You spin me right round baby

Practice Loops

Its November, Eddie Murphy run time when Sixmilebridge gets invaded by runners all hell bent on getting dizzy running around the same 1 Mile loop of the village. For the members of BMOH this is a normal experience as we use this circuit and the hill mostly for our Thursday night speed sessions. I hadn't been down in a while but as I had to pick up essentials for Friday and Saturdays Directors run’s, I decided to get the feel of the loop again. Session was 2 loops @ 5K pace. Coming to the end of my second loop, a car pulls along side, a wee Cavan girl is hanging out the window trying to hold a conversation with me. Believe me it was one traffic. Brenda O’Keeffe was the first of the lunatics to arrive in Sixmilebridge. Between now and Sunday evening a few more would drop by. Finished the session in 13:30. Happy enough not to be doing 26 at anywhere near this pace on Sunday.

Directors Runs

This year to accommodate Gerry Forde we ran the directors run on the 10 in 10 course as it would be madness to have him going around the village all day on open roads. It wasn't long before the early starters arrived. Brenda came filled in her registration form, I handed her a number, 100. The significance of this I at the time was totally unaware of. Soon all runners where on the course and the only issue this morning was a flood at of 6-8 inches deep and 50M long but was dealt with before the later starters got to it.

Saturdays race was to say the least a different experience. We had two participants miss turns and ended up getting lost. After finding both them and getting them back on the course the rest of the day passed without incident. We may need to invest in GPS tracking devices for runners next year. Once the day was over I was now free to run the race tomorrow. My 25th Marathon on home turf and I was really looking forward to this. I got home with ever intention of a quick 3 miles to clear the pipes and get an hour or two’s kip, but herself indoors was sick so that idea went out the window. Off to a gig and home by 3 AM herself still sick, finally she settled down and I got to sleep somewhere between 5 and 6.

Dalmatian Day

I woke a 9 with a sore throat dry lips and my own stomach doing flips. If it wasn't for the fact it was my 25th I would have smashed the alarm and gone back to sleep. I got up everything was ready from the night before logged on to Facebook for any updates on the Double, then saw that Don Hannon had let Brenda's cat out of the bag and that she was half way through her hundredth marathon. Got to the start just before the 30 miler start still not feeling great. Decided this was going to be a long slow burner with the objective of just finishing it. Eamon Dargan was present with his 100th Marathon Medal and Singlet just before the start. Pretty soon we where starting and I was with Eamon and Paul for the first few miles. Meet Brenda at the water station, I was scolding her about keeping her 100th quiet when she informed me I gave her the 100 number on Friday morning much to her amusement. Eamon had crowned this his Dalmatian Day Marathon but unfortunately it was not to be. He was struggling for his breathe on the hill the fifth time around and pulled up shortly afterwards. No doubt he will get to run the Dalmatian Day again. Paul had pulled ahead a bit and I was started to catch him but he was heading for pit stop when I caught him. I hooked up with Fozzy for a fast lap or two just to help clear the pipes. And boy did they clear I hope no poor unfortunate soul had to use that toilet for the day. Once I returned to the course I really felt good and started to run about 8 Minute pace very comfortably. Hit 10 Miles with 1:32 on the clock meaning I was on 4 hour pace. Didn't even bother to slow back down I was in a zone, it doesn't happen often but the faster I ran the more comfortable I felt. Passed half way 1:57 on the clock and just kept going passing runners along the way. Only Mick Curley Cunningham had passed me in that period.

The difference in a year

Running improvements are not things that happen overnight, but over a long period of time. Last year I was struggling at the tail of the race when my Friend Thomas passed me cruising at the start of his. Today I rounded the start finish and there was Thomas in the distance, but I was catching him fast. Thought to myself he must be really struggling. I caught him at the bottom of the hill and said Hi and bombed up the hill leaving him in my wake to the tune of “A whole lotta a rosie”. I don't know who was the more shocked him or me at the time. While Thomas appeared to be going slow he still knocked out a 7:05:11 for the double Marathon. This time would have been good enough to win any of the previous running's but again there was a faster runner ahead. Maybe next year he will get that elusive title.

