April so far has been as wash out as regards running or training. I got the female version of the Man Flu and was thrown down for the best part of a week. Never in my life have I been so sick and for the first time in I don’t know how long did not run for a full week. After several rants on Face book I got some replies that made me feel much better.
This had an adverse effect on whatever chance I had off getting some faster work done in preparation for the Kilnaboy Ten Mile. I think the Friday before I managed to do 2 * 2 Mile at 10 Mile Pace. Could have done a third but as per usual the after effects of been sick was still somewhat in my chest
Sonny Murphy
The morning of the race the chest was still a bit tight, so I decided I would do this at an easy pace. Maybe I would have been best advised not to do it but I just love this race, so I headed to Kilnaboy with best intentions. Got to the start late so I found myself well up the front. Yeah run it easy went straight out the window. As there was a severe headwind for the first 3 miles I found myself in a big group going @ ~ 7:15 pace. Options leave the group and have to work just as hard or stay in it, took the second option. After half a mile I noticed only Mary Cahill (Ennis Track) and a young lad from Fergus AC were the only ones in the group cutting out the pace or doing any work. I made my way to the front and pulled it along for 2-3 minutes, damn hard, however none of the others where even bothered to help out. Really made my blood boil so this just left the three of us cutting out the pace. Once we turned into the tail wind the group fragmented and I eased off. I was not near race fitness and my early endeavours where coming back in spades. Finished with 72:50, over 3 minutes slower than last year in similar conditions. The result has left me in no doubt that I have a lot of work to do to get back to where I was last year. Now even 4:15 for 50K is doubtful in June. Following this I have put together a plan to be in better shape for Portuma and I may throw a race or two in between.
Curragh of Kildare
Marathon number 45 and after last week I decided that there would be some structure to this. I reckon my 50K pace is a little over 8 minute pace. So I decided to do 3 * 5 miles at that pace off 5 min recovery during the race. The Curragh Plains was the destination and been an ex Solider I knew from experience that it was not flat. A lot of the runners on the day where quite surprised at how undulating the course was but I knew better. It was a return to the Curragh Rugby club, last time I was there as a young Apprentice trying to chat up some young Kildare bird in the 80’s. How things have changed. Easy First lap followed by the prescribed session’s over the next 3 laps. For the last lap I discarded the shoes and socks and ran barefoot. It’s a thing I have be doing lately 4-5 miles barefoot around St Flannan’s once or twice a week. It is something I have started to enjoy and tend to run much easier as a result. On Saturday it got some funny remarks from other runners but it felt really good.
