Photo by Ciaran Tobin

GRAHAM MORGAN

DCM 2016 Running Redemption

Dublin 2016 was part of a comeback to running that started just over a year ago after I quit running with a broken body & mind after the 2012 Dublin Marathon. Caught in a 4 year injury cycle, Dublin 2012 was the worst of my 3 marathons. Starting in 2007 I ran 3.17.58 the following March I was in a car accident starting off a succession of Glute/IT band issues then followed up with brittle calf’s. I had a succession of injuries never getting the training I needed to get done and getting injured at vital times. In 2012 I was booked to go to the Amsterdam Marathon, 5 weeks before the race the IT band issue flared up and I missed the final 5 weeks training I didn’t go to Amsterdam however I did get an entry to Dublin from a fellow injured runner. Although I was fit enough to get around it was a miserable experience I started to stiffen up from Crumlin to the finish line finishing in 3.53. something. I decided then I wouldn’t run another marathon until I could train properly for it.

From 2012 I bought a bike and over the last few years I haven’t missed a day’s training through injury, enjoying bike racing & improving year on year. I like the bike there’s a seasonality to it, you race from February to September and then you break all the work down with a break and start preparing for next February with hard winter training. September 2015 as part of the winter training I started circuit training two nights a week mainly at classes aimed at runners, soon as another part of winter training I got talked into doing some small races.

This brings me up to 2017, I knew I was going to be away for most of May so to try and maintain my fitness I would do some running also to give me something to aim for I would enter the marathon at the end of the season.

My marathon plan well wasn’t a plan as such I’d see what I could cram in every week. Starting by running 6 miles and adding a mile a week as part of my long run plan. A few runs during the week, some circuits and riding the bike to and from work & maybe a league race. The main idea I had was to get 6 x 20 plus mile long runs in, the other part of the plan I wasn’t going to take any gels the made my stomach feel closed and I couldn’t eat after them no matter how hungry the body was. Everything went well I even got to the porchfields for some club runs in June & July. Then I ran in Kinnegad breaking 20 minute for a 5k I was over the moon. Then the following week I tore my calf in the Swords 10k. Although cycling, I was out of running until mid August and only got to use the Frank Duffy 10 mile as a training run. I changed my routine to protect my calfs as much as possible I was only going to run every second day that was the club runs in the Porchfields out. Into September  I soon got the first two of my 20 mile runs done, then bang the calf went again luckily I only missed the half marathon and possibly 10 days training, the last day in September I got a 22 mile run done. Into October I was running 4 days a week and hit peak mileage the week of the ¾ marathon a whole 43 miles including the race and a 3.5 mile warm up. I finished the race strong and knew I was in good shape for finishing the marathon. I just had to try and stay injury free the big mileage was over. I had some niggles in the following weeks but decided to run the Longwood 10k as a marathon paced run the week before Dublin I finished as planned at 7.50 but my heart rate was very high and it was a struggle no problem marathon is a week away  plenty of time for that to come down.

 

Marathon day I had a good week plenty of early nights, eating well. I had decided I was going to run my own race my target was 3.30 I thought this would be a decent time for the amount of training and racing I did. I did however start off with another few guys that were also aiming for 3.30. The first mile 8.20 perfect 30 seconds of race pace, I looked at my watch heart rate was 160 that was very high for an easy mile. All the way up to Castleknock I averaged 8 minute miles as per my plan.  My heart rate was around 170 way to high but I feel ok I’ll keep going it might come down, if I blow up I blow up, I decided forget about it and hope for the best. Turning out of the park into Chapolizod I seen Ciaran & Ann for the first time, I also knew I was going up the hill to Ballyfermot, although I haven’t ran the marathon but I have been here the last 4 years cheering on anybody I could see. I knew my wife should be here with a banana & a half bottle of coke miked with dioaralylte. I had that I was feeling comfortable soon enough I was passing through Dolphins Barn I seen got a great boost from the Trim AC group there, up at Crumlin shopping centre half way feeling strong the complete opposite to the way I was 4 years previous.

Up to Walkinstown I met my Mam she also had a banana & a half bottle of coke miked with dioaralylte. I ate the banana and drank the coke the stomach was full but other than that I was feeling good, when I got to Terenure something happened that hadn’t experienced before I was going forward lots of people were slowing down. I was still feeling good. I turned towards Milltown and another great group of Trim supporters, I met my friend Bobby from Bohermeen did I need a gel, water no my stomach was still bloated, my watch was saying I was doing 7.30 miles should I slow down? No keep going your feeling good. The crowds in Milltown were brilliant. Coming out of there I met Andrew Revington for the first time, he told me he was running the marathon by accident, he was only doing a training run, but he told me I was doing a good pace to keep going he was stopping for another chat. Soon I was heading up heartbreak hill I looked at the watch, I was slowing I decided to take a gel at the next water stop. Keep pushing I started to calculate if I slowed down would I still break 3.30 yes but the quicker I went the quicker I could get to the pub.

