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Haha just re-reading it there, sounds like fighting talk doesn't it?! But thanks for the vote of confidence :-) Lovely meeting you too!career move wrote: »No bother to ya. Nice to meet you yesterday
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Thanks annapr and congrats to you too, fantastic chunk off! About time you started a log too?Well done on Saturday, Dubgal! only discovering your log now but will definitely keep an eye on it, enjoyed your report and looking forward to seeing you smash that 20 min barrier! sorry I didn't get to meet you on Sat, maybe next time!0 -
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Wednesday 10 December
5.45pm 10 miles easy-steady
This was meant to be a lsr but parts were run at a steady pace for a few reasons: one was my mind wandered and I found myself picking up the pace unintentionally, a second was that in parts the rain and wind were so fecking vicious I just wanted to get home and dry. The land side of my face got a right icy slapping running along the seafront. As soon as I decided to put up with the misery of it, my face numbed up nicely. Magic :-)
I was tempted at one stage to cut the second, inner loop short but didn't and was happy when I measured the run on mapmyrun to the entrance of my estate at 15.99km.
Thursday 11 December
Club session: hills, 6 miles total
Warm up (incl jogging the long way to the club) 2.5 miles
3 shortish hills (70m?) easy pace to open the legs up
3*120m hills, continuous jog to start recovery
3*200m hills, continuous jog to start recovery
1*250m hill This hill killed me. This, and the previous three levelled out which throws the stride and makes it difficult to maintain momentum. I was chasing a guy which helped, managed to stay off his shoulder til the last one when I started to feel dizzy the last 30 or 40m.
Steady 400m relay to finish off (the coach's 'sting in the tail'). I didn't go all out on this but had recovered from the weirdness on the last hill rep.
Warm down, v easy.
Good session. Wine and bath now 0 -
Friday 12 December
Not sure if I've attached this properly but I'd like to introduce the newest members of my running family: Brooks and Mach
This morning, they had a brief introduction to the park where they'll be beaten and soaked within an inch of their laces this weekend...not to mention frozen too if the weather is anything to go by for Sunday...
Today's run was a recovery run: 3.5km to Amphibian King to buy said spikes, 1.5k to park where they got a 1500m soaking, 1.2k home...let's call it a round 5 miles (yes, I know I rounded up).
32 miles so far for the week, rest tomorrow and XC total on Sunday should make a projected total for the week nearly 40 miles so back on the mileage track 0 -
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ThanksNice shoes! I'm jealous! Although I'm not quite sure what use I'd have for a pair of spikes! I might get some anyways:D
Best of luck Sunday! What's the distance? Is it a BHAA one? they're actually a very vibrant purple and pink, shades-worthy. It's the Wicklow senior XC so I'm punching out of my weight/category 
it'll be a small enough field so my pride will be taking a beating I think. Ah well, it means I can only work my way up the field next time, right?! My club mates have been recounting their experiences this year and have given me vivid flashbacks of the carnage that is XC.... 0 -
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Thanks BG but the thought of 5k XC is making me think I'll be the smashed oneBungy Girl wrote: »Best of luck! No doubt you will smash it 0 -
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Good luck tomorrow. A shame to ruin those lovely shoes. I look forward to hearing how they survive!
Thank you and yes, I agree they are way too good for XC...I will scrub them after their first outing and after that....oh wait, their first outing was yesterday.Good luck DG!
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ThanksNetwerk Errer wrote: »Best of luck tomorrow!:) it's tough but nothing compares to the buzz of running XC. between the brr and the buzz I'll get there
Hehe *when* not if but I'll be thinking of how great it is she's in. Bulgaria for sure!hillsiderunner wrote: »Good luck. Perfect weather for cross-country:). You can keep Fionnuala Britton in your thoughts if you're struggling with a tough bit!Just catching up on your JB - great report and great racing. Well run, madam.
Thanks Murph, yeah I'm pleased with it, looking forward to racing a bit harder now. Just got to build a base to back it up 0 -
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Looking forward to reading the report Dubgal! I came home after the BHAA race to find ours already dressed by Bungy Junior using every decoration in the house - it's tat-tastic! Finish off the prosecco before you do yours and it'll look just as good
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Running Race Report Wicklow Senior Ladies Cross Country 2014
I went into this with a mixture of dread, fear and...let's be honest, not much else. My club mates had been telling anecdotes of their XC experiences this year; of the mad sprint start, the hills, the drudge, the elbows...in short, the essential ingredients of cross country.
