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Training gets a hard time. Usually itā€™s a real slog, drudgery, tough; rarely is it a joy. Winter Training gives more opportunity to be downright dismal ā€“ cold, dark, windy, dark, wet, dark and more darkness. Definitely a time to throttle back, go easy on yourself, enjoy the Christmas indulgences and leave training to the Spring. Thatā€™s my annual routine and I share it with many a runner. Once the Dublin Marathon is over at the end of October I ease off and hibernate until the New Year resolutions kick-start me out the door to work off the lethargy. But things are a little different this year.

In running terms the past twelve months were decidedly odd for me. Starting brightly, I completed the four-race Munster 10 Mile Series and the Connemara Half Marathon, but the summer heat (???) seemed to carry a fatigue for me. Psychologically I lost the impetus to run and weeks began to pass by with little or no mileage in the bank. My fitness dropped to new lows and worse than that, I wasnā€™t really bothered. Our almost-compulsory Saturday morning runs with the club were often the only time the Asics were laced up, and the gentle, sociable pace soon began to feel like hard work.

Marathons have a way of focusing your attention and with Dublin looming I decided to get my act together in early August. My weekly mileage increased from 10 miles per week in July (did it really get that bad?) to about 40 miles a week in August. A decent improvement Iā€™ll venture, but far from optimal marathon training. September started well but inexplicably I stopped again in the middle of the month. Donā€™t know why. Running just wasnā€™t working for me in 2007. After a two-week break (zero miles) I dragged myself out again on October 6th and ran 5.3 miles with the club in a pedestrian 43 minutes. The next day I ran a hard twenty miler on the racecourse with three battle-hardened, well trained athletes (okay it was Mick, Alan and Robert) and I died a death. My running diary says ā€œabsolutely knackered at the endā€ but I think I was being very upbeat when I wrote that. Rock bottom.

Three weeks to Dublin, no time to make amends. I took it easy.

Then something amazing happened. Somehow, although totally undeserved, I pulled out a sub-three hour run in Dublin. 2:57:31. Although eight minutes slower than I had run in 2006 it was nonetheless, a Lazarus-like performance given that I had died on Galway racecourse three weeks previously. I enjoyed every footstep in that race and somewhere a switch clicked in my head. I re-learned that I love this running game.

Marathon week changed my whole outlook. On the Monday I raced 26.2 miles and 24 hours later I arrived in the South of France for a few days R&R. I spent the best part of a week on day-long hikes in the Pyrenees, cycling around picturesque Basque villages, or crossing into Spain for a run around the Cabo Higuer lighthouse. Somewhere in the Dublin suburbs or on the lonely Pyrenean hiking trails I rediscovered a desire to train.

Itā€™s been mental since. November was a big training month for me averaging 60 miles per week right after the marathon. December was bigger, twice notching up all-time-record weekly distances. I ran in darkness and in daylight. I ran in wind, in wet and in cold. I ran hills, then hills and more hills. I ran with aching quads and when I could barely keep forward momentum. I loved every minute of it.

I took it easy in the first days of the New Year and on the first Sunday I travelled to Mallow for the annual ten-miler.

This is not a race report ā€“ simply a few words in praise of training. Suffice it to say that I targeted a personal best in Mallow today. Having run 58:31 for ten miles in Dungarvan last February this was my first realistic opportunity to better that mark. I planned to run at 5:50 pace to shave a few seconds off the Dungarvan performance. Not for the first time this year I surprised myself. The first miles went by in 5:45, 5:54, 5:29, 5:35 and 5:53. You may think thatā€™s reasonable, you may not be impressed or you may think itā€™s fast ā€“ I was flabbergasted! Half way through the race I was more than 30 seconds inside my target and I was as light as air. I had to force myself not to slow down. The head said pull back but the legs and lungs said push on. I pushed. Last five miles in 5:44, 6:03, 5:44, 5:53 and 5:40. Wow! 57:30 a new personal best by a full minute and 11th position overall. Best of all it had felt okay throughout. No bad patches and quite a few ā€˜good patchesā€™. Maybe thereā€™s something in this training lark after all?

So was it the interval sessions at lactate threshold and at VO2max pace? Was it the hill reps? Perhaps the tempo sessions or the fartlek? No, it was none of these. It was miles. Plain and simple. Miles of Trials and Trials of Miles. Long steady runs mid-week and on Sundays. As many hills as I could find. Easy recovery runs. Steady mileage. No smoke and daggers, and no must-do session pulled from the pages of Runnerā€™s World. Just miles.

Now itā€™s past bedtime. The wind is howling a gale outside and the rain is beating sense into the windowpanes. I havenā€™t wiped the pb smile off my face yet. Iā€™ve left the gear out and have set the alarm clock for 6am. An easy five-miler should do it ā€“ no heroics just a recovery run. Bring it on!

Robert

16 years 2 months ago

I was walking the hound at 7:45am today through South Park....noticed some lad crusing towards the Claddagh quays..... Said to myself, wouldn't want to be ya but that looks like Delmer's stride..... I must be dreaming.......hes not that crazy! was it u?? Wish I had your appetite for Winter Training .
BTW, Well done on Mallow great time!

Wally Walsh

16 years 2 months ago

In reply to by Robert

...I am not sure was it Peter in South Park this morning but it sure was him who zipped past me in the HP series at 12:30 today. Any reports of seeing him running after tea?

Martin Vincentā€¦

16 years 2 months ago

Absolutely riveting read and inspiring as well. . Some will say button up and wear cap and gloves in winter running to keep warm but remove when pressure is on in closing stages of race and note the added burst of energy. Great method to knock some seconds off finishing time in arace.
It was my experience in the Athenry Athletic Club, Christmas 10K '07
Zero training through procrastination and not even the golf club playable in the days before the race..
A two minute improvement on '06 performance was the result.

mark davis

16 years 2 months ago

Nice report Peter, and a superb run in Mallow - it must be great to suddenly not know what your limits are. Good luck in beating your new 10 mile pb over the remainder of the series.