Ballina Athletic Club Running Festival July 2016

Marathon and 10k medals

The Ballina Athletic Club hosted its 3rd Running Festival weekend starting with a 10k on Friday, a 6 hour track event on Saturday and closing the weekend with the Sunday Marathon.

All along I had planned to do the 10km race and use it as a training session, it was on familiar ground starting from the Killala road and all the way round the back of Belleek woods and loop around back to town.
I hadn't taken part in a race setting since the half in May so I was a bit apprehensive. My long runs have been slow and steady since as I've been avoiding the DREADED speed work.But I was happy to support the club and give it a go. It was so lovely to meet up with other runners that I hadn't seen since the mini and the half and catch up on everyone's upcoming running plans and events.

I had considered a PB but its always hard to call on the day. I started off well enough, I was comfortable and going strong until about 3 km when my left calf started to seize and my runners were pinching my toes. Once I passed the 5km point I knew I wouldn't hit my goal time so I steadied myself and focused on the road ahead rather than the cramp in my leg. I knew I would be doing 15 miles on Sunday so I reigned my energy in and finished on 54:10.

Tae and cake

The tea, cakes and sandwiches and post race analysis are always the best after. I met a father and daughter duo who came down from Enniskillen for the day to race the 10km, they were hoping to do a race in every county in Ireland before the year is out. The Dad was delighted to have won a trophy in his age category and even more delighted with the Ballina hospitality.

Cruisin' the 10k

 I had a rest day on Saturday but headed down to show support for the  6 hour event taking place. Runners were seeing how many laps they could complete in 6 hours with 47 laps being a full marathon.
Not many take part in these types of events as they are mentally draining as well as physically. I was told that after the first 3 hours the organisers get the runners to run in the opposite direction not only to help their hips and glutes but also for some mental stimulation. After the 6 hours was up the lead runner had managed to complete an astonishing 145 laps!

 My recent long runs have not passed the 13 mile mark yet so I had planned to go out on Sunday morning, have a look at the runners starting the marathon and then follow them slowly for three 5 mile loops and a shorter 1.2 mile loop.
 However I got a message late Saturday telling me I had been put forward to do a relay for the marathon and that I'd have to be down there at 8.30 the next morning to register. PANIC! I was reasoned that I'd be doing loops anyways so I might as well enter and get a medal at the same time!

My running buddy Celine joined me and we told ourselves it was really just a training session to get used to the adding mileage. We were both doing 16.2 miles (26 km)  and our relay team mates would do the last 10 miles.

I always find it takes a good 4 km for me to get relax in to a run. We started on the first 1.2 mile loop then headed off on the first of the three 5 mile loops. The uphill at the caravan park in Belleek is always the toughest but once we were over that and onto the Killala road we were flying.

The second loop was a bit of a haze as we were lost in conversation and trying to keep the couple who were a short distance in front of us in our sights. Having a buddy to run with makes it so much easier, by the time we crossed the line to start our 3rd loop we were feeling good. By the 13 mile mark I was thinking it wasn't too bad at all and the extra 2 loops to make a full marathon wouldn't be so bad at all!

We had kept a steady enough pace the whole way around but seemingly that is not the ideal plan for a full. I also stupidly didn't have a gel along the way as my tummy was a bit off anyways and I didn't feel like I needed one.The last 3 km in the woods was where I started to struggle. I was instantly drained with my legs feeling like lead and I was experiencing weird phantom blister pain on the sole of my foot. I was running further than I've ever run before and I was done!
I told Celine to push on ahead of me but fair play to her she talked me up and distracted me with chat. Rounding the corner at the soccer club and seeing the last hill up to the finish line was almost soul destroying! It took all of my energy to get me up over that hill and across the finish line, then there was the mad scramble to hand over the time chip strung on my lace to my relay team mate.

After the relay with Celine

I was stoked to have finished just over 16 miles in 2:37, albeit a little slower than I had anticipated but when we had first taken off we had only planned to do 15 miles so it was no mean feat. The atmosphere at the finish line was brilliant and it was great to see familiar faces supporting and cheering us on! So we are more than half way there in our marathon preparation, at this stage it is about getting in extra miles and learning to run on tired feet, and to keep the mind focused and not give up when it gets tough.

The weekend was a great one, getting 2 medals in two seperate events and meeting some running legends who chose Ballina to celebrate land mark marathons like 200th, 75th and 25th. So glad to be part of it all!