Confessions of a never has been.....

Duanington

AuldManKing wrote: »

DD - get your run uploaded on Strava will ya.

Stone Age watch and no laptop with me to upload !

Back in Black

Brilliant stuff. Congratulations.

Duanington

Berlin Race report


Sitting on the grass in front of the Reichstag , welcoming the warming sun on my salty face, I couldn’t help but notice the mixed emotions that the marathon inevitably brings. Runners were leaving the baggage area ( secured off from non runners) and making their way off into the warm afternoon – some to celebrate with supporters who had gathered at various exit points eagerly to greet them, others to drown their sorrows...with supporters who had gathered eagerly at various exit points to greet them.

Each had their own story to tell, their own victories, their own triumphs and for some it was evidently a case of having their own disappointments...the common theme was emotion. Brazilians, Germans, Spanish, Dutch, French, Chinese, Brits, Americans and Irish to name just a few of the nationalities I identified in the few minutes that I sat there for. My GF had been waiting for me, beaming from head to toe when she spotted me hobbling across the grass towards the exit. I was one of the lucky ones with a smile on my face, the time I had just run ...well it was conservative and a little shy of where I knew I was at fitness wise but the performance was a different story and as a result, the occasion was something that I was able to embrace from start to finish...and beyond.

Training summary

I trained hard for this marathon, some of the sessions were long and tough runs - some of them were actually tough to get my head around, the pace seemed lofty at first, the weekly mileage meant that recovery was going to be important in order to be able to get through the sessions and as it turns out, I wasn’t able for one or two of the sessions.
On the whole though, lots of long easy runs, lots of smaller easy runs, some long steady stuff, some speedier stuff ( blocks of 8,10, 12 minutes) and then a fair few tough MP based long runs had brought me to a place where thoughts of running 6.35-6.45 pace over a marathon was not something that intimidated me in the least. I knew that I would need a lot of things to come together to hold anything quicker than 6.35 pace for the duration on the day but I was fully prepared to give that a good shot if I felt things had fallen into place.

Buildup

I arrived at taper phase with a lot of confidence...and a headcold, not ideal but it was 2 weeks out from the big day so I had time on my side, it shifted after a few days and I was back in action...feeling good again but having the usual taper related nonsense going on at the same time!
Coming into the final week of taper, I picked up a stomach bug which had me far more worried than the headcold, I was shaking, feverish and couldn’t eat for a day or so – a good sleep, lots of fluids and a few easy miles with FBOT later and the panic started to wash away from my tormented mind!
We flew out to Berlin early on Friday morning ( way too early, silly move there), checking into our Hostel around lunchtime. Booking a hostel for this trip was a bit of a shot in the dark but myself and my better half were both blown away by the place over the course of the few days...if\when we go back to Berlin, that’s where we’ll be staying.

The weather was lovely so we decided to walk down to the expo on the Friday to beat the crowds, I was in full pre marathon mode at this stage, paranoid about spending too much time on my feet in a Q....so decided to walk for over an hour to avoid the Q....smart, so, so smart ! Organisation at the expo was great, after 20 minutes or so I was locked and loaded with my race pack - taxi back to the hostel and chilled out for the rest of the day. I headed out in the evening for my run, a few easy miles with one at 6.30ish. I loved this, legs were good, mind was tired from the early start but the faster section felt good .

Saturday was another warm day and we took the chance to take in a bit of the inline skating marathon that was taking place, wandering down to the start area, lounging around at some riverside bars and generally soaking up the atmosphere. The sun was quite warm at times and it was most definitely planted right into the front of my thoughts at this stage. While 22\23 degrees isn’t exactly Sahara Desert type conditions, I know that I struggle to run in the heat...and the heat doesn’t even have to be any way intense for it to have a negative effect on my running.

Sometime between heading out to watch the skating and heading back for dinner, I decided to roll back my target a bit – I had heard a lot of people say that it wouldn’t get warm until after the race but I had also been out in the late morning sun earlier and felt the heat first hand – it was very pleasant to sit in or even walk in but I knew it could spell disaster for me if I didn’t at least allow for it. There was probably another couple of contributing factors to my thinking on this one, the bug I had earlier in the week, the silly early flight the day before and even the long walk down to the expo, the memory of dying a death in the sun in Mullingar, I was tired, getting anxious and while I knew I was in the shape of my life – I didn’t want to blow it while I was in the shape of my life!

