10 Things I Think About Running

10Things I Think About The Eyeries 5 Mile 2022

1. The New Series

I think that the Beara A.C series could be the replacement for the Ballycotton summer series. All they need to do now is make a 10 miler that is slightly less hilly than the 5 mile races and they’ll have replicated it fully. There are definitely Sean McGrath’s and James McCarthy’s in Beara, they just need to be given a start. I’m not sure where the 10 miler would be, perhaps Casteltownbere.

2. The Drive

I think that my favourite part of the series is the drive from the city over the Cousane gap into Glengarrif. It reminded me of all the terrible days I spent eating on a bicycle when I wasn’t able to run. The last time I was in Eyeries I was on a bike doing the Rebel Tour, all I remembered was the colorful houses and wonderful never ending punchy climbs. Not much had changed since then, even the weather was similar a September temperature in November.

3. Adversaries

I think that I couldn’t have picked anyone worse than Anthony Mannix to turn up in Eyeries. There was always a risk of an Alan O’Shea appearance or a marauding Englishman on holidays who spotted the money on offer like what happened to Michael Herlihy last year. Alan or an Englishman would have meant no contest which would have been fine, Anthony Mannix on the other hand meant a battle, a battle with a very nice man, a battle I’d lost before and I’d probably lose again.

4. First Hurdle

I think that I was lucky not to fall at the start. The race started about 600m outside Eyeries. On the start line I not only had Anthony Mannix to content with but Aoife Cooke and a fella in Garda singlet who looked handy but who seemed drained by the constant “there’s no Luas in Eyeries” jibes. When we got going, I tore off down the hill as fast as I could, I nearly fell on the first descent as my legs couldn’t keep up with my magic shoes. I couldn’t hear anyone behind me initally which made me happy but as we passed the playground where Billy was being entertained Anthony came by looking unbothered by my efforts.

5. TDs

I think that they must have a very good T.D in Eyeries. As we reached the top of the first of the innumerable hills just outside Eyeries we turned left onto a stretch of smooth tarmac that Eliud Kipchoge would find familiar from Vienna. It was beautiful tarmac very unWest Cork. It was the sort of expensive tarmac that makes my magic shoes work very well. Anthony also had the same magic shoes so we made hay while the tarmac was smooth and made good ground up the gradual second climb of many.

6. Alsatian Road

I think that I wouldn’t run these roads on my own, I’m too afraid of dogs, I’d definitely need Michael Herlihy with me as dogs are scared of him. As we descended from the top of the second climb, I spotted a huge Alsatian standing in a driveway looking fit from chasing cyclists. I had regained the lead from Anthony on the descent but as soon as I saw the Alsatian, I slowed up let him go ahead and kept as close to the ditch as I could hoping that the Alsatian would eat him first. Luckily for Anthony the Alsatian’s owner appeared just in time and dragged him in behind a gate. It would have ruined the video if the Alsatian had gone for Anthony.

7. Advantage Anthony

I think that the hills around mile three are where the race was won. What looked like it must be the worst of the many many hills came after three miles. On this hill the mountain goat Anthony made his decisive move. There isn’t much that you can do when you are over 6ft tall and giving up possibly 20kg to a fella on a hill except dig in and hope that running around Glanmire and up Raffeen hill has helped somewhat. It didn’t look like I had much hope as Anthony glided further and further away taking the video crew on the back of the truck with him.

8. Never Give Up (When it’s on Video)

I think that when someone drops you on a climb in a race that is normally the end of the race. No one ever comes from behind in a running race, that only happens in cycling when they can go back to the team car and get a jab in the leg and a finish bottle. In running it is normally gap forms and then gets bigger, then the end happens. That is probably because most running races are flat and are without rollercoaster hills that can smash your legs if you go too hard too early. I knew from my time on a bike around Eyeries that if I kept Anthony in sight there was a chance that he would underestimate the number and intensity of the hills. I was right, I didn’t catch Anthony, Eyeries caught Anthony.

9. Sports Stadium

I think my favourite thing about this race was the man with the video camera in the pick up truck ahead of us videoing the entire race. It was such a great idea to video the race, more races should do it. I am thinking of paying this man to come with me to every race so that I can have footage of me beating John Meade and Michael Herlihy so that we can watch it in the nursing home when I am 90 and they are 100. The video is amazingly excellent, it is like one of the videos that they used to show at 2pm on a Saturday on Sports Stadium when we only had two channels. I am not biased or anything, but it is up there with the “It’s Stephen Roche” video when I catch Anthony on the last of the significant hills.

10. Lee Valley A.C

I think that the video would have been good enough if I had just caught Anthony on the climb and he had beaten me in the sprint but it got even better. When we reached the top of the second last climb I could see that Anthony was suffering majorly but I was also suffering majorly so there really wasn’t much between us in terms of suffering. Thankfully the last 800m of the race are a descent back into Eyeries with only one mini climb before the finish at the colorful houses. I knew that I had a big weight advantage on the descent so I gave it everything I had knowing that I needed a gap for the mini climb before the finish to win. That last little climb was horrible, but I made it and arrived into Eyeries just ahead of Anthony to be greeted as Donal Coakley from Lee Valley A.C. Ah well it was nearly perfect.