Marathon Improvers Thread.

Lazare

Also only just dawned on me the other day that I'm targeting a BQ. Gives an extra bit of spice to the closing few miles.

event

Have done 17m, 20m (10m at MP), 18m, 22m.

Planning 22m Sunday, then 20m next week with maybe 10-12m at MP

No idea what that is in km

Kellygirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119687480#Comment_119687480

Yes, same here. Would you go for Boston if you got it? I just like the idea of getting the BQ.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119687558#Comment_119687558

I would definitely apply for sure. Do simply just like the idea of qualifying too.

Sandwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119685389#Comment_119685389

I did two 20 milers. By rights I should only have been doing 16 if I'd stuck to the letter of the Hansons plan but I wanted the experience of time on my feet as I haven't run a marathon since DCM 2016.

Sandwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119687480#Comment_119687480

I've half an eye on a Berlin qualifying time myself. It definitely changes the perspective a little although thankfully it's a much less monolithic target than the sub 3. A nice bonus if it happens rather than an overarching and all-consuming goal.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119687932#Comment_119687932

Nice! That's the way I'm looking at the BQ too, at this point. Hopefully, if all goes well, on the closing couple of miles it will morph into the all consuming goal 😊

Lazare

So what are everyone's targets, PBs and history?

Mine are..

DCM 2017 - 3:58:08 PB

DCM2018 - 4:08:x (disaster)

Target - 3:20 (DCM 2022)

Sandwell

DCM 2016 - 2:57

Several years of injury...

Target - 2:45 (Amsterdam 2022)

That target is based on two and a half years of consistent training and some solid times in the past 6 months (particularly a 1:17 half and 58:30 for a 10 mile).

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688133#Comment_119688133

I'd say the endorphin rush stretched to Christmas with that 2016 result, nice.

You'll smash Amsterdam

Unthought Known

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119687480#Comment_119687480

Best of luck! I ran it this year and it's an amazing race with probably the best crowds I've experienced. When you get the qualifying time my advice would be to book a hotel/airbnb as early as possible, before they announce the qualifying cut-offs. Prices shoot up very quickly.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688215#Comment_119688215

Cheers, great tip.

Is it not still somewhat of a lottery even with a qualifying time though?

Wottle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688061#Comment_119688061

My marathon history is a little all over the place.

Had my iron levels checked in McCabe's pharmacy last night and I'm up to 13 from a low of 9, so that's a bit of a confidence booster.

Back in June I ran 31'11 for the 5 miler and was thinking 3'05 would be a realistic target.

I've averaged 200 miles a month but lots of those runs felt below par.

Still not a 100% sold on any time goal yet but possibly starting at 3'15 pace and see what happens

event

2013 Great Limerick Run - 3:58

2013 DCM - 3:53

2014 DCM - 4:25 (I thought marathons were easy so didnt do much training. Got a rude awakening at mile 17)

2015 DCM - 3:43:22

2017 Connemarathon - 4:12 (Injured at mile 17, walked a good few miles)

2017 DCM - 4:21 (Hadnt done the training but knew that so took it easy)

2019 DCM - 3:43:44 (Missed a PB by 22 seconds. Had to stop for a bathroom break, this cost me)

2021 - Mullingar Marathon Mind - 3:41:25

in DCM this year I am going for Sub 3:30. Hopefully I have it in the legs. Goin to go with the pacers anyway and lets see what happens

deconduo

Paris Oct '21: 4:32 (No proper training)

Paris Apr '22: 3.49 (12 weeks of solid training, most consistent I've ever been)

Berlin Sep '22: 3.39 (6 weeks of training, lost out a chunk of time from getting covid)

Dublin Oct '22: Not sure, hillier than Berlin and I don't want to go all out - but I think the extra 4 weeks of training might knock a minute or two off.

Just starting back the running now after Berlin. Will do a short LSR tomorrow and then ramp back up to 25-28km I suppose. Longest run I did before Berlin was 28k with 22k@MP

Cartman78

I won't post all the gory details here but "ran" my first DCM in 2003 as an ill-prepared novice fun runner with a chest infection....despite that disaster I was hooked on running and did the DCM three more times (2005, 2008, 2009) and Limerick once with times ranging from 4hrs down to 3:30.

Put in a huge training block for London 2012 and completely overtrained (I peaked that year for the Dungarvan 10 Mile 63mins), got injured and ended up detonating at Mile 20 and limping home in 3:26.

Kids arrived then so marathon training took a back seat...made my comeback in Dublin 2019 and got injured yet again, missed training etc. Ran most of it with the 3:20 pacers but fell off at 35K and then hung on grimly for a PB 3:24.

