Running

[AQMP]

For anyone in the Fermanagh area there's a 5k in Enniskillen town centre tomorrow night.

http://enniskillenrc.blogspot.co.uk/

[moysider]

f**k it. Doin my first marathon on Monday.

Not looking for advice or anything - not fast enough for that. Just shittin it, that s all. The training has been great but .......

[imtommygunn]

Good luck to all you guys on Monday. I hope you meet your goals and/or get round in one piece - whatever it comes down to!

[Rois]

I'll second that - good luck - don't think I'll EVER be able for a marathon so am full of respect for those that are, especially if you never thought you'd be able to do it. 

[Bingo]

Just at RDS and all signed in for tomorrow.

No turning back now!

Best of luck to ballinaman, hope u break the 3hrs and to moysider as well.

This time tomorrow we'll be laughing   

[ballinaman]

Good luck bingo and moysider, its some experience. You'll enjoy it no matter what.
No going back now is right. 5 months training 6 days a week and it comes down to 1 day. No place to hide tomorrow , time for myself to deliver.

[Mayo4Sam]

Moysider, I'll keep an eye out for u tomorrow, my first too.

Did my first 10k ever last weekend in 45.27, (I know, I know, a week before the marathon), apparently that means 3.45 for tomorrow but would be delighted with sub 4.

Best of luck to everyone

[moysider]

Thrilled to bits.

One of the toughest and rewarding things I ve ever done. Highly recommend it. Wish I did this years ago.

[ballinaman]

Congrats Moysider, brilliant run.

Tough to find the words to express how happy I am now, ridiculously satisfying. Will give a better race support later.

Fist pumping to the crowd for the last mile when I knew it was in the bag.

2.56

Lifelong goal obtained.

[imtommygunn]

Well done Ballinaman - great achievement.

Hope to do one myself someday but will stick to the shorter stuff for a while.

Boy from Belfast Irish marathon champ - first time in a while.

[Bingo]

Well done ballinaman, delighted for you. And fair play moysider.

I came home in 3.40.15. Delighted with that, was going great guns but miles 21-24 was as tough as I've ever been, thought 3.45 was lost but dug deep to finish well inside it. I was barely able to walk after it! A hour in the pool sorted that out!

Some experience and great support round course.

I'll sleep tonight!

[ballinaman]

Savage Bingo, delighted for ya. Meteoric rise out of you in fairness in the last couple of years. Congrats.
Race couldn't have went much better. Perfect conditions.
Decent start next to the 3 hour pacers. It was a large group, guts of 100 runners. Thought the pacers were excellent in fairness.

Water stops were mayhem for the 1st few so i decided to edge a little ahead of them around 10 miles. Glanced over the shoulder to make sure I wasn't going too far ahead of them.
Half way in 1.29.28. Feeling grand, passing the same spots where I was in agony last year having to stop to walk.

16 miles in I decided to start making moves away from the 3 hour group. At 20 I was feeling strong so decided push. Last 10km was my fastest of the race, 6.45 average down to 6.30.

It was like wading through a battle zone catching people slowing and walking over the last 6 miles. Fist clenched arm in the air coming down Nassau street, some feeling. Ran a negative split, 2nd half over 2 minutes faster.

Going to take a break from marathons for a good few years now, sub 3 has been done. Want to get 10k and 5k times down. Still in mid 20's so I've a bit of time to come back to the marathon.

Still buzzing, might even go for a jog tomorrow

[the Deel Rover]

Great Stuff Ballinaman thats fair going and some achievenment . Congrats to Bingo , Moysider(ya kept that 1 quite) and mayo4sam and to anyone else who completed the marathon. There were a lot of runners from ballina atheletic club completing there were hoping to do wellin the team competetion. You can now do the New york marathon Ballinaman 

[Bingo]

Great report Ballinaman, I can only imagine the buzz you had coming up Nassau street. The crowd was serious and even at that I could still pick out my name from a few people who were up supporting.

Weather was ideal, perfect in fact. I was in second wave and was starting near the 4hr pacers, quickly got ahead of them and by the phoenix park was at the 3.45 pacers and it was crowded so went ahead of them and was moving really great at this stage, had to hold myself at times from going to quick.

Support along the route was great and tried to give a few high 5's to kids and they were buzzing off it when you made the effort to reach out to them. Also met some random people on the sidelines from years back who'd I know and got great support from them.

Started to slow down round 19-20 but was ok, going up UCD flyover and i was starting to struggle, two had slowed down ahead and I hadn't the energy or will to move over to pass them, so walked for 5-10 secs and had a word with myself. Had to push on and said to just keep running, one foot ahead of the other. Crawled along for the next 3 miles, pace dropped but i was running, passing and been passed. Round 24 miles I found myself picking up speed again.

Running up westland row was like the Tour De France mountain stages, people out in road willing you on. One of our running group, man of many marathons who had finished his marathon with  a 2.49 time, spotted me and pushed through to run about 50 yards with me and willed me on. Was  brillant and he said he'd see me near the finish and sure enough he was there roaring me on again.

The run up Nassau st was long! But the end was in sight. I made it over the line and struggled through. I'm glad I didn't stop again, as once I stopped running the legs just stiffened and that was it. I was beat. Trying to tie my lace was an ordeal and took 5 attempts. Was a long slow walk back to the hotel.

The experienced runners out the 15 of us where all delighted when we arrived as they all hit their targets, 5 of them sub 3hrs with 3 of them sub 2.50.

The pool in the hotel was a saviour and we got talking to a lad orignally from Galway but living in France this 20 years. His second marathon and unlike Ballinaman he just missed sub 3hr, finished in 3.00.12.

Delighted to have done it. Would definately think I have more in me and will look to go sub 3.30 next time. Considering this time last year I was looking at 5kms and doing my first one in a few weeks time. Plenty of miles have passed since!

[ballinaman]

Unbelievable stuff there Bingo. Fair play to ya, the hold you did in the Phoneix park was crucial. If you hadn't been wise there it could there could have been serious trouble in the last few miles. The crowd was brilliant, Kids doing the Mobot to us as we passed through Dolphins barn was the highlight for me. The crowds for the last 2 miles were unreal, its something that you don't get in 10Ks and 5ks

Had a good laugh at this sign near Kilmainham.


3.30 is 100% one the cards for you the way things are going and with the quality in your training group.

Thanks Deel, really appreciate it. Ya,the club could be close to a 3rd place team finish. Two lads with 2.32s and then a 2.44. Fit4life had savage runs all round too. Would love to give Boston or New York a go someday but Dublin is fantastic too.

As ridiculous as it sounds, gonna to tip out for a 30min run now to get rid of the stiffness.