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Start Times for first Handicap Race
Some last minute entries have been accounted for and the final list of start times is below: Please try to turn up a minimum of 20 minutes before your scheduled start time so that we can manage registration, and you can warm-up, etc. The weather is forecast nice, so this should be great fun!
National AAI 10k in Tinryland, Carlow on Sunday 23rd Apr
We're hoping to put a team into the National AAI 10k road race on Sunday 23 Apr in Tinryland Co. Carlow.
Closing date is 14 April. Cost is €12 per person - if we have a team, we'll probably have some sort of subsidy towards cost from the club.
Our team won't be competitive but its only for the fun! If concerned about the standard, take a look at the results of last year's 10k at http://www.athleticsireland.ie/roadrace/10k/2005_ALL.HTM
The standard is quite varied - its for all levels of runners.
Carlow is about a 3 hour drive, so it will take up much of the day. Race is at 2pm.
Email or text me if interested - 087 6591879.
Senior Circuit Training
Craughwell Athletic Club
Senior Circuit Training
If you are interested in getting fit or in complementing your training with some strength/toning work for overall body strength, then circuit training could be for you.
Read on for information on the current series of circuits been conducted by Craughwell AC
Mark's Connemara 2006 Race Report
I don’t write many race reports, so please bear with me if this one is a little long winded and starts too early in proceedings, but it’s more to help me remember events than for your enjoyment. Connemara is more event than race, so this is really an "event" report.
For weeks I had been checking on the weather forecast, and things looked grim. As the days passed, the predicted Sunday wind was adjusted up from 5mph to 14 mph, but the direction was the same – from the South East – “in our faces”. All the sources were in agreement too about the rain factor – one thing was certain, my first Connemara would not be held in ideal conditions.
Craughwell Handicap Chase Entries filling up!
The Craughwell 10K Handicap Chase series of time-trials is a fun event that will be starting on easter Saturday, and occuring every 2 weeks (normally on Sundays) for a total of four runs. The speed trials allow the participants the chance to measure their training progress over a measured 10K distance and are an ideal addition to any training program. We have gone to great pains to ensure that the dates do not clash with any local races.
The event is open to both Craughwell runners and any other local runners provided they are members of an AAI registered club. The full details on the event are here.
There are still a few places left, but you need to hurry up and register if you are to take part.
I will be posting the names of the entrants and the controversial starting handicaps next weekend - so stay posted!
Date change for first Craughwell Handicap Race
When we planned the dates fo the series , in our efforts to avoid clashes with other AAI or road races we forgot to check for some more usual "event" dates. Specifically we forgot about Easter sunday.
So the first race has beeen switched from Sunday the 16th of April to Saturday 15th of April.
Details on the series are in the post below. If you are interested in participating in this fun event please contact Mark (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Michael (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) . Participation is open to any AAI registered person and it will be filled on a 1st-come 1st served basis up to a maximum of 30 runners.
Craughwell Handicap Chase - Race 1 Handicaps
Well the entries are almost all in, and the handicaps are below. I've been pretty busy of late, so please let me know if I've missed your name or if your handicap is wildly off. I'll be adjusting all the handicaps after the first run anyhow.
This series is an opportunity to train on a reasonably accurately measured course, which will be marked out for the morning. You can run the distance as you like - walking every few miles, as speedwork, a tempo-run, a full-on race - it's up to you! As with all races, the goal is to get from the start to the finish-line as quickly as you can.
For the first run, our friends and neighbors in Athenry AC will be switching their regular Saturday morning run to Craughwell so we will have a few "Guest" entries.
There is no charge for members and coaches of Craughwell AC, and a 10 euro charge for members of other AAI registered clubs. This charge is to cover the (small) prizes, so it is only necessary if you are running the entire series. It is 15 euro to join Craughwell AC for the year and I will have membership forms on the day, if your membership needs renewing.
Craughwell Handicap Chase
Cheltenham might be over, but the racing continues!! The Senior Club has set the dates for its inaugural handicap series. The series will be a set of four measured and timed 10K handicap runs, which will lead up nicely to the Flora Womens Mini-Marathon.
10K is roughly 6.2 Miles which is about 1:30 walk. We welcome walkers to participate, and runners of all levels.
The general rules are as follows:
The Ballycotton Experience
Bleary eyed, I slowly awoke on the morning of the Ballycotton 10. All my preparations had gone to plan. A good night’s sleep; an easy week running – just 3 easy miles and 1 circuit training session; a little light on the mileage for the preceding 3 or 4 weeks as I tried to work around a dodgy left calf muscle, a badly blistered left foot and a head cold.
Calf Injuries
One of the most common ailments that affect runners is the calf injury. About a year ago I was in a mini race (1 mile) - I was going fine and suddenly I felt as though somone kicked me in the back of the leg.
God I thought - that's me out for the rest of the week. Little did I know that I was out of action for about 4 months, and it took me 6 months to get my times back to where they were pre-injury. Each time I tried to run on it, I was left with an aching leg for days.
If you suffer from a similar injury - despair not - I found something to work for me!
A stitch in time..
We all know the feeling. You are running in a race, and all is going pretty well though you can feel that you are pushing it. Suddenly the familiar cramp sets in. Somewhere around your right ribcage starts to scream at you and you need to ease up. A stitch. Dammit. But what is a stitch?
We tend to use the term all the time but it seems the stitch is in the realm of the hiccup in that it's the kind of thing you get, but don't really know why or how. Running too fast is obviously a factor - I assumed it was something to do with oxygen starvation - your bodies way of slowing you down before you damage yourself. Last weekend in Ballycotton I got a stitch about mile 3 and it took a couple of miles for it to clear fully. I don't think it really affected my performance, but with a renewed interest in the topic I decided to do a little research into the humble stitch..
Craughwell in top form at day 1 of 2005 Connacht cross-country in Co. Leitrim
Read more: Craughwell in top form at day 1 of 2005 Connacht cross-country in Co. Leitrim