Dumb and Dumber

That’s me when will I learn that I am not made of Titanium. Mile 23 in the lovely surroundings of the Demense of the National Park in Killarney and I am on the floor literally. I have done some hard races before but this is a pacing gig and its meant to be easy. Well it wasn’t and whose fault was that, mine of course. Roll back 2 days earlier, I had overnight accommodation lined up for a change which meant not having to drive down early before hand, that soon change as we picked up an early gig in Carrigaholt for 70th Anniversary of O’Currys GAA Football club the night before the race. Well the early gig turned out to be a late one which meant me home at 4 AM and still having to face into a 2 hour drive to Killarney. A bit more planning and I could have cut my drive in half If I somehow could read ferry timetables correctly. Arrived in Killarney at the appointed time of 8 AM after picking up two hours sleep in the car on the way down. Sure I’ll be grand have done this before. Set of with my pacing partner Norman whos always seemed to be in front of me by about a half a minute. The trick to paciong this race having done it before is to ignore the GPS watch and pace of the mile markers. Memory was a bit fuzzy but it soon came back that some markers would be out and they duelly where. Again don’t press the panic button and I trusted my pace. Ran with Eamon and Cathy and a few more for the first two laps. All seemed to be struggling with the warm conditions and the truth be known I wasn’t finding this to be easy at all. It was only on our third lap when myself and Norman hooked up again and we soon discovered our pacing bands differed which is why he thought I was behind pace and I thought he was ahead.  Third lap however both the heat and warm summer sunshine where finally got to me. Once we came out of Ross Castle loop for the third time I told Norman to hit away as I really didn’t think I could hold the pace any longer. Mile 23 came and I was just basically spent. Considered stopping but then realised I would be left here for a while and most likely have to walk/struggle to the finish anyway. So I just kept going, I could not hold the prescribed pace any longer and wasn’t even bothered either. Luckily we had no pacess at this point and Norman was going to get home on time anyway. Struggle to Mile 25 and discovered I was only down 30 seconds on 3:59:30 band, this lifted me and I managed to get my rhythm going again. We hit 26 where I had caught back up with Norman but suddenly we were down by more than a minute, panic stations, so we both picked up the pace which briefly made me experience a bout of dizziness, then I suddenly remembered that this marker was out last year so I dropped back again and fell literally over the finish line in 3:59:24. Chris clearly seeing I was in some distress helped me to where I could lie down, finally started to come around and a mug of Coffee with some chocolate soon revived the spirits. Quick shower afterwards and I said my goodbyes, still had to face a 2 hour drive home. Got to Farenfore and pulled in, slept for 3 hours in the car best sleep ever.

Winding it up

Mileage that is in preperation for the 50K in Portumna. Started once I cleared the 7 days antibiotic prescription with 65 Miles and two key sessions. 7 miles at HMP and a planned 4 * 5K MP loops on the Royal Canal Marathon. I only managed top complete 3 as the legs go very tired on the fourth rep. Needing to be in good shape for pacing Limerick the next week I backed off the last rep early. The run in Longford was another good event but you would expect no less from Brendan Doyle.

Going Solo

Due to unforseen circumstances my fellow pacer Paul was unable to be my partner in crime pacing 4 hours in Limerick and it ended up me doing the gig solo. I would be lying if I was a little bit nervous doing this for the 4 hour band but clearly the boss had the utmost confidence in me. I had this band last year and it was my third time pacing Limerick. At the start meet with Lizzie again, I think it was her third time in my pace group for Limerick. We had quite a big group form the start and lost a good chunk of time at the start, i didnt panic as the section from Limerick to UL is downhill so its easy to pick back up the time. Went through halfway in 1:59:41. The second half was a new course again but finally I think they have this part of the course got right. I thought that the congection of half coming against us on the out and back along Rosbrien road would be an issue but it wasnt in the slightest. We meet the the start of the half on this section and runners kept to there own sides. Shortly after this we hit the drag up to punches at which point the group discentigrated. I had taken it very easy to try and get as many up as the city section is normally quicker. We passed the 20 mile marker down 30 second but I stil only had a handful of runners. From there to the finish it was a matter of getting those home. Five of the group managed it. Some had hit for home early and where not seen again while others got caught and passed. Nothing you can do as a pacer other then a small bit of gentle encouragment and keep the pace as steady as possible. Crossed the line in 3:59:25 one second slower then last year. Job done.

Number 25

Celebration time in the Geogre for Paula and Desmond recieving their 25th Marathon medals. Not only that but time to congragulate Paula on smashing her PB the week before in Dusseldorf. I quered her about the guy with the balloon who finished with her, so she told me the tale of the 4 Hour Pacer cutting the course and finishing just behind her in 3:56 ish.

Back to Ballybeg

Hill trainig Ballybeg Woods, I do a 1 mile loop with three hills, One long one 400m and 2 very short steep ones (with hand rails). Six reps at 10K effort was the plan, on the last short one of the fourth loop my legs where like jelly so I canned the last 2. Didnt feel disappointed in not finishing the last 2 as this is always a toughie and with 2 marathons in the previous 2 weeks in the legs its best not to totally trash them. Took it easy over the weekend with 9 & 13 at steady pace. Sunday run was harder due to the unexpected clammy day and tempatures in the low 20’s and the hills around Thurles while the young fella and his mates watched the Banner rob Waterford of the League title. Intention was to do it at 8:15 (planned pace for 50K)but under the conditions it ended up been a little over 8:30. Mileage for the week 81 biggest week ever.

Not my Day

Landed early on Friday morning in Frankfurt, a quick 15 minute train from the Airport to the city centre rail station. Making my way to my hotel which involved passing into the metro/lower section of the station. To my surprise the area is where homeless, addicts seem to congregate to get there fix or root through bins. It is also smack bang in the Red Light district so my decision to book here due to its proximity to the start and finish areas could have done with a bit more research. Over the weekend I would have to pass through this area a lot and while it was uneasy I was never bothered in any way. Every modern city has these problems its just a surprise to see it 400 yards from one of the ECB head quarters the Euro Tower or maybe that's the irony of it. Safely got to my hotel but my Room was not available so I dropped of my bag and hit the expo. Much the same as other expos but you had to get Number, goodie bag and t-shirt at there different points. Picked up my Gels and was going to get my Pace Band but the queue was a bit too long so I headed back to the hotel. Chilled out for the day and wandered around to explore the sites and found the location of the cities Irish Bars.

Pretzel Run

Decided to do this and meet Gary and Neil at the start ran a small bit with them but their idea of a slow pace was a bit too quick for me so I let them off. Finished the run but the queue for the free Pretzels and Juice was a bit too much and I was getting cold so I went back to the hotel and vegetated for the day. Wandered out that night and found a Italian. Unfortunately been solo the owner could not justify wasting a table but sent me to the wine bar next door. I was able to order from the same kitchen but a reduced menu. Night before a Marathon simple food is always best so it worked out and at least she was honest enough in her reason for not seating me.

