Race report thread

So there I was reading "Becoming an Ironman" back in January - I'll return it when you call CW. Orla arrives in to the room and says why don't you do an Ironman this year. I think she's taking the pi$$ as she has always said she'd go nuts if I decided to do one. And with her being nearly 4 months pregnant I definitely thought she was winding me up. Turns out she wasn't. All the IM's are sold out. A mail to tunney the next day to ask his advice on a race. Frankfurt was due to re-open and IMUK was still open as was Nice. All 3 were too close to the due date. Challenge Barcelona it was. :cool:

The journey was always going to be a cautious one as I was coming in to this from a very low base (4k swim, 50km bike and 25km run per week) the previous year. It was acase of making the most of the time available and trying to stay injury free. I had lofty ideas about times for the race but the reality of a newborn, etc soon makes you realise that you're kididng yourself. After some advice from fellow boardsies it was decided that you only do your first IM once and that I should enjoy the experience and see if going long was something that I liked.

So thanks to everyone on here for the advice and support - be it emails or PMs. A huge thanks to tunney for all his help and advice. The guy is a fountain of knowledge. And most importantly, thanks to Orla for all her support and patience over the last 8 months. So here's my report. It's a bit long so apologies in advance.

Wednesday was a bit nuts at work but I managed to get away at 1:00. Got my swim done and then headed to the LBS to collect my bike. Thankfully the LBS had offered me a hard case bike box and also to show me to box the bike. Happy days. After loading the bike in the car I had a few quick bits to get and then home to finish packing. All a bit manic but sure that's me all over.

Sean had offered to collect me at 6am on Thursday morning and drive me to Knock. A good nights sleep and before I knew it we were in Knock. Checked in and had some eggs and beans before boarding. Had a freaker when I saw the box at the bottom of all the luggage and was glad I had a hard case box. I slept for most of the flight which was great.
Bags and box all came through fine and it wasn't long until I was bombing along the Spanish motorway towards Calella. Found the hotel pretty easily and got checked in. I decided to head down to the expo area and get my bags and race number. All went smoothly and there was a nice atmosphere around the place. A short stroll around Calella to find my bearings and chose a spot to eat. Picked a nice Italian spot and had some melon with cured ham followed by a tasty pizza. Back to the hotel to put the bike together, have a quick roll and I was in bed by 10:30.

I woke around 8 on Friday morning and filled a water bottle and headed for a swim. As I was changing I noticed the 3 people beside that had finished their swim were Irish. Got chatting to them and turns out it was Joyce Wolfe with Joe and Aoife Lynch. Joyce and Joe were racing but Aoife wasn't. Joyce's husband was coming over the next day. Said goodbye and good luck to them and hit the water. There was a large swell but the water was lovely. Crystal clear and very warm. A very enjoyable swim and I felt good. Back for some porridge and eggs with rye toast. After that I hit the supermarket, had a small snack before a bike and run. The gears on the bike were acting up and it was quite frustrating. Why did I not take some time to learn more about maintaining my bike? Something that needs to be put right! A stretch and shower after the session before heading for a tasty Spanish omelet and potato bravas. Back to the hotel for a siesta and a power nap before hitting the web to try and fix my gears. Finally figured it out and took the bike for a short spin. Gears were A1 again. Out for dinner which was a chicken salad starter and a nice steak with more salad. Back to the hotel for a roll and in bed by 10:30 again.

Saturday started with a bike & run off the bike. Some breakfast, a final once over of the bike and off to the race briefing. First time having a race briefing in a cinema but at least it was seated and comfortable rather than standing for 30 minutes. As it happened, I was sitting beside Joe Lynch from Pulse TC. Got chatting after and wound up hooking up with him, Aoife, Joyce and Mike for lunch and dinner. Felt green and hairy but who cares as I was sick of dining solo. Lunch was Spanish omelet and some salad. Back to the hotel to relax for a while and then check my bike and bags in. A few minor heart attacks packing bags but a few deep breaths kept me calm. I was half way back to the hotel after checking in my bike and bags when I couldn't recall what I did with my helmet. Better safe than sorry so back to the bags to ensure it was in the bike bag. Shock horror, it was. Headed back to the apartment for some rest. Tried to nap but alas I couldn't sleep. Stayed off the feet and met the gang for dinner. A lovely dinner with great company. Home before 9, a quick roll and I was in bed by 9:30. I finally fell asleep at 10:30. A quick look on boards and spotted the well wishes. That gave me a nice lift. :cool:

The days in the lead up to the race went pretty much as planned. I didn't change my eating habits or routine and did a few short sharp training sessions. I was feeling pretty calm overall and looking forward to the race. I got the odd chill and tummy flutter but in general I was calm and looking forward to "going long".

I had a decent nights sleep and only woke twice for a minute or so each time. Up at 5:45 and prepared breakfast - porridge, 2 boiled eggs and some rye bread toast. Did some mobility work before putting on my sun cream and heading to check my bike. Surprisingly enough I was very calm and enjoyed the walk to the start area. I put the water and Garmin on my bike and made sure the tyre pressure was fine. A trip to the portaloo and then in to the bag tent. One final check of my bike and run bags before putting on my wetsuit. I sat in the tent sipping water until 8:25 and then I headed out to see the PRO race start. It would have been nice to have had more water to sip but the 750ml bottle was gone when I left the tent. Must bring more water next time. In for quick dip before heading to the starting pin. Next thing I knew I was popping a gel at 8:40 and entering the starting pin. Orla and the crew weren't in site which was probably a good thing as it kept me focused at the job at hand.

So from 8:45 to 8:50 I was lined up a few rows back from the water. Music blaring and me smiling like a Cheshire cat. Off goes the hooter and I strolled in to the water.

