Rob’s Cork City Marathon Blog: Week 1 - Slowly, slowly catchy medal

Welcome back! Has it really been nearly a whole year since that wet and windy day last June?

Mon, 07 Mar, 2016 - 00:00

It was absolutely filthy weather for running and I know it affected a lot of you negatively in terms of finish times.

Still, despite the conditions, everyone who interacted with this blog did themselves proud that day.

As soon as I got got over the line and got back to City Hall to collect my gear my phone started buzzing with tweets from you guys letting me know about your wonderful achievements.

It certainly gave my aching body a lift to see them.

You know what?

As perverse it sounds I’d give anything to be out in that wind and water fest again this year.

Alas, it seems an achilles tendon injury has put paid to my Cork City Marathon ambitions for this year.

I’m really disappointed that, for the first time in 6 years, I won’t be turning up Patrick’s Street to the sight and sound of that wonderful crowd.

The injury isn’t even sport related. I slipped and fell on ice! It’s been seven weeks and I still can’t put any running weight on my foot.

The whole thing has left me down but there’s a huge positive I’ve taken from it all. Not being able to run has re-invigorated my motivation.

I don’t feel as fit and energetic since my injury so I’m putting all my efforts into working hard on what my physio has advised to help the healing process.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say and I’m even missing the gravelly, pothole covered country roads I trained on.

I’ve often effed and blinded at the pains in my limbs or the changeable Irish weather after coming in soaked and sorry from a run.

I’d give anything for those frustrated feelings again because it would mean I was working towards the goal of getting over the line, receiving my medal and basking in the joy of being a marathoner.

It’s really annoying but I’m determined to be back in 2017. There are people with much worse problems and soon I’ll get to lace up the runners again.

So, after reading my sob story are you feeling motivated?!

Sorry for the downer, but here comes the upper.

This year, you can do what I can’t. Whether this is your first race or your hundredth, you are at the start of an incredibly rewarding expedition that will leave you wanting more.

Running is a drug and fortunately, for addicts like us, it’s a drug that helps the body and the mind. Here we go again!

ROB RECOMMENDS: You should have already started your training regime and done the initial groundwork for the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon. Keep the pace moderate and the distances down in the first couple of weeks. As soon as you gauge your fitness levels and have established your pace, you can go into a little bit more detail and up the mileage. We’ll speak about training regimes for the relay, half-marathon and marathon next week.