Aches and pains- Dublin City marathon training.

After the marathon relay

•  Tuesday July 5th Trails and Hills 8km at 41:19.

• Wednesday July 6th easy road run 12km at 1:14:31

• Friday July 8th  21km easy cycle laps.

• Sunday July 10th easy 25km at 2:29:23.

After the marathon relay I was on a runners high for a couple of days but I was quickly brought crashing down to earth with a bang when I realised just how tired and sore my legs were.

 As my Inferno coach was taking part in the Frankfurt Ironman (genius or mad man?) I took a much needed rest day on Monday, stocked up on vitamins, recovery powder and ALL the healthy food in Molloys Lifestyle Pharmacy and promised myself that I would look after every niggle now that I am up to 26km.

Tuesday I went down to the track to do an easy 5km to stretch out my legs after my long running weekend, however I was persuaded (COERCED )  into doing all the trail hills in the woods, once the group decided to do the back road at Carrakelly I left them off, my legs were aching and I was physically drained.

My increased muscle pain in my legs lead me to wonder if I needed new runners, my handy dandy Asics Nimbus 15s had proved me well over the last 7 months, I had never suffered an injury and apart from the few aches and a couple of damaged and lost toenails they were still comfy and felt great to run in. I took the plunge and ordered the Asic Nimbus 18s, the science behind them was interesting but in the end it was the glitter that sold me! I am weary of breaking them in as the other ones took ages and I distinctly remember every blister and cut on the back of my heels I suffered with the 15s.

I am lucky to work right beside some great running routes and even luckier that we have shower facilities to use so I headed out on Wednesday morning before work to do a nice easy 12km with a friend. My legs were aching for most of the run but I knew that running on tired legs was something I had to get use to, however after the run and all day I felt a sharp ache from my glute all the way down to my heel on my right foot, I popped some Ibuprofen but it didn't seem to dull it, later that night trying to sleep with it was a nightmare. I resigned to take a couple of rest days.

Occasionally on Friday nights I had taken to doing the Liquid Motion Time Trials but I decide to go out a bit earlier and do the 3 laps before the TT. I have discovered I am NOT  a great cyclist and my time is not improving that much but once the crazy competitive side is out of it I do actually enjoy cycling. The rain and wind was not much of a help, but the biggest challenge was actually trying to convince myself to complete all 3 laps, sometimes it really is all in the mind.

On Sunday I was doing my long run with Celine, we planned on 24km,  doing the same 8km loops from the marathon relay. We were conscious that we had taken off too fast in the relay so we tried  slowing it down for at least the first 2 loops, despite some rain showers and the pizza truck parked tauntingly on the Killala road it was enjoyable. Keeping a slower pace was the hardest I automatically want to go at my comfort speed. I had to finish the last 8km alone as Celines' new runners had given her giant blisters (does not bode well for my new runners ), I was definitely running the last 3km of the woods in the fastest time as it was getting dark and my mums "weirdos in the woods" comments were ringing in my ears! I finished by going the long way around by the pond and up through the trails to bring me to 25km finish at 2:49:23. My legs were aching almost instantly and my wet shoes had cause a few new blisters but I was happy with the time considering our pace had been so much slower than the relay.

Ballina Athletic Club Running Festival July 2016

Marathon and 10k medals

The Ballina Athletic Club hosted its 3rd Running Festival weekend starting with a 10k on Friday, a 6 hour track event on Saturday and closing the weekend with the Sunday Marathon.

All along I had planned to do the 10km race and use it as a training session, it was on familiar ground starting from the Killala road and all the way round the back of Belleek woods and loop around back to town.
I hadn't taken part in a race setting since the half in May so I was a bit apprehensive. My long runs have been slow and steady since as I've been avoiding the DREADED speed work.But I was happy to support the club and give it a go. It was so lovely to meet up with other runners that I hadn't seen since the mini and the half and catch up on everyone's upcoming running plans and events.

I had considered a PB but its always hard to call on the day. I started off well enough, I was comfortable and going strong until about 3 km when my left calf started to seize and my runners were pinching my toes. Once I passed the 5km point I knew I wouldn't hit my goal time so I steadied myself and focused on the road ahead rather than the cramp in my leg. I knew I would be doing 15 miles on Sunday so I reigned my energy in and finished on 54:10.

Tae and cake

The tea, cakes and sandwiches and post race analysis are always the best after. I met a father and daughter duo who came down from Enniskillen for the day to race the 10km, they were hoping to do a race in every county in Ireland before the year is out. The Dad was delighted to have won a trophy in his age category and even more delighted with the Ballina hospitality.

Cruisin' the 10k

 I had a rest day on Saturday but headed down to show support for the  6 hour event taking place. Runners were seeing how many laps they could complete in 6 hours with 47 laps being a full marathon.
Not many take part in these types of events as they are mentally draining as well as physically. I was told that after the first 3 hours the organisers get the runners to run in the opposite direction not only to help their hips and glutes but also for some mental stimulation. After the 6 hours was up the lead runner had managed to complete an astonishing 145 laps!

 My recent long runs have not passed the 13 mile mark yet so I had planned to go out on Sunday morning, have a look at the runners starting the marathon and then follow them slowly for three 5 mile loops and a shorter 1.2 mile loop.
 However I got a message late Saturday telling me I had been put forward to do a relay for the marathon and that I'd have to be down there at 8.30 the next morning to register. PANIC! I was reasoned that I'd be doing loops anyways so I might as well enter and get a medal at the same time!

My running buddy Celine joined me and we told ourselves it was really just a training session to get used to the adding mileage. We were both doing 16.2 miles (26 km)  and our relay team mates would do the last 10 miles.

I always find it takes a good 4 km for me to get relax in to a run. We started on the first 1.2 mile loop then headed off on the first of the three 5 mile loops. The uphill at the caravan park in Belleek is always the toughest but once we were over that and onto the Killala road we were flying.

The second loop was a bit of a haze as we were lost in conversation and trying to keep the couple who were a short distance in front of us in our sights. Having a buddy to run with makes it so much easier, by the time we crossed the line to start our 3rd loop we were feeling good. By the 13 mile mark I was thinking it wasn't too bad at all and the extra 2 loops to make a full marathon wouldn't be so bad at all!

