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2013; Eat my dust Meno!

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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    I am going with the assumption that you will be gracing the course with your glitz and glamour on Monday...so....own that catwalk, and sparkle and shine your up-and-comers to their sub-whatever destinies!!! Think Madonna in a singlet and runners. Vogue... ;):D


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,852 ✭✭✭pgmcpq


    Hope you recover and get to fill the new celeb pacer role on Monday !


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    I see you have done nothing in the last few weeks worth telling us about :rolleyes:

    Edit to say: I see we are famous :D:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    menoscemo wrote: »
    I see you have done nothing in the last few weeks worth telling us about :rolleyes:

    Edit to say: I see we are famous :D:

    Nope...nothing! :rolleyes:

    YESSS!! I've finally made it!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    claralara wrote: »
    Nope...nothing! :rolleyes:

    YESSS!! I've finally made it!!

    The video just doesn't do your goosebumps on the start-line justice :P


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    It's not one of my finest but it's nice and long... night night now everyone!

    After my week on antibiotics and trying to deal with my wee injured foot, I was a little worried about making it to the start line of DCM. I didn’t want to let anyone down but I also really wanted to run it for myself and for the craic and experience of the day out. There were a lot a lot of moany and upset texts and emails exchanged with people over the week – from fellow injured pacers, to coaches and managers, and right down to my very own personal positive thinkers and finger crossers! Last Saturday I went out for my first run in a full week – the longest break I had taken from running in I don’t know how long... I ran 3 miles with Digger whose encouragement and attempts at distraction were not welcomed. My foot, although not painful, just wasn’t right and I was worried and confused. As soon as I stopped running it was fine. We spent a good bit of the afternoon on duty at the Expo which was great fun. There were some interesting chats with runners of all shapes and sizes and abilities and expectations – it was great fun and I started to allow myself get a bit excited about the marathon. I had a chat with one guy which brought me right back to the registration at my first marathon in Connemara when one of organisers had looked me up and down when I insisted I was doing the full and not the half and pretty much gasped in disbelief at my intentions... This guy kept asking how ‘’the pacers’’ would be running the marathon. I was saying "we’ll be running even splits the whole way’’. When he realised that not only was I (a girl!) pacing, but that I was pacing 3:45, he was very worried about how sure I was that I would be able for it and that I would certainly be crossing the line in 3:44.3x. He all but asked me for a statutory declaration setting out the number of marathons I’d run and how fast I trained. When I clarified my marathon PB, he very swiftly said ‘’oh...thank you very much...goodbye now’’... Ugh men!! ;)


    Sunday was the last day of my antibiotics and I felt alright in that regard. I wanted to get a few PMP miles in to test the foot before I made my final decision. I did 3 @ 8:30 and it was a similar story to Saturday. The only saving grace, and what ultimately made up my mind for me, was that there was no further pain or obvious damage after the couple of 3 mile runs. It was obvious that the ‘injury’ was from the XC the week before and that easy road running wasn’t going to affect it too much. So I made my final decision that I was in and headed out to enjoy the pacers’ dinner like a deserving pacer and not a scrounging beggar! The craic was mighty and the fleurie was flowing between the men in the charge, the small one and the old one! The velociraptor with the sore buttox arose not long after dinner and brought meself and Digs home before any real damage was done.

    We had to be in town bright and early on Monday morning so it was a very early start to get up and fed; and to prepare the Bucky’s coffee for the driver and the road running creep who was kitted out head –to-toe in the spandex...bleurgh ;) We arrived at the Mespil in plenty of time to get the pacer gear together and have some delicious chocolate rice crispie squares for breakfast dessert. There was a great atmosphere around and everyone was looking forward to the day out. Conditions were near perfect, if only a little cold. We were well wrapped up as we headed up towards the start-line where the paps were out in full force hoping to catch a glimpse of Marthstew and those legs! In plenty of time I lined up at the start of the second wave with my fellow 3:45 pacers – Meno, Corkrunning and Grellan. It was quite possibly the coldest 35 minutes OF MY LIFE but the crowds were a great distraction and it was obvious we were going to have a great big group of pacees. The gun went off at 9am and the Wave 1 runners were off.
    We were shepherded up to the start line for our Wave 2 start and everyone was just raring to go. It was great having the open road in front of us when the gun went off and it took us no time at all to settle into our pace. As expected the first couple of mile markers were slightly off but we were happy that we were on target. I got chatting to a personal-space-invader for a mile or two but unfortunately for him we got split up at the first water station ;)

