Connemarathon

baza1976

Hi All,

I was wondering if people training for the Connemara Marathon would like to post here on how they are getting along with their training??? Akin to what happened with the Dublin Marathon back in October, which I found a great help.

I'll start with me..... Well, my training isn't going too well.. With Xmas a Wife ( who is very understanding and traing herself for the half), 3 kids a Job and Exams coming up in 2 weeks, I guess you can imagine. I got my first long run in today, which was 18 miles. I took it really slow was more worried that I should spend as much time on the road as possible. I arrived back home in 2hr 45min, which i was happy enough with as my last run was an 8.75 miler last Saturday. The wind and rain for the whole run was S*** and the cold bath afterwards was the iceing on the cake:o

Odysseus

It sounds like your doing ok training wise to me, though it depends on what time you want to finish in; but that's not a bad time for 18 miles. In my opinion your doing the right thing by focusing on time spent on your feet. I'm not doing it this year but best of luck with it.

SUNGOD

hi bazza you seem to be coming along nicely.18 miles at this stage sounds good to me.
im doing the ultra fingers crossed ,so im a little apprehensive worrying about training schedules and if im running long enough at the moment or not etc etc
anyway just 10 weeks to go :eek:
best of luck

depadz

sounds like you are going well.

i'm doing the full and training is well behind..
i've run 4-5 times (5-8 milers) a week since dublin but have not got the long runs in for one reason or another.
I've just done a 10 and a 13 in the last 10 days and am going to a 16 this week and build up to an 18 and at least two 20s if not three next month.

something like 16,18,13,20,13,20,13,20.

Taking a two week taper at the end, there's still 8 weeks left so hoping thats enough. Did a 3:10 in dublin and was hoping to get in around that again since its a slower course, but that is probably wishful thinking..

asimonov

hey baza. sounds very similar to me. I have 3 of the 4, my wife is training for the half, 3 kids,a job (for which i'm grateful), but luckily no exams....but it is my first marathon;-)

i've done runs of 14, 15, 15.5 and 16.5 miles over xmas and last week. I am just running these at under 8 minute miles. The only way i can find time to do my weekday runs is to go stupid early in the morning before the kids get up...the best way to feel like a total hi-viz nutter is to go running down country roads in the dark before 7am!

I have signed up to do Dungarvan to keep me focused, and hopefully i'll get to increase my mileage and stay injury free.

best of luck with yr training (oh yeah, and those exams as well).

McTigs

ok, give it to me straight.

This is my first marathon. I only started training for this since new years but i exersize regular enough so i'm not going straight from the couch.

I did 8 miles on saturday afternoon. My "plan" is to carry on doing about 6 miles after work on tuesdays and thursdays and push for longer runs on saturday mornings.... like 10 miles this saturday, 12 the saturday after and so on and so on in the hope that i'll be up to speed by race day.

not trying to compete, just wanna finish in maybe 4 an a half hours.

am i kidding myself?

baza1976

depadz wrote: »

sounds like you are going well.

i'm doing the full and training is well behind..
i've run 4-5 times (5-8 milers) a week since dublin but have not got the long runs in for one reason or another.
I've just done a 10 and a 13 in the last 10 days and am going to a 16 this week and build up to an 18 and at least two 20s if not three next month.

something like 16,18,13,20,13,20,13,20.

Taking a two week taper at the end, there's still 8 weeks left so hoping thats enough. Did a 3:10 in dublin and was hoping to get in around that again since its a slower course, but that is probably wishful thinking..

Thanks depadz,
Sounks like you are doing well.. 3.10 in DM is very good. I did the connemarathon last year and came home in 4hr50min.. During the last 6mile i suffered very badly with IT bands on both legs.. Walk most of the last 6 mile. I couldn't even run over the line:(
But for the DM I put in a proper 20 weeks of training and came home in 3.48 and I hope to at least equal that in Connemarathon.:eek:

asimonov wrote: »

hey baza. sounds very similar to me. I have 3 of the 4, my wife is training for the half, 3 kids,a job (for which i'm grateful), but luckily no exams....but it is my first marathon;-)

i've done runs of 14, 15, 15.5 and 16.5 miles over xmas and last week. I am just running these at under 8 minute miles. The only way i can find time to do my weekday runs is to go stupid early in the morning before the kids get up...the best way to feel like a total hi-viz nutter is to go running down country roads in the dark before 7am!

