Report input by Judith Lloyd, Mary Colclough, Olive Fogarty. Photos by Paddy Lynch, Olive Fogarty.

About 20 Sportsworlders travelled to Poland last weekend for the Krakow half marathon. Brainchild of Ellen Lavin,  the trip pulled together a fairly diverse group of runners ranging from those completing their first ever half marathon, to those casually slotting it into their preparations for the Dublin City Marathon and a few of us who were just along for the cheering.

Dodging storm Callum in Dublin we arrive to Krakow over the course of Friday.  The spread of arrival times is because, as an elite pool of Sportsworld athletes, it’s just too  risky to put all of us on the one flight.  (In reality it’s  probably due to people having run out of annual leave or needing the full day to pack the hairdryer into carry on, but it’s all about the positive self-talk at this stage.)

After settling into the hotel and a bonding lunch we head over to Tauron Stadium for registration and event t-shirt appraisal.  The race organisation is strict but efficient requiring runners to present photo ID to pick up their number and goodie bag.  Sorted, we re-emerge into the Krakow night to find ourselves somewhat stranded in a suburb on what looks like Krakow’s answer to the N7 past Citywest.  A few failed attempts to hail a taxi-for-10 later  we’re about to become despondent when Eileen Rowland comes to the rescue and -under pretence of asking for directions – somehow blags us a lift back into town free gratis on an out-of-service private coach.

Saturday morning and, thanks to the dubious organisational abilities of this apprentice, people are out of the beds at the crack of dawn and on bus to Auschwitz by 6.30.    The 7 hour round trip to the former concentration camp is sobering  and often harrowing but ultimately feels like a small token to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in this terrible place.  As one runner puts it “It made me think about how lucky I was to be free and able to run the next day and that me “finding it hard” was absolutely meaningless compared to how incredibly painful some people’s lives are and were. “

And so, it’s the eve of the race. Preparations are varied. For some it’s a dose of flu medicines washed down with a glass of wine, for others it’s  an afternoon lie down with a cocktail in a beer garden. Ray, revealing a brief flash of competitiveness takes to the beetroot soup, while Judith fuels up with a plate of chicken livers.    Dedicated athletes all, we round out the evening with a few pre-hydration beers watching the Ireland/Denmark football fixture in Duffy’s Irish Bar.

Race day dawns cool and foggy.   Outside the hotel the runners don the black sacks for warmth.  Group think has set in and the collective mind of a rather sleep deprived Sportsworld crew has determined that the function of the black sacks which were, as Judith puts it later, “very thoughtfully” included in the goodie bags, is to keep the runners warm, pre race.  Thus attired, the gang head off to Tauron Stadium.  At the bag drop, noticing a few odd looks from other runners it becomes clear that all others are handing in black bags stuffed with their gear, rather than their bodies…..first mistake of the day!!

By 11 the fog has burned off and revealed a day of blue skies and temperatures in the low 20s.  We supporters sip coffee and check our watches, eager to be at the 5km mark in time.   The course is a circuit from Tauron Stadium along the Vistula river, through the beautiful Old Town, alongside the castle and into the main square and back along the other side of the river to finish in the (disco lit) indoors of the Stadium.  Such a route is perfect for us to spot all our runners at the 5km and 17km marks.

Meanwhile,  on the start line, Judith , running her first ever half, gives the runners report :

“A brief warm up – sure we can take the first mile or so easy – ( can see  Myles and Emily cringing)  and into our chute.  Someone had obviously remembered Jack Charlton’s famous comment “put them under pressure”, as we found ourselves in the purple 1.40 to 1.49 hr chute – dream on -…..All around were strapping, fit-looking, gel-bearing young men and extremely elegant females with dark glasses, immaculate make-up and blonde styled hair …….and then there was Trevor and I.

Eventually we’re off and the race takes over mind and body.  Through the town, out along the river for 10 ks and back the other side.  The brilliant Sportsworld supporters popping up like rabbits at various points along the way screaming like dervishes to keep going, you’re looking great ( first  white lie), you’re nearly there (second white lie), and the final accolade, well done you were great – with that one I agreed whole heartedly!

