Guest Post: New Era ...by Pat Walsh

 ** New Era **

Are we entering a new era in Irish Athletics? Hopefully

News today of Fearghal Curtin setting a new Irish Marathon record in South Korea at 2.07.54 is at the end of a fabulous year for our athletes. To put in perspective, John Treacy set a record in 1988 that stood for 36 years and now has been lowered 3 times by 3 different athletes in the last 12 months. Hiko Tonosa and Peter Lynch both broke the record before Fearghal today. 

Can we put the era of the greats of John Treacy, Gerry Kiernan and Danny Mc Daid finally behind us. Marvellous men but we need to see progress. These lads can push one another to new and better times.

The 800 metre event at the recent World Championships where Cian McPhillips and Mark English were a joy to watch and they have combined to lower the times in the 800 from the legendary Marcus O’Sullivan and David Matthews with records that have stood still for too long.

And watching Nicola Tuthill and Kate O’Connor set new heights in disciplines we have not previously been strong in, is fantastic as well. I know there are many more standout performances and these are but a handful.

We are a country with limited facilities and small population so to be producing world class is fantastic and testament to the great work being put into our athletes. 

On a personal level I’m delighted for Fearghal and his Dad, Noel, who shared the GAA fields in Castlemartyr colours and running roads with me for more years than I care to mention. Also Mr Martin Drake,  Youghal AC must be the proudest man in Ireland today to see the colours and name of the club on a National Record Holder. 

For you and I, it is times and achievements we can never aspire to, but we can do our best. Be the best you.

Remember, Fearghal ran the Dungarvan 10 mile and the Cork City 10k on the day of the marathon this year.

We can run the same roads as these people and help them with good wishes and supporting the clubs that are nurturing this talent.  Times and performances like these bring a lift to the spirits of all of us 

Have a lovely weekend.

#pwr

Guest Post: Be Safe ...by Pat Walsh

 * Be Safe *

Hey folks, I hope everyone is safe and well. 

I didn’t run this week but then I think that might apply to most of you as well. Don’t worry about it.

We get these weeks every now and then, so it is important to accept it and don’t put yourself or anyone else in danger by taking a risk. 

Losing a weeks training may be a setback. A fall or an injury picked up could have far longer consequences for your fitness.

If you take a week off in Summer for a holiday then that is ok, so put this week in perspective, it shouldn’t have a major effect. 

'O Wind, if Winter comes can Spring be far behind?'...

It can be hard so early in the New Year when plans are swirling in the head and you are bursting to get going but don’t risk it.

Thanks for all the lovely comments with regards my injury. I may not be running for some time and getting my head around that has been difficult. I’m waiting for specialist appointment to plan a recovery and hopefully it will include the bike, as that will give some decent aerobic exercise and fresh air.

I’m not the first and won’t be the last to pick up a serious injury. It is the head now needs to come to terms with all of it.

I usually run a few days every week and have done since 'forever'. I have never missed an entire month and as of tomorrow I will be 6 weeks off the road. Eternity.

- Adaptations required

Relax, but that isn’t my strongest feature.
Rest, but I don’t understand the word.
Eat less, as I am now burning a lot less calories.
Stop looking at Garmin outputs as that only gives me envy.
Work on flexibility and strength… but until I have a clear picture, I’m afraid to do too much.
Patience, but I had to even check how to spell it ..! 
‘Patience, give me some of that sweet patience, Lord, I will keep my eye on my goal’ … 

- Positives to it all

More time for coffee.

I’m free to cycle on the Midleton - Youghal Greenway (hopefully) so if anyone wants some company let me know.

I’m not filling the washing machine with mounds of dirty wet gear from running.

I don’t have to get up early on Saturday Mornings.

More time for reading. Santa was good to me and I have a fine stash.

Fortune saved on entry fees to races but that will probably spent on more coffees..!

‘Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained.’ ....

Have a lovely weekend and stay safe. The thaw is on the way.

#pwr

Guest Post: How to win a category prize ...by Pat Walsh

 ** How to win a category prize **

Like a catchy slogan or a bit of click-bait on social media, that heading got your attention..!

How to win a prize, I have no idea.

I run because I can and I enjoy it. I look at the winners in the categories and I know how hard they work to be up there and they deserve anything they get. I’m a runner, they are athletes. I wasn’t doing times 20 hears ago that are winning my age group so it isn’t a bother to me.

I win when I can get to a start line.
I set my own realistic goals and try to achieve them.
I know where I am and what I am capable of.
I won’t / can’t put in the huge blocks of training as my time and more importantly my body won’t allow it.
If I ever won a category prize I probably would get a heart attack anyway.

Don’t get bogged down in times and what others are doing. If you are running a race then you are in the top 5% in the country for fitness for your age group anyway. Do you need more than that?

Concentrate on your enjoyment and continuous participation. 
If I get a block of training together then I raise my expectations of a decent time by my standards.
If there are hiccups or mishaps in preparation and training then I readjust the target and just do it.
Life is being happy, accepting where you are and just run.
Be grateful and thankful for your health. You are winning every day you run.