Swim 1:14
All very civilized. It's a long day ahead so I guess people weren't as eager as in shorter distance races. It was a little physical but nothing major. I settled in to a nice easy pattern and swam around a few people that were slower than me. I didn't think there would be many of them but shock horror there was. I decided to swim bilaterally as this is the only way I have of knowing I'm swimming easy. When I can't breath bilaterally it means I'm working and I didn't want that. The plan was to swim easy and enjoy it. Right from the off I felt very comfortable. I struggled to find and stay on feet. Any time I tried to I found it too slow and swam around them. The one time I found a good set of feet they took me off course. So after that I decided to swim solo. I did go off course a couple of times but not a huge amount. The swim course is a 200m straight out to a buoy before turning right for 1450. After that I was turning right for 100m, back 1750m and one final turn for the shore and a 300m swim home. So in my head it was a swim to the first buoy to get going and settle in to a rhythm. After the turn I was swimming an Olympic distance course before doing 4 lengths of the pool. After that I was swimming a HIM distance and winding down for the last 300m. That's how I broke it down and it worked for me. I was passing a lot of people on the swim to the first buoy. By the turn I was feeling really relaxed and confident. I focused on trying to keep the elbows high on the pull and breathing every 3 stroke. Anything else would have confused my little brain. There was people around me up until around 1200m. I had given up on finding feet at that stage and did my own thing. It was around this time that I got a very pleasant surprise and a real lift. I passed someone from the wave that went off 5 minutes ahead of me. Now that was a real lift for me and my confidence really grew. Just before the turn at around the 1500m mark I noticed someone from the wave after me was swimming by me. This happened a few times and each time it did I jumped on their feet for as long as possible without increasing my work rate. The longest it lasted was a minute but it still helped. Not sure if it did in reality but it did in my head and that's all that mattered. By the time we rounded the buoys for the swim back up (the HIM swim) my neck was very sore. The wetsuit had dug in and was cutting the sh1t out of it. I just blocked it out and got on with it. Soon after this I had a bigger problem. How do you pi$$ and swim at the same time? Figured it out but it was damn strange. This happened once more too before the turn for home. As I swam along the HIM section as I called it I passed a lot more people from earlier waves. I also noticed that although guys had caught me from the wave after me, they weren't pulling away when they did. This really helped the head too. Any time I felt a little fatigue kicking in or form going I just concentrated on breathing and arm pull and before I knew it I was fine again. I got held up a few times by swimming in to a group that was 4 or 5 wide and couldn't muscle my way through so I went around them. I remember thinking today is going to be a good day as I swam up along that 1750m stretch. The hardest parts of the swim were trying to pi$$, ignoring my neck pain and running up the very soft sand after the swim.

T1
As I walked up through the soft sand I suddenly heard the frantic screams from Orla, my mother and my sister. Irish flags and hats going 90. Now that was a great lift. I had a sense that I had a good swim when I left the water as I passed a lot of people on the course. I was pleasantly surprised to see around a 1:16 or so swim time from quick math's when I saw my watch in T1. That really made me smile. In to the tent and found my bags easily. Grabbed my bike bag and then off with the wetsuit. Pulled on my socks and then my cycling jersey that was fully loaded with tools and nutrition. On with my helmet and sunglasses. As I threw my wetsuit in to the bag I had a brain wave. Grab your Garmin Paul from your run bag in case the 500 fails on the bike and you need a HR backup. Quickly did this and then grabbed my shoes and ran to the bike. Turned on the Garmin, put on my shoes and out the gap. As I mounted I heard a come on Wicklow shout and twigged I had a Wicklow AR top on. Thumbs up to the guy and off I went.

Bike 6:15
HR wouldn't work or cadence. SH1T. Don't panic. Get over the first 3km of speed bumps, etc and worry about it then. The HR started working quite quickly once there were no other athletes around me and the "multiple HR detected" message disappeared. Another roar from the 3 women as I headed towards the first roundabout and then it was time to focus. My HR was quite high initially so I relaxed and took on some water. I was passed by what felt like a shed load of people on that first 10km. I just let them go and focused on taking on water and letting my HR settle. I got the 500 to rescan for the cadence kit and all was right in the world again. A lot of people classify this as a flat and fast course. While it is flat I felt that the drags and climbs in the first 15km or so were tough enough when trying to control my HR. Once past that section it was pretty flat and easy to settle in to a nice rhythm.

Nutrition went to plan and I felt it worked really well. I didn't miss any of the planned eats and apart from a few big burps felt good. I took on 1 or sometimes 2 water bottles at the aid stations and I pi$$ed at least 5 times on the bike.

The first lap felt good and my HR settled once I passed the initial drags, etc. One mistake I made on the flat section was thinking I was on the big ring when I wasn't. This cost me a bit as my pace went up as soon as I realised and my HR stayed in low easy. That also reminded me to keep my concentration though so it was probably a good thing too. At the end of the first lap I felt really good. I was a bit concerned by how high my HR went on the climbs and drags on the 15k back to the turnaround but I just kept dropping the gears and spinning up the hills as best I could whilst staying in the easy zone.

As I started the 2nd lap I noticed the wind had picked up and there was a tough headwind on the outward leg. Them's the breaks I guess so I just got on with it and dropped to the small chain ring and let my HR dictate the pace. I was getting frustrated a little by people passing me but soon put it to one side and raced my own race. I did notice later in this lap that I started to catch and pass people. One thing that I found hard was pacing the overtake as people often reacted and didn't like being passed. This sometimes meant free wheeling and dropping back and them finally realising they should let me go when I came along side next time. Once I reached the turnaround I figured there would be a good tailwind. I wasn't wrong. I decided to be cautious and the HR was mainly below easy on this section. I was still feeling good and enjoying the day. When I got to the roundabout in Calella to start the last lap all the crew had arrived and I got a huge roar. The 7 of them went nuts and I gave them all the thumbs up and a big smile. Still feeling good but I was worried about the headwind. By the end of the second lap I was starting to feel some discomfort and my balls were quite sore. The odd stretch helped but I blanked it out as best I could. I did have one reason for concern on the way back on the second lap. I noticed that if I took a deep breath my chest felt strange and my breath got caught and I found it hard to breath. This happened a few times but only if I took a deep breath. Not sure what it was but it was a little worrying.

