Three glorious, sunny weeks vacationing in Ireland. A time to visit family in Dublin, sightsee in Kerry, relax on sandy beaches (yes, it's true), and run the Strawberry Festival Half Marathon in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford (pic taken along race route) .I was fully trained for this event and ready to PR by 10 minutes or so. The half marathon was scheduled for a week and a half into my trip, allowing lots of time to recover from jetlag. We booked a room at The Old Bridge House B&B just a few blocks from the 10am race start. (Now a word about the B&B's link -- the picture of the Redmonds is probably 10-15 years old. They are much hipper in real life. The couple made our family of 4 feel so welcome, comfortable, and relaxed. We would go back in a heart-beat.)
So Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The race sounds soooooo perfectly planned. Lots of build-up to the perfect drama filled race -- but there was none. This was the first race I have run where my family got to see me off at the start, AND watch me cross the finish line! There was just enough rain in the beginning which made a brick hill a little too slippery for my liking. Soon the sun broke out creating a rather warm and humid run. Generally speaking, the runners were fast and by mile 2, I was close to being a solitary runner. I did have my eye on one woman's back -- we all do it. Spot someone ahead and focus on that person's back. Don't lose 'em! If I could just catch up....and I did.At mile 4, I met this lovely lady from Wexford and asked her if she wouldn't mind me running with her for a bit. She said sure, but that she may need to take a walk break here and there. That was fine with me.
We ran...chatted...walked....chatted....ran...chatted about walk breaks....this was her first half marathon....her son was running ahead with a goal of 1:30......not in my life-time....ran.....chatted, and before I knew it, we had been running together for 8 miles with only one mile to go. I took off for the last mile, because my legs needed to. That's her on the right, as I took off for the last mile.
I ignored my pace during those 8 miles. Those easy, conversational miles felt good and were fun. I took more walk breaks than necessary, but it was nice chatting with this lovely lady from Wexford whose name I have forgotten and can't even recall by looking at the race results. When at last I approached the finish line along the river Slaney, there was my family, cheering me on.
I didn't PR this race, and it didn't matter. I enjoyed the run, I enjoyed the company, I enjoyed the journey. The final post-race destination -- a cooling leg bath in the Slaney River.
