My UltraRunning log

mithril

Friday
Cross training in gym

Saturday
Summary: 6.55KM in 0:27:13 (4:10 pace)
87/161. Winning time 20:50

This is the first x-cross race I have ever competed in and was not sure before what to expect.
It proved a fairly gently introduction, however, since it just involved 4 laps of the Castleknock Sports Ground, with the only obstacle, a small bank.
The Salomon x-wings were a good choice for the terrain and indeed road runners would also have been fine on the dry surface.

Initial Kms 4:08, 4:16,4:06
The advice that comes up constantly in x-cross running is not to go out too fast so I positioned myself in mid-pack on the line and took the first lap around the course easily. I was surprised that the general standard was so high and I rapidly moved further backwards closer to the back-markers than the leaders. I had decided to be cautious in my first serious run for months and at all accounts to avoid picking up a new injury so just accepted the situation.

Middle KMs 4:15,4:20
I would be disappointed with a lap split on 4:20 in a competitive marathon and it was only afterwards I realized I had slowed so much. I felt reasonably comfortable, but was never breathing all that easily, and I think I was dehydrated before the race even started. At this point, I started slowly picking up places as others slowed even more drastically. This gave me a false sense that I was running faster than I actually was.

Final KMs
3:56, 4:01 remainder.
I had always planned to run the final lap fairly hard, and I picked up about 20 places in this section as others were slowing.
Decent burst of speed in this section but I think I would have got more value from the exercise if I had attempted this from the half-way point.
I saw Gerard a few places ahead as I came into the final stretch but could not close the gap to him.

Well organized race, slightly disappointed with the final result, since I had expected to finish about 30 seconds faster on the day. This is never a natural distance for me but I think I have lost a bit of speed in the last 12 months either due to injury, adaptation to slow ultra-running training. or the natural aging process.
A slight niggle in the hip after the race - felt fine during it - and this was gone an hour later. Reasonable return to competitive running again after a long lay-off. Just glad to be back at any level for the moment.

xebec

Welcome back to racing! Have you got the XC buzz or is it too early to tell yet? The real fun is in the rain, mud and cold of December and January

Standard in BHAA is generally quite high so always good competition.

Krusty_Clown

Nice work Mithril. Good to see you up and running/racing again.

mithril

Sunday
Summary: 30.65KM in 2:41 (5:16 pace) from Old Bawn to Kippure Adventure Center and back.

Navigation is very straightforward in this section on the Art O'Neill Ultra but glad I did this recce in advance. What's not clear when you drive it is how relentlessly the road rises from about 3 KM outside Old Bawn towards Kilbride Army camp. Legs felt surprisingly fresh, but my loss of cardio fitness was really exposed, and I stopped twice to get my heart rate down. Most runners will need to walk some of this section, particularly when carrying the compulsory kit in a back pack.
Had my eye on this as a possible regular route but it's not suitable. The section of the R114 from Old Bawn to the Famine Cross turn-off is narrow, winding and very dangerous. Parking at the Famine cross itself is an option but would not be comfortable leaving a car at this location. It’s adorned with an abandoned fridge freezer and discarded household waste, and would be a magnet to scumbags. Also worth knowing that when grass appears ion the middle ofn the road on what appears from the map to be a significant road, you have not wandered off route. This happens when you are approaching the junction with the Kippure road.

mithril

Monday.

Rest.
I have signed up for the Zermatt marathon in July which follows a route up the Matterhorn.

mithril

Tuesday
Summary: 10KM in 45:20 (4:32 pace) aerobic run on grass around Carysfort Park.
Found this tougher than I hoped. Sunday's long run seems to be still in the legs and a bit of a slog to grind out the planned distance.

mithril

Wednesday
Summary: 3 KM warm-up + 6*800m repeats with 400m recovery+ 2KM warm-down on U.C.D. track

2:59, 2:56, 2:55, 2:55, 2:57, 2:57

Good session. Timings a good bit slower than I was hitting in the Spring but pleased to pass another milestone by completing a speed workout without a reaction.

mithril

Thursday
Summary: 12KM in 58:09(4:46 pace) aerobic run on grass around Carysfort Park.

Found this tough at first, as the repeats from yesterday's session were very much in the legs. Seemed to get a lot easier from 7KM on for some reason, and I threw a few fast laps in to close out.

mithril

Friday
Stretching and easy cross-training.

