After a restless night I was up early and feeling good. I was really looking forward to this race, I believed I had prepared well and was looking forward to reaping the reward from all that hard training. The breakfast room was bustling when we arrived, full of aging French tourist and aspiring marathoners; we joined my running partner in the athletes corner. I ordered a bowl of porridge and tucked into a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt and herbal tea.
After breakfast it was time to shower and get ready for this epic run; having done this before I feel a little drama was justified. I had to choose my clothes carefully; any distance runner will tell you that one thing you must avoid is chafing... not wishing to go into too much detail I will say that the secret is the liberal application of Vaseline in strategic areas.
Suitably attired, and lubricated, I made my way to reception where Joe was waiting. After some last minute adjustments to gel packs and other accessories, and a brief word with running legend Sonia O Sullivan, we were on our way. Cork is built around the river Lee which cuts deep into the surrounding hills, the result is a fairly level city centre surrounded by steep hills. Our hotel was perched on one of these hills and as the start line was beside the river our first stretch of the day was all downhill.
We were both very excited about the run; this was Joe's first marathon and my first serious marathon, i.e. I had trained properly for this one! We had a mile or so to walk to the start line and the conversation was focused on the next 5 hours. We revised our strategy for pace, water and gels, and hoped I had enough Vaseline to last for 5 hours. Then it occurred to me that Vaseline is a petroleum jelly, and as we all know petrol is combustible, and running creates a lot of heat particularly in Vaseline coated corners... correct me if I'm wrong but petrol and heat in the same space tend to lead to fireworks. I can see it now, at around mile 10 random marathoners bursting into flames... let's hope there's a water station nearby!
We reached the starting area early and I had time to wrestle with my number as I pinned it to my shirt; it's hard to explain but I find it incredibly difficult to attach a square piece of paper onto the front of my shirt with 4 safety pins. Is it just me?
With numbers on, gels packed and strategy agreed we made our way to our designated area. The atmosphere was electric and the tension was beginning to build. We were just in sight of the start line and the line of athletes behind us continued to grow. The count down was on and
For the first 2 miles we wound around the streets of the city centre, crossing the Lee towards the Murphy's brewery, back along the north quays and eastwards along the river, past the railway station and out towards the Jack Lynch tunnel. The city centre streets were lined with people cheering us on, this was obviously a city that enjoyed hosting a marathon and it made all the difference. We had an unexpected cheer from our partners just after mile 3, sending us on our way out of the city.
As we passed the train station we left the spectators behind and started to really think about the miles ahead. We were feeling good and before we knew it we were approaching the 6 mile water station and our first gel stop. We grabbed a bottle of water each and continued to run until well clear of the water station before slowing to a fast walk to take on water and the all important gel pack. After a little over a minute we were off again.
At mile 7 we were approaching the Jack Lynch tunnel, an impressive 2 bore dual carriageway that forms one of the main entry points to the city; one bore was closed to traffic for the marathon so we had it to ourselves. I have run through a tunnel before, the Dublin Port Tunnel before it opened for traffic. It's a strange experience because, as you can imagine, a tunnel has no weather (no breeze, rain, sunshine, etc.) and the noise level increases the deeper you run into the tunnel as everything is echoed... everything from hundreds of pairs of trainers thumping the ground to countless conversations to screams of encouragement & desperation. There were a few other noises thrown into the mix but we ignored those.
Emerging from the tunnel was a spectacular sight; the sun was shining and a 6 piece percussion band were giving it serious wellie. We stayed on the dual carriageway for another mile before exiting where we ran though an industrial/retail area for half a mile before arriving in suburbia and a welcome water station.
We didn't stop there, we decided to carry on to the next water station before taking our next gel pack. After running along straight main roads it was nice to run though housing estates with plenty of twists and turns to break it up. There were plenty of spectators out, we were feeling the pain now and any encouragement really helped. Every so often a group of kids would stick out their hands for a high five, I gladly obliged and thanked them for another step towards the finish line.
The next water station was closer to mile 13, a little longer than I had in my head. The approach to this station was a long straight road along the sound bank of the Lee with lovely views of the river and northern hills. We stopped at this station for water and a gel pack, this stop was very welcome, we were both feeling a little tired but determined to carry on.
It took me another mile to get back into my stride and at mile 14 spirits were lifted as we clapped eyes on our partners cheering us on. The next mile was easy, it's amazing what you can find with a little encouragement!