    The first few miles were pretty uneventful –I was just having random chats with the pacers and pacees and the time was just passing. It took me a good 3 miles to thaw out and another mile for the thawing-out pins and needles in my feet to pass. At this stage we were heading into the park and the buzz within the group was great. I started talking to a couple of girls and before I knew it we had another mile under our belts and I had picked up the pace with my fellow gossipers. Unfortunately I had to let them off ahead and ease back a couple of metres for the lads. Meno got some abuse from one Wave 1 straggler about being a terrible pace group – that we were never going to hit our target if we were 10 minutes down after 5 miles – I’ll show him my Garmin!! The sight of a huge pace group running up Chesterfield Avenue was brilliant and it seemed like most of the group were feeling good. The support out of the park and into Chapelizod was great as always (I say that like I’ve run more than 2 Dublin Marathons :rolleyes:) The Oggi oggi oggi’s started very early as the crowd went under the bridge and the noise levels were immense – savage! I had to stop to tie my shoelace and some smarty pants made a comment about me ‘’being in for it now’’ – I retaliated with a challenge that he join me as I raced up the hill to catch up with the other pacers. Suffice to say, he didn’t beat me to the top :p Will the nay-saying men ever learn?!! ;)

    Around the 10 mile mark the spirits were still high and the support was great. I loved running by the house which was still clearly in the throes of the Sunday night Halloween party. The 11850 guys on the pillars were hilarious. As we turned onto the Crumlin road, I felt the temperature had dropped a little and I got a bit cold. The steam coming off the pace group was a great sight on a cold morning. It was great that both sides of the road were open at this point as I remembered it being very congested the previous year. That said, it was still tight as we turned the corner up towards the Walkinstown roundabout and I almost came to a stop on a couple of occasions. The crowd support really started to pick up at this point as we neared the halfway mark.

    I was still feeling pretty cold and realised that I had taken on no fuel, apart from a couple of sips of orange and a bit of water, and I hadn’t eaten since 6:30am; it dawned on me that the shivers may be due to being a little weak. I got a gel into me and within 3/4 minutes, I felt ten times better. The energy levels really picked up as myself and Meno roared ‘’ah would ya leave irrou’’ at unwitting pacees. Rating Meno’s inner city accent was pretty entertaining and no matter how much he argued his ability to pose as a Dub, we were having none of it! It was great to see Raycun and the family out on Cromwellsfort Road. We told the pacees that we had a nice couple of miles coming up and to enjoy them – at that point, the actual route is as forgiving as it can be 14-17 miles into a marathon and the streets were lined with supporters. If people were starting to struggle, these few miles should have been a great lift. A couple of friends and club members were hanging around this part of the course and it was great to see them. I was happy out roaring on the 3:45s, high-fiving kids and grabbing homemade ten-penny bag as we ran down Templeogue Road, through Terenure and right into Rathgar – it was great to see so many kids involved and out supporting – they were all loving the atmosphere.

    The crowds quietened once we went through Rathgar and I could feel people starting to wane a little. One lady started running with me – she was going through a low spot and no better woman than the snot-bubble queen herself to understand that feeling. I advised that she take a gel and talked her through the remainder of the course. By the time we were passing the Dropping Well, she was a different person and I was delighted for her. It’s interesting watching peoples’ marathon unfold from a pacing point of view – I knew I could run the marathon very comfortably in 3:45 and once the foot behaved, finishing wasn’t an issue. It made me appreciate being able to enjoy a race, but it also sparked a little desire to put myself through some racing pain in the near future ;) We got the group up and over the speed bump of a hill in Milltown with very few casualties. The crowds picked up again at the top of Eglinton Road and we got the mood up with big “Oggi oggi oggi, Oi Oi Oi...” shouts and screams. Myself and Meno were heading up the group having let Corkrunning and Grellan do the hard work for the previous bunch of miles. You could sense the despair of ‘’Heartbreak Hill’’ looming within the group but we just assured people that ‘overrated’ wasn’t the word!! The hard bit was a good bit further passed the Mosque than I had remembered and I started psyching people up a couple of times and way too early...whoops. We eventually rounded the corner and saw the runners ahead trundling up the hill. As a wise Meno once said to me when I was a pacee in his 2 hour HM group – “if you look at the ground, it’s all flat!!” It worked for me on the Kyber so I copyrighted it and used it as my own! For some strange reason, my legs like hills. Legs felt hill; legs pushed on... Before I knew it, I’d barrelled up Roebuck Hill whooping and shouting like a mad woman and made about 30 seconds on my fellow pacers...oopsie daisies. Anyway, I got a good crowd to the top and with and eased off, taking the opportunity to start yelling at people “Right, 5 miles to go – if you’re feeling strong, now’s the time. Go! GO GO GO!