Saturday
Summary: 10KM in 40:00(4:00 pace) race in Donadea Forest Park.
30/558 Winning time 32:24
I really did not feel great on Saturday morning, with a headache and aching upper body and only I had shelled out 32 Euro in advance, I would have given this race a mix. After a long detour caused by a road closed due to a traffic accident, I got to the local GAA grounds there and registered. First 3 k were on road and remaining 7 k were in the forest park. I found the initial 3k easy and when the Garmin gave me 3:55, 4:00, 3:52 I thought I might have a chance of a new PB. Once we went into the forest park itself, the Garmin readings went all over the place, and weakly correlated with the position of the km markers; I believe the course was accurately marked. The course was undulating rather than very hilly and a similar level of difficulty to the Phoenix Park 10km. By 7KM , the Garmin indicates I was on target for a time of 39:30 which I would have been well please with, but 30 seconds vanished in a puff as we headed up for the final hill. I passed the final marker at 36:05 and thought my sub 40 minutes target was blown but we had a good downhill stretch which I was able to use, and a final sprint saw me crossing the line exactly on 40 minutes. I think I will get another second back from the chip time since I was a little behind the line at the start.

Reasonable but not outstanding result - I could see a noticeable drop in fitness compared a year ago and I would need to be running this at around 39 minutes to have a chance of a sub -3 time in Florence.

I felt lightheaded on the 1k walk back to the registration area. I did not recognize anyone in the gym area for refreshments, there was a longer queue for food than I was prepared to toleratem and the showers were cold, so I headed off almost immediately. I am unlikely to run this again.

Sunday
Summary: 34KM in 2:44:08(4:50 pace) along the Royal Canal patch.
I felt good when I woke up; the race did not appear to take too much out of me, and I seemed to have thrown off whatever bug afflicted me on Saturday.
Nice run along the flat Royal Canal patch with progressive intensity; initial 10 K at 5:00 pace and gradually speeded up until last 5k at 4:30. Comfortable throughout.

mithril

Monday

Rest

Tuesday
Summary: 13KM in 0:57:54 (4:27 pace) on grass around U.C.D. G.A.A. pitch.
Evenings are getting cold now so tried out the long sleeved technical t-shirt I got for running the Laugavegur and found it excellent.

Tough, double session at the week-end and pleased I did not feel in still in the legs. Found this session handy enough once I had warmed up. First few KMs at 4:40 and slowly speeded up until final few were at MP.

mithril

Wednesday
Summary: 3 KM warm-up + 7*800m repeats with 400m recovery+ 2KM warm-down on U.C.D. track

2:55, 2:51, 2:48, 2:45, 2:50, 2:52, 2:49

Another good hard repeat session on the coldest night of the year. Fingers were still cold despite the repeats so I need to dig out the gloves again from storage. Times were a good bit faster than equivalent session last week, despite a slight head cold, which is encouraging.

I don't have enough time before Florence to complete a full marathon program so I am focusing on speed and MP runs in the hope that I have retained a lot of the endurance I picked up from ultra training earlier in the year.

mithril

Thursday
Summary: 16KM in 1:17:02(4:49 pace) easy run along Sandymount promendade with the MP3 player.

Lovely, mild night with a full moon and good views over the bay. Legs felt surprisingly fresh after yesterday's repeat session but pace diminished gradually as the run progressed for same effort. I have been doing virtually all my running this cycle on soft grass and cinder surfaces to protect the hip, and I think I strguggled a bit with the harder tarmac.

mithril

Friday
Easy cross-training and stretching in gym.

Saturday
Summary:18 KM in 1:15 (4:12) pace.
Marathon pace run along Royal canal in Mullingar.

Warm-up 3.41 in 17:15 (5:04) and got a bit concerned when I got a stitch during this section on the run. I think the two large lattes and panini I had as a pre-race snack might have something to do with it.

Found a level shaded section of the Royal Canal and then started the MP run.
18 KM in 1:15 (4:12) pace.
Found it comfortable enough once I got into the groove and could have extended the run for longer but I did not want to risk injury. The narrow, windy streets of Florence will be a bit tougher though.

Finally 2.75 in 14:08 (5:09) cool-down.


Sunday
Summary: 10 KM in 54:20 (5:25)recovery.
If training for an Ultra, this would be another back-to-back tough run but I think for a marathon training, a recovery run makes more sense particularly with my history of injury.

Monday
Summary: 38 KM in 3:03:13 (4:49) recovery.

Preparation was not ideal with a big feed of salty bacon and spuds immediately beforehand for dinner. Legs felt fresh though and no real sensation of tiredness at any point. Tried adding a few MP interval in the run but never quite managed to reach the desired pace which does not concern me that much. I found this very difficult in training for Berlin as well, but on the big occasion I was able to manage the extra effort I needed to keep on target.

asimonov

Great Saturday / Sunday / Monday combo mithril; is that the longest run you'll do? 75' at marathon pace in training will always hurt I think.

mithril

asimonov wrote: »

Great Saturday / Sunday / Monday combo mithril; is that the longest run you'll do? 75' at marathon pace in training will always hurt I think.

