The "Peckham Pacer" check-in thread

asimonov

Good luck peckham pacers! looking forward to epic tales of derring-do on tuesday.

misty floyd

Week 18 down

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 5 mile easy. Got a massage. Wow they hurt.
• Wednesday: 3 mile @ 7'16 pace. Legs feel great after massage. Sore to touch some parts but running felt great.
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: 4.5 miles @ 7'29 had to hold myself back
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: Rest but might do 2 miles to run the nerves off me.

Feeling good anyway. Nicely rested and getting the carbs in. Gels sorted. Have my number. This morning I looked over my 18 weeks....done me the world of good for my confidence. I forgot about a lot of the runs I put in. Sure there were drinking sessions and hangovers (and injuries for some) but look at the positives and there are loads folks.

So the very best of luck to you RacoonQueen and Christeb. Peckham, cheers for the advice along the way mate.

I'll be wearing a Donore Harriers singlet (white with a black strip). Hope to see you on the day and if not talk to yee on the next training logs we set up.

Give it everything.

RacoonQueen

Yeah good luck to all, hope you all achieve your goals. Mine is now just to go out and have a blast, contemplating entering Luton now to go for what I wanted in Dublin. Had a lovely 4 mile jaunt tonight and it's so good to run. Hope to see some of yee in the Conrad afterwards for a few drinks although you'll probably be gone home to bed by the time I finish.

osnola ibax

The very best of luck on the day guys, it will be a great day, the work you guys have put in is phenomonal, see you in the Conrad

christeb

Good luck MF, RQ - hope to see you out there tomorrow. Thanks to Peckham for the words along the way, the hard work has been done now lads!

misty floyd

First off apologies for the long me me me post. This is how the day went for me and it’s something that I want to record to learn from. It was a special day for me and something I want to share....don’t care if nobody gives a ****. Here goes.

Going into this
Training:
Felt my training went really well. 3x20milers and an 18 and 19. One confident building 16miler at faster than marathon pace. Lots of speed work and felt really good going into DCM. Half time of 1’29 and 10km time of 39’10.

Fuelling/Rest:
Happy with Taper and carb loading was sensible leading up to it.
Very confident going into this, no injuries either. Plan 3’15 (secretly 3’10).

Race day
What a day for it. I was worried about wind and rain and waiting around miserable at the start. No problems, there was a super atmosphere and I was raring to go.

First mile was 8’02 and planned pace was 7’13. I was actually really happy to be forced to go slow and really enjoyed taking it all in. I got to 10km in 46’25. Those first 6 miles were the most enjoyable miles I think I’ve ever run. Entering the park I had family with posters and it’s a great thing to see nieces/nephews (kids) out supporting. The park was beautiful and the vibe from all plodding around was so positive. Brilliant stuff.

Got out of the park and reached the water station at my club Donore Harriers. I’m only new there but it was super to have everyone shouting ‘Go Donore!’. Another boost. Just after the Chapelizod bridge, there was a section that went under a bridge. Ogi Ogi Ogi oi oi oi!!! That was great fun.
Also gave a shout out to Woddle who caught me with the camera. Thanks Woddle.

Mile 11 and Mrs Floyd and a friend were there supporting. Nice one! For once on the crumlin road there was no wind or at least I didn’t notice. Great support up at the walkinstown roundabout. Really makes it special. Starting to feel something.....a bit of a struggle to keep the pace (7’10min/mile). This is a marathon...did I forget or something? Suck it up, take it, I’m alright.

Mile 16 or there abouts, I met Christieb (great to meet you mate). He was feeling it too. “I’m the same if it makes you feel any better” I said. Kept going, uncomfortable but it’s a marathon...!!

Mile 18. Going into the marathon, you don’t know what is going to happen, that’s what makes you nervous....the unknown. I knew now. To get to the end was going to be torture. Planned pace was held to this point. Miles 18 – 22 where 7’18/7’32/7’42/8’35/7’56

“I need to walk”, “I need to walk”, “Don’t stop”. I stopped to walk. Great words of advice from a woman in a red addidas tracksuit. I think she was working for the marathon. She put her hand on my shoulder and told me “baby steps”. She had been there before, I could tell, this really helped. The support out there was nothing short of amazing. I mean, you must get a bit bored shouting at total strangers wizzing/stumbling by. Not the case. I took lots of encouragement from every word of encouragement. I needed it.

