Maurice Mo McCrohan reports from Trim: Its’ been a while, Since I have done a post race blog. My running in the last year or so ,if not quite a chore has felt like its hanging on by its fingertips to the back of a fast disappearing train.
The blog baton passed to others.I started to experience anxiety Dreams.Lke Luke Skywalker in the Daogabah system,when he looked at himself in the swamp and saw himself in a Darth Vadar mask.I would dream of winning the age group in the Raheny 5 ,but wearing a Raheny vest and sporting a Shamrock tattoo!
My running needed a few jump leads in the rear to spark me into life.Eureka!I hatched a plan for 2018.Blues Brothers like ,I would reunite the Group!
Some of my old training group of me ,Kieran Murphy, Jer Chapman, Dec Power(yes ,he was mortal once!) arranged an away trip half marathon for the Hague on March 11th!
The remnants of the training gang are ticking along nicely with Phillips’ group on Tuesdays. I have a thing going on in the City Centre on Tuesday lunchtimes .But, you need a race away trip ! A bit of work and play at the end of it!
Five weeks before the Hague,The Trim 10 was perfect as a build up race.Dungarvan would have been preferred,but it sold out very quickly.
Trim is an easy drive from Dublin on Sunday morning.I noted the pre race briefing advised there were no showers available,which is not ideal ,but at least we knew.
There were plenty of signs on arrival into Trim for race parking.We were guided into an OPW car park ,safe and secure!However,when I disembarked I was met by sweating Jer C and Kieran M ,who had come from and advised the start HQ was 20minutes walk away! Lucky,I had allowed enough time!!
The HQ is in a Business park.There was loads of room to warm up. There was a limited bag drop area,which sufficed.I warmed up with Stephen “18miles in the legs” Tracey.
The race started a few minutes late, probably due to late arrivals from the OPW car park!.
The first half of the race was largely downhill on country roads. We passed large farms and stables,lush farming and breeding grounds for elite horses ,if not Gaelic footballers. I split at 32 minutes which is faster that I ran the Grand Prix 5 in 2017! I put in down to my new racing flats that had a “Billys Boots” effect on me.
The latter or back half(as golfers would say)was similar country roads ,but more uphills.2 water stations was enough for a 10 miler race.
I was tracking Jer C for 8 miles,but his lack of running in the the last week,saw his wheels slightly come off at 9 miles.
The finish approach was a long run into the Business park. An 800M to go marker would have helped to pace the finish.
I crossed the line in just over 85,which I was very happy with. I could just about 6.30 mile in training up until recently!
Dermot “metronome” Faughnan and the ever improving Kieran Murphy led Clonliffe home in a epic ding dong battle, just shaded by Dermot.
Kieran is like an old reserve wine, that gets better with age, A 61.36 PB!
The finish zone had drinks and cakes available.The race Brief had included a map location for a refreshment hall and separate race results HQ?
There were no signs or stewards at the finish HQ directing back to the refreshment hall? The observant amongst you will recall the location map was advised in an e mail? But, we don’t race with a map stuffed in our shorts? This is not Orienteering?
The refreshment hall mystery was raised on social media.If you were local,you knew where it was? Whats the point in that for the humble blow in?
Apparently,the location was on the way to the OPW car park.How about a sign next time?
So back to the car and ready to eat my fingers!
So what become of the lashings of barn brack and sandwiches left untouched at the refreshment hall?Is there a barn brack mountain in the Boyne Valley?
Will the barn brack be stored in one of those Meat Factory freezers and then knocked out to the BHAA who love that sort of thing?
Or…and I’m just putting it out there,were refreshments really just the preserve of the locals??
Overall, it was a good race .we had 2 61 mins and 2 65mins,if we knew there a team competition,(there was!)we would have entered and may have placed?
Stephen ran 67,a good preparation for Rotterdam.
Roll on the Hague for my group ,a flat fast half,competing with the tallest runners in Europe.
cheers
Maurice”mo” McCrohan