I have signed up to do Dungarvan to keep me focused, and hopefully i'll get to increase my mileage and stay injury free.

best of luck with yr training (oh yeah, and those exams as well).

Thanks asimonov, I feel your pain!!!! Do you wear a "head lamp" when running in the dark??? I live out in the sticks and when i'm off running in the dark I wear one plus the high Viz of course.

McTigs wrote: »

ok, give it to me straight.

This is my first marathon. I only started training for this since new years but i exersize regular enough so i'm not going straight from the couch.

I did 8 miles on saturday afternoon. My "plan" is to carry on doing about 6 miles after work on tuesdays and thursdays and push for longer runs on saturday mornings.... like 10 miles this saturday, 12 the saturday after and so on and so on in the hope that i'll be up to speed by race day.

not trying to compete, just wanna finish in maybe 4 an a half hours.

am i kidding myself?

Hi McTigs,

I don't think you're kidding yourself (kinda), For DM 07 and Connemarathon 08 the most I ran was 7.5 miles training. I finished in 4hr18min for DM o7 but as I said above I didn't come home in connemarathon till 4hr 50min and in a lot of pain. I'd suggest you follow a "good" training schedule. There are hundreds out there on the web... have you checked out hal higdon???

McTigs

baza1976 wrote: »

Hi McTigs,

I don't think you're kidding yourself (kinda), For DM 07 and Connemarathon 08 the most I ran was 7.5 miles training. I finished in 4hr18min for DM o7 but as I said above I didn't come home in connemarathon till 4hr 50min and in a lot of pain. I'd suggest you follow a "good" training schedule. There are hundreds out there on the web... have you checked out hal higdon???

Well I did my first Olympic lenght triathlon last year with utterly abysmal preperation (5 pints the night before didn't help matters) and i came in 11th last out of 340 so i'm well aware of the importance of proper training......gonna do 2 more this summer and take it much more seriously, i rekon i can knock a good 25-30 minutes off my 3hr15min time for that.

This marathon was intended be a handy way of motivating me to train during the winter before getting into a programme for the triathlons in summer... i think i may have slightly underestimated the effort involved.

*looks up hal higdon*

asimonov

baza1976, i haven't managed to get myself a headlamp yet...i find my eyes get adjusted pretty quickly to the dark and its amazing how much u can see under moonlight! I must see if i can source a light one (excuse the pun).

i suppose between the hilly hi-viz vest, the running tights, the gps watch, the wicking base layers with reflective bits and sometimes an ipod.....i feel i have enough things on me when running....the headtorch might just be the thing that tips me over the edge....now where do i get a running belt, a camelbak, reflective snaps for my legs and one of those armband things???

Eoin0603

Hello everyone,

I am also doing the full in connemara and also completed the dm08 in 4.02 (my first marathon).

I am nervous about the difficulty of connemara, particularly when you look at the elevation profile on the website, the nervousness is making me question whether I should drop back to the half becuase I am not getting all my long runs in for one reason or another. I did 14 last saturday week (in 1 hr 56 mins which I was delighted with) and missed this weekends 15 so i was thinking of doing the 15 tomorrow and then doing my step back week this weekend of 11. Any suggestions.

Can anyone tell me if it really is as hard as it looks on the graph?

baza1976

Eoin0603 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

I am also doing the full in connemara and also completed the dm08 in 4.02 (my first marathon).

I am nervous about the difficulty of connemara, particularly when you look at the elevation profile on the website, the nervousness is making me question whether I should drop back to the half becuase I am not getting all my long runs in for one reason or another. I did 14 last saturday week (in 1 hr 56 mins which I was delighted with) and missed this weekends 15 so i was thinking of doing the 15 tomorrow and then doing my step back week this weekend of 11. Any suggestions.

