National Novice XC

10 Things I Think about the National Novice XC

1. Shakeout

Experimented with a 10 minute run this morning after getting up to try and wake the legs up before the drive. Don't know if it works. I don't know if it qualifies as post-activation potentiation (PAP) but if I was selling stuff that's what I'd call it.

2. Breakfast

Pre-race breakfast of two bananas and a few rice cakes. If I was selling a nutrition plan, I'd call this a low residue breakfast. Goes well with a few nespressos.

3. Drive

Anglesboro to Dundalk is not a long trip, ~2:40 with a coffee stop. At least we have one good road in the country.

4. The Niggle

All runners have a niggle, any runner who says they haven't a niggle is lying. It's perfectly acceptable to have one niggle, most of the time it moves around from leg to another. This weeks niggle was my lower stomach. It didn't seem to bother me at all today. I wonder where the niggle will go next, probably my foot.

5. Warm Up

Kind of miscalculated the warm up, did 3 laps with Conor. It's not a nice feeling to hear the starters whistle when you still don't have your spikes on. Got there in the end with plenty of time. Good to get the adrenaline going.

6. The Start

The start of the national novice is as close as you'll ever get to the the trenches of World War I. Most of the people there know it's a hopeless cause, would rather be anywhere else and are probably going to end on the flat of their backs.

7. First Mile.

I put my watch on auto pause so I didn't have to press start. (I'm really clever.) 5:00 minutes for the first mile, still only about 30th. This means I didn't go off too fast. It's not a road race.

8. The Course

Great course, it's like the UCC farm with a few hills and ramps thrown in. The ramp is very difficult when you've long legs like me but I got over it successfully three times. I'm sure it was very graceful. It's not real cross country though.

9. The Race

If you think for even a second in this race you'll loose 10 places. Thinking is not good. I don't think I thought during the race.

10. The Finish

Ended up 39th, lost about 5 places in the last 100m but I am incapable of sprinting. Ended up on the ground with the paramedics worried that I was going to get trampled on. I didn't care. I had my fun and that's all that matters.

Cork County Senior XC

10 Things I Think about the Cork County Senior XC

1. I love cross country.

It's pure athletics, no looking at splits or times, just hard running. Totally out of breath from the start, heart rate through the roof.

2. First Mile

I think I ran the first mile a little bit too fast. 5:03 minute mile according to Strava. Considering I can barely do 5:30s on the track, 5:00 minute miles in a farmers field was probably ambitious. I felt (and looked) like one of those GAA players at the start of every road race, only difference being I finished the race.

3. Giggling

Elite runners can giggle when running 5:00 minutes miles. As I passed the front bunch on the first lap all I heard was giggling. Sean McGrath came after me, the rest correctly assumed that I was a lunatic.

4. Blisters

Blisters can be fixed using Compeed and Leukoplast. I've a huge blister on my foot due to a new shoe but a Compeed blister plaster and a layer of Leukoplast makes any blister pain free. (Must be pink woven leukoplast).

5. The Guy With The Mic

The guy with the mic is a legend but very annoying. The last thing you want to hear in the middle of a 10k race is: "the runners should remember how many laps they've run because there's no one counting".

6. Goody Bag

I was worried about what was in the post race goody bag as the guy with the mic kept warning the juvenile parents that the bag was unsuitable for children. Turns out it was nothing more offensive than a packet of Seven Seas Active 55.

7. Job

I've never seen anyone get a job in the finishing pen of a cross country race. Michael Harrington finished just ahead of me, the guy with the mic was standing there on the mic saying "Michael Harrington coming through to finish" he then turned off the mic turns to Michael and says "Michael I hear you do a bit of glazing, I've a house down in Bantry, could you have a look at it next week?"

8. Leevale

The Leevale team is incredibly strong. I haven't a hope of being a scorer on the team. Total dominance. Junior men's race was ridiculous.

9. Marathon Recovery

I know I'm not supposed to be racing two weeks after a marathon but I feel fine. I probably should have taken three years off or whatever sports science says you should do but I like running too much.