It felt like the wind had picked up even more on the last lap. I got a bit mad that there was no water at the aid station but managed with what I had on the bike. Sure it's only 20km head and then a tail wind. Sure that's only 2 sprint distances Paul - no bother. Keep calm and focus on the HR. That's what I did. I struggled to stay on the bars on this lap and felt I was up off them a lot. Not sure why exactly as I felt comfortable when I was down on them. Can't put my finger on it exactly but I kept popping up. Maybe I was drinking more but don't rightly know. When I hit the turnaround I knew things would be fine and I enjoyed the push home and passed quite a few people.

I don't think I felt bad at any stage, a little frustrated or anxious at times but I remained positive and thought of all the advice I had received and stuck with it.

The last 3km through the town was great as there was loads of support. The previous 30km or so was a bit of an anti-climax as all the supporters had left and gone to the run course. The magnificent 7 were on the 3km run in and gave me another huge shout. All the speed bumps, etc were a bit of a pain but I was soon at the dismount line.

On the bike I had a gel every 20 minutes except at hours 1, 3 and 5. The gels on 3:20, 4:20, 5:20 and 5:40 were guarana gels. A total of 15 gels and 3 bars on the bike. I went through around 2 bottles per hour of water on the bike also.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/119120291

T2
Off the bike and stop the watch. 6:15, not bad at all and the legs felt great. They felt better than getting off the bike in Galway. I instantly noticed the heat though. Man it was damn hot. Racked my bike and took the Garmin off and ran to the tent. Grabbed my run bag and took off my helmet, shoes, socks and cycling jersey. A volunteer asked if I wanted some suncream so I said yes as I put my socks on. When she put it on my neck I nearly jumped out of my skin. The pain from where the wetsuit had cut me was unreal. I then noticed my heel was a little black so I put on a compeed to be safe. On with my socks, runners and hat and I was out the gap. I walked initially to let the Garmin pick up a signal. I popped an IsoGel as I walked waiting for the Garmin to kick in and started running once it did.

Run 3:53
I felt really good initially and settled in to around a 7:30 pace. As I ran the first 1km or so from transition I noticed a lot of people walking. Down the underpass and up the far side. There were the magnificent 7 roaring their heads off. A smile and a thumbs up to them and I was on my merry way to the first aid station. I decided once I got off the bike that I'd be walking every aid station. As I ran along those first couple of km I felt good but noticed my HR was very high and my throat very dry. My legs felt good though. Given the smile and enjoy it approach I decided to dial back and run off feel and HR rather than pace. I was passing lots of people that were struggling badly. I took on some water and popped one of my 3 IsoGels at the first aid station. Given how thirsty I felt I walked longer than 30 seconds to get as much water as I could in to me. This would be the case over the course of the run. Before I knew it I was back at the underpass and getting greeted by the 7. Still feeling good as I headed to the finish area.

The second lap started well but I thought my left hamstring was going to pop as I ran up the underpass. I then decided that I'd be walking up the 2 hills on the course from then on. I could see the look of horror on Orla's face as she saw me walking up the hill. That eased a bit as I started running again at the top of the hill and she ran with me for a 100m or so to see how I was. Told her I was fine apart from heavy quads and not to worry. I was still feeling good but the walks were taking longer now at each aid station. I tried some coke on this lap but it had no magic effect like people say so I stuck to the water and gels or banana after that. I was soon back at the underpass again and getting more encouragement. I had to stop running as I went down the underpass as my quads started to pop. No more walking uphill or downhill for me. Back up through the finish area and the athmosphere gave me a great lift. My quads were very tired at this stage and I was really feeling it.

Off out on to lap 3. No sign of Orla with the others when I walked down and up the underpass. I started to run/shuffle at the top of the hill and got lots of encouragement including a VAMOS, VAMOS from my smart ass brother. I asked him how Spurs got on and smiled when he told me they won. Off around the corner and O was waiting for me. How are you she ask? Quads are in bits said I as I started to walk. Keep running she says so I oblige and take a couple of jelly babies off her. Off I go and reason that I only have to run to the bridge before I can walk again. Pace is falling off badly at this stage but I make it to the bridge and walk up and down it. Short run to the aid station for some food, water and a walk. When I start going again after the aid station I decide I'm going to walk once between aid stations on this lap. Small targets and before I know it I'm 5/8's of the way around the run. Next target is the walk before the next aid station, then the aid station and a walk at the bridge before one last walk at the underpass and then I'll be 3/4's of the way there. Another chill and a realization that I'm going to finish this thing smiling as I go through the finish area for the second last time. Next time I'll get to turn left and go down the finishing straight. :cool:

As I start the final lap I get mad with myself and realise I need to run the last lap sub 50 to ensure a sub 4 marathon. HTFU Paul and get going. Time to go to my happy place and dig in. I pick up the pace and am feeling the hurt straight away but I reason it's only a 10km run - how bad? As I reach the underpass this time Orla is waiting halfway down the hill and walks and talks with me. I ask her how Finn is and how she is? The little man is fine back home. She asks how I am. I tell her to go to the finish area with the gang. I'll be there in under 50 minutes no matter what. Huge roars from the 7 and off I go. I keep an eye on my pace and ensure it doesn't go near 8 minute miles. I averaged around 7:51 to the first aid station. OK, now lets get to the turnaround point. 2.5km Paul, let's do it. It's tough going and I'm blowing hard but focusing on form and my happy place. As I hit the aid station at the turnaround I take on some water and a gel and get back running. Keep the pace sub 8. Just over 5km to go. An easy lunchtime jog over to the racecourse and back. No problem Paul. You can make it. I'm passing lots of people but struggling to see the pace as it’s dark out at the turnaround area. I just focus on my happy place and push on as best I can. I'm happy to see 7:5x on the watch for pace when I hit the streetlights. I check the time and I'm on track for sub 4. It's a far cry from my 3:15 target but I don't care. I know now I'm nearly home and I'm finishing feeling strong and smiling. I decide not to stop at the last aid station. I reckon I'll walk the bridge and pop my last IsoGel before hammering home. Oops I have to walk the underpass. Straight in to a run again and I'm hitting sub 7 min minute mile pace. Feeling great. Endorphins going 90. All the training, all the times I held abck in races over the season was more than worth it. I was flying and loving it. As I rounded the corner to hit the red carpet Orla, Laura and Caroline were there and they handed me an Irish flag. I threw it over my shoulder and pegged it around the finish area. The announcer spotted the flag and started shouting go Ireland. The grandstand was electric. I passed 4 or 5 people and finally got to turn left. Under the inflatable bridge and down the finishing straight. Arms overhead with the Irish flag and feeling like I could walk on water. What a buzz. I had done it. A look at the clock and I knew I was around 11:35 or so. Happy days. :cool: Anyone would think I had won the race.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/119123587

