Half-Marathon Mick here! I’ve been training like a mad man for the last few weeks so haven’t had a chance to blog but don’t worry, I’m back again with an extra big one!
Since I last dropped in here on Kayathalon I’ve completed not one but two races. Not only that, but I’ve gotten my 10K time down to an incredible 50 minutes!
The first of my races was the Monaleen Cancer Support 10K down in Limerick about three weeks back. This is a great organization that’s run entirely by volunteers and relies on this annual race for the bulk of its funds. If you want to donate then check them out here: http://www.monaleencancersupport.com/donate/
This was a tough race with more elevation than the International Space Station. They saved the hills for last, chucking a sickeningly steep Mount Everest sized behemoth at us for the final 3K. However, it takes more than that to stop Half-Marathon Mick! I kicked into top gear and pushed myself over the hills to finish the race in 52 minutes. A five minute improvement on the Castleconnell race from the week before!
A special mention must be included for the post-race snacks in the local GAA clubhouse! The rocky road cake was incredible. It took all the willpower I had to avoid re-consuming every last calorie I had just burned!
The weekend after that was the 10K Dublin Port Tunnel Run. The weather was on our side with a nice, cool 12 degrees to see us through the morning. The race zone was alive with the sizzling of chipper-vans, infectious tunes pumping from the speakers, and the excitement of 4,000 runners raring to go.
The race kicked off from the toll booths, (with the predictable jokes about loose change) and we were quickly herded into the gaping chevron jaws of the tunnels. The 4-and-a-bit kilometres through each tunnel was level enough for the most part. A slight incline led in and out of each, but there was nothing too steep. Nothing that Half-Marathon Mick couldn’t handle anyway! I fled out from the mouth of the tunnels and burst through the toll booths after a personal-record-setting 50 minutes!
That’s it from me for this week. I’ve got the 19K Quest Glendalough on Saturday, so expect another blog next week with running, biking, kayaking and the definite answer on the best post-race pint!
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