To Hell In A Handcart

This is the first race that I have had to taper for so will put last nights post down to that.
So I'm going to stick to the plan and then change it in future if I feel a few extra miles in race week will help.
I read my half marathon report from last year to see if I could take any advise from it.

Thursday

Rest day

I won't of had time to fit a run in anyway due to working in England and flying back to Dubs.

Friday

Rest day
2 x 30 mins walking kept the legs moving

Saturday

2.31 Miles

Splits

10:58
11:09
10:25 average for the 0.31 miles

Average pace 10:58

The plan called for 2 miles meaning that I did more than the plan suggested for once! The extra 0.31 miles were ran due to yet again needing the toilet on a run despite going before I left my apartment!
Legs felt fine including my achilles which has had two socks wrapped around it all week to cushion it.
This time tomorrow I will hopefully be over halfway around!

Half Marathon Plan

Target A 1:59:59 @9.10 per mile
I will need to run sub 2 to win the handicap.

Target B 2:01:26 @9:16 per mile
This is what Mcmillan predicts going on my 10k Enniscorthy time.

Target C 2:08:17 @9:48 per mile.
This is what Mcmillan has as a prediction if I want to run sub 4:30 in the MK Marathon.
I am aware that Mcmillan tends to be up to 20 mins out for novice marathons so I hope to be well under this time on Sunday.

Murph_D wrote: »

All the best. Don't even think of all that money riding on you,

I like pressure lol

Meath Spring Half Marathon (Bohermeen)

Build Up

This was a race that I was really looking forward to, which was no doubt helped by the boards handicap adding an extra motivation.

I had a little taper madness on Wednesday in what is the first time I've really had to taper for a race when fully fit so made sure that I had a hectic week lined up to keep my mind off proceedings ahead of what was my biggest race in what is now a eight race running career.

Day of the race

The alarm went off at 6:15am and to my joy I had had a great nights sleep for the first time ever prior to a race! I showered, and sat down to Porridge Oaks with honey and a banana to give me all important energy. Evacuation procedure took place before I left and I was on my way to Clongriffin Train Station.
I was feeling great, bouncing along with each stride, oozing with confidence, happy that I felt so fresh and relieved that I had had two rest days on Thursday and Friday.
My first issue of the day came when I got onto the train platform with the next train not due for 39 mins instead of 10 mins! I went back up to the top and checked the timetables which were changed in January. I had looked on irishrail.ie less than two weeks ago at train times so knew that this was a cock up from the website and not me. 39 mins was to long to wait so I had to get a Taxi to Connolly Station. I must admit that this did nothing for my stress levels, which were so calm a few mins earlier, and now the opposite. Worst was still to come as I had only took 30 euro with me, spent 6 on a train ticket which was useless, 16 on a Taxi and a few quid on a Racing Post prior to all these issues which left me with a fiver.
I then went to get the tram, with a return costing 5.20 leaving me 20 cents short, but then my luck changed as I noticed 20 cents in the bottom of the machine! I just about remembered to have a banana at 9 am as I wanted to eat as late as possible without eating less than three hours before due to previous issues getting a stitch.
I made my way to Tallaght to be picked up by Calvin Johnson with Yaboya in the passenger seat and we were on our way and my calmness was restored.
We arrived over an hour before the race so wandered over to the club for the guys to pick up the race t-shirts with myself missing out as only the first 600 who entered being eligible for them. I had decided to not enter until near the race due to my injury history so missing out on the t-shirt was my own fault.


Race Plans

I had decided to set three different targets but was intent on going out aiming for sub 2 hours @ 9:10 pace which I revised to 9:05 thanks to Yaboya saying that we would no doubt run further than the actual mileage specified.

Target A 1:59:59 @9.05 per mile
I would need to run sub 2 to win the handicap.

Target B 2:01:26 @9:16 per mile
This is what Mcmillan predicts going on my 10k Enniscorthy time.

Target C 2:08:17 @9:48 per mile.
This is what Mcmillan has as a prediction if I want to run sub 4:30 in the MK Marathon.
I am aware that Mcmillan tends to be up to 20 mins out for novice marathons so I hoped to be well under this time in this half marathon.

I was feeling very confident and had even decided in my mind to go @ 9:05 pace and then speed up at some point between the 8th and 9th miles if feeling good to see if I could go a few mins under 2 hours!

The Race

0.56 Miles warm up run @ 12:36 according to my garmin however I had the watch still going while I was walking through people at the start.

I eventually decided to start about halfway back on the left hand side just in case a slow down occurred going into a right hander less than a mile into the race.
All was well with my watch finding location etc and the gun fired to signify the start. I found this amusing as no more than a quarter of a mile away I had read a sign asking for quiet as a bird sanctuary was close!
I did my usual and walked up to the start rather than wasting precious energy before I start to cover the actual distance. I was as far over to the left as possible to hopefully not slowing anyone down. Calvin Johnson has previously commented on my tactic as saying it means that I have no momentum going over the line and lose a little time..............maybe he is onto something?

