DCM 2018 - Mentored Novice Thread

ariana`

G'morning folks what a beautiful morning! Enjoy your runs today those of you who are are Sunday runners or those who deferred from yesterday!

For those who did their long run yesterday, well it certainly wasn't pleasant but personally I've never heard of a race being cancelled due to rain so i think it's good to take advantage of the opportunity to run in those conditions occasionally to build mental toughness! If we wake up on the Oct 28th to rain then those of you who did you long run yesterday will certainly have the mental edge, well done!

A couple of you have mentioned niggles in the past 48 hours. I want to remind you that at this stage the training is done! So for this next 2 weeks LESS IS MORE if you're experiencing niggles. For anyone injury and niggle free it's still good to be ticking over with the runs but for anyone with niggles now is your chance to look after them, rest the legs and get yourselves in the best shape you can before Oct 28th - don't forget to keep up the foam rolling and consider booking a sports massage or physio appointment.

sann

Got the 14 miler done yesterday evening after a 12 hour shift.. Was dreading it all day because I was going to have to do it around the streets of Killarney on a Saturday night. Traffic was mental and hated all the stop start nature of the runs for traffic lights etc. Other than that it was ok. Legs actually felt good for the first time in a few weeks. Still have some mild pain in the right shin. Loads of icing and foam rolling has kept it at bay over the last few weeks but have decided to just do the important runs and take the recovery run days and rest/run days all off from running to give them a chance. Good luck to everyone heading out today. The 8 miler next weekend is going to come as a welcome relief after all these long ones at least.

corcaigh07

S h i t has got real guys, the race route signs are up!

kittyclaws

Warning: Whiny post!!
15 miles done this morning. We done the first 15 of the route at far as the Walkinstown roundabout. This is where we usually start our long runs so we wanted to get a different part done.
I can see now why people say it’s set up for negative splits, that section is way harder than the second half! Lots of ups and downs, a couple of long drags, the never ending Chesterfield Avenue stretch...
I think I found it especially difficult because I still feel like I haven’t gotten over Longwood yet.
As advised I’ll make a point of upping my protein this week (I’m a veggie so it’s easy to neglect it) Lots of protein shakes and meal-tracking on MFP to ensure I’m eating correctly. (Damn that Dominos codes thread!!)
14 days to go, best of luck with the training this week everyone xx

coogy

Am giving my planned 3 mile recovery run a miss today due to a little discomfort in my left leg.
Have a physio appointment pencilled in for Tuesday.

roosterman71

Did you know, some weather models are predicting a cover of snow on Marathon weekend?

ReeReeG

roosterman71 wrote: »

Did you know, some weather models are predicting a cover of snow on Marathon weekend?

Please tell me this is a joke

ariana`

So here it is, week 2 of taper and the second last week of marathon training for Dublin Marathon 2018!!!!!!

Plan|Monday|Tuesday|Wed|Thurs|Fri|Sat|Sun
NNH1|rest|4m easy|6m easy|3m easy|rest|8m LSR|cross
Boards|rest, cross or 3m rec|3m easy|4m easy|4m with 6x strides|rest, cross or 3m rec|8m LSR|rest, cross or 3m rec


I said it this morning and i'll say it again - anyone who is injured or feeling niggles then rest up! Now is NOT the time to be a slave to the plan, that ship has sailed

Anyone who is feeling 100% then go with the plan, it tapers down the miles appropriately but keeps the same little bit of intensity with the strides included for this week's boards followers

I'm sure that some of you are getting excited at this stage? And more of you are getting nervous? And there's possibly a few feeling petrified? You will be on a roller coaster of emotions for the next 13 days. However hard it is on you spare a thought for your loved ones - they have to live with you :P

It's all part of the course. But just remember you bunch are one of the best prepared group of novices to run Dublin this year. The training is done, it's all banked now. Get the basics right for the next 2 weeks (sleep, rest, food, look after any niggles) and on the day all you have to do is turn up and run! This time two weeks you will be one of the estimated 1% of the population to run a marathon - now how cool is that!

Have a great week folks, happy running and resting

Singer

roosterman71 wrote: »

Did you know, some weather models are predicting a cover of snow on Marathon weekend?

