River Moy 1/2

kookiebrew

Anyone doing this race, had planned to do Portumna half in two weeks but found out last night they've cancelled the May event and running it with the June one now.

Been looking for a new race around the same time and found this. Been training very hard for a sub 90 and was due to taper next Thursday. Could just repeat this weeks training and wouldn't be so bad, extra tempo and interval might do me good.

Read a few reports on here and some have pb'd while others say it's not a pb course. Any ideas if it's a good course to attempt it on. If anything I could try it and if it's too hilly I'll use it as a training run.

ultrapercy

kookiebrew wrote: »

Anyone doing this race, had planned to do Portumna half in two weeks but found out last night they've cancelled the May event and running it with the June one now.

Been looking for a new race around the same time and found this. Been training very hard for a sub 90 and was due to taper next Thursday. Could just repeat this weeks training and wouldn't be so bad, extra tempo and interval might do me good.

Read a few reports on here and some have pb'd while others say it's not a pb course. Any ideas if it's a good course to attempt it on. If anything I could try it and if it's too hilly I'll use it as a training run.

I have ran it a few times and I'd describe it as a fair course. It's not super fast like Mullingar The flatline or charleville but it's not a challenge course either. If you are in solid sub 90 shape you could do it in Ballina but if you are scrapping for seconds you probably won't find them there. The first 2 miles are flat then 5 or 6 miles of rolling hills and one or 2 long drags followed by 5 flatfish miles. It is a nice course and a well organised race and usually has good 90 min pacers.

kookiebrew

ultrapercy wrote: »

I have ran it a few times and I'd describe it as a fair course. It's not super fast like Mullingar The flatline or charleville but it's not a challenge course either. If you are in solid sub 90 shape you could do it in Ballina but if you are scrapping for seconds you probably won't find them there. The first 2 miles are flat then 5 or 6 miles of rolling hills and one or 2 long drags followed by 5 flatfish miles. It is a nice course and a well organised race and usually has good 90 min pacers.

Thanks, that's all I wanted to hear really. Most of my training is on rolling hills and good to hear the hills are in the middle. I'm not going into it totally blind now anyway...cheers for that

Muppet Man

I Agree with Ultrapercy... ran it twice. There is a small gradual incline at about 3.5 miles for about half a mile. Nothing serious. Flat and Rolling hills then. There is a very fast section at 9 miles which is about 2km long through Beleek woods along by the river. Its basically gradual downhill for 2km. Its a lovely part of the run sheltered from the elements and If you want to shave off a few seconds this where you can do it. Its basically flat after that (you can nearly see the finish line across the river on your left).

If I'm not mistaken, one of the years I ran it, the 90 minute pacer was on a bike. I guess its the same thing.

Garmin map with hill profile here, but honestly it always look worse than what it is... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057732656

Not doing it myself this year. Have fun!

kookiebrew

Muppet Man wrote: »

I Agree with Ultrapercy... ran it twice. There is a small gradual incline at about 3.5 miles for about half a mile. Nothing serious. Flat and Rolling hills then. There is a very fast section at 9 miles which is about 2km long through Beleek woods along by the river. Its basically gradual downhill for 2km. Its a lovely part of the run sheltered from the elements and If you want to shave off a few seconds this where you can do it. Its basically flat after that (you can nearly see the finish line across the river on your left).

If I'm not mistaken, one of the years I ran it, the 90 minute pacer was on a bike. I guess its the same thing.

Garmin map with hill profile here, but honestly it always look worse than what it is... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057732656

Not doing it myself this year. Have fun!

Thanks for that, had a look at then garmin profile already but they're never too accurate. Actually looking forward to it now, was a bit worried when I saw a few reports saying it was hilly, it's only about an hours drive from me too so will head up that morning.

I'll try and stay ahead of the bike so haha... Been training for a 6:40 - 6:45 min mile pace so hopefully I'll have a good day there...

snailsong

This is a lovely friendly event. I've run it twice and paced 1:40 here twice, probably the same again this year. It's a negative spilt course, Imo, the last 4 miles being downhill or flat. The 90 minute pacer was on foot last year, two of my friends broke 90 for the first time.

kookiebrew

snailsong wrote: »

This is a lovely friendly event. I've run it twice and paced 1:40 here twice, probably the same again this year. It's a negative spilt course, Imo, the last 4 miles being downhill or flat. The 90 minute pacer was on foot last year, two of my friends broke 90 for the first time.

I have no excuses now, like the sound of the last few miles being ok. Might actually work out OK for me after all. Was really peed off after Portumna was cancelled or postponed but I'll end up doing that in June now aswell.

Might see you there so snailsong....

What about parking will there much at the rugby club...

snailsong

kookiebrew wrote: »

snailsong wrote: »

This is a lovely friendly event. I've run it twice and paced 1:40 here twice, probably the same again this year. It's a negative spilt course, Imo, the last 4 miles being downhill or flat. The 90 minute pacer was on foot last year, two of my friends broke 90 for the first time.

