10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Autumn Open XC 2021

1. 35

I think that it is great that they have races for old men like me. It’s like starting running all over again with extra potential for medals in every race. The M35 category is a wonderful category where you get all the benefits of old man running without being or looking like an old man.

2. 15

I think that part of being a masters runner is being clever enough to jump through the hoops required to run in the separate masters trial race. At the number collection there was one desk where you collected your number for the race then another masters table where you were told “€15 cash, no cash - no race, no race - no trial, no bank, no card, €15 cash”. As I am proud to be a master’s runner I sprinted back to the car, rummaged around until I found €15, sprinted back to the desk, put my €15 on the desk, and got the 35 number for my back.

3. Arm Warmers

I think that people are taking running way too seriously. The Kipchoge disease is rampant. 24 week training blocks with no races, A goals, B goals, C goals and arm warmers. It is terrible to see. Unless you’re going to be qualifying for the European XC you might as well race as often as possible and have some fun. After last year I’m never skipping a race again, except the one on Friday which I’m skipping because I can’t face driving to Kilkenny, it was only a C goal anyway and I’m starting a new 2 week block.

4. Ingebritsen Shorts

I think that I need to get a pair of those Ingebritsen shorts. All the young fellas are wearing them. They look desperate but they seem to make you run quicker. I would probably have to start shaving my legs again because the hair would start coming through the shorts like when I was cycling which wouldn’t look good on Instagram.

5. Plague of Dragonflies

I think that there were too many dragonflies on that start line. The course was ridiculously hard, it was like a bumpy track, sort of like the Mardyke track surface after the floods in 2010. I don’t think Dragonflies make as much difference as the magic shoes but XC spikes shouldn’t cost €150. They should be €80 like my Brooks spikes with no fancy bouncy foam.

6. Road Race

I think that this race might as well have been run on the road. The Abbotstown course needs to be muddy otherwise it isn’t XC, it’s just a rolling moderately hilly road race. On the 1.5k lap you are running the same effort all of the lap, it’s like how you’d run a 5 mile road race, just metering out the effort knowing that you’ll never have to change cadence. There are no sharp corners to make you have stop and accelerate and the hills aren’t steep enough to make any difference.

7. Wexford Sand

I think that they should dig back up the sand off the course and take it back to the beach in Wexford that they stole it off. The sand makes no sense. It’s not even sandy sand, it’s hard sand that has mixed with the soil to make a substance like a soft track. If they were going to put sand on the course they should have dumped it all together and made a big sand dune to slow everyone down.

8. Mullingar

I think it was interesting to have the juniors, seniors and masters athletes all in together in the one race. The junior and masters athletes seemed to be the only ones who changed places after the first lap. The junior athletes all went off like lunatics. After about 3.5k they seemed to get tired and fall back through the masters athletes who aren’t as fast but slow down less. I think I only passed junior athletes, I assumed that they were junior athletes because of the shorts, I don’t think anyone passed me except a fella from Mullingar.

9. Magic Numbers

I think it was great to have the age numbers on the back of the other old men that I was racing. I was only interested in the number 35 as they were the only old men that I had to beat. It looked like only a few moderately old men handed over the €15 cash at the desk as I could only see one 35 up ahead of me even if there were lots of people over 35 ahead of me.

10. Irish Team

I think that getting selected for the M35 Irish team would be great even if the race is only against Northern Ireland. I have always said that masters running is great. I have always admired great masters runners like John Meade and Donal Coffey. Now that I am beginning the aging process I see how really great it is to have something new to aim for even if you do have to pay €15 cash to enter the trial. Even if I don’t make the team at least I’m now a fully paid up masters athlete.