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Off the Fence....and looking to go sub 3 hrs
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Official Chip Time - 3:00:59
On Jan 1 2014 this was the big one for me.........I was off the fence and looking to go sub 3 hrs (in Berlin)
It was a long 9 months coming but was worth all the hard work despite not actually getting sub 3. The Berlin Marathon was an wonderful experience and I had a great weekend to boot. It was great to be able to enjoy it with old friends and new.........big shout out to Yaboya, Murph_D, Mrs Murph, Marthastew, Mr Stew, the Crusaders crew, withcheeseplease, Loughie, Mrs L, Belcarra, Roisin, Terry049 plus1 all of whom helped make it an event to remember but most of all it was great to share it with Mrs FBOT, Ferris B and Mrs B my very own and very dedicated support crew. As you all know Ferris should have been toeing the line beside me on Sunday morning and I can only imagine how hard it was for him to be sidelined for this one but you would have struggled to find a louder and more enthusiastic supporter than him on Sunday morning.
Prerace
Training had gone well and I was pretty much where I wanted to be by the time I got to the startline. So now it was about getting the job done. The plan was to run my own race and not worry about pacers or anybody else. I had set out my stall to go out at 2:59 pace and if all went well I would nip in under that and if all went pear shaped hopefully I could hang on....forgot my pace band on the day but numbers are my thing so doing the maths on the go kept me distracted......5k split targets where 21.12 and as long as I kept the garmin showing 6:4x min/mile I should be still in the hunt coming down the straight.
0-10k
Great buzz at the start and lined up beside Yaboya and withcheeseplease with Terry049 not to far away. From Block D we were over the line in just under a minute and by keeping down the left hand side for the first straight as advise the congestion was pretty much non-existent. Got a huge shout out from the support crew at about the 2k mark. I don't normally do emotional but this really took my breath away and it took me a few minutes to get my head back in the game. 5k and 10k splits were very slightly under but nothing to be concerned about. I was moving well and was settling in nicely. By the second water station I had refined my technique for getting water from the tables safely. I took water at every station along the way but the cups meant I got relatively small amounts in at each station.
10-20k
Splits here remained consistent and my simple strategy continued...if I looked at the watch and it gave me a lap pace that said 6:3x then I had to dial it back and if it said 6:5x I needed to pick it up. Still feeling good but kept telling myself that this was not what I had been training for, the race I had been training for wasn't starting until 32km.......I had over 2000 mile in the bag YTD training for a 10k that was now less than 50 mins away.
20-30k
The support crew had relocated and they were now front and centre just before the half way point. Great lift when I saw and heard them and was still feeling good at this point. I know that when I saw them again it would be somewhere around 37km and that it would be a different story.
30-35k
This is were the wheels started to come off. Just after the 30k mark I started to over heat. The air felt must thinner and it was harder to get enough air in. I also started to feel a little empty. I had run all my training on water only but had brought a couple of emergency gels just in case today. I took one of these at 32k but dumped the other one as I was afraid two would lead to stomach issues and that there was no point carrying it any further if I wasn't going to use it. Probably a mistake of the day....maybe I should have just held onto it and throw it into me when the going got really tough. It was towards the end of this 5k that withcheeseplease passed me an gave me a shout out. I thought about going with him but thought that I should try to steady the ship....at this stage if I could finish out with sub 7 min miles I would still be OK.
35-40k
Next came the 3 hr pacer. He passed me like a steam train with a very small tailing group. I didn't panic though as I was still OK and I know the pacers were a bit all over the place . Much needed shout out from the crew at 37km with Ferris B reminding me that I only had a parkrun to go....I really thought that I could still hit the sub 3 at this stage. By the time I got a shout for annapr at about 39km I had slowed badly. The life/energy just seemed to drain out of me in mile 24 and it felt like I was going backwards but rightly or wrongly I still wasn't giving up the ghost. If I could hang on until the finishing straight then maybe I could muster a last dash at sneak in under. Mile 25 didn't get any better and as we headed into the last mile I was almost spent.
