The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method

July 2012

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Location:

Tralee,Ireland

Member Since:

Oct 01, 2011

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

I've never worn compression socks.

Short-Term Running Goals:

To do a race.

Long-Term Running Goals:

1. Break the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group, when I'm 50 in 2015.

2. Never wear compression socks.

 

Personal:

Married with two girls (6 and 10).

The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method is a four year experiment.

The first year (2012) was about getting back into running, staying off the smokes and booze, while sticking to a healthy eating plan and shedding mountains of lard. All boxes ticked.

Year two (2013 - age: 48) Injured Jan through March. Build back up and work on my 5k speed. Goal 15:45.

Year three (2014) will be about doing my first marathon in the spring. (Just for the experience and on a tough course - maybe Tralee; goal time, 2:30ish.) Then begins the prep work for Berlin 2015

Year four (2015) is all about breaking the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group - it's only 2:19 :).

The above might sound nuts; it is, but then I'm nuts. Please do not copy any of the training I do: if you do, you are likely to end up running like me - not a good idea.

The idea is to have a laugh along the way. If I fail, I don't know what I'll do - my whole belief system will crumble and I suspect that this little rock might just stop spinning for a couple of seconds. Jakers, I better not fail for all our sakes. That's some burden, even for SuperBam.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
389.185.5012.0011.50418.18
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 132.79
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

7:30 a.m. 8 mile recovery run. Gentle enough run to clear away last week's work. Felt tired from the off but as the run went on things improved.

Got to get a long run in tomorrow morning. I normally have a bagel before my long run and wait 2 hours, but tomorrow I'll be going out on empty. The plan is to get in something between 13 and 16, depending on time and how I feel. I was also thinking about the workouts I need to get in while away: 5x0.5 mile with 90 sec rec on Wed; 3x2 mile with 90 sec rec on Sat. Then the following week: 4x1 mile off 90 sec on Wed and 10x1 min off 90 sec rec on Sat - I'll be doing these early doors: 5a.m. - what a nightmare. Holidays, who needs them?

6:00 p.m.  6 miles easy. Felt a bit weak - glycogen stores low. Sorted now: rucks of wholegrain rice, grilled skinless chicken breast and a medley of vegetables. I'm about to tuck into a pineapple while I watch the football - Spain v  Italy in the final of the Euros. Spain are 1 up and looking good. But never write off the Italians. On the pineapple front, did you know that you should eat pineapple and strawberries on their own, an hour before or after any other food?

 

 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 131.00
Comments(7)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

a.m. 8 easy

p.m. 6 easy

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

a.m. 8 easy

p.m. 6 easy

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

a.m. 3 easy miles

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

0 miles - rest day.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

a.m. 8 easy

p.m. 6 easy

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

a.m. 6 easy

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.004.000.000.0014.00

a.m. 8 easy.

p.m. 6 mile progression.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

a.m. 14 miles easy (1.40)

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.003.0015.00

a.m. 8 miles easy

p.m. 2 mile w/u, 4x100m strides; 12x 70secs hard on grass with 70 sec jog rec, 2 mile w/d. (7 miles-ish)

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

a.m. 8 miles (v. tired)

p.m. 6 miles easy.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

a.m. 8 miles easy on grass - left hammy v. tight.

p.m. 6 miles easy.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.000.000.000.008.00

a.m. 8 miles easy.

p.m. set off to do an easy 6 but tanks was empty so I didn't run.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

a.m. 5 miles easy. Left hammy tighe. Day of binging on carbs.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
16.000.000.000.0016.00

6 a.m. 16 miles easy - 1.52. Out in an hour and back in 52.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.000.000.000.008.00

5 p.m. 8 miles easy. Back in Ireland. Was up at 4 a.m. to get ready for early flight. V. tired.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
16.000.000.000.0016.00

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Put on few pounds from eating too much ice cream and general rubbish. Now weigh 135lbs:(

Another 8 planned for tonight. Had a great holiday but the running suffered. Time to get stuck in. The Tralee marathon website is up and so is the map of the course. Undulating with some good climbs. I know every inch of the course and  I run on it everyday. More to follow...

6 p.m. 8 miles easy in the evening rain. Nice to run in the rain again. Managed to tick over on holiday but family fun got in the way of the training and my eating was pants - ate so much rubbish.

