Tag: hills

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Second time 2 hills of Wexford

Wexford dog tags

Straight after 50 K in Portumna I was on the road to Wexford. Portumna not too far from Dublin. Same Wexford from Dublin but Portumna directly to Wexford over 3.5 hours and all that after running 50 K. That wasn’t so pleasant. Tired after run and even more tired after driving there. But nice surprise when saw my B&B. Really nice. Quite big room, same with bathroom. Owners very nice and great views. Too bad that just for one night. Just outside Wexford, about 10 minutes drive to quays. Decided to go down for little walk before sleep. Stroll on the quays and Main Street. Was really quiet, most of the shops closed on the Saturday evening. Coffee on the go and… important shopping. Both 240 poop bags for dogs. What a ‘catch’. After that was time to prepare for next day run. That was my first b2b after injury, IBS. Was scared little bit. Was happy that I was pacing 4:15. Shouldn’t be too bad but still was little bit nervous about it. Ye, I suppose to pace. Debbie was missing 3:30 pacer. Not many can pace that, especially in Wexford. Have tried with Chris Grayson but he couldn’t do that weekend but Alex O’Shea was available. So, we had our speedy ‘Fireman’ to lead the 3:30 heard. I think he enjoyed the run… But back to my issues. Gear was ready but looked like it was shaking. My gear was shaking… Read more

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LUX marathon

Medal

This marathon was long awaited one. I have made initial contact to organizers of the event back at the end of 2015 when I was pacing Munich. After some time after that I was contacted by Michael from Luxembourg who is responsible for pacers. We had agreed that 4:14 will be ok time for me, for my first time. And couple months later me and my Wife were in Luxembourg to run and support. I suppose to meet new pacing team and experience new marathon. When I was discussing with Michael times option he has advised me that Luxembourg marathon is one with quite an incline and challenging finish (last 12 km). He told me that usually it takes 15-20 minutes more than usual marathon time to finish here and same thing applies to pacing. So, instead of usual 3:45 or 4 h I was in pair with Holger to pace 4:14. Read more

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Ground-hog day

Cool medals

Another day, same wind, same rain… Nothing has changed. Ohh, maybe one thing. Decided to start at 8 AM. Was checking the weather day before and it looked like same old, same old, with slightly better morning. Of course that wasn’t the case on the day… Was trying to convince Cezary to start with me earlier but Cezary woke up too late. So, I took under consideration start at 9 AM. But still wanted to have that crappy weather behind me and if there would be any chance of running without rain and wind I will take it. Besides there was still chance of me getting lost. So, running earlier more chances to see runners using proper route and follow them. Day before, tried 9 o’clock and got lost cause there was not many runners running behind me. Ok, 8 AM start. Was sitting with Cezary till 7:40. He was having his breakfast and I decided to run without him earlier… Read more

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Clonakilty second attempt

First medal

And I’m back in Clonakilty… Second attempt to run marathon in here. As you probably remember last December run was postponed cause of the storm and floods. Hopefully this weekend will be better. It looks better now but not ideal. Weather forecast shows winds and rain on Friday and more winds on Saturday. But still they haven’t named the storm so maybe it won’t be as bad as two months ago. But needs to be prepared for all… Read more