That's the furthest run for me. I might do a long, hill run along the Wicklow Way that would involve more time on my feet but I won't be going as far again.

mithril

Mobnday
Summary: 10.12KM iaerobic n 0:48 (4:49) on grassy circuits of Carysfort Park.
Legs felt in quite good shape after yesterday's LSR but missing a bit of bounce. I did not push the pace, but ran without looking at the watch, and was surprised at the end how fast this was for an easy effort.

mithril

Tuesday
Summary: 10.12KM in 48:46(4:49 pace) around Carysfort Park.



Wednesday
Summary: 10KM marathon pace in 42:25(4:14 pace) on U.C.D. track.

The plan for today was to move up the distance and start mile intervals but track was very waterlogged and fast running wouild not have been safe particularly as the light was fading and it was becoming more difficult to see the puddles.

I decided to settle instead for a marahon pace run.
After a 3KM warm-up, I upped the pace but found the legs were like lead. The week-end tough work-out was very much in the legs , even though I had no niggles nor a real sense of tiredness before the race.

I decided that running at MP while tired might not be a bad workout to do anyway - as a mental if not physical preparation for the race - and managed it in the end but it never got easier and every step was a slog.
Something not quite right there - maybe overtraining - or perhaps the traditional Irish diet at the week-end which is not quite ideal for athletics.

mithril

Thursday
The leaden feet yesterday told me it was time for a break. Clearly, the combination at the week-end was too tough and compromised the training for the remainder of the week. Tooklan unscheduled day off and went to the cinema instead.

Friday
Summary: 10.25KM in 47:45(4:39 pace) easy run on U.C.D. track with MP3 player. Avoided the cloud bursts and turned into a nice relaxed run on an empty, waterlogged track.

Aimman

Does the track be lit in the evening times? I'd be interested in doing some speed work out there after work, but the evenings are dark now.

mithril

Aimman wrote: »

Does the track be lit in the evening times? I'd be interested in doing some speed work out there after work, but the evenings are dark now.

No, the track is not lit but there is enough light from the lamps on the nearby dual carriageway to manage on.

mithril

Saturday
Chi running course with Cathriona McKiernan and a few other boardies. I will post a bit more about it in another thread once I have time.
I recommend the course. We did a run in the morning which was videoed and then reviewed our running form. Not as bad from me as I expected - my faults are that I don't lean forward and use gravity as much as I should and also I hold my hands too low and a bit far out from my body.

Afterwards 16.06KM in 1:08:23 (4:15 pace) marathon pace run in Phoenix park. Got caught out by the dark in the park; I was expecting the pathways by the road to be lit up like in Blackrock park, but you need a head torch. Abandoned the MP run early after a very near head on collision with another runner; we were both going flat out, and my newly acquired forward lean would have ensured I got the worst of it - broken jaw territory if we had not spotted each other just in time. Then another 7K slow jog back to the car at Farmleigh.


Sunday
Summary: 21.80.KM in 1:50(5:05 pace) from Portlaoise to Ballyfin and back.

Down in Portaloise for a meeting and decided I would take advantage to do a long run in some new territory. This looked a reasonable route on the map but the road was a lot busier than I expected and was also narrow, windy and dangerous even in day light. Had a high viz layer with me which made a noticeable difference in terms of the reaction time of the drivers as dusk fell. I also had a head torch with me and could have extended the run but was not keen on running around unknown estates on Halloween night so finished early. Last week-end I did a bit too much and this week-end a bit too little, so I will try and get a good quality run in mid-week as well to make up.

Monday
Summary: 8KM in 43:38(5:24 pace) recovery run on grass around Carysfort Park.

mithril

Tuesday
Summary: 21.1KM in 1:28:48(4:12 pace) marathon pace run around Blackrock Park.

Started nice with a gentle drizzle on a very mild evening but wind strengthened and got caught in a cloud burst so I was like a drowned rat by the end.
Contact lens felt out and could not read the Garmin so I had to approach an old lady walking through the park to read the distance.

Ran very comforably up until 18 Km despite the conditions but then fatigue started to set in. A good run considering my starting level of fitness 5 weeks ago was not great and I have come along quite nicely since. I think I am a little bit away from sub 3 hours but will be knocking on the door in Florence. Still a bit of niggle from the hip and if it plays up on the day, I will slow or drop out, rather than risk aggravating it.

mithril

Wednesday
Summary: 8.51KM in 49:10 (5:47 pace) recovery run around Carysfort Park

Thursday
intervals 6* 1.6KM intervals on U.C.D. track with 800m recovery..
Still some tiredness in the legs after Tuesday but not wiped out the way I was last week when I had to abandon the interval session altogether.
U.C.D. track again very waterlogged, and a very strong wind blowing across the track, so conditions not ideal. Ran the intervals between 3:50 and 4:00 pace, a bit slower than I had planned, but anything faster was too dangerous under the conditions.

mithril

Friday
Summary: 10KM in 1:00:27 (6:02 pace) recovery run along the sea from Dalkey to Killiney Hill.

