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2022 DCM Novice Thread
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Loving the apt username..
I can't help but admire your attitude.
You have built yourself a solid base over the last year. Keep doing what your doing over the next few weeks. Maybe if you get a chance, you could attempt another park run(not essential) and we will be able to get a good indication of your paces for the marathon plan and will also get yourself more familiar with a race type scenario again.
Good to have you on board here.
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While there is still a few weeks before the structured plans kick-in, I would love some advise on my current approach and adapting to a plan such as Hal Higdon's Novice 2 (likely).
Background: Ran only marathon in 2008. Have been pretty active for past 18 months but since start of this year I'm running on average 45km/week. Also refereeing soccer matches of all ages (mostly adults at this time of year) - will likely be 2 a week in addition to running. I cover about 9k on those and they are either on rest days (after LSR) or same day as 10k.
My goal is to run DCM <4hours, so a pace of 5.41 min/km.
I am running 10km at a pace about 5:10-5:40 depending on how I feel and how rested I am.
Longest run from 2 weeks ago is 24km, but typically it's a 20km per week. Pace is typically 6:10 min/km, but has been as quick as 5:40 on some runs in past.
Current plan is to do three 10km/week and one 20km Run for the next few weeks.... or so...?
What I don't know is whether I should keep up this type of routine until I get to maybe week 6 or 7 of Hal's plan. I'd rather not cut back on my current mileage to match week 1 of the plan.
The other problem I have is I don't do specific speed sessions - it's always 10k's and a LSR. Pace changes, but not by much.
Any opinions/feedback on my approach.
Ultimately, I'd like to give the Connamarathon Ultra a go next year, but not sure I had the time to train with the refereeing (which will significantly increase later this year).
TIA.
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Ref - the con ultra is a lovely run,however it’s fairly hilly so give the hills training runs a decent amount of time.
btw -it’s open now with an early bird sign up fee.
im doing it myself as one of my last long runs next year
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Hi TheRef
You are certainly not a ref that idles around the centre circle 😉. 9k seems like a good return for a match and I think your are right to have them as rest days or easy running days. 10km runs on those days, I would say should be the very max and ensure its done as easy as possible if you do get up to that length.
When you say you are running the 10ks at 5.10-5.40 pace. Do you mean all the 10kms you are doing?
If that is the case, you are running these too fast if your current goal time is sub 4 (5.41 min/km). You are risking leaving your marathon behind you in training. The link with the calculator below gives a good idea of pacing.
https://runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php
I'm not overly familiar with the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan, but I'd imagine its a step up from novice 1 with extra milage and possibly a bit of speed?
Would you consider the Boards plan? You wouldn't really need to reduce milage going into that and it incorporates a midweek run with marathon pace and strides. You would also be able to swap out your reffing days with easier shorter days etc plus you could converse with others as the weeks go by. Worth having at think about it anyway.
You have a built up a base and your current plan of 4 runs a week including a long one is good for the moment. It could be worth altering the 10ks a bit , maybe shortening some days and lengthening others. It could become a bit stale for your legs just keeping it so rigid.
Best of luck!
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Ah great to see this thread back up and running, things are really starting to go back to normal.
Congrats Lainey on taking up the mantle, a great choice as mentor and you're already off to a flyer with your 2 captain's picks!
Enjoy the journey everyone, you are in safe hands. Trust the process even though some of it may seem counter intuitive and don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be a slave to a goal time, just enjoy the ride because you only get to run your first marathon once. Trust me, the vast majority of you will be smashing you time in DCM 2023 (sounds crazy but i guarantee you'll get the bug after experiencing the atmosphere come race day).
Will be following this thread with interest!
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Thanks for the feedback. I've read it a few times and trying to digest it.
My 10k's are all in the range of 51min-56min - never slower and could get below 50min if I really wanted to, and was rested. This makes me think I could aim for a sub 3:50 marathon.
Can you explain what you mean by "You are risking leaving your marathon behind you in training"?
I have looked at the boards plan and may very well adapt my own circumstances to it. Will give is some thought over the next couple of weeks.
Also, when you say "It could become a bit stale for your legs just keeping it so rigid", can you explain? Do you mean my legs would just get used to the 10k's and they won't physically improve as much as mixing it up with different types of runs? Or, do you mean I risk becoming mentally stale and just get a bit fed up with the same 'ol same 'ol?
And thanks a mil for your feedback.
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It’s important to distinguish between race pace and various (mostly slower) training paces.
How do you feel during these 10k runs? Do they feel easy - like you could easily do another 10-15k at the same pace without getting into any difficulty? In other words, are they truly easy runs?
If you went out and raced 10k, what time do you think you’d run? Or maybe you could go and run a parkrun at full tilt and get a 5k time that you could then use to choose appropriate training paces off. Typically, marathon race pace would be around 10-15% slower than 10k race pace for a reasonably well trained marathon runner.
But the main thing for now is keep it simple, plenty of truly easy running, building your endurance for longer distances.
Post edited by Murph_D on3 -
Murph_D covered the main point well above.
In regards to this part, good question.. "Also, when you say "It could become a bit stale for your legs just keeping it so rigid", can you explain? Do you mean my legs would just get used to the 10k's and they won't physically improve as much as mixing it up with different types of runs? Or, do you mean I risk becoming mentally stale and just get a bit fed up with the same 'ol same 'ol?"
