Raheny 2 miler and 5 miler races

Monday, 20th January 2014 – 25.6km with (20+10) mins @ MTP (4:31/km)

Met up with Anto for this run again. He was interested in a bit of faster running and this was in my plan so we headed off together. Intended to do just relaxing 5:30 kms all the way to Clontarf but in general these came in around 5:15/km (or quicker) instead. Just before we began the faster stuff we met Jamie (Fellow 1:40 pacer from Clontarf HM in November) at a set of traffic lights. I thought the fast pace might suit him but he declined and we parted company again.

The first 20mins of MTP were from the wind monument to the main entrance to Bull Island. Pace for the first km was 4:35/km but Anto started to push it a little around here and the rest of the kms came in around 4:30/km. Towards the last km Anto began to find it tougher maintaining pace so I took over the lead from here til the end of our 20 mins. A very easy jog to recover before we gradually got back to easy pace. The recovery allowed us 7 mins but we simply took off when the 1km was up (more like 6:10 recovery).

The second fast section of 10mins was feeling easy-ish for the first 5 mins but I think the GPS may have been slightly in error/too quick. The last 5 mins were a bit tougher but still managed to see it out easily enough. Another recovery period and we were jogging back up the Tonlegee Road towards home. Still felt grand along here and after realising I had been responsible for Anto running twice as far as he’d planned I felt it my duty to jog back to Ballymun with him. Plus, this conveniently pushed me across the threshold of a long run, finishing with 25.6km.

Very happy with this as I got the long aspect as well as the MTP aspect out of the way in this run, after misfiring at the end of last week! Great to have the distance on the clock too with it only being Monday.

Tuesday, 21st January 2014 – Rest Day

Felt a bit tired this evening and after doing a few jobs around the house I decided to take my first Rest Day in about 23 days.

Wednesday, 22nd January 2014 – 7.7km with Raheny 2 miler Race (3:57/km)

Raheny Winter League resumed with a 2 miler this evening on a perfect night for running. Did the usual lap warm-up before toeing the line. The start ended up being about 10 minutes late which seems to be a trend this Winter.

Unfortunately about 50m into the race I realised I’d never reset my watch and so the race was just being lobbed onto the warm-up. As I tried to figure out should I reset it or not I found myself getting caught up with faster runner’s pace so that by 400m into the race I was running much too fast and decided to ease off. I ran the remainder of the km on the watch independent of its data and it was only when it reset itself for the new km split that I started to believe the information. By now there was one or two going past me including the lady winner from the previous race. I think next time I’ll have to try and start with her and ease myself into the race gently like she does.

As I came around for the halfway mark my time of 6:25 for the first mile was shouted out to me by a marshall so I knew I was on target for sub 13mins. I just had to keep it together for the second lap but that was easier said than done. I started to feel Sunday’s effort in the final 1km and as I turned for home with 400m to go a young lad shot past me like as if it was a 100m sprint! There was simply no stopping him so I kept it honest all the way to the finish line to record a 12:56 which I was happy with. Still 8 seconds outside my PB but I’d be pretty positive that will fall in a month’s time when the 2 miler is held again.

Ran into Jamie/Killerz after the race and did another lap cool down with him before heading home.

Thursday, 23rd January 2014 – 11.9km Distance (5:28/km)

Felt a little tired after last night but no niggles whatsoever so did the usual loop at a very relaxed pace. Couldn't help thinking that these type of runs are quickly becoming my least favourite simply because they are so boring. Shows how much I am enjoying all the sessions and races where there’s a bit to think about in each run.

Friday, 24th January 2014 – 24.0km LSR (5:22/km)

Stopped off into the Phoenix Park this afternoon for an LSR. With yet another race on Sunday coming up the plan was to do the lower end of the range at a very easy pace which is what I did! Weather turned a bit crappy towards the end but it was another boring run for much the same reasons as last night. I did spot Alan/AMK but it was only after I passed him that I thought I should have ran with him for a few miles to ease the boredom. Next time!

Saturday, 25th January 2014 – 7.4km Distance (5:28/km)

It was evening time before I got out for this run and it was a real ‘tick the box’ type run. Short and slow in advance of tomorrow. Nothing else to report.

Sunday, 26th January 2014 – 17.6km with Raheny 5 Miler Race (4:08/km)

This was my first time doing the Raheny 5 miler – a race I’d heard about for many years (Even as far back as the time before I ran!) so was happy to use it as a bit of a bookend for my shorter focussed training in December and January. As it turns out I really am enjoying the faster stuff so will probably do a few more races over the next few weeks.

Did 2km of a warm-up before the race and lined up where I thought I should be. Unfortunately there were still plenty to join the crowd and by the time I saw the Sub 35min marker about 20m further up the road it was too late to change position! So, I started the race back with those looking to break 42mins or thereabouts which was far from ideal.

I used this hindrance to keep me relatively slow for the first few kms but in reality I ended up veering around slow runners and parked cars so much I would have used just as much energy regardless! By the time we got out onto the Howth Road things had settled down somewhat and now we were facing into a stiff cold breeze. I tried to shelter where possible but it was an awkward direction and it never really benefited me.

Early days...

Soon though we were turning left and down Sybil Hill Rd. Immediately things felt so much better with no wind to consider. Kept effort consistent through here and around the 2.5 mile mark I ditched my gloves as I was beginning to get too hot. Just before 3 miles I got a shout out from Niall/Meno which was a nice boost and then we were down onto the Coast Road. I just noticed Kate/CM at this point, about 100m ahead and on the Coast Rd as opposed to me just dropping down the hill to it. I had passed Helen/HA (who’d come in about 5 seconds after me in Wednesday night’s run) a little while back but she was now passing me again with just over a mile to go.

Race splits - Split 7 included most of the hill.

We turned left onto Watermill Road and there it was - the hill! It’s nothing when out for a jog but when you are beginning to redline it’s the last thing in the World you need! Helen started pulling away from me going up this hill and I just dug in trying to do my best. Eventually the incline levelled off and there was half a mile remaining. When we took the left hand turn I noticed Kate a little ahead at this stage and over the course of the next 100m I managed to drift past her. I offered the quick line about being ‘almost there now’ but in those circumstances I don’t know if it lends one iota of help! Another few turns and at last we were in the finishing straight where I tried to nail a few more places but there wasn't a whole pile left in the legs. Eventually I crossed the line for a 33:49 time and pretty much on a par with last weekend’s 8k race in Tuam. Reasonably happy with this as it’s a 5 mile PB by a minute. No doubt there was a bit of lag in the legs from a week of lots of speed so hopefully there is a lot more to come off that time over the course of the year.

