Run for your life!!!!

ariana`

Just looked back at my run from last year and i totally overcooked it, the whole run including w/u & c/d was faster than PMP :rolleyes: So basically i'm qualified to say nothing But listen, 1 bad bold run does not a bad marathon make

And it's better you ran it slightly too fast, if you had run it too slow you'd be wondering if you needed to revise the PMP. Just make sure you recover well, it was a big one especially so soon have a tough HM as well.

coogy

Thursday 13th September - 3 mile recovery run

3 mile recovery run. What can I say? :P


Saturday 15th September - 16 mile LSR

Had a busy day ahead planned with a lot of driving involved so it was important to get this one out of the way early.
Had brekkie and was out the door at 6:15-ish. Was surprised at how mild it felt at that early hour.
Decided for this run to be a little more relaxed with the pacing as it felt like the last few LSR's were a little too rigid with too much focus on getting the pace absolutely perfect. I felt for this run, anything between 9:15 and 9:40 would be sufficient.
This route, which I've run once before, is a real mixed bag and has a few nice hills thrown in which are the parts I look forward to most.
Noticed from the first few miles that there weren't as many runners out and about as I'm used to seeing. I do enjoy passing other runners or running groups out on their sessions and giving the obligatory nod in their direction. If nothing else, it gives me a sense of belonging to this community of disturbed individuals who run stupidly long distances for the sheer hell of it.
I don't know if it was just me becoming used to this slightly more relaxed pace but for stretches of the run, I caught myself running about 15/20 seconds slower than I had planned or than I thought I was. Not sure how as it didn't really feel like I was slowing up. Perhaps the Garmin was playing catch up along certain parts of the route.
Around the 10/11 mile mark, I started to see a lot more runners out and about. Perhaps, unlike me, they decided to wait until the sun actually came UP!

Finished the run with reasonably functioning legs after 2 hours, 31 minutes at an average pace of 9:23. A tad slower than my previous 16 mile LSR.

Mooju chocolate milk, plenty of water followed by a heap of scrambled eggs and toast were the order of the day on my return to the house.

Another one ticked off the list.


Sunday 16th September - 3 mile easy run
Another busy day today with two kids birthday parties to get to (one of which was my son's 8th birthday party) so I knew there's be no running during daylight hours.
After a day of excitement, managed to head out at about 10:50pm. Hardly a sinner around and for no particular reason, decided at the last minute to treat myself to an extra mile.


Overall, despite the badly managed midweek pacerun, am happy enough with this week's efforts. Had lots of great conversations with friends and other folk about running in general over the weekend. Most of them being people who don't actually run but who are intrigued to find out why I love running so much. Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at verbalising my reasons for this obsession. Maybe even I don't know.
Will carry on regardless.

coogy

Meant to say that yesterday (Sunday), I was volunteering at the Griffeen Junior Parkrun. My son, who's just turned 8 loves taking part and yesterday was his 10th park run.
Since he started, he's been trying his damndest to improve on the previous week's run and he's making amazing progress. His best finish before yesterday was 19th in a time of 9:41. He's also obsessed with numbers and would have no problem telling you where he finished and what time he had for every single one of his 10 runs so far.
Anyway, because I was handing out the finishing tokens yesterday, it was the first time I wasn't able to hand him his water at the usual spot (about half way mark of the course) but he was totally fine with that and I gave him my water bottle in case he needed it.
Not long after the usual familiar faces finished in the top 10, who do I see pelting around the final bend but my son Tom. I could not believe my eyes and when I handed him token number 14 (out of 118 runners) at the finish line, the look on his face was a sight to behold. He was so chuffed. A new PB too of 9:20.
All of this is of his own doing, not once have I needed to encourage him (although I still do, naturally) which is so great to see. Hope he keeps it up!!

coogy

Tuesday 18th September - 4 mile easy run
Chose a slightly different route for this lunchtime run as it involved what I hoped would be less hanging around waiting for traffic lights to change and less pedestrians to avoid bumping into.
Thankfully it worked out perfectly and the route took in the majesty of Croke Park, a behemoth amongst the backdrop of ordinary Dublin street life.
Ended up getting this run confused with this week's 4 mile PMP session with strides so just had to swap them around with each other.


Wednesday 19th September - 8 mile easy run
Used this as an opportunity to run home from work which is not something I always have the chance to do.
The strong winds and storm conditions earlier in the week had already prevented me from my usual cycle-commute and today was no different. Only thing was, it meant that I had to run home with a bag on my back. Not ideal but if I packed it right and made sure it wasn't holding too much weight, it would be ok.
There was a pretty strong head wind and with a predominantly uphill route ahead of me so I knew this would be no walk in the park but isn't that what this is all about?
With the strong wind against me, running at an easy pace wasn't going to be too much of a challenge but what I was conscious of was that it would make me push that bit harder, ending up with me running at a quicker pace that I should be so I still had to hold back a little bit. Also had to hold my cap in place at times................did I mention how windy it was?
The bag on my back was a little off-putting, not something I'd like to try again any time soon. Overall, enjoyed the session.

Thursday 20th September - 4 mile PMP, 5 x 100m strides
Up early for this one and as expected, the dark mornings are making getting out of bed a bit of a struggle. After an obligatory 'ugh' and 'argh', I trudged downstairs for some pre-run fuelling (I now no longer run on empty, regardless of distance) and was out the door at 6:20. Am lucky to have a nice run-friendly park right on the doorstep, plenty of grass running when necessary too. Had fun doing the strides and used them to picture myself crossing the finish line at DCM (all depending on my mental and physical state on the day of course).
Bought my new running shoes today and some nice new running socks. Also bought a sachet of the infamous Tailwind to try out on this week's lsr. Stocked up on Zero tabs and Cliff Bloks too. Now is definitely the time to be getting the balance right for October 28th.

Saturday 22nd September - 18 mile lsr
Another early start and decided to take in the Phoenix Park as part of my route to soak up some of the Dublin half pre-race atmosphere.
Took my Tailwind with me and a couple of Cliff Bloks for fuelling during the run.
Left the house in darkness with the first signs of daylight appearing, just when it's about possible to make out the outline of the clouds overhead.
Felt pretty good for the most part, the Tailwind seemed to be doing what it's meant to and thankfully didn't feel any adverse effects from it either.
Got to the Phoenix Park about 90 minutes from the start and I could see the first of the runners arriving as they made they way up Chesterfield Ave. Wished some of them luck as I begun to make my way out of the park and back in the direction of home.
About 11 or 12 miles into the run, I gave my arms and legs a good ol' shake as I am used to doing but this time my arms felt very stiff. Not sure if it was from gripping my water bottle too tight? After about 13 miles in, I began to tire a little and struggled with an uphill section that normally wouldn't cause any bother.
Also felt a little niggle in my right ankle a couple of times. Very odd sensation but was fine to carry on.
Got through the 18 miles unscathed but was a little concerned with the way I struggled during those last few miles.


Sunday 23rd September - 3 mile easy run
Junior Parkrun this morning and my son was his usual eager self. Finished in a respectable 9:35.
Noticed when I got up this morning that the heel of my right foot hurt a little as soon as I started walking. I only felt it momentarily but again, alarm bells started ringing in my head. Will keep an eye on that.
Took my new trainers out for a test drive for a 3 mile easy run. They felt really good and have excellent cushioning compared to what I'd been wearing. No problems to report with aforementioned niggles with feet.
Packed week/weekend ahead so am desperately trying to figure out when I'll have the chance to do my 20 mile lsr. The biggie!

coogy

Monday 24th September - 4 mile easy run

Almost forgot about this one, mainly due to the fact that I'm not used to running on a Monday but also because my head's all over the shop the last few days.
I draw caricatures as a sideline and I've got commissions coming out of my ears with unrealistic deadlines to meet on top of everything else. As a result, there's been little sleep and I'm starting to feel the effects.
Feeling a little groggy too with stomach pains so I really struggled with this run from start to finish. No stretching or foam rolling done after the run. Felt like the wheels came off a little last night.
The mayhem doesn't look like easing up till at least the end of the week so am already fretting about how to squeeze in my 20 mile run at the weekend.
Need to get things back on track!!!

coogy

Wednesday 26th September - 8 mile easy run

Another run home from work with baggage in tow but this time made sure that the bag straps were tightened enough to reduce any unnecessary swaying.

Felt a lot better on this one compared to the previous run home. No strong gusts of wind to contend with so felt way more relaxed. To be honest, I don't remember an awful lot about about this run. If I don't write it down on the day, then forget about it.


