Monday, March 11, 2024

Short Term Solution For A Long Term Goal


 Not the week I had planned or written in my running log but sometimes you have to step back and look at the bigger picture to appreciate the greater good.........


Mon  Mar 4th Off the back of Sundays long run I just needed an easy/recovery/shake out 6 miler to get the week started

I'll spare you the play by play call on a very frustrating morning in the office but suffice to say I was in a spit nails, walk thro walls, shit bullets frame of mind gone 2pm when I eventually got out to run so when I discovered early on the Garmin hadn't restarted after a traffic light stop up JFK Blvd I said feck it this would be an untimed run

To be fair it didn't need to be timed I'm just so used to timing my runs but given I was looking to shake the crap out of my legs from Sundays long run this really didn't require time, speed. pace just the miles

One area of concern as I mentioned in last weeks blog I'd racked up 451 miles on my running shoes so this was the maiden run in the new pair, I'm hoping they just need to mold to the shape of my foot as my big toe on my right foot felt like it was jamming into the toe box on the run to the point I had to double check Amazon had sent the right size....they had after a little futzing w/ the laces it felt a lot better


Tue Mar 5th Wasn't sure I'd get this one in as the weather was playing havoc, pissing down pouring rain most of the morning and early lunchtime however by 2pm it had eased up/ stopped and ever the Boy Scout I'd come prepared w/ a running rain jacket and baseball cap so off I splashed up JFK Blvd to the Schuylkill River Trail

A modest 52.30.5 off 8.44 mile pace w/ splits of:8.18-9.04-9.07-8.59-9.02-7.58 out in 26.31 back in 25.59 but the proverbial cheque was in the mail re tired legs, the past few week I've logged some major mileage on a weekly basis partly to get #154 miles for February, maybe the proverbial Chickens had come home to roost..........


Thur Mar 7th Having ridden my luck twice in the last few weeks w/ getting out to run when rain had threatened to derail me yesterday the Weather Gods said they were claiming that one and it pissed out of the heavens, given my legs were feeling it a little Monday & Tuesday I was only to happy to concede defeat but I was back at it at 2pm today

48.22.7 off 8.04 mile pace I could feel the benefit of a rest day in my legs and my pace, splits backed that up:8.22-8.43-8.38-7.54-8.25-6.18 out in 25.44 back in 22.38

Given this was scheduled as my last regular lunchtime run for the foreseeable future w/ the clocks going forward on Sunday and the resumption  of evening/longer runs it was nice to sign off w/ a respectable time and JFK Blvd will be spared yours truly  hammering up and down said Boulevard between 2pm-3pm on weekdays to and from the Schuylkill River Trail


I didn't plan on Thursday being my last run for the week Saturday was going to be my final 16 miler and Sunday would be an easy/recovery/shake out 6 miler to round up to another 5 day/40 mile week.....however...... when I didn't exactly leap out of bed Saturday morning and proceeded to roll over and fall back asleep till 10am which for me is almost unheard of I knew I was tired and while sometime you have to run on tired legs you also have to listen to what your body is telling you and mine was telling me it needed rest

It's never a bad thing to throw in the occasional low mileage week sometimes it's planned like the third weekend of January we go hit w/ snow and it's been full tilt the last 6 weeks, while the heart desired mileage the legs and body desired rest so I took the weekend off to recharge the batteries we'll go again Monday evening after work which after 4 months of lunchtime running will be a shock to the system but will also help shake things up a little

Monday, March 4, 2024

A Day Late, But Not A Dollar Short


 #154 miles for February, another 16 mile long run and the retirement of my old running shoes after 451 miles...it was quite the week.....

Mon Feb 26th Once again the benefit of a rest day on Sunday was a brisk time on Monday on fresh legs 44.42.3 off 7.25 mile pace w/ splits of 7.31-7.46-7.47-7.35-7.39-6.23 out in 23.04 back in 21.38

My previous best time is 43.09.09 ran on Feb 7th I hadn't set out to trouble that when I set off this lunchtime but I was pleased w/ the fast time, w/ the clock ticking down to the Love Run half marathon on March 24th it's good to know there's speed to go w/ the strength and stamina I've been building the last few months


Tue Feb 27th Halfway to the four six milers I need to get me to #154 miles for February

Another respectable time 46.18.13 of 7.43 mile pace, when 8.09 is your slowest split you know you're doing something right!

Having plateaued at #148 mile in December and January I was now two 6 miles away from #154 but I didn't want top tempt fate work has a funny way of  throwing a " spanner in the works" IF I miss 1 day it would be #148 miles again.....NOT the end of the world but to be this  close to beating that total felt like being on a knife edge.......