Down past Vincent’s hospital and around towards the RDS there was Ciaran & Ann again shouting encouragement, I felt like I was on the home straight but it wasn’t coming quick enough people were pulling away but when I looked at my watch I was still holding 8 minute pace, finally the 800 metre’s to go sign and sight of the finish line, 2 laps of the track no problem, a wall of noise either side of the road, so many people I couldn’t see any faces and the finish line the clock just turning past 3.30 a look at my watch I have plenty of time and then it was over. My chip time was 3.29.17 I had finished another marathon and this time I felt good. The demons were put to bed for now.

It may not have been my fastest but probably my best ran pace wise I felt good and strong most of the way around. I didn’t hang around to long at the finish I tried to keep moving. My goal was complete now onto my next goal a large bottle of Bulmers. I met Tom Feely, Maurice and Eoghan at the baggage area that I can remember everybody seemed happy with the day. Dublin 2016 had everything perfect weather, great crowds and a very unforgiving course get it wrong or underestimate it at your peril and you will suffer, get it right and it can make you do crazy things like go home and sign up for Rotterdam. What’s my plan going to be, try and cram as much running, cycling and circuits in as possible & try and stay injury free. It sort of worked for Dublin. 

 

Photo by Ciaran Tobin

BREDA DEERY HARRIS

Dublin was my 11th marathon , 6th Dublin in a row. 3.31 was my finish time, while that is 9 minutes off my PB (3.22) and a whole 7 minutes slower on the same course last year, I should be somewhat disappointed, but I'm actually happy enough as I've had a very up and down build up to Dublin, not anything physical but just felt drained in training and lacked any real motivation, with no real desire for a pb. I'm putting it down to 2 things, possibly too many marathons, as this was my third this year , Rotterdam in April, Derry in June and then Dublin. So I feel like I've been in marathon training all year round and it's hard to keep up that momentum. Also My training partner who I usually do all my long runs with has been injured , so I did many long runs with different groups over the past few months, which I was very grateful for but I really missed training with her as we're very like paced and it works for us both. So while I put the miles in, I didn't put my heart in the training, and that's the difference .

I found the marathon tough enough, struggled a little earlier than I'd like , around the 15 mile mark . I'm not surprised though , I was doing long runs at 9/9.30 min pace so I knew I wasn't going to hold 7.50 for too long .
Next up for me is Boston in April. I'm going to take s break now from long mileage until after Christmas and concentrate on shorter stuff and try to get my speed back. I'm actually excited for training to start in January because I really want to give this marathon everything . I'd love 3.15, and a negative split but it's going to take a lot of work, but I'll be happy enough with sub 3.20... Well sorta happy

 

Photo by Des Clancy

SENAN EDWARDS

Achieved Some but.. A lot to do....

Have to admit I didn't enjoy my 1st Marathon, came of the track deflated!!!

That said, this is a reflection of not just the Marathon but the journey to get there...

Took up this running lark in 2014. It all started with Couch to 5k in January of that year. In March I joined Trim AC and entered some 5k & 10k events posting times and trying to better them each time. There was no real strategy to how I ran, just keep the legs moving. I also got my first taste of a longer distance race when I entered the Dublin Half Marathon.

2015 was a kind of a stop/start year and didn't rejoin the club. One new thing I started was the strength and conditioning training. This gave me a new lease of life and purpose.

In 2016, I turned 40 and decided to give the running another go and due to all my enthusiasm, I was entered (not by choice) in the Dublin Marathon Series & the Big One. There was no turning back or nowhere to hide. I rejoined the club in order to help me in my prep for the marathon. My only benchmark was times posted in 2014 to see where I was and due to losing a bit of weight and S&C training, I noticed I was able to run faster and longer.. my times decreased dramatically(weren't great times from 2014).

My Marathon as stated before was not enjoyable, legs gave up after 17 miles and was walking/shuffling/walking for the final 9.2 miles. It was torture and I was very tempted to walk of the course. I promised myself I'd finish it but I've never experienced the demons that tell you to stop, walk off, your legs are too sore!!!

I finished it in a time of 4:23:27

I probably, actually I did, set the bar to high for my 1st Marathon. If I'm honest with myself:

Did I put in the proper training? No
Did I put the mileage on the clock? No

Am I capable? Yes I am.

I just have to do it right next time. This isn't going to happen without the hard miles each week in preparation for it. I've learned a lesson from last Sunday that I will bring forward to the preparation for the next one.

I'm not giving up yet, want to come of the course knowing I gave everything, on the day and in my preparation.

Here comes the positives:

Trim AC, The Club and more importantly the members. Every week the positive nature of all involved in the club, every training session, I was running with like minded people who encouraged me and each other to keep moving and striving to whatever goal they had in their mind. I'd like to thank all of the members within the club for that.

