DCM 2018 - Mentored Novice Thread

yido1882

effibear wrote: »

15miles over to and around the park. Very easy pace as I had a sleepless night with the kids.Tons of runners there this morning and all in very jolly form despite the rain. I enjoyed the cooler temperature. Thought I’d be feeling sore now but ok so far.

I tried a gel on route, after about 1hr 30 mins. Tasted vile so I sipped it, but not sure it has a benefit then. How many should we be taking during the marathon?

I tried the High 5 isogels berry flavour the last couple of weeks. Not sure if they did anything for me energy wise but they tasted lovely and boosted my spirits anyway! I'd give them a go if you're looking to try something else

coogy

Applegirl26 wrote: »

I ran my 15 mile lsr this morning. I'm definitely in unknown territory now with these increasing distances. I had debated back and forth about trying a gel on this run. I hesitated as if they don't agree with me, my run could be terminated swiftly! And the lsr is the most important run in the plan. Still, as I say I was torn and I'll probably have to try them eventually so I brought one gel with me but didn't feel the need to use it.

I had my water bottle with a zero tab in it. I definitely cannot run distance without that. I also brought 2 hard candies to suck throughout the run.

The rain was a refreshing change. My Garmin beeped for 1 mile just before I entered my beloved Phoenix Park and I had a quick glance at my pace. I decided I wasn't looking at my watch again until I was at 10 miles in. I enjoy running when...I can just run. I kept it easy, I knew the task that lay ahead of me. I passed loads of runners who said hi or gave a wave. Brilliant.

I opened my second candy when I was running loops around the Acres. I love this part of the park! On a sunny day I could run forever here. I did a few loops here to get the mileage in.
I looked at my watch when I felt I had reached where 10 miles should be on my route. Sure enough my Garmin beeped and I was on target. Only 5 miles to go.

Miles 11,12,13 disappeared easy enough. Miles 14 and 15 were the hardest in the whole run. Maybe because I was in new territory though that usually gives me a little buzz! Maybe it was as I was running on a slow drag at that stage. Or maybe it was because I was a bit bored. There wasn't a soul around now until I left the park, just me and my thoughts and I had mentally discussed every little issue in my life already over the past 2+ hours!

I finally got home feeling pretty chuffed with myself and was met with "jesus you're drowned!"
Ha ha!!

Eh, sorry about such a long post...

I tried my first gel today.

It was a messy affair.
:rolleyes:

skyblue46

The man in red and black wrote: »

I think you are right about my friend being an outlier. I had just assumed he was the norm. He is probably about 65-70kg too which I think helps over long distances compared to me being 93kg and 6'4.5".

Found a local 10k to run last night. Iverk 10k in Piltown as part of the Carrick on Suir Road Race series. Torrential rain which I'm not sure if affects times by keeping you cool or slows you down?
Had no idea what pace I would be able for so tucked in behind a couple of people who looked like proper athletes and said I will try stick with them. After first 2.5miles of mostly flat or mild/moderate hills up and down we were going at just under 7:15mins/mile according to one of the guys I was following. There was a ridiculously long continuous uphill for 2 miles between miles 3.5 and 5.5 then a slight downhill before a flatish finish. Managed to keep going up the hill for the 2 miles at a good pace and still be able for about 200m flat out sprint at the end so the hill training has stood to me.

Finished in 45:29 so 7:19/mile. Was tired afterwards but not as exhausted as I was after the 10k in May and recovered after a few mins. Happy enough with that time. In May I was at 47:24. What would be advice for training pace based on that? 9miles/mile for slow runs?

My advice would be even a bit slower than this but about 9:10 for easy runs and 9:30-9:45 for long runs would be OK for you. Well done on making the effort to get that race done. Great dedication and willingness to learn. Congrats too on knocking the best part of 2 minutes off your last time

Applegirl26

coogy wrote: »

I tried my first gel today.

It was a messy afair.
:rolleyes:

Ha ha!!!
Do I want to ask for more details? ....

coogy

Applegirl26 wrote: »

Ha ha!!!
Do I want to ask for more details? ....

Bit of a spillage!

