Literally on my doorstep so no excuses for missing this one!!
I was busy in the morning dropping down race banners and setting up on the route. Back up home, change and a nice easy jog back down to the starting area at Kilcornan pool. Meeting with some of the guys we arranged an quick warmup which would take in part of the middle section of the race.
The trails are lovely at this time of year, and with 5/6 km of the run being through the woods it is hard not to get too distracted by the woodland.
Back around to the start area and we lined up in a group of roughly 200. I've no idea how I ended up in the front row, but I wasn't there for long! :)
Bang on time the race started and there was an explosion off the front with local man Timmy Glavey leading the charge out. Knowing I was in the wrong I moved to the side rather than blocking the much faster people coming through but still raced.
First km is mostly downhill to the entrance gate, turn left and there's roughly 500m along the side of the road before turning left into the woods and up the main trail. From 1.5 you are running 2k on the rought uneven terrain of the woods with a bit of a sting in the drags (roughly 25m gain over 2k) before hitting the tarmac up and out the back gate.
Left onto the road after the water station, didn't bother, and took back a place here. I'd planned to go hard for the 1st k, steady for the woods and settle into a solid pace for the roads where the surface twists and does a roller coaster for a couple of km. Found my solid pace but not as fast as I'd hoped to hold.
Coming back in 7-8k I passed the guy that I was hanging onto, he'd gone through me earlier and I managed to sit on his shoulder for a little bit. I could hear him behind me and from 2k I wanted to push hard going down the avenue to the estate again.
There was no push. I stayed ahead of him and pulled another runner in as we went over the cattle grid. Straight run down, skip over the few ramps, around the corner, your man came past me through the arch and the last 200m were a slog I just could not bring him back.
Over the line for 43:14. 4 mins improvement on my last time round this exact same race in the same conditions. I was hoping for closer to 40 but I could really feel the lack of fast speed work and effects of a long season plus the extra kgs that piled back on in the past few weeks.
Still & all I'll take the positives.
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