The Streets

You're fit, but my gosh don't you know it...

The Streets of Galway is arguably the biggest race on the Galway calendar. Tomorrow will be the 26th running of the event and with over 2,500 people registered, it promises to be a great race. Last year I finished in 6th position running 25:38 and I'm hoping I can improve on that this time around. Splits last year were as follows:

1km 3:09
2km 3:13
3km 3:13
4km 3:04
5km 3:19
6km 3:14
7km 3:21
8km 3:05

The course is fast and flat and looking at those splits, it seems I lost a bit of speed through kms 5 to 7. The plan is to run the first 5km under 16 minutes, then try and lift the pace for the final run along the prom (hopefully with the wind on the back). Then hit the pub...

Talking of which, I fell off my 3 day wagon last night. I lasted one day. Pathetic. And tonight being Friday means it would be rude not to...

Good luck to everyone racing on the weekend. May it bring PB's then VB's (or whatever else your tipple is)...

48 Hours

Another easy run around the block. A 9.5km run in 38:55 (4:06's). I did a few pick ups on the final run home but the legs still feel very unresponsive. Hopefully with 48 hours rest between now and the race everything will come together and it'll be alright on the night.

Still not bad

Okay, the last proper session before the Streets. Arrived at the track late and after sitting in the car for a while to avoid heavy rain, I eventually got going for my warm-up where I bumped into Ian. After about 4.8kms I was ready for the session.

Conditions were pretty poor. Still raining, shirt and shoes already waterlogged, track very slippery, plus about 10 more excuses. I'd spoken with Matt and the instructions were to run 6 x 800 (off 2 minutes). Starting at say 2:20, then a couple of 2:18's, finishing with a pair of 2:14's. I would have been confident of doing that based on recent form but after the first lap of the first 800 those times were out of the window. The session went:

2:25/2:24/2:23/2:23/2:22/2:20

So looking for the positives, overall it was still at below 3 minute per km pace, and I managed to get quicker throughout the session. But it was a real effort which was either due to the conditions, or me being on the shant for the last week. Probably a bit of both.

Not the confidence builder I wanted just before the race but still a decent enough session. I'll take it easy the next couple of days as I'm feeling pretty tired and I'll be avoiding all forms of alcohol until post race. That will be a full 3 evenings...

I finished up with 3.2kms warm-down so all up 12.4km for the day.

Shame

A bit further today. I squeezed my run in at lunchtime and did my local 14.4km route in 57:26 (3:59's).

Far too much activity on the socialising front. It's 5 nights on the trot and counting. Dad leaves tomorrow so tonight won't be a late one...

I see that the Galway City Half/Full Marathon has been cancelled at the end of the month (see website for details). That's a pity as I was planning to run after winning the half last year. Hopefully we'll see this race on the calendar at some future date.

Simple Innit

More of the easy stuff. A total of 12.1kms in 50:14 (4:09's).

This week will be lots of easy running, with a track session on Wednesday, and a rest day on Friday before the race on Saturday evening.

Swinford 8km

Added pressure today as my old man and the nipper had made the trip to Swinford to watch me race. A couple of kms warm-up and soon we were lining up at the start. Not many runners in attendance as the race clashed with the football (Mayo Vs Cork) which was a shame. Roger Barrett was running who I'd had a couple of good battles with at Carramore and Westport and with one win each, it was shaping into a decent race. I certainly needed to break my recent run of finishing second (4 races on the trot now!)...

I hit the front with Roger and we raced stride for stride. The start of the race had us climbing up through the town, then it flattened out. I wasn't looking at my watch but was taking splits at the km markers. After a few kms we took a left turn which brought us onto a main road and this section was gradual uphill (at least one km). At this point I tried to up the pace and to my surprise I managed to work a bit of a lead on the hill and that's how it remained. The second half of the race was all fairly flat as the course took us back into town. The last km was a nice downhill section and I crossed the line in 25:41 for the win.

The splits suggest that some of the km markers were a bit dodgy but the overall distance felt right:

1km 3:14
2km 3:17
3km 3:19
4km 3:23
5km 3:10
6km 3:14
7km 3:16
8km 2:48 (if only!)

Total 25:41

A good run, and it was nice to finish a race feeling very strong after taking the start of the race a bit easier. Only 3 seconds slower than my PB over 8km and with the quick Streets of Galway course next week I'll be looking to run sub 25:30. Interesting that McM equates that time to a 32:22 10km. I'm confident I would have gone a bit quicker than that today had it been a 10km race.

I finished up with 2 miles warm-down so all up 13.2km for the day and exactly 70kms for the week.

Heading into town tonight for a few celebratory beers served in plastic glasses...

Licking my wounds

A great time was had last night. I managed to pick 3 winners and survived 2 stewards enquiries in the process. Drinking like a witch so today was painful and with no plans to run I couldn't do my usual trick of sweating it all out.

Tomorrow will be interesting. Not ideal race preparation...

Studying the form

Squeezed in a run at lunchtime - again easy and short. Total 9.5kms in 38:19 (4:02's). Hot and humid.

Galway races tonight...

Upsizing

I always prefer to run a set distance rather than a time. So rather than 2 x 10 minutes, I was to use my local 3.6km marked route which meant more than 10 minutes for each rep...

I've used this course a number of times in the past - though not recently. The outward section is all gradual uphill, made worse today by the fact that I was running into a stiff breeze. Coming back was a lot easier and I'm of the mindset that's easier to get the tough rep out of the way knowing full well the second one was going to be a lot easier. Times were 11:54 going out (3:18 pace) and 11:19 coming back (3:09 pace). In between I had 2 and a half minutes recovery.

With warm-up and warm down (6.9km), I knocked out 14.1km for the day.

Here's a race report from the Balla 10km. I like the video of the finish line. I didn't realise the gate over the finish line was so low! People having to duck under the banner!

Same old

Another easy run - 9.5kms in 39:27 (4:09's). Feeling a bit sore and niggly after yesterdays track session so didn't push it along at all. Should be fine.

Tomorrow will be 2 x 10 minutes.

I hit my 50th 180 of the year today (at darts if you're wondering). If I practice about 15 minutes I seem to hit a couple. I don't think I'm getting any better, just luckier. Dad arrives tomorrow so we shall see.

Hitting my straps

Another track session. This time we were down for 4 sets of 600/500/400 off one minute with 2 minutes between sets. The goal was to up the pace as you stepped down the distance.

During the 5km warm-up we were all complaining that it was too hot. Runners are never happy, it is always too something. After stretches and strides it was time to get going. Here are my times:

1:49/1:26/1:05
1:45/1:24/1:05
1:42/1:23/1:04
1:42/1:24/1:04

The first 600 was very conservative but after that I tried to run them all hard. Some decent 400 times in there with the last couple sub 64 (63.7 and 63.6). All up the efforts totalled 6km in 16:53 (67.5 lap pace). That's about the same pace as a couple of my standalone 400m sessions so nice to maintain that pace for a slightly longer distance.

I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down. All up 14.2km for the day.

This week

An easy run to start the week off. My 9.5km local loop in 38:24 (4:03's).

The plan this week is to run track on Tuesday, some longer reps on Thursday and race on Sunday. Easy running in between apart from Saturday where I'll take a rest day to recover from the Friday night visit to the races...

Sunday's race is an 8km on a fairly flat course. I'll be aiming to run quicker than I did in Headford and anything sub 25:45 would be very nice.

Finishing Long

An evening run today. I did my local "long run" covering 22.5km in 1:34:11 (4:11's). Very humid and was absolutely knackered and dehydrated come the end. Just glad to get it out of the way.

That's another week in the eighties - this time 85.7km. I'm happy with how things are going and will be looking to peak for the Streets of Galway in 2 weeks time.

My 10km running has been so consistent this year. I've run 32:4x on no less than 5 occasions. A big improvement is just around the corner...

Balla 10km

Conditions were not to my liking. A hilly course and very humid but I'd been running well so was hoping for a decent outing. After a 3km warm-up around the start of the course, I was already sweating up, and after changing into my racing flats it was time to line up at the start.

There was a good buzz around town and this was made all the better by a marching band playing at the start as they welcomed Enda Kenny to officially get the race underway. No security that I could see and I was literally standing next to him at the start line. After a 3-2-1 we were off and racing.

I quickly hit the front as we took a sharp left turn and then the first long climb of about 500m which took us up and around the school. After that there were some twists and turns, a section along some loose gravel and rocks, a cattle grid, then back onto the roads. I wasn't looking at splits and was just running on feel. After the first km, the course remained on the road as we headed out of town. More gradual climbs in the second km where I was joined by another runner (Martin Conroy) and we raced stride for stride. The start of the 3rd km was some welcome downhill but this was quickly followed by more up and this was pretty much the pattern of the course from here on in. Constant ups and downs, not steep hills but difficult to get into any sort of rhythm.

We continued running together for the next few kms but as we passed 5km (16:07!) I knew I wasn't going to be able to maintain the pace. We were still together through 6km but it was around this point that I was gapped and it was time to hang on in there. The hills were still coming and after every turn you were looking up the road to see where the next hill was. The gap was about 7-8 seconds and wasn't growing as I went through kms 7, 8 and 9 and I was still of the belief that I could get close with a quick last km. But that wasn't to be and after kicking down the last 200m I crossed the finish line in 32:43 for second place (the winner ran 32:30).

Very happy with the time. Two seconds slower than my PB on a tough course and some good racing. I think the heat effected me more than the hills and I know the sub 32:30 is there on a better day. Overall a great evening with tea and sandwiches after the race and a few Euros prize money thrown in. One of the most memorable races of the year so far.

I forgot to mention I did the same 3kms warm-down. That's 16kms for the day. Hopefully some photos to follow...

