Friday, November 9, 2012

The Dublin Marathon!

Where to even begin!!

We got to Ireland at about 8am after an overnight flight.  I couldn't sleep at all on the flight but multiple people told me that the best thing would be to do everything i could to stay awake all day so that i could get a good nights sleep.  We couldn't check into the hotel until 3, so we decided to leave our bags and head to the race expo!  A local told us it wasn't far and we could just walk it.  So we did.

It wasn't far, i suppose in the grand scheme of things but it was about 3 miles.  Probably not the best pre-race prep.  We walked it, and then walked around the expo for a bit.  It wasn't nearly massive as Chicago, but it was a fair size!
We started to walk back, and i began to become very lightheaded from not eating or drinking anything. We ended up stopping at a pub and convincing them to make me a grilled cheese sandwich.  When we got up to leave, both my calves started intensely hurting.  Maybe from the flight, maybe from the lack of water, who knows.  We still had 2 hours to kill before we could go to the hotel, so we checked out some museums.  When we finally checked in, i was so miserable i had to sleep at least a little bit, so i took an hour nap.  After regrouping, i forced everyone to wake up (no easy task) so that we could get some dinner, and go to the musical pub crawl!  (Thanks for the reco, Cary!!)  Being sleep deprived and hungry made me very cranky with everyone around me.  I ended up getting some delicious seafood soup (something i would have a lot of the whole trip!)  and ate probably half a loaf of brown bread.  I sampled my first overseas guinness, and then it was time for music!


Walking around Dublin and listening to trad music was a great way to spend our first night!
The next morning i woke up, got out of bed, and immediately fell to the ground.  Both my calves were in knots, and it was too painful to even walk.  Obviously, a marathon was not in my future.  Matt and i tried to massage the knots out, but it hurt so bad, and i just got upset.  We ended up going to pick up the car so that we could drive around, and not ruin everyone else's day.  We decided to drive up to New Grange - an ancient pagan grave site just north of Dublin.  On the way, we stopped and bought gatorade and an entire bunch of bananas.  I spent the whole car ride hydrating and eating an inhuman amount of bananas in a desperate attempt to make my legs work again.  New Grange was beautiful, and luckily involved very little limping around, as a bus drives you to the site. 
After that, i had gotten us tickets to a Bram Stoker street performance at Dublin Castle.  I have never seen anything like it before, but it was breathtaking.  I don't even know how to describe it other than "spooky"
We got a nightcap, and then headed back to the hotel.  It's important to mention that the hotel i booked happened to be right next a night club.  And since Monday was a bank holiday, that baby was pumping until about 5am.  Who needs sleep, right?

And then came race day.

I woke up, and my calves still hurt, but i could at least walk around.  Matt and i debated if i should even do the race, but in the end decided that i paid for it, i would be a great tour of Dublin, and the 8 hour time limit was more than accommodating.  I decided to just go and try to enjoy the sights.  Our hotel was less than a half mile from the start (which was at 9am anyway!) so i had plenty of time.  We casually walked over with some other people staying in the same hotel, all of which were complaining about the night club.  

I said goodbye to Matt (my family chose to sleep in) and entered my section.  With 14,000 runners, I think this is a perfect sized race.  It was big and exciting, but my anxiety was in check.  I never felt crowded, and actually fed off the energy.  It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect - about 50 degrees and drizzly.  Matt tried to catch me as I started, but i was obviously moving too fast to be photographed.  He did catch the elites though!
Right behind ya, boys!
One weird thing about this marathon was the male to female ratio.  I feel like in the US, it's about 50/50.  Maybe even more women sometimes.  Not here.  More like 90/10.  It was a little lonely as a female.  A bit intimidating too as everyone around me shot out fast, and i just trucked along keeping my calf in check.  I think every runner may have passed me in the first mile, some of them i think passed me twice (?!?!?!)

Miles 1-3:  Just warming up.  My calves hurt, but i was able to shuffle along.  There were crowds and the time passed very quickly.

