Carlsberg Don't Do Marathons.............

.........................and they probably never will.

 

 

After running my first marathon in Dublin in 2006 I came to Barcelona in the spring of 2007 to prove that I could do better, but more importantly to run a marathon that would not cause me so much pain and suffering (The last 4 miles in Dublin were as bad as it gets) - in search of that finish line high that most first time marathoners talked about.  That spring marathon in 2007 proved to be one of the most enjoyable marathons I ever ran, crossing the line I almost broke into tears I was so happy - the last 2 miles were the only painful ones and only moderately so compared to Dublin. I could have broken 3:30 on that occasion if it had been my priority but I was over the moon with my 3:33:49 PB.

 

In 2010 I returned to Barcelona to have a crack off my first serious sub-3 hour attempt, but an injury leading up to the race, which reared it's ugly head about 9 miles in, put paid to that. My partner in crime on both those occasions was my friend Adrian and who better to partner up for the hat-trick return than him, although he'd be running his first marathon (or indeed any race) in 5 years. This year we were joined by Liam aka "Puds", who is more familiar with a bike than a pair of runners, having last togged out for a marathon (his second in all) way back in Dublin 2006 where he ran a very respectable 2:57 and was in the car on the way home by the time I crossed the line 50 minutes later. To top it off seven of my Eagle AC club-mates would be running the marathon - Tim and Sandra heading for sub 3:30 & 3:20 respectively -Kevin, with a first time marathon PB of 2:59, not giving much away in terms of a target - Finbarr aiming for sub 4 hours, Damien running his first marathon and Nora and Edwina (recovering from an injury). 

 

 

Before

 

We overnighted at my brother in law's in Dublin on Friday night, rising before 5 on Saturday morning to catch the 0640 flight to Barcelona - and they say that the most important nights sleep ahead of a marathon is two nights before! Landing at 1010 hrs local time we got a taxi to the Expo and very quickly picked up our race numbers. While I had packed a soft shell flask in which to carry a homemade gel I was not sure that I would be able to get the black strap molasses for my receipe and decided to pick up some GU Gels at the expo for insurance - 3 ought to do it. We had booked an apartment about half a mile from the start/finish and were lucky enough to sign in early and get a few hours of R&R before heading into town to meet up with the Eagle gang to watch Ireland's narrow defeat to Wales in the Six Nations Championship. Then it was back out to base for more carb loading and a quite if not early night, watching the skiing world cup and the Tirreno-Adriatico on German Eurosport!

 

Adrian was up first at 6:30 for his porridge as he needed to eat early in order to avoid gastro-intestinal issues during the race. I rose at seven as I was only planning on taking on some coffee to get the bowels moving, but had to add a few carbs to help them on their way. The sky was clear and the sun shining, with the temperature cool - it was going to be a perfect day for running. I left first for the 0800hrs scheduled Eagle AC photo-shoot outside the bag drop area - although when I arrived there were (understandably) about 10,000 others at the rendevouz point also so needless to say the photo-shoot wasn't an entire success - although 4 of the eight managed to meet. I met up briefly with Nora and Edwina and wished them well before heading to the sub-3hour section where most of the runners were running around in a tight circle - not unlike the horse enclosure before a race meet. I joined them for a few "laps" but quickly cottoned on to the futility of jogging around at 11 minute pace with people cutting in front of you every few strides.  My heart rate was in the 90's standing still and shot into the 120's when breaking into an easy jog - I hadn't known that I was that psyched!!!

 

Shortly before the gun I met up with Kevin, whom I hadn't known had entered as a sub-3 hour runner - dark horse Kevin. We decided to hang at the back of the corral and let the front of the sub-3:15 group stream past us as the barriers between the corrals were lifted with a few minutes to go. The 2:45 and 3:00 pacers were well up in front. I kept an eye out for Puds (who had signed on as a sub 3:15 runner) but could not spot him.

 

As I had no pace band and my only real goal was a sub 3 hour finish I had targeted 21 minutes for every 5 km (coincided with the timing mats), which would take me to 2:48 for 40 Km, leaving me a good cushion to get under 3 hours - in fact 21 minute 5ks would get me home in 2:57:12 which was roughly in the territory where I thought my body was capable of delivering me to. Only time would tell.

 

During

 

I shook hands with Kevin and as the gun went off we shuffled down the Avenue Reina Marie Cristina, taking nearly a minute to cross the timing mats. We ran between the brick towers that frame the start/finish area, which we would not see again for another 42 Km. Crossing the Placa d'Espana, I turn to say something to Kevin and he is nowhere to be seen - I look in front - no, he's not gone ahead - it's a bit early to be dropping off the pace particularly as it is still only building up - strange! nothing I can do but run on alone.

 

 

 

 

Placa d'Espana - Les Corts (0 - 5 Km)

The first 5 km towards Camp Nou is a net uphill. That, coupled with the congestion over the first few kms and my desire to ease into the race makes for a relatively slow start, with the Garmin showing a 7:04 opening mile along the 2+km straight section of Carrer de Sants. There are quite a few long straights like this in the marathon, which can be quite impressive, seeing the field of runners spread out in front of you - unless you are the leader of course. The average pace on the Garmin comes down to 7:00 with a 6:56 second mile. I'm finding the going a bit tough during these opening miles, more so because I am off my target pace than anything else. I'm not too concerned as it always seems to take me 3 or 4 miles before the engines are fully warmed up. My heart rate has climbed into the high 150's, which is a bit alarming as I only saw these figures in training when I was pushing hard during speedwork sessions. I ignore the data as I am running at a relatively comfortable pace that I feel I can maintain. I cross the 5 km timing mat in 21:33, over half a minute down on target. The 3 hour pacers are well out in front, but at least I can see them - time to reel them in.

 

5k Time - 21:33 (Projected finish - 3:01:52) 

Position 1,317.

 

 

 

Les Corts - Enteca ( 5 - 10 Km)

After rounding Camp Nou (7 Km) we pass the highest point on the course and turn right onto the Avenue Diagonal for 2 Km, which is the start of a long gradual descent, where my pace picks up and I gradually reel in the 3 hour pace group as my mile splits reduce to sub 6:30, without any additional effort. I am generally ignoring pace and running by "comfortably hard" effort.

 

The water stations, spaced about every 2.5 Km, are excellent - advertised 100m in advance, with  bottled water on both sides of the road handed out over a section at least 100m long with 20 to 30 volunteers on either side - so there is plenty of time to move into the side to collect a bottle, which is no harm given the volume of runners. Likewise the support is fantastic ,with crowds of supporters lined out along the route, concentrated at intersections and live music every few Kms - the drumming groups are the best as there is something very primitive about the rhythm that keeps the adrenaline flowing. I am at the back of the 3 hour pacing group approaching the 10km mark and wonder how I am going to get through, with 4 pacers spread out across the road there is no easy route - however as we approach a water station the crowd parts in the middle and I manage to slip through the most congested section, crossing the 10 km timing mat in 42:02 - more or less back on track, covering the second 5 k in 20:29.

 

10k Time - 42:02 (Projected finish - 2:57:22)

Position 1,104 (213 places gained)

 

 

Enteca - Diagonal (10 - 15 Km)

After the 10k mark we turn left heading back towards the Placa d'Espana continuing on a very gentle descent with my "Garmin" pace continuing to be below 6:30. There's still a steady stream of runners in front of me as we turn left again along the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, where our apartment is located - another 2 km long straight. With the even grade it is quite easy to maintain a steady pace/effort with my heart rate between 157 and 160. I continue to slowly move through the field in front of me, hardly noticeable except for the fact that I do not form associations with any of the runners around me the way I would in other races with those running the same pace as me.  Just before Km 14 we turn left along Passeig de Gracia for 1 Km with is the start of a gentle rise for the next 2 Km - the free ride is over. This is where I became a cropper back in 2010. No such problem today. I maintain a reasonable pace in the 6:40's and cross the 15 km timing mat in 1:02:44 - 16 seconds ahead of target and 20:42 for the previous 5k.

