Dublin Marathon 2012 - Mentored Novices Thread

amazing experience! unfortunately did not get to mc grattans cause kids were cranky and it was a bit busy for them. i ran with 5 hour pacers and they were brill. came in at 4.57 so thrilled with that.

Target 4:45

Result 4:44.

Must say the people of Dublin were fantastic. Absoultely wonderful.

And i want to sign up for another one now.. .

So so happy to be done. Found out today my watch wasn't the greatest and I was always training that bit less. Kinda of threw my timing out the window which was very annoying. Finished it in 4:16. Really didn't expect the last 6 miles to be that bad. I did the first 20 miles in 2:58 but the last 6 took me 1:18 which was a lot longer than I thought.

Least I can say I'm a marathoner. I'll be back next year to do a sub 4:00.

Cheers everyeon!

Target time 5hr finish time 4.57:)
It was tough and I had to put on both ITB straps as I was in agony.

Three things really helped today and deserve a massive thank you:

Firstly the girl who encouraged me to keep going when I started to walk at mile 20... If u are a boardsie.. Thank u so much.. That little bit of encouragement was the difference in a -5 or +5 finish.

Secondly, to the 5 hr pacers. The vision of ye nipping at my heels helped spur me on. I refused to let ye pass me so i was forced to run!

The crowds today were amazing. I felt like an elite and loved all the hi fives from the kids and shouts of encouragement from everyone.. It sure beats the sheep in Connemara!!

Thanks to this group here for all the support and wise words. I would have loved to meet ye today but I could barely walk so headed for ice bath to reduce ITBs!! Hope ye enjoyed the drinks and post race catchup.

I wish ye all a speedy recovery and going by the posts so far, things are looking really positive for this group:)

Started off with 4 hr pacers going great then at 16 mile someone plugged. Me out although 4 hrs was wishful thinking pacers done great work and the atmosphere was brilliant a day to remember

29th October – Dublin Marathon 2012

Basically this was the goal race from last year once I crossed the finish line. While I was delighted to finish last year given that I had next to no preparation done I felt somewhat annoyed with my time of 6:14:03. I knew that there was more there if i prepared properly.

At the start of the log I put my neck out and said I wanted a 2hr PB which would mean circa 4:14. It was very easy back then as I wasn't even started the training program. But still I thought at the time it was doable. Training went very well. I really do count my blessings that I made it to this race without any injuries bar a couple of minor niggles near the end. I followed Hal's Novice 2 program quite religously (made too much so) and missed on run over 20 weeks (repeated to weeks in the middle). So unlike last year I had no regret standing on the start line feeling under prepared. I'm sure I could have done more but I think I gave training a fair enough go. My main concern before the start was whether I had the strength built up to maintain the desired pace for the full distance. In both my last two longer distance races over 10k and half marathon I had problems in holding the pace I set off with and suffered in both after the midway mark before making something off a recovery to get finished.

Anyways I travelled down on Sunday, took a quick trip out to the RDS and back for an early night after laying everything out and double checking. Woke up nice and early to a lovely morning and was feeling quite good. Shared a taxi with a lad staying at the hotel into the start area and was there for around 8. Was chatting to a few different ones on the way in and up to the start area but seemed to pick 3:15 runners (or targetting anyway) so I kept quite for a while! Got chatting to a fella from Kildare in the baggage area who hoped to follow the 4:15 pacers too. Hope he got on alright. Around half 8 I stripped off and dropped off my bag. Then headed off for a light warm up. Timed it nicely as when I was coming back up everyone was moving into the starting pen. Had to hurdle a fence to get in behind the 4:15 pacers, never was the most agile of persons!

And off we went. I was around 10 rows behind the pacers starting off but within first mile I was right behind the pacers. I nearly trip up Marthastew at one stage so I eased off a little and move to her right. Wouldn't have wanted to be responsible for taking out one of the pacers! Got chatting to her for the first time just as we were going up O'Connell Street.

First five miles seemed quite easy and all felt good. The miles in the park were a real pleasure, quite envious now of all those who get to do their training runs through there regularly. I think it was in the park that Donna from Derry caught up with us beside the pacers. She was quite comical. Seen our own Killian Byrne for the first time too. He was runnning in front of the pacers for a while before dropping in line with us. I was running along side him for a while and at that time he seemed to be working quite hard and dropped back. Was glad for him to see him again after the halfway mark. We were joking that we had a celeb in our group. Fair play to him, just seen that he went on to finish in 4:30.

