DCM 2017 Mentored Novices Thread

Baby75

So Just wondering how do we approach getting back out running how much rest do we take

I do not know if it was a little foolish but My hubby registered us for the Gingerbread half in November :pac:

whats the best way to approach it, I don't think I will be chasing a PB plenty of time for that

BigAl81

deisedude wrote: »

Nearly there with .2 of a mile to go and the finish line in sight my legs buckled and only for 2 absolute gentlemen sacrificing their own times to help me I wouldnt have got over the line for 3:46:30.

Unfortunately I didn't get those 2 gents names because i was fairly out of it but in case they are reading this a sincere thank you for your kindness. (I was the guy in the orange singlet)

I don't think this was you, but I saw a good few people stopping 400 meters from the finish to help people over the line who could hardly walk at that point...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU-nqwMmNAM

Great to see people give up a bit of their time so close to the finish to help others!

We'll done to everyone who ran at the weekend, I might just have to pull back on the runners and give it a go next year ;o)

Cheers,
Al.

clickerquicklic

I have to say even despite the mess up of the half marathon the race series was brilliant. The package of 10k, 10 mile , Half marathon and marathon is amazing value you'd pay as much for 4 tee shirts , so i'll enter the lot again even if I miss the marathon 3 of them races are great value , obviously living in Dublin is a big plus. I feel a bit for the organisers that the half was a mess because they deserve serious credit for the way they run these events each year.

joeKel73

Well done all!!

If anyone else missed out on their finisher t-shirt at the end (they ran out of most sizes), send an email to office@dublinmarathon.ie. They're ordering another batch and will send them out in about 4 weeks.

Kellygirl

Baby75 wrote: »

So Just wondering how do we approach getting back out running how much rest do we take

I do not know if it was a little foolish but My hubby registered us for the Gingerbread half in November :pac:

whats the best way to approach it, I don't think I will be chasing a PB plenty of time for that

I'm waiting until the pain is gone and going to start with a slow 5km and take it from there. How many weeks away is the HM? I wouldn't worry as you took it handy the other day.

Baby75

Kellygirl wrote: »

I'm waiting until the pain is gone and going to start with a slow 5km and take it from there. How many weeks away is the HM? I wouldn't worry as you took it handy the other day.

It is nearly 4 weeks away, yep I have unfinished business I think LOL but I still had an amazing day even the cycle home was epic loved it

drkpower

What a day; what an achievement for everyone here; and most of all, what a crowd. Sorry about the length of this; it's taken about the same time to write as the marathon itself....

Target: 3.40.00

How I got here.

At the turn of the year I was an occasional parkrunner, and had done two 10ks over the past 5 years, both of which were deeply unpleasant experiences. The concept of a marathon simply wasn’t on my radar. I wasn't a runner, i had decided. The motivation of 3 people really changed that; (1) my older brother (and graduate of this thread) who had done DCM 15 & 16 from pretty much a standing start; (2) a good friend of mine who doesn’t take no for an answer, who commandeered me into a small training group at the start of the year (with the lofty ambition of doing a sub 24.00 5k race); first runs were two 5ks at 7.30 am each morning of a lads piss up weekend in New York and (3) my best mate, who was coming from even further behind fitness/training wise and who had been through some tough personal times recently; the extent to which he took on the challenge and the mileage was inspiring. How those early beginnings turned into DCM ’17 is a bit of a blur, but a bunch of things conspired; my sister signing up as novice, the steely and always effective support and encouragement of my wife (it’s not easy with a 3 & 1y.o.!), this thread (and the 2015 and 2016 versions) and the subtle competitiveness that only Strava can provide (that git did 6k on this rainy windy freezing mid-February evening? Right, ill lace up my runners so….).

Pre-race

Taper madness lived up to its name as it coincided with my moving into our new house, so the last 2 weeks were crazy, but 2 weeks I will remember forever. Butterflies were building all the way up to the day itself, especially Saturday; didn’t know whether I was coming or going. How I managed to get a solid 8 hours sleep is beyond me; I took it as a sign the running gods were smiling… Met with my brother, sister and friend in town which eased the pre-race tension. Superbly organised I have to say. Got some photos, discussed strategy. Lined up a few yards before the 3.40 pacers. Fiddled with my phone, my gels, my shorts, my race number.

Took a long slow deep breath ……

Miles 1-3 [7.41; 7.52; 8.23] (going off strava record but that first mile wasn’t that fast)

The starting gun seemed to blow away what clouds remained, to reveal stunning blue skies. Dublin really scrubs up well in the sunshine. I spent the first few miles looking up and admiring the scene and the crowds. My plan was to keep the 3.40 pacers in sight for the first 7-10 miles, and then let my body tell me what to do next. While the congestion was nowhere near as bad as I had expected, by mile 2, I found a really comfortable spot a few meters ahead of the pacers. I kept my promise not to tear off like an eejit as I had done in the Half. Feeling good, feeling proud.

Miles 4-7 [7.59; 8.07; 8.19; 8.18]

Felt very comfortable going up through the park. Had a chuckle at TFGR’s ‘fix yer nips’ station. Tucked in a few meters behind my brother (just in case he made a break for it…!) and 100 or so metres ahead of the 3.40 pacers. Didn’t really notice the uphill drag.

The crowd at Myos

Holy flurking schnid. Spine tingling. Goosebumps. Pride.

Miles 8 – 13 [7.51; 7.54; 7.48; 8.08; 8.01; 8.05]

Whether it was the post Myo’s buzz, or the downhills, I don’t know but this was the most enjoyable stretch (until the last 6 miles). Dublin looked resplendent in the sun; the views from that little stretch of ‘countryside’ before you went back into the Park were stunning. Myself, brother and friend converged for a bit, ran together and exchanged some banter. I was feeling good and I noticed the 3.40 pacers were almost left behind. It was decision time. My body was telling me to up the pace. I was a little apprehensive, fearing a second half backlash, but I figured I could consolidate back to 8.2x pace from miles 14 – 20 which were my slow drag miles in training and conserve energy then before the final push.

Miles 14 – 19 [8.17; 8.16; 8.15; 8.01; 8.00; 8.10]

I’m not familiar at all with this part of Dublin and I was expected a monotonous drag but actually the support here was the best on the course. There were a couple of ‘Tour de France’ stretches where the crowd narrowed and it felt like running through a tunnel; claustrophobically exhilarating. I dropped the pace a bit to consolidate. Somewhere in the middle of this stretch, my spotify playlist (which had been on pause for most of the run so as not to interfere with the amazing crowd noise) played Ariana Grande’s ‘one last time’. It’s a song that myself and the kids dance around to in the kitchen on my early morning wakeups. Post Manchester bombing, it took on a different meaning, that being the type of event I’m sure my daughter will be going to in about 10 year’s time (or less…eek..). A massive wave of emotion gushed up and hit me like a club, and I burst into some momentary tears. Emotional energy – it seems – is powerful running fuel because all thoughts of consolidation ended there and then, and I decided to power on to see them at mile 23 where they were waiting for me.

