After the high of the Clontarf 5 mile back in November, I started to look at other races of similar distance and signed up to the Lusk 4 mile event. To my horror, I discovered that the last race of the Meet and Train and the Lusk 4 mile were scheduled for the same day. Not to worry the races were scheduled for 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. respectively and it seemed possible to do both. Not one for doing things on my own I persuaded Alison Mackey and Michelle Byrne to sign up and be as mad as me in doing two races in one day. There is comfort in numbers after all!
Race day came and as weather conditions worsened we began to question our decision. We left the comfort of the Meet and Train post-race tea and biscuits to head across to Lusk. We arrived in Lusk with plenty of time to check out the race start area and decided to head to the nearest coffee shop to take cover from the heavy rain. Seemingly Lusk is a farming town and there are no Starbucks, Costa or similar coffee houses to be found. We headed to the second pub in the town where the bar man was kind enough to direct us to the bar area and placed us in front of an open fire. This is where we did the warm up of our wet runners, socks and clothes. It brought a whole new meaning to pre-race warm up!
The new Nike Ad
It was hard to leave the pub and our pots of tea but as we had travelled this far we were now committed. By the time we got to the start area we were wet again and decided to take some cover in the local church porch some might say we were looking for divine inspiration to get us through the race. Alison, Michelle and I decided we would run this race together, we were feeling so miserable at this stage that we needed each other to get this race over and done with. The course was a relatively flat 2 lap course with a 200m hill to the finish. The route takes participants on the outskirts of the town onto the motorway and back in passing building sites and warehouses. If you read Catherina McKiernan’s race report (female winner) she is much more positive about the course!
Despite the rain and being soaked to the skin, we enjoyed
the run and delighted with ourselves that we managed to run two races in one
day. We were also delighted that we
managed to complete the course before the snow came down. I’m not sure I’d recommend this race but the
goodie bag certainly made up for the crazy day we had!
The Leinster Senior and Masters Indoors took place at the national indoor arena on Saturday March 2nd.
The club had 3 runners taking part this year. Gareth Murran (M35) and Michael Cunningham (M40) ran in the Maters 1500M and Derek Saville (M40) in the Masters 400M. The first race was the 1500M, a combined M35 – M45 race. Often the races are combined but medals are awarded for each age group, going up in 5-year increments.
The 1500M is 7.5 laps indoors. The lack of straights means it is often more difficult to pass other athletes, compared to the wider lanes on the outdoor track. Gareth took the lead from the begging of the race and ticked off the first 5 laps, running a steady 35 seconds for 200M.
With a lap and a half to go in the race, one of the other runners came up on the outside so there was a need to pick up the pace and hold the line. The last 300M was covered by Gareth in just over 48 seconds to take the Gold medal in a time of 4.18.
Michael, running in the same race finished in a time of 4.48. Outside the medals but running well.
After a long wait and a cool down around the cross country course, Gareth was up in his second race of the day. With 10 in the race, Gareth received a good lane draw in lane 3 but also had to share.
Determined to stay out of trouble in the race Gareth was out fast, going through 200M in 30 seconds. On tired legs the next couple of laps slowed to 32 seconds, a very manageable pace, more akin to a fast 1500M race.
With 200M to go Derek gave the shout to Gareth that he had 2-3 meters of a lead, not knowing what was behind, all that was needed was to hold the pace in the last lap.
In the last event of the day, Derek ran in the 400M. The M35 and M40 ran together. Derek managed to win a gold medal in a time of 59.54. A good day for the club with 3 medals. Roll on the Nationals next week and then some outdoor sessions.
The
Wicklow Hospice 5k, 10k and Half Marathon took place on Saturday in the
stunning Avondale Forest Park in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, as a fundraiser for the
Wicklow Hospice Foundation. Avondale Forest Park is the birthplace of both
Irish forestry in the 1770s and Charles Stewart Parnell in 1846, and this was
the first time for me to pay it a visit.
My
colleagues Aoife and Carmel had both run in the various events previously, and
were making the journey back down again for the 10k, as they had really enjoyed
the run the previous year. When myself and my husband found that we would be
going to Wexford on the same day, we decided to head off a bit early to
participate in the 10k as well, which was to be a mix of trail and road
in Avondale Forest Park and Rathdrum itself.
