Something Ventured, Nothing Gained

Even after last weeks half baked efforts at session’s combined with the early week scare with my knee, I still was of the mind-set to go for it in Tullamore. Recent 10K/5K times had me somewhere between 1:30 and 1:31 but in my head I convinced myself that having a bash at 1:30 was a good idea. On Friday night I had an Army reunion Dinner in Portlaoise which wasn't going to help but I kept the celebrations limited. Still didn't get to bed until 2:30 AM and still under the grand illusion that 1:30 was doable.

Murphy's Law

Courtesy of Rory Mooney

What can go wrong will go wrong. This is exactly what happened on Saturday, why because I am an idiot and let my head rule my body. Got to the race with herself in tow, not feeling too bad all things considered. Went for my warm-up, stiff as a plank and right knee just didn't feel good after a mile. Mile back it seemed to loosen out so a couple of legs swings at the start. Unfortunately my coffee did not kick in and had no effect on the rear but hopefully the channel was empty. Briefly meet with Gary beforehand and lined up behind the 1:30 guys. Plan was to go with them into the slight breeze to halfway and hang on for dear life. After the last race debacle I wore the GPS watch this time, but no need, two guys had the pace bang on from the go. They explained they would lose some time for the first few miles due to the drag and wind. Splits reflect this 6:49; 6:57; 6:59. Passing mile 3 I had to finally accept that this delusion ejeit was not in 1:30 shape, as this felt extremely hard for Mile 3-4. Only 2 weeks previous I had held faster easily. Group started to slowly disappear from here to mile 6 7:11; 7:11 & 7:34. At mile 6 coffee had finally started to work , “where's the Toilet I enquired”, “Up the road” Two more **** miles up the road. It was quite warm at this point and I was flagging badly 7:27 & 7:06 on the downhill stretch, Finally got the Toilet in Mile 8-9 (9:20). On the bog I did a quick calculation that I would need to be 1:06 or better at Mile 9  to try and get a PB. Soon I departed and hit mile 9 (1:06:31) I thought even if I ran 1:30 pace to the finish I would not get a PB (wear a pace band, you cant do maths in a race). Decided to put in some MP miles instead so the day would not be a total waste of time. 7:22, 7:22; 7:23 where at a manageable effort. As I hit the last mile a Tullamore Harriers Runner passed me. All the marshals lined along the route where encouraging him to stay ahead of me. Race on, so I pursued him and finally caught and passed him on the track, we then got hit with what I can on describe as a Monsoon. Luckily It was for my last 200m. Crossed the Line in 1:36:17 disgusted with myself. Last mile was 6:52 with 0:48 for the bit at the end.

Aftermath

Herself was suitable impressed with the spread that was put on afterwards and it was good. For the race itself you could not fault it in any way. Also the facilities available at the club are damn impressive. Its just a pity we cant run the National Half Marathon there instead of having to do the Rock n Roll thingy in Dublin. For me drive home and the right knee had stiffened up. A wise decision was made last week to book an appointment with Leon for Monday. Realistically I should have done a DNS when it showed signs of stiffness in the warm up,that would require a runner with a brain. I would suspect very few would have actually done any different so us runners brains go out the window once we pick-up our race numbers.

You spin me right round baby

Practice Loops

Its November, Eddie Murphy run time when Sixmilebridge gets invaded by runners all hell bent on getting dizzy running around the same 1 Mile loop of the village. For the members of BMOH this is a normal experience as we use this circuit and the hill mostly for our Thursday night speed sessions. I hadn't been down in a while but as I had to pick up essentials for Friday and Saturdays Directors run’s, I decided to get the feel of the loop again. Session was 2 loops @ 5K pace. Coming to the end of my second loop, a car pulls along side, a wee Cavan girl is hanging out the window trying to hold a conversation with me. Believe me it was one traffic. Brenda O’Keeffe was the first of the lunatics to arrive in Sixmilebridge. Between now and Sunday evening a few more would drop by. Finished the session in 13:30. Happy enough not to be doing 26 at anywhere near this pace on Sunday.

Directors Runs

This year to accommodate Gerry Forde we ran the directors run on the 10 in 10 course as it would be madness to have him going around the village all day on open roads. It wasn't long before the early starters arrived. Brenda came filled in her registration form, I handed her a number, 100. The significance of this I at the time was totally unaware of. Soon all runners where on the course and the only issue this morning was a flood at of 6-8 inches deep and 50M long but was dealt with before the later starters got to it.

Saturdays race was to say the least a different experience. We had two participants miss turns and ended up getting lost. After finding both them and getting them back on the course the rest of the day passed without incident. We may need to invest in GPS tracking devices for runners next year. Once the day was over I was now free to run the race tomorrow. My 25th Marathon on home turf and I was really looking forward to this. I got home with ever intention of a quick 3 miles to clear the pipes and get an hour or two’s kip, but herself indoors was sick so that idea went out the window. Off to a gig and home by 3 AM herself still sick, finally she settled down and I got to sleep somewhere between 5 and 6.

Dalmatian Day

I woke a 9 with a sore throat dry lips and my own stomach doing flips. If it wasn't for the fact it was my 25th I would have smashed the alarm and gone back to sleep. I got up everything was ready from the night before logged on to Facebook for any updates on the Double, then saw that Don Hannon had let Brenda's cat out of the bag and that she was half way through her hundredth marathon. Got to the start just before the 30 miler start still not feeling great. Decided this was going to be a long slow burner with the objective of just finishing it. Eamon Dargan was present with his 100th Marathon Medal and Singlet just before the start. Pretty soon we where starting and I was with Eamon and Paul for the first few miles. Meet Brenda at the water station, I was scolding her about keeping her 100th quiet when she informed me I gave her the 100 number on Friday morning much to her amusement. Eamon had crowned this his Dalmatian Day Marathon but unfortunately it was not to be. He was struggling for his breathe on the hill the fifth time around and pulled up shortly afterwards. No doubt he will get to run the Dalmatian Day again. Paul had pulled ahead a bit and I was started to catch him but he was heading for pit stop when I caught him. I hooked up with Fozzy for a fast lap or two just to help clear the pipes. And boy did they clear I hope no poor unfortunate soul had to use that toilet for the day. Once I returned to the course I really felt good and started to run about 8 Minute pace very comfortably. Hit 10 Miles with 1:32 on the clock meaning I was on 4 hour pace. Didn't even bother to slow back down I was in a zone, it doesn't happen often but the faster I ran the more comfortable I felt. Passed half way 1:57 on the clock and just kept going passing runners along the way. Only Mick Curley Cunningham had passed me in that period.

The difference in a year

Running improvements are not things that happen overnight, but over a long period of time. Last year I was struggling at the tail of the race when my Friend Thomas passed me cruising at the start of his. Today I rounded the start finish and there was Thomas in the distance, but I was catching him fast. Thought to myself he must be really struggling. I caught him at the bottom of the hill and said Hi and bombed up the hill leaving him in my wake to the tune of “A whole lotta a rosie”. I don't know who was the more shocked him or me at the time. While Thomas appeared to be going slow he still knocked out a 7:05:11 for the double Marathon. This time would have been good enough to win any of the previous running's but again there was a faster runner ahead. Maybe next year he will get that elusive title.