This is your Day

Rose at 6 o clock to get in 1 or 2 miles to loosen the bowel. Ended up doing close to 3 very easy miles to get the desired result. Perfect Conditions today for racing overcast, dry no wind and cool, so everything was lined up nicely, all that had to be done was run 26.2 miles in less the three and a quarter hours. Start area is good, you can use the main hall to shelter from the elements before making your way into your allocated corral. Everyone seemed to be shoved right up to the line with loads of room at the back. As I entered late I went to the back to avoid this. If the 2 pacers groups in this corral where instructed to go halfway up for 3 and at the rear for 3:15 the congestion would not be as bad. Took my first gel and picked up a GPS signal. Still took nearly 2 minutes to cross the line after the gun. As anticipated I would loose time over the first 2-3K which allowed me not to weave left and right or surge. When the gaps appeared I went through them. The warning about the GPS been unpredictable around the city proved correct so it was really not very useful at this point, in the end my watch read 43.4KM. After 3K I got up to pace and hit 5K mark bang on what I had predicted. Up to halfway things where going along nicely. Settled into a good rhythm and hit halfway at 1:38:09 bang on where I wanted to be. Plan was now to pick up the pace slightly after this and again at 30K mark. Things starting to get tough but I was getting through it until I hit 28K mark again still on time but I now had lost any interest in continuing on. I just didn't fancy having to hurt more for the remain 8-9 miles. Stopped took stock, if we were in the city I think I would have dropped out but as it was the furthest point from home, I decided to continue on at a slow jog. When I hit 32K I managed to pick up the pace to 8 min/mile pace and thought I would get in under 3:20. Once I hit 39K mark I realised that this would not happen either and the last 3k where a very slow jog to the finish. Excellent finish indoors with lights/music and pom pom girls. I was still really not in the form to partake with them. Crossed the line 3:21:51 and the only positives were I finished and now have a Boston Qualifying time of over 5 minutes for 2017 if I need it.

Teddy's Bear Picnic

Had arranged to meet the others afterwards for some cans which where in my bag at the drop point. On my way I passed the beer tent but on consuming some I immediately got sick. Same thing happened after Boston so I picked up my bag from the drop point and hit back to the hotel for an hour or two’s kip. Really think that the gels are causing this post marathon stomach issue. Meet up with the other afterwards and everyone else had a good race and nailed their targets. Some celebrator beers and food was had. A lot of food, and local beers in the 12 Apostle's. Also interesting to hear the thoughts of the four sub 2:45 runners at the table and some things to chew the fat on for the future.

Overall I was not disappointed with the run, My head just wasn't there on the day. The only time this has ever happened in a race but the lead up to this race was far from ideal and a work issue which I thought I could park for the weekend probably had a lot to do with this. As regards the race itself, considering the conditions that Dublin has got over the last few years, anyone looking for an Autumn Marathon should consider this instead of Dublin if you are chasing a time. Its just as cost effective as it cost me €350 for Flights and accommodation for 3 nights. Dublin would very nearly cost me as much.

Twenty Cents

All things considered running Galway Bay Marathon was always going to carry a big risk of flaring my recent knee issue. What the issue was I still don't know but the prescribed Define did the trick however it did aggravate my bowel. I was still mindful of this not getting done but as the course is six loops, two short one miles and four of 6 miles, the furthest I would be from the finish was 3 miles if anything went pear shape. Plan was first loop easy with 3 * 4 mile at Marathon Effort of 1 Mile recovery. Set this up on the watch as I was trying to line up the recovery mile with the start finish area to avail of the Porto potty and half way up the Prom is a public toilet. On the first loop I discovered I would need a 20c coin to enter but luckily the MCI support crew in Vincent was able to provide me with one. Race went to plan and pretty much as expected. Marathon effort was 7:40 pace which is way off where I would like it to be. Also 4 potty stops as expected added 6 minutes to my time on the day 3:51:26. With this in mind I still don't have a target set for Frankfurt yet. Unless the bowel calms down its unlikely that I will get anywhere near a crack at 3:15 regardless of whether my fitness level improves.

The Final Week

Last week was the final week to try and get any sort of sessions in. Planned midweek 10 Mile with 2 * 3 mile off 1 mile recovery went well and I finally hit the 2000 mark during that run.
Saturday was a rest day and a long awaited trip to Amphibian King in Oranmore to get deck out in a new pair of running shoes. Nice flashy pair of Munzio Inspires which on first impressions are very comfortable. May even be the shoe for Frankfurt but again decision to be made next week on this.
Sunday was the last session before the taper, 14 mile with 2 * 4 mile Marathon Efforts of 1 mile recovery. Very hard as it followed the celebration of my Daughter Lorraine's 18th Birthday. Shots and marathon training are definitely not compatible. I got through this in 7:35 pace so at least the fitness is coming back and even the new scud missiles from the doctor are having a positive effect on the bowel. Only one potty stop on this one.
Two weeks of Taper madness started as per usual, everyone at home has some flu/bug and I am getting the usual craps/tightness/niggles everywhere. Wont have it any other way. Frankfurt –12 Days

Corner Turned

Finally able to get back to running this weekend. Reverted back to the Doctor who accessed the situation. Time for an Anti-Inflammatory. Difenee which comes with a bad rep of side effects notable that it may (and has) aggravated my Bowel. So one thing gets fixed another thing breaks. Going to persist unless my Bowel shows signs of bleeding. Course of tablets for 10 days. The real issue may be what happens when I come off them, will my symptoms return? Hopefully not as I am not a believer in taking tablets just to eliminate symptoms. It may well be just an unusual inflammation from some sort of infection but I am more inclined to think this may be more related to the current age of my joints and the possibility that they are starting to remind me I am not a kid no more.

Frankfurt Target

I feel having lost well over 3 weeks of specific training that my lofty goal of sub 3:10 is gone by the wayside. I am not really going to get any sort of race pace work done or really very little between now and race day. This could turn out to be one hell of a taper. Best case scenario is a crack at sub 3:15 outside of that lining up on the day will do me. Pity as for the first time in my life I got rightfully in to the first Corral.

It just got harder

What a difference a week makes. Before the 10K I was getting through trough sessions and hard workouts. However after completing the 10K last Friday night I felt really fresh so I decided that a 2 hour long run with alternate miles between Marathon Pace and Recovery/Steady pace could be done. Had planned on doing 6 such repeats with 3 miles as per normal combined warm up and cool down. Having done this type of session (post race) before, I again did it on a 3 mile loop so I could bail. After the 4th repeat I could not hold 8 minute pace any longer. With that in mind I pulled the plug and did 2 miles cool down to get home. No point in beating the body up.