Splits:

1km 3:09
2km 3:19
3km 3:16
4km 3:14
5km 3:08
6km 3:17
7km 3:29 (where I was gapped)
8km 3:22
9km 3:15
10km 3:14

Total 32:43

Feet Up

No running today after my 13 day training block...

Instead it was time for a few beers, crisps, chocolate, etc - all good race prep.

Loving the darts.

Races Approaching

Another local run. This time slightly longer running 2 local loops totalling 14.4km in 57:54 (4:01/km). That's it now before the race on Saturday evening.

I ordered a new dartboard which arrived today. I'd worn out the 5 and 1 on the old one...I need to put in some practice as the old man is in town again next week for the races. That's the famous Galway races where the whole town comes to a standstill for a week. The pubs are mobbed and it's party time. Should be fun, especially if I can pick a few winners.

More of the easy stuff

Another easy local run of 9.5km in 39:24 (4:09's). My left knee is still a little sore, but that aside I'm feeling really good. I'll do some final tuning up tomorrow, then rest on Friday before the 10km race on Saturday evening.

I'm hoping for cool weather on the weekend as I always seem to run well when it's cold. It's a hilly course but I still think I'm in PB shape. Looking forward to it.

Darts on TV again this week. Loving that.

Going Well

My weekly track session. Arrived and did the normal 2 miles (3.2km) around the University pitches. Then onto the track for some strides before the session.

It was a repeat of the session from April 27th here.

So 4 x 400, then 3 x 1600, finishing with 4 x 400.

60 seconds recovery between 400's, 90 seconds between the 1600's, and 90 seconds between sets. Times were as follows:

67,67,67,67
4:56,4:53,4:56
68,67,66,64

Very happy with those. The middle 1600 I ran too quick and it took me a while to recover but the last few 400's I felt really good. Nice to finish with a 64.4. I think I've moved up a notch so I need this form to be replicated on Saturday in the road 10km.

Another 3.2km warm-down so all up 14.4km for the day.

More Dublin

A shorter version of yesterday's run. This time 8.9km in 37:30. Back to Galway tomorrow for a track session.

Dublin

A few days in Dublin with the family. I did a late run around Ballsbridge and Sandymount and covered 11.6km in the process in a time of 50:12. That's 4:20/km so not particularly quick. It was just nice to run somewhere different.

A weekly total of 88.8km. That's the third week on the trot where I've been in the 80's for the week. I really struggle to get it up above that...

Token Hills

My lack of hillwork is so apparent in races. I seem to almost give up on the tough hills and knowing that there is a hilly 10km on my race aganda, I though I'd do a token hills session...

I drove to Dangan and did a longish warm-up of 7.2km with Owen. Then to Chestnut lane where I ran some 30 second uphill sprints. I used the downhill as slow walk/jog recovery and that was taking around 70 seconds. I broke the session up into 3 sets with 2 and a half minutes recovery bewteen sets and managed a total of 16 x 30 seconds (5 in the first set, 5 in the second and 6 to finish with).

A tough enough session. Only 8 minutes of hard running but it really has you gasping for air if you run them hard. I finished up with a 4km warm-down so all up 15.2km for the day.

Stubborn

More easy running. My local loop fo 9.5km in 38:56. Conditions wet and windy but I forced myself out of the door...glad to get it over with.

MLR

Not a Medium Long Run, a Matt Long Run. The first time I've run for more than an hour and a half since early June. I ran local and did some of my local loops tagging bits on to get me over the 90 minute mark. Total running time 1:31:46 in which time I knocked off 22.5kms (4:05/km pace). Pretty tired come the end of that...

Maree 5km

A very warm day, the first proper day of summer! The race was a late start at 8pm, and by that time it had cooled a bit, and there was a bit of a breeze around.

I ran about 3kms warm-up, then lined up at the start. Just before the start I had a disagreement with a bramble bush and the bush won. Scratches all down my arm, not a good look...

The start itself warrants a mention. I can't remember such a bad start from myself. The race started and I stalled, my fault as I didn't have my watch ready and I was fumbling around trying to find the stopwatch. By the time I started running I had switched over to the stopwatch but then I needed to reset it. After fixing that I was way down on the leaders and I then had to start pegging people back. With hindsight this probably wasn't a bad thing...

After 400m I was in 3rd position. The first km was undulating and up front Gerry Ryan and Michael Shannon were taking it out really hard and I was a good distance back. I knew I was running hard so there was no point trying to catch them so I just focused on my own race. I decided not to look at my splits during the race as I didn't want any distractions.

The second km was much tougher. Some uphill drags and as I took a right hand turn, it was then time to run into the breeze which seemed like it had picked up. The third km was all downhill and I really started to feel good and was closing in on 2nd place. At the bottom of the hill it was another left turn and it was now pancake flat running down by the water. Through the 4th km and I was now just behind 2nd and it was time to make a move. I ran into second place and after a right turn, the last 800m was an undulating run in to the finish...

It was hurting but I managed a decent finish crossing the line in 15:33 for 2nd place. Gerry won in 15:12 so in our second meeting in 4 days he again beats me convincingly. Splits were as follows (last years times in brackets):

1km 3:00 (3:01)
2km 3:16 (3:25)
3km 3:08 (3:18)
4km 3:06 (3:15)
5km 3:03 (3:11)

Very happy with a 12 second road PB. I think the 3 days of easy running before the race made a big difference as I felt really fresh tonight.

3kms warm-down to make it 11kms for the day.

There was a legend of the running scene watching the race tonight - Steve Jones - what a class marathon runner he was during the 1980's. I think he was over on holiday as he now lives in America. My pace tonight doesn't even come close to his marathon pace!

More easyish stuff

Another easy run to see how the legs were post massage. I was feeling good tonight and pushed the pace along a little so you wouldn't call it easy, whatever the next level above easy is called. The same route as the last 2 days, this time covering the 9.5kms in 37:09 (3:55/km).

Perhaps I was feeling a little guilty after consuming 5 chocolate doughnuts in one sitting...

Maree 5km tomorrow. Last year I ran 2nd in 16:10....

Easy running and massage

The same run as yesterday (9.5kms in 38:20). My left knee has been a little sore of late so I had a rub to try and iron out any muscles that could be impacting the tracking of the knee.

I've updated my race schedule. There's a 5km on this Wednesday which will be a decent hit-out. No racing this weekend but then the following 3 weekends I have pencilled in some races.

10km PB?

Today was a struggle. The run happened late and my Sunday "long run" was 9.5kms in a time of 38:42. Everything was hurting - time for a massage.

Interesting that McMillan gives my 25:51 8km yesterday as an equivalent performance of 32:35 for 10km (6 second PB). That's encouraging, especially as there is more to come on a flatter/cooler day.

That's 82.3km for the week. Not bad considering I had a rest day.

It's now time to get back on the horse...

Headford 8km

I arrived in good time for registration and warm-up. The weather was hot, close to 20 degrees which was a little too hot for racing but better than the torrential rain from last year. Gerry Ryan was running after a long break from racing and I knew he was in good from after posting a low 31 minute 10km the week before.

The race was underway at 7pm sharp. The first part of the race had us running through the main street up through town. A tough enough uphill drag of about 600m before taking a left turn onto the main road heading towards Galway. I settled into second position trying to keep Gerry in my sights. The run along the main road saw me going through kms 1, 2 and 3 and with splits of 3:02, 3:08 and 3:10 I was moving along nicely.

Shortly after 3km it was time to take another left through the smaller country lanes. I hit 4km with a split of 3:14 and that meant 12:34 at halfway which was way better than planned. Then the hills started. Not steep hills but long uphill stretches and I just couldn't get the legs going. This continued through kms 5 and 6 and the times of 3:26 and 3:20 showed I had slowed significantly. I could occasionally see Gerry up front which helped to spur me on a little. I managed to find an extra gear (other than reverse) in the last couple of clicks and with kms 7 and 8 passing in 3:18 and 3:13 I crossed the finish line in 25:51 for second place. Gerry won in 24:59 and I thought before the race that if I could get within a minute of him I'd be doing well.

That's 17 seconds quicker than last year and the course was much tougher than I remembered. The heat didn't help after training in cooler weather the last few weeks. Overall I'm fairly happy with that and I'll be looking to run sub 25:30 on the back of that for the Streets of Galway 8km in early August.

A few kms warm down so all up approx 15kms for the day. Then into town for umpteen beers with the lads. Home at 3am and feeling less than the full one hundred as I write this. The thought of running later today isn't filling me with much glee...

Repeat Racing

No running. A few beers tonight as a final preparation for tomorrow's 8km.

The Headford 8km was another race that I won last year - in a time of 26:08. A good course which from memory was fairly flat. Perhaps there was a drag in the 5th km? Here are last years splits:

1 3:10
2 3:16
3 3:15
4 3:16
5 3:24
6 3:17
7 3:17
8 3:13

I'm sure I'm in slightly better nick this year so will be looking to duck under 26. A lot will depend on the weather which has been very wet of late. Fingers crossed.

The best bit is that there are a few of us going for beers in town after the race. I'll be the thirsty one.

Persistent Rain

It rained all day but once I got out there it was quite nice. I did my usual hour double loop and knocked off the 14.4km in 58:54 (4:05's). I was pretty tired so looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.

Cruise Intervals

Track night. I did a couple of kms warm-up and hooked up with Matt and Owen for a session of 400's (just for a change). They were planning 72 second laps which suited me as I didn't want to run flat out.

The session itself was slightly different to my normal session of 400's. We did 4 sets of 4 (total 16) off 30 seconds with 3 minutes recovery between sets (including a 200m very slow jog). It felt pretty comfortable throughout and the times were:

72/74/71/72
71/72/71/72
71/71/72/71
71/70/69/66

Average of 71.