Miles 20 – 23 [7.44; 7.54; 8.13; 8.13]

Wubble/AMK’s advice came into my mind; break the distance down, make it more manageable. Ok, it’s a parkrun to my wife & kids and then a parkrun home. I was feeling great so I put the back straight, the head up and I high 5’d more kids than a circus entertainer. Whether they had their hand out or not, I high 5’d them. Each one was like a gel being delivered intravenously. The ‘carnage’ was beginning to become evident around this stretch; people who had gone out too fast and were paying for it now or people who picked up injuries or whatever. I mentally gave this thread and Wubble and co a giant High 5; the advice on this thread from everyone had gotten me to this point feeling stronger than at any point during the race. I couldn’t believe it and was so thankful. I powered up Heartbreak Hill. A guy at the top shouted ‘looking way too fresh, way too fresh’; I’m not sure if it was for me or someone behind me but I took it all the same!

Arrived to the wife & kids to find the kids fighting over a jelly baby!! Gave wife and daughter a hug and a kiss. My nearly 2 y.o. son is currently in the middle of a ‘No’/’don’t care’ phase and as a form of protest over jelly baby-gate he refused to give me a hug! I forgave him; some things are more important than marathons, like jelly babies …..

Miles 24 – 26 [7.58; 8.08; 8.09; 7.26]

By the last mile I was waving my hands encouraging the crowds to roar. I’m not sure what had happened to me; this is not what I do, but the experience and atmosphere had been amazing almost from start to finish and I wanted to gulp every last drop before the end. I started my sprint finish prematurely and had to slow down when I realised that I still couldn’t see the 26mile marker!!; saw it and sprinted again. Finished at 3.35.20, five minutes inside my target, with a negative split [1.47.04 vs 1.48.16] and the last 10 k being comfortably my fastest sector. Met up my bro, sis and friend and was delighted that it pretty much went perfectly for them too (though my friend had twanged his calf muscle at mile 20 so had to jog in the last few miles; he still managed couch to a sub 4hr marathon in 9 months, which was amazing)

One of the most enjoyable days of my life, without a doubt. The crowds have to be seen to be believed. Makes you proud to be from this corner of the world. A big thanks to Wubble/AMK and all who post here. I am not the most frequent contributor but I read every line of every post. It shaped what I achieved on Sunday, of that there is no doubt.

Felt an awful sense of sadness all day yesterday; something that had become such a major part of my life was ‘over’; will I ever feel the same sense of achievement, the same sheer joy of the race itself? I knew they were misplaced, and that there will be other achievements to set and reach; but I couldn’t shake it. I guess it’s true; there is nothing like your first marathon. Any hesitant would-be novices reading this in years to come and debating whether to do it or not? Do I need to answer that?

Checked the Whatsapp before bed; brother suggesting sign-up for Berlin 2018. Oh, go on then.....

smashiner

smashiner wrote: »

Well done Novices MARATHON RUNNERS , super race reports coming in, great reading indeed!

I was cheering you all on at the 16 Mile marker just before the KCR and I really enjoyed being a spectator this year, although there was a small voice in the back of my mind yelling 'you have to do this again, this is fantastic'

I noticed that a lot of people were dousing their faces with water, the heat appeared to taking it's toll on a quite a few people, did anyone else find the conditions a bit warm??

As expected there were quite a lot of overseas runners, Danish, American, Scottish, Italians in particular this year I noticed and all running with smiles and/or grimaces on their faces as the fantastic crowds cheered them on, no wonder Dublin is so popular.

Well done to everyone, whether you hit your time or not is not really important as your first DCM was always going to be tough, you are all MARATHON RUNNERS now........you will know what to expect for next year :eek:

Now where is that 2018 DCM website..............??

Just notices a big typo on my behalf.....as you are no longer NOVICES, u all are GRADUATES now....... :cool:

beakerjoe

Hi Guys – Delayed Marathon Report ahoy.

Firstly You may have noticed me absent from this thread in the last 2/3 weeks. Things were getting tough training. I was doing much less than I should. I was tired, feeling jaded and found it hard to motivate myself.
I felt lime I hadn’t got the energy to keep training, while I knew I had to keep going and keep the training going, I felt like my body was telling me to stop. I went out for a 15 mile run with 2 weeks to go and only did 10 and gave up. The next weekend , the week before the marathon I tried to do a 10-12 mile rrun but only managed a 3.5 mile run before I gave up. I just didn’t want to run anymore and my body was agreeing with me.

I avoided this thread out of fear of being told by experienced runners to just keep going. I knew I should have been doing more, but I really just didn’t want to. I felt the less I did, the less prepared I would be for the marathon itself. I was hitting a big wall mentally.

My thinking was simple, If I rested and did less, maybe I would be better on the day. I had a feeling this wasn’t the right advice hence why I didn’t read nor post on here in the last 2 weeks.

I did eat well in the week leading up to the marathon and did my final 4 mile run on Wednesday. I still didn’t feel up to the challenge.

On Saturday it was my daughters birthday in Funtasia, which most of the time was spent on my feet chasing after her in the play area. Wrecked I was come 8pm. I did eat well that day bar a few chips and went to bed at 11pm and slept like a baby.

Got up at 630 (thank god for the extra hour) and got myself prepared with some porridge and water. Drove in, parked on Townsend Street and did a pre race poo in Wynns hotel. Did want a repeat of 2012 where I had to stop with 3 miles to go for a dump.

Almost race time and Im cold. I decide to take a risk and not where my under armour tee shirt. Felt relaxed come 9 and off I went. 2 mile sin and I was glad I didn’t wear my under armour as the sun came out.

Before I had hoped for about 4:30.00, thinking once I paced myself at about 10 mins a mile I would be fine. The first few miles breezed by, so fast in comparison to the half marathon. I took my first gel at the castleknock gate of the park and was buzzing and feeling confident as my splits so far were roughly 8.30 and I was feeling fine.

By the time I came to the big hill near chapelizod I felt that was my first big test, but 10 mile sin and I was flying. The atmosphere was fantastic from castleknock on wards, and took another gel on boards here.

Took another gel on at 13 miles and was feeling it in my calfs a bit and my legs were getting heavy, but I maintained my rhythm and kept going. My splits were still good and under 9 minutes thus far, so was feeling great mentally. 14 miles brought me over 9 minutes for the first time though and my decline started here, but maintained them under 10 mins until mile 21. It was here the really work began.

The mental battle was in full force here, as the pain was beginning to slow me down as my muscles ached and my legs got heavier. Then came the heartbreaker! It certainly got the best of me.

I struggled up the infamous hill slowly, but still jogging and made it without stopping even though I wanted to so bad. Then I made my fatal mistake of stopping for water on the way down the opposite side. I stopped and walked and sipped some water and took on my final gel for a minute but I found it so hard once I started to run again. My legs felt ten times heavier than before I stopped and the pain was much worse as my muscles begged me to stop. I kept going, though I was much slower now and my 23 mile split was now at 15.11 mins. Eek.

