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Sunday 8 April 2012

Ballybunion half marathon...give me a 20 miler any day..

Well I honestly don't know where to start...

Was mentally geared up for this all week..had a plan in my head...

Got up sat morning all nervous as usual..but that's normally a good sign for me..it get the adrenaline going..marathon was on at 2 so ate my porridge at 10.30 and had a slice of toast...brought some Madeira cake for beforehand just to top up the fuel...prepared everything the night before...so was all set for the big day...

Arrived over around 12 to collect number etc..went for about 50 pees and had a cup of tea...and waited..the rest of the group arrived bit by bit...chatted...it's good to be with the Born To Run group... great comradeship and everyone is in the same boat...had a few nervous chats and more pees...never peed so much in all my life...bladder was definitely empty...

Went to the start line....this is it..oh Christ what am I bloody doing ....had a few mental thoughts at the start line...feck Marcus for bloody dragging me out on a bank holiday ruining my weekend running back roads like a loola...stress...these days I'm always stressed! but I'm getting to like it a teeney weeney bit...

Our group had planned to stay together...2.10 the gun goes off...crowd starts moving...we don't take off too fast...nice and easy..feck the fast runners...left them off..weather was good..warm.. But not too bad...ran down the town smiling at all the kiddies waving...thought to myself wouldn't I love to be on the sideline with a 99 waving like the Pope... No chance..head down...focus focus...knew there was a hill coming but didn't know when..shite why didn't I drive the route beforehand..too busy with work and running..

Saw the hill...ok that's not too bad...slowly but surely up and up and up and up...didn't mind that hill...was ready for it and was well able for it...and then came another hill...and another bloody hill...flattened out a bit...and another fecking hill...ran them all no problem...but they just kept coming...

hit the 3 mile mark...ok I can do this... god I definately didn't realise it was so hilly! It is Ballybunion after all...some of the group stopped for a pee pee...the other half carried on...3 miles till the next water stop...just after the 3 mile mark another bloody bitch of a hill! (excuse language but I'm allowed!) took it easy...very warm...saw a lot of the 10k coming back towards us...that was tough seeing people retreating back...put the head down and trotted along the back roads..it went downhill for about 3/4 mile...didn't even look at the scenery...couldn't be bothered! only because I looked yonder after the downhill and I see more hills! Oh my god... had a few f's and blinds to myself..though I was losing the plot or else the organisers forgot to mention ' course not for beginners!'...

Hit the 6 mile mark woohoo...at this stage time wise I was on target to come in finishing in 2 and half hours approx...

It went down hill ( or should I say uphill) from there on...mentally it was tough...there was nothing on the route to keep the mind occupied...very desolate... Little civilisation... saw a horse...delighted to see him...was waiting for tumble weed to cross over in front of me... no tumble weed...

Started run walking...somehow after the 7 miles it was just a disaster...how could this be...ran 18 miles last week and it was my best run ever! Ran it all and I loved it... today was not my day but I was doing well up to the 6/7 mile mark...got very disheartened slowly but surely...it was such a lonely route..I even wondered if we were on the right route!...only because the stewards were few and far between..everyone we passed weren't very encouraging... I gave a few woohoo's which woke them up a bit but it didn't last long..

Hit the 10 mile mark...oh my god how long more...it was the longest 3 miles of my life...met no one...there were two girls behind us... That was it..cars were flying up and down the road so I knew that probably the finish line was closed by now as traffic was being allowed..delirious...

Walked...walked...plodded...walked... just couldn't be bothered... another hill...and yet another hill...how did it get me down so much...haven't a clue... Tried to thumb a lift..I was desperate! but sher we were out in no mans land so thumbs up all the way home...

Came into the town..couldn't wait for this to be over...nightmare...there was even a bloody hill ( a tiny one may I add!) before the finish line...asked the Garda where is the finish line...he pointed just up ahead...woohoo ran up delighted... No medals left....that just added to my despair!

The only good thing was some of the group waiting at the finish line for us..it definately was my highlight to see them...I was never so glad to be home...

Went into the hotel...a good few of the group found it very tough...ate my burger...died of indigestion..that just topped the day off for me!

Poor ould joan offed me her medal which some other fella gave to her... wasn't that lovely! But I didn't take it...I wanted my own medal which I very well deserved!

Overall a good day... Sarcasm... definately wouldn't recommend the route for a beginner runner...but even when I do become a good runner (which I will be...short mountain every sun for the summer!) I still wouldn't go back there...not even for an ice cream!

Went swimming today...out in Fenit...bitter..but good for overall fatigue..

Even though Ballybunion was a crap marathon,it will make me stronger as a runner...after The great limerick run I'm planning on doing the cork half marathon...and I will do my proper time there..if it kills me...

Tuesday back to normal...5 miles..

