76:38 in the Trim 10 Mile today, which is a little step up on my 37:15 in the Raheny 5 last weekend according to race equivalency calculators. Lovely running conditions today compared to the wild & windy day last year when I posted 72:49.
I was over the halfway mat in 37:56 & 2/3 the way through a tricky section, a 3km drag from 6-9km. Thereās some nice downhill running then when you turn back towards Trim just before 10km & I had designs on negative splitting.
But I got a really irritating stitch in my stomach after 12-13km & it slowed me right down. I was kinda nursing myself home when a few fellow Raheny folk came charging past with a km to go & exhorted me to hang onto them. So I quickened up for that last stretch but was still 38:42 for the second 5.
I enjoyed the race though - nice, rolling course out into the townlands & back in. Next race on my calendar is the new Dublin half at the end of March but Iāll see if I can slip something in before then.
I see the money gougers in charge of the Dublin City half marathon are allowing a lottery for a non-refundable fee of 5 euro which is taken off the price of the ticket if successful and opening a short transfer window where you can transfer your entry to someone else for a fiver.
Iām doing the Adare 10km this weekend. I missed the guts of 3 weeks with being away and then sick, forecast is shite as well so itāll just be a case of plodding around and getting it done.
Start time is ridiculously early. Iām just outside the M50 boundary. If you have to commute youāll be up at all hours.
Surely some scrotes will be stepping out in front of people for a laugh around the city.
Went sub 1 hour 30 mins in a half marathon recently. Very much went against conventional logic as I raced out of the traps with the earphones telling me I was setting a pace of about 4:05 per kilometre about 10km in. This gradually slackened off but I knew I had the head start built up that I could hold on for under 90 mins. Thereās a noticeable decrease in pace any time I picked up a drink of water en route or on the couple of occasions that an earphone fell out. First time running a half marathon but itās definitely something Iād consider once a year now during the off season from GAA.
Iāve done the Sunday long run with the club at 8am the last couple of weeks & enjoyed it. Took in most of the new Dublin City half marathon route today, albeit a return trip from Killester/Raheny rather than the OāConnell St start. That mile plus climb up Grace Park Road will be only be 2/3 miles into the race but it was mile 8/9 today. Dublin City Council are a race partner but the word today was theyāre refusing themselves to allow the race into St Anneās Park so expect news about a tweak to the route.
I used to enjoy running on my own (podcast/music/headspace) when running was all new to me & everything was progress & getting faster. But now Iāve very firmly plateaued itās actually very nice to run with a group. Itās much less of a slog, you donāt notice the miles being ticked off & you kinda get pulled along too. I guess I donāt want to overdo the pace but the others say theyāve really improved just going out with the group most weekends.
Cheers, happy enough with that now. Gives a decent base to build for Limerick now. Itās a tough route and the wind was a killer.
In relation to the long runs weāve a local whatsapp group where you can throw up whatever long run you are doing, so usually get 2 or 3 others to fall in of a Sunday morning. Definitely makes it a bit easier.
