This would be only my 2nd race longer than 10k in almost 2 years. That’s a bit mad. I was looking forward to this after a good run last week in Raheny and hoping to take a scalp off the PB of 52:27 last summer. My plan (pre weather forecast) was to run around 5:05’s and get under 51 minutes. I’d ran 50:56 in in a time trial about a year ago but on a perfectly flat loop on a perfectly calm day which doesn’t really count but it at least showed me I’m capable of a similar time. Today was neither flat nor calm, it was anti-calm. The winds were expected in the region of 35 kmph and miles 3-5 were straight into that headwind. This should be fun. All of this didn’t really change my plan, I just said I’d go out at the 5:05’s and deal with the wind when it hit and try gauge the effort. I am staying in a hotel in Midleton for a few days until the new house is habitable and I ended up having a nice long 9 hour sleep so I was feeling well rested but not sure how the whole week of moving and being on antibiotics might still affect me. I made it down to Dungarvan just before 10am and parked up. I laced up and headed off for a 2 mile jog and really felt the brute force of those westerlies. As a small framed person prone to wind damage, I really hoped I would be able to sit in and work with a group today and willing to do some of the work too, not that I offer much physically. To the start line and I have to say there was a great buzz around the town. I chatted with some runners I hadn’t seen in a while, performed some mandatory leg kicks, dumped my jacket behind a rock and finally lined up for the countdown.
Mile 1: 5:05
Off we go. It felt like a pedestrian start and I was bunched in the lead group who seemed to be working very slowly into the race. I looked around and felt a bit out of my depth but then I glanced down to see us running 5:10’s and so I just went with it. The mile picked up pace as we headed back past the start and enjoyed a downhill to the roundabout where we clocked 5:05. Feeling good but looking around, I knew current company wouldn’t be sticking around for long.
Mile 2: 5:05
I was right. The group dropped the hammer and the super 6 gradually pulled away. I could have gone with them but in hindsight now, it was a good decision not to, I would have been out of my depth and it was only mile 2 of 10. I continued the plan of running 5:05’s and had company with West Waterford trainer partner Pat as we worked up the hill, hearing the shout of 5:10 for 2 miles. On track and feeling quite alright.
Mile 3: 5:04
Still moving well and into a good rhythm now but I had now pulled away from Pat during this mile and the inevitable of being isolated for the windy patch was not even inevitable any more, it was going to happen.
Mile 4: 5:25
Welcome to Windyville, Co.Waterford, population: you and only you. This was not very nice. As I said, I’m a small framed boy and I just really struggle with the wind. The super 6 were now a good distance ahead. I gritted my teeth and battled as best I could but it was absolutely sapping me of energy. It was like a million little tiny ghosts kicking and pushing me backwards as I mustered every ounce to hold them back. 5:25 popped up for the mile. Yep, sounds about right.
Mile 5: 5:28
One more mile of this. Can you do that? I probably can but I’m really not happy about it, I feel like I’m not even moving. Just get to the left turn and after the turn, things will get better, I promise you. But the turn is nowhere near me, it’s miles away up the road. No it’s around 5 miles, I promise you. It better be because this is sheer hell. Do you think you made the right decision not going with the super 6? I think so because I can’t see them anymore and I’m already at death’s door. I think it was a good decision too, you are very smart. Just focus on the hedges and keep going. What species of hedges do you think they are? There’s a good mix of natives hedges there I’d say like whitethorn, spindle, blackthorn, you know. Yep I hear you. Ugh.
Mile 6: 5:13
It’s after 5 miles, I’m still eating wind and I’ve still not turned yet. Eventually a turn does appear thank flip. There were crowds of people cheering but I was so downtrodden I didn’t really acknowledge them. When I did turn, the relief was almost immediate with the biggest noticable difference being the sound. It was eerily calm and quiet. There was nobody behind me and nobody in front of me. Just the sounds of my clown boots slapping off the country roads. It was very, very odd and felt like I was in the middle of a big workout, which is quite typical for the longer races. I think you’ve too much time to think in races of 10 miles or longer. I struggled to get the engine going again but some running was starting to return to the legs. There was lady on a bike ahead which gave me something to look at and chase. She was going the same pace as me but then at some point she was just gone and I don’t remember when or where she disappeared. Maybe was not real.
