Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

RandyMann

It seems congrats are in order and you made your target and PB? Can I be so bold as to ask what time you ran? My PB is 4:28:XX

Itziger

RandyMann wrote: »

It seems congrats are in order and you made your target and PB? Can I be so bold as to ask what time you ran? My PB is 4:28:XX

I believe he did something around 2.38.50

But I could be wrong. You might want to double-check with Kiely Unusual who ran a 'broadly' similar race.

Krusty_Clown

RunningKing wrote: »

Someone tell Krusty that Meno, MS & CL are already done with theirs - its safe to publish.

Haha, cheers. Only arrived back in the country this evening. Trying to capture my thoughts from such an incredible experience on the keyboard of a mobile phone, while stealing unreliable broadband from a local coffee shop wasn't really an option while over in London, so will try to sneak some time to capture my thoughts over the next day or two. Needless to say, absolutely delighted with how the race went. I was only saying last week that I haven't hit a single one of my marathon goals in the last 4/5 years, so to hammer this one with more than a minute to spare and run a negative split... Couldn't have dreamed of a better outcome. Thanks so much for all the messages before and afterwards. It made a life-long goal even more memorable.

Randy: Finished London marathon on Sunday, in 2:38:50 for 148th place.

RandyMann

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Haha, cheers. Only arrived back in the country this evening. Trying to capture my thoughts from such an incredible experience on the keyboard of a mobile phone, while stealing unreliable broadband from a local coffee shop wasn't really an option while over in London, so will try to sneak some time to capture my thoughts over the next day or two. Needless to say, absolutely delighted with how the race went. I was only saying last week that I haven't hit a single one of my marathon goals in the last 4/5 years, so to hammer this one with more than a minute to spare and run a negative split... Couldn't have dreamed of a better outcome. Thanks so much for all the messages before and afterwards. It made a life-long goal even more memorable.

Randy: Finished London marathon on Sunday, in 2:38:50 for 148th place.

Very well done Krusty and congrats again!

Mulberry

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Finished London marathon on Sunday, in 2:38:50 for 148th place.

Wow. I am in awe. Well deserved of course after all your training, but to see it all come together on the day - fantastic. Wow.

jcsmum

What a time! Looking forward to the report.

ger664

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Randy: Finished London marathon on Sunday, in 2:38:50 for 148th place.

Brilliant race KC what was your position in age category ?

BobMac104

148th out of 27,000 is not bad at all!

Abhainn

BobMac104 wrote: »

148th out of 27,000 is not bad at all!

More impressive:
Actually 148th / 34,188. 20th in age category.

Krusty_Clown

Abhainn wrote: »

Actually 148th / 34,107. More impressive

Not as impressive as 100th place. I took a few moments after crossing the finish line on Sunday to think about just how spectacular your run was last year. It got me thinking that you'd really have a decent shot at sub 2:30, if you had a mind for it.

<plants seed>.

TRR

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Not as impressive as 100th place. I took a few moments after crossing the finish line on Sunday to think about just how spectacular your run was last year. It got me thinking that you'd really have a decent shot at sub 2:30, if you had a mind for it.

<plants seed>.

You're too modest KC, take the compliment Anyway, sure you're 10 years older than Abhainn

KielyUnusual

Joint 148th place;)

Krusty_Clown

KielyUnusual wrote: »

Joint 148th place;)

I was going to say that. I never looked, until one of my kids asked me who they listed first when I was telling them about the race last night. I'd happily take 149th. You could have legged it at any stage over the last mile. I had no speeding up left in me!

KielyUnusual

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I was going to say that. I never looked, until one of my kids asked me who they listed first when I was telling them about the race last night. I'd happily take 149th. You could have legged it at any stage over the last mile. I had no speeding up left in me!

Believe you me, I'm very happily taking 149th place. If we finished 150th and 151 st, then I might be clinging more tightly to the joint 150th notion. I honestly don't think I could have squeezed an extra second out of the race on Sunday, which is a satisfying thought.

dowlinj

KielyUnusual wrote: »

Believe you me, I'm very happily taking 149th place. If we finished 150th and 151 st, then I might be clinging more tightly to the joint 150th notion. I honestly don't think I could have squeezed an extra second out of the race on Sunday, which is a satisfying thought.