I might start new thread on how not to spill the contents of your energy gel sachets.

whiskey_sour

coogy wrote: »

Applegirl26 wrote: »

Ha ha!!!
Do I want to ask for more details? ....

Bit of a spillage!

I might start new thread on how not to spill the contents of your energy gel sachets.

Haha I also had a small spill and ended up with a very sticky hand! Spent the best part of a mile trying to decide whether I should wash my hand with my water or save it for drinking.....first world problems!

skyblue46

Wait until ye get to the Lucozade station on Heartbreak Hill...now that's messy. Your runners will be sticking to the ground going through it! :eek:

aloooof

Great seeing all the LSR's appearing on Strava today, I finished my LSR earlier in the week, but that 15m feels like a real milestone.

13 weeks left on the plan, so we only need to add on around an extra 1 mile of endurance every week from here on out. Somehow that sounds less daunting than saying we need to run an extra 11 miles! :pac:

I'm missing my first run of the plan today tho, had a 3m recovery run planned. I'm feeling pretty run down and am trying to fend off a chesty cough, so decided against heading out this evening. Disappointed to be missing it but hopefully it's the right decision, and I can get my 6m in 2moro.

Applegirl26

skyblue46 wrote: »

Wait until ye get to the Lucozade station on Heartbreak Hill...now that's messy. Your runners will be sticking to the ground going through it! :eek:

Heartbreak Hill.... Mmm I was wondering when we start to talk about the last 6 miles of DCM.

Previous novice threads talk of seeing "carnage" at mile 20 or so. I freely admit, I'm a little scared!

I can remember my Daddy saying the marathon only begins in mile 18.

So, how bad are the last few miles? Or should I wait until nearer the time to ask this? 🙈

Kellygirl

Applegirl26 wrote: »

Heartbreak Hill.... Mmm I was wondering when we start to talk about the last 6 miles of DCM.

Previous novice threads talk of seeing "carnage" at mile 20 or so. I freely admit, I'm a little scared!

I can remember my Daddy saying the marathon only begins in mile 18.

So, how bad are the last few miles? Or should I wait until nearer the time to ask this? ��

If you pace it right they are just fine! I did a little dance and a sprint at the top of heartbreak hill last year and it wasn’t that bad. Not long after you’ll be heading for RTÉ and down Nutley Lane and recovering before the final stretch. You’ll be well prepared!

skyblue46

Applegirl26 wrote: »

Heartbreak Hill.... Mmm I was wondering when we start to talk about the last 6 miles of DCM.

Previous novice threads talk of seeing "carnage" at mile 20 or so. I freely admit, I'm a little scared!

I can remember my Daddy saying the marathon only begins in mile 18.

So, how bad are the last few miles? Or should I wait until nearer the time to ask this? 🙈

Haha...I was only talking about the mess on the road but yes there are more walkers than runners at that point! Haha. As for 2017 novices, we loved it. We were well prepared for it by our mentors and most if not all finished really strongly. Don't worry we'll be passing on the advice closer to race day.

Kellygirl

aloooof wrote: »

Great seeing all the LSR's appearing on Strava today, I finished my LSR earlier in the week, but that 15m feels like a real milestone.

13 weeks left on the plan, so we only need to add on around an extra 1 mile of endurance every week from here on out. Somehow that sounds less daunting than saying we need to run an extra 11 miles! :pac:

I'm missing my first run of the plan today tho, had a 3m recovery run planned. I'm feeling pretty run down and am trying to fend off a chesty cough, so decided against heading out this evening. Disappointed to be missing it but hopefully it's the right decision, and I can get my 6m in 2moro.

Sounds like the right choice. Don’t worry and just allow yourself get better.

Kellygirl

skyblue46 wrote: »

Haha...I was only talking about the mess on the road but yes there are more walkers than runners at that point! Haha. As for 2017 novices, we loved it. We were well prepared for it by our mentors and most if not all finished really strongly. Don't worry we'll be passing on the advice closer to race day.

Did you dance too Sean at the top of it???

Applegirl26

skyblue46 wrote: »

Haha...I was only talking about the mess on the road but yes there are more walkers than runners at that point! Haha. As for 2017 novices, we loved it. We were well prepared for it by our mentors and most if not all finished really strongly. Don't worry we'll be passing on the advice closer to race day.

