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DCM 2014: Mentored Novices Thread

Ososlo

Welcome to the by now legendary DCM Mentored Novices Thread for 2014 and I am your host, Ososlo

History of this thread:
There have been 5 legs of the DCM Mentored Novices Thread starting in 2009 when Amadeus kickstarted as the first mentor. He passed the baton in 2010 to rainbow kirby who in turn passed it into the trusty hands of Raycun in 2011. 2012 saw Younganne taking the lead with a huge group of runners behind her and passed the baton to career_move who sprinted ahead like lightening to take the novices to the 2013 DCM. The baton hasn’t been dropped yet and the mentors and novices haven’t stepped out of their lanes so let’s hope we continue to surge ahead in the same vein for the 6th leg for DCM 2014!

Who is this thread for and what happens on this thread:
If you are doing Dublin City Marathon for the first time this year, then this thread is especially for you. If you are a little more experienced having already done a marathon, you are also welcome to join in the fun.We have two possible training plans for you to follow and we are here to guide you in your training. This forum encourages discussion about all aspects of your training and we are lucky to have a plethora of experienced runners and expert on running technicalities available to answer your questions so don’t be afraid to ask any about anything you like, no matter how stupid you think it might sound. We are here to help:) You are also invited to keep track of your mileage from June 23rd until DCM on the Google Doc tracker sheet linked to at the bottom of this post.

Should you do DCM this year:
To run DCM this year, ideally you'll currently be running a few days a week at this stage, be able to comfortably run 20 miles per week by the time the plan starts on June 23rd and you will have been running at least a year. However, if you're not currently at that level, but feel you can get comfortably up to running 20 miles per week by June 23rd then this thread is for you too. You might be fit from other sports and be able to get up to speed quickly enough.
If you want to do DCM this year but you would struggle to get up to 20 miles per week comfortably by the end of June and you're not very fit, then you should strongly consider putting it off for another year. Yes you will still be able to complete a marathon on October 27th, but as this is a running forum we want all the novices to attempt to fully run their first marathon or at least the majority of it.
Look ahead at the schedule for the 18 weeks. Have you many social events which might impinge on getting your long runs done at the weekends? It might be ok to miss one, but you really don't want to be missing more than that, so can you fit them in around your busy lifestyle? If the answer is yes and you're willing to make some sacrifices to get them done then you'll be fine.
Running a marathon is a fantastic goal to have but you must be prepared for it. Anyone can complete a marathon but not everyone can run one from start to finish at a good (it’s all relative) pace. To run a successful marathon you should be committed to your training and take it seriously whilst enjoying it. The key to this is to follow a plan and train smart.

Some Golden Rules for Marathon Training:

Follow a plan and stick to the plan. You can use one here or any other one, but follow a plan
Don’t miss runs (especially your weekly long run which is integral to the build up to the marathon)
Don’t make up for missed training as this is a recipe for injury and/or illness
Don’t run on an injury or ignore a constant niggle and don’t run when sick and seek professional help about your problems sooner rather than later. If there is something abnormal going on with your body during training, seek professional help
Prepare and practice in every way you can so that there is very little element of surprise on the day
Run your training runs at the correct paces (see my next post on Training Paces)

If you want to set yourself a goal time for DCM, ensure it is a realistic and fairly conservative goal. You are entering unknown territory on your first marathon. Look at Mo in London this year! He can shoot for the stars in his second marathon but he shouldn’t have been so hard on himself for his first! Don't be over-ambitious. You don’t want to be saying ‘never again’ on the finish line.

Don’t rely on McMillan calculators or other calculators for determining your marathon goal. Yes it may work for a few but not for the majority

·Take your training seriously and commit to it whilst enjoying it!

Special Ososlo Tip! Set yourself a secondary goal for the year or plan something else to look forward to in the Autumn. The reality is that not everyone who signs up to this thread is going to make the start line. A few will get sick, a few will get injured for whatever reason or life might just simply get in the way. Therefore, I advise everyone to think about a secondary goal this year if DCM does not happen for you this year, be it a marathon later in the year, a half marathon, a 10k, a holiday or a dirty weekend-away to look forward to later in the year