The next 5 miles were through suburban areas as we made our way westward. Again the residents came our to help us along, the atmosphere was truly fantastic. The terrain was undulating but nothing dramatic, but the was about the change.
Just before mile 20 we started to leave suburbia behind and hit the first of many hills. We were expecting them but we also knew that we would be very tired and this section was going to test us to the core. Luckily the spectators stayed with us and on several occasions they pulled us uphill with their encouragement, I can't overstate how much of a difference that kind of support makes. Eventually we passed mile 21 and we were still going up hill and the will to carry on was ebbing away.
Just short of mile 22 we reached the highest point of the race and from this point on was downhill. The relief was instant and most welcome, it was as if a dark could had lifted and I knew we were going to make it. We were leaving the hills behind and returning to urban Cork. We continued downhill until after mile 22 when it levelled out and the road ahead was straight and long. It's harder to run when you're tired and you can see 2 miles of straight road ahead, but we kept going with a couple of mini breaks along that stretch. 2 miles later we were entering the west side of the city. Passing the mile 24 marker was hard, we could see the marker a mile off and it seemed to take us forever to reach it.
We were now back in the city and the streets began to twist and turn. We had one last water station just before mile 25 and we took the opportunity take a little walking break across a pedestrian bridge that crossed the Lee. We walked for about 2 minutes until a passing cyclist cheered us on with "there are only 2 kilometers to go", and we were off. We were almost there, less than 2K and we were home. We were running thought a park and emerged onto the North Mall quay. With less than a mile to go we were running fast, I have no idea where the energy came from but we were feeling great.
We crossed the Lee again and passed the 26 mile marker which meant a mere .2 miles to go. Just as we tuned the corner onto the last stretch we spotted our partners cheering us on. The finish line was in sight and we sprinted to that line, crossing it in 4 hours 47 minutes.
The next hour was a comedy hour. We knew we had to stretch but we were stuck in a running pose; it took me 5 minutes to sit down, and 10 to stand up again. After much slow, slow stretching we were ready move and find a cafe or pub to sit and eat. We we lucky to find a coffee shop with seats and good food, we made it our home for the next hour or so. Leaving was an effort; standing up required assistance and stepping down onto the street involved a series of careful side steps and the odd groan.
4.47 is a fantastic time, I'm absolutely thrilled and it's a step closer to the sub 4 hour time that I have in my sights. Looking forward to Dublin in October and hopefully a new PB; another step closer!
After breakfast it was time to shower and get ready for this epic run; having done this before I feel a little drama was justified. I had to choose my clothes carefully; any distance runner will tell you that one thing you must avoid is chafing... not wishing to go into too much detail I will say that the secret is the liberal application of Vaseline in strategic areas.
Suitably attired, and lubricated, I made my way to reception where Joe was waiting. After some last minute adjustments to gel packs and other accessories, and a brief word with running legend Sonia O Sullivan, we were on our way. Cork is built around the river Lee which cuts deep into the surrounding hills, the result is a fairly level city centre surrounded by steep hills. Our hotel was perched on one of these hills and as the start line was beside the river our first stretch of the day was all downhill.
We were both very excited about the run; this was Joe's first marathon and my first serious marathon, i.e. I had trained properly for this one! We had a mile or so to walk to the start line and the conversation was focused on the next 5 hours. We revised our strategy for pace, water and gels, and hoped I had enough Vaseline to last for 5 hours. Then it occurred to me that Vaseline is a petroleum jelly, and as we all know petrol is combustible, and running creates a lot of heat particularly in Vaseline coated corners... correct me if I'm wrong but petrol and heat in the same space tend to lead to fireworks. I can see it now, at around mile 10 random marathoners bursting into flames... let's hope there's a water station nearby!
We reached the starting area early and I had time to wrestle with my number as I pinned it to my shirt; it's hard to explain but I find it incredibly difficult to attach a square piece of paper onto the front of my shirt with 4 safety pins. Is it just me?
With numbers on, gels packed and strategy agreed we made our way to our designated area. The atmosphere was electric and the tension was beginning to build. We were just in sight of the start line and the line of athletes behind us continued to grow. The count down was on and
For the first 2 miles we wound around the streets of the city centre, crossing the Lee towards the Murphy's brewery, back along the north quays and eastwards along the river, past the railway station and out towards the Jack Lynch tunnel. The city centre streets were lined with people cheering us on, this was obviously a city that enjoyed hosting a marathon and it made all the difference. We had an unexpected cheer from our partners just after mile 3, sending us on our way out of the city.
