10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Cork City Marathon

1. That Sounds like a Good Time

I think my mother's reaction to my time in the marathon sums it up best. "Well how'd the race go?" "2:49" "That sounds like a good time." It probably is.

2. Warm Up

I think a home marathon is less hassle but not as exciting as a marathon abroad. I got a nice 10 minute warm up in around the silent streets of Cork. I even had time for a flying trip to The Flying Enterprise, this was essential, as any landlord will know, an empty house is better than a bad lodger.

3. Trust him he's a Doctor

I think doctors make great pacers. I had the pleasure of running the first 12 miles with Ronan Boland. He was metronomic. In fact the marathon was going fine until he stopped.

4. Thomas The Tank Engine

I think I need to work on my mental resilience. I'm a very irritable person. On the old railway I let a group get a 20m gap as I just couldn't face 13 miles listening to that noise. Perhaps a new marginal gain for running could be ear plugs in your pocket.

5. John's Mouldy Warm Water

I think I'm too much of a water snob. I'm partial to a bit of aqua con gas, particularly San Pelegrino. John was kind enough to meet me with water every 5 miles. I don't know where he filled the bottle though as it was as mouldy as a pint of Paulaner in Spain.

6. Swamp

Cork and Berlin both mean swamp (I learned this interesting fact on a city walk in Berlin) but that's where the similarities end. Cork is twisty and turny with these little drags that chip away at your legs. Cork is not a nice swamp.

7. Smiling or Grimacing

You'd think that the last mile of a marathon would be ok. I had great notions of covering the last mile in six minutes but I was tres bien cuit by 25 miles. I'd nothing left, majorly suffering. All I could do was smile and grimace down North Main Street like a fool after too many pints.

8. George Hook

I think George Hook has a point about cyclists. I had the misfortune of having a weaving muppet on a bicycle for company on the narrow footpath out by the Mercy. I told him what I thought about him. I felt like an old crank at that stage anyway.

9. Marco

I think Marco is a great training partner. I passed him at 22 miles. "Alright Marco" "My hip is goosed boi." I thought I'd never see him again but there he was right behind me at the finish. Those Tuesday 15 milers around the Blarney Trail worked.

10. Walk Down

I think I wasn't in the best condition after the marathon. There was no warm down, just a walk down. I think I'll have to do more marathons. They're horrendously fantastic.