We
arrived in time to collect our race numbers and do a very quick warm up and
have a quick chat with my colleagues who described the course as hilly but
lovely. All 3 races had different starting points so I only saw clubmate Louise
Jackman in passing before the start and then as she was finishing the half
later on. The event was not chip timed but instead the old school method of
race starter phoning the clock starter ensued, much to our collective
amusement. 10 second countdown and then we were off (see Denis McCaul’s
Dunboyne race report for further explanation (http://sportsworldrun.wpengine.com/news/bhaa-dunboyne-5-mile-2017/)
We
started with a short down hill and then we were up and on to the trails, past
Avondale House to do a loop of the grounds and then we headed out of the park,
and on to road to Rathdrum. I had been advised that there would be 3 miles of
uphill and the course did not disappoint! I love the challenge of the hills and
for the most part there was a bit of a break in between them, but there was one
particular stretch when we turned left at Avon Motors to head towards Avoca,
when the hills went on for 2km in to the wind…this was mentally tough but I
just visualised Emily standing at the top shouting at me to keep going and
before I knew it, the climb was over!
As
I approached the finish line, there were shouts for the race director that I
was 1st female and to make sure I told the race timer as I crossed the line!! I
was really happy with my run, which I had just treated as a good hard training
run rather than a race, and the win was a bonus. There was great atmosphere at
the end, where the 5k and 10k finishers were gathering. There was a fantastic
spread of biscuits, cake and freshly made sandwiches whilst we waited for the
prize giving. I was honoured to be presented with my winners plate and prize by
Wicklow Hospice Patron Fionnuala McCormack. The men’s 10k winner was local
running legend Mick Byrne in a spectacular time of 35 mins on a tough
course.
Huge
kudos has to go to Louise for doing the half marathon which would have taken is
most of the hills twice…not a bother to her though after the Art O’Neill
Challenge!
The event itself raised €11,000 for the Wicklow Hospice Foundation who have been working tirelessly for the past 10 years to provide a hospice and palliative care services for the people of Wicklow. The hospice build itself is due to be completed this year. They are hosting a 4 day festival of running in June – more info can be found here:
Home to world-renowned beaches Portugal and more specifically the Algarve is a sun seekers paradise. But those who venture away from the sand and high rises will be rewarded by this bountiful country; cobbled hilltop villages, verdant headlands, and captivating sun-baked plains demanding exploration.
Running trails in Lagos
With the masters and the senior cross country season behind me for another year and some time on my hands, I decided to head away for a week’s training in preparation for the upcoming indoor and outdoor track seasons. I asked around about winter training and the Algarve sounded like the good option with a mix of 18C temperatures, great off-season value, the legendary trails around Monte Gordo and the almond blossom cross country course near Albufeira.
Almond blossom cross country course near Albufeira
There is a good reason why many of the worlds best athletes light up those Instagram feeds over the winter, in the Algarve training. The beautiful beaches, incredible trails over the cliffs and through the orange groves and the ease of travel and lifestyle make it the perfect location to balance hard training with a perfect break. With Brian Bryne going on a trip in May I said I’d write up a few tips and good routes.
The Ryanair flights to Faro are inexpensive over the winter months with return flights typically costing less than €80. Despite there being an infinite amount of places to run in the Algarve the two most popular destinations are around Albufeira in the West and Vila Real de Santo António in the East.
Regions in the Algarve
I choose to stay at the Alfamar apartments which are 35 minutes West of Faro and set between Albufeira and Vilamoura. The pine forests and Albufeira nature reserve surround the hotel and it is only 400 meters away from the fabulous 6 kilometers long Falésia beach. Score!
The hotel has its own track, indoor and outdoor pools, and gym and triathletes can swim in the sea and enjoy the many safe cycling and running trails. The hotel is also less than a kilometer from the cross country course. There is another hotel nearby in the top left of the image below, which is where Brian byrne had previoauly trained.
A quick disclaimer, the hotel I stayed in is conveniently located for those with sporting intent but it’s quite basic and not a good location for a week of sightseeing without a car. On the other, and if you just wanted to run and lie by the pool or the beautiful beach them knock yourself out. I believe there are bus transfers for €15 from faro but the car was only €150 including the 500 kilometers I drove along the coast West of Faro.
