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2023-08-21 - 2023-08-27
Monday
Rest
We a family dinner for my niece who was back from the UK for a few days. Priorities.
Tuesday
6 miles (10k) easy / recovery - Avg. pace 8:45 @ 125 Avg. HR (134 max)
First thing to note, I'm pretty much incapable of running either 3 or 6 miles. I always round them up to 5/10k, even though kilometres aren't a real thing.
I generally aim to keep recovery miles below 130 HR. P&D have my recovery zone maxing out at 135 (70% HRR), so this run was nicely inside that. The average was probably lower due to road crossings, etc.
Wednesday
14.1 mile medium-long run - Avg. pace: 8:04 @ 135 Avg. HR (148 max)
Another "great" midweek medium-long run around the Phoenix Park. I say "great", but it was more the pace that was great. I'm really starting to feel the monotony of all the miles in marathon training and questioning why I'm doing it. I guess that all part and parcel of training for a marathon.
The run itself was split into 4 equals blocks of 3.5 miles, targeting a HR of 130 -> 135 -> 140 -> 145 for each of the blocks. Again going by P&D, I should be maxing these run out at 146 HR.
Sometimes I just don't understand running. Both long runs the last weekends (18 & 20 miles) have averaged 8:24 and 8:25 pace, whereas the midweek medium-long runs (12 & 14 miles) have averaged 8:07 an 8:04 pace. Essentially they're both targeting the same HR from 130 -> 145, so I'd presume that the average paces for both should be roughly equivalent. Maybe the extra time on feet at lower HR for the longer runs means that I'm not fully getting the benefit of the higher HR target in the latter stages, due to HR drift as fatigue sets in.
Thursday
Cycling: 15.45 & 7.9 miles
Out to the mammy's house post-work to cut the grass.
Friday
Not a rest day.
Run: 3.11 miles (see previous note on 3m vs 5k), Avg. pace: 8:41 @ 119* Avg. HR (131 max) - * Road crossings probably brought this down a smidge.
Felt like the legs needed a bit of a run out before the
SundaySaturday MP session, so headed out for a short recovery runch.Saturday
16 miles with 12 @ MP
Cycled down to the PP and locked the bike at the visitors centre, which was a lot busier than usual due to the Triathlon event taking place. That was restricted to a small part of Chesterfield Road and the south-side of the park, meaning that I could use a 4(ish) mile loop on the "zoo" side for this.
Two miles warmup around the back of the polo ground and turning back up the North Road before getting into the MP miles. The MP start uphill and into a stiff enough breeze. Back across Odd Lamps Road and up Chesterfield before turning back down the North Road. Then back across the Odd Lamps Road and down Chesterfield and around the back of the polo grounds again. A nice figure-8 of sorts.
Paces started well and the HR was nicely under control, but by the end of the first lap, I was starting to feel it and having to convince myself that I could do this. It was warm and fairly humid, which probably didn't help matters. After the first lap there was a much appreciated rain shower, which helped keep me cool. I took a gel after each of the laps, so after 4 and 8 of the MP miles.
The main reason for using a loop like this was to give me a better indication of how I'm maintaining effort levels as I go through the MP miles. The routes for the two previous MP sessions had made it more difficult to properly gauge, due to gradient and other factors, such as wind direction. 3 laps of 4 miles gave me a basis for comparison.
As can be seen from the above table, the paces got consistently slower after the first few miles. Miles 1-2 in each block were uphill and into the breeze, with the second half of each block much more favourable.
The averages for each of the 3 laps was 7:33, 7:53 and 7:59. It really leaves me questioning where I am wrt target pace/time for DCM, which is one of the main things I was hoping to get from this approach.
There's another MP session in another 4 weeks, so I guess I'll see how that goes and make a call at that point.
Sunday
Saturday evening consisted of steak, red wine and beer.
Went for an hour on the turbo / Zwift, keeping the HR low. Managed 16.2 miles in the hour despite keeping the HR to a max of 104 and an average of 96.
Headed out for a short recovery run afterwards.
4.1 miles recovery - Avg. pace: 8:56 @ 125 Avg. HR (134 max)
The legs definitely felt better after this one than before it.
The week in review
The week went well, with the only exception being the most important session of the week. As I noted during the week, my midweek progression runs are going much better than the equivalent (longer) efforts at the weekend, with the being a 20 second per-mile average differential. Maybe there's something different in my approach between the two.