Reading back on that part I may have mingled the physical and mental side. I do however mean both. Its more of a personal thing when it comes to the mental side. I tend to mix the distances/routes up slightly for that exact reason "same 'ol same 'ol"
On the physcial side, yes to a degree with the legs getting used to it and potentially limiting your improvement. As an example, we all have different things going on in our life's, with work , family, reffing in your case, etc. There are going to be days when you a drained due to this. In these situations rather than resent the 10km or the thoughts of it, reduce it to 8k perhaps. On the next day, when your feeling good, no harm increasing it a 1km or 2 km once it remains easy. You are still covering the same distance overall, but you are allowing your body to dictate to you rather than an arbitrary number. Just don't go altering the Long run 😀
I see the aim as mentors is to help in this order.
1. Folk enjoy the process
2. People are happy after completing their marathon
3. Running is continued in the aftermath
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Very welcome to the thread TheRef. Great advice given by both mentors there, hopefully giving you food for thought.
Lambay island has it spot on as to what our roles are as mentors!
Very best of luck with your journey 😊
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Room for one more? 🙂
First of all, a massive thank you in advance to Laneyfrecks, Murph_D and Lambay Island for the enormous amount of time and energy they will selflessly dedicate to this group. I have been hanging around this forum for several years and I'm always amazed by how much people are willing to share and contribute to help others enjoy and improve their running.
A bit of background: I entered the M50 ranks this year (I still need to pause and take this in every time I say it) and I've been a casual runner since 2016; I've raced multiple distances, including 3 half marathons, but this will be my first marathon. In early 2016 I signed up for the Great Ireland Run on a whim, caught the running bug and kept going a bit on and off for a couple of years. Around mid 2018 I signed up for my first half and started to ramp things up a little, averaging 80 miles/month for the second half of the year. Carried the momentum into 2019 (when I set all my PBs and peaked at 1200 miles for the year) and into the first half of 2020. After that summer my running fell off a cliff and became very irregular during 2021 (a measly 400-odd miles in total) but since the start of this year I've been trying to regain some form of consistency. I entered this year's DCM ballot expecting there would be very few places left and was really surprised to be offered a place, which then seemed silly not to take up, so I signed up probably without realising what I was getting myself into.
I have a pretentiously titled log that covers the 2018-2020 period but has been sitting unloved for the last couple of years. I should really dust it off to record this next chapter in the running journey: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057899148/chronicle-of-a-race-foretold/p1
Onto the questions ...
- Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
Yes. All my PBs are from 2019:
5K 19:31 Jingle Bells (Dec '18)
5M 32:30 Raheny 5 Mile (Jan '19)
10K 41:31 Clonee 10k (June '19)
10M 1:18:21 Frank Duffy 10 Mile (Aug '19)
HM 1:32:47 Clontarf Half Marathon (Nov '19)
Completely surprised myself with a 19:43 at the recent Bob Heffernan & Mary Hanley 5k on the back of relatively low mileage and not much more than easy runs and the odd tempo effort, so perhaps I'm not as far off my 2019 shape as I thought. And before anybody asks, I was wearing the same pair of racing flats I've had for years - I'm a bit old school in that way. 😉
- Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No.
- How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
Since I signed up for DCM at the start of the year the intention was to run more consistently and increase the mileage steadily. COVID and a couple of trips away got slightly in the way so the ramp-up hasn't been quite as steady as planned (monthly totals since January: 68, 55, 48, 70, 101) but if I can manage another 100-odd miles in June it'll be an average of 75 miles for the previous six months, which is a reasonable base I guess. I'm currently running between 4 and 5 times a week and the weekly mileage is now just shy of 30 miles. At the moment a typical week consists of mainly easy miles, one 1h run including a 20' tempo and one LSR that is now up to 9/10 miles.
I cycle a little bit: one or two commutes per week (a stop-start 15 mile round-trip) and longer 3-5h spins on some weekends, mostly around Wicklow and the Dublin mountains. About 1000 to 1200 miles per year. Not huge mileage but I'm sure it adds to the fitness.
I also play volleyball. Since September I have been training twice weekly and playing a match most weekends but that will now tail off going into the summer.
- What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
Being my first marathon the main goal will be to run it start to end and enjoy the experience. Knowing myself, I will have to make an effort not to focus on finishing times (I already plugged in my Bob Heffernan time into the calculators!) and will have to keep reminding myself that anything inside 3h30 would be awesome for a first marathon.
- How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
I think 4 times per week is realistic and hopefully I can add an extra recovery run here and there, especially now that the indoor volleyball season takes its summer break. I'll follow the Boards plan. Having the LSRs on a Saturday is ideal for me but I need to think about the Wednesday sessions. I'm considering moving them to first thing Tuesday mornings (a slightly better slot for me to do a longer run) but I still need to figure out how that impacts the rest of the plan if I do that.
- What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
From a physical point of view I'm reasonably confident I will be able to handle the training volume but it's a little bit beyond what I've done before so we'll see. Ideally I would've liked to go into it with a slightly better base and a few more 100+ mile months but I think I'm in a reasonable place.
My biggest concern is preventing DCM from taking over. I definitely want to enjoy the journey and the event but personal/family life must come first; that's the only condition I set myself before signing up. It may cost me some training runs and preparation may be sub-optimal but I'm accepting that.