Saturday 29th September - 5 mile easy run (two days overdue)
Crazy busy this week and as a result was fretting and stressing about how to fit in my runs amid all the madness that was on the horizon. Thursday came and went with no opportunity to do this run. Wednesday's 8 mile run by this stage had become a distant memory which made me more agitated and as I was in Limerick for the whole day on Friday, I almost resigned myself to the fact that this particular run would have to be sacrificed. I had even toyed with the possibility of doing my lsr in Limerick. Crazy.
Didn't return from Limerick until 3am on Saturday morning so had the rare luxury of a lie-in before setting out on the 5 miler.
Most of this run was done on grass.


Sunday 30th September - 20 mile lsr
I know there was no way I could squeeze in a run of 3 hours + knowing that my son's Junior Parkrun was starting at 9:30am. Would have been in big trouble had I not returned home in time as he was being presented with his Junior Parkrun 'half marathon' wristband this morning. He was chuffed to bits (as was I)
Back home by 10am and was out the door before 11am for 'the big one'.
It struck me as I set out that I was not even remotely daunted by what was ahead of me. All I knew was that I had a start point and an end point and that I would enjoy this more than any other run up till now. This is a world away from the version of me that first set my eyes on the Boards training plan back in April when my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the prospect of getting through such monster runs.
For fuelling (a subject which has caused me an unhealthy amount of anxiety), I decided to stock my brand new flip belt with 2 x gels and 2 x clif bloks. Carried a 250 ml bottle with high5 zero tabs too. Earlier in the week, I had bought a bottle belt that came with two 150ml bottles as it was in my head that I would be relying on Tailwind for fueling. After some consideration, I felt that this option seemed more hassle than it was worth and decided to keep things simple.
Stuck to a tried and tested route for this one and with the of the extra
mileage, it gave me the luxury of spending more time in the Phoenix Park.
I would have loved to have tried out as much of the DCM route as I could have but it just wasn't possible today so I settled for St. Laurence's Road/Sarsfield Rd and Chesterfield Avenue but not the order in which they appear for race day.
The former is very similar to an incline that I am well used to running along in Lucan from my previous lsr's so I felt I was well prepared for it. Once I arrived in the Phoenix Park, it was time to tackle the 'cruel mistress' as I like to call it. Some days, it just seems to go on forever with no end in sight. There was a brief spell of heavy rain which passed as quickly as it had arrived. Just a nice little sun shower. Turned on to the North Rd before coming back around onto Chesterfield Ave, along Military Rd and out of the park at the Chapelizod entrance before heading back towards home. All throughout this run, the legs felt pretty good and maintained a steady enough pace with an average pace of 9:20.
Took the gels on 1 and 2 hour mark and the clif bloks at 2:30 and 3:00 (for whatever that one was worth)
What I loved most about this run was that it really brought me as close to DCM as I would ever get during the training and I used it as much as was possible to gauge what the experience might be like on the day.
Having being reliably informed on more than one occasion that the real hard work does not begin until mile 20, I tried my best to imagine what it might be like on the day, having already covered 20 miles with another 6 still to run. Probably a futile exercise as my pacing will be completely different on the day but it certainly helped to pass the time.
Speaking of passing the time, that was another aspect of the training that worried me.......running solo. Have done every single one of my runs solo and it hasn't once been an issue. I have been constantly amazed throughout these last 14 weeks when it comes to perception v reality. Most - if not all - of the runs that would have caused me some concern, have turned out to be far and away more manageable than my brain allowed me to believe.

There is no more fear. Just excitement (perhaps some little nerves) and a seemingly unstoppable drive to get the job done.

Come. On.

ReeReeG

Nice work on the 20 miles! You have so much enthusiasm and are so dedicated to the training plan, well done. Excited to see the results in DCM for you!

coogy

ReeReeG wrote: »

Nice work on the 20 miles! You have so much enthusiasm and are so dedicated to the training plan, well done. Excited to see the results in DCM for you!

Hey thanks ReeRee! I just hope it all pays off on the day!!!

coogy

Monday 1st October - 3 mile recovery run
Not surprisingly, the legs were feeling a little tender after the previous day's run so I knew I would have to take it a bit more handy than usual on this one, which I thankfully did.
This route - or parts of it - is extremely popular with runners, also on their lunch breaks and it's funny how we all give each other that look that says "yeah......I know"


Tuesday 2nd October - 5 mile easy run taking in a couple of miles of the DCM route
Having explored part of the route on last Sunday's 20 miler, I was determined to run at least another small part, if only for a few miles.
So from Blackhall Street, up through Stoney Batter, North Circular Rd, into Phoenix Park and up Chesterfield Avenue was as much as I could take in before having to head back. Still, it was enough to make this all seem that little bit more real and to give me a enough of a glimpse of what the real thing would be like on the day. Far too many thoughts went through my head for me to even begin recounting them here.
One word: goosebumps.


Wednesday 3rd October - 1 mile w/u, 5 mile PMP, 1 mile c/d
Back into the Phoenix Park for this one. Enjoyed the 5 miles pmp, but it was a little challenging to stay on track, pace-wise. Ended up with my eyes on the Garmin for quite a bit of it, making sure I didn't overdo it or undercook it. I imagine the same will be true come DCM day. Making me wonder should I keep the pacer within my sights to make sure I don't lose the run of myself, even with the Garmin!
It was strange actually, on the warm up part of the run, the legs felt a little heavy and I wondered how I was going to manage 5 miles pmp, but once I upped the pace, it was no problem at all.

Thursday 4th October - 3 mile recovery run
The pace for this run, compared to the 3 mile recovery run three days previous was a little less relaxed. I think some days, the mind tends to wander a little too far and end up losing track of my pacing altogether.

Saturday 6th October - 18 mile lsr
So, the ol' taper!
It's crazy looking back at how far we've all come as novices. I started remembering how chuffed I was with every milestone I reached along the way, whether it it was 5k, 10k, 10 miles or 20 miles. Not just that but how eager I was to reach the next goal after one had been reached. Each one brought a sense of achievement that I honestly couldn't compare to anything else I've ever done. Now the tapering begins, I think withdrawal symptoms will certainly kick in and I'll probably become more of nightmare to live with than I already am!
For this run, I had mapped out a route via the canal into the Phoenix Park but as it was pitch black when I left the house (about 6:20am) my head told me to play it safe and go with a tried and trusted 18 mile route I'd already completed twice.
Thankfully, the first few miles were quite conservative on the pacing front as I am a little used to setting out a tad too quickly even though it would still be reasonably within the 'lsr' pacing.
Also, my attire of shorts, t-shirt and hi-vis singlet was probably not the wisest choice as it was still pretty cold out at that hour and there was no sign of actual daylight appearing until almost the hour mark.
As with last week's lsr, I loaded the flip belt with gels and a couple of clif bloks which I took at regular enough intervals to keep on top of the fuelling side of things.
Loads of runners out this morning, mostly in groups but am still happy enough running solo. Perhaps once I've gotten this marathon out of my system, running with groups of other runners might be something to look at, even if it's just at weekends.
As usual, the majority of the run was spent letting my head go wherever the hell it wanted. It's crazy what sort of stuff your mind starts conjuring up. Some days I might recite entire passages of dialogue from a favourite movie (yesterday it was Twelve Angry Men). Other days I might pick a favourite album and sing all of the songs in the order they appear from start to finish. And it's not just the vocals. I do all of the instrumentation as well. Yes, that's right. Multi-talented.
Only three weeks to go now and I have to say, I'm feeling less nerves than before. Excitement has taken over now and although I know it will be tough, I feel I know exactly what I need to do to get through it, thanks to the training schedule and all of the advice I've been given over the last few months.

Sunday 7th October - 3 mile recovery run
Ran this exclusively on grass and really enjoyed it. Legs felt good all the way through but with recent talk on the Novices thread of sports massages, I wonder if it's something I would benefit from ahead of DCM. Would need to be organising a session either this coming week or the following week at the very latest.

ReeReeG

coogy wrote: »

. Other days I might pick a favourite album and sing all of the songs in the order they appear from start to finish. And it's not just the vocals. I do all of the instrumentation as well. Yes, that's right. Multi-talented.

This is hilarious! I sometimes sing to myself as well if I'm running on my own, but haven't ventured into including instrumentation!

coogy

Tuesday 9th October - 5 mile easy run
Decided once again to head into the Phoenix Park. These lunch break runs above 4 miles are tricky, leaving minimal time to run, back to work, stretched, showered etc.
The early morning starts that I found so easy during the summer have become a bit of a slog and with the dark evenings (not a fan), my lunch hour is the only time I really have for these this week.


Wednesday 10th October - 5 mile easy run
Actually got a little bit lost for this one as I ran through Sandymount which is not an area of Dublin I'm familiar with. Loads of runners out today so i just followed the masses and eventually got my bearings! Pace-wise, pretty much identical to previous day's efforts!


