DCM 2018 - Mentored Novice Thread

sumsar

Think I'll wake up early for the LSR myself tomorrow too.. last week I did the lsr at 1pm.. amateur hour 😂 for a very easy pace there was some amount of sweat!

There has been a lot of talk on here by people about how they are slow.. I've yet to see a pace on the Strava group slower than mine so don't fret guys just remember you're not as slow as me! Ha 😂

Ps I am comfortable with my slow pace so don't worry guys I'm not looking for reassurance haha

Kind of some advice for guys here while I'm on the topic..

About 5 years ago a friend of mine got me into running, at that stage I had a conversation where I told him not to try convince me I've attempted the c25k and I'll never be able to run.. said friend convinced me that if I joined him at a jog going the slowest possible speed I could while talking he would get me doing a 5k in my first try.

Now I'm not recommending people try do a 5k jog in their first attempt but at that stage I did what he told me, went very very very slow and did my 5k first attempt.. kept that up week in week out and my PB for a 5k around then was 24 mins.

Last year I got running again after about 2 years of inactivity, I've yet to break a speed of 27mins let alone my PB and it wasn't until I joined this thread that I put the dots together and realized last year I was trying too hard to go fast and not concentrating on the main thing.. more miles at an easy pace.

So.. I'm happy in the knowledge (from past experience and from hearing others here) that if I keep it easy and focus on the miles, the rest will come in time.

ariana`

sumsar wrote: »

Think I'll wake up early for the LSR myself tomorrow too.. last week I did the lsr at 1pm.. amateur hour �� for a very easy pace there was some amount of sweat!

There has been a lot of talk on here by people about how they are slow.. I've yet to see a pace on the Strava group slower than mine so don't fret guys just remember you're not as slow as me! Ha ��

Ps I am comfortable with my slow pace so don't worry guys I'm not looking for reassurance haha

Kind of some advice for guys here while I'm on the topic..

About 5 years ago a friend of mine got me into running, at that stage I had a conversation where I told him not to try convince me I've attempted the c25k and I'll never be able to run.. said friend convinced me that if I joined him at a jog going the slowest possible speed I could while talking he would get me doing a 5k in my first try.

Now I'm not recommending people try do a 5k jog in their first attempt but at that stage I did what he told me, went very very very slow and did my 5k first attempt.. kept that up week in week out and my PB for a 5k around then was 24 mins.

Last year I got running again after about 2 years of inactivity, I've yet to break a speed of 27mins let alone my PB and it wasn't until I joined this thread that I put the dots together and realized last year I was trying too hard to go fast and not concentrating on the main thing.. more miles at an easy pace.

So.. I'm happy in the knowledge (from past experience and from hearing others here) that if I keep it easy and focus on the miles, the rest will come in time.

Super post sumsar, thanks for sharing your experience

Kellygirl

aloooof wrote: »

skyblue46 wrote: »

Reminder for those who might be intending to join the strava group or who have requested to join but not yet been accepted to have both sent me a PM so that I know the name connected to the thread and also to have introduced yourself here and answered the few questions on the opening post of the thread. Thanks ;-)

Just sent the request now, after getting my Garmin Connect and Strava setup. If you need anything else from me, let me know, cheers!

Aloooof, do you want to pm me with your real name to make sure I’m approving the right person ... unless you have pm’d Skyblue already.

NyOmnishambles

Went for a swim at lunch

Haven't been swimming in a long time so wasn't expecting much thankfully

I did lifesaving lessons when growing up so we were always taught to swim with our heads up out of the water to watch the rescue subject, as a result I struggle to breath properly when swimming head in water so I am trying to learn this
Today I misjudged a breath and swallowed a half gallon of water and enjoyed a coughing fit

I will get there I am sure
I did 500m in around 30 mins and my legs feel more relaxed so it went well

aloooof

Kellygirl wrote: »

Aloooof, do you want to pm me with your real name to make sure I’m approving the right person ... unless you have pm’d Skyblue already.

Done, cheers!

Aoifemcc19

Good luck with all the long runs tomorrow, defo getting out of bed super early the way to go. Have set my alarm for 5.30am the last two mornings and the thoughts of it worse than reality. Great to be done before the day has even begun for most people!! Best of luck

Kellygirl

Best of luck with all your long runs guys. I reckon aim at 30 seconds minimum slower per mile than your planned pace with the heat. Better finish a run slowly and feeling well than conk out along the way. Start out very slow and just think about the distance and not the time or pace tomorrow. I’d be carrying water too even if it’s just a small bottle in your hand.

bucketybuck

coogy wrote: »

Some advice needed if that's ok?