Got my photo taken holding the flag overhead and then Orla and the gang came around the corner. Me smiling like a good thing and feeling on top of the world. A few photos taken and then I get my t-shirt and head to the finishers area. I arrange to meet the gang at the bike area. I can't stomach any food or fluid. Have a quick chat with a few Irish and decide I want to see my family so I slip off and get my bags and bike.
Alan and I headed back to the hotel soon after and the others got the train to Barcelona. Alan and I take the bike apart and box it. I have a shower and pack, check out of the hotel and we head for Barcelona. A drive through on the way there and before long we're at the hotel in Barcleona. The gang are wiped so we just have a chat and some munchies. I get 3 hours sleep and before long I'm in Barcelona airport having pastries and a burger for breakfast.

I'm very happy with how the race went. I was delighted with my swim. I still find it hard to believe I swam 2.4 miles. I was probably too conservative on the bike but when it's your first outing it's better to be safe than sorry. I had planned on running faster, but in those conditions I reckon I would have died a death on lap 2 if I kept going at 7:30 pace. I was happy to have the sense to listen to my body and adapt on the go. I'd highly recommend the event and I'd definitely do it again. Yes, I will go long again and no matter what happens, I'll always have a positive first IM to reflect on. Yes, I'm still smiling. :cool:

Gibbo.

Background and buildup:
I came into the summer race series off the back of a 2.58 Spring marathon and had a very good season in terms of the shorter distance races. All of my results from 5 miles to half marathon pointed towards a 2.55 marathon so this was the goal. Some of my early long runs were quite poor but by the end of September, I was doing exactly what I would have wanted on the long runs and feeling great.

Race day:
Like everybody else, I was worried about the prospect of a windy day in Dublin. I knew that if I played it safe and stuck with the sub 3 pacers, I could run 2.58 or 2.59. By the time I arrived at the start line, it was hot and humid, more tough conditions. But I decided to take a risk and go for the 2.55.

The early miles slipped by fairly nicely - too nicely probably. Mile 1 and 2 were at 6.28 and 6.32 on the Garmin but I was just on the shoulder of TheRoadRunner (sub 3 pacer) so wasn't too bothered. In the Phoenix Park, I was stunned to see people already stopping to stretch, slowing down, talking about stitches. I was feeling ok, but was aware that it was hot. Then it started getting windy too. I got chatting to a guy who was also targeting 2.55 so we decided to stick together for a while.

After crossing the Liffey, the pace which had seemed easy now was an effort. I was losing pace on the hills and the wind was into my face. I was still knocking out 6.37-6.41 miles but starting to feel it. After Crumlin, the pace dropped to 6.50, mile 16 in 7.01 was a kick in the teeth. I managed to pick it up slightly to 6.50s for 17 and 18 but then the sub 3 pack passed me. Clonskeagh and Robuck killed me, mile 21 in 8.03.

I tried to pick it up again with 22 in 7.20 but at this stage, I couldn't see the sub 3 group and I was knackered. People were dropping like flies. In 12 marathons, I've never seen so many people stopped, slowed down, walking, getting medical attention. I was noticing loads of people who'd been ahead of me and in and around my pace earlier on. I was just jogging it in at this stage, enjoying the atmosphere. At 25.5 miles, my companion from earlier on was slowed to a standstill practically. We got going again together and crossed the line in 3.07. Loads of text messages informed me that we were shown on the TV for about 20 seconds coming in. My 2 year old was thrilled to see me after my wife refusing to put Peppa Pig on. She informs me she's doing it next year when she's bigger!!

Post marathon thoughts
I know that my tactics were risky given the conditions. But I was happy to take the gamble. Yes, a 2.58 or 2.59 would have been nicer but I would probably be sitting here kicking myself for not going for the 2.55 when that's what I feel I'm capable of right now. Looking at myself finishing on RTE, I don't think I've ever looked happier and more comfortable finishing any marathon. I've no regrets whatsoever.

In the past, I used to get completely distraught if I missed a time target. Now, I'm happy that I've ran PBs at every distance from 4 miles to marathon in a calender year. I've gone from running because I love marathons to running marathons because I love running.

RoadRunner, certainly not your fault if the wheels came off for me. Agreed, I think some of the early miles weren't measured great. And in any case, I was trying to get out in front of your group. It did feel terrible moving to one side on Orwell Road to let you lot by. By Clonskeagh, it was over for me.. I'd say pacing was difficult if there was confusion over measuring. By all accounts, you lot did a super job.

DCM 2011 was my second marathon, the first being Berlin this year. The original plan was to break 3 hrs in Berlin, then take it easy in Dublin and enjoy the home marathon. I followed the P&D 55-70 mile plan. In Berlin I ran 18 miles at goal pace, but then a stitch stopped me in my tracks and I struggled home in 3:09:28. I wasn’t sure how to approach Dublin. In the 5 weeks between the 2 races I followed a multiple marathon plan from P&D. I decided to follow the 3 hr pacers and see how it would go. I had learned a lot from Berlin (and from boards;)), made a few changes in the interim, but I wasn’t too positive coming into the race.

