I am about 3 months into my training so that would give me enough time to assess my training methods and see if I have improved. I have not been able to put the time I would like into my training schedule because of a new job and a new baby. I feel though I have put in enough time to see improvement and that has been the case.
It was hard to gauge any improvement during the cross country season as it is not based on times. I just stuck at it and I feel it has brought me on leaps and bounds in the last month. There was a few weeks where I was getting my two threshold runs, one tempo run and a cross country run in during the weekend. With this type of training I was going to see improvements.
It didn't feel that way when I competed in the Clare Senior Cross Country in early December. It was a 10km run on a relatively flat course. I finished 27th and I was the 6th scorer for my club team St. John's, which helped secure 2nd placed team. It was a tough race as it was ran at a scorching pace. The distance didn't phase me but I had to be careful not to go out too fast as it would have been a tough second half of the race. By going out conservatively, I lost the field ahead of me and found it hard to gain places. There was some real greyhounds running in this race. It was great to be a part of it and I am looking forward to improving in the race next year.
After the Clare Senior race, I wasn't sure where I stood. The following week, I put in a good week of training for the weekend. I had two races in Kerry. On Saturday, I competed in the Glanageenty 10km Trail race. Glanageenty is a unbelievably place for a trail run. It is in the parish of Ballymacelligott, which is between Castleisland and Tralee. I am going to do a full post on the race and Glanageenty as it is a one of my favourite spots to run. I finished 2nd in the 10km trail race in a time of 57:27. I was over the moon with this. I received a lovely medal and framed picture of Glanageenty. It was an excellently organised event and I will come back next year to take on the half marathon.
The following day, I travelled to Newmarket in Cork to take part in their annual 5km road race. I had made a new target of breaking 19 minutes for a 5km since I broke the 20 minute mark easy enough. I did not think I would do that in Newmarket as the legs were tired after the trail race the previous day. I warmed up well before this to loosen up the body. I got up near the front to avoid the crowd as there was over 400 runners. I did the first kilometre very quick and I felt I needed to slow down. I got into a comfortable rhythm and I was clocking a kilometre at around 3:45. I started to feel it around the three and half kilometre mark. A group of about three people came up on my shoulder and I said I would stay with them. We went through the town which had an uphill so mentally I knew when I got to the top of that, it was down hill after that. Once I hit the downhill, I put the boot down and raced for the line. I could not believe it that I crossed the line in 18:24. I was delighted. It is a really good course to do a PB as it was won in 14:40. Coming home that evening, I was wrecked but satisfied as I saw progress today with my new PB for 5kms.
The next race was the Christmas Cracker in Ennis. This should have been a challenge to my PB as it was an ideal course. It showed me the importance of warming up and eating well before a race. As I did not do both great, I struggled in this. I still managed 4th place and broke 19 minutes with a time of 18:53. I did not enjoy this race as I felt sick after it.
Happy New Year
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