I was no more than ten meters from the line when I looked down at my watch to press start only to see the time rather than the start mode! I quickly stopped what had just become a jog to try find location again only to be told my the female steward that my chip would of activated and started! So I started without my watch but to my delight less than ten meters in it was ready for me to finally press start.

Miles 1-4
8:54, 9:08, 9:03, 9:09
With my watch now working, I looked up and realized that I was side by side with the two hour pacer, which could save me a job of trying to pace myself! I've never really run with a pacer besides about 4 miles of the DCM in October so figured that this would be good practice for future marathons as after all these races are supposed to be practice for the big day!
I missed the first three mile markers due to the large group of people in this group in what was proving a little claustrophobic with narrow roads pushing the group closer together. I found myself about 15 rows back by what I guess was mile 3 so decided to pass a few who seemed to be going backwards.
I had my watch showing the time we had been running, plus the average overall pace per mile so far. This was a good guide as I could see that we were averaging between 9:00 and 9:05 throughout this period which was bang on what I would of been looking for myself.
My legs were feeling fantastic meaning that I was hatching plans all the time with regards to do I, don't I leave the group earlier than the 8-9 miles I had decided prior to the race. The wind was stronger in Bohermeen than I expected, so I decided that I would stay in the safety of the group.
We had the fun of the traffic on the other side of the road deciding to come into our lane down the back straight of the course which seemed to squeeze the group down so must of caused a little slow down behind. Thankfully I was up at the front at this stage so was not really inconvenienced.
My first gel was taken after mile 4.

Miles 5-8

8:59, 9:15, 9:04, 8:54

By this stage the group was thinning out and it was the first time that we had to tackle the long slow hill towards the second lap finish. This was tougher than expected and to my surprise I was starting to breathe heavily for the first time. We seemed to overtake many people who had gone out to hard up this hill and my watch was showing average times between 9:05 - 9:07.
I noticed that I was getting blisters on both feet on both balls of my feet after eight miles which I am blaming on running socks which I used for only the second time (the other was DCM).

Miles 9-13.1

9:10, 9:06, 9:04, 9:20, 9:23, 7:36 (average for the last 0.23 miles)

I had gone off the back of the group turning away from the home straight after the water station. I seem to hang on to water longer than others as I try and get liquid in me between my heavy breathing. I had managed to be back in the main group going down the back straight and was starting to feel good again.
I heard a female voice behind around the nine mile mark who said she was aiming for 2:05 but was feeling good so had caught us up. I was wondering if this was my nearest handicap rival Laura who I figured would of set off with this kind of plan so had a look behind and noticed a Dublin ten mile top that she was wearing so asked and it was. I had had three other girls in the group earlier on that I thought may of been her, but thankfully did not embarrass myself by asking them.
I had a brief chat with Laura and she asked how I feeling to which I said felling strong now, but was struggling. I advised that we should run outside on the right to avoid to shelter from the wind as we took the wind before the final water station. I took my other gel at the 9th mile. Again I lost ground at the water station trying to glug water down while pouring lots of it over my head and down my neck, just like I had at the previous ones.
I've noticed that most have one sip and chuck the water, where as I seem to feel the need to hold onto mine.
I then had the delights of having two mile pace group within touching distance before seeing them move further away when we hit the final two mile hill.
The pacer was dropping back encouraging a good few of us as the two mile group got smaller and smaller meaning I was overtaking a good few rivals, but not being able to claw myself quite back to the group!
The gap opened up the further up the hill I got maybe due to taking the brunt of the wind, or maybe because I was tired!
I was having conversations with myself up this hill to keep going as I was not going to win the handicap, but may be on for Target 1, and at the very least should get target 2!
I turned to run the short straight to finish, kicking for home and passing a good few here. I was the only won on the lumpy surface while everyone else was finishing on the nice red track, but were blocking my path so needs must.
I finished almost alongside the pacer leading the watching Yaboya and Calvin Johnson to assume that I had broke two hours!

The time was 2:00:20 both chip time and on my watch despite the issues I had at the start!

My average pace was 9:06 which before the race would of lead me to believe I would of broken two hours but hey ho, I am honestly not fussed at missing sub two hours by 21 seconds.
I beat McMillans prediction of 2:01:26 from my Enniscorthy 10k race by 66 seconds. I smashed the 2:08:17 needed by McMillan to get under 4:30 for a marathon and also as expected smashed my injury ravaged half marathon time of 2:23 from last year.

One thing that did annoy me afterwards was no water for finishers. I went over to collect the goodie bag and found just that a goodie bag with no goodies. I had missed all food and drink which was taken by the quicker runners although after a struggle some was available inside.
I met up with a few other boardies although am a little hazy as Yaboya was using their actual names rather than boards so meant nothing to me! Nice to meet Laura, Meno, Tom Joad and a few others who usernames escaped me

Sorry for the long one, I'm afraid I failed to make it shorter than my last report! Who knew that anything could of been longer than that????