From Marlboro Lights to Running Tights!

paddybarry wrote: »

Do you hold a Harty Cup medal Tom?

Nope Paddy, spent a couple of years trying with Farranferris alright a long time ago! User name might be misleading .......I'm not Tom Redden ..........tomred is an encrypted version of my first name !!........fans of countdown would have it sussed quickly !

Did you hurl in goal with Blackrock ?

Mon Oct 13th

3 miles slow. felt fresh on a Monday for a change and resisted the temptation to do any more.

Tuesday Oct 14th

5 miles @ 8:25

was feeling good during this run and had considered doing my last session of 8 @MP this evening but had to leave it as I had booked a physio apt to get rub down on legs.
Quads were worst and really felt it. Legs felt fresher leaving though.

Thursday Oct 15th

5 miles @ 8:30

Plan had been 8 @MP previous night but was totally wrecked after being in car all day. Then in car again all day Thursday so after 1 mile MP I slowed down as wasn't feeling right and effort levels were way too much for the pace. On the flip side my legs felt nice and loose.

So home from work this evening and had been plannig to get these 8 @MP done. However gale force winds and pissing rain right now. I don't see much benefit in going out in this so I think I might do the 8@MP on Sunday instead as part of last longish run.

I don't know whether its the lack of miles or what but it seems this week the less I do the more tired I feel. Even though I still don't feel right this evening I was looking forward to gettting out to run the sluggishness out of me. Even as I type this one side of my brain is thirsty :eek: and the other wants to go running . I thought I didn't suffer from taper madness but this is like coming off ......well lets not go there !

Saturday October 18th

10 miles @ 7:32

So the madness continued yesterday evening. We went out for a bite to eat in our usual spot last night but the electricity had gone out so they had stopped serving. It was pi$$ing rain so instead of driving anywhere else I suggested the chipper for take away. My wife was surprised and said are you sure??? are you not running tomorrow. Nah 'll be grand and got a snack box. ( first visit to chipper since last year )

So up this morning early @ 10am :cool: . feeling like I had had a few pints ..... I know the chicken aint chicken:) but WTF is in the chips :eek:

Took the dogs for a 3 mile walk but could not get the 8 @MP session out of my head. So back home changed and straight out again.

Checked warm up mile which is all uphill and pace was 8:28. Ok this is usually is a good sign. So into the mp miles. I tried to judge on effort as route is hilly and wind was unreal in places.

Splits were 7:02, 7:17, 7:18, 7:13, 7:15, 7:23, 7:34, 7:22

Took me a couple of miles to feel comfortable but once I did I couldn't believe how easy I was finding the pace. Even on hills and into a gale I was holding 7:30 pace. Downhill I was recovering while going still going 6:5X . I'm happy how this went and exactly what I needed to reinforce that less is definitely more for me at this stage. I remember doing a session of 2 x 4 @ MP on this route end of July and the difference today in terms of effort is unreal..

If there was a 3:15 pace group I'd be latched on to them now. I'm just not sure on my own as have got used to the pacer crack. Something to occupy the mind while driving around next week.

BTW can anyone recommend a good chipper open on Sunday nights in the Ballsbridge area.:D

Bulmers74 wrote: »

In the exact same position as you Tom as regards sub 3:15. Following the meno plan too and averaged 7:21 for the 8 mp session this week & 7:20 for 12mp miles last week. Last year in my first & only marathon I stayed with the pacers all the way round. I'm thinking of going with the 3:20's & assessing how I'm feeling at about 15 miles and hopefully pushing on a bit at that stage.

Yep that's in my mind as well. However I can nearly tell you now how I'll be feeing around mile 15 -20 and speeding up probably won't be top of the agenda That said that pull through the PP would be plenty fast enough with 3:20 pacers . Its a pity Meno wasn't a bit faster.... he could pace the 3:20 group :pac: we'd be sorted then !! I'm putting away this bottle of red now....