We had kept a steady enough pace the whole way around but seemingly that is not the ideal plan for a full. I also stupidly didn't have a gel along the way as my tummy was a bit off anyways and I didn't feel like I needed one.The last 3 km in the woods was where I started to struggle. I was instantly drained with my legs feeling like lead and I was experiencing weird phantom blister pain on the sole of my foot. I was running further than I've ever run before and I was done!
I told Celine to push on ahead of me but fair play to her she talked me up and distracted me with chat. Rounding the corner at the soccer club and seeing the last hill up to the finish line was almost soul destroying! It took all of my energy to get me up over that hill and across the finish line, then there was the mad scramble to hand over the time chip strung on my lace to my relay team mate.

After the relay with Celine

I was stoked to have finished just over 16 miles in 2:37, albeit a little slower than I had anticipated but when we had first taken off we had only planned to do 15 miles so it was no mean feat. The atmosphere at the finish line was brilliant and it was great to see familiar faces supporting and cheering us on! So we are more than half way there in our marathon preparation, at this stage it is about getting in extra miles and learning to run on tired feet, and to keep the mind focused and not give up when it gets tough.

The weekend was a great one, getting 2 medals in two seperate events and meeting some running legends who chose Ballina to celebrate land mark marathons like 200th, 75th and 25th. So glad to be part of it all!

Preparing a Plan- Dublin City Marathon Training 2016.

Signing up for a marathon is the easy part, the 800 plus km training programe is the hard part. And harder still is trying to figure out a plan that works for me.

Luckily I am surrounded by seasoned runners who have been offering advice and words of wisdom but with that comes a different problem...everyone has their own ideas and opinions and there seems to be endless conflicting arguments for how best to train.

A lot of the plans I have seen so far recommend only reaching 32 km before tapering down. However.  considering that's 10km from the finishing line I feel like I need to do way more in the build up and maybe even go as far as the 38 km,  not just so I can build up the kms in my legs but also to mentally prepare for the hours of running that 42 km will take.

Realistically I am building up from my 21 km experience so I still have 20 weeks to get me ready for hopefully a continuous 42 km run. I've completed two 21km runs in the last 2 weeks and it doesn't seem to be getting easier, on the plus side I also went for my first sports massage, a task I was truly dreading but I felt great afterwards and slept like a log that night.


This weekend coming also sees the start of the Ballina Athletic Clubs running festival, of which I will do the 10km run on Friday night.
When I had completed the half marathon back in May I had had wild ambitions to try to run the marathon on the Sunday of the running festival but I've come to my senses and will only do 24 km of the course just to up my mileage and get a feel for running a full!

What next? Ballina Salmon Run and Dublin City Marathon bound!

Dublin City Medal 2016

After training and completing the half marathon I am itching to keep going and I halfheartedly said in January I might do a marathon by the end of the year, so now I am going for it!  And what better city to do it in than Dublin in the centenary year.

Finishing a half was hard so I can imagine the full will be intense and a test of will power and dedication.

The hardest thing is trying to figure out a running schedule that isn't going to tire me out or bore me, I don't want the training sessions to become a chore so I am also training for the Ballina Salmon Run sprint triathlon which will see us swimming 750m downstream of the River Moy, complete a 20k cycle and a final 5km run.
 I have been doing a bit of cycling myself and have started doing time trials with the Liquid Motion Triathlon gang so the Salmon Run is seeming doable every day.
 I am not going to worry myself too much with times as even a couple of months ago I never would have dreamed of competing in this type of event so I will be happy to take part and enjoy the day.

Salmon Run

 I feel like every evening is being taken up with some sort of training, be it swimming, running, cycling or Inferno Pilates so I am hoping that I can keep it interesting and continue to get faster and stronger and still have fun with it which is definitely the most important thing!

Completing my first Half Marathon - River Moy Half Marathon in Ballina, Co. Mayo.

5km to go

The River Moy Half Marathon is a locally organised race is a credit to Ballina, almost 600 runners from all over Ireland and abroad came to our little town to take part, with a warm welcome and amazing community spirit. The volunteers on the day did an excellent job making sure all the runners were looked after and the spread after the race was just super.

A week and a half prior to the race I fell ill with a horrific stomach bug and I couldn't face doing anything exercise related, I did manage to get it together enough to volunteer for Ballina's Darkness into Light, but anything else was a no go.

 I finally pulled myself together enough to do a mock start of the race with one of the girls. We only ran 3 km but it was good to see the starting and end point of the race and get a feel for the road surface along that area.
It was my first run in over a week, it didn't help that it was still 20 degrees at half 6 that evening so it was fair to say it was my slowest run ever! Still we were optimistic, we drove the whole route to get a feel for it and counted all the hills along the way, I thought it might psych me out but I felt pretty confident I would be fine.

A quick weather check indicated that we were in for a hot race day, with highs in the early 20s, which may seem ideal but all our training had been done in wet, cold conditions and I was certainly unaccustomed to running in that kind of heat.
Already I was deciding that I would probably have to push my goal time back to 2.10, it seemed more realistic considering being ill the week before and the heat expected.

I picked up my race pack the night before and I am glad I did as I ended up arriving fashionably late on race day with only 15 minutes to starting time, luckily I had done a warm up at home and I was feeling excited but relaxed.

Start to 5km: And we were off!
Mostly flat and downhill to begin with a nice breeze along the bridge, people were already out cheering us on. I wedged myself into the 1:55 group and manage to stay with them.
Reaching 5km and I realise that I have run my fastest 5 km yet, not a good sign, as I was hoping to conserve a lot of my energy to sustain myself for the rest of the race.

5km to 10km: This part mainly covers a long straight stretch along the Killala road, I try to distract myself using anti boredom devices: signing in my head and converting the mile markers to kilometres as well as the Alexander Technique.
 I get overtaken by the 1:55 balloon at this stage, not by too much so I still haven't given up on staying under 2 hours. I am roasting, every pit stop along the way I douse water over my head and back. The relief is unreal. I'm am passing the half way mark now and just up ahead are a couple of musicians playing country music, oddly enough its just the boost I need!

