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Monday 7 May 2012

The Great Limerick Run....26.2...my longest run ever..

6 months ago this all started..running..I was never a runner not a mind liking exercise in general..detested anything that involved my two legs moving...but yesterday I completed my first marathon and finished it...woohoo!

26.2 miles...

I knew I wouldn't be in the top 3 women so I settled just to finish it....sarcasm..

Pre-race thoughts: how the feck am I going to do this! What have I signed myself up for?stupidity...why didn't I do the 6 miler in limerick...it would have been lovely...

Race morning: myself,Mags and Catriona decided to start at the 8.00 start..For a couple of reasons...it was an hour ahead of the main group and I knew we'd be a lot slower than our main group so I wanted to come into the finish line when there was an actual crowd there cheering us on...not like Our last race where the only person I met was a garda at the finish line...

I was a little bit nervous but not too bad..there was a good crowd...went for our pee pees...at least we had lovely clean toilets! 7.58 we all line up at the start line...Christ what have I let myself in for...yer man blew the horn and off we go...woohoo...we swing a left at the top of Pery Square...started off at a nice pace down the road...people were out cheering...cars honking...we all wave...then about .3 of a mile a car comes speeding past honking and we waving! But in actual fact they turned us the wrong way! what?! We were leading! ...he told us all to turn around and go back...absolutely disgusted! We retreated back down the road f'ing and blinding....the feckers...a few of the fellas in front of us started shouting 'restart the race but were ignored...carried on...tried to settle myself...further up the road we met a taxi with Tom and Martin in it...gave a few cheers and woohoo's! It was going to be a long morning...

The sun was out..fabulous morning...but the heat kills me...thanks be to god we left early..headed out towards Ul...the stewards were half asleep...could you not blame them! Looking at sweaty heads on a bank holiday Sunday...we are ruining their weekend..it was fantastic running around the city at that time of the morning...hit the 6 mile mark at Ul...had to do a loop down at the end..why couldn't we just skip it! First peepee stop for Catriona and mags..

Heading into Ul...we meet Martin Tierney...flying past..big woohoo's and screams! Then we saw Seamus Murphy...more big woohoo's and screams! Francie wasn't too far behind...more screams! Ud think we were on a school tour with all the waving and high pitched screams! Head into Ul..stewards were still asleep..one was on the mobile phone flicking the hair..obviously we didn't look like runners because she didn't take any notice of us!
Heading over the bridge..wouldn't u think they would have tightened up the floor boards on the bridge because we sounded like a heard of cattle!

Headed back into the city..hit Pery square at the 13 mile mark where the start line was..the half marathon crowd were there waiting for their start and they cheered us on it was great!...but I didn't feel great...walking jogging was tough on the mind and legs...things started to faulter...

Headed out of the city towards don't know where...but it was a five mile loop...I know this coz we drove it in the car! sweltering...just lost the plot altogether...starved..sh$t sick of sports drink and It band flaring...and legs felt like lead...walked jogged...coming out of the loop back into the city we met Suzanne,Morna,Sheila,Mary and Danielle...they looked good...big cheers..Suzanne told me I was famous! They met two separate women who asked them did they know the marathon dreamer! Who?!The shame...

Headed back in...oh for Christ sake this was the toughest day of my life! But I wasnt going to dwell on it too much...just gotta keep going..if my leg fell off I was still going to finish! Mood was very low...and then I chirped up for a minute then down again!loola tendencies...losing the plot basically...I stunk...sweated buckets...feet killing me..leg gone into retirement...the fecker..

Hit the bridge near the crescent...saw a guy in front doing the drunk mans walk...he looked buggered! Went up beside him and he chirped up a bit...Catriona said 'c'mon joe stay with us'..I couldn't understand how she knew his name...sher it was on his bloody number...definately losing the plot...chatted with him for a while..nice fella but he was struggling...left him plod on...over the bridge ...feck 6 miles to go...I knew this was going to be the longest 6 miles of my life! Emotions were up and down...one minute id be smiling and the next the head would drop...walked and walked...just couldn't....

Met another fella...he told us the lady up ahead had done 249 marathons...I called her a nuthead!who in their right mind would do such a thing...she mustn't have a day job...that's one thing that I found very tough with running was working a full hard day and then to go running...

Plodded along...no smiling at doggies today...wasn't in the mood! hit punches...we went there for lunch yesterday after the expo...had an in house joke about Hazel and coleslaw yesterday...laughed as we went past! That was the only bit of laughing I did till I saw the finish line...

Hit the city centre and the crowds were great...all call myself and Catrionas name out..its was fantastic...great buzz..c'mon only 4 miles to go..sorry 4 point bloody 2! Hit Thomand park...lightbulb?! Oh my god I know a short cut! C'mon let's Let's swing a left here! Couldn't...there was a Garda checkpoint there...was delirious...was desperate...anything to get to that bloody finish line for my well deserved medal! And banana...

The shock on Catrionas face with my shortcut...we plodded on past Thomand down the hill..at the very end we met Hazel,Niall,Ina,lorraine and Ger...hazel even had time to give me a hug!...that took more off my time! whilst flying past...then Niall pats me on the back and I nearly fell over with the pain...not good..gotta get home...

People were out with jellies and water...it was brilliant..took a jelly.. It was a bloody sour one so I was like a child making squelchy faces trying to swallow it! Hate sour jellies...a mile or do to go we met Marcus,Catherine and Alison...give me a piggy back please! Sweltering at this stage...could hear the finish line..saw the bridge... Suddenly I chirped up! woohoo...starting running with a limp...oh what a sight...I didn't care... limped for the last 6 miles so what was another bloody mile! running across the bridge... It was lined with people on either side...why the hell couldn't they bring the finish line closer!

Woohoo... This was it... ran up O' Connell St....Seamus and Jackie shout our names..fecker got in early! Woohoo..the bottom lip starts to go.. Ok hold it together loola...Brenda and the family start shouting... I think to myself where is the bloody finish line! ...Jerry shouts our names from the side...a few woohoos...turn the corner...oh my god...I was delirious...give a few waves and the smile appears! ran towards the finish absolutely delighted...pulled down the hat and start blubbering...a woman comes over and hands me some tin foil...feck the tin foil I want my medal and my banana woman! get my medal...I did all this for a piece of metal...but I loved it!its the nicest piece of metal that I have ever seen and it's mine...26.8 miles (including earlier diversion!)...Only for Catriona plodding along beside me and not letting me take my delirious shortcut I wouldn't have done it...


What's next on my journey...well Season 1 Episode 2 is starting next monday week...it's only the start...

To be continued.....

P.S. pictures will follow once I get back to work,need wifi etc.




6 comments:

  1. Well done on finishing.

    Good thing you could not take that short cut. Who on earth would want to ruin their own marathon by cheating!

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  2. A huge congrats girl your a superstar. Im soooo trilled for ya girl.I know you will be soar for a few days but i bet you'll be planning your next aventure soon. Are you on face book?Get yourself some of the ready made protein recovery drinks in the health shops will do your body the world of good. well done again xxx

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  3. well done you, youve completed your first big race..now you can focus on getting faster and time! its a big mental challenge to actually do a marathon so fair play,Mary

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  4. woohoo as you'd say! ive been following you for the last 4 months very entertaining!well done on your accomplishment of 26.2, i hope there are many more blogs to come x

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  5. fair deuce girl yer brilliant ive only ran a 10k i will do a marathon tho!congrats

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  6. well done all the ground work has been done so roll on dublin, Dan

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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....