10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Fantastic Grange Fermoy 4 Mile

1. An Rud is Annamh is Iontach

I think that less races is better. No races is definitely terrible but perhaps we had too many races before. This was a proper race, a real race, no nonsense, no money, no prizes and no shiny medals. It was less than 200 people trying to find out who’s the best at running 4 miles. Because there were no other races on, everyone was there, everyone.

2. Doublethink

I think it shows you how messed up this country is that the pubs were open before there was a road race in Cork. It doesn’t take a masters in public health to figure out that pubs are very dangerous dens of disease and small local road races are not.

3. Prohibition

I think that we should ban running every few years to increase participation levels. There was clearly a lot of training going on over the last few months judging by the standard of this race. That or a lot of online shopping on Nike .com

4. Billy and the Stress Fracture

I think that I had two excellent excuses for my performance today. I spent four weeks doing nothing because of a second metatarsal stress fracture in May. Then just as I’d gotten over the stressie, Billy arrived. I think I’d take Billy over a stress fracture any day. Billy permits ample running, stressies do not.

5. Magic Shoes

I think that the magic shoes make it so much easier to comeback after a stress fracture. Normally it would take 12 weeks to be able to tolerate sessions and races after a stressie but with the nice soft springy Vaporflys you could probably race even when you had the stress fracture. They really are magic.

6. Hairy Beasts

I think that it is a shame that only myself, Barry and Conor have maintained the lockdown look. Initially, I went down the top knot/mini man bun route but recently I have discovered hairbands which are far better. I think I’ll keep the hair, the beard might go.

7. Social Distancing

I think that Grange Fermoy did an excellent job on the race. It was far more socially distanced than any GAA match you’d watch through a fence. The hall which is the primary source of most pre and post race infections and diseases was exchanged for a beautiful white outdoor Gazebo. It was like a race in Spain, just with a bit of wind and a few threatening sprinkles of rain. Everyone lined up on excellently socially distanced blue Xs. We were called to the line a few seconds before the start and away we went like normal minus the pointless touching and jostling like penguins behind the line. Perfect. Almost better than before.

8. The Old Normal

I think that no matter what happens I will always end up racing John Meade and Viv. I was pretty sure I was done with them last year but the stress fracture has made me quite bad. John Meade still hasn’t given Nike a shiny penny, in-fact he hasn’t given any shoe companies any pennies. He’d probably be disadvantaged even if there weren’t Vaporflys. In fairness to Viv at least he beat me badly, John Meade just sat on me until the last 100m and then sprinted away like a man who was delighted with himself. To make it worse he brought Kieran McKeown with him.

9. Can We Do This Again?

I think we need more club only races. I love a big huge race as much as anyone but there is something special about these races where everyone is capable of running under 22 minutes for 4 miles. It was like the All Ireland Cross Country on the road. Standards are good.

10. Living is Better than Existing

I think that it is great to be back racing. I know runners are awful selfish sweaty creatures who look like the perfect vehicles to spread disease but really we are no worse than GAA players. Life is definitely better when there are races, races are definitely better when Grange Fermoy organize them. I hope there are more.