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At least you got a high 5 from The Officer.... That should have made your day!
:D
Yeah, you'd think!Marthastew wrote: »I can't believe I missed you on Nassau Street! I bet you were a super dooper marshal:)
What's next for you? Lots of good work going on, any plans to put it to use?
I am amazed that I missed you. I kept saying she must have gotten sick or injured & pulled out of pacing it - I must have been so intent on my marshalling duties, I can't think of any other explanation.
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Wednesday November 6
A late run with my running companion. Due to withdrawal symptoms experienced from missing Stocking lane the previous night, we headed in that direction. It was nice just climbing that hill once for a change. I was under instructions to measure a length of road on route, but messed that up and continued pressing the wrong buttons when stopped at roundabouts - not sure what I was doing. Ran roughly 5.5 miles, 8:30 pace.
Thursday November 7
Steady run with the club, can't call it a tempo as the pace was pretty consistent throughout. I think there were about 10 in the group. With a few miles to go I hung back with 2 people who had fallen off the pace slightly but after a mile they opted to walk/jog slowly back to the meeting point. I took this opportunity to pick it up and try and catch up with the others....which I didn't :rolleyes: but it was nice to try. With w/u and c/d, about 7 miles covered
Saturday November 9
No Marlay parkrun or hill running for me today, it was a nice recovery paced run of 5.5 miles. Stayed local, listened to my tunes, nice relaxing run and
pace was a lovely 8:44
Sunday November 10
Remembrance Run in the Phoenix park. Got a lift to the race with my friend from the club as she was stewarding along with a group of other BP runners. It meant that I was in the park before 8:45 :eek: for an 11am race! I think my toes were still frozen by the time I did my 2 mile warm up down Chesterfield avenue. But I guess if there was ever a run which wasn't about frozen toes, or PBs or times - then this was it.
It was a morning to remember those we have lost but will never forget, a time to take a moment to realise how lucky we are to be able to walk/run/jog a 5k on a glorious morning in the beautiful surrounds of the Phoenix park.
Now, that's not to say I didn't line up at the start not thinking of aiming for a PB or anything, but I just wanted to run well and finish strong. I think I did that, but I did not run fast enough. 21:07 chip time for me
3.1m exactly, pace 6:49 (not even close!). I have got to get over myself a little bit and feel the pain a bit more - I was way too comfortable for a 5k, which is good in one way, but pointless when aiming for 1min+ off that time! I want to be collapsing across that finish line (I mean I know I can do that :rolleyes::o)
There was a very respectful atmosphere before and after the race, a wall of remembrance to sign, a piper playing & a minutes silence before the race start, and all participants got a lovely certificate and candle at the finish line.
Lots of running work to be done though before the Jingle bells.... With w/u and c/d 6 miles done.0 -
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Monday November 11
A whole week of not logging and patchy garmin usage, so I'm wracking my brains to remember what I ran on Monday. I'm pretty sure we did the Tallaght loop again, so 6-7 miles I reckon, 8:30 ish pace. Like clockwork!
Tuesday November 12
Stocking lane hill session called 'the long up and over session' - so many sessions we have to name them now. It's 6 long hill reps, really dislike it but feel so great when it's done. Was having a bad 'moment' during rep 3 but gave myself a strict talking to and finished well to overtake people on the last rep (they claim they were 'injured' though, but I'm not so sure! :rolleyes:)
Wednesday November 13
The garmin said this was an 8.9 mile run, can't for the life of me remember how we got to nearly 9 miles, think it was up to stocking lane and over towards Marlay after that and then home.
Thursday November 14
Group run with the club. Took this run nice and handy due to a nice busy running weekend ahead. It meant I was running with club runners I don't normally train with on a Tuesday which was nice. With w/u and c/d 7 miles covered.
Friday November 15
Rest day
Saturday November 16
The inaugural Bros Pearse mountain run. I joined 29 other souls on a glorious Saturday morning in Marlay and off we headed to Ticknock and beyond. Stage 1, Marlay park to Kilmashogue car park, am delighted to say that attempt number 3 at this and I made it all the way without stopping. Box one ticked for the day! Joined by a few more runners here and off we set again after a minutes breather. First part of stage 2 is flattish trail and then BAM we hit the incline - this second part is super tough, but again delighted with my progress, only 2 stops this time, box 2 ticked.:) Stage 3 was over to the masts which is fine. Again a brief stop here for photos and fun and while the elite guys ran to Glendalough (right Ray?;)), we ran maybe another half mile or so before turning for home (aka Marlay park coffee shop and cake! box 3 ticked 
)
We were all under instructions to run like children on the downhill so off we set, arms and legs flying! Over 3.5 miles downhill, teas, coffees, more photos and 3 birthday cakes later, we all shuffled home.
A super day out for the club!
Sunday November 17
Ladies Meet and Train race 1, Swords. The club ran one race in the M&T series last year and I knew we could do better than that this year. And did we ever!? After some nice arm twisting and coaxing and setting the xc ball rolling, 5 teams of us entered for yesterdays first Winter League race. in Swords - a 2 and a bit lap flat course. Okay, maybe some of the ladies didn't like me much before the race yesterday, but I think by the time they were tucking into the tea/biscuits post race I was well and truly forgiven.....I think.
