DCM 2012 Graduates - the next step

Runchick

tomred1N wrote: »

3.43.38 garmin time. Started behind 3.45 pacers and finished ahead of them so waiting on chip time as gun times are bit off. Well done to ncmc met u few times early on with the 3.45 pacers. Anyone finishing that today has put in sime effort
Re naming the tunnel the jack lynch oven by hotpoint! Also a massive thanks to pacers Alan and brian. Held us together between 22 and 25.
Will do a report tomorrow but no doubt about it im now completely hooked.

Delighted for you tomred1N cracking effort in tough conditions, you should be very proud

Runchick

docjewel wrote: »

A really tough & disastorous day at the office for me,finished in 3:53:57 :-(,how I actually finished is probably a miracle in itself,while feeling disappointed,roll on the next marathon;-)

Hey doc very well done for finishing...disastrous is not finishing and you did so should be very proud of that Another one to take out revenge in DCM then? Welcome to the club

RedRunner

Well done everybody who ran Cork today. Some great times there for those conditions.Must feel like running 1.5 marathons in that heat and humidity.

KillianByrne

Well done everyone, I'm really delighted for you all, jealous of course but really delighted for you. Congratulations.

Doc, it might not have gone to your plan, but its a finish and in a time thats still a considerable achievement. Well done.

Big Logger

blockic wrote: »

You better be taking the piss! I wasn't racing it. No time for mind games now.

Thanks everyone. Great day. Loved touring my home town. Was hot out there too.

Another one under the belt. Unfinished business to be taken care of in Chicago now.

Haha....I mean im glad you didnt race it and went out sensibly. Now you have a solid time to build on. Im thrilled for you and looking forward to chicago.

Dilbert75

KillianByrne wrote: »

I'm now a triathlete. They're quite fun actually.

Nearly let this pass. Have you a race report or are you just planning to leave it at that?:P

tomred1N

tomred1N wrote: »

3.43.38 garmin time. Started behind 3.45 pacers and finished ahead of them so waiting on chip time as gun times are bit off. Well done to ncmc met u few times early on with the 3.45 pacers. Anyone finishing that today has put in sime effort
Re naming the tunnel the jack lynch oven by hotpoint! Also a massive thanks to pacers Alan and brian. Held us together between 22 and 25.
Will do a report tomorrow but no doubt about it im now completely hooked.

Have just had to email the chip timing company. Looks like my chip did not register at the end. Only got time for first half.Looks like a dnf now as friend just texted saying what happened! How can they sort this out?? I have my medal though if proof is needed!!!

Pacing Mule

Scriba also looking like he was a DNF. Hope his chip was dodgy too.

docjewel

Guys & Gals,many thanks for the messages of support,target time was hopefully 3:30 but would have settled for 3:35.
Was on target at the halfway point but at circa 13.5/14 miles just going over the Mahon walkway my 2 legs practically went from under me,I had to stop & hold onto the bridge for support.
Met Mrs Docjewel at 16.5 miles & actually stopped to talk to her,it was 70% in my head at that stage to pull out,only for a gentleman named Neil who persuaded to walk for a bit(think he also gave ncmc a dig out along the way).

Just been talking with Mrs Docjewel & I had in my head at that stage I only had 7 miles to go when in actual fact it was nearly 10miles.

Seen a lad being taken off by ambulance crew on the straight road so feel lucky that I was ableto finish.

Hopefully the mental sstrength it took to finish the race will stand to me in other races.

I think Mrs Docjewel got quite a fright when she saw the state of me earlier & was probably worried senseless for the rest of the race & no way of knowing how I was doing.

Got a big cheer from Steroo just before I crossed Patricks Bridge,it was a badly needed boost at that stage.

Was good to put things in perspective with the assembled Boards crew afterwards,it's another marathon finished but wether Mrs Docjewel's nerves can handle another one remain to be seen.

Will do a proper race report when I get access to a laptop later.

Murph_D

Would love to have been there and to test myself in those conditions. Seems like everyone did very well under the conditions. The Limerick/Rotterdam runners can probably take some credit for reminding us all how tough it's supposed to be.

Great running, you all!

KillianByrne

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Nearly let this pass. Have you a race report or are you just planning to leave it at that?:P

I considered it, but decided to hold off. I'll let our Cork friends get their deserved plaudits and post up during the week.

dechol

Well done to all who ran cork. Fabulous times even if some of u found it tough. I ran mini marathon today and heat nearly killed me so can't imagine what running a marathon would be like with today's weather. Well done.