A little about your mentor
I ran DCM last year as my first and only marathon and I had a good training period in the lead up, had no injuries in training, ran the whole thing without stopping on the day and enjoyed myself. I did have a small blip on the startline where my tfl started hurting me out of nowhere so I couldn’t run to my planned marathon pace (pmp) on the day but I remembered the advice that I had heard a billion times here and that was to ENJOY the experience of your first and not worry about a time. I slowed down to my jogging/lsr pace and lapped up the cheering from the crowds and as I was jogging up Roebuck Hill, my leg miraculously stopped hurting so I passed people from there until the end with a smile on my face and could have run another few miles at the end which shows that I had built up a good aerobic base of endurance due to running lots and lots of very slow miles. I had planned and trained to run at 4:10 pace but jogged around at my lsr pace in 4:34. My tale goes to show that no matter how prepared you are (and believe me I was VERY prepared for DCM), anything can happen right up until and during the last minute. So be prepared to re-evaluate your goal at all times.
So I have a certain amount of useful advice to impart to you all but am still very much a novice myself, however, luckily there are far more experienced runners than me on here who will be helpful to you in different aspects of marathon training. I also have a team of back-room advisors:cool: ready to jump in and help you all out too (especially the faster novices) and lots of other boardsies and last years novices will share their advice and experiences also. It really is a Boards.ie Athletics/Running Forum group effort. I’m co-ordinating the effort and will share my limited knowledge.

Pre-Marathon Plan this plan will bring you up to 20 miles a week by June 23rd when our marathon plan starts. Jump in on the appropriate week if you wish. Alternatively, continue with your current training as you might already be running more miles than what's required for the start of our Marathon Training Plans so no need to decrease your current mileage. Remember: Miles make champions:D

THE PLANS FOR 2014:
The plans we will be using will be Hal Higdon Novice 1 and for slightly more experienced runners, the 2014 Boards Plan which is based on career_move’s super plan from 2013 with some minor adjustments made by myself and approved by the mods. You can use one of these plans or any other plan as long as it involves mostly running!

Hal Higdon Novice 1 Training Plan:
A tried and tested plan for novice marathon runners. It’s a simple plan to follow and many Boardsies have followed this plan over the years with great success. All runs in this plan are done at the same pace, which is a pace that should feel very comfortable and you should be able to chat while running (to yourself or your running buddy!). If you can’t chat while running then you’re running too fast. Slow down. If you’re not enjoying the majority of your training runs, you’re probably running them too fast. Slow down! Please see my next post with more detailed infoarmtion about why you should be running slowly most of the time.

Boards 2014 Training Plan:
Includes a little bit of speedwork and marathon pace running. The changes to last year just include some warm up and cool down miles for the sessions and races. Everything else is pretty much the same and many novices followed this plan with much success last year. Please see my next post with more detailed information about paces to run for each of the specific runs.

So, if you’re on board for DCM this year or just thinking about it still, please jump in and answer the following so we can get an idea of where you are with your training currently and get the chatting underway:

Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training ? (No problem if you do)
How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
How many days a week can you train?
Why are you running this marathon?

To conclude
They say, everyone has 5 minutes of fame. Running DCM makes you feel like you are a superstar for hours with the crowds cheering you on in adoration shouting your name (it’ll be on your bib!) You are in for the most special experience of your life. And I’m very jealous! Enjoy the ride run

Index of useful posts and links to useful sites:
Here is an list of useful websites and past threads which I thought might be handy to have on the main page for easy access. The list covers some of the key topics that frequently arise in discussion on the novices' thread. I have pilfered posts and ideas all around me from other boardsies so if you’ve not been credited as being the owner of the post then apologies in advance and please don’t sue me:o There’s no need for me to re-invent the wheel as it’s all been said so well by you all before!

Link to Hal Higdon Novice Training Plan:
Link to Boards 2014 Novices’ Training Plan
Link to Mileage Tracker
The Route
Please note that the route for DCM (start and finish) has slightly changed this year due to luas works. Keep an eye on Dublin City Marathon Facebook for updates
Contacts for Dublin Marathon Office:
office@dublinmarathon.ie
Tel: 00 353 1 6232250
Breakdown of the DCM route by Boardsie Tunguska (route start and finish will change)
Marathon Prep and Course Breakdown by Eagle AC
Video of Dcm Route (start and finish of route will change)
Roebuck Hill Garmin Elevation (commonly known as Heartbreak Hill which is BS…don’t listen…it’s like a speedbump
Boards Discussion on Roebuck Hill
Mcmillan Running Calculator. One way to work out your training paces
Most people would discourage you from using this calculator for predicting marathon pace. It’s pretty accurate up to the half marathon but after that you'd want to be running 60+ miles per week to see the marathon fall into line. Use it as a very general guide with caution.
Determining Marathon Pace – half marathon time and First marathon goal time. A google doc created by career_move last year which compares some Boardsies' half marathon times with their full marathon times. This will be very useful when it comes to working out a realistic marathon pace later in the year.
Race Calendar for Irish Races
Running Shoes
Get yourself to a proper running shoe store (if you haven’t already) (Amphibian King, Runworx, Runways etc.) and have them recommend a pair of shoes suitable for you. Don’t just pick a pair off the shelf that seems comfortable. Every shoe is as different as every person, so it is impossible to make blanket recommendations. A proper running shoe shop will examine your gait, establish your running patterns and make educated recommendations that suit your needs.