Next week
This week (and the two after that) is going to be somewhat disrupted by life taking over. I should hopefully get all runs in, although there'll definitely be some juggling required. The cycling on the other hand is likely to fall by the wayside. I'll try to find replacements where possible, be that increasing the overall running mileage or cross-training and/or adding in extra stretching (I'm thinking Myrtl Routine here).
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2023-09-11 - 2023-09-17
Monday
Physio visit.
Nothing much to report thankfully; a small Achilles strain, but nothing major. I've been advised to drop the VO2Max sessions and one day of running, which means only 3 days of running a week. I'm really not sure about dropping another day of running and replacing it with another cycle, so will listen to the body.
Tuesday
5k recovery. Avg. Pace: 8:37, Avg, HR: 124.
Calf was grand.
Followed it up with a 10 hour flight.
Wednesday
10k morning run in Seattle. First 0.25 mile was down a steep hill and the run finished back up the hill. Lower calf still good despite the route, but calves a bit tight generally. No real surprise after the flight. Avg. Pace: 9:05, Avg, HR: 129.
Thursday
A busy day of meetings, so had a limited window to get out afterwards.
Used the same route as Wednesday, with a couple of miles added.
Calf still feeling good. Went with a bit of a progression run to test it out. This included using the final hill for "hill sprints".
8.75 miles in total. Avg. Pace: 8:35, Avg. HR: 135.
Friday
Rest
Saturday
17 miles long run. Again, no calf issues.
Out the door first thing in the morning, running on empty. This went well, other than numerous stops to check my route (and some photo stops). I should really add the routes to my Garmin to make things easier for myself. A well as a few fairly steep hills, there were a couple of flights of stairs thrown in for good measure.
The day got warmer as this went on and it got more difficult to keep the HR under wraps. The lower average will be as a result of all the stops.
A big thanks to @ReeReeG for suggesting a route around Lake Union. It allowed me to see so much more of the city than I would have otherwise.
Avg. Pace: 8:32, Avg. HR: 130
Sunday
Flight home.
The week in review
I'm really happy with how this week went. I started out worried about the calf, but I've hardy noticed it since the physio visit. That said, I'm not going to take anything for granted, so the VO2Max sessions will either be undertaken on a bike or replaced with something slower.
Next week
Back to reality.
* Any errors or omissions should be attributed to jetlag.
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2023-09-18 - 2023-09-24
Monday
Rest. I didn't arrive home from the airport until well after midday, so took it easy enough for the remainder of the day.
Tuesday
A great nights sleep on Monday night meant that I was rearing to go...after work.
I setup a route on onthegomap.com and then imported it into Garmin, to test out the course function after all the route checking stops on my long run in Seattle on Saturday. It worked much better than I remember from previous attempts to use it.
Using the course function meant that the default screen on the watch during the run was the map. I didn't bother changing it and just ran by feel, which thankfully seems to have worked for the most part.
Total: 9.01 miles, Avg. pace: 8:30, Avg. HR: 132.
Wednesday
An early morning recovery run with @aquinn , the best type of run.
Total: 3.12 miles, Avg. page: 9:55, Avg. HR: 114.
PM: Zwift session: 10 min WU, 3 x [3 min @ 160w, 3 min @ 180w, 3 min @ 200w] with 9 minute recovery @ 100w, 5 min CD
Damn that was tough. Haven't done any sessions on the turbo before but with needing to replace some running sessions in the next few weeks to take pressure off the Achilles this is now the alternative.
Thursday
Rest day...
Short cycle for an appointment and to the gym later in the evening for a total of just over 6 miles.
Added an easy swim in the evening of 1k - 2 x 250mt freestyle, 250mt breaststroke and 250mt back crawl.
Friday
Another early morning run, this time solo. A little bit cold starting out but a beautiful morning for a run. The run itself was a 12 mile medium long run (progression). I took one of my usual routes, out through Tolka Valley Park and into the Phoenix Park. Ran the trails along the Castleknock side of the park, back along Furze Road and down Chesterfield. Finished along the North Circular to Phibsboro and homewards from there.
Total: 12.01 miles, Avg. pace: 8:06, Avg. HR: 136.
Saturday
We decided on Friday that on some parkrun tourism would be good and eventually agreed on Dodder Valley as neither of us had been there before. It turned out to be a good decision. It's a nice two lap course, a short lap on a longer second lap that crosses over and back the Dodder.
Not for the first time recently, it turned out that I was unknowingly pacing A. The pacing gig only really started after 3k and was apparently a success.
Total: 3.11 miles, Avg. page: 8:21, Avg. HR: 129.
