Running mad or mad to run?

Slogger Jogger

This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. The plan was simple.. The training was done so it was a case of getting to half way on pace, keep it going til 32k, then the race starts in earnest.
As it transpired, we got to half way a little faster (less than a minute). Immediately after half way I took a gel and it has the effect of giving me stomach cramps which slowed me for a k, but I shook it off and got back on pace and kept it going to I think the 27k marker. At that point however God had other plans for me. My pace started to slip and the muscles started to cramp, starting with the left hamstring and moving on later to the calf muscles. After a few k I was off both sub 3 and PB pace. The last 10k were dismal. The legs wouldn't work and the head had gone. Those were done in a combination of walk runs as every short run would lead me to a cramp which forced me to walk. At 4k to go donothoponpop went by me strongly but I couldn't muster any pace whatever. Finished some 6 mins down from him and a good half hour down on Amadeus who had a terrific run - now there was a man with a plan that worked.
I was in a poor state post race with cramps and difficulty in holding down food. I can't put my finger on what went awry but its too coincidental that myself and donothoponpop has similar fades in the race when our training would have had us going faster. Finger of suspicion is pointed at a particularly average meal we both shared in the hotel the night before.
Feeling 1000% better today then yesterday. I'll go home from Rotterdam with some disappointment but life's like that sometimes and its a matter of picking yourself up again. Onwards and upwards.
Congrats to donothoponpop for fighting back in the race and finishing strongly and particularly to Amadeus on a strong run from start to finish. Hats off to you.

Sosa

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. The plan was simple.. The training was done so it was a case of getting to half way on pace, keep it going til 32k, then the race starts in earnest.
As it transpired, we got to half way a little faster (less than a minute). Immediately after half way I took a gel and it has the effect of giving me stomach cramps which slowed me for a k, but I shook it off and got back on pace and kept it going to I think the 27k marker. At that point however God had other plans for me. My pace started to slip and the muscles started to cramp, starting with the left hamstring and moving on later to the calf muscles. After a few k I was off both sub 3 and PB pace. The last 10k were dismal. The legs wouldn't work and the head had gone. Those were done in a combination of walk runs as every short run would lead me to a cramp which forced me to walk. At 4k to go donothoponpop went by me strongly but I couldn't muster any pace whatever. Finished some 6 mins down from him and a good half hour down on Amadeus who had a terrific run - now there was a man with a plan that worked.
I was in a poor state post race with cramps and difficulty in holding down food. I can't put my finger on what went awry but its too coincidental that myself and donothoponpop has similar fades in the race when our training would have had us going faster. Finger of suspicion is pointed at a particularly average meal we both shared in the hotel the night before.
Feeling 1000% better today then yesterday. I'll go home from Rotterdam with some disappointment but life's like that sometimes and its a matter of picking yourself up again. Onwards and upwards.
Congrats to donothoponpop for fighting back in the race and finishing strongly and particularly to Amadeus on a strong run from start to finish. Hats off to you.

Obviously,this is a big let down for you both,i had been following your logs convinced that you would both achieve your goals,the fact that you were so far away does not only point the finger of suspicion at the hotel,its almost a certainty .....i am sure ye will regroup and get there eventually

SUNGOD

hi SJ sorry to hear that report
all ye can do is put it done to expierence and move on
it strange that both you and DP finished so far below your potential,both your training was geared perfectly for a big race.
i would agree that external factors are to blame, traveling, bad food etc

earlyevening

Strange indeed that the two of you finished so far below expectation. I feel your disappointment after all the training... Strange too that woddle had a bad day also. Is there a Boards curse?

MCOS

Sorry to hear about that experience SJ. No doubt this hasn't dampened the spirit though

Rusty Cogs 08

Terrible hard luck SJ. Seems to have been written in the stars that Rotterdam wasn't going to be a sub 3 for any of us. The fact that you both came a cropper at similar points (after all your training) would certainly point towards something dodgy on the food front.

Anyway, it was all that training that impressed me.

ultraman1

well done and hard luck..look forward to the nxt one...

Krusty_Clown

Very unfortunate SJ, but hopefully you've come away from the experience without any serious injury, and will be ready to make a further assault on the PB and the big numbers real soon.

Do you think you'll have another bash in Edinburgh, or is that too soon?

sean_d

Sorry to hear that SJ, terrible to have all your hard work undone by something outside your control.
A valiant effort nonetheless (saw you splits, you were looking very good for your target) and I'm sure all that training will make you confident to get it at the next attempt.
Best of luck with the next one!

asimonov

Hard luck SJ, it was not what you expected to happen i'm sure - but if it was easy you wouldn't be doing it. Without being trite, on the positive side you raised a load of money for your charity - so hat's off to you.

