Starting to take Shape - #FarewellTour Update

Here we are into February, and the first Race under my #FarewellTour Banner has taken place, the Trim 10 Miler. I have to confess it wasn't my best day at the office. It's easy to make excuses, and I have a couple.... I had suffered an attack of gout eight days before the race, and had to miss four or five days of running, and the day before the race, I did spend the afternoon watching rugby in teh pub, with a few pints consummed, but irrepsective of these handicaps, I felt fine on the morning of the race, no hangover, and despite it being a cold morning in the countryside, I expected to run better.

I was running with Susan Spillane who I have been helping in her training for the Boston Marathon, and as she was looking at running the race at a 10 minute mile pace, I thought it would be fun to run with her, and see how the training has been going. We ran together to half way, but I was not feeling great by then, and rather than slow her progress, I took a breather, let her go, and just took it steady over the second half, just kicking out a frustrated last Km in 5:29, the only sub 6 minute kilometre all day - At least I finished strong. But a time of 1:44:01 wasn't my best...

A couple of parkruns have been run this year, and next week, Saturday 25th Feb, I will be running my 50th Parkrun. Whilst I know there are plenty of people who have run twice as many, and more, this is a Big Deal for me,and I have invited as many friends as can get out of bed on a Saturday Morning to join me at Hartstown Parkrun for a nice 5K - and CAKE!

In the meantime, I have been planning further on my #FarewellTour races. As we have now decided to head to South America at the beginning of November, a couple of weeks later than originally planned, the Dublin Marathon has suddenly become available to me. Well, it would be a shame not to, and while I cannot say this will be my last Race on the #FarewellTour, it will most definitely be my last Marathon here (at least for now!).

Aside from Parkrun #50, I am only adding runs to the List when I actually enter them, and pay the money over. So, the list on the sidebar is only showing definite races entered. There will be plenty of others, most haven't opened up the entries yet, and I will add accordingly once in....

Looking forward to the spring, even though winter hasn't been very severe this year. It will be nice to get out in short sleeves, and bright evenings, as the temperatures climb into double figures. March is just around the corner, Ballycotton looms large on the horizon, and I hope to have a much better run than in Trim, weather depending - It can get wild in Cork in March!

A couple of pictures from Trim - Lots of fellow #RSPers and friends in these.... (And me too!)....