2024 DCM Mentored Novices Thread

nullObjects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122767529#Comment_122767529

You'll do great 👍

Bulmers

lurker on this forum but just wanted to wish you all a great day. Dublin will come out ,embrace and enjoy folks. 😊

marathon2022

Best of luck to all the legends running this morning

mossiepark

I don't have the energy for a long post but pending a full report, all I have to say is WOW!! What an experience👏 The label of the Friendly Marathon is spot on

nullObjects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122767529#Comment_122767529

Did you get on ok?

nullObjects

Just wanted to say thanks for all the pointers and well wishes. That was tough but I got it done

JohnnyChimpo

Smashed it in 3:22:xx . Incredibly pleased with myself and just blown away by the support on the course. A great day's running was done, and maybe the best pint of Guinness I've ever had afterwards.

Congrats to all!

j2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122769152#Comment_122769152

Wow that's an incredible time, and for your first marathon I'm guessing?

Brilliant day, way more supporters out compared to last year thanks to the better weather (earlier at least). Hope everyone is happy with their marathon and ready to sign up for next year immediately 😂

gabbo is coming

Tough but brilliant day. Legs went at 18, 18 km and then it was a battle. But Dublin was amazing. I loved it.

JohnnyChimpo

Yep, first marathon, and I've only really been running since November when I couldn't do a 5k in one go, so really happy with the progression (I ran a bit in my 20s but that's about 15 years ago now).

Next one I'll have the discipline not to go out too hot and maybe get a 3:15 for myself!

Great day tho

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122769081#Comment_122769081

Happy to report that I made it across the finish line, seriously tough but what an experience, in bits now though 😬

nullObjects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122770124#Comment_122770124

Great stuff, glad to hear it

Lockster

Made it round myself. Was going well up until 28k but then got a pain in my lower right leg that gradually got worse so ran walked from there and walked the last 2k in. I think it’s just a bad case of shin splints but that’s that itch scratched.

SimpleDimple

Delighted with how that went, once I got the mindset of “it’s a pb no matter what” At around mile 15 the stress dropped and I just enjoyed the run… enjoyed being a loose enough term in fairness! Definitely a struggle, but it was great to see all the months of preparation come to this. Made it round without any injuries which was my main goal.

Well done to everyone who took part and huge thanks to all the mentors who kept us on track during the training.

Edited to add the crowd were totally brilliant!! From genuinely laughing at some of the signs, to getting random shouts of my name along the race, no end of free jellies, fruit, high fives from kids, and the final mile was just an incredible atmosphere. I was completely overwhelmed by the end of it.

comanche_cor

Just wanted to post a massive thank you to the mentors for getting us over the finish line. Your help, advice and motivation has been invaluable over the past months. Thanks for all the time and effort that has gone into this thread. You have helped us all though our wobbles big or small. Without your help we would not have had they days we had - thanks you all so much.

slingerz

Thanks to everyone on here. Got to the end but struggled badly from halfway. The mixture of headwind and injury not helping. As a slower runner I didn’t get the benefit of the crowd at the end and it was lonely enough from Stillorgan onwards. The rain getting heavier only exasperated the situation. Still one and now very much done

gabbo is coming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773076#Comment_122773076

Well done, same boat, but feel a great sense of achievement nonetheless . I would change a lot of things for the next time.

Mantis Toboggan

Long long day today, just limping around, couldn't sleep properly last night with the pain. Having said that great today knowing it's over and done with and I was delighted just to get over that finish line.

This thread has been a fantastic source of knowledge and information so thanks to everyone who contributed and enjoy the next few days only about 1% of the population will ever run one so it's a massive achievement.

gabbo is coming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773137#Comment_122773137

Ah you'll go again next year!

LostArt

Thanks to everyone for the tips and support, I got around in 3:55 which I'm delighted with. It was tough in places and I was very worried around Rte when a hamstring decided to tighten up but thankfully that was it. Sticking to the training plan really did pay off.

It's hard to sum up how incredible the support all around the route was, other than well incredible.

I already know I'll go again next year!

raswer34

Ahnn good info….

Sunny Dayz

well done to all the novices and first timers who took on the challenge of the Dublin Marathon yesterday. You are now an official marathoner - a member of the 1 % club.
I sincerely hope the day went ok for you, that you are happy enough with how it went. If it’s your first ever marathon, well then it’s your pb! Most people go into their first marathon wanting to just see how it goes, to finish it. Nobody gets it perfect on their first, second or possibly any marathon! It is a beast that takes no prisoners and demands respect. I hope you did enjoy aspects of it - the fantastic supporters, the music, the signs, the scenery, your fellow runners all on the same path as you, the pint afterwards!

