Have a Kit Kat

A back to front race

Since the 5K race running has been very shall we saw like a chore. The week after every run just seemed like work. On the Tuesday I did a 8 mile tempo out to the crab tree and back, even though I did it in just over an hour it just felt too much like work. A couple of easy runs after and I felt no better. So here I was at the start of the Clare Burren Marathon not really in the form for running and to add to it my bowel was not in good shape. Was contemplating a DNS but decided to run the first few miles easy and see how I got on. From the off I was going backwards with people passing me. After a mile I look at the watch only to realise I had switched my watch the other night to KM’s to get an idea of the distance the C25K runners where doing in their 28 minute run and had not switched it back. No worries I may not get to the finish anyway and if I do I wont want to see the time. Shortly I heard the news that Jerry Forde had a minor stroke and was in Hospital, this kind of made me HTFU and vowed to finish the race. I ran a few miles with Jim McNeice and we had a nice chat but the sight of the first portoloo I decided to try and sort the bowel out. After 5 minutes I had finally evacuated the problem, I hope that they provided some sort of clean suit to anyone who entered after me. At this point I was 39 minutes for a little over 3 miles. I now felt a lot better and spent the next part of the race passing runners.

Goat Mountain am not I

The terrain of this race is a mix of well everything. So where the underfoot conditions allowed I ran pretty close to Marathon Pace and eased up on the sections that required you to watch your footing. I had done the half in much worse conditions 5 years ago but the full is a lot easier even with the nasty climb for mile 12. I was now really enjoying the race at this point and was starting to cut down on the time. The run down into Fanore say me pass several runners but the beach section into the wind was tough going and two of these passed me again. I was flying on the road section but the off road I was like twinkle toes trying to find a safe spot to but my foot. Mile 19 to 22 is very difficult terrain and this really tests you. I caught both runners here but was passed by John, who I tried to stay with. The final off road section was a very fast downhill section through a field. Difficulty here was avoiding the cow pat’s as placing your foot in one would not be nice.

The run in

Once back on the road I noted that a sub Four could be possible, but trying to calculate my pace in KM’s was proving beyond me. As John was ahead of me by 20-30 meters so the first task was to try and catch him. It didn't happen as he was going vey well, all I could do was to hold the gap until Mile 25 when with the watch reading 3:52:20 I knew sub 4 wasn't going to happen so I eased up and ran the last mile in the company of Pat Creegan. He tipped on the last 400m but I went meh and finished in 4:01:37. Considering where I was for the first few miles the second half of the race proved I can still string together a lot of Marathon Paced miles.

The Aftermath

Recovery run Tuesday 4 miles crap, ditto Wednesday. Thursday evening myself and Paul double checked the 10K course for the race. We ran it like a progression run, first 5K in 26 minutes second in sub 22. One mile (downhill) was ran in sub 6 pace. A good tough workout but still not giving me any buzz. Decided that once I had 10K paced on Friday night I would take a week or two off and do a few handy runs in Portugal while on Holidays in June. I had planned to run a marathon in Lisbon while on Holidays but I think I will let it slide given how I fell and the fact that every time I have mentioned it to herself indoors I get that look. I even suggested a days shopping in Lisbon and I still got that look.