Thursday 11th October - 5 mile easy run
Once again, took in a different route to what I would normally do which I think is good to do from time to time. Today, ran down East Wall rd, along Alfie Byrne Rd, into Clontarf and back into city centre.

Saturday 13th October - 14 mile lsr
'Only 14 miles'
With the tapering this week, it was important to me to go a different route than normal to take my mind off the fact that I was covering less miles.
Did pretty much a reverse of my part of my previous 18 mile route with a few new little changes to mix it up a bit. Probably for the first time during this entire training session, I had the rain to contend with. Not torrential by any means, but steady enough with little signs of it letting up.
Once again, legs felt really good during the early miles before having to step up a gear slightly and was still thankful of the rainfall with the reasonably mild temperatures.
Around mile 10, I begun to feel a small bit of discomfort at the back of my lower left leg which I knew was the type of niggle that could potentially spell trouble. Although I was still able to run, I eased up on the pace a little for about 10 minutes wondering if I should stop or not but I kept going, almost waiting for something to give way.
Thankfully, it did not get any worse but I did spend the remainder of the run freaking out about potentially injuries that may harm my chances of making it to the start line on the 28th.
As soon as I got home, I got the number of a physio from a neighbour who is what you might call an elite runner so he knows his stuff! 
Made sure I did plenty of stretches and foam rolling for the remainder of the weekend. Still felt a little tender in the same spot during Sunday's Junior Parkrun so made an appointment with the Physio for Tuesday.


Monday 15th October - 3.5 mile impromptu run (with bike in tow)
Once again, my tyre gave way on the way to work. This time, it happened along the not-so-pedestrian-friendly Chapelizod bypass. After cursing my bike as well as idiot drivers beeping their horns (seriously, what's THAT about? Do they think I actually chose to risk my life by walking precariously along a 1 foot wide grass median with a broken down bike????) to kingdom come, I decided that walking along this stretch of road was probably a BAD IDEA.
I was left with no choice but to leave the bypass asap and the only way that was going to happen was to take a potentially equally dangerous exit route. I looked down below to a road passing underneath the bypass and saw that it was none other than St Laurence's Road. All I could do was laugh.
A few 'what the hell am I doing' moments later, I made my way down the slope and found myself on said road. At that point I should have nearly been in work so I had no choice but to run.
Made sure I took it easy enough and thankfully did not feel any signs of discomfort in my leg but knew that it would be foolish to cancel the physio appointment.
Arrived into work 20 minutes late. :mad:

coogy

Wednesday 17th October - 4 mile easy run

Today's easy run was quite possibly the most ill-advised run I've done to date.

Last night, I had the grand total of zero hours sleep. Had no choice but to pull an all-nighter to get a commissioned drawing finished for a client who needed it today so did not even make it to bed. :eek:

Had a funeral to attend this morning (fell asleep twice) and then made it in to work. Changed into my running gear and off I went. I felt ok throughout the run but I expect I may feel the effects of it later today.

I am posting this mostly as a reminder to myself to NEVER do that again. Big slap on the wrist for me.

On the plus side, felt no more niggles in my left leg but will still attend physio session on Friday.

coogy

Wednesday 17th October - 4 mile easy run
Usual route for this lunch time run. Legs felt good throughout!
Loads of runners out this lunch time. With only 11 days to go, there seemed like there was a real purpose to everyone's run today, or maybe it's just a heightened awareness on my part that I'm actually not the only person doing the marathon this year.

Thursday 18th October - 4 mile easy run, 6 x 100 metre strides
Last chance to really test the ol' legs with the strides tagged on to the end of this run. Did the strides in Stephens's Green, beautiful part of town, if not a little congested at lunch time. Still, managed to squeeze them in no problem.


Friday 19th October - Sports massage
Last week's niggle was playing on my mind a lot so there was no way I was going to come this far and risk not having it seen to.
This was my first ever massage so didn't really know what to expect. Well, of course, I knew what to expect.......anyway.....:rolleyes:
The session was booked for one hour so I decided it was best to focus on just the legs. It was the most relaxed I've been in such a long time, almost passed out towards the end.:pac:
When the session was over, they recommended paying a return visit about a week after the marathon, just to get things back working properly again.

Saturday 20th October - 8 mile easy run
Had the alarm set for an early one but now that I no longer feel the need to 'sneak' out of the house for fear of waking the others, I decided to wait until it was at least bright outside before heading out.
Was a beautiful day for a run and needless to say, my head was filled with thoughts of the big day, to the point where I thought my brain was going to short-circuit.
Felt no after-effects from the previous day's massage and decided to just enjoy this one while it lasted. Which I did. Very much.
Ran the last mile or so with the Griffeen Parkrun, my first time back there since June! Can't wait to get back into doing these once DCM is done and dusted!

coogy

As this is my first marathon, I've tried to provide as detailed and honest an account as my memory will allow. It's more for my benefit than anything (how selfish) but if you can take any encouragement or positives from reading it, all the better! Apologies if it goes on a bit.


So here were were, the day that all of the months of hard were leading up to. The feelings of extreme nerves during the previous couple of weeks had gradually turned to excitement in the days before the marathon and I was eventually in full 'race mode', feeling very focused.
The day before the main event, I had everything prepared, race clothes, change of clothes, fuelling, the works. I was starting to feel really good about this.

Pre-race
On the morning of the race (after a fitful night's sleep), I got a lift in with some lads from Waterstown RC. I'd never actually met any of them before, they were friends with a girl that I work with and they kindly offered me a lift in when they'd heard I was stuck for transport. It was cold enough, as predicted, but I could already tell that it was the beginning of a perfect weather day for running.

Had a nice relaxing journey in with a few laughs along the way and as most of them were experienced marathoners, they gave me a few last minute pointers to send me on my way.

Arrived in town about 8am and made my way up to Stephen's Green to meet my fellow Boardsies for a brief meet up before we made our way back down to the bag drop off. The buzz around the city was something to behold and it was really only then that I fully understood the sheer enormity of the event. Around Merrion Square. there were runners literally everywhere I looked. Controlled mayhem is an accurate description I think. Removed a few outer layers and made sure I had everything I needed before dropping off my bag. A much needed trip to the portaloo was had, then like a lost sheep, headed up towards the Green start line.

Apart from a few last minute stretches, I honestly didn't know what to do to pass the time. Thankfully, before I knew it, the crowd started moving along up to Fitzwilliam St. and I followed the 3:40 pacers to the start line. In typical 'me' fashion, it was at that moment that I started to doubt my plan of achieving a 3:40 time. Common sense would have to be the order of the day, I thought. Even if I eventually found myself running with the 3:50 pacers, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad day at the office.

My heart was thumping as 9:15am approached and all of a sudden, off we went.

The race
Miles 1-6
Naturally, as expected, things were slow to get moving but I still enjoyed the atmosphere around me, trying to soak it all in. The first mile came and went in a flash, couldn't believe how quickly it had passed. Up past Patrick's cathedral and towards Christchurch, I was feeling great, helped in no small part by the perfect running conditions. At this point, I was more than happy for the 3:40 pacers to be ahead of me, as long as I kept them within my sights.
The first lag of the day - Blackhall Place/Stoneybatter - brought the first little mis-hap. I took a bottle from the water station and after removing the lid to drop the half a zero tab in, I dropped the lid and somehow managed to pick it up quickly enough not to impede any other runners. Way too close for comfort. Had to make sure the next one went more smoothly.
There was great support along NCR and as soon as we got into the park, I had to prepare myself for Chesterfield Ave. I was trying my best to match my pace band against my watch and although I was 10-15 seconds faster for miles 3, 4 and 5, I still thought I was running at a moderate enough pace. Picked out my first bit of support along Chesterfield Ave which gave me a great boost. The stretch along this part of the route was not as much of a drag as I was anticipating and as we hit the 10k mark, I couldn't believe how quickly the miles were passing by. Still, checking my pace and was still averaging 8:15-8:20m/mile. Took a gel during mile 6.


