One Down, Forty Nine To Go.......

 Given the season I've had it would have been very easy to draw the proverbial line in the sand after Dublin and say that's it.......however having reached the #250 medal plateau in Dublin I'm now looking down the road at #300 so w/ a potential seven more medals up for grabs between November 3rd and December 8th there was no time to sit back and call it a season so while the masses were off to New York City for the marathon the rest of us were heading to Camden for the Cooper Norcross Run The Bridge 10k

Another Sunday I got an extra hour in bed as our clocks went back this week and another Sunday the race didn't begin at Silly O Clock {8.30am} that said I still had to be up at 6am and out the door by 6.30am to get to the Camden side of the Ben Franklin bridge by 7.30am to give myself an hour to prepare

Good conditions for the first Sunday of November, between my socks, calf sleeves and knee sleeves I'm well insulated from the cold from the waste down but I went singlet and no shirt, short or long sleeved....how long I can continue that between now and Dec 8th remains to be seen.....it can be a crap shoot running over the Ben Franklin bridge in early November in the morning I've lucked out the last few years since adding the Run The Bridge 10k to my Fall race season, I recall its predecessor the now {sadly} defunct A To Z 10k from the Camden Aquarium to the Philadelphia Zoo that went over the Ben Franklin bridge one year in particular my hands were frozen coming off the bridge on the Philadelphia side b4 cutting thro Chinatown to the Parkway and eventually the Zoo

Got my customary clear start from the gun and made my way through the field on the left hand side of the bridge knowing the turn back across the bridge would be to my left, even though for whatever reasons this season I'm not running at the pace I have been my brain is still as sharp and if I can run less distance w/in the parameters of fair play to shave a few seconds off my time fair play to me

I was a bit bemused there were no mile markers on the bridge to indicate miles 1 and 2 I believe the 3 mile marker onwards was posted and while it's no big deal as most runner have Garmins I just think that just one of those things as a runner you expect, again not a big deal more of an observation

I had no agenda today other than to finish so when my Garmin said 8.16 for the opening mile I was non plus w/ that, knowing the opening mile is uphill it was always going to be a little conservative, since mile 2 was downhill the 7.45 split helped balance that out

7.59 at mile 3 I was give or take on 8 min mile pace and looking at 48 mins, again I wasn't overly concerned w/ pace, splits, speed overall/age group finish, take Dublin out of the equation I'd have come into this race off the back of the Run For The Blue 5 miler on Oct 20th and probably 2 weeks of solid training w/ maybe a 10 miler last weekend inbetween as it was this was my first run since Dublin and I probably still had some marathon miles in my legs, hopefully this week leading upto the Rocky Run on Saturday I can flush out any gunk in my legs during the week.

7.33 at mile 4 I'd taken advantage of the downhill off the bridge and now flat terrain on route to the USS New Jersey behind the whatever corporate name the concert venue in Camden is these days and heading back along the Delaware River towards the Ben Franklin bridge, 8.03 at mile 5 at this point any one I could pick off ahead of me was a bonus while it was a race I wasn't in " race mode" like Dublin last week if ye beat me ye bete me fair fucks to ya, just getting to the finish was enough 7.57 at mile 6 and now the approach to the track for the new finish this year maybe 150 meters or so....the track runner in me couldn't resist a kick coming off the turn and up the home straight to the finishline.

49.38.4 off 7.55 mile pace, 9 weeks ago at Philly 10k I ran 48.55 off 7.53 pace so throw in a marathon a week ago I guess it balances its self out, overall I finished 204th out of 1620 6th in the 60-64 age group 3.06 off the podium

It's another medal closer to #300 and another 6 miles onto my yearly mileage tally which is creepin' closer to beating last years tally, hopefully I can  log a couple of lunchtime 5 miles this week b4 Saturdays 5k and 10 miler at the {Sham}Rocky Run.....

250 Not Out...............

Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay and watch the new glass  cages,that spring up along the quay my mind's too full of memories too old to hear new chimes, I'm part of what was Dublin,in the rare oul times.......