New runner

Sorry have to show my stupidity here! Can I ask how u all write your race report as I've never done it? Do u write it as a word document n copy n paste it or do you'se write it whilst logged into boards I've never even logged into boards on my laptop! Eek! Just dont want go to bother writing it all n then not able to copy n paste it but I'm sure that should work but thought better check 1st!

KillianByrne

New runner wrote: »

Sorry have to show my stupidity here! Can I ask how u all write your race report as I've never done it? Do u write it as a word document n copy n paste it or do you'se write it whilst logged into boards I've never even logged into boards on my laptop! Eek! Just dont want go to bother writing it all n then not able to copy n paste it but I'm sure that should work but thought better check 1st!

Just write it exactly as you would any post. just start like this...

I woke up feeling full of dread....

New runner

That goes without saying killian, but do I write it as Word doc on pc, then copy n paste to this forum? With 3 kids may have make couple stops n starts at it!!!

Big Logger

New runner wrote: »

That goes without saying killian, but do I write it as Word doc on pc, then copy n paste to this forum? With 3 kids may have make couple stops n starts at it!!!

No Need to put in word, just type it into post exactly like you typed your last post.

ncmc

Yes new runner, you can write it in word and copy and paste into the reply box.

Dilbert75

New runner wrote: »

That goes without saying killian, but do I write it as Word doc on pc, then copy n paste to this forum? With 3 kids may have make couple stops n starts at it!!!

You can do it that way either - whatever suits you best. At least you can save it and come back to it later if that helps.

Dilbert75

KillianByrne wrote: »

I'll let our Cork friends get their deserved plaudits and post up during the week.

Just so you know - completing a tri deserves plaudits too.

blockic

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Just so you know - completing a tri deserves plaudits too.

In the Tri forum!! :pac:

docjewel

Cork City Marathon Report 2013

Arrived in Cork just after 7:30am,a quick check of all the running gear and off for a little stroll around Cork.The hamstring since last week has been a bit tight after driving but a walk & stretch seems good enough to sort this out.

Hit the rendezvous point for fellow Boardies & met up with Blockic & Ncmc again while met Mr. Wiggle,Scriba,Ecoenergy for the first time & also our mascot/loyal supporter for the day Steroo.