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Back 2 back try out

Eating Monaghan

First b2b during crisis. Definitely not finishing time I was expecting but… Yeah, what time I was really expecting. Previous day I was pacing in Galway – 4 hours. And now, day after I’m on the starting line again. Knowing that fitness is still not there I haven’t got much expectations. Wanted just to finish. Was trying to get 3:45 time if possible. But… hills of Monaghan town. I know these well having run there last year. Year ago I got 3:25. Was aiming for 3:45 as well but legs were ok, was running with my watch but haven’t got the idea that in the vast part of the route (forest / park) GPS signal is really bad. Watch was showing pace which would allow me to finish marathon in 3:35 – 3:40. Ended up 10 minutes faster. But back then I was running with TomTom multisport watch. Great watch but I think was loosing signal quite fast during that marathon (I think that TomTom was short by 2 km almost). This year was much better. With Suunto I was just off by less than 350 meters (that says something about quality of the watch). Don’t get me wrong. Liked and still like TomTom watches but I think that Suunto is THE BEST in business when comes to GPS watches. But love for TomTom is still there. Now just shifted towards Bandit Action camera. Great videos taken during Szczecin where I had infamously missed my 4 hours mark as a pacer (thigh was tight). Ok, shifting little bit from the main topic now. Plan – slowly finish, if possible in 3:45. If not in that time just enjoy the run and first b2b in ages.
This year there was two marathons taking place in Monaghan. Saturday and Sunday – back to back during Monaghan Festival of running. For obvious reasons I couldn’t run the Saturday race. For me was Sunday booked. Saturday route was exactly same as the one last year. 5 loops mostly in the forest. Sunday run was slightly different. First loop was in the town and over the canal. This year supporters could cheer for us not just on the road where the loop was starting and finishing. Now they were gathering as well in the town. And despite very cold weather (started race when it was about 3 – 4 Celsius degrees) and no sun in the morning there was quite a crowd there. Of course there was much more runners now cause of two days festival but as well cause of new distance added. Last year it was marathon and all marathon distances, this year 10 km was added to that. There was another important reason for people to show up that Sunday morning. Leslie Crawford, race director, was running his marathon number 100. Cause Leslie is such a nice guy I think that everyone wanted to make his day special. Big crowds, nice cake at the end of the race, cheers from fellow runners and wishes to get another 100 in the bag soon… Back to run. Knew already forest part, knew that it is not flat. Some ups and downs, some quite demanding and four loops of that. New was that first loop in the town. This year, cause coming from Galway, we weren’t driving through Monaghan and I couldn’t remember if town itself is flat or not. I was just imagining that it’s not flat at all. And guess what… I was right. I think actually that this loop had more incline that loop in the forest (need to double check the watch for details). Ups, downs, town, end of first loop. Official watch was showing over 45 minutes already. More less loop in the town was same length as the one in forest. So, means that I was running slower than anticipated. 45 minutes for each loop was giving total time of 3:45. Being behind on the first one I was wondering if I will be able to finish in predicted time cause probably I will get tired on some stage and the pace will go down definitely. But now I was doing loops which I knew. Maybe haven’t remembered all the turns and ups and downs but idea of that loop was in my head. And with each next turn I was remembering more and more. And in the middle of forest loop I knew all the turns and inclines. It is actually nice to know the route not just from GPS profile but actually know it cause you run it or walk it. At the end of first forest loop (second all together) got 2 minutes to spare. So, maybe the town loop was little bit longer than forest one. Read more