I finished up with an easy 6.9km warm-down. All up 15.9km for the day.

I nearly forgot to mention the weather. Raining most of the day but by the time the session started it had cleared. No breeze to speak of so apart from the damp track, conditions couldn't have been much better.

Short and Sweet

My local loop of 9.5km in 37:12 (3:55's). A perfect evening for running.

Winding back

I decided to do the long run today that I missed on Sunday. I was aiming for an hour and a half and I'd plotted out a new local route that took in a new loop that I'd discovered. I was out the door quite late (8:30pm) and it was a case of going through the motions. I had to add an extra bit on at the end to get me nearer my target but I still pulled up short running for 1:24:23. A quick check on Mapmyrun and it turns out I covered exactly 20kms at a pace of 4:13/km.

The rest of the week I'll take it fairly easy. A light track session on Wednesday, with easy running to fill in the gaps. I'll rest up on Friday before the race on Saturday. Hopefully some post race boozing in Headford as well!

Darting Biathlon

My planned long run was put on hold as I decided it was time to make my darts debut in a ranking competition where points could be accumulated towards making the county darts side. I still managed to squeeze in an hours run - the same run as Monday covering the 14.4km in 57:30 (4 minute kms).

So on the running front that's 87.5km for the week with 3 solid speed sessions thrown in. A very good week.

Moving on to the darts, I hit the practice board and quickly hit a couple of maximums. Upon arrival at the pub (which is only 4km up the road), I registered and played a few warm-up games where I hit another maximum. Then the comp started and we were split into groups of 5 players where we had to play a round robin format with the 2 highest leg scorers in the group progressing to the quarter finals. Every leg counted and you played all 3 legs against the other 4 players in the group regardless of the scoreline.

In my first game I won 3-0 after playing well after a slow start. In the next game I lost 3-0 after playing very poorly. I returned to winning ways in game 3 with a 2-1 victory then lost my last game 3-0 after scoring well but missing chances on doubles. Scoring for show and doubles for dough and all that...

So my for and against read 5-7 and had I won one more leg I would have progressed through to the quarters. Not a bad debut and there are more of these comps coming up so I'm sure I'll give it another crack. Hopefully I'll be less nervous next time or perhaps I just need to drink more...

Sloppy Seconds

Time trial day. I used to run these regularly in Sydney on the first Tuesday of each month. In fact, I've just had a look at my record and I've ran 24 3,000 time trials at Mingara between August 2007 and December 2009. I also raced the distance 3 times during that time at Homebush. My first ever 3,000m I ran 10:22 on 07/08/07. My current PB was ran during a time trial the week leading up to the Melbourne Marathon where I ran 8:58 on 06/10/09. I find these good sessions as they don't take too much out of you and they are a good indication of where you are at.

After my normal 3.2km warm-up, I made my way over to the track for a few strides. The weather was glorious - quite sunny and a bit of breeze to deal with coming down the finishing straight. There was 10 or so of us running. A good standard so it would be clean track with no lapping other runners to worry about.

We quickly got going and I hit the front. I took my splits each km but didn't look at the watch. As is normal, I ran a good first and last km, but the second one was a little sloppy. I finished in 9:05 and the splits were 3:00, 3:05, 3:00. So not the sub 9 I was after but not to worry. I'm sure in a proper race I could find a few seconds to get me well under 9.

I finished up with a 6.7km warm-down. All up 12.9km for the day.

Ouch on the Oche

A glorious day. I took it really easy covering my local 9.5km in 40:48 (4:18's). That's as slow a lap I can remember for a long time - running at a slower pace than you are used to just feels a little awkward and laboured. That plus the heat and I was pleased to get it over with.

I suffered a minor injury earlier in the day. I was throwing a few darts and one bounced out and lodged in the top of my foot. I think I'll live...

Meat and Drink

Arrived at the track late and missed the racing. So decided on some 400's after my usual 3.2km warm-up around the pitches.

I was planning 10, then upsized to 12, finishing with 15. My normal 60 seconds recovery in between efforts. Times as follows:

69/68/68/67/67/66/67/67/66/66/67/67/67/67/66

Very happy with those (my best set of 400's ever averaging 67.0). I felt good the whole way (though the last few were getting a bit tough). Thanks to Derek for helping me out with the first 5. I must say that conditions were spot on tonight - very little breeze and nice and cool. Perfect.

Normal warm-down of 3.2km. That's 12.4km for the day.

Good luck to anyone competing on the Gold Coast this weekend. I'll be very interested in the results when I wake up Sunday morning.

There's a 3km time trial on at the track Saturday morning which I plan to run. A sub 9 would be a nice way to finish off the week.

Am I Soft?

An easy run today - 9.5km in 38:23 (4:03's). Still feeling pretty tired. I'll train through it and freshen up next week.

I was thinking about how hard I push myself during intervals and races and came to the conclusion that I'm more than a little lily livered. I read about some runners doing the lung busting/pain train/vomit sessions. I don't think I've even come close to vomiting after a (running) session. I think I have an auto mechanism that kicks in when it starts to really hurt and I naturally back off. Sure I may be doubled up for 30 seconds after a tough workout, but within minutes I'd be fully recovered. Is this normal? Do I need to toughen up?

Tomorrow I'll be at the track. There are some race options (800m!) but it all depends on what time I can get in as I may be tied up with the kids. Maybe some 400's if all else fails...

Bread and Butter

Back to the track for some 4 lappers. Usual format - 3.2km up and down and the session itself was 1600m, followed by 90 seconds walk/shuffle recovery. Perfect conditions - cool with very little breeze.

Times were as follows:

4:55/4:57/4:57/4:57/4:57

A consistent finish after getting a bit carried away with the first one. Each one became progressively harder and I couldn't repeat my normal trick of bringing the times down throughout the session. It would have been nice to finish with a 6th one but I was knackered!

All up 14.4km for the day. The same distance as yesterday but a completely different way of going about it. Very happy with the times today - all nicely under 5 minutes.

New Tyres

My local 14.4km trot in 57:02 (3:58's). Excellent conditions for running and I felt really good out there today. I had some new runners on, perhaps that made me run faster (Asics 2160's).

Westport 5km

I scrounged a lift with Jason for the 75 minute trip to Westport. The town itself looked fantastic, and after registering and running a couple of clicks warm-up it was time to line up at the start.

The weather was overcast and quite windy, and again quite humid. The course was an out and back type affair, with a small lap around part of the town close to the halfway stage. A lollipop shape I suppose. From the section I ran in the warm-up it looked to be pancake flat.

The race started and I sat back. The first 500m was around a village green, then we turned left along a road that took us through a car park and onto a flat forest trail. The first km passed in 3:01 and at this stage I was in second place behind Roger Barret who I had a good race with in Carramore last month over 10km.

Shortly after the path widened and switched to a road that ran through Westport Park. A beautiful location but I didn't really have time to admire the view as I was hanging on. Through 2km with a split of 3:06 and still in second place. Shortly after we left the park and ran through part of town along by the water, then switching back towards the park we had just left. I was starting to struggle and went through 3km with another quick km of 3:05. That made it 9:12 at 3km but I was now very much feeling the pinch of all pinches.

Sure enough, I slowed and Roger gradually gapped me. I had nothing in the legs, probably due to the 10km race on Tuesday. I was confident I could hold second place and I still ran as hard as I could, but it just wasn't happening. Continuing on through the park in reverse, I missed the 4km marker and upon exiting last section through the trees I could see the finish line and that gave me a little lift and I kicked for home to cross the finish line in second place in 15:49 (a 6:37 last 2km!).

Not a bad time and only 4 seconds shy of my road PB but still a million miles away from my 5,000m time on the track. This was a very good course and although the wind made it tough in patches, I really should have done a bit better. Too much racing and tired legs will do that!

Roger won in 15:30 so 19 seconds behind. I'm sure we'll have a few more good races through the remainder of the series. Jason finished 3rd in 16:19 and we both picked up a few Euros for our efforts. All in all a top day out.

I finished up running another lap of the course as a warm-down. All up 12km for the day and 69.6km for the week. Next week I'll focus on getting some kms in the legs, then it will be time to freshen up for the 8km in Headford.

Wet Wet Wet

An easy 9.5km local run in 38:32 (4:03's). Weather poor again, wet and windy though not cold (quite humid actually).

Looking forward to the race tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will turn and we get some good conditions for racing. A good chance to claim a second PB in a week as there will be some quicks to push the pace along.

That London

In London for the day today for a work meeting. I was finished by 3pm and wasn't flying out until 8pm so I did the tourist thing and had a good look round Covent Garden, Embankment, the Houses of Parliament, Bird Cage Walk, Buckingham Palace and Victoria. Nice to stroll around the finish of the marathon course and relive the closing stages of my race there in 2009 (minus the pain).

No running today. I needed a rest so no harm done.

Some fun

I was planning a light track session in amongst the various races on the track tonight. After a 4km warm-up, and some deliberation on whether to race the 1,500m or not, common sense prevailed and I decided to watch the race (much easier).

I then helped out with the results for a few races and eventually got the chance to knock out some 200's (only 4) in an around 33 seconds with plenty of jog recovery. I was then roped into running in a mixed 4 x 400 team (me and 3 girls). I was first up and decided to give it a nudge. We had to start in the squat position which I struggled with and when the gun sounded I rose like a salmon (tinned). I was cruising by 200m then hit the windy bend and really struggled over the next 200m before handing over with a split of 60.5. We went on to finish in 3rd place which was a good result. The start and the wind cost me at least 15 seconds so the potential is there to run a low 45...

