W/ the Olympics now sadly behind me and back to work it was back to the tried and tested up at 5.30am,home by 4.20pm out by 4.30pm 10 mile run routine......
There's a lot to said for routine,you kind of know where you stand,little in the way of surprises to throw a spanner in the works which was the case last week.
My two scheduled 10 miler Monday and Tuesday fell short at 6 and 5 miles respectively as once again the heat got the better of me,christ I was sweating like a hooker in a church both days due to the excessive heat on top of the fact I was running......or trying to run at lunchtime and not mid afternoon as is my won't on a weekday,I said of my two previous "bonks"on July 31st and Aug 6th that I believed it was the heat that did me in and it was ditto for last Monday and Tuesday.....so much so that I threw the towel in for the remainder of the week,at this stage of the game a 10 miler should come as naturally as breathing....however when you can't be sure you'll finish the run it becomes a tougher sell to get yourself out the door to begin w/.
Thankfully w/ the "dog days of summer" probably in the rear view mirror as we're into the arse end of August now plus running in late afternoon as opposed to lunch time I was able to tackle and conquer yesterdays 10 miler w/out issue.
At 80 degrees conditions were easier to handle and I wasn't dealing w/ sweat dripping off me like I was in a Native American sweat lodge,or trying to contend w/ the heat sapping my strength as I clipped off miles at ten minutes a clip,out the door by 4.30pm ,home by 6.10pm more or less,more of the same this evening would be nice.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Zero To Forty Five
I could've been forgiven for thinking I had this week by the balls so to speak after back to back to back 10 milers Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday......they say a week is a long time in politics......it's a feckin eternity in masters running!!!!!
Having set it up to bare the fruits of a rest day Friday and finally hit the track for some speed work that all fell apart in spectacular fashion Saturday.....
I could've sworn I set my alarm for 9.30am.....however it's entirely possible I got caught up in the Olympic Opening Cermomy,either way it was 10am when I awoke from my slumber yesterday morning putting me half an hour behind schedule.....
Word from the the weather bods was a hot and steamy afternoon on tap.....ergo why I wanted to be be on the track by 11am and done by 12pm......best laid plans of feckin' mice and men...... and Paddies who run Masters Track!!!
Had I stuck to the blueprint of heading out to Haverford I might've been ok but already behind schedule I felt waiting for the R5 plus the romp from train station to track could be nullified by going to nearer Geasey Field at Temple.......sounded like a sound plan in theory.....however theory and practise ARE the horse of a different colour..........
Arriving at Geasey Field I not only discovered red mesh on the inside of the green plastic fencing that surrounds the outer perimeter of the track BUT also Caution Hard Hat Area signs every ten feet along the outside.....and a dirty feckin' Portacabin stretching from the inside of the fencing across ALL six lanes of the track and then a fence across the remaining infield to the inside of the left hand side fence,effectively cutting off the top turn and ruling Geasey Field off limits for the foreseeable future.......FECK IT!!!!
By the time I returned home it was now 1pm,I nixed the track in favour of back to back 10 milers to bump my mileage to 50 mpw,no worries there w/ three "tenners" under my belt already this week yeah?????
15 mins into the run I was wiping sweat off my nose as it ran down my face off my bandana just like last Sunday and pretty soon my Spurs Under Armour sleeveless dri fit was anything but feckin' dry!!!!
On Thursday on my third 10 miler I felt grand until mile 7 b4 that "clinically dead from the knees down" sensation today at mile 3 I already felt that way......
I had three options turn now and go 6/14......carry on till mile 4 and go 8/12 OR say "I'm a feckin' Shamrock Warrior and we're going 10/10 ye bastards"....... sometimes listening to my inner voice is a bitch!!!!!!!
Not long after the turn at mile 5 my legs gave up the ghost and for the second time in a week I had to endure the "runners walk of shame" home,I jogged enough to make it a 6 miler b4 throwing in the towel.......ah bollocks!!!!!
Sunday saw me w/ two options,a 10 miler to log a 46 mile week or a 9 miler to go 45 mpw....NO a 14 miler to go 50 mpw was NOT a feckin option......feck off!!!
Out the door by 11.30am mercifully the heat wasn't too brutal,the only reason I can think I've suffered two DNF's w/in a week is that normally at this stage of the season I'm not only winding down from Nationals but also gobs ahead of where I currently reside in terms of strength and stamina and maybe the August heat which doesn't usually effect me is fuckin' w/me.....
Not much in the way of knee lift or leg turn over again today.....but sweet jaysus enough fuel in the feckin' tank to get me home w/out walking, a small victory but one I'll gladly accept at this stage.
So in three weeks I've gone from sitting on me arse eating Pizza and Ice Cream like it was an Olympic event
"And Forde wins Gold for Ireland".....to logging 30mpw,35,mpw,45mpw,granted I've failed to register a single track workout and only have three more weeks to do so b4 5th Avenue Mile but I'm hoping in the spirit of the Olympics I'll nail the next three weeks thus: 10 miles,10 miles,10miles,10mile,Repeats and that plan goes into effect tomorrow.....he said hopefully!
Having set it up to bare the fruits of a rest day Friday and finally hit the track for some speed work that all fell apart in spectacular fashion Saturday.....
I could've sworn I set my alarm for 9.30am.....however it's entirely possible I got caught up in the Olympic Opening Cermomy,either way it was 10am when I awoke from my slumber yesterday morning putting me half an hour behind schedule.....
Word from the the weather bods was a hot and steamy afternoon on tap.....ergo why I wanted to be be on the track by 11am and done by 12pm......best laid plans of feckin' mice and men...... and Paddies who run Masters Track!!!
Had I stuck to the blueprint of heading out to Haverford I might've been ok but already behind schedule I felt waiting for the R5 plus the romp from train station to track could be nullified by going to nearer Geasey Field at Temple.......sounded like a sound plan in theory.....however theory and practise ARE the horse of a different colour..........
Arriving at Geasey Field I not only discovered red mesh on the inside of the green plastic fencing that surrounds the outer perimeter of the track BUT also Caution Hard Hat Area signs every ten feet along the outside.....and a dirty feckin' Portacabin stretching from the inside of the fencing across ALL six lanes of the track and then a fence across the remaining infield to the inside of the left hand side fence,effectively cutting off the top turn and ruling Geasey Field off limits for the foreseeable future.......FECK IT!!!!
By the time I returned home it was now 1pm,I nixed the track in favour of back to back 10 milers to bump my mileage to 50 mpw,no worries there w/ three "tenners" under my belt already this week yeah?????
15 mins into the run I was wiping sweat off my nose as it ran down my face off my bandana just like last Sunday and pretty soon my Spurs Under Armour sleeveless dri fit was anything but feckin' dry!!!!
On Thursday on my third 10 miler I felt grand until mile 7 b4 that "clinically dead from the knees down" sensation today at mile 3 I already felt that way......
I had three options turn now and go 6/14......carry on till mile 4 and go 8/12 OR say "I'm a feckin' Shamrock Warrior and we're going 10/10 ye bastards"....... sometimes listening to my inner voice is a bitch!!!!!!!
Not long after the turn at mile 5 my legs gave up the ghost and for the second time in a week I had to endure the "runners walk of shame" home,I jogged enough to make it a 6 miler b4 throwing in the towel.......ah bollocks!!!!!
Sunday saw me w/ two options,a 10 miler to log a 46 mile week or a 9 miler to go 45 mpw....NO a 14 miler to go 50 mpw was NOT a feckin option......feck off!!!
Out the door by 11.30am mercifully the heat wasn't too brutal,the only reason I can think I've suffered two DNF's w/in a week is that normally at this stage of the season I'm not only winding down from Nationals but also gobs ahead of where I currently reside in terms of strength and stamina and maybe the August heat which doesn't usually effect me is fuckin' w/me.....
Not much in the way of knee lift or leg turn over again today.....but sweet jaysus enough fuel in the feckin' tank to get me home w/out walking, a small victory but one I'll gladly accept at this stage.
So in three weeks I've gone from sitting on me arse eating Pizza and Ice Cream like it was an Olympic event
"And Forde wins Gold for Ireland".....to logging 30mpw,35,mpw,45mpw,granted I've failed to register a single track workout and only have three more weeks to do so b4 5th Avenue Mile but I'm hoping in the spirit of the Olympics I'll nail the next three weeks thus: 10 miles,10 miles,10miles,10mile,Repeats and that plan goes into effect tomorrow.....he said hopefully!
Friday, August 5, 2016
Method Plus Madness Equals Rest Day
A third 10 miler in the days to put me on the cusp of a 5 day/45mpw providing the weekend goes to script.
Another remarkably cool evening for this time of year 81 degrees as I set out along the "path well travelled" by 4.45pm.
Two weeks ago it required five back to back days at 6 miles at a clip to log 30mpw and yet here w/in the space of three days at 10 miles a clip I'd already logged 30 miles thus far for the week.
I'm looking forward to my rest day today,work will be a bear as it always is on a Friday to begin w/ plus last nite I felt the effects of back to back to back 10 milers,w/ three miles to go I felt "clinically dead" from the knees down and w/ a mile and a half to go my upper thighs began to rebel a little but I was still able to maintain an even 10 mile mile pace throughout the run to be home roughly inside 1.40.
Fingers crossed the track tomorrow morning,off an 11 week hiatus it won't be pretty but 4 weeks of speed work is all I can squeeze in between now and Sept 3rd so it's "all or nothing" b4 hopefully taking care of business again over 10 miles on Sunday.
The Rio Olympics begin tonite w/ the opening ceremony....if that fails to "light a fire" under me nothing will motivate me.......
Another remarkably cool evening for this time of year 81 degrees as I set out along the "path well travelled" by 4.45pm.
Two weeks ago it required five back to back days at 6 miles at a clip to log 30mpw and yet here w/in the space of three days at 10 miles a clip I'd already logged 30 miles thus far for the week.
I'm looking forward to my rest day today,work will be a bear as it always is on a Friday to begin w/ plus last nite I felt the effects of back to back to back 10 milers,w/ three miles to go I felt "clinically dead" from the knees down and w/ a mile and a half to go my upper thighs began to rebel a little but I was still able to maintain an even 10 mile mile pace throughout the run to be home roughly inside 1.40.
Fingers crossed the track tomorrow morning,off an 11 week hiatus it won't be pretty but 4 weeks of speed work is all I can squeeze in between now and Sept 3rd so it's "all or nothing" b4 hopefully taking care of business again over 10 miles on Sunday.
The Rio Olympics begin tonite w/ the opening ceremony....if that fails to "light a fire" under me nothing will motivate me.......
Thursday, August 4, 2016
I Run,Therefore I Don't Commit GBH.......
It's over six months now since I traded the madness of the loading dock for the considerable tranquilty of the storeroom at work,however like the Mafia and Priesthood you never really leave.....
My former co worker Chris pulled the old "I'm calling out sick" move yesterday landing me back on the dock for the day and frankly I was more aggravated in 3.5 hours up there than I have been in 3.5 months downstairs,no wonder I needed to run when I got home yesterday afternoon!!!!
As if that wasn't enough I then had to tack on an extra 20 mins to my commute home to swing by Piggy Post Office to reclaim an item, that frankly could've fit through my letterbox the day b4 but for reasons best know to the arsehole who delivers my mail{and does a shite job of doing so let me hasten to add!!!}they chose not to do that so I had to schleep to 52nd & Kingsessing to retrieve it
Glass half full I'm now the proud owner of a green O Neils Ireland running vest that will be my "battle armour" in my up coming races.
Out the door by 5pm which was half the battle,I could've said "ah feck it!" and sprawled across the futon upon arrive home after the day from hell citing the old "I'm tired,I'm hungry I'm pissed off" mantra but I didn't,knowing a 10 miler last nite coupled w/ another this evening will afford me a much needed rest day on Friday b4 hitting the track for some speed work b4 a fourth and final 10 miler on Sunday to potentially rack up a 5 day/45mpw the bench mark for August b4 upping it to 50mpw in September and then hopefully 60 mpw in October b4 dropping back down to 50mpw in November and resuming track workouts as I prepare for the 2017 season.
Another mild evening.....mild in the respect it's August and not 90 degree plus,Tuesday was 78 degrees,last nite 79 degrees...however the 7 day forecast is calling for 92 come Saturday so I'm thinking it'd be prudent on my part to get up reasonable early and be on the track b4 lunch time it's gonna be tough enough returning to repeats off a 11 week hiatus w/out adding broiling heat into the mix.
Once again 10 miles proved to be no real challenge for me,while a fortnite ago I had zero conditioning muchless Speed,Strength,Stamina I feel I'm slowly returning to acceptable levels of all four now,granted my 10 milers are only at 10 min mile pace but the stronger I get the faster I feel I can become,I'm not "hanging on for dear life" at the end of my runs so I feel I'm doing something right in that realm.
Here's to less agro at work today and an easy 10 miler this evening...... a boy can dream right???
My former co worker Chris pulled the old "I'm calling out sick" move yesterday landing me back on the dock for the day and frankly I was more aggravated in 3.5 hours up there than I have been in 3.5 months downstairs,no wonder I needed to run when I got home yesterday afternoon!!!!
As if that wasn't enough I then had to tack on an extra 20 mins to my commute home to swing by Piggy Post Office to reclaim an item, that frankly could've fit through my letterbox the day b4 but for reasons best know to the arsehole who delivers my mail{and does a shite job of doing so let me hasten to add!!!}they chose not to do that so I had to schleep to 52nd & Kingsessing to retrieve it
Glass half full I'm now the proud owner of a green O Neils Ireland running vest that will be my "battle armour" in my up coming races.
Out the door by 5pm which was half the battle,I could've said "ah feck it!" and sprawled across the futon upon arrive home after the day from hell citing the old "I'm tired,I'm hungry I'm pissed off" mantra but I didn't,knowing a 10 miler last nite coupled w/ another this evening will afford me a much needed rest day on Friday b4 hitting the track for some speed work b4 a fourth and final 10 miler on Sunday to potentially rack up a 5 day/45mpw the bench mark for August b4 upping it to 50mpw in September and then hopefully 60 mpw in October b4 dropping back down to 50mpw in November and resuming track workouts as I prepare for the 2017 season.
Another mild evening.....mild in the respect it's August and not 90 degree plus,Tuesday was 78 degrees,last nite 79 degrees...however the 7 day forecast is calling for 92 come Saturday so I'm thinking it'd be prudent on my part to get up reasonable early and be on the track b4 lunch time it's gonna be tough enough returning to repeats off a 11 week hiatus w/out adding broiling heat into the mix.
Once again 10 miles proved to be no real challenge for me,while a fortnite ago I had zero conditioning muchless Speed,Strength,Stamina I feel I'm slowly returning to acceptable levels of all four now,granted my 10 milers are only at 10 min mile pace but the stronger I get the faster I feel I can become,I'm not "hanging on for dear life" at the end of my runs so I feel I'm doing something right in that realm.
Here's to less agro at work today and an easy 10 miler this evening...... a boy can dream right???
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Jesus Saves......But Forde Gets The Rebounds
Ask most runners and they'll tell you the worst thing in running is the dreaded DNF Did Not Finish,sure DFL Dead Fuckin' Last isn't a barrel of laughs either but at least in a DFL you've actually finished......
Sunday saw an all too rare DNF for "yer man" I crapped out at mile 9 of a scheduled 14 miler,judging from the gobs of sweat rolling off me not to mention the "Yellow Brick Road" piss I took post run I'd say dehydration was the culprit either way I was left w/ not only a 35mpw but also a slow 5 mile "walk of shame" home
Monday was a 10 hour day at work which basically banajaxed any thoughts of a run Monday so it was last nite b4 I got the chance to gain redemption for Sundays infraction.
Conditions were surprisingly mild for early August 78 degrees when I set off at 4.40pm and I was cognisent of the fact my bandana wasn't dripping w/ so much sweat that I was constantly having to wipe sweat off my nose during the run like I did on Sunday.
Having cained a ten miler on Saturday I was reasonably confident I had the measure of the distance,fingers crossed 4 x10 miles this week plus 5 on the track Saturday would give me a 45mpw tally which will surfice through August,I'll bump it up to 50mpw in September and hopefully 60mpw in October b4 dropping back down to 50 in November as I begin to prep for the 2017 Indoor Season.
At the risk of puffing my chest out and allowing my ego to run riot I must say the gradual step up from 6x5 milers to 2x8 milers and now 10 milers has been seemless and just b4 mile 8 last nite I was able to pick up the pace and not only reel in a runner who'd had the gaul to overtake me just b4 Market St bridge but leave in my wake along the Schuylkill footpath on route to the South St bridge,little by little it's getting there.
Sunday saw an all too rare DNF for "yer man" I crapped out at mile 9 of a scheduled 14 miler,judging from the gobs of sweat rolling off me not to mention the "Yellow Brick Road" piss I took post run I'd say dehydration was the culprit either way I was left w/ not only a 35mpw but also a slow 5 mile "walk of shame" home
Monday was a 10 hour day at work which basically banajaxed any thoughts of a run Monday so it was last nite b4 I got the chance to gain redemption for Sundays infraction.
Conditions were surprisingly mild for early August 78 degrees when I set off at 4.40pm and I was cognisent of the fact my bandana wasn't dripping w/ so much sweat that I was constantly having to wipe sweat off my nose during the run like I did on Sunday.
Having cained a ten miler on Saturday I was reasonably confident I had the measure of the distance,fingers crossed 4 x10 miles this week plus 5 on the track Saturday would give me a 45mpw tally which will surfice through August,I'll bump it up to 50mpw in September and hopefully 60mpw in October b4 dropping back down to 50 in November as I begin to prep for the 2017 Indoor Season.
At the risk of puffing my chest out and allowing my ego to run riot I must say the gradual step up from 6x5 milers to 2x8 milers and now 10 milers has been seemless and just b4 mile 8 last nite I was able to pick up the pace and not only reel in a runner who'd had the gaul to overtake me just b4 Market St bridge but leave in my wake along the Schuylkill footpath on route to the South St bridge,little by little it's getting there.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Another Rung On Jacobs Ladder
Another 8 miler under my belt last nite as I completed a whole week of training 46 miles in a week since returning to the frey last Wednesday.
Thankfully the muscle soreness that greeted me when I awoke post 6 miler last Thursday morning is now a thing of the past as I feel I've gotten the measure of basic mileage.
90 degrees yesterday,not too uncomfortable although when I saw the lemonade stand just after Girade Ave bridge on the inbound leg of my run my taste glands began to do a Rumba in my parched mouth w/ just over 3.5 miles b4 a cold Kefer Yogurt Smoothie could quench that.
Only one bellend on my run last nite....but she made up for the lack of numbers w/ her stupidity,at the corner of 34th and Spruce w/ traffic one way coming North to south I didn't feel the need to check to my right for oncoming traffic since said traffic was going North from my left,just as I stepped off the curb here comes this pratt on her bike going full tilt in the wrong direction on a one way street almost taking me out.....wtf!!!!!!
The game plan this evening is another 8 miler to put me at 24mpw b4 a rest day b4 returning to the track on Saturday for the old tried and tested "Mo Farah Repeat" mile,1,200m 1,000m 800m 600m 400m w/ 5 lap warm up/cool down which comes out to 6 miles,leaving a return to double digits on Sunday over 10 miles for a 40mpw...im the hope of moving up to 10 miles runs next week,Mo Farah repeat and Sunday long run over 14 miles for a 50mpw......then I'll "officially" be back......
Thankfully the muscle soreness that greeted me when I awoke post 6 miler last Thursday morning is now a thing of the past as I feel I've gotten the measure of basic mileage.
90 degrees yesterday,not too uncomfortable although when I saw the lemonade stand just after Girade Ave bridge on the inbound leg of my run my taste glands began to do a Rumba in my parched mouth w/ just over 3.5 miles b4 a cold Kefer Yogurt Smoothie could quench that.
Only one bellend on my run last nite....but she made up for the lack of numbers w/ her stupidity,at the corner of 34th and Spruce w/ traffic one way coming North to south I didn't feel the need to check to my right for oncoming traffic since said traffic was going North from my left,just as I stepped off the curb here comes this pratt on her bike going full tilt in the wrong direction on a one way street almost taking me out.....wtf!!!!!!
