Thursday, February 11, 2016

Trim 10 mile race report

I woke up early Sunday morning feeling the usual feelings before a race, nervous but excited!! I had my club singlet, race gear, number, drink etc all ready from the night before and after a good breakfast, I headed off to meet the girls at 10am at the track.
I was driving, so the girls hopped in (we were leaving a bit early for Simon! Lol!) and off we went! 
We had good fun chatting away in the car and 30 mins later, we were pulling up in Trim....
There was a great buzz at the race headquarters. There were lots of stewarts advising people, and answering their questions...
Inside the HQ, there were people who were registering on the day and there was tea on the go also, for anyone who wanted a quick pre- race cuppa!  The atmosphere was really warm (unlike the weather 😉) and friendly...
Then we were off to the race start! A short jog from HQ. Luckily the rain held off, so apart from it being windy, conditions were good! There were 'pacers' heading to the start also, which I thought was a great option for anyone who wanted 'guidance' with their race pace....
We all limbered up and of course took the obligatory photos 😉, and before we knew it, we were wishing each other good luck! I was thinking, it's so nice to be part of a local running club, the camaraderie and buzz you get from being with like- minded people, is so much nicer than arriving at the race on your own! It makes for a much more fun and pleasant experience 😊
Wearing my club singlet not only makes me feel proud, it also makes me feel like part of a team. We are representing Ratoath Athletic Club around the country!  
The race started. It had been years since I last did a 10 mile road race. I settled into a pace that I was comfortable with, and took in all the amazing supporters along the way, as they called out words of encouragement to us all. Many people called out, 'come on Ratoath', because I was wearing my club singlet..This made me smile....
The race stewarts on the course were so friendly and encouraging also! ' great stuff' 'lovely running' 'keep it going' were words that were ringing in my ears! The people at the water stations were beaming and were flying around,  trying to make sure that anyone who wanted a drink of water, got one! Not easy in blustery, chilly conditions!  
The course had a few climbs but a few nice downhills too and it was out on country roads! The traffic was kept to a minimum, credit again to the race organisers! There were clear mile markers throughout!  
The finish was a 300 metre stretch and all I could hear was the excited, booming voice of one of the race organisers, over the tannoy, saying 'Well done Ratoath'...I was gaining on a girl and I thought, maybe just maybe, if I put my head down for a final surge,  I might just catch her! I did, and it was like a little cherry on the cake! We high- fived each other when we crossed the finish line. Next race, she'll catch me I'm sure, but it's all a bit of fun, and part of challenging yourself!
I crossed the line, feeling very happy and satisfied and I felt proud to be part of such a great race...
The girls, Simon and I all met back up at Headquarters! I heard afterwards that Diarmuid and Joe (other club members) were there also. Sorry we missed you both!  
There was an array of hot drinks, soup, cold drinks, sandwiches, rolls and cakes, and plenty of banter!! 



It felt great to be lovely and snug post race, having a mug of soup, chatting to the guys (taking more photos!😉), dissecting the race, talking about the next one and also general chit chat! Of course there were familiar faces that I only see at races (had been quite some time for me!), but it was like it was only last week since we last saw each other,  as we chatted....
After about an hour or so, we took our weary but happy legs back to the car and we drove back to Ratoath after a thoroughly enjoyable, satisfying and sociable few hours in Trim! 
I definitely hope to return to do it all over again next February!! 




Noelle  😊🏃👍

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