Wed Feb 28th YES! Got this one in period and despite a forecast of rain, if it all goes " tits up" tomorrow at least I have #148 miles{ again!!} for the month

After two brisk 6 milers Monday and Tuesday I took it easy today 50.23.7 off 8.24 mile pace according to Accu Weather there was a 60% chance of rain between 2pm-3pm to that end I threw a rain jacket and baseball cap into my running bag on Tuesday evening but didn't really need them as the rain held off however at 60 degrees I did work up a good sweat out and back along the river

On Monday when it was unseasonably warm the trail was full of " fair weather runners" taking advantage of the sun and warm temps.......not so  many of them today when it was overcast.......


Thur Feb 29th Nailed It!! 45.58.9 off 7.39 mile pace #154 miles for February

It wasn't lost on me that had this year NOT been a leap year I would have logged #148 miles for the month for the third month in a row,  nor is it lost on me that these 6 miles on Feb 29th mean I'll just miss #200 for March provided I hit all my marks next month..... live by the Leap Year, Die by the Leap Year..... said nobody ever to my knowledge!

March will see a shift in the landscape for me, the clocks go forward on the 10th meaning a transition from lunchtime running  back to evening running and potentially more miles per week and month it also signals the end of Winter {yea!} and brings the first of three races in March, April and May b4 a long block of 20 mile long runs till my next scheduled race at the end of August by which time the magical number till Dublin will be  9 weeks.......


Sun Mar 3rd So it pissed out of the heavens on Saturday morning to the point where a 16 mile run was pointless in those conditions, no point going out in those conditions are running the risk of getting sick so I waited it out till Sunday since I had that option

Out the door by 7.30am a gloriously sunny morning at 48 degrees ideal running conditions period but for those who favour the time honoured Sunday Long Run{ and as is my won't I counted the runners I saw while I was out there this morning and counted 22} this was ideal

Thankfully someone from the Philadelphia Parks Department either got the memo or read my blog from last week.........the former more so than the latter seems more likely and left the bottom gate unlocked this week so I was  able to run my more traditional 16 mile route through Fairmount Park b4 hitting East Falls via West River Dr and Strawberry Mansion Bridge

I had a wry smile to myself when I passed the Japanese Cultural Center on the morning of the Tokyo Marathon  and  thought of my good running buddy Colin who completed  the Abbott World Marathon Series by running Tokyo today, technically I have ran 4 of the 6 Marathons London, Chicago, New York and Boston but prior to the Abbot World Series so I'm not sure if they would count I wouldn't mind a crack at Berlin and Tokyo but let's get through Dublin in October first

Things were ticking along nicely w/ the first 9 miles all sub 9 b4 the always challenging mile 10 up the on ramp to Strawberry Mansion Bridge and up the twisty Strawberry Mansion Dr  registered  a 9.26 split, however I then threw in three sub 9s through East Falls as I crossed the Girard Avenue bridge w/ three miles to go and looked in control........

Somehow the wheels came off in those final 3 miles I had little to no kneelift or leg turnover and it was an effort to get home via 34th St and Powelton Ave but I did in 2.19.31 off 8.43 mile pace not quite the finish I was hoping for but somedays style points count for feck all and it's about grinding it out

At 451 mile these running shoe are now " out to pasture" having served me well, I forget when I first wore them but w/ increased mileage on the horizon I suspect I'll be going through the next few pairs rapidly

Monday, February 26, 2024

Easy Tiger..........


 Another 5 day/ 40 mile week another 16 mile long run.....to quote an old Monty Python sketch " still  I was getting used to it by now"...........


Monday Feb 19th An easy/recovery 6 miler at lunchtime out and back along Powelton Ave and Mantua Ave since today was  President's Day and I had the day off from work

Given I was coming off of my long run on Sunday this was always going to be a easy/recovery run and a chance to get any leftover gunk/crap out of my legs as I took it easy and logged a 53.23.4 off of 8.53 miler pace

One advantage of a day off from work asides from not having to get up at 7am was having sometime at home to catch up on  watching some running on tv, I'd missed the actual Olympic Marathon Trials on Feb 3rd as I was out doing my long run that morning so it was nice to watch the  Men's and Women's races and also watch The New Balance Games from Boston

I miss not running track but sadly the issues w/ my left knee and hip mean it's better to avoid all those left turns on a track which on an indoor track is twice as many but it doesn't stop me from watching the top flight athletes doing their thing, I've already preset Peacock's coverage of the upcoming World Indoor C'ships to  My Stuff  .....when I'll actually get around to watching it is another matter......


Tue Feb 20th Easy 6 miler at lunchtime out and back along the Schuylkill River a modest 50.28.8 off 8.24 mile pace, I was already cognizant of the fact I was looking at a potential 6 in a row having ran Saturday, Sunday, Monday and now today, it was a case of " cutting your cloth accordingly" run  6 in a row and have Sunday as a rest day or take Wednesday or Thursday off and run both days on the weekend which has been the case so far this year ,given Cork have  a Hurling game at 10.45am  on Sunday I figured go for the gusto run today, tomorrow and Thursday and then just the long run on Saturday.