Can anyone tell me if it really is as hard as it looks on the graph?[/QUOTE]

Hi Eoin,
There are 3 tough enough hills the rest is ok IMO. The first (and the one that is not mentioned too much) is around the 7 mile marker you turn right and head up a hill that is not so steep but it is long. There is a church at the top of this where you can go for confession after cursing all the way up the hill while asking why you are here at the same time...lol
Then the second hill is just after the half marathon start. This hill is steeper than the first but not as longggggg.
The 3rd and final hill worth a mention is a beast of hill fondly know as "The hell of the west" ( so I was told). This hill starts at mile 22 and doesn't end till mile 24!!!!!!! most people, myself included walk and run this hill. This year i hope to run up it:eek:..lol
Besides that it's easy.... no really it isn't that bad besides them 3 hills i mentioned

McTigs

baza1976 wrote: »

The 3rd and final hill worth a mention is a beast of hill fondly know as "The hell of the west" ( so I was told). This hill starts at mile 22 and doesn't end till mile 24!!!!!!! most people, myself included walk and run this hill. This year i hope to run up it:eek:..lol

It's also known as 9/11.... those being the miles of the half marathon when it hits.

I've cycled up it a few times and can confirm it's an absolute hooer.... think of it as adding to the Aaaaaarrrrrrgh factor.

baza1976

No matter if you do the full or half you have to go up and down the otherside of that hill

jlang

What I found annoying last year was the spectators at the top of the big hill that tell you "that's the worst of it over" and "it's downhill from here". They mean well, but it's just not true! There is a good drop from the top, but though the final run in to the finish is not steep or long, it definitely felt like up. For me, this was the worst hill, as it was unexpected and I'd picked up the speed thinking I was coasting in to a downhill finish.

CatFromHue

McTigs wrote: »

ok, give it to me straight.

This is my first marathon. I only started training for this since new years but i exersize regular enough so i'm not going straight from the couch.

I did 8 miles on saturday afternoon. My "plan" is to carry on doing about 6 miles after work on tuesdays and thursdays and push for longer runs on saturday mornings.... like 10 miles this saturday, 12 the saturday after and so on and so on in the hope that i'll be up to speed by race day.

not trying to compete, just wanna finish in maybe 4 an a half hours.

am i kidding myself?

I ran my first marathon last spring, my words of advice would be dont always run the same 6 miles on tues and thurs, do say a 5 on tues, 4 wed, 6 on thurs.
look up a good marathon training plan that will give you a good idea.
try and take in some hills too, as in do a hilly run 1 night a week, a flatish run 1 and then a undulating one too.
also if you can stay injury free you should be fine so dont forget to stretch, like a a good stretch for 15 mins at least.
i wish you the best, its bizarrely exciting running your first marathon

McTigs

CatFromHue wrote: »

I ran my first marathon last spring, my words of advice would be dont always run the same 6 miles on tues and thurs, do say a 5 on tues, 4 wed, 6 on thurs.
look up a good marathon training plan that will give you a good idea.
try and take in some hills too, as in do a hilly run 1 night a week, a flatish run 1 and then a undulating one too.
also if you can stay injury free you should be fine so dont forget to stretch, like a a good stretch for 15 mins at least.
i wish you the best, its bizarrely exciting running your first marathon

Thanks very much, i'll take that on board.

It's just difficult to get in a hilly run midweek cos all the hills round here (Galway) aren't street lit.... it'll be easier as the evenings get brighter.
But i will try and variate as best i can midweek and do my long run on saturday mornings.

I've found too that half an hour up and down the pool once a week is great for loosening out the muscles... learn as you go i guess.

aburke

McTigs wrote: »

It's just difficult to get in a hilly run midweek cos all the hills round here (Galway) aren't street lit.... it'll be easier as the evenings get brighter.

