The time has come to put people out of their misery (well, OK, maybe just explain something that was puzzling, doubt too many were in misery!). If you are a Facebook friend, you may have noticed that I have used the term #TheFarewellTour a few times in recent weeks, and questions have been asked. Well, now's the time for the explanation.
As most of you know, Paula and I were married back in July 2015, and have been enjoying life here in Dublin since then. But decisions had to be made about our long term plans, and despite my youthful looks (Ed's Note - WHAT???), I am at an age when EARLY Retirement is possible (VERY EARLY!!). So, we decided, for a number of reasons that this route would be taken, and retirement planned. Whilst not 100% confirmed with my employers (The Government!), if all goes to plan I will be finishing work with the Revenue, on September 29th (give or take a week!). Once that is finalised, we will be emigrating back to Argentina, to be closer to Paula's family, and closer to the sun, as it's a darn site warmer down there than it is in Dublin!
For the third time in my life I will be leaving Erin's Shores for a different life. Once as a child, the second time in 2009 when I first moved to Argentina, and now on a more long term basis. We cannot confirm that this will be forever, as the Emerald Isle has a way of calling you back, who knows?
So, what is this Farewell Tour I keep going on about? Well, in those 9 months left here, I plan to run as many races that have been either, on my bucket list to do, or ones I want to return to, as they have meant something special to me over the years. Sadly the first of those on the list should have been the Raheny 5 at the end of January, a race I have always enjoyed, but I will be working that weekend, and have to miss it. I will be running Trim in February, and another on the list, already entered, will be the Ballycotton 10m on my birthday in March. The Streets of Galway 8K will be another, and very likely the Longford Marathon in August, and Dingle Half looks good. The Frank Duffy 10m will be a blast, and I will definitely be parkrunning as often as possible, with my 50th closing in in the early part of the year.
The plan is to find a race, or maybe a parkrun, in our last few weeks before departing to finally say Farewell, and would love to have many friends join me as I bid au revoir (It can never be goodbye!). Ireland will always be Home, and we will return to visit, and hopefully run and catch up with friends and family.
So, that explains the Farewell Tour commnents, and I look forward to seeing my running family, up and down the country. I'll try and keep this blog posted with upcoming runs, and if you see a youthful old fart shedding a wee tear at a race near you, more likely than not in an #RSP top (Runners Support Page), say hi!
Friday, December 30, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
The Gingerbread Run
Great day out in Portarlington for the Gingerbread Run. Fantastic showing by all the RSPers on display, on what was certainly one race when nobody could come up with the excuse that it was TOO HOT out there....
Thanks to Christine Mc as ever for the lift over, and congrats to everyone who ran, especially Orna who had a brilliant run in the 10K and Francis who bombed the Half Marathon. Personally I had an almost great run, with just a little hiccup around 17/18 kms when a spot of cramp held me up for a brief while, but thankfully not enough to make serious dents in my aimed for time. ...
5K Splits of 25:41,25:09, 25:16, 27:09 tell their own tale, with the last Km and 97 m in 4:54 plus 25 seconds for my Band time of 1:48:34...... Official time came in at 1:48:41 for 143rd out of 484 participants. Fastest Km of the race, Km 21 !!!
Almost an 8 minute Age Best, and my second fastest Half Marathon since 1998 - Yes, you read that right, and nearly beat that from 2003, missing out by 20 seconds, if the cramps hadn't flared, I would have........ This old dog can put his feet up now, that was my last "race" of the year - May run a parkrun or two, but a little R & R now - Happy Runner Here - The Gingerbread Man Did!
Thanks to Christine Mc as ever for the lift over, and congrats to everyone who ran, especially Orna who had a brilliant run in the 10K and Francis who bombed the Half Marathon. Personally I had an almost great run, with just a little hiccup around 17/18 kms when a spot of cramp held me up for a brief while, but thankfully not enough to make serious dents in my aimed for time. ...
5K Splits of 25:41,25:09, 25:16, 27:09 tell their own tale, with the last Km and 97 m in 4:54 plus 25 seconds for my Band time of 1:48:34...... Official time came in at 1:48:41 for 143rd out of 484 participants. Fastest Km of the race, Km 21 !!!
Almost an 8 minute Age Best, and my second fastest Half Marathon since 1998 - Yes, you read that right, and nearly beat that from 2003, missing out by 20 seconds, if the cramps hadn't flared, I would have........ This old dog can put his feet up now, that was my last "race" of the year - May run a parkrun or two, but a little R & R now - Happy Runner Here - The Gingerbread Man Did!
Wednesday, November 02, 2016
Dublin City Marathon - Sunday 30th October, 2016 - Not quite on target, but, What a Great Day!
I wrote this for my Facebook Running Group, #RSP, the Runners Support Page, posting it here to save for posterity.
An up and down day, emotionally. I didnt want to post my experience last night, as I wasnt sure how I felt. This morning, having slept on it, had a pint too 😎 , its easier to reflect. ...... Id stated my aims clearly, seeking that Boston Qualifying Time, under 3:55, so a hostage to fortune.... Thanks to the one way system to get to Merrion Sq., I missed the RSP photo shoot, and nearly missed the damn start, due to loo queues. ....... The run itself started so well, keeping myself in check, all the way to 7km, all fine, all on target, felt great..... Then, the hamstring decided to tweak, pull, whatever the expression is, mine was more like, CRAP!.... I kept going, out of the Park, back in, but soon realised that with 30k to go, it would be a long day. My old friend from Athenry, Peter Lowney joined me with his blisters, and we exchanged was wounds, on and off, for a few miles. I met a guy from Newcastle, Co. Down, and we walked and talked for a mile or two., then Janet from Mallusk in Belfast was crying along the way, so she got a hug. ...... Wearing the RSP top brought cheers to help, friends Rory & Cat at Dolphins Barn encouraged me along, seeing Michelle from my Wednesday night Run With Beers gang, sorry about the sweaty hug, Julie from Waterstown parkrun, all helped with the crushing disappointment of the hamstring. ..... After 30k, it was only a wee trot home, and I dug in and despite the pain, I ran most of the way home, up Roebuck Hill, with Christine in great form there, then on towards the end, with Rachel, Denise, Trina & Aoife, not mention Stuart at cheerleader central, and most importantly, my better half Paula 50 yards on, with a big hug.... Now I could finish.... Head down, smile on face, and crossing the line, and raising a smile to Joe looking down on me.... Ok, 4.49 was an hour away from what I wanted. Sure, I was disappointed, but, the support, the cameradi, the fun out there is second to none. And then, onto McGrattans, and seeing every smiling face, made it all worthwhile. Yep, my time was nowhere near what I wanted, but the day itself was awesome. If Carlsberg did Marathons, it would be Dublin................. A heartfelt thanks to each and everyone who were involved, running, cheering, watching on from afar...... Far too many names to mention, but I appreciate it all.... To the two lasses from Roscommon who told Trina that I was their inspiration, I pass the baton back, everone I have met, in person or on line here at #RSP had inspired me........ Who cares about finishing times, or even finishing lines, its about friendship....... You cant pay for that...... Thanks....
