Last of the Summer Wine

The main goal this week was to run every day and not to get too worked up over Sunday's Dublin Masters Cross Country race. 

Mon 2 Jan

70 mins easy on the local roads in Donegal. Very icy - nearly went on my ear at the top of a little slope, just spotting the black ice at the last minute and avoiding a near-certain spill.

Tue 3 Jan

10 mins easy + 10 mins gym + short swim.

In Galway for a funeral, just about managed a very short post-breakfast workout in the hotel leisure centre. 

Wed 4 Jan 

67 mins easy out to St. Anne’s after the long drive home from Shannon (the nearest crematorium to Galway, apparently). Have been in all four provinces in the past 60 hours. 

Thu 5 Jan

43 mins very easy around Drumcondra/Glasnevin. Annoyed by another footpath driver on Griffith Ave. Must not get too obsessed with bad motorists. 

Fri 6 Jan

72 mins easy out the coast to the Dollymount causeway, joined by M at the Wooden Bridge. Enjoyable catchup. 

Sat 7 Jan 

43 mins very easy including St. Anne’s parkrun, which I ran with G, shooting the breeze. @Ultraman100 was visiting - pinched my arse running past during his warmup.

Sun 8 Jan

Dublin Masters Cross Country

This is one of two races on the calendar that I’ve never missed since becoming a club runner in 2014. I probably mention this every year, but since I transferred to Raheny in 2018 I’ve always had a feeling of dread in the buildup to this race. It’s ridiculous really, because even though the club takes this event (held on home turf in St. Annes) very seriously, there are zero expectations on runners like myself beyond wearing the singlet and packing the field. But such is the level of home support that you are cheered the whole way around and you can’t take a sneaky little break at any point, you at least have to look like you’re giving of your best. And it’s a tough race anyway, coming where it does in the calendar when most of us are still half full of turkey and chocolate and beer.

I hadn’t been feeling great in the days leading up to the race - a bit lethargic, and a touch of gastric trouble in the middle of the Friday night. No lingering issues though. I was a bit edgy until I’d gotten into the race gear, finally feeling more relaxed on the drive over, parking outside St. Anne’s and saying hello to the legendary former Boardsie raycun on the way in. With both men’s and women’s events split into separate 35+ and 50+ races, it would be a bit different to the usual setup, and I wondered would there be enough people to chase in the older men’s race, which had 103 starters. I needn’t have worried though, it’s a decent field and quite a tight course in places and I wasn’t isolated at any point. 

As the starter was saying a few motivational words, I glanced down and noticed one of my laces undone, barely managing to get it tied before we were sent on our way. I had a decent starting position and was well settled by halfway around the first of the four laps. It felt like I was managing to progress modestly through the field, a few places per circuit (haven’t seen the usual lap by lap breakdowns myrunresults usually publish yet). The atmosphere was really electric, and I put in an honest if unspectacular effort. Picked my way slowly through the mid pack, having a bit of a ding dong with a few lads from Brothers Pearse, MSB and Clonliffe. A good fourth lap and a nice pickup at the end, passing an age category rival and two or three other runners in the home straight. A race always feels good when you do that, even if I hadn't been particularly strong throughout. Finished in 57th place out of the 103. Considering it’s quite a decent field of local club runners, that’s respectable enough. Placing and time suggests that if the races had been combined as they have previously been, I’d have finished about where I usually do, about two thirds of the way down the pecking order (rounding in my favour). 😉 

Although not anywhere near the various placings today it was nice to finally pick up my 3rd place team medal for last August’s Frank Duffy race (Dublin 10 mile championships). It’s not every day you get handed a medal by an Olympian!

A decent start to the racing year. Nice to say a quick hello to @Lambay island afterwards.

• This week: 63k (39 mi)
• This month/year: 76 (47)

Thanks J - sorry you didn't make it today yourself, or at least I didn't see you on the course or in the results for your race.

Edit - never mind, just read your log. I think you're making the right decision re this week and next, no point in flogging it. Time to rebuild.

Thanks D - you'll notice my report left out the part where you passed me at the end of lap one, never to be reeled back in. 😉 Nice running yourself, looking strong. Yes, I did feel good enough about the race to throw my hat in the ring at then last moment for the Leinsters - see you there if you're doing it.

Thu 12 Jan

40 mins recovery around by Collins Ave. Good to get out after the drive from Donegal.

Fri 13 Jan

No running. Knee deep in work stuff. Nothing to do with triskaidekaphobia. 😉

Sat 14 Jan

67 mins easy, incorporating Fairview parkrun followed by 5k out the coast with some strides.

