10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think About The Tracton A.C 4 Mile

1. Old Houses

I think that my second time in Tracton was a little bit more adrenaline filled than the first time. My only previous visit to Tracton was to a talk on old country houses that John Meade suggested that we go to, I think Conor McCauley came too. I remember thinking that this would be a great place for a road race with it’s nice warm up track and hilly quiet roads. I was right.

2. Last Call

I think that they should put a warning on the poster about how long it takes to get to the start. I was late as usual but due to the kilometre long ascent to the start I was extra late. At 10 to eight I was installing my magic shoes when I heard “last call for runners” about five times before I finally got my shoes on and began the ascent to the start. As I had magic shoes on, I made it in plenty time and was well warmed up by the hill.

3. Meet me at the Crossroads

I think that there was an excellent collection of people that I would like to beat at the race. It was as if I hand picked them. Viv, Jeremy, Barry Twohig, Mark Walsh, John Meade and a foreign invader from West Limerick Karl Lenihan. It is highly unusual to have such a bunch so I was equally terrified and motivated.

4. Barry Induced Misery

I think that Barry Twohig made the race horrible for everyone. Tracton is a terribly hilly place, the perfect place for making your legs hurt, which is exactly what Barry did to us all in the first mile. I haven’t felt that burn in my quads since I was on a bike trying to take some Strava KOM in the middle of nowhere. I knew that everyone else was probably feeling something similar so when we got to the top of the many small hills in the first mile I pushed the descent to make it extra miserable for everyone. Misery after a mile of a four road race mile race is wonderful one of life’s great pleasures.

5. Headwind Checkout

I think that I probably shouldn’t have jumped out of the way when we hit an unexpected headwind during the second mile. I had no real idea of the course so when we started a descent after the first mile I mistakenly thought that the hills might be over. I tried to use my significant size advantage on the downhill by pushing the pace, unfortunately there was a terrible headwind, the sort of headwind where Viv tucks in behind you like a small truck following a big truck on a motorway. I have become intolerant of this tactic so the minute I thought it was happening I just stopped and let them all go past. I might have done it a bit too suddenly as I nearly took poor Barry out of it.

6. 3,2,1

I think that my favourite part of the race was the civilised bit of mile two where hostilities ceased, and we ran as a nice co-operative bunch. It would have made an excellent photograph with everyone in their respective club singlets but as it occurred briefly in the middle of nowhere that wasn’t possible, at the front you had Jeremy, Mark and Viv in a row of three with, John Meade and Barry forming a two-man row providing 100% shelter for me in the Kipchoge position. Hostilities resumed pretty quickly.

7. Don’t Torment the Viv

I think that one of my favourite things to do in a race is to torment Viv. As we approached the start of the descent from two miles of climbing, I left my Kipchoge position and went up to Viv’s left shoulder just behind Mark Walsh. I made a few fake little surges to torment him before going as fast as I could down the hill. I thought that this would be fast enough to be in the lead but Mark Walsh is better than me in general so I followed him instead which was fine as I didn’t expect to beat Mark.

8. The View from Fourth

I think that there might have been a nice view of the sea and a ship at the top of the hill, John Meade told me there was after the race, I saw nothing only Mark Walsh’s black Vaporfly 2s. It is interesting that running downhill can be just as miserable as running uphill if you do it right. I suffered greatly from mile two to three trying to hang onto Mark, never thinking that I might beat him, just knowing that it was my best hope of beating everyone else.

9. The Fear

I think that I know what it must be like to be a youthful antelope being chased by a pack of old vicious lions after the last mile of Tracton. It was terrifying, I got to the third mile just a bit off Mark in second place only to soon hear the light breathing of Viv on my shoulder. It was only Viv at least. The fourth mile seemed never ending with that long straight which looks like it should be the finish but isn’t. I got to the second last corner just behind Viv but as he is extremely motivated by beating me the gap was forced open and I began to worry about ending up fourth or maybe worse.

10. Photos, Food and Prizes

I think that I did an excellent finish to hold onto third. The finishing photos are excellent as you can see an out of focus John Meade behind me horrified with what is unfolding in front of him. The best thing about finishing third is all the photos that must be taken of the all-important top 3, there is nothing worse than being fourth like John Meade when the photographer asks can I have 1,2 and 3 over here like no one else matters. After the many photos, a warm down along a nice river path with Viv and some of the plentiful food we had more photos and prizes on the stage which was great, just like the race, great.