Shur Ye Can Take The Bai Outta South London.....But Ye Can't Take The South London Out Of The Bai!!!!!!

 " Carlow girls are fine and and handsome all decked out so neat and gay,Carlow boys don't come to courting' they're drivin' a tunnel through the London clay.Up w/ the shields and the jackets, ram it! Driving a tunnel through the London  clay Down in the dark are the tunnel tigers far from the sun and the light of day Down in the land that the sea once buried they're drivin' a tunnel through the London clay.Up w/ the shields and the jackets, ram it! Driving a tunnel through the London Clay"

Tunnel Tigers-Madra Salach

Maybe not a great week in terms of actually running but I did squeeze in two lunchtime runs  b4  tackling 4 concerts in  7 days .....on two continents.....just yer average week in the life of the Wee Fenian Bastard!!

 Monday November 2nd w/ ten days off  from work and a rare non race weekend on tap it was a case of "Fenians Are Go"   and I kicked things off w/ an auld school lunchtime run, not part of my routine {sadly!} since the change in circumstances at work in May.....and while I miss the consistency of mileage afforded me when I could routinely log four five mile runs between Monday & Friday b4 either a weekend long run or race the extra dollars,euros, pounds earned  now allow me to pursue two of the other great loves of my life, music and travel.I opted for the trusty Schuylkill River Trail in reverse from the all to few runs home from work in October taking 50th St/49th St to the Grays Ferry Avenue bridge and through Grays Ferry Crescent  Trail park to the  Schuylkill River Trail I figured Locust Circle would be 3.5 miles for a nice out and back 7 miler.November is a weird  month for weather on this particular day it was sunny and warm and as I often lament ye have to take advantage of these days as who knows they could be the last for the year, I believe it was 60 degrees when I eventually got out around 2pm......a tad later than I had planned......but shur feck it I'm on vacation and for a nice change of pace not being governed by the almighty clock and at times unrelenting schedule......there'll be an abundance of time for that come Nov 12th when I return to work!Clocked a respectable 59.56.6 off 8.34 mile pace in what was essentially  a recovery run off the back of Sundays Bridge Run 10k, each run/race this month will go towards my "Holy Graill" target of 769 miles that  has been my total yearly mileage twice in the last three years,Through October I have 607 miles so the possibility of an all too rare triple digit month would put me w/in touching distance w/ a busier than usual {three races} December.....as w/ the lure of medals its often a case of "carrot & stick"  to keep me honest and motivated

Wednesday November 4th I won't lie, I had hoped for four runs in four days b4 jetting of to London on Thursday evening but I had to settle for two.....as the auld fella often said "ye have high notions like the mountain goats in Kerry".....The big take away on this 6 miler was I almost bailed at mile 2 b4 a bit of a talking to and tacking on an extra four miles  for a semi respectable 57.24.5 off 9.34 mile pace.....how  valuable those extra 4 miles prove to be come both November 30th and December 31st remains to be seen,highlight of this particular run was the fact I came back up the Grays Ferry Aveune bridge not once but twice, there were runs last year when I foolishly thought I might have another marathon in me where I bailed on running across said steep as fuck bridge  and now here's himself crossing it not once but twice it will be good practice for negotiating the infamous and challenging "Drago  Hill" on November 14th during the 10 miler at The Rocky Run,turns out having Kerry dna thanks to "the mother" I'm part Kerry Mountain  Goat.......which will be fair feckin' useful going up those hills half way through the 10 mile race...........

One advantage of being off work the past 12 days and since ye auld clocks went back on  October 31st is eyeballing how light it is at 6.30am.....the plan is to try and run to work at least four mornings between Monday & Friday.....easier said than done I know but I'm hoping the morning running bug will relight its self as it did back in mid June after returning from Kansas to see Amble, I have to get miles in and getting up at 6.30am and out the door no later than 7.10am to run 5 miles in under 45 mins off 9 min mile pace  feels like not only my best bet....but only bet, yeah getting the fuck up at 6.30am and running 5 miles is going to be a challenge but it'll bate the balls off of trying to run home at 5pm when it's already dark so lets hope its a case of fortune favouring the brave.....or in my case the medal and mileage hoor.........

So either side of two blistering shows by The Mission  in North West London last weekend I caught two exceptional shows here in Philly of Irish bands I absolutely adore,Madra Salach {Gaelic for Dirty Dog!!} last Wednesday and Amble last nite.The Mission were amazing sadly when they were at their zenith of their popularity in the UK in the late 80s early 90s I was here in the US and they are one of those bands I belatedly discovered "after the fact"Thankfully for me Wayne Hussey kept the name alive when he was the only original member and subsequently convinced both Craig Adams & Simon {Slink} Hinkler to rejoin as the reboot of The Mission and along w/ Alex Baum on drums  they have being doing what they do best delivering their goth rock tour de force live shows  for audiences world wide the last 16 years and the chance to see them in London was too good to pass up.....

