A Day To Remember

That's the thing about confidence, it ebbs and flows. One moment you're questioning what it is that you might need to change to spark a return to your former level. Not that I felt I had drastically lost form, more a case that I was just lacking that extra gear to move into. So you work harder, you dig deeper and all of a sudden, you wonder what all the fuss what about.

Racing in your hometown is a rarity, so when the chance comes around I look forward to it immensely and last weekend certainly did not disappoint. With conditions looking particularly tricky on the morning of the race, I briefly wondered if the blustery winds would require me to adjust my goal of a sub 65minute finish. The one thing we know for certain about the weather is that we can't change it, so why worry about it. Better to concentrate on things that I could have an affect over.

Trialing some advice received from my coach, I was up before first light for a ten-minute shuffle around the estate I live on. Regularly undertaken by the all-conquering Kenyans who refer to the practice as 'sleepwalking’, it certainly felt early enough in the morning for it anyway!

After the shakeout run, next on the agenda was ten minutes in a cold bath to really wake the body from its slumber before warming up the muscles with a hot shower afterwards. To some it might seem a little extreme or over the top, but I enjoy taking the extra steps in preparation and firmly believe that the more calculated approach develops a sharper mental edge which is paramount when facing any challenge.

Once we got away from the start line, pacing the early part of the race was always going to be important. I often think the second mile of this course to be crucial in determining your finish time. After a fast downhill start, a more conservative effort needs to be applied to the flatter section, which precedes the first of two major climbs. Once the ascent is managed steadily, you can pull back some of the time lost when you get onto the level. Go too hard on the first hill and you'll be recovering until you meet the next one, and you don’t want that!

Running amongst a group of five or six, we got through the halfway point in 31.38, and although this set me up for a sub 63 finish, I felt I had plenty more to give. I went on from the group I had spent the last few miles with and tagged on to the next target ahead of me. Making gains on those ahead of you is a great confidence booster and another reason to temper that earlier enthusiasm which can often lead to feeling like your going backwards in the later stages.

Winding up for a strong finishing mile and a half, finding more as we closed to the line seemed easier than normal with the local streets full of people encouraging you home. I was very pleased to get round this challenging course in 61.47, a marked improvement on last years effort of 73.09. The key to progress is the simple, sometimes boring, things - hard work, preparation, determination, hard work, preparation…

Honourable mention must go to my mother, Phil, who took on the 4mile race with great gusto. Needing little encouragement, she got round with a more than respectable effort which brought a smile to all our faces. My brother, Adrian, made it a real family affair with his own highly impressive time of 70.57 posted for the longer event. If we can get him to do a few extra training runs, he will be passing me out pretty quickly!

To be witness to so many people, young and old alike, each gaining their own sense of achievement from the pure and simple joy of running was a sight to behold. To bring such fulfillment to my family, the people of The Great Island and all my team-mates at Ballymore Cobh AC, while raising funds for the brave men and women assisted by the Irish Cancer Society, made it truly a day to remember.