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

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

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.....

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!