The game plan this evening is another 8 miler to put me at 24mpw b4 a rest day b4 returning to the track on Saturday for the old tried and tested "Mo Farah Repeat" mile,1,200m 1,000m 800m 600m 400m w/ 5 lap warm up/cool down which comes out to 6 miles,leaving a return to double digits on Sunday over 10 miles for a 40mpw...im the hope of moving up to 10 miles runs next week,Mo Farah repeat and Sunday long run over 14 miles for a 50mpw......then I'll "officially" be back......
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Another Brick In The Wall
An easy 8 miler last nite to kick off week two of my return to training.
The decision to run or not run Monday was taken out of my hands by work as I ended up working an eleven hour shift Monday 6.50am -5.50pm.
I was happy for a rest day off the back of 5 six milers in a row and also delighted to avoid what was reported as 98 degree temps......it certainly felt that hot on the loading dock between 10.30am and 1.30pm which is why I didn't exit the hospital till almost 6pm as the 3 hours up on the dock put me behind schedule downstairs in the storeroom putting skids away.....hey ho the extra 2.5 hours will go towards my next cheque which coinsides w/ my next vacation in three weeks time and should allow me to buy my writing desk,hanging rack and boom box as the next phase of the "mancave" project gets underway.
Mercifully yesterday was a more traditional 7am-3.30pm shift which allowed me the opportunity to come home around 4.30pm change,stretch and head out the door by 4.45pm for my run.
88 degrees when I set out,89 by the time I finished some 85 mins later.
Got to break in my new running shoes w/ almost 350 miles on my last pair it felt time to "blood" new shoes and my new New Balance shoes felt comfortable on their maiden voyage.
Felt some signs of life re knee lift and leg turnover in the opening 1.5 mile,had to ease off the gas a little as this was my first 8 miler in a while and didn't want to "flood the engine" early on into the run.
While my conditioning,speed,strength and stamina are slowly working their way back to respectable levels my firey feisty nature continues to show little to no sign of any time off,nine times out of ten the light at University City train station is working against me on the outbound leg.....low and behold yesterday it was in my favour for once as I was able to pick up my pace and not grind to a halt as usual.....that was until "Gramps" decides said red light is NOT applicable to him or his Noddy bike and proceeds to blow throw said red light forcing me to swerve to avoid being clattered.
"ya fuckin' gobshite" I hinted as I drew along side him after the right hand turn onto Spruce St.....he was as oblivious to this as he was to the next red light at South St bridge which he blew through while I waited on the kerb......I hope you get knocked off that bike for blowing thro red lights fucker!!!
Then on the inbound leg after crossing the South St bridge I see this yoke walking towards me head down preoccupied w/ his phone and not looking up to see he's walking straight towards.....yeah tweet this prick"man dude just ran right over me,never saw him coming....damn"
To round out my trilogy of 'Yokes" w/ 8 blocks to go this arsehole makes a right onto 42nd St.....I'm sorry I should know you're turning towards me.....know what'd help w/ that???? you turning on your turn signal dickhead!!!!
The point to this is when I'm "fired up" I know I'm not just out there "going thro the motions" if I just shrugged my shoulders when every arsehole,dickhead,gobshite or yoke did something to piss me off I'd take that as an indication I didn't care,me reacting to every infraction by these bellends tells me the bit is firmly between my teeth and the fire in my soul is burning
The decision to run or not run Monday was taken out of my hands by work as I ended up working an eleven hour shift Monday 6.50am -5.50pm.
I was happy for a rest day off the back of 5 six milers in a row and also delighted to avoid what was reported as 98 degree temps......it certainly felt that hot on the loading dock between 10.30am and 1.30pm which is why I didn't exit the hospital till almost 6pm as the 3 hours up on the dock put me behind schedule downstairs in the storeroom putting skids away.....hey ho the extra 2.5 hours will go towards my next cheque which coinsides w/ my next vacation in three weeks time and should allow me to buy my writing desk,hanging rack and boom box as the next phase of the "mancave" project gets underway.
Mercifully yesterday was a more traditional 7am-3.30pm shift which allowed me the opportunity to come home around 4.30pm change,stretch and head out the door by 4.45pm for my run.
88 degrees when I set out,89 by the time I finished some 85 mins later.
Got to break in my new running shoes w/ almost 350 miles on my last pair it felt time to "blood" new shoes and my new New Balance shoes felt comfortable on their maiden voyage.
Felt some signs of life re knee lift and leg turnover in the opening 1.5 mile,had to ease off the gas a little as this was my first 8 miler in a while and didn't want to "flood the engine" early on into the run.
While my conditioning,speed,strength and stamina are slowly working their way back to respectable levels my firey feisty nature continues to show little to no sign of any time off,nine times out of ten the light at University City train station is working against me on the outbound leg.....low and behold yesterday it was in my favour for once as I was able to pick up my pace and not grind to a halt as usual.....that was until "Gramps" decides said red light is NOT applicable to him or his Noddy bike and proceeds to blow throw said red light forcing me to swerve to avoid being clattered.
"ya fuckin' gobshite" I hinted as I drew along side him after the right hand turn onto Spruce St.....he was as oblivious to this as he was to the next red light at South St bridge which he blew through while I waited on the kerb......I hope you get knocked off that bike for blowing thro red lights fucker!!!
Then on the inbound leg after crossing the South St bridge I see this yoke walking towards me head down preoccupied w/ his phone and not looking up to see he's walking straight towards.....yeah tweet this prick"man dude just ran right over me,never saw him coming....damn"
To round out my trilogy of 'Yokes" w/ 8 blocks to go this arsehole makes a right onto 42nd St.....I'm sorry I should know you're turning towards me.....know what'd help w/ that???? you turning on your turn signal dickhead!!!!
The point to this is when I'm "fired up" I know I'm not just out there "going thro the motions" if I just shrugged my shoulders when every arsehole,dickhead,gobshite or yoke did something to piss me off I'd take that as an indication I didn't care,me reacting to every infraction by these bellends tells me the bit is firmly between my teeth and the fire in my soul is burning
Sunday, July 24, 2016
On The Road Again
Well I'm so tired of crying but I'm out on the road again I'm on the road again
You know the first time I travelled out in the rain and snow in the rain and snow
On The Road Again-Canned Heat
HA!!!! Just when you thought it was safe to check the blogosphere again,"yer man" is back at it!!!!!
Following a near nine week hiatus this past week finally felt like the right time to get back into the swing of things.....and we all know how I love to swing.......that sounded SO much better in my head.....!!!!!!
After my Masters 800m at Franklin Field I said I was ready to resume training....and I did.....I ran one 6 miler the week after.....and proceeded to remain on me arse on the feckin' recliner for another fortnite till throwing said feckin recliner out{and replacing it w/ a brand new futon I hasten to add}
During last weeks living room renovations I had to move my National Championships medals from one wall to another.....this just so happened to be the week of 2016 Masters Nationals in Michigan and maybe repositioning my considerable collection lit a fire under me arse that I'd like to add to that collection next year and after checking the results from Michigan,where I feel I could've been in contention for a medal in all three events{800m 1,500m 5,000m} I knew it was time to get back after it so here's a brief summary of "The Week That Was"......all journeys have to start somewhere yeah?
Wed 6 Miles
On the day I returned to work after 6 glorious days off I elected to resume training w/ an easy 6 miler,I have to say w/ no sense of ego this felt right and where I needed to be.
Little in the way of knee lift and leg turnover.....which was to be expected but it wasn't too rough on me....I had to hope Thursday would follow suit....
Thur 6 Miles
Not only did I sleep right through my 5.25am alarm I awoke to the feeling somebody and worked me over w/ a Louisville Slugger.......No Pain,No Gain yeah????
Despite an evening appointment at nearby Camden Waterfront to catch Duran Duran I made sure I got my 6 miler in first.....a few weeks ago I was blowing off runs and pissin' and moanin' about always "putting the run first" so this told me I was back on the right path.
Fri 6 Miles
The original game plan was 3 x 6 milers plus a return to the track this weekend for 24 miles......ah bollocks!!! I knew after my opening two runs I wasn't track ready just yet so why not make it 5 x 6 miles and give myself a 30 mpw,w/ a view to bump next week up to 40 mpw including a return to the track???
#olderwiser
After two evenings of 83 and 87 degs I was now confronted by low 90s and running at 3pm not 4.30pm and I had to dig deep mentally and physically to get this one in,the temptation at 2.5 miles to make this a 5 miler was vast but I knew if I "buckled" now at the first hurdle I may not "clear the next hurdle" whatever that may be and since this is NOT "my first rodeo" I thanked the fact I have Dental coverage at work and gritted my teeth,another 6 miles under my belt
Sat 6 Miles
The next challenge now was to get back into the routine of training on the weekends,don't get it twisted I've enjoyed the feck out of making Full Irish Breakfasts the past two months and sitting on me hole or feckin' off to Fado's to watch the footie......but that kind of behaviour tends not to lend it's self to podium finishes so lite breakers and out the door to run was the order of the day
W/ talk of temps between 95-98 degs the earlier I got after it the better,out said feckin' door by 11.30am and back gone 12.30pm,yes I was knackered when I got home and lay on the futon till I had to get a shower and head upto New York City to see Eddie Izzard @ The Beacon but I now had 24 miles under my belt,four down one to go!
Sun 6 Miles
Despite not getting home from NYC till gone 2am and not getting to bed till 3.30am I was up by 9.30am,another lite breakfast and back out for another 6 miles
Yes my knee lift and leg turnover have deserted me{for now} my strength,stamina,speed and conditioning have all gone to shite.....but my desire is back......and so is my fiestiness.....
After two days over being made to feel I was treading quicksand by runners,who it has to be said weren't exactly breaking land speed records as they passed me today on the inbound 3 miles I heard footsteps behind me
As "yoke" drew along side me my competitive side rose to the surface and rather than "roll over" I began to match him stride for stride
A runner ahead of us suddenly stopped to talk w/ another runner,"Yoke" decides now is the apt time to not only overtake me me but also cut right across me leaving me to almost clatter the two stationary runners to my right
"Ya fuckin' dickhead!!!" I hollered as I pulled alongside yoke and proceeded to leave him in my wake you know the code "fuck w/ the bull,get the horns" and this running devil is just getting warmed up!!!!
So my first week back,as each day has passed the soreness in my legs after a nine week hiatus has slowly diminished,yes there's still a long way to go but I feel I'm on the right track moving forward.
You know the first time I travelled out in the rain and snow in the rain and snow
On The Road Again-Canned Heat
HA!!!! Just when you thought it was safe to check the blogosphere again,"yer man" is back at it!!!!!
Following a near nine week hiatus this past week finally felt like the right time to get back into the swing of things.....and we all know how I love to swing.......that sounded SO much better in my head.....!!!!!!
After my Masters 800m at Franklin Field I said I was ready to resume training....and I did.....I ran one 6 miler the week after.....and proceeded to remain on me arse on the feckin' recliner for another fortnite till throwing said feckin recliner out{and replacing it w/ a brand new futon I hasten to add}
During last weeks living room renovations I had to move my National Championships medals from one wall to another.....this just so happened to be the week of 2016 Masters Nationals in Michigan and maybe repositioning my considerable collection lit a fire under me arse that I'd like to add to that collection next year and after checking the results from Michigan,where I feel I could've been in contention for a medal in all three events{800m 1,500m 5,000m} I knew it was time to get back after it so here's a brief summary of "The Week That Was"......all journeys have to start somewhere yeah?
Wed 6 Miles
On the day I returned to work after 6 glorious days off I elected to resume training w/ an easy 6 miler,I have to say w/ no sense of ego this felt right and where I needed to be.
Little in the way of knee lift and leg turnover.....which was to be expected but it wasn't too rough on me....I had to hope Thursday would follow suit....
Thur 6 Miles
Not only did I sleep right through my 5.25am alarm I awoke to the feeling somebody and worked me over w/ a Louisville Slugger.......No Pain,No Gain yeah????
Despite an evening appointment at nearby Camden Waterfront to catch Duran Duran I made sure I got my 6 miler in first.....a few weeks ago I was blowing off runs and pissin' and moanin' about always "putting the run first" so this told me I was back on the right path.
Fri 6 Miles
The original game plan was 3 x 6 milers plus a return to the track this weekend for 24 miles......ah bollocks!!! I knew after my opening two runs I wasn't track ready just yet so why not make it 5 x 6 miles and give myself a 30 mpw,w/ a view to bump next week up to 40 mpw including a return to the track???
#olderwiser
After two evenings of 83 and 87 degs I was now confronted by low 90s and running at 3pm not 4.30pm and I had to dig deep mentally and physically to get this one in,the temptation at 2.5 miles to make this a 5 miler was vast but I knew if I "buckled" now at the first hurdle I may not "clear the next hurdle" whatever that may be and since this is NOT "my first rodeo" I thanked the fact I have Dental coverage at work and gritted my teeth,another 6 miles under my belt
Sat 6 Miles
The next challenge now was to get back into the routine of training on the weekends,don't get it twisted I've enjoyed the feck out of making Full Irish Breakfasts the past two months and sitting on me hole or feckin' off to Fado's to watch the footie......but that kind of behaviour tends not to lend it's self to podium finishes so lite breakers and out the door to run was the order of the day
W/ talk of temps between 95-98 degs the earlier I got after it the better,out said feckin' door by 11.30am and back gone 12.30pm,yes I was knackered when I got home and lay on the futon till I had to get a shower and head upto New York City to see Eddie Izzard @ The Beacon but I now had 24 miles under my belt,four down one to go!
Sun 6 Miles
Despite not getting home from NYC till gone 2am and not getting to bed till 3.30am I was up by 9.30am,another lite breakfast and back out for another 6 miles
Yes my knee lift and leg turnover have deserted me{for now} my strength,stamina,speed and conditioning have all gone to shite.....but my desire is back......and so is my fiestiness.....
After two days over being made to feel I was treading quicksand by runners,who it has to be said weren't exactly breaking land speed records as they passed me today on the inbound 3 miles I heard footsteps behind me
As "yoke" drew along side me my competitive side rose to the surface and rather than "roll over" I began to match him stride for stride
A runner ahead of us suddenly stopped to talk w/ another runner,"Yoke" decides now is the apt time to not only overtake me me but also cut right across me leaving me to almost clatter the two stationary runners to my right
"Ya fuckin' dickhead!!!" I hollered as I pulled alongside yoke and proceeded to leave him in my wake you know the code "fuck w/ the bull,get the horns" and this running devil is just getting warmed up!!!!
So my first week back,as each day has passed the soreness in my legs after a nine week hiatus has slowly diminished,yes there's still a long way to go but I feel I'm on the right track moving forward.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Kevin F Version 2.0
Ok so I need to explain my lack of activity on both the blog and my running,simple truth I took six weeks off not through injury{thank God!}but due to a lack of hunger and desire to get out there and put in the requisite 5 days/50 mpw training weeks I'm required to to enable me to compete at the level I'm used to.
In fairness this time time last year I was looking at numerous "exit strategies" if I wanted to call time on my career as a competitive runner,I've ran almost all my life I doubt I could turn my back on it 100% unless my body deemed otherwise but there are times when "putting the run first" before everything becomes a chore,ney grind that I don't resent but do question.
I am not one to show up at Nationals...or any race for that matter to simply "make up the numbers" I don't expect to win but I do have to compete to the level my God given talent expects me too and frankly I'm not willing to drop close to $1000 in air fair/hotel/meals etc and go to Grand Rapids in a few weeks time having sat on my arse for the last six weeks.
God willing there will be other National Championships,don't get it twisted I love to compete at Nationals and my four individual National Championships mean the world to me but Nationals are NOT the be all and end all YES I have made them that way in eight of the past ten years but often at the expense of something to finance them
Perhaps this year as I move into the back half of middle age w/ old age a little ways off just yet I have opted to NOT put the almighty run first,this summer I would rather refurnish my apartment and the $1000 I would have dropped to go to Michigan will be better spent on getting my living room and bedroom "tarted up" somewhat,do you realize I've sat on the same tatty recliners for the past 20 plus years? it's time for a Futon in the living room
As you may know I've been expanding my writing of late, I feel a Writing Desk is a worthwhile addition to the living room plus the restoration of Internet at home,I can't wait till every weekend to hit up my favourite Starbucks to write on my laptop.
And four years on from moving into my own place my cds still sit in boxes on the floor,I keep threatening to go to Home Depot to get blocks and shelving,now feels the time to make good on that threat.
I surprised myself yesterday at the USATF Club Nationals by running a semi respectable 2.11.89 Masters 800m,finishing 5th of 10,not bad for someone who's sat on his hole for six weeks watching Soccer and eating Pizza and Ice Cream......I'd already made up my mind this coming week I was about to get back "in the game" yesterday would see me either sink or swim.....surprisingly I swam and instead of the envious glances out of the trolley windows on my way home at those out there "getting their run in" I will once again take my place amongst the rank and file of the brother and sisterhood of the running fraternity.
5th Avenue Mile is 10 weeks away,I have ample time to whip myself into shape,no pesky club Track Pentathlon to worry about......and that rumbling sound you hear is the sound of a sleeping giant waking up,yawning,stretching and asking "where are my fecking running shoes?" recess is over reboot is on!
In fairness this time time last year I was looking at numerous "exit strategies" if I wanted to call time on my career as a competitive runner,I've ran almost all my life I doubt I could turn my back on it 100% unless my body deemed otherwise but there are times when "putting the run first" before everything becomes a chore,ney grind that I don't resent but do question.
I am not one to show up at Nationals...or any race for that matter to simply "make up the numbers" I don't expect to win but I do have to compete to the level my God given talent expects me too and frankly I'm not willing to drop close to $1000 in air fair/hotel/meals etc and go to Grand Rapids in a few weeks time having sat on my arse for the last six weeks.
God willing there will be other National Championships,don't get it twisted I love to compete at Nationals and my four individual National Championships mean the world to me but Nationals are NOT the be all and end all YES I have made them that way in eight of the past ten years but often at the expense of something to finance them
Perhaps this year as I move into the back half of middle age w/ old age a little ways off just yet I have opted to NOT put the almighty run first,this summer I would rather refurnish my apartment and the $1000 I would have dropped to go to Michigan will be better spent on getting my living room and bedroom "tarted up" somewhat,do you realize I've sat on the same tatty recliners for the past 20 plus years? it's time for a Futon in the living room
As you may know I've been expanding my writing of late, I feel a Writing Desk is a worthwhile addition to the living room plus the restoration of Internet at home,I can't wait till every weekend to hit up my favourite Starbucks to write on my laptop.
And four years on from moving into my own place my cds still sit in boxes on the floor,I keep threatening to go to Home Depot to get blocks and shelving,now feels the time to make good on that threat.
I surprised myself yesterday at the USATF Club Nationals by running a semi respectable 2.11.89 Masters 800m,finishing 5th of 10,not bad for someone who's sat on his hole for six weeks watching Soccer and eating Pizza and Ice Cream......I'd already made up my mind this coming week I was about to get back "in the game" yesterday would see me either sink or swim.....surprisingly I swam and instead of the envious glances out of the trolley windows on my way home at those out there "getting their run in" I will once again take my place amongst the rank and file of the brother and sisterhood of the running fraternity.
5th Avenue Mile is 10 weeks away,I have ample time to whip myself into shape,no pesky club Track Pentathlon to worry about......and that rumbling sound you hear is the sound of a sleeping giant waking up,yawning,stretching and asking "where are my fecking running shoes?" recess is over reboot is on!
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Confidence Boost....Check
It was once said of my hero Jimmy Connors he equated the loss of a tennis match to the loss of a tooth in a bar room brawl.....I feel the same way off the back of a bad race or bad repeat workout...... so following Sundays substandard Mo Farah Workout at Temple I headed to the friendlier confines of Haverford College this afternoon to try and correct last Sundays shit show.