I was also cognizant of the fact that not every  lunchtime 6 miler out and back along the river has to be " hammer and tongs" some days just putting the miles in is enough w/out  being overly concerned about time, speed, pace, splits etc it's very easy to allow the Garmin to dictate how you run sometimes it's good to just log the miles


Wed Feb 21st A slight tweak to my route, last week I mentioned heading up JFK Blvd rather than Market St to cut out a couple of cross street b4 the river the only drawback of that is the steps up and down to the River Trail, I find them a real momentum killer so ever the Boy Scout I looked into a way to circumnavigate them

There's an on/off ramp on the right hand side of JFK Blvd that leads to 22nd St which leads to Race St, sharp left and w/in a block the Conrail tracks and then the Schuylkill River Trail.....no steps!......the caveat to this is IF there's a Conrail train approaching those gates will be locked which then means finding another way onto the trail but I figured I'll cross, burn, jump, paint that bridge when the time comes

So remember yesterday when I said about not allowing the Garmin to always dictate things....... today I ran 50.00.4 off 8.18 pace and won't deny I'm slightly  miffed I didn't sneak under  49.59.99..... live by the Garmin, die by the Garmin........the struggle continues.......


Thur Feb 22nd My 6th run in 6 days.....this was always going to be an easy run as I racked up  46th mile since Saturday 50.29.0 off 8.24 mile pace

In running as in life it's all about choices while six days in a row is a big ask I do now have the luxury of Sunday off which hasn't always been the case so far this year in an ideal world I'd like to run Monday through Thursday then Saturday..... it doesn't always play out like that and in order to get this Sunday off and avoid a potential 6 in a row again next week I had to run today so if you're willing to give a little to get a little in return you'll be just grand


Sat Feb 24th Bollix! woke up at 6.30am to the sound of rain bouncing off my window.......not how I wanted to tackle a 16 miler, however I knew if I waited it out a little it would stop and since time wasn't an issue for once { a rare day for the Shamrock Warrior when " time wasn't an issue"!!!} I figured I could delay my start time, eventually out the door by 8.20am

After Sundays Baltic 16 miler I was relieved to see 38 feels like 32 on my phone for 8am talk about " once frostbitten, twice shy" as Winter is coming to a close I'm hoping I won't be faced w/ another long run in those conditions anytime soon

Things were clipping along nicely for the opening six mile b4 an unscripted " spanner in the works" threw me off......in the past couple of years on this particular route for my 16 miler I've never had an issue w/ this particular gate being locked........until today......double bollix!!!! I had to reroute myself on the fly and  w/ hindsight maybe I could've done a U Turn back to Belmont Ave to Concourse Ave to Lansdowne Dr to Sweetbriar Dr to W. River Dr what I ended up doing was hanging a left to Montgomery Dr to W. River Dr....ultimately where I was looking to end up.....however  I now needed to find 2 extra miles to make up the two I'd lost through Fairmount Park......

Eventually I settled on running my normal route through the drives on East Falls and down Fountain Green Drive to Kelly Dr which give or take was going to bring me out at 11 miles and a give or take 5 miler home along the Schuylkill River Trail to South St bridge and Baltimore Ave

Just b4 the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial aka The Immigrant statue I passed a runner w/ a Palestine flag on his back....I gave him a thumbs up as I passed and we chatted for a minute when he saw my Ireland half zip running jacket he knew we were on the same side and it was good to share a moment w/ a kindred spirit I always say running is about bringing people together and breaking down barriers

Remarkably my time was 2.07.31 off 7.58 mile pace how accurate that is I don't know given this wasn't the route I normally run, maybe like my opening 14 miler on Jan 6th when I " caught lightning in a bottle" today like Grace Jones was a "Slave To Rhythm" I'm a "Slave To The Garmin" I go by what it tells me.....I also know the Garmin can be a fickle bitch  and the issue I have running a different route today is I have no point of reference to what my time would normally be......I could run this route again next Saturday and see what my time is.....and who knows I may have to if the gate in Fairmount Park is locked again  but if that's the biggest issue I have to deal w/ right now then I guess I have it pretty good

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

This Is A Song For The Souls Of The Departed



 Another successful 5 day week including my first 16 miler.........

Tuesday Feb 13th another week where work cost me a weekday run on Monday so I knew I was in for a Sunday run.....again...... in the immortal words of a Monty Python sketch" still I was getting used to it by now"....