The Dubliners Dublin In The Rare Old Times

A few days have elapsed since Sundays Dublin Marathon I wanted the dust to settle b4 committing my words to the blog, nothing has changed since crossing the finish line Sunday lunchtime, sure my legs hurt a lot less than they did as I crossed the finish line on  Mount Street Lower, my finish time is still my slowest time ever but the smile on my face when I think of the race as a whole gets wider

I knew going into Sunday for whatever reason I was on a hiding to nothing,after a brisk 21.02.54 5k on Feb 10th my season has gone downhill rapidly.....or faster than Alberto Tomba in the Giant Slalom as I'm fond of saying,I kept waiting and hoping for a turning point all season  but it never came, by the time I struggled to a  record slowest half marathon at the PDR six weeks b4 Dublin in 1.54.44 off a generous 8.44 mile pace and then four weeks later could barely get a 9 miler in off 10.11 pace I knew I had two choices, bag Dublin and let down several family members who'd booked a weekend in Dublin to see me run and accept I was on a hiding to nothing, about to run my slowest ever marathon.....or go along for the ride and maybe get a new perspective on running the marathon,all of my previous 15 marathons had been built around trying to get from point A to point B in as quick a time as possible,this time maybe I could soak it all in enjoy the sights and sounds around me and maybe interact w/ my fellow marathoners......when in Dublin as they say!    

A nice change of pace.......{ no pun intended!!!} not having to get up at the arse crack of dawn to be at the start, a respectable 8.45am start for once,granted my corral spot was based off a projected 3,30 finish that I knew was wishful thinking but I didn't feel the need to move back into the slower corrals these runners were going to pass me anyways sure I might as well stay where I was  and  just focus on what I had to do,I did however make a point of starting near the back of the Gold corral....no point in everyone passing me thinking "look at yer man here,,,,feckin' gobshite!!!

By nature I'm a meticulous planner and no less so as a runner, this time out the only plan was to reach the finish so pace etc was not an issue, get out get into a good rhythm and hope for  the best, based on my last race the Philadelphia Distance Run six weeks ago I got eight miles in b4 having to stop and walk b4 getting going again and then hitting a  "wash, rinse, repeat" mode over the final five miles, the further I could get today the better, no target mile mark but anything above mile 8 would be a plus.......

My opening 10 mile splits were: 8.29-8.18-8.40-8.21-8.39-8.41-8.43-8.23-8.48-8.37 1.23.39, glass half full off that pace I could reach mile 20 in 2.47.18 but I knew that wasn't going to happen, somewhere between  exiting Phoenix Park and mile 11 the inevitable happened and I stopped to walk b4 getting going again,it sounds churlish when I say I was delighted and surprised to reach 10 miles w/out stopping but this was where I was coming into Dublin, the next 16 miles were going to be a challenge........enter the crowd and my fellow runners,I got so much love and support from everyone around me it boosted my moral,in my previous 15 marathons since 1985........{YES I'm very aware next November is the 40th anniversary of my 26.2 debut........} I hadn't struggled this much for this long so I hadn't had to lean on the crowds and my fellow runners.......however there is a reason why Dublin is known as "The Friendly Marathon" they lifted my sagging limbs and spirits to the finish line and while it isn't possible to thank everyone who cheered and encouraged me offered me Water, Lucozade, Jaffa Cakes, Gummies, Wine Gums, Salt Tablets, and told me I'd make it to the finish "Go raibh maith Agat"......or "Thank You" for the non Gaelic speakers/ readers of my blog.........Kevinrunningfree in Gaelic coming a long way off!!!!

