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Its all about Time...
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Saturday 21 Sept - Race Series Half Marathon.
Hard day at the office !
Parked up nice and early and as usual watched the parking chaos unfold after 9am. Went for a nice easy 2 mile warmup at about 9:25, with a few shuttles at the end to get the heart pumping. Lined up with the rest of the club lads about 3 rows from the front. Briefly spoke to Thomas, who said he was looking for run conservitly, and 7:00m/m for first few miles then drop down a gear and come in around 1:30.
My plan for the race was to run even splits of 6:38 giving a finish of 1:26:59. I knew that was only achievable if i had a great day and everything went to plan.
Off we went and settled into a fast pace early on, with Kyber taking some of the effort out of running a 6:12 for first mile. Then up slight incline on Wellington road, running well, and I see Thomas moving past me (so much for his steady 7:00m/m for first 5 ??). Second mile in 6:34, so another few second banked. The road behind the zoo always seems hard, and with the heat building I had to take off the T-Shirt. 3rd mile 6:31. Took on water at the first feed station, great to see plastic bottles as opposed to cups. Slight down hill and still running well, mile 4 6:35. Needed to hit the 5th mile marker at 33:11 to hit my tarket, and it duly arrived at 32:29 (so a decent margin of 40sec banked). Mile 6 and shooting pain in the righ hamstring, carried on another shot of pain 10 second later. Backed off the pace, hoping it would subside quickly, which it did luckily.
Out of the park and on to the downhill section on Tower Road, mile 6 6:45. Still ok. Then back into park and Knockmaroon road was a difficult section, everything seemed to be in slow motion ? Back on to Ordanance road and second feed station, got an energy drink, and took about half. Mile 7 6:30, and still running strong.
Strong support back on Chesterfield Road, with Mrs Drak on the bike with two other friends roaring me on, nice... Strong down chesterfield, and mile 8 in 6:41. Mile 9 6:35, and hit the Mile 10 marker just at park gates at 65:28. 50second ahead of my planned pace, and also 20 second faster that the Frank Duffy from last Month. Jesus this is going great, i thought !. Still strong on Chapelizod road, and passed a few guys. Caught sight of Thomas about 20 m ahead of me, and moving slowly.
Back into the park at Chapelizod gate, and last bottle of water. Immediately on hitting magazine hill the wheels started to come off. Normally I can get through hills, but this was agony. Overtook Thomas on the hill as he was just about walking, or so it seemed. mile 11 7:01. Damb, had hoped i would not see a 7:xx pace on the splits. Heat at this stage was building, but managable. Got it together around the s-bends, and up past St Marys, very hard. Heard the Ambulance at this point which sped past us. Very bad sign I though.
Mile 12 6:53, caught sight of another club mate (DG), and he was also struggling. Up to his shoulder with 800m to go. Dug deep, but had nothing left to give. The tank was empty that this stage...
Finished in 1:27:56 in 195 place overall, and 23 O45, and a 35 second PB.
:):)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/380072670
Reasonably Happy with the result, but fell off the pace badly for last 3 miles... Totally empty after the finish, was close to fainting. Mrs Drak commented that I was white in the face and that i should take on some sugar fast. Struggled back to the car, with her help...
Only heard about the fatality (really sad news) at 6pm, when checking boards...0 -
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Had to swap run days this week, with a party at the weekend and a meeting in London on the Tuesday. No biggie...
Monday 7th - Tempo
The usual tempo Tuesday had to be moved to the Monday (which as OK, so i rested on the Sunday). 1.1 mile warmup, with 5 miles at tempo pace on the Raheny 5 course, finished in 33:00 for 6:35avg. Finished with 1.5 warmdown.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/387897464
Wednesday 9th - Easy.
Gym for Core and upper workout. Then 5.4 miles easy around malahide in 40 minutes. 7:39 avg.
Thursday 10th - MLR, with Hills.
Usual hard effort from the club house to top of howth, 7 of us out for the run. Always hard climbing up the hil. some resbite on the way down, then faster miles at the end, make for a great effort.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/390296787
Friday 11th - Light workout including core.
