DCM 2018 - Mentored Novice Thread

juke

eyrie wrote: »

My easy and LSR paces for training have always been substantially slower than whatever the mcmillan calculator says. I ignore it completely. I think effort is more important for those type of runs. I only worry about pace for speedwork, etc. Also I think the paces mcmillan gives are way out of line with other recommendations and calculators. I'm sure it's accurate for some people but it's definitely not for me, and I don't think it would help my training to try and follow it! I would naturally fall much closer to nail my times a bit betterthe times I get from this one: http://www.runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php

Baby75 wrote: »

I have been using that calculator as well eyrie and find it great only found it about 2 weeks ago

Which intensity would you follow for the LSR? I'm trying to nail my times down, not that I'll ever be accused of going too fast

Kellygirl

juke wrote: »

Which intensity would you follow for the LSR? I'm trying to nail my times down, not that I'll ever be accused of going too fast

I’d say easy pace on that calculator Juke.

Baby75

juke wrote: »

Which intensity would you follow for the LSR? I'm trying to nail my times down, not that I'll ever be accused of going too fast

The pace should feel very easy, you should be able to chat and it should feel like you could keep going forever

you can check your pace on your watch and see if you in the right Zone from the calculator then

skyblue46

juke wrote: »

Which intensity would you follow for the LSR? I'm trying to nail my times down, not that I'll ever be accused of going too fast

It depends on what plan you are following. For boards or HH I would say go with the faster end of very easy and make your priority getting time on the feet rather than pace.

Supercell

Hi, I'm no longer in the Strava group for some reason?, i am doing DCM hopefully for the first time this year, first time for any marathon in fact. I missed last year due to a car accident a couple of months before the race. It was nice to gauge my training against others in the same boat, can I be let back into the Strava group please (M O C name on Strava)?

Kellygirl

I see you are sorted Supercell.

Can I remind people who are requesting to join the Strava group to pm me also? As I said the other day we are planning a tidy up to keep the group to the people on this thread so if you are already a member and haven’t pm’d me please do so to ensure you stay a member.

Thanks all! Hope you are looking forward to starting training next week. Have you all picked your plans and know what paces you should doing the different training runs at?

ariana`

Hi folks,

It's good to see some discussion around plans this past couple of days as it's nearly time to be nailing your intentions down :eek:

This time next week we will be looking at the week ahead for those following our main plans - Boards and NNH1!

So what i'd like you all to do this week is have a wee think about why you have signed up for DCM 2018. Have a think about what it means to you to do this and what it will meant to you cross the finish line on October 28th and have that medal put around your neck!

When you've thought through some of this then sit down with the key people in your life, partner, parents, teenage and adult children... Anyone old enough to understand that some changes may be afoot and just make sure they are on board! Explain why this is important to you and how the training may impact on them - let them have a look at the plan, explain the number of days you'll be training, the time of day you plan to fit the training in and how it might impact on them!

Of course for some of you the jump up to marathon training may not be a massive jump from what you are already doing but for some it will be big leap and there will have to be compromises made along the way that impact your nearest and dearest so now is the time to make sure they're on board.

And that's your homework for this week folks :P

Next week we'll be talking through the 1st week of our plans and things will really take off then. Happy running folks

Kellygirl

Coogy, I hope you don’t mind me commenting on something I noticed on Strava.

Well done on the 11 miles this eve! You are building up the long runs nicely.

However, I noticed in your long runs that you are starting quite fast and slowing down every mile then and it’s becoming a pattern. I think it would really help you if you tried to start at a slower pace and concentrate on a steady pace. Take tonight’s run. Pace averaged at 9:12. I think you could try to aim for every mile to be at that pace. Maybe set your watch to warn you if you are outside the 9:02-9:22 range to help?

You are doing great running and really ready for the marathon training to kick in so maybe concentrate on practicing steady pacing this week rather than worrying about distance.

Hope you don’t mind me commenting on you individually. I hope this helps as you build up your distance.

coogy

Kellygirl wrote: »

Coogy, I hope you don’t mind me commenting on something I noticed on Strava.

Well done on the 11 miles this eve! You are building up the long runs nicely.

