tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66892859374307567672024-03-14T10:25:24.664+00:00From 19st to 10K"In between goals is a thing called life that has to be lived and enjoyed. Enjoy the journey"John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.comBlogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-75904698350395508822017-10-23T20:05:00.001+01:002017-10-23T20:05:37.652+01:00Chicago Marathon - Marathon #10<div style="text-align: justify;">
Rewind back to this time last year, entering the ballot for the Chicago Marathon (one of the world majors) seemed like an excellent idea. I couldn't believe it come December when I secured a place - it was like my Christmas present to myself. Of course my training intentions were honourable at the time - I was going to train hard, run fast and smash some new running goals along the way. The reality however, was very different and I found myself boarding a flight to Chicago three days before my tenth marathon with only a fraction of the milage planned under my belt and the bare minimum of training coupled with a mind weighed down with doubt and worry about how the race would unfold.</div>
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On the Friday morning, myself and my aunt made our way out to the Expo thanks to the free buses they had put on. It was my first time in one of those trademark yellow american school buses so that in itself was Bucket List territory. The expo itself was pretty easy to navigate and work around. After I collected my bib, we walked around the stores and stands of the main hall, chatting to other runners and taking it all in. There is something so special about a huge marathon, you can feel the anticipation in the city air with the amount of runners in activewear with their clear plastic backpacks queuing in Starbucks or walking around tourist sites.</div>
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<i>Bib collect at the Expo</i></div>
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After the expo, I spent the next two days hanging out with my aunt exploring Chicago. We went into full-blown tourist mode and visited essential tourist stops like The Bean, The Cheesecake Factory and The Art Institute. I had been tweeting a fellow runner, Stephanie, about the marathon as she was over for it too. She suggested we meet up for dinner on Friday night which was a lovely touch to an already epic break in the Windy City. </div>
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<i>Impromptu Tweetup Dinner with @stephaniemuzzall, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emmzos/" target="_blank">@emmzos</a> & <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rhinomittens/" target="_blank">@rhinomittens</a></i></div>
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Over the rest of the weekend I made sure I was fully carb loaded thanks to one too many pancakes, a real Deep Dish Pizza along with numerous stops into dessert places like Ghirardelli's. There was plenty of glasses of wine, milkshakes and cupcakes just to make sure I was fully fed. I was in bed at 10pm Saturday night in anticipation of Sunday's 26.2 miles which I wasn't 100% confident I was going to finish, but my belly was full (and happy).</div>
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<i>Exploring the City before the Race</i></div>
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I woke at 5am Sunday morning, had breakfast in my room and left the hotel at 6am. Security was beefed up around the start line, which I didn't particularly mind in the wake of everything going on in the States at the moment. I decided not to bring a bag to the start line as I couldn't deal with the thoughts of bag check afterwards, so with just $10, earphones, my phone and a transport card in my pocket, I cleared security and found my way into my starting pen, Corral E, just before 7am, all set for my 7:30am start time.</div>
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The start itself felt anti-climatic, possibly because of how I was feeling myself. My plan for this marathon was to run half, walk half - split up however I felt. I had imagined I'd run about 10k, then walk alternate kms after that seen as the furthest run I'd clocked up in training was 10 miles (16km). The first few miles took us through the inner city centre where crowds lined both sides of every street with signs and buckets of supporting words for the runners, and this was all before 8am in the morning.</div>
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<i>Just about to cross the Start Line...</i></div>
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Things started to heat up early on and once we'd escaped the high-rise buildings, I could feel the sweat starting to pour. I was taking things pretty easy, clocking up about 6 minute kilometers, so once I hit 10 miles, I was delighted. I decided at that point I'd run up to half way and then walk from there. If there is one thing I know about races, its that they are not the place to try something new. I hadn't run beyond 16km, so why push it. I crossed half way with 2 hours 10 on the clock and I knew at that point I could just walk to the finish (All runners must complete the course in 6hr 30 to be considered an official finisher - so even though the finish line would be open for hours, I needed to cross the finish line within 6hr 30).</div>
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<i>Running the streets</i></div>
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The remaining half of my Chicago marathon was absolutely amazing, and if I'm honest, it completely opened my eyes (and mind) to a side of the marathon I had never experienced before. I really enjoyed every minute of what I was going through. I never thought I'd ever be able to say that but it's true - I loved soaking up every bit of the route as I made my way back to Grant Park. Temperatures continued to rise (it was high 20s) early on - so I took my time and stopped at every water stop, I thanked the volunteers, high 5'd kids in the crowd and smiled at supporters as I walked the 21km to the finish line.</div>
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I took photos of the signs that made me smile, got a selfie with two drag queens singing Abba and took photos of performers as we went through Chinatown. I became very aware of the fact that its usually at this part of any marathon before, I've only focused on the end and never really taken it in like this before. I allowed myself to kick back and truly take it all in, as the next time I'm here, I'll be running it all non-stop.</div>
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Another thing I've never fully experience before was watching the 'fall-out' from a marathon as I was in the back half of the field as I hit those at 20+ miles. I passed people crying, some limping. I saw one guy using a collapsable chair like a crutch to move himself forward. Watching other people dig deep as we all edged closer to the finish line was actually really inspiring. The best part however, in a sea of over 45000 people, I found Dani, a Boston woman I've been following on IG for years. So random, so perfect. I obviously took a selfie before she headed off and I walked the last few km home.</div>
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<i>Myself & Dani (@<a href="https://www.instagram.com/irisheyes1982/" target="_blank">irisheyes1982</a>)</i></div>
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I crossed the finish line 5 hours 34 minutes after I crossed the start line. There are hundreds of inspiring quotes about marathon running out there but one of my favourites stuck with me as I collected my finishers medal at the far side of the finish line. A marathon is actually hundreds of miles training before a 26.2 mile victory lap. Part of me feels guilty and ashamed to have let this opportunity go to 'waste' but thats when I realised... Here I was after crossing the finish line, finishing the distance, without a bead of sweat on me. I'd gone the distance, all 42.2km of it, without much training. That in itself is rather incredible and although its not advice I would ever recommend to anyone, I'm actually rather proud of myself that I completed it. </div>
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<i>Finish line happy!</i></div>
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<i>With my #1 supporter, my aunt! </i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-76014182778161470472017-03-16T13:27:00.001+00:002017-03-16T13:27:14.798+00:00I didn't come this far, only to come this far!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don't really know where to begin with this other than, denial is a bitch! I started off the year with the 'New Year New Me' mindset which up until very recently I believed I was following. I had turned a new leaf and was trying to get back into a rhythm I didn't realise I had fallen out of. Everything came to a head last Sunday when I stood in front of my bedroom mirror in my 'old' cycling kit. Just like how I'd imagine a wrecking ball hits, I immediately sobered up and the rose tinted glasses shattered.<br />
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In my head, I've been keeping my head well above water. I run 8km every Wednesday morning with my friend, I do parkrun on Saturday but only when I'm around. I've started Yoga at work. I stopped going to Weight Watchers and Bootcamp as I felt everything would naturally fall back under control while I trained for the Paris Marathon - which will be my 10th marathon.<br />
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On one hand I was looking forward to the challenge of getting back out on the road clocking up the miles and long distance run, building myself back up to take on 42.2km in April. On the other hand, as the weeks passed and the countdown grew smaller and smaller, I never let go of the Paris dream. On Sunday, as I stared at my reflection wondering 'What happened? Where did the time go?', I knew the time had come to have a proper conversation with myself.<br />
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I've always believed in SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound) yet here I was with the notion that Paris was still a possibility. In my head I know its not realistic for someone to run a marathon when the longest run they've done in preparation is 10km. Yes I could run/walk/crawl to the finish line but where is the achievement in that? I know I can run one, I know I can do it in a time I'd be proud of and why should I compromise that?<br />
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So here I am... My very first DNS (Did Not Start). I didn't even make it to France let alone the start line! I cancelled my hotel reservation and realised I've lost out on the experience of running the 2017 Paris Marathon. Of course I'm disappointed with myself but this was entirely of my own making. No one stopped me going to bootcamp, no one hid or sabotaged my training plan. I have to accept responsibility for the fact I am where I am today because of the choices I made (or didn't make).</div>
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On Tuesday, I took the first (baby) step back in the right direction and I went back to Weight Watchers. I've always believed in the power of taking even a small step in the right direction. I didn't come this face to only come this far. My story won't be 'Remember that guy who lost the weight, ran a few marathons and then put it all back on again' - thats where I'm heading if I don't stop this weird funk I'm in right now. Every week I'm going to change just one thing - this week it was going back to Weight Watchers, next week I'll head back to Bootcamp because what I've been doing hasn't been working - the proof isn't in the pudding!</div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-11548418742359084332017-01-05T20:24:00.002+00:002017-01-05T20:24:39.012+00:00When the going gets tough...!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Disclaimer</i>: If you are looking for an inspirational weight-loss post, I'm afraid this isn't going to be it. This also isn't a pity post, I just wanted to come back online and write out how I'm feeling as I've always found this blog a great way for me to be accountable to myself. </div>
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I have been absent from the blog for the past two months - Here's a quick overview: I ran the Dublin City Marathon at the end of October, went to New York on holidays, celebrated my birthday, enjoyed the run up to Christmas, still went out for a few runs, stopped going to weigh-ins, fell off the wagon, ate, drank and partied. It was all fun and games until this Tuesday just gone (Jan 3rd), when I went back to work and back to Weight Watchers for my first class in seven weeks.</div>
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I was up 13lbs. That's 13lbs on top of the small weekly weight-gains that had been creeping on in the latter half of the year but I hadn't really been paying attention to. This meant, as I stood on the scale on Tuesday evening looking at my weight: 15st 2lbs I've realised that I've only let myself down, I've slipped up badly!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8EeV_F0kkInRp4oVNE8JDQg9DFWfqb0O4OwYd6oqgyAHNpb0iBHD51wS7tYpdaX7R-owDZ8TVwX_KzGXOEVEf23umHvRZVosLK6ttRHvt52bE5XgdKXIfDcMBlxyFslI5i6v2e1IrDSw/s1600/Before+and+After.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8EeV_F0kkInRp4oVNE8JDQg9DFWfqb0O4OwYd6oqgyAHNpb0iBHD51wS7tYpdaX7R-owDZ8TVwX_KzGXOEVEf23umHvRZVosLK6ttRHvt52bE5XgdKXIfDcMBlxyFslI5i6v2e1IrDSw/s640/Before+and+After.jpg" width="551" /></a></div>