--amadeus--

Not a lot I can add really. We both know that the hard work had been done and you should have made it. the fact you were still feeling ill so long after the race (and making me jump out of teh way despite stiff legs!) must indicate that that lasgane must have been at the root of teh problem.

Bad day at teh office and for reasons outside your control but you'll come back stronger and while teh day might have been a washout teh training won't be wasted. Like you said onwards and upwards!

Slogger Jogger

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Very unfortunate SJ, but hopefully you've come away from the experience without any serious injury, and will be ready to make a further assault on the PB and the big numbers real soon.

Do you think you'll have another bash in Edinburgh, or is that too soon?

Cheers KC. Time is a great curer. Over the last few days I've gone from (example of thought progression...):

• During last 10K: Never run a marathon again. Coach potato sounds good. Abandon plans to run more marathons in 08 inc. those registered for already...
• Day after: Hmm, yesterday was a once off. Don't make hasty decisions. Rest for a few days and decide next step...
• Day after day after: The pain from 2 days ago is a memory. Its great to have ticked off a 17th marathon. Great to have collected almost 1700 euro for charity. Take a rest, do some hill runs, enjoy your running and do Edinbugh - perhaps in KC / Conn mode, i.e. as one to enjoy.

Slogger Jogger

Yesterday..
Lolling around the swimming pool in the morning, trying to get the muscles going.. Last night, held bag of frozen peas on the calf muscle where theres a dull ache from the weekend cramp.

Today..
Swimming pool again this morning.
This evening, a slow jog around the football pitch while the kids were doing football training. My slow jog was a lot faster than I could manage at the end of Sunday's marathon

Abhainn

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Day after day after: The pain from 2 days ago is a memory. Its great to have ticked off a 17th marathon. Great to have collected almost 1700 euro for charity. Take a rest, do some hill runs, enjoy your running and do Edinbugh - perhaps in KC / Conn mode, i.e. as one to enjoy.
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Good to see those positive thoughts coming back SJ.
At some stage I'm due a bad day like yours. And I'll be dreading the days afterwards.

hunnymonster

SJ, sorry to hear about the bad day at the office. I'm convinced you'll come back stronger from this though. Can I ask what other marathons you've already entered?

Daithi BC

Sorry to hear it didn't go to plan. I blew up completely in Boston (a 3:40 having gone through half way in 1:29) before running Dublin in 2:58 later that year, so one bad day definitely doesn't mean that your goal is out of reach. Better luck next time!

Slogger Jogger

hunnymonster wrote: »

SJ, sorry to hear about the bad day at the office. I'm convinced you'll come back stronger from this though. Can I ask what other marathons you've already entered?

Cheers HM. Edinburgh and Dublin so far. Had figured on doing Longford perhaps aswell. The marathon in Dingle is intriguing too... that could be one to do, to enjoy the surroundings and damn the pace.

Slogger Jogger

Daithi BC wrote: »

Sorry to hear it didn't go to plan. I blew up completely in Boston (a 3:40 having gone through half way in 1:29) before running Dublin in 2:58 later that year, so one bad day definitely doesn't mean that your goal is out of reach. Better luck next time!

Sorry to hear the first bit, but delighted to hear your comeback race went as well as that. Theres an example there for the rest of us. Cheers!

Slogger Jogger

Contrary to good advice I decided to run this race today. I wanted to exorcise some demons from last Sunday's marathon by doing a long run. I didn't expect to be in racing form but I just wanted to get into a run that was in the hills that I would enjoy, to replace the bad memories of last week with some good memories.

The day dawned with fantastic clear conditions. The car window was frosty heading off but the temperature was to raise gradually over the day. As we bussed it from Johnny Foxes to the start of the race on Lough Tay we had unsurpassed views over the Wicklow hills and runners got the chance to see clearly the hills there run would take in.

My run details are here: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7974605

Saw Krusty at the start. May have been other boardsies in the trail race? The race started at 12 noon, just after the first of the ultra runners had reached their turning point with Enduro in the lead (again). A lead he would hold til the end (again). Brilliant, consistent running.

The field for the trail race was more crowded I think than before, and the quality was up from previous years I think too. I ran steady and I was surprised that the legs and body held up well. The narrow boardwalk on the fringe of Djouce has the effect of stretching out the field and it probably held my pace back, which was a good thing. I picked up a few places on the way towards Crone car park and ran for a good bit with the experienced Jimmy Synnott who had run 2 trail half marathons in recent weeks, inc. the Debra Ireland half. I think he was 4th in that?