However, I noticed in your long runs that you are starting quite fast and slowing down every mile then and it’s becoming a pattern. I think it would really help you if you tried to start at a slower pace and concentrate on a steady pace. Take tonight’s run. Pace averaged at 9:12. I think you could try to aim for every mile to be at that pace. Maybe set your watch to warn you if you are outside the 9:02-9:22 range to help?

You are doing great running and really ready for the marathon training to kick in so maybe concentrate on practicing steady pacing this week rather than worrying about distance.

Hope you don’t mind me commenting on you individually. I hope this helps as you build up your distance.

Kellygirl, not all all, I appreciate the advice!!

I've noticed that too and it is definitely my intention to set off at that slower pace but I'm a little inclined not to check my actual pace for the first couple of miles and tend to go with what feels right. Not ideal, I know.
Up until now, I've been using the Strava app on my phone and it's a little cumbersome to manage when it comes to keeping an eye on your pace, even when using the running armband. Really need to invest in a watch!

Most of the time is spent on my long runs being aware of my pace and although I do tend to occasionally slip in and out of where I should be, I think it just needs minor tweaking.

Thanks again!!

Kellygirl

coogy wrote: »

Kellygirl, not all all, I appreciate the advice!!

I've noticed that too and it is definitely my intention to set off at that slower pace but I'm a little inclined not to check my actual pace for the first couple of miles and tend to go with what feels right. Not ideal, I know.
Up until now, I've been using the Strava app on my phone and it's a little cumbersome to manage when it comes to keeping an eye on your pace, even when using the running armband. Really need to invest in a watch!

Most of the time is spent on my long runs being aware of my pace and although I do tend to occasionally slip in and out of where I should be, I think it just needs minor tweaking.

Thanks again!!

Ah yeah, looking at your phone would be difficult. I know the last two weeks I’ve been really concentrating on steady pacing myself and I’m looking at my watch non stop to get it right. Would it be worth carrying the phone in your hand until you settle into a pace? Not ideal I know.

coogy

Kellygirl wrote: »

Would it be worth carrying the phone in your hand until you settle into a pace? Not ideal I know.

Hehe, that's what I had been doing since last November up until today (one of my Father's Day pressies was a running armband!!)

Kellygirl

coogy wrote: »

Hehe, that's what I had been doing since last November up until today (one of my Father's Day pressies was a running armband!!)

Thoughtful present. They are on board with your running so. :pac:

A tip I got here (and am trying to learn myself currently) was to start off slower and build up to my desired pace. You could try that too.

skyblue46

@ coogy. What feels right in the early part of a run will invariably be too fast as you are fresh. The early miles of DCM will make or break your day. They too should feel painfully slow.

On a more general point I have noticed on Strava (both from users who I can connect to usernames from here and those that I can't) that runs are still too fast and in most cases unchanged since the expert advice given on the thread by others. Easy run paces should be at least 2.5/3 minutes per mile slower than your 5k race times.

NyOmnishambles

Morning all

Sweet Jaysus that was rough this morning

Getting out of bed was a fight, I was physically and mentally exhausted, though mostly mental I reckon

Absolute drudgery for the first few K, a bit of self pity and mental flagellation and I finally got my sh1t together enough to plough on for the rest of the route, but it wasn't pretty

Still though days like this will happen and it is good mental training for when the going gets tough on the big day

Early night tonight for me I reckon

brownbinman

Quick one, I've been focusing on Tues/Thurs/Saturday runs, but with plan starting next week should I start a base this week of Tues/Wed/Thurs/Saturday like on the Boards plan?

smashiner

I did an LSR yesterday morning and then ate my body weight in ice cream and hamburgers at Eddie Rockets as part of my Fathers day :eek:

Must remember that I am an athlete now and ice cream is off the menu.... I promise that I will be good for the week!

Hmmmm Eddie Rockets.......:D

Rossi7

7 days to go :woot: feels like only yesterday I was waiting for this thread to start
What would be the advice for runs this week with the plan ( I'm doing the novices ) starting on Monday ? I plan on 2-3 days easy and a LSR tomorrow evening

ariana`

brownbinman wrote: »

Quick one, I've been focusing on Tues/Thurs/Saturday runs, but with plan starting next week should I start a base this week of Tues/Wed/Thurs/Saturday like on the Boards plan?

If these are the days you're going to be able to continue with then yes, why not.

