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If it's worth doing, do it right!!!

OOnegative

Hardly thought i'd slip away that easily, now some will be thinking what is he yammering on about now with his project 2021? The World Police and Fire Service Games take pace in Rotterdam in the summer of 2021, i hope to try and win an age group medal over the half marathon. To achieve such a thing i need to be in 1.21/22 half shape going on previous results.

I start a 12 week P&L plan tomorrow in the build up to the Amsterdam Half in October, hopefully i'll get some idea if i'm capable of a 1.22 Half in 12 weeks time or if i'm just kidding myself.

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Singer

That didn’t take long! Great to have you back. Super long term goal.

Wubble Wubble

Just when you thought he was out...

OOnegative

Sliabh Bawn 10k - 1st!!!!

While we were home the missus wanted to do a race together and this suited as it was only 30 minutes from my family home in Tang. I failed to tell her about the course route though!! Up and out the door and into a lovely sunny Saturday morning, quick drive to Ballyleague to collect race numbers and tshirts and then the bus journey up to the race start. Herself looked at me with disgust on a few occasions as we travelled up to Sliabh Bawn as the journey just kept rising and rising!!

Got out of the bus and strolled to the finish line to have a few words with ultraman who was on timing duty for the day, laugh a minute as always with him. I went and done a warm up and had been warned by Anto that the first two miles were straight up hill. Covered the first mile and turned back for race start, mother of god!! Met L doing her warm up and told her what to expect, wasn't best pleased. Back to the race start and a quick briefing of the route, what it was like and to be aware of the half and marathon runners already on the route.

Anto counted us down and bang on 11am we were off, a few runners moved ahead of me, i was happy to work into the race. Gradual climb then it flattened, this happened another two times before we rounded a corner and the first steep climb of the morning started, i had moved into first place at this stage with another runner few yards back. I powered up the climb and distanced the other runner, but what goes up must come down and he came back to me slightly on the downhill. Mile one beeped at 6.59 and an elevation gain of 203ft!!.

Into second mile and slight rise again before dropping down again along a gravel path to the second big climb in the first two miles, this one was longer and steeper than the first, passing walking marathoners who were after doing the climbs at least twice already and runners who had slowed to a shuffle. Turned right up to one of the big wind turbines and seen i had a bigger lead now, mile 2 came in at 6.43. A big drop awaited, and i just opened the tank and flew, i remember checking the watch at one stage and was running sub 5 minute pace, i passed a female runner at one point and she remarked how fast i was running.

Turned left at the foot of the drop and started climbing again, short sharp hills this time, kept occupied by passing half and marathon runners, mile 3 beeped in 6.12. Dropped down a bit again and turned left into the forest and ran along the trails for a while, felt the heat in here and slowed a bit to regain my breath somewhat, out of the forest and into another decent climb, legs less responsive on this one but i motored on still passing runners some urging me on, mile 4 beeped in 6.50.

Kept pushing and into another big drop straight into another hefty climb, pulled the pace right back as i was confident enough at this stage i had the win wrapped up, down and around another wind turbine and gave me a chance to see how far ahead i was. Only seen half and full runners coming before i turned away for another drag, mile 5 coming in at 7.11. We dropped down again and onto bark trail before rising again up towards another turn around at a wind turbine, enjoying the experience now and a few runners saying well done, turned right now and all uphill to the finish. I pushed on again to finish it out, mile 6 beeped at 6.48, pushed to the finish to be abused by Anto and my first race victory!!

Delighted with that and whatever about the field it was no weak route, beautiful setting but toughest race regarding hills i've ever ran.

Back to the flats of The Netherlands from next week on!!

shotgunmcos

Way to start a log
So, only downhill from here then lol

Wubble Wubble

Fair f0cks there B. That first mile looks like it might even put the Inishbofin hills in the shade.

If I ever win a race, I'll probably start a new log as well :pac:

Best of luck with Project 2021. Tough target, but plenty of time to work your way up to that level.