    I was so so so sick of the sound of my own voice by the time we hit the N11... :D The last 5 miles are pretty much a blur of running and hollering and clapping and screaming “Come on the 3:45s”. Before I knew it, we were running onto Grand Canal Street where I knew Chinguetti and Mr Slow would be hanging out dying for a pint. Unfortunately Mr Slow chose the wrong moment to go to the shop and missed out on witnessing my awesome pacing. Chinguetti gave us a great Rihanna-style shout out which brought back some good memories ;) As we turned onto Pearse Street, there was just a tunnel of noise. My legs felt grand but my arms and my lungs were starting to burn from all the screaming and waving. I took a couple of moments to get my breath back before we hit Nassau Street and then it was literally an all-out party to the finish line getting the crowds going and watching the sprint finishes from those who were still with us. Absolutely fantastic!! It was great to meet so many of the pacees who’d hit their targets and beyond.

    I didn’t really feel like I deserved a pint but boy was I excited to hit McGrattans. I jogged back to the hotel, showered (making sure to dress myself in an order that would have no arm/sleeve issues later in the evening!:cool:) and headed to the boozer to hook up with everyone. It was great fun and brilliant to catch up with everyone – well done again to everyone on savage runs.

    I could go into the post-marathon details at this point but, my friends, as they say in the movies...what happens between drunken marathon runners, stays between drunken marathon runners!! ;):D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    menoscemo wrote: »
    The video just doesn't do your goosebumps on the start-line justice :P

    GOD I was sooooooooo cold! Brrrr!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,902 ✭✭✭Emer911


    claralara wrote: »
    GOD I was sooooooooo cold! Brrrr!

    My fingertips were purple and tingly running up O'Connell St. Took a concerted effort to shake some warmth and movement into them.

    Yes. It was cold. :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭TRR


    Between yourself and digger I honestly don't know who was more excited to see the "Ledge in Lycra". I actually caught digger taking a sly pic on his phone the crafty perv.

    What's a space invader?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    TRR wrote: »
    Between yourself and digger I honestly don't know who was more excited to see the "Ledge in Lycra". I actually caught digger taking a sly pic on his phone the crafty perv.

    That's cos it looked like you had a snail down the front of them !


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭TRR


    digger2d2 wrote: »
    That's cos it looked like you had a snail down the front of them !

    one of these bad boys?

    GIANT-AFRICAN-SNAIL.jpg

    in my defence it was very cold ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    TRR wrote: »
    one of these bad boys?

    GIANT-AFRICAN-SNAIL.jpg

    in my defence it was very cold ;)

    :D Is that RQ holding it? :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    Is it just me or has this log gone very quiet since the whole Lance Pharmstrong thing!?? ;):D


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭blockic


    The unspoken code of silence is in full swing!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    Okey doke. Enough faffing around from me. Time to get this bad boy back up and running. Although my log has been neglected, I’ve been running away and getting back into a structured routine.

    I had said the whole way through my ‘Recovery’ October, that I wasn’t going to think twice about what I ate or drank or how far or how fast etc I ran. Safe to say, I was true to my word on that. The intention was always to have a clean November which would coincide with the next phase of training. I took 2 rest days following DCM as it was very important that I didn’t waste a minute of time that could otherwise be spent consuming junk in a lazy mess on the couch.