Hope the bodies don’t feel too bad today. Rest up, drink plenty of water, get out for short walks if you can to ease out the body. Soak the legs in the bath with some Epsom salts. Please don’t put yourself under any pressure to get back running again asap. Let the body rest and recover. If you have an injury, strain or niggle from the marathon - do give yourself the time to recover sufficiently. And generally look after yourself in the coming days as the immune system might be weakened after the stress of the marathon.
Take the time to take in what you’ve just done and come back to us here on the thread to let us know how it went for you.

👏👏👏 Well done DCM novice class of 2024!!

mossiepark

My own experience (long post warning);

I set out on my Dublin Marathon journey with a clear goal in mind: to break the elusive 4-hour mark. Over the months of training and with the help of this Boards community, I watched my times improve, so much so that I (secretly) revised my goal down to 3 hours and 45 minutes. But as Sunday 27th drew near I caught a cold, and spent a few days battling it wondering if I could run at all. As Sunday loomed, I started to think a realistic goal might be closer to four hours after all.

In the days leading up to the marathon, excitement and nerves made it tough to get a good night’s sleep, but adrenaline carried me through. Finally, the big arrived and I woke up at 5:45 a.m., fueling up with porridge, bagels with Nutella, and a water bottle with an electrolyte tablet to stay hydrated on the way into town. A group of us from work met at the office for a pre-race coffee, some final preparations, and to calm each other’s nerves before walking to the starting line.

Once at the start, I had a bit of warmth thanks to a cheap Pennys top and hat I’d picked up during the week. After taking some pre-race photos with my colleagues, I finally discarded them over the railing and joined the 3-hour 50-minute pacers, thinking I’d keep to this pace and adjust depending on how I felt. As the marathon began, I settled in with the pacers and felt surprisingly good. Before long, I found myself running slightly ahead of pace—around 5.19 per km—as I hit the quays and pushed through Stoneybatter.

Running through the Phoenix Park was a highlight. The atmosphere was incredible, and I spotted my wife and kids cheering me on, which gave me an enormous boost. A quick stop to hug them, and I was back on track, carried forward by the cheers of the crowd into Castleknock, where the noise and energy of the crowds lifted me even more. Roll on to Crumlin Road and I still felt strong, and it was surreal to be maintaining my pace this far in.

The real treat, though, came in Walkinstown. I saw so many friends and work colleagues scattered along the route which was amazing, especially when a colleague surprised me with a sign with my name on it at the roundabout. This small gesture made all the difference. When I reached Clonskeagh, my fears kicked in—"Heartbreak Hill" loomed, and I braced myself for what I’d heard was one of the toughest parts of the course. Just as I needed it most, a friend ran up beside me, shouting encouragement and reminding me that I was at 35 km if I hadn't hit the wall I probably wouldn't now. The support of friends and strangers alike pulled me up the hill and over the top onto Roebuck Road, where I spotted more familiar faces cheering.

However, the final stretch on the N11 challenged me. A tight hamstring flared up, and for the first time, I decided to pull back slighly, hoping I could still finish strong. Thhe spectators lining Northumberland road and the famous “Purple Mile” pulled me through those last painful kilometers. Digging into every ounce of strength I had left, I crossed the finish line with tears in my eyes and a time of 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 59 seconds—a novice marathon runner no more.

Looking back, the journey, the friends, the moments of pain and resilience, and the joy of the finish are unforgettable. There’s a thrill in running a marathon that I’ve never experienced before, and I know now that this won’t be my last. The Dublin Marathon 2024 was more than a race—it was a journey and I owe many thanks to the good people of this forum for their support and encouragement.

Lazare

That's absolutely fantastic mossiepark, what a smashing run!!

Be very proud.

gabbo is coming

A slightly alternative if highly entertaining view

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBr5jzXNQpy/?igsh=MXZ2YjVyNWtvaTYwOQ==

comanche_cor

TLDR; Happy with the result. The support was amazing. Made some mistakes on the day, but overall most things went as planned and got the result I wanted. Finished 3:57:59.

Pre-race:

I had been sleeping awful the week of the race. I was doing my best to stay relaxed, but for some reason, I would keep waking up at crazy o'clock thinking about the race. I think the night of the race, I fell into the bed. I was so tired. Luckily, I got a few hours of sleep and did not feel awful the morning of. I had my normal breakfast and grabbed a pack of 'breakfast' biscuits to have while in the pen.