 

15k Time - 1:02:44 (Projected finish - 2:56:28)

Position 786 (318 places gained - including passing the 3 hour pace group)

 

  

Diagonal - Fabra i Puig (15 - 20 Km)

 

 

After the 16 km mark we pass one of Barcelona's most famous landmarks, the incomplete Sagrada Familia, spectacular no matter how many time you see it, although I have no time to take in its splendour and it is soon behind me as we head for a 4 km long out and back section along the wide Avenue Meridana taking us to the turnaround at Km 20. Here we get a clear view of the front runners coming against us on the opposite side of the road. I spot the leading female, cocooned within a group of male runners, after passing through the half way point with the time coming up to 1:15. Further back are the 2:45 pacers with a group of 30 to 40 in their wake - the Spanish take their running seriously. The website advertises pacers from 2:45 up to 4:00 only, despite the fact that over one third of the field finish in over 4 hours.

Eventually I reach the turnaround and cross the 20km timing mat in 1:23:30, increasing the margin on my target to 30 seconds.

20k Time - 1:23:30 (Projected finish - 2:56:14)

Position 709 (77 places gained)

Fabra I Puig - Besos (20 - 25 Km)

I get a great buzz from running close to the steady stream of runners coming against me over the next 2 Km. Puds gives me a shout out - I reckon he is about half a mile behind and not far off the 3 hour pace group - biding his time until the halfway mark I guess.  I cross the halfway timing mat as the clock approaches 1:29, with the Garmin bang on 1:28:00.

  

Halfway Time 1:28:00 (Projected finish 2:56:00

Position 697 (12 places gained)

 

Next to come past is clubmate Kevin a few minutes behind Puds, followed by Sandra, who is looking very comfortable. and gives me a big shout out. I had planned to take my first gel after the halfway point but decide to defer it until Km 25 (15.5 miles), with the second scheduled for 32Km and the final one for the last 5 km or so. As a mid-foot striker who skimps on cushioned soles I tend to be quite noisy, with the effect that I turned quite a few heads as I approached runners from behind, disturbing the relative peace and get them wondering when I am going to pull off the course with an injury as surely all that slapping can't be good for me.

With the out and back section behind us we head east. The Garmin shows 15 miles completed in 1:39:xx but it is over 1:40 before I pass the 15 mile sign (in addition to the km marks, every 5 miles was also marked). We turn south-east heading for the coast and cross the 25 Km timing mat in 1:44:00 - 1 minute ahead of target and another 5k in 20:30. I take my first gel here as I can feel my pace slowing relative to a few runners around me.
 

25k Time - 1:44:00 (Projected finish - 2:55:32)

Position 659 (50 places gained, 38 since halfway,

Besos - Selva de Mar (25 - 30 Km)

At 26 km we turn right along the Avenue Diagonal for a 2.5 Km out and back section towards the Torres Agbar. I manage to maintain a reasonably consistent pace with those around me. I see the 2:45 pacers coming against me on the opposite side of the road - still with a considerable group of runners with them. There is always a steady stream of runners in front of me, so I am never alone, unlike some of my previous sub 3hour marathons. Eventually we reach the turnaround and head back east along the Avenue Diagonal towards the coast. Approaching the 30km timing mat my lower intestine begins to show some activity, probably due to the gel I consumed at Km 25. Thankfully it is only gas and I am able to run on without having to seek out a portaloo. However I decide it is best to avoid taking any more gels in case it promotes further unwanted activity. I cross the 30km timing mat in 2:04:33, now nearly 90 seconds up on my 2:06:00 target ( i.e. 6 x 21:00).

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30k Time - 2:04:33 (Projected finish - 2:55:11)

Position 609 (50 places gained)

 

Selva de Mar - Marina (30 - 35 Km)

At 31 Km we reach the end of the Avenue Diagonal and take a sharp right heading for the coast. The next 5 kms prove more challenging as there are a few drags and there is no shade from the sun, although it is not hot. Perhaps I am beginning to feel the effects of the effort. Still I maintain my forward momentum through the field in front of me, so at least I am running at least as well as those around me. My heart rate is consistently in the 159 to 162 range so, although it is relatively high, at least I am running at an effort that I can maintain over a relatively long period.

At 34.5 Km we turn right heading inland and back towards the City Centre. The volunteers dispensing vaseline from outstreatched hands in blue surgical gloves prove invaluable as I notice a bit of chafing under my arms from the club singlet, putting up with the mild inconvenience of having greasy fingers. 

I cross the 35km timing mat in 2:25:51 - now 69 seconds up on my target, having lost a few seconds over the last 5 Km (21:18). 7 Km to go and the wheels are beginning to wobble slightly. This is where the mental demons start to kick in

"Sure you're well on for the sub-3 hour and you have a good cushion. So what if you lose a minute or two. It's not like you're aiming for a PB or anything".

Still I push on as, apart from stopping and walking, which never entered the head, there is only one effort that I can churn out and whatever pace that gives will have to do.

 

35k Time - 2:25:51 (Projected finish - 2:55:50)

Position 533 (76 places gained - despite the slower split my overtaking rate increased)

Marina - Paral-Lei (35 - 40 Km)

7 Km from the finish line is still a long way out and I now have to concentrate a bit more on the leg turnover to stay on pace. I reckon that the longer I can push the pace/effort the closer i'll get to the finish line without conceding valuable seconds. We are now running towards the City Centre, through the Parc de la Ciutadella under the Arc De Triomf and left along Ronda de Sant Pere. The crowds are bigger now and the cheering more intense, which helps getting the adrenaline going. I am counting down the Kms left - passing 37 Km - only 5.195  to go - 21/22 minute of effort remaining. While I reckon I am close to 2:55 for 42 Km I know that the PB (sub 2:54:35) is beyond reach, particularly as I don't have the energy that I though I might have for a final kick over the closing 5 km. It's a long way out to risk everything on a final throw of the dice. Maintaining a consistent steady pace is the best strategy and it placates the mental demons.

We turn left down the side of Placa de Catalunya and into the old city along paved pedestrian streets that feel hard on the legs. I feel my pace is slowing as the effort is beginning to show. We turn right at the bottom of the town and along the waterfront heading for the Mirador de Colom, statue of Christopher Colombus, that signals that the end is not too far away. My flagging energy prompts me to dig into my pocket for one of my GU gels and down half of it, safe in the knowledge that I will be well across the finish line before it hits the far end of my digestive system.

At last we are on the Avenue de Paral-Lei the final straight before the finish. However at over 2 Km long and at a slight incline it is not an easy run in. The fact that you can see the red brick of the twin towers that frame the Placa d'Espana helps in the sense that the finish is in sight but does wreck the head a little as it never appears to get any closer.

We cross the penultimate timing mat at 40 Km, with 2:46:23 on the watch, back to over 90 seconds cushion on my 2:48:00 40 km target, which suggests a sub 2:56 finish if I can keep it going for the last 2 km.   

