Tuesday 30 December 2008

A bridge too far

It looks like I won't make the full 200 miles this time around, there were just too many weddings and days missed. Since Christmas I have run on St. Stephen's Day, the 27th and the 28th. I have done 29km in those three days. Yesterday I didn't get any done because it was too dark by the time I arrived back to Blacklion from Louise's. Today I just haven't had the energy or the inclination to go out and run in the cold. Instead I have been helping out around the house doing some odd jobs and generally being useful. :)


I have managed to cover 264km and almost all of that was outside so I am happy with that. There is still one more day to go, after today and I will try to get out for at least a 10km jog to finish it all off.


I've given it a good go, and I reckon if it wasn't party season I might have made it, but that's what the challenge was and I didn't manage it. I guess this means that I'll have to do it all over again next December!



Wednesday 24 December 2008

Christmas Eve

It's almost Christmas and I'm still running. I missed out on the two days over last weekend as I had to go to a wedding on Saturday and then between recovering and going to Airsoft on the Sunday for Sparky's stag, I just didn't have time. I went over 200km for the month on Monday and got three runs in yesterday. Only short ones but it all added up to 17km. That means that up to now, I am at 222km, only 100km to go!

I drove back to Cavan this morning and I'm going to go for a run around the football pitch now to see how many laps I can get in before I get bored of running around in circles. It'll be a nicer surface to run on than the concrete and tarmac that I've done the rest of my runs on.

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Almost a week now

I've been continuing with the running, I ran on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. I missed out on Sunday because I was helping out with the running of a cyclocross race in Raheny.

I did my first double run yesterday, ran into work in the morning and then ran home from Louise's in the evening to give a grand total of 18km. I'm now up near 150km which is slightly below where I wanted to be at the half way point. But how and ever, I'll keep doing a bit. Going to go for a run after work today before I go to the Cub Scouts meeting. That will probably be a 10-12 km run in miserable weather. It's gone from cold and dry to wet and dank today.

I'm still feeling good, no major injuries yet (touch wood). I've realised that I need to spend more time stretching as I'm very inflexible and this has led to some pain in my right foot. I had this happen before and stretching my calf and foot cleared it right up.

Thursday 11 December 2008

Running and cinema

Yesterday I was all messed up, I didnt know what to do or how to do it. I was meeting Louise to go to the cinema at 8 o'clock but I didn't get home until after 6 and I still had my run to do. So I did the only easy thing, I ran from home in to town to meet her. A chilly 10km later and I was in Parnell Street and looking for sustenance. Into the nearest Spar shop I go, but they have next to no sandwiches. It's amazing just how much pork we eat! The pork ban must be affecting a lot of people if the empty shelves are anything to go by.

We went to see Quantum of Solace in the cinema, an entertaining if not entirely realistic film even for one of the Bond series. We both thought it jumped and skipped around a little too much at times.

Today, I'll be running home from work and then settling in for an evening of doing nothing :)

Tuesday 9 December 2008

The weekend to now

I managed the run on Friday, slightly over 10km and then off to Brasserie 66 for lunch. Nice food, and good craic. Stayed for one drink in the pub and then headed home to Cavan to join Waggers bringing the car back.


Saturday was spent marching in town with Louise and the teachers, 40,000 if you believe the reports. Then it was back home and off for a run, the same as Tuesday with Waggers.


On Sunday, I bought a suit and when I got home, I had a nice little 10km run to Clontarf and back along the coast road.


I didn't get a chance to run yesterday but still got 30km of commuting in on the bike. I used the fixie for a change and got soaked in the rain.


This evening was a longish run, the same as Monday of last week because we got home early from the cubs meeting. Another 30km of commuting in the frost and cold rounded out the day. The run today was quicker and I really felt in the groove for a lot of it. It's nice to just run sometimes :)



Friday 5 December 2008

Plan for today

Today I will be mostly eating a christmas lunch. But before that, a jog.

Leaving from work and trying to get as near to 10km as I can in a loop.

Thursday 4 December 2008

Another run

I got 10.2km done last night before heading to the pool to mess around for a bit with some polo and ball throwing drills. 55 minutes including a 5 minute stop at the train tracks to wait while two trains went past.

Last night's run brought me from Joeys towards the Halfway House, around through Ashtown and back around to Cabra. From there I went through Cabra to Phibsboro and then back out along the Navan Road to Joeys again.

I got the twinge in my knee again as I was coming up the hill from Phibsboro to Joeys so I started to take it easier there. I woke up this morning and my resting HR was way high, so it's a rest day today for me. Lots of water and some chilling out. Agus anocht, beidh Rónan Ó Snodaigh ag seinm i gClub Sult, rachaidh Louise agus mé ansin.

Tuesday 2 December 2008

Another 11km

A late one this evening. I left around 9pm and did the route I was supposed to do last night. 55 minutes and 11.7km later I was back and ready for a warm shower. Boy it's cold in these parts over the last few days. The first proper frost we've had this year anyway.


I managed to keep to an average HR of 153 today which is about 30 below what I would usually have at this pace. Short, quick steps definitely have something going for them!


So the total now is up to 27.5km.



Monday 1 December 2008

16km down, 306 to go

That's right, the December challenge has started. Run 200 miles in December. That's 322km give or take.


Went out for a run with Waggers this evening and it turned out to be a bit longer than I expected. I was looking for a nice 10k to try and ease myself into it, but we ended up doing 16km instead. Spent a while stretching and cooling down after and then ate a lot of food :)


On with the compression tights now and we'll see how tomorrow is.