Last of the Summer Wine

Murph_D

Well Maurten claims it is not necessary to take water with their gels. I normally would have a sip just to help it down and get the taste out of my mouth. I'd meant to bring a small soft flask with me but forgot! That said, I've taken those gels before without water so I wasn't worried about it. I don't think it will be an issue - just have to practice taking them a bit more as I only ever use gels in marathons or longer.

Totally right about company (and M).

Murph_D

Project Berlin - Week 10/13

Into the final four weeks of the programme. Part of the challenge now will be to maintain a healthy weight, as I have a tendency to lose a few pounds more than necessary in the final build-up. There'll be a few more high-calorie shakes and post-run pancakes in my immediate future. Everything else is holding up quite well for now. 

Mon 28 Aug

41 mins easy with strides (10 x 20 secs). I’ve been better about not forgetting the strides this year, although technically I suppose I should have done these yesterday as last week’s LR was a day early.

Tue 29 Aug

12 miles progressive (3x4M @ 8:10, 7:40, 7:20).

Yikes - four miles feels like a long set, and there’s no respite before the next one. I left the supershoes at home as I believe it’s important not to rely on them for all the tough runs. Brooks Ghost clodhoppers instead. I have to say the first four felt harder than they should have, especially with M for company again, which usually means the miles tick by almost unnoticed. I was working quite hard during the middle four, even though not quite at marathon pace. The final four were into the wind, with the last two absolutely head on and the breeze was definitely a factor today.

Approx splits per 4-mile (target)

32:38 (32:40)

30:37 (30:40)

30:28 (29:20)

As the numbers suggest, I really struggled, physically and psychologically, during those final two miles into the gale, but effort levels were high and done is better than perfect, as someone once said wisely.

A bit disorganised today - watch not fully charged, pressing too many buttons and messing up the workout. M was a huge help - I would probably have jogged in the last mile or two if he wasn’t there to keep me honest.

• This week: 31 kms (19 mi)
• This month: 379 (235)
• This year: 2,512 (1,561)

Murph_D

Week 10 cont.

Wed 30 Aug

Rest. 

2 nights of good sleep under the belt. But took the day off after DD checked in and told me to be kind to myself. Didn't need a second invitation.

Thu 31 Aug

61 mins easy/recovery. Checked out the greenway developments in Dublin Port. Progress is being definitely made, but I was asked to leave the ‘active building site’ by a polite and friendly foreman, who mentioned that they will have to dig up a good bit of the tarmac that’s already been laid. Wouldn’t say why!

August total: 389 kms (242 miles). A quick scan suggests that's the third highest mileage month ever - body holding up well under the circumstances.

Fri 1 Sep

36 muggy mins around Marino. Very short run by the standards of late but there will be no shortage of time on feet this week, and dinner was calling.

Sat 2 Sep

60 mins easy with 10x20 sec strides

Out to St. Anne’s to run the seafront before coffee date with DD and C. A stunning autumnal morning. Through the park, out the causeway and along the coastal path, where I did the strides. These felt nice and smooth. Bumped into C finishing his own run, so company for the last few kms. Enjoyed the coffee before the parkrun crowd. I’ve been avoiding parkrun for a while, but plenty of time to get back to the 250 quest!

Sun 3 Sep

20 miles easy. Reached out for some company for this longest run of the schedule. C and E were happy to join at the Phoenix Park for 10 miles, so we set off from the visitor centre at a clip that had to be pared back after a glance at the watch. Nice tour of the Liffey side of the Park then a detour through Memorial Park and the Liffey path to Chapelizod before heading through the Glen and across to the Visitor Centre again where we parted ways. I headed down Chesterfield and back up the North Road before looping around through Castleknock and Knockmaroon and Chapelizod and back into the Park for the last 5 kms. Finished up the 20 in just under three hours. Happy with how I felt - it had started to get tiring on the drag up through Castleknock in mile 14 but there was no trouble keeping the perceived effort levels fairly even throughout, with a little pickup in the final couple of kilometres. Stomach played ball (mostly) with the three gels I stuffed in. Had the soft flask this time and took a sip of water each time. Very brief bit of queasiness right after I stopped running - the last gel was cafeinnated and I’ve always struggled with those. Anyway, queasiness after the race is something I can live with. Will continue practicing with the gels over the coming weeks - might have to buy another box. Excellent run today and really enjoyed the company.

Three weeks to go.

• This week: 90 kms (56 mi) 498 mins
• This month: 49 (30)
• This year: 2,571 (1,598)

py

Your prep for Berlin is going really well. it is going to be another great race day (and report) for you out there. With regards to the gels, I would get the caffeine gel in earlier on your long runs. It'll take the caffeine a little while to hit and thus probably didn kick in until you were finished.

Laineyfrecks

Great run & chats yesterday D, always very welcomed on a long run. You are training very well & I have no doubt Berlin will be a great experience for you! Embrace the next few weeks, almost there😉

Murph_D

Project Berlin - Week 11/13

With only a few weeks left, the main thing now is to just avoid any disasters in the run-in. The week began with me confined to the couch and the bed all day Monday feeling pukey. One of the boys had a similar thing a few days previously so I’m assuming it’s a typical back-to-school bug, and maybe best to get it out of the way now. It did have an impact this week though.

Mon 4 Sep

No running (see above). Had woken in middle of the night feeling very queasy. Duvet day. At least this was an opportunity to catch up on some sleep. 