#pwr

Guest Post: Plan for Fun ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Plan for Fun **

Does a little planning add to the fun of running or not?

Do you just go where the road takes you? 

Do you not worry about fuel or hydration and wonder sometimes why your run wasn’t as much fun as you may have thought?

We are all different and have varying ways of approaching things.

I personally like to:

have my run planned, 
have my hydration and fuel in the days leading up to it,
have adequate rest before a long run,
have re-fueling stops sorted if required,
and know where the hills are so I can be mentally ready for them.

This comes to mind watching the rugby this week and the athletics a few weeks ago. I was listening to the interviews about the preparation in advance and the ability to perform. Most of the outcomes can be pre-determined by the preparation. They speak of little glitches in preparation having huge consequences on the day.

As amateurs we cannot hope to match 10-20% of their levels of readiness, but we can still help ourselves. How we can we just rock up on the day and hope it all goes well.

Running should and can be fun. But the most fun is from a well planned run where you enjoyed it all, hit no surprise dips and finished without being totally shattered or dehydrated.

Fun is looking back after the run and thinking that it was ok, I was capable, I was able to chat, I wasn’t dying for water or feeling my energy levels had bonked.

No-one reading this article is a professional but never be afraid to learn from them and adapt their best practices to suit your own needs.

Don’t be a slave to the watch or get too worried about times. If your enjoyment is a run with friends, then do a little in advance to make it as enjoyable as possible. 

Sometimes the fun is sitting having a cup of coffee afterwards and not having to lay on the ground hoping to drink it through a straw.

That is fun, that is the secret to developing a love of running rather than a chore to do.
Long-term we stay doing what we enjoy or else it becomes just a passing hobby.
'Proper preparation and planning, prevents poor performance‘

Another holiday pic to brighten your weekend. No fears, I’m at home in the rain.. 

#pwr #havefun

Guest Post: Time to talk up our Cork Marathon ...by Pat Walsh

Time to talk up our Cork Marathon. #GoLong

Time to show the world what a gem of a place to live in and how honoured anyone should be to run this unique race with our heritage and humour. #WeAreCork 

Starting in Pana  (Patrick St to the non-Cork) this route will take you to the many sporting wonders of this magnificent City.

Handy first mile around town before you turn right onto Christy Ring Bridge (the Greatest hurler of them all) and head out to Blackpool (mile 2) and back.

You pass Murphy’s Brewery twice and we think it is important to know a good stout is brewed in Cork and it does mix with our sporting culture. If you stop to buy anything in Blackpool (home to Glen Rovers) please check your change as so many All-Ireland medals out there you could find them in the till as they use them for currency. 😃

Down the quays then behind the Railway station where many teams have brought home honours to the City in all codes and where we start our Victory Parades.🚂

Onto the Lower road (mile 3) and across the river you get a glimpse of "The Park" (mile 4). Also home for many boat clubs and we all know Cork has the best Rowing Crews in Ireland. 

Mile 5 and 6 are down the Tivoli dual carriageway and dead flat as you will need a break after all that excitement. Nothing much happened here except for a finish of the 1998 Tour de France Cycle race when they were all on drugs.. lol..!! 🚴‍

Mile 7 takes you through the Jack Lynch Tunnel under the River Lee. You should be honoured to run through this tunnel. Named after a man with 6 All-Ireland medals who was a Taoiseach of this Country in his spare time. You don’t run under the Liffey or the Shannon but we don’t mind in Cork as it can bestow magical super-powers.#Superman #WonderWoman 

Mind the hill up out of the Tunnel and take it handy, also a little pull up the ramp at Mahon Point Shopping Centre. (No shopping allowed Ladies).

Mile 9 and 10 are flat by the CSO and into Mahon.

Guest Post: Unbelievable ...by Pat Walsh

 ** unbelievable **

Cork Marathon is trying to promote itself 

Look at the price to run the marathon from someone entered recently.

In the name of God What run is worth that.

I have been disillusioned with running for a while but this finishes it.

Soon there will be no one running.. 65 to do the half.

It might be my last post for a while. I'm embarrassed the way my home city has approached this.

#pwr

Guest Post: Déjà vu ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Déjà vu **

Here we go again. For the 2nd Year in a row, ‘a Meaningful Christmas’ is a bit weird, strange and unusual. Case numbers, variants and vaccines are daily discussion points and what lies ahead for the festive season and into the New Year is a guess. Not what we were used to and I'm wondering when will we ever return to where we were.

What can I offer to runners.🏃🏃

Mind yourself physically and mentally. Stay healthy, stay active, and get plenty of fresh air. Get outdoors as often as you can and whatever form of exercise is great, just keep moving.

Don’t overdo it. This is no time to be getting sick or injured, as the HealthCare system is overloaded already without you adding to it. Don’t kill yourself with huge long runs, just a few nice, easy, handy, sociable jaunts with the buddies or the dog. Just keep ticking over and make the first week of the New Year a bit easier on yourself.