Falesia beach is 6K long and 400M away
Back to the running bit. Running alongside invigorating cliff top paths with the exhilarating Atlantic Ocean smashing menacingly upon dramatic cliffs provides runners with a refreshingly diverse landscape in which to train and improve fitness levels and performance.
Go for a run, but love the trails. It’s valentines.
Added to the above, the Algarve is a rural location. You don’t meet traffic on the roads, it’s not far removed from Connemara, apart from the 300+ days of sunshone. The gentler roads cut through groves of orange trees that run alongside long stretches of fine sandy trails. I promise I’m not on any commission, just check out the pictures.
Map of the hotel and surrounding areas
Typical trails in the area
When you are away for a training week you need to make the most of it and push the weekly mileage a bit higher than you would at home. It’s a good opportunity to try running twice a day if you have never done that. I set a plan for the week as follows.
Day
AM
PM
Monday
–
15K
Tuesday
15K
10K
Wednesday
10K
Track Session
Thursday
15K
15K Tempo
aturday
XC Session
10k
Sunday
30K Long Run
–
On Monday I got the early flight so by 11 AM I’d landed in Faro and was on the road way too early to check-in. With DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Portugal in hand I headed to Tavira and Loule to do some touristing.
Beautiful plants outside a house in Loule, Portugal
By 3 PM I was checking in and ready to get my recovery run out of the way. The 4 AM start and national master cross country the day before. I used it as an opportunity to see the place and get my bearings. Over the course of the week, I would manage to get lost quite a few times but made a few friends.
My favourite Portuguese donkey
Despite the warm midday sun, the overnight temperature in Portugal can be in the low single digits. Even on the coldest mornings, you can still see the sun and the moon. the On Tuesday morning I ran from the hotel toward Vilamoura. Its a good run on trails and asphalt. If you get out early running the cold temperatures and sunrise in your face on country roads makes for a memorable experience. All you can hear is birds chirping and life is good.
On Wednesday after a 12K morning run, I headed for the track. It is not right beside the hotel, which is good for getting a 1K warm-up done. I arrived with the intention of doing 16 x 400 Min around 70-72 seconds with a 45-second floating recovery. Quickly I was told by the grounds person that I needed a ticket, despite there being nobody else using it.
Workout Wednesday
Finally, 15 minutes later than expected I was starting my session. Having not done the much fast work in months I took the very first 400M very handy but ran 76 seconds. A bit gutted I tried to pick up a bit and ran a 71. Then on number 3 something clicked and I just started to get into it.
Delighted with the overall pace once I got moving. My take away is to check with reception on track availability. Track workouts are particularly rough by yourself so bring some electrolytes and loads of water.
Thursday as all about doing 10 miles or 16K easy in the morning and then do the same loop again in the evening at tempo pace. The morning all went to plan. In the evening, I decided last minute to do the lap in reverse, got lost in the first few kilometers and well there isn’t exactly anyone to stop and ask for directions. If you go South from the hotels there is a trail of about 3-4 K into Vilamoura whilst if you go North it is about 6-7 away. Once you get to Vilamoura there is somewhat of a ring road with good footpaths for runners and not too many traffic lights.
Running around the Vilamoura golf courses
One other thing I figured out is that some of the golf courses have public paths, just learn what “Quatro” in Portuguese means. you really can just make it up here.
North or South routes from Hotel
On Saturday I was up early to do 5 x 2K with 2-minute recovery around the cross country course. Despite the European club cross country champions the course wasn’t well marked in parts. I was quite pleased with the session, running an average of 6.30 for each of the 2K laps. The course is tough with two huge sand traps, log jumps, and sharp hills. It’s not mucky but the sand is almost as bad as a day out in Galway, almost!
Challenging hills
On Saturday afternoon I found myself doing a run around Lagos, having spent a few hours at a couple of the epic beached in the area. I wouldn’t recommend this approach for sessions but for easy or recovery runs it’s great to just throw some gear in the car and go explore.
By Sunday I was starting to get to know the place and picked out a route for just over 30K. I started at the hotel headed North and crossed the main road. You can run on the main roads, there is a cycle lane but Portuguese driver are erratic so best to stick to the side roads. As can be seen on the unintentional runner shaped Strava plot below, there’s plenty of running North of the hotels and beach on quiet roads. it’s super quiet you have the odd hill and plenty of scenery.