Following Wednesday was a 4 * 3K 6:50 pace (HMP) with 1K @ steady 8:00 pace. Done this in the fair green track as normally would mean running the section on the road. Last weeks session just was too hard with traffic. Got to the last repeat but just could not hold the pace from the get go. To be honest the steady Km prior was probably harder then it should have been. Another incomplete session starting to get worried

Next Sunday called for 16-17 miles with 12 at 7:20 pace. Unfortunately I didn't get this done in the morning so with dinner been in My sister in laws house in Lissycasey the route was far from flat and conducive to trying to run at a certain pace.  so I wore the HRM and tried to run by effort rather then pace. Gut feeling is that is not the objective of this type of training. Anyway after 8 tough miles in hills I didn't have the will to continue with another 4 miles and just ran them at an easy pace.

So three half baked session got followed by waking up on Tuesday with my right knee badly swollen and unable to flex it. One bright note was no pain. Took the day off and canned next days session. Rang Leon and set up an appointment for next Monday. By Thursday had totally cleared up so easy runs on Thursday and Friday left me still felling confident of 1:30 in Tullamore on Saturday.

Up and Over

Marathon De Escargot’s in Portarlington was the destination for my latest Marathon. Having meet Mark chief bottle washer for the day on the course in Dublin twice, once as a runner and secondly as a DJ I felt it was time to participate in his event. This event’s funds go 100% to charity so I was happy enough to part with the few €’s and once I got an accurately measured course with a bit of grub afterwards was all I was looking for and that's what I got.

Pre Race

Unfortunately this race coincided with Willie week. This normally means gigs in Milltown Malbay into the early hours. This was the case on Friday night got home at 4am so the decision to get the train to this race was a safer option then driving as I could very well fall asleep at the wheel on the return leg. Train from Ennis would get me to the start with 20 minutes to spare. That's if Irish rail play ball. They didn't, I had to change and Vaseline up in the bog of the train, which was a new experience. Train arrived in Portarlington @ 9:15 and even with the short walk to number pickup it was 9:20, ten minutes before the start. This still left enough time to meet with some old friends, Eamon who I had not meet since his Dalmatian Run in November was about to try a Marathon again as well Frank, John, Dipak, Leo and Patrick the Belgium.

Race Time

Soon we set off. Water was in short supply for the first 3 or 4 miles and of course it was the one time I was thirsty. Plenty of water and fruit, jellies etc. after that. Todays race plan was, 4.5 Miles Warm Up followed by 4 sets of 7:10 min pace for 2 miles and 8:00 min pace for 2.5 miles. Race went pretty much to plan expect the third set was into the wind and when we turned out of it, I was expecting a cross/tail wind, but it was still in my face, a bit demoralising but toughed through it. The marshals where great along the way and passing/catching runners makes this type of session easier to do in a race then on ones own. Finished the set and after 1-2 miles easy picked up the pace to roughly 8 minute pace again to finish in 3:36:34. Medal is class acts as a bottle opener as well. T-Shirt was cotton, in fairness the organisers where trying to do something different with this, I would prefer none and give more funds to the charity.

Tea Party

Got my cuppa tea and several (packets) of Custard Creams. The girl doing the tea/food was solo which didn't help things but it turned out there was a valid enough reason for this. Having been involved in organising club races I get what happened. Traffic on the course meant runners safety was far more important then the speed of tea pouring. I still got a good feed so no complaints here. Not a photograph of me to be found must start wearing a pink running gear again.

Travelled home in the company of Club mate Antonio who failed again to go sub 3:30, but as he said he was in a better state afterwards this time. His time will come in Dublin.

Overdue

A little guilty of not writing here in a while. Have been meaning to post but things like work have got in the way. After the initial disappointment in Boston I have now come full circle and realised (with the help of some respected runners) that it was a pretty good showing. Buoyed by this I have now got the bug for racing back big time and have every intention of improving over all distances and ultimately an Autumn Marathon. This will preferably be Frankfurt but work situation may dictate Dublin. Regardless of which one to achieve the times I want I have to put in the work. I am going to take a new approach instead of P&D this time. P&D has got me in fabulous shape aerobically but on the last 2 marathon cycles my leg strength was my downfall. This could be due to tired legs or not enough sessions that are specific to the race itself. The basic outline between now and October will be as follows. Between now and end of June I am doing long slow with some very fast short work. Will attack 4 mile and 5K races in this period. July and August I will up the pace of the long runs and increase the distance of the intervals. A few 10K, 10 Miles races thrown in. At the end of August I hope to race a half fresh and then 6 weeks of mainly Marathon Paced workouts and long runs. A Canova type program but I will have to water down the sessions somewhat to suit my ability.

GPS Accuracy

Since Boston I have paced 2 Marathons @ 4 hour pace Limerick and Killarney National Park. Limerick was a straight  forward pacing job but Killarney required me to dust down my good old foot pod as the race has a good section of it covered in trees. Anyway both races paced to the usual standard even though I did get a slap on the wrist for losing my balloon in Killarney. I had brought my cheap Soleus GPS as a backup to Killarney but was mostly ignoring it as I was sure it would come up short. At the end to my surprise it showed roughly the same distance as Limerick while all the more expensive Garmin's all came up short. As can be seen below both Limerick (left) and Killarney came up roughly the same maybe the Soleus GPS range is a bit more reliably in not losing satellite connection even in wooded areas.

No place like this

Short version. New PB 3:18:12, horrible conditions, great crowd but a course that chewed me up and spat me out.

The Course

No matter what you read or how you train, nothing prepares you for running the Boston Marathon other then actually getting out there and running it. From the first mile the course relentlessly rolls up and down all the way to the finish. With the exception of somewhere between 6 and 8 where you run along the shore of Fisk Pond you are either going up or going down. This constant change in gait/running really takes it out of your legs. Some of the downs are pretty steep, at the start, the run down to the Charles River just before the start of Newton Hills, the descent at Boston College and the run into Cleveland Circle. Another phrase its all downhill to the finish. There are some more nasty little pulls once you pass Boston College so no its not all downhill to the finish. When your legs are trashed they really hurt and it will bring you to a standstill very quickly. Having reviewed my the total assent/descent on my watch yesterday and comparing it with the data that I got on Saturday I quickly saw that the Newton Hills only represents a little over one third of the total assent. As for the descent I don't need to look at a watch as my quads can totally reflect on this.

