longford/dublin
Hi folks,
Im trying to decide which marathon to train for - Longford / Dublin. Prefer the idea of longford as its on sooner and I've done the Dublin one so would like to try a different one.
However, Id be anxious to hear some feedback on it, is it an enjoyable one, are numbers v.small so is it tougher in some respects......Any feedback would be great!
Longford is very flat, usually number are small when half marathoner turn back after 7th mile. There is a relay this year so more on full marathon course. Problem I see is water out of plastic cups which I hate. Probable best to do Longford half then Dublin Full which is what most do.
I,ve done the half in Longford five times It,s one of my favourite races good pasta party and food after the race as well.
Very friendly race with a good atmosphere.
Why dont people do the longford full? Something I should know that people arent saying:???
I,m waiting for a hip replacement so can only manage the half for now.
Hi Jimh, am going to do the Longford marathon in August. Am doing the Cork city marathon on Bank Holiday Monday the 2nd of June. Will do the usual training runs but am buying an exercise mat tomorrow to do my sit ups on. My weight is over 17 stone due to doing a savage amount of press ups every month but have eaten all the wrong foods and neglected doing the stomach exercises so my belly is fairly big for a marathon runner.
I know you might say that toning the stomach is cosmetic, well, maybe it is, but if my stomach gets toned I will be able to run at a much faster pace and therefore will do a very good time, if I stick at it. When I'm down in Longford will wear a top to identify myself so that we might have a chat before the marathon, if that is ok with you Jimh. All the best, Owen.
Just to clear up Longford is a well run marathon, but just doen't get numbers that Dublin has.
I ran both the Dublin and the Longford marathons last year, and they're both good races. The Longford course can get a bit lonely - I remember seeing about three people in front of me and two people behind me for most of the race. As someone pointed out, they're doing a relay this year as well, which should put more bodies on the full course. There were very few spectators, and for the most part it felt like a long training run. I still enjoyed it, but it doesn't have the same excitement associated with the Dublin race. It was a lot hotter at that time of year, since things cool off considerably by the time the Dublin race rolls around. Not having to deal with the crowds is a nice apsect of the Longford race - you can show up at the start line 15 mins before the gun goes off and you'll be fine. I'm planning on doing both again this year - they're just very different races.
Hi, Owen I,ve just signed up for the half in Longford.You,ll recognize me I,ll be the big fat guy with crutches.
Hi Jimh, had to pull out of the Cork City marathon but am doing the full in Longford in August instead. Ran to the Phoenix Park today and turned back for home when I had done one hour and ten minutes. I finished it in two hours and 25 minutes, lost five minutes on the way back. It was boiling hot during the run and really should have brought with me some sports drinks but will know better the next time.
Hope you are ok Seamus, will be thinking of you when am down in Longford in August. Do you remember the first time we met, it was in Longford and wasn't the sun splitting the sky that day when we did the marathon. Ireland were beaten by New Zealand this morning but the All Blacks are the best team in the world and it is very hard to beat them and Ireland have never beaten them.
To all other runners keep on running and well done Ray O' Connor on doing the ten marathons in ten days. All the best, Owen.
Hey Owen, i'd be interested in having a chat with you about the running. I'm a fairly hefty load myself for wanting to run marathons. Might be useful to exchange some ideas tips?
My email address is jedi.training@gmail.com
If you think this might be usefulfor yourself, as it will be for me, give me a shout!
Peace
Alan
Hi Owen, sorry to hear you had to pull out of Cork marathon. Hopefully you will be fine for Longford I,m looking forward to walking the half.
Hi Jimh, it's good to hear from you. Did my first marathon in Longford a couple of years ago and am going to sign up for the full this year. Longford is a very friendly marathon, as in the people have there kids giving out water when it's not an offical water station, and they give you sweets as well. The numbers doing the Longford marathon means you can be in parts a bit lonely on the run but this year there is going to be a relay which should jazz it up a bit.
It can also be very hot in August but so what, if you do the training you will do the marathon. Am doing a good bit of training in the Phoenix Park, run to it, run around it, and then head for home. Am hoping to build it up to 4 hour runs by the middle of July and then in August to wind down. There is an 10 miler as part of the Dublin marathon series in August, August the 16th and am going to run that race at my Longord marathon pace and will then have a good idea as to my time for the Longford marathon. All the best, Owen.