Miles 7-14
Exiting the Castleknock gates was a completely different kettle of fish. The support was immense and the band on stage really carried us along. There was a real carnival atmosphere and I was astounded at the lengths some people had gone to with their posters, banners and shouts of encouragement towards their own families and friends. Lots of high-fives were the order of the day and added to the feel-good factor before we made our descent back into the Phoenix Park. Looking back, it was this moment that may have been a turning point for me. I was more than aware that I needed to take it easy but as I checked my pace for mile 8 as we entered the Phoenix Park once more, alarm bells rang when I saw 7:57. There was a marginal improvement for the next mile as we headed towards Chapelizod gates but was back into 7 minute territory on the next downhill stretch of the Upper Glen Rd.
St. Laurence Rd was manageable enough and by this point I was just looking forward to running through Kilmainham where my wife and two kids would hopefully be waiting. Heard my name being shouted out as we ran down Sarsfield Rd and saw it was another familiar face.
The anticipation of seeing my family was almost too much to bear and found myself having to fight back some tears of emotion at the thought of seeing them. As we approached South Circular Road, I was frantically scanning the crowd for a sign of them and there they were, just outside the gates of the Royal Hospital. Simply put, I lost the plot as I jumped for joy and let out shouts of delight that were almost out of my control. A sight that no doubt will be etched into the memory of my kids for some years to come. My plans of high-fiving them were not to be as one of the stewards had asked my wife to move slightly away from the road just before I appeared and the photo opp she had been waiting ages for came and went. I was so disappointed for her and was almost tempted to turn back but knew that would be crazy. Still, I was so happy to see them.
My actual pace and my pace band were still not that far apart as we entered Rialto. Fantastic support again from the locals who were armed with tubs of jellies, oranges, apples bananas, jaffa cakes, the works. It was as this point that I felt that something was not quite right. Running along the Crumlin Rd, I experienced the first sign of tiredness in the legs and as we approached the half way point in 1h:50m, I begun to wonder how on earth I was going to cope if I was feeling like this now and felt like I was now left with a serious uphill battle if I wanted to achieve a negative split. The pacers were now further away than ever and could just about make out the white balloons in the distance. Took a gel at mile 11, followed by water with Zero tab.


Miles 15-20
I knew my parents would be waiting for me on the Cromwellsfort Rd so perhaps that would give me another much needed boost. As we neared the Walkinstown roundabout, the support was phenomenal and I found myself dipping in to some of the jellies on offer. Not something I had planned to do at any stage of the race and saw it as an ominous sign of what was to come.
I spotted my parents outside the Submarine Bar, just where they said they would be and once again, excitement took over, so much so that I decided not to take the banana that my dad was patiently holding out for me. I wondered if I would eventually regret that.
The thrill I felt very quickly vanished and I was back to where I was before, feeling tired in the legs and a general feeling of discomfort. At this point, I had begun to lose a little bit of focus and was no longer aware of where we were on the route. The 3:40 pacers had begun to pull out of sight completely. Not a good sign.
What followed after Templeogue/Terenure is all a bit hazy. I became quite disoriented and the tiredness in the legs very quickly progressed into an actual ache. My pace was gradually becoming slower and it felt like everything was going wrong very quickly. Panic begun to set in. I thought as long as I maintained this slightly slower pace, I would still perhaps manage a 3:45 finish or thereabouts. I became less and less aware of the crowds of supporters around me and before long their cheers and clapping were doing absolutely nothing for me whatsoever. I noticed some runners around me had begun to walk and for the first time I wondered if that would eventually be my fate. After Terenure, my sense of location grew less and less and even the prospect of facing the infamous wall barely registered with me. I noticed that as my pace lessened, more and more runners with much fresher legs than mine were passing me by. This was not the plan and as much as I tried, I just couldn't push any harder. Then, somewhere around the Milltown area - I can't be sure of this - the legs went. Cramp - something I've never experienced before - had well and truly set in and I could feel (and see) the muscles in my legs tighten. I pulled up with severe pain in the back of my legs and had no choice but to stop running. I was devastated. As I limped on, with other runners offering words of encouragement, I kept looking behind for the 3:50 pacers. Still nothing. I stretched for a minute at the side of the road and started to run again at a much slower pace. Again, the legs went and the pain was becoming worse.
Took another gel at mile 20.


Miles 21-26
I just kept walking, and I was in good company too as the number of walkers grew. I hoped that after a few minutes of walking, the pain in my legs would pass. After a few more stretches, I tried running again but this time the pain was at its worst and the legs turned into a jelly-like state and I stopped once more. I didn't know where to turn, what to do or what to think. I was in pain, I could barely walk and worst of all, sub 4 now felt like an impossible task. I felt like crying but I wouldn't allow it. I took another glance over my shoulder and there they were in the distance, the 3:50 pacers. My heart sank and as I limped up towards Roebuck Rd, I let out a very loud "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" in complete frustration. The pace on my watch read 12:29 and at that moment, I honestly felt like packing it in there and then but knew that wasn't really an option. The pacers glided past and all I could do was watch. I managed another half mile or so of light running and in desperation, I asked an onlooker if I could take a drink of her coke, thinking that it would help somehow. She saw I was in trouble and very kindly obliged. Couldn't possible say whether it had a positive or adverse effect. Took two clif bloks.
Like with the previous few miles, I really had no idea where I was and as the crowds grew in size, all I wanted was for them to disappear. I saw another familiar face but didn't even have the energy to call their name out. By now, the 3:50 pacers were nowhere to be seen.
As we turned onto Stillorgan Rd, I somehow managed to start running again at a reasonably moderate pace and thought that maybe, if I pushed enough, I could catch up with the 3:50 pacers but I clearly knew this was too big an ask. Just before Nutley lane, the legs went again but not quite as bad as before so I walked again for another minute while checking the time on my watch and saw that just over 3 and a half hours had elapsed. I did the maths in my head and knew that it would take all my strength to make sub 4 at this point. I started off running once more and prepared myself for the final stretch.
I was able to pick up the pace with the pain in my legs just about manageable and begun to overtake a good few other runners as we approached Ballsbridge. I now knew that if I were to stop again between here and the finish line, it was all over so I dug deep and ran through pain like I've never known. The last half a mile seemed to go on forever and all the previous romantic notions I'd had before today of approaching the finish line completely went out the window. I was utterly spent by now and the noise from the crowds, which had almost trebled in size, became almost overwhelming to me and as crazy as it sounds, I tried as hard as I could to block it all out. I kept telling myself that I had to stop but something - I don't know what - made me plough on. I could see the official time ahead was 03:56.xx so pushed hard once again for the final 200 metres and crossed the finish line in a complete daze. Official time was 03:57:01

Once I had crossed the finish line, all I wanted to do was to sit down on the ground but there was enough common sense coming from the race stewards to tell me that it was not the most sensible idea in the world. I could barely walk, I couldn't speak and as the medal was placed over my head, it barely registered with me. After receiving my race t-shirt and goodie bag (how disappointing was THAT by the way?), I made my way slowly up to collect my bag.
No-post race selfies, no tears, no smiles, no hugs from family and a whopping 17 minutes outside my target time. At that moment, I felt like a fraud and most of all embarrassed for aiming my sights so high, telling the world how I was gunning for a 3:40 finish. It was the exact opposite to how I imagined this moment to be. I couldn't have felt any more low.
I rang my wife and it turned out they couldn't get anywhere near the finish line to see me so I got changed (very slowly) amongst the hoardes of fellow finishers and went off to meet them before saying a very brief farewell to the other Boards crew who had gathered in McGrattans. Would have loved to have stayed but it wasn't to be.

Later that evening, while sitting at home on the couch watching tv and thinking about the whole day, I burst into tears. Just like that. Better later than never I suppose.

Looking back, I think there were many factors which contributed to my horror show (pacing/fuelling/competitive streak/inexperience) but I have gradually gotten over my disappointment and know deep down that I should be proud of what I achieved, especially in the last few miles.
I will definitely be back next year, stronger, wiser and hopefully this time with a realistic goal and new PB.


Thanks to everyone who shared the experience with me. We did good! (Didn't we?)

Hobbyjogger

I am so sorry to read about your experience K, you worked so hard and your training was bang on. Sometimes it's impossible to pinpoint what went wrong, and impossible to predict. We spent months and months preparing for one day,and it was just that - one day. I'm delighted to see you'll be back - you'll have YOUR day!

Saying that - Sub 4 for your first marathon, easy to get lost in times and forget that that is still amazing. Less than 1%, and the average is around 4:30 I believe! Massive well done, I've enjoyed following your training and looking forward to following your log for the future

ReeReeG

That was some read. You have a lot of strength to carry on when it got incredibly hard (it was hard reading it so I can only imagine how it felt experiencing it) and not only that, you were able to pick it up for the last stretch to come in under 4. You should be so proud of yourself, and I'm sure your family are too!! 
This was only the beginning for you, I think you'll have a great 2019 no matter what distances you choose to tackle.

ewc78

I could have almost wrote word for word the exact same account for my own experiences on Sunday. My times both finish and expected were different to yours but the tears and the pain and the loneliness on the course when things go wrong I experienced also.
Fair play to you for finishing and like me I'm sure you'll be back next year to hopefully right the wrongs of Sunday.

skyblue46

Tough day at the office K. The marathon is a beast. Maybe some of the early miles were too fast, maybe the target too optimistic or maybe not. More running and more racing will lead to better days. Remember too that there will always be tough ones. People who have been running for years have bad marathon days too. I know one girl who had realistic hopes of getting sub 3 who walked/jogged from Milltown to a 3:25. Great job to tough it out. Better days ahead for sure.

