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To Connemara and Beyond ...
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All the very best and enjoy it. Might be hiding behind ye if it's windy.
Thank you, you too! Are you running at the same pace? I'll be the bright orange top and number 4119, do say hi!
I have chickened out of the flapjacks, sorry... Made soda-bread instead which I am afraid will be all eaten in about an hour's time..!
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Thank you, you too! Are you running at the same pace? I'll be the bright orange top and number 4119, do say hi!
I have chickened out of the flapjacks, sorry... Made soda-bread instead which I am afraid will be all eaten in about an hour's time..!
Yes, I spotted the tshirt and number so will hopefully actually properly acknowledge you this time. Am tired and groggy here now so hope to perk up for tomorrow. I just checked the route, had forgotten it's actually going to be tough. I broke 80 last year so hope to do the same and you are well able.
Will be in Crusaders vest, short and bruised arms so easily spotted.0 -
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Yes, I spotted the tshirt and number so will hopefully actually properly acknowledge you this time. Am tired and groggy here now so hope to perk up for tomorrow. I just checked the route, had forgotten it's actually going to be tough. I broke 80 last year so hope to do the same and you are well able.
Will be in Crusaders vest, short and bruised arms so easily spotted.
Ok, will look out for you. Now I am wondering about the bruised arms! :rolleyes:Best of luck tomorrow Nop, looking forward to reading the race report
Thanks Neady, I do hope not to encounter a car with running engine and two dudes asleep in it. As a result, the race-report will be a tad boring
yes good luck!! will be along the route somewhere cheering on, probably just before the finish stretch - hopefully will get to meet some of the other novices too.
See you then! We'll need a bit of "encouragement" at that stage I guess! :eek:0 -
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Bungy Girl wrote: »Best of luck tomorrow nop! I'll be somewhere en route cheering. Average height, no bruises on arms :rolleyes:. I'll keep an eye out for the orange t-shirt and someone 'Dutch looking'
Average height, really?0 -
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Best of luck tomorrow N, sounds like your legs are nice and fresh going by the runs earlier in the week. I think you're going to have a really good race. Don't forget to pack that wand and to let that pain in, especially on the last stretch. Shoulders down and run tall 0
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Bungy Girl wrote: »Best of luck tomorrow nop! I'll be somewhere en route cheering. Average height, no bruises on arms :rolleyes:. I'll keep an eye out for the orange t-shirt and someone 'Dutch looking'
Thank you - don't forget the black golf-visor that'll be dripping with sweat. Such a lovely image.
I just checked, and I am above average height for Ireland but slightly below for Netherlands.
Best of luck tomorrow N, sounds like your legs are nice and fresh going by the runs earlier in the week. I think you're going to have a really good race. Don't forget to pack that wand and to let that pain in, especially on the last stretch. Shoulders down and run tall
Thank you DG! The wand has been packed. I am actually starting to feel a bit nervy now. I hadn't really thought as the race tomorrow as a real "target" race, but that's now changed.
My gluteus medius would take issue with being described "nice and fresh" but other than that, we'll give it a good lash! 0 -
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Frank Duffy 10M: 1:18:56 PB (4:54 min/km or 7:53 min/mi).
I had only done one 10-mile race before (last year's FD10, which wasn't a real flog-yourself effort, and resulted in 89m or thereabouts). My two most recent HMs saw ~83 minute 10M splits. So I picked 80 minutes as target goal.
