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Couch to Marathon
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Well, it's done
. Those dreaded 18 miles are out of the way and I can happily mark them off the programme at last and sit back and relax now until race day :pac:.
I didn't have my usual pre-LSR nerves on Friday last and I actually slept really well that night. I thought I'd be nervous on Saturday morning though, but I was more looking forward to it than anxious about it.
I got up at 6.30 and had a carbohydrate drink (first time trying this). I was going to have a banana only to discover that they were all gone :eek:. I was dreading wearing a drinks belt (one with four small bottles) but it was actually quite comfortable.
I waited until 7.30 to head out and it was still quite dark, but by the time my Garmin had picked up a satellite it had brightened a bit. I felt great setting off - it was so nice to be running outside after so many runs on the treadmill, it all felt so much easier. I knew that I was moving a bit too quickly and by the time I slowed down half a mile into the run things started to get more difficult. I knew then that I had to be really conscious of pace today because of the distance I had to cover.
I was finding the warmup quite tough and I stopped to take a drink at 3 miles. I had four bottles with about 100ml of electrolyte drink in each and my plan was to drink 50ml at 3 miles and 50ml at 6 miles and 50ml every two miles after that.
My gel plan was to take one at 6 miles and another at 12 miles.
I was walking and drinking and really glad of the break at 3 miles when I heard voices behind me. It was two girls I know (really good runners) who were out for their Saturday morning run. I started to run alongside them for about 5 minutes and I was delighted that I could keep conversation at about 10:30 pace (I'm sure they had slowed down so I could keep up). They headed off then and I was worried that my 5 minute spurt had taken energy that I didn't have to spare
.
I continued running and stopped just before the 6 mile mark to take a drink and a gel. I was still feeling fine but was really looking forward to getting on to the nicest part of the route - a 3 mile bog road with fabulous views and very few houses.
Having started out on the bog road I felt great and knew that the gel had kicked in. Running felt easy and I was really enjoying it until... at about 7.5 miles I felt a quick stabbing pain in my right arch. I panicked and stopped and tried to stretch it (with my shoe on :rolleyes:). Although the pain had gone it felt strange and I decided to walk for about 30 seconds. It still felt strange but I decided to continue running on it (there was no way I was not going to do this 18-miler :mad:).
Shortly after that I heard a car behind me and it was my very considerate OH and the kids with some water and gels
. I took my 8-mile water break then and decided to take another gel with me so that I would have two gels for the remainder of the run (one to take at 9 miles and another to take at 14 miles). My OH said that the stabbing pain was probably just a trapped nerve and this information worked wonders as once I started off running again the strange feeling had left my arch .
I took another gel at the turnaround at 9 miles and I was feeling pretty good. From 9 miles to about 14 miles was definitely the most enjoyable part of the run. I took another gel at about 14 miles and that energy was about to be used up pretty quickly...
I had decided earlier that I was going to walk all hills as I couldn't afford to lose the energy they would take out of me. There was only one major hill on the way back until I got to about 14.5 miles - then it was one major hill for about a mile :mad:. I ran/walked that and it took a lot out of me.
Miles 16 and 17 were bearable but 18 was torture. There is a hill just before my house for about 1/4 of a mile and I was praying that my watch would reach 18 before that hill and it did, exactly at the bottom of the hill actually, yippee!
I really appreciated the warm bath, protein drink and bar that awaited me at the house but I didn't feel any elation at having completed the run. I felt that it had been messy because I had walked quite a bit and had gone off pace at the beginning and when running with the girls. I finished in 3.44 and I can't say that I was disappointed with my time but I was disappointed that I had to walk so much. I wished that I had planned it better and that I had decided to walk all hills beforehand rather than while on the run. I really need to plan my walking breaks for the marathon (to incorporate hills also) so that I wont be disappointed after the race.
What I really need to work on is to get my mind around the fact that my goal is to complete the marathon, not to run it in any specific time. If I set a time goal (I have sub 5.30 in my head, which I really need to get out of my head) and I don't complete it within that time, I will be disappointed. I really don't want to be disappointed on the day.
Saturday, 15/10/2011
Distance: 18 miles
Time: 3:44:34
Average Pace: 12:28
Breakdown: M1-12:02; M2-12:53; M3-12:28; M4-11:09; M5-12:52; M6-11:39; M7-12:41; M8-13:26; M9-11:34; M10-13:12; M11-11:57; M12-12:34; M13 - 11:39; M14 - 13:25; M15 - 12:47; M16 - 12:38; M17 - 13:01; M18 - 12:32
Weather: Light mist at first, with one light shower and increasing breeze at about mile 10, finished with bright sunshine
Analysis: M0 to 0.5 - great
; M0.5-M6 - tough; M6-M14.5 - good; M14.5-15.5 - tough; M15.5-M17 - ok; M18 - very tough. 0 -
Excellent! An LSR is supposed to be slow, and long, and that's what you did!
