The good hurt

Emmet and John change their allegiances

“Just one minute to go,” roared Tommy Tiernan. Well I could hardly go and let down a man that made a career out of telling dick jokes now, could I?

The gun went and we were off walking. At Merrion Square we ran into Rachel, Gareth’s girlfriend, who attempted to take some photos but the camera wouldn’t work. We met her again a few minutes later where Westland Row meets Pearse St as she tried again in vain to get a picture of our merry band.

The Phoenix Park must be the dullest four miles on any marathon course in the World. John and I got there at the four mile mark where Gareth came steaming up beside us, panting like a dog. He had fallen a little behind as he slowed to chat with a cousin he met. The park was so boring that the three of us did not fancy the next 18 miles at all. In order to alleviate his boredom John decided to start running at the eight mile mark.

It was here that disaster nearly struck...someone else. As we came barrelling out of the park with the main peleton I nearly knocked over some narky short lady, though her narkiness may have been directly caused by my nearly knocking her over. It was an accident I swear.

“Oh fuck,” I thought to myself. “I’m done.” We hadn’t even reach nine miles yet but the hill at Chapelizod had me beat. Then it was as though Jim Steinmann himself came down and carried me those last few steps because once I was over the hill I was grand again, recharged and ready for action.

On to Dolphin’s Barn with a barman acting as an impromptu steward. “Straight down on the right,” he yelled as he waved wildly. As we approached the 13 mile marker I jogged slightly ahead of Gareth, almost ceremonially, so he could run up and tag me before going ahead. He decided to risk his ankle and run the remainder. For me it was iPod time.

“YEAH!” I roared as I crossed the halfway marker which was a little further up the road. It was on these same streets last year that the wheels came off as both calves and my right quad decided to call it quits, not today, not this time.

15 miles in and something is wrong, my left leg is beginning to seize up fast. I thought of Dilios in 300 “It’s just a leg; the Gods saw fit to grace me with a spare.” Luckily all I actually needed was to stretch it quickly and I was grand. Ciaran was shocked to see me at the 18 mile mark, just 20 minutes behind John. It turned out that he’d taken a brief break and in the meantime Gareth overtook him.

Indeed Gareth was going so fast that Rachel had missed him when I ran into her in Milltown, and she would miss him again at Nutley and the finish. I have to say though she was an awesome help as she provided drinks and encouragement at many points throughout the race.

PowerGel or whatever it’s called tastes manky. Ma gave me some on Foster’s Avenue along with some Powerade and it tasted awful. Still I was making good time but had to stop briefly for some running repairs as a toenail was cutting into another toe. Ouch!

Back on the road and Jim Steinmann returned to get me through from 22 miles to the 24 mile mark. A cheesefest of the highest order began on my iPod with Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Holding out for a Hero’, followed by Meatloaf’s ‘I’d do anything for love’ and ‘I’d lie for you’ with a short break before the Meatloaf version of ‘It’s all coming back to me’. Somewhere in North Dublin Greg Bowler is smiling.

Nearly there and with one mile to go it’s time to unleash the heavy hitters, it’s Rocky time. ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor, followed by ‘Gonna Fly Now’ and ‘Rocky’s Reward’, this couldn’t get more butch. I’m hurting something bad but damn if that’s going to stop me.

As I reach the 26 mile mark I begin to jog and there I see Tommy Tiernan roaring me on, it seemed that he had hung around to cheer on a few punters so fair play to him. Around the final bend onto Merrion Square and I’m running as hard as my heavy legs will let me. I see the clock, you bet it’s a pleasant sight, and raise my arms aloft in triumph as I cross the line.

My official time was 7 hours 16 minutes, nearly half an hour faster than 2006 and far closer to John than last year. He crossed the line in 6 hours 29 minutes, but where on Earth was Gareth?

The man with injured ankle truly had outpaced us all. His time of 5 hours 45 minutes was so fast that Rachel, despite giving herself what all of us thought was more than ample time to get to the finish, couldn’t find him and still hadn’t by the time John finished. He did turn up eventually and was duly turfed out of Ireland the next day and sent back to France.

PS: There'll be photos up on this blog in a few days...stay tuned.

1 day to go

"It ain't about how hard you can hit; it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

There are less than 13 hours until the start of the 2007 Dublin City Marathon. Then the pain begins. Thanks for all your support in the build up to this race. It's much appreciated by the three of us. Keep an eye out for reports on how the race went sometime next week as we divulge the full gory details of the 26.2 mile course.

Gareth gives his pre-race thoughts

Gareth's interview which somehow descended into The Day Today-esque farce

In a special interview STIG for CF Ireland participant Gareth Murphy has revealed details about what going through his mind and discusses how one of the greatest threats to the future of humanity is wrapped around his waist.

2 days to go

This may be in slow-mo but it's probably pretty close to our actual speed

Today was registration day in the RDS and I picked up my number (6317) and the assorted tags that go with it.

The expo is a big chance for other marathons to promote themselves whilst participants grab free samples of energy drinks and bars. There was also the great deal of a T-Shirt, plate of past and bottle of water for just €6. Nice.

