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Tuesday, December 31, 2013
A bit o run'in buzz
So during the year of 2013 it has been 'all about the bike' and in that time i have logged these fine stats, Distance, 10,320 kms, elevation gain, 83,756 metres, total time actually moving, 365 hours! ha an hour a day, total rides 232, 4 tyres, 2 chains, cables, outers, bar tape , most of a pair a shorts :) etc,
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Mid May Madness (version 2.013)
I always have some kinda peak or need for pain at this time of year, as
you know. Last year i was in a shell, huddled away form the world,
preparing and panicked about An Rás Tailteann, as you also know i got
that one done, just. 2 years ago it was Coast to Coast, runnning, cycling and kayaking my way from Sligo to County Down and feeling amazing and alive the whole time.
Is it in the air? the smell of fresh cut grass, those damp but bright May evenings that call me out on my bike and into the hills, is there some primal clock that sets my psychical being on high alert at this time, a forgotten survival instinct? or do i simply need to go mad after months of cold and dark, because the lust for activity is not just confined to sporting events, i also have a serious thirst for porter and craic at this time of year too :)
So anyway i did a 10 km race at the last minute yesterday, it was on in Bandon and run by the athletic club guys, and what with the recent connection and new found respect for the place! i sorta felt i should support it, but, as you know i had basically no running training done, although i have 4 thousand kilometres cycled since the dawning of 2013 and why the hell should something as irrelevant as poor prep stop you from giving it a go! (one of my many motto's) . i did a hard mtb race (1 hour) on the sunday and got a notion that i would kick start my running the following morning (i last ran on the wednesday after st. patricks day!! so i did a 5k easy monday morning, did a 5k race that evening in 19.47 and suffered in the last k!, i decided to do the race , 45 mins before hand, hence the run in the morning! i did an hour of spinning on the bike after, did nothing tue (i was in bits) did a 45 minute really boggy and hilly hill run on wed, slow and enjoyable pace, after this i cut and carried a full van load of timber from a forestry felling area (near where i was running) for 2 hours, actually running with the big logs (5 feet long by 6-8 inch diameter, one in each arm for 30-50 metres) so i could minimize the 'visual time' ! as i was on the side of the road, basically stealing stuff :)
i did a 50 k ride on thursday incl a 10 mile hilly tt, i was in a state for 20 mins after it, did nothing on friday but was on my feet the whole day pushing wheel chairs around foto house and gardens, i drank 3 pints of smithwicks that night in de barras in clon on the way home, (cause i felt i needed them) then did a 39.58 for the bandon 10 k on the sat morning,
i was cruising @ 3.55 km pace for the first 3 or so but then the long drags started and i lost time despite , upping the heart rate 5 or 6 beats, i was 24 secs off sub 40 pace at the 7 km mark, so you know what happened, i buried myself for the last 3 km, its the longest , highest heart rate that i have sustained since a 10k race in claregalway in 2003!!!!!! i thought i was having a heart attack with a km to go, my sister was at the finish and she looked visibly shocked at the state of me when i came over the line. I dont know why but i fucking wanted that sub 40 (why do we set these meaningless lines in the sand?) today i was in bits and sure after the last 7 days, with 4 hard races! why wouldn't i be, i broke a few blocks with the axe but mostly sat on me hole.
I plan on riding my bike for a couple hours tomo. Roll on the May Madness.
Donncha
Is it in the air? the smell of fresh cut grass, those damp but bright May evenings that call me out on my bike and into the hills, is there some primal clock that sets my psychical being on high alert at this time, a forgotten survival instinct? or do i simply need to go mad after months of cold and dark, because the lust for activity is not just confined to sporting events, i also have a serious thirst for porter and craic at this time of year too :)
So anyway i did a 10 km race at the last minute yesterday, it was on in Bandon and run by the athletic club guys, and what with the recent connection and new found respect for the place! i sorta felt i should support it, but, as you know i had basically no running training done, although i have 4 thousand kilometres cycled since the dawning of 2013 and why the hell should something as irrelevant as poor prep stop you from giving it a go! (one of my many motto's) . i did a hard mtb race (1 hour) on the sunday and got a notion that i would kick start my running the following morning (i last ran on the wednesday after st. patricks day!! so i did a 5k easy monday morning, did a 5k race that evening in 19.47 and suffered in the last k!, i decided to do the race , 45 mins before hand, hence the run in the morning! i did an hour of spinning on the bike after, did nothing tue (i was in bits) did a 45 minute really boggy and hilly hill run on wed, slow and enjoyable pace, after this i cut and carried a full van load of timber from a forestry felling area (near where i was running) for 2 hours, actually running with the big logs (5 feet long by 6-8 inch diameter, one in each arm for 30-50 metres) so i could minimize the 'visual time' ! as i was on the side of the road, basically stealing stuff :)
i did a 50 k ride on thursday incl a 10 mile hilly tt, i was in a state for 20 mins after it, did nothing on friday but was on my feet the whole day pushing wheel chairs around foto house and gardens, i drank 3 pints of smithwicks that night in de barras in clon on the way home, (cause i felt i needed them) then did a 39.58 for the bandon 10 k on the sat morning,
i was cruising @ 3.55 km pace for the first 3 or so but then the long drags started and i lost time despite , upping the heart rate 5 or 6 beats, i was 24 secs off sub 40 pace at the 7 km mark, so you know what happened, i buried myself for the last 3 km, its the longest , highest heart rate that i have sustained since a 10k race in claregalway in 2003!!!!!! i thought i was having a heart attack with a km to go, my sister was at the finish and she looked visibly shocked at the state of me when i came over the line. I dont know why but i fucking wanted that sub 40 (why do we set these meaningless lines in the sand?) today i was in bits and sure after the last 7 days, with 4 hard races! why wouldn't i be, i broke a few blocks with the axe but mostly sat on me hole.