Saturday
Summary: 35KM in 2:42:11(4:38 pace) long run along the sea front from Clontarf to Sutton and back.
Added 3*1, 2*2 and 1*3 KM intervals at marathon pace to the run.

Moved my long run forward a day, since with the addition of MP intervals I wanted to run it fresh, and was unsure how bad conditions would be in the expected storm tomorrow.

Quite pleasant out most of the afternoon. A strong wind blowing from the south, which made the intervals quite easy when heading north, but pretty tough in the reverse direction.

Fairly comfortable run with no niggles and the hip injury seems to be clearing up. 3 weeks now before Florence so have run out of time and need to start a taper. I don't think there is any further performance benefit to be got from hard training beyond this point. Priority now is to maintain the fitness level, don't put on any weight, and arrive on the start line fresh and uninjured.

RacoonQueen

I hope you're keeping those shoulders relaxed! :pac:

mithril

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I hope you're keeping those shoulders relaxed! :pac:

Actuall, I don't think that was ever a problem except in class.:) Practising my forward lean today . Cathriona was right. There is a bit of free speed to be had if you let gravity help you.

mithril

Sunday
Summary: 10.38KM in 58:13(5:37 pace) recovery run around Sandyford.

Monday
Summary: 10.08KM in 47:40(4:44 pace) aerobic run in the dark on grass around Carysfort park

Tuesday
Summary: 16.04KM in 1:05:47(4:06 pace) at slightly faster than PMP around Blackrock Park.
Lucky with the timing - managed to fit it in between two downpours. Benefiting from an extra day's race, and start of taper, this felt very comfortable on fresh legs.

mithril

Wednesday
Summary: 9.13KM in 51:55(5:41 pace) recovery run around Sandyford.

Thursday
Legs felt fresh enough but I knew I could not do a quality session in the storm and I had a touch of a cold which I did not think being sand-blasted with freezaing rain would improve. Instead headed for gym but not motivated to train properly and did very little.

Friday
Summary:
Interval sesssion on U.C.D track. 6 *1600M with 600m recovery. Tried to keep running at a reasonable pace in the recovery period rather than collapsing to my usual jog.

Solid sequence of:
5:57,6:01,5:55,6:05 6:10,6:10

Would have been better if I could have hit a constant 6 minute throughout the session instead of slippingbut did not feel wiped out by the session and I thin k I could have managed a few more if I needed to.
Conditions wet and a bit windy and would have managed a bit faster if these more more ideal.

mithril

Saturday
Summary:9.11 KM in 52:46 (5:48) pace.
Recovery run around Sandyford.

Sunday
Summary:26.71 KM in 2:01:12 (4:32) pace along Newry canal path.
Up in Newry for the day and took advantage to do the final long run along the dead flat canal path towards Portadown. This is part of the Newry marathon route which I expect to run at some point.
Freezing fog brought the temperature down to a chilly 3 degrees but I got a very good long sleeved technical running shirt for competing in the Laugevegur marathon in Iceland and it kept me warm without overheating.
Kept the default pace at around 4:50 and then threw in marathon pace intervals as follows:
3*1KM, 1*2KM , 1*3KM, 1*4KM
Comfortable enough hitting the pace for the intervals but putting 42 back-to-back at that speed is a tougher proposition and will only find out on the day whether I can cope.

mithril

Monday
Summary: 6 KM in 33:00 (5:30) recovery run along Carysfort Park.

Felt good after the final long run on Sunday but came into work with a distinct limp. Initially I found it hard to diagnose the root cause, but recovery run that evening confirmed its a re-occurence of the same hip injury which I picked up in June.
I made the mistake at that time of trying to run and cross-train through it which just aggravated it. Going to rest it for a few days and have set up an appointment with the physio.

mithril

Thursday
Summary: 3.88KM aerobic 18:35 (4:48) aerobic run around Blackrock park.
Hip seems to have stabilised so decided to try it out with a short run. Comfortable at this pace but the real test will be whether I get a reaction tomorrow. Seem also to have lost a lot of fitness since Saturday. Suspect I have put on a couple of pounds with with eating through boredom to fill in the gap in the evening.

mithril

Saturday
Summary: 5.03KM in 21:32 (4:48) around 4 laps of Maynooth University Campus.
That's the only time I ever have run the distance so new PB.

