"And why do we fall Bruce?"

OOnegative wrote: »

Best of luck Sunday J, still trying to figure if your a Longford or Roscommon man!! Run well!!

Ooohhhh you’ve hit a nerve there B! I get very annoyed when I tell people the village I’m from and they say Ah you’re a Longford man :mad: :pac:

Thanks for the good wishes guys. B was right when he said in his own log before his HM that this really is a great community.

Finished up my training with 4 miles on Thursday with some strides thrown in and 3 easy paced miles in the drizzle today at lunchtime.

Am I ready?! I certainly hope so! Have really enjoyed the past 18 weeks training, sure it was tough at times but I’d definitely do it all over again. A shout out to Dealerz2.0 for introducing me to the plan. It was great following him and Treviso on Strava putting up the runs each day to keep myself motivated and on course.

So I will toe the line this year with more mileage and quality and variation of training runs in comparison to last year. Training has gone great bar a couple of self inflicted hiccups with pacing. Having checked the scales this morning I’m also as light as I have been in years just from eating the properly and hydrating well the last 6 weeks.

I’m going with Skyblue46’s plan from last year of going from the back of wave 1 a minute or 2 after the starting gun and running my own race.
In terms of target time........I’ll throw my hat at this running lark if I don’t beat last years time! And I’ll prob be disappointed not to get 3.29.59 but it’s all on the day now!
So I’m now off to listen to my favourite song........

Back home in Roscommon (most definitely not Longford) now!

Will do a report at some stage during the week but for now.......

Apologies to everyone for the excessive length of this entry, heck apologies to my future self too!

“And why do we fall Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up”- Thomas Wayne.

I don’t think it would be fair to start this report with a synopsis of the pre-race details of what I ate that morning and how I got into town! I’d love to start this report saying that I signed up for DCM2019 out of a pure love of running, or maybe that I see this as the ultimate test of mind and body, maybe even a noble cause of raising money for a charity close to my heart. Alas no, I had signed up as soon as I could after DCM18 out of a mix of anger, embarrassment, and self-loathing. I thought I knew it all, had ignored the advice in last year’s Novice thread about basic stuff like doing the long runs at a slow pace and made a complete balls of DCM18. When the going started to get tough I had capitulated, waved the white flag and said “No Mas” like Roberto Duran!

Running in 2019 was better. I was no longer going out on runs with thoughts of maintaining a reasonable level of fitness, as an aid to nip any weight gain in the bud, or for general piece of mind. Instead I was doing it because I really enjoyed it but despite the improvements throughout the year the doubt remained.
And so to training for DCM2019. On the recommendation of Dealerz2.0 I went with the 18 week P&D plan and its tough varying intervals at 5k pace and weekend long runs incorporating MP miles. Have to say I loved the plan, sure there were tough days but every run had a definite purpose and everything was geared to the end point. Who could have guessed that following a plan might be better than simply winging it! Each week I could almost feel my endurance and pace improving. 17 weeks in and despite the little whisper of self-doubt I felt ready. However, I had a horrible last week of taper which began with 2 miles at MP that included a very nice downhill feeling anything but comfortable just 5 days out from the big one. The last 2 runs at recovery pace didn’t feel much better and I was constantly second guessing whether or not my legs felt fatigued just walking around the office. I could feel my self-confidence draining in these couple of days so I posted on the event thread that my predicted time would be 3:29:59 (if asked before this I probably would have gone with 3:19:59), no sand bagging, I just genuinely felt that I had peaked too early and now I was on the down slope.

And so “why do we fall Bruce?” Sorry but I don’t know if I could go through falling again so it really was time to embrace the fear. Sure I could balls up again but this time it would have nothing to do with my preparation and nothing to do with my discipline in the race itself. Just embrace your fear and conquer it........