I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down. All up 9.2km for the day.

Shattered

Very tired today, probably not getting enough sleep. Legs a bit stiff from yesterday but still dragged myself out for an hour. Well just under an hour to be exact covering my local 14.4km run in 58:34 (4:04's).

There is a track meeting tomorrow night at Dangan. I'll probably go along and have a look (at the 1,500m) but I won't be racing as I want to save myself for the 5km on Sunday. Instead I may run a few 400's as a final sharpener (not 15 though!).

A rest day planned for Friday as I'm in London for the day. Easy run on Saturday and race on Sunday.

Annaghdown 10km

Arrived late - my fault as I forgot my racing flats so had to turn back to get them. The weather upon arrival was poor. Heavy showers and after registering it was a case of do I get soaked and run a warm-up, or remain in the dry. About 5 minutes before the start the rain had eased a bit and after a km warm-up (no strides), it was time to line up. I was struggling to get into race mode being such a rushed build-up and despite the short warm-up, my socks and shoes were soaked through.

The race started and I went straight to the front. That's how it remained for me and I was left playing chase the police car who was leading the race round. Well I caught him - on the first corner. I had to check my run and it cost me a few seconds but after that the car remained a safe distance in front.

The course itself was predominantly flat. Regular undulations but no long uphills or downhills to worry about. I wasn't feeling great but tried to keep the concentration going. The only marker I missed was the 5km one but I knew that if I could keep it going in the second half of the race I was on for a quick time.

But too many negative thoughts in the second half. Nobody to race and I knew I was slowing and the course was probably a little trickier. Difficult to remain focused when it's you against the clock. At 7km I did my "if I take 10 mins from here what time will that give me". I knew it would be sub 33 so pushed on but the legs weren't responding. I'd convinced myself that the last km was all downhill so I saved myself for a quick finish. That wasn't the case as there were a few drags to contend with but the last 400m was quick and I gave it my all to cross the finishing line in 32:41 and 1st place.

That's a massive 3 second road PB! You can never be disappointed with a PB but having said that, I wouldn't rate my run that highly today - I ran a fairly average second 5km. With the right race I'm sure there is plenty more to come. I also need to toughen up mentally. Too many thoughts of giving up and just jogging it in. Not good.

I finished up with 4kms warm-down and got completely soaked through in another massive downpour. We were lucky really as the race itself was good - no rain and very little breeze but it was quite humid.

All up 15km for the day. Here are the km splits:

1km 3:07
2km 3:11
3km 3:16
4km 3:16
6km 6:36
7km 3:18
8km 3:18
9km 3:23
10km 3:16

Thanks to Paul and the team for putting on a great race. Very well organised and plenty of food and drink to keep everyone happy post race!

Plodding on

Just a short local loop today. Took it easy and covered the 9.5km in 38:22 (4:02's).

I was thinking about the race tomorrow and decided that if I could go through 5km in under 16:10, then I should have enough in the tank to nail a PB. Hopefully a few quicks turn up to push the pace along as I don't fancy doing all the running. Plus I'd like some nice running weather. That's not too much to ask is it?!?!

Runs on the board

A real struggle to get going today. Eventually hit the pavements at about 8:30pm and I was determined to do a long run of sorts. I ran my local double loop course of 17.6kms in 1:13:07 and that works out to 4:09/km pace.

Probably 1hr 30+ should be classified as a long run so I didn't quite make it! Still that's 78.8km for the week. Again poor volume but a good race on Thursday in amongst it all.

One thing I've noticed is that my calves feel like they've cramped up really badly following a big night on the drink. It must be the combination of dehydration and alcohol. My left calf was very sore today, as if I'd run a marathon the day before.

Next week the focus will again be on racing. First up will be the 10km Tuesday night in Annaghdown (summer solstice). It's a flat quick course so I'll be looking to have a crack at my PB.

Ouch

Good to catch up with mates from University over the weekend. We played golf in the afternoon at Deer Park, then hit Temple Bar for a pub crawl. Paying Euros 5.60 for a pint of Guinness I thought was a little on the pricey side...

Obviously no running. Unless you count regular shuttle runs to the bar...

Here are a couple of photos from the 5,000m just gone. Thanks to Andy:

Drink taper

I squeezed in a run - the same run as Monday. This time I covered the 14.4km in 57:45 so 4 seconds quicker!

A few beers tonight to prime the system ready for tomorrow's onslaught...

Galway County 5,000m

I managed a few kms warm-up and some strides before lining up for the start of the race. A few butterflies in the stomach for this track race - wearing running shorts with brown lining would have been appropriate.

The conditions looked good enough. Around 13 degrees and the high winds from earlier in the day had calmed a fair bit. Windier than what you would want, but the layout of the track with the sheltered home straight meant that the worst part of the lap (into the wind) was the final 50m of the last bend.

The gun sounded and I settled into second position. A quick first lap as is normally the case, then the dreaded mind games of counting down the laps. I was wearing the watch, but wasn't looking at the splits, just concentrating on the race at hand.

Not much to report until the last part of the race. I was still in second place right behind the leader and with 3 laps to go it was starting to get tough. The old chestnut of "I'll just give this one more lap" and imagine my surprise in completing the lap to hear the sound of the bell. I knew straight away that this was a mistake and called out that we still had 2 laps to go. The runner in front immediately gapped me and I focused on chasing him down.

At the end of the lap the scorers had realised their mistake and waved us through for another lap. I was only just behind but had no thoughts of kicking for home - way too early. With 200m to go I had drawn level, but this was met with a responsive surge. As we exited the final bend I had drawn level again and this time I kicked on and ran the last 100m full ball. I crossed the line in first place in a time of 15:14 with the runner in second credited with the same time. A great race.

Not a nice way to win a race by sitting in behind for 12 laps and not doing any of the work - sorry Kenny! You'll get me next time in the Streets of Galway.

Here are the km splits:

1km 2:59
2km 3:05
3km 3:07
4km 3:07
5km 2:56

That has equalled my 5,000m PB from last year but this race felt a lot more comfortable. Hopefully that's a sign that better times are still possible...maybe even the magical sub 15?

I finished up with a 6.4km warm-down around the rugby pitches with the first four place-getters in the race. Then back to the track and got roped into running the last leg of a 4 x 100m relay. Good fun though my sprint speed left a lot to be desired.

All up 13.4km for the day. All those 400m sessions I've been doing lately finally seem to be paying dividends!

Windy Miller

The same run as yesterday, this time I just took it easy. Time of 38:35 for 9.5kms (4:04's).

Not sure what time to expect tomorrow in the 5,000m. It promises to be a quality small field, but I'd say conditions will be very windy. So each lap will probably be half effort, half cruise, almost like a fartlek session. I've run 15:45 twice on the road recently so I'll be looking to go quicker than that. I'll try and hold onto 74 second laps and see what heppens...

Sporting extravaganza

With Thursday's track 5,000m looming, I decided to run a final tune up. I didn't have the chance to get to the track, instead using my 9.5km route and about 2km in I did 9 x 1 minute efforts with 60 seconds jog recovery. I was aiming to run these at 5km race pace but difficult to judge speed when it's so windy.

The remainder of the lap I jogged home so all up 9.5km in 37:06 (ave 3:54's).

The sporting rivalry with the Dad continued with 9 holes around the local golf course. I was rubbish (normal) and my Dad was even worse. Golf is difficult enough as it is but when it's blowing a gale it's a different gravy. I was declared the winner on the countback of least amount of balls lost...

On cue

I did a longer run today - in a week which promises to be shy of quality as I have a 40th birthday/university reunion weekend in Dublin to attend...

My double loop of 14.4km in 57:49 (4:01's). They were resurfacing the road in places in some of the smaller roads that I use which means less potholes to worry about in the future.

I then played the old man at snooker. No competition. Six zip to me.

Monivea 5km

Sunday is for (more) racing.

It was raining, cold (9 degrees at 12pm), and windy. But there were still a few hardy souls (read stupid) out at Monivea for the second running of the 5km race. Being the defending champion I was issued with race #1 which was a nice touch. I bumped into Timmy and we did a couple of kms warm-up before lining up for the start.

This is definitely a race of 2 halves. The first half being on the road (me like), then it switches to forest trail (me no like). The race started and I moved to the front and was joined by another runner who I wasn't familiar with. We swapped the lead a few times as we did the initial circuit of the green, trying to dodge the deep puddles that had formed on each corner. I was running wide to try and keep my feet dry which was a pointless exercise as they were soon waterlogged. The first km of 3:04 showed that the pace was on and this continued on as we left the village for a nice downhill/flat section heading out towards the woods.

The second km was again run in 3:04 and it remained me and this other guy running stride for stride. I was still feeling good but as we entered the trail it then become a lot more tricky. The path was a little overgrown in areas which meant you had to run up the centre strip of the path which was long grass. The outside of the path was gravel and quite slippery and you had to concentrate on your footing at all times. A few trees to duck as well but we somehow remained close to one another through 3km in 3:15.

I think it was somewhere close to 4km that I was gapped. I don't like this sort of terrain at the best of times and I simply don't have the motor and leg strength to keep the long levers moving on the uneven surfaces. The 4th km split was 3:21 and although I was only a few seconds behind, I knew this wasn't my day. The last km was a long drag and I had nothing in the tank and couldn't even muster up a sprint finish. I crossed the line in 16:06 so a 3:22 last km. Second place and about 5 seconds behind the winner. Interestingly some 22 seconds quicker than I ran last year in worse conditions so I have to take a big positive out of that.

A good race but the conditions made it tough (plus my preparation wasn't ideal!!!). I'm not sure how others fared but I'd assume that most times were slow in comparison to the times from the recent 5km series. I enjoyed it nonetheless and great to be battling away with the young guy from Limerick who won.