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The pic on the left (above) was taken in June this year just after I crossed the finish line after the Waterford Marathon with a PB (3:46). The pic on the right was taken at the Fields of Athenry 10K on Stephen's Day. I actually don't even know what to say - I'm annoyed with myself. I'm disappointed that I let myself slip so far backwards while at the same time I was aware of what I was doing along the way.</div>
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Not only have I been carrying around extra pounds, I've also been battling big time with a negative mindset/attitude towards myself - both of which have been weighing me down in more ways that one. The funny thing is, I know exactly what I would say to a friend in the same boat but for some reason, I don't know why I can't tell myself. </div>
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The fact that I've done it before (lost weight) doesn't make this any easier. I've said before and I'll say it 1000 times: The first pound is as hard to lose as the last. Unfortunately Losing weight doesn't mean that it's gone forever and on the same hand, gaining weight also doesn't mean its forever! If there is one thing I know to be true, its the power of starting now and taking things one step at a time. I'm not going to stare half way down the corridor at where I was, I'm going to focus on the next step. </div>
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On Tuesday I faced the scale. Yesterday I laced up and went out for my first run of the year. Today I'm facing you guys with the blog. I know there is no quick fix solution. I know I'm not happy heading in the direction I've been heading in so thats why I'm dusting myself off, turning myself around and focusing on just taking the next step.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmfsPZ4ZlS_S4i-l_De64ye3qKlSo_iemn_BOUT76E7uaZvn6RrdMan_zT8I0aIOv6d_1KqSx8ocO-bJXa1MItk9erwqqy3EVRRPTJiLT3PGQzsSDRHDFbF0kvx5waVlN3JQYid28YZmj/s1600/First+Run+of+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmfsPZ4ZlS_S4i-l_De64ye3qKlSo_iemn_BOUT76E7uaZvn6RrdMan_zT8I0aIOv6d_1KqSx8ocO-bJXa1MItk9erwqqy3EVRRPTJiLT3PGQzsSDRHDFbF0kvx5waVlN3JQYid28YZmj/s400/First+Run+of+2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>First Run of 2017... 5K in the bag!</i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-33954300269337625532016-11-09T20:53:00.000+00:002016-11-09T20:53:13.799+00:00Marathon #9 - Dublin 2016<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some runs just stay with you forever. They live on in your heart and head. For example, I can recall the precise moment during my first marathon (in Dublin three years ago) when I realised that I was actually going to finish. I can still recall the lift that feeling gave me about 23 miles around the marathon course as I made my way with such steely determination towards the finish line. Fast forward three years and I find myself rushing, hesitant and slightly fuddled to the start line my ninth marathon just minutes before kick off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZGOj5ahz0dUll0ntMIhnJJNfnxl0DXWh9TxlaeDmADlI7NaX-ZaooSLYy49glaPIJyLxNkOtJbTAwH8iIduD_FG5vU0_5ojyhou34d7Qc2nOCwdVKAqK9LZA_JeYPp2psur11cDXe4Au/s1600/14876606_10153946791900918_4779723829524901336_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZGOj5ahz0dUll0ntMIhnJJNfnxl0DXWh9TxlaeDmADlI7NaX-ZaooSLYy49glaPIJyLxNkOtJbTAwH8iIduD_FG5vU0_5ojyhou34d7Qc2nOCwdVKAqK9LZA_JeYPp2psur11cDXe4Au/s400/14876606_10153946791900918_4779723829524901336_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>At the very back of Wave 1 - Approx 8:55am, Sunday 30th of October</i></div>
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I didn't want to run with Wave 1, I'd forgotten my pacing band, I'd missed my friends outside their hotel as the taxi dropped me at the opposite side of Merrion Square. I debated whether I'd hang back and start with Wave 2 but once the klaxon went off, I followed the crowd out and under the starting arch and over the mat. </div>
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I told myself to take it easy and run about 5:30/km (which I had been running all my long training runs at) so I found the first few kilometers actually flew by. I felt it was particularly warm/humid for early on a crisp Sunday morning but just brushed off the sweat gathering on my forehead as I made my way up through Phoenix Park. My pace was pretty consistent and I felt alright.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Qa2NLQ7vlMaWjk1ZsWNgosWBnJmLEdoRVz6lG8f3IdG0A8HIx9ysmAmLqJr0PaVwHrFvtfAiahsAeryqpXaoHRU61VZEFW52bBAird8bn3Cc-yTP1MAIFC_RM3Ayggx5smM1gZ1bXbN/s1600/14859899_1156941484340879_6076191759484189807_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Qa2NLQ7vlMaWjk1ZsWNgosWBnJmLEdoRVz6lG8f3IdG0A8HIx9ysmAmLqJr0PaVwHrFvtfAiahsAeryqpXaoHRU61VZEFW52bBAird8bn3Cc-yTP1MAIFC_RM3Ayggx5smM1gZ1bXbN/s400/14859899_1156941484340879_6076191759484189807_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Snapped as I passed Stephens Green just after the start</i></div>
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I made my way through Inchacore (16km) and Dolphin's Barn (21km) hitting half way with 1:56 on the clock (I was aiming for a 4 hour) but something happened as soon as I went over the half way mat that changed the rest of the race... I started to pay attention to that nasty little negative back-chatter that was rolling around in my mind all race. As soon as I'd given it a scratch, it needed more - the next five miles dragged. I felt every step and couldn't lift whatever weight had come down on my mind/mood/mindset. </div>
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I started chastising myself over my lack of commitment to my training plan, began doubting my ability of go the distance, thought about every 'bad' food choice I'd made over the past week. It was like a spiral, with each unwrap I could feel my motivation trickling away. When I got to the 30km mark I broke... and started walking.</div>
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I told myself I'd walk 1, run 1 but I just didn't have it in me. I walked from 30-31, ran from 32 to 34 and then started walking again... I told myself I wasn't taking a medal once I crossed the finish line as I'd let myself down and I didn't deserve it (I was in a really bad place!). At this stage I was 3:25 into the marathon and all I could think about was how different this experience was to my previous marathon a few months ago when I powered home in Waterford in 3:46.</div>
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I have always said how amazing the crowd in Dublin are but bloody hell, they really pulled out the stops. Maybe they felt sorry for me, maybe they could see I was broken on the inside but honestly, I've never received such encouragement, applause and back pats from random strangers in my life. Despite the continual support and words of encouragement to persevere, I just didn't have it in me. Even at 40km, with just 2km to go I started to run but stopped almost immediately. I walked right up to 41.5km and ran the last few hundred meters up Mount Street and across the finish line with 4:37 on the clock.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT6MMdn5L0wWEIUBTRx47wKm2eRyydZ-dWfAlwmOP2LZpX8nKcYJdmqZaSSbZGQe6y5eNHXEOpLfGBcbTlyDOWLYk4VRpMAK6EILDxZOFf8T6qAJPElXvgvOhF27HIsFFzn_M1iKvKFyC/s1600/14853009_10153946791935918_8131884159750651355_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT6MMdn5L0wWEIUBTRx47wKm2eRyydZ-dWfAlwmOP2LZpX8nKcYJdmqZaSSbZGQe6y5eNHXEOpLfGBcbTlyDOWLYk4VRpMAK6EILDxZOFf8T6qAJPElXvgvOhF27HIsFFzn_M1iKvKFyC/s400/14853009_10153946791935918_8131884159750651355_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>2016 Race Bling</i></div>
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As I crossed the finish line I saw the shimmer of the medal and thought 'F*** it, I've just clocked up a marathon distance (even if I walked the last 8km)' and I graciously received my medal as a symbol, a physical reminder of whatever the hell just happened out on the course I didn't quit. Despite the ample opportunity to come off the course and head home, I kept going. I'm not proud of my effort and most definitely didn't finish anywhere near empty. I still haven't fully processed what happened out there but I've been doing a lot of soul searching since.</div>
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My official time is 4:37:23 making this my worst marathon performance to date. Ironic really considering earlier this year I clocked my person best. That being said, my phone did notify me that I'd just completed my longest ever workout. </div>
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Dublin, you were amazing. I was not. But in the words of the Terminator... <i>I'll be back!</i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-60208996413054747002016-10-02T10:34:00.002+01:002016-10-02T10:34:58.013+01:00Galway Bay Half Marathon - Half Marathon #16<div style="text-align: justify;">
Considering the fact Run Galway Bay is the largest road race in Galway, Its kind of funny that I've never run it. This race attracts huge numbers across its three distances (10K, Half & Full) and is always at the start of October and is one of the last big races in Galway of the year. I actually only signed up for this race last weekend (I won a free entry on their Twitter) and decided to roll my scheduled long run into the Half so planned on going out and taking it easy for 21km around Galway Bay.</div>
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I made my way to Claddagh Hall (start line) for around 11:30 as most of the 10Kers had finished (they started at 10am) and some marathoners were passing by doing loops (they started at 8:30am). The route consists of a 10K loop from Claddagh out along the Prom through Salthill and out to the Barna Rd before doubling back. The Half has a single lap of South Park (1.1km) and the Full had two laps (2.2km) before heading out on the 10K. Sounds complicated but really was quite straightforward.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPQiP4-II_bOnEeCEGoApz3HJYa2kZqOkJFNafzIrWvT80w6E-tMuAoct6uqlVx5rImQa2gRD691i-Om8grG8L_n5NcrdbuHAfFRq5BJ0QdjWB7L1JR3arHbAdN0SBdDjD2tWY7O4PHGz/s1600/14567344_10153866323580918_8739699684197808289_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPQiP4-II_bOnEeCEGoApz3HJYa2kZqOkJFNafzIrWvT80w6E-tMuAoct6uqlVx5rImQa2gRD691i-Om8grG8L_n5NcrdbuHAfFRq5BJ0QdjWB7L1JR3arHbAdN0SBdDjD2tWY7O4PHGz/s400/14567344_10153866323580918_8739699684197808289_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Hanging with Toby before the race start!<br />(Check him out on IG: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/tobyonhenrystreet">www.instagram.com/tobyonhenrystreet</a>)</i></div>
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<i>Start Line</i></div>
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The Half Marathon started at 12:15 and after one loop of the park, we made our way out along the prom and into Salthill. Honestly, the kilometers were rolling by without much thought so I wasn't going to question it. The route was packed with runners in both directions which made the run quite pleasant as you always had something to keep your attention. I was conscious of my pace as I was consistently hitting 5:00/km which is faster than my planned long run pace (around 5:30/km). I think actually the 1:45 pacer losing his balloon half way around helped be ease back a little as I wasn't trying to keep him in my sights.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWV18sQnWknpsBTLI1lqU3_uuys7VM9NkUbrrky014gFFEe4Gi5oWXO_jwpkWJIkpn0SUZbSlsYl3mPC4Wf8ls5XFPYKv3Gkz4cqcMfOez3Lli2ZQUwehemI5NV0Jn5mhB2rBjSZTv6Ah/s1600/14524465_10153866323855918_6858272151655655263_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWV18sQnWknpsBTLI1lqU3_uuys7VM9NkUbrrky014gFFEe4Gi5oWXO_jwpkWJIkpn0SUZbSlsYl3mPC4Wf8ls5XFPYKv3Gkz4cqcMfOez3Lli2ZQUwehemI5NV0Jn5mhB2rBjSZTv6Ah/s640/14524465_10153866323855918_6858272151655655263_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>Snapped by Lisa (thats me with my hands up)</i></div>
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We looped back around by the Finish Line at around the 11.5km mark which was actually the only low-light of the entire experience. Having to pass the finish line and know you have the same loop to do again is kind of disheartening. I don't know how the marathoners did it four times! As I made my way back out the prom (12/13km) the lead male was already on his way back past me. They were actually the things that made this race special. I passed friends and fellow Maree AC members on route a few times which is something that rarely happens in a race.</div>
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Before I knew it I was down to the last 5km as I made my way back in along the prom. At this point I knew I was in trouble. I committed the biggest sin known to runners, I broke the 'Nothing new on race day' rule in that I was wearing brand new shoes as last weekend, my old pair kicked the bucket when the insole shifted and left me with a large blister on the side of my foot. I said I'd try new shoes on this run but 16km in, I could already feel the blisters on both my feet. Ouch.</div>
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The last five km passed as quickly as the first five as I made my way back to the finish line. I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 1:47:23 - delighted! The finishers tent was crammed with cake, coffee, water, sandwiches and beer but I was more concerned with getting back to the car and taking my runners off than I was about cake (first time ever thats happened I reckon!)</div>
