It's been 6 weeks since I updated here, which was mainly due to the fact that I spent 4 of those back in my "Other" home, Argentina, on vacation. Before I left for sunnier climes, and I confess I came back with a good tan, I had one more Parkrun, where I improved my Personal Best at Waterstown to 25:04, which is well worth a better time on a flatter course. With training going well in the run up to my travels, I was in good shape, and very happy with the way things had progressed into the autumn. The difficulties would potentially come in Buenos Aires, with a lot of social events to come...
My first week away didn't augur too well, as I only managed three runs in the first ten days, albeit the latter two were 7.3 Km runs, on a familiar road route, running sub 40 minutes on a route which involved a lot of junctions to cross. One of the problems in BA where we live, is that the nearest park is a 3Km run away, all along a main road, and with a grid system, there is a fair bit of stop/start running.
The following week we went to Mar Del Plata for a vacation withing a vacation, if you know what I mean. MDQ, as it's known, is an oceanside resort, some 250Km south of BA, with a great seafront, and with cliffs and a rolling promenade, there was to be plenty of opportunity for some decent running. And so it worked out. I got out every morning for 5 great runs, including a great hill work out one day, working the climb up from the oceanside to the top of the cliffs, not something easy to do in either Dublin or BA itself.
Back to BA for the last few days of the trip, and I had a race to run. Back in 2010, a new University was set up in Avellaneda, where we lived, and one way they involved with the community was to set up an 8 Km Road Race, free to all, with a Running Vest thrown in for good measure. |I ran it that year, and the following year the race became an 8.5Km Race as they had to change the course, so an unusual distance, which, in 2011, I completed in 46:40. 2012 I was incapacitated with my herniated disc, but I actually walked the 3Km "Fun Run" that year, so an event with a bit of history for me. Race day saw a hot start to the day, with temperatures well into the mid 20's by the time the race started. Although the course is pancake flat, the heat made me take it easy, and I ran a steady pace of around 5:15 per kilometre, kicking hard up the last 200m to the finish, overtaking a few in the last run for the line, and finishing in 44:32.
That was that for the holiday, last Sunday, and taking two days to fly home, along with a touch of jet lag meant only one run this week. Added to this is I have managed to come down with my usual Post-Airline cold, which kept me away from doing a Parkrun this morning. Next up I have the Clontarf 5 Miler next Saturday, and hopefully I can get a decent week's training in. Now the holiday is over, it will be all about building up over the winter months with Parkruns to help. Already entered the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon next August here in Dublin, so I have a long term goal, and once the fixture lists come out, I can look at short term targets into the New Year.