As has become almost customary now it was 2pm b4 I hit Market St up to the Schuylkill River and out and back just beyond Girard Avenue bridge at 39 degrees it was hat and gloves weather

A modest 50.16.9 time off 8.23 mile pace out in 26.06 back in 24.10, always good to get the first run of the week under my belt....even if it's on a Tuesday!


Wed Feb 14th Happy Valentine's Day!💘 a shout out to Mrs Shamrock Warrior/Mrs Gypsy Rebel for not only being my trusty side kick and partner in crime the last five years but also for her unwavering  support of my running, in the past I dated women who not only treated my running like a massive inconvenience  but refused to come and watch me run, the list of excuses w/ one individual read something like this: No I don't want to drive to Albany for he weekend, No I don't want to get up early to go to New York, No I  don't want to come to your track meet to watch you run around in circles, No I don't want to drive to Ithaca or take the bus for the weekend but the absolute topper was when I ran the Rothman 8k which is three miles from where I live, she not only refused to go but was still in bed after I jogged the 3 miles to the race, ran the 8k then jogged the 3 miles home afterwards.......I don't need that negativity in my life period and it  makes me extremely grateful for the love and support from Sibeal💚

Today's run felt like a cross between Winnie The Pooh and Marcel Marceau......yes it was a blustery day and at one point I felt like I was doing that walk against the wind  auld shite! to underline how windy it was out there along the Schuylkill mile three where I'm w/in arms length of the river was a 9.21 split....the same mile in the other direction after I made the turn was 8.10............

49.23.3 off 8.14 mile pace out in 25.48 back in 23.35

Thursday Feb 15th, file this one under "Better Late Than Never" w/out getting too deep in to inter office politics it was 3pm b4 I got to lunch on Thursday, this is where getting boned on Monday when we were short staffed and couldn't take a lunch hour came back to bite me, if I'd been able to run Monday I could have said I'll pass today since it was so late but that wasn't an option and since I wanted my 5 day/40 mile week it was the late show today

Suitably fired up due to the bullshit I cranked out a brisk 47.18.8 off 7.52 mile pace, out in 24.08 back in 23.10, it was also  a run where upon the recommendation  of a co worker I ran up and back on JFK Blvd rather than Market St as it cuts out the last 4 cross streets after 20th St, it's always a bone of contention more so on the inbound leg that I have 7 cross streets I have to potentially slow or stop at moving forward I feel I'll continue to use JFK Blvd


Saturday Feb 17th Woke up to falling snow which had been predicted overnight, did I really want to go long in this????

I went back to bed since as is my won't I'm up early on a Saturday for the long run and by early afternoon the snow had stopped, I never did get an official amount  of snowfall for Saturday but it has to be said doing my trusty out and back 6 miler along Powelton Ave and Mantua Ave the sidewalks and roads were pretty clear which bodes well for the long run on Sunday

Could I have gone long this morning? maybe but since I had the leeway to do so Sunday which isn't always the case I figured it wasn't worry worrying about and a rare Sunday long run it was, I know I quoted Jumbo Elliott the other week about trying to maintain a strict routine but as the Marines often say we don't plan we improvise" and while I'm keen to retain a certain schedule I also know sometimes you have to be flexible w/ it


Sunday Feb 18th Holy Mother Of God..........when I woke up around 7am dressed and stretched and looked out window the sun was shining, looked like a great morning for a run period, long run no worries.......

Ever the Boy Scout I checked my phone to look up the weather........26 feels like 15, warm thoughts were NOT going to cut it I doubled up on socks and  SHOULD have doubled up on gloves as it almost was my undoing......

Out the door by 7.40am sidewalks were clear no melting/refreezing overnight issues for the opening 4-5 miles I always knew once I reached Fairmount Park and then crossed into East Falls this could be an issue but I'm happy to report I managed to stay upright the entire 16 miles and circumnavigated any potential falls, the funniest one came as I reached the Strawberry Mansion bridge roughly around mile 10, I always use the footbridge as it's made of wood and it has a bit of "give" compared to asphalt/ sidewalk......however it was still covered w/ snow and ice so after a brief "oh shit" I swung the other side of the median and ran across the bridge on the road....great thing about it being an early Sunday morning I didn't have to worry about traffic

I knew once I hit Edgley Dr /Reservoir Dr in East Falls the Soccer/Baseball/Softball fields would still be covered w/ snow and the wind whipping off of them as I negotiated them was chilling but I was now in the second half of the run, grit your teeth and keep going, crossing the Schuylkill on Girard Ave bridge the 13 mile marker came up on my Garmin I was too close to home now to quit, however by mile 14 on Powelton Ave my hands now felt like two blocks of ice, early on in the opening 4 miles my fingertips were numb but now my whole hands were frozen solid and as is often the case when I move up a distance those extra 2 miles at the end on the first run always seem that much tougher to get through, it was too friggin' cold to be walking the final 2 miles and while my pace was nothing to write home about I was able to see it through to the finish