Anyway, back into the swing of things already (with a tan, I hasten to add). Left hammy's a bit tight so I'll have to just do easy/steady/progression runs until it settles. It started playing up after I did a session of 70 second efforts - I thought I was a teenage middle distance runner rather than a crumbly.

Now that the website is up and running, I'm massively excited about March's marathon. The course is tough - harder than I thought - but scenic. I'm now fretting about all the carb drink stuff you have to take and water and hitting the wall etc. What'll I be like the night before the race?

Good to be back and I've heard mention of some cookies that don't need baking...

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.001.504.000.0016.50

7:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Went out in shorts and long sleeve top and within a mile the rain came tumbling down; I was worried my tan might wash off. Luckily, my bronzed body withstood the onslaught. If only my left hamstring would loosen up, then I could knock out some workouts. I think I might make tonight's 8 miler a very gradual progression (please excuse the tautological content of that phrase). Toes crossed the hammy doesn't ping tonight...

7:00 p.m. 8.5 miles. 2.5 miles w/u to mile 20 of the Tralee marathon route, then 1.5 miles @ current marathon pace effort (all up hill), 4 miles @ current half marathon/threshold effort. Splits: 6:04, 6:14 (into savage wind), 6:07 and 6:04. Then 0.5 w/d. Good session. Felt comfortable but was working. There's still a very long way to go, perhaps even a marathon.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 134.00
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
16.000.000.000.0016.00

7:30 a.m. 8 mile recovery run - A.P. 7:30. Left hammy felt fine. I neglected the daily A.I.S. routine while on holiday but I'm back in the swing of things and slowly the old legs are starting to respond. An easy 8 for tonight. I'm coping pretty well with the 8 milers - as easy runs - and if all goes well, I will probably up the evening runs to 10 milers. More importantly, and to get under the skin of the mileage monster, Bret the globetrotter Jardine - who is one of those guys that is so blessed that he just finds money on the pavement when he's out running - I must remember to take my quotidian 40 winks. In fact, today, I think I'll make that 50 winks.  

6:00 p.m. 8 tired miles. Got my 50 winks in but still felt sluggish. Hopefully a good rest and a mountain of nosh tonight will recharge the batteries and I should be good to go tomorrow.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.500.000.002.0015.50

6:00 a.m. 6 miles easy. Tired.

As I was sauntering along, something bit me (metaphorically) - why is it that luggage is such a nightmare on flights? Everything about the whole process from weight to size to pulling off your case at the other end is troublesome. The whole thing's such a palaver and a rip-off. But, of course, then you have those travel experts like the globetrotting Bret Jardine, AKA Alligator Jardine (the U.S.'s answer to Crocodile Dundee) who know how to milk the system. Oh yes, the snappily dressed Alligator Jardine has the whole luggage malarkey sussed. You see, it's his business. Or should I say, nefarious family business...

So, how do I know about the shenanigans of the mileage monster, Alligator Jardine? Well, when I was on holiday in Portugal I took the kids to a place called ZooMarine - the usual sort of tourist thing: dolphins doing tricks, rides, ice creams and all that jiggerypokery. But something bit me (metaphorically, again). Near one of the mediocre rollercoasters were some pens and in them were a selection of alligators, all of which I hasten to add were having 40/50 winks. How did these large semiaquatic reptiles slither over to Portugal from the US?

They didn't. There was no slithering or sliding but there was plenty of conniving. The snappily dressed, Alligator Jardine has a huge emporia, which profits from anything to do with alligators. 'Tis true. Honest. Even his Asics Nimbus trainers are made of alligator skin. You might even recall he recently complained that he was suffering from tendon problems,  which he attributed to wearing business shoes and walking around some large city. Well I'll tell ye for free, they were alligator skin shoes and his briefcase, with all his dirty business dealings inside, was made of baby alligator skin. His suit - yep, pure alligator skin. Don't even ask... I've been informed by the Feds that even his underwear is made from luxury female alligator tail.

So how does our mileage monster do his business? In his youth he traipsed around the swamps of Florida (Bowie knife in hand, and although I can't categorically confirm this, but 'tis rumoured that a certain Mr Rob Murphy assisted Alligator Jardine - they were known to drink cheap beer bought with money that old ladies lost outside drop-in centres for lonely aged folk) and set traps for all moving alligators. (The setting of traps and general hunting skills were taught to the Gator Master by the huntsman, Russ - AKA, The Elk Hunter.)