It should be pointed out I planned on catching all 4 nites at the 02 Fourm in Kentish Town .....or the Town & Country Club if ye are an auld fart like me as it was cheaper to buy a 4 day pass for all four shows w/ a different setlist each nite {$248} than one GA tix for Iron Maiden in Harrison New Jersey in September{$300}......don't get it twisted I love Iron Maiden.....but I'm NOT dropping 300 large to see them or anybody.....fuck me for that money give me an instrument and I'll get up on stage fer feck sake.....When Madra Salach announced a series of east coast north American shows  and Philly was the same night as the opening night as The Mission it was a case of "shit or go sailing"....the lure of catching an up and coming new Irish band period much less one creating the kind of buzz they are I hastily rearranged my travel plans, caught Madra Salach's first ever American show here in Philly in the bijou settings of Johnny Brenda's  Wednesday, flew to London Thursday, arrived Friday got my Goth on to The Mission Friday nite made an all too rare trip to my beloved Dulwich Hamlets on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed a five goal thriller vs Lewes{ we lost 3.2.....feck ye Lewes,South  Coast hoors!!!!} b4 the final night of The Mission Saturday night and some family time w/ the clans some of whom I hadn't seen in 8 years since my 2018 visit, on Sunday,back on the plane Monday lunchtime and thanks to the 5 hour time difference arrived home in Philly by the afternoon....enough time to get me legs back under me last nite to enjoy  a  on the barrier front of the house performance by Amble at the TLA......whom I've now seen three times in the last 11 months......but only once in Philly,Dublin in December and Kansas in June

Surfice to say the adventures of the last week have caught up to me, I had hoped to run yesterday and today.....sadly if not wisely I opted to recover and relax a little, it's back to the real world tomorrow getting up and going to work, picking up my race number for Saturdays Rocky Run and then doing the now time honoured "Italian Stallion Challenge" both the 5k at 7am and then the 10 miles at 8am,medals 14,15.16 for the year and 284,285,286 for the career await me and in that also time honoured expression " listen to what year body's telling ye" caution is maybe the better part of valour, were it one race on Saturday I might've gotten a few miles  in today, two races over 13 miles on the back of two transatlantic flights and beaucoup running around either side of the pond it's perhaps wise to keep my powder dry till Saturday...

Cross,Burn,Jump,Paint The Ben Franklin Bridge/R.I.P. Ciara

"I'm within walking distance of your heart,I'm just within earshot to a fresher start I get the feeling that somebody else is thinking about me,I'm this close I can touch it with my hands.Going up and over the bridge springtide will lift me,take me across, going up and over the bridge, springtide will lift me  take me across"

The Bridge-Cactus World News

Another week banajaxed by work{ohh and we are  so getting into that!} the clocks going back and the start of the stretch run for the season finale.........

So stop me if ye feel ye've heard this one before but work totally bolloxed my runs this week as Monday,Tuesday and Thursday felt  as if Bill Murray was just around the corner filming "Groundhog Day" and while I fully appreciate work much like the universe doesn't give a fiddlers fuck about my training schedule the last two weeks now have cost me  seven of the eight scheduled runs I had planned...I'm at a point where I need to reconsider the whole running home plan as it just isn't working, first two weeks of October not a bother I logged  five of my seven runs......then the arse fell out of it w/ only one 5 miler to show for two weeks, another month of only 40 miles logged, after the highs of triple digit mileage in July w/ 113 miles  it's gone:51,40,40 in August, September October,as of October 31st I have 607 miles logged for the year and the 2023 & 2025 tally of 769 is beginning to get away from me not to mention  I'm now very much into  the "meat & potatoes" section of my season, including todays race there are eight races in ten weeks this is when I need to be logging  semi decent weekly runs not fuckin relying on my races to pad my mileage......At least I now have the next week and a half off from work either side of a trip to London hopefully I can log a few 7 mile runs mid morning/ lunchtime  either side of that, w/ two half marathons on the schedule between the 5k & 10 miler @ The Rocky Run and then the actual Philly 1/2 marathon and then the penultimate Camden riverfront 10k to round out the month there's potential for a decent return on my November mileage.....who knows throw in  half a dozen post work 5 milers between Nov 12th and the 30th and  I could be looking at another triple digit mileage month heading into the final three races of the season on December 6th,12th and 26th......in order for that to happen either work has to settle down  OR I run to work in the mornings going in the opposite direction of the run home but on the same route......we'll revisit all that come November 12th prior to the Rocky Run.

Wednesday October 29th In what would prove to be my only training run of the week I guess ye could say it was a pre Halloween treat.......thanks in no small part to somebody putting fuckin 50p in some bollox  at work on Thursday who sent four print/Fed Ex/Mail requests between 4.18pm and 4.28pm that bolloxed any plans to add a second 5 miler and rounding out October w/ 45 miles........but I digress.........Irregardless of the fact this would prove to be my final run home in the daylight b4 the auld clocks went back here last nite it was a joy to get one last run in during daylight and  coupled w/ the fact I shaved 35 seconds off of my previous time on October 15th by going 43.20.4 off 8.40 mile pace   over 43.55.5 off 8.47 mile pace I'll take the moral victory.I really enjoyed these runs home.......I just wish there could've been more of them  this month between work and now the sunset issue it remains to be seen what lies in store for the wee Fenian bastard come November 12th, it's either get up a bit earlier and be out the door by 7.10 at the latest to be at work by 8am OR keep rolling the dice and hoping not to keep crapping out after work, either way I need to get my miles in.

