Pb 
3:24.48
4th marathon completed of the year - Dublin marathon what a great day.
20,000 athletes took to the streets for the 43rd Dublin Marathon. The weather was perfect, dry and not too hot/not too cold.
The plan all year was to do Dublin marathon 2024. Why? Well I did my 1st marathon in October 2014 in Dublin. At the finish line of that marathon I agreed to do an ultra and since then my journey has been a fun filled adventure of ultras mainly just using marathons as training as opposed to specifically training to get better at the marathon.
In August, I did 2 half marathons and following the 2nd one I developed a problem with my hamstring. I kept training and hoped it would just go away. In September, I did Berlin marathon and really felt the hamstring and then decided I need to do something about this issue.
Fast forward to a few days before Dublin marathon I had no guide runner and a painful hamstring.
By Friday, I found a guide runner but wasn't sure what to do cos of hamstring and had never run with the guide.
On Saturday morning I decided to do the race. It was then a rush to get to the expo in time to get the race number.
On Sunday morning - day of race - I met guide runner Wayne. I told Wayne my plan is to run a sub 3:30 and if hamstring doesn't hold up to just run as close as possible to 3:30. I didn't believe I could do a pb so never mentioned sub 3:25. The focus was to just get 3:30.
Throughout the race all I kept thinking was what will I do if my hamstring goes? I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't know would I just stop or would I run/walk strategy.
Wayne's help, support and encouragement as a guide runner throughout the race really helped me. He did a fantastic job. Hopefully I get to run with him again in the future - if he will run with me. Hopefully he will.
I crossed the line not knowing my time. When I crossed I asked Wayne what time did I do?? He said sub 3:25. I said - really. He then checked the app to get the official time. He told me the time. I said - seriously - I then told him that a pb for me. He said congrats & gave me a big hug.
So much more could be said about this memorable day 
