by Catherine Gilmore

Valencia Half Marathon Sunday 23 rd October 2022
You just never know where Sportsworld members may crop up.
On Thursday last I travelled to Valencia with two former Sportsworld Members Madeleine and Emma. On our arrival we were met with exceptionally warm weather. (Temperature ranging from24 to 28 degrees). (Jose did tell me it may rain, I don’t think Jose is from Valencia.)
On race day I was fortunate that I was staying within walking distance of the start which was great. Race start was 8.30 am. Starter was brilliant and really motivated the Runners on the start line.  However, with temperatures ranging from 20 degrees and increasing to 22 degrees and humidity at 81%. I decided I needed to be realistic about my race plan and adjusted accordingly.
It is a really flat course, and it does take in the fabulous sites around Valencia. The Support from beginning to end was amazing and all along the route the Spectators were full of encouragement.

For me I ran a good race for the first 10 miles but unfortunately the weather and humidity got the better of me for the last 3 miles but it was so good to see the finish line.
But what a great way to recover, spending time on the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Oh did I mention a glass of wine as well?
Finish time 2.03.

by Stephan de Vries

Sunday the 23rd was the day for the Leinster Novice Cross Country championships in
Carlingford. At the start of October there was a scramble to get a team together, we got a team, then there wouldn’t be a team but thanks to Paul and Trevor we got a Sportsworld team at the start line. Unfortunately there was no Sportsworld women’s team in the race before us.

Trevor kindly drove Brian, Anthony and myself to Carlingford, all the time we chased the rain that was moving North too. Upon arrival there was some debating how we could do our warm-up and number collection without getting every piece of clothing and pair of shoes covered in mud. (We had to save something post-race so we would not ruin Trevor’s car).

Soon after arrival the weather cleared up and the sun appeared. The course was in a gorgeous location with a country house, rolling hills and lots of green around us. When we saw the grimace on runner’s faces we knew we would be in for a tough one. After warming up and meeting Paul the 5 of us lined up at the start line at 14.30. Paul and Trevor were out of sight within no time but because the course looped back on itself a few times you could always spot a Sportsworld runner. At this stage the sun was looking down on us and although the ground was slippery and hard to run in, it was very enjoyable. It is a weird sense of satisfaction of getting stuck in and getting yourself covered in mud. They had a great PA system so you could hear updates on the top 5 of the field all the way through your lap.

Everyone ran a great race with Paul scooping up a silver medal with the Dublin team. This was only my second cross country -the first one was on a very dry Tymon Park last October – but I have to say it is really nice not to focus on time as much as you would do with a road race since the conditions will have a huge effect on your time. You can just go out, run and enjoy yourself.

Lace up and give cross country a go!

Report by Padraig Looby

The Grant Thornton 5k took place in the city centre on Tuesday, October 4th. It is mainly a corporate event and my office decided to field a team with 20 or more of us. The entry fee of €35 was pretty steep, but once I heard the company was putting its hand in its pocket, my mind was made up!

With ongoing marathon training, I was going to be on tired legs but I felt a nice sharp 5km 26 days before the marathon is probably not the worst idea I’ve ever had. The course is run on the quays on both sides of the Liffey. While it is pretty flat, it is open to the wind but we were lucky enough in that regard with just a moderate breeze blowing. The course itself is not great – it is pretty dark in places and there are lots of pot-holes and man-holes which are hard to see and I find they can be momentum breakers as you run a race which is essentially a long sprint. Last time I raced here, there was one U turn on the course but that has now become two. Not ideal but that’s city racing for you.
The 7.45pm gun time meant I had plenty of time after work to get a good warm up and strides done. I always like to have sweat on my brow starting a 5k because once the gun goes, its game on.

I was pleased enough with my run. I missed 6 months due to illness earlier this year so I still consider myself to be on the comeback trail (good pun). With that in mind, I ran conservatively for the first kilometre and built from there. There is no time to make up lost time in a 5k so from the 2nd kilometre onwards I was working harder. Kilometres 3 + 4 are the hard one’s mentally. Why am I putting myself through this? Why didn’t I take up golf? Why don’t I just run gently and enjoy it more? Will I come last like Emmet did in Tymon Park? I feel you just have to get through that portion. Before you know it, it’s the last kilometre and its empty-the-tank stuff from there. I finished in 19.24; approximately one minute off my best time. All things considered, I will take that happily and press onto the Dublin marathon next week.

Ladies Report Fiona Gibbons

Hi ….for those who don’t know me, I joined the club earlier this year. Since joining,  I’ve managed  to do a few 5km, 5m and 10km races, have struggled through the Tuesday and Thursday training and have even made it out on the Sunday for a few long runs in the Phoenix Park and WaterWorks.