I pushed on and my motivation came from 2 unlikely sources. At the next DJ booth they played Pitbulls hit “Give me everything tonight”. It’s a song that myself and my misses first kissed to many years ago and it inspired me to keep going just to see her face at the finish line.

At the same time I seen an inhuman runner pushing a wheelchair in the race and thought look at him, how is he doing this. How is he pushing 12 stone of weight while running at that speed? I though however bad I have it now, This guy is pushing himself harder and I needed to push myself too.

So I kept going, slowly but surely, ignoring the pain and taking on board the well wishes from the crowd and just about crossed the line at 4 hours and 12 minutes.

I am hurt, sore, lacking any real functionality at this point, but I find my misses whos waiting for me and give her a big sweaty hug and Im so happy to see her face. I did it, just about and Im just so glad I dont have to run.

clickerquicklic

I'm just out from the Doctors , wanted to get a check up as was concerned about the dizziness and vomiting after Sunday . He said it's labyrinths (sounds fancy) but most likely spread from a throat/chest infection I had last week. He said that your ear is sending mixed messages to your brain about your body position and its like a motion sickness , this explains a lot. Back on antibiotics and vertigo tablets and no running for a week ( no problem !). He did say your crazy you shouldn't of been running take up another hobby like Golf ! its not as hard on your joints.

smashiner

clickerquicklic wrote: »

I'm just out from the Doctors , wanted to get a check up as was concerned about the dizziness and vomiting after Sunday . He said it's labyrinths (sounds fancy) but most likely spread from a throat/chest infection I had last week. He said that your ear is sending mixed messages to your brain about your body position and its like a motion sickness , this explains a lot. Back on antibiotics and vertigo tablets and no running for a week ( no problem !). He did say your crazy you shouldn't of been running take up another hobby like Golf ! its not as hard on your joints.

I had this 'weird out of body experience' a few months ago after coming back from a Spanish holiday, the doc reckoned that it was from the swimming pool over there or the aeroplane. A week or two of popping the small pills he prescribed and I no longer felt as if my head was 4 seconds behind the rest of my body....you will be grand .

conti

Within the first km I was already getting the sharp should pains that that only surfaced during my last 2–3 weeks of training, I didn't let it get to me, I had already decided I was going to enjoy the day no matter what. Having said that, they the pain dispersed within about 5 minutes.

Running up Stoneybatter I had one of those moments where there were no runners within 5 yards of me in every direction, thought I was a victim of a flash mob or something, turns out everyone just gravitated towards water tables that i had failed to see.

Into Phoenix park, keeping a nice steady pace, approached the 3:20 pacers and thought I'll hang with these for as long as possible. My natural pace took me past them halfway up the avenue, I know you're supposed to conserve energy here but when I put too much effort into running slowly I find it takes from my natural cadence and my run turns into a plod which in turn takes up more energy. By the time we were leaving the park I was between the 3:20 and 3:10's – a position I would be happy to keep for the race.

At the halfway point I felt great, 1:32, I was delighted with myself and was even closing in on the 3:10 pacers, but that's when the sun came out which zapped a lot of energy out of me. Another issue was my heart rate, it was 170+ since the 2nd km, way too high! Regardless of easy I tried to take it I could never get it below 168, I put this down to the excitement of the day. I kept a steady/easy pace up Crumlin road, sipping water at the stops, chatting to a gentleman who was also running his first marathon with his wife. We agreed we'd get sub 3:20's for our first attempt then went our separate ways, (hope you got your target , Tobias I think his name was).

At 25km i started to refuel on my homemade paste (banana, almond butter, dates, chia seeds), which went down easy, and for the first time I ate while still running, something I could never master before. Had another at 34th km and 2 gels, one at each of the tables they handed them out at.

35km+
Uncharted territory on 2 levels: I've never ran over 35km distance, and I don't know this part of Dublin at all, aside from the the chilling tales of heartbreak hill. This should be interesting.

The heat was really getting to me but I sipped water every so often, and despite all the water I drank I never felt the need to use the loo which was great, same as my last 2 LSR's.

37th km I started getting a severe stitch in my left side, haven't had a stitch in months, and I never before got one on my left side, which lead to a moment of panic thinking it may be related to the elevated heart rate. It took stopping and walking about 5 or 6 times (it was a blur) before it was finally gone. The pain was excruciating at times, I thought at one point I wouldn't be finishing, but I soldiered on, and once I was able to comfortably breathe again I graduated from a walk back into a run. At this point I was Ok with losing sight of the green balloons, finishing was my only target.

There were a few dips and hills in the area, but once I saw the “Welcome to Heartbreak Hill” banner I was determined to run it, even if it was a harmless jog, just to say I did it. Once I got to the top the guy in front of slowed to a walk, so I followed suit until I heard someone in the crowd shout “It's downhill once you turn the corner!”. And they were right, it was a generous respite but I didn't bank too much time back because I wasn't fully over the stitch pain.

Turning into Nutley lane by RTE my legs cramped up almost sending me straight to the ground, I hobbled off to the side, did a bit of stretching, back into a walk, then eventually back into a run. “Just under a parkrun left to go” I told myself.

Then for the last 4km I can't fully explain what happened, my body conjured up everything I had left and I started bombing it. I was consistently over-taking as I made my way up Merrion Road.
About halfway I felt the cramps threaten to return, they even sent me into a slight wobble but my body said “Not now!” and I managed to stave it off by engaging my core and lifting my head and taking mindful knee-drives and foot-strikes using every major leg muscle. Everything at this stage felt great; the atmosphere was really encouraging, the route was nice and flat, the view was great – an autumnal tree-lined road leading into a crowded street and eventually the finish line in 3:16:20.

The second I passed the line I took a deep breath before promptly putting my hands to my face in an attempt to conceal the tears gushing out of my eyeballs. I couldn't stop, I was in bits. I knew I would be emotional but wasn't prepared for this. I think it was coming from the brink of giving up to finishing confidently that drew the tears. I even forgot to collect my goodie bag, but a woman kindly handed me one across the barrier where we weren't allowed back in. My body was so timid that I nearly keeled over with the weight of it. I collected my belongings from the bag drop and went out to meet my girlfriend who had brought me some coconut water which was a welcome change from sugary drinks. I just sunk my face into her shoulder and cried some more.I was in shock for about 40 minutes after, constantly shivering and unable to function. I knew I had to stretch so I forced myself to do some calf stretches. Walked for a bit, then met up with some family members to in Lincoln's Inn for a pint and soup (once the will to eat returned).


Afterthoughts:
My 2 biggest worries were hitting the wall and needing the toilet, neither happened. Instead I was hit with severe left-side stitch and almost buckled with leg cramps, 2 things that have never before happened to me, just goes to show you don't respect the distance until you do it.

