Saturday Scribble - Oct 26th 2019 - The Dublin City Marathon #40

Well, this is it! The weekend of DCM40. For many, the culmination of many months of early morning run, family sacrifices, black toes, weekends being planned around long runs, and hard work. And all for a trot around the City of Dublin for a piece of metal, and a t shirt.... But of course, it's far more than that.....

We all have our different reasons for signing up, training, and taking part. Whatever yours was, whether it's your first time, or your 101st, the hard work is all over, and by Monday, you will be back to normal, well, apart from the sore legs, and the inability to get down the stairs 😂.

With 24 hours left before the big day the nerves kick in, so how should you spend these hours of nervous energy? If you have to go the expo today, don't spend hours there walking around. Get in, get your number, yes, take a look at the stands, pick up a few freebies, but today is not the day to be on your feet, leave that for tomorrow. Not the best day to go sightseeing if Dublin is unfamiliar to you, best to save that for another time. You'll see quite a lot of the City tomorrow......

No, today is about taking it easy. Personally, I like to put on my runners the day before the big one, get out, and JOG, a very easy couple of miles, just to ease the nerves, release some of that nervous energy, it's always helped me. By late afternoon, early evening, it's time to eat your last meal, the pre marathon gourge.. WAIT, NO, don't gourge, eat normally. Yes, it's a good idea to take on carbs, pasta was my fave, but don't eat anything new to the system, stick to tried and tested foods. Don't over do it.

Try and get to bed at a normal time. You won't sleep too well, rare that anyone does the night before. Remember the clocks go back, so you get an extra hour to be restless 😁. Lay out your kit before hitting the sack, be prepared, no last minute glitches, and set the alarm to make sure you're not rushing in the morning.

Breakfast should be arranged. Again, don't take anything unfamiliar, you should know what you need, and what you can eat before a long run by now, so don't go mad. For me, it was a bagel, yoghurt and banana, for many, it's porridge, but don't overdo it. Most importantly, hydrate. Bríng a bottle of water with you to the start line, sip as you wait, nice, easy sips, and once the race starts, always take on a small amount of water at each feed station. Remember, if you start to feel thirsty, it's too late.

One last thing to remember.. Stick to your plan. Hardest thing is to run slow, the buzz of the crowd, your fellow runners etc., will make the first few miles seem very easy, but keep a close eye on your pace, keep it steady, you have a long way to go.

Friends, family, and total strangers will cheer you, carry you along. When you get to see me, it's the home straight, 1 km to go, you really are Nearly There... I'll be trying to give everyone a shout out, a Hi 5, a hug if needed, but sadly, no donkey backs, those final meters are yours to ENJOY.... Good Luck to everyone... You've got this......

#DCM40 minus One week - Saturday thoughts

The time is fast approaching - Where has the last six months gone? Yes, just a week left for all who have been training, preparing, agonising, but, its the last weekend before the big day.... Sunday 27th October - The day the clocks go back..

Oh yes, something else is happening next Sunday, the little matter of a run around Dublin for many friends here on #RSP. So, aside from biting nails, staying away from any members of the family with even the slightest sniffle, wrapping yourself up in bubble warp to avoid any chance of an injury, what should you do in the last week prior to the big race?

My advice, just go about life normally. Of course you should be on taper mode, which doesn't mean doing nothing, just don't do anything too intensively. All the hard work has been done, or at least should have been. You are not going to make up for any lost training in the last seven days, don't panic - YOU will be fine... A few easy runs this week to keep the legs ticking over - Get your plans in place for the weekend, pack your kit bag - Arrange where to meet your loved ones after the race - (May I suggest McGrattans Pub for refreshment after the run) -

One thing I used to do the week before a Marathon, was to go for a short run, maybe a race over 5 or 10K, and run it faster than marathon pace, NOT flat out at 5K pace. The idea is to get the legs feeling that they can turn over at a faster pace. Marathon pace training can get the body used to running relatively slowly, and muscle memory is important in running, so a faster than marathon pace run will remind those muscles that you can run quicker (don't go sprinting here!), so when you run the marathon next week, the leg speed will feel easier.

So, if you are running #DCM40 next week, have a quiet, easy week, just a normal one. Don't eat anything off the wall, stick to your normal routine, and DON'T PANIC - You've done the hard work, look forward to it, tingle with excitement, and think about how you will feel when you reach Merrion Square next Sunday -

For those not doing the Marathon this year, or any year come to think of it, hope you have a great weekend too, maybe a #parkrun, maybe an easy run with friends, or maybe like me, you are sat in front of the box watching the rugby, still sidelined from injury or illness. Whatever you do this weekend, always remember, running is fun, or at least should be, and when we run, we should smile, say hello to fellow runners, and always, always ENJOY!