After months of hard work and dedicated training, Emmet Malonethanks friends and strangers as he heads off to the starting line
It's around 30 years since I was last embroiled in the build-up to what I considered a big race. Then, it was some sort of middle distance thing on my school sports day, which I half fancied myself to win. It remains a matter for some speculation as to whether I would have pulled it off, as I never ended up competing. On the day in question, I sat down with a group of friends on an embankment overlooking the back straight to chat and watch the other races. We were safely out of range of the hopeless public address system and well away from parents who might have acted as an early warning system. It came as quite a shock to us all, then - several other genius would-be contenders were there with me - when we watched most of our classmates run past at, I reflected bitterly, a fairly manageable looking pace.
So, my running career between that day and the day I started to prepare for this marathon consisted of occasional bouts of light jogging around the Phoenix Park or circuits close to my home, which I realised when I started taking more interest in the precise distances involved, were nowhere near as long as I had previously thought.
Anyway, the last few months have been different. I've run several hundred miles and now feel as though I know the south Dublin seafront like the back of my hand.
I've put together the outlines for a couple of very bad novels, reacquainted myself with the more obscure parts of my 1980s indie rock collection and become a fan of Phantom FM.
For this series of articles, I've shaken down countless friends, acquaintances, readers and complete strangers as well as quite a few experts for insights into how to prepare for and run this race. My thanks to them (there really are too many to name), along with my sincere apologies to those whose generous offers of various types of help I could not, because of time or space limitations, make much more of.
Four months ago, in the very first piece, I cited the benefits of training for the race as outlined by Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson. "By strengthening the heart, running reduces the rate of heart disease," they wrote. "By pumping oxygen and antioxidants, it combats carcinogenic free radicals, and so reduces the incidence of many forms of cancer.
"By evacuating body waste promptly, it diminishes lingering toxins. By raising body temperature to fever level on a daily basis, it burns out infection. By stimulating sweating and increasing breath exchange, it eliminates toxins via the kin and expelled air. By releasing adrenaline, it flushes the system with disease-fighting white blood cells and immune substances.
"By reducing body weight, it counters the effects of obesity - stress on the heart, joints, lungs and muscles, and non-insulin dependent diabetes. By stimulating endorphins, it alleviates stress, counters depression, and enhances creativity and problem solving.
"By strengthening bones, it radically reduces the incidence of osteoporosis. By maintaining strong blood flow and creating a positive self-image, it improves sexuality. Finally, by leaving the body fulfilled and tired, running helps maintain healthy sleep patterns."
I'm glad to say I've ticked a few of those boxes and I'm sure I could have ticked a few more if I'd been a little more dedicated.
I can't help noticing with hindsight, however, that they don't mention the way you can stink up a room if you hang about for even a few minutes after a run. Nor do they mention the anguish involved in realising if you don't get out and do five miles at 11pm this evening then you're going to be way off target for the week because tomorrow you're babysitting and the night after that you hope to be in the pub. Or, the fact that, in my case, it now takes quite a while before I can walk properly in the mornings.
Overall, though, I've enjoyed it all immensely but I'm sure that most people who are training for Dublin, will know where I'm coming from when I say that I really can't wait for the bloody thing to be over either.
So here's to Monday. I'm still not sure how it's going to go. But I do have high hopes of making it to the start line this time.
* On Saturday, October 27th, The Irish Timeswill publish a dedicated Marathon supplement, with last-minute tips for those competing and unique insights into what it's really like to run in the event.
It will also report on the behind-the-scenes organisation of this major event, which attracts thousands of people to Dublin every year.
The supplement will also cater for spectators and will include a detailed map with information on items of interest along the route.
For more information, see www. ireland.com/focus/marathonfocus