I was coming from Dublin Northside. There was no bus or dart running for me, so I was lucky that my wife dropped me in. I got to security just after 8 a.m. Security was a bit manic—lots of people were meeting there and queuing—but I got through in about 10 minutes.

Dropped the bags and planned to hit the loos. The queues just after the bag drops were insane. Decided to chance the toilets in the pen surely the queue could not be any worse. Tried to eat some of the breakfast biscuits on the way to start - but didn't have the stomach for it.

Sign posting for wave 3 & 4 was confusing (only wave 4 posted on the wrong colour ballon), but I knew where I was going and headed down. My bib was for wave 4 but got into wave 3 no problem. On the way passed by the finish straight which was nice to see. Also got to see the elites start off on the big screen which was great.

Time for a quick warm-up and into the pen. Positioned myself between the 4:00 and 4:10 hr pacers, scooby doo and and a clown! :)

At this stage, it was time for some final prep. Setup music for the headphones. Set up the course route on the garmin and make sure that gamin audio prompts are coming through headphones. At this stage, I realise that pace pro for the garmin is not setup. I had done this the night before and set up for a negative split but never transferred across. Quickly setup pace pro with even splits (all I can do on the watch). However, I have a pace band for 4 hours as backup.

At this stage I have a few moments to look around and take it in. I can't help smiling - I can't believe I am here.

Race:
Race Goal 3:59:59

Race Plan: Slight negative split, start out behind the pacers and look to bring the back in towards the end.

A quick final check on things and can see the clock coming up to start time. Wish those around me good luck and the gun goes. Expecting the first km to be the slowest, the pace varies a lot. The first km clicks past 5:41 - think to myself that's okay, little faster than expected be careful not to get ahead of yourself. Manage to keep this pace down to the James Joyce bridge without too much jostling and wasted energy.

Reel it back in now for the climb up to the park - people are passing me left and right. Tell myself I am happy to see that, it means I am pacing things right. Legs are feeling a bit heavy and there's a little bit of doubt at this stage. Will I overcook it, will I hit the wall. I try to reframe these thoughts into you need to keep the pace. The first water station is mayhem! Start to think about using a portaloo at this stage but because it's nuts decide to keep moving.

Up through the park - great support as always. Let the legs run down through the park and enjoy the downhill sections. Really do need the toilet now, best to get it out of the way, as I run through Chapellizod someone pops of one, and I take that as my queue. I lose about 50 seconds here - not the end of the world at this stage.

Up the hill out of chapellizod - oggie oggie oggie! Take the pace way back here - see some walking it, maybe they have the right idea.

The next few k's are a blur of support as we hit Dolphins Barn. I know this part of the course pretty well and am pretty happy that my pace is in check. Don't really need the guidance from pace pro at this point and am checking the miles off against my wrist band. Am a small bit behind 4hr pace - happy out. At this stage, I start to believe and start to enjoy myself and enjoy the next 10k.

Hit halfway, quickly check the timings and I am just over the 2hr mark. Everything is going to plan - just keep it steady and watch out for the grind through Crumlin. Happy to see Crulin behind me - don't like that stretch and found it a bit of a drag.

Once through Crumlin pace pro is suggesting a pick up of pace - follow the guidance and soon start to see the pacers ballons again. Hitting Teranure I am about 4/500 meters behind the pacer group. I am gaining on the pace group a little faster than I want. After slight adjustment of the plan decided to keep going the pace I am, run with the pacer group for the 2 hills that I know are to come but to run my own pace on the hills. Once past that I can push on again if I feel up to it.

At 34k in I start to feel some tightness in my left calf. I know its nothing serious and keep the pace, however, maybe I just need to stick with the 4hr pacer group and see how it goes.

Up through the hills - they are not bad at all. The support for them is immense. The crowd are squeezed onto the road - an amazing feeling. I think it is like the climbs on the Tour de France! :)

Before I know it we are around the back of UCD. I am still with the pacer group and finding the Stillorgan bypass a bit closterphobic. Just need to live with it. Up over the flyover on the dual carriage way and I know I am on the home straight now.

Somewhere along here (after the last water stop) there is a little height and I can see the mass of runners ahead of me and the crowds around - this is amazing!

I am checking my watch a lot now - how far to go, am I still on pace! There's a little voice that wants me to slow down / stop, but I haven't put in all this training to stop now. Glad that I have stuck with the pacer group.

Getting to the RDS, the pacers now are spreading out - they are doing an amazing job guiding people along. What a job they are doing to make sure that people get over the line!

