Running

A-Z Challenge 2015 – W is for Wexford 10k (first race of the year)

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Yesterday brought a rest day in the A-Z blog challenge and while my creative mind took a break, my body had no such opportunity as Sunday was my first running race of the year – the Wexford Town 10k. The weatherwoman had forecast rain but we woke up to a stunning sunny morning for the early two hour drive from Dublin to Wexford Town on the south east coast. My company had a corporate involvement in the event which was also in aid of a charity and an extra vacation day was promised to all staff who took part in the 10k or half marathon. This was a no brainer…run 10k and get a day’s holiday!

After injury and illness had blighted my running training early in the year, a personal best was never on the cards but at the same time I was excited about the prospect of getting back to competitive action and seeing what the standard would be like. And how I would fare against the field. As it turned out, the standard wasn’t bad at all and the hilly route was certainly challenging. But the gorgeous weather and my lively playlist kept my spirits up. Though I didn’t push myself to the limit, I managed a mixture of brisk kilometres and a few where I needed to hold back and catch my breath. I usually like to wind up for a sprint finish so as I went through the last few kilometres back into town against a difficult headwind, the thought of sprinting over the finish like kept me going. The sprint finish was a nice way to finish the race and pick up a few places while clocking a time of 45 mins. 28secs. Four minutes off my personal best, but hopefully that can be broken later in the year! I was delighted too that my knee had held up during the race without any pain; the weeks of physio and exercises are finally paying off.

The sun stayed out as we enjoyed the buzz at the finish line while rehydrating and exchanging tales of the race with work colleagues and other local participants. Overall, a super start to the racing season. Now I need to sign up for the next few and step up the training!

A-Z Challenge 2015 – W is for Wexford 10k (first race of the year)

A-Z Challenge 2015 – P is for Parklife

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I’ve mentioned my local park earlier in this A-Z blog, but not by name. Marlay Park is a 300 acre green area one kilometre from my house. I’ve ran so many kilometres within and around its perimeter in the last five years that I sometimes refer to it as my back garden! It’s a beautiful place to run on a balmy summer evening or on a bright and crisp winter morning. It has so much more to offer than pathways for runners though.

From a nature point of view, it’s pretty much got it all as parks go. Big, green wide open spaces. Forest, streams, ponds. Even a few waterfalls. On the sporting and recreational end, most boxes are ticked too…eleven football pitches, a nine hole par three golf course, tennis courts, two children’s playgrounds. A miniature railway!

The place has history too. Marlay House is a centuries old Georgian mansion which dominates the front of the park. Close to it is the beautifully manicured walled garden with exotic plants and water features. Even a resident strutting peacock which has no inhibitions about showing his plumage to onlookers! The park caters for those looking for a tasty coffee or brunch/lunch with a cafe adjacent to the walled garden. And at weekends the Farmers Market takes over a courtyard in front of the house and an array of local artisans and producers sell their very enticing wares. Sometimes after a Saturday or Sunday morning run I’ll undo the good work of calories burned by treating myself to a nice latte and sausage roll!

A full morning or afternoon can easily be spent in this vibrant piece of south west Dublin. Every time I run in the park on weekends, I tell myself I should spend more time there relaxing and enjoying it. With all the families and fellow exercise enthusiasts doing laps, at least the runs are never dull as they allow for that ever interesting pastime…people watching! What amazes me now looking back is that until I took up running fully in 2010, I had spent next to no time in the park. And I have been living in the area since 2007! I honestly don’t know what I was doing during those three years. That was the past. Looking ahead, I hope to keep running around and relaxing in this lush piece of green for years to come.

A-Z Challenge 2015 – P is for Parklife

A-Z Challenge – L is for Long Distance Runner

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If short distance is sprinting on a track, then I can consider myself a long distance runner! Not long distance as in marathons. The half marathon box has been ticked twice though, Munich in 2013 and Vienna in 2014. I’m usually somewhere between 5-10k distances when I go for a run, and usually 5k or 10k races when I race. Despite being a sprinter as a kid and gradually moving into cross country in early teens, I never really loved running. Playing soccer was the main love from early age right up to mid thirties. Alas, with thirty seven years and ever creakier bones a decision was made to finally hang up the football boots/astro shoes last year! So nowadays long distance running is my only active sport. And slowly but surely, I’m getting to like it. Especially at this time of year, when the evenings are long and brightness still feels like a novelty after a long, dark winter. Last Friday evening for example, my girlfriend and I enjoyed a lovely sunny evening jog in my local park. A great way to start the weekend!

An evening run is a good way to unwind from the working day. Yesterday evening was another sunny evening in the park, the run just what was needed after a few very busy days at work. The running will step up this week however, as the first race of the year approaches at the end of April. So the training will take on more of an edge from now until then, as I’ll be keeping an eye on times per kilometre and pushing to get these down. No chance of beating my personal best 10k time in this upcoming race due to recent injury and illness, but I’ll certainly try to be competitive. And that’s the other main reason why I’m enjoying my running. Gradually realising that I’m not bad at all, as 5k and 10k times have reduced over the last few years. So though the training can sometimes be gruelling and mundane, by the time I’m at the start line on race day I’m focused on gaining a certain time and being competitive in the race. The reducing of my best times will become more of a struggle as I get closer to forty and beyond, but the good news for me is that runners can still run very competitively into their forties. This is when actively monitoring my diet will become important, but for now I’m happy to pound the pavements quite regularly while also enjoying the foods and alcoholic beverages I like whenever they take my fancy. Within reason of course!

Running is probably the best and most accessible sporting activity, for many reasons. Anyone can do it, young or old! There are no rules or techniques to be learned before you start. Just run at your own pace. All that’s needed is grass, pavement, parkland, beach. The only monetary outlay of note is a decent pair of runners. Go on, spend that extra €20…they’ll be more comfortable and you’ll feel the benefits of better running. It’s not weather dependent, in fact running in rain or in winter cold can be as exhilarating for the senses as running in warm weather. And you can decide your own distance. For health and fitness, it’s a great way to keep weight off or indeed lose weight. So there are plenty reasons to give it a go!

A-Z Challenge – L is for Long Distance Runner