Winter is here it's migration time...

Time to move.

With my shop blog on Wordpress and all the #Zero25k stuff over there it makes sense for me to shift my own training log too.

Thank you all for helping me to build this blog, I have all your comments safely moved and this will remain until I know all the posts are safe - I like to look back at previous years too.

You will find my nice new location here at Feileacan Mor

Slán :)

The hurler on the ditch...

hurler on the ditch ‎(plural hurlers on the ditch)
- (Ireland, idiomatic) A person standing on the side of a hurling field issuing (unsolicited and usually unwanted) instructions to the hurlers.
- (figuratively, Ireland, idiomatic) An opinionated person who offers (unsolicited and often unwanted) advice on the best way to handle a situation.

Winter miles = Spring smiles

Well I needed a kick in the butt. That and a weekend away with my fabulous wife (she'll be running too)

I have my #Zero25k group starting again this weekend which is a start again for me - I haven't ran in joy (or anger) properly since August really. The odd trot here and there but just an extended period of laziness have taken hold of me.

Yes, we're busy and the kids have us wrecked but that's no excuse really. There is time to be found, created, had. I'm just lazy at the mo'.

All set to change!!

Yes, sir it sure is. New shoes, new goals, new plans, new coach, new year. Here I come..:D

[Training Diary] The curse of exuberance...

W/C May 25th

Solid start to the week last week. First week training after the #Coast2Coast adventures with +Edel O'Reilly-Conroy.

[Training Diary] Where to from here?

Having just finished up with the #Coast2Coast Adventure last weekend it is time to revisit the diary and plan the space between now and the Beast of Ballyhoura in August. (You can read all the race reports on the #TriHarder website and check out the video on my Youtube Channel)

 Training from here is going to be mostly fully focussed on the Beast and we have a couple of warmup events planned that the team will be tackling to zone ourselves in on the tasks ahead (check #TriHarder for details).

 Here in my personal space my training is longer term aimed at Dublin Marathon and achieving the elusive 3:15 goal that I have chased the last 2 times at marathon distance. I have signed up to the follow the Experienced Marathon plan that my friend Dave has developed for our own running groups you are more than welcome to join in, full information in the link to all the program levels.

 I have taken this week off.

Mostly I have been too tired to really get stuck into anything bar a 20minute swim on Tuesday. Straight back to work on Monday is not ideal but has to be done.

 Thankfully following the Beast we are taking a week off to chill with the kids and maybe go camping for a few days.

[Training Diary] #TurboTuesday - back on the bike with #TunneysTurbo

First time on the turbo in a long time to give the new thread a go with #TunneysTurbo session. Badly needed kick in the a$$!!

The session was quite straightforward ....on paper! Warm up, spin up/down and 5 x 4mins LTHR+10 / 2min easy - cool down.

As I have yet to sort out an upgrade on my Power Pedals I am working off Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) as a guide to the effort asked for by the session. Ideally this would be a power based workout using an accurately tested FTP +% as a metric for the workout.

The session as it looks on the V800

With a doubt as to where exactly my LTHR is at the moment I just went off RPE and 'power' feedback from the Tacx Flow to guide efforts relatively.

Knowing that the legs were tired following from the exertions of Craughwell 10 on Sunday, it was a matter of SIU and pushing through.

1st rep might have been a tad on the safe side of effort but I lifted effort and used gearing for each of the other reps to keep the effort up there.

Heart Rate graph - despite a fan and open doors the temp went up!

Happy with the first outing back on the turbo in a long time. I'd forgotten how long it takes to set up, between laptops, tyres and finding my bike shoes! As well as 10 mins looking for an extension lead!!

Looking forward to the next one! :)

[RACE REPORT] - Craughwell10

You know when you set out to not do something but then end up doing it anyway? Well, that's what happened to me at the weekend.

Going Coast to Coast in Ireland

Time for me to step up to the plate and register for some other races in 2015.

My wife has expressed interest in Adventure Racing so after a bit of discussion and looking around we settled on taking on the Non-Stop Coast to Coast Challenge from Co. Sligo to Co. Down in May for our own bit of team building exercise:

16 – 17 MAY 2015 – ENNISCRONE, Co SLIGO – NEWCASTLE, Co DOWNNON – STOP & 2 DAY MULTISPORT RACE ACROSS IRELANDIreland, an island steeped in history and mythology with scenery which rivals that of any other sights around the globe. For many years visitors have flown or sailed to Irish shores to take in these sights and to go home with great memories of this fantastic island. For one week in May many travelling will have their sights set on a truly iconic event – the 26 Extreme Coast to Coast Multisport Race Across Ireland.
Traversing Ireland in a west to east format the route of the 26 Extreme Coast to Coast will pass through unspoilt rural locations, through quaint villages and along one of the most famous waterways in Ireland – The Shannon – Erne Waterway. Whether you choose to race the NON-STOP version or the TWO DAY version you will follow a route which winds its way along 316km of the best cycling, paddling and running terrain Ireland has to offer. Competitors will be truly astounded at the scenery and challenge laid down before them in this fantastic event.