I've become a bit of a Parkrun addict since I took it up earlier in the year and love the slightly competitive edge of running with the more experiences runners (I don't even try to keep up with them but just running with them makes me want to keep going week after week).

Anyway, tomorrow is an 8 mile lsr. Would it be too much do the parkrun in the morning and then do the lsr later in the evening?

I think I might know the answer to this one.......

Do you want to be a parkrunner or do you want to run a marathon?

coogy

Aoifemcc19 wrote: »

Good luck with all the long runs tomorrow, defo getting out of bed super early the way to go. Have set my alarm for 5.30am the last two mornings and the thoughts of it worse than reality. Great to be done before the day has even begun for most people!! Best of luck

Same here. Have the alarm set for 6am tomorrow!!

chabsey

Back in the game starting on Monday. I'm going to take it day by day and see if these physio exercises make any difference.

coogy

bucketybuck wrote: »

Do you want to be a parkrunner or do you want to run a marathon?

Fair question (one which I won't bother answering).

Lapai1

Finally sticking my head above the parapet to say hi! have been lurking for a few weeks.

DCM will be my first (and only! marathon) I'll try and anwser all the questions:

Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)

Dont race that often, my only half was Dublin 2016 and that was 2:25, more recently I did the Terenure 5mile in49:34 and Clogherhead 10k in 1:02:41

Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
I stop to drink and take gels on my longer runs, haven't quite mastered the running and drinking thing.

How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.

3-4 runs a week distances this week roughly 5, 6, 12 miles. I do strength training in the gym twice a week and pilates once a week.

What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
Goals are:
1. To get to the start line uninjured.
2. To complete the marathon (preferably with out bawling :-)
3. Dream finishing time would be sub 5 hours.

How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
I can run 4 days a week will probably cut back on the other cross training as the weeks progress. I have been following a combination of Hal Higdon 3 and the HH novice 1 plan.

What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Biggest fear is not making it to the start line. I know if I can get there I will drag myself over the finish line.

Why are you running this marathon?
I have stewarded at the marathon for the last few years and I think it finally got to me. Mind you I usually steward at about 7-8 miles where everyone is still enjoying it I may be cursing myself come marathon day.

Looking forward to all the tips from the experts.

skyblue46

coogy wrote: »

Fair question (one which I won't bother answering).

I'll jump in here simply because it's the latest post and no reflection on Coogy at all. The subject of the posts is relevant though. You are all embarking on a huge challenge. It can be made easier by following the plan. It can be made more difficult by being distracted by other things. I'll be an interested viewer as lsr runs appear on Strava this weekend. It's the first chance to see for real if people have taken advice on training paces. The easy runs this week have been a mix of bang on, slightly too fast and positively bonkers!! Remember LSR pace should be 2.5 to 3.5 mins per mile slower than 5k race times.

ChippyRun

bucketybuck wrote: »

Do you want to be a parkrunner or do you want to run a marathon?

I too must confess to being a Parkrun addict and have pushed my LSR out to Sunday so I can ramble up to Malahide as per usual. I'm also using the Parkrun as one of my 3 miles from midweek. I guess I will have to knock it on the head the further I get into the plan.

Swashbuckler

ChippyRun wrote:

I too must confess to being a Parkrun addict and have pushed my LSR out to Sunday so I can ramble up to Malahide as per usual. I'm also using the Parkrun as one of my 3 miles from midweek. I guess I will have to knock it on the head the further I get into the plan.

A friend of mine signed up for DCM this year. Hes working on a McMillian plan and emailed them today to ask if some interval speed training could be included every Friday to keep up his speed work. Hopefully this doesn't come across too harsh but if you want to run a marathon you need to commit to the plan. If you enjoy racing parkruns and doing speed stuff every week theres nothing wrong with that. Go for it. But the two don't really mix for beginners. The most important thing is to safely get you around the marathon distance. It's a big ask and takes a lot of commitment especially for first timers. Personally I've never run a marathon purely for the reason I love the 5k/10k stuff. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you want to run a marathon trust the plan. If you want to race parkruns there's nothing wrong with doing that but it will most likely interfere with your marathon training. Choose what you really want to do.

