Connemarathon 2015

kwat

I know the website says that there are spectator buses leaving Galway at 11am but is there parking available at Maam Cross if I were to drive out, even on the side of the road?
Thanks

cmickdaly

I don't think so. To be honest you would be in the way of runners and probably disrupting the organisation a bit. My wife wanted to drive out to watch it as well but the organisers were v clear on this when I emailed them. She decided against getting the spectator bus so I will be on my own so no Kodak moments ;-)

echancrure

Honestly no, there's no room to park even on the side of the road.
Buses from Oughterard too.

echancrure

Looks like wet and cold with only light winds... http://www.met.ie/forecasts/5day-ireland.asp

donnacha

Good luck to everyone doing this over the weekend. Weather on Sunday looks mixed at this stage - lets just hope the worst of the wind and rain has passed. Unfortunately I haven't recovered from my injury so will be dropping down to the half and treating it as an LSR ... still looking forward it!

Señor Fancy Pants

Same boat as a few here. But of an injury but still giving the full a shot. Was really hoping for sub 4 but il be happy with 4:30.

Best of luck folks.

echancrure

Preparation hasn't been the best: finished antibiotics two weeks ago for chest infection, and I am heavier than last year!

Did the full in 3:14 last year, was hoping for 3:08 a few weeks back but no idea how the legs will feel. I'll be happy with a pb and very happy for under 3:10. But must not be silly!!

ArtieFufkin

The weather ain't looking great for Sunday with daytime temps of around 5c and northerly wind. As usual for Connemara we might have to be prepared for all four seasons.

FBOT01

Best of luck to all those running this at the weekend. ENJOY!!

carlaboi

Best of luck to all of us running in the morning! Hopefully the weather won't be too bad!

ray lanigan

Im pacing the 3.30 marathon group.
Come over and say hello as I don't bite well maybe after 3 hours of running I might haha.
Ive a big baldie head on me so ya cant miss me.
Best of luck to everyone running tomorrow,the work is done so injoy the day and go achieve your goals.

carlaboi

One last thing, the website says no ipods etc but I know at most races people don't obey the music rule. Anyone running with music?

ray lanigan

carlaboi wrote: »

One last thing, the website says no ipods etc but I know at most races people don't obey the music rule. Anyone running with music?

If you run next to me I will sing to ya:D

Señor Fancy Pants

ray lanigan wrote: »

If you run next to me I will sing to ya:D

So tempted to do this!

sconhome

ray lanigan wrote: »

If you run next to me I will sing to ya:D

We've a few Iron Maiden songs picked for the 1:45 half group if anyone is hanging around with myself or Joe.

skittles8710

Best of luck everyone.. have a great day make sure to enjoy the banter along the way!

Señor Fancy Pants

Spent 45 minutes in the queue to get my race pack. Finally got it, brutal one.

I was meant to get a large full tshirt....none left, fair enough. Instead she put a small ultra tshirt in the bag.

So next weekend if I want to wear it, il be a fat guy absolutely bet into a small tshirt that didn't do an ultra. State of me.

Killerz

Truffle Pig wrote: »

Spent 45 minutes in the queue to get my race pack. Finally got it, brutal one.

I was meant to get a large full tshirt....none left, fair enough. Instead she put a small ultra tshirt in the bag.

So next weekend if I want to wear it, il be a fat guy absolutely bet into a small tshirt that didn't do an ultra. State of me.

In 2013 (last time I did it) I think they only gave us the ultra finisher shirt at the end of the race. New management must have new rules!

Anyhow - good luck to all tomorrow!

martyboy48

Got in just after 3 today. All X large T shirts were gone already apparently so just got a generic large fluorescent yellow one, not great tbh. Seems a bit poorly laid out with out with number collection congested on one table, t'was a bit tight.

On the plus side nice little talks form Keith Whyte, Gerry Duffy, and Dave Brady.

On a personal note, I take it the Ultra Marathon sign goes on my back or something??

donnacha

Really enjoyed the half today. Was taking it relatively easy due to injury so was able to take it all in and the weather was glorious.

Picked up my race pack in Clifden which sounded smoother than the Galway pickup.

Great day and will be back again sometime.

carlaboi

So what happened with the weather! Woke up in Oranmore yesterday morning to the sound of rain hitting the window. By the time we got the bus out to the start the sun was starting to come out! Really enjoyed yesterday. Ran 4:01:24 in the marathon was hoping to break the 4 hour mark but the hill at the end broke me. It was relentless! Anyway Dublin is calling in October next time hopefully! How did everyone else get on?

cmickdaly

6.17.49, my first ultra, wheels fell off in the last third and had to walk the last 4 miles which took around a hour. glad to have finished it and got my B time of sub 6.20 but have liked to have got under 6 hours. Did the first 26.2 miles in around 3.53 and the last 13.1 in 2hrs30mins. Ultras are more than just extended marathons. Hope to do it again next year. I had put a lot of training into it so a poor outcome but a average time.

blog report in due course.

