Fundraising - 2 Great Organisations, 5 Big Challenges

Its pretty much an annual event... me doing something strenuous and then asking for money to support a cause or a campaign. With your help over the past few years we have sent water pumps to Africa, supported a mostly unacknowledged group in Polio survivors now dealing with Post Polio Syndrome (my Dad being one of them). We also helped out a little boy Matthew with Autism. There is no change to the programme this year and I hope with your help to support two great organisations Temple Street Children's Hospital and Educate Together Swords.

I started out in January to run 2015 in 2015, I also knew I would take on a number of big events this year however I was not quite sure where I would focus my fundraising attention. In April, Jennifer my youngest fell ill and spent a week in Temple Street. On the day we took her to AE, a two year old was brought in following a car accident. To see how the staff responded and despite the traumatic situation the way in which they cared for everyone that evening was so inspiring. A week in a children's hospital is a sad, happy, emotional, inspiring and very moving experience. Jennifer is perfectly fine now but of course Temple Street is still a very busy hospital. I have a target of €2,000 which I will split with Temple Street and Educate Together and I am sure the team in Temple Street will make good use of €1,000.

Educate Together is the patron body of the growing network of schools in Ireland that are run according to the Educate Together Charter. It is an independent NGO that runs schools that guarantee equality of access and esteem to children "irrespective of their social, cultural or religious background", are learner centred in their approach to education and are run as participatory democracies, with respectful partnership between parents, pupils and teacher, This is directly from Educate Together however as a parent of a child who goes to an Educate Together in my view they are very special schools. From the energy and passion of the teachers to the support and involvement of parents it is a great place to spend time for the kids and parents. I hope with your help to support the team in the school build a sensory garden and soft play area.

The ground is clear, but more to be done!

As always I will keep you up to date on progress and the stories afterwards. If you want to help you can make a donation here 

March Review.... more like what's happened in the past few weeks.

I have not stopped running it's just that a few things got in the way of writing and updating.

I had a great end to March,  smashing the target I had put in place for the first three months. Although I feel I may have low balled the numbers. That said for what I needed to do outside of running,  move house, work, spend time with the family I may take the kudos.

Running for me is about the movement and getting out in the fresh air. I have a competitive streak and that came through in a race I entered in March. On the morning I felt strong and I felt I could really push.  And that's what I did, I wasn't quite up to the standard of the first three finishers but I can from 7th place to finish a respectable 4th. What was even better Angie and the girls were there and we had a really nice time as a family in St. Anne's Park. 

April was a slow start I was staring down 167 miles but I felt fit, strong and ready for the challenge. My Monday class with Dinny Collins is really adding to my strength and I feel so strong in my legs for the first time ever. Although April didn't turn out as planned, poor Jennifer got sick and spent a week in Temple Street. She is doing great now but what a scare! I also lost my mojo, my diet went astray and I started enjoying a few extra glasses of wine! But I know what I need to do and I am committed to get back on track. I want to get my fundraising up and running and I feel once I commit to raising money there is no going back.

7.6 miles per run for the next 209 running days is what I need to do! I did 7.68 today in my new Saucony ISO Zealots!

Its game on! 

A Big Week

As its Sunday there are a couple of things to reflect on. First this has been a big week for mileage.. I have logged the most miles in one week!

My previous record week was in July 2011 when I has training for my first Dublin Marathon. I am also on an 8 day streak... I am pushing for 10 and to be pacing to my yearly target by the end of March.

Lastly today was Mother's Day, we had a super day. Breakfast in bed for Angie, me taking care of business around the house and we went to the St. Patrick's Day 5km. Hannah and I have done some 5km's before but today we logged official times! Both Abby and Hannah came in ahead of me and I lost 5 -1 in a game of tip rugby with Hannah... Good times

A Lucky Win!

I originally planned to work on body strength once I got to July. Of course every time I run I am working on strength but I also believe it is important to strengthen the parts of the body I don't use when I run.

I entered a competition on Facebook, with my usual belief of "not a chance". I need to change that because I am starting a 10 week core/abs workshop with Dinny Collins of Fingal Kettlebells. I will keep you posted on how it goes but also how it is impacting my running.

I normally run on Monday nights, however if I multi - task I should get the miles in getting there and back.

Running as a mode of transport

Last night I needed to pay a guy who did some work for me in the house and I needed to walk the dog! So I did this....