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Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable event, excellently organised and well worth doing. From the O'Hehir's lady giving out sweets at the end of the prom, to the marshalls, the route, the crowd and the overall atmosphere, I'd definitely recommend this for anyone next year. The sun even came out for us (its October and it felt more like June). My only gripe was what seemed like the random start times but I'm sure this decision was made from logistical point of view (the best way to spread out the runners over the day instead of crowding the course at any point with thousands of runners). </div>
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I have one last long run next weekend (32km) and then its taper for Dublin Marathon at the end of the month. I always love the training after its done but when you are in the middle of it sometimes its hard to see the woods from the trees. Am I looking forward to Dublin? I don't know... Was I looking forward to Galway Bay? Not really but I did really really enjoy it. Never second guess how a run will go on any day!</div>
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<i>Half Marathon #16 in the bag - next stop: Dublin Marathon</i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-30324665118853843972016-09-15T13:25:00.000+01:002016-09-15T13:25:24.275+01:00Two weeks in to the 8 Week WW Challenge<div style="text-align: justify;">
So two weeks ago, myself and The Skinny Doll challenged ourselves (and anyone else who fancied a kick-start) with an eight week challenge. The rules were simple, if you were down weight on the scales, the other has to cough up some money (€5). If you are up on the scales, you cough up more (€20). All money goes into a pot for Breast Cancer Ireland (you can donate here if you'd like to help: <a href="https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/wwchallenge">https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/wwchallenge</a>).</div>
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For me, week 1 was a great re-start. I've always believed in the power of small changes so I set myself the mini goal of tracking everything for the month of September and so far, I've stuck to it. Tracking keeps me accountable to myself as I have an uncanny knack of forgetting the sweet treats I eat along the way and that 11am coffee break biscuit followed by the 4pm half a twix and the post-dinner square (or two) of chocolate all add up! I've decided not to cut chocolate/treats out as I find sometimes this backfires when I snap, so by tracking I can have my cake and eat it too (so to speak).</div>
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<i>My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...</i></div>
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My Week 1 result was down 2lbs. Doll was down a seriously impressive 6.5lbs so between us we've clocked up €10 for Breast Cancer Ireland and lost 8.5lbs.<br />
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For Week 2, my little change was to be more active. Now, I already do a good bit of running but I wanted to vary my exercise routine so I started yoga at work, brought the dog on more walks than usual and started back at Bootcamp (which I've been neglecting all Summer). It's easy to make excuses and complain about the weather/how dark it is in the mornings/evenings but we are going into Winter and a little rain/darkness never stopped me before. <br />
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<i>Office Yoga/Snoozing (snapped by a work colleague)</i></div>
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<i>Walking in Renville Woods</i></div>
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<i>Saturday Morning at Oranmore parkrun</i></div>
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My Week 2 result: Down 4lbs! Skinny Doll was down 1.5lbs. That's another €10 in the pot for Breast Cancer Ireland and in the battle of East vs West, Boy vs Girls, Doll vs JQ we are down a total of 1 stone in two weeks. Our battle plans drawn up, we both advance on into Week 3 with guns blazing!<br />
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I'll leave you with this thought - I was visiting a friend in hospital (UCHG) last week and the lobby area there really is some amazing thought-provoking artwork. A great Galway artist (Finbar247) has painted many positive mental health messages all over the walls there, its impossible not to feel inspired walking by. This is probably my favourite and sums up a lot of what this challenge is teaching me - Start today (Day 1), take baby steps repeating your positive actions (track, walk, be accountable to yourself with what you eat) and within three week, you'll have formed a new habit/routine. That's the essence of the eight week challenge to re-ignite lapsed ways and get back into gear!<br />
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-35983447418871424672016-09-02T11:38:00.000+01:002016-09-02T11:38:26.784+01:00Its John v Doll - Our 8 Week WW Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tiKGE73G2_v9z9LiaVHR3t5RFOeq7D7l_yhH4XewU8qBc_2VXhqlY5jcDIhbiLLXTkK8I2IguiJScOj7iqqwS9CoPdWSSeen_it5mLjTb4egN3BmysZ3x4CCD5xHuRtpnqv2JGr7HkJA/s1600/Rumblr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tiKGE73G2_v9z9LiaVHR3t5RFOeq7D7l_yhH4XewU8qBc_2VXhqlY5jcDIhbiLLXTkK8I2IguiJScOj7iqqwS9CoPdWSSeen_it5mLjTb4egN3BmysZ3x4CCD5xHuRtpnqv2JGr7HkJA/s400/Rumblr.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Myself and The Skinny Doll (who you all know from her amazing blog - <a href="http://www.theskinnydoll.com/" target="_blank">The Skinny Dolls Journey</a>) came up with a master-plan to kick both of our one-too-many-summer-BBQ arses back into gear as we head towards the Winter months. I'd be telling Doll about how I've found myself losing and gaining the same half stone all year and I can't seem to just keep on a good wave once I get on it. Back in June I was at the lightest I'd been in over two years and something just switched off and I'm back at where I was in March of this year. With me it's like two steps forward two steps back. I'm going nowhere and its getting frustrating.</div>
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So we decided we'd fuel each others fire for the next few weeks with a spicy little challenge. The rules are simple - for every week I'm down, Doll throws €5 into the pot and vice versa. For every week I'm up, I put €20 into the pot. At the end of this, the pot could contain anywhere from €80 (if both of us lose for 8 consecutive weeks) to €400! Doll then came up with the great idea of putting our money where our mouth is and donating our challenge winnings to charity, specifically Breast Cancer Ireland. </div>
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Why BCI? Well the one thing we agree on is that week by week we get so much support from our Weight Watchers leaders, and a good friend of ours, Catherine Ryan (who is the brilliant WW leader in Gort/Ennistymon) is just about to start her treatment for breast cancer... and we can't think of a better way to let Catherine know that we are all behind her and wishing her the speediest recovery to full health. So in the mean time while Catherine isn't around to kick our asses into gear, we'll just have to kick each others asses!</div>
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So, its John vs Doll but we are encouraging everyone else to get on board and start their own one on one challenge. Start from this week. Don't worry about what has happened before or how many weeks you've been off the wagon. There is a great quote I love which says: <i>The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now. </i>So if you've had a bad day/week/month/few months, <b>start back on it today</b> just grab a friend - all you have to do is be accountable to each other. Your prize can be whatever ye deem suitable: Free Babysitting, Money, Gift Card etc. My leader in Oranmore told me about three women who put money into a kitty and whoever losses the most by the end of the year gets a handbag from Brown Thomas. What ever you decide to use to motivate or incentivise yourself, working in a pair will add that extra spark of competition which will keep you on your toes.</div>
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Its September now (Hello Autumn) and I'm not going to get caught up in what went wrong this summer or how I put back on that half a stone I'd lost, I'm just going to look forward and concern myself only with what I can do NOW and thats look forward and smash this challenge! Have a look at Doll's post introducing the challenge and see what you think (<a href="http://www.theskinnydoll.com/2016/09/lets-get-ready-to-rumble.html" target="_blank">link here</a>), we'd love if more people came along with us on this challenge and let us know how they are getting on each week.</div>
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Just to give a quick background - myself and Doll are old-school WW veterans we've been in the game so long at this stage. I remember a time when a banana was half a point. I also remember a time before SmartPoints when a Curly Wurly was like a gift sent from the Gods at only 3pp. Neither of us have felt the glistening Gold Card between our fingers but despite the many ups and downs both of us have been through, neither of us have thrown in the towel. Remember, quitting is always the easier option but strength comes from deciding to try again/try harder instead of walking away.</div>
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The Skinny Doll has lost 133lbs (yep, that's 9st 7lbs) and really wants her 20th Silver 7 in time for Halloween. At my lightest, I'd lost 99lbs (7st 1lb) and was 1lb off Goal - that was when I decided to quit smoking. I'm over three years off the cigs (yay!) but quitting derailed me at the time and I never fully recovered. I've been playing with the same stone for the past three years but never stuck my head down and focused on reaching goal. I'd love for this challenge to get me back within reaching distance of goal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-n34Dt_5rpTvvhekPQYCESeY9hW40iCirq8TRtEJYmoLig_okvoZmcQETHM38Lld5vJcVqRkFW655DmYxRfpkuHksD_RF_UgvzbAj8rYqEEYDDWDIzJEPDZkiHTYrzqChqSd685BG20nY/s1600/SD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-n34Dt_5rpTvvhekPQYCESeY9hW40iCirq8TRtEJYmoLig_okvoZmcQETHM38Lld5vJcVqRkFW655DmYxRfpkuHksD_RF_UgvzbAj8rYqEEYDDWDIzJEPDZkiHTYrzqChqSd685BG20nY/s400/SD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The Skinny Doll - Now vs Then</i></div>
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<i>Me - Now vs Then</i></div>
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Here's the tally sheet if anyone wants to take part themselves, just right click on the image below and click 'Save Link'. Pop in the two names and let the battle commence... See you next week for the Results of Round 1 *eek*</div>
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<br />John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-77172600179764723012016-08-08T19:55:00.003+01:002016-08-08T19:55:52.190+01:00The 2016 Rock n Roll Half Marathon<div style="text-align: justify;">
Without really realising it, the Rock n Roll Half Marathon has become a bit of a staple in my life. I really really enjoy it and look forward to it. This is a great race, starting up near the 3arena on the Quays, bringing along the Quays alongside the Liffey, around Christchurch and into Phoenix Park. This year the event changed to weekend (the one after the August Bank Holiday) and now has a 10km rolled in to the main event. I've taken part the past three years and finished in 1:51, 1:50 and 1:49 respectively. My goal was simple, finish in 1:48.</div>
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<i>Myself and Al before the race</i></div>
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Myself and Alan turned up at the start line just before 8am where the crowds were gathering and following a bag drop-off, I met with the other Rock Idols for one final photo. Myself and Al parted ways five minutes before kick-off as we made our way into our respective corrals. I don't know what 'Target Time' I had given myself but from Corral #3 I could already tell I was out of my depth as the 1:45 pacers were way behind me.</div>
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<i>On your marks...</i></div>
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The race started shortly after 8:30am and I found myself running slightly faster than I had intended but the energy of the crowd carried me the first few kilometers to the water stop at Christchurch. It wasn't until I turned into Phoenix Park (around 13km) that I really started to feel the strain of keeping it under 5:00/km. The sun had come out yet there was a strong wind blowing down Chesterfield Avenue which lead some strangely enjoyable relief at that point.</div>
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We followed the same path as last year but that still didn't help when it came to the hill around 17km in. All I kept thinking as I made my way to the Finish Line was 'How the hell am I going to do double this in just twelve weeks time?' as the Dublin Marathon looms just over the horizon like a grey cloud. I pushed through for the last few kilometers and have to say, passing the 10K'ers who had just finished was a great boost.</div>
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<i>Nearly home...</i></div>
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As I rounded the corner towards the finish line, I saw my friend Elaine (who took the snap above) which was just enough to push me over the finish line with a burst giving me a finish time of... 1:48:54. That was my 15th Half Marathon in the bag and they really don't get any easier. That being said, I still love them and think a Half is one of my fav distances to cover. </div>
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As an aside note, my finish times over the past four Rock n Roll Half's are 1:51 (2013), 1:50 (2014), 1:49 (2015) and 1:48 (2016). So if you extrapolate a trend from this data it's obvious that I'll go on to win the National Championships in 2067! So stay tuned...!</div>
