"Day I Met God....I got so carried away!"

Don't panic, this isn't a religious post, however it is a review of a recent Adam Ant gig I attended in Belfast, so be warned the following includes; men in make-up (and not just Adam), jelly tots and over-excited women. Hopefully, I will be able to convey the screaming, sweating and adulation over the next few paragraphs.
The journey to May 4th 2013 began on December 25th 2012 when I received a hand-made Christmas card in the shape of a vinyl record from my wife with a wee note inside to say that she had pre-ordered me Adam's new album on double-vinyl. The excitement didn't stop there as the sleeve was to be signed by Adam!! The next month was unbearable but finally at the end of January, it arrived BUT the f***ing delivery person had left it on the doorstep in the pouring rain!! Thankfully, no damage done and I was sooooo excited.......

Thinking that life with Adam couldn't get any better, he announced that he was to be playing the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast in May. A huge thank-you to Diane Couser for sitting patiently on-line waiting for tickets to go on sale and then purchasing one for me.
The next few months flew by as not only was I on countdown to the gig but I was busy training for the Belfast Marathon which was taking place 2 days after the concert. Initially, I thought I would be going to the concert with just Diane but as May 4th got ever closer, 2 became 3 and finally we were the Magnificent Five. To save blushes, I shall call these 3 Antpeople: Ruth, Maura and Jean.
MAY 4TH 2013
Before leaving for the gig, I applied a little make-up, make-up and painted my nails in a combination of orange and yellow (this was to match the colours I would be wearing on my vest during the Belfast Marathon). The venue was a marquee at Custom House Square and I met Diane and her Lovely Posse just before 7pm and whist we waited patiently at the front of the queue, Jean decided that I wasn't wearing enough make-up so applied a variety of Clinique products across my face; without a mirror I couldn't see the end result but I was reliably informed I looked gorgeous!!
Here's Diane and I both looking fabulous before the gig:

This was my 3rd Adam gig but the for the others this was their first experience of seeing Adam in the flesh and to say the four of them (particularly Diane and Ruth) were excited is a bit of an understatement. We entered the marquee just after 8pm and tried to stay calm and reserved but that was never going to happen as we headed towards the stage. Here the Magnificent Five (less Diane) try not to show their excitement before arrives on stage (please note, the bag of jelly tots...we don't drink, don't smoke but we do consume sugary confectionery)

There was no support band, so it was a case of waiting patiently and shortly after 9pm, the lights dimmed and a short burst of "1812 Overture" came over the speakers. The band appeared first, took their positions and the intro to "Marrying the Gunner's Daughter" filled the marquee. The crowd went crazy as Adam sauntered on stage and what followed was 2 hours of energy, excitement, sweat, screaming and having a bloody good time; not forgetting the 28 tracks which covered the 35+ years of Adam's career.
What I loved was the way Adam (and the band) were up there on stage really enjoying themselves and not just going through the motions. The songs came thick and fast ranging from 'B' sides such as "Beat My Guest" and "Kick" to new tracks like "Shrink" and "Stay in the Game". There was no time for a breather as hit followed hit - "Stand and Deliver", "Kings of the Wild Frontier", "Antmusic" and of course a few old favourites - "Cleopatra" and "Never Trust a Man with Egg on his Face"
The five of us had managed to stay in close proximity despite all the jumping around and the crowd surges, although the heat was getting a little unbearable and at one point Jean and Maura had to make their way outside for some fresh air.
It was left to Ruth, Diane and I to shout and scream during the encores particularly as we were this close to our hero -

By this point, I was getting a little carried away -

We wanted the gig to go on all night but when Adam and the band reappeared a second time and played "Red Scab", "Get it On" and "Physical (You're So), we knew that was going to be it. We stamped our feet and screamed but the lights went up and we left the marquee as "Twenty Flight Rock" by Eddie Cochran came over the speakers. It was a brilliant night and I would go and see Adam again in a heartbeat but why no "Bullsh*t"? The set list was also too similar to when I saw him in Dublin in 2011...maybe throw in a few album tracks from "Prince Charming" and "Strip" and mix up the 'B' sides? I'm not convinced that having Georgina on backing vocals adds anything to the band either. These are very minor grumbles and the five of us (in very hoarse voices) all agreed it had been an amazing evening. And to round things off, Diane then went and bought me a tour T-shirt as a memento.
I was on a high and 2 days later proudly wearing my Adam wristbands, along with the orange and yellow nail varnish, I ran Belfast Marathon in 3:49.