Pre-race
Maybe embracing the fear had worked because I slept the whole way through Saturday night and woke up refreshed and without a worry at 6 am. Nice and relaxed breakfast of porridge and a pint of water with a salt tab in it before changing into my gear and I’m out the door after some Good Luck hugs and kisses from my wife and kids and promises to see them on Chesterfield Avenue later that morning. Very nice Uber driver then drops me at The Davenport Hotel at 7.20 (I might have played it a bit on the safe side when booking!). Anyway I’m in lots of time for a short stroll around and to get to the bag drop before a planned meeting with Mr.Guappa and coogy and maybe some of Mr.Guappa’s 2019 Novice gang. Well that’s what I had planned but security isn’t letting anyone through yet and it will remain that way for the best part of half an hour. No big deal, just stay nice and relaxed and embrace the fear! Distract myself in this time by just checking out other people’s choice of footwear! Eventually we are let through and I eat a banana on the way down to bag drop. Less than 45 mins to starting time so I slowly walk down to my wave and kill time by joining the longest toilet q available. Small walk around but I know I’m going to have to have a leak again so join up the longest q again and it’s just about my turn when Amhran na Bhfiann comes on over the tannoy, should I stay or should I go! I’m still doing my pre-race stretches when the starting gun goes but I’m not bothered and it’s my plan to let the crowd disperse and start off towards the back of the wave. Finish the stretching, ditch the old clothes (Oh its bloody cold!) and walk towards the start line before taking a Maurteen gel and small bit of water. People are going off in single file now and getting personal messages of support over the tannoy now but I don’t get one as a guy in an all purple ensemble must have forgot someone or something and baulks at the start line to jog back down the road! I start jogging before the line, start my watch, quickly bless myself and I’m into the race almost 4 mins after the start gun.

Miles 1&2
The initial part of my plan (I have only planned the first 7 miles and was going to cover the remainder by feel) was to run these first 2 miles at a quick pace to see how the legs felt and then back off for the following 5 miles. The advantage of starting at the back of the wave was that I was able to stay reasonably close to the racing line throughout the first mile. Some epic support in these opening stages for various club runners around me. Up and down the hill around Christchurch and I feel I’m moving reasonably well. It’s also a nice bonus that my watch beeps for each of these 2 miles only a few metres short of the official marker. Speaking of which these miles come in at 7.42 and 7.41 so I’m up and running so to speak.

Miles 2-7
We cross the Liffey and while I don’t notice any incline just yet I’m sticking to my plan and applying the handbrake ever so slightly. This is made easier by the fact that I’m running in far heavier traffic now. I’m not weaving but I am using the footpaths every now and then to clear blocks of runners whenever the opportunity arises. The one drawback of starting at the back of the wave is that pedestrians with zero interest in the marathon have been made wait for runners to pass before they can cross the road, patience must be wearing thin at this stage though as some of them are taking matters into their own hands and weaving their way across. Nearly come a cropper just before the 3 mile marker with an elderly lady stepping into my path, now that could have been a very short report! Pass the water station and the portaloo (my God the smell already!) and Mile 3 beeps in at 8.12. Up North Circular road and pass a guy supporting us in full Scottish kilt rig out. I’ve upped the pace slightly as I want to do these 5 miles just under 8 mins/mile. The road narrows coming up to the zoo creating a bit of a back log so a bit more footpath running along here and Mile 4 is in at 7.54. Now I’m looking forward to Chesterfield Avenue and hopefully picking out my gang supporting (my 6 year old daughter has told me that she is going to shout “Go Faster Dad” when I pass, not sure the Novice mentors would approve!). They got delayed coming in so instead of standing by themselves in a quieter part of the avenue so that I could easily pick them out they are instead in the throng of people at that last right hand corner before we head up the long drive. I would probably have missed them only for the giant poster they have brought along! Give them a wave and spend the next mile trying to figure out how my wife hid that thing in the car! Take a bottle of water and have a gel just before mile 5 ends and it comes in again at 7.54. I’m locked in at this pace now but while it’s reasonably comfortable I wouldn’t describe myself as bouncing along full of energy so I have no idea what’s going to be in store for the next 21 odd miles. See a good college friend of mine cycling up along the path beside us (his wife is running), give him a shout out causing him to wobble on the bike while looking around him but he spots me and gives me a shout back and pulls in at the exit gate to wish me well. Mile 6 is done in 7.51 and we are out the gate and heading for Castleknock. Pass the band on the right and down into the village where the support goes up a notch. Coming up to Myos pub and I do a quick scan for Applegirl out supporting but alas I miss her, around the corner for the final hill and mile 7 is done in 7.53.

