Run run run run run run run....

yaboya1 wrote: »

Is a race this weekend a good idea?

*Excuse my ignorance/lack of knowledge

I'm no more knowledgable than you and believe me I questioned it too but this is what my coach advises and I trust him. He's already gotten me to a level I didn't think was possible this year and has always erred on the side of caution when it comes to backing off or resting up for races. For this one he obviously feels it'll enhance my chances in the marathon and the risk is worth it, I'm happy to go for it.

Yep Donie in Leevale, good buddies with Jim actually! Don't think I've mentioned it but I'll try make it more interesting for you, more cowbell?

Monday 20/10 - 8m Recovery

8 miles in 1:02:24 @ 7:49 min/mile

Final week of taper, how did we get here already! These weeks don't come around often, they're not pretty but you have to stand back and appreciate the fact you've made it this far injury free and be proud of the training you've put in. Of course that's easy to say and this week has been full off self doubt and nerves but it's just a case of pushing through the irrationalities and the doubt and getting yourself to the line. Nice easy 8 miler here into town and back though had to battle a wave of wind and rain. Legs felt fine after the XC the day before.

Tuesday 21/10 - 50mins easy

6:8 miles in 50:01 @ 7:19 min/mile

Winding it down boss, winding it down. Legs feeling very good today, headed down to the track and chatted with clubmates for a while and then headed back home before running about 2 minutes of a club warmup, shorted session ever?

Wednesday 22/10 - 40 mins easy(ish)

5.7 miles in 40:00 @ 7:01 min/mile

Over in London with work for a conference which I was pretty happy to attend as it would break up the week nicely and take my mind off...other things. Got to the hotel around 8pm, dropped my stuff and headed straight out for a run, over Tower Bridge and into the suburbs. Felt really good and pushed the pace early on letting the legs just pick a pace, figured I'd use this run to get a final bit of speed into the legs before Monday. Special mention to the lamb shank I had for dinner, holy sheep it was amazing.

Thursday 23/10 - 40 mins easy

5.2 miles in 39:23 @ 7:38 min/mile

Got through the riveting conference and was aching to get outside for a run. I headed out on a different route along the Thames, felt tired so pace was a lot slower than yesterday though I did pick up the pace at the end because some boyo was challenging me, childish but had to drop him. Getting so close now, in fact I might even go pace the room for a while while biting my nails, pacing always helps.

Uhh yes, after the race. Thanks TbL and well done on the recent PB yourself, I know you weren't too happy but tough days beget better ones, there's a lot more from you to to come. Now back to my cheeseca....beetroot.

Well while it’s still fresh, time to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) for my 4th marathon experience.

Background
This would be my 2nd marathon attempt this year having had a bit of a nightmare in Rotterdam a few months ago in April. After joining Leevale I had a good summer of training and racing behind me with a recent half of 75:40 suggesting I could run in the low 2:40’s on a good day. The target was flexible but sub 2:45 would have been satisfactory.

Preparation
Couldn’t really have done anything much different in terms of preparation. I had a good taper (if anything I might look at shortening this in the future), a flexible target in my mind and was much more prepared for all eventualities than last time. I arrived in Dublin the evening before, got the number and headed out for a bite to eat with a clubmate. I took on slightly more carbs than usual the day before but on the whole stuck to my typical diet all week which is not heavy on carbs and I planned on heading out on empty just like I had done in my long runs. I was pretty relaxed the night before, I looked over the training log and asserted myself I’d done the hard work. I got to bed by 12am and had a good sleep so no complaints about preparation.

Race Day
I woke up at 7am and met up with clubmate DC for a light jog at 7:15am, a nice 20 mins stroll around Ballsbridge and it was pretty evident it was going to be a breezy day yet very mild out also. We got back to the hotel where I had an espresso and got changed into my gear. I threw a sachet of dioralyte salts into my pocket and that was all I planned on taking during the race. We walked down to the line as I ate a banana and the atmosphere was really building. I was nice and relaxed and we made our way to the start line early, getting there 15 minutes before the start. I threw my long sleeve top off a few minutes before the start and then bang! DCM is suddenly underway.

Miles 1-5
The first few miles felt nice and easy and we stuck well to our plan of taking it out conservatively. There was as always loads of runners around who should have been further back but congestion was very manageable. I saw DublinRunner rounding the first corner and gave him a shout so he tucked in with myself and DC for the first few miles, we were nice and relaxed and able to have a chat. A lot of people flew out of the traps, must have been well over 200 places back but my coach had drilled it into me to start out nice and easy and that patience would be key. The first 3 miles were sheltered, flat and pretty comfortable and was feeling like I might have a good day. We headed by Heuston and into the Phoenix park just after 3 miles. While pace slowed, we kept the effort nice and consistent and I felt I managed this section quite well. It was important to back off a bit here being so early on in the race and knowing there were more drags to come. I first started to realise that the wind was going to play a significant role today with the crosswind almost sending my bib number flying a few times.