Wubble Wubble

Brilliant report coogy. Some determination to finish it out when all seemed lost. Sorry I missed you afterwards. Great work on the caricatures too

eyrie

So sorry you suffered like that coogy, but you did amazingly to keep going and to somehow finish strong despite it all. No idea how you managed that! This one wasn't your day but that will definitely come, your training was brilliant and you have that to stand to you no matter what.

Kellygirl

So sorry to read this Coogy and that you had such a tough time. We all put such pressure on ourselves for a time and yet all our families and friends want is to see us out on the course, happy and healthy and running over the finish line strong. Your kids will take that medal to school (if you release it) and tell their teachers that their Dad ran a marathon and that’s what’s important, not the time. Be proud of what you did! Well done for battling on. I’m not sure I would!

Lazare

I said so on the novice thread K, but your race is uncannily similar to mine. Same target, same spot that things got rough. We must have been only 100m apart or so as the 3:50 balloons got me on Roebuck.

You finished really well considering the pain I know you were going through.

Keep your chin up bro, we either win or we learn. You have enormous potential.

Lazare

That was me following you on Strava yesterday btw.

Conor.

coogy

Lazare wrote: »

I said so on the novice thread K, but your race is uncannily similar to mine. Same target, same spot that things got rough. We must have been only 100m apart or so as the 3:50 balloons got me on Roebuck.

You finished really well considering the pain I know you were going through.

Keep your chin up bro, we either win or we learn. You have enormous potential.

Thanks so much C!!!!

aloooof

Some grit to tough that out, K. You put in a serious training block, so I've no doubt your times will continue to tumble, and that includes any future marathons too!

coogy

Belated thanks to everyone for their comments following my 'efforts' last week!

So now the dust has settled and the sun has set on my 2018 marathon experience, I have been doing some thinking back to try and understand how and where it was that I went wrong.

I think there were several factors on the day that contributed to my downfall. Here they are, in no particular order:

Tiredness - I knew this already in the week leading up to the marathon. I was getting nowhere near enough sleep, even though I knew how high up on the list of "to-do's" it was.
What can I say, I am a night-owl by nature and find it extremely difficult going to bed early. I didn't necessarily feel tired on the day but looking back, I think that was a big factor. Tiredness is not something I thought I'd experience coming up to the half way mark.
I guess that 10pm curfew was put in place for a reason.

Over-eagerness - Even though I was pretty composed on the morning of the race, I know that the atmosphere, the crowds and being around so many thousands of other runners must have had some sort of impact on my pacing throughout the early stages. I lacked the awareness to keep myself in check when it mattered most. I still wonder if I was more sensible, would have lasted the pace? Guess I'll never know.

Fuelling - I know for a fact that I did not have enough fuel with me on the day. Four gels, three clif bloks and 2 x half zero tablets doesn't even come close. I saw numerous runners around me with at least six/seven gels loaded in their running pouches. Again, just how much it contributed to my cramp in the latter stages of the marathon, I don't really know.

Unrealistic goals -
Out of everything, this is the one thing that caused me the most amount of torment ever since I signed up for the marathon. 03:30 was bandied around for a while and I honestly believed that I had it in me, I really did. All I can say now is thank goodness I opted for running between the 3:40 and 3:50 pacers.

So there you have it.
In short, reading this back to myself, it's clear that I basically did everything you're not supposed to do in the week of your first marathon. All the articles I downloaded, all the running magazines I pored over, all the countless webpages I read till my eyes bled..........and it still didn't sink in.
Big lesson(s) learned for next year.

coogy

Saturday 10th November - Griffen Parkrun
First Parkrun since June and was really looking forward to this. Met up with ReeReeG as she was passing through on her way out West and decided to drop by to give the Griffeen Parkrun a whirl.
My only bit of running since DCM was a couple of 2 mile runs the previous week and a 4 mile run earlier this week. I wasn't planning to go all out looking for a PB or anything, nor was I content with taking it too easy.
Started off handy enough but what struck me after not too long was the difference in my knowledge of pacing between now and before. All of my previous Parkruns, prior to the beginning of the DCM training, were run at a 'fast as you can' pace. Ultimately, this brought me mostly top 10 finishes and a couple of PB's along the way.

However, during yesterday's Parkrun - especially the last mile/mile and a half - I was slightly taken aback at how much off the pace I was with the leading pack. There was a pretty strong field out yesterday too. I was checking my pace at regular intervals (not something I would have done before) but even for the last mile when I was running at full tilt, I was well short of where I used to be.

Perhaps I'm still recovering from DCM or maybe this is where I should be, for now at least. Finished in 21:42, two minutes outside my PB but even though I was not out for a new PB, it made me appreciate all the more what it takes to run a sub-20 5k. When I do eventually achieve a new PB, it will mean so much more.

skyblue46

coogy wrote: »

Saturday 10th November - Griffen Parkrun
First Parkrun since June and was really looking forward to this. Met up with ReeReeG as she was passing through on her way out West and decided to drop by to give the Griffeen Parkrun a whirl.
My only bit of running since DCM was a couple of 2 mile runs the previous week and a 4 mile run earlier this week. I wasn't planning to go all out looking for a PB or anything, nor was I content with taking it too easy.
Started off handy enough but what struck me after not too long was the difference in my knowledge of pacing between now and before. All of my previous Parkruns, prior to the beginning of the DCM training, were run at a 'fast as you can' pace. Ultimately, this brought me mostly top 10 finishes and a couple of PB's along the way.

However, during yesterday's Parkrun - especially the last mile/mile and a half - I was slightly taken aback at how much off the pace I was with the leading pack. There was a pretty strong field out yesterday too. I was checking my pace at regular intervals (not something I would have done before) but even for the last mile when I was running at full tilt, I was well short of where I used to be.

Perhaps I'm still recovering from DCM or maybe this is where I should be, for now at least. Finished in 21:42, two minutes outside my PB but even though I was not out for a new PB, it made me appreciate all the more what it takes to run a sub-20 5k. When I do eventually achieve a new PB, it will mean so much more.

It's far too early to be thinking of 5k PBs K. You'd be amazed the difference that 2 more weeks of easy running will make. Raycun and AMK are two lads who contributed to the novices thread and ran sub 3 marathons....look at their logs for the past 2 weeks.

coogy

skyblue46 wrote: »

It's far too early to be thinking of 5k PBs K. You'd be amazed the difference that 2 more weeks of easy running will make. Raycun and AMK are two lads who contributed to the novices thread and ran sub 3 marathons....look at their logs for the past 2 weeks.

Thanks S, I think I may have been guilty of treating Parkruns as an excuse to go "all out".
Perhaps it's time to take things a bit more seriously.........

skyblue46

coogy wrote: »

Thanks S, I think I may have been guilty of treating Parkruns as an excuse to go "all out".
Perhaps it's time to take things a bit more seriously.........

That's only necessary if it's what you want. There is absolutely nothing wrong with running for fun, chasing PBs at Parkrun every weekend etc. I did that too. But if your choice is to take it "seriously" then give yourself the best chance.

coogy

skyblue46 wrote: »

But if your choice is to take it "seriously" then give yourself the best chance.

Nail on head. I have a full year now to prepare for DCM 2019 (even though I've yet to sign up!).
I just want to be in the best position possible when it eventually comes round again.......

skyblue46

coogy wrote: »

Nail on head. I have a full year now to prepare for DCM 2019 (even though I've yet to sign up!).
I just want to be in the best position possible when it eventually comes round again.......

Don't even think about DCM 19 yet. Any grads plans will have you in a great position next July. Enjoy the next 7/8 months.

coogy

Have been running sporadically ever since DCM, just every few days or so to keep things ticking over but not really an awful lot that's worthy of a log entry.

Most runs have been between 4-6 miles at an easy enough pace, save for one progression run last week and I feel like I am now ready to take on the next stage.

This week, I am hoping to commence the grads base phase plan which will see me into the new year. I will be using my time from this year's Irish Runner 10 mile to get my pacing from. I do have faster paced races behind me but I was concerned that the easy pace that is required during the grads base plan would not be 'easy' enough.

After that, I'll see what races I like the look of and then plan to tackle the 5-10k training plan.