- Why are you running this marathon?
Good question. I don't particularly enjoy long runs! I suppose that, like many casual runners, as we start training a bit more and racing increasingly longer distances the marathon seems to be an inevitable destination. So far I've shied away from it partly because I didn't feel ready and partly because it always felt like you are investing way too much time and effort into a single event but here we are. Maybe it's a subconscious mid-life crisis. 🙂
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Always room for more😊 great to have you on board!
You have a decent base which is always good. Your race times are really good too & great to have a very recent 5k to go by. Ideally doing the boards plan you would do 5 days but with a fair bit of cycling you should be ok. As for changing around the Wednesday session, it shouldn't cause too much of a problem but again we can look at that closer to the time. Your times would suggest a sub 3:30 which is a great goal to have but we can look at this more deeper into the plan.
Yes it does seem to be inevitable as a runner to eventually run a marathon & then you get the bug to run more after that, in fairness not a bad mid-life crisis🤣
Very best of luck on your journey
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Anyone following the Maffetone concept to their training, it seems to be very effective. I will be using 80/20 plan and currently trying to keep my heart rate as low as possible on runs but I think between the heat here and having to battle some hills just outside my house cause the heart rate to go a bit higher than I'd want currently
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I don't use Maff but do keep an eye on HR for easy runs and try and stay in Z2 for the majority of my mileage. What I have heard about MAF and if you are trying to stick to it rigidly is that you should walk those hills and try and run when it's less warm, if possible, as both of those factors increase your HR but I'm no expert and maybe the mentors have some more educated advice.
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Hi Masch 8933 - I'll answer that one as I've used the 80/20 method previously and have gotten into the habit of assessing effort levels by heart rate. I'm not familiar with Maffetone as such, but like any method that's HR based it's only as good as the accuracy of the heart rate data you have.
While novice marathon threads try to keep things simple, I think training by heart rate, if it's something you want to do, is the approach you should take - especially in your situation with heat and hills. So if you are confident you know your resting and maximum heart rate and are measuring it accurately (with a chest strap for example, the optical sensors on some watches are pretty unreliable), I'd say go right ahead and run your easy (zone 2) and recovery (zone 1) paced runs by heart rate. You'll find your HR going down as you get fitter/
If your terrain is hilly, yes, you'll be running slower than normal at those efforts - that's the nature of the game. Occasional spikes are OK, but you'll need the average to be within the zone. HR is a good method, but if you are using it, you need to commit to it.
Do you have accurate HR information? How did you test your maximum?
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So @Laineyfrecks @Lambay island @Murph_D you are probably going to kill me for this but I have pulled together a training plan based on the boards plan but modified to take into account my week. I've used the Long Run sessions and mid week PMP sessions almost exactly but converted to km (I know!!) and time based on my rough LR pace and PMP pace.
This keeps my week the same as it has been over the last few months but uses the boards sessions so hopefully I am on the same page as everyone else.
@Lambay island - based on what you said before this brings the time allocated down from 8 hours in the heavy weeks to 7 hours as the LSR's are shorter than in the plan I was looking at.
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Hi all - long time lurker, first time poster
- How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
After a 2 year hiaitus from running because of injury and 2(!) new babies, I slowly began to increae mileage at the start of this year once I realised that I never cancelled my 2020 marathon entry.
Currently running about 30km/week, having dropped down from 50km after developing an achilles niggle a few weeks back. Train maybe 4-5 days/week.
- Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
In fits and starts, mostly interrupted by injury. My latest decent bout of training finished with a 10k pB of 37:45 and a 5k PB of 17:52, back in late 2019. I've run one parkrun since returning to training, finishing in 18:45, but felt I had a bit more in the tank.
- What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
First aim is to make the startline. I've had an awful time with injuries, mostly my fault for pushing too hard.
My ultimate dream is to run a sub-3 marathon, but I realise that it might be a little(!!) ambitious for my first time, so maybe something in the region of 3:10-3:15 might be more realistic.
- How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
Optimistically hoping for 5-6 days/week, but I've seen over the last while that young kids and training plans don't mix awfully well!
No real plan right now, but I'm working my way through the 80/20 running book at the moment, so might pick up something from that.
- What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Biggest fear is getting injured close to the marathon day. I've already had a niggle or two, but reckon it's better to iron out any problems at this stage rather than later on.
- Why are you running this marathon?
Mainly that I forgot to cancel my 2020 entry and given that I got an entry through the lottery, I'd hate to see it go to waste.
I've heard that Dublin is a great event, and if I do one marathon in my life (which might be the case), then this is the one.
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😃
I don't see too much wrong with what you have done. You are including the main sessions, 2 build up races and have factored in easy/rest days after as far as I can see.
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Hi onrail,
Welcome...
Some swift times there over 5k and 10km. Have you completed any half marathons?
@Murph_D is our expert on the 80/20 plan so he may weigh in at some stage. Have you looked at the boards plan as a matter of interest?
You mention you are running 30km a week at present. Are you feeling anything on the achilles doing that distance? Is it the case you feel you can increase that in a few weeks?