Belfast Marathon 2013

The last few weeks of my marathon training went exactly to plan - no injuries, no illness and all my LSR's were at close to my goal pace (8:46). My final 20 miler was completed in 2:55 and it was a run that I finished strongly and meant all my 20's had been under 3 hours. There was a good mixture of sessions at Dromore AC too including intervals, tempo runs and the occasional fartlek. In my own time, I ensured that I did some hill work too. Then, before I knew it, there was a week to go and I was just ticking the legs over with a couple of 20 minute gentle runs.
Once my pack was picked up, I knew all I could do now was rest, eat loads and remain calm and focussed on the task ahead. A big thing for me was creating a suitable playlist for my iPod (56 tracks) and I probably spent nearly as long on this as it was going to take for me to run the marathon itself! The night before was the ritual of ensuring everything was in place for the race, most importnatly; attaching the chip, pinning my race number (and my name) on my vest and sorting my kit out (inc chicken hat).
MARATHON DAY - Monday 6th May 2013
First things first and I had to go through my pre-race ritual of strapping both knees, applying vaseline liberally to avoid the dreaded chafing and taping down 2 very sensitive areas to avoid the bleeding! What a difference 12 months makes; last year the weather was rain, wind and more rain but this year the weather was set fair and as I arrived at the start area outside Belfast City Hall, there was cloud cover and a temperature of around 10 degrees. There were even rumours that the sun may make an appearance at some stage. I caught up with a number of Dromore AC runners including Judith (510) and Janette (2633). This was Judith's first marathon and she was going out to enjoy the experience, whilst Janette was running her second marathon and like me was hopeful of a sub 3:50 time.

