SRC Member Race Reports – May 2018

This race has become an annual tradition for the Steidl household. We run this even if we just came back from across the country, have an injury, are sick, just raced a marathon, whatever. No excuses! The setting is beautiful and I love the small town feel and cheering.

I didn’t come into the race with big expectations as I learned just a couple weeks before the race that my hamstring was partially torn. Long story short, it had already been healing for quite awhile and in this race I could feel another step in a positive direction of healing as I was finally able to run uphill with some semblance of strength (which was good because this course is pretty hilly).

I was happy to run to a 2nd place finish, continue my streak of finishing as the top masters woman, and represent SRC on the podium!

As always I got to meet new people, reconnect with long time friends, and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere.

Beautiful course, nice weather, sunflowers in full bloom, a good friend stride for stride with me the entire way. I ran about as fast as I could reasonably have hoped given that I didn’t do much marathon-specific training and have been dealing with injuries this winter and spring. Other than a brief bout with quad cramps around mile 21 I felt great the whole way. The post-race grain and vegetable bowls were fantastic too. I highly recommend this race.

“Hijacking this space to direct traffic to the full recap on my website.

Tl;dr
– I raced patiently and wise
– 600 runners from various athletics clubs in Co. Cork in Southwest Ireland for a local race starting at *8pm!* on a Thursday night!
– Spectator friendly event. The course is woven through the countryside on roads that are lined with stone walls, spotted with cow poop, and are closed to traffic during the event. Locals come out from behind their walled compounds to cheer the racers passing by. I couldn’t get any of my cousins to stick around during the race, although the various Irish folks cheering us on was helpful enough.
– The entry fee for this race was €10.95! (That’s pronounced “ten Euro ninety-five” or super effin’ cheap!)
– For 11 quid you got: a pre-race gala and post-race party with food and drink, a tote bag with the race logo that contained a Mars bar, a banana, and postcards about the local sponsors and cubs. Chocolate milk was handed out by local dairy farmers at the finish. I passed on that last option. NAF of cow’s milk, but I appreciated the gesture!”

Things are good up here! I miss the banter of The FLB 5miler. No Bodhizafa up here. 🙁 As I write this, I am 40 minutes from starting a 1/2 marathon but I destroyed myself on Thursday in a race that was a 4.4k climb over 5+ miles. Wish you all would come up for a race. ❤ to the SRC peeps. Gotta warm up now, but sexting with you was a good start.

Sprinting 8 miles downhill, as you do for the Ski to Sea running leg, is a great way to get a gnarly pump going in your calves and quads. Two days later I still can’t use stairs like a normal person.

It was a typical 5k. Nothing too extraordinary to report. Actually, it was about 150m or so short of the full 5k. It was fairly hilly for a road race at that distance and was probably a sub-18 effort, though the 17’39” finish time is probably a tad misleading.

Btw, did I mention I beat Samir? By 56 seconds? Okay he had a rough week, but when you talk smack, are you allowed to make excuses??