DCM 2023 Mentored Novices Thread

I have done a Time Trial 5k in 24:30 and the Kilkee 10k at 53 minutes but nothing longer completed at race pace this year

Really enjoyed reading all the posts this evening. @Tribal Wardfare yours was the stand out and loved that you are now enjoying the whole thing. Nothing like being on a structured plan and building slowly and each week is an achievement. I’m currently injured and on week 8 of not running and I think your post really hit home about what I’m missing!

Anyway, lovely to see you all so settled and doing well. Look after yourselves now. Eat well, try and concentrate on hydration each day and make sure you are sleeping well. Try and carry water around with you all day or every time you reach for a coffee or other drink have 200mls of water first.

Sorry to hear that Runner2023 but it’s the right call if you aren’t ready. Get yourself right and there’s always next year.

Im looking at doing the Charleville HM in two weeks just need to organise real life around it. Seems like a very competive run though with a 2:30 cutoff

Charleville is a fast and flat half marathon that caters to runners of all standards. The 'international' bit is more because it crosses the border to loop around Kilmallock which is in Limerick. 😉

🤣 I've registered now so will see how it goes should I deload for it or run on semi tired legs. Any suggestions for km pace to target I did Kilkee in 53m this year but that was hilly and windy I would hope for maybe a 5:30km pace. I am fitter than I was but dont want to wreck myself either.

Week 9.

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

Yes ! Hit 34k as planned. Starting to motor again slowly after the injury lay-off so long may it last.

Did you complete all the runs at an appropriate pace?

Yes. Trying not rush things after the injury.

At the halfway point, what has been your favourite moment of the training to date?

Diving into the sea after a long run.

Is there any benefit to speeding up the long runs a bit around now? I am doing them at marathon pace plus 50 seconds or so, but I have been reading that getting down to marathon pace plus 30 seconds is a good idea as you get closer to the race, or to add some blocks at marathon pace into the middle of the long run. I am already at 32km for the long runs and don't intend on going longer, but may go faster if there's any benefit to be had.

In my (novice) opinion the safest way to improve the training effect of longer runs, if you absolutely need to do that, is to eat less (during). Carbohydrate consumption spares glycogen and disimproves fat burning, so by eating less you'll finish the run more glycogen depleted and with an improved ability to burn fat. It'll take longer to recover (your glycogen stores) but the alternative is to run them progressively faster and that risks mechanical injury. There is a counter-argument that training to a glycogen depleted state is stupid and pointless and lacks scientific basis; it's somewhat controversial.

However, on a novice marathon plan this is playing with fire either way. From personal experience, the kind of overtraining which happens without injury, i.e. remaining consistently under-recovered over a number of weeks, gets you in a debilitating hole you can't get out of quickly, and that's even if you manage to avoid getting sick or injured.

MIA the last few weeks online here between one thing & another..

Week 8 (14th Aug - 20th Aug)

4 runs this week including the Frank Duffy 10Miler (1.31) on the Saturday. Totalled 34km. No recovery run on the Sunday as ankles/feet were very sore so left it off!

Week 9 (21th Aug - 27th Aug)

4 runs this week. Totalled 30km. Pace session was very enjoyable and ran that at approx 6.23/km pace. Was out of country for a long weekend for the LSR and hadn't a hope of attempting it in 35/36degree heat! Although 30k+ walking steps a day done so some time on the feet!

Week 10 has the 30km LSR in the plan so will need to see how that goes whilst doing it after missing last weekends one..

Advice to anyone from outside driving distance who hasn't booked a hotel yet to do so asap for two reasons.

VAT rate increase at the end of the week and also 3rd level is back in a matter of weeks and there will be a huge demand on hotels for rooms from early October, anything left could be gone within the next fortnight.

For a novice runner I wouldn't suggest pushing the envelope at all. Yes, there is an argument to be made for adding 'stuff' to a long run but it's honestly not worth the risk. You might be a few seconds or up to a minute faster on the day if it all goes well. Better to box this year off and enjoy it. If you continue running you will find that consistency of training will bring you huge improvement next year.. probably 20 mins at least. Taking a gamble on getting faster by a few seconds this year just isn't worth it.

Hi, I'm a bit late to the party due to training for the Longford Marathon. However, I have been following this thread and trying to learn from it. I entered Longford after missing out on the first round of entries for the DCM.

Not sure if I need to give history, but I 'll try a briefly as I can. I'm 55 and basically started running after losing 5 stone about 2 years ago (I lost most of my weight by walking 2 x 5k twice a day as fast as I could and also cutting out all wheat based food. I spent 3 years in the gym and started training on the weight machines, but that just bulked me up more) via c25k. I then started Parkruns after the lockdown and then expanded that to races with my first one a 10k 26th December 21 and have kept on going and entering a race if its within a reasonable distance. I think I ran about at about 25 events last year which consisted of 10ks, 10 milers, half marathons and 3/4 marathons. I was due to run a marathon at Clonakilty but that got cancelled due to flooding. I went and entered the 1/2 (accommodation booked and could not cancel) and set about running the 2nd half on my own, which involved a lot of walking.

I started 2023 with a knee injury (probably due to overkill), which took about 3 months to properly heal. However, the injury didn't stop me, I continued with very easy runs and learned about low heart rate running. I have continued to run at more races and have started to travel to them (Kilkee, Belfast).

I followed the Hal Higden (app) Intermediate plan 2 for Longford and set a time of 4hrs 15. All went well on the day itself, until the halfway stage when head gremlins set in, and then it was crash and burn. I lost it big time. I tried now and again to run, but the will wasn't there. I carried on like that till the end. I eventually caught up with another runner who was also attempting to run / walk, we exchanged our injury problems, mine the head and his IT Band injury he picked up a few months ago and gambled on it being ok for the marathon. He told me that mind stuff wasn't good because of the tricks it could play on you.

Anyway, I eventually finished with a time of 4hrs 51 and felt absolutely mentally and physically drained. I'll take it as a learning experience and am now here hoping to move on and improve on my marathon journey by taking part and continuing to learn from this great thread.

• Have you raced before? If so what are your PBs? (Date and distance please!)

Yes, I'm a bit of an addict lol. I have ran in 8 half marathons this year, I think the best was about 1hr 57mins.

• Do you still need to take walk breaks in your training? (No problem if you do)

No, but I do sometimes depending on how I feel.

• 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 at the Longford Marathon and have been using Hal Higdon Intermediate 2 and ran the distance that gave per week, I think that maxed out at abbot 50k / week.

• What do you want to achieve? Dream finishing time and realistic finishing time? Or just complete it in no specified time?

I think at this stage I just want to run one, ideally 4hrs 30min.

• How many days a week can you train? And what plan do you intend to follow?

I think I will follow the Boards 2023 plan, it seems to have more variety.

• What is your biggest worry/fear/doubt (if you have any!) in signing up?

Crashing and burning - Psychological Issues

• Why are you running this marathon?

I see it as a personal challenge. Last year was my first full year running, I entered almost every event in my area. The longest distances were 3/4 Marathons, I ran both within 3 hours and would like to take the next step and run a marathon without the crash and burn.