Scribble Time - Saturday 9th November 2019

Good morning all, Happy #parkrunday. Yes, these Saturdays come around quickly don't they? The DCM40 is now in the dim and distant past, and hopefully those that ran the streets od Dublin are now fully recovered from their neck pains, having worn their medal for these past two weeks 😂... With pride of course..

So, getting back to normal, and thoughts turned to what's next. Maybe it's time to just relax a bit, enjoy a non specific training block of running, take in a #parkrun or two over the next few weeks and simply run for fun. With Christmas around the corner, and all that brings with it, don't just hang up your runners until the New Year, but equally, no need to be overdoing things either. Just enjoy your running, with no pressure for a few weeks.

One thing I'd like to mention this week is aimed at new runners, as well as those of us who have been around a while. From time to time, we see posts asking as to which pair of runners is best? Or, something along the lines of, "I'm getting a niggle with the new version of xyz runners, which companies new shoe should I change to?"..... Along come the answers, based on individual preferences, all well intentioned, but can be the worst possible information for someone else. We are all different, our feet, our style of running, our weight, even our age. What works for one, can be a disaster for others...

So, please, if you feel your tried and tested shoe has changed, and you are thinking of something new, go to a running shop. Get yourself checked, talk to the experts, explain what type of athlete you are, what you are aiming for. Don't risk injury by simply taking "advice" from a friend on here who swears by the new jkl23 shoe. Not only that, runners aren't cheap, buy a pair that you can't run in after a week and you're out of pocket by a tidy sum, and you still need to go back and buy another pair.

Anyway, enough of my rant. Good running this weekend, with the Remembrance Run taking centre stage in Dublin, a good way to remember friends and family no longer with us along the road. Wherever you may be running this week, long or short, always remember to smile, say Hi to a fellow runner you pass and always, always, have fun out there, ENJOY...

357 Days to #DCM2020 - Yes, I'm back - My Saturday Scribble - Nov 2nd 2019...

Well, it's Saturday, and by now, those 35,000 odd legs that travelled around Dublin last Sunday, should be getting back to normal. With all the hype about the lottery and entry for next years #DCM2020 that's been going on this week, we can easily forget that there are a lot of other races, runs, trails, cross country and #parkruns that take place all year round, not just on the Bank Holiday Weekend every October. So, why not think positively about them, aim in the short term, look at the obvious, #parkrun, they are a lot easier to run than a marathon, and can be just as much fun (without the threat of not being able to get down stairs the next day!).

But I know, that many will have already forked out there entry fee for #DCM2020, myself included, and it's only 358 days to the start - So, should we be thinking that far ahead? The simple answer is NO. Of course, having paid your 93 euro, it's a;ready in the back (or front) of your mind, but first and foremost, if you ran last weekend, is getting back gently into running. A rest is a good thing after a marathon, especially if it was your first, but that doesn't have to mean feet up until Xmas, and think about starting again once the New Year arrives, and those extra kilos of turkey and ham will fall off .... No, it means easy running, gentle, maybe a parkrun or two, possibly one of the many races coming up in November, and in the run up to Xmas.

Time to refocus, think off priorities, be they family, be they a spring marathon, or something simpler. there is plenty of time to think about DCM2020 come Easter. one BIG advantage for 2020 is that you get ONE extra Day to prepare, could make all the difference, yes, next year has a Feb 29th - so, no excuses of not enough time, you get a whole extra 24 hours :)...

It was an absolute delight for me to see so many of you on route last Sunday - Hugs a plenty, along with Hi Fives and Shout Outs as you passed me with just 1Km to go. That was my fifth year there in the past six (I ran DCM in 2016), but next year, come hell or high water, I will have to leave a cardboard cut-out of myself at that spot, as I will be running the event. You all know why I haven't been able to do so in the last couple of years, but, that is almost all behind me, and while I wrote above about not looking so far ahead for #DCM2020 just yet, I'm not listening to my own advice, as it is my focus for the next 357 days, 22 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds (as I type this) - Yes, I'm sad, I have a Countdown Clock set up already.......

But there will be a lot of steps along the way, and I hope you can join me on some, and I am so looking forward to getting back to races, catching up with old friends and making new ones along the way - One thing is for sure, I'm going to be out there, smiling, and you know what, I'm going to do with every step, ENJOY!!!