Dream big, work hard, achieve your goals - My DCM '19 Journey

Amsterdam Marathon - Chip time 3:17:22

God where do I even start with this? The two lads have already wrote really great reports so now we'll see it from my perspective! I still feel like I'm dreaming, every time I really think about it I think did I really do that & was it really as comfortable as it felt!

So the trip started early in the airport, seen S & C, the excitement & buzz was great. I was with my family, it was so amazing having them with me for support. The flight over was quick & the trip to the hotel was fairly seamless too, have to say the public transport(once you got used to it) was amazing! After settling into the hotel I said goodbye to my lot who were heading off & I went to meet S & C at the Olympic Stadium to the expo. I was buzzing when I got there, the I AM AMSTERDAM sign, the Olympic Stadium, the crowds, it was all amazing. I got my number & tshirt & met up with the lads. Bought some maurten race pack & a very funky pair of socks🌻 We then headed off for a bite to eat & a nice chat about our race plans etc. Back to the hotel feeling tired from all the travels & excitement & met my lot shortly afterwards as I chilled in my room. I got a decent nights sleep, felt very content & felt like I had a good plan in place. I woke early & had my porridge, a banana & made my maurten drink to sip on. Had agreed to meet the lads at 8:30 so my lot were up & ready to leave with me as they wanted to sort where they would support me. We got there & had a bit of a walk from the tram, as we were walking there was an awful hail shower, stupidly none of us had any raingear at all on so we were all absolutely soaked, it was a bit crap but I just shrugged it off as there was nothing I could do about it. I said goodbye to my lot & found S & C, my hoody was soaked through so I just got changed & threw everything into the bag drop & off we went to find our starting point. It was a bit confusing but we got there eventually starting a lot further back than we had planned. I knew all I needed to do was focus on my race, my plan, my splits! I took 6 maurten gels & drank at every station, the isotonic drink & water all except for the last one. I feel I got my fuelling spot on this year thankfully.

0 -5km (24:34) We were off, wasn't very long till I lost sight of the lads as we all executed our own plans. My plan was to run conservatively for the 1st 4km at least then hopefully settle into an even enough pace then pick it up at the end if I could. The 1st bit out of the stadium was great but once out onto the road it was very congested & there was a lot of weaving to do, frustrating at times but I knew it was helping me with the conservative start. I hit the 1st 5km at 24:34, a little slower than I should be but that was ok.

6 - 10km (48.10)

Still a fair bit of weaving going on here as the course narrowed a bit, there was a small out & back loop & we could see the speedsters passing by on the other side of the road. It was around here I seen my family, lots of cheers from them, go frecks, run crazy legs, go momma E! They had spread themselves out a bit so was great to hear them at each little bit, I was grinning from ear to ear, they have a video of me & you can just see tiny me waving & smiling behind a lot taller fellas, it's very funny to see! Luckily for me the smiles continued all the way around the course especially as I was dressed in an Ireland singlet, shorts & my orange calf sleeves. I got so many cheers, c'mon Ireland, sorry about the rugby, go Irish amongst a few other things, the support was amazing all the way around. Seeing my family made me so happy & it really is a boost for morale!

11 - 15km (1:11:48)

This section led to the Amstel as we ran along the canal for a fair bit. I thought this might feel like it would go on forever but it actually didn't. Again it was quite narrow & congested as I headed up towards the 3:30 pace group. I passed by them as it started raining, the wind also seemed to pick up a bit but I didn't feel it too badly as there were so many of us running together. Again my Ireland top got some comments & another Irish bloke started chatting to me for a bit, I left him at some stage as I again tried to get around people. Again I hit the 15km split a bit slower than planned but I wasn't concerned.

16 - 20km (1:35:42) 21 - 25km (1:59:18)

Still on the canal for this section & the next, feeling good despite a lot of weaving still going on!

26 - 30km (2:22:23)

Back out onto the roads now & the amazing support of the crowds, don't remember too much of the places I ran by here but I knew I was feeling good & still smiling at anyone I made contact with or who called my name. I hit the 30km spot on target feeling good so was very very happy at this stage.