Along the course itself I recall the moment I saw the runners who had already turned for home on the other side of the river and thinking oh good, nearly time to turn too.  The next 11/2 ks were the longest of my life, or so I felt, until I too turned.  But the absolute longest was the final K to the finish….just there, just there, just there…..and still not quite until suddenly I pitched into darkness, tripped over the first mat and then realised the next one was IT and hit my watch.  Wunderbar!….or words to that effect…..What an experience!  Instant pain relief.  Euphoria.  Glance at watch and realise I’d only barely gone over 2 hours – by one minute – seriously thrilled.  Met up with the rest of the runners and supporters all well pleased with their performances, and for me the icing on the cake as Eileen Rowland told me my official time was just UNDER the 2 hours – yippee!! “

Huge congratulations to those completing their first half marathon – Helen, Michelle, Alison and first-in-class Judith who won her category.  Big congratulations too to Rosie  (who led home with a sub 1.50 time) Ray, Paul, Eileen, Ellen,  Bronwyn & Maria (just out for their long run on a Sunday) , Mary (just back from injury), Audrai, Carol & Trevor.

A beautiful city and a great weekend in good company.  Next stop Paris half,  March 2019.

7.15 the alarm goes. I look out the window. Clouds. Great. Today is the 35th running of the Ronde Ceretane, a 20km hill run in an adjacent village. 8.45 on the warm up track, the clouds are breaking up and the temperature is 22c. I hear Emily shouting “get some strides in, get some strides in”. I duly oblige. 9.25 not a cloud to be seen and now 25c. The music and the crowd at the start are in great form. The first km is gently downhill. I hold back knowing from previous that the 3.5km hill is next. It quickly becomes obvious that doing 600’s and 800’s round Bushy is not quite sufficient training for running up hills. I struggle to the top. Judith by this stage is well out of sight. On the downhill I am frustratingly passed by those I bravely overtook on the uphill. As I complete the first lap I am lapped by 3 African gentlemen crossing the finish line. Commencing the hills for the 2nd time the heat takes its toll and I rapidly loose the will to run. I need Val’s encouragement! Negative thoughts like why am I doing this when I could be sitting having a grand crème in the local café, flash into my mind. I struggle to the finish where Judith awaits me with a welcome drink. She had had a great run improving her previous position by coming first in her catagory. Somehow I feel I won’t be collecting too many more Ronde Ceretane tee shirts.

    It was cold and dry. The perfect morning for a race. After a nice warm up we gathered on Springfield Avenue near Tesco for the start of the race and shortly after we were off. The first km is along Dodder Park Road and we then took a left up the hill towards Terenure village. We then turn up along Templeogue Road and then back down Springfield Avenue and finish at Rathfarnham Bridge. It’s not a flat course by any means but tends to lend itself to pb times. Today was no exception. There was just over 1130 entries in the race which attracts some top athletes each year. The chosen charity for this year was Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. There were serious performances by all of the Sportsworld participants. PBs all around. I was delighted with my time after knocking almost 2 minutes off my time from the same race last year. Well done to all and thank you to everyone who came out to support us on the morning. Sportsworld results are listed below and apologies if I have missed anyone.

18. Karol Cronin 15.35
58. Karl Chatterton 16.29
86. Wesley Harrison 17.12
87. Adam Moss 17.04

116.Denis McCaul 17.51
117. Will Martin Smith 17.53
129.Kieran Long 17.54
135.Conor Keating 18.08
152.Noreen Brouder 18.27
180.Ruth Kelly 19.07
202.David Kennedy 19.32
203.Neil Purdy 19.37
229.Karl Shevlin 20.07
233.Lorna Quinn 20.03
247.Louise Jackman 20.34
252.Patricia Fitzmaurice 20.42
253.Katie Nugent 20.40
261.Derrick Long 20.46
272.Caroline Conway 21.06
301.Will English 21.24
305.Andrew Murphy 21.11
336.Angela Keane 22.11
358.Lisa Singleton 22.36
368. Jessica Kennedy 22.40
410.Tim Murphy 23.38
460.Colin Kenny 24.21
553.David Ryan 25.39
649.Laurence Delair 27.19

When I heard “International”, I had something else in mind….

