Running

[imtommygunn]

Results are pretty widely available so anyone with any sense wouldn't be saying it!

[Milltown Row2]

Results are pretty widely available so anyone with any sense wouldn't be saying it!

Exactly, cause when I said nah he didn't finish my mate texted to say he didn't see his name on the list of finishers. Dumb ass, wish I knew him better, I would't be slow in letting him know lol

[imtommygunn]

Results are pretty widely available so anyone with any sense wouldn't be saying it!

Exactly, cause when I said nah he didn't finish my mate texted to say he didn't see his name on the list of finishers. Dumb ass, wish I knew him better, I would't be slow in letting him know lol

He'll look pretty stupid next time he goes to do a 10k and finishes considerably slower too.(assuming he does) Pointless.

[CD]

Results are pretty widely available so anyone with any sense wouldn't be saying it!

Exactly, cause when I said nah he didn't finish my mate texted to say he didn't see his name on the list of finishers. Dumb ass, wish I knew him better, I would't be slow in letting him know lol

He'll look pretty stupid next time he goes to do a 10k and finishes considerably slower too.(assuming he does) Pointless.

There's always one!

[muppet]

Results are pretty widely available so anyone with any sense wouldn't be saying it!

Exactly, cause when I said nah he didn't finish my mate texted to say he didn't see his name on the list of finishers. Dumb ass, wish I knew him better, I would't be slow in letting him know lol

He'll look pretty stupid next time he goes to do a 10k and finishes considerably slower too.(assuming he does) Pointless.

I thought I had opened the Michael D. thread and I was scratching my head at this post.

[JimStynes]

I'm still sore from Paris!!
Bit of a report on how i got on.
The wife and I landed in on Friday and went to the expo, really easy and plenty of staff on hand to make it as quick as possible to sign in. The usual gear to buy at these sort of things, I had everything I needed so bypassed all that. Went and got a steak that evening and walked around half of Paris trying to find our way home.

Up early on saturday and went to Louvre, Norte Dame, boat cruise, eiffel tower, arc de triomphe and few other touristy things. Clean wrecked and feet walked off me! Wouldnt have done as much sight seeing if I was going for a time in the marathon the next day as my feet and legs were sore and tired on the morning of the marathon. Got a pizza and pasta between us that night, prepared all my running stuff and then in bed for 11. Hardly slept from 3am onwards though as the nerves started to kick in.

Sunday - race day. Up at 7 and down for breakfast, they didn't have porridge ffs! Had to get a few bits of bread, toast, nutella and coco pops for breakfast  Not my usual breakfast before a long run but it had to do. Up to the room and got changed and maybe my way to the metro! Loads of people on the train with their race numbers on and it was amazing to see the amount of people from all over the world running in this race. 50,000 ppl apparently! Got to my section, said goodbye to the wife and made my way to find a good position for the start of the race. The atmosphere was unreal, music blaring and people dancing and generally having a good time! The nerves had gone at this stage and I was just treating it as a run through Paris on a Sunday morning!

Started off at a comfortable pace but the heat was worrying me! Thankfully it eased off and became a little overcast with almost perfect conditions for running in. I was sore from the start and at the 5 k mark I started doubting was I actually going to damage my knee for good and was I actually going to make it around. The atmosphere drives you on though. The french support were amazing the whole way around, bands playing everywhere and at some sections it was like the Alp D'huez type climbs on the tour de france, where the support is lined both sides right up close, ringing bells,  shouting ur name and cheering you on. Class feeling! Got to the 15 mile mark and saw the 3.45 paces about 20m in front of me. I had my garmin on but me being a dickhead must have hit the stop button at one stage and missed a couple of mile so I wasn't sure what my pace was or how long I had been running. Started to slow down as this point as I worried I was going to hit the wall. At the 18 mile mark it all started to go wrong! My knee was seizing up and I saw the 3.45 pacers drifting further and further away in the distance. I didn't care though but was again starting to doubt was I wise in running on! Said f**k it and pushed on through to 20 mile mark and once I got there it was literally a run and shuffle to the line. 4 and half hours of all sorts of emotions! Really hard to describe until you actually do it. It's the most I've ever had to dig to finish something but, even though the time is shit, I am proud I was able to finish. After that the wife and I went and lay in the park for an hour until I could move again. I was aching at this point so I had pain killers in me before during and after the race but wasn't making a difference. Back to the hotel and showered then got something to eat (i only wanted rice for some reason) and drank about 4 litres of water and even though I don't like fizzy drinks I must have had 5 bottles of coke/fanta. Made our way to the airport and waited for the flight. Couldn't sleep that night as I was so sore and was dreading work! Told all the children in school that I came 4th, they all believed me and told their parents! I won't tell them any differently.

