Running mad in 2010

donothoponpop

Well deserved win SJ, proper reward for your training. Open a packet of crips to celebrate:)

Krusty_Clown

Brilliant stuff SJ. A well deserved and mighty win. Hope you saved some for next week too!

Slogger Jogger

Correction. Saw on the latest results that Rafael had held on for 3rd place. Fair play.. 2nd was Andrew Hayes who've I'd had a few battles with in recent imra races too. Good on you Andrew.

BeepBeep67

Well done Slogger truely deserved, onwards on upwards.

Slogger Jogger

donothoponpop wrote: »

Well deserved win SJ, proper reward for your training. Open a packet of crips to celebrate:)

Tempted.. but red wine will have to do instead.

BeepBeep67

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Tempted.. but red wine will have to do instead.

I've just opened a bottle of Yellow Tail Merlot - I'll raise a virtual glass to you, while I drown my sorrows.

T runner

Well done SJ. I honestly had a feeling you were going to win a hill race or come very close to it sooner rather than later. Im not surprised. Nice to have the strenght to pull away at the last climb like that.

Abhainn

Brilliant win SJ. Without doubt thoroughly deserved.

"King of the Mountain" was a single by Midnight Oil in the early 1990's.
It should have been playing yesterday as you broke the tape.

And

Welcome to the special winners club

heffsarmy

Great win Slogger Jogger, well done.

Slogger Jogger

I hope Debra Ireland don't change that route next year. I'd recommend it highly. It has a bit of everything. The climbs aren't too severe and overall its net downhill. We had a long dry spell recently and going was soft at times. I'd hate to see the course after a lot of rain but that would make it just more interesting. Running down the Vale of Glendasan towards Glendalough is magic and you should try it as a training run some time.

Slogger Jogger

Thought about a no run day today by way of celebration, but I actually felt good so got out at lunchtime only to be greeted by 4 seasons in a half hour. A gale started to blow, the rain came down heavy, the sun came out in patches. Body felt okay and I was running smoothly enough which surprised me. Only had time for a short run.

8.44k, 4:35 pace, 91m of ascents
78 days running this year, 716.09 miles total this year.

tisnotover

Great race report + win lad.Thats some course profile, f-ing hell!

Slogger Jogger

Net downhill though. Some of the steep downhill was on uneven zig zagged stone steps so getting a consistent fast pace was difficult. My fastest split was early on.. 3th or 4th k, 3:20min k or so. Managed to run every last bit of it though which I was very happy with and that was tough coming out of Glendalough.

racheljev

Just catching up on your win at the weekend, fair play SJ!

Gringo78

Fair play on the win. Pity they couldn't have had a police escort like for Abhainn, would have helped with the few wrong turns, but I suppose they wouldn't have been able to keep up with you. See you up at the start line in connemara.

Slogger Jogger

Thanks for all the positive feedback folks. Much appreciated.

Today offered a brief lunchtime window to run. I could have set the alarm clock early to run before work but I'm enjoying my sleep at the moment so I can't deprive myself of that, particularly as I'm likely to be sleep deprived this evening. Headed out with a view to doing a suburban loop around Kill o the Grange of c. 10k. The race on Sunday hasn't stayed in my legs and I felt pretty okay today. I'm not following a strict schedule like a lot of other training loggers. I'm running more by feel than anything else. If I feel like a recovery session, its a recovery session etc. Today's run ended up being progressively fast as I went on. Early on I was averaging 4:40 pace, then 4:30, then 4:25.. Bringing it down further took more work but eventually hit the stop button back at the car having averaged 4:16 pace for the workout. Knackered but happy particularly to have done so in blustery enough conditions.

10.63k, 4:16 pace, 68m of ascents
79 days running this year (3 rest days so far).
722.7 miles total ran this year

Slogger Jogger

I thought daylight would run out on me this evening and the treadmill beckoned as I needed to mind the kids. However, the extra little stretch in the evening and the fine weather got me out for a fairly quick loop around the local hill. Muddy going in parts but for the most part it was an invigorating run. Very happy with overall pace for the amount of climb done.

10.8k, 4:30 pace, 348m of ascents
80 days running this year
729.41 miles total ran this year

Slogger Jogger

Poxy day. Usually reliable car broke down so the morning was a bit of a disaster. Waiting from the verdict from the garage tomorrow. Touch wood its not a major problem.

