Marathon Improvers Thread.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119776586#Comment_119776586

That was really enjoyable. Huge congrats man.

When you said your taper was a bit of a disaster, getting the head cold and missing that session, can you give me a rundown of how that week went?

I'm in a similar boat right now. Have had a rock solid block, missing 1x run in the entire thing then got hit with Covid this week and missed three days, 2x sessions. Picking things back up now, but am hopeful after reading your report.

Lazare

Something that dawned on me today looking over my pace strategy. I'll be starting at the back of wave 1 (3:20 target). First 10k will be pretty conservative, running at about 3:28ish pace. Will the field be a bit thin at that pace?

Will I be getting pity claps? 😁

Sandwell

Sure. I caught a cold around two and a half weeks out but I continued to run as it wasn't on my chest. By the Sunday, however, I was getting some chest tightness and I cut a few miles off my long run. The cold symptoms passed but I was left with a dry cough and an occasionally tight chest. I had a 6x1k session on the Tuesday which I cut short halfway. Legs felt great but I wasn't happy with how my chest felt.

I managed to see a GP on Wednesday and they diagnosed it as a post-viral cough. I was prescribed an inhaler and told to take it for the next couple of weeks. I had my final big session from the Hansons plan, 10 miles at MP, the following day but I swapped that for an hour of easy running. By the Friday my chest was feeling much better and I continued to follow the plan which at this point was just a series of short, easy runs. The cough was gone and my chest felt fine by the start of race week so I stopped taking the inhaler and finished out the few short runs left on the plan.

So basically I missed my last big session and cut the session before that by 50%. Otherwise I more or less adhered to the volume specified in the plan but ran everything as easy as possible. I don't think this setback had any effect whatsoever on my performance on race day and I'd expect it'll be the same for you. You've the work done at this stage and it might even be the case that the enforced rest is beneficial.

Looking forward to hearing how it goes. You've put in a fantastic block of training and deserve to hit your target.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119777617#Comment_119777617

Thanks so much for that encouragement. I said it in the other thread, but may say it here too, I've taken a lot of inspiration from your experience. Well done again on such a fantastic race.

Unthought Known

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119777467#Comment_119777467

No not at all, I had the same strategy in 2019 and I was surprised how crowded it felt until Chesterfield. Looking back, my first mile was 8:05 and I remember thinking there was no way (for me) to get past people anyway.

Never did catch those pacers.

Trampas

Just seems bugs and virus (non covid even) are rampant at the moment. I’m just getting over a virus at the moment. 5 days of steroids and then a course of antibiotics to shift a cough. God dam kids. Back running but hr a good 10-15 beats off on speed session 800 yestersay and 10 seconds or so on easy runs.

Was feeling confident for Dublin but it feels like it’s turning into a let’s see how it goes. Plan was 19km easy this weekend but going to do 10km easy and 3km around original MP to see what the HR is.

Have Valencia in 5 weeks as a back up but wasn’t committed to it and if I do go wanted to do that on a back of good Dublin and see how it goes. Only flying in Saturday and back Sunday.

Even for Dublin do I hold back the carbon shoes or not. These decisions are my taper madness stuff

event

The pacers, do they usually run even splits or try to bank time? Trying to decide what to do and whether to go with the 3:30s

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119780942#Comment_119780942

They run even splits. They'll aim to come in around 3:29:50 ish

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119777467#Comment_119777467

Definitely not. You’ll be fine. Waves are based on aspirational times and are never particularly accurate.

Cartman78

16K done in pretty perfect autumn conditions.

Never felt so nervous/jumpy before a training run.....a volatile blend of taper madness, maranoia and post kidney infection/antibiotics bleurghh.

Anyway, all things considered it went pretty ok so gonna rest up now as much as I can in the next few days and let the body recover.

Maybe a couple of short trots on Tuesday and Thursday and that's it.

Hope everyone is else is going well at this stage...it'll nearly all be over this time next Sunday 😂

Kellygirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782307#Comment_119782307

You’ll be well recovered by next week. My last run will be a 5Km Thursday. I’m veering between being perfectly calm one minute and like a hen on a hot griddle the next. Feeling good though the odd twinges in my calves which I’m completely over analysing I’d say.

racersedge

Last long one done for me. A 20K, split in two as I went down to join the club for their pre-marathon 10K (first time for me to able to join such a run so nice for the company). Physio tomorrow and just a 7K and an 8K left before the big day.

All the talk of colds, coughs and whatnot. I’m working at the literal coalface in early years. So literally no filter on coughs, sneezes and everything. 🙈 Going to be hard to keep the distance! On top of that had an in- person staff training day yesterday. All the things you don’t pre-marathon!

FinnC

Did 16km today, 10 easy 6 at MP.