To look at your splits...looked like a handy stroll around London.

Killerz

Well done KC, youre an example to us all here in dedication to training, hard work and perseverence. Awesome result, delighted you hit your marathon goal for once! :P Looking forward to the full report.

Mr Slow

Where's the report?:mad:

Krusty_Clown

Mr Slow wrote: »

Where's the report?:mad:

Stuck somewhere between my temporal lobe and greater prefrontal cortex. Busy catching up on working, shopping, cooking, and paying the bills. Sure just head over to Kiely Unusual's race report. It's the same as mine (in fact, I might just copy and paste it and change the names of those affected).

TRR

Mr Slow wrote: »

Where's the report?:mad:

Would you leave KC alone. Did you ever stock pile chocolate/sweets during lent and then gorge on them Easter Sunday when you were a kid? Well I'm sure KC has a stock pile of beer that needs sorting before he writes a report. Rumor is the EU were going to give him a subsidy for it at one stage as it was more impressive than the butter mountain.

Krusty_Clown

Mmmmm... Beer Mountain....

Gavlor

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Mmmmm... Beer Mountain....

There should be a spoiler alert for beer talk.

Some of us have yet to do our spring marathon!

Krusty_Clown

Gavlor wrote: »

There should be a spoiler alert for beer talk.

Some of us have yet to do our spring marathon!

Be strong Gavlor.. Hold fast. Only 10 sleeps to go!

Gavlor

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Be strong Gavlor.. Hold fast. Only 10 sleeps to go!

To be followed by 31 consecutive hangovers

Krusty_Clown

If you came here expecting a tale of man-love, then you’ll have to look elsewhere. This is no brokeback marathon. No bromance. This is a tale of heroes conquering against the odds. Of feuds with foreign foes. Of... Right, that’s quite enough of the bullsh1t...

The backdrop:
The target: the goal was to break 2:40. Nothing more, nothing less. I had printed off a pace-band, based on a 2:39:00 finish, but only because the pace-band website didn’t allow you to enter seconds. I had trained myself to run a 6:05/mile, which would equate to a 2:39:30 and leave me with a cushion of just 30 seconds. Extremely tight. No room for anything to go wrong. Dublin marathon last October had been a little bit of a disappointment. Sure, I’d managed to take a couple of minutes off of my PB (finishing in 2:43), but I had struggled from the 10 mile mark and not enjoyed any of the race. I hadn’t run it on my terms and had succumbed during the race, both mentally and physically. Yet again, for the third time I had failed to hit the 2:42 goal, that I had set for myself back in June 2011. I was inching closer and closer, but at a pretty significant cost, in terms of mileage and training. Sure, two of those three attempts had been hampered by extreme temperatures, but that’s not what you remember after the medal has been packed away in the drawer. You remember the disappointment. You remember the miles. You remember all of the training.

What odds would I have given myself before the race? Brian gave me 6-4, so not likely to succeed. Personally, I thought I was closer to 50-50. The training had been good. The build-up races had been good. I was largely injury free. Weather forecasts were positive. It was just that the damn margins were so tight.

The training:
Last time around I had half-heartedly adopted the Jack Daniels Plan A, skipping the sessions for races whenever the chance arose (and I raced like a ‘hoor’!). I had maxed out on 100mpw, and had ran this distance three times. I had managed the high mileage without injury, and felt that the miles had given me great strength and greatly improved aerobic capacity.

My training for this marathon started 7 days after I crossed the finish line in Dublin. I threw myself into Jack Daniels 5k-15k plan and found it very challenging but rewarding. The idea had been to build speed and carry that speed into the Jack Daniels Elite plan. Everything came crashing down at Christmas, when I succumbed to weeks of illness, that left me no choice but to hang-up the runners for a couple of weeks until my health improved. After 4 weeks of interrupted running, I stared dejectedly at the pages of the Daniels Elite Plan. I hadn’t managed to complete the 5k plan and now I was supposed to be into week 5 of the elite plan. Just looking at it scared the cr@p out of me. It was an impossible task. I abandoned the plan, determined to make the most of the situation and jumped into Plan A once more. Even this was frought with risk, as I jumped from a 30 mile week into a 90 mile week, playing catch up for lost time. Two weeks later I was up to 100 miles and has survived the massive mileage jump largely unscathed.

