Apr 28th-May 4th
Mon: 35-50 min easy.
Complete. 50 mins. 10.55km.
https://www.strava.com/activities/14313845287
Tue: 10-15 min WU, 2 x (3min, 2min, 1 min @ 4:00, 3:50, 3:40 (60)), 10-15 min CD.
Complete. Last 1 min at 3:20, felt good. 10.55km total.
https://www.strava.com/activities/14321826516
50 mins elliptical in the evening.
Wed: 35-50 min easy
Complete. 48 mins. 10k.
https://www.strava.com/activities/14334980045
Thur: 65 min Easy ➡️ Steady (3:45 pace max)
Complete. 15.21km.
https://www.strava.com/activities/14356413133
Fri: Off/ Cross train
Moved rest day to Thursday. 40 mins elliptical + gym.
Sat: 15 min WU, Lap of acres @ 4:00 (jog to hill) 3 x 600m hills @ good effort (very easy jog back) 10-15 min CD.
Complete. Lap @ 3:50. 600’s in 2:12, 2:09 and 2:09. 12.13km total.
https://www.strava.com/activities/14362182940
Sun: 65 min Easy ➡️ Steady (3:45 pace max)
Complete. Little quicker than Thursday. 15.37km.
https://www.strava.com/activities/14372493384
Weekly total: 73.97km.
So it turns out the light fucked off as quick as it returned. Since I last wrote here, I have broken my toe and gave myself the most almighty bone bruise on my knee, meaning I was resigned to the elliptical again for a few weeks. Once those particularly stupid injuries healed, I was building up very slowly as to not aggravate either and to also not put myself under too much pressure as there are no real tangible goals or marks to hit at this time of the year.
And with that, another reset was needed. I started to rewatch Succession and used this as motivation to knock out multiple sessions on the elliptical and not go completely insane. I still have season 4 left to finish and am hoping to see it out on the elliptical as I top up the fitness I am building, instead of my primary exercise.
In the middle of this period, I spent 8 days in New York where I was fortunate to just be getting back into consistent running (all easy days) and it was a great way to refresh the mind, as well as the body, by exploring new routes in a new country. The week in New York was the first time in a month that my body was not in agony and I felt great coming home and excited to get back into training. Understandably, Seán was looking for a bit more patience from me so the majority of April was taking each day as it comes and doing our best to avoid any setbacks. The sessions were very minimal and the milage minimal, too, but it has served me well as the last two weeks the only issue I have is my fitness. Considering the ridiculous injuries I have picked up in 2025, this is a big win.
Things felt like they really began to click this week as I hit three decent sessions all as prescribed. The sessions themselves are light and the paces are slower than I would like while causing me much more effort than I would like but it is important to train the body where it’s at and to also run each rep based on where you’re at. There is something quietly liberating about accepting your shite but knowing to become less shite. My priorities for now are to just start stacking weeks and building fitness so I will be in a position to race when the time comes. Speaking of races, I have thrown my hat in the ring of the Dromana 5 Mile in Waterford as a season opener of sorts. The expectations of this race will be negligible but I’ll be stoked to just get to the start line in one piece, have a bit of craic and see what happens.
In terms of the quality running this week, it all happened on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There was to be a rest day on Friday, with the initial session planned for Thursday, but I had to rearrange as I was helping a friend move house. Friday and Sunday were the same session (65 mins progression down to 3:45) and Saturday was a return to lapping The Acres and running up Khyber. The progression runs went well both days, with the Sunday being marginally faster but not really by design. I set my watch for five 10 minute intervals with the only goal of increasing the average pace of each rep and not exceeding 3:45 pace. I chose a handy enough route on both days so as to not completely flog myself but I am chuffed with the runs and coming out unscathed. There weren’t too many moments that the sessions pinched on either day, except for the last couple minutes of the Friday and this was largely weather related. Otherwise, I was comfortable for the rest of it.
Saturday was a lap of The Acres and 3 x 600m up Khyber. This session is a real kick to the ego as I was doing double this and a bit more this time last year. And much faster. But that was then and this is now. The session felt just as hard this week as it used to so that says it all really. The only instruction Seán gave me for the hills was “good effort”. The first rep was 2:12 and I ran it like a dope. I shot up the first 300m and then slowly died a death and just about finished it out. The second and third reps were both 2:09 and I ran these much smarter. Both started out more conservatively and meant that I was able to push hard up the final part of the hill instead of wishing someone would kill me and take me out of my misery. I jogged for 10 minutes after the reps then ate two sausage rolls. It was a nice Saturday.
Next week is a little more of the same with shorter and faster reps, as well as two progression runs of 70 minutes. The maximum pace for these is still 3:45 so I will see on the day if I reach the max pace earlier or if I elongate the slower part so as to not flog myself too hard at that pace and take unnecessary risks. As I have the session twice, maybe I’ll run it both ways? Now that there is freedom.
Buckets of Rain 