Is it Now?

donothoponpop

7 wtg day 6

5.5 miles hill race, Annacurra. 16 place, 111% of winning time, best IMRA result for me by a good stretch. Great course, felt good from the off, makes all the difference when you know whats coming on the course. The first uphill was tough, but I kept running, although up ahead of me I could see SJ walking in sections, and such was the incline that it was doing him no harm place or pace wise. I had a battle with the first lady over the top, she had a great uphill, but over the top I stretched my legs and went hell for leather through the snow, on a fast downhill, and finally passed her. This led to a snow covered uphill, which was a slog of about a K or so, just kept lifting the knees and plugging away, and made up some ground on a group of four or so ahead of me.

After this came the fast downhill, and as I broke away from the group, a young junior came on my shoulder, and passed me with some speed. My lungs were burning, but I tried to stick with him, and by lengthing my stride, I passed him again. This ding-dong battle went on down the length of "Mick's Mile";), and he took a sharp bend at the end which put him ahead. The upshot of this battle was we both had made a lot of ground on a group of four who had been well ahead at the top, and as we rushed through the final forest sections, and turned for home, the junior guy was away from me in a flash, but in his wake I sprinted past two more at the end. Thanked him afterwards for helping me make up so many places!

Turns out I finished 111% behind the winner, (Enduro), which I was thrilled with. My position was 16th, a great personal result, but such was the strength of the Boards AC team that I was only fifth home:eek: Training begins in earnest for a place on the next team in Trooperstown:D

6wtg day 1

6.3 miles, 7:03 pace. Hill run loop, happy with the time, 7:21, 8:17, 6:39, 6:40, 6:58, 6:30. Legs were tight.

Woddle

Well done donothoponpop, great running and reading SJ and krustys account aswell as yours really has me eager to get to Trooperstown and make my first imra run since 2002 at Glasnamaulin or sth like that. Theres a great running community being built here between the bhaa and imra races so hats of to you with the boards team and well I guess I'll be hoping to finish top 6 out of the boards team in trooperstown

Krusty_Clown

Great account and result, Donothoponpop. Did the Junior run the full course? Remember seeing him at the start and end. Good to hear your ran the distance. I might try and stick to you for the next race so I don't lose my will to keep running!

Woddle wrote:

I'll be hoping to finish top 6 out of the boards team in trooperstown

Them's fighting words! I'll be trying to hold on to my hard fought 6th place! During the race I established a new max heart rate of 191. :eek:

Woddle

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Them's fighting words! I'll be trying to hold on to my hard fought 6th place! During the race I established a new max heart rate of 191. :eek:

Not yet anyway, I factored the fact enduro won't be there

donothoponpop

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Great account and result, Donothoponpop. Did the Junior run the full course? Remember seeing him at the start and end. Good to hear your ran the distance. I might try and stick to you for the next race so I don't lose my will to keep running!

Them's fighting words! I'll be trying to hold on to my hard fought 6th place! During the race I established a new max heart rate of 191. :eek:

Cheers Krusty. The junior guy ran the whole course, he was a big strapping lad, as they say. Great downhill from him.

This was the first time I ran the whole hill of an IMRA course (largely because I knew when it would end!), and I have to say I put some distance between a few guys just behind me who started to walk.

There'll be fierce competition between the Boardsies at Trooperstown! Be interesting to see how everyones % comes down over the year.

donothoponpop

6 wtg day3

21.2 miles in 2:40, av pace 7:33

Yesterday was tough for me, I was sat at home and first Woddle b!tch-slapped me in the 1000 mile challenge, then Stupid Private started "trash talking" his way up the board. Nothing for me to do but bite my tongue, bide my time, and hit the roads for a long one today.:)

The P&D schedule suggests running the first half of long runs at PMP+20% (for me thats about 8:20 pace), second half PMP+10% (which would be 7:30). I set off determined to do at least 20, and felt (too) good starting off, banging out 7:30 miles. I had just passed my driving test and felt mighty fine with the world, and was running on a flattish course around the back roads of Gorey and Courttown in Co Wexford. Just kept plugging away, and soon I was up to 15 miles, feeling good. The last 6 miles were against traffic on a busy road, not too nice, but it was good to get back to Gorey before the legs hurt too much.