An up and down day, emotionally. I didnt want to post my experience last night, as I wasnt sure how I felt. This morning, having slept on it, had a pint too 😎 , its easier to reflect. ...... Id stated my aims clearly, seeking that Boston Qualifying Time, under 3:55, so a hostage to fortune.... Thanks to the one way system to get to Merrion Sq., I missed the RSP photo shoot, and nearly missed the damn start, due to loo queues. ....... The run itself started so well, keeping myself in check, all the way to 7km, all fine, all on target, felt great..... Then, the hamstring decided to tweak, pull, whatever the expression is, mine was more like, CRAP!.... I kept going, out of the Park, back in, but soon realised that with 30k to go, it would be a long day. My old friend from Athenry, Peter Lowney joined me with his blisters, and we exchanged was wounds, on and off, for a few miles. I met a guy from Newcastle, Co. Down, and we walked and talked for a mile or two., then Janet from Mallusk in Belfast was crying along the way, so she got a hug. ...... Wearing the RSP top brought cheers to help, friends Rory & Cat at Dolphins Barn encouraged me along, seeing Michelle from my Wednesday night Run With Beers gang, sorry about the sweaty hug, Julie from Waterstown parkrun, all helped with the crushing disappointment of the hamstring. ..... After 30k, it was only a wee trot home, and I dug in and despite the pain, I ran most of the way home, up Roebuck Hill, with Christine in great form there, then on towards the end, with Rachel, Denise, Trina & Aoife, not mention Stuart at cheerleader central, and most importantly, my better half Paula 50 yards on, with a big hug.... Now I could finish.... Head down, smile on face, and crossing the line, and raising a smile to Joe looking down on me.... Ok, 4.49 was an hour away from what I wanted. Sure, I was disappointed, but, the support, the cameradi, the fun out there is second to none. And then, onto McGrattans, and seeing every smiling face, made it all worthwhile. Yep, my time was nowhere near what I wanted, but the day itself was awesome. If Carlsberg did Marathons, it would be Dublin................. A heartfelt thanks to each and everyone who were involved, running, cheering, watching on from afar...... Far too many names to mention, but I appreciate it all.... To the two lasses from Roscommon who told Trina that I was their inspiration, I pass the baton back, everone I have met, in person or on line here at #RSP had inspired me........ Who cares about finishing times, or even finishing lines, its about friendship....... You cant pay for that...... Thanks....
Sunday, July 24, 2016
DCM to Boston Update - Week 12/26 In The Bag - Almost Half Way
With regular updates on Facebook as to daily runs etc., I decided that I would only update the blog when there was something to say. And yes, I have something to say...
12 weeks worth of training are now in the bag, with 14 weeks, 98 days to go to the Big Day. The first phase of my training has been working on my speed, in line with the increase in distance. In this phase I expected to improve my shorter distance times, if and when I raced. I have been doing interval work over 500m, and this has been going well, and this has translated into a few races, improving my 5K times twice in the last 7 weeks, and finally I have managed to get that 10Km time back under 50 minutes, for the first time in 9 years.
The seven weeks of training block, has seen relatively low mileage each week, but the quality of the training has been exactly what was required, as can be seen from the times. 29, 25, 12, 15, 24, 33 & 28 kilometre weeks may not jump off the page as ideal mileage (I'm sorry, I have no idea what noun to replace "mileage" in kilometres, apparently the dictionary has a word "kilometrage", but it sounds {and writes}, terribly, so mileage it is, but in kilometres!), for marathon preparation, but it's the way my plan is set out, and so far, so good.
In addition to the running, I have been watchful with my diet, with a few lapses for chocolate, and I have now been off the alcohol for the whole 12 weeks of the plan. Overall, combining the running, and the detox time, my weight has dropped over 6 kilo's (that's 13lbs to my American readers, and nearly a Stone for those in the UK), which clearly is also helping the times.
So, what about those times.
Well, after a very pleasant parkrun in Waterstown on June 11th, running with my great pal Brendan Brady from the Warriors, the following day I stormed the Irish Runner 5 Miler in the Phoenix Park the following day, clocking 38:21, my fastest 5 Miler since 2008. The following week, it was Hartstown parkrun, and I surprised myself by running 23:19, again, the fastest over this distance since 2008 (a pattern emerging here!).
A couple of weeks later, after missing a few days for Hay Fever, it was out to Clonee and a crack at that elusive 10K #sub50 time, I have been striving for. Given this race was out in the countryside, in hindsight, it might not have been an ideal choice. And that's the way it turned out. I started out with Patrick Downey, with good intentions, but naturally went off too fast for the conditions, and by 3km I was struggling with my breathing, thanks to the fresh air of the Meath Countryside, and the lovely grass pollen still lingering around. I had to let Patrick fly off, and ease back, but even so, I only missed out on the sub 50 by 26 seconds, in itself an age PB in my search for the elusive #sub50 - Have to be another day!
A nice little week away in the Basque country and Madrid, with runs in the sun, certainly helped me feel good, along with a very pleasant surprise in meeting Martin Fis, the former European and World Marathon Champion from the 90's, while in Vitoria-Gastiez. Great chat with him, and an invitation to his home marathon next May, and interesting to note he is now the editor of the Spanish version of Runners World.
Coming home, and back into regular training, led to a trip over to Waterstown on the 16th for another parkrun and a course PB followed without even feeling like I was trying, on the demanding course. A first "long" run the following day, as I start to look at increasing the distance, and a 15Km run, including a nice climb of the Kyber Road in the Phoenix Park, felt nice and easy.
