Dream big, work hard, achieve your goals - My DCM '19 Journey

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119486358#Comment_119486358

😁😉

ariana`

Good luck in FD. You've come a long way 😄

Swashbuckler

Enjoy the race. Sometimes those meh races end up working out pretty good 😉

Also an emotional week so your energy has been elsewhere. Enjoy the blow out.

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119487834#Comment_119487834

Thanks a mill E, god I really have, when I think how clueless I was then👀 although some might say I still am🤣🤣

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119488114#Comment_119488114

Here's hoping P😉

Yeah it has been tough but ye just get on with it, don't ye!

I hope all is good with you🤗

Kellygirl

Best of luck in the race E. You’ll annihilate that PB anyway.

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119491644#Comment_119491644

Only seeing this now, cheers race report to follow😊

Laineyfrecks

Weds 17th - W/u, 4*1k, C/d

WFH so got this done on my lunch break. Felt good after😊

Thurs 18th - W/u, 5&400,5*200,5* hills, C/d

After work for this, felt a little sluggish but nothing major.

Fri 19th - Rest day

After another assessment for my son as a treat we headed into Kilmainham Goal, somewhere he has been asking to go for a while. We got the Luas in so a decent amount of walking for us both. He loved the tour & the story about Joseph Plunkett & his marriage to Grace Gifford. Grace was sang by a very close friend at my da's funeral so it means a lot to us all but him in particular. We really had a lovely day💛

Sat 20th - Frank Duffy 10mile - Chip time 1:12:43

My OH dropped me into the park which was great as I didn't fancy getting the Luas. I had arranged to meet S & D at the bag drop for about 8:25am. Got myself changed & into my super shoes then handed my bag in. A quick chat then we set off for our warm up. Jaysus I felt like I was with a celebrity, everyone knew D, a very popular man indeed😉 Once the warm up was done S headed off with the intention of maybe joining the race for a couple of miles as part of his training run. Myself & D chatted & made our way up to a decent spot in the crowd. I was feeling nervous, this was only my 2nd ever 10 mile & for some reason the distance scares me a bit, no idea why at all, this & knowing the course was tough enough & the winds had me feeling a bit more nervous than usual.

The start wasn't too bad, managed to get into a rhythm quite early on, looked at my watch before we turned onto the Ordnance Survey rd & tried to slow down a little. I knew these 1st couple of miles were fast enough so didn't want to burn myself out too early. S ran along on the grass for a bit here then joined myself & D. We ran together for another bit, I was feeling ok, not working too hard which is how it should be. Came to the Upper Glenn Road & well that climb was ok but did feel it in my legs & breathing. Continued on & controlled my breathing & pace again. We all stayed close enough together, sometimes passing each other out but always catching up. It was nice to be running with people I knew, actually at one stage I felt like Kipchoge with D on one side of me & S on the other, felt like my own little entourage😉

Another tough part was coming up & I could visualise it before I even got to it as I always hated going up it in my own training - the little hill up Wellington Rd. Thankfully it actually didn't feel as bad as I imagined in my head but again I did feel it in my legs. The wind so far was very noticeable for most of the way but nothing like when we turned onto Chesterfield Avenue, Jaysus it really felt strong! S did his best to block some of the wind but I could feel I was struggling a little. Then I started to feel a stitch, enough to make me think maybe I should just stop. The path was quite narrow so it was hard to try pass people. Just before we turned down the path towards the Acres Road S dropped out as that was as much as he had planned doing, I honestly felt like stopping too. The stitch had subsided but it was really feeling tough now, I honestly didn't think I could run another 5 miles! D had gone ahead of me & looked quite comfortable, just then I passed by C & he shouted some encouragement(just at the perfect time) & he handed me a small bottle of water, god I needed it! I drank some & decided to put he head down & stop thinking I couldn't do it. Cop on I told myself, it's supposed to be hard it's a bloody race! I latched onto a couple of lads around the Acres so shield from the wind which was a small help. Once I got to mile 7 I felt I could dig a little deeper, only 3 miles to go Elaine, you can finish! As I turned back onto Chesterfield Avenue it just reminded me of Jingles Bells & a part I always hated, but today it wasn't too bad thank god! I picked up a bit here & was happy to see a water station ahead! The next mile felt a lot better than I had been feeling earlier on, the sun was shining here & it really felt warm but I knew I didn't have to long to go. I could still see D ahead of me but I just knew the gap was too much for me to catch. Turning onto the Furze road was pure bliss. I started to pick up the pace, a little too late maybe but I was happy to pass some people on the way to the finish line. I meet up with D who had finished before me & we got our goody bags & bananas! Just then @MisterJinx came over & introduced himself after running a really great race himself! Really nice to meet him.

It was a well run event & I am glad I did it despite all my worrying!