Once we had wished each other the best of luck it was off to our respective starting points.
The Good
I lined up just behind the 3:30 pacers & after a few minutes we were off.First few miles were handy enough,a bit of traffic to negotiate but once we headed out for Blackpool everything seemed to settle down well.Back into the city & a big shout out from Steroo as we headed out of the city again.Felt I was in a good rhythm at this stage,chatting with fellow runners & soon we passed the first relay point.
Out towards & into the tunnel,I didn’t realise how stuffy the tunnel really was until we emerged out the other to find my back saturated with sweat,still just on the tails of the 3:30 pacers as we headed around Mahon,A big shout out from some of the lads from the local athletics club who were up supporting their own & headed down towards Blackrock Castle.
Felt the need for a toilet break here so a quick dash to the bushes & back in action,not too much time lost & pacers still in my line of view.I was still behind at the halfway point,their pace seemed to have increased slightly but I was happy enough to keep it at 8:00min mile pace.
The Bad
As I went over the Mahon walkway at around 14 miles my 2 legs just buckled under me,thankfully I was able to grab hold of the handrail & keep myself upright,at this stage I was unsure of what to do.Once I could stand on my own again I decided I'd head for the next First aid station or Marshall & call it a day.With the legs moving again my decision changed & felt I had enough to head back into the city where Mrs. Docjewel was waiting around the 16.5mile mark,it was a tough slog heading down the Marina & even the crowd couldnt get me going,at this stage I'm doing around 10 min miles.
Met up with Mrs D & actually stopped to talk to her,she was scared at the way I looked & was really worried for me,Sometimes she does know best & felt it was time to throw the towel until a gentleman named Neil came along & encouraged me to walk with him for a bit out the South Link Road.Before I know it I'm off walking telling Mrs D I'll finish between 3:45 & 4:00,thinking I'd only 7 miles to go but didn't realise until I got home it was nearly 10 miles to go,think she was horrified at this & left speechless (for once)but she does know how stubborn I can be & if I'm going do something it's gonna take something really major to stop me.
At the slip road the South Link I start to run a little again,loose Neil here & keep going until the next water stop,walk for a bit,passed by the 3:45 pacers,as much I'd love to chase I know it’s not gonna be my day,give a shout of encouragement to them as they pass & turn around only to see ncmc walking with Neil,the 3 of us walk for a bit before N decides,that's enough walking,she's running to the finish,I try to run too but cannot match her pace.I try to keep running but as I slow at every water station I end up walking & find it hard to pick up the pace again.
As I hit Wilton Road I felt relief in being able to run dowhill for a bit but as we turned out Model farm road the little hills were catching me again,at one stage I had my teeth gritted with the determination to get up to the crest when one of the supporters give my number a big shout out & said to grit my teeth harder,its d last hill,brought a smile to my face & also relief knowing no more obstacles.
The Final 6.2 miles
I don't know why but when I hit the 20 mile marker I knew I was gonna finish the race.
Down Inchigaggin was a bit if a nightmare with large groups of people walking 6 & 7 people abreast which meant any momentum that was built up was easily broken but still drive on as best possible & onto the Straight Road.At this stage I realised I was starting to pass out other Marathon runners & also Half Marathon runners.So bit by bit I'd try & spot a struggling runner in the distance,pick them off & try and catch someone else,this gave me renewed hope that I'd finish under 4hrs & at this stage I was running 8:30 miles again.
Passed one poor runner being put on a stretcher & carried away,it was enough of a reminder not to get too cocky & be very careful with the last few miles.
It was nice to run along the Mardyke & over the footbridge,passing people along the way including some that I had been talking to earlier in 3:30 group,I do my best to offer them encouragement that we're almost there.Once we're back on the North Mall the crowd starts to gradually build & the noise is getting louder.I'm pushing,probably a little too hard & start to struggle again when I get a big shout out from Steroo just before we hit Patriciks bridge.It was just the boost needed to drive on down Pana & eventually hit the finish line in 3:53:57.
The relief rather than joy to finish was emmense.
Met Ecoenergy at the finish line who was not in the best of ways but was glad to hear he eventually made to the Woodford for a pint.
Met up with Mrs D again,who was more relieved than I was that I'd finished, & she had a nice bar of chocolate waiting for me.
A walk back to the car which was a nice warm down,a quick change of clothes & back to the Woodford to meet the other Boardies for a little bit before family duties called & it was time to hit the road
While initially,& probably still am a little disappointed with my race,once I had a chat with the Boards crew,I know I should take some consolation that I had finished the race.
Review
Do I have any regrets going out with the 3:30 pacers?
No,this is what I trained for & I know that maybe if I had gone with the 3:45 pacers I may have finished with a better time or even a PB but then I'd be questioning myself what if I had gone with the 3:30 pacers,so no regrets
This was my Marathon race,its my 3rd marathon in 11 months, & while I would hope to do another later in the year I will not be racing it,I'd go so far as to say that if I do a Spring or Summer marathon next year they will all be run with the idea of consolidating a consistency of around 3:45 pace & then maybe DCM 2014 racing a marathon hopefully aiming for 3:30ish time.
I drove home from Dublin last year buzzing from hitting 3:43,this year I drove home feeling deflated after having a right tough day on the course but if marathon running was easy everyone would be doing one.We have to learn from our mistakes & I know days like this will stand to me in the future.

In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that.

tomred1N

"As I went over the Mahon walkway at around 14 miles my 2 legs just buckled under me,thankfully I was able to grab hold of the handrail & keep myself upright,at this stage I was unsure of what to do."

I had a very similar experience here while crossing this bridge. I was certain I was gone. Have never experienced the wall I think this was as close as I got so far. my legs felt they were like jelly and vision was circling around in my head. only for a few seconds though and once I got off the apex of the bridge I was ok again. Must be something to do with running on a moving structure in mid air. Luckily I recovered but seems you didn't. I wonder did this affect anyone else. I had a flashback of a post here of how to deal with the wall and I was already planning on trying to increase pace to run through it....I think it was Meno posted here months back. Not sure how I could have increased pace though if my legs were like rubber bands underneath me. Still a scary experience and all I saw was 5 months of training gone without even having had a chance to suffer a bit!!

docjewel

tomred1N wrote: »

"As I went over the Mahon walkway at around 14 miles my 2 legs just buckled under me,thankfully I was able to grab hold of the handrail & keep myself upright,at this stage I was unsure of what to do."

