March 11th
Parent
meeting after work followed by a Mallow Ac meeting in regard to Mallow ten.
Home by 9.30 p.m- no running all sleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz
March 12th
2 mile warm
up-4 mile tempo (6.51, 6.50, 6.58,7.00) and 1.7 mile cooldown. Definitely
getting faster but HR still high for such a workout. Without being picky I would
have liked to kept the pace on a more even keel.
March 13th
9 mile run
up in Mayfield. Legs were heavy for this one. 8.27 pace. Workout took around
1.16.06 to complete. Hope to run these workouts a lot “stronger” in future.
Being able to attack the hills will stand
to me .
March 14th
Ran with
Mallow AC. 2.4 mile warmup. 12 X 2 mins sprints with 60 second cooldown.
Finished with a easy 1 mile cooldown. The sprints were very satisfying,
covering 0.32 in each sprint or 3.91 miles in 24.21 at a average pace of 6.14
per mile.
March 16th
Saturday
evening. 6.2 mile easy jog at 7.50 pace. Decided to run this at a solid
“marathon type pace” keeping a sense of control and reserve. Only checked my
watch at the end and was happy to see the first mile at 8.15 with the other
miles between 7.41 and 7.46. A interesting way to run...
March 18th
– Bank Holiday Monday – Mallow Ten
The really
BIG race when it comes to the club. The amount of behind the scenes work undertaken
by club members on a voluntary basis was really something to witness. Even
attending some of the meetings I was really struck by the amount of detail and
planning that is undertaken to arrange this event. The big jobs like marking
out the route, getting sponsorship, organising pacers are equally dependent on other
jobs like putting up signage, printing numbers, organising pacer balloons.
Every big job depends on the other jobs going well, otherwise chaos
reigns. Every club member plays their
part be it stewarding, setting up electrical systems, putting out cones, setting
up water tables, catering, tidying up afterwards. It’s amazing really when you
consider that John Holland, the club chairman has only ran the race once in it’s
years of existence, so busy he is with the whole thing. The club doesn’t even make money on the race, doing enough
to break even. The race and other races like it organised by real clubs for
real runners (commercial operations take note) are essentially labours of love.
I was
chuffed to see my buddies – Aidan, Tim, Don and Dermot head down to take part.
I for one was supposed to be on pacing duties but someone else wanted to step
in my pace so I was delighted to be able to race it. I didn’t want to let those
people who were kind enough to give me a chance to race it. I decided it was
sub70 or bust.
Funnily
enough I noticed my number was 70, 69 would have been better tho!!!!
Mile 1
passed in 6.59. Mile 2 in 6.51. Mile 3 in 6.37. Mile 4 in 6.44 and Mile 5 in
7.00. Allowing for the usual discrepancy between garmin and clock time I hit
the clock at 5 miles in 34.30. No doubt about it, i was smoking and was very
confident of getting under 1.09. Mile 6 was hit in around 41.30 but the pace
started to drop at mile 7. Aidan McGee passed me around the 7.5 miles and the
boy was obviously cruising. To be honest I was delighted to see him doing so
well but I was beginning to worry if i would miss out on the sub 70. Barry
Aherne of Midleton was hitting his 5th gear too and I was feeling a
bit desperate. Mile 7 and mile 8 passed in 7.05 and 7.11. At mile 8 or so I
could hear Dave Lyons, 70 minute pacer
roaring on his group over my shoulder. He seemed a long way off at mile 5 but
by Jesus he sounded very close now. Time to push on God damn it...time to push
on!!!
Mile 9
passed in 7.10 and the clock read 1.02.35 and once I kept the legs moving I
knew I would get under the 70 minutes. The shouts of encouragement from Colie,
Neil and Aidan’s parent’s was fantastic. Rounding the corner with 200 metres to
go I knew I had it. I even had time for silly little one armed windmill at the
end, crossing the line in 1.09.53. Totally chuffed and another milestone achieved.
Perhaps next year I can improve and go even quicker. It’s a wonder how runners
can get under 1.05 in a discipline as tough as a 10 mile race.
Met up with
the lads afterwards and headed back to the youth centre chatting to all and
sundry.
Happy days
indeed but what now........?
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