A water stop at Crone car park (jacket ditched here as I was getting too warm) was followed by the climb up past Knockree hostel. I gained some ground again, but lost it as I needed a loo stop (too much water in the system). I gathered pace again and ran steady to Curtlestown - another refreshment stop there. At this stage I was experiencing stomach cramp and I knew another loo stop beckoned. Once I'd fertilised some of the Wicklow undergrowth it was back to the steady climb up out of Curtlestown. This climb is quite relentless and it can catch out those that haven't run this before, or run as long in an imra race. From the top of this climb its a steady downhill and I managed good pace here. These downhills were painful for others as the downhill pounding on sored and tired legs has a slowing effect. I was making good splits here though. I got past 2 runners on this section.. Then it was out onto the road and the last 2k towards Johnny Foxes. Finished in 1:46:44 for a 9th place (to be confirmed). The time was c. 4 mins faster than my time last year so its a good PB for me on this course (on supposedly tired marathon legs)... My last years time was good enough for 6th then.. Shows the quality of the field this year. Post race refreshment and chat at a sunny Johnny Foxes followed... Legs are a bit stiff a few hours later but I'm glad I ran and performed decently. Now where is that glass of wine

Woddle

Well done SJ, I wasn't as brave as yourself regarding giving this ago a combination of advice from others and reading the warning on the imra forum (if your not experienced navigator you could be turned away for your own safety), I would say you will enjoy that wine later with a big smile across your face from the new pb and conquering the Rotterdam blues, well done.

Krusty_Clown

Outstanding running that mean! you beat me by 11 minutes, on the back of a marathon 7 days ago. Fantastic stuff!
You should sign-up for an alpine marathon, as you'll easily sub 3. You're born to them hills!

Slogger Jogger

To be fair KC you were hindered by your dodgy shin and having run it before I'm probably used to the routes ups and downs . In any event thats extra time you had to take in the surroundings. And what a day for it.

sean_d

Well done SJ - I think you were just about the freshest looking of all the runners through Curtlestown, aside from Enduro.
The last of the Ultra runners passed through the feed zone about 16:30 - long day for some, they were in bits at that stage :eek:

Slogger Jogger

Recovery / slow run in the grounds of Avondale house. Started early and did some mile loops on my own. The first loop was comically bad as the body was quite sore from yesterday's exertions, but it eased out and I got into it. Sunny spring morning with birdsong. Great morning for running. Was joined by some of the other regulars which included Deirdre Byrne fresh from her Great Run race last week. One of the more enjoyable running hours I've had in a while.

Slogger Jogger

Results of trail race are out. Pleasantly surprised to be 8th, 13 mins behind winner, aprox 14% behind time-wise.

Slogger Jogger

A nice 10k trail run this morning in the soft drizzly rain with the slogger dog who didn't know what was going on. Legs heavy to start off with but again got into the running fairly well. Garmin here: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7990565

Slogger Jogger

Going to limit myself to weekly training updates for the most part. This week was a good running week. Its 2 weeks since Rotterdam so I just want to get back running and enjoying it and thats basically what I've done...

• Monday: 10k trail run in Annacurra
• Tuesday: 8.5k road run around Kill Of the Grange / Blackrock
• Wednesday: 9k, majority of which was around Killiney hill. Did a decent time of 11.14 for the 1st leg of the 2.5 GOAL imra relay, despite heavy legs from the WW trail race.
• Thursday: 10k treadmill run as the weather outside was attrocious.
• Friday: 11k around trails in Avondale in the evening.
• Saturday: Almost 17k, split between 10 in the morning and the rest in the evening. All around the trails in Annacurra. Great day for running.
• Sunday: 21k around Avondale. A glorious day for running in a god given location. Tough though. Some 500m of hills done.
• Total for week: 87k
• Total time ran: 6 hours 33.
• Total mileage this year: 814

Peckham

That's a lot of running only 2 weeks after a marathon!

Slogger Jogger

Its definitely not recommended, but I'm happier when I'm running. The body and mind feel good. I'll throw in some rest days over the coming weeks.

Slogger Jogger

• Monday: 7k recce of Bray head in advance of imra race
• Tuesday: 8.3k road run around Cabinteely / Foxrock.
• Wednesday: 8.7k Kill of the Grange / Dun Laoghaire run. Directed Bray imra run. Was probably glad I wasn't able to run myself :rolleyes:
• Thursday: 10k treadmill run, sub 40 mins just about.
• Picked up a back ache on Thursday so was glad to have Friday off.
• Took a rest Saturday too. Back improving.
• Sunday: 22k run on backroads out towards Aughavannagh and back to Annacurra. Fabulous morning for a run. Running alongside the Ow river in flood from recent rain for the most part. Terrific. Kept pace relatively easy.
• Total for week: 56k
• Total time ran: 4 hours 14.
• Total mileage this year: 849