Early mara 2010 and maybe someday even a sub 1:25 half and sub 40 10k.

metamorphosis

ill do 3/4 in the morning with a full race day kit test ... gels and all. bought me some more powerbar gels today although i have used hi 5. since hi 5 are supplying this year do you think they will be at the expo? anyone going to the expo sunday?

metamorphosis

I am scared to go out for a run in fear that a lorry will run me over or i trip as it's raining! oh well ...

village runner

How many runs of 18 or over have you done ?
List them for me as i want to see how you are fixed ?
Very impressed with the half time. Big improvement on your 10 mile time.
I ran 69 min in dungarvan and ballycotton last year.
~Best of luck monday and dont be aftraid to introduce yourself.

metamorphosis

village runner wrote: »

How many runs of 18 or over have you done ?
List them for me as i want to see how you are fixed ?
Very impressed with the half time. Big improvement on your 10 mile time.
I ran 69 min in dungarvan and ballycotton last year.
~Best of luck monday and dont be aftraid to introduce yourself.

4 of the most pleasing, reason why i run miles before work this evening.

Hey village runner - 2 runs over 18. Both just over 18. both round 2:20ish. One went horribly and one went really really well. Done a handful of runs between 15 and 16 and they went grand. Il deffo introduce myself monday. Does not seem to be many boardises doing 3:30

metamorphosis

Im ****ing freaking out. I'm convincing myself that i'm getting sick and i feel tired and i just wish there was a pill i could take that would knock me oout and have me wake up Monday morning a the starting line. Today is the 1st day where i am actually freaking a bean and nobody understands. *deep breath*

metamorphosis

Wow was i dramatic yesterday or what!

Excited now - heading to dublin soon and don't know how i am fixed for internet access so if im not back on before monday BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYBODY!

I'm race no. 7505, wearing the blue half mara tshirt, powerbar gel belt shaved head, might scribble my boards name in black marker on the back of my shirt.

osnola ibax

The very best of luck UL, might see ya up there at some stage, you are well trained, enjoy it and thanks for you support for me and the rest of the group, OI

metamorphosis

Just back home now. Feckin wrecked i am but some day.

Start line - menescmo introduced himself. Thanks for the kinder! Did the half in 1:29 but hadnt enough lsrs in the bag so i aimed for 3:30 ... and saw one of the 3:30 yellow ballons fly off into the sky before the race started!! they were a nice bit ahead of me and i spent some time catching up and paid for it later. Passed 3:45 ballons in phoenix park and say hunneymonster. Would have introduced mysefl but there was already enough people skalking her.saw woddle outside the park with a camera. Soon after caught up to the yellow ballon and trailed it for several miles. Pace was comfortable, enjoying it all ... came to clonskeagh just after mile 21 and BAM! Yellow ballon started drifting off. My heart was nice and strong but my quads were burning. the last 5 miles were a very hard place and felt MUCH harder than the 1st 20 miles. got to mile 22 and heard someone call my name - a gaurd i know on duty. Thanks carol! Miles 23-25 seemed like 10 miles. I think i started to woddle! Hit mile 25 and the crowds were bigger. Dug deep inside and picked up the pace.I knew that 3:30 was out but i knew i could get under 3:35 and went for it. Friend was about 500m from the finish and she called for me and i just got weirdly emotional and went all out to the finish ... which in reality probably looked like a woddling penguin.

Finished in 3:34:40 or something around that.

Happy. I deffo underestimated he marathon. More longer training runs next time. Can't wait for the next one!

Deranged now. Need sleep.

osnola ibax

That's a fantastic time UL, particularly for your first. Congratulations. Marathons are a different league aren't they?

village runner

ULstudent wrote: »

Just back home now. Feckin wrecked i am but some day.

Start line - menescmo introduced himself. Thanks for the kinder! Did the half in 1:29 but hadnt enough lsrs in the bag so i aimed for 3:30 ... and saw one of the 3:30 yellow ballons fly off into the sky before the race started!! they were a nice bit ahead of me and i spent some time catching up and paid for it later. Passed 3:45 ballons in phoenix park and say hunneymonster. Would have introduced mysefl but there was already enough people skalking her.saw woddle outside the park with a camera. Soon after caught up to the yellow ballon and trailed it for several miles. Pace was comfortable, enjoying it all ... came to clonskeagh just after mile 21 and BAM! Yellow ballon started drifting off. My heart was nice and strong but my quads were burning. the last 5 miles were a very hard place and felt MUCH harder than the 1st 20 miles. got to mile 22 and heard someone call my name - a gaurd i know on duty. Thanks carol! Miles 23-25 seemed like 10 miles. I think i started to woddle! Hit mile 25 and the crowds were bigger. Dug deep inside and picked up the pace.I knew that 3:30 was out but i knew i could get under 3:35 and went for it. Friend was about 500m from the finish and she called for me and i just got weirdly emotional and went all out to the finish ... which in reality probably looked like a woddling penguin.

