2022 DCM Novice Thread

Laineyfrecks · 20-07-2022 2:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363192#Comment_119363192

Good to hear you are back on track now!

I agree 100% you are better off with it happening now & not later on in a longer race. At least now you realise how important preparation is for a race, I'm sure your next race will be perfect 😉

Glad to hear the positive feedback about the strava group, I know I loved it when I was training for my 1st marathon, all the support from my mentors & fellow novices was great!

Best of luck with the rest of this weeks training😊

Laineyfrecks · 20-07-2022 2:29pm

@Dublinlad1989 could you let us know which plan you decided to follow in the end? Apologies if it's mentioned previously.

Dublinlad1989 · 20-07-2022 3:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363992#Comment_119363992

Sorry should of said before!

I'm doing the Hal Higdon novice training plan, seems a bit better for me for the longer runs given i haven't done that much long distance running in a while. Its easier to build up the distance over the coming weeks

Turkish1 · 20-07-2022 4:23pm

Week 3 update

I am still playing some football so have actually steered away from the boards plan a bit and while this will likely/(definitely) come back to bite me come the end of October it is just something I have to try balance - I might have to be less optimistic on overall marathon goal time. My priority will be Marathon training but a friend (seasoned marathon runner with quite a few sub 3hour times) pointed me in the direction of a plan that had a little more speed work as I need to try maintain some semblance of pace aswell for football.

Basically consists of 2 (optional 3) shortish easy runs (Monday/Wednesday/Sunday)

Tuesday & Thursday, faster work (interval, hill, tempo etc.)

Long slow run on a Saturday

- Did you get in all the runs on your plan -

Got 6 runs in, Monday/Wednesday/Friday slow (5:53, 5:49 & 5:56 per km - need to slow down further). Tuesday did a speedwork session, and Thursday I did a kind of mid-range 14k slow (6:02) as wanted to get some decent km's in the legs.

Fingal 10km was my first race ever and must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Finished in a chip time of 48:27, made a conscious effort not to get carried away at the start but looking back feel like I left a little bit out there in the first 3/4km given the downhill start - but in saying that I was absolutely spent at the end of it.

- Did you run the runs at an appropriate pace?

No still probably a little too fast in the runs, need to slow down another 10seconds ish (I think). I have a PMP of somewhere in the 5:20 - 5:30 range so probably not too far off if I slow it to 6mins per km. Feel like I am getting more used to the slow runs and getting into that mindset a little easier when I leave the house.

I am not sure how accurate the Garmin's are for HR, feels like my HR is quite a bit higher than others here. e.g. the Final 10k average was 173bpm with a 187bpm max. Averaging mid 140s for the slower runs.

After three weeks, how do you feel your training is progressing?

Overall feels good, getting out 5/6 times per week and generally getting in plenty of km's. Legs are feeling fresh and haven't had to drag myself around the place yet. I feel one of the biggest factors that will help me is losing a bit of timber, I am down about 2.5kg to 88kg but would love to run the DCM at sub80kg. Intrigued to see how the next few weeks go in terms of lead up to the 10mile race and hopefully the progress with the slower pacing on the runs.

Murph_D · 22-07-2022 6:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119364557#Comment_119364557

Well as long as you follow the general advice - train at appropriate effort, recover well (easy days genuinely easy) - most plans should get you there. Good point about the ‘timber’ - one big advantage of losing weight is putting less pressure on joints and less injury risk, so anything you can do there in addition will stand to you.

Everyone has a different max hr so don’t worry if your numbers are higher/lower than others. There are threads here on training by HR but keep it simple for your first marathon and stick to the pace method.

Well done on the 10k - sounds like you ran it well.

marylou82 · 22-07-2022 12:47pm

Hi guys,

I've been lurking here a while but haven't posted.

I have been running on/off/on/off since 2010 I guess. I've never been that fast and have a love/hate relationship with running haha.

Over the years these are my best times: 5K: 23.42 (2015) (Have never ran anything near that time since!), 10K: 55.10 (2014), 10 Mile : 1:30 (2013), 1/2 Marathon(2016) : 2.05 , Full Marathon: (2016): 4.47

I have ran 2 Full Marathons. (Running being a loose term here)

First time in 2012 , I didn't really have much clue as to training safe/wisely...I burnt myself out running most days of the week and came in at 5.19, crippled with niggles. I think I peaked about halfway through my marathon training and it took a dive after that..... I was happy to finish though. It was amazing!!

