DCM 2014: Mentored Novices Thread

frash

Ososlo wrote: »

Are you referring to mp mid week runs?
Seems like the lsr is taking a lot out of you. Make sure you're eating and sleeping well and hydrating well all week. People's bodies react differently to the long runs I guess.
Have you any shorter races planned soon? Might be good to see where your speed is at in a race setting.

Yeah I guess I'm talking about MP mid week runs.

No problem with eating / drinking but I could do with more sleep.

Doing the Dun Laoghaire 10k on Aug 4th so will see how I am then - won't have done any runs longer than 6 miles or so for 2 weeks at that stage due to the holiday mentioned above.

Am hoping to maybe do 18 miles the week after that with the hope of getting 2 * 20 mile runs in before the end of September with some step-backs in-between.

Laois_Man

frash wrote: »

Hoping to do DCM in 4:30 which would be a pace of 10:18

Don't forget, on marathon day you'll actually run more like 26.5 or so, which to hit 4:29:59 is a pace of 10:10. You have to factor that in - or it'll be panic when your Garmin is telling you you've completed 23.3 miles in 4 hours which would put you bang on time - but the course markers are saying you're only at 23 miles which puts you around 3 minutes behind target.

I'm aiming for sub 4 hours (which I may revise later - but it's the target for now) which is exactly 9:10 pace but I'm hoping to go 9:00 (for now) to factor the extra distance in.

Ososlo

^^^^^
True Laois Man but I don't think anyone around here should put themselves under so much pressure on the day so that 3 minutes outside target time is going to mean the difference between success and failure.
Very few novices end up doing the marathon at the pace they set out as mp in training. It's a rough guide is all. Of course many will achieve their target but there are so many unknowns for your first I wouldn't be putting too much pressure on myself. Plenty of time for that for subsequent marathons.

frash

Laois_Man wrote: »

Don't forget, on marathon day you'll actually run more like 26.5 or so, which to hit 4:29:59 is a pace of 10:10. You have to factor that in - or it'll be panic when your Garmin is telling you you've completed 23.3 miles in 4 hours which would put you bang on time - but the course markers are saying you're only at 23 miles which puts you around 3 minutes behind target.

I'm aiming for sub 4 hours (which I may revise later - but it's the target for now) which is exactly 9:10 pace but I'm hoping to go 9:00 (for now) to factor the extra distance in.

Thanks for the info but why is it 26.5?
I realise I'd be starting towards the back of the field but does the timing chip not start once you cross the line?

adrian522

frash wrote: »

Thanks for the info but why is it 26.5?
I realise I'd be starting towards the back of the field but does the timing chip not start once you cross the line?

It does but 26.2 would be your distance if you took the shortest possible route (essentially the racing line) through the whole course. This won't be possible so you will end up running a little bit more than the official course distance.

Now you'll know better when people start complaining that their garmin measured the course at 26.5 or whatever. It doesn't mean the course was measured incorrectly. It's just a fact that most people will end up running a little bit longer in any race.

Ososlo

frash wrote: »

Thanks for the info but why is it 26.5?
I realise I'd be starting towards the back of the field but does the timing chip not start once you cross the line?

Most people don't follow the exact racing line on the road. They run to the side and veer between sides for different reasons. I ran closer to 27 miles on the day!!

vitani

Ososlo wrote: »

Most people don't follow the exact racing line on the road. They run to the side and veer between sides for different reasons. I ran closer to 27 miles on the day!!

:eek:

Ososlo

vitani wrote: »

:eek:

Ha ha yeah it was 26.75 I think. I have since discovered the meaning of the term the 'racing line'

frash

Ososlo wrote: »

Ha ha yeah it was 26.75 I think. I have since discovered the meaning of the term the 'racing line'

Please tell us more about this 'racing line'!!
:eek:

Ososlo

frash wrote: »

Please tell us more about this 'racing line'!!
:eek:

There was a thread on the main AR page which explains it much better than I can. Can't link or search for it atm but it was about 2 months ago I think. It's amazing how much extra one can run by not following some basic common sense!

adrian522

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=90668809

menoscemo

Ososlo wrote: »

Ha ha yeah it was 26.75 I think. I have since discovered the meaning of the term the 'racing line'

You don't have a garmin 610 by any chance?

I paced the 3:40 group and it was quite busy but still only clocked 26.35 miles

crisco10

adrian522 wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=90668809

Nice thread. so correct me if I'm wrong but the jist is basically follow the "racing" line. Never thought all that practice at Gran Turismo on the PS2 would help my running....!

adrian522

PRetty much, but it won't always be possible due to the large numbers, but where possible you should I guess.

Ososlo

menoscemo wrote: »

You don't have a garmin 610 by any chance?