One and One is Three

Doing sums while you are running and even going well just does not add up. Coming to the end of 20th lap, I looked at the clock 2:53:xx so to get home in sub 3:45 in needed to run 10K in 48 Minutes that's six 8 minute miles, so Lewis its Hammer Time. That's the silly conversation I had in my head the reality was 1) I had only 6 miles to go not 10K and 2) I had 51 Minutes to cover them. Lesson you cannot add and run at the same time. I set off for the next 2 laps at under 8 minute pace only to realise my error on the beginning of the third. I slowed up the pace but in doing so for some reason it was the first time today the wee hill was tough. I set about not letting it beat me and I was determined not to walk one inch of the course. Job done and got home in 3:44:02. My third fastest time ever and only my third time under 3:45 so all things considered I was extremely happy.

Medals

The one downer of the whole weekend was when Richie informed me on Friday night that there was an issue with the finishers medals, which would not be resolved in time for the event. This meant runners completing on Sunday would not receive their finishers medal on the day. With respect to everyone not one person was put out by it. I did not have that issue as I would receive my 25th Marathon Medal. On my arrival that morning I had one important job to do, ask Tom if he would do me the honour of presenting me with my 25th Marathon Medal. In my mind there never was going to be anyone else for this job. Tom has always be a source of support both as a mentor, friend and competitor in recent years and someone I always like to bounce ideas off every now and then. Tom did the honours and Derek Mackessy also picked up his 50th Medal. The bold Dennis however out did us all and got the cake.

You don't always get what you want

Build-up

Late last August Tom rang to tell me he was going to run the flattest Marathon in Ireland in Mid October in Charleville and have a crack at sub 3:21:20 the club auld man Marathon PB held by yours truly. Armed with this I put together a plan to maybe make a race of it. Unfortunately that plan never came about as I just trashed my legs in August. Feeling much better last week I did a 3 mile MP effort averaging 7:15 per mile which shocked me. Now I was thinking of having a crack if conditions on the day where favourable. What’s the worst that can happen is I crash and burn and hobble home. That all changed on Saturday morning, for the first time in 4 Years my Crohns / Proctitis flared up to an extent I contemplated not even running the race.

Race From Hell

On the morning of the race we get perfect running conditions but I know that racing is not going to happen as I am guaranteed a pit stop if not multiples. I wished Tom all the best and was sure barring a complete disaster he would nail sub 3:20. He ran 10 miles with me the week before at 8:20 pace like he was just out for a stroll. Of we set and I settled in with Valerie, Peter and Derek for the day as we rumbled along at 4:10 pace. As expected first pit stop came around 3 miles and I knew from this point today was going to be a long day. Caught up with the gang again only briefly as another jump the wall was required near 8 miles. This time I got rid of everything and I mean everything both ends, and was looking like a DNF when I got back to halfway. We met Tom coming back against us on target and looking good at 14.5 miles. Got to halfway but I was now feeling much better and for the first time felt I could eat something, scoffed my banana and some mini mars bars. Tom had gone through the Halfway mark in 1:41 pretty much on target. He had discussed this with me last week and the consensuses was to take the first mile easy and ease up to Marathon Pace over the second mile. Was going very well in the second half myself and the pace had picked up. Derek and Peter fell away so just Myself and Valerie until we caught up with Michael a recent MCI member. From here on things got ropey for me, I had no energy, starting to feel dizzy and I really had to concentrate on what I was doing. Now doubt my two companions noted my sudden lack of chat. We got to mile 23 which had a water station, I was hoping maybe there would be some coke but no such luck. Just about to look for a lift back when Valerie shouted back to me to come on its only 3 miles. So the runner in me did just that (us runners are not smart). Now I knew I couldn't hold the pace so I let them off in the distance and concentrated on getting home by doing what Thomas calls the Ultra shuffle. It doesn't look anything like running but at least you are going forward. Got to the finish spent and could only sit down. Got some Coke into me and I was grand again once it hit blood stream. Discovered later that Tom suffered the same fate, unable to take on Gel’s, coming home in 3:28 still a good time but missed his PB by 10 seconds.

Medals

There was however some consolation on the day for Tom as he received his 75th Marathon medal along with Mark Hillard getting his 25th Marathon award. Then the big shock as Tom presented his Father in Law Patsy O’Brien with his 25th Medal.


 

The Marathon

I have always said that this distance is both cruel and rewarding. When all the stars line up and you nail your time its the best feeling in the world. However one small issue on the day and all your work will yield no reward and sometimes a rather horrible experience. I felt gutted for Tom as he has really had put in the work and had nothing to show for it at the end of the day. I have no doubt he will break 3:20 so I am currently only keeping that PB warm for him.

Oh look another race

Post Craughwell I had stated to Jude Hickey “If you see me with a balloon in Dingle next Saturday give me a kick”. I had planned to reset the only old PB left Half Marathon on Saturday in Doonbeg. Sure enough I got the pacer call but declined, I don't think my legs would hold up to another Marathon. Hell they probably wont be great in the race either but sure it is only a half.

Build-up

Did nothing all week, as my legs where in absolute bits after Craughwell. Got out for an easy run on Thursday night legs dead heavy but improved after the first 2 Miles. Morning of the race weather conditions where going to be close to ideal well they say 16°C is ideal but not for us fair weather paddies. Got to Doonbeg early and did the warm-up, first Mile legs where heavy but they seemed to improve for the second mile. I was still in two minds at what time/pace I should aim for. If I was fully rested and had this as a goal target I would probably be around 93 minute mark but I knew the auld legs would not survive that pace today. Decided to try and go out and aim for 95 minutes.

Race

There was a good crowd at the start for this with plenty of walkers up the front. However the road is plenty wide and I wasn't delayed at all. In saying that I clocked a sub 7 minute mile so pulled back a bit. Again as in the previous race my mouth was dry but luckily there was a water station at the 2 mile mark. Water was in plastic cups, doesn't bother me, got a good mouthful and even had some spare to throw over my head. Even though it was in cups and the day was quite warm I never felt the need to take it at every station. In total there was 7-8 water stations. Once we hit 3 miles you turn into the slight breeze and a gradual slope for the Mile. Everything was going well until 4 when there was a sharp descent followed by another sharp up and down. The combination of these two descents was the last straw for my quads and I had to drop the pace back slightly thereafter. Still passed 10K mark in 45 so target was still on. From here to 11 was a real struggle, legs just had no zip in them, which I was half expecting to be honest and if I had half a brain I would have taken the opportunity to stroll around Dingle for the day. Effort wise I was comfortable but I had no wheels under me today. From 11 onwards I pushed to try and catch two runners ahead. Just before 12 I was 20 seconds behind when they stopped to take on water. I knew I would be alright to not take on water so I just zipped by them and kept the head down and kicked on. One guy kept with me, and at one stage drew alongside with half a mile to go. I pressed on again all the way to the finish and kept him behind crossed the line in 1:35:56 some what disappointed.

The usual feed of nice stuff and a chat with Seanie Whelan afterwards on running. I hit home early as I had some DIY to attend to that had been neglected in the recent weeks. Turned out that final mile I promoted myself from 4th to 2nd in the M40 Category, this made up for my initial disappointment of not getting under 95 minutes. A first podium finish for me happy days.

