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On and On - We Carry On
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Krusty_Clown wrote: »I'm sorry I'm not pacing it now, I'd say you lads will have great fun on the day.
Cheers Krusty ! there'll be a bit of a banter i'm sure ! we'll need it if forecast is anything to go by...
Went to see Robin Hood last nite...was thinking how it'll be like Mick Rice and his merry men running through Cork on Monday
Race number is 296 by the way.0 -
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tisnotover wrote: »4miles with Pat out at farm with 2miles at PMP.
PMP splits: [6:49,6:48]
PMPhr splits: [152,162]
Threw on the HyperSpeed's for the run this morn, think they helped me relax into the pace that bit easier, even though we were running on grass, breathing was very controlled.. Strongly thinking of wearing them now for marathon.
It was only 2miles though, session was for the head more than anything !
Thats it now folks really. Resting now till Sunday, where I'll just do 2/3 easy miles. Will pick up race-pack on saturday. Time to up the pasta intake from now on.
Best of luck tno, its in the bag
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Just back from registration...t-shirt is much better than last yr, but its a bit on the heavy side for a technical shirt. The best race shirt I've got is the one from Dungarvan this yr !!
Woke up with a massvie cramp in my right calf this morn...ouch ! Is the body punishing me for not putting in the miles this week! :rolleyes:
Forecast is looking ok...there will be rain...prob for 2nd half of race..i'll embrace it at that stage.
Mile-markers...relay change-overs are all in place...its nearly time...bring it ! 0 -
tisnotover wrote: »Just back from registration...t-shirt is much better than last yr, but its a bit on the heavy side for a technical shirt. The best race shirt I've got is the one from Dungarvan this yr !!
Woke up with a massvie cramp in my right calf this morn...ouch ! Is the body punishing me for not putting in the miles this week! :rolleyes:
Forecast is looking ok...there will be rain...prob for 2nd half of race..i'll embrace it at that stage.
Mile-markers...relay change-overs are all in place...its nearly time...bring it !
I'll see you up there tno....
Rain for the second half will be ideal i think.
Just when the body is overheating...it might be our saviour.0 -
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2miles very easy at 8:06min/mile out at farm. Right calf felt a bit tight during it...hoping thats just nerves. Will nurse it for day, and prob tiger balm in morning!
Forecast is mixed. Winds will be light, but the rain could be there from start or it miten't come in till later in race. One thing that is welcome is there'll be cool conditions for the race.
Its all about looking forward to it now. Last nite I kinda pictured myself at different points of the course and what it'd feel like. I also know the last 10km of the course very well, I'm hoping that knowledge will help me get thru the pain when it comes !
My mind is made up now on a pacing strategy and i'm not gonna deviate from it. I hope that by 5miles in I'll have settled into a good pace and we'll take it from there, bring it on !!!
13miles for the week.0 -
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A wet and windy cork city marathon. As I said yesterday I had my mind made up that and that was to go with the sub-3 pacer. Figured there would be safety in numbers and that proved to be the case, especially running Eastwards ! :eek:
Great to meet Gringo and Sosa...both of whom finished very strong and left the pacer and finsihed well under sub-3 ! Also heard aero2k? roar "tisnotover" I think at 26mile mark, tx for support, it def helped !
2:59:56 as I crossed the line and I'm over the moon. Not bad for a first marathon !
I'm tired, doing a shuffle like John Wayne..but i'm gonna find a few club-mates in a bit to have a few Guinness with ! I'll sleep tonite !
Race report tomorrow...0 -
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If I'd known you were cutting it that fine I'd have given you a push as well as a shout!tisnotover wrote: »2:59:56 as I crossed the line and I'm over the moon. Not bad for a first marathon !
Hope you enjoyed the Guinness.0 -
If I'd known you were cutting it that fine I'd have given you a push as well as a shout!
Hope you enjoyed the Guinness.
I see my av-pace for that last 0.2miles was 6:10min/mile, so I think you had some effect, thanks, never thought that the marathon was two halves of 26miles and a 0.2mile interval !!! :rolleyes:
Oh the guinness was lovely, great crack with the club hearing people's stories from marathon or relays ! 0 -
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Finish Time: 2:59:56, Chip Time: 2:59:51...Provisional placing: 44th
av-pace: 6:51min/mile, avhr: 173.
Garmin clocked distance at 29.45miles at av-pace 6:48min/mile
Garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/36138160
Sunday: As I posted here did a 2mile run on Sunday to loosen legs and was still concerned about my right calf...all I could do was tiger balm it and stretch as much as possible. It was fine to run on and was hoping it'd feel better in the morning ! Weather forecast was for rain...GOOD...no heat ! We were going to get wet, it was just a matter for how long or when.
Got the race-gear and bag ready early Sun evening and was in bed by 10. Don't think I got to sleep till 12 though !