I would definitely recommend the Paris marathon to beginners like myself. Amazing scenery, flat course, plenty of food and drinks, sugars (I used 4 of my own gels though) and fruit. The support and atmosphere is the main thing though, it really does make so much of a difference.

I have learned a lot from this marathon and I definitely want to do another one at some stage! Maybe Paris again, maybe somewhere like Berlin. Im not sure, going to stick to the cycling at the minute and do a couple of half marathons this year. Few things I would do differently but one would be to start off slower and not build the miles up as much! Take my time and build up to the big miles so I can get as many long runs as I need. Because of the knee I only managed one 16 mile run and one 17.5 mile run and the rest were 12/13 mile runs. The last 6 mile were a killer so obviously the fresher and fitter you are for those last 6 mile the easier it will be. I would also try harder to drop some weight for it. I am 6ft, 92kg and that is a lot to carry around for 26 odd mile. 

I have just randomly put in things as I could remember them so I am sure I have forgotten loads of details so forgive me if it doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Rois]

Great read Jim!  Well done on finishing, some achievement. 

[laoislad]

Great report and well done.
Hardly a shit time though in fairness. If I do the Dublin Marathon and come in around that time I'll be delighted.

[ballinaman]

Savage stuff Jim. Class, you're some warrior.

[JimStynes]

Great report and well done.
Hardly a shit time though in fairness. If I do the Dublin Marathon and come in around that time I'll be delighted.

Thanks lads.

I know it's an achievement but I just would love to have known what I could have done if i was properly prepared and injury free. I realise now that anyone that finishes a marathon deserves a pat on the back because it is certainly not easy.

Early days but does anyone have any recommendations where to do a marathon that would be like paris or better. I am thinking about Berlin or somewhere like that.

[imtommygunn]

Berlin is a good one. A ballot though.

Great stuff Jim. Good old irish stubbornness!

[CD]

Great report and well done.
Hardly a shit time though in fairness. If I do the Dublin Marathon and come in around that time I'll be delighted.

Thanks lads.

I know it's an achievement but I just would love to have known what I could have done if i was properly prepared and injury free. I realise now that anyone that finishes a marathon deserves a pat on the back because it is certainly not easy.

Early days but does anyone have any recommendations where to do a marathon that would be like paris or better. I am thinking about Berlin or somewhere like that.

I did New York 12 years ago! Was an amazing experience. Like yourself, I though if I'm going to run 26 miles, I'm going to do it somewhere iconic. Your  report there would put me in the form for doing another one! Congrats again!

[Bingo]

Fair play Jim, love reading race reports like that cause no two are ever the same, it's a unique experience for everyone and every run. You learn alot about yourself on a run like. Great stuff.

Suddenly Paris in the spring 2015 sounds appealing 

[Milltown Row2]

Great report and well done.
Hardly a shit time though in fairness. If I do the Dublin Marathon and come in around that time I'll be delighted.

Thanks lads.

I know it's an achievement but I just would love to have known what I could have done if i was properly prepared and injury free. I realise now that anyone that finishes a marathon deserves a pat on the back because it is certainly not easy.

Early days but does anyone have any recommendations where to do a marathon that would be like paris or better. I am thinking about Berlin or somewhere like that.

Well done Jim, great stuff, stick to a few sprint Tri's this year before another big challenge

[JimStynes]

Great report and well done.
Hardly a shit time though in fairness. If I do the Dublin Marathon and come in around that time I'll be delighted.

Thanks lads.

I know it's an achievement but I just would love to have known what I could have done if i was properly prepared and injury free. I realise now that anyone that finishes a marathon deserves a pat on the back because it is certainly not easy.

Early days but does anyone have any recommendations where to do a marathon that would be like paris or better. I am thinking about Berlin or somewhere like that.

Well done Jim, great stuff, stick to a few sprint Tri's this year before another big challenge

Ive this giro cycle next month then I will probably try and play a bit of football and the odd triathlon but nothing big for another year or so!  My ma and da were just saying tonight there that it is amazing to think I could hardly walk just over a year ago with my back! Don't want to rip the ass out of things and get injured again though, the pain from my back operation was far worse than the pain after the marathon so I definitely don't want to go back to that again.