10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The DePuy Synthes Cork BHAA 4 Mile

1. Variation on a Theme

I think that it is interesting how courses change over the years. The new park in Haulbowline has changed all the races in Ringaskiddy. There was never a flat race in Ringskiddy before now, they all always had huge big climbs up towards Carrigaline. Now we have nice flat courses which should in theory be perfect for great PBs by me.

2. Dilution

I think that the number of races is leading to a dilution of numbers. Normal people like John Meade only do one race a week so when there’s a race on every night of the week except Tuesday the potential for beating people and tormenting people is severely reduced. It’s possibly time to introduce mandatory racing, like how the GAA would turn up at your house and drag you out the door to play an U16 match in Banogue.

3. Chronic Lateness

I think the problem with doing lots of races is that you begin not to worry about being on time and get used to turning up twenty minutes beforehand and doing a mile warm up. When I arrived in Ringaskiddy I spotted the perfect parking spot right opposite the finish, all I had to do was move a questionably placed cone, the sort of cone that if you move it doesn’t make any difference and no one will notice as it’s the last cone.

4. Wednesday Evening Quarterback

I think that I couldn’t have asked for a better group to run with in the race that John Meade and James McCarthy. Two classic BHAA runners, ever present since about 2008, always consistent. From the off I sat in behind them like quarterback perfectly protected from the directionless wind.

5. Wind Turbine

I think that there was a mysterious wind blowing in Ringaskiddy on Wednesday night. It was all over the place, I tried to figure out the direction by looking at the wind turbines but it seemed to be changing all of the time. It was particularly noticeable as we went over the bridge towards the naval base. I can’t imagine what running around the park would be like on windy day as it was bad enough on a calm evening.

6. Fake John Meade

I think that John Meade must have body doubles like Vladimir Putin it is the only way he could maintain his schedule. The double that turned up on Wednesday night was definitely a Fake John Meade. It must be a new double who is only being trained in as after only two miles it was malfunctioning and making unusual noises. The noises were so unusual that I got distracted and James McCarthy nearly got away. Fortunately I realised that it was a Fake John Meade and overtook it and hopped onto the back of James.

7. Running Royalty

I think that I’d be better off if I didn’t know the history of James McCarthy. I definitely had too much respect for him on Wednesday, I was almost afraid of him. Ever since I started running way back in about 2008 James has always been winning, it was always either him or Sean McGrath. It feels odd to be following him in a race, so odd that it seems like I’d be doing something wrong to overtake him.

8. Headwind

I think that any chance of a great PB by me was ended by the directionless wind that managed to turn into a vicious headwind for the return to Ringaskiddy. As we passed the three-mile marker fake John Meade had been well dropped and was at risk of being caught for fourth. I was sitting behind James McCarthy in second not really believing what was happening. When we hit the headwind, James being the canny experienced winner that he is let me burn myself out into the wind before gradually slowly but surely picking up the pace until a tiny gap opened between us.

9. Chimp Paradox

I think that I will have to go and spend money on a sports psychologist. I am useless at winning. I am forever finishing second or third or fourth. It must be confidence as I’m nearly there, it can’t be over racing or bad training or whatever other things that you can do wrong as a runner. If I had the correct sports psychology I’d have dug deep and overhauled James McCarthy in the last 400m before raising my hands like the fake John Meade had been trained to do. Instead I stayed three seconds behind James happy out to have beaten fake John Meade and come second instead of third.

10. John Buckley Sports Power Rankings

I think that there should be a new high performance ranking system for cork running. It should be based on the value of John Buckley sports vouchers you have collected over the course of a calendar year. It’s the perfect system as it accounts for consistency, performance and it’s even age graded. Current leaders would likely be Alfie Davis and John Meade. My new goal is to be top of the leaderboard by the end of the year. I reckon the lads have enough for a new pair of Vaporflys so I’ve a lot of catching up to do.