Sunday November 1st For the second time in four races Septa managed to fuck me over again, for those of ye outside of Philly Septa is an acronym for:South East Pennsylvania Transit Authority........having had to endure these hoors now for just over 39 years  and countless strikes, fare increases, brake downs, or plan just not showing the fuck up when they're supposed to I call them Septic.....South East Pennsylvania Transit Is Crap!!!!!! So according to their schedule{not worth the shaggin' paper it's printed on....trust me!!!!!} there was a trolley at 6.39am which would get me to Center City by 7am and just about enough time to get the Patco  high speed line over the Ben Franklin bridge at 7.05am and ample time to stretch, line up for the portajohn and then check my bag.......read that Market St 5 miler/Run For The Blue an actual fuckin bag check........ b4 the 8.30am start......up by 6.05am gear already laid out in the bathroom{learnt the hard way many years ago about not having my race gear ready and then sleeping thro the alarm and doing my best headless chicken impression trying to get myself out the door already behind feckin' schedule!!!!} some Barrys Breakfast Tae in the auld travel mug and out the  door by 6.30am to walk 2 minutes to the trolley stop......fuckin thing never showed up and when I clocked yer wan driving the trolley going west I got that sick sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach he would be the one driving the fuckin yoke going east at 7.09am.......shur as shite that was the case.....tis one thing if and when the trolley shows up late but to cancel the fucker altogether sucks,I'm shur there were folks trying to get to work  at that hour who now have to convince their boss it wasn't their fault they were late it was good auld reliable useless fuckin Septic!!!!! Close to 7.30am when it got to 15th St and yours truly hauling arse down 15th Street to the corner of 15th & Walnut St thinking the Patco train was at 7.35am......turned out it was 7.45am......again like Septic running on a Sunday schedule of every half an hour miss that one it's 8.15am when the next one rocks up and its a 15 min ride to City Hall in Camden and the race went off at 8.30am.......THIS is why I get up at Silly O Clock for each race so I can avoid this auld shite.........

Got to City Hall in Camden by 8am, 10 min walk down to the finishline  at the track on the Rutgers Camden campus, checked my bag{thank you UPS!!!} and then got my all important pre race stretches in.....one modicum of benefit being over an hour late.....lines for the portajohn near to non existent.....cos everyone is now on the fuckin bridge waiting for the gun to go off at 8.30am........but I digress......again.Onto the bridge by 8.20am......I don't like cutting it that fine period but given the opening mile of most races is a cluster fuck to begin w/ on top of the fact this is uphill over the Ben Franklin bridge I wanted to get as clear of a start as I could  and limit the weaving in and the fuck out of the walkers, talkers, gawkers and pre requsit selfie takers........don't get it twisted tis great ye show up and run and help the Larc School  for children w/ disabilities  but ye need to be further back at the start and not clogging up the course for those of who actual care about our time and how long it takes to  get from start to finish..I'm not shur how high we are above the Delaware River we actually are when the bridge crests downhill into Philly and for the last several years of racing here we've been blessed w/ decent conditions but they never post a clock at miles 1,2 or 3 on the bridge for fear of them blowing over......in a day and age most runner have a Garmin maybe the clock isn't needed till miles 4,5 and 6.....Between the fact mile 1 is a cluster fuck and uphill the aim as ever was not to go off half cocked, the pre race aim was 8 min mile pace and finish under 50mins......opening mile was 8.31 but I wasn't worried mile 2 is downhill into Philly b4 a hairpin turn and back up hill and back to Camden 7.41 for mile 2 and a wry smile at the yokes who went balls to the wall in the opening 2 miles and are now walking........7.57 for mile 3 and a free wheel downhill into Camden at this point my Philly 10k time of 49.58.3 and Freedom Run 10k of 51.47.2 were going to fall....and lest we forget the 2 10ks I've ran up and back along the riverfront in July and October are pretty much the 5th mile of the course so I had  a leg up on anyone not familiar w/ the course.7.52 at mile 4 mile 4 to 5 always feels like the longest as it's a straight run down 3rd St towards Battleship New Jersey then onto the riverfront back towards the Ben Franklin bridge and the finish, bummed my pace dipped to 8.14 but w/ a mile to go it was time for the time honoured "if ye have anything left to give this is the time to give it", no point getting done and thinking "I had more to give" exiting the riverfront towards the finish  on the track  I didn't wait till I reached the track to launch my kick and picked off the one runner I'd eyed up inside the final mile.