Janette tried to convince me to run with the 3:45 pacers but having done all my training alone, I wanted to go out and run my own race without having the extra pressure of keeping up with pacers.
In keeping with other recent marathons, before the start there was a minutes silence for the Boston Marathon victims and this was a fitting start to the race. As ever, I started close to the back and as I went over the start line I saw the clock above the gantry ticking over to 3 minutes, knowing this became invaluable at the end.
The first few miles were fairly uneventful; I had avoided any bumping and barging and was running smoothly at just under 9 min mile pace. There's a bit of a climb up the Holywood Road before you turn back down the Sydenham by-pass and it was along here at around mile 5 that I passed the 4 hours pacers. This was a real confidence booster for me as I didn't pass these guys until around mile 15 last year.
As I approached mile 6, I started to concentrate as this is where the first relay handover is and of all the relay points this is the worst as it always very congested. Today, this is where my marathon nearly went horribly wrong; 3 relay runners came across me from the right; heels and ankles were clipped and although I didn't fall, my impetus was halted for a few moments and in anger I shouted f**k very, very loudly!! I don't think these runners were expecting this from a skinny 40-something man wearing a chicken hat and bright nail varnish!! As they ran off, I heard one of them give a meek apology. I wasn't going to let this affect my concentration, so I calmed myself over the next mile, shook the tension out of my shoulders and focussed on the 20 miles that lay ahead.
Through the city centre and the good weather had brought some big crowds out onto the streets and it was here that I first noticed the shouts of Mr Chicken and the occasional "go on Ian". The next 5 miles or so take you through West and North Belfast and here you get a lot of community support with many families lining the streets with cups of water, mini Mars bars, jelly babies, orange segments and most importantly lots of cheering. Although, I was fully committed to running a good time and concentrating on my pace/nutrition intake/breathing, I made time for those shouting my name out, I smiled, high fived the children, gave lots of thumbs up and waved.
Relay point 2 is just after 9 miles and just before you get out onto the Antrim Road and I caught of glimpse of a number of Dromore AC relay runners, who shouted encouragement to me. This is where I also high fived with gusto one of my work colleagues (Lizanne) who I think was a little taken aback with how much energy I had.
The crowds along the Antrim Road really spurred me on as this is long section up to around mile 14 and can seem to take forever. One highlight here was passing a care home and seeing a number of nurses and residents sitting on the front lawn and as I passed and waved one of the ladies blew me a kiss. This marathon was just getting better and better.
Halfway and I was aiming for around 1:55 and I crossed the chip mat in around 1:53, so was very much on target. The skies had cleared by now and the sun was beginning to shine but as it was only 11am, it was still relatively cool. A mile or so later and you take a right turn down towards Abbey Centre and this is downhill and where my knee went in 2011. I had been trying to master downhill running during my training and my technique was to let my arms down by my side and almost just let myself go. The one thing I wasn't going to do was try and put the brakes on.