Arrived at the track by 2.20pm and had it all to myself which always makes me happy....it's not that I don't share well it's just that somethings in life are better all by your lonesome and for me track workouts are one such thing.
5 lap warm up complete into my flats and as "the auld fella" would say "time to let the dog see the rabbit"*
*I don't condone Rabbit hunting,tis only an expression #luvbunnies
Mile
1.23-1.24-1.25-1.19=5.31.59
A far cry from the piss poor 5.41.16 I opened w/ on Sunday but not quite the 5.13/5.20/5.24/5.21 my four prior opening miles have yielded
1,200m
1.21-1.22-1.17=4.00.15
I believe it was Bob Dylan who sang "Idiot Wind" and the fecking wind around the top turn and up the home straight felt like it cost me a sub 4.00.....not that 4.00.15 sucks w/a closing 400m in 77 seconds!
1,000m
1.19-1.21-36=3.16.58
Beginning to close in on that 3.12 range I had in January b4 the hiatus of all things repeat,not so much "softly softly catchy monkey" more "run run ye little fecker!!!!"
800m
1.19-1.17=2.36.52
Oh!!!! negative splits,yeah,still working my way back to 2.30/2.32 territory but getting there...
600m
1.18-36=1.54.60
Dec 30th=1.48.50-Jan 7th=1.49.10,how long b4 I'm back at sub 1.50???
400m
67.79
Was thinking 68 would round out the workout nicely but here's my feckin' arm twist it....ok ok ok I'll take the 67.79!!!
Yes an improvement on Sundays times.....der!!! but to quote my former coach " there's alot more meat on that bone"
I race Monday so I'll forgo the Mo Farah Repeat next weekend but the following 7 weekends....oh it's on like Donkey Kong!!!!
Arrived at the track by 2.20pm and had it all to myself which always makes me happy....it's not that I don't share well it's just that somethings in life are better all by your lonesome and for me track workouts are one such thing.
5 lap warm up complete into my flats and as "the auld fella" would say "time to let the dog see the rabbit"*
*I don't condone Rabbit hunting,tis only an expression #luvbunnies
Mile
1.23-1.24-1.25-1.19=5.31.59
A far cry from the piss poor 5.41.16 I opened w/ on Sunday but not quite the 5.13/5.20/5.24/5.21 my four prior opening miles have yielded
1,200m
1.21-1.22-1.17=4.00.15
I believe it was Bob Dylan who sang "Idiot Wind" and the fecking wind around the top turn and up the home straight felt like it cost me a sub 4.00.....not that 4.00.15 sucks w/a closing 400m in 77 seconds!
1,000m
1.19-1.21-36=3.16.58
Beginning to close in on that 3.12 range I had in January b4 the hiatus of all things repeat,not so much "softly softly catchy monkey" more "run run ye little fecker!!!!"
800m
1.19-1.17=2.36.52
Oh!!!! negative splits,yeah,still working my way back to 2.30/2.32 territory but getting there...
600m
1.18-36=1.54.60
Dec 30th=1.48.50-Jan 7th=1.49.10,how long b4 I'm back at sub 1.50???
400m
67.79
Was thinking 68 would round out the workout nicely but here's my feckin' arm twist it....ok ok ok I'll take the 67.79!!!
Yes an improvement on Sundays times.....der!!! but to quote my former coach " there's alot more meat on that bone"
I race Monday so I'll forgo the Mo Farah Repeat next weekend but the following 7 weekends....oh it's on like Donkey Kong!!!!
Friday, May 13, 2016
Less Is More/Going The Extra Mile
So,I sat out my scheduled 13 miler on Wednesday.....bad runner,shame shame!!!!! but I feel I have a valid reason......
The last thing I need going into Mondays 5,000m at Swarthmore is to show up "leggy" it's an important race to begin w/ my first track 5,000m in almost 5 years plus it's a collage meet meaning at 52 & 1/2 I'll be the "old man of the field" but given the 411 that came my way re a potential meet in June that's now very much off the books I now need to rewrite my June race schedule.
Providing I can "handle my business" at Swarthmore Monday I'll not only have a seed time for Michigan for Nationals{now nine weeks away...single digits...gulp!!!} but potentially no need to run another 5,000m in June, I would like to go: 3,000m-800m-1,500m on June 14th,21st,28th as my final tune up races b4 Nationals kick off on July 14th so now Mondays race takes on more importance ergo the decision to cut back my training this week to 4days/40mpw......any other week I'd have put on my "big boy pants" and dealt w/ the leg weary issue but sometimes "less is more" even if that concept is alien to most runners...it just isn't in our DNA but having laid off the miles in November I felt ready to "throw down for 6 weeks in December/early January at 50mpw b4 my four week race schedule and taper which resulted in two Silvers so..............
The plan yesterday was another 13 miler but mid run that altered, seems this weekend is the Dad Vail Regatta,the big daddy of Rowing ergo why they're setting up shit now not Friday.
Bad enough I'm weaving in and out of rowing boats being held above head height,there are tents on either side of the path and vehicals coming down the path.
"Jobsworth" in front of me slows,I can't swing wide right cos of the tents,can't swing wide left as there's an oncoming Jeep coming up the footpath on Kelly Dr so I slow....cue "Jobsworth" coming to a complete stop to rap w/ the driver of said Jeep and as he throws his right elbow back it clatters himself square in the chest........the feck I was dealing w/ more of that so rather than turn at 6.5 miles b4 Falls Bridge I kept going and made it a 14 miler plus avoided the chance of being up b4 the Judge for turning "Jobsworth" into a human Popsicle w/ a rowing oar up his arse.......
The extra mile was neither here nor there I did a 14 miler Saturday so it's not like it was out of my wheelhouse even if when I normally do the whole leap I go counter clockwise up West River Dr down Kelly Dr,but the old adage "a change is as good as a rest" seemed applicable
Sunny and 71 degrees for a nice change of pace always good to work up a bit of a sweat out there.
Friday by default is a rest day it's my busiest day at work w/ skids and I seldom get out on time or close to it plus there's food shopping,need to eat well this weekend pre race so Stuffed Clams w/ Alfrado Fettuchini, Seafood Linguine and Steak & Chips w/ Peas & Mushrooms are on the menu,I'm also trying to up my water intake I drink water each day but always feel I could drink more w/ a 12.5 lap race on the horizon getting ever close now feels like the time to hydrate.
The last thing I need going into Mondays 5,000m at Swarthmore is to show up "leggy" it's an important race to begin w/ my first track 5,000m in almost 5 years plus it's a collage meet meaning at 52 & 1/2 I'll be the "old man of the field" but given the 411 that came my way re a potential meet in June that's now very much off the books I now need to rewrite my June race schedule.
Providing I can "handle my business" at Swarthmore Monday I'll not only have a seed time for Michigan for Nationals{now nine weeks away...single digits...gulp!!!} but potentially no need to run another 5,000m in June, I would like to go: 3,000m-800m-1,500m on June 14th,21st,28th as my final tune up races b4 Nationals kick off on July 14th so now Mondays race takes on more importance ergo the decision to cut back my training this week to 4days/40mpw......any other week I'd have put on my "big boy pants" and dealt w/ the leg weary issue but sometimes "less is more" even if that concept is alien to most runners...it just isn't in our DNA but having laid off the miles in November I felt ready to "throw down for 6 weeks in December/early January at 50mpw b4 my four week race schedule and taper which resulted in two Silvers so..............
The plan yesterday was another 13 miler but mid run that altered, seems this weekend is the Dad Vail Regatta,the big daddy of Rowing ergo why they're setting up shit now not Friday.
Bad enough I'm weaving in and out of rowing boats being held above head height,there are tents on either side of the path and vehicals coming down the path.
"Jobsworth" in front of me slows,I can't swing wide right cos of the tents,can't swing wide left as there's an oncoming Jeep coming up the footpath on Kelly Dr so I slow....cue "Jobsworth" coming to a complete stop to rap w/ the driver of said Jeep and as he throws his right elbow back it clatters himself square in the chest........the feck I was dealing w/ more of that so rather than turn at 6.5 miles b4 Falls Bridge I kept going and made it a 14 miler plus avoided the chance of being up b4 the Judge for turning "Jobsworth" into a human Popsicle w/ a rowing oar up his arse.......
The extra mile was neither here nor there I did a 14 miler Saturday so it's not like it was out of my wheelhouse even if when I normally do the whole leap I go counter clockwise up West River Dr down Kelly Dr,but the old adage "a change is as good as a rest" seemed applicable
Sunny and 71 degrees for a nice change of pace always good to work up a bit of a sweat out there.
Friday by default is a rest day it's my busiest day at work w/ skids and I seldom get out on time or close to it plus there's food shopping,need to eat well this weekend pre race so Stuffed Clams w/ Alfrado Fettuchini, Seafood Linguine and Steak & Chips w/ Peas & Mushrooms are on the menu,I'm also trying to up my water intake I drink water each day but always feel I could drink more w/ a 12.5 lap race on the horizon getting ever close now feels like the time to hydrate.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Wise Head Old Legs
Even though it's almost 7 years since my coach and I went our separate ways there are still some elements of his influence on my day to day training.
One of GP's "pearls of wisdom" was "listen to your body" and what my body told me on Monday was my legs were still a tad shot,in general I was knackered and rather peckish so the prospect of a run period muchless a 12 miler seemed unlikely and w/ that I not only sat out Monday but forced a rewrite of my entire weeks schedule......and this kids is why we write said schedule in Pencil!!!!
Switching from a:12-12-10-10-6 Monday thro Thursday rest day Friday Repeats Saturday rest day Sunday to a: rest day 13-13-13-6-5 Tuesday thro Thursday rest day Friday Repeats Saturday 5 miles Sunday has it's up side
Following my repeats on Saturday I now have the opportunity to get an easy/shake out 5 miler in on Sunday to remove any residual gunk/crap from my legs b4 Mondays 5,000m at Swarthmore so all in all not the worst thing in the world.
Out the door by 4.30pm it was a mixture of grey skies and raindrops and sunshine trying to peer out from behind the clouds in 56 degree temps for my out and back along Kelly Drive almost to Falls Bridge.
I felt comfortable and relaxed and maintained a near metronomic 9 min mile pace as the 1.17 finish indicated,out by 4.30pm home by 6.27pm,more of the same again today and tomorrow would be nice,having officially "thrown my bandana into the ring" for Mondays Swarthmore Last Chance Meet everything I do this week is geared towards my first track 5,000m in almost five years
One of GP's "pearls of wisdom" was "listen to your body" and what my body told me on Monday was my legs were still a tad shot,in general I was knackered and rather peckish so the prospect of a run period muchless a 12 miler seemed unlikely and w/ that I not only sat out Monday but forced a rewrite of my entire weeks schedule......and this kids is why we write said schedule in Pencil!!!!
Switching from a:12-12-10-10-6 Monday thro Thursday rest day Friday Repeats Saturday rest day Sunday to a: rest day 13-13-13-6-5 Tuesday thro Thursday rest day Friday Repeats Saturday 5 miles Sunday has it's up side
Following my repeats on Saturday I now have the opportunity to get an easy/shake out 5 miler in on Sunday to remove any residual gunk/crap from my legs b4 Mondays 5,000m at Swarthmore so all in all not the worst thing in the world.
Out the door by 4.30pm it was a mixture of grey skies and raindrops and sunshine trying to peer out from behind the clouds in 56 degree temps for my out and back along Kelly Drive almost to Falls Bridge.
I felt comfortable and relaxed and maintained a near metronomic 9 min mile pace as the 1.17 finish indicated,out by 4.30pm home by 6.27pm,more of the same again today and tomorrow would be nice,having officially "thrown my bandana into the ring" for Mondays Swarthmore Last Chance Meet everything I do this week is geared towards my first track 5,000m in almost five years
Sunday, May 8, 2016
You Better Run
Not quite the repeat session I wanted but having "cut my cloth" to get my long run in Saturday so I could go out to Glenside last nite to enjoy the Pat Benatar Neil Geraldo gig{hence the title!!!} this morning I was up at 7am to have breakers and be out the door by 8am to get to my favourite "wateringhole" Fado's to cop the 8.30am Spurs Southampton game and then hit the track for my "Mo Farah" repeats
Having just missed the 11.05am Paoli train I had two options wait and hour for the next one OR hit "old faithful" Geasey Field at nearby Temple University which is what I ended up doing.
Arrived there by 11.40am and did my 5 lap warm up, a more or less deserted track which suited moi b4 switching into my flats to have at it
Mile-1.25-1.25-1.27-1.24=5.41.16
Kind of knew I was "up shits creek w/out a paddle" when I opened in 1.25 but did hope I could pull it back if not over the remainder of the mile at least the remaining 5 distances......
1,200m-1.26-1.27-1.21=4.14.78
Any hopes of "turning this repeat around" evaporated when I opened in 1.26 but props on closing in 1.21.....a modicum of salvation
1,000m-1.21-1.25-.38=3.24.00
I already knew I was on for my slowest ever series of splits on this workout but rather than "mail it in" or worse yet quit mid workout I kept plugging away
800m-1.21-1.20=2.40.99
Technically even splits at 1.21/1.21 but I'm taking a negative split at 1.21/1.20.99.....feck it I need to take some positives from this workout eh?
600m-1.21-.37=1.58.03
At least I'd gotten a string of 1.21 400m splits on a day when I wasn't firing on all cylinders
400m-69.72
"Kitchen sink" time,threw what little I had into my final repeat and ran faster than the 70.12 I ran last week
Ok a few observations here,DON'T attempt a workout off the back of a 14 mile run,but credit where credit's due after the mile and the opening lap of the 1,200m I could've been forgiven for running up the white flag.....I didn't I kept going and while my splits/overall times are feck all to blog or "write home" about the glass half full aspect here is even on tired legs I kept going and didn't "check out mentally" this will come in useful somewhere down the road I believe
Having just missed the 11.05am Paoli train I had two options wait and hour for the next one OR hit "old faithful" Geasey Field at nearby Temple University which is what I ended up doing.
Arrived there by 11.40am and did my 5 lap warm up, a more or less deserted track which suited moi b4 switching into my flats to have at it
Mile-1.25-1.25-1.27-1.24=5.41.16
Kind of knew I was "up shits creek w/out a paddle" when I opened in 1.25 but did hope I could pull it back if not over the remainder of the mile at least the remaining 5 distances......
1,200m-1.26-1.27-1.21=4.14.78
Any hopes of "turning this repeat around" evaporated when I opened in 1.26 but props on closing in 1.21.....a modicum of salvation
1,000m-1.21-1.25-.38=3.24.00
I already knew I was on for my slowest ever series of splits on this workout but rather than "mail it in" or worse yet quit mid workout I kept plugging away
800m-1.21-1.20=2.40.99
Technically even splits at 1.21/1.21 but I'm taking a negative split at 1.21/1.20.99.....feck it I need to take some positives from this workout eh?
600m-1.21-.37=1.58.03
At least I'd gotten a string of 1.21 400m splits on a day when I wasn't firing on all cylinders
400m-69.72
"Kitchen sink" time,threw what little I had into my final repeat and ran faster than the 70.12 I ran last week
Ok a few observations here,DON'T attempt a workout off the back of a 14 mile run,but credit where credit's due after the mile and the opening lap of the 1,200m I could've been forgiven for running up the white flag.....I didn't I kept going and while my splits/overall times are feck all to blog or "write home" about the glass half full aspect here is even on tired legs I kept going and didn't "check out mentally" this will come in useful somewhere down the road I believe
Saturday, May 7, 2016
What's That Orange Ball In The Sky?????
Stone the feckin' crows,after 12 days of either grey and overcast skies or poxy rain it was a pleasant change of pace to actually run in the sunshine this afternoon!!!!
I switched up my schedule at the last minute since a commute to Haverford,my "Mo Farah" repeat and commute back would take longer the the 2 hours it takes me to do the 14 mile Art Museum Loop,glass half empty I'll have to do my Mile,1,200m,1,000m,800m,600m,400m tomorrow on slightly tireder legs but at least getting out by 1.25pm and getting home by 3.25pm meant time to shower,get "suited & booted" and out by 4pm to hit my my favorite Starbucks to blog said run"the run ain't over till the blog's written kids!!!" b4 hoping another train to Glenside to catch Pat Benatar @ The Keswick tonite.
Not sure of the official temps at 1.25pm I did hear 62 degs last nite on the local news,feck me above 60.......the feck you say!
Pretty deserted out there today,fine by me,since it's Mother's Day Weekend here in America I guess they nixed a Rowing Regatta,it seems to be Regatta season on the Schuylkill from all the Rowing boats I see during the week and the pratt last Sunday who yelled at me and Gerry to "get off the path" as her crew were carrying said Rowing boat to wherever pissed me off,Rowing boats are for the river,runners run on the footpath,I understand when you're done said Rowing boat needs to be attached to a vehicle of some some sort to transport it but I'm fecked if I should have to run out in the street because somebody died and left you the feck in charge.......pause as I climb down from my soapbox....
No issues w/ the run,done deal,less traffic on the roads so less fear of becoming a "hood ornament" at the junction of South St bridge and the on ramp to I 76 and now that ye olde blog is posted it's off to The Keswick to "get my Pat Benatar on"
I switched up my schedule at the last minute since a commute to Haverford,my "Mo Farah" repeat and commute back would take longer the the 2 hours it takes me to do the 14 mile Art Museum Loop,glass half empty I'll have to do my Mile,1,200m,1,000m,800m,600m,400m tomorrow on slightly tireder legs but at least getting out by 1.25pm and getting home by 3.25pm meant time to shower,get "suited & booted" and out by 4pm to hit my my favorite Starbucks to blog said run"the run ain't over till the blog's written kids!!!" b4 hoping another train to Glenside to catch Pat Benatar @ The Keswick tonite.
Not sure of the official temps at 1.25pm I did hear 62 degs last nite on the local news,feck me above 60.......the feck you say!
Pretty deserted out there today,fine by me,since it's Mother's Day Weekend here in America I guess they nixed a Rowing Regatta,it seems to be Regatta season on the Schuylkill from all the Rowing boats I see during the week and the pratt last Sunday who yelled at me and Gerry to "get off the path" as her crew were carrying said Rowing boat to wherever pissed me off,Rowing boats are for the river,runners run on the footpath,I understand when you're done said Rowing boat needs to be attached to a vehicle of some some sort to transport it but I'm fecked if I should have to run out in the street because somebody died and left you the feck in charge.......pause as I climb down from my soapbox....
No issues w/ the run,done deal,less traffic on the roads so less fear of becoming a "hood ornament" at the junction of South St bridge and the on ramp to I 76 and now that ye olde blog is posted it's off to The Keswick to "get my Pat Benatar on"
Friday, May 6, 2016
Three Tenners.....And One Fat Bastard
Another easy 10 miler in the log book last nite putting me at 30mpw for the week so far,providing I take care of business over the weekend w/ my "Mo Farah" workout on the track Saturday and a Sunday long run around the Art Museum Loop at 14 miles I'll be looking at a 5 day/50mpw which is where I need to be right now.
Yesterday marked 11 days b4 my next race a "make or brake" 5,000m at Swarthmore College on May 16th and my first 12.5 on a track in almost 5 years,also yesterday was ten weeks to go till Outdoor Nationals in Grand Rapids Michigan.
Losing two weeks to the virial infection meant I have little or no leeway w/ my schedule from here on in I need all my workouts despite how tired I might feel.
For the third day in a row it was grey and overcast out there around 4.30/4.40/4.50pm but at least dry as the temps ranged from 59 to 53 and back to 59,hard to believe it's May as it don't look or feel like it.....but come late July/August when I'm sweating my knackers off in the heat and humidity maybe I should remember these conditions yeah??
What's that old adage " once bitten,twice shy"? I made sure as I waited patiently at the junction of South St bridge and the on ramp to I 76 for the lights to be in MY favour that I didn't step off the curb......sure as a fat kid likes birthday cake some Mario Andretti type came whipping around the turn as the light had changed from red to green......funny how there's a sign next to said traffic lights that says No Turn On Red.........