Splits
1. 6:19
2. 6:08
3. 6:15
4. 6:26
5. 6:19

Miles 5-10
DublinRunner had dropped just behind myself and DC and another runner from Carrig on Shannon joined us as we pushed through the last couple of miles into Castleknock. We had a nice momentum and kicked on in the downhill and I felt really good here opening up the legs and taking a nice breather. Back into the park where we kept the pace going and out into Chapelizod where I got some great support from the Donore water stand. I made sure to take water at every station and this made a huge difference today. We crossed Chapelizod bridge but I noticed DC had dropped a little behind me. I fell back to see if he was ok but he was complaining of stomach issues and didn't look the best. He backed off and sadly that was the beginning of the end of his race as he pulled out shortly after. I found myself alone on the drag up to Kilmainham hitting 10 miles and feeling very strong and in control. I was soaking up all the amazing support up until now, it was actually unreal at times (particularly Castleknock) and sent shivers through my spine, Dublin take a bow son. I had a couple of mates cycling around the course who made a few appearances throughout and it was again a huge confidence booster, it all adds up on the day.

Splits
6. 6:16
7. 6:16
8. 6:06
9. 6:11
10. 6:12

Miles 10-15
I had good momentum coming into Kilmainham and keeping the effort and pace consistent. I kept a keen eye on my HR all day making sure it never drifted too far especially on drags and windy areas. I was pretty much solo with no group in sight to latch onto. I took my dioralyte sachet at a water station around 11 miles in and this time I actually got it into my mouth, not the ground. At this stage I had passed and was continuing to pass a few people and confidence was high, a lot of people seemed to already be paying for perhaps hitting the drag in the Phoenix park too hard. I turned onto the Crumlin road and while I knew it was going to be a difficult drag, I had no idea how bad the wind would be here. I hit half way in 1:22:3x, a minute or so off the target but I felt like I had ran that half sensibly and had plenty more to give, the hope was to kick on and put in a good negative split for the 2nd half. However, once I went through the halfway mark, I knew a few minutes were about to be lost. The wind was right in your face and combined with the drag, it didn't make pretty reading for the splits. This is where I resigned myself to the fact a sub 2:45 probably wasn't on the cards and a low 2:40 was out of the question. I had to realign my target to basically just run the best remainder of the race I could given the circumstances. I was so determined not to make the same mistakes I did in Rotterdam so I backed off the pace here slightly and kept hydrating at every station. A runner from Crusaders tagged along here for a mile or so, he is actually a friend of my sisters and we worked well together before he dropped off the pace around 15 miles.

Splits
11. 6:18
12. 6:12
13. 6:27
14. 6:32
15. 6:24

Miles 15-20
I got through what was in my opinion probably the most difficult section of the course somewhat unscathed and felt an immediate weight lift off my shoulders. The wind had died and the gradient levelled so I picked up the pace slightly on Cromells Fort/Kimmage rd. I was tipping along nicely, a few runners scattered ahead and I seemed to be making good ground on them, a lot of people fading along here. I got a nice shout from a couple of friends who live around here area and it was nice to see people you recognise along the course. I think it was around mile 17 where I started to feel fatigue myself, it was a low point for sure and doubts crossed my mind, was this the beginning of my end? I had to reassure myself it was just a low point, I know at this stage that the marathon is like a roller coaster in terms of how you feel. I just had to get through it and it eventually passed. I got to Templeogue road and maybe it was the unbelievable support there but I picked it up and got back into my Rhythm. I was still feeling the fatigue accumulating still but spirits were high and I was holding a decent pace. Miles 19 and 20 were pretty quick as I felt great coming through Orwell park and into Milltown. The crowds again here, what can I say, just unbelievable. So that was it, 20 miles. My plan was to get to this point in one piece and I was feeling ok, what did I have left for the last 10k? Well if you read on you’ll probably find out.

