DCM 2018 - Mentored Novice Thread

Singer

skyblue46 wrote: »

So has anyone appointed themselves novices meet up and social secretary yet?

Dealerz2.0 wrote: »

....and how do we recognise fellow novices?

As a veteran of novices meetups, here's my advice :cool:

- Meet after the race. Before the race has all sorts of problems, mostly involving the fact that you're about to run a race and everybody's priorities can be different depending on their pre-race routine. After the race everybody generally has a lot more time free, no impending race to run and something to talk about other than nervously wishing each other good luck!

- Numbers are basically useless to meet people (unless you have a cool number like Kittyclaws' 999 ), there's too many to be practical. Numbers are only really useful for stalking people on the race tracker.

- Pick a location. It doesn't need to be exact, I think we used "somewhere across from the Airtricity tent" in the past (there's always an Airtricity tent). Get somebody to make flapjacks, the traditional meal of boards novices. Then all you need to do is walk in the general vicinity of the Airtricity tent and spot the person with an inexplicable amount of flapjacks on public display. Communal eating will then bring you together as a group, and over the course of the race series will descend into a vicious competitive flapjack making competition. For what it's worth, I think mine were best back in 2015.

braynewbie

Singer wrote: »

As a veteran of novices meetups, here's my advice :cool:

- Meet after the race. Before the race has all sorts of problems, mostly involving the fact that you're about to run a race and everybody's priorities can be different depending on their pre-race routine. After the race everybody generally has a lot more time free, no impending race to run and something to talk about other than nervously wishing each other good luck!

- Numbers are basically useless to meet people (unless you have a cool number like Kittyclaws' 999 ), there's too many to be practical. Numbers are only really useful for stalking people on the race tracker.

- Pick a location. It doesn't need to be exact, I think we used "somewhere across from the Airtricity tent" in the past (there's always an Airtricity tent). Get somebody to make flapjacks, the traditional meal of boards novices. Then all you need to do is walk in the general vicinity of the Airtricity tent and spot the person with an inexplicable amount of flapjacks on public display. Communal eating will then bring you together as a group, and over the course of the race series will descend into a vicious competitive flapjack making competition. For what it's worth, I think mine were best back in 2015.

Haha this post makes me want to do the event. Brilliant!!!

Supercell

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Quick one guys.

Did my 16 miles last Saturday, tired aftwrwards but was happy with it.
During the week I have been doing 4-5 miles during lunch time as per normal and it's been a crap week. I feel fresh as a daisy every morning and during the day etc but found the runs a real slog. Like 2 miles in and my legs have that heavy feeling in them and mentally telling yourself to stop and have a walk.

Worried about my long run this weekend now.

Sounds like you may have overtrained a bit. I've found taking an extra day off to let my legs recuperate a bit more always helps me when this happens. You wont loose any fitness but you may have an extra spring in your step training next time, end up running too fast, and facing the wrath of a certain poster here :pac:.

skyblue46

Supercell wrote: »

Sounds like you may have overtrained a bit. I've found taking an extra day off to let my legs recuperate a bit more always helps me when this happens. You wont loose any fitness but you may have an extra spring in your step training next time, end up running too fast, and facing the wrath of a certain poster here :pac:.

How dare you? A certain poster?? I'd appreciate it if you used my full title please. It should read "a certain cranky Assistant Mentor to the Mentor in Chief!

ariana`

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Quick one guys.

Did my 16 miles last Saturday, tired aftwrwards but was happy with it.
During the week I have been doing 4-5 miles during lunch time as per normal and it's been a crap week. I feel fresh as a daisy every morning and during the day etc but found the runs a real slog. Like 2 miles in and my legs have that heavy feeling in them and mentally telling yourself to stop and have a walk.

Worried about my long run this weekend now.

It's totally normal to have some runs that just feel like a slog even shortish runs so don't worry about it. Check the basics - eating well, sleeping well? Warming up before you runs and most importantly make sure you're not over cooking the pace of your easy runs! There's no harm in taking an extra day off once in a while but i wouldn't want it to become a habit every week, a certain amount of culminated fatigue is normal and part of the course.

incentsitive

I was attempting LSR 13 miles a couple of weeks ago, gave up at 8 miles as was spent. Did the 13 miles last weekend, was (ahem, not a bother) not a bother......OK I was exhausted by the end but I was grand.
And funnily, I did 8 miles the other night and at about 2.5 miles in I felt like I couldn't go on. Persisted, and did the 8 miles no bother. Sometimes, if it is just not working, stop and try again. Sometimes, plough on through and you'll get out the other side! When each is the case is the hard part.

aloooof

Bit of a set-back this week; 2 days off from work, was feeling completely run-down so I've missed a few runs. Much improved now, and got out for 4 miles easy last night, feeling an awful lot fresher, but I'm wondering whether or not I should race on Sunday?