10km to 15km: I know this road has a couple of unpleasant hills, but I am dying to get into the woods for some shade, I had planned to take an energy gel at 10km but I am feeling good!
 Loving the support from all the people as we run by especially the two auld lads with a makeshift water station outside their house complete with packets of crisps, I gladly take a water to douse myself in but pass on the crisps.
There is zero breeze on this back road and I am dwindling in this heat.
I decide to take my first gel when I see the back of the woods (hallelujah) I slow down to a crawl and finish the packet, I take my first gulp of water hoping I don't get a stitch and rock on.

My thoughts exactly.

15km to 21km: POSITIVE THOUGHTS, POSITIVE THOUGHTS!
I had hit the back of the woods at 1:16 with about 6km left to go, but it is roasting and the shade of the woods proved to be more claustrophobic and humid than relieving.
I can see the end of the route across the river but instead of spurning me on I seem to be slowing down.
A guy whizzes by telling me to keep pushing, that we can make it in under 1:50, but the energy gel has not seemed to work and I am faltering,  the heat is really getting to me.
The end of the woods is in sight but theres a steady incline and my legs seem to be failing me, I see a Order of Malta van and briefly think about hopping in the back and hiding,  a 2 hour balloon whizzes by and I panic, forget my moment of madness and zoom up the hill at the track.
Our last water station is at Bachelors walk and I take two bottles and dump them straight over me my head, looking like a drown rat I speed on.
3km to go, I am feeling good, I see another Ballina A.C runner and she tells me to stick with her, she is flying it and I know I can't keep up with her pace so I tell her to push on without me.
 I am 1.5km from the end and my legs are giving way, I feel like a dried prune and  I am mentally exhausted too, and I am slowing down, just when I think I am done and will have to walk a chap comes from behind and tells me not to stop, keep going and that we will be in under 2 hours if I keep running, its just the boost I need, I yell thanks as I zoom off.
Reaching the 13 mile mark was exhilarating,

Almost home.

I couldn't believe I was almost there, I could see the finish line up ahead and the clock was counting up from 1:59:34. I hadn't looked at my watch since just  after mile 10, I gathered what little energy I had left but it felt like I was dragging lead, I knew I would have a few seconds to spare on my official time but I still wanted to come under 2 hours on the actual finish line, I bombed it up the road and Hallelujah I was in at 1:59:59!

I was elated! Exhausted from my final sprint with thoughts of NEVER AGAIN!
Honestly it was a great feeling to complete the half after 5 months of training and along side an excellent bunch of people including the Strandurance21 crew, the weather was tough to run and I definitely had some off moments where I doubted myself  but I am delighted that I was able to do it in just under 2 hours with my official time as 1:59:49.

Some of the Strandurance21 crew.

West of Ireland Women's Mini Marathon.

Running Chicks

Our Running Chicks group had been preparing for this 10km event twice a week for 8 weeks and on May 1st the big day finally came. I initially joined the running group as extra training for the River Moy half marathon and I didn't expect to gain so much, not only did I learn a lot of excellent techniques but I met some amazing and determined people. The group has influenced my decision to join the Ballina Athletics Club and continue on with my Tuesday and Thursday running sessions.

I headed up to meet the ladies in Castlebar about half an hour before the race was due to start. There was about 1800 other runners and the atmosphere was electric.There were tea and coffee tents, great MCing from the sound stage and of course the all important port a loos! We started off with a warm up and a pep talk and we were ready to go!

Starting Line: Nerves building, anticipation rising, hate the waiting. Realise Sonia O'Sullivan is running alongside you..no pressure then!

1 KM: Started off nice and easy, keeping a comfortable pace. I keep with the group until 2 of the girls suddenly dash off and I panic a bit! I remind myself to conserve energy as I know we will hit a hill soon and there is another big one near the end.
The first hill isn't too bad and I use my arms and core to drive me over, there are already crowds out cheering us on and a samba band lightens any nerves I'm feeling.

2KM: We head out of town towards the Ponton road and we have already passed our first water stop. Again people are standing out on their drives to cheer us on and I make sure to wave to all of the kids as I pass by. I made a mental note of the 55 minute pacers at the starting line, they started a bit before me and I see them up ahead. I decide, since I'm feeling good so far and not overly pushing myself, to overtake them now and if they catch up I will just stick close to them and use their pace to get me to the end.

3KM: I don't have my running watch just my regular wrist watch so its difficult to tell what kind of pace I am doing, but I feel good and all around me other runners  watches are beeping to count down the kilometers. I decide to forget about my watch and I don't even look at it for the rest of the race.

4KM: I'm suddenly reminded of the burst blister I have on the back of my heel, its not bothering me yet, so I put it out of my mind. At this point it begins to rain but as I usually warm up quite quickly I am thankful for a bit of coolness. We seem to be running up a steady incline so I am using my arms and core more and more, feeling good and running comfortably.

5KM: At this stage the women around me start cheering for the half way mark, I speed up a bit and see the right turn up a small back road  that will loop us toward town. I look over the field to the people behind me and see the 55 minute balloons and know I am definitely going to make it in under my goal time! I'm stoked!

6KM: We have been climbing another steady hill and I feel a bit tired, the rain has gotten heavier and since rounding the 5km corner my breathing is a bit laboured and I have a stitch. I try to steady my breath and focus on long deep breaths. I distract myself by singing in my head.

7KM: Just passed another water station on this back road and a small gazebo with a guy playing country songs on his keyboard, I can't help but laugh and give him a thumbs up as I make my way toward a main road.

8KM: Downhill mostly and I am feeling good! People are again standing and cheering us on as we pass. I am in a small group now where we are passing each other out constantly. A woman who has been following me for a while makes a break for it and I yell at her to go for it! Shes encouraged and speeds off!

9KM: I see the hill near the 9km mark and I focus on the top and again find strength in my arms and core to push me over, I tend to try to get over hills as fast as possible and I overtake a big group, but the hill is steeper and longer than I envisioned and although I have been breathing correctly I am out of breath.
Runners behind me overtake and I feel a bit dismayed, but then I see my neighbour who is a stewerd and she starts cheering me on!
I get a second wind and by now I am running through the main street, I'm out on my own but I can hear the runners behind me, we round the last 200 meters and I am being overtaken by a girl in orange, I high five some kids along the way and she slows down to do the same, I take this opportunity to speed up make a sprint for the last 50 meters, shes on my tail right to the end but I make it over the finish before her!