Not sure what part of Galway you are in, but if in the city, and you want to do some hill reps...

Threadneedle road, and Bishop O Donnell road from the other side are plenty hilly, great for reps. Rahoon road is good too.
In Renmore, at the entrance to the Army Barracks, the street just to the right is also great for hill reps .

McTigs

aburke wrote: »

Not sure what part of Galway you are in, but if in the city, and you want to do some hill reps...

Threadneedle road, and Bishop O Donnell road from the other side are plenty hilly, great for reps. Rahoon road is good too.
In Renmore, at the entrance to the Army Barracks, the street just to the right is also great for hill reps .

i live city centre. Threadneedle of course, what was i thinking?

well, i suppose i was thinking more about Tonabrockey, bushypark and barna... either way i now have no excuse for not doing hilly runs night or day.

barkar

Back in training after Dublin , for Connemara dont know whether i will do the half or full , training for the full , just like the other poster its difficult to get in longer mid week runs , end up going out at 7 ish in the morning on country roads with hi viz vest , its true your eyes adjust quite quickly re the daylight , was out for 12 this morning , true you do look like a nutter to the locals going to work, but what can you do. hoping to do longer runs on grass or gravel rather than roads - seems to a bit forgiving in the long run . Haven't ran the route yet but plan going back there in the next couple of weeks to get a feel for the hills , there doesn't seem to be any halfs on as reagrds testing how you are going , I think there is a 6 miler in Castlebar in couple of weeks but i think thats it for anyone in the west , could be wrong though

baza1976

Have not got ut myself since Tuesday night. Did 18 Sunday, 3 tuesday morning and 3 tuesday night. I have exams bext Monday and Thursday so I'll have the head in the books over the weekend. BUt I hope to stretch the legs at some stage. When exams are over it will be one less excuse.

baza1976

Hi, I'm finished with the exams (till may anyway) so I managed to get out for 4 on friday evening.. Hopefully I'll get out tomorrow for a bit and I'm planning on doind another 18 on Sunday... Need to get them miles in (and hills!!!).. how is everyone else getting on in their prep for Connemarathon????

Diggy78

Got my first 13 miler done, last mile was a nightmare. Not sure if I'm on course for my first marathon or not by March, should probably have done a half before diving straight in. Still one lesson learned from that first long run, waaaayy more vaseline needed on nipples and groin!!

RacoonQueen

Diggy78 wrote: »

Got my first 13 miler done, last mile was a nightmare. Not sure if I'm on course for my first marathon or not by March, should probably have done a half before diving straight in. Still one lesson learned from that first long run, waaaayy more vaseline needed on nipples and groin!!

No you're definately on course. You still have another 8 weeks to go, plenty of time. I wasn't running 13 miles till a month before me first marathon so you're definitely WAY ahead ot me.

McTigs

well i'm in deep ****.

i was getting a pain in my knee the last couple of runs at about the 5 mile mark, not so sore i had to stop but uncomfortable enough.

So i went to the physio and she told me i need corrective insoles and that should clear up the problem... something to do with inward intonation causing the pain.

But instructed me not to run any great distances until the insoles came through which would be two weeks.... the furthest i've run so far is 9 miles but i could go futher without a sore knee.

but it's two weeks less to train and will leave me only 6 weeks to the marathon.

is this doable? what would be the best to do while i wait for the insoles? Cross trainer? Swim? Cycle?

RacoonQueen

I'd say yes for crosstrainer, swimming and cycling. How about aquajogging? Do you have the facilities for that? When on the crosstrainer do ALL the work with your legs and it's fairly similar to running without the pounding of the feet. If you reckon you could definitely run longer than 9 miles at this stage, with two months to go, keep up the work over the two week wait and you should be able to still go for the longer pre-marathon runs.

belcarra

McTigs wrote: »

well i'm in deep ****.

i was getting a pain in my knee the last couple of runs at about the 5 mile mark, not so sore i had to stop but uncomfortable enough.

