St.Brendan’s AC members share their personal stories and different experiences of getting fit and embracing new challenges in recent years.
Making new friends – Pat's story
Start
My running career began in
Rockwell boarding school way back in 1968. I raced against formidable
opposition, the likes of which included the great Gerry Kiernan. You could
clearly see the talent that he possessed even back then, he would leave us all
in his trails! I competed mainly in cross country racing, which suited me as I
was never what you would consider a sprinter, as the long distances and slower
pace suited me. It kept me fit for underage football, as at the time I was
playing for a Listowel minor team that included Tim Kennelly. It granted me a
lot of concessions in school, even if the learning suffered as a result.
When I hung up my playing boots,I took up refereeing as a way to stay involved in the game. I graduated up
through the ranks, and am lucky enough to be able to say I have taken charge of
two senior finals in both codes in Kerry. It was when I progressed to
inter-county officiating that fitness came to the fore. We were required to
pass fitness tests under the watchful eye of Dr. Niall Moyna at UCD. This meant
a lot of winter running for me.
Running for fun
I joined a group of Munster
referees that ran every Monday night above at the University of Limerick. This
meant a lot of long drives on long dark nights after a long day’s work. It was
then that we discovered the running track at the Riocht in Castleisland, which
was a godsend to us. One winter, however, the track was too frosted over to
allow safe running so referees like Paudie and myself utilised the
Bracker O'Regan road inside in Tralee, more commonly known as the "Fat Mile". It
was through Paudie that we joined up with Dermot and that gang.
First race
Our first proper race was a 10K run in Ballybunion on the Easter weekend in 2010. We were curious and
wanted to try it for ourselves. It was like nothing we had ever done before, we
were hooked. We were training in Tralee and the miles started to escalate. After
completing an eighteen kilometer run, we decided to enter our first half
marathon. Dermot was the first of us past the finish line at a time of 1:45; I
lagged behind at 2:15. We went on to compete at Shannagolden, Valentia, Killarney, Ballyheigue, Banna and many more.
St.Brendan's AC
Dermot got us involved with St.Brendan’s AC,
our group included Mary, Mairead, Sorcha Jacinta, Mary D., Tom, Kieran, Joe, Tom and Paudie. We decided to
enter the Tralee Half and Full marathon. I was under no illusions - just
finishing the marathon would be an achievement for me. Seeing my friends
cheering me on really meant a lot to me and drove me on to break through the
wall. I finished with a time of 4:15, and had no major aches or pains. We
celebrated in Kilflynn that night. Our camaraderie is the key to our success,
and it’s great to be able to show the appreciation of it.
2014
Whilst preparing for the Tralee Marathon, an event took place that would change my life forever. We had been training
real hard to get ready for the marathon, but a week beforehand, in a completely
unrelated incident, I passed out while on the couch. After being taken into the
hospital, it happened again. As it was such a conundrum, I had to be moved to
Cork University Hospital for ten long days, while they ran tests on me.
Unfortunately, as much as I wanted, it put an end to my hopes of competing in
the marathon. It was a low point for me, as I was getting texts from
well-wishers and the gang, who told me they would be thinking of me as they
ran.
The return
As running had kept me alive, I
always had a burning desire to get back at it, but I knew given my predicament
that it would be a long and slow road. The lads were nervous in the beginning,
understandable given all that had happened. But they began to see that I was
showing a clean bill of health. I don’t think I would be where I am now without
them, so I have to give thanks. To help my rehabilitation, Mary put me on
to the idea of the Parkrun, a no pressure environment idea that promoted the
enjoyment of running. We checked it out in Macroom, feeling we could apply the
idea in Tralee. When it started we had 120 people, it now averages over one
hundred per week and all ages attend it.
I never set target times when I
run. I have been first eight times in my category and finished fourth in my
category for the Tralee Marathon. Sometimes I think I’m the only one in my
category if that’s the case, although Paudie has entered these too,
maybe he’s taking pity on me. I only ever enter to have a bit of fun, and to
help others that are less fortunate. Helping various charities is immensely
satisfying. The Rose of Tralee 10K and Dingle Half Marathon were particularly
enjoyable, as I had the pleasurable company of Luke in his wheelchair. The
2015 Tralee Marathon meant a lot to me, as I lined up with my brother Mike, who
had just donated his kidney to our nephew.
Last thoughts
If anyone feels that running is
not for you, give it a try first and you might be surprised. You will meet
plenty of supporting new friends, and when you cross that line in your first 5K
the self-satisfaction is so much so that you will want to come back for more.
By merely taking part, you are self-improving your health, and that is the main
goal for all runners
I would like to thank you all for
the enjoyment I’ve had with you over the last few years. Such as presenting a
wee tree to the Donegal lass Caroline, so that she could climb it to
watch Kerry team training. Or the morning that Cathy thought that Tom was tucked up in bed only for him to creep up behind her on a 20 mile
run. We even got a slot on Kerry radio for Cathy and Dermot.
To my wife Marie and son James, who never knew
where I was half the time, thank you for your patience and keeping the dinner.
May we all look forward to 2016 and more enjoyment and a bit of running thrown in.
Pat
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