Womans Flu

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

courtesy of John O Neill

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

Courtesy of Stephen Mooney

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.

Running is Mental

30th Anniversary Sonny Murphy 10 Mile hosted by Kilnaboy AC was on this Sunday. One of the old four Munster Spring 10 Mile races. However since the series has stopped this race has had a reduced number of entries mainly because of the time of year its ran and the nature of the course. While the course is your usual scenic route its is undulating and hard. A lot of runners avoid it because of this and that its not PB material.  Another low set of numbers again for the run must have the organisers scratching their heads. There was 107 entries on the day and the vast majority of these where club runners, so for some reason this race is not appealing to the non club runner. If the race is to continue then Kilnaboy AC need to address this as I like many other club runners would hate to see its demise.

Not racing the watch

I didn't really have the appetite for a crack at sub 70 as Connemara was still a bit in the legs but I was going to race this. A local runner who I have a history with beat me narrowly in this race 2 years ago so today was about extracting a victory. Plan stay with him until mile 8 and the go for home at the water station by running through it. Even with so little runners at the start my target lined up at  the very front with me 3-4 rows back, he took off like a bat out of hell and I got caught in traffic. After a mile he had opened a 200 meter gap but it wasn't getting bigger anymore, the only issue was we were going under 7 minute pace. With the breeze behind us this wasn’t too difficult so I was quite happy to be able to hold the gap but I was now on my own which was a worry with the head wind breeze that we would encounter soon. Once we turned right after mile 4 he was starting to open the gap mainly because I was easing back the pace slightly. I was now starting to worry that maybe I was not going to be in a position to challenge him later in the race. I kept going at race effort and if he beat me then fair dues. Passed halfway in 35:05 and the pace was starting to become a real effort when suddenly my foe was coming back to me big time as in he was walking. Flew by him and he ended up with a DNF. So game over what do I do now, well I decided to keep up the race effort but the combination of a stitch (glupped down 2 cups of water too quick) and the long drag up to Corofin with the stiffing breeze saw the pace drop that through mile 7 I was 50:24. On the climb up I was passed by a runner from Galway, so I put the head down and I stayed with him. There after we had a mile of passing each other out, I surged on the downhill section through Corofin, he caught me on the flat, I skipped the water station and kicked on but he again closed the gap and passed me once more. As I had ran the last 2 miles in the warm-up I made the plan to stay behind up the hill before the 9 mile marker, switch to left hand side as we crested and kick open a gap. He was better on the hills so I needed to end this before the final climb to the finish. Executed to perfection as I finally managed to open the gap which he could not close. Kept the pedal down until I could no longer hear his footsteps behind and then dropped the pace to 7:30 for the final climb to the finish. Crossed the line in 1:12:20 slower then Dungarvan but very happy with how the race transpired. My foe for the last 2 miles was Brendan Kennelly from GCH who shook my hand after he came through the finish line. I have no doubt that should we meet again I will be in his sights. That's racing for you, sometimes you don't have to beat the watch to have a good one.

Storms Never Last

For those who hate long Blog post's

Excellent race, well marshalled flat route yielded a new PB of 1:10:45. Chocolate in the goo-die bag!!, high quality dri fit t-shirt, showers and an all you can eat buffet afterwards for €20. Sure where else would you be on a cold, miserable wet Sunday Afternoon.

John Treacy 10 Mile Dungarvan

Had this pencilled in from as far back as Dublin last year. Back then I mentioned I would love to be in sub 70 shape, last Saturdays PMP run put me there with a chance. Based on that 7:03 was probably my pace but if things came right on the day I might just sneak under it. A week is a long time in anything, all this weeks runs felt harder then they should leaving we wondering if I should go for it or not. Weather forecast on Saturday was a promising day of gale force winds and rain so more bad news.

Warm-Up

Got down early and changed. Went for a Two mile slow warm up around the town. Wind was pretty stiff, when I got back to the Race HQ I had a look at the course map and figured that it would be best to stick with the 70 minute pacers for the first half as it was into the wind. Being in a group would offer some shelter, where as running on my own at a more sustainable pace would most likely take as much effort anyway.

Race

As per usual there was a delay at the start, and again GOD makes sure we get a hail shower while we where waiting around. The MC was getting loads of healthy comments which I will not repeat. In fairness it transpires that there was a funeral procession along the route. On hearing the circumstances it  puts the small issue of having to stand around half naked in the middle of a hail shower for Thirteen or so minutes into preceptive. We get the off and while the start is quite wide there is still the usual jostling for position, I got entangled with a few elbows so lesson learnt pretty quick. Settled in towards the rear of the 70 Min group about 50 to 60 of us. The loop around the town is not really straight forward and several speed bumps and paths that stick out have to be avoided. In fairness there where plenty of marshals around these obstacles warning runners  Once out of the town we where running into the teeth of this blustery hail shower. I was now glad to be tucked up in the group. The pace was manageable, tough on the drags but I was able to stay with them. By mile 4 the shower had stopped and the wind had died down but the pace was starting to take its toll. I knew I would pay for this at the end of the race if I continued but there was 1.5 miles to go before we turned out of the wind. Luckily three to four other guys where in the same position so we dropped off the back of the group worked together for the remaining part of the out section. As we still passed the 5 mile mark and the announcer call 34:59, the next mile is the hardest as after the turn around there is a climb up to six which I hit in 42:18. A big down hill at this point between here and seven but I didn't regain any time, in fact lost more passed 7 mile mark 49:23. The next mile was flat and I started to work hard passing Eight in 56:27, there after the wheels came off. There is a drag back up on to the main cork road and another up to nearly the nine mile mark which was 63:48, I was now not going well but the last mile is downhill so I went as hard as I could aim was to get under 71 mark from here. I really had nothing in the tank, I could not lift the pace. People where passing me and I just couldn't go with them, kept plugging away turned the corner and saw the clock was 1:10:28 surprised me somewhat but at least I didn't have to do a sprint to get under 71 so just finished it out without attempting to like a Bolt. Final result 1:10:45 and pretty much as good as I could have gone today, while it wasn't under 70 it was as fast as I could go. There was nothing left to give and I left everything on the road while just about managing to hold on to the breakfast. In a race you cannot ask for much more then that. You don't get to feel bad for long as reached into the goo-die bag to find yes a Twix bar. All my Christmas had come at once. So proper self indulgence.

Post Race

Finished up and we get another of those hail showers, the HQ is about a mile from the finish so a cool down mile is required but the hail shower made sure it wasn't pleasant. There where showers but these where mental, if you where not a fan of getting your kit off and mixing it the the big boys you would have to forgo the luxury. After 10 miles and a soaking on the way back a warm shower was going to be had regardless of the chaos in the changing room. As expected with events ran by good Athletics's Clubs you wont go home hungry and overall its probably going to be a net gain in Calories consumed. Hats off to West Waterford AC for putting on such a high quality race as Arnie said "I'll be Back."