and just follow.  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/281200486

Plan for tomorrow will depend on my recovery but includes an early Gym session.

Thursday Mar 07^th. HRV= 70 White.

A great result after last night’s effort but still feeling the training effect and I’m carrying some fatigue.  Early Gym session and my Trainer changed the routine to allow recover from Tuesday’s session.  Bench Press working up to a 1 rep max of 60Kg, 5* 5 Push Press with 32.5Kg and finishing with a Core / Abdominal Routine.  Felt good during the session but was glad when it finished.

Plan for tomorrow is Hill Reps or MAF session.

Friday Mar 08^th. HRV=67 White.

Lower than expected but I am feeling a bit fatigued and it’s possible that the last few days have caught up on me and that changes today, will skip my lunchtime run and save myself for an easy running commute home.  Plan changed again and the run home is cancelled so I went for a Recovery run at lunchtime.  Keeping my HR nice and low and it wasn’t long before my legs came back to life.  Ran slightly longer than planned as the pace allowed more for my available time and was quite happy with the result.  Shortly after finishing my legs started to stiffen up again.  A window of opportunity allowed for a sneaky evening Track session and went for a 3* 2K Intervals off 2 min Recovery.  Tough session but worth the effort and finished it off with a trip to the supermarket.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/281844565

Plan for tomorrow is undecided and will depend on available time and recovery.

Saturday Mar 09^th. HRV= 80 White.

Great result but legs feeling stiff so the plan now is to train my engine with a steady state run before breakfast and train my chasis with a short fast Trail Run in the afternoon.  I’d have secretly preferred a lower score that would have allowed going back to bed but I knew that if I went back to bed without a good enough reason I wouldn’t have gone back to sleep.  The softest pillow is a clear conscience.  Took a few minutes to warm into my first session and eased into a comfortable pace covering 10K in just over 40 minutes.  Dropped my daughter to her afternoon training session and continued on to my now regular hill run.  Started off at a steady effort with the gradient dictating the pace.  Visibility was poor and this made the session a little bit easier as I couldn’t see too far ahead and even though I’m familiar with the route it can be easy to trick the mind when you can’t see what’s ahead.  Legs were feeling strong and I was all set for emptying the tank on the final climb to the summit but hooked up with another runner that seemed to be struggling and walking.  We ran together at an easier pace and said our goodbyes when the climbing finished and then I met one of my Team Mates 'Eoin Keith' and had a 5 minute stop and chat.  I was now under pressure to get back to the car and picked up the pace on the descent running quite hard and could really feel the effort I’d put in as I approached the finish.  All in all a good day’s work.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/282224397

Plan for tomorrow is a Trail run along the Wicklow Way with an early start.

Sunday Mar 10^th. HRV=86 White.

Expected a low score and sore legs but all is good and looking forward to a good day.  Woke at 7am and had a Beet it Shot before getting out of bed, followed this with my HRV measuring routine and then a cup of coffee before leaving the house at 8am.  Drove to a location that would allow maximum climbing for the least possible distance / time.  The weather was quite cold and I expected it to get colder so I dressed a bit better than usual and carried a small pack.  Based on my HRV my ever changing plan was to run at a HR just above my Aerobic Zone to get the most from what could be my last chance to run in the hills before the Wicklow Way Ultra.  The plan soon changed after the running started as I struggled to get my legs moving.  I expected to finish the day with an average pace of faster than 5:30 per K but had to settle for almost a minute slower.  An ok run on tired legs.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/282224397

Plan for tomorrow is a set of hill reps as a single session.

Weekly HRV Summary

A good week with some quality sessions and HRV results show that my training is productive.  Maximising Performance by Monitoring Progress.

Training Diary 18th – 24th Feb 2013

Monday Feb 18^th. HRV= 66 White

An Ok start to the week but I’m feeling slightly congested so I won’t overdo it.  Easy 8K run during lunchtime letting my legs decide the pace as there’s some fatigue since the weekend.  Heart Rate a little bit higher than usual but that’s reflective of how I’m feeling.  Second run of 10K running to the offices of the Athletics Association of Ireland for a meeting of the Ultra Running Committee.  Still feeling congested but the run went ok and made sure to keep my heart rate at the lower end of my aerobic zone.

Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session and I expect to be taking a step back.  My run plan is undecided but I’m thinking hill repeats.

