Hi Folks my name is Ed Fitz and I have the pleasure of being one of your 2-hour pacers again this year for the half-marathon!
This is my fourth time running this course and I’m so looking forward to Saturday. Below are a few race tips and some of the reasons why people use pacers.
- To stop themselves going out too quickly and if feeling strong later in the race they can ‘push on’. In this case I would suggest staying with your pacer until the 10-mile (16km) mark.
- In order to break a time increment for the first time. We as pacers go across the finishing line just under, or sub, of the time written on our balloon. In our case, it will be 1 hour 59 minutes something seconds. We run at an even enough pace which works out at 9:05 minutes per mile, or in Km’s,5:40 minutes per kilometer.
3)Start behind your pacer and not in front, there is nothing worse than being passed out by a pacer ? The course should thin out after about the first 10 minutes so keep a cool head and settle in for the rest of the race.
4)Line to line – the chip attached to your number and pacers watches are activated when they cross the starting and finishing lines. This is also known as the Nett or actual time. The clock or gross time is started only once when the race starts and is really only relevant to the very front of the pack.
5)Sip water at the water points enough to keep hydrated but not too much to leave you feeling bloated.
6)Finally, all the training is done so there is no point in stressing about it now. Try and get some normal sleep. I recommend a good book or a movie the night before, there is a cinema in Killarney town. If you are staying in the Gleneagle or the Brehon maybe a little swim & sauna.
My very brief history given the day that is in it.
7 years ago, a 100kg lifelong smoking version of myself ran their first half marathon in a time of 2 hours 36 minutes. At this Saturday’s Run Killarney 2019, a 79kg non-smoking version of myself will run their 50th half-marathon in a slightly older but fitter man’s runners (still battling the last few kg’s but hey you gotta live right?).
So, for everyone running on Saturday morning, well done you, for everyone who’s first race it is on Saturday morning, an extra well done to you and for all of us who cross the finishing line in one piece regardless of time or distance, WELL DONE US!
In the words of the great English philosopher Quentin Leo Cook(!)
“We’ve come a long, long way together
Through the hard times and the good
I have to celebrate you, baby
I have to praise you like I should”
See ya’ll out there peeps and at the after party/prize giving in the Gleneagle for one or two libations.
Also, if you are going for a wander around Killarney town that evening, like we plan on doing, be sure to wear your hard-earned medal and say hello to others wearing theirs.