Didn't have time for an outdoors run as the light was going by the time I got home. Jumped on the treadie and slogged through a 10k. First 5k at 13kph with the next 5k at 14kph and faster towards the end. Was nearly melting by the time I finished.

10k, 4:25 pace, 1.5 gradient
81 days running this year
735.62 miles total ran this year

donothoponpop

That can't have been an easy run, fast on a treadmill in a bad mood.

Hope the cars ok. (At what stage do you start cycling the 60k to work?;))

Slogger Jogger

I'll know tomorrow. Odds are its probably a fuel pump which mightn't be too bad but you never know.

Evenings are getting brighter so we should look to hook up some evening soon.

Slogger Jogger

No run day today. Rest day before tomorrow's trail race. Still no car

Got a link to Debra run photos. Found this one of me to prove I was actually running

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49905861@N00/4454986205/sizes/o/

donothoponpop

Best of luck tomorrow, this race is made for you.

Slogger Jogger

Had a rare rest day yesterday before today's Wicklow Way trail race. This race is one of my favourites. Up to this year it was 22k in length. This year its been lengthened a bit. Its now 25.5k, the additional bit being forest trail leading from the trail head in Ballinastoe woods.

The day started early for me as I had to get up to Ballinastoe to mark some of the route to ensure that runners came off the Wicklow Way and followed the right course to the new start. An Ultra race was taking place at the same time. Those runners - a brave set of 40 or so runners - started at 9.30am and ran the outward leg from Johnny Foxes, before turning in Ballinastoe for the run back !

So before I reached registration at Johnny Foxes this morning I had a few k in the legs. No harm I suppose. Most of the trail race runners were bussed to the start from Johnny Foxes. Lots of new faces. Lots of familiar faces including quite a few boardsies - Krusty, Magnet (guest appearance from Galway) and EarlyEvening. Gohard, Enduro and Dunebuggy running in the ultra. My mate Aaron was over from Galway too for his first hill race :-) He's a sub 3 marathoner and a regular Conn Ultra runner. He was so earlier today he was nearly tempted to run the Ultra. Lucky for him he didn't. More of that later.

As we gathered at the trail start we started to see the first Ultra runners on their onward leg. Enduro and Keith Heary were leading. Ed McEntee was 3rd I think. Other familiar faces like Martin Francis, Paul Mahon and Adrian Tucker followed. Gohard and Dunebuggy too.

Our race started pretty promptly at 12 noon. It was cool and windy at the start so the masses were glad to be moving to start to get properly warmed up. We followed a forest trail for 2+ k until we turned onto the Wicklow Way proper. En route we passed some more ultra runners on the way out including Hunnymonster who was looking just dandy.

A lead group of trail runners had stretched ahead. Myself, Krusty and my mate Aaron were together initially, and we followed each other for a few k on the boardwalk up towards White hill and around Djouce. I was happy to run conservatively enough. This race is a bit like a marathon. Go out to hard and you can suffer later. It was quite windy and exposed going around Djouce too so that was another factor in the running. Coming off Djouce it was a great downhill. Those without trail shoes probably couldn't let go to the same extent as I could. I spotted an experienced hill runner Gerry Lalor ahead and I decided to pace myself with him for a while. I managed to get ahead of him as we headed up the short steep steps on the other side of the bridge over the river that flows down to become the Powerscourt waterfall. "see you at the finish" said Gerry as I passed. I reckoned he'd stay with me so I laughed that off. Onto the trails then leading down towards Crone and I managed to haul in a gap that had opened up to Daniel Morrough. I ran beside him then for a while until we got water at Crone car park. I managed to get ahead of him at that point and ran behind a lady runner from the Sperrin club in the north who was running really well. I found out later her name was Karen Alexander and saw what a fab runner she was. We crossed the bridge over the Dargle and ran along it - an extra bit onto the route this year - and a nice extra bit it was too. I managed to haul in another imra stalwart Zoran on this stretch and I also passed Paul Mahon who was on his ultra return leg. On the uphill from Knockree hostel - a bit I walked - Karen Alexander caught up with me and extended a bit of a lead as if I was standing still. I stayed within 30 yards or so of her and in the process we managed to pick off a couple more of the ultra runners on their return leg. Niall McAlinden was one. Entering Curtlestown - another much needed water stop - the lady runner from the Sperrins continued to stretch her lead on me again as if I was standing still. I was running slowly at this point but still enough to pass a few more ultra runners.. Martin Francis and Keith Heary. I walked the last bit of the hill but got encouragement from Jason Reid and a few others at the top and ran the last bit. I knew from this point onwards it was mainly flat then downhill so it was a case of hanging in there. Gerry Brady was there at one point taking some photos and he called out some places. I think he said 6th. All the while I wasn't looking at my watch (as I'm not really a clock watcher) nor was I looking behind me to see if I was being closely pursued. I was determined to not look behind in fact, so for all I knew Krusty and co were close behind. That lack of knowledge kept me ticking over. I wasn't going fast at this point but coming off Prince William's seat its a case of letting gravity do its thing, spin the legs, hug the bends and before you know it you were on a brief uphill before you hit the tarmac road that brings you to Johnny Foxes. I was getting tired at this point and I could feel a blister coming on on the right foot - not surprising as the salomons I wore probably weren't up to the task of the longer distance, but neither would road runners have been suitable for the muddy bits.. so catch 22 there. Karen up ahead of me was continually stretching her lead on me. I was determined to hang onto my current position so I tried to keep the legs turning over on the last 1 and a half k towards Johnny foxes.