I did okay in my second ever half. It was the 2017 Dublin Rock n’ Rock (finishing in 1:39, a number which would haunt me), and so I registered for the same event in 2018 in an effort to beat my time. Not a huge ask considering I’m running more. Who’d have guessed The Pope’s visit would mean a major course reroute to include major hills, which I’ll blame for a major 4 minute slower run – disgusted!  I would have to go again this summer to find my PB, and some pride.

“Charleville”, said Maura “XCountry” Ginty. The “flattest, fastest half”, she said. “Roadtrip!”, she gushed. “We’ll stay with Shona.” Who could resist this infectious idea! “Get on the club email there Dee, and tell people we’re going” she said. “Get a big gang!”.

Sportsworld Participants: Maura, Deirdre, Gareth.

While most of our club togged out for the Dublin Half, Maura and I benefited from the club’s Regional Hospitality Network For Elite Athletes, with the very fine overnight accommodation in Castletroy of Shona Keane. The current Limerick marathon winner, Shona offers very comfortable lodgings and pre-race pep-talks over a fine feed of pasta.

The morning of, the conditions were perfect. Sunny, crisp, a little cold. I felt okay. No passports required on the lovely spin onto International Charleville, we parked up. Finishing my third half this year in Cork in June with yet another 1:39, I vowed to beat that.

The run itself I found okay, grand at times, mostly tough, but fair. Unusually, I managed to stay with the 1:35 pacers for a good chunk – though my particular 1:35 pace group finished in 1:33! Ehh? The course is definitely not pancake flat, and while the last 2 miles seem like an eternity, I was very pleased to finish 1:36:00 on the nose.

William was there supporting us, or maybe that was more to do with Siobhan, who came in second! Crona Brady was there too, supporting Mick, the overall 2nd place finisher. All ran brilliantly, as did Gareth with a terrific 74 mins and Maura too, subbing 90 and well on her return to her peak performances.

I love Maura’s attitude on raceday, her positivity, goodwill and her drive to improve, and my enjoyment of the day was as much to do with her as my solid PB. Here we are, seemingly joined at the hip, with even Rob Heffernan unnable to come between us.

Well done all in this ‘International’ race, and to the Dublin Half gang too.

Deirdre “Will.i.am” O’Connell

This past weekend whilst most of us were partying the night away the Berlin 6 were having a sleepless night before they took on the 26.2 miles on a memorable world record breaking day. If you missed it Eliud Kipchoge’s ran 2:01:39 a performance distance fans may be talking about for a long, long time. Unless Kipchoge himself betters the record, one would think his mark will stand for a long time as his 78-second destruction of the world record marked the biggest single drop in the men’s marathon world record in 51 years.

As time goes on, records are supposed to be harder and harder to break, but he destroyed the old mark. Alas I digress. A few of the runners from the club have written their own reports. Some great reading and times. Get your extra cup of coffee on a Friday and a few extra biscuits. Top of the bunch were Ciara and Martin with Sedanand hitting sub 3 and Diarmiud, Paul and Tom all running well.

Martin 

I woke at 05:30 that morning,breakfast at 6am then ready and off to the race. I arrived there about 7:20,so plenty of time to drop off my bag and find the starting area.  There is 8 starting groups broke up in letters A-H.I was in group D, 3-3:30hrs finish.  There was a separate path for each group to their coral.It moved smoothly and well organised. Anxious not to get hemmed  back to far to far in the group I got up the front at 8:15,an hour before the start.It filled up quite quick,but an hour wait standing there felt forever.