No traffic, blue skies, perfect for a Sunday run
One quick word of warning that it’s easy to get lost and you do occasionally have to turn around and try and retrace your steps. It’s also so remote that ladies might want to runs in twos. I only found out how to enter this area at the end of the week but if you run towards the equestrian center there is an entrance to the nature reserve with miles and miles of trails. This area is majestic with the suns shadows bouncing off the trees. You really do feel like there isn’t a problem in the world running through here. You do have to jump a river at one point but be spontaneous.
I wound up a great week of running with a final lap of the cross country course before the run for home and an awaiting glass or fresh orange juice from some of the local trees.
Running between trees in an orange grove
Inevitably I compared the experience to the International running challenge in Lanzarote. The challenge is more of a holiday than a training week but the fitness benefits I found to be similar. The accommodation in Lanzorate is nicer and there are fewer options for dinner in this part of Portugal unless you get a kitchen or have a car. Overall if you are looking for a getaway from everything holiday to improve your running it is perfect
Most of the afternoons I spent exploring the Algarve West of Faro, spending a few hours each day at the beach or walking along the hill tops. There are some really beautiful spots with a lot of Roman and more recent history.
Brian Byrne is going to the area in May and I’d advise anyone with some spare holidays that is keen on getting in a week of training with some good relaxation to give it a shot. If you want to see a bit of the place get a car. M top spots are the beach near Lagos and towns of Silves, Tavira and Alte. There is a great strip of restaurants with an Italian called Pizza Falesia.
The mark of a truly dedicated runner is one who gets this out the night before a race:
Deliah did herself proud at the second Meet and Train event this year, with scones, brownies, lemon cake and biscuits all featuring strongly at this event. Sorry, focus, this is supposed to be about running and not cake.
For me, 2019 has been a year of many firsts and yet another first took place this morning at Cherryfield Park, Firhouse (Brothers Pearse home ground). My Meet and Train cherry was surely popped last weekend and what an experience! My maiden cross country voyage took place last weekend in Dundalk at the championships. My brave pants were firmly strapped on that wet and windy day. Talk about a shock to the system!
The Meet and Train last Sunday morning was definitely a more casual affair – much less striding and stretching (great to see) and a gentle warm up with lots of ladies nattering happily on a chilly, brisk and sunny Sunday morning – (this is our church!). Suddenly it was lash on your spikes time and go. The course was winding and curly, quite flat for the first 2k with a rather skinny track along certain stretches. The skinny track perturbed me – maybe it’s the claustrophobic in me or maybe this is the norm for cross country, I’m not quite sure. I’ll report back when I’m a more seasoned cross country racer! I managed to dodge almost all of the twigs and branches along the way too – bonus. The rubber mat section was intriguing too! It beats spikes on tarmac I suppose. The wind was definitely quite brisk on the early pitch section of the run but the latter stage was nicely sheltered with a couple of juicy hills to keep us occupied.
The extra 0.5K around the small field was quite frankly unnecessary and unwelcomed after I had programmed my sleepy brain to just hang on in for 3K. As my watch happily buzzed at 3K, we turned the corner into the last pitch and “ah FF sake” resounded clearly through my ears. I’m not sure if it was me who omitted it or someone else. Clearly all ladylike mannerisms were left behind at the start line. But the après-run Deliah treat of biscuits, cakes and pancakes alone were worth getting up early for and sure what’s an extra half a K amongst friends? Although every half K is tough in cross county land.
I think you learn something new every time you run and as my stomach lurched as I crossed the finish line I decided to ask the oracle that is Emily what this lurching business was all about. “Ah that’ll just be the shock to the system. Many a great runner has peuked coming over the finish line “. Interesting – #newgoals #lurchforyourlife
A huge congratulations to our A team – Katie, Jess, Margaret, Elaine, Sibheal and Maria – you ran like the wind and are heading the league. Keep going ladies!
Well done to all the other Sportsworld teams and individuals running also.