I enjoyed every second of it, even the painful parts, at that stage there were dozens of others slowing to a walk too, it would have been worse if it was just me, so we were all suffering together.

My recovery is going well, I'm sore in the mornings but a bit of light walking and stretching gets me back to normal enough to function, thankfully I have a few extra days work leave left over so I took 2 extra days off to add to the bank holiday, I'm using this to relax and eat good food.

I'm still on a high after the whole ordeal, but more-so I can't wait to get back to it. I'm chasing a sub 3:10 early in the new year for sure, I'll gradually ease back into a running – apparently doing the taper backwards with slightly less distance is a good lead into next training plan. My natural pace had dropped from all the long slow runs, so speed training is next priority; the Raheny Shamrocks 5 miler in January seems like a good race to hone that for.

I really enjoyed this thread over the past few week, massive congrats fellow graduates, and here's to the first of many!

Kellygirl

Videos are up on the official sse website. Go into results and put in your number and video should there. There’s loads going through all the timing points. I’m looking at my watch in nearly all of them!

ariana`

Well here goes...

Pre-Race
I woke at 5am after a restless night. Lay on for an hour and got up around 6o'c. Quick shower, porridge, a pint glass of water with a High-5 Salt tablet, a few chats with my sister in law and the kids and off i went. I was picked up at 7.30 by Sheep/Darren. His good wife dropped us in town and we made our way, meeting up with Lazare en route, to the Shelbourne where it was great to meet a few more boardsie novices! Myself & Kellygirl made our way to Wave 4 together, queuing for the portaloos and keeping each other company. Around 9am as Wave 1 got going we parted company as she headed for the 4:30 pace group and i hung around for the 4:40 group. At 9:20 i started my watch to get GPS, no issues where. I also took 4 GU Chews at this point, it was a long time since the porridge at 6.30 am! I lined up about 3 rows back from the white 4:40 balloons and before i knew it we were off!

KM 1-10 (7:32, 6:56, 6:42, 6:47, 6:50, 6:32, 6:34, 6:40, 6:29, 6:34)
The plan was to stay behind the 4:40 pace group however with the congestion at the start i struggled to run at all and I was also concentrating on trying to stay relaxed and not waste energy weaving around people, as advised. By the time we hit 3km the 4:40 pacers were gone from sight and the 4:50 pacers had actually passed me, yikes, moment of panic here. I skipped the 1st water station and over the next km i pulled ahead of the 4:50 pacers again and settled into pacing myself letting the average pace settled to 6:40min/km which i knew would bring me in around 4:45 and i was happy with this (for now). My OH was at the 5 mile marker so this was the high point, i was so excited to see him and the kids. He admitted afterwards he panicked a bit when he saw the 4:40 pace group and i was at least 4 minutes behind but when he saw my smiley face he knew i was ok. I took a gel around 9km, i had planned on taking one around 7km but i forgot. The sun was beating fairly strong now and i was sweating more than i expected, i struggled to open the gel and when i finally did it split and my hands got even stickier to add to the mess Crossing the 10km timing mat was another milestone, almost 1/4 of way already. I knew at this stage my estimated finish time was roughly 4:45 and that was going to be good enough for me if i could hold that.

KM 11-20 (6:29, 6:32, 6:29, 6:37, 6:28, 6:24, 6:53, 6:34, 6:35, 6:37)
Body count - 515
Wow what can i say the crowds, the support, amazing! These KMs flew by. I was just intent on controlling the pace here even though it was inclined to pick up a bit. There was still a long way to go and i was still anxious as to whether my knee would hold up. No sign of the 4:40 pace group they were lost from view altogether. I took 2 nurofen around 13km, my knee was niggling (:eek:). I took another gel around 17km.

KM 21-30 (6:37, 6:43, 6:41, 6:35, 6:37, 6:26, 6:16, 6:07, 6:03, 6:16)
Body count - 1, 211
Lovely to pass the half-way mark and know that all my supporters at home would be getting the update and reassurance i was still going. I also had a friend in Walkinstown around 25km to look forward too here. I reminded myself 24km is when the hills start to ease off and i was finally allowed to pick up pace a small bit (if i was able :eek:)! I took a small chocolate bar from someone around 24km which was divine. I couldn't face another gel. I passed my friend around 27km further on than i expected but i got a huge cheer from her. It lifted me again, that the knowledge that suddenly I had only 15km to go gave me such a lift that i ran 2 pretty quick KMs and suddenly was down to 13 km to go, wow, already! I could also see the white balloons again at times, still a way off but i knew i was gaining ground. When we turned the corner for the 30km timing mat the balloons were very close

KM 31-40 (6:16, 6:16, 6:34, 6:30, 6:49, 7:05, 6:11, 6:17, 6:08, 6:27)
Body count - 1, 283
KM32-36 were the toughest part of my day. I was getting tired, really tired now and heart break hill hurt me. I kept reeling in the white balloons and then they'd pull away again. But at 37km i reminded myself it was just a measly Park Run to go!! Yippee!!! And my OH and kids were going to be at the Herbert Hotel around 40km which was only 3 km away. And it was all down hill now, right! Those white balloons were within my reach again and i slowly reeled them in. Once i caught them the plan was to introduce myself to Younganne and hang with them til the finish. It didn't work out quite like this however. I did reel them in around 38/39km but as i slowed to tuck in behind them i realised that putting the breaks on actually hurt too much (:rolleyes:) so i skirted around Younganne (who was deep in conversation with the other anne - my one regret of the day is we didn't get to meet) and i flew past (yes, i was flying now, really flying, i felt like Sonia O'Sullivan at this moment in time ).

KM41-42.45 (6:32, 5:44, 5:38)
I saw my OH and kids at 40km, i was in a world of pain at this stage but i was also on fire, i felt so strong and knew i just had to keep going, that was all, i was going to cross the finish line, i was going to do it!! And wow, that last mile, i just emptied the tank as i streamed passed people, and i smiled the whole way, this was what it was about, this is what it was all for, those last 800 meters, OMG, amazing, just amazing.

Watch time: 4:36:58
Chip time: 4:37:06
Total Body count: 3, 009 (number of people i passed from 10km to the finish)

After thoughts:
It was hours before i actually learned my time. I didn't care. I had finished. I knew i had done sub 4:40 because i'd passed the pacers but i knew nothing else until the text came in later that evening. I actually didn't care. I have a vague memory, a day later, of Skyblue (Sean) mentioning 4:37 in McGrattans but i'm not sure, i was fairly out of it. I ran a marathon, wow, who cares how long it took in the end! I am so proud of how I paced myself and so grateful to the advice that was drummed into us here. Without that i have no doubt my 1st marathon would have been a very different experience, the time may (or may not) have been the same but the experience would have been different. I loved how i ran this race, i love how i finished it, i loved that i could smile for those last few miles, that was the dream and it became the reality thanks to everyone who contributed on here, everyone, you know who you all are, thank you a million times over!