Tue 5 Sep

48 mins easy with 6 x 20s strides.

Feeling much better today but appetite (and gut) still a bit off. Headed across to Howth Road and ducked into Mount Temple for a few laps. Strides around the pitches. I can’t say I felt great in the muggy late afternoon heat. 

Wed 6 Sep

Plan: 4 x 5k @ 4:35/4:40 alternating (1k rec)

Actual: 2x5k @ 4:35/4:40 (1 km rec) 

I had to be over in Sandycove for an afternoon appointment and decided to run home. Before I left I’d told myself it’s probably a good idea to postpone the session to early morning tomorrow when it might be a little cooler. But as I warmed up, heading up ‘The Metals’ towards Dalkey Quarry, I thought I might take a stab at the it, as I’d programmed the watch anyway. 🙄 Not wise. Enjoyed tipping around the quarry, a place I’ve never been to before, watching the rock climbers. It was certainly toasty, 25 degrees according to the Garmin data I’m reviewing while writing this. First 5k set back down The Metals through Dun Laoghaire to Seapoint, targeting 4:35/k pace. Shaded at first, and felt OK, but soon exposed on the coast where it was very warm. On target but working too hard. Happy to hit the recovery period, envious of the late afternoon swimmers that were thronging the Seapoint bathing area (and every other nook and cranny around the coast, actually). The second set, at around MP, should have felt a bit easier but by now I was overheating and feeling drained - delighted actually that the gates were down across the DART line at Merrion Gates and taking an 'enforced' breather. Finished out the second set near Sean Moore Park. All kinds of permutations going through my head about how I might adjust the last section to get some more out of it. Recovery, then found myself unable to get past steady pace for the third set, so canned it after about a mile. Jogged rest of way home through East Wall feeling a bit deflated. But the part I did get done was done fairly well so I won’t sweat it, and I noticed plenty of other people struggled mightily with their midweek sessions this week. 

Found myself in the middle of a gathering of Little Irelanders around the East Wall Road refugee centre and couldn’t help getting into a ‘discussion’ with some pretty strange people. At least that briefly took my mind off the session disaster. 20 kms total.  

Thu 7 Sep

46 mins recovery on the seafront. 

Fri 8 Sep

46 mins easy around Drumcondra. Is the weather starting to break? It felt a bit fresher this evening. Enjoyed this. The north city suburbs looked magnificent. You come across a lot of stuff on social media (and Boards) about Dublin being a sh1thole, which is so obviously not the case that it’s hardly worth mentioning, but sometimes it hits you in face how great a place it is to live. Feck the detractors. 💙

Sat 9 Sep

60 mins easy at St. Anne’s and the coast. Lovely morning, plenty of lads and lasses out. Lots of hydration vests, this year’s thing. A wave from the Claw for the first time in a while. Coffee and pancakes and chats.

Sun 10 Sep

15 miles LR (progressive)

Got out at 7:30am but could have been earlier - it was cool but warming rapidly. 5 easy out the coast. 5 steady looping back around through Sutton. Took a gel at start of this, and it was trying to come back up within 15 mins. Slightly worrying as this is not the first time, or the second time. More practice needed, and no more gels on empty stomach. Coach had given option to reduce the target pace for the third 5 mile set so I kept it at marathon pace, which was tasty enough this morning. Glad to be done with this one.

So a ropey enough week by my standards. Not counting any chickens, but not beating myself up either. Coach has been taking plenty of interest and checked in after the LR with some thoughts, positive and pragmatic as ever.

• This week: 79 kms (49 mi) 432 mins
• This month: 128 (79)
• This year: 2,649 (1,647)

Two weeks to go.

Annie get your Run

A stomach bug and unseasonal heat and humidity do not a good training week make - for anyone! Glad you took your own advice and peared back. I'd say those hydration vests came in handy for their users this week. Sonia even mentioned their proliferation on the pod this week, even worrying the trend might eventually get to her 😀.

Laineyfrecks

I would take absolutely nothing negative from this week! You had a bug & the weather has been so hot & muggy, to which you would have advised anyone else to pair back sessions if needed so please be kind to yourself too🤗

You've got this💪😉

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121092616#Comment_121092616

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121092801#Comment_121092801

Thanks both. I was more worried about the gel rejection than any paring back of sessions. While I kind of sailed through these sessions last year, the gels were a slight problem then also, but definitely worse this year. Need to keep working on this for sure.

Murph_D

Project Berlin - Week 12/13

Nearly there. Of course everyone in the house is coming down with stomach bugs etc. Hopefully my bout last week will be the last. Fingers starting to twitch around long range weather sites. In other news, I will be moving jobs in a couple of weeks, and moving house shortly after that. Just to add to all the drama. It's all happening!

Mon 11 Sep

45 mins easy on the seafront with 10 x 20 secs strides. All the Berlin credentials have arrived - things are certainly shaping up.

Tue 12 Sep

Rest.

Wed 13 Sep

3 mi @ 8, 2 @ 7:40, 2 @ 7:25 + W/C

Yes I know, but the schedule is in miles. At this stage I don’t even need to look up the km equivalents (4:58, 4:46, 4:37). Did this in the wind and rain on the seafront, hitting the paces handily enough. Slightly clunky in that taper-typical way, but all good. More gel practice. No problems. This run felt good despite, or maybe because of, the conditions. 18 kms total. 

