Half Marathon & Beyond......

Cabaal

Connamara Marathon Race Report
So my third marathon since June 2011, my best time previously was the DCM which I finished in 3:58 making it my first sub4 marathon and was thrilled.

So with connemarathon I hoped it either also hit 3:58 or better it, my pace target was 5:36 per km making for a sub 3:57, potentially too ambitious given my lack of hill training and that I've been sick all of late but here goes.

Got to the start and off we went, felt pretty good but at this stage I was worried about the weather as I had expected it to be cooler and with less sun so I had made the mistake of bringing everything else except for sun cream.

All went well and had chats to lots of people as time progressed, met one chap who had run the course a number of times so he knew exactly where the hills started/ended, perhaps in hindsight I should have studied the course better

Now this is where I made by biggest mistake, I wasn't paying attention to my pacing and instead of 5:36 I was doing much closer to 5:25 avg pace up until near Leenane.

As I hit Leenane I knew things were just about to get much harder which wasn't going to be good as I knew that certainly at mile 22 the hills were going to really make bits of me.

The climb out of Leenane hit me hard and I found it awfully hard to make it up the hill, it killed me but this was the first time I walked although I only did so for maybe 50metres.

After the climb out of Leenane I soldiered on, at I think around mile 21 menoscemo passed me for the first time...but certainly not the last, despite the pain he mentioned he was in I still told him he'd finish far ahead of me. I passed him twice more before he finally passed me not to be seen again.

The last climb towards Maam Cross really chewed me up and spat me out, at this stage I was walking for 100-200metres at a time just to keep making progress, the legs were in alot of pain, I was exhausted and saw my watch get closer to 4hrs so I knew that there was no chance I was passing that line before the 4hr mark.

2miles out from Maam Cross I decided sod this I'm going to run to the finish for the rest of this with no more of this walking lark!....that and I doubt I'm the only person that noticed him but I was determent as hell for the chap running in jeans not to beat me

The first mile downhill felt great and it was a huge lift to finally pass so many people after being passed when I walked, the second mile didn't feel so great but I kept on going, gave it one last push to pass the finish in 4:11 (garmin).

So I didn't hit my target and some of that is down to me going to fast and also the heat really killed me.

Did I enjoy?? Hell yes!, the hills chewed me up and spat me out and I feel glorious! :pac::pac:

Ok it wasn't sub4 but I enjoyed the day and I know that if I can do Connemara with all its hills then if I keep up the training and not get sick then the likes of DCM its easier in comparison and I have a very good chance of getting well under 3:58 on my next try.

I've learned I need hills in my training in a big way and thats something I'll be working on, I've also learned that my body is getting far far better at recovering.

After Cork I could barely walk for a week, after Dublin I found it hard for the first two days and still had blisters, after Connemara I have no blisters and while I have some aches the legs feel fine.

One last thing I've learned, I should bring sun cream no matter what, the blisters on my forehead are sore today :mad:

Garmin: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164199166

menoscemo

Cabaal wrote: »

After the climb out of Leenane I soldiered on, at I think around mile 21 menoscemo passed me for the first time...but certainly not the last, despite the pain he mentioned he was in I still told him he'd finish far ahead of me. I passed him twice more before he finally passed me not to be seen again.

Haha!! I actually noticed you from about 100m away, don't know why exactly but from pacing in cork and dublin I recognised your gait. I can't remember when the 'last' time I went past you was but I kept looking back sure you would pass me back out again!!

Cabaal

menoscemo wrote: »

Haha!! I actually noticed you from about 100m away, don't know why exactly but from pacing in cork and dublin I recognised your gait. I can't remember when the 'last' time I went past you was but I kept looking back sure you would pass me back out again!!

How do you recognize one person out of thousands from their gait?.....do I run that funny? :pac::pac:

Did hear you shout something just before you first passed me first time alright, not sure where you last passed me but the last place I spotted you was at some bridge where you were stretching....at that point there was no chance I'd pass you as I was walking on and off at times by that stage.

Cabaal

April 5th - Malahide Castle
Distance: 5.42km
Avg Pace per KM: 5:42 min/km
Time: 27:12

First run after Connemara Marathon, felt ok, no real aches and pains in the legs, IT Band has been at me on my left let the past few weeks. Somewhat of a recurring thing for the past 18 months now


April 6th
Distance: 5.01km
Avg Pace per KM: 4:58 min/km
Time: 24:52

Faster run then that in Malahide but felt tired and was almost tempted to walk at one or two stages, just didn't have it in me....should have done the run this morning instead of in the evening....time to get do the runs when I should not when i feel like it!