10KM; Delighted to have made it over the line in 54:10 but since I started near the middle of the crowd I know I'll have a few seconds to spare and my official time is 53:46! Way below my 55 minute goal. I get handed a lovely medal which I wasn't expecting for this race and walk to the end where there is water bottles and fruit handed out.

Ballina Athletics Ladies

It was an absolutely stellar event and a lovely course to run, that last hill was a killer but the final 400m through the town was amazing! All the volunteers did so well at keeping us motivated along the way and even the other runners were great for shouting everyone on!
 I stayed at the finish line for awhile cheering on the incoming runners, everyone feels the same when they have completed the race and the buzz is amazing!

Again a big Well Done to all the Running Chicks, they all did so amazing and completed their 10km goal.

Week 15- Reaching a 10km Personal Best.

Mini Marathon Medal

• Monday April 25th HARDCORE Inferno Hot Pilates. 

• Tuesday April 26th Running Chicks  group run 5km at 29:36.

• Wednesday April 27th group run 16km at 93:19 and  Inferno Hot Pilates. 

• Thursday April 28th Running Chicks  group run 5km at 28:14.

• Sunday May 1st West of Ireland Womens Mini Marathon 10km at 53:46.

As I had the 10km race on Sunday I decided to take it easy this week and focus on keeping my body strong with 2 Inferno Hot Pilates sessions. I rolled up on  Monday expecting the usual tough but fun class, little did I know I would be doing the most INTENSE HARDCORE class I have ever done! People are still talking about THAT Mondays class. 

The first thing I noticed was that there were way more people than ever and the class kept filling up. We are usually ready to go just after 7 but the door kept opening and people kept coming.

Eventually we were ready to rock, and we started out the session with an easy warm up but even at that stage I could tell the temperature was hotter than usual, by the time we were a third way through I was dying!

THAT Monday

I was struggling to finish even some of the easier moves and I was sure I was sweating out half my body weight along with my mascara which was flowing down my face  now stinging the s**t out of my eyes. Eventually Barry did something he has never done before he turned off the heat and opened the door! Hallelujah! We finished on burpess and and my "oh so favourite" mountain climbers before we all collapsed in a collective thanks be to God sigh! 

Not put out by the most intense class the night before I met up with the Running Chicks on Tuesday to do an easy 5km loop ahead of the mini marathon. At that stage we had done all the training necessary to get us to 10km and now it was just a matter of keeping the feet going and our mind frame right. 

I had decided that I wasn't going to do a long group run on Saturday but when one of the girls said she would do the 16km on Wednesday, I said I would go for it. I thought I would have plenty of time to conserve my energy for Sundays race. So off we went on 2 loops of Belleek. We started off getting pelted by hailstones but once we were half way through the sun was shining and we were happy out. 

Even after that crazy Pilates class on Monday, I booked myself in for that evening hoping I could stretch out my muscles after the long run. Luckily for me it wasn't as extreme and I left feeling energized and relaxed. 

Thursday was our last Running Chicks group run. After 8 weeks of hard work the ladies and I were ready to race and our final run was really a pep talk with some info on what to eat and drink in the days prior to the race. Unfortunately for us it was freezing AND snowing, but we showed up and did our 5km. Ann gave us a helpful tip, to not end our runs in the same place, as the  brain automatically thinks you should stop when you see your usual stopping spot.

 This is extremely relevant for me because my typical stopping spot is actually about 3 km from the finish line of the half marathon and I can imagine at that stage I will be tired anyways so the last thing I need is my brain tricking my body into wanting to stop. 

As I wasn't doing a group run on Saturday I volunteered at the Ballina parkrun instead. I have done the parkrun a few times and I have wanted to volunteer for ages but it always conflicts with the group run time. I was a bit apprehensive about the equipment but its was all straight froward and easy to use and I got to meet some of the familiar faces I always see down there. 

Running Chicks

I was all prepared by the time Sunday rolled round. I was hoping to beat my Kinvara 10km time (57:37) and try to finish under 55 minutes. I forgot to mention that earlier in the week I washed my Fitbit in the washing machine by accident! Disaster! I tried putting it in rice in the hotpress and it was resurrected briefly, but alas it is dead for sure now.

I just wore my regular wrist watch so I would have a vague idea of where I was at on the course. I was absolutely delighted to see that the gun time at the finish was 54:10 and I had started in the middle so I knew I had a few seconds to spare,  I was hopeful I would make it in under the 54 minutes. I had to wait until Wednesday to get my official time and was stoked at the 53:46 I was clocked! 

  I am going to do a separate post detailing in depth the the actual event. Even though the weather was less than favourable it was a terrific event and was organised so well! 

I just want to say a HUGE well done to all the ladies I have been running with for the last 8 weeks especially the girls from the Ballina Athletic Club Fit4youth programme. They all did so well running their first 10km! 

Unfortunately Week 16 will be blank, as I am currently struck down with a stomach virus and I can't even think about doing any running right now and I need to rest up for the Half next week! 

Finger Crossed I will be over it soon! 

The longest run yet - Week 14 River Moy Half Marathon Training.

• Monday April 18th Inferno Hot Pilates. 

• Tuesday April 19th Running Chicks group run 6.2 km at 35:23.

• Wednesday April 20th Inferno Hot Pilates.

• Thursday April 21st Running Chicks Group run 9.1 km at 55:31.

• Saturday April 23rd Strandurance21 Group Run 18 km at 110:17.

After taking a weekend off from running I was back with a bang for Mondays Inferno Hot Pilates class. I absolutely felt the benefits from doing 2 classes last week so I also booked in for Wednesdays class too. I really believe it has been these classes that have prevented me from getting injured so far and have helped with my breathing while running, and with the half looming in less than a month I am going to try to fit in extra classes. 

On Tuesday I met the Running Chicks for a nice easy short run in preparation for the West of Ireland Womens Mini Marathon  on May 1st. Apparently the run is a little hilly in parts but I think we have done enough that we won't be too overwhelmed. Once again I practised using the Alexander Technique and it seems to be making difference in overcoming tough stretches of road.

Isogel citrus

For my long run on Saturday we were told to bring some energy gels to keep us going. I was a bit apprehensive about taking them as I was worried they might upset my stomach or that they would be absolutely vile to take. 