Roll on DCM 2018, i will be back

Amirani

Kellygirl wrote: »

Videos are up on the official sse website. Go into results and put in your number and video should there. There’s loads going through all the timing points. I’m looking at my watch in nearly all of them!

Never realised how terrible my running style looks.

muddypaws

Essay coming up.

Early start to the day, thank goodness for the extra hour. I was staying in Camac Valley campsite in Clondalkin, and was going to drive to the Luas, but was advised to get a taxi instead, so was sharing one in with another marathon runner who was also staying there, he had booked it for 7.30. No taxi showed up, when he phoned, he was told they would be with us in 15 minutes, then when he phoned back, was told they would try and get one to us. Thankfully two lads from Cork had a taxi booked that did turn up, so we jumped in with them, but poor Ciaran's wife didn't fit, so he had to abandon her and hope that she made her way in to support him, I don't know if she made it. The taxi got us nice and close, and bag drop and meeting up with a friend all went well, and I even managed to get to the toilet without standing in a long queue, thanks to the School House Hotel. I met up with Quickbeam, and we were going to start behind the 5hr pacers, and were waiting for them to move to the start line, but they didn't quite get there for 9.30, some of them were in the toilet queue, so I didn't hear the gun go off, but hey, its chip timed, its not a problem.

There wasn't the congestion that I was expecting, being towards the back of the field has its uses, we kept a good pace, keeping the pacers balloons at the same distance for the first few miles. I had my first emotional bit as we went past Cook Street, where my Dad was born, gave it a nod, and carried on. I took water at the first station, and had a few sips, my plan was to take water on at each station, just a few sips each time. Steady jog and turning on the NCR, half expecting to see my Auntie out with ham sambos and a cup of tea at that point. My shoulder started to play up around about now, I pulled my little expo keyring bag out, that I had stashed my drugs in – thanks for the tip whoever it was – and I realised I hadn't put the nurofen in it. Lovely atmosphere through the park, some great signs, Quickbeam caught me up and we ran together through the gate and into Castleknock, which was amazing. I had been advised by a previous runner to high 5 every child, and I did my best. Quickbeam went off for hugs from friends, but quickly caught me up, and on we went. She left me behind going down the hill, I was struggling with the shoulder pain, but thankfully saw an ambulance parked up once back in the park and went over to see if they could give me anything.

One poor man sitting in the side door of the ambulance with severe foot blisters, and another lying down in the back, and a message came over the radio that they were short of wheelchairs for the elite finishers! It was suggested that I take 3 ibuprofen, but I've never taken more than 2 at a time before, and didn't feel that it was the time to try something new, I can get lightheaded in the heat anyway, so didn't want to take any chances, although the medic did suggest that maybe floating around the course wouldn't be too bad a thing. Upper Glen Road was lovely, had a bit of a chat with a dog walker as I jogged past. It was probably around here that I fell in with the people that I would spend the rest of the day with, on and off. I enjoyed going past Kilmainham, sunny day, doing a bit of sightseeing, people pay money to do this on buses you know. Unfortunately my back had now started, all to do with the shoulder, and I wished I'd taken the 3 tablets. Even with the pain, reaching the half way point felt good, much better than the two half marathons I'd done in training, I had worried that reaching that point would freak me out, knowing I had to do the same distance again, but it was fine. It was around here that I first met a local runner from Ballina AC, he is in his 70s, and beats me every week at Park Run, he has a deceptive style, looks like he's just shufffling along slowly, but he really eats the miles up. He had injured himself 5 weeks previously, and so was running as far as he could, and then would walk, I think he made to it about mile 16 before he had to slow down. It was his 25th DCM.

Somewhere around here, I stepped off to the side to try and stretch my back out and 3 lads who were running for Temple Street checked on me, and gave me two neurofens, although I gave one back a few minutes later when one of them was also in pain, lovely bit of banter about the value, sellers market and all that. A few miles further on and I'm wondering what the hell I'm doing, alternating walking and running, running hurts my back, but walking just feels so slow. One foot in front of the other, that’s all I have to do. Just like everywhere else, amazing support along here, but the smell of Sunday dinners cooking was pure torture. Someone gave me an orange segment, which was lovely and very much appreciated. Terenure, and a bunch of teenagers are walking along the road with small paper bags, shouting 'Jellies'. Now I don't know when I became suspicious of teenagers, but all sorts of things were going through my head, about what was really in the bags. Then I saw the parents standing with the paper bags, handing them out to the kids and teens to pass out, and the sign on the side of the road 'Terenure Jellies'. I wonder do different areas have little competitions between each other?

A Lust for Life runner dropped in beside me and we chatted for a few miles, walking and then running wherever there were crowds, and some of the Waterstown Warriors kept us company as well, a great bunch. I had also been playing tag with the man in the big bra and tricolour grass skirt for a few miles, which we continued to do until the finish. Running was becoming harder and harder, but I was determined that I was going to run into the finish and not walk. Heartbreak Hill, yeah whatever, there's the Montrose aerial, I know where I am, I can do this. I even had a bit of a sing song at the DJ booth turning right onto the flyover, back down onto the dual carriageway, turn right, another nod at the gates of RTE, and I know that nothing will stop me finishing, 24 miles, that’s almost a marathon.

The last mile was definitely the longest, it just kept going and going and going, ran the last mile, and the pain seemed to disappear, a shout out to the Ballina Park Run director as she walked past with a group all in finishing tops and medals, going to get one of them was all that was in my mind. The finish was great, somehow I ran in by myself, I'd been with a girl in a brilliant tshirt for the last couple of miles "run like you're late for Platform 9 ¾" but she managed to sprint ahead of me, so I ran in by myself, with the commentator saying my name a couple of times. I wanted to wave and smile at people, but my eyes were fixated on that finish banner. Stumbled over the line, huge grin on my face, thanked the person who put my medal on profusely, and she gave me a hug, then took the goody bag in a daze – packet of soup, very random thing to have in there, and wasn't sure whether to stand and cry, or just keep walking, I kept walking. Met up with another Ballina AC runner, and we went and got our bag together, just stopping for a big hug with the big bra man – his boobs squeaked, which was a surprise. I did go to McGrattans, walked in and it was rammed, just as I got there a friend texted to say they were in a local hotel having a pint, so looking at the crowds, I'm sorry but I ducked back out and went off to meet them.

I had hoped to get in under 6 hours, I did it in 6:01:32, if I hadn't stopped at the ambulance, and for a wee along the way, I would have gone under 6, but it doesn't matter. I did it, I got all the way around and it was an amazing experience, everyone was so supportive, on here and out on the route. I really hope to be back next year – as a volunteer - anyone who does this more than once is nuts.

Wubble Wubble

Good Afternoon DCM Graduates!!

