5 weeks to race day

 Weeks activity overview

• 31.2km total distance

• 2h 44m total time

• 12m total climb/gain

Just over a month out from the race and slightly less overall mileage this week only 

getting 3 runs in rather than 4, but I feel the rest had a net positive affect on me. 

A recovery run Monday, followed by one of the toughest pyramid sessions 

I've done this year so far. 

4*400

2*600

1*800

2*600

4*400

60 second recovery between reps

3 minutes rest between sets

Slow jog warm down

This was a very tough session, pushing out to 800m at pace without a rest was tough, 

but on the return legs, dropping back to 600 and then the remaining 400m reps 

almost felt like an easy run. 

Saturday morning was my longest run of the year so far, 

• 15.63km Distance

 

• 1:24:21 total time Moving Time

 

• 5:24/km Pace

I'm still such a novice distance runner that I approach longer runs with 

some trepidation and had initial thought we would be running slower 

around 5:40/6:00 but of course once the stronger runners in the group got 

warmed up there was no holding people back.

I myself caught my second wind around 9km in and felt fantastic around the end.

Honestly the runners high was in full effect near the finish. 

I'm definitely feeling the training has brought me to another level

6 Weeks to race day

Training recap

 Just shy of 40km this week in training, 4 training sessions comprised of a tempo run, hill repeats, 400+600 repeats and a 14k long run early on Saturday morning. 

The two hard sessions this week really ate into my reserve energy. The hill repeats was really interesting, I need to get this regularly ahead of my attempt at the Warriors Run in Sligo in August which has a 1070ft climb, but it should also stand to me for other races as it pushes your body. 

The location has three different variations on a hill, one sharp rise, one long steady rise, and the final is a very long steady rise with a turn into a sharper rise. We repeat each section three times with a three minute rest window. Each hill section was around 150-200m in total compared to our usual 400m sprint repeats. 

Rest

Since I started with the group in February I had been putting in an extra run myself because I felt I was behind everyone else. I know I have a 22-23 minute 5k in me with minimal training and the A group is Sub 24 minutes, but I could tell I wasn't remotely close to the really strong runners in the group and I forget my age, my experience and just have this desire to get closer to the top and I know that meant putting in the hours. 

Unfortunately with forgetting my age and experience the extra running had negative side effects on my shins, calves and hamstrings, with tenderness and pain kicking in from time to time early in a run and usually in the evenings after training. When our coach brought me on the long run this Saturday he told me no long run on Sunday, and for the first time in a long time I accepted advice, and rested. 

Late Sunday evening I did take out the yoga mat and foam roller. After a warm up I moved onto some long stretching and deep muscle work with the roller and felt a lot better with myself heading into bed. 

Age

As I started running late at 39 and I'm currently 44 writing this I have found it a little easy to slip into that rut of "I'm getting old" and let myself off easily at times, but the reality is I have been a little stupid from time to time, like over training, increasing my mileage too quickly, not stretching enough.

I am not in fact that old, and if anything age should have brought the wisdom to listen to my body, and the experts on how to train. This really is the benefit of running with a group in my opinion. I can be a fool alone or have someone watching my back in a group. 

The biggest change as I get old really is that my warm up and cool down times have changed since when I was younger and my fitness can drop off quicker if I've missed time running with work, family, illness or weather. 

At the same time my mental strength has grown and I know more of what I'm capable of and how to keep pushing, so I guess it can balance out. 

 

7 Weeks out from race

I thought I would work in reverse order and count down to a race, giving you insight into the training I completed, the highs and lows, the impact on my body and some honesty from a runner in my 40s to set you on your own path. 

I started to write this at the end of March 2022 just in case you're wondering on exact dates with my target of the Bob Heffernan 5k in mid May 2022. Roughly 7 weeks. More or less with an average of 4-5 training sessions per week. 

I know from the start of 2022 in January where I was running 5ks every couple of days there was a slight system shock as I pumped up to 10ks and above, my aerobic performance went through the roof, but instantly I started to get muscle issues I had never experienced before, initially sore calves, then the good old hamstring on my left leg, followed a week later by the calve on my right leg. 

Just to review the chain of events, I jumped up mileage too quick and didn't incorporate enough stretching, or enough recovery for a guy my age. I think I compensated the sore hamstring by overloading my opposite side calf, so my words to the wise, stretch more, for the love of pete, stretch more. 

I know I can recommend rest and building your mileage up slowly and it may or may not appeal to you, but the reality is most runners and I include myself, do not remotely stretch enough, either warming up or cooling down. I do love me some time with the foam roller and massage ball. 

My weekly schedule should look a little like this

• 1 short speed session, usually 300 or 400m repeats, 
• some 1km repeats 
• and at least 2*8-10k+ long runs.

Average total mileage over the last 4 weeks was 37km

From a nutrition 

I have a fairly varied but protein rich diet.

Breakfast is porridge with a scoop of protein and a coffee

Lunch/Dinner is a mixed bag of some of the following (All home made):

• Burritos - Chicken or Beef
• Pasta - Bolognese with beef or chicken
• Beef stew
• Chicken with noodles
• Chicken Curry with rice 

I allow myself one cheat night, either Friday or Saturday which ends up as chips/burgers or Chinese so I can have a normal night with the kids 

My only supplementation apart from my daily protein scoops is creatine monohydrate and inositol which I take during the running season and drop in the off season with no races to prepare for.