So I did a test run on my short run just to see if it made a difference. I got the ISOgel in the berry flavour. It tasted fine and was more like a liquid texture than a gel and went down easy. Honestly I think I left it too late to take it and my run was too short to feel any benefits but at least I knew it didn't upset my stomach and I would know what to expect again.

Wednesday I was off again to Pilates for more punishment! It was my second time doing 2 classes in a week and it has definitely been a good move. Those tiny muscle aches are back but in a good way! And I have seen some definition emerging in my core and arms, all good! 

On Thursday we headed off to do our longest group run with the Running Chicks, we finished on just over 9 km and in pretty good time. I think most of the group are hoping for a sub 60 finish which I think will be manageable, we have done all the hard work now its amazing to see the progress in people who had started the programme doing zero running and now we will all do 10 km next week.

Moy Half Marathon May 14th 2016.

On Saturday I met up with the Strandurance21 group to do our longest run yet, a daunting 18 km. I honestly wasn't looking forward to it, it felt too close to 21 km which still seems impossible to me. We started off nice and slow and eventually 3 of us branched off into a manageable pace.
At around 9 km I took an ISO gel citrus with caffeine gel and I think it made all the difference.
I don't even remember the second 9 km loop, we were just chatting and away the whole time. I was so surprised to see we had done it in 1 hour 50 minutes as we had stopped a couple of times to take gels and stretch out a bit.

I was stoked as I would love to finish the half in 2 hours or under. The 18 km will be the longest run we will do before the half, the rest will be shorter 16 and 14 km. Absolutely thrilled with our progress as a group so far, there is even talk of a full marathon later in the year. Anything seems possible at this stage!

Taking a little break- Week 13 Half Marathon Training.

Always...

• Monday April 11th Inferno Hot Pilates.

• Tuesday April 12th Running Chicks group run 6.5 km at 41:21.

• Wednesday April 13th road run 16 km at 94:23 and  Inferno Hot Pilates.

• Thursday April 14th  Running Chicks group run 8.7 km at 56:11.

I decided to take it easy this week due to the severe effect dehydration had had on me last week. I started off on Monday with the Inferno hot Pilates class, as always it was tough going but there is always that high at then end when I have managed to hold a 2 minute plank or kept up with dead bug into press up moves not to mention the horrendous 8 round flutter kicks (questions sanity).

On Tuesday I met the Running Chicks ladies for a short 6.5 km run through Belleek woods. We always start our first run of the week doing a fairly low key short run just to get back into the swing of things. These group runs are so handy for getting in my shorter distances during the week and I always learn something new from the more experienced runners like the Alexander Technique where you focus your gaze to a pole or a sign in the horizon and visualize it moving closer to you. 

And it actually works! It is more for the mind than the body but its a good trick to get over a long stretch of road that you might otherwise become overwhelmed by.

Yoga lessons from a frenchie.

I had decided that I wasn't going to race the Easkey 10 mile with the rest of the Strandurance21 crew and instead have a run free weekend away to Belfast. My new hobby has seen me spend every weekend doing some form of training so I thought I would take a break and have some fun with the friends I've been neglecting since.

However, I still wanted to keep my mileage momentum going so I went solo on Wednesday morning to see how long it would take me to do 16 km. 

I repeated the cycle loop of the duathalon we had done the week previous. I started off fairly slow, my hamstring felt really tight and I was aware I was compensating my stride on my right leg to make up for it. Just 5 km in and I was already contemplating cutting the run short but I persevered. 

My leg loosened up a bit and I had hoped I might make it in under 88 minutes but I quickly realised that wasn't happening so I relaxed and just enjoyed the scenery and the quiet road despite my dads insistence that there were many a weirdo on those country lanes, thanks dad!

I ended up doing 16.4 km in just over 94 minutes (not a weirdo in sight)  with the intention of jogging the last stretch home but my poor legs had given up and the last hill was a no go, I walked the last 500 m home which was just as well because my hamstring was in bits once I stopped moving.

I did an excruciating foam roll session and then decided I would try the Wednesday Inferno class to see if the heat  would loosen my leg up. I usually stuck to 1 class a week but clearly I am a beast and it was actually worth the squats, bicycle kicks and burpess. 

2016 West of Ireland mini marathon.

I was back with the Running Chicks on Thursday for a longer group run. As we were missing one of the coaches we had to stick together for this run. I was happy with a slower pace as my hamstring was still bothering me slightly and it gave me a chance to chat with some of the other members. It was my slowest run in a long time but I had done relatively okay on my 16 km the day before so I wasn't too worried. As the Running Chicks end goal is the West of Ireland mini marathon at the start of May I am pretty confident I can match my Kinvara 10 km time or fingers crossed do slightly better.

Also a MAJOR shout out to the Strandurance21 crew on an absolutely stellar performances at the Easkey 10 miler on Sunday. I actually can't believe how far we have all come since January, I think its safe to say we are all addicted! 

Run Happy!

Too much running? - Week 12 Half Marathon Training.

Liquid Motion Try a Tri for beginners.

• Monday April 4th Inferno Hot Pilates.

• Tuesday April 5th Running Chicks group run 8.5 miles of hill work 80:16.

• Wednesday to Saturday succumb to dehydration. 

• Sunday April 10th Liquid Motion mini Duathalon challenge with the Strandurance21 crew                       run 2.5km, cycle 14.8km, run 4.9km at 82:46.

Another Monday, another Inferno Pilates class. Really enjoying these classes. They are extremely physically demanding but I always feel like I have accomplished something when I finish out all my reps successfully and I try not to complain too much when we move from burpees straight into mountain climbers (my absolute nightmare!). 

I had planned to go out on Tuesday night with the Running Chicks and then do hill work on Wednesday evening with Ann and some of the other Ballina A.C members. 

However when I got a text from Ann from asking me to switch to Tuesday for hill work I was game. Ann had said 8 miles at the back of the woods. Surely she meant 8km, right? What crazy person does 8 miles of hills? Me apparently. I was in such a rush to make it to the track for 5 I hadn't eaten properly that day and I definitely hadn't re-hydrated from the previous nights Inferno session. Usually I only eat a small brown bread roll before my long Saturday morning runs so I though I'd be grand.

