Carlsberg Don't Do Marathons.............

.........................and they probably never will.

 

 

After running my first marathon in Dublin in 2006 I came to Barcelona in the spring of 2007 to prove that I could do better, but more importantly to run a marathon that would not cause me so much pain and suffering (The last 4 miles in Dublin were as bad as it gets) - in search of that finish line high that most first time marathoners talked about.  That spring marathon in 2007 proved to be one of the most enjoyable marathons I ever ran, crossing the line I almost broke into tears I was so happy - the last 2 miles were the only painful ones and only moderately so compared to Dublin. I could have broken 3:30 on that occasion if it had been my priority but I was over the moon with my 3:33:49 PB.

 

In 2010 I returned to Barcelona to have a crack off my first serious sub-3 hour attempt, but an injury leading up to the race, which reared it's ugly head about 9 miles in, put paid to that. My partner in crime on both those occasions was my friend Adrian and who better to partner up for the hat-trick return than him, although he'd be running his first marathon (or indeed any race) in 5 years. This year we were joined by Liam aka "Puds", who is more familiar with a bike than a pair of runners, having last togged out for a marathon (his second in all) way back in Dublin 2006 where he ran a very respectable 2:57 and was in the car on the way home by the time I crossed the line 50 minutes later. To top it off seven of my Eagle AC club-mates would be running the marathon - Tim and Sandra heading for sub 3:30 & 3:20 respectively -Kevin, with a first time marathon PB of 2:59, not giving much away in terms of a target - Finbarr aiming for sub 4 hours, Damien running his first marathon and Nora and Edwina (recovering from an injury). 

 

 

Before

 

We overnighted at my brother in law's in Dublin on Friday night, rising before 5 on Saturday morning to catch the 0640 flight to Barcelona - and they say that the most important nights sleep ahead of a marathon is two nights before! Landing at 1010 hrs local time we got a taxi to the Expo and very quickly picked up our race numbers. While I had packed a soft shell flask in which to carry a homemade gel I was not sure that I would be able to get the black strap molasses for my receipe and decided to pick up some GU Gels at the expo for insurance - 3 ought to do it. We had booked an apartment about half a mile from the start/finish and were lucky enough to sign in early and get a few hours of R&R before heading into town to meet up with the Eagle gang to watch Ireland's narrow defeat to Wales in the Six Nations Championship. Then it was back out to base for more carb loading and a quite if not early night, watching the skiing world cup and the Tirreno-Adriatico on German Eurosport!

 

Adrian was up first at 6:30 for his porridge as he needed to eat early in order to avoid gastro-intestinal issues during the race. I rose at seven as I was only planning on taking on some coffee to get the bowels moving, but had to add a few carbs to help them on their way. The sky was clear and the sun shining, with the temperature cool - it was going to be a perfect day for running. I left first for the 0800hrs scheduled Eagle AC photo-shoot outside the bag drop area - although when I arrived there were (understandably) about 10,000 others at the rendevouz point also so needless to say the photo-shoot wasn't an entire success - although 4 of the eight managed to meet. I met up briefly with Nora and Edwina and wished them well before heading to the sub-3hour section where most of the runners were running around in a tight circle - not unlike the horse enclosure before a race meet. I joined them for a few "laps" but quickly cottoned on to the futility of jogging around at 11 minute pace with people cutting in front of you every few strides.  My heart rate was in the 90's standing still and shot into the 120's when breaking into an easy jog - I hadn't known that I was that psyched!!!

 

Shortly before the gun I met up with Kevin, whom I hadn't known had entered as a sub-3 hour runner - dark horse Kevin. We decided to hang at the back of the corral and let the front of the sub-3:15 group stream past us as the barriers between the corrals were lifted with a few minutes to go. The 2:45 and 3:00 pacers were well up in front. I kept an eye out for Puds (who had signed on as a sub 3:15 runner) but could not spot him.

 

As I had no pace band and my only real goal was a sub 3 hour finish I had targeted 21 minutes for every 5 km (coincided with the timing mats), which would take me to 2:48 for 40 Km, leaving me a good cushion to get under 3 hours - in fact 21 minute 5ks would get me home in 2:57:12 which was roughly in the territory where I thought my body was capable of delivering me to. Only time would tell.

 

During

 

I shook hands with Kevin and as the gun went off we shuffled down the Avenue Reina Marie Cristina, taking nearly a minute to cross the timing mats. We ran between the brick towers that frame the start/finish area, which we would not see again for another 42 Km. Crossing the Placa d'Espana, I turn to say something to Kevin and he is nowhere to be seen - I look in front - no, he's not gone ahead - it's a bit early to be dropping off the pace particularly as it is still only building up - strange! nothing I can do but run on alone.

 

 

 

 

Placa d'Espana - Les Corts (0 - 5 Km)

The first 5 km towards Camp Nou is a net uphill. That, coupled with the congestion over the first few kms and my desire to ease into the race makes for a relatively slow start, with the Garmin showing a 7:04 opening mile along the 2+km straight section of Carrer de Sants. There are quite a few long straights like this in the marathon, which can be quite impressive, seeing the field of runners spread out in front of you - unless you are the leader of course. The average pace on the Garmin comes down to 7:00 with a 6:56 second mile. I'm finding the going a bit tough during these opening miles, more so because I am off my target pace than anything else. I'm not too concerned as it always seems to take me 3 or 4 miles before the engines are fully warmed up. My heart rate has climbed into the high 150's, which is a bit alarming as I only saw these figures in training when I was pushing hard during speedwork sessions. I ignore the data as I am running at a relatively comfortable pace that I feel I can maintain. I cross the 5 km timing mat in 21:33, over half a minute down on target. The 3 hour pacers are well out in front, but at least I can see them - time to reel them in.

 

5k Time - 21:33 (Projected finish - 3:01:52) 

Position 1,317.

 

 

 

Les Corts - Enteca ( 5 - 10 Km)

After rounding Camp Nou (7 Km) we pass the highest point on the course and turn right onto the Avenue Diagonal for 2 Km, which is the start of a long gradual descent, where my pace picks up and I gradually reel in the 3 hour pace group as my mile splits reduce to sub 6:30, without any additional effort. I am generally ignoring pace and running by "comfortably hard" effort.

 

The water stations, spaced about every 2.5 Km, are excellent - advertised 100m in advance, with  bottled water on both sides of the road handed out over a section at least 100m long with 20 to 30 volunteers on either side - so there is plenty of time to move into the side to collect a bottle, which is no harm given the volume of runners. Likewise the support is fantastic ,with crowds of supporters lined out along the route, concentrated at intersections and live music every few Kms - the drumming groups are the best as there is something very primitive about the rhythm that keeps the adrenaline flowing. I am at the back of the 3 hour pacing group approaching the 10km mark and wonder how I am going to get through, with 4 pacers spread out across the road there is no easy route - however as we approach a water station the crowd parts in the middle and I manage to slip through the most congested section, crossing the 10 km timing mat in 42:02 - more or less back on track, covering the second 5 k in 20:29.

