Cursa D’Age 2019
/10 Things I Think About The Cursa D’Age 2019
1. Third Time Lucky
I think that I would love to win the Cursa D’Age. It’s a very small race but it’s exactly the sort of race that I’d like to win. No nonsense, €6 entry fee, nice t-shirt, abroad, in Spain, random course distance, hills, trails and road.
2. Scorchio
I think it was a little hot for running at 6pm, thankfully we got Spained a little in that the race was actually on at 6.30pm, it cooled down a little by 6.30pm but it was still scorchio.
3. Niggles
I think that the best thing to do when you are a bag of niggles is a race. It’s guaranteed to move all of the niggles around. I had a new niggle for this race, a painless lump feeling under the ball of the outside of my foot. It was like there was a stone under my foot but without pain. After the race it was gone.
4. Defending Champion
I think that I should have known something was up when the defending champion John Meade came to the race despite not having entered. A very unusual act. I had kindly offered to enter him despite knowing that he’d beat me, he refused saying that his old body wouldn’t withstand a race. Conor had entered but wasn’t running because of his only know weakness his Achilles.
5. A Liar and a Thief
I think I should have known something was up when John Meade appeared at the start with Conor’s number under his t-shirt. I pulled up his t-shirt to see the number underneath which caused him to accuse me of assault. He was rather convincing in telling me that he was going to pace Sinead, I genuinely believed him especially as we’d run 8 miles in the morning and he was complaining of tiredness and oldness.
6. Footsteps
I think that the worst part of leading a race is the constant sound of footsteps behind you. It’s a horrible sound, although it is better than the sound of the footsteps getting louder. I had a quick look around after about 500m and saw nothing but Spaniards. This convinced me that Meade was actually being honest about pacing Sinéad and not being a liar and a horrible coward.
7. Still Leading
I think that I should have known what was going on on the windy traily bit of the course. I could still hear footsteps behind me but the footsteps were not accompanied by any great sounds of distress, it was an unusual combination of sounds considering the noises that I was making but I just assumed it was a good Spaniard. I didn’t look back as that’s not allowed. I knew the course so I decided that I’d just stay in front and wait for the downhill before making an effort for the finish.
8. The Move
I think I thought that I had made the decisive move at the top of the trail, I made an effort and could no longer hear the footsteps, then I waived the water and sprinted as hard as I could down the hill convinced that no Spaniard could follow my incredible downhill running.
9. Pas de Cadeaux
I think that I should have known what was going on, I knew that I’d still have to make an effort all the way to the finish especially as the last 200m are uphill. Just as I got to the bottom of the hill who appeared beside me only John Meade smiling. I tried everything I could to sprint away from him but he seemed to be happy to just run alongside me, me sprinting him jogging. As we got closer to the line I started to think that he might just let me win like a nice man but no we crossed the line together me all out him jogging.
10. 0.1 Seconds
I think I was the actual winner of the race not the cowardly Meade. I was convinced that I’d crossed the line first as when I looked across he was behind me slightly. After lying on the ground for a while I went over to the guy with the mic and asked to see the result. 0.1 seconds. The coward the champion, they took the times from the chips. If only I’d worn mine on my right leg. At least I got to stand on the podium. Still an incredibly cowardly act. Vengeance will be sweet.
