Race calculators: accuracy for the fast boys

Peckham

Given that anyone aiming for Dublin in October should be in or around the start of their training schedule, I thought it might be interesting to have a thread where we can all check-in/moan/talk about progress, seek advice, or to keep up each other's motivation when the schedule starts to become a pain in the a$$ and there is still weeks to go until the marathon.

I'm at the end of week 1 of Pfitzinger 18 week, <55 miles per week. Heading out for a 12 mile run now...feeling good about it all, but realising I need some new runners.

copacetic

not a bad idea, followed the runnersworld thread in 05. I haven't decided whether to run yet though, going to ease into a program and see how I'm feeling this year. Certainly plan to do the adidas race series in the park

SUNGOD

im on week 4 of brendan o shea's 21 week maratnon programme to finish between 2:30 and 3:00 , im aiming for 2:59:59. i used the hal higdon programmes for the 2 other marathons ive run and i wanted a change and i picked this programme because of the hagher amount of 20 mile or upwards runs in it something i felt i needed and was lacking in the higdon programmes. anyway i was out earlier for a 10 mile run and tommorrow morning its 14 . all is well at the moment and i still have that starting a new programme excitement which i plan on enjoying before it wears off.
good idea for this as id like to see how everyone else is training/preparing/copeing

ZiggyStardust

Saw Brendan O'Shea's schedule in the Irish runner and thought there was no taper at all. The last 4 Sundays you are running 22, 22, 20 & 20. Even the next schedule down for 3:00 - 4:15 you are running 20, 20, 18 & 18.
Does anyone else think this is too much running the weeks before a marathon. My last 4 weeks consist of 14, 22, 12 & a mere 8 miles the week before. Before that I'll have done 1 more 22 and 3 20 mile runs.
I guess as the Irish runner says, it is tried and trusted. I just thought tapering is very important. No?
Good luck with the training.

Peckham

I agree. Four runs of 20+ in the four weeks before the marathon seems to be asking for tired legs on the day itself. Will be interested to see how it works out, as I also think the plan I'm using is a little light on the 20 milers - 3x20 milers, and nothing over 20 miles. It worked for me last year, and I finished strong, however, I plan on tweaking a little and doing maybe 1 or 2 in excess of 20.

SUNGOD

just because you pick a plan doesnt mean your married to it, i will follow the plan but if i feel im getting burnt out i will change it to suit my needs and i can deffinitely see myself changeing the 2 sundays prior to the marathon to maybe a 16 and 10 respectively before the marathon. for me i look at marathon programmes as a guide and if i can follow them and they suit where i am in my training and my lifestyle then great and if not well what harm

TheRoadRunner

ZiggyStardust wrote: »

Saw Brendan O'Shea's schedule in the Irish runner and thought there was no taper at all. The last 4 Sundays you are running 22, 22, 20 & 20. Even the next schedule down for 3:00 - 4:15 you are running 20, 20, 18 & 18.
Does anyone else think this is too much running the weeks before a marathon.

yeah I was looking at that plan myself and I think it's a bit OTT in places. Two 10/12 mile fartleks a week seems absolutely crazy. I don't know what a fartlek is to Mr O'Shea but that one of those sessions could wreck me for the week. As an above poster says a bit of mixing and matching is required for all plans.

Regarding my daily slog. Just did 6 myself today as I had a feed of beer last night , got 14 in yesterday though. In fact some of the above threads guilted me into getting off my couch and out the door this evening.

Racing Flat

The Brendan O'Shea programme is tough but it will have you incredibly strong. One problem is that 2.30 to 3.00 is too wide and varying a range. As in 3 hours is almost 7min mile pace while 2.30 is under 6min mile pace. The quality of runner running 2.30 will be a different beast to the 3 hour man. So the 2.30 runner might cope much better on this programme than a 3.00 runner. His programmes are always much the same, but change slightly year by year. I followed it religiously for my first marathon a few years ago and found the marathon quite easy. However, the last 20mile run was 3 weeks before if I remember rightly. I would definitely recommend 3 weeks before for the last long run. Maybe 13-16 2 weeks before and 8-10 the week before. The programme was definitely a bit eaiser the year I did it. More or less -

Mon - 6-8
Tues - 8-10
Wed - 6-8
Thurs - 8-10
Fri - Rest
Sat - 10
Sun - About 6 20's and 4 22's

with occasional speedwork on the Tuesday or Thursday, but nothing over the top, concentrating more on speed endurance than raw speed.

