Saturday 16 November 2013

Eight Women and Two Men

I'm trying to be a little more creative with my post titles, as you never know what people are searching for on the web.  This morning Eight Women and Two Men (Bubbles and myself) went for a ten mile run. I was a bit worried if I was taking on too much in ten miles, but I knew the route and if I wasn't feeling well, I could bale out at different spots.  We ran Long Ross with Lynally thrown in, and I was happy enough to come home in 1hr, 43 min and 46 seconds.

Running in a group is definitely the way to go. I've said it here many times, how easy it is to stay at home when you're planning a run on your own, but that it's more difficult when others may be waiting for you to turn up, before they head off. I certainly wouldn't have got out of bed this morning only for that fact.  The other big plus of running in a group is that you'll push or pull each other on.  There were times on this morning run when I was going through a tough stretch, and on my own, I would have slowed down or stopped. However as we were chasing a pack ahead of us, I didn't want to fall too far behind, and so I just ran through it.  Then when I was feeling a bit better, Ray and myself caught up with the girls. This was around the seven mile stage.

One of the interesting topics that came up on this mornings run was Rays' musings on how difficult it can be to get the running watches working properly, and getting to understand which buttons to press, to get it set up right. He claimed the watch was a bit like a woman in that regard, but once you got the hang of it, and the worked out which buttons to press, (or not press!) great fun was to be had!

Anyway thanks to the two Marys', Hillary, Sharon, Josie, Miriam, Trish, Dorothy and Bubbles, for the company this morning. until next time, Slán.

Sunday 10 November 2013

Back at it!

It's been a while, I know. I felt it this morning when I ran 7 miles with Bubbles. In fact. I'm still feeling it now, especially between my legs, as I forgot to put on the Vaseline before the run. I started an Internship in Dublin two weeks ago as part of my College course. The office hours are 9 - 5:30, which means I have to get the 6:50am train in the morning, and I do well, to get the 6:15pm train home in the evening. This means early nights and early mornings, which doesn't exactly fit in with training at the moment. I'm trying to come up with a solution, and the weekend run, seems to be an obvious target. I've been reffing rugby matches most weekends, which rules me out of the long run on that day, and somehow, I've always found an excuse for the other day of the weekend. So a big thanks is due to Bubbles for getting me out this morning. In fairness, Ray has been ringing me regularly, to find out where I've disappeared to, and encouraging me to get back running. I had great intentions of going for a run today, but in all honesty, if Ray hadn't texted me last night, I probably wouldn't have gone.

What I found this morning when I did go, was a welcome as warm as ever. There were about 15 runners heading off at 8:30am, but Bubbles stuck with me, as I was going at a slower pace. We ran Short Ross(7 Miles) in a time of 1hr and 13 min, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We chatted the whole way around, me for the first half, and then Ray for the second half. We were joined by Adrian Martin(Club Captain) for the last mile, as he was coming back from a longer run, and just happened to meet us at that part of the route. So Adrian took up the conversation from that point until we finished. After we'd finished, Ray told Adrian that he'd gone for a ten mile run with the girls yesterday. Adrian seemed impressed and asked who else was in the group. After Ray had named some of the runners, Adrian exclaimed that they were a lovely group to go running with, and that their progress had been very good over the last year or so. He then asked with a bit of a frown, if they still chatted so much? I found this quite amusing considering, Adrian hadn't shut up since we met him on the run home! When I pointed this out to him, he laughed with his usual good humour and just shrugged his shoulders.

There's a table quiz on Wed night as a fundraiser for the Harriers. There were 40 teams at it last year, and Bubbles and myself are going to be part of a team this year. It's on in the Court Hotel at 8pm, and the cost is €40 per table of four, of course everybody is welcome and the more the merrier. Another member of our team is Billy Delaney, a clever lad with an insane general knowledge, so I'm hoping for once that I might finish at the head of the field, in a Harriers run competition!

As it's been a while since I was on the blog, so I looked over some stats since I've last written. Obviously numbers have dropped off, due to the lack of fresh content, but I found it amazing to see that my post entitled "In The Kingdom of Kerry" has attracted a large audience. The average page views per post is around the 120 mark, with the first two and the Half Marathon post reaching 400. I can only imagine what disappointment, web surfers must have had when they clicked on the post "In The Kingdom Of Kerry" as I doubt all 996 page views came from people interested in a running blog.

Anyway, It's good to be back, and thanks for reading. until next time, Slán.

Friday 25 October 2013

The big build up

There was a great atmosphere at training last night. The Dublin Marathon is on Monday, and at the last count, Tullamore Harriers have 28 competitors running. That's not to mention all the supporters that will be in attendance. As a result, last nights training was only a leg loosener- 4 miles around the town, with instructions to remember the rules of the road, stay on the footpath, and run no more than 2 abreast.  As I said, the spirits were high, and the everybody seemed to be talking about the marathon, their hopes, tactics, where to park, what time to get there, etc. You could nearly spot the first timers from the experienced runners, with the worries and hopes of each group being slightly different. The one thing all the experienced runners were saying is that The Dublin Marathon got a name of being Europes' friendliest Marathon for a reason, there is always great support on the route.

Having set yourself the goal of running the Dublin Marathon, whether it's your 1st or 40th, and whether you've a time in mind or not, it's obvious that this weekend will be special. The anticipation is often better than the event, but I'm sure the event itself, and the feeling afterwards will be something to be remembered.  The very best of luck to all the competitors, the work has been done now, it's time to make sure no last minute dietary changes, or ill advised exercise routines can mess it up. I hope you all get what you're looking for, out of the race, and that the tough parts wont be too tough, and the good parts better than you could have dreamed.

With regards to my own running status, while it was a small run for the others, I found last nights session medium to high in terms of work rate needed. I forgot to set my watch, so I've no idea of what pace we were running. It was interesting to see the effect of three weeks without a run. I've definitely lost fitness, as you'd expect, but then I haven't gone back altogether. It was still a four mile route, which I wouldn't have dreamed about at the start of last summer, and I was chatting all the way around.  I ran with Bubbles the whole way, and really enjoyed the conversation and the slagging. I think Bubbles is a bit concerned about me. He rang me to go for a run last weekend, as he noticed I hadn't been around the club for a while. It had been my intention to go, but then I realised I had to be in Edenderry for a rugby match  at 10:30am, so I had to pass on yet another run. Then as I was pulling on my socks to go training last night, he rings again, just to make sure I'd be going. He's certainly not letting me slip out of the routine we'd built up over the summer.

The reason for all my absences of late can be pinned down to the dancing. Training for that has really stepped up now, as the big night is on Sunday. There are 14 couples dancing, and on Tuesday we had to dance in front of one another for the first time. There are some great routines, and some routines that need some work before Sunday, but I'd say it'll be some laugh.  The music is brilliant, and there is plenty of lifts going on, which is always good entertainment. There are a few parts, which you just know will get a huge cheer from the audience. The voting is split 50/50 with the judges and the audience, so if any of you are going please give Jill and myself a vote. I've still got some tickets to sell if anybody is interested in going, just give me a shout. They're €20  each, and the event is on Sunday night, in the Tullamore Court Hotel, starting at 8pm.

That's a lot of writing for a small bit of running, but before I sign off, I'd like once more to wish everybody running on Monday, the best of luck. Especially, my big brother with less hair than me, Hugo. Until next time, Slán.


Monday 14 October 2013

No Run, No Fun

Hi Folks,

I know it's been a while since I've posted, it's also been a while since I went for a run. I've been busy with the dancing and also reffing rugby match's. it just so happens that last week I was practicing for the Strictly Come Dancing on Tue, Thur and Sunday, while I've reffed a match on each of the last two Saturdays. I'm also coming to the end of the classroom part of my one year Higher Diploma course, which means that assignments are due, and exams are only a week away.

I do realise that all of the above is just one big excuse. I know there are people with busier lives than mine, who are out running every day. I'm also guessing that I'm not the only who makes excuses this time of year, and I suppose the question is just how am I going to deal with it? The last time I went training, I really struggled and felt I'd gone backwards. I think I need to start afresh with the same attitude I had in the Summer. I need to set myself a target and start working towards that. Other than trying to improve my times for 5k's or 10k's, I'm not sure what to aim for. Any Ideas? The chances of getting to training tonight are slim, as I'm back on the dance floor again this evening. Thursday might be a possibility, but I'm going to have to do something, maybe tomorrow evening, or else it'll be two whole weeks without a run, and I didn't buy a decent pair of runners just to use as a home for spiders with blocked noses!

I'm sure by now, all the Marathon hopefuls are winding down their training and starting to get extra cautious as they run over bumpy ground. I'm really looking forward to going to the Marathon this year. Hugo is of course competing, as well as a whole bunch from the Harriers. I've yet to work out what parts of the course I'll be of most use to the runners as I offer my bit of encouragement, once again, I'd love to get any of your suggestions.

Anyway, Thanks for checking back on the blog, I'm thinking of posting once weekly from now on, probably after a weekend run, so until next time, Slán.

Friday 4 October 2013

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.







