Chapter 2 - Finding Nemo

Cheers D.

Yeah you're right. I like to go on effort. I figure if the effort levels are high (and I fully expect them to be on Sunday as I haven't raced in ages and I'm only coming back to fitness) then the watch isn't gonna give me any good news really. If my pace is slower than I'd like there's not much that can be done about really. If the pace is fast then when the going gets really tough there's an excuse there to hold back a little.

We'll see. Either way I'm going to enjoy being back racing.

OOnegative wrote:

You surely have an arbitrary time goal in mind? Looking at DD & AMK no interest to scratch the marathon itch?

Good questions.

To be fair seeing some of the marathon reports and training from the gang on here (not exclusive to DD and AMK) definitely piqued my interest. I love the look of some of the marathon specific sessions. I think I'd really enjoy them. That being said........ There's a few reasons I'm not chasing it yet.

It takes a lot of commitment. More than I can give at the moment I think. I barely manage to get my five midweek runs fit into my lunch hour. Running in the evenings isn't really an option for me as that's my time with wife and baba.

The recovery from them just seems huge.

I would worry a bit about how my body would hold up over marathon training although I'm sure that would be well coached.

I still love the shorter stuff! The dream is to get into as low 5k and 10k as possible. Recovery is quick and can race regularly.

I will run one some day for sure. Just not this year.

As for Adare I figure the endurance might not quite be there yet. In terms of arbitrary time I dunno. I think sub 38 should be doable. I'm genuinely not sandbagging but I don't know if 5.45/5.50 pace is manageable right now. Or 6.00 for that matter!

OOnegative wrote:

There’s people that would pay to see yourself, DD, healy1835 and St Tropez in the one race. Dunshaughlin maybe.......

Haha I ran 36.05 in Ennis last year and didn't run any 10ks over 38 in 2018 (Adare, Ennis, Ballyheigue, Killarney). But I dunno. We'll see. I definitely feel stronger than I have in a while. Pace for given effort is faster than it was last year but I doubt the endurance is there.

As for a race I think you can add a couple to that list. AMK and Mellow Yellow. Would be great wouldn't it! I plan on being in Dunshaughlin barring a disaster.

Who's St Tropez? I must do some log stalking.

I'm very annoyed with myself for missing that joke. Haha.

I think there's two clear leaders in that group right now but we'll catch up.

skyblue46 wrote:

All the best tomorrow P. I hope it all goes to plan.

Cheers S. There is no plan

Adare 10k 2019 Race Report

Sometimes you get what you expect. Sometimes you're surprised. Today I got what I expected and I don't mean that in a negative way. Man it's good to be going through that awful racing feeling again. Haha.

Had been feeling very positive about this one. Had pretty much removed all pressure and thoughts of times. One of the reasons I was thinking of leaving the watch on the subs bench is I didn't want to think about pace. I didn't want to look at the watch and see 6.10 pace and be disappointed. I just wanted to run! Realistically I knew where I was coming from with the bones of a month being injured/burned out and hadn't raced since November. Expectations were low but hope was high. Who knows. Maybe I'll surprise myself. But one of the toughest things (and best things) about racing is it makes an honest man of you. There's no faking it or hiding the last few months. If it's not quite there yet, you'll find out. I always say, it's one thing having great notions and dreaming when you're sitting on the couch or on an easy run but it's a different thing altogether when you're 7k deep into a 10k race and everything is telling you to stop.

I have zero complaints about how I felt on the run up to this. Coach had built up my confidence with the tempo/threshold stuff. I felt good. Training has been going well lately. Not race specific stuff but base building. Had no idea what I was capable of but suspected I might struggle deep into the race especially in Adare which has a tougher second half. Hence the decision was made to leave the watch at home. What difference would it make. Seeing 5.45 or 5.55 or 6.05 would have no bearing on how I felt. Nothing to lose.

Got to Adare nice and early. Was chillier than I expected. Stiff enough breeze. Headed off for a warmup. Went out and back from the start finish line. Could really feel the breeze as I turned back.

Lined up at the start line about four rows back. Some serious quality there. A load of west limerick ac singlets. Some big turnouts from some clubs. Doneraile stood out too. Whistle went and we were off. Settled straight into my pace. Was surprised to see so many ahead of me. Definitely more ahead of me this year. It was a sign of the standard of the field. The winning time was 30.40 and a new course record. Top three ladies were all sub 37.30. Impressive. Settled into a group of three with three others lagging behind a bit.

Felt comfortable enough for the first 2 or 3k. Some lumps and bumps throughout the course. The little group we had worked pretty well together up to 5k. An Riocht and a couple of lads from Mallow. The lads from mallow struggled and dropped off at 5k. By halfway I was working hard enough and the worst of the hills to come. I slipped ahead of An Riocht. By 7k I was deep deep in it. Feeling it and finding the going tough. Lungs shouting at me, the legs heavy and the mind asking me to stop. This wasn't as deep as I've been in the past. I don't think I have the toughness to dip that deep yet. I think if I had I would have stopped.

Hit that fecker of a hill around 8k. An riocht and two west limerick lads had passed me at this stage. I managed to keep in touch with them although one of them pulled well ahead. The 9k marker in Adare is where you can really open up if you have anything left. It's a beaut of a downhill. I managed to pass one of the west limerick lads but an riocht and the other lad had pulled away. Got to within a few seconds of one of them but not quite enough. Had a peek at the clock as I approached and it wasn't the surprise I hoped for. Funny how the internal GPS is pretty accurate. If you had asked me what time I'd finish after 9.5k id have guessed maybe mid 37s. And that would've been almost bang on. 37.42 official time. Took a while to catch my breath. Met up with some other buddies as they finished and met my two biggest supporters - wife and baba. Headed back to the hall for some sandwiches. Great spread.

Genuinely one of the better races around. Everything about it is well run. I couldn't fault it. Results are up on the wall by the time you get to the hall. Very well done to west limerick ac. I'll always try to include this race in my calendar. A fair enough route with plenty of lumps and bumps but nothing awful and a very competitive field.

I wouldn't say I'm happy with how it went but I'm not unhappy either. It's a decent run, nothing more. A starting point and a benchmark for improvement. It's a funny old game. You spend months away from racing, you're all excited about getting back into it and 6k into it you're asking yourself "what the f*ck was I missing about this! ". But then you finish and all those lovely endorphins are floating about.
I'm looking forward to the work ahead. I'm not all that pleased with my form at the end after seeing the video my wife recorded. My heels are barely making it up to knee height. Plenty of work ahead. Delighted to be back racing.

Next up is the Munster 4 miler next weekend. Will give that a lash.