Wednesday of Week 12 saw the latest BHAA Race (having had to miss the last one in the Park due to Hay Fever), and an old favourite in Irishtown, over 5K. I felt really good on the night, and pushed it most of the way, recording 23:04, a further improvement on the 5K time, and my fastest over 5Km since 2005, some 11 years in the making. Amazingly I was actually disappointed not to break 23 minutes - :)
This leads me to the end of Week 12, and today's Fingal 10Km. This race has been my main target of the summer, as I build towards October, as I strived for that #sub50. Everything seemed to be lining up correctly, the weather was ideal for running, overcast, not too warm, and no wind! I had no niggles that could affect me, so no excuses if I failed today. I had my new Asics DS 21's on, lighter than my Nimbus Training shoes, so I had to.... And I did..... Everything went according to plan.
I understood the first Km to be a gradual, if small percentage, climb, and I set off accordingly, planning to run around 5 minutes for this, then ease into a rhythm on the following couple of Kms along the dual carriageway, which I knew to be downhill. Couldn't have got it more right, with a steady 5:07 starting me off, followed by 4:35 and 4:31, and I was cruising along. As the course leveled off, and then continued to be very gently undulating, I knew I had plenty in hand, and stayed steady at 4:43, 4:53, 4:56, 4:54 and 4:46 through the middle of the race. With plenty in the bank, I was able to take a little breather in Km 9, and ran a slow 5:13, before picking it up a little for the finish, where there is a nasty little hill in the last 500m, but I finished comfortably with a 4:57 Km, and a new age PB of 48:35, and my first sub 50 since 2007.
I've mentioned that my recent times over 5Km, 5m, and 10Km have been my fastest in 8/9/11 years, and I have mentioned before that I like to use Age Graded Performance Percentages to compare my times as an old fart with my younger days. These three races over the two 5's and 10Km, have shown age graded scores of 68.56%, 68.12% and 67.74%, all up there near the top of my performances over the years. All of these lead me to believe that I can make my Boston Qualifying time later this year, and I can now move into the middle phase of my plan over the next 8 weeks.
Now the shorter distances have seen their goals achieved, I can concentrate on the longer distances, and get the miles into the bank in full preparation for DCM in October, while not neglecting the speed sessions. Next up will be the Rock n Roll Half in two weeks, with a side trip to Barcelona for some R & R of a different sort in-between.
I'll leave you with a few pictures from the last few weeks - Hope you like them - Feel free to leave a comment on my blog if you so desire - It's nice to know that somebody is reading my scribe!
12 weeks worth of training are now in the bag, with 14 weeks, 98 days to go to the Big Day. The first phase of my training has been working on my speed, in line with the increase in distance. In this phase I expected to improve my shorter distance times, if and when I raced. I have been doing interval work over 500m, and this has been going well, and this has translated into a few races, improving my 5K times twice in the last 7 weeks, and finally I have managed to get that 10Km time back under 50 minutes, for the first time in 9 years.
The seven weeks of training block, has seen relatively low mileage each week, but the quality of the training has been exactly what was required, as can be seen from the times. 29, 25, 12, 15, 24, 33 & 28 kilometre weeks may not jump off the page as ideal mileage (I'm sorry, I have no idea what noun to replace "mileage" in kilometres, apparently the dictionary has a word "kilometrage", but it sounds {and writes}, terribly, so mileage it is, but in kilometres!), for marathon preparation, but it's the way my plan is set out, and so far, so good.
In addition to the running, I have been watchful with my diet, with a few lapses for chocolate, and I have now been off the alcohol for the whole 12 weeks of the plan. Overall, combining the running, and the detox time, my weight has dropped over 6 kilo's (that's 13lbs to my American readers, and nearly a Stone for those in the UK), which clearly is also helping the times.
So, what about those times.
Well, after a very pleasant parkrun in Waterstown on June 11th, running with my great pal Brendan Brady from the Warriors, the following day I stormed the Irish Runner 5 Miler in the Phoenix Park the following day, clocking 38:21, my fastest 5 Miler since 2008. The following week, it was Hartstown parkrun, and I surprised myself by running 23:19, again, the fastest over this distance since 2008 (a pattern emerging here!).
A couple of weeks later, after missing a few days for Hay Fever, it was out to Clonee and a crack at that elusive 10K #sub50 time, I have been striving for. Given this race was out in the countryside, in hindsight, it might not have been an ideal choice. And that's the way it turned out. I started out with Patrick Downey, with good intentions, but naturally went off too fast for the conditions, and by 3km I was struggling with my breathing, thanks to the fresh air of the Meath Countryside, and the lovely grass pollen still lingering around. I had to let Patrick fly off, and ease back, but even so, I only missed out on the sub 50 by 26 seconds, in itself an age PB in my search for the elusive #sub50 - Have to be another day!
A nice little week away in the Basque country and Madrid, with runs in the sun, certainly helped me feel good, along with a very pleasant surprise in meeting Martin Fis, the former European and World Marathon Champion from the 90's, while in Vitoria-Gastiez. Great chat with him, and an invitation to his home marathon next May, and interesting to note he is now the editor of the Spanish version of Runners World.
Coming home, and back into regular training, led to a trip over to Waterstown on the 16th for another parkrun and a course PB followed without even feeling like I was trying, on the demanding course. A first "long" run the following day, as I start to look at increasing the distance, and a 15Km run, including a nice climb of the Kyber Road in the Phoenix Park, felt nice and easy.
Wednesday of Week 12 saw the latest BHAA Race (having had to miss the last one in the Park due to Hay Fever), and an old favourite in Irishtown, over 5K. I felt really good on the night, and pushed it most of the way, recording 23:04, a further improvement on the 5K time, and my fastest over 5Km since 2005, some 11 years in the making. Amazingly I was actually disappointed not to break 23 minutes - :)
This leads me to the end of Week 12, and today's Fingal 10Km. This race has been my main target of the summer, as I build towards October, as I strived for that #sub50. Everything seemed to be lining up correctly, the weather was ideal for running, overcast, not too warm, and no wind! I had no niggles that could affect me, so no excuses if I failed today. I had my new Asics DS 21's on, lighter than my Nimbus Training shoes, so I had to.... And I did..... Everything went according to plan.
