Back with the group

It seems like I can only get to one out of every three sessions with the Harriers these days. Last night was one of those sessions. I arrived just as they were starting, so I was straight into it, without any warm up. Of course the slagging about the dancing had started before I got to the first bend, but sure, that's the way I like it. The drill was to run at whatever pace you'd run a 5k, for 12 minutes, followed by a three minute rest, repeat 3 times. Training took place on the outside track which is 625 metres. We'll be there every night for a good while, now that it's dark from 7:30pm. We're lucky to have such a safe place to train, as with the numbers up training, it would be impractical to do a group session on the roads, or footpaths around the town.

The smaller circuit gives you a good chance to see how fast the leaders are going, as they passed me on a regular basis. I was getting around the track in around 3:27 per lap,(8:49 minute miles) which meant that I was getting in 3 and a bit laps in each 12 minute segment. I thinks the leaders were doing around 5 laps in the same time. I was trying to stay to the outside of the track so as my fat ass, wouldn't be an obstruction to the rest of the athletes. I might have ran further around the track on the 4th lap, if I'd kept a tighter line but my target however wasn't how far I run in each segment, it was to put in a consistent effort, which I did. I was running on my own for most of the actual training, which suited me fine, as I wouldn't have been able to hold a conversation anyway, but I did enjoy the banter in the gaps in between and also on the cool down laps.

I've a very busy weekend coming up. Tullamore Rugby Club are playing their first ever home game in the All Ireland League, after winning promotion last year to Senior status, and the Club are holding a pre-match lunch, which I'm involved in organising. Margaret is heading to Limerick to see a friend of hers, and watch the Munster v Leinster match, so I'll be looking after the two boys aswell. Frank has a rugby match in Longford, and Rory has training at 11am. Then on Sunday, the two lads are running in a cross country race in Charlivelle, while I have dance training. I'd love to be able to run in the Novice race, but I'm going to miss it as I've to work on getting my feet and body to move in a co-ordinated effort.

Just to give you an update on the dancing, Jill Cobbe is going to be my dance partner for the competition. If I could have hand picked a partner, I would have picked Jill, so I was delighted when we got drawn together. I know Jill from the rugby club, and I'm sure we'll get on, she's also athletic, competitive, a good dancer and good craic. I'm not sure if Jill was as happy to get me however. The commitment I've made to Jill is that I'll work hard to get the moves right, and I'm not hung up about which dance we get. On Sunday morning we'll find out what music, and style of dance we'll have for the big night. We'll also be taught half of our routine, which we'll have to have perfected by the following week. So, a lot of work ahead. The picture is of Jill and myself, and you can click on this link(Strictly Come Dancing Launch Tullamore 2013)  to see  a video of our opening dance, from the launch. The dance was a bit all over the shop, but we'd only two sessions in which to learn it, and not all of the 30 dancers were there on either day. Until next time, Slán.