Mentally, just try to stay positive, stay in touch with others, don’t be reading or listening to too much bad news. It is happening anyway and you will be able to do very little to affect it, only to mind yourself and those around you. For most of us, our sphere of influence doesn’t extended any further than that. There may or may not be trouble ahead but we have survived 2 years of it and we know we can cope. 

Runners are the best of people.  Dream of glory in 2022. Pick a key goal for next Year and believe in yourself. Folks please keep in touch with your friends. 

If you get running Christmas presents then nice to use them and show them off. Hopefully the gloves and thermal leggings won’t ever be needed but good to have them anyway.

Don’t worry about fuel or carbo-loading for any run because Tins of Roses, Mince Pies, Snacks, Nibbles and a few drinks ensures that you have enough calories on board until at least St Patrick’s Day.

Above all else, mind yourself and stay safe.  Feel free to contact me if you need to. I will run a Christmas photo competition next week where we can have a laugh and fun while we move. 

A wish for you. 

“May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve”

#pwr #believeinyourself #BeStrong

Guest Post: Speed ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Speed ** 🏃

Hope everyone is safe and well. Great to see a few races going ahead and people back meeting and racing. It will take a while yet but at least it is a step in the right direction. Well done to all the organisers who are attempting to kick it all off again in trying circumstances. 

Will you go back racing, or have you settled into a routine of just a few handy runs per week and the thought of racing hard is a bit off-putting for the moment.

🤔🤔

The answer to building self-confidence again and to getting you back to a decent pace is speed work. I like many of you have given the last 16 months just “going for a run”.

Long or short it didn’t matter and I turned the legs over at a very slow but even pace. No variety at all. My fitness isn’t too bad but the net result is I have slowed down.

How can we run faster or hold on to any speed we had if we do not practice at it. So I ask you if you intend racing again then please put in a speed session each week into your routine.

🏃

There are many types of speed sessions but the simplest one which gives results reasonably quickly is Fast 400’s.

Warm up with a nice easy run for 5 to 10 mins
Do some stretches and mobility work.
Then run 400metres quickly and recover for between 90 and 120 seconds.
GO again and repeat this for 10 times.
You should you be doing these at a quicker pace than you hope for at a 5K or a 4mile race.
If you are a 7mn/ml 4.20mn/km then 400’s in 1.30-1.35
If you are a 8mn/ml 5.00mn/km then 400’s in 1.45-1.50
If you are a 9mn/ml 5.35mn/km then 400’s in 2.00-2.05
If you are a 10mn/ml 6.10mn/km then 400’s in 2.15-2.20
Cool down with an easy run again and a few more stretches.
Try to keep the pace even and do the first few maybe a second or 2 slower.
If any muscles are tight then do a few stretches in the rest period.

Concentrate on breathing and posture during the run. You will be turning the legs over and working the lungs harder than in a race and that can only improve you and make racing easier.

As the weeks go on you can adapt the session by either

Running a little quicker
Doing 12 repeats
Cutting down the rest period

🤓

A few friends and I have a few weeks now of this behind us and already I can see the benefits. I kill them but they love me (I hope).

Many other good speed sessions you can do to help and I can detail a few more if interested. This will prevent boredom and have different benefits to your fitness.

For the moment try the 400’s as they give best results.

🤓

Support all our Olympians. They are superb and deserving of support. ☘☘☘ Well done to the rowing team for the lift they have given the country.

I wish to offer hope after 17 months of pain. Not over but there is light. ☀️☀️

Have a lovely weekend. Feel free to share any running pictures and give us all a lift.

🥰

“I know you've been hurting
Waiting on a train that just won't come
The rain, it ain't permanent 
And soon we'll be dancing in the Sun
We'll be dancing in the Sun”….. Better Days, Dermot Kennedy

#pwr

Guest Post: Trivia - Ballycotton-10 June 2001 ...by Pat Walsh

** Trivia ** - Ballycotton 10, 24th June 2001

20 Years ago last weekend. I'm getting old 😃 

Foot and Mouth disease struck the country early in the year and the race was postponed for a few months.
Always run in March and penciled in for 11th that year.  It was unusual and very hot to run it in June.

763 finishers on the day and I do remember the medics were very busy as we were not used to distance runs in the heat.
🏃🏃‍♂️

The mugs were made in advance but the t-shirts were amended to reflect the new date. Unique to have this collection.
☕️☕️

I do remember thinking that nothing like this will ever happen again to disrupt the whole country.

I am a very wise person. 🤩🥳
#pwr

Guest Post: Reasons to Run? ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Reasons to run? **

It is time to move on folks. The future is looking better and they could be some decent races before long.

I was injured and my own plans for a decent Half  Marathon recently went a bit astray. No failure, just refocus, new plan and we will get it done for the August Bank Holiday.

After that I am certain we can aim for an ACTUAL race. Why not.

Watched the James Vincent Mc Morrow concert recently live from Dublin with a crowd of 500 at a trial event. It is a start, it is reason for optimism. It can only get better.

When will we see a controlled trial race. All other sports are getting there.