The road to Hell

The big sleep

Left all at home on Thursday night to catch a bus in Galway which would drop me in Dublin Airport at 4:30 A.M. Car was on the blink recently and didn't want to chance letting 9 months of solid training to a 15 year old car deciding to let me down on the first leg of the journey. This would make my journey to Seville as long as if I was to run one down under. Soon I was seated beside two lovely ladies who where hitting away for the weekend for some Spanish sun, they where a tonic and had some banter along the way which made the flight seem much shorter. It was a relief not to be seated beside some uninteresting teenager/young person with a set of earphones plugged into whatever device they have on their laps. Unfortunately the rest of my journey to Seville I would be seated beside these solitary souls. Due to a delay in take off in Dublin we arrived 30 minutes late. A quick journey from the airport to the main train station ( all of 12 minutes) still did not get me there on time to catch the high speed two hour train to Seville. I had to wait another two hours and catch the slow boat to china version which stopped at every station along the way. Finally arrived in Seville and began my pursuit in trying to purchase a 3 Day tourist ticket for the local buses and trams. I failed and finally gave up trying two days later. Got a bus to my hotel and final checked in at 5 PM, nearly 16 hours since I began travelling. I venture out for some food and a walk around to get my bearings. Loads of shops, churches and Tapas bars, the place is buzzing. I get a plate of Tapas and a glass of beer. Barman doesn't seem to understand my request for a large/big beer. I later discover the reason why in the gents when I see the the label on the keg. What is on tap is 6.3% volume not beer but yellow wine. I hit back to the hotel around nine go to bed and don't wake until 9 the next morning. Exactly what is needed as I rarely sleep well the night before a race.

The last run

Went for a run the following morning, it was quite chilly in the shade but noticeable warmer in the sun light, yes I managed to see that yellow thing in the sky that we haven't seen in Ireland since late September. Whilst it wasn't uncomfortable maybe it might have an impact on the second half of the race. Kept my eyes firmly glued on the ground so as not to find and holes or other things that might trip we don't want any nasty falls this close to the race. Afterwards I sat down and finally laid out my race plan, 3 Gels one at the start with 10 minutes to go, one between 5K and 10K and the final one 20K and 25K. Zym electrolyte tablet into bottle around 10K and sip it rather then drink it in the one go, mouthful of water and wet the sponge to sponge myself down at each water station. As regards time, my final MP run gave me 7:20 per mile over 3 miles. This would give a sub 3:15 but as I had not even ever considered going at that pace I plumbed for 3:20 with the option to drop back if I felt I was pushing to much to hold that pace before the 30K mark. This meant roughly 23:30 for each 5K. The slowest I could go was 24:00 per 5K as this would leave me close to but under 3:25. Anything outside of this just wont happen, I will push myself to the limit to keep this pace even if it means a DNF. So my goal is between 24:00 and 23:30 for each 5 K, easy enough to calculate along the way so I don't bother trying to make up a pace band.  

Pasta and then some more Pasta

A quick shower and I made my way to the Expo in the afternoon. With the minimum of fuss I collected my number and Goodie bag which contained the usual brochures and leaflets but also a running top and shorts. The shorts are a bit on the small size or more like the "you are not going out in those" comments I will get from herself in doors if I ever get the nerve to put them on. Meet up with Peter and we both went for the free pasta dinner. Was of reasonable quality and given it was included in the cost its basically free. Problem was we where queuing for about 45 minutes, so much for staying off our feet. The spare chocolate and fruit went into the goodie bag for the morning. My Hotel didn't have any special provision for breakfast so on my way back I picked up some basic provisions for the morning. Had arranged to meat up again with peter and the others in O' Neill's bar, turns out there is two such bars in Seville and I end up watching the first half on my own. Wasn't to bad really, got to remind so smart arse Welsh guy about the whipping they got two weeks ago. At half time I made my way to meet the others in the right pub.  Meet up with Conor and Barry our resident lonely planet/trip adviser all rolled into one. Luckily for us as he had a table for two booked which was swiftly converted into four in an Italian restaurant which turned out to be excellent, so hats off to him. Usual banter over diner and whenever in Marathon runners company a thick skin is a prerequisite, we all had our stated goals for tomorrow but Barry was getting it in the neck as to whether he would beat the sweeper bus home or not. As it transpired he was the only one of us to better our lofty stated goals. Maybe there is a lesson in this somewhere.I returned to my Hotel full and ready for tomorrow, all that was need was a good nights sleep, as per usual this never transpired and I tossed and turned all night.

Highway to Hell

You pass the Twenty Mile Marker, time to see what's in the tank, press the clutch put her in fifth gear and pick up the pace, you are now entering hell. Alarm goes off its 6:15, hell is a mere 5 hours away and I am eagerly awaiting the challenge. The last nine months have been about getting to Mile 20 today in good enough shape to kick on and bag my Boston Qualifier. All I have to do between now and then is remain calm and trust in the training and the experience I have got. Everything had been laid out from yesterday so I was ready to go within 30 minutes. Eat my breakfast in the room which consisted of two bread rolls with Honey, a banana and chocolate bars from yesterday. Luckily I bumped into one of the kitchen staff at seven who obliged and got me a croissant and a strong cup of coffee. Made my way to the nearest Taxi rank, and shared a taxi with Jose from Madrid. First Spaniard I had meet who I was able to hold a reasonable conversation with. On arrival he refused my Euro's and paid for the Taxi commenting "that I was in his Country today", A gesture I must return some day to an International runner. The start area is quite relaxed and even with over 9000 entrants there is a distinct lack of Porto Loos and their associated queues, this may be contributed by the small percentile of female runners. Only 660 or so are females entrants, which is quite strange but maybe the norm in Spain. Finally I get the urge the drop a load in one so in I jump and tick the last box in ensuring there will be no reason to visit one of these on the course. On my way to the start I meet Peter and we exchanged good wishes for the day ahead. The start is along a dual carriageway, there are two entrances into the pens and I opt for the right hand side as it means walking around a roundabout and most people seem to be taking the left hand option. Due to my lack of recent fast half or full marathon I am in a 3:30 to 3:45 Pen which I am hoping to get to the front off. With ten minutes to go just as I take my first gel we are all released so everyone surges forward from the pens towards the start. I look to my left and see that I am in-line with the 3:15 pacers so I switch sides which will at least give me a better chance of getting away quickly. The MC is yapping away getting the crowd to do Mexican Waves etc, I am not really interested just want to get under way now. The gun goes and we are off, my getaway is clean and I am up to pace fairly quickly and settle into a good rhythm but after 1K the left merges in with the right and the pace drops as I now have to negotiate slower runners and groups of runners all running across the road. Things are a bit tight for a kilometre or two but I jostle my way through using the trick I learnt in Dungarvan, elbows out and swing.
Soon we go through 5K just under 24 minutes. From here I concentrate on keeping it easy and calm. 10K comes 46:4x a bit too quick so I easy up slightly. 15K is bang on 1:10:45 and I cross the halfway with 1:39:29 on my watch. A personal best for the half, I note to myself must do something about that in the coming months. I had mentioned to the lads the night before you always get a bad mile at some point, well for me it was from halfway to 25K, really felt that things where getting hard pace was starting to drop off and breathing getting hard. I just dropped off the pace for 2K which seemed to get me back on track. We hit a slight downhill so I stretched out the legs again and picked up the pace for a stretch. Even with the bad stretch I was still on track @ 25K with 1:57:5x. At this point I was passing runners and was holding back with the pace. Found at times I was getting up to 7:20 pace which while I felt good was too early to start pressing buttons. The next 5K was about trying to keep it easy but I had picked up the 30 or so seconds I lost early on to hit 30K in 2:21:16 pretty much bang on 3:20 pace. Only worry here was when I went over there was no beep, that is all I would need, nail a time and have the hassle of a faulty chip. Later heard that the live trackers was having issue after the halfway point. I am still feeling good and had decided to go for it once we come out of the section that winds its way around Plaza De Espana between 32 and 34K mark. At 34K I press the clutch, put her in fifth and prepare to enter hell. The effort goes up but the pace only slightly increases well at least its going in the right direction. We wind our way through the narrow streets of the city along the tram lines. Crowds are big here and encroaching, it also becomes a bit congested as I am passing runners easily. We round into Plaza De Duque where a band is blasting out Highway to Hell from AC/DC, I get a great lift and as we pass my hotel door there is not even any thought of stopping, its tough but I am pushing through it and the pace is still steady.