Tuesday 1 October 2013

Getting ready to Dance

Do you remember a few posts back when I said I'd be stepping out of my comfort zone? well I've signed up to do Strictly come Dancing in Tullamore in 4 weeks time. It's to raise money for the town to put in a bid to host the All Ireland Fleadh Ceoil. For those who don't know, the Fleadh, is a basically a competition between traditional Irish musicians and singers, but in reality it is much more. It is a celebration of what makes us unique, and it gathers together every year the best, most skilled and most passionate people who keep our heritage alive. It was a privilege to witness the event a number of years ago, when Tullamore hosted the competition for 3 years, and it really brings the community together. People open their doors to accommodate strangers, who leave as friends, and for one whole week, there is a feel good factor, and sense of excitement and enjoyment, that could only be matched by an appearance in an All Ireland GAA final, which unfortunately hasn't happened too much recently for us Offaly folk! (Last weekend excepted, Congratulations to the Offaly Ladies, for their triumph).

Anyway, we've been learning some moves for the last two weeks, and tonight is the official launch. We'll be expected to perform a group dance in public, at the Tullamore Court Hotel tonight at 9pm. The event is free and open to all, I suggest you come along if you fancy a laugh, but please remember, we're only two weeks into it, I'm sure we'll be a lot better for the big night on the 27th October. The draw will also be taking place so we will find out who our dance partner is going to be. All I can say is, God bless the poor person that gets me. I think my best dance move is when I sit down. I've been looking at some videos of the Strictly Come Dancing that's on TV, and I'm kind of worried. I have as much rhythm as a rock, but I am willing to learn, and work hard. I'm also prepared to make a fool of myself because I think that's more of a probability than a possibility.

What's all this got to do with running, I hear you ask? You're right, maybe I should have posted this under a blog called "Fat Dad Dancing", but I don't think I'd find as much to write about dancing, as I do about running. In order to accommodate the dancing tonight, I went for a run early this morning, I ran the same route as last Saturday, but two min and six seconds quicker. I left at 6:30am,  in the dark and misty morning, and I enjoyed the run. It was good to see people out early, I saw at least 10 people walking at different stages, and I also saw a lad sweeping up leaves on O Moore st. Early mornings mid week, have a different vibe than early mornings at the weekends. When I got home, I saw I'd missed a call from Bubbles last night. He left a message wondering if I'd go for 6 mile run this evening, around 6pm. I would have enjoyed that, because this morning I missed having someone to talk to (or Listen to, in Ray's case!) while I'm running. That shouldn't be a problem when I train with the gang again on Thursday night. So until then, Slán.

Saturday 28 September 2013

Early morning run

I woke as usual around 6am this morning, the difference today was, I wasn't able to get back to sleep. I had a million things flying around my head, stuff that I had to get done over the weekend, College projects, and the like. I was trying to figure out when I'd get in the run, because tomorrow I'm refereeing a rugby match, and I'm pretty busy all day today as well. (I'm just taking a short break from my studies to write this). Anyway, I decided to get up and go for a run, to get the day off to a good start. I ran the same route as last Sunday(5 miles) and I finished 3 seconds slower. I can't figure that one out, because I felt better, and was enjoying the run. I suppose that's all that really matters on the weekend runs, but it's hard not to compare your times.

The Town was only starting to come to life when I left at 6.50am, it was a beautiful dry morning, and the temperature was perfect for running. I was home and showered by 8am, but more importantly, fully woken up and ready to get on with my day. I know I'm going to enjoy this evenings hurling match all the more now, as I'll have the satisfaction of putting in a good days work beforehand.

That's it for this week, until next time, Slán.

Thursday 26 September 2013

1st night of the Winter League

Thursday night consisted of a cross country race in Charleville, the distance was 5 km, and there was a decent turnout(somewhere between 60 and 70 runners, I'd guess).  I'd missed another training session last Tue as I was at the National Ploughing Championships, and didn't get home in time. Adding this to the other missed sessions, left me struggling more than I could have believed. Maybe it was that, or maybe it was my poor preparation for the race. I'd forgotten all about the winter league, until Bubbles rang me at 5:30pm, as I was driving home from College. I still hadn't had any dinner, or much water during the day, and once I got home, I had to get my gear and get out the door. I'd also got my first semester results on Wednesday, which were quite good (78.6% average), and I went out with the rest of the class to celebrate. Or maybe it was the fact that I went off at the same pace as Bubbles, which left me with a stitch from early in the race. Whatever the reason, I was disappointed with my run. I came in a little bit under the 30 minute mark, having been uncomfortable for most of the race. The race was won by Jason Donegan, he finished the race(5 laps), when I still had 2 laps left, and by the time I got around to my last lap, most of the others had finished.  I suppose, when you run on the road, you just don't see how far the others are ahead of you. You know of course that they're a good bit ahead, but when you're running around a field, it brings it home, how big the gap is, in terms of distance. I did manage to finish well though, just holding off a late challenge, when I could have easily given up.

On the positive side though, running a cross country race, brought me back to my youth. There used to be a time when I loved cross country running, and the smells of the autumnal fields brought that memory back. I used to run in my bare feet, and I'm thinking of doing that again. I'm a bit worried about two things though. First - I weighed a lot less then than I do now, and I wonder how important is it to have the support of a good running shoe? and secondly - One of the last times I ran in my bare feet, we ran over a ploughed field, and my feet were in ribbons after it. I wasn't able to walk for a week, after all the stones had been pulled out of my soles. So I'm wondering how long will it take to toughen up the skin?

My two Sons are running in the National Schools cross country today, and I'm looking forward to watching them. they've been training for a few weeks, and they're really excited about today, although there's a good chance they're more excited about getting out of school early, than any prospect of picking up a prize. I'm also looking forward to bringing them to cross country race meetings where we'll all be competing on the same day. Now, if I can just get Margaret to start running, it'll be a nice family affair. I hope to go for a run on Saturday, as I'm refereeing my first rugby match of the season on Sunday. Until then, Slán.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Standards Slipping?

How quick do you lose fitness? I've had a very busy week and didn't manage to get training on either Tue or Thur. I also had to miss today's Neville 10 road race, which I'm raging about. The Harriers have posted pictures from the race on their facebook page, and it looks like there was a big crowd, and they all seemed to enjoy themselves. I'm not going to be available for the next 5 Sunday's as I've taken on a new project, which I'll let you all know about soon enough. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone yet again, risking a little embarrassment for the sake of loads of craic, meeting new people and learning new skills. As I said, I'll expand on it later, but for now, I'll keep it under wraps.

After only running once in the last 10 days, I thought it was important that I got out for a run today. I watched the All Ireland Football Final, and then went for a run. I didn't have any particular distance, or time in mind when I set off, in fact I changed my mind on what route I'd run at nearly every junction. First, I thought I'd run in the country, then decided I'd stay in Town. Thought about running along the banks of the Canal, Charleville, and maybe even the Neville 10 course that I missed out on earlier. In the end I just ran around the town. A growing need to visit the bathroom after about 30 minutes, showed this to be a wise decision. My running style from that point home, would have been an interesting study! I finished my run in 50 min exactly, without any idea of how far I'd gone, or what pace I'd been going. My legs were finding it tough, but my breathing was alright. I didn't think I was doing that well, and was wondering what impact not training for the few days was having. It was really starting to bug me, as I was having a bath, so once I got dressed, I drove around the route, to discover it was 7.9 km, Almost 5 miles, which means my average pace was 10 minute miles. That's not too bad, but I did miss running with others. I know I'm great craic and all, but I can be hard to listen to, when I'm the only one doing the talking. ( please note: I don't actually talk when running on my own, that would be too weird, but there is a dialog going on in my head!)

The other standard I don't want to let slip is the blogging. Thanks for still reading and for the nice comments. Since I've started writing, I've made loads of contacts online, including Celeste White, an American woman, who is going for a run every day of her 40th year. She started at her 39th birthday in August, and is posting a picture every day from her run. She's not running with any particular race, distance or time as a goal, Celeste is just running for the joy of it. Best of luck to her, and I'm looking forward to following her progress. Her blog is www.running39to40.blogspot.com. I enjoy hearing from people who are reading this, so please leave  a comment, and let me know how you're getting on, or what you're up to. Hopefully, I'll be posting next Tuesday, so until then, Slán.


Wednesday 18 September 2013

Scoil Mhuire 5 k road race

It's been a while since I posted, but then it's been a while since I've ran. On Saturday, I went to Dublin on the morning Train with Mam and Dad. I was heading to the Career Zoo in the National Conference Centre, while Mam went visiting an Aunt, and Dad just went visiting. The Career Zoo was really good, and I met loads of interesting Companies (hopefully something will come out of it). When I was finished I met up with Dad at The Palace Bar, and had one of the best afternoons in ages. Liam Mulhearn, the owner, knows Dad from when Dad used to manage The Mountpleasent Inn. They started reminiscing about some of the old characters that used to to drink in either, or both pubs. People like Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh, John B.Keane, Con Houlihan and a host of others who I'd never heard of. The stories were full of colour and wit, and of course we lost track of time. We had to dash for the Train, as Mam was waiting for us at the Station. I went to Dublin looking for a job, and I came home with an education!  I didn't have long to get showered and changed, to head out to the Court Hotel for the Midlands Rugby awards night, Sorry, I meant to say for our Wedding Anniversary celebration. Joe Schmidt gave a brilliant speech, and everyone had a great night. I believe it went on until 4am, but I was well home at that stage, having stopped off at a house party on the way.  Anyway, the point of telling you all that is, I'm offering it up as an excuse, why I didn't go for a run at the weekend.

