Thursday May 22nd - I’m baaaccckkk ! Actually I never really went away, just been busy with tours, running, computer problems etc etc. I’ve missed the past 5 days running though with a bad stomach bug, I’ll spare you all the details. The illness explains too why I was struggling a bit with my last few runs.

Friday May 16th - Set out to do 5 by 1ml with a 400m recovery, but after the 3rd one I wasn’t feeling great so I jogged for about a mile and did a 1K, another 1K rec and finally a 400m. Splits were 6.19, 6.17, 6.24, 3.45 & 75. Glad I did 5 reps, even if it wasn’t what I had planned to do.

Thursday May 15th - Just ran around the lake easy, didn’t feel great though. Weather is still great, temps in mid 20’s (70’s).

Tuesday April 29th - After dropping my girls off to school, I did the 8.5ml loop easy, in, yes-you guessed it, beautiful sunshine Its amazing how much better you feel on these bright, warm spring days. 

Saturday April 26th - At 6.30pm I did my 6.5ml lake loop. Forced myself to go easy after yesterday’s exertions. Thats always been my problem down through the years, not enough rest *shrug* . Felt good though.  

Friday April 25th - Did my run around the riding school and the lake in warm & sunny conditions. Felt pretty good so picked it up a bit. Ran 59.53 for the 8.5mls, which I was happy with as it was only at about 75% effort. 

Tuesday April 22nd - Drumrole please, and action ……………………. today was the day that we filmed our interview for national TV in Ireland with Nelson Aspen, straight outta Hollywood! The piece is going be shown on The Afternoon Show on RTE on May 13th. It should be, interesting, to say the least. We ran along the ocean in Salthill, and ‘kicked the wall’ (if you’ve never been to Galway, and Salthill in particular, you have no idea what I’m talking about, its a local tradition). We also did a bit of beach running and ran out to Hare Island and then finished with a run down Quay street through the heart of the city, and then topped it off with some well deserved lunch in the best fish & chip shop in the world, McDonagh’s.

     

Monday April 21st - I must be crazy! I ran 8mls at 7pm in Galway city with GCH. I don’t mean I must be crazy for running with GCH, what I mean is I was totally jet lagged and only had about 3hrs sleep since leaving Boston last night. Actually felt good, although calves started to tighten up near the end. 

Saturday April 19th - At 6.30am, after my daughter called me from Ireland at 5am ( at 7 yrs old, she can’t quiet grasp the whole time difference thing!), I ran 5mls around the Charles. I couldn’t believe how many people were out at that hour. Then again it was a beautiful morning, I was tempted to keep going when I got to the Mass Ave bridge, but thankfully common sence prevailed as my legs started to get very heavy towards the end. I even saw a few of the elite athletes ‘jogging’ along at sub 6’s !

Friday April 18th - Even though I was very tired after the expo, I ran back to the in-laws house, just to get the blood flowing again, and it was only 3mls. I keep telling people that it is easier to run the marathon than stand in the one spot for 10hrs !

Wednesday April 16th - Just ran 5mls in and around Natick Ma. Felt a little sore after yesterday’s adventure. The sun is still shining

Tuesday April 14th - Phew! Ran from Brighton Ma to Matick Ma along the marathon route. For those of you not from Boston, that is 13mls, which I havn’t done for a while. Felt ok at first, then started to feel it a bit on Comm Ave. I forgot how long it is from Chestnut Hill to the fire station (ml 22 to 17.5). It didn’t help that I was heading into the sun the whole way. Once I got on rte 16 I started to feel better and cruised on home.

Monday April 13th - At 9.30am I ran over the trails in walpole ma with my sister in law. We ended up doing 8mls, although I only wanted to do 4-5mls. She didn’t pity me at all after my jet lag and London exploits Good run though.

Sunday April 13th - I know this is a training diary, and although I have not been actually running over the past 7 days due to travelling to the London Marathon Expo, I feel that this is a major endurance test I am putting myself through! As I told many of the folks that stopped by our booth, I sincerely believe that it is a lot easier to run 26.2mls than to stand up at an expo 12hrs a day for 3 days. Anyway, its on to the Boston expo, hope to see you there, Paul - ps, I do intend to get at least 1 run in while I’m ‘home’. I can’t wait to run around the Charles. 

