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Leader Of The (Mid) Pack
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Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »Congratulations on the PB. Good running!
Thanks a mill, enjoyed that. Hopefully better to come
scotindublin wrote: »If Carlsberg did Saturdays.....
Absolutely! That Portmarnock guy was a Red actually. We reckoned that Norwich, even with their full team, (they were missing 10!), would be thrashed by Man City. Of course I knew long before the AI that Liverpool (and Cellic) had won. Little did I know, that even after clinching the 5 in a row, the day could get even better :pac:Unthought Known wrote: »Great report as always J, congratulations again!Dealerz2.0 wrote: »Great race report J and well done again on the PBBrilliant report. Brilliant PB too. Well done.Mr. Guappa wrote: »Great report as always! Congrats on the PB, and the 5!Laineyfrecks wrote: »Great report! Well done on the PB & the Dubs win of course:D
Thanks all, a sweet day all right, one of the best, if not the best, so far this year.Bluesquare wrote: »Well done on the PB- I was keep an eye out for you but I was looking for a guy dressed as you were dressed for the B5! I did see a guy that I thought was you right before the start hugging a girl at the sideline before moving back into position ?
Great report - reminded me of bits and pieces I had forgotten- your recollections are very clear !
Thanks R - yes, that was me! I arrived race ready this time - my wife needed the club top for warmth more than I did. Between last year and this, I'd a fairly good memory of the course. One difference to last year, was that on this occasion, the entire left side of the road was closed on the way back to the racecourse. Lessons learned by Ratoath - well done them.Love the report as always J and well done on a great race and pb
Thanks D, afterwards I was thinking back to the Newbridge House HM two years ago, when I was able to leave you behind in the second half. How things have changed!!! Sub 3 is well within your compass.MisterDrak wrote: »Good Man J, nice lump of time off the old PB...
I Was wondering when "DF the Ref" was on Saturday
Nice one D, surprised I finished ahead of him, but when it's going well for you...I also beat another ref, and the barman, so some bragging rights there too :pac:Dubh Geannain wrote: »Delighted to read that...
Apart from the Dubs
Glad you enjoyed the report Meath, am I right? Ah here 
I could get that to a much greater extent if we were playing Mayo, but Kerry??!! (who still have 8 more AIs than we do) :pac:Well done, super reading as always and an amazing PB!Super racing J, sounds like you really fought for it at the end there! Well doneCongrats J brilliant running and well deserved smashing the PB. Great report too. Happy days:DJ, from where I was, it was clear that a PB on the day would be a dead cert. Well done and was great to meet you again!Great report as usual, and a great run!OOnegative wrote: »Great stuff J, and nice chunk off that PB. Very well done!!quick feet wrote: »Congrats on the Pb j. Great running and report!Congrats on the PB - nicely done!BrownEyes79 wrote: »Brilliant J, congratulations on the PbSmashing run, report and weekend J. Will keep an eye out for ya at The Griffith Ave Mile.Cracking report J, and a fantastic performance. You're prob still buzzing.I really enjoyed that report J, well done and congratulations on the great PB sounds like a great Saturday all roundSunny Dayz wrote: »Great race report, you stuck to it in the end.
Thanks all! Yes, it seemed easy for 9 miles, but I still had to dig in for the other four (point one). Hope I'm not getting a reputation for enthusiastic celebrations :pac:
Now the dust has settled on an amazing weekend, I can update and analyse a bit more. With the mileage I had over recent weeks, it was maybe ambitious to try and secure a 5 minute PB. However, nearly three and a half minutes better is a result I'm more than pleased with. I'm on a nice run there, all things considered. Seemingly having a bit more HTFU in the locker is helping me when the seas inevitably start to get choppy. Nice to feel that confident mid race about getting a good result - I'm not always like that, putting it mildly.
I haven't done a tap since Sunday morning - that afternoon I had plans to go for a pint with a mate of mine to watch the Dublin v Galway LGFA final, but when the time came I was only fit to stretch out on the couch! At the moment, I'm thinking it's unlikely that I'll be able to give the Griffith Avenue Mile a decent shot. Current PB is 6:03, from the old Irish Runner Paced Miles in the Phoenix Park (2017). Soft? Probably. But is Sunday the time to go after it, 8 days after a half? Maybe not.