Finish line (in orange).

Afterwards I met up with the Dunnes, Niall, Kate, MK, POM, Helen and a bunch of others for a very sociable after race experience. A group of us ran the course in reverse for a warm down before grabbing a cup of tea and several chocolate bars! Then it was off home to lounge for the evening!!

Week 3 Summary:

RTW: 6 from 7 days

DTW: 94.2km

DTY: 371.6km

Tuam 8k Race...and the PBs continue to tumble!

Friday, 17th January 2014 – 12.6km Distance (5:38/km)

Today was intended to be my LSR but after doing a few jobs around the apartment it was 4pm before I managed to start my run in the PP. I ran til it got dark and that allowed me half my distance so when I drove home my intention was to do another 12km loop to bring up the total to about 24km. However, once I got out of the car at home I just made up my mind that I was done for the evening (Even fitting in the remaining 12km would have left me tight with time for something else that evening) so I called it quits at that.

Probably a wise decision anyways as I was trudging a fair bit in the PP and the legs were still heavy from last night’s MLR. Not sure would there have been a huge benefit in persisting with the extra distance as it would no doubt slow me down for the 8k race on Sunday.

Saturday, 18th January 2014 – 9.9km Distance (5:18/km)

I drove home to the West this morning and when I arrived I rushed out for a relaxed 10k. Lovely evening for a run with barely a hint of wind and dry all the way around. The final 2km presented a glowing orange sunset encapsulating Croagh Patrick’s summit in the distance. There was also a strong dew falling in the fields which all made for a very pleasant end to the run. Much better than eyeballing scobes on Dublin’s Northside!!

Sunday, 19th January 2014 – 8.1km Tuam 8k Race – 33:30 (4:09/km) with 3.8km W/U (5:09/km) and 7.0km C/D (5:21/km)

Today’s race was like a mini test for the Raheny 5 miler next Sunday, which will mark the end of my 6 week focus on trying to get quicker at shorter stuff. The plan was to get familiar with the feel of 8km pace today and then fine tune that next week. I ran this race 2 years ago and although I took it handy for the first 2km I ended up just shy of 36 minutes so I knew all going well I should be much quicker today. My 8k PB is from my local village race (Belcarra 8k – 34:00) and so the aim today was to beat that at least.

I met Philip and his wife Edel beforehand and we went on a bit of a warm-up. 3.8km in total (That felt like nothing!) with a few strides thrown in for good measure. We were chatting about how conditions were near perfect for a fast time and that we really would have no excuses if PBs failed to fall today! A few minutes later we were lining up for the start and after a delay of about 5 mins we were set away.

I had ended up about 3 rows back from the front so I was across the line in no time. However, for the first km there was a steady stream of people passing me which I found a little strange. I guess I was further to the front than I should have been but at least it had thinned out pretty quickly so I wasn't a hindrance to anyone. Things settled down after the first km though and my efforts at holding back weren't working that well when I went through the first km in 3:43! The course is a pretty flat route with just a few drags none of which are too severe. Probably the toughest sections are going over the railway bridge in the 2nd km and then again with 800m to go.

By midway I was well settled in to the race and maintaining the effort around 4:10/km. I had passed a guy after 3km who was wearing tracksuit bottoms an old pair of dodgy runners and a COAT! Not a simple running jacket but an actual thick, heavy coat!! He was moving pretty steadily so I can just imagine he’d be a pretty decent runner if he just managed to sort out his race day attire!!

Shortly after this I caught up to a guy who I intended passing immediately but once he noticed me he seemed to up the effort and stuck with me for the next 1,500m. I ended up falling into is pace because anytime I tried pushing a little to move away he matched my effort. This was getting annoying as it became clear we were racing for god knows what position with 3km to go! Eventually I put in a sustained spurt of effort and made a little distance on him. Thankfully that broke the link and I was free once more.

Photo courtesy of Tri Lakes Triathlon Club

The final 3km are a straight road back into town and just before I took the turn onto that road I ditched my gloves at a house. As expected I felt a little fresher immediately but unfortunately that only lasted a few hundred metres. My effort and pace was remaining steady so I was reasonably pleased so far. I got passed by another GCH guy over the closing 2km but eventually we passed over the final railway bridge and tried legging it for the 800m run-in to the finish. This section is slightly uphill – just enough to make you work – so the pace failed to pick up too quickly and with the final bridge actually shows up as my slowest km of the day. The reality was the effort was there though. At last I turned the corner and saw the clock ticking away towards 33:30 so a last dash effort got me there with bang on 33:30 on my watch, making for a 30 second PB and 2:23 course best for me.

Afterwards, pleased with my time and performance I went for a warm-down jog back out to collect my gloves. Unfortunately though the rain came while I was at the turnaround point so for the second half of my 7km cool-down I got saturated wet. Still though, almost 19km for the day and I still felt relatively fresh after it all so, as I have been thinking all along, this training programme seems to be really working for me. Pity I'm still unsure of what marathon to actually strike for in order to get the pay-off!

Week 2 Summary:

RTW: 7 from 7 days

DTW: 96.7km

DTY: 277.4km

Return to Raheny Winter League

Monday, 6th January 2014 – 11.9km Distance run (5:11/km)

I was a little tired after work and would probably have taken the day as a complete Rest day had I not already arranged to meet Anto for a run directly after work. As it was we took the first fewkms relatively easy and things started to come together. It was a pretty windy evening so we decided to throw in 3km of faster running which Anto was seeking along Collins Avenue and up the Swords Road. These came in at 4:48/4:47/4:37 and I think both of us were pretty happy when the time came that we could slow down again!

A good run which I may otherwise have missed out on.

Tuesday, 7th January 2014 – 13.4km MPT run with 3x15mins @ 4:36/km

I changed the sessions around this week as, with the Raheny 3 miler tomorrow evening, I hope to be able to recover a little better from this MT pace run than the alternative Interval session which was originally planned.

The run itself called for a 16-20km total with 3 reps of 15mins at marathon tempo pace (4:36/km). The pace itself didn’t worry me too much, rather it is the current, seemingly endless windy conditions that I dreaded. I knew conditions would make the run tougher and that by running this pace my actual effort would be several bpm higher. However, this training plan is all about paces so I was going to have to match what was required.