The Crowd

What can anyone say other then fantastic. I always thought the crowds in Dublin where good but Boston just blew me away. I was told afterwards by others who have ran this race that the crowds where down this year due to the weather conditions. It never felt  that way to me. From the word go they are there on the side of the road and all the way to the finish there is someone to cheer you on. The famous tunnel of noise, this is surreal a mile away you can hear the girls of Wellesley College. It has to be experienced there are no words to describe running that mile of road with 1’00’s of screaming young ones. It was the crowd that got me home in the race, without them I doubt I would have finished in the time I did. The last half mile down Boylston Street as you look down to the finish with Grandstands packed with spectators now that's the way to finish a race, it lifts and carries you over the line.

The Race

This is a very early start I was up at 6 and had a quick breakfast of Instant Oats, banana and peanut butter sandwich. Got ready packed my gear bag and brought my old clothes, hat and gloves for the long wait to Hopkinton. Dropped off the post race change of clothes in Boston Common and pretty soon I was on a yellow School Bus on my way to the start. These buses are designed for school kids, halfway out, both my calves cramped, not the ideal start but once we arrived in Hopkinton they returned to normal. The 2 hour wait for the start was not as bad as I thought, found an nice dry spot sheltered from the wind and sat down. Pretty soon hit the Portoloo (Porto potty as the yanks call them) and off to the start. Lined up but even with waved starts in was very congested. Manageable but I went with the flow kept it easy for the first 5K roughly 24:00. My initial ambitious plan of 3:12/3:13 was never on. The promised headwind/rain later in the race was going to put paid to that so I was now aiming from 3:14:59. After 5K the course opened up and I was able to start bring the pace up. Going very nicely but very hard to get into a running rhythm due to the constant up and down nature of the course. Going through the various towns along the way you have to easy up as its very easy to get caught up with the crowds and pick up the pace. Through 10K and 15K in pretty good shape. Around Mile Nine my quads started to give the first indication that there was trouble ahead. This was worrying as it was going to be a long way home. Manage to snag a kiss at 12, I just could not pass up the opportunity, It isn't every day us auld lads get young ones eager for our attention. Passed halfway on pace 1:37:11 but the legs where not in good shape. The drop on Washington Street to the Charles River confirmed that I was not going to be able to push on the downhill sections later in the race. I flew through the four climbs in Newton but it was the downhill section’s that where causing the most concern. Really could only get to 7:15 pace on the downhill's, any faster and the legs where screaming at me. This pretty much put paid to 3:15 and from the top of Heartbreak Hill to the finish it was pure determination and the crowd that kept me going through the pain. Once we turned Cleveland Corner another dimension was added. The rain coupled with the wind hit us head on from the sea. This made it feel a lot colder then it was and in a singlet I was starting to get quite cold. I was never eyeballs flat out at this point but It is no good having the engine to go when the tyres under the car are flat. Got home in 3:18:12. A new PB and I seriously don't think on the course with the conditions I could have ran any faster. Once I left everything out there it is as much as I could do.

The Aftermath

The one thing that I think the BAA got wrong was they had water and Gatorade stations before the foil blanket station at the finish. As the weather conditions where flagged in advance I think the blanket station should have been first. Maybe this would have lead to congestion at the finish. In saying that the foil blanket was top class I even brought it home with me. Picked up the medal and gear dried off and changed in Boston Common. On the way to meet herself and a few more, the amount of local who congratulate you or thanked you for running is phenomenal. Even had a Transport Police Officer take a selfie with me at Park Street station. Meet up with the crew and had a drink and a bit to eat. The stomach then decided that's it, so I spent 10 minutes in the toilet. I declined offers of more yellow wine and returned back to the hotel for a lie down. Meet the gang later when the stomach returned to normal and had no problem in catching up.

Dogs

Recently I have had a spate of dogs chasing me on runs. This again continued on Thursday Morning, about 3 miles into a 11 mile Run a young German Shepard rocked up beside and frightened the living daylights out of me. For a brief second I was worried but he turned out to be very friendly, we had a little chat. He had no collar or means of identification on him, and came about 100m with be on the run before deciding it was not a good idea to follow me. I rang local dog pound on my return who informed me he had been picked up. I really hope he finds a good home would love to take him but we just don't have the space a dog of this size needs and he clearly doesn't like long distance running.

A Step Up

Dusted off my copy of P&D and started the race prep section for Boston. Since I have been averaging 45-50 miles a week for the last year I have decided to give the 55-70 mile plan a crack. I wont stick exactly to the plan and have to juggle some key runs around to suit my commitment to pace Tralee Marathon. One thing I noticed is that some mileage will be adjusted. There are some Medium Long Runs of 15 miles, that would take me over the 2 hour mark which in my view turns the session into a long run. For these I will run based on time of 1:50 and 1:40 for the shorter runs. Same is true of recovery runs in excess of 6 miles. I will keep recovery runs to 50 minutes for the longer ones and 40 minutes for the shorted runs. This week was hard and this was after a marathon in my legs on the previous Saturday. On Saturday morning I did Long run with 12 miles at Marathon Pace/effort. Location was the nearly five loop of Finn Lake in Ballycar. I have forgotten how beautiful this stretch of road is early of a sunny Saturday morning, I also forgot how bad the road surface is in spots.I cover the watch for these but the combination of a poor road surface and tired legs, this turned out to be a very tough run. Never got into my stride and the last 3 miles really tested me to finish them. The watch and HR showed that I was near enough Marathon effort but the pace was slower then I would hope for. This is the main reason I never try to hit paces in these runs. I would like to think my current Pace would be 7:35 to 7:30 minute miles, but last Saturday that was not in the legs and I think there is no need to force the issue especially as the previous 7 days I had clocked 75 miles my biggest ever 7 day total.

Miles	Time	Average HR	Pace
1-3	0:23:04.9	152	07:41.6
3-6	0:22:52.1	153	07:39.5
6-9	0:23:22.0	154	07:42.1
9-12	0:23:19.0	155	07:43.2

It just got Better

After the disappointment of not improve my 5K PB. I hit the fairgreen in Ennis for one of my favourite sessions on Wednesday. 1200m repeats of 400m @ 10K pace followed by 800m @ Marathon Pace. No rest/recovery between any legs/sets just one straight up run. As I hadn't done this in a while I decided that 8 repeats would be enough. Set the paces based on the 5K time from Saturday (1:43 and 3:46), and cruised through it. Felt really good and strong throughout and the MP sections normally get very tough towards the end where very manageable so much so I threw in and extra 2 repeats to bring it to ten. I was very delighted with the run and the HR data which I looked at afterwards indicated that I could go much faster/harder. Either I had a bad race on Saturday for whatever reason or it really sharpened me up. Either way things are going in the right direction.