So i went to the physio and she told me i need corrective insoles and that should clear up the problem... something to do with inward intonation causing the pain.

But instructed me not to run any great distances until the insoles came through which would be two weeks.... the furthest i've run so far is 9 miles but i could go futher without a sore knee.

but it's two weeks less to train and will leave me only 6 weeks to the marathon.

is this doable? what would be the best to do while i wait for the insoles? Cross trainer? Swim? Cycle?

Hey Mctigs,

I had a similar issue over a year ago and was advised by a physio to get orthotics to recify the situation. So I did. But I found them annoying to wear and ditched them after a week or so even though they set me back €60. Instead, I bought a different pair of asics runners which offered maximum support for over pronators and this solved all my issues.

Basically, I'd go to Runways.ie on Parnell St or John Buckley Sports in Cork to get checked out for running style by their experts and they might save you both time and money!

Of course your situation may be a little different but you'll have to weigh up the info! Best of luck anyways!

Belcarra.

McTigs

cheers guys

to be honest, cycling and swiming have always been my thing, i'm new to running more or less so maybe i blew the pain in my knee out of proportion cos i'm just new to impact and was freaking that i might end up crippled or something... best to error on the side of caution and what not.

my goal is still to complete the marathon inside 4 1/2 hrs ( it's my first one) so i'll train in the meantime swimming and on the crosstrainer and get stuck back into the running in two weeks.?

what would McGyver do?

MarieC

McTigs wrote: »

what would McGyver do?

MacGyver would find some chewing gum, maybe a few used matches and fashion himself some foot supports that would work perfectly and just in the nick of time! Legend!!!!;)

baza1976

I did 17 miles today first long run in 2 weeks and my second of any kind in that time.. I had exams in the week just gone...
Anyway was cold today.. senery was nice lots of snow around... then it rained and I got soaked for the last 3/4 hr.. last few miles were tough.. hills are a killer.. but need to get them in for practice... So far I have an 18 and 17 miler completed as part of my long run plan... in 2 weeks hope to get a 20 in ... we'll see... How is everyone else getting on ?????

uglyjohn

not as well as you! did 13 today but thats the longest i've done since DCM.

felt fine afterwards and my pace was ok but i need a few more like that and further to help me feel better.

asimonov

I did the dog on it today..meant to do an 17 miler but ended up doing 20 including a great 7 miles alongside the river barrow on grass. Pleased to have broken the mental barrier of that distance - but a little worried i'm getting ahead of myself and i'll regret not having the discipline to stick to my (ever changing) plan!

Tested an energy gel for the second time; the first time two weeks ago i took a powerbar caffeinated apple flavour, which in my opinion tasted shocking but was effective...this time a high5 berry flavour which went down much easier and felt good afterwards. Next up are the SIS isotonics....

Diggy78

mp1972 wrote: »

No you're definately on course. You still have another 8 weeks to go, plenty of time. I wasn't running 13 miles till a month before me first marathon so you're definitely WAY ahead ot me.

Thanks mp, nice to hear that, bit of a confidence booster.

ClashCityRocker

baza1976 wrote: »

I did 17 miles today first long run in 2 weeks and my second of any kind in that time.. I had exams in the week just gone...
Anyway was cold today.. senery was nice lots of snow around... then it rained and I got soaked for the last 3/4 hr.. last few miles were tough.. hills are a killer.. but need to get them in for practice... So far I have an 18 and 17 miler completed as part of my long run plan... in 2 weeks hope to get a 20 in ... we'll see... How is everyone else getting on ?????

Also did 17 miles today. Twas my first long run as part of the Connemarathon training, so far it's been mostly been regular 7-10 milers. Felt pretty good after it though, i'm happy enough with the way the training's going so far. Just need to cut down on the nights out a bit I think!

I missed out on the rain during my run, but caught the full brunt of it sat in the North stand of the RDS during the 2nd half of Leinster v Edinburgh. My knees felt a bit sore after the rain walking home after the match, a bit of a worry. I'm still not sure why, as a Munster fan, I put myself through that! Should've just run for cover when the rain started, as most of the people around me did...

