Step up

Mileage has really come up since I started to concentrate on P&D 55-70 Plan. Even with only 28 Days in February I still managed to equal my largest monthly mileage of 220 Miles. While some runs have been very hard due to fatigue this week saw a pencilled in recovery week. By Friday morning I was really feeling fresh. So much so I decided that the 4 miles Easy/Recovery where not going to serve any purpose other then add miles to a total so I decided not to run but do 40 or so lengths of the local pool instead.

Parkruns

In Two weeks a new Parkrun will start in Lees Road Ennis. A place I know only too well and I was asked to map out some possible routes for the run, and while the final route is not finished I can say its one of those seanic routes with rolling hills. On Saturday I travelled to the nearest Parkrun in Clarisford, Killaloe just to get a flavour of what the event is about. After a quick race brief course description we went to the start and 123 we are off. Trotted along at an easy pace finishing in 25:06, but still managing 1st in my age category. Luckily Curley Cunningham is older then me yet he manage to pass me twice. Overall it does what it says on the tin. A timed run over 5K Distance in a park. While around 75 ran I would expect initially the numbers to be bigger in Ennis. We just need to get enough volunteers for the first few runs. Anyone interested drop an email to john[at]claresportspartnership[dot]ie.

Spring is in the Air

Definitely not. Sundays return to the Marathon distance was a tough one. An encounter that will some day serve me well At the start of lap 3 in UL at about Mile 14 I got hit with what I can only describe as the hail storm from hell. Nasty ice bullets hopping off me. The easy thing to do was turn left into the start finish area and DNF. Did it enter my head no, I luckily had my head in the right place for these sort of conditions. I soldiered on and after struggling for much of the first half. It seemed to galvanise me to a strong finish. Talking with a certain RD from Clonakilty afterwards I would concur with his assessment that racing is 99% in your head. He is right, if your head is in the right place your body will cope with most anything you ask it to do. Sunday’s run ended up been on paper a stroll at 4:05:00 but in fact it was much more then that, it was the manner in which I finished out the run that gave me as much real satisfaction as if I had done a PB. A special word about a guy who never says much but on Sunday delivered some of the best facilities we could ask for. Together with his family we where really well looked after in the form of a stream of never ending tea/coffee and all sorts of confectionary with the added bonus of a nice hot shower afterwards. Derek and Maryse take a bow.