Running

[ballinaman]

Looks like a interesting course, tight turns would keep you on your toes. Can see why sub 17 has only been done on it once. Coffee shop at the finish is a bonus!
Have been doing a few different ones in London, few mad courses with 160 runners most weeks. Doing a 5 lap course on Saturday  in Highbury, most laps of any parkrun in the world, good craic.You you start lapping people it gets interesting, if you see a gap you've got to take it!. Haven't made it to Bushy park where the 1st one ever was held, over a 1000 runners every saturday...bit of a dose to get to by 9am on a Saturday morning.

[Bingo]

Looks very likely that we are getting our own Parkrun in Castleblayney. 90% of the way to getting all in place and provisional date agreed for June start. Decent course of two laps of the local forest park with a couple of hills thrown in to keep everyone honest! Be great to have on own doorstep.

No runs since last Friday. Had been targeting two races last Saturday and last night, two fast runs a 5k and 10k. Done a very light 5km Friday evening to shake out the legs and woke up Saturday not feeling the best, as day went on the 5km was out the window and I felt like crap.

Haven't had energy to do much Sunday or Monday, so waved goodbye to last night as well. Will get back out tomorrow evening. Rest might do no harm, had a few niggles that were hard to shake off but my god, my head isn't right from missing a few days and in particular a few races that I had looked forward to.

So if anyone knows any decent 10km's in the north east, let me know.

[laoislad]

Class 

http://m.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/who-was-the-dad-leading-the-boston-marathon-at-mile-one

[charlieTully]

Class 

http://m.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/who-was-the-dad-leading-the-boston-marathon-at-mile-one

doing Belfast marathon very soon, any tips after your Dublin experience?  despite you being a laois royalist liverpool supporter you did inspire me to enter.

[laoislad]

Class 

http://m.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/who-was-the-dad-leading-the-boston-marathon-at-mile-one

doing Belfast marathon very soon, any tips after your Dublin experience?  despite you being a laois royalist liverpool supporter you did inspire me to enter.

Well despite you being a Celtic supporting Nordie cnut......
Enjoy the day first and foremost. I take it its your first Marathon? Great feeling crossing the finish line, something I'll never forget.
I dunno if you have a time goal in mind but take it handy at the start and don't burn yourself out.
My time goal went out the window half way through and by then I just wanted to finish whatever the time.
Depending on weather maybe wear some old tracksuit bottoms and a top that you can throw away so you're not freezing at the start line.

[charlieTully]

Class 

http://m.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/who-was-the-dad-leading-the-boston-marathon-at-mile-one

doing Belfast marathon very soon, any tips after your Dublin experience?  despite you being a laois royalist liverpool supporter you did inspire me to enter.

Well despite you being a Celtic supporting Nordie cnut......
Enjoy the day first and foremost. I take it its your first Marathon? Great feeling crossing the finish line, something I'll never forget.
I dunno if you have a time goal in mind but take it handy at the start and don't burn yourself out.
My time goal went out the window half way through and by then I just wanted to finish whatever the time.
Depending on weather maybe wear some old tracksuit bottoms and a top that you can throw away so you're not freezing at the start line.

first one indeed,last 5 months of my life dominated by it, cant wait now to do it but nervous as hell too, time goal is 4.30 but tbh would just be delighted to complete it. great idea about tracksuit bottoms etc, 9am start so will be cool enough waiting to start i would think.
only messing about the laois craic btw, my best weekend of the year is in stradbally with mad hoors from port arrlington. 

[Milltown Row2]

Class 

http://m.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/who-was-the-dad-leading-the-boston-marathon-at-mile-one

doing Belfast marathon very soon, any tips after your Dublin experience?  despite you being a laois royalist liverpool supporter you did inspire me to enter.

Well despite you being a Celtic supporting Nordie cnut......
Enjoy the day first and foremost. I take it its your first Marathon? Great feeling crossing the finish line, something I'll never forget.
I dunno if you have a time goal in mind but take it handy at the start and don't burn yourself out.
My time goal went out the window half way through and by then I just wanted to finish whatever the time.
Depending on weather maybe wear some old tracksuit bottoms and a top that you can throw away so you're not freezing at the start line.

first one indeed,last 5 months of my life dominated by it, cant wait now to do it but nervous as hell too, time goal is 4.30 but tbh would just be delighted to complete it. great idea about tracksuit bottoms etc, 9am start so will be cool enough waiting to start i would think.
only messing about the laois craic btw, my best weekend of the year is in stradbally with mad hoors from port arrlington. 

Ran 18 miles of it   was only doing one leg but kept going with the rest...on the antrim road which would be the hilly part don't try and keep the pace up... You'll get a nice drop down to the shore road so let people run on conserve your energy. And remember that people sprinting past you are usually relay teams... Stick to your pace through out... The toe path at Gideon's can be boring as it takes you through to Duncrue..just keep head down and push on... Once you get past there its busy enough more people out cheering... Then its along the embankment all flat till Ormeau road... Nearly the home straight... Good luck. Always head down to Gideons at the tunnel part to cheer runners on...

[imtommygunn]

CT I take it you know about the pacers? There will be 4h 30 pacers - guys with balloons. My advice would be to stick with them from the start and they'll keep your pacing right and talk to you all the way through. Gideon's green will be a mental challenge but if you've done the work you'll b grand.