Congrats again on your incredible achievements, and thanks so much for all the race reports! I've only had a chance to read a few properly so far, but I will get around to them all eventually - and those of you who don't submit one, I'll be looking out for you at future events

On a personal note, it's been a very special experience for me to have been your mentor over the last six months, seeing how far you've come in that time, and being fortunate enough to meet some of you in McGrattans afterwards as you celebrated your milestone. Of course, there were some others who had been and gone by the time I arrived - to those people, sorry I missed you!

To all of you who contributed to the gifts I received, you're far too generous, that's all I'll say here

To all my collaborators - AMK, scotindublin, The Muppet, The Black Oil, El Caballo, Testosterscone, and many many more, who were ever helpful with their time, advice and encouragement. Thanks for making my job so much easier, usually coming up with better and more detailed answers to questions than I would have! Especially in the last few weeks when activity increased massively, it was very hard to find time to read everything, let alone come up with the answers myself.

But at the end of it all, it's you, the Novices Graduates that have made this thread. If none of you contributed, there would be no thread! You have been amazingly supportive to each other, especially considering very few of you (AFAIK) knew each other before we started. Many of you are on Strava, so hopefully there'll be plenty more activity to follow. And of course, one of you will be nominated to carry the torch for the DCM 2018 Mentored Novices Thread, which will be the 10th year of Novices threads

Just a little bit of housekeeping. It would be brilliant if you could answer the questions which follow.

- Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?
- If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?
- Any future plans in relation to running?

Thanks once more, from me to you, it's been an absolute pleasure. Until the next time....ádh mór!
J.

henrietta

henrietta wrote: »

What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
To run it all and finish is ultimate goal but really love to be under 5hrs or absolute dream 4hr40ish

Why are you running this marathon?
Running a marathon is something I've thought about for years and really just want to prove to myself I can. Said I'd do it before turning 40 so only 2 chances left at dublin!

I’ve no great back story or noble motivations for running this marathon. I just always thought it would be a cool think to achieve and prove to myself I could do it. I’d done a few 5k and 10 k here and there over the last few years but nothing serious or consistent. I did a half in Galway last October, I’d no proper plan or clue really and while I enjoyed it I took about 2 month off running after! I’ve toyed with the idea of a marathon a long time and said I’d do it before I was 40 so that left this year or next. A chance meeting (at Mass of all places) with an old school friend who has ran a few at this stage gave me the push I needed to say this is the year. Cue some intensive googling and finding a plan to follow that wasn’t too intimidating. Somewhere in that internet searching I came upon this thread and it really has kept me going since. Reading last year’s was a great resource too.

Pre race
Training went well enough, I got in almost all the runs and covered the miles. Wimped out on any sessions though and ran all my long runs too fast which had me very worried near the end but I just couldn’t seem to slow down.
Taper was fine and I took to the carb loading for the last three days with gusto as I love carbs anyway. By Saturday evening I think it was the first time in my life when I thought ‘no more carbs please’ Drank loads and got some zero tabs in too following advice on here. Got to bed early and slept fine, no problems there.

Race morning
Got a lift up from Athlone with a friend who was running in wave two. We were both anxious to be early, find parking etc so I had to leave the house at five to be at hers by half past. My perfectly planned marathon morning porridge spilled all over the microwave and I nearly cried when I say it but scooped it up and ate the disgusting mess. Drive up was grand and we parked handy and ate cold toasted bagels we brought from home (Urgh). If I was going to be out there for nearly 5 hrs there was no chance I was getting hungry! Felt a bit intimidated as we headed toward the start surrounded by lots of ‘proper’ looking runners but once I got into wave 4 area I was delighted to see all sorts in there and felt at home (no offence to anyone).

The race itself
Despite everyone saying it’s the most memorable day I actually don’t remember all that much detail about it!
I had made a pace band that took account of the course (again, recommended on here) and was hoping to follow that. My half times suggested I could do 4.30 but all advice seemed to be to take it easy and enjoy your first and that coupled with a very miserable half in August let me to choose 4.35 as my goal. So I started off not far behind the 4:30 pacers and determined to hold back and follow the pace band. Of course true to form that didn’t happen and I was way off pace. I had thought the congestion would keep me slow but it actually wasn’t that bad (nothing compared to women’s mini marathon anyway). I decided then to just keep a safe distance from the 4.30s and keep going as long as I felt good. Saw a top with Karen on it around Manor st thought it looked familiar so I said feck it I’ll ask her if she is from boards and if I get a weird look I’ll just run away! Luckily I was right and we had a nice chat. I was so busy talking I missed the water station but it was very early anyway. Delighted we met as I didn’t make any of the meetups and its nice to prove we are all real!
So after that I just kept jogging along. Say my sister and father around mile 5 and again around 9.5 so that was nice. I don’t really know Dublin at all so I just kept going. I was about 3 mins ahead of schedule by 10k mark but didn’t panic and kind of stayed on pace after that. The crowds and music etc were great. Loved the blue clappers. My thighs got a bit more at some point can’t remember when exactly probably around mile 18ish but nothing major so kept jogging along. Quick toilet break at mile 19 more of a precautionary measure than anything else. I think this may be where I lost sight of the 4.30 pacers but can’t be sure. Then on I went again, hadn’t a foggy where I was but just followed the crowd. Pace was still much the same, had kinda given up trying to follow it exactly at this point. I felt grand apart from the thighs but was constantly worrying was I going to blow up later, was the soreness in my legs a sign they were going to just seize on me? Got an unexpected shout out from 2 people from my home town around here somewhere which was nice, perked me up a bit. Met my sister again at mile 23 think she was more excited than me at this stage and tried to give me flat coke as she heard it was good but I didn’t risk it. Told her I felt good but was taking it handy as wanted to have a bit of a burst for the last 200m and the two running beside me actually laughed! Still watching my watch here and trying not to go to fast in case it backfired. The next three miles I started to tire a bit. Mile 24-25 was longer than all the others. Came to mile 25 and still I didn’t feel like putting the foot down, I was tired and not going to be under 4.30 anyway. From the 800m mark I tried to push on a bit, looked straight down the road and ran and ran and ran for the longest 800m ever and then I was finished. I’d done it! 4hr 32 min 42sec so inside the 4.35 target.

The Aftermath
Obviously I’m delighted I did it, I bet my race day target time and smashed my May 2017 target. There is a small part of me though that feels I missed something, I read all your heroic struggles and euphoria and I haven’t experienced any of that. At no point in the whole 26.2 was I miserable, did I consider walking or even question if I was mad to have put myself through this. All of which I have experienced before in shorter races! I know this should be a good thing and a sign that I was well prepared and got my pacing ok but part of me thinks a marathon is meant to be a tough mental and physical challenge that tests your limits and maybe I didn’t push hard enough. Its mental I feel kind of lazy/lacking in drive or something even though I’ve just trained for months and ran for four and a half hours! I guess I’ll just have to do another one to feel the pain and make myself sorry I didn’t appreciate this experience enough! Everyone in work is congratulating me and saying I’m amazing and I just think ah yeah it was grand.