2nd time in 2016 I was very into strength training. I ran very little but strength trained about 4 days a week and ran long 1 day a week: I came in at 4.47 but was happy because I hadn't done much running, I felt strong, I had no injuries and was happy once again to finish. (Also I was 6 weeks pregnant with twins and didn't realise it at the time!!)

Now, at this stage and 3 years later I have decided to take it on again before my 40th birthday in December ! However, with work and kids, the time to train has become more difficult. I'm currently following the Program posted on FB and getting through it OK. I have done my 16km long run already this week(Went very slow and steady) and working the plan around my family life, which means my long run gets done whatever day of the week I can, not necessarily The weekends. Its going OK, but I do notice my energy can differ week to week, mainly due to having 3 kids 4 years and under and work.

So I guess my aim for this year IN ORDER! is to (a) get through it. (b) enjoy it! (c) prove to myself that I can still be fit despite being (Almost) 40 and (d) Making a slight improvement in time if possible

I find when I'm training like this that I get to the point where I can enjoy up to the 10 mile sort of distance perform badly and stop enjoying anything after that as much.

Right now I'd say I enjoy about 1 in 4 runs, haha. Most of the time I'm wondering why the heck I'm doing it! I try to do the park run when I can , because normally I run alone and its nice to see people! My best time recently has been 28 mins. I'm not naturally very speedy!

Not entirely sure what the best plan is for me going forward. ideally I would like to try and get one or two strength sessions in per week, as I think it would be a huge benefit, but its so difficult to fit it all in!

Anyway, Ive been enjoying reading all your posts and will continue reading for tips and advice :)

Laineyfrecks · 23-07-2022 12:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119372194#Comment_119372194

Hi marylou82, you are very welcome to the thread😊

Sorry to hear your 1st marathon didn't quite go to plan but your 2nd one seemed a lot better & how amazing running it carrying twins(however early the pregnancy was)

I completely understand what it's like trying to balance running with family life & work, you do have your hand full with 3 young children so fair play getting it done. Are you going to continue with the plan you are on or switch to one of ours? I think it's completely normal for the runs to differ from week to week, that's life, sometimes things are going on in the background & of course that affects our runs but the main thing is not giving up, stay focused & consistent & you will get to the start line hopefully well prepared 😊

Hopefully we can help with your main aims when running this, I did my 1st marathon when I turned 40 too & now at 44 I feel this is the fittest I've ever been😉

I too strength train a couple of times a week but would push it back to just 1 session if I feel its too much when the miles ramp up! It's something you can judge as the plan goes on, running a good marathon is the main aim.

As far as enjoying running have you tried listening to music or podcasts?

I'm glad you have been enjoying the thread so far, any questions just ask! Best of luck with your journey 😊

Sammy2012 · 24-07-2022 1:21pm

Week 4 completed.

Tuesday 5k @ 6.12 pace

Wednesday 6.4k @ 5.58 pace

Thursday 5k @ 6 mins

Today 14.5k @ 6 mins

Feel good after my run today. It was lovely as even though it was humid it was raining so nice for running. Training going well at the moment. Just to ask im following the hal higdon novice plan want to the half marathon in phoenix Park in Sept so would I just substitute my run that week for the half? The plan has me doing 19.3 that weekend.

Murph_D · 24-07-2022 2:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119380024#Comment_119380024

That race is built in to our version of Hal Higdon, linked in the first post, so have a look at how the week is structured around it. Nice work this week.

Laineyfrecks · 24-07-2022 2:27pm

For anyone looking to be added to the strava group, you must private message me here 1st to match up your boards name with your real name.

Cheers 😊

Turkish1 · 24-07-2022 5:23pm

Week 4 done,

Monday, Wednesday nice easy 6/7km.

Tuesday a good intervals session 5x4min on 2min off.

Saturday, got the long slow run of 21km in, pace was at 6 per km for first 16 and then kicked on to do PMP for last 5

Recovery this morning of just over 5km.