One and One is Three

Doing sums while you are running and even going well just does not add up. Coming to the end of 20th lap, I looked at the clock 2:53:xx so to get home in sub 3:45 in needed to run 10K in 48 Minutes that's six 8 minute miles, so Lewis its Hammer Time. That's the silly conversation I had in my head the reality was 1) I had only 6 miles to go not 10K and 2) I had 51 Minutes to cover them. Lesson you cannot add and run at the same time. I set off for the next 2 laps at under 8 minute pace only to realise my error on the beginning of the third. I slowed up the pace but in doing so for some reason it was the first time today the wee hill was tough. I set about not letting it beat me and I was determined not to walk one inch of the course. Job done and got home in 3:44:02. My third fastest time ever and only my third time under 3:45 so all things considered I was extremely happy.

Medals

The one downer of the whole weekend was when Richie informed me on Friday night that there was an issue with the finishers medals, which would not be resolved in time for the event. This meant runners completing on Sunday would not receive their finishers medal on the day. With respect to everyone not one person was put out by it. I did not have that issue as I would receive my 25th Marathon Medal. On my arrival that morning I had one important job to do, ask Tom if he would do me the honour of presenting me with my 25th Marathon Medal. In my mind there never was going to be anyone else for this job. Tom has always be a source of support both as a mentor, friend and competitor in recent years and someone I always like to bounce ideas off every now and then. Tom did the honours and Derek Mackessy also picked up his 50th Medal. The bold Dennis however out did us all and got the cake.

Hiroshima Nagasaki Russian Roulette

Crouch, Hold and Engage

Since my recent health issue regarding my bowel a trip to the Doctor to get a 2 week course of steroids was needed. The issue with this is as the inflammation reduces my time on the white bowl increases. Coming up to Dublin the last thing I need was to have to Crouch, hold and engage in the Phoenix Park on Monday in front of 14,000 runners. A couple of Miles running normally has a loosening effect so I was worried. So on Sunday evening after having bulked up with loads of fibre in the two days beforehand, I set about clearing the pipes. A quick 4 mile run along the Canal on my return from the Expo did just that. Nearly ran over several Danish runners congregated in the Hotel Lobby on my return.

Fuelling

I woke around 6:15 that morning As I sat opposite Thomas eating his bowel of porridge on race morning I had in front of me a full Irish. Three salty rashers, black pudding and One sausage, my thinking was while not exactly your ideal Glycogen generating food but I felt I had ate enough of that the night before at the pacer meal. This morning was about salt intake and no better way to do this but a good old Full Irish. Later in the day I would conclude that this was indeed a good strategy

Early Race

Soon there are 42 single winged butterflies lined up for photo shoot at the start and we then make our way to the appropriate start area. The change in the start area by placing wave 2 and 3 away from Fitzwilliam Street really worked. Pretty soon it was our turn in Wave 2 to make our way to the start. At exactly 9:10 we the off and after crossing the line together Myself Dave and Mark split up Dave at the front and I was at the rear with Mark in the middle. The course been different this year meant going through the liberties, while there was decent enough support along here, but it was narrow at times and as a result we lost about 30 seconds. Once we got back on the quays it opened up and the time was soon made back up. Hit 10K and from here on the support was excellent especially Castleknock. Overall I liked the new course layout and the first half ticked off without major drama.

Carnage

One single word to describe what was happening around me at 12 noon somewhere around UCD. This been my third time to pace Dublin and this time I was pacing 4:10 or more like running and passing runners who had absolutely no interest in picking up and running with me. Normally some that fall off the pace group ahead mumble profanities as we pass them and make some effort to come home with you, today this never happened. On checking the results later I noted I passed 2500 participants in the second half of the race. This to me was a staggering statistic and the main contributing factor was the weather and runners not adjusting their goal time to reflect this. Anyone who got their time on Monday has more improvement to come, however the majority failed to readjust their goal for the conditions including some very experienced runners. Three of the pace team had DNF for various reasons again another indicator of how tough conditions where out there. For those who feel disheartened by the race the best cure is to go away learn the lesson, target a race in spring and do it again. The marathon is the hardest race to conquer but when you do there is no better felling in the world. At the end of the day I held my end of the bargain and came home in 4:09:41. My 10K, half-way and 30K splits where never more then 10 seconds off what they should have been so I am happy under the circumstances to have had a good day at the office. While my PB would allow me to pace faster I was glad today I wasn't as 4:10 still took an effort greater then I would have expected it to that morning.

Hundreds of Marathons

After breakfast my roommate Brian commented that today Dave Brady would break his record of most Marathons in a Calendar year. Well Dave did just that along with Collete O’Hagan who ran her 300th Marathon. Both of these runners are the most down to earth and honest people you are likely to meet on the roads and great ambassadors for the sport. Also on the Larry Rigney did his 250th but don't tell anyone and Lucy Foley hit the magic 100.