49.51.0 off 7.59 mile pace,both pre race aims achieved not to mention the oh so small matter of medal # 14 for the season and more importantly #283 for the career, 227th in a field of 2017 and 7th of 59 in the 60-64 age group......no point "throwing the toys out of the pram"{I leave that to the Gavin Robinson's and the DUP of this world!!!!!} I have been unable to put in the requited miles in training  to compete for a top 3 finish much less zero tempo/speed work of late which for a race like this is needed to make the podium shur eyes on the prize #300 in Cork in eight months time but a wee bit faster in my races between now and then wouldn't hurt now would it?

So, 6 miles to kick off the month and a week off work, maybe I can squeeze out a quartet of 7 milers out and back along the trusty Schuylkill River Trail b4 heading to London and having something to blog next Tuesday when I get back and start building towards Novembers tally triple digits would be very welcome  not to mention putting me in the region on 707 miles come December 1st.....tantalizing close to the 769 target.......channeling my inner Al Pacino from "Scent Of A Woman" I'm just getting warmed up!!!

It would be remiss of me not to say a few words about the sudden and tragic passing of Irish athlete Ciara Mageean today, 15 months ago she got the awful news she had stage 4 bowel cancer  and sadly w/ that diagnosis the clock began to count down for her,34 is no age to die and it really is cruel that a women who devoted her life to athletics should be taken from us w/ cancer, we can put rockets in space but we can't cure this fuckin' disease???.If ye are of a mind to please check out her wonderful interview w/ Thomas Niblock & Oisin Mcconville on GAA Social, it was done late July after the All Ireland Hurling Final where she was a guess on BBC's coverage of the final,I think I'm right in saying she is the only non GAA player ever to be interviewed  on the pod but she did play Camogie for Portaferry in her native County Down b4 focusing on track, her comment about being boxed in by the two English runners ahead of her coming off the final turn in the 2024 European 1,500m C'ships "I didn't play Camogie  to be boxed in and miss out on a Gold medal" is a fitting epitaph to a runner who represented Ireland proudly in her brilliant but sadly all too short career, God speed Ciara, ye will be missed.....
 

One Down......One To Go......

"A hungry feeling, came o're me stealing and the mice were squealing in my prison cell and the auld triangle,went jingle jangle all along the banks of the Royal Canal.To begin the morning, a screw was bawling get up ye bowsie and clean up yer cell, and the auld triangle went jingle bloody jangle, all along the banks of the Royal Canal"

The Auld Triangle-Damien Dempsey & Glen Hansard

Disclaimer......No Actual Running In This Weeks Blog.........

What a feckin' week zero miles again due to work and fatigue......however looking at the bigger picture of what's coming down the tracks the remainder of the year maybe that was a blessing this week, glass half empty that's a bit like putting lipstick on a Pig,glass half full I'm acing my time management.....ye decide?To put things in perspective the remaining  nine weekends of the year are taken up w/ racing and traveling so yeah maybe just maybe a weekend to meself on top of a week when I went zero for five trying to run was the right call but since I didn't run I'll use this opportunity to pontificate on some of life's complexities  in wee Fenian bastard style!

So let's dial back  a tad to last Friday when I had to pick up my race number for the Run For The Blue/Market St 5 miler, since I no longer get a lunch hour now going down to Front & Dock St was a non runner and had to be done post work....fair enough tis only 15 blocks so......but then ye have to add walking to 18th & Callowhill to pick up my weekly 8 pack of Guinness Zero......now I need to go   five city blocks across 18th St to Market St b4 hitting stops at 22nd & Market and 23rd & Cherry St, tis no wonder I was fair bolloxed when I eventually got home and still had dinner to cook......a year ago I don't think it would've  phased me but every now and then I get subtle  and sometimes not so subtle reminders that I'm not as young as I used to be and things I took for granted ie yomping across center city at the end of the week after a days work takes more out of me than it used to......since I don't plan on the 2027 Run For The Blue/Market St 5 Miler to be on my schedule{unless these hoors have a change of No Bag Check policy!!!!!} it won't be an issue but my card has been marked that things I used to do w/out a second thought now need to maybe be thought through......

Along those lines I took Monday off work as is my won't after a concert, I went to Underground Arts in center city to catch Chasing Abbey's first ever show in Philly, fair to say between the band and the audience we nearly tore the roof off the fuckin' venue such was the energy but coupled w/ getting up at 6am for my race then getting to bed close to midnite after the show and on the back of beginning the weekend tired it was no surprise when I did get up Monday morning I was fit for feck all......and in a harbinger of what was to come at work Tuesday thro Friday it was proven to be somewhat prudent that I had at least one day to rest the auld bones.I try w/ the best will in the world not to play "the age card" period but some days it does catch up to me.....in a week this week that sees the 42nd anniversary of the auld fellas passing and the 3 year anniversary of our kid dying I'm painfully reminded that auld age is a privilege that not all of us get to enjoy and thus I try not to bitch and complain about it.