And I wasn't done yet,5 blocks from home w/ the lights once again in my favour some fat fecker decides the "Pedestrains have the right of way" law needn't apply to me as he turned onto 45th St.....what the fuck tubby Crispy Crème about to sell the last donut you fat bastard?
"who ate all the pies? who ate all the pies? you fat bastard,you fat bastard,you ate all the pies"
Still at least I'm not picking on "Chav Central" for a change eh???
Yesterday marked 11 days b4 my next race a "make or brake" 5,000m at Swarthmore College on May 16th and my first 12.5 on a track in almost 5 years,also yesterday was ten weeks to go till Outdoor Nationals in Grand Rapids Michigan.
Losing two weeks to the virial infection meant I have little or no leeway w/ my schedule from here on in I need all my workouts despite how tired I might feel.
For the third day in a row it was grey and overcast out there around 4.30/4.40/4.50pm but at least dry as the temps ranged from 59 to 53 and back to 59,hard to believe it's May as it don't look or feel like it.....but come late July/August when I'm sweating my knackers off in the heat and humidity maybe I should remember these conditions yeah??
What's that old adage " once bitten,twice shy"? I made sure as I waited patiently at the junction of South St bridge and the on ramp to I 76 for the lights to be in MY favour that I didn't step off the curb......sure as a fat kid likes birthday cake some Mario Andretti type came whipping around the turn as the light had changed from red to green......funny how there's a sign next to said traffic lights that says No Turn On Red.........
And I wasn't done yet,5 blocks from home w/ the lights once again in my favour some fat fecker decides the "Pedestrains have the right of way" law needn't apply to me as he turned onto 45th St.....what the fuck tubby Crispy Crème about to sell the last donut you fat bastard?
"who ate all the pies? who ate all the pies? you fat bastard,you fat bastard,you ate all the pies"
Still at least I'm not picking on "Chav Central" for a change eh???
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Reble W/ A Cause
Another 10 miler to keep me tickin' along to this weeks 50 mpw,an interesting evening as after a period of being on my best behavior the gloves came off w/ cyclysts,pedestrians and my always favourite motorists.
Maybe it's the residual anger w/ "Chav Central" or maybe I just have issue w/ people being complete and utter prats but when I stand and wait for the lights to change in my favour the last thing I need is you trying to take the turn to the on ramp to I 76 like fuckin Lewis Hamilton trying to make sure he's got pole position going into the first turn....
Surfice to say the C Bomb was flying around the junction of South St Bridge and I 76 as well as a index finger jesture that was NOT to let "plonker" know he was #1 in my book!!!!
I don't know maybe I take my Cork roots to heart,Irish history 101 Cork is known as the "Reble County" for it's stance against British Rule back in the day but having shown up at Penn Relays last Friday sans club warm up jacket and thus sticking out like a bulldogs bollocks in the photo after the race w/ my team mates and made a point of avoiding the line down in the storeroom for my uniform,it's one thing to work w/ these Chavs.....but you want me to dress like them also.......fuck off will ya....what's next? a lobotomy!!!!!
Here's to another 10 miler post work this evening,here's to not almost becoming some wankers hood ornament and here's to another day of listening to Spotifty on my phone to drown out the Chavs.....
Maybe it's the residual anger w/ "Chav Central" or maybe I just have issue w/ people being complete and utter prats but when I stand and wait for the lights to change in my favour the last thing I need is you trying to take the turn to the on ramp to I 76 like fuckin Lewis Hamilton trying to make sure he's got pole position going into the first turn....
Surfice to say the C Bomb was flying around the junction of South St Bridge and I 76 as well as a index finger jesture that was NOT to let "plonker" know he was #1 in my book!!!!
I don't know maybe I take my Cork roots to heart,Irish history 101 Cork is known as the "Reble County" for it's stance against British Rule back in the day but having shown up at Penn Relays last Friday sans club warm up jacket and thus sticking out like a bulldogs bollocks in the photo after the race w/ my team mates and made a point of avoiding the line down in the storeroom for my uniform,it's one thing to work w/ these Chavs.....but you want me to dress like them also.......fuck off will ya....what's next? a lobotomy!!!!!
Here's to another 10 miler post work this evening,here's to not almost becoming some wankers hood ornament and here's to another day of listening to Spotifty on my phone to drown out the Chavs.....
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Running Away From Chav Central
A few years ago on one of my sister Lynn's visits to Philly she seemed amused that the Broad St Run began at Einstien and ended at the Naval Yard "surely it should be the other way round" said my big sis who it has to be said the least athletic of me and my siblings,this the same person who said the day b4 my second New York City marathon "oh take a taxi for god's sake it'll be easier!!!"
If like me she had the misfortune to work at "Chav Central" like I do she'd fully understand the desire to run away from here not towards it!!!!!
So I took Friday off to run Penn Relays,not an unreasonable request period but when you're anchoring your teams 4x400m relays at 7.25am the last thing you need is to be up at 5.09am and putting in a full day of putting skids away which has been known to take until 4.45pm/5.30pm in recent weeks yeah?????
I returnerd to work Monday to not only find eight skids not put away but a bunch of skids "cherry picked" in the back of the storeroom......ie "oh this is misc shit,I don't feel like looking for it on the shelf...feck it I'll leave it till he comes in on Monday to do it"!!!!!!
Then there came the finger pointing when I raised cain as to why the shit wasn't done "oh Chris screwed us he didn't bring skids down"......knob,knob,knob,wank,wank,wank,wank I've heard it all b4 my bone of contention is how is I can stay late and or work thro my lunch to get ALL of Friday's skids away week in week out but you feckers can't??????
Surfice to say the atmosphere down in the storeroom since Monday has been fraught,I guess these feckers thought I was going to work through my lunch hour Monday and or stay late to get the skids from Friday and Monday up.....................you thought wrong dip shits!!!! I took lunch and left on time Monday leaving three skids behind and while yesterday I got everything put away by staying half an hour late you can bet as I head down to "Chav Central" now it'll be w/ my earbuds in and not a feckin' word to them.........
Trust me last nites easy 10 milers did wonders to "taking the edge off"......but these dumb arses don't know that do they............. as they're the same arseholes who couldn't be bothered to ask how I did at Penn Relays...........
This just in I've been offered a position in OBGYN......that's ok I already work w/ a bunch of "see you next Tuesdays" to begin w/........yeah I went there!
If like me she had the misfortune to work at "Chav Central" like I do she'd fully understand the desire to run away from here not towards it!!!!!
So I took Friday off to run Penn Relays,not an unreasonable request period but when you're anchoring your teams 4x400m relays at 7.25am the last thing you need is to be up at 5.09am and putting in a full day of putting skids away which has been known to take until 4.45pm/5.30pm in recent weeks yeah?????
I returnerd to work Monday to not only find eight skids not put away but a bunch of skids "cherry picked" in the back of the storeroom......ie "oh this is misc shit,I don't feel like looking for it on the shelf...feck it I'll leave it till he comes in on Monday to do it"!!!!!!
Then there came the finger pointing when I raised cain as to why the shit wasn't done "oh Chris screwed us he didn't bring skids down"......knob,knob,knob,wank,wank,wank,wank I've heard it all b4 my bone of contention is how is I can stay late and or work thro my lunch to get ALL of Friday's skids away week in week out but you feckers can't??????
Surfice to say the atmosphere down in the storeroom since Monday has been fraught,I guess these feckers thought I was going to work through my lunch hour Monday and or stay late to get the skids from Friday and Monday up.....................you thought wrong dip shits!!!! I took lunch and left on time Monday leaving three skids behind and while yesterday I got everything put away by staying half an hour late you can bet as I head down to "Chav Central" now it'll be w/ my earbuds in and not a feckin' word to them.........
Trust me last nites easy 10 milers did wonders to "taking the edge off"......but these dumb arses don't know that do they............. as they're the same arseholes who couldn't be bothered to ask how I did at Penn Relays...........
This just in I've been offered a position in OBGYN......that's ok I already work w/ a bunch of "see you next Tuesdays" to begin w/........yeah I went there!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
May Day! May Day!!
Ah the old adage "birds of a feather flock together" was seldom more true this morning,while the masses{40,000} gathered outside Albert Einstein Medical Center for the 2016 Broad St Run myself and my celtic brother Gerry O Hara met up outside The Inn At Penn to run together around the almost deserted Art Museum Loop.
Left to my own devices I might've fecked off the run,it was pissing down and my calves were shot following yesterdays repeats but having told Brother Gerald I'd meet him at 8.30am I couldn't or more's the point didn't want to be "that guy" who says "yeah yeah I'll run w/ you" and then bails.....those feckers get on my tits!!!!!!
As the self confessed "Poster Child" for The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner it's rare I run w/ someone....in fact the last time I shared a run was the last time Gerry was in town to visit his son and daughter who attend nearby University Of Penn back in late October.....I recall it being warmer and feckin' dryer that morning!!!!
Despite the rain....we'd call it a "soft morning" if we were back in the auld country Gerry and I went about our Sunday morning run w/ ease by runs end Gerry had 11 miles I had 13,giving me 32 miles for the week,not the 40 I had hoped for due to bailing on Thursday run but 0 to 32 after a fortnite on the DL is fine w/ me,plus 13 today will make Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursdays scheduled 12 milers that much easier.
No run tomorrow,calves and thighs have filed a protest for "chronic overuse" the last few days,Fado's is beckoning to me for the second half of a massive game for SPURS .....PLUS my running shoes may have dried off by Tuesday!!!!
Left to my own devices I might've fecked off the run,it was pissing down and my calves were shot following yesterdays repeats but having told Brother Gerald I'd meet him at 8.30am I couldn't or more's the point didn't want to be "that guy" who says "yeah yeah I'll run w/ you" and then bails.....those feckers get on my tits!!!!!!
As the self confessed "Poster Child" for The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner it's rare I run w/ someone....in fact the last time I shared a run was the last time Gerry was in town to visit his son and daughter who attend nearby University Of Penn back in late October.....I recall it being warmer and feckin' dryer that morning!!!!
Despite the rain....we'd call it a "soft morning" if we were back in the auld country Gerry and I went about our Sunday morning run w/ ease by runs end Gerry had 11 miles I had 13,giving me 32 miles for the week,not the 40 I had hoped for due to bailing on Thursday run but 0 to 32 after a fortnite on the DL is fine w/ me,plus 13 today will make Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursdays scheduled 12 milers that much easier.
No run tomorrow,calves and thighs have filed a protest for "chronic overuse" the last few days,Fado's is beckoning to me for the second half of a massive game for SPURS .....PLUS my running shoes may have dried off by Tuesday!!!!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
It's A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock & Roll
Seldom one to rest on my laurels I was back on the track this afternoon less than 24 hours after my anchor leg of the Penn Relays M50 4X400m.....did I mention we won bronze by the way........
After a 15 week hiatus of all things repeat based it was always gonna be a bitch getting back into the swing of the "Mo Farah Repeat" mile,1,200m,1,000m,800m,600m,400m but w/ only 10 weeks to Outdoor Nationals I had to start somewhere so Haverford this afternoon it was.
Mercifully it was dryer and warmer than yesterday at Franklin Field when I arrived at Haverford just b4 2pm.......also the track had been relaid since I last worked out here in late May/early June last year forcing me to nearby Lower Merion high school,I prefer Haverford it just feels like the people there have a better sense of "track etiquette" case in point just as I was finishing up two coaches were putting out hurdles for their athlete,they saw I was using lane 1 so set up in lane 2,most other tracks would have set up in lane 1 and told me to deal w/ it,not Haverford and after I informed #1 coach I only had my 600m and 400m to go they waited to move said hurdles into lane 1 when I was finished......#respect
5 lap warm up and back into my flats,I had no preconcieved ideals about, pace/splits today in fact I didn't even bother to look at my times from Jan 7th as I felt they would be irelevant off a 15 week hiatus.......
Mile
1.15-1.21-1.20-1.17=5.13.04
Feckin' ada,who let the dogs out!!!!!
My previous miles times on this repeat were:5.30.36 5.24.34 5.35.64 5.31.33 5.21.58 5.24.19 5.20.15
The 64 billion question now was "had I shit the bed" over the mile and left feck all for the remaining five distances........
1,200m
1.18-1.22-1.19=3.59.60
In my previous 6 1,200s I've only failed to go sub 4.00 twice and once was on my debut,both times 4.01 so anytime I'm sub 4.00 I'm happy
1,000m
1.17-1.16-34=3.17.87
Glass half full consistant 400m splits and solid closing 200m,glass half empty last time out I went 3.12.65....
800m
1.18-1.18=2.36.10
Yea even splits,boo 4 seconds down on Jan 7th....yeah I know I said I wasn't concerned w/ what I did last time out but when the Shamrock Warrior Competive Juices start to flow.....
600m
1.15-38=1.53.13
Solid opening 400m,died a little over the closing 200m.....but give it time over the coming weeks....
400m
70.12
I'm used to 66s 67s 68s so 70 smacks a little but all things considered not a bad return to the realm of "Mo Farah Repeats"
.......Till next Saturday.....
After a 15 week hiatus of all things repeat based it was always gonna be a bitch getting back into the swing of the "Mo Farah Repeat" mile,1,200m,1,000m,800m,600m,400m but w/ only 10 weeks to Outdoor Nationals I had to start somewhere so Haverford this afternoon it was.
Mercifully it was dryer and warmer than yesterday at Franklin Field when I arrived at Haverford just b4 2pm.......also the track had been relaid since I last worked out here in late May/early June last year forcing me to nearby Lower Merion high school,I prefer Haverford it just feels like the people there have a better sense of "track etiquette" case in point just as I was finishing up two coaches were putting out hurdles for their athlete,they saw I was using lane 1 so set up in lane 2,most other tracks would have set up in lane 1 and told me to deal w/ it,not Haverford and after I informed #1 coach I only had my 600m and 400m to go they waited to move said hurdles into lane 1 when I was finished......#respect
5 lap warm up and back into my flats,I had no preconcieved ideals about, pace/splits today in fact I didn't even bother to look at my times from Jan 7th as I felt they would be irelevant off a 15 week hiatus.......
Mile
1.15-1.21-1.20-1.17=5.13.04
Feckin' ada,who let the dogs out!!!!!
My previous miles times on this repeat were:5.30.36 5.24.34 5.35.64 5.31.33 5.21.58 5.24.19 5.20.15
The 64 billion question now was "had I shit the bed" over the mile and left feck all for the remaining five distances........
1,200m
1.18-1.22-1.19=3.59.60
In my previous 6 1,200s I've only failed to go sub 4.00 twice and once was on my debut,both times 4.01 so anytime I'm sub 4.00 I'm happy
1,000m
1.17-1.16-34=3.17.87
Glass half full consistant 400m splits and solid closing 200m,glass half empty last time out I went 3.12.65....
800m
1.18-1.18=2.36.10
Yea even splits,boo 4 seconds down on Jan 7th....yeah I know I said I wasn't concerned w/ what I did last time out but when the Shamrock Warrior Competive Juices start to flow.....
600m
1.15-38=1.53.13
Solid opening 400m,died a little over the closing 200m.....but give it time over the coming weeks....
400m
70.12
I'm used to 66s 67s 68s so 70 smacks a little but all things considered not a bad return to the realm of "Mo Farah Repeats"
.......Till next Saturday.....
Friday, April 29, 2016
Cometh The Hour,Cometh The Shamrock Warrior
In a year I celebrate 40 years of competative running which began on an old cinder track in Charlton Park as a high school freshman as a 800m and 400m runner should it come as any surprise I returned to the Penn Relays after a seven year hiatus to once again throw down a 400m????
Truth be told I was only considered when Millrose and Penn stalwart Scott Landis announced he was injured,I rejected the initial invitation from the club on March 26th due to what I see as "club politics" for once I'm not going to go into long excrucating detail I believe my feelings on the subject are well known but I felt a sence of "duty" to my fellow M50 4x400 team mates John Curtis,Bruce Rash and Ray Parker and as contrived as it may sound I agreed to run for them NOT the club,one of the reasons I didn't revoke my club membership years ago was because while"internal politics" may piss me off I have a profound affection for my fellow team mates,sure Groucho Marx famously said "never join a club that would have someone like yourself as a member" Groucho NEVER ran for Greater Philadelphia Track Club did he???
Spring in Philly and Penn Relays can only mean one thing...grey skies and rain and temps struggling to get into the mid 50s........I was feckin' delighted to get out to the warm up area at 6.30pm to warm up having sat in the stands since 3pm.....at least I got several pages of my life story "Pale Paddy & Proud" written and the blood was circulating through my fingers,NEVER dropped a relay baton.....WASN'T planning to start today let me tell you!!
W/ 19 teams lining up it was always gonna be somewhat of a fustercluck at the start but w/ John
"The Beast" Curtis leading us off I knew we were in safe hands,go on Flo Track and watch the video or allow me to post it when Raine John's wife posts it John made sure he got a clear start from the third man from the rail start and lead us through the opening 400m in 55.81
Bruce "Broken Calf" Rash ran an impressive second leg despite having pre race favoutites Southwest Sprinters second leg Marcus Shute reel him in.
Ray" I ain't affraid of no ghost" Parker kept us in second w/ a 57.58 leg and now for the first time in my Penn Relays history{06,07,08,09} I took the baton in a medal winning position.
I was never going to catch Southwest Sprinters anchor Khalid Mulazim but that didn't stop me from giving chase,w/ hindsight I wish I'd relaxed a little over the opening 200m and poured it on over the closing 200m as Mass Velocitys anchor Meirwyn Walters ran an impressive anchor leg of 55.79 to catch me up the home straight.
W/ hindsight{I know a wonderful thing!!!} I wish I'd ploughed through on the rail of the final turn instead of slowing slightly to overtake a lapped runner,that split second of hesitation cost me and my team the silver,60.23 for yours truly as Mass Velocity recorded a 3.52.9 to our 3.53.6 w/ Sprint Force America the #2 seed team 4th in 3.55.4
As I sit here now some 90 mins later it's w/ mixed emotions,don't get it twisted I'm proud as punch w/ the bronze but to have Silver w/in my grasp only to be snatched away is a bit of a pisser but rest assured when I do eventually take possession of my Penn Relays Masters Mens M50 4x400m medal it is one I will feel tremendously proud of and know that two weeks of shaking off a virial infection and double oral surgery two days ago could not stop the Shamrock Warrior,this may have been my last Penn Relay.....but I seemed to say that in 2009..................
Truth be told I was only considered when Millrose and Penn stalwart Scott Landis announced he was injured,I rejected the initial invitation from the club on March 26th due to what I see as "club politics" for once I'm not going to go into long excrucating detail I believe my feelings on the subject are well known but I felt a sence of "duty" to my fellow M50 4x400 team mates John Curtis,Bruce Rash and Ray Parker and as contrived as it may sound I agreed to run for them NOT the club,one of the reasons I didn't revoke my club membership years ago was because while"internal politics" may piss me off I have a profound affection for my fellow team mates,sure Groucho Marx famously said "never join a club that would have someone like yourself as a member" Groucho NEVER ran for Greater Philadelphia Track Club did he???
Spring in Philly and Penn Relays can only mean one thing...grey skies and rain and temps struggling to get into the mid 50s........I was feckin' delighted to get out to the warm up area at 6.30pm to warm up having sat in the stands since 3pm.....at least I got several pages of my life story "Pale Paddy & Proud" written and the blood was circulating through my fingers,NEVER dropped a relay baton.....WASN'T planning to start today let me tell you!!
W/ 19 teams lining up it was always gonna be somewhat of a fustercluck at the start but w/ John
"The Beast" Curtis leading us off I knew we were in safe hands,go on Flo Track and watch the video or allow me to post it when Raine John's wife posts it John made sure he got a clear start from the third man from the rail start and lead us through the opening 400m in 55.81
Bruce "Broken Calf" Rash ran an impressive second leg despite having pre race favoutites Southwest Sprinters second leg Marcus Shute reel him in.
Ray" I ain't affraid of no ghost" Parker kept us in second w/ a 57.58 leg and now for the first time in my Penn Relays history{06,07,08,09} I took the baton in a medal winning position.