5 of us headed of through the woods for a 3km warm up and then we hit the hills. I started off well enough  using the hill techniques Ann had advised and she would call me back if she thought I was pushing off too quickly. Again as I hadn't run this full route before I couldn't believe how slow the miles seemed to go. I was still feeling fine around 4 miles in, but my breathing was strained. I focused on long quick breaths as I did the uphills and this seemed to help. 

However once we were about 2 miles from the finish my breathing became extremely laboured and I started to see stars in my eyes. For the first time since week 5 I had to stop for a rest mid run. I took a minute to catch my breath and then continued on.

I felt so much better after that quick rest and we made it back to the track having done over the 8 mile goal. 

I can't believe how fast the dehydration hit me. I was fine one minute and the next I was down. I felt nauseous, dizzy, and unable to gather any strength. I had the worst headache, it felt like someone had punched me in the face and I had to lie down in the dark as the light killed my eyes. I was getting sick and unable to keep down water.

 Luckily I had bought electrolyte tablets after we had chatted about supplements on our group run the previous Saturday. I bought the PowerBar brand in raspberry flavour from Holland and Barrett and thank God they didn't have the salty taste that electrolytes usually have. 

I had to force myself to slowly sip down 2 of the tablet drinks throughout the night. The next day I felt so much better, but I still felt weak and exhausted. I couldn't face doing any other  exercise for the next few days.

Fortunately by the time Sunday rolled round I was feeling much better. Barry our coach from Strandurance21 marathon group organised the run/cycle duathlon with the Liquid Motion Triathlon group. When you meet all these positive people who are exceedingly PERSUASIVE and tell you that you can achieve anything you tend to believe them (not unlike a cult!).

Before the race.

As I have no cycling experience I was borrowing a bike and helmet from a friend on the day and had no time to practice but I saw it as more of a fun morning than a serious challenge.

To make us more confident the race was handicapped so that our Strandurance21 group would go out first and the fastest Liquid Motion athlete would go last. That way we would hopefully all end the race in or around the same time. I did well on the first run, as I knew it was short and wouldn't pose a problem for me. 

The bike however was a different story. It took me at least 5 km to get comfortable on it, it was a lovely bike to ride but I could feel every bump and dip in the road. I couldn't believe how quickly the LM guys were able to catch up on us, its amazing just how fast they were. I  kept my head down and tried to enjoy the the cycle stretch. By the second loop I was flying along and I knew where to avoid certain lumps and bumps in the road. 

Getting off the bike for the last run was the worst! I couldn't shake the jelly leg feeling and I couldn't tell if I was running fast or slow, it felt like I was in slow motion. I was constantly overtaken by other runners who offered words of encouragement and told me to keep pushing on. 

The last incline to finish line was tough, I could feel the toll the cycling had had on my legs and I struggled to keep a steady pace. I had to remind myself to breath properly and I was delighted to round the corner to the finish line! Our group had done amazingly well, we all finished and with smiles on our faces. 

The event was organised brilliantly and the LM crew could not have been more welcoming, there was tea, coffee, cakes and fruit after and we got a lovely little carby goodie bag afterwards. And a special shout out to the kids who cheered us on at the finish line who then went on to do their own event, it was wonderful to see such young children interested in these types of races.

I was so elated after finishing that I agreed to do the LM Try a Tri event, a taster for beginners interested or coerced into doing a triathlon for the first time. Luckily the swim is taking place in a lovely warm hotel pool, I don't think I could face getting into a lake or river at this time of year yet!

All in all an eventful week, ups and downs. But I have learned my lesson about drinking enough, fueling properly and taking some supplements to ensure I don't have to miss anymore training sessions. 

Onwards and Upwards!

Getting there- Week 11 Half Marathon Training.

There are no hills...repeat..there are no hills.

• Monday March 28th Inferno Hot Pilates. 

• Tuesday 29th Running Chicks group run 7km at 37:12. 

• Saturday April 2nd 14km at 80:24.

• Sunday April 3rd Running Chicks group run and hill work 7km at 39:54.

Once again I started my week with a punishing Hot Pilates class at Strand Fitness. I am constantly torn between how hard the classes are but also how addictive it can be. It is the best feeling to finish all the reps and not give in to the heat and my spindly arms that almost refuse to hold my body up during planks, push ups and mountain climbers. Yet I've noticed that I'm not as sore as I used to be after class, so it seems I am getting stronger as I progress! Barry has also opened a new gym beside the existing Pilates studios and I had been toying with the idea to join his bootcamp but the half is priority right now I'll have to survive that first!

Strand Fitness website

On Tuesday I did my  group run with the Running Chicks through the woods. I love these runs as it gives me a chance to get my short runs done during the week in preparation for my weekends long runs. Michael and Ann are amazing coaches, they are so knowledgeable and are constantly offering advice and support. My favourite tip from Ann is the runners blow, for getting rid of the snot buildup (so ladylike)  in your nose! (TMI? GROSS!). 

I didn't go out again until Saturdays group run, where we were doing a 14km loop of town. This time I had a couple of the girls to keep me company. We decided to try a different route with a mixture of back roads and on the main road. I am not a huge fan of new routes as I always feel like I have run longer than I actually have, when we realised we had only done 7km we were devastated! We philosophied that we were half way home and pushed on! 

Along the way we chatted about pre workouts and protein supplements. Since I have been taking neither of those things and I am also vegetarian I got some good advice about plant based protein like spirulina, chlorella and some vegan options, I also got some good advice regarding electrolytes which turned out to be a life saver in my week 12 training.

We finished up with track laps absolutely exhausted and I was stoked to have lost almost 3 minutes off my 14km time the week before. Progress!

On Sunday I met up with the Running Chicks again, this time to do some hill work at the back of the woods. We started off on a 3km warm up before moving onto the hills of doom. 

To be fair it wasn't as bad as I thought. I had been doing the hills a couple of times a week a couple of months ago so I knew what to expect. Ann gave us some great tips including using our arms and our core moreso than our legs to drive up up the hills and I have to say it made a huge difference, my legs weren't as fatigued and I wasn't breathing as heavily as I would usually would on hills. I left the session feeling swamped with information but optimistic! 

Week 12 includes my experience with dehydration, because I'm an idiot!
Stay tuned! 

