In the absence of anything to report from last weekend due to the cancellation of the Cross Country races in Moira Demesne courtesy of hurricane Frank or his sibling the question is what do you write about when you have nothing to write about? Compose a fairy story? Pen an article about honesty in politics? Some would say they’re the same thing I suppose. Alternatively I thought I’d tell you about what we’ll be up to in the coming months.
EAST DOWN AC PROMOTIONS 2016
Apart from Jimmy’s Ten on Sunday 13th March our organisational season kicks off with the Rollercoaster races on 6 February at Downpatrick Racecourse, followed by the Ben Dearg Coast 10K in Kilclief on Sunday 28 February and the Ballygalget Community 10K on Easter Sunday 27 March is well worth the ferry crossing.
CHARITY RACES – PLEASE SUPPORT
However there are 3 charity events which I would like to specifically recommend, especially to those new to the running game, namely the Downpatrick Lions 3 Lakes 15 K race and 8K Fun Run on Saturday 14 may in support of the Downs Syndrome Association, a new “Odd” Pairs 10K race and 5K Fun Run for Knockevin Special Care School in Downpatrick and a new Half Marathon in Killyleagh on Saturday 27 August for the Alzheimers Society, to celebrate the 13 years the town has hosted its 5 Mile Road race. These are just a small sample of the 17 races East Down will be actively promoting in 2016.
PERSONAL TARGETS
The last marathon I ran was in May 2011 in Edinburgh. To say it was the worst running experience of my life would be the understatement of the century. Of course it was never intended to be my “last” one and like most of us I fully intended to bury the ghost of that run soon afterwards. However the best laid schemes etc. and for reasons totally unrelated I have not run one since. Luckily though I did not formally retire from long distance running or running of any sort for that matter I just practically stopped doing it.
I took up bike riding to keep up some level of fitness while looking for a cure for my “bad leg” and one thing I have become quite accomplished at is falling off the bike, and while it’s a hard road to fall on when running it’s much harder when you’re cycling and more expensive as there are usually bike repairs to pay for too.
But I retained a toehold in running circles by taking part in some cross country races and a few road runs, all under 10 miles, just to retain a measure of sanity, though some would say I have failed in that respect! Perhaps my next few words will bear this opinion out! I have decided to run Belfast again this year!
REASONS TO BELIEVE
There are several reasons behind this thinking. Number one is that Belfast is where I ran my first ever marathon, in May 1985, in 4.03.02, swearing “Never Again”. Two is that Belfast is my favourite marathon of them all, in spite of the opinions expressed about its hilly course etc. (This will be my 17th Belfast.) I suppose that has a lot to do with it being my “home” run but also because in spite of all the barriers and difficulties experienced over the years, it has survived and continues to thrive, when many other big city marathons throughout UK have disappeared. Thirdly it is where I recorded my best ever time 3.03.20 in 1993. So it has a lot of good memories for me and while I haven’t decided to retire after it, if I do then make that decision, it will be because I want to, not because I have to. So this is not a comeback, more a resumption of normal service, though performance on the day will determine whether that is maintained.
INSPIRATION
There have been other influences in my thinking towards running Belfast again, most notably big Ivan Prue who is running London in April as he continues to hold up 2 fingers at the MS, which he refuses to let get him down, Bernice McCann who fought and recovered from cancer last year and Linda Cunningham who runs marathons and ultra marathons everywhere having recovered twice from brain injury.
All of them and others have proved truly inspirational to me.
So it is back to the training regime again in preparation for May Day Bank Holiday Monday with the intention of raising money for the Parkinson’s and AWARE Charities.
Joe Quinn
11 January 2016