We’re entered to do the Non-Stop version.

Ireland – Coast to Coast – Saturday 16th to Sunday 17th May 2015
Course Option: Non-Stop
Team Type: Pair
Class: Mixed
Club: Team #TriHarder ARTeam Type Name: Gotta Run
Team Member 1: Sean Conroy
Team Member 2: Edel Conroy

Apart from enjoying the experience and completing the main goal for us is to see how we get on together working as a different kind of team, without the kids around!! 

As most Adventure Racers will know there is a dynamic to the team and how it works together before and during a race. It is this dynamic that I think will be different because we are a couple and life partners too. I’m really looking forward to this as it opens a whole lot of new doors for us. What else could be better than finding out that both of you love Adventure Racing?!

Imagine a whole new world opening up for holiday destinations!! 

I've laid out my training diary and goals for each week, I'll post shortly with those. Be sure to follow Team #TriHarderAR as the entire team continues to work on core training fitness towards this years bug goal race.

–

See you out there!

Sean

When mañana arrives - you'd better be ready!!

#TrailTuesday - nightime trail runs

I get so distracted that I forget to update this little thing of a blog that is supposed to keep my training honest.

It's so easy to let it slip, slide away. Skipping a day leads so easily to a week or 4 of doing little or nothing.

"Mañana, mañana" so easily becomes the refrain.

I'm often always motivated by what others are doing and it helps if I do something to motivate them to motivate me kinda like a Gerry Maguire senario :)

This is how #TrailTuesday, #AKWRunstreak and #Zero25k came about. By organising a group event I 'encourage' myself to not back down. I know I have to organise my Tuesday so I meet the group, I get my exercise. I know with Runstreak I have to help motivate others and by default motivate myself. 

Zero25k I get a great kick out of it. By encouraging others to begin  I get to reaffirm the realisation of how fortunate I am that I run. 

I choose to run. How I motivate myself to run comes across as selfish but we all need different tricks to keep going sometimes.

So for the past month I have been training away and now I am building my base mileage through to the New Year when the next generation of Zero25k runners will start and my next group challenge begins for the experienced runners.

Will you be ready for it?

[Training Diary] Week in Review & Back to Ballyhoura

Week ending 19th October: 

Date	Run Distance	Bike Distance	Time	Avg BPM	AvgPace/Km	KCal
13 Oct 2014	9.5		00:49:38	147	00:05:13	787
14 Oct 2014		9.6	00:23:40	141		343
14 Oct 2014	11.82		00:57:59	156	00:04:54	1009
15 Oct 2014	9.52		00:52:01	148	00:05:27	830
15 Oct 2014		9.5	00:25:15	137		355
16 Oct 2014		9.73	00:27:29	137		387
16 Oct 2014	11.63		00:59:56	156	00:05:08	1059
19 Oct 2014		23.74	02:00:43	148		1933

Taking a look at the second half of the week the basic premise is I am wrecked.
The kids, daughter mostly, have attrocious sleeping habits. It's like a merry-go-round in our house with everyone swapping beds. I'm normally a sound sleeper but when I'm woken in the night I don't go back easily and often end up reading for 2 or 3 hours.

Post Lactate Threshold testing

Last Thursday I was over with +Matthew Bidwell of Fitness Analytics in Claregalway to have my Lactate Threshold Tested. I planned a really long and complicated post explaining what the process was but with HR being so individual I decided to just summarise it and show what it means to my training.

Finding your way in Orienteering

An event invite from Western Eagles Galway Orienteering popped up on my Facebook timeline a few weeks back and I added myself as a plan for a Sunday morning outing with the family.

My son loves maps and is always drawing treasure maps which only he can follow so I pitched the idea to the family for a bit of fun outing.

Edel has never done orienteering, its been 20+ years since I did any (outside of +Beast of Ballyhoura Adventure Race this year) and its great fun for the kids to go exploring in the woods.

So off we went this morning to register at Merlin Park Woods in Galway. We were handed two maps and two control cards.

Getting the maps and outline instructions

Ruaidhri had it all worked out that we would work as a team with him and daddy going one way and the girls going the other way.

He's 4.

Once I explained the map and what we would be doing he decided we could all go together. He was 'Chief Navigator', daddy was assistant, mummy was the controller in charge of dibbing in at the stations and Rachel was scout, who took instruction on directions and found the control points.

Chief navigaor pointing out the way.

All sorted and off we went. The course was mapped out nicely and the first control points were easy to pick out. Once we were into the woods we had options of following trails or cutting through the woods.

We had to make team decision on what route to choose and at one point after explaining that (1). we could go through the woods but if we got stuck we'd have to turn back and go around or (2). we could stick to the main path and make good progress.

The scout decided to stick to the path.
 

