Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Off the Fence....and looking to go sub 3 hrs
Comments
-
-
-
Deadly!,you had us worried
Cheers FD. Nothing like a bit of drama! I see from your finish pic on Saturday that you waited until the finish-line this time to celebrate
Nice run and photoI retract what I said on yaboya1's log. Very well done on the PB M, shouldn't have doubted you.
Thanks B. Glad to see that the hip seems to have settled down.Well done on PB M, in flying form, save them 40 sec for when it really counts, always a good day when u PB.
Cheers G. I see you are back on the road. Take it handy for a few days to make sure all is good.Bungy Girl wrote: »Super stuff! A two-PB household, enjoy the double celebrations
.
Thanks G. We enjoyed the celebration and lived to tell the tail........well what goes on tour and all that!Super, super run today.
You are in the shape of your life. Just keep the fingers crossed for favourable conditions in Boston. I'll say no more for fear of jinxing.
Well done again.
Cheers P. Yep a few more week of hard graft and then we can start seriously looking at the big one and what we might be up against.Cracking result, FBOT!
Cheers J.I can confirm you were still running with 800m to go... After that...?
.
Great running today and thanks for the cuppa afterwards!
Video confirms I made it to the end.......cheers, A. Thanks to you and support crew for the shout outs.AuldManKing wrote: »WOW!
Cheers A, from one auldfella to another I take that as a real complimentWell done, Mark, did yourself justice.
Thanks D. Yep I have to agree with you it is one of the first races in a while that I think I didSuper run Mark, you are in serious shape. Best of luck in Boston
Thanks S. As always it was good to catch up with you. Don't hang around the dark side for too long........I hope training goes well for you for Berlin and that you get through it without the trip to A&E this yearAbsolutely savage! Well done on a great run!
Thanks A. Happy out now that I am officially in the results and can claim my 45sec PB :pac::pac:0 -
The short version.....great day at the office!!!
Official Time : 1:00:34
Overall Position : 113
Category Position (O45) : 6
Slightly longer version…..
Prerace
Raheny 5 followed by this were always planned as my main tune-up races before Boston. I had built in a buffer week for each to allow me to give them a good lash. I had nor have I any plans for a pre-marathon half so had no reason to hold back at this one. This was my third outing to Ballycotton so I have reasonable knowledge of the course and the set-up. On the morning of the race I got up early as usual and had my normal breakfast and while sitting enjoying the view over the bay I decided to review my last couple of race reports from here. I was surprised to see that I never actually did one for last year but the 2014 one reminded me of the logistics and hammered home the point about congression, etc. at the start. Then I jumped onto Strava to review the splits from both my previous outings. Had to find something to do to pass the time given the late start This highlighted what I already knew that in both previous occasions I had struggled a bit around the turn and lost valuable time in miles 4 through to 6. I had a view that this was more down to mentally switching off rather than anything physical so I decided that today I would focus specifically on these 3 miles and make sure I kept the head in the game at this point. The start would take care of itself and after mile 6 we were on the run home so should be no problem keeping the focus for that.
Last year and this year we had a house on the Main Street with friends that was ideally located 1km from the start/finish and also perfect for as a drop-in location for friends and family doing the race. Had plenty of visitors from 10:30 onwards including Murph, Annapr and the boys. This along with a nice relaxing stroll up the town helped pass the morning.
So 12 O’Clock came and time to start thinking about the job at hand. I few quick stretches (actually 2 I think 1 on each leg) and then into the gear. Said my good lucks and goodbyes and off I went. Headed up to the bag drop and was surprised to see 2 houses in the field that used to be the bagdrop area….the boom in back!! Found the new location and dropped the bag. No delay as I just dumped me bag and didn’t bother with a sticker or writing my number on it. If you can leave the door open all day in the house with no problems I didn’t expect anyone to nick me bag with nothing worth nicking in it anyway. To be honest not putting it in the standard issue white plastic bag made it very easy to find afterwards. Met Murph at the bag drop and after donning our blackbags we headed out for a short warm-up with a few strides before making our way to the start area. We were in place a good 15/20mins before the start and had our choice of starting position at that stage. Bumped into Loughie and as it started to get busier we wished D well and pushed up a bit as he was happy to sit back a little. Yaboya joined us at this stage. Loughie had a plan to go out at 6min pace and see how long he could hold it. I had a plan to target sub 61 but not to leave anything behind while P was a less clear on target time but was going to run hard and see where it got him. He was just back from 3 weeks holidays so that was always going to take its toll. As the crowd start to build I pushed up a little more as I knew there would be a bunch of elites and clubrunners jumping in from the front just before the off. I was relaxed and ready for the off when it came.
