7.5 miles, on a day of meetings...

My wife was the first soul I ran past, she on her way back from a walk, and I on my way to Dóilín Strand...

Upon joking about a need for drugs following a stressful day, a friend remarked that I should go out for a run to get my 'natural high' - never truer words were spoken.  Today, I finally broke the 5 mile barrier, for the first time in quite a while, with a fantastic 7.5 mile run, from one tip of the peninsula to the other.  This was a day of meetings for sure.  In the hour prior to set off Yolando and her children called to the house, followed by Big Ron and his youngest Cóil.  When all were gone I set off, down to the lighthouse first of all and then up towards the village.  The first soul I met on my run was my own dear wife on her way back from a walk - so the camera was sprung!  After this I met Síle and her young ones, crossed paths with Mícheál, Peadar and half the world... The opposite tip of the peninsula to us is the famous Coral Strand - Trá an Dóilín, so at this point I turned to head back for home.  For about a half a mile after the turn there's a steep and steady incline.  It nearly broke me!  But what goes up must come down (or at least level off!)... I trotted back home at a decent enough pace - and lastly met cousin Bríd!  A fine run, on a fine day...

Sit Up Day.

It's Juneathon after all, and though I won't be a winner, or anything near, I've decided to keep going for most of the month at least.  Today was a sit up day, just 30 - enough to make my soft stomach churn!  And on it goes...

5 Miles.

This scraggily beauty marks the entrance to our  home in wild and windy Conamara...

Out the road at 7pm, down towards the lighthouse and back up again.  Not a mile gone when the heavens open and I'm being lashed - punished for past sins, or sins of a past life or just punished.  Or am I being treated to nature's greatest cleanse?  While the world inside four walls can look out with dread at June rain, the runner is quick to adjust, and even delight in it.  All day long I felt sluggish, but all of a sudden I'm revived, galloping up Ard na Bleaistéirí, past my mother's house, nearing the top of the hill at Connolly's and still stretching the legs.  By the time I got as far as Matt Tom's I was ready for London 2012.  My intention was to go out for 3, but I ended up stretching it to 5.  And I loved every minute!

After Work 3 Miler...

A windy but bright June day and after work I trotted the prom at a slow enough pace.  The place was full of walkers, as always, but funnily enough it was low on the runner barometer for some reason.  Felt good, but didn't push the pace too much... Juneathon ambles on..

Another One Miler...

It's changeable weather out here, but beautiful to catch a run in between showers...

To keep Juneathon just about going, I trotted out for a one mile run today - up and down the road was all.  I was under a wee bit of time pressure, so good just to tick a box and funnily enough, it felt like enough!  Back tomorrow with some serious running (I hope).

Resorting to Sit Ups...

So as not to fully collapse for Juneathon, I did some sit ups today... a few, maybe 40.  My stomach is in bits. Bits I tells ya, bits...

Run a Month Club are Kings (and Queen) of Cong...

King Cong (well, King of the Cong 8K!)... Deep in the woods of Ashford Castle..

The run a monthers were in fine form today for the Cong 8k... Cong is a gorgeous little village in the west of Ireland, just on the border of Counties Galway and Mayo and famous for two things: A) it was the site of a famous John Wayne movie called The Quiet Man and B) there is a beautiful old castle in the village (now a hotel) called Ashford Castle - where so many famous Kings, Queens and Presidents have stayed over the years. The run, which started on a little off-road just outside the village, was one of the most satisfying I've done for a long time.

Kevin crosses the line and checks his watch with a  satisfied grin...

Cormac and Ruth bringing it home in style...

The route meandered through woods and trail, with a good part of it on the grounds of the famous castle.  Kevin and I ran most of the route together - he is in fine form right now!  I tend to mentally break these races into sections of 2ks, and I decided to up the pace a bit for the last two, after taking it slightly easier for the previous two.  The very last km was a real up hill slog, but I was happy enough crossing the line at 40.43.  Kevin followed at 41.16 and Ruth and Cormac ran together for a time of 51mins...

We even had time time for coffee in Ashford castle to celebrate afterwards with Mom and Kevin's two youngest in tow...