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<i>2016 Bling...</i></div>
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Alan finished shortly after me (with his fastest half at 1:51) and as we lay on the grass covered in Nature Valley Bars and bottles of water. Another nice perk was the Trinity medal (below) which was given to runners who had completed three of the previous Rock n Roll's in Ireland. With heavy bling around our necks, both myself and Alan left Phoenix Park happy out with the mornings effort. The next time I run in Phoenix Park will be the marathon in twelve weeks time, better get training!</div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-63625092702457422522016-07-29T12:57:00.002+01:002016-07-29T12:57:22.922+01:00The Killarney Ultimate High Peaks Challenge<div style="text-align: justify;">
Without much thought, myself and Aisling signed up for the Killarney High Peaks Challenge a week before the event itself (July 9th). The 25km route sees participants trek up Gap of Dunloe and across the MacGillycuddy Reeks, with Carrauntoohil (Irelands highest mountain) being the last peak before finishing. Myself and Aisling collectively had very little mountain/orienteering experience but figured we'd be fine as this organised event would be signposted and have many walkers following the same route. We hadn't considered the most important thing though, the mountains themselves!</div>
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We headed for Killarney on Friday evening, arriving in Cronin's Yard just before 7pm where we pitched our tent for the night before heading back to Killarney for a bite to eat and to pick up some last minute essentials. We were booked in on the 5am bus to Kate Kearney's Cottage (the start line) so went to bed early enough with our alarm set for 4am. Between the rain and the campsite, I think I slept on and off but not too great. It lashed rain as we got ready for the day ahead.</div>
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<i>Myself & Aisling - Ready for the High Peaks...</i></div>
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We boarded the bus at 4:45 which made its way to the start point where the first few participants started on the journey up the side of the Gap of Dunloe. I was excited and looking forward to seeing parts of Ireland I'd never seen before, especially from such a vantage point but as daylight slowly pushed the darkness away, our vision was limited by the rain which made for a disappointing ascent. </div>
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<i>5am - Kate Kearney's Cottage</i></div>
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The rain never let up and the higher we climbed, the more challenging the conditions became. We reached the first peak (Tomies) about 1hr 30 into the trek, just under 4km of ground covered. The wind was so strong you couldn't stand at the top so we took shelter behind a stone wall. There we met a woman who's pink jacket I had been following the entire way. I couldn't believe how disorienting the whole thing was. The woman told me she had done this the previous year so knew the route. When she headed off, we decided it best to follow her so we caught up with her and followed behind her like some weird stalkers.</div>
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<i>Visibility was poor once we got up the mountain</i></div>
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We reached the first check point on Purple Mountain by 7:30am but things were starting to look grim. We'd been two and a half hours trudging through mud, ferns, fields and swamp. My feet were wet, my map was in bits and because we were following the woman in pink, we couldn't take it at our leisure. In my head we were going to have a lovely relaxing 25km trek over the mountains but this was becoming a challenge. </div>
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As we made our way down the Gap of Dunloe, we spoke to the guy at the next checkpoint who said there were only 7 other hikers ahead of us which meant there were still 190 people behind us. Most of the signage and red tape had blown away in the wind so we were pretty much banking on the lady in pink to be our walking map/compass. She ploughed on off up the Reeks towards Peak #3 and we followed suit. </div>
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<i>Looking down at the Gap</i></div>
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At the top of the third peak 4hr 30 into the trek where we had a chat with the woman in pink we were following. She felt the challenge would be called off as the previous year, once they got to Carrauntoohil participants were sent down for their own safety. According to her, this years weather was much worse so we were going to have to see what the marshals at the check points were going to say. At the top of the fourth peak (and over five hours trekking), myself and Aisling decided to call it a day.</div>
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<i>Game Over - Top of Peak #4</i></div>
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We had no map, we were soaked to the bone, we may as well have been walking around a field at home for all the view we had (i.e. none) and in our opinion, it would have stupid and dangerous for us to continue considering we didn't have the experience or skill to navigate a mountain in the conditions. The marshal at the check point showed us the safest way off the mountain and we made the hour long bog walk through a muddy field back down to the main road.</div>
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<i>Downward Bound</i></div>
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6 hours after we started, we made our way back to the road and Kate Kearney's Cottage where, to be honest, the thoughts of hot coffee and some chocolate kept us going. It was disappointing to have to call it a day but in hindsight it really was the right thing to do. We met the lady in Pink afterwards who had gone on to the 5th peak before turning around and calling it a day so I'm calling our decision a success. </div>
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We stopped into Kate Kearney's Cottage where we had a beautiful cup of steaming hot coffee which was enjoyed as we sat in our damp clothes on the bus back to Cronins Yard. We clocked up 16km walking in just over 6 hours, we got to the top of 4 of the 12 peaks and we even finished with a medal (which felt a bit bittersweet but I still took it all the same). </div>
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I'd really love to have completely the challenge but the conditions just weren't in our favour. I'll definitely return to Cronin's Yard again to complete Carrauntoohil as its something I've really wanted to do for a while but for now, it'll just have to remain on my Bucket List! We fought the mountain but this time, the mountain won... Next time, I'll be prepared!</div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-65858134773222175042016-06-26T16:03:00.000+01:002016-06-26T16:03:25.886+01:00Marathon #8 - Waterford Viking Marathon<div style="text-align: justify;">
I headed across the country to Waterford early enough Friday to ensure we'd get there in plenty of time. After a lunch stop in Lismore, we made it to Waterford around 4pm where I stopped off to pick up my race pack in WIT and what a pack it was... Two t-shirts, crisps, water, multivitamins, flapjacks and a bag. I love a quality goodie bag and this one definitely didn't disappoint. I was parked and in the hotel before 5pm where I had the evening to relax before Saturday's 9am start.</div>
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I woke at 6:30am and followed by (now typical) pre-marathon ritual. Had coffee and breakfast in the hotel room and showered, which may seem pointless but I like to be fresh at the start-line. We left the hotel about 8:40am and walked to The Mall, where the start line and hundreds of runners were already gathered. There were 2000+ runners across all three events (Full, Half and Quarter) each identifiable by their bib colour. Full in red, Half in Blue, Quarter in Yellow. </div>
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The race started bang on 9am as the WLR radio were reporting live from the start line where the countdown started bang on the 9 o'clock news. The first two miles were in and around the city, turning up side streets and back on the quays before doubling back and heading around People's Park and back into the city centre for the next mile or two. The route was dotted with great bands who kept the spirits up as we followed the red, blue and yellow arrows around the city.</div>
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<i>Red for Full, Blue for Half, Yellow for Quarter</i></div>
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Out around the 5 mile mark, a guy beside me started chatting to me and honestly this was a godsend. We hung together until around mile 11 just talking about work and running etc. He was a far better runner than I was (his PB is around 3:15, mine was 3:51 from back in 2014) but we maintained conversation as I was slightly wary of the pace I was maintaining over this distance. I was clocking around 5:15/km which I knew was way too fast but decided against my better judgement to ignore and plow on.</div>
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The road to Tramore was just perfect. The weather conditions were spot on as we made our way off the main road and up a side road and passed over the half way mark at 1:51. At this point, I was still ahead of the 3:45 marathon pacers (but only just) which I couldn't believe. At 23km, we turned left and ran straight down to the beach in Tramore where the course got a little confusing as we made our way along the promenade with other runners coming towards us who had already completed the loop of Tramore.</div>
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It was here, around 27km the 3:45 pacer and group of about 6 runners with him passed me. I decided I'd keep them in my sights as we made our way back on to the promenade and back on to the main road back into Waterford. Here we hit the 20 Mile marker and I couldn't believe how well I felt, my watch read 2:50 - it was at this point I realised 'Bloody Hell... I could PB this!" - I had one hour to cover the 10k that stood between the 20 mile marker and the finish line and I just ran, one foot in front of the other as I made my way back into Waterford.</div>
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The marathon field was quite small (I overheard someone say it was around 400 runners), which meant once the Half's left us at Mile 10, runners were quite spaced out but not as much as other marathons I've run like Tralee where I remember only one other guy in front of me for most of it. I overtook a few people on the way back to the city but had lost sight of the 3:45 pacer.</div>
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At Mile 23, we re-joined the route the Half Marathoners originally split from us and it was quite desolate as I made my way up along the River Walk. People had started walking (which is always really hard to motivate yourself through) and I ran with one guy who had to stop because his calves started seizing. We turned into Waterford Nature Park at Mile 24 (just 3km to go) and I saw one guy buckled over vomiting. The end of a marathon is an absolute beast of a thing, you are running on empty, really digging deep. My pace had slowed (by about 15/20 seconds to 5:35/km) as I ran around the park pretty much solo.</div>
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I hit 41km with 3:40 on my watch and I knew I was going to PB. It actually lifted me so much, I returned to form and clocked up a 5:15 kilometre as I made my way into the Waterford RSC and onto the race track there where we had to do a lap of the track and across the finish line. I did it - I ran a personal best wherever the hell I pulled that one out of! Even my watch congratulated me...</div>
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As I gathered my breath (and lay on the ground), what I'd managed to do sank in. I'd run a marathon (which in itself is a mountain of a challenge), but I'd managed to knock 5 minutes off my previous best (Connemara - 2014), 10 minutes off my best time last year (Cork, June 2015) and over 35 minutes off my last marathon time (4:21 in Sixmilebridge) without setting out to do so. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElF3ySrCNLhqqTDZuI43VvGKztUl0y8pYsj-D2Ss4lzXEI2ZPmkKGjRZovCVjm7c9EEqgumkoR7BxYJKOFzE5SYVW36Vcm8Fqqj6hnKjyiSBwFUdXzBaSclSPSLAoFuE4ZbpB_ZIL49J0/s1600/Finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElF3ySrCNLhqqTDZuI43VvGKztUl0y8pYsj-D2Ss4lzXEI2ZPmkKGjRZovCVjm7c9EEqgumkoR7BxYJKOFzE5SYVW36Vcm8Fqqj6hnKjyiSBwFUdXzBaSclSPSLAoFuE4ZbpB_ZIL49J0/s640/Finish.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Waterford was an absolute gem of a course and one I'd recommend to anyone. Not because of how well it worked out for me but the support around the course and the sheer volume of water/gel/energy drink stands was incredible. With water every 2 miles (and in bottles not plastic cups), and so many supporters out with tubs of jellies/orange slices, no runner can say they were left needing anything out there. There were plenty of porto-loos dotted along the course and loads of volunteers guiding the way, I honestly cannot fault the efforts that went into organising (and delivering) what was quite simply, a fantastic marathon.</div>
