By Aileen Melody
It was a lovely sunny Wednesday evening when we started to congregate for the third race of the Women’s Meet & Train League in the Phoenix Park. It was the 4 miler.
To alleviate the pressure as we warmed up we kept saying “ We’re only here for the tea and buns” and “Lets have our excuses ready….we’ll tell Paddy it’s very warm, we’re not used to running in the heat……”
The usual pre race jitters arose and caused trips into the depths of the trees and nettles(not for the feint hearted) to find a spot to have a last minute pee. Of course someone did get stung on the ass by the nettles (Val) and despite Aileen doing her best Bear Gryllis survival impressions she couldn’t find a dock leave anywhere!! The joys of running in the Wild!!
Shortly before we were ready for the off Myles arrived to shout his encouragement and then Emily arrived with her instructions on how the race was to go.
Then the whistle went and the race was off and we headed down the long straight of the Triangular lap for the first time. The leading group was full of Sportsworld runners getting ready to battle it out with the rest over the two and a bit laps. We had a small band of supporters with Myles, Emily, Paddy, Nick and Shona on her bike but it felt like they were multiplying each lap because once you passed them they sprinted across the inside to give you shouts of encouragement from somewhere else. The laughs and jokes we had after when we tackled them over saying “you’ve only a minute running left” – It felt the longest minute in the world and “sprint go for it” when you thought you had 100 to go and really had 400 or “She’s on your shoulder fight her all the way” the only way to fight to keep her behind you because your legs were spent would have been to rugby tackle her to the ground !!
We were right it was warm and this year we haven’t had much chance to run in the heat! but we weren’t just there for the tea and buns everybody gave it their all and ran their socks off.
Sportsworld Finishers:
Catherine Bambrick 3rd
Patricia Fitzmaurice 8th
Orla O’ Flynn 12th
Ann Higgins 14th
Anna Delaney 16th
Ciara Kerrigan 18th
Grace Kenny 24th
Aileen Melody 33rd
Valerie Power 40th
Alison Warde 43rd
Sarah Farrelly 50th
Claire Rowley 55th
Deirdre Heavey 56th
Maria Varley 63rd
Laurence Delair 85th