 

40k Time - 2:46:23 (Projected finish - 2:55:31)

Position 477 (56 places gained)

  

Paral-Lei - Placa d'Espana (40 - 42.2 Km)

The last 2 km is all about pushing to keep the pace going. The cheering crowds keep me motivated and the fact that I just have to keep pace with those around me and forget about how much closer those brick towers appear to be getting. The effort remains reasonably comfortable in as much as the end of a marathon can be, no finishing kick here (a testament to a lack of real speedwork in my training - probably not too significant in the grand scheme of endurance racing). Finally the brick towers are looming over me as I turn left along the  Avenue Reina Marie Cristina and the finish line is in sight, not as close as I expected (would have liked) and with the clock turning to 2:56:00 (2:55:xx on the garmin) I had no incentive to take the effort into the anaerobic zone just to eek out a few more seconds, satisfied to cross the line in 2:55:37, in what was, in the grand scheme of things one of the best marathons I have ever run.

Finish 2:55:37

Position 451 (26 places gained)

After

Within a minute of finishing Puds came across the line for a 2:56:xx PB finish, which included a 7:58 toilet break mile 10. So we may well have crossed the line together if he had avoided that pit stop. A few minutes lying down with the legs raised against a barrier and we were good enough to hobble the half mile back to the apartment, having to negotiate our way across the river of runners coming in towards the finish line, including cheering clubmate Tim on his way to his sub-3:30 PB. Well done Tim.

After a quick shower and a bite to eat at the apartment Puds and I headed to one of the outdoor cafes for a celebratory beer in the warm sunshine where we were joined by Adrian on his return from the finish line. Adrian had a tougher time out there, going through the half in 2:00 and finishing in 4:30, having done the minimum of training, and effectively using Barcelona as the kick off to his training for Ironman Wales in September. Still he joked that Pud's toilet break mile was a full minute faster than his fastest mile.

The beers were followed by a few more beers in town (although I had to ease back on the pace and reverted to coffee - I just hadn't the training put in). We rounded off the evening by joining my Eagle clubmates for dinner and a few more beers, where we all recounted our days struggle. In addition to Tim's PB there were some great results out there with Sandra running to a 3:18 PB (22nd Woman and first Irish Woman), Damien running his first marathon in 3:43 and Finbarr running his first sub-4 hour in an impressive 3:48. Kevin, my running partner for the first 100 yards, decided to do a bit of sightseeing and eased back to a relatively comfortable 3:14 finish. Nora and Edwina topped their day off with 3:57 and 4:00 finishes. We all agreed that it was a fantastic event, superbly organised and one of the best marathons we have run - well worth the trip.

 

Focus

For the first 10 weeks of the year I was Mr. consistency - averaging 70 miles a week which included a marathon distance run at the weekend around a club 40 minute tempo run. On these days i'd run into town, warmup with my clubmates, run a 40 minute out and back tempo @ 6:30 to 6:45 pace and then run home, making sure I covered at least 26.2 miles. Some of these were a bit of a slogfest but I adapted and they became easi(er) over time. So while I wasn't as prolific at running/pacing organised marathons as I was last year (I still haven't run one this year) I managed to accumulate the same training benefit from my front door.

All this training culminated in the Wicklow Way Ultra on 22nd March, my 11th marathon distance run of the year. The plan after Wicklow was to repeat last years marathon training programme for Portumna, for which last years M40 win entitled me to a free entry this year. The purpose of the early season tempo runs was to accustom me to the harder efforts of the mile and 2 mile repeats @ 6:15/20 pace that the programme would demand. However within a week and a half of Wicklow I was sporting a mild strain in my left calf, probably due to a combination of maintaining my weekend marathon streak and getting lost coming down from Galty Mór on a evening run and having to run a bit longer than planned to get back to the car. As speedwork was out of the question the strain prevented me from starting my marathon training programme and it was back to easy aerobic running. Even this was putting strain on my calf and I had to ease back for a few days.

 

With the possibility of a serious attempt at Portumna fading the longer my injury prevailed my sights began to shift back towards the endurance side of the spectrum (i.e. all day events). I had two potential targets -

 

(i) if my injury prevailed I would aim for the Sneem 50 Mile Walk on 24th May. To hedge my bets I introduced a few walk only sessions into my weekly training culminating in a 20 mile 4 hour walk on roads - and you though long runs were monotonous!!!

 

(ii) if I recovered reasonably quickly I would aim for the Wicklow Way Solo Race, also on 24th May. This race had been on the back of my mind since my cousin Liam mentioned it to me earlier in the year, the only issue being how could I fit it into my marathon training and be sufficiently recovered to give Portumna a good old rattle. The answer was that I couldn't, it was either one or the other and now with Potumna out of the picture, the Wicklow Way was left standing uncontested.

 

The only concerns I had were that the I had only ever run about 24km of the primarily off-road 131km route and the first 4 or 5 hours of the race would be in the dark (it starts at midnight).

 

I dealt with the first concern by doing a recce of the entire route over 3 separate runs spaced out over a few weeks, the first as part of a Sunday group run from Marley Park to Glenmalure (km 2 - 65) on 27th April and the remaining two on my own - Glenmalure to Moyne (Km 65 - 91) and Moyne to Clonegal (Km 91 - 131) over the following weeks (a great way to use up excess annual leave). The second concern was glossed over with a 5 mile midnight run on Friday/Saturday, with 3 of those miles through Ballincollig Regional Park wearing my budget Aldi headtorch. It did the job, and spooked a few birds from their slumber in the process. I also picked up a spare head torch yesterday in a Euro saver shop for €1.50 (sans batteries) - and it's brighter than the €8 Aldi version. The days of spending money on "quality" torches  ended when the €50 Cateye torch I bought for my bike gave up the ghost within a few months of purchase (and less than 15 hours of work on the clock) - it couldn't handle the wet (i.e. outdoor use!!!)

 

So....... with a week to go it is option (ii) that I have gone for (Sneem was ever only going to be a fall back - but I will keep up the walk training) and now it's time to do a bit of planning.

 

Support

While the race will be supported (drop bag/aid station locations have not been identified yet as it depends on the number of volunteers) I will not have the luxury of having 24/7 attention like I did on Connemara last year so I will have to carry some provisions in a backpack.

 

Time

I haven't a clue. The cut-off is 21 hours. The combined time of the recce runs is a little over 16 hours, but I was fully refreshed at the start of each segment. To give me some basis for aiming for 16 hours I compared my recent Wicklow Way Ultra time of 4:58 to that of Clubmate Paul Tierney (4:18) and applied the ratio (1.155) to Paul's 2011 record breaking run on the Wicklow Way of 13:39. This gave me a time of 15:46, so sub-16 hours is possible. Then again Paul had full support in his 2011 attempt and I on the other hand will not be drafting in any additional assistance next weekend. So we'll see.........

 

Getting There

The current plan is to drive to Clonegal on Friday. Walk the 4 km to Kildavin to get the evening bus to Dublin. Get my brother in law to collect me from the bus station and drop me to Marley Park, with a few hours rest in between, run from Marley Park to Clonegal and drive home. I'm even tired thinking about it. 

 

 

The Aftermath

Things have been very quite on the running front since Connemara. Recovery went pretty well - starting with a 3+ mile walk (of sorts) in Connemara National Park the morning after the race. My first run, 10 days after the event, was slow but reasonably trouble free.