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Also, I forgot to pack running socks and only realised after 9pm on Friday night so I had to run in regular socks (which I borrowed from my husband). He reckons they were the secret to my success so a special shout out to my big blue socks! </div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-34013903719634634712016-06-24T10:22:00.000+01:002016-06-24T10:22:24.862+01:00The Road to Marathon #8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I signed up for the Waterford Marathon back in March. I love it when you have months ahead to plan, run, and train. Everything will go to schedule. You plan on getting in the weekly long runs but this time, you'll do more, you'll go further, you'll train harder. But the funny thing about time, and life, is that is consistently gets in the way. Weeks passed and yep, I clocked up the miles out on the road but it I didn't really follow my training as I had planned it. I maintained the weekly long runs but started faffing around with other things - no speed training, no intervals, no easy runs. </div>
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I'm reminded by the phrase 'Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.' - For me, this will be marathon #8 and I've done the exact same thing I've done for all the previous ones. Am I training just to clock up another notch in my belt or am I training to improve, get better, improve?</div>
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<i>5 weeks to go...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAltVf3rPXuMyV_wZDyJmr3qjPM9IU5LKb2xUC7aLIDlsxdoMAN4LgsZlzzQ7b4T8qHgyWI0mohsTN22dGlFMJKxTD8NkcqMY09VAyUa7Ci6vMGjTcAxasiFGgjpx0UPgx4dHCjUUhuVjQ/s1600/4weeks.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAltVf3rPXuMyV_wZDyJmr3qjPM9IU5LKb2xUC7aLIDlsxdoMAN4LgsZlzzQ7b4T8qHgyWI0mohsTN22dGlFMJKxTD8NkcqMY09VAyUa7Ci6vMGjTcAxasiFGgjpx0UPgx4dHCjUUhuVjQ/s320/4weeks.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>4 weeks to go...</i></div>
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<i>3 weeks to go...</i></div>
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<i>2 weeks to go...</i></div>
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<i>1 week...</i></div>
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I'm not being hard on myself, more-so just reflecting at the end of another round of marathon training. The funny thing is, I've always really enjoyed completing the marathon training. I also become extremely grateful to my body for getting me, injury free, through weeks and weeks of high milage and hours of road running relatively unscathed. </div>
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Waterford, I'm coming to get you! </div>
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(Side Note: There is less than two weeks left in voting for the Rock n Roll Idol competition which could see me run a marathon in Vegas if I win - so if you'd be so kind, I'd really appreciate your vote. Pop over to the website and give me a vote. It takes less than a minute and if I win, I'll bring you back a stick of rock - Link: <a href="http://www.runrocknroll.com/dublin/rock-idol/">www.runrocknroll.com/dublin/rock-idol/</a>)</div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-35901046417578797802016-05-21T10:15:00.000+01:002016-06-03T16:16:41.087+01:00Race 4 - Tuam [Galway 5K Series]<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've always loved the Tuam leg of the 5K Series - probably because it's always been at the end. There has always been a great atmosphere and the course is usually littered with locals cheering on the runners which is always an added bonus. Tuam and traffic also go hand-in-hand, so to be prepared, we left straight after work, arriving in Tuam an hour before the race.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9kK5sqxKmJMxV5Pa3IDYAibHlyMqrtVBTOZdfhcn7zFKIGWGVsT0VePCtPLjjnOT_2Wr9PkqxrsmELo6-4RrCvkR39bQGfPT5jwKd-E04q-CXbDB5wNygemWwIZrNbX66kZGuNaGyJ4c/s1600/13064539_10153558367385918_566084600053750178_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9kK5sqxKmJMxV5Pa3IDYAibHlyMqrtVBTOZdfhcn7zFKIGWGVsT0VePCtPLjjnOT_2Wr9PkqxrsmELo6-4RrCvkR39bQGfPT5jwKd-E04q-CXbDB5wNygemWwIZrNbX66kZGuNaGyJ4c/s320/13064539_10153558367385918_566084600053750178_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>With Yvonne, Gordon & Aisling</i></div>
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The race started shortly after 8pm on the same side road off the N17 . There are roadworks going on at the moment (building the new motorway) which added a little kink to the route but once we hit the first kilometer mark, we had a steady downhill for kilometer 2 which gave me enough time to pick up what I'd lost at the beginning of the race.</div>
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As we turned on to the Ballygaddy Rd (2.5km), my friends kid was on the wall roaring "Gordon's ahead of you!" - the running joke for the past few years between Gordon and myself has been that I will push him into a bush if he ever tries pass me in a race. I'd lost sight of Gordon as soon as the race started so had no idea where he was on the field but thanks to Cian, I knew Gordon was ahead. I trundled on up the road before turning back onto the N17 (4km) and making my way to the Ard Ri Hotel finish line. </div>
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My chip time was 22:39 which another disappointing run. I don't know how well marathon training and speedy 5Ks work together but I haven't gotten the hang of it. In Craughwell two weeks ago, I ran my fastest 5K this year but had done my long run on the Thursday before (as we were away over the weekend). I can only assume the five day break between the two has something to do with it. Regardless, Gordon not only beat me, he went an PB'd with an incredible time of 21:09. The next bush I see, he is going into it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQirEGsZFBPpM0WT8AZXAb4l5UE03Xr8FGoeoSxPViNVPHD1vPst9VATyPz837g3qCyZfpDEHwFKHRXwDSe3CEOLDazd1vjL-PO0EumRbiXBG1cf-e9pL5krQbYdZOgHnRd6_PAJfDk5i/s1600/13217260_10153563206905918_151097390686588720_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQirEGsZFBPpM0WT8AZXAb4l5UE03Xr8FGoeoSxPViNVPHD1vPst9VATyPz837g3qCyZfpDEHwFKHRXwDSe3CEOLDazd1vjL-PO0EumRbiXBG1cf-e9pL5krQbYdZOgHnRd6_PAJfDk5i/s400/13217260_10153563206905918_151097390686588720_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With Noel, Richie, Rob & Elaine after the Race (Pic by John O'Connor - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/edenhill77/" target="_blank">link</a>)</div>
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<br />John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-58613338592394384172016-05-12T20:02:00.000+01:002016-06-03T16:03:27.470+01:00Race 3 - Loughrea [Galway 5K Series]<div style="text-align: justify;">
Race 3 saw the return of the old Loughrea route which was a bit of a shame as I had enjoyed last years loop around the town but I understand the logistics of organising a race like that. My Tuesday was a bit mental and I had left work early to visit Catherine and the Weight Watchers class down in Ennistymon. I miscalculated my return time and ended up parking/abandoning my car outside some poor woman's house about 3 minutes to start time. I jumped out of the car, changed and ran to the start line just before kick off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun63yvrhsOF7d3nr3gnJ6M24jt0UIMSxl_h7Vgdcaw_xjBp-GjKZAQ9PGCZD9rF-ZiQPGihinfdOHtoUd2YsyujN1UPsv_QUhlUNoy75yUPNCTDqIpMWp83tMc3eQDl3I6V7WfH2aiSQP/s1600/Lough2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun63yvrhsOF7d3nr3gnJ6M24jt0UIMSxl_h7Vgdcaw_xjBp-GjKZAQ9PGCZD9rF-ZiQPGihinfdOHtoUd2YsyujN1UPsv_QUhlUNoy75yUPNCTDqIpMWp83tMc3eQDl3I6V7WfH2aiSQP/s320/Lough2.PNG" width="319" /></a></div>
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<i>An Yvonne Selfie</i></div>
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The weather was clammy and humid, I was wearing long-sleeves, I was bothered arriving (due to my fear of missing it) and I hadn't had a proper lunch. I'm not blaming any of these factors individually but together with my heavy legs following this morning's bootcamp, I crashed big time during this race.</div>
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My kilometer splits were: 4:11 (nice), 4:16 (ooh also nice), 4:37 (eh, pull it back John), 5:15 (wtf) and 4:32 (last km was downhill), resulting in a chip time of 22:56 which was extremely disappointing considering last weeks stellar performance.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7TYDbJMSc9f0fIWkk54neBeQHD8CIzPZLo25WSVA2NAEq-IegwGadvVwrtNHho2OltAO6OQrxrf1NuqkOWTysC9lJRYGFBVDtUnKZvUZ-tguinsfdQjPJs7a9m728Q98K4uJw_iXq95S/s1600/Lough.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7TYDbJMSc9f0fIWkk54neBeQHD8CIzPZLo25WSVA2NAEq-IegwGadvVwrtNHho2OltAO6OQrxrf1NuqkOWTysC9lJRYGFBVDtUnKZvUZ-tguinsfdQjPJs7a9m728Q98K4uJw_iXq95S/s320/Lough.PNG" width="317" /></a></div>
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<i>Crossing the finish line (Pic by John O'Connor - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/edenhill77/" target="_blank">link</a>)</i></div>
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In my defense (not that I need one), but I'd also just run my longest run in marathon training less than 72 hours before hand and I feel like my body hadn't fully recovered. There is something funky going on at the moment as after my 30km run on Sunday, I crashed bad. I lay on the floor for 45 minutes considering whether I was going to vomit or if I needed food. The humidity is killing me at the moment and think I need to look at my salt/electrolyte intake during a long run.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mmxLYxCGskqRVyQmFqcCdw8JEcEr0nRJMImMpL5GH1NSs6IpGtvM5bA8xwZCls_g-cmSDi1BL8TtBhP03QU5_hcyn7cgn3DZtuPBqI5E9f-xVcOngfS7QkNrG7cNJoAxRrF9ivOzLRlH/s1600/Loughrea.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mmxLYxCGskqRVyQmFqcCdw8JEcEr0nRJMImMpL5GH1NSs6IpGtvM5bA8xwZCls_g-cmSDi1BL8TtBhP03QU5_hcyn7cgn3DZtuPBqI5E9f-xVcOngfS7QkNrG7cNJoAxRrF9ivOzLRlH/s640/Loughrea.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-50178083499209480712016-05-09T19:51:00.000+01:002016-06-03T15:52:37.463+01:00Race 2 - Craughwell [Galway 5K Series]<div style="text-align: justify;">
Race 2 of the 5K Series saw 600+ runners land in Craughwell for their course which takes runners down through the village before turning left, then left again looping back to the train tracks beside the start point. People have said Craughwell gets a lot of PR's but I wasn't holding out much hope of beating my (21:29 which I clocked up back in 2014). </div>
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The Maree AC gang met before the race and had a quick group photo (better beforehand than afterwards). We have more in the club than seen in the photo below but with that many people around, its hard to get everyone together! We really probably should do a group photo some day!</div>
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<i>The Maree AC gang</i></div>
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The race started bang on 8pm and I took off down the main road through Craughwell. The advantage of this course lies in the breath of the road at the start line which gave ample room to maneuver around people as I made my way past the 1km sign clocking up a 4:11/km. I surprised myself over the next two kilometers as my watched flashed 4:18 and 4:21 respectively.</div>
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I felt good as I pushed through 4K (4:25 flashed up on my clock) and it wasn't until that point I really thought I could PB. My watch was just before 17:30 and I thought if I could just knock out a Sub 4:00 kilometer, I'd PB. This was tough as I moved onwards towards the finish line. At the corner, a guy was counting the time and I heard him say "21 minutes" as I dug deep and ploughed on but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be... I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 21:33 - four seconds off a PB. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MIOArRQe9JUFisR0zCIyW5Dxs94py-uQPS5K-qQ3DqsSVkWj3EWUArtqn8giW7JbJeS3GcSwaPkThZE6sIJwNeXgpH5IiF5rmC-JcKzqhN5bBCptB2l5ab7ZkKV88DfQNMCLL6e1ic-1/s1600/13130941_618311338333466_5502003025637457617_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MIOArRQe9JUFisR0zCIyW5Dxs94py-uQPS5K-qQ3DqsSVkWj3EWUArtqn8giW7JbJeS3GcSwaPkThZE6sIJwNeXgpH5IiF5rmC-JcKzqhN5bBCptB2l5ab7ZkKV88DfQNMCLL6e1ic-1/s400/13130941_618311338333466_5502003025637457617_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i>In the Zone - (Pic from Bradley Motor's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bradleymotorworks/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>)</i></div>
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I was genuinely surprised at my time - I'd knocked nearly 50 seconds off last weeks time (22:21) and was so close to a PB. It's always tough to miss fractionally as you wonder what you could have done differently. A tiny little dig could have made the difference but I guess I'll never know, oh well, there is always next week (and the week after, and the week after!).</div>
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<br />John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-50309990901361936342016-05-06T18:30:00.000+01:002016-05-06T18:30:11.399+01:00Race 1 - Ballybrit Racecourse [Galway 5K Series]<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Galway 5K Series is six 5K's held in various parts of Galway on a Tuesday Night. This year it just seemed to sneak up really quickly. It is my fourth year taking part and I love coming back to it year after year for many reasons: Mainly because its a great excuse to meet up with my running buddies on a Tuesday evening but also it's a great way to track your 5K time over a 6 week period. I rarely sign up for 5K's as typically the money, travel time, hanging around the start line and free bottle of water just isn't worth the effort. Here you get six different races (and a t-shirt) all for €30!</div>