Met Gareth and we both bought some energy gel. Heaven knows if it's in any way useful but we'll take it on the off chance it is. I interviewed Gareth for the blog earlier today and the video should be up either tonight or early tomorrow. In the meantime I've posted the video for an oldie but a goldie up above.

3 days to go...sort of

Survivor...awwwww yeahhhhh

Yes, yes I know I was supposed to post this on Friday but I fell asleep before I got a chance to.

Having woken up at 2pm on Thursday Irish time (6am in Vegas) I packed and boarded my flight to Chicago before connecting to Dublin. Everything was going fine until that flight took to the sky.

Then some git in seat 36A, the row behind mine, with a Northern accent decided to talk loudly for the entire flight home. What sort of git (this is a family blog so I'd best watch my language) actually talks on a redeye? I have a loud voice, I realise this so I don't talk on night flights ever.

But no, some people feel that their views on President Bush and God knows what else are so important that they have to spend the entire night telling it to his buddy next to him. On a flight with no earplugs this is cruel and unusual punishment, especially when some of us have to go straight into work afterwards.

So after doing my shift in ENN I finally got to bed around 6pm yesterday, roughly 28 hours after I got up previously. Not the most ideal prep for Monday.

4 days to go

Happy St Crispin's day

The weather in Vegas has been lovely and warm. I pray it isn't the same come Monday in Dublin.

Whether you're a World class runner or a charity stroller the conditions on raceday will have an impact. Last year was perfect. Another cold dry day like that would be ideal for this year's marathon.

If it rains I'll be ok though I'll be sick as dog when I go to the Chinese embassy the next morning to sort out the visa for my trip there. For Gareth it'll be a much worse as an injured ankle tends not to blend well with slippy roads so I hope it stays dry lest he hurt himself further.

The nightmare scenario for John and I is a warm day. Both of us bake quickly in the heat and what little energy we have will go fast.

5 days to go

I don't know if it's actually in any way beneficial but damn that trip to the spa felt good. Being a rather fancy hotel the Mandalay Bay has a rather pleasant spa. The sauna and steam room felt most refreshing, as did the cold pool though it was nowhere near as pleasant for obvious reasons.

I spent about an hour and a half there today and feel really refreshed afterwards. With a transatlantic flight at 11.20 tomorrow, meaning I've to be in the airport for 9.20, this was realistically the last chance I had to get some chill out time before I come home but it did a damn fine job.

The list so far...

Two weeks ago I asked you to recommend some tunes for my iPod to keep me going during the race.

Based on what you guys have recommended here's what the list consists of so far:

Hips don't lie - Shakira
Riverdance - Bill Whelan
Mission Impossible theme - Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton
Tubthumping - Chumbawumba
Barbie Girl - Aqua
Lux Aeterna (LOTR Two Towers remix) - Clint Mansell
Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner
Highway to Hell - AC/DC
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Runnin with the Devil - Van Halen
Don't stop Believing - Journey
Here I go again - Whitesnake
Panama - Van Halen
I drove all night - Roy Orbison
I think we're alone now - Tiffany
Highwayman - The Highwaymen
Road to nowhere - Talking Heads
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
These were made for walkin' - Nancy Sinatra

Songs I've added due to random bits of inspiration:
Alone - Heart
Bring me to life - Evanescence
Independent Love Song - Scarlet

Problems
Sarah recommended two songs I can't find:
Theme for Bus Eireann ad
Heavenly Heartbeat
I've been everywhere - Lucky Starr

Likewise Seamus recommended:
The People are heroes now - John Adams

If anyone can help me locate these that would be great

Keep recommending
I'm still looking for suggestions so any and all will be welcomed.

6 days to go

Mr T gives his prediction for the marathon

Damn those new shoes I bought were a bad idea. My new black shoes, which I wore for the first time yesterday, proved to be too tight. The end result was that I have now got a couple of nasty blisters and have resorted to wearing sandals in order to give my feet every chance to recover.

My efforts at carbo-loading this week have also hit a slight snag as my meals to date have consisted of protein, protein and more protein. I'll have to change that soon. Marathon prep aside Vegas has been fun so far. I walked down the strip yesterday as far as the Bellagio fountains, which many of you will have seen in Ocean's 13.

7 days to go

I've arrived in Las Vegas and while it may not be the ideal place to prepare for a marathon in just one's week's time the creature comforts should mean I won't get too wrecked. I've a room with two double beds and a big plasma TV. Nice.

I'm reliably informed that this place has both a gym and spa. It's the Mandalay Bay, of course it does. So I'm going to hunt them down later today. Until then I'll leave you with The King.

An unexpected bonus

The outpouring of support for this campaign last year did more than raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland. It helped lift me long after the race was over.

Like many people the winter months are not particularly kind to me. It may be Seasonal Affective Disorder or it could be something else but whatever it is when the weather gets cold and the days grow short I tend to get down, a lot. It can hurt the people around me as well as for no good reason I can think of I am often grouchy and sluggish.