Took this easy enough with a mind to the CC race next day and upcoming marathon.

Well organized event by Woddle,Roadrunner and Menesco with hot showers and super feed afterwards and I think we would have have got a bigger turnout if we had charged for it. Some people won't believe they can get anything good for free.

Spent the first lap at back of field (4:51 KM pace) and gradually increased pace as the race progressed until I ran the final KM at 3:49.

mithril

Sunday
Summary: 8.83? KM aerobic 34:27 (3:54) cross country run around Tymon Park.
38/57 winning time 29:48

I watched last year's race as a spectator so I had an idea of what to expect. Only 57 running, but the standard of the field is very high, since athletics talent is concentrated in the clubs and they send their best runners out in inter-club competition.
I lined up at the start with Peckham, Alan, and donothonpop to form the 4 man Boards team with plenty of vocal support on the side-lines from other Boards A.C. members.

I had worried that I might have another reaction after yesterday's time trial in Maynooth, but a lot of work to loosen out the hip muscles the night before seemed to have done the trick, and I felt in pretty good shape.

First Lap. (3.51, 3.51)
The gun went and immediately I headed to the very back of the field. These were actually the fastest splits I ran in the race so you can gauge the pace that others were running at. I knew I would need some reserves for later in the race as I tired and I was not prepared to go too much outside my comfort zone at this point.

Second Lap. (4:02, 3.54)
I started to make slower progress up the field on the second lap and caught up with Peckham and DonothonPop so we had 3 boardsies running together for a bit. Then I very gradually crept forward by maintaining the same pace as others recovered from an unsustainable start, until I caught up with Alan.

Third Lap. (3:57,3:56)
The plan was to burn the reserves on lap 3 and then rely on adrenaline to see me over the finishing line on the final lap. Looking at the splits I realize now that the speed injection I thought I was adding never really happened and all I was doing was maintaining a roughly constant pace. This was good enough though to make good progress up the field and I picked up about 7 or 8 places on this lap, speeding up for a brief period to overtake, then recovering, and then trying to close the gap to the next runner enough to repeat the same thing again.


Final Lap. (3:54,4:00,3:39 remnant)
The final lap was really about holding on and preserving what I had. I was feeling fairly comfortable but by this time the runners were a lot more spaced out and I found it difficult to output enough power to maintain pace. I caught one of the Liffey Valley runners on the final lap, but could not pull away and we ran together into the final closing 200 M section. It came down to a final sprint, and if I am honest, I think it was greater mental strength that got him his place back.
I saw Woddle up ahead with the camera, and then was over the line, followed by a succession of the other Boards runners in close proximity.

I enjoyed the race more than I expected, the dynamic of team competition and focussing on race position rather than time adds a new dimension.
Boards A.C. were last on the day but the achievement was in getting out a team in the first place , which some of the more established clubs like Dundrum and Tallaght did not manage to do.

Surprised by how much my Garmin differed from the official race distance. I think it was a little longer than the official distance but I also probably need to be more conscious of the shortest line.


Focus moves now towards Florence Marathon next Sunday. Possibly this was a little too intense to be ideal during a taper but I have no firm goal targets for that race, and as long as I finish the race uninjured I think I will be happy.

Woddle

Super job mithrill, I for one was delighted to see you turn up and I really thought you ran a very smart race and your report confirmed it. Good job.

mithril

Monday
Summary: 8.63KM in 51:20 (5:57) recovery around Blackrock Park.

Met my physio who did some work to loosen up the hip. Motion is a bit restricted which is affecting stride length, but nothing too serious. He said a X-Country race would be
more likely to aggravate it than a marathon and since I came though Sunday’s race fine, I should OK next week-end.

Tuesday
Summary: 7KM in 29:10 (4:10) MP run around U.C.D. track while a crack Boards A.C. selection powered through their 400M intervals. We are trying to make this a weekly session.

That completes the training for Florence. After this point, I will either rest, or do short recovery. The goal will be to try and slip under the 3 hour mark on the day.
I am inclined to try and link up with the 3 hour pace group for at least the first half of the race provided they are not going too fast. In general, I favour roughly even splits as a strategy and even though there is more downhill in the first half, I think I will drop off if it looks to be heading faster than 1:29.
I commenced training after injury in mid-September and the training plan was necessarily sub-optimal due to the compressed window. I prioritized my training around performing a lot of running around target MP since I figured this would give me the best return on my limited time by lowering the lactate threshold which is supposed to be the most important constituent of marathon performance.
Endurance has never been a problem for me and I am gambling that the stamina gains, I picked up with the double LSRs for the Ultras earlier in the year are largely preserved.
I would have liked to do more intervals starting at 400M and lengthening the distance as the week' progress since I think these are key in eking out performance improvement but the training cycle was not long enough and in the early sessions I was cautious about the risk of aggravating the hip.
I have not done tempo runs either but fitted 3 short races into the schedule with mixed results. I was however breathing a lot easier in the final one at the week-end than the initial race, which must be a good sign.
I have avoided hills totally (Florence is pretty flat) but will be hitting them immediately after I recovered from the marathon in preparation for the Art O'Neill Ultra in January.
I have realized that I was doing my recovery runs too fast and I have slowed them down drastically from around 5:10 to 5:45 pace or even slower. As a result, most of my quality runs have been completed feeling much fresher than in previous marathon attempts and hopefully generating a better training stimulus.