To the fuckin' legends  out there that pushed "Hung Out To Dry On The {Florence} Road" and "Wee Fenian Bastard Doing Wee Fenian Bastard Things{Again!!!} to over 200 views each  a huge Wee Fenian Bastard thank you!!!!!not shur how that happened unless Florence Road & Wee Fenian Bastard somehow got caught up in algorithms  which resulted in a massive spike in views  but I was shocked to see that many views .....things settled down again last week and "Going Native" only  had 30 plus......as I have said b4 posting a blog is  akin to being a late nite DJ......can never be really shur anyone is  reading/listening... to all those who check in each  week to see what auld shite I came up w/ thanks.....ye really shouldn't encourage me......but from the very darkest recesses of my black Pagan Celtic heart thank ye!!!!!

W/ the proverbial one thing and another of late I haven't addressed scumbag Jeffery Donaldson's prison sentence till now.....ye got a fraction of what ye deserved you two faced hypocrite......how dare ye stand there pontificating this holler than thou persona knowing what ye did to those two young girls......classic Orange Order behaviour "do as I say,don't do as I do"........DON'T get me started on the whole Garvaghy Road debarcle......ZERO coincidence  that auld shite all kicked off post Trump bigging up a United Ireland  on his recent visit to Doobeg{the Orange One NOT so Orange after all!!!!!!!!} and pre sentencing for Donaldson......ney sash for ye scumbag......but be shur to rock that orange jumpsuit ya bastard!!!!!!!!

It's been on my calendar for a while the Israeli elections are this Tuesday......prior to now over the years I've only had half an eye on them but enough to know even when he loses that fucker Netanyahu  finds a way to get back in or stay in power.......what I wouldn't give to see him not only lose this election but eventually face the long overdue corruption charges against him and face the considerable war crime charges  he's guilty of........

Alright so, tis enough politics for one week, hopefully I can utilize this final week of running home in the daylight b4 the clocks go back on Sunday and ye auld blog goes back to being a running blog again......Slan go foill

 

Going Native

"Sick of the bullshit  sick of the lies the bastards screw ye for the price of a pint,the rich get rich and the rich go blind and pure greed wins every time,one for sorrow two for joy I'd rather put my faith in the fuckin' magpie pretend to play the pipe of peace they're singing  tiocfaidh ar la in the fields and the streets"

T.a.L-Chasing Abbey

Not the week I had hoped for but even so in 7 days this month I've logged 35 miles......in the entire month of September I only logged 40...........

Monday October 12th A slow enough time of 44.14.1 off 8.38 mile pace but as I often say not every workout has to be  an Olympic final, the way I had drawn up the week was easy run today, a bit quicker Tuesday,quicker again Wednesday, easy run Thursday........ we make plans and God laughs  as the saying goes....A pleasant 74 degrees at almost 5pm,Hal the bollox Garmin  was up to his auld tricks when mile 2 came up too early so the subsequent splits were all off,I ended up running 5.12 to get to where I know the 5 mile mark to come in at the corner of Springfield and 50th St rather than take Hal's word where he was indicating 5 miles came in today.......lying lil bollox!!!!!

Thursday October 15th No runs Tuesday & Wednesday as work gave me the biggest arse fuckin' since Sodam & Gomorrah, fuck sake I couldn't see straight let alone run straight after those two days, the pounding migraines both days didn't help any either.........Given I'd lost my two chances for a bit of speed work along the Schuylkill River Trail and Sundays race was coming up I opted for something mid tempo today and got under 44 mins w/ a 43.55.5 off 8.47 mile pace.68 degrees and sunny....worked up a nice little sweat for my trouble,I have two more weeks of these conditions and the daylight as the clocks go back here in the early hours of Nov 1st, it will be a culture shock when I have to start running home in the dark  and to that end I'm pulling out half zip running tops and 3/4 length bottoms to get ready for that..... To my untrained eye it would appear the new swing bridge over the Schuylkill River to connect the Schuylkill River Trail to the Bartram Garden Trail is in place......how long we have to wait for it to be officially opened is anyone's guess.....if the city are involved fuck knows how long it'll take.......two and a half fucking years to work on the MLK Drive/W.River Dr bridge below the Spring Garden St bridge b4 it opened, the website continues to state " open in 2026".......newsflash boys there are only 11 more weeks in the year......., once that opens it gives me the potential to tack on another 2 miles to this route which would be nice

Sunday October 18th Fair to say I have a love hate relationship w/ the Market St 5 Miler/Run For The  Blue race,since it's inception in 2018 in mid to late October, in 2018 I finished 7th overall and 2nd in my age group, the following year I finished 3rd overall.......in 2021 I was runner up in the age group, I skipped 2022 and in 2023 I began to encounter  their utter bollox re bag check.Most if not all race supply the most basic necessity of a bag check, at a time of year when the weather is beginning to turn colder it's almost a given ye'll rock up for a race in warm up clothes b4 stripping down to race wear and then throwing on warm dry clothes after ye finish.........these hoors assume everyone who races/ walks the event  either A has a car to leave their gear in, B has someone to hand said clothes/bag  to while their running/walking or C lives w/in walking distance to the start/finish..........that's a hard NO for this wee Fenian bastard on all 3. When I last encountered their strict no bag check policy{their pre race literature  states in categoric  language "There wiil NOT be a bag check"!!!!!???? in 2023 I had to ditch an auld t shirt b4 the start that of course wasn't there when I finished which compounded the fact that sans phone I had no way of knowing the results till they eventually got around to the 50-59 mens results over an hour after I crossed the finish line.........4th, weeks b4 turning 60  where I would've walked the 60-69 age group.....2024 was right b4 Dublin marathon when I was on #249 and FUCK NO  I wouldn't give these hoors the satisfaction of being #250 and last year I went back out to Radnor for the much hillier but lo and behold a bag check Radnor Run  5 Miler......which sadly wasn't on the schedule this year, were I not on a mission to hit #300 in Cork in June and needing the medal today I would've continued my boycott of the event.