I understood the first Km to be a gradual, if small percentage, climb, and I set off accordingly, planning to run around 5 minutes for this, then ease into a rhythm on the following couple of Kms along the dual carriageway, which I knew to be downhill. Couldn't have got it more right, with a steady 5:07 starting me off, followed by 4:35 and 4:31, and I was cruising along. As the course leveled off, and then continued to be very gently undulating, I knew I had plenty in hand, and stayed steady at 4:43, 4:53, 4:56, 4:54 and 4:46 through the middle of the race. With plenty in the bank, I was able to take a little breather in Km 9, and ran a slow 5:13, before picking it up a little for the finish, where there is a nasty little hill in the last 500m, but I finished comfortably with a 4:57 Km, and a new age PB of 48:35, and my first sub 50 since 2007.
I've mentioned that my recent times over 5Km, 5m, and 10Km have been my fastest in 8/9/11 years, and I have mentioned before that I like to use Age Graded Performance Percentages to compare my times as an old fart with my younger days. These three races over the two 5's and 10Km, have shown age graded scores of 68.56%, 68.12% and 67.74%, all up there near the top of my performances over the years. All of these lead me to believe that I can make my Boston Qualifying time later this year, and I can now move into the middle phase of my plan over the next 8 weeks.
Now the shorter distances have seen their goals achieved, I can concentrate on the longer distances, and get the miles into the bank in full preparation for DCM in October, while not neglecting the speed sessions. Next up will be the Rock n Roll Half in two weeks, with a side trip to Barcelona for some R & R of a different sort in-between.
I'll leave you with a few pictures from the last few weeks - Hope you like them - Feel free to leave a comment on my blog if you so desire - It's nice to know that somebody is reading my scribe!
Monday, June 06, 2016
DCM to Boston Week 5/26 Out of The Way
I know I said I'd keep this updated each week as I progressed towards the Dublin City Marathon, but as each week passes, a lot of things stay the same, and I don't want to bore people to death with repetitive comments, such as; I ran 5 Km, it was easy; I ran 10Km it was hard....., so I'll spare you those boring details, and just let you know how it's going, and add nuggets of wisdom from time to time.
Since the Terenure 5 in mid-May, the last three weeks have seen a steady progress. The three weeks clocking 29, 32 & 30 Kms, much in line with my revised programme, and with May being a heavy month for races, five more timed events have seen me on the roads (or in one case, the Beach!).
The races have been a mixed bag, with the Docklands Night Run kicking off this phase, and a decent 50:58 recorded on a twisty, congested course, especially given I wasn't looking for any decent time, just a consistent run, which I achieved. This was quickly followed 48 hours later by the latest BHAA Race, a 5Km run on Sandymount Beach. My official time for this was 23:49, which translates as a M55 PR. Personally, I don't feel that this was accurate, as I genuinely didn't feel like I was pushing it, and I have never been a lover of sand, but maybe the training is starting to pay off.
After those two races, I headed over to Waterstown for their 100th parkrun on the 28th of May. If you haven't tried Waterstown on the parkrun circuit here in Ireland, I thoroughly recommend it. It's a challenging course, with its fair share of inclines, notably the last 400m which are more or less all up hill! I ran this with the 25 minute pacer for most of the way, and managed to add protein to my diet with around 300m to go, catching a fly in my mouth and choking on the darn thing... Had to stop, cough it up, and then kick on again, passing a fair number of those who had flown past me while I was choking, finally clocking 25:28, with a sprint finish up the hill. A great party atmosphere afterwards to celebrate their centenary, and a huge thanks to the volunteers who make these parkruns so successful.
In between these races, I have increased my weekly "long" run to 10Km, and I'm hitting this at between 5:35 and 5:45 pace, as per my plan, although I do feel slow at this pace, but the legs need the build up, so onwards it will be. As previously mentioned, I have revised the plan to allow for a couple of rest days each week, as my ageing body can't cope too well with 7 days training en bloc, and the last thing I want to do is injure myself over-training.
Next up was the BHAA Govt Services Race , out in the countryside of Dunboyne, and again, a good steady run saw me home in 40:10. I nearly made a mess of this as Mile 2 was run in under 7:40 (sorry to confuse you switching between Kms and Miles, but this race was marked in Miles, so Mile Splits it was), but I eased back over the next two miles, and after a breather at Mile 4, it was a hard run to the finish, catching a good few runners in the end, with teh race finishing on the track at Dunboyne AC.
Last, but not least, of my timed events since my last post was Saturday just gone, and the Hartstown parkrun. I've mentioned before that this is a fast, PR course, and this week, I didn't intend to run a quick one, but the best laid plans etc.... With the slight change to the course, I wasn't sure of my marks, but I just kept a steady pace after a gentle start, and hit the second lap corner at 22 minutes, and knew that with a push I could crack 24 minutes, and digging in, with a last 50m sprint, I came in at 23:56, which is actually a new "Real" PR for parkrun, and getting close to wiping out the Official Time which I know to be slightly wrong.
So, onto Week 6,which will be somewhat handicapped by the fact that we are moving apartments this week, which will cause a little disruption to routine, and the need to work out new routes from the new place. Not heading too far, from Ballsbridge to Rathmines, and the new place is bigger, so more room for my runners! Another steady week is planned for Week 6, culminating in the Irish Runner 5 Mil Race on Sunday 12th in the Phoenix Park. In the meantime, I am on Cheerleading Duty today, as Paula heads out to the Womens Mini Marathon, a great 10K here in Dublin. with around 40,000 taking part, the largest Women Only Event in the World, so good luck to her and everyone else taking part. Official Rest Day for me, then speed work tomorrow, and back in the swing...
See you soon..... I'll leave you with a few pics - Finishing Hartstown parkrun in 23:56 last Saturday; Post Race Nightrun with Patrick Downey; and at the launch of the Rock N Roll Half here in Dublin, with Mick Clohisey, who is heading to Rio to represent Ireland in the Marathon in August.
Since the Terenure 5 in mid-May, the last three weeks have seen a steady progress. The three weeks clocking 29, 32 & 30 Kms, much in line with my revised programme, and with May being a heavy month for races, five more timed events have seen me on the roads (or in one case, the Beach!).
The races have been a mixed bag, with the Docklands Night Run kicking off this phase, and a decent 50:58 recorded on a twisty, congested course, especially given I wasn't looking for any decent time, just a consistent run, which I achieved. This was quickly followed 48 hours later by the latest BHAA Race, a 5Km run on Sandymount Beach. My official time for this was 23:49, which translates as a M55 PR. Personally, I don't feel that this was accurate, as I genuinely didn't feel like I was pushing it, and I have never been a lover of sand, but maybe the training is starting to pay off.