I’d advise all novices to have 2 pairs of trainers if your budget allows. Your trainers might get wet and it’s not very pleasant putting them on wet the next day plus they’ll last you longer if they have a chance to breath between runs and regain their form.
Foam Rollers
Standard Foam Roller
Grid
Rumble roller
Trigger point
Why should you foam roll and some exercises
Where to buy foam rollers www.amazon.ie www.elverys.ie https://amphibianking.ie
The best marathon running shorts in the world
How to create a training log
Boards discussion on blisters
Water belts
Balanced article on running your long run on an empty stomach or not
Stretching and Corework
My personal favourite type of stretching is AIS or Activated Isolated Stretching.
AIS Videos
PART1
PART II
Tips on Running Form and Boards Discussion on Running Form
Gels and drinks on the long run - Boards Discussion

I hope (with the assistance of the mods) to be able to keep this list updated and add to it as other popular topics/useful websites come to my attention.

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Comments

Laois_Man

Gonna be lost without the marathon to focus on.

I need to give the body a compete rest for a number of weeks and get over all the niggles before I attempt any new training cycle. New 10K PB is the main aim, maybe a HM after that

I'd like to attempt to solve the root of all my problems ....my severe over-pronation.....while things are quiet running wise...but I don't know what the hell to do about it.

ccrccs

i
I did my first ever DCM marathon yesterday...what an experience...having read about it all on baords.ie i kinda half knew what to expect but noting and i mean nothin prepared me for it.
First 13 miles were fine absolutely bombing it at a staedy pace loving the crowds ...signs made me laugh....great music...chapelizod and castleknock two stad out moments for me and i really was so happy to be part of it all...mile 13 things start to waver..knee giving me a bit of hassle and arms and neck were so sore...I knew my family was at mile 18 so i kept it up and was really looking forward to seeing them...then after seeing them i turned for mile 19 when i got the owrst leg cramp in my left leg...something i never ever experieced during training...then bang a seconf and then another and then another all this happened upo to mile 23.....i was so close to dropping out but having fundraised i felt i couldnt.crowd support was phenonemal...i stopped at mile 23 and a lad in the crowd urged me to keep going...i did ...crownd tellin me i had two miles to go them 5 minutes lter i realie they were wrong and i till hd to two mile!!!but the crowd on the last two miles was unreal it was constant noise...it was unfortunte that i was is such pain that i didnt really relish it...last mile went on forever but it was at this point i realised that i was going to finih it even tho my legs were like jelly....
Having never ran till 2011 and only done uo to 10k by May 2014 this was a serious challenge for me...the waether was so warm ...no excuse as such as we had such good weather all year all my training had been done in similar conditions the again i never ran 26.2 miles before!!!
I left the house hoping to sub 4...at one point i was heading towards a 340 finish the was 345 ...still happy but muscle cramps ensured that was not to be...so reverted to orginal goal...4.00 and came in at 3.57......i was absolutely delighted

after crossing the line ..and waiting for medal my body completly seized up...my legs could not move the standing aroud wating on medal did not help...i was in a daze but absolutely glad i did it

phone messages phone calls etc immediately after made it all worthwhile

i was so happy to be involed in DCM
Would i do it again??
yes

simple answer the pain the heartache the cramps the feeling of illness was all worth it...to experience almost four hours of encouragement and to soak the atmosphere and to be part of it i will definitly do it again...
to the people of Dublin and the crowds from all over Ireland and to the commitee and volunteers of DCM thaks so much for making me the proudest man/husband/father/son today....

Go raibh mile mile maith agaibh

ice9

hands up the lucky beggars that live in bungalows!?

