Connemarathon 2015

carlaboi

I do a bit in the Phoenix Park near the magazine fort and the main avenue from Parkgate to Castleknock is a relentless incline.

Señor Fancy Pants

cmickdaly wrote: »

I wouldn't get too hung up on the hill training to such a degree that it dominates your training. I suppose it's easier for me as I live in Cork City but the marathon in Connemara is on the whole flat and largely downhill. The hills at 13.1 ish miles and of course at mile 22 to 24 do tend to freak people out but as long you have endurance in your training you should be fine. For Dublin Northsiders a few runs up Gardiner st and Summerhill and up Fairview onto Collins ave will sort you out.

Cheers man. Good to know there's some downhill....I fcuking love downhill! :pac:. I'm not too bothered about a PB or anything, just doing this one for fun. Kinda lost track of the fun side of running and hope to get it back.

carlaboi wrote: »

I do a bit in the Phoenix Park near the magazine fort and the main avenue from Parkgate to Castleknock is a relentless incline.

I hear ya, spent many a day running those areas. The fort is great craic!

cmickdaly

Ultra training for Connemara so far. 3 weeks training left and then 3 week taper left.

Last weekend did a back to back long run of 24 miles : 15.3 miles which covers the on the day total of 39.3 miles.

Next weekend I will give the Ballycotton 10 a miss and do a back to back of 20 : 16

For the weekend 14 march and 15th march will plan to do 15 miles : 26.2 miles (Tralee marathon)

Weekend of 21st march and 22nd march I will hope to 23 miles : 16 miles (including 10 miles of mallow 10 race).

I hope that will be enough to get me through the race without suffering too much, though I expect the term "without suffering too much " to be a relative term.

I do find the desire to do speedwork in training is poor though, normally I like (for marathon training) to do 2 mile warm up 7 mile tempo 1 mile cooldown.

ArtieFufkin

cmickdaly wrote: »

Ultra training for Connemara so far. 3 weeks training left and then 3 week taper left.

Last weekend did a back to back long run of 24 miles : 15.3 miles which covers the on the day total of 39.3 miles.

Next weekend I will give the Ballycotton 10 a miss and do a back to back of 20 : 16

For the weekend 14 march and 15th march will plan to do 15 miles : 26.2 miles (Tralee marathon)

Weekend of 21st march and 22nd march I will hope to 23 miles : 16 miles (including 10 miles of mallow 10 race).

I hope that will be enough to get me through the race without suffering too much, though I expect the term "without suffering too much " to be a relative term.

I do find the desire to do speedwork in training is poor though, normally I like (for marathon training) to do 2 mile warm up 7 mile tempo 1 mile cooldown.

You're certainly doing enough long runs to get through it. I only did one really long run last year (a very slow marathon) and I finished the ultra in 4:51. The rest of my long sessions were only up to 35k with a few back to back ones.

It all depends on whether you have a time goal.
There's are varying opinions on ultra training but I like to do two speedy sessions a week to stop me slowing down. There is always a danger that you will get too comfortable going at a very slow pace.

carlaboi

The countdown is on! How is everyone getting on with their training?

Wubble Wubble

I'm out...deferred to 2016.

echancrure

Did it last year and signed up again for this year.

I am carrying more weight than last year (how I managed that I have no idea) but training harder too so it should compensate. But must try to shift it down.

Right arm is still sore after falling badly in 10k last weekend but it's on the mend.
Will probably aim for 3:09:59 (against 3:14 last year).

Doing the Larne half this weekend... tapper after that with a few speed work sessions.

Johnners1878

carlaboi wrote: »

The countdown is on! How is everyone getting on with their training?

Overweight, underprepared, bad hamstring, no proper long runs done, will just be trying to get around in a semi-respectable time if possible.....

carlaboi

Johnners1878 wrote: »

Overweight, underprepared, bad hamstring, no proper long runs done, will just be trying to get around in a semi-respectable time if possible.....

Im sure you will be grand!

Last long run this Sunday. Going to do a loop around Howth to get some hill work in. Managed 10 this morning in beautiful weather in the Phoenix Park.

donnacha

The hill training caught up on me and after being sidelined for a few days last month I've now not run for a week and looks like at least another week sidelined. Hoping at this point that I can make the start line.

cmickdaly

taper begins on monday. everything hasn't gone exactly to plan in the last week or so. ran the tralee marathon last sunday at a relaxed enough pace of 8.25 (3.42.30) giving me 75 miles for the week. on the monday after that I ran 15 miles. tuesday (paddy's day) was a planned rest day but got lazy and couldn't get out the door on wednesday. managed 12 on the thursday at 8.03 pace. tired again on friday (wrecked if truth be known, absolutely shagged), took friday off. ran 20 miles on saturday morning at 8.39 pace but it felt tougher than the marathon run. sore knee sunday morning so no run there either. that gives me 47 miles for the last week of training, i had hoped for 70 miles with running 6 rather than 3 days a week. hopefully the knee will sort itself out with a bit of rest but a bit bothered.

have done around 6 X 20 miles of long runs (20, 21 , 21, 23, 26.2, 20 mls) with backs to backs the day (10 to 15 miles) after covering the distance of 39.3 miles twice.

have averaged around 55 miles a week since jan.

hope i have done enough and the knee thing clears up

Figlen

Looking forward to the half. Been putting in 50/60+ km weeks regularly now for the last number of months, with regular 20k LSR's at the weekends. Last half I did was the Clontarf last year, so presume this will be pretty different, given that Clontarf is virtually flat. Wife did Connemara last year and swears by it, despite the hail and wind. Beautiful part of the world!

skittles8710

Figlen wrote: »

Looking forward to the half. Been putting in 50/60+ km weeks regularly now for the last number of months, with regular 20k LSR's at the weekends. Last half I did was the Clontarf last year, so presume this will be pretty different, given that Clontarf is virtually flat. Wife did Connemara last year and swears by it, despite the hail and wind. Beautiful part of the world!