Hell

The one thing about a Marathon is that its the one distance that tests every aspect of your running ability. You wont or cant bluff at this distance what happened next reminded me of this fact afterwards. You really have to be on your game both mentally and physically as it pushes you beyond breaking point, always remember after 20 you are in hell, how you survive or get out of their will depend on your mental resolve and training. I missed the 35K split but at 37.5K the watch showed 2:56:xx, well on my way to giving RC a target for London. Well he must have been at home with the voodoo doll and needles because just after I passed 39K I hit the deck, don't recall if I tripped myself, got tripped or the legs went to jelly but here I was on my arse with 3K to go, this was not in the plan. Tried to stand up and landed straight back down on my arse again. Two Spanish ladies came to my assistance urging me to stay down. I was totally aware of my surroundings so it definitely wasn't lack of fuel or the wall just the legs where gone. After a quick talk to myself if I wanted to get my Boston Qualifier I had 20 minutes to cover the last 3K. So up I got again, success, started to walk, slow jog and was getting the pace backup again. Got to 40K and looked at the watch 3:11:xx meant that I wasn't going to get 3:20 so I backed off the pace to 8:30/9:00 Min mile pace. I was vertical and moving forward so staying that way was the new goal. The double drop into the stadium indicated to me what was wrong, both my quads where shot but with the finish line in site I continued on through the pain to cross in 3:21:21 net time. Once I stopped the legs gave way again and I was grab by two officials and moved to the side out of harms way.

Heaven

Its amazing when you get out of hell how good it feels. It hurts but its a good hurt I finally after 3 years of training, failing and trying have got a Boston Qualifier. Sitting on the ground I am spent, sore and in a heap but I am ecstatic. I finally get to my feet get my medal photo and off to the feed area. Loads of water and oranges but for me its the end stall two glass of yellow wine out to the sun to sit down and savor the moment. Slowly I make my way back to the Bus stop. Massive queue for both Bus and Taxi's and I meet Peter who had a similar issue but with a stitch at the same point in the race when he too was going well. Eventually after getting the wrong Bus, realising that the Tram was not running as it was on the Marathon Course I get to my hotel an hour later, I should really have walked the Two Kilometers home after the race. Once there a quick shower rang home to let all know I was alive and answered a few texts from club mate who had been following the live feed as they knew more about my net time then I did, this would suggest that my chip was working after all. Hit for some carb/junk reload at McDonalds and then got the right pub where I meet with the lads again. Conor had a DNF and we didn't go into with him but Barry managed to run the whole race and easily beat the sweeper bus home. Peter missed his Boston Qualifier time due to a stitch but still got a massive Personal Best. Conor and Barry where returning home that evening so said their goodbyes and departed. Myself and Peter moved to the other O'Neills where we proceeded to eat and drink the place dry. Lovely barmaid really had no idea where in the name of god we where putting it all, double portions followed by Apple pie and cream with large glass of Yellow Wine and Johnny Jump Up. Finally we gave up the ghost and parted where I returned to the hotel and straight to Bed, tonight at least I can rest easy job done Boston Qualifier in the Bag

Heaven Part Deux

Normally my map reading skills are quite good but they where put to a very good trying to locate my indulgence for Monday. Somewhere hidden in the Narrow streets in the Santa Cruz area of the city are the Turkish Baths. When Brian recommended this race to me last July the night before Killarney he also mentioned after that a trip to this establishment was well worth it. Well he was not wrong 90 minutes of steam room, Jacuzzi and hot/warm/salt and very cold baths was just what the legs needed after yesterday. Pound for pound it was the best €26 I spent all weekend. It set my up nicely for my long journey home the day after.

A hidden Jewel

Seville is probably aside from London the best value you will get from a marathon which has an IAAF Label. The course is pancake flat with only one climb an underpass which comes early in the race. Its timing should ensure ideal running conditions, although it means training through the winter and no doubt we got the most horrible conditions this year. There are no direct flights from Ireland so its pain to get to it, but anyone seriously looking at a spring marathon with a view to getting a good time should really have this race on the top of their list for consideration.

PB's and Hills

Tempo Running !!

I decided to venture down and see what kinda tempo run the boss does on a Tuesday Night. On arrival Richie's clock has been transported to the complex so we could keep track of our times. This should have set off alarm bells but when the boss says we are running a 5K time trial and you can run it at any pace you want. This code for flatout as fast as you can, and there are no prizes for guessing the course either. My PB for 5K is old and stands at 22:01. I decided that I would have a go at sub 21:00. We set off and I tried to pace myself off someone but no one was at my pace. Anthony went off in front was clearly sub 20 and then there was me. I had a discussion with Gary post DCM about not using a watch in races and trying to judge it by effort. While I did have my watch, but trying to hit the light button and run 5K pace was not working out. Pretty much time to put my idea into practice, so all I did was hit the lap button at each mile. Well it was a disaster in terms of pacing, I went out too fast 6:34 for the first mile and fell apart going up the hill on mile 2. 6:56 & 7:01 for mile 2 and 3 with 21:17 as the overall time. A bit disappointed and the HR figures where low so maybe I just didn't push it hard enough. There will be other days where having some other runners around in these sharp end races might make me shove on that extra bit. A new PB coming home was a little bit unexpected.

Finding Yourself

My first trip to West Cork to pace the Clonakilty Waterfront Half Marathon. Tom had asked me several weeks before hand about this but it wasn't until I got the pacer email with Mr Desmond's attachment about pacing the hills when it suddenly dawned on me to check the course profile. I had wrongly assumed that because it was on the waterfront we would be at sea level for most of this. I should have read the course blob, scenic views, the only time you get thoses is at the top of hills.This was going to be a tricky pacing gig, I was pacing 2:15 half and doing it solo to the pressure was on. Normally the pace would be 10:17 per mile but the course was not anywhere near flat,so I made up a pace band based on the following, 9:30 for downhill miles, 10:00 on the flat and 11:15 on the climbs, initially this landed at 2:13:30, so I added the spare minute to mile nines climb.

