Marathon Improvers Thread.

Best of luck all, hoping for some great reports afterwards :)

Good luck everybody. It will be a great day.

A tough day at the office for me. Hamstring started giving trouble around 20miles. Finished in 3:06

Ran Frankfurt today, came home just under 3:29. Happy with it considering training has gone terrible since August.

The course is lovely and flat but the day was too warm for me. It got up to 21/22 degrees in the last hour. I have never seen so many people being treated by first aid, sitting down or walking.

I would love to do this course again on a cooler day and with proper training. Definitely a PB course.

3:27 for me today. I paid the price for going out for a 3:17, was tiring up Clonskeagh Rd then gave up trying when I got a stitch and the 3:20 pacers passed me.

It’s very well organised. Easy to get to. Entry similar to Dublin but you pay extra for the T-shirt. Hotel was cheap, €70 a night and 1k to the start. Flight was less than €100. If the temp was a bit lower it would have been perfect conditions.

I did miss running DCM but Frankfurt is a great option at the same time of year

A mixed bag for me today, I got a 10 minute PB, but was hoping for a sub 3.40 and expecting at least sub 3.45. So can't help feel disappointed at a time of 3.46.

In terms of marathon improvements, it is the last 6/7km that I need to focus on, that is where I tailed off today. Now I did go out with an anarchist plan of pushing on at pace for as long as I can, banking time and then dragging myself across the line if I had to. The purists would scream but I have done enough races now to be allowed to experiment a little! (And technically it did give a PB) I don't necessarily think that was the problem though, I always get disjointed in that last section whether I am going for negative split or not, I think it is a mental thing where my form changes as the end approaches, so will have to think about it.

The other improvement I intend to make is to look elsewhere for a marathon, there are just too many drags in the Dublin race. I know the total elevation is less than 200m but again its a mental thing, I just got frustrated with them today.

Well done to all runners today, hope everybody got their improvement!

I guess given the thread title today was a success. A 32 min PB but a very soft PB (3:58) that barring dropping dead was easily beatable.

Really wanted that <3:20 for the Boston Qualifier. Was nailed on for it up until mile 18. Feeling super strong until then. Mile splits were bang on, three or four literally bang on. Heading towards a 3:18:x and feeling really confident.

Started getting strong hints of cramp though out of the blue at mile 18 so dialled it back a little.

Said goodbye to the BQ at that point.

Quad cramp which is unusual for me. The reduced pace worked but any time I tried to ramp it up the legs said GFY.

Grand until mile 21, not back at pace but running at least until I got hit by a sniper.

Boom. Both legs gave out.

I immediately stopped. Two nuns came over to me and started shouting for a medic. Fook that I thought, there's no way I'm getting into no wheelchair, game bleedin over.

I stretched them out for about 45 secs then thankfully was able to start running again.

I ran the rest of the way, painfully, picking the pace back up again for the last 3m or so.

Came in 3:26:24

I had a great day yesterday. When I originally signed up for this in Nov 2019 I had just failed at another sub 4 attempt. Yesterday I ran it easy the whole way and finished just ahead of the 4hr pacers in 3:58.

I only ran Amsterdam a few weeks ago and got a new PB of 3:11 so yesterday was always just about taking it easy, just did it for the bobble hat and t shirt if I’m honest!!

Due to the fact that when I did sign up I had yet to ever go sub 4 I was in wave 3 yesterday, though I thought there was very little policing of bibs yesterday morning and I could have easily moved up a few waves. From what I remember this used to be far more strictly enforced.

Anyway, my plan was to take it easy because I still had plenty of fatigue after Amsterdam. I thought as it was my plan 3 years ago when I signed up that I would finally get my sub 4 by following the 4hr pacer that it would be sort of fitting to do that that yesterday even if I didn’t actually need a pacer if that makes sense!

Enjoyed the whole run from start to finish and got a great sense of accomplishment at the end to think I was now running sub 4 as an easy run.

Now I know some on here seem to take it very personally when anyone gives any sort of criticism of DCM, but like others have said in this thread and the DCM thread ,that’s me done with the Dublin Marathon.I think now it’s getting too pricey, even seeing now they will be charging €3 just to enter it,it just won’t sit well with people and doesn’t with me.