Off topic, but Jay Z doing Sunday Bloody Sunday - class

TheRoadRunner

got 10 in today. Was feeling guilty after my night on the beer on Friday so I put the boot down after a couple of miles. Felt great and was pleasantly surprised with my time

Krusty_Clown

Hi there, just wondering if any of your programs feature hill-work? I am loosely following Hal Higdon's Intermediate II (mixed in with some IMRA races mid-week). My long runs are 20 miles, and my shorter long runs tend to be 13-15 miles with around 3 large hills 100-150 metres climbs.

I'm just wondering if I am benefitting from these hill runs (given that they're not prescribed in the programs), or should I consider dropping them for flatter (less interesting) runs?

Here's an example of today's run:

By the way, I'm preparing for Longford, but hope to do Dublin also, if I'm sufficiently recovered, and can get up to speed.

ZiggyStardust

Hi Krusty,
I was going to post a thread asking what type of hill work people are doing. To answer your question, I reckon you would benefit from hills as they would strengthen your legs even if Longford is pretty flat. I'm doing Berlin and I think thats as flat as you can get, but wanted to introduce hills for strength.
What do other people do for hills. I do most of my runs in the Phoenix Park and was going to go to the hill near the magazine and do a few reps of that. It's about 80m, so was thinking maybe X6 or X8?

TheRoadRunner

Hi

I think some hill work is important. When I ran my marathon pb I was incorporating some tough hills into my long run. I will be doing this again this year. There are a couple of inclines around the 20 mile mark in Dublin that shouldn't be underestimated (as I did last year).

ZiggyStardust wrote: »

What do other people do for hills. I do most of my runs in the Phoenix Park and was going to go to the hill near the magazine and do a few reps of that. It's about 80m, so was thinking maybe X6 or X8?

I don't know if these type of hills are optimum for marathon training but I could be wrong. I know the hill you are talking about and I think what you are planning on doing might be more suited to an event where explosive speed is important (1500 downwards). At the same time I don't think they would be a total waste of time. I'd be interested to hear other peoples opinion on this

In my opinion a better hill to do would be the Khyber pass, just beside the magazine hill. Its 800 metres long bollard to bollard. Running up and jogging back 4 or 5 times is a great session. Its a tough little cookie and the slow build up of lactic and aerobic stress is great training for the last 6 miles of the marathon when strength is required.

ZiggyStardust

Thanks for that roadrunner. The Kybher pass is exactly what i'm looking for. Never even thought about it. The schedule I was following requires a hill of 400m but for the life of me couldn't think of one. Will be heading there Wednesday evening.

MarieC

Hi there,

Yes I started my 18week training plan last week for Dublin marathon. I had been training earlier this year for Connemara but had to pull put half way through training with a suspect stress fracture. I am not a fast runner and my goal is just under 5hrs for Dublin. Im trying to balance my training this time around to build strength. So Im only going for a max of 3 runs a week, with the longer one at the weekend, 2-3 swimming or aqua jogging sessions during the week for non-impact training and 2 gym sessions for core strengthening.

I know nothing will replace the miles on the road, but does this sound ok for a marathon plan? I really really dont want to get injured again and not be able to run. Even with 10k runs I can still feel a decent niggle down along my shin bone and a nice bump where the imjury was 6 months ago...So do I change my running strategy, go to preventative physio or just stick with my exercises, build up my core strength and hope for the best??

hawkwing

"In my opinion a better hill to do would be the Khyber pass, just beside the magazine hill. Its 800 metres long bollard to bollard."