I paced the 3:40 group and it was quite busy but still only clocked 26.35 miles

Nope 305. Ah it was grand as I was really enjoying myself and didn't want it to end anyway

menoscemo

Ososlo wrote: »

Nope 305. Ah it was grand as I was really enjoying myself and didn't want it to end anyway

Ah OK.
I just know MS and CL got a similar distance last year and both were wearing a 610. Maria McCambridge the same. There was also a picture of Maria Mc Hugging her husband at the finish line last year and you could see 26.65 on her garmin 610. Given that she won, you'd think she followed the SPR!!

KillianByrne

Was seriously doubting my ability to complete todays run, but did it. Mental block overcome.

1mile w/u
4m tempo @ 8.13 (8:20 planned)
.5 cool down

Damn its warm.

Ososlo

menoscemo wrote: »

Ah OK.
I just know MS and CL got a similar distance last year and both were wearing a 610. Maria McCambridge the same. There was also a picture of Maria Mc Hugging her husband at the finish line last year and you could see 26.65 on her garmin 610. Given that she won, you'd think she followed the SPR!!

Maybe she needs to join boards then to pick up this invaluable information
That's mad though!

RedRunner

Ososlo wrote: »

There was a thread on the main AR page which explains it much better than I can. Can't link or search for it atm but it was about 2 months ago I think. It's amazing how much extra one can run by not following some basic common sense!

In the London marathon this year they had the racing line marked on the road with a blue line which I thought was cool. I tried to follow it as much as possible .Must check what distance my garmin actually measured.

Edit: Distance covered in London 26.52miles

Ososlo

RedRunner wrote: »

In the London marathon this year they had the racing line marked on the road with a blue line which I thought was cool. I tried to follow it as much as possible .Must check what distance my garmin actually measured.

Great idea! You volunteering to paint it on for the novices this year? Too kind
I got some blue paint!

SamforMayo

Ososlo wrote: »

Nope 305. Ah it was grand as I was really enjoying myself and didn't want it to end anyway

Nut case!

menoscemo

RedRunner wrote: »

In the London marathon this year they had the racing line marked on the road with a blue line which I thought was cool. I tried to follow it as much as possible .Must check what distance my garmin actually measured.

Yes indeed, but the GPS gets totally messed up around the canary warf area with the tall buildings. In 2013 I clocked an 8:30 mile there, follwed by a 5:30 mile

yaboya1

RedRunner wrote: »

In the London marathon this year they had the racing line marked on the road with a blue line which I thought was cool. I tried to follow it as much as possible .Must check what distance my garmin actually measured.

Berlin is the same. Seville had a green line.

Gavlor

menoscemo wrote: »

Yes indeed, but the GPS gets totally messed up around the canary warf area with the tall buildings. In 2013 I clocked an 8:30 mile there, follwed by a 5:30 mile

The 5.30 occurred when you boarded the tube

RedRunner

menoscemo wrote: »

Yes indeed, but the GPS gets totally messed up around the canary warf area with the tall buildings. In 2013 I clocked an 8:30 mile there, follwed by a 5:30 mile

True

RedRunner

Ososlo wrote: »

Great idea! You volunteering to paint it on for the novices this year? Too kind
I got some blue paint!

Just follow the scorch marks, I'll be going that fast!:cool:;)

...and then I'll paint the town red!

Laois_Man

Ososlo wrote: »

^^^^^
True Laois Man but I don't think anyone around here should put themselves under so much pressure on the day so that 3 minutes outside target time is going to mean the difference between success and failure.
Very few novices end up doing the marathon at the pace they set out as mp in training. It's a rough guide is all. Of course many will achieve their target but there are so many unknowns for your first I wouldn't be putting too much pressure on myself. Plenty of time for that for subsequent marathons.

I know - but while I won't be too hard on myself about hitting a target time whenever I do my first marathon, I'll still be trying to hit one at the start and once the initial satisfaction of finishing abates, I'd be feckin ragin if I missed out on the target by a couple of minutes over something as utterly stoopid as not getting the real actual distance correct in my pace calculations

rockwell

SeanPuddin wrote: »

Anyone know a 13 miles run near or in Rosscarbery, Cork? Thinking in the owenahincha direction...

hi Sean, this might be a bit too far east from you but there is a course there in Courtmacsherry that is used for racing. course route details are on runclon dot ie

NyOmnishambles

Tough going out there this evening in the heat, I didn't manage mp pace but the effort was there

Made more difficult by the fact that my calf muscles have been very stiff this week, almost feeling like they are cramping at times when walking

Any suggestions for a cause or cure?

Ososlo

NyOmnishambles wrote: »

Tough going out there this evening in the heat, I didn't manage mp pace but the effort was there

Made more difficult by the fact that my calf muscles have been very stiff this week, almost feeling like they are cramping at times when walking

Any suggestions for a cause or cure?

Common enough problem I think especially with the increase in mileage. Make sure you're increasing the mileage nice and gradually. Try to do some of your runs on softer surfaces maybe, like grass or trail. Make sure you're doing most of your running at a nice easy effort.
Do you have a foam roller? If not, then they're great to work out the calf muscles so I'd highly recommend purchasing one. Some info on foam rollers at the end of post 1 of this thread.