For the second time since 2001  I hit the deck during a marathon, in Philly in 01 in the closing four miles the loop of the lace of my running shoe  got caught on my toe and sent me tumbling in Dublin between mile 15 or 16 I misjudged a manhole cover and caught the lip of it and went crashing to the ground, thankfully my catlike reflexes  meant I threw out my right hand to try and brake my fall, I picked up some nasty Dublin road rash for my troubles and some bruising around my right hand, right shoulder, right hip but it could have been far worse, my injuries could have been race ending and I could have caused a chain reaction, if anything I was more embarrassed to fall in public in front of a large crowd but upon getting to my feet and letting those around me I was ok I joked " let this be a lesson folks.......don't drink and run!!" and continued my quest towards the finish,at this point  THAT was all that mattered

Even though this was a sub standard marathon  by my standards, there were other runners around me who were also struggling and when I was  in those moments of being able to run rather than walk I tried to lend support and encourage my fellow runners we could do this and reach the finish, I joked to one runner that there was no difference in the finishers medal if we walked or ran!

I worked together for a mile or so between mile 22 and 23 w/ Colin a 26 year old Dubliner who had gotten sick on Wednesday and was struggling b4 he encouraged me to press on w/my own race and not worry about him, he said this would be his first and last marathon to whit I said at 26 I had bad marathon days and bounced back and kept coming back for more, I hope Colin will try again in a year or two

When I reached the turn at mile 24 I knew I was close, at no point did I ever think I wouldn't finish,my goal was to finish like every other marathon if it was sub 4 hours that would be a bonus,I knew that wasn't going to be the case now.....and frankly I didn't give a fiddlers....it might not have been fast, I may have walked quite a bit of the preceding 14 miles but I was going to cross the finish line and claim  medal #250 and honour the memory of " the auld fella" who died 40 years ago on Oct 27th 1984, b4 my marathon debut in Harrow in Middlesex in November 85 I had plucked some grass from his grave and wrapped some scotch tape/celotape   around it and taped to the back of my race number, on one of my last trips back to London I had plucked some more grass clippings from near his headstone to repeat the gesture

I knew prior to heading off my family would be somewhere inside the final mile but I only caught a glance of my nephew Tom and brother in law Chris  b4 I made the turn towards the finish,my calves had been cramping for most of the second half of the marathon as I hadn't drank enough water in the build  up to today, had I been " firing on all cylinders" I would have left " no stone unturned" in my pre race build up but it's been that kind of a year, the proverbial writing had been on the wall way back on March 24th when I ran 1.29.17 for the Love Run half marathon off 7.29 mile pace and sadly for whatever reason I was never able to turn the proverbial corner, to my knowledge I'm not sick or injured I just haven't been able to race to the degree I'm used to or train to the levels I'm used to,picked the wrong year for the shit to hit the fan...

4.34.08 off 10.24 mile pace the final 16 miles went:10.16-10.09-10.39-12.12-10.26-12.38-11.35-11.35-12.11-12.07-13.32-12.40-11.25-11.43-11.52-10.10-3.19....but I FINISHED!!!!

The medal felt sweet,I'd earnt this one I felt and when I eventually made my way back to the Grand Canal Hotel to be reunited  w/ Mrs Shamrock Warrior and my family no one cared what my time was,what my pace was or that I'd walked /ran the final 16 miles, they were just happy I'd finished and been a part of the journey.......

I won't say if this is my last marathon or not, bit too soon to make that determination,I haven't ruled it out, I would consider Dublin Marathon again but lets let the dust settle,now that I've reached #250 the target is #300, if everything stays on the up and up that could take another 3 years but one race at a time, one medal at a time and after today one Guinness Zero at a time......Slainte!!!!

Another Brick In The Wall....

Another 5 miler in the books,another 5 miles towards hopefully triple digit mileage this month.....its going to be close so every mile counts

Once again "Hal the little bollix of a Garmin" fucked me partially  my fault for not paying attention at the opening mile,in my defense yer honour I didn't feel the Garmin vibrate which would have alerted me to the fact the mile split came up too early as the 6.43 mile split indicated.....at this point in my season of discontent I shouldn't be too surprised at anything that goes wrong.......