It was chilly when I left out at 6.30am and frankly not much warmer when I arrived at the Marriott Hotel at 7,10am........oh did I not mention the event starts and finishes behind said hotel??? are ye feckin' telling me ye can't set aside a Meeting Room,Ballroom,Conference Room for bags..........cop the fuck on!!!!!! It was that chilly that I along w/ a large number of other runner sought the warmth of the hotel hallway  to warm up and stretch pre race b4 finally braving the chilly 43 degrees that felt like 37 degrees when the siren sent us on our way at 8am.Given this like other races on the schedule  was a 10 year  age group 60-69 rather than 60-64/65-69 meant an age group award/bonus medal was about as likely as these cunts providing a bag check.........sorry not sorry but it was low hanging fruit!!!,to finish top 3 I'd probably need to be clocking 7 min miles.....which was never on my bingo card, I can get back there but sadly between the achilles issue in late July/early August and the daylight issue banajaxing morning runs not only has my mileage nosedived in August/September, but speed work has been wishful thinking.........bit like these hoors providing a bag check...............Because Hal the lil Bollox Garmin  and the race mile markers were on two separate pages there's no point  reeling off mile splits......when I crossed the finish line of a 5 mile race Hal informed me I'd only ran 4.73 miles....g'wan ta fuck ya wee bollox... Off a 40.00.2 finish I think it's fair to say it was 8 min mile pace, sadly this was my first 5 miler not under 40 mins in 25 races since  1990.......I'm getting to that age where slowest ever times are more likely now, as the auld saying goes "the older I get,the faster I used to be!!!" Since I wanted to avoid a repeat of 2023 of waiting around freezing the hole off meself for over an hour for the results I ran w/ my phone which wasn't ideal but it confirmed  I had finished outside of the age group awards/bonus medals so w/ my finishers medal in hand I made my way home.Medal #13 for the year,#282 for the career Cork #300 is still on track, to that end no races next weekend......which is grand hopefully a long run next Saturday or Sunday as there's a simulated half marathon at the Rocky Run in 4 weeks time and an actual half marathon the following week,Bridge Run 10k in Camden up next in a fortnite......hopefully less Sodam & Gomorrah and more 5 mile runs in the build up......and if ye fuckers w/ the swing bridge can get yer fingers out of yer arseholes maybe the 5 mile run home can become 7........not too much to ask is it?............bit like a bag check at a race  ye hoors #G'wantafuck
 

Wee Fenian Bastard Doing Wee Fenian Bastard Things{Again!!!}

 "And isn't all our purpose in the things we can't avoid, isn't it a wonder and isn't it a waste isn't it to sacrifice the things you can't replace and isn't it a wonder oh isn't it a joy, isn't all our purpose in the things we can't avoid, how lonely how lonely do I have to be to mean anything to you? how lonely how lonely do I have to be to mean anything to you?, woah woah, don't hold me, don't hold me if I'm not the thing that you're terrified to lose"

How Lonely-Kingfishr

Ye can  keep a wee Fenian bastard down......but ye can't keep a wee Fenian bastard down for long......back at it this week w/ a bang and right on time  as there are nine weekends of races in the next twelve weeks, two in October, four in November and three in December...... wee Fenian bastard start yer feckin' engine!!

Monday October  5th, when  I worked at the hospital between 99 & 20 I was no stranger to running home  to either Port Richmond between 99 & 06 and West Philly between 06 & 20 so now that circumstances have dictated I need to revisit that I laced em up again  to get back into the auld routine albeit on a new route home.As the proverbial "Crow Flies" I could  make a right coming out of work, hang another right on Chestnut St and run the three miles between 16th St and home......only issue w/ that is the number of feckin' red lights I'd probably encounter on route not to mention  all the pedestrian traffic.....SO I opted for a more "runner friendly" route, 16th St to the Ben Franklin Parkway and up towards the  Art Museum, left onto the Schuylkill River Trail and head west towards Greys Ferry Avenue bridge.I hit mile 4 as I crested the top of the bridge and opted to stop there and walk, but the walk home revealed I could squeeze out another mile which would be the plan moving forward.34.40.2 off 8.40 mile pace w/ splits of:8.45-8.43-8.40-8.30 in a comfortable 68 degrees.Far from earth shattering but a nice start off a fortnites lay off  and diminishing splits to boot.......when it starts getting colder there'll be  a  Guinness cap for that feather!!!!!