• This week: 26 kms (16 mi)
• This month: 153 (95)
• This year: 2,675 (1,662)

Annie get your Run

Best of luck with the new job and the house move ☘️.

Murph_D

Week 12 cont.

Thu 14 Sep

33 mins recovery, Fairview Park. 

Fri 15 Sep

45 mins easy, 6 x 20s strides. ‘Steady’ strides, not fast ones. Felt good. 

Sat 16 Sep

Up early and considering which parkrun to head to then checked the schedule and realised it was another rest day. Stuck to the plan.

Sun 17 Sep

11 miles with 2 x 3m tempo.

Joined @Laineyfrecks at the beginning of her long run in the Phoenix Park for an all too brief warmup. First of the 3-mile tempo legs through the Glen and down past the S Bends. Took a caffeinated Maurten gel at the beginning, with a swig from the soft flask. No negative reaction this time, apart from really disliking the taste at this stage. I am definitely finding them more sickly sweet this year, despite using them now for several marathon blocks. Lots of runners out in the cool drizzle, plenty of smiles and waves. A mile recovery then the second tempo 3 up the North Road, getting a passing low five from @scotindublin, out with his crew. Tempo today was 7:25 pace. I enjoyed this, although I had to concentrate not to fall off the pace at times, even though it felt easily manageable. Took a second gel (regular) during the cooldown, just to keep trying to get my stomach accustomed as much as possible. Finished at the Visitor Centre then realised I was a mile short of the schedule so out for another quick loop around the adjacent roads. 

And that’s the last session of the plan, combined with the last (M)LR. Bring it on.

• This week: 56 kms (35 mi) 303 mins
• This month: 184 (114)
• This year: 2,706 (1,682)

ariana`

Great block D. Best of luck for the rest of the week. Hope the madness doesn't get you! When do you travel?

Murph_D

Thanks E, I'm enjoying a quite relaxing week so far. Travel Fri morning.

healy1835

Very best of luck at the weekend Denis. You're locked and loaded into my tracker. Enjoy it all pal.

diego_b

Best of luck for the race there D!

mister paul

Best of luck Denis

Laineyfrecks

Very best of luck Denis, enjoy😊

Annie get your Run

Best of luck and safe travels!

Comic Book Guy

Best of luck at the weekend D, savage block of training will have ya in great shape going into the last 10k. Enjoy

Lazare

Go smash it D. You've done amazing work to get to this point. Have the confidence you've earned.

Safe travels this morn.

Mr. Guappa

Best of luck D. A super block, building on an amazingly consistent streak over a long period of time. You keep showing up, day after day, week after week, year after year. Not at all easy to do. I hope the race goes really well for you.

Murph_D

Thanks to all for those thoughtful posts, and other kind messages as well. Really appreciated.

Fri 22 Sep

No running. Travel to Berlin. Straight to the expo, which was absolutely mobbed. Arrived around lunchtime, it was rammed. Long queues to deposit suitcases outside. Getting in and getting the number wasn't bad - although they make you walk what seems like the length of the airfield where the expo is located (the former Templehof airport right in the city). Tried to buy the souvenir jacket. The queue wound all the way around the floor of the huge hangar then around the floor again. It was a very large floor. I reckon I'd have been in it for at least an hour, so I ditched the merch and got the hell out of there.

Sat 23 Sept

20 mins easy with strides

Took the U-Bahn to the Brandenburg Gate with A. Crowded with running groups taking selfies. Took a few ourselves, then a nice jog around the perimeter of the start/finish staging area (unlike Chicago, you couldn't get near the actual start and finish lines). A few strides towards the end, then I took the train back to the accomodation while A completed her longer run.

All set now. Weather looks like it might be a bit on the warm side but nothing we can do about that. Off the feet for the rest of the day, had a read back over my previous Berlin - https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/92425452#Comment_92425452. Only my third marathon. This time at least I'll have the benefit of my vague memory of the course. Hopefully there's more shade than I remember.

Chocks away!

AuldManKing

Run well, you are an inspiration to many!

DeepBlue

Tracker loaded. The start time inches closer. Exciting times. Best of luck 🍀

Murph_D

Sun 24 Sep

Berlin Marathon 2023

You are 300 metres away from the end of your 18th marathon. You’ve slugged it out with the course, the weather, the other runners. You’re on the edge. A very thin edge. You’ve just stumbled through the series of left and right turns that jinks you in an out of the last mile of the Berlin course. You make that left onto Unter Den Linden, the final turn on a day that started so beautifully, became more workmanlike, and now you are hanging on for dear life as the iconic Brandenburg Gate comes into view. The last **** turn of a long and trying race, and some dude behind you decides to shove you out of his way.

I’m a skinny guy at marathon weight, and it doesn’t take much of a shove. I’m propelled to my left, as this self-entitled 30-something goes past, giving me grief. He seems to be pacing someone, and briefly, as a pacer myself I try to understand his schtick, maybe I cut off his pacee or something.

Fuck that. No respect for his elders.

“Did you just push me out of the way with 300 metres to go in the **** Berlin Marathon?” I say in my best indignant voice, although I should not be talking at all in the last kilometre. I can’t believe the guy actually starts arguing and gesticulating and pointing at my running line. As if that really matters in the last 500, the last k, the last mile, the last 10 mins for that matter, or at the end of any race.