Printed off the band and made my way down south with Clubmate and novice pacer Brendan. Arrived and meet up with the usual suspects, and hit to the hotel after 10:30 looking for grub. The hotel obliged at this late hour one or two well maybe even three glass of hydration before getting the head down. Woke the next morning early with Tom in a bit of a fluff trying to make sure we were already to go before 8.I got my fryup this time unlike Dublin but the Coffee took too long to deliver (must have been coming from Java). Back to the room to get kitted out when Tom informs us that key to today's operation is getting the balloons home BANG, no sooner are the words out of his mouth but he burst one, balloon carrying duties are handed over to the novice pacer as no one else was stepping up to the mark. Off to the start where we meet up with the Eagle AC contingent, photos, loos breaks and soon its time to make our way to the start. The half is starting out the road a bit so all three of us make our way out. I lined up at the back and it looked like there was a small crowd, however this was not the case as most runners had left it late getting here and where all lining up behind us. I thought about moving back but already a group of about 50 were around me, so  to hell with it, the faster runners have no else to blame but themselves when they get held up by us as they got to the start late. The gun went off on time and pretty soon there is a bit off shoving as faster runners come through us. The first 3 miles are pancake flat and in the still of the morning running along the waterfront sure where else would you be. The first climb at 3 miles was quite steep and I lost a lot of the group here, I even dropped the pace to 11:30 in spots but a lot gave up and walked. From here to Mile 9 is up and down but mostly down and some managed to catch up again. Had about Twelve on the climb at mile 9 and all made it up with me. However for some this exertion would catch them on the last three miles. I lost one on the downhill, knee gave up I think. Two more dropped out on the flat before mile 11. Two more tried to stop with a half a mile to go but a trick I learnt in Limerick was to place my hand on their backs which got them going again. A lot of runners who were struggling in the last mile came back to me but I told them that they had 30 seconds and keep going and not to stop. Most of the group had gone ahead and 5 or 6 had just dropped of me slightly. Got in in 2:14:28 just 2 seconds off requirement and spent the next bit roaring at the few stragglers coming in behind. Looking at the results later, any runner that finished 30 seconds after me got a sub 2:15 nett time and there was a gap of over a Minute to the next runner.Safe to say I don't think I could have paced it any better if it was a flat course and I still had my balloon so job done. 

Afterwards hung around for a good bit as the atmosphere was great and endless Tea/Coffee and Biscuits and of course the famous Clonakilty Black Pudding and Sausages on offer. Soon it was time to head back to clean up and head home to Clare again. I didn't get to meet a lot of the Marathon runners as I was gone by the time they finished especially Thomas who was doing his 50th, glad to say he completed it and got his Silver Medal from Pat O'Keeffe afterwards. The weekend itself was top notch from what I could see. I would not have expected anything less from Bob and his team.

Eddie Murphy 2013

Clon comes to Clare

Myself and Paul wanted to run the Eddie Murphy on Sunday so we were duly handed the responsibility of looking after the Directors Run on Saturday. After a few doubts whether we would have enough to run the marathon race we eventually had Thirteen starters as well as Seven from the club in the half. Looking at the lineup for the start it appears a certain Mr Hillard must have been giving out free tech tops again. I thought we had travelled forward in time by three weeks and were actually in Clonakilty judging by the attire most runners had on. There was however one proud 10 in 10 finisher top on display. The rest of the day was looking after our small group with water, jaffas and support. The other job was counting laps, which just drove me scatty and thank god we were going to have chip timing tomorrow. There was a brief discussion afterward about tomorrow pending runs, my contribution was along the lines that if I was ever to do an ultra which I didn't see happening any time soon, I would go the whole hog and do a 100 Mile race. Famous last words.

Less than 100 but over 26.2

After about three hours sleep due to a gig the night before,  I have a small Breakfast and make my way to Sixmilebridge.In the darkness there are only a few lonely souls setting up the course for the day and registering the brave Double Marathon Runners. I have an early start so that I would be available for giving a hand later. Its not long before we start and there are about nine of us doing the marathon with the Double Marathon runners. During the week I had one very good session where I did 13 miles @ 8:30 pace and felt really strong but then I followed that up with a five miler and 9:30 pace my legs where like lead weights. I decided the plan was to go at 9:30 or 4:10 pace. Well best laid plans. First lap was just over nine minutes so I took it easier on the next lap or so I tought same again a little over nine minutes. This went on for several laps so I finally conceded that this seemed to be the most comfortable pace for me. The miles laps moved along very quickly as they always do in this race. The thing I like and many others like about the one mile loop is you are always passing or been passed by someone. Even though I at no stage ran with anyone it never felt lonely. Got to mile 19/20 and I just felt like I was only after starting the run, it was then that a mad idea entered my head. I suddenly realised that no one from the club was running the 30 miler or the Double Marathon. Well you can't host a run in Eddie Murphy's memory and have no club member at least have a go at an Ultra. I was going so well at this point that I decided there and then to do another four miles and go for it. I let Richie and John on the clock know what I was doing and off I went with a new plan. Cross the marathon in sub 4 and run on feel after that for another four laps. Finished the marathon in 3:58:09 and set off again, laps 27 & 28 were indeed a new experience. At the start I asked Jim McNiece why he had a selection of shoes in his box. His answer was dry feet make comfortable feet. I now knew what he meant, at the start of lap 27 my feet were sliding around in a pair of shoes that were soaked through at this stage. I tried some running repairs but it didn't really sort it out. Luckily I remembered on the next lap I had a dry pair in the car which was parked near the start. New dry shoes I set about upping the pace for the last two laps. On the last lap going as hard as I can the 30 mile leaders cruise past me, my one bad moment of the day was here, Thoms greets me and I bitch about how easily he just passed me and I was flat to the boards. Anyway finished in 4:33:35. Another great thing about this race is you get a split for every mile, the results showed two very positive things to me. My first 25 miles had 5 mile splits of 45:30,45:17,45:28,45:27,45:27 which showed that I consistently knocked out sub Four hour marathon pace for most of the race. My last five mile split was 44:26 but that was because of the shoe pitstop and knocking out mile 29 and 30 in 8:03 and 7:51 respectfully. Putting in those times on that course after 28 miles has really given me the confidence to kick on and get a sub 3:25 next year for Boston.

The Aftermath

My day didn't finish there, spent the rest of the day doing a mixture of tasks. Surprisingly I was able to move with some degree of efficiency and was able to contribute to the proceedings just as things started to get busy with Half Marathon runners starting to register. The banter was good and some new faces were adding their own mark to the race. Some even managed to render our MC speechless for a while, which was the greatest achievement of the day. From a racing point of view the Half Marathon was the race to produce this year with the front three been pretty close throughout and it was only decided on the last lap. The day flew by, the weather obliged slightly and it wasnt long until all that was left was the few lonely souls doing the cleanup and putting the village back together in the darkness and rain.