DOCO12 wrote: »

Ha ha this shows the tiredness / unclear head setting in. I really need a cat nap
Best of luck Tom, hope it all goes to plan . Still haven't all my to do lists done btw Hope the pace plan goes smoothly .

thanks Doco and best of luck to you as well. , good chance we'll cross paths somewhere this time. Im the same asking ' are u on boards' usually just get blank stares though.
Right now Id take being 20 seconds in front of you again ......id be very happy with that time id say !!

3:19:30 today in what can only be described as fooking carnage from halfway. I have never made up so many places passing no one only those on the footpaths. . Bodies everywhere. Had a few analgesics to postpone the pain, glad to say theve worked. Heading back to rebel land....enough of dublin for while !!!

Thu Oct 23

5 miles @ 9:00 Just for the record !


Sunday Oct26th

3 miles easy @9:30 prior to driving to Dublin.

Thought through what I was going to do running this and driving later. My wife asked me what was the best I could expect. I said 3:13, wouldn't be happy with anything over 3:20. Therefore I decided to go with a target of 3:15:xx. Aim was a first half in 1:38 second in 1:37 . That would be 7:30 pace till halfway where I would need to pick up slightly for second half which terrain wise was supposed to be easier. I'm never one to use the word easier though for the second half of a marathon no matter what. Got to Dublin round 4:30 pm , checked in hotel and walked to expo, got number, went to Italian in Ranelgh for pasta and was in bed by 11.

Monday Oct 27th

Dublin City Marathon

26.37 miles @7:34

Slept like a log and was up for breakfast at 7. walked to start line and was lined up in front of 3:20 pacers by 8:45. Noticed it was fairly mild and wind was fairly strong above buildings judging by flags.

Mile 1 - 5 ( 7:38, 7:21, 7:17, 7:42, 7:29)

On the button @9am we were off. I was caught off guard a little as I was adjusting my gel belt and the 3:20 pacer were gone off ahead. It was very congested anyway so I could do little but run at the allowed pace. Opened up after a mile and I caught up with pacer Chris who I knew from Charleville half. had a few words with him, told him my target and he said take it easy for a while. I wanted to stay with pacers for a while but it was crowded and I went ahead of them. Down the quays I had to keep the pace in check as I was going too quick but I was feeling good......better than last year when I was feeling dizzy at same stage. I did notice I was sweating mad already so I got a salt tab , unwraped it and put it in a water bottle. this helped slow the pace and I held this water bottle for next 5 miles sipping it away along with fresh water at other stations. Found chesterfield ok but wind was making the effort harder for the pace. Took first gel at 4 miles and was in a good rhytem leaving the park.

Mile 6 -10 ( 7:30, 7:31, 7:13, 7:16, 7:14)

Through 10 K around 46 mins I was running alongside a girl from Raheny AC and she was getting amazing support. My breathing was effortless but I had to keep the pace in check as it was getting a small bit fast. I knew these downhills were easy miles though and made decision to go easy on uphills to balance the effort. Support in castleknock and chapelizod was amazing and I was enjoying this while still very much aware that things were going to get tougher. Took second gel at mile 9 leaving park.

Miles 11 - 15 ( 7:36, 7:26, 7:26, 7:34, 7:30)

I don't remember much about this part of the course only that I took it easy on any of the hills to conserve energy. Cant remember where but I got a blast of wind in my face around mile 12/ 13, first since chesterfield avenue and it felt worse than it did earlier. I went though halfway in 1:38 bang on the button and bang on target . I took my third gel going through halfway and had a quiet thought about the impending second half, could i manage the same again in 1:37. I thought I had a chance........ Somewhere I turned a corner and bang.....my nemisis the fooking wind. I had forgot with the new route that this b**tard of a drag was now after halfway and to top it all into a wind that seemed unyielding. My plan to up the pace a little had hit an immediate snag. With greater effort I was just about holding pace and to top it off every group I tried to draft behind was breaking up quickley with runners slowing down so much I had to just pass them and face the wind.