Race Day

For the first time I can remember, I actually slept well the night before a race....asleep before midnight and then up at 6. Breakfast, coffee, bathroom and get the gear on....bathroom....the usual routine. I was a bag of nerves though, much more so than Dublin in previous years, I’m not sure why but I was really feeling anxious in the hours leading up to the race.

After sitting around and stressing myself out a bit more, I said my goodbyes to my gf and headed off to walk towards the starting area – about a 15 minute walk from the Hostel. Streams of people were already out on the roads, quietly making their way down along the river towards the Reichstag which was the landmark I had in my head for the start area.

Bag drop done and dusted, I sat around in the sun for a little while, trying to focus the mind a little. Conditions were perfect, the air was chilly, there was a slight breeze which would be nice if the heat did arrive before I was finished and there were next to no clouds in the sky. The shade was cold while sitting in the sun was mild. I thought about how I would race; conservatively to start with and move through the gears when the field opened up. Running with 40,000 other people wouldn’t make for a quick start anyway but I reminded myself that I needed to relax over the first few miles ( in contrast to Dublin last year). If I got to halfway in and around 1.28\1.29 then I would have ran the first half perfectly well – hopefully I’d ramp it up over the 2nd half, have enough in the tank to deal with any heat and nail a good PB.

Made my way down to the starting pen – I was in section “D”, which was a bit of a concern because it was so far back but again, I told myself to relax and enjoy the first few miles, I knew they’d feel easy. Standing in the starting area, I was taken by the size of the crowd – I couldn’t actually see the scale until I looked at the big screen that was beaming out shots from a helicopter above. Mind-blowing really !

Incredibly, a lad I know from Celbridge AC ( we ran the Clonmel half together) spotted me and called out to me from a few rows up. Funny how the running gods throw these little things your way from time to time. After a bit of banter from the German lad on the mike, we were off. 40,000 moving away from the Brandenburg gate on a sunny Berlin morning, an amazing scene to watch on the big screen up ahead.

We walked, half jogged, half jogged a bit more then eventually jogged over the start line, getting up to a reasonable pace within a couple of hundred metres. I knew the first mile would be slow so I made my way towards Celbridge and said my hellos. He was running by heart rate, targeting 2.55 so I knew we’d be running together for a good bit of the race. The sense of occasion was palpable as we moved over the ground, flanked by trees either side of the road ( the race starts in a park) with supporters already making their voices heard.

I had my watch set for KMs, knowing that the route was marked in KMs from talking with DNS boards crew a few weeks back. I also knew that I would not be relying on the watch for progress, I’d use the various clocks dotted around the course ( in hindsight, I should have got a pace band though...that would have kept me much more honest throughout the race).

The first 5k was very crowded, I saw a couple of people fall and almost tripped once myself so I was very careful to stay out of trouble – I sacrificed the racing line for space most of the time. Conditions felt great though and I made a point of not checking the watch. The 3 hour pacers had long disappeared into the distance and the 3.15 pacers had just dropped away but still we found ourselves in a big group, the first water station was carnage ( although I had brought a straw to help with drinking from the cups  ). When I saw the 5k split, it was a little slower than I had hoped but at the same time, I wasn’t worried because I was feeling so good and this was so early in the race.

KMs 1-5
4.26, 4.12, 4.19, 4.13, 4.10

Things opened up a little after the first 5k marker and the supporting crowd got noticeably thicker too. Live bands and DJs were popping up along the course, really adding to the atmosphere too.

Its a strange sensation to run a marathon in a city you don’t know, there are no landmarks for you to reference, no familiar streets and yet the people at the side of the road are all there to cheer you on. Berliners clearly get right behind this event, families were out in force, kids leaning over to high five runners, dancing with the bands etc...great stuff altogether

My GF was waiting around the 8k mark for me but the road narrowed just before we turned for this stretch and it really was a case of having to be careful not to trip or be tripped so I ducked out of the way of any trouble again, by the time I got out of trouble, we were well past the marker and on our way onto the next.

