30 April 2016

April 2016 - updates & results

02.04.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #61
Artur Nowak (3rd in age category), Mary Dillane (new Parkrun PB!), Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Pat Sheehy (1st in age category).



Full results HERE.

02.04.2016 - MCI Marathon Listowel
Moira Horgan, Cathy Quilter.



Full results HERE.

03.04.2016 - Ballyheigue FRC 10K & 5K
10K - James Pierce, Tommy Redmond.
5K - Shannon Quill (1st Female), Moira Horgan, Lilly Nowak, Ursula Barrett (2nd Female), Zach Walshe (1st Boy U16), Daisy Nowak, Catherine Burke, Kirstie Nowak, Yvonne Quill, Katelyn Leen, Gerald Carroll, Artur Nowak.



Gallery of photos HERE.
Full results HERE.

09.04.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #62
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Pat Sheehy (1st in age category), Catherine Burke



Full results HERE.

09.04.2016 - Banna Beach Challenge
Ursula Barrett, Brian Lucid, Yvonne Quill, Linda O'Sullivan, Pat Sheehy, Csilla Vamossy, Shannon Quill, Seamus Falvey, Gerald Carroll, Padraig O'Regan.



10.04.2016 - Connemarathon
Half Marathon: David Butler
Full Marathon: Margaret Carlin (8th Female overall & 1st in age category), Cathy Quilter, Artur Nowak
Full results for Half Marathon HERE and Full Marathon HERE.

10.04.2016 - Jacinta O'Brien Plassey 10K
Annameria Costelloe (1st Female)



Full results HERE.

16.04.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #63
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Pat Sheehy, Artur Nowak (2nd in age category).



Full results HERE.

17.04.2016 - Kingdom Come 10Mile & 5K
10Mile: Padraig O'Reagan, Gerald Carroll, Ann McGlynn, David Butler, Pat Sheehy
5K: Daisy Nowak, Linda O'Sullivan, Kirstie Nowak, Csilla Vamossy, Rachael O'Sullivan, Irene Butler, Lilly Nowak, Catherine Burke, Artur Nowak



Full results HERE.
Gallery of photos HERE.

23.04.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #64
Catherine Burke (new Parkrun PB!), Pat Sheehy (2nd in age category), Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Peter Jackson (3rd overall), Paudie Dineen (new Parkrun PB!)

Full results HERE.

23.04.2016 - MCI Royal Canal Marathon Longford
Cathy Quilter



Full results HERE.

30.04.2016 - Asdee GAA Half Marathon & 10K
Half Marathon:
Annameria Costello (1st Female), Pat Sheehy, Seamus Falvey, James Pierse


Full results HERE.

30.04.2016 - B*WILDERED The John Lenihan Wilderness Challenge
Linda O'Sullivan, Csilla Vamossy, Brian Lucid, Padraig O'Reagan.



23 April 2016

For the heck of it.. - Norma's story

St.Brendan’s AC members share their personal stories and different experiences of getting fit and embracing new challenges in recent years.

For the heck of it – Norma's story


For the heck of it............  I always fancied myself as a bit of a panther but sadly I was not bestowed with typical runner qualities.
Endurance - only just enough to get me over a short finish line and it helps if there is ice-cream at the end.
Flexibility - I am cardboard stiff, although circuits has helped a lot.
Speed - Oh my god, do you want to finish me off.....


The lyrics to Bing Crosby's song 'Don't fence me in' aptly describes how I feel 'Let me be by myself in the evening' breeze and listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees.  Running offered me exactly that, time for me to clear my head with fresh air and take in all of nature's glories.

After having two boys over a short timeframe I needed an interest to feel balanced and get the blood pumping.  So most days I went off round a ring near me with two little boys in a buggy.  I pushed myself with markers run a short while and then walk and before I knew it I could complete 5k without stopping. 

So off I went searching and online I stumbled across St. Brendan's Athletic Club Fit4Life.  The dark evenings were fast approaching and I liked the idea of running in a group around town.  That was November 2014 when I joined and I have never looked back since. 

Running in a group was completely new to me.  I was and still am in awe of members in the club completing marathons and other endurance races.  When I joined first I thought I would never have it in me to run a 10k race. 

I looked forward to meeting every Monday and Thursday nights (winter time) and loved my chats and rants with the other members.  I also go to the strength and conditioning class in Ardfert Community Centre on a Tuesday night and I find it fabulous.  I was such a novice I did not even know what a burpee was!  If disciplined one could do some of the stretching exercises at home, needless to say I don't so at least on Tuesday night that time is allocated.  I also meet up with other members who do not run in town with fit for life. 