I would certainly be advising you to ease yourself in on the paces front and initially working your paces off your most recent parkrun. If you get chance to attempt another in next week or 2 it may give you a better indication of where you are. Its important to train to where your fitness is as opposed to your desired fitness or previous 2019 times. In terms of a marathon target, you will then have the full picture of where you are after a few weeks of the plan.
Dublin is a great event and the support is phenomenal along the route. You may just want to do it that again once you have that joyful experience first time by not pushing yourself too much.
Post edited by Lambay island on4 -
Hey, I use my watch for the HR but I plan to invest in a good chest strap for accurate readings.
To determine my HR zones previously I did a lactate threshold run but before training starts I may get it test in a lab locally here to be even more accurate
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Great advice Lambay and what a talented runner.
I have to admit I'm sick looking at those times off so little mileage and two babies as well.
Lucky I enjoy the health benefits of running or I'd be hanging up my runners after reading that lol.
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Good stuff, because without this accurate information you won't be able to carry off the 80/20 method successfully, and would probably be better off with another plan instead. Luckily we have a couple available here, so think about whether the Boards plan (which was designed by a very knowledgeable coach specifically for marathon debutants) or the Hal Hidden plan (another good pedigree there) might be more suitable. Your call -we'll help you out either way, to the best of our ability! 🙂
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Hi onrail, some excellent background there and it's interesting that you're also considering the 80/20 - the same caveat applies to my previous post above - I'd advise that you make sure you have certainty about your resting and max HR, and a good chest strap, before committing to this method. You're working through the book - you'll see there are several versions of each plan, so let us know exactly which one you're thinking of doing. What brought you to this method out of interest, and have you used it before for any of the other distances? You have excellent background, but as a marathon debutant scaling up the mileage and with that niggle to worry about, you might benefit from the flexibility of the Boards plan. Something to think about! Good luck over the next few weeks of prep and watch that achilles.
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Thanks a million for the feedback. I last did a HM way back in maybe 2016-2017, somewhere in the high 1:27s, but I wouldn't say my training at the time was super targeted to that distance. The achilles feels fine at my current distance, maybe with a slight tingle every now and then. I'm doing a small bit of rehab based on internet guides and advice from a physio a while back. It's definitely still a worry, but I'd hope to get back up to 40-45k before the end of the month.
I pretty much just stumbled onto the 80/20 book, so not overly committed to it yet. I do usually run my easy and long runs to (wrist) HR anyway, usually staying around 70-75% of max. I don't yet have a HRM, but I might treat myself shortly. I suspect flexibility will be key, so you might be 100% right with me going for the boards plan.
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Hello onrail, good to have you on board. Some really good times there but I would have to agree with Lambay island that it's best to work to current fitness. You have a good base too so I think, like Murph_D suggested that the boards plan would be a good plan for you, I used it & found it really good for my 1st marathon.
Dublin is amazing, as my 1st the support & encouragement from the crowds was something else. I was only ever doing 1 marathon as part of a bucket list & now I'm hooked🤣
Very best of luck in your journey!
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Hi All
I haven't used Boards before but I was telling a friend of mine over the weekend that I had signed up for the marathon. He is an experienced runner and immediately advised following the Novices thread on DCM as the best way to prepare for a first marathon. I have read through all the posts so far and can see the wisdom of his advice.
I only picked up running a couple of years ago having been encouraged at home to give the local ParkRun a go. Its been a bit stop start with a few niggly achilles and calf injuries but I generally try and cover 2-3 runs per week of the 5km - 10km distance.
- Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
- I have done Park Runs and some 5 Mile races - 5km PB 21:14 (05/05/21) ,10km 46:34 (12/02/22), 1/2 Marathon 1:48:56 (07/01/22)
- Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
- No I am able to keep running
- How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
- 2-3 runs per week and average around 100km per month for the last few months
- What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
- I'd like to target completing the marathon in under 4 hours. Not sure how realistic that is as the furthest I have ever run is 1/2 marathon in 1hr 50 mins
- How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
- Typically run 3 times per week but some weeks 4 or 5. I don't know which plan to follow, looking for a steer on this one.
- What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
My biggest fear is to pick up an injury that would derail the training.
- Why are you running this marathon?
- One of those bucket list things I suppose. I've really enjoyed the energy and goodwill of Park Runs and 5 Mile Races so I can only imagine the thrill of completing a marathon.
Thanks to all the posts so far. I'd love to get pointed in the right direction on which plan to lock in to. I was amazed when I read about East Runs being done at such a slow pace. It seems counter intuitive to running fast times if you are not training at the same speed.
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Very welcome to the thread Dublin334! Just like you I was brand new to boards when I did my 1st marathon & I am so glad I found it as the knowledge & encouragement given from it is invaluable.
You have some very nice times there & a decent base. Goal times are good to have but again as the training progresses we can look more closely at them. I would be advising the Boards plan for you, I think it will suit you. If you follow the plan sensibly hopefully we will keep those niggles at bay. Just like you my marathon was to be a bucket list thing but now I'm hooked. I can honestly say the thrill & sense of achievement from finishing your 1st marathon is truly amazing! You won't regret it.
Very best best of luck with your journey & please ask any questions at all.
