Turlough Conway

29 April, 2011

No report forthcoming so here I go.

Beautiful evening for a race. Sunny a little cool and minimal wind.
Was surprised to learn early wed evening that Peter O’F was racing as he had a tough weekend in Kerry training and a club interval session the night before. If i cant beat him tonight its time to wait for the masters time and hope that i age better.
Did warmup with Peter and Rathfarnham clubmate Kevin Bolger. Forest was bone dry.
Back at the start and there was Tom Hogan warming up then up runs Barry Minnock making a welcome return after a layoff with a back injury. A few wirey triathlete lads were springing around ominously. Spotted Rob and Stephen Cleary, Bernard, Aaron, John Mc . It was going to be a competitive race and what’s more competing to get in the top 3 for Rathfarnham might be cut throat.

I had my tactics set out. I had always gone up the initial climb to the cross too hard in previous races, suffering and losing places afterwards. Not this time.
Off we went lead out led by John Mc. I realised that i would have to speed up a little to keep too many of the galloping pack from getting ahead. I settled into 6th or 7th once the path narrowed and found myself just ahead of Peter. Peter started moving up the field and a quick glance up saw Tom, Barry and Stephen Cleary disappear rapidly upwards.
I kept it easy letting a few more pass. There went Bernard and Im getting a little worried now as Bernard normally starts slowly. Was I leaving myself too much too do once we got out on top?
Thankfully the group just ahead of me were not making ground as a little fatigue started kicking in. Ben Mooney passed but i felt OK and I knew there was plenty of open ground above to pass back. Peter clear in 4th and well above was a worry. How could he be this strong when he must have tired legs.

We hit the cross and my legs were feeling grand, no fatigue or lactate. I was able to pass most of the group ahead quickly as they took more time transitioning from climbing to running fast on the first downhill bit. I ran extra fast past Bernard to try and discourage pursuit and just reached Brian Caulfield at the hollow of the mountain. Over did it a bit on the down and was worried about a surge of lactic i felt in my legs as we started climbing again. It was nothing thankfully and i was able to climb with a good cadence although keeping under the red line. Peter is still well ahead and climbing strongly but i’ve closed a little. The two leaders are already climbing the summit hillock and a third runner is stubbornly not fading ahead of Peter. I hear Brian’s footsteps about 10metres behind : hes racing well and has let me lead him up the hill. I sense that Bernard isn’t far behind Brian. The two lads are M40s so teher will be no quarter given there.
A bit of clumsyness and indecision letting the leaders pass and we are almost a group of 3 again.
Im feeling strong though and ready to run fast back down. I manage to open a gap on the lads and could now concentrate on trying to reel Peter in. I shouted “track” a few times to clear a path and my proximity seemed to put a turbo boost in Peters legs who took off down the hill. (BTW Apologies for shouting “keep right” at some runners while running on my left and then giving out for them not doing the exact opposite of what i asked. Dont know my left from someone elses!)
Anyway Peter has half killed me by running very hard on the uphill back in direction cross. Im just in touch though and after a few words of encouragement from Gerry we hurl down the steep hill towards the forest. My legs are still feeling good which is a plus. A hard interval session on the little Munich hills in the Park has meant the legs are recovering nicely from any ups and downs and bursts of lactic.

If Peter had realised that i was carrying such lethal doses of lactic buffering he would have stood aside immediately. Alas no, we are evenly matched on the descent. Im thinking of trying to stay in touch till the concrete and trying my luck in a sprint. Luckily just as im closing a small gap that opened the path widens into a mini clearing for 30m or so. I have the momentum and i skip past and am delighted to hold on.

Tom won the race and well done to him: a very strong run. Barry, 10 secs adrift of Tom at the Cross lost his chance to try and overhaul him by going slightly astray on the way down. Still a good performance for a man only 3 weeks back. No doubt hell carry the 100% with him when it makes its return in the near future. Stephen C in third, a good season instore for the Cleary brothers judging by recent results.

The womens race looked a real nail biter with Sonja Fuhrmann coming from behind to snatch it from Aoife Joyce.

Thanks to Laura and the merry crew. Great job.

Rene Borg

27 April, 2011

TEAM RESULTS

MEN
1. Rathfarnham WSAF 11 (2 Barry Minnock, 4 Turlough Conway, 5 Peter O'Farrell)
2. Sli Cualann 75 (12 Ben Mooney, 29 Robin Mooney, 34 Daniel Buckley)
3. Boards AC 77 (16 Theo Mooney, 26 John Ahern, 35 Laurence Colleran)
4. Crusaders AC 156 (22 Jonathan Healy, 32 Oran Murphy, 102 Diarmuid O'Colmain)
5. Clonliffe Harriers 160 (3 Stephen Cleary, 62 Dermot Murphy, 95 David Duffy)
6. The Kyrgyz 205 (23 John P O'Regan, 63 Brian Storan, 119 Daniel Hardiman)
7. Glenasmole 421 (102 Thomas Galvin, 152 Des Doyle, 167 Andrew Clancy)
8. GEN 435 (38 Alan Ayling, 198 Mick Kellett, 199 Brendan Doherty)

WOMEN
1. Crusaders AC 34 (2 Aoife Joyce, 8 Roisin McDonnell, 24 Clare Ganville)
2. River Runners 93 (15 Catherine Halpin, 25 Aisling Corkery, 53 Eavan Casey)