Leader Of The (Mid) Pack

Sun 30/4 - Rest

Mon 1/5 - ARC Cancer Support 10k, Phoenix Park

Pre Race

This was my fifth year in a row to run this. In my first attempt, I bagged a PB which stood for over 3 years. However, I wasn't thinking along those lines as I made my way to Furze Road to collect my bib. It's always a very relaxed atmosphere here, and as far as I can recall, they are the only people who have ever phoned me (as a past participant) and asked if I would be entering.

I ran a Chesterfield Avenue/Ordnance Survey Road/Furze Road triangle to warm up, and made it back for a few stretches before we were off to our respective starting points (there was also a 5k taking place).

Lap 1

The race is a two loop course, starting on Chesterfield Avenue, left on to OS Road, right at the crossroads to Knockmaroon Gate, in and out of the Furry Glen, sharp left back to the crossroads and along Furze Road. I'd spotted a work colleague (P) beforehand who's normally a 43/44 minute 10k man, and tagged along a few metres behind as we headed for the Glen Pond. I reckoned I could take him on the hill back up, and was successful in this attempt as we turned left. However, I wasn't able to make it stick, and he got the place back before we turned onto Furze Road. A girl passed me as well, but as we headed down the start/finish straight, it turned out she was running the 5k. A lad in a blue Kingspan (sponsors) top had been in my sights for a while, and I passed him coming down the start/finish straight. Through 5k in 21:xx. Chance of a PB after all?

Lap 2

Much to my annoyance, I'd left my cap behind as I was rushing to get to PP earlier. At that stage, I didn't think it would be much of an issue. However, now the sun was out, and I stopped to walk as I took a water bottle at the half way point. Kingspan passed me here, but before we'd passed the 10k start along Chesterfield, I regained my place, and didn't see him again. So now P was about the gap between two lampposts ahead of me, and he passed the second lady before the roundabout. She was now my target. I was gaining gradually on her for quite a while, and as we pushed away from the Glen Pond and up the hill for the second time, I got ahead of her and would stay there. Or so I thought. Before we'd even reached the sharp left hander, she'd passed me back, and began to edge further away as we headed for home. A young lad who I know from BHAA (think he runs with CSH) decided he would have a go too. Even though I navigated my way through the walkers better than him, he got past me before the home straight, and I was on my own for the rest of it. A clubmate gave me a shout halfway down the straight, but all I could think of at that stage was finishing.

44:31 chip time, 15th overall.

Post Race

As I passed under the gantry, one of the ladies from ARC saw me, said I looked really pale, and advised me to sit down while she found a medic to take my pulse and generally keep an eye on me. I didn't feel *that* bad at any stage during the race, yet now I was feeling more than a bit woozy. I waited about fifteen minutes, and then, with two bottles of water and a banana on board, gingerly shuffled (almost literally) back to the car. That's as in walking. No way was I going to risk running back. I sat in the car for a few minutes, and finally, once I'd got myself together a bit more, drove home as slow as I could get away with. Home for a shower and a lie down!

Next

I feel a lot better now, but even so, I'm thinking I might skip tomorrow's recovery run. Not sure about Wednesday's club session yet. I'm planning to run the BHAA RTÉ 5 Mile on Saturday, but there's a stags to be negotiated on Friday night first. We shall see. Thanks for reading!
J.

annapr wrote: »

That's a good time in St Anne's... was that at 'race' effort? Could doing the 10k two days later be the reason for your wooziness....?

Thanks A, I'm not sure that's the reason though? I've done back to backs, including 5k/10k, on numerous occasions, and at harder effort than this combo. Last year, over Easter weekend, I ran a hungover parkrun in 21:42, and then on the Monday I set a new 10 mile PB in the Brian Boru. Couple of other things spring to mind regarding today.

(1) Not enough water this morning or in the day(s) previous.
(2) No cap - even by Irish standards, I have a shocking inability to run in anything approaching warm weather.
(3) Even had (1) and (2) above been in order, I definitely ran this one harder than I had planned beforehand. I look desperate in the photos.

Overall, (another) one to learn the lessons from!

Thank you all so much for your kind words!

Once I get the Novices thread up and running, my plan is to concentrate more on that one, so updates here will be less frequent and/or less detailed.

Singer wrote: »

Can't wait for this year's Novice plan featuring two races a week all summer

I think you'll do great, agreed with all the well wishes!

Thanks B, that'll be filed under "Do As I Say Not As I Do"

I think I'll keep tales of those exploits to here, and hope none of this year's class find them

And the DCM 2017 Novices Thread is away!

Interestingly enough, one of the lads on the club run informed me that I'm in this photo. It's probably been there a while, but to find out today of all days

Bungy Girl wrote: »

It's a sign! You're looking fairly happy there all right. Although not as happy as yer man closest to the camera. I wonder was he that enthusiastic at 26 miles ?

Thanks G, first night's work done! That photo was taken in Kilmainham, I'm 99.99% sure (11.5 miles or so) David was still chuffed with himself at 26(.2) miles....he finished just ahead of or just behind me. I can't remember exactly, but he was definitely in the Asics clip of me crossing the line.

Wed 10/5 - Club session, Porterstown Park

Long story short, I only got home about 10 minutes before this was due to start, so after a rapid fire change of clothes I jogged up, without even a water bottle as there was none in the house.

Well, it was my first time in over a month doing this session, and it felt every bit that way. 3x400 + 800 + 400 with 90 second recoveries. Stuffed.

A relatively large club contingent are racing the 6k in Navan tomorrow. Tempting and all as a nearly guaranteed PB seems (XC PB is 27:03), I have to decline this time!

Life got in the way of updating the Novices thread. Back on track tonight.

Speaking of marathons, most of the regular readers here will know I'm planning to run DCM again this year. The Boards plan for Novices was good to me last year, with a nearly half hour PB compared to Paris 2014. It would have been more, were it not for injury and illness.

However, this time around I'm looking for something a bit more substantial, with weekly highs of 50-55 mpw; this is what I need to be aiming for to go sub 3:30.

So the questions I'm putting to the floor are:-
Can you recommend a successful marathon training plan suitable for a third time marathoner as slow as I am? What worked well for you, and why? Thanks in advance!
J.

RayCun wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Advanced-Marathoning-Peter-Pfitzinger/0736074600

Used the plan in here ( <55 mpw) for my second marathon, 3:29

hot buttered scones wrote: »

+1 for that plan. I used to 18 week up to 55 mpw last year for Dublin and thought it was great. I'll be using one of the plans from the book again this year. I recommend buying the book as it has lots of info on how to run the session, pacing etc.

Thanks a million guys! I'll seriously look into that one. Two quick endorsements (including a superfast one from Ray) is very encouraging.

Thu 11/5 - 5 miles approx. in 44 minutes

Not a particularly fast one tonight. Probably a good thing, as this was the first time since the end of February that I managed three consecutive days of running. I had to thumb back through the pages of this log to find that out!

This was the loop I ran in my very first run after moving here. Out along the Diswellstown Road, over the new bridge towards Clonsilla, before turning right at Power City and following the Snugborough Road to the top of Blanch village. Right and right again along Clonsilla Road, left to pass the Roselawn shops, right onto Delwood Road, then left across the railway line and down around the outside of Tír na nÓg and a leisurely finish.

Just glad to get it done in the end. I didn't look at the watch once; at this stage I'm only trying to build mileage up towards something respectable, before I can kick off the next marathon cycle with some confidence that I can actually make it work. Thanks for reading!
J.