A few months back I had signed up for one of the company relay teams in the Dublin City Triathlon on 24th August (14 days after Connemara). My job was to run the 4km final leg of the supersprint. I didn't give it much thought until a few days before the event when I was heading out on my second Connemara recovery run and decided to run a "tempo" mile to see what I would be capable of. While I didn't push myself to the limit I still gave it a good effort and finished the mile a few seconds on the wrong side of my 7 minute target - essentially knocking 50 to 60 seconds off what I would have been capable of before Connemara - no more that I expected really. Come race day however, lined up alongside Brendan in the "relay pen" with a number pinned to my chest, the competitive juices started to flow. Brendan got about a minutes head start on me and managed to add 8 seconds to his lead by the time I crossed the finish line, covering the 4 k in about 16:30, not the best recovery from a 100 miler and sure enough I felt a bit of tightness in my right calf over the last 500m.

A hilly 15+ mile long run a week later exposed the weakness in my right leg a bit further with a tightness in my Achilles developing from midway through the run - the hills will expose an weakness in your Achilles. I was reduced to limping for the rest of the day and a week off running. A 9 mile run the following weekend and another day of limping dictated that a longer period of rest was required - typically an Achilles injury takes 6 to 8 weeks to recover from as opposed to the 2 to 3 required for a muscle injury - something to do with the reduced blood flow/access to tendons to effect a repair compared to the relatively accessible capillary rich muscles.

The further layoff didn't bother me too much as I reckon I had my work done for the year and my only targets were "social" races or pacing gigs. A proper rest is probably what my body needed anyway. A few weekends on the bike an a gradual return to running culminated in a 15 mile run @ 7:59 pace on grass today (between 2 miles of walking) with no lingering issues. So hopefully I can ramp it up over the next two weeks to pace 3:20 in Dublin on October 28th - what's the opposite of taper?

Thanks for all the kind comments (on and off line) over the last two months following the death of Cliona - like my running it has been a slow recovery - funny how the body and mind sometimes synchronise.

Marathon Training Week 5 of 10

Session 1 - Tuesday (1830hrs - 2030hrs)


4 x 1 mile @ 10k Pace with 2 minute recoveries between 5 mile easy warmup and 5-6 mile moderate cooldown.

I wasn't worried about this session too much as I was coming down from last weeks 4 x 8 laps of the track to 4 x 4 laps this week with 30 second more recovery - ok the pace was going to be 10 to 15 seconds per mile faster, but how tough could that be. Quite a bit as I found out.

While last months UCC 10k race was @ 6:21 pace average, I had already completed last weeks 4 x 2 miles @ HMP in 6:16/17 pace so I set my minimum target at my 10k PB pace of 6:09. With lane 1 open I had 6 minutes 1,600s in mind (90 second laps - 6:02 pace). Ok a bit faster that 10k pace, but surely i'm capable of churning out 6 minute mile repeats - not quite as it turned out - hitting repeats in 6:03/05/06/04 close enough but mildly dissappointing - it's a fine line between the 2 mile repeats @ 6:16 pace last week and mile repeats at 6:02 pace. Perhaps if I had an additional days rest after Sunday's marathon I might have done better. Then again I wanted to maximise the number of easy/rest days before my second session of the week.

15.97 miles in 1:55:44 (7:14 pace @ 136 Hr = 611 Hb/Km) with 4 x 1 Mile @ 6:03/05/06/04 pace.

Session 2 - Saturday (0930hrs - 1053:30 hrs)

Half Marathon Race

This is the only scheduled race in the programme and therefore took on a significance all of it's own - the only real test of how my training has gone and what i'm capable of. The timing was perfect for the Bandon Half Marathon (& 10k). The only issue is that it's a hilly half and I couldn't shouldn't compare the result against my HM PB of 1:22:32. How else was I going to rate my result though? The only thing I could think of was to compare it against last years results. Two of my clubmates had run this race last year and gone on to run sub 3 hour marathons in Cork, 3 weeks later. Pat ran the half in 1:24:05 and went on to run a relatively comfortable 2:58:18 in Cork, while Ann-Marie ran a 1:26:03 in Bandon and went on to a 2:59:51 in Cork. So my baseline target was half way between these 2 results - 1:25 (6:30 pace) with an eye on getting under 1:24 if things went well. Although the plan was to average 6:30 pace to the top of the hill at mile 6.


 I headed out with Clubmates John and Tony, with John also planning on 6:30 pace (but more as a hard training run than a race) and Tony fresh from his 2:56 marathon PB in Limerick on Sunday (I know where I would be the weekend after a 2:56 Marathon PB - and this was his second race since the marathon, having completed the Pfizer 6 miler on Wednesday evening!!!).

Mile 3 - No sign of a hill yet.

We stayed more or less together until Mile 6 (39:08), just 8 seconds off target 6:30 pace average - although mile 6 was @ 7:04 pace (slowest of the day). I opened up the throttle on the downhill Miles 7 (5:56 - my fastest of the day) and 8 (6:04) and kept a pretty good 6:15 pace for the next 2 miles, passing Mile 10 in 1:03:37 - 6:22 pace (about a minute down on my HM PB  - 1:02:46 @ Mile 10). The going got tough on the long rise between miles 10 and 11 (6:50) as I passed Carmel Crowley (leading female) with my legs turning to jelly, but thankfully turning back towards normal as the road levelled out and dropped steeply to give me a pretty decent mile 12 (6:15). The drop gives way to an energy zapping short but jelly leg climb, where I get passed by a 10k runner (I could hear him coming for a while and had assumed he was a HM runner). The 10k started 45 minutes after the HM - so if I was finishing in 1:25 say (6:30 pace), I should be in the company of 40 minute 10k runners (6:26 pace). Great Idea because a flagging HM runner could get pulled along by the 10k runners - although he was the only 10k runner that I saw (not many sub-40s today).

The last half mile was a steady drop to the finish line where I could open up the pace a little - Mile 13 in 6:11 and a final push to the finish - 1:23:30 for a 15th place finish and first M45 (worth €50). Delighted. John was just behind me with Tony a few seconds over 1:24 (and 2nd M45 - lucky for me he had a 2:56 marathon in his legs). Just under a minute (58s) outside my PB, but that was never going to be challenged on todays hilly course.

17.7 miles in 2:01:12, with HM race in 1:23:30 - 6:22 pace @ 160Hr - 633 Hb/Km (Max 167)

Weekly mileage - 60 Miles
Avg Weight - 77.6 Kg
RHR 37

Two Birds, One Stone... and a priceless Mug

My sister rang me last Monday week to ask would Ani and Saran come up for a week over the Easter holidays to stay with their Cousin Robert, who had been down with us for a week during mid-term. I jumped at the offer and said I'd be up that Friday night. "Great" she said, "Orla (my other sister) will be up with Adrian" (her husband) and my nephew Shane and his partner and niece Aoife and her partner. So there was a right party going on by the time I arrived at 8:30 with the wine and beer flowing till about 1:30 the following morning. I was up again at about 7:30 for a quick cup of coffee with Rob, my brother-in-law, before heading back to Cork. But I had a little detour to take first!

15 minutes after leaving at 8:10 I was in Glencullen in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains, standing in the overflow car park of Johnnie Foxes signing up in the frigid morning air for membership of IMRA (€10) and their flagship race of the year "The Wiclow Way Ultra"(€15). For another €5 I could have got a bus to the turnaround at Ballinastoe for the 16 mile Wicklow Way Trail Race, but no half measures for me today.