Only one word for this guy, and it begins with a W. He’s left me no choice. Once on the red carpet I muster up the afterburners, that little anaerobic power that will always be there at the end of an aerobic race. I smoke the dude, and his pacee too. Wish I’d had the presence of mind to give him the finger as I went past.  

A last glance at the watch then and there are only seconds left. The last minute shenanigans propel me to 3:19:59 on the day. Only the B goal, but it had been activated, and it was a good and wholesome goal. Although in truth I’d thought I had a little more time to play with.

Mission accomplished. Everything else is window dressing. The expo was mad. The buildup was great. The start and finish areas were well organised. The reception for Eliud from the assembled masses was inspiring and heartwarming. The crowds were generous. The many bands and musicians and deejays along the route were entertaining. The water stations were nearly all on the right and poorly signposted, so people were barging across the road every time. But I got enough water (including a bottle from the mrs at 39k). I’d no trouble with the plastic cups, although the chaos might have cost me a minute over the course of the race. But then again you get most of that back. My 5k splits (goal: 23:35) were great for 30k, slipped a bit by 35k. Then slipped a bit more by 40k, even though I’d somehow managed to grind out the two fastest kilometres of the day during this period (or maybe not - the GPS was pretty dodgy in places). 

I’d given it a shot, and I’d come up a bit short. So the B-goal was an honest and noble goal, and the manner in which it was achieved was sweet. 

The ‘A goal’ was sub-3:19. In the cool temperatures of the first half, I'd gone through halfway in 1:39:16 (the atmosphere in km 21 is awesome and you can’t help picking it up a little). But ran a near 90-second positive split, covering the second half in 1:40:44, leaking a lot of that time in the last 4k. The temperatures had risen (as expected), and the numbers never lie. I was bunched. Maybe if I’d managed another gel somewhere along the route - I took 5 of the six I carried, and most of them did not agree with me so I’d spaced them out a bit further than planned. Adjustments you have to do on the fly, no regrets there, I’d done my best to get the carbs in and hold it together. But I’ll not be using Maurten anymore, we seem to have fallen out of love.

I’m not the only one who struggled. The results page says I gained 1,088 places in the second half of the race, despite everything. I’m proud of that, and the way I finished, and that cheeky time of 3:19:59. Not a second to spare. You spend six years trying to break 3:20 for the marathon and two come along at once. I’ll take that!

5k Splits: (target 23:35)

23:44 23:36 23:23 23:24

23:39 23:41 23:44 24:15 (10:33)

So many messages of support, before and after the race, many of them from here, or people who used to be here. Yiz are legends, many thanks. It’s been quite a journey from 2012 to now. Thanks for coming along.

Previous PB: 3:19:28 (Chicago 2022)

Target: 3:18:xx

Result: 3:19:59

Place: 6,012 (of 28,582)

Category place: 75th M60 (of 1,522)

VDOT: 47.2

AG: 76.6%

Verdict: Danke!

ReeReeG

Wunderbar Denis! To have gained that many places in the 2nd half of the race while struggling yourself is some achievement, well done. Another sub 3.20 is just fantastic.

"Only one word for this guy, and it begins with a W. He’s left me no choice. Once on the red carpet I muster up the afterburners, that little anaerobic power that will always be there at the end of an aerobic race. I smoke the dude, and his pacee too. Wish I’d had the presence of mind to give him the finger as I went past. "

This is the runner's version of road rage I suppose 😅

Annie get your Run

Congrats again!! also 18 marathons 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 that's pretty amazing given you were late to the game, given anything really! Delighted you smoked the AH on the red carpet too. Very well done Denis.

ariana`

Super run really, you couldn't have asked for much from yourself with the heat building up over the morning. The fact that you even commented on the near 90 second positive split shows the calibre of runner that you are! Your attention to detail, commitement to the goal and an all round really good guy as well. Oh and top 5% in your age category too 🙌

Recover well.

Mitch Buchannon

That's a great read D. Well done and I'm delighted you passed that dope in the end.

Laineyfrecks

That report did not dissapoint! 18 marathons, absolutely brilliant. You have yet another sub 3:20 under your belt, I hope you are so proud🤗

You continue to inspire many of us on here with your dedication, knowledge, hard work, great attitude & soundness! I know I love meeting up for a run with you, always some sound advice or just good conversation. Enjoy the little break now & I look forward to many more runs together!

P.s absolutely delighted you smoked that W***er🤣

Lazare

Ah that's a fantastic read D, and a cracking performance too. Was so so happy to see you dip under 3:20 again. Chuffed.

You truly are an inspiration to many of us here, a proper legend. 🙌

Enjoy that post marathon blank canvas buzz, and recover well.

