Northern Ireland Running - Page 24 - General running

Kenneth Bacon

03/05/2005 at 09:29

Hi everybody glad I finished and because of the extra distance robbed me a PB. I ran 4.12 in London 3 years ago. Was running realy well but not knowing there had been a detour my mile times went ot the window and I though I was slowing down. Missed quite a few of the mile markers but did see some between 10 and 20. Last 9 miles difficult with the lack of support.
Marshaling especially at the turn over was bad it was difficult forcing your way through.
Can't comment on whether last years course was better as I didn't run it but the long straights were soul destroying.
Ian I've also tweaked my groin it was sore about the last four miles. Quite difficult getting into the car this morning.
Give us a few day and we will forget all about it and start planing for next year.

Chris Capper

03/05/2005 at 10:51

Congrats everybody on making it round - managed 4.16 after making the classic novice blunder of going off far too fast and at 20 miles having to walk/run the rest of the way........however, the lack of mile markers made pacing very difficult, and the extra bit just threw me completely....it was fantastic though. Having said that, found the Sydenham by-pass, Holywood dual carriageway, armycamp, airport road stretch absolutely soulless and boring - just when you need a lift, there's nothing......

My friend was running with a guy with GPS - at the finish line it indicated more than 27 miles....but I think it was brave and right of the organisers to adapt the course quickly so the race could continue.....

Roll on next year....now I know whatit's like!

Kenneth Bacon

03/05/2005 at 11:29

I agree Chris it would have very disappointing if they had a stopped the race after all the hard work we put in in training.
A guy at work called in this morning, he was running with a few guys with GPS watches and they recorded 17.3/27.4.
I made the same mistake as you and went off too fast it hard to hold back when you feel good. I suffered between 22 - 25 but picked up for the last mile. When we needed support there was none. When I ran London the last six miles was packed with spectators cheering you home and it drives you on and gives you the boost when you need it most.

Jape

03/05/2005 at 11:50

I did the relay and was actually starting at the changeover point where the bomb was discovered. Some runners had already come through when they rerouted the race, hence the chaotic changeover. I actually felt sorry for those running the whole race as the path between waiting relayers on either side of the road was often less than 1 m wide.

Comparing this year's course to last year's (what I've seen of it) I can imagine it would be very difficult to run the last miles in the middle of nowhere. At least the weather was reasonable, on a bad day it would have been much worse.

James Hislop

03/05/2005 at 15:37

:(

do you remember Paula Radcliff in the Olympics when she just sat at the side of the road and cried?
Thats how I felt.

Chris Capper

03/05/2005 at 15:43

James - what happened?

James Hislop

03/05/2005 at 15:49

I was running so well up until about 20 miles, I needed to go toilet (and not the easy, in the bushes one) at around 16 miles and I couldnt see a toilet on the course until around 23? (just passed the airport) and at that time my stomach just cramped up I I struggled to complete the race.

My time was 3:53:59

I am running the Edinburgh Marathon so I will have a 2nd chance this year.

James Hislop

03/05/2005 at 15:56

Its not a bad time but its dissapointing for me, I trained hard and to have that done it was really disheartning.

I total agree with Baldy & Seamus, boring course, mile markers were well hidden and walkers & relay runners holding up the pack for a good 2K.

Crongratulations to everyone who completed, to be able to run for 26miles is an amazing acheivement.

Good running Kenny.

Chris Capper

03/05/2005 at 18:11

Having had a day now to recover, and get over disappointment of going off too fast, want to have another crack soon. Anybody any thoughts about/experience of Dublin in October?

seamus henry

03/05/2005 at 20:12

Kenny and Co - I'm glad that it was possibly 27.3-4 miles. I thought I ran the race as well as I did Connemara and my time in Connemara was 4hrs 16 mins.

My time off 4hrs 21 mins doesn't seem so bad now as I probably ran an extra mile.

This has heartened me as I know I can improve.

Kenny - You could have broken the 4 hour barrier if there hadn't been a diversion.

James - You still did a very good time

Are any of you going to do the Ballymoney 5 on Friday?

baldyfrombangor

03/05/2005 at 22:16

Sobering thoughts from you all.

I think the markers were all in place, from people saying i saw this one and that one and not the other. With the exception of the coastal path!!! However with all the election posters they get missed, a nice bright flourescent orange/green would have stood out more.