Need for Speed

Its a bit short

Nothing to do with the measurement of the course but several comments from runners surprised to see me lining out at the start of a 5K race. After a 2 mile warm-up with some strides thrown in for good measure just to bring the legs up to speed I was lined up pretty much near the start to get a clean get away. Pretty soon we are off, the undulating nature of the course pretty much summed up an over reliance on a watch to pace oneself. I went out too quick realised it on one of the sharp climbs at about the 1K, then eased off too much when Siobhan from Ennis Track breezed past me. As she is in and about 20 Min 5K runner I had to latch on to her coat tails by picking up the pace again. The climb up to 2K say me drop maybe 5-10 seconds of her but on the downhill section I was catching her back. We hit the flat at 3K where my breathing was pretty much in hyperventilation mode as she began opening a gap here, then I could hear the footsteps of another runner catching me fast he passed me at 3.5K, I dug in and latched on and hung on for dear life for the next 1K before he finally dropped me. With only 500M to go and only that hill to negotiate I just kept the head down and pushed through as best I could. Crested the hill with the finish in sight Siobhan had just crossed and I could make out 19 on the clock. I put the hammer down but several seconds later it turned to 20, I kept the hammer down to fall gracefully over the line clock at 20:15 20:23 (see comment). In reflection I don't think I could have gone any faster today. Positives to be taken from this race where the only two runners to pass me after 1K only beat me by less the 15 seconds so I didn't fade too much in the later stages. Chopping 60 seconds off your PB in six months without speed work shows that there is potential for even greater improvements.

What can you expect

You cannot expect results without putting in the work. Since Seville I have ran very little miles @ 5K pace or faster. Actually it has been none existent. Tonight my legs never gave me any cause for concern, its just I could not get enough O₂ into them. In hindsight the aerobic base is there in my legs big time I just need to start putting it to good use. I should break 20 for 5K and possible get a sub 40 for 10K, times that where dreams 2 years ago but there is some work to be done to get there.

Adjusting Focus slightly

While my main ambition since getting my Boston Qualifier is to run 50 Marathons before My 50th Birthday, I now have got the racing bug so I should be able to mix in some shorter/harder races if I am wise with my training. I will leave this off until my return from a long earned break (got none last year with exams and unwell wife) in the Algarve in Mid June.

A crack at sub 20 5K

Illusions of greatness

Recently it has been in my head that I might be able to have a crack at a sub 20 5K or at least that was the plan. At the start of training for Seville the club ran a surprise timed 5K run one night on the infamous Mile loop. I clocked 21:15 off no training, so for Seville I did all of my intervals @ 20:30 5K pace on a flat track. With the exception of the last one 3*1600 (6:30/6:45/6:55 horrible session) all where completed at that pace. On Thursday I plan racing the 3rd Clare Athletics 5K Summer Series, so to find out what kind of shape I am in I did the 3*1600 session again on Monday evening. The session was tough and really opened my eyes to the torture I may have to endure to nail it on Thursday. Times 6:23/6:26/6:30, not ideal but the first 1600 was relatively okay and I felt very confident about finish out the session like this. During the second 1600 the wheels came off, badly, the harder I tried to maintain the pace the slower I got. I decided that I would pace the last one @ 6:30 pace which was probably my correct pace for the session. Now this will land me between 20:15 and 20:30.

So there are a couple of points to note about this session both positive and negative:

• It was solo which makes it harder especially when running into the breeze so this pace may not be as hard in a race
• Ran today on a track, race is on an undulating course net uphill for the first 3K down hill flat to 4.5 with a bitch of a hill at the gate of lees road in the last 500m.

Race Plan

I have thought back to the day I covered the watch and ran 14 miles MP from feel. Was completely surprised at the pace been 15 seconds per mile quicker then what I was expecting. So Thursday night the plan is no watch to hold me back or worry about. If this results in me going out too quick and burning up then so be it but it could also result in me going out too quick and holding on till the finish and dipping under 20. Only time will tell.

Sometimes is not about running

Expo

The expo was busier this year in comparison with others but the Pacer Stand was extremely quiet,  maybe because we were hidden away in the Amphibian King Stand. I still got fielded the weirdest query ever, a female runner was disappointed that she didn't receive her free pacer in the goodie bag. I tried to explain but in reality she just wasn't getting it and went away even more confused. Other then that it was sort the pacer gear and I hit away early as I had a job in Newmarket to finish on the way home. I would also miss the photo shoot later on for the club as a result but sure not to worry I would be running with the celebrity pacer Mr Dargan tomorrow so I would no doubt get my mug into plenty others.