I met up with Richard, my cousin Liam and Clubmates Paul and Killian. While the temperature was a bearable 1C the wind chill brought it well below freezing, which was enough to keep me waiting in the car until as close as possible to the start time. My gear consisted of compression tights over compression shorts and socks – more for the cold than anything else. I wore a long sleeve compression top underneath a long sleeve cycling top making use of the back pockets for storage. I wore a lightweight cycling rain jacket on top. I also carried a small backpack with a (proper regulation) rainjacket and a bottle of water. My nutrition consisted of 3 gels, a granola bar and a bag of raisins and almonds. I also had a bottle of coke, which I place in Paul’s drop bag at the halfway mark. My footwear was probably the most unsuited to off road running – a lightweight pair of Asics Gel Hyperspeeds, this would be their 8th marathon. My only other shoes were my new Gel Tarthers – lighter again. I had an old pair of off road shoes that I once wore back in 2010 on a trail run but they caused some calf issues when running on paved roads so were unreliable. I would have to risk slip sliding all over the place on the smooth soles of the Asics.

About 50 had opted for the early 8:30 start with about another 80 starting at 9:30, sheltering in the lea of Johnnie Foxes during the race briefing…….”don’t run alone from Crone Wood or you may get lost”….suited me fine as I didn’t even know where Crone Wood was. My plan was to run in a group to the turnaround to familiarise myself with the course and see how I felt then. I had a half notion of getting under six hours, based on Liam and Richard’s 6:04 result last year.

  When the start was signalled a minute or two after 9:30 I was delighted to get going as I was shivering waiting around. The first mile or so was along the main road west out of Glencullen before a left turn and the drop down to the bridge crossing the Glencullen River, with Richard, Liam and I running relaxed near the back of the pack. The next 2 miles consist of a climb up onto the flank of Prince William’s Seat with the fire road gradually giving way to a single file track through the snow where the pace slows as my concentration becomes more focused on where my next step is going to be, hopping over water channels and trying to avoid the soft snow at the side of the track - except when passing out slower runners, which required significantly more energy, trudging uphill through snow not knowing how deep it was and what surface lay underneath.

Eventually the path levelled out and began to drop until it ended in a steep descent through a boulder field, which proved to be my achilles heel as my feet began to slip out from under me on the slippery boulders forcing me to slow down as those behind me, including Liam and Richard, moved ahead with relative ease. The field ended in a steep fire road descent over the next half mile to the car park at Curtlestown, over which I managed to reel in Liam and Richard.

The next km is along a surfaced road after which we turn left along a fire road on the lower slopes of Knockree before descending along a slippery mud path which has me on the flat of my back a couple of times, my backback taking the brunt of my fall – back to gingerly making my way down the path as I get overtaken by those with a bit more downhill running skill and better footwear. We eventually make our way to the bottom of the descent and are running along the banks of the Glencree River which would ordinarily make for easy running along its grassy banks, but is just a mud path that forces me to run on higher ground through rough grass and ferns, that at least provides some traction for my shoes. We cross the river on a footbridge and make our way uphill to the road leading to the Crone Wood Car Park and the ¼ point aid station, where I take a few jelly babies and water, emptying most of the contents of my water bottle onto the ground as there’s no point in carrying too much fluids. All three of us make our way up the fire road through Crone Wood, running at an easy pace and walking the steeper sections, even stopping at Powerscourt Waterfall to take a few photographs. This is a relatively easy section as the footing is good and there’s no sign of snow.

Powerscourt Waterfall - Look at Me

That’s all about to change though as we reach the top of the climb and scramble down a rocky slippery descent with the snowy slopes of Djouce facing us across the Dargle river. The initial climb up Djouce is a walk up rocky steps where the route is well defined. However this gives way to a snowy wasteland where the only route I know is to follow those in front of me as I splay my feet sideways to avoid slipping down the slope (a bit like cross-county skiing, without the skis). Where I can I run along the rocky bed of small streams of meltwater sacrificing cold wet feet for good traction. As we make our way around the flank of Djouce the path is single file along the contour where I continuously lose my footing as the undulating surface which is hidden beneath the snow and I am either plunging through knee deep pools of freezing meltwater or slipping down the slope to the left and then overcompensating by leaning into the slope and having to steady myself with my right hand –which explains the muscle soreness afterwards in my right fingers and arm. My feet have gone completely numb and may not thaw until the race is over. Progress is slow but relentless as I concentrate on the feet of the runner in front of me.

The videos below are  borrowed from Brian Ankers, taken on the slopes of Djouce and along the boardwalk.

Eventually we make our way onto the boardwalk, an 18” wide raised timber walkway above the surrounding boggy landscape – except this time the snow is level with the walkway and in some places covering it so it is difficult to follow a route and keep my feet on that 18” wide corridor. I just follow the feet of the girl in front of me – one impatient runner jumps onto the snow and trudges his way past. With visibility reduced to 20m in places I’m content to ride the train of single file runners. The boardwalk get slippery as we begin to descend along a series of steps and I have to slow down. By now the front runners are coming back against us as are the leaders of the trail race, and the path gets increasingly congested with runners coming against us. Eventually we are descending the fire road to the turnaround at Ballinastoe Car Park, the snow gradually disappearing the more we descend.

We reach the turnaround a few seconds past the 3-hour mark, a little disappointing but not bad considering the conditions. I retrieve my bottle of coke, have a few raisins and almonds and chat with Liam for a few minutes. A few of the 8:30 starters are waiting for a lift back to Johnnie Foxes, including Eamon, one of my fellow pacers from Tralee the week before - not willing to face the challenge of Djouce for a second time – who could blame them – this is not your typical ultra and these 100 marathon guys, probably had another marathon to run in the morning.

As we are about to head back up the hill Richard comes in, so we wait for him to get fuelled up before heading off. I notice that the upper mesh of my left shoe has come away from the sole between my big toe and arch and hope that the shoe stays intact for the return leg. Thankfully my feet have thawed out and feel ok. The Garmin shows 3:10 as we head off, still reasonably confident that a sub-6 is possible if I keep the head down but not too concerned if I didn’t – after all this is not an A race – not even a race really – more of a pilgrimage – Irelands version of the Camino, only more Spartan.

As we walk up the road I break into a trot so as to keep my arms swinging which increases the blood flow to my freezing fingers, encased in saturated gloves. I assume Liam and Richard will catch up, but do not see them until the finish. The return leg not as difficult as I know what’s in front of me. Trotting along the boardwalk I pass one or two runners but a guy in an orange jacket keeps on my tail which keeps me on my toes around the flank of Djouce, smiling to myself as I slip and slide all over the place through pools of meltwater on my knees and arse, greeting Dave Bradys of Raheny Shamrocks on his 273rd marathon (I think that’s what he said) still with Mr Orange on my tail. He eventually passes me out as the descent to the Dargle River gets more technical but I catch up on the short climb up to head of the trail down through Crone Wood and pass him and a few more out as I open up my stride on the more familiar footing of the gravel road descent to the ¾ aid station at the Crone Wood car Park, stopping for a slice of mars bar and a gel that another runner had left on the table, too lazy to retrieve a gel from my back pack – I only took it because it was offered – my energy level were quite good.

About 8 miles to go with 4:40 on the clock – should still be on for a sub-6 hour finish. My other marker was that I had about an hour to run after passing the marathon mark – based on Liams run last year. Progress was slow along the bank of the Glencree River and up through the muddy path towards Knockree, which I walked. I was lucky to come across one or two other runners at critical junctions as I could have strayed off course. Passing 26.22 miles with 5:13 on the Garmin I knew that the sub-6 was gone. Running around the side of Knockree I stop and walk with Frank McDermot for a few minutes before setting off again heading for the Curtlestown Car Park and the last climb of the day back up toward Prince William Seat. I walk most of the hill stopping twice to take a few photos and eat my granola bar and swig back the last bit of coke. 