2.19.02 off  of 8.41 mile pace, my splits were:7.27-7.59-8.31-8.58-8.30-8.31-8.24-8.28-9.08-8.33-8.46-8.53-9.19-9.19-9.36,I knew mile 10 was going to be 9+ as I have to do the on ramp up to Strawberry Mansion Bridge and the navigate another uphill along Strawberry Mansion Bridge Dr but maybe over the coming weeks of these 16 milers I can see if 16 & 0 is doable, I'm happy enough w/ 12 & 4 today  for my maiden run{ side bar this was my first 16 miler in 18 months} period muchless dealing w/ the below freezing temps throughout the run, I can't be sure if it ever got above freezing the entire run, it was a "comedy of errors" trying to get the key out of my half zip pocket let alone putting it in the lock and turning it when I got home just gone 10am, and it took a while after getting home b4 I could even text Beth to let her know I hadn't frozen to death out there this morning as my fingers were just that numb.......

A successful 5 day/40 mile week and my first 16 miler under my belt, in a week we lost two icons of distance running Kalvin Kiptum at 24 was a rising star who in my opinion was going to be the first man to run a sub 2.00.00 marathon, he almost did it in Chicago last October running 2.00.35 but sadly died in a car crash last weekend

Henry Rono was a long distance runner also from Kenya who in 1978 in the space of 81 days broke world records at 10,000m 5,000m 3,000m and 3,000m steeplechase also that summer he won 2 golds at the Edmonton Commonwealth Games over  5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase both will be missed

Monday, February 12, 2024

Lions, Tigers & Bears


Another successful week in the books, first race of the season under my belt two more medals to the collection..........

Monday February 5th W/ the Cupid's Chase 5K just 5 days away there was a need to see if the fast twitch muscles were still sharp.....evidently they are!

46.07.01 off 7.40 mile pace  it wasn't till I got home in the evening to "consult w/ the Oracle"....my running log that I discovered this was in fact a PR and course record....the fact that I'd been able to utilize Sunday as a rest day for once and come into Mondays run fresh probably helped, granted since I began prep for Dublin most of my runs during the week mainly the 6 milers were just to log weekly mileage but now  w/ a race on Saturday it was time to " see what was under the hood" I only ran three 5ks last season, Cupid's Chase in February, Penn Relays and Rocky Run in November and while the ultimate goal this season is the Marathon it would be beneficial to get some speed work under my belt to round out the "Three S's, Speed, Strength and Stamina"


Tuesday February 6th Having gone hard on Monday it felt prudent to throw in an easy/recovery run today to balance things out.....no point leaving it all out there along the Schuylkill River Trail this week and not having anything left in the tank on Saturday

To that end it was an easy 50.17.5 off 8.23 mile pace, however for good measure I did manage to throw in a negative split out in 26.05 back in 24.12 remarkable the weather has been "unseasonably warm" for early February to the point I could ditch my hat and gloves while running along the river...how long that will last is anyone's guess but as the saying goes let's make hay in the proverbial sunshine while it lasts


Wednesday February 7th Well I guess Monday wasn't a one off afterall.....43.09.9 off 7.11 mile pace my splits went:7.05-7.17-7.29-7.04-6.57-7.14.......when 7.29 is your slowest split you know you're doing something right!!!

At this point now the wheels were truly turning in my head, if I could average 7.11 mile pace over 6 miles what might I be able to do over 3 miles come Saturday?, over the last few seasons I haven't raced 5k that often but my days of sub 20 have begun to get further away while I doubt sub 20 is on the cards Saturday this early in the season I'm curious what I can run 


Saturday Feb 10th after a ten week hiatus it was race time again! gave myself 45 mins to walk the 3 plus miles from home to the Philadelphia Zoo and arrived there b4 7.30am ample time to get my race number, make one last " pit stop' at the rest room pin my number on strip down to race gear and get into the corral, conditions were above average as they had been all week once again I was able to leave the ski hat and gloves behind in fact I rolled up the sleeves of the long sleeved running shirt under my Ireland running vest b4 the gun even went off, I always joke in races and training runs that " when the sleeves get rolled up I mean business" the fact they got rolled up b4 the gun was  an indication of what was about to unfold.....

