Time revision and postmortem

Well my official time was less than my real time cos there was a 7 minute lag from start of the race to the time I crossed the startline (8000 people ahead of me)

Official time was 4 hours 36 mins and 35 seconds.
My weight upon completion was 75 kgs, and my legs were like bricks and mortar.

It is 2 days later now and I feel fine and want to run again! I really enjoyed the training, and I'd say if I hadn't smoked or drank much, I could have easily done a sub 4 hour time, who knows probably sub 3.30?

I would be very interested in giving up the fags and seeing what difference it makes in another marathon (Paris, Rome, in spring 2010 anyone??!!) , because although I wasn't ever out of breath, maybe the amount of oxygen getting to my muscles isn't what a non smoker gets. Therefore I can't go at a very fast stride. My stamina was fine but I wasn't as fast as I thought I'd be.

My strategy was simple. Run at an easy pace for the first 13 miles and then pick it up if I could and aim for 4.15.
A number of things happened to thwart me on this. I realised that my watch wasn't calibarated exactly and it was saying I was running a faster pace than I was. At 10 miles it said I had 11 and a bit. By the end of the marathon I had run nearly 29 miles according to my watch.
There were pacesetters who were running for 4.30 wth big pink balloons attached. But they were so far from me at the start I never saw them again! This was obviously worrying but I figured they will start fast but then tie up a bit toward the end.

So my strategy was fine- comfortable, and after mile 13 I did pick up the pace for the next 6 or 7 miles- Gill met me at mile 18 and I was happily overtaking runners and feeling very strong.
The distance for mile 22 -26 was nasty for me. My calf wanted to cramp, but thankfully didn't, and my stride became choppy. Having not ran further that 3 hours and 15 mins in training, I find myself finding another hour and a half on my legs and they didn't like that much. I will commend myself for one thing, my mind was strong and there was never even the slightest suggestion from the innerworkings of my mind that i should stop, stretch, not make it etc. The crowds along the way were amazing and the Spar had samba music and dancing outside each of the shops en route. Really picks you up. One guy I was running with for a while was doing the entire marathon backwards. Crazy guy, but he was great fun.
I also stayed relatively steady throughout besides slowing down in the last few miles as I hung in there and tried to enjoy the day as opposed to beat a time.

Lessons learned: Take the marathon in 3 mile blocks and ensure the pace is correct for each block. This helps the mind focus as well. EG to finish in 4 hours (240 mins) 1 mile should be done in 9 mins 15 seconds. Therefore 3 miles should take less than 28 mins.

Stretch, stretch and stretch before the start. I did a small bit but should have done 1/2 hour to an hour. Yoga would be perfect. I had little niggles in my back for the first 10 miles that I wouldnt have had if the stretching was adequate. damn 9am start!

You need to take the gels ( 3 or 4 during the race) and sip the water constantly. I did this part well.

In training, run for 4 hours, even if it is dead slow. That way the body is used to it and I could accelerate more in the marathon,

The winner was a 19 year old Kenyan. 2 hours 9 minutes. Never did a marathon before either. Bet his blogs not as good as mine though. I'll give him some tips if we meet.

Marathon Day! The culmination of March to October!

I have...drum roll....completed...cymbals...the Dublin Marathon 2009....cowbell...in a time of 4 hours 42 mins! Whoohoo!

Full report to follow at a slightly later time (when I can think straight) but I am injury and pain free and very happy with my performance.

Beautiful sunny day although the 9am start was interesting for my physiology and aversion to mornings!

Preparation and Pasta!

Less than 24 hours left. Getting a wee tingle alright.

Currently tucking into a ludicrously big bowl of pasta.
Collected my race number at the RDS yesterday and they have a big oul Expo for the runners there- stalls for every conceivable aid and advice you can imagine. I got a 1/2 hour pre race massage and some energy gels- that should be fine thanks..

Its apparently the 30th anniversary of the Dublin Marathon.