My easy/rec run today had me reflecting a lot. Initially I wasn't thrilled with my result, I was happy but thought I could have done better. But the more I though of it today & after discussing with S I think it is a good result of a fair & honest course. I ran a hard race pushing myself, maybe if I had of eased off a bit more for the 1st few miles then I might have handled the harder parts better but who knows, that's the risks you take in a race & it's all a learning game! As S rightly pointed out nobody has an unbroken string of perfect races or training days, as runners we have so many ups & downs. This race is in the middle of a marathon block & it's not my goal race so yes I will take the positives from it & know that it will stand to me for my training for DCM. Running easy today on a beautiful sunny morning listening to good tunes made me smile & really realise how much I love running, I love almost everything about it, the training, the races, the preparation, the smiles, the meeting new people, the perfect races/days, the not so perfect races days - it all makes me feel so good, running got me through one of the hardest times of my life & still is thank god!

When the official results came through it was nice to see the stats!

36th out of 926 F

9th out of 217 F40

4th Dublin F40

A big huge thanks to @skyblue46 my ever suffering mentor & @Murph_D for all their encouragement & their company.

Murph_D

Glad you feel better about the race today - it only felt disappointing at the time because your standards are so high. Congrats on a great result.

Kellygirl

Great race report E. Very well done again. Sounds to me like you ran it very well and didn’t listen to your head telling you to stop! That’s the biggest battle!

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119503299#Comment_119503299

Thanks a mill, yes I agree it really is a huge battle we have with ourselves! I'm sure I'll be the same in my next race😅

ariana`

Congratulations on the PB! Delighted to read you feel happier with that and can take the positives on reflection. Sometimes we need to reflect on the performance as a part of a bigger picture. It was very solid and sets you up nicely for the build to the "main thing".

Swashbuckler

Great stuff E. 10 milere are no joke. You're running at threshold for the bones of 70 odd minutes. Think about if S told you go do 70mins threshold in training and you'd know all about it. Great run.

AuldManKing

You ran a great race at the correct effort by the sounds of things.

10 milers are difficult to judge, 10 milers with hills and Wind are tougher to judge!

36th out of 926 F / 9th out of 217 F40 / 4th Dublin F40 = a superb result!!

Mr. Guappa

Those stats are mightily impressive E. 10 miles is possibly my favourite distance, but I can understand the nervousness given that it was only your second ever outing at the distance - hard to know what to expect without much of a reference point. You should definitely consider Trim or another of the 10 milers next year. Anyway, in the middle of a marathon block that is a tremendous performance, well done!

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119504271#Comment_119504271

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119504454#Comment_119504454

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119504778#Comment_119504778

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119505837#Comment_119505837

Thanks a mill E, keeping focus of the main thing is indeed the priority.

Cheers P, yes that would be tough indeed!

Cheers A, yeah it was defo a tough one to judge!

D said the very same thing that it was his fav distance too! I had Trim booked this year but Covid & my injury put a stop to that, will defo look into it next year. Yeah the stats do read nicely, thanks a mill A😊

Wubble Wubble

Great run E, especially when not used to 10 mile racing ! That PB won't last too long either.

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119506936#Comment_119506936

Thanks a mill J 😊

Sunny Dayz

Well done. A great race report. Good going when the head started to take over in the middle of the race, it can be difficult to get the mindset back and you did a great job of it!

Dubh Geannain

Congrats on the PB. Enjoyed reading the report too. Great stuff!

Laineyfrecks

Sun Aug 21st - Easy/Rec miles - 6.43miles 9:46min miles

Really enjoyed this run, good tunes & my own meandering thoughts going around in my head. Felt really good about all things running really😊

Mon 22nd - Easy miles - 5.05miles 9:20min miles

Tues 23rd - W/u, EIM 12*400, C/d

Quite enjoyed this too, turned out to be a beautiful evening

Weds 24th - W/u, 25mins@7:15, 2min jog, 20mins@7:05, C/d

Wasn't really too sure how to feel about this one. Warmed up then tried to get into a rhythm for the 1st 25mins, tried to build up to the pace a bit slower than I usually do, felt a bit tough at times but managed to talk myself around, was very happy to see the 2 min rec, was kinda doubting myself now for the 20mins but surprisingly once I got into this I actually found it a bit easier, I had found a new tarmac loop in the park across from the one I usually use, shorter but a lot smoother so this is what I used. Happy to have managed it quite well.

Thurs 25th - W/u, 5*400,5*200,5*Hills, C/d

Went out for this after work, nothing much to report!

