Well that was fun!

You know it’s been a good event when people actually compliment the rain. No really, there was a very brief shower after about 3k, which most people referred to as ‘refreshing’. Honestly we Irish have such an odd relationship with weather.

Anyhoo, the Samsung Run Dublin @ Night 2013 is officially done and dusted. And run. If you want to know my time, you can head over to www. precisiontiming.net and be nosy. I was, and now I know officially how fast I am in comparison to the more famous participants of our high viz yellow event:

Ray D’Arcy    49:46   (Sworn enemy of Podge & Rodge and Today FM presenter)

Alan Quinlan   49:24   (Irish rugby legend and all round nice guy)

Leanne Moore  53:33  (Eurovision veteran and face off the telly)

Jason Barry     39:02   (Y’know yer man Dano, son of the IRA fella on LOVE/HATE? Him.)

Pat Gilroy        57:06   (All Ireland winning Dublin manager)

Bobby Kerr     59:33   (Insomniac dragon broadcaster. Or something.)

And let us not forget my fellow Blogger Alison who romped home with a PB and our own Bryan Cullen, whose warm up for the 10k consisted of a national league final at Croke Park! And to think all I did was a few stretches….

I reckon the support from the stewards and the crowds took at least 60 seconds off my time – they were amazing! Each and every steward encouraged us along and if you were the one playing ‘Chariots Of Fire’ at full blast out the apartment window, then thank you kindly,

It feels a bit odd now, to be honest. April 28^th was a date I’d been working towards and thinking about for so long and now it’s gone. This week I told my Mam I was on the front page of The Irish Times (I pointed to a tiny yellow dot in the background of the photo and she fell for it!) and it was fun using the #samsungnightrun on twitter – but I need to move on to my next race. Hopefully they’ll announce next year’s run soon so I can train to break 50 minutes. Sure I’ll probably win the thing!

Thanks for sharing this wee little journey with me and hope to see you next year.

Jog on

Ross

Hi Guys,

I DID IT… YAY!! I achieved my goal and broke the hour on Sunday. I did 58mins plus 40 seconds to be exact. I was so delighted breaking the hour after my training hadn’t gone to plan over the last few weeks.

As for the event itself… I went along to the 10km with 28 members of Westpark Fitness. We all got a bus into town so there was a great atmosphere from the start. Some people had never done 10km before and some people were looking to beat their personal best times. My husband tagged along as my support crew which was brilliant as he was able to meet me at the finish line with my jacket and hat – and a chocolate chip cookie for a sugar boost

When we arrived in town there was a great buzz about the place and everywhere you looked there was someone wearing a bright yellow Samsung top. We arrived very early so headed straight for Starbucks for a massive coffee. Before I knew it we were making our way to the start line. I gave my husband a kiss goodbye and off I went. Karl Henry’s warm up went down well as did the Samsung playlist that the DJ was pumping out to get us going. I was glad to hear that some of my favourite running tracks made the playlist. The nerves started to kick in at this point – I hadn’t done a race in so long. The GPS watch was switched on, headphones popped in and off I went.

It was hard not to get sucked into running a bit faster than normal at the start with the crowd but after the first km I knew I needed to slow down a bit as I still had 9km to go!! I kept an eye on my speed and made sure I was running over 10km per hour throughout. I got to the 5km mark at 28:47 but I knew the second half would be slower. I found it very tough from 8km to 10km. Thank God for the crowds of people who came out to support, including my amazing husband who stood in the cold and made sure he was at 4 different points throughout the race to cheer me on. The crowds really did help me out on the night. I couldn’t have managed the 10km in under an hour if I had just been out training on my own, so thank you everyone

I really enjoyed the Samsung night run and I will definitely be back next year. The top is so comfortable to run in and Quinn loves her new medal

Thanks for reading my blog… now on to my next 10km in 2 weeks time in Kildare!!

http://www.precisiontiming.net/result/racetimer?v=%252Fen%252Frace%252Fshow%252F1227%253Flayout%253Dprecision_timing

Just a quick note before Sunday’s race to say good luck to all taking part. We’ve had a great time being associated with the Samsung Night Run this year. It’s a unique event, a twilight run through our capital city with thousands for company.
The huge popularity of road races recently is a great reflection of the much needed emphasis we are all placing on health and fitness now. For those of you taking part in your first race, hopefully you’ve enjoyed the process and the feeling of getting fit for a specific goal. It would be great to build on the training you’ve done to get to this point. There’s no harm taking it easy for a few days after the run, but we both have experienced how much easier it is to maintain your fitness than to build it back up from scratch.
A few housekeeping tips! Arrive in plenty of time, don’t stress yourself out by running late. Don’t be distracted by other runners. Run your own race and stick to the pace you are comfortable with. But, if you’re feeling competitive, it’s good to know that the course is flat and fast so why not aim for a personal best? Above all… enjoy it!
See you at the start line, 9pm sharp!
Bryan and Ailís.

