It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.......

Charles Dickens wrote those lines back in the nineteenth century, but how apt those words have been in the last month for me.

I have come around to updating my blog, roughly, on a monthly basis. Don't want to bore readers too much. This month has certainly seen good times and bad, lets start with the bad and get that out of the way.

Since the last update, I completed the month of June with three races, almost back to back. The first being a 5K Trail Race in the Phoenix Park under the BHAA auspices. I ran a half decent race, finishing in 25:08, and once again picking up a prize for the Team event, although overall I was disappointed as I felt I wasn't running as well as I could, even though I am not a fan of trail runs, even if this one was as flat as could be. I did finish strong, which I enjoyed, but overall, it was, as I said, a half-decent run.

Two days later it was a trip to Clonee and a 10K on a Thursday evening with Team #RSP friends, Patrick & Mel, where again I had a semi-decent run, clocking 51:59 on a relatively flat course, faster than the previous week in Dunshaughlin, but well down on what I had been hoping for, closer to 50 minutes. Still, I was in the middle of 4 races in 8 days, so reasonably happy.

Then came the Irish Runner 5 Miler and a return to Phoenix Park, this time on the roads. Now, I have always enjoyed races in the Park in the past, and I was looking forward to this one, hoping to get under the 40 minute mark again. Understandably I felt a little heavy in the legs as I set off, with the three previous races that week, but still was hopeful of clocking those 8 minute miles. Things were going well until we hit the Kyber Pass, downhill! Halfway down the hill I felt a twinge in my left knee, a twinge that was going to turn into more the following day. On the drag up the Military Road I slowed to a walk as the knee was starting to worry me, but once the hill worked its way out, and the Zig-Zags took us back down again, the pain seemed to go, and I plugged away to the finish, having given up any thoughts of time, just trying to "enjoy" the run to the finish. Nothing fancy, and a time of 41:55 wasn't the worst, but the next day I paid for it. My knee was really sore, and I knew then that I would be off running for a few weeks - The Worst of Times for me......

But - Then the Best of Times! Whilst injured I could turn my attentions to something far more important than running (Have to say that, somebody may be reading this!). On July 10th, Paula and I were married here in Dublin, cementing our six and a half years together. We were blessed with friends and family from all over the world who came to share the day with us, and it really was The Best of Times!

Unfortunately, the knee wasn't improving too quickly, and Paul and I had the second Race of the Dublin Series to participate in on July 19th, the Fingal 10K. It was to be Paula's first "running" 10K, following her mini-marathon at the beginning of June, and with my sore knee, I offered to run/walk with her, and on the day we were joined by our 5 month pregnant Team #RSP friend Susan Dixon for the journey. I convinced the girls we could manage a 3/1 run/Walk split, on what is quite a flat course, and we maintained this for the first half, switching to a slightly less strenuous plan over the second half, and finishing holding hands across the finish line, with the announcer having been tipped off that we were newly weds, although I'm not sure what those watching thought of me finishing with two women, one heavily pregnant, and being told I had just got married to one of them :)....

After this run, looming on the horizon was the Bank Holiday weekend, and the Rock n Roll Half Marathon here in Dublin. The bad knee meant I hadn't run seriously since June 27th, and on Friday last (31/7) I ventured out to test if I could manage to run on it. Thankfully the pain had gone, but I was still unsure if it had healed, it had, but my cardio was shot to pieces, and I struggled on the breathing and felt totally out of shape, hardly surprising with no running for 5 weeks, and 5 also being the number of Kilos I had added to my weight in that period - obviously not helped by the festivities surrounding the wedding!

And so it came to pass that we lined up on Sunday on the North Wall, outside The Point (It will always be the Point to me!), with a nervous expectation, not knowing if I would get around in one piece, and Paula planning to walk the race with Susan, now another two weeks more pregnant, with maybe a little running interspersed. It had been raining early that morning, but thankfully the rain abated before the start, and after meeting up with the gaggle of Team #RSPers, and a brief Hello to Mick Rice, my old friend from my club, Athenry AC, it was into Coral 5 for me, and a hope that I would be able to manage it around 2:15, given the total lack of cardio-fitness.

I started well, and felt OK as we ran alongside the Liffey, and even the climb up to Christchurch didn't faze me too much, with the knee giving me no problems at all. The first two miles were a shade under 9 minute mile pace, a bit too fast, but my plan was to run the first 25 minutes at this pace, and then switch to a 4/1 Run/Walk plan to offset the lack of training, and allow suitable recovery. This actually worked a treat, and I went through 10K in 63:46, all in good stead as we headed for the Park and the small detail of a few hills to work on. I was joined on a number of occasions by fellow Team #RSPers, usually passing me while I was on my walk break, all enquiring if I was alright, which at those points I was! Into the Park, and still all going to plan, until that damn Kyber Road downhill. Last time it was the knee, this time, the calf! Having run enough Marathons to spot the first signs of calf cramps, the twinge I felt as I came to the bottom of the hill was recognisable straight away - Ouch! I eased to a walk, and walked up the Military Road, before tentatively running down the Zig-Zags and feeling my way. Once onto the far road by the Furry Glen, every time I started to run more than 100m, I felt the calf twinge again, and resorted to a walk. To be honest, I probably walked most of the last two miles, not wanting to go into spasm at all, just stretching out as I walked, and saving anything I had left for the finish straight. There was no smackdown this time, just a gentle run in, to be greeted 50m from the line by Rachel Hyland, and her camera, and cheers from the #RSPers who had finished ahead of me, encouraging me to cross the line in 2:24:40, almost respectable given the level of fitness.

After a few bananas and collecting my medal, I met up with the gang, recovered a little, and then went back to pick up Paula and Susan. Susan had been struggling and I walked with her for a while before fellow #RSPer, John Dolan joined us, along with the rest of the 3K Fun Runners, and I then went ahead to bring home Paula to the finish of her first half-marathon in fine style. We were both feeling the effects of the distance in our legs, came home, and after lunch and a couple of beers, we went home, and promptly fell asleep on the couch!

So, that's where we are to date. From a running perspective, not a great time, with the knee injury, the added weight, and the loss of a lot of the cardio work that I had put in earlier this year. Thankfully the knee stood up well to the Half-Marathon, and the soreness in the legs will dissapate in a day or two, and I can get back into a decent training regime.

From a life perspective, much better times, a happily married man, a wonderful new life partner, and a future together that will bring smiles and happiness for many years to come. As Dickens went onto say, It was the age of Wisdom, the age of Foolishness, well running while less than 100% may be the Foolish part of my life, marrying Paula is obviously the Wisdom side of things.