I did the usual 1km warm-up but as I was about to start into my first rep I noticed the signal still hadn’t been located so I decided to stop and wait for it to register, which it did after about 60 seconds. With that I started into the first 15mins of MP. This went pretty well and I ended up clocking in at an average of 4:31/km, so a bit ahead of plan but it was a favourable segment. For the second rep I was faced with the uphill section along the Ballymun road so for the first km which was all uphill to register in 4:39 I was pretty happy. I maintained the effort before managing to close out the rep in an average of 4:35/km. The final rep was into the wind for a decent section but again I mnaged to get around in an average of 4:34/km. Thankfully most of the last 1.5km was downwind so the tiring legs didn’t have to work quite so hard!

So, I beat the goal pace for all three segments which I was delighted with as conditions weren’t really helping in the main. Almost 10km @ MPT overall even if I did come short of the recommended distance for the evening. Not really bothered about that though as I already have last night’s run in the bank!

Wednesday, 8th January 2014 – 9.7km Raheny 3 mile race (4:07/km)

Tonight was round 4 of the Raheny Winter League Series and my first race in it this season. I was eager to see where I lay in terms of faster races but knew with the elevated ammount of miles recently and last nights tempo session that I wouldn’t be quite up to my potential this evening. These races are very low key, so much so that you simply rock up to the clubhouse about 7:30pm to pay the entry fee of €7, get your number and then head off for a mini warm-up. This usually means an easy lap of the 1 mile course and then a few stretched before gathering for the 8pm start with the 50 or so other runners.

Tonight was a particularly wet night but at least the recent windy weather had ended. The course is 3 laps of a very flat one mile loop beside St. Anne’s Park. It’s run through an estate which means the street lighting illuminates the course if somewhat dimly. I lined up with about 20 people in front of me. Finally, at about 8:05 we were set away.

I got caught up a little in the early melee for positions and by the time I realised where I was I decided to ease back from the 3:45/km pace after 300m towards a more sustainable 4:00/km pace. Things had settled quickly enough but after about 900m the eventual lady winner went past looking very composed. I kept it steady all the way to the finish of the first lap where I went through 1 mile in 6:30. This was a little slower than I’d hoped for but only by a few seconds and I was hoping this was a reasonably sustainable pace.

Around this time a local runner was on my shoulder. We ran the next km next to each other but once we turned the following corner he started to slowly put daylight between us. I felt myself slowing but couldn’t respond. I reasoned this was to be expected given the reasons outlined earlier so just went with it. I trailed ‘Colm’ through the 2 mile marker in 13:25! I couldn’t believe I was that slow as I’d been expecting only a slightly slower mile than the first one but yet it was a 6:55!

With the final mile I decided I’d try emptying the tank altogether. Unfortunately though the body was not in agreement! The legs were heavy and the lungs were tired so it ended up being more of the same with the gap to Colm widening a little more but I was never in serious threat of dropping a further place as I could hear the next guys footsteps on the sprint to the line and I ensured to keep him behind me. Ended up crossing the finish in 20:14 – 18th position (out of 49) and 16 seconds behind Colm with a 3 second gap to the next finisher. Final mile was 6:49. Finished off with a 2km cool-down to bring the distance for the evening up to almost 10km.

Pretty steady HR all the way through shows the effort was there but perhaps the output was lacking.

Not sure exactly what to make of this. Hoped to be closer to an averag pace of 4:00/km but it is a PB (20:27 & 21:10 on the same course last Winter) which is encouraging amongst the current workload. I’ll keep plugging away anyways with the Tuam 8km next weekend before the Raheny 5 miler the following weekend. I’ll try giving myself an easyish lead-in to those races to see if I can do serious damage to my 5 mile PB (34:46 in Terenure 2012). I’d be hoping for sub 33mins if conditions are favourable.

Week 1 Summary (so far):

RTW: 3 from 3 days

DTW: 35.0km

DTY: 117.8km

Out with the old and in with the new...

(Hear Jimi play in the new year from 1:00 into this video!)

Monday, 30th December 2013 - 14.0km with Intervals: 3 x 2km @ 10km pace (4:13/km)

Nice lie-in this morning meant that it was early afternoon before I got out for this run. With my intention to do the 5km race on Wednesday I decided to move the Interval session for the week forward to today, so I drove to the Phoenix Park. After a 3km warm-up I decided to do these intervals along the roads of Wednesday's race for a little extra familiarity. I really love this loop as it's pretty much flat and at about 2.6km it's not too long.

The first 2km interval was probably a little tougher than I'd expected. I'd planned on 4:15/km as my target pace (10km PB is 42:22 = 4:14/km) and found the little bit of wind to be making the run just that extra bit tough. Managed to claim paces of 4:18/4:11 for these 2km. At this stage I ran back towards my car to dispatch my cap and jacket.

This seemed to do the trick as my next Interval was a little more manageable with splits of 4:08/4:13/km. I was meant to take 3 mins between reps but on the first rest period I ended up taking a little extra as I had to reach my car and throw my stuff into it, so that this was more like 4mins. The second rest period was kept to 3 mins however. The final interval began well with a 4:15 first km, but the second split was fading a way a little before I had to rally somewhat towards the end to grab a 4:14 split. For one of the first times in a long, long time I had to slow to a walk for 45 seconds just to regain breath. A final 3.5km meant I tagged on 14km for the day with a very satisfying session in the middle.

Tuesday, 31st December 2013 - 11.9km Distance run (5:01/km)

Another very relaxed day of hols meant that it was early evening before I got out for this Distance run. The perfect run for recovery from yesterday's session and the race tomorrow, I kept things easy and did the 11.9km route at a comfortable enough 5:01/km. With 3k to go I eased off to 5:25/km in order to avoid weariness for tomorrow, before picking it up again over the last 800m.

Under pressure for a few pints tonight with it being NYE and all but will hopefully be reasonably good with tomorrow's race on the horizon. I've dodged a couple of short races already over the holiday season but really intend running this regardless as it could be a real marker for me for the new year.

Week 52 Summary (so far):

RTW: 2 from 2 days

DTW: 25.9km

DTY: 3,835.8km

Manulla 4 Mile race

Monday, 23rd December, 2013 - 12.2km Intervals 3x(800m/600m/600m) @ 5k pace (5:10/km)

Last weeks intervals were at MTP which I found quite straightforward. It was only later that evening that I discovered all future intervals would be quicker and therefore more difficult! This was the first of these sessions. Each rep consisted of 800m, 90 secs recovery, 600m, 90 secs recovery and 600m before a 4minute recovery in between each rep. The pace was 5k pace which I 'declared' to be between 4:00 and 4:10/km. Having not ran a fast 5k for a long time I knew my current pace was a bit off so I gave myself a decent range to hit.