I don't even have a downstairs loo :-(

adrian522

I'm not finding the stairs too difficult thankfully. Anyone up for a recovery run in the rain?

rainbow kirby

Laois_Man wrote: »

I'd like to attempt to solve the root of all my problems ....my severe over-pronation.....while things are quiet running wise...but I don't know what the hell to do about it.

Strengthening your core would help somewhat there - pilates or strength training would really help there. I would look to strengthen the glutes too, if they aren't firing properly it can cause a lot of imbalances.

I'm also a severe overpronator and I find I run much better and with fewer injuries when I make sure I get some strength work in. I also quite enjoy yoga, but that's not everyone's cup of tea.

Pm1e

ice9 wrote: »

hands up the lucky beggars that live in bungalows!?

I don't even have a downstairs loo :-(

have to deal with stairs in office for toilet, kitchen and to get in and out. :pac:

adrian522

chinguetti

Yes that's me at 3.00 in the video.

Can I just say that the agony I described was that the clock seemed to be going further away every step of the long finishing straight and I was hanging for the line to make sub 3.30. And the legs were in bits but feel great today.

Thank God they left out the bit where i kept repeating my name like a mad fool.

Note to self - don't do finishing line interviews in future:D

Ron Burgundy II

Well done to all.

First marathon but certainly not my last.Crowds were fantastic all the way through.

Even during the run we had some light hearted banter with a runner commencing a chant to keep spirits up when going under the bridge (somewhere by chapelizod before climbing a steep hill) .

Also anyone see the lunatic at the entrance to were we entered the park again. Some fool with a pavilion passenger decides not to wait for a gap and just floors the bike past some runners. I could see them jumping out of his way.

Thankfully two members of the Gardai were on hand to deal with the bike.

Drexl Spivey

adrian522 wrote: »

This video is hilarious.

My problem is that I felt like that during the race (mile 15-16 on).

KillianByrne

Got an XL finishers shirt yesterday - interested in swapping it for a L if anyone wants to.

RedRunner

Well done to everyone yesterday on what was a tough day for it. Great performances all round regardless of times. Nice to meet a few new faces in McGrattans afterwards.

Joleigh

I went for a swim, jacuzzi and full body massage this morn along with foot massage. Heaven. Tried to run from the car to the shop in the rain but my legs didn't respond. Slept well but awake since 6.30.

Still can't believe it's over. For the past 18 weeks I couldn't see past 9am yesterday. I can see clearly now the training's done. Looking forward to getting back to running without the restrictions of a plan. Adios Hal higdon!