40-42k
The many turns at this stage were torture. I didn't know the city or the course well enough to know which one would eventually bring me on to the final straight. When I eventually turned the corner and saw the Brandenburg Gate for a brief moment I thought that the clock and finsh line were at the Erdinger sign before the gate. This gave me a lift and I checked my watch I was still in with a shout. As I got closer I could see that I had it wrong and that the sub 3 was indeed a job for another day. However, I decided that 3:00:xx might not be as good as 2:59:xx but it was better than 3:01:xx. I dug in and kicked on for the finish line. I took a small moral victory from being able to drive for the line and at least be able to say I was a 3 hr marathoner at the end of the day. I crossed the line ala Marthastew with my hands in the air to bring to a close my first international Marathon.
Full splits available here : http://http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/602360163
Aftermath:
I met Mrs FBOT, Ferris B and Mrs B just after the finished and after a brief break in the shade to cooldown and start the rehydration process we headed off with Yaboya and withcheeseplease to meet up with plenty of happy runners and supporters in the Oscar Wilde. We celebrated some great times and performances among which was the legend that is now Yaboya, withcheeseplease, the Crusaders crew (including the Stews) and two men that smashed their targets on what I felt was a very tough day Loughie and Murph_D. Well done to these and everyone else from here and elsewhere that came and concurred in Berlin
Monday was spent enjoying the sites of Berlin and mulling over the events of the day before. Body held up well and recovery is going well.
Reflection
I believe that I was in good shape and well placed for my first attempt at sub 3 when I toed the line in Berlin better than at any stage of my short running career. I would put my failure to complete the job down to one of two things or a combination of both. Firstly, I found it very warm/humid in the latter stages of the race and struggled to take on water and secondly, unlikely my previous marathons I trained for this one without the use of gels, etc. and didn't have a structure plan to take them during the race. Nor did I carb load at any stage either during the cycle or in the days before the race. On the plus-side I didn't suffer from any of the stomach issue that I have previously experienced from 16/18 miles onward.
At the end of the day, am I disappointed by missing the sub 3? Yes. But am I happy with a 12min+ PB? Abso...fooking...lutely. But in the big scheme of things I am thankful that I could stand on the start line, cross the finish line, give it a good lash in between and enjoy it all with family and friends afterwards.
Where to next? Who knows?............I will enjoy a little rest before pacing at DCM and hopefully, catching up with the Berliners and others in McGrattans afterwards.
It is late and I am off to bed so please excuse the typos, etc.
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Good stuff M. Unlucky regards the sub 3, but on the plus side you don't have to change your log title
(too soon?)
Seriously though, the more I look back at this, the more I think the heat was a factor, especially in the second half. Too many people seem to have been affected by it not to be a legitimate reason for slowing us all down. On another day we all come home below the pre-race targets. As both you and I have alluded to though, it just makes loughie & Murph_D's performances look even more spectacular.0 -
Great report FBOT01 and a great PB
Delighted with your outlook on it and not being to hard on missing the sub 3. As was mentioned earlier the heat wouldn't have helped and as Ecoli said, your 12+ min PB is the main point along with your enjoyment of the race.
Well done again..0 -
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Well done Statler,
To be honest I had you as a shoe in for the sub 3.
Your training was excellent and your preparation superb.
It just goes to show that anything can happen on the day.
You showed great tenacity at the end and congrats on a fantastic PB.
Any chance you'd be my Amsterdam 3.02-05 pacer
Hopefully I'll catch up with you soon.
TbL0 -
Fair play, tough to miss it, but fantastic time all the same.
Thanks....how's the dog?Super time.
