New Years Eve

We arrived home from London a little while ago and my running gear never saw the light of day. There's no excuse, well no good one anyway. There was a great gym and pool attached to the hotel but the holiday was a series of late night and later mornings which left little room for healthy options. It was a fantastic holiday, London has changed so much since I was last there! It's a great city and I can't wait to go back.

The Day After

This is the day after St. Stephen's day, it doesn't have a name of it's own so we'll call it Saturday. We have even more company this morning, almost the entire family joined us. We ran a shorter 4.94 in a very leisurely 1.04. Tomorrow I'm leaving for London for a few days and I'm bringing my running gear with me, let's try to keep up this excellent day starter!

St. Stephen's Day

Yesterdays run must have been an inspiration because I had plenty of company on my run this morning. We ran 6.71 miles in 1.13. It was another beautiful morning, I can't think of a better way to start the day... who am I kidding, I can think of plenty of better ways but this is the healthiest!!

Christmas Day Run

We had a semi-family Christmas this year, half of the family got together in my brothers house County Carlow while the other half had other plans. I woke up late on Christmas morning to find everyone, except my eldest brother, had gone out to visit family. I looked out at the vast countryside from the kitchen's big front window and decided a run along the river made a lot of sense. I'm glad I did! It was a beautiful morning and the river path is perfect for running. The route I took covered 6.61 miles and I ran it in a leisurely 1.08. I arrived back at the house just as everyone else was getting in. What a perfect start to an already great day!

Jingle Bells 5K

This was to be the last race of 2008 and a fantastic race for a great cause. Unfortunately I had a lot of work to do the night before which rendered me pretty useless the next morning. You see I was part of the committee chosen for our know expertise in the type of work. The task was to select the wine for our Christmas party. This gruelling exercise involved tasting a wide variety of wines, some excellent wines as it turned out. Although I knew that there may be a possibility of missing out on the race the next day I do take my job very seriously and forged ahead regardless. Not only was I hung over the next morning but I was also geographically challenged by waking up some 60 miles from the start line. I really had no chance of getting there...

10K on Ice...

It was a cold and frosty morning. I mean really cold and really frosty. So cold and frosty that second thoughts about running 10K were frequent and very convincing but I stuck to the plan lined up with the rest of the shivering masses before the start line. I planned to arrive at the starting area just a few minutes before the start time to avoid getting too cold but my brilliant plan was scuppered when the start time was pushed back a couple of times.

Just as hypothermia was about to set in we were off. The route was familiar but very slippy in places. It was very, very cold and I was glad to have the hat that I pickup in Newcastle at the GNR expo. I really missed my gloves, my hands were freezing and it took 7K for them to warm up!

I finished in a decent time of 57:29 (09:16 mins/m) but just missed out on a new PB by 4 seconds. The race was the first decent bit of running that I've done since the Dublin marathon over a month ago so I'm happy with my time. Next week is the Jungle Bells 5K, hopefully I pick up a new PB there!

Staight after the race I had to dash into my office to create some icons for a group of software developers sitting in another office in India... funny old world we're living in!!

Here's a link to my 10K race: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1490148

Running thoughts...

Word on the Facebook street is that Monica ran her 7^th marathon last weekend... it reminded me that I haven't done any serious running since the Dublin marathon, that's bad... really bad! Well done Monica, as usual I'm playing catch up!!

2008 Dublin City Marathon...

I couldn't sleep last night, it was so bad that I got up a 1am to clean the kitchen. After emptying the dishwasher (what did we do before dishwashers?), filling the dishwasher (I love it), sweeping the floor, and a host of other kitchen related tasks I went back to bed to try to get some sleep. It didn't work, I kept waking up every hour until it was time to get up. This always happens to me the night before something that requires a good nights sleep.

Well, morning had broken and all the athletes in the house were up getting ready while the rest of the household caught a few more Z's. After an extra big bowl of porridge and a final gear check we were out the door.

The cold air hit us like a wall; it was freezing outside, literally freezing! I had to defrost the car windows and crank up the heating to max before we could move. I drive a French car and as we all know the french do style really well but fall down on the engineering bit, so we looked fantastic as we willed the engine to start. As there were very few cars about at that time of the morning the drive to the city was quick and easy and we arrived at the hotel car park with plenty of time to spare; the plan was to leave the car there overnight and pick it up tomorrow.

With the car safely parked we joined a steady stream of runners heading for the baggage area. After some last minute lubrication (runners will understand) we made our way to the start line.

This is where the excitement really kicked in. I could sense that every single person on that start line, every one of the 12,000 people around me, are having the same thoughts running through their heads... "the next step is the first of many for the next 26.2 miles".

There was plenty of chatter as we waited for the starting gun. One guy behind me commented on the "Impossible Is Nothing" wording on the back of my t-shirt, I turned around and was very impressed with his "Bjorn Borg" costume; he had the long hair, head band and wrist bands down to a tee. After a brief conversation I quickly realised that it wasn't a costume, and I was all the more impressed!

My conversation with Bjorn was interrupted by the starting gun and we were off... to a very slow start. Such was the vastness of the crowd that we shuffled towards the start line but thankfully we managed to break into a slow jog as we approached the start line, two things you must do when participating in a race like this: run across the start line and the finish line, what happens in between is down to you and/or the forces of nature!

We jogged past an enthusiastic and noisy crowd which, if you weren't there already, put everyone in the right frame of mind. After running for less than 4 minutes we came to a complete stop as we rounded Merrion Square. No-one could quite figure out what the problem was; had we stopped for a red light? It turned out to be a barrier that significantly narrowed the road outside the entrance to the maternity hospital that the police wanted to keep in case of a unexpected arrival. I reckon the cops on duty had a warped sense of humour by forcing 12,000 runners through a tiny gap outside a maternity hospital! That's my kind of humour.

After a tight squeeze the road opened up again and we're back pounding the streets. I was feeling really good and easily kept up with my running partner Alain and the plan to run 9 minute miles for the first 10 miles we're looking like a real possibility.

A little after the 5 mile mark I took my first gel of the race, it was the last SIS gel I had and I knew what to expect. This was also the first water station I used, I missed the first one. I was managing to maintain the planned 9 minute mile pace and was feeling remarkably well as we entered the west end of the Phoenix Park.

Miles 6-10 were very pleasant. The weather was perfect as we ran through the park. Much of the zip zag route was lined with spectators which made each step a little easier. We exited the southern end of the park and ran across the liffey and through Chapelizod. We then ran west and hit a monster of a hill. Reaching the top of the hill without walking was very difficult but we managed it but it did take a toll and I could feel myself slowing down as my running partner began to slip ahead.

Miles 10-13 were spent recovering from that Chapelizod hill. I also took my second gel of the race, one of the untried Hammer Gels I bought in the marathon expo on Saturday afternoon. By taking one of these gels I ignored the advice that had been thrown at me by experienced runners since I started this game: during a race never, ever, EVER wear, eat or drink something that you're not used to. Eating that hammer gel was like eating tar, and it tasted as bad. It was thick, doughy and sucked every drop of moisture out of my mouth, and with the next water station over a mile away this was not a good place to be. I almost threw up several times for the first time I really wanted to stop. But I carried on and made it to the water station. Taking two water bottles I spent the next mile consuming this awful stuff. Once I got over that episode I was feeling pretty good. The gel did the trick but if only I had used that brand before... On the down side I began to dread mile 15... my next gel stop!

At mile 13 we were approaching Clondalkin and the half way mark.

Miles 13 to 18 were great. We ran through Terenure, Churchtown and downhill into Milltown. I was still feeling good, perhaps getting a little tired but no real worries.

Miles 19 to 21 started something that I wouldn't recover from. I began climbing that virtual wall and it was getting taller and taller. I started to get very tired and what's worse is that I became obsessed with it. This point is critical in any race, this is when you need to be mentally strong to keep the legs moving for the next few miles. Easier said than done and I found it almost impossible to stay positive. But the crowds were unbelievable and actually kept me going, every clap and cheer was like a little lifeline thrown out to me which pulled me a little closer to the finish line.

Miles 22 - 24 were so tough, now I'm really tired and I started to make deals with myself. "Keep running until mile 23 and then you can take a break, just keep going until mile 23" I repeated in my head over and over. It worked and was still running long after I passed the 23 mile marker when the mantra change to "keep running to mile 24".

Mile 24 - 25 broke me and as I passed the 24 mile marker I had to give in and walk and I slowed to a heartbreaking walking pace. The heartbreak was short lived as I realised that my walking pace was as slow, or as fast, as my running pace... that's how tired I was in the last few miles of this race. I kept up as fast a walking pace as I could and marched towards the 25 mile marker.

Miles 25 - 26 were not good. After I passed the 25 mile mark I tried to get back into running but it was difficult, not only did I have to convince my mind but my body was not co-operating. It was a series of walk-runs for this last mile, each run getting a little longer but still painfully short.

The last .2 of a mile was a different story. The crowds swelled, filling the pavements and the atmosphere was electric, I guess they knew what we've been through, it was very exciting as the energy levels rose and swept us along. As I rounding trinity I was back in full flight, just in time as some of my family were there. That extra boost made the last stretch even sweeter!