Having missed the opening mile split I saw 8.14 for mile 2 b4 8.57 for mile 3, as is my won't on a good day I ran beyond the turnaround point but knowing that "Hal the little bollix" was off I wanted to try and get the run as close to 5 miles as I could

9.27 for mile 4, a bit slow,but at this point I was just switching to neutral mode and looking to see out the run w/ a hopefully long/longer run on Sunday

8.51 for the final mile for a questionable 42.13.2 time off 8.26 mile pace,one that won't go down as a memorable run and will instantly be forgotten if I'm being honest,in the general scheme of things nothing of note today.....other than a timely reminder to fish out "Hal's" instructions and see if I can calibrate the little bollix.......but also my final lunchtime run b4 not only b4 Dublin but also The Bridge Run 10k the following Sunday,upon my return to work on November 4th I'll be getting ready for "The Italian Stallion Challenge" at the Rocky Run followed by the Penn Relays 5k, Rothman 8k and the season finale the Schylkill River Loop 8.4m.......which yet again will be an out and back race as the yokes in charge of rebuilding the bridge under Spring Garden St bridge are still working on it 18 months and counting......said it b4 and I'll say it again if Wimpey or John Lange were rebuilding it it'd been done LONG ago

 

Sometimes Less Is More....

 So I took a day off on Tuesday, after the buffeting I took on Monday on already leg weary legs there didn't seem much point going at it again Tuesday just for the sake of tagging on more miles for the sake of it, as Kenny Rodgers said "gotta know when to hold em, gotta know when to fold em" 

The plan was a rest day then go at it again on fresh and rested legs, I opted for 5 miles more so because it was 2.10pm b4 I got out the door and I usually account for 45 mins for a 5 miler, I don't like to take liberties  w/ my time you factor in I need 10 mins b4 the run to get changed and stretched then another 10 mins post run to towel off and get back into work clothes there's 20 mins already tack on another 45 for the run I'm already over my hour so 5 it was today

I was confident my time would be quicker than Mondays  laboured 45.54.5 off 9.11 mile pace and logged a 8.46 opening mile heading up the Parkway towards the Art Museum, sunny but a bit brisker than last week, October is a funny month weather wise, I always say treat each nice day as it'll be the  last one because eventually it will be, I only have today and tomorrow this week to worry about it, by the time I resume lunchtime runs post Dublin it'll be Nov 4th and probably halfzip weather time.

8.52 at mile 2 it was noticeble the headwind along the Schuylkill was less obnoxious today, 9.07 at mile 3 unless the arse fell out of in the final 2 miles I was going to be sub 45...., small victories fellas...small victories..... to that end I picked up the pace heading back towards the Art Museum and the mad charge down the Parkway towards City Hall

8.49 at mile 4, 34.47 so even a 9 min mile was going to see me under the magic barrier but I wanted to finish strong I'm already planning for the Bridge Run 10k on Nov 3rd......8.31 for the final mile and a 43.48.9 finish off 8.46 mile pace

Slightly slower than last Wednedays 43.32.0 off 8.42 mile pace but I'm happy w/ the overall effort and time not to mention having the balls to get out there and run when it would be all too easy to pack the tent round up the doggies and piss on the camp fire, another one tomorrow b4 attempting a longer run on Sunday......

All In, No Matter What The Outcome Is

 Final full week of training heading into Dublin, while I'm off from work next prior to heading to Dublin I will try to get some miles in b4 flying to Dublin on Wednesday night, while I doubt they will make a difference in the overall outcome of the marathon they will help me potentially crack triple digit mileage this month which sadly hasn't happen for months, possibly March?

I was feeling leggy from Sundays exploits and it would have been easy to blow off my lunchtime jaunt up the Parkway and along  Kelly Dr period, it's a slippery slope blow off Monday and b4 I know it it's Thursday and I haven't done jack shit which means by Saturday or Sunday there'll be less inclination to get out there, sure as far as Dublin goes it's too late now but the lure of returning to triple digit monthly mileage is a big motivation...whatever it takes yeah?

56 degrees at 2pm as I made my way up the Parkway towards the Art Museum, 8.37 for the opening mile kinda where I was hoping for roughly 9 min mile pace, thankfully no issues w/ Hal the little bollix of a Garmin today!..........9.10 at mile 2, this is where it got interesting......... I was leggy to begin w/ and now as I headed north along the Schuylkill I had to contend w/ a strong headwind.......