Sunday
One of the big ones in the training plan; 18 miles with 14 at marathon effort.
I cycled down to the Phoenix Park for this one and got going shortly before 10. As I was starting out from the visitors centre I passed @Ferris B , who was finishing up a great run himself. Ran two miles down the North Road before getting into the MP miles around the back of the zoo and turning back up Chesterfield.
I was only a mile into it when the demons started; far too early. It wasn't that I was struggling in any way, shape or form. It was more that I was questioning why I was running in the first place. Thankfully by the end of the second mile along Acres Road they'd mostly dissipated. Up along Military Road to Chesterfield, out of the park and back along Conyngham Road into the War Memorial Gardens along the Liffey.
After that the route got a bit more challenging, back into the park and up the Upper Glen Road before a brief respite around the Furze / Ordinance Survey Road. No sign of @Laineyfrecks looping around here singing to herself. I'd say she was well finished by the time I got there.
Then I left the park again for one final hill, up Tower Road to Castleknock. This mile was definitely the toughest and I struggled to keep the HR under wraps. Crested the hill around Castleknock College and the HR very slowly decreased after that. The final couple of miles were back down into the park and along the North Road towards the zoo. This was mostly into the wind, but at this stage I knew that the hard work was done. That didn't stop the right glute from complaining a bit, but it eased quickly once I'd dropped to an easier pace. Finished off with 2+ miles easy back up Chesterfield to the visitors centre.
I took two gels, one after 8 miles and the second after 12. I noticed, not for the first time, that my HR seems to increase by a 2-3 BPM for a minute or two after taking a gel. Maybe it's just the extra effort and stress of trying to do two things at once.
To me, the pace/HR/elevation stats are suggestive that maybe I'm lacking some strength on the hills and I need to possibly reign myself back a bit on the hills to better keep the HR under control. Would be interested in getting some input there from those with more running knowledge.
All in all a good run on an honest route.
The week in review
Definitely happy with how the week went and particularly with the Sunday MP run. There's still a couple of weeks before taper and another 20 miler in a fortnight to navigate, but I'm starting to feel that I can do this.
I'm mostly happy that I've decided on an MP for DCM now. his run came in pretty much where I expected it to, with the only small worries being my strength going up hills, and the HR drift and whether it's suggesting that I'm pushing things a slight bit.
Next week
This week should ideally have a tune-up race of ~10 miles on the Saturday, with a gruelling 17 miler the next day. I'll be skipping this for the second time out of two this week, as I feel that I'm getting enough from the training without adding the extra stresses of racing onto my body and mind.
The VO2Max session will be done on the bike / turbo again this week, but overall running mileage should be close enough to originally planned.
Stats
This week
- Run: 45.5m
- Cycle: 36.5m
- Swim: 1k
- S&C: ❌
- Yoga: ✔️
This Month
- Run: 128.7m
- Cycle: 56.75m
Year to Date
- Run: 1246m
- Cycle: 1391m
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2023-09-25 - 2023-10-01
Another week of moving workouts around.
Monday
Managed to get up to the gym for S&C for the first time in about a month. I'd somehow hurt my right thumb / hand the day before moving position on a sofa, so stuck to the lower body exercises.
- Seated leg curls (single leg)
- Leg extension (single leg)
- Leg press (single leg)
- Adductor
- Abductor
Followed that up with 1k freestyle in the pool.
Tuesday
An easy pre work loop of Tolka Valley Park and back along the canal. Nothing much to report here, other than the light rain.
Total: 8.01 miles, Avg. page: 8:33, Avg. HR: 130.
PM (Lunch): V̇RT - V̇O2 max Replacement Therapy. Back on the turbo for this one, with 6 x 2 minute intervals targeting increasing wattage with 3 minute recovery between them.
Zwift session: 10 min WU, 6 x [2 min @ 160-190w, 3 min @ 105w], 5 min CD
Wednesday
Struggled to drag myself out of the bed for this one, even though I knew that Storm Agnes was incoming. Eventually got going shortly after 7.
The plan was 4 blocks of 3 miles each, targeting a max. HR of 130/135/140/145. For the route, I'd decided to head in the opposite direction to my usual runs, out towards Clontarf, up the coast to Raheny and back home inland.
Not a huge amount to report on the run itself, other than half a mile of so into a roaring gale out towards the Wooden Bridge, it went well. There was definitely a lot of fatigue present in the legs and on occasion I found the effort levels dropping. At times it was a bit of a struggle to increase the effort levels again, but managed it. While I may have struggled to maintain the effort levels, there was no issues maintaining pace, as can be seen below.