OK apologies everyone for the negativity, this isn’t meant to be a negative report I am surprised my self at my reaction to it all. I’ve wanted to do a marathon for years and always doubted I could so those doubts are now put to bed. I ve had a great few months in training, been very lucky to be injury free and able to take part. I’ve loved coming on here and reading all your progress and worries and support. I’m amazed at the kindness and goodwill and generosity shown to absolute strangers. From the invaluable advice and encouragement from WW, AMK etc right down to Rasta spending his(?) time on Sunday updating the table. Its been an eyeopener. I’m going to miss this and even the chat on whats app. Its been a pleasure. And to anyone lurking thinking of going for DCM18 I say go for it and enjoy it, the whole process not just the race.

Mile Pace Mile Pace Mile Pace Mile Pace
1 10.48 7 10.12 14 10.31 21 10.22
2 9.37 8 9.57 15 10.18 22 10.4
3 10.09 9 10.05 16 10.16 23 10.16
4 10 10 9.52 17 10.25 24 10.09
5 9.58 11 10.29 18 10.17 25 10.4
6 10.06 12 10.22 19 11.28 26 10.56
13 10.16 20 10.16 27 4.21

quickbeam

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

- Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

Yes. I expected the training to be tough (considering I'd never ran before Sept 16), and it was tough, so on that score, expectations sincerely met. I remember doing my first 16km run, and being chuffed, but thinking: "you expect me to do that AND a 32km in the same week later on ... feck off with you!!!!" And yet, I did it ... almost (finished both, but had to walk the last 3km on the 32km). There was a satisfaction in marking off the runs. The satisfaction of completing a new distance PB that you never imagined possible before. And being able to look forward to those blessed, blessed step back weeks!! Until the last week I didn't miss a single run, but, I still completed a marathon, so no harm done. Though my mild OCD does still object to not having the "full set" done.

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

- If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?

Nope. I did all the training. I followed the advice during the (marathon) race (not so much during the HM where I took off too fast, so I guess that would be one small thing I'd change, though it was a good lesson to learn for the marathon itself).

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

- Any future plans in relation to running?

I started running last September with C25K. Though I got to the end of the eight weeks, I actually haven't yet finished the program because I haven't yet run 5km in 30 minutes, so that is my goal. If I got to be under 30 minutes relatively consistently I'd be happy with that, without worrying too much about getting that figure lower and lower.

I intend to continue running 4 times a week. I'll continue with 5km to HM race distances. And *if* I feel I have a sub-5 hour in me, I'll try for the marathon again. I don't really see the point in putting myself through it all again just to shave a few minutes off my current time. I want to experience what all the better runners experienced, that I missed out on - the roar of the crowds (they were pretty good when I was coming around, but would have thinned out a bit by then), the experience of following a pacer, even the congestion at Leeson Street and the zoo! If I don't run it again, I'll be along to support though and at least experience it that way.

Thanks WW for your support. Delighted I got to meet you and thank you in person in McGrattans, and see you at a parkrun in the not-to-distant future.

Oh, and I've signed up for Jingle Bells!

Damo 2k9

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

- Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?
- If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?
- Any future plans in relation to running?
J.

J, I said thanks a million times already but I also have to say sorry that I didnt get to meet u pre/post race, hopefully put faces to names at Jingle Bells!

- Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?
Everything and more. I done HHN1 because it seemed do-able at the start when I looked into it, I didnt really know much about running, actually didnt know anything at all!!

About halfway through training I regretted choosing this plan instead of the boards plan. I love speed, and would have loving the pace sessions that the boards plan had! Thats my only regret, but the HHN1 done what it said it would and got me to the start, and the finish!!
- If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?
This is something I forgot in my race report, and hope next years novices see this. I think strength work is overlooked by a lot of novices and is really something I wish I included in the plan. Even if its just around the house (squats while brushing teeth etc) or even once a week in the gym, building up that core will really help keep injurys at bay. I lost about a stone throughout the plan, and I didnt have much muscle anyways so whatever I had was practically gone. This led to IT Band problems, but thanks to a good physio I was able to get to the start. So please consider this future novices.
- Any future plans in relation to running?
Yep, I LOVE fast races so a sub 19:00 5k is next (PB 19:35) and hopefully a sub 1:30 Half (PB 1:35). Who am I seeing at Jingle Bells?

Next year Marathon wise id love sub 3:30, it sounds ridiculous now because of my 3:57:57 finish, but I know I wasnt in my best shape possible and I know I can do better for myself, not that im not delighted with that time!!

muddypaws

Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

Yes, although I think now that the boards plan would have been the one to go for, rather than HHN1. It got me round, but I think, reading the plan, and the reports through the training and race from the others, the boards plan prepares you better to actually run the whole thing. HHN gets you round, which is what I wanted to do, but I think if you want to run it, do the boards plan. I don't think I really appreciated how tough the training would be, and how much it would take over my life.

If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?

Boards plan, and as Damo says, strength and conditioning work, all I did was running, I think doing other stuff would definitely have helped.

Any future plans in relation to running?

Continue with Park Run, which I love, and doing canicross, which is usually around 5km. That distance is long enough for me, the longer distances just don't appeal to me, I think its the boredom, even with music, I was constantly thinking of what else I could be doing.

Thanks WW for all of your help, time and effort you've put into this, along with your other contributors, its been an integral part of the marathon journey for me.

drkpower

Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

Yes; i used the Boards plan and while it is no joke, i am utterly convinced that it was the disciplined adherence to that plan that made both the training itself and the race as enjoyable, fulfilling and successful as it was. It strikes me that there is no substitute for mileage; and when you hit 19-26 miles and you see so many fit looking people walking, struggling, stopping, it hits home that the only difference between you and them, is the mileage you put in and the advice shared on threads like this.

If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?

Incorporate the training into my day-to-day life more. For me, that meant running home from work - it took a while for that penny to drop, but once it did, it was a godsend; the worst thing about the training (for me) was fitting it all in time-wise so that saved buckets. Other than that, strength and conditioning - that's on the next plan.

Any future plans in relation to running?

Yes, but who knows what. Park runs over the winter; marathon next year. Berlin? DCM 2018? Boston/NYC/London years down the line; who knows. All i know is that the last 9 months have been somewhat transformational mind and body wise and that will be continuing.

henrietta

- Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

I didn't actually follow either of the plans on here but more a mix of HHN1 and HHN2. Sometimes I didn't do all my miles but once I hadn't fallen below mileage of HH1 I felt it was ok. I actually found it easier and less time consuming than expected. I exercise at lunch anyway so that was two days covered. So really up until last few weeks the only extra I was doing was Mon eve and Sat morning.


- If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?
I'd like to think I would do more speed work or some sessions. I worried a lot that my LSRs were too fast and although it didn't do for me in the end I would like to get more control over my pace and run at the prescribed pace instead of just running which is what I mostly did this time. Race wise I think I'd go for the more ambitious time.

