Dublin City half marathon 2015

[johnd]

I've been taking a much more low key relaxed approach to races this weather, there's a lot to be said for the no stress bit but it needs balancing!
Anyway arrived at the start line about 3 minutes before the off with zero gels and a loose plan. I had spent the previous 15 mins running far too hard across the Phoenix park slowly realizing just how late I had left things. Spotted the 1:30 pacer balloons, jumped the fence and settled in.
Easy does it at the start, too much crowding behind these pacers, out and around the front of them. My PB from Kildare Half 2010 was 1:29:33. I knew I could beat that right?
The plan for the race was HR not pace. I had reset my watch to display just HR zone and overall time. HR zones go from 1 (pedestrian) to 5 (someone make it stop, please!!!). My plan was to run the race in the upper end of zone 3. First couple of miles I was dialing it back trying to keep the HR out of zone 4 but failing. Somewhere around the back of the zoo one of the 1:30 pacers tried to overtake me and I shot off again thinking "sod zone 3, low zone 4 will do".
I had a few pass and pass agains with Shane Gregan from SBR before he got away on me. Then I caught up with Mark McGrath from Croghan but he pulled away too.
By the time I got to the first water station I was firmly in the upper end of zone 4 and struggling to to get anywhere below 4.8. Caught Mark again on an exposed bit of the course, small chat then I went looking for a bit of shelter from the runners a few paces ahead of us. Continued that for a while, catch a runner, shelter, pass them out & catch the next one.
Caught Shane again somewhere around the 35 minute mark, things were feeling tough at this stage but kept going "less than an hour left, I can handle that".
Passed through a few spots where the organizers had a DJ and music, I think there was a bongo band or something too, all a bit blurry but the music zones were perfect for adding a pep to your step but you had to keep an eye on lifting the effort too high just to show off!!
This was feeling really tough now, much tougher than I had expected and I could feel the ultra from 2 weeks ago still in the body. I stole a couple of glances backwards but was dissapointed to be catching glimpses of the 1:30 balloons as I really thought I should be further along.
The pace was unrelenting but along with a loose group of others we kept passing people which was good I suppose. The couple of fly bys where the course doubled back on itself were great for encouragement as well and having been so late to the start it was the only real chance I got to appreciate just how huge the crowd was, never raced with that kind of atmosphere before it was super.
Dublin fire brigade had a truck out and were spraying water to cool off the runners somewhere back on Chesterfield Avenue I think. Lovely and cold. Things started to really bite after this though and I wasn't able to hold ground with those around me, this was where people started passing me out again.
Onto the long straight stretch down towards the gates at the criminal courts I see the 15k sign and try to distract myself with mental calculations of pace and what time I was currently on for. Managed to pick things up a little going along by the outside of the park heading towards Chapelizod. Didn't last long however and started tying up again before the Chapelizod gate.
In the gate and time to make my way towards the upper glen road. As the MC at the start said "it's called the upper glen road for a reason". This hill was pure heartbreak, I reckon I easily lost a minute trying to get over it. It wasn't that terrible long or steep, but it was at the end of a half marathon - cruel. Spent a lot of the climb looking back for the pacer balloons but thankfully nowhere to be seen just yet, seeing them anywhere in the first half of that climb would have broken my spirits entirely I reckon.
I was in a world of abject misery at this stage, having fought the mental barrier this far, and mostly in far too high a heart rate, I was finally starting to give in to the pressure. Then the road leveled out a bit, I managed to start doing something that looked like proper running again, I was so so close to the finish now "just keep pushing!"
Crossed the line wiped out exhausted. My tongue had been cramping for the final 5k and all I could do at the finish was stand like a big slobbery goldfish trying to get some life back into it. Still sore 2 days later when swallowing!
Finished with a new PB of 1:28:56, but a little dissapointed at the time not to have gone faster. Reflecting upon it though I still had the ultra in the legs/body and probably did as good or better than I should have.
Target was to run the entire race HR zone 3. Turns out I managed to run just 4% zone 3, 76% zone 4, and 19% zone 5.
Following the ultra the watch advised a 60 hour recovery period, this time round it said 72 hours. Every bit of me hurt bad after this race, much worse than anything before. I managed to get out Sunday and Monday for two real short & easy runs and I feel much better for having got those runs done to clear the body.
Baby due now end of October, hopefully I can keep the recent training up.

https://www.strava.com/activities/395339248

[johnd]

Well done Elaine on a super race and fantastic time, sorry I didn't get to look out for you at the start.
I'd say Dublin will be brilliant. I've never ran it but hopefully next year for me.
Enjoy the marathon, it will be no bother to you after that half.

[DavidT]

Well done Elaine and John! Great running.

[Elainegib]

Great report John...the anticipation was really getting to me! Congrats on a great time & the pb too. I recovered very quickly this week, makes me think I could have done better...next year

[BShaugh]

Great stuff John and Elaine, two PBS - good day out.

I always train with the HR John but never race with it. Same as the others i train with. Rarely even look at my watch during a half except to check I haven't gone out too hard. I run to feel during a race especially when you are suffering you don't want to look down and see a big number, mentally you will back off.

[don]

Well done to both of you, great report again. Overall pacing was superb.

[frankb]

Great running elaine an john. Always nice to get a pb