Crossing the line was an awesome feeling, I don't think I'll ever get used to it. I just beat my previous best by 3 minutes. My official time was 4.44.00, I like that time, easy to remember. At the finish line I met one of my colleagues who ran it in 3.55 and looked remarkably fresh! I, on the other hand, must have looked a fright. I hung onto the railings while we chatted before the long, slow walk to the baggage area... a few meters away.

The next stop was a the pub via a hot shower in the hotel. I've said it before and I'll say it again... the first pint after a marathon is the most perfect pint ever created! Once sitting it was hard to get moving again, so we didn't fight it.

The next day involved a trip to the hotel to pick my car up. It wasn't a pretty sight (the trip not the car, we've established that the French do very good looking cars). Both my knees we incredibly sore and my thighs and calf's felt like concrete blocks; walking was comedic to say the least.

If getting to the car was a laugh, driving was hilarious... every gear change involved an agonising press on the clutch pedal, and I had to drive across town with many, many traffic lights, stop signs, roundabouts and turns... there were tears in my eyes.

Here's the link to my marathon route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1208344

The weekend before the storm(ing down O'Connell Street..)

It's been a fantastic weekend. Lots of food and drink and family buzzing around. The excitement is starting to grow as the big day approaches.

On Saturday we journeyed into the city to visit the marathon expo to pickup our goodie bags and numbers. I had run out of energy gels a week ago and hoped that I could get the brand I was used to. Unfortunately none of the many vendors were selling "SIS" gels I had trained with and after much reading of labels I bought what I thought were the next best thing; "Hammer Gels", sounds like a dodgy horror film... turned out to be a very real horror - more later! In addition to gels, more money passed through my hands and I left the expo with a new running jacket and other miscellaneous bits.

The rest of our day in the city was spent shopping for a non-existent ice-cream maker, drinking coffee and buying something to cook dinner in. On the way home we stopped off at the supermarket and filled a trolley, much to the horror of my credit card.

Dinner was amazing: pork steaks stuffed with emental cheese and mustard, all wrapped in juicy bacon slices; and a selection of roast vegetables from the garden. Dessert was an apple crumble made with fresh apples from the same garden. All washed down with copious amounts of Weiss beer!

Sunday was a day of rest, preparation and no beer! That night we had a huge pasta dinner and an early night. Tomorrow I'll be running my 3rd marathon!! How exciting!!!

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

All, don't forget I'm doing this marathon for the Children's Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin!! Follow this link do your bit: https://www.cmrf.org/sponsorshipManager/Usr_EventDonation.asp?EventId=206

MANY, MANY, THANKS!!

Do I look like a copper?

I had a bit of a scare while driving out of my estate this afternoon. There is a sharp 90 degree left turn about 100m before the main road, there is nothing to impede visibility on this turn and it has never been a problem before but this afternoon as I was taking the turn a car seemed to be driving straight towards me.

I blinked and it was true... although now it was actually driving straight for me! I had nowhere to go but luckily driver corrected her course at the last second. We both stopped, and as I walked to her car I could hear her apologising from behind the closed door of her brand new luxury salon car. As I approached the car I asked her if she was blind, when I got to the car she explained that the sun blinded her and she asked me to turn around to observe how low and bright the sun was.

I did this and yes, it was low and bright but if you can't see where you're going do you carry on regardless? I was about to ask her again if she was blind when I noticed something odd about her face, I was so glad I didn't because just then I realised she only had one eye.

I was still a little shaken and quite annoyed. I commented on the fact that she and her 3 child passengers weren't wearing seat belts, she seemed to mumble why was I asking about seat belts when suddenly she became very defensive and explained that she and all companions had just removed their seat belts when the had car stopped. This didn't explain how her seat belt was clicked in place while she was sitting it.

For some reason I looked at her tax and insurance discs. I half expected them to be either missing or out of date however both were present and in date. I asked her if she was OK, she was. As I walked away I commented again about the seat belts and how the kids should always wear them, the very last thing she said to me was "Yes, thanks Guard".

When I got back to my car it dawned on me what she said and that for some reason she assumed I was a Policeman (Police officers are commonly referred to as Guards in Ireland). That's a little upsetting... What characteristics could I possibly share with a stereotypical Policeman? OK, I'm tall and had my hair cut that day but apart from that? I may need to review my wardrobe, perhaps that's part of the problem. Blue shoes, red pants and a paisley shirt... that should leave no room for doubt, although I could be mistaken for a number of other things!!

What could possibly go wrong?

OK, it's Saturday afternoon, the weekend before the marathon, and I decide to take a walk up to town to do a little shopping and get a decent coffee. I slip on a pair of comfy shoes that I hadn't worn for ages... it turns out that I hadn't worn them at all since I bought them on my last US trip so they could be classified as new. It's a familiar story; new shoes + long walk = hello blister! It's not too bad, just a little blister on my heel but REALLY... what was I thinking?? To be on the safe side I missed the 8 miler this weekend. I might do it on Monday or Tuesday but we're tapering off now and it's not that important.

4th last...

Another early start. This morning was fast, I covered 4.09 miles in 36.12 minutes, that a 8:51 pace. According to the fetcheveryone predictor that's a 4:19:14 marathon time... if only it were true!

5th last...

5 more runs until the big day! After another early start we covered 6.30 miles in 1:00:41, that's a pretty decent pace of 9:37.

6th last...

Including this run I have 6 more training runs before the marathon, it's less than a week away and I'm really looking forward to it. It was an early start, by 6.30am we were out running the first of 3 short runs this week. We ran 4.13 miles in 38 mins, that's a decent pace of 9.11. We started out too quickly, the max pace was 07:54, and I can't do that on the day!

Half that will do...

The plan said 12 miles on Sunday, this was supposed to be my last long run before the Marathon but it proved to be a little too far for these two tired legs.

After procrastinating for the entire morning and most of the afternoon I finally got my act together and got out. I got as far as the driveway... my French car let me down again! I have a theory about foreign automotive engineering:

• If they make great wine or bland beer chances are they make rubbish cars.
• ...or...
• If they make awful wine or fantastic beer chances are they make really good cars.

Let's explore that:

• Look at the Germans: dreadful wine, so bad that Panzer's used it as antifreeze, and some of the best tasting beers in the world but they make the great cars.
• What about the French? Fantastic wine, beers that look and taste like coloured water but what of their cars? They look the part but under the bonnet it's a miracle that anything works... frequently it doesn't.
• Italians? Great wine and their beer may actually be beer but only in the broadest sense of the word. As for their cars? Fiat, need I say more?

After 1/2 an hour under the bonnet wishing for a miracle I finally got the car to start and I was off! The Curragh was soggy to say the least but I was glad to be out. I ran the first 5 minutes far too quickly, you see I passed a gorgeous woman in the car park as I was running out and had to pick up the pace! Why? I don't know, but to my horror there was another equally gorgeous woman jogging towards me so I had to keep the speed up. After a couple of minutes I was well out of sight, out of breath and about to slow to my usual pace when, to yet more horror, in the distance I could see another jogger. I couldn't make out if it was a man or a woman so I had to keep this ridiculous pace up. It turned out to be a fat bloke with a beard which really upset me, all that effort wasted.

I carried on at a more reasonable pace. By mile 5 I was getting really tired and struggle to get to mile 6. At that stage I knew I wasn't going to get 12 miles in. I pushed it to 6.73 miles and I was done! It took me 1:10 to run the distance, that's an average pace of 10:22. My maximum pace was 6:00, far too fast!

Here's a link to my route and stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1079520

Donadea 10K Race

After evening of torrential rain this morning was surprising pleasant. I wasn't sure if I should run this race having just recovered from a twisted ankle in Newcastle but it looked like a nice forest route and it was such a beautiful morning that I though why not.

I arrived at the race headquarters in good time, a new one for me. There was a big turnout and it was obviously well organised. The start time was 11am and we marched from the HQ to the start line in one group. I found myself close to the front of the group and thought about moving back but the crowd had formed behind me so I decided to stay. After a few speeches was were off, bang on time.

The race started on the road and entered the forest through a side gate. Once inside it got very peaceful, the running surface was very good and I felt pretty good. The pace to begin with was fast and I kept up with the faster runners for as long as I could. I kept overtaking the same guy, he was wearing a full tracksuit and I could understand how he was doing so well wearing all that cloth. He was taking the sprint-jog approach which never works for me. I started losing ground at around 6K which marked a gradual but definite deceleration. As we approached the finish the sprint-jog guy flashed past me, looks like his technique paid off.

I arrived at the finish line 57:47 which was much better than I expected. That's an average pace of 9:19, not bad for an ex-cripple.

Here's a link my the race stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1079521

I have to admit it's getting better...

... but it looks like I won't get any running in this week... although my foot is getting better I'm still limping. Let's look forward to the 10K forest run this Saturday, I should better by then... Seven days should be enough, shouldn't it?

Knackered in Newcastle...