aquinn

What an utterly AMAZING day and experience.
I loved it all, I really did.
The whole marathon was a surreal experience.
I decided early on to go easy and enjoy it.
I started off with the 4 hour pacers and kept them in sight rather than on top of them. I thought with all the people the start would be slower and we'd ease into it but found it straight into pace. I had my Brother and GF half way through the park and it was so amazing to see them. I didn't find the drag hard at all up and into the park. I got a dialoryite off them and then chucked the bottle before we left the park.
I took a gel at mile 7. I was grand going up the hill at Myo's and back into the park. Some girl took an awful fall as we eased downhill, the poor thing. I don't know if she stumbled but I say a heel touch and she went flying. Someone did it to me at the top of the Glen road and though I was done but stumbled and was ok. Let a roar out obviously so they wouldn't do it again.
I caught the 4 hours just as we left the park at Chapelizod but let them go and decided to tighten a shoe lace.
Passing the crowd at Chapelizod bridge was fantastic and first crowd experience, brilliant. Some French lad got them all riled up. As we went under the bypass bridge and runners started to roar and create their own atmosphere and that was really brilliant, brought a smile to my face. The hill was hard and was glad I had trained on it.
We hit the Sth Circular and my biggest worry was my bladder and pondered squatting behind most cars but didn't. My head felt fantastic and that was my only concern so great going. I didn't want to use a portaloo in case I completely seized up.
My parents were at Dolphins Barn Bridge, I'd to climb the curb and stand in front of Mam before she saw me and Dad was at the far side of the road. I stopped and had a chat, a sweaty hug, had some jellies and off I went.
My Sister then was over the bridge with her amazing sign and she told me shockingly that I looked great and that my breathing was ok. She had another dialyorite for me which was great but then I started to slow on the Crumlin road.
It got warm with the sun out and I concentrated on walking and drinking the dialorite and stretching calf that was tight. It got lonely then with the 4 hour crowd gone so I slowed and then a smaller 4.10 group went by so stayed with them but had decided just enjoy it and don't mind them so they left too.
Smashiner introduced himself around here and we kept eachother going. I then found more friends so more chat and sweaty hug. My Sister turned up again unexpectedly with a antihistamine as my shorts were irritating one leg and vaseline and more water. She took my photo and off I went again. She told me I looked much better than the first time she saw me since I'd eased off.
In Terenure I spotted her yet again and did an about turn to give my 3 friends a nice sweaty hug and said Goodbye to my Sister.
Unfortunately I left Smashiner at Bushy Park and kept going. I felt great and was in flying form, really enjoying myself. As per the video I enjoyed the houses around and the crowds were really fantastic. I had taken another gel at 12 and didn't at 17 as my stomach was sickly from all the jellies and gels.
My parents turned up at Milltown which was fantastic. I dropped the water bottle and heavy holder with them and kept going again.
I was deafened by those stupid clappy things (my only real woe from the day) going under the bridge at Milltown. I hadn't a clue where I was so asked someone who said I was doing great and someone else answered Milltown.
I had a few walking breaks but ran up all hills so delighted. My friends and family were worried it took me so long to the 30km mark as my estimated time went from a 4.01 finish to 4.28.
It also wasn't completely flat as promised from Roebuck home!
Slight incline on the Stillorgan bypass, huh!
Gave in and took a caffeine gel at mile 23 to keep me going and thought I'd run to the finish from there but eased off again. Bra strap twisted about mile 23 and that hurt. A lot of people struggling along the drag to the RDS and some people in an awful heap.
Meeting the parents again which I hadn't expected which was amazing so another sweaty hug and chat.
Did a fantastic run to the finish and my friends are all so proud as I smiled the whole way to the line.
My legs only got sore at mile 22.
I couldn't believe it. What a really amazing day. My first marathon and such a fantastic day. I can't believe I did it and loved it.
I just watched the video on FB and was crying.
I thought I'd be dry-retching and crying at the finish but didn't do either.
I hope everyone is well today. I haven't read any reports.
Great to meet some of you yesterday and so glad I went to McGrattans.
I went for a swim this morning and feel really great today. Not in a complete heap. Stairs are harder going down so glad of the banister but am really doing surprisingly well.
OH and a time of 4.19.58. OVER THE MOON!

MaggotBrain

Aquinn was it a white poster with Aoife in red per chance? Kept seeing it and thought what a lucky runner to have such a supporter.

Laois_Man

Proud picture of handsomeness after the finish....

clickhere

Oh what a day,really enjoyed my first Marathon.Thanks to everyone for all there advice.It really got tough going in the last 4 miles,but the crowd were just unbeliveable.it felt like been a superstar coming into the finish.I am very sorry to hear that some of us had a bad day,and i feel for you after putting so much time and energy in to your training.I was looking for a time of 4:30 and finished with 4:16 so was really delighted. A big thank you again to you all for your help and advice,exspecially the special one OSOSLO

aquinn

MaggotBrain wrote: »

Aquinn was it a white poster with Aoife in red per chance? Kept seeing it and thought what a lucky runner to have such a supporter.

Yes, that was it! Wasn't she fantastic.
Absolutely amazing.

RedRunner

Joleigh wrote: »

Adios Hal higdon!

Hello P&D

adrian522

RedRunner wrote: »

Hello P&D

Just don't mention BAA and we'll all be ok.

denis160

Still on a high from yesterday. Finally got time sorted, 4.25.59! Thrilled to bits to be part of something that was so fantastic from start to finish. Not that it always felt that way running through it.

Was flying it for 16 miles or so, then I stopped for the loo, big mistake, i lost the 4.20 pacers & the right knee & glute started giving serious jip. Alternated between running & walking. The amount of talking I did to myself was unreal, it's true that getting your head around it is half the battle. I counted to 100, I said my little mantras with every step, even made up a few new one's, thought of the training I'ld done & how great it was going to be to finish. I knew if I got to mile 20 I'ld make it so I struggled on. I think from mile 23/24 I just took it 1 slooow step at a time, mile 24 I stuck the head phones in & said right, 3 songs is 1 mile, 6 or 7 songs & I'll be home. Coming on mile 25 I meet the oh with 2 of the kids, great cheering from them, spurred me on for a great finish. 400m from home & I seen my sister & her kids, more cheering, jumping, smiling& punching the air, then booted on home for the finish, remembering to smile for the cameras!