B.t.w. 10 milers are a great unifier for the modern folks that use metrics, and those stuck in imperial ways. 10M = 16km! Especially if you're targeting an arbitrary time like 80 minutes, which fits '10' and '16' very nicely, the paces are very easy to compare and convert: to meet your goal takes 10*8 min/miles or 16*5 min/kms. :cool:
I arrived early and was looking for my colleagues, when my greyhound-pacer rang to say he was ill and wouldn't make it. That did nothing for the pre-race nerves and the already dwindling confidence (is it just me, or does everybody else look so much fitter and faster). Subsequently I decided I would start in the 80-95m pen not in the sub-80m I would have chosen with my buddy. I figured aquinn would be in the first pen but couldn't spot her after checking out some Crusader-girls arms for bruises. I figured I better stop that otherwise I'll get bruised myself :eek:
I started warming up and suddenly found myself in the presence of greatness when Maria McC slowly strode by doing her warm-up. Wow. There are plodders and then there are runners. I turned left on Ordnance and picked up the pace a little and my niggles were all absent. So far, so good. Pre-race strategy (in metric terms) was simple: aim just below 5 min/km [8 min/mi] and bank some time. A 10k split of around 49m or even a little below would be good - then bank some more on the easy 11th and 12th km. Hopefully that would leave enough in the tank AND a bit of a buffer for the onslaught in the final 3km [2M]. Most of the time-banking would have to happen on the long stretch from the Castleknock Gate down Chesterfield.
I finally saw some familiar faces from work which helped settle the nerves, we lined up towards the start of the second pen, half-hearted Mexican waved a bit, and off we went.
As is becoming a bit of a habit, I was overtaking from the start (not waving too much, as instructed by DG), and for the entire race. I actually think I don't mind too much, I rather overtake than be overtaken, but the start is always a bit of a pain. Start was a bit slow and congested.
Looking at the splits, I was nicely on target when turning around at Castleknock, just after 7km. At this point, I had acquired a pacee. I have the habit of picking out one or two runners to follow, and I had settled on a guy with a Dunshaughlin singlet and a tall red-shirt girl. I lost them both when going through the first water station, but a few hundred meters after that, I realized Ms Red Top was right on my shoulder and quite comfortable there. She would stay there for the next 7km [4M]! Initially, I found it helped me focus on running form and keeping on pace. As planned, I picked it up a little down Chesterfield and started to bank some time. 10k came and went in 48:12.
Eventually I tried to shake-off my pacee. She ran really very close to me and twice tripped me ( nothing serious). I also looked over once or twice as to suggest that she'd take a turn pacing, but to no avail. So, as we were approaching the second water station on Military Rd, I sped up a little more, helped by the downhill, and she was gone (might have stopped for some water, which I didn't).
As I bundled out of the Park and onto Coyningham Rd, I did a little check. Still felt good, and had almost 2 minutes in the bank, but there was some decent running required. The 12th km beeped in at 4:33 min/km so I slowed down deliberately for two reasons. I needed to save some energy for the end, and I don't like that stretch of the route, and there's no need to blow up here. I put the head down and resolved to just churn out the required pace.
There was a good bit of banter around me about the "brutal hill" ahead which made me smile a little. It's tough but not THAT bad
. I was remaining reasonably on pace through km's 14 and 15 and knew I had my goal-time in the bag. At this point I was wand-waving tho, which was instrumental in keeping reasonable form and composure.
BUT! Who appears on my shoulder again, but my red-topped pacee :mad:. I had already planned to emty the tank (with the head tall, smiling and even breathing and all) as I knew Firedance and Bungy Girl would be cheering along this stretch. However, I wasn't going to let this lady beat me to the finish-line, so it all resulted in a nice fast final km and a shiny sub 79 minute PB. Oh, and she didn't beat me either. Ha. :pac:
Had a very nice post-race chat with some fellow Novices (Singer, TFGR, KingMambo, Denis B, Feena, Toulouse (yummy flapjacks, I think I had 4!), Mrs Mc) and finally met some other boardsies (Bungy Girl, Aquinn, Anna and Murph as well as Firedance again, wearing glasses this time). There were great runs all around and also the spectators seemed to have had a good time. I hope I didn't forget to mention anyone.
Km-splits:
1 5:01 /km
2 4:53 /km
3 4:58 /km
4 4:53 /km
5 4:59 /km
6 4:56 /km
7 4:45 /km
8 4:55 /km
9 4:50 /km
10 4:48 /km
11 4:41 /km
12 4:32 /km
13 4:54 /km
14 5:08 /km
15 5:15 /km
16 4:47 /km0 -
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brilliant race report! can't believe we missed you on the finish straight - the whole reason for the glasses so I could see everyone on my 'list' oh well, perhaps I need a stronger pair well done again on the very impressive PB
wait, so Nop didn't see you either... hmm, suspicious.