Solmonath Review

The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritualFebrua held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added byNuma Pompilius about 713 BC. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BC), when it became the second month. At certain intervals February was truncated to 23 or 24 days, and a 27-day intercalary month, Intercalaris, was inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the seasons. - not my work directly, taken from Wikipedia - I thought it would be useful to add some detail about the shortest month of the year. 

Reading further on Wikipedia I found this historical names for February include the Old English terms Solmonath (mud month)  - Interesting February was the month I added a lot of mud to my runs! I have posted about this already but some great videos and articles got me into the mud this month and I really liked it. I have signed up for the Urban Trail Race in St Anne's Park next weekend. 

Back to what this post is all about a review of February. If you have been reading my previous posts you will know I missed my number in February. That said here is some of the detail on the Mud Month...

I ran 89.19 miles in a total time of 12hrs 30 mins. My average pace was 8.83 miles per minute. The fastest run was 6 miles at lunch time on February 24th. The slowest was 5 miles on February 28th in Dubai. But I did stop to take pictures and admire the views along the way.

The breakdown per mile in my different shoe types was; 9.82 in my Asics, 29 miles in my Inov8's and 46.12 in my New Balance. My New Balance are the fastest shoes this month.
Surfaces types varied this month with the addition of some trail and urban trail environments which were great - Majority still on roads and footpaths at 61.29 miles. I did do 22.72 miles on trails and believe it or not I logged some sand whilst running in Dubai.

I also started using a heart rate monitor this month, I averaged 143 bpm. I still have some experimenting to do with this piece of kit so more to come on this one in later posts. It turns out "We did'nt start the fire" by Billy Joel is a good song to match a run at 143bpm. I never listed to music on a run.

A couple of other interesting facts from February, it was Valentines Day, I moved house, ran on two continents, first time to run in temperatures above 25 degrees. I also put together 8 days in a row running - which was a first for me. All in all a pretty good month but I fall 23.71 miles short of my target.... 

Picking up the pace in March to stay on track.  

Some pictures from the past few weeks.

I didn't get into New York 2015

I was outside the 18% of successful runners who got a spot in the draw. I could still do a charity run or spend €4000 on a package for my wife and I. Not getting a spot got me thinking about training plans for Dublin this year. Is there any feedback out there on the Hanson method?

http://m.runnersworld.com/race-training/marathoning-hansons-way?page=single

Bird Dogs! Click the link and find out more

I have never done this before

I realised today that I have run 7 days in a row, I have never done that before. In addition I have done it on two continents (kind of), two time zones, three locations, multiple surfaces, three different types of running shoe, with jet lag and moving house! I am sort of impressed with myself. Plus I feel great, no aches or pains. Yes the pace is low, but still I have covered 38.63 miles!

Photos from my run - I had to share these

Awesome scenes in Dubai at night

I didn't hit target

There I said it, not easy for a sales guy. But it happened and I know what the excuses are and were it went wrong in February. I have added the lost mileage to March and have a plan and commitment to nail the first quarter.

Photos from my run

Most Interesting location

Running gives you such a great freedom and opportunity to explore, this is probably my most interesting and different location. Plus it was 25 degrees which is not something I am used to.

Dubai, February 28th 2015

Photos from my run

Despite living in a built up area it's still easy to find the trail.

Urban Trails

I think I will give this a go!

Inspired

This week I have been really inspired by a bunch of videos I have watched and blogs I have been reading. This post from a Mud Sweat and Runners group member took me to a video which I posted earlier in the week and then this one

This guy is just really cool, if I could swap places in life I would probably do it with him

I then had a flash back to a summer I spent on Scout camp in Cappanalea in Co. Kerry.  We had a morning of orienteering,  the weather for mid July was terrible. I remember being in full wet gear with hiking boots. The thoughts and images that came flooding back though were not the weather but running. I remember clearly not wanting to stop, full of energy despite the weather and heavy gear. I just wanted to run. Listening to those speak this week about running in the mountains and I don't train I just move. Brought it all back. I think I might have forgotten that connection I have with the mountains and nature. 

So on every run this week I have attempted in the city to get back to nature and find the trail... Man am I buzzing. I came back to the office today from my lunch time run covered in mud but with a big smile on my fave! I got a few weird looks but they didn't experience what I just had!

No more sticking to routes or the path it's the verges for me from now on!

Note to self: Inov 8 Road Shoes are not good in the mud! 

Movement.. The essence of life

I love how this guy gets completely choked up talking about running... beautiful 

The wheels came off!