Izoard

ClashCityRocker wrote: »

I missed out on the rain during my run, but caught the full brunt of it sat in the North stand of the RDS during the 2nd half of Leinster v Edinburgh. My knees felt a bit sore after the rain walking home after the match, a bit of a worry. I'm still not sure why, as a Munster fan, I put myself through that! Should've just run for cover when the rain started, as most of the people around me did...

I was sitting in the Grand Stand (true Leinster supporter:p), watching loads of people do a runner from the North Stand, wondering with my mates..."would that happen in Thomond?"

On the training front, I'm also taking the "ladyboy" approach...no outdoor running since DCM. I'm guessing the conditions in Connemara won't be 28 degrees with a Sky screen in front of me...

Clum

asimonov wrote: »

Next up are the SIS isotonics....

Where can I get the SIS isotonic gels? Did you buy them online or in a shop?

Thanks.

hunnymonster

Izoard wrote: »

On the training front, I'm also taking the "ladyboy" approach...no outdoor running since DCM. I'm guessing the conditions in Connemara won't be 28 degrees with a Sky screen in front of me...

I got sunburnt in Connemara the year I did it! Noone was more amazed than me, in 4 years that I lived in Galway, there were about 3 dry days in total! Having said that, at the race briefing, I do remember Ray saying that one of the many unique features of Connemara is that you are likely to experience all 4 seasons out there on one day.


Clum, pack of 30 sis gels from http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Science_in_Sport_Box_Of_30_60ml_Go_Gel_Sachets/5360010677/

barkar

Training going well if a bit ahead of what i should be doing , ran 22 the last 2 sundays and an 18 and a 16 previous weeks (yesterday was fantastic for running lovely and mild),
Used power bar gel yesterday , noticeable difference between it and locozade gels (used them for dcm) i think maybe its due to the caffeine. Dont like taking water with them though , is there any gels which you dont have to take water? .
Are many of you training with a garmin? Using one for my long runs , finding the update of pace quite poor at times even though there was little cloud cover and relative tree cover

hunnymonster

barkar wrote: »

Dont like taking water with them though , is there any gels which you dont have to take water?

look for gels that are "isotonic" e.g. the sis one's discussed above. You don't need to take water with them. I still take a small slug though as the sugar sticking to my teeth is a bit annoying.

Krusty_Clown

Izoard wrote: »

I'm guessing the conditions in Connemara won't be 28 degrees with a Sky screen in front of me...

Last year there was hailstones, strong winds, and beautiful sunshine! What to wear; a duffel-coat or a mankini?
I'm up to 16 miles this week (for a total of around 43 miles for the week) but my real target is Edinburgh in May, rather than Connemara, which i'm doing for fun, rather than a personal best.

How many weeks do we have left?

barkar

HM -Yeah dont mind taking a small slug to wash down some of it , but found it very difficult yesterday to get them down while running , must try and get a supply of them from wiggle , d local sports shop only does power bar etc.thanks

Krusty_Clown

barkar wrote: »

Are many of you training with a garmin? Using one for my long runs , finding the update of pace quite poor at times even though there was little cloud cover and relative tree cover

Yes, I am. Which Forerunner do you have? Don't forget these watches tend to take a positional reading every four seconds (you can change the frequency on the 305 though). I find these fields the most useful, so stick to them for long runs:

• Pace - Lap
• Distance
• Heart Rate

I have the watch set to auto-lap every mile. So the pace is averaged out for the entire mile. This also allows me to factor in things like breaks at drink stations etc., and stay on pace (though it's probably not a good strategy!).

Real-time pace can fluctuate madly, e.g if you are running around a corner, short uphill/downhill etc., so I don't find it very useful.

barkar

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Yes, I am. Which Forerunner do you have? Don't forget these watches tend to take a positional reading every four seconds (you can change the frequency on the 305 though). I find these fields the most useful, so stick to them for long runs:

• Pace - Lap
• Distance
• Heart Rate

I have the watch set to auto-lap every mile. So the pace is averaged out for the entire mile. This also allows me to factor in things like breaks at drink stations etc., and stay on pace (though it's probably not a good strategy!).