After those two races, I headed over to Waterstown for their 100th parkrun on the 28th of May. If you haven't tried Waterstown on the parkrun circuit here in Ireland, I thoroughly recommend it. It's a challenging course, with its fair share of inclines, notably the last 400m which are more or less all up hill! I ran this with the 25 minute pacer for most of the way, and managed to add protein to my diet with around 300m to go, catching a fly in my mouth and choking on the darn thing... Had to stop, cough it up, and then kick on again, passing a fair number of those who had flown past me while I was choking, finally clocking 25:28, with a sprint finish up the hill. A great party atmosphere afterwards to celebrate their centenary, and a huge thanks to the volunteers who make these parkruns so successful.
In between these races, I have increased my weekly "long" run to 10Km, and I'm hitting this at between 5:35 and 5:45 pace, as per my plan, although I do feel slow at this pace, but the legs need the build up, so onwards it will be. As previously mentioned, I have revised the plan to allow for a couple of rest days each week, as my ageing body can't cope too well with 7 days training en bloc, and the last thing I want to do is injure myself over-training.
Next up was the BHAA Govt Services Race , out in the countryside of Dunboyne, and again, a good steady run saw me home in 40:10. I nearly made a mess of this as Mile 2 was run in under 7:40 (sorry to confuse you switching between Kms and Miles, but this race was marked in Miles, so Mile Splits it was), but I eased back over the next two miles, and after a breather at Mile 4, it was a hard run to the finish, catching a good few runners in the end, with teh race finishing on the track at Dunboyne AC.
Last, but not least, of my timed events since my last post was Saturday just gone, and the Hartstown parkrun. I've mentioned before that this is a fast, PR course, and this week, I didn't intend to run a quick one, but the best laid plans etc.... With the slight change to the course, I wasn't sure of my marks, but I just kept a steady pace after a gentle start, and hit the second lap corner at 22 minutes, and knew that with a push I could crack 24 minutes, and digging in, with a last 50m sprint, I came in at 23:56, which is actually a new "Real" PR for parkrun, and getting close to wiping out the Official Time which I know to be slightly wrong.
So, onto Week 6,which will be somewhat handicapped by the fact that we are moving apartments this week, which will cause a little disruption to routine, and the need to work out new routes from the new place. Not heading too far, from Ballsbridge to Rathmines, and the new place is bigger, so more room for my runners! Another steady week is planned for Week 6, culminating in the Irish Runner 5 Mil Race on Sunday 12th in the Phoenix Park. In the meantime, I am on Cheerleading Duty today, as Paula heads out to the Womens Mini Marathon, a great 10K here in Dublin. with around 40,000 taking part, the largest Women Only Event in the World, so good luck to her and everyone else taking part. Official Rest Day for me, then speed work tomorrow, and back in the swing...
See you soon..... I'll leave you with a few pics - Finishing Hartstown parkrun in 23:56 last Saturday; Post Race Nightrun with Patrick Downey; and at the launch of the Rock N Roll Half here in Dublin, with Mick Clohisey, who is heading to Rio to represent Ireland in the Marathon in August.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
DCM to Boston Week 2/26 Done & Dusted
Slight amendments to the training plan this week, as I listened to my body, and added in a planned Rest Day on Monday, after a tough first week, and tired legs. But I didn't relax too much, and on Tuesday I threw in a Speed session with a good session in the gym, warming up well, and then running intervals of 4x500m @ 4:30 pace, with no effects, and heading towards the weekend I eased back on Friday, by walking around 9Km to collect my Race number for Sunday, which while not a logged workout was still a decent time on my feet.
Saturday saw me head off to parkrun at Hartstown, with my thoughts simply on a good even paced run. Sometimes when you least expect it, things slot into place. It was a bright sunny morning, and I eased into the run, maintaining a steady pace, with a strong kick finish, and managed a parkrun PB in 24:06 - Totally unexpected...
This brings us to the end of Week 2, and today it was another race, and the Terenure 5 Miler. Again, no preconceptions of a great time, but a Race Based Tempo Training Run on another bright sunny day. It was an Irish Warm Day, with temperatures around the 15/16 degrees mark, but that had little affect on myself, and I started the run along with the 40 minute pacers, holding steady over the first 6 Kilometres, very consistent withing 7 seconds of each split, before feeling the run from Saturday in the legs and taking it down a notch over the last two splits, finishing in 40:19, over a minute ahead of my time from the RTE Race last week.
Synopsis:
Week 1: 38.2 Km
Week 2: 34.6 Km
The Week Ahead:
Will take a Rest Day to allow recovery, and keep the speed/interval session in place, as I continue to build the base miles, rounding off the week with the Virgin Night Run 10K on Sunday.
Nice pic today with two running friends, Patrick & Lesley-Anne, taken Sunday after the Terenure Race.
Saturday saw me head off to parkrun at Hartstown, with my thoughts simply on a good even paced run. Sometimes when you least expect it, things slot into place. It was a bright sunny morning, and I eased into the run, maintaining a steady pace, with a strong kick finish, and managed a parkrun PB in 24:06 - Totally unexpected...
This brings us to the end of Week 2, and today it was another race, and the Terenure 5 Miler. Again, no preconceptions of a great time, but a Race Based Tempo Training Run on another bright sunny day. It was an Irish Warm Day, with temperatures around the 15/16 degrees mark, but that had little affect on myself, and I started the run along with the 40 minute pacers, holding steady over the first 6 Kilometres, very consistent withing 7 seconds of each split, before feeling the run from Saturday in the legs and taking it down a notch over the last two splits, finishing in 40:19, over a minute ahead of my time from the RTE Race last week.
Synopsis:
Week 1: 38.2 Km
Week 2: 34.6 Km
The Week Ahead:
Will take a Rest Day to allow recovery, and keep the speed/interval session in place, as I continue to build the base miles, rounding off the week with the Virgin Night Run 10K on Sunday.
Nice pic today with two running friends, Patrick & Lesley-Anne, taken Sunday after the Terenure Race.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Sunday, May 08, 2016
DCM to Boston Week 1/26 Completed
As promised an update on my first week of full-on training for the Dublin City Marathon in October, and my goal of achieving a Boston Marathon Qualifying time.
The first few weeks of the plan are all about base building, and getting the body used to running seven days a week. Nothing too strenuous, simply easy runs each day. Relatively short distances, and seeing how the body copes with the recovery. I haven;t used this plan since 2007/08, and obviously I am nearly ten years older too, so it will be a learning curve, which may require some tweeking as we progress, but the first week has gone as well as can be expected.