Fri 26th - W/u, EIM 4*1K, C/d

Got out early for this as I was booked in to get my hair done & really didn't fancy doing it afterwards...full fringe back now for Autumn/Winter😁

Sat 27th - Easy miles - 4.28miles 9:28min miles

Again got out early enough for this as I we were heading to see Liam Gallagher in Kilmainham. Really enjoyed the gig & stuck to only drinking a few pints as I knew I had my long run the next morning(so dedicated😉🤣)

Sun 28th - 3hr long run - 20.78miles 8:44min miles

As this was my longest run to date in this block I really wanted to change it up a bit. I wanted to run from My house out to PP & back again, even though it's not a huge jump in miles from my last long run somehow in my head to see that mapped out on strava, that I actually ran to the PP to me felt like great motivation. I roughly mapped out a route & off I went. I had my DCM19 playlist on & my belt with my water, 2 gels & jelly bar that I have been using from decathlon. It so mad the way the mind works, as I said it's not much further than i have been doing but because it was all the way out to the PP I decided I should bring my leap card, just in case🤷 I have never brought my leap card out running before, weird! Once I passed Kilnamanagh I was on a route I had never run before in my training. Passing through all the places I knew & some I didn't know so well felt absolutely amazing. I passed by Kilmainham, where we had been the night before & just thought this feels unreal. Got to the PP & there was a bike race on, some roads closed etc, park was quite busy. Headed back towards Palmerstown, then through Clondalkin down the canal & back onto familiar territory of the Grange Castle Road. Paces felt so comfortable the whole time, took a jelly bar I had at mile 5, a sis beta fuel gel 40g strawberry & lime at mile 10 & found this worked really well, then I bought a bottle of lucozade because I was really craving it! This all seemed to work really well for me so will be using these gels & bars going forward. Everyone in my house thought I was absolutely crazy when I told them the route I was doing & actually I think they thought I wouldn't. I was so pleased with myself for the rest of the day, felt just as good if not better than a race😊

Mon 29th - Rest

Tues 30th - W/u, EIM 7*1K, C/d

Had been asked to speak at a conference for Jigsaw mental health in Croke park in front of almost 200 people! They wanted real people who had used the service to speak & asked me to speak from a parent's perspective. Was extremely nervous & not sure how I managed it but I felt amazing once I finished speaking, it was very emotional but hopefully if it helps them improve on their services(which are already one of the few services that work in a very broken system) to help more children & young adults then job done. Was very flattered to be asked.

Got out for the run & felt a bit drained, really glad to clear the head a bit & slept like a baby.

Weds 31st - W/u, 3*12mins@threshold, 4mins rec, C/d

WFH today so was really happy to get out at lunchtime, the sun was shining & it was very warm. Wasn't too sure again how this was going to go, but again happy to settle into the 1st 12mins feeling good, 2nd 12 mins was mostly into the wind which felt quite strong, let the effort match it & let the paces ease off a bit but once i turned I had the wind behind me so up the paces again. Finished my 4 min rec & set off on the 3rd 12mins & my ankle rolled on a broken shore, what I fright I got, luckily nothing bad, I rolled it around a bit & started off again around the tarmac loop I found. This felt really good, very comfortable, happy this went so well after my self doubt!

Over halfway there now to DCM22 & feeling really happy with my training & also really enjoying it. I feel stronger both physically & mentally as the weeks go by so hopeful the rest of the training feels just as good😉

Kellygirl

Well done doing that talk in Croke Park. That’s not easy.

Great job on the long run too. I love that feeling of running so far or a distance or to a place people would normally drive. For me, it’s running into town (Cork) and back.

Swashbuckler

That is a hell of a week and a half's training. Super stuff.

Murph_D

Great training, great public speaking. Woman who has it all. 😉

You seem to take those tough sessions in your stride - do you find yourself getting into the zone and just cruising through or is there more struggle than you suggest? (Both are good).

py

Great job on the public speaking E, especially on such an emotive topic. The family will have been very proud of you.

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119550547#Comment_119550547

Thanks so much, it was quite scary with all those people as I would be quite shy, but so glad i did it 😊

Aw I was buzzing after my long run, feeling was amazing & as you say it's somewhere I would only ever think I could drive too!

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119551497#Comment_119551497

Thanks a mill P, ticking along nicely 😊

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119551725#Comment_119551725

Haha thanks D, defo don't have it all🤣

I'll try explain , so they don't feel easy by any means but they also don't feel so hard that I give up or completely slow down like I may have done in the past in a session that felt too hard. I have come to realise that I usually find the first bits both mentally & physically a bit more challenging, so for example I might feel in the first few mins etc, hmm this is tough enough, will I be able to continue & maintain this? Then I usually have a chat with myself & say ok just run like this till the corner or to the next lamppost, then I readjust & usually by this stage I am in the zone both mentally & physically so I do kinda cruise along. Once I can get into that zone the next reps don't feel as bad & then a lot of the time I start feeling stronger in my last rep, whatever that may be. Now don't get me wrong, I love knowing this is over now & always question when I've done at a certain pace if I could indeed maintain that in a race but I do believe we all do that!

I hope that kinda explains it, I do know I can be clear as mud sometimes 🤣

Swashbuckler

I took a sneak peak at your weekly mileage trend on strava yesterday. Pretty damn impressive. Like you said, ticking along nicely. Keep it going.

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119552127#Comment_119552127

Thanks a mill M, as nervous as I was I knew this was my chance to have a bit of a say. My daughter spoke too & she was amazing, so articulate for her age, I was beyond proud of her. I have decided I'm going to run my marathon for Jigsaw & AsIAm who are Ireland's national Autism charity.