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Race 1 this year was in Ballybrit Racecourse which was handy as its right beside work! It was an early start for this race (7:30pm as opposed to the usual 8pm) so by the time I finished work, collected my race pack and got to the start line, there was little time to dally about.</div>
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<i>Gordon, Yvonne, Ais & Myself before the Start</i></div>
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The race started bang on 7:30pm in the crowded avenue outside the main entrance to the famous Galway Racecourse and took us on two laps of the race track before finishing close to the starting gate. The path around the racecourse is narrow in spots which lead to a cramped enough first few minutes until the crowd spaced out a bit.</div>
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It rained, the sun came out, it was windy and cold - really a race of four seasons out there which made the second lap just that bit harder when you could see people already finishing across the way. The notable difference this year from before was that we were going in the opposite direction to the horses, which if anyone knows the track means we go down hill (twice) as opposed to up hill on the long drag near the finish line. I clocked 4km and set my sights on a guy a bit ahead of me. We crossed the finish line together but I felt I really need an anchor or something to latch on to for the last few hundred meters.</div>
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<i>Thumbs up (in the rain)</i></div>
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<i>Pic taken by 5K Series sponsors - Bradley Renault (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bradleymotorworks/photos/a.615696831928250.1073741845.141402349357703/615697825261484/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">link</a>)</i></div>
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Overall I was happy with my time, 22:18. I've about 50 seconds to knock off that if I want to come anywhere near my PB (21:29). I clocked 21:29 in Craughwell back in 2014 and again at Galway Airport last May so its nice to try and keep it consistent (although I really would love a brand new PB). Anyway... the 5K Series is back so expect a lot of race reports over the coming few weeks :)</div>
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<br />John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-79731310057961918282016-04-24T20:12:00.002+01:002016-04-24T20:12:22.746+01:00Royal Canal Run Longford - Half Marathon #14<div style="text-align: justify;">
Myself and Phil signed up for the Longford Royal Canal Run partly for something to do on a Saturday morning (why not) but mainly because I need to get my ass in gear as its only nine weeks to the Waterford Marathon and I was looking for a bit of challenge. My last Half was in Athlone over six months ago and although I've been clocking up a few 21km+ runs lately, these haven't been under race conditions so I was really looking to push myself a little.</div>
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<i>Myself and Phil ready to do loops!</i></div>
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We arrived in Longford just after 9am and made our way to the Canal where the Ultra marathoners were already on the course. The Royal Canal Run is a 5.3km loop around the Royal Canal just outside Longford town. The Ultra (10 loops) started at 8:30am, followed by the Marathon (8 loops) at 10am. The 200 Half starters their way (about 500m down the canal) to the start shortly after 10:30am while the 10km (2 loops) headed up the canal to their start.</div>
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<i>The Half Start Line</i></div>
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We started shortly after 10:30am and I took off alongside Phil for the first kilometre but knew I wasn't going to be able to match pace (4:45/km) so told him to head off. About 2km in, we looped back over a footbridge and made our way back down the far side of the canal. The flat, gravelly footpath was perfect and relatively uncongested as the 500 runners looped the course. The first lap was great to get your bearings, each time we looped back I could clock Phil ahead of me.</div>
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We passed the finish-line and water station at the start of each new lap. I was happy enough maintaining my sub 5:00/km pace. The finish line had a marquee and PA system blasting music which was a lovely motivator as you passed it each side of the canal while looping. Lap 2 was steady as the sun started to come out and warm up the day. Lap 3 was relatively quieter as all of the 10kers had finished and left the course. </div>
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The unique thing about this event was the fact you were doing laps which I found a great motivation as you were constantly overtaking people (and being overtaken) by others who you had no idea how many times they were on their run. It reminded me Sixmilebridge in that respect as while I felt tired on Lap 4, the person you were running beside could have been on Lap 7 or 3, could be PB'ing or struggling and I simply had no idea. As I hit the finish line on my last lap, I passed Mirko who was doing the full and had another 4 loops to go. I've never been as happy to stop running! Overall I was happy with my splits, the majority of them staying under 5:00/km (Not bad for a guy who was out at a black tie work function until 1am the night before).</div>
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My official finish time was 1:44:09. My wish was to do 1:45 so all in all, my day was a success. The course was perfect, the set up was ideal and I simply can't recommend this race enough. It was worth the drive up from Galway and we got a super medal and t-shirt to boot! Next up for me is the Galway 5K series which starts this coming Tuesday. I might try squeeze in another Half between now and the Waterford Marathon but I think my weekends will be spent doing long training runs (unless anyone has any ideas for me!)</div>
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<i>Side Note</i>: I'm kind of over spending big bucks on race entry (unless its something special) so when you compare events like this to other larger events such as the Great Limerick Run (which is twice the entry price) - it really makes sense to turn-up, run and support such wonderful great local races when at the end of the day - a run is a run! You get out of it what you put in and as long as you are happy when you reach the finish line, regardless of your finish time, then you know you've had a great run! </div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-71846253192850241682016-04-11T19:23:00.000+01:002016-04-11T19:23:25.446+01:00Run Clare 2016 - Race 4: Sonny Murphy 10 Mile<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sunday was a cold one. Myself and Sinead arrived ahead of time for the last race in the Run Clare series, the Sonny Murphy 10 mile which started (and finished) just outside the village of Kilnaboy. The rain didn't help the cutting wind as we stayed sheltered in the car parked in a field until 5 minutes before the start when myself and Sinead made our way up to the start line - about 400m from the check in hall.</div>
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<i>Baltic - making our way to the start line!</i></div>
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<i>(Pic from John O'Neill's Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1190550447621913&set=a.1190401107636847.1073741947.100000009087170&type=3&theater" target="_blank">link</a>)</i></div>
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I ran this last year so knew what the course had in store for us - a nice triangle shaped route with the Burren on one side for the first few kilometers before turning onto the main Gort - Corofin road, running through the village and back around into Kilnaboy. The run started right on cue at 1pm and it really took the first few miles to warm up. Everything was cold as the wind (and rain) blew through us.</div>
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I was happy enough keeping up a 5:00/km pace and I felt surprisingly good considering the weekend of indulgence I had just put down. The road rolled gently enough into Corofin (12km) at which point I felt confident I could push to try and beat my previous time (1:19:47). Despite the numeous water stations on the course, I ran with the bottle I had taken at the first stop and never once drank water. I also never fuelled which was probably a mistake in hindsight but I felt strong as I made my way back into Kilnaboy and across the finish line.</div>
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<i>Thumbs up as I cross the finish line</i></div>
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<i>(Pic from John O'Neill's Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1190599654283659&set=rpd.533875917&type=3&theater" target="_blank">link</a>)</i></div>
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I finished at 1:19:20 which was almost half a minute PB. I haven't PB'd in so long I didn't know how to contain my excitement! (Disclaimer: This was my second ever 10 miler). My main issue with 10 miles as a race distance is that I'd much rather clock up the extra 5km and do a Half but for the purpose of this race series (Run Clare), it makes a hell of a lot of sense working up through the race distances - 5km, 8km, 10km and lastly 16km.</div>
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<i>The Run Clare medal</i></div>
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The Medal (available only to those who had completed all four of the races in the series) is without doubt one of my favourites I've gotten. The race series itself really can't be faulted. For your entry fee (€50 early bird) you get four races along with a souvenir gift at each race. Throw in all the buns, sandwiches and cake after each run you really can't get much better value when it comes to race entry and bang for your €€€.</div>
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On a final note about the race series, I also want to give a shout out to the other amazing runners I ran alongside. I've said it before but really, the running community is amazing and seeing friendly faces at the start line, along the way and at the finish line really make it all the more fun! You guys are super and encourage & inspire me to dig deeper, run harder and be better! (<i>Apologies also to Eugene who I never got a pic with</i>).</div>
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<i>Myself and Paula who is about to clock up her 25th marathon</i></div>
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<i>With Denise from Dee-Termined to Glam & Glow (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/deeterminedtoglamglow/" target="_blank">FB link here</a>)</i></div>
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<i>Myself & Sinead</i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-82964098826739111232016-04-03T18:09:00.000+01:002016-04-03T18:09:32.582+01:00Squeezing a short run into a long run - The 'Remembering Aoibhe' Renville 5K<div style="text-align: justify;">
Trying to retrofit signed-up for races into a marathon plan can be as tough as actually following the plan itself. My Waterford Marathon plan officially kicked off yesterday as it's twelve weeks away. First up, an 11 mile long run - today. The problem: I'd already signed up for the 'Remembering Aoibhe Renville Challenge' 5K run which was taking place in the beautiful park just up the road from me in Oranmore. My solution: Run to the start line, run the race then keep running - turning my 5K race into a 20K long run. </div>
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<i>With some of the other Maree AC gang before the race</i></div>
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The reason I signed up for the race in the first place was to support the charity itself, ACT for Meningitis (<a href="http://www.actformeningitis.ie/" target="_blank">website</a>) - which is the only Meningitis charity in the country. They raise awareness and educate about the signs and symptoms of meningitis while offering free support services in Ireland to those affected by the disease. When signing up for a race, I always like to know where my entry is going. There are numerous large races (which I won't mention) that hide behind the vail of a charity name but little money actually ends up with the charity. This is one of the great runs where you know your entry is appreciated. </div>
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Anyway, I've digressed...</div>
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So I left home about 10:35am and took the first 4K handy (about 5:20/km) right up to the start-line. The race started shortly after 11am and left the park (1.5km) before following around Middle Third, and coming back out on the main road (3.5km) as you made your way back to the park. It's been ages since I've done a 5K and I'd kinda forgotten how much I enjoy them. I crossed the finish line at 22:30 - a minute off my 5K PB of 21:29 but with the Galway 5K series starting up at the end of the month, I'm going to really try smash that PB!</div>
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<i>Eyes on the finish line (Pic from FB - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/darachphotography/photos/a.1054189677956624.1073742290.201292916579642/1054197971289128/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">link here</a>)</i></div>