Overall nearly 60km done, legs a little tired after yesterday but it may also have been the bottle of wine last night....

Overall another good week in the legs and interested to see how the longer runs go now as have never ran more than 21km.

Laineyfrecks · 24-07-2022 6:59pm

Week 5

Less than 100 days to go 😮 - the weeks are really flying by now.

The weekly reviews seem to be proving popular, and they are very useful for us mentors in identifying potential areas for improvement in your training.

- Did you get in all the runs on your plan - if not, then why not?

- Did you run the runs at an appropriate pace?

- Are your friends/family fed up of listening to you talk about running and the marathon yet? 😉

There's no time to rest as we press on with week 5:

As you'll notice, there are sizable increases in mileage for both plans this week, with the Hal Higdon long run hitting double figures for the first time. This will be unchartered territory for many of you - keep the paces easy as advised and you'll have no problems. Any queries or otherwise - just ask! Once again the boards crew have strides this week - the majority of the run should be at easy pace with the strides ideally towards the end. Keep the strides controlled - they should not be a flat out sprint. Focus on form, relaxing the shoulders, and importantly allowing full recovery between strides.

Just to refresh you on strides:

Strides are a running drill which will get you used to picking up the pace on tired legs without leaving your legs wrecked! In this case the strides prescribed should be 100m or 20-30 seconds long. We recommend you do the strides towards the end of your run preferably on a flat stretch of even road. These are not intended to induce fatigue, so allow for full recovery after each before attempting the next one. Jogging back to the start after each stride should allow sufficient recovery, but take longer if required. You can include these in the prescribed mileage or you can add them on as a little bit extra - either option is ok.

Each stride consists of 3 equal parts:

- controlled acceleration

- sustained speed of up to 90% of your max speed

- controlled deceleration

The important thing is to focus on form throughout; stay relaxed & run tall, watch that the shoulders aren’t being hunched/tensed up! Remember these are not a sprint, you should feel in control!

Best of luck with the week ahead😀

masterK · 25-07-2022 9:14am

I was away on hols for most of the the week so was slightly short on the boards plan, had also swapped week 4 and week 3 around.

My runs were

Monday - 8km (5.43 pace)

Wednesday - 8km (5.54 pace)

Saturday - 10km (4:38 pace) - I went at this full throttle, finished in 46m25s which I was delighted with as I hadn't run hard for at least 4 months (though the hamstrings are still sore today 😀)

Sunday - 5km (6:00 pace)

Overall I was happy with this week, I've managed to slow the pace in the slower/recovery days.

Like probably everyone else this weeks LSR will be my longest ever run, likewise the total weekly distance will be my most ever so looking forward to see how I manage it.

Dublinlad1989 · 25-07-2022 9:36am

Weekly update:

This was my first full week running the plan and the most i've run in one week in a considerable amount of time. I'm using the Hal Higdon plan

Monday - 5km @ 6.23 per KM. This was in about 27 degree weather

Tuesday - 7.5km @ 6.24 Per km

Wednesday - 5km @ 5.35 per km. Wanted to try out a faster pace and it felt fairly comfortable

Thursday Rest

Friday - 5km @ 6 min per km.

Saturday - 10km @6.43 per km. LSR. Longest distance i've ran in nearly 3 years so went nice and slow.

Sunday - rest

Overall felt really good to get back training, not really worrying about time at all just mainly focusing on getting the runs in and building up some consistent training. Nearly all of my runs this week were at an easy pace apart from wednesday.

Looking forward to the plan this week with a 10mile run on Saturday

MisterJinx · 25-07-2022 10:13am

I'm similar to masterk and Dublinlad, highest weekly milage ever last week with week 4 of the boards plan. No ill effects from the hill sprints and got plenty of time on the feet and slow running as was out a lot with my wife which helps keep me in check!

Great to get the lsr in on Sunday in the pp, it was a little harder than I expected and I welcomed a couple of forced breaks at traffic lights and railway crossings as it was warm but otherwise all good.

AntrimGlens · 25-07-2022 11:47am

Week 6 done for me

Monday - 7 miles steady @ 8.15 min/mile

Tuesday - S&C for 30 mins

Wednesday - 10 miles @ 8.31min/mile

Thursday - rest day

Friday - 90 minutes bike

Saturday - 2 miles w/u, Parkrun, 2 mile c/d Parkrun time 22.04.