The whole purpose of the long runs is to push back the stage where carbo depletion hits. I did bring a sports drink with me, so that helped, but I was hurting at mile 21, pretty much where I expected. Could have picked up the pace and finished if it was a 26.2, but I'm very happy that I got in 21 mainly all on roads, no real hills (still a hillier course than, say, Dublin), but most of all I'm happy that the pace was consistant.

Woddle

Great run and pace good stuff, didn't get out today myself, taking it as an easy week, will run to how I feel. heading to Wexford in about an hour and will just do bits and pieces while I'm there. You seem to be in great shape for that sub 3.

Stupid_Private

21 Miles? On a Wednesday!! WEDNESDAY? Seriously, who runs that midweek?

Good running mind.

Abhainn

Good running dude. Coming along nicely.
Ya your some man for doing that distance on a Wed.

donothoponpop

Abhainn wrote: »

Ya your some man for doing that distance on a Wed.

Darn it, I'm picking up an implication that the Wed long run doesn't exempt me from the Sunday long run;)

Actually, when I was running it, I was thinking of the milage you ultra guys are notching up, mightly impressive! Don't think I could go out tomorrow and get another long run in.

Peckham

Great running, especially to have some juice in the legs at the end of that.

donothoponpop wrote: »

Actually, when I was running it, I was thinking of the milage you ultra guys are notching up, mightly impressive! Don't think I could go out tomorrow and get another long run in.

Impressive is one word, nutters is another word. :rolleyes:

Krusty_Clown

Great running! You must be delighted with that pace. Great feeling getting the long run over with mid-week too! I thought the P&D long run was +20% early in the training cycle, and +10% as you get closer to your marathon date. Must go re-read it now.

TheRoadRunner

donothoponpop, I've just seen this now. I'm with Stupid_Private 21 miles on a week day is some going. Nice pace as well, it's great to be able to pick it up and know you could have got to 26 miles if needed, a real confidence booster

Slogger Jogger

Great going donothoponpop. You're in fine fettle. Checked ahead on the schedule today and there is less than 40 running days left before Rotterdam and only a handful of runs over 20k, so bit by bit we're over the hump of this training plan. Well done again.

donothoponpop

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

donothoponpop, I've just seen this now. I'm with Stupid_Private 21 miles on a week day is some going. Nice pace as well, it's great to be able to pick it up and know you could have got to 26 miles if needed, a real confidence booster

I read in your log the long 18 miler you did at a fast(er) pace, how you felt great after it. I too feel this has been the best run of my training program, I know I can run to 23 or 24 at a race day pace which will be faster than todays run, then hang on and see from there. great for confidence all right.

donothoponpop

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Great running! You must be delighted with that pace. Great feeling getting the long run over with mid-week too! I thought the P&D long run was +20% early in the training cycle, and +10% as you get closer to your marathon date. Must go re-read it now.

Aye, read back over chapter 2, its +20% till halfway or so, +10% for remainder. They even say you can start slower till mile 5. Think the Kenyan athletes are well known for their slow "shuffle" as they limber up into their long runs.

donothoponpop

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Great going donothoponpop. You're in fine fettle. Checked ahead on the schedule today and there is less than 40 running days left before Rotterdam and only a handful of runs over 20k, so bit by bit we're over the hump of this training plan. Well done again.

Cheers SJ. Yeah its coming on fast now, just need to hold it together and hope no injuries for the next month or so. Think I might leave that 10k race at the weekend, doing 3 races on consecutive weekends would take too much out of me at this stage.