[take_yer_points]

Class 

http://m.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/who-was-the-dad-leading-the-boston-marathon-at-mile-one

doing Belfast marathon very soon, any tips after your Dublin experience?  despite you being a laois royalist liverpool supporter you did inspire me to enter.

Well despite you being a Celtic supporting Nordie cnut......
Enjoy the day first and foremost. I take it its your first Marathon? Great feeling crossing the finish line, something I'll never forget.
I dunno if you have a time goal in mind but take it handy at the start and don't burn yourself out.
My time goal went out the window half way through and by then I just wanted to finish whatever the time.
Depending on weather maybe wear some old tracksuit bottoms and a top that you can throw away so you're not freezing at the start line.

first one indeed,last 5 months of my life dominated by it, cant wait now to do it but nervous as hell too, time goal is 4.30 but tbh would just be delighted to complete it. great idea about tracksuit bottoms etc, 9am start so will be cool enough waiting to start i would think.
only messing about the laois craic btw, my best weekend of the year is in stradbally with mad hoors from port arrlington. 

Ran 18 miles of it   was only doing one leg but kept going with the rest...on the antrim road which would be the hilly part don't try and keep the pace up... You'll get a nice drop down to the shore road so let people run on conserve your energy. And remember that people sprinting past you are usually relay teams... Stick to your pace through out... The toe path at Gideon's can be boring as it takes you through to Duncrue..just keep head down and push on... Once you get past there its busy enough more people out cheering... Then its along the embankment all flat till Ormeau road... Nearly the home straight... Good luck. Always head down to Gideons at the tunnel part to cheer runners on...

When you land into the city centre you'll be surprised how close you are to the start line. I started back with the 4 hour pacers and we crossed the start line in seconds. It's very busy out of town to about Connswater and then it breaks up a bit. Would agree with ITG - stick with the pacers. There's good crowds about as far as the bottom of the Holywood road but then there's nobody on the Sydenham bypass - it's a boring trek back into the city and can be windy.

The first changeover is a nightmare - very badly organised with people waiting on their changeover getting in the way trying to find their runner. You could be slowed to a walk through it. In through town is busier with plenty of cheering and support.

When you're coming out of town and going up the falls there's a lot of uphill until you get to the top of the Whitewell road (up near the zoo on the Antrim road). It's all steady uphill rather than anything very steep. Down to the shore road is very steep downhill and a big shock to the legs after all the uphill running. There's a changeover in the middle of all that - it's slightly better than the first one.

After that Gideon's green is the best organised changeover - relay runners are separated off so nobody in your way. MR2's right about the tow path - boring run on a narrow path along the M5 back into Duncrue. Duncrue isn't much better - just keep the head down until you get into Corporation Street (last changeover - well organised) - it gets better then with the crowds. You head over towards central station and onto the tow patch heading up to the Ormeau Road.

Mile 24 starts at the bottom of the Ormeau Road. There's no getting round it - it's a f**king nightmare (it was for me anyway)! It's one of the busiest parts of the route through so that'll keep you going. When you get up to the Pavilion/Parador/Errigal it'll be very busy - last year they had a fella outside the Parador on a mic/speaker roaring everyone on. Turn the corner at the top of the Ormeau Road and the last mile and a bit is all downhill. When you turn the corner from the Ravenhill Road into the embankment it'll be packed with people - that's the last few hundred yards and the finish line it just inside Ormeau Park.

The best parts of the route I'd say were Falls Road, Westland Road, Antrim Road and Ravenhill Road - plenty of people out supporting and loads of ones out with fruit, jelly sweets, water, etc...

The hardest parts I found were the tow path (along the M5 and along the Lagan behind Central Station) and the Ormeau Road. If you pace yourself the Antrim Road isn't too bad.

If I could offer advice now - pray it's not windy. A bit of rain is ok (not too much though) but if you're against the wind from Gideon's Green back into Belfast then it's tough - it's a very open part of the route

All the best

[charlieTully]

Thanks very much all.

[CD]

Thanks very much all.

I'll reiterate what the lads have said Charlie - that stretch from Gideon's back into the city is a tough, tough run and most of the runners will struggle. Just get the head down until corporation street, grit your teeth and tell yourself that once that bit is over, it's plain sailing. I enjoyed the last section up and around the Ormeau - I'll be outside Cherryvale at my usual spot cheering you all on - all the best of luck! Take it easy this week and eat plenty. Get as much rest as you can

[charlieTully]

Cheers lad.

[muppet]

Cheers lad.

Good luck with it Charlie.

[ballinaman]

Cheers lad.

Good luck with it Charlie.

+1 Charlie. We'll get #JeSuisCharlie trending here Monday week!
Just do what you've done for your long runs....people often feck up by changing things radically in the last week in terms of nutrition, clothes ect..
You will hurt but everybody hurts, you're going to be asked a few questions around 20 miles approx and it's up to you as to how you answer them...
I've tried Paula Radcliffe's trick of counting to 300 when I'm crashing....by the time you're done you've the guts of a mile/half mile done...

[magpie seanie]

Good luck Charlie.