Can I give more? The answer is usually yes

"Winners never quit, quitters never win" - Vince Lombardi(Hall of Fame NFL Coach)

In my family's eyes I'm a winner(enough for me) in my eyes I ain't no quitter.

As I stated before, I controlled all the variables except the Barcelona weather, I rolled the dice this year and it went against me. Thems the breaks, am I disappointed? To bloody right I am. Will I bounce back? Bet your last euro I will.

I had prepared well, fitness at an all time high, well rested, great training cycle in the legs. Travelled over in plenty of time before the race, hydrated & ate well in the weeks leading up to race day and was chomping at the bit to get to the race start. Hit the Expo early Saturday & this was the first sign I may be in bother, it was baking out as we walked up Paral-lel towards Placa Catalyuna to pick up my number. Much warmer than Ireland & much warmer than what I feel comfortable running in. Quick look around Expo some lunch & back to the hotel to chill, some pasta for dinner and in bed by 10.30pm asleep by 10.40pm. Woke at 00.30am in a pool of sweat and struggled to get back to sleep again.

Alarm goes off at 6am, quick read of the news and down for some breakfast, two cups of coffee, croissants and fresh fruit and I was good to go. Sipped on water walking the kilometre or so to the start as I observed Barcelona in full marathon splendour, it really was a sight to see. It was already warm at 7.30am for me but I hoped it would turn dull or overcast or lash rain!!!

Toilet stop in the portaloos and I made my way to the 3-3.15 starting pen with zero fuss. The countdown started and the gun went to the sound of Freddie Mercury blasting out "Barcelona" over the PA system, welled up a small bit and pasted under the starting gantry with 90secs gone on the official clock. Into my running with no issues taking in the wonderful support from the Spanish crowd, I remember distinctly for the first two miles my mouth went completely dry, a sensation I never experienced before and one that made me long for the first water stop. I was sweating heavily after those two miles evening sticking to the shade of all the tall buildings on the course.

Took on a good drink after 5k and poured the remainder over my head, after 6k or so we passed the Nou Camp which to be honest was a big let down from what I seen!!! Met a runner from Ashford AC in Wicklow shortly after and we ran and chatted together for the next 8-10k both remarking it was warm and both still hugging the shade of the buildings when we could. Taking on water at every stop and gel at 6miles, I pulled away from the Ashford man on a downhill at 14km feeling ok but not brilliant. Met my missus at 18km and took a gel off her, this was on the first out and back section that was completely exposed to the sun. Looped back again and went through halfway in just over 1.35 I think, not full of running the way I should. Took a bottle of water off L at 22km and said we'd see each other again at 37km!!!

Got to 25km and stopped for a leak, making sure to pay attention to what colour the whizz was(sorry folks), it was like my name nearly, tango orange!!! Not good I thought and shuffled back out onto the road, I hit 17 miles and the pace just dropped went from 7.15-7.17 min/miles to 8mins plus pace. Now on the second out and back loop and I was struggling big time, I was soaked through with sweat my runners had pools of the stuff in them, my legs were covered in white foam(few here have seen that before when running with me!!!) the whole way along the insides of my legs!!! I passed a medic crew and boom, that's all she wrote, came to after few seconds to the male medic ripping my number from my vest and saying in broken English "no more sir". I did argue and protest but I was at nothing, they said they would take me to hospital but I pleaded saying my wife was a few yards up the road as I pointed to a random woman standing cheering up the road.

They gave me fluids and a salt tablet(rotten ****) and kept me under observation for 15-20mins and let me on my way. I now began the loneliest walk I have ever done as a grown man to 37km to find L, took a few shortcuts by chance and eventually got to her, she was in a complete panic and seen me walking towards her, i blubbered all over her for a few minutes I'm not ashamed to say and gave out about my rotten luck!!!!

So that was my Barcelona Marathon experience, thank you one and all for the messages of good luck hard luck and no luck this past week, each and every one is hugely appreciated and I'm greatly thankful to you for taking the time out to type and send them.

What now? I don't know, honestly I don't. I have two kids who need to see there Daddy more and a wife who needs a break from the kids to let me go running. I'll ponder things over, talk to the two L's(wife and coach) and see what the plan is. There is a very good marathon in me but do I have the time, want and energy to go again so soon, I really really don't know. One thing is for sure, I won't be quitting this running lark. Thanks for reading folks

Week 27th March - 2nd April '17

50.2miles

MEH, how the week started in truth. I've been fighting some kind of lurgy the past week & a half, not the kind that warrants a visit to the Dr or time off running, just very congested head wise and taught in the chest for whatever reason. The easy miles were fine but I had 2, yes only a piddley 2 miles at HMP on Wednesdays session to do and I was in an absolute jock doing them. Had to stop after the second one cause I thought someone took a sledge to my chest and prevented me from breathing(fcuking drama queen).

On Friday I investigated my first & hopefully only ever Airplane crash, a Cessna had missed a landing strip and crashed on landing, pilot dug in to hard on the brake on landing on soft ground resulting on the nose of the plane digging in and the aircraft completely flipping, no injuries thank god and the pilot walked away without a scratch on them.

Ran my slowest 10k in over 3 years yesterday in the glorious Lough Boora in Offaly, just outside Blueball(not a description of TbL after a visit to one of his exotic work locations) shade over 43 mins which resulted in two stops to prevent hyperventilating!!! Christ I was on the verge of tears after it, a lad I beat quiet comfortably in Trim ran close to 38 mins, that was the time I should have been running or very close to it IF I was in the full of my health. Reality kicked in, I shouldn't have raced it but again it was a learning experience all be it a very humbling one.

Woke up this morning a brand new man, was that excited I went to the mirror first thing after waking to see if I had a full head of hair again, no such fupping luck plus I still had ears that looked like the handles of Sam Maguire!!!! I set off with the intention of running coaches perscribed 18 miles easy, I ended up running 21 easy as I was enjoying the run so much & in fine fettle for a change. A week that started horribly that ended brilliantly.