Miles 4-7: We enter Phoenix Park, and pass the zoo.  The pain disappears (or i just don't notice it)  The crowds are sparse, and i am happy.  All the men around me start snot-rocketing, and i am overjoyed.  I snot-rocket as well, and feel like i fit in.

Miles 8-12:  Apparently 4-7 were uphill?  I had no idea.  Mile 8 is downhill, and i clock an 8:30 mile?? Holy crap.  I slow myself down, but am feeling great.  Then i meet heartbreak hill #1 at mile 9.  I am sure to some people it wasn't a big deal, but it was about the same size as the hill in fort 2 base, for a point of reference, only maybe a little longer because of the winding road.

Miles 13-16: Kind of boring and uneventful, but i am pain free.  I find a pack of 3 women running, and tuck in behind them.  Then another girl tucks in next to me.  And another.  We had a pack of 8 at one point, and every one started shouting "go ladies!!"


**I just realized i skipped 17.  Obviously not a memorable mile.

Miles 18-21: Heartbreak hills 2 and 3.  Two was at 18, (i think) and wasn't terrible, but the one at mile 21 was very steep, and i wanted to scream at everyone.  That was just too much suck for mile 21.  I passed a dead red fox on the side of the road at mile 19.  A sure omen of what was to come.

Miles 22-24: All downhill!  It was a nice break from the hills.  I started to wonder where my family would be....

Miles 25 and 26:  I am tired.  I am cranky.  But i am on pace to run a 4:10 marathon, so i freaking deal with it, and then it happens.  Someone shoots me in the calf.  Okay, no one shot me.  But it felt like it.  The calf just seized up and i couldn't move.  I actually thought i tore something.  I limped to the side, and everyone is yelling at me to keep moving and i don't care.  Everything got blurry and i felt that familiar fainting feeling and by god i did not want to collapse at yet another marathon.  A nice woman came over to me and put her arm on my shoulder and said "not here.  You are so close - just move forward."  So i did.  Slowly.  I limped.  Then i shuffled.  Then everything got blurry and i limped again.  There was a man next to me whose knee had gone out, so we both shuffled along together.  My family was no where to be seen.  I just kept telling myself that there were no more races this year.  

Mile .2:  Finally, we hit the last stretch of 200 meters, covered with green carpeting, and i cranked it up to a blazing 11 minute mile limp.  Damn, i'm good.  I got to the finish line, and i couldn't cross it, because there was a pile of people.  Seriously.  Everyone was collapsing at the finish line.  And what amazed me was that rather than barrel through to shave a few seconds off their time, those that were finishing in a better condition were stopping to help them, pick them up, walk them to waiting med tents.  It just amazed me that so many people ran so hard that they literally collapsed on the finish line (although to be honest, i thought about just laying down right there.  I really did) But it amazed me more that anyone who was still upright went out of their way to help them.  I have heard so many stories about races here where people are pummeled, pushed, tripped, and knocked over in the final stretch by someone trying to shave 3 seconds off their time.  Not the case here. Its not really about your time.  Sadly, i was unable to pick up anyone.  I actually made it 3 feet over the finish line and had to just lay there a minute and try to make the world stop spinning.  It did, and i eventually went to get my t-shirt and medal.

The one downside about this race, and i knew this going into it, is that they only order a set number of t-shirts in each size, and they are unisex, and obviously, the small's are the first to go.  My only mission was to get a size small t-shirt, and by god, i got one of the last ones.  I ran a 4:18 marathon, and only barely got a shirt in my size.  People there are fast.  Real fast.  

I never saw Matt or my family.  They were expecting me to run much slower because of my calves, and had missed my finish.  Matt got some pics of later finishers though:
They ran the whole race with their legs tied together...



The worst part about missing my family?  They had all my clothes and money.  I had to limp back to the hotel alone in a soaking wet tank top in the freezing cold.  It was horrible.  I begged the hotel to make me another key to our room, and i looked so pathetic that they obliged.  I took this finisher photo of myself.
I laid in the hot shower for 30 minutes trying to warm up, and then curled up in bed with tea until they all got back.  We ended up eventually going to o'donoghue's for some victory pints!
I had two and half pints and was drunk as a skunk.  The best part was that we weren't alone.  There was a table of marathoners that had been there for over six hours, drinking, and still in their race clothes!  

