RW Forum SIx – 3.30 – 4.00

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  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Bright and fresh in London. Hopefully the same for you Oirish. image

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    Bacon roll meal, with brown sauce of course, and extra hash browns. A fine start to the day.

    Perfect conditions for the Sheffield half. Very interesting watching as the runners past me. The first 50 odd were flying round and the lad who was winning was quite a distance ahead, it will be interesting to see his time. For the next group of runners I thought they must be running a similar pace to my HM pace but when I worked it out they were at 1:20 pace. I found it difficult to judge their pace. It was good giving the runners at the back some encouragement to keep going, I think it just proves what a great job the marshals do. I didn't realise before when I've been running how some people suffer so much. There were plenty in bits, loads walking and a few on the bus.

    i definitely enjoyed it but would sooner be running rather than marshalling.

    Have you finished yet Oirish ?? 

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Getting quite warm in London with a strong sun. Could make the last 6 miles extra tough. Keep it going Oirish. Strong finish required. 

  • Oirish shud be in wall territory by now! Come on sir - deep digging image

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    Remember Oirish, you dont have to do any more than 26.2 image

  • Carl, there is a great 'finely tuned athlete moment in ex England captain Martin johnsons autobiography where he talks of driving home from cardiff after playing wales and craving KFC. Eventually finds a services with one, pulls in and orders a large bargain bucket and because he is an athlete... A diet coke!

    looking forward to hearing how you got on Oirish, should not be too far to go now!

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Andrew - great story. 

    Oirish - your fans are awaiting some news. Hopefully you are done by now and did not take a detour .......

  • Oirish must have got his route wrong again and is now an ultra runner.

    come on Oirish - suspense is killing us!

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Oirish - are u out there ? 

  • I suppose by the time he gets all the tv/press interviews, photos, autographs etc out the way he'll check in with us...

  • Hi all, a quick summary with the details to follow later.

    Long and short of it I had a mare, twanged something in my left glute at 20 miles sliding on  gravel going downhill from there it was a bit of walking, sulking then digging deeper than I have ever had to before, I could of thrown up come the finish.

     

    I was on course for 3:35 @ 20 miles and felt brilliant and just as Carl's words of wisdom of the race starting at 20 miles went across my mind my mishap took place. Unofficial finish time is 3:54 by my timing. I'll confirm it all and pad out my report layer on, at the monent I am in tatters!

  • Well done Oirish! A great run after what happened to you at 20 miles. must have taken huge mental & physical strength to keep going after that. Respect sir.

    You sound understandably disheartened after being on course for a cracking time - that will come in Dublin I am sure.

    Great effort Oirish - congrats.

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Oirish - fantastic effort to keep it together and finish in a very respectable time considering the mishap at 20 miles.

    As Ricky says, you sound a little disheartened which is understandable considering you were on for a great time. However it takes great mental strength to keep going and finish. I know having being there in Paris. There is nothing you can do after it has happened and the vast majority would never really keep it together and refocus. 

    Congrats.

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    Well done Oirish, the boys have said it all. Get yourself a beer and relax, you've earnt it

  • Right here are the results from the Oirish jury. (I've cheered up now)

    Great day for running -  cool and clear and preparation before the start was great. I have to say I can see why this marathon rates so highly on this site the organisation was superb, the support around the course was immensly inspirational, so friendly and I loved the course.

    I can see why it is considered challenging, yup it's "undulating" alright but I was thoroughly enjoying myself. It's funny but after my mishap THEN I started to notice the hills image 

    I met up with an old pal I hadn't seen for a while around mile 8 and we ran together once we realised we were on the same pace, I let him go on once I realised I was severly hampered although he did offer to stay with me to get me home but at that point I could of cried at any given moment so declined his kind offer.

    Basically what happened was as I was going down quite a steep incline I crossed over the gravel and dirt that had collected in the center of the lane we were on and as it was on a bend i slipped slightly and felt what can only be described as an electric shock high in my thigh/glute. Within a short time the base of my back had stiffened and my thigh was numbing which was a bit disconcerting, Luckily immense pain kicked in shortly afterwards to reassure meimage

    I can tell you now that quitting on the spot did cross my mind, I just had no drive through my left leg. For a mile, and the last steep ascent I walked, stretched, swore, stretched, walked and tried to rally myself. The worst part was apart from my left leg I felt awesome and had been in a great rhythm and chewing up the miles.