I was never going to catch Southwest Sprinters anchor Khalid Mulazim but that didn't stop me from giving chase,w/ hindsight I wish I'd relaxed a little over the opening 200m and poured it on over the closing 200m as Mass Velocitys anchor Meirwyn Walters ran an impressive anchor leg of 55.79 to catch me up the home straight.
W/ hindsight{I know a wonderful thing!!!} I wish I'd ploughed through on the rail of the final turn instead of slowing slightly to overtake a lapped runner,that split second of hesitation cost me and my team the silver,60.23 for yours truly as Mass Velocity recorded a 3.52.9 to our 3.53.6 w/ Sprint Force America the #2 seed team 4th in 3.55.4
As I sit here now some 90 mins later it's w/ mixed emotions,don't get it twisted I'm proud as punch w/ the bronze but to have Silver w/in my grasp only to be snatched away is a bit of a pisser but rest assured when I do eventually take possession of my Penn Relays Masters Mens M50 4x400m medal it is one I will feel tremendously proud of and know that two weeks of shaking off a virial infection and double oral surgery two days ago could not stop the Shamrock Warrior,this may have been my last Penn Relay.....but I seemed to say that in 2009..................
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Grittin' My Teeth And Getting On W/ It
What's that old adage? "if it isn't one thing,it's another" having shaken off the effects of my virial infection I now had to deal w/ not one,but two teeth extractions yesterday morning.....yeah yeah Paddy dna we do fuck all by half!!!!!
I'd known for a few days a left lower tooth was giving me grief,in fact it was so bad come the second half of the Spurs West Brom game Monday at Fado's if I could've reached into my mouth w/ a pair of plyers and yanked the fecker out myself I would have!!!!
Knowing Wednesday is my token "easy day" at work I knew I could justify sitting outside the Dental department for a few hours waiting to be seen and some three hours and fiveteen minutes after first heading up there I left sans nagging toothache.....and two teeth.
Turned out an extraction I under went four years ago had left a root tip which was working it's way back through the gum,in order to get access to it the tooth next to it needed to go two,two teeth out at $70 OR extract the root tip and save the other tooth via Root Canal and a Crown for $280.......yeah I'm dropping $280 on saving a feckin' tooth!!!!!
Despite a double bout of oral surgery I not only finished my shift at work{can't imagine the pussys I work w/ sticking around afterwards!!!!} but came home stretched,changed and knocked out another six miler.
Conditions were 20 degrees cooler last nite than Tuesday 53 to 73 degs but frankly when you've ran 13 miles in sub zero temps in January 6 miles in 53 degrees in April is a piece of piss.
If Tuedays 66 mins had been a bit tentative last nites 60 mins felt like I was returning to the lean green mean running machine I pride myself on and that Pancho Gonzales quote to Jimmy Connors
"hard work,tenacity,pride and personality" seldom rang truer than it did last nite.
One more run by Franklin Field tonite......b4 running inside "the old lady" on Friday......can't have a Penn Relays w/out a Philadelphia team showing how it's done now can we?????
I'd known for a few days a left lower tooth was giving me grief,in fact it was so bad come the second half of the Spurs West Brom game Monday at Fado's if I could've reached into my mouth w/ a pair of plyers and yanked the fecker out myself I would have!!!!
Knowing Wednesday is my token "easy day" at work I knew I could justify sitting outside the Dental department for a few hours waiting to be seen and some three hours and fiveteen minutes after first heading up there I left sans nagging toothache.....and two teeth.
Turned out an extraction I under went four years ago had left a root tip which was working it's way back through the gum,in order to get access to it the tooth next to it needed to go two,two teeth out at $70 OR extract the root tip and save the other tooth via Root Canal and a Crown for $280.......yeah I'm dropping $280 on saving a feckin' tooth!!!!!
Despite a double bout of oral surgery I not only finished my shift at work{can't imagine the pussys I work w/ sticking around afterwards!!!!} but came home stretched,changed and knocked out another six miler.
Conditions were 20 degrees cooler last nite than Tuesday 53 to 73 degs but frankly when you've ran 13 miles in sub zero temps in January 6 miles in 53 degrees in April is a piece of piss.
If Tuedays 66 mins had been a bit tentative last nites 60 mins felt like I was returning to the lean green mean running machine I pride myself on and that Pancho Gonzales quote to Jimmy Connors
"hard work,tenacity,pride and personality" seldom rang truer than it did last nite.
One more run by Franklin Field tonite......b4 running inside "the old lady" on Friday......can't have a Penn Relays w/out a Philadelphia team showing how it's done now can we?????
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Back Into The System
A wise man once told me "you can do anything you want in this life.......you just have to be prepared to pay the price that goes w/ it".......
So remember my 13 mile run on April 9th in the snow,rain,sleet,hail?????? well a week later yours truly was laid up w/ a virial infection which cost me two weeks of training...........
Glass half empty I lost two weeks of training which means the magic number is down to 11 now till Outdoor Nationals
Glass half full I've save my legs going into Fridays anchor leg of the M50 Masters 4x400m at Penn Relays.
Easy 6 miler out and back to Lloyd Hall along the Schuylkill Footpath and Banks last nite to blow the cobwebs off and also get back into the routine of coming home stretching and going out for a run,I can ill afford any more time off now if Grand Rapids Michigan is going to happen in mid July.
Felt ok out there last nite,granted 6 miles at 10 min mile pace should feel easy but I just need to kick start the engine this week,I can potentially log a 40mpw including the race,a repeat and a Sunday 14 miler and get myself back upto 50mpw next week.
Having just finished the Jimmy Connors autobiography "The Outsider" I was struck by this quote
"Hard Work,Tenacity,Pride,& Personality"........................
#nuffsaid it's time to get back to work.......
So remember my 13 mile run on April 9th in the snow,rain,sleet,hail?????? well a week later yours truly was laid up w/ a virial infection which cost me two weeks of training...........
Glass half empty I lost two weeks of training which means the magic number is down to 11 now till Outdoor Nationals
Glass half full I've save my legs going into Fridays anchor leg of the M50 Masters 4x400m at Penn Relays.
Easy 6 miler out and back to Lloyd Hall along the Schuylkill Footpath and Banks last nite to blow the cobwebs off and also get back into the routine of coming home stretching and going out for a run,I can ill afford any more time off now if Grand Rapids Michigan is going to happen in mid July.
Felt ok out there last nite,granted 6 miles at 10 min mile pace should feel easy but I just need to kick start the engine this week,I can potentially log a 40mpw including the race,a repeat and a Sunday 14 miler and get myself back upto 50mpw next week.
Having just finished the Jimmy Connors autobiography "The Outsider" I was struck by this quote
"Hard Work,Tenacity,Pride,& Personality"........................
#nuffsaid it's time to get back to work.......
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
New Week,New Attitude....Same Chavs At Work!!!!!
So,I didn't get up at 6.30am on Sunday to tackle my 13 miler.....the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak and while I'm pissed at missing out on a 60 mpw I can take solice from the fact that even over 4 days at 47 mpw I'm still ahead of the 40mpw I would've put in over 5 days a year ago.
At least where work is concerned things should be more straightforward this week....I was tempted to say normal but I can't type that w/ a straight face......this place feckin' normal.........
W/ my new phone in place I can drown out the chavs w/ my music via Spotify so not only do I not have to talk to these feckers now I don't have to listen to them......oh the unbridaled joy a 68 song Inxs playlist brought me yesterday,the gloves came off after the tailend of last week I now adopt a "speak when I'm spoken to policy" w/ them if someone says hello I respond in kind cos not to would be rude but other than that.....feck off!!
Home by 4.10pm and back out the door by 4.25pm for a 12 miler after getting soaked Monday and Saturday not to mention caught in a shower over the final 2.5 miles on Thursday it was a pleasent change of pace to not have to deal w/ the rain yesterday,in fact temps were 64 degs and sunny,although rain is forecast for today which may force my hand re an early rest day in the week but it appears blue skies are on the horizon for the rest of the week.....a metaphor I could use where work is concerned
At least where work is concerned things should be more straightforward this week....I was tempted to say normal but I can't type that w/ a straight face......this place feckin' normal.........
W/ my new phone in place I can drown out the chavs w/ my music via Spotify so not only do I not have to talk to these feckers now I don't have to listen to them......oh the unbridaled joy a 68 song Inxs playlist brought me yesterday,the gloves came off after the tailend of last week I now adopt a "speak when I'm spoken to policy" w/ them if someone says hello I respond in kind cos not to would be rude but other than that.....feck off!!
Home by 4.10pm and back out the door by 4.25pm for a 12 miler after getting soaked Monday and Saturday not to mention caught in a shower over the final 2.5 miles on Thursday it was a pleasent change of pace to not have to deal w/ the rain yesterday,in fact temps were 64 degs and sunny,although rain is forecast for today which may force my hand re an early rest day in the week but it appears blue skies are on the horizon for the rest of the week.....a metaphor I could use where work is concerned
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Are You Feckin' Shittin' Me I & II
Once again the chavs at "Monkey Shit Central" screwed me for my run yesterday.......explain to me how I'm expected to bring 17 skids down there,put 9 up in two hours b4 having to spend 3 hours helping receive on the loading dock,only to to return 3 hours later w/ three more only to discover FUCK ALL touched while I was up on the dock.....meanwhile Jerk Off Extraordinaire is swanning around like the prize pratt he is doin sweet FA.....the same feckin' ejjit who beat my ear first thing on Monday
"be glad you were off on Friday.....we had 13 skids......."
Feck me here's himself fresh out of feckin' Blue Peter badges.....but ye don't have a chest to fuckin pin it on anyway!!!!!
Fuck Sake!!!!
Upshot it was 5.30pm b4 I got done,glass half empty 2 and 1/4 hours later than my official quittin' time,glass half full that's an extra 2 and 1/4 hours ot on top of the 5 hours of No Lunches I got all week.....feckin trip to Dublin's gonna pay for its self one shaggin' way or another!!!!!
Sadly getting home by 6.30pm rather banajaxed me for a run not to mention Friday is Grocery shopping nite,hey ho looks like I'm running Saturday and Sunday........
Friday nite is traditionally "Dinner & A Movie" as "Chez Alfie's" so after my shower it was time to tuck into a feck off plate of Baked Mac w/ two orders of Ribs and unwind w/ "Never Let Me Go"
Copping the 11pm news to see Villanova's victory parade to City Hall....yep still rockin' Nova Nation!!! I could've sworn the weather girl said "snow tomorrow"
Snow....in April....feck off will ye,I fecked off to bed believing the week had taken it's toll on me.......
Sure as God made little green Apples it began to snow around 12pm......but there's no feckin Global Warming.........that's just made up shite by the media yeah??????
Trust me said feckin' snow was real enough as himself went out for his run at 2pm.....jaysus!!!
I had to dig out me feckin' gloves and thermal ski hat for my 13 miler.....and thank Christ I did......feckin mitts were frozen out there this afternoon,fuck knows the official temps.....but if it's cold enough to snow......it's feckin' cold!!!!
Heading into today I had 34 miles and needed 26 over the weekend to get my 60, did I go 14/12? 12/14?? nope settled for a 13/13 split....and while this afternoon's excursion was not fun,not sexy and generally a bull buster I still have to be up at 6.30am tomorrow morning to be out the door by 7.30am so I can get my run in pre Fado's for the Spurs Man Utd 11am kick off.......fecked if I'm missing the last weekend game till May 7th and the chance to hang w/ my tribe" cos I work w/ brain dead feckin' chavs......
Thought today was cold w/ w/ the snow?........it'll be down right "frigid as fuck" Monday morning when I return to Monkey Shit Central......
Fuckers!
"be glad you were off on Friday.....we had 13 skids......."
Feck me here's himself fresh out of feckin' Blue Peter badges.....but ye don't have a chest to fuckin pin it on anyway!!!!!
Fuck Sake!!!!
Upshot it was 5.30pm b4 I got done,glass half empty 2 and 1/4 hours later than my official quittin' time,glass half full that's an extra 2 and 1/4 hours ot on top of the 5 hours of No Lunches I got all week.....feckin trip to Dublin's gonna pay for its self one shaggin' way or another!!!!!
Sadly getting home by 6.30pm rather banajaxed me for a run not to mention Friday is Grocery shopping nite,hey ho looks like I'm running Saturday and Sunday........
Friday nite is traditionally "Dinner & A Movie" as "Chez Alfie's" so after my shower it was time to tuck into a feck off plate of Baked Mac w/ two orders of Ribs and unwind w/ "Never Let Me Go"
Copping the 11pm news to see Villanova's victory parade to City Hall....yep still rockin' Nova Nation!!! I could've sworn the weather girl said "snow tomorrow"
Snow....in April....feck off will ye,I fecked off to bed believing the week had taken it's toll on me.......
Sure as God made little green Apples it began to snow around 12pm......but there's no feckin Global Warming.........that's just made up shite by the media yeah??????
Trust me said feckin' snow was real enough as himself went out for his run at 2pm.....jaysus!!!
I had to dig out me feckin' gloves and thermal ski hat for my 13 miler.....and thank Christ I did......feckin mitts were frozen out there this afternoon,fuck knows the official temps.....but if it's cold enough to snow......it's feckin' cold!!!!
Heading into today I had 34 miles and needed 26 over the weekend to get my 60, did I go 14/12? 12/14?? nope settled for a 13/13 split....and while this afternoon's excursion was not fun,not sexy and generally a bull buster I still have to be up at 6.30am tomorrow morning to be out the door by 7.30am so I can get my run in pre Fado's for the Spurs Man Utd 11am kick off.......fecked if I'm missing the last weekend game till May 7th and the chance to hang w/ my tribe" cos I work w/ brain dead feckin' chavs......
Thought today was cold w/ w/ the snow?........it'll be down right "frigid as fuck" Monday morning when I return to Monkey Shit Central......
Fuckers!
Friday, April 8, 2016
Easy 12 Miler,Or The Jericho Mile......You Decide
I have said more than once that sometimes the run is about chasing my demons away.....yesterday was a prime example.
The day began well enough,I answered the call of the alarm at 5.09am which is always half the battle,knew it was pay day which always makes life a little easier and began reading my latest book "The Outsider'' Jimmy Connors autobiography on the ride to work....so far so good......
No sooner do I arrive on the loading dock at 6.15am that it all goes to hell in a handbasket.
Some Bellend from PJP decides waiting till 7.30am to deliver is too much trouble and proceeds to drop off his 5 skids b4 I arrive.....problem being when he ran out of room on either side of the dock he puts the last three down the middle.......so how the fuck am I getting to the electric jack at the end of the dock to move them arsehole???????
As if that was a great enough start to my day I now have to deal w/ a pair of arseholes from Rhico who I dubbed the "A Team" ......A standing for arsehole of course and w/ that my day went downhill faster than Lindsay Vorn in the Giant Slalom!!!!!!!
W/ the proverbial "red mist" well and truly decending and projectiles flying across the storeroom I now have to endure the daily "Monkey Shit" from the cast of "The Walking Dead" ie the Storeroom staff who are frankly "as thick as two short planks" at the best of times but give there were no Supervisiors on duty yesterday{even when there are they're about as much use a one legged man in an arse kicking contest!!!!} the level of stupidity from them rose to "critical overload" at which point obsenities are flying out of my mouth more frequently than airplanes out of JFK Airport.
Realizing at this point "I don't need a gun, I can just push the bullets in"!!!!! I thank christ I have a 12 mile run on tap post work to exorcise my demons,as you know I'm a "Proud Paddy" and a Catholic,Orange is NOT my colour and I like my freedom too much to be doing roadside trash pick up detail on a chain gang so despite"tasting the blood" and wanting to knock one individuals teeth "so far down his throat he'll need to shove a toothbrush up his arse to clean them" I suppress my demons till 3.15pm go home "pass go,collect $300 and not go to jail" get out of my work clothes into my running gear and perform an Exorcisim over 12 miles out and back on Kelly Drive.
Demons suppressed,I shower,make dinner catch a little tv b4 calling it a nite......tomorrow is another day.......hopefully better than the one I just had in a day and age when old movies are being remade I have ZERO desire to be the lead in "The Jericho Mile"......
The day began well enough,I answered the call of the alarm at 5.09am which is always half the battle,knew it was pay day which always makes life a little easier and began reading my latest book "The Outsider'' Jimmy Connors autobiography on the ride to work....so far so good......
No sooner do I arrive on the loading dock at 6.15am that it all goes to hell in a handbasket.
Some Bellend from PJP decides waiting till 7.30am to deliver is too much trouble and proceeds to drop off his 5 skids b4 I arrive.....problem being when he ran out of room on either side of the dock he puts the last three down the middle.......so how the fuck am I getting to the electric jack at the end of the dock to move them arsehole???????
As if that was a great enough start to my day I now have to deal w/ a pair of arseholes from Rhico who I dubbed the "A Team" ......A standing for arsehole of course and w/ that my day went downhill faster than Lindsay Vorn in the Giant Slalom!!!!!!!
W/ the proverbial "red mist" well and truly decending and projectiles flying across the storeroom I now have to endure the daily "Monkey Shit" from the cast of "The Walking Dead" ie the Storeroom staff who are frankly "as thick as two short planks" at the best of times but give there were no Supervisiors on duty yesterday{even when there are they're about as much use a one legged man in an arse kicking contest!!!!} the level of stupidity from them rose to "critical overload" at which point obsenities are flying out of my mouth more frequently than airplanes out of JFK Airport.
Realizing at this point "I don't need a gun, I can just push the bullets in"!!!!! I thank christ I have a 12 mile run on tap post work to exorcise my demons,as you know I'm a "Proud Paddy" and a Catholic,Orange is NOT my colour and I like my freedom too much to be doing roadside trash pick up detail on a chain gang so despite"tasting the blood" and wanting to knock one individuals teeth "so far down his throat he'll need to shove a toothbrush up his arse to clean them" I suppress my demons till 3.15pm go home "pass go,collect $300 and not go to jail" get out of my work clothes into my running gear and perform an Exorcisim over 12 miles out and back on Kelly Drive.
Demons suppressed,I shower,make dinner catch a little tv b4 calling it a nite......tomorrow is another day.......hopefully better than the one I just had in a day and age when old movies are being remade I have ZERO desire to be the lead in "The Jericho Mile"......
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Super Nova
Anyone who knows me will tell you my love for Villanova runs deep......no I didn't go there{more's the pity!!} but IF I'd grown up in America w/ the same athletic talent I'd grown up w/ in London w/ in the late 70s I'd have wanted to go to Villanova......IF I had the money or the grades is probably another matter altogether but when do we allow reality to blur the lines of fantasy???
When I first saw Eamonn Coghlan run for Ireland at the 76 Montreal Olympics I became a huge fan and through my hero worship of him I discovered Villanova,Jumbo Elliot and Ronnie Delaney and since then I've bled Wildcat blue......so you'll forgive me if I've spent the last few days w/ my chest out and my Peacock feathers in full bloom,NCAA Basketball Champions...........
#NOVANATION
#NATIONALCHAMPS
Having sat out Tuesday it was back at it yesterday as I opted for a 14 miler around the whole Art Museum Loop to get me back on schedule for a 60 mpw.
Conditions were sunny and warm at 51 degs,but the ever present wind off the Schuylkill was noticable after I cross Falls Bridge from West River Dr onto Kelly Drive for the second seven miles.
It's been a while since I tackled the loop period,muchless on a week day but w/ himself no stranger to 12 or 13 milers on a weekday was 14 really that big of an ask???
As is my won't I ran sans watch as it's more about the miles than the pace but I was probably ballpark two hours and change 9 min mile pace over 14 miles would be 2.06.
Highlight of the run, just under 4 miles to go approaching Girard Ave bridge I spotted a runner coming towards me sporting a blue Villanova t shirt, I had worn my white Villanova Basketball shootaround drifit shirt.....we both smiled and nodded at one another and flashed the Villanova Victory V as we went about our runs........isn't being National Champions grand!!!!!!
