Marina 5k and Cork 13.1 half marathon report

Week ended June 2nd

A busy week on and off the roads. As I sit here typing up this report watching the Limerick- Tipperary hurling match one cannot be helped but be struck by the fitness levels of both teams. It’s a game built on speed and skill. I am involved in a sport with is built on speed, stamina and endurance. Tomorrow is about endurance – i am running the Cork City half marathon but more about that some other time. Last Tuesday night was about speed  where I entered the John Buckley 5k in the Marina. This attracted a massive crowd of nearly a 1000 runners. What makes it attractive is it’s central location and it’s flat course- 2 laps of the centre park road – a stone’s throw from Pairc Ui Choimh. Once again I met up with my cousin – Don Ryan and his clubmate Marie McCarthy Jones. Marie is a very accomplished runner, she achieved a Boston marathon qualifier time of 3.23 in the brutally tough Dingle marathon course. I was hoping to get a PB myself and get some consistency into my splits.  Warming up with a gentle few miles the race started bang on time. I normally hate 5k races and while I wouldn’t say I was a convert yet I was reasonably happy with my effort. I felt strong and in control at all times coming in with a time of 20.47. I clocked it as 20.43 but the splits were even enough (around 6.41 pace). Ideally i would have liked to have got more than a second off my PB but it will do. I gave it my best and I can’t ask much more than that. Don came in at 18.50 and Marie in at 19.47 – great times. I ran another mile to cooldown after the race

I seem to be feeling stronger in each race I have entered in the last 4 weeks but at the same time progress isn’t as fast I would like then again I do have 21 weeks!!!. Leaving that aside I managed 3.5 miles on Monday, 6.5 miles on Wednesday , 6.2 miles on Thursday and 5 miles on Sunday. No running on Friday or Saturday for a number of reasons.

Friday was a hectic day in work, it being the last day of school- meetings, correcting and writing reports and so on. I had a few family visits to fit in and so on as well which meant a lot of time chasing my shadow. I headed down to  Doneraile park and parked across from the community hall. It was the evening of the club 5k race in Doneraile park. Each year numbers are getting bigger and bigger and this year there was 486 entries. I worked away on the entry desk and the finish line. This was my second year in a row doing it and it never fails to be anything less than full on for the whole evening. By the time we finished up at 9 pm I was fit only for home passing on the liquid refreshments in Mallow town. Saturday was another busy day heading up to Cork collecting my race number for the Cork half marathon while Aoiffe was off doing a bit of shopping. As usual I got chatting to a few friends who were racing the full many of whom were doing their first marathon. Then it was up to my Mums for a social call and then attending a few removals in Charleville. By the time I sat down it was after 7 and a early bed by 10.30 pm. I jogged 5 easy on Sunday trying to ready myself for the half marathon on Monday. This weekend was all about stamina!!!!!

The endurance part was today running the Cork half marathon. Even though I wasn’t on until 10.45 I drove early enough to watch the start of the full marathon and catch up with friends and clubmates. I bumped into Don Golden who was running the full marathon but whose training was disrupted by real life intrusions. As usual he was in great spirits having the group of us laughing away. There was also a great turnout of support from Mallow Ac runners and again there was good banter amongst us watching our clubmates racing the marathon. In fact I was so relaxed I almost forgot I was there to race myself so I toddled down to the start line. It was a lovely day and I was enjoying myself even before the race started. With regard to race strategy I was thinking of taking it easy for maybe 4-5 miles or until i felt comfortable and then run at marathon pace and see  how i felt. At the very worst it would be a benchmark for the rest of the summer.

The new start line for the half marathon was in Kennedy park and involved a loop around the roundabout and then down Albert Road – historic resident of the Jewish community. Mile 1, 2 and 3 passed in 7.48, 7.32 and 7.28 and it was time to start pushing it. Mile 4, 5, 6 took me up to Turners cross and I was feeling strong. I was chatting to plenty of people  I knew and I was aware of was working just above my maximum threshold level- 7.15, 7.14 and 7.25. That last mile was quite hilly with the course profile increasing in severity. The weather was probably pleasant for strolling but as usual was difficult for marathon runners and awkward for the rest. I didn’t feel unduly troubled and chatting to Richard, blogger of Beruit Taxi fame. He had only just completed a 100km ultra in Italy last year. Funny guy.  Mile 7, 8 and 9 took me to the end of the Model farm road. My splits were 7.14, 7.14 and 7.19. I was feeling great but was aware that having only run 13 miles once in the last 8 weeks I might struggle up the straight road. I had passed the 1hr40 pacers and was happy enough to stay above them. It was unlikely i would run faster than my 1.37.25 time of two years ago. My PB was 1.34.16 but that would have to wait for a while yet. By mile 10 (7.24) I was finding it a bit tougher but thankfully there was n’t the same human carnage on the roads that had marked previous races. I reached the 10 mile marker in 1.14.15 and I was happy now just to plod on. By the time I reached the footbridge at mile 12 my pace was slowing down (7.32 and 7.51) and my time was 1.30 which to be fair was still a good pace. I was glad to push on for the final rush over Patricks Bridge as runners attempted to overtake me with the 1hr40minute pacers over my shoulder. The last mile took around 8.10 with the last bits taking a further 90 seconds.  My final time was 1.38.56- one of my slower half marathon times.

Afterwards I chatting to Dermot, JP, Sean and Caitriona and they were all very happy with their marathon and half marathon races. I gave Sean a lift to his car, he was definitely of the view that there was no pleasure to be gained in races beyond 10 miles. Don had a difficult time doing the marathon but was still faster than his slowest marathon time. I don’t think he will be coming back to the distance any time soon- shame.

Recovery when I got home was nice- a good dinner and a kip on the couch. Back to D.I.Y jobs tomorrow and recovery running for the rest of the week.  I think in terms of my training i am probably in reasonable shape though a bit off sub 3.30 pace. Hopefully my half marathon times will improve by September. I have now run a 5k at 6.40 pace and a 13.1 race at 7.33 pace. If nothing else these paces will instruct me as to what training paces I should adopt over the next few weeks when doing intervals and tempos.


A few photos of todays race and hanging with my clubmates.