Bravo sir 👏

skyblue46

Brilliant D! As many others have said you are an inspiration. It really is fantastic when the good results come to nice people....nice people who put in the hours and the miles and truly deserve everything that comes their way as a result. I could not be happier for you. Bravo

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121154144#Comment_121154144

Road rage, you know you are absolutely right! Righteous rage though, in this case. 😉

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121154327#Comment_121154327

Thanks AM - yeah, I'll have to do something about that marathon addiction. But first, London Calling...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121154687#Comment_121154687

Thanks E. I'll nail the negative split thing eventually I hope. Of course the 'controlled fade' is all the rage these days too, maybe I need to embrace that. 😁 Cheers re the age category - it was interesting comparing the results, overall and age related, with Chicago. Berlin is much more competitive, seems to be a much deeper field overall. Definitely noticeable on the course too, once you got past the quite high number of people who'd obviously spoofed their way into the earlier pens. 😱

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121156287#Comment_121156287

Many thanks, M. Probably got too wound up about him but it snapped me out of the funk for sure. Would have been better if it had happened a bit earlier!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121156467#Comment_121156467

Ah, thank you E, and right back at ya.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121157054#Comment_121157054

Ah don't be giving me a big head. I did find time to high five a few kids along the way, in your honour of course. Only if I didn't have to adjust direction or stride, mind. 😉

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121157506#Comment_121157506

Thanks S, and I can think of plenty more people, here and elsewhere, who do exactly that, and they are the people who inspire me. "10% inspiration, 90% persperation", as my old maths teacher used to say. Or was it W. B. Yeats? 🤠

Thanks all, much appreciated.

py

Fantastic run D. Nothing fancy, just hard work and consistency. Hope you enjoyed the beers and shots after the race.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121160649#Comment_121160649

Definitely! Having taken a complete break from alcohol in the 4-5 weeks before the race it was nice to have a few beers again. Just the one shot!

AuldManKing

Nice one Denis - great to see you running so well and with no signs of slowing down.

Your splits are extremley consistent - the last 5k is a small blip but the level of slow down is minimal compared to others I have seen.

- very well paced.

MiketheMechanic

I love reading your reports Denis. As always, this one did not disappoint.

Another great marathon. Delighted you achieved your goal. Super time - inspirational stuff.

MtM

Murph_D

The post-marathon lull...

There’s no doubt about it, it takes a few weeks to recover from a marathon, both physically and psychologically. I’ve reflected on the performance quite a bit. It was an excellent result by my standards. 31 seconds slower than Chicago, but conditions in the second half, and especially the final 30 mins, were definitely tougher to negotiate. I dropped some time in kms 35-40 for sure. But so did Eliud. Apparently the difference between his 5k split and his 40k split (44 secs) was more than mine (31). I’ll take that.😜

It's interesting to compare the result with Chicago. Last year in the Windy City, I ran 3:19:28, position 4,806, 29th in the M60 category - beating all other Irish and British runners in the category. This year my 3:19:59 was only 31 secs slower, but 1,206 places further down the field overall. Only 75th in the category (to make 29th, I'd have had to run a low 3:09). I was still the first Irish runner in the category, but there were at least 13 Brits in front of me. Bottom line - deeper field in Berlin, with lots more European runners participating, understandably enough. Interestingly, this year's performance gave me a better age grade percentage than last year, such is the rapid deterioration in performance expected at this stage of the game. Hopefully we can keep that going for another bit. A few more bottles of summer wine still in the cellar.

In terms of how the race felt, while I was hanging on at the end, there was a good bit of strength there again keeping me in the game. A lot of it is due to @Duanington’s coaching and the at times gruelling but always manageable schedule he gave me. Thanks D. And a lot of help too from M (@FBOT01), who ran a lot of the toughest sessions with me and talked me through a good few rough patches. Kudides all round. 😉

I took most of the following week off, just one easy run on the Friday. I needed a bit of a break anyway as I was settling into a new job in Maynooth. I’ve worked out there before so I already know my way around the workplace. Also know my way around most of the running routes I’ll be using over the next nine months or so. 

I won’t be updating the log too religiously over the next few weeks. Just easy running for now, building up to pacing 4:10 at the Dublin Marathon, a gig I’m looking forward to (eh, I think). After that I’ll think more about Major Marathon #5 next year in London, assuming the pending GFA application is successful.

And that's it for now. Will be trying to turn around a few weeks of faster stuff between DCM and Jingle Bells - this year's 5ks have been decidedly underwhelming, and it would be nice to get a good one in before the year is out.

Good luck to people running Chicago and Amsterdam over the next week.

• Sept total: 257 kms (160 mi)
• This month: 28 (18)
• This year: 2,706 (1,682)

Dubh Geannain

Congrats on another sub 3:20 and well done on what I'd call keeping your cool on the home stretch under the circumstances.

Murph_D

Time for an update....

Berlin - Dublin interlude

After a week of little or no running post Berlin, I still had four weeks to prepare for my pacing gig at Dublin Marathon. This was just easy runs whenever I could, as I was also settling into a new job at Maynooth and also getting ready to move house (very local move, literally half a mile as the crow flies). I ran a total of 159 kms (99 mi) in the five weeks between the two events, pretty low but enough to keep the gears oiled. Longest run was only about 17 kms (10.5 mi). Over the period, I was upgraded from the 4:10 gig to the 4:00 slot, which was quite an honour actually as it's such a huge group of runners and a very well established pacing team. Was delighted to have the chance to line up with my former clubmates Olwyn and Joe from Crusaders, and Gary also who I remembered from my last time officially pacing 4:30 in 2015.

Dublin Marathon (pacing 4:00)

The house move happened during marathon week so I'd been on my feet all week really, running around, dealing with the movers, unpacking stuff... It was a very stressful week really, but it got done. Two days before the race I banged my toe hard off a bed leg. Ouch - really sore. Did a stint at the pacer stand the day before the race - it was interesting to meet runners from all over the world, all of them united in squinting at the tiny numbers on the pacing bands. Got the gear ready in the afternoon and the toe was still sore and looking red. I worried I might have broken it, although I know there's not much to do with a broken toe except wait for it to fix itself. Would it affect my pacing - certainly didn't make me feel more comfortable.