    Here are the splits: 

    Miles 1-5;  8:55 8:06 8:05 8:09 8:01 So far so good

    Miles 6-10 8:03 8:02 8:06 8:15 8:09 So far still so good

    Miles 11- 15 8:02 7:58 8:11 8:19 8:09 Like it, like it

    Miles 16-20 8:23 8:25 8:27 8:25 11:05 Consolidating for the big finish followed by OUCH!!

    Miles 21-26 11:46 12:09 10:11 10:29 10:09 10:17 Shall I cry? Shall I stop? Shall I ****

    Taking the positives A) It would of been a good time, pleased with training, prep and performance

    B) I didn't quit/cry/ vomit

    And C) It took a mile or two but I got my head around the situation and was "ok" for the last few miles

    As for the heartwarming children at the finish line story...... Mini O, aged 5 watched me collapse to the floor, rested her hand on my shoulder and announced "You too your time, we've been here for ages" 

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Oirish - they are very impressive splits my friend. Just like you to be very positive so quickly . And don't you just love the honesty of kids. 

    You clearly have a fast time in those legs so once you have had time to recover we can plot an assault on Dublin in October.

  • Carl - I'm sat here pondering my next adventure already. image 

    I was gutted on the finish line, really cheesed off and in pain but after churning it over for a bit I can take a great deal of pleasure from my performance all around, I was in "the zone" for the majority of it and once I got my head right those last few miles told me a lot about myself, in a strange way I can take as much from them as if I had cruised through to the end and bagged a great time. All I ever ask of myself is I leave it all out on the course and I can definitely say I gave it my all.

    Walking and being passed was pretty soul destroying at first but I was picking off a few myself towards the end. This time next years Rodders.........

     

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Oirish - this marathon bug is a strange one indeed. No sooner have we all completed our bad day at the office, left a bit of us out on the gruelling course, we are up and saying that we will repeat it all over again. We must be mad. image

    You ran a fantastic race and what happened to you was way out of your control. You could never have even guessed it beforehand. You can be proud of giving it your all and despite it all you still bagged a very respectable time.

    How is the back / thigh feeling now ? Do you think it will work itself out without intervention ?

    Party at yours tonight ???? image

  • If by party you mean eating a mountain of chicken in front off the Rugby highlights than yep the party is at mine.

    I have a tightness across the base of my back but even just with the TLC I have given it this afternoon seems to have taken the sharpness off of the pain so I might just get away with it but we'll see what the morning brings.

    I walked the dogs and that seemed to help but a night in bed might allow everything to tighten again.

    I'm still alcohol free! The nausea has only just gone so it is now a far more appetising prospect

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    Oirish - I'm sure it won't come as any surprise to you but I am celebrating your run with a couple of magners image You fancy going for a run tomorrow ?

  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭

    Well done Oirish. Like you say, it's often possible to learn more from when things don't go 100% to plan and it sounds like you really had to dig in to finish it. It's great that you're already thinking about the next one!

  • Well Oirish - to be feeling fantastic after 20 miles at an avg pace of what looks like 8.15ish is a MASSIVE positive.

    I don't think any of us here could say that after our recent 26.2 experiences - I certainly was starting to feel pretty rubbish by 20 miles and at a slower 8.25 avg pace up to that point.

    LOL on mini Oirish - the really do say it as they see it don't they! My 5 year old asked me a few days after why I was so slow and did all the other "boys" push in front of me at the start and is that why I didn't win.

    So there we have all our spring marathon journeys completed - I don't think any one of us can say that "yes I nailed that, it went exactly as planned and I couldn't have hoped for a better result" yet a few of us said exactly that after our spring HM's. Thus illustrates the challenge of the marathon and as Carl says the lure of going back for more to try and conquer it's challenge!

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    I have to say that all of you boy's efforts is spurring me on for my autumn effort. Not being able to run at Manchester is making me more determined to race Chester. Putting yourself through all that training, picking up niggles, having periods of time when you constantly feel tired and all the other things we've been through is quite addictive. It won't get the better of me !!

