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Shoot for the moon, and land on the stars. Longford Marathon Sub 3 Training Log
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Week 8 of 12 week training plan - 5 weeks until race day
Week beginning 24th July 2017
Monday - Rest Day
Tuesday - Rest Day
Wednesday - Rest Day
Thursday - Reset No.2 : Good to be back
Easy 8 miles @ 133 hr avg, 7:18 per mile.
First run back since parkrun last Saturday. One of my closest friends left Ireland and I spent a lot of time with them enjoying their last few days here.
Felt great tonight. Didn't feel like any fitness lost - foam rolled last night to prep for some stale legs. Hr was at the usual for this type of easy running.
Foot felt really good. Sights on castleblayney Saturday
Friday - Stretch before Blayney
Easy 6 miles @ 132 hr avg , 7:22 per mile.
Nice and easy 6 before Blayney 10 miler in the morning. Keeping things relaxed - not doing anything specific in advance just making sure to get some sleep and get driving early.
Met Jerome on my run - always good to catch up.
Saturday - Eyeballs Out!! Blayney 10 mile
Race - 10 miles @ 166 hr avg, 5:57 per mile.
Race time : 59:53
Well, that was amazing!
I got into castleblayney 5 minutes before the start. Last to reg - got a lift to the start line and no warm-up.
Went out with the intention to try and see how 6 minute miles felt (they were good) and kept it up.
Introduced myself to several runners en route and we ticked over aiming for an hour.
After 5 miles (88% hr avg ) at 6 minutes or less I could feel my legs switching from a gliding kind of feel to a more concentrated effort to main the pacing. Had a water bottle here.
I was on my own for the last 5 miles - the course is pretty hilly and we hit a headwind 2 miles out. I was determined to hit sub 60 by now. I didn't drive 3 hours for 60:10 ��
Absolutely bust a gut around the pitch at the end knowing now I might miss the hour marker. and saw the timer at 59:53. So happy.
Met a ton of people after (some of which knew my boards handle ) and had a great time afterwards. I love this community.
Now...home...
Sunday - Had to bail
1 mile - stopped after .
Looks like Blayney brought about a re occurrence of the foot injury I developed a few weeks back. Felt it after the race and was hoping for a miracle recovery....
Didn't want to make it worse so no running today.
Total miles for the week : 25
Some points of note :- The Blayney 10 miler
This was a very well ran event. Was very hectic for me personally just getting there on time with the long drive. My warm up ended up being running from my van to registration and a few strides.
The main positive was meeting so many runners during and afterwards. I spoke with 1 person who knew me from boards and my blog. Very grateful to know it has had an impact on someone , makes it all worthwhile
I was also extremely happy with how I buckled down at the end of the race to get in under 60 minutes. Considering the down time I started out with the intention of sub 60 and would re evaluate as I went. The first 4 miles were gliding. Next came a real slog to maintain and only with a half mile to go did I confirm I was close to missing the target.
I would describe the course as challenging, and the atmosphere / spread after as amazing !
Thanks to Itziger, Healy and Singer for the extra motivation this week. Likely would have not raced it at that intensity without you guys
- Injury Update
I've now taken 8 days off with my foot pains in the last 2 week period. I would say based on my efficiency this week there was no fitness drop. However racing Blayney brought about the pain again. I have felt it since yesterday so another long run will be missed.
There are some key developments which I am missing for running 26.2 - specifically glycogen depletion around the 2 hour mark. In Longford this could have a profound impact (provided i can start) .
Main thing is to assess the foot during the week again. If I have to crawl to the marathon at this point I will.
- Sleep
Average of 6.5 hours this week. Busy week in work with a software release, and I was out some nights this week at the theatre and a comedy gig. Had to get up early for Blayney also. Overall happy with this.
- Overall feeling after week 8 of training cycle :
I'm feeling good everywhere but in my foot :rolleyes: Longford is 4 weeks away and I will do what I can to get there in the best condition possible. Being honest I find my mind drifting to longer term goals now as I know I cannot reach my initial targets in 4 weeks. Need to remember to be present and focus on now.
Happy weekend all
0 - The Blayney 10 miler
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Week 9 of 12 week training plan - 4 weeks until race day
Week beginning 31 July 2017
Monday - Rest Day
Tuesday - Rest Day*
AM - Physio
Went and got some ultrasound done on my foot. Physio told me to give it 48 hours with some wool to reduce friction.
PM - Swimming
Jumped in Loughrea lake for 20 minutes. Man was it cold! But I felt amazing afterwords.
Wednesday - Rest Day
Thursday - More Comebacks than Rocky
Easy 7.5 miles @ 137 hr avg - 7:17 per mile.
Physio told me 2 days ago to give my foot 48 hours and test it. Did so tonight. I've been very antsy this week. Spent the downtime productively however.
I felt pretty good this evening. I would say similar to last week - fitness is there it would seem. It looks to be a guessing game at this point. I will try to push through but not at the risk of the long term.
Friday - Steady as she goes
Easy 10 mile @ 138 hr avg, 7:14 per mile.
Felt good again tonight. Decided to shoot for 10 and i liked the run. Got lost in a podcast and settled into my easy pace.
Plan is another 10 tomorrow and see how a long run goes Sunday.
