Often becomes easy when the easy is often..

Lambay island

Well done C. Great racing and super PB. Some days at the end you just have to hang in there. You listened to your body and seemed to dial back exactly what was required when those cramp pinches came on. That's experience for you as the majority of folk would have had to stop at some stage there. Big congrats 👏

py

Congrats again on the PB. You hit your PB goals across the board this year which is a fantastic achievement. Your 3:10 goal will come but I think you should soak up what has been a great year of running thus far.

chabsey

Brilliant report, a great read. Personally I think you were trained and ready for a 3:10 or faster but the day worked against you in a few small ways. I wouldn't focus on milage earlier in the year as a factor, I believe a lot of the marathon is a mental battle and sometimes a thing like the frustrating start you had can just put you off things slightly.

Lazare

Thanks a mill folks, ah I am proud of it.

The cramping is very frustrating though, and I've really got to get to the bottom of it.

I did all I could think of to mitigate against it, took magnesium supplements for about 8 weeks, drank a zero every day for months, gobbled a load of electro tabs during the race and it still happened.

Determined to fix it.

healy1835

Great racing Conor. Kept the show on the road and came through numerous little speedbumps. Enjoy the PB for a while and then get back on the horse. Well done.

ariana`

First and foremost congratulations on a super PB & race, very much deserved after the dedication you showed throughout the block of training. I can't imagine having 2 adults in a household marathon training and keeping the sh*t on the road with 3 kids and all that goes with that so kudos to you and your misses on that, ye are a force to be reckoned with!

Personally, I think sometimes there is no reason for these things. It may just be a combination of very small things that lost you that few minutes - the congestions, the travel, sleeping in a hotel, getting caught in a hail shower, feeling time pressure to start... As others have said you still raced extemely well and pulled off a huge PB, on top of all the other PBs this year! Serious acheivement to PB at all distances across a calendar year, you should be very very proud - you are certainly an inspiration to me!

Recover well x

marathon2022

Another fantastic report, I have to say after reading your log through the year and seeing the steady and Impressive improvement I was surprised you didn't go under 3.10. Your training and general attitude to running are on point. I doubt that PB will last long. Reading logs like yours and all the others renews my enthusiasm for running. Go enjoy your break lad

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249424#Comment_121249424

Cheers for that J 😊

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249747#Comment_121249747

Ah E, thank you so much, such lovely things to say. Means a lot. 😊

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249872#Comment_121249872

Cheers man, that's really nice to hear. 👍️

MisterJinx

Great job C and a great race report! I think a few other have pointed out the possible reasons that you were slightly off your target and they sound very fair in my opinion. You did a great block of training and it's still an 11 minute pb which is a fab achievement so don't be feeling too sorry for yourself :-) Onwards and upwards and next time I would put money on it that you will be very close to 3 hours

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121250225#Comment_121250225

Thanks a mill P 🙂

Comic Book Guy

Well done C, really enjoyed reading (almost running) that report. I get what you are saying about the 80/20 thing but i think you should dial that back, 11 mins is a massive leap forward, not far off a 30 second per mile improvement and all the time battling and superbly managing a cramp issue. As others have said the 3:10 will come next time and a lot more besides.

Just looking at your post in the 2023 targets thread you've had a fantastic year, sit back and enjoy it!

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121250766#Comment_121250766

Thanks a mill J, and I guess you are all bang on, I should stop being hard on myself and focus on the good.

Murph_D

Hey, well done C, it's an excellent result with all that was going on. Many congrats

A couple of thoughts, but they are not game changers.

I would have gone over a day earlier and relaxed more the day before. This of course would selfishly take you away from your family but I genuinely think travelling the day before the race (even with the VIP treatment at the airport) and still having the expo etc to do can sap things. (Although it didn't seem to have any effect on C and E so maybe it's not an issue!)

And yes, I'm not sure what time the off was but ye obviously arranged a bad time to meet up - you need to allow for unexpected things (like the hailstorm!) You're usually pretty early to races as far as I recall so maybe the last minute stress didn't help - although saying that, it's amazing how stress can disappear once you start running.

Re that 3:30 group, surely it was just that there were two groups, maybe starting in different waves? They do that in a few big races. Having a bad start position is often something you can get away with but it did seem to affect you in this case.

But hey, I think it's a super result working around those niggles, well done and you'll have better days. Sometimes you have to deal with a race that's not going well and you certainly made the most of it on the day.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251272#Comment_121251272

Cheers D, that's excellent feedback.

I definitely was feeling a little tired at the expo, but only now that you mention it, as in, I'd forgotten. Maybe it contributed somewhat.

You make a good point about S & E running perfect races, I've thought a good bit about that.

We all had the exact same circumstances, congestion etc, and they both pulled off clutch performances. It keeps me honest to myself in my post mortem.

Mr. Guappa

Congrats C. I think it's perfectly fine to be proud of your progress but still be a touch disappointed that things didn't work out as you hoped on the day. No doubt you'll use that feeling to drive you on to the next target. But, as others have said, you should take immense pride in how far you've come, and in the result itself. 3:15 on a day when lots of things conspired against you... in the fullness of time I'm sure you'll reflect on that as the super, gutsy performance that it was.

