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.
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