From Google earth this appears to be 0.92k, using the ruler and path tool to where the white bars are in the ground--maybe this is not accurate?

greenplain

hello everyone,

I am new to the boards. Just starting my second week of a 18 week plan for the Dublin marathon. I wanted to do it last year but i over trained and damaged my knee. So i am taking it slow this time around and build it up to stay injury free. I'll have to cut down on the beer though!

TheRoadRunner

hawkwing wrote: »

"In my opinion a better hill to do would be the Khyber pass, just beside the magazine hill. Its 800 metres long bollard to bollard."

From Google earth this appears to be 0.92k, using the ruler and path tool to where the white bars are in the ground--maybe this is not accurate?

are the white bars the bollards ? I always thought the full length of the Khyber was just under 1k and would be (pleasantly) surprised if the bollard to bollard measurement was much over 800 metres. I have a metre wheel so I'll look into this over the coming weeks.

hawkwing

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

are the white bars the bollards ? I always thought the full length of the Khyber was just under 1k and would be (pleasantly) surprised if the bollard to bollard measurement was much over 800 metres. I have a metre wheel so I'll look into this over the coming weeks.

yep,the metal bars coming up from the ground,i do this section as part of a 2.5m loop 3-4 days every week and hope it is accurate enough to measure with google earth but would like to know if this tool is correct or not.

Roddy23

Using map my run - it works out about .74miles.

I'd be in the same boat as you greenplain. I've been running (plodding away) for over a year now, and am up to about week 12 on Hal Higdon's 30 week plan. I can run about 7miles, with a bit of stiffness after, but I just want to complete the course in and around 4.5hours come October.

Peckham

MarieC wrote: »

So Im only going for a max of 3 runs a week, with the longer one at the weekend, 2-3 swimming or aqua jogging sessions during the week for non-impact training and 2 gym sessions for core strengthening.

I know nothing will replace the miles on the road, but does this sound ok for a marathon plan?

For the moment that sounds like plenty, although it depends on how long your runs are at the moment. Roughly how many miles do you do on the road per week, and how long is your long run? How do you see this increasing over the next few weeks/months?

As time goes on, it may be worth cutting back on some of the gym sessions and replacing them with road runs, but listen to your body especially seeing as you've had a setback before.

MarieC

Thanks Peckham.

I think the training program Im following is Hal Higdon Novice 1 marathon plan. his wk 1 mileage is 15miles and my plan got me to 13.4 last week. so Id a 3.2, 6.2 and 4miler. All of my runs are on the road.

I agree that i hopefully can ween off or at least reduce the gym sessions as time goes on and increase the milegage. But eitherway, i hope to be pretty much up to the expected mileage per week. I wont know until I try how the leg will behave but here's hoping!! Even though Im a slow runner the disappointment of not being able do a run Id trained for was not pleasant to say the least.

greenplain

just wanted to get some opinions...i am a huge asics fan have the kayano 13 . i need a new pair will i get the kayanos 14 or is there other good makes

Peckham

I'm a big fan of the Hal Higdon novice plans, so would have every faith in the one you are following. If you stick to it, then I would expect you'll be fine. One piece of advice though would be that if you are skipping runs from the plan to supplement them with gym sessions, then make sure it is not the long run you are skipping - as I'm sure you know, this is undoubtedly the most important element in the training plan, particularly for first-timers.

TheRoadRunner

greenplain wrote: »

just wanted to get some opinions...i am a huge asics fan have the kayano 13 . i need a new pair will i get the kayanos 14 or is there other good makes

Check out the athletics forum. There has been a couple of lively debates regarding shoes, gait analysis etc

Stupid_Private

greenplain wrote: »

just wanted to get some opinions...i am a huge asics fan have the kayano 13 . i need a new pair will i get the kayanos 14 or is there other good makes

If Kayanos are working for you and you're getting no injuries I'd say stick with them. If you're having any problems a shop that gives gait analysis will be able to point you in the right direction for a shoe that works for you.