I have no excuses now, like the sound of the last few miles being ok. Might actually work out OK for me after all. Was really peed off after Portumna was cancelled or postponed but I'll end up doing that in June now aswell.

Might see you there so snailsong....

What about parking will there much at the rugby club...

Do say hello. I could even be pacing 90 yet but hope not...
Parking will be fine, registration is the school across the road, they have parking there and the rugby club too.

kookiebrew

snailsong wrote: »

Do say hello. I could even be pacing 90 yet but hope not...
Parking will be fine, registration is the school across the road, they have parking there and the rugby club too.

Excellent, let me know leading up to it what your pacing and I'll definitely have have a quick chat before the race...

Muppet Man

As a guide/marker, once you hit the forrest, you are downhill/flat to the finish. As snailsong said - thats about 4miles to go.Parking no problem at Rugby grounds. good luck!

kookiebrew

Muppet Man wrote: »

As a guide/marker, once you hit the forrest, you are downhill/flat to the finish. As snailsong said - thats about 4miles to go.Parking no problem at Rugby grounds. good luck!

Cheers, glad I posted now... Have two week a to get my game plan sorted in my head...

kookiebrew

Nice to meet you today snailsong, thanks for the advice about the course. Don't know if it was me but I found the heat too much today and my race was over by mile 7. The course was a nice route but I don't think it's a pb course. As you said very well organised with very friendly people, the area along Beleek woods was real nice, I bet that gets busy in the evenings.

My finishing time was 1:36:06 but I had given up pushing myself by mile 10, knew I had no hope of the sub 90 so I took it handy for the final 3.1 miles. My brain convinced me ( didn't take much) that the extra suffering wasn't worth it if I wasn't going to get my goal. I'll keep it for my next attempt.

Gonna put it down to an off day and move on, hopefully I'll achieve my target on my next attempt.

Thanks again for the advice.

Brusna

I did this today as well. I didn't get the result I hoped for today either and I'll put it down to mostly not being fit enough and maybe blame the heat a little bit as well. It was very warm for the first half of the race.

I went with the 1:40 pace group and I did feel fairly comfortable at the pace for the first half but I knew my heart rate was higher than it should have been. After half way on the downhill section before turning on to the old French road I was working very hard to stay with the group but I really didn't want to get isolated heading back into the wind. On the way back in I was able to stay with the group on the uphill sections but I was really struggling to keep up going downhill. On the last downhill at about 14km before turning into Belleek woods the group got away from me and from there I struggled home. I lost 4 minutes in the last 7km. Loads passed me all the way home which was depressing but I really was in survival mode and at the same time wanting to get the B goal of sub 1:45. The 1:45 pacer passed me at the ice house about 1km from the finish and my heart sunk but thankfully he was a little ahead of schedule and I did manage the B goal.

This was my first half marathon so lessons learned and overall I'm happy enough.

Well done to Ballina A.C. on a really well run event.

kookiebrew

Well done on getting the sub 1:45, it was very warm and humid for the first half right up until we hit beleek woods and got a bit of shade.

It was a very well run event I have to say and would recommend it to people.

Muppet Man

Brusna, 1:45 for your first half in the heat is good going! Well done on having and hitting plan B

Kookie, sorry you didn't nail sub 90, but probably right to not push the last 3.1 and burn out.... Plenty more races on the calendar. Well done anyway.

Muppet man.

kookiebrew

Thanks Muppet man...

snailsong

Kookiebrew, good to meet you yesterday. Well done on your effort, hopefully you'll be back.

Brusna, that's a very good debut. I was the 1:40 pacer yesterday. I was trying to ease on the uphill and grab a few seconds on the downhill. We had a group of about 10 or so when we came out of the woods, I tried to shepherd them all over the line, I crossed with the last guy in 1:40:02. Slightly disappointing but still a good pb for him.
The day was warm alright, quite a few people suffered. I enjoyed the event and hope they'll have me back.

Brusna

snailsong wrote: »

Kookiebrew, good to meet you yesterday. Well done on your effort, hopefully you'll be back.

Brusna, that's a very good debut. I was the 1:40 pacer yesterday. I was trying to ease on the uphill and grab a few seconds on the downhill. We had a group of about 10 or so when we came out of the woods, I tried to shepherd them all over the line, I crossed with the last guy in 1:40:02. Slightly disappointing but still a good pb for him.
The day was warm alright, quite a few people suffered. I enjoyed the event and hope they'll have me back.

Hey snailsong, I spoke to you before the start to let you know I planned to go with your group. I was with the group for 14km and I have to say the pacing and communication was spot on so thanks for that.

It was a great experience for me and while the last 7km were very tough I'm delighted to finally get a half marathon done.