As I lined up a bit behind the pacers, I was glad the weather wasn’t as promised on RTE. There was a little breeze, but it was dry, and relatively cool. The first mile was a little fast, and I had to reel the legs in coming down Dawson St. I looked back and saw the balloons so I slowed down and waited for them to come along side. I then just ran comfortably alongside the pacers. The first water stop seemed to arrive really quickly, but I had decided beforehand that I wasn't going to drink at this one. Probably, a good idea as there was so many people scrambling to grab the bottles. One of the pacers passed me a bottle, so I took a few sips.

Going through the park, my right hamstring started to ache a little, but it wasn't serious and I seemed to run it off ok. The pace felt really steady and the miles started ticking away. The park was quite compared to the rest of the course, so it was lovely coming back out into the city where the support was unreal. It's always lovely running in the park, but it was a brilliant contrast to go from the serenity of the green fields and to the crowds that seemed to throng the rest of the course. I have to say the support was amazing, and fair play to all the people that came out.

I took a gel at 6 miles, and then another at 12. When I was taking the one at 12, another runner asked me if I had any spare so I gave him half of it. In Berlin, I started to struggle after the halfway mark, so I was constantly analysing how I felt and comparing the two races. I felt a lot more relaxed in Dublin as the race progressed. I was continually checking my breathing and telling myself to keep it calm.

I started to feel the pace a bit when we hit the hills around the back of UCD. I had done very little hill running in my training, something I'll definitely look to change for next year. I was delighted when we finally got to the top of Roebuck hill as I knew it was downhill all the way from here. I'd taken a third gel at 18miles, and took my final one at 21 on Fosters avenue. Going up the flyover at UCD, I felt the right hamstring\groin give a twinge and it started to ache. I had to shorten my stride, and as I slowed, the Pacers started to pull away.

This was the hardest part of the course for me. I was constantly getting stabs of pain down my leg, but I was able to keep running although my pace dropped. Every time I got a twinge pain, it felt like I would have to pull over, but thankfully it didn’t last so I was able to keep going. I had family and friends in Ballsbridge, so this really gave me the motivation to keep moving as quickly as I could. I concentrated on the ground in front of me and started counting steps. My pace dropped to 7.5 minutes, so 3 was gone, but a good PB was still achievable.

The pacers had pulled a few hundred yards ahead of me coming down Nutley Lane, but I wasn't loosing that must distance on them. I remember thinking how nice the new tarmac on Merrion Road was to run on, it was really bouncy! I think they should tarmac the entire route next year a few weeks before the race!

I spotted my brother & sister-in-law as I turned onto Shelbourne road, and then the 3rd pacer passed me. I had completely forgot about him, didn't realise he was behind me. Both of these gave me a lift and I managed to up the tempo a bit. But then, that little hill over the canal nearly killed me – it really hurt the leg going uphill. But the crowds were terrific and the encouragement kept me going.

There were a lot of people struggling that last mile, and I really had to dig deep coming down Pearse Street. Again, the support was amazing. My aim at this stage was to get over the line as quickly as I could and as I turned around Trinity I looked at the watch and it was 2:57. I didn't catch the number of seconds, but maybe 3 hours was still on? I wasn’t sure how far the finish was, so I put the head down and increased the pace. I hit the green carpet, glanced again at the garmin and it was 2:59 something. I gave everything and sprinted for the line.

I passed under the clock and pressed stop on the watch. Then a long stare at the watch, which read 3:00:00:34:eek: It had to be under 3! There followed a scream and a smile good enough to get me on RTE!

After the euphoria had worn off, the leg felt in agony. I shuffled to the side and rested on the railings. When I tried to move again, I couldn't put any weight on the right leg, it had cramped up completely. The guys at the finish were great and really looked after me. Ended up being wheeled down as far as the physio tent where I joined the line. The queue wasn’t moving, so after 15 minutes I shuffled off to McGrattens, where I indulged in some liquid painkillers instead. Had great craic in the pub, and I was nicely inebriated by the time we headed to burger king. Nothing beats a whopper after a feed of pints:)

When I finally got home and got my phone, a mate had texted to say the chip time was up, 2:59:58:D:D:D:D

Garmin link

Two days later and I’m still on cloud 9, and I reckon it will last well until Christmas and next year. The plans have turned to the next challenge, but for the moment its recovery and beers!

I have to say a big thank you to the 3-hr pacers. I know the RR was worried about the speed at the start and end, but I think you guys did a fantastic job. I have nothing but gratitude to you because you got me into a position where I was able to bring it home (just about!).

absolutely delighted for you, had similar feeling myself.Interesting that you had over 26.5 on the garmin - did anyone have 26.2?

claralara wrote: »

Just dumping this in here seeing as it's Friday and people might be procrastinating and / or looking for something to numb their brains! As the 2011 queen of disastrous races, it'd be great if even one person took solace from my experience and got a push to stick at it through the bad times (of which there were many!!) It makes that one good day all the more special!




I followed Fagan... and then I kicked his a*s!!

Right so – by way of warning, I am writing this as much for my own sake and posterity and I can sense already that it’s going to be lengthy so if you have important things to do but still want to read, I suggest you go and come back with a cup of hot chocolate before bed – I’d say it’ll help the insomniacs out there too.

A little bit of background…
I ran my first marathon, being the full marathon in Connemara, back in April in a time of 4.28.25. All of the advice I got was to simply enjoy it as I’d never to get to run my first marathon again. So that’s what I did. And I loved it despite the tough course. The first thing I wanted to do when I crossed the finish line was to run another one. I almost got sucked into running Cork but sense prevailed and I decided to hold out for Dublin. In the meantime, I set some other goals such as breaking 50 for 10k, breaking 40 for 5 miles, getting a HM PB. I still haven’t reached one of these targets.

