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Right from the start. Unable to run for a minute ----> To a Marathon.
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Today was LSR day in the Messiah camp. 16 miles / 26 kilometres on the schedule.
Last weeks 15 miler was very tough as the wheels had well and truly come off by the last 5k and I struggled badly to finish - leaving many questions about being ready for the big one in the back of my mind.
I ran the midweek 8 mile home on Thursday and had been in quite a bit of discomfort since - (shin splints were killing me) ended up skipping the last midweek 4 mile run completely to give myself a chance to recover.
So to say I wasn't overly looking forward to today would be fair to say.
I figured I'd give myself the best possible chance to finish and took things a bit slower than last week. (Heading for a snails pace of 7:15 per kilometre) I also got up early enough to have a bowl of porridge an hour before starting out and for good measure set out sporting my newly acquired 1000 mile socks too and clutching a drink bottle with a handgrip. The plan was to head out from home towards the Phoenix Park (about 9k) take a bit of a trip not exactly planned out to hit 16k before turning back to finish up in Blanch Centre where I could grab a quick shower in Westpoint before Mrs Messiah picked me up to head for our first baby scan. As such things were time critical so falling off the wagon could have been a disaster.
Schoolboy error right from the start - realised that I had messed up my pre LSR vaseline applying and forgot to do the nipples.
Was only 1k into the run when I copped it but as I had no key to get back into the house resolved to see how things went and if neccessary use some of my limited drink money (not beer 
) to pick up a small tub if needed along the way.
Was comfortable at 7:15 ish pace. I passed the spot where I first stopped to buy a drink last week (which was in effect a break spot that last week I had to push myself to get to) and realised I was in much better shape than last week. This gave me a great confidence boost and I plodded on into the park and down the entire length of the park - hitting 13k halfway through the run just before the Zoo and delighted with myself that it had been done with no walk breaks. At this stage the Nipples were making themselves known and I decided I would for novelty value head up the quays and find a chemist along the way.
Passed the scene of an horrific accident between a skip truck and a Luas tram at Parkgate St. Hope everyone involved will be ok. The quays were busy with walkers on the path (as they have every right to be!
) and between navigating them and stop starting at the traffic lights every couple of minutes the quays soon lost novelty value. Found a chemist who was very amused by my dramatic dash in the door and grabbing of vaseline in a hurry. Hit the bridge just before the halpenny bridge at 16k and turned around to head back for Blanch via the Phoenix Park. Stopped to buy a lucozade and refill the water bottle along the quays too. End result was a not very smooth few k section here.
Hit the park along the way back - Newton said "what goes up must come down" - unfortunately it was the other way around for me today. The park was an absolute killer going back up. I knew it was going to be uphill, had even factored it in as good practice for the Clonskeagh hill at the DCM but still was regretting the route choice. That said I kept my head down and the legs going, took a very short walk break halfway through but in general covered the uphill back at close on the same time wise as on the way down.
By the time I got to the end of the park it struck me that this time last week I was in absolute tatters. Yes it was hurting today and there had been a couple of walk breaks but it wasn't anywhere near as bad. I was still travelling at a decent pace without it being an almighty struggle. I crossed last weeks LSR 8 minutes up (despite running slower - which shows how bad the last few k were last week) and continued on the extra mile - to a full 26k - in 3 hours 11 min. I had a bit in the tank too and could have gone on a bit longer. Calves were absolutely aching after stopping but that disappeared after half an hour.0 -
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Pageant Messiah wrote: »4 mile run tonight. These days 4 mile runs are considered short and something to look forward to which is progress in itself.
Felt a bit adventurous so upped the pace for the run knowing that all I had to do was cover 4 miles. Total time of 38:10 with an average pace of 6:00 min per kilometre / 9:40 per mile. Splits of
5:53
6:14
6:12
6:14
5:46
5:54
Frankly speaking I would not be capable of doing much further at that kind of pace but it was nice to push the boat a bit. 2k from home opened up a bit more.
Only issue is the shin splints hurting a lot more than usual.
Quoting this out of interest.