Miles 16 - 20 ( 7:26, 7:33, 7:24, 7:21, 7:35)

After turning the corner from walkinstown I was glad that part was over but it had taken a toll. I tried to increase the pace a little here but notcied that the effort levels were now increasing even though terrain was easier. Around here I saw a runner with a GCH top and thought it might be DOCO12. I enquired if she was on boards and confirmed as such. Had a few words and she motored on around Terenure. It was around here the sun came out and I quickley began to feel like I was burning up. I took 4th gel and second salt tab in a bottle here. sipped it over a mile. next water stop took a bottle and threw it over me. Oh dear this wasn't looking good, I was feeling like I was going to blow up and there was still wind, sometimes helping cool me but also slowing the pace. Thoughts were going through my mind about my training and the lack of pace in my LSR's, I didn't do any over 20 miles, I didn't do more than 50 mile weeks ....I was fooked i didn't do enough. Then I passed a guy who ran a half a few minutes faster than me in Charleville and he was walking . Then I past another guy who was 8 minutes faster than me in Charleville. I started to think maybe it nots me its everyone today. In a strange way it got rid of some self doubt and I decided to reappraise the situation. My new goal was to finsh this bloody thing. My wife would be waiting in milltown so I had to perk up a bit for here and look stronger !!. Took the spare gel she had and mentiond that Met Eireann were a great help !!. Just before the hill at Milltown a swedish guy in front of me looked ahead and when he saw the hill he just pulled to the side of the road and said fcuk it . It was here I knew I was in for a tortureous last 6 miles. My pace slowed on the hill alarmingly and the drag to Reubock was still to come.

Miles 21 - 26.2 ( 7:50, 8:11, 7:44, 7:51, 8:15, 7:45, 7:40)

Clonskeagh was awful , by now I had forgot about the watch and was in survival mode, trying to judge effort with what energy I had left while making sure I was still running and avoiding at all cost the urge to walk. I was being passed but also passing loads of runners many of whom I recognised from local clubs/races. I had never seen so many people walking before at this stage of a marathon and the amount of people thrown on footpaths was unreal. I was taking 2 bottles of water at every station now, one over my head and the other I would drink. I ran up Roebuck hill and remember the sign on the road " you have beat the wall " Took a bit of confidence from this and like a rider in TDF ready for a desent I got ready to cruise down Fosters Avenue.......Alas there was no cruising even with the aid of the hill I couldn't get any pace in the legs. I had changed watch to time mode and avg pace and took the odd glance to see time slipping by and progress slowing. Bit of a blur from here on in. Took last gel at mile 23 and got some energy from it I think. I was running with a lad for about a mile here and we were doing well working together saying nothing when he just collasped .........i felt bad not stopping but there were plenty stewards etc accros to him when I looked back. Mile 24 I was slowing even more and was just wanting the finish line to come but at end of this mile I heard a batton charge behind me........the 3:20 pace group flew past me........I don't know where I got the energy but I latched on and said **** this I'm not going to finish outside 3:20 now. I put everthing I had into last mile and half and thought it would never end. No hands in the air passing the finish line this year .....I didn't even make the second timing matt , just stopped when past the first one.

Second Half in 1:41:26. First postive split in 4 marathons.

Chip time 3:19:30 and a 9 minute PB on DCM 13

Position 1029. Amazingly made up over 470 places from halfway while feeling like I was going backwards rapidly.

Drank anything I could find straight away and was lucky someone gave me a bottle of lucozade sport and 2 bottles of water. Thanked Pacer Chris for the spin over the last mile and had a laugh about my earlier optimism on mile 2!!. Even though I was outside my target I felt an immense satisfaction in finishing that race and never stopping when the urge to stop and walk seemed eaiser. The second half was the toughest 13 miles of a marathon I have done so far. Half marathons themselves are tough and hurt but nothing comapres to this. It not just physical , its mental and it like a game of chess between your brain, your heart, your lungs ,your legs and the elements . I guess thats what makes it a special event.
Had 5 swift pints of Guinness after , amazing stuff I was walking up and down stairs after one of them, called to McGrattens and nice to meet Yaboya and Murph_D . Yaboya from my brief meeting must be one of the greatest fans of road racing I have ever met. I have an addictive personality but that lad .......!!