The main thing is keeping the main thing, the main thing

Murph_D

Terrific, Alan. Brilliant race, great report. Being bored at mile 9 was obviously a good sign (weren’t you falling asleep during your first sub-3 at about mile 22, or was that DD?)

The anti-cramp strategy is something else. Was it something you thought about in advance (seeing as it was something you had a right to be worried about?)

Think you got a little less than 4% out of the shoes, but every single other runner I know doing this race this year crashed and burned. There’s no better feeling than striding like a Colossus through the walking dead. What a performance from you, well done.

coogy

What a read!


Congrats on a bloody great race!!

Swashbuckler

Great stuff A. The report didn't disappoint. Great to see you get the result your training deserved. Was hard to tell at times if you were running a marathon or in a boxing match. I must remember that trick the next time I get caught put with cramp.

Well done again.

AuldManKing

RayCun wrote: »

That's brilliant, well done!

I thought for a second that the big decision at mile 16 was going to be meeting your wife and getting a change of shoes

Thats a post of the year contender Ray! :pac:

Murph_D wrote: »

Terrific, Alan. Brilliant race, great report. Being bored at mile 9 was obviously a good sign (weren’t you falling asleep during your first sub-3 at about mile 22, or was that DD?)

Yeah - about half way through San Seb - I had that feeling - I thought of that during the race - but it was a different sort of 'bored' - a difficult one to describe.

AuldManKing

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Great stuff A. The report didn't disappoint. Great to see you get the result your training deserved. Was hard to tell at times if you were running a marathon or in a boxing match. I must remember that trick the next time I get caught put with cramp.

Well done again.

I'd love to see the video when it finally comes to see if they catch me punching my legs. I'm sure to the onlooker it looked so strange as I wasn't actually in full seizure cramping - more of a pre-cramp twinges :pac:

FBOT01

Super stuff. Delighted for you. I was right there with Ray, first thing that came into my head when you sedgewayed from shoes to big decision was the famous 4 shoe change session. A classic but it all played a part in getting you to where you wanted to be when you stood on the startline. Very glad to see that you backed yourself and got the result and performance you wanted and deserved. Recovery well!!!

laura_ac3

Nicely done, good to knock a chunk off the pb. Enjoy the recovery.

Huzzah!

That report was so good, I could almost feel the cramps. Fantastic performance. Congratulations.

browne_rob5

What a great read! I was delighted we managed to bump into each other at the finish especially when we both hit our targets.

Super effort from you to keep the pace up towards the end when the cramp was kicking in. The effort put in training over the past few months came through for you.

The people crossing over the grass verge to avoid going right around the roundabout did bother me too! Although I did think that at the start of that road there was a sign saying you could run at either side but everyone around me stayed on the right so I did too. Just checked what way the leaders ran it on youtube and they took the long way around so looks like those guys did cut the course.

Great run AMK. Delighted for you!

Duanington

Major congrats and well done A, I'm delighted for you. Loved the "only 3k to go until 1k to go"....sums up the marathon really ! There aren't many people I know that came out of Rotterdam with that kind of result. The potential heat is something that put me off putting my name into the hat this year actually

You're in the shape of your life and I seem to remember last year you wondering how long more you could go on chasing PBs for. I honestly think there's plenty left in the tank for you and more to come over all distances.

So the damned cramp returned eh? Not quite as bad as previous years though?

Dealerz2.0

Brilliant race and report- well done!

Younganne

what a fantastic read Alan and you put so much details into the report that I'm laughing, crying, feeling the heat, the shivers from the cold water and the cramps. I can also feel your relief and delights and your pride at the line.

Its a very well earned PB that your truly deserve. Delighted for you and enjoy the recovery.

kerrylad1

Super running.

Sheep1978

Great read A. well done again

denis b

Thoroughly enjoyed that report Alan. Lots of ingenuity on show during the race too and plenty to take from reading your report. Keep tearing down those barriers

aquinn

Delighted for you Alan, what a performance. Fantastic.

AuldManKing

browne_rob5 wrote: »

What a great read! I was delighted we managed to bump into each other at the finish especially when we both hit our targets.

Super effort from you to keep the pace up towards the end when the cramp was kicking in. The effort put in training over the past few months came through for you.

The people crossing over the grass verge to avoid going right around the roundabout did bother me too! Although I did think that at the start of that road there was a sign saying you could run at either side but everyone around me stayed on the right so I did too. Just checked what way the leaders ran it on youtube and they took the long way around so looks like those guys did cut the course.