The highlight so far has to be the Sportsworld Annual Sports day (such a laugh) closely followed by the club championship on the track (a bit of healthy in-club rivalry). 

I decided  it was time to try something new and dip my toe into the XCountry. Enthusiastically (and knowing little of what I was getting myself in for!), I signed up for the Dublin Women’s Novice 4km run. How hard could a 4km race be….?!!

It was clear in the last week before the race, that the women’s numbers were low. We were finding it hard to make up a team. I shrugged it off,  thinking that it was just the time of year (little did I really know!) .Finally with the team sorted, I could meet my goal to run XCountry! In final preparation, I spoke to my niece, Katie, whose been running XCountry for years to get some last minute tips: don’t go out too fast (no fear of that) or your legs will get very tired (dead weights come to mind) and wear spikes –  check and check!

I woke up the morning of the race to a fairly pleasant autumnal morning…..the plan was to get there for around 1ish to do the necessary warm up. Needless to say, I didn’t take coach Emily’s advice and do the course the day before so my brand new spikes were getting their first dip in muck on race day. (Note to self, always follow coach Emily’s advice  😊)

Myself and Fran decided to leave the bikes at home (save the legs) and we got a lift to the venue to avoid the parking debacle. At this stage, the wind had picked up and the rain had started ( but Sportworld tent was still standing) so we all huddled inside the tent trying to keep dry and warm (see miserable faces below). As we stood there, we had somce time to contemplate our fate and wonder what the hell we were doing here – the rain got heavier and wind started to pick up to close to gale force. 

We gathered at the start line.. Katie and Val up close to the front, rest of us (me, Fran, Marie, Martina) hanging at the back. My tactics were simple….try to keep Val/Fran in sight (wishful thinking). We were off! It was a strange feeling running in grass and muck and spikes. The first lap was tough, trying to get a rhythm and to somehow keep up. Val was miles ahead, not in sight (not sure if those black socks have some form of super powers).  I could still see Martina …(just about).

It was TOUGH (Achill 10k was nothing in comparison), but on the 2^nd lap I started to feel a bit better. I would not have made it through the 3^rd lap without my fellow club mates cheering me on. Kimberly, at the dreaded hill, shouting us on and all the others (too many to name you all and I would surely forget someone)

Heading back to the tent (which was now on the ground!), we managed to muster up the energy for our post-mortem and group pic below.

As you can see, I am totally wiped but SMILING. With my first XCountry race over, yes, it was very tough. Will I be back….. time will tell… but there is satisfaction to be had certainly.

Hats off to anyone who does this on a regular basis as it is on a whole different level.

P.S. Us ladies will have to do a whip around for the men’s team to ensure they have enough singlets for their next race! (Val kindly volunteered hers, not sure the tight fit helped the circulation though)

Mens Report Trevor Sweeney

Back with a bang would be one way to describe this one, based on the weather conditions alone. Dublin athletics described the weather as challenging, try running it…😊. We faced gale force winds, side winding rain and muddy underfoot conditions, how there wasn’t a pile up of bodies at the bottom of the hill in the 2^nd field could only be described as a mini miracle.

So yes it was a day like no other, literally, cause the day before the sun was out shining it’s wonderful face, but 24hrs later the ugly cousin came to visit. Needless to say the team pulled it together and hats off to everyone, from the organisers, especially Michael, the volunteers, the supporters and all who participated in the event. It was the clubs second year hosting the races and without the dedication of the those involved it just wouldn’t have happened. Some kind folks even left us a couple of burnt out gifts overnight, but thankfully the rangers were on hand to remove them before the races began.

There were 108 runners in the men’s event which produced a sensational finish, with such theatrics as diving across the finish line, coaches remonstrating with the officials, but in the end everyone went home happy, we had a joint winner scenario, some great action pics and plenty to talk about ……who knew XC racing could be so dramatic. This year our men’s team scaled the ladder going from 11^th position, last year, to achieving 6^th, hurray. About 14 runners from the club raced in the men’s event, with the ladies team setting the scene before us. It was great to see so many from the club lined up at the start line staking our claim in this inaugural event of the XC season.

The starter gun went off, and so did we, tearing like hares across the field (trying to warm up at the same time). It was clumped at the start, with so many in the race, I even had to do a spot of hurdling to avoid crashing into one of the course markers (resulting in my spiking one fella behind me mid jump…..sorry about that). But soon the field dispersed, which gave us some breathing room. I had Paul and Conor for company for most of the race, with Ben and Timothy in close proximity, so I wasn’t feeling too lonely that’s for sure.

