Frank Duffy 10 Mile

There's a long thread on this at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=322 :-)

do they give out the t shirts at the end of the race.

So how did the half marathon go? Huge turnout at the weekend. This is my third year running and the Adidas Race Series was/is always a well organised, fun day out. I love the atmosphere of the mass participation events, as you get everything from elites to club runners to casual joggers to first timers, all with a different type of 'nerves'.
I ran the half and was pleased with it, felt strong the whole way until mile 11 and the Furry Glen burnt me out, nasty second half of that race. I was looking for the 12 mile marker from way out but finished well and was just 3 secs off my PR, pity as I know I could have made that up somewhere over the course.
The only quibble I'd have with the event was that there werent enough portaloos. the queues were 100+ long with 5 mins to go and I went to where the pond was and couldnt look anywhere with all the girls hiding behind trees :) I only wanted to hide my bag with my jacket and tracksuit bottoms in it.
The weather was great for running, cool, slight breeze in parts but no real rain. I imagine it must look great from the sidelines with thousands of people tramping along, especially at the start. Things soon open up though as the downhill to the zoo spreads people out pretty quick, you have to watch your step less and less and just concentrate on running. For me I always hate the section from the zopo back to the Castleknock Gate, maybe because it slightly uphilll, I dont know, but when you are facing back down towards ther main gate again its always smoother. Fior those that dont run in the park, the commentator warned that its the miles 8-11 that are hard and thats where the three hills come in. the first one up by the Magazine Fort was good for a change, I tucked in behind a guy running harder than I ever would on my own up the hill and just stayed with him. I passed loads on the way up, unusual for me and was grand at the top. After rounding the Papal Cross it was plain sailing down the road and acrosss the pitches except for a bit of a head wind (again tucked in behind guys going a bit faster and they dragged me on). Its the rise to the Upper Glrn and Furry Glen that usd up the last of the 'easy running'. It was tough from there on in, there is no time to recover before dropping down to the pond and back up again on the other side. From here it was holding my own but also where up to this point almost no-one was passing me, the stronger runners pushed on from mile 12, Maybe 20 or so passed me in the last mile, just means have to work harder next year on maintaining strength in the last bit.
I also always hate the final 400m, because I usually make sure that I have left nothing in the tank, it was all put out on the road. so even though the end is getting closer its really painful at that point and the stronger finishers put on a spurt which I find really hard to do. A guy passed me, screaming "Come on" to himself, so I hope he got what he was aiming for.
Happy with the race overall, but in general I am disappointed by the tshirts this year, they are of noticably inferior quality to 2 years ago say. In fact I always run in the tshirts from 2 years ago, they are great, but I guess this is recessionary times.
anyway onwards and upwards for the DCM, only 5 weeks to go as they said at the start, that put more of a shock up me than the impending race :)
 

Yeah, doing the marathon, the five week countdown starts now. I had done a lot of work early in the year but let is slide a lot and need to put in some serious miles in the next few weeks. Essentially, the next three weekends @20 miles long run, then taper off for the last two weekends should be enough. Finishing the half in good form is a good yardstick though. If you could have done another 5 or so comfortably enough then you should be alright on the day of the marathon. The last 10k wilol always hurt, but thats what training is for....to keep you going when you want to stop. Best of luck with it.
I have top say I always like the avenue...heading towards the zoo...because its all downhill, if you look up you get a great view and if you dont want to look up you can hide behind someone and stare at the back of their neck or shoes if you are looking down. I dont like the avenue from the other direction, coming slightly uphill all the way...problem is that is the direction the marathon takes :) Still since I do all my running in the Park, when I hit it on the marathon, I tell myself, this is home turf...been there done that...its easy.......now if only I lived around Ballsbridge and could say that :)