Before the run I pre-programmed the session into my watch. Unfortunately due to it being my first 'workout' I ended up fiddling with the watch around 1km into my warm-up and accidentally set the session off! I hesitated for a second before realising I had no choice but to dive in and begin! As it turned out I managed the first rep ok - it felt tough but I hit my target ranges, however I wasn't exactly looking forward to the next two reps!

It was a very blustery evening to tie in with my quick session so when my second rep recorded intervals at 4:12, 4:19 & 4:09 I knew conditions were conspiring against me. The 4:19 was primarily uphill also. I was now really struggling to keep pace but given the last rep was mostly back on the flat I managed to eke out 4:10, 4:14 & 4:08.

So, overall a bit of a struggle but am hopeful the numbers will be much improved on a calmer day.

Tuesday, 24th December, 2013 - 6.5km Distance (5:10/km)
This was a short run to pick up my car after being out for a few beers the night before. I took advantage of the South Westerly wind and managed the final few kms at a decent clip. Glad the car wasn't much further away all the same!

Wednesday, 25th December, 2013 - 16.1km MLR (4:53/km)
Christmas Day down West brought a beautiful afternoon for running.I did my usual 10 mile route where I managed to hold a steady clip of 4:53 all the way around. Got a little bit tired around 7 miles but managed to up the effort again over the final 2 miles. Great run and set me up well for the Christmas dinner to follow!

Thursday, 26th December, 2013 - 7.6km Manulla 4 Mile Race (4:13/km)
The by-now traditional Manulla 4mile Stephen's Day race took place at noon at the local Soccer Club. Approximately 200 people turned out for this on what was again almost perfect conditions (a small amount of surface ice at one corner had to be carefully negotiated). I lined up about 3 rows back from the front and after a 10 minute delay for late registrations we were away.

This is a hilly route with about 7 short but steep hills of 10m or more dotted along the course so it's not exactly PB material. My first km came in at 3:57 which considering it included two of those hills was a bit fast so early. I kept a good pace for the next few kms, passing a handful but being passed by a couple of others. Over the course of the final 2 miles there wasn't much changing of places but I did get passed by a couple of guys going over the final hill. An indicator that although my pace was decent I don't have the required strength towards the end of short races yet - hopefully though that will come over the next few weeks.

I kept a decent rate over the final 400m to maintain a wide gap to the guy behind me and ended up coming across the finish line in 27:33 and 31st place. This was a 90sec improvement on last year when I ran even though I was pretty sick at the time. Quite happy at maintaining the 4:13/km pace over a hilly 6.5km course so looking forward to running the Tom Brennan over a flat course in the Phoenix Park next Wednesday.

Week 51 Summary (so far):

RTW: 4 from 4 days

DTW: 42.4 km

DTY: 3,784.9 km

DNFing in Lanzarote... :-(

Thursday, 5th December, 2013 – 6.5km Recovery Run (5:30/km)

This was just a relaxed run to keep the legs ticking over. Nothing to report.

Friday, 6th December, 2013 – Rest Day

Arrived into Lanzarote around 6pm and spent the evening with family who were already here so kept this as a rest day. Still feeling good for Sunday.

Saturday, 7th December, 2013 – 6.0km Recovery Run (5:23/km)

Went out for a run along the seafront this afternoon. It was pretty breezy out which both helped to cool but also to slow me down a little. Not sure how this will work tomorrow...

Sunday, 8th December, 2013 – 19.3km Lanzarote marathon - DNF

Well that wasn't the way it as supposed to happen! After going for a meal last night where I had Chicken Cordon Bleu I woke this morning with dodgy stomach issues. 2 visits to the toilet pointed towards an eventful race in store! I had to get a taxi from my apt to the race HQ and then get a free bus from there to the start. While waiting around at the start area I had to use the facilities once more and things weren't much improved.

I decided I'd stick to my plan regardless so off we went at 9am. The first 5km were uphill and I had accounted for this with my pacing strategy. By the end of this section I was pretty much on track so it was now meant to flatten out for the next 7km. This never really happened though as it was quite undulating so hard to zone in on a consistent pace. By the 8km marker I was beginning to realise that I simply was not in racing form today so I paused at this water station to take a salt tablet, knowing I'd be especially prone to electrolyte/hydration issues with my stomach the way it was. 

The next 5km was an out and back section to the same water station and this was getting to be more and more difficult. My HR was not especially high but the effort felt much worse than MP effort. I stopped at the same station to take more water and let the body relax. By now all thoughts of a fast marathon were out the window and I was more concentrating on a strategy to simply finish the run. Worse case scenario I thought was I 'd do the HM course and at least finish one of the races.

Immediately after the 13km station we turned right towards Costa Teguise and this signalled the start of a 5km downhill section to the town. Things should be easier here and I felt it was a good stage to ease back and recover somewhat. The truth was far different. About 1km later I had to pull in to the side of the road thinking I was going to throw up but after 10 seconds I knew it wasn't gonna happen so I rejoined the race. This was feeling physically very sore now as well as my stomach issues, so it was no surprise to me that when I hot the 15km marker and there was a tiny uphill section which forced me to walk that my race was over. If I was feeling this bad since almost the start and it was only getting worse then there really was no point in continuing. Not that it was a mental choice - My body was simply saying no!

After making that decision I still had to walk the 4.5km back to race HQ and even this was a real struggle. I couldn't even force myself into a slow jog on the remaining downhills. I was very relieved to be back at HQ when I eventually arrived. The heat had added it's tuppence worth to factors by now so all it took was a small sip of coke to set me off. I had to go off and find a discreet spot to heave my guts up! In the mix I could see the remains of last night's dinner which I cursed as the offending party.

Oh well, nothing to be done now. That evening I went home and slept for 16hrs solid. Definitely not right! To be honest, with the hilly/undulating nature of the first 20km and the ever-present wind on the course I doubt I'd have managed to get the time I was hoping for anyways so not quite as disappointing as Rotterdam DNF earlier in the year but a pain in the guts regardless!

Week 48 Summary:

RTW: 5 from 7 days

DTW: 46.6 km

DTY: 3,692.2 km

The following week I was recovering from the food poisoning and effort before just relaxing and enjoying my hols until I returned to Ireland. Decided to take the rest of the week off too and start afresh on the following Monday.