 

10k Time - 42:02 (Projected finish - 2:57:22)

Position 1,104 (213 places gained)

 

 

Enteca - Diagonal (10 - 15 Km)

After the 10k mark we turn left heading back towards the Placa d'Espana continuing on a very gentle descent with my "Garmin" pace continuing to be below 6:30. There's still a steady stream of runners in front of me as we turn left again along the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, where our apartment is located - another 2 km long straight. With the even grade it is quite easy to maintain a steady pace/effort with my heart rate between 157 and 160. I continue to slowly move through the field in front of me, hardly noticeable except for the fact that I do not form associations with any of the runners around me the way I would in other races with those running the same pace as me.  Just before Km 14 we turn left along Passeig de Gracia for 1 Km with is the start of a gentle rise for the next 2 Km - the free ride is over. This is where I became a cropper back in 2010. No such problem today. I maintain a reasonable pace in the 6:40's and cross the 15 km timing mat in 1:02:44 - 16 seconds ahead of target and 20:42 for the previous 5k.

 

15k Time - 1:02:44 (Projected finish - 2:56:28)

Position 786 (318 places gained - including passing the 3 hour pace group)

 

  

Diagonal - Fabra i Puig (15 - 20 Km)

 

 

After the 16 km mark we pass one of Barcelona's most famous landmarks, the incomplete Sagrada Familia, spectacular no matter how many time you see it, although I have no time to take in its splendour and it is soon behind me as we head for a 4 km long out and back section along the wide Avenue Meridana taking us to the turnaround at Km 20. Here we get a clear view of the front runners coming against us on the opposite side of the road. I spot the leading female, cocooned within a group of male runners, after passing through the half way point with the time coming up to 1:15. Further back are the 2:45 pacers with a group of 30 to 40 in their wake - the Spanish take their running seriously. The website advertises pacers from 2:45 up to 4:00 only, despite the fact that over one third of the field finish in over 4 hours.

Eventually I reach the turnaround and cross the 20km timing mat in 1:23:30, increasing the margin on my target to 30 seconds.

20k Time - 1:23:30 (Projected finish - 2:56:14)

Position 709 (77 places gained)

Fabra I Puig - Besos (20 - 25 Km)

I get a great buzz from running close to the steady stream of runners coming against me over the next 2 Km. Puds gives me a shout out - I reckon he is about half a mile behind and not far off the 3 hour pace group - biding his time until the halfway mark I guess.  I cross the halfway timing mat as the clock approaches 1:29, with the Garmin bang on 1:28:00.

  

Halfway Time 1:28:00 (Projected finish 2:56:00

Position 697 (12 places gained)

 

Next to come past is clubmate Kevin a few minutes behind Puds, followed by Sandra, who is looking very comfortable. and gives me a big shout out. I had planned to take my first gel after the halfway point but decide to defer it until Km 25 (15.5 miles), with the second scheduled for 32Km and the final one for the last 5 km or so. As a mid-foot striker who skimps on cushioned soles I tend to be quite noisy, with the effect that I turned quite a few heads as I approached runners from behind, disturbing the relative peace and get them wondering when I am going to pull off the course with an injury as surely all that slapping can't be good for me.

With the out and back section behind us we head east. The Garmin shows 15 miles completed in 1:39:xx but it is over 1:40 before I pass the 15 mile sign (in addition to the km marks, every 5 miles was also marked). We turn south-east heading for the coast and cross the 25 Km timing mat in 1:44:00 - 1 minute ahead of target and another 5k in 20:30. I take my first gel here as I can feel my pace slowing relative to a few runners around me.
 

25k Time - 1:44:00 (Projected finish - 2:55:32)

Position 659 (50 places gained, 38 since halfway,

Besos - Selva de Mar (25 - 30 Km)

At 26 km we turn right along the Avenue Diagonal for a 2.5 Km out and back section towards the Torres Agbar. I manage to maintain a reasonably consistent pace with those around me. I see the 2:45 pacers coming against me on the opposite side of the road - still with a considerable group of runners with them. There is always a steady stream of runners in front of me, so I am never alone, unlike some of my previous sub 3hour marathons. Eventually we reach the turnaround and head back east along the Avenue Diagonal towards the coast. Approaching the 30km timing mat my lower intestine begins to show some activity, probably due to the gel I consumed at Km 25. Thankfully it is only gas and I am able to run on without having to seek out a portaloo. However I decide it is best to avoid taking any more gels in case it promotes further unwanted activity. I cross the 30km timing mat in 2:04:33, now nearly 90 seconds up on my 2:06:00 target ( i.e. 6 x 21:00).

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30k Time - 2:04:33 (Projected finish - 2:55:11)

Position 609 (50 places gained)

 

Selva de Mar - Marina (30 - 35 Km)

At 31 Km we reach the end of the Avenue Diagonal and take a sharp right heading for the coast. The next 5 kms prove more challenging as there are a few drags and there is no shade from the sun, although it is not hot. Perhaps I am beginning to feel the effects of the effort. Still I maintain my forward momentum through the field in front of me, so at least I am running at least as well as those around me. My heart rate is consistently in the 159 to 162 range so, although it is relatively high, at least I am running at an effort that I can maintain over a relatively long period.

At 34.5 Km we turn right heading inland and back towards the City Centre. The volunteers dispensing vaseline from outstreatched hands in blue surgical gloves prove invaluable as I notice a bit of chafing under my arms from the club singlet, putting up with the mild inconvenience of having greasy fingers. 

I cross the 35km timing mat in 2:25:51 - now 69 seconds up on my target, having lost a few seconds over the last 5 Km (21:18). 7 Km to go and the wheels are beginning to wobble slightly. This is where the mental demons start to kick in

"Sure you're well on for the sub-3 hour and you have a good cushion. So what if you lose a minute or two. It's not like you're aiming for a PB or anything".

Still I push on as, apart from stopping and walking, which never entered the head, there is only one effort that I can churn out and whatever pace that gives will have to do.