My P&D schedule still has 18mile, 15, 17 (w14 at PMP), 13, 18, 14, 20, 17, taper. If you feel over the hump in the HH program, all I can say is P&D is a many humped beast!:)

Krusty_Clown

donothoponpop wrote: »

Aye, read back over chapter 2, its +20% till halfway or so, +10% for remainder. They even say you can start slower till mile 5. Think the Kenyan athletes are well known for their slow "shuffle" as they limber up into their long runs.

Thanks. Have to revise how I go about my long runs, but this makes a lot more sense.

--amadeus--

Excellent running - I just hope I can stay with you till 20ish and then grab that piggy back off you

donothoponpop

6 wtg day4

8.6 miles recovery pace

Legs felt a little tired starting off, but I was soon in my stride. Had to act in order to keep the pace down.

6 wtg day5

13.5 mile hill run, av pace 7:39 min/mile.

I started off this one thinking I'd just do 6 or 8 and some strides, but after the first couple of strides a mile in, decided the legs were too tight, and I'd just run with how I felt. Ended up a few miles in, and feeling really good, and was running at marathon pace, so I slowed that down to 7:30's for a while. Great day for running, first real Spring day in a while. I did find the last two miles harder than the rest, the legs still have the long run from a couple of days ago in them.

donothoponpop

6wtg day 6

8.5 miles easy, 8:00 min/mile pace.

5 weeks to go, day 2

11 miles including 6x1000m at 5k race pace, VO2 max session.

Splits were 3:38, 3:31, 3:43, 3:42, 3:50 (messing around with my stride length), 3:30 (mainly downhill).

I hate these sessions, but they're great for toning up and bringing down marathon pace time. If there's a part of my schedule that I've been neglecting, its the speedwork part. I've done the long runs, the medium-long runs, the hill workouts, so my endurance is pretty good, but strides I can take or leave. After the marathon I'll be doing a lot more speedwork, as I focus on IMRA and 10k's, but for now I look on the remaining vo2max sessions with dread.
Which brings me onto a point I've been pondering for a while now...

Slogger Jogger, amadeus, and myself are all training for the same time in the same marathon. We're pretty experienced, and have tried different programs in the past, so "know" best what works for each of us. I look at SJ's schedule, and marvel at the amount of short fast runs he's getting in, but think to myself there's not a lot of endurance runs in there. Amadeus and myself are (I believe) using a similar P&D 18<70 program, but while he seems to be sticking to the schedule, I've "allowed" for the amount of hills on my training routes, and so don't always hit the pace's P&D suggest during training. An upshot of this is that amadeus and myself both did the most important training run of the program last week, at just over 21 miles. He did his just under 3 hours, which is bang on where it should be according to P&D. I did mine as a "timetrial" on flat roads I don't often get the opportunity to run, and came in about 15 mins quicker than this. However, this goes against what P&D say, and indeed I was tired for the next few runs I did, so may not have got the full benefit from them.

It will be very interesting to see what happens in Rotterdam. I have a strong feeling that we will all go under 3 hours, and that our very different programs are a product of several years marathon experience. Right now I'm starting to get the heebie-jeebies as there's less than 6 weeks to go, and so I may be analysing our respective schedules too much. Diff'rent strokes, I suppose.

TheRoadRunner

great sessions donothoponpop.

And you are right I think all 3 of you will go sub 3 on different programs. Looking at all 3 logs it is obvious the different training regimes are working for each of ya. Keep on your programa, don't do anything crazy in the next few weeks and you will rip Rotterdam up

Woddle

From an outsider looking in and only dreaming of going sub 3, my opinion is that your in great shape and if I was you I think I might be aiming slightly better at perhaps 2:54:59. As for the panic thats starting to kick in, I also have this and after a crap week last week I'm feeling especially anxious but I think thats half the buzz of the marathon thats kicking in about now and that will drive you on over the next 3/4 weeks before taper and then the second half of the buzz begins. To be honest a part of me wishes I was doing Rotterdam and not Paris as I feel a bit out of the loop and a bit of a loner doing Paris but hey Rotterdam doesn't have a disneyland .