Again, as the title states

"Achieved Some but.. A lot to do...."

Photo by Des Clancy

DAVID HAWCROFT

Well as the marathon begins to recede into history and adrenalin levels slowly fall back to normal people are reflecting on their experiences. Naturally you tend to hear quickly of the success stories, the PBs, the charity money raised and so on. My own experience is a mixed one.
My pre-marathon preparation had gone very well. I’d built up slowly, hit the weights (sort of) and protein shakes, done some long runs, some hill running (you cannot even go shopping in Sheffield without going up or down hill) and a few races to hopefully get an edge. Three weeks before the race I had done the ¾ marathon which had gone like a dream (and that was possibly part of my downfall; pride before a fall and all that).

Anyway the start of the marathon was good, splitting into three blocks an excellent idea. I felt very good indeed and after trying to run with a pacemaker group (quite difficult to avoid stumbling and heel clipping in the big crowd following the balloons) I set off at a fair lick. Even now I find it hard to believe I could break the number one rule of a marathon – do not go out to fast!!! The novice’s error. I have Garmin but nowadays find it hard to see the digits so wasn’t really sure of the pace. Anyway come 10 miles I was beginning to wonder and then by 16 it was jog/walking time. Ho hum; will I ever learn – might get it tattooed on my forearm!!

Anyway I ended up 10 minutes slower than target time and 20 slower than ecstatic time (I’m not saying what it was!). I suppose coming 12th out of 49 in the over 70s was reasonable but I think the point to get out of that statement is the incredible fact that 49 over 70s were doing a marathon; unbelievable 20 years ago. The downside is all the young ones in the club have decades to go before they can legitimately retire with excuses.
One advantage of being down the order is that you are running alongside ‘ordinary’ people; not the super fit obsessives. We get to see and admire the charity people, a blind runner with a tether for example, and also quite movingly one labelled ‘Organ Recipient’ running alongside another labelled ‘Living Donor’. I’m always curious to see what people are wearing – being one who needs to run in an entire wardrobe of clothes, need more body fat or hormones I suspect. It can be depressing to be overtaken by someone in beach wear, but at least not the flip-flops. I’m sure I was overtaken by a young lady running in her knickers- I tried to keep up I really did.

The race itself was glorious. For a city marathon it is a wonderful course, running through the park and through the Dublin 4 boulevards, fallen leaves and the rest makes for a splendid venue. It is also staggering well organised for a big occasion. I would not want to be organising another event that weekend and trying to hire portaloos – all the ones in Leinster were in Dublin. Also I’ve been to a number of events that advertise gels on the course; forget it if you are in the second half. Not so here; they were thrusting them at you. Running up a long (and carpeted!) finish is always good and Merrion Square takes some beating. And the crowd!!! And cheery marshals everywhere even after hours of it.
So mixed feelings but when I get my legs back sometime in December it will be time to find another run and off we go again.

Photo by Des Clancy

SUSAN CLANCY

I set myself a few running goals at the beginning of the year the ultimate goal was a sub 4 marathon. My last attempt at Marathon was 4.05 and I knew I had the better of those 5 minutes. Training started in July for me - I approached the plan this year with excitement and focus. The aim was to increase the training mileage and also focus on strength & conditioning. I also did a lot of mid- week runs by myself in preparation for the day. Long runs were done early sat morning in the great company of my summerhill friends. A source of great craic and motivation.

My body and head felt good morning of the marathon , I was going to war with the race - this year it wasn't coming at me ! I started off with Claire & Karen - at about 7k the girls picked pace, t'was a bit too quick at this stage for me so I decided to hold off and stick to my plan.  From here on in it was me, myself & I ! When you are running for a time I guess you have to run your own steps and that's what I did. 

I felt steady and comfortable and the miles passed by nicely - my only issue was a tightness in my calves - i remembered my husbands advice and splashed water on them - which did help! I couldn't believe how fast the time past, before I knew it I was at fosters ave - heading for home.  Crossing the flyover at UCD I let a shout at my family to see how Kieran did,  the reply ' he's home ages' with that I was happy and was ready for my own medal! 

This was my third marathon,and the most comfortable by far - the crowd and buzz were great and I just took it in. 

This was my first marathon wearing the Trim AC singlet - I took great pride in running in my home town colours, it was fantastic to hear the cheer for Trim AC from runners and the supporters. T'was brilliant. Thank You x 

I'm thrilled to have achieved a 3.49 marathon - my improvement is credited to Trim AC, training with a diverse inclusive group is fantastic. 

I took up running after my daughter was born 4 years ago. Up to that point football was my main sport - I played in goals (quite well I admit) because I couldn't run!!! 

Am I runner yet?  I hope so :)