Mileage:
A bit of a hot topic at the moment on Boards, with opponents and proponents existing in equal measure. I tend to stay out of these debates, as, as far as I’m concerned, the only certainty is that we are all different and what works for one runner will likely not suit the next. Abhainn can run a 2:36 on the back of 60-70mpw. TRR and Pronator, perhaps a couple of miles more. T-Runner had run more miles, but also finished a little faster. My average mileage for the marathon portion of the training program (excluding illness which would bring it way down) has been 83 miles per week. In my mind, that doesn’t seem an excessive amount of mileage towards a goal of breaking 2:40. In fact, if you look at the Irish Elite women, who are running around 2:35-2:36 for the marathon, I would imagine that they would go through far more arduous training regimes. Male elite long distance runners probably run 110-140mpw. If it is counter-productive, if it is in fact detrimental, why do they all do it? Is there a threshold that you have to pass beyond, before running 80 miles per week makes sense? Am I perhaps playing catch-up for the 36 years of sedentary life?

I don’t have all the answers. However, I know that when I run higher mileage, my efficiency goes up. My weight goes down. My heart rate drops. I can run at the same paces as I did previously, with a lesser amount of effort. Some day, I may come to realize that I did not need to do as many miles to hit my targets, but I have enjoyed 95% of them, so will regret nothing.

Training (continued):
My training had been punctuated with some superb sessions and good race results. A disappointing result in the Dungarvan 10 mile left me frustrated but greatly motivated to improve. A fantastic experience in the 50k in Donadea, that kicked the speed-endurance into shape, and helped to provide a stimulus for the rest of my training. Some super runs with the club-mates that taught me how a long-run should be run and reminded me of the value of group-training. A solid 10 mile PB in Ballycotton that affirmed that I was making good progress. Two PMP runs, first with Kiely Unusual and then with Pronator/Neal that were key to allowing me hit my target. And finally some solid results in 5k races as I approached London, that made me feel sharper, and gave me the confidence boost I needed to take on my target with confidence. All within a backdrop of tough tempo sessions on the cinder track and many, many cold, windy, wet miles that must have served to toughen me up.

The weather:
It doesn’t really seem to matter how the weather is on the day; marathon runners just seem to cling to it like a defense shield. After the race I was chatting to a nice chap from Donore who couldn’t run due to injury and explaining how hot it got out there. He just rightfully laughed at me and told me that the conditions couldn’t have been more perfect. Standing around the GFA pen though, and later in the starting corral, you couldn’t help but be dazzled by the sunshine. After a copious amount of pints after the race, I went for a shower and had a nice singlet-shaped sunburn, but at the same time, temperatures were nice and cool (8-12’C) and if you weren’t trying to run the marathon of your life, would have been amazing conditions for watching a race.


The race:
Hung around with Pronator and EauRouge chilling-out in the hour before the race. The set-up in the GFA pen is fantastic, with toilets, tea, coffee water and sports drink readily available in abundance. 20 minutes before the race, we headed to drop off our bags and met up with the rest of the Boards lads. I made a last minute dash for the urinals and in the queue that had developed got separated from all of the other lads. We got called to join the pens, and I realized (rather too late) that I had left it quite late and there was a queue to get into the starting corral. In the queue, I spotted Robin and we chatted easily. Then I bumped into KielyUnusual and his brother. As it turned out, it was quite a fortuitous encounter. KU and I had met one time previously for a PMP run in the park and were pretty well matched in terms of pace. We had not made any plans to meet up, or run together, but standing before the start-line, KU decided to run with me for the first mile or two, as I had a GPS watch and pace band, so he could establish his early pace.

The minutes silence for the victims of Boston marathon was extremely emotional. Even the most hard-hearted basterds couldn’t fail but be moved by the absolute silence of thirty-four thousand runners. Everyone seemed to take a moment to think of those affected, or just a moment of lucid calm. All you could hear was a single bird singing in a nearby tree and a car driving up a street a couple of neighbourhoods away. The wave of feeling was almost tangible. No sooner than it was over, the gun went and we were off.