Hi Jimh, did my run to the Phoenix Park today. Ran to the park and ran until I got to one hour and 22 minutes on the watch and then headed for home. Not too warm today but was hoping for a bit of rain during the run but it didn't rain at all in the run. Rain tends to cool me down and when it rains you want to get home faster.
Met a good few runners like me in the park, it's handy running in the park, you can run forever. Watch our for cyclists as there is a scheme now up and running in the park where you rent a bicycle for say one hour or so and off you go. These cyclists are having a bit of fun but when you have run for a couple of hours you don't want to be trying to dodge them. Hope everyones training is up to scratch. All the best, Owen.
Hello everybody.
Owen - Good to hear you're still running. I'm glad you're doing Longford.
I haven't run since February - but I've started walking. I've entered Longford and Dublin. I hope yo see you and Jimh there.
I will walk the Isle of Man half marathon on Aug 10th.
Keep in touch - Seamus
Hi Seamus, my computer was not working for a while and wasn't able to check the Connemara website, sorry I haven't replied to you earlier. It's good to hear from you, good luck on walking the Longford marathon. Am doing the Adidas 10 mile run in the park on Saturday and will let you know how I do in it. Every time I have run down in Longford the weather has always been good, too good. At the moment we might need swimming trunks rather than runners but hopefully the weather will have picked up by the 24th August.
Jimh, it will be good to see you in Longford, it is a very friendly marathon, as you know already, got my number for the marathon and got a bit of a shock as the number was.......Number 30! Entered a couple of weeks ago so maybe I entered too early and hope there is a big crowd running in Longford, on the other hand if there is a small field running in Longford I could always aim to finish in the first one hundred runners......
Lisa, good luck in Longford, you will have a ball. The course is grand and a lot of people have there kids handing out water as well as the offical water stations. All the best, Owen.
Owen - I did it in 2hrs 45 mins - it was very breezy, but I was happy and I'm looking forward to Longford.
I'm enjoying the walking, my ankle is bearing up to it and I'm glad to be participating at any level.
Just to motivate the other runners - I did my first long walk today in Drumanor of 21 miles. Yes it took 5 hrs and 5 mins. I could have walked the other 5.2 miles, so I know I can complete Longford marathon on Aug 24th.
Now no other runners will be doing a training run of over 5 hours
This defies the 10% increase per week as I moved up from 13.1 miles. Walking is a lot easier than running but its better than doing no exercise at all.
Good luck to all runners and I hope Paula Radcliffe get the gold in the Olympics.
Hi Seamus, well done on doing the Isle of Man half marathon, it is good to do some exercise, it's better than none at all. If I ever had to give up running, I would walk as much as possible, find walking very easy and you can walk for hours without breaking sweat. It will be strange meeting you down in Longford knowing that you are not running, you were a good runner, very positive in your outlook to life and your outlook to life is quite important. If you are a bright positive person, people respond to you better than if you are a moaner or groaner.
Will come down early to the start line in Longford because the walkers start off at 9.00a.m., so will go down well before 9 and hope to see both you and Jimh. There is a big crowd doing the 10 mile Adidas run in the Phoenix Park tomorrow, am hoping to run it well under two hours and the park is looking well. Was in the park doing a run during the week and it is very runner friendly. Hope everybody doing the Longford marathon have a ball and keep on running. All the best, Owen.
Hi Owen - didn't see you or jimh today - you were probably watching the boxing around 8.50am.
How did things go today Owen and jimh?
It was a good day for running/walking - just one bad shower.
I started to race walk today and I was pleased to finish in 5hrs 29 mins, completing my 20th marathon.
I feel good at the moment as I know I can still improve.
Hope Owen and jimh are pleased with their efforts today.
The food was great at the end of the race.
We left South Derry at 5.00am and were in Longford at 8.00am. We were home at 7.20pm.
I'm enjoying a glass of wine and a beer at the moment whilst watching "Match of the day"
Hard luck for thew boxer Egan today - too many bouts can drain you - its a bit like a maratrhon.
Regards, Seamus
Hi Seamus, as you can see in my post to Roy I finished the Longford marathon. Weather was not too bad apart from a bit of rain at the start but thats better than it been too hot. My time running it was 5 hours and 13 mins not much faster than your walking pace for the marathon, well done and keep it up. Sorry I did not get down to the start line early but hope to maybe see you at the start of the Dublin marathon.