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As soon as the race was over, I took a few mins re-cooperation thanks to a bottle of water before heading off on the last 11km of my long run. I ran the 5K route again and even some of the marshals thought I had gotten lost (as I still had the race bib on). I reassured them I wasn't crazy as I headed off in the rain out towards my brother-in-laws house at the end of Tawin Island. </div>
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I hit 20km in 1:41 which doesn't <i>really</i> count as I had two unofficial breaks in between each run. I've never broken a long run up in this way before but I think I made it work. I've my running calendar updated and my schedule in place for the next twelve weeks and I'm really looking forward to getting tucked right back into it! </div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-56551544342218650532016-03-29T19:51:00.001+01:002016-03-29T19:51:05.715+01:00Run Clare 2016 - Race 3: Eamon Moloney 10K<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last Saturday saw the third race in the brilliant Run Clare series, the Eamon Moloney 10K. This race is now in its 4th year (and I've run them all) so I was particularly looking forward to this one. I turned up Saturday morning to check in (as we use the same race bib for all 4 races) and was surprised to get a fab black & red long sleeve t-shirt and a goodie bag with a travel coffee mug, lucozade sport and reflective running gear inside.</div>
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<i>The Start Line</i></div>
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The 600+ runners gathered outside the CBS school and despite the looming threat of rain, the clouds held it together and it didn't downpour. The run started bang on 11am and followed the same route as before, heading out the Tulla Rd before turning off (2.5km) onto the back roads. It was at this point the 45 minute pacer caught up with me. I was hoping I'd be able to a 45:00 finish after my 46 in Kinvara earlier this month but it just wasn't in me to keep up with him and somewhere along the back roads of Ballymaley, I lost sight of his blue polka-dot balloon. </div>
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We rejoined the Gort Road around the 6km mark where we ran into the wind. I'd love to blame the wind on my slower last few km's as I made my way back to the Fair Green (and the finish line) but I'll own up to the fact it just wasn't in me. I crossed the finish line at 46:18 fairly pleased with my performance. Was that extra minute in me to shave off my time? Possibly... I'll just have to sign up for another 10K to see!</div>
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I didn't hang around the finish line for too long as the promise of a scone and cup of coffee at my sisters (who lives nearby) was strong! The finishers medal was fab - I love race bling, especially nice quality race bling. After I scoffed a banana I made it back to my sisters just before the rain started! Winning :) Next up for me is the last race of Run Clare, the 10 Mile in Kilnaboy. Oh, and loads of Marathon Training...! </div>
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<i>The Medal</i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-85984386238954555632016-03-28T19:32:00.001+01:002016-03-28T19:32:08.520+01:0050 Hour Challenge: Mission Accomplished!<div style="text-align: justify;">
On February 10th, I set myself a 40 hour Lent Challenge which I then adjusted to 50 hours (<a href="http://19st-10k.blogspot.ie/2016/03/my-lent-challenge.html" target="_blank">blog post here</a>). I've been tracking each activity through Google sheets and as Easter Sunday came closer, I was confident I was going to hit 50! That was until Easter Sunday morning itself when I realised I was 2 hours 52 minutes short... so I did what I do best - laced up and headed off for a run!</div>
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I clocked up a Half Marathon yesterday morning which still left a 58 minute balance outstanding. After lunch I laced up again and took the dog for a 6km walk around Renville Park bringing my final total to: 50:00:04</div>
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My Gold Bunny was well and truly earned (and subsequently demolished!)... along with anything made of chocolate that was in the house! </div>
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I've spent today (Monday) trying to figure out what new challenge I can pore my efforts in to and then it came to me. I'm going to mash my challenge into <a href="http://www.theskinnydoll.com/" target="_blank">The Skinny Doll's</a> 100 Day Challenge but with a difference... February 10th (when I started the 50 hour challenge) to June 25th 2016 is 136 days. </div>
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My challenge: <b>Clock up 150 hours in 136 days.</b> I've really enjoyed clocking up a mix of time across Hot Yoga, Bootcamp, Running and Walking. I have 46 days worked through, 90 days remaining. I have 50 hours in the bag, 100 left to earn.</div>
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I know what you are thinking... Why Saturday 25th June? Well... I've had a treat in mind for when I achieved my 50 hour challenge so today, I've just cashed it in and bought my entry to the 2016 Waterford Marathon! Running a marathon might not sound like everyones idea of a reward but I can't wait to get stuck back in to the training!</div>
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So now I've just updated my spreadsheet and it just looks so bare, but here I go again! I also clocked up a lovely 6km walk today with Aisling (and the dog). Waterford/150 hours... Here I COME!<br />
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<br />John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-20893375667359012822016-03-18T14:59:00.000+00:002016-03-18T14:59:04.802+00:00My Lent Challenge<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lent began on February 10th and with it, I started my lent challenge. The rules (which I set myself) were simple:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">No sweets or chocolate</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Clock up 40 hours activity</li>
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I love a challenge and figured 40 hours over 47 days was achievable so I set a further goal:</div>
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Like any goal, I believe you need two things - A Plan and a Tracker. I find a plan helps me think and smartly schedule my week. I used Google Calendar (free) every Sunday to block in what activity I was doing each day. It wasn't set in stone so I was free to move workouts around (e.g. Walk on a day I didn't want to run or Yoga on a really wet day instead of having to go out in the rain). Having a plan also helped by making me commit to a time to get something done. As I use Google Calendar for my own reminders, so for example, if I knew I had something planned for some evening, I would do my workout in the morning. Having this planned out made sure I didn't find myself in a time compromise.</div>
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Once I'd complete an activity, I tracked it in a Spreadsheet. I had a goal: 40 hours and a current value top center along with a pie-chart so I could track my progress towards 100%. Again, I used Google Sheets so I could track it on the go. I colour coded what I was doing to ensure I wasn't "clumping" too much of the same activity together (i.e. not just running) and my sheet currently looks like this:</div>
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It's all a bit spreadsheet-y but really the principle is the same regardless of how you track it. I currently have 35 'move' hours clocked up since the start of Lent so am just 12% off hitting goal. I've just realised however that there are 10 days left of Lent so I'm going to ramp up my challenge slightly for the last few days - by adding 10 hours to the Target. 50 hours in 47 days certainly puts the fire under my feet to work that little bit harder for the next week and a half. I keep thinking of how amazing my Easter Egg is going to be at the end of this! </div>
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So here we go, 15 hours over the next 10 days... LETS DO THIS! </div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-78191447962210515162016-03-10T19:25:00.000+00:002016-03-10T19:25:29.060+00:00Lessons learned from Sonia O'Sullivan<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week, I attended 'An Evening with Sonia O'Sullivan' in the Salthill Hotel. The night was organised by a Galway Physio (Cradock Performance) with all proceeds going to Connacht Schools Athletics Association. The night was a mixture of talks about Nutrition, Training and Mobility followed by the main event which was an interview and Q&A with Sonia herself. I love events like this as I'm always jotting down nuggets of wisdom imparted from people who know what they are talking about.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbz-dL-Jub5jipIttSJxQ3bY1ZxzugCQ1TUafGuETnpxmRMrJ5sBTAeUzn6eGhMNe8hfPDyZbhEGVkVqV8IorgV-jw9ik3UAy0-we9l3wrpTyQgQMfDvPql59bFTwlDifX5xJR76Khvkh-/s1600/C1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbz-dL-Jub5jipIttSJxQ3bY1ZxzugCQ1TUafGuETnpxmRMrJ5sBTAeUzn6eGhMNe8hfPDyZbhEGVkVqV8IorgV-jw9ik3UAy0-we9l3wrpTyQgQMfDvPql59bFTwlDifX5xJR76Khvkh-/s400/C1.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Greg Muller, Maev Creaven and Eimear Cradock</i></div>
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Sonia came on stage around 8pm where she spoke so humbly and honestly about her attitude and mindset when it comes to running. It was obvious to everyone there just how dedicated and grounded Sonia is when it comes to her passion, Running. (Backstory: Sonia won the 5000m gold medal in the 1995 World Athletics Championships and competed in four Olympics). Sonia is without doubt one of the greatest Irish sports stars and it was an absolute pleasure to sit there and listen to her speak for an hour.</div>
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The main thing that struck me as she spoke was how un-embellished her memories of her youth, her training and her efforts are. When asked about motivation, Sonia simply replied that she motivated herself through difficult times/training sessions with the simple desire to just not let herself down. She knew when she had an opportunity and she always viewed it like she was taking the place of someone who was working just as hard as she was for it so she was going to give it her all. </div>
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<i>Sonia O'Sullivan</i></div>
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Her love of running is evident in everything she does and I think that is what I admire about her the most. Running continues to teach me that I am capable of so much more than I had ever imagined possible for myself. Most people believe things change once you cross the finish line in a race but I know changes happen once you cross the start line. My sister-in-laws husband is currently training for his first marathon and I'm jealous. That's kinda weird right? I'm jealous of someone who has yet to run their first marathon as I know how much the training and journey TO the start line of my first marathon was so much more than I could have imagined.</div>
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The other speaker on the night which piqued my interest was Greg Muller (from Pure Athlete) who talked about Smart Training. Greg put up a slide on Motivation vs Inspiration, showing the difference between the two words. On the surface, they appear similar in terms of sport and training but really, apply them to anything: College, Diets, Work and the worlds of motivation an inspiration are miles apart.</div>
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Motivation comes from a place of making yourself do something: a training run, an essay, a weekly diet plan. It comes from the place where you think you SHOULD be doing something as opposed to something you WANT to do. Using the slide below, Greg explained the starting point (the left of the chart below) of any action and how you need a drivers to re-enforce and push whatever you want to do higher and further than you can on motivation alone. Having a 'WHY' (i.e. Inspiration) for doing what you are doing will push you higher and further when working towards a goal.</div>
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All in all, I had a super evening absorbing the information being presented to the room. Similar to Joanne Murphy's Tri-Talking Sport event a few weeks ago (<a href="http://19st-10k.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/more-lessons-from-gerry-duffy.html" target="_blank">link here</a>), I'm loving the energy and enthusiasm around running and goals from people I would consider inspirations in their fields, all happening on my doorstep. </div>
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And while we are talking about people doing stuff within the running sphere, I've just been appointed Chairperson for my running club, Maree AC. So lets see what little changes I can bring to the table along with the new committee around the topics of running and goals for the members of the club, Start small - Lets see where it goes from here!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECq2xIHGxekZuig3x0vd62wqrLvhyphenhyphenzZS0Dpkwo9zyI_CEmzmUPpa0KRsRdxMjtjsL-Lylvf1iA8YhBc6m0e8vE9z7gL6gS4gBqOa8-4fc8OLR47EP9QRfYTkiNuU3F3paGGWyQQ5uhaIS/s1600/21177973849_66b2e783f8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECq2xIHGxekZuig3x0vd62wqrLvhyphenhyphenzZS0Dpkwo9zyI_CEmzmUPpa0KRsRdxMjtjsL-Lylvf1iA8YhBc6m0e8vE9z7gL6gS4gBqOa8-4fc8OLR47EP9QRfYTkiNuU3F3paGGWyQQ5uhaIS/s1600/21177973849_66b2e783f8_z.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Paul, Catherine, Myself, Helen and Phil from Maree AC</i></div>