Old Friends

Jack Healy and Larry Rigney are two guys I have great respect for and when I saw that Jack was race director for a  Marathon in their native parish it was first on my list for the year. Never been to the centre of the Universe (Ireland) before and had heard that the course was of a slightly undulating nature neither where every going to put me off going. Plan for the day was decided after I overlaid Seville's Training Program and found that I had ran Craughwell in 2013 with the last loop at Marathon Effort. Was going to give this a whirl today. Friday night family DVD night saw me break out and consume some Chocolate and Coke, I was regretting it on the drive to Killeigh with my co pilot Tom. We got there with plenty of time to spare and time to do some running repairs on an ingrown toenail. This had the effect of taking the heat out of my feet so for the first lap they felt quite numb and took that long to warm up. Myself, Paul Hogan and John set out on the first loop. John had tweaked something in his hamstring during the week and it was still giving him jib after 3 miles. He decided to pull up and call it a day as had bigger fish to fry next week in Donadea. Hopefully he makes it to there. Towards the end of the second lap I saw the error of my ways the night before unfold rather quickly. I had surveyed the first lap and unfortunately there was no adequate concealed area for me to take a dump. This meant making it back to the start area to use modern facilities. Past several people here including Tom and George at somewhere south of 6:30 pace. Hooked up with Paul again shortly afterwards and we where joined by Alan and Cezary. Company was good and miles ticked on nicely until I had another visit to you know where at the end of the 4th Loop. This left me on my own as, and I had no intention of catching the guys back up, saving myself for the last lap. Crossed lap 5 and noted the clock was 3:16 and set about going as hard as I could. It was tough but manageable. Stiff breeze and hills where a lot more noticeable when going that bit harder. Finished out the lap strong to get in under 3:50. Did the last loop 4.4 miles in 33:17 just a little outside 7:30 pace. This combined with my good session on Wednesday Night has convinced me to have another crack at a Marathon PB in Boston.

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.

3 in 3

No not days but weeks. I have not yet entered the madness of consecutive days but I am well on my way.

Its not Sixmilebridge

MCI decided to put on a Marathon in Clare that wasn’t in Sixmilebridge. This been a first I couldn't pass up the chance to run a Marathon in My native county. Patrick and Thresa where the race directors and when I saw the original course map I knew it would involve a pretty tough climb out of Ennistymon on the way to Liscannor. We found out on the morning that even though the course was 3 laps we would have to negotiate the climb for a fourth time to make the distance. Day was the usual low key MCI event which is great as their is always plenty of banter and crack before and after. A tough course but my intention was to take it easy. Missed the start and ended up at the rear of the field for the first few miles until we got to the Prom in Lehinch. Had the support from Lisa and Kate from the club who stuck around after the club run in that morning. Shortly after leaving here the usual badly timed bowel movement had me looking for a suitable spot. Unfortunately none where available so I upped the pace to finish the first lap to get a pit stop in. This left me on my own until I again caught up with Jimmy and Ann, some great yarns from Jimmy making the miles fly by but unfortunately I had to kick on again as the pace wasn't keeping me warm enough. I had decided in my ultimate wisdom just to wear my club singlet with no under layer. By lap three the old nipples where complaining so I just picked it up to get home. Finished on 4:11:39 and had a look at Tom’s time. 3:41, if he keeps himself injury free he will most likely smash his PB (and my PB) in October. As per usual the race was well organised as you would expect, course was hard but accurate. Went for a swim with all the surfers later, salt water and nipples do not agree.

AcHILL

When ever Tom rings you and opens with that line “Hey Ger” it is normal to thread with caution. He needed someone to fill his big boots in Achill as 4 Hour Pacer. As I was going I was most likely top of his list. So after a couple of minutes thinking “do I really need a 4 Hour Marathon in my legs” I decided to go for it. My thinking was I would have no one around me for the last few miles and I could let go the balloon if needed. I decided I had better look at the course profile after some comments re the course on boards, The best way to describe it would be rolling Mountains with spectacular scenic views. I also hadn't realised how far away Achill is from anywhere, so I decided best to go up the night before given it was going to be a 3 hour drive in the morning.

The old nipples where still a bit tender from last weeks endeavours but the sun was out this week which would make wearing underlay hot and sweaty. I went with the hot and sweaty option much preferable to running around looking like someone just shot me twice. Pretty soon we where lining up and everyone deciding to line up behind the person with the balloon. Having evaluated the course profile I reckoned that I would need 3-4 minutes on a bank each time before hitting the hard section from Mile 6 to 10 on each lap. This meant the pace of the first few miles was 8:15 to 8:30 pace. Some of those around me noted this so I explained the reason for it. First lap ended and I had a minute in the bank with the group pretty much still together. However the pace increase again at the start of the second lap splintered the group and the only runner with me was Valdimir looking to break 6 Hours for the Ultra. He stayed with me until the top of the last climb before kicking on for home. Passed Bonnie on the last mile, she was suffering but still smiling and stuck with me to get under 4. I crossed in 3:58:49 a bit ahead but its a very hard course to pace. Some courses are for PB’s but Achill is for beauty and testing your resolve. There is now way I would have ran another lap for the Ultra.

Afterwards Brenda picked up the MCI clubs first 75th Marathon medal. She only ran her 50th in Connemara, this time I was here for the presentation but no one made a cake.

Yippy its Dry

Last time I ran in Craughwell we got a miserable day but today was dry but still having tender nipples I wore the under layer. I had decided to do 3-4 laps (3.27 Miles) at Marathon effort just to see what kind of shape I am in. Whether the fourth one happened was going to be down to how the legs felt. I didn't want to trash them just to get the job done. A bit of a disaster for the first one just went too quick (24:08) 2nd (25:18) and 3rd (25:07) where okay but the last one half way through I was suffering with the old legs so I backed off slightly and finished it (25:42). The last 2 laps of the race where a walk fest very similar to Portumna 1:07 for the final 11K. I wasn't alone Ruthann who would normal lap me was struggling along as well. Made me realise there will be some bad days ahead in my journey towards 50.
Back to the start/finish at last in 3:53:05 pretty respectable given how I finished. Plenty of nice homemade goodies, chat and banter. I somehow managed to escape the Ice Bucket Challenge before the presentations to Val (50th), Rita (25th), Jude (25th) and Kathleen Cheshire of DBRC getting her 100th Marathon Medal

Alternating Tempo Run

For us that hate Marathon Paced Runs

A lot of Marathon training schedules call for a certain amount of Marathon Paced runs. These are generally no longer then just over half distance and can be quite tough sessions to complete. Mainly because they are often done in the middle of a Marathon training program on very tired legs. While this type of run will test the runner mentally on tired legs, it is too short to have any benefit on the lactate clearance system. If the Marathon pace is correct your Heart Rate should not be hitting levels that start generating increased Lactate that we would experience in the last 6 miles of a Marathon. We incorporate shorter/faster tempo runs to achieve this. One way I have found to get the Heart Rate up to these levels while running at marathon pace is to run an alternating tempo with 1/3 at 10K pace and then drop back to marathon pace. Repeating this without taking any rest. Normally I do this on a track 400 @ 10K followed by 800 @ Marathon pace. Anything between 10 and 13 reps is a pretty tough workout. Below is one such workout I did 12 weeks out from Seville. Just to give an idea of where my Heart Rate was against pace at the time, I ran a 12 Mile Marathon pace (7:35) the following week with an average HR of 158.