I was gradually upping the effort levels now, still not looking at the watch too often, just checking the odd split here and there to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary going on. I wasn’t sitting in behind groups that slowed us though like we had been over the first 5k, I’d go around them immediately, find space and hold the pace. I would take the lead on one, Celbridge on the next and it was starting to work very well.
It was great to have the bit of company along the way too, we shared the odd joke and comment on the supporting acts dotted along the way, plenty of tricolours out in force too. The 10k marker appeared ahead, with another digital display to give us the split. Obviously we were guessing the actual chip time ( I figured 60 seconds or so off the total at the time, Celbridge wasn’t sure) but it looked to me like we were more on track now, the first 5k had been very slow, 2nd 5k was much better.

KMs 6-10
4.11, 4.09, 4.11, 4.13, 4.03

We found ourselves with plenty of room from about 10k onwards, the racing line was much more accessible so we used it. Water stations were a necessary evil in my book, they were slowing things down, I had my sneaky straw to make it easier to drink from the cups but everyone else around me slowed right down to get water, drink it before moving on again, the net result was a slippy, awkward traffic jam of runners.
I was taking one water to throw over my head and one to drink from, conditions were still good but it was definitely getting warmer. I was moving very well in the new found space now, while the sun was warming up, there was plenty of shade from surrounding buildings and the water from the stations was doing its job.

I was still avoiding the watch as much as possible and was really just running by feel for the most part. I was enjoying the race, the tempo was good now, things felt comfortable, we were picking people off, and the support from the crowd was fantastic. The pace was probably a little up and down with water stations and the odd spot of traffic but overall I was happy with the effort levels for now. I think the first cooling station appeared around the 13k mark too, myself and Celbridge went straight through it, loving the cold blast that the water gave. We both commented on how poorly we handle any kind of heat but we obviously weren’t alone because a lot of other people followed us through the cool shower.

KMs 11-15
4.08, 4.11, 4.12, 4.17, 4.11

Moving towards the halfway point, things started to feel a little less comfortable. Celbridge had gone pretty quiet and I was overthinking the fact that the legs were finally acknowledging being in a marathon.
While I didn’t feel uncomfortable, the free running of the previous 10k wasn’t quite there and I was having to kick a little bit every now and then to stop the effort slipping back. I think this is a section where we should have raced a little better – there were a few downhill stretches from memory and rather than going after them, we tended to relax into them.

The crowd was still immense, the sun was shining (and keeping my mind occupied more than actually overheating me!), we had figured out a good routine for the water stations ( going towards the end of the tables, as opposed to the front) and yet we let a few quick sections get away from us. I probably lacked a bit of mental awareness of my position in the bigger picture, the impact that another slow section could have etc....pace bands would probably have helped in that regard.

KMs 16-20
4.17, 4.06, 4.19, 4.10, 4.19

Our split at halfway told a story and probably gave us both a bit of a shaking, we were there in just under 1.30...that was a bit slower than either of us had anticipated. For me, it meant that I got there a minute or so slower than I had planned ( and I knew that I’d look back later and curse a few of the individual km splits), for Celbridge, it meant pretty much the same thing – he was running by heart rate and it had been spot on up until this point.
While I was a little pissed off that I had let a bit too much time slip up until this point, I also knew that I would have it in me to make some of that up over the 2nd half. I was still running well, I’d run faster in training, in wind and rain and on less favorable routes.
I remember moving through the 22km marker and thinking that I needed to get more consistent with the pace, it mattered now and was going make or break this race for me.

I kept up my 2 cups at each water station thing, one for the head and one for the mouth, ran through any cooling stations and consciously increased the effort.
The increased effort brought an increased bite in the legs of course but I knew it was there to give and I knew I’d have to use it to avoid leaving a sense of regret about the day.

KMs 21-25
4.11, 4.06, 4.11, 4.13, 4.10

It felt like a marathon now, L had said to me during training that we were going to ensure that the first 20 miles or so felt good and I was still in that zone but I was working harder now, not exactly pushing the pace, more concentrating on holding things steady, not slipping back at water stations, pushing past slower runners, staying alert and focused, that kind of thing.
Dancers, drummers, bands, DJs all came and went, we were approaching the business end of the marathon now and it was an effort to stay switched on. I tend to use the support as a mental distraction but that can lead to mental drifting for me and that’s when I tend to slip back effort wise.