So, that's pretty much it for now. Looking forward to the next challenge!!!

coogy

Grads Base Phase, Week 1

Tuesday 27th November - 45 mins easy run
Having worked out my pacing based on last September's half marathon time, the pace for this run was probably the slowest I've run for some time, if not to date. The first mile was a little up and down but I managed to get the hang of it after a while. Found myself having to really concentrate on my pace though as it's a pace that I'm going to have to get used to over the coming weeks.
Happy enough with how it panned out.


Thursday 29th November - 60 minute progression run (easy to MP)
This should have been the previous day's run but thanks to storm 'Diana', it never materialised.
This was the first time that I used the Garmin 'Workout' function on the running watch so I wasn't sure how this one would go. After a 5 mins warm up, I split the rest of the hour up into 10 minute intervals at the following paces:
10 mins @ 9:34 - 9:55, 10 mins @ 8:58 - 9:15, 10 mins @ 8:26 - 8:41, 10 mins @ 7:59 - 8:12 and then finished with 15 mins @ 7:34 - 7:46
Found that it took a few minutes to get the hang of the pacing display on the Garmin in the Workout function. You don't get as an immediate as reading as you would it you were just using 'Run' function but it was good practice getting used to running at a certain pace and trying to sustain it without having to look at your watch every ten seconds.
Really enjoyed pushing myself that little bit more each time and with a noticeable enough wind blowing around the Phoenix park, I found myself at times having to push that little harder.

Saturday 1st December - 40 mins easy, 10 x 100 meter strides
Woke up the previous day shivering and feeling rough as hell after a mostly sleepless Thursday night. Still went into work on Friday but lasted no more than an hour before having to head home. Been something doing the rounds so looks like I caught whatever it was.
Anyway, by Saturday, I had started to feel a little more back to normal so decided to play catch up the previous day's run. It was already dark by the time I left the house so didn't venture too far. Enjoyed the strides at the end too, leaving about 1 minute between each one.

Sunday 2nd December - 90 mins easy
A manic day from start to finish. Was marshalling at the Junior Parkrun this morning and the youngest was running it too. As he was about 300 metres from the finish line, he pulled up in tears complaining of stomach pains so he didn't get to finish and I took him straight home.
No sooner were we back home that I was badgered into putting up the Xmas decorations and decorating the tree we'd bought the day before. I knew this would be an all-day affair and that getting out for today's run would be touch and go.
Let's just say that the addition of a dog to our family earlier this year has changed we way we do pretty much everything. About four hours later, decorations were up but hold on, what's that you say? We need more decorations? Of course we do.
After all of that was done and by the time dinner and baths were out of the way, it was 9pm and I honestly didn't have it in me to do a 90 minute run. I may regret that tomorrow.

So all in all, a frustrating week of missed runs, illness, and general life stuff getting in the way. I'm now wondering whether to scratch this week off as a non-event and start from scratch or continue into Week 2 of the grads base phase regardless? Feels like time is not my friend right now with all sorts going on from one day to the next, leaving little or no time for running.
Also wondering should I just scrap the base plan until the new year but keep running every couple of days until then, just to keep up the fitness? Would really love to have the plan done by early January but I'll see how this coming week pans out before making a decision.

coogy

So...........a whopping 42 days after my previous entry and we're finally motoring again.


Decided in the end that it was for the best to cut the base plan short but kept things motoring along over the holidays with a few runs here and there.

Am now in Week 2 of the base plan, although I missed Saturday's 40 minute run with strides due to a multitude of reasons which I won't go into here.

What I did enjoy from Week 1 though was yesterday morning's early start (6.30am) for a 90 minute easy run. I had not gotten up that early since the final weeks of DCM training and I just knew it was something I had to start doing again, otherwise I'd end up having to somehow try to work around the usual weekend stuff. Really enjoyed that run.

So, from here on in, I think my log entries will be sporadic at best. I'm not very good at making my weekly running schedule sound interesting enough for people to want to read. That may change though as things start to pick up.

I am very excited about DCM 2019 and what the year has in store. The plan - apart from remaining injury free - is to enter plenty of races this year. Bohermeen half, Great Ireland Run and Ratoath half are already on my list. If anyone has any other recommendations, would love to hear them!!

OOnegative

None of our logs are interesting!! Keep logging your training regardless as it’s a great reference to look back on to see what worked for you & what didn’t.

Kellygirl

It’s not about being interesting to other people. It’s for you and others following the same or similar plans probably will be interested. Glad you are back at it.

Huzzah!

This thread is great for upcoming races:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057920155

coogy

Tuesday 15th January 2019

'Very easy' pace 45 minute run today. Really found it hard to get into a rhythm and maintaining what seemed like a painfully slow pace at times.

The Garmin was beeping almost every couple of minutes as I was running about 10-15 seconds outside of what I should have been doing and it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't find the right pace.

Still, I know this is all for a reason so I guess it'll just take some getting used to.

And so ends today's non-interesting log entry.........:D:D:D:D

coogy

Retrospective log entry:

I just realised that I didn't record my Parkun experience from the other week so I'm logging it now for reasons that will become clear as you read.....

Corkagh Parkrun - Saturday 5th January
I thought that it might be a nice way to start the new year by doing a Parkrun outside of my usual haunt so I drove over to Corkagh park, a place where I would have spent a lot of time in my younger days so I felt very much at home.
There was an impressive turnout and everyone was in good spirits, conditions were perfect too.
Had a quick chat with a few familiar faces during my warm up and decided then to go for it during this run.
I recalled the efforts it took last year when I had achieved my previous sub-20 5k times. It was at a time (pre-marathon training) when the only thing I knew to do was 'run very fast'. I had no Garmin (other brands are available) to check my pace or anything. Sure, it's one way to secure a sub-20 5k, but it's also a great way to pick up an injury and cross the finish line in a heap (which I often did).
A year later and with a marathon behind me, I clearly know that that is NOT the way to approach a 5k run. I wouldn't say I was desperate to try for a sub-20 5k every single time, I think it's more to do with me wanting to appreciate what it actually takes to run a 5k the right way. Since getting back into Parkruns after running DCM, I had decided to go full tilt in the hope that a sub-20 might come out of it but I was falling short by anything up to a minute. During the closing stages of those runs, I found it hard to believe that I had ever managed to push myself so hard that I achieved sub-20
I think this has a lot do do with my mindset when I do push myself hard. My head tells me that I don't have what it takes or that I'm not going to be able to maintain that pace for an entire 5km without me ever really knowing for sure. As a result, I end up taking my foot off the gas slightly and play it safe (ish).
For this Parkrun, I was really gunning for a sub-20 so I positioned myself up at the front and off we set.
I found myself in a group of about seven or eight runners, two of which broke off after about 5 minutes. I'd be leaving them to it and I was happy enough with my pace (about 6:35) for the time being, while managing to hold my pace while feeling comfortable enough. I eventually picked off two runners who had been slightly ahead of me for the first mile or so and they remained at my heels for a while but by the time we reached mile two, I was pretty much on my own.
I know what you're thinking, it's just a Parkrun, not a race and yes, you're right but I have a dangerously competitive nature that I sometimes find impossible to rein in. For the last mile/half mile, I was keeping an close eye on my pace and the time elapsed. As I wasn't familiar with the route, it was hard for me to get a sense of whether sub-20 was achievable but as I headed down the home straight and saw 20 minutes approaching, I knew it was out of reach. Still, I gave it my all until the finish line and came in at 20:52. Very happy with that.
I will continue to chase a sub-20 5k and keep reminding myself that's it's not impossible. Anyone who achieves this clearly has to run at a certain pace for a certain duration so that's the expectation. No reason why I can't meet those expectations again. But like I said, I'd rather do it by the book, if you like, so it'll happen when it happens (how's that for profound?) :cool:

coogy

Wednesday 16th January - 45 run moderate pace. 5.89m @8:29
Another busy day meant a delayed run and didn't leave the house till about 9:30pm. Ended up doing 50 mins 'cause I'm a bit crazy like that.

Thursday 17th January - 45 min very easy run. 4.66m @9:39
Very relaxed run around the city's docklands, nothing to see here.


Saturday 19th January - 45 mins easy pace, 5 mins @threshold pace. 5.08 mi @ 8.54
Up bright and early for this one. The early starts are becoming easier for me after a few weeks of rustiness and general lethargy. Dark when I left the house and not quite fully bright when I returned to three sleepy heads. :rolleyes:


Sunday 20th January - 90 minute easy run (cut short by 30 mins). 6.52mi @9.20
Another early start but not as early as I was hoping. My son, after deciding before Christmas that he didn't want to do his Junior Parkruns anymore, agreed to give it another go. I would have struggled to make it back on time had I done the 90 mins.
Annoyingly, the Parkrun never happened due to a 'sore foot'. Sore foot my foot.

coogy

Tuesday 22nd January - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.1m @9:50
Ran most of the way home from work for this one. Only mistake was opting to carry the bag on my back instead of leaving it at work. Was conscious of it for the whole run which was very off-putting. Won't be doing that again.