Sixmilebridge would wake up on Monday morning as if nothing at all had changed, but those of us who were there on Sunday experienced something unique and have a special piece of Tipperary Bling to show for our efforts

The Drought

Take it easy

After the exertions of the 10 in 10 I had decided to take a break from running for a few weeks. Legs had felt really zapped over the last number of easy runs. Then I get a text message from Tom with a requirement to fill a pacer gap in Killarney for the half marathon. After much toing and froing I eventually get the call up on Friday morning to do the 2 hour slot. Traveled to Killarney with Paul who was on the 4 Hour slot and arrived to register pick up gear and acquaint ourselves with the other guys. Meet up with several of the 10 in 10 legends that evening for a few sociables before hitting for the bed. I was rooming with John Desmond and we ended talking about the lack of club run races in Clare and Limerick. Rose next morning to the magnificent view of the National Park outside the window. Ireland is the best place in the world when we get weather like this, more is the pity it only happens every twenty or so years. Quick breakfast, collect balloons get the pacer brief from John and bus to the start. Decided to join the portaloo queue in case of any movement from down below. It was quite long but passed the time chatting with some fellow runners of which two would be starting with me. Plenty of males and females jumping the wall to do paula radcliffe's. Could really have done with some more portaloos at the start. Not long before the start and we line up just behind the four hour guys Brian and Paul. My partner in Crime for today was Roger O'Mahony so with introductions done we set about our task. We had a big group at the start but even though the course is nett downhill there are 2 climbs in the first Three miles which broke up the group pretty quickly. First water station not a sign of a water bottle empty or full or even a volunteer. This was as cause for concern as temperatures were starting to rise. Pace wise it was difficult to hold the pace on the downhill sections and we had built up a cushion of 40 seconds. At mile 4 a support vehicle past us and I asked if they could get more water up to the stations as no one from here back had got any water since the start. He said he would, whether it materialised or not is another thing. When we got to the second station they had just ran out of water. As we passed some irate runner was giving  the guy at the water table a right earful, I left at this point before I blew my top with the wally. Picked up as many half empties as I could hold and gave them out amongst our ever dwindling group.

Courtesy of Kerry through a lens

Finally between Mile 9 and 10 we came across water and sponges, a welcome relief for us all, but in these temperatures for runners that are not used to running in this heat or distance it was really too little too late and they were already feeling the effects both physically and mentally. From here to the finish we kept a group of 6 to 8 runners going, my watch for some unknown reason reset itself shortly after at mile ten. I had a backup standard watch and Roger did a good job in keeping an eye on the average pace to the finish. We hit Miles 10 through 12 bang on bang time according to the pace bands. Finished 1:59:35 job done but a lot to ponder on with regard to the race itself. Post race atmosphere at the finish was quite good, and I availed of the leisure centre for a wind down. Paul wanted to get get home quickly after finishing his run so we didn't hang around but it looked like the party was getting into full swing. From a personal point of view I was royally treated on Friday and Saturday but I cannot ignore the fact that the paying runners around me were left with no water for 3/4 of the race when running in temperatures in the mid Twenties.

Getting the basics right

It is sad to say again another all sing and all dance race with scenic views, medals, goodie bags, burgers, bands, pacers and crack, fails to get the basics of a race correct. The lack of or no water in the early parts of the race for the majority of runners is unforgivable regardless of how much I personally enjoyed this event. All too often basic mistakes are been made in Marshalling, course measurement and delivery of promised facilities during these events. Afterwards we get an apology and reassured it will be better next year. While some people are of the view that voting with our feet will make these races sit up at do things right, I think this is not the case. There is sufficient numbers of non club runners who prefer these events to club races which will ensure their survival until they figure things out. This is something that clubs will have to address, why do these runners feel that they don't belong at the start line of many club races. Maybe Johns views on the lack of club races in certain areas of Munster is contributing to this. By getting more casual runners into the club running scene then maybe we can show them what is the difference between a good quality race ran for runners and razmataz event that loses sight of the basics. Its time for clubs to step up and take running  to the next level.

Shiny Happy People Laughing

The good the bad and the ugly

Thats what The Forest Marathon in Portumna was on saturday. The good being the spirit and comradeship of the Ultrarunning Community, volunteers, friends and family that had gathered for this event. The bad is despite all the training when something goes wrong on the day it goes very wrong. The ugly (for me anyway) was the cramps I experienced for the last 3 laps.

Race Day

Woke up Saturday Morning raring to go. First stop toilet see if I can pass, no go so some strong coffee followed by a large bowl of porridge. Check everything's pack followed by an hour's drive back. Picked up my number at registration. My bib number is seven, which as this is my seventh marathon is a good omen I tell myself. Urge to use the potty comes so coffee has done its job again. This prep is identical to prep used in all my marathons to date. Set off to the Start which is near the car park in Aldi to get ready. Getting changed in the car park it occurred to me that local housewives were probably getting more than they bargained for with all these athletic bodies togging out before their very eyes. Sun is shining a perfect day lay ahead.

The Start

Courtesy of Peter Mooney

God hates Marathon runners, today convinced me more of this. No sooner had we left the aldi car park to line up for the start but the heavens opened. You would think that maybe some of the ladies would have brought an umbrella for us to stand under no not on your nellie.
Off course there has to be a holdup and just as we get under way the rain subsides. We must run 2.2K from here until the start of the 5K loop. I pick up with the 3:30 pacer into the park and we are all running nicely and the pace is easy enough.
Start to 2.2K 11:00 (8:03/mile)

Early Laps 

Courtesy of Peter Mooney

My plan was to run this at marathon effort and see what splits I could get. I would need 24:15 to contemplate a shot at sub 3:25. First lap was 24:27 so I eased off to 3:30 pace. Was going along quite nicely at this stage until the end of the second lap. Picked up my first bottle of Electrolyte drink 250ml of water with half a Zym tablet. I have used this for the last 3-4 years in racing and training, hits my stomach and straight away my gut just contracts, like there is a fist trying to get out of there. I hold it down but its several minutes before I can get back on pace. After the issue with the Electrolyte I tried to take water at the turnaround on lap 3 but was only able to take a sip when the stomach again tightened up. This pretty much made my mind up as regards taking a gel at the end of this lap. The 3:30 pacer caught me here as well which really surprised me as I thought I had a little more time up on him. End of lap 3 pace is okay but again a small sip of water is all I can really manage.
Lap 1:  24:27(7:52/mile) Lap 2: 24:52(8:00/mile) Lap 3: 24:58(8:02/mile)

Making your Mind up

I now had a dilemma, stick with the 3:30 pacer and hope that the stomach issue resolves. The risk here is if it does not I will hammer the wall pretty hard and probably not finish. Or just easy back into a easy run pace for the remainder of the race. At best I may get some electrolyte on board but I really doubt I would be able to take on a gel at this pace. I decide to ease back about 2K into the fourth lap.  From here on I vary the pace and have a chat with some of the 100K guys along the way. Some can chat, some are facing their own demons and cant, others are walking and suffering but in true ultra fashion are still moving forward. This is the most enjoyable part of the race for me.
Lap 4: 26:08 (8:25/mile) Lap 5: 27:34 (8:52/Mile)

