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
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