My original plan was to race the FD10 and to run the Half as a training run / part of an LSR, maybe increasing to PMP by the end. But I'm considering switching that around now.

Any suggestions much appreciated!

aloooof

skyblue46 wrote: »

Anyone who fancies posting their Fingal/Frank Duffy 10 mile number up here so that I can track it on Sunday? I'd really appreciate it. I'm going out to do some cheering/ spectating and I'd like to be able to follow anyone doing it on the RTRT tracker.

If any of ye are organising a meet up either before or after please let me know where. I'd love the chance to say hello

Don't have my race number off hand but will post it up 2moro and definitely up for a meet up!

Rossi7

aloooof wrote: »

Bit of a set-back this week; 2 days off from work, was feeling completely run-down so I've missed a few runs. Much improved now, and got out for 4 miles easy last night, feeling an awful lot fresher, but I'm wondering whether or not I should race on Sunday?

My original plan was to race the FD10 and to run the Half as a training run / part of an LSR, maybe increasing to PMP by the end. But I'm considering switching that around now.

Any suggestions much appreciated!

I'm in the same boat after only home from a two week holiday this week, I was advised not to race it but to run it at 10-15 secs slower than your predicted 10 Mile pace. If you only missed two sessions and feeling better then I wouldn't worry too much about not racing it and give it a rattle.

skyblue46

aloooof wrote: »

Bit of a set-back this week; 2 days off from work, was feeling completely run-down so I've missed a few runs. Much improved now, and got out for 4 miles easy last night, feeling an awful lot fresher, but I'm wondering whether or not I should race on Sunday?

My original plan was to race the FD10 and to run the Half as a training run / part of an LSR, maybe increasing to PMP by the end. But I'm considering switching that around now.

Any suggestions much appreciated!

A plan can be a good thing but also be prepared to adapt as the day goes on. See how you feel on Sunday morning and get a nice little warmup done. Consider going out a bit slower than race pace and picking it up to a full on race effort if you feel good or throttle back to an easier effort if you still feel run down. There is a big difference between missing a couple of weeks and a couple of runs. If anything you have inadvertently given yourself a mini taper and will be in the finest fettle possible come 9.30am on Sunday.

aloooof

Rossi7 wrote: »

I'm in the same boat after only home from a two week holiday this week, I was advised not to race it but to run it at 10-15 secs slower than your predicted 10 Mile pace. If you only missed two sessions and feeling better then I wouldn't worry too much about not racing it and give it a rattle.

skyblue46 wrote: »

A plan can be a good thing but also be prepared to adapt as the day goes on. See how you feel on Sunday morning and get a nice little warmup done. Consider going out a bit slower than race pace and picking it up to a full on race effort if you feel good or throttle back to an easier effort if you still feel run down. There is a big difference between missing a couple of weeks and a couple of runs. If anything you have inadvertently given yourself a mini taper and will be in the finest fettle possible come 9.30am on Sunday.

Cheers lads, solid advice. I'll see how I am on Sunday morning, and even after the first mile or 2 and decide from there, I reckon.

Tbh, my 10m PB is pretty soft so even running it 10-20 seconds a mile slower than what I'm hoping, I'd still comfortably have a new PB.

Rossi7

Put your most recent race time in McMillan calculator and you'll get a ball park figure where you should be aiming for. I done the same for myself having never raced a 10 miler before and added 15-20 secs onto it as I won't be racing it flat out

corcaigh07

I’m #416 (I think). I’m planning on plodding along at 6min ks as a training run with a view to speeding up towards the end if I’m feeling pretty good.

I kept this tactic during the 10 mile Irish Runner run (during my base building phase to my 12 week plan) and it worked a treat.

Naked Lepper

total novice here, kinda following the H1N1 novice plan
my PB 10k is 48min

I keep seeing reference to this McMillan running calculator

is this the one people are using?:
https://www.calculators.org/health/mcmillan-running.php

when I put 48min in there it says my marathon pace is 3:22

I was thinking that for my first one I would be lucky to finish around 4 hours, so this cannot be right surely?

I would say my average 10k pace if running at normal speed without over exerting myself would be around 51-52 min but even when I put that in as my pace it is still a good bit under 4hours

maybe I am doing it wrong?