The Living End

Courtesy of Peter Mooney

Possible the toughest time I have every put down running. I have had bad runs and races before but nothing as hard as this. Still on my sips of water and 2K into Lap 6 bang left calf cramps. Stop try to stretch it (bad move) hamstring goes into spasm. So I start to walk and it dies down. A few minutes later I start running, if tightens up a bit again, but I find the faster I run the better it gets. So I now do an alternate walk/run strategy, 2 mins walk and then run at about 7:30 to 8:00 min pace to the next Km marker. This does not last long as the right hammer brings me to a halt just short of the end of the sixth lap. At the same time whatever ball of gas is in my stomach releases as well, thankfully in the upward direction. I hobble into the finish area contemplating stopping, I go over to my drink stash and I am finally able to take on board electrolyte, probably to little to late. A lady sitting beside my drinks offers me her seat, I was seriously going to go for it when I spot Martin from the Clare Crusaders go through. He is in as bad a shape as me and probably had 10 or 11 more laps to do in the 100K but he wasn't stopping, it spurs me on, I decline the offer and continue. She replied 'I'll mind your drinks for you'. Lap 7 was more of the same walk/run but the run was now dramatically getting slower and slower. At the tail end of the lap, the 4 hour pacers where entering the turnaround section as I was leaving it. The boss gave me a shout, there was no way they where going to pass me. Did the maths as rough as possible and I reckoned 7 min/Km would get me home in front of them. Last lap was pretty much that, kept plugging away and praying not to hear the bosses voice in the background. Finally got to the finish and over the line. Unfortunately I forgot that other runners were still coming through and I think I came close to taking out one of the leading 100K guys when I stopped up too quick at the finish. I hobble to my drinks stash and do take the offer of the chair from the nice lady this time. Her husband is doing his first Marathon and was with the 4 hour guys. Unfortunately he didn't make his time and faded badly on the final lap.
Lap 6: 28:43(9:15) Lap 7: 30:06(9:41) Lap 8: 34:12(11:00/Mile)
Overall Time: 3:52:01 (8:51/Mile)

Taking Positives

On the way back to collect my car in the Aldi car park, I said to the boss would you believe it my knee was never an issue in the race. He retorted 'At least thats a positive from the race'. There was in fact much more positives to be got from this race, the ever helpful volunteers and marshall's, the encouraging waves and words between runners as they meet each other on the course, the mooney clan taking photos and prizes, the lady in the chair, that now famous leap of faith (which I witnessed live for the first time), and the lovely home cooking in the ultra tent. I will take what lessons I need to learn from the last three laps and quickly put the experience to the back of my mind, but the other memories will stay with me for a long time to come.

Cool Runnings Not

Prelude

Normal activity on day before race pacing is to man the pacing stand at the Expo. As I live local it is only fitting that we do it and allow the out of town guys to get their bearings around Limerick. Arrived mid afternoon so that I could have a quick stroll around and pick up a few bits and pieces  A lot of the stands were of no interest to me so I picked up some Zym tubes and headed into the registration area. Meet with Tom who was none the best for wear and tear after his special Birthday Celebrations the night before. Stand was very quiet but we were kept busy sorting out the pacers goodie bags and running gear. There was some errors which we thought we had rectified. Other pacers arrived around five and collected stuff, general bit of chit chat and my duties were finished for the day.

Race Day

Hit in to Limerick early to get parking close to baggage drop area and give Paul his pacing gear. All the other pacers were decked out in their gear except one of the ladies ended up with a male medium  while the vest will make a nice dress for her I don't think she will ever have use for shin length running shorts. Mathew one of my fellow pacers showed his artistic flare on the Pacer balloons but was not so good in holding on to them. He had already lost two and we had not even left the building. 

After a precise pacing strategy briefing from Brianderunner Niall a quick warm up run to the start to take up our allocated positions. Meet three locals at the start Cathy who was borderline 2 Hour, Rosie and her husband Michael.  Rosie should have been with the 1:50 group and this was Michael's first run and I felt he should have dropped back. They all decided that they were going to get on our bus. With a few minutes to go Karen the third member of our team got the the portaloo feeling. Luckily she was able to pull rank and get to the top of the queue. 
All set and we were off, first two miles where not that congested so Nialls work on getting us in the right spot seemed to have worked. By mile two we are bang on pace and the mile markers are 2 for 2 in being where they should be. The run through the Raheen roundabout allowed us to meet the 1:50 group on the way in and the mad 2:15 er's on the way out.
It got a bit tight on the section from St Nessans Church to Raheen and back into town. We lost time here about 40 secs or so and Myself and Matthew were shouting out instruction to watch out for bollards and parked cars and the 5 hour marathon pacers which were on our racing line. Then for the second year running I went flying out over one of them, our third member was uncannyingly less vocal, but still there encouraging people along at the tail of the group. Conditions had got quite humid at this stage which was probably going to catch a lot of our group later on.

Another point where we meet other runners is on Sarsfield Bridge, we cheer on some of the marathon finishers when I notice James Liddane from B.M.O.H flying past on his way to a 74 min 3rd place finish in the half. Quite a good day for the club in that respect as we had three top ten finishers in the race, Keith Lynch in 5th and John Hannon 10th overall.   
We had picked back up the time lost earlier as the crowds in the city gave everyone a bit of a lift. At this stage I noticed I had a shadow on my shoulder, Eugene was motoring along very nicely and was still able to talk. We hit the first climbs around Thomond when I noticed Cathy up ahead, kept her and as many as possible going here but the heat and hills were starting to reduce or group very quickly and we dropped her at Mile 11 or so. Got a nice shout out from menoscemo Brian and Joanna on their way into town here and Conor and family at the back of the GAA Grounds. Nice to see fellow runners out to support us along the way. Once we got turn onto the North Circular Road section we had maybe half a dozen left and were starting to pick up some 1:50 runners. I felt sorry for the Marshall trying to get runners to stay on the left of the cones when clearly it was a lot quicker to cut the corner. When you have 11/24 miles under you in a race you are not going to run the long line. The best section of the race is along the North Circular its flat/downhill for the most part. The locals were out in force and a family had rigged a hose for us at the turn about,which was very welcome and much appreciated by all. From here on in it was a matter of trying to keep people going, me and Matthew vocally encouraging others while Karen seemed to have the hand of God. She would place her hand on a runners back as she past and they would immediately start running with us again. Once we hit the bridge those that were still with us went on ahead.
Even my shadow Eugene flew past us on the Bridge as well as Two Clare Crusaders, Finola and her partner. Once we hit O'Connell Street we were alone all our group where well on the way to the finish so we crossed the line in 1:59:28 happy our job was done. We encouraged a few more runners to put in the effort for another 30 seconds. Got our goodie bags, tin foil and mingled with the crowd afterwards. A lot of thank you's and photo opportunities  Cathy came in about 2 minutes later, even though she didn't get her sub 2 time she was still very happy with her days work.

Aftermath

No Chocolate in the goodie bag. Plenty of healthy bars disguising themselves as Chocolate but not the real thing. There was a banana so that's as near a sugar rush as I got. Hung around with Karen and Matthew until the 2:15 pacers came back and we made our way back to the baggage drop off. From there do to the Clarion for some grub and a quick chat with the rest of the crew. Good to see that the 3:30 Marathon Pacers went beyond the call of duty and got one of the gang over as Fourth Lady. 

The Main Man Himself

courtesy of Rory Mooney

Unfortunately I Had to hit away early and didn't even get to meet up with Mr Pat O'Keeffe to congratulate him on his epic achievement of running 100 Marathons. Pat is an inspiration to us all and if we can do a small portion of what he has achieved we will be all the better for it.

