1)Mindset is everything, if you can keep your mind going, everything else will follow.
2)The half way point in terms of distance in NOT the same as the halfway point in terms of time.
3)I don’t know what the guy who invented vasaline was paid but it absolutely wasn’t enough.
4)The hardest part was finding the motivation and spare time to train for the actual event. (It eats up all your spare time)
5)Hitting the wall (bonking) really really sucks. It only happened to me once and I did so on purpose because I wanted to understand what it feels like.
6)Energy gels are not optional they are compulsory.
7)It’s best not to think about the distance too much. It’s a lot but it’s doable. Overthinking may lead to getting freaked out a bit.
8) Be aware of your surroundings. Some Irish drivers on the road are awesome and courteous to runners some have no idea what an indicator is for and never bother to look before turning out of a junction.
9)Most Bluetooth headphones have a battery life of around 3 hours. You might need to carry 2 sets.
10)Good running shoes are worth their weight in gold. (Asics make absolutely incredible shoes)
11)I fell off a footpath in early June and twisted my ankle. It last been giving me grief ever since and all through training. I’m pretty sure it was fractured. I’ll get it looked at properly now this over
12)Athletic tape changes everything.
13)I never once got Doms in my quads or hamstrings, squatting 3 days a week for years does have it’s benefits.
14)In training for a marathon I discovered amazing parts of my home town I never knew existed.
15)Pain is temporary, being able to tell everyone you finished a marathon lasts for ever.
16)Toenails are so overrated
17)Dublin is such a good marathon for supporters, from the 1000s of kids with homemade signs to the little old ladies offering cups of tea and biscuits from their front door to world class elite athletes.
18)The last 3km feels more like 15km and lasts forever.
19)Surprisingly I wasn’t in too bad condition by the end and even managed to sprint the last km. I’m shocked I had that left in the tank.
20)I carb loaded pretty hard the last two days but I woke up on marathon day feeling very full so I didn’t bother eating before it.
21)I burned just under 4000 calories.
22)I detest lucozade sport, if I never have to drink another bottle of that sticky, sweet crap again it’ll be too soon.
23)The Apple Watch is actually pretty accurate at measuring distance, mine was only 200m off over 42k.
24)It took me ages to manage to eat after it but when I did I ate like it was going out of fashion.
25)I slept like a log after it.
26.2)Pretty much anybody is capable of achieving a marathon finish if they train properly, do the work and turn up prepared on the day.