Now, Alligator Jardine devised some brilliant way of stuffing alligators into cases and exporting them around the world. Hence his many business trips and why he's run in so many of the world's big marathons. You wonder why your luggage goes missing on trips - alligators eat it or the Gator Master pinches your luggage and stuffs Gator products in it. Simple.

Following a chat about the price of running shoes, he even had the audacity to try and sell me a pair alligator skin crocs - to run in. I ask you - alligator skin crocs!

But what about his family business/dynasty I hear you cry? I refer you to his recent comment to his post (Thur July 19th) where he proclaims - bold as brass for the whole world to read, "Both are fighting Florida Gators..." What more proof do ye need, folks?

I'm telling you. .. You heard it here first, on Bam's blog, where Bam the man tells it how it is.

*Since the publication of this blog post, Bret Jardine (reformed Alligator exporter) has made a significant monetary contribution to the Angry About Alligator Antipathy Association. He is also now the chairperson of the World Wildlfie Foundation and has dispensed of all his alligator products - except his swanky Alligator Nimbus trainers. 

**Note to self - Get out more. Talk to people. Stop sleeping so much. Go see Dr and get meds.

6:00 p.m. All joking aside, I needed meds after tonight's workout - what a killer. 9.5 miles in total with w/u, 6x100m strides, 10 x 50-53 sec hill reps with jog back rec and w/d.

I'm pleased on several fronts with the workout. I did this workout 3 weeks back and could only manage 8 reps (the first 2 reps were in 56 secs and the remaining 6 were in 54 secs). This week they went: 52, 53,51,52, 51, 51, 50, 51, 52, 51. That's a substantial improvement in speed and with two extra reps thrown in for good measure. I feelt good and strong for the first 6. I went a bit quick on 7 and struggled to keep my beautiful and elegant form for the final 3 reps. I dug deep in the final 3 reps - more grit and guts than grace and plenty of rasping at the end.

I need to recover tomorrow and prepare for Sunday's 17.5-18 miler on the Tralee marathon course. This will be my longest ever run and I'm going out early doors on empty - could be interesting.

I'd like to thank Bret for taking the alligator post in good humour. Bret's my virtual training partner (even though he doesn't know it) - in that he helps me get over the 100 mile mark and gives mature encouragement, unlike my childish prattle. Thanks Bret. I'd also like to thank my wife for this oscar. Ooops wrong place and I haven't even written the script yet. I do get carried away sometimes... "If only he would," I hear you say.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. 7:30 pace - nice and relaxed. Felt much better than anticipated. A cheeky little 6 tonight to round off the week. 102 miles in 12 sessions with a LR, a LT and a body smashing hill session. Good stuff.

If you're racing today, good luck and give it some welly. But hey, remember, be careful out there; (Hill Street Blues - what a classic.)

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. Bring on next week, where things will get a tad more interesting - on the training front.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
21.180.000.000.0021.18

6:00 a.m. Thought I'd be doing 17.5 - 18 miles on the Tralee marathon route but it turned out to be 16.95. I'm having problems loading my Garmin, so I can't get all the splits. But I did the first mile in 8:14 then the next 4 averaged around 7:30. The next 5 miles averaged around 7:10 pace. The next 5 miles averaged 6:30 pace - fastest 6:14. The final 1.95 miles were a jog/warm down.

The run felt relaxed the whole way and there were no mechanical problems, which was good. On the downside, I've decided not to run the Tralee Marathon or any marathon for that matter, until I'm 50 (2.5 years away). I'm going to concentrate on developing a good aerobic base and gaining strength and speed. So, I'll focus on 10k races over the next 12 months, then up to 10 milers and half marathons, before tackling the London or some other Big City marathon when I'm 50, in 2015.

So why the change of mind? Well, I decided the Tralee marathon is a bit of a con. They have the map of the route up and it looks undulating but okay. The fact is, the first 15 miles are a slog fest of glycogen depleting hills - I ran it this morning, excluding a couple of miles that loop off the main course and have some sneaky energy sapping hills. I don't fancy this as a first marathon. Also, I don't want to just run round in 2:35-2:45. I want to race hard (2:20 ish) and I don't think that's feasible, given I've only been running a short while (11 months). If I were to run a marathon next year,  I think I'd end up getting bogged down in a mire of mediocrity- not for me folks: I'm not running 100+ miles a week with workouts to plod around marathon courses for a Tee-shirt, a medal and a master's win. I'm in it for the long haul and to mix it up with the youngsters.