Way way way too early to be worrying about the weather as there's no knowing the specifics of the weather this far out...

...but if you were so inclined, here's what was mentioned on the excellent weather forecast thread elsewhere on boards today:

Rather mild next weekend with moderate southwest winds, showers later by Sunday afternoon or evening, turning somewhat cooler for the first part of the following week but the general trend will stay near normal for time of year, longer term outlook towards end of the month looking rather unsettled with more frequent rain returning.

So it could be cold or normal or unsettled or rainy :pac:

roosterman71

ReeReeG wrote: »

Please tell me this is a joke

Singer wrote: »

Way way way too early to be worrying about the weather as there's no knowing the specifics of the weather this far out...

...but if you were so inclined, here's what was mentioned on the excellent weather forecast thread elsewhere on boards today:

So it could be cold or normal or unsettled or rainy :pac:

It just popped up on the Model Discussion Thread a while ago. I know it's a very slim chance, but I guess it's possible all the same. A marathon in the snow would be cool though (pardon the pun) :pac:

(purple bits are snow in this)

imknackered

So I got to a physio this week after a few days of feverish YouTube watching of Achilles treatments!!
Got the green light to keep training just have to monitor pain levels in the 24hrs post run.

Did a 12k, 16k during the week and did my planned 25k run today. Cannot tell you how much of a confidence booster is was to get through that run feeling good and doing the last 5k at MP.

Time now to keep the icing, rolling & heel raises going to make sure I’m 100% on the 28th

Awesome to see the “course route” signs on some of my route today

Anyway, congrats all for making it this far, as ariana said now is the time for recovery. Most important thing is to get to the start line in the best shape possible, once the race starts your training to date will take care of the race!! Great work all

ariana`

Something i intended to say in my post last night... As the taper goes on you will find your legs start to feel a bit fresher - this is the purpose of the taper of course - but something to watch out for is that the pace of your runs doesn't start to sneak up at this stage, especially as your runs are shorter now, they will feel very easy compared to what you're used too! But remember we want very fresh legs on Oct 28th, if the pace goes up now, even on shorter runs, you will undo some of the good of the taper.

Mr. Guappa

ariana` wrote: »

Something i intended to say in my post last night... As the taper goes on you will find your legs start to feel a bit fresher - this is the purpose of the taper of course - but something to watch out for is that the pace of your runs doesn't start to sneak up at this stage, especially as your runs are shorter now, they will feel very easy compared to what you're used too! But remember we want very fresh legs on Oct 28th, if the pace goes up now, even on shorter runs, you will undo some of the good of the taper.

I found this on my 14 miler yesterday. Had to really reign myself in at times as I was cruising along too fast without realising.

coogy

Had an unplanned 3.5 mile run into work this morning due to a flat tyre on the bike.
The niggle I experienced on Saturday's 14 miler showed no signs of giving me trouble. Think it's still worth paying a trip to the physio?

ariana`

coogy wrote: »

Had an unplanned 3.5 mile run into work this morning due to a flat tyre on the bike.
The niggle I experienced on Saturday's 14 miler showed no signs of giving me trouble. Think it's still worth paying a trip to the physio?

I can't give medical advise but i'd say a couple of things, firstly, 3.5m really isn't much a test on an potential injury. However, on the flip side the niggle may have felt heightened due to a touch of taper madness!

At this stage i'd say, aside from cost and inconvenience, is there any harm in having it checked out? At worst, s/he will do some work on it, iron out any knots or other which caused the niggle and you'll be in perfect shape for the big day! At best, s/he will tell you you're already in perfect shape for the big day and you'll come away with a big confidence boost and weight off your mind.

coogy

ariana` wrote: »

I can't give medical advise but i'd say a couple of things, firstly, 3.5m really isn't much a test on an potential injury. However, on the flip side the niggle may have felt heightened due to a touch of taper madness!

At this stage i'd say, aside from cost and inconvenience, is there any harm in having it checked out? At worst, s/he will do some work on it, iron out any knots or other which caused the niggle and you'll be in perfect shape for the big day! At best, s/he will tell you you're already in perfect shape for the big day and you'll come away with a big confidence boost and weight off your mind.