Going further- Week 10 half marathon training.

• Monday March 21st Inferno Hot Pilates. 

• Tuesday March 22nd Running Chicks group run 6.5km at 36:38.

• Thursday March 23rd Running Chicks group run 5km at 31:26 and 2.3km at 12:07.

• Saturday March 24th Strandurance group run 14km at 82:41.

 I met the running chicks ladies on Tuesday evening for a quick road run down to the quay and back. It is fantastic to see all the different groups using the track for training and we were joined on the road by the operation transformation group and the fitforyouth girls. This route was fast and flat although there were a few potholes to watch out for but it was definitely a nice change to be off the track.

I also joined the running chicks on Thursday night for a nice easy 5km through town, I still needed a couple of kms in order to reach my goal miles for the week so I finished the night with just over 7km altogether. I was going to run home but laziness got the best of me! 

On Saturday we were missing our 2 coaches and some of the other runners as there were a couple of different events going on over the weekend. I started off with the rest of the group but found myself pulling away. I find that I need to run at a particular speed otherwise I burn out too quickly from going too slow. I ran the route we usually do but backwards so as not to interfere with parkrun,  along with an extra few kms of the Killala road. It was  quite tough on my own as I don't have a pace function on my fitbit so I couldn't tell how fast I was going. At some stages I felt like I was just crawling along and then I would get a second wind and I felt like I was flying it. 

I really had to push myself, as the week before we had done 12km in 68 minutes I thought I would manage the extra 2km at 80 minutes (reaching)  but by the time I did a small loop of the soccer club I was totally exhausted and dreaming of water and a nap. My legs were on fire and I was totally out of breath and finished almost 3 minutes over my predicted time. But it was the furthest I have ever run and I didn't have any niggles or need to stop. An achievement! 

Clocking up kilometers - Week 9 half marathon training.

• Monday March 14th Inferno Hot Pilates. 

• Tuesday March 15th easy road run 10km at 61:12.

• Thursday March 17th easy road run 6.5km at 35:26.

• Friday March 18th Running Chicks speed work intervals 3x50m, 3x 100m and road run home 4.5km at 26:09.

• Saturday March 18th Strandurance group run 12km at 71:43.

I had a busy week and had to shift around some of my running plans in order to make all my exercise and running goals. So I once again attended the Monday night Pilates class. I still maintain this is way harder than Tuesday class, but clearly I am a glutton for punishment and I glistened my way gracefully through planks, squats and flutter kicks in 32 degree heat.

I was supposed to do a 5km race on Tuesday evening as part of the Running Chicks but with the half looming I needed to build up my kms and so went out on an easy 10km road run instead. I had an interview the following day and I found it was a really great way to clear my head and focus my thoughts. 

Instead of partying on Paddys Day I hit the road to do a nice easy 6km through town (how sad).I still think its crazy that I'm considering 6kms short runs now. On Friday I was dreading doing the  speed session with the Running Chicks. Grim. But we soldiered on, doing 50m and 100m sprints with plenty of intervals, my breathing while running fast needs a lot of work but hopefully that will come with practise. Even though I knew my group run in the morning would be 12 km I decided to run the almost 5kms home.

Saturday morning I started out the run at a good speed but about 3km in I started to feel fatigued and the endless hills and uneven road surfaces were causing fire in my  my calves and hamstring. I was about to slow down and separate from the group but Dean talked me out of it and encouraged me to keep up with the rest, telling me to keep my eyes on the movement of the runners in front of me and that way I wouldn't have to think about keeping the pace it would just happen naturally. I eventually got my second wind and was running faster than I had before,. After the long loop we had to do two small loops and then two laps of the track  before finally finishing exhausted at exactly 68 minutes, and a full 3 minutes faster than the week before. So thrilled!

Our half marathon training group is participating in a Duathlon next month, it will be my very first and while it is terrifying I am very excited! I never would've thought I would become interested in all these different activities but when you are surrounded by VERY persuasive people it's hard not to feel inspired! 

Obsession growing- Week 8 Half Marathon training.

• Monday March 7th Inferno Hot Pilates. 

• Tuesday March 8th Running Chicks 5km at 31:14.

• Wednesday March 9th easy swim laps for 45 mins. 

• Thursday March 10th run to the track 4.3 km at 25:12, group run 5km at 31:10,  run home 4.5km at 27:08.

• Friday March 11th Moy Canoe club training.

• Saturday March 12th Strandurance group run 12km at 71:52.

In exercise induced hysteria I decided to join a second running group (determination or stupidity?). The Running Chicks  group is part of Ballina Athletic Clubs Fit4Life programme and it was advertised to women looking to hit the 10 km mark with the Mayo Mini Marathon as then end goal.
As well as helping get some extra short runs in a week, I'd get to meet some more people and hopefully improve my technique.

I started my training week with Hot Pilates on Monday figuring it would be pretty much the same as my normal Tuesday class. I should've known better. The repetitions were agonizing! We were doing crazy ninja moves that had no business being done by my weak body, planks into push ups and burpees into mountain climbers, all around were muffled curses and red faces. By the end of the class I had the muscle shakes and basically hobbled for the door.

My Strandurance group run at the weekend was going to be a long 12km, so we were instructed to do some shorter runs leading up to Saturday. With this in mind I started off in my new running group on Tuesday evening down at the track, just a gentle 5 km to see our speed and running style. I didn't know any of the group beforehand but everyone was super positive and chatty which always makes training easier.  It was however the  slowest 5km I had done in ages at over 31 minutes, but loop track runs are definitely not my favourite and I had also hurt one of my toes on my right foot on the Kinvara run and it was really starting to irritate.

On Wednesday morning I hit the pool to do some nice steady laps. I had planned to go out for a short run but my foot was looking worse for wear so I choose to rest up until my group run the next day.

I ended up having to take the insoles out of my Asics to make more room in the shoe and it gave great relief. I decided to run from my house to the track, do my group run and then run home again. The group run was a nice easy 5km track loop and we were able to keep chatting while keeping a steady pace. Since the start of my training I had been getting slight shoulder pain, and while not overly sore it was extremely annoying and I felt it was having an effect on my ability so I mentioned it to Michael our coach and he showed me how to  adjust my arms and shoulders while I run (a week later and I have had no shoulder pain at all!!!).