In a perverse sort of way I get more satisfaction out of not winning as it spurs you on to train that bit harder, and try that bit more next time. Hopefully this race goes from strength to strength in future years as the course certainly makes it enjoyable and unique.

I finished up with a kay warm-down before making a swift departure to get home for a hot shower.

All up 8km for the day and a paltry 65.8km for the week.

I should mention that later in the day I lost at darts to my Dad 10-6 (despite hitting a 180 and a 144 checkout), then he took money off me at cribbage. He had great pleasure in announcing that I hadn't won anything all day and that I was a loser. Nowt from 3...

Saturday's for driving

Zero running.

Got a flight over to the UK, picked up the car, drove back. Over 400 miles on the road so pretty tired by the time I got back to Galway. The sensible thing would have been to have an early night but I decided to head to the local boozer for a few pints. Rolled in at 2am. Good race preparation...

Friday Urrrrgggghh

A trot around the block again. Feeling very tired the last few days, probably old age. Time 37:56 for 9.5km so 4 minutes per km. A rest day is planned for tomorrow as I'm nipping over to England to pick up a new car for the trouble and strife (wife).

Here's the good bit, the old man is coming back with me for a few days. So more darts to look forward to. Plus a few beers. Maybe a game of snooker as well. Oh yeah, and a 5km race on Sunday...

Thursday is for track

Arrived just as it started hammering down. Waited in the car for 20 minutes and it was getting quite late by this stage so had thoughts of going home. But luckily (unluckily?) the skies cleared and at least allowed me to get outside.

The usual 3.2km warm-up. Then to the track for some strides before getting into the 400's. I was doing the session in my racing flats (Asics DS racers) and my socks were soaked by the time I started. Not pleasant. That aside, the conditions for running were just about perfect - very little breeze and nice and cool.

The times were as follows:

71/70/69/69/69/68/68/68/68/68/69/68/68/68/65

That's 13 seconds slower than last week (ave 68.4). But I wasn't pushing them as hard as last week (I could still stand up at the end of the session), plus the wet track would make the times a little slower (maybe a second a lap?). So all in all a good session.

Another gauge that I hadn't given them my all tonight was that my warm-down 3.2km run was 25 seconds quicker than my warm-up. If I was totally GAWNE I'd be a lot slower. A total of 12.4km for the day.

I'll give the 400's a rest now and try and introduce a bit more variety into my weekly track sessions. You'll notice I've updated my race schedule for the next few weeks and there is a 5,000m on the track in one weeks time which promises to be a great race with (hopefully) a high quality field. So this will be my opportunity to run the sub 15:30 that I wanted before June is out.

Jumped back into the car and on the drive home it started raining again. Got to love that...

Wednesday is for easy running

I ran my local double loop of 14.4km. Wasn't looking forward to it but felt surprisingly good once I got going. The time was 56:45 which is 3:56/km pace and it felt really easy. More runs like this would be nice.

I'll try and race on Sunday in another 5km out at Monivea. This was my first race in Ireland about a year ago and was my debut win so the race holds fond memories for me. I'm in better nick now so will be looking to improve on my time of 16:28 by a decent margin. Hopefully some other quicks show up to make it a decent race.

2 more 180's today...

Galway 5km Series - Week 6

Tuesday is for racing. Well it has been for the last 6 weeks. Tonight the attention turned to Loughrea in the final run of the 5km series.

I managed to scam a lift with Brian (many thanks) and we arrived in good time to allow a lap of the course warm-up. It was very cold and also windy and the start of the course was a slow gradual climb into the wind for the best part of a kay. The next couple of clicks were much better, flat in places with some slight ups and downs. Then between 3km and 3.9km there was a much steeper hill, and the final 1.1km was all downhill with wind on the back. This promised to be a tough course so I though that another sub 16 would be decent.

The start of the race was a bit of a disaster. The large crowd was struggling to get in position behind the timing mats and then suddenly we were all racing with no warning. I was surprised by this and got off to a shocking start but within about 100m I had gotten into my running and taken the lead. In between my warm-up lap and the start of the race there had been a massive deluge. This meant that the course was now very wet with a few puddles to avoid to keep you honest. But to balance things up the wind had dropped considerably and all in all it was very good conditions for racing.

The tough first km showed a split of 3:09. I've come to the opinion that I can run a decent hill if it's at the start of a race. The course then flattened out and I attacked the next couple of kms with times of 3:04 and 3:08. That's 9:21 with 2km to go so maybe...

Then the big hill. I felt like I was running strongly and was giving it my all. The time for that part of the course didn't agree. A 3:41! So I now had to run a sub 3 last km just to get under 16.

A big push down the hill. I don't think I could have run this section any quicker. This was a flat out sprint. I crossed the line in 15:55 so a 2:53 last km which I think must be my quickest ever km in a race. Another win for the old boy.

A couple of kms warm-down so a total of 12kms for the day. I finished up having a few pints in the Loughrea Hotel. Good to meet some new people and receive some positive feedback on my rubbish blog.

So what to do now on Tuesday evenings? There's a 10km in Annaghdown in 2 weeks time so that's not too long to wait.

A couple of photos from last night (thanks to Tony). This is at the start:



And this is at the finish. The 6 digit salute:

Monday is a day for jogging

Just an easy run around the block today. The 9.5km took me 39:24. Windy.

My legs (and backside) haven't been right since my over enthusiastic sprints on Saturday. Hopefully I'll come good for tomorrow's 5km race. Speaking of which I've heard mixed reports on the course. There are hills, plus the weather isn't looking good so that may put pay to a PB attempt. But you never know......and more importantly I have a lift so post race beers are a go-er. Mine's a pint of Guinness.

The Cork Marathon was run today (public holiday here). The winner ran 2:25 so it sounds like a tough course. I'd be interested to hear any feedback on the course and conditions.

After watching the darts on the weekend I spent a bit of time on the practice board. Two more 180s to report...did I mention I love the arrers?

Longish Run

Started out at the track and did a lap of the pitches before attempting to meet up with the Cathedral runners as they came past. Couldn't see anyone at 9:10 so assumed I had missed them. I ran pretty quickly for an hour but still couldn't see anyone so I came to the conclusion that I hadn't missed them and they were probably behind me! The most amazing thing is that I didn't get lost. Those back roads are a maze...

I finished up running back to Dangan along the last 3km of the 5km race I did on Tuesday. All up I estimate 21kms in 1hr 32 so that's 4:22/km pace. To be honest it was probably a bit further than that but who's counting.

Not a bad weeks training. A total distance of 96.1km and some decent sessions in the process. Next week I will be focusing on running a quick 5km to finish off the Galway series. A 15:40 would be nice!

Longer reps

The session was 4 minute efforts with 90 seconds recovery. After the normal lap of the pitches warm-up, we decided to run on the track as most of the pitches were being used, whereas the track was empty.

I ran these at cruise pace. Certainly not flat out, closer to my 10km pace. I was very consistent with the distance each rep - covering 3 full laps plus about one third of the way around the first bend. So that's 1230m give or take and that equates to 3:15/km pace.

The plan was to do somewhere between 5 and 8 reps. Some of the middle distance guys bailed after 5 reps; I called it a day after 7. Legs a bit sore at the end but 20+ laps on the track wearing the racing flats will explain that. A session where I felt in control and that gives me confidence that the sub 32:30 10km is still there.

I finished up with 4 by 80m sprints then 3.2km warm-down. I got a bit carried away in the sprints running the last one flat out in 11 seconds. That's as good as it gets for me - certainly not blessed with natural sprinting speed.

Just a quick mention of the NSW 10km championships at Homebush that were run on Saturday. Some great runs from a few of my old Mingara sparring partners:

Josh Wright 30:40 (wow - London 2012 beckons)
Mark Warren 31:31
Cale Bowd 32:07
Geoff Arnold 32:58
Barry Willis 35:39

Well done - lots of big PB's in there.

Plus 12 degrees

All of May it was around 12-13 degrees for running. Today it was 25 degrees for my easy run. Distance 9.5km in a time of 39:54. Really struggled today, the heat makes a huge difference to the effort level. Still feeling tired...all the excuses under the sun...

Efforts tomorrow at Dangan - 4 minutes with 90 seconds recovery.

15 x 400

The session was 15 x 400 with one minute recovery. The weather was glorious today, 21 degrees when I arrived at the track at 8pm and very little breeze. After a 3.2km warm-up, I moved to the track which was empty.

To be honest I was feeling really tired today and was expecting a poor session. The sensible thing would have been to take a rest day but that would have thrown the rest of the week out. I thought if I could keep the 400s under 70 seconds I'd be doing well.

The session went as follows:

69/69/68/68/68/68/68/67/68/67/68/67/67/67/64

Obviously very happy with that! That's quicker than when I last did this session 3 weeks ago (all up 16:53 for 6km so an average of 67.5 per 400). Absolutely spent come the end of the session.

I finished up with a 3.2km wobble down. A total of 12.4km for the day.

Getting Serious

Tonight it was 14.4kms in 57:51 (4:01/km). A little less windy but still rain in the air. Not too bad for running.

My Dad departed yesterday so it's time to put the head down and get some decent training in. My preparation for the 2 races just gone was shocking. More suited for yard of ale races. Which is nice...

So tomorrow I'm going back to get back on track with some 400's. There are a few 5km races coming up in June so that will be the focus (lots of speedwork required). Then hopefully the extra speed will translate into improved times for 10km and the half marathon in the second half of the year.

Just looking at my stats and I've already chalked up 20 races this year. That's about one a week. Race yourself fit and all that...seems to be working with PB's at 5km, 10km and half marathon thus far.