"Sometimes my hands they don't feel like my own

I need someone to love I need someone to hold" JVM

Get out there again. I love my Weekend Long run and now the group is growing again it is brilliant.

Remind yourself of why you run. Posted something similar last year and no harm to remind ourselves.

I run to see the Sun rise and the birds singing 🌞
I run so I can eat afterwards 🍳
I run as it gives me self-worth and importance 😂
I run so my pants still fits👖
I run for the wonderful company 🙌
I run for the chance of a coffee ☕️
I run to escape 🏃‍♀️🏃
I run so I have an excuse to do nothing for the rest of the day 🛋
I run to feel alive 👏
I run to chat and share life with people and I missed it when it was taken from us 🥰
I run to find the best of nature  🧐
I run to find a few good photo opportunities 📸📸
I run for my Garmin as it loves the road and clocking up the miles 🤣
I run so I can bore non-running people 🤓
I still run and hope to be back at races soon 😃 

Time to get moving again. Have a good weekend.

Keep the faith and keep in touch. Keep looking for positive signs. They are out there. 

**

"I will not cave under you
For my heart is an unending tomb
I will not trouble your rest
For my heart is infinity blessed" JVM 🎙

#pwr

Guest Post: The Group ...by Pat Walsh

** The Group **

“These people raised me 🎼

And I can't wait to go home” 

First effort this week at a collective run since the Christmas Holidays, all of 5 months ago and it was dreamlike. It has been such a weird, strange time.

It is such a wonderful feeling to be back among friends again. The sun came out to welcome us back. WE ARE BACK 🌤☀️

We are all different and what we need differs from person to person

Some found the solitude to be Ok and came to peace with it.

For the quiet introverted person it was a good time, without the need to be mixing with big gangs and being pulled from race to race among huge crowds.

Personally as an extroverted person, I found it difficult. I survived and I am mentally stronger but I would not like to repeat it. We changed with regulations and did what we could under the circumstances.

It was hard in the cold, wet months to just go out on your own. We had no goals and little motivation. Widening the limits and allowing you to run with 1 other was huge. For that I am eternally grateful to MissAG who had to put up with my moans, rants, silly opinions and other faults too many to mention since the start of the Year. Counselling can be organised 😍🤣

So we are now back with ‘The Gang’ and maybe easier to get out more often. Lots more ears to be moaning into but so many more friendly faces and voices that will lift us all again.

🏃🏃

I interviewed myself…! I can do that, as I am weird. 🤪

What are you training for?

I still have no idea and it isn’t too important. Live for the moment we are in.

What was the first group session like?

Christmas morning in a house full of children. The sound of voices and laughter was wonderful. There was a little bit of running done.

What will the emphasis be in the training session?

Just having a run, a laugh, a few miles, a getting to know one another again and get back to the friendship and support that we previously had.

Where will you do your training?

Somewhere nice and scenic where I feel part of nature

What will be the pace of the training runs?

Slow enough so that we can be having the chats

Should you be doing some speed training?

Yes is the answer, but if you have not done it for months then you do need to be careful and slowly introduce it again. The Physios of the world are already counting the money.

Will you ever get serious?

Hopefully never, but if a few races start coming along we might try to focus in on them.

Will there be coffee and buns?

You can chalk that one down. I dream of a long run and a big brekkie served to me afterwards 🍩☕️

How did you feel?

 “And I'm on my way 🎼

I still remember these old country lanes

When we did not know the answers

And I miss the way you make me feel, and it's real

When we watched the sunset over the castle on the hill”

😍😍

We are on the way back from the abyss slowly but surely. It is time for optimism and hope. Thanks Ed for a few lyrics for this article.

Have a lovely week 😍

#pwr #survive21 #keeponrunning

Guest Post: The Next Steps... by Pat Walsh

 ** The Next Steps ** 

🏃‍♀️ What is behind us can be assigned to the past and never to be changed. IT HAPPENED.

What happens next is important. The Nightmare is nearly over.

It is like starting a New Year again and this is a modified version of a post from a while back. Most New Year starts were mainly a physical one, where as this time there is a mental side to it too.

Mistakes were made, we got lazy, lacked motivation and consumed food and drink that maybe we should not have. It is understandable and OK and you were not alone.

It was easy to let the head and enthusiasm drop and I can get that. There was pressure on everyone with lots of worry, stress, anxiety that many of us just could not cope with.

My own head went a bit funny at times, lacking all the fun, life, social contacts that I had taken from me and wondering when I would see my family and friends again. Yes we could run but without all the FUN bits it wasn’t so easy to train.

If you want to make a fresh start and be ready to run races later in the Summer / Autumn now is the time to start. We have more freedom and can meet more people. It isn’t going to change overnight but it is getting better folks.

Simple tips

🏃‍♀️ Dumb the rubbish 

You have no chance while you fuel yourself on these foodstuffs. You need some simple proper food to provide the energy to run. Once the house is clean, do not restock. If it isn’t in the house then you cannot eat it.

Forget some fancy detox, just ditch the rubbish… Simple as...

Lose a few pounds and you will run quicker. That is not in doubt. You will also feel better about yourself.