The Good Friday run in Killarney was a first for me, I got such a buzz when I completed it.  I did the Banna 5K, Killarney womens mini marathon and the Cork womens mini marathon also.  In January I completed the Kerins O'Rahilly 10K.
Over the summer I discovered so many lovely placed in Kerry with St. Brendan's, many places are on my doorstep and I can add them to a list of family days outs in the future.

I don't categorise myself as a serious runner and for me running = enjoyment.  It makes me feel happy and the best that I can be.  Running doesn't solve problems but it makes me handle them better and I love the clarity of mind that it brings.




So my advice to anyone out there who is reading this is if you are able bodied and have access to a good pair of running shoes come and meet up and run with us, 
I promise, you won't regret it.................



More stories from St.Brendan's AC:


14 April 2016

Connemara Half Marathon 2016 by David

On Sunday 10 April 2016, four of our club members made it to the starting line of the Connemara International Marathon. In less than perfect weather conditions all four finished this event and some of their experiences are shared below.

David view on Connemara Half Marathon 2016.


This was to be my first half marathon since Dingle last September and I had set myself a target of getting a good personal best. Previously my best time had been set Dingle and (1:50:34), for this race I was hoping to get 1:49:30.
Since that race in Dingle I have trained for and completed a marathon, worked my way through a knee niggle for six months but managed to continued to run during that time. And since the turn of the year I have been training consistently 3-4 times a week, also racing well breaking my PBs in 5K, 5mile, 10K and 10 mile distances so my confidence is high.
Leaving Kerry on Saturday morning with Artur, Cathy and Margaret we arrived to Connemara on Saturday afternoon and met our hosts for the night, a very nice couple who couldn’t have done more for us including dropping us to the start line. There was talk of possible challenging weather conditions, with snow and freezing conditions the other side of hills. What can you do with this only hope for the best and bring enough clothes for the worst! The next morning we thankfully had the advantage of the warmth of a car until a short time before the race and I suspect it helped me at least to avoid being cold before the race started.


I was taking part in the half marathon whilst my clubmates were going to be running the full marathon, each will have their own story to tell also!
The start line for the half marathon was in Leenane, a small little village beside a large lake and plenty of space for the wind to whip around. The race route would have a good climb out of Leenane for a mile or so with the next 8 miles of some ups and downs. After that was the notorious Hell of the West climb, a mile and a half steady climb out of the valley and finally a flat two miles to finish. A challenging 13.1 miles in any weather condition but today we to be regarded as exceptionally bad by the talk of the people who had experienced the event before. As the half marathon started we were being beaten by wind and hail stones, it was actually hard to see for the first few minutes of the race and I thought this is going to be fun. My first mile was slower than I hoped but things picked up then and I was running well, by the end of mile four I was bang on target for what I was aiming for. Conditions on the weather front were tough still, with the wind coming in from the side and sometimes feeling like coming from all sides but you keep going as best you can. At some point we got to see some top marathoners glide through the half marathon pack, these guys were like machines with their strength and motion considering when we saw them they’d 15-20 tough miles done at that stage. Saw a few ultra runners as well who seemed to be having a tough time of it on their 39.3 mile route.
As I reached the Hell of the West climb in Mile 10 I was about 50 seconds ahead of my planned target for the day. I had a plan for that big hill, as we’d seen some of it on the drive into the area the previous day you could see spots of where it levelled so you would get a breather here and there over the climb. I reduced my stride length but maintained my cadence and worked my way at a decent pace up the hill and didn’t lose much time at all. I passed quite a few people on the climb and that felt good that I was racing that well.
Once we got the top then it was just two miles to go, I was wondering how my legs would feel but everything seemed okay for the final push. The wind was picking up then and also some rain had set in, so put back on my hat...unfortunately my gloves were soaked right through along with the rest of me but least my head would be dry! The last two miles were as fast I could go really, getting down to what would be my 5/10K pace. I passed a few more people and just started to count down the minutes to go. You could hear the sounds of the finishing area but yet it seemed far away. Finally I saw it and gave a final push through to end and then I glanced down and saw my watch....1:48:39. Absolutely delighted as I’d beaten my target for the day which had me both doing my fastest ever half marathon time and going sub 1:50 for the first time ever.
It was a great race and one I intend to return to in time...it would be nice to see the great views in better weather but the cold weather worked out well for me this time! It was great to catch up with my clubmates after the race to hear how they got and we had plenty of chat about the race on an enjoyable trip home.
Many thanks to Artur for suggesting the race and arranging accommodation plus transporting us!

Half Marathon results HERE.