Absolutely thrilled to have done it, disappointed the leg gave in, especially when I didn't have any hassle with it during training. Did anyone else find it very emotional overall? From the time I started for the first 5/6 miles I was very teary. It was like, this is it, all this training, I've finally made it, i don't know just the feelings on the day.

To all the mentors, thank you, your words of wisdom, input & fantastic encouragement got me & many others to a place I dreamed if but never really thought possible. Today I'm a finisher, a marathoner & very proud of myself!

laura_ac3

Hi everyone - warning, this is long....struggling through a marathon is nothing compared to sticking this out. This is what happens when I have the day off work

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel after yesterday (obvious aches and pains aside!).

Dream goal time was 4h50 but anything between or up to 5h was Goal B that I would have been very happy with. Actual time - 5.11.01.

Got to the start area in plenty of time, did some stretching, got my last minute bits organised and dropped the bag in. Needed one last toilet pit stop but the lady in the baggage area on the mike was saying don't congregate here at these toilets, plenty of toilets in the start zones. So I headed up there where the queues were insane - we all listened to the lady but it definitely didn't work out! Oh well. Wasted so much time here that I didn't get to line up with my original pace group as intended. To be honest I wasn't too concerned. I had my band and I remembered advice from a few people here saying don't worry about sprinting to catch up if you fall behind for any reason. So I kept an eye on my band, watch and markers and enjoyed the relative space I had around me. The first 3 miles were bang on time.

I remembered the course preview from tunguska so let the pace drop a bit heading towards and through the park. Saw my dad near the entrance and a friend from football handing out water at the station. Wind was noticeable as was the fact I was sweating alot already. As others have said the crowds around castleknock were amazing. Enjoyed this part alot and the parts outside and back through the park. Couple of the miles here were a bit faster, due to the terrain, crowds etc.

Saw another of the girls from football leaving the park which was great and then headed towards chapelizod. More great support and I purposefully slowed a good bit on the hill here. The calf which had been at me during the week was making its presence felt by now. No pain, just a lingering ache/fatigue? Saw the OH in kilmainham and threw some deep heat onto the calf which helped and off I went. Through half way, time was in or around what I was hoping.

Then, crumlin road. Bam...wheels fell off, car broke down and engine fell out. The wind here...it was a killer. Along with the fact I was still finding it too warm. I had already intended to slow the pace here but it really dropped. Decided to walk for a minute or two for some relief. I saw the 5h pace group weren't far behind so I waited for them to come along and I nipped in behind to grab some shelter. That was fine for a few minutes until somewhere around walkinstown road (?) my heart rate felt like it jumped from nowhere, felt like it was banging around right under my t shirt. Then I felt really light headed and dizzy, legs like jelly. Stopped at the side of the road to let it pass. One of the pacers kindly stopped to ask if I was ok, think he thought I hurt my knee. Decided there to do a bit more walk/run and see how it went knowing if I kept the 5h pacers in sight I'd be ok. To be honest it kind of unnerved me, I think the heat got to me even though I was drinking water and having seen others receiving medical attention (all hopefully ok) I didn't want to be one of them - even if it meant not having the best running.

I think once I start walking in a race I'm half done for. I reverted to this run /walk strategy a good bit from here on in. Dizziness didn't come back at all but I wasn't sure how much to push. Just felt zapped. Had more support at miles 16, 18 and 20 from work colleagues, friends and family which was great. Calf still at me so grabbed more deep heat at Milltown from himself. I had lost the 5h pacers by now. Somewhere along clonskeagh one of my football refs jumped in beside me with support. He ran alot of marathons in his day and he offered great encouragement and support. Told me to save the legs, walking up the hills here and keep it handy for the downhills. He walked with me chatting just past roebuck. It was the longest stretch I walked but the company was great. From there I kept the run/walk strategy going. Saw another friend from football in ballsbridge (they were all out - teammates and refs

!) which was great motivation.

Struggled on home, the final stretch up to the finish never seemed to end but I tried to enjoy it as much as possible and take it in and make sure I kept running!