10. 13 Races

I'm not running 13 cross country races this season. One every week is way too much. Four or five will be plenty. An rud is annamh is iontach. John Meade can translate/correct.

Berlin Marathon 2016

Ten things I think about the Berlin Marathon.

1. Long

26.2 miles is a long way, 42km almost seems less, the km markers break it up nicely.

2. More Mileage

I think I'm going to need more mileage at goal marathon pace to run much faster. The legs give up, not the breathing.

3. Japanese

Japanese runners are the most environmentally friendly runners in the world, one of the guys I was running with kept veering off course to put his water cups in the bin. Ridiculous when the course was covered in them. Probably thought the Germans would fine him for littering.

4. Water

The mouth rinsing trick works, I didn't drink a drop of water all race just rinsed with water. It tricks the brain into thinking you've drank. Works with Red Bull too.

5. Breakfast

Breakfast was 8 rice cakes with peanut butter and bananas. Perfect no stomach trouble, light and easy to digest. Much better than stodgy porridge. 3 coffees.

6. Looking Good

I caught up to a an old guy around halfway and ran alongside for a while, he said to me "you're looking good". Yeah I said, I got my haircut in Berlin yesterday.

7. Alcoholfrei

That alcohol free Erdinger at the finish is very nice. Good for rehydration. Not so good for the stomach.

8. Conor and John

Conor McCauley is a serious athlete. Getting the scalp of John O'Connell is a big achievement, John is as gritty as they come. It shows training pays off. Both of them ran 4-5 minute PBs, that's some improvement in one year. Mileage works.

9. On Empty

Doing long runs on empty the day after a Saturday workout definitely does prepare you for the last 6 miles of the marathon. It feels the exact same as the last 5 miles of a Sunday run.

10. Another One

I might just might do another marathon, perhaps...probably Berlin. It's very, very good.

Munster Intermediate XC 2016

1. Bus

Myself and Michael Creed got a nice bus from the GAA pitch where we parked, up to the course.

2. Numbers

Arrived at the offices (a tent in a farmers cow shed) to be told "there's no Leevale numbers". This wasn't true, they'd just been taken by the Leevale ladies team. 

Turns out the numbers were pointless anyway as they were blown off within about 5 minutes of the start.

3. Starting Time

All of a sudden it was decided that the junior men and intermediate women would run the same race. Time for a quick 5 minute warm up, unfortunately Tomas Kenefick had gone for a proper warm up and missed the start. 

4. How many laps do ye want to do

At the starters discretion there was a brief discussion about shortening the race because of the weather. We eventually persuaded them that we wanted to run 8k as that's what the race was supposed to be. I think everyone just wanted to go home.

5. Start

Fast start off down the hill into a tight corner. I tried to take it out hard but was passed by Darren and Alex O'Shea. I thought this was an unusual tactic for an Ultramarathoner so I just tucked in behind. Good decision. The Alex O'Shea fan club were vocal in their support throughout the race.

6. Course

The course itself was really well thought out, just a pity that the weather was apocalyptic, sheets of rain, wind and cold. A 2k lap with good hills and some nice open flat sections. One of the better courses.

7. Muck

Today's muck was different to the muck in Dundalk, while it was mucky it wasn't sticky so you could just about keep the legs turning over. Muck rating 9/10. 

8. Race

I adopted the Chris Mintern patented wheel sucking XC tactics for the race. I sat in behind Darren and tried to pass him on the downhills. In hindsight this was as pointless as a the Social Democrats election manifesto. Into the home straight Darren just kicked away. I never had hope despite finishing within 2 seconds of him.

9. Remember Your Numbers

The much sought after numbers had been blown away so had you had to remember your name and number crossing the line, otherwise you didn't count. This is challenging after 8k in the muck flat out.

10. GAA Facilities are Fantastic

Back to the GAA pitches for a hot shower after a warm down with Darren. The GAA have good showers.