Chris glad you havent been put off and are up for more you lunatic. Dublin is an easier run there is much more atmosphere and support, i have done the last two and am heading down again this year just to enjoy it. I am off to Cardiff 3 wks before.

James, Edinburgh also has a few long lonely bits, the cycle path, protabello seafront and the last uphill 3 miles, good luck. at least they took out arthurs seat this year.

me, am resting poor groin for a week or so then aiming for a few good races form the callender before Longford Mara at end of August.

James Hislop

04/05/2005 at 09:10

Thanks Ian for the advice, I might even take a personal stereo with me.

Ballymoney Riada 5 mile is going has been rescheduled for July because of the elections this friday.

Kenneth Bacon

04/05/2005 at 09:16

Feeling a lot better today, the legs are easing up. The pain in the groin is still there but not as bad as yesterday. The achilles is still swollen so I am going to take at least a week maybe two off to recover.

Seamus the Ballymoney run has been postponed due to the elections and will now be held on Wednesday 27 July at 19.00 so we will all have recovered by then and hopefully do a better time.

I don't know if I would have broken the 4 hours Seamus but would have been a lot closer as I struggled between 22 & 25 miles.
I was a bit down at the end because I hadn't beat my 4:12. Early on I was on schedule to do it but when I heard we had run extra it helped. We can only go on what people are saying it varies from a few hundred yards to 1.2 miles. It a bit like the fisherman the more the story is told the longer the distance will get. I don't think the organisers will ever tell us the exact distance. I can't understand why they don't put a timing mat at the start to give you an official time. The difference between my time and their time is 1 min 22 surely when they go to the bother of using chips this would be simple.

Chris I may look at Dublin in a few weeks.

James how are you put the disappointment of your time down to experience and look on it as a long training run in preparation for Edinburgh. Maybe look at what you ate before the race to see if there was anything which may have upset you.

Baldy I think Dave is going to get a hard time about the new course a lot of people not very happy.

James Hislop

04/05/2005 at 09:17

Chris I have heard there is excellent support and good organisation for the Dublin marathon.
I was thinking about doing it but decided against it as I'm doing Edinburgh, it is definately on the cards for next year.

I dont think I'll be doing the Belfast Marathon next year, I have lost a little heart in the orgainsation and the support from spectators.
I found last years course was by far much better and there seemed to be support throughout the course up until around 23miles.

James Hislop

04/05/2005 at 09:31

I think it might have been the immodium I took, it might have caused trapped wind and I would have been unable to release it.

I was in huge amounts of pain and when I tried to run I could feel my stomach bouncing up&down inside me like a water baloon causing a shooting pain all up my left side.

Other than that my diet and my intake didnt change from what I have been training with.

Kenneth Bacon

04/05/2005 at 10:32

You could try and use the immodium on your next long run to see what happens. Or forget about using it again.
I know that if I am pushing myself realy hard that my stomach cramps up. Maybe you were pushing a bit too hard and this was your bodies way of telling you to slow down. It always worrying when something like this happens that it will happen again until you go out and have a good run without any problems.

Kenneth Bacon

04/05/2005 at 11:54

John Glover on the Belfast 2005 thread measured the detour yesterday and says
Update on distance - surveyor's wheel taken round detour today measuring 1580 metres - take away the 400 metres which should have been run through Gideon's Green and you get an extra 1180 metres run.
The official line from the Belfast Marathon Office is that extra distance was a third of a mile.
Runners wearing GPS watches say it was 27.3-4 will we ever know.

Chris Capper

04/05/2005 at 14:39

What does anybody think about the Lisburn half-mara in June?

Kenneth Bacon

04/05/2005 at 14:46

Hi Chris you must have recovered if you are think about doing another race.
Lisburn is a tough course run mainly on closed road are bits that are closed off to traffic. Unlike Belfast it is not flat but as I always say if you go up the hills you have to come down sometime. A large field doing the half and more doing the 10K with a lot of kids doing the fun run.
I have never had a good run at Lisburn but maybe this year all being well I'll have a good crack at it.

seamus henry

04/05/2005 at 19:35

Hi everybody - I hope you are all recovering well after the strains of the marathon

I was talking to a friend of mine after the marathon - I think it was his 36th marathon. Guess what? He forgot his trainers and he ran the whole marathon in a black pair of Clarks shoes. Now that takes some doing.