The reason why I didn't go for a run last night is a lot more boring. I had an exam today that I wasn't quite ready for, and I just want to get in that extra bit of preparation. The exam went well, so I think I made the right decision.

After all that, I can finally get around to writing about some running. I ran in a race this evening in which my mother was also registered. That's definitely a first, and I'm happy to say I won that little duel!(I don't want to hear about the fact that Mam was only walking, I still came in ahead of her!) In fact I was quite happy with my time, 5km in 26min and 6 sec. That works out at 5:13 km's or 8:21 miles's. I found it quite tough, as I wasn't too concerned with pacing myself, and maybe I went out a little bit too fast. I just looked over my Blog, and I see that on the 2nd of July I struggled to run 3km at 8:33 pace. So I'm taking this as another sign of improvement.

The Neville Ten is on Sunday, and that will make it 4 road races in 4 weeks. I'll also be training tomorrow night, cross country I presume. So I think I'll be able to make for that little blip this week. Until Tomorrow, Slán.

Thursday 12 September 2013

Running in the Wet

Tonight was the worst weather I've trained in so far, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I was driving home from College in the lashing rain around 5:30pm, and I was thinking about whether or not I'd go training. It was one of those evenings, when staying at home looked more appealing than going out for some exercise. Frank and Rory(my two Sons) were dying to go training with the juveniles, they only started last week and they're loving it. It works out well, because they train from 7pm to 8pm, which gives me time to get my training in, and have a shower before they're finished. Anyway, the fact that they wanted to go, and that I had to write this blog, I didn't really have a choice, so I put on the gear, and off we went. I had to wait for Rory to finish his homework, and as a result I arrived at 6:45pm, which was a bit late. The rest of the gang had run to Charleville, so I followed along after doing a warm up.  I ran down the avenue with Leonard and Shane, who were doing a cool down from an earlier session, before heading to the field to meet up with the others.

They were doing a session where you run for 10 min, followed by a 2 minute rest, and then repeat 3 times. When I arrived I just joined in, and when they stopped, I found out what what was on the agenda, that was their second rest, and at that stage I'd been running for 27 minutes. I then ran the last 10 minute circuit(I got in 1 and 3/4  laps), before the run back to the Harriers. I ended up running for a total of 46 minutes, not including the rest stops. Even though it was raining, it wasn't cold or windy, and I really enjoyed the run. When I got back and had a shower, I was delighted I had gone. If I'd stayed at home, I'd be feeling guilty, and I'm afraid that if I stay at home once, I'd be more likely to stay at home on the next unpleasant evening.

There wasn't as many as usual at training tonight. I think that's due to the fact that the Flatline Half Marathon in Athlone, is on Saturday, and also that a lot of the others are training for the Dublin Marathon, because, even though there was a smaller group in the field, there was still a lot of cars in the car park. That's all for tonight, so best of luck to everyone racing over the weekend, especially all in the Flatline Half Marathon. Until Sunday, Slán.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Short and Sweet

The title of this post could apply to tonight's training session, or this post. We ran to Charleville for cross country training again, only this time we ran up the same hill as last week (but on the other side of the fence), another 7 times, but this time we had a one minute rest in between. I was fairly consistent in my times, around 2:34 per lap, with the last one completed in 2:29. Then the mile run back to the Harriers, to be finished by 7.45 pm.

I wasn't able to get into the Athlone Half Marathon this Saturday, as it was full. I don't think it's the worst thing though, as it might have been too much too soon. Also, Saturday is my Wedding Anniversary. I'm bringing Margaret out for a lovely meal in the Court Hotel. I'm sure she wont mind that we'll be sitting at a table full of Rugby Referees, listening to Joe Schmidt, while a lot of awards are presented to various people and clubs from the midlands. Boy, is she lucky! Until Thursday, Slán.

Sunday 8 September 2013

The Gowran 8

The Gowran 8, is an 8 mile road race, run every year by the members of Tullamore Harriers. There was a decent enough crowd today, around 50 I'd say. The race is run in honour of Noel Gowran, A founder member of the Harriers, and first Irish man to run a sub 2:30 marathon. He was the National Marathon Champion in 1958, and last week I saw him swap a pair of runners he won the race in, for a brand new pair, which had been worn by the winner of the Half Marathon, Gary O Hanlon. Not a bad deal, me thinks! (I think those are the facts as I heard them last week, but I know he definitely was a marathon Champion, and that he is a founder member.)

Anyway, I had great expectations of myself, leading up to today. I set myself the target of trying for a 9:30 pace, and see what happens out the course. That was until I went to the Soccer International on Friday night, and didn't get back to the hotel until 3:30am, having consumed a good bit more than I'd intended. I was a bit sensitive yesterday, and when I went to bed at 9pm, I was wondering how I was going to run a race in 12 hours time. Therefore I readjusted my goals, to finish would now probably be a challenge, and I was kicking myself for drinking so much on Friday/Saturday.

I set off today aiming for a 10 min per mile pace, and I ran the first mile in 9:50. Leonard Owens had just joined me as I passed the first mile, as did Trish Shaw, and we ran together for the race. It was great because, I did feel under pressure at various times during the race, and if I was on my own I probably would have slowed down, instead I gritted my teeth, and kept going. As we were getting close to home, I was feeling not too bad, so with a mile left I picked up the pace, I was afraid I'd gone too early as I was finding it tough, over the railway bridge, but once I was on the downside, I lengthened my stride once more. The race finished with a lap of the track, and I finished strong, in a time of 1hr 14 min and 58 seconds( Nearly an hour quicker than last week!) That works out at around 9:22 pace on average for the race, so that wasn't too bad. Ray was going for a slower time, and he still finished in front of me, as did a whole bunch of lads who are training for the Marathon in Dublin, and had run 12 miles before the race, timing to finish their 12 miles as the 8 mile race was starting. The race was won by Catch Grennan, who probably finished as I was passing the half way marker. David Murray was second, with David Brophy in third.

We're back to reality now, after the excitment of the Half Marathon, and I'm happy with how the week has gone. Next run on Tue, so until then, Slán.

Thursday 5 September 2013

Back To Reality

Cross Country training is in full swing, as we went back to the same field in Charleville to run those hills again.  This time however we ran around the field twice, before taking a 2 minute rest, and then doing the same again, we did this three times. One lap of the field is around 1 km, depending on how much you cut the corners.  I found myself very tired yesterday evening, and struggled to get into the rhythm. Ray was also struggling, despite the fact that he missed the first 2 laps. Of course when I admitted to Ray that I was finding the session particularly tough, even though the distance and pace shouldn't have been too difficult, he exclaimed "Sure, the day after, the day after of the Wedding is always tough!" That got a good laugh, but at least I knew some of the others are reading the blog!

Just for the record, I ran the first leg in 11:15, the next in 10:50 and the last in 11:25. I'm not sure how much these times tell the story though, as I probably took a tighter line on the second run.  Also, just to let you know, I'm using this blog as a training diary as well, so while you mightn't be too interested in the split times, they do serve a purpose, in terms of when I look back to see what my previous times have been for a certain training session or race.

Bubbles last post and chorus, is up on his blog www.runbubbyrun.blogspot.ie Typically he finishes strong, and gives a good account of the race day, and thanks everybody necessary for helping us through our original challenge. I'd like to echo those thanks here, and second everything Ray has said. I'd also like to thank Ray, for his good humour and consistent training, as it was always good coming to training, knowing he wouldn't let you down.

The Gowran 8, is on Sunday morning, check in at 8.30am, leaving at 9am from the Harriers. That's our next race. I'm hoping to challenge myself  more than last week, and run a faster pace per mile, while Bubbles is going to run a slower pace than last week, and try and enjoy this run a bit more, so with a bit of luck we'll run this one together, with me struggling, and Ray telling the jokes. Until then Slán.

Tuesday 3 September 2013

The Day After The Wedding

There was still a buzz around the Club, last night after the race on Saturday. It felt like the day after a Wedding where everybody was discussing different parts of the previous day, barely believing that the big day had come and gone so quickly and with everybody in agreement that it was a wonderful occasion. Ray and myself were there, having graduated to full training with the group. John was also there doing his own training, as well as encouraging others as usual. We started cross county training, and went to a field in Charleville, where we ran up and down a hill seven times with a 90 second rest in between. People sort of fell into groups of similar pace, and I was with a group of four, Josie Lalor, Paula Scott and Bubbles, We ran the first few in a time of 2.34, and then picked up the pace with the last three being quicker, with the a time of 2.22 for the last which was the fastest of the evening. According to John's watch, the distance was .31 of a mile for each lap.