Overall - feeling very happy in general
Saturday - Nice way to cap a beautiful day
Easy 12 miles @ 145 hr avg, 7:04 per mile.
Fantastic morning today for the oranmore 1 year anniversary . Had a great time there and then went into the city for a bit.
Came back out and the sun was blazing so went for 10. Decided going out the door to shoot for 12 and 15 tomorrow to get a back to back long run type of feel with 3 weeks to go.
Heart rate was high today - heat was a factor. 76% average . Foot felt good.
Sunday - 16 with a speed play to finish
Long Run - 16 miles @ 146 hr avg, 13 miles @ 7:05 per mile, last 3 @ 6:40 per mile.
Watched the Athletics this morning and was feeling quite good going out for a run today.
Bit of fatigue in the legs (intentional) after the 12 miler y'day. Was worried about footing as I threw on my old vazee prisms' instead of the new pair (I wore the new pair for Blayney and think they may have contributed to the reoccurance).
Settled into a nice 7:05 pacing and decided to play the run by feel. Was aiming for 15.
First 5 out to rinville were fine but the 5 back in was into a very strong wind. Splits went close to 7:30.
Had a gel and water 10 miles in and wanted to call it quits. Sucked it up and put in another 6 miles and added a speed play to finish. Wanted to see how my foot reacted to a bit of uptempo stuff.
My foot felt good at the end of the run. I actually felt stronger with each mile. I hope this is a good sign. And I managed to get close to 2 hours running in before Longford which is very important.
Total miles for the week : 46
Some Points of Note :- Foot Update
Foot is feeling good after 4 days of running. Actually felt like I could chuck in a few more miles today but I doubt the benefits would outweight potential risks.
Threw in a speed play to see how it reacted to some uptempo running and no noticeable concerns. Will have a tempo run mid week and a 10k next Saturday so time will tell how it goes...- Sleep
Average of 6.5 hours per night this week. I feel very alert during the days (likely due to lack of training in combination with better sleep / eating patterns) and my circadian rhythms are getting there. 6am starts most mornings .- Overall feeling after week 9
I am feeling excellent right now. With 3 weeks to go until Longford the big drop in mileage is obviously not ideal - but things happen. Personally I'm in a great state of mind - I met with one of the most revered coaches in Galway this week and had an amazing 2 hour chat with them. It really kickstarted my motivation for running and re - emphasised the important of patience. I have so much to learn....
Happy bank holiday all 0 -
Well done on the sub 60, great running
I was trying to make oranmore on saturday but couldn't make it, lost out on some good baked goods by all accounts
You have a 10k on saturday?? Not doing streets of galway??
Curious to know who this coach is you met...(GCH man??) Pm me if you want, if you don't it's grand, just a curiousity 0 -
martyboy48 wrote: »Well done on the sub 60, great running
I was trying to make oranmore on saturday but couldn't make it, lost out on some good baked goods by all accounts
You have a 10k on saturday?? Not doing streets of galway??
Curious to know who this coach is you met...(GCH man??) Pm me if you want, if you don't it's grand, just a curiousity
Thanks marty. It was pretty cool having to push around the pitch in Castleblayney the 60 minute mark was so tight. Real sense of accomplishment in terms of the pacing and dialing into my current capabilities.
As it was only a discussion I don't want to speak on the coach out of respect for them.
I'm not doing streets as I wanted a 10k for the 12th and booked it months ago. There was nothing official about the streets date at the time. Had I know I'd take a lie in over a trek to Cobh for the east harbour 10k . It is all part of the fun though!
How is your running going?0 -
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Week 10 of 12 week training plan - 3 weeks until race day
Week beginning 7th August 2017
Monday - Forgot what a long run does to your legs !
Easy 10 miles @ 140 hr avg, 7:24 per mile.
That was a pretty slow and sluggish effort today. Could feel the fatigue from the last few days in my legs before I ran.
Nice to have that feeling back again - important to try and cumulate again with 3 weeks left.
Foot was good again. Thinking about hitting athenry ac for their speed session tomorrow...
Tuesday - Still recovering from Sunday
Easy 9 miles @ 130 hr avg, 7:42 per mile.
6 days in a row after a lengthy lay off and it's taken a toll on my muscles! Was in bits all day (calves had serious case of DOMS) so I decided to go super slow on this run.
Beautiful evening out. Enjoyed the 68% hr avg running. Still kept pretty good stride rate and felt good doing so.
Tempo tomorrow - a true acid test!
Wednesday - Tempo 3 x (3 miles @ 6:25,4min R) - Foot was strong
Tempo Run - 13 miles @ 151 hr avg , 6:49 per mile.
7th day in a row back in action and I was dreading this workout. I bauked twice going out - once the post box was too small for my parcel so had to run back in. Second I changed my shoes after a mile !
Finally took the tempo on and was prescribed at 6:25 per. I thought I might go quicker and try to maintain towards 90% but all in all my fitness is not where it was which is logical.
I averaged around 84-85% for the tempo miles hitting 89% on the last and 6:15 mile to finish. Felt good throughout and most importantly my foot was strong.
Looking forward to the 10k on sat now. Grateful for my recovery so far and the beautiful weather.
