Anyone in London doing this year's Dublin Marathon?

upmeath

Hi all,

I've registered for this year's Dublin Marathon (28 Oct) and thought it would be useful to find out if there are other London-based Boards folk training for this (or other distance runs) this coming autumn. I live in Wandsworth and do most of my training along roads and parks in the SW boroughs (Wandsworth, Lambeth, Richmond, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham). If anyone is interested in linking up for training runs or can recommend training groups in these areas I'd be delighted to hear more.

Rob

Woden

Hi Rob,

I'm training for it as my first marathon (until my knee protests too much anyway)

I'd recommend this mentored novice thread in Athletics: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056913937

I'm on week 5 of the boards plan available here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoaCGJk6gWtQdGI3TlI1SDVUNjlMSGRTX1VaMGtudUE#gid=4

Quite busy at the moment and trying to squeeze in the runs where I can, run home from work sometimes etc but if your pace is similar for the long weekend run let me know and we could hook up. I do most of my training along the canal, Regent and Victoria park. I do them around 6-6:20 min/k

Woden

Dr.Sanchez

Although I've done a couple of marathons in the past, I'm not doing the Dublin one. However, when my knee is better (old injury) I'd be up for some training runs in Richmond!

ClashCityRocker

Training (not very well!) for a marathon in October myself, though I'm in North London so not really useful for you and training runs. I'd echo what Woden says about checking out the Athletics forum if you haven't already, some very knowledgeable guys and gals on there who would have great advice.

Good luck!

upmeath

Thanks for the responses, I'm very grateful for any pre-marathon guidance I can get.

I have a target time of 3:30 in mind for Dublin. I've been following Jeff Gaudette's sub 3:30 programme on RunKeeper (tomorrow's 11 miler will mark the end of week 3) and I've managed to stick it thus far without much difficulty.

Having said that, I know that tougher training is coming up very shortly, but I've been working towards this all year. I have one half marathon under my belt already (Chiswick House event in April, I would highly recommend the route - scenic flat course running either side of the Thames) which I completed in a time of 1:41 (so close to nipping under 100 minutes but I really felt it from kilometres 17-21).

At the moment I'm plotting routes for long Sunday runs and I got it into my head that running Tube lines might not be a bad way to keep the mind keen while running mind-numbing distances. I'll be running the 14 miles of the Victoria line from north to south on Sunday 25 August, anyone fancy it?

Woden

Wanted to come back to this closer to the time sorry but I'll be most likely be out of town for the bank holiday. Enjoy the run. Seems like a more interesting idea than the laps of the park I was doing on Saturday just as the terrain is softer..

upmeath

Woden wrote: »

Wanted to come back to this closer to the time sorry but I'll be most likely be out of town for the bank holiday. Enjoy the run. Seems like a more interesting idea than the laps of the park I was doing on Saturday just as the terrain is softer..

Hi Woden,

I have ticked off the Victoria and Bakerloo lines recently. I'm taking on the Hammersmith & City line tomorrow. I've never been to Barking but I believe it's lovely on a shi##y wet Sunday so fingers crossed!
I'll be back in Paddyland next weekend (14-15 September) but I'm returning to London and aiming to complete the Circle line clockwise on All-Ireland Sunday (22 September). Pace averages 7:20-7:40 per mile, covering the distance is more important than hitting time targets so I'm conversational on Sundays!

Woden

Nice one upmeath!

I got my first 20 miler in yesterday around the canals, Limehouse basin up to Tottenem Hale and back via Stoke Newington/Dalston. Though my pace is circa 9:40/mile. We are a little bit out of sync.. Your LSR pace is my 5k race pace!

For Sun 22nd then I'm doing the Richmond half http://www.richmondrunningfestival.com/

ClashCityRocker

Woden wrote: »

For Sun 22nd then I'm doing the Richmond half http://www.richmondrunningfestival.com/

I'm doing this one too, looks great to be honest. I'll be running it at marathon pace rather than racing it so hopefully I'll be able to enjoy the scenery on the way round. Free beer at the end too :cool:

upmeath

Thanks both, that looks like a lovely route and it's very tempting to knock the Circle line on the head but I'm forcing myself to stick to this training plan and unfortunately I've 20 miles down against that Sunday.

Post H&C line update: Disastrous... Unintentionally added 4km to what was already a 29.5km route by having to attempt 5 crossings of the River Lea to get from Bromley-by-Bow to West Ham. For some reason several crossings that show up as pedestrian routes on Google Maps were chainlinked and padlocked shut.

upmeath

How did Richmond go and how are preparations shaping up?
Is everyone else due a very long run this weekend?

Woden

Richmond went very well here 1:41 down from 1:57 in April so was well happy with that. Flat course. Not too congested at the start. The boards plan LSR/mileage peaked last weekend actually with a 2nd 20miler which I extended to 22 so its back down to 18 this weekend and into the taper.

Body seems to be holding it together at the moment which is the main thing and will decide on marathon pace closer to the day. Have some days booked off back in Ireland to relax after.

How you getting on?

ClashCityRocker

Richmond was great, very enjoyable event. Flat as a pancake (though a little muddy in places) and very scenic course. Ran it in 94 mins, which was a little faster than planned but not to worry. Met Sonia o Sullivan afterwards too

Should point out my marathon is 13th October in Poznan as opposed to Dublin, so no more long runs for me til the big day! Planning on doing 4/5 PMP tomorrow and maybe 8/9 slow on Sunday this weekend.

upmeath

Woden that HM time progression is phenomenal. I did Chiswick House HM in 1:41 in April and I've managed to get my training runs over HM distance down to about 1:35 since. Haven't done a timed HM since then but would hope to produce 1:35 or thereabouts. You've knocked an absolute chunk off yours, fair play.