David

CONNMAGEDDON 2016 by Artur

On Sunday 10 April 2016, four of our club members made it to the starting line of the Connemara International Marathon. In less than perfect weather conditions all four finished this event and some of their experiences are shared below.

Artur Nowak, Full Marathon (4:12)
There were no obvious signs of what was to come when we get up on Sunday morning in Cong. Cathy, Margaret, David and myself travelled on Saturday to Galway to pick up the numbers and plastic drop bags and headed north to Cong via Maam Cross to land in Damian & Jill's lovely house. 

"So silent before the storm..."
Forecast for Sunday was typical for Ireland in any of the four seasons - always a chance of rain... but so calm, no wind at all. After breakfast we got to the Peacock Hotel to park our getaway car and we were just in time to see the start of the Ultra Marathon (39.3M) and cheer on follow Kerry runners Fozzy & Mike from Kerry Crusaders. Both looked comfortable and reasonably wrapped up for the strong chilling wind -  at least compared  to an Italian runner with short shorts and vest only.



We did pass them again after the first few miles, still in good spirits.

We got the VIP treatment from Damian as he drove us to the start line of Full Marathon by nice lake in literally "the middle of nowhere". The only sign that we were in the right spot were a few buses parked on the side of the road with most of the people still inside. So far, so good, no rain a bit of wind, nothing unusual. Great wild Connemara ahead of us. We will be able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of nature for the next few hours.



Some runners were jogging up and down, one funny guy having a cigarette when performing warm up.
We dropped the bags and myself and Cathy lined up at almost very end of the pack. Margaret went ahead to the very front for another photo opportunity at the start. 
Cathy said a quick prayer for nice and calm afternoon but whatever she said we got exact opposite.




"Easy part"
First few miles on the full marathon are on a back road, wide enough for runners on one side and motorbike marshals and cars on the other. We were heading directly to strong wind but it was hardly noticeable with road packed full of runners. Cathy went ahead with Aidan (52 Marathons in 52 Weeks) and I slowly was closing down on 4:30 pacer, passing the group after 4 or 5 miles. I noticed at that stage the number of French, Spanish and German runners.
How do you recognise a French runner? He will have tricolour flag on some part of his/her body.

"Gael of the West"
Shortly after catching up with 4:00 pace group and turning 90 degrees to right, the route finally presented the first of the inclines. At the same time, the little drizzle we'd had for the past 5min, changed to regular rain and wind and this also increased in strength, trying to swipe all the runners to the ditch on the other side of the road.
On top of that incline, I meet Cathy & Aidan again as drenched as rest of the people around. Conditions were tough and the only way forward was to run in packs to get some shielding, so for the next few miles I had the pleasure of discovering a lot of road markings and different types of tarmac. Head down and keep moving forward, hands numb from cold, left side of body, exposed to wind almost not responding to senses. I started to get "out of body experience" when both my hamstring muscles were so numb I didn't know they were still attached to my body. 
When we thought it couldn't get any worse, the hailstones made an unwelcome appearance... on top of the hill... with gaelforce wind... with nowhere to hide...
Front of the t-shirt was all wet and body numb but in hailstone scenario I did get big advantage having a cap on my head so I could see the road and now I was at the head of the multinational pack of about 6-8 runners tightly tucked in behind with most of the running with one eye open. Just enough to see the person in front of them. It was not the ideal position to be in but no one was trying to take turns upfront from me and when I looked around the mystery was solved - only one guy had a buff on his head, the rest of the runners couldn't see the road with razor sharp small pellets of ice relentlessly bashing them straight in the face.
Pace dropped significantly but it was too cold to even lift a sleeve in base layer to check the Garmin. We passed a good few walkers at that stage doing full marathon as they started before runners. 
I looked in jealousy at some of them, in the fancy waterproof jackets and pants with hats and hoods, basicly well prepared for Connemara's finest weather.
Just before half way point and start of Half Marathon in Leenane, the 4:00 pace group swallowed up our group. We passed timing mat at 13.1 mile around 1:59.

"The Scenic part"
Second half of the full marathon is also start of Half Marathon and it's a sharp right turn again, going straight up hill after just 100m. The rain changed to drizzle again and stopped all together after a while. The wind we had to the side should be now in our backs. Unfortunately this was in the middle of the valley with high hills on both sides so gusts of wind were going in our backs for a few seconds and then swirled and hit from front and sides.
Once the rain stopped, I was able to lift my head and finally look around and it was a very scenic and unspoiled place. The only traffic at this stage were the marshals on motorbikes and ambulances going up and down, picking up people from the side of the road and I'm pretty sure it wasn't from heat exhaustion. 
Finally I got a water bottle from aid station and took a few seconds to try to open it with frozen fingers - no good so used teeth in the end to remove plastic cap, put half of the High5 electrolyte tablet and was ready for more sightseeing.
Some of the Ultra runners were making the way, most still running, some adapting run/walk tactics getting cheers from Half Marathon walkers.
Wind dried most of base layer and t-shirt, rain stopped, cramps didn't bother me yet - all ready for the main attraction of Connemara Marathon.