Pace wise, the final block came in well inside the pace that I'll be targeting come marathon day. It's one of those strange ones, but I'm finding that the "shorter" medium long runs are coming in with quicker paces than the longer ones, and are generally inside my marathon target pace on the final block, despite targeting a lower HR.
Thursday
Rest
Friday
Rest. I'm not going to count the 2 hour walking tour in which I covered 1.3 miles. 😁
Saturday
17 mile long run (progression).
I'd things to do on Saturday evening, so was unlikely to be able for this on Sunday.
Got up and out the door to run up to St Anne's parkrun. Then up the coast before doing an about turn @ 10 miles and heading back home along the coast and Griffith Avenue. The run itself went grand, although I was starting to feel the miles during the final miles. That said, the effort levels were where I'd expect them to be, and even if the last 3 miles were a similar pace to the previous block, that was more due to the (slightly) uphill route for those miles.
I'd a few minutes break after parkrun to get my barcode scanned and to say hi to a few people, before I headed back out on the road.
The targets for each block were split as follows:
- Miles 1-3 - max. 130BPM
- Miles 4-7 - max. 134BPM
- Miles 8-10 - max. 138BPM
- Miles 11-14 - max. 142BPM
- Miles 15-17 - max. 146BPM
Total: 17.26 miles, Avg. pace: 8:08, Avg. HR.: 135.
Sunday
6.2 miles when we got back from our night away in the midlands. Just glad I managed to get out and get this one done after all the festivities on Saturday night and the afternoon drive back to Dublin.
Total: 6.22 miles, Avg. pace: 8:48, Avg. HR.: 129.
The week in review
Another mostly good, restructured week due to work and personal commitments. That said, the cycling mileage continues to take a hit, so this is something I need to look at to see if I can get it back on track.
This week
- Run: 43.5m
- Cycle: 34.5m
- Swim: 1k
- S&C: ✔️
- Yoga: ❌
September
- Run: 166m
- Cycle: 91m
Year to Date
- Run: 1290m
- Cycle: 1426m
Next week
There may actually be no need to restructure anything this week, which will be the first for a while.
This is the last big week before taper, and can't be underestimated. Sunday sees the final 20 miler of the training plan, but the week is about more than just that one run. I need to stick to the plan as much as possible to ensure that I get as much benefit as possible from the earlier runs and cycles.
The long run will also be used as a dress rehearsal for three weeks later; gels, kit, etc.
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2023-10-02 - 2023-10-08
The final "big week" of DCM training, culminating in my last 20 miler on Sunday.
Monday
Cycled up to the gym after work for S&C and swim.
Did both lower and upper body S&C this week, but then got bored of swimming so called it at 750 metres instead of the usual 1k.
Mostly freewheeled back down the hill home to my pizza delivery.
Tuesday
Early morning 7 mile loop around Griffith Avenue, Artane, Beaumont and back through DCU and Albert College Park. Cool enough breeze this morning, which meant that the long sleeve top over my t-shirt lasted the whole 7 miles for once. It's unusual for it to last more than 1 mile. Winter is coming!
Total: 7.0 miles, Avg. pace: 8:37, Avg. HR: 128.
PM: Zwift session(s) post work. Double session because Zwift Hub/Companion/App had a **** fit and stopped talking to each other, after multiple reboots of all to get them talking in the first place.
- 3.64 miles @ 19.1 mi/h & 1.19 w/kg
- 10.05 miles @ 20.1 mi/h & 1.41 w/kg
My upper right calf was niggling a bit both in the early part of the run and during the cycle...
Wednesday
Nada. Calf niggle.
Thursday
Right calf still not right. Physio visit in the afternoon...thankfully nothing of note. The was just a tight calf which was causing pain in the tendon just below the knee. Calf eased out and all seems to be well.
Friday
Back at it, after spending the evening celebrating our wedding anniversary the evening before.
An afternoon run. Headed out the coast at Clontarf and then back into the wind, as if the hangover wasn't making it tough enough.
Total: 12 miles, Avg. pace: 8:57, Avg. HR: 136.
Saturday
Moving swiftly on...
I volunteered at St Anne's parkrun on Saturday morning, so about a 4 mile cycle each way.
Total: 7.95 miles
Hopped on the turbo in the afternoon between two rugby matches.
Total: 15.10 miles @ 20.1 mi/h & 1.71 w/kg
Sunday
The final long run before reaching taper town.