Walking up hills is not a big deal - it conserves energy. The most you can lose by walking the hills in the DCM is a few minutes, and you should look at those few minutes as banking energy for later on the course. You'll make up the time.
You can concentrate on tapering your training now 0 -
Micilin Muc wrote: »Walking up hills is not a big deal - it conserves energy. The most you can lose by walking the hills in the DCM is a few minutes, and you should look at those few minutes as banking energy for later on the course. You'll make up the time.
Thanks Micilin, this is a good way of looking at it.
And, yes, I am so looking forward to the taper...
Roll on the 31st (:eek:) 0 -
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I didn't get up yesterday morning for the planned 4-miler
, so I dragged myself out of bed this morning to do 6 miles. I was late heading out to the treadmill though so I only had time to do 5 miles. At least it was something, I suppose...
I have 3 miles to do tomorrow morning so I will swop that with yesterday's missed 4-miler and do 4 instead of 3 tomorrow morning.
No niggles or aches so far. Fingers crossed that it stays that way now. 0 -
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Even as I posted it yesterday I had a funny feeling that I wouldn't be swapping Tuesday morning's missed 4-miler with this morning's 3-miler. I was late getting up and so I just did the 3 miles.
It felt like I was on the treadmill for no time at all. It's so much easier finding time in the mornings to do short runs :rolleyes:.0 -
This was my first taper LSR of 8 miles and I only managed 4 of them. I did this on the treadmill last Saturday morning as I had to leave the house early. I have pains in the arches of both feet and the chiropractor had been working on them the day before the run so I was hoping that they were just still tender from that. At 4 miles I decided not to push things as I was afraid of aggravating my arches.
I haven't been running since, not because of my arches (although they are still sore) but because I have absolutely no energy these days. I have a mild chest infection and I'm finding it a real struggle to get up in the mornings...
My OH had warned me about the taper and the inclination not to do anything. While I had momentum during the intense weeks I couldn't imagine not doing the taper runs (is it not much easier to get up for 3 miles in the morning than 6 miles
) but I have gotten very lazy...
I think that I will do this morning's planned run this evening (3 miles) and I may feel a bit better. The nerves have not crept in at all yet. I think I'm in denial :rolleyes:.0 -
MarySamsonite wrote: »s.
I have absolutely no energy these days. I have a mild chest infection and I'm finding it a real struggle to get up in the mornings...
My OH had warned me about the taper and the inclination not to do anything. While I had momentum during the intense weeks I couldn't imagine not doing the taper runs (is it not much easier to get up for 3 miles in the morning than 6 miles) but I have gotten very lazy...
I think that I will do this morning's planned run this evening (3 miles) and I may feel a bit better. The nerves have not crept in at all yet. I think I'm in denial :rolleyes:.
Hi Mary, i'm in the same boat and was trying to do 8m on treadmill on Sunday evening, after being to my twin nieces 2nd birthday party and eating lots of rubbish, but had to stop after 3 mile as it was torture...i just couldn't run, no energy and worst no inclination :eek:to get past the 3 mile mark which is where i usually settle into the run...reckon if i was out on the road i would have been fine......
Anyway, don't worry about the runs, get the chest infection sorted and rest up....i had sinus infection few weeks back and went back running too soon and got a second dose of it so mind yourself and get it sorted before weekend!!!
Take care
Anne0 -
MarySamsonite wrote: »I think I'm in denial :rolleyes:.
We're all in the Nile in Dublin Sorry, had to say it!
Take it easy and take plenty of Vitamin C!0 -
Micilin Muc wrote: »We're all in the Nile in Dublin Sorry, had to say it!
I'm defo in denial, trying not to think about Monday as I munch on my carb-loaded dinner!!!! Speaking of 'the Nile' though, wonder will route be changed due to flooding etc???
Mary, keep the spirits up and ENJOY the taper, all your hard work will pay off!!! 0 -
Hi Mary, i'm in the same boat and was trying to do 8m on treadmill on Sunday evening, after being to my twin nieces 2nd birthday party and eating lots of rubbish, but had to stop after 3 mile as it was torture...i just couldn't run, no energy and worst no inclination :eek:to get past the 3 mile mark which is where i usually settle into the run...reckon if i was out on the road i would have been fine......
Hi Anne,
Your post has helped me hugely, knowing that I'm not the only one zapped of energy at the moment. Hopefully we will be bursting with the stuff on Monday. 0 -
Micilin Muc wrote: »We're all in the Nile in Dublin Sorry, had to say it!QUOTE]
And I can't believe that you went running in it!
Hopefully the only waves we'll be running in on Monday will be the timing waves (yes, I know, took me ages to come up with that one, so sad )0 -
bubblypinky wrote: »I'm defo in denial, trying not to think about Monday as I munch on my carb-loaded dinner!!!!
I know what you mean. Thankfully I'm really busy at work this week and haven't had time to think about it either. It means that I haven't had time to think about carbo-loading or water-drinking either. Must snap out of this and start preparing :eek:. 0 -
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