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Flat – ish

Eating late in the night

Hello newbie. How are you? We’re you fast on your first half? Enjoyed that? Do you think that you will last for rest of the race? What will be you pace little bit later?
Questions, questions… Most answers where, let’s call it, negative. Ver fast (for my standards) beginning of the race. Remembering route profile I was expecting longer drag from km 2.1 till 7.3. And that wasn’t as easy as that. There was plenty ups and downs, not just that one hill. Was checking all the time millage on my watch to see where that climb will be, but that was just before 7 km when proper uphill started. Wasn’t too bad. Of course pace went down but that was in plan. But there was no such a hard work on the beginning in the plan. Top of the hill and down hill. Expected longer run down but again down and up. Mostly down, but when I was picking up the pace another hill happen. And the whole way was like that. I know that I prefer steeper hills and good run down than constant ups and downs. My race in Tyrone was almost exactly same as Dingle week before. Fast, fast until I die. I know, not best. But funny enough I was able to repeat same crap performance twice in a row. That is something extraordinary. Not to be missed. Know that I’m in bad for and even worse shape but you should always find a funny side. Was missing that for a while. I should be more possitive. Know that my banner ‘Run Fatold, run’ is very adequate and I have missed with the Form by 2 months (too early) but it will end. I will bounce back and start to run faster.
Must say that marathon was organised quite well for such a small event. And according to organisers they had just 4 months to pull it off. If that’s true some of the bigger venues or ones which are there longer can learn a lot from them. Mary Anderson Foundation together with Rainbow Club were brilliant. For just 30 pounds we were getting race pack with shirt, bus drop to starting line, water stations every 4-5 km, professional photographer and medal at the end of the race. That is value for money even if marathon route is not for everyone. It is worth to try. And if you are not a marathon runner you can always try marathon relay. 4 runners running 42.2 km in total. I think there was no rules saying what distance needs to be covered by each runner. Only rule which heard (maybe was more) was that runner with bib starting with letter A needs to start race and one with bib starting with D needs to finish. Rest was up to the team and their tactic. Have noticed that when running in Northern Ireland there is plenty of runners which I don’t know. I’m assuming that location is not convenient for most of runners I know. I have noticed that as well in Achill and little bit in Dingle. But maybe these two are not as popular cause of the hills.
Forgot to mention that for the first time I have decided to drive same day as marathon run where journey took me more than 2 hours. Actually it was closer to 2.5 and it wasn’t the best expirience. Had to be in Carrickmore before 8 Am to pick up the racing pack and get the bus to starting line. As usual I wanted to have some spare time just in case. So, just in case was aiming to get there on 7:30. And to do that I had to wake up before 4 Am to be ready for departure at 5. That was last time I done something like that. 1.5 hour drive is tops what I can do without staying for a night before the race. I know that sometimes I will be somehow forced to do that but if not I will arrive day before. So, again it was a long, long day. Early morning, 2.5 hours drive, marathon run, 2.5 hours drive back. Was so wrecked that at 8 I was already in bed sleeping.
Tough? Yes. Would I run it again? Probably, just need to be prepare better.
Have found couple of pictures by CMCA IMAGES on Facebook so will put these here. Read more

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Unpleasant reminder…

Food

Dingle Marathon was an unpleasant reminder of how far back I’m with my fitness. And as well as me not sticking to the plan. Not pushing to much on the first half and be comfortable on the second part of the run… And what I did? Run as hard as I could first 11 miles and paid for that later. Ok, but back to beginning… Read more

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Three hills…

Medal

Start loop, conquer three hills, repeat… That in short is Achill marathon. In short but there is so much more to that run…

Achill Island itself is beautiful. That can’t be ruined even by Irish Summer (especially one we had this year). Of course with bad weather it is hard to enjoy views when you there but… you just enjoy being there… So, that what we did over that weekend. Weather wasn’t too bad. Kinda windy, little bit rainy (time to time) but that was expected. Running, walking, being amazed by views. This is Achill… But for all coming down there. Remember to have cash on you… Achill has just one ATM, which is located at the beginning of the island. Yep, that could be a small hiccup. Especially when you need to use cash to pay for B&B. But what will happen if only ATM is ‘OUT OF ORDER’? And that has happened that weekend. I you lucky and need just 100 euro or less you are going to garage. Trying to purchase products for 10 euro which will entitle you to cash back option up to 100 euro. But if you need more you will need to by for 10 euro amount couple of times… Kinda funny… but not when you need cash. Read more

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Not as bad as expected

Different medal

I think that was the first time when I was expecting route to be more hilly than it actually was. Nice surprise. Everything started with email with document I should sign and bring with me to expo. In the email there were as well links to half-marathon and marathon route. Both led to same GPX route. So, I have assumed that same route just two loops. One thing was was just bothering me. It was said that big hill which was daunting runners was taken out from marathon route and on the GPX for half one I could see really bad incline. So, I have prepared myself for two loops with one big incline on each. That expectations but still weren’t sure about the legs after Ballina. Couldn’t say if the legs were heavy or wobbly. Usually before start I can say how I feel. It’s either crap or I’m buzzing can’t wait to start the race. Last Sunday I felt nothing. Completely empty. That was very strange. Didn’t know what to expect. All I knew is that I want just to run my comfortable pace. Knowing that body probably still hasn’t recovered from previous weekend I wasn’t trying to push too hard. Read more