Thursday evening and after a late departure from the office we were finally on the road to the airport to catch a flight bound for Newcastle and ultimately the Great North Run finish line (via the start line of course). I had a cold, the flight was delayed, the ride was rough, the food even rougher and we landed with an almighty thump but it was well worth it. We had some trouble getting out of the baggage reclaim area and into the arrivals hall; from a distance it looked as if the revolving door had jammed, and we were quite a distance away as the queue was pretty long by the time we arrived. It turned out that the door was hyper sensitive and if anything came close to any part of the door or frame it would stop dead, presumably fearing some poor passenger was stuck under, between or over it's moving parts. After much shuffling left, right, back and forth we finally made it out!

Friday morning was briefly seen as we woke up very late. After breakfast we headed out to the Metro station and into Newcastle city centre via the coast. Most of the Newcastle Metro runs on an old Victorian railway and many of the old stations are still intact and in use. The Victorians didn't do things by half and some of the stations are enormous which is hardly surprising since that part of the coast was a popular destination for day trippers and the only way to travel back then would have been by train. We got off the Metro at Monument made our way to a cold but dry street level. After a little pottering we decided to find somewhere nice for lunch but we kept finding ourselves back at Monument. Eventually we found a tourist information office, got the info we needed and headed down towards the quays. After an excellent lunch and a fairly decent pint we followed the tourist trial and walked along the quays, across the Tyne at Millennium bridge, visited the Baltic centre, crossed the Tyne again at the swing bridge and then up a steep hill towards the castle. We weren't sure if this was that castle that Newcastle got it's name from but we decided that it made sense since we had made the effort to climb the hundred or so steps to get to it.

We decided to cook dinner that night and went to an indoor market we passed through earlier that day. A remarkable place, there were rows and rows of fixed stalls that housed a vast variety butchers, green grocers, fish mongers, etc., talk about consumer choice! With the ingredients in the bag it was back on the Metro via the wine shop to rustle up a culinary delight for the other two that had to work today.

Saturday morning was wet and windy, not at all suitable for a 4 miles walk along the coast. So we went for a four mile walk along the coast towards Tynemouth. We popped into a church that has been converted into a market to dry out a little and have a coffee before jumping on the Metro to Newcastle city centre.

After visiting the Great North Run fitness expo and pottering around the center of town for a few hours we spotted a Starbucks with comfy seats by the window and headed straight for it. On the way we passed a minibus stuffed with what looked like pilots, turned out it was the red arrows arriving at their hotel, how exciting!

After a well deserved rest we got the Metro back to the coast, stopping off for a pint in the local pub. This particular boozer had a couple of nice ales and we stayed for another. We had to think about carbo-loading tonight and we decided we had two options: drive to a far and distant supermarket to get carbo rich pasta or get a takeaway with carbo rich rice. The latter won and we rang in out order to the local Indian takeaway. As we were leaving the pub we stopped outside to decide if we should get a bottle of wine for tomorrow night in the wine shop next door. As we chatted I manage to slip off the curb I was standing on and land awkwardly on my right foot. It was only inch or so drop but enough to twist my ankle. Although I felt it I didn't think I had done any real damage. I walked home with a little limp and then walked to the takeaway and back. After a bit of RICE I thought I'd be fine the next day.

Sunday morning and I was wide awake at 2am. It wasn't going according to plan, my poor little foot was aching and it took quite some time for the painkillers to kick in. At 7.30 am I was up and pacing the kitchen in the hope that my ankle would loosen up. It didn't and I had to admit defeat, the Great North Run would have to start without me.

I watched the start on TV. The weather was fantastic with beautiful sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Just as the Red Arrows started their display I left to travel to south Shields to meet the runners at the finish line. As I was walking up the road the Arrows whooshed past overhead. The continued towards the coast where they continued their display, most of which I could see from where I was.

When I got to South Shields I had a very long walk from the metro past a very, very long queue of race finishers who were lining up to get on the metro. I met the guys walking up from the finish line and we made out way to the ferry port. It was a very long walk to the ferry, past the same very long queue for the metro. The queue for the ferry was just as long but luckily we were meeting some people in a pub nearby. We stayed there until the queue had all but disappeared, it took approximately 2 pints of beer!

The ferry journey across the Tyne was short but meant we were were only a few stops from home. By the time we got home we had to turn around to keep a dinner reservation. Needless to say we all had an early night.

Monday was a lazy day for some of us, but unfortunately some others had to work. I was in no rush to get up and by the time we did the morning had given way to the afternoon. We decided to head back into the city and potter for the afternoon. We had a late lunch in Wagamama's, a coffee in Starbucks and a pot of cherry flavoured Carmex in Boots. After our last Metro ride it was time to pack and off to the airport.

It was a fantastic weekend and great to see everyone again. Not doing the run was disappointing but there's always next time. I just hope that I recover quickly, the Dublin city marathon is in 3 weeks time... yikes!

Wake up big fella......

The temperature plummeted over night! It was a fresh Autumn's evening when I went to bed and I woke up to a winters morning with a wind so thin it could cut a man in two. Last night God must have fallen asleep at his desk and knocked the temperature switch to Baltic. Somebody wake him up!!

Sniffless... for now

I feel rotten today, I've haven't quite got the sniffles but there's a cold dying to break through given half a chance. I've stocked up on vitamins and various anti-flu remedies in the hope of keeping it at bay.

I reckon my body knows that the GNR is coming up and is having its revenge for last weekends 20 miler that I forced it to run. I heard it complaining but I ignored it... it was like a whimpering puppy locked outside on a cold winters night, scraping at the back door with it's little paw!

I missed my 5 miler last night, but I might make it to the gym tonight for a dreaded treadmill session, best keep out of the cold!

Saturday's 20 miler...

...had to be just that and no less!

I planned on running in the fantastic Phoenix Park this afternoon. I had a 5 mile circuit, I'd have to run 4 laps of that to make up 20 miles. 20 miles... it's an awful long way and I couldn't stop thinking about it all morning. The more I thought about it the less I wanted to do it but the hour cameth, I got my stuff together and hit the road.

I got to the park a little before 2pm, changed in my running gear and I was on my way by 2.05. I decided that I'd set my my pace to 9.30 minutes per mile and try to maintain that for the duration of the run. Last weekend for the Dublin 1/2 marathon I tried to start on and maintain a 9 minute mile pace but at 10 miles I was exhausted.

After the usual first few miles of breathing issues, stitches and muscle spasms timed for maximum comedic effect I settled into a comfortable rhythm. As I was running alone I had my ipod with with me, something I hadn't done for a long time. After spending the entire previous evening wrestling with iTunes, iPods and... I, I finally transferred enough music to get me around 20 miles.

The first 5 miles were comfortable enough (after several comedy moment during the first few miles of course). The music matched my mood and pace perfectly; upbeat without getting too excited with the odd dodgy note.

Before I knew it I was approaching the car and my first water and gel stop. It was a dead stop! I had to get the key out, open the boot, get the water bottle, open the gel pack, etc. It took a few minutes to get going again and then a few more to get back into a rhythm. The next 5 were a little harder but I was keeping up with my 9.30 pace. As I rounded the last corner before the long straight run to the car I felt it get a little harder to run, a few seconds later George Harrison guitar introduced "My Sweet Lord"... what timing! That got me up to my second water and gel stop.

After another 2 or 3 minute stop it took me a little longer to get back into my rhythm. Feeling tired but good I ran my third lap without much difficulty until I reached the that corner again and it felt as if someone had turned up the gravity. This run back to the car was tough and I fought the overwhelming desire to walk.

This was my final water and gel stop. This one turned out to be the longest, I was getting very tired. It took a huge effort to get those tired legs moving. My pace had slowed right down, I felt tired and heavy but the was the last lap and I convinced myself that it was all in my head... you see no matter how far I run the last stretch is always the hardest. So I struggled on and made reasonable progress. I glanced at my watch and my pace had plummeted, I was 10 minutes behind... but so tired!!

Two miles into my last lap I was really fighting. I was running downhill, one of my precious recovery downhills, when I noticed a small car driving slowly towards me with a line of 5 or 6 card behind it. As I approached the car I noticed the passenger waving to me. I was tempted to ignore her and actually took a few steps past the car when my conscience kicked in and I had to stop, after all there could be something wrong. As I walked back up the hill to the car I took my ear phones out only to be greeted with "... do you know the way to the Zoological Gardens...".

This was the emergency! I must have looked a state; dripping with sweat and a bright red face... but they wanted to direction to the Zoological Gardens. She must have picked her victim carefully; there were walkers, sign posts, one single road... and she picked me. I told her that she should keep driving along this, the only road available, and when you reach the next junction there will be a number of signposts, and one of which will point in the direction of the Zoological Gardens. After than it's a case of pointing the car in the right direction.

Yes, I had stropped out! Even the smallest things had started to annoy me. I was on the last lap, I was exhausted and ready to finish but there was another 2 miles to go. That unplanned stop threw me completely off my stride. I knew it entirely in my head and it took another mile before I settled down, by this time I was turning the last corner and on the final straight! This was tough, very tough and with less than 1/2 a mile to run I gave in and walked. I probably could have carried on but at that moment my body won the battle. I walked about 150 metres, up to the next junction, and then push myself back into a run.