0-5K:
I realized all too late, that we had made our first mistake. We had started half-way back in the corral, and I incorrectly assumed that in ‘fast good for age’ corral 1, that we would be surrounded by runners of a similar standard, but the band is quite large and covers a range from 3:10-2:30. Immediately I felt frustrated as after 3 months of hard work, I just wanted to let it rip, but instead found myself weaving between runners and getting caught up in groups of runners running side by side. I could only take an occasional glance at the watch and glance around briefly to see if KU was nearby, as dodging around so many runners, tripping or getting hemmed in was a realistic prospect. Occasionally we’d find a bit of a gap and I’d find KU running somewhere nearby, but otherwise we spent the first few miles simply dodging around other runners. At one point I was almost ashamed to say to KU that our average pace was 6:35/mile; well slower that either of us had prepared for. First 5K was by far our slowest of the day, passing in 19:29, at 6:16/mile (target pace: 6:05/mile).

5K-10K:
Despite a growing sense of nervousness, I determined not to do anything stupid and just gradually make up the lost time. I told myself that the slow start would stand to us, and KU shouted something along the same lines in one of those rare moments when we had a bit of space and were running in near proximity. We hit a long down-hill and I determined to make up some of the lost time. This speed carried into the next few miles as we continued to duck and dive around the various runners, with miles flitting by in 5:52, 5:53, 5:59 etc. Mile markers were incredibly large balloon constructions, each with a gun-based clock. I realized that it wasn’t that much use to us for accurate pacing, as it had taken us some unknown time to cross the start-line and I wasn’t prepared to do the math on the hoof. The second 5k was our fastest of the day, passing in 18:35 (@5:59/mile), as we gradually clawed back the time from the slow start.

10K-15K:
Gradually, the average pace on my Garmin was dropping and by around mile 8 we were close to sub 2:40 pace. We had also reached a point where we were able to run in a bit of space. Still plenty of dodging, by I was running more comfortably now and had eased into my target pace. At times KU was ahead, behind or alongside me. We still had no plans to run together, but we were both running at a comfortable clip and eating up the other runners ahead of us. We had a quick chat occasionally, the odd joke exchanged, but largely the focus was on running as comfortably as possible. 5k split: 18:50 (6:04/mile).


15K-20K:
Still cruising, I couldn’t believe just how comfortable I felt. I knew we were approaching the half-way mark, but felt like I was cruising on a mid-week steady run. I had been grabbing the occasional bottle of water, and taking a few sips before dumping it to the side. Occasionally, you’d miss a water stop and another nearby runner would hand you their unfinished bottle, which was fantastic to see. Great to have this kind of camaraderie on such a big stage. The crowds were amazing, but largely I failed to appreciate them, as I just kept the head down and focussed on the race. 5k split: 18:53 (6:05/mile)

20K-25K:
Having run through massive crowds, the half-way point seemed strangely muted, or else I was just too busy checking my pace against the pace band to notice the atmosphere. We passed the half-way mark in 1:19:49, and as we confirmed with a quick chat, had given ourselves every opportunity to hit the sub 2:40 goal. We were still in the same formation, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, but always streaming passed hundreds and hundreds of runners. We may have gotten a lift from reaching the half-way mark, or else we were just able to follow the race-line properly for the first time, but we recorded our fastest 5k split of the day (and as it turns out, our fastest mile) with a 5k split of: 18:29 (5:57/mile) and a fastest mile of 5:48 on a rare downhill.

25K-30K:
Ordinarily the strategy I would employ to run a marathon would be to run steadily until I caught a group, duck in for a quick breather before pushing on again. It’s a strategy that has worked for me for long distance races from 10k to marathon. KU on the other hand was happy enough to maintain a steady pace, so we each worked within our own mini-strategies, but largely run alongside each other. There was little conversation now, but for the odd exchanged bit of encouragement. We were heading for the 20 mile mark, and were largely unmatched by the other runners for pace. The GFA numbers had now become Championship runner numbers as we continued to push past dozens of runners. Effort levels had gone way way up, body temperature was rising, and I took every opportunity to run in the shade to cool-down, if there was shade available close to the race line. 5K split: 18:41 (6:01/mile).