So this is the fastest flattest marathon course in the world.I didn’t know what really to expect and was very anxious to try make the most of the opportunity. In Dublin last year I played it safe and stuck with a pacer most of the way.Today I was on my own not really knowing what I could achieve or how fast or slow I could pace the race. I decided to aim high and just see what happens. 9:15 the gun is heard and a huge wave of people move slowly forward over the mat.I could see the 3hr pacer about 300m in-front of me in the the crowds.This seemed to make me panic a bit as I need to definitely be in front of him.  The first 5k was really packed tight with little room to move.I checked my Garmin and was happy

With my progress of just over 19 mins but my heart rate was souring,I needed to settle down a little. Onwards to 10k still caught up with excitement and over eagerness to push on I reached it at 39 min.Heart rate still high but I didn’t feel I was pushing hard. There are water stations with cups every couple of kms. I made sure to hydrate at each one. On to the 10 mile at 62 min still happy enough doing calculations over and over in my head of what I could achieve. The course has a lot of long straights of wide streets that can feel like you are not making much progress and are tempted to surge in from time to time,which is not a good idea.I found it hard to find a group that were sticking to a steady pace.  Half way point 1:22,I thought great still on track.As we passed through the check point people started picking up the pace, I thought I’d slowed and got caught up with this mass move,then around 26k it hit me!

Between the heat and some fatigue the pace I was finding easy suddenly started to feel a bit more strenuous. I pushed on the the 32km thinking 10k left,I’ll get second wind and push it in. Second wind never came and mentally I was finding it tough as I could see my ambitious time slipping away. I just started counting down the kms one at a time, giving 100% effort but not getting the pace for the effort.
My breathing was fine but just hadn’t got the power to go any quicker. Trying to feed off the crowd I found I just couldn’t connect  with them, they seemed distant compared to previous marathons. Onwards I pushed really finding it to be a struggle, constantly look for the Brandenburg gate as a sign I was close to the finish. The last km you turn and a long straight run through the gate to the finish. With it in sight I picked up a little an gave it one last push. I was there 2:51:23. I was never so happy to be finished a race. I found it the longest marathon I’ve done. Maybe it was the long straights and lack of variety,it felt like running on a treadmill for 3hrs at pace! I may of started off too anxious and over reached from the start. Still you gotta try. End of the day it was a pb and a learning experience !

Diarmuid Ó Súilleabháin

Berlin is one of my favourite places to see in the world. Its history, its left wing spirit, it’s music, and built fabric have fascinated me for a long time. The marathon here is a massive event. This year they would have 44,000 runners, and Eliud Kipchoge had made his intentions clear that he would be trying to break the world record. I had run it in the past and really enjoyed it, so I was very happy when my application was accepted last December.

Convinced by arguments read during my research and nerdery of running, I decided to make some changes to my training for the marathon and include strength and conditioning training, and also train more by heart rate.

First of all I started going to a strength and conditioning for runners class on Friday mornings before work. I’ve really enjoyed this class and I would recommend you to give it a go if you think you might like it. It took awhile for me to start feeling the effects of it but after a few months I definitely felt that I was stronger in races, recovering faster, and that I no small niggles any more.

Secondly I went to Trinity to get my lactate threshold (LT) and V02 max tested. You’re lactate threshold is important when it comes to the marathon as you run just below the ceiling of this point of lactic acid generation for the duration race if you do it right. Increasing you LT should allow for improvements in your time at marathon, half marathon, and 10 mile distances. I have never targeted improving my LT I know that it is something that I will need to get a handle of with my future training.

At the end of the test I was given my training zones based on my heart rate and a program which I intended to follow as best I could until Berlin. In retrospect, it takes a long time to see improvements from this and 3 months before a marathon isn’t really enough time to see the real benefit of it and is something one needs to do over a longer time.

Come race day I was feeling good, I thought that I had prepared pretty well and the conditions were favourable. Come the start of the race I settled into the first few kilometers alright. I stuck to my plan of going out a little slower and then speeding up. From 3k onwards I started to get into it but before long I could feel that I really wasn’t getting up to where I should have. I pushed ahead hoping that that feeling would pass. Coming up to the half way point, I could feel I was pushing more than I should’ve been and once I went through 15 miles I realized that I was going to blow up if I didn’t cool my pace as I felt like as was at mile 22. I ended up spluttering through the last 10 miles and stumbled in at 3:17. I’ve no idea what went wrong, but there you go. When things don’t go the right way for you in a 5k you might be 30 seconds off goal. In a marathon you get to have the abyss stare back at you.

