Portumna race report on milestone run!

You know when you eat too much over a couple of days and go to bed later than usual and have one or two more drinks than normal? How you just want a few days off to get over that? Well I found an alternative therapy that only takes one morning!!!

27/12/15, 7am! Off to Portumna!

It's called Trail Marathon!

You get up at 6.30am on the 27th of December. Have a cup of tea and a couple of mince pies or muffins. Get into the car, drive to Portumna (the long way around Lough Derg because of floods between Borrisokane and Portumna). Join up with about 100 others who overindulged on food and drink. And run a 43.2K Trail Marathon in beautiful Portumna Forest in mucky and heavy underfoot conditions!

Remember from June this is the place where I dislocated a bone in my ankle that had to be popped back in for me to finish the race. So wits and focus were needed to keep our balance on paths with mud, rotten leaves, puddles and streams of water. Actually a tree had fallen on the original course but thankfully the excellent Race Director Ray O'Connor had an alternative route measured out so we were asked to complete 16 laps of 2.7K. Which made it a Trail Marathon of 43.2K. 1K longer than your standard Marathon.

There are too many people and things that made this yet again an unforgettable day so apologies for forgetting some if I did. If you run Marathons and you want to be part of something bigger than just the running of them, join Marathon Club Ireland. What a privilege yet again to meet all these wonderful people who truly make each other grow as human beings, support and love each other unconditionally and really know how to make Marathon running like one big party.

Action Pic by Mary Mockett. Thanks Mary.

 

Thanks to Ray as Race Director; Valerie our wonderful Chairperson; Vincent THE man that keeps us all in check and makes sure everything happens when and as it should; Brian, Maryse and Maura for the sweets, Jaffa cakes, bananas, coke and water during and sandwiches tea and soup after; Shane for the mulled wine after. Team Kerr for being there and lifting us all higher again. And all fellow runners for your support, smiles and encouragements.

About 4hrs33mins were needed to finish Marathon number 16 of 2015!

16 in 2015 done!

That's 9 more than my previous record of 7 in 2014. The intention for 2016 is do as much running as I love with a direction of 20 races of Marathon distance or longer! This will get me to the #50at50 touchline!

With support from all these wonderful people that is going to be tough but feasible.

1 day at a time, 1 mile at a time, 1 smile at a time!

My year review is due Friday! Until then have a wonderful week!!!

Patte xxx