 

35k Time - 2:25:51 (Projected finish - 2:55:50)

Position 533 (76 places gained - despite the slower split my overtaking rate increased)

Marina - Paral-Lei (35 - 40 Km)

7 Km from the finish line is still a long way out and I now have to concentrate a bit more on the leg turnover to stay on pace. I reckon that the longer I can push the pace/effort the closer i'll get to the finish line without conceding valuable seconds. We are now running towards the City Centre, through the Parc de la Ciutadella under the Arc De Triomf and left along Ronda de Sant Pere. The crowds are bigger now and the cheering more intense, which helps getting the adrenaline going. I am counting down the Kms left - passing 37 Km - only 5.195  to go - 21/22 minute of effort remaining. While I reckon I am close to 2:55 for 42 Km I know that the PB (sub 2:54:35) is beyond reach, particularly as I don't have the energy that I though I might have for a final kick over the closing 5 km. It's a long way out to risk everything on a final throw of the dice. Maintaining a consistent steady pace is the best strategy and it placates the mental demons.

We turn left down the side of Placa de Catalunya and into the old city along paved pedestrian streets that feel hard on the legs. I feel my pace is slowing as the effort is beginning to show. We turn right at the bottom of the town and along the waterfront heading for the Mirador de Colom, statue of Christopher Colombus, that signals that the end is not too far away. My flagging energy prompts me to dig into my pocket for one of my GU gels and down half of it, safe in the knowledge that I will be well across the finish line before it hits the far end of my digestive system.

At last we are on the Avenue de Paral-Lei the final straight before the finish. However at over 2 Km long and at a slight incline it is not an easy run in. The fact that you can see the red brick of the twin towers that frame the Placa d'Espana helps in the sense that the finish is in sight but does wreck the head a little as it never appears to get any closer.

We cross the penultimate timing mat at 40 Km, with 2:46:23 on the watch, back to over 90 seconds cushion on my 2:48:00 40 km target, which suggests a sub 2:56 finish if I can keep it going for the last 2 km.   

 

40k Time - 2:46:23 (Projected finish - 2:55:31)

Position 477 (56 places gained)

  

Paral-Lei - Placa d'Espana (40 - 42.2 Km)

The last 2 km is all about pushing to keep the pace going. The cheering crowds keep me motivated and the fact that I just have to keep pace with those around me and forget about how much closer those brick towers appear to be getting. The effort remains reasonably comfortable in as much as the end of a marathon can be, no finishing kick here (a testament to a lack of real speedwork in my training - probably not too significant in the grand scheme of endurance racing). Finally the brick towers are looming over me as I turn left along the  Avenue Reina Marie Cristina and the finish line is in sight, not as close as I expected (would have liked) and with the clock turning to 2:56:00 (2:55:xx on the garmin) I had no incentive to take the effort into the anaerobic zone just to eek out a few more seconds, satisfied to cross the line in 2:55:37, in what was, in the grand scheme of things one of the best marathons I have ever run.

Finish 2:55:37

Position 451 (26 places gained)

After

Within a minute of finishing Puds came across the line for a 2:56:xx PB finish, which included a 7:58 toilet break mile 10. So we may well have crossed the line together if he had avoided that pit stop. A few minutes lying down with the legs raised against a barrier and we were good enough to hobble the half mile back to the apartment, having to negotiate our way across the river of runners coming in towards the finish line, including cheering clubmate Tim on his way to his sub-3:30 PB. Well done Tim.

After a quick shower and a bite to eat at the apartment Puds and I headed to one of the outdoor cafes for a celebratory beer in the warm sunshine where we were joined by Adrian on his return from the finish line. Adrian had a tougher time out there, going through the half in 2:00 and finishing in 4:30, having done the minimum of training, and effectively using Barcelona as the kick off to his training for Ironman Wales in September. Still he joked that Pud's toilet break mile was a full minute faster than his fastest mile.

The beers were followed by a few more beers in town (although I had to ease back on the pace and reverted to coffee - I just hadn't the training put in). We rounded off the evening by joining my Eagle clubmates for dinner and a few more beers, where we all recounted our days struggle. In addition to Tim's PB there were some great results out there with Sandra running to a 3:18 PB (22nd Woman and first Irish Woman), Damien running his first marathon in 3:43 and Finbarr running his first sub-4 hour in an impressive 3:48. Kevin, my running partner for the first 100 yards, decided to do a bit of sightseeing and eased back to a relatively comfortable 3:14 finish. Nora and Edwina topped their day off with 3:57 and 4:00 finishes. We all agreed that it was a fantastic event, superbly organised and one of the best marathons we have run - well worth the trip.

 

Marathon Training Week 1 of 9

I have just finished my first structured training week in nearly two years having dusted down the marathon training programme that got me two PBs in the summer of 2013. Back then I had the relative luxury of starting my training plan in April after getting one or two decent races under my belt. This year I was still enjoying the tail end of the Christmas excesses when the programme was scheduled to start.

 

As it is not a beginners programme it does require a good endurance base and a decent anaerobic base before you start. While I had no problem with the endurance base my anaerobic base was largely non-existent so I was prepared for a baptism of fire in that regard. To allow some bit of a lead in I cut the programme from 10 to 9 weeks, still keeping the total number of quality sessions.  I thought it would be a good idea to compare my key training sessions to those of my 2013 marathon build-up, which will give me a better indication of what I could realistically aim for in Barcelona.