🏃‍♀️ Get off the couch.

If you have made a start already then well done.  If not then just put on the gear and go out the door for a few easy miles. There is no magic formula, you will only get out what you put into it, so off your arse and move. Try to get more active generally and walk or cycle on in-between days. MOVE. It all helps

🏃‍♀️ Plan your week

Make a weekly plan and stick to it. Share it with your friends and that will help motivate you to stick to it. Keep it simple. A few weeks of this = “A NEW YOU”.., Sample below and it does not have to be any more than this.

Easy Run Monday, 

Some speed work Wednesday, 

Long run Saturday. 

Zoom class of strength and stretching some morning or evening. Plenty good videos on YouTube.

Set some time aside alone to get the mental side sorted. This can be done while walking in a scenic location. Be positive and count your blessings. If you look you will find them.

🏃‍♀️ Water

We have had some terrible amounts of tea, coffee, fizzies and alcohol. Do your body a favour and just get loads of water over next few weeks.

Benefits are so numerous, from weight-loss, rehydration, skin complexion, suppleness and many more that you should ask yourself … WHY NOT?

🏃‍♀️ Strength 

Take a long term approach to strength work. Are you strong enough to get the results you want from running? A strong core helps leg strength and leg drive and keeps the body in best position for running. Few minutes a couple of times per week.

🏃‍♀️ Flexibility🤸‍♀️🤸‍♂️

We need to keep the body flexible to prevent injury and some work on this is always required. Put it in the plan. You might be strong enough but you will always need flexibility work.

For strength and flexibility. Any issues won’t be fixed overnight but take time and patience. Also you can never stop and the older you get the more important they are. 

Note to self: I do need to read and remind myself of that a few times.

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

There will be races this year and after missing them so much for the last 14 months now is the time to get ready again. I don’t know where or when they will happen but they will.

Pick a target race sometime into the future. If it doesn’t happen then run it as a Virtual anyway.

Have a lovely weekend. Be good, be kind, be safe.

#pwr #keeponrunning #Survive21

Guest Post: Thinking out Loud ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Thinking out loud **

Bit thought provoking this week. Not sure has it anything to do with running. 🏃

The last year was a life changing event that completely stopped us in our tracks and brought us all down to earth with a bang. We were confined close to home and all the social activities ceased. It was a time of worry and stress that we didn’t expect and most of us were not ready for.

Now as things improve and before we start off on the Hamster Wheel again of 24 / 7 busy, have a think about the way you want the future to look for you.

Did you just follow people and do what they were doing? Now is a time to break free from that.

You have been given an marvelous opportunity to reset.

You have discovered nature, fresh-air, exercise and the simple things in life. 

You have found more local routes to run, walk and cycle in.

You survived on your own and you are mentally stronger for that.

You missed your friends and now is the time to appreciate them more.

You have enjoyed a cup of coffee sitting on a wall with a buddy.

Will you get back on the – 'I must go here, I must go there bandwagon' – and not have the time to train and do what you want to do yourself?

What good thing has the past year made you do, and will you keep doing it?

Are you going to continue to keep it simple and give yourself time to do what YOU want to do?

🏃

I would love to have a race to go to. Not to be killing myself but just for the social aspect of travelling and meeting. 

There are many who don’t miss racing and the anxiety it gave them worrying about times and performance. You have been spared that and don’t go back if it causes you too much stress.

Maybe find low key events and leave the watch at home.

😍

Folks I hope you are all safe and well. We need to exercise for so many health and mental benefits that I cannot start to name them. You future depends on a healthy YOU. 

Proactively manage your health and well-being to enjoy your life and be ready for the next curve-ball. The people who managed this one best, were in good physical and mental shape before it ever struck.

Life is short and can take sudden unexpected turns as we now know. Over-planning the future is futile. As we emerge into the light again, make it a life that you want to live and make yourself happy. We will only get one go at it. 

Before you start again, know what you want. 🤔

🎼 

"Spirit of my silence I can hear you, but I'm afraid to be near you

And I don't know where to begin

And I don't know where to begin" 🎼

Have a lovely week. Sorry if a bit too deep for Monday reading.

#pwr

Guest Post: May Bank Holiday... by Pat Walsh

 ** May Bank Holiday ** 

Few weeks ago I posted a plan to do a Half Marathon or a 10mile last  weekend. I do know from messages that many of you are training for this and hopefully it will go well for you.

You can train for the month of May to improve this, once you have cracked the distance.

Relax and enjoy it, no pressure on yourself and just complete it. Have a cuppa and a Bun. Feel free to let me know how you get on with a message, comment or a picture. 🤓

My own training fell apart with an injury, so I am on greatly reduced mileage at the moment. A few spins on the bike to make up for it but it isn’t the same at all. Still, I am ok and thanks for the kind messages received asking about my health. Thank You . . 

I can reveal that it has a strange Latin name for the precise description of my ailment.

“Birthcertitis” 🤯🩺

It is the inability to look at your birth cert and act your age and not to be running around like a Young fella. If it was an NCT test I would be scrapped. 

