10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Killeagh 4 Mile

1. Perhaps

I think that the Killeagh 4 mile road race is the most John Meade road race ever. Despite this fact it was almost impossible to find out if he was going to run the race. I asked him directly via email on Tuesday after a failed attempt to meet for a run, the response was a Shakespearean riddle that left me none the wiser as to his intentions.

2. Transfer Deadline Day

I think I will need to buy some more Leevale singlets. It is very hard to keep them clean when you race every week. I couldn’t find a clean one this morning, so I had to go with an alternative kit. I bought a lovely white Mizuno singlet with the word Corredor printed on it for €5 at the Expo in Seville. After debating wearing my Joma Spanish singlet, I decided to go with the white one as it looks excellent and Corredor means runner.

3. Special Guest

I think that it was unsurprising to see John Meade when I arrived at the car park. He had parked suspiciously close to the GAA clubhouse which suggested that he was either very early or they were expecting him. I’m pretty sure he had his own dressing room in the GAA clubhouse. He kindly waited for me to do the warmup which consisted of jogging out the last half a mile of the race in reverse. On the way back John showed me the railway bridge and said that this was the point where the race would be won. He finished his warmup at a mile and I continued on to do more because that’s what I do.

4. Carbon Copy

I think that the Killeagh course was almost a carbon copy of the course up in Clare last week. They even managed to arrange the unusual wind direction which meant that the first two miles were uphill into the wind. At the start I saw one of the officials sneak up to John Meade and whisper some last-minute instructions on the course into his ear. I didn’t need any instructions as it was essentially a repeat of last week and I had learnt my lesson well.

5. Racing School

I think that you only get to learn about racing when there are wind and hills on the course. Once we started I let the only other tall person in the race Michael Herlihy go ahead, thankfully a fella in Barr’s singlet thought that it would be an excellent idea to lead the race so a big group of us followed behind sheltering from the wind. I took inspiration from Viv last week and did not venture out into the wind despite how much I would have loved to have just gone for it.

6. Long Tanned Levers

I think that I am terribly disadvantaged running in these wind induced running pelotons. I spent the first two miles uphill into the wind chopping my stride trying not to trip up with all the little short legged creatures around me. It is terribly disconcerting; the cadence is also very off-putting and confusing; it feels odd to be taking three strides for every four that everyone else is taking. The only one I can really run comfortably is Michael Herlihy but he was behind me evaluating his new Asics magic shoes.

7. Attempted Coup

I think that my favourite part of this race was the bit from mile two to mile three. It was great fun. Just like in Clare when we got to the top of the hill at the end of the second mile we turned left down the hill out of the wind. Unlike in Clare I was very sensible and let John Meade try and drop everyone. I did a Viv and sat as far back as I could without losing contact while Aidan and James tried and failed to get ahead of John Meade. Once individual attempts on John Meade’s lead had failed I took up the vacant place behind John Meade content to follow like Viv would have done.

8. Honest Meade

I think that I can have no complaints with how John Meade ran this race. He is a very honest runner. I know most people don’t want to believe that he uses magic shoes because it just doesn’t fit the image, but at least he does take to the front and doesn’t just sit on you like Viv. James McCarthy was the only true honest runner in the race without magic shoes, he probably would have won if he had of worn them but he didn’t, so he had to settle for third behind me.

9. Capitulation

I think that because I was so focused on following John Meade I kind of forgot the momentous occasion that was taking place. Once we passed the three mile mark I realized that I could neither see nor hear Michael Herlihy. Then I realized that if I could just stay with or near John Meade I would finally beat Mike on the road after 14 long years of trying very hard. Once we got to the railway bridge where on the warm up John Meade had said the race would be won I heard the unmistakable sound of a tremendous distant groan from Michael Herlihy. I knew then that I had him beaten if I could just keep running off the bridge to the finish, which I did.

10. Popularity Contest

I think that I am very jealous about the popularity of John Meade. The amount of "Well Done John Meade"s after a race win is not proportionate to the excellence of his performance. It makes me feel very upset when I compare it to the amount of "Well Done"s I get on the odd occasion that I win a race in Doneraile or Spain. Despite my jealousy the cacophony of “Well Done John Meade” in the hall with tea and sandwiches after the race was great to hear especially after two long years without indoor tea and sandwiches. It was a fitting result. Well Done John Meade.