Cork marathon 3.59.27- bad race but no regrets......

Cork marathon report 3.59.27

Not a sub 3.30 that’s for sure. In fact this was my  worst marathon time ever but strangely enough I feel proud and defiant at my efforts. Mile 1 to Mile 13 went well. I passed the half marathon mark in 1.42.30 or so and I was feeling very solid. However going over the walkway just after that I begin to feel pretty bad. The sweats started to break out and the legs were feeling very weak. I lost the 3.30 pacers at mile 14 and decided that if i was wasn’t going to make sub 3.30 then a sub 3.40 would be my target. My buddy Aidan was suffering badly too. At mile 15 I was still slightly under 2 hours so all hope was not lost. Went past my cousins by Pairc Ui Choimh wishing Orla congrats on the birth of her daughter . A little after that i spotted Sharon, John, Denis and Aidan from the club cheering us on. I knew I was struggling and it was obvious they could see it too. With Denis’s words of “Dig Deep” still in ears I plodded on. On the Monaghan road though the blow up happened.

Well “feck it anyway” I said to myself. At that stage I contemplated just heading back to my car feeling really sorry for myself. At mile 16 Patrick Buckley jumped out of the crowd with a bottle of water. “My legs are gone, I’m f***d” I said. Pa offered great words of encouragement and you know it worked. I decided then I was going to finish. I reckoned If I walked for 4 minutes and ran for six it would be enough to get me home. A messy strategy I know but attempting to run non stop on a empty tank would probably finish me off.  Aidan was walk running it too and the two of us for the rest of the time were walking past each other and/or jogging past each other. It did make me laugh and I was resolved to get through it. At mile 17 I was on the go for 2hrs20mins with that mile done in 10mins20seconds. Nothing for it but to keep grinding on. I walked up the steep flyover and then back with the running at mile 18 on the Curragh road. Mile 18 was completed in over 10 minutes before It was time for another bout of walking. At this stage there was 2hrs30 minutes up on the watch and I actually wasn’t doing too badly. Maybe a 3hrs52mins was on the cards.

The heat was killing me and a lot of other runners. When I say heat it probably wasn’t that hot at all but any rise in temperatures combined with loss of  body water and  body salts plus the stress of running can effect the body. A lot of runners were reduced to walking pace by the Manhattan Bar but I was happy enough (considering). Kevin and a few others asked me If i was ok and funnily enough I was . Mile 19 took another 10 minutes and I was thinking “Ok you are running/walking a crap race but at least you ain’t quitting. You have had a good six months setting a number of PB’s and you have a sub 3.30 under your belt.” Peader was tipping away ahead of me and at mile 20 I was chatting to two lads who said they enjoyed reading the blog. “Time for a title change” I quipped. At mile 21 going up the Model Farm road the 3.45 pacers caught up with me and I was thinking that maybe it’s worth sticking with them. I assumed they had passed me ages ago and this gave me a lift. However the change in throttle proved beyond me and I was in serious cramping mode. Mile 22 passed in 9.58 with 3.08 up on the clock.I had hoped to be at mile 24 before this but that was all gone now. Mile 23 the cramping got worse and the walking became more pronouced. This mile passed in 10mins55seconds and things were taking a nasty turn. I refused to stop and stretch but each step i walked was agony with each attempt at shuffling marked by a slight tension in my chest.

One poor guy was being strapped up by the medics for heat exhaustion with a lot of us resembling extras from the Walking Dead. Mile 24 passed in a amazing time of 13mins20seconds with John, Denis et al there again. “Come on Cathal you will get under 4 hours!!!” Not at this pace I was thinking!!!  I got chatting to this guy by the Mardyke and he was hoping for a sub 3.15 having done a 3.18 in Dublin beforehand so I was in good company. “This is resembling a charity walk!!!” I quipped and we both laughed. Spotted another guy getting strapped up by the medics, obviously heat exhaustion. Even more worryingly I looked behind me and saw the sub 4 pacers bearing down. I had nothing left in the legs at mile 25, (13mins25seconds) but I was damned if i wasn’t going down with a fight. This last mile was going to be my own little battle. Running over the bridge and up the Mill Race I spotted my buddy Dermot doing the half. All I had to do was stick with him and I would sneak under the 4 hours (he was on course for a 1.58 in the half marathon). Up the North Mall and Popes Quay I was in agony. At mile 26 I got a nasty shock when a seagull dropped his load just in front of my toe. Thankfully it missed but could you imagine finishing the marathon covered in bird dung!!!. (i had to laugh)

At mile 26 the time was 3.58 or so. The announcer was doing 20 seconds to 4 hours and so on but my chip time was enough  to see me home at 3.59.27. Aidan finished in 3.50 - a good debut marathon. Kevin pb'ed in 3.40 or so - a excellent result.

Crossing the line i was glad to get under the 4 hours given the circumstances of the day. I had to give the sub 3.30 a shot but truth be known I picked the wrong race to get under sub 3.30 especially given the course and the conditions. Moreover 10 weeks training was’t the ideal way to train and my long runs in training pointed to a difficult day. Mind you settling for a 8.20 pace and getting there at 3.45 wasn’t something  i wanted either. I was determined to give it a shot and it didn’t work out. No regrets, none at all............

 

Cork marathon chip time 3.59.27