Still the vaccine could be down to my age group soon. (one advantage of age.. thanks GM) 💉💉

So one-third of the Year gone and we are at the first of the Summer Bank Holidays. To say it was strange year so far is an understatement. What is ahead of us is hard to plan.

I am trying to stay positive. Thankfully we got some good news last night. I have had enough ‘Hold Firm’ for my lifetime.

We surely have been through the toughest bit and it can only get better. 

The days are longer and brighter and our travel limits are improving. 

Increase in numbers in groups for adult training is super and we can enjoy the gang again.

The Summer Gear, running shorts and tops can appear again soon. Fake Tan may be required in some cases. Penneys will be open soon for the Hawaiian Tropic. 🤣 ☀️

Inter County Hurling will be back on TV. 📺

Countrywide travel, with Hotels and more Hospitality opening soon might present a different set of problems... We might not have time to train (a different problem)…!!. But great to think we can go somewhere. 🍺🍷🥘🥗

Once they open a few shops and dining places and we will be ‘ar muin na muice’ again. 

Final word on this. It is not how far we can travel, but what we do and how we conduct ourselves is key to maintaining these freedoms. Travel, explore, have fun, enjoy your friends but BEHAVE. 

🏃🏃‍♀️ 🤸🤸‍♀️

Hopefully we could see some form of limited races in Autumn. It should be possible to safely do low-key, limited numbers events. I think we would all welcome that. Maybe we might not like the flat-out lung bursting issues that happen with racing but the social interaction of just going somewhere and meeting a few fellow runners would be lovely.

Clubs and Charities have suffered badly for funds the last year so if there is any way it is possible to organise these runs, I have faith in their ingenuity to accomplish it safely. 

Few posters attached to this post for virtual runs attached that may be of interest to you. Now that you can run with a few people they might be an attractive challenge.

🏃🏃

Folks, you may be sick of me pushing the mental side of things but I do feel it is so important to remind ourselves of the long term impact of this on us all. 

Mind yourself and if you can, mind others. Some may need a helping hand, a friendly voice to clear the hurdles. The long term implications of all of this are not understood yet and who knows what people have suffered and what damage has been done to the mental health of people.

Any Covid weight gain will fall off with a few weeks (hard) training, there is no issue there. The head isn’t as easy or as straight forward.

Make sure as restrictions ease that your friends come back into the light again. They might need a push or a pull.

Get out there and move your arse, Get others with you where and when you can. Don’t out run the love of running as one day you may be as crocked as me.😂😜🥰

As always, comments questions or messages are greatly appreciated. I love them. Stay safe and well.

#pwr #survive21

Guest Post: Cross Training ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Cross training ** 🚴‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏃

With a small bit more freedom, but no clear guidelines on resumption of groups or races maybe it is time to think of overall fitness rather than just running.

We are all guilty of concentrating on one aspect of our training, when the body might do better with a variety of exercise types. Long term it maybe in your best interest anyway.

The weather has improved, evenings are longer and we can stray further from home. ☀️🌲

Cycling and swimming are 2 obvious choices that still challenge the body but take a break from pounding the roads. A good long walk has its own benefits as well. 

We also need to consider some strength / core training and also to include some element of stretching and flexibility in our plans.
.
Wow .. How do I fit that all in?
Very simple… Plan it
.
Don’t run too much. Drop one run and go cycle or swim.
Walk on the in-between days to help recovery but and still getting exercise and fresh air.
Develop a stretching routine of 10-15mins and repeat twice a week
Develop a core and strength routine of 10-15mins and repeat twice a week

There are lots of Videos on You Tube of these routines and minimal equipment is required. 🏋️‍♀️🤸‍♀️
Example
Monday Walk and Strength
Tuesday Run and Stretch
Wednesday Walk
Thursday Run and Stretch
Friday Walk and Strength
Saturday Long run
Sunday Nice easy cycle or Swim
.
Feel free to juggle as required. Make it suit your life. If the idea of exercise on all 7 days is beyond your current free time, then adapt. Bring children or a partner on the walk or cycle.
Do the Stretch and Strength with the kids, they might enjoy it.
Get your walk at lunchtime and force yourself out of the house or office. 🚶🚶‍♂️

 

 
The length of each of these sessions can be based on your own current fitness.
Variety is good for mind and body. You will get a longer running career if you are stronger and more flexible. Who knows you might enjoy it.
You can go back concentrating on running when there is races and goals to achieve. 🏆🏅

Stay safe, stay kind and stay sane.
Turn off the TV and the news feeds and get out in the fresh air.
Smile.
Contact a friend.
#pwr   #survive21

 

Guest Post: What now? ...by Pat Walsh

** What now? **

Huge emphasis on vaccination at the moment and the rollout is slow. Other than complain on social media we can do Nothing.