There is an 8 mile Club race on Sunday morning starting at the Harriers, it's an annual event called "The Gowran 8". Ray and myself will be running in that, and then we'll be running another Half Marathon in Athlone on Saturday 14th Sept.  I'm going to run these races differently than I've been running the races up to this. Until now, everything has been about getting over the finish line of the Half Marathon. I felt so good during that race, and without really struggling at any time, that I've been wondering how much faster could I have gone? If I'd increased the pace by 10 seconds per mile, would I have blown up at 8 miles?  The only way to answer these questions is to try and run faster in other races, and test myself. If I go out too fast, and end up having to walk the last mile or two, so what? it'll be a learning experience. A Marathon is definitely on the agenda also. We've decided that we'll run one in 2014, we've just to decide which one. Cork in May/June is a strong possibility, but we haven't ruled out Clonakility in December 2013 either, it just depends on how training is going.  There are also a couple of 3/4 Marathon's coming up, so we might test ourselves there first.

The Irish Kidney Association are having a race / fun run in the Phoenix Park on Sun the 15th of September. I was asked if I'd run in it, and I was going to, but now that we'll be in a Half Marathon on the Saturday, I'll have to pass. The details of the race can be found on www.runforalife.ie  It's a pity I cant run, as it's a cause I'd really like to support, So if you're around that Sunday, why not check it out.

The other decision I came to, over the weekend, is that I'm going to lose weight. I'm now at 17 Stone, and the first step I'm taking is to cut out the amount of rubbish I've been snacking on. If I can replace all the sweets and crisps with apples and oranges, It's bound to make a big difference, then I'll also have to manage my portion sizes at the dinner table. My thinking is simple, if a Racehorse runs a good race, they throw a pound of lead on his back, to slow him down. A Racehorse has four legs, I've only two, and if a pound of weight can slow him down, what would I be like if I could shed a stone?

Until Thursday, Slán.

Sunday 1 September 2013

The Half Marathon!

The day was a tremendous success. The weather was fantastic, the course was well laid out, with loads of Marshall's along the route, and a large number of people were out to cheer on the competitors. There was a great atmosphere before the race, as the DJ played some tunes, and people gathered and gossiped, with the most recurring question being "how are you fixed?" or words to that effect. A large number of runners headed to the start on the Charleville road for the 12 O'Clock gun, and then we were off. The last 11 weeks had come down to this, I was determined to enjoy it and I did, heading off  with Robbie Connolly for the first mile at a little bit faster than I wanted to go. I slowed down and let Robbie off, even though I was feeling good. I got my pace under control, and had a nice comfortable run with Angela Martin, between miles 2 and 7, consistently running at 10:30 pace. As I passed the halfway marker, I decided to step it up a notch, and pushed on by about 10 seconds per mile, until the 10 mile marker, when I upped the pace again. I was still in control of my breathing, and my legs felt strong. I was getting a real buzz by now. I knew this part of the route quite well, and I knew I'd only have one more tough part of the course left, and then it would be a comfortable downhill run to the Stadium. I was keeping an eye on my time, and it was around the 10 mile marker, that I decided the 2 hr, 15 min target was achievable, so that was what I was aiming for. Ivan Dunne, who'd been a pacer during the race, was finished and had run back out the road, as part of his training for the Dublin Marathon. We met with about a mile and a half to go, and he turned and ran in with me. He asked what was my time like, and what was I aiming for, and then ran at the necessary pace, to get in on time. I found this useful, but I appreciated his encouragement even more. Ivan was telling me there was loads of people at the finish line, the atmosphere was brilliant, and I should enjoy the lap of the track, and finish strong, he also told me a joke which put a smile onto my already beaming face. I took his advice and finished strong in a time of 2 hours 14 minutes and 22 seconds. Margaret, (my wife) my two sons (Frank and Rory), my Mam and Dad,  my sister, Catherine and her husband, (Conrad) as well as Hugo's wife and children, (Dora, Eoin and Anna) were all out on the course cheering on Hugo and Myself. It was great to see them, which I did twice on the course and then again at the finish line. It's amazing how much encouragement you can get from hearing people cheer you on. It happened loads yesterday, and I'd never before realised how much that can help as you're going around.

The race was won by Gary O Hanlon in a time of 1 hr 12 min and 50 sec. There are loads of pictures on Tullamore Harriers facebook page if you're interested, I just nabbed one of the start, to show here. Ray ran a great race also, I'm sure he'll tell you all about it in his blog. I know he was delighted with himself, and with how the whole day panned out.  

The only mistake I made all day, was not doing a cool down, and stretching properly. I stood around for about an hour and a half, chatting, before going in for a shower. When I got home, I lay down on the couch to rest for a while, I was as stiff as a board when I tried to get up 30 minutes later. I asked my Sister, who's a doctor, if it would be too late for a cold bath to have any effect. Her advice startled me. Catherine said that a hot bath would work just as well as a cold bath, in terms of recovery. It's a pity she hadn't told me this 11 weeks ago, before I put myself through all those cold baths. Anyway, with that in mind, I went to the pool with Hugo, and spent some time in the Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, and it definitely had the desired effect, as I didn't cramp once all night, and moved freely from then on.

I met Bubbles in Lynch's at 8pm, We might be at the back of group come training on Tuesday night, but there's no doubt about who's going to be first when it comes to getting a drink. A large crowd from the Harriers came out, as we celebrated how well the event had gone. Most people were happy with their times, and Matty Mc Cormack was heard saying "It's like Christmas morning, everybody got what they wanted!" Ray and Myself had clubbed together to buy John a little gift as our way of saying thanks, so we presented that to him later on, and also thanked all the members of the Harriers for making the two of us feel so welcome.  Bubbles and myself also talked about what goals we'd set, but I think I've gone on for long enough in this post, so I'll fill you in on Tuesday about what's coming next. So, until then, Slán.




Thursday 29 August 2013

It's all about the Numbers

Well, that's it, all that's left now is to run the race.  Ray and myself went for a light 30 minute jog around the track this evening and on the way we had a good chat about what we'd aim for next, and the consensus was that we'd definitely keep it going while we're deciding which race to target.  We asked John for his thoughts, but his focus was firmly on Saturday, and he said we'd have plenty of time after the race to set new goals. Funnily enough, Bubbles was doing loads of talking about the after race party as well, so I guess it's going to be a good night.

I picked up the race numbers for Hugo and myself this evening and I was tempted to swap them, as it might look good for me, when the results are printed, but then Michelle Mullaney wrote our names on the correct numbers, so I'll just have to run my own race.

I've decided that I'm going to continue blogging, it's too much of an incentive to go training to give up, so once again thanks for all your support. I thought I'd finish this last post before the Half Marathon with some numbers.

233 - My Race Number
33 - The number of Training Sessions.
11 - The number of Weeks training.
3 - The number of Tuesdays, Thursdays, or weekend runs, I've missed.
203 - The number of Miles I've run in training.
11.2 - The longest distance I've run without stopping to date.
2143- The number of minutes I've spent training for this one race.(35 hours, 43 minutes)
26 - The number of cold baths.
7155 - The number of Pageviews on my blog as I post this one!
15,198 - The number of words I've written in my blog.
1 - The number of nudie pics in the blog!
0 - The amount of times, I've been sorry I started this.

Until Saturday, Slán.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

The Big Photo

There was a great atmosphere at training tonight. People were asked to wear their Harriers Vests, for a photograph before training, and I think there was around 80 people in the photo, although Fionán Minnock seemed to have forgotten his blue and white top! maybe he'll wear it for the race though. Back to this evening, Adrian Martin gave a short talk about the race on Saturday, and congratulated everyone for the effort they'd put in to get to the start line, and he said all we had to do now was get to the finish line. He offered special congratulations to the people who are attempting this distance for the first time, and wished everybody the best of luck.  After the photograph, Ray and myself were presented with a Good Luck card each, which had been signed by a lot of the members, it was touching, and I'm very grateful, and a little embarrassed. The only thing extra that Ray and Myself have done with regards to training for the race, is tell everybody about it, a lot! There's loads of people running on Saturday who'll be attempting the distance for the first time. And while I wont be able to give a card to all the other competitors, I would like to wish everybody the best of luck themselves. John  O Connell was also presented with a framed photo of the club members taken some time back, as a token of thanks for all his work for the club during his tenure of 8 years as club captain. I can appreciate, and I'm very grateful for all that John has done for Ray and myself, and the presentation showed that the rest of the club feel the same way, as John seems to have helped nearly everybody up there as they started.

After all that excitement it was down to the running. Ray and myself went with the rest of the gang down to Charleville for a short run around. We did around three miles at a relaxed pace, although I think some people did a bit more than that. I started my watch when we left the Harriers and when we got back the clock said we'd run for 32 minutes.

On Thursday we'll be picking up our race numbers, and running for around 30 min around the outside track of the Harriers. It's hard to believe that this night 10 weeks ago was our first training session. The time has flown, the progress remarkable and the crack has been mighty. Thanks everybody for reading the blog, and all the messages of support. I've enjoyed writing it, and I must confess that it's given me an added incentive to go training at certain times, as I've felt I better go, or I wont have anything to write about in the blog. Anyway, I'm going to make a decision before Thursday about whether I'll keep blogging or give it up. I'll let you know then, so until Thursday, Slán.

