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Last of the Summer Wine

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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Dunboyne 10k (42:04)

    Got a lift over to Dunboyne with M and C - unfortunately DD had to cry off at the last minute. Plenty of other clubmates in other cars - big Raheny turnout for this race as always. 

    Weatherwise I’d have liked it a tad warmer, although once the race was underway it was absolutely perfect really. Hadn’t planned anything but bumping into Elaine beforehand with fairly similar targets it felt natural to stick together for the first few miles. I’m not throwing in the towel yet but I didn’t feel I’d be competitive over 10k, especially when E announced a target in the mid 41s. Me, I wanted a PB and would be happy with anything in the 42s, the lower the better. That kind of result would suggest I still had the strength I felt in Dungarvan, even though the training has been a bit haphazard with all the racing over the early part of the year.

    Probably a bit tardy entering the start area. We push up as much as possible in the throng. The pacers might have spaced themselves out a bit better — there just wasn’t enough room in front of the 45 mins group. But no bother, plenty of time to put that right out there on the course. My target pace was 4:12, and I wasn’t going to sweat a few seconds either side. Hadn’t studied the course in terms of drags and wind (wish I had, in retrospect). But the first couple of kms feel great, slightly down, no wind. 

    4:09 4:09

    More or less side by side so far with E, who seemed very relaxed and brimming with confidence. Feeling very good myself at this stage, although there’s a slight concern that I might have to rein things in. I was glancing at the watch a bit more than I have been lately - deliberately so, mostly to make sure not to step off the pace like I might have done in Garristown. But still plenty of runners around to work with. Started to fall behind for a little spell in the third or fourth km but woke myself up and got back into the thick of it. Then a left turn, marshal says ‘Nice mile coming up, slightly downhill’. Just what you want to hear, lovely. Hard to miss the km markers - both sides of the road, sprayed on the tarmac too. Glance at the watch at 5k, just under 20:50. Grand.

    4:08 4:12 4:07

    I don’t run a lot of 10k races. It’s bound to get harder soon. E is still right there, but I’m not feeling as smooth as she looks. Maybe I should have tested her a bit more, but it’s maybe too late already. There’s me, E, a guy in grey and one or two others nearby. I fall a stride or two behind the group and it’s not as easy as earlier to get back to the front. Grey guy looks like the strongest so I point at him as I briefly return to E’s shoulder. I doubt she needs this advice but I know I’m about to get dropped and that’s the kind of guy I am. 😉 I note a Na Fianna runner somewhere around here, looks about my age, could be a rival. Make sure I pass him looking very relaxed, although I’m feeling the pinch now. We get to the end of this slightly downhill stretch and there’s another left turn, nice encouragement from the marshals as we turn into the wind. F*ck!

    4:12 4:17

    It’s kind of a perfect storm - you’re starting to feel bollixed and now there’s a wind blowing in your face on a slight drag and the field getting spread out so no shelter. I’m trying to run a good line where possible but sometimes the camber of the road is a bit steep at the edges and you wish you’d stuck to the middle. But despite having fallen behind a bit, I’m more or less holding my own - there’s no one coming through from the back. Not yet anyway. Felt some gagging coming on, try to deepen and steady the breathing but a short session of dry retching ensues. Hopefully my age rival isn’t close enough to notice. Around another bend and there’s a bit of respite from the breeze. Notice an old cemetery here, and once around the next bend the finish line announcer, who’s been audible for a while, is noticeably louder. Less than a mile left. What have you got, D?

    4:23 4:21

    The splits show a fairly dramatic slowdown but it hasn’t really felt that way as the effort levels have ebbed and flowed with the conditions. I’m delighted to see the 9k mark and try to pick it up a bit but there’s not much happening. Two lads steam through from behind, side by side. I can still see E up ahead in the distance, duking it out with a load of big lads, disappearing from view every so often behind them. My watch is telling me I’m on for a very decent PB so I just want to close it out. A Donore guy comes through. ‘Go on JP’, says a bystander - JP has obviously timed his pass to impress his supporters, fair play to him. Passing the odd straggler now myself, including a fella in a red shirt with maybe 600m to go. But I’m dying. He goes past again near the turn into the finish area around the Dunboyne track. Stepping onto the mondo surface feels great, the bounce is tangible and Red is still just ahead but I've no legs, can’t muster a kick. I decide I’ll keep it for the final turn. Red is still just there and when I break into what feels like a sprint, he just looks nonchalantly at me and dials up the pace himself. No dice, but at least there’s a bit of a push to the line which takes the rest of it out of me, and I can honestly say there wasn’t much, if anything, more to give. 