30K-35K:
The 20 mile marker is always a bit of a landmark for me as it’s the make or break point, where I’ve done all of the ground-work and just need to dig in and maintain focus for the remaining 10k. It also means I can start counting down the remaining miles and finally start thinking about the finish line. I was feeling extremely hot at this stage, and was dumping the remains of every bottle on the back of my neck, which provided an instant shock to the system that served to give me a jolt out of my slumber and sharpen up the focus. The head was dropping and the form slipping, but the occasional showers along the course did their job and I’d feel cool, alert and re-energised afterwards. I‘d focus on running form and make sure I was running comfortably. Still KU was always nearby as we ground our way towards the finish line. 5K split: 18:48 (6:03/mile).

35K-40K:
I checked the pace again at mile 22 and told KU that if we could maintain this pace, we would finish in 2:38:50. We were cleaving our way through the Championship runners, and some of them had even started to cheer us on and shout encouragement at us as we stormed past. It was really hard work at this point, and occasionally I’d drop in behind KU and let him drag me around for a bit, before drawing level again or move slightly ahead because of a faster running line. I kept an eye out for Emer, but it would have been impossible to spot her in the crowds. Just knowing that she was there though gave me a bit of a lift. I knew we were around a minute ahead, so had a little time to play with. Despite the ever increasing work effort though, we showed no signs of slowing and the sight of every mile marker was greeted with no small amount of relief. 5k split: 18:49 (6:03/mile).

40K-Finish:
You may have noticed that up until now, I haven’t mentioned the landscape, or even the crowds that much. Ordinarily, I would soak up these things as an important part of any foreign marathon, but today had been all about the race. I had barely noticed the London Eye, barely registered the Cutty Sark but for the crowds that lined either side of the road. I had only a vague recollection of crossing London Bridge. Most of the race and the crowds passed in a blur, as I kept the head down and worked my way towards the finish line. That all changed in the final two kilometers. You couldn’t fail but be lifted by the crowds that shouted and screamed and finally, with just two kilometers to go, I took an opportunity to soak it all up. And...it....was.....amazing.... Confidence grew as we got closer and closer as we wound our way around the final miles and I took the opportunity for a bit of show-boating, cupping my hands to one ear at a time, and savouring the massive cheers as the crowds responded with gusto.

Fun over, there was little chance of slowing at this stage, but effort levels were now at epic proportions. I was breathing heavily and could tell that I was close to my max heart rate. I was withering under the sun, but knew that I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other in the same rhythm and I’d get there eventually. I no longer cared about shaving off vital seconds, I just wanted to cross the finish line. I was hurting really bad. 800m to go, suddenly systems started shutting down. 600m to go, and I was calculating the minutes and seconds until I hit the finish line. 400m to go, still couldn’t see the finish line, and I no longer wanted to. I wanted to pull up. I wanted to stop. I had no more left in me. There were no thoughts of failure, only stopping. KU was somewhere around. I couldn’t stop. We had come this far, I’d be letting him down, but felt I could go no further. Still, I kept going. We rounded a corner. I could see the finish line ahead. I could make it. I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I felt horrible, but suddenly we were there, crossing the finish line, with 2:39:xx on the clock.

Afterwards:
I stumbled forward feeling very nauseous. I wanted to get sick. I had to keep walking, it was the only way to prevent the nausea. I felt emotional, thought of my brother, as I always do at the end of every race. Slowly the mist passed. I was given a medal and my chip was removed, and it began to sink in. I had made it. I had run sub 2:40. I checked the watch. 2:38:55, with probably a few seconds to be shaved off. I couldn’t believe it. Everything had worked out. Everything had gone to plan. I met up again with my co-conspirator for the last 2 hours, 38 minutes and 50 seconds, and amidst the tiredness and exhaustion, we remembered to congratulate each other on a fantastic performance. Posed for the medal shot, and headed what seemed like miles to recover my bag. Met up with Pronator who run a staggering race, then regrouped with Ronnie, Wideball and KU again and we shared tales of well-earned PBs and smiled and joked and finally enjoyed the sunshine and the wonderful experience that was London marathon.