99 Red Balloons

Following them Balloons

May Bank Holiday again and I will be lining up at the start of the Great Limerick Run (Half Marathon) with balloon or two on my back. Behind me will be a group of people eager to get under whatever time is on that balloon. Saturday will see me at the Expo Number Pick-up manning the pacer stand and answering questions for runners as to what we actually do on the day. What follows should answer most queries but if it does not then call by the stand tomorrow when collecting your number in the UL Arena and make your enquiry.

• What times are been Paced ?
  For the Marathon Sub 5:00,4:30,4:00,3:45,3:30,3:15 & 3:00
  For the Half Marathon Sub 2:15,2:00,1:50,1:40 & 1:30
  Pacers for each group will aim to finish in 30 or so seconds under their allocated time.
• What Experience do the pacers have ?
  Pacers are drawn from a group of runners on boards.ie, 100 Marathon Club and various Athletics clubs in the Munster region. The majority have paced other events including Dublin Half and Full Marathons, Cork City Marathon, Dingle and Tralee. There will be some virgin pacers but each band will have an experienced pacer running the show.
• How will I find them ?
  The guys and girls in the special commissioned pacer gear with inflatable running aids attached to them (balloons). The faster times will be nearer to the front.
• Where should I start ?
  Very important. Behind the pacer. As times are nett times we set our watches as we cross the start line. Anyone behind us that finishes with a pacer or ahead of a pacer will be guaranteed their time. The same cannot be said for anyone who starts ahead of us.
• Will the pacers bank time early ?
  No. We will endeavour to run every mile at the same pace but this may vary by 10-15 seconds per mile. We will not run fast early to gain time nor would we advise any runner to do this either. Do not worry about the time or pace thats our job. 
• I can't get near the pacer ?
  Certain times will have large groups of runners. The 4 hour Marathon and the 2 hour Half Marathon group can be very big at the start. You do not need to be sitting on our shoulders for the race, the last thing we need to happen is runners to get tripped up and fall which may lead to a DNF. So give one another some space and just stay in the vicinity of the pacer group.
• What will happen at water stations ?
  We will pick up our water and run  through the aid stations. As there will be a group us do not stop/walk at the aid station as it will impede other runners in the group, pick up your water/gel/drink and move on.

Aftermath

At some time on Monday evening you will have got your target time and while your legs hurt you feel good about yourself. Hopefully we will have played a part in making your run one not to forget.

Puppy Fat

In reverse

Over the last two weeks I noticed that the effort to sustain training paces was on the rise. This I was putting down to the race in Sixmilebridge still been in my legs. Yes there was something in my legs an extra 4 lbs. I stood on the scale at the start of the month only to jump of it in horror and start checking it for damage. It registered 173 lbs. On again with my eyes closed and praying it will be better this time, as we all know it never is. This is not good as trying to maintain ones weight over the festive season is hard enough but having to shed a few pounds is rather daunting.

Racing Weight

A subject I have never really looked at. According to Dr Stillman's guide a long distance male runner of my height averages at 136 lbs. That's a mad figure but his average non active male is 160 lbs really had me baffled. I am a fatty considering the amount of running that I do. Between now and next spring I will aim to get my racing weight down to 156-160 lbs. This should help in getting that Boston Qualification time next year.

Realism

To undertake Marathon training for a 3:20-3:25 marathon it is important to be near that in terms of fitness and speed endurance before starting. Some research suggest that I need to be sub 44 for a 10 Km or sub 1:38 for a half marathon. My aim is Portumna in Mid June so I will run a race in mid January to determine if I am in shape for the training. The upside is that at this point in time I am not that far away. My recent 1:40:47 in Sixmilebridge was in very tough conditions and Friday I ran an 7 Mile Tempo which had a measured 10 Km  in it, which was clocked at 45:45. Times in question are possible but its another matter going out and doing them.

Downtime

Normally I take the month of December off from running to give the body a break as its my busiest time of the year with work and gigging at night. This year however I will train through but work commitments are going to have an effect on the amount and quality of training I get in.


November 30th
         16.8 Miles Long Run 2:30:47 @ 8:58 pace, HR 145 

December 4th  
       11 Miles 9 Miles 1:11:58 @ 7:59 pace, HR 158 with 1 Mile WU/WD

December 7th
         9 Miles 7 Miles 51:45 @ 7:24 pace, HR 163 with 1 Mile WU/WD

Looking Back

Red sky at morning, sailor take warning

Got up at 7 AM on Sunday. Had promised a mate I would look at his PC before the race, but the race time was moved forward so this was the reason for my early rise. I ventured outside to a glorious bright morning and a red sky. A perfect day for running I thought to myself, grabbed my running gear, did not bother to bring anything warm as today I would be racing and that would keep me plenty warm enough. It turns out that those ancient sailors where indeed very clever fellows after all.

Loopy Loopers

The annual gathering of crazy runners to honour the spirit of Eddie Murphy happened again this year in Sixmilebridge. One hundred or so lunatics took to the streets of the Bridge in various shapes and sizes and all had different goals from 13 to 52 miles. My  goal was to beat my PB for the half marathon, which while I did achieve this, not by the margin I had in mind. Our sanity or rather lack of it was future enhanced by the fact that no one willingly left the course even with the abnormal Baltic whether conditions that arrived mid morning and gradually worsened as the day progressed.

Racing Again

On arrival @ 11 just before the marathon start the course was already busy with the double marathon and 30 milers. Picked up my chip and number and got changed, it was a this point I began to realize that we where in for a wet and windy race. However on my warm-up lap I suddenly hit me it was going to be damn cold as well. I went to my car and the only warm piece of clothing I had was a old hat belonging to my daughter. As ridiculous as I looked I still did not win the prize for most ridiculous headgear. My race plan to start out @ 7:30 lasted for about 2 miles. After that I managed to hold 1:40 pace up until Mile 9. At this point my arms where frozen solid and I found it extremely hard to push the pace on the downhill section into the wind and rain. From here to the end of the race I managed 7:50-7:55 mile pace at a struggle.

Photo by Jason Fahy

On reflection my lack of recent races cost me the sub 1:40, the whether conditions did not help but I was badly prepared, and had I revised my pace to suit the conditions I might not have fallen apart from mile 10 on. On a positive note I got two new personal bests. An improvement of over four minutes in my Half Marathon time to 1:40:47, and my Ten mile chip split was 1:16:16 which is an improvement of over one minute on my previous best. I survived the race in one piece and with the exception of some muscle soreness have recovered well. So back to base training and I might tackle my 10K PB over Christmas.

The real Hero's

All the volunteers on the day that made it possible for us to participate in this race. Given the conditions there where presented they excelled in every department. Kept traffic under control given the circumstances of Clare GAA, ignoring the fact that there was a race planned and proceeded to arrange the Clare Cup final in Sixmilebridge that afternoon  The conditions for running where horrible but also not to forget the cheering and support for the marshals along the route. Clare Civil Defense did an excellent work on ensuring the health and well being of any runner who required attention. Again top marks to Tom and the B.M.O.H for putting on this event but been able to ensure it was completed successfully  safely and without major incident  given the many hurdles they faced in the lead up to and on the day itself.


November 18th
         13.1 Miles Race 1:40:47 @ 7:41 pace, HR 163