January 2015  - Week 1 of 9	April 2013  - Week 1 of 10
Session # 1 - 8 mile warmup followed by 3 x 2 miles @ HM pace with 2 min active recoveries and 2 mile cooldown
I ran from work following a circuitous route in the Straight Road and out the Model Farm Road to the CIT Track. Conditions en-route were icy in places but runnable. However the track was completely iced over and after running a few laps I decided it was too risky to carry on with the speed session and I was all set to run back to work & drive home. However clubmate Vivian (one of 5 who turned up) suggested we could run on on a path that ran around the adjacent football pitches, assuming the floodlights were on. We complete a recce of the 0.8 mile route, which was partially illuminated and consisted of a mixture of gravel, stone and macadam paths with a few ankle deep water features so with 8.65 miles already on the clock Vivian and I struck out on our first 2 miles as snow began to fall - so, long story short, I completed the 3 reps at approximately 6:25 pace - a bit slower than I would have liked, but i'll take it given the conditions. But the effort was certainly on the uncomfortably hard side of the spectrum and I was glad/relieved when I was done.   While I had initially anticipated cadging a lift from a Ballincollig bound clubmate after the track session, the absence of such a session/clubmate meant that my 2 mile cooldown was closer to 4.5 miles, the last 2 of which was in heavy snowfall. Overall one of my tougher sessions. Lets hope it gets/feels easier from here on.	The race (UCC 10k in 39:30) kind of scuppered the first speed session of my training programme 2 days later (too close but I had no other opportunity to get it in) – 8 mile warmup up followed by 6 x 1 mile @ HMP with 1 minute recoveries and 2 mile warmdown. I converted the 6 x 1 to 4 x 1.5 (90 second recoveries) and managed to complete 3 @ 6:14/17/23 pace before calling it a day as I was progressively slowing down during the 3rd rep and the 4th would not have been worth the pain and effort – anyway 6.2 straight miles @ 6:21 pace 2 days beforehand was enough of a training benefit.
Session # 2 - 18 miles with the last 2 @ marathon pace.
I planned on keeping a steady 7:30 pace for the first 16 miles so as to make the last 2 a bit more challenging.   Things went reasonably well until I took a tumble after 13 miles (slipped on an icy path while taking a corner without slowing down) - all I could think of when hitting the deck was stopping the Garmin so that my "pace" wouldn't suffer. No harm done, apart from a few scratches so on I went.   I had planned on completing my faster miles on the walkway at the back of CIT but as I approached I saw a wall of a few 100 walkers in front of me, apparently an "operation transformation" event (annual weight loss TV programme for those of you from outside the jurisdiction). I took a detour around Bishopstown where I found a 0.9 mile flattish circuit and after 16 miles @ 2 hours of running I managed to churn out 2 miles at an average pace of 6:33 (Target was sub 6:40). It's wasn't as difficult as I was expecting, but certainly more on the tempo side of things than MP. As my detour took me away from my intended finish I had a few miles cooldown, bumping into club mate Elaine on the way. Week 1 down, 8 to go. Avg Hr 132.	My first scheduled long run on Saturday went a bit better – 18 miles with the last 2 at MP. I integrated it with a 13 mile club run at 7:20/30 pace, getting 3 miles in beforehand and heading off on my own for the last 2, for which I had targeted a 6:40 pace, to see how I’d get on after 16 miles of steady running. I ran them a little faster and certainly harder than marathon pace/effort in 6:32/34 – it certainly felt more like a tempo run than a pace I could sustain for more than 20 minutes. All good training. 1 week down – 9 to go.

So far so good.



 

Carb Loading Ain't What It Used To Be

With my training very much in the aerobic zone and no racing there's not much to blog about. Time has also been at a premium over the last few months so when I do have some it's better to go running than write about it. My weekly mileage had been relatively low and only picked up over the last few weeks, still very much in the aerobic zone. My focus since Connemara in August had been elsewhere and the weight had piled back on. No harm as the body needed to recover.

However all that changed a few weeks ago when I decided to embark on a two week carb depletion diet in order to kick start my fat burning metabolism ahead my Christmas Eve 48 mile looooong run. About three weeks ago, two days before pacing 3:45 in the Clon marathon, I had a bad reaction to overdosing on crusty white bread (I can be a bit of a junkie) and spent a whole day feeling like shite so the decision was relatively easy - i'd sandwich a two week depletion diet between the Club night out on 7th December and my work Christmas do on 20th December and gradually replenish the carb stores between the 20th and 23rd - a new slant on the traditional carb depletion/loading combo, although the purpose of the traditional practice is to fill the carb /glycogen stores to the brim for reuse in a race as opposed to my current philosophy of training the body to burn as much fat as possible for as long as possible.

The 3:45 pacing gig in Clon was the perfect aerobic conditioning training run as I managed to keep my heart rate on the hills just below my 138 MAF Hr. This was my 6th time running Clon this year (2nd on this "new" course) and my 6th time coming home in the same time as my Clubmate John D - we're joined at the hip when it comes to Clon. The pace was perfect for enjoying the scenery, which more than made up for the very hills that "made the scene". We had a permanent crew of between 6 and 8 runners, including Pat O'Toole, Gerry Delaney and Geraldine O'Sullivan (Bantry AC), who all ran within themselves managing to push on over the last few miles to finish a few minutes ahead of the balloons. Pat even managed to carry a backpack containing 2 full hot water bottles (5kgs worth) as part of his prep for Marathon De Sables next April - and he didn't even break into a sweat. He said he came across my Connemara race report through a link to "spring onions" - delighted to hear that my blog was reaching a wider audience - i'll have to post a few recipes.



Mile 24 - Heading for home

My 2 week carb depletion diet proved a bit monotonous and resulted in an over consumption of nuts (almonds, brazils and pecans) so much so that my initial 3kg weight loss regressed to 2kg by the time I was back on my "normal" diet - not helped by the fact that I did not run as often as I would have liked. I'll have to expand my eating options next time. But weight loss was never the name of the game - it was all about getting the fat burning engines stoked and ready for action. My running during these two weeks was typically slow and effortless. Although one or two runs were at the high end of the aerobic spectrum the resulting pace was relatively pedestrian - as if 8 minute miles had suddenly become hard work. This bothered me initially but I was more interested in knowing the cause and the only thing I could put it down to was the fact that I had set off too fast, pulling energy from my depleted carb stores and not allowing enough of a slow warmup to mobilise my fat stores sufficiently. Lesson learnt.

My Christmas Eve run started at 4 a.m. with clubmates Denis and Alan joining me at that cold and windy hour for an "easy" run before both of them headed off to work, Denis covering the first 12 mile loop from my house into Victoria Cross and Alan going for the full marathon distance (2 x 12 mile loops with 2.2 stitched on the end). What can I say? Hats off to both of them for turning up at my house at that god forsaken hour to accompany me on the start of my journey - Denis even managing to arrive 10 minutes early for the free cup of coffee. Given the forecast of heavy rain and strong winds, Alan was a bit doubtful as to whether or not I was going ahead with it, but nevertheless turned up just as I was about to head off.

My nutrition consisted of 2 x 750ml bottles of a carb drink (600 calories) and 2 x 200ml bottles of ensure meal replacement (300 calories) - less than a fifth of the calories I expected to burn - the other four fifths coming from my fuel tanks.  In reality I ended up taking about half of each and relying on my ample fat stores to make up the difference.

3:59 - Self Portrait With Denis (Loonies)



I walked the first mile, heading off ahead of Denis and Alan and commenced running when they caught up with me. The pace was a few seconds ahead of the 9 minute mile target but relatively effortless. I kept reasonably quite for the first few miles as I warmed into the run leaving Alan and Denis do most of the chatting. Heading out of town passing the Kingsley Hotel (Mile 7) I decided to hop over a low wall to relieve myself and misjudged my step and ended up flat on my face - thankfully on grass, although I did catch my shin on the top of the wall. I said I was fine and told the guys to run on and i'd catch up with them - the adrenaline masking any pain. Apart from this the first 12 mile loop passed without incident, with neighbour Ian joining us at about 5:50 a.m. for the second loop. The weather remains quite good with no rain and only a moderate wind. 

 

 

The pace for the second 12 mile loop remains under 9 minute miles, which is more challenging for Ian, whose HM PB pace is about 8:30 minute miles. The weather takes a turn for the worse just before 7 a..m (mile 19) when we are hit by a heavy downpour of hailstones and strong winds, the hailstones biting into any areas of exposed flesh - ouch!!!