    4:06

    I take to the ground for the customary post-race position. Then up and immediately spot E and AMK, already fully recovered already after an excellent run. I’ve stopped the watch at some point. It says 42:09 so I know it’s a big PB. Delighted with that. Get stuck into the refreshments and the chats with E and A and the Raheny crew. Most people seem happy with the day's work. M and C have run well, so it’s a happy spin back to D3 after the short recovery jog to the car. The chip time of 42:04 has a whiff of ‘What if?’ about it but it that’s a bridge to be crossed in future.

     

    • Previous PB: 43:19 (K-Club 2018)
    • Target: 42:xx
    • Actual: 42:04
    • 192nd place (of 697)
    • 3rd M60 (of 14)
    • Age grade: 79.4%
    • VDOT: 49.0
    • Verdict: Strong, and I know there is more.


    Didn’t think there’d be a 3rd prize for the category but I was wrong - delighted to get an email from Dunboyne with news of modest swag - the 20 euro brings my lifelong earnings to 85 quid and a set of coasters. Livin’ the dream. 😁

    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,807 ✭✭✭skyblue46


    Jesus D that's a fairly substantial PB, well done! Great report too. I did a lot of that course as part of the BHAA 5 mile race and it definitely bites in the closing couple of Kms



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,501 ✭✭✭Laineyfrecks


    Brilliant report & result for you D, absolutely delighted😊 Although I beat you in time your age grading is better than mine which shows exactly how strong you are!

    Enjoy spending the big bucks & livin that dream🤑🤪



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,299 ✭✭✭ariana`


    Super report as always. I honestly don't know how you remember it all so well.

    You are in such a good place D. It's amazing to follow your journey going from strength to strength. Fair play to you and to your advisors also. I feel like I may be repeating myself but you're such an inspiration and always so generous with your time/advice/encouragement along with it, an all rounder you are 😉



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭diego_b


    That's a great run again there D, podium in your age category is a great sign along with the age grading score and of course a pb. Sounds like a great race in fairness to it, I did the BHAA 4 miler up there once when I lived in Kildare and I really enjoyed it plus the novelty of finishing on the track (it wasn't a mondo track at that time). It's the only BHAA race I ever did mind before moving down the country.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Cheers S. Old PB was on a long course so there was plenty of ballast in it, had to be taken down decisively.😉



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D




  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thanks E, you're generous with the compliments. The advisors have a lot to do with it for sure. I've always trained fairly well but the kind of stuff I've been doing the last year or so seems to have given me a bit more mentally as well as physically. And I do think I've learned more on boards over the years than I'll ever be able to give back.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thanks D! The position I know best is fourth so a podium is always a big pleasure. I did a 4-mile Dunboyne race too a few years ago, although it finished in the village. Faded badly if I remember correctly!



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,236 ✭✭✭AuldManKing


    Harking back to the 1st post on this log - there's plenty more cases of 'Summer Wine' left - and its getting batter as time moves on.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭diego_b


    I checked it up there, it was indeed a five mile race that I did and it was in May 2014....my first 5 mile race actually.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,007 ✭✭✭Lambay island


    I was only just thinking that re. the log title. D should get it renamed to "Peter Pan" or "The Curious Case of Murph_D"

    Well done on that 10km @Murph_D - Superb - some chunk off your previous PB



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,831 ✭✭✭Annie get your Run


    There were (are) three Dunboyne races. The BHAA 5 mile with the course up around the back roads and finishes on the track. The Dunboyne 4 mile which started and finished in the village - this has been replaced with a new 10k race, they also have the Clonee 10K in the summer oh and the Carton trail race also in the summer so that's 4.....What a great club they are 😀!

    Another fantastic report @Murph_D congrats again!



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Ah that is a nice comment, A, and there have been a few other wine-related compliments over the last few days which are nice to receive. Stuck to the beer for the celebrations all the same. 😁 But I hope you are right - and I feel it myself too - that the cellar hasn't been totally cleaned out yet.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Haha D - if only that Peter Pan / Benjamin Button analogy was a reality. I'd take it. Thanks.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    I’d talked a bit in recent weeks about knuckling down to marathon training. I am slightly concerned that the more enthusiastic than usual racing schedule is interfering with this, as last year I really felt the benefit of a prolonged base period. But then again on reflection (and checking back) this year is not that different so far to last year, so maybe I should roll with it a few weeks more.