15 comments:

  1. fantastic girl well done you. ive heard ballybunnion is a tough one.Im so dissappointed there was not a medeal for you girl.I would have kicked up a stink. You go girl.
    im doing cork so will keep an eye out xxxx

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    1. i think i was to distraught at the finish line to kick up a stink!Disasterous run...but ill learn from it...not to go again!

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  2. Running out of medals is shambolic. People should cause more of a fuss - I mean it's not as if they would be surprised by the number of people turning up on race day!

    Good attitude, though. Let it make you stronger as a runner.

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    1. people in our group who came in on the 2hr mark even didnt get medals....the group were very disgusted at the no medal fiasco..i definately wouldnt be reccommending and they definately dont have any consideratoin for runners...only in it for the money..roll on limerick..

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  3. Doing these tough routes will stand to you in the end- it would be wrong if you were thinking this running thing is a doddle: it ain't (yes, I know that you already know that...)!

    By the time you've run 20 miles on the BTR 'Saturday route', you'll be well prepared for the full thing. Well done for completing BallyB- it is hilly (and whoever prepared the elevation map for the half marathon DEFINITELY got the return leg of the route totally wrong! The map shows consistent downhill slopes after approx mile 8 whereas it was most certainly uphill for 3 sections from that point!!)

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    1. well i certainly wasn't prepared mentally for all the hills...they just kept coming and coming! running is tough but sher if it was easy i would definitely not be doing it....you did very well brian...youve come a long way since last year! well done on superb run...

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  4. I was in around the 2 hr mark & being honest I didnt even know there was medals for the finishers until I went to the hotel for the after race burger.I saw a few people with them dangling off their necks but I thought that they had finished high up in some category or something until some guy told me that they had run out of them,nobody told me when I collected the tshirt that I was to get one anyway but I see on the website that they are sorting it out & to email them.In relation to your own run,I found it very hilly & theres certainly easier half marathons around but hey I wouldnt get too down hearted about it, as you well know you have days when you could run another 5 miles after doing 10 & some days youd be puffing & panting after 1k, the day may have gotten to you as well with a bit of nervous tension etc - put it down as a good training & learning session & onwards & upwards.

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    1. well ive gotten over the medal fiasco! it just wasnt my race day...immediately when i finished i certainly didnt get down hearted..normally i would...ive put it down as a good training day mentally...

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  5. heh all, did not complete the RunBB this yr. did it last yr 2011. it was my first HM (2hrs flat) and i found it tough. had done bits of it before the day but not full route. Met GOD along the way several times. think marathon dreamer might have had some similar experiences; pressure and stage fright might have dulled the experience, i hope she can bring herself to do it again. As for the medals etc i believe that there were an additional 500 people in the last 4 days..... hard to plan and order to match that... but i believe these guys are in it for the long haul this is yr3; i hope they make good on promises to send medals/t-shirts etc

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    1. surely the number of people registered in conjunction with the people who registered on the day= make sure we have enough medals for them! there should have been a cut off point at registration to make sure there was enough medals...otherwise people wont be coming back! it was a stupid mistake and the publicity you get from no medals is nothing in comparison to having no numbers to make sure they look after the runner on the day...thats what its all about..looking after the runner...especially people who are new to running...but thats done and gone now so ill look forward to the next race!

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  6. Run in lots of UK races including the great run series. This was the first Irish race and I was impressed. The hill maps doesn't appear accurate but when compared to a garman log of the run its not to bad. Agree with the hill comments, I'm used to flat running. I came in around 1.52 mark and got a medal but was more pleased with the quality of the t-shirt. Worked well on the Tuesday run. If this is a poor race would love to run in a high standard race!

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    1. thats was a great time...i will get there one day! was just peed about the medal and the route was hill after hill after hill... you must think that someone who was never a runner and just started in the last 5 months that for their first proper race they got no medal..surely the runners should be considered and a medal is your reward especially when i dont have any from other races! when numbers reached the equal quantity of medals registration should have been stopped...i do feel that was very important especially to our group...but roll on my next race!

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    2. I do understand about the medal,its nice to have the recognition at the end of a hard run. Don't be fooled by the time I was in large amounts of pain from the hills, even managed to pull a muscle in the neck from gritting my teeth so much!

      As stated below this will set you nicely because I don't think you find many harder routes unless you go out of your way. Just keep ploding on and the times will tumble. Good luck with the 26 and bit miles,I'll stick with the HM distance because I'm not that brave(or mad?).

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  7. Please send an email to info@runballybunion.com. We will get a medal out to you and some other goodies to make up for you dissapointment.

    People woh have ran our race in previous years have found it tough, but all say that completeing it make other half marathons seem easy. Limerick will be a breeze in comparison.

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    1. ah your fine im not looking for freebies!Thanks anyway...limerick will hopefully go well...Ballybunion was tough but if every race was easy everyone would be out running!

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If anyone has any advice or suggestions please feel free to post, im sure there are plenty people out there like myself wishing to run....