Connemarathon April 2019

judeboy101

Aiming to catch last bus out so I spend the least amount of time standing around, wish it started earlier lol. Plastic bag poncho at the ready.

The Black Oil

Have a good one, folks!

Dealerz2.0

Best of luck all

TFBubendorfer

Short race recap:

That was tough!

Running with Barry made the first 2 parts just fly by.

The hill out of Leenane was brutal with the wind right into our faces and much steeper than I can remember. I actually managed to recover somewhat and finished in one piece, albeit in my slowest time ever. Happy to get it done, though. Well done to anyone that finished.

Altreab2

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Short race recap:

That was tough!

Running with Barry made the first 2 parts just fly by.

The hill out of Leenane was brutal with the wind right into our faces and much steeper than I can remember. I actually managed to recover somewhat and finished in one piece, albeit in my slowest time ever. Happy to get it done, though. Well done to anyone that finished.

Congratulations ..it was nasty out there today.

echancrure

3:05 for me 6th, 1st over 40. Horrible day toughest race ever for me.
The winner's time is the slowest (ever?) for many many years reflecting the awful constant wind.

Nothing else to say, time to move on.

Jakey Rolling

DNF @48km

Weather turned out much more benign than expected at the start, wind had dropped and no rain at least. Noticed the wind picking up after mile 10 as we headed north by the loughs, so mostly had the benefit of that on our backs up to mile 19. Through half mar in 1:51:43, faster than I'd intended but comfortable and I felt it best to bank time for the final half. Ran a good stretch with 2 lads from Trim, the chat helped the miles fly by.

Went through half way in around 2:48, that was also where we turned right towards Lennane up the winding climb and started to catch a crosswind. It was good at this point to have the target of marathon back markers to pick off. The first real rain shower came in and I was glad I'd gone with my light jacket, not dry but blocked the worst of the wind chill. I worked at what felt like a sustainable pace, and without clock watching marked off the second half in 1:51:48, bang on even splits and still feeling strong going through the marathon point. Great, I just had to make the last stretch in 2:15 to come in under my 6hr target - as a precaution I asked the 4:30 marathon pacers to kick my butt if they caught me up!

Headed off up the hill out of Lennane and was knocked back by the wind on the first open section, but put the head down and ploughed on to the top. All going well and still on target, then within the space of a minute it all fell apart. As I crested the hill, I felt my calf muscle tighten sharply. I eased off the pace but within a hundred yards I couldn't push off that foot. I stretched it out, power walked a couple of mins and got back to running awkwardly at target pace for another km before it finally gave out. Couldn't have even walked to the finish even if i'd wanted to. Luckily the sweeper bus was coming by so I hopped aboard. FWIW, travelling on the bus made the last 10 miles feel like more like 20!

Not sure what to put the injury down to. I was well hydrated, had been sipping on Tailwind and had taken salt caps at 2 and 4 hours. Plenty miles and elevation done in training. Perhaps running on the same camber for so long had thrown my gait out slightly. That and I found the downhill into Lennane uncomfortable.

Anyhow, it's great to have finally made it to the Connemarathon, fantastic event, well organised and great camaraderie. Well done to all who took part on what turned out to be a tough enough day!

RayCun

The ultra was won by theboyblunder, former poster.

opus

Well that was challenging! Even the normal nice bit of down hill into Leenane had to be forced & as for the hill out of it, the less said the better Glad to have made it through as had to DNF at the aid station just after mile 29 one year so getting past that is always a milestone for me.

Used to get a nice t-shirt there when you finished but see it's gone down market now, the thing they gave me at the number collection will be going straight to a charity shop, medal is going to a friend's kid who likes to collect such things so all I'll have left are the memories

judeboy101

Enjoyed it, spectacular setting even on a horrible day, wind really sapped my strength from lenaun onwards, unlike a lot of marathons you can see the hills you have to climb from a lot further away. last 2 miles from cresting that hill i felt i was pelting it down the road. Congrats to all who finished it, but special mention to anyone brave enough to try the ultra, you are a different breed. well done

That was tough