Looking Back



Flank of Prince Williams Seat

When I resume running I pass a few of the trail runners on the descent and as the trail descends towards the Glenmullen River with about 2 miles to go I notice, when passing through a kissing gate, that a guy I had passed at Curtlestown is chasing me down and I revert to racing mode, but only slightly increasing the pace to see if the challenge is real or accidental. At the next kissing gate he is only 10 yards behind, so I open up the pace a little more and at the back of my mind am confident that if I continue to run the uphill section after crossing the Glenmullen River, I will keep him behind me as he was walking an uphill when I had originally passed him. I don’t look back (sign of weakness) as I plough on up the hill passing 3 or 4 walkers resisting the urge to stop and walk – can’t let up now until the finish line – this is the most stressful part of the whole run, but the asics come into the own and don’t let me down. The road levels out and I pass two guys from Newry during the last half mile and I eventually see the top of the goal posts at Glenmullen GAA Club – where the race finishes - one last push – around the corner and the finish line is in front of me and I can stop – 6:12:18 on the Garmin. Delighted to have finished my first off-road ultra on a tough day.

Liam came in about 6:30 with Richard a few minutes later. By the time they crossed the line I was shivering and we still had a half mile walk back to the car park at Johnnie Foxes, where we changed and refuelled in the pub which was packed with Paddy’s Weekend revellers bussed up for the Guinness and Traditional Irish Music, an “authentic” taste of Ireland - the Guinness was very tempting but unfortunately I had a 2 ½ hour drive back to Cork in front of me.

My shoes just about made it back in one piece - I just might squeeze another marathon out of them.

The results have me finishing in 49th Place out of 112 finishers with 21 DNF. My time of 6:13:40 was based on time elapsed since 9:30, eventhough we did not start until 9:31+, which explains the slight discrepancy with the Garmin. Perhaps if I hadn’d stopped for the photo shoots and at the half way mark (10 minutes) I could have scraped under the 6 hour mark – but it wasn’t a day for a time..........it was all about the Mug.

Another Farmers Tan

The imprint on my singlet is clearly etched onto my torso as I type and will be for the next month or so - except that the Eagle black on my white form has changed to white on a red. It looks like it will be the most enduring reminder of my third 39.3 miler in Connemara. I had learnt from my previous runs to save something for the third half  and true to form today I more or less ignored the lesson as somewhere in my deep subconscious I feel that if I have run two halves I must be done - and generally I am. Still I had a very good day and did not suffer too much from my foolhardiness.

My initial plan to go out at 7:30 pace worked well for a few miles but my run by feel strategy had me running a bit faster after warming up - getting me through the first half in 1:36, the second half in a similar time - I think I crossed the marathon line in 3:12:30 and paid the price over the Hilly third half,  but at least I did not have to walk (although at times I could have been passed by a few walkers) I crossed under the finish line in about 5:02:33 - a 22 minute PB - so I am delighted and while I was tantalising close to a sub-5 hour - running 2 miles up hill from mile 35 to 37 took away any cushion that I had (which was about zero).

I must go out for a few beers now with Liam (My Cousin, who ran his second ultra today in a very respectable 5:44 - especially considering his first ultra was last weekend along 51k of the mountainous Wicklow Way) and Thomas (who had an even better day than I - but you'll have to wait for that story).

Mallow 10 By Numbers

It late in the evening so i'll be relatively brief. I got my 10 mile PB in Mallow today, but for the 28 seconds I knocked off my Ballycotton time 2 weeks ago (21 second PB) I went through a whole lot more suffering. Whereas in Ballycotton I suffered during the last mile (and still ran it in 6:02), today I suffered pretty much for the second half of the race. The race was also a polar opposite to Ballycotton, whereby my 55 second negative split two weeks ago was replaced by a 39 second positive split today - to be quite honest it felt as if it was worse, so perhaps the struggle over the second half of the race limited the damage.





Going Well to Mile 6

   

I started off a few rows back (in hindsight I could and should have started up front as there was no timing mat at the start and the first 400m was a struggle to stay upright as I dodged in and out between slower runners). I shared the first mile with Brendan and despite the fact that it contained a reasonable climb we managed to churn it out in 6:18. The road levelled out during mile 2 as we turned left onto the Cork/Mallow Road - Mile 2 in 6:15 (a bit surprised that it was not much faster). Clubmates Anne-Marie and Colin were 30 yards ahead (both with PB's well under 62), with John O'C 10 yards further ahead (PB about 61:58). I ran at my own pace and closed the gap over the gradual downhill mile 3 which came in a relatively fast 5:53. Turn left onto the Killarney Road - took a drop of water at mile 3.5 and joined a group with Colin and Anne-Marie - sharing the lead so as to shield the others from the frustrating head wind - Mile 4 in 6:07 (feeling relatively strong). Shortly after Colin and Anne-Marie began to pull ahead slightly - Mile 5 in 6:16 and halfway in 30:49.



Internal Struggle at Mile 6 or 7



I thought that if I could maintain pace and even split the race I'd get comfortably under 62 minutes. That was a big IF though, as there would be no repeat of the downhill 5:53 mile 3 during the second half. We turn left away from the headwind and onto a minor road with a few short ups and downs and I began to feel the pressure. Colin and Anne-Marie are about 10 yards ahead in a small group of runners, including Tom Sheehan of Bandon AC, whom I had shared a few of the middle miles of the Clonakilty Marathon with last December - he was looking very strong today. Mile 6 came in 6:16.

At this stage maintaining pace relative to those in front was becoming uncomfortably hard and there was no thought of trying to close the gap - just the negative thought of "when is the gap going to open up...I don't know how I can keep the pace going" To reinforce this negative feeling Mile 7 came in 6:26 which is my slowest so far and a real dent in my confidence as it is all I can to to maintain the effort. All i'm thinking of is the number of minutes left to run. A guy came on my shoulder on a short incline and I was fully expecting him to pass but I appeared to have a faster pace on the flat and declines and he yo-yos back and forth behind me for a mile. Mile 8, coming in 6:12 explains why I am still on the tail of Colin and Anne-Marie. I keep the leg speed going but the effort is becoming more and more unsustainable. Still I maintained pace compared to those in front with one or two of the group coming back to me. 1 guy , in particular shared most of the last 2 miles with me.

Mile 9 comes in 6:20. Just hang on for 6 more minutes. I keep the pace steady, knowing that I have nothing in my legs for the typical push over the last half mile. Left onto the Bridge over the Blackwater - 5 minutes left - cross the bridge and left again - 4 minutes left. The guy beside me begins to pull away, Colin and Anne-Marie also increasing the gap as the paces quicken in anticipation of the finish line. I am just hanging on, no zip left - just a minute left as we approach the last corner - I am passed by 3 guys in quick succession and have no response - legs like jelly - 50 yards left - I hear applause for someone behind and with the finishing line in sight my subconscious allows me to quicken the pace for the brief sprint to the line - 6:14 for the last mile - nothing like the strong 6:02 final mile in Ballycotton and 1:02:17 for the 10 mile PB. Glad of the PB but disappointed that I didn't get under 62 minutes.

I can't explain why I found the race so tough compared to Ballycotton - there's a fine line between comfortably hard and uncomfortably hard and I must have crossed it today. Certainly the day was warmer and the headwind didn't help - but I don't think they were much of a factor. Maybe there's a lot to be said for the slow start in Ballycotton - should I have aimed for a 31:00/31:20 first half so as to set myself up for a 30:40/31:00 second half? Still tough, considering my 5 mile PB is 30:24. Maybe last weekends 30 miler was still in my legs. Interestingly it took me more heartbeats to complete todays run compared to Ballycotton (627/km compared to 623 two weeks ago - and they say Ballycotton is tougher) Either way 62:17 was all I was capable of today and that's my first PB of the year, not bad for an old guy of 46 I suppose. The results put me in 78th place out of 1,088 finishers and 12th M45 (there's a few faster old guys out there). Well done to Mallow AC for puting on a fantastic, well organised race.

