10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Donoughmore 7 Mile

1. UNESCO World Heritage Race

I think that running needs a system where great races like the Donoughmore 7 can be protected. It is one of the great races in Ireland if not the World. It is a special race with a great history, run on the same mad course every year. This was the 40th edition, it would be great if it could make it to 60 editions mainly so that I can run it when I am old and try to beat Billy in whatever new magic shoes exist by then.

2. The Cup

I think that it felt bad to remove the cup for winning last years race from the mantlepiece. You know that it was the first proper trophy that I have won because I took it straight in to have it engraved after the race last year and didn’t wait until the week before the race like a proper runner would do. I am insanely happy that my name is on the same trophy as Michael Herlihy primarily because I know that it torments him greatly. Hopefully in 3000 years the trophy will be found in some archaeological dig and the archaeologist will think that both these runners were of similar running ability. They might even put it in a museum.

3. Late

I think I might have run a bit better if it were not for my genetic lateness. I overdid the warmup a little and forgot that the start is a bit down the hill so I had limited time to put on my Vaporfly 3s which take ages to put on. You know you are very late when you meet Jerry Forde coming against you on the way down to the start. The race organizers in Donoughmore run a tight ship and rightly threatened to disqualify me for lateness but I appealed the decision and was let take up my rightful position on the front row beside Kieran McKeown and Barry Twohig.

4. Evan Checks Out

I think that Evan from Clonmel must run up and down that Mountain Road in Clonmel very often to be able to do what he did to the Donoughmore course. Evan was out of sight after 800m, gone into the distance never to be seen again. It was like he had some sort of cheat code that made the first two miles flat instead of the cruel gradient that the rest of us had to suffer on. He probably could have stopped for a cup of tea served in the excellent race mug halfway around and still have won by a minute. It was very impressive.

5. Did I Mention That I Won it Already

I think that we probably took it a bit too handy for the first mile. Michael Herlihy famously ran 4:50 for the first mile of Donoughmore when he won it like I won it last year. We were approximately a minute slower for the first mile this year. I could feel the marathon and the 5k in my legs immediately, so I was quite happy to warm up into the race gradually. There was a huge bunch of us jogging along after about 1km. Kieran McKeown said that everyone should continue to wait as I was going to go soon. “Sure I’ve already won it I don’t care what happens”. While everyone else was digesting my arrogance I ran off down the hill and got a small bit of a gap.

6. Unexpected Wind

I think that I might have come second if it were not for the terrible headwind we encountered when we turned sharp left onto the straight main road after two miles. My little effort on the downhill had cut the second place group down to five; myself Viv, Barry, Anthony Mannix and Brian Murphy. Viv must have known that I was going to try and sprint down the hill as the minute we turned the corner he went after me. I quickly realised that the wind was too strong and that the lads were just going to follow me down the hill if I tried so I pulled up and hopped in behind Viv which confused him immensely. He kept looking around as if what was happening was wrong or unfair and unjust.

7. Insurgency

I think that when you are trying to race Viv and Anthony Mannix on a course that finishes with a two mile climb you have to try some unusual tactics. I haven’t a hope of getting up a hill quicker than those two, they are like Pogacar and Vinegaard whereas I’m more of a rouleur. As a result, I had to try alternative methods, so I tried to tire them out on the downhill by tormenting them with little surges that they had to follow. Unfortunately, the only one I succeeded in getting rid of from the bunch with my surges was Brian Murphy.

8. Attaque de Barry

I think that Barry’s tactics in the race were almost as bad as mine. When we reached the iconic left hand turn that signifies the start of the two mile ascent to the finish at altitude in Donoughmore Barry launched a vicious stinging attack. It was a confident attack that I had no response to, even Viv and Anthony were left on their toes. I was never going to respond as I find that you are better off not attacking hills and running them at your own measured effort.

9. Neutralized by Viv

I think that it is almost impossible to beat Viv on a hill, Barry’s attack probably would have been decisive if it wasn’t for Viv who quickly neutralized it with some assistance from his climbing ally Anthony. The two mountain goats went straight past Barry who was clearly a bit demoralized by the failure of his attack. I just kept plugging away at the hill at my measured effort and soon enough I cruised past the neutralized Barry and reached the back of the two climbing specialists. I was delighted to see Viv look behind again clearly terrified.

10. Addicted to Progress

I think that the final finishing positions were inevitable. The last 400m of the race are particularly vicious and totally unsuitable for a big lump like me. Anthony Mannix got the better of the two mountain goats leaving Viv bewildered in third still looking behind terrified that I was about to sprint past. Barry completed a Stephen Roche like comeback and overhauled me at the last uphill chicane with 200m to go so I ended up 5th. Most importantly I managed to run a little bit faster than last year when I won, did I mention that I won it last year? That’s all you can really hope for anyway, to get a little bit faster every year on the same great course so that in 50 years’ time people will think that you were great at running.