Festina lente

3.04 miles in 29.36 (average 9.44)

Another 6am recovery run. Don't know if it's the early start or the running the day before, but I felt very tired. Glad I didn't have to try to run faster than that.

New runners again - felt much more comfortable today, I'm getting used to them, or they're getting broken in, or my legs were in better shape today, I don't know. I will have to loosen the laces on my right foot though - my feet are slightly different sizes, and in my other runners, my left foot tends to slip a little because it's smaller, while these feel too tight across my right foot.
Or maybe I'll wear one of each!

Total this week: 10.52 miles

5.4 miles in 49 minutes ...more or less

Annoying run today. Garmin was switched on accidentally in my bag some time, and quit out almost immediately. I went out too fast - knew it was too fast, but since today is my pace run I decided I'd rather be too fast than too slow. Listening to podcast on the way but accidentally skipped forward to the end. Second half of the run I was too hot, slowing down, feeling stiff just below my left knee, and really felt like slowing to a walk - something I haven't done in six months - but eventually made it to the last straight and got home. Over with now anyway. Walked around the block when I got home, and did a longer stretching routine than usual, intend to keep this up.

Total this week: 8.4 miles

13.11 miles in 2.10.09

So I decided a few days ago that next week would be a rest week with only a few short runs, and today would be my last big run before starting the training. So then I thought... if it's going to be a long run, and I'm going to have an easy week to recover, why not make it a long run? How about a half-marathon?

So, up to Tymon, one loop around bringing me up to about six miles, then down to the shops for a bottle of water and a gel, and back up for another wander around then back to the house, with a little detour to get me up to 13.1. Total disassociative running, one podcast (iTunes U on the US civil war) after another (Mark Kermode's film reviews - hilarious rant about Sex and the City 2), just letting the legs do their thing.

Managed to keep the pace steady between 9.45 and 10.15 pretty much all the way around.

Marathon test run in a way - wore the singlet I got from Oxfam, testing out running gels - but also a confidence booster before the training really begins. I know I can run a half-marathon distance now, that'll carry me through the first few weeks. I have a week spare in the training plan, if I really need a break. So now all I need to do is run twice as far, a minute per mile faster. No problem :rolleyes:

(Gel was caffeinated green apple - tasted vile, but didn't upset my stomach at all. Will try some more flavours/brands over the next few months)

Total this week: 24.5 miles

3.18 miles in 29.53 (9.23 pace)

Recovery run - a little longer than the usual 3 just to get me up to 300 for the year. I was surprised by how easy this felt, I was expecting to feel much worse after Saturday's long run. I did a fair amount of walking over the weekend, it probably helped keep my muscles loose, and I'm being more conscientious about warmups, warmdowns, and post-run stretching.

Anyway, I expected to struggle around at about 10 minute miles, but discovered after a few minutes that I was cruising around 9.30, and kept that up all the way around. Which was nice.

noticed that this table didn't match the 100 mile challenge, so naturally I had to drop everything and fix it...

Month|Miles
January|38.8|
February|35.5|
March|53.2|
April|72|
May|75.9|

9.1 miles in 1.27.03 (9.34 pace)
(9.36/9.20/9.42/9.43/9.35/9.41/9.34/9.21/9.38/8.59)

Not following my own advice :mad:
Every time I looked at my Garmin my pace was in the low 9s. I'd slow down, but whenever I looked again my pace was back up. I think it's because I was on a new route - finding my way through to Phoenix Park from Walkinstown - and I'd unconsciously speed up.

Anyway, found my connecting route through, it's only a little further than the run to Tymon so I'll be going up there for a few runs this summer. Also discovered that there are no footbridges over the Liffey between Chapelizod and the South Circular, and that Landsdowne Valley Park is a dead end, with only one entrance (on Davitt Road). I'll know for next time.

(Shoe update - the Mizunos are fine, wore them today and forget I had them on. The shorts I got the same day chafe too much though, which is a pity as they have more pockets than my Adidas shorts. In more TMI news, I really need to get some Bodyglide...)

Total this week: 18.7 miles

3.02 miles in 27.40 (9.13 pace)

Easy run this morning but I left my iPod behind and got a bit bored, so I threw in some strides. The easy pace was about 9.40, I think, and the strides around 7.10. Picked up the pace again for the last quarter mile home, around 8.40. Missed my bus then this morning, so had a 4.5 mile crosstraining walk in to work...

Bit of a pull on my upper left thigh, hope the run and walk have stretched it out.

3.01 miles in 28.54 (9.39 pace)

Quite a sore run this morning. Started with my inside upper left thigh, sharp pain as I pushed off. That calmed down after a few minutes, but then my outside calves started getting sore. Oh well, let's hope Saturday goes better.

Long day today too. 6am start for the run, and after work I'll be walking four miles in to James's Hospital to donate blood platelets. Early night tonight, I think...

Total this week: 11.04 miles

I wondered the same thing myself, so I found a thread on it from last year.

At the clinic they generally just tell you to take it easy for the rest of the day, but they don't tell you to avoid baths etc the way they would after whole blood donation. I've never felt any ill-effects from it, but I won't be running again until Saturday anyway. I think if I had a race coming up I'd probably leave more than a couple of days for recovery, just in case.

I have The Runner's Handbook.

To be honest, I don't think there's a lot in there that I hadn't already heard on boards or other random web sites, but there's something to be said for having it all in one place and reading through it in sequence. And I'll probably dip in and out of it as the need arises - if I'm going to try speed training, or get injured, or whatever.

3.03 miles in 28.34 (9.23 pace)

Legs pretty stiff and slow this morning, but it's just the usual protest about going straight from bed to running. Running was easier by the last mile. No muscle pain this morning, which is good, I'd have started worrying if my thigh was sore again.

3.02 miles in 27.55 (9.15 pace)

Different route this morning, up to a local park and two laps around. Don't like running laps, but I do like running on tarmac...

Total this week: 11.07 miles