Dublin Marathon 2016 - Mentored Novices Thread

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Week 17 roundup:

Mon: Rest
Tue: Rest
Wed: 6.4km @ 5:52/km
Thu: 0.6km @ 6:12/km
Fri: Rest
Sat: Rest
Sun: Rest

FML.

nop98 wrote: »

It is the Monday of the week before ... !

Excitement has building all week and I have to say, I am starting to get a little nervous on behalf of all of you! I am really looking forward to see how you all will do on the day. Firedance and I are planning to be along the course (details to follow) and hopefully see you stride by on you way to that finishline.

First, this weeks numbers. Hardly worth mentioning for seasoned mararthon bad-a$$es like you lot!
Boards concludes with 2M easy | 5M (3@PMP) | 3M easy; and on Saturday, a couple of miles with some gentle strides*
HHN1 concludes with 3M easy | 4M easy | 3M easy; and if you want to shake out the legs on Saturday with some miles at no more than LSR pace, go for it.
*Strides are to be a very gentle accelaration for about 15 strides - only do these if you have been doing these before races in the past few months..

Later in the week, I'll prepare a couple of more posts, for example, one which collates all race-course info I can find on boards (there's a ton of coursepreviews on boards). But for those of you who might be worried about having to tackle Dublins answer to Heartbreak Hill (which I think was first coined for the Boston Marathon), here's the description by boards legend yaboya, which every novice should remember. I will say no more.



The last week before your first marathon, is the week of checklists! Here's a few:

The week before - a.k.a. now!

• PMA! You have probably all, subconciously, realized that a lot of this very long distance running is all between the ears. So, prepare for that! Postive mental attitude, or PMA as the cool kids say, is so important. Don't spend your week leading up worrying and fretting, spend it looking forward! This is going to be the such an awesome day, look forward to it.
• Being a little nervous is good. Being too nervous is not good. If following this thread makes you extra nervous, then don't! Similarly, you can prepare by reading up or watching videos of the course, but don't if this makes you too nervous. It's meant to be enjoyable.
• Are you sure you have all the stuff you need for the day, pre, during, and post-race? See check-list below.
• Toenail Tuesday (or maybe Monday, since the marathon is a day earlier!). On Oct 24 or 25, give those bad-boys a once over well in advance of the race (not the morning itself). Check if there are sharp edges left on the sides of your toes.
• Look after yourself. Especially this week! Don't change anything drastically (e.g. "carbo-loading"), but eat well, plenty of protein early in the week, and do switch focus to some more carb-intake in the final 72 hours. Nothing drastic! Remember the saying that you won't "make" your marathon in the last week, but you certainly can "break" it.
• Do hydrate well throughout the week - follow the urine color check - but don't drink an awful lot on the morning of the race, you'll just need to get rid of it again.
• Dubgal's favourite piece of advice: Bank as much sleep as you can. Early bed-time for all of you. Nobody on boards after 10pm this week! You will, however, get an extra hour extra the night before- you have a certain George Hudson to thank for that.
• Plan for the day itself. What time does your wave start? What time to you want to be there? How are you going to get to Merrion Square at that time? There won't be much public transport that day, so make sure to think this through well.
• Supporters check-list. Do you have people coming to cheer you on - in that case - do you have them well prepared? Do you know where they will be? It is best to be very specific - agree on a landmark or mile-marker, even on the side of the road you will look for them. Give your supporters an indication what time you will be passing by (use the pace-balloons as markers, if you're planning around 4h30, they don't need to look out for you when the 3h50 balloons are trundling by! Give them your bib-number so you can be tracked on the day.
• If you want to meet them after the race, agree to a specific spot. There will be 1,000s of people on and around Merrion Square that morning / afternoon and getting around is not easy.
• On Oct 28 or 29, you need to get to the Expo to pick-up your race bib. Don't wait until Saturday afternoon if you can avoid it. It will be yammers, also now, apparently, there's a Leinster home match at 5pm. Do look around the Expo a little, if you want, but don't spend hours standing around. Save those legs!
• Once you know your bib number, post it here (hillsiderunner has already added a table and will be Chief Novice Tracker on Sunday, posting live updates to the thread), so we can follow you!

The day before

• Attach your bib to your shirt after filling in the contact details on the back. Do you remember the story from the runner collapsing during the half marathon? I am sure the family was glad the contact details were on the back of the big! Use 4 safety pins. Don't wait until the morning of the race, you won't be able to find the little buggers, let alone pin them on. Try on your shirt and make sure there are no sharp edges. Remember that if you want to reduce clothing on the day itself, you can't drop the layer carrying your bib.
• Prepare your drop-bag. You will need to attach your number to the bag, you should have gotten that at the Expo (at least that's how it was last year). It is recommended to pack all your gear in a water-proof bag inside your drop-bag, as the drop-area is not covered. :rolleyes:
• Charge your Garmin or relevant device. Make sure there is enough space on the device to record a 26.2M LSR.
• Set your alarm! As is widely advertised, the clocks are going back one hour, (which is good!), but keep that in mind.
• By now you have worked out how you'll get to town, right?