Thanks so much to all of the amazing supporters and smiling faces along the way, especially Michael who must’ve strategically incorporated his Sunday run to swing Ballyboden way! All the support really takes the pain away, but momentarily, from the legs and the lurching and it’s greatly appreciated. Thanks Emily for your huge cheers and for coming out on yet another Sunday morning. Oh and I won a cook book! Spot prizes are great. Thanks Olive for the lift, pre and post run lols and for the extra little impromptu tour of the vicinity with a minor sat nav error! I’m sad we didn’t click my Garmin on and attempt the Tesco lap at breakneck speed with handbrake turns on the way home – next time we’ll donut around it! That’s my Oscar acceptance speech over with now. I’ll look forward to the next meet and train in a few weeks and then will be hanging up my spikes for a while!
The idea that I’d make a disciplined start here is an absurdity that flies in the face of every cross-country race I’ve run since the Obama-Kenny era. And so it was with the Charlotte Winter Classic. The gun fired and despite prerace delusions of sense, I marauded down the opening kilometre with gay abandon in a stampede of comically short-shorts, colourful singlets and high V02 maxes. The start was slick until we reached a bit of gravel and then a slight bump a kilometre in. 5min miling instead of the planned 5:20s. Oops. Conservatism was out the window: adrenaline and adolescent competitiveness took over and I was fucked for the latter stages in this 8k grind. I was in a mediocre frame of mind beforehand with a lot of miles in my legs (being without a taper and all), so perhaps the struggle and sluggishness ought not have been a shock. And yet it was one of those beautiful, blue and cloudless North Carolina days that makes me glad to live in such a place. The yellowy-brown and bright blue conditions in contrast with my native Irish green and dark grey for which I’m accustomed to on cross-country days. I get nostalgic because it reminds me of the ferocious Irish championship races I miss each winter. But I’m grateful to be here today with the Bull City Track Club team competing in a team event, something pathetically rare in this state. And it is beyond astonishing to me that these “club” races charge us $50 for the pleasure of oxygen debt. That is a perfect scandal but I’ll leave it to another day to debate.
The course was quite snaky but flat with a few humps that barely registered a groan. That short gravelly section on the opening drag was the only trouble-spot really. Once I settled in to a more sustainable pace I focused on surviving the mental struggle and not losing places. I enjoyed a little battle through mile 2 with two Asheville Running Collective runners. Chris caught up with me for the second lap – his more sensible opening mile now paying off. We ran together at a decent clip on that final lap but I honestly never felt capable of pushing it harder. With around 500m to go Chris picked it up to finish strong. I managed to hold off some Asheville lads who were gaining ground, finishing in 27:00 utterly exhausted. Slightly disappointed with that, because I felt confident of a 26:?? today after how well training’s been recently. Then I remembered it was better than the last two years, so it’d be churlish to complain. Older yet faster: I’ll take that. We ended up third team (out of three, to be fair!). The rest of the lads were seemingly uninterested in the spoils of a podium finish (fancy Balega socks anyone!) because they hurried to the cars, leaving a bemused Eric and myself to join the Asheville and Charlotte teams for an embarrassing group photo. The BCTC women took the gold (plastic trophy). Well done ladies, and to all those you raced. There was fine banter and company in the luxurious McIver mobile on the drive. #Brexit and its discontents were even broached. To top off a brilliant day with the crew, we dined at a Charlotte BBQ Smokehouse where I also enjoyed a sublime coconut porter. Gavin 23rd, 27:00.
I will start
with a disclaimer that this is my first race report and that I feebly attempted
to get out of writing it with no success. However, with some brief guidance
from José and Naoise over tea, and a look back at previous reports, I now feel
more prepared to write the report than I did prior to running the race itself.
After coming
down with some sort of flu/throat infection on Saturday morning I was
struggling to breathe while standing still not to mention while tearing round a
mucky field. Sunday morning came and the worst of it had cleared apart from the
odd coughing fit/bout of nausea. Despite this, I felt there was no way I could
miss the last cross-country race of the season. I was back at home with the parents,
so I missed the anxious bus ride down to Dundalk and got a lift with my Dad
landing in Dundalk with an hour before kick-off. For once the weather seemed to
be in our favour with no high wind or rain!
Fast-forward to
the start-line, and after a brief explanation of the course (1 short lap,
followed by 3 larger laps to make up the 5km course) the gun was sounded, and
the relatively small field was off at a fast pace. I stuck on Jess’s shoulder
for about the first kilometre and a half but had to drop back to a slower pace
as the longer hill on the larger lap took its toll on me. The field had stayed
relatively close together for the first half of the race, around this point
Margaret passed me and I kept her in my sight as something to aim for for the
next two kilometres. The last kilometre was the toughest. This was my fourth
cross-country race and two of the previous three had been 4km, so when I
reached the fourth kilometre, I really wanted to be done!