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Not long now till the plans kick into place. For anyone lurking please join in. The more people we have the better & we can all support each other. Please don't worry if you feel your times aren't great, thats not what it's about, completing your 1st marathon no matter what the time is such an achievement so please join in😊
Post edited by Laineyfrecks on5 -
Hi all,
Another some time A&R lurker here :)
- Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
Not since 2019 but I did do some of the 'virtual' ones in 2020 and 2021 - these are where the PBs are from(do they count??) 5K 23:31 June 2020, 10K 48:38 April 2021, HM 1:55 October 2020
- Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No
- How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
For the last 2 years I usually run 3 times a week - normally 2 mid-week runs between 7km-10km and then at the weekend I would do a 12km-15km. Would do at least 100km per month(never much more but always made sure to hit the 100) Since February I've made a conscious effort to up the mileage with a view to starting a marathon programme, so last month I did just over 150km. Also steadily increased my weekend run distance. I should be good to run 4/5 times a week once I start a programme. New territory for me though as my longest run is just over 22km(a few weeks ago)
- What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
Absolute dream would be just under 4. I think/hope under 4:30 is realistic. But I am prepared to adjust that upwards depending how training goes, etc.
- How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
Should be good for 4/5 days a week. I found a link to the 2019 Modified Boards plan a few months ago and that's what I plan to follow. I work in km so converted the plan to KM (- took ages btw :) I'm sure it would be a cinch for Excel ninjas.) It does look a lot more daunting km but I'm going to try
- What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Probably the same as most - injury
- Why are you running this marathon?
Bucket list I guess. I didn't think I was too bothered but when I didn't get in on the 2020 lottery I was really gutted. I didn't fancy my first(possibly only) one to be a virtual either. When they opened it again in January for 2022 I entered but never expected to get in. Delighted that I did.
Well that's about it. Thanks to everyone involved in setting up this thread. And good luck to everyone!
Cheers!
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Welcome to the thread Adiaga 2. Good to see you have been running consistently for the last 2 years, nice base built up & sensible to up the mileage slowly to avoid injuries. As the plan goes on you will be running longer runs each weekend which is new territory for most novices, there's a great feeling ticking them off week after week.
Being realistic & flexible about your goal time is always good especially when it's your 1st marathon as it's completely unknown territory. I think the boards plan should be good for you, the 2022 one includes the race series if you are doing it.
A bucket list marathon is as good a reason as any, enjoy the process.
Very best of luck on your journey.
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Just got injured and wondering if an option to defer?
Looked at website and can't see any info
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Been meaning to reply to you with regards to Maffetone method. I did it for about 9 months from Mid 2020 to Spring 2021. It worked OK and I got some TT PBs with it. Where it falls down for me was the lack of harder running (intervals/tempo/hills etc). There was also other factors (fatigue, temperature, caffeine etc) that could affect your workout when you're following HR training. In a similar period following a more varied program, I feel like a more robust runner with much improved aerobic system. Glad I did it but I would recommend in sticking with either of the plans from the novice thread for your first marathon.
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Hi degzs,
That is a pity and unfortunately for yourself, I saw this in the Frequently asked questions section.
Do I get a refund or deferment if I can't run?
All refund options are now closed.
Can I transfer my number if I can't run?
You may not give or sell your number to anyone else. You may not transfer your application to the following year or another Marathon Series Event. All refund options are also closed.
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- Ok, long time reader and lurker on this forum, so firstly many thanks guys for setting this up again, I think I'll find it invaluable if I do as I'm told!! I have an entry for DCM but also for London on 2nd October. It's a deferred entry from April 2020, and will be my priority unless something derails my training and I can't do it and do Dublin instead. This will be my second marathon, although the third time that I started a training block for London (Covid 2020, Injury 2021). I've only got back running since January this year after having to take six months off last year with an achilles injury.
- If it was a dating profile it would say - Male, 47, currently 13st (was 14st @ Xmas) only running since 2018 and there's been quite a few periods of no running for several months due to life taking over.
- Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
- All pb's from previous marathon training block in 2020
- 5k pb 19.47
- 10K - 42.03
- 10 miles - 1.09.30
- Half - 1.41
- Marathon - 3.59.51 (2018)
- Mournes Mountain Skyline 2019 - 5.15
- This year
- 5K 22.20
- 10K - 44.13
- 10 mile - 1.14.03
- Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No
- How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
I ran a 10 mile fell race on Saturday, knocked 6 min off my pb finishing in 1.37. I run with my club on a monday and wednesday, do a long run in the hills on a sunday and a 6-10 mile run on a friday morning. Usual week is around 30 miles.
My local parkrun pb is 20.20 and I ran it two weeks ago in 22.40. I incorporated it into my weekend long run, having ran 7 miles to get to there; but still quite a bit of work to do.
I don't do any S&C work, despite knowing that I need to get back at it, and don't do any other cross training. Cardio wise I ran 15 miles a couple of sundays ago in the hills, took me 2.5 hours and there wasn't much left in the tank . Running on tarmac for long marathon blocks does flare up old injuries especially speed work on the roads, hence why I try to do at least one session a week on grass or trails.
- What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
- My last training block for London was bringing me in at 3.25/3.30 time, however I'm nervous about pushing too hard in this training block and getting an injury so if I get sub 3.45 I'll be delighted. Realistically if I get a decent sub 4 I'll hobble away happy.
- How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
I can really only train 4 days a week, full time job along with farming evenings and weekends along with family and coaching hurling teams limits what I can realistically do. Our club coach has designed a plan for me and another club mate who is running London also. I don't plan to race anymore until the end of the summer and just focus on training.