This is what i'd like everyone to be figuring out this week and talking through with their partner/children etc - when/how they intend to fit the training in, the practicalities of it. If those days don't work for you then it's ok to switch them around but now is the time to get your head around how you will manage the training. It may for example suit some people better to do the long run on Sunday if they have kid's with activities on a Saturday.

ariana`

NyOmnishambles wrote: »

Morning all

Sweet Jaysus that was rough this morning

Getting out of bed was a fight, I was physically and mentally exhausted, though mostly mental I reckon

Absolute drudgery for the first few K, a bit of self pity and mental flagellation and I finally got my sh1t together enough to plough on for the rest of the route, but it wasn't pretty

Still though days like this will happen and it is good mental training for when the going gets tough on the big day

Early night tonight for me I reckon

Exactly this, well done on persevering

smashiner wrote: »

I did an LSR yesterday morning and then ate my body weight in ice cream and hamburgers at Eddie Rockets as part of my Fathers day :eek:

Must remember that I am an athlete now and ice cream is off the menu.... I promise that I will be good for the week!

Hmmmm Eddie Rockets.......:D

The occasional treat is allowed... we can't be saints all the time

Rossi7 wrote: »

7 days to go :woot: feels like only yesterday I was waiting for this thread to start
What would be the advice for runs this week with the plan ( I'm doing the novices ) starting on Monday ? I plan on 2-3 days easy and a LSR tomorrow evening

Sounds good - why don't you try for 4 days this week if that's what you'll be doing once you start the plan next week. 3 very easy and your LSR. Maybe 2 x 3 miles, 1 x 4 miles and 1 x 7/8 mile (LSR). Keeping everything nice and slow. This is assuming your calf niggle has settled down since?

Rossi7

Thanks Ariana, yes calf all good. Was in with physio on Friday and got sorted so good to go. I'll go with that for this week

Applegirl26

I'm a little confused about what pace I should be running at. I think I understand the lsr- run slow, I'm a snail so I've got that one down! But my other midweek runs? My instinct is to run as fast as I can tolerate but I know I'm doing it wrong as my race times and training times aren't all that different. I feel like I'm racing all my runs and on race day I've nothing more to give. Should I be slowing all my runs down, even when I'm slow anyway? Thanks guys
Hope that made sense!

coogy

skyblue46 wrote: »

@ coogy. What feels right in the early part of a run will invariably be too fast as you are fresh. The early miles of DCM will make or break your day. They too should feel painfully slow.

On a more general point I have noticed on Strava (both from users who I can connect to usernames from here and those that I can't) that runs are still too fast and in most cases unchanged since the expert advice given on the thread by others. Easy run paces should be at least 2.5/3 minutes per mile slower than your 5k race times.

I hear you skyblue46, I feel I am slowly getting there but not 100% just yet!

You mention that the early miles of the DCM sould feel painfully slow.
Do you mean quicker that LSR pace but slower than MP?

pilot1087

Hi All,

Have signed up for DCM2018 and its the task ahead is starting to sink in. So I've decided to check in to the thread in the hope that talking to everyone keeps the motivation up.

My Background:
Have you raced before? Yes, up until about a year ago I used to do a lot of races, varying distances up to Half Marathon. Times were never spectacular but I just liked doing them. I did the DCM in 2011

If so what are your PBs?
DCM 2011 4 Hours 45
Dublin Half 2017 2hours 20
10KM March 2018 54mins

Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training?No

How much training do you currently do? Stepping it back up. Do Spin 3 time a week and run between 5-10KM 3 times a week also.

What do you want to achieve? Just want to get over the line this year. Would be very happy to break 4 hours 20 mins.

How many days a week can you train? Can make time 5 days a week most weeks.

And what plan do you intend to follow? HalHigdon N1 2018

Why are you running this marathon? Swore I wouldn't do it again but a friend asked me to sign up with him this year. Thinking of the feeling of elation crossing the line was what made me do it.

Good Look to everyone with the training.