Margaret was practically out of sight and I had a stitch in my side as I couldn’t quite get my breathing right, but the support from everyone there was amazing (especially Emily and Myles) and spurred me onto the finish line. Despite feeling a bit lightheaded at the finish, and once I got my breathing back under control, I was delighted I had completed the race and hope to be a bit more consistent in my training for next season!
2019/2020 cross country Ladies Gazebo is being upgraded
National Intermediate Men’s Cross-Country
Race Report by Conor Keating
With the weather forecast the last few weeks predicting snow in ‘the next few days’ the lead up to the National Intermediate was filled with trepidation that it might be ‘a bit of a slog’ again this year. However by around Thursday it became increasingly clear that the East was having the fairer of the weather and there would be no repeat of the shinanings of Clarenbridge 2018. To get over any lingering trauma I suggest watching the Netflix documentary ‘The greatest party that never happened’ about the infamous Fyre music festival which as you know was supposed to be the most awesome festival ever on a private island in Bermuda. One of my favorite parts of the documentary was when there was no proper transport organized from the airport so a local bus driver drove the attended to the ‘venue’ and politely informed that them on the way that ‘Oh people, I’ve seen this site and your in for a shit storm here’. Brings back memories of the bus journey to Galway but at least I didn’t have to pay 3k minimum (before expenses) for the experience! Joe.ie was funny when stating ‘Netflix releases the first horror movie of 2019’ – Rated R for Retared (I may have made up the last bit).
Therapy over I made my way to the clubhouse for just before 10:45 Sunday, bumping into Brian Conway on the way. Once there there was only Michael there quickly followed by Emily who declared that a lot of people were making their own way and it would be a half empty bus. However the feeling of being bus wackers only lasted a few minutes as a great crowd materialized and once on the bus a roll-call ensued. Karol, who was sitting next to me, had his name called out twice by Emily – you don’t however have to be nearly as good as Karol to take part in these XC races and it was great to see such a crowd from the club on this road trip. Conor McCarthy had text to say he was making his own way, but his lift didn’t work out, and he ended up taking the public bus to Dundalk but still arrived in good time.
We had a few hours wait for our race which gave us plenty of time to warm up and cheer on our colleagues in the other races. Both the ladies teams packed well and each came away with the team bronze. Special mention to Lisa Madden on a fantastic 5th place finish in the women’s Intermediate. The Masters men’s race had a huge crowd of nearly 250. There was a few cluster of Sportsworld runners which required a quick tongue to say c’mon to each as they passed by. Apologizes to the few women who had to make do with ‘C’mon Sportsworld’ – I’m bad at names, I don’t know how Emily and Myles do it. Karol had a great run to finish 10th closely followed by Gareth in 14th – well done to both for winning a Gold county medal on the Dublin team.
Finally it was time for the Men’s Intermediate which comprised 2 small laps and 4 larger laps. There was only 57 in this race and the race started at a lightning pace – Justin said he ran the first mile in just under 6 minutes and was nearly last. Justin was soon past me and I tried to keep a good steady pace, not helped by a strung out field and the fact there were few behind me. The race commentator could be heard at all points on the course and we were informed that a group of 9 made up the leading pack half way through the 3rd lap. Shortly after the commentator then declared that one athlete was falling off the lead group and even named the athlete and his club – a little bit of a low blow I thought. As I commenced my penultimate lap I knew that the leaders were closing so I gave it an extra push – determined not to get lapped and avoid an unwanted mention on the commentary. I had just passed the bell when I saw the leaders heading to the finish straight. This sense of achievement was quickly quelled by the realization that I still had a lap to go having treated the 2nd last as a ‘final push’. Ronan was a little bit ahead of me throughout the race and even though I closed the gap in the last lap he finished a few seconds ahead of me with Justin circa another 30 mins better off. Further up the field and not far off mid pack finishes were Stephen, Conor McCarthy and Sadanand – great running in a high class field. I was 14mins quicker than this race last year, my time this year would have won last year’s race by over a minute and I finished ahead of twice as many people as last year – in other words I finished 5th last.
