BQ or Bust!

annapr

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

I really need to check out this St Anne's Park run.

You've been tipping along nicely D.

TbL

I'd say you'd be in with a shot for the famous number 98

Murph_D

Mon 30 Nov

Easy 18k @ 5:23 (11.2 mi @ 8:38)

When I'm not really in the mood for a run I sometimes choose a new route to keep it interesting. That was the case this evening and I took myself up past the airport to Airside, paced at the faster end of my easy range. This felt uphill most of the way and I was looking forward to coasting home, but of course when I turned it looked uphill most of the way back too. I think it might be an optical illusion when I wear my glasses at night. . Anyway, no harm in an extra bit of hill work. :pac: Didn't get out yesterday so delighted to get this in. Longest run in some time, and felt great, could have run all night.

WTD: 11 mi (18 km)
MTD: 101 (162)
YTD: 1,646 (2,649)

Murph_D

Tue 1 Dec

Recovery paced 5k (3.1 mi) on the treadmill.

Wed 2 Dec

Rest.

Thu 3 Dec

Easy 10.7 km @ 5:52 (6.6 mi @ 9:25).

Another unfamiliar route up through Beaumont and Santry. Didn't get out till 9pm or so and it was cold and wet. Didn't feel very energetic but kept moving for just over an hour.

WTD: 16 k (10 mi)
MTD: 16 (10)
YTD: 2,665 (1,656)

tang1

Best of luck with the PB hunt tomorrow D.

Firedance

yes good luck D, all our hopes are pinned on you I'll give it a good bash too though, fingers crossed Meno is right and the wind is in our favour for a lot of it!!

Bungy Girl

All the best for tomorrow. Sorry I'm going to miss drafting off you it. Looking forward to the report.

Kennyg71

Best luck tomorrow under 21 mins and pressure off.��

Mrs Mc

Best of luck tomorrow D looking forward to hearing about the pb !

yaboya1

Good luck tomorrow D.
No bother to ya

FBOT01

Best of luck tomorrow, D. Don't mind about the PB it wouldn't count on the course anyway.....ENJOY!!!

tang1

FBOT01 wrote: »

Best of luck tomorrow, D. Don't mind about the PB it wouldn't count on the course anyway.....ENJOY!!!

So if the pair of ye PB next year in Boston ye wont be claiming it either so:p:p

Singer

Have a great race D, cya out there!

ThebitterLemon

I just got a text saying the race was cancelled for safety reasons?

TbL

Singer

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

I just got a text saying the race was cancelled for safety reasons?

TbL

???

Any other confirmation of this? All quiet on the social media front / elsewhere on boards.

Firedance

Singer wrote: »

???

Any other confirmation of this? All quiet on the social media front / elsewhere on boards.

at a guess I think TBL means for Waterford Half as he had planned on doing that, I think we're ok for JB

Singer

Firedance wrote: »

at a guess I think TBL means for Waterford Half as he had planned on doing that, I think we're ok for JB

*puts beers back in fridge*

dintbo

Have a good one tomorrow Murph.

ThebitterLemon

Sorry for false alert, just out of bed!!!

Hope you have a good one Murph

TbL

Murph_D

Jaysus C, you're an awful messer.

Doesn't look like PB weather but we might get lucky.

Mrs Mc

Well done on pb Murph

tang1

Mrs Mc wrote: »

Well done on pb Murph

+1 to that, great stuff D, very well done. But you won't be counting it though!!

Firedance

Yes well done again! Sure it was a beautiful day for a run hope the pb pints went down well

Murph_D

Sat 5 Dec

Jingle Bells 5k 21:09 gun time (PB)

This turned out to be quite a day. A lift up to the Park with aquinn and club mate S. Got there in no time because as A observed,"the police told everyone to stay at home". Parked and sat for a while looking out gloomily at the rain. FD joined us having done her warmup and this prompted me out of the car for a pathetic lap of the car park and a stop behind a tree. Back to the car where A commented on my freshly blown hairdo before we headed across the Acres to the start line. The rain was not particularly heavy on the way over, but the wind was turning the raindrops into semi horizontal darts. Headed for the bag drop and bumped into Ferris B, who had decided to put Mrs Mc’s entry to good use (shhh), having seen his own Waterford HM lost to the weather. Ferris asked what I was looking for and when I said 21 mins he generously offer to help out. We had a quick discussion about pace. My strategy going in was 4:15 for the first 4 km, then look to break 4 on the final downhill stretch. After some translation issues, we agreed that 6:45/mi was the pace and took up position about a dozen rows back.