As we passed the train station we left the spectators behind and started to really think about the miles ahead. We were feeling good and before we knew it we were approaching the 6 mile water station and our first gel stop. We grabbed a bottle of water each and continued to run until well clear of the water station before slowing to a fast walk to take on water and the all important gel pack. After a little over a minute we were off again.
At mile 7 we were approaching the Jack Lynch tunnel, an impressive 2 bore dual carriageway that forms one of the main entry points to the city; one bore was closed to traffic for the marathon so we had it to ourselves. I have run through a tunnel before, the Dublin Port Tunnel before it opened for traffic. It's a strange experience because, as you can imagine, a tunnel has no weather (no breeze, rain, sunshine, etc.) and the noise level increases the deeper you run into the tunnel as everything is echoed... everything from hundreds of pairs of trainers thumping the ground to countless conversations to screams of encouragement & desperation. There were a few other noises thrown into the mix but we ignored those.
Emerging from the tunnel was a spectacular sight; the sun was shining and a 6 piece percussion band were giving it serious wellie. We stayed on the dual carriageway for another mile before exiting where we ran though an industrial/retail area for half a mile before arriving in suburbia and a welcome water station.
We didn't stop there, we decided to carry on to the next water station before taking our next gel pack. After running along straight main roads it was nice to run though housing estates with plenty of twists and turns to break it up. There were plenty of spectators out, we were feeling the pain now and any encouragement really helped. Every so often a group of kids would stick out their hands for a high five, I gladly obliged and thanked them for another step towards the finish line.
The next water station was closer to mile 13, a little longer than I had in my head. The approach to this station was a long straight road along the sound bank of the Lee with lovely views of the river and northern hills. We stopped at this station for water and a gel pack, this stop was very welcome, we were both feeling a little tired but determined to carry on.
It took me another mile to get back into my stride and at mile 14 spirits were lifted as we clapped eyes on our partners cheering us on. The next mile was easy, it's amazing what you can find with a little encouragement!
The next 5 miles were through suburban areas as we made our way westward. Again the residents came our to help us along, the atmosphere was truly fantastic. The terrain was undulating but nothing dramatic, but the was about the change.
Just before mile 20 we started to leave suburbia behind and hit the first of many hills. We were expecting them but we also knew that we would be very tired and this section was going to test us to the core. Luckily the spectators stayed with us and on several occasions they pulled us uphill with their encouragement, I can't overstate how much of a difference that kind of support makes. Eventually we passed mile 21 and we were still going up hill and the will to carry on was ebbing away.
Just short of mile 22 we reached the highest point of the race and from this point on was downhill. The relief was instant and most welcome, it was as if a dark could had lifted and I knew we were going to make it. We were leaving the hills behind and returning to urban Cork. We continued downhill until after mile 22 when it levelled out and the road ahead was straight and long. It's harder to run when you're tired and you can see 2 miles of straight road ahead, but we kept going with a couple of mini breaks along that stretch. 2 miles later we were entering the west side of the city. Passing the mile 24 marker was hard, we could see the marker a mile off and it seemed to take us forever to reach it.
We were now back in the city and the streets began to twist and turn. We had one last water station just before mile 25 and we took the opportunity take a little walking break across a pedestrian bridge that crossed the Lee. We walked for about 2 minutes until a passing cyclist cheered us on with "there are only 2 kilometers to go", and we were off. We were almost there, less than 2K and we were home. We were running thought a park and emerged onto the North Mall quay. With less than a mile to go we were running fast, I have no idea where the energy came from but we were feeling great.
We crossed the Lee again and passed the 26 mile marker which meant a mere .2 miles to go. Just as we tuned the corner onto the last stretch we spotted our partners cheering us on. The finish line was in sight and we sprinted to that line, crossing it in 4 hours 47 minutes.
The next hour was a comedy hour. We knew we had to stretch but we were stuck in a running pose; it took me 5 minutes to sit down, and 10 to stand up again. After much slow, slow stretching we were ready move and find a cafe or pub to sit and eat. We we lucky to find a coffee shop with seats and good food, we made it our home for the next hour or so. Leaving was an effort; standing up required assistance and stepping down onto the street involved a series of careful side steps and the odd groan.
4.47 is a fantastic time, I'm absolutely thrilled and it's a step closer to the sub 4 hour time that I have in my sights. Looking forward to Dublin in October and hopefully a new PB; another step closer!
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