Panic over. Crisis averted. I’m a runner again. And not a moment too soon!

The clock to the left of this sentence will show you how near we are to race day.

Still…I was freaking out recently that you’re only a runner if you run – and I wasn’t running. I was a nothing-er really.

It took every motivational quote in the book to get me back out there. And of course as soon as I did…WHAT WAS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT!?!

Running is odd though. The post-run feeling can be so sweet, but that moment before you set out can be full of nasty stuff to knock your confidence. It can be enough to put you off altogether sometimes.

Not race day though. Not this Sunday.

Whereas training is solitary and there’s always something more fun to do – Race day is the fun thing to do!

At the start you’ll have thousands of people just as nervous as you, no matter what the PB is.

In the middle you’ll have the adrenaline you couldn’t muster in training. And there’ll be that runner who’s JUST in front of you who you HAVE to stick with!

At the finishing line, you’ve got a finishing line! It’s like your front door, just with a fancy gantry, the applause of strangers and a free bottle of Powerade.

Can’t wait to have that medal swinging round my neck.

For the record, I’ll stick to my guns and say I’ll be delighted with anything around the 54 minute mark.

There is ONE thing I’m nervous about. Those mid-race pics the photographers take. I’ve done a few events now and my face is always the same.  Imagine the sweatiest man in the world standing bare foot on an upturned plug and you’ve got the picture.

So chances are I’ll see you on Sunday. Admittedly I won’t know it’s you but sure I’ll see you all the same.

Oh and make sure and check out Alison, Ailis and Bryan’s blog too. Ailís and Bryan have the expert tips. Alison’s got the training diary I wish that I had!

Enjoy Sunday. It’s what you’ve been working towards. And it’s going to be brilliant.

Jog on

Ross

Hi Guys,

Only a few days to go… let’s hope that crazy wind is gone by next Sunday. No rain would be great too but we can’t have it all in this country!!

The last 2 weeks have been a disaster for me. I’m sure many new Mothers are in the same boat…. Here’s how it went:

Friday 5th – I did an 8km run from my house. It was my longest run to date and it hurt! It took me 52 minutes. The route had two hills in it so I’m hoping that’s why I didn’t do it under 50 minutes. My legs were dead after that and sore for 2 days. That weekend my daughter got conjunctivitis, so she was out of the creche for 3 days the following week which meant a lot of juggling and no training for Mammy or Daddy When your child is sick everything else goes out the window and it’s so hard to plan anything as I’m sure a lot of you well know.

Wednesday 10th – I taught my 60 minute interval spinning class. This was a tough session as we did a fitness test. My score was only ok!!

Sunday 14th – I did a 6km run in that horrible wind. Give me rain any day over the wind! The 6km took me 40 minutes. I felt ok afterwards even though I hadn’t run in 8 days.

Tuesday 16th – I did a 30 min easy run on a treadmill as that was all I had time for!

Wednesday 17th – I did a 45 minute interval session outside. The plan was to do a 10 minute warm up and 3 X 5 minutes as hard as I could. I managed 2 X 5 minute intervals but only because the wind was at my back for most of it – when I turned into the wind it was game over. I couldn’t keep it up and ended up walking the last 10 mins home which felt awful in the wind and rain. I was like a drowned rat when I got home.

Friday 19th – I felt a cold coming on so I went for a 30 minute easy jog as I didn’t have much energy.

Saturday 20th – Quinn got her first tooth (yay!) No wonder she has been so snotty lately and she still has that chesty cough.