I really think the 3 of you are in great shape and will all drive each other on to great pbs. Will you all run together or do yous have a different take from each other regarding pacing and fluid intake.

donothoponpop

Woddle wrote: »

From an outsider looking in and only dreaming of going sub 3, my opinion is that your in great shape and if I was you I think I might be aiming slightly better at perhaps 2:54:59. As for the panic thats starting to kick in, I also have this and after a crap week last week I'm feeling especially anxious but I think thats half the buzz of the marathon thats kicking in about now and that will drive you on over the next 3/4 weeks before taper and then the second half of the buzz begins. To be honest a part of me wishes I was doing Rotterdam and not Paris as I feel a bit out of the loop and a bit of a loner doing Paris but hey Rotterdam doesn't have a disneyland .

I really think the 3 of you are in great shape and will all drive each other on to great pbs. Will you all run together or do yous have a different take from each other regarding pacing and fluid intake.

Cheers Woddle, I think aiming for 2:55 at this stage comes under the "don't do anything crazy" heading that RoadRunner mentions above! It's clear from my post that nerves are coming into play, to be honest, I reread my post before I logged it, and was going to tidy it up (ie. make a bit more sense!) but decided that it was a good record of how I feel now, when I read back this log after the marathon. It would be great if you were doing R too, but think of the brownie points you'll get by bringing the family to Paris!

I think SJ is going to do his own thing (?), but I'd certainly be up for running together. Amadeus?

Peckham

+1 to above. Your respective training plans should get all three of you over the finish line sub-3. If one of you doesn't make it, I would suspect it won't be for a reason related to choice of training plan, but rather some other factor (like trying to chase a fellow boardsie after stopping for a pee! )

--amadeus--

Perception is a funny thing - reading the logs I am convinced that I will be left standing by SJ & DP. Their training seems to be going so much better, they seem to be running further and faster and with more ease than me. I have no doubt that SJ & DP will cruise in under 3 but have serious questions about my own chances.

But that's the challenge - at least for me - beating those self doubts. DP you have logged fantastically consistent mileage over an extended period of time. You have teh endurance. Last week showed you have the speed and we are in teh sharpening phase where speed is added in now anyway. Analysis is good, heebie jeebies aren't - you are the Mr Positive of our little gang, don't go freaking out now!

donothoponpop

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Perception is a funny thing - reading the logs I am convinced that I will be left standing by SJ & DP. Their training seems to be going so much better, they seem to be running further and faster and with more ease than me. I have no doubt that SJ & DP will cruise in under 3 but have serious questions about my own chances.

But that's the challenge - at least for me - beating those self doubts. DP you have logged fantastically consistent mileage over an extended period of time. You have teh endurance. Last week showed you have the speed and we are in teh sharpening phase where speed is added in now anyway. Analysis is good, heebie jeebies aren't - you are the Mr Positive of our little gang, don't go freaking out now!

Cheers amadeus, wibble over, normal service has been resumed:D

You most definately *are* running sub3 in Rotterdam, you've been hitting all the right notes in training. You want to run together till 16 at least, and then start dragging each other through, mile by mile?

--amadeus--

Crossed posts there - deffo up for running together as far as we can. Last year I ran it with a friend as we aimed for 3:15; we lost each other after 10 or 12 miles but it was good up until then. I think running together will make sense, especially in the latter stages. I tend to "drift off" around 18 - 20 and my pace falls off teh scale - HR stays constant but pace goes up by 30 secs a mile or so. What I should be doing is digging deeper and pushing HR up to maintain pace but on my own I don't notice teh pace dip until it's too late. Running together should solve that issue as well as the start too fast / surge thing.

TheRoadRunner

Woddle wrote: »

To be honest a part of me wishes I was doing Rotterdam and not Paris as I feel a bit out of the loop and a bit of a loner

+1 For this. I would love to be doing Rotterdam. It seems to be the marathon of choice for boardsies this spring !