Last week was not a great running week. However I did move house and turned a house into a home in a short space of time. But I had a commitment to my plan and I let it slide. I let tiredness,  excuses... oh sure you've worked hard have a glass of wine, eat crappie food and sure you will catch up next week... get in the way!

I then spotted this tweet from my Running list on Twitter. I asked a
@ultan what was the secret to 5 am 9 mile runs. He had a one word response "commitment"

Check out @ultan's Tweet: https://twitter.com/ultan/status/569750951738904576?s=09

I dialled up my commitment levels last night and clocked 5 miles on a rotten night. My wife's look as I went out the door confirmed my level of commitment.
I've also learned about different triggers and maybe some ways to flick the monkey off my back!

Yoga for Runners

The first time I went to a yoga class was the last for quite some time. I found it so hard to find and locate my tail bone, and even when I thought I had it I had no idea how to push it down. Plus this particular class were not the chatty bunch and not really interested in small talk. Anyway fast track a few months and a few niggling injuries and I was back for some more yoga only this time I didn't do a class. I used the Internet. I found this series of videos and found salvation in my own living room. Quick and easy to do, plus I got a great overall sense of well being. A few weeks of practice with the videos and I was ready for a class.

I have to say Yoga has been great for flexibility, strength and overall well being. If you haven't tried it I highly recommend this series of videos.

Yoga for Runners: Pre-Run with Fiji McAlpine
Yoga for Runners: Injury Prevention with Fiji McAlpine
Yoga for Runners: Post Run with Fiji McAlpine

Namaste!

Runner's High

I will never forget it turning the corner at Kilmainham Gaol about the 10 mile mark in my first Dublin Marathon. As I came down the hill to go up again I burst into uncontrollable laughter and happiness. There were some students partying outside diggs high on booze and god knows what. There I was sweaty and tired laughing my head off. It was amazing, I was on cloud nine. By the time I got to the Crumlin Road a few miles on it was a different story. But I will always have that memory.

One more thay sticks in my mind. There was a lady handing out medals at the end of the London Marathon in 2013. She got the shock of her life when I gave her the biggest hug in fits of tears and laughter.  It is these little moments that make it all worthwhile.

Nick's tweet and Radio 4 piece brought back some memories. Would love to hear yours? 

Check out @nickvanmead's Tweet: https://twitter.com/nickvanmead/status/567626625987387392?s=09

Body Image

I never started running to have a beach body, my pale Irish skin, freckles and ginger hair don't quite fit the image of beach bod! That said there is nothing I like more than holidays on the beach. I honestly felt this would be a great way to be fit and strong for my wife and kids. A visit to my GP made me realise that losing body fat helped with blood sugar levels, cholesterol, blood pressure and overall stress management. Feeling good in my clothes has been a great additional benefit.

When I came across this infographic from John Berardi it became a great quick reference and visual aid for thinking about body fat. It is certainly a cost I am willing to pay.

Nature Watch

It is amazing what you might come across on a late night run. Especially in the country side or near a park. Tonight I spotted a badger crossing the road. They are of course nocturnal so most likely to spot them at night, but I also understand they are good runners, getting up to 16 - 19mph!

Workout ideas

I really enjoyed using this workout during the winter. If it is a wet day I will also do this in the office gym. Really gets the heart rate up and good for overall strength with the interval exercises.

Check it out here - 

Building a plan like a sales guy

I want to provide a breakdown of my plan for this year and put some things into context.

In the same way we think about sales quotas and adjust for key periods in the year I built a seasonally adjusted plan and set a theme for each quarter.

The main reason for this comes from an idea in Eric Orton's book The Cool Impossible.  He talks about the foundation blocks of good running. I wanted to put some blocks into place in terms of mileage and pace but most importantly I want to learn and understand what it takes to get better. Hence an overall theme for this year is Better is Better.

What each theme means;
Momentum

Q1 just like in my day to day work is about building momentum,  laying down a foundation for what is to come later in the year.
Consistency

I talk to new hires about what happens after their first three months. The key to success is getting consistently good at what you do. In Q2 I plan to focus on the consistency of my plan, building in hill and speed work. Longer runs in zone 2 using pace and heart rate.
Strength

Not that I am ignoring strength until the summer.  I work on a core routine however I want to use this time to find alternatives to building strength whether that is diet or a particular routine. I read on manvmiles.com about the paleo gym he is using as part of the Marathon des Sables preparations.
Endurance

My main marathon for this year will be in October and I want to take a full hour off my previous time (Dublin 2013, 4.10.13, Marathon PB 4.02.41). Not only that but this quarter I will focus on the building blocks for a much longer race in 2016.