Sunday 21st – I ended up in K-Doc in Naas with a throat and sinus infection. I felt terrible and still do. I’m on a 10 day course of antibiotics and the doctor said it’s more than likely that I caught a virus off Quinn

I’m hoping that if I feel ok by Wednesday I can do an easy run, then by Friday I’ll do a 40 minute run. On Saturday (the day before race day) I’ll do a 20 minute easy run with a few little sprints thrown in to get the blood flowing and hopefully this will be enough to get me through the 10km on Saturday. It’s not ideal being sick the week of the race but I’m glad it happened now and not next weekend. I’ll be at the starting line next Sunday no matter what!!

I hope your training is going well and you gained something from my blog. Best of luck to everyone next Sunday

Alison

But don’t forget, that your post-race hydration is just as important! You have to think about The Recovery!

Recovery is not a passive process: replacing lost carbohydrates is one of the most important things you can do to help your body recuperate. Consuming foods or fluids high in carbohydrates immediately after a strenuous session will help the muscles begin their recovery, and take advantage of your body’s heightened rate of glycogen storage. As a general rule, glycogen storage rates rise for around a 2-hour window after exercise, giving you the chance to replenish your stocks

Wow!!! I can really feel the excitement building with less than a week to go to the Samsung Run Dublin @ Night. Twitter and Facebook are buzzing with updates on your training progress and how much everyone is looking forward to running. The atmosphere in the city will be electric on Sunday night if the social networks are anything to go by!

My sister Orlaith who is running her first 10K was really nervous about getting through the race. She’s hoping to do it in under an hour. At the weekend she ran 7k around our hilly country roads in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork and now she is much more relaxed and can look forward to the race with that distance under her belt. Bryan then felt he had better test the water too and went out to run 5k on Sunday evening. Instead he came back after 44 minutes having covered 9.7km! Another happy camper!!

I guess most of you who are novices to the event will have similarly covered a distance that makes you feel happy that the 10K is achievable. Having reached that stage, it’s important not to overdo it this week. If you have a tough training session planned, be sure to do it early in the week and then run relaxed and steady as it gets closer to race day. Feeling fresh on Sunday night will be important. Don’t make any drastic changes to your diet this week and plan to keep off your feet if possible on Saturday evening and through Sunday.

For the seasoned road runner, this week will be about keeping focused and confident. If you are racing to get a good finishing position then keep your goal in mind throughout the week’s training. However, when you come home don’t forget to switch off and relax. Work while you work; play while you play – the hard work is done!

See you soon,

Ailís

When you’re exercising hard and desperately need a drink, it’s natural to head for the nearest bottle of water. But although it’ll quench your thirst, it isn’t always the best way to rehydrate your body during or after prolonged exercise. Here’s why:

• Water doesn’t have adequate sodium and carbohydrates.
• Water doesn’t have flavour to drive the desire to drink and shuts down the thirst receptors prematurely, before you’ve replaced the fluid your body has lost through sweat.
• Water doesn’t have the performance benefits of a sports drink.

Sports drinks contain sodium. Along with carbohydrates, it helps your body absorb fluid more effectively during prolonged exercise or endurance training

Like any engine, your muscles need fuel. Your energy comes from three major sources: carbohydrate, fat, and protein, with carbohydrate acting as the preferred muscle fuel for intense and prolonged exercise.

Sports drinks, such as Powerade ION4, contain both the carbohydrates and fluids your body needs to maintain performance. If you wish to limit your carbohydrate intake during exercise, or you’re doing a lighter session of less than 60 minutes, consider Powerade Zero as an alternative.

Whatever your event, race or routine, proper hydration and fuelling play a critical role.

More than 50% of your body weight is fluid. If your body weight drops by just 2% from losing fluids, your performance will suffer. That’s 1.4kg for a 70kg individual. You can calculate and monitor this by weighing yourself immediately before and after exercise.

Aim to drink about 1.5 litres of fluid for every 1kg of body weight lost during exercise.

• Practise! You’ll get a feel for your sweat rate, which will help you understand your body and fine tune your hydration routine.

Start your exercise session in a hydrated state and match your fluid intake to your sweat loss.

Check the colour of your urine. If it looks like apple juice, you are dehydrated and need to drink more. If it looks like pale lemonade, you are getting enough fluids

Don’t forget that you lose sodium when you sweat, so you need to replace this with sports drinks or food containing adequate amounts of sodium during and after exercise, especially in if the weather is warm, or if you’re prone to cramps.