DCM 2023 Mentored Novices Thread

Week 6 & 7 Update (never got around to updating last week)

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

Week 6 did the usual 5 days running/ 1 day cross / 1 day rest

Week 7 I took 2 days rest/ ran 5 days. One reason was that my cross training gym class was not on for the Bank Holiday Monday but I also noticed my right knee starting to feel weak after the runs. I haven't been tracking the mileage on my runners as well as I should have and noticed they were a bit more worn than I expected. Managed to get a new pair on Friday before the LSR and my knee is starting to feel stronger after every run. I'll keep close attention to it and have it looked at if it isn't 100% by the weekend.

- Did you run the runs at an appropriate pace?  

Week 6 the pacing was good and was very comfortable on the LSR on the Saturday. I have been doing parts of the Marathon course just because I am the sort of person that will be better prepared mentally knowing what is around the next corner. This week I went Templeogue/ Milltown/ Roebuck Road/ UCD piece.

Week 7 the pacing was OK. I am finding myself questioning my pace on the MP runs and if I will be able to do it for the full Marathon. I was doing that before the Fingal 10k and I was surprised at how well I felt running that day and it helped me settle back into training. I am hoping the 10 mile this week will settle me again for a few weeks. For the LSR, I changed my route to go through Dublin City/ Patrick St/ Manor St/ into Phoenix Park and out to Walkinstown. I was definitely more tired finishing the 14m on this part of the route than the 16m doing the second half of the marathon route last week. It was only LSR so I had energy left but I could definitely feel a difference. I know someone suggested going slower on the first part of the Marathon due to warming up and the incline and I am really glad for the tip and think it would suit me better to run that way.

Yay 🤗

For those with Garmin watches, there's a PacePro feature available in the web-based Garmin Connect which will allow you to design a pacing strategy based on the exact Frank Duffy 10 Mile course which will take into account elevation changes and your preferred approach to hills.

To use this, follow this link - Copy of Frank Duffy 10 Mile - and then "Create PacePro Strategy" from bottom right.

Once you've created it, select Send to Device, sync using the phone app (I think) and then when you're about to start a Run activity, hold the left middle button, select Training, PacePro Plans, and there it is.

This is the first time I've used this and can't vouch for it or the course (although it looks right compared to the official route PDF) but I'm going to try it out in case it comes in useful for The Big Day.

This is the instruction page for PacePro for my watch (Forerunner 265) and there ought to be similar for whatever you have.

How likely is it that you'd be able to grab 2 water bottles at a single drinks station on race day? 10x250mls at the drinks stations doesn't sound like enough at the rate I'm going through water, although it is summer I suppose.

They're fab! 👌🏽 Did you say you brought them out on runs? Do they not go all melty?

Oh no … I leave them in the car for after.

I actually have a running chassis that attaches to our buggy seat. Bought it as a present for other half when he first took up running. Cost 400€. Used thrice! 🙈🙈🙈

Thanks for this! Never knew there was such a feature 😊. Just a heads up that it looks to be the old Frank Duffy route. The old route went along the North Road behind the zoo and finishes after a climb up Upper Glen Road whereas the new route goes back up the avenue including a lap of the 15 acres. It finishes after doing the Ordnance Survey / Furze triangle.

I'd caution against using this feature in any race situation to be honest. I set it up for DCM last year thinking it would help keep me on track, but I realised very quickly that I was making decisions based upon what my watch was telling me instead of what my body and head were saying. I switched screens after a few hundred meters and ignored the feature.

Just looking back at last years data - my first km was 12 seconds slower than what I had set in the strategy, mostly because of traffic and a few nerves. I remember feeling under pressure thinking I needed to make up time somewhere, so I decided to just ignore it and use my normal training screen.

Remember as well that none of us have any idea of conditions on the day will be like. I actually remember running the Crumlin road a few weeks before the marathon last year where it was calm and overcast as I started up the road, but by the time I got to the hospital, there was a howling wind and driving rain. On the day itself it was again calm for me but I heard it got difficult about 45 mins later. You'll need to figure those things out as you go, so again, just be careful relying upon the tech.

OK, so the consensus here is that Garmin PacePro is more trouble that it's worth. Thanks!

Continuing the approach that the best way to get good information on the internet is to post bad, I'll share my pacing strategy for Saturday, which is (tells self) just a bit of fun.

Inspired by this article, my plan is:

• First 10k at 5:00/km, 4 seconds/km slower than half-marathon pace guesstimated from my recent-ish 10k PB.
• Kms 11,12,13 at 4:50/km, 10s/km slower than my 10k PB pace.
• Kms 14 & 15 at 4:40/km, my 10k PB pace.
• Final km at 4:20/km, my 5k PB pace, which will probably feel like a sprint of death.

...the end result of which would be 1:18 dead.

I'm not sure (@Murph_D ?) whether the pacers will be running even splits (adjusted for hills) or negative splits, but given that the forecast is wet and windy I'll be looking for the biggest lad in the 80 min group to shelter behind for the first 10km and not worry if the actual pace is a bit slower.

I have the usual nervousness about the absurd hubris of writing down a target time, but this is a safe space, right? Riiiight? 😀

I never signed up for Tullamore half before it sold out, so I guess I'm just doing a race pace training run!

I know there are plenty of half marathons I could do, but I think I'd prefer to stick to the runs as per the plan than try juggle to fit it in somewhere else

I'll try treat it like a race as much as I can.

The medieval marathon is on in Kilkenny the weekend before the Dublin HM and in addition to the half has the, eh, intriguing option of 30k.

It'd be like the 20m run scheduled for the weekend before but with added clapping 😂

edit: for avoidance of doubt I'm not planning on racing 30k 🤣

The weekend before the DC half, not the full. So it just brings forward by one week the race you'd be doing anyway.