I plan on riding my bike for a couple hours tomo. Roll on the May Madness.
Donncha
The last half of 2012
Well after the Ras, i ran and ran and ran and also i drank and drank and drank, i was totally fried form competing (25 days racing since late feb!) also i had sort of abandoned my wife and family in this period to pursue one of my life's dreams so i had to reassess. I should have sat on my ass for 2 weeks and chilled but i did not realise how burnt out i was. I did have the good sense to take the bike apart and it did not see the light of day for 9 weeks ! i through myself into running, i think i was hoping it would 'fix' me?! in this time i organised a trail race on the sheeps head , 20 miles and 15 took part, free entry, wet day, excellent course, pints and hangover after!
I also ran a 18.04 for a hilly 5km in Clones Co, Monaghan but foolishly did not try to improve my 10km or Half Marathon times with this good speed i had in my legs, to be fair to me, there was a lot of partying to be done !
I was 2nd in a Timoleague 5km and 3rd in their duathlon both enjoyable days out (ok i am lying about the duathlon they are murdererous).
I was 2nd again in the south coast adventure race, although i thought the whole thing was a bit shit from an organistion point of view. And yet again i got fuck all for my efforts, which is piss poor and i would encourage anyone reading this to NOT bother with the event, i can think of several hundred ways of better spending 60 euro and ones Saturday morning :)
I had a routine operation in early November and Drank and ate like a foolish king for 2 weeks, when i did get off the couch i burst into activity on the cycling front, started building up the mileage and also started the ball rolling with a few guys in Dunmanway in creating the West Cork Cycling Crew, which has gone form strength to strength and now we have a membership nearing 50!, mad.
Basketball got my full attention too, on the Monday night games i organise and we had some furious battles down in the hall, all in good spirit i may add. I really enjoyed those games all the ways up to March 2013 as i was not worried about getting injured this year, so i just flung myself around the court. These Monday nigts really shortened the Winter and give the wek a nice focal point, i mean i am a die hard cyclist but in this country, come on, its hard and there is only so much indoor training your brain can handle.
I trained hard in Jan,Feb and March, trying t get a hill run in once a week on Lugh hyne with my buddy John and we did get a good few done,
Over the easter week end i raced Ras connemara, a 3 day race in Ougtherard, about a 100km of racing each day, it went great and i finished 14th overall, if i had one or 2 races in the legs beforehand it could have been amazing! I got first unplaced a2 the following week in Fermoy and managed to finish the Aquablue classic 2 weeks later, which on the day was more than most did! very hilly and very windy not a great combo :0
Then there was a bit of a lull but the weekly timetrial series i have been organising with the Westcork CC gang kept it going and then in Mid May well , the usual Madness!
I also ran a 18.04 for a hilly 5km in Clones Co, Monaghan but foolishly did not try to improve my 10km or Half Marathon times with this good speed i had in my legs, to be fair to me, there was a lot of partying to be done !
I was 2nd in a Timoleague 5km and 3rd in their duathlon both enjoyable days out (ok i am lying about the duathlon they are murdererous).
I was 2nd again in the south coast adventure race, although i thought the whole thing was a bit shit from an organistion point of view. And yet again i got fuck all for my efforts, which is piss poor and i would encourage anyone reading this to NOT bother with the event, i can think of several hundred ways of better spending 60 euro and ones Saturday morning :)
I had a routine operation in early November and Drank and ate like a foolish king for 2 weeks, when i did get off the couch i burst into activity on the cycling front, started building up the mileage and also started the ball rolling with a few guys in Dunmanway in creating the West Cork Cycling Crew, which has gone form strength to strength and now we have a membership nearing 50!, mad.
Basketball got my full attention too, on the Monday night games i organise and we had some furious battles down in the hall, all in good spirit i may add. I really enjoyed those games all the ways up to March 2013 as i was not worried about getting injured this year, so i just flung myself around the court. These Monday nigts really shortened the Winter and give the wek a nice focal point, i mean i am a die hard cyclist but in this country, come on, its hard and there is only so much indoor training your brain can handle.
I trained hard in Jan,Feb and March, trying t get a hill run in once a week on Lugh hyne with my buddy John and we did get a good few done,
Over the easter week end i raced Ras connemara, a 3 day race in Ougtherard, about a 100km of racing each day, it went great and i finished 14th overall, if i had one or 2 races in the legs beforehand it could have been amazing! I got first unplaced a2 the following week in Fermoy and managed to finish the Aquablue classic 2 weeks later, which on the day was more than most did! very hilly and very windy not a great combo :0
Then there was a bit of a lull but the weekly timetrial series i have been organising with the Westcork CC gang kept it going and then in Mid May well , the usual Madness!
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