Sunday - 16 miles with 6 @pmp (First 9 miles @ 9.10 min/mile, 5@ 8.10pmp, 1 @ 9.20.

total weekly mileage - 40 miles plus 25 bike

All going well so far.

Wednesdays run was not intended to be that pace. I ran 3 miles before club training and then due to lack of people at training the A group just wanted to do a steady run instead of the hill reps session we were scheduled to do.

Still a bit of a niggle in the hamstring when encountering hills and the final miles on my long runs. Have an MRI appointment on the 4th august, so I'll see what that says. I've noticed my heart rate is higher than I'd like it to be and some runs are more of an effort than they would usually be. Looking back at my data I can see from when I got Covid in March that my heart rate is higher on most of my runs now. Will keep an eye on this and may have to slow things down.

l3m0n5 · 25-07-2022 3:32pm

Week 4

Mon 5,3 km 34:09 6:28/km -- Never though I'd break my 30c cheery at home.

Wed 6,7 km 44:52 6:45/km --

Thu 8,1 km 48:22 6:00/km --

Sat 21,1 km 2:18:19 6:33/km -- A humid day for this but my splits stayed around the 6:30 mark the whole way bar the hill at 7 km

Sun 5,0 km 32:39 6:31/km -- Doing a 5 k the day after doing a h/m and not having any major aches is a nice check box to mark off

Total of 46.1 k for the week.

This week is going to be a little harder to get it all in as I'm on call this week. I might need to do my long run Monday as I should be able to get some cover from the team in the UK during business hours.

TheRef · 25-07-2022 3:57pm

Week 4: Boards Plan

Only got back from 2 week holiday on Sunday and spent Mon & Tues getting back into it - very very hard with almost no running while away and the afternoon heat last week, so started back on Wed with the plan. Target: break 4 hours (5:41/km)

Wed: 9km @ 6:01/km

Thur: 6.5km @ 5.43/km (not sure why I went quicker than planned - likely just to prove to myself after Mon & Tues)

Fri: Rest. A little nervous about the LSR coming up

Sat: 22km @ 6:16/km

Sun: 6.26km @ 5:38/km

Total for week: 61.67km

Really struggling to go slow when the distances are short. Between Feb and June, all my runs were minimum 10k with LSRs being 16-20km. I've been feeling pretty ill over the last week and was debating putting off the LSR till Sun, but gave it a lash and got through.

Still wondering if I will go out at 5:30/km when the day comes.

Using Fenix 6x Pro, and HR hovers just under 150. Debating whether to get a chest strap to check accuracy, as never ever seem to get HR <130 while running. I'd be walking I reckon.

Laineyfrecks · 25-07-2022 10:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119383552#Comment_119383552

Great to see the paces slowed down😊 So you ran the 10k on the Saturday as a kinda TT?

Laineyfrecks · 25-07-2022 10:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119383632#Comment_119383632

Great to see the consistency here & great to see most of the runs were done easy, as we have already discussed it's best to stick to the easy paces for all the runs as directed on the plan especially now as the miles start ramping up, main aim is to get to the start line in one piece.

Best of luck with this weeks training 😊

Laineyfrecks · 25-07-2022 10:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119383782#Comment_119383782

Great to hear the week went well. You are lucky to have some company for the runs and great to see she's keeping you in check, saves me giving out🤣

Nothing beats a LSR in the PP!

Best of luck with this weeks training😊

Laineyfrecks · 25-07-2022 10:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119384194#Comment_119384194

Best of luck with the MRI appointment, hopefully you get some answers.

I know there have been a lot of people on this forum saying their HR was higher after Covid, mine too but a good few weeks of just easy running helped get it back to normal. Good idea to keep an eye on this & slow things down if necessary!

Best of luck with this weeks training 😊

Adiaga 2 · 26-07-2022 8:20am

Week 4 done!