Tuesday October 6th Mile 5 came in as I hit the corner of 50th and Springfield, there's probably not enough real estate from there to my corner to squeeze out an extra 1/2 mile......w/out having to loop loops  etc but since I was logging 5 milers when I was getting up at the crack of dawn earlier this year 5 miles will do for now.42,47.3 off 8.33 mile pace,no diminishing splits today, in fact it was the polar opposite no thanks to a reckless opening split of 8.11 I went:8.18-8.25-8.33-9.19.........gassed as fuck on that last mile.64 degrees and sunshine again,need to make the most of these conditions this month come November the clocks go back and I'll be running in the dark so me and all the other members of the running fraternity are making the proverbial hay while the sun shines this month

Wednesday October 7th Fuck sake{wise up mate.......Kneecap fans will understand that reference!} 69 degrees I should've kept my running vests/sleeveless running shirts out instead of switching to short sleeves but given October can be running attire roulette  maybe switching to short sleeves wasn't the worst thing I could do......less we forget come November I'll probably pulling long sleeves/ 1/2 zip tops & 3/4 length bottoms out of mothballs so......Shaved 44 seconds off of yesterdays time w/ a 42.03.6 off 8.25 mile pace thanks to splits of:8.21-8.25_8.19=8.20-8.38.I'd already committed to only running Mon,Tue,Wed this week but moving forwards the plan is Monday through Thursday weather and work permitting then it's either my weekend race/races or a Sunday long run to hopefully round out a five day week.Having started the week at 8.40 mile pace and dropped it down to 8.25 mile pace is pleasing, losing two weeks of training shouldn't  undo  all the hard work and mileage I've put in this year since Jan 5th....if anything the rest should benefit me......runners don't subscribe to the less is more mindset but sometimes that's what the Docter ordered.

Saturday October 10th The first of the ten remaining races of the Wee Fenian Bastard Golden Jubilee  tour and it was back to the Camden River Front for the second of my up and back 10ks along the Delaware River between the Wiggins Park Marina and the Ben Franklin bridge and back ......four times ........god love anyone and there are several runners who commit to doing the 1/2 marathon on that route, I think it's eight and a half up and backs.........fuck dat! The organizers of these races prefer anyone doing the 1/2 marathon to do the 7.30am start, given we are running  along a path that is  narrow enough and is a shared public space  there are three waves, 7.30am, 8am  8.30am and judging from the fact only one other runner from the 7.30am wave crossed the finish line after I got done would indicate almost everyone else in the opening wave had opted for the 1/2 marathon......kudos to the girl in he second wave who ran the 5k and was a minute or two behind me.....granted I began half an hour b4 her but she only ran up and back twice I did 4......both of us were running by ourselves in fairness.Remarkably my fastest 10k this season in 48.20.3 off  7.48 mile pace thanks to splits of:7.36-7.43-7.40-7.59=7.52-7.59-1.30, conditions helped,at 7.30am it was a comfortable  54 degrees,I forget  what the temps were when I ran here on July 25th but I remember dripping in sweat after I finished  at the Philly 10 on Aug 23rd it was 68 degrees w/ 91% humidity and at the Freedom 10k on Sept 7th it was  64 degrees w/ 82% humidity.this was also the 70th 10k of my career, I still remember my 10k debut in Wimbledon on Sept 11th 1983 a month after my hero Eamonn Coghlan had won gold in the first World Athletic Championships over 5,000m in Helsinki

Not a bad week if I say so meself, at he risk of repeating meself I said a week ago maybe the two weeks off was a blessing period but also given my busier than usual Fall race schedule the auld  less is more mindset would be a benefit,full steam ahead now this week to next Sundays  Market Street 5 miler and hopefully medal #13 for the season and medal # 282 for the career.

Hung Out To Dry On The {Florence} Road

" I broke my tooth on the way out of your room called you over, are you over you don't even look me over yes I lied I lied don't wait up, don't wait up.......just wait up.Trust me I'm not falling no supersonic heartbeats in the morning, don't trust me I might fall in I never think about at all leave me hanging out to dry yeah  I'm hanging around, leave me hanging out to dry"

Hanging Out To Dry-Florence Road

Another week of no running, I had two windows of opportunities  on Thursday and Sunday to kick start things,but my two auld nemesis Work and Weather scuppered that, glass half empty missed mileage, glass half full a lil respite period but given my schedule from next weekend to December 26 has 10 races in 12 weeks{I double dip  the weekend of the Rocky Run on Nov 14th w/ both the 5k and 10 miler} w/ only three non race weekend on tap maybe less is more?

However I can't rely on just races to remain in race shape.......I mean I can but I'd rather not I don't think it's  the way to go, granted big picture all I need to do is finish my races to continue picking off medals between 280 to 291 by years end to keep the Cork 1/2/#300 medal dream alive but I'd prefer not to go that route and therein lies the issue.....