Exiting the park I felt great and was still shadowing the pacers. Encountered the first real noticeable hill just coming up to mile 9 but it was nothing out of the ordinary. I think it was around mile ten that I started to feel the effort. The run from there up until near the half way mark took its toll. The hardest part was that the road got quite narrow and there was big numbers around. I might have been a little to pre-occupied with keeping right up with the pacers when dropping a little back would not have hurt too much. Went through the halfway mark in 2:06:46 which is a new official PB (not sure what it was in Sligo Half as course was long).

Got a wave from my sister was out not far from the halfway point. Was glad that I managed to spot her as she had come out after finishing her 3rd of 3 nightshifts. I was going well but the demons had already entered the head at this stage. The legs were feeling alright, they noticed the effort but weren't giving out too much. It was the rest of the body that was starting to tire. It was probably midway through mile 16 when the mind won over and I slowed for a walk. The the sub 4:15 dream quickly went out the widow. I didn't overly mind as it probably wasn't on in reality. I reckoned that it was going to happen at some stage. I probably could have kept going for a couple of more miles but it wasn't meant to be for this race. I got going again and the splits for miles 16 and 17 were ok. I tried to just get going again at an easier pace with a few of getting within 4:30. The problem was once the mind got me to stop once it got it to happen again and again. And after a couple of stops it meant the legs which had been ok started to cramp up.

I knew pretty quickly that even 4:30 wasn't on and I was just waiting for the pacers to pass me by. From there on in it became a run walk strategy just to keep things going. I started worrying that the 4:45 pacers would be the next to pass me, would have been waiting a while for them as there was none! Kept things going as best I could. Had to stop briefly around 20 miles just to stretch out right leg as the cramp was really kicking in. Took a toilet break around mile 21 too. My pace was ok when I got running (probably should have tried to keep it very easy) but the legs weren't willing at this stage. Was glad to start counting down the last few miles and when near the end I picked things up to an easy jog, I really wanted to be running across the line this year and manage that alright. So finished in a chip time of 4:41:06. A new PB and an improvement of 93 minutes or so from last years effort. While not as quick as planned or desired it does still show some huge progress in a year and I am pretty satisfied. A PB is a PB after all and I don't think any of the Kenyans managed one!!

So after all that I am a bit tired to say the least. Despite the troubles on the course I very much enjoyed the day. Legs are a bit tender but nothing that a nice bath, little rest and short bit time won't solve. Definitely will be back out on the road within the next week (hopefully!). What makes this run enjoyable is the people around you. From the very start of the day there is a great camaradie amongst athletes regardless of ability. Was made smile throughout. From the people at the start with their costumes on like the guys dressed as clowns and the guy dressed as an airplane (to raise awareness of Top Gun!!), everyone out along the course with their signs, the two little boys along the road shouting “go faster”. The support along the way was absolutely brilliant. At one stage I thought about turning on my ipod when struggling but I don't think it would have helped as much as those shouting us on. Big thanks to those handing out the jellies which just distracted you from your pains for that little period. The cheers near the end were quite special. The people of Dublin did themselves proud today. Big thanks to the 4:15 pacers too. Not your fault that I didn't stick with you for the whole distance. In particular thanks to Marthastew, she never stopped talking or encouraging while I was near her anyway. So glad I didn't take you out in the first mile:D and best of luck in London.

Was going to go to McGrattans to put some faces to usernames but my sister kindly came in to see me at the finish for which I was grateful. So I included here in my first step to recovery, a nice meal in TGI Friday's!!

Hope everyone enjoyed the day and look forward to reading other reports. Apologies if mine is too long winded.

Target 5:00
Result 4:52 Amazing & Fantastic

(that's what ended on runkeeper but my hands were numb at end so took maybe 2 mins to get it end, mayb)e 4:50, which would be neutral split! (is that what we say?). Either way I'm well chuffed, had a great day and an amazing result for me.)

A special thanks to DeeDee who was my partner for 20 miles, we hit HM at 2:25 (3 mins better then my actual HM! two PB's in one day), couldn't have asked for better you kept me on track, great company/craic throughout, especially after HB hill which I was all mouth about, after that I would have slowed up without your HTFU. As you were then running with Claire you club buddy I hope it was OK that I pushed on once we got to the Stillorgan dualler, I got a second wind and decided to ride it home. I'm hoping you had a goodone over the last few miles.

Also Shortie Chic & Fifi (Have a great trip to Canada) who made the start really good, the four of us all calmed each other down, last we saw of ye was just after hitting the park so I'm expecting ye got or bettered the 4:45 ye were after. Go the girls!