I did strongly consider turning at 2.5 miles and making it a 5 miler but ploughed on till mile 3....fuckin ada.....9.56 split at this point I stopped to walk a little and somewhat belatedly opted to make this a 5 miler 9.19 at mile 4, 36.22 I was going to have to hoof it if I was going to get sub 45 for 5 miles

8.53 for the final mile for a 45.54.5 time off 9.11 mile pace, yes slow but somedays its about the effort not the time, it would be easy to " throw my toys out of the pram" at this point and say if I can't run the Dublin Marathon to the level I've been accustomed to the last 39 years why bother? kind of a cop out so I've accepted Dublin won't be my finest hour....or four and embrace the event and run a marathon from a different perspective, interact w/ the crowd and my fellow runners, hopefully help a fellow marathoner  as we grind through the miles towards the finish and if any would be spectator wants to bestow some Guinness upon us mad bastards out on the course I can say w/out fear of contradiction  I'm here for all of that.......Slainte!

It's A Long Way To The Top.....Its Even Further To The Dublin Marathon Finish Line......

 There's a classic line at the start of Woody Allen's movie "Love & Death" where he says "there comes a time in every mans life when he had so die...for me that's 6am.....should have been 5am but got a smart lawyer, got leniency...." that's how this weekend felt.......

I pushed back Saturdays all important " long run" to Sunday if for no other reason to delay the inevitable, I already knew what was in store for me, there was no miracle waiting  irregardless of which day I ran.

Out by 8.10am, I should be grateful after several weeks I had finally gotten out there on the weekend, I have one more weekend b4 Dublin and then it's five successive weekends of races b4 a weekend race free and then the season finale on Sun Dec 8th, conditions were sunny and mild although I did eventually work up a good sweat by the time I reached Fairmount Park

8.10 for the opening mile, a tad brisk but the opening mile often is, I opted for the Powelton Ave route to  31st/Mantua Ave then a left on to 34th St towards to Philadelphia Zoo and the Lansdowne Dr to get up to Fairmount Park, 8.32 at mile 2 and at this point it all felt it was going to plan...... just after I turned onto 31st St at roughly 2.77 miles I began to "suck air" it's possible the 8.10-8.32 opening 2 miles had something to do w/ that but sadly too often in recent weeks/months I have felt I'm struggling to breathe, during the Summer I blamed the humidity but I can't use that as an excuse any longer in mid October, what the issue is I don't know it doesn't present it's self in any other area of my day to day life I live on the third floor I don't get winded going up the steps, I constantly walk a flight of stairs to the 22nd floor at work, no issue and on any given day at work I'm required to walk several city blocks to make deliveries or pick ups, again no issues until I run, the kick in the bollix is I always joke that the two requirements to be a good runner are a good respirartory  system....and a full frontal lobotomy cause we have to be out of our ever loving minds to not only do what we do...but love doing it......

I got going again pretty soon after stopping and clocked  9.37 at mile 3, normally when I stop running I stop the Garmin but I figured I'd just let it run, I was that unconfident of getting 16 miles in.....9.32 at mile 4 again I felt good and hoped the early stop was a result of the opening two splits being a tad brisk.....the uphill on Lansdowne Ave is often a tough incline when I'm 100% today I had to stop and walk b4 making the turn to Avenue Of The Republic, 10.13 at mile 5 the writing was truly on the wall but I wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet so rather than just head home via Belmont Avenue I continued towards the Mann Music Center but after rounding the statue at States Drive I turned back down Avenue Of The Republic rather than my usual route towards Fairmount Park via States Dr and crossing Belmont Ave

10.42 at mile 6 now it was just a war of attrition to make it home I was reminded of a Charles Barkley comment during the 92 Olympics when the NBA Dream Team represented Team USA in the Basketball" no you can't have an autograph, no you can't have a photograph, no you can't have my jersey, take your beatin' and go home"........