- What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Injury!! Plantar fascitis returned about a month ago but has subsided with regular icing and stretching. I stupidly took part in the parents sprint at the kids sports day last Friday and have a tweak in the hamstring as a result. I fear with speed work and too much road training that my achilles could flare up again and sideline everything.
I got bad cramps in the hamstrings at mile 21 in my previous marathon and want to avoid similar happening. It was the hottest day of the year in 2018 and I don't drink much fluid when running, so need to look at changing that. I really need to listen to my body and change around session plans if needs be rather than sticking rigidly to the plan which could result in injury.
I have concerns about my plan that the coach has designed for me. It has me doing a short hard 45 minute session on the Saturday, long run on the sunday and then our club training which is usually speed work/intervals or hills on the Monday. I feel that I should do the Saturday session on a Friday, allowing me time to recover before my Sunday long run and then Mondays session. I get the concept of having the legs fatigued but I think it might just take too much out of me coming from a low base - would love some guidance and advise around that or how big/little an impact it would have.
Going on holiday next week for a fortnight and forcing myself to limit wine consumption could be tricky also.
- Why are you running this marathon?
- Unfinished business - I just want to run London as this is now the third time I've started a training block for it and at 47 I know it's my last year to run a marathon, either London or Dublin and the body much prefers mountain running.
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Hi AntrimGlens,
Welcome to the thread.
So just to clarify, The plan is London but if you were to miss a few weeks with injury, DCM is the backup, right?
London comes 4 weeks earlier so have you now started a marathon plan with your coach or is that a general running plan you refer to?
You seem to have built up a decent base and a recent 15-mile hill run will only stand to you. It also seems from injury experience you know what you can or should be doing about now. You mention that you can do a 4-day week but as you rightly alluded to , three harder days in a row is only putting yourself at risk. I imagine the long run is done at easy pace in between but hard days either side is not sustainable in my opinion. I would strongly advise to separate them as best as you can and keep the easy days very easy. Is it remotely possible to add a 5th shorter easy/recovery day?
I can't relate to your Achilles injury specifically but that combined with Plantar fascitis simply means you must listen to the body indeed and adapt the plan to your needs. I missed several months at the start of 2021 due to Plantar Fascitis . It took me a fair while to be able to manage PF going forward. What eventually worked/working(touch wood) for me along with rest and exercises was the introduction of orthotics. I use them in my everyday shoe now and approx 70% of all runs. The runners I tend to use for speed, I have learned due to them been narrower fits, I tend to blister so can't use them 100% of time. Everyone is different but that has made a huge difference to me.
I have also recently suffered from hamstring cramps at the latter stage of a marathon. I put it down to not enough water like yourself. I have also been actively encouraged from others on this forum to bed in using electrolytes for my next marathon. I can let you know how that goes after DCM but it seems like solid advice 😉
I have mentioned this in previous replies above, but it's important that your training paces correlate with your current fitness. This might change during the plan as you approach your 2020 fitness. Listening to the body and doing the basic things right, should get you your marathon time targets without the hobble hopefully, as the talent is clearly there.
Cheers and Best of luck
P.S. Don't be saying 47 is your last year to run a marathon, You will offend half the A&R forum 😄
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Thanks guys for running this thread.
This will be first marathon (I hope). I've been running for about 5-6 years now (I'm 45 now) but it was generally a couple of 5k's a week up until about 15 months ago when I started tacking longer distances. I've been suffering since the start of the year with hip injuries and have had several spells out, ran a half in Clondalkin about a month ago which flared up the injury and haven't really been running since so I'm getting very nervous about even been able to start the plan. I've been with a couple of physios but am finally thinking I'm making progress with the one I'm using presently. He has me foam rolling like crazy the moment.
- Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
- 5km 21:03 (that was a while ago though, more recent closer to 23. 10km 46:14, Half 1:48:24
- Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
- No, however I did the Wicklow half in January and ended having to walk a few hundred metres, went way too hard for the first 16km
- How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
- I was pretty consistently doing 40-45km a week before the injury and 1 day in the gym.
- What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
- Before Xmas I thought I could do 3:45 but now I think 4 hours would be a huge achievement
- How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
- Plan on doing 5 days and following the boards plan
- What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up
- Injury plain and simple, If I don't get back running in the next week I'm not sure I've any hope of making the starting line.
- Why are you running this marathon?
- I guess it's the ultimate thing to do for a casual runner and something you can always look back with pride on.
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Welcome to the thread masterK.
Nice to see you have a good base built up & have been running consistently for a few years. Sorry to hear about the injury flare up, hopefully you get it sorted & are able to start the plan. It is good that you are already going to a physio, the main thing is to listen to your body, only you will know if you are in a good position to start training.
The boards plan is a good one to do, it got me to my 1st marathon injury free with lots of sensible training. I really enjoyed the variety of runs in it too.
It's good to have a time in mind as it does help with motivation but it's important to be flexible with your goal & decide on a target later on in the plan.
Let us know how the injury & physio stuff is going & hopefully you will be good to go to start training.
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Was due to run 12km yesterday and as its pretty hot here, so I decided wait till I have the kids asleep and will go around 9/10 pm
At 9.30pm it was 32 degrees!! Hence stayed inside
Right now at lunch time it is 33 degrees, so will try again tonight
Looking forward to the Autumn haha
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Hi everyone!