Galway 5km Series - Week 5

I arrived in good time as I wanted to do a recce on the course. I bumped into Timmy and we jogged a lap. It was mixed terrain of grass, car park, road and gravel path. A very flat course but there were sections in the backend of the course where you had to watch your footing due to a few small obstacles including steps, tree roots, rocks, etc. Overall not too bad and certainly not as bad as I was expecting.

Another windy evening though but we were lucky in that the rain held off until after the finish. The race started and the first 500m was on grass (cross country style). By the time the car park was reached I had hit the front and I put in a burst as I wanted to gap the chasing pack. The first km was reached in 3:07 and it was head down as the course remained on a twisty road heading towards the university. I missed the 2km marker and it was this section that seemed most windy. More of a cross-wind but it seemed to slow me a fair bit but it was soon time to leave the road with a left hand u-turn onto grass to join a gravel path. I could see at this point that I had opened up a decent lead so it was now a race against the clock.

The halfway point was marked and I went through this is 7:54 so I was on track for another decent run. That said, I was slowing a little as the ground was a bit slippery, and I was being extra careful not to take a tumble. The 3rd km was passed in 9:31 so I had covered kms 2 and 3 in 6:24 (average 3:12).

The last section I was holding on. The legs didn't feel fresh and again the wind was coming from the side. The 4th km showed a split of 3:12 and I continued on with the Corrib on the right hand side. With about 500m to go I took a left hand turn to run along the end of one of the rugby pitches, then it was time to climb a steep sand bank (bloody tough) then a final section of grass to the finish line. I managed to dip under 16 minutes crossing the line 1st in 15:58 (a 3:15 last km).

Happy with that. A good course that didn't suit me but that didn't stop others running their quickest times of the series. Organisation was excellent with volunteers dotted all round the route and plenty of support at the finish.

I finished up with a slow 4km warm-down so all up 14km for the day. That's 5 wins out of 5 now so I'll have to see if I can finish the job in that last run of the series next week out at Loughrea. There's talk of a drink afterwards so I'll be looking for a lift!

Fitness test

I went for a jog to see if the hip was okay. A little sore to start with but felt good after a few minutes. All up 9.5km in 37:47 (3:59's). It should be fine for tomorrow's race. Speaking of which...

...it's going to be a tough one for me. If the course is on gravel paths and grass then I'll be a good bit slower. I think 16:15 would be solid. Plus I'm not sure how my legs will be after yesterday's tough run. Hopefully I can grind out another decent performance.

Spiddal 8km

This was always going to be a tough run. Spiddal is an Irish speaking town on the coastline, about 20 minutes drive from Galway city. A beautiful place, but again it was very windy and part of the course saw us climbing up into the hills. I'd treat it as a good hit-out with no real time expectation.

After a couple of kms warm-up, I made my way to the start line. The first km was along the main coastal road and I was in a group of 4. It was fairly flat at this point but just before the first km marker we took a left turn which signalled the start of the climbs. A split of 3:11 for the opening km, but it was now becoming much tougher. The next 3 kms was basically all uphill, and the group slowly whittled down and I was soon running solo at the front. The pace was slowing each km (2km 3:32, 3km 3:37 and 4km 3:47) and at the halfway point there was a left hand turn and welcome flattish terrain.

The course was now running through very exposed moors and it was the turn of the wind to play havoc. A strong crosswind straight off the Atlantic made it hard to up the pace and the next couple of kms were still tough running with both these kms covered in 3:25. The course then started to descend and thankfully the last couple of kms were very friendly. This is the only point of the race I felt really good (funny that) and splits of 3:07 and 3:02 for the last couple of clicks had me crossing the line in 27:06.

Let me go back a bit, I didn't actually cross the finish line. I'll explain - the roads were open to traffic and a tourist coach insisted on overtaking me with about 500m to go. As the road narrowed towards the finishing area I was getting closer and closer to the coach only to have to stop completely as it ground to a halt. I was pretty pissed off at this point and after waiting a few seconds, I then went to overtake the bus on the right hand side only to completely miss the finish line which the coach was parked on. I didn't even realise only for the people to start shouting at me to stop as I ran further up the road...what a shambles!

A good blow-out and another win (by just under a minute). All the times were slow today and I have to say this was one of the toughest races I can remember. The breathing felt good but the legs just didn't want to get moving after the 3km climb.

Well done to the organisers for adding another race to the calendar and hopefully lots of money was raised for Cancer Care.

A couple of kms warm-down so 12kms for the day. My right hip is now a little sore, hopefully nothing too serious. I'll try an easy run on Monday and all being well I'll be okay for race 5 in the Galway 5km series on Tuesday evening.

A total of 78.6km for the week.

Licking my wounds

A big night previous so I wasn't at my best today. Eventually got out for a short run late afternoon and surprisingly felt okay. I did the 9.5km loop in 37:46 (3:59's).

The weather today wasn't too bad. Still windy but no rain. This blog reads more like a Galway weather report lately...

Racing tomorrow. Out again tonight but will try and keep a lid on it...

It will be better once you get out there

Well it wasn't. Miserable wet weather blah blah. Awful wind, cold and rain. Despite that I felt pretty good in my 9.5km amble (38:17). That's close to 4 minute clicks. The weather must be better in Sydney?

I'm considering racing on Sunday. 8km in Spiddal. Keep me out of the pub and all that...

Another win at darts. This time 5-4...

Was it worth it?

I managed to squeeze in a session of sorts. My usual 9.5km loop with 3 x 5 minute efforts thrown in (3 minutes jog in between). Weather was very windy and I seemed to be running right into the wind for all 3 efforts. A real struggle, I doubt I was even running at 3:45/km pace. At points I was hardly moving, the wind was trying to trip me up, clipping heels, etc. Was asking myself would I have been better doing nothing. Well at least i was burning off a bit of energy I suppose. Time was 36:48 which equates to 3:57/km.

More importantly the darts. I won 15-9 in our first game. Me like.

Midweek

Out local again and did my 14.4km big loop/small loop course in 59:24 (4:08's). Still windy and showery. Lets be honest, the weather in May has been pretty shocking. I'm sure summer is just around the corner...

My Dad arrives tomorrow for 5 nights so the focus will move from running to drinking and darts. I've had the dartboard up about 4 months now and I've been practicing a bit here and there. I've been keeping a count of how many 180's I've hit in that time (sad I know) and the current tally stands at 16. Not very impressive when you see the pros hit that many in less than an hour...lets hope the practice pays dividends when we have our first match-up, probably tomorrow evening (instead of reps on the track)...

Galway 5km Series - Week 4

My first race in my home town. I ran from home and had about 2.8km done before lining up at the start.

The course was the same 5km as used in previous years but this year the direction of the race was to be reversed. That meant a big hill within the first km, then predominantly flat or downhill for the remaining 4km. It suited me perfectly to get the hill out of the way early so I could get into my running.

The weather was quite windy but no rain. The start was just inside the entrance to a business park and we were soon racing. I hit the lead as we turned left onto the main road only to be greeted by the big climb. This was a real grind and I was surprised to be leading as my hill running is not good. At about 800m it flattened out and then a slight downhill section and the first km showed an opening gambit of 3:19. Time to put the foot down.

The second km had a few gradual uphill drags but it was fairly easy going. This km was covered in 3:09 and then it was time to hammer the long downhill. I focused on lengthening the stride and leaning forward and after a left hand turn at the foot of the hill there was a nasty little uphill section to take you up to the 3km marker. This was covered in 3:03 so 9:31 with 2km to go.

The 4th km was again pretty flat. Maybe a little more uphill than you would ideally want but I was feeling pretty good. A 3:10 so the chance of a PB was diminishing but still a decent last km would see me under 16 minutes. I really tried to lift the pace in the run for home, especially in the last section on the main road which was very flat. I crossed the line in 15:48 (a 3:07 last km). A good last 4km and another win under the belt. I really enjoyed the course although I have to say that being one of my local training routes.

I finished up with a 6.8km warm-down (another lap of the course plus a bit more). All up 14.6km for the day.

My little boy didn't make the race as he was too cranky and tired. Another time...

More Sligo

The weather was really bad. Galeforce winds and lashing rain so I decided to take the easier option of running on the hotel treadmill. The easy option would have been to go straight to the hotel bar...

A very boring run. I forced myself to do 40 minutes covering 9.1km in the process. Tomorrow is week 4 of the Galway 5km Series. Plus it's in my local town with the start/finish less than one km from our house. I may have my little boy out to watch as he has never seen me race. That's added pressure. The course has a monster hill which will not suit me. If I get close to 16 minutes it will be a very good outing.

Sligo

I travelled to Sligo today - a few days away with the family.

I did a late run to get a feel for the area. I did a few loops around the city centre, plus a section up towards the docks. All up 48:00 and I estimate I covered 11km (4:22/km pace).

That's 77.5km for the week. I missed out on a couple of PB's by a few seconds but secured 2 more wins. Not a bad week all in all.

Carramore 10km

The weather had been atrocious all day. Heavy rain and wind but by the time I arrived at the race, by some miracle the skies had cleared and conditions looked pretty good. Still very wet under foot, but no rain. Just the wind to deal with...

After a 3km warm-up, I lined up at the start and we were underway. The first 100m was uphill and then it became a lot easier, either flat or downhill. I was at the front with one other guy and the first km passed in 3:05. Soon after that I had opened up a gap and was running solo. The terrain was undulating but fairly flat and still feeling good I reached the second km in 3:14.

After a left hand turn I realised that there was a couple of new runners closing in on me. Slowly but surely they drew level so I was now part of a group of 3. There were a few surges at this point but they were all covered off and that's how it remained until km 5 (3rd km 3:17, 4th km 3:17, 5th km 3:20, 5km in 16:13). I was now concentrating on racing and the times were becoming less important.