My thoughts and reasons might seem arrogant or disparaging to those who work hard to run 3hrs - 4.5hrs or whatever, but we're all different beasts, with different motivations and aspirations. Anybody who laces up a pair of running shoes and gets out the door deserves credit for taking action and getting on with life and striving to attain their goals, whatever they might be. My goals are driven from a deep sense of unfinished business and wasted opportunities and for good measure, I'm pretty competitive and now armed with some serious life experience. Behind all the japery lurks a serious predator. For now, miaow:)

 

6:00 p.m. 4.23 miles - shakeout (32:55). Much needed jog. I've been thinking about this morning's post and I think I should clarify a few points. I'm in the fortunate/unfortunate position of being a full-time house-husband (super dad) - I do all the cooking and ironing and cleaning, I take the kids to school and pick them up and all that sort of stuff. I made the choice to give up work and the financial rewards for a better quality of life and to do a bit of writing. Okay, that went wrong for a good while, but now, it's working out fine. I suppose I'm like an unpaid professional runner/writer and a pants one at the moment. If I'm to give this running lark a real crack, I need to look at the big picture and set hard goals. I've now done that. If, however, I were going to work everyday, I doubt I'd even be running. So, if you're slogging your guts out to put food on the family table and running because you enjoy it and find it fulfilling, this is an admirable life choice - whatever time you do or don't run for a marathon. Respect. Anyway, the odds are stacked against me and I can see the wry smiles, but hey, it should be interesting to see if I fail or succeed...

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 131.00
Comments(10)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
16.000.000.000.0016.00

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Felt fine and dan-day; should be okay for tomorrow night's workout: 5x0.5 mile @3k pace - whatever that is - with a 90 sec rec.

Today I want to share a little bit of magic with you: Bam's Breakfast Bar. This comes with a health warning. This bar will seriously change your life. The only thing I'll add is that if you don't want to do the whole bar thing then you can try Bam's Breakfast Booster. Both recipes have a powdered version of the Peruvian root vegetable Maca - and I'm telling the men folk, Maca does what it claims:).

Anyway, Bam's Breakfast Bar:

1. 0.5 cup of raw organic oats.

2. Healthy scattering of milled flaxseed, brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts.

3. A good sprinkling of natural whole Chia Seed.

4. A scattering of milled sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds and goji berries.

5. Here's the daddy - A heaped tablespoon (don't be greedy, this is all you need; trust me.) of powdered Peruvian Maca.

6. A shuffle of shelled hemp.

7. Organic banana (fair trade would be nice too) - sliced.

8. A glutton's scoop of raisins.

9. Splodges of wholegrain peach (or any other flavour) Probiotic yogurt.

10. A few shakes of raw organic cocoa powder.

11. Drizzle Agave Syrup over everything and finally, pimp it up with a shaking of ground cinnamon.

Mix it all together and form it into a bar. You can eat it straight away or leave it for 5 mins. This will sort you out for the morning and you might not finish the bar. Save it for later and enjoy it when you're peckish. 'tis lovely with a cup of coffee, which leads me into Bam's Breakfaster Booster. The Booster is great if you're trying to quit coffee. Simple:

1. Cup of skimmed/low fat milk.

2. Add a tablespoon of raw organic cocoa powder and a tablespoon of magic MACA powder.

3. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and stir or give it a quick fizz in the blender (this is the better option.)

4. Heat up in the microwave or on the hob.

Drink and enjoy.

The rewards of Maca are pretty quick.

6:00 p.m. 8 miles easy. A touch of DOMS in the quads. Hopefully tonight's run will ease the discomfort.

After I finished my housework, I sat down and planned my training paces for the next few months. I’ve become an expert at dividing by 0.93, 0.9, 0.87, and 0.75. I’ve also mastered the fortnightly improvement in Horwill’s multi-tier interval training – how 1,500m pace works on 3k pace, which works on 5k pace, which works on 10k pace. I remember doing this many years back. By my estimations, if all goes well, I should see a 4 second per mile improvement in my fortnightly 4x1 mile sessions, which roughly equates to a 12 sec improvement over 5k, each fortnight.

