Introduction

I’m starting to move through the training gears a bit easier. I’m running sub 22 minute parkruns consistently again. It was starting to go well and then on Monday (July 10th 2023) I fell off my bike whilst cycling home from work. It was raining, the bike went out from underneath me and I hit the ground hard. I was wearing a helmet which kept my head from any damage but my right arm, left and right leg along with my right hip were cut up pretty bad. I could have called it right there and skipped the race but I ain’t made that way. A woman driving an SUV stopped and asked if I was ok. I appreciated that and after thanking her profusely I told her my pride took the most damage. I got back on my bike and cycled home. When it gets hard you keep going.

'Fall down seven times, get up eight'. Japanese Proverb

Race

The race started 15 minutes late. I observed a few explanations for this though there maybe more. I was at the front of the race group but I couldn’t here the updates from the announcers. The Swords Lawn Tennis area to the right of the start point seemed to be operating like a holding area for all the athletes. The problem was that to get into the start shoot they had to cross the top of the chute. I seen hundreds crossing to the oppsite footpath and then making there way down to their pace sign. I’m not exactly sure if this was in the plan but it definitely slowed things down. I heard athletes near me grumble that they had been out for 10k already and they were getting cold. It was 20 degrees out but when you’ve been out sweating and you stop you’ll get cold within ten mins.

Another reason we might have been delayed was the traffic. The Pavilion shopping centre had 2,500 car spaces but it seemed like most were trying to get into the car park via one entrance only. Later one of the safety team members told us that two guards had to be sent out to clear the traffic.

A late start is irritating. Most of the people I know in running circles don’t have all day. They moved away from team sports that had precarious schedules. At my stage in life looking after my son I need to be in and out in an hour or be able to tell my wife with 95% confidence when I’ll be back. Finally on a hot day the closer you get to midday the closer you get to heat stroke, a risk that always seems to fly under the radar.

That being said I was in Fingal to do a training session for the Dublin Marathon. I needed to hit a pace of 4:35 per km over 10km. As soon as we were late I’d had every reason to quit or abandon the plan. For 8km I held up well but in the last 2km I slowed up but kept fighting until the finish line. On marathon day I’ll be better if things go against me. This race had an essential re learning curve. At some stage in a marathon if it will go against me and I’ll have to pull it back and finish with a PB.

This course was much better than I expected. I thought the early hills would kill my pace, Instead I was motoring along quite quickly and I had to force myself to slowdown. I didn’t do this very well because at 3km in I was still under 4:30 per km. If I do this on marathon day I’ll have to carry it for 39km and that won’t work. After 3km in Fingal we moved on to Ennis Lane and the road suraface became more like a country lane. It knocked a few seconds off my stride but I also kept over the crown of the road. The early kilometers of a marathon are where you settle into your pace and conserve energy and if I started tiring after 8 km here then over 42 km I’ll crash and my legs will burn. I need to lengthen my marathon pace runs going forward.

Live a little

The announcer was in great form. Motivating everyone by reminding them that you’ll do better than you think today and then following that up with reassurance that all the athletes here are trying to look after their health. They’re friendly and want you to enjoy yourself. I couldn’t agree more. After I finished the announcer tore into RTE

“The prize money for today came from the barter account”

It’s about time someone started calling this out. First RTE were a disgrace but now after another week of PAC testimony they’ve become a joke. It’s bad enough when you’re credibility is in question, your reputation has crashed into the rocks and you’re bleeding out but when you become a joke then you’re in a whole different world of trouble. Every finisher in Fingal had more credibility than RTE.

Conclusion

I got faster in Fingal.