Race
Mile 1-3 (06:06/05:59/05:57)
Start was congressed as always but I knew there were only a couple of hundred people in front of me so couldn’t be too much of a hold up. I just held the white line in the middle of the road and tried to avoid being tripped by those bobbing and weaving from side to side looking for non-existent gaps and then pushing through anyway. Saw Loughie passing at pace on the left-hand road edge but quick check of the watch and pace was Ok so just stayed where I was. I wasn’t feeling as comfortable as I thought I should be and I felt a little strange kinda like I was overheating but I wasn’t. Maybe just a bit anxious which is very unusual for me but breathing felt laboured and air felt thin. Quick shout from Annapr and crew as we passed through the village before being joined by Yaboya. Quick hello and then another check of the watch which told me that traffic had slowed and that I needed to make a move if things didn’t free up soon. That was the last time I checked the watch until crossing the 10K mark on the road. It was also the last time I felt the sense of a lack of air.
The guy calling splits at the 1m marker called 06:16 and I heard a couple of lads beside me saying that they were 06:07 net. I reckoned that I was about the same with 10secs or so in hand on the clock time.
Second mile includes the steepest part of the downhill so this helped build momentum and get me into the game. I was busy checking out those around me so that I could monitor my progress by seeing where I stood in comparison to them at the later stages. I was in a group that was moving slower than I wanted to be so when we were passed by 2 Celbridge runners I jumped on board and started chasing down the next group which I could see included Loughie. Next mile beeped but I took no heed I was moving well now and happy to run on feel for a while. During mile 3 we caught the next group and I pushed on through and tagged onto Loughie who had moved to the front of the group.
Mile 4-6 (05:57/05:59/05:59)
These were the magic miles for me. The ones I had committed to even before the race began so had no intention of backing off in any shape or form. No power nap option today!! This meant that I could not settle into any group I just had to keep ploughing ahead at my own pace. It also meant that I got very little shelter when we turned back into the breeze after Ballymaloe. But at this stage I had passed the halfway point and with a clock spilt of 30:2x meaning a net split of 30:1x, I was very happy with where I was. To put in in context my 5m PB is 29:59 and 5 weeks previously I had run reasonably well in Raheny 5 for a 30:02. In mile 6 I came up alongside a St Finbarr’s runner. As I passed him he surged and passed me back. I took no heed of him and just kept my pace steady. About 100m later I passed him again and he did the same. This went on for about a mile each time he passed me I smiled a little wider and by the third or fourth time I felt like reminding him that he had over 3 miles to go including a decent climb and that he might be better off saving his effort but who am I to tell him how to run his race. My focus at this stage had moved to a group of 10/12 lads about 50m ahead. They were moving at just the right pace but a little outside my reach. I decided against pushing to catch them as I had a good rhythm going and wasn’t sure the extra effort would be worth the shelter they would provide from the breeze given that the breeze was not significantly hampering my progress. Passed the 10k mark during this stretch and had a quick look at the watch 37:3x or thereabout which would be a PB over 10k for me if it counted. Current PB is 38:42 from Kilbride 2014.