40 days to DCM. Aaaaahhh!!! Seriously. If I race the mile, that means no LR this week. No LR next week either (holidays), barring a miraculously cool morning (26 degrees at 7 AM there last week!) and energetic me. I tend to enjoy my food and drink when we're away. I love holiday running too, but I feel as if whatever mileage I attain will be a bonus.
Because I don't normally record the club sessions on Strava, I only realised yesterday that I went through the 1000 mile barrier for 2019 over the weekend. Not certain whether it actually happened on Saturday or Sunday. I like to think I did it in the last mile of Ratoath :pac: Considering I didn't reach that milestone until St Stephen's Day last year (and didn't run again in 2018 due to illness), that's another reason to be cheerful Thanks for reading. J. 0 -
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Many congrats, J. My own PB (Charleville 2017) was also enhanced with a same-day trip to Croker for the three in a row. You’ve ousted me with a better PB (by 12s) and a better All Ireland stat. But at least I was at Croker too the other day.
Super running - a confident attempt, you were all over it really. Excellent write up too, as always. Well done.
Thanks D, I dug out your report from that one, a fine read it was too. A great way to mark HM PB performances! Hope the missus was shouting for the DubsGreat race, congrats on the PB! Excellent report too. Good luck with training over the next few weeks. It’s always tricky fitting it around holidays.
Thanks C, looking forward to trying a few different routes in among eating and drinking :pac:Congrats on the pb, that's a fine chunk off!
Thanks D, you've a few nice HMs under your belt this year, keep it up![QUOTE/]
Thanks D, afterwards I was thinking back to the Newbridge House HM two years ago, when I was able to leave you behind in the second half. How things have changed!!! Sub 3 is well within your compass.
I very nearly decided running wasnt for me that morning!!![/QUOTE]
Yeah that was a mad day right enough, with the traffic disaster and a difficult enough course to go with it.The Muppet wrote: »Good Running J Congratulations on the P.B.
Thanks T, delighted to see you back running and logging again!Excellent stuff in Ratoath, well done! Not surprising in the slightest to read about the PB, but great to see all the same. Saturday was quite the day!
Cheers C ! A few milestones in there. A day I'll continue to cherish
Since all that drama, it's been very low key out here....
Wed 18/9 - Club session, Porterstown Park
Feeling very tired all day after a terrible night's sleep on Tuesday, so between that and it being four days after a long race, this was always going to be tricky. The first two reps were ok (4/6/4/6/4) but after that I could feel the leftovers from Saturday beginning to bite, so I eased off for the remainder. Running out of daylight fairly quickly too.
Sat 21/9 - Porterstown parkrun
I'd hoped to get down to the Phoenix Park to support the half marathoners, but it turned out there were a couple of other things on, so I stayed local instead. For the first time in a couple of months, I wasn't using this parkrun as the closing miles of a long run.
Not that it mattered a whole pile, as things turned out. I actually led this one briefly, for most of the section at the bottom of the park, on the first lap. However, I was then passed by a Polish guy who normally runs with a buggy, and that was that! A couple of other lads followed suit before we'd even reached the car park. Caroline and Cliodhna were having a good battle behind me, and I was convinced that at least one of them would catch me, particularly in the last lap as I was huffing and puffing big time. Neither of them succeeded, surprisingly. 21:12 was good enough for 4th, my highest finishing position at Porterstown since New Year's Eve 2016 (also 4th). Most of the faster lads were elsewhere - it certainly wasn't down to any great running on my part :rolleyes:
Sun 22/9 - Griffith Avenue Mile 7.27 miles @8:29/mi
If I was in any doubt regarding just how ambitious it was to consider racing a mile, just eight days after a half marathon, the club session, and in particular the parkrun, brought it home to me. I still have the entry here, and so as I sit here typing, I *could* still go. However, even if I only intended to do it for the craic, I know myself I'd get annoyed being stuck behind people who in my mind I should be beating. Hence, increased effort, and probably injury, so thanks but no thanks. Maybe an indoor mile over the winter will be more amenable from a scheduling point of view.