I have a lot of work to do!

I loved this race.  Despite its difficulty, it was so fun, and the people are SO friendly.  I would recommend it to anyone, and one day - i will run it again.  I can see why people run this year after year.  I will think twice though, before making an international race my goal race.  I don't travel much, and the jet lag hit me hard, as well as muscle cramping and dehydration from the plane and lack of sleep.  Maybe people who travel alot get used to it though.  Either way, i regret nothing, and i feel like i ran a great race, had a great time, and did not embarrass America.

Next up - Cork, Dingle, and the ring of Kerry!

39 comments:

  1. Huge congrats on your PR! How amazing that you were feeling so off the first day there, but your calves almost decided to completely cooperate for the race! That is awesome :)

    And so neat to hear about how cool the runners are there, helping each other out on course and on the finish. I wonder if the male/female 50/50 ratio is just in the US? I would have been surprised by that too!

    You must have been so dissapointed in your family. I am really sorry to hear they didn't make it. :(

    Looks like you got a lot of sight seeing in on the first day! Am excited for the rest.

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    1. Secretly, I tool two advil before the race. I never do that, and ultimately, i think it was my undoing for the last two miles as it can really mess with your hydration. I knew that, though, and did it anyway. I should have just run faster so that when the meds wore off after 4 hours i would have been done already, haha!

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  2. Congrats on the shiny new PR- that is awesome!!!!! I think that it is weird that there wasn't a lot of women running. Some races that I do it seems like there are more women than men. I would feel lonely too! Loved your race day photo- cute outfit! Pink is my "go to" color for anything. The people that ran the whole way with their legs tied together are INSANE. I can barely run a maraton solo, can't imagine doing it tied together to someone else. A musical pub crawl does sound like a lot of fun. Any pub crawl is fun, but that one sounded like a cool experience.
    Glad that you had such a fun trip. :-)

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    1. I couldn't believe the three-leggers either! I never saw them on the course. I saw most of the other people though, so many people that were well over 50 in crazy costumes....I loved it!

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  3. Congratulations!! You did awesome! I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip.

    Did Waffles miss you?

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    1. There is no way that waffles missed me NEARLY as much as i missed her!!!!!!!

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  4. So, it sounds like if your calves hadn't cramped up you would have tackled the mental aspect of the last few miles you struggle with sometimes. That's encouraging!! Plus, you still PR'ed even with all the things you had against you (the dehydration, jet lag, etc). You should be very proud of yourself!

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    1. I really felt great the whole race (mentally at least!) I think the scenery helped (it was all so new!) and the hills broke it all up. I prefer a somewhat hilly course to flat ones - my legs and brain felt less fatigued!

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  5. The most awesome part of the story is that you were able to down 2.5 full pints of Guinness post-marathon! Congrats! I know the feeling of shivering on a long walk back to a hotel. Post LA Marathon I had to walk in a 50 degree rain in shorts and t-shirt back to my hotel. Needless to say, I took a half hour hot shower just like you!

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    1. Drinking those pints was harder than it looked! I was in awe of the men who had been drinking all afternoon. They didn't even look phased!

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  6. Congrats on your PR!!! I feel like I don't travel well (probably because I don't travel a lot) and would probably need a couple days to recover from the flight before attempting a marathon. So, very impressive that you PR'd!!

    Also, after you are done with your Ireland posts, can you post a tutorial on how you do your hair for racedays? I have tried to replicate it, but it never looks as cute.

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    1. Based on more then one person requesting, which totally baffles me as i would at best describe my hair as birds nest meets poorly constructed beaver dam, i will be doing a "Sara's race hair" post :)

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  7. Love the finisher shirt! Congrats on completing another marathon! Despite the leggies, it seemed like a super fun trip.