"Hell of the West"
Around 4 miles before the finish line, there is an incline (people who run flat marathons, call it "hill") of about 3km. Not as bad as hill in Dingle in my opinion and can be "run". My run up that hill was about the speed of fast walkers but was more comfortable than walking at that stage and I reached top of the hill with first hints of cramps. Unusually for road marathon, it was my inner thigh muscles were the source of the cramping. Normally this part of legs only get cramps on mountain runs and adventure races. I suspect the cross wind was the culprit when I tried to stay on the road in the middle section of the marathon.
From the top of the hill is about another 2 miles to finish line and all downhill or flat but hardly anyone around me had any speed left in the legs to up the pace at this stage.
It was nice to finally cross the finish gantry in 4:12 min, inside target time of 4:15 and collect nice medal and t-shirt. I was placed around 200 position overall.
Looking at the results from Full Marathon it's only showing about 600 finishers, not sure how many started the race.
One interesting fact I notice was that I was the only one still wearing a  cap going up the "Hell of the West" and the 2 miles to the finish line. Good job Inov8! 

"Connmageddon Aftermath"
After collecting my Banna Run bag (not waterproof) with clothes all wet inside, I got to the car and changed into my spare dry clothes. All took about 10min. In the same period of time 4 or 5 ambulances of Order of Malta pulled up outside with 3 or 4 people inside with survival blankets around them. 
Went inside hotel for some hot soup, bread and tea. Took a while to find the right table with this stuff as the place was packed to the brims and run by organised chaos. I met David and Margaret and we waited for Cathy. She took her time in the tea shop in Leenane.
We didn't have to wait for too long. After more tea and cake we posed for a photo and were on the way back to Kerry.



David did extremely well on the day, improving his PB in Half Marathon.
Margaret finished top in her age category and finished 8th women overall.
Cathy got another marathon under the belt in the quest for 25.
And my? I survived CONNMAGEDDON 16!


Artur

Connemara Marathon 2016 by Cathy & Margaret

Cathy Quilter, Full Marathon (Marathon no.19 in 2016)

So the morning of Connemarathon, not a breeze or rain outside, there I 
was thinking I will run without my Base Layer. A different story when I arrived to the start line, Base Layer left on and still not enough clothes to feel warm. With a few miles in, the heavens opened up. Month of April and hailstones belting down at my poor thighs which I could not feel any more with the cold. My plan was to run the first half fast with stopping for tea half way. 

I did inform Artur but he ran away at half way I saw a woman collapse in front of me, I have ran many marathons and never saw that, it was scary, that's when I said I'm just gonna take my ease and finish easy. Hearing the sirens of ambulances on duty all day took the thought of the hills away. It was the worst marathon weather wise I have experienced, which was a pity as the scenery was amazing. I was so glad of that finish line and even happier when I got my McDonald's in me. Definitely an experience not to forget.
Cathy


Margaret Carlin, Full Marathon (3:46) (8th female overall & 1st in age category):
Connemara Marathon was not an easy run. The Hills alone are challenging and add  Gale-force winds, rain and hailstones so, yes I think I earned my medal in such Baltic conditions.
Fingers and toes were numb and I sure was glad to see the finish line.
Margaret

Full results HERE

Training for Track & Field season 2016 part 2










08 April 2016

06 April 2016

Training venue change - Wednesday, 6 April 2016

>>NOTICE!<<
Wednesday, 6 April - Juvenile training venue is switched from Walnut Grove in Ardfert to BANNA Astroturf pitch.
Same time 6:30pm - 8:00pm (€2).

04 April 2016

Kerry clubs membership - April 2016



Training schedule for April/May 2016

Outdoor Training schedule for April & May (unless advised otherwise).

Please use side entrance via Station Road.

JUVENILES:
Tuesdays 6:30-7:30pm U13 - U17 (starting on 7 April) 
(€2)

Wednesdays 6:30-8:00pm U9 - U12 (starting on 8 April) 
(€2)

Thursday 6:30-7:30 U11 - U17 Throw events (javelin, turbo javelin, hammer, shot putt, discus)
               

FIT4LIFE:
Tuesdays 7:30 - 8:30pm - Walnut Grove Sports Field, Ardfert (€2) - Please use side entrance via Station Road.