Thanks ariana. Yeah I think I'll err on the side of caution and make an appointment for this week, I'd only be arriving at the start line with a big worried head on otherwise!!

smashiner

incentsitive wrote: »

The most annoying thing about running with the pacers is the amount of other people doing the same if you ask me! Even in Longwood, while admittedly a much smaller road and number of people, was bloody annoying at times the amount of people.

I'm targeting 4 hrs (might be a bit slower realistically) and thinking of going ahead at the end of the 2nd wave, just working with my own pace on my Garmin. Less crowded that way, and 15 minutes less standing around.

But then again, if something goes wrong with it, etc I haven't a clue where I am at, which is the other benefit of a pacer.

+1 to this
I am thinking strongly of going out with the 3:50 pace group for about 200m :eek: and letting them off almost straight away and then running the first 10K at 57 minutes (also going to 'look' at sub 4 on the day), as I don't really want to run in a large group either.

The main reason being that it can be a bit hazardous (IMO)when a large mob hits the water stations with people crisscrossing and rouge water bottles are being flung all over the road. I also want to run my 'own' race, slowing down a bit on the hills etc. Big advantages in running in groups too, no stress on times etc., but I am going to go this one alone

skyblue46

smashiner wrote: »

+1 to this
I am thinking strongly of going out with the 3:50 pace group for about 200m :eek: and letting them off almost straight away and then running the first 10K at 57 minutes (also going to 'look' at sub 4 on the day), as I don't really want to run in a large group either.

The main reason being that it can be a bit hazardous (IMO)when a large mob hits the water stations with people crisscrossing and rouge water bottles are being flung all over the road. I also want to run my 'own' race, slowing down a bit on the hills etc. Big advantages in running in groups too, no stress on times etc., but I am going to go this one alone

If you go through 10k in 57 minutes your going nearly 2 minutes too fast for sub 4. Remember it's a negative split course so going through 10k within 20 seconds of even pace is asking for trouble.

smashiner

skyblue46 wrote: »

If you go through 10k in 57 minutes your going nearly 2 minutes too fast for sub 4. Remember it's a negative split course so going through 10k within 20 seconds of even pace is asking for trouble.

Sounds like good advice, what splits do you recommend 59 mins for 10K, 2:00/2:02 for Halfway and __ for 32K? At what point do you recommend in lifting the pace a bit?

I did a 1:49 HM in training last week and feel that I am in with a decent chance of sub 4 this time around although I am not 100% confident of lasting the full 26.2 miles at that pace ...what do you think??

ariana`

skyblue46 wrote: »

If you go through 10k in 57 minutes your going nearly 2 minutes too fast for sub 4. Remember it's a negative split course so going through 10k within 20 seconds of even pace is asking for trouble.

This advice applies to everyone!

We've said it before but it's worth repeating, the best strategy for Dublin is to aim for at least a 1-2 min negative split.

So for 4 hrs you might plan to run 2:01:00/1:59:00

Remember also the first mile will be very congested, be prepared for this, be prepared to add 20-30 seconds to your time in the first mile. Don't waste valuable energy weaving through the crowds, just go with it. It will be very easy to get this 20-30 seconds back in the 2nd half of the race if you're still feeling good which you will be if you pace the first half correctly! Nothing can beat that feeling of finishing strong and it doesn't mean you have to run below your ability, it just means you have to pace yourself smartly!

The first 2 miles are downhill but because of the congestion and because of where you are in the race this is NOT the time to take advantage of the downhill. Miles 3-7 are uphill. So essentially miles 1-7 should be the slowest of your race - be prepared for this mentally so that you don't panic when you see your time as you go through the 10k gantry!

If you're targeting 4 hrs and you go through 10k in 59:xx then you're on track for your goal.

It's going to get easier very soon after that, miles 8-10 are quicker miles! Some drags again in mile 11 but nothing major... and on it goes from there.

Kellygirl posted on Saturday offering to share some customised pace bands with you. She only has them for certain times but they are worth a look even if you don't plan to use one.