Berlin is flat and fast but there are a few little drags around the course and this section had a couple of its own, I resisted the temptation to ease off on these and focused on staying consistent effort wise. The legs felt good but there was no chat between myself and Celbridge now, we were both working harder and moving towards that part of the marathon that can make or break your race.

KMs 26-30
4.06, 4.13, 4.09, 4.11, 4.07

Another cooling station ( a fire engine...I think) and I was straight through it, I felt a lot of relief from this one...was I starting to overheat ? Was the sun starting to take its toll on me? I actually don’t know, some people around me were running without their tops on and others were visibly wilting but we were 10k from the end of a marathon so it could well have just been the effect a marathon has on people, as opposed to any heat related issues. Personally, I was feeling hot but I was managing it well. Looking at the photos from marathonfoto, I do look a little worse for wear but I never once felt that I couldn’t dig in and finish the job.

I took the 2nd and last of my gels during this section, washing it down with some water from the station. I was passing a lot of runners too, people dropping right back from ahead and others stopped to walk, I spotted ( and heard) a couple of cramp victims around here to. Fleeting thoughts of me suffering the same fate arrived....”no chance” I thought, that isn’t happening today....I knew it wasn’t going to happen, I was a little lost with regards to progress and where I was timewise because I couldn’t do the maths too well when I saw the digital clocks at each marker but I knew I was on for a negative split and that would give me a very solid PB. I was starting to build momentum now, like that feeling during a long training run where it is starting to hurt but you know you’re in control, its just a case of digging deeper a little each time the hurt bites.

KMs 31-35
4.14, 4.08, 4.05, 4.01, 4.10

It was maybe around the 36k mark, shortly after a water station that I realised I’d lost Celbridge, I glanced around a couple of times but couldn’t see him. The effort levels were up now and to be honest, the heat was an issue too. I was definitely feeling both. The crowd was thickening though and I knew there wasn’t long to go...25 more minutes or so of running and this is done, I wasn’t sure what time I was on for because I couldn’t focus enough to do the maths but I just knew deep down that I had it in the tank.
I was running alone now, moving well, working hard, trying to control the breathing, feeling the effort now but I was skipping water stations too – I didn’t need the water, I needed the time.

The KM markers weren’t coming so quickly now, I tried to focus on the road ahead and on my stride but I was tiring and my mind was drifting, I was having to work harder and harder with each passing km. I spotted an amputee ahead, running with a prosthetic leg, probably on for a sub 3 hour marathon, others around him were flagging in the sun, giving in to those voices that gather. That was enough to focus the mind on the job at hand, the road was good, the crowd was good, training had been good and I was nearly there.

KMs 36-40
4.04, 4.13, 4.11, 4.09, 4.13

Passing the 40km mark, I figured I was still on for a good time, I guessed at 60 seconds from the total to allow for the chip time and put the head down to get this thing done. The roads between 40-41k are a little twisty but you can really sense that there is something big ahead, the noise of the finish area is audible in the air and while I had no sense of where it was direction wise, I knew I was closing in. The pain was there in the legs now but it wasn’t overwhelming, I was still in control of things, working the tempo, making sure it didn’t drop. My GF appeared ahead, she gave me a huge shout out , I responded and bounced on towards the last KM.

Out onto the last straight of the Berlin marathon, the Brandenburg gates ahead, the sun shining down, the crowds on either side roaring, cheer leaders ahead, music blaring...it really is an incredible occasion and my senses were lifted from all angles. I knew the finish line was beyond the gate, carefully navigated the cobble stones that led us up to the gate and once on the other side, my watch beeped for the 42nd km. Not quite D, still a bit to go - I could see the finish line though and knew it was only a 400m rep away, I put the boot down and focused on finishing strong, fast and remembering this bit, enjoying it. What was the time going to be? I didn’t know, I actually didn’t care, I knew it was a PB.