Thursday - 6 very easy with 6 x 100 strides
Easy 6 miles @ 131 hr avg, 7:41 per mile.
Heart rate under 70 again for the run tonight. Small taper now in advance of cork on sat.
Legs felt surprisingly good after yesterday. Got some strides in to finish. Rushing out the door for a meeting now!
Friday - 10k easy before 10k hard!
Easy 6 miles @ 128 hr avg, 7:39 per mile.
Nice and comfortable 10k tonight in great weather. Keeping the easy runs easy...
Feeling good going into the East Cork 10k in the morning. Time to eat ...
Saturday - East Cork 10k
Race - 10k @ 173 hr avg, 5:43 per mile.
Time : 35 : 53
Splits (miles)
1 : 5:52
2 : 5:51
3 : 5:44
4 : 5:42
5 : 5:34
6 : 5:33
.2: 5:48
Got to the start line with ten minutes to spare for a change. This is the second year of the east cork harbour events.
Lined up at the front and some runners told me they we're aiming for 32/33 minutes. I planned to go for 5:50 per mile and see how the foot held up.
I found the pacing ok. A competitive field meant I had some extra motivation to push. I ran my fastest kilometres on my own having passed a fast club runner and aiming to stay ahead of them around the 6k mark.
Hit 94/95% hr max for the last kilometres. The watch says I hit 98% at one point. I was very happy to see I could hold the pacing below 5:50 throughout (last .2 miles was very tough though!) all things considered.
Now...3 hours home!
Sunday - 2 hours with no fuel - feeling strong
Long Run - 17 miles @ 143 hr avg, 7:03 per mile. Picked up to 6:55 for last 4.
Pretty perfect conditions today for running. Oh so slight breeze and some sun but generally just about right.
First mile was a bit slow and I had planned to do the whole run easy. However I felt supremely good after yday and ended up going for a 2 hour run. I wanted to get 2 hours in if possible as it's been a while now since my last.
Hr around 74% for most of the run until the last couple miles where I threw down a bit .
A great week overall and I feel really good now. Confidence is high with my foot and fitness.
I have 2 tough tempos this week which I've spoken to my coach about and agreed to do then a bit harder than planned with a target of 2:50 in Longford in mind.
Total miles for the week : 69
Some points of note :- East Cork 10k
First off - this is a fantastic event in only its second year. Amazing group of people that are organising (barbeque and live band at the finish and a real good atmosphere in a pitch setting to finish) .
I went into the race tentatively fully aware that my last race brought a reoccurance of my foot problem. I used body glide on my feet beforehand and made sure to warm up well .
My splits are pretty interesting - I got faster with each mile. A clear sign i was nervous about the foot at the start and then grew stronger. There is plenty of time for improvements. I did race it during a marathon training cycle and that has to be factored in too.
I found the race very interesting and can definitely see the benefit of tune ups. I caught 5th place about half way through and just floored it to the finish on my own from there.
I am intrigued and want to improve on the time in the future. Would like to get a solid speed training block in and go out at a hard effort from the gun next time.
- Foot update
Things are looking good right now (touch wood!). Nothing to suggest the pain is coming back - in fact I felt very strong today at the tail end of a 70 mile week. I acknowledge mileage combined with quality / intensity increases at once was likely the reason for it and will learn going forward.
- Sleep
7 hour average this week. Very happy with this and decided to focus on 7 every night as opposed to 8. It's a big difference but a gradual improvement is better than none.
- Overall feeling after week 10
I feel very good right now. Nutrition , recovery from injury, tune up races, quality workouts - the hard work is nearly done.
I'm very excited for Longford in 2 weeks. Hope everyone else is feeling as good too 0 -
Week 11 of 12 - 2 Weeks until Race Day
Week beginning 14th August 2017
Monday - Sun Rays and Recovery Days
Easy 10 miles @ 126 hr avg, 7:46 per mile.
B-e-a-utiful evening in Galway. Could have stayed out all night . Grateful for this city and this weather.
Legs are quite fatigued today after a strong effort at the weekend. Shooting for 8 hours of sleep tonight.
Hr in the mid 60's for this run. Just enjoying it.
Tuesday - Tempo - 8 x (1mile @ 6:10, 4min R). Feeling great
Tempo Run - 15 miles @ 146 hr avg, 7:02 per mile.
Getting closer now. Tonight I had some snacks an hour before (walnuts, peach, dates) which isn't my normal. It actually seemed to help a bit - had a lot of energy and finished the run strongly. Wondering if I need to revise how I eat pre workout.
Anyways - 8 @ 6:22 was the initial plan. Convinced coach to go to 6:15. Went out and did them at 6:10. Close to lactate threshold . Last 2 I pushed it up to 90% and over of max hr. Think I judged it well and hit sub 6 minutes for the last 1 feeling like I could have done a few more.
Looking forward to a day off tomorrow after. Strong cycle post injury. Race day prep is next ....
Wednesday - Day Off
Thursday - A run that felt so good I didn't want to ever stop
Easy 10 miles @ 130 hr avg, 7:37 per mile.
Wow. I enjoyed that so much. All the elements out in force as a hurricane approaches Galway. Yet I felt incredible.
Important to be grateful for these glorious days where the legs feel amazing - mind is good and everything is perfect as it is.
I love running.