Stupid_Private

donothoponpop wrote: »

6wtg day 6

It will be very interesting to see what happens in Rotterdam. I have a strong feeling that we will all go under 3 hours, and that our very different programs are a product of several years marathon experience. Right now I'm starting to get the heebie-jeebies as there's less than 6 weeks to go, and so I may be analysing our respective schedules too much. Diff'rent strokes, I suppose.

I agree with --amadeus-- , you have been mister motivator for the past few weeks. Not so long back you gave him a verbal kick up the ass for having doubts! Trust in your plan and don't worry about other peoples. Trust in it and it'll all come together in the end. Different plans work for different people. I didn't go above 18 miles in training last time out and still went to the starting line full of confidence. You've over four weeks of real work to go - loads.of.time.

donothoponpop

Stupid_Private wrote: »

... Different plans work for different people...

Bingo! Real simple when I see it written down, but thats what I've been doing wrong the past few days, comparing other logs to my own. You're dead right, from now on its put the head down time and get the most out of the next four weeks. Cheers.

shels4ever

Stupid_Private wrote: »

I agree with --amadeus-- , you have been mister motivator for the past few weeks. Not so long back you gave him a verbal kick up the ass for having doubts! Trust in your plan and don't worry about other peoples. Trust in it and it'll all come together in the end. Different plans work for different people. I didn't go above 18 miles in training last time out and still went to the starting line full of confidence. You've over four weeks of real work to go - loads.of.time.

Great Advise there , Listen to him

Slogger Jogger

Some great posts there. I don't have boards access in work so only picking up on these now. Thanks all for the encouraging messages.

Great running today donothoponpop. I agree that we're all in fine shape and touch wood (knocks head) that we'll beat our targets hands down. This is my 17th marathon. Its the only marathon that I've actually done a dedicated marathon schedule for in the sense of using the different running tools - LSRs, tempo runs, intervals, hills (thank you Mr. Higdon). Previously I would have 'just' run. My PB last year in Cork was set against a backdrop of just running and I pretty much didn't do a dedicated running schedule for Cork either as I'd prep'ed for Conn last year and filled in the gaps to Cork with hill runs and the like. Still ran 3:06 on a hilly-ish Cork route. The fact that I did that, and finished strongly and that I've done a great schedule so far, gives me confidence of PBing in Rotterdam and there is no reason why sub 3hrs isn't attainable. I PBed in the 10K before Christmas and I've done well at recent imra races so that shows me that my training is working. Doing good, as a sideline, on the 1000 mile challenge

I'd be well up to running together. Won't be talking much mind . When I'm racing like that I tend to get into the zone.:) Picture the scene. Us crossing the line together... Timer above heads saying 2:5n Don't care what the n is...

--amadeus--

17th!! :eek:

I thought there was someone else doing Rotterdam and aiming for sub 3 (I thought it was Rusty?) - was I imagining things?

donothoponpop

--amadeus-- wrote: »

17th!! :eek:

I thought there was someone else doing Rotterdam and aiming for sub 3 (I thought it was Rusty?) - was I imagining things?

Unfortunately he got an injury in the first IMRA race so had to postpone his first marathon of the year- Rusty, we'll raise a glass to ya in Rotterdam!

Rusty Cogs 08

Ah thanks guys, I'll be wishing you all the best. I'll pm dp my mobler number so I can get the results hot off the press, so to speak. Back on the roads now myself, ran a 67'29'' 10 miler tonight so feel like I'm coming back alright.

You guys have the momentum though so keep it up (any chance of those infamous boards singlets for the attempts ?)

Woddle

Rusty Cogs 08 wrote: »

Ah thanks guys, I'll be wishing you all the best. I'll pm dp my mobler number so I can get the results hot off the press, so to speak. Back on the roads now myself, ran a 67'29'' 10 miler tonight so feel like I'm coming back alright.

You guys have the momentum though so keep it up (any chance of those infamous boards singlets for the attempts ?)

