Highlights of 2010?

nerraw1111

If I'm not mistaken, I don't think there's a review of this year's events?

As we look ahead to what events to sign up to in 2011, I thought it would be worth asking what was your standout/favourite events of 2010? Be interested to hear as I plan for the year ahead. (Can you tell I'm back in work!)

And what was your best performance? That can be judged simply by the time on the clock/position or the sheer enjoyment of it etc.

Perhaps make it a top 3 events of the year?

My favourite events of the year were:

1) Achill Roar

I loved this race. The setting is spectacular. There was a great pre-event buzz about the island all weekend. A tough but stunningly beautiful course. Great buzz afterwards in the hotel afterwards as most people opted to stay the night.

www.roar.ie

2) Dublin Mountain Marathon Plod.

My first longish distance off-road. What most impressed me about this event was how close it was to Dublin. Within 10 minutes of leaving Marley Park, you find yourself slogging through the woods. Again, super course. The best thing about the event is finding out about a great training run in the heart of Dublin. And the cost, just E15!

3) IMRA Powerscourt.

This was a toss up between Gaelforce, IMRA Powerscourt and Tulfarris 10. But Powerscourt edged it just for the sheer brutality of it. It was relentless.

My performance of the year:

That would be Gaelforce. Everything went well for me on this race and felt great throughout the race beside cramp flaring up twice. (rose-tinted glasses perhaps). My pace was constant throughout and finished strong to finish in a position that exceeded my pre-race expectations. I took great satisfaction from that race.

RubyK

Nice thread nerraw1111 :-)


My favourite 3 from 2010 would be:

Enniscorthy half - first time doing a half and I didn't think I'd manage it. But with the help from RacoonQueen and GHOGH I got through it. A nice scenic course, with good support and atmosphere.

Kilkenny half - a small enough race, but enjoyable. A good confidence builder before DCM.

DCM - my first marathon, and it was an amazing experience. Painful for the most part but very rewarding.

Performance wise I would say that the Kilkenny Half was my best. I was definitely at my fittest for that. From start to finish I felt strong. There were no niggles or injury concerns, just pure running enjoyment. Got a nice PB, beating my Enniscorthy half time, by over 7 mins to get myself a finish in 1 hr 49 mins.

catweazle

No 1: Swinford 1/2 Ironman (Humbert Challenge).

Their first time running one and my first time attempting the distance so I was very nervous coming up to the event on how things would go as I had put so much training in for it. I need not have worried, the race was superbly organised and the location was fantastic. I am looking forward to it next year.

No 2: Achill 1/2 Marathon

I love this race my second time doing it, my wife crushed me the first year on the hills at the end but this year i was far stronger and hardly noticed the hills. It was a great confidence builder towards the Swinford race in three weeks time and its always a great night out on the Island after

No 3: Connemarathon

Not so much the race itself as I blew up on the hill at the end and got nowhere near my target time but the training for it. Hardly missed a mile of the Higdon Intermediate 2 training plan and loved every minute of it. I am in 2 minds of doing it again in 2011 at the moment as I don't think I can spare the time. Will need to make the mind up soon

Performance of the Year:

I didn't realise it at the time but it was probably the Craughwell 10 mile a month before Connemara, I had ran so many miles in the lead up to Connemara at a slow pace that I didn't realise how fast I went in Craughwell till later in the year when I could get nowhere near those kph again in the 1/2 marathons i raced