    There have been a some changes in the couple of weeks which should have me back on track (sooner rather than later hopefully!):-
    Diet – as part of my clean November, I’m off alcohol and chocolate for the month. I’m sure you can all appreciate how much of a commitment that is for me… :( I also gave up scones because my breakfast habits were getting a bit ridiculous – I need to make sure that becomes a Friday treat and not the accepted norm before I turn into a cake! I’ve managed to refrain despite having to put up with all of those delicious treats constantly surrounding me. I think it’s my stubbornness more than anything else at this point!
    Training – I’m back into structured training again and loving it. The focus is on harder and faster sessions i.e. 2 club sessions per week and something fast at the weekend whether that be an XC race or a fun run at not-quite-PB pace etc. The legs are feeling it (on top of the 2 marathons within the space of a month) but it’s all good pain and fatigue… I’m sure I speak too soon on that one!
    Strength & Conditioning – uh oh… this was actually one of my main goals for November / December and I’m yet to do anything to progress it. I have read lots and lots and looked at loads of programs – I just have to get myself in gear, make a plan and do it! No excuses. The club have a good circuits class on a Friday but I stupidly went down a week early before they had started, assumed it wasn’t on at all, and literally just found out that I’ve missed 4 weeks. I’ll definitely go this Friday.
    Work – I’m back in the game! Woohoo. It’s great being back in a routine and keeping busy. I’m really happy so no ‘Cheer me up’ biscuits at 3 and 4 o clock to help me get through the day. I’m also sleeping better because I’m tired and not waking up worrying. And in general I’m just slightly more pleasant to be around. This should only benefit training!

    In the immediate aftermath of DCM, I heard that had I been registered with my club for the marathon, I would have won a national bronze medal. Needless to say, as someone who always won the spirit and effort awards growing up, I was a wee bit devastated to have missed out. However I couldn’t do anything about it so I sucked it up and built a bridge! No doubt it will always be one of those bitter memories though. Especially when I’m old and grey and can’t walk, never mind run, and all I have is a heap of finishers’ t-shirts for a raft of insignificant races…wah wah wah! Yep, I’m definitely over it! ;)



    So training wise…


    Tuesday 30 October
    Rest/Chocolate/Wine


    Wednesday 31 October
    Rest/Chocolate/Wine


    Thursday 1 November
    4 @ 8:20


    Friday 2 November
    4 @ 8:35


    Saturday 3 November
    4 @ 9:00


    Sunday 4 November
    Women’s Meet & Train Winter 2 mile XC League – Race 1 –


    I had completely forgotten that a couple of weeks previous, I had (having been caught unawares!) agreed to run with the club in the Women’s Meet & Train winter league. So when I got a text wishing me luck for the following day, I had a mildly upsetting panic attack. I wasn’t full of the joys of XC running since the Dublin Novice. That race had gone quite well at the time but the aftermath was antibiotics and a pretty dodgy foot. We had decided that The Foot (;)) issues were down to the new terrain, the fact that I had never worn spikes before and I most likely had my laces tied too tightly.
    Anyway, M&T is different to Dublin Novice. There’s less pressure and more fun. So I was looking forward to it. I was running for one of three or four club teams so there was incentive to run well from that point of view. I dragged Digs the Chauffeur out of bed on a horrible, dark and miserable Sunday morning, packed him up with a raincoat and a warm hat, and made sure he had a nice hot flask of coffee. It’s days like that that I suppose he deserves an extra special mention! We headed up to Dunboyne, the trip taking no time at all. It was about a mile from the club house to the field (it was no more glamorous than that!!) so we ran down as a bit of a warm up. Then we ran a bit of the course to get our heads around it before putting on the once-hot-pink-now-mouldy-mucky spikes for a bunch of strides.

    Just as we lost the last remaining layers of rain jackets, hats and gloves, and lined up at the start line, the heavens opened. It was manky! The race was 2 X 1 mile laps. The course was deceivingly tough. From an initial scan of the field at the outset, it looked flat. But racing it told a different story. After the first corner there was a pretty nasty slow drag , the grass was really long and the ground was very uneven. There were a couple of sharp turns to manoeuvre which was difficult in the slippy mud. And corresponding downhill was very gradual and into the wind so I struggled to make it work for me. Back to the race – the gun went off and there was the usual mad scrambling to get into the inside by the course markers, and to get and hold onto places. I was in about 10/12th position on the first turn heading up the hill. Over the next 100m I got myself down to 5/6th place. And by about 50 metres later, I had worked my way into 3rd.