Round and round we went, four and a half times around the course, with the sharp right turn before going up the steep incline (2^nd field) testing ones determination and the downward slump thereafter really testing ones balance. It was like dancing on ice (sans stars) with landing on your butt a distinct prize possibility. Thanks again to Paul, Breda, Karol, Gareth, Val, Carmel, Katie, Stephen and the many supporters who were there to keep motivating us along, it was great to see so many familiar faces cheering us along. Getting into a comfortable rhythm is definitely the way to go, but when stewarding earlier, I got to appreciate the effort everyone puts into running XC, hearing their lungs gasping for air as they run past at a frantic pace, “do I really sound like that, hmmmm”.

So the fun begins as we look forward to the XC season ahead. Muck, wind, rain and cold won’t deter us, as we look forward to the challenge and the joys of racing for the club

The results can be found at the below link

https://www.myrunresults.com/events/dublin_novice_xc_championship/4599/results

Schadenfreude

noun

pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune

Or so it felt like.

The Berlin Marathon is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best marathons in the world. Held annually on the last Sunday in September it is one of the 6 Abbott World Marathon Majors and has been home to multiple world records including the current record, set this weekend, by the greatest marathon runner of all time, Eliud Kipchoge. The renowned flat course, with its long wide streets and professional pacers attracts all the top athletes. This results in world best times. Notwithstanding this the course is still very much a full marathon which needs to be respected and duly trained for. It would be egregious for anyone to assume that they will come away with a personal best simply because Berlin is a “fast” course. Underestimate it at your peril.

Having been lucky enough to secure a guaranteed entry to the event I didn’t have to concern myself with the lottery system. This meant the race was effectively marked in the diary since the qualifying time was achieved last October. I wasn’t entirely sure how happy my wife, Michelle, was going to be with me firstly training for another marathon and subsequently travelling to Berlin alone for a weekend, considering our children are still far too young to be able to bring them to these events so a family affair was out of the question. Thankfully Michelle acquiesced to the idea so flights and accommodation were booked as soon as official confirmation of entry was received in January.

Back then I would have been fairly confident that a good, consistent run of training could have yielded a sub 2.40 time however these things rarely work out as desired and from February I had a torrid run of injuries & illnesses. This meant that I didn’t get an opportunity to build a good base level of fitness prior to properly beginning marathon training, which is not ideal as it is very difficult to build fitness and endurance at the same time. Ideally the fitness would be there prior leaving you free to focus on building up your endurance. By mid-July I was convinced that the most recent bout of sickness that had swept through our household had completely jeopardised any chance I had of obtaining a PB, let alone a sub 2.40 effort. Thankfully, however, from the end of July onwards I managed to string together 8 consecutive strong training weeks which had me feeling confident that I could perhaps still put in a decent performance. I used the Tullamore half marathon as a time trial where I ran it at 2.40 marathon pace and then collated the data (nerd alert) to assess my fitness. It was blindingly obvious from my heart rate that I would not be able to sustain that pace for an additional 21 kilometres so a revised target was hatched which was to avoid the cavalier approach and to attempt to manage myself to a PB.

The race itself is an enormous event with 45,000 entrants in addition to the wheelchair event which runs alongside it. Organising an event of this magnitude involves huge planning and cooperation and the committee deserves huge respect for consistently pulling it off. My only complaint would be the sole entry point which all participants were funnelled through. Having a few separate entrances would have made life a lot easier on the morning of the race. My accommodation was only 2km from the start line however it might as well have been 10km as there was no direct access route so walking was out of the question. The underground appeared to be the best option so off I went but somehow I managed to get on the train going in the wrong direction. Engrossed in my own thoughts I didn’t notice this for a couple of stops at which point a benevolent Berliner advised me of the quickest route to the entrance. Thankfully I had given myself plenty of time and I was in my starting coral with 15 minutes to spare.

There are 8 starting blocks and I was assigned to Block B which meant no faffing at the start and pretty much straight out of the blocks. A virtuoso performance was never going to be on the cards but I did feel confident that a PB was possible as long as I was disciplined in the early stages and didn’t leave myself with an insurmountable challenge in the latter stages. The plan was to go out at 3.50 p/km for the opening 16 kilometres and then see how my body reacted and whether a pick up would be possible.

I’m not going to lie and say that from here on I enjoyed the race and really appreciated the experience. The opposite is true. It took me a long time to settle into the race, way longer than it should have and mentally I found the whole race very draining. In fairness to the Berliners, they came out in force and the entire course was really well supported. Maybe it’s the German accent but I felt like they were giving out to me the whole way around. Being shouted at in German whilst suffering was an unusual experience. It felt like they were enjoying my pain, hence the schadenfreude gambit at the beginning. I know this wasn’t the case at all but it didn’t feel like it at the time.