Started running back in 2019 and signed up for the 2020 DCM but obviously got cancelled because of Covid, since then i stopped running so only getting back into this year. Really looking forward to this thread and here are my answers :)
1- How much training do you do - Only started back in May but between 20-30kms at the minute with a view of upping it each week.
2-Have you raced before- Yes a number of races in 2019 and so far 2 this year, times below:
5km - 2019 - 22 Mins
5M - 2019 - 39 Mins
10k - 2019 - 56 mins (this was my first ever race)
10M - 2019 - 1 hour 24 mins
Half Marathon - 2019- 1 Hour 50 Mins
2022
5km - 26 Mins
5M - 46 Mins (Tallaght 5 Mile Yesterday with no training for 3 weeks due to being sick and on holidays)
3- What do you want to achieve - My main goal is to finish the marathon but a secondary goal for a good time i'm aiming for is 4 hours (ish)
4-How many days a week do you train - Only starting back up and aiming for 4 times a week
5-Biggest worry about signing up - My main fear is i'm looking at my times from 2019 and comparing them to what i'm hitting now and in my mind i'm setting unrealistic expectations. I need to get more miles under my belt in order to be more comfortable.
6-Why are you running this marathon- Its on my bucket list to complete a marathon and i've completed every other race distance leading up to a marathon so this is the final step. Plus its a massive achievement and want to prove to myself i can do it.
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Is early morning an option? I always try to get out first thing when I’m on the ‘mainland’.
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Hi Dublinlad1989
Great to have you on board.
Have you had a look at the plans from the first post? I think either plan will bring you on but Boards plan could suit you once you ease yourself into it.
You mentioned you re-started back in May and also missed 3 weeks with sickness and hols since. Consistency is the key for you now. Slowly building up and following a plan will bring you back to your 2019 fitness and more once you can commit to it.
We are happy to help in any way to get you that marathon start as prepared as possible..
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Welcome, Dublinlad. You’ve hit the nail on the head there with your comment about current fitness vs old PBs. You have a decent 5-mile time there all the same from this weekend so you have a good idea where you are at - that’s the time you should use for calculating current training paces - which may well change as you get through the programme.
In the meantime just keep the mileage building up slowly until marathon training proper gets underway.
Any thought on the plan? Boards plan should work well for you.
Post edited by Murph_D on0 -
Thanks!
I've looked at the hal higdon plan and contemplating going by that. My main goal is to get some miles under the belt and I know it will all come back to me.
To be honest I'm not really worrying about getting a personal best every race, I'm more just getting out and enjoying the running.
Is there anywhere I can find the boards plan? Sorry if it's been mentioned before!
Really looking forward to going on this journey with everyone.
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The very first post in this thread by Laineyfrecks below has links to both plans
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Decided to bite the bullet and step out of the (lurky) shadows to throw my hat in the ring. First of all, a big thanks to Lainey, Lambay & Murph_D for taking this on – I can see already from your responses what valued support and advice you provide.
I signed up, as with many others to complete my first ever marathon in 2020 and feel like the pandemic saved my blushes and allowed me the time to mentally prepare for the commitment, I realistically was not aware I needed to give. Two years on, and having spent much of last year cycling, I have turned my sights on running and feel like I am starting to really enjoy the training.
Below are my responses to the opening questions – looking forward to joining all the other novices on the journey to the start (and finish line).
· Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
I have only ever competed in a couple of 5km races which would have been several (>5) years ago at this stage. PB at the time was 19:17 over 5km. My recent PB was 20:36 over 5km (today – wanting to set a baseline to gauge what realistic target I should work towards).
· Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No
· How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
4 runs per week plus typically 1 short cycle on a rest day. I am currently following a Garmin plan for half marathon training which includes long runs, speed repeats, stride repeats, progressions runs etc. totalling approximately 35-40km per week. I find it really useful to have the structure prescribed for you and the guide in your ear is a great help.
I would have done a lot of cycling last year and the odd run but have been running since January and ramped up training to the above volumes for last 3 months.
Current long run distance of 20km @ 5:30 ish per km (pace).
· What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
I will be happy to get around the course and complete a successful training plan without injury.
Ideally, I would love to get sub 3:30 marathon but am not sure if this is realistic on my first attempt and without any long distance races under my belt (my half marathon target time for the Garmin plan is set to 1:32 which I am finding ok pace wise).
I am signed up for a half marathon in mid-July and then for the Dublin Half marathon also so hopefully this will give me the long-distance race experience I need.
· How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
Currently training 4 days per week.
Open to recommendations on plan to use (leaning towards Boards plan)
· What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Sickness and/or injury would he my biggest fear. I could easily get knocked down with flu and take 2-3 weeks to recover, so that's a big worry.
No specific injuries to note but general awareness of the physical toll on the body training for a marathon can have.
· Why are you running this marathon?
Since retiring from team sports, I haven’t had a set fitness goal to work towards so this seems like as good a goal as any. Plus, I've signed up and told enough people at this stage that I'm pot committed.
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Welcome aboard Magellanic.
I think from reading what you have said, the boards plan would be right up your street. The first half marathon you have scheduled should easily be able to fall around the plan and swap it out for the long run that week.