Miles 7 to Halfway

Ok so that’s my planned section of the marathon complete, now I’m on my own. I know the next 3 miles are very welcoming with the downhill in them so my spur of the moment plan is to up the pace and race these as a training MP session and see how I feel come mile 10 and let that feel determine how I will race the remaining 16 miles. Not the best plan I’ll admit but it’s a plan! I start passing good numbers of runners but I’m obviously not the only one upping it as I’m also being passed by a lot of people. The first inkling that this may be a good day for me occurs when I start thinking this 8th mile is going on for an awful long time and take a look at my watch to see I’ve nearly 9 miles done instead. I finally succumb to a losing battle with my bladder and pull in behind a roadside tree for a quick wee stop (its only when Dealerz2.0 makes a joke of this in our WhatsApp group that I think of all the kids I high 5 from this point on. Sorry!). Out into Chapelizod where the support is again top notch, take a caffeine gel and some more water and mile 10 is done. These 3 miles come in at 7.12, 7.37 (wee stop!) and 7.17. A quick health check and everything feels good so on I go towards the first big test of the day St. Laurence’s Hill. Under the main road with fellow runners giving the obligatory Augie augie augie (I don’t know where they have the energy!) which lifts everyone’s spirits before the hill. Jeez I don’t remember it looking so big last year. Ease off and shorten the stride to make sure I don’t waste too much energy getting up it and it seems to pass quick enough. Support is great going through Inchicore and Dolphin’s Barn and I’m feeling full of running. Just passing over the canal and I hear a shout of “John, John”, ignore it thinking no way it’s me someone is shouting after but turn around after being touched on the shoulder and it’s a work colleague. He hasn’t been able to train much in the past month owing to a knee niggle but is looking good and will eventually finish in 3:37, somectime for s guy not far from retirement. We exchange the usual pleasantries people do in races about us both looking comfortable and he encourages me to move on and really attack the second half of the race. Miles 10-13 are done in 7.35, 7.17 & 7.23. Pass the halfway point in 1:40:31. It was at this point last year that I knew I was in big trouble. I do a quick mental check on myself, breathing is fine, legs feel good and overall I’m in a great place and can’t quite believe that half the job is done. Now can I go and do one of SkyBlue46’s much talked about Negative Splits.