I cycled down to the Phoenix Park as I often do for these runs, getting there just in time to see the FIRST EVER public bus service departing from the Visitor Centre. What a time to be alive!
That's about as good as it got (unsurprisingly).
The run itself was a 20 miles progression, which I split into 6 blocks: 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3 miles, each block targeting 3 BPM higher than the last.
The bad
- Garmin gave me an "execution" score of 66% - meaning that my HR was higher than target for at least 30% of the time.
- There was very little progression in pace; in fact the slowest blocks were 1, 5 & 6.
The good
- I kept going despite the frustration of slowing paces.
- The legs only started to feel fatigued during the final 1.5 miles.
- Monday morning and no ill effects.
The "mitigation"
- It was warm and muggy, and got warmer throughout the run.
- The similar (progression, albeit shorter) run on Friday and 25+ miles cycling on Saturday meant that I was fatigued going into this.
- The alcohol intake on Thursday possibly still having an impact.
- I possibly (probably) didn't drink enough water during the run, my small bottle was still half full after the 20 miles and I downed many pints of water throughout the day afterwards.
Cycled back home afterwards, and noticed that other than a couple of grumbles from a few muscles initially, the body felt good.
Spent the afternoon watching more rugby with a "break" to build a shelf in the shed from some random pieces of wood that were lying around.
The week in review
Not the best week from the outside looking in. That said, I'll stop short of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I need to get nutrition back under control, as this has gone to shite the last month or so, not helped by all of the travel, etc.
This week
- Run: 39.04m
- Cycle: 51.27m
- Swim: 750mt
- S&C: ✔️
- Yoga: ❌
October
- Run: 45.3m
- Cycle: 51.3m
Year to Date
- Run: 1,329m
- Cycle: 1,477m
Next week
The
tapirtaper starts here!
Time to get the mind and body in check; to refocus on the task at hand. I've put in a lot of good training over the last while and I need to make sure that it's not in vain.
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2023-10-16 - 2023-10-22
A question to start the week. I'd been chatting to @Murph_D about my plans for marathon day, heading out at the back of wave 1 with the 3:30 pacers, slowly pulling away from them (7:53-55 for first 7 miles) and then upping the pace a bit if all was going well (7:45-7:50). This plan was quickly torn apart when he mentioned that the 3:30 pacers are at the front of wave 2 and not the back of wave 1.
So, the question is, should I head out at the back of wave 1 and watch everyone disappearing into the distance, or should I wait for wave 2 make use of the pace group...try to slowly pull away from them?
My thoughts at the moment are to head out at the front of wave 2. This has the added benefit that I should have easy access to loos as I'm waiting around. I did this last year and although there was some waiting around, being able to use the loos without there being a massive queue was really handy.
Monday (catchup) - 16 miles long run
Post work long run along the canal and into the PP just as the last of the evenings light was fading.
The first 8 miles were up along the canal and through Castleknock. This first half was definitely a chore and the demons were kicking off, lamenting my recent lack of progress and fitness. Once again on a progression run my paces seemed to be going the wrong way.
Then it was down Whites Road and into the park and a partial Lainey Loop later I was bouncing along merrily across Acres Road. Note to self, next time bring the head torch. Other than that the second half of the run was really confidence building.
Tuesday - 5 miles easy (Lunch)
An easy local loop at lunchtime. Nothing much to report. The legs were possibly feeling the 16 miler from the evening before early on, but all good generally.
Wednesday - 0.75k Swim
30 lengths of the pool. This was meant to be relaxing, but the pool was really busy and a lot of the other swimmers completely ignored the slow/fast lane signs and dawdled about/chatted/swam 1min lengths in the fast lane/...
Thursday - 6.2 miles easy (Lunch), Tempo cycle
Lunch time run around the block. Nothing much to report, but had to alter my choice of runner for this one when I went to put on the first pair...
It seems that I last wore this pair nearly a month ago.
On the run itself, my HR has been a bit higher for the same paces recently, not sure if I've a bit of a cold; watch has my resting HR up and my HRV down since the weekend.
Friday - 6.2 miles easy (Lunch)
A very different day from yesterday; torrential rain instead of a warm sun. Still, at least I got it out of the way early enough based on the forecast for the rest of the evening.
All felt good, although my HR is still a bit up. That said, the effort levels still feel easy.
Saturday - 10 mile Turbo / Zwift cycle
An easy cycle on the turbo.
