It has being a year. My last post was about the great race Galway back in 2012. Since then I have became a couch potato and chubby. So what better race what to return to is the Great race, Galway 2013.
Over the past month, time was calling to get the runners out and lose them pies, cakes, sweets that are lodging in the stomach.
So over the last three weeks, I decided to sign up from where I left off a year ago. I signed up for the Great race, Galway. From doing no exercise to 10km in three weeks would not be in many planning regimes. The day came around on Sunday 5th May. I got out for a few runs and managed a 10km a week before hand. My mate Paul also went off the beaten track decided to give the 10km ago as well.
So the track lead us to the racecourse on a blustering wet afternoon. My girlfriend Sarah and her sister decided to walk the 10km route.The rain had just cleared up and the temperature began to rise. A few stretches and we at 1.30 we took on the route. We settled back at the very back, just to give everyone a chance. We stayed back and took off nice and steady. After two kilometers, I was feeling good and myself and Paul separated. Paul reminded me how we were running together and how I left him even though I said i wouldn't.
Well as the bad guy, I kept on going as I was feeling good. The wind must have behind me for the first 3km as the final 7km would be a test. I found even though it was a small continuous incline , it was uphill and dragged out until the water station. Water was badly needed by that stage. There was few people around having the same grin on their face. I could only assume that the leader of the race had already crossed the line.
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| Paul Fahy and Paul Mc Donagh |
The major steep hill in the race came around the 6km, probably around 300meters in distance. Last year, I was up a good few minutes but failed to continue to run up the hill. I seen it as my mission to continue up the hill without stopping. I just looked at the ground for the majority of it, when I looked around, plenty of runners had being walking it. I felt the burn but happy to reach the top, breathless but kept the legs moving. The runners that had walked for a bit of the hill began to pass me and looked refresed. I started to chat to a fellow, usual banter "nearly there" I gasped. Nice downhill into the racecourse but I knew going around that racecourse is difficult. Difficult for two reasons, first knowing 2km into a wind lies ahead. Second you can see runners that are already finished. I never got the fellows name that I was running with. He said this was his first 10km run and only did this distance on a treadmill before. I told him to plot ahead near the end as the energy was sapped straight out of me. He stayed with me till the final 20 meters. The final meters, I kept my head down. I had no idea of time I was completing it in. Two people came from behind like sprinters and overtook me on the final km. I crossed over that line and checked back to view the clock. The clocked had passed into the 1:04. My main challenge before today was to run this event and not to walk. I finished over 5 Min's slower then last year but last year I had stopped three times to walk.
Paul came in 4 Min's later and had a runner beside him which he was also chatting to. The girls did a great walk with an impressive time of 1:35mins. We heard after the race that a marshal was not present at the entrance to the racecourse and the leader went the wrong way around the track. It took awhile on redtag timing to give me my official result of 1:04:06. The results were not posted up as i assume they crossed over the mat at 8Km and went around the course to cross it again at 10km. I wonder should they be disqualified and I get more up the result table.
Main thing overall now is that I'm off the couch, getting out and about and not getting too comfortable on that couch.. That couch is fairly comfortable.
Special thanks to the guys who asked me to resurrect the blog. This one is for you.
Onwards and upwards.