When I first saw Eamonn Coghlan run for Ireland at the 76 Montreal Olympics I became a huge fan and through my hero worship of him I discovered Villanova,Jumbo Elliot and Ronnie Delaney and since then I've bled Wildcat blue......so you'll forgive me if I've spent the last few days w/ my chest out and my Peacock feathers in full bloom,NCAA Basketball Champions...........
#NOVANATION
#NATIONALCHAMPS
Having sat out Tuesday it was back at it yesterday as I opted for a 14 miler around the whole Art Museum Loop to get me back on schedule for a 60 mpw.
Conditions were sunny and warm at 51 degs,but the ever present wind off the Schuylkill was noticable after I cross Falls Bridge from West River Dr onto Kelly Drive for the second seven miles.
It's been a while since I tackled the loop period,muchless on a week day but w/ himself no stranger to 12 or 13 milers on a weekday was 14 really that big of an ask???
As is my won't I ran sans watch as it's more about the miles than the pace but I was probably ballpark two hours and change 9 min mile pace over 14 miles would be 2.06.
Highlight of the run, just under 4 miles to go approaching Girard Ave bridge I spotted a runner coming towards me sporting a blue Villanova t shirt, I had worn my white Villanova Basketball shootaround drifit shirt.....we both smiled and nodded at one another and flashed the Villanova Victory V as we went about our runs........isn't being National Champions grand!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Channeling My Inner Madonna* And Inner Cher*
*Into The Groove
*Turn Back Time
Looking to build on last weeks 60 mpw I had to throw in a few extra wrinkles yesterday,a return to work and getting up at 5.09am plus putting in a full day b4 heading off for my run,plus the unexpected news I'm "in the mix" for the upcoming Penn Relays M50 4X400,
As for work...."meh" I'm back up on the dock this week to cover Chris while he's off,can't lay claim to "my nads being pumped" about it but it is what it is and it's only for a week
As for Penn Relays,that was a surprise even to moi!,I was originally asked late last week and I declined....however the club wasn't taking NO for an answer and I was asked again yesterday and while I have reservations about it I have agreed to run.
Do I want to run it?.....not really being totally honest,will it kill me to run a 400m leg of a relay? not really and who knows maybe by doing a selfless act for three team mates who have a vested interest in running Penn Relays will inspire some good karma down the road for "himself" and Lord knows I could always use good karma....
Also in a year I celebrate 40 years of running lest we forget I begun my career on the track as a 400m/800m runner so maybe this is the universe trying to tell me something????
As for my run last nite I had to settle for an 8 miler due to the rain,I'm pissed because on Friday when I thought it would rain I wore my Spurs rain jacket only to sweat my bollocks off,last nite while doing my best "Drowned Rat" impression said rain jacket was still hanging up on the bathroom shower rail......bone shaggin' dry while I got soaked.......
At least I got 8 miles in and providing I tweak my remaining four runs from 12 miles to 13 miles or throw in a pair of 12/14s I'll still be golden for 60mpw.
*Turn Back Time
Looking to build on last weeks 60 mpw I had to throw in a few extra wrinkles yesterday,a return to work and getting up at 5.09am plus putting in a full day b4 heading off for my run,plus the unexpected news I'm "in the mix" for the upcoming Penn Relays M50 4X400,
As for work...."meh" I'm back up on the dock this week to cover Chris while he's off,can't lay claim to "my nads being pumped" about it but it is what it is and it's only for a week
As for Penn Relays,that was a surprise even to moi!,I was originally asked late last week and I declined....however the club wasn't taking NO for an answer and I was asked again yesterday and while I have reservations about it I have agreed to run.
Do I want to run it?.....not really being totally honest,will it kill me to run a 400m leg of a relay? not really and who knows maybe by doing a selfless act for three team mates who have a vested interest in running Penn Relays will inspire some good karma down the road for "himself" and Lord knows I could always use good karma....
Also in a year I celebrate 40 years of running lest we forget I begun my career on the track as a 400m/800m runner so maybe this is the universe trying to tell me something????
As for my run last nite I had to settle for an 8 miler due to the rain,I'm pissed because on Friday when I thought it would rain I wore my Spurs rain jacket only to sweat my bollocks off,last nite while doing my best "Drowned Rat" impression said rain jacket was still hanging up on the bathroom shower rail......bone shaggin' dry while I got soaked.......
At least I got 8 miles in and providing I tweak my remaining four runs from 12 miles to 13 miles or throw in a pair of 12/14s I'll still be golden for 60mpw.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
I've Started,So I'll Finish Thank You Very Much.....
Been a while since I last logged a 60 mpw.....and judging from the "clinically dead" sensation from the knees down I'm presently feeling I can see why the feck that is....that said I'm happy to have my first 60mpw under my belt as I move forward.....albeit slowly towards my goals this Outdoor season.
Yesterdays planned 12 miler never got off the ground,I had a sleepless nite,it was raining and frankly the 48 miles from Tuesday thro Friday had taken somewhat of a toll,no biggie I had Sunday as my fall back day on tap.
Up around 9am I was lulled into a false sense of security by the bright sunshine coming thro my living window....the howling wind from the skylight window on my landing as I did my final achilles stretches should have warned yours truly what was waiting outside the front door......
Feck Me!! if I'd known it was gonna be this cold and that windy my gloves and Dublin knit hat may well have been dug out from the bottom of my running gear pile pre run.....thank jaysus my Spurs half zip top has long feckin' sleeves to cover my hands cos I think they might've frozen off out there this morning.
Yes I flunked General Science in High School and told them where to poke Chem,Physics,Biology for my final two years but answer me this IF the wind is in your face heading northbound along Kelly Drive SURELY when you turn around and head southbound it should at your back???????
The feck it is on Kelly Drive!!! there were Portajohns blown over on the path out there this morning/lunchtime{I hope no bugger was trying to use them at the time!!!!!} and on at least three occasions I yelled to the running gods "yer feckin' joking aren't ya???" as the wind continued to be in my face,trust me at an age where crossing stuff of ye olde Bucket List is prevalent.....doing my best Mary Poppins impression is NOT on said list!!!!
Mercifully I made it home in one piece and can log a 60 mile week in the books,more of the same next week beginning tomorrow I hope.....just not w/ that feckin' wind I hope!!
Yesterdays planned 12 miler never got off the ground,I had a sleepless nite,it was raining and frankly the 48 miles from Tuesday thro Friday had taken somewhat of a toll,no biggie I had Sunday as my fall back day on tap.
Up around 9am I was lulled into a false sense of security by the bright sunshine coming thro my living window....the howling wind from the skylight window on my landing as I did my final achilles stretches should have warned yours truly what was waiting outside the front door......
Feck Me!! if I'd known it was gonna be this cold and that windy my gloves and Dublin knit hat may well have been dug out from the bottom of my running gear pile pre run.....thank jaysus my Spurs half zip top has long feckin' sleeves to cover my hands cos I think they might've frozen off out there this morning.
Yes I flunked General Science in High School and told them where to poke Chem,Physics,Biology for my final two years but answer me this IF the wind is in your face heading northbound along Kelly Drive SURELY when you turn around and head southbound it should at your back???????
The feck it is on Kelly Drive!!! there were Portajohns blown over on the path out there this morning/lunchtime{I hope no bugger was trying to use them at the time!!!!!} and on at least three occasions I yelled to the running gods "yer feckin' joking aren't ya???" as the wind continued to be in my face,trust me at an age where crossing stuff of ye olde Bucket List is prevalent.....doing my best Mary Poppins impression is NOT on said list!!!!
Mercifully I made it home in one piece and can log a 60 mile week in the books,more of the same next week beginning tomorrow I hope.....just not w/ that feckin' wind I hope!!
Friday, April 1, 2016
Guess The Joke's On Me
Another 12 miler in the books this lunch time between 11.30am and 1.30pm to put me at 48 miles for the week,just need to get up around 8am and be on the road by 9am tomorrow so I can be done and dusted by 11am and have time to hop in and out of the shower b4 coming down town to Fado's to catch the 12.30pm Liverpool Spurs game.
Bit of a grind today if I'm being 100% honest but when did I last put in back to back to back to back runs much less 12 milers?
Very little in the way of knee lift and leg turn over throughout the run which was almost my undoing w/ half a mile to go when my right foot caught a slab of uneven paving stone......however my semester of Interpretive Dance at University College Dublin kept me upright......knew that would come in useful one of these feckin days!!!!
Erred in my running attire choice today,forecast called for showers so I went w/ baseball cap,rain jacket and warm up bottoms.........jaysus I was sweating like a feckin pig out there,fecking clothes were soaked in sweat by the time I got done and the sweat was running off my forehead into my eyes so much I looked like feckin' Popeye at times out there running w/one eye shut....oh yeah and it never feckin' rained either.....an April Fools win for the Weather people I guess.......,however post run tomorrow when I have my 5 day/60mpw under my belt it'll be me having the last feckin' laugh.......
Bit of a grind today if I'm being 100% honest but when did I last put in back to back to back to back runs much less 12 milers?
Very little in the way of knee lift and leg turn over throughout the run which was almost my undoing w/ half a mile to go when my right foot caught a slab of uneven paving stone......however my semester of Interpretive Dance at University College Dublin kept me upright......knew that would come in useful one of these feckin days!!!!
Erred in my running attire choice today,forecast called for showers so I went w/ baseball cap,rain jacket and warm up bottoms.........jaysus I was sweating like a feckin pig out there,fecking clothes were soaked in sweat by the time I got done and the sweat was running off my forehead into my eyes so much I looked like feckin' Popeye at times out there running w/one eye shut....oh yeah and it never feckin' rained either.....an April Fools win for the Weather people I guess.......,however post run tomorrow when I have my 5 day/60mpw under my belt it'll be me having the last feckin' laugh.......
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Iron Maiden's Gonna Get Ya!!!!
Ok,so playing a little catch up here......
Monday sat out my planned 12 miler on account of sore calves from Saturday,basically 3,500m in spikes will do that to ye so rather than "fly in the face of it" I felt it prudent to sit out a day......no desire to begin my prep for the upcoming Outdoor season on the DL
Tuesday 12 miler post work at 4.30pm,sunny and warm at 55 degrees but blustery as feck out there,so windy I ditched my Spurs baseball cap in favour of my bandana as I figured there was less chance of said bandana being blown off me head.....yeah it was that windy!!
Wednesday the first of {hopefully} three late morning/lunchtime 12 milers during the week,since Iron Maiden weren't coming to either Philly or Camden on their current "Book Of Souls" tour I said feck it{I say that a lot don't I???!!!!} and got tickets for their NYC show at MSG,tempting as it was to feck off the run I knew that was bollocks and hit "the path well travelled" around 10.20pm.
Was pleasantly surprised to come across as many runners as I did between 10.20am/12.20pm.....I couldn't be the only one playing "hooky" from work/school could I????
Thursday despite not getting to bed till 2.30am this morning I was "up and at em" by 11.25am today to round off March w/ another 12 miler to give me 93 miles for the month...kinda kickin meself for not getting an extra 7 miles in to keep me at triple digits for the fourth month in a row but it is what it is and I would hazard a guess my April and May mileage will like my beloved Iron Maiden.....be a heavy mother!!!"
36 miles down,24 to go,hoping to beat the showers tomorrow and get up early enough on Saturday to log another 12 milers between 9am-11am and then down to Fado's to cop Liverpool Spurs at lunchtime....and have the luxury of Sunday off
Monday sat out my planned 12 miler on account of sore calves from Saturday,basically 3,500m in spikes will do that to ye so rather than "fly in the face of it" I felt it prudent to sit out a day......no desire to begin my prep for the upcoming Outdoor season on the DL
Tuesday 12 miler post work at 4.30pm,sunny and warm at 55 degrees but blustery as feck out there,so windy I ditched my Spurs baseball cap in favour of my bandana as I figured there was less chance of said bandana being blown off me head.....yeah it was that windy!!
Wednesday the first of {hopefully} three late morning/lunchtime 12 milers during the week,since Iron Maiden weren't coming to either Philly or Camden on their current "Book Of Souls" tour I said feck it{I say that a lot don't I???!!!!} and got tickets for their NYC show at MSG,tempting as it was to feck off the run I knew that was bollocks and hit "the path well travelled" around 10.20pm.
Was pleasantly surprised to come across as many runners as I did between 10.20am/12.20pm.....I couldn't be the only one playing "hooky" from work/school could I????
Thursday despite not getting to bed till 2.30am this morning I was "up and at em" by 11.25am today to round off March w/ another 12 miler to give me 93 miles for the month...kinda kickin meself for not getting an extra 7 miles in to keep me at triple digits for the fourth month in a row but it is what it is and I would hazard a guess my April and May mileage will like my beloved Iron Maiden.....be a heavy mother!!!"
36 miles down,24 to go,hoping to beat the showers tomorrow and get up early enough on Saturday to log another 12 milers between 9am-11am and then down to Fado's to cop Liverpool Spurs at lunchtime....and have the luxury of Sunday off
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Week One In Da Books
Much like the time honoured "it's like riding a bike/falling off a log" I got back into the swing of a 5 day 50mpw this week....even if I did plan it to be a 60mpw.....but you know what....I'm ok w/ it only being 50
Sometimes you have to "walk before you can run" and perhaps going zero to sixty was a tad ambitious to begin w/ so 50mpw it was this week and having gotten that under my belt I feel confident bumping it up to 60 this coming week won't be too much of a stretch for me.
Out the door by 12pm today to "take care of business" only 10 miles given all the extra running I did yesterday which was fine given I was a tad "leggy" after yesterdays multi races....I only planned to run the 1,500m w/ a mile and a half warm up and cool down when I headed north up I 95 to NYC yesterday but then Duncan Smith asked if I was interested in a 4x800m and I said sure....then John Tran asked me if I was interested in a DMR and I said sure.....post 1,500m Conor O Driscoll asked me if I wanted to warm down out and back over the George Washington bridge......and I said sure........good feckin' job I wasn't asked if I wanted to run a 400m or 4x400m as I'm sure I'd have said sure to that......though it would've given me my own DMR almost,1,500m,1,200m in the DMR and 800m in the 4x800m.......
Grey and overcast out at lunch time but dry,talk of rain in the upcoming seven day forecast which could bollix me for a Monday thro Friday 12 miles=60mpw....I do have Sunday as a "fall back day" if need be and or an early Saturday 12 miler b4 the lunchtime Spurs Liverpool game so we'll "paint,burn,cross,jump" that bridge when the time comes.
Rumour has it it's Easter Sunday today.....I wouldn't know after a brief glimpse into "the holidays" being in a relationship I'm back to being single where frankly each day tends to be just like the one b4....such is life at least I can go home now and enjoy my home made Mushroom Cheesesteak and not have to concern myself w/ the traditional Ham.........
Sometimes you have to "walk before you can run" and perhaps going zero to sixty was a tad ambitious to begin w/ so 50mpw it was this week and having gotten that under my belt I feel confident bumping it up to 60 this coming week won't be too much of a stretch for me.
Out the door by 12pm today to "take care of business" only 10 miles given all the extra running I did yesterday which was fine given I was a tad "leggy" after yesterdays multi races....I only planned to run the 1,500m w/ a mile and a half warm up and cool down when I headed north up I 95 to NYC yesterday but then Duncan Smith asked if I was interested in a 4x800m and I said sure....then John Tran asked me if I was interested in a DMR and I said sure.....post 1,500m Conor O Driscoll asked me if I wanted to warm down out and back over the George Washington bridge......and I said sure........good feckin' job I wasn't asked if I wanted to run a 400m or 4x400m as I'm sure I'd have said sure to that......though it would've given me my own DMR almost,1,500m,1,200m in the DMR and 800m in the 4x800m.......
Grey and overcast out at lunch time but dry,talk of rain in the upcoming seven day forecast which could bollix me for a Monday thro Friday 12 miles=60mpw....I do have Sunday as a "fall back day" if need be and or an early Saturday 12 miler b4 the lunchtime Spurs Liverpool game so we'll "paint,burn,cross,jump" that bridge when the time comes.
Rumour has it it's Easter Sunday today.....I wouldn't know after a brief glimpse into "the holidays" being in a relationship I'm back to being single where frankly each day tends to be just like the one b4....such is life at least I can go home now and enjoy my home made Mushroom Cheesesteak and not have to concern myself w/ the traditional Ham.........
Treadin' The Boards One Last Time
It would've been easy to draw a line in the sand under the Indoor season three weeks ago in Albuquerque off the back of my two silvers in the 800m and 1,500m......Paddy DNA we don't subscribe to "less is more" in our culture so when the New York Frontrunners announced their 17th annual meet at The Armory on Easter Saturday I said "feck it" why not?
One last race indoors,one last chance to tread the "hallowed boards" till January was motivation enough but also the chance to leapfrog Landen's 4.31.55 from Albuquerque which lead the US M50 rankings was also a motivator.
7 laps at 36 seconds and a closing 100m in 18 seconds would give me a 4.30......simple enough when you say it....actually pulling it off......now that's the time honoured "horse of a different colour"......which tends to lend it's self to the classic "don't tell an Irishman he can't do something cos he'll go out of his way to prove ye wrong" mindset.....
I skipped Friday's scheduled 10 miler,my legs were feeling it a tad having had three weeks of taper,Indoor Nationals and then a fortnite off and while "keeping my gunpowder dry" for Saturday I also figured a 5 day/50mpw this week off the back of that was prudent,not to mention going 0 to 50 b4 going 50 to 60 mpw was also wise.
Maybe I erred in putting 4.30 as my seed time,based on my 4.47 at Hartshorne in mid January a 4.29 subtracting the "industry standard" 18 seconds was "par for the course" but I'd set my sight on going after 4.30 so that's what I put....which earnt me the #8 seed of heat #2.
12 man field I was on the left hand side of the yellow line in lane 4 and while no indication was given about we could/couldn't cut in from the gun I stayed in lane 4 till the top of the home straight b4 making my move up to 3rd as we went through the finish line w/ 7 laps to go.
Sadly no clock nor anyone calling splits but I remember my former coach more than once telling me "run on feel" don't worry about the clock,splits,pace etc,if you feel good.....go for it!.
As we completed the first lap I moved to the front,shades of my 1,000m victory here on Jan 28th.....sure I had that nano second moment "oh feck have I gone too soon" but over 1,000m I hit the front and never looked back 8 weeks ago,surely eight weeks down the road I was stronger and faster......???
As I said no clock,no splits,actually someone was calling 200m splits unofficially but I was too focused on maintaining my form and rhythm and speed to worry.
Hearing the bell I gritted my teeth and tried to kick hard for the final 200m,I did hear 4.11 at 1,400m....4.12 would have given me 7 laps at 36 seconds......which is pretty feckin' consistent if I say so myself and I continued to drive the final 100m to cross the line in first,I went 17 months w/out a victory from Aug 2014 to Jan 2016 and now in the space of 8 weeks two wins......feckin told ya getting back into that Eamonn Coghlan mindset would pay dividends......
Off for a cool down run out and back over the nearby George Washington bridge w/ my good friend and fellow Paddy Conor O Driscoll b4 returning to the news I'd ran......4.28.37.....JAYSUS!!!!!!
What can I say? the proof of the pudding is in the tasting and my decision to up my mileage from what now feels like a paltry 40 mpw to 50/55/60 mpw is paying off.....doubt me???? I then lead off the DMR w/ a 3.34.17 1,200m which earnt my team bronze and then ran the third leg of a 4x800m in a semi respectable 2.13.62 which helped us to a win
Throwing in a mile cool down w/ my fellow "multi eventers" Mark Williams and Francis Burdett I logged 6 miles for the day.....which means I only need 10 on Sunday not 12 to round out my 5 day/50 mpw......which is probably a good thing as I have a feeling I'm going to feel "shagged out" tomorrow whenever I choose to get up......but feck it if it wasn't worth it!!!!
One last race indoors,one last chance to tread the "hallowed boards" till January was motivation enough but also the chance to leapfrog Landen's 4.31.55 from Albuquerque which lead the US M50 rankings was also a motivator.
