Misty Night on the Moors.

Seanadh Phéistín is 100% bogland - or moorland according to Sherlock Holmes and other friends from across the Irish sea!  So a night run in Seanadh Phéistin is a mixture of creepy and beautiful!  This evening Conor and I stretched our legs for a five miler on that very moorland, with a gentle mist falling ever heavier as we left civilisation farther and farther behind us.  We took it nice and easy this evening (I had done an interval session yesterday and Conor had done another marathon this weekend - so the limbs needed resting).  Having said that, we did push it out for about a mile or so on the way back home.  Despite my early dreams of following the furman programme for the Barcelona Marathon in March, I'm now just running as I feel - programme out the window!  This may backfire completely, but hopefully I'll be fine... time will tell.

Redemption with 16 Miles.

My intention was to run 15 miles on Saturday or Sunday last.  But I didn't.  In fact, I only ran four.  It was slightly demoralising - I have signed up to do a marathon in Barcelona at the end of March and yet I hadn't run more than 8 miles since the half marathon of December, until tonight.  So today I brought my shoes and shorts to work and headed off from the Spanish Arch when the day was done.  I had no fixed idea on how long I would run tonight, I simply ran on a whim.  The night was beautiful - still and dry after a long day's rain.  On I went, out past Nimmo's pier, around South Park, down to Mutton Island and then out onto the prom.  I was feeling very confident at this stage - running a steady pace, certainly no more than 8.30mins.  I ran to the end of the prom and turned left down onto the gravely path that hugs the diving board at Blackrock.  There weren't any lights along this path and the way was now lit from the main road a couple of hundred yards away - but it was still clear enough to see directly ahead of me, and to my left the waves were crashing up against the shore.  At end of that section of the run I turned left, heading down towards Knocknacarra cross, and then on out towards Barna village.  It was a steady pace, and I felt good enough to determine to run on past Barna and keep going!  I would actually have gone further but for the fact that there were no streetlights past Superrvalue and things were getting a bit dodgy!  The way back was just as nice - I felt good all the way and probably could have run another few miles.  So I've done wonders for my confidence - I now feel that I'm back in marathon mode - and I've done wonders for my motivation too.  Real redemption.

8 Miles at Night...

I've been shirking my running responsibilities lately!  Finding a way to avoid a run, or shorten one... not a good tactic when I'm supposed to be competing in the Barcelona marathon next March!  So it gave me great satisfaction to actually go a few miles extra this evening.  I set out with Conor on a cold and slightly windy night up the Seanadh Phéistín road, fully intent on running five miles - no more.  However, when I got to the 2.5 turn we decided to go on a bit, head for 6... and then a six miler turned into eight.  Nicely does it!  We had a decent pace too - certainly in the low eights and better for some sections.  The way back was difficult enough though - Conor's headlight lost it's battery power and the wind pushed us back at every step.  There were parts of that road when I was completely lost as to where the heck I was!  Still, eight miles completed - surely now I'm ready for a long run this weekend 

Great Day in Tuam - PB for Kevin!

The epic year of a run a month started with the Tuam 8k twelve months ago, so it was only fitting that Kevin and I should return to the scene of that crime for another crack this year.  I thought the race was next week, so I got a bit of a hop when Kevin called yesterday evening to ask if I was all set!  I arrived earlier than Kevin and registered us both, and then headed off to a hotel in the town to read the paper and while away an hour.  Kevin arrived from Mullingar at 1.30pm, and after a bit of warming up we headed to the start.  There were roadworks galore in Tuam so the regular 8k route was changed this year.  All the better I reckon.  For starters, last year's route was a double loop - I always find a doubler way more difficult that a single loop.  There were slight inclines for sure, and I did hear some fellas in the locker room afterwards complaining about the difficulty but in all honesty both Kevin and I thought it was a far better run.  And the day was a crisp and bright - if a tiny bit cold.  Kevin and I ran this one together - stride by stride, and it really shows how far he has come in a year when he ended up taking over 3 minutes off last year's time as we strode in at exactly 42.00.  We had a coffee in the Mercy Hall, where the Tuam club always put on a good spread, and then off for fish and chips in a nearby hotel - you can't get a better day!

A New Blog for 2012.

My posts have been tardy of late.  There is a reason - and it's not that I've been lazy (I swear).  I have a brand new challenge in mind for 2012, one for which I'm eager to dedicate it's own blog.  I hope my few followers can switch over for the year (I won't be closing this blog down at all but posts for this blog will slow down a bit (maybe to once a week or so), and who knows, we might even gain a few more followers over the next few months... I'll certainly be keeping in touch with all my friends from Around the Year....More details to follow!

Check out the new challenge and please sign to follow!  http://thepebbleandthegiant.blogspot.com/