MY BAD

Good to see you back logging. Well done in Sliabh Bawn. A few from our club did the half marathon back to back. Good luck with you half marathon goal

Mr. Guappa

Ah class - delighted to see this log. Best of luck with the goal!

Congrats on the win (and the gin:)).

Bluesquare

Well done on the win - sounds like a tough run but would make a nice walk !

Good luck with the long term goal

Murph_D

Quality stuff. Welcome back!

healy1835

Welcome back Champ Champ

ReeReeG

Great to see this and the race report with your win!!! Some going on those hills!
Best of luck with the HM goal

eyrie

Ah brilliant! Great goal to have to work towards, and what a way to start the log. Congrats on the win! Hope your wife has forgiven you for inflicting those hills on her

ariana`

Congrats on your 1st place, very impressive!

Good luck with the 2021 Project. Have you an interim goal for October or do you need to be hitting 1:22 by then?

career move

Great to see you back logging. Congrats on the win .... sounds like it was a really tough course :eek:

Looking forward to following your journey to 2021

OOnegative

ariana` wrote: »

Congrats on your 1st place, very impressive!

Good luck with the 2021 Project. Have you an interim goal for October or do you need to be hitting 1:22 by then?

I’ve two years to get into hoped 1.21/1.22 shape, Amsterdam in October will tell me exactly how much work I need to do or weather i’m fooling myself. I will target the CPC here in Den Haag next March if Amsterdam goes well. After that I will concentrate on 5/10k stuff and build again towards summer 2021.

I think myself i’m capable of running 1.21/22 or I wouldn’t have made such a brash statement like I did opening the log, it’s been good enough for a medal in years gone past. Might not be in 2021 all I can do is my best on the day and see how I do.

Back in Black

Congrats on the race win B.

Loving the new log and the target. What's your HM PB?

Lazare

Haha, congrats man, you bossed it.

Great goal to work towards!!

Looking forward to following it.

OOnegative

Back in Black wrote: »

Congrats on the race win B.

Loving the new log and the target. What's your HM PB?

1.26.11 J from March last year, like to think i’m a minute faster than than that now, another minute faster come October maybe!!

Rocky Seven

Uv more fookin logs than Iv had usernames

OOnegative

Rocky Seven wrote: »

Uv more fookin logs than Iv had usernames

Great to see ya Saturday!!

coogy

Looking forward to following this one!

Well done on the 1st place too!

skyblue46

Great to have you back logging. I have to say that's a great motivating long term target. It's well within your capabilities too. Looking forward to following your progress.

Huzzah!

Delighted to see this log! Looking forward to following. That's a great target to have.

Swashbuckler

Welcome back to the logs! And congrats on the win again. Will you be coachless for this 2021 journey?

OOnegative

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Welcome back to the logs! And congrats on the win again. Will you be coachless for this 2021 journey?

Will be coachless alright P, what i’m doing by myself appears to be working in someway so i’ll continue as I am for now. It’s down to the man himself that I can interpret & follow a plan a whole lot better now. If I go astray though feel free to call me on it, same goes for anyone else who reads here.

Younganne

Congrats on the win B. Best of luck with the Project, it'll be great watching the training unfold and the way you are training and things are going for you, it'll be no bother to you.

Hannibal_Smith

Is this a bit weird, doing a race report request? But I'd be interested in reading about the South Dublin 10k pb

OOnegative

Hannibal_Smith wrote: »

Is this a bit weird, doing a race report request? But I'd be interested in reading about the South Dublin 10k pb

South Dublin 10k - 38:24(83rd/2560)

This was like being a teenager again, with a mix-up in car insurance my Dad had to escort me up to Grange Castle for this!! Being an ex-runner himself he was more excited than i was on the morning of the race. We left the Midlands in ample time as the auld lad isn't to hot when it comes to driving in cities but we were lucky we encountered no traffic. Plenty of chat on the way up to take my mind off the race which i was delighted with.