Week 49 Summary:

RTW: 0 from 7 days

DTW: 0.0 km

DTY: 3,692.2 km

Stook 10 miler

Monday, 11th November, 2013 - 11.9km LT Effort Run (4:36/km)

I wasn’t sure what was going to be on the cards this evening given how I felt after the MP run and the LSR last week so I went out with a general plan to assess after the first 500m. Thankfully things felt well by that stage so I pushed on over the next couple of kms. With Stook 10 miler (where I intend to run @ MP pace with a few easy miles before and recovery miles afterwards) on next Sunday I wanted to get the fast run out of the way as early as possible this week. So, as the first couple of kms got a little faster I was soon in LT effort territory. Even though the legs were feeling pretty decent they were still somewhat lagging in speed with residual from the past month, so the paces were about 10 seconds off where I’d expect them to be.

After 7.5km I turned North onto the Swords Rd though so decided to ease back and ‘recover’ - as much as one could hope to recover - on the next uphill km. Once that was over I was back on the relatively flat Collins Avenue and then upped the effort back to LT for the next 3km (mainly slightly uphill) before finishing with a recovery 400m to the apartment.

So, quite happy with this run as it indicates I’m getting back towards where I should be and hopefully from next week I’ll be pushing on improving once more. Only 4 weeks til Lanzarote so only two weeks of actual training left with a two week taper after that.

Won’t feel it now!

Tuesday, 12th November, 2013 - 13.6km Mountain Night-time Run

I met up with Felim this evening after work for a night time run up in the Dublin Mountains. We did a number of these as group runs last year and once you have a good head torch, suitable clothing and can navigate the terrain then it’s great fun.

Tonight’s run was Seefingan, located South east of Tallaght. I volunteered at this race during the IMRA Leinster League and it was the worst possible decision given we were all eaten alive with the worst case of midges I have ever witnessed! This evening though was a dry cold evening so we weren’t expecting too many of those critters tonight.

I parked the car at an entrance to a trail and we set off from there for the top of Seefin initially. The first km was grand as it was along a fire road without too much of an elevation gain. We eventually came to the start of the trail proper which turned out to be a feint outline where the main feature was the mountain waters streaming down. On our way to the start point Felim had mentioned that a good portion would be on road and given that it hadn’t ained much in the last few days I figured I’d wear road runners rather than trail shoes. Big mistake! My feet were constantly losing traction going up this section and combined with the steep incline I was slowed to a hike from quite early on.

Eventually we got to the top of Seefin where there was a pretty cool burial chamber at the main cairn. After a few minutes of poking around here we moved onwards for Seefingan which was not very far away but we had to dip down into a col before climbing back up to the summit. Again the ground was wet and mucky so the pace was pretty relaxed around here too. After about 10 minutes we got to the top and once again paused for a while to take in the view. Felim’s plan was to hit across to Kippure from here (very evident with its illuminated masts) but I figured it would be even wetter and more miserable from my perspective at least. And, me being such a moaner at this stage I felt Felim wouldn’t much relish me whinging all the way to there and back to the car! So instead, we decided to traverse North to Corrig and then Seachan before making our way out to the small road we’d driven down earlier.

Standing atop what we believed was the main summit we made for the peak in the distance. Unfortunately we were actually about 100m West of the true peak where there was a trail leading between the mountains (see map above). And, what we thought was Corrig actually turned out to be Seachan instead. All this meant that we dropped off the mountainside too far leading us to skirt the boundary of Kilbride rifle range to the West! The terrain around here was a little rough so progress was slow but after 20mins of hiking we discovered our mistake(s) and started to climb back up towards the real Corrig. Eventually we got there but not before we were enveloped with low cloud for 5 minutes.

Once we got to Corrig peak we followed the trail across to Seachan which was straightforward enough. Then we chose our route to drop down to the main road along the forest boundary. This trail coincided with a small stream and I reckon I fell about 5 times coming down this 15 minute track. Thankfully nothing serious though as Felim struggled to refrain from laughing at me because he knew he has a freakish record of twisting ankles himself and that he was running on borrowed time!

We finally reached the main road and at last we were on firm footing. A twenty minute run later and we were back at the car all in two pieces. Then the expected happened. While still in touching distance of the car Felim managed to roll his ankle!

Good to be back out doing night time mountain runs but I don’t think I’ll be back to do this particular run again! And will definitely be wearing the Innov8s in future!

Wednesday & Thursday, 13th & 14th November, 2013 - Rest Day

A very busy real life meant that I failed to get out for a run on either Wednesday or Thursday unfortunately. Hopefully though the busy period is now over and normality will be resumed…

Friday, 15th November, 2013 - 7.4km LT Run (4:32/km)

I was off to the Ireland v Latvia match in the evening so had to get a quick run in beforehand. I took this a bit literally though and ended up running another LT run. I was feeling good at the beginning so after opening with a 4:41km I pushed on for LT pace. 7km later I ended up with 4:24/km as the average. Not bad considering the slower first km and the Swords Road hill to contend with.

The match itself was pretty decent in that Ireland retained possession well with much fewer long balls being hacked upfield. Still a depressing lack of real cutting edge amongst the strikers though and Poland on Tuesday will be a far tougher test.

Saturday, 16th November, 2013 - Rest Day

Took another rest day for a number of reasons, one of which was the 10 mile race tomorrow.

Sunday, 17th November, 2013 - 16.3km Stook 10 mile race (4:34/km) with an 8km (5:04/km) warm-up

Woke up this morning and really didn’t want to leave my bed. I was even considering a DNS for a short while before coming to my senses and got in my car. Arrived in Dungravan, Co. Kilkenny at 10:45am and registered/picked up my number. Got chatting to Johnny briefly and then it was time for my pre-race miles.

I headed out on the course which is a figure of 8 loop and managed to get the first 5km loop completed before heading out on the larger loop for a mile before returning to the village to clock up 8km in total. I had been wearing too many layers – long sleeve t-shirt, short sleeved t-shirt and a light jacket with gloves – so I got rid of the sweaty layers and threw on a fresh short sleeved t-shirt and felt much better.

Before we got underway I ran into a few familiar faces including Gary, Dominic and Kate at the start area. Myself and Kate had similar goal paces so we decided to run together for the first while at least. Around this time Shortstuff from boards made herself known and it was good to meet another boardsie in real life! Not long later we were away.

I was using my course knowledge from my warm up to good effect and so knew when to push on and take advantage of the downhills and when to hang back with uphills. This seemed to allow myself and Kate easy passage through 10-15 runners on the first 5km loop as they seemed to get caught out by an over enthusiatic start. Before long we were back through the village for the start of the second loop. I was averaging marathon pace but unfortunately because the terrain was so undulating the effort was more like a typical 10 mile race.