After another left hand turn I was surprised to see that the group had been whittled down to 2. Thankfully I was still part of the 2. The next section seemed really tough due to a stiff headwind. The pace had slowed with kms 6 and 7 passing in 3:22 and 3:21 respectively. I was still running stride for stride with the other guy and I was thinking that we must be due an easier section...

Then another left turn and thankfully the wind was now on the back. I suddenly felt a lot better and tried to pick up the pace. I'd opened up a slight gap and the 8th km passed in 3:19. From there on I just concentrated on putting the foot down. The course was still flat and a quicker 9th km of 3:15 and it was time to grit it out to the finish. I could still hear the runner behind me but I was confident that I had enough in the legs to hold him off. But the last km was a killer. A very long uphill drag that must have been close to 500m. Then one final right turn and a further uphill section to the finish. Very glad to see the finish line with a last km of 3:16 and a time of 32:46. A very pleasing win and some good racing.

I finished up with a 3km warm-down. All up 16km for the day. I missed out on a PB by 2 seconds but the win more than made up for that. The wind was tough today as you seemed to be running into either a headwind or crosswind for the first 7km. I would love to have another crack at this course on a still day.

Hats off to the organisers. Everyone I spoke to had an enjoyable race and plenty of food and drink thrown in at the end. A few beers now to celebrate. Maybe a huge session being the last day of the world and all that...

Resting up

No running today. After 15 days straight training I think I deserve it. Feeling good.

The forecast for tomorrow is not looking great. Heavy rain and windy. The same for everyone I guess. I'm told the course is very flat so weather aside, that should give the chance to run some quick times. I want to go through 5km in 16:15 or thereabouts and see what happens...

Limiting myself to 4 beers tonight. That's discipline right there.

Thirsty

Track night. Easy session though, a sharpener before the 10km on Saturday. After a 4mile warm-up, I did 6 x 200m (with wind on the back), with 200 jog recovery (less than a minute). Then 3 miles cool down. All up 13.6km. I have to stop mixing metric and imperial. Very confusing.

All the 200's were in the 33-35 second range. An easy a track session as I can remember.

That's the second night on the trot that I've been caught in an icy rain shower. Absolutely freezing. Any chance of some decent weather before Christmas?

Winding down now with a few half litre cans of Guinness drunk in my trusty pint glass. There I go again...

Groundhog week

The theme this week seems to be a carbon copy of last week. Tonight I rattled around my local 9 mile route and it felt really good. No signs of yesterday's race in the legs and a time of 56:46 (3:57/km) showed that I was running at a decent clip.

I'll probably do some more trackwork tomorrow then rest on Friday in preparation for the race on Saturday. The race is at 6pm which sets you up very nicely for post race beers...

Galway 5km Series - Week 3

Today it was Craughwell. Conditions very damp and breezy but not too cold. In fact we were a bit lucky as it had just about stopped raining by the time the race had started.

After a few kms warm-up and some strides it was race time. In speaking with Mark before the start I decided on a new strategy to take the first km out really hard. Then try and hang on. Well after rounding the first right hand bend, I put in a surge along the main road which was flat/downhill with wind behind. I had soon passed the first km in 2:55 and had opened up a gap on the field. Feeling okay.

More downhill before making a left hand turn where the course became more undulating with some uphill drags. I still felt like I was running quickly and was a little disappointed to meet the second km marker with a split of 3:12. Perhaps I was paying for my quick start?

The next couple of kms continued this trend. Undulating terrain that normally wouldn't bother you, but running into the wind made it tough. I was in the wrong mindset in that I was always looking for a quick downhill section which never really materialised. The 3rd and 4th kms passed in 3:14 and 3:11 respectively and I wasn't feeling great and was basically holding out for the finish.

I was still in PB range but couldn't find any leg speed in the last km. I gave it my all and even managed a sprint like 50m to the finish line - uphill! Time was 15:46 gun and 15:45 net. So obviously I'll take the lower of the 2 which gives me a split of 3:13 for the last km. Same time as last week - but a lot tougher in the process (probably due to the quick first km). Good to try these strategies out and win another race in the process. That's the hattrick now!

Feedback on the course compared to last week was mixed. Some people ran quicker, some slower. It was probably close to 50/50. I think a lot is to due with how you feel on the day. Initially I thought this course wasn't as quick as last week but to be honest it probably was a slightly quicker course. Not by much though. It was just that I didn't have the legs to bring it home today - that could be due to the hills I did on Saturday as I've been a little tender ever since.

A lap of the course warm-down with Owen who ran a blinder to take out 3rd place in a massive PB. All up 13km for the day.

Thoughts now turn to Saturday. The 10km is flat, and there should be plenty of competition at the pointy end to help push things along. I'm looking forward to this one.

Tick the session off and move on

Had no desire whatsoever to go running today. But forced myself out of the door in the cold and wet for a 9.5km loop in 39:39. Didn't feel great during the run either, just one of those days.

Very sad news about Samuel Wanjiru. I lined up a couple of rows behind him at the London Marathon in 2009 and he just pipped me by 36 minutes on that day. Way too young to die at 24 and such a great loss of running talent. RIP Sammy.

Race tomorrow. 5km in Craughwell. Just one good day of weather would be nice.

A Good Week

Another long run. Very similar to last week - started at Dangan, did a bit around the pitches, met up with the Cathedral run for a while, then went off the front and ran at a decent clip for a good hour or so. Back to Dangan and a little bit more grass running before calling it a day at 25.3km in a time of 1:48:26 (4:17/km).

That's 96.9km for the week and a PB also. Happy.

Next week I'm going into race mode. Tuesday will be week 3 of the 5km series, then on Saturday I'm thinking of doing a 10km race in Co Mayo. I'm aiming for 2 PB's!

Hills are my friend

I decided to do the group session at Dangan this morning. Once again the middle and long distance guys trained together (no women!), and much to my horror we were to do hills...in the rain...

The session didn't sound too bad though. It was 8 x 30 secs uphill with one minute jog back down. Then 3 minutes rest. Then a second set of 8 x 30 secs. So a total of 8 minutes of hard uphill running.

After a 5.1km warm-up, we were ready to go (using Chestnut Lane). I deliberately sat back for the first couple of uphills and I was way behind the front. Then I slowly started to pick it up the pace and after the first set of 8 I was there or thereabouts.

The 3 minutes recovery was over in a flash and I tried to make a better fist of the next 8. I probably improved a little but was only running for 28-29 seconds (yes I am soft) before pulling the pin. A tough old session.

Then a 4.2km warm-down. Something different and good to train with the group today. The hills seem to be a great leveller (?) with everyone taking turns at the front. Great to see. Legs in bits (again).

13.3km for the day.

Habit

"You can kiss a nun once, you can kiss a nun twice, but you can't get into the habit"...

Same as last week. An easy run of 9.5km in 38:55 (1 second quicker!). Legs were sore from the previous days 400s. I still don't feel like my calves have fully recovered from the half marathon as every second day I seem to be smashing myself.

Another fry for tea!

More 400's

The Tuesday/Thursday training combination is working much better for me at the moment. So having raced on Tuesday, it was back to the track for a repeat of last week's session (15 x 400 off 1 minute).

It was still quite windy, but not quite as bad as the previous week, plus the wind was in the same direction. So again it was an easy half lap, followed by having to work round the final bend and the home straight. I deliberately tried to run them a bit harder this week and by the end I was cream crackered. Times were as follows:

71/70/69/68/67/68/68/67/67/67/67/67/67/67/66

So after a quick bit of analysis I think that's 12 seconds quicker than last week (average of 67.8). A total of 16:56 quick running for 6km. How some guys can keep that pace up continually just baffles me...

Just a note, I always round my times to the nearest second usually conventional rounding. So I would count a 65.50 as a 66 (which coincidentally I did for the last rep!). A 65.49 would be logged as a 65. Simple.

With the 3.2km warm-up/down, it was 12.4km for the day.

Midweek Easy

I planned to do 40 minutes but after I got going I couldn't resist doing a bit more. I ended up running 14.4km in 57:42 (4:00/km). It felt really easy tonight and the body is feeling good. I just need to select a new race to target as there isn't much on the horizon apart from the weekly 5km races. I'll do some digging and see if I can find another half...

Galway 5km Series - Week 2

This week it was the turn of Tuam. Conditions were very windy and quite cool. After a 2.5km warm-up and a few strides, we were lining up at the start.

And what a start, a false one to be exact. Several people started running before the starter was ready and we all had to line up again. I can't recall that happening before. Quite amusing.

Second time round we were underway. The first km is fairly flat but it was running into a cross-wind. I was at the front, with Jason matching me stride for stride. The first km marker quickly arrived in a time of 3:05. Still feeling good.

The course continued on, slightly downhill, before a left-hand turn with some more downhill. Very nice. I'd opened up a gap and was running strongly and hit the second km with a split of 3:03. So far so good.

After another left turn, it was time to hit the first uphill drag. Only a very gradual climb, but it went on for almost one km. The running surface was good but I think to make matters worse it was running into the wind. I still felt okay but knew the pace was slowing slightly and sure enough I'd registered a 3rd km of 3:17.

The next section flattened out, and I managed to lift the pace again. But after another left turn at the traffic lights, I'd hit a steeper uphill section of about 200m which knocked me around. At the top of the hill I was greeted by the 4th km in a time of 3:18. Not too bad.

The last section was basically either flat or downhill. With the wind on the back. I just concentrated on finishing strong and with 500m to go (1:33), I tried to run as hard as I could. One final bend and then a nice straight run to the finish. The last km was covered in 3:02 (1:29 last 500m) which saw me crossing the line in 15:45 for my second win of the series. Plus a 6 second road PB!

