A year on from my first steps as a
"runner" seems like a fair point to review the last twelve months
from.
Prior to my new departure I had taken the wise yet long overdue decision to curtail many years of alcohol abuse and smoking. Going to the gym at my workplace gave me a focus for cleaner living. With the assistance of a well recommended personal trainer, I began to feel the pain that all those commencing or returning to physical activity are likely to initially endure.
We soon established that the main weakness was my body strength which was particularly lacking in the core and upper body areas. This was balanced by a relatively high level of endurance stemming from strong legs and reasonably functioning heart and lungs, a pleasant surprise given the years of self induced punishment.
Paying a fitness instructor to watch me pound out an hour on a treadmill seemed pointless, so instead we took the decision that I would use the once weekly gym session to improve on building strength in those weaker areas while aside from this I would continue to steadily increase my time spent running.
The Operation Transformation 5km fun
run in Glanmire seemed like an appropriate place to begin my racing days. I
enjoyed the fulfillment that you absorb after taking part in a mass event like
this. Everybody plugging away at their own pace, just looking to push
themselves maybe a little further than they have gone before. The simple but
overwhelming joy to be gained from such an exercise is what ties all runners
together, whether you are setting out on your initial Couch to 5km program or
pushing towards your first Olympic Games.
Gradually building my mileage was
something that I was often reminded about in those early months and I'm glad
now that I adhered more often than not to that advice. My natural tendency
would have been to push on when feeling good and to hell with tomorrow or the
consequences of running hard. Understanding that how I run today affects how I
will train tomorrow has helped me enjoy a relatively injury free year which has
seen more or less continued improvement.
Aside from this, the best advice to
anyone embarking on their first few runs is to not scrimp on footwear. Seek to
save elsewhere, by all means but don't look to take shortcuts when it comes to
the tools of the trade. What you could save on lesser brands, you will eventually hand over with interest to your physio!
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| The ill fitting shorts in all their glory (404) - enough said! |
After enduring a torturous debut in the brilliant Great Island 10, I made a pact to myself to never let my choice of running shorts impact my performance! Ever since I have worn the skintight style shorts. Seven or eights miles of constant chaffing around the roads of Cobh saw to that. With running, like life, you are always learning - sometimes it just has to be the hard way.
Joining my local club, Ballymore Cobh AC, as they made a return from a period in the wilderness helped me mix with
and learn from more experienced runners. The camaraderie within the group was
helped by the fact that nearly all of us were new to the club. Monthly visits
to East Cork became the norm on summer’s evenings where we would take part in
the four race Ballycotton 5mile series. The number of people attending these
events was startling and I began to notice that this running thing was pretty
popular!
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| Beautiful Ballyheigue Bay by The Rock Rolling Sea |
With the confidence gained from taking
on a challenging yet hugely enjoyable half marathon in Ballyheuige I began to
look further down the road and with the enthusiastic backing of our club coach
a number of us decided to embark on a training program for the Dublin City
Marathon to be staged in late October.
Things seemed to be happening pretty quick,
too quick at times! I'd only been at this since early March and now we were
seriously talking about taking on a marathon and not just getting round, I was
going to run the fabled 26miles and 385yards in less than three hours! Firmly believing in the idea that
if you tell as many people as possible that you are going to do something, you
are then more likely to carry through on your intention, I began to make known
my goal. I'm sure some thought I was daft but if I didn't believe I could do
it, how could I expect others to believe me!
After following an online training
program for a few weeks I made the decision to contact the person who is now my coach. I have benefited greatly from receiving a personalized training plan
specific to what my body is capable of. With a blood lactate test and a heart
rate monitor they would be no stopping me, until I got to about a mile or two
from home that is (more of which later!).
Running being different from team
sports in the sense that you train a lot of the time on your own, means that a
coach can have a huge impact on the development of the athletes they work with.
In the simplest form, I took confidence from the fact that I had someone
looking in on my training data and providing valuable feedback as regards my progress. I was leaving little to chance and
this is the way I felt was best if I was going to beat the clock.
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| Myself and a number of the Ballymore Cobh AC Dublin City Marathon 2014 Crew |
As the marathon crept closer, our club
launched a Fit4Life program which encouraged members of the local community to
get active by walking, jogging or running. In a lot of the participants I saw a
mirror of where I had been only a few months previous and that served as a
useful reminder that aswell as always looking to improve on my times, that I
should try and appreciate my running also. I guess it wasn't that I no longer
enjoyed running, just a case that I realized I should appreciate a little more
the fact I could run.
Beneath the surface the three hour goal
consumed me, no waking hour was free of a self check on preparation. Was I
doing enough, could I be doing more. I found most enjoyment in the marathon
specific runs that took place every second weekend. During these I would run at
the desired marathon pace while interspersing this harder segment with recovery
periods at a slower pace. Fast, slow, wind up, wind down and so the rhythm
continued, the hard section growing longer in time as the weeks went by. Most of these sessions took place towards the back of the Great
Island, running strong with no one around for company, few cars or pedestrians
to worry about, just my own effort and the beautiful surroundings to consider.
Just perfect.