What you measure gets done, monitoring pacing
It's true that the best sales people are not necessarily the ones who are best are pitching or negotiating. In fact the most successful sales people I meet are also the most organised people you will ever meet. They know the details not because they have memorised or studied them but because its their business and their details.

With that in mind I know how many days in each month I need to run, what mileage I need to complete on each run. I am getting a handle on my average pace which will allow me to tweak the plan as a I work through the year.

I am capturing data and staying on track with a pacing model - my team and I live in our pacing model everyday - so its an easy transition!

Data enables us to make decisions, the better I can understand the data the better I can become. Gets me back to Better is Better. I am also conscious I can possibly get bogged down in data. So here are a couple of key points I am measuring. Miles per shoe and is there a correlation to shoe type and pace? Also if I take this data to a specialist shoe store like Run Logic will this influence the shoes I choose. Miles run on different surface types may influence this also, hence why not capture that to.

By the way if someone can help with the google doc and some analysis I would appreciate some tips and advice. 

What Moves You?

Nothing more determined than a made up mind

I missed a scheduled run on Tuesday this week. I could easily blame the meeting that clashed with my lunch time run. But just like I said that would be easy.

Committing to a plan on paper or in an app is the easy part. Easy to visualize those early mornings, getting out at lunch time, that great sense of accomplishment. But then life gets in the way and before you know it you are making excuses. 

I got the line "nothing more determined than a made up mind" from a guy called Lewis Pugh. I use it all the time, with my team when it comes to our monthly quota and at home. What resonates with me is a "made up mind" and the coloration with "determined".

Lewis Pugh in action.... source

So if you have made up your mind  to do something very likely you have thought about the upside and downside of what it is you are committed to. You have probably considered the cost versus the outcome and if your decision has some sort of balance.

I was making excuses on Tuesday night because I missed a session but then I reminded myself I didn't have the balance. Fine to set a recurring event in my work day but had I looked far enough ahead to see were it clashed with a previously planned event? No I hadn't. That said no harm I'm still determined and so I will make up the time and the mileage.

I have some other tactics to stay on the determination side of the equation and take into consideration upside versus downside When I put the kids to bed at night I put on my gear and get dressed for a run. I'll clean down the kitchen get the baby bottles sorted and at that stage I'm all ready to go. No matter how bad my will power is I am not going to sit on front of the TV in my reflective gear and leggings. 

Putting Jennifer to bed and getting ready to head out

On a work trip no matter how short I will always pack some gear. I will lay it out in my hotel room and set the alarm an hour early. No better way to see a city than early in the morning. Plus this is high on the asshole factor scale. When your colleagues are fueling themselves on coffee and you are full of the joys. The thought running through their heads is "asshole". But deep down they are thinking "I should have done the same". And that night in the bar you have a posse signing up to go with you. Next morning that's when you will know who has really made up their mind.

Source

First Month - Building Momentum

Today marks the beginning of February a new month and a new target. It also gives me the opportunity to summarize and reflect on January. So what happened? Here is a snap shot of the data all captured with my TomTom Runner.

Good news I hit my target for the month, still not on track for the annual number but I set out to make the first three months about building momentum. I do feel I have a real momentum behind me. I did 21 days out of a planned 26. Even with travel to US I stayed with my running and really enjoyed it. I feel strong and comfortable with the mileage and the consistency of 5 runs per week. Calves are feeling tight but I wore compression socks (I use 110% play harder) for a couple of days and that made a difference.

A couple of other facts. I did 37.37miles in my Inov 8  and slightly more 70.57 in my New Balance. Looks like I am faster in Inov 8's  with 8.22mins/mile. Although I do use these at lunch time and overall it looks like I am quicker at my lunch time runs. This month I hit some interesting locations with Dublin 2 and Malahide seeing the most miles covered. But I also had the opportunity to run from Venice Beach to Santa Monica and back and some interesting mornings in Downtown LA. A detour into Skid Row without realising had Bettina and I upping our pace to find an alternative route. Running without a pre-planned route in cities can be interesting!

Watching the surfers from Venice Pier

Early morning, looking back on Venice Beach

Santa Monica pier with my seagull friend in foreground

Here's some more data

Total miles: 102.91

21 running days

98.15miles on concrete/asphalt 

Weight Jan 1st 179lbs ( I guess Christmas was a little over indulgent)

Weight Feb 1st 172lbs 

Full data set can be found here