Clearly morning running has now had to take a back seat till sometime next year when it becomes light enough again to do so,lunchtime runs have gone the way of The Ark and Rubix Cube which leaves two viable options, run home from work OR run when I get home..........Both have pratfalls, option A at best I can manage three 4 milers Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday as Thursday& Friday are compromised w/ chores for the home front......now granted I could tweak Thursday to make it 4 days and then have my races/long runs round me up to my preferred 5 days a week.........however come November 1st the clocks go back it'll be dark by 5pm and I'll be running home via the Schuylkill River Trail ........NOT that I haven't had to get my miles in undercover of darkness in the past. Option B is run when I get home, again not a new concept for the Wee Fenian but at almost 63 do I have it in me to come home between 5.30pm-5.45pm{on a good day!!!} lace em up and get out the door?

For now the plan is to try and run home Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday starting tomorrow first, again work is going to play a role in this IF it works I'll look at tweaking Thursdays but rather put the cart b4 the horse let's see if I can transition to running home first, again IF this becomes second nature maybe this will be the route to go for the time being?

Florence Road  were amazing last Monday, while The Bowery isn't a huge venue they managed to sell it out which is commendable period but considering they haven't released an album yet and only have two EP's and  a few singles to their name is impressive,I discovered Florence Road via  a Florence & The Machine interview almost a year ago when the new Florence & The Machine album "Everybody Scream" was due out.I mention this because at her second sold out Madison Square Garden show earlier this year Florence Welch mentioned  her first show in NYC  was @ The Bowery in 09.........IF  Florence Road have half the success Florence & The Machine have achieved they'll be well on their way to a successful career of their own, watching them on stage up close last Monday I was reminded of  a similar 4 piece all girl band from back in the day,The Bangles,again if Lily,Emma,Ailbhe and Hannah have a fraction of the impact The Bangles had  they will be ok.If I was in Dublin the same week in December I was there last year I'd be catching the at the 3 Olympia  Dec 14th/15th{and Kneecap @ 3 Arena on Dec 16th} sadly I'll have to wait  till their debut album  comes out and they return here to promote it........judging from the fan reaction to their show last week and the bands reaction to their audience  it won't be too long b4 we see them again

Slan Go  Foill
 

An Evening I Will Not Forget{In A Week Not Worth Remembering!!!!}

 "Confessions should be better planned alone that night I'm surely damned,run away I'll understand What's important is the evening I will not forget Purple, Blue,Orange,Red these Colours of feeling, give me love I'll put my heart in it and I think about it all the time Lights went out, you were fine you kinda struggle not to shine I still love you though I still love you always so hold me when I'm home keep the evenings long"

An Evening I Will Not Forget-Dermot Kennedy

Spoiler Alert,This blog entry contains zero running..............

It's Sunday afternoon and the remnants of the Nor'easter that have pounded us the last day and a half are still hanging around, not only did it banajax a long {or regular} run today it cancelled yesterdays race also, that coupled w/ fatigue on Wednesday,Thursday and Friday means zero miles for the week......as for the Nor'easter I recall Super Storm Sandy several years ago when  yer man out reporting on it for the news said ....and I quote"when you're arguing w/ Mother Nature she always gets the final word"......  as for the fatigue I felt after the Dermot Kennedy show Tuesday evening and again on Thursday & Friday I'm aware of a comment my former coach made way back when " listen to what your body is telling ye?"

Wednesday marked nine months to the day I went back to work  after 11 days off to go to Dublin last December, since then I haven't had a week off, there was a  4 day weekend around my trip to Kansas in June to see Amble and another earlier this month to see Biird in New York but that's it so asides from a well earned week off from work{I go back on Wednesday after going to New York again to catch another Irish band Florence Road on Monday} maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world to take a week off from training, those things are seldom planned it's either injury/illness  enforced or brought about by fatigue and or the weather,we'll see if  I can coax myself to lace em up tomorrow b4 heading to NYC{if I don't I do know I'll get a shit load of steps in, my last 2 trips to,the Big Apple have yielded my best step totals so....} but also based on last three trips to NYC for gigs I'm fair bolloxed the next day so I don't foresee any miles being run on Tuesday, remains to be seen IF I can get up and get out Wednesday morning b4 going back to work.........Sunrise is 6,56am on Wednesday.......

While I whole heartedly endorse the decision to cancel yesterdays race period......much less that it was out and back along the Delaware River it does throw up the issue of one less medal for the year......which in the general scheme of things not a biggie.......however in the bigger picture if June 6th's Cork 1/2 marathon IS going to be #300 I'm going to have to find another race......the good news is I have  nine months to do so

Final shout out to Dermot Kennedy, I only just discovered him and his music in March thanks to Today FM's 100 Greatest Irish Songs countdown, while those countdowns/lists are kinda subjective I was made aware of songs I mightn't have heard b4......case in point two Dermot Kennedy songs "Power Over Me" and "Giants"......the rest was history, after a deep dive of all his songs on Spotify I made a pair of playlists and when his new album "The Weight Of The Woods" was released I added them and made shur of getting tickets for his show in Philly last Wednesday......it truly was an evening I will not forget......even if I was absolutely bolloxed the following day!

Slan Go Faill