10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Allihies 5 Mile

1. To Allihies or to Galway

I think that if it wasn’t for the disease that is my chronic lateness I would have ended up running a cross country race in Galway today. I have terrible trouble with being on time for things, I’m invariably at least five minutes late for everything. Add in a little bit of jet lag and getting to Galway for 12:30 became an impossible task so off to Allihies we went.

2. Toyota Corolla

I think that Google Maps needs to factor in Toyota Corolla’s in its calculation of how long it is going to take to get to Allihies. It is a very long drive from Glanmire, the road is fine until you turn off at Béal na Bláth then the Toyota Corolla’s of various vintages start. The first one was a grey one like John Meade used to drive, it was tolerably slow but went a long way along the road to Allihies before finally turning off left, only to be replaced immediately from the next cross roads by a 99 faded red Corolla that just about got around each bend. As we got closer to Allihies the Corolla’s were replaced by tractors.

3. Michael McMahon

I think that Michael McMahon must think that I was playing games with him. I had told him during the week that there was a race in Allihies that he should do. He said he’d think about it. I said I definitely wouldn’t be there as I was going to Galway. While we were stuck behind one of the Corolla’s who did I see in the mirror only Michael McMahon. I’m sure he had the same mixed thoughts of well at least I have some one to warm up and cool down with but do I really have to race him.

4. So Good You Do it Twice

I think that the course in Allihies is amazing. It must be one of the best road race circuits in the world. There is nothing like it anywhere, it is fabulously mad. It is made up of two, two and a half mile laps like the old Churchtown South race in Ballycotton. There are no flat sections, it is either uphill or downhill like a cross country course. The scenery is Icelandic, viciously beautiful especially on a sunny day with no wind. It would look great on TV.

5. No Hanging About

I think that racing Michael McMahon was always going to be fun. At the start about 50m outside the town we both took off like mad lunatics with no regard for the course or distance in a way that would have tormented Michael Herlihy if he had of been there. The first mile is half sweeping uphill bends followed by a beautiful downhill section facing out over the bay. Michael took the lead and didn’t look like he was ever going to surrender it. I felt terrible, a mixture of jetlag and tiredness from driving behind Corolla’s for two hours.

6. Dangerous Downhill

I think that the pace at which Michael McMahon went downhill in this race was frightening. I have never seen anything like it. I am normally the best in any race at going downhill as I have that perfect mix of height, heaviness and madness. Following Michael McMahon downhill off the cliffs of Allihies was what I imagine it must have been like for the guys in the Tour De France trying to follow Tom Pidcock off the Col Du Galibier. It was terrifying and safer to be watching on TV.

7. False Flat

I think that I knew I had a chance once we reached the second mile of the race where we encountered the only part of the course that is remotely flat. It is still probably a 1-2% gradient but it looks relatively flat. Because of Michael’s wreckless descending he was getting a gap on me everytime we went downhill but on the “flat” section by a field where a farmer was attempting to turn rocks into grass I started to close the gap.

8. Maybe

I think that this race evolved the complete opposite way to every other race I have been in. Normally in a race like this I would get a gap on people on the downhill and they would close on me on the uphill. But in this race it was like I had metamorphosed like Chris Froome from someone who can’t climb to the best climber in the world. Hills were my friend for once. Maybe it was my day.

9. Definitely Maybe

I think that after the first lap I had a good idea of what I needed to do. I couldn’t get ahead of Michael on the first lap no matter what I did but as we ran back up through the town with it’s lovely multicoloured houses I knew that he was going to be vulnerable on the climb to the finish as normally I would get dropped on any gradient. He led all the way until the four mile mark when I briefly took over on the false flat section before being immediately overtaken on the downhill section.

10. Alto de Allihies

I think that more races should finish on vicious climbs like this one. They do it on purpose in cycling. You can’t see the finish at the bottom of the last 100m ramp up to the finish it is so steep. As we approached the town Michael was still leading having re-opened the gap on the last of the mad descents. Then as we commenced the climb home I started to close in, with 800m to go I made my move. Just like Chris Froome in that breakthrough Tour De France I unexpectedly increased my cadence before flying up the vicious slope to appear at the top victorious. There is no drug testing in Allihies.