Back on the level and I had my one and only flat patch between miles 15 and 17. Here, I got an annoying stitch but thankfully I ran through it and it didn't cause my pace to slow, it was just uncomfortable. Relay point 3 came and went and out on the towpath there was lovely breeze blowing in from the sea, which was very welcome indeed. You need to be mentally strong during this section as there are no crowds and you know that there are still the docks to run through. It gave me the opportunity to take stock and start thinking seriously as to what my finish time might be. I was confident of a PB but would I get a sub 3:50 time? Just hold it together, don't do anything silly and remember the crowds over the last few miles are worth 2 or 3 minutes.
Mile 20 came and went and by my reckoning I was smack bang on my goal pace as I passed through in just under the 3 hours. It was getting a touch warmer by now and my water bottle was almost empty, thankfully an energy station was handing out bottles of Powerade so a swap was made and I headed off with around 5 miles to go gratefully clutching 500ml of garish blue liquid. The final relay point comes up at mile 22 and here I got 2 shouts of encouragement; one from Una a work colleague of my wife's and another from Kerry who was on the last leg of one of the Dromore AC teams.
Back into the city centre and the last 4 miles take you along the Lagan cycle path into South Belfast and thankfully plenty of packed streets with lots of cheering supporters. There was no sign of 'the wall' but I was still munching on jelly beans and downing the Powerade, just to be sure. You are spurred on along the cycle path as across the Lagan you can see Ormeau Park and the finish area, not far to go now. The heat was starting to have an impact by now and any thoughts of a 3:45 were long gone as I could feel my pace was dropping slightly.
The climb up the Ormeau Road was tough and although not a stiff hill by any stretch of the imagination, after 24 miles it felt like it was never going to end. The crowds were brilliant here though and I almost felt like running along with my thumbs permanently up as a way of saying "thank-you". Mr Chicken flapped his imaginary wings and turned the corner down the Ravenhill Road and got a burst of energy, gradually picking up his pace and hitting mile 25 knowing in around 10 minutes he would get his marathon PB. The roar of the crowd pulls you round the final corner towards the Ozone and there were plenty of Dromore AC runners to give me a final cheer (thanks, Russell, Richard, Tina, Ian et al). I was on the home straight with the finish arch in front of me and I glanced up and saw the clock was ticking ever closer to 3:53. This is where I remembered I started at least 3 minutes behind everyone, so if I could cross the line before 3:53, I would achieve a sub 3:50 marathon. I put in one last effort and sprinted as hard as I could, the noise of the crowd was deafening as I heard the beep of the chip mat which signalled the end of my marathon. Oh and I managed to cross the line as my 56th track was playing, talk about pacing! I was ecstatic as I grabbed a well deserved bottle of water and my medal. I was so happy, that I could almost have cried...marathon's get you like that sometimes.
Keep moving I said to myself, do some stretches but don't stand still and just take it all in. The finish area was crowded so I thought I'd have no chance of meeting up with anyone but there they were Kerry, Susan and Pauline from one of Dromore AC's relay teams along with Roy our senior coach. Can you spot me in the pic below???