CCR - best of luck in Poznan, I'm guessing you're taking it very easy this week?

This Sunday was my longest long run, 20+, I ran the Greenwich foot tunnel, up the Isle of Dogs and did a lap of London City Airport, then home via Tower Bridge. I didn't meet a single pedestrian for almost 10 kilometres at one stage - very strange.

Taper starts tomorrow with an early morning 6 miler.

Edit: Tower Bridge more than made up for the 10 kilometres without pedestrians

ClashCityRocker

upmeath wrote: »

CCR - best of luck in Poznan, I'm guessing you're taking it very easy this week?

This Sunday was my longest long run, 20+, I ran the Greenwich foot tunnel, up the Isle of Dogs and did a lap of London City Airport, then home via Tower Bridge. I didn't meet a single pedestrian for almost 10 kilometres at one stage - very strange.

Taper starts tomorrow with an early morning 6 miler.

Edit: Tower Bridge more than made up for the 10 kilometres without pedestrians

Yep very easy running now this week, just a couple of short, gentle ones to keep the legs going really. I have a bit of a niggle in my foot too which is causing discomfort, i don't think it'll be a problem on Sunday but no point in aggrevating it now either.

I used to run over tower bridge quite a bit when running to and from work in the past, it wasn't bad in the mornings but in the evenings it would be packed. I even got caught by the bridge being raised a couple of times

upmeath

How did we all find it?

Having never run more than 34kms before I may have pushed myself a little too hard from Inchicore to Milltown. By the bottom of Nutley Lane I was really feeling it.

Talking to accomplished marathoners in the run-up to my first, I was told to draw on the energy of the crowd, make eye contact and they will bring you on. This worked a treat in many parts of the course (Chapelizod, Dolphins Barn, Orwell Road/Milltown, Roebuck), but I found support to be lacking in areas of the course where I was told that it would be huge.

Hundreds of people standing in silence at the turn onto Chesterfield Avenue really riled me early on. I understand that many people go to cheer on someone and not everyone, but a considerable crowd on the start of one of the first long drags should be stirring somewhat, and the reception seemed a bit cold when I was passing. It is a vast open space but it doesn't need to be eerily quiet, not that early on.

I had also heard that Crumlin is electric every year - unfortunately I found the support to be quite poor there but Dolphin's Barn and Walkinstown were both great either side of Crumlin.

I could have packed it in at any stage after RTE but I found a few more vocal supporters in the final few miles, just when I needed it. Finished in 3:11, well under the target I trained towards (3:30) and under what I had felt I might be capable of on a very good day (3:20).

ClashCityRocker

upmeath wrote: »

Finished in 3:11, well under the target I trained towards (3:30) and under what I had felt I might be capable of on a very good day (3:20).

Sounds like you were fairly underestimating yourself?!? That's an excellent time. Are you going to do another marathon? It would be interesting to see how much more you can get that time down.

Funnily enough, when i ran Dublin (07 and 08) i did find Crumlin to be excellent support wise, Dolphin's Barn like you mention was always good and Walkinstown a bit quiet! Maybe the Crumlin folk have got complacent and Walkinstown have upped their game

Poznan was a tough day out for me, quite a flat course with a few drags. Pretty boring in places (lots of running along dual carrigeways/motorways, where support was sparse) but in the more residential areas there was some great support. Lots of bands too, the highlight being some lads dressed as druids belting out some AC/DC! Sub 3:10 was the aim, i was well on for that up to 18/19 miles but couldn't keep it up and wilted badly over the last few miles. A few seconds over 3:15 in the end, so missed my target but not too disappointed with the time in the end.

upmeath

ClashCityRocker wrote: »

Sounds like you were fairly underestimating yourself?!? That's an excellent time. Are you going to do another marathon? It would be interesting to see how much more you can get that time down.

I don't know if it was underestimation or maybe just cautiously managing my own expectations in the run-up. I had always exceeded the training targets for 3:30, that's why I felt 3:20 was possible on a very good day. I would never have said sub 3:15 was possible, there was just no way I saw myself ducking well below 200 minutes (I finished a pancake-flat HM in 101 minutes in April, I was in agony for weeks afterwards).

I was always mindful that there would be a good 8k+ at the end which I had never run before. I didn't know how that would feel or how my brain/body would cope. Luckily I coped quite well until mile 23 or thereabouts.

I will definitely run another marathon. Not sure about next year's Dublin just yet, I'm currently sizing up Paris in April and/or Tenby in July. Do you have another marathon in your sights? Would you recommend Poznan?

I plan on lacing up my runners tomorrow for a nice 5k parkrun, that will be my first run since Dublin. Other than that, a 10k might be the longest competitive run I do between now and the new year.

ClashCityRocker

upmeath wrote: »

Do you have another marathon in your sights? Would you recommend Poznan?

I wouldn't overly recommend Poznan in terms of a trip, it certainly wasn't bad (good value, well organised, fairly fast course) but it was very low key in the city i felt, much more so than Dublin or London for example. If you were there you wouldn't have known it was going on unless you were actually running it. If you're looking solely for fast time I'd say it's a pretty good option, but other than that i'd say there are probably more exciting races you could pick!

I'll do another one next year, I applied for Berlin but don't think I've got in. Cork is on my mind at this point, June bank holiday weekend. Nothing definite yet though.