April 7th
Distance: 10.03km
Avg Pace per KM: 5:18 min/km
Time: 53:14

Took it easy on this, should have even taken it easier I think but felt good by the hall way mark and was tempted to up the distance to 16km but decided against it.


April 8th
Distance: 29.13km
Avg Speed: 26,5 km/h
Time: 1:06:03

First cycle in agesssss, decided to break from the running for a change, enjoyed this and didn't find it too tiring


April 9th
Distance: 5.01km
Avg Pace per KM: 5:10 min/km
Time: 25:53

Managed an "ok" pace for this but just felt tired and HR was a lot higher then it should have been, Been taking it too easy the past week and eating all sorts of crap.


April 10th
Distance: 5.01km
Avg Pace per KM: 4:44 min/km
Time: 23:41

Felt much better doing this run, hit a decent pace and enjoyed it. Perhaps a 10km or 16km tomorrow.


April 12th
Distance: 10.01km
Avg Pace per KM: 4:58 min/km
Time: 49:46

Didn't feel great for first 3-4km of this but then really enjoyed the rest, aiming for 14-15mile run on Sunday.

Cabaal

Not updating constantly once again, really got to fix it, last event was Wexford Half Marathon last week

Race Report Of sorts....
Got down to Wexford a lot earlier then I had planned, so there was hardly anyone around. Made my way down to registration then dropped the shirt back up to the car and got ready.

Aim for this race was to stay with the 1:45min pacers until perhaps 19 or 20km mark and then put things into high gear as previous pb was 1:44:51, instead i felt pretty good so from Johnstown Castle (10km mark) I started putting a small amount of distance between me and the pacers as I wanted a comfortable PB over the Woodies Half-Marathon which was my last half marathon.

As the race went on I reeled in a good few people which was a great boost as very few people passed me out...I could pretty much count the amount that did on both hands after the castle.

Overall i think i could have done better as I certainly wasn't knackered when i got to the finish so I likely could have pushed things down into 1:41 or 1:40...but who knows at this stage.

Garmin: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/170606066
Official time: 1:42:07

Enjoyed the day

Only managed two runs since the Wexford Half Marathon as it seems I've managed to injure myself during the race, only noticed when I went for a run on Tuesday last.

Had penciled myself in to do a LSR today but instead I opted for abit of hiking instead mainly due to the crazy strong winds so got just over 8km of a hike done - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/173031409

Cabaal

Personal Best: 3:58
Initial Goal: 3:45
Revised goal before I got sick last week, somewhere in the 3:30's

So I started off with 3:30 pacers and stayed with them pretty much without much problems right through the Phoenix Park and beyond, have to say found the first three water stations pretty chaotic as a number of runners just ran right across people without evening looking, after that they got alot less chaotic.

Although water stations are generally somewhat chaotic for big races this race seemed worse then others I've experienced,

I felt good coming up to half way point and was maybe 5-6seconds ahead of the pacers until around mile 15 at which time I settled back into the group as I was beginning the struggle.

At the mile 18mark the wheels started to come off and I was dropped by the pacers and ended up around 200-300metres behind them, after the 18mile mark there's a small hill at which time my left leg started to cramp in a big way as I headed up this hill and it was agony, I ended up stopping and stretching sooner after to try relieve the pain somewhat.

The muscle pain basically set the remaining part of the race as I'd manage perhaps 1mile at a time and the muscle would cramp again and either I'd keep going through the pain for a little while longer or I'd stop to stretch it out again at which time I might last another mile.

Mile 23 onwards felt pretty endless and it didn't help that I didn't see the mile 24 or mile 26 markers at all, from mile 25 I gave up stopping to stretch and just ran through the pain.

Around 800metres from the end I spotted a guy dressed as a clown with two red balloons, this guy stuck in my head as I actually had passed him and spoken to him somewhere in O'Connell street earlier in the race.....at this stage I was determent as hell that I wouldn't be beaten by a clown!

So I upped the pace and finish in 3hours 41min 44seconds with average pace of 8:28 min/mi, previous personal best was 3hours 58min and 33seconds so I'm very happy with the outcome