I urge patience and don’t be getting too bothered about the schedule as no real freedom comes to most until we are nearly all done anyway. If you are old, vulnerable, frontline or some medical condition then of course you must be up the top of the list but the rest of us will have to be patient. We are not in control so don’t waste mental energy on it. 🤗

We are runners, we are used to obstacles.
I have trained many people (and driven them daft) and the one thing I emphasize is to control what you can and don’t be worried about things totally outside of your control. 😱

Things we can control, our own proper training, wear the right gear for whatever conditions, have back-ups of gels and water and plan our run. There are things we cannot control and curveballs are thrown at us. The last 13 months has been a GIGANTIC curveball.
🏃

We train in good weather for 3 months and the day of the race is wind and rain, we get on with it.
We run races on “scenic courses” to find we are running up the side of a mountain, we get on with it.
We have a disappointing race due to a bug or some other illness that appeared in the days beforehand, we dust ourselves down, refocus and get on with it.
We don’t get that longed for PB, we refocus and say “Next Day”.
🏃

I say this to show you some examples of the resilience of us as a running family.
We take a knock and roll with it and go again. We have had glory days and they will come again to us, I have no doubt.
🏃

I’m not giving politicians or NPHET or any of the Suits a free pass on this. Their performance is scandalous. The Vaccine rollout is slow, cumbersome and open to all kinds of backhanded chicanery. #Muppets. 🙈🙉🙊

This week we hear that the chance of spreading Covid in an outdoor environment is less than 1 in a 1000. That is now accepted worldwide as being true and still we cannot run with a few buddies. Please give us limited safe things we can do and we will survive until the country is sorted. A Blanket “No” without a reason is as stupid as the person saying it. To think a virus knows where the county boundaries are is testing my credulity. It is our behavior spreads this, not how far we go.
🏃‍♀️

 

 

Enough
Last Monday we celebrated our first steps to freedom by going somewhere nice outside our 5K limit and walk or run. Take your time and breathe the air and take in the surroundings.
We are starting again on a new Journey. Make yourself part of it.

If you have been training all along then this new freedom will be a great help to pick new routes, but don’t go mad. Racing is a long way away yet.

If you fell off the running wagon in the last few months then circle the calendar and make next Monday the START DATE. New freedom, New YOU.

We must take charge of our lives and make the best of what we have.
I would love to be writing about detailed training plans or upcoming races but for now just get going. We have endured enough 😍🥰

“Too long a sacrifice
Can make a stone of the heart.   
O when may it suffice?”
#pwr #Survive21 

 

Guest Post: St Patrick... by Pat Walsh

 ☘ St Patrick ☘

What is normally a time of emerging from Winter, and kicking off the Year with some fun, we find ourselves still trapped in the 5K zone and could be there for a few weeks yet. Any lifting will be minimal until May. 😱

I have found the past week very difficult myself and the lack of leadership, guidance and a sense of purpose and a plan has been very disheartening.

The Vaccine roll-out plan has changed 17 times since January and we are told nobody here is at fault. I honestly think they have no idea the level of hurt, suffering and despair that is out there.
I know if St Patrick was still alive, the snakes I would like him to drive out of Ireland. 🐍🐍

Yes there is light ahead so make sure we get there in 1 piece and ready to take our place in Society.
I am not being controversial here, just stating that we need something to look forward to. Something to aim for. Kicking the can down the road every few weeks is soul destroying to us all.
It isn't the integrity of the people in charge I question, it is their competence to do the role they now have.

I quote from the Irish Times last Monday week.
===
‘We know this much for certain, however. We are definitely at the stage where vast swathes of the population are of the view that they have done their bit, and that while they are willing to go on doing their bit, they need to start taking their lives back while doing so. This is an entirely reasonable attitude to adopt. It has neither the fecklessness of the open-everything-now brigade nor the unrealistic faux-simplicity of the Zero Covid crowd.

So when it comes to something like kids playing sport out in the open air, reasonable people are at the point where they need something better than to be told that this is just not possible. It is accepted by all sides that it is pretty much unheard-of to transmit Covid by playing outdoor sport. Only yesterday, it was reported in The Sunday Times that in 12 months of detailed tracing of positive Covid tests in professional soccer, American football, rugby league and rugby union, there hasn’t been a single case of on-field transmission. Not a single one.’
===
I do feel that I am repeating myself every week here and have very little new to offer anyone. What I would honestly like to say most weeks, I find myself stopping as it is too critical of establishment and this page would become just another of those mud-slinging places that are everywhere at the moment.
I had a plan in place to do a 10 mile next week (or 10K if that is your goal) and I will do that. The Pub and Parade are on hold.

Don’t be putting pressure on yourself for a time, just do it. If there is a little stop or a walk somewhere then no bother at all. Be kind to yourself and those around you.

If you can manage a takeaway cuppa afterwards then do so. 

Keep going, there is light but maybe we have to make it ourselves..!! ☀️🕯
Keep getting out that door. It might be my last post if this gets too controversial.
#pwr #survive21

Guest Post: Running OR Life ...by Pat Walsh

** Running or Life **

Bit heavy this week, forgive me.

Early Noughties the go-to motivational speech for all teams was Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday. It is possibly the most inspirational sports movie speech of all time in my opinion. . He mixes life with the game in a Half-Time speech and looks at the similarities between both.
It resonates today / now / the situation we are in whether it is life or our running goals.  The Speech of Inches, I will use parts of it.