Señor Fancy Pants

Well done lads! It was great to see the Ultra folk breezing on by as if they had only started. I don't know how ye do it. Well done.

Bad day for me, kinda expected it tbh. Got to the 13.1km mark in 1:53 then my knee went, pretty much power walked the rest of the way. Crossed in 5:11.

Very disappointed but shouldnt have ran with a bogey knee. Such a lovely course and il definitely be back some day. Water stations were at the right distances and the locals were lovely.

Cmickdaly, I'm wondering are you the ultra guy I briefly spoke to, his calves were fcuked and he had to stop to walk for a while. Then he trotted on by me half an hour later.

ray lanigan

I got a few home in the 3.30 group,great to see them achieve there goal of sub 3.30.
Hard enough course to pace as we dropped half the group at half marathon point with the hill.
We dropped the pace to a 8.50 to give everyone a chance but it didn't help everyone.
Than on hell of the west I slowed up and got a few up the hill and Dipak the other pacer got another few up so all in all we done the best we could of.
26.35 miles with 5 seconds to spare.

sayno

ray lanigan wrote: »

I got a few home in the 3.30 group,great to see them achieve there goal of sub 3.30.
Hard enough course to pace as we dropped half the group at half marathon point with the hill.
We dropped the pace to a 8.50 to give everyone a chance but it didn't help everyone.
Than on hell of the west I slowed up and got a few up the hill and Dipak the other pacer got another few up so all in all we done the best we could of.
26.35 miles with 5 seconds to spare.

I did the half in 1.58. Ran with the two hour pacers and they were fantastic. Managed to thank one of them afterwards. Not a rin for a PB. The hill over to Maam Cross is rlentless. In and around 3km according to the Garmin.

cmickdaly

Truffle Pig wrote: »

Well done lads! It was great to see the Ultra folk breezing on by as if they had only started. I don't know how ye do it. Well done.

Bad day for me, kinda expected it tbh. Got to the 13.1km mark in 1:53 then my knee went, pretty much power walked the rest of the way. Crossed in 5:11.

Very disappointed but shouldnt have ran with a bogey knee. Such a lovely course and il definitely be back some day. Water stations were at the right distances and the locals were lovely.

Cmickdaly, I'm wondering are you the ultra guy I briefly spoke to, his calves were fcuked and he had to stop to walk for a while. Then he trotted on by me half an hour later.

I don't know if it was me but I did have to stop a walk for a lot of it and my calves were wrecked. I was wearing a yellow Dungarvan 10 top replete with tight haircut on my crown. Well done for getting through the whole thing

SALEENS

First time doing Connemarathon and really enjoyed it. I did the full marathon. Scenery was fantastic, the first half especially with the snow on the hills and Killary harbour. I took a gamble the weather would be good despite the heavy rain overnight and that paid off for me. Lots of discarded clothes on the route. I found the last mile and a half toughest, the finish was visible in the distance but it didn't feel like it was getting closer- had to fight the urge to walk. Finished in 3:55, which was PB!

Only downside was the traffic getting into Galway and using a dodgy sat nav.

cmickdaly

ray lanigan wrote: »

I got a few home in the 3.30 group,great to see them achieve there goal of sub 3.30.
Hard enough course to pace as we dropped half the group at half marathon point with the hill.
We dropped the pace to a 8.50 to give everyone a chance but it didn't help everyone.
Than on hell of the west I slowed up and got a few up the hill and Dipak the other pacer got another few up so all in all we done the best we could of.
26.35 miles with 5 seconds to spare.

I was chatting to a lad who was running with ye and he thought ye did a great job. To be honest I don't know who ye could even a pace a route like that. The same guy got dropped at mile 18/ml19 but he managed to get around at the end.

Did the ultra. Crashed and burned in the last 10 miles. I trained very well (or so I thought). Any tips to improve my training next year around? Thanks

echancrure

Well, well, well...
Ran the Connemara Marathon on Sunday, my third marathon. Ran it last year (my first marathon) also had a DNF in Dublin in the mean time, but we don't talk about that.

My preparation was only so so with an antibiotics for a chest infection finished just 2 weeks before race day. My training plan is also full of red days when I did not run because I was too busy with work. Weight is also higher by 2 kg than last year: I am truly hopeless at weight control... So overall, not the best of preparation. I had no juice in the legs for the Larne half over three weeks ago and I was fearing a repeat of that for this race.