MarieC

of course yeah, will be keeping the long weekend run in and it is a mid-week run that is being cut at the moment. Have only done 1 previous marathon, Dublin 2008 and that took me 5hrs 04min so 4:59:59 is my goal!

Racing Flat

hawkwing wrote: »

yep,the metal bars coming up from the ground,i do this section as part of a 2.5m loop 3-4 days every week and hope it is accurate enough to measure with google earth but would like to know if this tool is correct or not.

According to my Garmin it's 900m from white bollards at bottom to bollards at top IIRC. 4 reps at about 3.20 each was a horrible session!

Racing Flat

MarieC wrote: »

Hi there,

Yes I started my 18week training plan last week for Dublin marathon. I had been training earlier this year for Connemara but had to pull put half way through training with a suspect stress fracture. I am not a fast runner and my goal is just under 5hrs for Dublin. Im trying to balance my training this time around to build strength. So Im only going for a max of 3 runs a week, with the longer one at the weekend, 2-3 swimming or aqua jogging sessions during the week for non-impact training and 2 gym sessions for core strengthening.

I know nothing will replace the miles on the road, but does this sound ok for a marathon plan? I really really dont want to get injured again and not be able to run. Even with 10k runs I can still feel a decent niggle down along my shin bone and a nice bump where the imjury was 6 months ago...So do I change my running strategy, go to preventative physio or just stick with my exercises, build up my core strength and hope for the best??

In your situation, I'd go with the aqua-jogging over the swimming for the 2-3 pool sessions a week. Good idea, considering your history of stress fracture. To prevent the aqua-jogging from getting too boring, mix it up a bit - do some interval sessions. I think there are some examples of these on the Catherina McKiernan website but don't have an address to hand.

TheRoadRunner

Racing Flat wrote: »

According to my Garmin it's 900m from white bollards at bottom to bollards at top IIRC. 4 reps at about 3.20 each was a horrible session!

great stuff. A couple of months back I was hammering up these but I thought they were only 800 metres.

Think I should have raced a bit more recently because if they are 900 metres I was going well.

copacetic

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Hi

I think some hill work is important. When I ran my marathon pb I was incorporating some tough hills into my long run. I will be doing this again this year. There are a couple of inclines around the 20 mile mark in Dublin that shouldn't be underestimated (as I did last year).

+1 on this, anyone who hasn't run dublin before would be well advised to do a couple of laps from Ashtons in clonskeagh up around ucd down fosters ave and then back to where you started from. This includes the hardest section of the whole marathon imo. The long drag up from the dodder past ucd comes at the worst time it could. Even the short slope up the overpass outside ucd on the N11 is tough after the previous 2 miles. I stopped to stretch my quad there and got a cramp in my hamstring from doing it, if I hadn't been so sore I'd have laughed!

Peckham

copacetic wrote: »

Even the short slope up the overpass outside ucd on the N11 is tough after the previous 2 miles.

And after all that, even the speed bumps on Nutley Lane are tough....let's not even mention the bridge over the canal on Grand Canal Street!

--amadeus--

Hiya - I've signed up for this as well. Ran it in 2005 (my first) and again in 2006 so looking forward to it. I have to admit that the only hill I really remember hating is the UCD flyover but there are a few further back that are short but fairly sharp, IIRC.

I started a butchered P&D schedule last week and covered a fairly gentle 31 miles over he course of it and am hoping to hit around 50 this week and keep it up at that level and beyond until the day but I have a 2 week holiday in the middle of it, which might knacker things a bit.

And isn't it traditional in these sorts of threads to have a list of people running and target times? I haven't really set a target properly yet but I'm thinking 3:10, what about the rest of you?

Stupid_Private

Looks like I'll be doing this one and all. A bit of procrastinating about Berlin meant that that sold out leaving me short of choices for the autumn. I don't like to commit to a marathon until 12 weeks before when my training for it starts. I train year round for shorter races so the marathon focus only begins with that kind of time left. I find it hard to focus on something for longer than that - it worked well last year so hopefully it'll be the same if I do Dublin again this year.