Afterthoughts:

• So, is this it? Is this as fast as I can go? I asked myself this after the race. I put in a lot of training for this one, for me a pretty massive amount of commitment, but still think I can get faster, if the body can hold together. I have a formula that has worked pretty well twice so far and would take a pretty similar approach a third time. I just need to let some time pass before I can really think about doing anything like that for a while.
• Could I have broken 2:40 if KielyUnusual had not been there alongside me? It’s a question I have been trying to avoid asking myself. There’s a part of me doesn’t want to delve too deeply into the subject! I know I wouldn’t have run the time I achieved, but would like to think I’d have had the mental strength to break 2:40. It was a perfect formula on the day to maximize our potential.
• London marathon? Amazing experience. I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I could have, as this time it was all about the race, but I think I have a new favourite marathon, and think I'll be back some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of all that the race has to offer.
• Rumours abound (fuelled by Sky red-button fanatics) that in the final moments before we crossed the finish line, I may have grabbed KU’s hand in a very manly celebratory-type of salute. No evidence of any such activity exist, in fact the weight of evidence clearly shows that we crossed the finish line with approximately 1.5 feet preventing any type of unmanly contact.
• It has also been mentioned that I may have consumed close to a litre of beetroot juice (diluted with water) in the 24 hours leading up to the race, in an effort to give myself a vegetable-based boost. This too is absolutely ridiculous. I mean that stuff tastes like crap. Sure you’d be pooping purple and peeing pink for 24 hours after the race. Ridiculous!

Summary: 26.2 miles in 2:38:50, @6:04, mile, HR=156

tunguska

Somebody give pronator a sandwich for feck sake........well done done Gary, pretty much the perfect race.

Marthastew

tunguska wrote: »

......well done done Gary, pretty much the perfect race.

+1
Delighted for you:D
And BTW I bought those shares in the Beetroot Juice company:)

Now go and nurse your poor missus back to health:)

TRR

Brilliant stuff as usual KC.

Interesting point regards mileage, was talking to a running friend the other day and was using your relative high mileage approach as a case in point, you are 100% right everybody is different and once you find what suits you, you should go with it. If you don't mind me saying I think you overcooked Dublin last year (just my opinion not a criticism), you looked tired on the starting line but that block stood to you and it was obvious based on races going into London you had absorbed the mileage, this is normal can take 6-12 months to see the benefits of a massive jump in effort.

Anyway that's a debate for another day. Delighted it paid off for you.

nerraw1111

It must’ve been great passing the championship runners towards the end. Like a Boss.
Enjoy the beers and that warm feeling that comes with anything that is hard earned.

Caprica

Fantastic result KC, great to see that all your hard work pay off.

Krusty_Clown

Marthastew wrote: »

+1
And BTW I bought those shares in the Beetroot Juice company:)
Now go and nurse your poor missus back to health:)

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first in the series of beetroot-based cake recipes. Get on it!

Happy to report that while the Missus has yet to return to full health, she is much improved. She actually started to feel unwell a couple of days before London, and despite my (token) protestations, slept in one of the kids rooms for two nights. Much dedication to the cause!

TRR wrote:

If you don't mind me saying I think you overcooked Dublin last year

Not in the least. Your advice is always welcomed. Some day I hope to emulate the 'don't train hard/run very fast approach' . I tend to overlook the fact that I had decided to do Dublin 'for the craic' and only got serious about it with a few weeks to go. Hell, if I remember correctly, even London started out with a 2:41 target. As to over-cooking it, that may certainly have been the case. It was the first time I had under-taken that type of training (doing a couple of sessions with tunkuska and ecoli had been a real eye-opener) and though I settled for an easier plan, it was still a pretty massive departure from my more traditional P&D approach. I may very well have been slightly burnt-out and only adjusted to the different training approach this time around.

On the mileage front, I'm kind of falling into the view-point that there are two general approaches to hitting your marathon goal:
1) The low mileage/fast strategy: Don't do that much mileage, but run everything fast
2) The high mileage/slow approach: Lots and lots of easy running, with occasional bursts of speed (sessions).

Some runners (Stephen Way (and if you if you don't mind me saying so: tunguska) spring to mind), can manage both high mileage and high speed, but the risk/reward levels shoot-up. I was sad to see that Stephen Way had to pull up after 6 miles, when he should otherwise have run a cracking race and potentially a uk marathon qualification.