The club coach had predicted a small enough field, 40-50. The good news was that Ms Britton would be otherwise occupied in Bulgaria. Just before going to press (:D) I heard that she came in 6th, and the ladies team probably 3rd so the plane fare over dart fare dilemma was well and truly vindicated for her.
I had hoped simply not to disgrace myself, it was all the big unknown not having sniffed a whiff of cross country mud in 23 years. So, I would have been happy with being in the first 20 (bronze), first 15 (silver) and first 10 (shiny dazzling gold).
My preparation this week was relaxed enough. I didn't specifically taper but also didn't bust a gut (except for Thursday's session when I nearly burst a blood vessel or three), despite weekly mileage reaching a post-marathon high of nearly 40 miles. Dinner was salmon, mash and corn on the cob followed by two (house measure) glasses of red (here, I was clearly cherry picking from what worked pre-JB last week). I wore my new gorgeous spikes around the house yesterday evening and was like a 5 year old with new pretty shoes, they felt so light and glove like ... "I could have danced danced daaaaaanced all night". Good thing, the dancing was not all night and my head hit the pillow probably before 11.
The warm up started just an hour before start time to allow for breaks for registration, club mate chat etc. I was happy enough with the amount of jogging done (4-5k) followed by drills, 4*50m strides and limber-up hip circles, arm swings etc and a few high knee skips and butt kicks thrown in for good measure while waiting to start.
We had a bit of an inauspicious start when half of us realised we were facing the wrong way as the starter walked across the field. About turn and gun off for the dreaded sprint-and-elbow-scramble. It was actually a civilised, conservative start which found me relaxed and comfortable in the first three (wtf?). For a few hundred metres I did my usual settling down, finding my stride and wondering if it was going to be a slow but tactical race. Checked my breathing after 500m...quieter than the two in our group but heavy enough to indicate the pace wasn't that slow after all.
The 5k course consisted of a 1000m half loop to the finish point and then 2*2k loops. After we passed the finish, with two laps to go, I was holding position with a Parnell athlete (also my category, o/40) on my shoulder. Can't remember when she dropped back but another took her place (senior cat) and the lead. Half way round the loop was a tricky little slope parallel to the cliff and a sneaky headwind. I was feeling strong and pushed a little up here...feck it, if it hurts me I thought, it's going to hurt them too. We dropped 'my category' and ploughed on.
I knew I was going to be pleased with this race, no matter the outcome. There was plenty of support around the course but I (rudely?) didn't acknowledge any one and kept my tunnel vision focus...until on the first slope I heard a little voice call 'maaam, maaam'. I didn't say hello so as I went past my I heard my 4yo's voice call indignantly 'MAM!' which made the lady beside me laugh when I called out 'mwah' and stuck my hand out in a vague resemblance of a wave. As they cut across the course, this was repeated several more times...
Coming up to the end of the first full lap (approaching the 3k mark) something the runner ahead of me asked her coach made me realise she was hurting. I had planned to kick about here on the last lap, with about 150/200m to go, if we were still together. Instead I did something that would hurt her more...and me too. I broke with 2k/1 lap to go and went meaning business. And I paid for it. I pushed up the slope again ('my pain is their pain' was probably my mantra today), easing off near the top when I knew the damage was done. 1000m to go and I was sore, lactic acid filling, form dropping, shoulders raised so I dropped the shoulders, breathed deeply and clipped my stride. Ouch still hurt.
Finally I turned into the finishing strait (400m to go), legs dead, arms dead, not sure of who or how far was behind me. I hadn't looked over my shoulder once so far. I think I risked a half turn of the head shortly after this but didn't see anything. With 150m to go I sacrificed all semblance of form for a finishing kick (self-defeating I know) and came in (still in shock) Wicklow Ladies Senior Cross Country champion....
As I reflect on this over the next days and weeks, I hope it sinks in and that I accept is for what it is. Already I am qualifying it with 'ah it was a really small field', 'ah, Fionnuala B wasn't here' 'ah, my clubmate would have thrashed me if she hadn't been injured' 'ah what if that Greystones woman hadn't been injured'... Another part of me is saying, you were here and they weren't. I hope that is the part that wins my inner battle.
Our club won the men's too and both teams medaled in the team category so winning all round! Well done guys, we rock
Oh and post script....my legs are sore. Like I ran a 10 mile race. Damn.
Pps. Brooks and Machs are getting a promotion 0 -
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