Dublin City Marathon Race Report.

I had signed up for Dublin marathon shortly after the Ironman to have something to train for. I never really got enough time in for training. This year i've struggled with my running more than anything else. For the first time in a long time i've really enjoyed swimming and so when chance came up to do a 10k swim from Bray to Greystones came along I jumped at it. The swim was taking place at the end of September and Dublin marathon is the end of October. So the plan was do one long run a week then once the swim is over do a few 10ks and 20ks during the week for the month of September. However by the time I had really recovered from the swim I was supposed to be in Taper mode for the marathon so I only ever did long runs as part of the training. With this in mind it was decided that we would go out and try and beat the 3:50 pacers. I reckoned 3:4x something was respectable enough.

So Debs, Rodolfo, Rob Baker, Mick Bolger Csaba and Peter were the crew that was running together. Bolger and Baker took off like 100 meter sprinters. Rodolfo and Debs were running a very steady pace so we settled into a rhythm. Coming into the phoneix park I needed to go for a wee. So I ran ahead to get a bit of time. It turned out been a very very long pee. I must have been there 4-5 minutes not only did the 3:50 catch me but the 4 hours guys did too.

So from left to right that's me with the yellow bandana. Csaba with the yellow t'shirt. Rodlfo with the red t and shaved head. Debs with the wicklow tri top and white cap don't know the dude in the foreground and then Peter on the far right.

It took me about 2 miles to catch back up with the group. We ran steady and pretty uneventful until about half way were we saw Baker and Mick Bolger looking in a bit of stress. Bolger was stretching the calf up against the wall. There was a good bit of slagging going back and forth and they ran with us for about 3 miles.

Round about mile 17 Peter and Csaba who both seemed a lot fresher than the rest of us broke away to a slightly faster pace. Rodlofo went with them, I started to go with them and slowed down a bit when one of the splits came us as 4:45 per kilometre we only needed to be doing around 5:30. So suddenly I was stuck in no mans land Debs was somewhere behind me, the three lads had gone on ahead. Eventually as we turned to go down fosters avenue debs ran beside me. She had only been a little less than 50 meters behind me the whole time.

So we ran the last 10k in together. It was pretty nice feeling running the last 10k and not feeling absolutely wrecked so many years doing the marathon I would have been reduced to a walk by now. It only really hit me hard at Holles street hospital. I think if I hadn't got Debs running beside me I might have started walking. In the end I finished with a PB but it was by far one of the easiest marathons I've done. I've never ran as little in training as I did for this one.

There's a lesson to be learned from this. Less training is the way to go.