As I headed off to collect my bag and go for a shower, I was quite surprised as to how easy I was finding it to walk. There were plenty of people who were struggling to put one foot in front of the other and then there was the sight of those men with the 2 red dots of blood in that sensitive area that I had remembered to tape down.
Once showered, I had the task of locating my wife Louise who was somewhere in Ormeau Park, this was damn hard as all phone signals were cutting out and there were 100's of people milling about. I just kept moving and and nearly 2 hours after finishing the marathon, we met up and she remarked how fresh I looked and here's the evidence:

And that was it, my 2013 Belfast Marathon was over and what a marathon it was. My best ever and not just because of the PB; the crowds were amazing, the weather, the overall atmosphere, fellow Dromore AC runnners, the way I ran, all played a big part and I bloody well enjoyed myself. Now to enter Dublin Marathon in October!
Oh and not forgetting the most important thing, my final time came in at......
3:49:52, which was a PB by nearly 7 minutes.
Before I sign off, in case anyone is thinking of running a marathon, here are some of my tips, for what they are worth:
1: Follow a training plan (16 - 18 weeks)
2: During training, REST days are important and DON'T train if you are ill
3: A few weeks before, you will be a bag of nerves - embrace the nerves
4: On the day, ENJOY the experience - run with a smile on your face, high five the children, give plenty of thumbs up
5: Wear your name on your vest...stand-out from from the crowd...wear a chicken hat!

Marathon training and the Larne Half that never was...

The first week of a new year and most sensible people are still getting over their Christmas and New Year excesses; not me, I'm straight into my 18 week marathon training programme. I have Belfast Marathon at the start of May in my sights and as has been the case the last 3 years, I'm straight over to the Hal Higdon web-site (www.halhigdon.com) printing off the Advanced Level 1 training schedule, which includes three 20 mile runs. I have gradually worked my way through a number of Hal's schedules but this one worked for me last year and got me a sub-4 hour time, so I thought I did stick with what I knew. The only slight change I made, was to have 2 rest days (Monday and Friday) and to limit the number of Wednesday runs I did. It wasn't enough to have a schedule to follow, I had to have an achievable goal in mind or how else was I going to be able to run at 'goal' pace? A time of between 3.45 and 3.55 seemed about right, so I knew my pace on the long runs would need to be around the 8.45 min/mile.
January was fairly uneventful, in that all my weekend runs went to plan, the sessions at Dromore A.C. were a good mixture of intervals and tempo runs and I stayed illness free despite many of my friends and colleagues suffering with viruses and colds.
February started off badly, with my first long slow run (LSR) of 14 miles being my worst run of the last 12 months. Although, I got the pace right (8.25), it was a real struggle. Two factors caused such a dreadful run; setting off too soon after breakfast (a bowl of porridge) and the orange squash mixture that I had made up, was much too strong and caused dreadful stomach cramps. I have always refused to believe all the hype that surrounds sports drinks, so have relied on either water or orange squash (with a pinch of salt) on my long runs. Up to this point, I had had no adverse reactions to my orange mixture but this was a turning point, so I vowed that in future I would go back to plain old water. Things improved over the next few weeks, with regular interval sessions at club and a LSR of 16 miles which I ran at 8.41 pace. My LSR of 17 miles on the last Sunday in February was a disaster. To be honest, I shouldn't have even set out as I was suffering with a raging sore throat but I was stubborn and set off with my water bottle filled with a sugary, honey mixture. The first 8.5 miles went OK and I was hitting my goal pace but my breathing was a little laboured and I was coughing at regular intervals. I struggled on and by mile 14, my stride was shortening, my pace was dropping and my throat was unbelievably sore. Over the last 2 miles, I was almost walking but I was determined to finish the 17 miles. This run had taken me 2 hours 37 mins at 9.10 pace and I couldn't take one positive thing from it. I did learn the hard way that no run is worth it, if you are feeling unwell.
March began with me taking 5 days off from running and re-evaluating my training schedule. I was going to restrict myself to just 4 days of training, which would comprise 2 club sessions, my Saturday pace runs and Sunday LSR's. If I got the opportunity, I would fit in some Wednesday hills or intervals but I wasn't going to out running just for the sake of it. March was going to be my toughest month with a couple of 20 milers and the Larne Half Marathon to look forward to. I was pleased that by the time my 19 mile LSR came around, I was almost fully recovered and this showed when I completed the run in 2 hours 42 mins at a very steady pace. A few speed sessions at club was mixing up my training nicely and then on the horizon I saw my first 20 mile LSR looming. I needn't have worried as the run went smoothly, despite a couple of hills. I kept to my word and just took water with me and as for those boosts of energy, I took jelly beans and a natural energy bar (TREK). The Larne Half Marathon was now only a week away and this 20 miler had filled me with confidence, that I would be able to run a big race. However, mother nature had other ideas and suddenly Northern Ireland found itself in the middle of snow storms, freezing temperatures, snow drifts and flooding. The event organisers only called the race off late on the Friday but by this point I was already contemplating not racing as a 70 mile round trip to run a bad race, wasn't worth it. Thankfully, the race has been rescheduled for the start of June. Strangely, the weather around our village had stayed calm and we didn't see any snow, so I was able to get out and run 13 miles without any difficulty. The last Sunday in March and it was out on the roads for another 20 mile LSR. I chose a different route but one with a few more inclines, just to keep me interested. Again, no major problems with the run, only that I was a couple of minutes slower than 2 weeks ago, but I put this down to extra hills and strong headwinds. I was still under 3 hours and close to my marathon goal pace.
Early April and I finally entered the Belfast Marathon and my number is 2511. I left it late to enter as I wanted to be 100% that my training was going to plan, that I had no niggling injuries and that I had put the February bad runs behind me. So, I have one last 20 mile LSR to get in before the taper and then...well we'll have to see how Belfast 2013 turns out!!

