Before Carmona starts getting cranky (crankier?), I thought I'd better throw up a report....
Dublin marathon 2022
I hadn’t planned to return to running marathons. After a long time out injured, starting soon after my last one in Boston 2019, I’d finally had a decent stretch without prolonged injury during COVID and was enjoying running over shorter distances. In a moment of weakness (or was it FOMO) during lockdown, while everyone was signing up for every race going, I put in an entry for Dublin marathon in 2021…which ended up rolling into 2022. Despite having a spot, the marathon was still not really on my radar, with 10 mile and half marathon times the main goals for this year. Indeed, I swore I wouldn’t consider the marathon until I reached my targets over those other distances. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I got the times I was looking for in Feb (10 mile) and Sept (half marathon)…and so I was almost out of excuses!
I had one final ‘get out of jail’ card when I had an Achilles/calf issue that stopped me running for the best part of a week in October but, despite trying to convince him otherwise, my physio reckoned he’d get me to the start line. It did mean that between training for the half and injury, there wasn’t much time for doing long runs (I got in a 20 and 22 miler at a slow pace) or marathon pace stuff (a total of 0 miles). However, I hoped the half training and a new S&C regime over recent months (that meant that, after 11 years at it, my left leg was finally starting to contribute in some small may to my running) would give me a chance of a PB (previous best, and only sub three, being a 2.59 in 2017). I’ve been training with both Eagle and CrankyCoach runners in recent months and the fact that so many were also going to Dublin, including lads like BT who’d been to hell and back since their last Dublin, I actually started looking forward to the marathon (ever so slightly!).
The logistics to get the start line on Sun worked out better than ever before. One of the Eagles was staying in the same hotel as me so we headed in on the Luas together and were near the bag drop early chatting with some other lads with plenty of time to spare. I dropped the bag and headed towards the start before the others as I wanted to use the jacks. I spent the next while stretching and keeping warm and, with 20 mins to join joined the queue for a final trip to the bog. When I got out, it was clear a scrum was after forming near the start line behind the 3 hour pacers. There was no getting through it, so I went across to the far side to see if I can make my way up there. Things weren’t much better so I followed a few lads who jumped over the barriers to the footpath…and quickly realised that a line of stewards were contributing to the crush by holding the runners way back from the start line. It was either a case of going back, probably to behind the 3.30 pacers at this point or to pop back over the hurdles to in front of the stewards and not draw too much attention to myself. I did the latter and found myself near the elites, including Smurf (with whom it was good to have a quick chat), with serious imposter syndrome. It didn’t last long as the stewards moved out of the way…and the scrum resumed. It did mean I was near enough to the start and then the gun went. After a mild panic when, 50m in, my right knee locked, I settled into a rhythm and, without working very hard, the first mile passed in 6.38. I wasn’t too far behind another Eagle lad, AM, who’d been burning it up in training and I kept within touching distance of him for the next few miles (6.36, 6.44, 6.38) before pulling alongside him near Phoenix Park. The next mile (6.28) was a bit faster than I’d wanted so I had to consciously back off. We did cover the next miles in 6.39, 6.37 (passing 10k 41.35 in 457th place) and 6.40. AM pushed on over the subsequent downhill but the 6.32, 6.29 and 6.25 that I did still felt too fast and I was starting to feel I was having to work as we headed uphill for mile 11 (6.43). There’s a very gradual climb all the way to 15 and, other than one slightly faster mile (6.33), the next few were getting increasingly more difficult (6.43, 6.50, 6.44, 6.45, 6.48; including a half time of 1.27.33, 481th place). I was also starting to have serious stomach cramps. In previous marathons, this slippage in pace would have been followed by a more serious drop off. The mental demons were kicking in and the pain in my left glute that was now evident every time I landed on that side wasn’t helping. The logistics of how I’d get back to the city if I pulled out began to cross my mind but, despite definitely struggling with the mental demons and significant enough stomach and glute discomfort, the body was, in general, holding it together (kudos to the S&C training and physio) and the major drop off didn’t follow (at least not immediately). in fact, I was pleasantly surprised when over after each of the next few miles, the watch was showing I was holding it together (6.39, 6.39, 6.33) so I had no excuse to stop! That was true until my right calf suddenly tightened near the first of the two climbs left. Feck! This resulted in an initial drop in pace to 6.54 but threatened to get much worse very quickly. I had a decision to make…struggle on as best I can (but likely continue to slow) or take a chance to stop and try stretch it out (but risk making matters worse.). I took a chance on the latter. The reduced pace and stretching meant the next mile clocked in at 7.33…so all of a sudden it was make or break time! To my great surprise (and huge relief) the stretching did improve things. That, combined with entering into a downhill stretch, and suddenly the pace was back down to 6.46. I was now into the territory where I could start counting down the remaining miles in terms of how many 1k loops of Little Island car park it corresponded to. It wasn’t pleasant but I used every mental tricked I ever picked up over the years to just about hold it together and even started passing a few people (6.45, 6.46, 6.55; including passing 40k 424th place) before covering the last stretch at 6.32 pace for a time of 2:57:20 (76th in age cat, 400th overall). Woo-hoo!
After clinging to a barrier for a while and exchanging a few words with some other Eagles, I made my way to the bag drop area. While catching up with a some other lads, I saw the legendary BT and heard about his injury misfortunes (BT – looking at your report, it seems our splits were very similar until your hamstring troubles...hopefully you won't be out too long and can build on that ). I hobbled out to the Mrs and we made our way to the Luas. There was a final sting in the tale as my stomach issues somehow got even worse so I ended up having to dive off the Luas at two different stops to puke my guts up into the nearest bin and hedge, respectively, and ended up sleeping most of the way as herself drove back to Cork! I hate marathons (but there’s still nothing like them!).
I was interested to read the decision to stop and stretch the calf. A good one, as you say. Then using all the old mental tricks to stay strong till the end. A well deserved PB. Still think we'll have to run one together some day! (Although not yet.....)