Monday rec 5.36km pace 6:22 / km

Tuesday easy 5.26km pace 6:01 / km

Wednesday 8.29km w/ hills x5 (actually I lost count and did 6 :-) )

Thursday easy 6.64km pace 6:15 / km

Sunday 22km LSR pace 6:09 / km

Felt the week went well enough. Fairly tired on Sunday after the long run. But it was a busy enough couple of days Friday, Saturday - non-running related. 22km is as far as I've ever run so the next few weeks are going to be interesting.

I've been using the NRC app and Strava for all runs. I've noticed that the runs on Strava are usually a couple of hundred metres longer than NRC. I'm going to trust the NRC metrics. So as a result my pace looks off on Strava - a few seconds faster. The paces listed above are from NRC.

- Are your friends/family fed up of listening to you talk about running and the marathon yet?

This made me laugh! And I'd say it's a definite 100% yes! I copped on to it a couple of weeks ago and am much more careful now. Not to get too serious but I feel really lucky to be doing this. Have a young family and it is a big ask to be heading out for your hobby 5 days a week.

Anyway, on to week 5 now. It really is flying by.

masterK · 26-07-2022 8:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119387126#Comment_119387126

Yep, I'd swapped week 3 and 4 of the boards plan around (done week 4 then week 3) therefore effectively did a solo version of the Fingal 10k this week if that makes sense

Dublin334 · 26-07-2022 8:56am

Week 4 update

Delighted to get all the runs completed as per Boards Plan.

Got the 3 easy runs in @6min/km and kept HR in Aerobic Zone (125-135 for me). Enjoyed (kind of) the LSR @6.05 min/km. It was lashing rain for the first hour which in hindsight I think really helped keep my body temperature down and HR steady. Definitely better running in the rain than the sun/heat. I tried an Energy Gel and water break at the half way point and the gel didn't cause any stomach issues. Not sure how much of a difference it made but I just want to get comfortable with using them on the long runs.

Looking forward to week 5 as the LSR will be the longest distance I have ever run.

68 lost souls · 26-07-2022 9:44am

Week 4 done successfully although now I seem to be getting a cold, had two naps on Friday and was wiped the ret of the weekend. Tested negative for covid but felt like I was hit by a bus. Took a day off work yesrday and spent it in bed. Thinking about skipping todays session to give myself the extra day to recover. Doing a round of Inscyd Testing in Thursday so want to make sure I'm right for that.

Tuesday - 5km easy at 6:01/km HR 139

Wednesday - 2000m swim in the AM, 8km easy with hill repeats 6:20/km at 145bpm avg (higher due to hills)

Thursday - 6.5km easy 6:07/km at 141bpm

Saturday - 22.5km LSR 6:30/km avg 144bpm

Sunday - GPS went a stray in the forrest I was exploring but around 4.5-5 km in 30 minutes at 132bpm

Laineyfrecks · 26-07-2022 9:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119385671#Comment_119385671

Good to see you back on plan. Most of your runs are too fast. If your PMP is 5:41km then your easy runs should be 45 - 60 secs slower so 6:26 - 6:41. As we have mentioned in previous posts it is very important to run your easy runs at the correct paces. I wouldn't worry too much yet about what pace you will go out at, plenty of time for that. Do you have any races coming up at all?

As for the HR strap, I have one & find it way more accurate than the wrist strap.

Best of luck with this weeks training & try slow down a bit more😉

Laineyfrecks · 26-07-2022 9:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119387842#Comment_119387842

Well done on another good week, great to see the correct easy paces! Look at you doing an extra hill, must have loved them that much😉

Well done getting all the runs done with other stuff going on, I know life can get so busy but its great to see commitment! I love your answer to the marathon question, I remember everyones eyes used to glaze over when I talked about my 1st one🤣 that's why this forum became so important to me, it was great to discuss things with like minded people!

It's ok to get a bit serious, I agree with you being lucky to be able to run 5 days a week with a small family & other commitments, to me that makes the big day even more special 😊

Best of luck with this weeks training!

Laineyfrecks · 26-07-2022 10:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119387849#Comment_119387849

Perfect that makes sense. Good going for a solo attempt!

Best of luck with this weeks training 😊

Laineyfrecks · 28-07-2022 11:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119391417#Comment_119391417

My apologies @TheRef my mind was in miles mode not kms when I wrote this. Your easy runs should be 28 - 38 secs per km slower than your PMP.

2022 DCM Novice Thread

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