Ah, the April Showers...

After a wonderful weekend in Gaoth Dobhair, where Richie, PJ and I played a very enjoyable gig in Tí Hiúdaí (we finally got a genre we're comfortable with when one person described our music as punk country, then changed that to dirt country!...), I got back to terra Conamara yesterday evening and was fit for nothing but stretching out in my comfortable bed.  Today, however, I managed to get out for a four miler - up and down the village.  I felt ok, not too bad at all, but I got caught in torrential rain.  I thought about darting behind the Secondary School until the rain passed, but what was the point - it was better to be running in the rain that getting cold while waiting for it to end!  Here's a serious point:  I haven't raced for months.  Not funny.  I have to get a race soon to get me back onto the straight and narrow.  There's more to life than dirt country.

Big Ron Comes Back...

After a long stint on the sidelines, Big Ron finally made his running comeback on Tuesday, with a three mile trot around Bóthar Buí and Dóilín with yours truly.  Weather was wonderful on Tuesday, so it really was a joy to run up this side of the village, with magnificent views of the mountains and the sea.  Big Ron struggled a little coming up the hill from Dóilín pier and it was hilarious to see a supreme athlete such as he puff and pant in my wake.  Of course I made the most of this, knowing it will take the Big Red One about three weeks of running to leave us all trailing in his dust again.  'I hope you don't mind if I finish up at the three mile mark,' said Burgundy.  'Wimp', I replied.
Three weeks may be overstating my gloating time though...

Three Miles After Hip Lay Off

I took the bulk of last week off from running.  Following my glorious six and half mile comeback last Monday I felt a soreness in the hip area.... Now, it isn't often I feel a sorness in the hip area, so I was mightily alarmed.  Was this my future staring me in the face?  I spent four days crawling up our work stairs like a war veteran.  Were my running years already catching up with me?  Well, in panic I took the few days off and rested.  Until yesterday, when I jaunted off around the village for three easy miles.  No great pain, so hopefully that will be that with this aul hip pain.  Probably time to change my runners!

Beautiful New Route - Just Beside Me

Conor and I went out for a six mile run yesterday evening and with time constraints we decided to run from the house, rather than take our usual drive as far as Seanadh Phéistin.  What a revelation.  Now, I do normally have a village route run but this time we decided to turn left down a tiny road called Demense.  I know the road well from my youthful days of taking a shortcut to the football pitch, but for some reason or other I've ignored this route when it has come to running.  The downside is that it can be rough underfoot, but it is spectacularly beautiful and remote.  Of course the evening added a good deal to it - clear and warm.  I've slipped a bit running-wise lately (I did run a four miler on Monday) and I've also slipped blog-wise.  But, I'm back for sure?!

Missed Marathon, Missed Blog Posts, Friend Passes.

This was possibly the longest stretch between blog posts since I began this carry-on a couple of years ago.  I should have been on to tell the story of my successful Barcelona marathon over a week and a half ago, but, alas, there was no Barcelona marathon for me - successful or otherwise.  Our trip got cancelled when one of a party of three took ill.  There will be other marathons - it's not the end of the world.  My own training has dipped dramatically these past few weeks though, but I still got out about three times to trot around four/five miles.
On Saturday another good friend of mine, Michael, passed away following a battle with cancer that lasted over a year and a half.  He was much loved and achieved a great deal selflessly in his life.  We will miss him greatly.  We might also do well to learn from him.