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Confessions of a Comrade Cailin
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Krusty_Clown wrote: »If you want to be really posh, you can highlight some text, then click on the [Insert link] icon,
H2T doesnt do posh. You should have seen what she wrapped her Food Supplies in for Connemara to stop them getting pinched. I'd have loved to have seen peoples expressions when they were searching through the tables. Was a very clever idea though.
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Lead up
Running had been going pretty well apart from a sore foot I picked up in Donadea when i stood on a stone. I rested it for a full week before Connemara but it was no better so managed a run or two just to loosen up in the days before the race. I had practiced a run walk of one mile run /one minute walk in three training runs and was happy with that as the legs feel as fresh the following day and I can continue to train. Id love to have a go to see what I could run it at, but it was a training run for Comrades so no point in losing the plot and blowing the whole plan.
Stayed with sister in Galway and spent the previous evening setting out my stuff, getting drinks and drop bags ready clothes, chips etc. Went to bed and was setting my clock for 6am until I thought it better to go a bit earlier and changed the minutes to :45 , only i forgot to change the hour to 5 so instead of 5:45 I had it set to 6:45. Didnt notice.
Clock went off and I was suprised how bright it was in Galway so early. DOH. Put on gear and was taking garmin off charger when I saw it was 7:20am :eek: **** the bus went at 7am. Absolute panic!!!! Horsed down a bowl of cereal and jumped into the car to try to make the Oughterard stop at 7:40. Was just about to overtake a slow car and blast up the straight stretch when I spotted a squad car in the hard shoulder. Feckedy feck. Heart was thumping and boy was I relieved when I got to Oughterard to see runners sitting on the wall waiting for the last late bus. Phew! Saw the cool calm face of Aiman, so tucked in beside him. went to the brief in Peacockes and then back on the bus to the start. Sat beside Sarsfieldsrock on the bus and had great craic. A few photos were taken and I felt so much more relaxed and looking forward to it by then. I had a quick look up and down the runners for Marty74 from the RW board who is also doing Comarades but I couldnt see him.
And they are off...
Plan was to run a mile and walk a minute right from the start and to be as disciplined as I could. So from mile one I walked. Average mile pace was about 9;40. By mile 4 an Asian Californian asked could she run with me as she was finding it a bit too fast with the guy she was with. The pace slowed to about 10.20mm and she relaxed into it and started to enjoy it. She was one of the Pasadena Pacers who had come in a bus of over 24 runners from Los Angeles. They had prepared for this trip for 18 months.
By mile 7/8 I heard runningcoach shout that he had found Marty74 so we ended up running in a little posse pretty much up the the finish line.
I have to say that I have never run more than a couple of miles with other people apart from the 24 hour last year and i had the best craic wtih the lads. I did the touristy thing and pointed out the amazing famine walls ( all built on a low calorie diet as pointed out by runningcoach) and turf reckels etc. Marty apologized profusely on behalf of his English ancestors and with a few jokes thrown in , the miles disappeared behind us.
I have to say that Runningcoach was amazing. having finished the directors marathon the day before he was something else to run so strongly and consistently. Im not sure if it was the thought of steak and chips that kept him going but he certainly obsessed about them from Mile 13 to the finish.;)
We left Nyi after Leenane with a marathon PB of 4.32 Previous best was over 4.40 a month ago , so huge challenge for her to finish the last 13.1. Very courageous runner. Dawdled at the table before I saw the timing clock for the marathon . Few more minutes wasted there.
In other race reports of speedier finishers there was always mention of the lift you got coming through the marathon and half marathon participants but not for the first time did I wish that there was a longer break between the different start times as those of us down the back need the lift more than those up the front .I didnt see any marathon or half runners at all s they had gone by then
I picked up my second bag with gels and another made up electrolyte drink but I hadnt even used up what I had taken with me. I couldnt stomach any of it after a while so finished the last half with just water which was fine. Felt awful queasy on the hills about M28/29 but the lads were amazing and I didnt want to get left behind . I dont know how many we passed but it seemed that in the last third we were the ones who did most if not all of the passing. As the legs got tired it was always less than a mile to the next minute walk. It was just enough to get a break but not enough to make you want to NOT run again. I have to say that I was a bit surprised the lads stayed with me til the end but they certainly kept me going and they were a great distraction. I hope I didnt drive them mad with chatter and whinges about my urgent need for vaseline. UP and down the hell of the west and headed for home. We considered not walking the last minute but when we came to the last mile marker- we all wanted the break and then one last spurt to finish the final mile we crossed the line together.
6:45 was the final tally with the final half marathon the fastest of them all. Legs werent bad at all , just a bit achey and tired. I had some bad blistering but the fallout was all in all very negligeable.Thankfully
Was dying to meet everyone in the pub later but I didnt want to do gooseberry with Aimman and his woman and just in case no one else turned up. Sister wanted to go home so reluctantly I went with her. I regret not taxiiing back into town later . But I live and learn.
Really enjoyed the day. Will be back next year for another go .0 -
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Great report!