mithril

Summary: 42.2 KM in 2:58:39 (4:14 Pace)
Ranking: 344/7773
Winning Time: 2:12:40

Prolog
I was very lucky to make it to the starting line in the first place for this. Our flight was delayed for 3 hours on Saturday morning ,and when the pilot announced that we were seventh in the queue for the only de-icing machine Aer Rianta had available, with no ETA, it looked very close to cancellation. Ryanair have their own agenda in bad-mouthing Aer Rianta but this seemed farcical since the snow was quite light, and the traffic was moving freely on the road to the airport. We were saved by a slight thaw as the day progressed, which meant the de-icing procedure became unnecessary. I met HTT and a few other Irish runners on the flight and we headed to the expo together and had picked up the numbers with plenty of time to spare, before it closed at 8.

Start
We really had dreadful luck with the weather. Saturday in Florence, was a little cool to walk around but would have been fine for marathon running, while it was positively balmy by Monday, and it was comfortable to eat and drink outside until 10.
Sunday though was cold with persistent heavy rain that never let up, kept the crowds off the streets, and sucked most of the atmosphere out of the event.
At least we had plenty of advance warning from an accurate weather forecast. I had paid a pre-race trip to Dunnes Stores for the disposable kit to keep me comfortable (Fleece 9 Euro, Hat 4 Euro and Gloves 3 Euro) and with a plastic bag over me to keep most of the water off, I managed to stay dry and warm before the start.
The race route had changed this year to make it flatter, we had a long walk down the hill, a few false starts before the gun went, and we were finally off.

Km 1-10 (4:14 and 4:15 pace) I located the balloons of the 3 hour pace group and tucked myself about 100 metres behind for the first half of the race.
I was really taken back by how congested the race was around me. Even though there was only a sixth of the runners as at Berlin, the narrow streets funnelled the racers closer together, particularly around the 3 hour pace group, where we had around 100 in tight formation. I held back a bit to avoid the worst of the jostling but nearly got knocked on a couple of occasions and it was a real scrum at the drink stations.
Even though we had a downhill to help, I found the first 5K the toughest of the race. I normally am a slow starter since I don’t acquire fluidity in the running action until I am well warmed up. I had not been able to resist the temptation of a few glasses of wine to wash down the pasta the night before and I was mildly hung over. I was breathing easily though and I knew I would be able to ease myself into it.
I met Asimonov after about 5K, and he was looking very comfortable at this point, and when he said the knee was not bothering him, I know he would shortly be opening the throttle and heading out of sight.

Km 10-21 (4:15 and 4:16 pace)
Normally I rely heavily on a Garmin to maintain an even pace which I believe is key to completing a race optimally. However the Garmin was showing an elapsed average pace of 4:08 which would have brought me to the halfway point in around 1:28, a good bit faster than I wanted. I considered dropping off the pace but then decided to trust that the pace makers knew what they were doing. Once I passed the halfway clock in 1:29:52, I knew I had made the correct call.
Afterwards, I realized what had happened . We had run through a tunnel early in the race and the satellite signal had been lost. The Garmin had timed KM 6 as 3:15 and this had messed up the overall race pace calculation. Lesson learned for the future. If I am running a fast goal marathon again, and I have no plans to do it at the moment, I will tape a pace band around my wrist as a backup.


Km 21-35 (4:08, 4:15, 4:13 pace)
After the half-way point I was running comfortably so I implemented my pre-race plan of breaking clear of the 3 hour group and building up a buffer in case I needed it later. KM 21-30 have always been the best part of a marathon for me, psychologically you feel better since you are heading home, and at this time I have fully warmed up without starting to tire. The other consideration was it was still very congested around the 3 hour mark and I was afraid of taking a tumble or getting an elbow in the face. I speeded up to 4:08 pace for the next few KMs and gradually pulled away.