Got to Grange Castle with plenty of time to spare but there was already a sizeable crowd parked up. Got parked and i told the Da i was going doing a warm up, he strolled off by himself taking in the surrounds of a modern day race, last competitive race he ran he told me was DCM 1986:eek::eek::eek:. Few miles warm up where i bumped into aquinn and misterpaul of these parts for a chat, well aquinn talked, myself and misterpaul tried to squeeze a word in here and there!!! BackinBlack appeared and we had a chat with him before making our ways to race start.

Looked around for my Da but seen no sign of him, bumped into the bronzed Adonis himself, AMK, for a brief chat and the low down on the route before taking my place at the race start, the man on the mic at these races is really great craic. He appears to know everyone as they pass by his booth!! BinB and AMK soon joined me and i began to think i was way to far up but held firm. Shouted at healy1835 before we started but he was in the zone and never heard me.

More or less at 11am we were let off, loads of runners passed me in the first few hundred yards before we reached the first roundabout and turned right. My plan all along for this race was to take the first few miles conservative and if i felt good push on then. I remember the first two miles being downhill but from reading other reviews since it was slightly uphill, anyway down the Grange Castle road i'll call it and being passed by runners to my left and right, normally i'd respond and increase the pace somewhat to save face but let them off. I was feeling comfortable and got into a little group for first mile which beeped at 6.17. I felt good and the little group i was in was slowing so i pushed on a bit, we took a left here into Corkagh Park.

Runners who powered past me in the first half mile or so all came back to me, i remember Corkagh being very twisty but with plenty of support from folks. I was feeling strong now and kept pushing past runners, i past a Newry City runner on few occasions over about 800m, i overtook him and he appeared to make it his business to pass me again before he didn't. Mile two came in at 6.13 and feeling brand new!! Kept pushing on through the park and passing plenty of runners, i felt the pace upping but it didn't bother me, i was feeling strong and planned to make the most of the feeling while i could. Started to exit Corkagh as the greenery and nice paths gave way to more surburban thoroughfares. Kept pushing and mile 3 came in at 6.08.

Came to the 5k clock and i spied BinB about to pull over, gave him a holler to see if he was ok and he said he was suffering with a stitch:(:(. Turned left along Boot Road, last time i had been here i was giving directions on the route of a stolen car!! Knew it was a good drop down into Clondalkin village so didn't want to go crazy pace wise as there was still a while to go yet. Passed the Mill Centre, was here another Guard and myself helped crack one of the biggest Robbery cases in the history of the state*, downhill mile 4 was 6.05.

Moving along the 9th Lock Rd and i felt so strong, just after St Patricks Road we turned onto the Grand Canal, those that know me know i love running along canals. I powered on here, remember a few unfortunate runners pulled in and getting sick but i wasn't in the mood to feel sorry for them, for first time i realised that i may be on for a PB, felt great here as i was passing runner after runner which gave me great confidence, mile 5 clocked at 6.13.

I powered on knowing there was a climb to the left coming up off the canal path, got a HUGE shout out here from annapr and Annie Get Your Run which made the few hairs on my head stand on end and give me a real shot of adrenaline, i powered up the rise passing a few runners along the way. Right into Grange Castle Business Park where we started, mile 6 beeped at 6.06. The mickey dazzling started, a runner surged i followed, another pushed i followed again. Ah to hell with yiz i pushed to the end and didn't stop, last 0.2 in 5.13 pace. Massive shout form my Dad before crossing the line:D:D:D.

A 22 second PB!!!!!

Met AMK and KSU shortly after finishing, both finding it very humid and close. I don't think i remarked if found it that way but compared to Den Haag humidity wise it was practically freezing. Met the Da soon after and he put his big Connemara paws around me and said well done, what more do you want!!!

No more requests will be acceded to:P:P:P.

Swashbuckler

Brilliant.. That is all.....

Kellygirl

Ah just spotted this and delighted to see it B. Best of luck with the 2021 goal. Looking forward to following your training and reading the race reports along the way.