Sunday - 12 miles medium long run
Had a couple of things to do in Swords, so ran up there and back. Another run of two halves, first half mostly uphill and the second back down. Wore the Saucony Screw (Ride) 15 and no issues encountered.
The resting HR and HRV are both back to normal thankfully, so it seems (fingers crossed) that whatever was there has worked its way out of my system.
The week in review
Happy with how the week went. With the 16 miler pushed out to Monday, I cut a few miles out of the week and also a cycle.
Weekly totals
- Run: 45.5m*
- Cycle: 24.9m
- Swim: 750mt
- S&C (None): ✔️
- Yoga: ❌
* The postponed 16 miler makes the mileage for the week look way above where it should be, but I'm happy enough that I'm managing the taper well.
Next week
This is the one we've all been waiting for: DCM '23
I'm pretty much decided on my race strategy for the first half of the race and will finalise things as the week progresses.
There are some niggling concerns around whether I can hold the pace, mainly due to the large variation in average pace for some of my medium/long runs and particularly the lack of pace progression in some of them. On the other side of that, the 18 miler with 14 @ MP (effort) is what I'm trying to focus on, as in many ways it's the most indicative run of the block and it's in line with my target.
I suppose we'll find out on Sunday morning either way.
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Dublin Marathon '23 - Race Report
Pre race
I'd gotten the expo out of the way on Friday, so that I could relax on Saturday. I also decided to give the Leinster match a miss in the afternoon, as I reckoned that 2 hours standing on a terrace would be suboptimal race prep. An early dinner of Lasagna and chips were followed by the RWC final and a relatively early night. Sleep wasn't amazing though, but there's no surprise in that before a big race. I'd already front-loaded my sleep the previous few nights, so it wasn't a big issue.
The alarms started going off about 6:20. I'd two set and A had another one. Up and showered then downstairs for breakfast; my standard pre-long run breakfast of a couple of slices of toast with butter and jam. Then made up a Berocca and grabbed a banana and we were off, with A driving into the city centre, picking up a few friends on the way.
The organisation on the day was great and my bag was dropped off in a matter of seconds. Met up with some of the Sanctuary Runners for a pre-race photo-op and chatted with a couple of the pacers.
After that I made my own way towards the wave 1 entrance. There were plenty of toilets, but the queues were not insignificant, so I just waited around for a while. I'd already decided that wait for wave 2 and start at the front of it instead of watching everyone in wave 1 disappear into the distance as I ran my own race.
The added benefit of this was that the toilet queues dissipated by 8:40 or so and I'd a choice of facilities to make use of. This was probably for the better as I managed 4 pre-race poos and that's without even having a coffee.
Eventually the wave 2 runners were allowed around the corner onto Fitzwilliam Square and I took my place near the front on the right. There were still 5-10 minutes of waiting around, but eventually the gun went off and we were on our way.
Race
Miles 1-2 (Target: 7:45)
The first couple of miles were all about settling into my rhythm. The plan was to start out at about 7:45 pace for the first 2 miles to Stoneybatter. One of the first things that occurred to me after the start line was that I wanted to pee, but I managed to push the thought aside for a while. There were plenty of runners streaming past me, some doing so at a rate of knots. The hardest thing was blocking them out and sticking to my own plan. That said, mile 2 was definitely a bit on the hot side. I get a great shout out from some of the Raheny crew that I know as I cross onto the northside.
Paces: 7:44, 7:36.
Miles 3-7 (Target 7:56)
Miles 3-7 start at the bottom of Stoneybatter and finish near the top of Tower Road in Castleknock, which is the highest point in the marathon, so I'd set a target of an average pace of 7:56 for it. As we ran up Manor Street past the first water station, I once again felt the need to pee but decided that it wasn't pressing enough for me to stop at this early point in the race. At the top of Manor street I get a shout out from K&B, who have brought their family out to support. It's around here that I remember that I'm meant to taking gels. Oops. So the first gel gets taken on the North Circular Road after 3.5 miles instead of after 2.
There were still plenty of runners streaming past me, but I was for the most part still sticking to plan. It's always a joy to run in the park and this time was no different. At this stage I know it so well, so know that there are parts of Chesterfield that are more of a drag than others. I think that this really helped me to maintain efforts. As I turn onto Chesterfield I'm greeted by huge cheers of encouragement from a group of Sanctuary Runners. Shortly after that I get my first shout (of many) of encouragement from my wife, who's out on the course on her bike.
As I got to some of the quieter parts along here, I found myself eyeing up some of the trees for a quick pee stop, but in the end, I decided against it. There are lots of cheers and encouragement along the length of Chesterfield, from C&Y, @Singer and then another friend M, who's husband is running his first marathon.