On Friday I decided to try something a bit different and I went along to the Moy Canoe club training session in the swimming pool. I was a bit apprehensive as I have only been kayaking twice before and my co ordination is terrible but I really wanted to give it a go. Before I even got into the boat I was shown all the equipment, how to position myself correctly, paddle and the capsizing technique. Once on the water I realised how rubbish I actually was, most of the others were experienced and whizzing around like pros but everyone was over to me offering advice in between so I didn't feel too much of a loser! Part of the training included games of water polo so I had to be shown how to capsize properly in the water as it was inevitable my boat would over turn. While pretty straight forward it was also the scariest part. I did over turn a few times but once I knew how to exit the boat it was grand. The night was a lot of fun and everyone was super friendly and supportive!

I was wrecked by the time Saturday morning rolled round, and I knew we had a planned 12km run. I had done 12km before so I knew I would be able but I was worried about keeping the pace and pushing myself. The run itself was a little hilly and I knew once we hit 8km we would have to loop around and see some of the hills again (always soul shattering) the group was also running faster than ever before so I did find it difficult to keep up, but I swore I wouldn't stop for anything and I tried to use the down hills to my advantage. We finished the run on the track and in pretty good time too. I was absolutely shattered afterwards but felt like I had had a pretty productive week.

The Running Chicks is incorporating speed work next week and  I am NOT looking forward to that, but its all in the goal for the half. I have also decided to run the Moy Half Marathon in aid of Ballina SPCA, they do absolutely amazing work for animals and deal with some heart breaking cases. If anyone would like to donate to the cause I would be grateful, I have another post up soon with more details!

Preparing to race-Week 7 Half Marathon training.

• Sunday February 28th road run 12.5km at 75:18.

• Tuesday March 1st Inferno Hot Pilates.

• Wednesday March 2nd easy swimming laps 45mins. 

• Thursday March 3rd road run 4km at 22:52.

• Saturday Kinvara Rock and Road race 10km at 57:36.

Just a short post on my week 7 half training! 

As I was preparing to race at the weekend I didn't want to push myself too much this week. I definitely did not want to risk injury by running too much during the week so I settle for a gentle long run at the start of the week and a nice short slow 4km closer to race day. 

Sunday I headed out on a road run and aimed to push my distance to  12km. I hadn't a route planned so I was keeping an eye on my kms as I circled the town twice and doubled back the same route once I hit 8km. Although I was going easy I was still making good time and I was pretty happy hitting 12.5km in just over 75 minutes without too much stress. 

I padded out my exercise for the week with the usual hot pilates class on Tuesday and swim laps on Wednesday. Inferno this week was super strenuous and  I wasn't able to finish some of the repeats (torturous burpees with pushups) and later in the week my my abs and arms were in bits.  But I find the swimming on Wednesday mornings really does help my muscles relax and every week I am getting faster. 

Thursday I braved the rain and did an easy 4km road run just to loosen out and keep my momentum for the week. I didn't want to go too far or too quickly as it would be just my luck to get injured before Kinvara  and I was way too excited to let that happen! 

My previous blog post has all the details on the Rock and Road 10km,  but I was stoked to run what was quite a tough course in 57:37 and to receive my first finishers medal of the year! 

Rock and Road 10km and half marathon at Kinvara.

Yesterday I ran my first 10km road race along the beautiful back drop of Kinvara village. The Rock and Road event was hosting a 10km , a half as well as a 1km and 2km for children. It was all organised brilliantly and there were loads of goodies handed out before and after the races. I ran alongside my dad and friends Dave and Aileen (shoutout). The weather was stunning, nice and sunny but with a good cool breeze, absolutely ideal for running.

Earlier in the week I had decided to try to get it finished in under the hour, but from looking at the route  I knew there were a few hairy hills scattered around and I wasn't sure how I would do running alongside so many others. There were so many runners it took us 51 seconds to cross the start line.

I went easy at the start just to spread out from the crowd and get comfortable, keeping an eye on the 60 pacer  just up ahead and I thought I'd hang around for the first couple of kms and then branch off.

About 4 kms in I quickened my pace just a tad, and thought sure feck it I'll overtake the pacer now and see how I go. At this stage I was heating up fast and just when I thought I would have to slow down to cool down, we got a lovely shower of rain, there was a collective sigh of relief around me, I think everyone had underestimated how warm it actually was and the little sprinkle of rain was exactly what we needed.

Now I knew that at about 6km there was a steep incline and a pretty hairy hill, but once I rounded the corner and actually saw the hill, I had a brief moment of panic. All around me people were gasping in dismay "the hill of heartbreak", it definitely broke some spirits and before we even got to the start of the incline people were stopping to walk it, they had totally psyched themselves out.

I was way too determined to stop, I kept my head down and tried to get over it quickly, as I was passing people were dropping like flies, breathing like donkeys with one guy possibly having an asthma attack, I didn't care I just needed to get over the bloody hill all the while questioning my sanity and thanking god I wasn't doing the half. Reaching the top was such a relief.
I knew now that was the hardest part done and I could relax a bit and just enjoy the rest of the run alongside the Burren and the beautiful Kinvara harbour.
All that time I never bothered to look at my watch, I was well ahead of the 60 minute pacer and as long as he didn't creep up on me I would make my goal time.

I was chatting to a couple of people along the route and it seemed that a lot of them had come from doing c25k and were running their first 10km, we certainly didn't make it easier on ourselves choosing this route and race but we were almost there!
At the last 1km I checked my watch and realized I would be in well before 60 minutes, and once I saw the stretch home I powered on, all along the route there had been people out cheering and clapping and it really spurred me on, I sprinted up the finish and almost collapsed with a stitch but I had done it! They had kids handing out medals, and water and fruit and I sat on the pier catching my breath and waited for the others to come in. I had done it in 57:37 and was delighted! My dad wasn't too far behind me at 63 minutes.

We were all stoked to finish in good time and shared our overcoming the hill stories! We headed up to the community centre for coffee where they were offering sports massages. It had been a  great day, the event ran smoothly and there was such a fantastic community spirit behind it from the kids handing out t shirts and medals, to the auld lads at the half way point water station cheering us on. I am definitely well on my way to the half!