My Body: Feels fine- a little tight in my right calf. Breathing is key, as is rising early. Race starts at 9am. Need to be up and breakfasted at 7. Yuuch

Mind: Very strong. Very confident with training done and am focused on a time 4.15 - 4.30

Preparation: Will lay out my blue running top, shorts and running socks with my Asics Kayunos (faithful pedoservants). Will pack an energy bar to eat before the start of the race. Bring bin liner to wear to keep warm. Will stretch for 15 mins prior to start. Have 3 Gels to ingest, afetr 1 1/2 hours, 2 1/2 hours and 3 1/2 hours.
Finish (assuming I do) change into warm dry gear and eat, eat eat!

See you on the other side!

Sponsor me for FOCUS Ireland

http://www.focusireland.ie/htm/fundraising/events/showpage.php?pageId=1517

Very simple, click on the link and give a donation. Nice one!!

Danger Alert: One week to go!!

Jesus- its really happening! One week to go, all the hard work apparently done, so they tell me, (they being training schedule) and I should be well able to do it. So they tell me. Running for Focus Ireland. Collected 200 euro already from my gigs and passing the hat around..

Had a good week of training, but had a little scare too..

On Tuesday after playing tennis, badminton an soccer, I felt a little tweak just below my right hip.
I rested on Weds and ran 12 miles, a gorgeous run around the perimeter, in grass and autumnal woods in the Phoenix park. There are lakes there, and I also met a Stag. Big antlers. We just looked at each other from about 10 feet away. Very cool. Hip was Ok, not too many problems, I did some sprint training up any hills I could find for extra power

Friday, I played soccer and the extra power really showed, I winning balls and beating players that normally would beat me so very happy.

Saturday, as usual 4 nightly gigs this week, so it was a nice 3 or 4 miler with push ups and sit ups every minute of running. Really good workout and again just looking to improve overall strength.

Serious drinking on Sunday. Lock in, Guiness for strength!

Monday- just some light stretching today and push ups etc- and I'll play Badminton and soccer Tuesday and go for a 5 miler on Thursday and nothing just rest and stretvhing until THE BIG TEST.

Got my race number and it is the number of the beast, and the number of the beast is 11888.

Two weeks to go...

What will I do with this blog in two weeks? Will my newly found writing passion be extinguisged as fast as my newly developed muscles will atrophy?

Enough hypothesising and conjecture and down to the business of the blog.

No long run this week, instead I played tennis (1 1/2 hours) badminton singles (1 hour) and soccer ( 1 hour) all today, so that should be Ok.

Played Dad twice this week in tennis. He still has it. Very tough to beat, I bet him 3 sets to 0 the first time but today, I won the first set on a tie break 7-6 but then he humilitates me by winning the next set 6-0. Strewth. We had no more time for more but I'll get vengeance next week. The watch said you run about 3 or 4 miles in 3 sets of tennis. Not bad! He said I am as fast around the court as he has ever seen me. Its true, I'm a beast at the moment!

One ten miler to go before the big race. Gonna calm down on the drink a bit, just have a couple instead of many so I can give it my best.

The 21 miler, it is done.

All is well. Just back home now from the longest training run I will do before the big test itself. After a busy weekend of gigs- Thurs (Anglers Rest), Fri (Kildrought Inn), Sat (brasserie 15) and Sun (Rush bar) I took it very easy on the excerise- just a 4 miler on monday, Badminton and Footie on Tuesday and a quick 2 mile around the block with Gill on Saturday. I was feeling pretty glum on Saturday, probably as my body was expecting excerise but I wanted to drink heavily most of the week. I won out, and I though my body would get its revenge...

But, no such luck! decided to run to Rathcoole from my apartment in the city centre (10.5 miles) and return taking in the vista of the N7 and the red cow roundabout and Inchicore. Stunning. Especially at 8.30 - 11.45 Sunday evening. I must have looked quite the crazy fellow.

This took roughly 3.15 hours and was actually quite easy, no physical or respiratory discomfort at all. As the body got into a rhythm after 8 miles or so, it would have been harder to stop!

So 3 weeks to go and the nice news is that the training begins to 'taper' now and I'll just do some faster short runs. I think a sub 4.30 time is well within my grasp.
EDIT: had fish and chips, cup of tea and 3 fags with much relish to stock up on the 3,000 calories cruelly stolen from me by the N7