I'll leave you with another table comparing some of my shorter distance PB's with the corresponding times for these distances I ran today - maybe it's time for some short race training. Have a good week.

Ballycotton 10 - Not What I Expected

My plan for today in Ballycotton was to run a sub-65 minute ten miler in the vibrams. To be quite honest at this stage I think there is no difference between what I could achieve in the vibrams versus "normal" running shoes. My strategy was to go out at a steady pace just below 6:30 miles. With no satellite reception on the Garmin I aimed to run comfortably hard and check my splits at each mile marker.

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I accepted a kind offer of a lift from Thomas who was en route from the Kingdom and filled up his car with neighbours Pat and Ian who were also running. The day was sunny, with a cold north westerly wind, which meant we'd have it at our back for the last 5 miles. As I wasn't heading for a PB I wasn't too concerned about placing myself near the front of the 2,500+ field. Having said that I joined the queue to the race start a little later than I wanted and spent most of the time before the start pushing my way up through the throngs to get reasonable starting position. With chip timing I knew that my actual run time would be recorded.

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It still took me over 20 seconds to cross the start line after the gun went and the first mile was spent weaving in and out to get ahead of slower runners in front. I quickly caught up with Brendan, who was running his first race in over 2 years (and his first as an M40) and knowing that his target was also sub-65 I decided to hang on to him. The timekeeper was calling out 7:0? at the first mile marker, while the garmin gave me a split of 6:36, not too bad for an opening congested mile, albeit behind target pace. We continued on with the downhill second mile, which came in a much faster 6:14 ,which I put down to the downhill. We continued to pass runners, maintaining a steady pace, as the field spread out Mile 3 coming in 6:20 - building up a bit of a cushion on the 65 minute target. As the Garmin was displaying lap time and HR only I had no idea of total time, which was probably a good thing, especially later on.

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Brendan began to show some signs of distress during mile 4 as his breathing became a bit more laboured, despite the fact that he had done his fair bit of surging during the previous miles. We continued to pass others, which is always encouraging. Mile 4 came in 6:24, still under target pace. At this stage I began to harbour notions of getting under 1:04 as all I'd need is to average 6:24 per mile - i'll see how I get on as there are 6 miles left. Running in the vibrams felt very comfortable with no sign of discomfort. The clock at the 5 mile mark displayed 32:10 as I Passed it - Mile 5 split of 6:16. 1:04 certainly felt achievable, provided I could maintain pace for the remaining 5 miles. We turned South East shortly after mile 5 and the wind was now at our back. As I had no idea of current pace I continued to run by feel and was reasonably comfortable, still reeling in runners in front of me. Mile 6 in 6:14 - the wind must certainly be helping. Crossing the 10k mark I saw 1:19 on the lap time (39:23 for 10k, although I didn't know at the time).

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I continued to reel in runners in front of me, albeit a bit more slowly, which must have meant that I was running faster than average pace - Mile 7 in 6:08 more or less proved this. I could be heard well before I was seen, and as I came on runners shoulders, they would instinctively look down to see what the hell was making all the slapping noise. I could see two Eagles ahead, in their distinctive Eagle singlets, but couldn't make out who they were with my myopic vision. I gradually closed the distance, passing Mile 8 in 6:09 and with about 1.5 miles to go I was on the shoulders of clubmates Vivian and Diarmaid. My feet at this stage weren't too bad although it felt as if blisters were forming on the outside of both my big toes - nothing that would trouble me during the race but possibly afterwards.

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We ran on together until we hit the hill before the 9 mile mark and the other 2 began to move ahead of me. This was the first time during the race that I felt under pressure as it was the first time anyone pulled ahead of me (except perhaps for the opening half mile). The timekeeper was calling out 57:0? as we passed the 9 Mile mark - garmin showed a lap time of 6:22, the hill blunting my speed. I had no idea of what finishing time I was heading for, other than it would be under 64 (conservatively adding 6:30 to the 57:0? called out by the timekeeper - forgetting the 20+ seconds it took me to cross the start line). I pushed on at a steady pace - my lack of any real speedwork training showing as the other two, particularly Vivian began to pull further ahead. In fact as we entered the last half mile Diarmaid began to come slowly back to me, the effort of sticking to Vivian probably taking its toll. I began counting down the time left with the last km broken down at 200m intervals......"800m to go"......I could hear the MC at the finishing line "120 passed the finish line so far".......push......through the narrow Main Street of Ballycotton, which appeared to go on forever.........."600m to go"..........counting down the number of strides left in blocks of 90 (about 1 minute)............"400m to go".........one lap of the track........Vivian was gone at this stage......my neighbour Pat just ahead (62:34 last month in Dungarvan) I must be doing good.........."200m to go" keep pushing, but no finishing sprint.....the end is in sight..........I see 1:03:04 on the clock just before I cross under it, stopping my watch, where I think the finishing line is (no mat just a gantry) - 6:02 for Mile 10.

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My overall time was 1:02:45 (avg HR 159), I couldn't believe it, just 7 seconds outside my PB. I wouldn't mind but I wasn't aiming for a PB, if I had I'd certainly have given myself a better chance at the start, do a proper warmup (instead of the half mile jog) and get in a better position at the start line (I wouldn't have killed myself going for a 6:20 opening mile). Although I think I ran a good race, going out relatively conservatively (in hindsight) and negative splitting by nearly a minute(31:50/30:55) An encouraging run, although my feet were quite sore afterwards - the outside of both big toes and under the ball of my left foot - enough to limit my warmdown to a slow walk back to the carpark with Brendan and watch Thomas (Great run he had) complete his two mile warmdown before getting a lift home. All in all a good day out. Someone told me after the race that if I ran in normal shoes just think what I could do - I reminded them that it's my legs and feet do the running, not my shoes. I'm beginning to think I'd be faster in the vibrams. maybe I should give the Asics an outing in Mallow in two week time.

Ideal

A cold sunny day greeted the 1,500+ participants of the Full, Half and Mini Marathons in Clonakilty this morning. The start was delayed due to the large number of runners who decided to register on the morning. There were a few clubmates running both the full and half.

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I travelled down with neighbour Ian, running his first half, six months into his running career and John D running the full on a training diet of 8 mile runs - to be fair he did say he ran a long run from Cork to Cobh at the start of October, no problem there so!

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Just before the start I met my Cousin, Liam, who had travelled from Dublin to run the full. He has already signed up for the Connemara Ultra next April (it must be in the genes, mothers side).

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The half started about 0.25 miles ahead of the full and mini and about 5 minutes earlier. Once the gun went I eased into a comfortable pace in the 7:30's, finding clubmate Rob (aiming for 3:10 - 3:15) within the first mile and Maura (aiming for 3:15 - 3:20) shortly after. My decision to run in a singlet was justified as the day began to warm a little - although I wore a disposable long sleeved top for the first 2 miles. The first 4 miles are relatively flat as we clicked off 7:30 pace and were joined by Liam, John D, Anne and Catriona (whom John D and I ran the full 26.2 with last year). Rob forged ahead before we hit the hills of Inchydoney. I was next to move ahead as we began to hit the back of the half marathon field. I passed the first timing mat at 5.5 miles in 41:46 (7:35 pace average - compared to the 7:30 average the Garmin gave me).