    This week has the penultimate Winter League race (One Mile). I’ve decided I’ll give at least one more of the one-milers a lash to try and make one of the Raheny old boy Road Relay teams, so that’s the mini plan for now.

    Mon 27 Mar

    Rest day. I actually got to the end of the day and realised, **** I never went for a run. Then said: great, take the day off.

    Tue 28 Mar

    40+ mins recovery around the Marino places. The legs felt suitably heavy. 'Leggy' as SB would say.

    Wed 29 Mar 

    Winter League Round Nine: 1 mile (6:30ish)

    I was not against racing this full on, or even 95% like last time. But having arrived early and tried to shake out the legs over a few miles of gentle warmup then some drills and strides, I binned the idea of racing. Instead I looked around for a pacing victim. Was chatting to N who’d had a disappointing Dunboyne and wanted a decent run so I asked her what would feel decent. When she said 6:40 I offered to pace, reading between the lines of the chat that maybe she could get down near 6:30. 

    I enjoy pacing people, and this would help keep me where I wanted to be too, so off we went with the usual winter league 3-2-1 go. First 600m was into a fresh enough wind and I did my best to keep N from racing away. Once around the first corner with less headwind I just tried to utter the odd motivational word and keep the pace where it should be. N is a strong runner, was concentrating well, so no wasted words and I didn't have to do much really. Probably annoyed some of the people we were passing, with my semi-motivational utterances, but that’s the nature of the pacing game! Around the second corner with about 300m to go and I was looking at the watch trying to figure out what 6:30 is in km pace. I never really figured it out and had to rely on instinct and hoping for the best, but in the end we got close enough for Winter League work. Really enjoyed this and N seemed happy, so job done. A couple of extra laps to cool down and bring the evening’s total to about 10k.

    • This week: 17k (10 mi)
    • This month: 285 (177)
    • This year: 815 (506)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,984 ✭✭✭Duanington


    Re your base building - I think we tend to forget that everything we've done up to a certain point in time is still there, in the tank so to speak.

    Your base from last year is there, as is the marathon block, as is the winter and spring racing, its all in there, layered on top of one another.

    I would just keep that in mind when comparing this year to last, you're in good shape and on a good trajectory



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thu 30 Mar

    63 mins recovery on the seafront. Legs not the freshest after last night’s short effort.

    Fri 31 Mar

    40 mins very easy in Fairview Park. Most of the new paths are now open as the North Strand bus/cycle/footpath works continue. This is my most local park and it's now much more road-runner friendly. Could definitely do sessions here now; there’s a nice mostly flat one mile circuit.

    March total: 303 kms (184 mi)  

    Sat 1 Apr

    No parkrun today, stayed in bed. Eventually got out in the rain for a nice easy 40 mins.

    Sun 2 Apr

    121 mins easy LR in the Phoenix Park with a few boards stalwarts. There happened to be a regatta underway on the Liffey, and we got a fantastic closeup view of the UCD rowing team. Very enjoyable run.

    • This week: 63 kms (39 mi) 362 mins
    • This month: 29 (18)
    • This year: 861 (535)


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thanks for that D. You're right of course, I suppose it's a matter of sharpening that stuff that's in the tank at the right time, more than anything else. Always reassuring to hear your thoughts!



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,984 ✭✭✭Duanington


    It was actually you that reminded me of it recently lol - out for a few miles at some stage and you commented on how I hadn't "pulled the trigger" on a lot of the longer stuff I did last year, it got me thinking more about it all.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    HA - well we will have to put that right in Berlin so. Trigger warning! 😁



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,575 ✭✭✭py


    Belated congrats on the 10K PB.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    No racing or pacing this week! An opportunity to actually do a couple of sessions.

    Mon 3 Apr

    Recovery 50 mins out to the Wooden Bridge and back. Pleasant enough.