18 weeks ago, I started following P&D’s >55mpw plan. It was going ok until about 9 weeks in when I just started to crash and burn big time. Everything was becoming a struggle. The legs were pure wrecked all of the time. The breathing was shot when I was running. I put it all down to the training and pretty much ignored my body which was giving me all the signs of something being wrong and not functioning. Thereafter, I ran bad race after bad race. I struggled to run 90 minutes in the series 10 miler having easily run that in Mallow the week before Connemara. I couldn’t break 25 in the Rathfarnhman 5k which should have been a walk in the park. I missed a PB in the series Half by about 30 seconds having pushed myself to the limit and crossing the line in teeny tiny little pieces.

The Half was the final straw. I was distraught and just couldn’t figure it out. Any hope of breaking 4 hours in DCM were well and truly down the swanny. It was obvious that something wasn’t right so I took a visit to the doc; which is when the low iron levels were discovered. Ok, at least there was a reason but I’d left it too late (big lesson learned there) to do anything about it. I was put on a very high dose of iron which was really nasty on my tummy and ruined a few runs in itself. Though I did start to feel so much better pretty quickly. At this stage I decided that I’d be able to trot around Dublin in 4.15, enjoy the day, get the t-shirt and have the craic after. I forgot about attempting to break 4 and decided I’d look at it again in the New Year. A week away in the sun, followed by a week with 3 / 4 good runs, followed by a really enjoyable final LSR with the group, put me back in good spirits and I was looking forward to DCM again. Cue the little demons in my head suggesting that breaking 4 hours was within my capability and touch. I tried my damndest to ignore them and refused to say out loud that I might go for it. Secretly I was planning on it but really worried about the consequences if it turned out to be a bad move.

The important stuff…
Headed into the Expo on Saturday with Digdig to pick up numbers and enough gels to get a small army through multiple marathons. Had decided I didn’t want to run with my hydration belt which holds a 750ml camelbak bottle and had really annoyed me on my last 20miler. So I picked up a simple gel belt and was happy that there would be sufficiently frequent water stations with water in small bottles en route. Obviously I would never encourage anyone to change their strategies the day before a marathon but why would I listen to my own advice?! A quick trip to the t-shirt printer to pick up my Fagan work of art and home to the couch for a dvd, a feed of pasta and half a bottle of red wine…whoops. Had a nice lie-in on Sunday with the having hour gone back and did very little for the rest of the day. Sunday night’s sleep was alright, it could have been better but at least it was better than Digdig’s.

Was up bright and early on Sunday morning for a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge. Had drank an ample amount to hydrate me the day before and literally couldn’t have taken another mouthful of water. Headed into town on the luas at about 8.40am. Had an argument with the manager in Burger King on Grafton Street who wouldn’t let me use the bathroom. Dropped off the bags after some Vaseline application. Queued for and used the portaloos. I don’t know how I was still needing the toilet! Got stuck in throngs of people in the lane at McGrattans and couldn’t get out onto the square. The nerves were really starting to take hold. I needed to pee again (ffs!) and I was terrified that I wouldn’t get out to start with the 4 hour pacers. Aaaargh.

Eventually we started moving and I turned onto Fitzwilliam Square in a blind panic looking for the black balloons. I saw them in the distance and started weaving like a maniac to try get to them. And then they started moving. What to do? Try and catch up the few hundred metres and risk blowing up one mile in? Keep the same distance between them for the rest of the race? What if I did the latter and started to lose pace and then I have to just watch them float away into the distance; out of my sight forever. So I decided to go with the first option and catch them. I think I caught Oisin around Dawson Street and Meno figured I’d banked a minute on 4 hours by the time we got to College Green. This was a little reassuring but I decided I didn’t want to be relying on that minute so I forgot about it.

The first few miles were pretty congested and it was warm out there. I was enjoying the banter with the pacers and their groupies and didn’t notice the early miles passing at all. We got into the park where there was a much welcomed breeze and a breath of fresh air. It was all going great. I was very comfortable and not looking at the Garmin at all. Hit the 5 mile mark feeling like I hadn’t even started the race. Took a gel between 5 and 6 miles, and everything continued on grand. At about 6.5 miles I was feeling great and considered leaving the pacers. Then I copped on and remembered there were still 20 more to go and it would have been fairly ridiculous to do anything other than stick with the guys for another 10 miles at least. At this stage the miles were just ticking by, each one as comfortable as the last. I stepped out ahead of the pacers at about 10 miles to take another gel and get some space. The crowds that were following them made it difficult to relax, so keeping just ahead of them took away the worry of falling over someone else’s feet. Was chatting with Meno up to the halfway mark and got a PB time for a half by my Garmin but that wasn’t the official result and I was told it didn’t count! I was happy out up through Walkinstown but had a little worry in the back of my head as Meno said he found that stretch particularly difficult and I knew I was coming up to where Digger had struggled last year. So I was expecting to hit a bad spot there too. I didn’t! Turned onto Fortfield Road where once again the crowds and support were amazing. I knew my friends would be around Bushy Park so I pushed on ahead of the pacers keeping my eyes peeled for my personal groupies. Saw them right at the corner and it was a huge boost. There were a couple of roars and high fives and then they were gone. I was smiling the whole way down the Templeogue Road (lovely road surface there you know; great for the knees ). And then I heard the wee Spagbol shouting me down…”Fagan!!” Marty Morrissey nearly got a CL style thump coming into Terenure Village where he was trying to pull people off the course for interviews. When he went for me, he clearly did not know what he doing, nor did he value his life, or his precious botoxed face.