Friday - The Salthill Simulator - 1m WU, 12 @ MP, 2m CD
Tempo Run - 15 miles @ 151 hr avg, 6:43 per mile.
MP Mile Splits ;
1 : 6:31
2 : 6:31
3 : 6:27
4 : 6:22
5 : 6:27
6 : 6:29
7 : 6:30
8 : 6:30
9 : 6:26
10 : 6:34
11 : 6:20
12 : 6:11
This was the official start of my taper for Longford. I argued with the coach to get this done at Target pace and he agreed if the foot was good.
Did a 1 mile warm up and with a hurricane weather warning was prepared for the worst. It actually was fine - no rain, sun out for most of the run and a headwind for a few miles but that was it.
I ended up doing mile repeats in salthill to keep the course profile as close to Longford as I could - i.e flat. It meant I had to turn around every mile which wasn't ideal and effected the pacing slightly.
HR was good. 80% of max drifting up towards 87 during the last couple of miles and I spiked it to 90 to finish strong.
The run overall felt good. I didn't feel completely strained but did think about my initial target of 6:18 and if I had truly accepted it wasn't to be. Ive made up my mind (in truth I did when I got the injury) and don't think I can do that kind of pacing for 26.2. I don't have enough long runs and mileage in the last 2 months to allow for it without risking a lot.
2:50 is the goal - and right now I'm confident in hitting it. Here's to a great weekend all.
Saturday - Easy 80 minutes
Easy 10.5 miles @ 128 hr avg, 7:45 per mile.
Keeping things ticking over after the session last night and a fun parkrun this morning.
68% hr avg. Feeling good.
Sunday - * Oranmore Junior Parkrun 1 - Front Runner
1.2 miles @ 7:07 per mile.
Agreed to strap on a go pro and lead the kids around the Rinville junior parkrun course before my workout today.
Kids started off super fast! First finisher was 8:16 and 8 years old - Amazing pace !!
Was a truly momentous community event. It feels really good to have been of service for this. Big smile on my face seeing all the kids just enjoying running free
Sunday - Workout : He LOVES the slop
Long Run - 13.5 miles @ 145 hr avg, 6:55 per mile.
Back from junior parkrun as the front runner and the rain came down. Absolutely blitzed this run - felt strong and pushed it for last 3.5 miles @ 6:40. Constant rain throughout and I frickin loved it.
Longford - you won't know what hit you
Total Miles for week : 76
Some Points of Note :
- Taper
So I'm in a funny situation in that I've kind of already done 1 taper. Ramping back to 76 miles did not feel stressful this week at all. I attribute that mainly to the lower intensity during my easy runs primarily.
I have started a 1 week taper which will have a few short runs with MP miles and strides - and then a couple of miles the day before Longford. Not planning on changing anything aside from sleep and a few extra carbs in the lead up.
- Sleep
Average of 6.5 hours. Waking naturally quite frequently right now.
- Overall feeling after week 11 of training
I feel really good right now. Energy levels and motivation are there, and no feeling of heavy fatigue. The MP run Friday was a good confidence booster.
Very much looking forward to the marathon Sunday. Wonder will I get the McGregor fight in :rolleyes:
Happy running all 0 -
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Alright mate, hope you're all set for Sunday. Will be keeping an eye out for your result How is 2:50 looking?
Hey Healy. Thanks for checking in
2:50 is the target. I'm feeling good. Will find out in the last half whether the downtime from the injury has had an impact on speed endurance.
Going for it anyways - have arranged to watch the McGregor fight in the B & B I'm staying also
How are you doing? Training seems to be going well.0 -
Hey Healy. Thanks for checking in
2:50 is the target. I'm feeling good. Will find out in the last half whether the downtime from the injury has had an impact on speed endurance.
Going for it anyways - have arranged to watch the McGregor fight in the B & B I'm staying also
How are you doing? Training seems to be going well.
Sounds like a good b&b!! Your two warm up races should give you plenty of confidence I'd say.....
Yeah training feels like it's beginning to come together. If I can come out of Tullamore with a good performance it'll set me up nicely for next month 0 -
Sounds like a good b&b!! Your two warm up races should give you plenty of confidence I'd say.....
Yeah training feels like it's beginning to come together. If I can come out of Tullamore with a good performance it'll set me up nicely for next month
Go smash it lad. It's all the little steps that are setting you up nicely - the half will simply be for the confidence and race experience more than anything.0 -
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Week 12 of 12 Week Training Plan - Race Week
Week beginning 21st August 2017
Monday - Tough weekend taking its toll. Nice and easy.
Easy 8 miles @ 124 hr avg, 8:06 per mile.
Had to dial it back tonight. Body was telling me it needed some blood flow... I found out immediately what the right intensity was and could feel the stiffness leave as the first mile progressed .
65% hr avg, felt like a true recovery run. This has been the key element I think I missed when I picked up an injury.
Tuesday - Easy in the Rain
Easy 9 miles @ 126 hr avg, 7:42 per mile.
Description : Wet
66% av hr, legs freshening up.
Wednesday - Race Day Dry Run - 3 miles @ MP
Race Day Dry Run - 6 miles @ 140 hr avg, 7:13 per mile.