Saturday 12th - Parkrun
Forgot to have a race pencilled in this weekend, most of the other lads doing the Simon 5 mile in the park. Went for the Malahide parkrun with the younger son. Given this was his first proper race with his dad, i wanted to run with him, however, I needed a blowout effort, so i had to tell him to run on his own this time
:(:(, with me up at the front.
Conscious of the LSR tomorrow , I gave the parkrun about 80%, finished in 19:25 for 13th place.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/390296799
Big thanks to Plodder to sort out the lack of a barcode for my son !!!
Sunday 13th - LSR.
New route into town for this one. Coach has bottles placed at various points around town for the thirsty runners. The route consisted of, clubhouse, Howth road, Fairview park, Amiens St, Westland Row, Merrion Sq, Ballsbridge, Merrion Gates, Sandymount, East link, Coast Road, Causeway road, and Howth Road.
Great to have a different route, and the time seems to past much faster. Got to O2 and felt good, so decided to leave the group and add a few MPM for good measure. 8 miles at around 7:00avg.
:D:D
Got a total of 18.4 miles in 2:13 for a 7:16avg.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/390296810
Pretty happy all day after that session.
Monday 14 th - Massage.
Last massage before the Marathon. Fiona "the bringer of pain" did another excellent job...
47 miles over 5 days this week.0 -
Tuesday 15th October (13 Days to Go)
The problems with using a generic club plan and feeding off a pace group is that you dont have much say in what each session consist of. You have an idea that Tuesday is usually a tempo day and the distance is usually x.
This is doubly true in the last weeks before a marathon. While I though we would be easing off now, the coach and group leader seems to be holding on to the hard sessions.... But who am I to argue, he has got us this far...
Tempo Tuesday - 3 mile steady, 5 miles tempo, 2 miles easy.
8 of us running this one, including MK (who has run every DCM), and Dee who will be running her first. The plan called for 3 mile easy, but this turned into steady running (around 7:10avg), then 5 miles @ slower than Tempo (6:50avg), (6:45avg actual), and 2 miles easy (7:50avg).
I didnt reset the watch after the steady phase, so it all got rolled into the same effort. The tempo pace seemed easy enough, and only got tough at 4.5 miles in. We were joined by a few of the fast lads comming back from injury, and a bit of a smackdown ensued. Anyway all good fun.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/391179111
10.1 miles total in 70minutes.
3 miles @ steady @7:10ish
5 miles @ tempo @6:45ish
2 miles @ easy @ 7:50ish
Bought a new pair of Asics DS trainers (bright red), thinking of using them for the big day, as my existing pair (DS17) have over 800m on them. The new one are soft and fit well. I'll run the MLR on thursday in them and decide then.
Wednesday 16th October - 12 Days to go
Gym for light workout and core session. Also 4 miles easy planned for later.0 -
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Alan, that's the big question...
Was going to say 3:09 but given you kind of found me out before, i wont go there...
Ran 3:14 in 2010 (20 miles at even 7:10avg) then fell off pace badly.
This year I have far more miles in the legs, and lots of steady / hard paced stuff... But once we hit >20m on the LSR's, I again drop off 30-40 sec mile. Possibly this is just down to tiredness, and i wont experience it on the day??
Mc Millan predicts a 3:05:04 based off my Half time (1:27:56) from last month, but think that is pretty optimistic.
Suppose I better commit to something 3:07:59, ill be a very happy lad...0 -
Friday 18th October.
No run day , just gym for 30 minutes for core and upper body.
Saturday 19th October
Club Session 2*2 mile @ Threshold pace with 2 min recovery. Session run by one of the senior coaches. 2 mile on the Raheny 5 course, followed by 2 min recovery, then next 2 mile. Short warmup and some dynamics.
The start was staggered with slower guys first, for my efforts I got put in with slowest group :mad::mad::mad:.
Off we went and went out hard, held out on front and got 2 mile finished in 12:16, backed off to much for second mile.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/393525516
2 mins rest and off again, held form and got second rep done in 12:10.
After, coach offered some words of advice for the marathon and the week ahead, all very sensible really.
Sunday 20th October.
With some organisation JF got 16 of us out to run the last 10 (10.7) miles of the marathon course. Got lifts out to bushy park, and we followed the route back into town.