I enjoyed the XC season – I did 7 out of the 9 races that I can compete in; only missing the Dublin senior (we club had no participants this year) and the national senior – I was in Lanzarote. Nearly constitutes ‘full attendance’ – My lack of medals has me really clutching at straws. We were quickly back on the bus home with a quick stop in Applegreen for coffee and in some cases Burger King – you’ve earned it lads. There are a few more BHAA XC races coming up which I intend to do and would recommend. If you’re busy those weekends don’t despair – it’s only 7 months to the Dublin novice XC in Phoenix Park.
Summary of Results
Intermediate Women’s Team Bronze – Lisa Madden, Ciara Brady, Jessica Kennedy, Adelie Reinaudo
Dublin silver county medals – Lisa Madden, Ciara Brady
National Women’s team O/35 Bronze – Catherine Bambrick, Ruth Kelly, Mary Finn, Naoise Waldron
National Women’s team O/50 8th
Dublin team gold medal – Catherine Bambrick
Intermediate men’s team 6th
Masters men O/35 6th
Dublin team gold medal Karol Cronin, Gareth Murran
The John Treacy Dungarvan 10 mile took place on Sunday afternoon. With the dearly departed Ballycotton 10 no longer a fixture on the Irish running calendar, the Dungarvan 10 has soared in popularity as one of the “go to” Spring 10 mile races, along with the Mallow 10.
Any
lingering doubts about the appeal of Dungarvan surely vanished on the
day that entries opened last autumn – the entry website crashed and the
organisers had to resort
to a raffle for entries.
Assuredly,
the course is a PB course. A relatively flat loop that navigates
sheltered country roads. It’s a course that rewards patience in the
early miles – there are plenty
of opportunities to attack the downhill sections from the turn at
halfway. The race t-shirt is one of the best in the business and comes
with a decent goodie bag, and a spread of food in the sports hall
afterwards that could feed an army.
The
weather conditions on Sunday were surprisingly good – temperatures
rising to nearly 10 degrees by the start, albeit tempered somewhat by a
headwind for the first half
of the race.
A
small crew of Terenure’s red and white toed the line and put in some
admirable performances – Diarmuid O’Suilleabhain and Andrea McNamara
both snaring PBs. Recent Cork
exile Damien Geraghty, also ran a stunning PB. Martin Doyle thundered
around despite only being back running a couple of weeks. Tom Kinsella,
David Kennedy and myself also took part. Many thanks to Brian Byrne and
Lucy D’Arcy for the support en route.
In
the overall results, Kevin Maunsell of Clonmel took the spoils for the
second year in a row, while in the ladies, two runners with close
connections to Sportsworld, Laura
O’Shaughnessy and Siobhan O’Doherty finished second and third, behind
Grace Lynch of Iveragh AC.
Like
Raheny last week, Dungarvan serves as a great indicator of where the
fitness is coming into springtime and the drier sod. I heartily
recommend it for next year – just
be sure to set your alarm for the morning the entries open!
First one done in Tirmoghan, Co. Kildare with the East of Ireland Marathon group. Heavy rain from start to finish in this one. Relatively flat. Out and back for a mile and half then 5-mile loops. Disappointed not to get sub 4 but cramp set in on last lap. Finished in 4:17.
Meet the runner has been a great success over the past few years with club members of new and old standing getting to know each other better. Have you ever been reading meet the runner and, after a few moments, you’ve said to yourself,
‘This person and I think alike! We’re on the same wavelength!”’
This new column entitled ‘What’s in my running bag’ goes a bit more in-depth in the hope that it will share some good ideas, answer common questions and spark some debate etc. If you would like to contribute seee the links at the bottom on this email or on the club website.
My running bag is the Under Armour SC30 Backpack. It’s an expensive bag which I bought in the USA last year but well worth the investment. I love it because it’s waterproof, has a compartment for wet clothes and has a sleave nnfor a laptop or book when I’m traveling for work.
Under Armour Bag
My running shoes of choice always come from Adidas, particularly their Adizero range. Adizero running shoes tend to be lightweight, responsive, and low to the ground to maximize performance. They suit runners with high arches more as the shoes tend to run a bit narrow.