Rep	400	Pace	800	Pace	400 HR	800 HR
1	01:41.6	06:48.8	03:42.9	07:28.4	146	155
2	01:41.6	06:48.8	03:44.5	07:31.6	160	161
3	01:43.9	06:58.0	03:45.4	07:33.4	161	162
4	01:44.9	07:02.0	03:47.2	07:37.1	162	164
5	01:44.5	07:00.4	03:48.5	07:39.7	164	163
6	01:43.6	06:56.8	03:49.4	07:41.5	164	162
7	01:45.0	07:02.5	03:47.5	07:37.7	165	165
8	01:45.3	07:03.7	03:48.0	07:38.7	166	165
9	01:45.9	07:06.1	03:48.5	07:39.7	167	167
10	01:44.0	06:58.4	03:47.5	07:37.7	169	168
11	01:44.8	07:01.6	03:48.0	07:38.7	170	168
12	01:44.8	07:01.6	03:50.3	07:43.3	171	168

From my notes rep’s 8-12 it was very difficult to maintain the Marathon Pace for the first lap after the 10K burst but I was always recovered enough after the second lap to be able to pick it up again for the fast 400. This is quite a tough workout and is not meant to replace Marathon paced runs but rather to enhance them.

Have a Kit Kat

A back to front race

Since the 5K race running has been very shall we saw like a chore. The week after every run just seemed like work. On the Tuesday I did a 8 mile tempo out to the crab tree and back, even though I did it in just over an hour it just felt too much like work. A couple of easy runs after and I felt no better. So here I was at the start of the Clare Burren Marathon not really in the form for running and to add to it my bowel was not in good shape. Was contemplating a DNS but decided to run the first few miles easy and see how I got on. From the off I was going backwards with people passing me. After a mile I look at the watch only to realise I had switched my watch the other night to KM’s to get an idea of the distance the C25K runners where doing in their 28 minute run and had not switched it back. No worries I may not get to the finish anyway and if I do I wont want to see the time. Shortly I heard the news that Jerry Forde had a minor stroke and was in Hospital, this kind of made me HTFU and vowed to finish the race. I ran a few miles with Jim McNeice and we had a nice chat but the sight of the first portoloo I decided to try and sort the bowel out. After 5 minutes I had finally evacuated the problem, I hope that they provided some sort of clean suit to anyone who entered after me. At this point I was 39 minutes for a little over 3 miles. I now felt a lot better and spent the next part of the race passing runners.

Goat Mountain am not I

The terrain of this race is a mix of well everything. So where the underfoot conditions allowed I ran pretty close to Marathon Pace and eased up on the sections that required you to watch your footing. I had done the half in much worse conditions 5 years ago but the full is a lot easier even with the nasty climb for mile 12. I was now really enjoying the race at this point and was starting to cut down on the time. The run down into Fanore say me pass several runners but the beach section into the wind was tough going and two of these passed me again. I was flying on the road section but the off road I was like twinkle toes trying to find a safe spot to but my foot. Mile 19 to 22 is very difficult terrain and this really tests you. I caught both runners here but was passed by John, who I tried to stay with. The final off road section was a very fast downhill section through a field. Difficulty here was avoiding the cow pat’s as placing your foot in one would not be nice.

The run in

Once back on the road I noted that a sub Four could be possible, but trying to calculate my pace in KM’s was proving beyond me. As John was ahead of me by 20-30 meters so the first task was to try and catch him. It didn't happen as he was going vey well, all I could do was to hold the gap until Mile 25 when with the watch reading 3:52:20 I knew sub 4 wasn't going to happen so I eased up and ran the last mile in the company of Pat Creegan. He tipped on the last 400m but I went meh and finished in 4:01:37. Considering where I was for the first few miles the second half of the race proved I can still string together a lot of Marathon Paced miles.

The Aftermath

Recovery run Tuesday 4 miles crap, ditto Wednesday. Thursday evening myself and Paul double checked the 10K course for the race. We ran it like a progression run, first 5K in 26 minutes second in sub 22. One mile (downhill) was ran in sub 6 pace. A good tough workout but still not giving me any buzz. Decided that once I had 10K paced on Friday night I would take a week or two off and do a few handy runs in Portugal while on Holidays in June. I had planned to run a marathon in Lisbon while on Holidays but I think I will let it slide given how I fell and the fact that every time I have mentioned it to herself indoors I get that look. I even suggested a days shopping in Lisbon and I still got that look.

The road to Hell

The big sleep

Left all at home on Thursday night to catch a bus in Galway which would drop me in Dublin Airport at 4:30 A.M. Car was on the blink recently and didn't want to chance letting 9 months of solid training to a 15 year old car deciding to let me down on the first leg of the journey. This would make my journey to Seville as long as if I was to run one down under. Soon I was seated beside two lovely ladies who where hitting away for the weekend for some Spanish sun, they where a tonic and had some banter along the way which made the flight seem much shorter. It was a relief not to be seated beside some uninteresting teenager/young person with a set of earphones plugged into whatever device they have on their laps. Unfortunately the rest of my journey to Seville I would be seated beside these solitary souls. Due to a delay in take off in Dublin we arrived 30 minutes late. A quick journey from the airport to the main train station ( all of 12 minutes) still did not get me there on time to catch the high speed two hour train to Seville. I had to wait another two hours and catch the slow boat to china version which stopped at every station along the way. Finally arrived in Seville and began my pursuit in trying to purchase a 3 Day tourist ticket for the local buses and trams. I failed and finally gave up trying two days later. Got a bus to my hotel and final checked in at 5 PM, nearly 16 hours since I began travelling. I venture out for some food and a walk around to get my bearings. Loads of shops, churches and Tapas bars, the place is buzzing. I get a plate of Tapas and a glass of beer. Barman doesn't seem to understand my request for a large/big beer. I later discover the reason why in the gents when I see the the label on the keg. What is on tap is 6.3% volume not beer but yellow wine. I hit back to the hotel around nine go to bed and don't wake until 9 the next morning. Exactly what is needed as I rarely sleep well the night before a race.