For the second time already, I forget to take a gel. I remember a mile or so later, so not much harm done (hopefully).
From the time my watch beeped to when I passed the actual 7 mile marker I counted about 10 seconds. This is generally something that I try to keep in mind for the latter parts of the race.
The big blot on my paper here is that for the third time running DCM I managed to miss seeing my mother as I ran through Castleknock. Next time.
Official 10k: 0:48:40
Paces: 7:53, 7:46, 7:58, 7:45, 7:51.
Miles 8-10 (Target: 7:38)
This block starts with more support, this time from the outlaws, who've brought their two kids out to cheer me on.
After the long uphill section from the city to Castleknock, the next few miles back into the park and into Chapelizod were much appreciated. Things were generally feeling good, although I was starting to notice a few small bits of tightness in my glutes.
Back into the park and I see another runner going "off piste" for a quick call of nature behind a tree. I briefly consider a similar detour, but decide against it.
The watch beeps for 8 miles and I again count the seconds until I pass the official marker; 12 seconds. Not bad. Same for the 9 mile marker, but this time the difference is over a minute. WTF? By the 10 mile marker the difference is back to 15 seconds. Hmm...
It was along here that I got chatting to another runner. She was only a few weeks after finishing the Wicklow Way Ultra and was flying along in great form.
Paces: 7:36, 7:37, 7:40.
Miles 11-14 (Target: 7:52)
Through Chapelizod and the hill on St Lawrences Road loomed. "Take it easy and just get to the top" I told myself. My new ultra running friend is telling me how she'd normally walk the big uphills on trail runs. We'll be having none of that today. Her target is 3:30 although she's already well inside that and enjoying the day.
St Lawrences Road is negotiated without any issues, but by the end of mile 11 I've a stitch starting to build on my right (IIRC) side, relatively shortly after taking my third gel (only a mile after scheduled). Not what I want. I use the excuse of some traffic to let my new friend head on and give me some time to wallow in my own misery. I get another shout out from A in Kilmainham, but she tells me afterwards that I looked "concerned" both there and shortly after in Dolphins Barn. To be fair, I'm wondering how I'm meant to keep this up for another 14/5 miles. The aches and pains of long distance racing have started. Nothing sinister, but, yeah, concerning. The one good thing about having a stitch is that I forget for a while that I need to pee.
Official 20k: 1:37:16
Official Halfway: 1:42:51
I not aware of there being a massive hill between 20k and halfway, but nearly every runner I've checked on the official results seems to be slower for that short block, including the leaders. It seems more likely that one or both of those markers were incorrectly placed.
As I get to the CIH, I start to feel the heat for the first time and notice the sun making an appearance. After a few minutes I need to pour some of my water over my head. "Not a good sign" I think to myself. That may not be a good sign, but at least the stitch has abated.
I don't tend to drink a lot of water when I'm running, but always pick up a bottle at water stations and carry it with me to sip. It seems that I may need it for more than that today.
Paces: 8:11, 7:51, 7:50, 7:50.
Miles 15-17 (Target: 7:49)
The end of mile 15 brings me to Walkinstown roundabout. As I'm nearing it, I find myself comparing how I feel now to 2019, which was my first marathon and still my PB. On that day I was wondering how I was meant to keep going at this pace. Now I'm 2/3 minutes ahead of that time and wondering how I'm meant to keep going at this pace.
Around the roundabout and I get a shout out from @Laineyfrecks .
The end of mile 15 also brings me to the realisation that I was meant to take another gel after mile 14. Better late than never.
The weather has taken a turn. At mile 14 I was worried about the heat, but the sun has been well and truly vanquished and replaced with a glorious shower of rain. Bliss!
I have a nearly full bottle of water at this stage, so decide to attempt to open it and put a Dioralyte tablet into it. Thankfully I manage to pull the procedure off without a hitch.
Paces: 7:48, 7:43, 7:49.
Miles 18-21 (Target: 7:46)
Who needs to carry water? Just open your mouth and you'll have all the water you could desire.
The glorious shower has become a torrential downpour. Suddenly there are glistening rivulets everywhere along the road. The heat is now the least of my concerns. This allows me to focus on the slowly building and migrating niggles.
While I may be focusing on the niggles, A catches me again in Terenure and said afterwards that I looked much more comfortable than I had in Kilmainham and Dolphins Barn. My Sanctuary Runners top gets noticed at their cheering station near Terenure, so I get another real boost from them.