Having ran the race last year I knew the course, the opening mile looped through the Zoo, mile 2 was outside b4 coming back in and basically reversing the opening mile back through the Zoo to the finish I got a clear start and quickly found myself in the top 10 runners in a field of over 300 7.06 for the opening mile as we now looped around the outside a loop I'm very familiar w/

Prior to the clocks going forward in November and running at lunch time I was doing 8 mile runs three miles up to Mantua Ave then around the back of the Zoo and back down 34th Street  till I hit mile 4 then reverse and ran back the way I came so that second mile of the race was  familiar to me, I moved up to 8th and saw how much daylight I had between myself and 9th

7.11 for the second mile the gap between 7th and me wasn't closing and now it was just me verses the clock, could I go sub 21??? the final uphill in the corner of the Zoo took a little out of me the first few strides coming off of that hill were choppy b4 I got back into my  stride and crossed the finish line in 21.02.54

If you offered  me 21.02 b4 the gun went off I'd have taken it so to have just missed sub 21 isn't the end of the world, not sure if they're be a bunch of 5k b4 seasons end to go sub 21 but chances are I'll do the 5k and 10 miles at the Rocky Run in November post Dublin so we'll see

Finishers medal and  age group award winners medal to put me up to #243 for the career, closing in on #250 which if everything goes to plan will be Dublin on October 27th, while the Dublin Marathon was always on my list it's NOT a coincidence  I set it up that it could be medal #250

For good measure post race I ran the three miles home to round up to 24 miles for the week since I lost the chance to run at lunchtime on Thursday I'll have to get out there on Sunday to finish off the week at 30 miles


Sunday Feb 11th Easy/recovery 6 miles out and back along Powelton Ave and Mantua Ave just gone 9am.....actually I ended up running along 34th towards the Zoo entrance  to compensate for a Garmin malfunction along Powelton Ave when I didn't restart it at 35th St, I could have " eyeballed" the turnaround but then the Garmin would have come up short and I wanted the  6 miles besides it was a pleasant morning to be out there  and having sacrificed the Saturday long run for the race yesterday a little extra half a mile or so wasn't going to matter

Officially 6 miles for the day, 30 for the week, 50 so far in February, down to  six weeks till The Love Run half marathon on March 24th and the prospect of a 40 mile week w/ a 16 mile long run this Saturday.....never let it be said I'm one to rest on my laurels.....

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Glass Half Empty Or Glass Half Full?


 A pivotal week for yours truly a chance to equal Decembers total of 148 miles and round out my 14 milers...........

Monday Jan 29th an easy 6 miler to kick off the week, knowing I was potentially looking at running 6 days in a row and that Wednesday would be a 10 miler there was a  sense of caution going into this lunchtime run, cut your cloth accordingly to make sure by the time Thursday rolled around there'd still be gas in the tank

A respectable 48.05.0 off 8.00 mile pace not too shabby out in 25.34 back in 22.31, once again the stiff tailwind off the Schuylkill River helped me on the inbound leg, w/ our clocks going forward on March 10th there's the realization that my lunchtime runs will be replaced by longer evening runs though I may keep one lunchtime run in the rotation for speedwork so these next six weeks or so I'd like to make the most of these lunchtime jaunts along the river


Tuesday Jan 30th if I was happy w/ the 48.05.0 on Monday then I was pleasantly surprised by todays 47.47.3 off 7.57 mile pace

Maybe the knowledge that I was off from work on Wednesday had put an extra " pep in my step" at lunchtime also looking at " the bigger picture" I'd just signed up to race the Cupid's Chase 5K on February 10th at the Philadelphia Zoo, while the upcoming Love Run half marathon and Dublin Marathon are very much at the forefront of my mind right now a little speed work over 5K will be good to see how the fast twitch muscles are doing as I look to master the "Three S's" Speed, Strength & Stamina

Wednesday Jan 31st Only because I had scheduled a day off weeks in advance was I in a position to equal December's monthly total of 148 miles today via a 10 miler, had I been scheduled to work I would have had to settle for the customary 6 miles on my lunch hour, now I know what some people might say if I fudged Sundays 6 miler to 7 miles and or did 11 miles today I could've gone 149/150 and beaten Decembers total.....this is true but the simple fact was were I not off from work today I wouldn't have been in a position to do anything other then 6 miles and while I'm a tad sore about the 26 miles I lost between Jan 20th-22nd the fact was while I hadn't gained any extra mileage in January I also hadn't lost any.....and to really keep things in perspective last year my total mileage for January was 57 miles....a case of the glass being half full and not half empty

Out and back along the Schuylkill{ sadly my options along West River Driver via Powelton Ave are on hold until the restoration work on the bridge is finished} via the South Street Bridge a little variation on my daily 6 miler as I eventually picked up along the trail where I enter from at Market St on the weekday lunchtime runs