Jimh, hope you enjoyed the half marathon, fair play to you for doing it. There was a big crowd at the start of the marathon, meet a few runners from Sportsworld in Dublin and chatted away to them. All the best, Owen.
hi Seamus, Good to see you haven,t given up completely I,m sure you will get nearly as much enjoyment from walking marathons as you did from running.Hope to see you and Owen in Longford, and good luck in the Isle of Man.
Thanks jimh - Yes I enjoy the walking. I must put more effort into it. I have only started in the last 3 weeks. Its a good way of keeping fit. jimh - I read your other post - You have come through a lot and you still keep going. You have inspired me. Keep up the good work.
Hi Seamus, did the Adidas 10 mile run in the Phoenix Park today, finished it in 1 hour 39 minutes. Am happy with that. Ran the first three miles at 9 minute mile pace, then slowed down for a few miles, and then picked up the pace. Weather was windy out there, small bit of rain, but just after I finished the run there was some thunder and lightning.
Am hoping to do the Longford marathon well under five hours. To achieve this goal I will concertrate on improving my running style. Have found if I pump the arms back and forth at a fairly quick rate and keep the head up rather than looking down at my feet, that I can shave off a bit of time per mile. Will not run for miles pumping the arms but rather will pump the arms for say four minutes then run for six minutes at my 'normal' running style and try to keep this up for as long as I can.
Longford is a small marathon, there will be only a few hundred marathon runners doing it but there is a half marathon and a marathon relay which should jazz it up a bit. Hope to see you and Jimh down in Longford, all the best, Owen.
Hi, I'm also doing the Longford full this year instead of the Dublin marathon. I've done Dublin 4 times and the Longford half twice. I'm thinking it's going to be a long lonely run ahead in Longford, but sure, plenty of time to reflect on the trivialities of life ! Hope my calves can take the drive home !
good luck to everyone running in Longford and all other marathons out there . If you see someone stuffing themselves with figroll bars along the way, that's me ....
I just hope there's enough water stations ..
Lisa
HI GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE DOING LONGFORD
IT WILL BE MY FRIST HALF MARATHON
I WAS UP TO 12 MILES A FEW WEEKS AGO BUT GOT INJURED WITH MUSLE TEAR IN MY LEG
BUT WITH THE HELP OF DEIRDRE AT THE Leinster Sports Clinic IM AM FIGHTING FIT AGAIN
AND HOPE TO DO THE HALF IN LONGFORD THEN
HOPE FULLY I WILL BE ABLE TO PUSH ON FOR THE DUBLIN FULL IN OCTOBER
DOES ANYONE HAVE A TRAINING PLAN TO TAKE ME FROM THE HALF TO FULL
IN 9 WEEKS OR AM I PUSHING MY BODY TO HARD? IM CONCERN ABOUT GETTING INJURED
AGAIN AS IM DOING A FEW TRITHLONS IN SEPTEMBER
is there anyone heading from the south east to the longford marathon this weekend going up trying to hitch a lift if possible
Seamus, good time, it took me nearly as long to do the half.I got the start line as the walkers were lining up so didn,t have time to chat to anyone,maybe next year.
Hi Seamus, did the Longford marathon in 5 hours and 13 minutes, was a bit slower than had intended but am happy with the time. Am happy because I ran for just under 22 miles and then walked the last few miles. In a good few marathons have gone too fast at the start and then have paid the price by hitting the wall way too early and ending up walking for miles and miles. What changed and made me run for 22 miles, think it was due to:
(1) Respecting the distance and not starting off too fast.
(2) Knowing what time for a mile I run and sticking to that pace.
(3) Running a fair bit before the marathon, mean the few weeks before the marathon, not just before the marathon.
(4) Getting my long runs upto 3 and a half hours, doing the long distances does pay off.
(5) Used gels in the marathon and they seemed to give me a boost when I needed it.
So, my plan for the Dublin marathon is to run the whole marathon at my usual pace, and if I can do this, will do it well under 5 hours. Hope you and Jimh are keeping well, all the best, Owen.
quick question
i will be visiting dublin next week and am looking to do a 20mi run in phoenix park. are there water fountains to drink from or would you recommend bringing water bottles? any other recommendations
thanks
Hi, don't think there are any water fountains in the Park. so would bring water with you. You might try to use gels during your long runs, they give you a boost when your body tires. Good luck with your 20 miler, the park is great for a long run. All the best, Owen.
Rich, you will find a lovely cold water tap just inside the gate of the Ordnance Survey, on the gatekeeper's lodge wall. I believe that there also are a couple near the Polo Grounds though I've never used those.
Joined: 2007-11-12