I had a 40 Km week plan, and missed only by 1.8 Km, as I had a shorter, but slightly sharper run on Friday, in preparation for a couple of races over the weekend. It may seem strange to build in races to my training schedule, but I enjoy the craic at races, and also I have a commitment to the Business House Races for work. I am not seeking fast times, or hard races at these events, but I will continue to participate as often as I can, and at this stage in the training, the races fit the plan at the weekends.
The training went well, although I can confess to feeling tired all week, and the legs are feeling it. I ran the two planned races at a conservative pace, completing the 5 Miler, BHAA RTE race, at Donnybrook, in 41:24 (63.05%), which was a little quicker than I had planned, and the Patrick Pearse 5K on Sunday, in 26:21 (59.91%), which is a little slower than I had hoped, so on balance, almost perfect.
Week 1 - Aim 40Km - Achieved 38.2Km - Weight 86.1 Kg
The plan for Week 2 is the same as Week 1, with the only difference being that 5K will be run on Saturday (a parkrun) and the 8K will be run on Sunday when I take part in the Terenure 5m Race. Again, the "races" will be run conservatively, and I look forward to another decent week.
To round off, tow pictures from today's Patrick Pearse 5K - One of my running group turning out in style from #RSP, and teh second of me being grateful the race is over as I crossed the line...
The first few weeks of the plan are all about base building, and getting the body used to running seven days a week. Nothing too strenuous, simply easy runs each day. Relatively short distances, and seeing how the body copes with the recovery. I haven;t used this plan since 2007/08, and obviously I am nearly ten years older too, so it will be a learning curve, which may require some tweeking as we progress, but the first week has gone as well as can be expected.
I had a 40 Km week plan, and missed only by 1.8 Km, as I had a shorter, but slightly sharper run on Friday, in preparation for a couple of races over the weekend. It may seem strange to build in races to my training schedule, but I enjoy the craic at races, and also I have a commitment to the Business House Races for work. I am not seeking fast times, or hard races at these events, but I will continue to participate as often as I can, and at this stage in the training, the races fit the plan at the weekends.
The training went well, although I can confess to feeling tired all week, and the legs are feeling it. I ran the two planned races at a conservative pace, completing the 5 Miler, BHAA RTE race, at Donnybrook, in 41:24 (63.05%), which was a little quicker than I had planned, and the Patrick Pearse 5K on Sunday, in 26:21 (59.91%), which is a little slower than I had hoped, so on balance, almost perfect.
Week 1 - Aim 40Km - Achieved 38.2Km - Weight 86.1 Kg
The plan for Week 2 is the same as Week 1, with the only difference being that 5K will be run on Saturday (a parkrun) and the 8K will be run on Sunday when I take part in the Terenure 5m Race. Again, the "races" will be run conservatively, and I look forward to another decent week.
To round off, tow pictures from today's Patrick Pearse 5K - One of my running group turning out in style from #RSP, and teh second of me being grateful the race is over as I crossed the line...
Monday, May 02, 2016
And now it's Serious - DCM to Boston...
In my last post I explained what I had been up to in the last four months, and the fact that it was all building up to a serious effort to come. I ran my first Marathon thirty years ago, in Windermere, the Lake District of England, clocking 3:23:59, and fifteen years ago, I was privileged to run the Boston Marathon, and always said I would come back one day. As most readers would know, Boston has some pretty high qualifying standards, and sadly, over the last fifteen years, those standards have been too hard for me to attain. The standards are worked on age, and you are able to qualify for your age group on the day of the race, in advance.
Let me explain.
In March 2018 I will turn the ripe old age of 60, and on April 16th 2018, the Boston Marathon takes place, just over a month after my birthday. However, the qualifying window for 2018 will start in September of this year, and if I set a 2018 Age 60 standard from that date, I can make it in... So, we move on to the Dublin City Marathon on October 30th 2016, this year. I will be 58 and seven months or so, and if I can run the standard this year, I will be able to run in 2018 in that age category. The actual standards haven't been published for 2018 yet, but the ones for 2017 are likely to stand, and that means a sub 3:55 is needed, although that in itself doesn't guarantee you entry, as the more under the standard you are the higher chance you have of making it - They can only accommodate so many.... Still with me?? Not sure I am, but, having looked at recent years, I am going to aim for a 3:45 run on October 30th.
The Perspective:
I need to put this into perspective as to where I am now, and what I can expect to achieve. I haven't run a Marathon since 2008, and certainly haven't put in anything like the mileage required for a sub 4 Marathon in recent years, so already a tough task. As an older runner, I have been using age graded tables for many years, it enables me to compare my performances of today, with those of past years, when I was younger, and obviously more able to run faster times. If I was to run a 3:45 Marathon in Dublin, it would be an age grade of 67.17%, again, the perspective, my all-time marathon best of 3:13 only gave me an age grade of 65.64%, the task gets tougher..... Final threat is my weight. I'm starting off at 87 kilos, and this is well above what an ideal Marathon weight should be, so I need to lose at least 7 Kilos over the coming months. Hence the reason I am going dry for 6 Months - The task seems impossible...
Think - Believe - Achieve...
My running group at the Runners Support Page uses the catchphrase of Think, Believe, Achieve to inspire... Well, above, you can see the way I am thinking... I truly believe that if I can get everything to line up, get the training done, stay injury free, lose the weight, then I WILL Achieve...
The Plan:
I devised a training plan for a 3:30 to 4:00 Marathon many moons ago. It worked well for me over the years, with 12 of my Marathon finishes being under the 4 hours, and 9 of those under 3:45, so I do have some experience, and know what it takes. Obviously I am older, maybe wiser too, and my body will not enjoy being put through the strains of an intensive programme, but with no pain, no gain. This is my best opportunity to achieve my dream of getting back to Boston, and I am prepared to put the effort in.
The Journey To Be Travelled:
Hopefully you can join me on the journey. I plan to update the Blog every week. Giving insights as to where I am at in preparation, reports on races I take part in over the summer, all with the one goal of lining up at the start line for DCM on October 30th with the capacity to run 3:45 on that day. By all means comment on my progress, kick me up the butt if I start to slide off the plan, and share my journey.
This Week:
Just so you can kick me or cheer me along, here is this weeks workouts. This first phase is all about Base Building, and all runs will be easy, at slower than 9 minute mile pace, or around 5:40 per km, with the exception of races, where I will be looking for a faster run, just to keep that little element of speed in the legs in this phase of the training. I will introduce speed and hill work into the plan around Week 9....