Nop, great running from you, can't believe your patience with red-top nearly tripping you up... but you got her in the end.
Nice to meet you too!0 -
You're all very kind, thanks!Great running, well done.
Thank you - you too on your PB (and that with a 6k easy start, fair play!).Wow you absolutely smashed it Nop, delighted for you and a fantastic report, I felt I was running with you whoop whoop so happy for you
Thank you Neady - you would have loved this race. We really need to see you at the Novices thread (Dubgal take note!).Well done
Thank you Ed!Deeeelighted for you! Great race report too, well done!!
Thanks! Was waving wands ferociously towards the end.brilliant race report! can't believe we missed you on the finish straight - the whole reason for the glasses so I could see everyone on my 'list' oh well, perhaps I need a stronger pair well done again on the very impressive PB
Thank you and I honestly did my best to look impressive and imperious on the home stretch!Bungy Girl wrote: »Well done nop, a 10 min PB is pretty impressive! Nice to meet you afterwards, and sorry we didn't get to cheer you as promised, although you should know you have a doppelganger out there wearing an orange vest and a black visor.
Well, a 10 min course record... but thanks! If I ever catch up with that dude I'll tell him I've trademarked that look. B.t.w. I had dumped the visor at that stage, as some wand-waving earlier had learned me it was annoying me. So I had it in my hand as I crossed the line (not looking forward to the finisher photo's)... :eek:Well done nop, congrats on the PB.
Thanks Jake!Well done nop, brilliant running and very strong finish there. Congrats on the PB, savour it!
Nice report!
Thanks Diegowait, so Nop didn't see you either... hmm, suspicious.
Nop, great running from you, can't believe your patience with red-top nearly tripping you up... but you got her in the end.
Nice to meet you too!
Red-top - yeah, I didn't quite know what to do when she started to annoy me (or even if she was breaking race etiquette - but it felt a little o.t.t. to stick within a metre for over half an hour!). She finished soon after me and I tried to make eye-contact (just to say hi, really) but she walked right past me. Pfff. Oh well 0 -
Right, back to business.
Sunday: ~5M recovery @ 9:18 min/mi [7.5km @ 5:47 min/km]. Miserable, soaken, sullen day in Shanganagh Park. Rain jacket and FD 2014 beanie hat (yep, summer in Eire), and trying very hard not to jump around in muddy puddles (:)). Worse of all, spotted by DG and publically named and shamed on the Novices thread for running too fast.
Week 10 started yesterday. It calls for 4-8-4M easy runs and a 19M LSR. Since I have visitors this weekend, I need to get the LSR done on Friday and thus bring the whole week forward one day. I hope to do 4-8-5-rest-19 during the week, and some recovery miles at the weekend.
Monday: ~4M easy @ 9.29 min/mi [7.0km @ 5:54 min/km]. Solo lunchtime run, cursed at myself (in Dutch) when the first two km were too fast and finally slowed down on the last stretch.
I am somewhat nervous about the logistical challenges of fitting in the long runs. I have visitors this weekend. I will travel to Seattle for work the next, and from Seattle the weekend after. I guess there'll be a lot of "getting up at daft o'clock". :eek:0 -
I am somewhat nervous about the logistical challenges of fitting in the long runs. I have visitors this weekend. I will travel to Seattle for work the next, and from Seattle the weekend after. I guess there'll be a lot of "getting up at daft o'clock". :eek:
Supposed to be some lovely trails to run around Seattle (if you can escape from your colleagues for a while). Congrats on the sub-80 at Frank Duffy. 0 -
hillsiderunner wrote: »Supposed to be some lovely trails to run around Seattle (if you can escape from your colleagues for a while). Congrats on the sub-80 at Frank Duffy.
I've done some very early mornings around Bellevue, WA myself... lovely place to run. But hilly.0 -
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oh yes, I remember that park... it's a good while since I was there but I used to go along the lake... can't remember if there's a park or trails, but the neighborhood roads were nice. the lake is lovely.
Just talking to one of my colleagues over there, also a runner, he recommended the Sammamish River Trail. For once, I am looking forward to the trip! 0
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