So, thoughts. Firstly I'm disappointed I had to walk/run as much as I did. Who knows, maybe if I hadn't the last few miles or time would have been worse if I hadn't. Or maybe I could have dug deeper than I did, I don't know. My dizzy spell definitely unsettled me and I think the extra water I was drinking because of the heat wasn't the best for the stomach, I didn't take my last gel as I thought I wouldn't handle it ok. I don't think I coped well with the combination of the heat, wind and tough course. In hindsight I think I should have reigned in my target time earlier than I did. It wasn't all mistakes - I knew not to chase my intended pace group, I didn't go out way too fast at the start (stuck with my planned time) and I eased off on some parts of the course. But if I had changed my target to 5h sooner I might have stuck that out. But my negative experiences and struggles seem to be mirrored amongst many others. In fact the second last water station had run out of water which probably reflects the tough day with the heat. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't finish or I'd come away with a major injury that would rule me out of running, football etc for a while and thankfully neither of those happened. As Ososlo said, whilst important it is only one race - amongst many hopefully (not necessarily marathons maybe!). I made it to the end in one piece, was still running towards the end and on a day when many others also struggled I wasn't a million miles from my goal A and B times. So a part of me is disappointed and another part isn't, a definite learning experience with positives and negatives to take away.

Was nice to met a few people in the pub after and put faces to user names (and get real names!). The crowd and support were incredible and credit to all the volunteers and first aiders too. To the pacers I piggybacked with for a while thank you and for the concern when I had my wobble.

Well done to all here and thanks for making the last few months more enjoyable than if I was doing this completely on my own.

yaboya1

Yesterday was a tougher day than normal to make your debut. The majority of the field it seems (not just novices) didn't hit their pre-race targets.
Definitely nothing to beat yourself up about. It was a difficult course in far from ideal weather conditions. However if you got through it, the next one will be easier because of this experience.

Blue Steel

yaboya1 wrote: »

Yesterday was a tougher day than normal to make your debut. The majority of the field it seems (not just novices) didn't hit their pre-race targets.
Definitely nothing to beat yourself up about. It was a difficult course in far from ideal weather conditions. However if you got through it, the next one will be easier because of this experience.

Hi yaboya1,

What do you mean "it was a difficult course"? Was it because of the changes they made?

I failed to complete DCM yesterday. After reaching Mile 16 I felt from bad to worse. Finally ended up in a first aid at mile 21 for a massage of my legs but was unable to take off afterwards.

This was not a confidence booster for my first marathon but I would like to learn from it.

Cheers

yaboya1

Blue Steel wrote: »

Hi yaboya1,

What do you mean "it was a difficult course"? Was it because of the changes they made?

I failed to complete DCM yesterday. After reaching Mile 16 I felt from bad to worse. Finally ended up in a first aid at mile 21 for a massage of my legs but was unable to take off afterwards.

This was not a confidence booster for my first marathon but I would like to learn from it.

Cheers

Well, as I mentioned in my own report of the race, we never seemed to be running on the flat until after the halfway point. Constantly uphill/downhill which can make it difficult to pace right. Although the second half is theoretically faster, it obviously comes after you've run the challenging first half meaning it can be hard to take advantage of that. This is before we take the weather into account.
I would say it is slightly more difficult because of the changes, but not by that much. I don't think Dublin has ever been recognised as a fast course no matter what the route.

Marthastew

Congratulations to all who ran yesterday, tough running conditions for a first marathon and you should all be immensely proud of yourselves!
I was lucky enough to be running as one of the 4 hour Pacers and I really enjoyed it. We had a really great bunch of people (I think one or 2 of you may have posted above, massive congrats and well done!) but not surprisingly we lost a good few after 21 miles, the sun and wind seemed to sap the energy out of so many people. My 3rd year pacing DCM and definitely the toughest one!

It was great to very briefly meet some of you in McGrattans before Mr Stew and I had to rush off, a lovely touch presenting Ososlo with her very well-deserved card:D

Very best of luck with your recovery over the next few weeks, it's a good idea to target a race in a couple of months (Jingle Bells has been mentioned) as it's not uncommon to go through a period of post-marathon blues and a new goal always helps.
Congrats again to one and all

Ososlo

Marthastew wrote: »

It was great to very briefly meet some of you in McGrattans before Mr Stew and I had to rush off, a lovely touch presenting Ososlo with her very well-deserved card:D

It will be framed and treasured forever more:). Reading the lovely comments on the card makes me a very happy Ososlo indeed:D

Great to meet you again MS!

Blue Steel

I wish I had found this thread back in June, it looks very helpful.

I don't mean to ruin the good spirit but here is my story (not that special admittedly, but it is my story

- Lead Up:
I had kept good hydration for many days, ate plenty of carbs (pasta, ..), did some foam roller, stretching, went for a massage 2 days before the race at the expo, had gels to consume during the race.

