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Discussion on: I Am A PhD Astrophysicist American Expat in Ireland, A Lead Software Developer, and Training for a Marathon, Ask Me Anything!

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awwsmm profile image
Andrew (he/him)

I'm near the tail-end of the training plan and it's roughly:

  • Mon: no running
  • Tue: 6 miles
  • Wed: 6 miles
  • Thu: 12 miles
  • Fri: no running
  • Sat: 6-8 miles
  • Sun: 16-20 miles

And during marathon training it's hard to have the free time to do much else. I have free Mondays and Fridays but I just want to sit on the couch and do nothing those days. I have <3 weeks now until its over and I can't wait to have my free time back. I don't plan on running again any time soon...

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rachelsoderberg profile image
Rachel Soderberg

That's quite a lot of running! Solid plan though, you're going to do great. Do you have a goal finish time for the race?

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awwsmm profile image
Andrew (he/him)

Thanks! I think everyone who runs a marathon for the first time has an overly optimistic idea of how fast they can run it at the start of training. My original goal was 3h30m, which changed to 4h. Realistically, I'll probably finish closer to 5h, but my goal is under 4h.

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rachelsoderberg profile image
Rachel Soderberg

Bahahaha true! The real time goal setting comes once you decide on your second one. You'll suffer the whole way, then the second you cross that finish line you'll ask "when's the next one?!"

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awwsmm profile image
Andrew (he/him)

Oof, that also sounds optimistic. I'll let you know how I feel in three weeks!

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Rachel Soderberg

I ran a lot of Spartan Races for several years, it never failed that I was like "Never again!!" during the event but got that post-race high immediately after and had to do another.

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nicko83931651 profile image
Nicko

When visiting Ireland in September where is the best place to go running?

Thanks,

Nicko

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awwsmm profile image
Andrew (he/him)

Hey Nicko! Sorry, I just saw this. It depends how long you want to run for and where you're based. I'm in central Dublin and a good place for short runs (<= 1-2 miles) is around St. Stephen's Green in the city centre. Phoenix Park is good for longer runs (3-12 miles). If you want to go for a really long run, you could try running the Howth cliff walk, but I don't really recommend it, as it's crowded and rocky -- it's a great place to break an ankle! Instead, run along the coast, from Dun Laoghaire up to and around Bull Island. Be careful on the coast because it can get quite cold and windy.