--amadeus-- wrote: »

And isn't it traditional in these sorts of threads to have a list of people running and target times? I haven't really set a target properly yet but I'm thinking 3:10, what about the rest of you?

I'll definately curse it if I do that. I'm going to at least wait until I get one half marathon out of the way this year before starting predictions.

TheRoadRunner

copacetic wrote: »

+1 on this, anyone who hasn't run dublin before would be well advised to do a couple of laps from Ashtons in clonskeagh up around ucd down fosters ave and then back to where you started from. This includes the hardest section of the whole marathon imo. The long drag up from the dodder past ucd comes at the worst time it could. Even the short slope up the overpass outside ucd on the N11 is tough after the previous 2 miles. I stopped to stretch my quad there and got a cramp in my hamstring from doing it, if I hadn't been so sore I'd have laughed!

Totally agree. I also stopped to stretch around here and also got cramps in my hamstring. which I have to say is one of the most painful things I've ever experienced !

Racing Flat

copacetic wrote: »

The long drag up from the dodder past ucd comes at the worst time it could. Even the short slope up the overpass outside ucd on the N11 is tough after the previous 2 miles.

There's a stretch around mile 12/13 around Crumlin which always seems to be into a strong wind. It's usually where I don;t hit my target mile times first and the the worry sets in...The rise up to Fosters Avenue looks the most daunting and because this is the big hill that everyone is talking about, because you are anticipating/fearing it, I think it's never as bad as you expect. I found the worst part of the course was after coming down the UCD flyover, that stretch from there to the top of Nutley avenue. It's a long stretch, after you've done the hilly bit and you still have about 4 miles to go. Whereas buythe time you get to the bridge at Grand Canal Street you know you're home. Once I hit 23miles I'm glad that I could crawl/roll from there if the worst came to the worst. But 4 or 5 miles out is still a bit dodgy, have a problem there and you may have to drop out...

Racing Flat

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Totally agree. I also stopped to stretch around here and also got cramps in my hamstring. which I have to say is one of the most painful things I've ever experienced !

Never, ever stop! We often talk about this on long runs. what would it take for you to stop during a marathon? Certainly not a No. 1, not sure about a No. 2, never had to make the decision (thankfully). Sorry if that thoughts a bit off putting this early! I remember once, there was 3 of us training together and 1 fellow saying he was going to stay ahead of us from the start, because he didn't want to have to stop and get the abulance etc. if one of us collapsed:(! On training runs when I stop, the legs always feel strange when starting off again - I become aware of stiffnes I had not been aware of before. So the plan is not to stop. Ever.

Abhainn

I intend to do the DM again and beat last years time of 3:14 even though it is just 4 weeks after Berlin.
It will be interesting to see how the body deals with a second punishment in that time space.

Stupid_Private

Nice, this is turning into a thread giving people the fear before the race. That area at Crumlin with the wind was awful in 2006, I thought it was going to be as bad last year but didn't really notice it... probably as I tucked in behind people as I was aware of it from the year before.

The hill at Fosters ave isn't that bad, it's only because it appears after 20 miles that it seems bad. What is it an elevation of about 25-30 metres or so? If you're coming close to the wall then it's going to be a right pain but if you're running well you won't notice it. I went by two people last year on it and it gives you some kick for the next few miles when you know you're still running strong after the last real climb has been taken care of.

TheRoadRunner

Racing Flat wrote: »

Never, ever stop! We often talk about this on long runs. what would it take for you to stop during a marathon? Certainly not a No. 1, not sure about a No. 2, never had to make the decision (thankfully). Sorry if that thoughts a bit off putting this early! I remember once, there was 3 of us training together and 1 fellow saying he was going to stay ahead of us from the start, because he didn't want to have to stop and get the abulance etc. if one of us collapsed:(! On training runs when I stop, the legs always feel strange when starting off again - I become aware of stiffnes I had not been aware of before. So the plan is not to stop. Ever.