Halfway to Mile 20

Ok next job is to get the long drag up Crumlin road done and out of the way. I start doing mental arithmetic at this point as a form of distraction. I’m feeling good and very confident I could now coast home and get that 3:29:59. If I stay strong and consistent I feel 3:19:59 is there for me and really pushing the boat out I have 181 seconds to make up in the second half to get 3:15:00. Halfway up the drag I spot who I think is Rossi7 and a couple of his clubmates on the other side of the road. They all look comfortable and locked in on their pace so I resist the urge to make an ejit of myself by shouting out his name in the hope its him and keep moving on. This mile comes in at 7:35. I’m feeling really comfortable at this stage and can scarcely believe that I’m 14 miles into the marathon. It’s at this point that I make up my mind that I feel too good not to make an attempt at 3:15. I decide to break the race into 2 mile block which I’m going to race and see how I feel at the end of each before deciding to keep going or to ease back and just stay comfortable for the rest of the race. There is still a bit of a drag on the drimnagh road so keep things nice and steady and wait for Walkinstown roundabout from where this year’s and last year’s mentors keep saying the course becomes you friend. I think it was just past Crumlin hospital where the DJ entertaining the crowd announces “here come the athletes hoping to get 3:30”; we’ll see Mr. DJ, we’ll see! Mile 15 beeps in at 7:24. The support at Walkinstown roundabout is class. The road narrows and it feels like the crowd are almost on top of you shouting encouragement. It really has a mountaintop stage finish in the Tour De France feel to it, all that’s missing is that guy dressed up as the devil running alongside us! It at this stage that I take another maurteen gel and up the pace to what feels quick but still comfortable and the mile beeps in at 7:08. It’s at this point that the word Easy comes into my head, this feels so easy. How am I feeling so comfortable after 16 miles or has someone played a trick on me. My mind begins to wander to what I’m going to do at the finish line. Ok Brain that’s enough of that bloody talk, we still have 10 miles to go and the marathon doesn’t like it when she feels taken for granted. Let’s see how the next 2 miles go first. I don’t actually remember much about these 2 miles other than passing what feels like loads of runners and it still feeling so comfortable. These miles both pass in 7:07 and another quick mental check on things still brings forward that word Easy. My next focus is getting to Milltown and the 20 mile mark in good shape. The road feels to be all downhill in this section and my pace increases accordingly. Through Terenure and it still feels like I’m flying. I take a bottle and put a salt tab in it around here and drink it over the course of the next couple of minutes. Coming into Milltown and my next focus is maybe spotting fellow 2018 Novices Juke, Huzzah, ReeReeG and Strawberry Swan. Hhhmmm maybe I should have asked them to be a bit more specific regarding where they would be as the place is heaving with support. I know they will have some kind of funny poster ready for the 2019 Novices but I’m not seeing it and pass through missing them altogether. Up to the 20 mile marker and look to the path to the left where the wheels well and truly came off last year and I first had to stop and then walk with cramps. You aren’t having me today! These miles have beeped through 6:54 and 6:51 so 3:15 feels a real concrete possibility for the first time.

Miles 20-Finish
Not long after the 20 mile mark and some people in the crowd are telling us to stay strong that the 3:20 pacers haven’t gone too far ahead of us yet. Sure enough after another couple of corners I can see the balloons bobbing away in the distance. My next goal is to catch them before Heartbreak Hill. Mile 21 beeps in at 6:48 and it has that feeling that everyone else around me is running in treacle. I catch up to the pacers about half way through the following mile and have to slow a bit because of the train of runners following them. They really are a great bunch though as they are shouting encouragement at everyone in their group and getting them ready for Heartbreak Hill just ahead. I have my last caffeine gel out of my belt and ready for taking along with some water from the next station. Bit of a disaster that the next station is cups only. A lot of the pacer group move left for these cups so I’m able to overtake the group without delay although the road here is carnage with empty plastic cups. I cant use plastic cups without stopping and i fear cramps if i stop now so i plough on without water. My stomach is turning at the thoughts of one more gel so I just take half of it and avoid gagging before throwing the remainder away. I’m starting to feel first pings of tiredness here and start my internal Alfred Pennyworth mantra of “What’s the point of all those push-ups if you can’t even lift a bloody log”. HHHmm the mantra starts to sound a lot louder all of a sudden, jeez I’m actually saying it out loud! Up ahead is Heartbreak Hill and it doesn’t look half as big as I had built it up to be in my head. Attack it from the bottom but halfway up another runner steps across my path causing me to momentarily stumble and curse and I’m blocked in for the rest of the climb. This mile beeps in at 7.09 and I’m still feeling good. Balls to having a breather on Foster’s Avenue I’m all in now. I race down the hill and at towards the bottom of it I pass a German guy running in a Batman costume, this has to be faith! 6:48 for this mile and I’m heading for UCD. Thankfully nobody feels the need to shout out “just a parkrun to go”. I’m at the point of no return now having never ran further than this distance without a walk or a stop. Down past Donnybrook and I’m going to give it one more lift to take advantage of the decline down Nutley Lane. Look over to a tree on the right where I had to stop last year when both calves simultaneously cramped up and one of my thighs joined the party as I was stretching them out. Ouch! This mile is done in 6:53 and all of a sudden I’m taking the turn at Ballsbridge and preparing for the long straight home. There is a bit of a headwind to greet us at the turn and for the first time I feel really tired and I’m aware that the fuel guage is really pointing down to E and the red warning light has come on. Repeat Applegirl’s mantra of training to endure this pain and keep going. Eventually get to the RDS and the mile beeps at 7:06. Still over a mile to go and it feels like I’m really slowing down but the support along here is brilliant. I wasn’t going to write my name on my race number but the decision was taken out of my hands when I looked at my race pack, it’s a real help along here to keep me going. Every slight bend in the road and I’m scanning for the finishing area to no avail. Halfway through the mile and I spot a former GAA club mate a small bit up ahead. He was the Roy Keane of the team to my Quentin Fortune so this helps spur me on! I pass him soon after and we exchange words of encouragement. Eventually I see the light relief of the 26 mile marker ahead and this becomes my sole focus so much so that I pass my wife and kids and their massive poster without noticing them! The mile is eventually completed in 7:17 and I try to up the pace for the finish. It isn’t happening though as my legs don’t want to know. I’m eventually passed for what I’m pretty certain is the first time since the hallway point in this closing stage. I remember the training of not focusing on stopping the watch at the finish line but instead raise my 2 hands in sweet relief. Over the line and I’ve finished in 3:13:51.

