Ballycotton race report (sort of....)

Ballycotton 10 race report , 9^th March 2013.

In 2001 a few months after meeting the lady who would be my future wife I decided to take up jogging. I was 27 years old but was overweight and very unfit. My first ever run consisted of 3 laps of the local soccer pitch in Beaumont Dublin. I nearly passed out after my second lap and puked up after the third lap. I put it down to the beers I had the night before. I was working in IBM at the time and in the canteen over a full Irish breakfast I was asking one of the I.T guys about running and tips for training. He gave me the usual tips about taking it at my own pace and just enjoying it. He also remarked that he was heading down to Ballycotton to do “the race there”. I hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. He was incredulous that a Corkman never heard of “the Ballycotton 10”. He suggested I should try it some time. When I mentioned it to my house mate and  buddy Aidan he said “Yeah it’s a pretty big deal”. He added “My brother ran it in 52 minutes”.


" Is that fast” I enquired? He started laughing.

9 years later and pretty bored of jogging 3 times a week  by myself I decided to give it a shot. It was my first ever road race and another step on the journey that has become a integral part of my life. My finishing time was 1.20.16. it was very modest but I was hooked and I decided there and then to run a marathon. My wife, friends and family thought I was mad but I was made up. Since then I took part in the Ballycotton 10 in 2011 (1.14.14), 2013 (1.11.11) and 2014. I will never be a sub 60 runner or a sub 3 marathon runner. Like most mid pack runners one can always hope for incremental improvements. For me getting under 70 minutes in Ballycotton was a important part of that process creating a continuity that went all the way back to 2001.

 

Without going into too much detail about the race and while there was a muck up with my chip time I am glad to say the finishing time was 1.09.40. Mission achieved. My second sub 70 time in a 10 mile race. For the record Aidan ran in 1.08.30.

The story continues........................