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<i>(Pic taken by edenhill77 - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/edenhill77/albums/72157659103667491/with/21177973849/" target="_blank">link</a>)</i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-541752717033890162016-03-09T18:47:00.000+00:002016-03-09T18:47:44.717+00:00The 2016 Kinvara Rock & Road 10K<div style="text-align: justify;">
Similar to the way in which a wheel turns, there is something quietly significant that happens inside when you notice something make a full turn. Last weekend saw the Kinvara Rock & Road 10K (and Half Marathon) take place which marks the beginning of my 4th year running. This blog was set up back in January 2013 originally as a place for me to write about my experiences and training up to the start point of the Kinvara 10K race... and suddenly here I am four years later lining up yet again to take on a route that I know I'll never forget. </div>
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I remember so much about my first run but for some reason, as I ran last Saturday, I thought about my Grandfather. My grandfather happened to be in hospital in Galway on the day of the race back in 2013 and I visited him before the race as he had just had an operation. As I was leaving, he loudly told the man in the bed beside him I was off to run my first marathon - I didn't correct him but distinctly remember feeling pride in the fact my grandfather was boasting about what I was about to take on. </div>
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At that time, running 10K was like a mountain I was about to climb, a rough sea I was about to navigate through. I believed I'd do it but lacked the confidence to know how unscathed I'd come out the other side of it. I crossed the finish line that day in 1 hour, 1 minute and 21 seconds. Four years later and it remains my worst 10K time but the one I'm most proud of.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDbN0yv5KcCjq54Hl_zbHefyEO_SOSZLz_tav4GluxT-LUQTI_Am-SewZcHxZtELeioj1yWglKfvoXBrmFx9_aT7KHslXmLBiizGp7_aXjqLs2_5wFlv60TsvKQOZl_lhHC4AIE7kkUZ_/s1600/554940_10151353540905918_662324975_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDbN0yv5KcCjq54Hl_zbHefyEO_SOSZLz_tav4GluxT-LUQTI_Am-SewZcHxZtELeioj1yWglKfvoXBrmFx9_aT7KHslXmLBiizGp7_aXjqLs2_5wFlv60TsvKQOZl_lhHC4AIE7kkUZ_/s400/554940_10151353540905918_662324975_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>First Race - The Kinvara Rock & Road 10K, March 2013</i></div>
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Anyway... I've gone completely off topic but just wanted to mention how much I've been thinking about the wheel coming full circle as I lined up for my fourth Kinvara run and all that has happened in between (which is all written about here on this blog). So, fast forward to March 2016 and I'm in Kinvara with Aisling, Yvonne and a gang from work and I'm feeling hopeful. I'm really getting back into the swing of running and pushing myself during a race so I had a Sub 50 (but ideally closer to 45) in mind as we took off from Kinvara village at 12pm along the route I know so well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZzejT6d35Q-qQQNq4arl3fismJ2_M-Rpf-Qcq9J4kaBvjB473dHmpdrZZ_B5KaPTBjfrZmV7FWBTUBidTchE_lgWrDFaINyZPFFpuobOzTD5RdGSqfxahyphenhyphen-fR4BR4WpcWdjk6IUfGVyN/s1600/12792317_10153396084165918_7646331118619651717_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZzejT6d35Q-qQQNq4arl3fismJ2_M-Rpf-Qcq9J4kaBvjB473dHmpdrZZ_B5KaPTBjfrZmV7FWBTUBidTchE_lgWrDFaINyZPFFpuobOzTD5RdGSqfxahyphenhyphen-fR4BR4WpcWdjk6IUfGVyN/s400/12792317_10153396084165918_7646331118619651717_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>On route to Kinvara with Aisling & Yvonne (and two bananas)</i></div>
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The first 2.5K takes you away from the village towards Ballyvaughan and I was pretty happy maintaining a 4:30/km pace. The route turns left down country roads for the next 2.5K before a timely water station just before the 6K mark on the Moy Road. I was still maintaining my pace up to this point (22:24 at half way) but the remaining half wasn't as easy. I knew the hill around the 7K mark was going to hit me and it did (4:50/km). The last three kilometers passed relatively easily and I crossed the finish line at 46:09 - Delighted!<br />
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<i>Around the 6K mark (Pic from Kinvara R&R Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rockandroad.ie" target="_blank">link</a>)</i></div>
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I don't know if it was the weather (which was fresh but cold with some scattered showers) or a decrease in numbers but the finish line and atmosphere seemed somewhat subdued this year. I waited around the finish line and cheered my friends and work colleagues home. We had a quick banana and bottle of water before heading to the Hall for a great spread of donuts, brack and biscuits. The coffee did the job warming me back up and I left Kinvara happy out with my effort on the day. My next mission has been set - 10K under 45:00!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgok4qUNtyqnoNGEy_jSHvv5elTeLDfBqIKYvvdKM6uuh7QruYjwCmKHUOzBpNqMH6T0dtIeDz_Kxf0lAW8EBtaXrizimQQ0mlkDvjc1VPtX_dycNhkIjeJVfCI7kxxYRTOH6qhoMzDJLhr/s1600/12778749_10153396420665918_8284973015777985105_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgok4qUNtyqnoNGEy_jSHvv5elTeLDfBqIKYvvdKM6uuh7QruYjwCmKHUOzBpNqMH6T0dtIeDz_Kxf0lAW8EBtaXrizimQQ0mlkDvjc1VPtX_dycNhkIjeJVfCI7kxxYRTOH6qhoMzDJLhr/s400/12778749_10153396420665918_8284973015777985105_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>With the gang from work after the run</i></div>
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<b>Note</b>: I've only run a Sub 45 10K twice before, both times in March 2014 with my 10K PB at 43:52</div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-9996794735181817192016-03-03T19:29:00.002+00:002016-03-03T19:29:35.500+00:00Run Clare 2016 - Race 2: Quilty 5 Mile<div style="text-align: justify;">
Its funny how much of a difference the weather makes when recalling a race. Last year in Quilty it rained, it was cold and windy. I usually don't mind the weather, the worst part is hanging around at the start line but this year, the clouds parted and blue skies graced the small coastal village of Quilty as over 500 of us rocked up for the 2nd race in the Run Clare series - The Michael Egan Memorial 5 Miler.</div>
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<i>Quilty, Sunday Morning</i></div>
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Myself and Sinead checked in at the local pub (if you take part in all four races in the series you'll get a fine piece of silver wear I can't wait to get my hands on!) before making our way to the start line area. Again, as I'd taken part last year, I knew the route - it followed a square pattern through the village, out along the coast and back around to the start. So we gathered at the start line half way up a hill and waited for the whistle...</div>
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<i>Myself and Sinead at the Start Line</i></div>
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<i>Waiting for the GO!</i></div>
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My aim was to run it faster than Gort a few weeks ago (38:13) so I was watching my pace as I made my way around the course. I stayed just under 4:30/km for the first half of the race but I hadn't accounted the fact the second half of the course is on an uphill gradient. The weather conditions were perfect, the water stop at 5km had paper cups (pet peeve), a man tried to have a conversation with me around 6km but I was having none of it... that being said, I was still ready for my photo-op when I saw the camera man :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlluoMUvB8-tRYrSOXPkLxB6Y7QZWAwxwH7IeZ09-jLlRiNyTWYLPVqgejbubeDulqT6nNXaARqJw9ItbyIBEFUzSn_uzPggZLj-cZMqQ2m6P-rsyiHmnFBnWYHZYkSyOMDxfobuKswUIO/s1600/12768190_1156766077667017_1415403886132778479_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlluoMUvB8-tRYrSOXPkLxB6Y7QZWAwxwH7IeZ09-jLlRiNyTWYLPVqgejbubeDulqT6nNXaARqJw9ItbyIBEFUzSn_uzPggZLj-cZMqQ2m6P-rsyiHmnFBnWYHZYkSyOMDxfobuKswUIO/s640/12768190_1156766077667017_1415403886132778479_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thumbs up from me (Pic by John O'Neill - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/john.oneill.9022/media_set?set=a.1156740134336278.1073741942.100000009087170&type=3&pnref=story.unseen-section" target="_blank">Facebook</a>)</div>
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At the 7km mark I was confident I could break 38:13 but I just had that last hill before the 250m downhill to the finish line. I powered up the hill and down the other side, crossing the finish line just before 38:00. I sat on the wall with my bottle of water happy out watching the others power across the finish line. Fab run, super conditions and a great spread in the pub afterwards where I finally got the coffee I'd be thinking about throughout the run.</div>
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Race 3 awaits - The Eamon Moloney 10K, which takes place in just three weeks time (Saturday 25th March) in Ennis. Before that though, I'm going back to Kinvara this weekend, back to where it all began - The Rock & Road 10K. </div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689285937430756767.post-37289368759438502922016-02-18T11:48:00.000+00:002016-02-18T11:48:17.928+00:00Gorgeous Gort 8K<div style="text-align: justify;">
The 2016 Gorgeous Gort 8K took place last Sunday, on Valentines Day... so I couldnt think of a better way to spend my day than doing something I love (running) with Aisling (my activity wife!). We arrived in Gort before 1pm where we collected our race bibs and red race t-shirts. As it was Valentines, the organisers had a special couples entry where the first couple home (collective time) would win a prize. We joked about winning but then the fear of being found out would have probably sent waves through the Galway Running community. </div>
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😂😂😂</div>
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<i>Myself & Aisling (Pic taken from SGAC's Facebook)</i></div>
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The race started at 1:30pm from the main road. I'd taken part in this run back in 2014 so I knew the route and knew what to expect. The weather was perfect for a run and as soon as the race started, I took off like the clappers. My goal was just to Sub 40 (under 5:00/km) but when I hit the first km marker at 4:21, I figured I was better holding back instead of going for it and dying later on. </div>
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The route brought us through the square in Gort and out the Tubber Road before turning left (3km) and back onto the Ennis Road (4km). I have a high dislike for races that bring you so close to the finish line but you aren't finished, this one sends you to the right (and uphill) just before the finish line as you run the final 3km on country roads before re-joining the Loughrea Rd and through the village into the finish line.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMs_oxpMB1BJDCrefG7d_bfVPJsvgo5BIX-jVUnGQfIZqjHDb0D8lWAa1_AaS3eowg_DTW7tlhIuYEVgtIBqeD-ymU2XBqosIhNDuhu0aJHVpf1Kb1TKESfYyn2JcQ-gmVh4p3_E580Wa/s1600/12747229_1739257322978050_2356700178212994959_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMs_oxpMB1BJDCrefG7d_bfVPJsvgo5BIX-jVUnGQfIZqjHDb0D8lWAa1_AaS3eowg_DTW7tlhIuYEVgtIBqeD-ymU2XBqosIhNDuhu0aJHVpf1Kb1TKESfYyn2JcQ-gmVh4p3_E580Wa/s320/12747229_1739257322978050_2356700178212994959_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>At the 7km mark (Pic taken from SGAC's Facebook)</i></div>
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It was a tough enough 5 miler but I was happy to keep my pace under 5:00/kms (except for the hill at the 5km mark) and I finished in 38:13. Aisling crossed the line one minute later (knocking over two minutes off her last 8km race and clocking up a new PB for 8K). We didn't win the couples prize (raging) but we did leave Gort happy out after the amazing feast in the hall. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDLcai0ftKFlklFmPNmhYkyxGFzUGGJE0Uke2Pj15mJPxes7VGEavlKhg-vsng2_cWhPMC5mcvE_-t6wYv4LNT8dUGW0mTIN9sn6z0LxqPXROKZB1IJrUIxITNAdaZmJ-aTQRaqF1IUbc/s1600/Splots.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDLcai0ftKFlklFmPNmhYkyxGFzUGGJE0Uke2Pj15mJPxes7VGEavlKhg-vsng2_cWhPMC5mcvE_-t6wYv4LNT8dUGW0mTIN9sn6z0LxqPXROKZB1IJrUIxITNAdaZmJ-aTQRaqF1IUbc/s400/Splots.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Gorgeous Gort 8K splits</i></div>
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Also worth mentioning, we both had new runners on so who knows if it was the power of Brooks, the weather, the route or the Valentine's mood in the air but something definitely powered us both to run a great 8K. I have the Quilty 8K next weekend and my aim is to break 38:13 - I just need to remember to chill out and not take off too fast. You'd imagine I'd have learned to pace properly at this stage but I think the eternal optimist in me continues to believe I can do better.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd1KwwQR2yK6dRJGKTllm1RjLV_1LIyyBILKKE7ydV9IgSVBF_bid1oFpkKQhWnoJaxZgZRO0KHKi_jwntw_mDGSHOYybRn8wc23f_tEmjlBEC9kvtxlyd7LR-J3OAE3QxR1EkNJPtvqE/s1600/Shoes.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd1KwwQR2yK6dRJGKTllm1RjLV_1LIyyBILKKE7ydV9IgSVBF_bid1oFpkKQhWnoJaxZgZRO0KHKi_jwntw_mDGSHOYybRn8wc23f_tEmjlBEC9kvtxlyd7LR-J3OAE3QxR1EkNJPtvqE/s400/Shoes.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Me in my new Brooks GTS 16 and Ais in hers</i></div>
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John Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15642540402784644554noreply@blogger.com0