We hit Northumberland road - holy crap. I am completely overwhelmed by the crowd, the tvs screens, this is insane. I have one of the pacers asking me if I am okay at this stage, I must have looked a bit out of it, I am struggling to take it all in. I snap out of it and start looking for faces in the crowd!

Turn the corner, short run to the line. Arms up! Looks like 3.58 ish - am delighted. I also need a moment. The Pacers come through the finish line shortly after - what a job from them!

Job done happy out - text come through shortly - 3.57.59 whoop whoop!

A massive thanks to all here for all your help!

JohnnyChimpo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773970#Comment_122773970

Not to be accused of taking a jokey insta post too seriously, but I don't get why people let themselves be cajoled or talked into doing a marathon. If you don't really want to do it then just don't bother, it's much easier

ILikeBoats

Hello. Well done to all who completed, it's great reading similar stories!

I completed it, I am a marathoner!! I came in 7 mins under goal time at 4.08 and I am thrilled with it.

I really really enjoyed it, I guess I never really knew what a good racing atmosphere was until now!! Crowd support was insane. Everyone I met throughout the run were brilliant, good craic, great attitudes.

A brain dump race report:

We got dropped at Pearse St around 7.40, some of our gang were Wave 1 so took off. The bottleneck at the bottom of Merrion Square was a bit annoying, I was dying for a pee and Davenport wouldn't let us in. Got in, got changed and dropped the bags, all pretty easy. The queue for the toilets was very long, I wasn't going to make it so said I'd go through and get one on the way to wave 3, which I did as there were plenty, which was great. I was early enough and on my own then. We must have been close enough @comanche_cor as I also saw the elites take off on the big screen! Did some warming up, chatted to few people, all good.

I think there was a bit of confusion with Wave 3 and Wave 4? I was in Wave 4 accidentally. I could see the 4.10 pacer balloons way up, momentary panic, so started making my way through and just crossed the tape they had set up between waves. Got up to the guys anyway and off we went. Quite congested up to Phoenix Park as expected but it was grand, was a bit under pace but knew there was plenty of time to make it up.

Stuck with pacers until the zoo in Phoenix Park where I took a pee and fell behind a bit which dented the hopes somewhat. I found Phoenix Park to really drag on, very quiet in places and wish I had my earphones. One of my friends was plonked on his own spectating in the middle and really cheered me up. Castleknock was good support. And the downhill afterwards allowed me to catch up to the 4.10 crew and I got in front of them and remained there.

The rest was a blur really. There was lots of fantastic support, I smiled so much. I had my club top on so was getting a lot of shouts out for that, it really helps! My hip started acting up but I ignored as best I could. Crumlin road dragged a bit too I thought, it's very long! I wasn't too sure which was heartbreak hill, I do now, but I didn't find it the worst. I just wanted to keep the 4.10 guys behind me and I put a good bit of distance on them.

I thought the water stations were grand, I sipped on the bottles throughout, never needed a cup. From the Half Marathon, I knew were sh!t to drink out of and tasted like disinfectant.

N11 was fine.

Nutley was fine.

Legs started to get heavy around 40k mark but by then I knew I was finishing so tried to keep pace up. That last kilometre is insane, the roars are unreal!!! I was overcome with emotion in a few places but nearly started crying coming up to the finish just because of the crowds. I really was blown away.

Crossing that line was a great feeling, stopping after 4 hours is also a great feeling!!

I was really proud that I completed, that my sore foot held up, I was proud of my body for letting me do it.

I took one of the pace bands from the expo, I found it very helpful as it was in miles, like the course. Took all the maths out of it.

I'm sure there's plenty I'm forgetting but I'll throw it in if I think of it.

I will 100% do it again next year, I enjoyed it so much. I can wear my woolly hat with pride now, I earned it. Speaking of which, I went for a recovery dip in the sea yesterday as the legs were stiff. There were a few people in already, in their hats! Great minds!!

Thanks to everyone again.

SoundOfSilence

Hey lads, what an experience. I managed to cross the line in 4hours 37minutes. By mile 16 my legs were gone. Very frustrated as I'd done a few runs above that distance and managed those without issue. I was 10 miles out and I knew it was gonna be a run/ walk job at that rate. On the day I was disappointed but feck it, I'm delighted to have finished it. I'm not sure what else I would've tweaked with training looking back. Anyways who cares, I'm happy to have said I've completed a marathon. Congratulations everyone!

gabbo is coming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122777717#Comment_122777717

I'd have picked a course for longer runs with way more hills. The marathon course caught me by surprise