 

With the second loop completed, I don a backpack containing my carb drink and remaining ensure, bid adieu to Ian and Alan and  set out on the 8 miles into town as far as the Lee Rowing Club on the Marina, to join the Eagle AC club run, scheduled for 9 a.m. The backpack adds a little to the effort and my heart rate climbs into the 130's as I maintain a sub 9:00 pace to ensure I arrive on time.

Mile 32 - Nice morning for a run

Unlike last year I manage to keep the pace on the club run as we head out to Blackrock and along the Mahon walkway, the expected strong winds replaced by a gentle breeze and sunshine, perfect running weather. After 6 miles of chatting we are back at the cars, where I pick up my backpack and head into town with a few others to offer support to clubmate Jo Fearon, who has just started running her 12th marathon of Christmas - 12 marathons in 12 days in support of Cork University Hospital's Neonatal Unit - and all on a treadmill. It's always comforting to know that there are others out there even more devoted to the cause of long distance running.

Mile 39 - 12th Marathon of Christmas

My legs limber up for the final leg of the journey as I leave my clubmates and head for home. Pat Twomey joins me for a few miles to the end of the Straight Road where I continue on at a 9:00 minute pace, a little surprised but happy that my legs have remained relatively fresh despite the increasing monotony of running for a long period of time.  I had planned on mixing it up a bit by introducing intermittent walking but as my legs were relatively intact I kept running. As the Garmin had acted up during the run, recording one or 2 miles faster than actual, losing the satellites for a spell and pausing accidentally I was unsure of the exact distance I had covered so I erred on the side of caution, taking the long way home and slowing down to a walk over the last mile, arriving home at 11:49, 7 hours and 49 minute after I had set out - covering 48.4 miles in 7 hours and 26 minutes.



Mile 48 - Survey the damage

 

Apart from the cut and bruises from my fall at  mile 7, pointed out to me when I joined the club run at Mile 32, my legs were reasonably intact and there was none of the post run aches and pains over the following days that I had after the 100 miler - it's all about the pace....and the preparation.

 

Wishing a belated happy and peaceful Christmas to everyone.



Dublin 2013

The annual pilgrimage to Dublin began a day early this year as I took in a bit of international rules football in with Ani, Saran, Robert (Cousin), Rob (Uncle)  Dave and Dermot on Saturday evening. I wouldn't class myself as a fan of this makey-uppy game that is a mish-mash between Australian rules and Gaelic football that is only played once a year between said nations. This year the Australians didn't appear to take the test seriously (apparently they didn't practice enough with round balls, they being used to the oblong ones) and the match was very much one sided, except when it came to the frequent bouts of fisticuffs, where they very much held their own (The first bout came before the start whistle was blown - the match was 5 minutes old before I saw where the ball was).

Sunday was a laid back day with the only activity involving a stroll in the park with the kids followed by the short trip into the marathon expo to pick up my race number and pacing gear, bumping into Thomas near the pacer stand, both of us sporting our Connemara 100 hoodies (wearing a top with the longest race distance all part of the play).

Monday morning turned out to be mild and sunny, despite the warnings of wind and rain. It was still cold waiting around at the start, where I met my fellow 3:20 pacers Fran and Dom. 

 
 

Killing time before the start

The early rise had me yawning as we waited for the gun, not very encouraging for those expecting me to pace them to the finish. We placed ourselves in the middle of the first wave ( < 3:50), starting at 9 a.m.


It was only when I went to power up my Garmin that I realised that it was the old one, that does not pickup the satellites and to compound my rising frustration at how stupid I could have been the "low battery" indicator came up on it. So much for my meticulous preparation. In searching around for solutions I noticed that Dom was wearing two watches so I explained my predicament to him, without going so far as to ask him for one of his watches. He didn't appear to take the bait or else didn't want to part with one of his watches as he replied that I'd be grand as all i'd have to do was follow him and Fran. Yeah! me and couple of hundred others. I though the purpose of having three pacers was that each could pace independently. I only had myself to blame. Luckily who should I spot but the guy who prepares for all eventualities and has got me out of more holes than I care to remember , clubmate Denis Looney. Sure enough he has two watches and does not hesitate in offering me one, showing me briefly how it works. I just hope that his lack of a spare does not hex his marathon PB attempt.

At last we are off and I begin to warmup as the pace picks up. Still it takes us a couple of miles to get on pace as it is difficult to run freely within the crowded field.



Mile 0.25 - Rounding the first bend



I find the first 3 or 4 miles to the Phoenix Park quite challenging, but gradually get into my stride. I get chatting to a few runners including two girls from Raheny Shamrocks who were both aiming for 3:20, their coach telling them to stick to the 3:20 pacers. At each mile marker we are only ever a few seconds either side of a 3:20 finish. As always the crowd support is top class and with people shouting out my name I realise that it is printed on my race number and I am not as popular as I thought I was.

Clubmate Keith flies past me shortly after the 9 mile mark, well on his way to a sub 3:10 PB finish, having started well back the field (the only way too race). He is followed a mile later by Denis Looney, also on his way to a PB finish, although I would see him later.

I can't say I was relaxed but I was reasonably comfortable. We cross the half way timing mat in Walkinstown a few seconds under 1:40 (chip time). There is always a good group around us, but at times it's difficult to differentiate between those running with us and those running around us. The sun begins to shine and it gets quite warm for a bit, glad I did not put on the compression top I was tempted to wear (but did not have), hanging around in the frigid morning air at the start line.

Over the next few miles my legs begin to tire as the lack of mileage over the preceding months begin to tell. An endurance base is only as good as the previous months training and 3 runs per 35 mile week will expose a few cracks when put to the test.


Denis comes back to me shortly after mile 18, where I inadvertently take a bottle of lucozade sport instead of water and have to chuck it away after taking a tentative sip (too sweet for me). The last hill of the day takes us past the 20 mile mark and onto Fosters Avenue. A few drop off the pace along this section. but most stick to the pace. Fran informs me that Dom has dropped out due to nausea and vomiting, so it is down to us two and with 15 seconds in the bag we commit to add a further 10 second cushion over the following miles. 

Mile 21 - Fosters Avenue "We are this much ahead"


 

 To be quite honest the last few miles are not fun and while I offer encouragement to those round me I just want it to be over - "Just 20 minutes of pain left, keep pushing, one foot in front of the other". Its my tiring/achy legs rather than any lack of fuel/energy (Apart from the sip of Lucozade I took on no calories) that is the week link in my chain. With all my training long runs on grass the impact of tarmac is having a toll. Miles 24/25 are particularly challenging as we are hit by a headwind and have to up the effort just to stay on pace (cushion of about 20 seconds at mile 25), not the best for those around us. At this stage those that had a bit of energy left pushed on for a 3:17/18/19 finish and a few more clung on to us for dear life, pushing hard to stay on pace and no doubt a few fell off the pace. At last we are rounding College Green and heading down Nassau Street and onto the home straight crossing the line in 3:19:4x (chip). Another pacing job complete, and although not my fastest it felt the most challenging.