Course profile

Things remained steady until we reached 5.5 miles. Johnny had me pre-warned that miles 6-8 were all uphill and that 6-7 in particular was the roughest. So, around 5.5 miles we came upon the start of an uphill and seeing as there was no immediate sign of an easing off I commented to Kate to be prepared for 2 miles of this. Almost immediately she began to ease off in order to allow herself to get up and over the climb. I pushed on a bit in front of her at this stage and kept focusing on those in front of me as targets to catch and pass. Progress was minimal initially but by 500m of climbing people were beginning to fade and I started to row them in. A couple of guys stopped to a walk around the 7 mile marker and in total I reckon I passed about 8 people on the climb. There was a female KCH runner about 30m up the road and she had been the same distance ahead since the first 500m. I kept trying to close the gap little by little but she had the match of me all the way up the climb.

The end of the 'flying mile'!

Eventually we reached the high point of the course where there was a big gang of locals offering vociferous support which was very welcome. I gave them a big thumbs up as I turned the corner and started to lengthen my stride. 200m later and we reached the start of mile 9 where the ‘flying mile’ began. This was a one mile section that was all steeply downhill. The organisers laid on timing mats to calculate our mile split. Seeing as the tough part was done and we only had 2 miles left I decided to throw caution to the wind and legged it along this section. I think the five miles before the race started to catch up with me here though and my form/control was pretty wayward for large parts. I just about managed to prevent myself from falling over but before I knew it the mile was done (later found out it was 6:02 (3:45/km)). As soon as I was over the mat I eased back to a more sustainable pace for the last mile.

One of the guys that I had passed on the flying mile managed to pass me again on the last 300m running in to the line. I might possibly have held him off if I tried but I was just happy enough to be finishing up. Passed under the gantry in 74:10 which I was very happy with considering the route was even hillier than I’d expected and the five miles beforehand. I ended up with marathon pace average (4:34/km) but a 10 miler average heart rate of 156bpm with a max of 167bpm. Of course the draw of the after race spread on offer in the community centre combined with the thrashing I gave my legs on the last two miles meant that I reneged on the recovery miles afterwards. I was disappointed with myself for this as I needed a 20+ miler but I reasoned I might end up doing the legs more damage if I went out for more. Not sure if it was the wise decision or just simply the popular decision...

Week 46 Summary (so far):

RTW: 4 from 7 days

DTW: 57.2 km

DTY: 3,521.0 km

Dublin Marathon

Monday, 28th October, 2013 – 42.2km Dublin Marathon (4:00:34 – 5:42/km)

Lead-up:

I jumped straight into a taxi and arrived home to Santry within ten minutes whereafter I was lying in bed within no time. Again though I struggled to sleep and in what felt like no time I was on my feet again getting ready for the final piece of the jigsaw.

Race morning:

I managed to find a spot on Haddington Road to park and after a short walk I found myself bumping into some of the 3:50 and 4hr pacers (Olwyn, Frank & Dave). Lots of congratulations from the folks regarding my two US marathons before settling down. I eventually managed to locate my work colleague Colm who had collected my race number in my absence. Around this time I ran into Felim also who had agreed to run at my pace (approx 3:55 marathon time) as he was coming back from injury himself.

The dreaded weather forecasts of the previous week managed to highlight Met Eireann’s deficiencies yet again and we were all very happy to have such pleasant conditions instead of the gale force we’d been promised. I decided to take off the MCM white cool down jacket before we started but persisted with the gloves and cap for the first few miles at least, til I warmed up. The rough plan was to stay in between the 3:50 and 4:00 pacing groups and maintain that until the end. Ideally I was looking for sub 4hrs but I wasn’t too hung up about times at all as the main goal was just to finish it.

Miles 0 - 13.1:

We were very close to the front of the second wave so the congestion wasn’t too bad really, although we did have to stop and walk around the first corner. The organisers set it up so that we started exactly 10 mins after the first wave. This was useful to me because before leaving home I noticed my Garmin must have turned itself on during the flight as it was now dead. In its absence I decided to use the Garmin Fit app on my phone. So, once we crossed the start line I initiated the tracking and then stored it away in my belt wallet as I have done many times before. By the time I crossed the line an extra 11 seconds had elapsed which meant I could simply take 10:11 off every clock I’d see around the course and that would be my time.

The first few miles passed by quickly by chatting away to Felim (who was wearing 2 litres of water in his backpack, yet he never went near his personal supply once during the race, instead preferring to take the course water provided!). As we were discussing plans for next year I mentioned something about the 24hr race in Belfast when a fellow runner pricked up his ears. It turned out to be George from Athenry/Australia who is the husband of RuthAnn Sheehan - the ladies winner in Belfast! And so it was that the three of us kept each other company til the halfway mark having a bit of craic and generally helping time pass.

Photos courtesy of here.

We maintained position – approx 100m behind the 2:50 pacers - all the while and things were good all round. I could feel my left quad getting a pounding coming down the Upper Glen hill in the Park but once we were back out on the flat it was fine again. Some great crowds lined the route through Chapelizod, Kilmainham and Crumlin which was a great distraction too. Caught up to Kevin/Sideswipe around Crumlin who was pacing the race for his brother. We chatted for a couple of miles before the pair of them kicked on for a sub 3:50.

Passed through 10km at 8:52/mile pace and then through halfway a little quicker at 8:41/mile pace for 1:54:47. Well inside my target but it just felt like the most comfortable speed to run at.

Miles 13.1 - 26.2:

Not long after halfway I could feel that Felim’s pace was increasing further and that my breathing was getting a little heavier so I cut him loose and told him I’d see him in the pub afterwards. Around this time George drifted off into the distance too so I was left to concentrate on getting to the finish line in one piece. To be honest I was happy enough that this was the case because even the casual chatting was beginning to take it out of me!

By the time I reached Terenure College water station I stopped briefly to spray water onto my legs to help soothe tight muscles. While walking I took a gel and some jelly beans as I was quite hungry by now. By the time I was back running I’d only lost about 50m on those around me so not bad at all. Spend a few seconds here to avoid spending a few minutes later!

I managed to keep going solidly for the next few miles but by the time I reached the top of the hill at Miltown it was time for another cooling off for my legs. There was Lucozade Sport here too so I took a mouthful before realising my body didn’t take too kindly to this! My stomach was beginning to feel a bit nauseous now so I had to be careful about what I consumed from here to the finish.