31 - 35km (2:45:36)

Again I don't remember too much about this but god I was feeling amazing, I had to think carefully about what I would do next, this was the only time through the whole marathon that I had a bit of unsure thoughts, they came from trying to decide when would be best to up my pace, what if I did & started suffering, what if I was running that fine line where your pace feels good then you push it & it really hurts. I decided I would up my pace slightly from 35km onwards then pick it up even more for the last 5km if I could.

36 - 40km (3:08:03)

I was over a minute faster than where I should be & this gave me huge confidence, at some stage here I remember thinking, Fook I have this!! I knew I just had to see it out & I was defo going sub 3:20. We entered Vondelpark at some stage here & I loved it, lots of cheers for the Irish top here this just spurred me on, I also passed by a few runners who had cramped up & were trying to walk them off etc, really felt it for them. I decided to skip the last water station here as I really wanted to keep this momentum going!

41 - Finish (3:17:22)

I genuinely can't explain the feeling as I got faster & faster as I knew I was so close, the cheers & support along here was like nothing else. I picked up speed again as I passed the flag lined street which turns onto the I AM AMSTERDAM sign, I heard more shouts & as I was entering the stadium one of the helpers moved back and made a face as if to say I was going too fast, he gave me a smile & I beamed back, once I entered that stadium the foot was well & truly on the gas! I passed by a fair few people at speed, threw my hands in the air with the biggest grin ever & crossed the finish line! I looked down at my watch & could not believe my eyes, was I dreaming, did I really just do this! I saw S & C up ahead & we all congratulated each other, both the lads running brilliant PB's. I honestly couldn't think of 2 nicer people to share this madness with! We went to get out bags & I meet up with my family who had been in the stadium & recorded my finish, there were hugs & kisses & near tears, so so special to have them there with me!

I'm still on a high, wondering how the hell I had the perfect day, the perfect race! From start to finish I controlled the controllable down to a T, not only did I control it but it felt very comfortable the whole way through. Somehow I managed a 4min 34sec negative split, the stuff of dreams! I remember being at halfway thinking this time last year in Dublin along the Crumlin road I was hating it, felt like it was going on forever yet today I was as fresh as a daisy, mental! I never felt bad, I never felt like I needed to holdback, how does this happen in some races but in others you are hanging on for all you've got??

It was a great marathon, one I would highly recommend to anyone thinking of it. The next few days were spent walking a lot & seeing a lot of different places, with my family we made some amazing memories & it's defo a place I will head back to again.

No plans as to what I will do next but a huge thank you needs to go to S for giving me such great training plans that I absolutely love & more than that for being a great friend, along with C they really did make this a great trip full of laughs & craic. I'd also like to say a huge thank you to all my fellow boardsies who sent so many messages of support & congratulations both here & privately, I genuinely appreciate them all😊

I quoted Whitney Houston in my last post as my marathon song & these words were never as apt, exactly how I felt...

"I want one moment in time, When I'm more than I thought I could be, When all of my dreams are a heart beat away, And the answers are all up to me...

Crossing that finish line I had that moment in time, totally exceeding my own expectations & it was all down to me💛

Some stats of the marathon

My overall position was 3024th out of 16057

My position as a woman was 218th out of 4009

My age category was 16th out of 414

Thanks a mill for the nice comments. I have been doing EIM for a good while now & I absolutely love it, but as you can see from my marathon plan for Amsterdam it was mixed with other stuff which was given to be by @skyblue46 who found EIM training originally & introduced it to me. For this block most of the EIM stuff was done for the 1st half of the block then not a lot after. Now that I'm back running regularly since the marathon I am back doing the 1k , 400's & 200's EIM stuff. I like that it introduces a bit of pace in the actual run but with the walk breaks and generous recoveries it's not like a hard session.

I hope this helps in some way & I'm sure @skyblue46 would give his experience of it. Very best of luck with it!