Week 1/26
Monday: 5 Km EASY - Tuesday 6 Km EASY - Wednesday 5 Km EASY - You get the picture about EASY....
Thursday 6 Km EASY - Friday 5 Km EASY - Saturday 8 Km The RTE 5M Race in the BHAA series - Sunday 5 KM Pearse 1916 Race.
I'll report back next Sunday with the weeks progress and next weeks plan....... Wish me luck....
Let me explain.
In March 2018 I will turn the ripe old age of 60, and on April 16th 2018, the Boston Marathon takes place, just over a month after my birthday. However, the qualifying window for 2018 will start in September of this year, and if I set a 2018 Age 60 standard from that date, I can make it in... So, we move on to the Dublin City Marathon on October 30th 2016, this year. I will be 58 and seven months or so, and if I can run the standard this year, I will be able to run in 2018 in that age category. The actual standards haven't been published for 2018 yet, but the ones for 2017 are likely to stand, and that means a sub 3:55 is needed, although that in itself doesn't guarantee you entry, as the more under the standard you are the higher chance you have of making it - They can only accommodate so many.... Still with me?? Not sure I am, but, having looked at recent years, I am going to aim for a 3:45 run on October 30th.
The Perspective:
I need to put this into perspective as to where I am now, and what I can expect to achieve. I haven't run a Marathon since 2008, and certainly haven't put in anything like the mileage required for a sub 4 Marathon in recent years, so already a tough task. As an older runner, I have been using age graded tables for many years, it enables me to compare my performances of today, with those of past years, when I was younger, and obviously more able to run faster times. If I was to run a 3:45 Marathon in Dublin, it would be an age grade of 67.17%, again, the perspective, my all-time marathon best of 3:13 only gave me an age grade of 65.64%, the task gets tougher..... Final threat is my weight. I'm starting off at 87 kilos, and this is well above what an ideal Marathon weight should be, so I need to lose at least 7 Kilos over the coming months. Hence the reason I am going dry for 6 Months - The task seems impossible...
Think - Believe - Achieve...
My running group at the Runners Support Page uses the catchphrase of Think, Believe, Achieve to inspire... Well, above, you can see the way I am thinking... I truly believe that if I can get everything to line up, get the training done, stay injury free, lose the weight, then I WILL Achieve...
The Plan:
I devised a training plan for a 3:30 to 4:00 Marathon many moons ago. It worked well for me over the years, with 12 of my Marathon finishes being under the 4 hours, and 9 of those under 3:45, so I do have some experience, and know what it takes. Obviously I am older, maybe wiser too, and my body will not enjoy being put through the strains of an intensive programme, but with no pain, no gain. This is my best opportunity to achieve my dream of getting back to Boston, and I am prepared to put the effort in.
The Journey To Be Travelled:
Hopefully you can join me on the journey. I plan to update the Blog every week. Giving insights as to where I am at in preparation, reports on races I take part in over the summer, all with the one goal of lining up at the start line for DCM on October 30th with the capacity to run 3:45 on that day. By all means comment on my progress, kick me up the butt if I start to slide off the plan, and share my journey.
This Week:
Just so you can kick me or cheer me along, here is this weeks workouts. This first phase is all about Base Building, and all runs will be easy, at slower than 9 minute mile pace, or around 5:40 per km, with the exception of races, where I will be looking for a faster run, just to keep that little element of speed in the legs in this phase of the training. I will introduce speed and hill work into the plan around Week 9....
Week 1/26
Monday: 5 Km EASY - Tuesday 6 Km EASY - Wednesday 5 Km EASY - You get the picture about EASY....
Thursday 6 Km EASY - Friday 5 Km EASY - Saturday 8 Km The RTE 5M Race in the BHAA series - Sunday 5 KM Pearse 1916 Race.
I'll report back next Sunday with the weeks progress and next weeks plan....... Wish me luck....
It's Been a While...
For once, my absence from posting has not been due to a lack of running, more my idleness in blogging. In the first four months of the year, I have been running, training and racing too. These few months have all been about relaxing and enjoying my running, without any real pressure. All this has been about the lull before the storm, as my next post will explain..... (Cryptic here!)...
So, after my return from my holidays back home in Argentina, it was back to the winter blues and a build up to the Rock n Roll Half Marathon at the end of April, in Madrid. January saw my training around 67 Km, not a huge build up, but I was working on my speed a little, after some slower races in South America, so my runs tended to be short, but sharper. Two "races" were run, with a parkrun at Hartstown, completed in 25:51, with the Raheny 5 Miler at the end of the month rounding things off. February saw a few blips as I had a bout of plantar fasciitis (not sure how to spell that correctly), but I did manage to improve on my parkrun time at Hartstown to 25:28, but only 42 km run, due to the niggles.
March saw a better distance covered, with over 100 Km for the month, and a further improvement at Hartstown to 25:05, actually ran this on my 58th birthday. A few 15 Km runs in there too, as the Madrid build up continued.
April sees the real start of the spring to summer races, with the start of the BHAA series. Two BHAA races this month, the first the 4 Miler at St Annes in Raheny, where I improved by over a minute and a half on last years effort, with a 32:29 clocking, with the following week bring the 10K BHAA race out at the K Club in Straffan. This race was a little disappointing, as the reverse happened as I was around a minute and a half slower than last year, hitting 53:13 this time, not really sure why, but it was still an enjoyable day out in Kildare.
This brings me up to Madrid. This was never a time targetted race, but having run two under-performing halves in Dublin last year, I was certainly aiming for a more consistent run, and a much better time than the two 2:25ish runs last year. Paula and I headed off to Madrid early on the Friday morning, with a small bunch of #RSP runners also heading over, Rachel Hyland, Hayley Morris, Jennifer McAteer, Michele Mowlds, Karen Kelly and a few more to boot. We were staying with an old friend from Buenos Aires, and after popping early to the expo and collecting our numbers, we caught up with our friend Melanie, before she flew off to Birmingham for the weekend - must have been something we said :)...