On the same route tonight I was aiming to once again push the boat out a bit. I was aiming to at least beat 6:20 pace (this is the pace needed to make a 2 hour 15 min time for this Saturdays half marathon. Conventional wisdom is that I would need to be capable of running this pace for a half marathon to come in under 5 hours for a full marathon. Yes this goes against the let's just finish the marathon goal but it would be nice to have a decent idea of what time we're looking at)
So I ended up with these splits:
6:05
6:03
6:02
6:05
6:08
6:22
5:53 (this was average pace for the last .4km - this wasn't explained last time)
I was a bit surprised truth be known when 5k came around at 30:23 as this was a good bit faster than I was aiming for. Unlike last time I eased off for the last 1k rather than hammering it out as there is no point going too hard in a race week. The pace was consistently faster but I don't think I was pushing as hard as last week to do it. A sign of progress and with a bit of luck I can get something close to 2 hours 15 on Saturday. (My best time for a half marathon during LSR is 2 hours 35 - 20 minutes off that may be a big ask but tonight hasn't discouraged it !)0 -
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yes this is progress and on Saturday its a race so you will have the crowd to help keep you going and the atmosphere too.
And hopefully you little No1 fan (it is a little girl you have isn't it?) will be there to shout you on for the last bit.:D
Don't focus too much on the watch and the pace and just run by feel, its the best way to go in a race...and ENJOY!!
Yep little girl.
I'm gutted but my little No.1 fan won't be there. She does ballet on a Sat morning and the class has started back. They'd make it down for around half 12 but I'm hoping to be finished by then ! 0 -
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Going into the race I had a target in mind of close 2:15 - 2:20 (I'm aiming for a sub 5 hour for my first marathon this year and these times for a half would be my expected pace to be capable for a sub 5 in October) All of these race series races have been my first races at the distances involved so I was on for an official PB at the distance - had covered it in 2:35 during a LSR in training.
Could have had a better nights sleep - my 6 year old picked last night to get a series of nightmares which only stopped when she settled in our bed for the night. (Restless sleeper at the best of times and I counted at least 5 smacks in the head during the night) That said I was up early pottering about, had my porridge and left in plenty of time to get to the start line after parking in Castleknock.
Placed myself in the middle of Wave 3 thinking that this would be approximate to my finish position in the greater scheme of things Instantly regretted it after the race started. Congestion was a big issue all the way to the bottom of the kyber when the first hill started stringing the group out a bit. I was already close on a minute down on 2:15 what I had hoped to be at (allowing a bit of extra time for uphills and a bit less for downhill) and I made a decision not to try and claw it back. Instead I revised the target towards 2:20 and kept going. The amount of people ducking out for a mid race wee was unreal. The first few I saw at the bottom of the kyber I thought for a minute were cutting the course until I realised what they were actually doing. Big queues for the toilets at the start didn't help things I'm sure.
Was happy enough and comfortable all the way up the hills to Castleknock gate. It was nice to run through Farmleigh a first for me - couldn't believe the amount of gel wrappers thrown down there though. A runner in front of me slipped on one but thankfully didn't hit the ground. I can't understand the mentality behind dropping them in the middle of the road form other runners to run on - never mind the littering aspect to it.
On the road down past Mount Sackville somebody had hit the deck and looked in a bad way. I hope she was ok and it was a temporary thing. Back into the park and us slower runners get our usual dose of how bad we are at running when we are running side by side with runners heading for the finish straight when we were just over half way through. SOOOO tempted to run straight through and see what it was like to "finish" at the business end of the race but resisted the urge.
Had a bit of a WTF moment when I read the signs at the water station saying it was the last one. There was still 5-6 miles to go ! Thankfully they were wrong and there was one left.
I knew I was starting to get into trouble passing the 9 mile marker. Legs were very heavy and this was on a downhill stretch ! with the uphill finish still to come. I pushed through it and tried to keep the pace up knowing that I was going to lose some time later on. At this point I had worked out that if I could hang on at that pace until the start of the first hill back in from Conyngham road up to the S Bends I could afford to briskly walk up it and still have a chance of a 2:20
And that's what I did. All the way home I was looking at my watch hanging on saying to myself - If you can just get to x km you can afford to do the last y km in whatever time. Blew up a little bit again on the second hill up but I ran more of it than I did in the 10 mile and 5 mile for that matter.
I had slowed to LSR pace by the time I got to the top - not by choice I have to add. Legs were aching me and it wasn't a pleasant trip to the finish straight. That said when I got to the finish area I found enough juice in the legs to come in at a sprint finish (felt like a sprint - probably was slower than the first km)
The finish straight was such an improvement on the 10 miler. It was a great feeling to come home to a cheering crowd on a clear road. It was fantastic and was the main cause of the sprint finish for me.