    Tue 4 Apr

    A running friend who is doing some research at TCD on multi-marathon runners (mostly of the 100 Marathon Club variety) was running some VO2Max testing so I signed up. Harnessed up and strapped into a mask to measure oxygen consumption and put through a treadmill routine where the pace started at 8 km/hr and was increased every 3 mins by 1 km/h. LT also measured every 3 mins via pinprick. There was some nervousness among the researchers at my age as they were using an age formula to calculate a safe max HR. About 22 mins into the test, at 15 km/hr, despite my telling them I felt fine they pulled the plug at 176 bpm on the basis that my lactate levels had spiked. But it was supposed to be measuring VO2Max, so I’m confused! 🧐 They gave me an estimate of 47.6 which tracks reasonably well with my race performances but I’m a bit sceptical of the method. I could have lasted another few mins at least. Interestingly, the treadmill was followed by a cognitive test which I found much trickier. 

    Always a pleasure to contribute to science. Did another 40 mins @ recovery pace afterwards. 

    Wed 5 Apr 

    90 mins with 60 at sub-threshold.

    I wondered would yesterday's treadmill shenanigans interfere with this but I needn’t have worried. Headed out from TCD to the coast and started the steady stuff at Irishtown, turning at Monkstown and retracing my steps. For a change I had to keep throttling it back, as opposed to falling off the lower HRR range which sometimes happens. Felt great!

    As I was cooling down on Pearse Street a pretty respectable looking gent carrying a leather briefcase was walking towards me. He did a 360-degree twirl on approach and asked ‘Did you get the drugs for the weekend?’ in passing, without losing a step. Ah yes, you’ve gotta love the Dublin streetlife.😁

    • This week: 38k (23 mi)
    • This month: 66 (41)
    • This year: 898 (558)
    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thu 6 Apr

    No running. Drove to Donegal for the weekend.

    Fri 7 Apr

    66 mins on the local loop. Beautiful evening. Lambing season always adds to the sights and sounds.

    Sat 8 Apr

    Drove the 45 mins with A to Dungloe parkrun. Decent crowd with the weekend that’s in it. There were even a few fast looking people warming up, mostly young women, possibly from one of the local clubs. I usually like to give ‘away’ parkruns an honest but not quite race effort and that was the plan here too. My fifth time at this event and I know it quite well by now - the gravel surface is not fast and the three-lap course would be quite windy in parts. Got a decent start, watching two of the young wans racing away into the distance. I was six or seven back and passed one fella who immediately sped up to pass me again and then just sat in front. That always annoys me a bit and I knew my steady approach might be in danger. I was happy to let him take it out for the rest of lap one, with a few people coming through and passing both of us. Eased in front again at the beginning of lap two, with the same response, so just tracked him for the rest of the lap at a comfortable enough steady pace. On lap three I tested him at the same spot, pushing harder and this time he didn’t have the response. Now of course I had to stay in front and I noticed one or two of the people in front coming back, including one of the pre-race warmer upper ladies and a guy who seemed to be pacing her. Passed them just after we turned into the headwind with just over a km to go. Her pacer decided to use this as an opportunity for some HTFU encouragement so there ensued a bit of a ding-dong over the final stretches where I made a decisive move on a downslope, going past another flagging runner in the process. Got just enough momentum to stay in front around the final sharp turn, almost catching another runner on the line. Great fun on that racey lap three, moving up to fifth finisher in 21:38, although it felt a good bit harder than that. So I’m still calling it a workout, although as close to a race as you can probably get. 😉

    Sun 9 Apr

    120 mins easy on the roads between Inver and Mountcharles, a route chosen for its protective hedges as it was a blustery morning. I like running here as the road is wide enough in most places to share safely with the traffic, plenty of room. Explored a few extra byways to make a decent loop of just over 21kms, finishing it out on the beach to make up the final minutes. Lovely run to finish the week.

    • This week: 78 kms (48 mi) 429 mins
    • This month: 106 (66)
    • This year: 939 (583)
    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Up and down the country between Dublin and Donegal this week. 

    Mon 10 Apr

    68 mins very easy around the local Donegal loop. Jumped out of my skin when a very quiet cyclist shouted a warning as he went by from the back. Then had a laugh about it.

    Tue 11 Apr

    Easy hour in the pouring rain. I’d hoped to stop at Deerpark in Cavan around midday but the weather was bucketing all the way from Donegal. Thought it would have stopped by Dublin but no dice. I left it til late but the downpour continued. At least I had company, doing a lap and a half of St. Anne’s with M. I don’t really do running jackets so I was totally drowned.