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    1. It was! Matt and i disagree about the time of year, but i recommend any go in the late fall - all the "tourist sites" are empty, and you are free to explore!

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  8. Congrats girl you DID run great race! Jet lag going east is brutal. So hard to not sleep that first day. So glad you enjoyed yourself. Dublin is awesome. I definitely need to go back someday.

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    1. Yes! I am already saving to go back! So rewarding, jet lag and all!

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  9. 4:18? Can you teach me your secrets? I just suck at running these days.

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    1. My secret is not running. Between the flu and traveling, I barely ran the two weeks before the race. I think it helped! And apparently eating half a dozen bananas the day before....

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  10. congrats lady...hard to hear someone say you LIMPED an 11 min mile when that was the average pace for my last 15K...LOL. Way to go!!

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    1. In my defense, i am a very efficient limper! And it was only about 200 meters, haha.

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  11. Congrats on the PR despite the leg issues!! Sounds like you have the marathon figured out for you now :)

    The scenery during the course sounds amazing.

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    1. I think scenery is key - I liked that in Dublin i got to experience city and nature in one race. I wonder if any US races are set up this way?

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  12. Congratulations on finishing. I would have been scared myself.

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  13. Congrats on the PR! That is seriously amazing given the calf cramps and long flight. I know my BF gets swollen ankles from his 10 hour flights to Brasil so I can only imagine running a race a few days later...

    That race sounds amazing. Ive wanted to go to Ireland for ever now because (i'm Irish) and my great aunt always used to visit each year and took the most amazing pictures. It looks so beautiful and whats not to love about Guinness for breakfast?

    How do you get your hair to stay like that for races? My hair is long and I can only braid it and keep it tight to my head. Pony tails dont work because I have to keep messing with it... Whats your secret? :)

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    1. If you do go, go in the fall!! I can honestly say there is not one ugly stretch in the whole country! I will be doing a hair post in the next couple days i think :)

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  14. Congratulations on completing another marathon and the pretty new PR that came with it!! Just the fact that you achieved it with leg cramps shows that you are capable of embracing your inner speed demon and running faster and faster each time!

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    1. I now realize the leg cramps were gonna happen regardless, i am just very lucky they held off until the very end!

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  15. WAhooo you are so freaking impressive! Even with the calf cramps, that time is great girl! A PR! WOOT WOOT. Totally deserving of a night of beer ;) You're awesome!

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    1. Thanks! I finish the race in pain, but already plotting the next one, which i think is a good sign :)

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  16. Love this recap! Congrats on an amazing race!

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  17. Ok, i read this Friday before running out the door and I'm only now making it back to comment? I suck!

    But YOU! You are 100% rockstar! Congratulations on a hard fought PR! And an amazing race!

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  18. Congrats on the marathon! I canNOT believe that those two people ran the race with their legs tied together... that's crazy!

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  19. OMG! that was an amazing PR despite your calves bothering you.
    I just started training for my first marathon in March. I kinda just skipped weeks 1-4 of training by mistake thinking I had more time. Did you follow any training plan?
    any tips for this first timer? lol

    Good luck at the Jailbreaker Marathon. Pretty sure you'll run a sub 4:10 ;)

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    1. Thank you! I think i powered through as to not embarrass America :) I wouldn't worry too much about skipping the first couple weeks, those are usually warm up weeks anyway. I always follow Hal Higdon, but i have a somewhat crazy work schedule, so the weekday runs are based on what i can actually fit in.

      The best advice for your first marathon (or any) Is to break it into halves. The first half is mile 1-20. The second half is the last 6. You need reserve half your energy for those last 6 miles. They are brutal, and will seemingly last forever! Good luck!!

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    2. Thanks!! I will keep that in mind. You make it seem so easy! lol

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  20. Thanks for this inspiring race recap! I'm going to run Dublin 2013 (as my first marathon) next Monday, and now I'm looking forward to it more than ever (though i'm terribly nervous)!

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  21. Well done! The Dublin course has a few tough hills alright - especially if you've sore calves! I'm running Dublin tomorrow so your post was is great inspiration.

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