Came home in 2:18:30 which I am very happy with as it's in the ballpark for the 5 hour marathon. I unfortunately looked like I had been stabbed in the chest by the time I finished (vaseline on the nipples did not last unfortunately so plan B will have to be formed for the next one !)0 -
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Went out this morning for a kind of LSR - My normal Monday LSR (scheduled as a 12 miler) was brought forward for Saturdays half marathon race. So today I was running the 8 mile run I skipped during the week just gone.
I was aiming to run it slightly faster than marathon pace as it was a relatively short distance for a LSR. Felt the going was a bit tough around mile 2 and seriously considered making it a 4 mile run - doubts were in my mind about the fact I had raced the half on Saturday having also ran my longest ever run last Monday. Decided to keep going and thankfully everything settled down. In fact by mile 4 I was very comfortable and covered the 8 miles non stop at an average pace of 6:47 per km (7:05 is marathon pace to come in at 5 hours) I have to say I am getting more and more confident for the big day. 0 -
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PM,
Just got a chance to read the first few pages of your blog this evening as I came across it. Inspirational stuff. I was actually taken back by it. I initially thought (assumed :rolleyes:) you had started it couple of years ago, then I see March 2012! :eek:
Your speed of progress has been mindblowing, fantastic stuff. We'll have to meet up on the 29th for deserved celebrations! Sub 5hrs will be no bother to ya.
Keep it up.
Hi blockic,
Thanks a million for that It's fantastic to get feedback and encouragement like that.
There's times I forget myself I'm quite new to this - especially when I see the other marathon novices like yourself talking about 3.5 and 4 hour targets and paces I can only dream about at the moment. Have to keep reminding myself that finishing a marathon having come from a literally zero base is the achievement for the year and that next year with over a years running behind me I will be in better shape time wise.
Hey if we're meeting up after the marathon you guys will all be drunk before I get there.
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Pageant Messiah wrote: »Hey if we're meeting up after the marathon you guys will all be drunk before I get there.
Ha, quite likely as I'm drunk after one drink these days!:D At least all this training has provided me with great financial savings when I go out!!0 -
Bad run tonight. Usually takes a couple of kilometres to loosen up and for pain to disappear from shins and ankles. Tonight though it just got worse and worse to a point where I was running with a limp on each leg. I'm sure I looked comical. When the hips and back started hurting (presumably from awkward compensating running) I figured the best thing to do was finish at a walk. It was only a 4 mile run but I think I may cycle for the rest of the week and stay off impact running until Monday's LSR.
Bit of a downer but not the end of the world. 0 -
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Pageant Messiah wrote: »I think I may cycle for the rest of the week and stay off impact running until Monday's LSR.
Bit of a downer but not the end of the world.
Good idea - sore legs during marathon training is normal. Limping is not.
The end result of continuing to run on shin splints is sometimes a stress fracture. Maybe physio might be an idea.
Enjoying your log btw.0 -
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career_move wrote: »Sorry to hear all that PM. It shouldn't take that long to get an xray though. I mean if you went into A&E tonight and paid 100 euro you'd get one tonight....at some stage...Did you read that article in fit magazine a few weeks ago (August) about the triathlete who fractured one of her metatarsals a few weeks before some big competition. I can't remember all the details but she rested it until the competition. She managed to finish in a really good time
I didn't read it but will look it up.
Even if this is a stress fracture I'm not writing myself off. AFAIK the "cast" that would be put on would be a boot that could be taken off when needed. If I spend the next 3 weeks doing cardio by cycling I'm confident I can run through the pain. I've done a 16 mile LSR so I'm only 4 miles away from the max LSR in the plan. Not ideal prep, probably looking at a longer time than 5 hours too but I'm stubborn enough to get it done.0 -
RunningKing wrote: »Just found this log and was reading through it, astounded by your progress!
I hope the current injury heals up, and remember, if the injury means you don't make this marathon, there's plenty of other marathons out there.
By your level of progress, anything is possible.
Thanks for the positive words 0 -
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Good news today.
Went to the hospital and got an X-Ray done after visiting the doctor yesterday. My usual doctor was not available and I saw a locum who basically told me to stop running and to consider the fact that I may not be capable of running long distances. I was quite :mad:
Anyway moving onwards to todays X-Ray. The official report doesn't go out to my doctor until next week but a preliminary look by the docs in the hospital saw no stress fracture. Although I'm still sore things are certainly looking up. Back to phsyio now.0 -
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