The last run

Went for a run the following morning, it was quite chilly in the shade but noticeable warmer in the sun light, yes I managed to see that yellow thing in the sky that we haven't seen in Ireland since late September. Whilst it wasn't uncomfortable maybe it might have an impact on the second half of the race. Kept my eyes firmly glued on the ground so as not to find and holes or other things that might trip we don't want any nasty falls this close to the race. Afterwards I sat down and finally laid out my race plan, 3 Gels one at the start with 10 minutes to go, one between 5K and 10K and the final one 20K and 25K. Zym electrolyte tablet into bottle around 10K and sip it rather then drink it in the one go, mouthful of water and wet the sponge to sponge myself down at each water station. As regards time, my final MP run gave me 7:20 per mile over 3 miles. This would give a sub 3:15 but as I had not even ever considered going at that pace I plumbed for 3:20 with the option to drop back if I felt I was pushing to much to hold that pace before the 30K mark. This meant roughly 23:30 for each 5K. The slowest I could go was 24:00 per 5K as this would leave me close to but under 3:25. Anything outside of this just wont happen, I will push myself to the limit to keep this pace even if it means a DNF. So my goal is between 24:00 and 23:30 for each 5 K, easy enough to calculate along the way so I don't bother trying to make up a pace band.  

Pasta and then some more Pasta

A quick shower and I made my way to the Expo in the afternoon. With the minimum of fuss I collected my number and Goodie bag which contained the usual brochures and leaflets but also a running top and shorts. The shorts are a bit on the small size or more like the "you are not going out in those" comments I will get from herself in doors if I ever get the nerve to put them on. Meet up with Peter and we both went for the free pasta dinner. Was of reasonable quality and given it was included in the cost its basically free. Problem was we where queuing for about 45 minutes, so much for staying off our feet. The spare chocolate and fruit went into the goodie bag for the morning. My Hotel didn't have any special provision for breakfast so on my way back I picked up some basic provisions for the morning. Had arranged to meat up again with peter and the others in O' Neill's bar, turns out there is two such bars in Seville and I end up watching the first half on my own. Wasn't to bad really, got to remind so smart arse Welsh guy about the whipping they got two weeks ago. At half time I made my way to meet the others in the right pub.  Meet up with Conor and Barry our resident lonely planet/trip adviser all rolled into one. Luckily for us as he had a table for two booked which was swiftly converted into four in an Italian restaurant which turned out to be excellent, so hats off to him. Usual banter over diner and whenever in Marathon runners company a thick skin is a prerequisite, we all had our stated goals for tomorrow but Barry was getting it in the neck as to whether he would beat the sweeper bus home or not. As it transpired he was the only one of us to better our lofty stated goals. Maybe there is a lesson in this somewhere.I returned to my Hotel full and ready for tomorrow, all that was need was a good nights sleep, as per usual this never transpired and I tossed and turned all night.

Highway to Hell

You pass the Twenty Mile Marker, time to see what's in the tank, press the clutch put her in fifth gear and pick up the pace, you are now entering hell. Alarm goes off its 6:15, hell is a mere 5 hours away and I am eagerly awaiting the challenge. The last nine months have been about getting to Mile 20 today in good enough shape to kick on and bag my Boston Qualifier. All I have to do between now and then is remain calm and trust in the training and the experience I have got. Everything had been laid out from yesterday so I was ready to go within 30 minutes. Eat my breakfast in the room which consisted of two bread rolls with Honey, a banana and chocolate bars from yesterday. Luckily I bumped into one of the kitchen staff at seven who obliged and got me a croissant and a strong cup of coffee. Made my way to the nearest Taxi rank, and shared a taxi with Jose from Madrid. First Spaniard I had meet who I was able to hold a reasonable conversation with. On arrival he refused my Euro's and paid for the Taxi commenting "that I was in his Country today", A gesture I must return some day to an International runner. The start area is quite relaxed and even with over 9000 entrants there is a distinct lack of Porto Loos and their associated queues, this may be contributed by the small percentile of female runners. Only 660 or so are females entrants, which is quite strange but maybe the norm in Spain. Finally I get the urge the drop a load in one so in I jump and tick the last box in ensuring there will be no reason to visit one of these on the course. On my way to the start I meet Peter and we exchanged good wishes for the day ahead. The start is along a dual carriageway, there are two entrances into the pens and I opt for the right hand side as it means walking around a roundabout and most people seem to be taking the left hand option. Due to my lack of recent fast half or full marathon I am in a 3:30 to 3:45 Pen which I am hoping to get to the front off. With ten minutes to go just as I take my first gel we are all released so everyone surges forward from the pens towards the start. I look to my left and see that I am in-line with the 3:15 pacers so I switch sides which will at least give me a better chance of getting away quickly. The MC is yapping away getting the crowd to do Mexican Waves etc, I am not really interested just want to get under way now. The gun goes and we are off, my getaway is clean and I am up to pace fairly quickly and settle into a good rhythm but after 1K the left merges in with the right and the pace drops as I now have to negotiate slower runners and groups of runners all running across the road. Things are a bit tight for a kilometre or two but I jostle my way through using the trick I learnt in Dungarvan, elbows out and swing.
Soon we go through 5K just under 24 minutes. From here I concentrate on keeping it easy and calm. 10K comes 46:4x a bit too quick so I easy up slightly. 15K is bang on 1:10:45 and I cross the halfway with 1:39:29 on my watch. A personal best for the half, I note to myself must do something about that in the coming months. I had mentioned to the lads the night before you always get a bad mile at some point, well for me it was from halfway to 25K, really felt that things where getting hard pace was starting to drop off and breathing getting hard. I just dropped off the pace for 2K which seemed to get me back on track. We hit a slight downhill so I stretched out the legs again and picked up the pace for a stretch. Even with the bad stretch I was still on track @ 25K with 1:57:5x. At this point I was passing runners and was holding back with the pace. Found at times I was getting up to 7:20 pace which while I felt good was too early to start pressing buttons. The next 5K was about trying to keep it easy but I had picked up the 30 or so seconds I lost early on to hit 30K in 2:21:16 pretty much bang on 3:20 pace. Only worry here was when I went over there was no beep, that is all I would need, nail a time and have the hassle of a faulty chip. Later heard that the live trackers was having issue after the halfway point. I am still feeling good and had decided to go for it once we come out of the section that winds its way around Plaza De Espana between 32 and 34K mark. At 34K I press the clutch, put her in fifth and prepare to enter hell. The effort goes up but the pace only slightly increases well at least its going in the right direction. We wind our way through the narrow streets of the city along the tram lines. Crowds are big here and encroaching, it also becomes a bit congested as I am passing runners easily. We round into Plaza De Duque where a band is blasting out Highway to Hell from AC/DC, I get a great lift and as we pass my hotel door there is not even any thought of stopping, its tough but I am pushing through it and the pace is still steady.