When I made it back to the car my Garmin had registered 19.75 miles, I couldn't believe it, I had to keep going to make up 20 miles. It didn't take long and once I had clocked 20.02 miles I stooped the watch, stopped running, turned around and slowly walked back to the car.

I had no idea what my time was, my watch was in virtual partner mode. After much fiddling and pressing of buttons I got to the time/distance menu. I had run the 20.02 miles in 3:37:58, not bad considering how utterly exhausted I felt. I had run an average pace of 10:53; slower that I had hoped but not disappointing.

Based on these figures it's reasonable to assume that I would run a marathon in 4:50, a lot slower than Cork! More work required then!

Here's a link to my route and stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/954150

Thursday's 6 miler...

... yet again turned in to a 5 miler. There's something about these extremely early morning runs... I guess it's just a case of getting used to them. We actually ran 5.27 miles in 48:46, a respectable pace of 9:15.

Of course I had my new toy, the heart rate monitor... My average was a little slower than yesterday at 158, that's 78% of my maximum rate. I must find out what all this heart rate info means! Am I in the right place? Too slow? Too fast?

Wednesday's 6 miler...

...turned into a 5 miler! Another 6am start but having got to bed at 2am I knew 6 miles could be a trick too far. I had promised to be at the track at 6.20 (ish) but due to circumstances completely within my control I couldn't find first gear... an apologetic text and phone call later and I was on my way finally got there at 6.40.

After 5½ laps we had notched up 5.05 miles in 46½ minutes, that's a pretty impressive pace of 9:12!!

My new Garmin heart rate monitor arrived yesterday.... clever gadget that talks to my watch. Apparently my resting heart rate is 60 (Beats Per Minute) and my maximum is 185. What happens if I exceed 185? If I pushed a little hard this morning I could have found out... my highest rate this morning was 172! My average rate was 162 which works out as 82% of my maximum, sounds like a good place to be!

Nine Minute Mile Maddness...

Up and out early this morning! I wanted to start and sustain a pace of 9.00 throughout the entire run. I started well and kept my pace at 9.00 for the first 2 miles. After that I started to lose a little pace. A little sprint gained lost ground so I wasn't too worried. As I approached the half way mark I had lost more ground and it was getting harder to keep up.

The return journey was mostly downhill but it didn't do anything for my fading pace. I arrived home having ran 6.04 miles in 58 minutes exactly, that's a pace of 9:36... so much for my 9 minute mile plan!

2008 Dublin ½ Marathon!

The night before the ½ marathon was Culture night in Dublin city. This is a fantastic idea where museums, galleries, and an eclectic collection of anything remotely cultural stays open well into the night, or some cases opens to the public for the first time. Needless to say I was out there and spent much of the evening walking between events. With the ½ marathon the next morning I managed to get home before midnight but also polished off a bottle of wine that someone foolishly left in the fridge.

Next day I arrived a little late, as usual. Why am I always surprised at how long the walk from registration to the start line. It was 10 o'clock by the time I got within shouting distance of the start line, luckily there was no sign of the race starting. I had time to fiddle with my Garmin 405; I wanted to use the virtual partner function to keep me on target for a 2 hour ½ marathon. After much effort I finally got it working and set it to a pace of 9.01. 10 minutes later there were some rumblings on the start line and soon we were off.

As usual (there's a pattern emerging here) I took off too quickly. My Garmin reported that I was several seconds ahead of my virtual partner. Every time I glanced at my watch that lead had grown... and I wanted more. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly I forget the pain and distress of running out of energy having peaked too soon in a race. But here I was building up to exactly that.

The first 3-4 miles were fine, I was sticking to the grass as much as possible and although the pace was fast I felt comfortable. The next 3-4 miles were a little tougher but manageable. I picked out a runner who was running a little faster that I was and attempted to keep up with her. I managed it for a little over 3 miles but had to let go around mile 8.

The next couple of miles were a little tougher but I kept the pace up. Things changed when I hit mile 10; I could feel something sucking the energy out of me... the same thing happens to my wallet every time I go shopping. From then on it was work... hard work to keep going.

As I approached mile 12 there were a couple of medics working on a runner, he was exhausted but looked OK. As I approached mile 13 there was a similar scene but this guy didn't look so good. There wasn't much I could do so I said a quick prayer and carried on.

With a 100m to go I spotted one of the fetchies cheering us on which gave me the boost I needed to get across the line. 2 hours 4 minutes and 27 seconds after bolting across the start line I stumbled across the finish line. I didn't beat the 2 hour barrier but this is a brand new PB. Fantastic!! My average pace was 9:30, if I could keep that pace up for the first 20 miles of the marathon I'd be home in well under 4.30.

Exhausted as I was I had a little more to do. I wanted to get 16 miles in today so I walked the very long mile back to the car to drop off my gear and ran back to the finish line. I carried on running for another mile before turning around and running back to the finish line to make up 3 miles. It was a slow 3 miles, I ran it in 32:05, that's a painful pace of 10:48.

Here's a link to my route and stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/899692

Last run before the Dublin 1/2...

This was my last training run before the 2008 Dublin 1/2 marathon. I did pretty well to get out tonight but I can hand much of the credit to Joe. It was wet evening and the sun was beginning to slip behind the horizon, hardly ideal conditions. The plan was to run 5 miles but I wanted to run at least 6 miles as a pathetic makeup for chickening out of my Wednesday run last night. I'm can't remember what brilliant excuse I used; too dark, late, wet, long, who knows.

We were running circuits of a park that measured just under 1 mile. The park has public lighting as is perfect for evening running. We chatted for a couple of laps which turned into 6 laps before we knew it... one more and we'd break 6 miles and I'd be happy.

In all we covered 6.2 miles in 1:01:14, that a pretty relaxed pace of 9:53. Not great but let's save the best for Saturday's 1/2 marathon.

Early morning short run

I'm getting back into these early morning runs as my 7am wakeup call testifies. After short but decisive negotiations with my warm & comfy bed I was up, dress and out by 7.30.

This morning I had a 6 mile run planned. As usual I started the run with pace of a little over 7 minute miles, which is far too fast. The town was just waking up as I ran through it and out towards the Curragh. It took 3 miles before I settled into the run and reduced the pace to a reasonable 9 - 9 1/2 minute miles. After the half way mark it got easier, but it was mostly downhill back into a now wide awake town.

The final distance was 6.25 miles which I ran in 59:01; that's a respectable pace of 9:27... Not to be sniffed at!

Early morning long run...

It's 05.30 as the alarm clock switches on dragging me out of a place I really wanted to be. The radio muttered in the background, it was difficult to make out what was been said but I didn't really care. I knew I had to get up but I just needed another minute, maybe two.

It's 05.45 and the second alarm sounds, this one is an annoying buzzing noise that demands attention. It's silenced immediately, I get the message.

It's 05.55 before I finally drag myself out of bed. It's dark outside, probably cold too but there are 12 miles of parkland to be covered and I'd better get on with it. It takes a couple of minutes for my Garmin to lock onto its' satellites so I sit on the doorstep while putting my trainer on, still mucky from last run.


With trainers on and satellites found I took off. As usual, my pace was far too fast at a little over 7 minute miles. I tried to slow down but am hopeless at regulating my pace. After a few minutes I got it down to 8 minute miles and eventually to a reasonable 9 minute mile but not before I felt exhausted.

To save my knees I ran on every scrap of grass I passed until I got to the Curragh, by that time the sun was up and it was turning into a beautiful morning.

I ran towards Donnolly's hollow and after 5 miles I finally got my pace down to my marathon target pace of 9.30. I Connolly's circled the monument, took a gel pack and some water, and ran towards the golf course. I wasn't sure if I could run around the golf course but I ran up to the club house anyway where I met some of the groundsmen who were busy getting the course ready for the day.

After a short break I doubled back and ran cross country towards the main Curragh village. After a circuit of the large field next to the motorway I had covered over 10 miles and it was time to return home. By this time the town had woken up and everyone was busy getting somewhere.

As I approached the bridge that marks a mile from home I had covered a little under 12 miles and I decided to take a little detour to add a little more distance. I turned into what I thought was a lane, it turned out to be the house for the Parish priests and as luck would have it one of them was leaving in his car. Thinking I was looking for assistance he rolled down the window to ask what he could do. I explained that I was out for a run and wondered if this lane was a dead end. While it was definitely a physical dead end, I was assured that it was by no means a spiritual dead end.

By the time I reached home I had covered 13.29 miles in 02:15:23. That's an average pace of 10:11, a little over my marathon target but with 7 weeks to the marathon I'm happy with that.

Running on the dark side...

Tonight I had to run 6 miles but I just couldn't face an hour on the treadmill. Although it was getting late I decided to jump in the car head to the Curragh, getting there a little after 7.30. With the summer behind us it now starts to get dark at 8pm so I wasted no time. To make up the 6 miles I had two laps of the largest field to run. Half way around the first lap all was going well but it was getting dark, a second lap may not be possible.

