Mum on the Run

Saturday
Only had a very small window for running today with BG Jr’s social engagements taking precedence :rolleyes: so managed a short run and some strides as prep for Terenure tomorrow.

• 3.7 miles including 6 x 80m (approx) strides

I consulted the latest edition of Garmin Connect For Dummies and have managed to upload my runs. So now I can bore the pants off entertain anyone still willing to listen with a statistically significant analyis of my every move. Or maybe I’ll just keep it to myself. I did LOL at my stride stats – all under 5 min/miles with a top speed of 4:10 . Sure I’ll just string a few of those together tomorrow. Be grand.

Best of luck to all racing tomorrow, hope to see y’all afterwards for a cuppa and a post-mortem.

Sunday - Terenure 5

35:04 (PB) :rolleyes:

Well, at least when I finally do make The Table nobody can say I didn't earn it :rolleyes:

Report later....but first a wild 65th birthday party, whoop whoop!

libelula wrote: »

Well done! Class result, you should be over the mood today \o/

(Those four seconds though- that's a sickener )

Thanks libelula. Had nothing left in the tank today, 4 seconds may as well have been 4 minutes!

hillsiderunner wrote: »

Dammit on those 4 secs .... but it's a great time all the same and well-deserved!

Cheers Hilly, did my best. I'll be back again for those 4 seconds +1 !

Dubgal72 wrote: »

PB, well done!! You did so well today everything considered lately but ouch so near and so far! Great to see you today

You too. A PB is a PB after all. Hope you've got the feet up and have something bubbly to hand?

Firedance wrote: »

You'll get there and yes itll be very well deserved!!

Thanks so much for the support today. See you on Weds (although I can't believe I'm going to put myself through that torture again)

Ososlo wrote: »

Oh SO SO close!!! I had the table link ready to send you:)
Still a fabulous time though and a well done on the pb! Looking forward to the report!

Ah, thanks for the faith Ososlo! It's actually amazing what a motivator that table is. One day....:)

Terenure 5 Miles 17/5/15
PB 35:04 chip time (splits 6:58, 6:58, 7:00, 6:58, 7:10)
34th F and 8th F40

Strictly speaking I should be disappointed with this. 2nd goal race of the year and 2nd time to fall (just!) short of the sub 35 goal but I am actually delighted and still on a bit of a buzz. What a great race! Everything just ran so smoothly, there was awesome support on the course and the pacers were amazing – not their fault I couldn’t keep up . The main thing for me was that the Flabs didn’t act up at all, not a peep, so even though I found the race tough from as early as Mile 2 the pain was just run of the mill race discomfort and nothing sinister.

I arrived ridiculously early as seems to be my m.o. and did a slow warm up taking in the last 2 miles of the course. Nerves started to ease. Wasn’t as windy as I’d feared but I knew the stretch from the KCR up to the roundabout was going to be tough. Found the sub 35 pacers and had a quick chat with them; their plan was going to go at a steady 6:58/mile pace. Lined up right behind them alongside Murph_D and a big gang from Crusaders.

Mile 1 (6:58)
This felt easy. If I’d been on my own and not following the pacers I’d say I would have done this a good deal faster and probably died a slow and painful death by half way. So the first mile gave me a lot of confidence and made me think I might be able to hang on to the sub 35 pace. I was determined to stick close and kept getting slapped in the face with the pacer balloon :rolleyes: but I was really afraid of letting a gap open so I put up with this for the first mile before I decided it was just too annoying and dropped back a few metres.

Mile 2 (6:58)
Pace was steady but I was starting to feel it in the legs already – not a good sign with 4 miles to go! I was still close to the pacers but not stuck like glue anymore. There was a bit of a breeze along this stretch which got stronger when we turned the corner at the KCR. There was a bit of weaving to be done at this stage around people who probably started off a bit too fast and you could see it disrupted the pacers a little. The 2 mile marker was a long time coming around so this was when the crazy talk (alternating negative and positive thoughts that I’d be morto to put in writing) started in my brain. I’ve never heard such nonsense in my whole life :rolleyes:.

Mile 3 (7:00)
Wheels starting to come off now and the pacers were edging away. Most of this mile was into the wind so not surprising. I was convinced the Flabs were going to kick in any second and a very small part of me wanted that excuse to stop. I promised myself I’d keep going until the next turn when we’d be hitting the downhill again and I could pick up the pace a bit.

Mile 4 (6:58) (4 Mile PB here, unofficial obviously :pac::pac: but woo hoo)
Got my mojo back somewhat here but there was no miraculous recovery, it was still very hard work but at least I was getting some distance back from the pacers. Decided at this stage I would finish no matter what even though I knew the target was slipping away. Think it was during this mile Murph_D came up alongside and seemed very comfortable. He asked how I was doing and got an unintelligible answer for his trouble. I don’t think I knew my own name at this stage. Sorry Murph!

Mile 5 (7:10)
This felt like a 12 minute mile. It’s amazing how the legs still continue to work reasonably fast even when the brain and the rest of the body have given up. Full credit to Murph_D for dragging me through the last half mile. Given the end result, could I have pushed a little harder here to get a 7:05 mile and bring me in on target? Honestly no, I don’t think I left anything out there. But I need to figure out the right screen for the Garmin that shows me cumulative race time and pace so I can give it a bit of welly when it’s that close to the wire. Threw myself over the finish line, stopped the watch, still alive, got a spot prize (which I lost 5 minutes later). Hung around to cheer a few people on then into the hall for a most welcome coffee.

Lots to think about and learn from this race. At the rate I’m going I’ll need 3 more 5 milers to finally crack this sub 35….

Great to see fellow racers Dubgal, Annapr, Murph_D, Laura, Aquinn, super supporters Firedance and Chickey, Meno who did a great job as guide runner, and of course Adrian, part of the amazing Sportsworld organisation team. Hope I’m not forgetting anyone!

• 7 miles incl. 5 miles @ 7:01/mile

TOTAL WEEKLY MILES: 29

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Enjoy your party

Thanks, I did. Free bus pass now, woo hoo

Greenmachine wrote: »

Congrats on a pb for the 5 mile. When is your next 5 mile?

Thanks Greenmachine, possibly doing the BHAA 5 miler in Dunboyne next week. Might get another 2 seconds off if I'm lucky