    At this point, my club team were holding positions 1, 2 and 3. The other 2 girls were about 40-50m ahead of me and I although I was working to close the gap, I probably only managed 5-10m. It was really tough going but I wasn’t giving up. With about half a mile to go I heard some sloshing footsteps making ground on me – a girl from Donore made a break for it to try pass me. I managed to put the foot down a bit, and hold her off. In my head I thought “that’s it, she’s made her break and she’ll be done”. Unfortunately she hung on my shoulder and I couldn’t shake the squelches that were chasing me. With about 200m to go, our leading girl took a left onto the finishing straight. Watching her confused me as I was sure we had to be on the other side of the course boundary. I took my eye off the ball for a second and the Donore girl took her opportunity and passed me. I gave everything I had to fight back but I just couldn’t get her. She told me afterwards that I had dragged her around to the point where she passed me and that she always has a strong finish. I was raging! I was actually devastated to have held on to 3rd position for basically 75% of the race and then to have lost it. The up-side was that our team came first finishing in the following positions – 1, 2, 4 and 6.

    It took me a little bit longer to get over missing out on this placing than it did to get over missing the DCM placing – I think that’s because I was really fighting for it.
    The mocking texts and cheap digs from people who were supposed to be supporting and consoling me, merely caused to add fuel to the rage. And as one meanie boots took pleasure in pointing out, I couldn’t even drown my sorrows in wine and chocolate. The wallowing didn’t last too long in the end. Somebody had had enough so it was time to build yet another bridge!


    The following week saw the real return to the structured training as follows (I’ve been very good for not heeding the Garmin – I wear it but only look at it in hindsight for rough idea of distance covered – I’m just running to feel for the easy stuff and pushing it with the others around my level in club):

    Monday 5 November (40 minutes easy)
    37 minutes easy – 4.35 @ 8:39
    I don’t remember this; only that it was the return of the head-torch for the dark winter nights. I say return, I mean christening… I got the head-torch last winter as a gift (how very rosemantic) but I was too cool to wear it. This year, I’m too much of a nerd not to – those paths are lethal. Particularly if attempting any pace faster than a very comfortable recovery. I am a converted safety-queen :)

    Tuesday 6 November (club session)
    1.8 miles w/u / 2 X 800m / 2 X 600m / 4 X 400m / 1.2 miles w/d [c. 5.7 miles total]

    Wednesday 7 November (40-50 mins easy)
    Rest - Circumstances dictated the decision to swap this with Friday’s rest day.

    Thursday 8 November (club session)
    3 @ 9:05 – it was less time consuming and better for my mental health to run to Bushy Park from work so I did… but I took it really easy so it was just a good warm up really ;)
    Club session was a steady run of the ‘Ballyboden Loop’ – we just got stuck in and kept the head down the entire time. I knew it was about 5 miles. Looked at the Garmin after one mile as somebody asked me about the pace and we were at 8m/m pace. I didn’t look at it again so it was nice to finish and see I’d run 5.55 @ 7:11 – although the thoughts that I run 26.2 miles at that pace just over a month earlier gave me a bit of a fright as to the damage my ‘recovery’ may have done…oops. It wasn’t all out but it was a good hard effort.

    Friday 9 November (Rest)
    5.45 @ 8:53
    As I said, I swapped Wednesday’s run with Friday’s rest day. It was a nice nerdy head-lit run home from work that got me off the germs and snots of the bus, for which I was very grateful. It set me up nicely for my first sober night on the town…Ugh. Counting down the days to December.

    Saturday 10 November (30 minutes easy w/strides)
    3.63 @ 8:40
    Uneventful. Really really easy pace with a bunch of strides to finish.