Early Race

Meet up before hand was for 8 o’clock at Race HQ. I picked up club mate Paul on the way down and parked up around the comer under a street light. Reason for this was car would be parked overnight as some yellow wine would be consumed after the race. Meet the rest of the gang inside and got my race bag. What's inside ?  Yes !! real chocolate, so someone must have been reading my blog. I now had something to look forward to after the race.  Soon we where at the start lining up for photos and having the usual shadows behind us. Off we went with quite big group who where in good spirits. After 2 miles Eamonn asked was everyone enjoying themselves to which he got a great cheer in response. There was a couple of club mates in the group so chatted away with them along the early miles and also had a good chat with Tom about Marathons and Ultra’s through UL.

The living Bridge

Frightened the living bejesus out of me. Having crossed it 6 times in the Human race with only a small group no problem, but with todays big group the bouncing sensation caught me by surprise much to Eamonn’s amusement. I thought the thing was going to collapse and I was glad to be back on solid ground once we got off it. Shortly afterwards we meet Conor coming flying against us after leaving the 3:15 group and was looking good for smashing his 3:10 target.

Mile Markers

Well try finding one on a pole, not a hope we had all these nice smiley people looking at us with big photos of themselves. One candidate was even giving out water on the course, bet we wont see him next year. It didn't really bother me from a pacing point of view as I use the markings on the road which in Limerick are noticeable.

Crowds

I found this year support along the route was up on other years and vocal in particular some old dear who thought runners where nothing but an inconvenience and was letting us all know as we passed by. Our time group generally gets us back into the city as the 6 milers and milling around the start. This is a great opportunity to pick up the pace as the crowd will generally lift peoples spirits. One noticeable cheerleader was Joe Dunne, he just kept popping up every where and was vocal that he made me and Eamonn sound like pussy cats. We still had a group of 8 –10 with maybe 6 more slightly ahead of us. Turning down Clancey’s Strand we had at least a minute which would be given back on the climb to Thomond Park.

Hell of the West II

Even with being able to drop the pace by a minute a mile our group disintegrated. At the end of the climb up Thomond and the Ennis road we where left with one solitary pacee Cliona who now had to put up with the two of us to the finish. Suddenly Jane from the club appeared out of nowhere beside us. At mile 24 Eamonn asked again was everyone enjoying themselves which was answered with a deafening silence. Jane was going well so she kicked on again leaving Cliona alone again but now with 3 pacers. Anto had ran back to meet us to so he could clock his 1000th mile for the year. Coming over the bridge I asked Cliona was it her first marathon, she said yes, I then asked did she enjoy it. A bemused told me that was a rather silly question to ask but she replied to ask her when we finish. Once we got over the bridge Cliona kicked on for home. A girl from the 4 hour group that fell in with us for a while but lost us on the Ennis Road came steaming past us here as well. Meet Cliona at the finish with a big smile on her face so that answered my question.

The big jump

A the end we got over in 4:29:18. There was no one else to bring over so all that was left to do was the Dargan Jump over the finish. Unfortunately the photographers at the finish line where asleep and I saw several diving for cameras as we made the Jump. Unfortunately we where too quick and no photographic evidence exist of my one and only attempt at that madness after 26 odd miles.

Aftermath

Back to Race HQ for my Twix and quick pamper wipe shower and we set off to the George to meet up with others and consume some yellow wine. Everyone was in great spirits and sure it was no wonder as everyone had a great days running. Everyone from the club got home, which numbered 33 of which 19 ran the marathon. For such a young club this was an outstanding achievement and credit really goes to Kate for this, who unfortunately had to pull out on the morning of the race. Derek got his 25th Marathon medal after a brilliant impromptu speech from the MCI leader herself. Conor kick the Seville Monkey of his back in Style, Luke got himself and Ray under 3 hours, Olwyn ended up winning her category but the best prize went to Jeo who won best supporter for the day. I left and got the Bus back to Ennis and managed not to fall asleep and end up in Galway this time.