I know you may be a little disappointed missing the 3 but it really is an arbitrary number, the 12 min PB is truly the only time that matters
Enjoy the post race celebration
Thanks L. I appreciated this take on it at the time and still do now. You have to take the good with the bad and on balance the Berlin experience was more good than bad. Actually I think that 60 secs was the only "bad". I'll take that...for now:)Well done M, great running. The sub3 will come, enjoy the beers very well deserved.
Thanks B. I hope you got good news from the Physio this week and that the recovery is progressing well.Super PB FBOT! Hard luck on missing the sub3, but you have a great springboard now to nail it next time (if Mrs. FBOT can put up with another training cycle
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Cheers J. Mrs FBOT really enjoyed the weekend and you never know maybe she got enough inspiration from some of the many great performances that she witnessed that it might be me having to put up with her for the next training cycle;)AuldManKing wrote: »good man and super attitude.
Looking fwd to the report.
Cheers A.....I think we may have to start a 3hr marathoner thread and ask Gavlor or Blockic to mentor us for the next attempt. If nothing else it would be an interesting few months.Duanington wrote: »Great stuff FBOT01 - congratulations on a smashing time and well earned PB
Cheers D. At the end of the day a PB is a PB and this one did indeed take some work.0 -
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Great report M.
Interesting insights into how you were feeling in the second half, which no doubt will be hugely beneficial to the next attempt. From my own POV I think the carb loading (which I didn't really do before) really helped. Sceptical too about gels but they don't adversely affect me so I always take a few to be on the safe side.
Of course the body probably acts much differently at the kind of speed you are talking about. I'm totally in awe of those numbers!
Still a great run and better luck next time.
Cheers D. Pardon the pun but it is all food for thought.AuldManKing wrote: »Well done again on a great perfomance.
As a fellow 3 hour marathoner, I can say that the stories you get to tell during the year are far greater for missing out than if you came under.
The story also gets better each time.
By Christmas, your story will be of running through desert like conditions, soaring heat with 95% humidity, as all were falling down around you, you kept going, reaching for the line in a remarkable sprint finish to salvage a 3:00:xx.
Enjoy the recovery!
By Christmas?? I reckon I can have a "extended" version all good to go by DCM.....as I watched the video yesterday I just started to recall the blistering tar on the road among other things but I won't be getting carried away I am pretty sure it was only 90% humidityThebitterLemon wrote: »Well done Statler,
To be honest I had you as a shoe in for the sub 3.
Your training was excellent and your preparation superb.
It just goes to show that anything can happen on the day.
You showed great tenacity at the end and congrats on a fantastic PB.
Any chance you'd be my Amsterdam 3.02-05 pacer
Hopefully I'll catch up with you soon.
TbL
Cheers TbL. I think Yaboya's take on it is always a good one, "Never underestimate the marathon". I am pretty happy that I didn't do that but I wasn't afraid of it either. I put it out there and gave it a lash. It didn't happen on the day but tomorrow is another day.
Your training and world record attempt look to be going very well at the moment. Between your coach and yourself you seem to have a good mix. If 3:02-3:05 is what you set your stall out for in Amsterdam I have no doubt you will get there but I also would be confident that when you both decide that the time is right to go for 2:5x that you won't be found wanting there either.
I will leave my number with Ahmed so if you are looking for a running partner out this direction any day give me a shout. Otherwise I look forward to meeting you when your daughter and yourself hit the flattest parkrun course in the country later this year.0 -
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career move wrote: »Well done on a great race. I like this bit But in the big scheme of things I am thankful that I could stand on the start line, cross the finish line, give it a good lash in between and enjoy it all with family and friends afterwards.
Cheers CM.0 -
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Thursday 23/10/2014
3.78m @ 09:23 avg pace
Another handy one in advance of DCM Pacing Job.
Monday 27/10/2014 - DCM PACING 04:10:00
Chip Time 04:09:34
Pre-Race
Berlin was my target race for 2014 so I had signed up early in the year to pace DCM as it gave me the option to run my hometown Marathon which I really love with no pressure....forgot I would have a bunch of people relying on me to do the job right. I had hoped to get a slot sub 4 but ended up at 04:10 which is 9:30/mile pace. It was 30mins longer in time terms than I had ever run before.