The route takes me along lovely undulating grassy terrain, parallel with the M7 motorway. After a couple of miles there's a left towards the military camp and then a little cross country around the perimeter camp (the Army are very protective of their gaff...) which eventually leads to the main access road to the camp. Then I take a sharp left by an old airfield, used occasionally by military helicopters, along the road back to the starting point.

By the time I reached the road it was very dark and hard to see where my feet were falling, so a second lap was out of the question. When I arrived back at the starting point a quick check of my watch revealed that I had actually ran 4 miles rather than 3, phew! To make up the other 2 miles I ran 2 loops of the road where there was occasional light from passing cars, now that is dedication!!

Getting better...

Riding home tonight was a nightmare, the wind and rain nearly swept me off the bike a few times but after a 30 minute roller coaster ride I made it home safely. The plan was to run 8 miles on grass (yes, outside in the howling wind and horizontal rain) but that just wasn't feasible option for sane people. We decided to visit the gym that I'd been paying fees to for the last couple of months and had visited only once to find out what time they closed at with the intention of returning that night but didn't.

Anyway, 10K on a treadmill is not easy, that's a little over an hour of running on the spot, well not quite that bad but it feels you're running around in circles. At any rate I'm very glad to have done it, that's short-run number 2 out of 3 done.

Getting back...

It took a while but I'm finally back to midweek running. Tonight we ran a little over 6 miles on grass. While it was a tough run I'm very happy that my knees were pain free... looks like I'm over that injury!

RUBBISH!!!

I missed yet another training run.... AARRGGGGGG!!! You see... tonight I worked late, got home late, it was well after eight, so I ate late, quite a large plate, and after all that I just didn't feel great, I was in quite a state, getting a little irate, partly about my weight, but mostly about the date, you see it's getting late, and I need to train at a more frequent rate, from now once I pass through my gate, I need to run straight, far out of my estate, but not as far as Kuwait. It's getting late....

Rubbish!!

OH... MY... GOD... I'm in so much trouble!

Saturday did the usual disappearing act this weekend but I managed to grab hold of Sunday afternoon and got stuck into the 6 miles it took to cycle the long way to the Curragh (via Athgarvan). I arrived tired but determined to push this weeks running distance past last weeks 6 miles.

Easier said than done, my legs felt heavy & tired and I knew I was in for a tough run; not the best frame of mind to be in at the start of a training session. I ran towards Athgarvan and had to slow to walking pace as I passed "Donnelly's Hollow"... a natural bowl-shaped amphitheatre where the Irish champion boxer Dan Donnelly defeated the English champion George Cooper in 1815... I took advantage of this lengthy text on Donnolly's monument to rest before continuing. I checked the Garmin and was gutted to see that I had only covered a mile.

I turned around and headed back the way I came, taking a slightly different route back to my bike and happily notching up another 1.5 miles. I took on some water and was tempted to cycle home right then and there but thankfully I carried on and headed north toward the Race Course.

It was race day and although I was about a mile away I could see and hear the stands were full of cheering punters as a closely knit line of horses galloped past. I refocused and checked my watch, almost 4 miles done.

Wanting to avoid the mud track that I came across last week I decided to cross and footbridge that spans the motorway separating the Curragh plain from the race course. A quick check of the watch and I had covered over 5 miles. I wasn't sure what was on the other side, it turned out to be part horse training runs and part forest but not really suitable for running so I decided to cross back to the other side. Just then I checked the Garmin... dead as a door nail! The battery must have died.

I decided to run back the same way to get an accurate distance. It turned out to be a little over 7 miles in total, better than last week at least but still way short of what I should have been covering. The cycle home was fast and easy, almost all of it on the level or downhill.

There's not much time left! Only 2 months to the marathon and I can barely run 7 miles!! According to my training plan I should be running 19 miles next weekend... OH MY GOD... what am I going to do...

Running in slow motion...

I haven't run in such a time long... and I'm getting fat! That's not true, I ran the Adidas 10 mile race last weekend, but no escaping the getting fat bit!! I finished Friday great intentions for Saturday; up early, light breakfast, running gear on, out for a 13 miler, home, shower, potter in the garden, dash into town for a browse and a latte or two, etc.

Next thing I knew it was Sunday morning! This happens occasionally... Saturday knew what I had planned for it and it hid behind the sofa until the the next morning. Luckily for me I had no such plans for Sunday and it thought it was safe to hang around.

I had to get a run in today as it has been a week since my last serious run. I really want to avoid road running until the very last moment so I dusted off the mountain bike and rode a little over 3 miles to the Curragh. The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres (20 km²) of common land. There is a permanent sheep presence on much of the plain which helps keeps the grass trimmed, perfect for running.


The cycle may have been short but took a lot out of me, not a great start. My legs were stiff and I probably should have stretched before running but, you know! The first two miles were on level ground with nice short grass and the odd ruminant obstacle. The pace however was painfully slow, I felt like I was running in slow motion... I just couldn't get my legs to move but bizarrely I was enjoying the run.

Here's a curious thing about sheep... they hear you running, they can see you approaching, they stand there staring at you running directly at them but they stand still until the very last moment when they react with panic as if they've just noticed you. I thought that was a little odd.

By mile 3 and I was getting into the swing of things but by mile 4 grass had given way to muddy track. There was a runner ahead of me that veered to the left while I forged straight ahead... oh well, next time I'll know.

By mile 5 I was back on grass and rounding the military camp. I could have finished at 5 miles but knew that I needed to do more so I carried on past my bike for a mile loop.

After 6 miles I was very tired and faced a 3 mile cycle home. After a rest and a little water I was off. Luckily the ride home is mostly downhill and I arrived home less knackered than expected.

The bottom line? I have a lot of catching up to do if I'm going to beat my Cork marathon time of 4.47 in Dublin this October... a lot of catching up!!

Frank Duffy 10 Mile Race 2008

I've just realised that this morning's race is my first 10 mile race ever... so an automatic PB for me!! Last year my crappy car let me down and sat in the driveway, forcing me to miss the race (secretly I wasn't too upset, 10 miles is a long way).

I ran the 10 miles in 1:34:52, to be exact, and enjoyed it immensely even when I started to fade in the last mile (but I always do!) but a funny thing happened during that last mile that gave me the kick I needed... As we were rounding a corner in a wooded part of the run we heard a distant loud speaker playing a familiar tune but we couldn't quite figure out what it was. It as a slow tempo, downbeat song and frankly the last thing I'd choose to spur on tired legs on for the last mile. As we ran closer to the loud speaker the sound became clearer but we still couldn't quite work out that the song was until the chorus came around... "...Bright Eyes... burning like fire..." We fell about the place laughing, the song they picked was from Watership Down, a film about a bunch a rabbits risking life and limb to get across busy roads with many casualties along the way. That choice was either a bad mistake or the result of a very dark sense of humour!

Here's a link to my route and stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/899692

Don't walk on the grass...

This was my first training run in weeks and it showed. It was a really hard run and I was way out of my comfort zone for the entire run. We ran a little over 4 miles in a little under 40 minutes on grass in an effort to reduce impact on knees and ankles. I'm going to try to stick to grass from now on and limit road running to races.

Tour of Kildare 2008

This is an annual tour and my first time taking part. It's a 100K cycle which starts in Naas, travels North to Maynooth, then West to Kildare town, then East towards Newbridge and finishes back in Naas.

I arrived in Naas early and wheeled my bike through the crowd to get to the registration desks. It was a friendly crowd and one guy commented on how new my bike looked, little did he know that it was so new that I hadn't spent any serious time in the saddle.

Almost everyone had proper gear; proper cycling shoes, shorts, jerseys, gloves, even aerodynamic sun glasses. Some guys had aerodynamic clear glasses; I could understand the sunglasses but why would you want flashy clear glasses? The end of mile 2 answered that question as yet another fly bounced off my head... Note to self: buy some cycling glasses.

The first stop was 25K after an easy run to and through Maynooth. The weather was good, no rain or wind to speak of. I though it was a little early to stop but was glad to get out of the saddle for a rest.

The next stage was harder as we hit some rain and strong wind that broke up the pack. It was no surprise that I was bring up the rear with only a handful of riders behind me. As time went on the wind slackened but we did get caught in some serious downpours.

The second half of the race was a struggle but I was in good company and chatted most of the way with a variety of people. All chat came to a stand still when we reached the dreaded hill; I'd heard about this hill and thought we'd climbed it a few miles earlier outside Robertstown. A car would have trouble getting up that hill and I had no chance so for the first time during this race I had to get off the bike and walk. After cycling non stop for some 30 miles walking was quite a challenge, it was yet another comedy moment as I struggled to put one foot in front of the other... but ooohhhhhh... the relief of getting out of the saddle made up for it! By the time I got to the top of that hill it was time for an energy gel, some water, a lash and I was on my way.

The next couple of miles were bliss, a slight but consistent downhill slope meant that I could coast all the way to the next village. I caught up with the next group of riders and stuck with them for the journey to Kilmeague and onto Kildare town where I stopped to help a guy out that had a puncture. He needed a pump and I had one but we couldn't figure out how to use it. In my defence it was a new, compact, lightweight, incredibly tiny gadget that had a complicated connection sequence; that the official story and I'm sticking to it! We managed to stop another couple of guys who had a proper old fashioned pump that worked. The guy with the puncture kept apologising for holding us up but we were all glad to get out of the saddle for a few minutes.