12.27 at mile 7 insult to injury I stopped the Garmin at the junction on Lansdowne Ave and Girard Ave to wait for the lights in my favour but upon resuming my run I guess I didn't hit the restart button so the next 400m/600m I ran went unrecorded......great don't even get credit for the distance ran......

12.07 at mile 8 after turning onto Powelton Ave, I had some Pitbull barking at me from the passenger seat of a passing car I did laugh to myself it must've been an Israeli Pitbull  since I was wearing my Palestine running vest to brake it for for Dublin......

10.20 at mile 9 I called it a day there I still had less than a mile to get home but didn't feel like doing loops around the block to round out another mile 1.31.38 in 10.11 mile pace, hardly earth shattering but it is what it is, a classic case of trying to make a Silk purse out of a Pig's ear........

SO where does this leave me? I'm woefully short of miles for Dublin but I'm going to do it, I was already resigned to it being my slowest ever marathon to begin w/ so I may as well try and enjoy it w/out the  pressure of worrying about time, if I was signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov 24th I may have time to "pull a Rabbit out of the hat" but 'm not and I don't, Dublin will be what it is but it will springboard me to the remaining  six races of the Fall Road Race season

Keep On Truckin' Young Renegade

And there there were six.......miles in my legs and in my logbook....., the fact I had hoped to begin the week w/ six miles but settled for three but slowly worked my way up to it is a testimony to where I'm at right now, Dublin Marathon  aside I do need to prep for the remainder of the Fall Road Race season, Bridge Run 10k Nov 3rd, Italian Stallion Challenge 5k & 10m @ The Rocky Run Nov 9th Penn Relays 5k Nov 16th,Rothman 8k Nov 23rd and after two weeks off the season finale Schuylkill River Loop 8.4m so getting back up to 6 mile runs is good moving forwards the next several weeks

Out the front door at 2pm a mild 60 degrees but sunny as I made my way up the Ben Franklin Parkway towards the Art Museum and Kelly Drive, once again "Hal" the sadistic little bolllix of a Garmin posted a mile split way too early heading to the Art Museum  but I took it in stride, I'd shaken off the over riding feeling of being tired{ this was afterall my 4th  run in 4 days, not something I'd done since March 4th-7th} and feeling hungry, I can ill afford to miss any more training runs between now and the 22nd so all those negative feelings had to go on the back burner

8.40 at mile 2, the plan was sub 9s out and back for a sub 54 min time ,again the miles were more important than the time, that said I wasn't looking at a plod so maintaining a reasonable pace was key,8.54 at mile 3, 25.01, almost 2 minutes under the 27.00 target, as has been my wont this week I continued a little beyond the half way point b4 turning to rule out the potential of maybe having to loop around the 16th-17th street block of Market & Chestnut streets upon my return to work if "Hal" had fecked me, a 6 mile run is 6 miles NOT 5. some auld shite.....trust me I've " looped the loop" more than once to get 6.00 on the run on this route....and may well have to again b4 the start of March.....

9.06 at mile 4 I wasn't too concerned I was 6 seconds over given I had 1.59 " in the bank" to go sub 54.00, this was as good a point as any to get the legs and lungs on the same page thinking ahead to Saturdays long run, 9.21 at mile 5, my slowest split all week but to keep it in perspective my closing mile Monday over three miles was 9.21 and since then I'd managed to increase my daily run by a mile a day

Knowing I had a rest day tomorrow I was able to up the pace coming back down the Parkway.... I also knew at 54 mins give or take I needed to be back at my desk by 3pm  so I picked up the pace, 8.42 for the final mile 52.13.9 off 8.42 mile pace

I'm pleased to be back up to 6 mile runs but I'm not " givin' it the bigun" as far as the Bridge Run 10k and Rocky Run 5k Penn Relays 5k and Rothman 8k this is good prep but I need to remember that Saturdays long run and the Dublin Marathon are still out there to be tackled, to that end I hope getting back into the routine of daily running will motivate and inspire me to get up Saturday morning and go long, the last few weeks I haven't and that may well come back to bite me in the arse in Dublin