Should have them on Friday, Monday at the latest

donothoponpop

5 wtg day 3

4.5 mile forest run. Had good company on this run a very experienced runner who was telling me about some of the wackier races he's done in the US. The Gorilla race, a campus race around a forest trail, in which a man dressed in a gorilla suit leaps out at you from behind trees to put you off. Extra points for throwing/dodging bananas!
Or the Corning Tower Stair Climb in Albany, a race up 42 flights of stairs, he said the lack of oxygen made breathing very difficult. I was kicking myself, I had lived in NY for 8 years, but didn't run then, I would have loved to try something like this. Ah well, spilt milk now.

5wtg day 4

14.5 hilly run, av pace 7:45.
Took this one easy enough, indeed I had my Garmin "up my sleeve" and didn't look at it till I was home. So I let the pace go with how I felt, and I felt like taking it easy. Happy that the pace I thought I was at was what corresponded with the watch.
Lot to be said for not running with the watch. Its very useful for pace, but oftentimes I will look at it too much, when I could be enjoying the run and the view, as I did today. Great day for it.

--amadeus--

I know what you mean - I usually leave teh Garmin at home for easy runs. Makes such a difference when you aren't working at it.

I love hearing about daft events like that - come teh summer we'll have to try and set something stupid up as a charity fundraiser

Woddle

I was thinking of a 24 hour run but all you have to do is 1 mile in an hour every hour for 24 hours based on something done around the London marathon a few years back. Those of us who have a garmin can easily use them as proof :eek:

MCOS

donothoponpop wrote: »

4.5 mile forest run. Had good company on this run a very experienced runner who was telling me about some of the wackier races he's done in the US. The Gorilla race, a campus race around a forest trail, in which a man dressed in a gorilla suit leaps out at you from behind trees to put you off. Extra points for throwing/dodging bananas!
.

would the Irish equivalent be someone dressed as a sheep?

Just to echo what the guys were saying above, its very interesting to read such different logs and different effective approaches of you 3 guys doing Rotterdam with a goal of sub 3. Seeing as you all look to be in great shape it really goes to show that a Training program is not a one size fits all. I'd say the excitememnt is really setting in! I have every confidence ye will all get there!

--amadeus--

Back when the 1000 mile challenge first came up it crossed my mind that an excellent challenge would be 1000 miles in 24 hours. Get 6 or 8 treadmills and a team of 30 or 40 people and it could be done...

Which is all a bit OT to DPs log!

donothoponpop

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Back when the 1000 mile challenge first came up it crossed my mind that an excellent challenge would be 1000 miles in 24 hours. Get 6 or 8 treadmills and a team of 30 or 40 people and it could be done...

No need for dreadmills...

There's 79 people on the challenge right now. We need one more for this idea to work. You pair the person at the bottom with the one at the top. +1 and -1, and so on, until you have 40 teams of two. Each team commits to running 25 miles in a given 24 hour period, then there's your 1000 miles in 24 hours.

Slogger Jogger

Sounds good. You might have something like the following though.. if you're a top person paired with a person towards the end does that mean that you're nearly running the full 25 miles

Can it be the weekend of say a half marathon distance race (say the Wicklow way trail) - that would really help some of us

donothoponpop

5 wtg day 5

10 miles, 5am, 5pm, 7:40 pace.

One of the "double" days in the P&D schedule, two short runs at an easy pace. Personally, I don't see the purpose of these doubles, beyond just racking up the miles without inflicting on harder days in a big mile week.

Thankfully, with me fighting with Abhainn and Stupid Private for the last few top 10 places in the 1000 mile challenge, just racking up the miles suits me fine right now:D

IMRA race tomorrow, don't intend to give it as much as I otherwise could, legs are starting to feel tired after several hard weeks.