    Sunday 11 November (Race)
    Leinster Intermediate XC – Ladies 4000m)
    I nearly died a death when I saw my name on the board in the clubhouse for this. After the standard of the novice, I could barely begin to fear the standard of intermediate. Anyway, duty called and I was on the team whether I liked it or not. After the pain of the sniping the week before, the plan was to go out hard and just hold on. At the end of the day it was only about 2.5 miles, and even if blew up something shocking, I’d still get my sorry self home at some stage (in whatever state that may have been!) The races were being held up in Dunboyne again so I was happy that I’d at least know the course. (Although do you ever really know a XC course?! The weather on any given day can alter things drastically!) Myself and Digs headed up bright and early as we were on kid-duty and had one running in the U11 which was (typically!) the first race of the day. The weather was actually quite nice – crisp and cold but the sun was shining. The rain held off but by the time my race rolled around three hours alter, the mud was well and truly flowing. I was quite stiff by about 2pm and went for a jog for a mile or so to loosen up. The legs were not feeling hot. When the other girls from the club arrived, we got stuck into a decent warm up (easy jog – long and short strides – stretches). I was hoping upon hope that I’d start to feel good but it just didn’t happen. As we were doing our strides, my legs were sluggish – they weren’t turning over fast enough and I couldn’t get the HR up despite my best efforts.

    We lined up at the start in a tactically displeasing position. When the gun went it was each chick for herself – elbows flying and digs-a-plenty! I could see my clubmates making ground ahead of me easily. I was stuck in a rut. Once the field started to spread out, I got stuck in as much as I could but it never felt fluid. I kept eyeing each girl in front of me and focusing on making one place at a time. The shouts and directions from the sidelines helped but there was only so much I could do. I felt a fair bit stronger on the second half and made up a decent bit of ground. Each person I passed gave me a little boost but not a boost that enabled me to pick it up. I was conscious of my 3 clubmates up ahead and not letting too much space gather between us and that was a good focal point.

    My U11 (who apparently, by the way, would have won her race had she not been pushed and slipped in the mud and lost about 97 places! – ya gotta love the positivity of kids sometimes!) roared at me as I was heading into the second lap to “c’mon, you’ve loads to go, you’re nowhere near finished, run faster!” – I’ll need to give her some lessons in constructive support!



    I can’t really explain how I felt during this race – I was pushing it and could go no faster. However I was not pushing it to an I-cannot-take-one-more-step level. Strange. I was far stronger on my second lap and while others around me were clearly flagging, I was feeling alright. I could have run another lap at that pace with little more effort. I need to break through that barrier and will be interested to see how a 5k road race will go in the near future. The solid diesel engine is obviously a marathon girl at heart!!

    Anyway, enough random waffle as I can’t really remember the ins and outs of the race; long story a little less longer – I kept my eye on my 3 clubmates who were all ahead of me. I was making ground on the girl in 3rd – then over the last half mile she passed the girl who had been holding 2nd but was really tiring. I ended up coming 4 seconds behind the girl who had by then fallen into 3rd and had I had another 100 metres, I would have passed her. Had I had another lap, I definitely would have made a heap more ground. I wasn’t overly happy with how I felt at the end but I can accept it. I wasn’t shattered but I couldn’t have run any faster. I suppose that’s just where I’m at the minute. The issues were discussed fairly lively and the plan of action put in place – training is already underway and all going according to plan, I will be falling over a finishing line in an absolute heap some time in the near future! ;)

    Overall though, we did well and the team finished second. So after missing out on 3 medals in as many weeks, I finally brought home some bacon – a Leinster Ladies Intermediate XC Silver :D (bit of a mouthful!) I really had been unlucky – let’s not forget missing out to Dundrum by one point for a medal in the Dublin Novice, and my race at the start of the summer where I was second lady and third overall but there was only a prize for the first man and woman!

    Official results:
    4000m – 16:57
    2nd team
    22nd of 40 runners (not really happy with that!)


    And onto another new week…

    Monday 12 November (40 minutes easy)
    5.4 @ 9:00
    c.48 minutes easy – no recollection of this…I ran home from work according to my Garmin. According to the pace I’m guessing I was a bit wrecked, it was a bit windy, and it was a good climb!