Sheep1978

When I put 48mins into McMillan it comes out at 3.45 for marathon. I always think these calculators can be a bit optimistic anyway, particularly for 1st time marathon runners

Supercell

Naked Lepper wrote: »

total novice here, kinda following the H1N1 novice plan
my PB 10k is 48min

I keep seeing reference to this McMillan running calculator

is this the one people are using?:
https://www.calculators.org/health/mcmillan-running.php

when I put 48min in there it says my marathon pace is 3:22

I was thinking that for my first one I would be lucky to finish around 4 hours, so this cannot be right surely?

I would say my average 10k pace if running at normal speed without over exerting myself would be around 51-52 min but even when I put that in as my pace it is still a good bit under 4hours

maybe I am doing it wrong?

I think thats very optimistic, my 10k is not far from that and am aiming for 3:45 (there I said it and jinxed myself), 3:22 is more like a DCM2019 target.

skyblue46

Naked Lepper wrote: »

total novice here, kinda following the H1N1 novice plan
my PB 10k is 48min

I keep seeing reference to this McMillan running calculator

is this the one people are using?:
https://www.calculators.org/health/mcmillan-running.php

when I put 48min in there it says my marathon pace is 3:22

I was thinking that for my first one I would be lucky to finish around 4 hours, so this cannot be right surely?

I would say my average 10k pace if running at normal speed without over exerting myself would be around 51-52 min but even when I put that in as my pace it is still a good bit under 4hours

maybe I am doing it wrong?

No that's not the race time predictor. A predictor is set up to allow for slowing down as the distances increase. That pace chart just gives you the time it would take to cover various distances at your 10k pace. I'll find the link to the predictor shortly. As Sheep says below they are not really accurate for most first or even second time marathon runners. It's simply because they all state that the predictions are all based on equal training and preparedness and not many of us are equally as well trained for marathons as we are for shorter distances.

Sheep1978 wrote: »

When I put 48mins into McMillan it comes out at 3.45 for marathon. I always think these calculators can be a bit optimistic anyway, particularly for 1st time marathon runners

Here's the link. https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

MY BAD

Singer wrote: »

Get somebody to make flapjacks, the traditional meal of boards novices.

Speaking of which, what ever happened to TFGR? I think she was the resident flapjacks maker around here.

MY BAD

I dont know how accurate this predictor is but its a bit different to others i think
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/marathon-calculator/

skyblue46

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

I dont know how accurate this predictor is but its a bit different to others i think
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/marathon-calculator/

It's way more accurate than McMillan by the looks of it. Its predicted time for myself is way more realistic anyway. Thanks.

coogy

No running for me tomorrow, have to wait till Sunday morning now. I'm gonna be like a demon tomorrow! :mad:

skyblue46

coogy wrote: »

No running for me tomorrow, have to wait till Sunday morning now. I'm gonna be like a demon tomorrow! :mad:

Go for 2 miles at recovery pace.

kittyclaws

skyblue46 wrote: »

Go for 2 miles at recovery pace.

That’s what I’m doing tomorrow - I’m seizing up from doing so little mileage this week! I felt tired on every single run tho - this step back week came right when I needed it

braynewbie

kittyclaws wrote: »

That’s what I’m doing tomorrow - I’m seizing up from doing so little mileage this week! I felt tired on every single run tho - this step back week came right when I needed it

might be worth getting your bloods done to check things like iron levels etc? It's free to get done so if you have the time.......

The Black Oil

skyblue46 wrote: »

How dare you? A certain poster?? I'd appreciate it if you used my full title please. It should read "a certain cranky Assistant Mentor to the Mentor in Chief!

Don't worry, folks - Gardai are preparing a file for the DPP. :pac:

coogy

skyblue46 wrote: »

Go for 2 miles at recovery pace.

Sounds like a plan!

aloooof

skyblue46 wrote: »

Anyone who fancies posting their Fingal/Frank Duffy 10 mile number up here so that I can track it on Sunday? I'd really appreciate it. I'm going out to do some cheering/ spectating and I'd like to be able to follow anyone doing it on the RTRT tracker.

If any of ye are organising a meet up either before or after please let me know where. I'd love the chance to say hello

#1521. Give it socks everyone!

Huzzah!

#2301 - running it as my last LSR before Berlin. Juke and I are gonna run it together.

juke

Huzzah! wrote: »

#2301 - running it as my last LSR before Berlin. Juke and I are gonna run it together.

We are

I love the day before a race/long run. Carb loading :pac:

skyblue46

juke wrote: »

We are

I love the day before a race/long run. Carb loading and baking flapjacks :pac:

I fixed this for you