Sunday 25 August 2013

The Cloghan 10k

I worked out my pace in km per minute as opposed to the miles per minute that I'm more used to and it works out like this; a 10 min mile works out at 6:15 per km, and a 10:30 min mile works out at 6:33 per km. With that in mind I set myself the target of running the first km in 6:30. The aim of this was to get used to setting my own pace and not going off too fast. Alas I failed, as I passed the 1 km marker after 5minutes and 34 seconds. I immediately slowed down and passed the 2nd km at 12min and 5 sec, so I improved slightly. I was feeling good though, so that was a positive. I decided if I still felt good at 7km I'd kick on and see how quick I could finish from there, and that's exactly what I did. I passed 7km at 42:40, and then kicked for home. I was delighted to finish in under an hour, needing to sprint the last 300 metres to finish in a time of 59 minutes and 44 seconds. I don't know if I would have finished any quicker if I'd set off faster at the start, I suppose I'll only learn that from running in more races.

The race was very well organised with a lot of Race Marshalls and water stations. I should have expected the water stations due to Ray's involvement in the club, and in case I haven't already told you, Ray has a huge thirst when running, regularly drinking 2litres on an hours run. Ray played a blinder today, I'll let him tell you how he got on, himself in his blog www.runbubbyrun.blogspot.ie but he did get a lot of ribbing from his club mates when he pulled on the blue and white vest I don't think it bothered him that much, maybe he's a closet Blues fan!

So, less than 7days to the big one. Bring it on! I'm feeling good! Until Tue, Slán.

Friday 23 August 2013

The Last Tough One

I wouldn't say it's my last Thursday night run, but it's the last one before the half marathon. I'm going to keep running with the Harriers every Tue and Thur, and hopefully a long run at the weekend, but I've decided not to run this years Dublin City Marathon. I think it would be too much too soon. Instead, I'm going to try and get faster at 10k's and maybe think about the Cork Marathon next year.

We ran 3 x 2 miles tonight in the grounds of Charleville Castle. The fist one was probably too quick (19:31), the next one too slow(20:34), and the last one, like the bowl of porridge Goldilocks ate, was just right(19.50). Ray has finally found his Garmin watch, and once he's able to use it properly, it might be some benefit to him. He did manage to get it to measure our overall distance though, and he recons we ran 8.2 miles including the run down to the Castle and back.

The body is feeling good, and the anticipation for the 31st is growing. Everybody seems to be talking about the race, because if any of the members are not actually running in the race then they have some other job on the day. I heard a whisper that Mary Daly will be giving a pep talk to all the runners and volunteers next Thursday evening, but that's unconfirmed at the moment.

Ray and myself will be running 10k in Cloghan on Sunday. It'll be a challange for Bubbles to beat his time from last year as he was driving the lead car, but I'm sure he'll get more enjoyment from it this time. I'm not going to set any records on Sunday, I want to use the race to get ready for the following Sat. I'll be trying to pace myself through the miles, and see how my plan works out for eating breakfast at 10.30am, etc.

As I'm coming to the end of this beneficial and enjoyable 11 week experiment, I'm trying to decide if I should keep the blog going. Is it boring reading about how someone else is doing? or is it comforting to know that there's someone else struggling as well?  What do you think? I'd like to hear your comments, and if you've any suggestions in terms of topics I be better off covering then please leave a message below.

Until Sun, Slán.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

A short one, he said. Winding down, he said. What John didn't say was another 10 mile run, which we did yesterday evening. The time was 1 hr, 42 min and 46 sec, another personal best. To be fair, when we set out on the run, the aim was to go for 90 minutes, starting at a 10:20 pace, and then see how the run was going, and maybe pick it up on the way home.  I'm not sure if it was because I was going well, or because Ray kept going on about what a great weekend he had in Lynch's, but John decided to extend the run, and to be honest, I was happy enough to go along.

The run was quite useful in terms of preparing for the race on Sat week. We discussed a lot, such as what to eat before the race and how soon before the start we should eat, we also discussed what it might feel like at certain parts of the race, and what we wanted to get out of the race. My aim is to finish well, to be able to run into the Harriers Stadium for the last lap, and not be on my knees, looking for an oxygen tent, while getting my legs rubbed as another kind Sole drapes me in tin foil. To achieve this, the key will be the starting speed. Part of the aim of yesterdays run, was to try and gauge what that speed should be. For me it's 10:30 pace and a bit quicker for Ray. That'll be a challenge, as on the day I hope to be feeling fresh, due to the tapering down, that'll be starting soon!(can you hear me John?) and the excitement of the day with all the people running, could lend itself to running off too fast. While this might be grand for the first few miles, I don't want to be paying for it further out the course, which is what has happened on any of the long runs, where I've gone off without watching the pace.

I was chatting Adrian Curley last night about the number of volunteers that will be involved on the day. He reckons it'll be around 50, as he's just going through the job list, which includes things like Race Marshalls, Car Park, Directing Traffic etc. The preparation going on behind the scenes for this race is huge, and something I've never really considered before. So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the people in the Harriers, who are working hard to ensure that the day goes off without a hitch, which, based on past form I'm sure it will.

Ray, Michelle Mullaney and myself were on Midlands 103 on Tuesday morning. There was good banter in studio, and the podcast can be found here http://www.midlandsradio.fm/podcasts I think that's the last radio interview before the race, and I must say thanks to to Midlands 103 for the support they've given to Ray and myself, and the race in general. That's all for today, so until Thursday, Slán.

Monday 19 August 2013

Nearly there!

I was running with Hugo (my brother, he is older than me by the way, he just doesn't like me mentioning it too often!) again this weekend, which means we were working off kilometers instead of miles. We were staying in Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, so it was another coastal run, with beautiful scenery, and loads of hills. We set off on Saturday afternoon, in lovely sunny weather, but got absolutely drowned in the last km as the heavens opened.  Thank God we were nearly home, as it would have been hard to keep sloshing it out for much longer.

"It's all about time on your feet", is the advice that John has been dishing out lately, so with that in mind I set out to run one direction for an hour, before turning back. We actually ran a bit further, as we were near the 9 km mark, and I just wanted to make it easier to calculate speed per mile etc. I found the last half hour very tough, which surprised me, as the pace was deliberately slow, but I'm putting that down to the hills, and the fact that I had only 1 days rest between the weekend run and the previous session. I finished the 18 km in a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 15 seconds, and in a fairly exhausted state.  We went for a paddle in the sea to cool down, and then I spent a good 15 minutes stretching. This definitely paid off, as I wasn't as stiff on Sunday as I expected. That's my last long run before the big day, as Ray and myself are running in the Cloghan 10k next Sunday, and then we are on a wind down, to keep fresh for Saturday. I can't wait, and can't believe it's nearly here.

I got home on Sunday evening in time to see the Wolfe Tones play in The Canal Quarter Festival. I met up with Bubbles, who was in flying form.  He says this was his last hydration session, before running the Half Marathon, and who knows, maybe he's telling the truth! He was certainly enjoying himself, but he was spotted in a chipper later on, and while I wouldn't normally like to let the cat out of the bag, I saw the picture on facebook, so I guess that ship has already sailed. I think we're due on the radio tomorrow morning (Tue), and then of course John will be putting us through our paces in the evening, so until then Slán.

Thursday 15 August 2013

Bring on The Canal Quarter Festival!!

It's nearly here. Friday night to be exact. There's a great line up planned for Tullamore's Canal Quarter Festival,(www.canalquarterfestival.com) and the only tricky part will be trying to hide Bubbles, as he doesn't want to be spotted by John. We were talking about the great acts that will be playing there, with no cover charge, when Ray and myself remembered that perhaps it's not the best plan to be discussing our socialising in front of the coach, so I promised Ray I'd find him somewhere where he wouldn't be seen!

Back to the running though. I ran 8.6 miles in an average time of 10: 28 per mile, It was a little disappointing, but at least I clocked up another 90 minutes on my feet. Tonight was a tough run for me, I think we started a bit too fast and by the finish I had slowed considerably. There's a lesson to be learned there. On Tue we ran 1.6 miles less but with an average time of 10:04, and I felt I could probably have run another mile at that pace, so what's the difference? Well first of all, We didn't run as fast at the start, and secondly I was fresh, as I hadn't run since the previous Thursday.  I talked to some of the other runners in the Harriers after my run tonight, and they all said the same thing, that's running! some days you feel great, and then on another day, it just seems so hard. The way I'm going to look at it is that it's more miles clocked up, my injury seems to have completely cleared up, and I've only 6 more runs before the Half Marathon!

The plan is to do a long run over the weekend, followed by two 6 -8 miles next week, before we start tapering down in the final week. Ray and Myself are going to run the Cloghan 10k, on the Sunday before the Half Marathon, and then we'll have a short run on the Tue followed by a 30 min light jog on the Thursday. So until after the Canal Quarter Festival ends on Sun, Slán.

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Another 7 miles clocked!

Well, with the missed post from Sunday, you might have guessed that I didn't run at the weekend. It feels like I'm skipping school when I miss a session, especially when the text comes from John asking how I did! This evening was a good run though, there was four of us (John, Ray, Robbie and myself), and we ran 7 miles in an average time of 10:04 per mile. I felt good the whole way around and well able to keep up with the slagging. You'd need to be in form, as there's no mercy, and if you can't give it, you'll just have to take loads of it. I think Ray and myself are fairly well matched on that one, as neither of us take things too seriously, which means nearly anything could be used, without anyone taking offence.