Distance more so than time was the goal here that said I'm seldom one to set a low bar for myself so if I was using 9 min mile pace as my guide I was looking at something in and around 1.30......clocked 1.25.30 off 8.33 mile pace however in keeping w/ a runner mindset that that we're seldom satisfied  w/ our times my out and back splits were 42.35-42.54 not a negative split and as usual w/ this route I could point to the long up ramp exiting the Schuylkill River Trail as the culprit for the 19 second difference, it used to be I'd take the steps on the other side of the bridge and also exiting the river trail on my weekday runs at Market St but early on in my runs when I was still building up leg strength I felt the steps slowed me down almost to a walk, I feel now I could negotiate them a lot better but as the creature of habit mindset tends to rule the roost I've stuck to the ramp

10 miles for the day, and 148 miles for the month I could rest easy in the afternoon knowing I'd done what I set out to do....but the wheels were already turning re February and my monthly totals......never let it be said I'm one to rest on my laurels 


Thursday Feb 1st Once more into the breach.....a 6th run in 6 days was always a big ask but once again it was a classic case of " carrot and stick".........

Yes I could have exercised the option of a rest day today and then ran Saturday & Sunday as I have been doing the past five weeks......however w/ the return of the Allianz Football & Hurling Leagues to my schedule last weekend till the end of July I now had a decision, take a day off today and run Saturday & Sunday OR suck it up today and then enjoy Sunday off after Saturdays long run and cop a double header of Cork vs Clare Hurling and Derry vs Tyrone Football...... in running as is in life always give yourself a Plan B.......

Knowing that the run was now very much a case of just putting the miles in I wasn't overly concerned w/ time, pace, splits or even negative splits just getting it done was the goal as was reflected in my modest 50.20.1 off 8.23 mile pace, sometimes it's not the worst thing in the world to ignore the Garmin and just focus on the miles as opposed to the speed of them job very much done and now all that was left for the week was my Saturday long run


Saturday Feb 3rd Remember that creature of habit comment from Wednesday?........so as has been my won't since December 9th when I began my Saturday long runs I've been getting out the door by 8am or so give or take 10 mins depending on long it's taken me to get up and get going on a Saturday morning however this Saturday I was faced w/ a dilemma as the Spurs game vs Everton had been moved to the early kick off time of 7.30am, up until now this hadn't been an issue, did I record the game and watch when I returned but in doing so have to stay off my phone and social media to avoid knowing the score? or watch the game then run but worry about upsetting any equilibrium I had built up over the past 8 weeks.......anyone who knows me knows  I bow down at the alter of Jumbo Elliott the legendary Villanova track coach who trained "The Holy Trinity" of Irish milers Donnie Delaney, Eamon Coghlan and Marcus O Sullivan who are the focal point of my inspiration as an Irish runner

In his book" Maker Of Milers, Maker Of Men Jumbo once told his athletes and I quote" get up at the same time every day, run at the same time everyday, eat at the same time everyday, go to bed at the same time everyday....and if possible shit at the same time everyday!!!!" I think given my creature of habit mindset I'd have fitted in well at Villanova under Jumbo.....but that as they say is a whole other story!

Out the door by 9.40am as opposed to 8.10am I tried not to get caught up in the 90 min delay and just go out and execute my run  easier said than done but once  I got into my rhythm early into the run things fell into place nicely as I shaved 52 seconds off of last weeks time of 2.03.57 w/ a 2.02.05 off 8.43 mile pace to complete my four 14 milers

I said last week it feels like I caught the proverbial "lightning in a bottle" that first week w/ a 1.56.10 off 8.18 mile pace as the next three 14 milers went:2.04.30 off 8.54 pace,2.03.57 off 8.51 pace and now 2.02.05 off 8.43 pace

In week 1 I went a perfect 14 & 0 keeping my splits at sub 9.00 min mile pace the past three weeks have gone 6 & 8, 8 & 6 and today was 12 & 2 it was good to finish the series strong, it's possible that knowing I didn't have to get back out there on Sunday to log an easy 6 miler I was able to push the pace the last few miles, I snuck a 8.59 split in at mile 10 b4 reeling off splits of 8.24-8.45-8.42-8.10 a far cry from week 2 when I hung on for dear life over the closing 3 miles w/ splits of 9.10-9.20-9.20


So back to the old 16 mile course on Feb 17th a mish mash of the 12 and 14 mile course I've been using.....see creature of habit  again.......but if it ain't broke don't fix it!


Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Taking The Piss


 Another short week though "Old Man Winter" wasn't  the culprit this week  "The Man" was..........

Tuesday Jan 23rd So I'd lost Saturdays long run to the snow and opted out of a 6 miler on Sunday since there were still patches of ice on the ground and having lost 14 miles there didn't seem any point risking a potential slip and fall on the ice so I sat out Sunday, I was eager to get out there on Monday to kick start my week.......however......