Mile 7-9 (06:01/06:00/06:10)
Miles 7 and 8 were business as usual. I was still running solo just that little bit too far back from the group but was picking off the back markers as they got detached. I was looking at a couple of the lads at the back of the group with envy as they looked to be coasting without doing any of the work. At some points during these miles I could see 30+ runner strung out in front of me on the road and couldn’t help but think that in there somewhere was the 100th runner and questioning if I might be able to pass him/her before the finish. Had no thoughts of time along here just wanted to keep the effort constant and knew the clock would look after itself after that. The rain continued to fall getting a little heavier and my shorts were sticking to my quads. This made me think about the lack of pain I was feeling in my legs. I was actually cruising in a comfortbale hard sort of way breathing was good and legs felt fine. I actually put this down to them being numb as they had that red glow you get when running on a cold wet day. I wasn’t complaining as they were doing a great job. As we passed the 8mile mark the group ahead started to break up with the lads that had done the drafting pushing on and the lads that had done the hard work coming back towards me. Next came the hill. I was joined just before the hill by a Gowran AC runner whom I had passed around mile 4. When I passed him I heard his mate tell him to kick on if he wanted to go with me and he replied that he was all good and that this race was all about the second half. He kicked pass me but I declined the temptation to go with him as I reckoned it was just a little far out to be getting involved. I would get up the hill into the final mile and then dig in and defend or improve my position. Given my recent trips to Howth the hill didn’t pose me any great difficulty. I just shorten the stride and stuck the head down and got on with it. Pictured a cyclist up ahead that needed a lesson
Picked up a couple of places including the Gowran lad along the way. He kicked back once but that didn’t last. Got a shout of 54:4x at the 9 mile mark.
Mile 10 (06:01 plus 0.07 in 23sec)
I now knew I was on for a decent sub 61 if I just held on for another 6min mile. Headed up through the village and as always the support was fantastic. Another shout out from Annapr and crew and I was buzzing………I know I told Mrs Mc that you could either choose to Enjoy the Race or Enjoy the PB afterwards but today I was looking at one of those great occasions when you get to do both!!!
I hit the 600m to go mark and was struggling to push on any more there were two guys still in the “killzone” but how much did I want it? I made my only mistake of the day just about here. For the first time I looked over my shoulder. Up until this at no stage did I care what was behind me it was all about maintaining effort and chasing down the runner in front. I don’t know whether I wanted there to be someone chasing me down to force me to keep pushing or whether I was looking for the comfort of knowing that I was under no pressure. It turned out that there was no one within striking distance and with the finish line approach quickly, sub 61 was secure so too were the 2 guys in front of me……..I was done no sprint finish today.
Crossed the line with 1:00:4x on the clock. The rope was still up corralling finishers to the left so for a moment I thought maybe but it was to be I was handed a mug and nothing else.
Post race
The lack of adrenaline from a sprint finish, the miserable weather and the sight of all those t-shirts around me took the edge off the result for me a little and I headed back around to cheer home the rest of the crew with little fuss or thought about what I great race I had just run.
Gave Murph a roar on the run in, he looked like he was working hard but no dry wrecking in sight and then headed back down to the house to hit the shower before the queue. Gave the rest of the crew shout outs as they passed me. Met up with Yaboya and Annapr at the house and we waited to see E and Mrs Mc to pass before heading inside. No acknowledgement from Mrs Mc when she passed which meant she was focused on the job at hand or as I found out later, was focused on beating our friend’s 17 year old niece which she did
Wasn’t long before the house was full of mainly happy people with loads of PBs to celebrate. Tea, coffee and cake was first on the menu as everybody was eager to get warm after a truly wet and miserable afternoon weather-wise. I’d say it was worst for the spectators than runners though. Finished off by heading next door to the pub for a celebratory drink before getting on the glad rags on and heading up the town for dinner. Great event in a great location and I hope to have the pleasure of running it again next year….sub 60 might yet be achievable we will have to see what the next year brings.