After the finish line outside the Reichstag I was very happy to meet Sadanand, Ciara, and Martin who all had terrific races. All of whom made a big improvement in their marathon time.

Paul 

After Dublin and Paris, Berlin was my third marathon adventure. We arrived on Saturday and went straight to the expo. Expo’s aren’t really my thing but if they are then you won’t be disappointed as there were plenty of things to see, try and buy.

Race day was fantastic experience even if I didn’t have the race I wanted.

A couple of things stood out to make it a memorable starting naturally enough with the start itself. It had the best atmosphere I have witnessed at a race start. The music, the introduction of the elite runners and the sheer volume and noise of people built the tension and the excitement.

Once you set of though, as I found as in Paris, you could be in any city in the world as you are concentrating on the race itself. There was good support from the Irish in the crowd and the Germans themselves, but I would have to say that nothing so far has compared to the support and atmosphere you get in the Dublin Marathon from your home crowd.

As for my race the first 36km were all going to plan and then I just fell off a cliff and struggled home.

As I said the start of the marathon was the best start I had witnessed but the finish was even better. You turn a corner with about a kilometer to go and in the distance the Brandenburg Gate rises to meet you and once you get through the gate the finishing 400m is a wall of noise. I managed to pick out my wife in the crowd who was having a great time cheering all the runners.

However by far and away the best element of the experience was being able to share it with my fellow Sportsworlders before and after the race.

We spent the next couple of days as tourists and Berlin is such a cool city. We did a cycling tour the next day with the Sportsworld team, which was great fun, and I would recommend. Other places to visit if you are in Berlin that I would recommend are:

1. DDR Museum – A cool interactive museum that shows you what life was like in old East Germany.
2. Topography of Terror – A look at the crimes of the SS. It really is terrifying to see what humans are capable of and you can draw parallels to what is happening around the world today
3. Klunkerkrainch – A really cool rooftop bar (too cool and hip for me). You have to go through a shopping center and walk through a parking lot to get there but it is worth it.

Also make sure you eat plenty of Currwurst and Kebabs. I would recommend the Berlin Marathon to anyone. It’s an iconic race in a great city and even better if you can share it with club mates and friends.

Tom

Late Friday evening I arrived in to Tegel airport (which makes Dublin’s Terminal 1 look like the Taj Mahal) and began the 40 minute drive/train ride to the hotel.

Noticing how smooth the journey was brought home how famously flat the Berlin course is.

The next morning I headed south to a different Berlin airport, Tempelhof, where the marathon expo was being held.

It’s a massive venue with lots of history and a WW2 Allied Troop Carrier plane on the runway but the expo itself was probably too spread out over the numerous hangers.

There is more than enough provided for pre-race fuelling/preparation (Gels, electrolyte tablets, tapes) and post-race merchandise (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, shoes…).

After the expo the rest of the day was spent wandering the streets, watching the Liverpool Spurs match with Paul and Tina beside Checkpoint Charlie and then carb loading with Diarmuid, Adrian and Paul in the Mall of Berlin food court.

Race day:

There was a long walk to the bag drop area entering Tiergarten Park by the Brandenburg Gates. Wave sections were already crowded 40 minutes beforehand.

The start line was one of the best I’ve seen right by the Victory column in the center of the Tiergarten with the music blaring and the excitement at fever pitch.

Once the race got started it was pretty packed for the first 10km (note: try to aim for a wave of A-E for less crowded) so it was tough to get in to a rhythm.

It was hard to take in much initially as you were just concentrating on the feet of the runners in front of you but it soon opened up.

There were three lines along the route which indicated the most efficient way to run the course so this helped to cut out the additional meters usually clocked up during a marathon.

After 30km I began to struggle and slowed up so just tried to take in a bit more of the sights and support looking forward to that turn in to the Brandenburg Gates to the finish line.

The good:

Lots of international and local support along the route.

Flat course (concentration needed and a few long flat runs for training).

Very scenic and impressive start and end to the race.

Nice to share the race with World Record setting Eliud Kipchoge.

The bad:

Quite a few spectators crossed the road during the race bumping in to runners (myself included).

The water stops were crowded with plastic cups that were dropped in the middle of the road and could be a slipping hazard.