John had asked Ray and myself if we were available to go on Midlands 103 next Tue morning to give an update on our progress. That was enough to start Ray off on a story from our last visit to the radio station. I may as well fill you in, because I'm sure Bubbles will have a version of it on his blog (www.runbubbyrun.blogspot.ie). We had just finished our interview with Will Faulkner, and as we left the studio, we were talking to Sinead Hubble(The Producer). Clara Walsh (who interviewed us the first time) was walking towards us, and I thought she was going to join in the conversation, anyway Clara walked through the group towards me. I stood my ground looking at her, as she looked at me, a moments silence, and then Clara said "excuse me, I need to read the news". I didn't realise I'd been blocking the door, and was a little bit embarrassed, which wasn't helped by Bubbles, who poured scorn on me right away.

Anyway, back to the running. I've just looked back at some of my earlier posts, and I see it was the 30th June that I was so delighted with myself because I'd run 7 miles in an average time of 10:34 per mile.  So 44 days and 16 runs later, I've knocked off 30 seconds per mile, and felt good while doing it. When you consider that my training has been hampered by holidays and injury, you wont be surprised to hear that I'm delighted once more, and I'm trying hard not to set a target for myself for the half marathon. It will be my first time running that distance, and while I've obviously been thinking about what sort of time I might complete the race in, I don't want to set a bar for myself, as I'd be afraid of being disappointed if I didn't run as fast as I hoped. I'm really looking forward to the day, two and a half weeks away, and I could really do without having a sour puss on me after the race, because I know when it comes to me and sport, I'm not much good at hiding my disappointment ( Just ask my wife, what it's like to watch an Ireland or Leinster match with me!) I think my Sister, Catherine, and her husband are going to be home from Manchester that weekend, and of course, Hugo, my older brother is also running in the race, and then there's a night out planned in my younger brother's( Emmet) pub.  It's not often we all get together, and please God, that'll make the post race celebrations a little bit more special. So until the next training session, planned for Thursday, Slán.

Thursday 8 August 2013

Bubble's Back, with no Rock, but plenty of Stick.

Sorry for not posting on Tue, nothing to report I'm afraid. I was in Dublin all day and I didn't get home until late. I could have gone for a run I suppose, but I thought it would do no harm to give the leg a rest, and boy was I glad I did, because I had a really good run tonight. It's the first time in ages I've felt comfortable running, the leg was a bit stiff but nothing too bad, and the craic was good, with Bubbles back in the mix.  We only ran 5 miles as I had to be back by 7pm to pick up my two lads from GAA training. The pace was 10.02 min per mile, which is the fastest 5 miles I've ran to date. 

I really wasn't looking forward to training this evening. It was raining, I had to ref a tag match afterwards and I was a bit apprehensive about how my leg would hold up.  I knew from the first 10 steps this was going to be a good run. Bubbles had cracked at least two jokes and the leg felt strong. I don't know if we would have gone as fast if we were going to do the 8 miles originally planned, or if I'd be able to keep that pace, but I felt strong the whole way through the run, and when I'd finished I was delighted with myself.

I reffed the tag match and felt like I had plenty of energy, I stayed up with play a lot more than I had recently, and the legs didn't feel as tired.  It just goes to show the importance of having a proper recovery between sessions.

3 weeks to go from Sat, can you believe it? I hear Robbie Connolly is going to run the Half Marathon now as well. Robbie is in a similar boat to Ray and Myself in that he hasn't done much running before, but he ran with John and myself a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if I believe he hasn't done much before, as he was well able to stay with Ray and John on Tue when they weren't being kept back by me. Anyway, it's great to see another Solider signed up!  I'm also hopeful Colin Draper from the rugby club is going to run as well. I was chatting to him tonight, and he said he's considering it. He hasn't run that far before but he has run a few 10k's. I'm sure it'll be no bother to him, and if he really feels like not doing the whole thing he can always get a partner and sign up for the relay.

So there you have it, back in the grove, counting down the last 3 weeks and really looking forward to it, until Sun, Slan.

Sunday 4 August 2013

Another Seaside Session

I was up bright and early this morning to go for a run, I'd hoped to run for 100 minutes, and I wasn't concerned with the distance. I'm away from home, in Co Wicklow at the moment, so I was running in unfamiliar territory. I left at 7am, and the pain behind my right knee kicked in very early. I ran for 30 min and then turned around and ran home. I returned to the starting point at exactly the hour mark, and my leg was quite sore, so I called it a day. I wasn't able to completely straighten my right leg, which had hampered my stride during the run, perhaps I should have stretched for longer beforehand. I feel like I haven't stopped stretching since I got back.

When I got back, I went to the Sea for a cool down, I waded in, until the water was halfway up my tummy, and then I started walking against the current parallel to the shore, I did about 15 min of this, and then a good bit of stretching when I got out. It certainly helped to ease the ache. I hope to get another rub on the legs on Monday or Tuesday, and that should leave me right for training Tuesday evening.

I was speaking to Ray this morning after the run, he was heading to Ballycumber for a 10k. He sounded a bit apprehensive, as it's his first run since he injured himself on holidays. I'm sure it'll go grand for him, and we should both be in shape for Tuesday. Until then Slán.

Thursday 1 August 2013

A Cautious Run

I went up to the Harriers this evening, feeling like I hadn't run in ages, when if fact I'd only missed one session. I ran three laps of the track for a warm up with the two Marys, Daly and Mann(or is it Fox?), and my leg was still sore, not as sore as Saturday, but enough to make me cautious all the same.  I gave it a good stretch while I was talking to Club Captain, Adrian Martin, and a few others.  They were deciding what route they were going to run, as a lot of the members are competing in different races this weekend. There's a 10k in Daingean, a 10 mile in Kilbeggan, and then there's a 5k and 10k in Ballycumber. Ray will be back to run in Ballycumber, and I was going to run it as well, but I think I'll  give it a miss now, just to be safe. Ray seemed to get on well with his running on holidays, His dancing might have been a concern for him though, according to his blog - www.runbubbyrun.blogspot.ie. I'm looking forward to running with him again next week.

John had been out with Adrian Curley, marking the course for the Half Marathon, to ensure they got the distances right. The race finishes with a lap of the Tartan track, which should have a special atmosphere as the runners finish the race. I'm really looking forward to the big day now that we're in the countdown. Anyway, when John came back, I was just finished stretching, and I told him of my concerns. We went for a short run of 4 miles and didn't push it too hard. My leg was uncomfortable the whole way, especially near the end and I was quite glad we didn't run any further. I gave it another good stretch when we got back, and I'm just going to have to mind it over the next few days. At the moment( 2 hours later) the leg is not as sore as it was last Saturday, so that's a good start I suppose.

I hope to go for a long run on Sun, but that will depend on how the body feels. So until then, Slán.

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Cross Training

The Midnight Midlands Sevens was a huge success in the Rugby Club on Saturday. I was there all day and I didn't have to ref, as two extra refs turned up on the day.  I kept the score for all the matches on one of the pitches instead, and then I was an In Goal judge ( just to confirm try's or conversions ) for two of the finals. The day was really well organised with loads of volunteers helping out. When the last match was over, I headed home, my leg and also my back was quite sore. I got to bed around 1am but there are stories that some of the others didn't make it home until 10am, so it looks like I missed a great night. However, waking up with a refreshed body on Sunday morning has its own rewards.

I went to Physio, Chris Coombs today, to get my sore leg checked out. He diagnosed tendonitis, which he says is quite common for people who start running long distances without building up the muscles gradually. His advice was to rest the leg and then continue running a maximum of 3 days per week with recovery sessions in the pool or on the bike in between, until I've built up the muscles in my legs. He gave all my leg muscles a rub, which was sore at time, but the legs were feeling great afterwards.  Chris also advised me to stretch for 15 to 20 minutes each evening, and he gave me some exercises to perform, to increase my flexibility.  I thought it was great that my calf muscles were feeling hard, but Chris described them as tight, and says if I don't stretch them properly, I'll have problems later on.

So, this evening I went for a swim instead of a run. I'm not sure how far I swam, as I lost count somewhere around 18 lengths, but I swam for 40 minutes.  I feel I could have gone for a run, but this time I listened to the advice I was given.  I will probably go for another swim tomorrow, and then I'll definitely go for a run on Thursday. With the Half Marathon so close, I don't want to fall back in training. If I had more time, then I'd ease down on the training, and build it up more slowly, however as I want to run the Dublin Marathon this year, I just have to increase the workload. I think the trick will be in working hard at recovery, i.e. stretching and cross training. That's the update for the moment folks. I'll post again on Thursday after training, until then Slán.

Saturday 27 July 2013

Why Didn't I Listen To My Coach?

John was in touch yesterday, to see how my legs were after Thursday's speed session. I let him know that they were quite stiff and the right leg in particular was sore behind my knee. His advice was to take it easy today if my legs were still sore, and we'd do a long run in the middle of the week instead.  So, bearing that in mind, I went for a run this morning at 7am. My target was 10 miles, first of all  I drove the route taking notice of the mile markers, and then I left some water at the 5 mile mark and drove back to the gates of the Harriers. I was stiff at the start so I decided to do a warm up lap and see how I felt. Despite the the fact that I was a bit tight, I was determined to give it a go anyhow. I still wasn't fully comfortable at the two mile marker and I was thinking of turning around and coming home, but I then I was thinking that my legs have been stiff after nearly all of our training sessions, and I nearly always want to turn around after two miles, so I should quit my whining and keep going.