Thanks guys!

RayCun

The real heartbreak hill in Dublin is the Phoenix park to castleknock. It's the highest point in the race, and if you go too fast it will break your heart - you just won't realize until later.

coogy

RayCun wrote: »

The real heartbreak hill in Dublin is the Phoenix park to castleknock. It's the highest point in the race, and if you go too fast it will break your heart - you just won't realize until later.

Awwww, that's the exact part of the route I was planning to do my strides!!

Applegirl26

RayCun wrote: »

The real heartbreak hill in Dublin is the Phoenix park to castleknock. It's the highest point in the race, and if you go too fast it will break your heart - you just won't realize until later.

Thanks for the advice Ray.
I'll have to be super disciplined not to start out too fast.

ariana`

Some great LSRs being done this week, brilliant stuff.

With regards to Heartbreak Hill - i concur with SkyBlue, KellyGirl and RayCun - if you pace yourself sensibly for the first half of Dublin Marathon then Heartbreak Hill won't break your heart at all! The key to the marathon really is to control the pace in the early stages and that's why we keep emphasising pacing yourself in all of your training runs - there is a method (or even many methods) to our madness But we will talk more about the course in general and pacing for the various sections as the time draws closer so don't worry

So we're into week 6 and back to more typical Irish weather! At the end of this week you will all be 1/3 of the way through the training plan! Here’s what’s ahead for Week 6 of DCM training:

Plan|Monday|Tuesday|Wed|Thurs|Fri|Sat|Sun
NNH1|rest|3m easy|5m easy|3m easy|rest|7m lsr|cross
Boards|rest,cross or 3m rec|5m easy|1m w/u + 5m pace + 1m c/d|3m rec|rest,cross or 3m rec|16m lsr|rest,cross or 3m rec


Another PMP run this week for the Boards followers. The first of 4 consecutive pace runs. Some of you may have a new PMP based on your time in the South Dublin 10k. Speak up if you have any queries following this. I'd recommend caution with increasing the pace too much based on a 10k time as most novice runners will find a big drop off in their race times from 5/10k to HM/Full.

It’s a step back week for the HHN1 followers. Enjoy it!

Have a good week everyone

Dealerz2.0

Ah I’m really loving this running to a plan stuff! Enjoy every mile of it so far!

racersedge

Got around to doing my long-run this morning. While I did take it easy during the wedding on Friday (seriously, who can think about drinking after been well fed?), I played it safe and took the extra day before heading out this morning.

Enjoyed the run overall. Admitedly, the first 10K felt tough. I've been struggling with a head cold (again, seriously, how does one get a cold in our above-average summer temps!) which I personally feel is adding an extra effort to training. I see this when I look at the stats afterwards which show I'm working harder despite taking it handier. Hopefully the last of it clears off during the week. But yeah, that first 10K I felt like I was trying to clear out the nose more than anything else.

The first 10K also included several inclines so once I got clear of them I found myself motoring on nicely. I took a different direction to my run as I swung back around towards town and used a bit of the route used by the local Gingerbread Run before swinging back towards the town to finish up. About the 10mile/16K mark I could feel the nipples start to chaf. Anyone passing me by must of been wondering what I was doing trying to hold the t-shirt out from my body. As I hit the last four, I said enough was enough and just took off my top and went shirtless. While it was breezy, I was warmed up enough that it made it nice.

Never did I think I'd be running the open roads shirtless. That's a first.

So nipple protection is going to be looked in to before next week (I'll likely need it during the week as they feel a bit sensitive) and I need to source a new running belt. The one I got is fine, but I find it constantly beginning to come loose as I take out/put back in the water bottle. So something a bit more comfy is required. I also went out with water and some jellies. While I didn't feel I needed them, it was a case of taking them to adjust and get myself used to it.

So on to another week. Usually I do my first weekly run on a Monday, but this might change with having the LSR today. I might decide to push it until I get home from work to give myself effectively the day and a half - at least that will keep me on my usual running schedule.

yido1882

racersedge wrote: »

Got around to doing my long-run this morning. While I did take it easy during the wedding on Friday (seriously, who can think about drinking after been well fed?), I played it safe and took the extra day before heading out this morning.