The morning of the race

• Make sure you know exactly what time it is. The clocks have gone back overnight!
• Follow your normal pre-LSR preparation, same breakfast, shower, toilet routines. You're an old hand at this!
• Say good morning here on boards. I am sure you won't be the only one.
• Get to Merrion Square in time. You need time to drop-off your bags, go to the loo, find your running partner(s) if any, make your way to the correct starting pen. It will be very, very busy. In other words, give yourself plenty of time!

Additional gear to bring with you

• Pre-race extra clothing (to be packed in drop-bag or discard just before the race). It'll be cold and it might rain, so make sure you don't stand around for hours in shorts and t-shirt.
• Post-race cloths. Warm tracksuit bottoms, dry t-shirt, sweater, deodorant, etc. Leave all this in your drop-bag so you can quickly change / add layers after the finish.
• There will be post-race refreshments provided, but if you want something specific, make sure you pack it and bring it with you. All this can be left in your drop-bag.
• Whatever else you need, e.g. some money, phone, leap-card (all at your own risk, obviously).

Just before the race itself

• Find your starting wave and then the right spot in the pack. Look out for the pacer-balloons, it will allow you to gauge if you are in the right spot.
• Deep breaths. You have prepared well - most likely, better than most around you! Remember the PMA! This is when you need it most. Think about your planned race strategy - and savour the moment!
• Just before the start, discard any clothing you might want to get rid off, but throw it over the fences, so it doesn't become a tripping hazard for others. Note the advice by denis_b, to use a bin bag with holes, to keep you dry in case its raining.
• Say hello to folks around you, if you wish. Compare target times and race-plans. They are likely just as nervous as you , a little chat will go a long way to alleviate the nerves, and if you're lucky, you might find someone to run with for a few miles.
• If you are planning to run with a pacer, when you have an opportunity, introduce yourself. They're nice guys and gals. Similarly, all these 100s of volunteers out there, bag-drop, start-waves, marshalling the course, handing out refreshments (and medals ). This race wouldn't happen without them. Just a "thanks" or "thumbs-up" would be appreciated!
• Anthem, Mexican waves, starting gun and ... You're off, running your first marathon!

Right, that's it. The gun has gone and you're running away. Your first marathon-finish is just a few hours away! I'm outa here! My job here is done! [slumps on sofa to eat pizza for the rest of the day].

Actually, it isn't. Here's a final checklist. If you remember to do just the following little tips during the day, then I'll be happy.

During the race

• Use the first 5-10 minutes of the run as warm-up. It's so busy that you can't speed up anyway. Be prepared to be slowed down to a walk at the first corner particularly - and pay attention to the traffic islands in the middle of the road. It will be busier than any other race you have ran in, so be careful not to trip anyone or get tripped yourself.
• If you forget everything else, please please please don't forget this: Don't run too fast at the start. A minute ahead of target-time at halfway, has the habit of turning into 3 minutes behind target-time at the end. Remember, this will unchartered teritory for you, especially those last 5-6 miles - but it's not the distance that kills, it's the speed.
• Run relaxed and in a straight line, don't rush, duck, and waive around people. There's plenty of miles to make up for "lost" time. Eventually it will thin out, but the first miles will be very busy.
• Do regular checks for posture and proper running form. E.g. every second mile marker. Relax your shoulders, arms, face, hands. Let your arms hang for a few seconds, shake them out. How is your breathing? If it is too fast, you're going too fast.
• 10M, 10M, and 10k. I think the great Murph_D elaborated on this thought a bit more, but essentially, break up your race in three manageable parts. See here.
• When the going gets tough, is where your training kicks in. Trust your training! You have ran 100s of miles to prepae, the majority of these at slower than your pace today. You did that to prepare for today. Today is allowed to hurt (but after mid-way only!). Oh, no sharp pain, obviously. If you feel sharp pain, stop, and re-assess. There will be more marathons.
• It's okay to change your mind about goals. Remember you [A], and [C] goals. If you feel more comfortable dropping from the pace group you had intended to follow, then do. This is why we're talking about different goals. You may well realize you need to re-focus, that your legs aren't there, that the conditions are too tough, and it's perfectly fine to do so.
  
• Remember, you don't have to run next week. Empty that tank!
• But - smile when you pass the timing mats (10k, HM, 30k, and final finish).. You're on camera!
• See you in McGrattan's - likely towards the back near the pool-tables and the lower bar. We can't wait to hear all your stories!

Lastly, I have been wanting to share this vid before. I know it does not have a lot to do with marathon running. But it happens to be my favourite inspirational running video. I will sheepishly admit to often watching it before a target race. Talk about bringing it home or what!

That's it.
Go bring it home, folks.

Note that 3:50 will start at the front of Wave 2