Muck and Misery?

Sometime late last year, I made a promise, to nobody in particular, that I would travel to Belfast to make up a team for the Senior Inter-Clubs Cross-Country race. Paul McNamara was fired up for this race for a long time after a disappointing run at the Inter-Counties in the Curragh, and Mick Rice never misses a chance to represent his club when the call comes. Brian Bruton made up three, and thus my promise was called in.

I had to go north.

I was dreading this race. I took a long winter break, and am still a long way off being ‘race fit’. My favourite distance is 5km on the roads, and the memories of the 2006 event, where I finished 2nd last, still lingered [1]. Still though, it isn’t every day you get to line up beside an Olympian as an equal [stop sniggering at the back!].

Tragedy struck when Mick Rice had to pull out injured at the last moment. Any doubts I may have had that he was exaggerating were swiftly assuaged when I met him on Sunday. He hadn’t run in 3 days. To the average Joe, this is the equivalent of not having walked in 9 months. He was disconsolate.

So myself and Brian Bruton were joined on the trip North by a confident Gary Thornton of Galway City Harriers. Gary proceeded to play mind games on most of his opposition on the way up by calling them to tell them just how badly his training had been going.

It’s a hell of a drive to Belfast, with bad weather and traffic in the midlands slowing things even further. We hit Belfast at around 10:30, check into our salubrious hotel and went out on the lash. Well, I mean we retired for an early night. Serious athletes here.

Trouble with my spikes meant a trip into town to pick up a new pair was called for. Initial requests of ‘I’ll try this in a size 12’ were swiftly replaced by, ‘Do you have anything at all in a size 12’. Anyway, myself and Bruton got sorted with new spikes while GT prepared himself mentally for the big race...by going back to bed.

After a few spins around a roundabout in Malone, we made it to the venue, Barnett’s Demesne, in good time. And what a venue. Top class facilities, and an enormous park to boot. I like Dangan, but it would nearly fit inside the car park of this place.

While picking up our numbers, and timing chips [the AAI are experimenting with them for a few races apparently], I spotted Cathal Lombard. The lady doing registration seems a little surprised, as indeed I was. Bigger surprises lay ahead.

I had a quick word with Emmet Dunleavy [in case he was gone home before I finished]. Sean Dowling, a regular runner at the Fields of Athenry 10km, was in the changing rooms putting on his bright yellow Liffey Valley singlet.

So it was time to have a look at the course. Surprise surprise, after a week of rain, it was a little soft underfoot. In fact it was mucky and hilly in equal measures. The junior races were just completed as we jogged around. Paul Mac liked the look of the course. Dunleavy was a little unimpressed, being happier on the track and inquired of Paul what he thought of the course. ‘Oh it’s a cracking course! Inspirational Stuff!’. Clearly a man ready for a good run.

My only outing on the country this year was at the Connaught's in Dartfield, and after that, it felt like an easy course to be honest. The new spikes make a huge difference too. Finnuala Britton made mince meat of the course, and the opposition, in an awesome display of front running. If the course in Edinburgh is mucky and wet, she will do well.

And finally, it was out turn to do battle. The AAI had dispensed with the chutes due to the relatively small field, but we were all still lined up club by club. I decided the discretion was the better part of valour, and tucked in behind the big guns, and off we went.

I struggle with pacing on the cross country runs, and generally go out way too fast, being unaccustomed to spectators cheering me on. It was no different this time. At the end of the first lap, the slow-starting Brian Bruton still hadn’t caught me, and the leaders were still in the same postal distinct. There might be trouble ahead. Sure enough, there were a good few runners still behind me, and they looked eager to pick off runners ahead of them.

Brian Bruton eventually went past, only to pull up suddenly having lost a shoe. I found out afterward that this happened twice. It surely cost him over a minute. It’s all about momentum on a course as sticky as this. And boy was it sticky. I found a bit of a rhythm half way through the first lap, and was going well on the hillier sections, where I made up ground previously lost. The lone shouts of “Come on Athenry” came from Paul’s wife Clodagh and they were much appreciated.

At the end of the second lap, I noticed there was still a good group of runners still behind me, and this cheered me up no end. I was now keeping a steady pace, and figured I wouldn’t fall back too far. I even started to enjoy it!

Another 2km lap passed in just over 8 minutes, and I had reached half way. For the back-of-the-pack runner, this is a big moment. I hadn’t been lapped yet, but was now unlikely to be lapped twice by the leaders. This very nearly happened in Santry two years ago, and being honest, was one of my aims for the day. The other was not finishing last.

I spotted Clodagh after 3½ laps, and inquired of her how close the leaders were. ‘Miles away’ she said. At this stage I figured I was about to be run down by the pack, but it turn out she was right. I hit 4½ laps before Cathal Lombard came past. I could hear small pieces of commentary, but was still surprised to see him before Cragg. You could argue the crowd were stunned too, and they barely registered a clap for him.

In truth, many in athletics would prefer he wasn’t there. He served a two year ban for blood doping, and was running fair and square by the rulebook. But many people were very hurt by the bad press visited on the running world by his case, and the wounds haven’t healed, not at all.

Sure enough, Cragg followed soon enough by raucous cheers and shouts. Mulvey, Clohissey and Maher also came through before Paul Mac made an appearance. For a brief 30 seconds, I played the part of one of those lunatics you see on the side of a mountain during the Tour de France. I pretty much forgot I still had a lap to run, and chased after him as hard as I could shouting encouragement. He may well have gone quicker, if only to escape the clutches of a madman.

Paul finished 7th in the end, and was pretty happy with the result. When he got the news later that he was selected for the World Cross Country in Edinburgh, he was like a child at Christmas. Well done Paul, you deserve it.

The bould GT came though a bit later, and then it dawned on me I still had a lap to go. It then occurred to me than GT was the last person to lap me. Again, this was a huge improvement on Santry!

The plan was to keep it nice and steady for the last lap, and try to at least hold my position. I keep losing ground in the straights, but gained it in the hills. This continued to surprise me, as I don’t really do any hill training. All was going well until about 400m out, I heard the sound of rapidly advancing footsteps, encouraged on by a supporter. I decided to go with this one. It turned out to be a Liffey Valley vest, more interested in chasing down his own clubmate, than concerned about me.

It turned into a three-way sprint, and I edged out the guy who had overtaken me, but neither of us caught his teammate. When I turned to shake his hand afterwards, I was shocked to see it was Seán Dowling, the same man we had met in the dressing rooms. Seán lives near enough to Athenry these days and had run 27:19 in the Tuam 8km in January. While I would love to think I had a great run, I think it’s fair to say Seán didn’t have his best day on the country. Maybe you’ll clear this up for us some Saturday morning, eh Seán?

Brian Bruton had edged his way though the field and finished 65th despite his mishaps. I was 79th of 95 so was very happy in the end.

In truth, I enjoyed this race a hell of a lot more than I thought possible. This is the big event of the year for the big Dublin clubs, whereas we tend focus more on the Dublin Marathon and other road races.

It was another long trip back to Galway, but with two Galway men selected for the Irish team for the World Cross country in Edinburgh, it was a satisfied car that made its way back

We’ll have to get a bigger team out next year!

[1] http://www.athenryac.com/paul_mcnamara_shines_in_santry

1st Photos Courtesy of Annandale Striders

More photos here

http://www.annadalestriders.co.uk/IrelandXC/index.html

and here

http://www.cowzer.com/athletics/gfx/2007/natinterc.html