Early start for both me and Mrs FBOT. She dropped me into town to meet up with the rest of the pacers and then headed home to jump on her bike and meet up with a friend of ours so they could get into position before the start. They had a full day planned with 4 vantage points along the way picked out for shout outs. The Coombe, Dolphin Barn, Milltown Road and finally Ballsbridge before heading back to McGrattans. They hit ever target and gave a rousing shout out to the 4:10 bus at each stage. Ferris B was also out on the bike and we got a couple of welcome and timely shout outs from him too. I love DCM as the support is fantastic and you get shout outs through out the route from people you know and plenty who you don't but you always understand and get the encouragement and humour when it comes. My sister and her finance were in their now normal spot and so too were my folks....and you could not have any report on DCM without mentioning the lunatic with the megaphone on Merrion Road. Hats off to you ALL your support and encouragement is much appreciated!
The Race
The race itself was straight forward but tougher than it probably should have been. It was a new challenge for me to run at the required pace and I struggled with how to prepare for it. I felt the slower pace in the legs particularly between miles 20 and 24. If I hadn't had the flag on my back I would have been tempted to jack it in at about mile 18 but I had a few punters with me from the start and I really did feel a responsibility to get it done right for them.
I tried as much as I could to encourage the 4:10 crew without annoying them I made sure that I rallied the crowd at every opportunity to ensure the crew felt the buzz and could feed off it....I certainly did.
It was a tough day at the office for a lot of people this year. The heat, humidity and wind all played their part and I think anybody who was pushing for a time that was borderline for them paid the price on the way back in. From 16 miles on there was, as they say, carnage.
We didn't bring home as many as we would have liked but we did our job and I suppose that is all we can do. Enjoyed meeting both Ger and Dave my fellow 4:10 pacers and my mentors for the day. Good job Gents.
Aftermath:
Headed back to the Mespil for a very welcome shower then on to McGrattans. Plenty of family and friends on hand to meet me when I got there. Nice to catch up with plenty of boardsies in there too. Yaboya was looking fresh and happy out after his lap of honour while Annapr was glowing proudly sporting her hard got medal. Mathastew had baked goods in tow which were very tasty indeed. Pretty full house and it was great to meet so many and to get to put more faces to names. Jumped ship early enough and cycled home with Mrs FBOT which was actually just what the doctor ordered to loosen out the legs a little.
I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing experience and will hopefully get the chance to do it again in the future. Thanks to Paul and Eugene for the opportunity and really appreciate all your efforts in organising.
In summary I think 4:10 was probably a little slower than my comfort zone this year. The legs were significantly stiffer and in more pain than after Berlin 4 weeks previously which would suggest that time on my feet causes me more issues than distance. The fact I spent Tuesday sitting at a desk for 8 hours + probably didn't help either. The day after Berlin was spent walking around the city which in all likelihood aided blood flow and improved recovery.
Next up is pacing 1:40 in Clontarf Half on 29/11. I will need to get a little faster stuff done over the next few weeks to get ready for that.
Sunday 02/11/2014
4.77m @ 9:11 avg pace
After a week of no running I joined Ferris B for a few easy miles along the coast in Clontarf. Pleasant afternoon for it.
Need to decide what's next on the racing front and how I should be training for whatever it is.............bones of a plan for the first half of 2015 is Raheny 5 (Jan), Ballycotton 10 (Mar) followed by either a couple of halves or a Marathon in Apr/May. No training plan in place yet and I am open to suggestion if anyone has any ideas they want to share. The plan AMK is kicking off looks interesting might try piggy back on that or something along those lines for a while or I may try some of the HADD training that has served Yaboya so well over the past year.0 -
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I'm thinking of doing Ballycotton aswell. Will be hoping to pick up some ideas for sessions hereThursday 23/10/2014
3.78m @ 09:23 avg pace
Another handy one in advance of DCM Pacing Job.