Finished in 3:34:40 or something around that.

Happy. I deffo underestimated he marathon. More longer training runs next time. Can't wait for the next one!

Deranged now. Need sleep.

On little long runs thats a super time. Base on your half you have a great marathon nxt year.

metamorphosis

village runner wrote: »

On little long runs thats a super time. Base on your half you have a great marathon nxt year.

Cheers. When i was by the yellow baloon was was going to say hi but wasn't sure who was actually with the ballon. Turned out not to be you anyway!

Krusty_Clown

ULstudent wrote: »

Cheers. When i was by the yellow baloon was was going to say hi but wasn't sure who was actually with the ballon. Turned out not to be you anyway!

It was me (but village_runner would have been nearby). Congrats on a great marathon debut. With even pacing you could definitely take a significant chunk off of that time, and that's without doing much extra training work. Well done.

RacoonQueen

Well done UL few more LSR's and you'll produce a great time next year.

racheljev

Well done UL, great time! Congratulations.

Reaganomical

Great running man, that's some debut...all the long runs paid off

Wilbury

Well done ULstudent, that was an excellent time for your first outing. 3.15 next target;)

metamorphosis

schnellimbiss wrote: »

Great running man, that's some debut...all the long runs paid off

Wilbury wrote: »

Well done ULstudent, that was an excellent time for your first outing. 3.15 next target;)

So had time to mull everything over since Monday. Body starting to heal can walk properly again but going downstairs is still sore!

Learned a lot from my first outing.
1. MORE LONG RUNS. 2 18 mile runs is no where near enough at all.
2. Pace pace pace
3. Engage - it makes it all the easier. Krusty made it much easier the miles i was with him.
4. Never underestimate the last 6 miles.

I reckon i can take a serious chunk off my time for my next outing. Ill never forget miles 22-25. I cried a little, i wanted to crawl but i knew i couldn't. For me and everyone who was supporting me there at from home. Cannot exactly remember as it is all a little fuzzy but i remember my watch saying 3:24 or something close to that at mile 25 and it was a good ten minutes before i got to the finish line. That is a serious slow down from my normal 7-7:30 min/mile + pace. Pure newbie mistake. I remember mouthing to myself a half dozen time NEVER AGAIN. That lasted till i crossed the finish line and i cannot wait for the next one.

Rest of 2009:
1.Mizuno 5k in november. The UL arena here has a fitness class designed for beginner runners and they are making a trip down hopefully in november for this and my friend who takes the class is going down so ill head down with her. Never raced 5k before so am really looking foward to this although i know i might not run to my potential given how my speed will be afected the next week or two with the marathon still in my legs.

2.Waterford half in december.

2010:
2 marathons at least is all i know for right now. I would like to do Dublin again. Maybe connemara. Was thinking of doing the relay in Cork. Also toyibg with the idea of one abroad. Time yet.

--amadeus--

Excellent time and sounds like a brave run - well done. Enjoy the afterglow for a couple of weeks before making any decisions and it all gets (a tiny bit!) easier after your first!

metamorphosis

This morning was spent thinking about Monday and the last few months. Is it too late to do a race report? I'm not very articulate but these are just some thoughts i will throw down here anyway.

Pre-race:

3 weeks before the half saw me hurt my left Achilles which left me off the leg for the best part of 5 days. Then the Sunday before the half my shins were at me a lot so the Monday to Friday before the half saw me on the bike instead of running. I did the half faster than i could have imagined. 1:29. The week proceeding the half had me convinced that DCM was out and that i should just focus on a spring marathon or maybe Luton in December. After the half i was confident that i could do the marathon if i got a decent long run in. 2 18milers and some 15-16 ones led me to the marathon in the end. Macmillan says 3:11 but with not as much time doing LSRs i figure 3:30 is a fair time (3:25 secretly).

The week before the marathon was a rollarcoaster itself and i didn't taper as much as i should have at all at all but those are lessons learned. Friend brought me to Dublin on Saturday midday. I was finally getting excited about the whole thing and plus i love Dublin so i couldn't wait to be walking around the city.

Stayed in Clonskeagh that weekend at friends. At the RDS on Sunday i turned up just after mid day to see the queue was MASSIVE! But that went within 2 min. Inside i saw lots of very skinny fit looking people. The though of 'what am i doing here' passed through my head before i swiped it away quickly.

Race morning:

Alarm off at 6am and i pop off downstairs. Porridge - check, bagel - check and banana - check. I munch my way through these. Off to the shower. Pop on the weighing scales. Good to see no weight put on from reduced training the week before. Shower - check. Get to my room and lay out my gear. Although i am wearing under armour and a HRM i still use bodyglide on various body parts despite never having used in before. Paranoi has truly set in. Coffee - check.