Or you can play around with customised pace bands yourself here without any commitement to purchase. I suggest you select 'Conservative Start' from the Start Strategy and definitely select 'Negative Split' from the Pacing Strategy options.

skyblue46

Ok folks, I'm just trying to finalise plans for Sunday morning meet up and need a little bit of input from anyone planning to come along. Plan is to do a route of approx 8 miles which will take in a small part of the DCM route. We'll meet in the Phoenix Park vistor centre car park and return to the Cafe for tea/coffee and cake. The one thing left to agree on is the time. I'm thinking 8.30 or 9.00am. Time suggestions welcomed. I'll go with the consensus anyway.

skyblue46

smashiner wrote: »

Sounds like good advice, what splits do you recommend 59 mins for 10K, 2:00/2:02 for Halfway and __ for 32K? At what point do you recommend in lifting the pace a bit?

I did a 1:49 HM in training last week and feel that I am in with a decent chance of sub 4 this time around although I am not 100% confident of lasting the full 26.2 miles at that pace ...what do you think??

I think that if you're not confident then start out very conservatively. It will be a long last few miles if you blow up

The Black Oil

roosterman71 wrote: »

Did you know, some weather models are predicting a cover of snow on Marathon weekend?

Not sure McGrattans would appreciate people waddling through its doors in snow shoes. :pac:

Strawberry Swan

skyblue46 wrote: »

Ok folks, I'm just trying to finalise plans for Sunday morning meet up and need a little bit of input from anyone planning to come along. Plan is to do a route of approx 8 miles which will take in a small part of the DCM route. We'll meet in the Phoenix Park vistor centre car park and return to the Cafe for tea/coffee and cake. The one thing left to agree on is the time. I'm thinking 8.30 or 9.00am. Time suggestions welcomed. I'll go with the consensus anyway.

The later the better for me cos I love my sleep ins No I really don't mind as I have no other constraints. Uugh need to get used to getting up early anyway.

Alorra

I am in, happy to do 8.30ish.

If i come with a sleepy head it is because i have come back from a wedding down the country the night before

aloooof

skyblue46 wrote: »

Ok folks, I'm just trying to finalise plans for Sunday morning meet up and need a little bit of input from anyone planning to come along. Plan is to do a route of approx 8 miles which will take in a small part of the DCM route. We'll meet in the Phoenix Park vistor centre car park and return to the Cafe for tea/coffee and cake. The one thing left to agree on is the time. I'm thinking 8.30 or 9.00am. Time suggestions welcomed. I'll go with the consensus anyway.

Count me in for this, can manage anything before 10 am.

skyblue46

aloooof wrote: »

Count me in for this, can manage anything before 10 am.

Great! I'll make a call on the time later in the week after a bit more feedback from anyone who might be interested. My own leaning is towards 8.30

gypsylee

I won't be running again until Saturday. Did 9 miles on Saturday morning instead of 12 due to niggles in both my calves and glute/upper leg area. Had physio on Saturday. Calves were tight and glutes very tight. The physio did a good hard session on them. Did a 4 mile run yesterday evening and this morning the niggles are back. Going to rest now til Saturday, plenty of foam rolling, stretches and torture with a tennis ball. Hopefully will be okay for Saturday's lsr of 8 miles.

Back for physio next Monday night so will see how it is then. If I can do no more running til the big day so be it. Just want to get to the start line feeling 100%.

juke

Kellygirl, you posted this on another thread, but I'm putting it here too. Like me, some may find it reassuring:

Kellygirl wrote: »

I’ve never been full of energy in the taper - generally tired and feeling fitness is disappearing. It somehow reappears on D Day though and you’ll feel absolutely brilliant.

I don't know if it's taper madness or usual self-doubts, but I was relieved to read this. I've been feeling tired over the last few weeks, even short runs are an effort.

I've been wondering if it was normal or if I'm about to implode. I'm going with the normal :P

Sheep1978

skyblue46 wrote: »

Ok folks, I'm just trying to finalise plans for Sunday morning meet up and need a little bit of input from anyone planning to come along. Plan is to do a route of approx 8 miles which will take in a small part of the DCM route. We'll meet in the Phoenix Park vistor centre car park and return to the Cafe for tea/coffee and cake. The one thing left to agree on is the time. I'm thinking 8.30 or 9.00am. Time suggestions welcomed. I'll go with the consensus anyway.

may see you's in the park at some stage - think I'm running with some friends around 9am