Mile 7: 5:03
The course was bumpy enough around here and I was still working harder than I wanted to be with 4 miles left. The course was very rural at this stage with some rural people out in their rural gardens shouting rural stuff at me, good encouraging stuff which usually prompted a weak thumbs up from me. A 10k mat and a clock appeared out of nowhere with a man nearby shouting at me to add 1 minute to the time. I think the clock read around 31:30 and I liked the look of that until I added a minute to it. I spend about 30 seconds wondering how the clock was exactly 1 minute behind. My conclusion was that they forgot to start it in sync with the starting gun and so they decided to start it exactly 1 minute later to make sums easier for the runners. “Add 26 seconds” for example would be very difficult for runners already 6.2 miles though a 10 mile race. Following the fake 10k time was a nice, nice 2 minute downhill where I let the legs completely go started to feel good, mainly because of the downhill. It was then onto a very nicely paved tarmac road and hitting 5:03 definitely lifted spirits.
Mile 8: 5:05
Despite all of the struggles, I was now moving well and felt a PB was still on. With little else to think about, I calculated I could probably run under 52 minutes if I kept the pace in the 5:0X region for the remainder. The surface was perfect here with a massive tailwind. There were pockets of support right around the course which was great and really helped push me on at some of the more difficult stages. You’ve got to love the Irish road racing scene and you can tell that Dungarvanites are very proud of their race. I wanted to go faster than 5:05’s but I couldn’t, the legs were overly zapped from the windy stretch earlier and I was running at what I felt was the fastest pace that could be sustained for 3 more miles. I finally caught a glimpse of the super 6 ahead now which was no longer a super 6 but had fragmented into smaller bits but still whole humans, each no doubt hurting just as much as I was. It still felt like a long way to go with energy running getting low. I was now approaching the final left turn where the long straight towards the finish would greet me. In the far far away distance, already on the home straight, I saw the leader Hugh Armstrong. He’s so far ahead of me. I wished I was where he was but then again, someone will see me there in a few minutes and wish they were where I was. As I said, running almost 10 miles solo gives you a way too much time to think.
Mile 9: 5:14
Just after the start of mile 9 I hit a small little hill which utterly murdered my good rhythm. I then took the left turn onto the N25 and what I thought would be a flat fast mile was not really a fast mile at all. It turns out this is a sneaky drag but I didn’t know it at the time and my groove was most definitely over. I was really working hard up here but glanced down at the watch and thought to myself I’ve less than 10 minutes of running here, just come on and do it. Get the PB. Get under 52. What was all of that hurt for earlier? I struggled on, hurting like hell at this stage, evident by the barbaric grunts and dribbly mouth. When I heard the shout of 46:55 hitting mile 9 I felt it was touch and go for the sub 52. Let’s crack on and see.
Mile 10: 5:04
I did get going here but I also didn’t realise that the drag was over and assumed it was all final mile energy. It was probably a combination of both. I really did get moving though and felt like I was hammering it for the last mile. I passed a sign with 800m to go, got some great shouts and was really breathing hard. Then I took a left turn, the wind slapped in the face and I was challenged to a final showdown with a dastardly climb. Rag-doll outfit on and up we charge. It felt like a lonnnnng hill but I suddenly remembered we had passed the finish at mile 3 and it was on a nice downhill. That means just get to the top of the hill, discard the outfit and GO. I did just that, the support and cheering was immense and even better because it was all for me. See, there actually are benefits to running in no-man’s land! I was hurtling my little legs down that hill, finish line in sight now with the clock ticking onto 51:40. I think I can do it….I must do it….I did it. 51:58 for 7th spot. Job done and I had completely emptied myself on that last mile. For the first time after a race I felt like I was going to puke. A man came to offer me a foil blanket, first time that’s happened. I was happy in that sense because I think I got the pacing and overall effort just about right.
In hindsight now it was a good result, not quite what I had hoped timewise but given the week in it and the weather conditions, running a PB in that was a very good day. Another nice unexpected bonus in leading the club to a team win also. That’s race 2/3 done and it’s back to the muck for next week for the national Masters in Cork.
