In 2010 I get all my records from 5km to Marathon. But then moved to the longer distance completing the Leadville 100miles in 2012 and attempting the Spartathlon in 2013.
In 2014, I started with a good result at the Connemara 63km but I wanted to go back to the marathon distance and why not run again sub 2h40′. I registered to the Dublin City Marathon 2014.
Lactate Threshold test
I started from scratch doing a Lactate Threshold test the 19th July 2014 with Matt from Fitness Analytics. The definition of my lactate threshold will help define the training plan for the summer. It is a full analysis of my fitness: weight, fat, blood, lactate threshold…
– Height: 178cm (5ft 10)
– Weight: 68.4kg (10st 11lbs)
– BMI: 21.6
– Body Fat %: 15.3
– Skeletal Muscle %: 40.8
– Visceral Fat %: 4
– Haemoglobin levels: 13.8 g/dl
– Hematocrit: 41%
– Cadence level at THRESHOLD SPEED: 90 (180)
– Lactate Threshold – 4mmol/litre at a speed of 6.05 min/miles at a heart rate of 160bpm
Training zones
Easy/recovery running ZONE1 125-147bpm
Threshold running ZONE2 148-160bpm
Tempo running ZONE3 161-172bpm
Interval running ZONE4 173bpm and above
After the test, I get a new training plan, different training zones based on the Heart rate and advises on diet.
Training
After 5 weeks training, I ran a 10km in 37′. It is an improved fitness, but too slow to think on a sub 2h40′. The target should be sub 2h45′ and close to 2h42′.
Matt Bidwell prepared a taylored training plan on 9 weeks. I was getting every monday the plan for the week. 3 weeks before the marathon, I will try the Galway bay half marathon.
The plan was not to race it. After the warmup, I had to run 3 miles at threshold. I managed roughly 25km at 3’45” this day and closed the half marathon just above 1h20′.
During the half marathon I even ran the first 10km in 36’40”. The fitness level is improving. Only 3 weeks before Dublin, it is too short to be ready for 2h40′.
Anyway I am happy because I will be able to push myself on the marathon again. I still dream about a great day where everything will work good…
Pre-race
As usual, the Tuesday I started the “scandinave dissociated diet“. On the Friday, I reach 63,3km. I have lost 5kg in 14 weeks. It was difficult not to drink any beer during 9 weeks, but I reached a weight that I did not reach during the last 8 years. It is already a great achievement.
On Sunday (the Dublin Marathon was run on the bank holiday monday) the last training on the race course. I ran the last 2km @ 3’32” and 156bpm. It is promising.
I get ready early enough to be at the start line on time:
On Monday I go to the start early, but there is no starting grid apart for the top runners. I then decided to go to the start line 30′ before the start in order to secure the start at the front.
Unfortunately I will start with a very limited warm-up. I meet the friend Andrea Rigo from Italia. We ran together in Florence in 2009… He is with a big group of Italian runners for this weekend in Dublin. He will finish in 2h40′. Well done Andrea.
The race
The start
At 9.00, we are more than 12000 to start this Dublin City Marathon 2014.
The Heart Rate monitor is going up. There are disturbance as it goes up to 201bpm. It is not accurate and the strap is too loose. I will spend some time to fix it back. Already 3km are gone. We rush down to the side of the river. We get the first bottle of water and get some cheers from other GCH friends.
Then I try to find a group in order to keep covered from the wind (even on the picture, it is difficult to see me at the back of the group: on the right). Today it will be tough with strong wind @ 30km/h. We enter the Phoenix park. I see John and Anna, and keep at the back of the group. Few miles of uphill are waiting for us. Just keep calm and wait the exit of the park to try to take the pace…
I reach the top and km 10 in 38’17” at 3’50″/km, and I am 89th. I am late for a sub 2h40′ but I have time. The race will start in 20km…
To the half mark
I reduce the speed to take the first Gel and drank most of the bottle. Let start the downhill. The downhill is steep. It is funny, I took this road to exit Dublin, when I tried to run from Dublin to Galway last year.
Then we enter to the park again, but we continue to go down. I see Andrea Rigo in the group in front. The speed is high and I run @ 3’45″/km. No need to push harder. The part in the park is nice but there is no public. We exit the park and there is the next water station.
There is then a steep hill, I move the head down, reduce the strides and run up as light as possible. The training in Tonabrocky is important. Nice to see Barry Phelan there to Cheer us. We are back in the city and the public is a great help. It is strange, usually during the first part of a marathon I feel strong but this start with the hills and the wind are already pushing the body.
I have no real idea of my progress because only the miles are shown and I did not see all of them. The position are not changing much. I will see Matt Bidwell, Joanna Murphy just before the worst part of the race. We turn right at 90 degrees to get a head wind. It is tough. The speed is just dropping. I see then Helen just before the half way. I will take my second gel and reduce the speed to drink the water and digest correctly. Then I arrive at the half way clock in 1:21’26”. This portion of the race was done @ 3’53″/km. I am 91st.
The second half
The speed is slowing down and sometimes on the watch i see 4’10”. This strong headwind is not helping at all. I slow down to wait the next runners. I can not run against the wind on my own. km 22 is run in 4’07”. 20″ slower than the plan pace. The next 4km are just slow and we are working in our group of 4 to fight the wind. I am even thinking about how I will be able to close the marathon sub 2h50′? One runner is dropping, the 2 runners from Sligo are working good.
We are at km 24, we turn left and we are covered from the wind by the houses on the right. The 2 runners are accelerating away and I get my own pace. Speed is increasing but the legs are not turning as I would like. We have another stretch against the wind and then we turn left. The wind is pushing back and I manage to get speed again. I will run 2km @ 3’53″/km. Then the road is going down and I get further speed. I will get my third and last gel just before km 30 and will slow down as usual to hydrate myself correctly.
30km are closed in 1:56’44”. The third part of the race was run at 3’58″/km. I slowed down but managed to overtake 16 runners, I am now 75th.
The last quarter of the race
I continue to accelerate and it is like a Pacman game now: I will overtake other runners. The race is starting now. I should close sub 2h45′ if I continue like that, but I can not make the maths. There is a steep hill with a big Lucozade arch at km 35. I slow down in the hill, and on the other side I pick up speed again. I will meet other friends from Galway for the second time and it helps. Barry told me to go and overtake the 2 runners in front. I will overtake another 5-6 runners in the final.
The final 2 km
I see Tony a colleague from work who came to support his brother close to the RDS where we picked up the numbers on Saturday. Another 2km to go.
I know the route, but I am much slower than on Sunday. I will close at 3’50″/km in the final. On the last 400m, I even enjoyed the public with my aero finish. It is not the fastest way to close a race but it is so great to enjoy the last stretch like that.
I closed the Dublin City Marathon 2014 in 2:43’57”. The last 12km at 3’52″/km and 53rd overall.
The video of the finish (watch video @ 27’45”)
After the race
We then enjoyed the rest of the day with some friends and a few beers…
Thanks to the support on the road, the messages, all the friends following on the internet. It is a great achievement for me. I did not reach the initial objective (2h40′). But Dublin City Marathon 2014, was one of the most difficult of the 28 marathon I ran. The wind and the hills made this race slow.
My fitness base is improved greatly and I can plan for a good result in spring 2015…