Splits
16. 6:13
17. 6:22
18. 6:17
19. 6:08
20. 6:13

Miles 20-Finish
I came out of Milltown and knew I had one last drag to tackle, Clonskeagh road all the way up to Dublin's tame counterpart of 'Heartbreak Hill'. I first started noticing the heat on this drag here and pace was far from my target pace but I knew not to go chasing it. It was all about getting home not only in one piece but as efficiently as possible. Mile 22 was my slowest yet (6:37) and as I approached the top of Roebuck hill, thoughts of a catastrophe consumed me. The watch ticked onto 23 miles and my pace was slowing rapidly, 7+ min/mile. Thoughts of Rotterdam and the gradual disintegration flooded my mind but I had to fight them away. I slowed to almost a stop at the top of the hill before gathering myself and looking down the hill. 3 miles to go, felt like a big ask but I started working the legs again and I said I'm going to just hang in there. I just wanted to get to the line, I'd take 7 min miles from here in, I started feeling drained. Suddenly I found myself back in a bit of a groove, the legs were working again though my mind was still fighting them. I was back in the 6:30's and that was more than satisfactory. I started catching and passing a few people but I was starting to ache badly too. Heading onto Nutley lane I got a great shout from some Leevale club members who were up supporting for the day, gave me a fantastic boost and the shout of "2 miles to go" really hit home, what’s 2 miles at this stage? I got into Ballsbridge, memory starting to fade here as I was really hanging on for dear life and really feeling the heat. Somehow the pace was still ok but my form was ridiculous, someone told me I looked like I was on drugs when they saw me over the last 2 miles. I saw my Dad here who gave me a great shout but I could barely muster a thumbs up. Mile 25 was my new slowest (6:39) but somehow I pulled a 6:30 out of the bag on mile 26. I wanted to stop more than anything in the world and I was yearning for that finish line to come into sight. I was out on my own and the crowd was almost deafening but it felt like a hand on my shoulder pushing me over the line. As I turned onto Mount street I saw a cruel, cruel sign indicating 800 meters to go. All I could think was 2 laps of the track, how am I going to do that? 800 suddenly became 400, the crowd blowing my mind and I was like a rag doll limping towards the line. Suddenly the finish line became a reality, I stepped over that mat a proud man and managed a small celebration to cross in 2:46:59 and 66th overall. Job done. Any water?

Splits
21. 6:20
22. 6:37
23. 6:22
24. 6:25
25. 6:29
26. 6:30
27. 2:42 (0.4 miles)

26.4 miles in 2:46:59 @ 6:20 min/mile

A friend of mine who works in media was at the finish line and gave me a shout. In my delirium I gave her the weirdest look as I staggered toward the medal and bag area gasping for water. I finally sat down around the corner with a guy who was just behind me, funnily enough had never met him but we follow each other on Strava. Was good to have company here and we had a good moan before heading over to the bag collection area where I scoffed on some jellies and got some coke into me. My dad and sister were just there also and was brilliant to meet up with them straight away as the life seeped back into my bones. They got me a coffee and a cereal bar and I just sat on the ground and soaked it all in, a little smirk on my face. Though I was off my target by a good few minutes, my brother texted to tell me I was 66th and it was just then it hit me what a decent run that actually was. From 30k to the finish, I went from 134th place down to 66th, pretty pleasing.

I met up with DublinRunner in the pub after and a few other friends for a few delicious pints. I didn’t meet one person that hit their target and the constant theme seemed to be 'that bloody wind/heat/drag'. It was by far the toughest marathon course I've ran and I'm proud that I persevered and I battled and came through on the other side, severely battered but I made it. I firmly believe the methodology my coach employed in training paid off here. He had us running killer session on a Saturday followed by a long run the next day so I had that feeling of running long with tiredness in my legs and I think it made a big difference, the hills around Cork didn't do any harm either

I'm very happy with my strategy today, I learned a lot from my last experience and I'm glad to see myself making sensible decisions mid-race where previously I would have ignored conditions and chased my target. Fuel-wise I think I got it right. I took the dioralyte sachet shortly after an hour, a couple of sips of lucozade throughout and took water at each station though I perhaps should have taken on more water closer to the end as the heat intensified. This was an 8 minute PB so I'm in no way disappointed with that time all things considered. I'm back on track of progressing my marathon times and really looking forward to having a crack at a sub 2:40 in the future. When and where that will be I haven't yet decided but this episode hasn’t at all put me off the distance, if anything I'm hungrier for more.

yaboya1 wrote: »

Excellent report, superb running and intelligent strategy throughout the race. You should definitely not be anything close to disappointed. Despite being slightly outside your pre-race target, I think you're actually capable of a much better time than the sub 2:45 you were aiming for. Yesterday was a really tough day (certainly the most difficult conditions I've ever run a marathon in), and getting to within a minute or two of your original goal is a really exceptional run. I think you'll see from the results that there were people who are even quicker than you missing out by 10+ minutes. Again that rams home how impressive your run was.
Congratulations on a super PB and it's one I'm sure you'll hammer again next time out in more suitable conditions.

*Bit disappointed not to meet you for a pint afterwards. Were you in the pub?