7 laps at 36 seconds and a closing 100m in 18 seconds would give me a 4.30......simple enough when you say it....actually pulling it off......now that's the time honoured "horse of a different colour"......which tends to lend it's self to the classic "don't tell an Irishman he can't do something cos he'll go out of his way to prove ye wrong" mindset.....
I skipped Friday's scheduled 10 miler,my legs were feeling it a tad having had three weeks of taper,Indoor Nationals and then a fortnite off and while "keeping my gunpowder dry" for Saturday I also figured a 5 day/50mpw this week off the back of that was prudent,not to mention going 0 to 50 b4 going 50 to 60 mpw was also wise.
Maybe I erred in putting 4.30 as my seed time,based on my 4.47 at Hartshorne in mid January a 4.29 subtracting the "industry standard" 18 seconds was "par for the course" but I'd set my sight on going after 4.30 so that's what I put....which earnt me the #8 seed of heat #2.
12 man field I was on the left hand side of the yellow line in lane 4 and while no indication was given about we could/couldn't cut in from the gun I stayed in lane 4 till the top of the home straight b4 making my move up to 3rd as we went through the finish line w/ 7 laps to go.
Sadly no clock nor anyone calling splits but I remember my former coach more than once telling me "run on feel" don't worry about the clock,splits,pace etc,if you feel good.....go for it!.
As we completed the first lap I moved to the front,shades of my 1,000m victory here on Jan 28th.....sure I had that nano second moment "oh feck have I gone too soon" but over 1,000m I hit the front and never looked back 8 weeks ago,surely eight weeks down the road I was stronger and faster......???
As I said no clock,no splits,actually someone was calling 200m splits unofficially but I was too focused on maintaining my form and rhythm and speed to worry.
Hearing the bell I gritted my teeth and tried to kick hard for the final 200m,I did hear 4.11 at 1,400m....4.12 would have given me 7 laps at 36 seconds......which is pretty feckin' consistent if I say so myself and I continued to drive the final 100m to cross the line in first,I went 17 months w/out a victory from Aug 2014 to Jan 2016 and now in the space of 8 weeks two wins......feckin told ya getting back into that Eamonn Coghlan mindset would pay dividends......
Off for a cool down run out and back over the nearby George Washington bridge w/ my good friend and fellow Paddy Conor O Driscoll b4 returning to the news I'd ran......4.28.37.....JAYSUS!!!!!!
What can I say? the proof of the pudding is in the tasting and my decision to up my mileage from what now feels like a paltry 40 mpw to 50/55/60 mpw is paying off.....doubt me???? I then lead off the DMR w/ a 3.34.17 1,200m which earnt my team bronze and then ran the third leg of a 4x800m in a semi respectable 2.13.62 which helped us to a win
Throwing in a mile cool down w/ my fellow "multi eventers" Mark Williams and Francis Burdett I logged 6 miles for the day.....which means I only need 10 on Sunday not 12 to round out my 5 day/50 mpw......which is probably a good thing as I have a feeling I'm going to feel "shagged out" tomorrow whenever I choose to get up......but feck it if it wasn't worth it!!!!
Friday, March 25, 2016
Keeping On The Road Well Travelled
ONLY 56 degrees yesterday and not the whopping 70 of Wednesday but even so still a joy to get out and run.
Three days down and 34 miles to show for my efforts it has so far been a rather seemless transition back into training.
Evidently I spoke too soon re next Saturdays Scotland 10K in Central Park.....the event its self is still going ahead,sadly w/out my partisipation as when I went online yesterday to register I was informed entries are closed now.....BOO!!!
In the general scheme of things no big I was just kean to use the race to see where I'm at right now,I can utilize the week to have a more straightforward 5 day/60mpw w/ 12 milers across the board Monday thro Friday w/ Sunday as my fall back day if I lose a day during the week.
Easy 10 miler yesterday and more of the same on tap this afternoon,w/ a 1,500m race on tap tomorrow afternoon sticking to 9/10 min mile pace will be key,no point leaving my legs out on the Schuylkill Footpath/Banks and Kelly Drive if I can't "deliver the goods" over 7.5 laps of the track at The Armory as I hope to lower my 4.34 from Albuqurque from three weeks ago.
Three days down and 34 miles to show for my efforts it has so far been a rather seemless transition back into training.
Evidently I spoke too soon re next Saturdays Scotland 10K in Central Park.....the event its self is still going ahead,sadly w/out my partisipation as when I went online yesterday to register I was informed entries are closed now.....BOO!!!
In the general scheme of things no big I was just kean to use the race to see where I'm at right now,I can utilize the week to have a more straightforward 5 day/60mpw w/ 12 milers across the board Monday thro Friday w/ Sunday as my fall back day if I lose a day during the week.
Easy 10 miler yesterday and more of the same on tap this afternoon,w/ a 1,500m race on tap tomorrow afternoon sticking to 9/10 min mile pace will be key,no point leaving my legs out on the Schuylkill Footpath/Banks and Kelly Drive if I can't "deliver the goods" over 7.5 laps of the track at The Armory as I hope to lower my 4.34 from Albuqurque from three weeks ago.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Tired Limbs,Not Tired Excuses
Ok,so I may have over estimated my bodys ability to jump straight back in at 12 miles on Monday....feck!!!
I awoke Tuesday to that "old man walk" feeling,Jaysus I had to sit on the outside of the bathtub to put my socks on that morning to get dressed for work at 5.10am.....this didn't bode well for a repeat performance of 12 miles on Tuesday.....
I might've swung it had my stomach not felt my throat had been slit,however my regular "hook up" for free lunch fell through and an aching body plus an empty stomach did not make a persuasive arguement for a run of any discript or distance on Tuesday......hey ho!
No such worries yesterday sure I was still a little sore from Monday but it least I ate lunch so upon arriving home at 4.10pm it was off w/ the work clothes and into the running gear and out the door by 4.20pm for another 12 miler.
You'd have to have been some sort of ejjit or gobshite not to have ran yesterday....70 degrees...on March 23rd.......fuckin' ada!! shades,shorts and short sleeves were the order of the afternoon as I made my way out along the trusty sidewalk along the Schuylkill River along Kelly Drive.
Another text book 9 min mile pace/1 hour and 50 minute run....granted next Saturday in Central Park over 10k in the Scotland Run I'll need to pick up the pace but I'm confident I can do so and Saturdays final trip to The Armory for the 1,500m at the annual Frontrunners Meet should aid and abet a little bit of pace into my running
Only 10 miles on tap tonite and another potential 70 degree afternoon........lovin' it!!!
I awoke Tuesday to that "old man walk" feeling,Jaysus I had to sit on the outside of the bathtub to put my socks on that morning to get dressed for work at 5.10am.....this didn't bode well for a repeat performance of 12 miles on Tuesday.....
I might've swung it had my stomach not felt my throat had been slit,however my regular "hook up" for free lunch fell through and an aching body plus an empty stomach did not make a persuasive arguement for a run of any discript or distance on Tuesday......hey ho!
No such worries yesterday sure I was still a little sore from Monday but it least I ate lunch so upon arriving home at 4.10pm it was off w/ the work clothes and into the running gear and out the door by 4.20pm for another 12 miler.
You'd have to have been some sort of ejjit or gobshite not to have ran yesterday....70 degrees...on March 23rd.......fuckin' ada!! shades,shorts and short sleeves were the order of the afternoon as I made my way out along the trusty sidewalk along the Schuylkill River along Kelly Drive.
Another text book 9 min mile pace/1 hour and 50 minute run....granted next Saturday in Central Park over 10k in the Scotland Run I'll need to pick up the pace but I'm confident I can do so and Saturdays final trip to The Armory for the 1,500m at the annual Frontrunners Meet should aid and abet a little bit of pace into my running
Only 10 miles on tap tonite and another potential 70 degree afternoon........lovin' it!!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Hitting The Reset Button
It was always my plan to take off the week after Indoor Nationals to allow body and spirit a chance to heal......however a week became a fortnite{Paddy DNA we NEVER do things by half!!!!} and to be honest I'm ok w/ that.
Kicking things off last nite I have 15 weeks till Outdoor Nationals in Grand Rapids Michigan,4 weeks of 60 mpw base,8 weeks of 55/50mpw and 3 weeks of taper will take me upto mid July b4 jetting off to Michigan,ample time to get myself ready.
Easy 12 miler to kick off proceddings last nite,bit of a shock to the system off two weeks of inactivity on top of only 7 miles the week of Indoor Nationals and 3 weeks of tapering but I handled it out and back in roughly 1 hour and 50 mins at 9 minute mile pace.
Conditions were sunny but w/ a brisk breeze coming off the Schuylkill river,gloves might've been overkill but my trust Dublin knit hat kept my head from getting too chilled and once again long sleeves on my Spurs half zip jacket provided ample cover for my hand when the cold began to take a toll around the 4 mile mark.
I'm happy to be back in the groove again,the clocks have gone forward,Spring has officially arrived so six to seven months of top end training on tap,another dozen miles on tap this afternoon and warmer conditions on the way.....the road to Grand Rapids starts now....
Kicking things off last nite I have 15 weeks till Outdoor Nationals in Grand Rapids Michigan,4 weeks of 60 mpw base,8 weeks of 55/50mpw and 3 weeks of taper will take me upto mid July b4 jetting off to Michigan,ample time to get myself ready.
Easy 12 miler to kick off proceddings last nite,bit of a shock to the system off two weeks of inactivity on top of only 7 miles the week of Indoor Nationals and 3 weeks of tapering but I handled it out and back in roughly 1 hour and 50 mins at 9 minute mile pace.
Conditions were sunny but w/ a brisk breeze coming off the Schuylkill river,gloves might've been overkill but my trust Dublin knit hat kept my head from getting too chilled and once again long sleeves on my Spurs half zip jacket provided ample cover for my hand when the cold began to take a toll around the 4 mile mark.
I'm happy to be back in the groove again,the clocks have gone forward,Spring has officially arrived so six to seven months of top end training on tap,another dozen miles on tap this afternoon and warmer conditions on the way.....the road to Grand Rapids starts now....
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Another Race,Another Silver
Ok,so now that the 2016 edition of Masters Indoor Nationals is in the book I can happily report my record stands at 5 Silver,6 Bronze.......and four of those silvers have come in my last four races no less!!!
Following a 30 minute ice bath last nite I was only going to do the traditional 20 mins but got so caught up in the latest chapter of my I hope soon to be published Life story "Pale,Paddy & Proud" I was in there for 30 mins.......trust me even after a hot shower right after I got out from the tub I was shivering for a while.....that'll teach me for overdoing it but hey I was in a creative mode w/ the book.....plus I'm a Paddy......it's not in our DNA to do anything by half!!!
Arrived at the track by 9.20am and got my stretches in b4 I mile warm up outside,if yesterday I'd been a tad "uptight" pre race today I was more relaxed and willing to talk to my opponents,something I didn't do b4 the 1,500m,"game face" is one thing but this is meant to be fun,plus we're in our 50s now this isn't "life or death"
Originally there were due to be two fields for the M50 800m but w/ scratches and several runners opting for the 3,000m over the 800m only 7 of us toed the line:Landen Summay,Dan Bergeson,me,David Bynoe,Tim Hoff,Richard Larson and Bruce Rash.
I knew Landen was going to take it out from the gun so the plan was go w/ him and hope for the best,good reaction to the gun again but got cut off by Dave Bynoe going into the first turn,Landen and Dan were pulling away so I made my move on the back straight to swing by Dave and Dan and into second just behind Landen.
Holy shit! 30 seconds for the opening 200m from Landen,I knew he wouldn't be hanging around and I probably went through in a not too shabby 31 w/ Dan and Dave not too far behind me.
60 at 400m for Landen 61 for moi I felt ok but tried not to think about the pace and just hang on for dear life,in my mind I felt I was running for second b4 the gun went off anyway but at least I was going for it rather than "playing safe" and looking to out kick Dan and Dave at the death.
1.32 I think at 600m,Landen was opening a gap but I was aware that I couldn't hear Dan or Dave behind me,unlike both my Outdoor Nationals races last summer when I glanced over my shoulder to see if I had bronze taken care of in the 800m and 1,500m I kept my eyes forward yesterday and today,seven months removed from the paler version of me then I feel much stronger and much more confident as a result of my off season and prep for this weekend.
My legs felt they had turned to rubber coming off the final turn,Landen was close to if not crossing the line in an impressive 2.03.24 and I might've had a 2.07/2.08 in me if I could've gotten my legs to cooperate!
Second and Silver in 2.09.51......not too shabby if I say so myself,both Indoor 800s this season were sub 2.10 2.09.94 in February at The Armory and now 2.09.51 here at Albuquerque....at altitude......go me!
All in all no complaints from the weekend,another two Masters Nationals medals to the collection and another pair of podium finishes to continue enhancing my legacy.
I suspect there's one more Indoor meet in me at The Armory on March 26th to wrap my Indoor season b4 off to build some base b4 the Outdoor season.....Grand Rapids Michigan here I come!!!
Following a 30 minute ice bath last nite I was only going to do the traditional 20 mins but got so caught up in the latest chapter of my I hope soon to be published Life story "Pale,Paddy & Proud" I was in there for 30 mins.......trust me even after a hot shower right after I got out from the tub I was shivering for a while.....that'll teach me for overdoing it but hey I was in a creative mode w/ the book.....plus I'm a Paddy......it's not in our DNA to do anything by half!!!
Arrived at the track by 9.20am and got my stretches in b4 I mile warm up outside,if yesterday I'd been a tad "uptight" pre race today I was more relaxed and willing to talk to my opponents,something I didn't do b4 the 1,500m,"game face" is one thing but this is meant to be fun,plus we're in our 50s now this isn't "life or death"
Originally there were due to be two fields for the M50 800m but w/ scratches and several runners opting for the 3,000m over the 800m only 7 of us toed the line:Landen Summay,Dan Bergeson,me,David Bynoe,Tim Hoff,Richard Larson and Bruce Rash.
I knew Landen was going to take it out from the gun so the plan was go w/ him and hope for the best,good reaction to the gun again but got cut off by Dave Bynoe going into the first turn,Landen and Dan were pulling away so I made my move on the back straight to swing by Dave and Dan and into second just behind Landen.
Holy shit! 30 seconds for the opening 200m from Landen,I knew he wouldn't be hanging around and I probably went through in a not too shabby 31 w/ Dan and Dave not too far behind me.
60 at 400m for Landen 61 for moi I felt ok but tried not to think about the pace and just hang on for dear life,in my mind I felt I was running for second b4 the gun went off anyway but at least I was going for it rather than "playing safe" and looking to out kick Dan and Dave at the death.
1.32 I think at 600m,Landen was opening a gap but I was aware that I couldn't hear Dan or Dave behind me,unlike both my Outdoor Nationals races last summer when I glanced over my shoulder to see if I had bronze taken care of in the 800m and 1,500m I kept my eyes forward yesterday and today,seven months removed from the paler version of me then I feel much stronger and much more confident as a result of my off season and prep for this weekend.
My legs felt they had turned to rubber coming off the final turn,Landen was close to if not crossing the line in an impressive 2.03.24 and I might've had a 2.07/2.08 in me if I could've gotten my legs to cooperate!
Second and Silver in 2.09.51......not too shabby if I say so myself,both Indoor 800s this season were sub 2.10 2.09.94 in February at The Armory and now 2.09.51 here at Albuquerque....at altitude......go me!
All in all no complaints from the weekend,another two Masters Nationals medals to the collection and another pair of podium finishes to continue enhancing my legacy.
I suspect there's one more Indoor meet in me at The Armory on March 26th to wrap my Indoor season b4 off to build some base b4 the Outdoor season.....Grand Rapids Michigan here I come!!!
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Hey Ho,Silver
SO......my Indoor Nationals record now stands at 14 races in 10 years,4 non podium finishes,4 Silvers and 6 Bronzes........STILL awaiting that so far elusive Gold.
Heading into this mornings 1,500m I knew my chances were remote both Mike Blackmore and Landen Summay had bested me in our previous races outdoors Mike over 5,000m and 800m in Sacramento in 2010 and Landen over 800m and 1,500m in Lisle in 2012 but we had never met each other Indoors......in fact until today neither Mike or Landen had competed at Indoor Nationals......just my luck eh?
Glass half empty why now? why this year? Glass half full knowing I had them standing between me and my hopes of an Indoor Gold at Nationals meant I had to train harder than maybe I have over the last few years.
Despite not arriving in Albuquerque till midnight east coast time,10pm here on Friday night I was up by 7am to first shower,then have breakfast.....in theory anyway....
Being two hours behind the east coast meant the 7.45am kick off in the all important North London derby was already underway when I crawled out beneath the covers of my King Size bed,1.0 down at half time I was NOT a happy camper,however returning from breakfast "the boys" were 2.1 up and arsenal were down a man.....C'mon You Spurs!!!!!
Sadly for me arsenal tied it at 2.2 so no bragging rights this season as it finished 1.1 in the reverse fixture earlier,we are however three points ahead of our North London foes w/ nine games left this season,regrettably the points we dropped this week at Wet Spam and at home to the gooners means Leicester are now five points clear of us at the top.
Took the short walk from my hotel to the Albuquerque Convention Center,one plus about having Indoor Nationals in New Mexico was it was warm at 9.10am when I made my way downtown,usually at Indoor Nationals in March you're freezing your arse off,it was so warm I did my 1.5 mile warm up outside post stretches.
M50 was heat 6 and eventually we were called by the official to the track,a 12 man field,I was seeded 2 inbetween Mike and Landen.
Good reaction to the gun but the field more or less collapsed on me from my right,I wanted to hold the rail but in doing so found myself in 7th as we came through the finishline w/ 7 laps to go.
No worries I wasn't looking to take it out hard to begin w/ and also dealing w/ the altitude issue my race plan was easy opening 3.5 laps,hard final 800m.
W/ 5 laps to go I moved into 5th behind Blackmore,Burdett,Summay and Larson finally getting by Mayberry and Comstock,I have no idea of pace and or splits and frankly was not worried,chances are at altitude the times would be slow anyway.
W/ 800m to go I moved into 3rd in my mind it was always going to be Blackmore,Burdett,Summay and me when the shake up for medals happened and w/ three laps to go I retained third
At this point I wasn't feeling any effects of the altitude,maybe the fact we went out slow for the opening few laps found none of us in "oxygen debt" all I had to do was hang on.......
Coming off the top turn w/ 450 meters to go Landen made his move,I covered it as best I could and eased by Mike for second in my mind it was going to be either Mike or Landen in front at the bell and I hoped I was close enough to go after them.
Showing no effects from his 400m yesterday where he finished 4th Landen was a good 3 seconds up on me while I held a 2 second lead over Mike.
Unless he tripped,fell or pulled a hamstring Landen was going to win but I was not about to run up the white flag, few years ago I jokingly referred to myself at "the Bronze God" where Indoor Nationals were concerned but for the third race in a row I was about to win a Silver.....and while not the Gold I coveted it was something to show for my efforts.
Landen Gold in 4.31.55,Himself Silver in 4.34.73,Mike Bronze in 4.36.91.
W/ the dust settling now on this mornings race I can be philosophical,I did all I could to win and gave myself the best chance but my best wasn't good enough to win,I can live w/ that.
Tomorrow is a new day and another race,the 800m yes I have to go toe to toe w/ Landen again and last years champ Dan Bergeson but so be it...I'm Ready!!!!!
Heading into this mornings 1,500m I knew my chances were remote both Mike Blackmore and Landen Summay had bested me in our previous races outdoors Mike over 5,000m and 800m in Sacramento in 2010 and Landen over 800m and 1,500m in Lisle in 2012 but we had never met each other Indoors......in fact until today neither Mike or Landen had competed at Indoor Nationals......just my luck eh?
Glass half empty why now? why this year? Glass half full knowing I had them standing between me and my hopes of an Indoor Gold at Nationals meant I had to train harder than maybe I have over the last few years.
Despite not arriving in Albuquerque till midnight east coast time,10pm here on Friday night I was up by 7am to first shower,then have breakfast.....in theory anyway....