I only lost about a minute here but it was enough to turn around and see if I could spot the 4hr pacers. Thankfully they were still nowhere in sight so I continued on my way, up past Clonskeagh and eventually up Roebuck Hill. I’ve got to say this was a really enjoyable area with the way the organisers had laid on the music and the arch/wall. It was enough to ensure I continued up the incline without fail and then could ease off back down Foster’s avenue. Before long I was on Nutley Lane, down by RTE. I knew there was a water stop around here and I was eager to soothe the legs again. I also downed a couple of jellies but this was tricky by now with my dodgy stomach. It wasn’t long after here that I managed to spot Felim on the side of the course getting some treatment from a physio. Thankfully it wasn’t too serious and he was back running again not long after.

I never really enjoy the run in from St. Vincent’s to the finish and this year was no exception. I plodded along, all the while getting slower – mainly due to the dodgy stomach and poor nutrition. A couple of more short walking breaks to pour more water on my legs before cresting the Everest that is Grand Canal bridge! I was now on the final two miles of the course but as I reached the water station I had to step off the course briefly as I thought I was going to get sick. Thankfully it didn’t happen but when I returned to the course the 4hr gang were in sight, just 50m behind me. I was thinking that as long as I stayed about 20 secs in front of them I should be good for sub 4. However, within a minute I was back off the course again around the 25mile mark. This time there was no holding back and I ended up dry heaving against the wall for about 2 minutes. Eventually a bystander asked if I was ok, and thankfully by that time I was pretty good to go on. After my first few steps I realised I actually felt quite a bit better than a few minutes before. I then realised the 4hr gang had passed and were now out of sight. Running more freely now though I managed to pick up the pace on the final lap of Trinity College and by now I was passing people every 5 seconds. It felt like I was sprinting I was passing out so many and my main concern now was that I’d blow up before the line. Instead however, I ended up passing about 70-80 runners over that last mile and by the time I was running down Nassau Street I was full of life again! With 200m to go I knew sub 4 was gone so decided to showboat a little by doing a poor man’s 'airplane' on the run in and then attempting a very tired ‘Dargan’ jump over the finish line. I didn’t care though, I was finished at last!

Immediately post-run I started to feel cold and stiff so I had to make a choice between getting to the warm pub or returning to the car which was further away and less appealing. Pub won out and I got to meet lots of familiar heads in there with many having run great times and others simply having enjoyed pacing duties. A few disappointing runs but there will be other days to fix them! Unfortunately not all finishers got to enjoy the after run party spirit and one 27 year old – Ricki Savage from the UK - failed to recover after collapsing just after the finish line. Condolences to his family and friends.

I took the remainder of the week off from any running in what was the longest non-running period I can remember for quite a while. No harm though and definitely good in the long term I’m sure.

Week 44 Summary:

RTW: 1 from 7 days

DTW: 42.2 km

DTY: 3,389.4 km

Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC

Wow, it's taking me bloody ages to catch back up to date on this blog! Anyways, here's another 10 days worth...

Friday, 18th October, 2013 – 8.0km SLC Recovery Run (45:57 – 5:36/km)

For most of the following week all thoughts of running were ignored. We did lots of touristy things as well as too much drinking and eating than what was good for us. In amongst all that we caught a Chicago Bulls v Detroit Pistons game at the United Centre, followed by rushing to see Bell X1 play in a local bar later the same night. But by Thursday it was time for myself and Stephen to depart Chi Town for Mormon town, or Salt Lake City as it’s properly called.

A quick visit to their Temple was not very enlightening on their belief system. In fairness the religion does seem to mean that there is little crime and the city feels anything but dangerous. On the flip side though all that clean living leads to a boring old town so we were happy enough to be out of there once Aidan arrived from Ireland.

On Saturday morning we met up with local residents Tim, Brian and Carmen and set off for Moab in the South of the State for some mountain biking. This was great craic but my limited MTB skills meant that some of the trails were simply too demanding and technical for me so I missed out on the lads trip down Porcupine Rim. Fortunately Stephen had a ‘Go Pro’ camera so he managed to catch the experience although I'm sure biking alongside 400m cliff drops was much more terrifying in reality! It did make me pine for my own MTB to be brought out of storage though!

Week 42 Summary:

RTW: 1 from 7 days

DTW: 8.0 km

DTY: 3,264.6 km

Monday, 21st October, 2013 – 15.8km SLC Easy Run (1:21:56 – 5:11/km)

Tuesday, 22nd October, 2013 – 8.0km Philly Recovery Run (45:32 – 5:26/km)

Thursday, 24th October, 2013 – 8.5km Philly Recovery Run (47:02 – 5:28/km)

Saturday, 26th October, 2013 – 7.3km Washington DC – National Mall (39:54 – 5:27/km)

Just a few easy runs to keep me fresh for the MCM/DCM double and again there’s not a lot to report about them. Lots of travel this week and also too much beer and food in the early part of the week so at least I eased back on the beer in the second half! This last run was around the National Mall in DC and things were feeling good!

Sunday, 27th October, 2013 – 43.0km Marine Corps Marathon (3:50:01 – 5:18/km)

Morning:

The alarm clock had me awake by 6am and even at that there was no time for dallying. A small breakfast of some pre-bought food and I was out the door. Fortunately, my hotel was only a 2 min walk from the metro station and then it was only 4 stops to race start. I had read that it was a good idea to purchase a day pass for $14 as the queues would be very busy post race. So, this I did as I would be getting three journeys on the train today so it almost made financial sense too. The journey itself took less than 20mins in total, and so by 7:15am I arrived at the Pentagon stop and casually made my way to the starting line. This was a 1 mile walk and it was pretty easy to skirt along the side of the crowd before reaching the 4hr pacers. While on my way to the start area I was on the lookout for portaloos but the queues were ginormous! However, just before I jumped into my corral area there was a row of toilets with zero people waiting on them - My lucky day! A quick visit and I was back to my starting position within 2 minutes. As we waited for the race to start I did notice the distinct lack of non-Americans. Perhaps the jingoistic nature of the Marine Corps turns foreigners off the event I guess. Personally I didn't really care as long as it wasn’t too ‘in my face’ and so far it wasn't (apart from the Expo with the multitude of stands dedicated to all forms of US Defence Forces, and God!).

Kms 0 - 10km:

Another US Marathon another dodgy PA system! The announcer was doing his best to get the participants going but the system failed to match his enthusiasm so in the end the only real way we knew the race was started was the fact that the slow shuffle forward had begun! There was approximately 6.5mins elapsed on the clock by the time I sauntered under it and we were away.

