Sunday 1 April 2012

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).



10 comments:

  1. well done grellan. outstanding stuff

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  2. Nice going. Enjoy the beers! Less than 1% off target not bad, i'd say! :)

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  3. I'm impressed by your result but even more impressed by Liam's result. This gives me a good idea of what the wicklow Way was like in terms of an 'ordinary' ultra marathon!

    Congrats.

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  4. Great PB Grellan. Well done! Hope you had a few beers for me...
    Yes, I know Thomas broke 5 - he must be working on the third draft of a 2000 word epic ;-)

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  5. 3:12 and then another half marathon...very impressive. But I'm sure the price you paid was a hefty one!

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  6. Apologies for crying off and picking bed over beers, but running 39 miles must have made me tired for some unfathomable reason. Great day, wasn't it, and a 22 minutes PB is not to be sniffed at.

    See you in Limerick (I know, that sounds like a threat). In the meantime I'll finish re-drafting my 2000 word epic.

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  7. Well done Grellan

    A great run but it means you'll have to go back next year to run 3mins faster!!

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  8. congratulations on a great performance, well deserved!

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  9. Well deserved beers Grellan! The sub 5 is tantalisingly close now!

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  10. Well done Grellan. Great result.

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