Dublin Marathon 2011 Novices Mentored Thread

shivDCM wrote: »

yes and he has no involvement with FF whatsoever.

RayCun wrote: »

Don't go out too fast

Over the last few months there have been loads of questions about training - should I run on this day or that? what happens if I miss a run? what if I ran this run too slow? what if I start tapering too soon, or too late? should I eat two hours before racing or three? how should I carry my gels? should I take gels at all?

These are all reasonable questions, and it's natural to ask them, but a couple of runs here or there, or a slight difference in your gear on the day, isn't going to have a huge effect. One thing that will have a huge effect is running too fast.

I know you don't think it now, but you are all pretty fit and rested at this point. Your legs might feel heavy on your taper runs, but on Monday morning you will be in great shape. The whole build up to the marathon is pretty exciting, and the morning itself will see you bouncing off the walls right to the moment of the start.

And then you'll start, and you'll wonder why everyone is going so slow. Surely this is too slow? It feels too easy. And look at those guys, they're pushing on, dodging through the crowd - you could keep up with them no problem. you're feeling great, maybe you were too pessimistic in your predictions, maybe you'll go just a little faster, sure you can always slow down if it gets too hard. And it won't feel too hard - you'll run along feeling great, and really pleased with yourself for being ahead of target.

Until you hit Milltown, or Clonskeagh, and KABOOM!

And on Tuesday you'll write your race report and talk about how well you were doing until you hit the wall, and the brilliant time that you were on for.

But you were never really on for that time. You ran too fast and you ran out of energy, no big mystery.

So run smart. If you are in a pace group, stick with them until near the end. If you are wearing a pace band or a Garmin, check it at every mile, and if you are going too fast slow down. For the first 10 miles, you might think you are going too slow. but you will spend the last 10 miles passing hundreds and hundreds of walkers who got carried away at the start and are now going to come in 30 minutes behind you.

And don't worry about getting stuck behind people and slowed down a little at the start. Don't run around them - you are only burning energy and adding to the distance you run. Wait for a gap to open up (or stick your hands through them to open up a gap) and keep relaxed.

If you fall behind schedule for some reason - crowds at the start, a pit stop, an open shoelace - don't worry about it, and don't go too fast trying to make up time or catch up with the pacers. Only speed up by 5-10 seconds a mile.

Have some secondary targets

Even if you do run smart and at a steady pace, you might find at some point that the pace is just too much for you, and you are not going to make your target time. Have some secondary targets in mind, so you don't give up completely. Maybe you can't make sub 4, but you can still go under 4.10. maybe you can't get 4.30, but you can run every step of the way.

If you start walking, don't give up then either. Be strict with yourself and put limits on how much you walk - maybe you'll walk for 2 minutes, but then no more walking until the next mile marker, or until the next aid station. Don't get talking to people walking beside with you, because that means the two of you will just keep walking together. As soon as you can, start running again. Even if you are running slowly, even if you are running no faster than you were walking, if you are running then you'll be able to speed up again soon enough.

When you look back on the marathon, you might be happy with your time or not. But if you went as fast as you possibly could, and gave absolutely everything you had, you will always be proud of the achievement.

menoscemo wrote: »

Same thing happened me on my first marathon which was 2 years ago at DCM. I planned to do 4 hours and was well capable of it. For some reason I started 2 minutes behind the 4 hour pacers and spent the first 5 miles running at 8:30 pace (instead of 9 min/mile) in order to catch them up. By the time I caught up, I though I was grand, but in the end I probably lost about 20 minutes as a result of 'banking' two minutes at the start.

I finished in a hobble in 4hrs 15 and said 'never again'. (I have done 11 marathons since including 2 ultras :pac:)