Will do 2x800 with a warm up and cool down miles Tuesday, an easy run Thursday of maybe 5-6km and I always like to do a run the day before. Usually 1 easy 2 MP then 1 easy to finish.

event

Did 10 miles yesterday, did 10k this morning. Will do 6, 4 & 2 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Keep HR around 140

Lazare

My plan for the week is 3m easy Mon, 2x 1m @10k Tue, 3m easy Wed, 3m easy Thurs. Maybe a little gentle shakeout then on Sat, couple of miles.

racersedge

Given the high mileage of my plan say compared to what I did for Manchester, I was actually surprised to see only the two runs on the plan for the week. There is the option for a ‘10 minute shuffle’ on Saturday, but given that I’ll be travelling up and working my way out for the number, then that will account for enough movement for the day. Couldn’t imagine myself getting kitted out for 10K anyway! 😂 I think with Manchester, I had three mid-week runs and I did the Parkrun on the Saturday nice and handy. That said, I’ve trusted the plan this long, so going with the flow!

Trampas

Easy Tuesday and Thursday strides on Thursday for me. 5 min mp x 4 on Wednesday

deconduo

19km done today, with 13km at MP effort. Got absolutely drenched, and it was like running backwards going along the Clontarf greenway into the wind. Felt good overall despite that, and the pace was great once I turned at sutton cross and the wind was behind me 😂

Had a slight niggle in the left leg early on in the week and I had to cut an easy run short on Wednesday. Seems to be getting better thankfully, and while I was aware of it on the run today it didn't bother me. Fingers cross the taper will fully sort it out.

Homesick Alien

Yeah my confidence has taken a nose dive in the last 24 hours. Went out for an hour easy yesterday morning without issue (maybe a little slower than usual) but as the day wore on a I developed an ache on the inside of my right knee to the point where I could barely walk and getting from a sitting position was agony. Not much better today, stairs are a nightmare, and to add to it I feel completely wiped, something viral for sure. So my taper week is going to a be a rest week and just hoping for some kind of miracle!

event

My knee is giving me trouble today. Have felt a twinge a few times and it feels very tired. Gonna leave a run tomorrow and see how it is wednesday

bucketybuck

This will be my 4th Dublin marathon and 7th overall so I should be well used to tapering.

Can't help it though, 1900kms of training, 25000m of elevation, a bunch of PB's along the way and yet right now the only thing I feel is fat and slow.

Cartman78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119789379#Comment_119789379

It'll be my 5th DCM and 7th overall and I feel like I'm losing my mind 🤯😵‍💫😖😣😩😵‍💫

Dunno what it is tbh....it's felt like a very long run up to it this year for some reason...I can't remember a time when I wasn't counting down to October 30th 2022 😂

event

I'm thinking cos it's the first one in 3 years. We've probably done others in the meantime but this, for a lot of us, is our "home" marathon. Probably just extra pressure on ourselves

Laineyfrecks

Yeah the marania is very real for me this week! Got my final rub down yesterday and the physio said I looked & sounded so uptight 🙈 I got a good nights sleep after a really bad weekend of sleep so not feeling AS hopeless today. I can feel a bit of excitement kicking in but it's mostly nerves, hopefully that will shift a little! Keep saying 'trust the plan' over & over to myself 😊

racersedge

Semi-jinxed myself with talking of dodging kids with colds and coughs with my eldest coming down with something! Having to jumpy between ‘beloved doting father’ to ‘please don’t breathe on me,’ 🤣 Left work early to collect her and took today off as well to help mind the pair of them - so a little unexpected extra downtime avoiding the potential work coughs and splutters!

Had my massage last night and even any minor areas of concern were looking grand to the physio. Did 7K this morning (three of which was at MP) and the final shakeout in the shoes. An easy 8K tomorrow evening (where I plan on to be very wrapped up!) and that’s me done until Sunday.

Cartman78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790270#Comment_119790270

Good point 👍

It's bonkers really....I obviously have no chance of winning anything (age cat etc) 😂 but feel like I have a lot on the line for some reason.

At best I'll be posting a PB that will only be exclusively relevant to me 😅

Lazare

Did my final session this morn, 2x 1m at 10k. 5 mile total with up and down. Feeling pretty good and ready now.

Skipped yesterday's easy run, time constraints with work, was gonna try squeeze it in last night but figured it wasn't worth worrying about and rested, was focused on today's session and hoping it went well.

Lambay island

5k at marathon pace for me today sandwiched between 1km warm up and 1km cooldown. Easy 30 mins tomorrow and then tie my legs together to prevent me running Thursday and Friday is the plan 😄. 10/15 min shakeout at most on sat but that's pretty much a wrap now for me. Bring it on!

Kellygirl

I’d 5 miles at MP yesterday with 1 mile easy either side. 3 miles easy this morning, physio tomorrow morning and 3 miles v easy Thursday and block finished. Just somehow have to run 21 more miles than yesterday at the same pace and beyond me how I do that! Hopefully will all come together on the day.

Lazare

Took my two weeks 'Summer' hols starting today.

Nipping out today to grab a few small bits, a visit to Amphibian King.

A leisurely day at the expo then tomorrow.

Excitement.