Enjoyed the run overall. Admitedly, the first 10K felt tough. I've been struggling with a head cold (again, seriously, how does one get a cold in our above-average summer temps!) which I personally feel is adding an extra effort to training. I see this when I look at the stats afterwards which show I'm working harder despite taking it handier. Hopefully the last of it clears off during the week. But yeah, that first 10K I felt like I was trying to clear out the nose more than anything else.

The first 10K also included several inclines so once I got clear of them I found myself motoring on nicely. I took a different direction to my run as I swung back around towards town and used a bit of the route used by the local Gingerbread Run before swinging back towards the town to finish up. About the 10mile/16K mark I could feel the nipples start to chaf. Anyone passing me by must of been wondering what I was doing trying to hold the t-shirt out from my body. As I hit the last four, I said enough was enough and just took off my top and went shirtless. While it was breezy, I was warmed up enough that it made it nice.

Never did I think I'd be running the open roads shirtless. That's a first.

So nipple protection is going to be looked in to before next week (I'll likely need it during the week as they feel a bit sensitive) and I need to source a new running belt. The one I got is fine, but I find it constantly beginning to come loose as I take out/put back in the water bottle. So something a bit more comfy is required. I also went out with water and some jellies. While I didn't feel I needed them, it was a case of taking them to adjust and get myself used to it.

So on to another week. Usually I do my first weekly run on a Monday, but this might change with having the LSR today. I might decide to push it until I get home from work to give myself effectively the day and a half - at least that will keep me on my usual running schedule.

I got nip guards for chaffing a couple of weeks ago. Not a nipple has been harmed since!! I'd defo recommend them.

racersedge

yido1882 wrote: »

I got nip guards for chaffing a couple of weeks ago. Not a nipple has been harmed since!! I'd defo recommend them.

Thanks for the tip. Probably buy some stocks in the company too while I'm at it for good measure!!

skyblue46

racersedge wrote: »

Thanks for the tip. Probably buy some stocks in the company too while I'm at it for good measure!!

Bodyglide is great to prevent chafing. Very useful to have as you can use it on the inner thighs also for chafing where your shorts rub.

brownbinman

After such a good week last week...BANG!

Shins really started acting up after Wednesday's run. Pain when I put leg down when running. Thankfully not while running so it's not too bad. So weekend off running. Will invest in some compression socks to go over shins.

Still 3 months to go so not too bad. Was so excited to hit 15m mark this week. Strangely enough this was exact distance I hit last year

Kellygirl

Just saying ...

coogy

racersedge wrote: »

Thanks for the tip. Probably buy some stocks in the company too while I'm at it for good measure!!

Microporous tape.

whiskey_sour

brownbinman wrote: »

After such a good week last week...BANG!

Shins really started acting up after Wednesday's run. Pain when I put leg down when running. Thankfully not while running so it's not too bad. So weekend off running. Will invest in some compression socks to go over shins.

Still 3 months to go so not too bad. Was so excited to hit 15m mark this week. Strangely enough this was exact distance I hit last year

I had a similar problem when the weather started getting warmer a few months ago. I'd been seeing a physio for another problem anyway and when mentioned it to her she reckoned it wasn't from running at all, it was actually from wearing bad footwear day to day. I'd gone from wearing boots most days to wearing slip on shoes or sandals. I've been wearing runners as much as I can ever since and it's definitely helped! Not sure if this will apply to you but is the only thing that really helped this kind of pain for me!

coogy

Kellygirl wrote: »

Just saying ...

skyblue46

Kellygirl wrote: »

Did you dance too Sean at the top of it???

Erm no I was in to panicked a state by then with the fear of my knee collapsing under me. I had switched to full on Forrest Gump mode at that stage :pac:

sumsar

Did the 10mile today myself, the last mile was tough I have to admit, not sure if my legs will thank me or hate me for it.

Also, today was the longest and furthest I've ever ran before.. looking forward to seeing how the rest of the training goes, while today wasn't easy I hope by the end of October I'm looking back laughing about me finding today tough.