Went out tonight for a 3 mile at MP run. Wore what I intend to wear Sunday - and tucked a few gels in my shorts pocket.
The miles themselves felt good. I'm not fully recovered yet and have been maintaining the same diet as normal daily.
Got some granola today and plan to add another 50- 100 g carbs over the next 3 days. Massage tomorrow night also.
Crazy looking at my nutrition logs - for the connemara ultra I was packing 3k plus Cal's a day and hit 520g carbs the day before. I was quite hefty on the day also!
This time it will be 1k Cal's a day less so let's see how that impacts the race. Will certainly be a good comparison.
My legs are still quite tired now. I bet you have never heard that from a runner during a taper before
Hope everyone's weeks is going well .
Thursday - Recovery Day - Physio for a massage / some core work.
Friday - Recovery Day
Saturday AM - Sunrise Shakedown with strides
Easy 3 miles @ 134 hr avg, 7:40 per mile. 1 mile @ GP.
I've been secluding myself from social media and focusing on other stuff last couple of days.
3 miles with 1 @ MP this morning before a few strides (which felt very sluggish) . All in all a good little shakedown which I tend to do the day before my races.
Taper week nearly finished - all the hard work is done.
Hope everyone has a smashing weekend - looks like it's going to be a nice one
Total Miles for the week : 26
Some Points of Note :
- The Taper
I'll stick up a blog post on this and compare with Connemara after tomorrow. It has been a week long taper due to injury and already getting down weeks in advance. I would say I feel pretty fresh right now and motivated for the morning.
It has not been ideal this week - have a deadline in work so I will be in the office today finishing off a job and then I am going to Longford to stay in a B & B tonight.
I have not done anything particularily special this taper except take a strict 2 days of no running . Glad I got to see my physio - he found a knot on my quad which was very tight and could have came up mid race tomorrow.
I'm replacing fats with carbs today and yesterday to fuel the aul glycogen stores . Have been getting serious cravings for sweets and trying to resist until after the race :rolleyes:
Will be packing my own breakfast and coffee - and have been offered a free bed in the B & B tomorrow night should I want it. The owners sound like some of the nicest people going so I will likely stick around and soak in the marathon after party.
Tomorrow morning I will be getting up to see the McGregor fight, and then have plenty of time to prepare for a 10am start and get food in.
- Plan for Longford
My plan is even splits. No drama here - 6:27 - 6:30 per mile. I will no doubt find some miles go quicker and some not so quick. I will have 3 gels on me and will take the first after an hour.
The weather is promised good - regardless the main goal is to put in my best effort at the above pacing. It's going to be fun
- Overall Feeling heading into the Marathon tomorrow
I'm feeling very positive about tomorrow. I looked back through my logs this week and saw 2 down weeks not so long ago where the mileage dropped to 26. I rather focus on the positive here - it was a much needed mental break - I strongly remember feeling like I just wanted to stop training while I was in pain altogether. Since then I've become even more motivated and determined to achieve and lace up every day.
I also saw in my logs my GP tempo last week (12 miles @ 6:30) - a long run of 20 miles @ 6:30, and tempo runs ranging from 6 minute miles to 6:25 per mile. All of which give me the confidence to know I can run my best race tomorrow .- Sleep
Average of 6.5 hours this week. I've been striving to get in bed earlier but am not sleeping soundly. I wonder if this marathon lark has anything to do with it :P
I will be putting up a detailed blog post on race day hopefully on Monday and will link here. Thanks everyone for your input and for reading. Certainly was an interesting training cycle which I'm looking forward to reflecting on.
For now though - Longford here we go 0 -
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Longford Marathon Race Day - August 27th 2017 - A Humbling Experience
**Race - Longford Marathon 2017 - Target Time : 2:50:00
Actual Chip Time : 2:49:33
Official Position - 5th. http://www.longfordmarathon.com/Longford_Marathon/2017/results-male.htm
Some Specifics from the Race - My HR* and Mile Splits
This part is for all the stat junkies
Here is the strava overview with details within : https://www.strava.com/activities/1154670083/overview
*My polar HR strap battery died in the shakeout run the day before the marathon. Good thing I saw it the day before! I got a new battery but something was off with the HR readings throughout the marathon. My HR was reading below 80% of max for the majority which I know wasn't right from experience so the data is sadly invalid.
Mile 1 - 6:18
Mile 2 - 6:24
Mile 3 - 6:31
Mile 4 - 6:31
Mile 5 - 6:28
Mile 6 - 6:28
Mile 7 - 6:26
Mile 8 - 6:27
Mile 9 - 6:32
Mile 10 - 6:59 (bathroom !)
Mile 11 - 6:20
Mile 12 - 6:24
Mile 13 - 6:22
Mile 14- 6:30
Mile 15 - 6:23
Mile 16 - 6:31
Mile 17 - 6:34
Mile 18 - 6:33
Mile 19 - 6:15
Mile 20 - 6:21
Mile 21 - 6:24
Mile 22 - 6:22
Mile 23 - 6:14
Mile 24 - 6:18
Mile 25 - 6:15
Mile 26 - 6:11
Mile 0.2 / 0.4 (strava lists as such) - 2.36
The splits will make some more sense when reading through the report below. Overall on reflection I'm pleased with the initial plan and adjustment in the final 8.2 miles to up the intensity. Shame I don't have the HR data to reference but there is a plus side to knowing i don't need it also.