Come to think of it I have never completed a marathon without stopping. You are right it is hard to get going again but when your calf is in cramp etc you sometimes have no choice.

I have also stopped for a pee on a number of occasions. I timed it and it added 30 seconds to my time but overall I reckon it saved me time and eased a lot of discomfort.

TheRoadRunner

Stupid_Private wrote: »

Nice, this is turning into a thread giving people the fear before the race

Ok maybe we are going a bit over the top but it is helpful for people to know the tricky sections at this early stage so they can tailor their training.

That drag from Crumlin is tough all right. Thankfully once you turn at the Walkinstown roundabout there a couple of nice miles though.

Racing Flat

Abhainn wrote: »

I intend to do the DM again and beat last years time of 3:14 even though it is just 4 weeks after Berlin.
It will be interesting to see how the body deals with a second punishment in that time space.

Personally, this wouldn't be my cup of tea. Know a few people who've doubled up like this with Chicago/Dublin/New York and they've always gone a fair bit slower on the second one. If you are doing it just to get another marathon under the belt, fine, just take it easy. If you are doing it for times, I'd just pick one.

Racing Flat

Stupid_Private wrote: »

Nice, this is turning into a thread giving people the fear before the race.

This fear is simewhat justified - it's a tough enough auld task, not to be taken too lightly. Do the training and you'll be alright. I think it's this fear that makes it so good afterwards.

Racing Flat

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Come to think of it I have never completed a marathon without stopping. You are right it is hard to get going again but when your calf is in cramp etc you sometimes have no choice.

I have also stopped for a pee on a number of occasions. I timed it and it added 30 seconds to my time but overall I reckon it saved me time and eased a lot of discomfort.

With my first marathon, I really wanted to run the whole way, so I would know I 'ran' a marathon. On training runs I usually stop a few times for drinks/toilet breaks so wanted to run the whole way in the race. But if you have to stop, you have to stop. Not necessary to stop for a pee though. Wear dark shorts and you'll get away with going on the run. Time it around water stations (if possible) so you can throw water over your head/shorts so it looks like water/sweat rather than the other if you're worried about this. No harm to practice this in a training run:eek:. I've never had to actually go during a marathon. Probably about getting the drinking right and also having an empty bottle on the start line, so you can go at the very last minute.

hawkwing

This will be my first hopefully if all goes well, using the hal higdon :Marathon Training Schedule Novice 2 and hoping for 03:59:59. Did first 10mile since last year's half marathon in 83mins yesterday so i might get there,it felt like an endurance test cos 80% of my runs are under 5 miles.have changed the program a lot but keeping the long runs as that seems the most important, not doing much at the weekends though and will use Monday as the long run day,i think after that if i can roughly do the same amount of miles as the schedule i'll be ok and will vary things around tiredness etc.i have fitted in the adidas series into it but think to be honest that somthing like an 8mile,half and 16 mile would be of more use as a training series even though i enjoyed them last year. anyone agree (5 mile not much benefit)?

TheRoadRunner

Racing Flat wrote: »

With my first marathon, I really wanted to run the whole way, so I would know I 'ran' a marathon. On training runs I usually stop a few times for drinks/toilet breaks so wanted to run the whole way in the race. But if you have to stop, you have to stop. Not necessary to stop for a pee though. Wear dark shorts and you'll get away with going on the run. Time it around water stations (if possible) so you can throw water over your head/shorts so it looks like water/sweat rather than the other if you're worried about this. No harm to practice this in a training run:eek:. I've never had to actually go during a marathon. Probably about getting the drinking right and also having an empty bottle on the start line, so you can go at the very last minute.

I have tried to pee while running and my sphincter muscle just won't oblige.

Last year at the start of the Dublin marathon a guy I was standing beside was have a pee into a bottle. A minute before the start he threw it to the side. He didn't put enough power into it though and clocked some poor guy in the head (thankfully the lid was tightened).