In the middle of all these frenzied calculations, my two new pairs of running shoes arrived – Asics Nimbus 14 and Asics hyperspeed 5’s. I now look quite the dandy in my new runners. Ran in my usual Nimbus 13’s tonight as the rain was hammering down. But the light and swanky Hyperspeed 5’s will be out for a test drive tomorrow  – they’ll be ripping up the half miles at 3k pace…

 

 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.500.000.002.5016.00

9:30 a.m. 10 miles incl 5x800m @ 3k pace off 90 sec jog rec. What a beast of a session. Doesn't sound like much but it's a real gut churner. I'll enjoy my lunchtime nap (sorry Bret).

Warmed up 4 miles incl 6x100m strides with jog back rec and a 200m stride to tune into the pace of the session.  Based on my 4x1 mile session three weeks back, I should've been looking at knocking out each rep in or around 2:42. But after my hill session last week, I knew I was a touch fitter and planned to do these in 2:39. But they went 2:39, 2:36, 2:38, 2:38, 2:36. Happy as Larry. So later in the week, when I do my 4x1 mile @ 5k pace off 90 sec rec, I think I'll aim for 5:32 pace (83 sec 400m's) rather than the planned 5:36 pace. I doubt Mo's quaking in his spikes but I'm pretty pleased with the way things are progressing.

Did the whole session incl the warm up and 3.5 miles warm down in my new ASICS Hyperspeed 5's. What a pair of shoes. I think I'll be buying a few more pairs of these little puppies. Tonight, the new ASICS Nimbus 14's get to go through the motions as I amble round for a slow 6 miler...

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYBODY DOING DES NEWS TODAY AND HAPPY PIONEER DAY, WHATEVER THAT IS - I'M GOING TO GOOGLE IT IN A MINUTE. SUSPECT IT'S SOMETHING TO DO WITH HAWKEYE AND THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS:)

Oops - just read what it's all about. Enjoy the parades, fireworks and rodeos. Learn something new everyday.

6:30 p.m. 6 miles easy. Wanted to break-in the new Nimbus 14's but it was raining cats and dogs, so I ambled round in my Nimbus 13's. Tomorrow, even if there's a river outside my front door, the 14's are going to start earning their money. Some amazing results and times at Des News today, well done everybody who got out there and gave it some.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(9)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
16.000.000.000.0016.00

7:30 a.m. 8 miles in my ASICS Nimbus 14's. Well, I have to say, ASICS have out done themselves with the Nimbus 14. What a shoe. The 13 was clunky, comfortable, cumbersome and cushioned; the 14 is saucy, sexy, sleak* and snug and you can actually feel that IGS thing working. Great shoe. Well worth the wonga. That's the end of the alliteration.

The legs are heavy this morning and I'm hoping they recover in time for tomorrow luchtime as they have a rearranged date with 4x1 mile @5k pace off 90 secs. I've switched my An. T.  run and my 5k pace session because of the weather. Thursday's supposed to be less windy than Saturday. So, although I'd prefer waiting until Saturday to knock-out the mile reps, I've moved them forward to Thursday. Tonight's easy 8 miler should help shift the fatigue...

*see comments apropos of the meaning of this gobbledegook word.

5:30 p.m. 8 miles easy. Ran without a watch but had to keep pulling the pace - youthful exuberance and all that.

Went food shopping tonight and took the rapscallions. What a mistake. Got to the checkout and there was all kinds of everything in the trolley. They fleeced me. But I did manage to get the ingredients for my leek and potato soup, which I'll make tomorrow.

With the olympics coming up, I'm sure everybody's looking forward to all the distance stuff and I suspect all of the track and field. But I'll give you the heads up on something super special. The women's boxing. Yep, the women's boxing. The star of the olympics will be Katie Taylor - you heard it here first, on Bam's blog. She plays football (soccer) for Ireland and she's the world champion in her weight at the old fisty-cuffs. Even if you're not into pugilism you must watch Katie Taylor - she's a once-in-a-lifetime sports person. She spars with the Irish men's national team - they'll do very well too - and they go hell for leather at it with her. She'll be carrying the flag for Ireland.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.000.000.004.0017.00

11:30 a.m. 11 miles incl. 3.5 miles w/u, 6x100m strides with jog back rec, 4x1 mile off 90 sec's, and 3.5 miles w/d.