I had a very similar experience here while crossing this bridge. I was certain I was gone. Have never experienced the wall I think this was as close as I got so far. my legs felt they were like jelly and vision was circling around in my head. only for a few seconds though and once I got off the apex of the bridge I was ok again. Must be something to do with running on a moving structure in mid air. Luckily I recovered but seems you didn't. I wonder did this affect anyone else. I had a flashback of a post here of how to deal with the wall and I was already planning on trying to increase pace to run through it....I think it was Meno posted here months back. Not sure how I could have increased pace though if my legs were like rubber bands underneath me. Still a scary experience and all I saw was 5 months of training gone without even having had a chance to suffer a bit!!

I was talking to a lad from the local athletics club this morning who was in Cork on Monday & he knows of 2 other runners that folded going over the bridge,I think to be honest I was started to struggle before I went over it but as I was holding onto the handrail it was scary look down at the N25.

He was also telling about other runners who pulled out(& these are pretty decent club runners) between 15 & 17 miles,some of the Half Marathon runners pulled out after only 2 miles.
Now I know some of these lads run for the prize money,& if it ain't gonna be their day,they'll cut their losses & probably run another race next week instead but for others it was just the humidity.

Must have a look for that post by meno,every little helps

menoscemo

docjewel wrote: »

Must have a look for that post by meno,every little helps

I do recall a post about that but it definitely wasn't me. I'd imagine if you actually hit the wall, the last thing you could do would be to speed up

Steroo

menoscemo wrote: »

I do recall a post about that but it definitely wasn't me. I'd imagine if you actually hit the wall, the last thing you could do would be to speed up

That speed up post was about muscles being fatigued and an increase in pace means using fresher fibres.,, think cm posted a link on it.. So bit different to 'the wall'...

KillianByrne

Firstly,I know this isn't a tri forum, but some people may be interested in the event, if you don't fancy reading about a triathlon, then skip!

I signed up to TriAthy just after DCM13 as I found the LSR training a bit boring, I still do. There is no reason to run that kind of distance unless you are training for a marathon. Dont shoot me for it, I still enjoy them but thats just the way I felt at the time.

One of the organising team behind Athy is a rugby referee and that was my connection to it.

So theres the background...

I had chosen the 'Sprint' distance which is 750m swim followed by a 20k cycle and finishing with a 5k run. The plan was to come off from Limerick obviously fit, take a week off and kick into tri training pretty hard for 3 weeks. I wasent concerned about the 5k run, I can cycle so went out a couple of times on my bke to get a feel for speed and time but my achilles heel, like many others would be the swim. I'm a strong swimmer, just never considered that kind of distance before.

I was planning a test swim in the river Barrow the week before to get a feel for my abilities and hit my first concern when I arrived! I had hired a tri wetsuit which I was assured by the staff in Cycleways was suitable and their regular hire, but arriving on site I was the only swimmer with no sleeves! it was freezing, I knew I would warm up when swimming but I never considered that the cold would constrict my breathing. So a slow & steady swim came in at just under 17minutes.

Race Day

My race didnt kick off till 5pm but I arrived early to see how the good guys in the Olympic & Double Olympic did things, there was a great buzz about the place with a real carnival atmosphere keeping people entertained. Families were having picnics and bbq's and overall it was a fun time.

When the earlier races had finished and cleared out of transition we were allowed in, I set up the bike on the rack, carefully watching everyone else to see if I was doing things right! There seemed to be an obvious way to lay out your gear in the order that you would wear them, I had clearly brought too much stuff as many peopole had just bike shoes & running shoes to put on - I decided to ditch my different tops for cycling, running, water bottles, socks, sun glasses, 2 different numbers - the works!

After the race briefing off we went, like prisoners to the gallows, on a short walk to the swim start. 250m upstream and 500 downstream, we were starting in waves of about 80 competitors, 7 minutes apart. Different coloured swim hats marking our group.

I was in wave 6 - Number 2600 - (wave 5 were numbered 25xx etc) so there was plenty of time to take in the scene as people entered the water cried out with cold and swam off. Each group had strong & weak swimmers in it, some powered off while some took off on their back, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was a race, fair play to them. One girl a couple of waves ahead of me was fished out of the reeds 3 times before the marshals asked her to retire.

In I went, the voice went up a few octaves with the cold and then after 5 minutes in the water, we were off. I was immediately more comfortable than the week before, breathing slower and swimming stronger. I was glad of the practise the week before. there was plenty of kicking and knocking in the water but by 250m and the turn things had spread out a little. I looked up as I passed the start line again (500m) and the next wave was just starting so I was really pleased that I was going strong - 7mins for 500m was well under my target. I began to tire, the barrow isn't that deep so it is actually possible to walk some of the course if required, I slowed, changed to breaststroke, took my breath for a minute and continued on.