Sun 15 Jan

Leinster Masters Cross Country - 126th place (of 136). 9th M60 (of 10)

Not a great result or performance but I am really happy to have done this race and lined out for the club on probably the toughest course I've ever run, short of an actual mountain run. It really is a great setup in Avondale Forest Park - big car park, toilets, good spectator facilities, and most of all an undulating course that certainly tests your mettle and conviction to finish the race without walking! There's a kind of uphill drag on nice springy turf to start, followed by a sharp descent through leaves and mud where you're just glad to stay on your feet. Then there's a sharp turn, a short out and back on good ground and back down the hill before another drag and a turn at the bottom before coming back up the other side of the course which is pretty much the same as you've just done, in reverse, including a b*tch of a hill over rutty ground before you're back on the springy turf. Then you do it all again. Lap one was all about staying on my feet, finding a rhythm, not getting too worried about being way back in near last position. On the second lap, it was really just between me and a MSB runner I'd been duking it out with last week in St. Anne's. I was getting close to him on the downhills and losing some ground on the drags. I passed him at last in the flattish section after the right turn, then found myself gaining on a clubmate who'd finished a few places in front of me last week. When I say gaining though, there wasn't much progress and I think he was aware of my presence and doing his best to not give me much hope. Finally though he blew up on the big hill and started run/walking and I blasted past, delighted with myself for putting a couple more lads between me and last position. And that was that, closing it out over the final little drop and turn before the uphill finish. Probably should have done a bit better, as one of the other lads I got the better of last week finished five places in front of me. Feckin' tough going! Loved it in the end though, when it was all over. 😀

Good to meet @babacool before the off, nice result from him too.

Great atmosphere and it felt good to be in the club colours on an away day for a change, some great results among the group including a storming performance from the M35 women and men. An excellent day out for the club. Nice to finish it off with a pint in Gaffney's with a few of the lads.

• This week: 46k (29 mi)
• This month/year: 122 (76)

Your idea of fun, maybe, but you’re right, it’s certainly different from anything I’ve run (except Run The Line) and there’s nothing like a new experience. See Wubble’s post above - 3 laps used to be the the standard alright.

This week I was in Gran Canaria on a short solo holiday. Yes, I know, I'm a lucky man. I'd have preferred if the missus had joined me but she had other priorities and waved me off, probably delighted to be rid of me for most of the week. Kept the runs off Strava til I got home, wanted to get away from social media as much as possible.

Mon 16 Jan

60 mins very easy

The airbnb was in pretty bland mass tourism surroundings, but near enough to some decent running routes, including the famous Maspalomas Dunes. Have travelled very light, only one pair of shoes, the old trail runners. They are very firm and not comfortable on the hard tiled footpaths. Crossed the dunes on this run, which was pretty difficult. Very windy on the exposed beach.

Tue 17 Jan

67 mins easy along local beaches and promenades. Late enough in the day, most of the beachgoers had gone home. Lots of outdoor dining on the promenades mean it sometimes feels like you are running through the actual restaurant.

Wed 18 Jan

87 mins very easy before breakfast. Enjoyed this one, in the opposite direction from yesterday. Definitely bored with the trail shoes by now though, as very little running has been on actual trails.

Thu 19 Jan

45 mins easy, the best part of it along the spectacular El Confital beach (a major surf destination, apparently, and it was obvious why from the roaring waves). It's not really a beach, as the water comes right up to that red post-volcanic earth that is common in the Canaries. The roar of the surf was deafening. A fairly wild and windy day up here in the Northern end of the island, after a spectacular drive over one of Gran Canaria's highest peaks. A wet and cool day in the mountains, very poor visibility but the cloud forests were very atmospheric. A beautiful island.

Fri 20 Jan

No running today. Instead I put the trail runners to better use on a pretty strenuous hike over a 510m mountain (that's three Howths) to Gui Gui beach, which is popular with the local teenagers who like to hike in and camp for a night or two. Was impressed with the size of some of the backpacks these young wans were lugging over the very steep trail. Only 5 kms but took over an hour and a half each way, with a refreshing dip in the middle. Unfortunately the tide was in which meant I couldn't get to the reportedly nicer part of the beach as it was cut off. Fantastic day.

Sat 21 Jan

50 mins easy before heading back to the airport. Enjoyed this little break, which got better as the week progressed. I like beaches, but get bored quickly. Here it is all about getting into the mountains, I reckon. Some very memorable vistas. A UNESCO biosphere reserve, where they have actually torn down a good bit of the beach tat in some areas. Hopefully will get a chance to discover it more at some point.

Sun 22 Jan

20 kms easy out to St. Anne's and Dollymount via the Howth Road and back through Clontarf. Legs were tired enough after the week's adventures. All easy running but the volume a bit better than the previous couple of weeks. Time to start adding a bit more structure though.

• This week: 69 kms (43 mi)
• This month/year: 191 (119)

How did I fail to mention that? Around 23-24 daytime, good bit cooler at night. Tricky enough to pack for and stay within the Ryanair carry-on limit, hence the trail shoes compromise!