Lovely day for running,:D and hopefully this will have got the head right for next week. We were not sticking to marathon pace but i notice that we did get the 10m in @ 7:11avg, which would be bang on my expected pace. However that was only with a 5:53 last mile, not much hope of that.
Really opened the taps around trinity, got a few funny looks running in between Taxis and buses...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/393525538
Plenty of high fives on Merrion Sq, where we all finished. Followed by a slow jog back to the cars in clontarf.
Monday 21/10 (7 Days to go)...
Empty today, and taking a well earned rest day...0 -
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Tuesday 22 October (6 Days to go)
Last session of the plan, and only two of us left standing at this stage. It seems that niggles have got the better of everyone else over the last week.
Brian fresh, from the Gerry Farnen also came along for the run. Session best described as a structured fartleg, 12 mins steady, then 1 minute hard and 2 minute easy and repeat. We managed 8 reps over the course of the 50 odd minutes. Felt stronger on the last few reps and concentrated on running form. Also think the recient lighter gym work has helped here.
The heavens opened for the last 2 miles, and my marathon runners got well and truly soaked...
7.44miles in 53min for 7:10avg pace. Hard to think that I need to sustain that pace for 26.5 odd miles come Monday !!!!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/394371440
Wednesday 23rd October
Gym for light workout and core.
With the few extra rest days, have covered 146 miles over 15 days. Probably 2 more very easy and short run days before Monday.:D:D 0 -
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DCM13- Race Report
Prelim-
Wakingup on Sunday morning I felt that the weather had removed all possibility of aPB. Thankfully as the day wore on the weather improved. Monday morning was afantastic sunny morning, if slightly cold at around 8c at 7:00am, with minorwind. Had a greats night’s sleep for the last few days, having banished myselfto the solitude of the front room. Had the customary porridge with raisins andhoney and a bagel with Jam with Coffee, before leaving the house and headinginto the office just off the Green for 7:30am.
Myrunners of choice were the trusty Asics DS Trainer17’s that have well over1000m in them at this stage. I had purchased a pair of kayano 19 back in July,but they have not proved light or comfy on the couple of longer runs / Temposiv used them on. In a panic 2 weeks ago I got another pair of DS trainers(bright red version), I used these on our last MLR and again have not proved tobe as snug as the older ones. The race plan was pretty simple, to run an evensplit race, just ahead of the 3:10 pacers until the end. Maintain effort levelson the hills, and hold back on the down slopes. I had 2 gels tucked into theshorts, first one for mile 12 and second around 18.
TheRace-
Gotinto town around 7:30 and headed out and down to the Shelbourne where the restof the club lads were meeting up. Walked down to the start line with the restof the crew, got in a few 100’s M warm-up, then joined in the sub 3:30 pen justas Amhrán na bhFiann was onthe speakers. Caught sight of FJ (the coach) and Maria. We were lined up about3 rows on front of the 3:10 pacers, and a group of pretty serious lads. Alsonoticed The_Wolf over to the right. I had thecustomary “old running top” to keep me warm, but decided to hold on to it, fora few miles until the temps raised a bit.Got a signal on the Garmin just before the off, and settled into a steadyif crowded pace / place initially. Lost sight of FJ and M almost immediately.Not an issue as JF was looking for a far faster time that me. There did seem tobe less “bluffers” 00up front that in previous years.
First mile in an easy 7:05, got ashout out from MrsDrak who was strategically located at the Shelbourne bar,steps, and full expected to see her with a glass of wine in hand. Delighted tosee a first fast mile (down Kildare St), as I expected that the slow startwould add 30+ seconds, and I would be playing catch-up for the next few milesas a result. Second mile in 7:01, moving very easily and running controlled,but got passed at speed by a clown (guy dressed as a clown obviously). A fewfriends gave the first serious call of support at mile 3 on the north circularroad. Then a slight downhill to the gates at the park (Mile 3,4 – 7:03, 7:03).Moving on to Chesterfield road and a slight incline. Again a surprising amountof support around all along the roads here. Possibly down to the better surfaceon chesterfield or that I run here a lot, got in mile 5 in 6:59. God pleasekeep the sub 7min coming I said to myself…
Went through the 10K mark in 44:24,and feeling strong (Mile 6 7:04). Up ahead I spotted Alan, one of the lads Idid most of my summer training with. Pulled alongside and we exchanged a fewwords, he would have a similar target time to myself, so decided to run withhim until one of us fell off the pace. Down Glen road is always worth a fewseconds, sure enough another sub 7 in 6:58.
