Will sure as night follows day the racing calender moves on..
After Boston heroics by BPT and C4L90 the next stop on the Majors world tour is clearly the Ballintotis 4 mile.
I last raced this in 2022 and was only just back training then managing a modest 27:42.
This year I'm also only back but in way better shape but I haven't raced on the roads since July 2023 (a 5km) so I didn't have much of an idea how it would pan out speed wise.
We got a email from the organisers that the Lake View roundabout was a shitshow and to allow 30mins extra. They weren't wrong it it's a complete shitshow.
In fairness the organisation down there is stellar. Plenty of Gardai, Marshalls, Cones and Little home made signs with arrows getting you to the spot. No Less than 16 porta loos, a separate urinal for the lads and changing tent for the wimmin. You wouldn't get it at a diamond league.
I parked up and weaved in an out of all these pregnant women pushing prams speaking in hushed tones about some fella jimmy..no idea what that was about.
I really need to race a bit more I was fairly peppering again. Never used happen to me before but I've turned into a nawful chickenshit in my old age..as evidenced by the lack of racing.
it reminded me of the Ballycotton 10.Loads of people milling around, choons pumping and the MC on the Mike burning through all his best material while interviewing Gerry Forde.
Queued up, had a wazz, off for a mile or two, shorts were cutting the bollocks off me, a few strides, on with the racing flats, off down to the start, went to the the shorts, realised they were on backwards, back to the jacks for a switcheroo, wistful shake of the head at nerves, time getting tight so back down to the start and ducked in under the rope In the middle the 24-26min section..Cool as you like. LOL.
Conditions were perfect, balmy evening, and a tail wind once you turn onto the main road for home, which you were protected against by ditches when up around the hills.
Gun goes off and away. First mile is a slight incline. in fairness most people were sensible in their race positioning, in the pens, the road opened up well after maybe 600m and we were into it.
Passed a buddy of mine from the barrs at around a 1k and I was feeling smooth. Got behind a grand pack of stout looking fellas and settled in. first mile was 5:57. I might end up winning this fuckin thing the way I'm feeling. The only hassle I has was somehow my heart rate monitor contrived to slip off my chest and was clattering around by by belly. I wear this thing daily for some fairly uptempo stuff and it it's never been an issue. that's why we road test gear I reckon.
Next mile is a bit back down and a bit twisty turny, all good, it was 6:04 on the watch but maybe 6:10 by the time actually passed the road marker. the group was cruising we passed a few coming back and nobody was moving.
At about 2.5 miles we passed Gerry Forde in the wheelchair. this wasn't an obstruction or anything but I has to move off my line and it was like the spell was broken. Lack of concentration meant my group of hardy bucks shattered some went back, most moved off up the road by 10m and there was no return. Mile 3 6:17 Ruh Oh. I was starting to get picked off. Even got chicked 3 times..FML. (those women were flying)
Once you make the hard left hander off the small roads out by the lake it's an arm wrestle and I was losing it. The form wasn't so bad but the breathing was ragged. Got nipped plenty along here. 6:12 last mile for 24:41.
Had to catch a gawk in my mouth to stop going full BPT and save the embarrassment of chundering on the girl handing out the water and bananas in the pen.
Got stuck chatting then so not a hint of a warm down.
Fucked this morning. Tried a shake out run but the legs are fucked. nothing serious but spend the hour humping a foam roller instead.
Happy out to be honest. The last mile will come. need some more hills and possibly better pacing
The super shoes are due arrive in the post today.