Instead, I joined up with clubmates, in the pouring rain and semi darkness, at 7 AM, for some pre rugby miles. Grand chats with company, but once I left them and headed up Chesterfield from the zoo, my pace dropped dramatically, and it was a real slog back up to the car. Job done. You may be glad to read, however, that I got a nice little snooze in afterwards, while stretched out on the couch during the second half of the rubby. It isn't always so bad, you know :pac:
Next
Off to Portugal, for a week's warm weather training, which will bring me nicely up to the Dublin Novices XC, taking place in two weeks time over the Munich hills. Yes, I will be bringing the runners, but there won't be any long run, and I probably won't bother with any interval type sessions either. Sure we'll see :pac: Thanks for reading! J.0 -
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Wubble Wubble wrote: »Instead, I joined up with clubmates, in the pouring rain and semi darkness, at 7 AM, for some pre rugby miles. Grand chats with company, but once I left them and headed up Chesterfield from the zoo, my pace dropped dramatically, and it was a real slog back up to the car. Job done. You may be glad to read, however, that I got a nice little snooze in afterwards, while stretched out on the couch during the second half of the rubby. It isn't always so bad, you know :pac:
The perfect day, right there 0 -
With our flight home being delayed by over 6 1/2 hours (at least) :mad: on the positive side I can summarise my warm weather training a bit earlier than intended.
Wed 25/9 - Rest
Travelling to Portugal. No issues on the way over.
Thu 26/9 - 5.46 miles @9:16/mi
We were staying very close to the beach, so I picked out a spot away in the distance and decided I'd run there and back. Beautiful, warm (23/24 deg C), sunny morning. Not many people around as the sun was rising.
Fri 27/9 - 5.44 miles @9:10/mi
Much the same - slightly shorter due to less diversions perhaps.
Sat 28/9 - 5.44 miles @9:33/mi
The last of my runs from Praia Galé Leste to Praia Dourada and back. Three nights in a row of eating and drinking made it an even slower run. Easy days easy!
Sun 29/9 - Rest
Giving my body a break, as we were changing hotels.
Mon 30/9 - 6.60 miles @8:43/mi
Now based in Vilamoura, I found my way to the beach, and similar to last week, decided to run to some as yet undecided turnaround point. Thanks to coogy for the advice beforehand. Running beneath the cliffs, after a while I spotted a white building in the distance, and decided that it would be my turnaround point. I only copped when I got there, that it was one of the restaurants attached to the hotel we stayed in for our honeymoon. The last time we ate there, there was a power cut We were very fortunate with weather throughout, and today was no different. Lots more runners here too.
Tue 1/10 - 6.85 miles @8:47/mi
I gathered we were staying near a XC course which had staged Euro Clubs among other events in recent years, so I tried to find it. For over a mile I was running along an old forest trail, till I arrived at a village shortly before reaching the track itself. Lots of ups and downs and twists, and I made a few wrong turns too. Plus I forgot to resume Strava when starting my opening lap, so there's probably an extra mile on top of the above. Glad I found it for a try anyway. On the way back, I took a little detour to Praia das Tomates, for a last little stint running on the beach 30ish miles for the week - delighted with that!
Wed 2/10 - Rest
Apart, that is, from a dip in the sea. Shameful that I left it to the last day, but anyway. Like I say, we've been very fortunate here weatherwise, whereas I'm well aware of the impending contrast when we eventually get home - Inverno Está Chegando! Hope to see some of you at the Dublin Novices. Thanks for reading. J.0 -
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Well done! Great running!
Was I one of those looking confused about the women's finish? Because I WAS confused - for some reason I thought we had to run right down the pitch and then turn right ... I couldn't see the finish - so I didn't put on a final sprint at all!
Thanks H
I deliberately didn't mention you in that context...but since you asked me here, yes is the answer - although you probably remember there being a good few others seemingly bamboozled. I wasn't sure myself initially, and only when I saw ye being directed right to the end of the green tape, did I know for sure where the finish was. Not that it mattered a whole pile in my race, as I wasn't close enough to catching anyone or being caught. Hope you enjoyed your race nonetheless - nice to set the bar for the rest of the XC season 0 -
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I've concluded you don't write course descriptions, you supply parish notes. See DCM outline, etc.
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Wubble Wubble wrote: »Aye. Much to my annoyance. Instead I've entered the Autumn Open XC, where, if last year's results are anything to go by, I could be in for a major struggle to avoid finishing last :eek:
I'm in two minds between the Open XC and the Spar Xperience. I'm leaning towards the latter but if I enter the Open you'll have stiff competition for that last place. 0 -
Mon 7/10 - Rest
Tue 8/10 - 3.62 miles @ 7:58/mi
Probably the best I've ever felt running around the Carpenterstown loop. Having had an extra recovery day from the race, I picked up the pace more than I normally would. Very rare that I'd average sub-8 in the course of probably the most boring of all my regular routes !