Thursday 24th January - 60 min p progression run. 6.83m @8:47
This was scheduled for the previous day but couldn't get out of work at lunchtime so was playing catch up. Knew I'd have another busy day in work so there was only one thing for it and that was to be up with the birds. Wasn't too cold but there was a steady drizzle outside which strangely added to what was a really enjoyable run. Eased up on the pace from last week's progression run and definitely felt the benefit.

Friday 26th January - 60 mins very easy pace. 6.08 mi @ 9.52
Not sure how I managed this. Work very busy again and 'snook' out to get this run done. Have to say, am struggling a lot with maintaining the 'very easy' pace and seem to be falling short by about 20/30 seconds. It's bothering me a lot so am determined to get the hang of it. I won't lie, it feels completely unnatural to me but I do get why it's in the plan.


Saturday 27th January - 50 mins mix (9 mins easy/1 min hard)
Got this one so very, very wrong.


Sunday 28th January - 1hr, 45 minute easy run 11.22mi @9.22
Up at 6am for this one. It was another case of "if you don't do it now, it's not going to happen".
Thankfully, Saturday evening's downpour didn't last the night but there was a sharp chill in the air when I stepped outside so made sure to wrap up. Found a solitary sachet of Tailwind the night before, that I'd bought pre-DCM that I never used so decided to give it a try and see what all the fuss was about.
I enjoy this pace and definitely find it easier to maintain than 'very easy'. Found myself on a favourite route of mine that I would have run quite a bit back in September/October and it was a nice feeling to revisit it while getting a chance get a reasonable amount of mileage in.
Didn't really start getting bright until about mile 8 which was a lovely sight, especially with clear skies around me.
Tailwind went down well too.

So, pretty tired after four consecutive days of running but feeling good overall.
Roll on week 4!

coogy

Base Plan, Week 4

Tuesday 29th January - 60 min run very easy pace. 6m @9:50
Found a new route for this city centre run. Ringsend Park, only a 15 minute easy run from my job so had a chance to do a few laps before heading back to work. Felt a little more comfortable with the easy pace since last week, even though it didn't differ wildly.
This run brought me past the 100 miles mark for the month.

Wednesday 30th January - 55 min moderate. 6.02 @9:15
A late night run in the very cold night air but noticed that the Garmin was acting up after the first couple of miles. Think it may have been something to do with it not been strapped to my wrist tightly enough. Anyway, late runs are fine but anything after 9:30pm is far from ideal.


Friday 1st February- 55 mins very easy pace. 5.46m @9:51
As with last week, Thursday's run went out the window so moved it to the Friday. Had back to back meetings after lunch so had to cut this one short by a couple of minutes. Found the slower pace a lot easier this week.


Saturday 2nd February - 50 mins easy pace, 5 mins @threshold. 6.23m @8:51
Frosty morning and some slippy patches here and there but still a lovely clear morning and thankfully no snow (I hate snow). Enjoyed the easy paced run (done mostly on grass) around the park and the 5 minute threshold pace was about 7.10/7.15.


Sunday 3rd February - 1hr, 45 minute easy run 11.49mi @9.20
Early start again for the Sunday run. Had the alarm set for 6am and as I switched off the alarm and got out of bed, I momentarily wondered why I had set the alarm. :rolleyes:
Paths again quite frosty but still run-able. Decided on a slight variation of the previous Sunday's route which I was glad of as it gave me a stunning view of the snow-capped Dublin mountains in the distance beneath a sky of purples, pinks and oranges.
I am really enjoying my running at the moment and am looking forward already to the 10k-Half marathon plan. I think Bohermeen is definitely on the cards, now I've found out they have ice-cream afterwards!!

coogy

Tuesday 5th February - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.34m @9:38
Back to Ringsend Park for a few laps where there were loads of lunchtime runners out in force. Plenty of nods of acknowledgement.
Happy birthday to me.

Wednesday 6th February - 70 mins progression run. 8.13m @8:38
I love these progression runs, find them a great test. Took a half day from work as it was my son's parent /teacher meeting so thankfully the mileage was bang on for the time /pace I was planning.
First mile was a little on the fast side as I was running into a stiff wind and pushed a little too hard as I ran into it.
About 4 miles in, out of nowhere, I thought to myself "you are running home from work, this is nuts". I know it's not nuts but it kind of is. I had to laugh.
Made it home in time to shower, stretch and eat before heading down to the school to hear another glowing report.


Friday 8th February - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.31m @9.32
Very windy day with wind swirling in all sorts of directions. Pace suffered a little as a result. Also, legs felt a little stiff after previous day's progression run.


Saturday 9th February - 50 min easy + 4x200m @ 5k effort (full recovery -2/3 min rec). 6.58m @9.07
Ran most of this on grass and decided on a pace of 6.30miles/min for the 200 metre reps. Took two minutes rest between reps.


Sunday 10th February - 2 hours easy. 13.12 m @9.17
Left the house at 6am which could have easily passed for the middle of the night if you had no idea of the time. I love the silence around me at this hour of the morning. It allows me to focus on my running a lot more easily than I would be able to if it were the middle of the day.
Decided not to check the watch for pace as much as I'm used to doing. Probably sneaked a peek perhaps once or twice per mile so I was chuffed that my pacing was relatively consistent throughout.
I was really glad of the additional mileage for this run and figured that my pace should bring me up to the 13 mile mark if I judged it right. As usual, thoughts of DCM 2019 entered my head. I know it's stupidly early to be even thinking about that but with the training that's to come, I couldn't help but wonder how it will all pan out this time around. Already, I know I will be in a much stronger position, once I stick to the plans.
Felt really comfortable throughout the entire run, no major problems really. 13.1 miles on the nose.

coogy

Tuesday 12th February - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.3m @9:46
I decided that by now, I should be accustomed enough to this very easy pace to not have to be glancing at the Garmin every 30 seconds. So for this run, I was determined to go completely by feel. I've been reading a few books lately on marathon training and an aspect of my running that I'm keen to change is my running form. I'm quite prone to over-stretching which, I'm led to believe, can use up valuable energy so I have been making a conscious decision to shorten my strides. This slow pace was not really the type of run to try this out though.
Anyway, my splits were almost identical: 9:50, 9:35, 9:50, 9:50, 9:50, 10:01. What this proves? I don't really know but it's very satisfying!!

Wednesday 13th February - 65 mins moderate pace. 8 miles @8.11
Very windy outside and once again found myself pushing against it, giving more effort than was needed. For some reason the Garmin was not displaying the proper pace on a particular stretch of Ringsend Park which, as well as being very annoying, kind of skewed the accuracy of the splits for miles 2-6.
Found this run hard going towards the end. Not sure how much of it was down to the conditions. I've not been getting anywhere near enough sleep lately which I know is a major factor and I certainly felt tiredness set in. Finished the run feeling like I've got a hell of a lot of work to do before Bohermeen in a month's time.

Thursday 14th February - Unplanned rest day


Friday 15th February - 60 mins very easy pace. 6.24m @ 9.47
How I felt during Wednesday's moderate pace run has been playing on my mind a lot so I need to just block it out, s**t happens, as they say.
Found out in work today that my working hours are being revised, and as a result, I will now no longer be able to avail of my lunchtime runs. Pretty devastated about that. Midweek early morning runs will be a lot more frequent from here on in.
Kids are off on their mid-term break so didn't have to worry about the usual pre-school shenanigans when I got back from this run.

Saturday 16th February - 50 min easy (last 5 min @ Tempo). 6.42m @8.35
My pacing for this run was more along the lines of easy/moderate than 'easy'. Had been on a rare night out the night before and there was a slight fuzz in the head as I set out which I couldn't really shake off. One of the many reasons I don't drink very often!
Ended up doing 55 mins including the tempo run. Pace for tempo run was around 7.20 miles/min

Sunday 17th February - 2 hour easy pace run. 13.29m @9.16
Almost identical pacing to last week's 2 hour run. Rained for the first hour and a half with a fair bit of wind swirling around too. Beautiful Spring blue skies had appeared by the time I'd finished. Really enjoyed this run.
So that's the Base plan done and dusted. I think, on the whole, it went ok, apart from a little wobble here and there. Now, on to the 10k/half marathon plan. I will be putting a lot more time into core work during this plan, which I did very little of during the training for DCM. Another area covered in the books I've been reading about lately is the importance of body strength. I think if I get into a habit of integrating regular core exercises into my training, I'll be in a much better position for what's ahead.