At this stage I was making a couple of steps on the pacers with every mile though I was keeping them within sight over my shoulder. I was terrified that my body was teasing me that I could push on and then it would come back to bite me in another few miles. Kept ticking off the miles nice and steady with Spagbol. There was a nice downhill coming into Milltown that I would have taken advantage had I not known the toughest part of the course was still to come. As we were going by Alexandra College, someone shouted that we had 4 hours in the bag. Spagbol refuted that immediately and said it was far too early for that fightin talk. I knew he was right but we had about 2 minutes up on the 4 hour pacers at this stage and I was starting to think I really really really wanted to break 4 now. I put the head down for the little hill in Milltown – it’s all flat if you just look at the ground eh Meno?!. That was all good. It was a very comfortable trot down to the Eglington Road junction, where Spagbol lost it and nearly decked a cyclist who was feeding bananas to his missus on the road coming around a tight corner. You’d really have to wonder about the mental ages and capability of some people. I think there was a gel consumed around here too.

This was the part I’d been dreading. You hear so much about the drag and the hill and the pain. There were people stopping to stretch, walking, passed out on the side of the road… Met Pistol around UCD and really wanted to give him a boost to stick with us but his poor feets were not behaving – so sorry buddy! Was determined to get Spagbol up and around by the Mosque on 2 feet as this was his demon having been pulled off the road with a broken rib last year. He didn’t need me at all! I didn’t remember the road up to ‘Heartbreak Hill’ being so long but we eventually came around to the final push and it was ‘head down, power on’. I couldn’t believe how well I was feeling. And knowing that the tough part (terrain wise!) was over was amazing. Met Vagga around Fosters Avenue and his stinky knee was acting up which was such a shame – fair play for carrying on though pal, that took a lot! Met Jcsmum around here too and I’m absolutely delighted for her and her great result. As we crossed the flyover at UCD, the 4hour pacers were just coming down the N11 behind us so I allowed myself think about and enjoy the thoughts of breaking 4 hours properly and for the first time. The words from the wise were to keep it steady until RTE at least. and not to make drastic moves too early. I listened. I had picked up water at all of the water stations and been very diligent in sipping little and often. Grabbed a jelly baby from some germy hand on Nutley Avenue –still standing so I’m guessing it wasn’t too germy. I took my fourth and final gel at about 23 miles. I didn’t feel like I needed it but the tummy was feeling fine so I figured it wouldn’t do any harm. Even writing this now and thinking back, I still cannot believe how well and strong I felt. I just remembered that someone whacked Spagbol in the stomach in Ballsbridge…what was that about?! I decided to keep it steady until the 25 mile mark and then ramp it up. Coming around onto Pearse Street, Spaggers shouted at me to go on (I thought he was giving me my moment of glory but it turns out he couldn’t keep up with me! Haha).

The crowds at this point were amazing. I was running stronger than I have done, possibly ever. Got a shout out from one of my mates as I came around by Trinity and that put a huge smile on my face – one which I’m still wearing. Was absolutely pushing everything I had down Nassau Street – I heard one woman shouting ‘Ah would you look at her, she’s delighted!’ – damn right I was. I overtook loads of people on the finishing straight to finish with a time of 3.53.23 (average pace 8.48) on my Garmin and a distance of 26.59 miles. Seriously the grin on my face in my finisher’s video is ridiculous. Was delighted to see Shaz and get my medal! For once I was the one making ground and passing people by. I think I was literally passing people the entire time. I’m not gloating; I am merely consumed in my memories of the day and still can not believe a minute of it! I do not know where it came from. I’ve allowed myself to revel in my result – I couldn’t have planned or dreamed for a better day and I am utterly ecstatic with what I achieved. I set out to enjoy a 4.10 marathon, I secretly knew I‘d love to break 4 hours but was worried about the pain that would be involved in it and I ended up absolutely surprising myself and everyone else and smashing it! It feels so good to be writing a positive report after all of the negative ones recently.

Official Results:
Chip Time: 3.53.30
Place Overall: 3815
Place in Cat: 297
5 Mile Time: 47.06
1st Half Time: 2.01.11
20 Mile Time: 3.02.53

Jesus that was longer than Ben hur. Well done claralara. Delighted you did yourself justice.

Nice negative splitting there Claralara

I dont have a log and seeing as this thread is as busy as the Arsenal trophy room I might aswell throw a report in here and get it under the radar.
Grade II tear of hamstring during the dublin marathon meant I was out for 6 weeks between oct 31st and middle of dcember, was the new year before I could do any speed work. In fact the first time I dare do anything fast was the Liffey valley 5k on new years day. It went ok, 16:55, but lots of work to be done at that stage. Was about 10st 10lbs after crimbo so that needed to be sorted too.
Anyway the plan was not to jump straight into another marathon but work on the 5 - 10k stuff and get speed into the legs. Aim was national 10k/great ireland run, which Im not a fan of but its the national race so no better place to test yourself against some good club runners. We followed daniels 5 - 15k plan which is a bit of a beast. Anway after the new years 5k did a 10k in laois(34:40) then raheny 5 miler a week later(26:47). Then a 5k in ucd(16:34). After that Enniscorty 10k which was very hilly and tough(33:44) Sessions were progressiing nicely and I was getting down to my racing weight(10st). 10mile race in mallow was next(54:56) then dunboyne 4 mile(20:49) and a poxy hard 10k in the park(33:38) to finish up just before it was game time. Delighted with how things went, only negative was we didnt get to finish the entire plan.