Slogger Jogger

5am :eek: Some people just can't sleep thinking about someone a few miles ahead of them on the challenge

donothoponpop

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

5am :eek: Some people just can't sleep thinking about someone a few miles ahead of them on the challenge

No, that would be 5 miles done in the am, 5 miles done in the pm. just because I wake up in a cold sweat in the dead of night, thinking about the 1000 mile challenge, doesn't mean I've completely lost it;)

Slogger Jogger

Thats comforting, though I've a suspicion that you'll want to do a no. of laps of the imra race today to keep your mileage up. Go team.

donothoponpop

5 wtg day 6

6.5 mile Trooperstown imra hill race.

I had never run this course before, but had heard only good things about it. It around the Laragh area, one of the nicest in Wicklow, with some of my favourite runs, Glendalough, Ballybraid, and Glenmacnass for neighbours.

Myself and Slogger Jogger arrived early, and once registered, we scouted the starting kilometer of the route. Trooperstown Hill is a big hulking mass, which would be scaled via a long ascent via "Boots" mountain at its back. A strong field of about 150(?) or so were ready to take this on, and although several imra stalwarts were missing owing to tomorrows XC championships, several more had come along for their first imra race of the year. I met Krusty Clown before the start, and he told me his new tactic would be to start at the front of the pack, rather than being held back by the slower runners as had happened at his previous few imra races. It would prove be be a valuable move for him.

From the off, a slow ascent through the forest was borne steadily, nothing too dramatic about the incline. This is the part of the race where a lot of people lose themselves, and tend to go off too quick. While that can be a good tactic during a narrow start, today I was able to start reeling in runners from about a kilometer or so. Not too far ahead I could see Slogger Jogger, and from a cursory glance around I was surprised at the company I was keeping: during last years races these were people I couldn't get anywhere near, now my heavy recent training was allowing me to surge ahead of them. The ascent over soft mountain trail continued, and it was a matter of "steady as she goes". My legs were starting to feel to effects of a lot of milage this week, but keeping one foot motoring in front of the other was the way to go. Another day, I might have tried to cover SJ as he pulled away from me, picking off runner after runner, but for today I was happy with where I was in the field. Besides, something had to be kept in reserve for the later climbs...

It was around this time I was contenting myself with my position, that I became aware of some laboured breathing over my shoulder. As he drew alongside, I saw it was Krusty, who was having a great race. "When does the downhill begin?" he asked, and I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. Certainly by this stage a good downhill would be welcomed, but there was still a lot of climbing to go yet. From this moment in the race until the finish, myself and Krusty traded places, each waiting for the other to break. I don't mind telling you, during our duel I thought how I would have to post in my log that Krusty had beaten me, or tell of how he broke me, and it was this thought that made me dig deep on those uphills. However, no matter if I put on a spurt, he was soon right on my shoulder again. After we went over the first ascent of Boots mountain, I tried to shake him off by doing a fast descent, but by the time of the second climb to the summit of Trooperstown Hill, he was with me again. I figured that I'd be able to shake him off on the descent, as I was pretty experienced on descents...

And so I took off, down the mountain for home. With each step I thought the breathing behind me would go silent, but it stayed with me, as he matched my downhill stride for stride. There's a very steep descent on part of this course, which I had intended "sliding" down in a controlled manner, but I could only manage this for part of it, before the competition forced a proper fast descent. Hitting the trail again, we were still at the same pace, and as we hit the final downhills through the forest, with a kilometer to go, I tried to give it all I had. I reached a stage where I figured "that's it, I can't go faster", but by the skin of my teeth held him off till the finish.

Krusty, you gave me a great race, you had a brilliant run, I'm sure (results not up as I post) that's your best imra result yet, very well done. SJ had another superb run, finishing 12th amongst very strong runners. I beat for the first time a lot of runners I hold in high esteem, so very pleased with the day. Doubt Boards AC did as well this time as two weeks ago, but we are moving up the rankings, and are a genuine team now, even when missing some of our stronger runners.

Onwards and Upwards.

Woddle

well done donothoponpop, great running and it's great when you start a bit of rivalry with a boardsie, myself v Robinph, Shels4ever v stmochtas and now Krusty v Donothoponpop it will push you on to better things, great account