Great that you have just ran a 5k and you can certainly work out your training paces from that. You seem to have a very similar profile to me when I took on this in 2019 with the added benefits of already having a base developed. That first half marathon will give you a great gauge of where you are. Jumping ahead a bit here, but I would suggest doing that with a controlled pace early on(easier said than done) and see if you can pick it up in the 2nd half as opposed to racing it full on. You will then have a fair idea what your capable of for the Dublin Half. If your garmin plans proves to be accurate, running a 1.32-1.34 approx half will give you a good chance of dipping under 3.30 once you commit to the plan.
Your current pacing for your long run looks fairly accurate too at present. If your ever feeling tired on these, lean on the side of caution and slow it up. Its all about getting your legs used to the distance and not the pace at this stage. Keep the cycling up too, even if its just for one day as it will compliment the running. I'm interested to follow you here on this.
Cheers
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Very welcome to the thread Magellanic. I agree with what Lambay Island has said, nice current 5k time to work off & the half will also give a good indication as to where you are with current fitness. Good you have a target time in mind & hopefully with some sensible training this will be achievable but its also good to be flexible with your target time for your 1st marathon.
Very best of luck in your journey!
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So i've been humming and hawing for a while about doing the DCM this year - I've had an entry for 2020 and come very close to getting a refund a couple of times to be honest. Booked the hotel earlier today so no backing out now lol!
Since running the DCM in 2019 I've had a couple of health issues (a seemingly random auto-immune illness which led to various forms of inflammation and knocked me out of action for ~3 months, and a slightly nasty dose of Covid late last year that I feel I'm only getting over now properly) - the full gory details are available over on my dormant running blog :-)
I'm running on/off for almost 20 years and have done 6 marathons in that time and a bunch of shorter races too - if I'm being honest I enjoy shorter faster runs (10 miles is probably the sweet spot) but feel like I have unfinished business with the marathon distance so hoping that the community spirit on here might help deliver me to the start line in something approaching peak condition.
I took a quasi break from racing and proper training between ~2012 and ~2018 mainly due to having 2 small kids but have a bit more bandwidth on that front now I guess.
Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)
Marathon - 3:24 (DCM 2019)
Half Marathon - 1:29 (Limerick 2019)
10 Miles - 1:03 (Dungarvan 2012)
10K - 39:01 (Liscarroll 2018)
5K - 18:34 (TT 2021)
Haven't raced a lot lately due to lockdowns etc but ran 39:25 for 10K last summer and a similar time a few weeks ago for the 6 Mile in Limerick
Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)
No....although I haven't ran more than 18K in a while so wouldn't rule it out at some point
How much training do you currently do ? Distances, how many days a week, cross training - whatever you think is relevant to your current fitness level.
Only getting back into it after Covid - have been training away fairly ok but with no real structure or consistency.
Normally try to run 6K to 10K a three of times during the week with a longer run at the weekend.
Got a new bike late last year so plan on using that to keep cardio levels up and give my Achilles a break at least 1 day a week.
Do plenty of core work, some light weights and need to relaunch my weighted heel raises campaign
What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?
I think the mythical/magical sub 3 hours is realistically beyond me - would need to make a few sacrifices around home and work that I'm not really willing to make....but who knows, maybe if I can avoid injury/illness and get to the line in decent shape if might be possible :-)
Realistically 3:15 is probably within my range
How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?
4-5 days should be ok I think - need to review the plans and open to any advice on same.
What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?
Getting injured and arriving half baked in October (again!) - I've embraced running slow-ish in the last couple of years (still have a tendency to train too hard/fast though) so that has helped somewhat; and following above mentioned illness I've radically overhauled my diet (gluten free, dairy free and meat free) which I'm hoping/suspecting may reduce my overall injury profile....it's improved my general health anyway. I've also noticed in the last 18 mths or so that I can train on consecutive days (3-4) no problem which most definitely wasn't an option in the past
Why are you running this marathon?
That's a tough question and one I'm sure I'll be asking myself a lot between now and October :-)
I feel like I've never done myself justice over this distance so want to give it a good lash
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Thanks Lambay & Lainey.
I will go with the Boards plan so.
Good point re: controlled pace. I have noticed that starting out too quick can leave you lagging behind target pace later on (even in my 5km baseline I found myself slowing towards end). I assume there is reasonably solid guidance out there on how to pace certain distances so will check it out before first half marathon.
Seems like a good spread of novices signed up so far with some speedsters to set the standard for the rest of us. 😀
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Hi Cartman - I suppose the obvious question is what you would hope to get out of a thread aimed at people running their first marathon? Obviously it's an open thread and anyone can contribute but I wonder would the likes of the Marathon Improvers Thread be a more obvious place for a runner with your experience. I know it hasn't been active for a while but you could certainly reactivate, and I'm sure plenty of experienced marathoners, myself included, would be willing to respond there.
I think that thread would be a better place for discussing the kind of issues and experiences that come to light after a few marathons. Why can't I convert my 10k/HM performances into a better marathon, for instance - a question your own history seems to be asking?
But it's up to you. Everyone is welcome of course.
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Cheers - I guess I still feel like a novice when it comes to running marathons 🤔
I'll have a close look at the plans, commit to one and stick with it....will have a look at the other thread you mentioned as well.
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