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.