Monday 27/10/2014 - DCM PACING 04:10:00
Chip Time 04:09:34
Pre-Race
Berlin was my target race for 2014 so I had signed up early in the year to pace DCM as it gave me the option to run my hometown Marathon which I really love with no pressure....forgot I would have a bunch of people relying on me to do the job right. I had hoped to get a slot sub 4 but ended up at 04:10 which is 9:30/mile pace. It was 30mins longer in time terms than I had ever run before.
Early start for both me and Mrs FBOT. She dropped me into town to meet up with the rest of the pacers and then headed home to jump on her bike and meet up with a friend of ours so they could get into position before the start. They had a full day planned with 4 vantage points along the way picked out for shout outs. The Coombe, Dolphin Barn, Milltown Road and finally Ballsbridge before heading back to McGrattans. They hit ever target and gave a rousing shout out to the 4:10 bus at each stage. Ferris B was also out on the bike and we got a couple welcome and timely shout outs from him too. I love DCM as the support is fantastic and you get shout outs through out the route from people you know and plenty who you don't but you always understand and get the encouragement and humour when it comes. My sister and her finance when in their now normal spot and so too were my folks....and you could have any report on DCM without mentioning the lunatic with the megaphone on Merrion Road. Hats off to you ALL your support and encouragement is much appreciated!
The Race
The race itself was straight forward but tougher than it probably should have been. It was a new challenge for me to run at the required pace and I struggled with how to prepare for it. I felt the slower pace in the legs particularly between miles 20 and 24. If I hadn't had the flag on my back I would have been tempted to jack it in at about mile 18 but I had a few punters with me from the start and I really did feel a responsibility to get it done right for them.
I tried as much as I could to encourage the 4:10 crew without annoying them I made sure that I rallied the crowd at every opportunity to ensure the crew felt the buzz and could feed off it....I certainly did.
It was a tough day at the office for a lot of people this year. The heat, humidity and wind all played their part and I think anybody who was pushing for a time that was borderline for them paid the price on the way back in. From 16 miles on there was, as they say, carnage.
We didn't bring home as many as we would have liked but we did our job and I suppose that is all we can do. Enjoyed meeting both Ger and Dave my fellow 4:10 pacers and my mentors for the day. Good job Gents.
Aftermath:
Headed back to the Mespil for a very welcome shower then on to McGrattans. Plenty of family and friends on hand to meet me when I got there. Nice to catch up with plenty of boardsies in there too. Yaboya was looking fresh and happy out after his lap of honour while Annapr was glowing proudly sporting her hard got medal. Mathastew had baked goods in tow which were very tasty indeed. Pretty full house and it was great to meet so many and to get to put more faces to names. Jumped ship early enough and cycled home with Mrs FBOT which was actually just what the doctor ordered to loosen out the legs a little.
I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing experience and will hopefully get the chance to do it again in the future. Thanks to Paul and Eugene for the opportunity and really appreciate all your efforts in organising.
In summary I think 4:10 was probably a little slower than my comfort zone this year. The legs were significantly stiffer and in more pain than after Berlin 4 weeks previously which would suggest that time on my feet causes me more issues than distance. The fact I spent Tuesday sitting at a desk for 8 hours + probably didn't help either. The day after Berlin was spent walking around the city which in all likelihood aided blood flow and improved recovery.
Next up is pacing 1:40 in Clontarf Half on 29/11. I will need to get a little faster stuff done over the next few weeks to get ready for that.
Sunday 02/11/2014
4.77m @ 9:11 avg pace
After a week of no running I joined Ferris B for a few easy miles along the coast in Clontarf. Pleasant afternoon for it.
