Northern Ireland Running

Good luck to anyone in Dervock and I hope you get a good turnout / it goes smoothly for you Kenny.

I think there's a good few heading up from the club. I'm not feeling too fit at the minute so will hold off on the racing for a few weeks yet.

Going to be a long day for you Kenny. A lot of work involved so credit to all at Springwell and the village of Dervock for putting this event on.

I had measured my RHR over 3 days whilst sitting at my desk in work and got 45BPM, but as last 2 mornings as I am aff work I remembered to set out HRM and have taken it first thing in the morning as recommended in the book I got. It makes a difference as I have had readings of 36BPM for the last 2 days. This makes my 70% at 139 but will do the MHR test after recovering from Dervock.

Good luck to all who are racing in Dervock tomorrow. I think I am looking forward to it. Should be some good times recorded over the 3 races.

Did any of you watch that programme last night. I might try running barefoot tomorrow. I think that it is just the same as any advertising. If someone has an item to sell, they have to make it sound as good as they can. Magazines and even events like the Olympics make money from these companies through advertising but we have a choice as to how much of it we believe. Obviously, the more elite athletes benefit more from these items but then they follow a stricter training regime than I do and at that level any small advantage helps.

You just have to be sensible. The right amount of energy drink or running shoes that weigh 2grams lighter aren't going to help me much. I just need to train smarter.

Looks like it's going to be quite warm tomorrow guys...so keep well hydrated!

Hobbled/walked a mile yesterday...ice...pain no worse.

jogged the mile today....slightly less pain...just need to strengthen the muscle I think...icing as I type!

Def. going up tomorrow...all the best to all running.

Heading up to Dervock this afternoon and will see some of you either at pack collection or at around mile 12/24 of the course tomorrow where I'll be marshalling.  Really looking forward to see all Kenny's hard work over the past year come to fruition tomorrow.

Good luck to all running tomorrow - and good luck C75 and the rest of NBH in Dublin.

Good luck to everyone running or marshalling Dervock this weekend, I hope you all have a great day.

Good luck C75 for your Dublin event

Come on Ballymena Runners lots of PB's please at Dervock LOL

Ricky, I'm not long as this running caper and didn't listen to more experienced people telling me to slow down when I started! I'm pretty pleased with all of my PB's, it's just now that I'm trying to beat them I've found that the endurance I need to push is lacking badly. Only one way to fix that! 

Same thing happened me today as happened at BCM. Right knee got sore just over half way and tried to ignore it but a few hills made it worse so stopped at 16.6miles and got a lift back to Dervock. No problems with it during training again but just bad luck on the day. Touigh course. Went through half way in 1.37, a little slower than I wanted but just wasn't to be today again.

Well done to everyone else who ran today and well done to Springwell on all their hard work.

Heart rate training, here I come.

Disappointing Rodney - even driving around the course it was evidently a hilly, up and down kind of route apart from a couple of flatter sections out of Dervock. I was sorry I couldn't run. Hope the knee doesn't slow you down too much....I'm on my fourth week off now! but hopefully making progress...did a 13 miles on the bike last night, 1 mile jog this afternoon.....less annoying than the last mile - so hopefully back to normal soon.

And kudos to Kenny and the Springwell club - looked like another excellent event.

Well done to all who ran yesterday it was tough going in the heat. Rodney I was so sorry to see you walking back to the field. You need to try and get to the bottom of what causes it.

It was a long day yesterday starting at 6am and finally getting home at 8pm. Bottled water may be good for the runners but means you have to do a sweep of the whole course after the race picking them up. Myself and Bryan got a lot of the plaudits yesterday but so many of the club went the extra mile to help make yesterdays event a success. Thanks to them all and to Mags, Max and Helen for coming along and helping out. I had planed a lie in this morning but woke up as normal. I feel like I ran the marathon yesterday.

Well done to all who ran yesterday it was a tough course but we new it was going to be and the heat never helped

Kenny a big well done to you and the Springwell club could fault it at all loads of water and sports drinks in bottles, the marshall were just brill as well.One of the most enjoyable marathons i have ever done.  HOPE YOU HOLD THE MARATHON NEXT YEAR AGAIN please

with the tough course and heat i was well happy to get round in 3HR 44MINS could not of went a second faster on the day 

Yes, thank you, Kenny, and your team for a great day yesterday. Like a lot of people, I just drive past Ballymoney up to the north coast and hadn't even heard of Dervock until recently. It's a lovely part of the world.

It's a tough course though. I was glad to be turning to the finish after 13 miles. I take my hat off to the marathon runners for going round it a second time. And sorry to hear about you having to retire from the race, Rodney. You put so much work into training, some day it has to all come together.

Well done Springwell and all who competed - sounds like a great event! Hopefully get in for next years.

Gutting for you Rodney - least you had the sense to knock it on the head before inflicting more damage. I'd have probably struggled on, clocked a disappointing time and put my self out of action for months!

I ran the middle section 6 mile section of the Larne Half route this morning: Carnfunnock - Ballygalley - Carncastle - Balleygalley - Carnfunnock. A beautiful early morning run along the coast road.

Inspired me to go for Cookstown next Sunday - just done the online entry!

Anyone else up for it?

Hi Ricky W I'm from Lisburn, live in London sice 81, coming over for Cookstown, it will be my first go at it!  What's it like? 

Hi Reiki - havent got a clue! My first attempt at Cookstown - its a fairly new event (4th year I believe)
From what I gather its fairly tough - heres a few comments I managed to find from various forums over the last few years:

"Cookstown is very hilly throughout with mixture of short sharp hills and long slow gradients. In the Sperrin foothills so only to be expected. Really tough, almost unfair finish. Early on your up and down, 1st long climb starts at 9mls and goes on for a ml. I'm guessing a wee bit here as I couldn't find ml markers after 9. Mls 11-12 is a long, long incline. 12-12.5 is flat while 12.5 to 13.1 in fairly steep uphill."

"Very undulating but each incline didnt go on too long. Loved the course. Be back next year"

Hope that doesnt put you off!

Glad the day was such a success Kenny; a big thank-you to you and your team.

I found it very tough going on the second lap yesterday and had to walk for a while but managed to finish around my standard time and enjoyed the day.  That stretch through the Dark Hedges was worth the trip alone. Who said there were only three climbs on the course?  Bad luck Rodney, wise decision to stop.  HMM you passed me at 19 miles (I couldn't speak as a sweet from a kind spectator had stuck in my throat and I had to wait to the next drinks stop to swallow it).  Thanks for the shouts too Mags.