I hit a wall in Belfast in May. This was the great wall of Dublin and I was on my own to beat it. When I stopped to walk (must have been 7 times) my eyes were rolling around my head. I felt drugged. Last few miles were 9’58/10’54/9’16. Around westland row my hamstring or some muscle around the back of my leg had other ideas. I put my hand on the muscle and it felt like it had a mind of its own. Ever touch a slug and watch it wriggle up? This was, in some way, a relief. “you can’t go on”, “stop”, “you’ve been brave, no shame”. It’s funny to be thinking things like that when dozens of people are shouting the most encouraging words. Baby steps, that works. Around by trinity I had lots of family and friends. I couldn’t muster a smile. Sorry. 26 miles, 0.2 to go. The same muscle at the top of my leg was back for more. A tap on the back from a mate from the club and we jogged to the end together. 3’26 finish time.

I was spent. I’m sure I Looked like I had drunk 20 pints and I was made sit down after the line, I could barely stand. See picture attached below, taken from the rte site. I looked over at the guy beside me and put out my hand, he shook it. I won’t forget that moment. He said to me “did I finish?”. What a brave man, I thought....”of course you did, this is the finish”. Fair play to him.

Turns out RTE news cameras caught me here and I found a snap in the Star today. Looks like I was crying...but I wasn't . Didn’t even notice the cameras and I’m one for pics...ask Woddle.

Scraped myself off the ground, got my t-shirt and walked to baggage. I thought I was about to feint so I quickly lay on the ground. Several people came to me to help and I won’t forget that....there are some very nice people out there. St John’s Ambulance do some great work. I was embarrassed being brought to their tent in a wheelchair but feck it, I needed help. The amount of people on beds, dying was unreal. Well done and thank you for the help.

Walking to the baggage area, I said hello to Gerard65 and then RacoonQueen. Really glad I met more boardsies. Like this post, it’s cool to share your day a little with people doing what you enjoy. Just so you two know, my lips aren’t usually blue and I usually have some colour in my face

Got warm clothes on, lay down for a while and got sick. Once I was able to stomach some water, I came around and started to smile and enjoy myself again. The blue lips didn’t go until around 7pm...Don’t know what that was all about.

I’m really proud of myself that I was brave (like all of you) and gave it everything. This is the main thing that I am taking from yesterday, my second Marathon. I thought I’d be disappointed to not reach my goal but it’s not about that when it comes down to it. That was all about spending too much time on Mcmillan and figuring out where I stood at the start line. “3’15 in the bag” I thought....dope. It’s all about the race and nothing is in the bag until you have finished.

Main thing I learned: Respect the marathon.

A very happy Misty Floyd.

RubyK

Well done misty floyd, you should be well proud of yourself!

kennyb3

misty i bonked like that on the bike before, horrible experience, didnt think id make it home one night. what was your hydration, food/gel intake just out of interest?

misty floyd

- I am raging that I didn't run a smart race. Why didn't I run 7'25 min/miles??!! I would have held on a lot further than 20 miles, I know it.

- I shouldn't have run the 16 miler at a 7'05 min/mile pace 2 weeks before the marathon. That felt really good....did I run my marathon there? Perhaps. I should have stuck to the plan.

- Take more water before and during. I have a habit of gulping water before a run/race. I've read its better to sip water. I needed to have a wizz for the first few miles and that seemed to go away. Because of that, I didn't take on much water for the first few water stations and I think I was totally dehydrated by the end. I didn't even pee till 6'30 that evening and even then it was orange. Where did that pee from the start go???? ehhhh I absorbed it!

- Jelly babies are the business. Lots of calories and a lot more enjoyable than gels. I was able to stomach these really well.

The above are points to remember for next time. There, I said it. Next time.

misty floyd

In answer to your question Kennyb. I don't think it was a bonk. I had a good breakfast, carb loaded well the two days before and ate lots (13?) of jelly babies throughout. I think it was down to going out too fast, I really do. Could also be the 16 miler mentioned above but not sure about that one. Little water didn't help.

Thanks RubyK, I am....proud that I dug as deep as I did to finish. It was something I'll never forget. I think I'm forgetting that 3'26 is a PB of 14 minutes and thats from May 09. you tend to focus on the negatives for some reason even though there are so many positives.

Wilbury

Great report Misty Floyd, and well done on the P.B. Something tells me it wont stop at that;). Great stuff!!