Stupid_Private

Racing Flat wrote: »

With my first marathon, I really wanted to run the whole way, so I would know I 'ran' a marathon. On training runs I usually stop a few times for drinks/toilet breaks so wanted to run the whole way in the race. But if you have to stop, you have to stop. Not necessary to stop for a pee though. Wear dark shorts and you'll get away with going on the run. Time it around water stations (if possible) so you can throw water over your head/shorts so it looks like water/sweat rather than the other if you're worried about this. No harm to practice this in a training run:eek:. I've never had to actually go during a marathon. Probably about getting the drinking right and also having an empty bottle on the start line, so you can go at the very last minute.

Woah.... I don't know if I'd be able to actually piss on myself! Not something I plan on practicing either. If you can get a last minute piss before you start you should be able to go the whole way without needing to go. I haven't had to go yet in a race and I'm hoping it stays that way.

Racing Flat

hawkwing wrote: »

.i have fitted in the adidas series into it but think to be honest that somthing like an 8mile,half and 16 mile would be of more use as a training series even though i enjoyed them last year. anyone agree (5 mile not much benefit)?

I know what you're saying but the 5mile is a great introduction to racing and eases your way into the 10mile. It's quite a natural progression. The timing of it too works well. I don't think you'll find a better build up series for any marathon anywhere. Particularly as the series in the Park where the courses are fairly tough due to the hills. To do more than a half would be too tough for a lot of people. You couls always add on a few more miles yourslef at the end of the race - there's always a few people do that after these races.

BTW if you are doing 83 for 10miles in training and it's not too much bother to you, you should have no problem with a target of 3.59 once you get the long runs done.

Racing Flat

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

I have tried to pee while running and my sphincter muscle just won't oblige.

Only done it once in training. Not easy. Was trying for a while and nothing, then all of a sudden after I stopped trying it came flooding, out of my control.

hawkwing

Racing Flat wrote: »

I know what you're saying but the 5mile is a great introduction to racing and eases your way into the 10mile. It's quite a natural progression. The timing of it too works well. I don't think you'll find a better build up series for any marathon anywhere. Particularly as the series in the Park where the courses are fairly tough due to the hills. To do more than a half would be too tough for a lot of people. You couls always add on a few more miles yourslef at the end of the race - there's always a few people do that after these races.

BTW if you are doing 83 for 10miles in training and it's not too much bother to you, you should have no problem with a target of 3.59 once you get the long runs done.

Thanks for the encouragement, felt ok after it and during even though it was windy but had a horrendous night of cramp in bed despite drinking about 2 litres of water after--maybe i need more salt? The 5 is a great start for someone completely new i think but it might be a bit of a jump from 5-10-half-full in 3 months.. but i'm not knocking it as it's very enjoyable and the t-shirts are good. ps. i think the half will do me grand on the day and am not yet one of the lads that you see going off for more punishment afterwards, feet up and a couple of bottles will be on my mind crossing the finishing line i'd say!:o

MarieC

I did my first (and only so far) marathon in Dublin in 06. Used the adidas series for training and it was very good. Also worked in to it the Cork to Cobh 15miler which definitely was worthwhile as it was out on the roads and had one or two ugly hills thrown in for good measure. Fabulous atmosphere down there also so its worth bearing in mind if you're not Dublin based and looking for an organised run prior to Dublin.

hunnymonster

MarieC wrote: »

I did my first (and only so far) marathon in Dublin in 06. Used the adidas series for training and it was very good. Also worked in to it the Cork to Cobh 15miler which definitely was worthwhile as it was out on the roads and had one or two ugly hills thrown in for good measure. Fabulous atmosphere down there also so its worth bearing in mind if you're not Dublin based and looking for an organised run prior to Dublin.

I really like the Cork BHAA races. They always remind me of going to the "sports" when we were kids, everyone stays and has a cup of tea afterwards. Some races give a goodie bag with crisps and minerals in them, some have raffles.

I live near the end of the Cork to Cobh and I use the route for most of my long training runs. It's ideal as the road markisn stay on the ground from year to year.