Reinvigorated by the rest we all took off with enthusiasm. I shot past the second and last stop before I noticed it but decided to keep going, everyone else in my group did the same. At about 4K enthusiasm was dramatically replaced by despair as I realised just how far I had yet to cycle. The last 20K were very, very tough and I was so sore all over. The only thing to do was to keep going and ignore the pain...

Before I knew it I was approaching Naas and the finish line was only a few Kilometers away. Entering Naas was fantastic, just a couple of kilometers to go and it would be all over! I crossed the finish line in 4 hours 6 minutes. An awesome time for 100K. Getting off the bike took a little longer that I expected, yet another comedy moment! I parked the bike against a wall and hobbled into the reception area to sign in.

The reception are was a hive of activity. There were freshly made burgers (2 for me please), drinks, t-shirts and smiling faces all around, and curiously a lot of empty seats... most people choosing to stand. I joined them, some things and best left behind.

First proper cycle on the new bikes...

The key word here is Ouch! I love the new bike; it looks great, works well and is very fast but why... OH WHY do racing bikes come with a saddle that resembles the thin edge of a stick. After a few hundred meters I'd had enough... but kept going in the hope that the discomfort would fade as time when on. It didn't. We cycled a little less than 10 kilometers, and when I got off the bike the relief was instant and overwhelming.

I'm taking part in the Tour Of Kildare 100K on Sunday... that's in 2 days time and yes, I'm worried.

Chain Reaction...

Myself and my mate Joe have been talking about buying road bikes for weeks. Since the burden of ownership of his mountain bike was relieved when a couple a scallies nicked it last week we decided it was time to bite the bullet; not literally of course although our destination (Belfast) could be the place to do it.

Belfast is a 2 hour journey from my house and we left early with the idea that we'd get to the showroom as it opens, take the bikes out for a test ride, pay for them, chuck 'em in the boot and be home for lunch. We arrived on time and took the bikes out for a test ride as planned but were given the option of a disassembled bike or the easier option of an assembled bike. Naturally we opted for the easy option and had to add 2 hours to our schedule. 2 hours was perfect for a quick jaunt into Belfast city to visit a motorcycle clothing shop that I've been dying to get to for some time.

After trying on leathers, helmets and other bike essentials we'd exhausted our 2 hours and made our way back to the bicycle shop to pick up our shiny new bikes. We stuffed them into the back of the car and eventually arrived home 5 hours late (a Starbucks stop didn't help but sometimes I can't resist).

When I got home I clicked the front wheel into place and took it out for a spin. Apart from the saddle feeling like an implement of torture the bike rode beautifully. With the Tour of Kildare 100K in less than a week I'd better find a solution to that saddle problem; the general rule is that it's good to have your problems behind you but as with all rules there is a exception...

Singing Lesson #5

Our final lesson, and the much awaited end of course concert! I was the third student to arrive and our tutor was getting a little worried that she may only have three performers for the concert. After a little while a fourth, and as it turned out final, student turned up. We were missing four students, I wonder if they were overcome by nerves? completely understandable but a shame all the same.

There were no new tunes tonight and after the usual warm ups it was straight into practising our group pieces. The concert was due to begin at 8pm so at 7.30pm our accompanist arrived to give us all a chance to practise our solo pieces.

I managed to find the sheet music for A Song For Ireland and brought it with me on the night. The accompanist was very good and played it perfectly, unfortunately the version on the sheet music was slightly different to the version I knew and we decided that I would sing without the piano, I'd go A Capella this evening!

Finally the hour arrived and our tiny but enthusiastic audience of 4 burst into the room. It changed the atmosphere completely! I can't speak for my classmates but I became very self conscious and very nervous. After a brief introduction we started with the first group piece, "Amazing Grace". After an initial nervous start and a few misplaced notes it went very well and judging but the applause the audience seemed to enjoy it.

We moved onto another group piece which was a little more relaxed and then the moment arrived for the first solo piece. I was last in the queue and the first 3 students were fantastic, I had a lot to live up to. Without an accompaniment it was difficult to start but luckily I had a one to one with my mate Diki, an excellent singer, a few days earlier and he gave me a few tips to singing a capella. Having found my starting note in my head I was off. The first verse was a little nervous to say the very least, my voice wobbled like jelly on a fat mans belly (I have no idea where that image came from but I'm not telling my psychiatrist). The second and subsequent verses were fine, I had settled down and stepped into my own world for the rest of the song. The audience seemed to enjoy it and then it was time for one last group piece.

Walking out of the class for the last time was both a little sad and exciting. Sad that the course had come to an end but it was very exciting and satisfying having performed in front of an audience. I'm looking forward to the next step!

Tonight's takeaways:

• Project (...open your mouth!!)
• Articulate (...pronounce those words!!)
• Posture (...stand up straight!!)
• Breath (...at the right time)
• Always do your homework

Singing Lesson #4

Tonight we had our second last lesson and in addition to the usual warm-ups and a new tune we had to decide what we were going to sing for the end of course concert next week. After much searching I have decided to sing "A Song For Ireland". We were asked to find the sheet music for our songs so that the accompanist could practise. Unfortunately I couldn't find the sheet music for a Song For Ireland... perhaps I should sing it A Capella?

Tonight's new tunes:

• Where is the love

Tonight's takeaways:

• Ties, Dots, and Articulation
• (Yet again...) Always do your homework!!

Ambitious cycle...

It's been a little over a week of no running and I'm feeling very fidgety. So myself & Joe decided to dust off the push bikes and head out for a long cycle. I got my new Garmin 405 watch this week and am dying to give it a go. As we live in neighbouring towns we met half way and decided to head north and, snaking around country lanes, we'd edge easterly towards the canal and back towards Naas.

It may seem obvious now but cycling uses a whole different set of muscles to running. After 5 miles I was aching in places I'd never felt before. After mile 8 I couldn't help asking the question: what sadist designed bicycle saddles? What was s/he thinking?

According to my new toy we cycled a total of 18.76 miles, exactly. And the knees; they were OK but during the last 5 miles I could feel them but nothing serious.

Deserters

A couple of weeks ago I was at a my company's summer party held in (I'm reliably informed) a fashionable club in a fashionable part of town; as I'm several steps behind the fashionable people I wouldn't know. We had a large part of the upper floor reserved with our own (free) bar and what seemed like a continuous stream of finger food. I have no problem with free bars, I'm a big fan actually, but the same thing seems to happen at these events. At about 11pm it suddenly dawns on me that I'm no longer sober, why that surprises me I don't know but it's quick as if someone flicked a switch.

Anyway; much, much later I was in conversation with a couple of friends from my office and we agreed to have dinner in their house a few weeks later and I volunteered to bring desert. The next day I had a vague recollection of agreeing to something; what and what for I couldn't quite make out. The next working day revealed all when an email with a date for dinner and the question: would I be bringing desert and a starter or just desert?

I searched the web for easy, cheap and yummy deserts; sounds like the ideal date! After a few phone calls and I decided to make one of my favourite deserts: Banoffee Pie. It turns out to be pretty easy to make:

• Crumbled digestive biscuits and butter for the base, chilled for at least an hour.
• Caramel, bananas and fresh whipped cream for the filling.
• A sprinkling of chocolate flakes to top it off.

The result was fantastic, and it was such a thrill to see everyone enjoy it!

Singing Lesson #3

After the usual warm up exercises it was straight into yet another great lesson. After a plethora of new tunes we decided that the "end of course" concert will go ahead. We all need to think about what kind of song we'd like to sing and we will have an piano accompaniment which should make it easier to stay in tune and hide any hiccups.

Tonight's new tunes:

• The sound of music
• Dream a little dream of me
• Amazing Grace
• Where is Love

Tonight's takeaways:

• Posture
• Always do your homework

Ouch...

Damn it! I've really done it now. My knees are in bits and I need to start taking proper care of them. So, it's rest for a couple of weeks and then ease back into running if I'm going to have any chance of a 4 1/2 hour marathon this October, but more importantly I need to beat Kerry's time in the Great North Run in early October... there's £25 at stake!!

It's a long way from Carlingford...

Last night it was a struggle to get out of the clutches of the city's rush hour traffic. By 5pm I had to be 75 miles away in Carlingford for a weeding and it wasn't looking good as I crawled along Dublin's orbital motorway at a snails pace and it was already well past 4pm.

We finally arrived at the seaside town and checked into our hotel and I use that term in the broadest sense of the word. It reminded me of a DIY project that went horribly wrong. The hotel consisted of a series of individual rooms running along the length of a driveway, each with large sliding doors to the front that opened straight into the bedroom. The bathroom, again accessed via a sliding door, reminded me of an apartment that I'm sure we've all had. You know the one where the landlord was so tightfisted that he'd never replace anything or get a tradesman in to make proper repairs and the flat looked as if it would disintegrate if you sneezed?