It's stunning! The atmosphere is fantastic... you'll have a great time

ray lanigan

Is there anyone heading up from the Waterford area to the Connemara,im stuck for a lift and im down as a pacer.

donnacha

ray lanigan wrote: »

Is there anyone heading up from the Waterford area to the Connemara,im stuck for a lift and im down as a pacer.

Will be driving down early on the Saturday from Dublin. Though I doubt that is much use to you but the offer is there. Which distance/time you pacing?

Hoping to test if I'm recovered from this injury over the weekend.

ray lanigan

donnacha wrote: »

Will be driving down early on the Saturday from Dublin. Though I doubt that is much use to you but the offer is there. Which distance/time you pacing?

Hoping to test if I'm recovered from this injury over the weekend.

Down for the 3.30 I think,sur if I cant sort something out I be in touch,i had a lift sorted but they got injured so lift is gone,cant go public transport.

babalobioddy

I am driving on the Saturday lunchtime from kilkenny if that's of any use. From Graignamanagh. Will go to new Ross and collect you if you need. P m me

ger664

ray lanigan wrote: »

Is there anyone heading up from the Waterford area to the Connemara,im stuck for a lift and im down as a pacer.

Never realized hey had pacers for the ultra

ray lanigan

ger664 wrote: »

Never realized hey had pacers for the ultra

I think they should do as the 39.3 is becoming very popular,i was thinking about starting at the ultra point and running up the marathon start and pace it,sur its on the way anyway:).ha or I could just pace both:D

cmickdaly

Interesting about the pacers for the marathon. It might be useful for the people doing the ultra all the same. if looking to get a sub 6 hour ultra time, catch up with the sub 4 hour marathon pacer and hey presto? (or am I wrong with the idea?)

Also what kind of stuff do people put in their drop ultra bags and is looting of ones bag a common problem?

TFBubendorfer

cmickdaly wrote: »

Interesting about the pacers for the marathon. It might be useful for the people doing the ultra all the same. if looking to get a sub 6 hour ultra time, catch up with the sub 4 hour marathon pacer and hey presto? (or am I wrong with the idea?)

Also what kind of stuff do people put in their drop ultra bags and is looting of ones bag a common problem?

If you want to finish with the 4 hours pacer you have to run the ultra in 5:30!

As for drop bags, I usually have a sports drink in there and a gel or 2. Looting is rare but it does happen. On one occasion one of my bottles had obviously been opened and a quarter or so was missing. Looting is much more likely once you're on the half-marathon route; I haven't heard of any such mishaps at any of the stations before mile 26.

ray lanigan

I drink my own urine so loot at your own peril lol

Señor Fancy Pants

Am I right in saying that there is no parking anywhere near the marathon start line?

quinlivan

Truffle Pig wrote: »

Am I right in saying that there is no parking anywhere near the marathon start line?

There isn't, its a small country road where the bus pulls up and lets people off - dont risk driving. Just get the bus out from Galway as the finish line is nowhere near the start.

Cabaal

Truffle Pig wrote: »

Am I right in saying that there is no parking anywhere near the marathon start line?

Yes, none.
If you do park your car will be in the way of other traffic or the runners,

Best to get the bus, its very well organised.

Señor Fancy Pants

Bus it is! Or to make things fair on all the others, il run from Galway to the start

Thanks lads, can't wait!

cmickdaly

Bus is good and sociable - well recommended. Anyway you are forking out 70 quid so u might as well get value for your buck. I did the full last year and the bus joyrney took 45 minutes from Galway. When they say you are dropped off in the middle of nowhere they aren't joking so after you queue up for the portaloo there isn't a lot to do. Best bet is go back on the bus and keep warm. The ultra runners pass by before the start of the marathon and they get a great ovation. The starting pistol goes on pretty much on time and with very little fanfare and off you go. I have to say i enjoyed the full I went with the attitude of enjoying it rather than racing hard out and it stood to me. The first half is pretty rapid and if you are sensible you should have enough left for the second half. The report is up my blog.

My knee problem seems to be getting better and beginning to look forward to the ultra this year. The aim is to simply get enjoy it, get around and recover well much like a first marathon. I'll save the serious stuff for Autumn.

I will probably have some bananas, choc bars, gels, flat coke and S caps in the bags. Thinking about walking for 3 minutes after every hour taking a gel and choc bar every 5 miles and food at the drop stations. Still not sure what to do at the hill at mile 26.5 - might walk it might run it.

Coileach dearg

Shook off the cobwebs this morning from flying over from Australia last weekend. Got in 21k along the beach and hill. The good news is the cold is gone out of the weather here in the west, so hopefully it will stay like this until the 12th. Went for a 10k run the other day and couldn't feel my face for 3 hours after!!
Haven't been home for 5 years so trying to juggle seeing family and friends I haven't seen for ages. It's hard to not go overboard with the black stuff so have set a limit of 4 pints on any given night.
Roll on the 12th!

carlaboi

One week to go! Great blog read cmickdaly!

cmickdaly

carlaboi wrote: »

One week to go! Great blog read cmickdaly!

Thanks dude. yeah a week to go and I am walking around the house like a demented lunatic. Can't even settle down and relax for a second. Dont even get me started on the Easter Eggs......