The second half of the race was the best Ive ever felt running any kind of race. Checking afterwards I managed a 7 minute negative split and passed not far of 1300 other runners from that point. In a nice piece of symmetry my finishing time is pretty much exactly my most recent HM time doubled with 10 mins added on!

Post-race
My most immediate priority is to slump over a railing just past the finish line and try to recover. This crap feeling in my stomach and legs is exactly what I wanted to feel though on completing the marathon knowing that I couldn’t have given any more. Eventually pick myself up and have a brief chat with my GAA mate who has also set a new PB. I waited around for a bit for Rossi7 who I knew would be finishing shortly but must have just missed him in the crowd. Get my medal which most definitely wasn’t going into my pocket this time and made my way around to the baggage area to check my phone and arrange to meet up with my wife and kids along with my brother and his partner. Still feeling a bit shook and nauseous by the time I had walked around back to the Davenport but felt loads better after a bowl of soup. The trade-off of having the kids along was that I couldn’t make it to McGrattans to check in with everyone (I don’t know how my wife worked the 3 of them around all morning!) but Strava was full to the brim with PBs so a great day all round.

A year later and I had finally achieved redemption. I had finally raced and ran a marathon instead of finishing one. 18 weeks tough work had beared fruit. Embrace the fear and trust your training!

I do all my runs by myself but I owe a debt of gratitude to my fellow 2018 Novices in the WhatsApp group who really are a brilliant sounding board and wealth of information. I would never have heard of the likes of Maurteen gels or even signed up to Strava without them. Big thanks also to SkyBlue46 who finally made me see the light on the true meaning of LSR’s and the importance of “easy” runs!! And also to the larger boards athletics community from whom I have learned so much from various threads and logs.

TLDR.......

DCM19 was less....



And more.......

Thanks very much for all the comments guys, very much appreciated after the post marathon come down!

Following the 5 week post marathon P&D plan at the moment, all recovery paces so far so nothing exciting to report.
That brings me up to the end of November at which point I will be doing the Clontarf HM. Not targeting a time here, its the day of a college mates get together so doing this with one of the lads to have something other than a hangover to show for the day.

Got my copy of Faster Road Running today so will be looking at the 2020 calendar to see what local races suit but think I'm going to start the HM plan to race one in late March. Loved the marathon one so hoping I can make similar strides in some of the shorter distances.
Have signed up for DCM2020 but won't worry about that for a long time yet!

OOnegative wrote: »

Followed the up to 63 mile plan for the Amsterdam Half myself J and throughly enjoyed it. Felt the endurance type runs really stood to me.

Was initially looking at that one thanks B.

I struggled to find the part where I had to invite a Dub into my family home for race weekend to guarantee a PB or is that in a different edition?!

ariana` wrote: »

Loved that report... I can't fathom how you remember so much detail! Seriously well ran though, smashing PB. Dying to see what you can do over 5/10k. I've done that ros HM, it was short when i did it, not quite 13m iirc but otherwise a good race decent route - one big hill and lots of downhill sections, good buzz at the race hq etc.

coogy wrote: »

Superb race and PB J, especially given the conditions and if I'm honest, I can't think of a less appealing sounding event!!