Last year I thought the marathon would be the rock for me. Beating that, six years after I had done it the first time, meant the world to me. But at the end of the day it's just a long road.

No what made a difference last year was the remarkable way in which people told me about their support for the campaign and shared their stories about people close to them that had to deal with cystic fibrosis.

The good feelings of you all gave, along with the wonderful support from fellow participants and strangers on the roadside, that was the difference maker to me last winter.

So to anyone who has touched this campaign in any way I extend my sincerest gratitude. You've made a difference to my life.

Thank you.

And then there were three

This is the best picture we could find of Gareth. Honest.

I promised a big announcement so here it is. Dr Gareth Murphy will join the STIG for CF Ireland team for 2007.

Gareth suffered an ankle injury similar to the one that put me out of action for three months, just a couple of months ago. Like me he tore ligaments around his ankle, causing a whole heap of pain. Gareth's chances of participating in the marathon looked slim at that stage and the problems would be compounded in September. Just a couple of mornings before the half marathon, which was meant to be his first effort at training after injuring himself, Gareth managed to stab himself in the foot by stepping on his big shiny belt buckle while getting out of bed.

His PhD may be in Cosmic Physics but he'll be earning a professorship in pain come the 29th of October. Under normal circumstances Gareth would slaughter both myself and John. He's barely over 10 stone and tends to keep in good shape. This time though he'll be heavily hindered as his ankle still hasn't fully recovered with the marathon being the first test of it since the injury.

Making the most out of the circumstances

Jeff 'The Dude' Dowd and Emmet at Lebowski Fest 2007 in LA

Many of you will soon receive my latest travel email covering my recent holiday in LA, from which I returned today. The combination of that trip plus a working gig out in Las Vegas from Sunday through Thursday is not the ideal way to build up for a marathon, especially as I'll line up for the race the Monday after I return from Vegas.

Now don't get me wrong I look forward to this forthcoming trip and thoroughly enjoyed my time in LA but it would be remiss of me to not try and at least slightly counterbalance the clear impact these trips will have on my preparations.

The heat in LA and the prospect of good weather in Vegas will hopefully do some good. With the rather frightening prospect of a warm weather marathon on the cards, a nightmare scenario for a big guy like me, but potentially erratic weather between now and race day in Ireland I can at least guarantee that it'll be nothing I haven't been used to in the weeks building up to the race as I'll have been spending time in a warmer climate. I'll explain the kind of conditions that the STIG team will be praying on raceday later this week.

Don't miss: STIG for CF Ireland will be making a huge announcement on this very blog tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Music to watch roads by

Both myself and John are likely to be on the road quite a long while. John will likely take somewhere between 5 and 6 hours to do it while I'll be out there for about 7 hours, possibly more.

To keep my mind off the pain I'll be bringing an iPod along and want you guys to recommend some tracks for me to listen to that might be in some way good for passing the time.

They might be intense, bombastic, cheesy as hell or they might just have a damned good beat. Whatever the reason I'm open to all suggestions. So please post a comment and recommend a tune, or two, or even ten.

Here's a small sample of tunes that I've already stuck on because I reckon they're good alternatives to thinking about veins bulging from my calves.

Rocky Theme - Bill Conti
Anything for Love - Meatloaf
All over the world - ELO
Rappers Delight - Sugarhill Gang
James Bond Theme - Moby

Now it's your turn to post your recommendations.

The Police have nothing to do with STIG for CF Ireland...

...but they still rocked last night.

There actually is a tangentially practical reason for me sticking this up. Later today I'll be posting an entry looking for people to recommend songs to put on a playlist on my iPod for the marathon.

One STIG to rule them all

After receiving several queries as to the origin of this campaign's name during the week, including a couple at the TJAI event from Max Kelly and Matthew Clark, I figured I'd settle this once and for all.

The short version: Top Gear copied the term STIG from us.

The long version: Student Till I Graduate, or STIG, was conceived on a bus back from Galway in 2001 when Andy Wilson, John Rutledge, myself and I believe Ciaran Ruane and Kevin Burke, were returning from a UCD victory which resulted in the Students avoiding automatic relegation. The name is a play on the football chant "[team name] 'til I die." I can't remember why we thought creating a fanzine would be a good idea but after UCD subsequently won the playoff we started putting something together and by August we had the first of our barmy 16 issue first season put together in what would prove to be the first step towards becoming Ireland's longest running and most successful football fanzine.

Then around 2002 Top Gear was brought back in its new hour long format and that year also saw the arrival for the first time of the mysterious character known as The Stig. Now don't get me wrong those of us that put STIG together like Top Gear, indeed most of us are huge fans of the show. Personally I find Clarkson to be one of the most entertaining men on television and their races are just awesome to watch. We've even copied the race idea for STIG with races from Cork to Dublin and from UCD to Tolka Park amongst others. As far as I know all the contributors to STIG even like The Stig and think he's quite cool but where I have to draw the line is when people ask me did we get the idea for the name from Top Gear because, as is surely obvious now, they were inspired by us.

Ladies and gentlemen I hope that clears things up. We are the original and still the best, the first, the last, the only true STIG.