Being two hours behind the east coast meant the 7.45am kick off in the all important North London derby was already underway when I crawled out beneath the covers of my King Size bed,1.0 down at half time I was NOT a happy camper,however returning from breakfast "the boys" were 2.1 up and arsenal were down a man.....C'mon You Spurs!!!!!
Sadly for me arsenal tied it at 2.2 so no bragging rights this season as it finished 1.1 in the reverse fixture earlier,we are however three points ahead of our North London foes w/ nine games left this season,regrettably the points we dropped this week at Wet Spam and at home to the gooners means Leicester are now five points clear of us at the top.
Took the short walk from my hotel to the Albuquerque Convention Center,one plus about having Indoor Nationals in New Mexico was it was warm at 9.10am when I made my way downtown,usually at Indoor Nationals in March you're freezing your arse off,it was so warm I did my 1.5 mile warm up outside post stretches.
M50 was heat 6 and eventually we were called by the official to the track,a 12 man field,I was seeded 2 inbetween Mike and Landen.
Good reaction to the gun but the field more or less collapsed on me from my right,I wanted to hold the rail but in doing so found myself in 7th as we came through the finishline w/ 7 laps to go.
No worries I wasn't looking to take it out hard to begin w/ and also dealing w/ the altitude issue my race plan was easy opening 3.5 laps,hard final 800m.
W/ 5 laps to go I moved into 5th behind Blackmore,Burdett,Summay and Larson finally getting by Mayberry and Comstock,I have no idea of pace and or splits and frankly was not worried,chances are at altitude the times would be slow anyway.
W/ 800m to go I moved into 3rd in my mind it was always going to be Blackmore,Burdett,Summay and me when the shake up for medals happened and w/ three laps to go I retained third
At this point I wasn't feeling any effects of the altitude,maybe the fact we went out slow for the opening few laps found none of us in "oxygen debt" all I had to do was hang on.......
Coming off the top turn w/ 450 meters to go Landen made his move,I covered it as best I could and eased by Mike for second in my mind it was going to be either Mike or Landen in front at the bell and I hoped I was close enough to go after them.
Showing no effects from his 400m yesterday where he finished 4th Landen was a good 3 seconds up on me while I held a 2 second lead over Mike.
Unless he tripped,fell or pulled a hamstring Landen was going to win but I was not about to run up the white flag, few years ago I jokingly referred to myself at "the Bronze God" where Indoor Nationals were concerned but for the third race in a row I was about to win a Silver.....and while not the Gold I coveted it was something to show for my efforts.
Landen Gold in 4.31.55,Himself Silver in 4.34.73,Mike Bronze in 4.36.91.
W/ the dust settling now on this mornings race I can be philosophical,I did all I could to win and gave myself the best chance but my best wasn't good enough to win,I can live w/ that.
Tomorrow is a new day and another race,the 800m yes I have to go toe to toe w/ Landen again and last years champ Dan Bergeson but so be it...I'm Ready!!!!!
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Next Stop Albuquerque.
Easy 6 miler at lunch time to not only put a wrap on the week and the month but also phase three of my prep for this coming weekends Indoor Nationals in Albuquerque New Mexico.
Given my recent mantra of "leaving little to chance" I picked today over yesterday to run based on the forecast,as yesterday while sunny felt windy where as today they were calling for temps in the low to mid 60s.....no brainer really,and while I've been somewhat of a stranger to the Sunday run of late I felt it prudent to get back into the habit given my 800m race is next Sunday.
Up by 8.30am to cop breakfast b4 the Spurs Swansea game I was truly "up for it" by the time the ref blew his final whistle and the boys had come from behind to earn a 2.1 victory that keeps us second behind still surprise leaders Leicester,big week coming up away to Wet Spam on Wednesday b4 the North London derby vs arsenal.........next Saturday morning at 7.45am......you know the same morning I run the 1,500m in Albuquerque,yes I'll miss the game{cha I will dvr it.....what the fuck!!!!!} but if we lose I'll be extra fired up for the race....and if we win....................
Out the door by noon,sunny and warm as I made my way down to Lloyd Hall my three mile turnaround.
While today marks my lot in terms of prep for Indoor Nationals I will get out a few times this week for some easy 4 milers just to keep the engine tickin' over and maybe some visualization of both my races.....although I pretty much know how I want to execute my race plans.....doing so is another matter!!!!
6 miles for the day,20 for the week,119 for the month and 285 for the year sofar,to quote my former roommate who in his prime was lethal over 5k thro 26.2 miles and knew a little something about how to get the best out of himself for the big races"the hay is in the barn now" here's to a quiet week leading upto making my way to JFK airport on Friday and heading to New Mexico
Given my recent mantra of "leaving little to chance" I picked today over yesterday to run based on the forecast,as yesterday while sunny felt windy where as today they were calling for temps in the low to mid 60s.....no brainer really,and while I've been somewhat of a stranger to the Sunday run of late I felt it prudent to get back into the habit given my 800m race is next Sunday.
Up by 8.30am to cop breakfast b4 the Spurs Swansea game I was truly "up for it" by the time the ref blew his final whistle and the boys had come from behind to earn a 2.1 victory that keeps us second behind still surprise leaders Leicester,big week coming up away to Wet Spam on Wednesday b4 the North London derby vs arsenal.........next Saturday morning at 7.45am......you know the same morning I run the 1,500m in Albuquerque,yes I'll miss the game{cha I will dvr it.....what the fuck!!!!!} but if we lose I'll be extra fired up for the race....and if we win....................
Out the door by noon,sunny and warm as I made my way down to Lloyd Hall my three mile turnaround.
While today marks my lot in terms of prep for Indoor Nationals I will get out a few times this week for some easy 4 milers just to keep the engine tickin' over and maybe some visualization of both my races.....although I pretty much know how I want to execute my race plans.....doing so is another matter!!!!
6 miles for the day,20 for the week,119 for the month and 285 for the year sofar,to quote my former roommate who in his prime was lethal over 5k thro 26.2 miles and knew a little something about how to get the best out of himself for the big races"the hay is in the barn now" here's to a quiet week leading upto making my way to JFK airport on Friday and heading to New Mexico
Friday, February 26, 2016
Seven Down.....Six To Go
After two days lost to the rain I was finally able to get out and run again yesterday,althought in keping w/ the week I'm having not the run I had in mind!
Learning my lesson from the past two weeks on Fridays when I 've had my arse handed to me on a plate at work and had to stay late I thought I'd sidestep that potential pratfall this week and bring my running gear w/ me to work on Thursday so I could hit up Geasey Field on the way home for my final track work out pre Alberqurque.........
Upon arriving there I had a feeling all was not well yes the track was deserted,that's nothing new in the afternoons but looking down the length of the back straight to the gates they looked unusually locked.....
Sure as shit I get to the gates,a sign saying Geasey Field is closed from 2.22 to 3.6 and a chain around the gate......so much for that!!!!
Undetered I headed home and since I was already dressed to run it seemed pointless not to get out and take care of my second scheduled 7 miler leaving me w/ either a 6 miler or "Mo Farah" repeat on the weekend to give me my 20mpw
The rain may have gone but the skies were grey and things were blustery out there,running along the river to half a mile beyond Lloyd Hall can be brisk at the best of time,I would rue not wearing gloves but was able to pull my SPURS half zip sleeve over my hands to keep them from turning to two blocks of ice.
Post game it was time to chow down and watch my beloved SPURS advance to the last 16 of the Europa League all in all not a bad day
Learning my lesson from the past two weeks on Fridays when I 've had my arse handed to me on a plate at work and had to stay late I thought I'd sidestep that potential pratfall this week and bring my running gear w/ me to work on Thursday so I could hit up Geasey Field on the way home for my final track work out pre Alberqurque.........
Upon arriving there I had a feeling all was not well yes the track was deserted,that's nothing new in the afternoons but looking down the length of the back straight to the gates they looked unusually locked.....
Sure as shit I get to the gates,a sign saying Geasey Field is closed from 2.22 to 3.6 and a chain around the gate......so much for that!!!!
Undetered I headed home and since I was already dressed to run it seemed pointless not to get out and take care of my second scheduled 7 miler leaving me w/ either a 6 miler or "Mo Farah" repeat on the weekend to give me my 20mpw
The rain may have gone but the skies were grey and things were blustery out there,running along the river to half a mile beyond Lloyd Hall can be brisk at the best of time,I would rue not wearing gloves but was able to pull my SPURS half zip sleeve over my hands to keep them from turning to two blocks of ice.
Post game it was time to chow down and watch my beloved SPURS advance to the last 16 of the Europa League all in all not a bad day
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Seven Up.....
Easy 7 miler to kick off the third and final week of tapering for Indoor Nationals.
A slighly later start than I had hoped it was just b4 5pm when I eventually got out the door thanks in no small part to a trip to good old "piggy post office" at 52nd & Kingsessing to pick up my Jimmy Conners autobiography "The Outsider" which I'm excited to read as "Jimbo" was one of if not my first sporting heroes back in the day.
The original plan for the week was to go:6 4 4 6 for my required 20mpw......however the threat of rain on Wedneday potentially bollockses that up b4 we begin and given my recent first hand experience of Fridays being uber busy at work I felt it prudent to consider a:7 7 6 Monday,Tuesday,Thursday schedule which allows me my "cake and eat it" so to speak three runs in b4 Friday and the prospect of a free weekend......it works for me and since I only have myself to please these days...."heh why not"??
Conditions were sunny and warm 48 degrees which always helps and I was back home just gone 6pm.
The schedule for next weekend is up the 1,500m looks vague as the have it listed between 10.15am and 11am on Saturday where as Sundays 800m is a 10.15am start but unlike the 1,500m it listed as M50 where as the 1,500m is listed as M30-104 which indicates they could combine some age groups but to be honest thats 11-12 days off just now,I need to focus on whats right in front of me b4 making my way to New Mexico next Friday.....then I can begin to obsess about that!
A slighly later start than I had hoped it was just b4 5pm when I eventually got out the door thanks in no small part to a trip to good old "piggy post office" at 52nd & Kingsessing to pick up my Jimmy Conners autobiography "The Outsider" which I'm excited to read as "Jimbo" was one of if not my first sporting heroes back in the day.
The original plan for the week was to go:6 4 4 6 for my required 20mpw......however the threat of rain on Wedneday potentially bollockses that up b4 we begin and given my recent first hand experience of Fridays being uber busy at work I felt it prudent to consider a:7 7 6 Monday,Tuesday,Thursday schedule which allows me my "cake and eat it" so to speak three runs in b4 Friday and the prospect of a free weekend......it works for me and since I only have myself to please these days...."heh why not"??
Conditions were sunny and warm 48 degrees which always helps and I was back home just gone 6pm.
The schedule for next weekend is up the 1,500m looks vague as the have it listed between 10.15am and 11am on Saturday where as Sundays 800m is a 10.15am start but unlike the 1,500m it listed as M50 where as the 1,500m is listed as M30-104 which indicates they could combine some age groups but to be honest thats 11-12 days off just now,I need to focus on whats right in front of me b4 making my way to New Mexico next Friday.....then I can begin to obsess about that!
Saturday, February 20, 2016
As The Days Get Longer So The Memories Get Shorter
Christ if I only had a dollar for the times work has thrown an industrial size spanner into my running plans in my almost 16.5 years at the hospital I could afford to sit at Chris Martin's piano in August at The Linc....I shit ye not!!!!!
Yesterday was another prime example of work dictating and dicking me over,don't get it twisted I'm happy to have a job period much less one that keeps a roof over my head,food on the table,money in the bank and my pocket and allows me to pursue my passions,running,music,SPURS my love of the written word be it the books I read or my own writing.......but GOD DAMN IT!!!!
Bad enough I worked through lunch everyday this week,if you've met me you'll know I don't look like I can afford to miss many meals and or you've seen more meat on a butchers pencil but when I feel compelled to "see it through" to the bitter end and make sure not only that I go up to the dock and bail out my former co worker Chris cause he's on his "jack jones" all week and then return to the storeroom to put up ALL the days skids to the point I punched out at 4.40pm and not my regular 3.15pm.
Home by 5.20pm and unlike Wednesday when I was in a position to get out and get after it yesterday on top of being utterly "jacobsed" I also needed to go food shopping.
We all wage the eternal struggle "does our head rule our heart or does our heart rule our head" but now and then the stomach chimes in and as the "auld fella" often told me growing up "ye won't get far on fresh air sandwiches boy" so it was food shopping not the run that ruled the roost yesterday.
I had two options today,go to Temple and knock out a "Mo Farah" repeat and then take care of a six miler tomorrow for my required 12 miles to put me at 30mpw for the week...OR go long today at 12 miles and have my Sunday free.....
That old "all work and no play makes Jack a dull dull boy" adage has a ring of truth to it....but allow me to put my Paganesque twist on it "all work and no play makes Kevin an angry angry boy" and much like David Banner who became the Hulk when he got angry "don't make me angry...you wouldn't like me when I,m angry{a number of bods don't like me anyway angry or not....but feck them anyways!!!} I felt compelled to keep my Sunday free for a little "me time" that didn't involve running and w/ that the dye was cast....12 miler today!!
My new running shoes arrived yesterday just as Thursdays 6 miler ran my tally on the old ones to 395 miles so today felt as good as any day to brake the new ones in.
Out the door by 11.25am not sure of the official temps but lets just say I didn't need my Dublin knit hat,gloves or running tights today,shades,SPURS baseball cap,half zip and three quarter length bottoms were the order of the day.
Several bods out there getting their run on this lunchtime,I see two sides to that,where are you during the week when it's harsh? or good for you
I guess I fall into the category of being craven and driven enough to be out there in all conditions but this has all to do w/ the belief that no one will hand me a medal at Indoor Nationals in two weeks time, I have to want it and earn it.
An otherwise uneventful run..minus three dust ups w/ bellends on bikes which earnt a few well chosen black hearted Celtic Pagan outbursts and hand gestures.....what??? mess w/ the bull get the horns{and now you know why I sport either a knit hat,baseball cap or bandana......to keep the devil horns hidden!!!}
12 miler in the books,a 30 mpw under my belt as I continue ye olde taper AND I have the knowledge I don't have "the run" hanging over me tomorrow.....life may NOT be great right now but I continue to roll w/ the punches even if somedays it's all I can do NOT to throw them......
Yesterday was another prime example of work dictating and dicking me over,don't get it twisted I'm happy to have a job period much less one that keeps a roof over my head,food on the table,money in the bank and my pocket and allows me to pursue my passions,running,music,SPURS my love of the written word be it the books I read or my own writing.......but GOD DAMN IT!!!!
Bad enough I worked through lunch everyday this week,if you've met me you'll know I don't look like I can afford to miss many meals and or you've seen more meat on a butchers pencil but when I feel compelled to "see it through" to the bitter end and make sure not only that I go up to the dock and bail out my former co worker Chris cause he's on his "jack jones" all week and then return to the storeroom to put up ALL the days skids to the point I punched out at 4.40pm and not my regular 3.15pm.
Home by 5.20pm and unlike Wednesday when I was in a position to get out and get after it yesterday on top of being utterly "jacobsed" I also needed to go food shopping.
We all wage the eternal struggle "does our head rule our heart or does our heart rule our head" but now and then the stomach chimes in and as the "auld fella" often told me growing up "ye won't get far on fresh air sandwiches boy" so it was food shopping not the run that ruled the roost yesterday.
I had two options today,go to Temple and knock out a "Mo Farah" repeat and then take care of a six miler tomorrow for my required 12 miles to put me at 30mpw for the week...OR go long today at 12 miles and have my Sunday free.....
That old "all work and no play makes Jack a dull dull boy" adage has a ring of truth to it....but allow me to put my Paganesque twist on it "all work and no play makes Kevin an angry angry boy" and much like David Banner who became the Hulk when he got angry "don't make me angry...you wouldn't like me when I,m angry{a number of bods don't like me anyway angry or not....but feck them anyways!!!} I felt compelled to keep my Sunday free for a little "me time" that didn't involve running and w/ that the dye was cast....12 miler today!!
My new running shoes arrived yesterday just as Thursdays 6 miler ran my tally on the old ones to 395 miles so today felt as good as any day to brake the new ones in.
Out the door by 11.25am not sure of the official temps but lets just say I didn't need my Dublin knit hat,gloves or running tights today,shades,SPURS baseball cap,half zip and three quarter length bottoms were the order of the day.
Several bods out there getting their run on this lunchtime,I see two sides to that,where are you during the week when it's harsh? or good for you
I guess I fall into the category of being craven and driven enough to be out there in all conditions but this has all to do w/ the belief that no one will hand me a medal at Indoor Nationals in two weeks time, I have to want it and earn it.
An otherwise uneventful run..minus three dust ups w/ bellends on bikes which earnt a few well chosen black hearted Celtic Pagan outbursts and hand gestures.....what??? mess w/ the bull get the horns{and now you know why I sport either a knit hat,baseball cap or bandana......to keep the devil horns hidden!!!}
12 miler in the books,a 30 mpw under my belt as I continue ye olde taper AND I have the knowledge I don't have "the run" hanging over me tomorrow.....life may NOT be great right now but I continue to roll w/ the punches even if somedays it's all I can do NOT to throw them......
Friday, February 19, 2016
Embracing The White Noise
Yesterday was meant to be a joyful occasion,the six month anniversary of Candice and I dating......however fate being the fickle hearted whore that it is decided otherwise and I was faced w/ the prospect of getting through the day w/ a heavy heart and and a dragging butt following my 10 hour shift on Wednesday and having to get up a tad earlier to be at work by 6am........still the sound of my butt dragging behind me all day would help drown out the sound of my fragile heart shattering into tiny pieces.....
They say "God works in mysterious ways" and on a day when you can imagine I was raw as fuck under the circumstances all I asked for was one brain dead individual to give me the slightest excuse to go off and vent my spleen.......it would've seemed an affront to my lord and saviour to have turned this down when he handed it to me on a silver platter and while I can't speak for the sad sap who got both barrels straight between the eyes at lunch I felt a bit better about myself......I guess "Cus" will think twice about where he leaves his coffee cup next time and who he speaks to......count yourself arsehole lucky pal you weren't wearing the coffee when I was done tearing a strip off you....
Despite being "tired and emotional" when I got home by 4.10pm I still needed to get out and get my run on,again knowing I only had to log 6 miles made it an easier sell but having done so at 5.20pm on Wednesday it would have been some what of a ballbuster at 4.10pm yesterday to have said nah,not feeling it today.
Conditions were remarkably sunny but chilly 35 degrees so Dublin knit hat and gloves were the order of the day again,rumour has it Saturday we could be looking at temps in the 60s which leads me to think that'd be the better day to hit the track for my second to last "Mo Farah" workout.
By then I should also be rocking new running shoes my present pair are closing in on 400 miles,out w/ the old and in w/ the new I guess.
Two weeks to go till Indoor Nationals one more week of taper
They say "God works in mysterious ways" and on a day when you can imagine I was raw as fuck under the circumstances all I asked for was one brain dead individual to give me the slightest excuse to go off and vent my spleen.......it would've seemed an affront to my lord and saviour to have turned this down when he handed it to me on a silver platter and while I can't speak for the sad sap who got both barrels straight between the eyes at lunch I felt a bit better about myself......I guess "Cus" will think twice about where he leaves his coffee cup next time and who he speaks to......count yourself arsehole lucky pal you weren't wearing the coffee when I was done tearing a strip off you....
Despite being "tired and emotional" when I got home by 4.10pm I still needed to get out and get my run on,again knowing I only had to log 6 miles made it an easier sell but having done so at 5.20pm on Wednesday it would have been some what of a ballbuster at 4.10pm yesterday to have said nah,not feeling it today.
Conditions were remarkably sunny but chilly 35 degrees so Dublin knit hat and gloves were the order of the day again,rumour has it Saturday we could be looking at temps in the 60s which leads me to think that'd be the better day to hit the track for my second to last "Mo Farah" workout.
By then I should also be rocking new running shoes my present pair are closing in on 400 miles,out w/ the old and in w/ the new I guess.
Two weeks to go till Indoor Nationals one more week of taper
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