Slap on the gear and the HRM. HR at that time was in the 50's. Taxi comes and i get in. Small talk. Im too busy in my own mind to engage in full blown converstion. The taxi man talking about the marathon makes me nervous. Look at the HRM in the taxi: Low 90's!

Get off and make my way to the start. Making my way to the baggage area and i meet a women i know from Limerick with her husband who is running. She asks me what time a hope to do it in. 3:30 i say. Her husband jokes that i look like i should be wearing an orange bib and not a green. Oddly enough it puts my mind at ease some what. We part. I drop off my bag. The Ma bumps into me. She is nervous for me and keeps telling me. Great this is just what i need. Someone else nervous for me. A marathonfoto lady takes our picture. Asks me if i have ran it before. Tell her its my first. She wishes me luck. Nice girl. The Ma and me part ways. I queue at the portaloos. 40min or so to go. Make small talk with a lad behind me. Sounds British. In the toilet i can't go despite feeling the need. This furthers my anxiety. Make my way to the start area. A guy says to me 'Boards'? 'ULstudent'? That's me. He introduces himeslef as menoscemo. My head is in a blur. I don't really remember this boards name. It sinks in two min later that i actually do. we chatter for a few min. He offers me kinder. I'm not hungry but i eat it anyway in a blur of nerves. He goes off to pee and see if he can see Osnola Ivax. That's the last i see of Menoscemo.

I see a guy that i know to see around Limerick. He was in the same school as me. We nod. I see the pace baloons at rhe start. I think surely i don't have to go down there to them. A few mexican waves and the nerves move to excitment. The yellow 3:30 baloon floats off. 'Great - i'm ****ed' i think. My plan to follow the baloons is foiled before i quickly remember that there are 2 baloons. They are VERY far up from me. This makes me anxious.

Bang - the wheelchairs are off.

Race:

Bang - we are off. Or more like BANG. Cheers and claps and then walk - shuffle walk and then fiinally a run. First mile took me over 8 min. I started too far back. oh well. Mile 3 i need to pee. Already? this freaks me out. There is a queue for the portaloo. **** that i think ... i'm not queuing. I run to the side of a portaloo and pee. The others queueing are women and do not look happy. Sorry girls!

I pick up the pace. I am by the 3:45 baloons and into the park we go. I pass them out. Look behind me. About to say hi to Hunnymonster but she is been stalked by a lot of 3:45ers so i don't. Another day. The park is beautiful. I see the yellow baloon in the distance. one pin comes loose on my race no. I stop for a second to fix it and off again slowly closing the gap between me and the yellow baloon.

Leave the park and see Woddle at the side fidgeting with a camera. Was going to say hi but i figure he won't know whi i am and i am overthinking the whole race. On hindsight i should have said hi. Next few miles are fine.Fly by really. I am behind the yellow balloons. Not paying too much attention to my pace. It all feels comfrtable. Then the thought sinks in that i ran to catch up to the yellow baloons- i realise that this was silly and that i will pay for this later. KC is doing a great job. we fly by the half way mark. Feel strong. Take a gel have some water. All good. Around mile 15 i look to my left and see a girl in tears on the side of the road with a Ambulance moterbike. My heart sinks for her. Her day is over. Mile 16 my right quad starts burning. Whats this i think. Not to worry - it's not over bearing. Miltown passes by and both my quads feel heavy but pace has not slowed down that much. Just before mile 20 BAM. A light switch triggers. I am in unknown territory. I have never went passed 18 in training. My legs sink and feel like they are part of the tarmac. I feel like crying for a min before i notice my friend standing at 20.5 miles. She has jaffa cakes. I grab them and much them down. After the race i learn that after i run off two lads turn to her and say ' he's not going to finish the marathon'.

I grab an orange slice. Its the last one. I thank the lady - really i wanted to hug her but i don't have the energy. Mile 21 and i think no more but i keep going. I finish my last gel. Not that it mkaes a differnece anyway. I move on. I look at my feet and concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. After doing this for what feels like an hour i look up and think to myself. Must be near mile 24 by now. The next mile marker says 22. I die a little inside. The crowds are shouting. I cannot pick out one phrase from the other. Its all a blur. I see the yellow ballons in the distance and mutter something. I remember the guy beside me asking if they were going too fast or if we were slowing down 'slowing down' i reply' I feel both our hearts sink a little. I wanted to give him some encouraging words but can't find them for him right now. I black out to mile 24. By that i mean i cant really remember anything other than a gaurd i know on duty cheering me on.