Will there even be a need for a lottery anymore anyways with close to 10000 people not showing up yesterday and with the price increase and ridiculous fee to enter I just don’t think there will be the same demand for a bib anymore.

Also even though I thoroughly enjoyed it yesterday I just know the course so well now it just doesn’t appeal to me anymore. I have no appetite to run up the Crumlin Road ever again. Like others I’m also just not a huge fan of some of the long drags it has. They are just my opinions on it, it’s not meant as a moan or anything but at the end of the day this is a discussion board and people are entitled to give their opinions whatever they may be.

That said, yesterday was great and what sets DCM apart is really the crowd support. The course won’t be changed anytime soon as they have the ‘fan’ zones down to a tee now. It’s a wonderful Marathon for your first marathon though and I was talking to loads yesterday who were running their first. The crowd really does have such a positive effect on everyone.It was great to be able enjoy it yesterday rather than be in a world of pain death march to the finish like I was in my 4 other previous attempts.

Time to take some time off now and take it easy, will start planning for next year in the next month or so. Im thinking maybe a crack at sub 3 might be possible, which sounds as crazy to me as anything considering where I was this day 3 years ago after finishing DCM with yet another failed sub 4 attempt.

Went with the 3:30 pacers.

Knee had been at me for 2 weeks and felt pressure at start but ok. At mile 2 I was sweating more that I thought I should be. Noticed the HR was up and thought we were in for a long day. At mile 17, 19 & 20 I did 8:12, 08:09 & 08:39 so knew the sub 3:30 was gone but figured enjoy the last 10k ,so long as you do it in an hour it's a PB (previous was 3:41). Was flying along, smiling at everyone. Did Roebuck no bother. Then just at the flyover, BANG. Both hamstrings and both quads cramped at same time. Stopped dead, sat down and stretched. I had a tub of bio freeze so used the entire thing on my legs. Got moving again.

Same thing happened on the stillorgan road. Was panicking about not finishing. Dug deep and gritted me teeth. Got a few shouts from people I know, that helped massively. Suddenly at blue carpet and then could feel the calf going. Stumbled across. 3:39.

I must have looked like death cos 3 medics came up to me and asked me if I was ok. Said it was just cramp and would be fine.

I drank about 3 litres of water and had 15 salt tablets. The heat, even though not excessive, it just sapped me. Saw plenty of people down getting medical treatment, hopefully all ok.

Will sign up to next year cos a mate might do the same but not sure if I'd do DCM regular after that. €110 is pretty expensive. And it's not just that. Like driving up to the expo to get the pack, I do 3 tolls twice, parking. Bus up and bus home. Ye wouldn't see much change from €200. But it's not a day for moaning.

Not the PB I wanted but over the moon with what I did

Jeez, mate, 3 litres of water and 15 salt tablets.... that just sounds wrong. Unless you're exaggerating for comic effect. I've cramped badly before, calfs and hamstrings and I've tried salt tablets. One or two, not 15. None of those things seem to work, at least not for me! Training seemed to be the only thing that helped me improve. Weird, eh!

Sub 2.55 was my goal and delighted to get In at 2.54.23 for a PB

A few have mentioned it already but I was sweating up unusually early too. It gave me a bit of a worry at the time as that happened to me in Limerick marathon in May. That time it resulted in me been dehydrated and falling to cramp at the latter stages.

I was determined not to let that happen again so prepared better on the fluid side and got myself in better condition too. I really enjoyed the race and the fantastic support as always in Dublin. Ran it with a mate from the gun to the finish which was ideal. Only communication between us was only ever positive talk. Legs don't feel too bad today although I do have 2 new lovely black nails on both my big toes.

I’m not hanging around anyway. Just now signed up for Manchester in April.

Anyone any recommendations for hotels places to eat etc all suggestions appreciated!

I would be more familiar with Liverpool and Anfield than Manchester and Old Trafford!

I presume there is an expo on the Saturday?

There's no expo for Manchester, at least there wasn't when I ran it in 2018 & 2019. You have to pick your number up on the Saturday though, usually from a hotel in the city.

I stayed at the Ibis Portland Street both times. It's very central, only a few minutes walk from the metro, and I seem to remember eating in Zizzi's, or was it Prezzo, on the Saturday evening. Not the cheapest hotel, but they offer late checkout (5pm I think) for a nominal fee which gives you plenty of time to get back and shower before heading to the airport.