Also very disappointed that you just left us hanging re the Chuckle Brothers. Where did they finish? Did they finish? Did they have moustaches? Were they saying things like "to you", "to me"?

I might remember a lot of details E but can’t believe I forgot to give K closure on The Chuckle Brothers! Brother number 1 (let’s call him Barry!) came in before the 1 30 pacer while Chuckle Brother number 2 (let’s call him Paul!) was about 2 mins behind the pacer.
I also forgot to mention the guy myself and my friend seen finishing who was wearing a full novelty suit. He lost a bonus point though for wearing his runners instead of going full hog with a pair of slip on shoes.

Yeah E I did the Ros Run this year and my watch didn’t count it as a new PB, I was halfway between 13 miles and the HM official distance IIRC!

Time to get back logging (and running :rolleyes:) for the new year!

Pretty much took the month of December off having lost my motivation but was looking forward to the new year and starting into a new plan. I’ve signed up for a couple of HM in March and April so the 6th of January was D-Day for the start of one of the 12 week FRR HM plans.

Monday 6th- 9 miles GA. Did these miles around the grounds of Strokestown House famine museum for something different. For the parkrun tourists amongst you this is where the local one is held. Nice setting but having to do a 180 turn at a traffic cone 6 times means it surely ain’t a PB course. Took these nice and handy but halfway thru the bottom of my hamstrings in both legs tightened, not sore but bit uncomfortable all the same. Finished up with average of 8.23/mile.

Tuesday 7th- 8 miles with 25 mins @LT. Very apprehensive about this one as it was the first proper session since DCM training. 10 mins at GA and I’m thinking how am I going to knock thru the intervals at nearly 2 mins per mile faster! The first interval is 15 mins and despite the shock to the system it goes relatively smoothly despite the rain and wind. Still glad to have the 4 minute jog interval which ends up being 5 minutes as I was day dreaming and missed it. Second interval is 12 mins but this one is way tougher and I’m regretting running the first one to peak fitness rather than current fitness! Still churning it out but the mix of headwind, main road traffic meaning I’m pretty much running on the spot when a Lordy passes and it being my first speed session in an age means I cut this one short at 10 mins instead (don’t judge me!). Nice blister on my foot to show for my efforts too. Run completed at an average of 7.39 min/mile.

Thursday 9th- 10 miles GA. Was supposed to do this Wednesday instead but work ran over what it was supposed to. Only way I could fit it in was with an early start Thursday morning. Set the alarm for 5.40 am, only hit snooze once and I’m out the door with hi viz and headlamp. First couple of miles are grand but after that for the next 6 I’m on my own in the dark on the main road hard shoulder. Had listened to a former astronaut on The Last Word earlier in the week talking about how eerie space walks are cause there is no sound except your own breathing. My run is similar in that the only noise is my breathing and footsteps! This was supposed to be an endurance run with a faster second half but I left it at GA to ease myself into the plan (well noticed though Mr Guappa, once a mentor always a mentor!). Run completed at an average of 8.27 min/mile.

Friday 10th- 12 miles GA. Again this was supposed to be an endurance run done at the weekend but my wife was on night shift so switched things around. Nothing too exciting about this one apart from feeling a bit of a squelch in one of my runners about halfway thru but running on anyways. Changing in the car and my sock is red due to poor toenail cutting technique! Run done at average of 8.15 min/mile.

Sunday 12th- 7 miles GA with strides. The strides in this one were 6 x 100 meters twice with 4 minute recovery between. Hamstrings still a small bit tight meaning I had to check the top out of these strides but other than that it was fine.

Great to get back into the swing of things again and hopefully the LT feels a bit easier in the coming week!

On a different note, thanks so much for your votes for Most Improved Athlete, your acknowledgment means an awful lot and has given me a great confidence boost to start the new year, thanks again.