With early afternoon temperatures of the mid 20’s replaced by a cooling breeze blowing up from Dublin Bay conditions were very favourable at graded meeting number four in Irishtown last night. Around 200 athletes took part in a range of events from the pole vault to the 100M dash. Owing to injuries and other races Sportsworld only had 3 runners taking part but they were very well supported for the entire night.
I was first up in the 800M at 20:20. A last minute change of plan saw me enter grade C race rather than the grade B race. Some good advice from Ciallian O’Leary before the race left me with a sloid race plan. Cillian advising that you don’t want to be in the lead or run as the pace maker in an 800M (It’s awful hard to lead an entire race in a field where the competitors are fairly evenly matched).
I was on the line thinking it is wiser to run the first 400m (particularly the first 200m) a little faster than the 2nd 400m but that there should not be more than a 5 second differential from the 1st 400m to the 2nd 400m. I had set off hoping to run 2:05 but after going over in 62 seconds for the first 400M that was going to be difficult. The first lap seemed reasonable even slower than expected but as Aoife Brady had said to me last Saturday the toughest part of the race is between 500-600M. I was able to sit on the shoulder of the race leader and then make a dash for home in the last 200M. The tiredness in my legs in the last 100M had me thinking I would be picking myself up off the floor rather than crossing the line but I held on to win in a time slightly over budget at 2:07. Next time I’ll move up a grade, probably come last but hopefully get that time down below the 2:05 mark.
The final race of the evening saw a very strong field assembled for the mens 3K. Both Paul Duffy and Phil were thrown in the deep end after their race was combined with the development race. Each of the lads ran a very strong race with 3 minute kilometre pace.
Joe Sweeney continued his winning ways as he won the 3000 in 8.10.62. His steady 65 second tempo left him well clear of the field from early on and he was quite pleased as he said after the race “ I really did not ease down for this”. The Sportsworld men came home in 9:03 and 9:06 with Phil after looking tired earlier in the race passing Paul in the final few laps. A new PB for Paul and he’s now one step closer to that 9 minute mark which himself and Phil will no doubt reach later in the summer.
Full results are online with a few photos to follow.