Hobbyjogger

Good luck with long runs this morning! Embrace the sweat

Anyone doing the Waterford Viking? They had to cancel the full marathon because of the weather so that's a good indicator of its impact! I'm doing the quarter and it's at 9am so not a problem on a side note: I wouldn't have bothered with another random 10k this far into training only had signed up last year and had to defer due to injury (received during the mini marathon!)

Speaking of random 10k's, anyone doing South Dublin (part of the Dublin Race Series)? Entries close July 7th

ChippyRun

Swashbuckler wrote: »

A friend of mine signed up for DCM this year. Hes working on a McMillian plan and emailed them today to ask if some interval speed training could be included every Friday to keep up his speed work. Hopefully this doesn't come across too harsh but if you want to run a marathon you need to commit to the plan. If you enjoy racing parkruns and doing speed stuff every week theres nothing wrong with that. Go for it. But the two don't really mix for beginners. The most important thing is to safely get you around the marathon distance. It's a big ask and takes a lot of commitment especially for first timers. Personally I've never run a marathon purely for the reason I love the 5k/10k stuff. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you want to run a marathon trust the plan. If you want to race parkruns there's nothing wrong with doing that but it will most likely interfere with your marathon training. Choose what you really want to do.

Thanks Swashbuckler I take your point for sure. I should have mentioned there is no racing involved and I try to stick to the training run pace at Parkrun.

effibear

ChippyRun wrote: »

Thanks Swashbuckler I take your point for sure. I should have mentioned there is no racing involved and I try to stick to the training run pace at Parkrun.

I’ve factored in a few Park runs in my training plan. I’ll run them all easy. I run solo and I prefer it that way so can sometimes get a bit flustered at the big races and end up going to fast etc. So the park runs will be practise at staying at my own pace.

NyOmnishambles

Morning all
What a glorious day

Very much enjoyed the lsr this morning, well not enjoyed exactly but was happy with it

Picked a pace I wanted to average and came in 2 seconds under it per km so not too bad

Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks

aloooof

First LSR of the plan done! Couple of things I noticed / learned:

1. Running in this heat is tough! The only reason I was able to get thru that comfortably and actually enjoy it was by slowing it right down. And even at that I was probably still a touch too quick.

2. I'm not a big fan of carry a water bottle while running. I think I'm going to buy a flipbet or some hydration belt. If anyone has any recommendations, that'd be great.

3. Decided on a change of route about half way in to something with a few less hills, and slightly less exposed to the sun. If this weather is still around next Saturday, I'm going to try plan my route a bit better. There'll be plenty of time for hills once the weather cools down.

4. For the Boards plan, that's the last single-digit LSR until Week 17. Strap in folks!

5. I had a very small (but noticeable) twinge in my lower back early on in the run. I think I may not have been fully warmed up but I'm going to book a physio appointment for during the week, want to try nip any potential issues in the bud early.

6. I normally don't have my LSR's done at this hour, so I'm feeling pretty happy (and slightly smug).

Best of luck to anyone else doing their LSR's today!

Summerflower

Hi all, First LSR of the plan completed this morning, I have to admit it was too fast looking back on it.... I went with a group and found that when we got into deep conversation we lost track of ourselves and ran faster than we should have.. Felt fine this morning, really enjoyed the run & felt like I could have ran another few miles but I do see I need to slow it down. I am thinking best thing going forward is to set up a pace alert on the watch. I now see how important the watch is for log runs, before now I could have gone for a run or to training and left the watch at home and not worry about the pace but I will be using it every time now.

Quick question: Next week on the plan is a 10m LSR, I am registered for a 10 mile race in Roscommon, would I better off trying to keep it as close to a LSR as I can or is it ok to give it socks? I am registered for the Race Series so I will be doing the South Dublin 10k race 2 weeks later, your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Applegirl26

First lsr of the training plan done...just about. I was hoping to run 10 miles but that was not going to happen today. I ran Clonee the other night which was a fab race and I gave it all I had. Then that night I was sick as a dog.
I found the run this morning tough going. I was at mile 3 before I felt like I even began to settle into it. At mile 5 I recalled reading somewhere that all lsr's should be run on road. I was on a trail. It's like I forgot everything today!
Anyway, tomorrow is another day. Gonna chalk this up to experience, learn from it and look forward to week 2.

sumsar

I must admit guys.. I really enjoyed this week, I kept all my runs at an easy pace and even though the days have been warm I've been enjoying the runs (slow jogs more likely).. I also got the Forerunner 235 this week and I've found that's helped me hugely to keep the pace at levels I'm happy with.