Great run AMK. Delighted for you!

Great to meet you & Adam - Seamus was wondering how I knew you

Duanington wrote: »

Major congrats and well done A, I'm delighted for you. Loved the "only 3k to go until 1k to go"....sums up the marathon really ! There aren't many people I know that came out of Rotterdam with that kind of result. The potential heat is something that put me off putting my name into the hat this year actually

You're in the shape of your life and I seem to remember last year you wondering how long more you could go on chasing PBs for. I honestly think there's plenty left in the tank for you and more to come over all distances.

So the damned cramp returned eh? Not quite as bad as previous years though?

I really didn't think I would cramp, given the S&C work I had done.
I guess it didn't turn into full blown seizure because I didn't stop - I reckon had I of stopped, it would have got me and I'd be screwed for the remainder of the race.
So the key was to punch the muscle when I felt it coming on - a couple of times it was difficult not to stop - the last km when I tried to energise the crowd for example.

I think I get an automatic entry to Berlin 2020 on the back of this.

This performance has me wondering about my Marathon plans for the 18 months. Dublin then Berlin / No Dublin, but Manchester then straight into Berlin training.? A decision for a few weeks time methinks.

No doubt every (non marathon) PB will fall in the coming 12 months - No Doubt.

AuldManKing

Murph_D wrote: »

The anti-cramp strategy is something else. Was it something you thought about in advance (seeing as it was something you had a right to be worried about?)

I thought that with the race being flat and my S&C - that cramp would be unlikely (as was the case in San Seb) - I didn't want to put negative thoughts into my head by planning for cramp.
But I did recall the famous Nutly Lane Boxing match that me & my right Hammy had a few times during training.

healy1835

AuldManKing wrote: »

I think I get an automatic entry to Berlin 2020 on the back of this.

Icing. On. Cake.

Well jealous!

Applegirl26

That was just wonderful to read A. So well deserved. Your training was incredible. I'm delighted you got the result you fought so hard for.
I was running at the same time in Manchester and I actually thought of you as I came up to 3 hours. I just knew you were doing well and that you would be fighting hard to get your time. It helped spur me on.
Delighted for you.

AuldManKing

Applegirl26 wrote: »

That was just wonderful to read A. So well deserved. Your training was incredible. I'm delighted you got the result you fought so hard for.
I was running at the same time in Manchester and I actually thought of you as I came up to 3 hours. I just knew you were doing well and that you would be fighting hard to get your time. It helped spur me on.
Delighted for you.

What a wonderful thing to think & say - Thank you.

Many congrats to you for gripping a PB from when you thought you may not even start - Epic stuff.

outforarun

Huge congrats. Enjoyed reading that. Great running and lots of mental grit shown. Feeling inspired while reading it. Lol at the image of you pummeling your legs.

overpronator

Amazing performance man, delighted for you. I got cramp just reading the report.

ThePiedPiper

Great racing Alan, very well deserved for all the years of consistency you’ve had. Well done.

ariana`

That was some read! And some race... which of course all of us were fairly sure it would be. Any words of praise i can come up with seem so inadequate right now You've been a continuous source of inspiration, encouragement and sound advice to me since the 2017 mentored novice thread and it's just wonderful to see it all come together for you now with this super performance on the back of savage training. And i'm loving the confidence it's given you for what will be in the races ahead too. Really really well done, just delighted for ya.

eyrie

Properly epic!! You're always a good man for the atmospheric race report in fairness. Was following along on Sunday morning and delighted to see the result, but it's great to see how it unfolded now. No doubt you're still buzzing. Congratulations

healy1835

AuldManKing wrote: »

I think I get an automatic entry to Berlin 2020 on the back of this.

This performance has me wondering about my Marathon plans for the 18 months. Dublin then Berlin / No Dublin, but Manchester then straight into Berlin training.? A decision for a few weeks time methinks.

Join me in London 2020??....there are 2:50 pacers there

TFBubendorfer

Fantastic performance Alan, and a long time coming!
Congratulations! Epic running! I bet that warm glow will last for months!

Jmcmen

Congrats again Jessica Fletcher, some read. Fair play for digging deep

Back in Black

Well done on a outstanding performance and a brilliant report. Delighted you got the rewards your training deserved. Congratulations!