On the day we had a blast really with the four hour group. I left my own pace band in the bag drop but with 9:08 as the target pace, it was easy enough to do the mental maths agains the mile markers in the first half of the race at least, and with a group of four (the only group with an extra pacer) there's plenty of help. Having taken off slightly hot I got into a good rhythm and managed to keep the balloon all the way around. Did my best to encourage people when the going got tough. I had one clubmate that I'd never met before in close proximity, kept an eye on her and was delighted to see her pull away at the end for a PB. Crossed the line in 3:59:45 with plenty of people still in tow, and lots of people said nice things afterwards, so job done. Enjoyed a cold shower in Flye Fit after before heading into McGrattans where I couldn't get a drink so jumped ship, bumping into a few boardsies outside. Started to feel a bit ill then - had a dodgy queasy patch that lasted about half an hour, by which time we'd ducked into the Shelbourne where at least you get a seat for the exorbitant prices!

It was a very enjoyable day. A great way to do a non-goal marathon for sure.

Post Dublin

A week off then a bit of easy running for another week. By now I'd sent in the London Marathon entry and a quick look at the calendar suggested it won't be long before it's time to start training for that. It will probably be the final marathon that I train properly and specifically for (all going well) so I suppose I am now considering myself to be in the base building phase, yet again!

Murph_D

A Last Hurrah? London Calling

Week 1 of 24

Mon 6 Nov

Rest day.

Tue 7 Nov

50 mins with 6 x 1 mins on/off

Jogged up to Albert College Park for the first mini session in a good while now. The idea for the reps was just to run comfortably fast and turn the legs over for the first time in seven or eight weeks. It felt good, in the twilight around Albo's back pitch, and it struck me that this is where the whole Major Marathon quest all began, coming off injury to train for Berlin 2014 where I got the original Boston Qualifying time. Good session - a minute can feel like a long time when you've been plodding for two months.

Wed 8 Nov

53 mins easy around Carton House in Maynooth, where there are a couple of trails around the golf course.

Thu 9 Nov

40 mins+ steady.

Did this one on the Royal Canal, out and back to Kilcock from Maynooth. I'd left the HRM at home so just tried to feel it, which was tricky enough as there was a fresh headwind all the way out to the turn. It felt comfortably hard, and while I'd set out with permission to keep it to 30 mins, 40 felt manageable enough.

Fri 10 Nov

Rest

Sat 11 Nov

9.5 kms including parkrun at about half marathon pace (22:25). This was a nice LT-ish run, with plenty of runners to hunt down in the 500+ field. Bit of a ding-dong with a junior runner but I let him 'win' in the end. 😉

Sun 12 Nov

65 mins easy - not exactly a long run but it took the week's total over 30 miles so a decent enough transition back into something resembling marathon prep. The extended recovery periods over the past while have me about 30 kms behind the annual target so hopefully I'll make that up over the final seven weeks of the year.

• This week: 51 kms (32 mi)
• This month: 56 (35)
• This year: 3.029 (1,882)

Murph_D

2023 in Review

I always like to reflect on the year passed. I find it helps me focus on what's ahead this year, and maybe correct a couple of things in future that could have gone better in the recent past.

I ran 3,339 kms (2,075 miles) over the year. A little down on 2022 (3,529) and 2021 (3,371). But in the general area.

Continued to enjoy parkrun, never racing it but usually treating it as a steady session. 19 events over the year, in seven locations in Dublin or Donegal. A couple of volunteer slots also.

Racing was down to 14 events in 2023.

As usual, the year began with the Dublin Masters Cross Country, where I had a fairly forgettable outing. The Leinster Masters Cross Country followed a week later, on a gut busting course in Avondale where I narrowly avoided finishing last (not that that's any disgrace at all). Then the Raheny 5 rounded out a racy January - solid but unspectacular result of 33:51. Having felt a little lacking in tempo work, I shocked myself by pulling off a 10 mile PB only a week later at the John Treacy in Dungarvan (69:58), one of those rare races where the stars just seemed to align and I managed the sub-70 time I'd kind of felt might never happen.

In between a couple of farily ordinary races in the club's Winter League series (2m in 13:09 and a 1m in 6:00), I managed a team M50 gold at the county 10k championships (43:34) on a rolling course in Garristown, and then in March another good performance at the Dunboyne 10k, slipstreaming @Laineyfrecks to a decent PB (42:04). A showdown with @Lazare at the Raheny Open Mile was good fun - my time of 5:51 wasn't good enough to take the honours, but we had a good battle over the last 200m. I then lined out for the club's M50 B-team at the National Road Relays - fulfilling an ambition to make a club team for this race, but probably the last time I'll do it (clashes with London in 2024).

Two poor 5k races followed at the Bob Heffernan (20:17) and St Coca's (20:57). Not doing any 5k training makes for very painful 5k racing indeed, and without any reward for that pain!

And then only two races in the entire second half of the year. In September, a feisty enough Berlin Marathon in 3:19:59. This was a good time under the circumstances. While it was 31 seconds slower than last year's PB, I think it was probably a marginally better performance in the warmer conditions. I had the benefit of a bit of a barney with another runner to slap me out of my stupor to produce a strong enough finish to dip under 3:20 again, a level I will be happy to maintain in the future.