Below is the report i drafted on my blog in a slightly more condensed format. Apologies for the long read but I did my best to get it all on paper last night and morning.
Race Day Recap- Race Morning - Routine, Routine, Routine
I decided to get up at 5am and catch the McGregor fight. I didn't think I could get to the finish line and not hear the result so in my head it was the only option. I was staying with a lovely family and they booked the fight in at no extra cost to me.
Afterwards I had my usual breakfast of overnight oats and some freshly ground coffee 3 hours before the scheduled 10am marathon start. I also had some water and then took some time to meditate and be grateful for the the position I was in . The hardest part was over - time to focus on the present and race well and enjoy the day.
Heavy Rain and Leg Pain - The mind games begin
It started to rain a few hours before race start. I set off at 8.45 planning to get into Longford town well in advance and avoid parking issues. The rain got heavier as I drove. I had a banana en route and tried to block off the fact I would likely be running the race I had been training 3 months for in a heavy downpour.
I got out of my van and immediately my left quad started to twinge. I could feel a sharpness - a knot of sorts - when I was walking from the van to the Longford Arms hotel. The day prior i felt this in my right calf - and I had felt neither in the entirety of my training. It was a completely new feeling to me - I had gone to my physio days before to check for anything tight and had not felt anything to suggest i may have a knot.
At the time as best I recall I was thinking I am not going to be able to run, and I even began thinking about other marathons coming up to target instead.
I warmed up - lunges, knee grabs - and continued to feel the pain. I had to have been the most depressed looking individual in Longford with 10 minutes to the start. I did a nervous warm up mile up and down the street and didn't extend to marathon pace almost scared i would feel something.
Not exactly the best 30 minutes for me!!!
Being present and giving your best
Having became a more mindful person since starting to run last year - I managed to somehow re adjust and remember that today wasn't all about a mystical time figure. It was about putting in my best effort considering circumstances. I had an injury a month ago and had to have 2 down weeks of virtually no running. No matter what I wanted to put my best foot forth today - and regardless of outcome enjoy the race and try to provide inspiration to others and become involved in the event. Smile and thank the volunteers - have conversations with other runners and meet all the other like minded nut-jobs
I took some deep breaths and went to the start. I found myself standing on the front line with the expectant half and full marathon front runners. Pain or no pain - rain or no rain - I was going to give this my best and smile like I'm the most confident runner on this starting block.
Meeting the coach on the Start Line
I have been receiving coaching from Gary O Hanlon in the build up - Gary is an inspiration to me. I approached him directly as he won my first marathon and I'm fascinated by his longevity in the sport. His background and struggles he has overcame to be the role model he now is in Irish running is an amazing story.
On the line I see he has decided to race the marathon also and is doing some strides as everyone else is getting ready to go. I shake Garys hand and properly introduce myself in person. I put my own worries in the back of my head.
Let's do this...- The Race Itself
When the marathon started I went off with everyone on the front row. After about 10 seconds I realised I was running at the same pacing as Gary and Freddie Keron at the front, and knew that was a mistake!! I slowed down after a minute but the adrenaline was hard to contain with the crowd.
I did a few watch checks and got back to a 6:20 1st mile. I was pleased to see the half and full runners break up and go down different roads - and also got a much clear idea of who was ahead of me in the full.
I did not feel anything in my left leg while running the race. Whatever the twinge was just prior it was not evident during running stride - and I am very grateful that I stood on the start prepared for possibly having to bow out or slow down to a canter if it meant I could finish. I had shifted my mentality in a split second at 9:55am and was rewarded. The rain stopped about 10 minutes before the start. It was not wet underfoot but dry and mild. I would say pretty fine conditions for running.
I settled into 6:30 per mile pace and had 1 or 2 for company in the opening miles. I carried 2 energy gels in my hand with 1 in reserve should I need it. We passed the first volunteers and I smiled and cracked jokes as the first miles felt quite good.
I found miles 5-10 as the most sapping mentally. This is when you can start thinking - 'there is still 20 to go' and that's a bad place to have your mind focused. You need to concentrate on the current mile and a fast and light stride. I shook my shoulders out and reminded myself of this as I carried on into double digits. Nothing new to me at this point - the more time I spend racing and running the more experience I get with race strategy.
I passed a runner who had slowed off around mile 10 and I had to make a bathroom stop. It cost me some time but I was rewarded in terms of my pacing and effort level after. Mick McKenna saw me coming back afterwards and joked I'd be back past that runner in no time .
Miles 11 - 18 - Chasing 'the white singlet' , and the development of a guts race
After my bathroom break I put the foot down. Any leg worries / prior concerns about training were now gone. I had a familiarity with this position. Mid race - the guts start to kick in . I feel you need to monitor your race plan on the fly and adjust if needed. I ticked in a couple of sub 6:30 miles to make back the bathroom break - overtook the runner again and was now following a runner in a white singlet who was pacing well.
Looking back it was good to have this runner in my sights. I had been warned I would likely be on my own for most of the marathon giving my targets and in a race situation that can mean not knowing the position of the person in front. Here I had a target who was helping me push on and I wanted to catch him.