The first 4 miles on the course are pretty hilly with very little even ground. The good news though was that it all flattens out after that. So, my main aim was to hold a relaxed effort for this section and then get to grips with a 22 mile race when we arrived in Georgetown. This tactic was the only one available to me in reality as there was so much congestion that I wouldn't have been able to go any faster if I wanted! I also seemed to be accompanied by the most selfish runners in the World as many of them veered left and right (with headphones on!) without a care for their fellow runners who often had to brake suddenly to avoid tripping over them. This really got on my nerves so I was happy when pockets of space managed to appear about 30 mins into the race.

Surprisingly, by as early as 5.5km I needed another bathroom break. This was unexpected for me as I usually manage the whole race without a visit but here I was having to use the toilet twice in half an hour! To make matters even worse there were no portaloos around but after holding it in for a couple of kms we passed through a tree-laden section of the course and there was a bunch of other male runners using the natural facilities, and I thought I may as well avail of the opportunity too. So, after a loss of about 40 seconds I was back running the downhill again.

We passed over the bridge and into Georgetown briefly around km 8 and that was the worst of the hills behind us. Now it was just a wee jog to the finish! I decided to maintain the effort so what was a tough enough opening 5km was now transformed into a much improved pace for the next 5km thanks to the flatter profile.

0 – 5km: 30:08 (6:01/km)

5 – 10km: 27:02 (5:23/km)

Kms 10 - 20km:

There was an out and back section between 9km to 15km. This was along a river park type area and fairly pleasant but it got boring after a while. Also, the turnaround point was basically a point in the road so as we had about 10 people wide trying to take the 180 turn we inevitably slowed to a walk. Hardly ideal 12km into a marathon!

Once we were done with this section though we were back out amongst the crowds and were now heading along the North/East bank of the Potomac river. This was a very pleasant and flat part of the course and it was around here that I noticed myself speeding up, hence the 5:16/km for the fourth 5km split. Things were feeling pretty good now.

10 – 15km: 28:38 (5:43/km)

15 – 20km: 26:23 (5:16/km)

Kms 20 - 30km:

I got a little anxious that I was going too fast too soon so I reigned myself in a little bit over the next 5km as we passed through Halfway in 1:57:59 – Well up on my 4hr target and I felt I hadn’t even started running properly yet. Around this point also I passed the 4hr pacers. I didn’t bother to pause with them any longer than I needed to pass through their gaggle of runners and overtake the whole group.

Over the next 5km I got chatting to a guy also wearing the Chicago 2013 top. Turns out he was from Illinois and we chatted about Chi Town and the Marathon briefly. After about a mile he had enough and wanted to ease back to his own pace – I’m sure it had nothing to do with the sparkling conversation! This 5km split was the fastest of the day and my first sub 5min segment. I was still holding myself back for Dublin a fair bit though so I had faith in my quicker than planned pace.

We were now running around the National Mall with all the sites spread around us. It made for a really cool place to run and the time passed by in an instant so before we knew it we were facing into the final 12km stretch!

HM1: 1:57:59 (5:35/km)

20 – 25km: 26:52 (5:22/km)

25 – 30km: 24:54 (4:58/km)

Kms 30 – 42.2km:

The next few kms were somewhat boring as we passed over a very long bridge with a bit of an incline and little support. The bridge lasted the guts of a km and once back across into Virginia we had a loop of Crystal City’s boring streets to complete but at least the crowds were back out supporting in abundance once more.

Things were beginning to get tougher now though. The pace started drifting a bit slower so I was in consolidation mode now. Keep it steady til the final mile and let loose again. As we passed the Pentagon we ran by the 25 mile mark so sure enough I started to up the effort again. I figured I’d be close to 3:50 by now so made this my short term target  With about 600m to go I saw a guy 80m up ahead with an Irish flag on his back so made it my mission to catch him and say hello before we crossed the line. However, as I began to close the gap I suddenly spotted the guy slow to a walk! I couldn't just go straight past him so I gave him a shout that we were almost done - ”Less than 3mins and it'll all be over”. He got back running again as we chatted for 100m before he told me to go on ahead. Which I did! I was now at the bottom of the short incline to the finish, only 400m from the end. I gave it all I had going up the incline but there was several others who had slowed to a crawl and the course had just gone from motorway width to country lane width which led to congestion again! I did my best to dodge around a few people and in no time I was cresting the hill with just the 150m run-in to the line remaining. I kept the hammer down and as I was approaching the line I knew it was gonna be close but alas when I crossed the finish my time registered as 3:50:01! A tiny bit disappointed not to go sub 3:50 but all things considered I was very happy with the run. I negative splitted by 5:57 and managed to come home feeling relatively fine.

HM2: 1:52:02 (5:19/km)

30 – 35km: 26:54 (5:22/km)

35 – 42.2km: 39:10 (5:26/km)

Aftermath/reaction:

After the line I waited for the Irish guy and he crossed about 30 seconds later, well inside a sub 4hr run for him. He was very thankful for the help over the final km. After a short rest with the legs upside down against a fence I moved off for the Metro Station. I was in a little hurry now as I was moving slowly, however nothing can excuse me for forgetting to pick up my free after-race beer!

Once inside the metro station my wise decision to buy the day pass in advance this morning bore fruit as the place was mobbed! As it was it took me about 10mins to get through the turnstiles but if I had to buy a ticket at that time this would have been 30mins easily! Fortunately, my stop was now the next stop on the train and I was back at the hotel in time to shower and late-checkout (as agreed at check-in!) by 1:30pm. Straight back on the train to Ronald Reagan Airport this time. Thankfully this airport is only a stone’s throw away from the finish line of the MCM so I arrived in plenty of time for my 3:30pm connecting flight to Boston and so managed to at last get a quick bite to eat. Unfortunately the choices were limited so I had to settle for a ‘5 Guys’ fast food meal which included a delicious burger but an offensively over seasoned cajun chips which I couldn’t finish!

After a 70 minute flight to Logan International airport (I used to work there as a baggage handler back on my J1 in 1999) I had a layover just long enough to savour a pint of Boston’s finest - Sam Adams – in celebration of my morning’s achievements. There wasn't much time to spare afterwards before I was boarding the Dublin flight however. Once aboard I managed to nab an aisle seat by the wing so I had lots of legroom. This good luck was counter-balanced though by three children under the age of 2 years old within 2 metres of me. Such is the way though that I got no sleep on the flight with their incessant whining and by the time I reached Dublin I was pretty knackered. It was just about the last hour of the flight before they shut up properly but no sleep was forthcoming after that. We landed in Dublin airport at 5am and it was all about to start all over again!

Week 43 Summary:

RTW: 5 from 7 days

DTW: 82.6 km

DTY: 3,347.2 km