I found it very interesting over the next couple of days when I saw how I reacted to my performance. It wasn’t until Tuesday that I noticed that every time anyone asked me how I got on I started by saying that I didn’t get a t-shirt I completed ignored the fact that I had just broken my PB by 45secs, that I made up 12 places in the second half of the race, that wasn't passed by anyone that managed to stay ahead of me from mile 2 omwards and that I had exceeded even my most optimistic prerace expectation. In reality I had just run the race of my life.………..so now if you ask me you will get the following answer “I had a focking great run. Smashed my PB by 45secs and thoroughly enjoyed every step while doing it! It was indeed one of the good day” 0 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
Great account of the race. Course knowledge really stood to you. Interesting that you felt no pain either - not sure if I buy the numb legs theory though. Wonderful run - very impressive to only lose 10 secs in mile 9. Looking good. 0
-
-
-
-
-
-
13/03/2016 Sunday 23m @ 07:50 avg pace (LR)
Planned 21m ended up being 23m by time I finished. 7m over to the PP before linking up with Murph for his 14m @ MP which suited me fine. Long runs in company are always easier. Ferris was a no show for the off.....he's getting old and needed a lie-in.....but he did manage to drag himself out of the scratcher to join us around mile 5. Lovely morning and as always plenty of chat and not just from me as those two might try to claim. Murph seemed happy enough throughout the MP section and put us in our box during the last MP mile when he basically told us to get our finger out and pick up the pace. Duly obliged We finished off with a couple of easy miles back to the visitors centre for coffee, cake and more chat in the courtyard. Thanks for the company gents.
All went to plan. Only minor issue was that my right calf felt very tight when I got up and had to stretch it out before I headed out. A sniper then took a shot at it in mile 2 but missed and it settle down after that. I was probably a little shy with my water intake over the last few days and this was just a warning shot for the weeks to come.0 -
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
MisterDrak wrote: »Was down myself on Saturday morning. Must say hello next time
Please do. I see you bagged yourself a St Anne's PB with your sub 20. On one leg too. Well done:)0 -
-
-
-
-
-
16/03/2015 Wednesday 15m @ 08:03 avg pace (MLR w/Hill of Howth)
Another pleasant evening midweek run up to the Summit and back.
Quad and calves a little bit tight on the way out and hamstrings a bit crampy over the last couple of miles. Nothing major just more for the watch list 0 -
Advertisement
-
17/03/2016 Thursday 7.4m @ 08:35 avg pace (Recovery)
Very pleasant run in the company of my sister's dog. The legs felt the hangover of the previous night's trip to Howth. Everything felt worse today than after the weekend's long run. I think the VO2 Max on Tuesday may have been the biggest contributor to the tightness. Skipped the planned strides.
18/03/2016 Friday 6m @ 08:39 avg pace (Recovery)
Another recovery run in the company of my sister's dog. He is still young and naive enough to light up when I show up in my running gear. As opposed to my own dog who for the last couple of years now disappears into his bed and hopes I don't call him to go with me when he sees me with the running gear on..........youth (2yrs) v's old age (12yrs)
BTW nothing wrong with my dog. He is full of beans if he sees me in my walking boots and reaching for the walking jacket. It's just that his view on running at this stage is "I am too old for that sh1t!"
19/03/2016 Saturday 18m @ 07:46 (LR including Hill of Howth and St Anne's parkrun (20:21))
Speaking of old age I decided to scrap the tune-up race in the P&D plan and bring forward my LR to join Ferris for a trot up to Howth. We then headed to St Anne's parkrun and took up prime position to witness another elder statesman in the form of Murph smash through the 21 min barrier for 5k. Great run from Murph. He committed to the GO HARD or GO HOME concept from the start and hung on well for a well deserved PB. Finished off with the usual coffee, cake and chat in the company of among others the aforementioned Ferris and Murph as well as Laura AC3 who was on marshalling today for her sins.
20/03/2016 Sunday 11.2m @ 07:30 avg pace (MLR - progressive)
Wasn't sure what to do this morning. Previously when I have dumped tune-up races I have replaced them with LT sessions but that's normally before an LR rather than after it. So with 18 miles in the legs from yesterday including a sub-MP parkrun to finish out I decided an LT would not be the thing to do. Instead I decided just to go out and run the balance of the weekly recommended mileage and to let the legs go with the flow. After really struggling to get out of the bed I had no expectation from this run. However, as I got out the door into a beautiful morning for running I felt great. Trotted along happy as Larry with little or no reference to the watch. Knew I was going a little fast but given the fact I had dropped a tune-up race over the weekend I was happy just to run at whatever speed I was comfortable.
Spent the rest of the day tearing down stud walls and kicking in ceiling in my brother's house as he prepared for the builders. Nothing like a bit of demolition work to cleanse the soul :pac:0
Advertisement