Anyway, I definitely found this marathon a lot more challenging than others. My legs were hurting from early on and I was cramping badly for the last few kilometres. It was a case of mind over matter to get through it. My slowest kilometre was between 40-41 when I really thought the cramp was going to win but thankfully I battled through and picked it up for the last 1,200 metres with a strong finish. Going through the Brandenburg Gate was a brilliant experience, which I actually did enjoy, and I even attempted a sprint finish for the last 200 metres. Bad idea. The cramp in my leg came back with a vengeance resulting in me bordering on the precipice of becoming a YouTube meme “marathoner hobbles last 100 metres”. The thought of this embarrassment and endless gifs helped me somehow compose myself and make it to the finish line.

It was only then that I realised that I had achieved a PB, finishing in 2.42.51, which was a PB by almost a minute. My usual marathon approach is to focus on 5km splits so I never know my total elapsed time until I finish. If you manage the splits correctly the time will look after itself. The chute after the finish line was something else. There was such a juxtaposition of emotions & reactions. There were people joyously elated with their times beside people who were inconsolable surrounded by people who were in absolute bits and barely able to walk. I’ll let you decide which category I fell into but honestly the overriding emotion that I felt at the time was relief. I did manage to meet a friend afterwards for some much needed beers & a pizza before the flight home which helped me recalibrate.

On reflection it’s mildly irritating that I didn’t enjoy the experience at the time as much as I should have. I think being over there on my own and not having somebody to talk with and bounce things off meant that I probably overthought everything instead of being more relaxed. Throughout the race all my thoughts were negative. My legs are sore. The finish line is ages away. The crowd don’t like me. These plastic cups are impossible to drink from.

I failed to look at all the positives. My legs might be sore but my pace isn’t dropping. The finish line is getting closer with each step. All these people are out to cheer you on. I’m not coming last like Emmet Wardell did that time in Tymon Park.

It’s with hindsight that I can realise that it was a really good day but I just didn’t appreciate it at the time. That’s a learning point to take forward.

Unsurprisingly the race was dominated by Eliud, whose image was adorned on this year’s medal. Despite the dogma of some members of the running community who insist that his achievements are purely down to the “super shoes” the reality is that he is an incredible athlete who is at the pinnacle of his career. I feel that we are blessed to be able to witness an epoch of marathon running which is bringing so much attention and focus on the sport that we love. It was thrilling to compete alongside him and a privilege to take part in this record breaking event.

Before Covid became a horrible reality, I had the pleasure of running the last running of this race back in 2019 (3 years – yikes!). A lot has happened since then as we know but somethings still haven’t changed, the England men’s football team still can’t win a penalty shoot out, Mayo (not surprisingly) have not won Sam and the route for this race is was the same as before but none of these are necessarily a bad thing. I bumped into Trevor at the start but I didn’t realise that Timothy and Deirdre were further up. Not that it mattered as I wouldn’t have stayed with them anyway. Ann Higgins also made an appearance and off we went.

The course is quite rolling at the start due to the bridges over the canal. The second 2k or so was a lovely run along the canal which I would have been more than happy to continue on but we turned back on to the main road to head back towards Lucan Harrier’s very impressive track. I personally think it is a good challenging course due to the wind, the long straits and the rolling nature of the course. The field was well spaced out so there wasn’t much shelter in groups either. I left the 40 minute pacer after 1km and could see the 35 minute pacer at various points ahead but I knew I wouldn’t get across as I knew I started to slow. You do need to keep something in reserve as it is in the second part of the course were you can claw back time. I actually ran close to my best 5k time over the last 5k of the race. My time was 38.36 which I was happy with to some degree but as I hadn’t done many races this year, I felt I wasn’t race sharp which probably explained the slow start. Special shout out to Timothy who ran an absolute blinder and his time was just over 30 minutes. Trevor also won his age category.

As always Lucan Harriers put on a really well organized race with the marshals doing a great job in ensuring the 5 mile stayed a 5 mile and nobody went off course. Plenty of nice food and refreshments too at the end and the club hosted some children’s races before the race which gave a real family feel to the whole thing. I caught up with Deirdre, Timothy and Trevor at the finish line. Trevor found the last bit of the course hard work as the hills and straights had taken their toll. Over to you Trevor – My view of the course was not coloured of course by the fact that the wheels came off after 4 miles! I had nothing left in the legs for the last 1/2 mile which was my slowest km. Despite this I managed to win my category so I shouldn’t complain!

Overall a great morning out and would strongly urge Sportsworlders to do this race next year. It’s easy to get to on a Sunday morning and there is plenty of parking at the Super Valu close to the club house. It’s a cracking Super Valu by they way with the biggest cake counter I’ve ever seen in a Super Valu. Worth the trip alone for that