Hope you're all enjoying it so far as it's only the start haha

Here are my stats for the week;

Week 1 Day 1

Distance 3.0 mi
Moving Time 36:15
Avg Pace 11:52/mi
Elev Gain 115 ft


Week 1 Day 2
Distance 3.0 mi
Moving Time 36:27
Avg Pace 12:06/mi
Elev Gain 79 ft


Week 1 Day 3
Distance 3.0 mi
Moving Time 36:48
Avg Pace 12:12/mi
Elev Gain 56 ft


Week 1 Day 4
Distance 6.0 mi
Moving Time 1:22:55
Avg Pace 13:46/mi
Elev Gain 148 ft

skyblue46

Applegirl26 wrote: »

First lsr of the training plan done...just about. I was hoping to run 10 miles but that was not going to happen today. I ran Clonee the other night which was a fab race and I gave it all I had. Then that night I was sick as a dog.
I found the run this morning tough going. I was at mile 3 before I felt like I even began to settle into it. At mile 5 I recalled reading somewhere that all lsr's should be run on road. I was on a trail. It's like I forgot everything today!
Anyway, tomorrow is another day. Gonna chalk this up to experience, learn from it and look forward to week 2.

Well done. Firstly there is absolutely no reason LSRs have be done on the road. Trails are fine, grass is even better. It's about time on the feet. Road running puts the most stress onto the body.

Remember that slowing down will help you run further. If you find yourself struggling just turn the effort level right down. Your pace was a touch on the fast side for a LSR....one of the best paced of the group at the same time! :pac:

Dealerz2.0

First week of boards plan done- 22miles in the tank- 12 mile lsr this morning at a faster pace than I wanted, as the fastest person of the group was setting the pace! But I feel great after it! This is going to be a great 17/18 weeks. Can’t wait

NyOmnishambles

aloooof wrote: »

2. I'm not a big fan of carry a water bottle while running. I think I'm going to buy a flipbet or some hydration belt. If anyone has any recommendations, that'd be great.

I am not a fan of carrying bottles around so I got one of these

https://ie.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-hydration-bag-1-5l-937826?colcode=93782603&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1NzZBRCoARIsAIaMwuu5Z42U91ehP6Wbn1K4_zFSHmKHZXqJ2ZQDTqlLBVIJZd2mNeNeBD0aAqVQEALw_wcB

Used it today and it was great to be able to take a few sips every kilometer, got plenty of water in and you don't even know you are carrying it, had my phone and keys in it too

skyblue46

Feel free to join in....one day left!!

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057885288

coogy

Left the house at 6am this morning for my LSR. Had plenty of rest last night so felt wonderful heading out at that time.
Passed a few running groups and solo runners like myself along the way. Enjoyed the whole thing from beginning to end.

Only gave myself one rest day this week. Might try the two rest days next week and see how it goes.........

skyblue46

coogy wrote: »

Left the house at 6am this morning for my LSR. Had plenty of rest last night so felt wonderful heading out at that time.
Passed a few running groups and solo runners like myself along the way. Enjoyed the whole thing from beginning to end.

Only gave myself one rest day this week. Might try the two rest days next week and see how it goes.........

Hi Coogy. There are a couple of things about this which are relevant to all the rest of the group. There are 3 areas where we can influence the likelihood of staying as injury free as possible. They are the distances we run, the paces we run at and the number of days we run. We all know that distances should only be stepped up slowly and that paces only increase very gradually over time. However the number of days per week we run should also be a gradual process. If someone is used to running 3 days a week and wants to run 5 then make sure to spend a few weeks running 4 times per week first. Sudden increases in running volume along with the lessening of available recovery time is something which needs to be done step by step.

whiskey_sour

After a tough couple of long runs I actually really enjoyed todays! Got lost a couple of times but think it actually helped keep the boredom at bay! Thinking of getting one of those camelbaks you recommended skyblue..does it feel heavy or bop around a lot on your back though?