Monday (pre-race) :
Woke up at 5:30 and could hear the rain outside. A quick look out the window and could see the trees blowing a bit...wind from the East and it looked gusty enough. Said to myself the worst mite be over by 9am ! Time to get up.
Breakfast was a good bowl of porridge, bagel, banana all accompanied by 500ml's of Hi-5. Also had a quick cup of coffee to wake me up a bit. Did not drink/eat anymore apart from a Nutri-Grain bar driving in and a few sips of water waiting around in City Hall.
Went with the DS Trainer in end. This is what I had used for my PMP runs in training. Dropping to the HyperSpeeds was a thought, but i've never worn them racing in the wet. Also it was my first marathon and not sure how the lesser cushioning would affect my calves.
Applied a good bit of bodyglide allover and plasters for the nipples...which worked well, shower wasn't painful after ! Packed the gel-belt with 6*SIS gels. That thing is heavy like when loaded...but I knew the load would lighten. A couple of pre-race customary visits to the jacks and on I drove in. Was in city for 7:45...got a handy spot on Union Quay (thanks Condo131!) Off over then to city hall where I got changed+met up with club-mates. On with the bin-liner and off we hiked to the start...the wind seemed to have further picked up !
Very easy to get close to the start line in Cork, was looking out for Gringo or Sosa but didn't see them yet. Took one of the gels 5mins before the start and ditched the bin-liner, ready for off. The game-plan was easy...Mick Rice had a 3-hr balloon tied to him, I was going to follow that balloon !
Monday (Race):
Miles 1-5: Met Gringo just after the hooter went and was introduced to Sosa, spent a bit talking to Gringo for a while and turned to talk to Sosa but couldn't see him...pushed on then to tuck in with Mick's group and thats where I ran for most of the race ! It took a while to settle into the pace and was still worried about my calf. Could still feel something there, but it wasn't painful, all I could hope for was that it'd come good.
These miles were pretty unevenful to be honest apart from when we were running East and got tastes of that wind. Was thinking to myslef it was going to be "fun" running down towards the tunnel !
Had a quick look around the group, a few familar faces, couple of lads who ran the Bay-Run who I'd met before, recognised one lad from Midleton AC, there was a strong looking Athenry AC girl with us, I reckon there was about 20 or so tucked in at Mick-Rice's pace going through 5miles. I was up near the front, maybe too far, Denis a runner from club was doing relay and was giving me good support as well as trying to shield the wind from me ! Colin, another Eagle AC member was tucked in too, we were all aboard this train ! Pat O'Connor who missed sub-3 by 8seconds in Barcelona was ahead of our group and was running with Angela McCann (Clonmel AC). Through 5mile marker in 34:13, garmin showing 5.08miles !
Miles 6-10:
It was very tough running into the wind and did try and tuck in as much as possible into group. The first of the relay change-overs came up and great shouts of support from them, I was starting to settle now at this stage. There's a bit of a climb before you drop into the tunnel and as soon as we hit it, I found myself taking off, not good, I was ahead of the pack, what was I thinking like ! Its an automatic response with me lately if I see a hill to attack it like ! anyway I backed off and came back into the group. Down we went through the tunnel, bit of commotion here as one of the wheelchair's was flying down the hill behind us, so we'd to make a gap for him. I was running next to Angela at this stage (very nice lady, met her in Cork half last year), she was ahead of the group, but given conditions she made a good choice I reckon to tuck in with the group. Climbing out of the tunnel I thought the wind would be behind us, but I could still feel it from the side, no escape ! Took my first gel once we got up onto the flat. We were catching a few ahead of us, and as we ran past Mahon Point, Pat was caught and tucked in...safety in numbers.
I was settled into the pace. I was happy running with the group and it felt fine. The next mile-stone in my head was the half-way mark.
Miles 11-15:
We'd a very tough stretch here by estruary. I train a lot here like and I haven't ran in conditions like that in a long long time, you'd usually expect it in winter. I wasn't looking at my HR in this section, I just had in my head get to 13miles and we'll be turned from it. There was not much protection from wind like even with the big group. Past the half-way mark in 1:29:40-ish I reckon, happy out with that. Over the bridge over the south-link and onto a sheltered stretch for a few miles.Another gel taken at 13.5miles. Mick injected a bit of pace here, and garmin was showing us doing 6:40min/mile for couple of miles along here ! The group wasn't as together as it was. I noticed that the Athenry AC girl was gone, Pat my club-mate had lost the group as well. Colin was still up there though and looking strong. It was the first time I found myself working like going through mile 14/15, but I came good again. Gringo came up to me I think about mile 15 and offered me a salt tablet, which I took off him half a mile later. I owe him for this, it may very well have helped in holding off cramps !
Miles 16-20:
Going through the realy-changeover around here was like going through a ghost-town, not much support, relay runners were getting soaked waiting around, tough going. There wasn't many relay runners I noticed passing the group through the race, Lizzie Lee was one though and she was flying, think she ran last two legs.