Never got rid of my ongoing legs stiffness but I always managed to run through the mild discomfort. Admittedly, sleeping was not very good for days for various reasons.

I kind of knew my training was not sufficient for a Marathon: 3 runs / week + 1 swim / week, with a weekly mileage of 20-25 is no good, don't do that. But given the time constraints and that I was very regular in my training I had to give it a go.

I'm normally very excited when I go to a race, but this time was an exception. I was kind of dreading it a little and not feeling the best.

- The race:
I followed the 4:40 pacers up until Inchicore (nearly HM distance if I am not mistaken). I was happy I could run up the Steeples (uphill in Chapelizod). Although not a goal, I was slightly ahead of the pacers then.
The hills were killers, and the steeples was the easy one.
Atmosphere was phenomenal with people cheering and also some encouraging you saying your name.
I did 16 miles running and then went in some sort of a free fall from then on.

- The collapse:
From mile 16 I started to struggle a lot. As in, both my legs would not move. 4:40 pacers passed me, and in a matter of mn they were not in sight any longer.

Slowing down and stretching was not going to help nor did the gels I had wrapped around my hips nor the jelly babies handed over by the crowd.

Also, I felt a state of extreme fatigue. Running was keeping my body warm, but when I started to slow down (understatement) I started to feel cold as well.
It is advised to not drink too much during the race, but at that point I needed to drink 2 of the small bottles they were handing over at the water stations.

Finally reaching mile 21-22, I see a St John first Aid. I felt so bad I thought it could be unsafe to keep going like that. I went to ask the physio for a massage. She doesn't say much about my calves which felt like wood, and then she points out: "you have lots of knots in your hamstrings" (she didn't know my hip flexors were not functional either, as I don't ask masseurs/physio to go near that part).

Then I started to shiver a bit and she brings me 1 blanket, and then another 1...
After the massage, I went into the tent, with other guys (2 of which were regular marathoners). Although I knew the disappointment would be big, I felt at that point it would have been unsafe to go again. One of the St John chap touches my hand and notice I was freezing. Not only I felt like s... but they had to help me walk outside the tent later on which kind of confirmed to me that calling it a day was sensible.
(on a brighter note, I had no injuries this year!)

- Takeaway:
Good learning experience.

I will not run a Marathon again on such low weekly mileage. That might not explain everything though.

- Will I do a Marathon again:
Now might not be the best time to answer this.
I don't like too much having to prepare for so long, carry a belt with gels, etc. But I wanted to tick the box and the box is not ticked...

- Next:
Recovery. I can't wait to go for a nice easy jog on my own with no pressure. Not today though!

ice9

yaboya1 wrote: »

Well, as I mentioned in my own report of the race, we never seemed to be running on the flat until after the halfway point. Constantly uphill/downhill which can make it difficult to pace right. Although the second half is theoretically faster, it obviously comes after you've run the challenging first half meaning it can be hard to take advantage of that. This is before we take the weather into account.
I would say it is slightly more difficult because of the changes, but not by that much. I don't think Dublin has ever been recognised as a fast course no matter what the route.

just to add to this:
i think that 3 factors conspired to make yesterday more difficult than it should have been.
1 - heat/humidity. it was warm and fairly humid. this means it was harder for us to dump heat. the sun even came out to make matters more difficult. ideal temps for a marathon would be between 5 and 10 degrees C. Dublin usually has a shot at this given the date but this year the temps were freaky high.
2. wind. anyone out there knows what difference this made!
3. the course did have more elevation than last years course and played out as you described

any one of these on it's own could probably be overlooked but all three together made it a tough day at the office!

laura_ac3

Marthastew wrote: »

It was great to very briefly meet some of you in McGrattans before Mr Stew and I had to rush off, a lovely touch presenting Ososlo with her very well-deserved card:D

Very best of luck with your recovery over the next few weeks, it's a good idea to target a race in a couple of months (Jingle Bells has been mentioned) as it's not uncommon to go through a period of post-marathon blues and a new goal always helps.
Congrats again to one and all

Thanks marthastew - I was the one looking for ososlo and asked if you knew her, I recognised you from the pacer stand in the rds! If it wasn't for that I might have been wandering around in the pub for ages, thanks for that.

Definitely looking at the jingle bells race, nice to have something to look forward to.