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    It has been quite a remarkable journey so far on this thread. And while the marathon races may not have given us the results we were exactly looking for, we have all benefited from the journey.

    When I got back into running a few years ago, I ran every so often, entered a few races including one or two VLM's but did not get much out of it.

    This winter I trained hard (much harder than ever before) , have learned so much more about running and more importantly about training smarter, picked up a PB at a very hard HM and was slightly dissapointed with a sub 4hr marathon (although it was a PB and I had some sort of injury going into the race).

    And picked up a few friends along the way.

    And I know that I have so much more to learn so that this whole running slower and then running quicker becomes easier and more intuitive.

    I now find myself getting really annoyed if I miss a training run which used never be the case.

    And I know that there is so much more to come from all of us.

    So roll on the summer season and the shorter stuff. And its great to see that we are all planning our Autumn challenges. I am confirmed for Dublin. image

  • I'm now kind of in new territory for me in that my previous short running career from 2005 - 2007 I ran no further races after my one & only spring 2006 marathon. I sort of took the "well that's a marathon done/been there done that" attitude and my running was very patchy & uncommitted after that. I did commence marathon training again for a spring 2007 marathon but my heart wasn't really in it, had poor base training prior, didn't enjoy the training and picked up an injury 6 weeks from race day and dropped out.... never to run again until march 2012.

    This time's different, very different. I feel very motivated, I am enjoying the training, itching to get into some hard training again after my marathon and eager to get several more races done + an autumn marathon.

    So I'm interested to see if I can improve further or will I plateau? ....as I say it is new territory pushing on with training after a marathon. I am keen to preserve the fitness accumulated during the last 18 weeks and see how far I can improve it.

    I have gone from a 2:06HM last June to a 1:42HM 6 weeks ago but realise the law of diminishing returns will apply and further improvements will probably only be small.

    Primary Goals before end of the year: sub 100mins for HM & sub 3:40 marathon image

    Secondary Goal: Sub 45min 10k

    What's everyone else's goals?

  • Carl - wow on your Dublin entry! Good lad!image

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    My goal is still to run a flippin marathon !

  • Carl DCarl D ✭✭✭

    Nothing wrong with that goal Carter. image

  • carterusm wrote (see)

    My goal is still to run a flippin marathon !

    So is mine!! image

    I have had a bit of time to think overnight as I have been having random shooting pains in my back depending on my sleeping position and I feel after yesterday there is still unfinished business regarding marathon running.

    It has been my intention to move to Ultra but I think that will wait until 2014 now.

    Dublin is going to get it!!

    There was a strong indidcator I could of possibly done 3:35 yesterday which on that course I would of done cartwheels for ( More impressive than it sounds because I've never been able to do them before nevermind after 26 miles). So part of me  is convinced that on a less tougher course and a bit of a push on training, woring at that specific goal 3:30 is an attainable target and if I do that aged 42 in Dublin I'd be a very happy boy indeed.

    So here is my tenative plan. Dublin in October, Ipswich and Brentwood halves during the summer alongside plenty of five and tens ks.

    There is still some speed in these old legs, maybe not today though so I am going to enjoy it whilst I can.

    One good thing I got out of yesterday was some decent race photos. There is one at 5 miles where I look good and more oddly my best photo ever at the 26 mile mark, I look totally fine. However the photo of me around the corner at the finish paints a more realistic picture as I stumble over the line that is definitely not a keeper!

    Mrs O got one of me finishing too that has me nicely framed by the St.John's Ambulances in the background. Seems apt somehow.

    I'd like to thank you all on here for your support, advice, humour, words of wisdom and for being part of what kept me going through to the end yesterday. The thought of coming back home and typing DNF was the thing that got me going again. We all still have very similar ambitions for the coming months so I am looking forward to sharing with you my journey to Dublin and following us all to our autumn races.image

     

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    Chapeu sir. A fine effort indeed. A few days rest will do you the world of good. A few months good training and you will definitely be knocking on the door of 3:30 ! Any other pains today, how are the legs etc ?

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