Cheers man, appreciate the comments and fair play on your own result, very impressive time considering the conditions and lets not forget that little jog you had in Berlin a few weeks ago

I was in McGrattans for about an hour or so afterwards, just outside in the beer garden. I had a walk through a few times to see if I recognised anyone, only found DR. This is the problem with being strangers on an internet forum Catch you next time hopefully

Solid week, building the milage and recovering very well. I did throw in a 20 min tempo on Thursday as I felt I was ready but it was evident it was too soon, I really felt it in the legs on Friday morning. Plan for the remainder of the year is just getting the milage back up, building a base with plenty of easy (and hilly) miles and gradually working the faster sessions back in. I think a steady state once a week and perhaps a fartlek and a long run should do the job. Come January I'll hopefully have a good base to start focussing on Rotterdam. I'm actually really enjoying the runs right now, no pressure and rarely worried about pace, just feels great to be out.

I'm back in the gym now getting 3 lunchtime sessions in a week on Mon/Wed/Fri. A typical session is 45 mins with 10-15 mins core and 30 mins of weights and then typically I run straight after work. Over the last 2 weeks this has worked well for me and I feel this is now a good time to build up some strength before the next cycle.

Mon 10/11 - 8.1 miles @ 7:04 min/mile
Tue 11/11 - 10.9 miles @ 7:16 min/mile
Wed 12/11 - 5.1 miles @ 7:46 min/mile
Thur 13/11 - 9.1 miles @ 7:16 (incl 20 mins @ ~6min/mile)
Fri 14/11 - 4.5 miles @ 8:39 min/mile
Sat 15/11 - 8.3 miles @ 7:11 min/mile
Sun 16/11 - 12.1 miles @ 7:31 min/mile

Weekly milage: 58.2

I've been dangerously reading a lot this week about Lydiards training methods. I say dangerous because I have a history of being compulsive..."oh look a shiny new thing, I want it". The consequence of this is that my planned 4 week base building plan has now been extended to 12 weeks. I've read enough to at least convince me it's worth trying and I'm curious to see how a solid volume based cycle will benefit me over 12 weeks. By no means will this be all easy jogging, the paces will be varied from typically 7 min/miles to just below my marathon pace and gradually including more early morning recovery jogs. I plan to keep in the Thursday track tempo as I don't want to distance myself from the club too much and that fits well as my weekly "hard" effort. Obviously I need to build up the volume and let my body either adapt to or completely reject my methods so I'm not diving straight into any crazy milage. I'm currently still working up a plan but I hope to peak around 90-100 miles per week and then into an 8 week marathon conditioning plan with the club in early February. I'm looking forward to trying something new, it's a good chance to experiment over the winter months and I'm perfectly happy running in my own company so it suits me well, let's see how it goes.

Thursday 20/11 - 10 miles w/20mins tempo @ 5:50 m/m

10.3 miles in 1:14:37 @ 7:13 min/mile.

No sessions since last weeks premature return was the right call as I felt a lot more comfortable and in control this week, plus I didn't feel like hell on Friday morning. Happy with this one.

Friday 21/11 - 5 miles Recovery

As above, no nasty after affects from the tempo yesterday evening. Lucky to get this one in before work because once I got home, the sky opened up it came down hard and it did not stop.

Saturday 22/11 - 1:40 Long

14.5 miles in 1:40:40 @ 6:57 min/mile

The next couple of months have essentially given me a blank canvas to experiment with so I've decided to mix up things and move my long run to Saturday, purely for reasons of just mixing things up and I always wondered what it would be like not to have to wake up to a long run on a Sunday. The pace was pretty handy for this though HR was a little higher than it should have been, bits of DCM still lingering around but on the whole a pretty positive run that didn't take too much out of me. Hope to build this up to 2 hours soon and hold it above that for the duration of the base.

Sunday 23/11 - 60 mins

8.8 miles in 59:14 @ 6:46 min/mile

I was trying out something new here with pace and effort. Interestingly this was probably one of my most comfortable runs of recent despite the long run yesterday, HR was really settled and felt very comfortable apart from the climb back up home. This is a pace I don't generally run at for general aerobic runs but with the lack of high intensity speed sessions over the next few weeks it gives me a chance to run at various aerobic paces while (hopefully) recovering quickly and to be honest I'm really looking forward to it and seeing how my body reacts to the training.

Overall feeling very positive at the moment, the 70 miles didn't take too much out of me this week so I'll continue building sensibly on that. I was feeling a little lost when I came back from DCM but now there's a new plan forming in my head, I'm back in the gym and motivation's high. On we go!

Weekly milage: 69.5 miles