    Wed 12 Apr 

    90+ mins with 70 at steady/sub-threshold. The heart rate strap might not have been working too well as I appeared to struggle to get out of Zone 2 on this one, despite running up the Malahide road mostly into the blustery wind. The effort levels felt about right. Turned at Abbeville, after running up the short private avenue to have a gander at the former Haughey estate. As I approached the gates (and the empty guard hut beside) they started to open. I thought I was being welcomed in but no, it had been triggered by a car approaching from behind, possibly to shunt me out of there. Waved and jogged on.

    • This week: 39k (24 mi)
    • This month: 146 (90)
    • This year: 978 (608)


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Thu 13 Apr

    Back to Donegal, on the bus this time. Driver was a bit of a plane spotter - took the road up the side of Dublin airport so we could all have a goo at Air Force One parked on the apron. I kid you not. On the way off the bus I said “You’d probably prefer to be flying a plane” and we both had a laugh.

    Fri 14 Apr

    66 mins on the local loop with the sheep and the lambs and the hares. Same run as last Friday, 2 seconds slower this time. 😉

    Sat 15 Apr

    A and P had stopped by for the night so I took P down the Doorin line for an easy hour. Pleasant friendly run in nice weather. Didn’t feel great on this one - a bit dehydrated after last night’s dinner.😵  

    Sun 16 Apr

    There was a pressing work deadline so I let it take priority over the long run, unusually enough for me. That meant not getting out until after the drive back to Dublin - two very enjoyable hours at the end of the day, taking in the Dollymount trails and out to Sutton and back, finishing well after darkness had fallen. Got some good thinking done. One of those runs you wish could have gone on a good bit longer.  

    • This week: 83 kms (52 mi) 470 mins
    • This month: 190 (118)
    • This year: 1,022 (635)


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Road Relay week. I’ve thrown my proverbial hat in the metaphorical ring for one of our teams. There are plenty of good M50 runners in our club so an auld M60 like me shouldn’t really be at the races, so to speak, but then again we also like to pack the field, so hopefully I’ll make it for what I expect would be a ceremonial rather than a competitive romp. Will probably be a sufferfest either way though. Bottom line - a decent showing at Wednesday’s final Winter League Event, the Raheny Open Mile, would be important, to show the selectors you mean business.

    But first…

    Mon 17 Apr

    25 mins recovery. About 10 mins into this I noticed I was huffing and puffing at a very pedestrian place. Not exactly the best start to the week, but if recovery doesn’t feel like recovery the best decision is to bin it. Abandoned the planned 45 mins and took a short cut home. 

    Tue 18 Apr

    Easy hour on the seafront, with 8x strides. Feeling much better today, which vindicates yesterday’s instincts.

    Wed 19 Apr 

    Raheny Open Mile (report follows)

    Thu 13 Apr

    Easy 45 mins on the seafront, with strides. Text from the captain later that I’ve made one of the teams. Probably a closing 1-mile leg. That’ll do.

    Fri 14 Apr

    Another 45+ mins with strides. All about the strides this week. And the mile. 

    • This week: 30k (19 mi)
    • This month: 220 (137)
    • This year: 1,052 (654)
    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    (Weds 19 Apr)

    Raheny Open Mile (37th in 5:51)

    Report alert. Bear with me. I like racing and this was a better one than the raw result suggests.

    The dread of a mile race can be a terrible thing, gnaws away at you all day, the low level anxiety I know so well. I tried to distract myself with plenty of work tasks that had to be done, but it was hard to ignore the impending mile-race pain. Arrived early at the clubhouse and warmed up with Mark, doing some dynamics and then Conor joined us for a mile or so with a few strides at the end. I was actually feeling decent enough and glad to have banished that dreadfully tired feeling from Monday. Then it was time to line up, and after the usual brief preliminaries the siren sounded and we were off.

    Focus. I’ve raced the mile a good few times by now. Not a lot in recent years but having raced one and paced another during the Winter League, I’d had a little recent practice and I felt I got into the stride quite nicely despite a pretty congested start. Conor went by on the left, I wasn’t thinking about him despite the little race challenge I’d foolishly laid down in January. I was more concerned at this stage with one or two potential rivals for Road Relay place. Dave was on my right, always a good marker with a bit of recent form. Tracked him for a while and then decided to throw down the gauntlet and go past (I don’t do this enough, early enough, in general), Mark had pulled away on his own quest, not my race. Eamon was up ahead and pulling away as he often does. Might come back. Brian always starts behind and comes through after a few hundred metres, but so far no sign. Mary, a very decent marathon runner but not quite back to full fitness, was just ahead and looking pretty strong. All this over the first quarter of the race, with only one or two people going past. I glanced at the watch at the 400m point (a skip on the side of the road). I think it said about 1:26 (might have been 1:28), either way a pretty by-the-book start by my standards. OK.