Even though I felt under some pressure to perform well, I was on the start line nerves free (for a change) and had no real race tactic. I wanted to run strong but not go out too fast and blow up and get overtaken on the last few hundred meters, which is exactly what happened to me last year on this course. Always a fine line, especially in a short race.
Mad dash at the start as nearly 140 of us all set off at once! I settled into a nice rhythm and kept things very steady for lap 1. My goal was top 10 finish but looking at the size of the field I thought it might be too big an ask. Plus there were a lot of Donore singlets around, hello Ro but no RQ 
.
I was in the top 20 on the first lap and just tried to pick a lady off here and there every so often. By the second lap I knew I had moved up a fair few places but there were a lot of ladies of my tail and I knew I had to keep the effort going and not lose my own place. On the last 500m I was beginning to tire and often in races when I tire, this is when my head drops and I lose momentum (and seconds on the clock). For some reason I just overcame that tiredness and pushed on. Around the last bend I could see a few ladies within reach, so I just ran like a maniac, arms and legs pumping furiously overtaking a few singlets in the process. Crossed the line and was handed my place card - lucky number 7. To say I was chuffed would be an understatement. I think I've struggled in races on and off over the last 5 months or so and while I'm slowly but surely regaining my fitness I didn't think that race was in me. Delighted with the huge turn out from the club - Roll on Dunboyne Race 2!0 -
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Saturday November 23
Clontarf half marathon. Thanks to Chinquetti who was due to pace this, but unfortunately had to pull out due to injury, I got a free entry. My PB is 1:37 in the Rock and Roll half which I absolutely hated. The free entry always makes me think that I don't really have to try either, so less pressure. :rolleyes: Thing is, PBs are always on my mind!
Travelled over to Clontarf with 4 others from the club and to say we were all jovial would be an understatement. Got out of the car at the last possible minute, no warm-up, apart from lazy jogging on the spot to get rid of the cold. Before I knew it, the 1:30 & 1:40 balloons were making their way to the start so I plonked myself in the middle and off we set. My confidence was good and training has been going well, so I figured that this could be my day - a sub 1:35 was in my head but I figured I would see how I was going and just go with that.
Having done this route twice before I decided to break the race up into stages in my head. Along the sea front and down to the beach I settled into a nice rhythm 7:10, 7:09 but I knew that once I hit the sand that pace would be difficult to maintain. The stretch on the beach can be a tough one so I decided to focus on something or someone to get me through it. I happened to be running on one side of two guys who were going for sub 1:35 and they were chatting away non-stop. When there was a lull in conversation, the guy on the other side of them piped up asking them to keep talking as they were keeping him going. 'Me too' I added. I was still stalking them as we left the beach and headed for the main road. I tucked in behind them as there was a nice breeze in our faces at this point. They turned around and started laughing when they saw me (in a nice way!). Miles 3-5, are 7:17, 7:28, 7:25. Once we got to the traffic lights and turned right for the half way cones, I started to tire a bit and willed the half way stage to hurry up and come into view. Watching the leaders and all those ahead of me on their return leg definitely took my mind off things and I perked up again. Saw/heard Mrs Stew hanging out with the 1:30 pacers and heading for home and her podium finish!! Crossed the 10k mat in 45:07 and before I knew it the cones were right there and I half way and feeling AOK.
The stretch back to the traffic lights wasn't half as long and I just concentrated on picking out club mates to wave and shout out to. Any shout out I got (thanks Belcarra) was great. I was feeling really comfortable and even though I had stopped looking at the garmin, I felt that the sub 1:35 was probably not a possibility at this stage. Miles 6-8 were 7:13, 7:12, 7:18. At the rock and roll half I remember everything annoyed me especially the music at every mile :rolleyes:, but on Saturday everything was positive. On the beach once more and with a slight wind against me, I decided to concentrate on picking off some ladies and move up the results a bit (how very CL and RQ of me!). I overtook 3 ladies on the beach, the third at the orange netting at the very end. I know I slowed down on the soft sand coming up from the beach and very nearly twisted my ankle on a small rock too. Luckily no damage done, and I was on solid ground again with another lady in grey in sight. Miles 9-11 7:19, 7:32, 7:43 :eek:
Over 2 miles to go, comfort levels were high and a lady in green/white was in the distance, maybe as much as 400 meters ahead. I could see that I was making ground on her and as I came on to her shoulder I could see her trying to hold me off. No sooner had I passed her, I saw another lady in purple in the distance. It sounds awful, but anything to keep me going right? Overtook her on the last half km and then I was just motoring along. My club mate who was out supporting had told me that she was going to be at the finish with phone in hand for my finish line photo and I reckoned for once I was going to be all happy approaching the line. There she was in the distance and no phone....was gutted. I might never be MarthaStew-like again in a race! Crossed the line, chip time 1:36:29. 14/15 female I think. My last 2.14 miles were 7:31, 7:16 and 6:46.
Enjoyed the post race atmosphere and the soup! while cheering on my club mates home - so many PBs!
On reflection, I enjoyed this race no end. I was really comfortable and despite not 'going' for 1:34:59 I feel that it is a certainty now. This race has really upped my confidence so fingers crossed it keeps on growing.
Sunday 24th November
30 minutes recovery run and not a minute more! (as ordered by the powers that be!)0 -
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