We were short staffed at work on Monday which meant a lunch break was out of the question to begin w/ much less going for my afternoon 6 miler up and back along the Schuylkill River, I fully appreciate that work is meant to fit around my running schedule not my running schedule around work but when the powers that be casually remark" yeah we didn't have anyone to cover that shift" it feel like a slap in the face

At least the temps had risen above freezing after a week in the " frozen tundra" and the remnants of Fridays snow were melting into the sidewalk and next to the trail along the Schuylkill as I cranked out a  modest 49.59.7, after four days of chomping at the proverbial bit it was good to get out and log some much needed mileage the prospect of my weekly 5 days/38 miles target was well w/in range......or so I thought!.......

Thursday Jan 25th after missing out on  my run Monday due to staff shortages I now lost out on Wednesdays 6 miler due to inheriting a large print project at 11.15am that didn't finish till 3.20pm, w/ my one co worker due to leave at 3.30pm I wasn't going to lunch again or running........

This is where Monday came back to bite me in the arse, I always say Monday is the most important day to get out and run in case " something jumps off" during the week ie a large print job the fact " the powers that be" couldn't be arsed to send coverage to our office on Monday had put me well and truly behind the 8 ball and now sunk any hope I had of not only getting my weekly target of 38 miles in but potentially screwed me for eclipsing December's tally of 148 miles........

Needless to say there was steam coming out of my ears at 2pm when I hit Market St on my way up to 24th St and the Schuylkill River Trail, the forecast was for rain most of the day but I was hell bent on getting out there today, if I couldn't get my 38 mile in this week at least let me get 32 in and get back above 30 like I had been doing since late November until last week  when " Old Man Winter" threw a spanner in the works

Perhaps the benefit of a rest day, perhaps feeling a tad pissed off, maybe a combination of both I knocked out a 47.17.8 time off 7.52 mile pace, out in 24.56 back in 22.21 the tail wind off the Schuylkill is always helpful but let's not under play the fact I often run well w/ a chip on my shoulder...


Saturday Jan 27th After the hills in Fairmount Park and East Falls had chewed me up and spat me out last time around I was eager to level the score this time out

Proof how fickle Winter can be a week after we got between 4 to 6 inches of snow it was in the mid 40s at 8am when I set out, I opted for a bandana rather than my hat but went w/ gloves given I have terrible circulation and my fingers tend to get numb quickly, even w/ the gloves on I could feel a little numbness in the tips of my fingers during the run

I'm beginning to think I must have "caught lightning in a bottle" that first 14 miler when I went 1.56.10 off 8.18 mile pace as last time out I went 2.04.30 and today was 2.03.57 off 8.51 mile pace, on Jan 6th I managed to keep all 14 miles at under 9 min mile pace but today my splits were:8.15-8.52-7.49-8.35-8.55-9.23-8.50-8.17-9.24-9.01-9.12-8.59-9.06-9.18

If I'm using 9 min mile pace as my template then I'm looking at 2.06 so anything below that feels like a win however when you come out the traps w/ a 1.56.10 but then go 2.04.30 and 2.03.57 it doesn't feel as good, hopefully I have one last crack at  this 14 mile course on Saturday b4 returning to the old tried and tested 16 mile course I've used previously used  but me and the hills on N. Georges Hill Drive have some unfinished business once I get up to 18 milers.....to be continued as they say...


Sunday Jan 28th After "The Man" had stuck it to me earlier in the week it now looked like Rain was going to have the final say in my weekly mileage total.....

The forecast for the day was Rain and when I woke up at 7.10am to sound of rain bouncing off my window and the wind howling it didn't look like my 6 miler and 32 mile week were going to happen 

Having gotten up at 8.40 am to watch my beloved Cork get their arse handed to them by Donegal in the opening round of the Allianz Football League I needed a run, yeah it's only the first of seven games but when  some GAA pundits are tipping The Rebels to win promotion back up to Division 1 and you not only trip coming out of the gate but lose by 11 points it's not a good start to the season

By early afternoon the rain had eased up enough that w/ the right clothing I could get out there and crank out an easy 6 miler, I wanted 32 miles for the week, there is a possibility of equaling Decembers tally of 148 miles so I said feck it lets dance!

Another benefit of a recovery run on Sunday after the hills on Saturdays long run is a chance to flush any crap, gunk out of my legs b4 heading into a new week, in recent weeks I've had to use Sunday as a day to get my weekly tally, would I prefer a day off? sure but I also knew it was less than an hour of my time vs days and weeks maybe months of asking myself" why didn't you just get out there and run it's only 6 miles???" never underestimate the power of guilt period but as I'm prone to saying and often" born and raised Irish Catholic, Guilt just comes w/ the territory"....

A modest 54.07.6 off 9.01 mile pace but more importantly another 6 miles 32 for the week 126 for the month/year , as I hinted to earlier there is a chance to equal Decembers tally of 148 but that's a story for next week's entry...........