It's difficult to know who or how many relied on you to pace them part or all of the way until they come up to you at the finish and thank you, which makes the whole effort all the more rewarding.

There were plenty of PBs among my Eagle clubmates (including Denis and Keith, who I met on the course and Elaine who I met at the finish line) A big well done to all.


This time last year Dublin marked my 25th Marathon, this year marked my 43rd - so between the two I ran 17 marathons/ultras, pacing 6 (and a half), setting 4 PB's (2 marathon and 2 ultra) and participating in a few unusual ones (midnight & back to backs). I don't think I will be as prolific over the next 12 months. Where to from here? I don't know yet.  I have a few thing floating around in my head but i'll have to get out on the roads more that 3 times a week if I am to stay in the game.





 

Marathon No. 40

The Waterford Viking Marathon last Saturday was my 40th Marathon/Ultra and 13th this year - I certainly have gone off the deep end over the last few months. Technically Waterford was an ultra as mile 1 was in fact 1.2 miles long, adding 0.2 miles to the overall course. This was not confirmed to us until Mile 21, which made pacing the 3:15 group all the more difficult. We were over a minute behind at all the early mile markers, not willing to push the pace to catch up in case the overall distance would come good. When we crossed the halfway timing mat in Tramore about 40 seconds behind our 13.1 mile target we decided to start banking a little more time as insurance against the possibility of having to run a longer course.

 

Mile 14ish - Tramore Promenade

 

The sun came out as we hit the sea front at Tramore making for more challenging running conditions, particularly on the short sharp hill up through the centre of the town. From here to the finish the rate of attrition began to increase and the temperature increased as we returned along the undulating road to Waterford.

 

 By mile 21, when I was told that the course was actually 0.2 miles longer, I was about 5 seconds behind on the mile marker and only had two runners on my shoulder. Over the next couple of miles these two fell off the pace, which was made all the more challenging by the fact that I had to increase the pace marginally to build some cushion on a 3:15 finish. While it may not have appeared much, increasing the pace by 5 seconds per mile over the last 5 miles of a marathon, can be the straw that breaks the camels back for those that are running at the limit of their ability. My fellow pacer was about 40 seconds ahead of me at mile 23, obviously more concerned than I about making the 3:15 deadline ;-).

 

The last few miles of the course was all about trying to encourage those that I came across to run with me to the finish, with all but one unable to take me up on my offer. So over the last mile I had one guy with me, who ran ahead to come in under 3:14,  followed by yours truly in 3:14:27 - delighted that I had the endurance base to complete the course the day after racing a 10k PB. One of the guys who had dropped off the pace at mile 22, suddenly came sprinting out of nowhere to collapse across the line a few seconds under 3:15, straight into a waiting wheelchair and the medical tent - reminiscent on my own wobble across the line in Dublin 2011.

 

 Apart from the serious error over the length of the opening mile, the marathon was well organised and supported on what turned out to be a beautiful if somewhat warm day on an interesting and challenging course. Apparently the City Council extended the barriers on the mile 1 out and back section along the City Quays to avoid roadworks, inadvertently adding 0.2 miles to the course without informing the organisers!!!

That's the end of marathons for a few weeks as I am steering clear of the Sixmilebridge 10 in 10 in order to save my marriage ;-) With 2 down and 8 to go, best of luck to all those competing.

Long Weekend - Part 2

This is a much shorter post. I was awake at 11 last Saturday morning, ready for the day ahead. While my legs were not too bad my whole body felt tired and washed out.............. no more than what you'd expect after a midnight marathon and a few hours sleep. Trouble is that I had put my name down for the Clonakilty Marathon Director's Invitational on Sunday morning and as it is my home marathon I could not leave it go. How difficult could it be. My philosophy was to test my endurance.......a bit like a mini version of the 10 in 10 coming up in Sixmilebridge next week. This should be a piece of cake compared to that, so my mantra was to "man-up".

I Drove down with clubmate John D and joined the small crowd (about 12) at the start line in Clon on a mild sunny morning. Two guys, Shane and Brian, were even more hard core than I, having squeezed in a trail marathon along the banks of the Royal canal which started at 1 on Saturday, 13 hours after they started the midnight marathon - 3 marathons in 2 days!!!

 My only plan was to run a sub 3:47 (my first and slowest marathon). The problem was that I left the Garmin at home...........no problem - race marshal, mobile water station volunteer and finish line timekeeper, Killian Walsh came to the rescue, giving me a loan of his Garmin 610 (much more sophisticated than my 305). 

Once the legs thawed out over the opening miles John and I kept a reasonably consistent effort over the 26.2 miles, taking in the coastal scenery that never fails to impress, eventually feeling the fatigue, which always creeps up on you, over the last 10k. We pushed the pace over the last few 100 yards to get under 3:38 - stopping the Garmin at 3:37:40. We refuelled on sugary coffee/tea and granola bars, while I also had a shake made up of apple juice and protein powder to get the muscle repair going as soon as possible. A very pleasant run - more like a very long club training run than a marathon. The "recovery" week after Portumna turned out to be my highest mileage week this year with 80 miles on the clock. I gotta make use of all this endurance base I have built up.

Long Weekend - Part 1

My cousin Liam ran the 100k in Portumna on June 15th. Despite the fact that he shouted out my name a few times out on the course (you can do that at 100k pace ;-), I ignored him most of the time, partially because I was bllind as a bat and also because I was so focussed on my own race plan that I did not see much around me, unless you happened to be the guy blocking my path with music blaring in your ears.

After I had finished I did have a brief chat with him in the ultra refuelling zone at the start/finish area, where, by way of helping him to get things from his bag, I helped myself to his treasure trove of goodies - ultra runners always overstock, so I knew he would not miss a thousand calories here or there. I had to head for home before he finished.

As I was working in the Kildare area last Friday I took the opportunity to stop off at Liam's place on the way home to catch up on old times and see how his 10:28 100k PB went. As chance would have it Liam's Club, Le Cheile AC, was hosting a midnight marathon that very night. "Why not come along and give it a go" he said, "it would be a bit of fun" - and you thought I was crazy.