I knew this was going to be a tough stretch, and the hardest leg of the race. there's a lot of twists and small drags in it. There was still a good number with Mick though as we ran out the South Link road, I lost a bit of concentration at one point, slowed down and drifted left, nearly knocking Mick...not the thing to do to your pacer ! Sorry ! It did wake me up though and I tucked back in behind him.
I was worried about the climb off the slip-road but it was fine, all those long runs with hills were paying off. Was chatting to Gringo a bit around 17 again, he looked really comfortable. Took a 3rd gel at 18. For the first time I noticed a tightness starting to come in my legs. My heart-rate was fine, breathing was fine, I was starting to count down how many miles to go there were in my head !
I kinda relaxed on the downhill bit my mile 19 and I saw a gap open up between me and a few of the lads. Colin ran past me looking strong as ever. I probably relaxed too much to be honest. the body was more than willing to take it though, copped myslef on a bit and was tucked in again down Wilton Road and through 20miles. Wow, we're 20miles in, I'm still with the 3hr pacer...this is where the hard work begins though !
Miles 21-24:
I know the last 10k like the back of my hand, I work on the Model Farm Road and know all about the drag up from Dennehy's cross. I was ready for it though and legs turned over fine up it. This was a big mile-stone in my head to get up this climb, back down a downhill section with the final relay change-over in sight, I was feeling very comfortable. Through 22miles and Mick shouts out how far under 3hr pace we were, I shout at him "Great pacing Mick"...he replies "we're not there yet". He was right of course. I was feeling fine, but I had forgotten one big thing...we were turning onto the straight road soon, and would be running into the wind from the East... SH*TE! :eek: There was also another shift, both Gringo and Sosa were now running next to me and looking very very strong...much stronger than I felt I thought !
On we turned and could feel it straight away. this was the first time I felt myself starting to struggle and the body and mind telling me to slow down. I was losing meters to Mick and his balloon, Gringo and Sosa were with him as was Angela and Kevin from Midleton AC. I took another gel here and told myself it was now or never. Colin was next to me too and we got back on board the train...back upto the front carriage ! Gringo maybe saw I wasn't as comfortable I reckon...but shouted out a few words of encouragement to me which really helped, thanks ! 23miles gond, 3.2 to go, ok, it does look like I'll make it...but will I make sub-3 was now on my mind. I can't remember how far up we were going through mile 23, it mite have been 30seconds. Mile 24 was by the Kingsley hotel, right at the end of the straight, and I thought it would never come...the group of us were still together (there wasn't 20 of us now!).
Miles 25-26.2:
Through mile 24 and I think Mick said we were 26seconds under. then I noticed Gringo push on. with Mick shouting after him "you're looking very stong", which he did...Kevin went as welll, then Angela was next to go and then Sosa ! It was me next to Mick now and colin behind me. For some reason I made a decision to try and push on as well. This was probably a mistake. I wasn't that strong. I did push ahead of Mick and Colin, but they both caught me going through 25miles, when Mick shouted "4-seconds under".
Not good, had I blown it, was sub-3 out of the water. Mick picked up the pace. I tried to go with him, but I was no longer able to...a gap was opening...Colin was behind me, we were in single-file now. 10metres...15metres now Mick was ahead of me...come on Kevin try and close that gap, I was trying to tell myself. This stretch was torture, all sorts of things were going through my mind, there was no safety in numbers anymore, it was me versus the clock. It wasn't about finishing the marathon anymore, life felt a lot more important than that right now, which was a good thing as I could have easily let it slip. Running along the Quay I kept trying to figure out, which bridge were we crossing, I couldn't see any movement on any of them. Finally that turn was in sight and so was the 26mile mark. I didn't look at my watch, all I could see was the gap to Mick, aero2k was on the bridge and roared out at me, it was time for one final go...
I could hear the annoucer shouting 2:59:xx for various finishers...it was that close..was I going to do it...I don;t know how but I managed to run that last 0.2miles at 6:10min/mile pace. Rounding a corner I saw the finish and the clock to the left, I knew I was going to do it, arms up in the air and relief, I'd done it !!!
Met Gringo and Sosa soon after, all floating, shook hands with Mick, and the lad from Midleton AC and a few others. Colin finished just 30seconds over the 3hr mark, I know its not sub-3 Colin, but you improved 12mins on your DCM 09 time. It'll def happen next time !
Micheal from club came upto me asking how'd I gotten on and I hugged him, I was floating...same when I heard my parents call after me, wasn't expecting them to be standing out wating for me in the rain....THANK YOU !!!
I'll never forget this marathon, I learnt an awful lot about myself in it. Through the training and advice here and from club I've learnt so much more as well ! The body is tired, legs are sore but its all worth it.
Today just hammered home again why I love running ! 0
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