Somebody shouted my name from the sideline, I gave a thumbs up, I was loving this, that end of marathon feeling when you are giving it everything you’ve got at the end of a long slog and somehow the pain is starting to melt away from your body. I saw the clock, knew I’d done well and crossed the line, tired, a little emotional but with the knowledge that I had dug in and stayed in control right up to the end

KMs 41,42
4.08, 4.13 ( and 6.10 pace for the last bit)

2.58.26 chip time and a new PB

I got my medal, bumped into a few other Irish finishers in the finishing area ( including Jebuz and some of the other Cork lads with some amazing performances), the legs were sore but not out of action like they were after Dublin last year, I sat down for a few minutes chatting to a couple of lads from Holland who had just broken 3 hours for the first time, they were in a bad way but also delighted with themselves.
After getting a photo taken with my medal, I got the gear back and hobbled out towards the exit to commence the celebrations and to enjoy the rest of my stay in Berlin, had a few beers with a great bunch of Boardsies by the side of the Brandenburg gate where we swapped war stories from the race. Some were happy, some were not so happy, some felt the heat, others didn’t mind it...everyone looked like they’d run a marathon though ! ( except TRR and Krusty who are too cool for that kind of thing apparently).
A great day\night was had with everyone and I really enjoyed putting some faces to names and sharing running\non running stories with everyone, top class evening.

Post mortom:

I learned quite a few lessons from Berlin and I take a lot of positives from the race too. I was anxious in the lead up to this one and that was probably down to the illness I had the week before, so every minor concern I had in the days before the race were probably multiplied by ten. It is no fluke that each time I ran, I felt good and when I sat around, I didn’t!

I probably shouldn’t have travelled so early on the Friday, probably shouldn’t have walked for over an hour to the expo..

I paced the first half poorly, I think I was right to go out easier than planned and I think I was right to bring the target back a little too overall BUT....I basically guessed my way to a 1.30ish first half....and from then on, while paying more attention to splits, I made educated guesses at how I was doing. A pace band would have been the job here.

I fell asleep at the wheel during a couple of sections and this resulted in far too many slow km splits, I wouldn’t stressed at one or two but really lost focus for a bit which allowed the pace to slide back a bit too much.

The flip side is that I managed the 2nd half of the race very well ( bar one 5k section), I forced the issue a bit more, didn’t’ let myself relax and backed myself over the mother of all races.
I never panicked, I knew what I was doing for most of the race and I worked hard to get myself into the kind of shape that allowed that condition to prevail
Last year in Dublin, I hung on for dear life, attempting to stem the pace bleeding that was going on, I was in a bad way from 20 miles onwards, a beaten man really. This year, I was much stronger and forcing the issue, challenging myself to kick on and responding well. Ultimately I’m delighted with the performance in Berlin, the time is good but probably doesn’t reflect the work I put in leading up to the day. From here, its time to recover, talk to L about the next set of challenges, as I always say, the beauty of racing and running in general is that each run and each challenge should lend itself to the next one. Here’s to the next one !

( oh and, if you haven't done Berlin....get it on the list)

adrian522

Great report D and yeah you should have had a pace band! Well done on the race.
I was also panicking at every little thing on Saturday, particularly walking around too much, touch of a sore throat, not feeling great etc. But all forgotten on Sunday morning.

It really was a great race and I'd also recommend it!

yaboya1

Great report D to match an excellent performance. Well done.

Wubble Wubble

Top report, top running. Maybe eventually I'll get over to run that one.

Singer

Great report to read, thank you! A pretty decent race too

ThebitterLemon

Delighted for you Double D.

Fantastic improvement not just over this cycle but over the last few years.

Dedication and consistency duly rewarded

TbL

Mrs Mc

What a super report D and a great result many congrats.

FBOT01

Great report, D to go with a great performance and result. Great to see that you had the confidence to stay the course and allow yourself to work into the second half and push for a good PB. Some others would have seen 1:30 at halfway, panicked and push too much too soon and ended up out the back door.

There is one thing that I am not clear about though do you think a pace band would have helped

aquinn

What a fantastic report and race. Massive congratulations to you. Superb.

AuldManKing

Great work on the negative split - I know you said that you reached halfway slower than anticipated - had you planned a slight neg split anyway??

Great work on holding the pace for the last few miles - the long training sessions obviously paid off.

Younganne

Congratulations on the PB and lovely report. One loose end....How did Celbridge get on, did you see him after at the finish??

