Dublin Marathon 2016 - Mentored Novices Thread

bucketybuck wrote: »

I've been doing the HH1, is it too late to switch to HH2?

Yes If needs must, throw in an extra recovery mile or two. Not more

Right-so, show of hands, please, who's running the HM on Saturday? Do post a little preview of your plans for the race. Are you aiming for a specific time / going for a PB? Will you run with a pace-group? Do share your race number too, if you want.

You've all been getting loads of sleep, I hope, as well as plenty of hydration and good food. I may sound like a broken record - but it's the simple common sense things that can make a difference on the day.

If you don't have a lot of racing experience, or experience in such mass events, use this as an oportunity to prep as if it was the big day. You think Saturday will be busy? Next month will be twice as busy and even more congested.

Tomorrow evening, make sure to:

• Set your alarm, Maximus. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the park and the start area.
• Do you know how to get there? Where are you going to park, Pomplamousse? :P
• Have ALL your gear ready. Most importantly, your bib should be attached to your shirt with 4 pins. You don't want to be looking for those little feckers under time pressure.
• If it'll rain like it did for the FD10, make sure to have your bin-bag ready :eek:
• Breakfast pre-planned and as ready to go as possible.
• Everything you plan to use during the race (Garmin (charged!), gels, hat, water-bottle).
• Everything you plan to use after the race (warm clothes, mainly, and a snack). Get your bag ready for the dag-drop (attach the number).
• Have a last look at the course and go over your race-plan.
• Sweet dreams!

On Saturday..:

• Get yourself to the park nice and early and enjoy the atmosphere.
• Do a gentle warm-up, especially if you're going to race at full-tilt.
• Relax! This is fun, remember! :rollseyes:
• Line up properly. Too far forward and you will be swamped by faster runners coming up from behind you. Too far back and you'll be stuck in the crowds. There will be wave-starts, so find the right wave, the right pace-group, and do say hi to the pacers if you like, they're a great bunch and are looking forward to helping you out.
• Don't duck and weave, even if you are a little stuck in the congestion. Just relax, 13 miles is long enough to make up for any 'lost time' and you'll be out of the crowds in to time.
• Stick with your plan, trust your training. You will have prepared better than many of the runners around you - feel good about that.

Most of you will be familiar with the course - but here are a few reminders:

• The first few miles are the easiest, but then there's a sharp little incline around 4-5M past the memorial towards the zoo.
• This is followed by a slow, hardly noticeable drag all the way towards Castleknock with an awkward little out and back towards the Gate at around 7-8M.
• Enjoy the scenery around Farmleigh House. You'll come town Tower Road (outside the park) which is downhill again, followed by an equally steep climb back up into the Park at Knockmaroon Gate. You will be running this too on the big day itself - at about similar distance into the race (8-9M).
• Back onto Chesterfield (beware of flying hurling balls at the roundabout!) and a nice stretch down the Avenue and down Acres (although this will be exposed).
• The last bit, from about 11 1/2 miles, will hurt. It's a long uphill drag, you will see early finishers with their medals and t-shirts coming down, you will hear the finish-line noise…
• Once you turn right for the last time onto Furze Road, empty that tank! Slowly accelerate, pick out one runner at the time and keep the effort up all the way to the finish line. No better feeling than having emptied the tank. Kittyclaws, this does NOT apply to you!

Somewhere along the course, the indefatigable aquinn is marshalling. She deserves a smile and a "hi". Seriously folks, say a quick word of thanks or just a thumbs-up to the countless volunteers marshalling or manning the water stations. These events don't run without them.

I'm hoping to call out to the Park to see you all finish, I'll be at the Castleknock roundabout, so when you've done the loop around Farmleigh and about to turn right onto Chesterfield towards the 10M mark, I hope to be cheering you on (with my trusted mini-me and his hurl nearby). I'll also be at the finish-line until the 2h pace group comes in. Afterwards, I hope to see you at the designated meeting place, Singer - map please! And yes, I'll bring flapjacks. Knowing my baking skills, this is asking a lot (of you!)

Most importantly: GOOD LUCK! I am sure y'all will do great.

joesoap5 wrote: »

So i have the half marathon this Saturday and I'm wondering whether to run this or leave it and try and do a 20 mile long run instead?


The reason being is that i have done about three 16 mile runs and two 18.5 mile runs but only one of the 18.5 mile runs went well.

I had to walk/run the second one after 12 miles because i was running along the coast in gale force winds and i was tired/not in form. so i ran and walked the last 6.5 miles.

So now i feel like i havnt done enough longer runs.

I was thinking i could do 20 this week then go back to 16 next week..
then week after that i have a three quarter marathon race which I'm not going to race. I'm going to do it as a long run. Then i will taper after that for 3 weeks.

The other option would be to do the half this weekend to see what pace i should run the marathon at and then next week do 20 and week after do the three quarter marathon as long run and then taper.

My only concern about that is doing two 20 milers back to back.

I'm actually following the Irish Runner plan and I'm kind of on schedule but it has a two week taper and I'm a bit concerned that it might take longer than two weeks to recover from the final 18/20 mile run they propose.
It would mean I still have the chance to do three more ~20 milers though and still do the half this week as well.

I have done a marathon before but I wouldn't have kept the fitness up on the same scale afterwards. So I'm not sure how fit I really am at the moment.
I don't want to end up walking part of any of them, especially the three quarter one which is on foreign country roads.

Joesoap, I would do the HM this Saturday if you have are signed up, and run it at your PMP. That is a really decent workout and the racing experience will stand to you.

As for your long-run progression, compare the HHN1 and Boards plans to what you have done to date. HHN1 has had a 15 and 16M as longest runs so far, and has the HM (or 15M), 14, 20, and 12M still to do. That's sufficient in terms of long-run preparation. Boards is a little more demanding and has 20, 18, and 14 left before the taper. If you follow the latter, you're in with a decent shot. Don't try and cram in 2 or 3 20 milers, no plans do that, for a reason.