Wed 9/10 - Club session, Porterstown Park - Chase The Sun
An earlier than usual 6:30 start for us. Sun was still shining bright as we got under way. However, even on the first of the reps (5/5/5/5/4, 2 min rec) I was feeling Sunday's race - and maybe the effects of overdoing Tuesday's "easy" run - in the legs. As the session progressed, on each lap the light was fading rapidly, and even with a full moon and some spotlights out beside the cabins, by the end I couldn't make out anyone on the far side of the track. At least I'd recovered a bit of rhythm by then Glad I made it!
Thu 10/10 - Rest
One of these evenings that got away from me a bit. I'd planned a few easy miles, but in the end nothing transpired. Bit of a niggle from last night's session, so maybe a wise move.
Fri 11/10 - Rest
Sat 12/10 - Club session, Polo Grounds
A very late night drinking and playing poker after work was not ideal preparation for this. Plus I had to run the best part of 3 miles to collect the car. At least that part was nearly all downhill :pac: We met the coach at White's Gate, then trundled down to the Polos. In other words, I'd about 4 1/2 miles in the bag before starting the actual session! The session itself was longer than my previous one here. That was (3 sides x 3) plus one full lap (980 metres) to finish off. This time, we alternated between full and three sides, starting with the full loop, and running three of those, with the three sides twice. It would be tricky enough anyway, but being full of booze made it all the more difficult. Thankfully I wasn't too far behind Podge and Joan. For the last one I said I'd push hard to get under 4. I was really feeling the pace and effort levels, but with Joan in pursuit, I hung on for a 3:51 loop. Happy to at least finish it well! The shuffle back to the car brought me up to about 9.5 miles for the morning. I'd nearly count that as an LSR these days :pac: I was thinking of tagging on a parkrun for the craic, but thankfully common sense prevailed.
Sun 13/10 - 5.07 miles @ 7:58/mi
The marathon men were heading away at 7 this morning, but I fancied a slightly longer lie-in, arriving at Castleknock Gate for an 8 AM start. Even at 7:30 it was pitch dark outside, and as I drove across in the lashing rain, I wondered was I mad to be doing this today. Getting my stretches in, I was doubting whether anyone else from the club would appear. Thankfully, JF (in mid LSR himself) did, so I had some company for the "traditional" 5 mile MSB 8 AM loop.
Even in the wretched weather, PP was busy two weeks out from DCM, and also there was a 5k and 10k taking place later. We went at my pace rather than JF's own (3:09 in Dingle Marathon this year), which would be considerably faster than mine - a great relief. We passed Applegirl shortly before finishing up at Castleknock Gate. JF went home, while I stuck around for a couple of minutes to see if anyone else was meeting for 8:45. Nobody around, but I wasn't too sorry about just getting in the car and going home instead. That took a bit longer than planned - I hadn't realised that Knockmaroon Gate was closed for the aforementioned races. Hence, I ended up driving around over half the park, before spotting scotindublin and his buddies back at Castleknock Gate. Glad I brought a towel and a spare top with me - that was one of the wettest mornings in a long while :pac: Incidentally, while putting on my socks I noticed that they still had sand in them from my Portuguese beach running. Ah, the memories!
Next
The Autumn Open XC takes place next Sunday in Abbotstown. Aside from senior, it's probably the highest standard XC race in Ireland, so I'll have to be on my game right from the gun. It might sound a bit nuts running in a race when you know you're going to be right at the very back of the pack, but to me it seems a better option than the Spar mass participation jobbie afterwards. Imagine I entered that. Sub 26 for 4.1k??? If that's how low the bar is, if I ran it, I could end up winning it, but how much good would that do? Thanks for reading. J.0 -
Cross country isn't about timeWubble Wubble wrote: »
The Autumn Open XC takes place next Sunday in Abbotstown. Aside from senior, it's probably the highest standard XC race in Ireland, so I'll have to be on my game right from the gun. It might sound a bit nuts running in a race when you know you're going to be right at the very back of the pack, but to me it seems a better option than the Spar mass participation jobbie afterwards. Imagine I entered that. Sub 26 for 4.1k??? If that's how low the bar is, if I ran it, I could end up winning it, but how much good would that do? Thanks for reading. J. Nothing wrong with winning any race, you can only race against who ever turns up on the day :cool: but if want to test yourself against a higher standard of athlete obviously the autumn open is the one to go for 0 -
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