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Monday 23 March 2015

[RACE REPORT] - Craughwell10


You know when you set out to not do something but then end up doing it anyway? Well, that's what happened to me at the weekend.




Jawing with the guys a couple of weeks ago led me to entering the Craughwell 10 a race local to me which I have never raced (it's Edel's race - how we divy things up in our house - but she opted for Kinvara - my race) but always fancied a run out.

So Maurice and myself ended up entering and very quickly got into a target time of 72 mins. Now, Maurice is lighter, training consistently, younger than this old boy, but I got stubbornness and 'belief'.

Having been sick (on and off) I haven't been training and certainly not training specifically for a race I hadn't considered entering (goal is the Coast to Coast followed by the Beast of Ballyhoura)  With that in mid I went out during the week for a test run. With the knowledge that 4:30/km was required to finish 16k in sub 72 mins I wanted to see if the legs would remember to do that pace.


They did. Just about and I suffered for days afterwards. Though I pulled on the trail shoes for a wee jaunt on Thursday morning to shake things out again.

Anyway, we're here for Craughwell 10 mile!!

Maurice popped up early on Sunday, the kids were busy making support signs and I was pottering around making coffee and figuring out what to wear.

Plan was to ramble down to register around 12, get the numbers and warm up before the start at 1pm. Got the first bit done and headed back up to the line. I'd sort of run through the twists, turns and rises with Maurice on the way over.

Now Maurice is well able to go but he offered to run with me and not embarass me in front of the family so we set off at a planned pace of 4:45 for the first couple of km and to then pick up to hit 4:£0 and finish strong.

Once we started a couple of glances down at 4:02, 4:13, 4:05 and I reckoned the instant pace was off a bit. Maurice said something about ".....4:45...." and I went grand.

2km in and I realised the splits were a bit fast and said so. Maurice then repeated that what he had said was " what happened to the 4:45 plan at the start?" I missed the important bits!! So dialling it down a little we sat in for the first 4 miles into the wind. We kinda found ourselves in a bit of no-man's land with groups ahead or behind.

First water was at 3.3 miles and as I called out "water coming on the right" Maurice laughed that the pacing gig never leaves you. (Only thing I don't like about the water stations is that they are at the bottom of the steepish bits of the course)

Around the bend up the drag and around the corner to be greeted by the cheering family & some friends.

Dropping the gillet and cap with the kids, Maurice proceeded to drop me. This was fine, while I enjoyed the company I really wanted him to have his own race cos I know he is in good shape. So off he went.

Now at this stage coming down and up by Roveagh church we were hitting the meaty bit of the course where it stays relatively flat for a while and I would have a procession of neighbours to look good in front of!

So with a smile and form that probably resembled an attacking zombie I passed: the 5 mile mark (35:57, Avg 4:28/km) Alan & Ger, Peter (a handy runner who lied saying I was looking well :) ) then onto Barry & gang who doled out the required dose of slagging. Turning the corner and heading for 'home' I breathed a sigh of relief and look for the next water station coming up when I see Timmy (another handy runner) and do the smile / form rictus thing again.

Coming to the 6 mile mark my already tightened right hamstring (from get go) was joined by the left and doubts creep in. I kept pushing the "you're injured" thoughts away and focused on letting go of the tension.

I wasn't exactly floating above the ground but I also knew my form was not too bad. I kept consciously relaxing my legs and letting them turn over from the hips. I was suffering but I was also starting to see gaps closing as I reeled a few people in slowly. A couple of new bodies passed me but I was focussed on the same backs that were there from the start. They were the only ones I was interested in finishing in front of.

I knew from the feeling, the pace was choppy and with the road lumpy I knew the drags were taking it out of me. I was counting on a nippy last km and was trying to figure out at what point I needed to 'go'. This counting down in miles was wrecking my head!! :)

As we cut across the bog road the wind came into our face again and with 3k to go I was thinking I need to stretch a bit. The hams were having none of it though so as we turned left to head to Craughwell there was 2k to go and a drag to negotiate (some 15m gain or so). A guy tipped by me and I went with him for a while. It took the mind off the climb back up by the start and as we came to within earshot of the commentary box it was time to let loose whatever was left in the tank.

Last km 4:21 and a sprint for the line brought me under the gantry for 1:12:54 race time.

Now for the technicality!! We messed up the pacing plan. Thinking in metric we went with a 4:30/km pace to break 72 mins for 16k.This I think I managed to do. However a 10mile race is 16.1km not 16km :)


All that aside, I'm chuffed with my results from my 1st ever 10mile race and thanks to the family for all the support and Maurice for the company.

Definitely, definitely, definitely back next year to break 72mins for 16.1km :D

Thank-you Craughwell AC!!!




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