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The Garmin was not recording laps as the data bank was full, so my mile splits went unrecorded, except for the ones I remembered. Heading from Inchydoney, back on the flat road around the back bay, I continued my steady pace, making my way through the half marathon field. Heading inland again and now on a steady incline I pass mile 8 in 59:03 (7:23 pace overall, compared to 7:18 on the Garmin). Shortly afterwards I rejoin Rob as the full and half fields split and go on their separate ways. The marathon course suddenly became a lonely spot with 2 other runners choosing the right fork in the road that would eventually take us on a few gradual downhill miles to the picturesque village of Rathbarry, passing mile 10 in 1:13:24 (7:20 pace average). My plan was to hit 20 miles in 2:25 - so I was nearly a minute behind the 1:12:30 half way split. No big deal as my slower start was the reason for the deficit.

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Passing Castlefreake we both came on the shoulder of Thomas Sheehan, who joined us on our journey - Thomas was not necessarily happy to see me, as the last time we met was when I left him behind at Mile 16 in Dublin. Back on the coast now the three of us turned left at Owenahincha beach climbing again over the headland to the Long Strand and the halfway point, which we pass in 1:35:17 (7:16 overall pace) - just 17 seconds behind 3:10 pace and still feeling reasonably intact. I had a few scares earlier, when I got a pain in my right foot, which thankfully subsided as suddenly as it had come. I also felt a tightness in my right calf and then remembered that I had left the salt/endurolyte tablets Denis had given me back in the car - doh! Was I going to regret wearing my 1,500+ mile red racers with the soles compressed to half their thickness from nearly 2 years of pounding pavement.

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There are 2 runners ahead, but it takes us a mile to catch up as the road rises again towards Fishers Cross with the Galley Head Lighthouse off to the South. How is it that I never fully remember all the hills on this course. Still the legs feel pretty good but the HR does rise to keep the engine firing and delivering the additional energy needed for these climbs. Thomas begins to drop back at this stage and Rob and I are left with one of the guys we caught, as the road falls again towards the Red Strand - no time to stop and enjoy the view.

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Up ahead is the left turn as we head inland and the start of a gradual climb that will take us from sea level to the highest point in the course at about 110m. There is about 2 hours on the clock as we take the left turn and I tell Rob that we have about 20 minutes to the top of the climb (the benefit of running this section 3 times during August). The first section is relatively flat as we pass the 17 mile mark. As the road begins to rise Rob begins to fall behind - a little at first, but gradually his footfalls quieten and eventually can't be heard.

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I am on my own for the first time since mile 8 (and then I was surrounded by half marathon runners). There is a guy a few hundred yards ahead that I just make out through my myopic vision. He gradually comes back to me as we reach the highest point on the course and I recognised him from the single calf guard he wears on his right leg - none other than Seamus Murphy, who gets the odd mention in Thomas's blog. I tell him that this is the last hill on the course, bar 1 (incorrectly as it turns out - sorry Seamus) and that the last 4 miles are flat, which he is grateful to hear. I forge ahead as my legs have survived the climb pretty intact, albeit fatigued. I do my best to take advantage of the downhills by striding out but they're a little too steep.

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Mile 20 comes in 2:25:12 (7:16 pace average), 12 seconds behind where I wanted to be - good stuff, my 3:10 target is still looking good. Two guys ahead come back to me as we drop steeply down to the Beach at Duneen and take a left up another sharp climb as I pass one guy and the other pushes ahead - although at the next climb he stops and walks and resumes running after I pass. We are now dropping down towards Dunmore Hotel and the last 4 flat miles and there are 4 or 5 runners in groups ahead. I see clubmate Donnacha at the 22 mile water station, just after finishing the half in 1:29 (well done Donnacha) and cycling out to support Maura over the last 4 miles of the marathon - there's devotion for you ;). He even finds time to chase after me to give me a water bottle after I had missed picking one up - cheers Donnacha (to be fair the guy handing out bottles was offering "sports drink or water" and when I asked for water he found he was only holding sports drink and could only offer me a puzzled look as I passed by).

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Over the next half mile I pass the guys in front but hear a new footfall 4 or 5 yards behind me. My mind starts working overtime, playing tricks on me - Do I surge to pull away or slow down and let them pass? Could it be Rob? or is it one of the guys I just passed coming back at me? I do nothing and just keep ploughing along at a steady pace - maybe i'll eventually burn him off. He never comes on my shoulder but is not far behind as we turn right onto the first of 3 causeways that will take us back into Clon and the long awaited finish line.

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I start counting down the time using 3:10 as my notional finish time - 2:50, twenty minutes left. Past Mile 24 (2:52:57 - I think) - still ok for 3:10 but doubtful for my sub 3:08:58 (pre-Dublin PB). The footsteps behind have faded, I turn right onto causeway No.2 - 2 guys are ahead running noticeably slower than I am. Keeping the pace is becoming more difficult but still manageable. I pass the 2 guys in front and the road ahead is completely empty as I round Inchydoney and turn left onto the last causeway. I pass the 25 mile mark with 3:00:00 on the Garmin and follow the flat road around the shores of Clonakilty Bay. A sole spectator tells me i'm in 20th position. Only 5 minutes left, will I get under 3:09, I can hear the finish line MC in the distance, congratulating the first female finisher. Past the 26 mile mark and a half marathon walker - 3:07:xx - i'll make it under 3:09, up a short incline and the drop towards the finish line, I felt great, elated to have run my race to plan, delighted to be finished, no TV cameras this time to record a far stronger marathon finish than Dublin 6 weeks ago - turn left for the 10 foot run to the finish line, the clock turning to 3:09 the first time I see it. Stopping the Garmin it shows 3:08:47 - 11 sweet seconds below my 3:08:58 A-Target, tight...very tight......but sweet.

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Who was in hot on my heels, 5 seconds later? only Seamus Murphy who I had thought I had left behind at mile 20. He must have dug pretty deep to pull that off. Fantastic recovery.

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The official results give me 16th place in 3:09:02 Clock & 3:08:49 Chip.....even tighter again. (7:12 average pace). That'll do me, although I was still only 4th M45, with 3 M40 runners and the leading lady (3:07:24) also in front of me.

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Maura had a fantastic race getting second female spot in 3:16:40 and a 10 minutes PB, on a hilly course!!! Fantastic result Maura well done. Rob was about 30 seconds ahead of Maura, although I dind't see him and get a chance to talk to him after the race. John D was a shade over 3:30 just behind Catriona and Anne, whom he paced to the 20 mile mark. What's most impressive is that he gave me 4 gels at the end of the race having consumed one of the two I had given him before the race - either he has cut me in at the start of a gel pyramid scheme or he should be running the country. Liam finished in 3:24, which he celebrated over a few pints in Debarra's Pub - now there's something i'd like to endure for a while. See you in Connemara Liam (hopefully)

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Ian was waiting at the finish line, having completed his first half in a very respectable 1:54 and all with a dodgy calf which he injured earlier in the week. A feed of sugary tea, Clonakilty black pudding, mince pies and biscuits recharged the batteries as we caught up on a few stories of pain and suffering and congratulated Ken who travelled from Antrim to complete his 100th marathon - and Ian thought we were mad.

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I mentioned to Ian on the road home that John was a more prolific blogger than I was. "You know the Running in Cork Blog" John asked Ian. "Can't say I do" Ian replied. Well if you saw the look of incredulity on John's face. In Ian's defence he is only running six months.