I stop to walk after 24 miles. 3:30 is well and truly gone. I don't care. I want to finish. I try to stretch my quad and it results in my hamstring seizing up so i stop and woddle on. i walk again before someone going by gives me a push. Thank you whoever it was. My legs and hips are burning. A few tears stream down my face ... are those tears or sweat. I can't tell the differnece right now. My friend should be here i think. No luck. The crowds are getting bigger and bigger. Its all a blur. Its just like my head is in a plastic ball all i hear is muffed sound. Mile 25. I walk i cant do this. I can. I can't. The crowd are having none of it. I pick back up to my woddle. The crowds are great. Although i can't hear what they are saying the hairs stand up in the back of my neck and i think theat there is a lot off good people in this world. I somehow manage to pick up my pace. I hear someone shout my name. I look in despair. I see her - my firend . I say to myself can't be looking like a loser now and reach in to pick up th pace. I see the finsih line. It says 3:3 something or other i get closer and get accross the line. Turns out i finished in over 3:34.

My god im finsihed. I limp over and get my medal and t shirt. I Need to lean on something. I lean on the railing. I look down to see a few bodies scattered on the ground. I see KC and the pace baloon. i keep staring. I can't not stop staring at it. It's like my eyes are fixed and i am unable to move them. I stand and stare at the next few bodies coming through the finsh line before limping on in a state of fuzzyment. It's not until i get to the baggage area that i snap out of it. I attempt to do some of the stretches that the physios are doing. I hear the moans of pain. They are masochists i think. I bump into another guy i know. 3:43 for him. Fantastic time i think seeing as his wife recently had a baby and he is always busy teaching classes. He gives me some advise. I can't remember right now. too busy putting energy into making myself look somewhat ok. We chat about some marrathons next year. What's this? Already talking about another marathon! Talk about some upcoming races this year before we part. Some friendly runner lets me use her phone and i ring my friends. It's done ... it's over. I am content. Learned a lot from it. Loved it.

Bobby04

Well done.

menoscemo

ULstudent wrote: »

Make my way to the start area. A guy says to me 'Boards'? 'ULstudent'? That's me. He introduces himeslef as menoscemo. My head is in a blur. I don't really remember this boards name. It sinks in two min later that i actually do. we chatter for a few min. He offers me kinder. I'm not hungry but i eat it anyway in a blur of nerves. He goes off to pee and see if he can see Osnola Ivax. That's the last i see of Menoscemo.

Nice report. I should never have walked off for that pee, I got to the alleyway and saw the throngs of people coming towards me and eventually had to give up and head back to the pen, but completely lost my place in the queue.
In the end my chip time was 3 minutes faster than my guntime, i think I started about 2 minutes behind the black balloons (4hr group) and catching up on them in the first 4 miles probably cost me my sub 4 attempt in retrospect. How close up to you balloons did you start?
I guess it is a lesson for next time eh? get up closer to our pacers (or alternatively don't go off like a loon trying to catch them).
:eek:Did i say next time?:eek:

sideswipe

Great report UL.

osnola ibax

Brilliant report UL, great race aswell

menoscemo

ULstudent wrote: »

At the RDS on Sunday i turned up just after mid day to see the queue was MASSIVE! But that went within 2 min. Inside i saw lots of very skinny fit looking people. The though of 'what am i doing here' passed through my head before i swiped it away quickly.

Had to chuckle at this. You do realise you ARE one of those skinny fit people. Have you looked ina mirror recently

metamorphosis

Haha. Its just one of those things i suppose where a lot of people will always see a room full of fitter people than them and wonder 'what am i doing here'!

metamorphosis

What i did for the week:

Wednesday - freestyle yoga and bike 30min

Thursday - Bike 20min

Friday - Went out for an easy jog. Called it a day after 3.5 miles as the legs felt like lead. Evening did 20min on the cross trainer before night classes.

metamorphosis

This morning - 4 easy miles.

On my feet in college all day doing aerobic/ circuits. Very tired now and have a splitting headache.

metamorphosis

[quote=menoscemo;62766797 How close up to you balloons did you start?
I guess it is a lesson for next time eh? get up closer to our pacers (or alternatively don't go off like a loon trying to catch them).
:eek:Did i say next time?:eek:[/quote]

Hey - just saw your question now. I was pretty far back. Once the race got under way i did not have a proper full view until in the park along chesterfield. caught up soon after. stupid on my part to do so much catching up really.

Thinking about any marathons next year?

I registered for Rotterdam last night. 40yoyos. Should be good from the reviews i have read. Now to smash that 3:30:D

bourne99

Absolutely brilliant write-up there, reminded me of my favourite Robert Ludlum novels!! Short staccato-like sentences really built up the atmosphere and tension, I could totally relate to what you were going through.

As for the run, great stuff. I hope I too can achieve a 3:30-something time someday.

'he's not going to finish the marathon'...

you should remember that one alright! Hat's off.

metamorphosis

Run or gym today ... run or gym today ... run or gym today.