Onward ho!

coogy

Grads Plan - Week 1

Monday 18th February - Off

Tuesday 19th February - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.3m @9:46
I can now safely say that these early starts are 'my thing'. Time will tell once the kids go back to school after mid-term........

Wednesday 20th February - Warm up, 8 x 1 min hill sprints (2-3 min rec), cool down.
Had been reading up on these hill sprints a fair bit, just to get a sense of the effort I should be putting in. I think I'd only done one set of hill sprints before this and that was in the early stages of the training for DCM last year. On the way from some late night grocery shopping the night before, I tested a few inclines that were close enough to me and settled on one I was happy with. Made the mistake of relaying this information to my wife. Words can not describe the look she gave me. I think she's officially given up on me........
Anyway..............
Didn't fancy doing these late at night after a day's work so got up early and started off with a 1 mile warm up. The first rep was pretty much bang on 1 minute and was very briefly glancing at the pace on my watch at various stages. For the first two reps the pacing was between 6:40-7:40 so for the rest of the sprints, I decided to go totally by feel based on the first two reps. Just after I started, another runner appeared, doing exactly the same as me on the opposite side of the road.
By the 8th rep I certainly felt it in the legs but knew I'd given it just the right amount.
Finished off with a 1 mile cool down.

Thursday 21st February - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.27m @9:47
See Tuesday's run.

Friday 22nd February - 15 mins core exercise
Kept this simple, starting off with some of the very basics. Planning on incorporating this into my training twice a week to start with and see how it goes.


Saturday 23rd February - Warm up, 25 mins tempo run, cool down. Tempo run 3.19m @ 7.14
Was looking forward to this for the whole week and it didn't disappoint. Felt comfortable and was very happy with my pacing throughout. I reckon it won't be a million miles away from what I'll be doing for Bohermeen (if I want a PB out of it). Most of this was done on grass and ran alongside a couple of hundred Parkrunners for the cool down.


Sunday 24th February - 1 hour 45 mins easy pace run. 11.54m @9.12
Already see the brighter mornings coming in. By 7am, it was daylight when only two weeks ago, it would have been still pitch black. Mad altogether.
The first few miles of this run felt more like a progression run as the legs were a little bit heavy after setting off. Gradually settled into my stride after that.
Another aborted Junior Park Run this morning. 'Sore shoulder' was this morning's excuse reason. He was so keen at the beginning but after he got his half marathon wrist-band it all went south. Not going to push it though but would hate to see him just pack it in.


36.5 miles for the week.
250 miles for the year

coogy

Grads plan - Week 2

Monday 25th February - Off
15 mins core strengthening exercises


Tuesday 26th February - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.27m @9:49
Run-of-the-mill easy run before work.

Wednesday 27th February - Warm up, 6 x 3 @CV (6:50-7:05) w/3 mins rec. cool down. 6.75 m @9.35
Lots going on today so had to wait till late evening to do this one which is something I always try to avoid but sometimes it can't be avoided.
Started off with a couple of miles warm up before doing the 3 minute spurts. Did this run on a nice long stretch of road where I wouldn't have to worry about crossing roads, waiting for traffic lights etc. As usual, it took a couple of attempts to get the pacing right from start to finish. The first one or two started off a little bit too fast, nothing excessive though. and by the third one, I felt I had gotten the hang of it.

Thursday 28th February - 60 min run very easy pace.
Too much life stuff getting in the way. Moved run to following day.
Did 20 minutes of core exercises. Again, nothing too strenuous but making sure that this becomes a regular thing in my weekly routine.

Friday 1st March - 60 min run very easy pace. 6.28m @9:45
Back to early starts, happy enough with this one. Nothing major to report.

Saturday 2nd March - 5 x 5 mins @threshold (7:10 - 7:25) w/2mins rec, cooldown. 7.37m @8.35
Another few miles warm up either side of this one. Really enjoying these sessions. While I'm doing them and especially afterwards, I can really feel the benefits. They're great because even though I feel like I need to give a little bit more, I'm still running within my limits.

Sunday 3rd March - 1 hour 45 mins hour easy pace run. 11.52m @9.10
Last long run before Bohermeen half next weekend, which I plan to race and hopefully leave with a new PB. Feeling a little bit nervous, as I mostly do when it comes to these events but I know that on the day, all pre-race nerves will have disappeared. I imagine some tapering will be required in the coming few days.........
Another 15-20 mins of core work planned before the day is out.


Miles for the week - 38
Miles for year to date - 289

coogy

Grads plan - Week 3


Monday 4th March
60 min easy run (stopped after 4 mins) - 5.08m @9:35
Runmute which became a sprintmute after 45 minutes when I remembered that my wife was waiting for me to get home so she could be released from the confines of the house go to her spin class.


Tuesday 5th March - Hill session (8 x 1 min sprints w/2 mins rec), warm up & cool down
Picked the same location for this session as the previous hills from the week before. The first half was done in an early morning downpour which I can only describe as invigorating.
Felt I gave equal effort and was fairly out of breath at the end of each rep.


Wednesday 6th March - 60 mins easy - 6.3m @ 9:40
Another Wednesday evening late run but didn't mind too much as it was relatively mild.


Thursday 7th March - REST
20 mins core exercises


Friday 8th March - 30 mins tempo (incl. w/u & c/d) - 4.04m @ 7.28
It felt like this session came at just the right time with Bohermeen coming up in a couple of days.
Happy enough with the pace, probably a little on the fast side by about 10 secs or so but what a great way to start the day.


Saturday 9th March - Planned 30 minute easy run replaced with 20 minute core exercises
Daughter off form with 24 hour bug so no chance of getting out today. Glad to be keeping to the routine of doing regular strengthening exercises.


Sunday 10th March - Bohermeen Half Marathon - 13.1 miles @ 7:20
Had been keeping a close eye on the ol' weather reports in the days leading up to this. Read mixed forecasts, none of them particularly positive. Still, always up for a challenge!!
Made it out to Bohermeen with only about 15 mins to spare and no sooner had I parked up in the field, it decides to snow. Didn't mind as it was sort of expected but by the time I'd done the light jog down to the start line, the skies had turned to blue with just a little cloud cover overhead. Was a little penned in at the start line and it took about half a kilometre for the crowds to disperse but it didn't affect the pacing too much. The 1:40 pacers were just a little ahead of me in the distance so I decided to bide my time and just take things nice and handy. I was still determined to finish today with a PB so I thought it might not be wise to have them ahead of me for too long.
Just after mile 1, I get a tap on the shoulder and it was none other than Skyblue. We had a nice chat for about a mile or so and it was around then that I started worrying about sustaining this pace of around 7:15 for the rest of the race. Was also conscious that I was holding him back so I told him to keep motoring at his own pace and I took the foot off the gas ever so slightly.
The route certainly had its challenges, mainly in the form of stiff headwinds and the odd lag here and there (mile 11 was my slowest mile, a point in the race that I thought I'd started to run out of steam) but I knew that I just had to keep up this pace and stay focused and if I managed to do that, I'd be going home happy.
I had a couple of runners in my sights for pretty much the entire race (both from Trim Athletic) and I was using them as a guide of sorts along the way. I was making ground on them ever so gradually from about the 10 mile stage and at the beginning of mile 12, I found another gear and upped the pace again, making more ground on them. I was picking off a handful of runners by now which helped me mentally no end and unbelievably, mile 13 was my quickest mile. As I approached the running track, I had a close eye on my time and just before I turned off the main road onto the track itself, the time was around 1:35:50 or so, I was hell bent on getting under the 1:37. As soon as I hit the track, I ran like absolute hell as if I was possessed, passing out one the Trim runners before the finish line. Came in at 1:36:21. Let out a massive "YES!!!" as I saw the time. Thrilled to bits. Met Sky-blue again who finished a couple of minutes ahead of me after running a solid race.
Splits were: 7:17, 7:16, 7:13, 7:21, 7:20. 7:27, 7:21, 7:23, 7:20, 7:25, 7:39. 7:20, 7:11.

Had to make hasty exit afterwards so missed out on the opportunity to meet up with Baby75, Sheep 1978 and Dealerz2.0.

Happy to say that my pacing was pretty consistent throughout and I rarely let it fall below 7:35/7:40 at any stage of the race, whenever it did I was able to claw it back and find more in the tank. Not sure what it was that got me through it. Sheer determination I suspect and a sense of belief in my own running ability that I rarely experience. Just one of those good days I suppose.


On to Week 4!!!



Miles for the week - 36.75
Miles for year to date - 325

ReeReeG

Sounds like it was a great experience and well raced ! Congrats again

coogy

ReeReeG wrote: »

Sounds like it was a great experience and well raced ! Congrats again

Definitely was V, always learning! Would consider doing this event next year too.