Need to decide what's next on the racing front and how I should be training for whatever it is.............bones of a plan for the first half of 2015 is Raheny 5 (Jan), Ballycotton 10 (Mar) followed by either a couple of halves or a Marathon in Apr/May. No training plan in place yet and I am open to suggestion if anyone has any ideas they want to share. The plan AMK is kicking off looks interesting might try piggy back on that or something along those lines for a while or I may try some of the HADD training that has served Yaboya so well over the pass year. 0 -
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Great report.
Where's your next marathon going to be?
Maybe we can a bit of a gang together for Ballycotton?
Any pacing gigs left for Clontarf that you know of?
Get yourself on the pacers forum Yaboya (just PM a moderator to ask access). All the slots are full at the moment but things always change...There might be a bit of a boozy session after the half
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paddybarry wrote: »I'm thinking of doing Ballycotton aswell. Will be hoping to pick up some ideas for sessions here
Hi Paddy, after your great performance in DCM I presume if you do go to Ballycotton that you will be chasing one of the famous T-shirts.....I have only ever trained for marathons before so not sure what the sessions on here will look like yet. Might just blag of AMK's log:)Great report.
Where's your next marathon going to be?
Maybe we can a bit of a gang together for Ballycotton?
Any pacing gigs left for Clontarf that you know of?
No marathon plans yet for 2015. We went down and back in one day to BC last year but planned to overnight this year. Mrs FBOT and a couple of friends also planning to do it. Good buzz around the town when we were leaving last year. As per meno message I presume you have access to pacer forum at this stage. If not I will let you know if any slots open up.Well done Mark. One question - did you nick that bike to cycle home on or did the Mrs. bring that into town for you too?
Hi Murph, I think the correct term is that I borrowed it. It has now been reunited with its rightful owner. I didn't seek a reward for minding it 0 -
Will be going for T-shirt alright. It's a tough course with a stiff finish and a few deceptive drags. Will try and meet up with yourself and Yaboya1 for a couple of sessions post Christmas. Much easier to do these in a group than flogging away on your own.Hi Paddy, after your great performance in DCM I presume if you do go to Ballycotton that you will be chasing one of the famous T-shirts.....I have only ever trained for marathons before so not sure what the sessions on here will look like yet. Might just blag of AMK's log:)
No marathon plans yet for 2015. We went down and back in one day to BC last year but planned to overnight this year. Mrs FBOT and a couple of friends also planning to do it. Good buzz around the town when we were leaving last year. As per meno message I presume you have access to pacer forum at this stage. If not I will let you know if any slots open up.
Hi Murph, I think the correct term is that I borrowed it. It has now been reunited with its rightful owner. I didn't seek a reward for minding it0 -
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Monday 17/11/2014
5.13m @ 07:30 avg pace (General Aerobic)
I didn't get out for this until 10pm but the important thing is that I got out. Packed a few tissues under me hat to deal with the runny nose on route so I could have the option of breathing while I ran:)
The plan was 5m at a pace that meant I had to run not shuffle. I feel that I have being doing a lot of shuffling since Berlin which has meant that my legs are not getting a good stride going. Everything is very restricted and tight...like my golf swing.
This was a nice pace. I could get the legs working a little more in stride terms without having to over extend on the cardio front. Enjoyed it and will be doing more at "longer stride" pace over the coming weeks.
Right hamstrings will need to be monitored and nursed a little to get it up to scratch. Need to do something to strenghten the ankles a bit too.
Tissues under your hat for a bit of snot, Jezus you're a posh bastard FBOT, would you not just blow it out on the run like the majority of us less grand people 0 -
ThebitterLemon wrote: »Tissues under your hat for a bit of snot, Jezus you're a posh bastard FBOT, would you not just blow it out on the run like the majority of us less grand people
Haha, Posh Bastard....you have me in one;)
I have never met you, TbL but as I wrote that line I considered writing your response in brackets straight after it:D
The problem is the quantity involved. Last week I ended up with a face full of snot so as being the true Boy Scout that I am this week I was being prepared;)0 -
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