 

Fun in the sun.

There was one sticky situation towards the end where we pushed through a trail in the woods to find we were heading away from our goal. Doubling back along the fence line we found a gap and with a quick one, two the kids were fired over and we followed off to CP8.

From here it was a short trot back towards CP9 and a circum-navigation of a fenced area back to the starting point were scout ensured that the team was together (good practise for #AdventureRacing) before dibbing in and handing back the control cards.

All in all a great morning adventure and the best thing is there will be another event in 2 weeks time in Renville Park.

Keep an eye on the Western Eagles blog or Facebook page for more details. If you are are looking for a fun way to get fit and involve the family, orienteering is a great option.

[10km Focus] - Week 1: The plan so far...

The plan so far has been of the 'wing it' variety. It is also likely to remain so for the next few weeks too.

I'm working on base mileage and introducing speed work as I go with increasing focus on longer and longer tempo sessions at slightly faster than race pace but the lynchpin of the training, I believe, will be based on interval sessions of 200m and 400m repeated over and over and over bringing these down to 47 & 95 seconds respectively.

So far this week has looked like this:

40	29 Sep 2014	9.5	00:50:07							146	00:05:16	782
40	29 Sep 2014	9.5	00:49:00							150	00:05:09	802
40	30 Sep 2014					9.5	00:19:54			134		267
40	30 Sep 2014					9.53	00:20:26			132		266
40	1 Oct 2014	9.47	00:47:26							148	00:05:00	757
40	2 Oct 2014	9.5	00:49:34							141	00:05:13	723
40	2 Oct 2014	9.46	00:49:56							143	00:05:16	745

Green is running (km and time), Orange is bike (km and time). In Pink is Average Heart Rate, Pace (running) and Calories, I'll keep this format going forward, oh and blue is swimming! (Once upon a time!!)

Wednesday evening (1st Oct) was the interval session:

• Warmup - 3km
• 8 x 
• 200m in 55secs
• 200m recovery

• Cooldown - 3km 

Happy enough that I brought the 200's in around 47-48seconds each.

Another double run Saturday and possibly a longer steady pace run on Sunday should have a decent block of running to start this program with.

[RANT] Country roads take me home (& to work)...

My commute, daily, in and out is mostly along country roads.

Quiet country roads.

At least, that is, until there are roadworks on the main roads.

Then every divil in the County uses my road as a bolt hole, an escape route, a rat run.

Going for goal - Sub40 10k

In the absence of an Autumn marathon goal - it was to be +TCS Amsterdam Marathon - due to circumstances this year these plans were shelved early and I've been drifting along with no structure or training format.

Things have changed recently which means I can be a little more structured in my approach to work and exercise so I have decided to train towards a sub 40 minute 10k in November.

The +Amphibian King West - Galway Clarinbridge 10k will be a bit ambitious, with just 7 weeks to go, but I need a target. Aiming for Fields of Athenry while suiting most training plans is not imminent enough to motivate me.

Doing proper speedwork is going to be new to me, I've never really tackled it properly in the past. I at least have an advantage of having the course literally on my doorstep so come 7 weeks I will know every single step and stone on that course.

Here we go....Week 1 awaits!!

Creating workouts on Polar Flow

Tinkering around a bit with @PolarGlobal Flow website at the moment (it's still in Beta) trying to be creative with a few workouts and set up a Training Diary again.

Unfortunately it is no ProTrainer5 software nor is it like the setup on PolarPersonalTrainer.com where phase limited but advanced workouts could be created. Hopefully this will change when the next firmaware update on the #V800 includes cycling metrics like power and cadence.

For now I am working with time based phases with Heart Rate limits to bring my turbo sessions back on stream. Anything is better than nothing at the moment and if I give the bike a good 45 mins this evening sure it can do me no harm.

Can it?

[RACE REPORT] Not Fit to #AchillROAR

From time to time -as a result of sponsorship arrangements - I get invited to partake in events and #AchillROAR was one of these events which I have a new interest in on account of my exploits in adventure racing this year.

Seasonal Slump

Often at this stage of the year your body can go into a little bit of a slump. The weather is changing, the days are getting shorter, you're tired after a long summer with the kids under your feet, work has been hectic and you have been squeezing exercise into an ever decreasing time slot.

You're bound to be tired. You are bound to be demotivated somewhat.

But do you know what?

Forgetting about the plan for one or two runs won't spoil your overall goals. Head out for something different, if you are road running go to a trail for a few runs to find the gra for it again.

By taking the pressure off and changing the route you will be amazed at the difference it makes and how quickly you will find that running mojo again.

[RACE REPORT] - Club Vitae Coast Road 5km

If you are in work there is Sound below which can be muted!

Episode I: The Lough Derg Beast

A pig on a spit seemed fitting breakfast in Oranmore

Time to wrap this journey up.
Depending on how you look at this post it will be the beginning or the end of my 2014 Beast of Ballyhoura race report.