Out of the water after 14 minutes and into transition 1. For me this is the most difficult as you (well I did anyway!) take off the suit, dry the feet, put on the socks, helmet, glasses, watch, bike shoes, take a drink and head off. I was pretty light headed after the swim so this transition took 4.30 - as opposed to under 2mins for the good guys.

10k out, 10k back on the bike, country road, reasonable surface. I have a fairly decent bike and was 'training' at about 4min miles so that was the plan - as time went on it was clear I was averaging about 3 to 3.15 min miles so this pleased me greatly. it was also the first time I could see myself picking up places (as i passed the 25xx & 24xx numbers) I was also being passed by faster triathletes from later waves but that didn't really bother me.

I really enjoyed the bike, there was a real feeling of competing in a different sport and being OK at it, I was passing some people and some were passing me but I wasn't really bothered. Finished the bike in 40min03.

Back into transition and I had been warned prior to the race by experienced competitors to train what they call 'brick' sessions - where you train bike & then run in the same sessions. I did one, maybe should have done more! after 20k your muscles and legs are used to working at a certain speed and when you take off running at a slower pace you get what they call 'jelly legs' - its a bit wobbly at the start but you get over it!

Shoes off, helmet off, runners on and off I set on what I thought would be my strongest bit - only my watch was set to bike training and I had planned to change it to running but stopped fiddling after a few hundred feet. I probably could have just left it on bike but never started it. I had no idea of my run pace then, I was intent on finishing without walking or stopping so I just picked a comfortable pace and stuck at it. I really stared picking people off on the run and after some road running we turned onto a towpath beside the river and things got quite congested, it was difficult to pass out but if you picked your time well you could pass.

As the KM's ticked off I had no idea of time but as we approached the finish the crowds got really close and the last 500m was great, I kicked into a fast run / sprint with just enough room to run between the cheering supporters. it was a really great feeling to finish strong.

The run came in at just over 27.30mins (my 5k PB is just under 25min) so I was a bit slow, but not overly slow after what went before.

Overall it was a great thing, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will certainly do it again, but not as a main sport, perhaps a couple over the summer while training for DCM - but the mix of disciplines would be good and taken in as xtraining. I have no interest in moving up from the Sprint to Olympic distance. I would like to get better at it, there are certainly gains to be made on my times in all three sections - if I saved 2mins in transition1 and 2.30mins on my run -I would have jumped from 422nd place to somewhere about 300th. (out of about 800 I think)

Give it a shot, you're not abandoning running, just consider it part of your DCM training plan!

docjewel

Well done Killian,sounds like you enjoyed doing that.
Its good to get out there & have some fun.

Runchick

Brilliant report doc. This marathon running is more unpredictable than I had ever imagined. TBH I was quite shocked by your experience as I had kind of assumed you would be fine. Well done for finishing:) I must admit though the unpredictability and struggles many of us have had over the past month or so makes me even more determined to get back out there and conquer the 26.2 :eek:.

I like your plan to look as far as DCM 2014 before you really race the distance again, in the process giving the distance the respect it deserves. Not sure I could be that sensible mind you, but definitely food for thought. Do you think the trouble you were having with your hamstring was a contributor?

Runchick

Well done to you too Killian. Sounds like you had a ball, those times for a first effort are soemthing to be proud of DId I miss your Limerick race report?

docjewel

Runchick wrote: »

Brilliant report doc. This marathon running is more unpredictable than I had ever imagined. TBH I was quite shocked by your experience as I had kind of assumed you would be fine. Well done for finishing:) I must admit though the unpredictability and struggles many of us have had over the past month or so makes me even more determined to get back out there and conquer the 26.2 :eek:.

I like your plan to look as far as DCM 2014 before you really race the distance again, in the process giving the distance the respect it deserves. Not sure I could be that sensible mind you, but definitely food for thought. Do you think the trouble you were having with your hamstring was a contributor?

Being brutally honest A the hamstring was in the back of my mind but I felt that if it was going to hamper me it would be in the last few miles.
2 days on & I still feel fresh,too fresh in fact but it could also be a false freshness,went for a gentle 3 mile run barefoot on the beach this morning followed by a dip in the cold sea,while initially the body didnt thank me it did feel good.
It felt really good just to be able to get out running & not worry about targets/times/distances & enjoy it