Hell

The one thing about a Marathon is that its the one distance that tests every aspect of your running ability. You wont or cant bluff at this distance what happened next reminded me of this fact afterwards. You really have to be on your game both mentally and physically as it pushes you beyond breaking point, always remember after 20 you are in hell, how you survive or get out of their will depend on your mental resolve and training. I missed the 35K split but at 37.5K the watch showed 2:56:xx, well on my way to giving RC a target for London. Well he must have been at home with the voodoo doll and needles because just after I passed 39K I hit the deck, don't recall if I tripped myself, got tripped or the legs went to jelly but here I was on my arse with 3K to go, this was not in the plan. Tried to stand up and landed straight back down on my arse again. Two Spanish ladies came to my assistance urging me to stay down. I was totally aware of my surroundings so it definitely wasn't lack of fuel or the wall just the legs where gone. After a quick talk to myself if I wanted to get my Boston Qualifier I had 20 minutes to cover the last 3K. So up I got again, success, started to walk, slow jog and was getting the pace backup again. Got to 40K and looked at the watch 3:11:xx meant that I wasn't going to get 3:20 so I backed off the pace to 8:30/9:00 Min mile pace. I was vertical and moving forward so staying that way was the new goal. The double drop into the stadium indicated to me what was wrong, both my quads where shot but with the finish line in site I continued on through the pain to cross in 3:21:21 net time. Once I stopped the legs gave way again and I was grab by two officials and moved to the side out of harms way.

Heaven

Its amazing when you get out of hell how good it feels. It hurts but its a good hurt I finally after 3 years of training, failing and trying have got a Boston Qualifier. Sitting on the ground I am spent, sore and in a heap but I am ecstatic. I finally get to my feet get my medal photo and off to the feed area. Loads of water and oranges but for me its the end stall two glass of yellow wine out to the sun to sit down and savor the moment. Slowly I make my way back to the Bus stop. Massive queue for both Bus and Taxi's and I meet Peter who had a similar issue but with a stitch at the same point in the race when he too was going well. Eventually after getting the wrong Bus, realising that the Tram was not running as it was on the Marathon Course I get to my hotel an hour later, I should really have walked the Two Kilometers home after the race. Once there a quick shower rang home to let all know I was alive and answered a few texts from club mate who had been following the live feed as they knew more about my net time then I did, this would suggest that my chip was working after all. Hit for some carb/junk reload at McDonalds and then got the right pub where I meet with the lads again. Conor had a DNF and we didn't go into with him but Barry managed to run the whole race and easily beat the sweeper bus home. Peter missed his Boston Qualifier time due to a stitch but still got a massive Personal Best. Conor and Barry where returning home that evening so said their goodbyes and departed. Myself and Peter moved to the other O'Neills where we proceeded to eat and drink the place dry. Lovely barmaid really had no idea where in the name of god we where putting it all, double portions followed by Apple pie and cream with large glass of Yellow Wine and Johnny Jump Up. Finally we gave up the ghost and parted where I returned to the hotel and straight to Bed, tonight at least I can rest easy job done Boston Qualifier in the Bag

Heaven Part Deux

Normally my map reading skills are quite good but they where put to a very good trying to locate my indulgence for Monday. Somewhere hidden in the Narrow streets in the Santa Cruz area of the city are the Turkish Baths. When Brian recommended this race to me last July the night before Killarney he also mentioned after that a trip to this establishment was well worth it. Well he was not wrong 90 minutes of steam room, Jacuzzi and hot/warm/salt and very cold baths was just what the legs needed after yesterday. Pound for pound it was the best €26 I spent all weekend. It set my up nicely for my long journey home the day after.

A hidden Jewel

Seville is probably aside from London the best value you will get from a marathon which has an IAAF Label. The course is pancake flat with only one climb an underpass which comes early in the race. Its timing should ensure ideal running conditions, although it means training through the winter and no doubt we got the most horrible conditions this year. There are no direct flights from Ireland so its pain to get to it, but anyone seriously looking at a spring marathon with a view to getting a good time should really have this race on the top of their list for consideration.

Are we there yet ?

The Final weeks

When I saw this in the program I said to myself that's not right, 2 hard session one after another. A tune-up race followed by 16 Mile long easy run. Not once but twice in the final block of training. As outlined previously I ran the 10 mile pretty much as fast as I could on the day. Next evening I tackled the 16 Mile run. I decided on 4 * 4 Mile loops so I could bail out if things where going south. A reward of a Twix in my pocket if I started the last 4 Mile Loop. I ate the Twix on lap 4 but more importantly while the legs where really sore on the first loop they got better as the run went on.
The following Sunday was the last 20 Mile run which I ran with club mate Paul. Paul generally would be a bit faster then me but has been out of form recently so both our paces would be similar. This also was his first 20 miler in a while. After a bad few miles at the start with my stomach (much too big a breakfast too close to running) things got easy and I was really surprised at how good my legs felt. Even on miles 18/19 I was able to lift the pace quite easily and Paul had to reign me in a few times. Things where looking good, I had ran 66 miles in that week including a hard race and 2 long runs yet my legs felt as if I had no running done that week.

Small things add up

Rinse and repeat of the race followed by long run but different outcome. Ran the race on 5 Mile race on Saturday. Even during the warm-up my breathing felt quite hard. I had no HR with me as rarely race with it. Race was a disaster just a little faster then Dungarvan and I was hyperventilating, legs where okay just couldn't get enough O2 to them from the lungs. Finished 34:45 disappointed as it was only 15 seconds faster then last weeks 5 mile split in Dungarvan. Put it aside., following morning put on the HR Resting was up by 20. Didn't feel sick or anything so out I went. Run was aerobically hard, legs okay but HR climbing. Decided to bail after 2 loops so only completed 8 miles. Obviously there was something a miss somewhere. Typical for me get to the taper and something goes wrong. Next morning I am left in bed nursing a dose of the man flu. Two days rest and recovery and it clears quickly but as per usual I am left with a lot of mucus/phloem in my lungs after it. Went to Doc the next day who has prescribed an inhaler and suspects I may have a touch of Asthma as this occurs every time I get a cold/flu. Attempted to run 3 * 1600 @ 5K pace got 2 done @ 6:45 (has been 6:35 pace previously) and just mentally through in the towel as lungs where not able to operate at VO2Max. Felt better today and did my final 12 mile run, really good and was sad to stop @ 12 as I could have gone on all morning, no wind no rain. Sunny clear skies and legs bouncing under me having a run like this the week before the race is a real confidence boaster.

Target Time

This is one that is going to consume my thoughts right up till the day. At the moment I am in 2 boats. I could realistically have a crack at a sub 3:20, I would probably need everything lining up on the day to go for it. Before this recent bout of man flu it was my definite target but at the moment its under consideration. If I go for it and blow up I place getting my Boston Qualifier at risk as well as I need sub 3:25 for that. On Wednesday I have a Pre Race Rehearsal with 3 Miles at MP. I will cover the watch again and judge what should be my race day pace. I will make mind up after that run whether I start @ 3:20 or 3:25 pace on the day