Collected my number around 12 with the right size tee-shirt and no queue. I heard others did not get so lucky. I did not attend the talks at 3, although I enjoyed them last year, I went with my wife and daughter into Galway instead (had a wonderful lunch at Kai: mackerel salad!).

After having been blown side ways by the wind last year, I kept an eye on the weather forecast this year. It was due to stop raining before the start at 10:30 with a light northerly breeze and temp of about 7 C. But in the car on the way to the buses before 8 o'clock, temp was 1 C ... I wasn't looking forward to the wait at lake Inagh.

The bus was fun with French group singing songs and being in general high spirit. The view after Oughterard were awesome with snow at the top of every mountain. I felt very cosy in there.

But then we had to come off the bus. It felt cold with the wind and my main objective was not to continuously shiver for an hour an a half. For me, this is definitely the least pleasant aspect of running the Connemara marathon. Eventually found a spot by the bag truck where I could sit down and feel relatively sheltered. Time passed quickly actually and thank god it is was not raining!

After the excitement of seeing a couple of Ultra runners pass the marathon start line, our race went under way. My plan was relatively straightforward. After having done it in 3:14 last year I was aiming for 3:08 which is a 7' per mile pace + 5 minutes added for the hills. In the first few miles I felt a bit sickie probably because I ingested too much sugary stuff before the start. Things improved after the second water station. The sky cleared up very quickly and by mile 6 the sun was shining on this superb Connemara landscape of snow capped mountains. It was really beautiful and quiet with only a few runners around me. My pace was good but nobody was doing the same as me so that I did not settle with anyone which is fine by me.

By the time I passed the half way mark, well mile 13 because I did not see the actual half way mark if there was one, I was bang on time on watch at 1:31:30. I was really running like clockwork since the start with no variation in my pace apart from the 30' added due to the only hill on the first half. In the distance I saw the half marathoners starting their journey and I remembered last year when I got glued into that pack and found it difficult to make progress. Thankfully this year I arrived at Leenane earlier so that I missed most of the slower runners/walkers. So although it was busy it was manageable and did not loose any time.

I lost more time than expected on that hill after Leenane. I planned 1:30 extra but it ended up being more like 2:30. I wasn't too disappointed though, more reassured that my legs felt good.

And then it got warm in Connemara with full hot sun. I missed one water station when I bumped into another guy by accident, so I made sure not to miss the next one and drink all my water like a good boy. Mile 20 still on pace with a minute late on my overall goal. The aim was now to come under 3:10.

Hell of the West came and yes it felt tough and longer than last year. But then again last year I could not raise my head to see to the top because it was blowing a gale. This year, with the sun shining, I had all the time in the world to have long looks at it. Passed a few people climbing it but I don't know if there were full or half-marathon runners. Somehow turning my head towards them to check the colour of their number as I passed them felt a little indecent so I did not do it!

Reached the top and so two miles were left. I knew I was on target for 3:10 but I wasn't exactly certain. Used the downhill mile to try to get by breath back after the climb and tried not to break in the process. The last mile felt OK but I was pushing hard. The problem came at mile 26 and I was really out of breath for the last 0.2 miles. I slowed down but I did not cross the line in a pretty state. Forgot to look at the clock and to stop my watch so I wasn't sure of my time.

Felt a bit dizzy after the finish line and had to rest a few minutes to get myself back together. Thanks to my wife and daughter for looking after me! Thankfully not a repeat of Dublin for them where I ended up in an ambulance at mile 21. Both my calves and my toes started to cramp badly but the massage I got helped a lot. Felt fine after that and enjoyed the sunshine outside while waiting for one of the Ultra runner we knew. She came in cruising through the finish line and looked so fresh afterwards compare to me that she put me to shame really. I have to manage those last few meters better next time!

Time, what was my time? I forgot about that. That's when social media came to the rescue while on the bus back to Galway with someone felicitating me for my 3:09 time. Quick check on the precision timing website (those times really got published quickly this year) confirmed it: 3:09:30 with 14th overall !

I am very pleased with that given the poor preparation I had. A great preparation for Cork in 7 weeks !

Overall it was a great experience I really love this marathon. One criticism? The lack of bins at the start at lake Inagh and at the finish area is appalling. People want to be clean but when there is no option but to throw your rubbish on the ground it's bad. I know the organisation will clean it all up but still. The finish area looked a bit like a rubbish dump in places.

That said, I'll be back!

ray lanigan

cmickdaly wrote: »

I was chatting to a lad who was running with ye and he thought ye did a great job. To be honest I don't know who ye could even a pace a route like that. The same guy got dropped at mile 18/ml19 but he managed to get around at the end.

Did the ultra. Crashed and burned in the last 10 miles. I trained very well (or so I thought). Any tips to improve my training next year around? Thanks

First off all well done mick.
You can private message me if you want and I can give you a few tips for next year.:)