You should have stayed for a few drinks, there's no gooseberries after a race, just an opportunity to hang around with a few drinks and recount all the events of the day. Sure the others were heading over after they got their fill of bacon and cabbage. The band were brilliant and the locals were gas to watch. Next time, you've no excuse.
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Shucks, Thanks Oisin. ( and Meno for encouraging me to have a go at it )
Im still laughing at your comment about the competition for the ugliest women in Galway... We looked up to see a poster for "Dogathon 2011" Genius wit as ever:D
If you didnt lop off 10 minutes at a time for your marathons , you could drag it out as well and have a PB every time you went , by snipping off a minute as you go. someone of us ould dolls cant manage that level of achievement.:rolleyes: 0 -
Thursday 21st April.
Word of the passing of Sarsfieldsrock was like a thump in the gut as somewhere I hoped that he would pull it out of the bag and fight his way back , but it was not to be and off he went for a long run on the perfect ultra course.
I headed out for a 2 hour run along the North coast and across the hill at Ballycastle. No garmin. A few miles in , the sunrays broke through a gap in the clouds and there was a huge spectacular lightshow as the rays fanned out and just bathed the area for about 5 minutes, and then it was all over.
Not sure distance...12/13 ish?
Saturday 23rd April.
Got back after the funeral and a quick call on the way home and headed out to clear the head and put the days events to rest. Ended up doing 17 miles at 9:05 pace ( 154)
Sunday 24th April
Had to get out early before club snorkel/dive so went for a leg loosener up the coast again at lacken and up one hill.
Later had murderously long snorkel against the current and as I am not dive fit yet , the legs were fecked. Ideal preparation for marathon tomorrow :rolleyes:
8.5M 1:20 9:29 ( 151)
Monday 25th April
Met at the aquarium and it was nice to see a bigger crowd than usual and the banter that goes along with it. We donned our lightweight Tipp jerseys ( Sarsfieldsrock wouldnt have struggled in the heat as much with one of these babies on ) . We had a moments silence remembering Eddie and a group photo and with Rays" right lads we're off..." we were off
Thought the pace was faster than usual with the speedies turning up for the day. As usual I was lurking down the back but that was even clipping along at a 9mm pace . I didnt really have a plan other than to not injure myself and enjoy it. Legs were tired after the snorkel but I steadied on. Meno appeared from the aquarium after a quick pitstop and thought he would stick with consistent pacing practice rather than catch the others ahead. He offered to pace me for a pb and we ran along together for the next 16 miles or so. I hadnt really planned on going out for a fast run ( for me ) but the craic was good and I didnt want to drop off the back just cos I was tired , even though nothing was really hurting , apart from the foot.
Our marathon virgin was flying along ahead of us and out of sight for most of it . She had hoped for around 4 hours but was well inside that. We caught her at about 22 miles and she looked like she had hit the wall head on. She gathered herself and managed to run to the finish with an impressive 4.15 finish. This girl has awesome potential to slash that with a bit of experience.
Meanwhile the ould doll put a bit of energy into a final increase in pace to the finish, which was perhaps a tiny bit short?
3:55. Happy days. I reckon that will stand for a while.
26.2M 3:55 9mm ( 154) 73% WHR/MMR0 -
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hot to trot wrote: »It has a few big hills but is so scenic it is worth the struggle. I am going to try to get it officially measured and organise a run along it . One end is close to Newport where the new greenbelt runs along the old railway track to Mulranny and is very scenic also. Must try and get a weekend together or a grub/run combo to make it worth your while travelling. Watch this space.
Just make sure there is no net downhill for the route, or any chance of a world record will go out the window. 0 -
hot to trot wrote: »It has a few big hills but is so scenic it is worth the struggle. I am going to try to get it officially measured and organise a run along it . One end is close to Newport where the new greenbelt runs along the old railway track to Mulranny and is very scenic also. Must try and get a weekend together or a grub/run combo to make it worth your while travelling. Watch this space.
26.2 or longer? :pac: I need to know what I'm not training for. 0 -
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ooooh , just had massage. Now have stinky headache. Think its from trying to hold farts in !! I really shouldnt do that.... they travel up the spine and into the head , and thats where ****ty ideas come from
Havent run all week. Plan on getting out later tonight though.I promise0 -
hot to trot wrote: »ooooh , just had massage. Now have stinky headache. Think its from trying to hold farts in !! I really shouldnt do that.... they travel up the spine and into the head , and thats where ****ty ideas come from
Havent run all week. Plan on getting out later tonight though.I promise
Just as well you weren't letting them out during the massage, the poor masseuse would think she squeezed too hard and you burst! :eek:0 -
LOL
Well , did nothing all week after Belfast trying to get foot to settle.
Ended up on Saturday night going for a 13 miler with it in the same state. LIght along North coast was spectacular and made up for the lack of mojo
13M 2:00 9.30 ( 164)
After flaffing about on Sunday , eventually got out in the evening again but milcalculated route and ended up going 15. Did the run/walk thing again so as not to antagonise it further.
15M 2:22 9.29 ( 150) .... proof that walking every mile does not slow pace 0 -
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