Congrats again. Looking forward to your Hanson review.

Annie get your Run

An 11 min PB! I wasn't expecting that to be the result reading through. Congrats, that's fantastic. Sounds like a great event apart from the start line. You may have reached goal pace earlier if you'd gotten there earlier but then you might have cramped sooner and ended up slower or worse - who knows! 11 min PB, especially given the obstacles on the day is hugely impressive. I'd love to hear a bit more of the 80% sometime too :).

AuldManKing

1st off - Congrats on a really well executed race and a phenomenal PB. To run a 3.15 and that be an 11min PB is a superb performance.

11 mins is good - but 11 mins and finish 3.15 - give yourself a lot of credit for that - the % improvement is fantastic.

Just read through your whole log from May til now (I hadn't been paying a lot of attention to Boards over the summer :) ).

The Glute injury in July may have played more of a role than you think, it does look like from 1st Aug onwards, you had really strong training block - but the 4 weeks from the Glute injury took mileage away (& sessions) - 10 weeks of solid training - you need everything to go your way.

The cramp is interesting - I recall you got cramp in the 10k in Dunshaughlin - did that feel different or similar to what you had this time. Your cramp seems to be manageable in that you dont lock up - mine becomes an inability to run at times (apart from Rotterdam when I managed it (inc in S&C) and San Seb when I ran within myself. )

I've cramped in all but 1 Marathon I've done - I used to be convinced it was electrolytes, but I've done so much research I'm convinced its down to 3 main things (with me);

(1) Specific Training - I'm convinced people who are prone to cramp have to train more specifically - not harder - just differently. (I've not found my sweet spot yet - but getting there)

(2) Strength Training - Very specific S&C for runners - Hammys, glutes, calfs, core - everything - become a beast. (+ hills)

(3) Proper Carb loading - starting 3 days before - for me - its to get 650g or Carbs each day - broken into 2-3 hour intervals.

From reading your log I also get a very strong passion for your goal that at times comes across as an obsession - I know we all obsess on Running (I'm probably 50% productive in work most days) - but does yours become a 'worry' or an 'anxiety' that takes energy away from you?? Just a question and maybe I'm reading it incorrectly.

I'm convinced with a proper 16 week build up, even with the plan you used, you'd run another 11 min PB.

Be proud of yourself young man - its great that your disappointed - you say above thats its just a teeny timy bit - but I think we get that its more than that - as we've all been there!

Now enjoy the recovery :)

Lazare

Wow guys. I'm bowled over by those comments.

I'm a little stuck for time this evening and will also be tomorrow, I'll be back on as soon as I can to come back to you.

Laineyfrecks

Still in Amsterdam on a "high" but just wanted to say a big thank you for making this such a great trip! Before I talk about your race can I just say what an absolute gent you are and a nut job too🤣

I will agree that the start wasn't ideal, very confusing! I spoke to you after & knew it wasn't what you wanted so of course there was a sense of disappointment...not one of us runners reading it can say we've never felt it! I personally feel it boils down to more than getting a time but how we actually feel during the race. Unfortunately they don't all go perfectly for us & we have to learn from them which I have absolutely no doubt in my head that you will. It's hard when it's something like cramp because it's hard to know exactly how to sort it.

In saying all this & speaking from someone who has let one race get her down in the past, you got an 11 min PB, you PB'd in every distance this year...be very very proud of that & look forward to whats next, we all sometimes just need to appreciate how far we have come💛

P,s can't wait for our next trip🤣🤪

Kellygirl

Congrats C. You’ve come along way since our debut in 2017! You are an amazing runner and I just love your enthusiasm.

@Laineyfrecks hit the nail on the head there I think with it coming down to how you feel while racing too. Dublin for me last year was a similar situation in a way … a massive PB but hard won and couple of minutes behind where I wanted to be. Bittersweet as you said too.

I have very faith that you will get the 3:10. Be proud of yourself now for the amazing training and run you just did.

Dubh Geannain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251724#Comment_121251724

100% agreed. After jostling with the pace so much due to cramping and running around heavy traffic a couple of times during the race it's a fantastic result. Congrats again.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251724#Comment_121251724

Ahh, thank you so much.

I think you're spot on with what likely would have happened had I had a clear run at the start.

Oh I'm usually all about the 80% 😊

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251737#Comment_121251737

I don't have the time right now Alan to give this the response it deserves, will hopefully have some space tomorrow evening to come back to you. I really appreciate the time you've taken to post that.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251975#Comment_121251975

Haha, it was such a deadly trip, I loved every minute of yourself and Sean's company.

I may travel with ya to Berlin just for the craic element.

Thanks so much for everything, not only the weekend but all of the support on the build up. You're a legend and a great friend.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252404#Comment_121252404

Thanks so much K. We're so hard on ourselves sometimes huh.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253438#Comment_121253438

Fair play N, thanks so much. I'm beginning to see it that way myself.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251697#Comment_121251697

You're a sound man A, thank you.

I'll put up a Hanson review over the coming days, looking forward to it.

diego_b

Another excellent report from the race...an 11 minute pb is great going. Very well done to you on pulling that off when things were not so great at the start. Recover well for the next one.