Saturday was spent sightseeing, and we were up bright and early on Sunday morning for the race. Parque Retiro was the location for the start and we caught up with the #RSP gang in the corals, and my plan was to try and run around 6 minute pace for the entire race, keeping that consistency I tend to lack. Hayle, Rachel and myself started together, and before too long, Hayley had disappeared, as she was in great form and able to push faster right from the off. Rachel and myself kept in sight until around 10Km when I lost her as I walked through a drinks station, not to be seen again until the finish chutes. My plan was working, for the main, with the first 5Km in 30:22, followed by the next in 28:32, where the course flattened out, after a long drag of the first 8km - The hills weren't steep, just long and gradual. Slowed a little in the third quarter, clocking 31:07, and the last quarter almost saw me face planting the Madrid streets, as I tripped on an uneven surface around 18Km, doing a wonderful Bambi impression, but thankfully keeping upright, just.... I actually thought I had pulled a hamstring, and walked for a couple of minutes to ease off the strain, but thankfully all was OK, and I picked it up again, hitting that last quarter in 31:47, which included another couple of hills, these being a tad steeper, if shorter, than the first half. Back into the parque for the finish and given the way the temperatures had crept up, I didn't really kick out too hard for the line, finishing comfortably in 2:08:34, an average pace of 6:06 per Km, which, if I hadn't done my Bambi impression, would probably have been a minute or so faster - Just the consistent race I wanted to run.
Back home to Dublin on Monday night, with Paula heading down to South America for a couple of weeks, and a recovery week, as things will start to get serious from now on in. But before April was out, I had another parkrun to complete, and on Saturday last, I headed over to Waterstown, the one with the gentle inclines, and ran a nice steady training run in 27:47, as Sunday, MayDay, I was heading over to Boyne and the 10 Km race there, with THAT hill, I remember well from last year.
The Boyne 10K was not my best run, struggling a little, as I went off too fast, clocking 5:15 pace for the first 4 Km, and my legs feeling like lead. I eased right back, and when I came to THE Hill at 7km, I simply walked up the hill - There was no need to push as I wasn't looking for a fast time, but I have to confess it was a struggle, and although I managed to kick hard on the finishing straight, it was a relatively poor time of 55:50, some three minutes slower than last year, but the craic was great, and a few beers afterwards with the #RSP gang soon had me forgetting the poverty of the run.
So, that brings everything up to date, and the next post will map out where I am going.... Stay tuned.......
So, after my return from my holidays back home in Argentina, it was back to the winter blues and a build up to the Rock n Roll Half Marathon at the end of April, in Madrid. January saw my training around 67 Km, not a huge build up, but I was working on my speed a little, after some slower races in South America, so my runs tended to be short, but sharper. Two "races" were run, with a parkrun at Hartstown, completed in 25:51, with the Raheny 5 Miler at the end of the month rounding things off. February saw a few blips as I had a bout of plantar fasciitis (not sure how to spell that correctly), but I did manage to improve on my parkrun time at Hartstown to 25:28, but only 42 km run, due to the niggles.
March saw a better distance covered, with over 100 Km for the month, and a further improvement at Hartstown to 25:05, actually ran this on my 58th birthday. A few 15 Km runs in there too, as the Madrid build up continued.
April sees the real start of the spring to summer races, with the start of the BHAA series. Two BHAA races this month, the first the 4 Miler at St Annes in Raheny, where I improved by over a minute and a half on last years effort, with a 32:29 clocking, with the following week bring the 10K BHAA race out at the K Club in Straffan. This race was a little disappointing, as the reverse happened as I was around a minute and a half slower than last year, hitting 53:13 this time, not really sure why, but it was still an enjoyable day out in Kildare.
This brings me up to Madrid. This was never a time targetted race, but having run two under-performing halves in Dublin last year, I was certainly aiming for a more consistent run, and a much better time than the two 2:25ish runs last year. Paula and I headed off to Madrid early on the Friday morning, with a small bunch of #RSP runners also heading over, Rachel Hyland, Hayley Morris, Jennifer McAteer, Michele Mowlds, Karen Kelly and a few more to boot. We were staying with an old friend from Buenos Aires, and after popping early to the expo and collecting our numbers, we caught up with our friend Melanie, before she flew off to Birmingham for the weekend - must have been something we said :)...
Saturday was spent sightseeing, and we were up bright and early on Sunday morning for the race. Parque Retiro was the location for the start and we caught up with the #RSP gang in the corals, and my plan was to try and run around 6 minute pace for the entire race, keeping that consistency I tend to lack. Hayle, Rachel and myself started together, and before too long, Hayley had disappeared, as she was in great form and able to push faster right from the off. Rachel and myself kept in sight until around 10Km when I lost her as I walked through a drinks station, not to be seen again until the finish chutes. My plan was working, for the main, with the first 5Km in 30:22, followed by the next in 28:32, where the course flattened out, after a long drag of the first 8km - The hills weren't steep, just long and gradual. Slowed a little in the third quarter, clocking 31:07, and the last quarter almost saw me face planting the Madrid streets, as I tripped on an uneven surface around 18Km, doing a wonderful Bambi impression, but thankfully keeping upright, just.... I actually thought I had pulled a hamstring, and walked for a couple of minutes to ease off the strain, but thankfully all was OK, and I picked it up again, hitting that last quarter in 31:47, which included another couple of hills, these being a tad steeper, if shorter, than the first half. Back into the parque for the finish and given the way the temperatures had crept up, I didn't really kick out too hard for the line, finishing comfortably in 2:08:34, an average pace of 6:06 per Km, which, if I hadn't done my Bambi impression, would probably have been a minute or so faster - Just the consistent race I wanted to run.
Back home to Dublin on Monday night, with Paula heading down to South America for a couple of weeks, and a recovery week, as things will start to get serious from now on in. But before April was out, I had another parkrun to complete, and on Saturday last, I headed over to Waterstown, the one with the gentle inclines, and ran a nice steady training run in 27:47, as Sunday, MayDay, I was heading over to Boyne and the 10 Km race there, with THAT hill, I remember well from last year.
The Boyne 10K was not my best run, struggling a little, as I went off too fast, clocking 5:15 pace for the first 4 Km, and my legs feeling like lead. I eased right back, and when I came to THE Hill at 7km, I simply walked up the hill - There was no need to push as I wasn't looking for a fast time, but I have to confess it was a struggle, and although I managed to kick hard on the finishing straight, it was a relatively poor time of 55:50, some three minutes slower than last year, but the craic was great, and a few beers afterwards with the #RSP gang soon had me forgetting the poverty of the run.
So, that brings everything up to date, and the next post will map out where I am going.... Stay tuned.......
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