Sunday April 13th - I know this is a training diary, and although I have not been actually running over the past 7 days due to travelling to the London Marathon Expo, I feel that this is a major endurance test I am putting myself through! As I told many of the folks that stopped by our booth, I sincerely believe that it is a lot easier to run 26.2mls than to stand up at an expo 12hrs a day for 3 days. Anyway, its on to the Boston expo, hope to see you there, Paul - ps, I do intend to get at least 1 run in while I’m ‘home’. I can’t wait to run around the Charles. 

Sunday April 6th - Ran with the dog as far as the pier, he’s getting better at pacing himself! Then did my usual 8.5ml loop. Weather was very windy, but sunny. Felt better as I went on and decided to pick up the pace for the last 4 mls and was running 6.30’s, which was nice! Did 10mls in total.

Sunday March 30th - As the old song goes , “what a difference a day makes”. Did 10mls and felt very good, no dogs attacked me, it didn’t rain and the sun came out.

Saturday March 29th - Did you ever have a day that you didn’t want to go running? I mean REALLY didn’t want to go running?! Like really and truely didn’t ………….. well, you get the picture. Dragged myself out, normally the hard part is putting on the gear and heading out the door, this time, I almost turned back after 100 meters. Don’t know why really, ok, the weather was, how shall we say, unsavoury! But I just did not want to run. Anyway, did 5 mls, and got soaked.

Thursday March 27th - Just ran the lake loop easy in the rain, sunshine, wind, cold, hot and everything else ! Even had the company of some ankle biters ! Actually all they do is bark, but sometimes I can feel their breath on my legs their so close. Maybe thats why I’m doing sub 7’s around that area!

Wednesday March 26th - 10mls baby ! Always like when I hit the double digits. Felt pretty good, but was all over the place on pace. Started off doing 7’s, then dropped down around 7.45’s, eventually ran 76.40.

Monday March 24th - Ran from my mums house with my brother (happy birthday!), his wife and a friend at 10.30am. Felt pretty good, which is strange for me as I normally feel better running later in the day. Managed to get in 8mls overall. Good run.

Saturday March 22nd - After a very late night, (had a party in my sisters house), finally got running around 2pm. Did the Annaghdown 10K loop with Jimmy & Mimi. Surprised I felt so good considering the lack of sleep, and the sleep I did get was on my sisters floor!

Friday March 21st- Brought the dog for a run down to the pier, he’s getting better! Went off and did the rs/lake loop then. Felt ok, legs a bit heavy, probably due to the workload this week. Did about 10mls in total.

Thursday March 20th - Ran from my mums house with my brother Jimmy & his wife Mimi, home from the states on vacation. Turned into an adventure run as we went places that I had never been to before. We even ran out to ‘Rabbit Island’, although it was more like walked, hopped, and jumped. It was low tide so we were able to get out there. I couldn’t help thinking back to when I was a kid though, and my sisters & I got stranded on a small island off a beach after the tide came in quicker than anticipated. We managed to wade back holding our sandwiches over our heads! No such excitement this time though, was great to see it close up mind you, great views, we just had to watch that we didn’t fall into any rabbit holes! Covered about 8mls in total.

Tuesday March 18th - RS/Lake loop easy! RS been of course the horse riding school that I run by on the 8.5ml loop that I do. It was one of those early spring days when the daffodils are just coming out, the lambs are jumping about in the fields, the dogs are barking, the sun is shining and all is well with the world. Until I get back to my 2 daughters that is, who happen to be on Easter break and they don’t understand that Daddy works from home and that he can’t go and play football, get their bikes out of the shed, walk the dog, etc etc. I gave in after about 30 minutes ……………..

Monday March 17th - First, a happy St. Patricks day to one & all. Its funny, when I was living in the states I think I used to celebrate it more *shrug*.  Anyway, just back from a nice run at dusk, got a great glimpse of the sun going down over the lake. Felt good, although I shouldn’t have had those 2 pieces of cheese cake at my mums! Ran about a minute faster than last night, must have been the conditions. Anyone else out there experience that, you know, run quicker if its a particularly pleasant day?

 Sunday March 16th - First of all I ran down to the pier near my house with our dog, an 8 month old king charles. He took off like a jack rabbit, I kept trying to tell him that he’d hit the wall, but would he listen ! Anyway, once I got him back to the house I headed off for one of my usual loops that takes me over the Annaghdown 10K (pronounced Ann-a-Down) course which goes right along the lake. Encountered about 4 cars, 18 dogs (they all barked hello!) and the usual 100’s of cows & sheep, and even a few dozen horses. Was only going 8min/ml at first but managed to comfortably get down to sub 7’s towards the end. Total distance was about 8mls. Here’s a pic of our dog ………………

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