Crossing the line was a feeling of relief, happiness and sheer knackeredness. My time was 2 hrs 4 mins. Don't have garmin or official timings to hand here but I think I was 6th overall. If so, thats an improvement of 2 places on my last year's position. Regardless I am well chuffed with my run. My pace was marginally slower than last year but thats okay bearing in mind the extra distance and climb. All told today I ran over 30k and climbed over 1000m's.
Familiar faces crossed the line soon after and some of the results started to emerge. Enduro had won the Ultra despite a recent injury. Thats pretty damned good running considering! Diarmiad Collins was the trail winner with Jason Kehoe and Leo O'Connell (from Donegal) in close attendance. Not sure who was 4th - could have been Paul O'Connell. Then.. I think Karen Alexander.. then I think me. As I say no official results out yet so maybe my 6th is an exageration but I'll take it for a few hours at least. I may have won M40 but the age category winners weren't clear at this point.

Well done Krusty on a good run today. Well done too to my mate Aaron for his first hill run. He is probably not talking to me having sworn some nice curses after the race. He said it was the hardest race he'd ran - so its as well he didn't run the ultra version! Needs practice on this hills methinks, but I reminded him that Croagh Patrick isn't too far away on the calendar :-)

Photos now up on the imra site. Krusty is such a showman
http://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/37694/

BeepBeep67

Great running again Slogger, enjoy tonight!

Krusty_Clown

Well done SJ. It was a pleasure to run in your shadow for the first 6 miles anyway.
That wasn't showmanship. I was just getting ready to push you into that puddle, and gain an extra place.

Slogger Jogger

Nerdy stats and elevation view from run.

25.49k, 4:53 pace, 2:04:25, 853m of climb.
82 running days this year, 754.26 miles total.

misty floyd

Well done SJ. Those races look/sound brilliant.

Slogger Jogger

Heavy legs this morning so opted not to run til later. Headed off down the road to see the first race of the Slaney trail series. A lovely little route halfway between Ferns and Carnew. Small turnout but a good vibe and a great day for it. I might have been tempted to run had I brought my gear with me

Later on the body was feeling a bit better so an easy / recovery run was in order. I decided to head off for a leisurely run around a new waymarked trail that has opened up near me near Tinahely. The Kyle loop goes around Ballycumber hill and is mainly offroad, with a small stretch of tarmac and some of it is shared with the Wicklow way. A fabulous route it is too. Great views all around Wicklow and surrounding counties to the south. I was expecting it to be longer but I was glad that it wasn't in the end. Nearly 12k was just the ticket after yesterday. The main hill today was challenging enough, but I was happy to stop every so often and take the odd photo of the great views. The loop would make for a nice training route and its ready made for a race!

11.79k, 5:19 pace, 470m ascents
83 days running this year
761.59 miles ran this year

Slogger Jogger

Easy paced run on the treadmill this evening as the rain poured down outside.

8.23k, 4:37 pace, 1.5 gradient
84 days running this year
766.70 miles ran this year

Abhainn

SJ enjoyed your report and as usual great performance. Good to see a former work colleague of mine Zoran is doing quite well also