As luck would have it my gear bag was in the car and I had told Abina that I was just popping out for a packet of cigarettes, so she wasn't expecting me home any time soon. So we both headed for the shop to stock up on rice cakes, jellies and coke and carb loaded on a quarter pounder with cheese at the local greasy grill (with equal measures of protein and fat, in case the carbs didn't work). Unfortunatly it is I that carrried the quarter pounder around the 26.2 miles rather than the other way round.

The course was 95 laps on the outside lane of the Grass Track at Le Cheile AC in Leixlip. It felt a bit odd heading out the door shortly after 11, saying goodnight to Paula and Zach (Liam's wife and son), dressed in running gear. I felt like I should be going to bed and my body concurred. There were about 40 other crazies lined up for the midnight start - I knew immediately that I had stepped into another realm, an alternative world where everything seemed strange, surreal......but only to me..........I was an imposter in an alien world..........this all seemed natural to those around me.........................

Look like you know what you're doing

Each runner was introduced to his "counter" before the start. These were the guys and gals who ticked off your 95 laps one by one as you passed them at the start/finish. Each counter had about 5 or 6 runners. Let me say from the outset that these guys/gals were excellent....imagine giving up 4 or 5 hours of your time to count people running around a field in the middle of the night, when you could be sleeping/clubing/watching re-runs of the Soprano's. Not only that but every time you passed they offered encouragement and checked to see that you were alright.....95 times!..........by five or 6 runners!!!. Respect....it made running around a field 95 time seem like a piece of cake (and it wasn't). My counter was Jarlaith. If he could be described in one word it would be "Solid". Everytime I passed I could hear him shout out "gottya Grellan".......like a safety net catching you,,,,,,,,,, as the last thing you wanted was an extra lap added to your run ......it's funny how the seemingly small things take on a huge significance at 3 in the morning.

I started off reasonably conservatively, with about 6 runners out in front of me, including Rory Mooney, winner of the Portumna 50k.........so i know straight off that 2nd place was the best I could get. While the garmin pace was showing 7:20 to 7:30 pace the actual pace was about 15 seconds per mile slower...........something to do with reduced satellite accuracy when running around in small circles (The Garmin clocked 27.17 miles by the time I had finished). The effort felt more than the pace suggested, partly due to the time of day and partly due to the fact that I had run a marathon PB 6.5 days earlier.

It wasn't long before I was lapped by Rory and two other guys. To break the monotony I decided to up my pace and hang on to them for a few laps or half an hour if I could. After all it didn't feel too stressful. In the back of my mind was to finish reasonably early as I planned on driving home after the race.........it doesn't take that long to buy a packet of cigarettes. If I could get to bed before Abina rose for work shortly after 7 i'd be able to get to sleep in until 12 before domestic duties called.

My plan worked for a few laps until another guy came from behind and forged ahead, dragging Rory and one other guy in his wake. The pace was too fast for the other guy and I, so we ran on together for a while before he too fell off the pace as I passed the only girl among the 6 that had started in front of me.  6th place, with 3 more than a lap in front of me

It wasn't long before Rory and the other guy (Paul) lapped me for a second time. The guy in 3rd place came back to me and it wasn't long before I had lapped him and the 4th placed guy a couple of times. 4th place, I think ( I hadn't seen one of the guys that started in front of me - in reality it was more confusing on the night and I was not counting position).  While I had a drop bag with coke and a few gels in it I did not touch it all night. There was also a water table on the straight, which did not use either as it involved straying from the racing line.

My plan was to get to at least 66 laps before seeing if I could increase the pace and finish strong. The halfway point came in about 1:40, indicating a even pace 3:20 finish. Although I felt that I would have to work harder to stay on that pace to the end. Lap after relentless lap was counted down, surprised that I had not been lapped again by Rory and Paul. Then Frank McDermot told be that Rory had pulled out. 3rd place, by my calculation.  Although if someone had stopped to to take on water I could have passed them without knowing - doubful perhaps.

I ploughed on slowly clocking up the laps until i reach 65 laps and I can see an end in sight. I start counting down the last 30 laps, gradually increasing the pace with 20 laps to go. At some stage I remember passing one, then 2 guys that I had not passed before. One was Paul, who had been 2 laps in front (he had removed his rain jacket and I had not noticed). I was still only concentrating on my race plan of finishing strong if I could. I increased the pace with 10 laps to go and noticed the encouragement from Jarlaith increasing everytime I passed.

At some stage I heard someone say "you put 40 yards on him during the last lap"........all I though of was "who?"..........."where is he?.........."how far ahead is he?"............"is he more that a lap ahead?".........."Is he in first place and am I in second?".

All I could do was stick to my plan/pace and what will be, will be. The comments from the counter corner escalate to "he's getting faster with each lap"......"phenominal".........."great running Grellan", which encourages me to keep pushing the pace. With 3.5 laps to go I pass Paul and assume that I am in first place, but am not sure..........he could be a lap ahead for all I know.............I am running scared now as there are always footfalls behind me..................the counters are now instructing the slower runners to keep right and let the faster runners through on the left.........adding to excitement of the closing laps. I continue to push the pace counting down the last 2 laps and cross the finish line for the last time in 3:17:01. Paul finishes behind me in 3:17:41, with the third placed guy, Aidan, coming home in 3:21:14. All very close for a midnight marathon. With an overall average 7:30 pace, my closing laps @ 6:55 pace were enough to ensure a strong finish once I had taken the lead.




Where have all the other Zombies gone?

 

Following a light massage, refuelling on coffee and cake and a coodown lap with Liam I hit the long road for home, thankful that I had left the bottle of coke for the journey, with my head finally hitting the pillow at 6:30, sharing half an hour with Abina before she rose for work - unfortunately her instructions for the day fell on deaf ears..........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Marathon Training Week 10 of 10 (Time to Shit or get off the Pot)

My final training week for Portumna ended with a long run of 26.2 miles, where the programme called for 26.2 miles at target race pace, with recovery deferred to the end - a real ball breaker for sure!

With the 100k starting at 8, the 50k at 10, the Marathon at 12 and the half at 2 I was a little concerned that the 5k looped course through Portumna Forrest Park would get a bit congested, particularly over the closing stages of my marathon, when my ability to say "excuse me please" or "coming through on the left/right" would be severely tested and the temptation to abbreviate the request to something less polite would be overpowering, particularly over common sections of the course, with people running in both directions on a path 6 to 8 feet wide, some of whom wore earphones, oblivious to their surroundings.

I drove up with Clubmates Ann and John, with Denis, Neil and Charlie in the 50k advance party and Killian overnighting for the 100k.

We arrived in plenty of time to pick up our numbers and cheer on our clubmates who were already out on the course. The marathon started close to the village, 2.195km from the start of the 5k loop - so the plan was simple - a 2.195km run to the Forrest Park and 8 x 5 k loops of the park. Somehow counting 8 loops seemed far more palatable to the brain than breaking it down to miles or, god forbid, kms.

