Solid rather than speedy- Ballycotton 10

Week starting 25^th March

A good training week. 3 miles recovery Monday. 7 miles on Tuesday with 4 mile tempo at 7.05 pace. 8 miles on Wednesday. 7 miles on Thursday at 7.45 pace.

Anyway lets cut to the chase shall we?

 

Bally cotton 10, Sunday 3^rd March

3 years ago I ran my first ever race of any description in Ballycotton. The photo is still on the fridge. I was very naive looking back on it but was happy to get the 10 miles done in 1hr20mins16seconds. A year after that I ran the race in 1.14.25 and achieved my PB in Mallow at the ten mile distance at 1.12.25. All very modest looking back on it. My attempt to get under 70 minutes fell apart in Dungarvan admist a plethora of back pain and general fatigue. Today I planned a redemption of sorts.

 

I met up with my friend Aidan McGee and hung with him for the day replaying the compliment of his hospitality he showed me during the Heath 10k. Met loads of people as per usual but conversation was quick and to the point. Every one was serious today. Running without a Garmin and with just a ordinary stopwatch I ran the first mile in 7.15. Caught up with Lorraine at mile 2 and had a quick chat about the pace we were at. She reckoned 7.05 and sure enough hit mile two at 7.05. Mile 3 passed in the very same thing following a pattern that was to be repeated for the duration of the race. Mile 4- 7.05. Mile 5 I went under at 35.30, similar to Dungarvan but feeling a lot happier. I knew I would PB but by how much?

I knew I needed to hit the next 5 miles at around 6.52 pace, a task which didn’t seem impossible but which my legs were not up to yet. Chatted to Niall o’Callaghan at mile 6. He was looking very solid and up ahead on the straight I made out a number of familiar faces, all tantalisingly close. The 10km mark was reached in 44 minutes and I knew I had it. I really needed to be hitting it in 43 minutes but on I went. At mile 8 I ran I reckon a 6.50 and at 8.5 miles I think was on the hour mark. Perhaps I would make it after all!!!!

Then I met that hill and I met my match. Mile 9 was reached in around 1hr04 and then it was a struggle to hang on. Aidan passed me around 400 metres out running a cracking debut in 1.10.50 or so finishing the last mile in 6mins45seconds. I crossed in 1.11.11 running the last mile at a slow 7.20-7.25. I had given it my all, no doubt about it just a small bit frustrated not to get under 70 minutes. That said it was a very satisfactactory effort and hopefully set me for greater challenges ahead.

10 miles Ballycotton 1.11.11

Mileage for the week 35 miles