I may be concerned by some of the increasing niggles, but at the same time I'm tipping along nicely, slowing at bit on the inclines and making the time back on any downhills. I can feel that I'm working harder, but I still feel relatively comfortable. As I take another sip of water, I notice some more portaloos. Yup, I still need to pee.
Around the 20 mile mark , my left adductor starts complaining for the first time and it's the first niggle that worries me. Thankfully it settles after a minute or so.
Official 30k: 2:25:53
Paces: 7:38, 7:42, 7:46, 7:53.
Mile 22 (Target: 8:00)
I don't know the latter stages of the route that well, I'm usually in somewhat of a stupor by the time I get there. As happened in '22, I'm wondering if I'm on Roebuck yet. Am I there yet? Am I there yet? I try to just focus on avoiding the worst of the raging torrents of water on the route. I'm fighting a losing battle. At some point I realise that I'm not really going to get any wetter. Finally Mount Roebuck appears in front of me. I can do this. Just manage the effort levels and hope when I get to the top, that my quads survive the downhill of Fosters Avenue. Mission accomplished.
Pace: 7:54.
Mile 23 (Target 7:40)
Having defeated Roebuck, I slowly start to build up the pace again on Fosters. In 2019 this is where I really started to struggle and by Nutley it was all I could do to place one foot in front of the other. The niggles are still growing, but they're manageable.
As I'm running down Fosters Avenue I notice my feet squelching in the runners for the first time. Yup, I'm not getting any wetter than this. I've reached peak saturation levels.
Pace: 7:53.
Miles 24-26.2 (Target: 7:47)
...or flying it in like a Jumbo Jet.
It's been a while since I've been able to read my (badly) homemade pace band, so I can't work out whether I'm ahead of or behind target. I've stopped counting the time between my watch beeps and the mile markers as I've run out of fingers and toes.
I'm fairly sure that they're about 0.1 mile out of sync.
"How long will it take me to run 0.1 mile?"
...does not compute.
I reach Ballsbridge and get another shout out from the Sanctuary Runners who have a cheering station here. Then I see A for the final time before the finish. Double boost!
It getting tougher, but I'm going in the right direction and still passing other runners for the most part.
The legs are making their presence felt, but by this stage I know that they're going to hold up.
I'm pushing as hard as I can, but when I try to push any more the dry heaves threaten.
Official 40k: 3:14:29
"Which mile marker did I just pass?"
Hmm...
So, I've 10 minutes to cover the final 1.22 miles.
"Did I work that out correctly?"
"8 minute miles and you're golden."
"Are you sure?"
"It definitely sounds plausible."
"Are you sure?"
"Umm...definitely."
"What about the extra 0.1 mile?"
"You'll be grand. Don't worry about it."
The watch beeps for 26 miles and I can see the 26 mile marker and the finish up ahead. It looks like there's the same distance between me, the 26 mile marker and the finish.
Bugger.
I try to push on, but the body won't allow me. I'm at my limit.
Almost...
Paces: 7:37, 7:52, 7:55, (7:14).
Official Finish: 3:25:19
Post race
I cross the line knowing that I've just missed out on my 'A' goal by 20 seconds. I also know that I've crossed the line having given it my everything.
I make my way over to the barrier for some well earned dry heaving. A volunteer looks over in my direction momentarily to see if I need assistance, but they know. There's a smile trying to break out on my face.
I collect my medal and t-shirt and meander along Merrion Square to collect my goodie bag and my own bag. Chat to some of the Sanctuary Runners who ran brilliantly.
There's no point putting an extra layer on, the rain is teeming down now and it'll just get soaked as well. The downpour eventually eases after 5-10 minutes and I find somewhere to get changed quickly before meeting up with A in McGrattans. I walk in the back door, straight up to the bar and order a Guinness. 2 minutes later I have a Guinness in my hand. Bliss! I start to walk towards the front and a group are leaving a table. Perfect timing! I sit down and finally I get to take my runners and socks off, dry my feet and put on dry socks and runners. This is as good as it gets! Then it's heads down in the phone checking all the other brilliant results on the day.
Catch up with some other runners and fellow boardsies over a few pints. Does it get any better than this?
Then back to the local for a pizza and a few pints in good company.
Looking back now, I'm hugely proud of my run. It's an official negative split and a PB by 6:34 on my 2019 debut.
I'm not finished. I'll be back next year and I while the marathon distance can be cruel, I know that all going well, I can get another PB.
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