Km 35 –Finish (4:14 and 4:15 pace)
The hip started to niggle at this point, and I was concerned that if it worsened, I would have to drop out of the race ,so I slowed down again to 3 hour pace. I was about 100m ahead of the lead runner in the pace group, and assumed that 3 hour pace would be driven by the final pacer who was another 100 m behind. The lace on my right shoe got very loose, but I knew that if I stopped to re-tie it, I would be caught, and I doubted I had the acceleration to catch up. I felt I had an extra gear in Berlin last year which I did not have on Sunday, perhaps due to the fact I did not do tempo runs in this training cycle or maybe the x-country race a week earlier was still a little in the legs.
Conditions were not remotely as bad as in the Cork Marathon in June, where the driving rain was horrendous, but as we crossed the final bridge I slowed noticeably, and I knew the head-wind was having an impact.
The last few KMs were in the historic centre of the town and you run alongside the major sites such as the cathedral. I was disappointed though with the level of support. The crowds on the streets were sparse and not nearly as vocal as I expected. I ran into a pot-hole and stumbled (perhaps the same one as Dermot entered 15 minutes earlier) but there was no damage done. We were now running on cobblestones and very narrow streets but the KMs were counting down. Last year In Berlin it was a big deal for me to go under 3 hours for the first time but this time the only thing I could think of was getting out of the rain and I visualized the walk back from the finishing line to a hot shower to encourage myself.
We passed the 42 KM marker but I could not hear the usual roar from the finish. I turned the corner saw the clock ahead and sprinted to cross under the line in 2:58:57, 2:58:39 on the chip system - a new PB by about 40 seconds. The organization was very good at the finish, and needed to be since as soon as I stopped, I was shivering badly. The chip was quickly removed and a foil blanket did provide a surprising amount of warmth. Luckily my hotel was only a short distance away, so II headed immediately away out of the rain to get to the longed for hot shower.


Aftermath
30 minutes later I felt a different man.
I think a longer , more balanced, training program would have given me another couple of minutes, with the PBs eventually converging on 2:55, if I persisted with marathon running on a flat course. Next year though the focus will be on Ultras, and if I do run a marathon, it’s more likely to be on a tougher course in Ireland where the goal will be to break 3 hours again rather than extend the PB.
Next up, Art O' Neill Ultra at start of January. I feel in pretty good shape already. There is a recce planned for the week-end which I am hoping to complete. Hopefully Glenmalure won't be cut off with snow since this weather would be an ideal opportunity to test out kit and practise navigation in challenging conditions..

Aimman

Well done on the Sub 3, and the new PB. Great report! Sounds fairly congested around the 3 hour pacers.

How did you get on with Gels/nutrition along the route?

tisnotover

Great stuff on the sub-3!

nice report too, tough conditions running into the headwind for second half i'd say and I see you got a PB too, well done

donothoponpop

Great report mithril, congrats on the pb. You're hitting a good streak of form now, looking good for the Art O'Neill. You may bring your snowshoes if you are recce'ing this weekend, huge amounts of snow are still falling in Wicklow at the moment.

Abhainn

donothoponpop wrote: »

Great report mithril, congrats on the pb. You're hitting a good streak of form now, looking good for the Art O'Neill. You may bring your snowshoes if you are recce'ing this weekend, huge amounts of snow are still falling in Wicklow at the moment.

Snow shoes donothoponpop?? Skis more like it. Cross country skiing is waht we will be all at soon

Congrats mithril. Well run race in those conditions. And a PB to. Well worth the trip

asimonov

Great stuff Mithril; both the report and the race , we couldn't have picked a grimmer day to run a marathon, either the saturday or the monday would have been perfect.

Nice to meet you over there, and if i learned one thing its never underestimate the power of thinsulate...the technology that drives penney's gloves.

aero2k

Congratulations Mithril, you had a few niggles leading up to the race and a few hiccups during it, and the weather wasn't great, but you managed to keep your wits about you and record a great PB. Well done; I look forward to reading about your ultra exploits next year.

mithril

Aimman wrote: »

How did you get on with Gels/nutrition along the route?

I only took one Powergel at 21 KM and then threw away the belt since it was cutting into me. I regretted not having a second one at around KM 35. I also took anything that was offered at the fuel stations without problems.


Thursday
Summary: 5.74KM in 34:52 (6:05 pace) recovery run on snow with the Inov 8 Mudclaws around Carysfort park.
A little sluggish still from the race but no obvious signs of any injury.

mithril

Friday
Summary: 6.44KM in 39:32 (6:08 pace) recovery run on snow with the Inov 8 Mudclaws around Carysfort park.


Saturday
Summary: 12.78KM in 1:31:19 (7:09 pace) lovely run up snow clad 3 Rock Mountain. Very little sign of fatigue now left in the legs but the hip is still niggling a bit.

mithril

Sunday
Cross-training in gym.