The final 'race' of the year was the club's traditional paarlauf on St. Stephen's Day. This is a continuous team relay over 20 minutes, around a tight enough loop in St. Anne's where the bends (and I was running one) were greasy enough to see a couple of runners go on their ear. 😮 My leg was about 120m and I ran it 12 times over the course of the race (narrowly avoiding being the runner holding the baton at 19 mins, where you then have to close out the race). A fun event - a lot of fast juniors and senior runners participating, so I was happy enough not to make a show of myself and help our team to a mid-table finish.

So 2023 was a very enjoyable running year for me. Apart from racing, I did some memorable pacing gigs at the Frank Duffy (90 mins) and the Dublin Marathon (4:00). The Dublin marathon gig was especially a blast, but too soon after Berlin, and I found the going quite tough in the final third, with my hips and hamstrings protesting loudly. I hope to pace DCM again but I won't be doing it close to another marathon in future. It led me to curtail my running over the final two months of the year and is the main reason why the annual mileage was off target.

Happy New Year and may ye all have a good running year in 2024!

snailsong

Happy New year D! Just catching up on your log there. You had an amazing year all round. Kudos!

Murph_D

Thanks P, hope ye are doing alright there in the West. What's going on with you?

Murph_D

John Treacy 10m 2024

A sort of report.

The log has been dormant. Unlike me, because I've been tipping away - but with a few setbacks since late 2023 when I last posted any training.

Being a DCM pacer was great fun but it took more out of me, a few weeks after Berlin, than I expected. I should know better in my mature wisdom, but I wouldn't have changed any of that either - just wish I'd anticipated better how much it would take out, psychologically as much as physically.

The timing, with me starting a new job and moving house did not help, but I'm over that now, mostly.

Things were quite stop/start in Nov-Dec 2023, and the same again in Jan 2024, with a surprisingly lingering cold taking a bigger bite than expected out of the first part of the London training regime.

The upshot of all that is that, in the first week of Feb, I'm feeling like I'm only getting started on the London plan (even though that's not true and I"ve been tipping away at bits of it for a good while now, just not at the usual sustained level that has always given me confidence before).

When your main strength has been your consistency, what happens when that’s taken away?

Not in the usual place, where you are starting to feel the strength kicking in - that's still a few weeks away.

So today, I ran the John Treacy 10 mile in Dungarvan and had a bit of a nightmare from a racing point of view. A shitshow from mile 4 to the finish.

I usually know what to expect, at the start line, and approach accordingly. Today I had the feeling that I haven't done enough to expect great things, but maybe give it a lash anyway and ask myself how valuable the years of solid relatively uninterrupted and injury-free running have been. I dialled up the coach and he said,

Race it, you have strength, see where you are.

He was right. God knows I have a couple of running buddies who always seem to pull it out of the bag after fallow periods - why not me?

I can sum up my race in a single sentence.

Good start, but then realising that it felt too hard, too early - you never race well when you don't feel comfortable enough in the first third, and you're right, you're struggling early and you manage to grind it out, but slower than you've ground out bad races before, so you know, not a great race, even though your heart rate says you worked hard.

That's a long sentence, a bit of a cheat, a run-on sentence that's really two and possibly three.

The negative thoughts had set in from mile 4, and persisted. Not that I let them rule the roost, but they were nibbling away.

This is my PB race, the PB course. Last year I flowed over it like water, destroyed it on my own terms in an honest and methodical way. This year the course did the same to me - every time I expected it to yield, it told me to GFY. The wind blew in the first half. I clocked 36 mins odd at halfway and said, at least I'll neg split with the wind favouring us in the second half. But the course never buckled and it felt harder and harder as the miles ticked on. The lovely surface in mile 8 was there as expected but did not inspire a surge, as it had previously. The final two miles (downwind) back to town felt like the most endless trek imaginable, with people passing, passing, passing - as they had been since mile three, but now more regularly, and more decisively, more ruthlessly.

I was targeting and passing the odd runner in even worse shape than me, but the balance was way off with dozens more handing me my ass on the run in. I told myself this is OK, it's what you have to expect with a couple of dodgy months, and this is a race that finds you out - but it was still a bit humiliating.

Except it wasn't, because runners are the salt of the earth, and they don't care who you are as long as you're not in front of them at the finish and unless they know you they don't realise that they have beaten you, but none of that matters anyway.

I mustered up a mighty finish over 200m or less to not be beaten by one or two or three runners who I felt didn't deserve to finish in front of me. I didn't get them all, and in truth those confrontations should not have happened, they should have been with other - faster - runners. I knew on the line, despite an honest effort, that there was more I could have given.

Maybe that aspect of my racing will never change. Not the best day out, but in the end I took solace from the fact that I was at least racing again and putting it out there.

It can only get better.

• Target: 70-71 mins
• Previous PB: 69:58 (John Treacy 2023)
• Result: 73:15
• Verdict: Deflating, and yet completely unsurprising, so let's take it from here.

AuldManKing

I reread last years JT Race report and it seemed everything went perfect - your "best ever race" - this seemed probably on the other end of the spectrum.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle I'd say.

After Raheny last year I was dejected (as I was reminded reading your log entry :) ) - but as you know - it doesn't take too long to bounce back - if nothing else, that race will serve as a great fitness boost to you.

