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DCM 2012 Graduates - the next step
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Dublin:
Elevation Gain: 498 ft Elevation Loss: 519 ft
Min Elevation: 11 ft
Max Elevation: 185 ft
Limerick:
Elevation Gain: 949 ft Elevation Loss: 964 ft
Min Elevation: 6 ft
Max Elevation: 79 ft
It's a tough one alright
I can't decide which I would prefer. 0 -
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Only getting around to doing a report now so here goes!
Got down to Limerick around 1pm on Saturday afternoon and made it to the expo/farmers market to collect our numbers. We didn't hang for more than a couple of minutes as there was absolutely nothing of interest there.
Myself and the GF were staying in Jurys so we dropped the bags off and went looking for a pub showing the Arsenal match, a couple of pints of blackcurrant later we grabbed a bowl of pasta and back to the hotel. I had been nice and relaxed in the run up but was starting to get a bit on edge at this stage.
Woke the next morning and got breakfast at 7am, it really hit home seeing all the runners at breakfast ignoring the lovely fry up sitting waiting to be devoured. I ran into Killian and introduced myself and had a very quick few words.
As we lined up I could tell it was probably gonna be a warm one but knew it was out of my hands so didnt get too worried. I went off with the 3.30 pacers and over the first few miles settled into what was a comfortable pace just behind them. The early miles passed very quickly and before I knew it we were out in UL, I was sweating like a pig this early and took my first gel at 5 miles. There was a good bit of banter with people around us and one of the wheelchair athletes was great craic. I was feeling very comfortable and was enjoying it.
We passed Gary O' Hanlon and the other lead male on the way through the technology park (I think) and it always amazes me how easy those lads make 5.30 miles look. As we made our way back into Limerick I was still going well, had another gel at 10 miles and was drinking at every station conscious of the heat. It was here that I made my first mistake, coming back into town under that railway bridge on the canal/river trail as the road narrowed I found myself somehow ahead of the pacers, only maybe 20 meters. I didn't get too bothered about this as I felt they would just swallow me up again but I stayed ahead not wanting to lose momentum. I came through half way ahead and on my own and i stayed that way until me made it out the Rosbrien road and into Raheen. I felt ok but around the 16 mile mark out those country roads into the headwind I felt like I was actually starting to work a bit for the first time. The pacers caught me out in Raheen and I fell back in with them, instantly I felt better and was moving well in the group. However by the time we reached the flyover at the crescent I knew I was in trouble, that was about 19.5 miles I think. I could feel cramp starting in my right calf and then quad as we came down off the flyover, it was put up or shut up time! I put my head down and just held on as long as I could not even looking at the garmin. My legs were getting worse and worse and the salt on my face and sweat was blinding me at this stage. My breathing felt fine but I was working hard, thats ok at 20 miles but the legs were another story. I knew at this stage that it was only a matter of time for me. As we went back down O' Connell street I was right with the pacers but as we rounded the corners and headed for the river my legs gave up on me. Cramp locked up my entire right quad and as I stopped to try and stretch it my hamstring went the other side! I had been here before in DCM12 so I knew that I had to get going. I was moving ok initially, about 8.15 pace until I got to the top of the hill at Thomond and again I locked up. More stretching and EVERYTHING was cramping. I shuffled off again and had to stop at the Gaelic Grounds and somewhere in between there and Thomond. I was a mess. Pace was shot and my legs were in agony, I was pretty calm though, I wasn't particularly tired and didn't feel woozy or anything so I knew I had to suck it up and hobble home. Id say I was forced to stop 3-4 times between the Gaelic grounds and home and it was even a bit comical how bad I was, there were a few other lads around me in a similar state and I saw a lady and a man keeled over on the footpath getting medical attention so in reality I got off lightly. Little by little the last 2 miles ticked down and I crossed the bridge where I spotted Killian and got a shout from the GF's parents, really glad I was moving ok by then as id locked up completely just before that final bridge!! I got around the final corner and gave a little shout and swung my arms about to get few roars from the crowd and crossed the line in 3.36.28.
I had gone with the 3.30 pacers on the back of a 1.36 half in Bohermeen so whilst it may have been a stretch for me it wasn't out of the question as Career Move demonstrated so stylishly! The old adage of the marathon being 20 miles of hope and 6 of reality played out fairly ruthlessly with me on Sunday anyway! I didn't quite have it in me and maybe coupled with the conditions and some mistakes I was chewed up and spat out! In saying that I'm glad I gave it a lash with the pacers and I feel that I hung on as long and as hard as I could, I was kicking myself a bit that I didn't get home even 30 seconds quicker for the 3.35 but my body was so unimpressed with me in those last few miles in retrospect I was happy to get it done at all and in what was a big PB for me. Tank very much emptied.
Splits:
10k 49:16
Half: 1.43:57
30k 2:28:00
and for what its worth the final 6 miles
(8.43, 8.33, 8.53, 9.34, 9.48, 9.58) impressive I think you'll agree!
Previous PB 3.54.28
New PB 3.36.28
All in all I'm fairly satisfied if a little embarrassed with the scale of my blow up. I need to get to the bottom of why ive cramped so badly in both my marathons to date when Ive never had a hint of it in training, its probably mostly accounted for by going out too fast and some dehydration. I had high5 tabs with me but they went to mush so I was relying on water on Lucozade, dont think thats enough for me. I also need to take speed work more seriously, my legs find it hard to hold up to running fast repeats on the road so I need to think about that. Core work has been ignored also (Sorry Gavlor)
Also Kudos to my GF who finished in 4.34 and to think she couldn't even run a mile this time last year! Very proud of her.
Next up for me is the race series in Dublin and hopefully DCM 2013 to have another crack off that 3.29! Despite a difficult final few miles I thoroughly enjoyed my run,the atmosphere around Limerick and met and chatted with some great people on the course and around the race itself.
I still cant walk:D0 -
Thanks for the race report OP. You really put the head down and battled on with all that cramping. Fair play
Interesting article here.....http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/common-limiting-factors-marathon?page=10 -
career_move wrote: »Thanks for the race report OP. You really put the head down and battled on with all that cramping. Fair play
Interesting article here.....http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/common-limiting-factors-marathon?page=1
Interesting reading, cheers CM. Seems I was in fact probably going too fast according to the article, good to know!0 -
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career_move wrote: »Thanks for the race report OP. You really put the head down and battled on with all that cramping. Fair play
Interesting article here.....http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/common-limiting-factors-marathon?page=1
That kinda blows my theories out of the water.0 -
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Haven't read it but must do at some stage.
I'm leaning towards the theory that whatever it was was related to the bug I thought I might have had during the week and / or not being as well rested and / or hydrated as I thought I was beforehand. Maybe it was a combination of several things but hyponatraemia is one thing I wouldn't suspect - Electrolyte drink at the start, 3 gels and Lucozade near the end should have been enough salts to let me tolerate the run.[/quote
No I don't think you had hyponatraemia. I was just linking that article to explain about the book which is sort of related to what we were talking about
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KillianByrne wrote: »I remember that shout, but couldn't think who was calling! I do remember thinking that whoever it was was a very lucky decker as you were about 100yds from the finish as I was just heading out for the last 6miles!
Good report - thanks for sharing OP
Spotted a photo of you from the race. I think it's around the 20M mark. Only problem with the picture is it was photo-bombed by one of the better looking pacers (and I'm there too on the left.)
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