Monday
Summary: 11.55KM in 1:10:23 (6:06 pace) in U.C.D.
I was hoping the students would have got out their shovels and have cleared at least one lane of the track but it was covered in deep snow throughout and impossible to move through with anything like a normal running action. Found a muddy trail near near NovaUCD which had frozen solid and the rough surface gave reasonably traction with the Mudclaws.
Even though it was -2, felt very comfortable wearing just a pair of tights, long sleeved shirt and light wind proof layer. These conditions are far from the worst; driving rain or hail are much nastier to be out in.

Tuesday
Summary: 4.98KM in 28:33 (5:44 pace) in U.C.D.
Same route as before but a bit slippier since there was more black ice. I don't remember going over the ankle but after 5 KM I noticed that I was getting twinges of pain in it and immediately abandoned the run. The MudClaws provide great grip but minimal support when running over rough ground. Some tenderness afterwards but I don't think its serious. A couple of days rest and should be back running again.

mithril

Thursday
Summary: 5.07KM in 23:49 (4:43 pace) in U.C.D.


Saturday
Summary: 22.89KM in 1:54:36 (5:00 pace) in North Westmeath.
Horrible run this. The Midlands got the big freeze worst than in Dublin where a general thaw was well progressed by the morning. My normal route along the Royal Canal was still iced over so diverted out along the shoulder of the busy Castlepollard road. Really reckless driving on the still iced road made this deadly. The only consolation was the recently installed speed cameras that the idiots did not seem aware of along the route.
On the running side have taken it easy and put on a bit of weight since Florence Marathon and noticed the drop in conditioning. Slight niggle from the hip but otherwise seem to be fine.

Sunday
Summary: 8.94KM in 48:59 (5:29 pace) recovery run around Sandyford.

mithril

Tuesday
Summary: Met up with Menosco, Rainbow Kirby and Clara Lara for at U.C.D. track. Opted out of the 400M repeats since suffering from a head cold and found breathing very laboured anytime I tried to go faster than marathon pace. Rqn around with the others for about 15 minutes and then another 20 by myself at a fairly easy pace. Forgot to set the Garmin so did not capture the pace or distance.

Wednesday
Summary: 16 KM in 1:09:20 (4:20 pace) around Blackrock park.
Cold a good bit improved and decided to take advantage of probably the last good evening before the weather deteriorates again for fastish run around Blackrock Park. Legs felt very light and springy after the long rest, but breathing still a bit laboured; this felt more like a 4:10 effort.
Hip started giving trouble after about 13 Km and I foolishly continued to make up the planned 16 KM and thought I had injured myself again when I stopped. The problem went away though after I stretched; step-ups seem to target the problem area specifically. I considered running the Waterford Half before it got re-scheduled and if this was a race , I would have to drop out.
Not sure whether there is any benefit in trying to train through a cold but at least it kept me away from the red wine and pizza for an evening and I enjoyed it.

mithril

Thursday
Summary: 12 KM in 58:14 (4:51 pace) aerobic run along the bike lane around Sandyford and Stillorgan dual carriage way.
Still have a bit of a head cold and surprised by how much the temperature had dropped by the evening. Around 2 degrees at 6PM but a stiff breeze along the dual carriageway brought the perceived level below zero with the wind-chill. Surprisingly comfortable in shorts and a warm base layer but hands really suffered from the cold.

Prediction of -12 Monday night in Dublin.
Starting to realize how tough the Art O'Neill Ultra could be if this weather persists into early January. I did a hill walk in Glenmalure a few years back. A toasty zero at the bottom of the valley but close to -8 at the top of Lugnaquilla and I really suffered because I was underdressed for conditions. I have fairly decent cold weather kit if I need it, but I would prefer to carry as little weight as possible on a run that length.

Magnet

mithril wrote: »

Prediction of -12 Monday night in Dublin.
Starting to realize how tough the Art O'Neill Ultra could be if this weather persists into early January. I did a hill walk in Glenmalure a few years back. A toasty zero at the bottom of the valley but close to -8 at the top of Lugnaquilla and I really suffered because I was underdressed for conditions. I have fairly decent cold weather kit if I need it, but I would prefer to carry as little weight as possible on a run that length.

What do you wear for the cold weather?

mithril

Depends how cold.

I am comfortable running up to a couple of degrees under with a Helly Hansen "Cold" Merino base layer, Montane light windproof layer and Mizuno tights. The coldest part of me is my hands, so will wear gloves anytime its approaching 0. I don't need a hat at this temperature.

For colder still, Lowe Alpine fleece hat, Goretex wind proof leggings over the tights, extra fleece layer and replace the Montane wind-proof layer with a Marmot paclite jacket. Will probably carry two pairs of gloves on Art O'Neill if it's very cold -one as a lining and wear the second over it.