We were running late and had to get ready fast. I jumped into the shower, predictably a cold one, and dried off with one of the micro-mini bath towels. My suit looked like it was rolled up in a ball in the boot of my car, hardly surprising since that's exactly where it had been for the last few days. I managed to de-crease my suit just enough to get away with it. I did a little foraging for an iron and ironing board for my shirt before finally accepting that this was indeed a classy hotel.

With lightly creased shirt, a matching suit and a pair of Doctor Martin shoes I was ready and out the (sliding) door. The hotel owner was a nice guy and gave us a lift down the very steep hill to the wedding venue, his driving skills obviously far outweighed his DIY skills.

It was a lovely wedding reception. It was held in the local sailing club which had striking views along the length of Carlingford Lough. It was a long night, I was trying to drink as little a possible and time seemed to pass more slowly the later it got. But eventually it was home time, the bar had closed and the DJ was packing up. Walking back to the hotel was a bit of a challenge; it was pitch black and all up hill. We eventually made it, wrestled with our sliding door and fell into bed.

Getting up the next morning wasn't easy, my race started at 10am and I was at least an hour and a half away. I struggled to get up and managed to dress, pack and get on the road by 8.30. After a brief stop to get petrol and breakfast I was on the way.

I reached the City orbital at 9.40, I was late and wasn't sure if I'd make it on time but I pressed on. Uncharacteristically I didn't get lost and arrived at the registration office with 5 minutes to spare. I dashed into the office to register and pick up my number. I had to dash back to the car to get my GPS watch and foolishly tried to pin my number on my shirt as I ran. After several minor stabbings I decided to walk until the number was attached. I got to the car with no time to spare, I was officially late as the start line was a 10 to 15 minute walk away.

I ran all the way to the start line which was devoid of all runners and walkers, I was definitely late! As I crossed the start line I heard a beep and was happy that my time had been recorded. It took a minute or two to reach the slowest walkers and a few minutes later I came across the slowest runners. I was running faster than I would normally and continued to overtake runners for the next fifteen or twenty minutes until I caught up with a group running at a comfortable pace for me. I slowed down and ran the remainder of the race at this pace.

After mile 4 my right knee started to twinge a little, could this be the start of a painful finish? I was right! The final few hundred metres were quite painful but I carried on regardless and crossed the line, with relief, in 42:08. Not bad for a 5 mile run with a hangover and dodgy knees, I must turn up late more often!

Singing Lesson #2

Lesson #2 and I hadn't done my homework! Not only that but I couldn't remember what it was, but I did remember to pick a song to sing a cappella: "Black Is The Colour", a lovely traditional song of Scottish origin that I hoped get through without killing it.

The weather was appalling but this time I arrived in plenty of time, the first to arrive actually. The start time passed and I was still on my own but we gave it a few more minutes and thankfully a couple of my classmates arrived and the class started. We went through a lengthy warm-up session before revising last week’s songs and before moving onto some more complex songs.

It wasn't long before it was time to sing our own songs. For some reason I was volunteered to sing first (note to self: never sit at the front). I stood up in front of the class, took a deep breath and promptly forgot the tune... I desperately tried to hum the chorus but nothing came to mind. I apologised and asked if anyone in the class knew the tune. Luckily someone did and very kindly hummed the tune to get me going. I'm not sure how it went, I was so nervous and focused so completely on the words in front of me that when I sang I didn't really hear myself.

As I rounded off the last note I quickly made for my seat to kind applause. My classmates stood up in turn and performed their chosen pieces, each one was as nervous as me but very impressive; there's a lot of talent in that room!

Tonight's new tunes:

• Caro mio ben... a scary Italian number.
• Scales; majors & minors.

Tonight's takeaways:

• Rests; minim rests, crotchet rests, etc.
• Breathing... sounds obvious but not unlike swimming, if you do it at the wrong time you could be lining yourself up for a comedy moment.
• Always do your homework.

Swimming in Mulranny

On the way home we decided to pop into the new hotel in Mulranny for a quick swim. It turned out to be a very, very long stop as the hotel was equipped with not only a fantastic pool but also a sauna, steam room, an outdoor hot tub overlooking Mulranny bay, a jacuzzi and a whole new experience: the plunge pool; an 8 foot deep narrow pool filled with ice cold water, refreshing is not the word!

PB's and Dodgy Knees: The Achill 1/2 Marathon 2008

The weather forecast for Achill on Saturday morning was: wind, rain, wind, the odd sunny spell and wind. That's a lot of wind!

I thought we had plenty of time to get from Claggan to the race but the drive to Achill is always takes longer that I seem to remember. As we crossed the bridge onto the island there was barely 30 minutes to the official start time and we had a good 20 minute drive to Keel.

The registration office looked like it was a stones throw from the start line. Here's a handy hint: if a map states that it is not to scale assume the worst! In this case it was a mile away and I had to run there to make it back in time.

When I got back to the assembly area I was exhausted, the race was starting within minutes and I used this time to recover as best I could. As I walked along the line of the waiting runners towards the back of the queue I could feel the wind pushing against me; a strong wind is only good when it's behind you, this one was very much in front!

It wasn't long before the starting gun was fired and we were off. We left the beach and headed up to the main road and then turned right towards the mainland and into the wind.

The first few miles were harder than expected but enjoyable. As soon as I turned off the main road and headed towards the northern part of the island the wind eased off and the sun made a brief but welcome appearance. This part of the run was great; the scenery was stunning as the countryside opened up in front of me.

All was well until mile 9 when I started to feel a little little pain in my right knee, the knee I injured when I came off my bike earlier that week. I was passing a steward when I almost stumbled when I felt a sharp pain in that knee. He asked if I was OK and I said yes, it's just a twinge. It wasn't and I knew it but I couldn't stop.

From mile 10 the pain got progressively worst but I knew if I stopped I may not get going again. By mile 12 I must have looked tragic; I had slowed right down and had a very obvious limp but I was still running. As I scaled the last hill the sandy beach of Keel appeared; not long now and it was all downhill.

I finally reached the outskirts of the town, I could see the finish line and running along the final stretch was fantastic as the enthusiastic cheers from the crowd pulled me along and over the finish line. I checked my watch and my time was 2:07:18; a new PB to make up for a dodgy knee!

Singing Lesson #1

No, not a typo! I've swapped the swimming lessons for singing lessons for July. As usual I left it to the last minute to check the location and time of the course: 7pm in South Great George's Street. I wanted to be early and left the office with plenty of time to spare.

I arrived in town over an hour early and took the opportunity to shop for a couple of life jackets for this weekend's trip the Achill. Having found, bought and deposited the perfect jackets into the car I made my way to the music school with 10 minutes to spare. I made my way to the reception area and introduced myself only to be informed that the class had begun 20 minutes earlier! I pulled the printout from my pocket to double check... the web site was wrong, I though I was early and the class was way past warming up.

Oh well... I found the room and slowly opened the door just enough to pop my head around. A very jolly, friendly voice welcomed me and quickly summarised what the class had covered; what a relief!

I found a seat at the back and once I had settled in I quickly surveyed the class. There were 8 in the class; 7 women and me. I'm not sure if my arrival changed things for our teacher but it certainly lowered the tone.

Having missed the group warm up exercises I started the class straight into singing. It turns out that my voice slots into the Baritone category; the type of male voice that lies between Bass and Tenor. I guess that's a good thing; perhaps not the best but at least a bit of both worlds.

One of the reasons I wanted to do this course was to answer the question can I sing?
Apparently I can, just not very well but with practise I could be up there with the average of them!

Tonight's new tunes:

• Fly me to the moon.
• Edelweiss.

Tonight's takeaways:

• Articulate when singing.
• Performance directions; legato, mezzo, adagio and the like... I'll never remember all that, I can barely remember my name in the morning...
• Pick a song to sing A Capella for next week's class.

When gravity goes bad...

After a very wet but uneventful ride home I was just entering Newbridge when I remembered that my locksmith had called a few days earlier to let me know that replacement keys for my bike had arrived. So I decided not to go straight home, instead I'd ride on through the town and up to Newbridge Shopping Centre to pick up the keys.

I had just entered the car park and intended to turn right into one of the many lanes to find a parking space when I noticed a white SUV travelling in the opposite direction. The next few seconds took me by complete surprise; the rear wheel quickly and without any warning slipped to the left. Before I knew it I was on the ground with a very heavy bike resting on my right leg. I was stuck, the bike wouldn't move and my leg was pinned to the floor. The bike had been running for almost an hour, I knew the engine was red hot and being stuck under it was the last place I wanted to be. The driver of the SUV came to my rescue and helped me lift the bike just enough to free my leg. Once on my feet I could get the bike upright and wheel it out of the way.

I felt a little shocked but otherwise OK. The bike took a bang on the right side which knocked the brake lever block out of position but otherwise no other damage.

I rode the bike home and when I got inside my right leg felt quite sore around the knee. Taking my boots off I felt moisture around my knee and I thought blood, damn!! However, once I got my bike trousers off it turned out to be water, probably from the time I spend on the ground under the bike. My knee was a little grazed but nothing serious. There was a little bruising and it did feel sore. The Achill 1/2 marathon is in 3 days time, is that enough time to recover?