P.S. Thanks Ariana for the OP.

gypsylee

Training has not even started yet and I have an injury. My right knee was niggling after a run on Wednesday. Rested it, sprayed it, took anti-inflammatories and all was good. Did a 10km organised run yesterday, wore a knee support and straight away my knee was painful. Finished the run in 68 minutes but was wrecked. Was a tough run even though the pace was slow and I have ran the route many times. Very painful knee since. My kneecap is very sore to touch. Have a physio appointment on Wednesday but so disappointed. Between my ankle still niggling since March and now this I wonder will I be able for the training and to make the start line in October. Sorry for the "poor me" post but I am so looking forward to the training plan and now I may be sidelined.

Kellygirl

gypsylee wrote: »

Training has not even started yet and I have an injury. My right knee was niggling after a run on Wednesday. Rested it, sprayed it, took anti-inflammatories and all was good. Did a 10km organised run yesterday, wore a knee support and straight away my knee was painful. Finished the run in 68 minutes but was wrecked. Was a tough run even though the pace was slow and I have ran the route many times. Very painful knee since. My kneecap is very sore to touch. Have a physio appointment on Wednesday but so disappointed. Between my ankle still niggling since March and now this I wonder will I be able for the training and to make the start line in October. Sorry for the "poor me" post but I am so looking forward to the training plan and now I may be sidelined.

I know how frustrating it is but hopefully it’s something the physio can fix easily. My knee went 10 miles into Clonakilty Marathon last year. It was after Christmas before I got to see the physio and couldn’t do more than 5km during that time. Literally one session and I was fixed. Turned out to be my IT Band just pulling too much on my knee and she sorted it and I was back to normal running straight away.

Have a good chat to the physio Wednesday and tell them your plans and see what they say. The ankle and knee could all be connected. Fingers crossed for you.

racersedge

Kellygirl wrote: »

Can I remind people who are requesting to join the Strava group to pm me also? As I said the other day we are planning a tidy up to keep the group to the people on this thread so if you are already a member and haven’t pm’d me please do so to ensure you stay a member.

Mental note to myself to search out that link and get myself synced up with the rest of you all!

Chomping at the bit to get stuck into it now and ready to go SLOW!!! In the meantime at least I’ve taken the opportunity to go fast before getting into the plan. Did a personal best 10K in Kildare yesterday, hitting a 46:32 (knocking about half a minute off my previous best). Have my last intended balls to the wall run at Dunshaughlin on Saturday evening (or I’ll be gently tipping it with the wife - one or the other) before immersing myself completely into the training plan next week.

Eoineo

Did my first half-marathon yesterday. I'd been ill, and on GP's advice decided to do it rather than pull out of the commitment for mental health purposes. It was certainly an education in terms of what I need to do to be ready for DCM and how the miles in the legs make all the difference. I know now that I can handle a 14:30/mile pace consistently which is very reassuring though.

There are lots of niggly things to iron out now such as hydration and nutrition in the context of everyday and not just the days before and after races. Wearing extra suncream even if it is raining. Stretching, strengthening exercises, and conditioning the body to be used to maintaining required pace over a marathon distance. I can really see how yoga will be key to my regime.

Wondering why I live in a house with stairs, the usual!

brownbinman

Apologies for asking this again, but strides...

Are they essentially an interval session and should they be done after a run, or during. Really confused and Googling it isn't helping.

Apologies if you'll be going over this Ariana

Finally, 1m w/u, 3m pace, 1m c/d would this be for e.g. 1m at say 7.30min/km, 7min/km, 7.30min/km?

ariana`

brownbinman wrote: »

Apologies for asking this again, but strides...

Are they essentially an interval session and should they be done after a run, or during. Really confused and Googling it isn't helping.

Apologies if you'll be going over this Ariana

Finally, 1m w/u, 3m pace, 1m c/d would this be for e.g. 1m at say 7.30min/km, 7min/km, 7.30min/km?

No strides are not an interval session. They are a chance to work on form for the most part. You do them close to the end of a very easy run. They usually last 100m or about 20-30 seconds. You speed up for the first 1/3 building in a controlled manner to about 90% for the middle third, and then ease off again for the last 1/3. The focus is on form. Long strides, relaxed shoulders that kind of thing.

Sorry I'm rushing now but we will talk about the session you describe later in the week before we start into the plan next week and more about strides also - don't worry

degzs

Is there anyone doing LSR around Galway city as finding it hard to get the miles in?

I am the the 10 mile mark but finding it hard to get motivated.