    So far so good, not dying yet. Lots of bodies around - 86 runners for this race - a record field, we were told later, which may or may not be true. Certainly the biggest race of the Winter League. From my track flirtation days I naturally divide the mile into 400m chunks, so I settled into ‘lap 2 - Commit. Conor was a bit in front, hadn’t quite pulled away. No sign of Brian yet. It was starting to hurt of course - it’s supposed to. I knew this was the time to make some decisions. I settled in just behind Mary for a little bit before quickly pushing past. I knew I’d be motivated to not let her or Dave back into the frame. 

    Onto All Saints Road - 600m down.There’s a bit of relief here as the road drops around the bend. Coasted slightly, surveying the runners ahead. It’s all a bit hazy, but I think there was a little group of two or three just in front, and if there actually was, I went past them, decisively again. Or else there wasn’t, and I’m just hallucinating. Over the roundabout that marks halfway and Conor is just ahead, running well with one of the locked-in Senior F Road Race women. But I’m surprised he hasn’t pulled away more.

    Lap 3. Where you really have to dig in. Believe. I’ve closed the gap a bit, but I’m not sure what to do. I decide to hang in there and wait a bit longer. There’s a bit of a headwind and the going is tricky enough. I’m still feeling strong and up for the finish. Past the bus shelter that means about 400 to go and it’s time to put yourself out there. Achieve. At the final bend I’m no more than 10 metres behind C and his rival. She leaves a bit of a gap on the turn and he slips through quite expertly. His race report says he stepped on the kerb but I was right there and I don’t think so, so I won’t be claiming a DQ.😁 At this stage I’m definitely blurred, but my focus from here on is on C, because he’s left the door open. Home straight. A lamppost marks about 200 to go. My proud statistic, never passed on Wade Ave, has to be maintained. Conor is still coming back but there’s also a few people breathing down my neck, I can feel them. I’m pretty sure I know who they are. Not today. If I can catch C there’s no way the people behind are catching me. Pick him off, there’s still room - I can wipe his eye and take the foolish challenge into the final faceoff. 50 metres to go and I’ve closed the gap to nearly nothing. But alas, there are a few clubmates out supporting who start shouting my name and C twigs I’m on his tail. I can see he’s struggling and I go for it, closing, is there enough road left?

    Nope. He’s onto my presence and legs it a bit more, sure the line is right there. The finish line is a tiny gap in front of a parkrun style chute - there’s a runner in the way and Conor gets around her, meaning I also have to go wide and step sharply back onto the line, a second too late. My strong finish is in vain, but the better man won.

    Enjoyed that! Some good performances tonight, well done to Conor on the PB and for rightly smokin' my ass! That said, he was there for the taking - I probably showed him a bit too much respect on the night, but then again he probably had more in store than he realised and once he spotted me on his tail he was well able to find the big gear again. I was happy not to be passed by any rivals and put myself in with a shout for Sunday. A nice slow cooldown after with plenty of chat, in some ways it's always the best part of the night, and definitely the most relaxed. And that's the end of this year's Winter League. I ran the bare minimum seven out of ten races, which means I had an official but decidedly mid table placing in Division Two.

    • Previous Road PB: 5:43 (Winter League 2018/19) 
    • Target: 5:50ish, and beat enough other aul fellas
    • Result: 5:51
    • 37th place (of 86)
    • VDOT: 49.8
    • Age grade: 80.3%
    •  Happy, but could back myself more, and earlier.


    Post edited by Murph_D on


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,417 ✭✭✭Lazare


    Cracking report D, was really looking forward to hearing it from your perspective.

    A really great duel, but all too brief from my POV. It's a pity we didn't lock horns with about 2 or 300 to go. I think as you said, if you did make that push earlier you would have likely taken it. Sure 3 more metres and it was yours.

    Congrats on your selection, so very well deserved. 👏



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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,454 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Ah, my only real hope was to surprise you at the very last (half) minute. Damn shouters!



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