I’ve signed up to the Cork City Half Marathon in June. I’m steering clear of full marathon’s this year - my body is just about recovered from the DCM. Nice to have something to aim for.
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Terenure 5 mile in the middle of May is a good race and I’ve heard that Dunshaughlin 10k in June is good too although I’ve never ran it. Dunboyne yesterday was very well organised and lots of cake and sandwiches afterwards too.
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Well done yesterday. Yeah I’ve been disappointed with this injury as there are loads of races in March. Meath seems to be a hotbed of activity between the Trim 10 Mile, Bohermeen Half, Dunboyne & Dunshaughlin 10kms. My friend won the ladies’ race in Dunboyne yesterday & had a similarly positive report about it. She also recommended Dunshaughlin in June & her club host that Terenure 5 Mile. I might aim for both of those actually, as I think the Easter Monday 10 Mile in St Anne’s Park will come too soon for me. I’ll maybe do some marshalling for that one. DCM is still my main target this year &, although I recall coach @fenwaypark saying it’s wise to keep the main thing the main thing, I train mainly on my own & it’s nice to race every now & again rather than being in my own training bubble. Another couple of friends are doing the Paris Marathon this weekend but are starting to fear it might be cancelled due to the strikes/protests.
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There’s a very real chance that it could be cancelled. That’d be some head wreck
Saw a guy I follow on Strava, that’s a friend of a friend, had done serious prep for the Barcelona marathon, but he had to bail after 33k as his legs were cramping too bad. Something like that would be horrible. I remember another lad I know who had a similar experience at Limerick last year, massive prep work done, but pulled up after 10k.
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This was run by Bear
I’d say you’re right about the club run one’s been better alright
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A similar situation for a friend of a friend in DCM last year. This chap previously cut a cocky demeanour on Strava in a jokey way. “Sorry I missed you at the race today, didn’t have time to wait around for you at the finish!” type comments, as he’s very quick. But he’s much more reserved these days after all the keep the head up, it can happen to anyone, that’s no reflection of where you’re at messages he received.
A couple of Raheny lads who finished in 2hrs 40-50mins in DCM separately pulled up with massive cramps around the 20-22 mile mark. They both moved off to the side & did stretches & stuff for 2-3 minutes & got going again. I dunno, I’d say not panicking is important but somewhat easier to push on again if you’re that close to home.
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The first time I did a marathon my longest run was 16 miles beforehand. I figured in my head that once I’d done 16, it was only another piffling four miles and then once you hit 20 it’s be an easy tap home as Shure you’re nearly done. Tapped through the halfway mark on the day in 1.40. Hit about 16 miles , and every mile after that was worse than the one before. Ran out onto palatine road and headed left towards wythenshawe park. Tis about two miles only, and thought to myself that if this route doesn’t go straight to the park, if it turns off even 500 yards extra, im done and I’m going to have to walk. I had only one aim, which was don’t walk, but even the 26th mile was torture. No sprint to the line for me.
Another abiding memory is a lady who finished after me fully shat herself. I remember thinking that we must have run past 100000 houses or something, and why on earth wouldn’t she knock on and ask to use the toilet.
That and the fury on the faces of the drivers who were caught unawares in absolute carnage as they closed so many main roads for what was only 800 runners. Twas cancelled after that.
I’d say they’d get tens of thousands now.
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My other memory is herself who I’d only just started dating about three weeks before (albeit we’d already set a date and booked a priest) meeting me at around 18 miles with a bottle of water and some chocolate fully dolled up. She gave me the water and the chocolate and a peck on the lips as we went past. The lad I’d been running beside since halfway looked at me oddly and said “did you ever meet her before?”
Gave me a chortle for about 100 yards before being dragged back into absolute drudgery.
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Here’s the final truth. As my mate Dave said,
“The thing about a marathon, is you try and convince yourself it’s not that far, when in fact it’s absolutely fucking miles and miles and miles long, and takes ages”
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I know of a lad doing Paris too, that would be some sickener after all the training. 3 of the lads in my group are doing Rotterdam in 3 weeks and another doing London. I’m going to stick to the shorter stuff for the next few months. Might do Rathoath half in September and then I have Valencia marathon in December.
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I genuinely think I can go from being a 1:38:55 half marathoner to a c.1:34:47 half marathoner, if I get an injury free run & stay away from the cakes. But I’ll probably keep at the shorter stuff for the summer too & only do a half as part of DCM prep. I did the niche Oylegate half at the end of August last year, as I wanted to leave a good 8 weeks between that & the marathon (for all the good it did me in the end). The half in Phoenix Park is only 5 weeks out from DCM but I think Ratoath is the week before that. I’ll probably do one or the other of these, that’s assuming I can get & stay fit.
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Are lads seriously still at this craic like it’s June 2020?
Rathoath is nearly as flat as I’ve done and I ran a PB on it last year. The coach in the club didn’t want us racing it as he thought it was too close to Dublin. He probably has a point in that you have to take it easy for a week or so afterwards when you should be at peak milage at that stage. It’s hard to know. I don’t like the idea of putting all my eggs in the marathon basket and then if you have a bad day you’ve nothing at all to show for it.
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And what about Treaty Fucking Stones knocking it out of the park(run) yesterday.
Hail hail @TreatyStones
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Some mile 12 in fairness.