😎 Al “We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the s**t kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.”

🤔 Pat: There is nothing to inspire us from on high only the same stale advice that has failed us for a year now. I am not advocating anarchy but I am trying to inspire a new-found sense of running as a team.
Runners all over Ireland need to feel part of a group who will not give up and who will help and support one another.
It will not be easy the next few months, that is certain but there is hope.  If we help one another, it will make it easier together. 

😎 Al  “Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fu**ing difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.”

🤔 Pat: Say hello to every runner you meet and smile at them.
Every runner who posts a pic on facebook on their own page or any other page make sure to give a like or a smile or a kind comment.
Try to meet a buddy more often to run with.
Make time for coffee with fellow runners.
Plan your weekly runs and plan a goal.
Don’t be afraid to share your experiences and ideas as you will find it resonates with others. I write nothing special, only the foolish thoughts that are circulating in this strange skull and still loads of people say it means something to them. 😱

 

Don't give up, we are made of better stuff than that.
Run to save yourself and show you won’t be beaten by this crisis or the gang in charge.
Run to save others and show we are in this together.
Run to show you control your life and not totally waiting for the crumbs from the Masters Table
Run because it saved Forrest Gump.
Run for your life
Run to climb out of this mess Inch by Inch
RUN, The alternative isn't worth thinking about it.

😎 Al  “You know when you get old in life
things get taken from you.
That's, that's part of life.
But,
you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.”
Sorry for lack of specific running advice. For the moment, I am just trying to get through this.
If anyone thinks I am losing the plot with this post let me assure you it happened months ago.
#pwr #Survive21

Guest Post: A Year Later... by Pat Walsh

 ** A Year later **

This week last year this whole crisis started to hit and nobody had any idea of the Year ahead and what it had in store for us. It has been an unreal Year in so many ways.

Saturday 8th March 2020, I ran my last race in the Dunhill / Fenor 10 mile and I thought the biggest danger ahead of me was getting out of Waterford alive…!! 😱😱

Is there any point in looking back and maybe just as well to keep the focus forward and what is in the future.  I don’t know, I haven’t the answers, I can’t understand how everyone is feeling. Personally I am up and down, I am trying to be positive and succeeding for most of the time but I can understand why people are suffering.
🏃

I am talking as a runner. We like certainty, we like a plan, we like a focus that we can work to. A race in 6 weeks, a marathon in 4 months etc, etc. We plan our lives, our runs around this and aim for that date.
I think what is killing us all now is the lack of a specific, we are chasing a moving target and it is very hard to train and motivate yourself for that scenario.

We followed a plan for the last year that promised us some light, but we find ourselves back in that same situation. Madness can be defined as 'doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome'.

I am not making this post critical of anyone or anything but just trying to help fellow runners understand why they are feeling a little lost and frustrated at the moment.
There is an air of resigned acceptance in most of us and that is stopping our enjoyment of life and building to the future. We are losing touch with one another as we haven't gathered as a group for so long. WE need to shake it up.
🏃

 

What to do
We must keep going regardless, quitting isn't an option.
There will be NO races so don't be building your hopes on that. An extended area to live our lives and meeting a few others is the best we can hope for.
Make your own goals that you know you can do and will be able to complete. Many great online challenges and Virtual races to take part in. Many have a charitable element which can help the feel-good factor as well.
Plan something for Patrick's Day go out to run and wear the Green. I am hoping to do my 10 mile that day before the Parade and a few pints in the Pub. ☘️🍻

I can put a plan together to bring us to Half Marathon or 10 mile depending where you are.
There are different dates coming up after that including Easter plus May and June Bank Holidays. Aim for something around those times and we might have got some freedom after that.
I know I am saying the same old thing week-in / week-out, sorry, but life is the same every week now.
I can meet a buddy locally and run. Not much I know, but some people are having it a lot worse. I am surviving.

You can let yourself sink or you can try to swim. 🏊🏊‍♀️
#pwr #survive21 #hope

Guest Post: Minister for Inspiration ...by Pat Walsh

 

 ** Minister for Inspiration **

Just being frivolous to lighten the mood. Forgive me
🤣

“I wandered lonely as a long distance runner,
That floats on high o'er vales and hills within his own 5k zone”

Had a nice cycle today to help the legs and took a few pics. I got 5 miles done in 90minutes on the bike. Won’t qualify me for Tour de France but but but there was chatting to be done with people along the way. Few nice pics taken and I suppose I should be quoting Wordsworth or some of the great poets on the beauty of Daffodils.. No way.

 

I had a Kings of Leon Morning and their lyrics were rattling in my head. 

"I can't get there on my own
You can't leave me here alone
I’m just trying to do what’s right
Oh a man ain't a man 'less he's fought the fight" 🎼🎼

Take care, spring has arrived, there isn’t a whole lot of hope ahead but if we give up on ourselves and our friends then we are definitely f***ed.
#pwr #Survive21