At mile 16 I was side by side with 'white singlet'. Of course what do I decide to do but start chatting His name is Justin and has been running for 4 years. We were both going for 2:50 - he told me he had a few slow miles and wasn't totally confident in achieving the time based on current feeling. We talked about where we were from amongst other things and before I knew it a mile had passed. I remember thinking I was glad for the break in the dreaded mid teen miles which can sap many a marathon runner. I was lost in a pleasant conversation and I felt Justin was too.
...Wait a minute - *beep beep on my watch - this is a race!
Miles 19 - 24 Snap out of it! Racing for myself
I had to basically snap myself out of the conversation. I was here to race!! My watch beeped to show a 6:34 and then a 6:32 and I said to Justin that we need to pick it up - this race isn't over and we both can finish strong. I asked him to join me and with 8.2 miles left and feeling pretty good I clocked a 6:15 mile. I later found out Justin developed leg cramps at some point after that and didn't finish as strong as he had hoped. He still ran a great race and achieved a PB for Longford.
At this point I was now racing. I wanted to finish hard - I knew I wasn't going to finish sub 2:50 without a fast finish and wanted to try for it. The time wasn't the be all / end all - but I felt pretty good. I had done some tune up races and thought I had a hard 8 miles in me. Time to push.
I took 2 gels in total - 1 at mile 13 and then another on mile 19. From mile 19 I was clocking an average of 6:20 - 6:25 per mile through mile 24. Sub 2:50 was very much on now.
Miles 24 - 26.2 - A Hidden Hill, and an Unrelenting Will
I was now very much developing lactate and working hard. "Eyeballs out" in the Blayney 10 miler a month ago in Monaghan / Clocking some of my fastest miles ever in the East Cork Harbour 10k 2 weeks ago- I had been here before. Again it was familiar territory to me now. And that gave me confidence I could drive and finish strong.
I clocked a 6:07 for mile 25. Mile 26 has a hill I did not know about which is quite steep and sapping. I was well and truly on my own running for the last 8.2 miles. I turned along a country road, saw the hill, put my head down and drove. I kept pushing - trying to stop the emotions and early celebrating setting in. Given the trials and troubles I had undergone during training and this week I was forgiving myself for thinking about the finish.
I passed the army barracks on the main street where i parked my van and knew I was on the finish stretch. There was a chute on the left on the main street for all runners to go through to Finish .
A relay team ran side by side up the chute in front of me. I was going so hard i only saw them when right behind. I gave a shout but it was too late. I tried to go between 2 of them and my leg caught one of the runners legs.
I felt like Mcgregor must have felt in round 10 the same morning - complete jelly legs. I couldn't control them and thought i was about to fall on the final 100 yards!! I didn't know if i was going to get in under 2:50 and for a heart stopping moment thought i may miss it .
Gratefully I kept somewhat upright - re balanced just about and blasted under the finish banner. I was so delirious i was unsure if I finished sub 2:50 or not despite the massive clock saying i had. One of the lovely volunteers confirmed i had achieved my goal and i collapsed on a chair in sheer joy, fatigue and disbelief.
Slowly i regained composure and met Gary at the massage tables. He told me he had won in a close faught race with Freddie Keron. He was delighted with my time and I met his other half amongst other runners.
I found out i finished 5th and i was being awarded for this at half 2 at a presentation.- Post Race - Soaking it all in - Meeting the community
After the initial emotions of achieving my target and trying to let it sink in - I met some runners and Justin (white singlet ) at the finish - I said my well wishes to some and shared strava details with others.
I went into the Longford Arms planning to get a shower and some carbs in before the presentation. I stumbled across a half marathon runner named Ronan who saw me bomb it up to the finish and a spanish runner named Roberto who had stayed in the same B & B as me. He had finished with a Boston qualifying time also and was very happy. I met another who had actually read my boards.ie training posts about Longford while preparing for the day and that just made my entire training cycle worthwhile.
I lost track of time speaking to the guys and forgot to eat! We discussed all sorts of things running fanatics do (diet, training, the race itself). I spoke about potentially doing some video work in combination with my blogging with Ronan (the half marathon runner) and then tried to kindly apologise for having to dart. In for a shower, change and out for medals!!
I only wish I had more time to speak with everyone. The running community was out in full force in Longford.
Presentation Time
At 14.30 a presentation occurred on the main street by the sponsors of the Longford Marathon Pat the Baker.
The Relay teams, top males and females (individual) all got a podium celebration to commemorate the day and prizes.
I was very impressed by the sponsors - Pat the Baker really go all out for the Longford marathon and the kids in the town seemed to love it with mascots walking around decked out in full bread attire .
Spirits were high and everyone was now revelling in what had been. A fantasticly ran event where the volunteers and locals truly shined. I am today very grateful for each and every one of them and their help for all involved.
A post match review with the coach
I met Gary and we took a few photos together. I said my thanks for the advise given and frankly was a bit lost for words. 1st and 5th - not a bad result .
At this point I was prepared to go for some food when Gary called me over and said the editor of Irish Runner Frank Greally had just entered the hotel and would be worth speaking to. Gary was going to go out of his way to introduce us but I said i would make sure to find him. It was my main intention of the day - to meet more of the community and spread the message I have and want to share.