Overall disappointed with the time but enjoyed the marathon race experience as always and could now concentrate on exploring the tourist attractions around Berlin.

Well done to all the Sportsworld runners(Ciara, Sadanand, Paul, Martin, Diarmuid and Adrian) – a great representation this year.

We had a nice night out afterwards and enjoyed a 4 hour cycling tour of the city at 11am on Monday to loosen up J

A parting comment.

The next morning when walking/shuffling along to get some breakfast I got talking to a fellow marathoner(Peter from London) who mentioned that Berlin was the 128th he’s run.

Of those, 60 have been with a replacement hip, so there’s the motivation for those of you considering but haven’t run a marathon yet 😉

I am not sure who will want to read about a 5k in Drogheda the same week the Berlin marathon reports are hot off the press. But it has been a long time since I wrote a race report so I may as well give you the back story.

In 2017 I developed a race phobia. Maybe it was a race report phobia actually? Anyway unless I felt I was gunning for a pb, there was zero wind or the course was as flat as a football field, I was not signing up. Oh and I also had to feel in top form, had trained hard, slept well and tapered perfectly. So no surprise it was July when I finally toe’d the line in the Docklands 5k. The resulting DNF was not the acronym I was hoping for. With confidence shattered, that was my one and only road race of the year.

So I came in to 2018 with changes in mind. The plan was to commit to the club sessions, run more easy miles and return to the weekly LSR. Basically do everything that Myles & Emily had been prescribing all along! And also I was going to race more. Whatever the conditions or fitness levels or moon cycle, I was going to show up.

So in keeping with the plan, I wanted to squeeze in a 5k before the big one at the end of the month. I scanned myrunresults calendar and the Boyne AC 5k popped up. Facebook said a “flat fast paced course” and Google maps clocked the journey at 40 minutes. The course was a lap and two thirds (different start/finish points). No one likes lapping but it looked straight forward and the new me has stopped searching for perfection so “Sign me up!”.

A 12 noon start meant there was no early morning rush. The journey up the M1 flew by and I was directed off the M1 and straight to the club house in lots of time for a warm up. I am not sure what qualifies as a fast flat course in Drogheda. “Undulating hills” might be more apt. I got a few easy miles in followed by some (downhill) strides and made my way to the start line.

The buzzer sounded just after 12 and we climbed immediately followed by a long and bumpy downhill. I stayed in the lead pack of 5 and we motored over the hills for the first 1.5km before turning a corner to face the wind and the start of the climbs. Now I will be honest, if I was to go back up and run this course without the race pressure, I may downgrade the terrain classification but senses are heighted at race pace and the smallest incline can intensify in the mind. 2km in, I was safely tucked away from the headwind, clipping the heels of the 4th place chap. But he started to feel the pace or else he wanted me off his tail – either way I had to man up and overtake. At this point we were passing the start finish line on lap 1 so there were cheers from the crowd, which does help pass a few hundred metres. After that I knew the hills were coming. I tried to keep the stride going for as long as possible before switching to the duck step. It mightn’t look pretty but it does give the legs some temporary relief. It wasn’t long until the 4km marker and I was running downhill again, albeit with less grace & more desparation than the first lap. I tried to stay calm, get control of the breathing and keep the pace without the effort. This served me well and I started closing on second place. With 400 metres to go, he was close but a glance over the shoulder & step on the gas kept me rooted in third.

It took me a while to realise that races are not about pb’s or flat courses or head winds but it is about giving everything you have got, on the day. I crossed the line knowing I had done just that. After catching my breath, I made it back down the course to cheer on Audrey who is still learning what running is all about. I was delighted to witness her shave a few seconds off her personal best on a tough course.

The race was well organised with a pre and post race goodie bag, a massive spread in the clubhouse afterwards and cash prizes for all age categories. While not a fast 5k, I would definitely recommend it and hope to be back next year.

So roll on Rathfarnham and for those who are still with me, I can offer you this advice…

– Keep up the easy miles
– Don’t neglect the Sunday long run
– Race regularly and often
– Listen to Myles & Emily
– Finally & most important, enjoy the process!