I did this session before I went on holiday and averaged 5.39. I planned to do today's session in 5:32's but thought, after Tuesday's 800's, that I might sneak in with sub 5:30's. Here's how they went: 5:30, 5:20, 5:27, 5:19. A.P. 5:24.

Apart from the wide range in times - I'll get better at pacing with more workouts - I was vey pleased with this workout; my progress is rapid (ok, maybe not rapid, but I'm getting quicker.)

The old body felt as though I'd been weighed-in by 10 geezers with baseball bats - I don't half exaggerate. And now, I'm off swimming with the rapscallions.Tonight's 6 mile plod should ease the pain...

 6:00 p.m. 6 miles recovery run. Nice and easy. Legs felt better than anticipated - might have been the freezing cold water at the Tralee swimming pool. Tired tonight. Early to bed and get ready for the Olympics to kick off, plus the two 8 milers scheduled for tomorrow - one of which will have a cheeky little 8x8 sec's hill sprints thrown into the mix.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.000.000.000.0014.00

7:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. Legs know they've done some work this week. But here's some big news for you: I'm going to learn to drive. Ho, ho. Beware if you're on holiday in Ireland - Bam might be on the road. Yep, at the age of 47 I've decided to have another go at learning to drive. Why? So I can drive the 20 or so miles over to Castleisland to use the track. There are other reasons too but the track's the catalyst for change. There is no running track in Tralee, in fact, there are very few in Ireland.

I did start learning to drive in my early thirties. I took my test three times and failed each time - obviously. The first test I thought I'd made it, but no. Failed because of many small things and a general lack of confidence. On my second (with a massive hangover) I failed because I let go of the wheel on a roundabout and screamed, thinking the truck on my inside was going to smash into me. The examiner wasn't too pleased. The third time, I was having a blinder. The examiner told me to pull over and then told me to drive on. I came to a junction and waited for instructions. It was a dual carriageway and I should've just driven straight onto it. He told me he was taking me back to the centre to pass me. He'd told me to pull over so I would see the sign showing the dual carriageway. After this, I gave up.

Anyway, off to read The Rules Of The Road - if anybody tries to overtake me I'll spike them.

6:00 p.m.  6 miles. 3 miles w/u, drills, 8x8 sec's hill sprints off 2min rec, 3 miles w/d.

Great session - can feel the speed coming and it helped cleared the fatigue from the legs. Easy run tomorrow morning and then a threshold session to round off the week.

It's time to plonk myself on the sofa for the Olympics.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 132.00
Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.004.000.0016.00

7:30 a.m. 6 miles easy. Tired after staying up late last night to watch the Olympic opening ceremony - pretty pants really but the one thing I did like was the whole legacy thing. When Coe won the games with his presentation, he won it based on the children and multi-culture and legacy part - rightly so. To have the kids play such a central role, especially lighting the flame, shows he meant it and it wasn't just vacuous spin. Fair play to Lord Coe. I'm a fan of Coe but I think I could turn him over these days. If your reading Lord Coe, I'll meet you in Killarney for a 5k race...

6:00 p.m. 10 miles. 4 miles warm up (7:25 ) 4 miles An. Threshold (23:15), 2 miles shuffle (9:30).

Was not up for this, but as the run progressed I got into it and enjoyed the feeling of comfortable hard. Splits: 5:51, 5:53, 5:45, 5:46.  A.P. 5:49 -18 sec's per mile quicker than last week and I felt easier this week and that's on the back of a 116 mile week with two hard workouts and a toughish long run. Happy days. And so, on to next week...

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
19.000.000.000.0019.00

6:00 a.m. Easy 13 miles. Was going to do a 15 but opted for 13 as I felt I needed time to recover before launching into this week's workouts. I'll do a 'cheeky little' 6 tonight, just to stretch the legs.

Although I felt that I needed time to recover, when I woke this morning and started doing my AIS, I felt much better than I thought I would. After yesterday's Threshold run I was zubed.

Strange how the body says, "Ok, this is another week, forget last week and let's go again." Well, I'm kind of hoping that's how it works - I'll see how things go tonight...

 

6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy with a gentle pick-up over the final two miles to stretch the legs. Felt good. Two 8 easy milers tomorrow and then into the serious stuff for the rest of the week...

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 133.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
16.000.000.000.0016.00

7:30 a.m. 8 miles relaxed - about 7:00-7:10 pace. Feel fully recovered and raring to get stuck into tomorrow's session of 6x1mile @current 10k pace (5:40ish) off 60 sec's rec. Hopefully the wind will stay settled for tomorrow.