The start was a bit bizarre. No mat for safety reasons apparently (must say I'm a bit sceptical). Gun went and everyone moved about 30m before there was a sudden stop and we were directed back towards the imaginary line. Then suddenly there was a restart from a different point, but at last we were underway. First km downwind was (literally) a breeze. I’d left the glasses in the car so didn’t bother too much trying to decipher the watch, although I could see we were ahead of the game as Km 1 beeped. Onto Chesterfield where the sideways gusts were pretty significant. “Bang on”, said Ferris as his watch announced the end of Mile 1. Passed a good few runners on this stretch as we sought a bit of cover here and there and it was all going pretty well. I was starting to blow pretty hard a bit too soon, though, and the calves were feeling a bit numb. But all OK to the 2 km point, and the turn onto Ordinance Survey Rd.

This, of course, is where the fun was always going to start, straight into the gale. Ferris was brilliant here, shouting to tuck in here, move to next group there. Could feel myself fading right away after one such surge, with the wind blasting into us, and I was pissed off at myself for dropping back from the group and losing the cover. Told myself to dig in, but it was starting to feel almost unbearably tough.

Almost.

Did a Dubgal/Tunguska systems check at the 3 km marker before the Upper Glen. All was intact, if a little frayed at the edges. Glance at the watch suggested we'd lost a bit of time, though, and Ferris confirmed with some encouraging words at the 2 mile point so I knew we were up against it. A few dry retches during the 4th km, but even as they were happening I was starting to feel a (little) bit better, knowing the fast final stretch was ahead.

“Home straight” says Ferris as we entered the last km. He starts calling the shots in earnest and we start to pick runners off. That guy. This clubmate. Those two. Your man. Nice and steady. Approach a clubmate who’d dropped me earlier and take her out. An aul lad we’d left behind on the Upper Glen goes past and I feel a bit bad, knowing Ferris would smoke the guy if he was left to his own devices. I sense we still have to be behind the clock and try to up the game a bit more for the last 400. Entering the final little 150m stretch a supporting clubmate screams from the sidelines to “Finish hard, pass another five!” Jaysus, no messing about there, I think, that’s a tall enough order, but i think I managed four on the push to the line, with Ferris, like all good pacers, letting me cross before him. Legend, as the young ones say. Stop the watch at 21:03 and lean over the railings for a bit to catch my breath. Really shouldn’t have had those few beers last night!

Cheers, C, bloody good job.

Headed for a few pleasant post-race pints in Ryans. Good to meet some new faces and a few of the old. Tough conditions today, but the course delivered and I think everyone managed a PB, even if it was a little smaller than hoped for. I’m slightly disappointed myself not to go sub-21 but there will be more opportunities. It’s the 12th PB this year, 7th in a row. Unusually, three of those have been at this 5k distance, which is probably my weakest, so can’t complain.

SPLITS: 4:15 4:19 4:17 4:19 3:55

Previous PB: 21:13 (St. Anne's, Oct 2015)
Target: 20:59
Actual: 21:04 (garmin time - no chiptimes today) 217th posn (of 798), 13th M50 (of 39).
Verdict: Thanks, Colm.

WTD: 40 k (25 mi)
MTD: 22 (13)
YTD: 2,671 (1,660)

Bungy Girl

Congrats on the PB! That's a brilliant performance in those conditions, you would have been well under your target on a better day. Took one or two scalps as well I see

dintbo

Excellent running Murph will done. Sounds like a solid pacing job by Ferris as well.

Kennyg71

Well done Murph sounds like great race, good to get a few coming
To line ��

Firedance

Murph_D wrote: »

Sat 5 Dec

Parked and sat for a while looking out gloomily at the rain. FD joined us having done her warmup and this prompted me out of the car

brilliant, was it something I said?

tang1

Firedance wrote: »

brilliant, was it something I said?

You probably farted!!!

Duanington

Well done Murph, I know the course is setup for a PB but it can't have been easy all the same - congrats, well earned

RedRunner

Well done D. Always great to get a pb. More to come off that I'm sure.