Very happy with the run finding 25 seconds in the space of a week. Having fresher legs today definitely made the difference.

I finished up with a 5km warm-down. A total of 12.5km for the day. I'm getting to like these races. Craughwell next week which some say is the quickest course. Bring it on.

Here are some photos of the race:

The normaliser

I woke up feeling pretty ordinary. A 7 hour session in the pub will do that....struggled through the day and decided on a run at 8:30pm to try and feel half normal again.

My local 9.5km run in 39:09 (4:07/km). Still very windy (outside, not me). Race tomorrow...

Long run

Back out to Dangan where I met up with Owen for a long run. Started off with a couple of laps of the pitches, then did most of the Cathedral Run before doing a bit more back at Dangan.

All up 26km in 1:53:30 (4:22/km). That sounds a bit slow - I thought we were running quicker than that. Perhaps it was 26.5km - I can't remember!

All up 81.9km for the week.

Getting serious

My third decent session this week. Back to Dangan to meet up for the Saturday morning run which is normally longer/tempo style running. But with the long distance runners and middle distance runners training together, we sort of met in the middle and had a session of 2 minute efforts, followed by 2 minutes recovery.

After a long-ish 4.8km warm-up, and some drills, it was time to get this over with. The initial plan was to run 6 x 2 minutes, with the option of another couple for the longer guys if need be. We were running around the 2 main rugby pitches which meant it was quite exposed to the wind but that wasn't too bad as we copped it at the start of each effort, and had the wind behind for the run home.

The 2 minute efforts seemed to go pretty quickly and always starting from the same point, I was consistent with my finishing position (making it about 85% of the way around the circumference of the 2 pitches - and finishing in basically the same spot each time). I was leading out each one, but there were a few guys not far behind which kept the pace honest. I told myself that I wasn't going to push this session much but I think I was just kidding myself. I was running fairly hard and it seemed quite humid and I'd worked up a good sweat over the course of the session.

After 6 efforts I'd had enough. It's been a good week so far and I didn't want to overdo it. The distance covered each effort was approximately 680m. That was verified using a GPS (I know these can be dodgy) and using Gmap pedometer. That equates to about 2:56/km pace (not even WR marathon pace which is scary).

I finished up with a 3.2km warm-down. All up 12.1km for the day and some more good 5km training in the bank.

Fryday

An easy run around my local loop. Time 38:56 for 9.5km (4:06/km). Very windy again, I think I'll have to get used to this over the next few months.

Fry-up for tea. My first fry-up since Christmas Day. Washed down with a few pints of Guinness. Healthy living.

More than one way to skin a lap

It went something like this. Arrived at the track, did a 2 mile warm-up then a few run throughs. Then straight into it.

I wanted to run at least 12 by 400. A few more if I was feeling okay. The plan was to run them comfortable without the feeling of "going to the well". I pretty much had the track to myself albeit for one person who insisted on walking round in lane 1. So this was almost secret training. Well it would be if I wasn't telling you all now.

After about 7 reps I told myself that I was really, really, enjoying these...by 10 I was getting bored and my competitive side took over and I started racing myself. By 15 I was knackered and called it a day.

Oh yeah, the lap. Quite windy which made the back straight a breeze(!), then a very tough home straight running into the wind. I was consistently 32 seconds at 200m only to slow up a lot after rounding the final bend. It was like a float then an effort each lap.

I finished up with the same 2 mile warm-down. Here are the times:

72/70/70/69/68/69/68/68/68/68/68/68/68/67/67

Recovery was 60 seconds. A solid session. All up 12.4km for the day.

Nothing

I didn't get a chance to run today. Nice to have a rest day though as the legs still haven't fully recovered from the 2 recent races.

I may try and get to the track tomorrow to get some 400's done. Doing the shorter reps at the track will help bring the 5km times down. My goal is to run sub 15:30 within the next couple of months.

Here's a couple of great photos from the race yesterday:

Galway 5km Series - Week 1

The first race was at Newcastle which is out past Athenry. The concept is six 5km races each Tuesday in various locations around Galway. Not too serious, just a good excuse to have a hit-out, try and beat your mates, and try and improve your times over the duration of the series. It has proven very popular with the series selling out within 2 hours of going on sale and with 700 runners signed up, I was looking forward to something different.

A minor miracle that I found the venue. I knew it was somewhere near Athenry but just sort of guessed what way to go and followed some traffic. After driving down some fairly narrow roads I was convinced I had gone the wrong way only to discover the registration area. Very lucky.

Running short of time I basically grabbed my number and chip, jogged down to the start and lined up. There were many familiar faces at the start and it promised to be a good race. I should have mentioned that conditions looked to be very windy as the car was getting buffeted on the drive out there. Same for everyone I guess.

The race started and a lead group quickly formed. I think there were at least half a dozen runners involved and after about 500m we took a right turn which I took very wide to avoid some loose gravel. The first km marker arrived and the time of 3:02 showed that the pace was on. The group was still well formed and after one memorable surge (not by me!), gaps started to emerge. At about 2km (2nd km 3:17) I hit the front and just concentrated on running strongly.

That's how it remained for me. The third km was tough with some long uphill drags and the km split of 3:25 showed a big slow-down but I had still gapped the chasing pack. The course then flattened out and I managed to lift the pace in the run for home with the 4th km covered in 3:14 and then a nice downhill last km of 3:13. Total time of 16:10 and 1st place overall.

The wind didn't seem too bad out on the course. It was probably quite a sheltered route so that may explain why. A good race with several runners all dipping under 17 minutes. More good racing to come over the next few weeks as I'm sure everyone will lift their game. These races seem to be over in a flash when you have just run a half marathon. You are just getting going and you are crossing the finish line.

I finished up with a 4 mile warm-down. All up 12.4km for the day and lots of fun in the process. Thumbs up to the organisers. Results already up on Red Tag Timing so a very quick turnaround.

The Judd-onaut

Just finished watching the snooker. Amazing game. Judd got beaten but what a talent. A future world champion for sure. That match was a great advertisement for the game.

Anyway, back to running...I stretched out the legs today and felt pretty good. My bread and butter local loop of 9.5km in 38:43 (4:05/km). Calves a bit tight but that's to be expected after running 21.1kms in racing flats. Very windy again today but no rain so I wasn't complaining.

A few more thoughts from yesterday. The results were up on the website but were pretty poor to be honest. It doesn't tell you gun time, chip time, position, category place, etc. Surely this would be relatively straight-forward with chip timing? Plus reading some feedback it seems that a lot of the mile markers were missing for the half. That would explain why I didn't see any for 7 miles! Oh and I remembered this horrible hill climbing up onto a big bridge running into the wind in the back end of the race. I was so close to walking...

I'll try and race tomorrow if I can get a babysitter. Should be okay.

Ps, I need to start playing more snooker (again). Any decent players or tables in the Claregalway area? Send me a comment if you have any info. A long shot I know...

Great Limerick Run Half Marathon

Arrived in good time. It only took about an hour to drive from Galway to Limerick which left me plenty of time to park centrally, collect my race number, drop off the bag and run a couple of kms warm-up.

Conditions were very breezy. The sun had been out but it seemed to be more overcast as the half marathon was due to start. That was lucky for me but not so for the full marathoners who were out in the hotter conditions earlier on. Basically hotter than you would want but not too bad.

It was obvious that there were several good runners as I lined up at the start. The countdown was underway and the race started bang on time at 11:30am. I went straight into the lead group of about 6 or 7. There was a long steady climb after we had all rounded the first corner and it was time to settle into your running.

The first mile marker showed a split of 5:38 and I knew it was quicker than that so they were obviously way out. The group seemed to stay together for a couple of miles but after that it started to string out leaving me in the lead group of 4. That's how it remained for the next few miles. We all took a few turns running at the front but the reality was that I was having to work hard to stay in contention.

I kept telling myself I would give it one more mile but at about mile 5 I dropped off the back. At least I gave it a go. So I was left in 4th with the lead group of 3 slowly disappearing out of view. The course seemed pretty flat. There were some testing uphill drags and these were made much worse when you were running into the wind. I wasn't aware of how close the runners behind me were. This was made more difficult as we were running through the back of the marathon field which always has its moments...

At about halfway I just wanted the race to be over. It's so hard when you are racing by yourself and the concentration is very hard to maintain. I couldn't find any mile markers - I'm sure they were there but mentally I wasn't in the zone. I did spot the 10 mile marker which showed a time of 54:38. That was okay I suppose but I was still worried about hanging on to my position.

The last 3 and a bit miles were a real struggle. Lots of runner traffic at this stage and I was glad to make the final few turns down by the river as we headed back into the city centre for the finish. No sprint finish for me this time. I just plodded across the line and was happy to get the race completed. The time was 1:12:11 and I managed to hang on to 4th spot.

I can't really fault the organisation and set-up. Everything seemed to go to plan...apart from my own run. I didn't really get a chance to speak to many people at the end as I had to head back to Galway but I get the feeling a lot of people struggled out there. I was at least 2 minutes off the top 3 so in fairness 4th spot was the best I could have hoped for. That said, I'm a little disappointed with my time as I felt that sub 1:11 was possible but perhaps I gave up a little when it became apparent that the lead group were a little too hot for me.

The legs feel pretty good. It certainly doesn't feel like I've run a half so hopefully I recover okay. There is the start to the Galway 5km series on Tuesday so I may race then if I pull up okay. It looks live I'll live to fight another day.

I finished up with a 1km jog back to the car so all up 24.1km for the day and 70.2km for the week. Drinking beer and watching snooker now so happy. Judd going very nicely.