After donning our gear we managed to hitch a ride to the start line with race director Seb Locteau (real nice guy ;-). I still went for a short 4 minute warmup (7:09 pace @ 130 HR). The weather was very changeable with sunny spells and light rain - although the heavens opened up just 4 minute before the start as we all huddled under trees at the side of the road to keep dry for as long as possible. As the race had to start with exactly 4:00 on the clock (start of 100k) we lined up as the rain pelted down, although about 10 seconds into the race it stopped as suddenly as it had started and the sun came out. 

Peter Mooney, the only fast guy I knew on the start line (3rd in Cork in 2:35), strode into the lead, followed by a guy in red, with myself and another guy taking joint third spot - although we were soon relegated to joint 4th, as a guy in black passed us out and soon after moved into second position as we entered the Forrest Park. My opening pace is fairly relaxed, although in the high 6:40s is still sub-3 hour pace.

I got chatting to the guy beside me, Andrew, who said he was only running to half way as he had picked up the number from a mate who was unable to take part. That took the pressure off a bit as my competitive side was beginning to surface, despite the fact that I was running for a time and not a position - how was I to know the ability of those around me.

The garmin display was showing total time (to check against my pace band), lap pace (set to mile laps) and total average pace - which was moving down towards 6:40 during Lap 1 of 8. Before the lap was over we had passed the guy in red and were now in joint 3rd. I suggested that Andrew might be tempted to run the full given that a podium finish might be in the offing, but was silently releived when he said "not a chance" as his longest run in the last year was 10 miles - third place was uncontested for the moment - early days though.

Halfway through Lap 2, the 2nd placed guy in black pulls off the course in front of us, or at least I assumed he did as one minute I could see him and the next minute he was gone. Andrew and I continue on, with the lap and overall average pace coming down into the 6:30s. Early in Lap 3 we hear someone approaching fast from behind and settling in behind us instead of passing us out. Doubting that it is any of the 100k/50k front runners I look around and see the guy in black, who says he is quite content to run along with us, saying that he had to stop to take a stone out of his shoe. He introduces himself as Brian and asks are we going for sub-3 as we are currently on 2:53/54 pace. He reveals that his PB is 2:58 and that he more than likely will blow up during the second half - sweet music to my ears - although I am far from complacent as I could well blow up myself. I confirm that my PB is 2:56, but don't tell him that it is only 12 days old - can't show any sign of weakness ;-) We all run on together, with no obvious threat from behind as far as I can make out from the out and back section. Peter Mooney is comfortably well out in front.

Before Lap 3 is over Andrew begins to fall behind and Brian and I run on. We pass 16Kms (10 miles) just after 1:06 (post race splits suggest 1:05:58). During Lap 5 Brian begins to pull ahead. Looking at a "6:29" lap pace on the Garmin I am not concerned and continue on at my own pace. At the turnaround he is about 30 or 40 yards ahead and remains there until he gradually comes back to me as we cross the timing mat together with 5 Laps done - 3 to go.  He is a little surprised to see me, complimenting me, saying he thought I had fallen off the pace as he had kept the same pace/Hr. While he certainly had dropped me, my garmin suggested that it was more than likely due to a surge from him rather than any fade from me. Maybe he was trying to mess with my head - either way I was content to follow my own pace for as long as it would last. We ran on together, both of us content to have company to help pace each other. Approaching the Lap 6 turnaround (12.5km to go) Brian begins to fall behind. I continue on, still relatively comfortable in churing out a pace in the 6:30s/6:40s. I never know how far behind he is, but I am still running my own race.

The stress begins to come on as I cross the timing mat at the end of Lap 6 - 10k to go with about 2:12:36 on the clock (20 miles), which matched my pacing band exactly - although my pacing band had been arbitrarily based on a 2 mile cut-in from 7:00 pace to 6:35, with a very ambitious 6:35 pace all the way to a 2:53:30 finish. All I thought of now was that I needed a 42 minute 10k to get under 2:55. Could I run 2 x 21 minute closing 5k loops, which I equated to 6:52 (3 hr Marathon) pace.

The early pace of Lap 7 remains in the 6:30s but gradually fades. After the turnaround (7.5km to go) I keep an eye out for Brian, who is not too far behind - perhaps a minute or two - certainly not far enough to give me any level of comfort. I push the pace as comfortably hard as I can, taking the last swig from my gel (diluted honey, molasses and salt) before crossing the timing mat for the penultimate time, handing my gel belt (with car key) and bottle to Thomas, who was standing on the sideline having completed his "training 50k run".

5k to go with the clock showing 2:33:09 (I think) - just under 22 minutes to get under 2:55. I figure I need 7 minute miles to get there. The early lap pace shows 6:55 on the garmin. I try to push the pace to bring it down as much as possible but don't make much of a dent in it - the closing stage fade is well and truly upon me - this is where valuable time can be rapidly lost without realising it - putting a new meaning to the throwaway comment "how time flies". I'm counting down the closing kms. The drag up to the turnaround is tough - the usual greetings to fellow runners out on the course have faded to a weak thumbs-up. Coming off the turnaround there is no sign of Brian, so while I am "comfortably" in second place my focus is entirely on getting under 2:55 and now is not the time to relax.

Approaching the 1 km to go sign and I'm hoping for a 2:50:00 on the Garmin to give me a comfortable 5 minutes (8 minute pace) to achieve my target. However the Garmin gives me something like 2:50:20 and a 4:40 closing km requirement. In my energy depleted state I cannot convert this to my normal mile pace and assume that I need 7 minute mile pace and with the lap pace displaying "6:59" on the Garmin I am far from relaxed. I am on the last long stretch before the final turn to the finish with the time showing 2:52 - 3 minutes remaining - counting down each minute in 90 strides -

"reach the tall trees at the end of the path in the first 90 strides" - 2:53:08

"reach the end of the trees and the final left turn in the second 90 strides" - 2:54:00

"I'm surely going to make it now just 100 yards or so"

- punching the air as I cross the finish line with 2:54:35 on the clock, exhausted by the effort of the last 3 -10 - 20 minutes, even if they are the slowest miles of the day.


I might have relaxed a bit more over the closing km had my brain been able to correctly convert a 4:40 km to 7:31 mile pace.


Who was there to greet me as I crossed the line but Kate Harrison, the Girl whom John and I had paced to a 4th place 2:28 (correction 3:28) PB finish in Limerick at the start of May - a fitting end to a marathon PB day. Kate had volunteered for race support for the day.

2 Marathons PBs in 12 days is certainly contrary to conventional wisdom. However I am confident that it is a once off and never to be repeated.