Real-time pace can fluctuate madly, e.g if you are running around a corner, short uphill/downhill etc., so I don't find it very useful.

Yeah i have a garmin 305 i have been using for every run actually and donwloaded a trqaining schedule from runners world , which allows me to change particular sessions depending on days etc. nice piece of kit if you generally are running on your own at least you can pace yourself comfortably

I only really noticed it yesterday , was running at around 7 plus pace per the garmin at a couple of stages and i knew myself i was exerting a little bit more on pace , the watch didnt register these changes until it clocked the mile markers and then i would see a dramatic drop say 10-15 secs per mile even though no extra exertion . (Actually just read your last comment there which kind of explains the above)

I logged my run on map my run and there seem to be about 2/3 of a mile difference between the two readings (the garmin was less ) for a 22 mile run. I suppose if it registers less than the actual distance cover etc thats not too bad, would be a bit browned off if it was registering more than actually coverred !!!!

Still though better than guessing your pace like what i was doing all last year, running sessions too quickly/slowly and being completely bet up/ not tired at all !

asimonov

i use a 405 - but its not mac compatible, so i can only take the readings off the watch itself. sometimes its nice to run without it, but overall it helps with motivation.

I got the SIS from wiggle as per HM's recommendation. On a previous boards thread somewhere it was recommended to brush your teeth after using gels as they're pretty caustic on tooth enamel...

8 weeks to go.

RacoonQueen

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

How many weeks do we have left?

Less than 8 for our Edinburgh training run...18 to Edinburgh :eek:

RacoonQueen

I got a box of the High5 gels from wiggle yesterday. They're the only ones I've ever tried, and only because they give them out at the Dublin marathon, they work for me in Dublin so if I'm carrying my own in Connemara I figure I may as well stick to the ones I know work for me. Granted others may work better for me but I'm happy with the High5's.

I actually have two sample powerbar ones coming too...so will obviously give them a try.

SnappyDresser

Did the DM in 3:39 and am now entered in the Connemara and Newry. For the Connemara I am going to just enjoy the race and take in all the scenery. Going to aim to duck under the 4. Am booked into Connemara gateway hotel in oughterard. Does the marathon bus leave from there?

aburke

i008787 wrote: »

Am booked into Connemara gateway hotel in oughterard. Does the marathon bus leave from there?

From the football pitches, just up the road, maybe 1/2 mile

tantipie

i008787 wrote: »

Did the DM in 3:39 and am now entered in the Connemara and Newry. For the Connemara I am going to just enjoy the race and take in all the scenery. Going to aim to duck under the 4. Am booked into Connemara gateway hotel in oughterard. Does the marathon bus leave from there?

god that place is pricey,,still have no where booked yet:rolleyes:

baza1976

did 7m earlier on this evening... I have started taking the dog over the last few weeks... Find him great company, would prefer an MP3 player but I'm out in the sticks running on country roads and wouldn't be able to relax not been able to hear any traffic. He's a medium sized dog and he loves the run, great excercise for him too..
Hopefully I'll get up in the morning for another 7m,
& again on thrusday and with 10 on Sat and 12 on Sunday will be good to get that amount in... Need to get as much milage and time on the road before tapering... it a sign we are getting there when start talking about tapering!!!!

uglyjohn

so when do you start leaving the dog at home?

baza1976

lol.. Well I didn't take him on Sunday when I did the 17miler.... That was merly because I didn't want the hasle of keeping an eye on him... There's enough of a battle going on in my head without having to worry about him been run over... As long as the weather is cool I don't think the distance will be too much of an issue for him... A dog can jsut about run forever in cold/cool climate ... it's the heat that causes them trouble...

Anyway I went out for another 4 miles this morning.... for you know the Connemarathon...