Great Time in Waterford.

Well the weekend came and went and left us all the better for it!  The culmination of a year of races for the Run a Month Boys and (Girl) was the wonderful Waterford half marathon.  It was a real family affair, as Kevin and Niamh brought the kids, and Richie and Deborah came along to cheer the rest of us on... Kevin, Cormac, Ruth and I lined up at the start on a cold but very crisp and clear Saturday morning.  There was a huge turn out for this race - well over a 1500 I reckon.  We each arrived in different shape - Kevin hadn't trained for three weeks but had a good year up until now, Cormac has been struggling with injury and Ruth was coming to her first major race after a good half year of training.  I felt fine, but not at the peak I had hoped to reach.  Still, my tentative aim was a sub 1.50 min run.  I settled into this run nice and slowly, and tracked the 1.50 pacers.  After a couple of miles I felt good, chatted away to the pacers and decided I would track these guys until the ten mile mark.  The course was flat enough until the six mile mark when there was a bit of a drag uphill for a quarter of a mile.  This is the second time I've done this half marathon, and the last time out (four years ago) led to a time of 1.59.  All went according to plan this time around when I cranked up the pace at mile ten and entered the athletics stadium and finished at a time of 1.48.18.  Happy with that!  Ruth came in at 2.11 and Kevin and Cormac crossed the line at 2.17.  Everyone happy with their achievement, and ready for a drink or two!

Waterford Looms.

Saturday is fast approaching, and with it comes the Waterford Half Marathon.  The Run a Month Club has held this great event in the highest of esteem since we ran our first race of the year back in Tuam last January.  This was to be the pinnacle of our efforts - the climax to our year of races.  However, the confidence that should have accrued from a year of races is not really that high right now.  I ran five miles on the threadmill yesterday and another four in Salthill this evening, but if truth be told it feels like too little too late.  I should have been running ten milers regularly these past few months but I rarely got past the 10k mark and a recent tragic family bereavement left me with a few weeks of little or no running, very late nights and a bit of drinking.  The other Run a Month brother has been flat out busy with work and hasn't run in two whole weeks!  We'll also be joined by Cormac, who has been injured most of the time!  Excuses... excuses!  On the bright side Ruth is flying and young Richie is in a constant state of fitness!  Máirín is in great shape and Big Ron is too fit!  Hopefully my last two sessions will have brought the body back a bit to some semblance of fitness and a bit of more regular rest will see me in a better state come Saturday.  Time will tell!

Quick Post...

Just a quick post here to let all know that I'm alive and well and even running a bit!  It has been difficult however to find time lately to post anything due to the fact that we've been between Louth and Galway helping out as much as we can with a tragic situation for my wife's family and the passing of a little angel.  I'm back in Galway this week again and hopefully I'll get out for a longish run some evening... last week I managed a 4, 4, and 5 mile combination - which is just not good enough preparation for an imminent half marathon.

5 Miles on the Prom.

It looks like the Run a Month Club have lost out on November, but we're still gung-ho for the Waterford Half Marathon in three weeks time and training lately has not been an entire disaster.  This evening I went for a five mile run on the Salthill prom.  The night was cold and clear... but thankfully very dry.  I had a bit of zip in the legs today, thank God (it happens sometimes).  We are blessed with the prom in Galway - it's a beautiful way to spend an hour, with the waves lapping against the coast and the place lit up with walkers, runners, strollers - dogs, cats and more!  The funniest site tonight was a small terrier dog, down by the gravelly unlit path, who had a torch connected to his head!  A canine flashlamp... 

Slow Blogging, Fast Running.

For some reason I've been slow with my blogging this week - even though I ran on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  Two four milers and a three were the order of the week and at a fast enough pace to compensate for the short distances involved. I had intended to go for a night run last night but things fell apart on the aul schedule side so I postponed!  Hope to get out for a longish run this weekend - weeks are rolling by up to the December half marathon and the Run a Month club looks in danger of a collapse as we reach the penultimate stage...

A Decent Five Miler Around Gleann Mór.

Tí Chóil an tSappar at the turn to Gleann Mór...

Out the house and down to the pier... then up again and around Gleann Mór.  Gleann Mór is Gaelic for 'the Big Glen' and a big glen it is - at least in one spot!  This was a nice run on a lovely evening - the only mistake I made was to leave it a little late before going out, as it became quite dark for the last twenty minutes (and I didn't have my flash light friends to guide me around!).  I reckon I ran it all at around an 8.10min pace - which was not too bad for me!  The run definitely kicked off a few cobwebs.  On the sporting world front:  our soccer boys beat Estonia by four goals last night, thus ensuring their safe qualification for next summer's Euro tournament (although there is another leg to go, but surely 4-0 is a safe advantage to bring home...).  Crack open the polish beer...!

Night Run Mark II

Following last week's debut night run in Seanadh Phéistín, I took to the old road again tonight - once more accompanied by Conor but without Big Ron.  Conor had his trusty head torch and it was enough to guide us along that most lonely of roads.  Tonight's run didn't set the world alight from a pace point of view - five miles in all, varying from a 9min mile start to a respectable last 7.30min miles. I found this night's run a good deal easier than last week's - okay the night was brighter, but there's no doubt I was taken by surprise last week and felt less disorientated by night running tonight.  Trouble is though:  I neglected every night since last week AND EVERY DAY TOO!  So it's time I copped on to some serious training...