I had a similar debate with myself at each mile, and then I took a break and stopped the watch after 5 miles. I started to walk back, and then after a minute started to run. My right leg was quite sore, and I felt this wasn't right, it should be fully warmed up by now, and while I'm usually tired by this point I haven't been in pain before. I tried to walk it off, and then run some more, but things weren't improving, so I just walked back. That left me walking around 4 miles in a soaking wet t-shirt, cursing myself every step of the way. Why hadn't I gone on a shorter route? I could have done it twice if I felt like it! Then of course there's the shame of being dressed like a runner, going like a walker. I was tempted to exaggerate my limp, just so anybody driving by would know that I was injured, rather than have them think I'd given up.(I'm sure they probably didn't notice me at all, but these are the things I was thinking at the time). Anyway, I got back to the car around 9.30am, with my stopwatch telling me I'd run for 61 minutes. (I'd been at 52.20 min at 5 miles), my legs were aching, and I was looking forward to a cold bath.

I've had the cold bath, and I'm supposed to be reffing some rugby games this evening in the Midlands Midnight 7's up in the rugby club. I'll have to get a massage and see if that helps, and then if that fails I'll just have to consign myself to the role of touch judge.( It's much easier to hold a beer while doing the touch anyway!) I'm really looking forward to this afternoon and have been for a while. I really hope Mick Glew can work some magic, and there's not too much wrong with me.

So that's the end of the 6th week of training. This day 5 weeks is the Half Marathon, and what have I learned?
1.  The body reacts quite quickly to training, it's amazing how fast things have progressed.
2.  Running is as much a mental activity as it is a physical battle, sometimes you nearly talk yourself into a "I can't continue" attitude, and when you change that sentence in your head to "one more km", things become easier.
3.  Running with others is definitely better, I reckon it cuts the mental battle in half.
4.  When on a nights drinking, the thoughts of running the next day don't seem too bad.
5.  Running after a nights drinking is torture, The Americans could use it, to get info out of Terrorists.
6.  Listen to good advice when your given it, I know I will be in future.

Well, this has been a long post, one of the side effects of writing in the daytime, as opposed to just before bed I suppose! Until Tue night, Slán.

Thursday 25 July 2013

Speed Session

I'm like a big kid, every time I write or say "Session", I think of a drinking session and dream ( just like Homer Simpson).  Of course a session means an entirely different thing in the Harriers. John had decided, that we'd take a break from the long runs tonight and do something different. We ran 3/4 of a mile, took a minute and half rest, before doing it again. We repeated the cycle 6 times. By the time we had finished, the average pace per mile was 8.25, up considerably from what we'd being doing before.

I ran the first leg in 6 min even, and thought that was quite fast, and I'd have to watch it or I'd struggle to complete the 6. The next leg was faster in a time of 5.52, then 5.48 and then the big one, 5.40. It's easy to attribute the fast pace on this one, Mary Daly ran the last half of it with us, and of course I wanted to impress, and hence I picked up the pace. I struggled on the last two putting in a great deal of effort to run in 5.48 and then 5.43 for the last one. I was starting to wretch with 100m to go, and when I finished, I needed the support of a tree to expel some unwanted bile, that just wouldn't stay down.  It's been while since I've put so much into a training session, but now that it's over I'm gald I did. I've improved hugely after every workout so far, and I've no reason to believe the results from tonight will be any different.

It's getting close to the big day now, and the excitement is building in the club. I'm really looking forward to it, and I hear that here have been people registering for the race from all over the country. If you haven't registered yet, what are you waiting for? log on to www.tullamoreharriers.com and sign up now! The race is on Saturday the 31st Aug 2013 at 12 O Clock. There is a big car park, with excellent changing room and shower facilities, chip timing, free t-shirt for all finishers, as well as water stations on the route, and of course refreshment afterwards.  There's also the option of doing it as a team of 2, splitting it into 10k each. Irish Olympian Pauline Curley will also be running, so why not try and measure yourself against the best?

Tullamore Rugby Club are having a big 7 a side tournament on Saturday evening with the Final to be played at Midnight! I'll be reffing some of the games, and I'm sure I'll be enjoying refreshments until the early hours of Sun. Therefore, I decided it might be a good idea to get my long run in on Sat morning, as the only chance I'd have of meeting John on Sun, would be if I called into the Harriers on my way from the rugby!  John is working, and Ray is still on Holidays, so it looks like it'll be a solo effort. It'll be interesting to see what the time will be for my 10 miles. I'll let you know on Sat, until then, Slán.

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Running without Bubbles

It was just John and myself tonight and we ran 8 and a quarter miles with an average time of 10.25 per mile. The intention had been to run for 90 min, but I had to referee a tag rugby match at 8pm, so I needed to be back a bit earlier than originally planned. I think John was trying to inject pace the whole run, as we ran the first 3 miles at 10.15 pace. My legs were sore, and I probably ate too much too close to training, as I wasn't comfortable at any stage of the run. John was upping the pace and I was struggling to stay with him, but I wouldn't let myself ask him to slow down.  I slogged it out, and it was definitely one of those runs where you're happier when you've finished than you are at any stage during the run.

I should have mentioned last week how Denzil Jacobs, a member of the Harriers ran 10 marathons in 10 days.  It's a massive achievement especially considering the heatwave that broke over Ireland during the 10 day spell that the races were on.  I'd like to offer a big congratulations to Denzil, who was running to raise money for Saplings School for Autistic Children. You can read his story on the Tullamore Harriers facebook page, and if you want to donate he has set up a page online at www.mycharity.ie( search for "Denzil's doing it")

I'd also like to congratulate all the members of The Harriers who organised a brilliant 5k race through Charleville last Friday evening. There was a big turnout for the well laid out circuit.  The race was won by Catch Grennan and I was raging I missed it, I might have given Catch a run for his money, we'll just never know now, as the time has passed!

I'm missing running with Bubbles, I'm sure he's getting on fine on his warm weather training, I only hope the Sun is shining on Aug 31st for our Half Marathon. He's a new post up on his Blog (www.runbubbyrun.blogspot.ie) which is quite good. Can you seriously imagine getting lost in Charleville? Anyway, I'll be going for a solo run tomorrow night, so until then , Slán.

Sunday 21 July 2013

The Second Ten Miler

Around 14 of us took off this morning at 8am, for another 10 mile run. This was only my second attempt at this distance, and after indulging myself over the last week on Holidays, I was a little bit apprehensive.  Ray wasn't with us this morning, but I believe he's burning up the roads on the continent, with all the running he's doing over there.  John set the route, in that we would run out the Ross road for 5 miles and then turn around and run back. The unfortunate thing for the other runners, was that John stayed running with me, and I was of course, lagging behind the others, so when we'd gone the 5 miles, the rest of the group had gone a good bit further. John let a shout and we turned around and ran home, automatically promoting me to leading the field! I felt strong on the way home, and was able to pick up the pace a bit, and I finished the 10 miles in a time of 1 hour 43 min exactly, 1 minute and 44 seconds quicker than last week. So the progress curve is still pointing up.

I've decided that I'm going to enter for the Dublin City Marathon in October. I was chatting John this morning about what sort of training would I need to do, to be able to finish it. His advice was, once more, fairly comprehensive, but the gist of it is, to continue what I'm doing, but step up the long runs on the weekend.  I've 12 weeks to the Marathon, and The Tullamore Harriers Half Marathon will fit perfectly into my schedule. In fact it's a great spring board, as I'd now be very disappointed if I couldn't finish the Half Marathon, due to the progress I've made to date. I'm completely surprised by that, as only 5 or 6 weeks ago, I thought trying to run a half marathon with only 10 weeks training, was a little bit bonkers.

I've included a few pictures below. The first one is of Hugo and Myself getting out of the sea, after cooling off, having completed a run. I was trying to recreate the Daniel Craig pose from James Bond, but I'm not going to show you those attempts. I guess the camera can only take what's in front of it, and what was in front of it was far from Daniel Craig!  The other picture's are a poor attempt by me to try and capture some of the scenery from where we were running. It honestly looked much better in real life.  Until Tue, Slán.





Friday 19 July 2013

The Ring of Kerry could put you in a Hoop!

The running is still on schedule even if the writing had fallen a bit behind. My brother and myself went for a 5 km run on Wed, it took me 30 min, and Hugo went on and ran a further 3km. You might have noticed that I'm now measuring the distances in km instead of miles, this is due to the fact that I'm fitting in with Hugo's plans and that's all based on km's.

Yesterday we had another crack at the 12km route, and I ran it more sensibly, we started off slower, and I finished it without stopping. We ran it 6 min faster than Tue, and I stopped the watch when we stopped on Tue, so I was quite happy overall.

The holiday is going well, loads of cycling, swimming, surfing and paddle boating. I'm in Dingle at the moment( Dick Mack's pub to be precise). And we stopped just before Connor Pass to climb halfway up a mountain to look at a spectacular lake! There's an easy way to have a holiday and then there's this way. Don't get me wrong I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and the weather is glorious, but I'll need another holiday when I get home.