Tuesday 3 miler

It's a week before the 1/2 marathon and I'm feeling great, we ran this morning's 3 miler in 23:55, that's a pace of 07:58! Happy days!!

A weekend in Budapest...

This is a great city! My only other visit here, a few years ago, was a little rushed and we didn't have a lot of time to explore; then we were heading into the depths of winter and the temperature had plummeted to close to zero Centigrade, not ideal for wandering the streets. This time couldn't have been more different; we were heading for the height of summer and the average temperature was 32 degrees Centigrade; much more conducive for tourist wanderings and we had time to do it!

We stayed for five days (four nights), staying in a Hilton for the first two nights and then a much more agreeable apartment hotel for the last two; the latter had less fuss and more stuff, and it had a terrific pool which I made full use of.

On Saturday evening I decided that I had to get running so we made a plan to get up really early and walk the mile to Margaret Island where I would run two circuits (about 6.7 miles) which would give herself enough time to get in one walking circuit. Getting up really early meant no alcohol the night before which was ridiculous when on holiday so the 6am became 8am which is still early, we're just leaving off the really bit.

We walk along the Danube to Margaret Island, passing the poignant Shoes on the Danube Promenade, a memorial to the people who fell victim to the Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest and depicts their shoes left behind on the bank when they fell into the river after having been shot during World War II.

The island is on the Danube (or should that be in the Danube?) and is accessed from Elizabeth Bridge. When I got down to the bank of the island I was surprised to find that there was a proper running track that appeared to stretch the entire circumference of the island. Running on that track was like running on air, if only I could run on this every day but it's a hell of a commute.

There were plenty of people out and it didn't take long before I came across someone running just out of my comfort zone so I decided to try to stick with her. The first half of the island was easy enough even though the temperature was a lot higher than expected. We were running at a fast pace and I was starting to feel the strain. We briefly left the track as we ran around the end of island and onto the northern edge where we picked up the track again. The sun was beating down and felt like it was sucking the energy out of me. I managed to keep up with my pace maker for another half a mile or so until she slowly slipped away as my energy levels plummeted. Half way along this side of the island I passed several swimming pools where a large digital thermometer read 32 degrees centigrade; that I could believe.

It wasn't long before I passed the starting point and I was on lap 2. The second lap was tough but I knew what to expect, and somewhere along the first half my reserves kicked in with a welcome boost. On the second half I could feel a dull pain my left knee, not enough to stop me but from experience I knew that once I stop running it will hurt!

I'm not often right but this time I was spot on; as I completed the second lap I stopped the clock, slowed to a walk and instantly the pain shot through my knee. I limped up the hill to the main access road where rested and stretched to try to relieve the pain.

After a little while we were ready to get back to the hotel and breakfast! As we started to make our way back I took a few moments to log my time and distance; 6.67 miles in 58:31, that's an impressive pace of 8:46. The walk back was less brisk than earlier but the combination rest & stretching did the trick and we were making good time.

Time, as it turned out, was not on our side. We somehow managed to slip back into Irish time and thought we were an hour earlier. When we arrived at the hotel we thought we had plenty of time to shower and change but as the concierge pointed out breakfast was just about to end. It was an easy decision; miss breakfast for a shower and fresh clothes or slip into the breakfast room, hoping that nobody notices our soggy attire. We opted for the latter of course and, for the price of a few raised eyebrows, tucked into a well deserved feast.

After breakfast, a very long shower and a potter around the locality we made for the hotel's excellent swimming pool for a pre-lunch swim. Happy days!!

Swimming lesson #12

The final lesson of the summer. I'm sorry to see them come to an end and shall look forward to their resumption in the autumn. Tonight we revised all 3 strokes (front crawl, breast stroke and back stroke) and spent a little time in the deep end.

Tonight's takeaways:

• Keep moving when treading water.
• If you panic when deep under water you'll stay there.

I have joined my local gym, who conveniently have a branch next to my office as well, so that I can swim whenever I choose. All I need to do is get in there!

Belgium; the land of chocolate and beer...

... but it doesn't stop there! It turns out that there is a lot more to that little country than gastronomic delights! But while we're talking about food, my favourite Belgian dish has to be Stoemp & Wild Boar sausages; haute cuisine it may not be but it has a farm fresh, healthy, traditional, mature, local, good feel to it... a little like haggis in Scotland or Oysters in Galway; it may not be the best thing for you but it feels right when you're there!

The weather in Belgium this weekend was fantastic, regularly tiptoeing around 28 degrees Celsius and race day was no different... it was a hot! The race was in the small village of Ogy, near Lessines, about 50KM South West of Brussels. The drive to Ogy was lovely; the countryside was beautiful and we had a running commentary of the view by my 3 year old niece. It turns out there are a lots of cows in Belgium!

We found the village without any difficulty and arrived at the starting area with plenty of time to spare, so much that we had a prime parking space in the village centre. Ogy is a small, quiet, friendly village tucked away off the main road. We found the registration hall (that would double up as a bar after the race) to enter the race. Once the princely sum of €3 had changed hands we were issued our race numbers and 1 safety pin each. After some negotiation we secured a second safety pin each.

Outside the hall some local vendors were setting up their stalls; a creperie, juice stall, fast food stall and yet another bar. We made our way out to the market square where the race MC was chatting to a transient crowd. He had a list of all registered runners and as we had registered on the day we were not on his list. He called us over and asked for my name but unfortunately his question stretched my French vocabulary of 5 words beyond it's limit and I couldn't make out what he was talking about; he quickly figured out I wasn't a local and Alain stepping to translate. He was trilled to have a foreign participant and as soon as we had been added to his list he switched on his microphone to announce my arrival.

We had a little time so we jogged first kilometer of the route to warm up although I didn't expect such an extreme warm! The temperature has risen to 28 degrees centigrade even though we had left noon far behind us.

By the time we got back to the village it was almost time to get going again. A line was forming behind the start barrier and as we slipped into place the entire crowd was hushed to silence and held it for about a minute. I wasn't sure if this was a tradition before races in Belgium but I decided to go with the flow and waited patiently, holding back a sneeze that was slowly building up. I'm sure that if there is a God he's got a cruel sense of humour, but at least he's got one. After the race I found out they were observing a minutes silence as a mark of respect for a runner that had recently died. Sometimes it's good to go with the flow!

A few seconds later the starting gun rang out and we were off! We ran up the narrow street we started on, past the makeshift bars and into the village square; past the church and the village war memorial on the right and soon we were out into the open countryside. The pace was a lot faster than I had expected or was used to but I felt good and kept up. The first few kilometers were fast but very enjoyable; we were running through the heart of the Belgian countryside, way off the beaten track.

The temperature was high, somewhere around 28 degrees centigrade, and as we passed kilometer 4 I really started to feel the heat. The first water stop didn't come a moment too soon and provided instant, if short lived, relief to the heat. The next few kilometers were undulating and quite challenging. I knew my pace was ebbing away as a quick glance at my watch confirmed. I could feel the sun sucking energy out of me and the water stop at kilometer 8 was most welcome. The next 3 kilometers were very tough; I was tired fought hard to keep going. The final kilometer was uphill and a real struggle but my running partner Alain kept me going until we reached the top of the hill. From there we could see the finish line.

As we passed the church the race MC spotted our approach and called out our names as we crossed the line, what a thrill!

We crossed the line in 1.06.27; a pretty good time for such a tough course in that heat.

OMG that hurt...

Very tough run this morning, it was only a 3 miler but it took a lot out of me. I'm putting it down to a combination of a fast paced 5 miler yesterday morning and 3 hours of wind surfing, kayaking and topper sailing last night! Still, a pretty decent pace of 8:43 (finishing in just over 24 minutes).

It was my first time wind surfing and won't be the last; even though I could only sail in one direction, fell in about 20 times and had to be towed back to shore I really enjoyed it. Kayaking was a lot of fun too, a lot drier than wind surfing and a lot more control but you provide all the power. Topper sailing was great, I have done it before and sailed in larger boats so it wasn't completely new.

Amazing Pace...

...when feet move around! (sung to the tune of Amazing Grace it's mildly amusing)

For this morning's run I had a Garmin Forerunner 201 that I borrowed for one of my colleagues... and I love it, I've gotta get one. We ran exactly 5 miles at a fantastic pace of 8.25 (finishing in 42:06). 3 miles of fartleks tomorrow morning and then off the Brussels for the weekend! Happy days!!

Swimming lesson #11

OK, I think we're getting there... slight overall improvement this week and I'm finally getting this breathing lark! Towards the end of the lesson we had a chance to dive into the deep end, swim towards the shallow end and front crawl to the other end of the pool... that was FUN!

I keep thinking about the 1500m swim if I participate in the Dublin triathlon next year. So far my record is 20m, that's 1480m to go...

Last week next week and the courses will not resume until September, we may have to look at private tuition for the rest of the summer... 1480m and all that!


Tonight's takeaways:

• When diving tuck your head between your arms and enter the water hands first, not all at once 'cos that really hurts...
• 1/2 a lung full of water