10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The RC.Oktoberun Half Marathon

1. Carrigtohill

I think Redwood City is what Carrigtohill would have turned out like if the recession hadn’t happened. It’s exactly like Castlelake except they finished it, they’ve the same concrete patterns around the artificial lake and the same swans. Carrigtohill could have been great, bloody recession.

2. California

I think I like California, I didn’t really like San Francisco City, I prefer the suburbs and the countryside. The suburbs are perfectly gorgeous.

3. Waffle Fries

I think I’d like to have gone to Stanford, it’s a very pretty place, its like the best bits of UCC, Trinity and UL all combined together into one big nice place. I went to a College Football game on Saturday, my favourite thing were the waffle fries, waffle fries are amazing, I don’t understand why these aren’t everywhere, they’re perfect pre race fuel.

4. A View From The Afternoon

I think I’m designed for the Californian time zone, I felt great over there all of the time. I was never tired in the morning like I am back home, perhaps because it felt like getting up in the afternoon. The race this morning started at 7.30am, I had no problem getting up at 6am, no whinging, no sleepiness, no grumpiness, very unusual.

5. Running Full on Empty

I think this was the first time that I have ever warmed up for a race in the dark. It was kind of nice. I didn’t have any breakfast because it was too early plus I felt very fat and unhungry after all the waffle fries.

6. Stigmata

I think heart rate monitor stigmata is one of the most painful running injuries. It’s something to do with temperature, when it’s hot and I sweat a lot the heart rate strap cuts into my chest on one side. It’s horribly painful, especially in the shower. I had to take a break from the strap for a few days, it had just about healed by today. I like data.

7. Vapour Flies

I think I was scared when I saw all the Nike Vapour Flies at the start, everyone seemed to be wearing them. I stuck to my trusty Brooks Ghosts. The Brooks Ghost is the complete opposite of a Vapour Fly. Ghosts are heavy.

8. The Power of Positivity

I think I liked the course. It was, the an out and back with a turnaround at a perfectly placed cone unlike what they do in Spain. It was nice to hear everyone shouting “Good Job” and “You Got This”. So positive, so American.

9. Chip Timing

I think I should have know that there would be some fancy technology involved in the race. After the race I was asking one of the guys how the race was certified if it didn’t have chip timing. He pointed to a tiny little printed chip on the back of the number. “This is the technology capital of the world”. The best chip timing I’ve ever seen, almost invisible.

10. Mighty Man

I think I had to be mighty to win the race today. A guy named Chuck was just behind me all race. I had a guy on a bike giving me time checks on Chuck which was both handy and head-wrecking. With two miles to go one of the photographers said I had 12 metres. It must have been an American 12 metres. I still didn’t look back but I think 12m is hearable and I could hear nothing. Anyway I kicked Chuck’s ass.