'We are Boardsies and this is the game".

Murph_D

London Calling: (Week -11)

I suppose I should start logging again. Especially with AMK reminding me of that call to arms above. With eleven weeks to go to London, there's not a lot of time left to get things right. Coach/mentor DD got in touch after the JT race and offered to tweak the schedule we've been using for the past couple of years - to address the kind of shape I find myself in at the moment with the endurance conditioning and strength being a little off where it usually is at this stage of the proceedings. So those adjustments will kick in from next week, 10 weeks out from the big day.

Mon 5 Feb

41 mins recovery. A running acquaintance is involved with Mental Health Ireland's occasional Monday fun runs, and they were having an informal event in the Phoenix Park. Was supposed to be 5k but whoever was leading the charge seemed to have missed a turn somewhere! Ran this with my daughter, who didn't appreciate the 'bonus' 1.4k. Pleasant atmosphere, preceded by a group hug and a verse of one of those motivational songs that I can't quite put my finger on, writing this six days later. [Edit: Flying Without Wings, that was it! Edit 2: Or was it Lean on Me?] 😁

Tue 6 Feb

50 mins very easy. A loop through Drumcondra and Glasnevin on a pleasant night for running. Body recovering well from Sunday's race.

Wed 7 Feb

48 mins easy on a route through the Maynooth campus, Royal Canal and Carton House. Feeling pretty good.

Thu 8 Feb

Rest.

Fri 9 Feb

Session: 90 mins sub-threshold + warmup/cooldown. I'd double checked with DD about whether it was OK to do this one after last Sunday's shenanigans. Yes, was the answer - no messing about there! Headed out after work, along the seafront. I wore a pair of supershoes that are a bit past their prime, and I have to say, whether it was the shoes or the conditions or just me, I felt strong on this one from start to finish. Delighted to have it under the belt, with the HR exactly where it should be - 167 bpm average, as close as I can get to my threshold zone which starts at 168.

Sat 10 Feb

75 mins easy. In Donegal for the weekend. The mrs was meeting some family for lunch in Donegal Town so I decided to head in and explore some local running options (have never run in that particular locale before, amazingly enough). Started on the gorgeous River Bank walkway, then headed through town and out to the bypass. Should have turned back but decided to return via the bypass, which was a bit of a miscalculation. Much longer on foot than it looks when you're booting along it in the car! Will probably pare back tomorrow's LR a bit now as a result. Enjoyable run though, always great to discover new territory.

Sun 11 Feb

2 hours. There was 2:30 on the schedule but I pared it back after yesterday's extra miles. Got dropped off in Mountcharles and ran back to base hugging the coastal country roads as much as possible. Tired legs but all good. Tried an Enervit gel that I got somewhere, proabably in a race goody bag. Not too pushed on it! A decent week, all told.

• This week: 81 kms (50 mi) 465 mins
• This month: 125 (78)
• This year: 369 (229)

Murph_D

London Calling: (Week -10)

This week is about committing fully to the rejigged schedule - there's no time left for messing about. I trust the coach and have not forensically analysed the changes from last year, but there seems to be more of an emphasis on building strength at marathon pace over the coming weeks.

Mon 12 Feb

Easy / strides (30 mins).

Long work day, and didn't get out til well after 10 pm. Ridiculous! Hardly worth lacing up the shoes for such a short run (there was an hour on the schedule) but it was important to get the week off to some sort of start.

Tue 13 Feb

74 mins with 45 @ MP+.

Out at a more respectable hour today, warming up then out along the seafront at 4:40/km (7:30/mi), which is about 8 secs faster per mile than MP. Enjoyed this. Felt the HR was a tad high but the coach assured me it was OK for this kind of run.

Wed 14 Feb

Rest.

Thu 15 Feb

Easy hour on the canal between Maynooth and Kilcock.

Fri 16 Feb

80 mins @ 8:10 + WU/CD.

Managed to get out in the late afternoon on a pleasant afternoon - looks like it's nearly time to put the long sleeves and gloves back into storage. 8:10 is steady-ish - my 'fast easy' pace, but with the mileage ramping up over the last couple of weeks it was definitely a good workout and I felt quite tired towards the end.

Sat 17 Feb

60 mins inc. Poppintree parkrun @ progressive (23:02). Hopefully DD isn't reading as this was definitely not the easy hour prescribed for today. Headed up to Poppintree for parkrun no. 216, nice and easy for a km, a bit faster the next one, faster again through 3k and you know the way then you don't want to lose any ground having passed a few lads so the second half of this was a tad speedy. Jogged home at snail's pace to make up for it and make the average pace look OK. 😉

Sun 18 Feb

Easy LR (2h 40 mins)

Was happy when @Laineyfrecks reached out for some running company so trotted up to the Phoenix Park via the Tolka route to Ashtown and joined her for a chatty circuit of the Park. Delighted to hear the details of E's very positive cross country debut/podium yesterday. This really helped me through the middle section of my 160mins LR, which was a bit less fun on the final leg back to base via the Royal Canal. Still, felt good throughout this.

A good week. Definitely in marathon mode now. 9 weeks to go. 😮

• This week: 89 kms (56 mi) 8h 13m
• This month: 215 (133)
• This year: 459 (285)

Laineyfrecks

Thanks for the company and chats D, defo helps the miles fly by😊