Had a good session yesterday evening. Rathfarnham WSAF Athletic Club has a nice group of marathon runners / Triathletes lined up in Bushy Park on Tuesday. The lads are running 2k intervals in marathon / half-marathon pace with 90 seconds rest in between. The loop is mainly on grass and the boys are really fit.

As I wasn’t training last week I struggled a bit. I decided to just hang in the group and don’t push too hard. In the last intervals both calf’s tended to cramp. I really have to take in some Magnesium, as cramps became a serious issue in the last weeks of training.

After all It’s really good to run in a group. Ill definitely try to make this session every Tuesday from now on.

This Saturday is race day again with the Frank Duffy 10 Miler in Phoenix Park. After being out sick I’ll just race that with any big expectations. The weather should be fine so I’m looking forward to get a nice hard jog around the park.

A week without running stopped this Saturday. I was signed up for the “Future Streets of Galway 8 k”. I wasn’t running for a week but I head down because some friends went to Galway aswell.

I decided to jog the race with a friend. The weather was perfect so it was really worth it to get the shoes on. It’s a brilliant race and again it was sold out this year. 2.500 people made their way through Galway City.

I was pacing Karole and she did a class job running a low 42 on that wavy course.

Sunday morning I jogged easy 30 minutes along the scenic Shannon.

The flu is gone so next week I’m back into my “NYC preparation” mode. 12 weeks to go!

Not really! But no running since 5 days…

That´s not what i expect from a serious NYC build-up!

No running means more time in the beloved www. These days i was surfing the net and found a classic training clip again.

One of my favourite training movies from the KIMbia guys. Boaz Cheboiywo and James Carney celebrate the training tune up with style.

Everyone is talking about the swine flu these days. This morning they announced another 7 affected people in Ireland. Lucky enough epidemics like that make their way to the green Ireland not that fast. As i was feeling sick for the last 3 days i was a bit concerned that the whole “pig hype” is in me. At the moment it looks more like the “good old” flu that’s putting a serious break on my training schedule.

Before that i had a good start in the week. Did a nice hard workout on treadmill on Tuesday. Since ages a rendezvous with the “endless road”. I was running intervals with a 3.5 % gradient and 1.5 kg dumbbells. It was tough – but i really liked it. A good core workout combined with a speed session. I try to get more of those things in, as it is a good preparation for the 5 borough bridges.

Speaking of the big apple it’s just 14 weeks until the sound of the gun. I’m exited!

Hopefully I’m getting better fast. I change training now to “bed-ing” and try to sleep the virus away. This Monday is a bank holiday and i hope i get back on track to get some running in on the free day.

Next Saturday night is “Streets of Galway” Time. I need to be up to full power for that one!

Don´t ask questions!

If you train on your own the best speed session you can get in is a race. Lucky enough Dublin provides a wide range of road races. So today the Royal Hospital Kilmainham had a 6.5k “Fun Run” organised. A view on the actual course map made that run even more interesting.

Starting from the hospital park through Kilmainham, the actual hospital area and then on into the city and back out again passing the Guiness Factory.

500 runners and walkers lined up on a beautiful evening. The usual faces were there in the first rows. One well known face, not running wise, was kenny egan. as far as im concerened he knocked only himself out today.

A gardai representative startet of the stampede. Quickly there was a gap between the “front pack” and the rest of the field. I was in 6th position and drafted one guy out of kilmainham into the city. The course was very twisting and some nice up and downhills made the race even more interesting.

I started of in a nice smooth pace as i wanted to get a step closer to a good tactic for me when it comes to “shorter” races. The speed was okay until 4,5k were i couldnt really hold the pace. i fought on and shortly before the finish there was a little surprise. a nice steep long climb up to the hospital. I was wrecked and had to give it everything.

For the last 100 metres to the finish line i had not much left. So i ended up with a 22.15. OK for a Thursday night race.

Pictures HERE

Feidhlim Kelly leads the race out of the Hospital Park.

Me warming up in the park.

Thanks again to Darren from RACEPIX 365 for the great service he provides with his website.

The Tour is so rockin´ this year. I´m constantly chasing the live-ticker since the last couple of weeks.

Today was a brilliant day again.

The Schleck Bro´s showed that both of them a serious contenders for the next few years!

After Jens Voigt´s shocking crash yesterday that win was the best medicine for Saxo Bank.

Decent 115k spin with 2 X shane and dave along the coast road and parts of wicklow.

Nice “shake out” after the fatiguing 5 miler on Saturday morning. We successfully escaped the rain. On the last 500 metres heavy showers started off – good day out!