For track workouts and races up to a Marathon, I use the Adios or the Sub2 shoes. Sub2 is my favorite shoe lately. They are Adidas’s answer to the world’s fastest running shoe the Vapourfly 4% from Nike. They have bounce owing to the boost material in the sole. If you don’t like this bounce then I also recommend the Adizero Takumo or old Adios without the boost material and would recommend them for up to 5K.
For everyday or faster runs, use the Boston for a neutral foot motion or the Tempo for overpronation. I use the Boston for my everyday shoe for the past 7 years but do keep a pair of heavier shoes like the Ultra Boost for days when I’m feeling sore or sensing a possible oncoming injury.
If you are a new runner or have never got a gait analysis done you should. You can go to any specialty running store or most Elvery’s. Just don’t buy into them selling you the most expensive cushioned Asics shoes in stock.
Adizero Boston
The Boston is a fantastic shoe. They bring out new colors and upgrades twice a year. Very few shops in Dublin stock these but a few specialty running stores will have them.
Adizero Adios
The Adios was my racer of choice for 10K and up before the Sub2 was released. They are more rigid and a bit heavier than the Sub2. They are also around €50 cheaper at the time of writing. Neither are the lightest show available for I love the ride.
Adizero Sub 2
Shoes aside the next most important thing is good socks on race day. I’m aghast when people tell me they wore penny’s socks and wonder why they get blisters. My favorite socks are from new balance. They make fantastic clothes in general. The built-in arch offers support, with reinforced heels and toes and built-in cushioning in the front and rear tabs help to absorb impact wins me over. Never had problems racing in these.
When it comes to spikes I stick with Adidas and typically 9″ or 12″ spikes owing to my clumsiness running downhill.
New Balance Tab Socks
As the adage goes: the shorter the short, the faster the runner. Have yourself looking the part and chasing personal bests with the Nike Men’s 2″ Challenger Short for track and field, cross country and club road racing events. No, I haven’t gone to the dark side. I still think Nike is a somewhat dubious corporate giant that glosses over and possibly even encourages doping, but they make the best shorts on the market.
Nike Men’s 2″ Challenger Short
Having spent a good deal of time in America over the past few years for work I have picked up a more running tops than i know what to do with in outlet stores. The prices are far better than you would get in Ireland. If pushed I’d say Under Armour make the best tshirts and singlets when you take into account value, comfort, and style. I’m a fan of cotton type t-shirts as they can be worn casually also. My wish for 2019 is that race t-shirts go away and races are just cheaper or they think of something better to give away.
When it comes to winter running then I look to Ron Hill for their hats and gloves. During the wet winter nights, it helps to have a few pairs on hand and they are good value. They have a nice selection of jackets also.
Ron Hill Beanie (I love this hat)
For serious runners who like bopping along to music and want to have advanced information about their training. The Forerunner 645 Music has the latest Garmin look with a round watch case and face and replaceable 20mm silicon band. I have been using it for more than six months and I really like it. From a design standpoint, it’s really well designed: both functionally and aesthetically. There are some quirks to be ironed out still, but the amount of information you get about your runs, the extreme customization of the screens, battery life and the fact that it works as a great 24/7 activity tracker justify its price. If the high price is not an issue, buy this watch and a good pair of earphones like the Jaybird runs.
My watch is silver unfortunately
In my bag going to races, I’ll always carry a resistance band, lacrosse ball, small foam roller, and a yoga block if I think I will have space to loosen out before the race starts. These items are particularly important if driving to the race and sitting in the car. A lacrosse ball is a great buy for anyone with tight hips i.e. all runners.
Bag of torture tools
Nutrition is the next thing after your gear. If you haven’t already come across it, Maurten has been making waves in the world of sports nutrition for a little while with their energy drink mixes, which have been used by some of the fastest marathon runners in the world. Last year they brought out a new product – a gel. Maurten was designed to solve a problem that has dogged runners for many years – how to ingest enough carbohydrate to fuel effectively without suffering GI issues.
Murten Gels
For hydration adding a little something to your water goes a long way. Nuun Energy Electrolytes are easy to carry tablets that dissolve in water with caffeine and B Vitamins for a kick of energy, and electrolytes to help fight muscle cramps and keep you hydrated on-the-run.
Low sugar and 10 tabs per tube
Finally for that post race or pre-race snack I’m a fan of a fulfil bar. If I’m more organised I’ll have made my own with protein powder, dark chocolate and almond butter the night before.