Out of the park and in to Chapelizodvillage. Fantastic support, and music all around. The hill out of the village isa bast*rd, (mile 8 - 9 7:01, 6:54) so the hill didn’t seem to effect the pace,thankfully. Still running well at this point, no pain, cramp, or otherwise. Ihave a split time for 10 miles of 1:11:20, which was duly hit just ahead ofschedule.
The first shock of the race camearound Crumlin hospital (Mile 12). At this point we (still running with Alan),thought we were a comfortable 1-2 minutes ahead of the 3:10 pacers. However thefirst pacer moved smoothly past us, and opened up a 10-15 meter gap. Mild panicovertook me, how could this be possible, I was pushing hard at this point, 12miles gone, and 14 to go, and already the race plan was in jeopardy. I moved upto the pacer and checked the pace, what was 6:33 at that point. I dutifullypushed on a got past him as we made the turn on to Drimnagh road. The halfwaypoint came at 1:33:54. Miles 12,13 (7:15, 7:07).
The next few miles were uneventful.We didn’t see the “fast” 3:10 pacer again, thankfully. I ditched my old runningtop, in a nearby bin, as the temperatures were creeping up. With just the clubsignet on the shouts and cheers were even louder, given that Al had on the clubcolours also. Miles 14, 15 (7:02, 6:54). The previous Sunday we had run thelast 11 miles of the marathon course, starting from bushy park. I had a mentalpicture that when I got to the turn at bushy park that I was on “easy street”,and the race would be “virtually over”. Given that we have only run this routea week earlier, landmarks, traffic lights, even speed bumps, became familiaragain. Moving well for this part of the race, miles 16,17,18, 19 (7:00, 6:57,6:57, 7:02).
The first reality check came aroundmile 20, where the pace dropped to 7:12, I guess this was to be expected, giventhat we were running away from the finished line and the Clonskeagh / Roebuckroad has a slight upward drag. Held back on Fosters Ave, for fear of the righthamstring, that did cause problems on the Howth training runs. For the last 15miles I / we (Alan was still running with me), were holding the same positionrelative to the other runners around us. I could pick out the same 5-10 faces /tops / running styles for the last hour. However by the time we got to Nutleylane, we were beginning to pass people relatively easily. I rechecked the lastmile splits 22,23 (7:02, 7:02), so we were staying on pace, however everyonearound us seem to be falling off.
Again the support from the RDS wasfantastic, a couple of the club coaches were positioned on the turn on to Shelbourneroad, and roared on their support. I looked around and noticed I had droppedAlan (at this point I had been running with him for 17miles).
I noticed the 3:00 hour pacer justahead at Ballsbridge Motors, Jesus, I knew I was running well, but to catch upto the 3:00. I later discovered he had blown, and finished in around 3:12?. Fromhere on the roads were mostly a blur or cheering, “come on Raheny”, and “Go David”…Mile 24,25, 26 (7:06, 7:03, 7:04).
The moment of the race came as I roundedCollage Green, before the turn on to Nassau street. The crash barriers were inplace, the crowds, 10 deep, the sun was shining clearly in an arc down Graftonstreet, and I was totally on my own, no runners ahead or behind me. At thispoint I knew I have the PB I the bag, I lifted up the arms and screamedsomething that I can’t now remember... Jesus Running does not get better thanthis !!!
Gave Nassau Street the last bit(6:49), and finished in a new PB of 3:07:24 for 7:03avg, having run 26.61 miles!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/396977902
The after’s-
Weakly crossed the finish line. Wasmet immediately by JF who had run 3:00:30, Alan 3:07:5X. Walked around andexited and was met my Mrs Drak, with some warm clothes. Back to the Shelbournefor a shower a burger and a pint.
Fu*king Great Great Day:D:D. Probably mybest ever race:D:D. Satisfied that I could have not run harder, left nothing behindand got a new PB by 6m:50s.:D 0 -
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