    Tuesday 13 November (club session)
    1.7 mile w/u
    3 X hard laps measuring 0.9 of a mile each w/ 90 seconds recovery. We started in Rathfarnham village with a downhill, turned left at the Rathfarnham/Terenure crossroads to run back by the dodder, hung a left for the last 300m (250m of which was significantly uphill) – my mile paces (though the lap was just shy of a mile) were 6:13 / 6:28 / 6:22. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that they were fairly tough! Everyone who hadn’t raced and wasn’t racing or doing the club XC session this coming weekend did a fourth lap but we weren’t allowed…(thank god ;))
    0.6 mile w/d – really we should have taken the longer route and warmed down properly with some stretching too but it was very late…
    5 miles in total

    Wednesday 13 November (40-50 minutes easy)
    4.1 @ 8:58
    c.36 minutes easy – ran a little longer than planned on Monday so cut this short as it suited me to get collected a mile from home before the last big hill :) Legs were feeling Tuesday session something shocking! Urgh!!


    Heading out tonight for a coach-special session. This is following Sunday’s consultations and the need for speed!!

    Will report back in due course. Now that I’m all up to date again, I intend logging daily (or at least every couple of days) – I like reflecting on a run properly and now that I’m routined to the hilt, I’ll be better placed to keep the log active and updated.

    I just need to think of an awesome new title now! :D



    PS to all you DCMers who ran savage races, I’m really looking forward to (really really really belatedly!) catching up on all of the race reports over the next few days!!



    She’s baaaaaaaaaccllk!!!! :D:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭The_Boy_Wonder


    claralara wrote: »

    Tuesday 30 October
    Rest/Chocolate/Wine


    Wednesday 31 October
    Rest/Chocolate/Wine

    I reckon my log could become epic if I was to log stuff like this!!
    Congrats on medal win!


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    259917_526596340685629_1973904903_n.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,888 ✭✭✭Dory Dory


    Good lord! I either need tea or a nap!! ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭TRR


    Fair play CL, I hadn't realised you and digger had an 11 year old. Although this raises more questions about digger and his growing rep as the jimmy saville of boards.ie ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,551 ✭✭✭chinguetti


    Not enough details in that post there CL. Very disappointing.

    You're leaving soo much out:p


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  • Registered Users Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    259917_526596340685629_1973904903_n.jpg

    That's not cross country. :rolleyes: Look at them running on top of the ground, instead of ankle-deep through it! Look at those shiny white runners and clean legs!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    RayCun wrote: »

    That's not cross country. :rolleyes: Look at them running on top of the ground, instead of ankle-deep through it! Look at those shiny white runners and clean legs!

    Agreed, if you can see their knees it's not XC ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    TRR wrote: »
    Fair play CL, I hadn't realised you and digger had an 11 year old. Although this raises more questions about digger and his growing rep as the jimmy saville of boards.ie ;)

    Jebas, please tell me 15 is legal :o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    Dory Dory wrote: »
    Good lord! I either need tea or a nap!! ;)

    I've only just woken up after composing it! ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    TRR wrote: »
    Fair play CL, I hadn't realised you and digger had an 11 year old. Although this raises more questions about digger and his growing rep as the jimmy saville of boards.ie ;)

    In his defence, I'm very mature for my age...both mentally and in good looks!


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,554 ✭✭✭Mr Slow


    Is there a boards award for longest post? :) I need to lie down after that!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,156 ✭✭✭jcsmum


    Mr Slow wrote: »
    Is there a boards award for longest post? :) I need to lie down after that!

    Thought you had man flu - sure you're probably lying down anyway! :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,554 ✭✭✭Mr Slow


    jcsmum wrote: »
    Thought you had man flu - sure you're probably lying down anyway! :rolleyes:

    Don't tar us all with the same brush, I'm meeting myself coming around corners with work, I don't have time to eat, never mind rest. :(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭claralara


    Mr Slow wrote: »

    Don't tar us all with the same brush, I'm meeting myself coming around corners with work, I don't have time to eat, never mind rest. :(

    Snap! Well apart from the not eating bit - there's not a hope in hell of me becoming a victim of that. Even if means every meal or snack is porridge from the stash of oats in my drawer!

    Be warned - there's another long one en route. It'll be exiting though - speed workouts and medal featuring :D


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    claralara wrote: »
    Snap! Well apart from the not eating bit - there's not a hope in hell of me becoming a victim of that. Even if means every meal or snack is porridge from the stash of oats in my drawer!

    Be warned - there's another long one en route. It'll be exiting though - speed workouts and medal featuring :D

    I must look out for that so :rolleyes:


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