Tuesday Feb 19^th. HRV=74 White

A great result and I’m feeling a little bit better, running yesterday’s session according to HRV has allowed continuous training.  2 Hard boiled eggs for breakfast and a cup of coffee as it’s a gym day.  Early Gym Session of mostly foam rolling and mobility work, did 3 sets of walking lunges with 7.5Kg Dumbbells and will ease back to where I was but take a step back as each event gets close.  Have time for 2 runs today starting with lunchtime MAF session which didn’t go to plan as my HR was spiking and I know because of the figures that it was a problem with the signal so I ran to pace instead and made an educated guess at what it should be.  Spiking can be caused by the contact points on the chest straps not being wet enough and this is a common problem on cold and windy days when it takes a while to warm up and start the early stages of sweating.  Simply wetting the contact points won’t always be sufficient as the silicone type pad won’t hold the moisture.  Saliva works well when cold as it’s sticky and wont roll of the contact points but don’t lick the strap unless you wash it after each use for obvious reasons.  Evening session of Hill Repeats on a 300M long hill with a 30M climb which I think is long enough to bring on a burn but short enough not to overcook . The recovery is then short enough to prevent the HR from dropping into the recovery zone and each rep gets progressively harder.  Started to lose power after the 6^th rep so I took a longer recovery and finished stronger which has me wondering if I warmed up sufficiently or should have added an extra rep?

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/275377178

Plan for tomorrow is an easy Lunchtime Run and an evening Tempo or Interval Session to wake the legs up.

Wednesday Feb 20^th . HRV=76 White

HRV moving in the right direction even though I’ve been training continuously hard and fighting a head cold.  Easy Lunchtime Run at Recovery Pace to test the legs and hopefully prepare them for an evening session.  Felt a bit lazy during this run as I ran the middle portion with someone else and then it was an effort to get back to work on time.  Didn’t have use of the car when I got home which meant running to the track and leaving the house earlier than planned so I didn’t have time to eat.  Knowing in advance I’d be rushing I had a beet it shot on the train journey home and made a cup of coffee while getting changed.  Felt a bit drained when I arrived at the track and wasn’t looking forward to the planned session of 6*1K @ 3:30 per K.  Met my training partner and told him how I was feeling and that I didn’t expect to get through the session.  Did the 1st rep and it was an effort to get the legs moving and asked my partner to lead out the 2^nd  which felt slightly easier and I’m thinking it’s because I didn’t need to concentrate on pace but instead I just switched off and followed.  He led out the next few reps but started to slow on the 3^rd so I picked it up towards the end and we both agreed that we would finish with the 5^th.  The 5^th came and went and during the recovery I remembered the difference a recovery can make so we took a chance on the last interval and eased into it before picking up the pace for the last 500M.

Don’t quit, Recover.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/275377178

Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session and due to time constraints I’ll try repeat my Tuesday Hill Session late evening.

Thursday Feb 21^st. HRV=70 White

Expected lower and will try make the most of this today but time will be tight, result makes me think I can start running my Intervals faster or maybe include an extra 1 to 2 reps.  Early Gym session working on depth in my squat and my flexibility seems to be improving, lifting less than before but feeling stronger.  Finished the session with hanging leg raises and a variation on the sit up.  No time for a lunchtime run as I had a meeting / interview to close of a planned documentary feat the Siberian Project.  My evening coaching session finished late and today became a rest day

Plan for tomorrow is the Hill Reps I missed last night.

Friday Feb 22^nd. HRV=76 White

Expected higher after resting yesterday but still going in the right direction.  Lunchtime MAF session gone wrong as my HR was spiking as per Tuesday and instead I just sat into a pace that was already dialled into the virtual partner on my Garmin, session felt comfortably hard @ 10K in 41 mins.  Finished off the day with a hill session similar to Tuesday but less reps and added in 2 other hills on the run home.

Plan for tomorrow is an early local run and a short afternoon trail run.

Saturday Feb 23^rd. HRV=73 White

Change of plan as my son’s soccer match has an early kick off and then my daughter was too sick to go training so that meant missing both planned runs.  Made the most of an free hour in the late afternoon and hit the Track for 6* 1200M intervals with 1 minute recovery.  Tough going but I reckon with company I could go longer / faster and maybe add in a few extra reps.

Plan for tomorrow is a 25K Trail run along the Wicklow Way with an early start.

Sunday Feb 24^th. HRV=79 White

Expected a low score and possible Amber after yesterday’s session and this makes me think I need to start running my reps faster and longer.  Slight change of plan as a heavy fall of snow overnight has made roads in Wicklow impassable.  Drove as close as possible to another location in the hills and settled for a 2hr run in the snow with 680M of ascent.  The pace and distance were less than planned but all it was a fantastic run on snow covered trails.  Went for a second shorter run at Tempo pace just before it got dark to make up for the easier effort this morning so all in all it was a great day.

Plan for tomorrow is a set of hill reps and possibly an easy lunchtime run.

Weekly Summary

A good week with a few quality sessions and it went almost as planned.

Diet and Training

A full week without chocolate and my body weight is now at 71.7Kg.  Next step will be to cut out crisps and each week I’ll add something else to the list.  I find it easier to ease into a new routine rather than try make too many changes at once.  Interesting results from Inside Tracker mean making a few adjustments to my diet which includes increasing my calcium and iron intake as my levels are borderline low.  Be proactive with your health because you need to be a healthy person first and fitness comes second.