2012 - my best running year to date

A whistle-stop tour of 2012

I regularly update my training on www.dailymile.com (a social network site for athletes) in early January 2013, they updated my profile with my 2012 statistics. This got me thinking that it would be a nice idea to write a post on how my 2012 went, the highs and the lows.
Looking back, it's fair to say that 2012 was a very good year for me, firstly because I managed to stay injury-free and secondly I achieved all of my race goals and got a couple of PB's too.
The year started with an 18 week training programme leading up to the Belfast Marathon in May. I decided early on that I would restrict myself to no more than 4-5 days of running and at the first sign of any strains, pulls or aches, I would rest. My first race of the year was the Larne Half Marathon in March which came at the right stage of my marathon training and gave me an opportunity to see how I performed in a race setting; and although, I didn't attain a sub 1-45 time, my finishing time of 1-46-23 was a course PB. The next 7-8 weeks of marathon training flew in and each of the three 20 mile runs were completed in just under 3 hours, which put me on target for a 4 hour marathon.
May Bank Holiday arrived and the weather was atrocious, with rain, wind and more rain. The race went to plan and I was hitting each mile at 9 minute mile pace. I reached half-way in just over 2 hours as I had done the previous year but the downhill section at Cave Hill is where my knee went in 2011, so I was very cautious between miles 14 and 15. I survived in one-piece and headed onto the tow-path with 10 miles in front of me. Yes, I was beginning to ache and was soaked through but I was still at my goal pace. Turning down the Ravenhill Road, with a mile or so to go, I knew that unless something strange happened, I was going to achieve my 4 hour marathon. Bizarrely enough, as I crossed the line, the clock was showing 4 hours exactly. My official chip time though was 3-56-23, which I was over the moon about.
After a few days of recovery, it was time to knuckle down to train for the 3 half marathons that I had entered between the end of May and end of July. I was keen to get a sub 1-45 half marathon under my belt, so I mixed up my training a little with a few a hill sessions to complement the longer runs.
Newry Half Marathon is a favourite of mine as it was the first half I ever ran and the course is relatively flat. My official time was 1-44-17, which was my best ever half marathon time and a course PB by a couple of minutes. I had no time to rest as Lisburn Half Marathon was just around the corner. This I find to be my toughest half marathon, so I wasn't overly confident of a quick time. Well, I underestimated myself as I attained a finishing time of 1-45-56, which was a course PB by 4 minutes. I had a bit more time to rest and recover before the Cookstown Half Marathon at the end of July. The course is actually quite hilly but I have always managed my best times here. 2012 was going to be no different as my finish time was 1-42-51. What a great way to end my half marathon season; a PB (knocking 5 minutes off last years best time) and 4 course PB's. Looking ahead to 2013, is a sub 1-40 half marathon possible? We'll just have to wait and see...
The next few months were all about the number 10 as I lined up for two 10k race and a 10 mile road race. In September, Belfast was the venue for the Laganside 10k which is always a popular event that is run alongside the River Lagan. I had run this on a couple of previous occassions, getting my time down from 55 to 47 minutes; this year although I didn't quite manage a sub-45 time, I finished in 45-41 which was a course PB.
September made way for October and the Armagh 10 mile road race was next on my schedule. I like this race as you don't get many chances to run competitively over 10 miles. I had a goal in mind of sub-1hr 20, so when I crossed the line in 1-16-16, I was very pleased indeed. Another course PB and maybe, I may get under 1-15 in 2013?
The final big race of the year was the Seeley Cup which is a 10k race around Ormeau Park in South Belfast. The course is quick and this is where last year I achieved my first sub-45 10k time. I went out hoping to hit each km in 4.5 minutes and to reach half-way around the 23 minute mark. The race went to plan and I achieved another sub-45 time but missed out on equalling my 10k PB by 1 second. My finish time was 44-45.
I have been running competitively since 2009, when I completed my first half marathon in 2-20 and over the last 4-5 years I have seen a huge improvement in my times, my abilities and my overall enjoyment of running. It's safe to say that 2012 was my best year ever. Was it the new Brooks I bought at the start of the year? Probably not but I'm sure wearing the correct type of runnning shoe helped. I stayed injury free, I blogged regularly, shared stories on Daily Mile and had the support of all my running friends at Dromore AC. Ultimately, though I think it was the sheer enjoyment I get from running that made 2012 such a great year.
Goals for 2013? I'd like to mix up my races a bit and try a few that I have never entered. Maybe, even get across the water and run in England? First up though, will be Larne Half Marathon in March and then Belfast Marathon in May. As ever, I'll be looking for a few PB's too. I'll keep the blog going too as it's been great over the last couple of years to connect with people from as far and wide as Canada and Australia.

Running up that hill...