Ok enough waffle.........so made sure to get right up the front of club runners pen as opposed to last year where I ended up 10 or more rows back and the gig was up before i'd even started. Usually I start off conservatively but this has killed me in 10ks so I'd been working on my starts in bulid up races. Also in training I focused on running at higher than race pace so as to be able to murder the first mile, get a good position but yet not die a death by halfway. With that in mind I tore off, kept to the far left to avoid traffic and had a nice clear stretch to myself. Gradually as we approached the first click I drew myself back into the flow of bodies. Myself and paddy had done a rece over the course on friday so I knew I needed to kill the first mile, and so even though part of me was saying hold back, not so fast, I ignored the temptation to play it safe and attacked like crazy. First mile was 5:06. Felt fine so kept pushing. Had passed a load of lads who'd normally skin me in races but I'd been feeling confident from the training and warm up races so I just kept at it. Came up alongside pauric mckinney, was tempted to slot in alongside him and play it safe again, but I went by him and the group he was in. Usually I like to tuck in behind somebody I know is a decent runner and let him do the pace making, but yesterday I found myself in the opposite position of being the pacemaker. . Didnt matter though, I had a plan and I was gonna stick to it. We headed down towards the kyber and I was determined to really hammer the downhill because I knew what was coming after that. 5:00 dead for mile 3. Hit the turn and headed up military hill. I hate this hill and in the past I've found that when I've gone up in previous races I've been telling myself very negative things(like, I hate this hill). So before the race I made a plan to just barrell up it and attack like crazy and tell myself, I love this hill. I know that sounds funky and all but it worked. I found myself enjoying going up that hill for the first time ever. Went by 5k in 15:58(which is a 5k pb but because its in a 10k race I cant claim it officially).
A dude came up alongside me and I knew before I looked over at him who it had to be. Pauric mckinney making his charge. So I went with him but his pace was a little hot and I let him go after about half a mile. That was the one and only mistake I made during the race. I should've gone with him but I gave into fear of a reputation. Ignorance is bliss and if I hadnt known who he was I would've gone with him and stayed on his shoulder all the way and run 30seconds quicker. Anyway thats a mistake I wont make again.
But I fell in with Brian leahy from raheny and the two of us set off at a good clip. At the top of upperglen road we caught a lad from rathfarnham and headed down into the furry glen. Turning the corner there were 4 ladies from the same club walking and lining up across the narrow path. I had to let a shout at them to make way so we could get through. Messy and not what you need at the business end of a race. Out of the glen and I knew this was a tough section. Felt like running through treacle, mile split was 5:28!! That was a shocker as at no point did we take our foot off the gas, the intensity we ran at was constant yet we had lost time on the hills. Hit the 9k marker, looked at watch, 29:40 something. Fcuk how did we lose so much time? Had to motor. Long finishing straight and people on the sidelines were shouting at the raheny lad and another rathfarnham lad who was closing on us. The rathfarnham lad made a break for it and went by myself and the raheny lad. All of a sudden he had 20 yards on us. Right game on. I had to forget about the clock and concentrate on the reason why I was here. I dug in and went after the rathfarnham guy. Meanwhile the raheny guy was trying to skin me. I really had to dig deep as the temptation was to just capitulate and make the excuse that I had a pb in the bag. That was probaly the hardest thing to resist, but it was just an excuse to give in when it mattered most. So I put my head down and gave everything I had. The raheny dude had dropped out of the fight so I came alongside rathfarnham with about 100m to go and we ran side by side until I was able to edge ahead and take the place by a yard on the line. Stopped the watch and couldnt believe it was 32:55. And thats not couldnt believe in a good way, because with a 15:58 first half I expected to comfortably do a 32:30 or 40. Im still scratching my head over that one. Me and the raheny guy were killing it all the way, there was no drop in intensity but yet the difference in splits was a full 60seconds???????
Finishing time: 32:55

Delighted with the racing though, particularly at the end. Its off to the K club this weekend, a round with bertie then a race to be run but this time I'll be keeping a close eye on the clock.

Thanks to paddy who trained like a beast and never complained no matter what session I told him we were doing. You're a top bloke man, it was an honour and theres a lot more to come.

Great Report!

At your level, does it hurt in the latter stages? I've just noticed most of the elite guys at the 'business end' of races don't seem to be falling apart from the insides out as I do.

RayCun wrote: »

Show weakness and the sharks will tear you apart

Tunguska, what did you get for the distance? Are you reading 15.58 for 5k and 16.57 for 5.04, something like that?

The first 5k seemed to be bang on. I had the garmin set on miles and I had a look at it as I went by the 5k sign, it was 3.12miles and 15:58. Finishing distance by my watch was 6.26 so it was a bit uneven alright. I dunno maybe if it was 6.21 the split wouldnt have been so wonkey.

tunguska wrote: »

Yeah it always hurts. I think the difference now is just more race experience and conditioning. But like I said it always hurts. Maybe it seems like the faster guys aren't suffering but they are, trust me. But you dont want to let anybody around you see that because theres nothing that gives you a boost more than seeing the guy you're running alongside start to fall apart. Like Ray said, the sharks do smell blood. So you just get used to developing a poker face. Its like in cycling, miguel Indurain rarely raced without his shades on, it psyched those around him out. It works, I mean you look over at a guy and if he has his poker face on, it can play on your mind and subsequently slow you down. I dont think I've ever seen Mick clohisey without his shades.
Its a good thing that you feel like you're in a heap at the latter stages of a race, it shows you're on the edge and giving it everything. If you're finding that you're dropping the pace though and losing places all over the shop then maybe take a look at your training. I mean when you're training for a 10k do you do sessions at race pace and above? A session that we were doing was 3x2miles at race pace with 2 or 3mins between. The point is its gotta be specific. When you're in a race and you havent actually trained at the pace you wanna hit, you will crash and burn because your body and mind will go into protection mode. Its the perception that something will go kaput that slows people down in races, not the actuality of a failure. So race pace work not only trains your body but more importantly it trains your mind which is whats really calling the shots.

Thanks.
I'm fine on the pacing, I can always dig in and keep it going, inside however I'm crying like a little girl and wanting to lie down and go to sleep in the fetal position.;)

Time to invest in shades...:)

pconn062 wrote: »

Awesome report and performance. What do you think the flat course at the K club is worth for that time? Low 32's?

Im feeling pretty confident and its a no pressure run with the national 10k in the bag, so Im just gonna run the first 5k at a crazy pace, try to get in with somebody I know whos a lot faster than I am, and hold on.

Super performance Eoin and really enjoyed the report (the triumphant ones are so much better). What position did you finish in?

tunguska wrote: »

Thanks Gary. I finished in 31st place. Not entirely sure if thats the AAI result though as theres a few bangers included in that list.

Two seconds slower in the 10k at the K-club? Taking it handy?
Congrats on the 3rd place. On fire at the moment.