Duanington

adrian522 wrote: »

Great report D and yeah you should have had a pace band! Well done on the race.
I was also panicking at every little thing on Saturday, particularly walking around too much, touch of a sore throat, not feeling great etc. But all forgotten on Sunday morning.

It really was a great race and I'd also recommend it!

Thanks A - yeah, strange one for me, I'm normally nice and relaxed right up to the big day...I think the two bouts of sickness in the weeks leading up to it had me a little stressed ( but physically fine).... what's a pace band ? :P

Duanington

yaboya1 wrote: »

Great report D to match an excellent performance. Well done.

Thanks P - think you still have me over the distance, hopefully you can stretch that lead in the Spring

adrian522

I may have spent too long at the expo but I came out of it with 2 pace bands!

Duanington

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

Top report, top running. Maybe eventually I'll get over to run that one.

Thanks WW - couldn't recommend it enough really.

Duanington

Singer wrote: »

Great report to read, thank you! A pretty decent race too

Thanks Singer, the reports tend to be detailed but I use them for reading back on and reminding me what I did right\wrong !

Duanington

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Delighted for you Double D.

Fantastic improvement not just over this cycle but over the last few years.

Dedication and consistency duly rewarded

TbL

Thanks C - I hope you stick at that hard work you're putting in at the moment so I can return the compliment

Duanington

Mrs Mc wrote: »

What a super report D and a great result many congrats.

Thanks A - you'd a great run yourself at the weekend, well done

Duanington

FBOT01 wrote: »

Great report, D to go with a great performance and result. Great to see that you had the confidence to stay the course and allow yourself to work into the second half and push for a good PB. Some others would have seen 1:30 at halfway, panicked and push too much too soon and ended up out the back door.

There is one thing that I am not clear about though do you think a pace band would have helped

Thanks M - its funny, I never once felt like I couldn't\wouldn't push on when I needed to ( once I copped on that I'd been too slow over the first half of course!). It was a case of gritting the teeth, taking a bit of pain and doing it....when you've done that so frequently during training, its almost second nature.

What's a pace band ?

( major lesson learned there though in all seriousness)

Duanington

aquinn wrote: »

What a fantastic report and race. Massive congratulations to you. Superb.

Many thanks A :-)

Duanington

AuldManKing wrote: »

Great work on the negative split - I know you said that you reached halfway slower than anticipated - had you planned a slight neg split anyway??

Great work on holding the pace for the last few miles - the long training sessions obviously paid off.

Thanks A - I had planned it alright but didn't want to have to bank on it. I figured that if I had to run a 30 second or so negative split then that should be fine. I was concerned beforehand that the heat would be up over the 2nd half and would limit any negative split. But yes, I always planned to ease into the pace and finish strong.... In the end, I had to run a little harder towards the end than I had planned to.

Those long sessions are really worth the hurt at the time, every time I started to flag a little within 20km of the finish, I reminded myself that I'd run that distance faster in training, with 80+ miles in the legs

Duanington

Younganne wrote: »

Congratulations on the PB and lovely report. One loose end....How did Celbridge get on, did you see him after at the finish??

Thanks A - we did meet up, believe it or not we bumped into each other again later in the day. He ran 3.00.04 and was devastated ( which I don't get to be honest). He's a top lad though and will no doubt get his target next time around

Duanington

adrian522 wrote: »

I may have spent too long at the expo but I came out of it with 2 pace bands!

Ah Jaysus sure they were throwing them around like confetti and I still didn't get one !

Duanington

Back in Black wrote: »

Brilliant stuff. Congratulations.

Thanks J, hope you're back at it !

Duanington

Kennyg71 wrote: »

Really well deserved after fist class training bloc, well done.

Thanks G

Duanington

Firedance wrote: »

Brilliant result massive congrats on your entry to the sub 3 club! Enjoy the celebrations, can't wait to read the report.

Thanks AM - glad to see things are looking up for you

Duanington

annapr wrote: »

+1. Delighted for you!!!

Thanks a mill Anna

Duanington

Ososlo wrote: »

Fantastic result and no less than your training deserves. Delighted for ya D! And the best bit is that there is SO much more to come from you. Well done!!

Thanks A - high praise indeed coming from the champ !