6:00 p.m. 8 miles easy with a bit of a pick-up between miles 5 and 7. Ran without a watch but AP was probably around 7 pace.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 134.00
Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.004.000.0016.00

6x1 mile @ current 10k pace off 6o sec's

v

Bam

In the mizzle, on the Tralee to Blenerville road, at hign noon under the watchful eye of the Slieve Mish mountains, a bloody battle took place, a battle that saw the pummelling of a human spirit. Bam the big chat pretender took on the venerable workout of the distance legends and he was left humiliated. Crushed. He didn't pay the session the necessary respect. He went out too fancy and too fast and was reduced to a pathetic mess. 6x1 mile @ 10 k pace - what a doddle, he thought, especially the way I'm improving. Ho, ho chaps, it was messy.

3 mile warm up with 6 fancy pants strides. The session: effort 1, 5:32. A tad too fast, he thought, but maybe not. Maybe I'm gonna pull out another one of those sessions that show how well I'm improving. Before he knew it, the 60sec's were up and he was off again.

2, 5:36, that's okay, he thought, that's where I want this session to be, just hang onto that pace and finish with a sub 5:36 and you'll have a nice session. Still panting like a dog in the desert and the 60 sec's have whizzed by. He's cheating now, perhaps 68 sec's rec. He's off.

3, 5:37, and that was harder than it should've been. No time to focus on the session, the 60 sec's are up. Is that 70 sec's? He's off. His mind wanders. His legs feel heavy. Sluggish. The road seems long. He doesn't check the splits. He ploughs on. Forms gone.

4, 5:41. That's shocking. Desperate. That's jogging. He knows it's over. There's no point slogging out a 5:5x and a 6:0x. He's quit. The shame's too much. He looks at the passing cars and trucks for answers, as if the answer's in the eyes of the drivers. Drivers, something I'll never be, he thinks. What's the point? I'm pants.

He jogs back to the gate where he left his trainers and change of clothing. He changes in the mizzle. Embarrassed. He jogs home carrying his flats. Should I even own a pair of racing flats? he thinks.

He passes workers, out getting their lunch. He knows they're thinking, Jakers, that guys running slow. What's the point of that. Some kid dressed in sports gear and a hurley in hand, smiles at him and says, "Hi." I'll give you hi, he thinks. I'll stick that hurley where the sun don't shine, sunshine. But he smiles and glances at the ground. The kid knows that Bam's a quitter.

He makes it home. The house is empty. Milk and a dollop of agave syrup. A banana. Type up this rubbish. Shower. And now he's smiling. Why? Cause he knows that after his lunch he can have something most people can't - a nap. He will not dream about doing 6x1 mile in 5 minutes and 36 poxy seconds. No. He'll dream he's doing 3x2 mile off 30 sec's and each rep will be, le't see now... ah yes, 9:50:)

7:30 p.m. 6 miles easy. Well, I've sold my soul. No, not to the Devil - something far worse. I had a business meeting (like the mtg's Bret has)today and I've sold out. Rather than me waffle on about it, I'll hand you over...

Hello folks. My name's Tiddles Maloney, cub reporter for The Sporting Universe - the biggest selling sports mag in the universe. Yep, we bring you all the news, scoops, in-depth interviews and the Under My Skin features etc etc etc.

Today, of all days, Bam signed a deal to let me get under his skin for the next three years, as he prepares to run sub 2:20 for the marathon at the grand old age of 50:) I'll be with him 24/7 and promise to give you a more objective view of his progress - I've taken over his blog.

Don't worry, I'll report his training etc. But on the non-workout days I'll be getting right under his skin and showing you the real Bam. To kick things off - tomorrow - I'll be asking Bam 20 quick fire, hard-hitting questions. No nonsense. Serious business. To give you a little teaser, here's one of the less intrusive questions:

Is it true that you cheated your way into the final of the English national 3000m championships and if so, how and why?

Let me tell you, chaps and chapettes, I go where lesser men fear to go. I ask the hard questions and demand honesty. Stay tuned and find out the truth about the looper who truly believes that he'll break the world best time for the marathon in the 50 + age group.

Hey, lace 'em up, get out there, and put the miles in your smiles:)

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
389.185.5012.0011.50418.18
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 132.79
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