- Any future plans in relation to running?
I want to do some shorter races soon to see if all this consistent running has helped me there at all. Def will do a half marathon or two, I'd like to train properly for one. And maybe another marathon sometime? a 4.20 maybe???

On the above comments about strength training I have been doing core/circuit/boxfit classes 3/4 times a week for the last 2 years and kept this up right through until taper. I feel this did stand to me in running training. I was very lucky I never had any twinges/strains/injuries. It could be that I didn't train as hard as others in terms of pace but I do believe that having that level of fitness/strength from the start helped too.

Kellygirl

Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

Yes it was great. I joined the group only in August so was following my own plan pretty much - more or less HHN1. From then on I followed a mix of the Boards and HHN1 plans. I felt there wasn’t enough long runs in the HHN1 plan to get me to a place where I could run the entire marathon. I felt I needed more mileage in my legs.

As for the marathon itself. It exceeded my expectations. Everything, from the organization to the volunteers, to the supporters, was amazing. I was so well prepared, mainly from here, so even though I didn’t know the route or the areas, I knew I had to hold back for the first 10-12km at least.

If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?

Probably add in more strength and conditioning. I got away with it as I was doing it before I started my training but didn’t keep it up.


Any future plans in relation to running?

Next goal is to run a half marathon under 2hours.

Omeceron

- Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

Loved the training. I will miss the Saturday morning long runs. I followed the boards plan.
Disappointed with my performance in the marathon. I'm happy I finished but the post mortem is still on going.

- If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?

Others have mentioned it but I need to improve on strength and conditioning. My left leg was injured last December and definitely needs more work.

Race wise maybe I went out too fast (despite the warnings). Or maybe I should have stopped to stretch the problem hip/glute earlier. I might have spent too much energy compensating for it.


- Any future plans in relation to running?

Sub 50 10k and sub 23 5k are short term goals. Initial plan is to spend next year getting faster and stronger and back for DCM 2019.

Thanks again for everything.

clickerquicklic

Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

Exceeded my expectations , the training has been so enjoyable I didn't follow any one particular plan but did a mixture of workouts from several plans. I don't work Monday or Tuesdays so once I dropped the kids to school I'd stick the headphones on and head off for an hours run one of the mornings mostly down by Malahide estuary or Park , this felt almost like therapy especially the last few weeks I had a few things on my mind and just getting out the door for a run clears your head its amazing. This is something I am going to hopefully continue as its a great way to start the day.

Something clicked for me after a few weeks of running 50km+ a week , I don't know what it was particularly but running just became much more enjoyable , maybe it was the fitness the first few km's didn't feel so hard anymore and I could run with decent form and feel like your engine is just purring I love them runs just up to about 90mins or 10miles the real sweet spot. It stopped been a hobby and started been a way of life especially during the middle section of the training.

I'll be honest and say since the half marathon I found the training to be not as enjoyable , probably my own fault as I started to zone in on the marathon itself , maybe I put too much pressure on myself , maybe it was the 20 milers (they were a toll) but I felt I had to get the workouts in and try remain injury and illness free, there were lots of times I was saying I just want this marathon over now so I can go back to enjoying my running like I was mid training block, me my podcast (beautiful anonymous was a favourite) and the coastline.

The marathon itself wow , I heard/read about all the support on the course but I had no idea what it was actually going to be like , it was insane running it, its amazing amateurs get to feel like superstars for a few hours, its really unbelievable I said to my wife afterwards everyone should run the marathon just to experience the atmosphere.

If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?


Very little I would change in regards training had a good mixture of speed work and slow running , I didn't have much at marathon pace so with implement more of that , I would/will do more stuff like (3 x 2 mile ), (2 x 5mile ) at marathon pace just to get used to that pace.

For the race itself I should of went out with the 3.40 pacers , when I went for my last run the day before the marathon and couldn't hold marathon pace for 400 metres at the end of it without blowing really hard I knew deep down it was a bridge too far. I gave myself a far too difficult day , I was way too stubborn to change my goal to a more realistic time and too stubborn to stop running, you should be holding back and marathon pace should feel easy at mile 1 it shouldn't feel like your on the first km of a parkrun which is how it was for me.


Any future plans in relation to running?


Continue with the running , find a way to get more mileage in maybe drop the bike one day and run commute to work.
The idea of sub 3 has been growing on me since finishing , that's something I can work toward I need more volume but its a nice target for next year. Sub 19 at River Valley parkrun , sub 1.24 next year at the half marathon (probably need that for my 3 hour attempt) sub 18 minutes at a parkrun.

skyblue46

Hi J, just a quick hello from my couple of days of what I consider well deserved R&R with she who handed me my arse on a plate last Sunday! :pac: I'll get back to on your few questions when I get the chance in between jacuzzis, massage, swimming, steam room, sauna and copious quantities of Guinness and craft beers
Hope you're well, talk soon.

Baby75

Oh good questions and I am enjoying reading everyone answers

Did training for the marathon, and the marathon itself, meet your expectations? Why/why not?

Yes it did, I chose the HHN1 plan, with not reaching a year running until August this year it felt achievable and I knew if I stuck to the plan I would be able to run a Marathon by the end and I did

If you could do anything differently in relation to your training or your race, what would it be?

In regards to my training, the only thing I would change is making sure I ran all key LSR's . The week of what I think was an important milestone in the training plan a 16-mile LSR We took part in Achill quest, which was an excellent test of endurance it took me 4 hours and 40 minutes in hard conditions and I know I benefited from it from a fitness standpoint, it was not the same as running ,it was not 16 miles on my legs. I often felt I should have worked that key LSR in keep the main thing the main thing will stay with me now LOL

I would as others have mentioned get in some strength training to help with core and glutes I was keeping it up until the last few weeks, but now I plan to work it in and keep it up for next year

for the Marathon itself, I am so glad I paid attention, it really helped me on the day my confidence was knocked after the 20 miler ( although now in hindsight it was probably the best thing to happen to me) But I learned so much from it, my first big mistake on pacing, but the advice and reassurance I got here helped so much I went from thinking I can not do this to yes I can and I will. On the day itself I felt strong the whole way, I was feeling so positive and loving every second of it when I knew I had to let my B&C goals go I did not mind at all, I already knew I would run this again another year under my belt to hopefully make me stronger to reach a certain time. when we reached that 20mile marker, I was so happy because I knew if I wanted to I could have upped my pace and ran all the way home, my legs wanted to do it but no way was I leaving my hubby we started together we were finishing together :)my A goal was to just finish and most of all enjoy it

Any future plans in relation to running?
I'm planning to work on my half time and work in some speed work, I love to hit 25 minute 5km I am looking forward to seeing how I do at 5k pace now. work on core strength and keep running so I have a nice base for training for DCM18 and follow a different plan to help me achieve a better time

Spirogyra

The post-mortem. It started with my knee, and spread to the hip if I had done a few 'flexing' exercises beforehand ,or even during, I might have cut it out....easy to say now....

quickbeam

FinisherPix for DCM are now live!

Happy viewing!