My last race of 2012 took place on Saturday 8th December in a muddy farmers field. It was the venue for my club's annual Cross Country races. There had been torrential rain the week before and this led to last minute changes to the course. We were all relieved to find that we wouldn't have to endure the steep climb up the dreaded hill at the back of the field, not that that was going to make it any easier as the ground was saturated and full of divots left by the cows and sheep that would usually be grazing in the field!!
I have to admit that I'm not a huge Cross Country fan and I only run this race as it's my local one. It is however an opportunity to run without having to worry about times and pacing and to just go out and (try to) enjoy the experience.
On the day, it was dry, if a little on the chilly side. The juniors were the first out on the course and a number of races took place over distances ranging from 800m to 3k. Each lap of the course was 1k (approx) and seemed relatively flat but it was obvious from watching some of the juniors that actually running was going to prove very difficult indeed.
The main race of the day was the 5000m race for all senior runners (men and women) and had attracted just over 40 runners. My race plan, if you can call it that was to get round in one piece and not fall flat on my face at any point. The gun sounded and the first 200 metres lulled you into a false sense of security...the ground was firm and flat and you could stride out quite easily. Oh, if only the remainder of the course was in the same state but it wasn't and as the runners sorted themselves out, it was clear that even some of the elite runners at the front we're going to find it tough going.
I took the first lap steady as I wanted to get a feel for where the better ground might be, which boggy corners to avoid and see if there were any sections where I might be able to stride out properly and even pick up the pace. Having survived the first lap, as I started lap 2, I found myself in the middle of the pack on the heels of 2 fellow Dromore runners - Janice and Colin. This turned out to be a good tactic as I was able to see what problems they were encountering with the course and so I could then take a different line.
Lap 2 turned into lap 3 and as the race progressed, the course just got more churned up, the bends became slippier, the divots became deeper and everyone's pace got slower. I thought taking an inside line and keeping close to the tape that marked the course out would help but it was just as boggy and slippy here as it was in the middle of the course. My pace remained slow at best over laps 3 and 4 but I was still close to Janice and Colin who unbeknown to them, were keeping me going.
Lap 5, the final km lay ahead and it seemed to take an eternity to finish. My runners were caked in mud, I could barely lift my legs out of the ground and it was bloody freezing. In a road race I would save a bit for the sprint to the finish but today I was just pleased to finish, even if it was more of a stumble than a sprint!! My finish time was 27-41, which was slower than last year, however a number of people reckoned the full distance was closer to 5500m rather than 5000m.
We all headed back to leisure centre, where we had a well deserved cup of tea and slice of cake. This made it all worth while and I was just relieved that I wouldn't have to face another Cross Country for 12 months!!

Here I am, trying to run through the mud...

Not as quick as Mo Farah over 10,000 metres

As Autumn gives way to Winter, the road race season here in NI begins to wind down and the final big 10k race of 2012 took place around Ormeau Park, Belfast on Saturday November 17th - the Seeley Cup.
The course is relatively flat and so the race always attracts a high class field; this year was no exception with over 800 entrants. My club Dromore AC was well represented with over 25 members of the club turning out.
5 weeks on from the Armagh 10 mile race and I was feeling confident having concentrated my training on speed-work, hills and an occasional long run - if you can consider 8 miles a long run?
I was determined not to make the same mistakes I made at the Laganside race a few months ago; so I ensured my contacts were sitting correctly and I lined up closer to the front. The start was a little chaotic as the organisers were having problems with the chip mat. It took a few minutes to get everything sorted and even when the gun sounded not everyone had their start time recognised by the chip mat!
My goal as I set off, was to at least get a sub-45 time and if I could get a PB that would be a bonus. My pace was good from the start although I had a minor problem with one of my knee straps before reaching the 1km mark, thankfully I was able to reach down mid-stride and pull it back across my knee. It is important to run the first couple of km's well and get yourself a good position in the pack, particularly as when you first enter the park, the paths can get very congested. I steered clear of trouble and soon hit a rhythm and pace that I thought would get me close to a 45 minute finish. Out of the park and onto the main road again, you can really stretch your legs and make up a bit of time before you hit halfway just inside the park. I crossed this point in just under 23 minutes, so I knew I was on course and I just had keep things together and run at an even pace.
The weather up to this point had been fairly kind but this all changed between 7 and 8 km, where we were greeted by strong winds and driving rain. I put my head down and drove on hoping that I wouldn't lose too many vital seconds. As had happened during the Armagh race, I found myself on the heels of a Finn Valley runner who kept me going over the next couple of km's. Back in the park and sheltered from the wind and rain, I knew I was on target, the legs were beginning to ache but my mind was focused and as I turned the last corner, I thought this is where all those sprint sessions at club can come into play; my knees lifted and I drove on with my arms and crossed the line just as my iPod registered 45 minutes. It was too early to know for sure what my official finish time was but all I knew was that I had run as well as I had hoped and despite being shattered I had enjoyed my 3rd Seeley Cup. Immediately after the race, many of the Dromore runners got together to share race stories and also pose for a few group photographs.
I didn't have to wait long for finish times to be up on the NI Athletics web-site and eerily, my finish time (as opposed to my chip time) of 44-59 was exactly the same as 2011!!. In terms of my official time, well it was 44-45 and although not quite a PB (by 1 second), I was very, very pleased. A few days later, I made the mistake of searching Seeley 2012 on You Tube and I found a couple of clips showing not only myself but plenty of other Dromore runners (Kerry, Janette, Julia, Aine, Judith, to name but a few) strutting their stuff...it's very strange see what odd running styles we all seem to have.
I have no clips to show here but here is an action shot of me in the park...with thanks to Allyce for the photo.