Got fairly sick for an extended period in late 2019 (my running log from around then is pretty depressing) and thought my running days were finished tbh but here I am now in October 2022 aiming for 3:10 😂😂😂

Unknownability

Dublin 19 3'36:05 - wasn't fully prepped for this and slight hampered by tendonitis.

Manchester 21 3'10:09 - everything went well didn't push on as I'd the continous few I'd blow up. A waste opportunity to go out of my comfort zone and get a 3'08ish.

Chicago 22 estimated 3'04 - 3'09. A BQ qualify would be amazing.

Can anyone let me know if Maurten Gels are supposed to be gloopy jelly like? I found I needed to kind of chew it this morning.

Laineyfrecks

So far this block my long runs have been 17.12m, 17.79m, 20.78m, 17.93m, 20.77m have another 3hr which is slighly over the 20m for me.

DCM 19 my 1st marathon 3:42:47

Manchester 21 3:29:07 (Training didn't have the same intensity from my part after losing my da suddenly half way through the training block)

DCM 22 - Target time 3:20

Really enjoying this training block & have PB'd in all my races which is a huge confidence booster especially as I got Covid really badly at Christmas & then an injury so only properly back running since April but more than the PBS, I'm just so happy with how I have ran my last few races, the satisfaction from a well run race lasts so much longer than the PB feeling!

Sandwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688648#Comment_119688648

Gloopy and jellylike describes them perfectly imo.

Kellygirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688648#Comment_119688648

Yes, it’s like jelly you bite! Very odd at first.

Unknownability

Thanks @Sandwell & @Kellygirl so glad I tried one this morning before marathon. The consistency will take some getting use to so will just stick with the normal gels which are more liquidy and drinkable.

Kellygirl

Cork 2017 4:48 - hadn’t a clue about fuelling and hit the wall at 20 miles, a Mars bar handed to me got me through to the end

Dublin 2017 4:20 - An amazing day, massive negative split and enjoyed every minute, best feeling ever

Clonakilty 4:44 - Lunacy - upgraded from the half to the full on the morning, knee went on the hills so walked most of it.

Cork 2018 4:28 - heat killed me and thought all slow running would get me a PB!

Dublin 2018 4:23 - Signed up with a coach, said I wanted sub 4, he never asked my history and got injured from overtraining 6 weeks out. There were a lot of “I told you so’s” … and sympathy to be fair though I should have listened to the people commenting on Strava!

Dublin 2019 4:03:04 - Signed up with the same coach I’m with now. Super day, had hoped to go sub 4 but didn’t have it in me and slowed down too much in the last 6 miles

Dublin 2022:

Aiming for sub 3:45, though hoping I’ll be closer to 3:40. Based on 1:43:05 half in Waterford on Sept 3rd and I’ve had a very strong year.

Kellygirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688779#Comment_119688779

The one advantage is they aren’t all sticky like some others. I actually coped really well with them the couple of years I used them.

Swashbuckler

Just a heads up Dingle Marathon 2023 isn't far off selling out

Unknownability

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688808#Comment_119688808

https://www.wheelworx.ie/product/35813735/maurten-hydrogel-sports-fuel-gel-100-6-for-10/option/

Just in case you missed it 6 for €10, they'd plenty of stock.

Unthought Known

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688289#Comment_119688289

Not really. The last 2 years it's gone ahead there has been no cut-off so if you had a qualifying time you were in. I think the year before that (2019 race) you need to be about 1:50 inside the qualifying time.

Kellygirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688951#Comment_119688951

Oh very good. I’m going to stick to Tailwind this year at this stage. I like how it works for me. I always feel very steady throughout my runs with it.

Murph_D

20 miles or 3 hours (whichever comes first) is the longest I've done, three times I think.

Sussex18

3:51 in Galway today, which is a disimprovement of 5 minutes on Limerick in May.

Had a bad experience of going out too fast in Limerick and was only hanging on at the end.

Today I did the opposite and was very conservative until about the last 5 Miles and finished strongly but regret now not pushing it harder somewhat earlier, feel I should have done a bit better but ultimately wasn't sure at the time what was in my legs.

Still enjoyed my day and ran to feeling, but could have pushed a bit more a bit earlier.

Bad cramping afterwards for an hour or so but not a bit out of breath.

Treviso

DCM 2019 - 3.26 as a novice. Followed a 18 week P&D plan for it - finished the last 4 miles strong

DCM 2022 - targeting 2.55 if conditions are good. Training has gone quite well - all depends on the day