The next run I do will be on Sun morning with John and the crew in the Harriers. John and Ray have been in touch to see how I'm getting on. Much and all as I've found the training hard this week, I think I'd have found it tougher to tell the lads I hadn't been running. Anyway I'm proud to returning in better shape than I left(I hope). Picture to follow, so until Sunday, Slán.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

In the Kingdom of Kerry

My family and I got down to Castlegregory yesterday evening around 5pm. It was 9pm before Hugo(my older brother) and myself got the awning set up on the caravan, and that surely deserved some holiday pints, to go with the recovery pints from Sunday. They failed to work by the way, maybe I didn't have enough!

Hugo and myself went for a run at 10am. We ran for over 80 min, but the distance was disappointing, only 12km. The route was spectacular in places, but of course that means Hills. There was also a good sea breeze blowing. When you combine these factors along with a warm sunny day, you might be able to understand why I'm a little bit like a Lobster this evening. I meant to go back and take some pictures to post on the blog, but I was wrecked all day. We went for a swim after the run and spent the rest of day playing with the kids, eating and sleeping.

I'm writing this while having a meal at the dog track in Tralee. The reception at the campsite is not great, so my next few posts might be a bit late, and the pictures mightn't appear until next week. We're going for a 5k tomorrow, I hope I don't find it as tough as today, because for a number of reasons I really struggled today. I even stopped once, and that made it more difficult to get going again. Anyway, at least I'm clocking the miles, so until the next time, Slan.

Sunday 14 July 2013

The first Ten Miler

I got to the Harriers just before 8am, to see a bus ready for departure. For a second I thought this was another new scheme of John's. I was afraid he was going to get the bus to drop us off ten miles away, and then let us work our own way back. However, what was actually happening was a crew from the Harriers were heading to Sligo to compete in the National League round 2.

The 14 of us that were at the back gate for 8am, however, headed off on our ten mile trip, after posing for a pre-run photo. When we got to the Finger Board (about 1 mile into it) we were joined by two others. Ray seemed to like this tactic, and suggested that we try it next week with John by saying something like "We'll meet you at Mucklagh, don't bother to wait for us to start!" I wouldn't have much faith in it working, especially after posting it here on the blog.

The pace for the first 3 miles was around 10.15 per mile, which was a lot faster than I'd intended to go. The group was then split in 3 over the next few miles, with the last group consisting of me and my minder, John.  I didn't feel too bad with about 2 miles to go, and we were running at a pace slightly faster than last Sunday's 10k, and we'd run further. My breathing was also much better. Then, when we were nearly home I heard John's watch beep, signifying the 9 mile marker. I realised that we had further to go than I'd thought, and we had to run a lap of the block, and then a lap of the track to bring up the ten miles. I found that last mile quite difficult, and I haven't yet worked out if it was a mental or physical problem. Anyway, I finished the 10 miles in a time of 1hr, 44 min and 44 sec, giving an average rate of 10.28 per mile, so I'm pretty pleased with myself, although my legs are quite sore.

I'm heading off on holidays to Kerry tomorrow, for a week, and I've been in a holiday mood all weekend. I would have gone for a few pints last night, but I didn't dare risk it before the run this morning. I'm now considering an alternative treatment for my sore legs. The title of this treatment could be summed up by that great advertising slogan - "Guinness is Good for You!" I'll let you know how it works out, but I've a fair idea already. I'm looking forward to going running with my brother in Kerry, I'll post some photos over the next week, so until then, Slán.

Thursday 11 July 2013

Oh The Guilt!

Well, as you might have guessed by the absence of a post last night, I didn't go for a Wednesday run.  I've no excuse, I was home in plenty of time and I didn't feel too tired, but I was certainly very hot. So I called my wife, and we went for two lovely, cold, early pints in Lynch's. It was only this morning as I was going to work, that I started to feel I should have gone for the run before going for the pints. I haven't felt this guilty since I ate all my Mammy's favourite biscuits and blamed it on Emmet (my younger brother).

I suppose because of that I was determined to put in an extra effort tonight, and I did. We ran 3 x 2 miles with a 2 minute rest, each time going faster. We ran the last 2 miles in 19 min. Then I went up to the rugby club to referee a tag match, which lasts for 40 min, So that brought the total time on my feet to around the 2 hour mark today. There was a good contingent training tonight in the hot weather. Jason Donegan was leading the way with his comfortable stride. He looks such a natural runner, it's a style I might try and copy.

We're going for a 10 mile run on Sun. It'll be the first time Ray and myself have ran that far, so I hope it goes OK. We're leaving at 8am, and there are a good few of the gang running as well. John will have to set up a water station every 100m for Ray. He guzzled gallons again tonight. He may give up the salty rashers for lunch I think. Until Sunday, Slán.

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Running in Heat

By God that was a tough run tonight.  I was so close to ringing Jon and Ray to tell them I couldn't make training tonight, I really didn't want to go, and I had a good excuse, I've been up at 4am for the last two mornings, and only got home at 8pm last night and 6pm this evening.  I was quite tired, and the temperature is hotter today, than any day in the last 7 years. It was the first time I've had to have a shower before training, I'd been sweating that much.

John said we were going to go on a light run, to loosen the legs after the race on Sun, but I knew we were in trouble as soon as he pulled out a belt which carried water bottles. He'd also stashed a bottle of water on the route to refill the bottles.  It's a good job Ray drank 10 Litres of water during the day today, because he finished all of John's water, and we reckoned, if he didn't have all that water earlier, we'd need to pull a water tank behind us to keep him hydrated. We went for a seven mile run, the same seven mile run I so enjoyed the Sun before last, and we finished in 72min. That is actually quicker than we ran on that Sun, and I had no extra kick left at the end. Looking back, I'm quite happy now that I did go, but I must confess that I wanted to stop many times on the run, and it was another one of those battle of wills, that I suppose are necessary to prepare for the Half Marathon. Andy O Grady joined us for a part of the run, and he ran with me, while John and Ray were about 10 metres ahead. I'm afraid if Andy was looking for conversation he was with the wrong buddy, but I did appreciate him running beside me.

Michelle Mullaney, Ray and myself were on Midlands 103, with Will Faulkner, this morning. Will was asking us about our progress to date, and also asking Michelle about the Harriers in general. I was happy enough with how it went, although I'd have liked to get across the point that, while Ray and myself might be going on about our challenge as if it's like climbing Everest, there are loads of people in the Harriers who've started where we've started, and are now running long races regularly and quickly, which just goes to show once again that anybody can do this running lark, and get the benefits from it, if they persevere.

The Harriers posted pictures from the 10k in Mountbolus on their facebook page, I've nicked two of them. The first one show's the crew from the Harriers that ran in the race, I'm not sure if there's anyone missing, but there's bound to be a few, as such a large contingent competed, wearing the Blue and White. The second one shows me finishing the race, and although it looks like I finished ahead of Miriam Brady, I didn't, but I couldn't bring myself to show the one taken just before the finish line, as Miriam had just pipped me.  I'm not sure how training will go for the rest of the week, but I'm sure I'll tell you all about it, one way or the other, in due course. Until then Slán.



Sunday 7 July 2013

Marian Geraghty 10K

Well, as predicted it's a Personal Best, on a tough course. I finished in 62 min and 30 sec, I think. I didn't stop the stop watch on time, so I'll have to wait for official conformation. However if that time is correct, then that works out at 10 min a mile, which is a good bit faster than I'd being going in training. Ray finished about 6 minutes ahead of me, I didn't see him after the first bend. He seemed happy enough with his run, but he did find it difficult. My thinking is that if it wasn't difficult then you didn't push yourself hard enough.

I had butterflies when I got up this morning, I couldn't believe it. It was the type of butterflies I used to get before going out to play a cup match in rugby. The type where you know you've prepared well, and expect a good performance mixed with the fear that something will go wrong and you won't deliver.  There was a big turnout at the race, and it was quite a warm day. I was determined not to go off too fast, and I'm delighted that I managed my pace quite well. John was running with me, he's a one man motivation team. He carried water with him the whole way around( not for himself, but for others, mainly me!) and in the second half of the race when we started passing people who were finding the going tough, he offered some water and advice such as "look at just in front of your feet going up the hills, then it doesn't seem as far to go." and plenty of encouragement to everyone we met. I felt strong the whole way around, and never really wanted to stop. I didn't want to up my pace until the last km though, as I knew there was a long hill climb just before the finish and I had to make sure I'd be able to run up it, however after we crested the hill with about 700m left to the finish I opened my legs a bit and enjoyed running down the hill to the finish.

So three weeks in, and I'm delighted with my progress. I'm still finding it hard to believe how quickly I've gone from not being able to run 2 km to running 10k on a hilly course. I now have no doubts that I'll finish the half marathon. That is of course providing I stick with the training plan. It'll be difficult this week because of work, and then next week I'll be on holidays, so that will require extra motivation to stick to the plan. There's only 7 weeks until the half marathon though, so I can't afford to let two weeks slide, or else I'll be back where I started.

Thanks again everyone for your support, I'm getting a lot of people telling me they're enjoying the Blog, and following Ray and myself as we try to get fit. I Hope you continue to enjoy it, and perhaps if you know of someone thinking of starting running for the first time, you can point them this direction, after all if I can do it, anybody can. Until Tue night, Slan.