Navan Fort - 10 miles around Armagh

Sunday 14th October
I had no time to rest after the Laganside 10k race as I had the Armagh 10 mile road race on the horizon. Over the next few weeks, my training was varied and included pyramid sessions, tempo runs, long weekend runs and speed sessions (ranging from 1500m to 5k pace).
The training had gone well and I was certainly on target to get a sub 1-20 time. In 2010, I crossed the line in 82 mins, whilst last year I had improved my time by 5 mins and finished in just over 77 mins. Could I get a course PB in 2012?
October can be a funny month when it comes to the weather and the last 2 years saw the race run under blue skies with warm Autumnal sunshine. 2012 was a little different as it was overcast and drizzly but not too cold. I arrived at Navan Fort already changed with contact lenses securely in place. As ever, my nerves were getting the better of me, so I took myself off for some gentle strides and to gather my thoughts.
In addition to the 10 mile road race, there is a 4 mile fun run which starts at the same time. This posed a few problems in the past as a lot of the children, walkers and fun-runners would position themselves at the front of the start area which meant the main runners had a lot of dodging to do over the first half mile or so. However, this year the organisers ensured the main group of runners started at the front. I was keen to start as close to the front as possible, so that I could get into my race-pace as quickly as possible.
I started well and felt I was already at goal-pace after the 1st mile and unusually for me kept this aggressive style of running going over the next few miles. Miles 3 to 7 are probably the most difficult as there a number of stiff climbs and it's difficult to get a steady rhythm going but although my pace slowed very slightly, I still felt I was on course for a PB.
By half-way I had already passed a couple of Dromore A.C. runners including Tina but this was more a sign of my confident running rather than her having a bad race. I could see Mary Mackin in the distance and knowing our race times are pretty much the same, I used her as a marker and if I kept within a minute of her, I knew was going to get a good time.
As I passed the 7 mile marker, I knew that if I kept it together over the next 2 miles and kept an even pace, I could push hard over the last mile and get that PB. One of the ways that I controlled my pace over the last third of the race was by running stride for stride with a Finn Valley A.C. runner. I still had Mary in my sights but didn't feel I was getting any closer to her, so put to the back of my mind any hope of passing her. Into the last mile and my stride started to lengthen and my pace began to quicken and round the last corner the finish arch came into view and with 200 metres to go I could see the clock closing in on 1-16. The chip-mat beeped as I crossed the line and I knew that I'd achieved another PB.
I collected up my medal, a couple of bananas and a bottle of water before catching up the other Dromore runners - we had all finished within 5 minutes of each other. (see pic below)

My finish (chip) time was confirmed as 1-16-16 however as the race had been only chipped at the end of the race, I'm going to use a bit of artistic licence and say my finish time was 1-16!! So, I hadn't quite caught Mary (she was 35 secs in front of me) and the runner from Finn Valley A.C. beat me by 25 secs but I had knocked 90 secs off last year's time and got a PB for 10 miles. Very, very pleased. Who knows, maybe next year I'll get under 75 minutes? No time to sit back and relax as I have the Seeley Cup 10k to train for in mid-November and then Dromore's X-Country race in December.