And the 5 hr pacers we were just ahead or behind until the park when we opted to stay a few '00 yds ahead and didn't see ye after except on catch ups from loo stops. But knowing ye were there and that ye had our back was great.

I kept going and felt I pushed the last few miles although it got progressively harder, When did Nassau st get sooo long!. Caoimhe who'd joined me to encourage me home for last 10m had the biggest struggle to keep/catch up, but ran herself into the ground to stay in touch, parting with remains of brekkie soon after the finish line, which we hit almost together.

I also met a lovely lady Shannon on Shelbourne road and we ran two miles together pushing each other on until she slowed up and I went on again, but as I went up the green carpet she had caught up having run the last 1-2 miles with Caoimhe and we all finished together. Spoke to her briefly after and it was her first and she was delighted to get sub 5


I'll try to make sense of everything afterwards but I felt that the training approach and advice paid off big time, not seen my splits yet but it seemed we rattled out 11.11 min miles from 2-26, and at the end, in the last 6 miles it was all passing folk who had clearly started out quicker then they could manage but were now walking - which we were repeatedly warned about. Doing it steady all through paid off. This time there was no wall. Thanks again Young Anne and all the Mentors ( Saw RayCun as we went around DeeDee knew him)

Lastly there was the Dublin crowd and weren't they magnificent. So many people out giving their time to be out witnesses and offer their support. It would not be the same without them.

Not sure actually that I'll have much more to say in a 'full race report' so this may be it!

I went to McG's after but didn't see anyone except the Concern team so we wandered on. I guess we were too late or too tired, would l have loved to relive it a bit with DeeDee, Shortie & Fifi, pacers and to have met a few more but wasn't to be. TBH I was wasted so it would have been a short visit anyway.

Hope everyone else is OK, it's great to see the reports rolling in. I guess the analysis starts now as we try to hold on to the experience, both our little community and our race and then will be time to think about what's next. I've already been asked will I be doing another one - HELL YEA. New challenges beckon 4:45, 4:30, 4:15 and maybe some day sub 4.

Anyway I'm sitting here still wearing my race clothes - minus shoes + DCM 13 shirt (it's only massive), a long soak beckons
Have a great evening and enjoy your success everyone, we're all heroes, we've all done it, we're all MARATHONERS

Cheers for now

4hrs 32mins -delighted
What an amazing experience, found the first 15miles went by so quickly was quiet cold thou, found the last 3miles were the hardest had to give myself a few mental talks to keep going, but all in all kept going and got in 4hrs 32. The crowd around dublin today were fantastic.
Now for a well deserved beer

I just have to say it's largely to the credit of you lot that I was able to train correctly and efficiently in order to get across that line today!

I was happy enough to just get through the damn thing, but to finish just under 4.30 was an added bonus!

The support of the crowd was actually unbelievable, even at that absolute horror of a time I had heading up towards the RDS.

Thrilled everyone so far seems happy with their time!

What a day!! It was a surreal experience being 1 of 14,300 people running the DCM! The crowds were fantastic..so kind with their words of encouragement, oranges and sweets.
My (very basic) garmin gave up the ghost before the 2 mile mark and totally lost my pacing after that..didnt help the head!
Finished in 3:55..thrilled with myself!

Well done to us all! When and where to next??!!

TARGET 3:59.59
FINISH 3:50:38

great day, crowd support was unreal. YEAH!!!

I targeted 5 hrs and came home in 4.57, absolutely delighted! Great craic and commaraderie with the 5 hr pace group, big well done for a brilliant job. Well done to everyone who attempted, trained and finished today, your all amazing! Weren't the crowds super; didn't walk at all but really found the last 4 miles tough, but turning that corner onto College Green and around Trinity onto Nassau St to the Finish is something I will never forget. We did it!!!

Colostomy Bag wrote: »

Anyone know exactly what time the 4h30 pacers finished? I started the race with the 5hr pacers (not sure exactly how many minutes/seconds we crossed the start line behind the 4h30 pacers) but I never saw the 4hr30 pacers again until the last 5k of the race. Managed to catch up with them and finish about 15 seconds in front of them. I mistakenly thought this would give me a good few minutes ahead of the 4h30 chip time (seeing as I started well behind them) - I came in at 4h28m.

On a separate note, I got the large long sleeve T-shirt at the end, it is way too small, more like a normal medium. I am determined to get an XL (after all that hard graft!) can anyone tell me how I should go about exchanging my L for an XL or even an XXL if they exist?

If there is no official way to swap, I'll swap my extra large. that was all they had left when I got there. They don't seem to factor in that women are a bit smaller!