What a week it turned out to be for East Down's athletes with James O'Hare starting the ball rolling with a magnificent run at Mary Peters Track on Thursday night when he achieved the European Junior Championship qualifying time of 3.51 by running a new PB of 3.50.78 for the 1500 metres. On Friday night Liam Keenan travelled to Dundalk and picked up 2nd place prize money in the Dundealgan AC 5K road race, posting 18.11 just a week after his Slieve Donard adventure.
Closer to home on the same night 10 of his clubmates headed for the Ards Half marathon which takes in every inch of road that's not flat in and around Scrabo and Comber. Many of us had said never again after last year's inaugural outing but the perverse thinking that is common to runners saw us back just to prove no course is too tough. And certainly Philip Vint set the standard with a tremendous attacking run in the sunny, hot conditions. Proving that there is no substitute for hard work he returned a notable 1.27 for 24th place and a new PB – on a less demanding course this time would have ducked under 1.25 but that's still to come. Keeping up his magnificent run of late, next home was Michael McKeown in 1.32 with Gerry Burns also clocking a new PB of 1.33. Stephen McCartan too was happy with 1.43 after his recent exertions in the Hill and Dale series.
I meantime linked up with Newcastle's Paul Fegan as we headed up the mountain but I was soon joined by my unwelcome Welsh cousin, Dai O' Reeagh, who arrived just after a bout of stomach cramps at 5 miles and forced me into a potato field. This might be a good time to warn you to be wary of eating Comber potatoes for a while but it also proved that I'm pretty adept at multi-tasking, though running, food processing and slurry spreading may not be everyone's idea of a perfect combination. Anyway at least Dai was out of sight and literally off my back by the time I was back on the road again. There was an element of Groundhog Day about the event from there on as I spoke to people I had overtaken earlier as I fought to catch up with Paul again, wishing my legs could run as fast as my bowels.
However Dai ambushed me again as I approached 10 miles and soon afterwards I took to the fields again – too late it has to be said! I had put myself beyond the intervention of the bravest of First Aiders and almost warranted quarantine so had no option but to make my way to the finish and salvation in the showers, a decision helped considerably by the sight of my age group rival Sam Hogg ahead of me, eventually catching him with half a mile to go. I began to understand how the lepers of biblical times felt having to shout "unclean" as they approached their fellow men, though it was pretty obvious that I didn't need to shout! I finished in 1.45, nine minutes down on last year, but then I don't rehearse the pit stops like the Grand Prix teams. I didn't meet up with Dai again until after I was hosed down and as I had finished ahead of him I had the last laugh, though I still didn't risk a cough. I hope he's deported.
While all this was unfolding, though hitting the streets might be a better description, Raymond Milligan was making a welcome and highly creditable return to racing after an injury lay off and he crossed the line in 1.46 with Simon McGrattan clocking a new PB of 1.49, one to look out for when he gets a few more months of dedicated training in. Denis McKay finished in 2.22 having been stricken with an insatiable hunger at 9 miles and only water on offer – anyone found that missing marshal yet?
The Ladies were represented by sisters Sheena McKermitt and Linda Cunningham and as both have been taking a breather from intensive training recently were happy to finish in 2.09 and 2.19 respectively. And a word of praise for another prolific local runner, Ruth Francis, who finished in 1.44 having completed the Mourneway Marathon, Lisburn Half Marathon and Hill and Dale Series in recent weeks – can you lads out there match that?
And so to Sunday and the Mary Peters 70th Birthday celebration 10K with Liam Keenan and Michael McKeown again representing the Club and clocking 39.14 and 41.42 in what was a less competitive though challenging race.
Next on the local agenda is the Portaferry 10 Mile and 2 x 5 Mile Relay on Tuesday 21 July – entries can be made online and this is one not to miss.
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5 July 2009