I walked in and found Frank ( Gary mentioned he had a newspaper and that's actually quite unique these days!!) and introduced myself. He let me sit beside him and I started speaking about my result, and a synopsis on my past year.
It soon became to apparent to me that I sitting at a table with several persons who were to be revered...- Humbled : Meeting Frank Greally and the Irish running legends - the Running Roundtable
As I continued my chat with Irish Runner editor Frank he gradually introduced me to the others sitting at this table. While I couldn't possible take in everything that was said - here is a summary of some of the persons in my presence :- Liam Fenelon who ran his 311th marathon on the day.
- Dave Brady - who has run over 700 marathons in total!! What a joy to speak to him. He is currently trying to beat own record of 104 in a year. My jaw is still on the floor after speaking to him.
- Marathon Olympian Pat Hooper - oldest of the legendary Hooper brothers and a man whom I tried to just shut up and listen to. Every word was experience and knowledge that I could only absorb to a small extent at the time.
To be honest it was very humbling. As each person spoke their achievements made my jaw drop more and more. We all have a story which has to start somewhere - it really put into perspective what a small drop in the ocean 1 race is. This is something i've realised during my year running. Any 1 race is just a step on a much bigger and more empowering journey.
I'm so glad I witnessed proof of the journey being everything at that table. Frank, Pat, Niall, Liam and their comrades all confirmed this with their stories, friendships, and inspiring attitudes having achieved so much. They still love the sport - they love the events - they love running. I'm firmly in that club (though a few marathons shy of Dave!!)- and maybe you are too.
I consider myself very lucky to have developed a sense of presence and mindfulness in my own life. Without it I don't know if i would have appreciated those few hours after the marathon with Frank and his colleagues. How I wish I could have spent more time speaking to those amazing people at that table on the day. I'm sure I will get to speak with them more in the future.
I am grateful to have gotten the chance to speak to them all and see exactly what I thought possible - that you can be fulfilled and happy by chasing that which you love. It seems to have come naturally for all of them through a passion for friends, the sport itself and their own motivations.
A Word on the Pat the Baker Longford Marathon
I heard about this race from some colleagues and friends. I was told Pat the Baker and the local community do a stand out job at the race and it is one of the highlights of the Irish running calendar.
All of the above was reaffirmed on Sunday. The volunteers were still at hand after hours giving out race packs on the Saturday to make sure all were accommodated. Parking was easy to get on the morning. Finding the start and warming up was straightforward. The atmosphere was incredible. It seemed like the whole town was out for the race!!
Afterwards- the spread and massages were such a relief. Having easy access to a shower and a free buffet (chicken, coleslaw, salad, fruit, delicious) with lots of types of bread (so fresh its famous apparently) was a godsend. The race goody bags had tons of stuff - even vegan options for a lad like myself!! There were prizes and a great presentations ceremony for the top 6 i believe in individual events.
Credit to the race organisers for a standout event i will be coming back to without hesitation again in the future.
And to the volunteers- you are the most inspiring of all. Taking the time out of your busy lives to help others achieve their goals. Keep being you
Gratitude
I am grateful for the ups and downs my training cycle provided. I will speak more on this on a personal level after I have time to reflect more. What I want to say here is that I understand there will be ups and downs and accept that in all aspects of life. You can't effect most of these things. What you can do if put your best effort in - for me that was about putting a smile on a worried man at the start on Sunday and being prepared to make the most of what could have been a bad day.
The challenges tested me and rewarded me. I had some of the most inspiring moments of my life and some of the most testing mental checks. You cannot grow without challenges - none of us would be who we are without them .
I feel truly blessed today and grateful for the mental tests on race morning - they prepared me for a real challenge and I felt a true sense of accomplishment at the finish as a result.
I cannot put in words how inspired and thankful I am to have met all the volunteers, race organisers, runners and running legends post race. From persons finishing their first 5k to those finishing their 700th plus marathon. They are what i strive for. They run because it is who they are - the love what they do. It reminded me of all the kids at the Oranmore junior park run - they just ran because they love how it feels. It's enjoyable.
It can be easy to forget this. Happiness comes from doing what you love.
Padraig.Here is the blog post for the above (I copied and pasted it out for you guys, no point in writing it twice)
https://irishrunningjourney.blogspot.ie/2017/08/my-longford-marathon-2017-humbled-and.html- To everyone who has followed this training log
To Healy, Itziger, Singer, SLF and every person who has read these posts - thank you so much.
You helped keep me on track and I hope I helped you in some capacity through my experience.
Here's to the next journey all:):) 0 -
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Savage running pgarr. Sounds like a lot of things nearly went wrong, but you managed to get through it all relatively undamaged. Delighted that you had a cracking race and post-race - you wrote more words about the post-race than the race itself
It'll be fascinating to see where you go from here. Recover well in the meantime and enjoy the break!0 -
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Yeah, I think we got us a live one here! From the first post I felt P was an interesting bloke. Frank and open with great potential and a little weakness on the injury/motivation side of things to stop the log from being boring. Looking forward to seeing how this develops over the next few years. Delighted you got so much out of Sunday. Take it easy for a little bit now.
Sure what kind of writing is good without a bit of drama mate
Thanks for all your support.0 -
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