10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Lakes 10k

1. Wicklow

I think Wicklow is a great place for a race when you are from Cork. It is just about far away enough to be novel. I was considering going to Tralee for a 10k but Wicklow was just as close.

2. Tower of Power

I think that I forgot how good the rice cake, banana and peanut butter tower of power is for racing. Nothing sits in the stomach better. I ate it last week too before a marathon session and it worked well with the Maurten gels. Avoiding calcium is crucial with the Maurten gels or you’ll develop desperate bad gut rot. Potassium is fine.

3. Rebel, Rebel

I think that if carbon plates weren’t allowed everyone would be racing in the shoe that I warmed up in. The New Balance Rebel V2. It is so nice to run in. It kind of gets you ready for running in the magic shoes as it is sort of magic but not magic.

4. Poor Guy

I think that start lines can be deceptive. I did my usual look around at the start. I’d already met Sergiu so I knew there was no hope of winning. I didn’t really know anyone else which was great. There was some poor fella with his arm in a sling who I presumed was probably trying to stay fit by running around.

5. Where’s the Lake?

I think that the first 2km of this race are great. I really enjoyed the gentle downhill start followed by the nice smooth flat road. I felt really good running a few 100m behind Sergiu in 2nd. The 2nd quickly became 3rd but I felt like I could run with the new 2nd. There was no sign of the lake.

6. Still No Lake

I think that the bit from 2k to 4k of the race was entirely uneventful. The scenery was that familiar Irish road race scene of dark grey tar and chippings with green and brown overgrown hedges either side topped with a grey sky. The only thing that happened was that 2nd got further away. There was still no sign of the lake.

7. Mount Lake?

I think that if you are going to have a 1km mountain in a 10k the most perfect position for the mountain is just before the middle between 4k and 5k. It splits the race up nicely, not evenly but nicely. The mountain was very hard, it wasn’t steep just long and climby. When you got to the top there was still no sign of the lake.

8. The Guy with his Arm in a Sling

I think that the last thing I expected to see at 8km was the guy from the start with his arm in a sling. My initial reaction was “ah jaysus”, followed by “he probably won’t be able to sprint”. Unfortunately he didn’t need to sprint as after a little rest while running with me he turned towards me high fived me with the good hand, said well done and sprinted off up the road.

9. There’s the Lake

I think that it was great to finally see the lake after 9k of the race. I was a little bit distracted by the prospect of being beaten by a guy with his arm in a sling but the lake was worth waiting for, a very beautiful lake. Then the lake was gone again and we were back to the hedges, tar and grey sky. I tried to catch the guy with his arm in a sling before the line but it was hopeless, if anything he got further away which was good in a way as I didn’t have to think about it.

10. Beatings

I think that finishing fourth to a guy who had his arm in a sling when there are only prizes for the first three is a very empty feeling. Hopefully I have taken all of my beatings for the year at this stage, between Lizzie and the guy with his arm in a sling it’s been a rough return to racing.